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the one who is sick is being struck and cut; so also here. "And in all," he says, "longsuffering and teaching." For he who reproves needs longsuffering, so as not to simply believe, and rebuke needs exhortation, so as to be received. What does he add to longsuffering by saying, "And with teaching"? Not as one being angry, not as one being hateful, not as one trampling upon, not as one having found an enemy, let all these things be put away; but what? As one loving, as one grieving with, as one mourning more than he does, as one wasting away over his troubles. "With all longsuffering," he says, "and teaching," not with any kind. For there will be a time when they will not endure sound teaching. Before they become stubborn, anticipate them all; for this reason he said, "In season and out of season;" so as to have willing disciples, do all things. "But according to their own desires," he says, "they will heap up for themselves teachers." b. Nothing is more expressive than this word; for the indiscriminate multitude of teachers is shown through "They will heap up," and through their being chosen by the disciples. "They will heap up for themselves," he says, "teachers, having itching ears;" seeking those who speak for the sake of pleasure and who delight their hearing. And they will turn their hearing away from the truth, and will turn aside to myths. He foretells these things, not wishing to cast him into despondency, but so that, when it comes to pass, he may bear it nobly; just as Christ also did, saying, "They will deliver you up, and will scourge you, and will bring you into the synagogues for my name's sake." For elsewhere also this blessed one says: "For I know this, that after my departure savage wolves will come in among you, not sparing the flock." And he said these things, so that they might be sober, so that they might use the present time as is necessary. "But you be watchful," he says, "in all things, endure hardship." Do you see that he foretells these things for this reason? For Christ also said toward the end, 62.652 "There will be false christs and false prophets;" so also this one, when he was about to depart, said these things. But you be watchful in all things. Endure hardship, that is, labor, anticipate, before that destruction comes on, establish the sheep in a safe place, until the wolves are present, endure hardship everywhere. Do the work of an evangelist, fulfill your ministry. This then is the work of an evangelist, to endure hardship