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giving the Only-begotten for us, and sending out your Holy Spirit for the remission of our sins, if we have sinned in anything, willingly or unwillingly, forgive, and do not reckon it; remember all those who call upon your name in truth; remember all those who wish us well, and the contrary; for we are all human. Then adding the prayer of the faithful, he stopped here, making the prayer a kind of crown and bond for all. For God does us good in many things even unwillingly; for many things even without our knowledge, and greater things. For when we pray for the contrary, but he does the contrary, it is clear that he does us good even without our knowledge. Praying at the same time for us also. See his humility, he places himself after them. That God may open to us a door for the word, to speak the mystery of Christ. He means an entrance and boldness. Amazing! such a great athlete did not say, “That I may be delivered from my bonds,” but being a prisoner he exhorted others, and he exhorted on a great matter, that he might receive boldness. The two great things, both the quality of the person, and that of the matter. Amazing! how great the dignity. The mystery, he says, of Christ. He shows that nothing was more longed for by him than this, to speak. For which I am also in bonds, that I may make it manifest, as I ought to speak. With much boldness, he says, and holding nothing back. You see, his bonds make him manifest, they do not obscure him. With much boldness, he says. Tell me, you are in bonds, and you exhort others? Yes, he says; my bonds give me greater boldness; but I need the impulse of God; for I have heard Christ saying, “When they deliver you up, take no thought how or what you shall speak.” And see how he spoke metaphorically: That God may open to us a door for the word; See how free from pride he is, and how, being in bonds, he utters humble things; that is, that He may soften their hearts. He did not say it thus, but, “That He may give us boldness,” he spoke thus in his humility, and what he already had, he asks to receive. He shows in this Epistle why Christ did not come then, by calling those things a shadow; “but the body,” he says, “is of Christ.” So it was necessary to be accustomed in the shadow. At the same time he also displays the greatest proof of his love for them: “That you,” he says, “may hear; but I am in bonds.” Again he brings forward his bond, of which I am greatly enamored, which rouses up my heart, and always brings me to the desire of seeing Paul in bonds, and