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then he adds: But I say this to you; so also here the Apostle, having first mentioned the old [law] and what was said then, "Be angry, and do not sin," adds after a little what from himself is fitting for us, saying: Let all bitterness and wrath and anger and clamor be put away from you.

QUESTION 244. What is the meaning of, "Give place to wrath." RESPONSE. Either not to resist the evil one, as it is written, but to him who strikes you on the right cheek, turn to him the other also, and what follows; or, "When they persecute you in this city, flee to another."

QUESTION 245. Who is wise as the serpent, and harmless as the dove. RESPONSE. He is wise as the serpent, who manages his teaching with foresight and an understanding of what is possible and successful for the persuasion of his hearers; but harmless as the dove, is he who does not even conceive of defending himself against one who plots against him, but persists in beneficence, according to what was commanded by the Apostle, that "as for you, do not grow weary in doing good." For when the Lord sent out the disciples to preach, he commanded these things to them; where there was need both of wisdom for persuading, and of forbearance towards those who plotted against them; so that, just as there the serpent knew both to approach a more tractable person, and to speak persuasively in order to cause a falling away from God, and to bring one under sin; so also we should choose person and manner and time, and in every way manage our words with judgment, for turning people from sin, and bringing them back to God; and that we may achieve patience in temptations until the end, as it is written. 31.1248

QUESTION 246. What is the meaning of, "Love does not behave unseemly." RESPONSE. It is the same as saying, it does not fall out of its own character. And the character of love is the properties of love enumerated by the Apostle in the same place.

QUESTION 247. Since the Scripture says: "Do not boast, and do not speak haughty things;" and the Apostle at one time confesses, that "What I am saying, I am not saying according to the Lord, but as in foolishness, in this confidence of boasting;" and again: "I have become a fool by boasting;" but at another time permits, that "He who boasts, let him boast in the Lord;" what is boasting in the Lord, and what is the forbidden kind. RESPONSE. The Apostle's objection, from necessity, against the passions is clear. For he says these things not to commend himself, but to cast down the insolence of some people's arrogance and their pride. Boasting in the Lord is, when one attributes one's achievements not to oneself, but to the Lord, saying: I can do all things through Christ who strengthens me; but the forbidden kind would have a twofold meaning, either according to, "The sinner is praised in the desires of his soul;" and, "Why do you boast in wickedness, O mighty man?" or according to, "They do it to be seen by men," through the very desire to be praised for what they do, as if boasting in what is done. Such people would also be sacrilegious, appropriating the gifts of God for themselves, and seizing for themselves the glory owed to God.

QUESTION 248. If the Lord gives wisdom, and from his face comes knowledge and understanding; and if through the Spirit, to one is given the word of wisdom, and to another the word of knowledge; how does the Lord rebuke the disciples, that "Are you also still without understanding?" and the Apostle accuses some, as being without understanding? RESPONSE. If someone knows the goodness of God, who desires all men to be saved and to come to the knowledge of the truth, and has learned the care of the Holy Spirit in the distribution and operation of the gifts of God, this person knows that the slowness of understanding comes not from the reluctance of the benefactor, but from the unbelief of those who are receiving the benefit. And

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εἶτα ἐπάγει· Ἐγὼ δὲ λέγω ὑμῖν τόδε· οὕτω καὶ ἐνταῦθα ὁ Ἀπόστολος, πρότερον μνημονεύσας τοῦ παλαιοῦ καὶ τοῖς τότε ῥηθέντος, Ὀργίζεσθε, καὶ μὴ ἁμαρτάνετε, ἐπιφέρει μετ' ὀλίγα τὸ παρ' ἑαυτοῦ ἡμῖν ἁρμόζον, εἰπών· Πᾶσα πικρία, καὶ θυμὸς, καὶ ὀργὴ, καὶ κραυγὴ ἀρθήτω ἀφ' ὑμῶν.

ΕΡΩΤΗΣΙΣ ΣΜ∆ʹ. Τί ἐστι τὸ, «∆ότε τόπον τῇ ὀργῇ.» ΑΠΟΚΡΙΣΙΣ. Ἤτοι τὸ μὴ ἀντιστῆναι τῷ πονηρῷ, καθὼς γέ γραπται, ἀλλὰ καὶ τῷ τύπτοντι ἐπὶ τὴν δεξιὰν σια γόνα στρέψαι καὶ τὴν ἄλλην, καὶ τὰ ἑξῆς· ἢ τὸ, Ὅταν διώκωσιν ὑμᾶς ἐν τῇ πόλει ταύτῃ, φεύ γετε εἰς τὴν ἄλλην.

ΕΡΩΤΗΣΙΣ ΣΜΕʹ. Τίς ἐστιν ὁ φρόνιμος ὡς ὁ ὄφις, καὶ ἀκέραιος ὡς ἡ περιστερά. ΑΠΟΚΡΙΣΙΣ. Ὁ φρόνιμος μὲν ὡς ὁ ὄφις, ὁ μετὰ περισκέψεως καὶ κατανοήσεως τοῦ δυνατοῦ καὶ τῆς εὐοδίας πρὸς εὐπείθειαν τῶν ἀκουόντων τὴν διδασκαλίαν οἰκονο μῶν· ἀκέραιος δὲ ὡς ἡ περιστερὰ, ὁ μήτε εἰς ἔν νοιαν λαμβάνων τοῦ ἀμύνασθαι τὸν ἐπιβουλεύοντα, ἐπιμένων δὲ τῇ εὐεργεσίᾳ, κατὰ τὸ ὑπὸ τοῦ Ἀπο στόλου προστεταγμένον, ὅτι Ὑμεῖς δὲ μὴ ἐκκακεῖτε καλοποιοῦντες. Ἐπὶ γὰρ τὸ κήρυγμα τοὺς μαθη τὰς ἀποστέλλων ὁ Κύριος, ταῦτα αὐτοῖς ἐντέλλεται· ὅπου καὶ σοφίας ἦν χρεία πρὸς τὸ πεῖσαι, καὶ ἀνεξι κακίας πρὸς τοὺς ἐπιβουλεύοντας· ἵνα, ὡς ἐκεῖ ὁ ὄφις ἔγνω καὶ προσώπῳ προσελθεῖν εὐαγωγοτέρῳ, καὶ πιθανῶς εἰπεῖν εἰς τὸ ἀποστῆσαι Θεοῦ, καὶ ὑπαγαγέσθαι τῇ ἁμαρτίᾳ· οὕτω καὶ ἡμεῖς καὶ πρόσωπον καὶ τρόπον καὶ καιρὸν ἐπιλεγώμεθα, καὶ παντὶ τρόπῳ τοὺς λόγους οἰκονομῶμεν ἐν κρί σει, πρὸς τὸ ἀποστῆσαι τῆς ἁμαρτίας, καὶ ἐπαν αγαγεῖν πρὸς Θεόν· τὴν δέ γε ὑπομονὴν ἐν τοῖς πειρασμοῖς κατορθώσωμεν εἰς τέλος, καθὼς γέ γραπται. 31.1248

ΕΡΩΤΗΣΙΣ ΣΜʹ. Τί ἐστι τὸ, «Ἡ ἀγάπη οὐκ ἀσχημονεῖ.» ΑΠΟΚΡΙΣΙΣ. Ἴσον τῷ εἰπεῖν, τοῦ ἰδίου σχήματος οὐκ ἐκπί πτει. Σχῆμα δὲ ἀγάπης τὰ ὑπὸ τοῦ Ἀποστόλου ἐν τῷ αὐτῷ τόπῳ ἀπηριθμημένα τῆς ἀγάπης ἰδιώ ματα.

