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QUESTION 224. Whether even now some labor from the first hour, and others from the eleventh, and who these are. RESPONSE. Perhaps this is very well known to all from the things recorded in the divinely inspired Scripture, that many there are, according to the testimony of the Apostle, who from 31.1232 infancy learn the sacred letters; and many others like Cornelius, who, while using their natural impulses in a sound manner, are slow to come to perfection in knowledge because of the lack of teachers. For how shall they believe, he says, if they do not hear? If, then, it happens that there are some, like Cornelius, who are occupied with no evil, but in their desire for perfection genuinely demonstrate the good things that are possible and have come to their knowledge, to these God grants what he also granted to Cornelius, not counting the past time of idleness as a charge against them, since it did not happen, as I said, through their own fault; but being satisfied with the desire manifested through the things diligently pursued at the proper time, and more carefully accomplished at the end.

QUESTION 225. Since the Lord said, "Where two or three are gathered in my name, there am I in the midst of them," how may we be able to be deemed worthy of this? RESPONSE. Those gathered in the name of someone must by all means know the purpose of the one who gathered them, and prepare themselves for it, so that they may find the grace of pleasing him, and not fall under the judgment of wickedness or negligence. For just as those who are called by someone, if the purpose of the one who called them is to reap, they prepare themselves for it; and if the purpose is to build, they make themselves ready for building; so we who are called by the Lord ought to remember the Apostle saying: I therefore, a prisoner for the Lord, urge you to walk in a manner worthy of the calling with which you have been called, with all humility and gentleness, with patience, bearing with one another in love, eager to maintain the unity of the Spirit in the bond of peace. There is one body and one Spirit—just as you were called to the one hope that belongs to your call. But the Lord presents the whole matter to us more clearly through the promise made to one, saying: If anyone loves me, he will keep my word, and my Father will love him, and we will come to him and make our home with him. As, therefore, the dwelling with this one comes from the keeping of the commandments, so also he is in the midst of two or three, if they are prepared for his will. But those who are not gathered worthily of the calling, nor for the will of the Lord, even if they seem to be gathered in the name of the Lord, they hear: Why do you call me, 'Lord, Lord,' and not do what I tell you? 31.1233

QUESTION 220. Since the Apostle says, "When reviled, we bless; when slandered, we entreat;" how ought the one who is reviled to bless, or what should the one who is slandered entreat? RESPONSE. I think that the Apostle here teaches us in general from his own example, to use longsuffering towards all, and to repay with good things those who do evil; so that such a response occurs not only towards the one who reviles, but also towards every evil-doer, fulfilling what is said: Do not be overcome by evil, but overcome evil with good. But Scripture knows how to use the word "entreat," not according to its common usage, but for reconciling the heart to the full assurance of the truth, as in, "Comfort my people," says God. And the Apostle also says: For I long to see you, that I may impart to you some spiritual gift to strengthen you— that is, that we may be mutually encouraged by each other's faith, both yours and mine; and elsewhere: But God, who comforts the downcast, comforted us by the coming of Titus.

QUESTION 227. Whether each person ought to commit to others what he thinks, or, in the full assurance of pleasing God in what has been done, keep it to himself. RESPONSE. Remembering the decree of God,

