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he came near to death, hazarding his life, that he might supply your lack of service toward me. This man was sent by the city of the Philippians collectively, to minister to Paul, or perhaps he had also come bringing something to him. For that he also brought money, he shows toward the end, saying: For having received from Epaphroditus the things which were sent from you. It is likely then that when he arrived at the city of the Romans, he found Paul in such great and severe danger, that not even those approaching him were able to do so with safety, but that they themselves also approached precariously; which is accustomed to happen especially in the greatest dangers, and in the excessive angers of kings. For whenever someone who has offended a king is thrown into prison, and is put under heavy guard, then even for his servants access is walled off, which is likely what Paul was then suffering; but Epaphroditus, being a noble man, despised all danger, so as to approach and to serve, and to do all things which were necessary. He sets forth two things, therefore, from which he makes him worthy of respect; one, that he was in danger even to death, he says, for my sake; and second, that having put on the person of the city he suffered these things, so that in that danger the reward might be reckoned to those who sent him, as if the city had sent an ambassador. So that to receive him with care, and to give thanks for what has happened, is rather to share in what was dared. And he did not say, For my sake, but he makes it more trustworthy by saying, that, For the work of God. 62.250 For he did not do it for my sake, but for God’s sake he came near to death. For what? if he did not die, God so ordering it, yet he himself hazarded and gave himself up, as if needing to suffer whatever it might be, not ceasing from his care for me. But if for the sake of caring for Paul he gave himself up to death, much more would he have suffered this for the sake of the preaching; or rather, this also was for the sake of the preaching, to die for his sake. For not only for refusing to sacrifice is it possible to be crowned with the crown of martyrdom, but such occasions also constitute a martyrdom; and if I must say something wonderful, much more so do these than those. For he who dares to face death for the lesser cause, much more so for the greater. So we too, when we see holy men in dangers, let us hazard ourselves. For it is not possible for one who does not dare, ever to do anything noble, but it is