writing in bonds, and preaching, and baptizing, and catechizing. For the Churches everywhere, it was brought up to him in his bonds; in his bonds he built up countless things. Then he was more loosed. For hear him saying, “So that most of the brethren, trusting in my bonds, are more abundantly bold to speak the word without fear.” And he himself again confesses this, saying, “For when I am weak, then I am strong.” For this reason he also said, “But the word of God is not bound.” He was bound with malefactors, with prisoners, with murderers; the teacher of the world, he who ascended to the third heaven, who heard unspeakable words, was bound. But then his course was swifter. He who was 62.370 bound was loosed, and he who was not bound was bound. For the one did what he wished; but the other did not hinder him, nor did he fulfill his own purpose. What are you doing, O foolish one? for is he a bodily runner? Does he compete in a stadium here with us? He has his citizenship in heaven; things on earth cannot bind nor hold back the one who runs in heaven. Do you not see this sun? Put bonds on its rays, stop its course; but you will not be able. Therefore, neither Paul; and much more him than that; for he enjoyed greater providence than that one, since he brings us not such a light, but bears the true one. Where are they now who are willing to suffer nothing for Christ? And why do I say suffer, when they are not even willing to give up money? Paul also once bound and cast into

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τὸν Μονογενῆ δοὺς ὑπὲρ ἡμῶν, καὶ τὸ Πνεῦμά σου τὸ ἅγιον ἐξαποστείλας εἰς ἄφεσιν τῶν ἡμετέρων ἁμαρτιῶν, εἴ τι ἑκόντες ἢ ἄκοντες ἡμάρτομεν, συγχώρησον, καὶ μὴ λογίσῃ· μνήσθητι πάντων τῶν ἐπικαλουμένων τὸ ὄνομά σου ἐν ἀληθείᾳ· μνήσθητι πάντων τῶν εὖ, καὶ τἀναντία ἡμῖν θελόντων· πάντες γὰρ ἄνθρωποί ἐσμεν. Εἶτα ἐπιθεὶς τὴν εὐχὴν τῶν πιστῶν, ἐνταῦθα ἐπαύετο, ὡς κορωνίδα τινὰ καὶ σύνδεσμον ὑπὲρ πάντων τὴν εὐχὴν ποιησάμενος. Πολλὰ γὰρ ἡμᾶς ὁ Θεὸς καὶ ἄκοντας εὖ ποιεῖ· πολλὰ γὰρ καὶ οὐκ εἰδότας, καὶ μείζονα. Ὅταν γὰρ τἀναντία εὐχώμεθα, αὐτὸς δὲ τἀναντία ποιῇ, δῆλον ὅτι καὶ οὐκ εἰδότας εὖ ποιεῖ. Προσευχόμενοι ἅμα καὶ περὶ ἡμῶν. Ὅρα τὴν ταπεινοφροσύνην, μετ' ἐκείνους ἑαυτὸν τίθησιν. Ἵνα ὁ Θεὸς ἀνοίξῃ ἡμῖν θύραν τοῦ λόγου, λαλῆσαι τὸ μυστήριον τοῦ Χριστοῦ. Εἴσοδόν φησι καὶ παῤῥησίαν. Βαβαί! ὁ ἀθλητὴς ὁ τοσοῦτος οὐκ εἶπεν, Ἵνα ἀπαλλαγῶ τῶν δεσμῶν, ἀλλὰ δέσμιος ὢν ἑτέρους παρεκάλει, καὶ παρεκάλει ἐπὶ πράγματι μεγάλῳ, ἵνα παῤῥησίαν λάβῃ. Τὰ δύο μεγάλα, καὶ ἡ ποιότης τοῦ προσώπου, καὶ ἡ τοῦ πράγματος. Βαβαί! ὅσον τὸ ἀξίωμα. Τὸ μυστήριον, φησὶ, τοῦ Χριστοῦ. ∆είκνυσιν, ὅτι οὐδὲν αὐτῷ τούτου ποθεινότερον, τοῦ λαλῆσαι. ∆ι' ὃ καὶ δέδεμαι, ἵνα φανερώσω αὐτὸ, ὡς δεῖ με λαλῆσαι. Μετὰ πολλῆς, φησὶ, τῆς παῤῥησίας, καὶ μηδὲν ὑποστειλάμενον. Ὁρᾷς, τὰ δεσμὰ φανεροῖ αὐτὸν, οὐ συσκιάζει. Μετὰ πολλῆς, φησὶ, τῆς παῤῥησίας. Εἰπέ μοι, σὺ δέδεσαι, καὶ ἄλλους παρακαλεῖς; Ναὶ, φησί· μείζονά μοι παῤῥησίαν δίδωσι τὰ δεσμά· ἀλλὰ δέομαι τῆς τοῦ Θεοῦ ῥοπῆς· ἤκουσα γὰρ τοῦ Χριστοῦ λέγοντος· Ὅταν παραδιδῶσι ὑμᾶς, μὴ μεριμνήσετε πῶς ἢ τί λαλήσητε. Καὶ ὅρα πῶς μεταφορικῶς εἶπεν· Ἵνα ὁ Θεὸς ἀνοίξῃ ἡμῖν θύραν τοῦ λόγου· Ὅρα πῶς ἄτυφός ἐστι, καὶ πῶς ἐν τοῖς δεσμοῖς ὢν ταπεινὰ φθέγγεται· τούτεστιν, Ἵνα μαλάξῃ τὰς καρδίας αὐτῶν. Οὐκ εἶπεν οὕτως, ἀλλ', Ἵνα ἡμῖν παῤῥησίαν δῷ, ταπεινοφρονῶν οὕτως εἴρηκε, καὶ τοῦτο ὅπερ εἶχεν, ἀξιοῖ λαβεῖν. ∆είκνυσιν ἐν ταύτῃ τῇ Ἐπιστολῇ διὰ τί τότε οὐκ ἦλθεν ὁ Χριστὸς τῷ σκιὰν ἐκεῖνα καλέσαι· Τὸ δὲ σῶμα, φησὶ, τοῦ Χριστοῦ. Ὥστε ἔδει ἐν τῇ σκιᾷ ἐθισθῆναι. Ἅμα καὶτῆς ἀγάπης τῆς εἰς αὐτοὺς μέγιστον ἐμφαίνει τεκμήριον· Ἵνα ὑμεῖς, φησὶν, ἀκούσητε· Ἐγὼ δὲ δέδεμαι. Πάλιν τὸν δεσμὸν εἰς μέσον τίθησιν, οὗ σφόδρα ἐρῶ, ὃς διανίστησί μου τὴν καρδίαν, καὶ ἀεὶ εἰς ἐπιθυμίαν ἄγει τοῦ τὸν Παῦλον δεδεμένον ἰδεῖν, καὶ ἐν δεσμοῖς γράφοντα, καὶ κηρύττοντα, καὶ βαπτίζοντα, καὶ κατηχοῦντα. Ὑπὲρ τῶν Ἐκκλησιῶν τῶν ἀπανταχοῦ ἀνεφέρετο αὐτῷ δεδεμένῳ, μυρία ᾠκοδόμει δεδεμένος. Τότε εὔλυτος μᾶλλον ἦν. Ἄκουε γὰρ αὐτοῦ λέγοντος· Ὥστε τοὺς πλείονας τῶν ἀδελφῶν πεποιθότας τοῖς δεσμοῖς μου περισσοτέρως τολμᾷν ἀφόβως τὸν λόγον λαλεῖν. Καὶ αὐτὸς δὲ πάλιν τοῦτο ὁμολογεῖ λέγων· Ὅταν γὰρ ἀσθενῶ, τότε δυνατός εἰμι. ∆ιὰ τοῦτο καὶ ἔλεγεν· Ἀλλ' ὁ λόγος τοῦ Θεοῦ οὐ δέδεται. Ἐδεσμεῖτο μετὰ τῶν κακούργων, μετὰ τῶν δεσμωτῶν, μετὰ τῶν ἀνδροφόνων· ὁ τῆς οἰκουμένης διδάσκαλος, ὁ εἰς τρίτον ἀνελθὼν οὐρανὸν, ὁ τὰ ἄῤῥητα ῥήματα ἀκούσας, ἐδέδετο. Ἀλλὰ τότε ταχύτερος ὁ δρόμος ἦν. Ὁ δε 62.370 θεὶς ἐλέλυτο, καὶ ὁ μὴ δεδεμένος ἐδέδετο. Οὗτος μὲν γὰρ ὅπερ ἤθελεν, ἔπραττεν· ἐκεῖνος δὲ αὐτὸν οὐκ ἐκώλυεν, οὐδὲ τὴν ἰδίαν ἐπλήρου πρόθεσιν. Τί ποιεῖς, ὦ ἀνόητε; μὴ γὰρ σωματικός ἐστι δρομεύς; μὴ γὰρ ἐν σταδίῳ τῷ παρ' ἡμῖν ἀγωνίζεται; ἐν οὐρανῷ πολιτεύεται· τὸν ἐν οὐρανῷ τρέχοντα δῆσαι τὰ ἐπὶ γῆς οὐ δύναται, οὐδὲ κατασχεῖν. Οὐχ ὁρᾷς τουτονὶ τὸν ἥλιον; Περίβαλε δεσμὰ ταῖς ἀκτῖσι, στῆσον τοῦ δρόμου· ἀλλ' οὐ δυνήσῃ. Οὐκοῦν οὐδὲ Παῦλον· καὶ πολλῷ μᾶλλον τοῦτον, ἢ ἐκεῖνον· πλείονος γὰρ οὗτος, ἢ ἐκεῖνος ἀπέλαυσε προνοίας, ἅτε φῶς φέρων οὐ τοιοῦτον ἡμῖν, ἀλλὰ τὸ ἀληθινὸν βαστάζων. Ποῦ νῦν εἰσιν οἱ μηδὲν βουλόμενοι διὰ τὸν Χριστὸν πάσχειν; τί δὲ λέγω πάσχειν, ὅπου γε οὐδὲ χρήματα βούλονται προέσθαι; Ἐδέσμει καὶ Παῦλός ποτε, καὶ ἐνέβαλλεν εἰς