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God allows an impediment to arise, for the testing and proving of the one who is impeded, so that either, by changing from his good intention, he might be exposed, like those sown on the rock, who for a little while received the word with joy, but when affliction arose, they immediately fell away; or, by persevering in good things, he might be shown to be zealous in his achievements, like the Apostle himself, who, having often intended to go to the Romans, and having been hindered, as he himself confessed, nevertheless did not cease wanting to, until he also fulfilled what he had intended; and in patience, like Job, who, having suffered so many things from the devil, who was compelling him to utter something blasphemous, or to be ungrateful to God, even until the final calamities did not depart from his pious judgment, and from thinking soundly about God. For it is written about him: In all these things Job did not sin with his lips against God, nor did he charge God with foolishness.

QUESTION 69. What is that which was said by the Apostle, "That you may prove what is the good, and acceptable, and perfect will of God?" ANSWER. There are many things which God wills; some in long-suffering and kindness, which are and are called good; others in anger on account of our sins, which are named evil. For I am, he says, the one who makes peace, and creates evil. But evils, not for which we are punished, but through which we are disciplined. And the things that discipline, and through affliction lead to conversion, become a good thing. Therefore, as many things as 31.1276 God wills in his long-suffering and kindness, it is necessary for us both to will and to imitate these things. For be, he says, merciful, just as your Father is merciful. And the Apostle also, Be, he says, imitators of God, as beloved children; and walk in love, as Christ also has loved us. But as many things as he brings upon us in anger on account of our sins, these things, called evils, as I said, by reason of the affliction, it is not in every case permissible for us to do. For it is not because it is the will of God for people to be destroyed often by famine, or by plague, or by war, or by some other such thing, that we must serve this will. For for such things God also uses evil ministers, according to what is said, that He sent upon them the anger of his wrath, wrath and anger, and affliction, a sending forth by means of evil angels. Therefore, one must first seek what is the good will of God; then, when we know the good, to examine if this good thing is also acceptable to God. For there is something which by its own nature is both the will of God and is good; but when it is done by the wrong person, or at the wrong time, it is no longer also acceptable to God. For example, it was the will of God, and it was good to burn incense to God, but it was not acceptable to God for those with Dathan and Abiram to do this. And again, it is the will of God, and it is good to give alms; but to do it for the sake of being glorified by men is no longer also acceptable to God. And again, it was the will of God, and it was good for the disciples to proclaim from the housetops what they had heard in the ear; but to say something before the right time was no longer also acceptable to God; For tell no one, he says, this vision, until the Son of Man has risen from the dead. And in general, every good will of God is then also acceptable when that which was said by the Apostle is fulfilled in it: Do all things for the glory of God; and, Let all things be done decently and in order. And again, when something is the will of God, and is good, and is acceptable, not even then should one be without care, but should strive and be concerned that it be perfect and complete; sometimes in the measure of what is being done, if it is done according to what has been commanded, and sometimes of the power of the one doing it. For you shall love, he says, the Lord your God with all your soul, and with all your power, and with all your strength, and with all your mind, and your neighbor as yourself; as the Lord also taught in the Gospel according to John. And every commandment, as it is written;

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συγχωρεῖ ὁ Θεὸς γενέσθαι ἐμπόδιον, εἰς δοκιμὴν καὶ ἔλεγχον τοῦ ἐμποδιζομένου, ἵνα ἢ μετατιθέμενος τῆς ἀγαθῆς προθέσεως ἐλεγχθῇ, ὡς οἱ ἐπὶ τῆς πέτρας σπαρέντες, οἳ πρὸς ὀλίγον μὲν τὸν λόγον μετὰ χαρᾶς ἐδέξαντο, γενομένης δὲ θλί ψεως, εὐθέως ἀπέστησαν· ἢ ἐπιμένων τοῖς καλοῖς ἀποδειχθῇ ἐν σπουδῇ τῶν κατορθωμάτων, ὡς αὐτὸς ὁ Ἀπόστολος, ὃς πολλάκις προθέμενος ἀπελθεῖν πρὸς τοὺς Ῥωμαίους, καὶ κωλυθεὶς, ὡς αὐτὸς ὡμολόγη σεν, ὅμως οὐκ ἐπαύσατο θέλων, μέχρις ὅτε καὶ ἐπλήρωσεν ὃ προέθετο· ἐν δὲ ὑπομονῇ, ὡς ὁ Ἰὼβ, ὃς, τοσαῦτα ὑπὸ τοῦ διαβόλου παθὼν, ἀναγκά ζοντος φθέγξασθαί τι βλάσφημον, ἢ ἀχαριστῆσαι Θεῷ, καὶ μέχρι τῶν ἐσχάτων συμφορῶν οὐκ ἐξέστη τῆς εὐσεβοῦς κρίσεως, καὶ τοῦ φρονεῖν περὶ Θεοῦ ὑγιῶς. Γέγραπται γὰρ περὶ αὐτοῦ· Ἐν πᾶσι τού τοις οὐδὲν ἥμαρτεν Ἰὼβ τοῖς χείλεσιν αὐτοῦ ἐναντίον τοῦ Θεοῦ, καὶ οὐκ ἔδωκεν ἀφρο σύνην τῷ Θεῷ.