both from oneself, and from those outside. Fulfill your ministry; that is, complete it. Behold also another necessity for enduring hardship: "For I am already being poured out as a drink offering," he says, "and the time of my departure is at hand." He did not say, "Of my sacrifice," but what is more abundant. For of the sacrifice, not the whole is offered to God, but of the drink offering, the whole is. "I have fought the good fight, I have finished the race, I have kept the faith." Often have I taken the Apostle in hand, and considering this passage, I was at a loss for what reason Paul boasts so greatly, saying, "I have fought the good fight." But now I seem to have found it by the grace of God. For what reason then does he say these things? He wishes to comfort the despondency of his disciple, commanding him to be of good courage, as he is going to a crown, as one who has finished all things, as one who has met a good end. "One must rejoice," he says, "not grieve." Why? "I have fought the good fight." Just as if a father were comforting a child sitting beside him, who could not bear his orphanhood, saying: "Child, do not weep, we have lived well, having come to old age we leave you; our life has been irreproachable, we depart with glory; you too may be admired for what has been done by us; the king knows many thanks are due to us." As if he were to say: "We have set up trophies, we have conquered the enemies," not boasting, far from it; but raising up the child, and teaching him by the praises to bear what has happened lightly, and to have good

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κοπτόμενος καὶ τεμνόμενος ὁ κάμνων· οὕτω καὶ ἐνταῦθα. Καὶ ἐν πάσῃ, φησὶ, μακροθυμίᾳ καὶ διδαχῇ. Καὶ γὰρ ὁ ἐλέγχων μακροθυμίας δεῖται, ὥστε μὴ ἁπλῶς πιστεύειν, καὶ ἡ ἐπιτίμησις παρακλήσεως, ὥστε δεχθῆναι. Τί ἐστιν ὃ τῇ μακροθυμίᾳ προστίθησι λέγων, Καὶ διδαχῇ; Μὴ ὡς ὀργιζόμενος, μὴ ὡς ἀπεχθανόμενος, μὴ ὡς ἐπεμβαίνων, μὴ ὡς ἐχθρὸν εὑρηκὼς, πάντα ταῦτα ἀφείσθω· ἀλλὰ τί; Ὡς φιλῶν, ὡς συναλγῶν, ὡς μᾶλλον ἐκείνου πενθῶν, ὡς τηκόμενος ἐπὶ τοῖς ἐκείνου. Ἐν πάσῃ μακροθυμίᾳ, φησὶ, καὶ διδαχῇ, μὴ ἐν τῇ τυχούσῃ. Ἔσται γὰρ καιρὸς, ὅτε τῆς ὑγιαινούσης διδασκαλίας οὐκ ἀνέξονται. Πρὶν ἢ ἐκτραχηλισθῆναι, προκατάλαβε πάντας αὐτούς· διὰ τοῦτο εἶπε, Καὶ εὐκαίρως, καὶ ἀκαίρως· ὡς ἔχειν ἑκόντας μαθητευομένους, πάντα πρᾶττε. Ἀλλὰ κατὰ τὰς ἐπιθυμίας τὰς ἰδίας, φησὶν, ἑαυτοῖς ἐπισωρεύσουσι διδασκάλους. βʹ. Οὐδὲν ἐμφαντικώτερον τῆς λέξεως ταύτης· τὸ γὰρ ἀδιάκριτον πλῆθος τῶν διδασκάλων διὰ τοῦ, Σωρεύσουσιν, ἐδήλωσε, καὶ διὰ τοῦ παρὰ τῶν μαθητῶν χειροτονεῖσθαι. Ἑαυτοῖς ἐπισωρεύσουσι, φησὶ, διδασκάλους, κνηθόμενοι τὴν ἀκοήν· τῆς ἡδονῆς χάριν λέγοντας καὶ τέρποντας τὴν ἀκοὴν ἐπιζητοῦντες. Καὶ ἀπὸ μὲν τῆς ἀληθείας τὴν ἀκοὴν ἀποστρέψουσιν, ἐπὶ δὲ τοὺς μύθους ἐκτραπήσονται. Ταῦτα προλέγει, οὐκ εἰς ἀθυμίαν βουλόμενος ἐμβαλεῖν, ἀλλ' ἵνα, ὅταν ἐκβῇ, γενναίως φέρῃ· ὥσπερ οὖν καὶ ὁ Χριστὸς ἐποίει λέγων, ὅτι Παραδώσουσιν ὑμᾶς, καὶ μαστιγώσουσι, καὶ εἰς τὰς συναγωγὰς ἄξουσιν ἕνεκεν τοῦ ὀνόματός μου. Ἐπεὶ καὶ ἀλλαχοῦ φησιν ὁ μακάριος οὗτος· Ἐγὼ γὰρ οἶδα τοῦτο, ὅτι εἰσελεύσονται μετὰ τὴν ἄφιξίν μου λύκοι βαρεῖς εἰς ὑμᾶς, μὴ φειδόμενοι τοῦ ποιμνίου. Ταῦτα δὲ ἔλεγεν, ὥστε νήφειν αὐτοὺς, ὥστε τῷ παρόντι καιρῷ κεχρῆσθαι εἰς δέον. Σὺ δὲ νῆφε, φησὶν, ἐν πᾶσι, κακοπάθησον. Ὁρᾷς ὅτι διὰ τοῦτο ταῦτα προλέγει; Καὶ γὰρ καὶ ὁ Χριστὸς ἔλεγε πρὸς τῷ τέ 62.652 λει, ὅτι Ἔσονται ψευδόχριστοι καὶ ψευδοπροφῆται· οὕτω καὶ οὗτος, ὅτε ἔμελλεν ἀποδημεῖν, ταῦτα ἔλεγε. Σὺ δὲ νῆφε ἐν πᾶσι. Κακοπάθησον, τουτέστι, Κάμε, προκατάλαβε, πρὶν ἢ τὴν λύμην ἐκείνην ἐπελθεῖν, ἐν ἀσφαλεῖ τὰ πρόβατα κατάστησον, ἕως οὗ πάρεισιν οἱ λύκοι, πανταχοῦ κακοπάθησον. Ἔργον ποίησον εὐαγγελιστοῦ, τὴν διακονίαν σου πληροφόρησον. Ἄρα τοῦτο ἔργον εὐαγγελιστοῦ, τὸ κακοπαθεῖν καὶ παρ' ἑαυτοῦ, καὶ παρὰ τῶν ἔξωθεν. Τὴν διακονίαν σου πληροφόρησον· τουτέστι, πλήρωσον. Ἰδοὺ καὶ ἄλλη ἀνάγκῃ τοῦ κακοπαθεῖν· Ἐγὼ γὰρ ἤδη σπένδομαι, φησὶ, καὶ ὁ καιρὸς τῆς ἐμῆς ἀναλύσεως ἐφέστηκεν. Οὐκ εἶπε, Τῆς ἐμῆς θυσίας, ἀλλ' ὃ περισσόν ἐστι. Τῆς μὲν γὰρ θυσίας οὐ τὸ πᾶν ἀναφέρεται τῷ Θεῷ, τῆς δὲ σπονδῆς τὸ ὅλον. Τὸν ἀγῶνα τὸν καλὸν ἠγώνισμαι, τὸν δρόμον τετέλεκα, τὴν πίστιν τετήρηκα. Πολλάκις τὸν Ἀπόστολον μετὰ χεῖρας λαβὼν ἐγὼ, καὶ τὸ χωρίον τοῦτο περισκεψάμενος, ἀπορῶν διετέλουν, τίνος ἕνεκεν οὕτω μεγαληγορεῖ Παῦλος λέγων, Τὸν καλὸν ἀγῶνα ἠγώνισμαι. Νῦν δέ μοι δοκῶ εὑρηκέναι τῇ τοῦ Θεοῦ χάριτι. Τίνος οὖν ἕνεκεν ταῦτά φησι; Τὴν ἀθυμίαν τοῦ μαθητοῦ παραμυθήσασθαι βούλεται, θαῤῥεῖν κελεύων ὡς ἐπὶ στέφανον ἀπιόντος αὐτοῦ, ὡς πάντα τετελεκότος, ὡς καλῆς ἐπιτυχόντος τελευτῆς. Χαίρειν δεῖ, φησὶν, οὐκ ἀλγεῖν. ∆ιὰ τί; Τὸν ἀγῶνα τὸν καλὸν ἠγώνισμαι. Ὥσπερ ἂν εἴ τις πατὴρ παιδίον αὐτῷ παρακαθήμενον, καὶ τὴν ὀρφανίαν οὐ φέρον παραμυθοῖτο λέγων· Τέκνον, μὴ κλαῖε, ἐζήσαμεν καλῶς, εἰς γῆρας ἐλθόντες καταλιμπάνομέν σε· ἄληπτος ἡμῶν ὁ βίος γέγονε, μετὰ δόξης ἀπερχόμεθα· ἔχεις καὶ σὺ θαυμάζεσθαι ἀπὸ τῶν ἡμῖν πεπραγμένων· πολλὰς ἡμῖν ὁ βασιλεὺς οἶδε τὰς χάριτας. Ὡς ἂν εἰ ἔλεγε· Τρόπαια ἐστήσαμεν, τοὺς πολεμίους ἐνικήσαμεν, οὐ μεγαληγορῶν, ἄπαγε· ἀλλ' ἀνιστὰς τὸν παῖδα, καὶ παιδεύων τοῖς ἐγκωμίοις κούφως φέρειν τὰ συμβάντα, καὶ χρηστὰς ἔχειν