47

what he says is something like this: if anyone has an evil life with orthodox faith, his faith will be added to him so that he is not punished, with his work being burned up. But "it shall be burned up" means, it will not bear the rush of the fire, but just as if one having golden armor should pass through a river of fire, he crosses more brightly. But if he crosses having hay, 95.596 not only does it not help at all, but it also destroys him; so it is also with works. "But he himself shall be saved, yet so as through fire." What he says is something like this: He himself will not perish in this way, like his works, going into nothingness, but he remains in the fire. He calls the matter salvation, therefore; for because of this he added, "as through fire." For it is also our custom to say, "It is saved in the fire," of materials that are not immediately burned up and reduced to ashes. It is therefore as if he said: Do not, since you heard "fire," [he says] suppose that those who are burned are passing into non-existence. Do not be surprised that he calls the punishment itself salvation. For it is his custom to use fair names even for things of ill sound, for example, "Sin reigned;" and yet the name of "reign" is a fair-sounding one; so also here, by saying, "he shall be saved," he hinted at nothing other than the intensification of the punishment; as if he said, but he himself will remain being punished perpetually. "Do you not know that you are the temple of God, and that the Spirit of God dwells in you? If anyone destroys the temple of God, God will destroy him." Having frightened them from the coming day, he also frightens them from the present. For he finally attacks the one who has fornicated; not yet clearly, but indefinitely, hinting at his corrupt life, and magnifying the sin, from the gift already given to him. But the phrase, "God will destroy him," is not of one cursing, but of one prophesying. "For the temple of God is holy, which you are." But the fornicator is profane. And so that he might not seem to be directing this toward that man, he added, "which you are." "Let no one deceive himself. If anyone among you seems to be wise in this age," Having inserted a few things regarding the one who fornicated, he hastens his discourse back to the battle of external wisdom. "let him become a fool, that he may become wise." It is as if he commands him to become dead to the world. For if this deadness does no harm, but even helps, becoming a cause of life, so also he commands him to become a fool to this age, from this procuring for us true wisdom. And he becomes a fool to the world who dishonors external wisdom, and is persuaded that it contributes nothing to himself for the comprehension of the truth; and just as poverty according to God is a cause of wealth, and humility of exaltation, so also to become a fool makes one wiser than all. "For the wisdom of this world is foolishness with God." For not only does it contribute nothing, but it even hinders. One must therefore stand aloof from it, since it is harmful. 