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the Christ of God,” then came the “your house is forsaken to you,” and because of him they have suffered these things and “all the earth was utterly laid waste.” 11.2 But if you wish to hear a higher meaning of “for my sake all the earth was utterly laid waste,” see how the earth in you was laid waste when Jesus came. For it was laid waste when “the members that are on the earth were put to death,” and the earth no longer works its own things, there are no longer in the just man “the works of the flesh” in which the flesh flourished, no longer “fornication,” no longer “impurity,” not “licentiousness,” not “idolatry,” not “sorcery,” and the rest. And the Savior says: “Do you think that I have come to bring peace on earth? I have not come to bring peace, but a sword.” For truly, before he came, there was no sword on earth, nor did “the flesh desire against the spirit, nor the spirit against the flesh,” but when he came and we were taught what things are of the flesh, and what things are of the spirit, the teaching, having become like a “sword” on earth, separated the flesh and the earth from the spirit. And “the earth” was “laid waste,” when “we carry in the body the death of Jesus,” and we no longer “live according to the flesh,” but the spirit lives, and we sow nothing “to the flesh” but everything “to the spirit,” that we may not “reap corruption” from the flesh but “from the spirit, eternal 11.3 life.” but it is said to those who have sinned: “Sow wheat and reap thorns.” For even if they converse with the oracles of God, those who do not converse with them well nor live in the way they should nor believe, sow wheat and reap thorns. And especially it is possible to understand these things with regard to the heterodox, who encounter the scriptures and reap thorns not from the scriptures, but from their own inventions. “Their inheritances will not profit them.” Others before us have also explained these things, and since we do not reject their explanation, we graciously bring it forth, not as if we found it ourselves but as having learned a good lesson. This word will profit both you and us, if we pay attention to what is written, we who seem to be from the clergy, presiding over you, so that some wish to come to this clerical order. But know that the clergy does not save in every case; for many presbyters will be lost, and many laypeople will be shown to be blessed. Since, then, there are some in the clergy who do not live in such a way as to be profited and to adorn the clergy, for this reason, say the interpreters, it is written: “Their inheritances will not profit them.” For what is profitable is not the sitting in the