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addressing those from the Gentiles who have believed, he says, that such a thing is also idolatry, the keeping of the observance of days, and that it brings a greater punishment now.

Therefore he also called the elements gods that are not so by nature, wishing to establish this very thing, and to cast them into greater anxiety. But what he says, 61.658 is something like this, that Formerly, when you were darkened and living in error you were dragged down to the ground; but now, when you have come to know God, or rather have been known by him, how will you not draw down upon yourselves a greater and more grievous punishment, suffering from the same things again after so much care? For neither did you find God by your own labors, but you were spending your time in error, and he himself drew you to him. And he calls the elements weak and poor, because they have no power for the good things that lie before us. You observe days and months and seasons and years. From this it is clear, that they preached not only circumcision to them, but also the feasts and the new moons. I am afraid of you, lest I have labored in vain for you. Do you see the apostolic compassion? They were being shaken, and he trembles and is afraid. Therefore he also put it very shamefully, saying: I have labored for you; as if he said: Do not make my such labors empty. But by saying, I am afraid, and adding, Lest perhaps, he both cast them into a struggle, and led them to good hopes. For he did not say, I labored in vain, but, Lest perhaps. Not yet, he says, has this shipwreck occurred, but I still see this storm in travail. For this reason I am afraid, but I have not despaired; for you are masters to correct everything, and to return to the former calm. Then, as if extending a hand to those in a storm, he brings himself into the midst, saying: Become as I am, for I also am as you are. This is to those of the Jews. Therefore he also brings himself into the midst, persuading them from this point also to depart from the old ways. For even if you had no other example, it would have been enough to look only at me for the sake of this change, and to take courage easily. Look carefully then; for I too suffered these things long ago, and was exceedingly consumed by the law, but nevertheless afterwards I was not afraid to leave the law, nor to depart from that way of life. And you know this clearly, how with much excess I clung to Judaism, and how with greater vehemence I left it after this. And he has put this well afterwards. For most people, even if they find ten thousand reasonings, and just ones, are drawn more by one of their own kind, and when they see them doing the same things, they hold more to the same things. Brethren, I beseech you, you have done me no wrong. See how again he addresses them by the name of honor; and this was also a reminder of grace. For since he had rebuked them sharply, and from every angle had examined the matters, and had shown them to be transgressors and had struck them from many sides, he again relaxes and heals them, using gentler words. For just as to heal continually weakens, so to be always sharply refuted makes one harsher. For this reason it is good to use due measure everywhere. See then how he apologizes to them for what he has said, showing that he said what he said not simply out of hatred 61.659 for them, but out of concern. For since he gave a deeper cut, he then applies this exhortation like oil. And showing that what was said was not of hatred, nor of enmity, he reminds them of the love which he showed towards them, and he makes his apology with praises.

2. Therefore he says: I beseech you, you have done me no wrong. For you know that it was because of an infirmity of my flesh that I preached the gospel to you; and my trial which was in my flesh you did not despise. But this is not yet a great thing, not to have done wrong; although indeed not even an ordinary man

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πρὸς τοὺς ἐξ ἐθνῶν πιστεύσαντας ἀποτεινόμενός φησιν, ὅτι καὶ εἰδωλολατρεία τὸ τοιοῦτόν ἐστιν, ἡ τῆς τῶν ἡμερῶν παρατηρήσεως φυλακὴ, καὶ ὅτι μείζονα φέρει τὴν κόλασιν νῦν.