necessary for the one who provides for his safety here to fall away from the one to come; That he might supply, he says, your lack of service toward me. What is this? The city was not present, but it ministered to me through him every service by sending him. The lack of your service, therefore, he himself filled up, so that on this account also he would be worthy to enjoy great honor, because what all ought to have done, this he did himself on your behalf. And he shows that it is also a primary service from those in safety to those in danger; For "the lack of service" is so said, as in reference to that. Do you see the apostolic mind? This does not come from despair, but from great solicitude. For that they might not be lifted up, but be moderate, nor think they have provided something great, but be humbled, he calls the matter a "service" and a "lack". Therefore let us not think highly of ourselves when we provide for the saints, nor let us think we are bestowing a favor on them in this; for the thing is owed to the saints by us, and we bestow no favor on them. For just as to those standing in the battle-line and fighting the taxes are owed by those who are at peace and not fighting (for these stand on behalf of those), so also here. For if Paul had not been teaching, who would have then thrown him into prison? Therefore it is necessary to minister to the saints. For how is it not absurd to contribute everything to the earthly king who is warring, both clothing and food, not according to

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θανάτου ἤγγισε, παραβουλευσάμενος τῇ ψυχῇ, ἵνα ἀναπληρώσῃ τὸ ὑμῶν ὑστέρημα τῆς πρὸς ἐμὲ λειτουργίας. Οὗτος κοινῇ παρὰ τῆς πόλεως ἦν ἀπεσταλμένος τῶν Φιλιππησίων, ὥστε τῷ Παύλῳ διακονεῖν, ἢ καὶ ἴσως τι ἀποκομίζων αὐτῷ ἐληλύθει. Ὅτι γὰρ καὶ χρήματα ἐκόμισε, δείκνυσι πρὸς τῷ τέλει λέγων· ∆εξάμενος γὰρ παρὰ Ἐπαφροδίτου τὰ παρ' ὑμῶν. Εἰκὸς οὖν αὐτὸν ἐπιστάντα τῇ πόλει Ῥωμαίων, ἐν οὕτω πολλῷ τὸν Παῦλον κινδύνῳ καταλαβεῖν καὶ σφοδρῷ, ὡς μηδὲ τοὺς πλησιάζοντας αὐτῷ μετὰ ἀσφαλείας δύνασθαι τοῦτο ποιεῖν, ἀλλὰ καὶ αὐτοὺς ἐπισφαλῶς προσιέναι· ὅπερ εἴωθε γίνεσθαι μάλιστα ἐν τοῖς κινδύνοις τοῖς μεγάλοις, καὶ ταῖς ὀργαῖς τῶν βασιλέων ταῖς ὑπερβαλλούσαις. Ὅταν γάρ τις βασιλεῖ προσκεκρουκὼς εἰς δεσμωτήριον ἐμβληθῇ, καὶ ἐν πολλῇ γένηται φυλακῇ, τότε καὶ τοῖς οἰκέταις ἡ πρόσοδος ἀποτετείχισται, ὅπερ εἰκὸς τὸν Παῦλον τότε πάσχειν· τὸν δὲ Ἐπαφρόδιτον ἄνδρα γενναῖον ὄντα, παντὸς καταφρονῆσαι κινδύνου, ὥστε προσελθεῖν καὶ ὑπηρετήσασθαι, καὶ πάντα πρᾶξαι, ἅπερ ἐχρῆν. ∆ύο τοίνυν τίθησιν, ἀφ' ὧν ποιεῖ αὐτὸν αἰδέσιμον· ἓν