ΕΡΩΤΗΣΙΣ ΣΜΖʹ. Τῆς Γραφῆς λεγούσης· «Μὴ καυχᾶσθε, καὶ μὴ λαλεῖτε ὑψηλά·» καὶ τοῦ Ἀποστόλου ποτὲ μὲν ὁμολογοῦντος, ὅτι «Ὃ λαλῶ, οὐ κατὰ Κύριον λαλῶ, ἀλλ' ὡς ἐν ἀφροσύνῃ, ἐν ταύτῃ τῇ ὑποστάσει τῆς καυχήσεως·» καὶ πάλιν· «Γέγονα ἄφρων καυχώμενος·» ποτὲ δὲ ἐπι τρέποντος, ὅτι «Ὁ καυχώμενος, ἐν Κυρίῳ καυχάσθω·» τίς ἐστιν ἡ ἐν Κυρίῳ καύχησις, καὶ τίς ἡ ἀπηγορευμένη. ΑΠΟΚΡΙΣΙΣ. Τοῦ μὲν Ἀποστόλου ἡ κατ' ἀνάγκην πρὸς τὰ πάθη ἔνστασις εὔδηλος. Οὐ γὰρ ἵνα ἑαυτὸν συστήσῃ, ταῦτά φησιν, ἀλλ' ἵνα τὸ θράσος τῆς τινων ἀλαζονείας καὶ τὴν ἔπαρσιν καταβάλῃ. Καύχησις δὲ ἡ μὲν ἐν Κυρίῳ ἐστὶν, ὅταν τις τὰ κατορθώματα μὴ ἑαυτῷ, ἀλλὰ τῷ Κυρίῳ ἀνατίθηται, λέγων· Πάντα ἰσχύω ἐν τῷ ἐνδυναμοῦντί με Χριστῷ· ἡ δὲ ἀπηγορευ μένη διπλοῦν ἂν ἔχοι λόγον, ἢ κατὰ τὸ, Ἐπαι νεῖται ὁ ἁμαρτωλὸς ἐν ταῖς ἐπιθυμίαις τῆς ψυχῆς αὐτοῦ· καὶ, Τί ἐγκαυχᾷ ἐν κακίᾳ ὁ δυνατός; ἢ κατὰ τὸ, Ποιοῦσι πρὸς τὸ θεαθῆναι τοῖς ἀνθρώ ποις, δι' αὐτοῦ τοῦ θέλειν ἐπαινεθῆναι ἐφ' οἷς ποιοῦ σιν, οἱονεὶ ἐγκαυχώμενοι τοῖς γινομένοις. Οἱ δὲ τοιοῦτοι καὶ ἱερόσυλοι εἶεν ἂν, τὰς τοῦ Θεοῦ δωρεὰς ἰδιοποιούμενοι, καὶ τὴν ὀφειλομένην τῷ Θεῷ δόξαν εἰς ἑαυτοὺς ἁρπάζοντες.

ΕΡΩΤΗΣΙΣ ΣΜΗʹ. Εἰ Κύριος δίδωσι σοφίαν, καὶ ἀπὸ προσώπου αὐ τοῦ γνῶσις καὶ σύνεσις· καὶ εἰ διὰ τοῦ Πνεύματος, ᾧ μὲν δίδοται λόγος σοφίας, ἄλλῳ δὲ λόγος γνώσεως· πῶς ἐγκαλεῖ τοῖς μαθηταῖς ὁ Κύριος, ὅτι «Ἀκμὴν καὶ ὑμεῖς ἀσύνετοί ἐστε;» καὶ ὁ Ἀπόστολος αἰτιᾶταί τινας, ὡς ἀσυνέτους; ΑΠΟΚΡΙΣΙΣ. Εἴ τις τὸ ἀγαθὸν τοῦ Θεοῦ οἶδε, τοῦ θέλοντος πάντας ἀνθρώπους σωθῆναι, καὶ εἰς ἐπίγνωσιν ἀληθείας ἐλθεῖν, καὶ τοῦ ἁγίου Πνεύματος τὴν ἐπιμέλειαν ἔμαθεν, ἐν τῇ διαιρέσει καὶ ἐνεργείᾳ τῶν τοῦ Θεοῦ χαρισμάτων, οὗτος γνωρίζει τὴν βραδυτῆτα τῆς συνέσεως οὐ παρὰ τὸν ὄκνον τοῦ εὐεργέτου, ἀλλὰ παρὰ τὴν ἀπιστίαν τῶν εὐεργε τουμένων. Καὶ