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ΕΡΩΤΗΣΙΣ ΣΚ∆ʹ. Εἰ καὶ νῦν οἱ μὲν ἀπὸ τῆς πρώτης ὥρας ἐργά ζονται, οἱ δὲ ἀπὸ τῆς ἑνδεκάτης, καὶ τίνες εἰσὶν οὗτοι. ΑΠΟΚΡΙΣΙΣ. Τάχα γνωριμώτατόν ἐστι τοῦτο τοῖς πᾶσιν ἐκ τῶν ἐν τῇ θεοπνεύστῳ Γραφῇ ἱστορουμένων ὅτι πολλοὶ μέν εἰσι, κατὰ τὴν τοῦ Ἀποστόλου μαρτυρίαν, ἀπὸ 31.1232 βρέφους τὰ ἱερὰ γράμματα μανθάνοντες· πολλοὶ δὲ οἱ κατὰ τὸν Κορνήλιον, τοῖς μὲν φυσικοῖς κινή μασιν ὑγιῶς χρώμενοι, εἰς δὲ τὴν κατ' ἐπιστήμην τελειότητα βραδύνοντες, διὰ τὴν ἀπόλειψιν τῶν δι δασκόντων. Πῶς γὰρ πιστεύσουσι, φησὶν, ἐὰν μὴ ἀκούσωσιν; Ἐὰν οὖν συμβῇ τινας εἶναι, κατὰ τὸν Κορνήλιον, περὶ μηδὲν μὲν κακὸν ἀσχο λουμένους, ἐν δὲ ἐπιθυμίᾳ τῆς τελειότητος τὰ δυ νατὰ καὶ εἰς γνῶσιν ἥκοντα καλὰ γνησίως ἐπιδει κνυμένους, τούτοις ὁ Θεὸς χαρίζεται ἃ καὶ τῷ Κορνηλίῳ, μὴ τούτοις λογισάμενος τὸν παρελθόντα χρόνον τῆς ἀργίας εἰς ἔγκλημα, ἐπεὶ μὴ παρὰ τὴν αὐτῶν αἰτίαν, ὡς εἶπον, ἐγένετο· τῇ δὲ ἐπιθυμίᾳ ἀρκούμενος, τῇ φανερωθείσῃ διὰ τῶν κατὰ καιρὸν σπουδαζομένων, καὶ ἐπὶ τέλει ἐπιμελέστερον κατορ θουμένων.

