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you enjoy, but also to be insulted and persecuted, which things we suffer. But if it is not so, but this is the time for rewards, you the disciples have reigned now; but we the teachers, who ought to receive our wages before all, have become not only last of you, but also as men doomed to death, that is, condemned, we live altogether in dishonor and dangers and famine. Being insulted, driven about as fools, and enduring incurable things. And he said these things, so that from them he might make them understand that they ought to emulate the things of the apostles, the dangers and the insults, not the honors and the glories. For the preaching does not demand those things, but these. "For we have become a spectacle to the world, both to angels and to men." Not in one city, he says, or in a part of the world do we suffer these things, but everywhere and before all. And the phrase, "and to angels," indicates this, that our struggles are such as to be worthy even of the sight of angels. See how he humbles himself; how he shows what is great; from those things on which they pride themselves, how he shows them to be worthless. For since to be fools seems more worthless than to appear wise, and to be weak than to become strong, and to be dishonored than to be seen as glorious; and while he is about to cast the one set of things upon them, he accepted the other for himself; he shows that these are better than those, if indeed on account of these things he turned not only men, but even the host of angels to the spectacle of themselves. "We are fools for Christ's sake, but you are wise in Christ. We are weak, but you are strong. You are honored, but we are dishonored. To the present hour we both hunger and thirst, and are poorly clothed, and are buffeted, and have no fixed course, and labor, working with our own hands." Again he said this also to shame them; for since they themselves were beaten and dishonored, but those were honored and suspected of being wise, how is it possible, he says, 95.604 for those who preach such things to be suspected of being in the opposite state. That is, they do not relate old matters, but things to which my present time also bears witness. -To those who live in luxury. -We are driven, he says, to those who are rich. -To the false apostles, who endure neither to work nor to be in danger, but enjoy themselves. "Being reviled, we bless; being persecuted, we endure; being defamed, we entreat: we are made as the filth of the world." No one can say, he says, that we are discontented at these things. For we repay those who do evil