μὲν, ὅτι μέχρι θανάτου ἐκινδύνευσε, φησὶ, δι' ἐμέ· δεύτερον δὲ, ὅτι τὸ πρόσωπον τῆς πόλεως περιθέμενος ταῦτα ἔπαθεν, ὡς ἐν τῷ κινδύνῳ ἐκείνῳ τοῖς πέμψασι λογίσασθαι τὸν μισθὸν, ὡς ἂν ἡ πόλις πρεσβευτὴν ἔπεμψεν. Ὥστε τὸ μετὰ θεραπείας ὑποδέξασθαι, καὶ ὑπὲρ τῶν γεγενημένων εὐχαριστῆσαι, μᾶλλόν ἐστι κοινωνῆσαι τοῖς τετολμημένοις. Καὶ οὐκ εἶπε, ∆ι' ἐμὲ, ἀλλ' ἀξιοπιστότερον αὐτὸ ποιεῖ λέγων, ὅτι ∆ιὰ τὸ ἔργον τοῦ Θεοῦ. 62.250 Οὐδὲ γὰρ δι' ἐμὲ ποιεῖ, ἀλλὰ διὰ τὸν Θεὸν ἤγγισε μέχρι θανάτου. Τί γάρ; εἰ μὴ ἀπέθανε, τοῦ Θεοῦ οἰκονομήσαντος, ἀλλ' αὐτὸς παρεβουλεύσατο καὶ ἐξέδωκεν ἑαυτὸν, ὡς κἂν ὁτιοῦν δέῃ παθεῖν, οὐκ ἀποστησόμενος τῆς πρός με θεραπείας. Εἰ δὲ ὑπὲρ τοῦ Παύλου θεραπεῦσαι εἰς θάνατον ἑαυτὸν ἐξέδωκε, πολλῷ μᾶλλον ὑπὲρ τοῦ κηρύγματος τοῦτο ἂν ἔπαθε· μᾶλλον δὲ καὶ τοῦτο ὑπὲρ τοῦ κηρύγματος ἦν, τὸ ὑπὲρ ἐκείνου ἀποθανεῖν. Οὐ γὰρ μόνον ὑπὲρ τοῦ μὴ θῦσαι μαρτυρίου στέφανον ἔστιν ἀναδήσασθαι, ἀλλὰ καὶ αἱ τοιαῦται προφάσεις μαρτύριον ποιοῦσι· καὶ εἰ δεῖ τι θαυμαστὸν εἰπεῖν, πολλῷ μᾶλλον αἱ τοιαῦται, ἢ ἐκεῖναι. Ὁ γὰρ ὑπὲρ τοῦ ἐλάττονος κατατολμῶν τοῦ θανάτου, πολλῷ μᾶλλον ὑπὲρ τοῦ μείζονος. Ὥστε καὶ ἡμεῖς, ὅταν ἴδωμεν ἁγίους ἐν κινδύνοις, παραβουλευώμεθα. Οὐ γὰρ ἔνι μὴ τολμῶντα, γενναῖόν τι πρᾶξαί ποτε, ἀλλὰ ἀνάγκη τὸ[ν] τῆς ἐνταῦθα ἀσφαλείας προνοούμενον ἐκπεσεῖν τῆς μελλούσης· Ἵνα ἀναπληρώσῃ, φησὶ, τὸ ὑμῶν ὑστέρημα τῆς πρός με λειτουργίας. Τί ἐστι τοῦτο; Οὐ παρῆν ἡ πόλις, ἀλλ' ἐλειτούργησέ μοι δι' ἐκείνου πᾶσαν λειτουργίαν τῷ ἐκεῖνον πέμψαι. Τὸ οὖν ὑστέρημα τῆς ὑμετέρας λειτουργίας αὐτὸς ἐνεπλήρωσεν, ὥστε καὶ κατὰ τοῦτο δίκαιος ἂν εἴη ἀπολαῦσαι τιμῆς πολλῆς, ὅτι ὅπερ ἐχρῆν πάντας ποιῆσαι, τοῦτο ἔπραξεν αὐτὸς ὑπὲρ ὑμῶν. Καὶ δείκνυσι καὶ πρώτην οὖσαν λειτουργίαν παρὰ τῶν ἐν ἀσφαλείᾳ τοῖς κινδυνεύουσι· Τὸ γὰρ ὑστέρημα τῆς λειτουργίας οὕτως εἴρηται, ὡς πρὸς ἐκείνην. Ὁρᾷς φρόνημα ἀποστολικόν; Τοῦτο οὐκ ἐξ ἀπονοίας γίνεται, ἀλλὰ ἀπὸ πολλῆς κηδεμονίας. Ἵνα γὰρ μὴ ἐπαίρωνται, ἀλλὰ μετριάζωσι, μηδὲ μέγα τι παρεσχηκέναι νομίζωσιν, ἀλλὰ ταπεινῶνται, λειτουργίαν τὸ πρᾶγμα καλεῖ καὶ ὑστέρημα. Μὴ τοίνυν μηδὲ ἡμεῖς μέγα φρονῶμεν, τοῖς ἁγίοις παρέχοντες, μηδὲ χαρίζεσθαι αὐτοῖς ἐν τούτῳ νομίζωμεν· καὶ γὰρ ὀφείλεται τοῖς ἁγίοις παρ' ἡμῶν τὸ πρᾶγμα, καὶ οὐδὲν αὐτοῖς χαριζόμεθα. Ὥσπερ γὰρ τοῖς ἐν στρατοπέδῳ ἑστῶσι καὶ πολεμοῦσι παρὰ τῶν ἐν εἰρήνῃ ὄντων καὶ μὴ πολεμούντων ὀφείλεται τὰ τελέσματα (ὑπὲρ γὰρ ἐκείνων ἑστήκασιν οὗτοι), οὕτω καὶ ἐνταῦθα. Εἰ μὴ γὰρ ἐδίδασκεν ὁ Παῦλος, τίς ἂν αὐτὸν τότε ἐνέβαλεν εἰς δεσμωτήριον; Ὥστε λειτουργεῖν χρὴ τοῖς ἁγίοις. Πῶς γὰρ οὐκ ἄτοπον τῷ μὲν στρατευομένῳ βασιλεῖ τῷ ἐπιγείῳ πάντα εἰσφέρειν, καὶ ἐνδύματα καὶ τροφὰς, οὐ κατὰ