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of this, spiritual wickedness.” 2.20 Since the struggles are many and various, it is necessary that the prizes also be many and various. Therefore, not one but many crowns are fashioned by the one who received the command. For each virtue and the works accomplished according to it has its own crown. 2.21 For he who has heard the laws of his Father God and “has not cast away the ordinances of his mother,” “the free Jerusalem above” and “the glorious Church,” receives “a crown of graces” upon his head, adorning with a “golden collar” the submissive power of the soul, which is allegorically called the “neck.” And in this saying the golden collar is not made of sensible matter, but has its construction from the divine mind. 2.22 In these things are the graces from which is woven the crown with which the head of the one who heard the words of God who begot him is bound for doing righteousness. “For everyone who does righteousness is born of God,” and keeping the ordinances of the aforementioned mother, by no means casting them away; the specific virtues happen to grace the one being crowned and “save by grace” the one who partakes of them. 2.23 There is another contest wherein the one who partakes “delights in the Lord,” partaking of him as living bread, and drinking “the cup” which he offers to those who desire a drink, “intoxicating as the best,” being such that the one who has drunk says in thanksgiving to the one who offered it: “You have put gladness in my heart.” He who has received this banquet harmlessly and acceptably, being persuaded by the prize-giver who said: “Be pleasing before me and be blameless,” receives a crown of delight, which is at the same time an adornment and a saving weapon, from the Wisdom that says: “With a crown of delight I will defend you.” 2.24 Paul the apostle, with a desire for prizes and a crown, “fought the good fight, finished the race,” that race about which the psalmist says: “Without iniquity I ran and directed my course”; and in another Psalm: “I ran the way of your commandments when you enlarged my heart.” Harmoniously, he who has finished this race and “keeps the faith” in the Trinity, not slipping in any degree, being confirmed in it, according to what was said to some in praise: “By faith you stand.” 2.25 And what will be given to the one who has fought the good fight and finished the aforementioned race and kept the “faith reckoned for righteousness,” but the crown of righteousness? He who has thus acted valiantly brings forth “I have fought the good fight” and its synonyms. “Henceforth there is laid up for me the crown of righteousness, which the righteous judge will award to me, and not only to me but also to all who have loved the appearing” of our Savior Jesus Christ. 2.26 This crown is also of eternal life, as James inscribes in his epistle, saying: “Blessed is the man who endures temptation, for when he has been approved, he will receive the crown of life, which God has promised to those who love him.” And since it is the same thing to patiently endure temptation as to fight the good fight, finish the race, and keep the faith, it is likely that the crown of righteousness is the same as the crown of life. 2.27 The many crowns that have been made from intelligible gold and silver are placed on the head of Jesus, the one of righteousness—for Jozadak is translated as “righteousness” from the Hebrew into the Greek language. And see how the one head of Jesus receives many crowns. For he was tempted “in all respects without sin,” having contended in the contests. 2.28 Consider according to another theory how the head of Jesus the great high priest receives the crowns of all. All who believe are the body of Christ and members; for it has been said to those who complete the assembly of the Church: “You are the body of Christ and members in particular.” Of these members of the body the

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τούτου, πνευματικὰς πονηρίας». 2.20 Πολλῶν καὶ διαφόρων ὄντων τῶν παλαισμάτων, ἀνάγκη καὶ τὰ ἔπαθλα πολλὰ καὶ διάφορα τυγχάνειν. ∆ιὸ οὐχ εἷς ἀλλὰ πολλοὶ στέφανοι τεχνιτεύονται ὑπὸ τοῦ τὴν πρόσταξιν δεξαμένου. Ἑκάστη γὰρ ἀρετὴ καὶ ἔργα τὰ κατ' αὐτὴν τελούμενα οἰκεῖον ἔχει στέφανον. 2.21 Ὁ γὰρ τοὺς νόμους τοῦ Πατρὸς ἑαυτοῦ Θεοῦ ἀκούσας καὶ «τοὺς θεσμοὺς τῆς μητρὸς αὐτοῦ μὴ ἀπωσάμενος» «τῆς ἐλευθέρας ἄνω Ἰερουσαλὴμ» καὶ «τῆς ἐνδόξου Ἐκκλησίας» «στέφανον χαρίτων» δέχεται εἰς τὴν ἑαυτοῦ κεφαλήν, «κλοιῷ χρυσέῳ» κοσμούμενος τὴν ὑποτακτικὴν τῆς ψυχῆς δύναμιν, «τράχηλον» ἀλληγορικῶς καλουμένην. Καὶ ἐν τῇ λέξει ταύτῃ ὁ χρύσεος κλοιὸς οὐκ ἐξ αἰσθητῆς ὕλης, ἀλλὰ νοῦ θείου τὴν κατασκευὴν ἔχει. 2.22 Χάριτες ἐν τούτοις ἐξ ὧν πλέκεται ὁ στέφανος ὃν ἀναδεῖται ἡ κεφαλὴ τοῦ ἀκούσαντος τοὺς λόγους τοῦ γεννήσαντος αὐτὸν Θεοῦ ἐκ τοῦ δικαιοσύνην ποιεῖν. «Πᾶς γ̣ὰρ ποιῶν δικαιοσύνην ἐκ τοῦ Θεοῦ γεγέννηται», καὶ φυλάττων τοὺς θεσμ̣οὺς τῆς προαποδοθείσης μητρὸς ἥκιστα ἀπωθούμενος αὐτ̣ούς· αἱ κατ' εἶδος ἀρεταὶ τυγχάνουσιν χαριτοῦσαι τὸ στεφόμενον καὶ «σῴζουσαι χάριτι» τὸν μετέχοντα αὐτῶν. 