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hopes, and not to think that the matter is burdensome. For terrible, terrible is the separation; and hear him saying, But we, being bereaved of you for a short time, in presence, not in heart. If then he himself, when separated from his disciples, suffered such things, what sort of things do you suppose Timothy suffered? if when separated from him while he was alive he wept, so that he said, Being mindful of your tears, that I may be filled with joy, how much more when he was dead? These things, therefore, he wrote to comfort him; and the whole epistle is full of comfort, and is like a testament. I have fought the good fight, I have finished, he says, the course, I have kept the faith. The good fight, he says. Therefore you also take hold of it. Where there is a chain, where there are bonds, where there is death, is this fight a good one? Yes, he says; for it is for Christ's sake; it has great crowns. The good fight. There is no fight better than this one, this crown does not come to an end; this one is not of wild olive, it does not have a man as judge of the contest, it does not have men as spectators; the theatre is composed of angels. There they labor and suffer hardship for many days, and in one hour they receive the crown, and immediately the things of pleasure have flown away; but here it is not so, but always in brightness, in glory, in honor. Therefore it is necessary to rejoice; for I am coming to rest, I am leaving the stadium. You have heard that to depart is better, and to be with Christ. 62.653 I have finished the course. For it is necessary both to fight and to run; to fight by enduring tribulations, and to run not simply, but towards something useful. Truly the fight is good, not simply delighting the spectator, but profiting him; and the course not leading to nothing, nor is it a display of strength and ambition, but drawing all to heaven. This course which Paul ran on earth is purer than the sun, or than that which it runs in the heaven. But how has he finished the course? He went about the whole inhabited world, beginning from Galilee and from Arabia, and coming to the ends of the earth; So that from Jerusalem, he says, and round about unto Illyricum, I have fully preached the gospel of Christ; and having run through the whole inhabited world like some winged creature, or rather even more vehemently than a winged creature; for the winged creature simply ran through it, but this one not simply, but having the wing of