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rule, if you are merciful, by how much more you are, by so much you are and are considered good; but if you are rich, no longer. Let us therefore become good, that we may also be good, and attain the good things to come, in Jesus Christ, with whom to the Father together with the Holy Spirit be glory, dominion, honor, now and ever, and unto the ages of ages. Amen.
HOMILY XIII.
Command these things and teach. Let no one despise your youth, but be an example for the believers in word, in conduct, in love, in faith,
in purity. Until I come, give attention to reading, to exhortation, to teaching. Do not neglect the gift that is in you, which was given to you through prophecy,
with the laying on of the hands of the presbytery.
1. Some things require teaching, others command. If, therefore, you command concerning things about which one must teach, you will be ridiculous; again, if you teach concerning things about which one must command, you suffer the same thing likewise. I mean something like this: Not to be wicked, on this matter one must not teach, but command, and forbid with 62.564 greater authority; not to Judaize, requires a command. However, if you say that one ought to give up one's possessions, that one ought to live as a virgin, if you are discoursing about faith, here there is need of teaching. For this reason Paul sets down both. Command and teach, he says. For instance, if someone has amulets, or any other such thing, when they do them knowing that they are wicked, only a command is needed; but when they do not know, teaching is needed. Let no one despise your youth, he says. Do you see that the priest must also command and discourse with more authority, not teach everything? For youth has somehow become a contemptible thing from common prejudice; for this reason he says, Let no one despise your 62.565 youth. For the teacher must also be above contempt. Where then is gentleness, he says? Where then is meekness, if he is not despised? In matters relating to himself, let him be despised and bear it; for thus teaching is accomplished through long-suffering; but in matters relating to others, no longer; for this is not gentleness, but indifference. If he avenges insults against himself, or revilings, or plots, you rightly accuse him; but if it is for the salvation of others, command and provide with authority. Here there is no longer need for gentleness, but authority, so that he may not harm the community. He means either this, or that: Let no one despise you because of your youth; for as long as you display a counterbalancing life, no one will despise you anymore because of your age, but will rather admire you even more. For this reason he adds, saying, But be an example for the believers in word, in conduct, in love, in faith, in purity, in all things showing yourself an example of good works. That is, you yourself will be the archetype of life, like an image set forth, like a living law, like a rule and standard of good living. For the teacher must be such. In word, so as to speak with ease; In conduct, in love, in faith, in true purity, in self-control; Until I come, give attention to reading, to exhortation, to teaching. He commands Timothy to give attention to reading. Let us all hear, and be taught not to neglect the study of the divine Scriptures. Behold again, Until I come, he says. See how he comforts him; for it is likely that, being left an orphan, he was seeking him. Until I come, he says, give attention to the reading of the divine Scriptures, to exhortation toward one another, to teaching toward all.
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κανόνα ἐὰν ᾖς ἐλεήμων, ὅσῳ ἂν ᾖς πλέον, τοσούτῳ ἀγαθὸς καὶ εἶ καὶ νομίζῃ· ἂν δὲ πλούσιος ᾖς, οὐκέτι. Οὕτω γενώμεθα οὖν ἀγαθοὶ, ἵνα καὶ ὦμεν ἀγαθοὶ, καὶ τῶν μελλόντων ἐπιτύχωμεν ἀγαθῶν, ἐν Ἰησοῦ Χριστῷ, μεθ' οὗ τῷ Πατρὶ ἅμα τῷ ἁγίῳ Πνεύματι δόξα, κράτος, τιμὴ, νῦν καὶ ἀεὶ, καὶ εἰς τοὺς αἰῶνας τῶν αἰώνων. Ἀμήν.
ΟΜΙΛΙΑ ΙΓʹ.
Παράγγελλε ταῦτα καὶ δίδασκε. Μηδείς σου τῆς νεότητος καταφρονείτω, ἀλλὰ τύπος γίνου τῶν πιστῶν ἐν λόγῳ, ἐν ἀναστροφῇ, ἐν ἀγάπῃ, ἐν πίστει,
ἐν ἁγνείᾳ. Ἕως ἔρχομαι πρόσεχε τῇ ἀναγνώσει, τῇ παρακλήσει, τῇ διδασκαλίᾳ. Μὴ ἀμέλει τοῦ ἐν σοὶ χαρίσματος, ὃ ἐδόθη σοι διὰ προφητείας,
μετὰ ἐπιθέσεως τῶν χειρῶν τοῦ πρεσβυτερίου.