∆ιὸ καὶ θεοὺς οὐ φύσει τὰ στοιχεῖα ἐκάλεσε, ταῦτα αὐτὰ κατασκευάσαι βουλόμενος, καὶ εἰς μείζονα ἀγωνίαν αὐτοὺς ἐμβαλεῖν. Ὃ δὲ λέγει, 61.658 τοιοῦτόν ἐστιν, ὅτι Τότε μὲν ἐσκοτισμένοι καὶ ἐν τῇ πλάνῃ διάγοντες χαμαὶ ἐσύρεσθε· νῦν δὲ, ὅτε ἔγνωτε τὸν Θεὸν, μᾶλλον δὲ ἐγνώσθητε παρ' αὐτοῦ, πῶς οὐ μείζονα καὶ χαλεπωτέραν ἐπισπάσεσθε κόλασιν, μετὰ τοσαύτην ἐπιμέλειαν τὰ αὐτὰ νοσοῦντες πάλιν; Οὐδὲ γὰρ ὑμεῖς κάμνοντες εὕρετε τὸν Θεὸν, ἀλλ' ὑμεῖς μὲν ἐν τῇ πλάνῃ διετρίβετε, αὐτὸς δὲ ὑμᾶς ἐπεσπάσατο. Ἀσθενῆ δὲ στοιχεῖα καλεῖ καὶ πτωχὰ, τῷ μηδεμίαν δύναμιν ἔχειν εἰς τὰ προκείμενα ἀγαθά. Ἡμέρας παρατηρεῖσθε καὶ μῆνας καὶ καιροὺς καὶ ἐνιαυτούς. Ἐκ τούτων δῆλον, ὅτι οὐ μόνον περιτομὴν αὐτοῖς ἐκήρυττον ἐκεῖνοι, ἀλλὰ καὶ τὰς ἑορτὰς καὶ τὰς νουμηνίας. Φοβοῦμαι ὑμᾶς, μή πως εἰκῆ κεκοπίακα εἰς ὑμᾶς. Εἶδες σπλάγχνα ἀποστολικά; ἐκεῖνοι ἐσαλεύοντο, καὶ οὗτος τρέμει καὶ δέδοικε. ∆ιὸ καὶ σφόδρα ἐντρεπτικῶς αὐτὸ τέθεικεν εἰπών· Κεκοπίακα εἰς ὑμᾶς· ὡς ἂν εἰ ἔλεγε· Μὴ κενώσητέ μου τοὺς τοιούτους ἱδρῶτας. Εἰπὼν δὲ, Φοβοῦμαι, καὶ τὸ, Μή πως, προσθεὶς, καὶ εἰς ἀγῶνα αὐτοὺς ἐνέβαλε, καὶ εἰς ἐλπίδας ἤγαγε χρηστάς. Οὐ γὰρ εἶπεν, Εἰκῆ ἐκοπίασα, ἀλλὰ, Μή πως. Οὐδέπω, φησὶ, τοῦτο ἐξέβη τὸ ναυάγιον, ἀλλ' ἔτι τὸν χειμῶνα τοῦτο ὠδίνοντα βλέπω. ∆ιὰ τοῦτο δέδοικα, οὐ μὴν ἀπέγνωκα· κύριοι γὰρ ὑμεῖς τὸ πᾶν διορθῶσαι, καὶ εἰς τὴν προτέραν ἐπανελθεῖν γαλήνην. Εἶτα, ὥσπερ χειμαζομένοις χεῖρα ὀρέγων, ἑαυτὸν εἰς μέσον ἄγει, λέγων· Γίνεσθε ὡς ἐγὼ, ὅτι κἀγὼ ὡς ὑμεῖς. Ταῦτα πρὸς τοὺς ἐξ Ἰουδαίων. ∆ιὸ καὶ ἑαυτὸν εἰς μέσον ἄγει, πείθων κἀντεῦθεν αὐτοὺς ἀποστῆναι τῶν παλαιῶν. Εἰ γὰρ καὶ μηδένα ἕτερον εἴχετε εἰς ὑπόδειγμα, ἤρκει εἰς ἐμὲ μόνον ἰδεῖν ταύτης ἕνεκεν τῆς μεταβολῆς, καὶ θαῤῥῆσαι ῥαδίως. ∆ιαβλέψατε τοίνυν· καὶ γὰρ ταῦτα κἀγὼ ἔπασχον πάλαι, καὶ σφόδρα καὶ περιεκαιόμην τοῦ νόμου, ἀλλ' ὅμως ὕστερον οὐκ ἐφοβήθην ἀφεῖναι τὸν νόμον, οὐδὲ μεταστῆναι τῆς πολιτείας ἐκείνης. Καὶ ταῦτα ὑμεῖς ἴστε σαφῶς, πῶς μεθ' ὑπερβολῆς πολλῆς ἀντειχόμην τοῦ Ἰουδαϊσμοῦ, καὶ πῶς μετὰ μείζονος αὐτὸν σφοδρότητος εἴασα μετὰ ταῦτα. Καὶ καλῶς αὐτὸ τέθεικεν ὕστερον. Οἱ γὰρ πολλοὶ τῶν ἀνθρώπων, κἂν μυρίους εὕρωσι λογισμοὺς, καὶ δικαίους, ἀπὸ τοῦ ὁμογενοῦς μᾶλλον ἐφέλκονται, καὶ ὅταν ἴδωσι τὰ αὐτὰ πράττοντα, μᾶλλον ἔχονται τῶν αὐτῶν. Ἀδελφοὶ, δέομαι ὑμῶν, οὐδέν με ἠδικήσατε. Ὅρα πῶς πάλιν τῷ τῆς τιμῆς ὀνόματι προσαγορεύει· τὸ δ' αὐτὸ καὶ τῆς χάριτος ὑπόμνησις ἦν. Ἐπειδὴ γὰρ σφόδρα καθήψατο αὐτῶν, καὶ πανταχόθεν συνέκρινε τὰ πράγματα, καὶ ἔδειξε παρανομοῦντας καὶ πολλαχόθεν αὐτοὺς ἔβαλε, πάλιν ἀνίησι καὶ θεραπεύει, προσηνεστέροις κεχρημένος λόγοις. Ὥσπερ γὰρ τὸ διαπαντὸς θεραπεύειν, ἐκλύει, οὕτω τὸ συνεστραμμένως ἀεὶ διελέγχεσθαι, τραχύτερον ποιεῖ. ∆ιὰ τοῦτο πανταχοῦ τῇ συμμετρίᾳ κεχρῆσθαι καλόν. Ὅρα τοίνυν πῶς αὐτοῖς ὑπὲρ τῶν εἰρημένων ἀπολογεῖται, δεικνὺς ὡς οὐχ ἁπλῶς ἀπεχθανόμενος 61.659 αὐτοῖς, ἀλλὰ κηδόμενος εἴρηκεν ἅπερ εἴρηκεν. Ἐπειδὴ γὰρ βαθυτέραν ἔδωκε τὴν τομὴν, ὥσπερ ἔλαιον λοιπὸν τὴν παράκλησιν ταύτην ἐνίησι. Καὶ δηλῶν ὅτι οὐ μίσους, οὐδὲ ἔχθρας ἦν τὰ εἰρημένα, ἀναμιμνήσκει τῆς ἀγάπης αὐτοὺς, ἣν ἐνεδείξατο περὶ αὐτοὺς, καὶ μετ' ἐγκωμίων τὴν ἀπολογίαν τίθησι.

βʹ. ∆ιό φησι· ∆έομαι ὑμῶν, οὐδέν με ἠδικήσατε. Οἴδατε δὲ, ὅτι δι' ἀσθένειαν τῆς σαρκός μου εὐηγγελισάμην ὑμῖν· καὶ τὸν πειρασμόν μου τὸν ἐν σαρκί μου οὐκ ἐξουθενήσατε. Ἀλλ' οὔπω τοῦτο μέγα τὸ μὴ ἀδικῆσαι· καίτοι γε οὐδὲ ὁ τυχὼν ἄνθρωπος