with the opposite; and it is a great thing to bear suffering nobly; we not only achieve this, but we also rejoice and are glad. "the offscouring of all things until now." Not of those who persecute, but of those for whom we suffer these things. "I do not write these things to shame you, but as my beloved children I warn you." When he saw the blow was unbearable, he quickly healed it. Not to put you to shame, he says, do I say these things. For he says that he has done it, not with a wicked and hating mind, but rather with one that loves and wishes to correct. "For though you have ten thousand instructors in Christ, yet you have not many fathers. For in Christ Jesus I have begotten you through the Gospel." Here he shows not his rank, but the excess of his love; and he did not strike at them, adding "in Christ," and conceding that they had done much for them; for this is what an instructor does; he reserves the excess of love for himself. For such is the father. -I do not reckon this to myself. And again he strikes at those who attribute the teaching to themselves. "Therefore I urge you: be imitators of me." He does not say these things exalting himself, but showing that virtue is easy. "For this reason I have sent Timothy to you." Since I spare you as children. "Who is my beloved and faithful son in the Lord." He says this, showing his love, and preparing them to see him with respect. And he did not simply say faithful, but "in the Lord;" that is, in the things pertaining to the Lord. "Who you
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ἀπολαύετε, ἀλλὰ καὶ ὑβρίζεσθαι καὶ διώκεσθαι, ἅπερ ἡμεῖς πάσχομεν. Εἰ δὲ οὐχ οὕτως ἔχει, ἀλλὰ τῶν ἀμοιβῶν ὁ καιρὸς οὗτος, ὑμεῖς μὲν οἱ μαθηταὶ, καὶ ἐβασιλεύσατε λοιπόν· ἡμεῖς δὲ οἱ διδάσκαλοι, καὶ πρὸ πάντων ὀφείλοντες λαβεῖν τὸν μισθὸν, οὐ μόνον ὑμῶν ἔσχατοι γεγόναμεν, ἀλλὰ καὶ ὡς ἐπιθανάτιοι, τουτέστι κατάδικοι, διόλου ἐν ἀτιμίαις καὶ κινδύνοις καὶ λιμῷ διάγομεν. Ὑβριζόμενοί τε, ὡς μωροὶ κατελαυνόμενοι, καὶ τὰ ἀνήκεστα ὑπομένοντες. Ταῦτα δὲ ἔλεγεν, ἵνα αὐτοὺς ἐκ τούτων ποιήσῃ συνιδεῖν, ὅτι τὰ τῶν ἀποστόλων ὀφείλουσι ζηλοῦν, τοὺς κινδύνους, καὶ τὰς ὕβρεις, οὐ τὰς τιμὰς καὶ τὰς δόξας. Οὐ γὰρ ἐκεῖνα, ἀλλὰ ταῦτα ἀπαιτεῖ τὸ κήρυγμα. «Ὅτι θέατρον ἐγενήθημεν τῷ κόσμῳ, καὶ ἀγγέλοις, καὶ ἀνθρώποις.» Οὐκ ἐν μιᾷ πόλει, φησὶν, ἢ ἐν μέρει τῆς οἰκουμένης ταῦτα πάσχομεν, ἀλλὰ πανταχοῦ καὶ ἐπὶ πάντων. Τὸ δὲ, καὶ ἀγγέλοις, τοῦτό ἐστι δηλοῦντος, ὡς τὰ ἡμῶν παλαίσματα τοιαῦτα, ὡς καὶ τῆς ἀγγελικῆς θέας ἄξια εἶναι. Ὅρα δὲ πῶς ἑαυτὸν ἐξευτελίζει· πῶς μέγα δείκνυσιν· ἀφ' ὧν δὲ ἐκεῖνοι μέγα φρονῶσι· πῶς αὐτοὺς εὐτελεῖς ἀποφαίνει. Ἐπειδὴ γὰρ τὸ μωροὺς εἶναι τοῦ φρονίμους