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he has used this argument. For he did not say, "And indeed for this reason you are worthy of greater punishment, because having been entrusted with so much, you have used none of these things for what is needful;" but he puts forward his argument in the form of a question, shaming them and saying: You then who teach another, do you not teach yourself? And consider with me from another perspective Paul's intelligence. For he sets down these advantages of the Jews, which were not of their own effort, but of the gift from above, and shows that, to them being negligent, they are not only superfluous, but also bring an addition of punishment. For to be called a Jew was not their own achievement, nor to receive the law, nor the other things which he has now enumerated, but of the grace from above. And in the beginning he said that the hearing of the law is of no benefit, unless the doing of it be added; for "not the hearers of the law," he says, "are just before God;" but now he shows much more, that not only hearing, but even that which was more than hearing, teaching, will not itself be able to stand in one's defense, if the teacher does not do what, he says, he teaches; and not only will it not stand in his defense, but it will also punish him more severely. And he uses his words well; for he did not say, "You received the law," but, "You rest on the law;" for the Jew did not toil, going about and seeking what ought to be done, but with ease he had the law showing the way that leads to virtue. For even if the Gentiles have the reasoning of nature, wherein he also surpasses them, as doing all things without hearing, yet still the ease was greater there. But if you say, "I not only hear, but I also teach," this very thing is an addition of punishment. For since they were very proud of this, from this he especially shows them to be ridiculous. And when he says, "a guide to the blind, 60.434 a teacher of the foolish, an instructor of the simple," he speaks of their pride; for they made great use of these terms with proselytes, and called them by these names. 2. Wherefore he also dwells at length on what seem to be their encomiums, knowing that what is said is a ground for greater accusation. "having the form of knowledge and of the truth in the law." Just as if someone having the royal image, should paint nothing like it; while those not entrusted with it, even without the original, should imitate it with exactness. Then after stating the advantages which they had from God, he speaks of their defects, which the prophets were accusing, bringing these things forward: "You then who teach another, do you not teach yourself? You who preach against stealing, do you steal? You who say that one must not