95.597 "For it is written, 'He who catches the wise in their craftiness.'" He is not content with his own constructions alone, but also brings forward testimony. And what he says is something like this: Since, he says, they used wisdom wrongly so as not to need God, through this very thing He convicted them that they most of all need God. How and in what way? Because by becoming fools through it, they were rightly caught by it. For those who think they do not need God were brought into so great a need, as to appear finally inferior to fishermen and unlettered men. "And again, 'The Lord knows the thoughts of men, that they are vain.'" "When, therefore," he says, "the only wise God decrees and declares such things about them, what other proof do you seek of their extreme folly? 'Therefore let no one boast in men.' The external wisdom," he says, "has been shown to be a punishment; why are you so proud of wise teachers? "For all things are yours; whether Paul, or Apollos, or Cephas, or the world, or life, or death, or things present, or things to come." He elevates the rank of the disciples. And what he says is something like this: Since you have become children of Christ, according to "Behold, I and the children whom God has given me," said by Christ himself, for this reason all things have been given to you, he says. For whether you speak of teachers, or of so-and-so, or of the first of the apostles, or of the

47

λέγει τοιοῦτόν ἐστι· εἴ τις κακὸν βίον ἔχει μετὰ πίστεως ὀρθῆς, προσέσεται αὐτοῦ ἡ πίστις εἰς τὸ μὴ κολάζεσθαι, τοῦ ἔργου κατακαιομένου. Τὸ δὲ κατακαήσεται, τουτέστιν, οὐκ οἴσει τοῦ πυρὸς τὴν ῥύμην, ἀλλ' ὥσπερ εἴ τις χρυσᾶ ὅπλα ἔχων διέλθῃ ποταμὸν πυρὸς, φαιδρότερον διαβαίνει. Εἰ δὲ χόρτον 95.596 ἔχων διέλθῃ, οὐ μόνον οὐδὲν ὠφελεῖ, ἀλλὰ καὶ ἀπόλλυσιν, οὕτω καὶ ἐπὶ τῶν ἔργων ἐστίν. «Αὐτὸς δὲ σωθήσεται, οὕτως δὲ ὡς διὰ πυρός.» Ὃ λέγει τοιοῦτόν ἐστιν· Οὐχὶ καὶ αὐτὸς οὕτως ἀπολεῖται, ὡς τὰ ἔργα εἰς τὸ μηδὲν χωρῶν, ἀλλὰ μένει ἐν πυρί. Σωτηρίαν οὖν τὸ πρᾶγμα καλεῖ· ∆ιὰ γὰρ τοῦτο προσέθηκεν, ὡς διὰ πυρός. Καὶ γὰρ καὶ ἡμῖν ἔθος λέγειν, Ἐν τῷ πυρὶ σώζεται, τῶν μὴ κατακαιομένων καὶ κατατεφρουμένων εὐθέως ὑλῶν. Ὅμοιον οὖν ὡσεὶ λέγοι· Μὴ, ἐπειδὴ πῦρ [φησὶν] ἤκουσας, νομίσῃς εἰς ἀνυπαρξίαν χωρεῖν τοὺς καιομένους. Μὴ θαυμάσῃς δὲ εἰ καὶ αὐτὴν τὴν τιμωρίαν καλεῖ. Ἔθος γὰρ αὐτῷ καὶ ἐπὶ τῶν κακεμφάτων καλοῖς ὀνόμασι χρήσασθαι, οἷον, Ἐβασίλευσεν ἡ ἁμαρτία· καίτοι τὸ τῆς βασιλείας ὄνομα εὔφημόν ἐστιν· οὕτω καὶ ἐνταῦθα εἰπὼν, σωθήσεται, οὐδὲν