φαίνεσθαι, καὶ τὸ ἀσθενεῖς εἶναι τοῦ ἰσχυροὺς γίνεσθαι, καὶ τὸ ἀτίμους εἶναι τοῦ ἐνδόξους ὁρᾶσθαι εὐτελέστερον εἶναι δοκεῖ· καὶ τὰ μὲν ἐκείνοις μέλλει ῥίπτειν, τὰ δὲ αὐτὸς κατεδέξατο· δείκνυσιν ὅτι ταῦτα ἐκείνων ἀμείνω, εἴ γε διὰ ταῦτα μὴ μόνον ἀνθρώπων, ἀλλὰ καὶ αὐτὸν τῶν ἀγγέλων τὸν δῆμον πρὸς τὴν θέαν ἐπέστρεψεν τὴν ἑαυτῶν. «Ἡμεῖς μωροὶ διὰ Χριστὸν, ὑμεῖς δὲ φρόνιμοι ἐν Χριστῷ. Ἡμεῖς ἀσθενεῖς, ὑμεῖς δὲ ἰσχυροί. Ὑμεῖςἔνδοξοι, ἡμεῖς δὲ ἄτιμοι. Ἄχρι τῆς ἄρτι ὥρας καὶ πεινῶμεν, καὶ διψῶμεν, καὶ γυμνητεύομεν, καὶ κολαφιζόμεθα, καὶ ἀστατοῦμεν, καὶ κοπιῶμεν, ἐργαζόμενοι ταῖς ἰδίαις χερσίν.» Πάλιν καὶ τοῦτο ἐντρεπτικῶς εἶπεν· ἐπειδὴ γὰρ αὐτοὶ μὲν ἐτύπτοντο καὶ ἠτιμάζοντο, ἐκεῖνοι δὲ ἐτιμῶντο καὶ σοφοὶ ὑπωπτεύοντο, πῶς ἔνι, φησὶ, 95.604 τοὺς τὰ τοιαῦτα κηρύττοντας ἐν τοῖς ὑπεναντίοις ὑποπτεύεσθαι εἶναι. Τουτέστιν, Οὐ παλαιὰ διηγοῦνται πράγματα, ἀλλ' ἅπερ καὶ ὁ παρών μοι καιρὸς μαρτυρεῖ. -Πρὸς τοὺς τρυφῶντας. -Ἐλαυνόμεθα, φησὶ, πρὸς τοὺς πλουτοῦντας. -Πρὸς τοὺς ψευδοαποστόλους, τοὺς οὔτε ἐργάζεσθαι, οὔτε κινδυνεύειν ἀνεχομένους, ἀλλὰ καρπουμένους ἑαυτούς. «Λοιδορούμενοι, εὐλογοῦμεν· διωκόμενοι, ἀνεχόμεθα· δυσφημούμενοι, παρακαλοῦμεν, ὡς περικαθάρματα τοῦ κόσμου ἐγενήθημεν.» Οὐκ ἔχει τις εἰπεῖν, φησὶν, ὅτι ἐπὶ τούτοις δυσχεραίνομεν. Τοῖς γὰρ ἐναντίοις τοὺς κακῶς ποιοῦντας ἀμειβόμεθα· καὶ μέγα ἐστὶ τὸ κακῶς πάσχοντας φέρειν γενναίως· ἡμεῖς οὐ μόνον τοῦτο κατορθοῦμεν, ἀλλὰ καὶ χαίρομεν καὶ ἀγαλλόμεθα. «Πάντων περίψημα ἕως ἄρτι.» Οὐ τῶν διωκόντων, ἀλλὰ τῶν δι' οὓς ταῦτα πάσχομεν. «Οὐκ ἐντρέπων ὑμᾶς γράφω ταῦτα, ἀλλ' ὡς τέκνα μου ἀγαπητὰ νουθετῶ.» Ἐπειδὴ εἶδεν ἀφόρητον τὴν πληγὴν, ταχέως αὐτὴν ἐθεράπευσεν. Οὐχ ὡς καταισχύνων ὑμᾶς, φησὶ, ταῦτα λέγω. Λέγει γὰρ πεποιηκέναι μὲν, οὐ μὴν διανοίᾳ πονηρᾷ καὶ μισούσῃ, ἀλλὰ μᾶλλον φιλούσῃ καὶ ἐπανορθοῦν βουλομένῃ. «Ἐὰν γὰρ μυρίους παιδαγωγοὺς ἔχητε ἐν Χριστῷ, ἀλλ' οὐ πολλοὺς πατέρας. Ἐν γὰρ Χριστῷ Ἰησοῦ διὰ τοῦ Εὐαγγελίου ἐγὼ ὑμᾶς ἐγέννησα.» Οὐ τὸ ἀξίωμα ἐνταῦθα ἐμφαίνει, ἀλλὰ τῆς ἀγάπης τὴν ὑπερβολήν· καὶ οὐδὲ ἐκείνους ἔπληξεν τὸ, ἐν Χριστῷ, προσθεὶς, καὶ συγχωρήσας ἐκείνοις πολλὰ περὶ αὐτῶν πεποιηκέναι· τοῦτο γὰρ ὁ παιδαγωγός· τὴν τῆς ἀγάπης ὑπερβολὴν ἑαυτῷ ταμιεύεται. Τοιοῦτον γὰρ ὁ πατήρ. -Οὐκ ἐμαυτῷ τοῦτο λογίζομαι. Πάλιν δὲ τοὺς ἑαυτοῖς ἐπιφημίζοντας τὴν διδασκαλίαν πλήττει. «Παρακαλῶ οὖν ὑμᾶς· μιμητάς μου γίνεσθε.» Οὐκ ἐπαίρων ἑαυτὸν ταῦτά φησιν, ἀλλὰ δεικνὺς εὔκολον οὖσαν τὴν ἀρετήν. «∆ιὰ τοῦτο ἔπεμψα ὑμῖν τὸν Τιμόθεον.» Ἐπειδὴ ὡς τέκνων φείδομαι. «Ὅς ἐστί μου τέκνον ἀγαπητὸν, καὶ πιστὸν ἐν Κυρίῳ.» Τοῦτό φησιν, τὴν ἀγάπην, ἐμφαίνων, κἀκείνους κατασκευάζων αἰδεσίμως αὐτὸν ἰδεῖν. Καὶ οὐχ ἁπλῶς εἶπεν πιστὸν, ἀλλὰ ἐν Κυρίῳ· τουτέστιν ἐν τοῖς κατὰ Κύριον πράγμασιν «Ὃς ὑμᾶς