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See how he shows that it was not from desiring glory from them that he wrote and came. “But having a great desire to come unto you for many years.” Lest he should seem to slight them by saying, Since I have nothing to do, for this reason I am coming to you, again he brings forward the word of love, saying: Having a great desire to come unto you. “Whenever I take my journey into Spain; for I hope to see you in my journey.” Lest he should again puff them up, see how he checks them by saying: Whenever I take my journey into Spain, I hope to see you as I pass through. For he wishes to show love and at the same time to stop them from being vainglorious. “And to be brought on my way there by you, if first I be somewhat filled with your company.” Again, lest they should be grieved that the Apostle considered them a mere accessory to his journey, he says, to be brought on my way there by you, that is, so that you may be my witnesses that I am not passing by you out of contempt, but because I am drawn by necessity; and intensifying this he says: If first I be somewhat filled with your company. “But now I go unto Jerusalem to minister unto the saints.” Since he said, “I have no more place in these parts,” and “I have a great desire these many years to come unto you,” and yet was about to delay still longer, lest he be thought to be mocking them, he also states the reason why he is postponing. And he seems to be giving the pretext for the delay. But he is also secretly teaching something else, namely to exhort them to almsgiving, and to make them more zealous. For if this were not so, 95.564 it would have been enough to say, “I am going to Jerusalem”; but now he has added, “to minister to the saints.” “For it hath pleased them of Macedonia and Achaia.” That is, they approved, they desired. “To make a certain contribution for the poor among the saints which are at Jerusalem. It hath pleased them verily; and their debtors they are.” He did not say, alms, but, contribution; and the “certain,” he did not put simply, but so that he might not seem to be reproaching them. And he did not simply say, for the poor, but “for the poor among the saints.” And he was not satisfied with this alone, but also added that “they are debtors.” “For if the Gentiles have been made partakers of their spiritual things, their duty is also to minister unto them in carnal things.” What he says is this: For their sakes, he says, Christ came; to them He had promised all things, to those of the Jews; from them is Christ; wherefore he said, “Salvation is of the Jews.” From thence the apostles; from thence the prophets; from thence all good things. In all these, therefore, the