αʹ. Τῶν πραγμάτων τὰ μὲν διδασκαλίας δεῖται, τὰ δὲ ἐπιταγῆς. Ἂν τοίνυν ἐπιτάττῃς ὑπὲρ ὧν διδάσκειν χρὴ, καταγέλαστος ἔσῃ· πάλιν, ἂν διδάσκῃς ὑπὲρ ὧν ἐπιτάττειν χρὴ, τὸ αὐτὸ ὑπομένεις ὁμοίως. Οἷόν τι λέγω· Τὸ μὴ εἶναι πονηρὸν, ὑπὲρ τούτου οὐ διδάσκειν χρὴ, ἀλλ' ἐπιτάττειν, καὶ ἀπαγορεύειν μετὰ 62.564 πλείονος αὐθεντίας· τὸ μὴ Ἰουδαΐζειν, ἐπιταγῆς δεῖται. Ἂν μέντοι λέγῃς, ὅτι δεῖ τὰ ὑπάρχοντα κενοῦν, ὅτι δεῖ παρθενεύειν, ἂν περὶ πίστεως διαλέγῃ, ἐνταῦθα διδασκαλίας χρεία. ∆ιὰ τοῦτο ἀμφότερα τίθησιν ὁ Παῦλος. Παράγγελλε καὶ δίδασκε, φησίν. Οἷον εἴ τις ἔχει περίαπτα, ἢ εἴ τι ἕτερον τοιοῦτον, ὅταν εἰδότες αὐτὰ πονηρὰ ὄντα πράττωσι, παραγγελίας δεῖ μόνης· ὅταν δὲ μὴ εἰδότες, διδασκαλίας. Μηδείς σου τῆς νεότητος καταφρονείτω, φησίν. Ὁρᾷς ὅτι καὶ ἐπιτάττειν χρὴ τὸν ἱερέα καὶ αὐθεντικώτερον διαλέγεσθαι, μὴ πάντα διδάσκειν; Εὐκαταφρόνητον γάρ πως πρᾶγμα ἡ νεότης ἀπὸ τῆς κοινῆς προλήψεως γέγονε· διὰ τοῦτό φησι, Μηδείς σου 62.565 τῆς νεότητος καταφρονείτω. ∆εῖ γὰρ καὶ ἀκαταφρόνητον εἶναι τὸν διδάσκαλον. Ποῦ οὖν τὸ ἐπιεικὲς, φησί; ποῦ οὖν τὸ πρᾶον, ἂν μὴ καταφρονῆται; Ἐν μὲν τοῖς πρὸς ἑαυτὸν καταφρονείσθω καὶ φερέτω· οὕτω γὰρ ἡ διδασκαλία κατορθοῦται τῇ μακροθυμίᾳ· ἐν δὲ τοῖς πρὸς ἑτέρους, μηκέτι· τοῦτο γὰρ οὐκ ἔστιν ἐπιείκεια, ἀλλὰ ψυχρότης. Ἂν μὲν ὕβρεις ἐκδικῇ τὰς εἰς ἑαυτὸν, ἂν λοιδορίας, ἂν ἐπιβουλὰς, εἰκότως ἐγκαλεῖς· ἂν δὲ ὑπὲρ τῆς τῶν ἄλλων σωτηρίας, ἐπίταττε καὶ μετὰ αὐθεντίας προνόει. Ἐνταῦθα οὐκέτι ἐπιεικείας χρεία, ἀλλ' αὐθεντίας, ἵνα μὴ τῷ κοινῷ λυμαίνηται. Ἢ τοῦτό φησιν, ἢ ἐκεῖνο· Μηδεὶς διὰ τὴν νεότητα καταφρονήσῃ σου· ἕως γὰρ ἀντίῤῥοπον ἐπιδεικνύῃ βίον, οὐκέτι διὰ τὴν ἡλικίαν τις καταφρονήσει, ἀλλὰ καὶ θαυμάσει μᾶλλον. ∆ιὰ τοῦτο καὶ ἐπάγει λέγων, Ἀλλὰ τύπος γίνου τῶν πιστῶν ἐν λόγῳ, ἐν ἀναστροφῇ, ἐν ἀγάπῃ, ἐν πίστει, ἐν ἁγνείᾳ, περὶ πάντα σεαυτὸν παρεχόμενος τύπον καλῶν ἔργων. Τουτέστι, τὸ ἀρχέτυπον τοῦ βίου αὐτὸς ἔσο, ὥσπερ εἰκὼν προκείμενος, ὥσπερ νόμος ἔμψυχος, ὥσπερ κανὼν καὶ ὅρος τῆς εὐζωΐας. Τὸν γὰρ διδάσκαλον τοιοῦτον εἶναι χρή. Ἐν λόγῳ, ὡς καὶ φθέγγεσθαι μετ' εὐκολίας· Ἐν ἀναστροφῇ, ἐν ἀγάπῃ, ἐν πίστει, ἐν ἁγνείᾳ τῇ ὀρθῇ, ἐν σωφροσύνῃ· Ἕως ἔρχομαι, πρόσεχε τῇ ἀναγνώσει, τῇ παραινέσει, τῇ διδασκαλίᾳ. Τιμοθέῳ κελεύει προσέχειν τῇ ἀναγνώσει. Ἀκούωμεν ἅπαντες, καὶ παιδευώμεθα μὴ ἀμελεῖν τῆς τῶν θείων Γραφῶν μελέτης. Ἰδοὺ πάλιν, Ἕως ἔρχομαι, φησίν.Ὅρα πῶς αὐτὸν παραμυθεῖται· εἰκὸς γὰρ αὐτὸν ἀπορφανισθέντα ζητεῖν. Ἕως ἔρχομαι, φησὶ, πρόσεχε τῇ ἀναγνώσει τῇ τῶν θείων Γραφῶν, τῇ παρακλήσει τῇ πρὸς ἀλλήλους, τῇ διδασκαλίᾳ τῇ πρὸς πάντας.