the Spirit, and cutting through countless hindrances, deaths, plots, calamities. So that he was also swifter than a winged creature. If he were simply a winged creature, he would have been brought down and destroyed; but since he was lifted up by the Spirit, he was carried above all the nets, as if a winged creature having wings of fire. I have kept, he says, the faith. For there were many things wanting to rob him of it, not only the friendships of men, but also threats and deaths and countless other things. But he stood against them all. How? By being sober and watchful. These things, then, were sufficient for the comfort of the disciples, but he also adds the prizes. And what are these? Henceforth, he says, there is laid up for me the crown of righteousness. He here again calls universal virtue righteousness. Therefore you should not grieve, because I am departing to be crowned with the crown placed upon my head by Christ. But if I were remaining here, it would truly be more necessary to grieve and to fear, lest I should fall away, lest I should be destroyed. Which the Lord, the righteous judge, will award to me on that day, and not only to me, but also to all who have loved his appearing. 3. Here he also raised him up. If to all, much more to Timothy. But he did not say, And to you, but, To all; showing that, if to all, much more to him. But how, he says, would one love the appearing of Christ? If he rejoices at His presence; and he who rejoices at His presence, does things worthy of that joy, will give away his possessions, if

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ἐλπίδας, καὶ μὴ νομίζειν, ὅτι φορτικὸν τὸ πρᾶγμα. ∆εινὸν γὰρ, δεινὸν ὁ χωρισμός· καὶ ἄκουε αὐτοῦ λέγοντος, Ἡμεῖς δὲ ἀπορφανισθέντες ἀφ' ὑμῶν πρὸς καιρὸν, προσώπῳ, οὐ καρδίᾳ. Εἰ οὖν αὐτὸς χωρισθεὶς τῶν μαθητῶν τοιαῦτα ἔπασχεν, οἷα οἴει τὸν Τιμόθεον πάσχειν; εἰ ζῶντος χωριζόμενος αὐτοῦ ἐδάκρυεν, ὡς λέγειν αὐτὸν, Μεμνημένος σου τῶν δακρύων, ἵνα χαρᾶς πληρωθῶ, πόσῳ μᾶλλον τελευτήσαντος; Ταῦτα οὖν παραμυθούμενος ἔγραφε· καὶ πᾶσα δὲ ἡ ἐπιστολὴ παραμυθίας ἐστὶ πλήρης, καὶ ὡσανεὶ διαθήκη τίς ἐστι. Τὸν ἀγῶνα τὸν καλὸν ἠγώνισμαι, τὸν δρόμον, φησὶ, τετέλεκα, τὴν πίστιν τετήρηκα. Τὸν ἀγῶνα, φησὶ, τὸν καλόν. Οὐκοῦν καὶ σὺ αὐτοῦ ἐπιλαβοῦ. Ἔνθα ἅλυσις, ἔνθα δεσμὰ, ἔνθα θάνατος, οὗτος ὁ ἀγὼν καλός; Ναὶ, φησίν· ὑπὲρ γὰρ Χριστοῦ γίνεται· στεφάνους ἔχει μεγάλους. Τὸν ἀγῶνα τὸν καλόν. Οὐδὲν τούτου βέλτιον τοῦ ἀγῶνος, οὐ λαμβάνει τέλος ὁ στέφανος οὗτος· οὗτος οὐκ ἀπὸ κοτίνων ἐστὶν, οὐκ ἔχει ἄνθρωπον ἀγωνοθέτην, οὐκ ἔχει ἀνθρώπους θεατάς· ἀπὸ ἀγγέλων σύγκειται τὸ θέατρον. Ἐκεῖ ἐν ἡμέραις πολλαῖς πονοῦσι καὶ ταλαιπωροῦνται, καὶ ἐν ὥρᾳ μιᾷ τὸν στέφανον ἔλαβον, καὶ παραχρῆμα ἀπέπτη τὰ τῆς ἡδονῆς· ἐνταῦθα δὲ οὐχ οὕτως, ἀλλὰ διαπαντὸς ἐν λαμπρότητι, ἐν δόξῃ, ἐν τιμῇ. ∆εῖ λοιπὸν χαίρειν· εἰς γὰρ ἀνάπαυσιν ἔρχομαι, ἐξέρχομαι τὸ στάδιον. Ἤκουσας ὅτι τὸ ἀναλῦσαι κρεῖσσον, καὶ σὺν Χριστῷ εἶναι. 