ΕΡΩΤΗΣΙΣ ΣΚΕʹ. Τοῦ Κυρίου εἰπόντος· «Ὅπου ἐὰν ὦσι δύο ἢ τρεῖς συνηγμένοι εἰς τὸ ἐμὸν ὄνομα, ἐκεῖ εἰμι ἐν μέσῳ αὐτῶν·» πῶς τούτου καταξιωθῆναι δυνηθῶμεν. ΑΠΟΚΡΙΣΙΣ. Οἱ εἰς τὸ ὄνομά τινος συναχθέντες, πάντως ὀφείλουσιν εἰδέναι τὸν σκοπὸν τοῦ συναγαγόντος, καὶ πρὸς αὐτὸν ἑαυτοὺς καταρτίζειν, ἵνα εὐαρεστή σεως χάριν εὕρωσι, καὶ μὴ κακίας ἢ ἀμελείας κρίματι ὑποπέσωσιν. Ὥσπερ γὰρ οἱ κληθέντες ὑπό τινος, εἰ μὲν σκοπὸς τοῦ θερίσαι πρόκειται τῷ κα λέσαντι, πρὸς αὐτὸ ἑαυτοὺς παρασκευάζουσιν· εἰ δὲ σκοπὸς τοῦ οἰκοδομῆσαι, πρὸς τὴν οἰκοδομὴν εὐτρεπίζονται· οὕτως οἱ κληθέντες ὑπὸ τοῦ Κυρίου μνημονεύειν ὀφείλομεν τοῦ Ἀποστόλου λέγοντος· Παρακαλῶ ὑμᾶς ἐγὼ ὁ δέσμιος ἐν Κυρίῳ ἀξίως περιπατῆσαι τῆς κλήσεως, ἧς ἐκλήθητε, μετὰ πά σης ταπεινοφροσύνης καὶ πραότητος, μετὰ μα κροθυμίας, ἀνεχόμενοι ἀλλήλων ἐν ἀγάπῃ, σπου δάζοντες τηρεῖν τὴν ἑνότητα τοῦ πνεύματος ἐν τῷ συνδέσμῳ τῆς εἰρήνης. Ἓν σῶμα, καὶ ἓν πνεῦμα, καθὼς καὶ ἐκλήθητε ἐν μιᾷ ἐλπίδι τῆς κλήσεως ὑμῶν. Σαφέστερον δὲ ἡμῖν παρίστησιν ὁ Κύριος τὸ πᾶν διὰ τῆς πρὸς ἕνα ἐπαγγελίας εἰπών· Ἐάν τις ἀγαπᾷ με, τὸν λόγον μου τηρήσει, καὶ ὁ Πατήρ μου ἀγαπήσει αὐτὸν, καὶ πρὸς αὐ τὸν ἐλευσόμεθα, καὶ μονὴν παρ' αὐτῷ ποιήσο μεν. Ὡς οὖν γίνεται παρὰ τούτῳ ἡ μονὴ ἐκ τῆς τη ρήσεως τῶν ἐντολῶν, οὕτω καὶ τῶν δύο ἢ τριῶν ἐν μέσῳ ἐστὶν, ἐὰν πρὸς τὸ θέλημα αὐτοῦ καταρτισθῶ σιν. Οἱ δὲ μὴ ἀξίως τῆς κλήσεως, μηδὲ πρὸς τὸ θέ λημα τοῦ Κυρίου συνηγμένοι, κἂν ἐπὶ τὸ αὐτὸ συνῆχθαι ἐν ὀνόματι Κυρίου δοκῶσιν, ἀκούουσι· Τί με καλεῖτε, Κύριε, Κύριε, καὶ οὐ ποιεῖτε ἃ λέγω; 31.1233 ΕΡΩΤΗΣΙΣ ΣΚʹ. Τοῦ Ἀποστόλου λέγοντος· «Λοιδορούμενοι εὐλο γοῦμεν, βλασφημούμενοι παρακαλοῦμεν·» πῶς ὀφείλει εὐλογεῖν ὁ λοιδορούμενος, ἢ τί παρα καλεῖν ὁ βλασφημούμενος. ΑΠΟΚΡΙΣΙΣ. Καθόλου νομίζω τὸν Ἀπόστολον ἐνταῦθα διδάσκειν ἡμᾶς ἀπὸ τῶν καθ' ἑαυτὸν, ἀνεξικακίᾳ χρῆσθαι πρὸς πάντας, καὶ ἀγαθοῖς ἀμείβεσθαι τοὺς πονη ρευομένους· ὡς μὴ μόνον ἐπὶ τοῦ λοιδοροῦντος γίνε σθαι τὸ τοιοῦτον, ἀλλὰ καὶ ἐπὶ παντὸς πονηρευομένου, πληροῦντας τὸ εἰρημένον· Μὴ νικῶ ὑπὸ τοῦ κακοῦ, ἀλλὰ νίκα ἐν τῷ ἀγαθῷ τὸ κακόν. Τὸ δὲ παρακα λεῖν οἶδεν ἡ Γραφὴ τιθέναι, οὐ κατὰ τὴν χρῆσιν τῆς συνηθείας, ἀλλὰ πρὸς τὸ συμβιβάζειν τὴν καρδίαν εἰς πληροφορίαν τῆς ἀληθείας, ὡς ἐν τῷ, Παρακαλεῖτε τὸν λαόν μου, λέγει ὁ Θεός. Καὶ ὁ Ἀπόστολος δέ φησιν· Ἐπιποθῶ γὰρ ἰδεῖν ὑμᾶς, ἵνα τι μεταδῶ χάρισμα ὑμῖν πνευματικὸν εἰς τὸ στηριχθῆναι ὑμᾶς· τοῦτο δέ ἐστι, συμπαρακληθῆναι ἐν ὑμῖν διὰ τῆς ἐν ἀλλήλοις πίστεως ὑμῶν τε καὶ ἐμοῦ· καὶ ἀλλαχοῦ· Ἀλλ' ὁ παρακαλῶν τοὺς ταπεινοὺς παρεκάλεσεν ἡμᾶς ὁ Θεὸς ἐν τῇ παρουσίᾳ Τίτου. ΕΡΩΤΗΣΙΣ ΣΚΖʹ Εἰ χρὴ ἕκαστον ἀνατίθεσθαι καὶ ἑτέροις ἃ φρονεῖ, ἢ ἐν πληροφορίᾳ τοῦ ἀρέσκειν τῷ Θεῷ τὸ γενό μενον, παρ' ἑαυτῷ κατέχειν. ΑΠΟΚΡΙΣΙΣ. Μεμνημένοι τῆς τοῦ Θεοῦ ἀποφάσεως,