commit adultery, do you commit adultery? You who abhor idols, do you rob temples?" For it was strongly forbidden to touch the things in the idol temples because of their abominable nature; but the tyranny of avarice, he says, persuaded you to trample on this law also. Then he adds what is much more serious later, saying: "You who boast in the law, do you dishonor God through your breaking of the law?" He has set down two charges, or rather three: that they dishonor, and that it is through those things for which they were honored, and that they dishonor Him who honored them, which was the height of extreme ingratitude. Then, lest he should seem to be accusing them on his own authority, he brought forward the prophet as their accuser, now briefly and concisely and as in a summary, but later also in detail, and now Isaiah, and after this David, when he also showed more rebukes. For that, he says, it is not I who say these things reviling you, hear what Isaiah says, that "The name of God is blasphemed among the Gentiles because of you." Behold also another double accusation again. For not only do they themselves, he says, commit outrage, but they also prepare others for this. What then is the benefit of teaching, when you do not teach yourselves? But above he said this only, but here he has also turned it to the contrary. For you teach not only not yourselves, but not others either what ought to be done; and what is much more grievous, that not only do you not teach the things of the law, but you even teach the opposite, to blaspheme God, which is contrary to the law. "But circumcision," he says, "is a great thing." I too confess it, but only when it has the inward circumcision. And consider the intelligence, how opportunely

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κέχρηται τῷ λόγῳ. Οὐ γὰρ εἶπε, Καὶ μὴν διὰ τοῦτο μείζονος εἶ κολάσεως ἄξιος, ὅτι τοσαῦτα ἐγχειρισθεὶς, οὐδενὶ τούτων εἰς δέον κέχρησαι· ἀλλὰ κατ' ἐρώτησιν προάγει τὸν λόγον, ἐντρέπων καὶ λέγων· Ὁ οὖν διδάσκων ἕτερον, σεαυτὸν οὐ διδάσκεις; Σκόπει δέ μοι καὶ ἑτέρωθεν τοῦ Παύλου τὴν σύνεσιν. Τὰ γὰρ πλεονεκτήματα τίθησι τῶν Ἰουδαίων ταῦτα, ἅπερ οὐ τῆς αὐτῶν σπουδῆς ἦν, ἀλλὰ τῆς ἄνωθεν δωρεᾶς, καὶ δείκνυσιν, οὐ μόνον περιττὰ ὄντα ἀμελοῦσιν αὐτοῖς, ἀλλὰ καὶ προσθήκην κολάσεως φέροντα. Οὐ γὰρ τὸ Ἰουδαῖον καλεῖσθαι, αὐτῶν κατόρθωμα, οὐδὲ τὸ νόμον λαβεῖν, οὐδὲ τὰ ἄλλα, ἅπερ ἀπηριθμήσατο νῦν, ἀλλὰ τῆς ἄνωθεν χάριτος. Καὶ παρὰ μὲν τὴν ἀρχὴν ἔλεγεν, ὅτι οὐδὲν ὠφελεῖ ἡ ἀκρόασις τοῦ νόμου, ἐὰν μὴ ἡ πρᾶξις προσῇ· Οὐ γὰρ οἱ ἀκροαταὶ τοῦ νόμου, φησὶ, δίκαιοι παρὰ τῷ Θεῷ· νῦν δὲ πολλῷ μᾶλλον δείκνυσιν, ὅτι οὐ μόνον ἡ ἀκρόασις, ἀλλὰ καὶ, ὃ πλέον τῆς ἀκροάσεως ἦν, ἡ διδασκαλία οὐδὲ αὐτὴ δυνήσεται προστῆναι, τοῦ διδάσκοντος μὴ πράττοντος ἅπερ, φησὶ, διδάσκει· καὶ οὐ μόνον οὐ προστήσεται, ἀλλὰ καὶ κολάσει μειζόνως. Καλῶς δὲ καὶ ταῖς λέξεσι κέχρηται· οὐ γὰρ εἶπεν, Ἔλαβες νόμον, ἀλλ', Ἐπαναπαύῃ νόμῳ· καὶ γὰρ οὐκ ἔκαμνεν ὁ Ἰουδαῖος περιιὼν καὶ ζητῶν τὰ πρακτέα, ἀλλ' ἐξ εὐκολίας εἶχε τὸν νόμον δεικνύντα τὴν ἐπὶ τὴν ἀρετὴν φέρουσαν ὁδόν. Εἰ γὰρ καὶ τὰ ἔθνη ἔχει τὸν τῆς φύσεως λογισμὸν, ὅθεν αὐτῶν καὶ πλεονεκτεῖ, χωρὶς ἀκροάσεως ὡς ποιοῦντα ἅπαντα, ἀλλ' ὅμως ἐκεῖ μείζων ἡ εὐκολία ἦν. Εἰ δὲ λέγεις, ὅτι Οὐκ ἀκούω μόνον, ἀλλὰ καὶ διδάσκω· καὶ τοῦτο αὐτὸ προσθήκη τιμωρίας. Ἐπειδὴ γὰρ τούτῳ μέγα ἐφρόνουν, ἐντεῦθεν μάλιστα αὐτοὺς δείκνυσιν ὄντας καταγελάστους. Ὅταν δὲ λέγῃ, Ὁδηγὸν τυφλῶν, 60.434 παιδευτὴν ἀφρόνων, διδάσκαλον νηπίων, τὸν ἐκείνων λέγει τῦφον· σφόδρα γὰρ ἀπεκέχρηντο τοῖς προσηλύτοις, καὶ ἀπὸ τούτων ἐκάλουν τῶν ὀνομάτων αὐτούς. βʹ. ∆ιὸ καὶ ἐπιδαψιλεύεται τοῖς δοκοῦσιν αὐτῶν εἶναι ἐγκωμίοις, εἰδὼς, ὅτι μείζονος κατηγορίας ὑπόθεσις τὰ λεγόμενα. Ἔχοντα τὴν μόρφωσιν τῆς γνώσεως καὶ τῆς ἀληθείας ἐν τῷ νόμῳ. Ὥσπερ ἂν εἴ τις τὴν βασιλικὴν εἰκόνα ἔχων, μηδὲν πρὸς ἐκείνην γράφοι· οἱ δὲ μὴ πιστευθέντες αὐτὴν, καὶ χωρὶς τοῦ πρωτοτύπου μετὰ ἀκριβείας αὐτὴν μιμοῖντο. Εἶτα εἰπὼν τὰ πλεονεκτήματα, ἅπερ ἔσχον παρὰ τοῦ Θεοῦ, λέγει αὐτῶν τὰ ἐλαττώματα, ἅπερ οἱ προφῆται κατηγόρουν, ταῦτα εἰς μέσον φέρων· Ὁ οὖν διδάσκων ἕτερον, σεαυτὸν οὐ διδάσκεις; ὁ κηρύσσων μὴ κλέπτειν, κλέπτεις; ὁ λέγων μὴ μοιχεύειν, μοιχεύεις; ὁ βδελυσσόμενος τὰ εἴδωλα, ἱεροσυλεῖς; Καὶ γὰρ σφόδρα ἦν ἀπηγορευμένον τῶν ἐν τοῖς εἰδωλείοις ἅπτεσθαι χρημάτων διὰ τὸ βδελυρόν· ἡ δὲ τῆς φιλοχρηματίας τυραννὶς, φησὶ, καὶ τοῦτον ὑμᾶς ἔπεισε καταπατῆσαι τὸν νόμον. Εἶτα τὸ πολὺ βαρύτερον ὕστερον ἐπάγει, λέγων· Ὃς ἐν νόμῳ καυχᾶσαι, διὰ τῆς παραβάσεως τοῦ νόμου τὸν Θεὸν ἀτιμάζεις; ∆ύο τέθεικεν ἐγκλήματα, μᾶλλον δὲ τρία· ὅτι τε ἀτιμάζουσι, καὶ ὅτι δι' ὧν ἐτιμήθησαν, καὶ ὅτι τὸν τιμήσαντα ἀτιμάζουσιν, ὅπερ ἦν ἐσχάτης ἀγνωμοσύνης ὑπερβολή. Εἶτα ἵνα μὴ δόξῃ κατηγορεῖν οἴκοθεν, τὸν προφήτην ἐπήγαγεν αὐτῶν κατήγορον, νῦν μὲν ἐν βραχεῖ καὶ συντόμως καὶ ὡς ἐν κεφαλαίῳ, ὕστερον δὲ καὶ κατὰ μέρος, καὶ νῦν μὲν τὸν Ἡσαΐαν, μετὰ δὲ ταῦτα τὸν ∆αυῒδ, ὅτε καὶ πλείονας ἐπεδείξατο τοὺς ἐλέγχους. Ὅτι γὰρ, φησὶν, οὐκ ἐγὼ λοιδορούμενος ὑμῖν ταῦτα λέγω, ἄκουσον τί φησιν ὁ Ἡσαΐας, ὅτι Τὸ ὄνομα τοῦ Θεοῦ δι' ὑμᾶς βλασφημεῖται ἐν τοῖς ἔθνεσιν. Ἰδοὺ καὶ ἑτέρα διπλῆ κατηγορία πάλιν. Οὐ γὰρ μόνον αὐτοὶ, φησὶν, ὑβρίζουσιν, ἀλλὰ καὶ ἑτέρους εἰς τοῦτο παρασκευάζουσι. Τί τοίνυν τῆς διδασκαλίας ὄφελος, ὅταν ἑαυτοὺς μὴ διδάσκητε; Ἀλλ' ἀνωτέρω μὲν τοῦτο εἶπε μόνον, ἐνταῦθα δὲ καὶ εἰς τὸ ἐναντίον περιέτρεψεν. Οὐδὲ γὰρ μόνον ἑαυτοὺς, ἀλλ' οὐδὲ ἑτέρους διδάσκετε τὰ πρακτέα· καὶ τὸ πολλῷ χαλεπώτερον, ὅτι οὐ μόνον οὐ διδάσκετε τὰ τοῦ νόμου, ἀλλὰ καὶ τὰ ἐναντία διδάσκετε, βλασφημεῖν τὸν Θεὸν, ὅπερ ἐναντίον ἐστὶ τῷ νόμῳ. Ἀλλ' ἡ περιτομὴ μέγα, φησίν. Ὁμολογῶ κἀγὼ, ἀλλὰ τότε, ὅταν ἔχῃ τὴν ἔνδον περιτομήν. Καὶ σκόπει σύνεσιν, πῶς εὐκαίρως