62.653 Τὸν δρόμον τετέλεκα. Καὶ γὰρ ἀγωνίζεσθαι χρὴ καὶ τρέχειν· ἀγωνίζεσθαι μὲν καρτεροῦντα τὰς θλίψεις, τρέχειν δὲ οὐχ ἁπλῶς, ἀλλὰ πρός τι χρήσιμον. Ὄντως καλὸς ὁ ἀγὼν, οὐ τέρπων ἁπλῶς τὸν θεατὴν, ἀλλὰ ὠφελῶν· καὶ ὁ δρόμος οὐκ εἰς τὸ μηδὲν χωρῶν, οὐδὲ ἰσχύος ἐπίδειξίς ἐστι καὶ φιλοτιμίας, ἀλλὰ πάντας ἕλκων εἰς τὸν οὐρανόν. Οὗτος ὁ δρόμος τοῦ ἡλίου καθαρώτερος, ὃν ὁ Παῦλος ἔτρεχεν ἐπὶ τῆς γῆς, ἢ ὃν ἐκεῖνος τρέχει ἐπὶ τοῦ οὐρανοῦ. Πῶς δὲ τετέλεκε τὸν δρόμον; Τὴν οἰκουμένην ἅπασαν περιῆλθεν, ἀρξάμενος ἀπὸ τῆς Γαλιλαίας καὶ ἀπὸ τῆς Ἀραβίας, καὶ μέχρι τῶν περάτων τῆς γῆς ἐλθών· Ὥστε με, φησὶν, ἀπὸ Ἱερουσαλὴμ καὶ κύκλῳ μέχρι τοῦ Ἰλλυρικοῦ πεπληρωκέναι τὸ εὐαγγέλιον τοῦ Χριστοῦ· καὶ πᾶσαν διαδραμὼν τὴν οἰκουμένην καθάπερ τις πτηνὸς, μᾶλλον δὲ καὶ πτηνοῦ σφοδρότερον· ὁ μὲν γὰρ πτηνὸς ἁπλῶς διέτρεχεν, οὗτος δὲ οὐχ ἁπλῶς, ἀλλὰ τὸ πτερὸν ἔχων τοῦ πνεύματος, καὶ μυρία διακόπτων κωλύματα, θανάτους, ἐπιβουλὰς, συμφοράς. Ὥστε καὶ πτηνοῦ ταχύτερος ἦν. Εἰ πτηνὸς ἦν ἁπλῶς, καὶ κατηνέχθη ἂν καὶ ἀνάλωτο· ἐπειδὴ δὲ ὑπὸ τοῦ Πνεύματος ἐκουφίζετο, πάντων ὑπερηνέχθη τῶν δικτύων, ὡσανεὶ πτηνὸς πτερὰ ἔχων ἀπὸ πυρός. Τὴν πίστιν, φησὶ, τετήρηκα. Πολλὰ γὰρ ἦν τὰ βουλόμενα αὐτὸν συλῆσαι, οὐχ αἱ φιλίαι τῶν ἀνθρώπων μόναι, ἀλλὰ καὶ ἀπειλαὶ καὶ θάνατοι καὶ μυρία ἕτερα. Ἀλλὰ πρὸς ἅπαντα ἔστη, Πῶς; Νήφων καὶ ἐγρηγορώς. Ἱκανὰ μὲν οὖν καὶ ταῦτα πρὸς παραμυθίαν τῶν μαθητῶν, αὐτὸς δὲ καὶ τὰ ἔπαθλα προστίθησι. Ποῖα δὲ ταῦτα; Λοιπὸν ἀπόκειταί μοι, φησὶν, ὁ τῆς δικαιοσύνης στέφανος. ∆ικαιοσύνην ἐνταῦθα πάλιν τὴν καθόλου φησὶν ἀρετήν. Οὐ τοίνυν ἀλγεῖν χρὴ, ὅτι ἄπειμι στεφανωσόμενος τὸν στέφανον τὸν ἀπὸ Χριστοῦ τιθέμενον ἐπὶ τῆς ἐμῆς κεφαλῆς. Ἀλλ' εἰ ἐνταῦθα παρέμενον, ὄντως ἀλγεῖν ἐχρῆν μᾶλλον καὶ δεδοικέναι, μὴ παραπέσω, μὴ παραπόλωμαι. Ὃν ἀποδώσει μοι ὁ Κύριος ἐν ἐκείνῃ τῇ ἡμέρᾳ, ὁ δίκαιος κριτὴς, οὐ μόνον δὲ ἐμοὶ, ἀλλὰ καὶ πᾶσι τοῖς ἠγαπηκόσι τὴν ἐπιφάνειαν αὐτοῦ. γʹ. Ἐνταῦθα καὶ αὐτὸν ἀνέστησεν. Εἰ πᾶσι, πολλῷ μᾶλλον Τιμοθέῳ. Ἀλλ' οὐκ εἶπε, Καὶ σοὶ, ἀλλὰ, Πᾶσι· δηλῶν ὅτι, εἰ πᾶσι, πολλῷ μᾶλλον αὐτῷ. Πῶς δὲ ἄν τις ἀγαπήσειε, φησὶ, τὴν ἐπιφάνειαν τοῦ Χριστοῦ; Εἰ χαίρει ἐπὶ τῇ παρουσίᾳ αὐτοῦ· ὁ δὲ χαίρων ἐπὶ τῇ παρουσίᾳ αὐτοῦ, ἄξια πράττει τῆς χαρᾶς, τὰ ὑπάρχοντα προήσεται, εἰ