whole world has partaken. If, then, you have partaken in the greater things, he says, you ought also to share in and impart to them of carnal things. And he did not say, to partake, but, to minister, placing them in the rank of ministers and of those paying tribute to a king. “When therefore I have performed this, and have sealed to them this fruit.” That is, as if depositing it into royal treasuries, as in an inviolable and safe place. And he did not say, alms, but again, fruit, showing that those who provide are the ones who gain. “I will come by you into Spain.” Again he mentions Spain, showing his unweariedness, and his warmth toward them. “And I am sure that, when I come unto you, I shall come in the fulness of the blessing of the Gospel of Christ.” As if he said: I know that when I come I will see you approved in all things, and abounding in good things, and worthy of myriad praises according to the Gospel. And this too is a wonderful manner of counsel, to anticipate them with encomiums. “Now I beseech you, brethren, for the Lord Jesus Christ’s sake, and for the love of the Spirit, that ye strive together with me in your prayers to God for me. Again here he puts forward Christ and the Spirit, and nowhere mentions the Father. He says these things so that when you see him mentioning the Father and the Son, or the Father alone, you may not set aside either the Son or the Spirit. And he did not say, Spirit, but, love of the Spirit. For just as Christ loved the world, and the Father, so also the Spirit. 95.565 “That I may be delivered from them that do not believe in Judæa.” He shows indeed the

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Ὅρα πῶς δείκνυσιν, ὡς οὐ τῆς παρ' αὐτῶν ἐφιέμενος δόξης ἔγραφέν τε καὶ παρεγίνετο. «Ἐπιποθίαν δὲ ἔχων τοῦ ἐλθεῖν πρὸς ὑμᾶς ἀπὸ ἱκανῶν ἐτῶν.» Ἵνα μὴ δόξῃ εὐτελίζειν αὐτοὺς τῷ λέγειν, Ἐπειδὴ οὐδὲν ἔχω ποιῆσαι, διὰ τοῦτο ἔρχομαι πρὸς ὑμᾶς, πάλιν τὸν τῆς ἀγάπης λόγον κινεῖ, εἰπών· Ἐπιποθίαν ἔχων ἐλθεῖν πρὸς ὑμᾶς. «Ὡς ἂν πορεύωμαι εἰς τὴν Σπανίαν· ἐλπίζω γὰρ πορευόμενος θεάσασθαι ὑμᾶς.» Ἵνα μὴ πάλιν αὐτοὺς φυσήσῃ, ὅρα πῶς αὐτοὺς καταστέλλει εἰπών· Ὡς ἂν πορεύωμαι εἰς τὴν Σπανίαν, ἐλπίζω διαπορευόμενος θεάσασθαι ὑμᾶς. Ὁμοῦ γὰρ τὴν ἀγάπην δεῖξαι βούλεται, καὶ καταλῦσαι καταλαζονεύεσθαι ἐκείνους. «Καὶ ὑφ' ὑμῶν προπεμφθῆναι ἐκεῖ, ἐὰν ὑμῶν πρῶτον ἀπὸ μέρους ἐμπλησθῶ.» Ἵνα πάλιν μὴ λυποῖντο ὡς ὁδοῦ πάρεργον αὐτοὺς θεωροῦντος τοῦ Ἀποστόλου, φησὶν τὸ ὑφ' ὑμῶν προπεμφθῆναι, τουτέστιν, ἵνα ὑμεῖς μοι μαρτυρές ἐστε, ὡς οὐ καταφρονῶν ὑμῶν, ἀλλὰ ἑλκόμενος ὑπὸ τῆς χρείας παρατρέχω· καὶ ἐπιτείνων τοιοῦτόν φησιν· Ἐὰν ἀφ' ὑμῶν πρῶτον ἀπὸ μέρους ἐμπλησθῶ. «Νυνὶ δὲ πορεύομαι εἰς Ἱεροσόλυμα διακονῶν τοῖς ἁγίοις.» Ἐπειδὴ εἶπεν, ὅτι Τόπον οὐκέτι