ἕτερον ἢ τὴν ἐπίτασιν τῆς τιμωρίας ᾐνίξατο· ὡσανεὶ ἔλεγεν, αὐτὸς δὲ μενεῖ διηνεκῶς κολαζόμενος. «Οὐκ οἴδατε ὅτι ναὸς Θεοῦ ἐστε, καὶ τὸ Πνεῦμα τοῦ Θεοῦ οἰκεῖ ἐν ὑμῖν; εἴ τις τὸν ναὸν τοῦ Θεοῦ φθείρει, φθερεῖ τοῦτον ὁ Θεός.» Φοβήσας ἀπὸ τῆς μελλούσης ἡμέρας, καὶ ἀπὸ τῆς παρούσης φοβεῖ. Καθάπτεται γὰρ λοιπὸν καὶ αὐτοῦ τοῦ πεπορνευκότος· σαφῶς μὲν οὐδέπω, ἀορίστως δὲ αἰνιττόμενος τὸν διεφθαρμένον αὐτοῦ βίον, καὶ ἐπαίρων τὸ ἁμάρτημα, ἀπὸ τῆς ἤδη δοθείσης αὐτῷ δωρεᾶς. Τὸ δὲ, φθερεῖ τοῦτον ὁ Θεὸς, οὐ καταρωμένου ἐστὶν, ἀλλὰ προφητεύοντος. «Ὁ γὰρ ναὸς τοῦ Θεοῦ ἅγιός ἐστιν, οἵτινές ἐστε ὑμεῖς.» Ὁ δὲ πόρνος βέβηλος. Ἵνα δὲ μὴ δόξῃ πρὸς ἐκεῖνον ἀποτείνεσθαι, ἐπήγαγεν, οἵτινές ἐστε ὑμεῖς.» «Μηδεὶς ἑαυτὸν ἐξαπατάτω· εἴ τις δοκεῖ σοφὸς εἶναι ἐν ὑμῖν ἐν τῷ αἰῶνι τούτῳ» Παρεμβαλὼν ὀλίγα πρὸς τὸν πεπορνευκότα, λόγου ἐπείγεται πάλιν ἐπὶ τὴν μάχην τῆς σοφίας τῆς ἔξωθεν. «Μωρὸς γενέσθω, ἵνα γένηται σοφός.» Ὥσπερ νεκρὸν τῷ κόσμῳ κελεύει γενέσθαι. Εἰ γὰρ νεκρότης αὕτη οὐδὲν παραβλάπτει, ἀλλὰ καὶ ὠφελεῖ, ζωῆς αἰτία γινομένη, οὕτω καὶ μωρὸν κελεύει τῷ αἰῶνι τούτῳ γενέσθαι, σοφίαν ἡμῖν ἐντεῦθεν τὴν ἀληθῆ προξενῶν· μωρὸς δὲ τῷ κόσμῳ γίνεται, ὁ τὴν ἔξω σοφίαν ἀτιμάζων, καὶ πεπεισμένος μηδὲν ἑαυτῷ συντελεῖν πρὸς τὴν τῆς ἀληθείας κατάληψιν, καὶ ὥσπερ ἡ πενία ἡ κατὰ Θεὸν, πλούτου αἰτία, καὶ ἡ ταπείνωσις, ὕψους, οὕτω καὶ τὸ μωρὸν γενέσθαι, σοφώτερον πάντων ποιεῖ. «Ἡ γὰρ σοφία τοῦ κόσμου τούτου μωρία παρὰ τῷ Θεῷ ἐστιν.» Οὐ γὰρ μόνον οὐδὲν συντελεῖ, ἀλλὰ καὶ ἐμποδίζει. ∆εῖ τοίνυν αὐτῆς ἀποστῆναι, ἅτε βλαπτούσης. 95.597 «Γέγραπται γάρ· Ὁ δραττόμενος τοὺς σοφοὺς ἐν τῇ πανουργίᾳ αὐτῶν.» Οὐ ταῖς οἰκείαις μόνον ἀρκεῖται κατασκευαῖς, ἀλλὰ καὶ μαρτυρίαν ἐπάγει· ὃ δὲ λέγει τοιοῦτόν ἐστιν· Ἐπειδὴ τῇ σοφίᾳ, φησὶν, ἀπεχρήσαντο εἰς τὸ μὴ δεηθῆναι Θεοῦ, δι' αὐτῆς ταύτης ἤλεγξεν αὐτοὺς, ὅτι μάλιστα δέονται Θεοῦ. Πῶς καὶ τίνι τρόπῳ; Ὅτι μωροὶ γενόμενοι δι' αὐτῆς, εἰκότως δι' αὐτῆς ἑάλωσαν. Οἱ γὰρ νομίζοντες μὴ δεῖσθαι Θεοῦ, εἰς τοσαύτην κατέστησαν χρείαν, ὡς ἁλιέων καὶ ἀγραμμάτων ἐλάττους φανῆναι λοιπόν. «Καὶ πάλιν· Κύριος γινώσκει τοὺς διαλογισμοὺς τῶν ἀνθρώπων, ὅτι εἰσὶ μάταιοι.» «Ὅταν οὖν, φησὶν, ὁ μόνος σοφὸς Θεὸς τοιαῦτα περὶ αὐτῶν ψηφίζεται καὶ ἀποφαίνεται, ποίαν ἑτέραν ζητεῖς ἀπόδειξιν τῆς ἐσχάτης αὐτῶν ἀνοίας; «Ὥστε μηδεὶς καυχάσθω ἐν ἀνθρώποις.» Τιμωρία, φησὶν, ἡ ἔξωθεν ἀποδέδεικται σοφία· τί ὡς ἐπὶ σοφοῖς τοῖς διδασκάλοις φρονεῖτε μέγα; «Πάντα γὰρ ὑμῶν ἐστιν· εἴτε Παῦλος, εἴτε Ἀπολλῶς, εἴτε Κηφᾶς, εἴτε κόσμος, εἴτε ζωὴ, εἴτε θάνατος, εἴτε ἐνεστῶτα, εἴτε μέλλοντα.» Ἐπαίρει τὴν τάξιν τῶν μαθητῶν. Ὃ δὲ λέγει τοιοῦτόν ἐστιν· Ἐπειδὴ τέκνα γεγόνατε τοῦ Χριστοῦ, κατὰ τὸ Ἰδοὺ ἐγὼ καὶ τὰ παιδία ἅ μοι ἔδωκεν ὁ Θεὸς, παρ' αὐτοῦ λεγόμενον τοῦ Χριστοῦ, τούτου πάντα ὑμῖν δέδοται, φησί. Κἂν γὰρ διδασκάλους εἴπῃς, κἂν τὸν δεῖνα καὶ τὸν δεῖνα, κἂν τοὺς πρώτους τῶν ἀποστόλων, κἂν τὸν