2.23 Ἔστιν ἕτερον ἀγ̣ώνισμα οὗ ὁ ἐχόμενος «κατατρυφᾷ τοῦ Κυρίου», μεταλαμβάνων αὐτοῦ ὡς ἄρτου ζῶντος, καὶ πίνων «τὸ ποτήριον» ὃ προτείνει τοῖς ὀρεγομένοις πότ̣ο̣υ̣ «μ̣εθύσκον ὡς κράτιστον» ὑπα´̣ρχον, ὡς τὸν πεπωκότα χαριστηρίως τῷ ὀρέξαντι φάναι· «Ἔδωκας εὐφροσύνην εἰς τὴν καρδίαν μου.» Ὁ ταύτην τὴν εὐωχίαν ἀβλαβῶς καὶ εὐαρέστως δεξάμενος πεισθεὶς τῷ εἰρη̣κότι ἀθλοθέτῃ· «Εὐαρέστει ἐναντίον ἐμοῦ καὶ γίνου ἄμεμπτος», δε´̣χεται στέφανον τρυφῆς, ἅμα κόσμον καὶ ὅπλον σωτήριον υ῾̣πάρχ̣οντα, πρὸς τῆς λεγούσης σοφίας· «Στεφάνῳ τρυφῆς ὑπεράσπισαί σου.» 2.24 Παῦλος ὁ ἀπόστολος πόθῳ βραβείων καὶ στεφάνου «τὸν καλὸν ἀγῶνα ἠγωνίσατο, ἐτέλεσε τὸν δρόμον» ἐκεῖνον περὶ οὗ ὁ ὑμνῳδὸς λέγει· «Ἄνευ ἀνομίας ἔδραμον καὶ κατεύθυνα»· καὶ ἐν ἑτέρῳ Ψαλμῷ· «Ὁδὸν ἐντολῶν σου ἔδραμον ὅταν ἐπλάτυνας τὴν καρδίαν μου.» Ἁρμονίως ὁ τελέσας τὸν δρόμον τοῦτον καὶ τὴν εἰς Τριάδα «τηρεῖ πίστιν», οὐδὲ κατὰ ποσὸν ὀλισθάνων, βεβαιωθεὶς ἐν αὐτῇ, κατὰ τὸ πρός τινας λεχθὲν ἐν ἐπαίνῳ· «Τῇ πίστει ἑστήκατε.» 2.25 Τί δ' ἀποδοθήσεται τῷ ἀγωνισαμένῳ τὸν καλὸν ἀγῶνα καὶ τελ̣έσαντι τὸν ἡρμηνευμένον δρόμον καὶ τηρήσαντι τὴν «εἰς δικαιοσύνην λελογισμένην πίστιν», ἢ ὁ τῆς δικαιοσύνης στέφανος; Ὁ οὕτως ἀνδραγαθισάμενος «τὸν καλὸν ἀγῶνα ἠγώνισμαι» καὶ τὰ συνωνομασμένα ἐπιφέρει. «Λοιπὸν ἀπόκειταί μοι ὁ τῆς δικαιοσύνης στέφανος, ὃν ἀποδώσει μοι ὁ δίκαιος κριτής, οὐκ ἐμοὶ δὲ μόνον, ἀλλὰ καὶ πᾶσιν τοῖς ἠγαπηκόσιν τὴν ἐπιφάνειαν» τοῦ Σωτῆρος ἡμῶν Ἰησοῦ Χριστοῦ. 2.26 Οὗτος ὁ στέφανος καὶ τῆς αἰωνίου ζωῆς ὑπάρχει, ὡς Ἰάκωβος ἐν τῇ κατ' αὐτὸν ἐπιστολῇ χαράττει φάσκων· «Ὁ μακάριος ἀνὴρ ὃς ὑπομε´̣ν̣ει πειρασμόν, ὅτι δόκιμος γενόμενος λήμψεται τὸν στέφανον τῆς ζωῆς, ὃν ἐπηγγείλατο ὁ Θεὸς τοῖς ἀγαπῶσιν αὐτόν.» Καὶ ἐπεὶ ταὐτόν ἐστιν τλητικῶς πειρασμὸν ὑπομεῖναι τῷ τ̣ο`̣ν̣ κ̣αλὸν ἀγῶνα ἀγωνίσασθαι, τελέσαι τε τὸν δ̣ρ̣ο´̣μον καὶ τηρῆσαι τὴν π̣ίστιν, εἰκὸς ὡς ὁ τῆς δικαιο̣σ̣ύνης στέφανος τῷ τῆς ζωῆς ὁ αὐτὸς ὑπάρχει. 2.27 Οἱ γενάμενοι πολλοὶ στέφανοι ἐκ τῶν νοητῶν χρυσ̣ο̣ῦ καὶ ἀργύρου ἐπιτίθενται τῇ Ἰησοῦ κεφαλῇ, τοῦ τῆς δικαιοσύνης, - τὸ γὰρ Ἰωσεδὲκ εἰς τὸ «δικαιοσύνη» μεταλαμβάνεται ἐκ τῆς ἑβραϊκῆς εἰς τὴν ἑλλάδα φωνήν. Καὶ ὅρα γε πῶς μία κεφαλὴ ἡ τοῦ Ἰησοῦ πολλοὺς στεφάνους δέχεται. Ἐπειράσθη γὰρ «κατὰ πάντα χωρὶς ἁμαρτίας», διαθλήσας τοὺς ἀγῶνας. 2.28 Ἐπίστησον κατὰ θεωρίαν̣ ἄλλην πῶς ἡ κεφαλὴ Ἰησοῦ τοῦ μεγάλου ἱερέως δέχεται τ̣οὺς πάντων στεφάνους. Πάντες οἱ πιστεύοντες σῶμα τοῦ Χριστου῀̣ κ̣αι`̣ μ̣έλη τυγχάνουσιν· εἴρηται γὰρ πρὸς τοὺς συμπληροῦντας τὸ ἄθροισμα τῆς Ἐκκλησίας· «Ὑμεῖς ἐστε σῶμα Χριστοῦ καὶ μέλη ἐκ μέλους.» Τούτων τῶν μελῶν τοῦ σώματος οἱ