ἔχω ἐν τοῖς κλίμασι τούτοις· καὶ ἐπιποθίαν ἔχω ἀπὸ πολλῶν ἐτῶν ἐλθεῖν πρὸς ὑμᾶς, ἔμελλεν δὲ ἔτι βραδύνειν, ἵνα μὴ νομίζηται διαχλευάζειν αὐτοὺς, λέγει καὶ τὴν αἰτίαν δι' ἣν ἀναβάλλεται. Καὶ δοκεῖ μὲν τὴν πρόφασιν λέγειν τῆς μελλήσεως. ∆ιδάσκει δὲ καὶ ἕτερον λεληθότως, τὸ προτρέψαι ἐκείνους εἰς ἐλεημοσύνην, καὶ σπουδαιοτέρους ποιῆσαι. Ἐπεὶ εἰ μὴ τοῦτο ἦν, 95.564 ἤρκει εἰπεῖν τὸ, Πορεύομαι εἰς Ἱερουσαλήμ· νῦν δὲ προσέθηκεν, διακονήσων τοῖς ἁγίοις. «Εὐδόκησαν γὰρ Μακεδονία καὶ Ἀχαία.» Τουτέστιν, ἐδοκίμασαν, ἐπεθύμησαν. «Κοινωνίαν τινὰ ποιήσασθαι εἰς τοὺς πτωχοὺς τῶν ἁγίων τῶν ἐν Ἱερουσαλήμ. Εὐδόκησαν γὰρ, καὶ ὀφειλέται εἰσὶν αὐτῶν.» Οὐκ εἶπεν, ἐλεημοσύνην, ἀλλὰ, κοινωνίαν· τὸ δὲ, τινὰ, οὐχ ἁπλῶς τέθεικεν, ἀλλ' ἵνα μὴ δόξῃ αὐτοὺς ὀνειδίζειν. Καὶ οὐκ εἶπεν ἁπλῶς, εἰς τοὺς πτωχοὺς, ἀλλ' εἰς τοὺς πτωχοὺς τῶν ἁγίων. Καὶ οὐ τούτῳ μόνῳ ἠρκέσθη, ἀλλ' ἐπήγαγε καὶ, ὅτι ὀφειλέται εἰσίν. «Εἰ γὰρ τοῖς πνευματικοῖς αὐτῶν ἐκοινώνησαν τὰ ἔθνη, ὀφείλουσι καὶ ἐν τοῖς σαρκικοῖς λειτουργῆσαι αὐτοῖς.» Ὃ λέγει τοιοῦτόν ἐστι· ∆ι' αὐτοὺς ἦλθεν, φησὶν, ὁ Χριστός· αὐτοῖς ἦν ἅπαντα ἐπαγγειλάμενος, τοῖς ἐξ Ἰουδαίων· ἐξ αὐτῶν ὁ Χριστός· διὸ ἔλεγεν, Ἐκ τῶν Ἰουδαίων ἐστὶν ἡ σωτηρία. Ἐκεῖθεν οἱ ἀπόστολοι· ἐκεῖθεν οἱ προφῆται· ἐκεῖθεν τὰ ἀγαθὰ πάντα. Τούτων οὖν ἁπάντων ἐκοινώνησεν ἡ οἰκουμένη. Εἰ τοίνυν ἐν τοῖς μείζοσιν ἐκοινωνήσατε, φησὶν, ὀφείλετε καὶ τῶν σαρκικῶν κοινωνῆσαι καὶ μεταδοῦναι αὐτοῖς. Καὶ οὐκ εἶπε, κοινωνῆσαι, ἀλλὰ, λειτουργῆσαι, ἐν τάξει διακόνων αὐτοὺς καθιστὰς καὶ τῷ βασιλεῖ τελούντων φόρους. «Τοῦτο οὖν ἐπιτελέσας καὶ σφραγισάμενος αὐτοῖς τὸν καρπὸν τοῦτον.» Τουτέστιν, ὡς εἰς βασιλικὰ ταμεῖα ἀποτιθέμενος, ὡς ἐν ἀσύλῳ καὶ ἀσφαλεῖ χωρίῳ. Καὶ οὐκ εἶπεν, ἐλεημοσύνην, ἀλλὰ πάλιν, τὸν καρπὸν, δεικνὺς κερδαίνοντας τοὺς παρέχοντας. «Ἀπελεύσομαι δι' ὑμῶν εἰς Σπανίαν.» Πάλιν μέμνηται τῆς Σπανίας, δεικνὺς τὸ ἄοκνον, καὶ τὸ περὶ ἐκείνους θερμόν. «Οἶδα δὲ ὅτι ἐρχόμενος πρὸς ἡμᾶς, ἐν πληρώματι εὐλογίας Χριστοῦ τοῦ Εὐαγγελίου ἐλεύσομαι.» Ὡσανεὶ ἔλεγεν· Οἶδα ὅτι ἐρχόμενος ὄψομαι ὑμᾶς ἐν ἅπασιν εὐδοκιμοῦντας, καὶ κομῶντας τοῖς ἀγαθοῖς, καὶ μυρίων ἐπαίνων ἀξίους τῶν κατὰ τὸ Εὐαγγέλιον. Καὶ τοῦτο δὲ τρόπος συμβουλῆς θαυμαστὸς, τὸ προκαταλαμβάνειν αὐτοὺς τοῖς ἐγκωμίοις. «Παρακαλῶ δὲ ὑμᾶς, ἀδελφοὶ, διὰ τοῦ Κυρίου ἡμῶν Ἰησοῦ Χριστοῦ, καὶ διὰ τῆς ἀγάπης τοῦ Πνεύματος, συναγωνίσασθαί μοι ἐν ταῖς προσευχαῖς ὑπὲρ ἐμοῦ πρὸς τὸν Θεόν. Πάλιν ἐνταῦθα τὸν Χριστὸν καὶ τὸ Πνεῦμα προβάλλεται, καὶ οὐδαμοῦ μὲν μέμνηται τοῦ Πατρός. Ταῦτα δὲ λέγει, ἵνα ὅταν ἴδῃς αὐτὸν Πατρὸς καὶ Υἱοῦ μεμνημένον, ἢ Πατρὸς μόνον, μήτε τὸν Υἱὸν, μήτε τὸ Πνεῦμα ἀθετῇς. Καὶ οὐκ εἶπε, Πνεῦμα, ἀλλὰ, ἀγάπης Πνεύματος. Καθάπερ γὰρ Χριστὸς ἠγάπησε τὸν κόσμον, καὶ Πατὴρ, οὕτω καὶ τὸ Πνεῦμα. 95.565 «Ἵνα ῥυσθῶ ἀπὸ τῶν ἀπειθούντων ἐν τῇ Ἰουδαίᾳ.» ∆είκνυσι μὲν τὸ