presbytery itself, but living worthily of the place, as the word demands. The word demands that you also live well, and us, but if it is necessary to say it thus: “The mighty will be mightily tested,” more is required of me than the deacon, more of the deacon than the layperson, and he who has been entrusted with the rule over all of us, the ecclesiastical authority itself, is required to do even more. For this reason he who was entrusted with great things, the apostle, listen, says: “Let a man so account of us, as of the ministers of Christ, and stewards of the mysteries of God. Moreover, here you seek among the stewards that one be found faithful,” and so rare is it to find a faithful and good steward, <that> Jesus, “who knows all things before their beginning,” says: “Who then is that faithful and wise steward, whom his lord shall make ruler over his household, to give them their portion of food in due season?” then he finds fault with certain stewards and says: “But if that evil servant begins to say: My lord is delaying his coming, and begins to beat his fellow servants and the maidservants, and to eat and drink and be drunk, the lord of that servant will come on a day when he does not expect him and at an hour he does not know, and will cut him in two, and will appoint him his portion with the unbelievers.” These things, then, relate to “their inheritances will not profit 11.4 them.” But let us also see the necessary rebuke that follows, which it is good to take up in the ethical sense, saying: “Be ashamed of your boasting, of reproach before the Lord.” There are certain things, in which we boast

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Χριστὸν τοῦ θεοῦ», τότε γεγένηται τὸ «ἀφίεται ὑμῖν ὁ οἶκος ὑμῶν» καὶ δι' αὐτὸν ταῦτα πεπόνθασιν καὶ «ἀφανισμῷ ἠφανίσθη πᾶσα ἡ γῆ». 11.2 Εἰ δὲ καὶ ὑψηλότερον ἀκοῦσαι βούλει τοῦ «δι' ἐμὲ ἠφα νίσθη ἀφανισμῷ πᾶσα ἡ γῆ», ἴδε τὴν ἐν σοὶ γῆν τίνα τρόπον ἠφανίσθη ἐλθόντος τοῦ Ἰησοῦ· ἠφανίσθη γὰρ «νε κρωθέντων τῶν μελῶν τῶν ἐπὶ τῆς γῆς» καὶ οὐκέτι ἡ γῆ ἐργάζεται τὰ ἑαυτῆς, οὐκέτι γίνεται παρὰ τῷ δικαίῳ «τὰ ἔργα τῆς σαρκὸς» οἷς ἔθαλλεν ἡ σάρξ, οὐκέτι «πορνεία», οὐκέτι «ἀκαθαρσία», οὐκ «ἀσέλγεια», οὐκ «εἰδωλο λατρία», οὐ «φαρμακεία» καὶ τὰ λοιπά. Καὶ ὁ σωτὴρ δὲ λέγει· «Τί νομίζετε ὅτι ἦλθον βαλεῖν εἰρήνην ἐπὶ τῆς γῆς; Οὐκ ἦλθον βαλεῖν εἰρήνην ἀλλὰ μάχαιραν»· ἀληθῶς γὰρ πρὶν μὲν ἔλθῃ, μάχαιρα οὐκ ἦν ἐπὶ τῆς γῆς οὐδὲ «ἡ σὰρξ ἐπεθύμει κατὰ τοῦ πνεύματος οὐδὲ τὸ πνεῦμα κατὰ τῆς σαρκός», ὅτε δὲ ἦλθεν καὶ δεδιδάγμεθα τίνα μέν ἐστιν τῆς σαρκός, τίνα δὲ τοῦ πνεύματος, ἡ διδασκαλία ὥσπερ «μάχαιρα» γεγενημένη ἐν γῇ διεῖλεν τὴν σάρκα καὶ τὴν γῆν ἀπὸ τοῦ πνεύματος. Καὶ «ἠφανίσθη» μὲν «ἡ γῆ», ὅτε «τὴν νέκρωσιν Ἰη σοῦ ἐν τῷ σώματι περιφέρομεν», καὶ οὐκέτι «ζῶμεν κατὰ σάρκα», ζῇ δὲ τὸ πνεῦμα, καὶ σπείρομεν οὐδὲν «εἰς τὴν σάρκα» ἀλλὰ πάντα «εἰς τὸ πνεῦμα», ἵνα μὴ «θερίσωμεν φθορὰν» ἐκ τῆς σαρκὸς ἀλλ' «ἀπὸ τοῦ πνεύματος ζωὴν 11.3 αἰώνιον»· λέγεται δὲ τοῖς ἡμαρτηκόσιν· «Σπείρετε πυροὺς καὶ ἀκάνθας θερίζετε»· κἂν γὰρ τοῖς λογίοις τοῦ θεοῦ ὁμιλῶσιν, οἱ μὴ καλῶς αὐτοῖς ὁμιλοῦντες μηδὲ ὃν δεῖ τρόπον βιοῦντες μηδὲ πιστεύοντες σπείρουσιν πυροὺς καὶ θερίζουσιν ἀκάνθας. Μάλιστα δὲ ἔστιν ταῦτα νοῆσαι ἐπὶ τῶν ἑτεροδόξων ἐντυγχανόντων ταῖς γραφαῖς καὶ ἀκάνθας οὐκ ἀπὸ τῶν γραφῶν, ἀλλ' ἀπὸ τῶν ἰδίων ἐπινοιῶν θεριζόντων. «Οἱ κλῆροι αὐτῶν οὐκ ὠφελήσουσιν αὐτούς.» Ταῦτα καὶ πρὸ ἡμῶν ἄλλοι διηγήσαντο, καὶ ἐπειδὴ οὐκ ἀποδοκιμάζομεν αὐτῶν τὴν διήγησιν, εὐγνωμόνως φέρομεν αὐτὴν εἰς μέσον, οὐχ ὡς αὐτοὶ εὑρόντες ἀλλ' ὡς μεμαθηκότες καλὸν μάθημα. Οὗτος ὁ λόγος ὠφελήσει καὶ ὑμᾶς καὶ ἡμᾶς, ἐὰν προσέχωμεν τῷ γεγραμμένῳ, οἳ δοκοῦμεν εἶναι ἀπὸ κλήρου τινὲς προκαθεζόμενοι ὑμῶν, ὥστε τινὰς θέλειν ἥκειν ἐπὶ τὸν κλῆρον τοῦτον· ἴστε δὲ ὅτι οὐ πάντως ὁ κλῆρος σῴζει· πολλοὶ γὰρ καὶ πρεσβύτεροι ἀπολοῦνται, πολλοὶ καὶ λαϊκοὶ μακάριοι ἀποδειχθήσονται. Ἐπεὶ οὖν τινές εἰσιν ἐν κλήρῳ οὐχ οὕτως βιοῦντες ὥστε ὠφεληθῆναι καὶ κοσμῆσαι τὸν κλῆρον, διὰ τοῦτο, φασὶν οἱ διηγησάμενοι, γέγραπται· «Οἱ κλῆροι αὐτῶν οὐκ ὠφελήσουσιν αὐτούς»· τὸ γὰρ ὠφελοῦν οὐκ αὐτὸ τὸ καθέζεσθαι ἐν πρεσβυτερίῳ ἐστίν, ἀλλὰ τὸ βιοῦν ἀξίως τοῦ τόπου, ὡς ἀπαιτεῖ ὁ λόγος. Ἀπαιτεῖ καὶ ὑμᾶς βιοῦν ὁ λόγος καλῶς καὶ ἡμᾶς, ἀλλ' εἰ δεῖ οὕτως εἰπεῖν· «∆υνατοὶ δυνατῶς ἐτασθήσονται», πλεῖον ἐγὼ ἀπαιτοῦμαι παρὰ τὸν διάκονον, πλεῖον ὁ διάκονος παρὰ τὸν λαϊκόν, ὁ δὲ τὴν πάντων ἡμῶν ἐγκεχειρισμένος ἀρχὴν αὐτὴν τὴν ἐκκλησιαστικὴν ἔτι πλεῖον ἀπαιτεῖται· διὰ τοῦτο ὁ πεπιστευμένος τὰ μεγάλα, ὁ ἀπόστολος, ἀκούετε, φησίν· «Οὕτως ἡμᾶς λογιζέσθω ἄνθρωπος ὡς ὑπηρέτας Χριστοῦ καὶ οἰκονόμους μυστηρίων θεοῦ· ὧδε λοιπὸν ζητεῖτε ἐν τοῖς οἰκονόμοις ἵνα πιστός τις εὑρεθῇ», καὶ οὕτως σπάνιόν ἐστιν εὑρεθῆναι οἰκονόμον πιστὸν καὶ καλόν, <ὡς> Ἰησοῦς «ὁ εἰδὼς τὰ πάντα πρὶν γενέσεως αὐτῶν» λέγει· «Τίς ἄρα ἐστὶν ὁ πιστὸς οἰκονόμος καὶ φρόνιμος, ὃν καταστήσει ὁ κύριος αὐτοῦ ἐπὶ τῆς οἰκίας αὐτοῦ διδόναι ἐν καιρῷ τὸ σιτομέτριον τοῖς δούλοις αὐ τοῦ;» εἶτα μέμφεταί τινας οἰκονόμους καὶ λέγει· «Ἐὰν δὲ ἄρξηται ὁ κακὸς δοῦλος λέγειν· χρονίζει μου ὁ κύριος ἔρχεσθαι, καὶ ἄρξηται τύπτειν τοὺς συνδούλους αὐτοῦ καὶ τὰς παιδίσκας, ἐσθίειν τε καὶ πίνειν καὶ μεθύσκεσθαι, ἥξει ὁ κύριος τοῦ δούλου ἐκείνου ἐν ἡμέρᾳ ᾗ οὐ προσδοκᾷ καὶ ἐν ὥρᾳ ᾗ οὐ γινώσκει καὶ διχοτομήσει αὐτόν, καὶ τὸ μέρος αὐτοῦ μετὰ τῶν ἀπίστων θήσει.» Ταῦτα μὲν εἰς τὸ «οἱ κλῆροι αὐτῶν οὐκ ὠφελήσουσιν αὐ11.4 τούς»· ἴδωμεν δὲ καὶ ἑξῆς ἐπίπληξιν ἀναγκαίαν, ἣν καλὸν εἰς τὸν ἠθικὸν τόπον ἀναλαβεῖν, λέγουσαν· «Αἰσχύνθητε ἀπὸ καυχήσεως ὑμῶν, ἀπὸ ὀνειδισμοῦ ἐναντίον κυρίου.» Ἔστιν τινά, ἐν οἷς καυχώμεθα