ΕΡΩΤΗΣΙΣ ΣΟʹ. Τί ἐστι τὸ ὑπὸ τοῦ Ἀποστόλου εἰρήμενον, «Εἰς τὸ δοκιμάζειν ὑμᾶς, τί τὸ θέλημα τοῦ Θεοῦ τὸ ἀγα θὸν, καὶ εὐάρεστον, καὶ τέλειον;» ΑΠΟΚΡΙΣΙΣ. Πολλά ἐστιν, ἃ ὁ Θεὸς θέλει· τὰ μὲν ἐν μα κροθυμίᾳ καὶ χρηστότητι, ἅπερ ἀγαθά ἐστί τε καὶ λέγεται· τὰ δὲ κατ' ὀργὴν διὰ τὰς ἁμαρτίας ἡμῶν, ἅπερ κακὰ ὀνομάζεται. Ἐγὼ γάρ εἰμι, φησὶν, ὁ ποιῶν εἰρήνην, καὶ κτίζων κακά. Κακὰ δὲ, οὐχ ὑπὲρ ὧν κολαζόμεθα, ἀλλὰ δι' ὧν παιδευόμεθα. Τὰ δὲ παιδεύοντα, καὶ διὰ τῆς κακώσεως εἰς ἐπιστρο φὴν ἄγοντα, γίνεται εἰς ἀγαθόν. Ὅσα μὲν οὖν μα 31.1276 κροθυμῶν καὶ χρηστευόμενος θέλει ὁ Θεὸς, ταῦτα καὶ ἡμᾶς καὶ θέλειν καὶ μιμεῖσθαι ἀναγκαῖον. Γί νεσθε γὰρ, φησὶν, οἰκτίρμονες, καθὼς καὶ ὁ Πατὴρ ὑμῶν οἰκτίρμων ἐστίν. Καὶ ὁ Ἀπόστολος δὲ, Γίνεσθε, φησὶ, μιμηταὶ τοῦ Θεοῦ, ὡς τέκνα ἀγα πητά· καὶ περιπατεῖτε ἐν ἀγάπῃ, καθὼς καὶ ὁ Χριστὸς ἠγάπησεν ἡμᾶς. Ὅσα δὲ κατ' ὀργὴν διὰ τὰς ἁμαρτίας ἡμῶν ἐπάγει, ταῦτα κακὰ λεγόμενα, ὡς εἶπον, τῷ λόγῳ τῆς κακώσεως, οὐ πάντως καὶ ἡμῖν ἔξεστι ποιεῖν. Οὐ γὰρ ἐπειδὴ θέλημα Θεοῦ ἐστι, λιμῷ πολλάκις, ἢ λοιμῷ, ἢ πολέμῳ, ἢ ἄλλῳ τινὶ τοιούτῳ διαφθαρῆναι ἀνθρώπους, τῷ θελήματι τούτῳ ἐξυπηρετεῖσθαι ἡμᾶς χρή. Πρὸς γὰρ τὰ τοιαῦτα καὶ ὑπηρέταις κακοῖς ὁ Θεὸς κέχρηται, κατὰ τὸ εἰρημέ νον, ὅτι Ἐξαπέστειλεν εἰς αὐτοὺς ὀργὴν θυμοῦ αὐτοῦ, θυμὸν καὶ ὀργὴν, καὶ θλίψιν, ἀποστολὴν δι' ἀγγέλων πονηρῶν. Οὐκοῦν πρῶτον μὲν ζητεῖν δεῖ, τί τὸ ἀγαθὸν θέλημα τοῦ Θεοῦ· εἶτα, ὅταν γνω ρίσωμεν τὸ ἀγαθὸν, ἐξετάζειν, εἰ τὸ ἀγαθὸν τοῦτο καὶ εὐάρεστον τῷ Θεῷ ἐστιν. Ἔστι γάρ τι. ὃ τῷ μὲν ἰδίῳ λόγῳ καὶ θέλημα Θεοῦ ἐστι, καὶ ἀγαθόν ἐστιν· ὅταν δὲ ἢ παρὰ πρόσωπον, ἢ παρὰ καιρὸν γένηται, οὐκέτι καὶ εὐάρεστον Θεῷ ἐστιν. Οἷον, θέλημα Θεοῦ ἦν, καὶ ἀγαθὸν ἦν τὸ θυμιᾷν Θεῷ, ἀλλ' οὐκ ἦν εὐάρε στον Θεῷ, τοὺς περὶ ∆αθὰν καὶ Ἀβειρὼν τοῦτο ποιεῖν. Καὶ πάλιν, θέλημα Θεοῦ ἐστι, καὶ ἀγαθόν ἐστι τὸ ἐλεημοσύνην ποιεῖν· ἀλλὰ τὸ ἕνεκεν τοῦ δο ξασθῆναι ὑπὸ τῶν ἀνθρώπων ποιεῖν, οὐκέτι καὶ εὐάρεστον Θεῷ ἐστι. Καὶ πάλιν, θέλημα Θεοῦ ἦν, καὶ ἀγαθὸν ἦν τὸ τοὺς μαθητὰς, ὃ πρὸς τὸ οὖς ἤκου σαν, κηρύξαι ἐπὶ τῶν δωμάτων· ἀλλὰ τὸ πρὸ και ροῦ τι εἰπεῖν οὐκέτι καὶ εὐάρεστον ἦν τῷ Θεῷ· Μη δενὶ γὰρ εἴπητε, φησὶ, τὸ ὅραμα τοῦτο, ἕως οὗ ὁ Υἱὸς τοῦ ἀνθρώπου ἐκ νεκρῶν ἀναστῇ. Καὶ καθ όλου πᾶν θέλημα Θεοῦ ἀγαθὸν τότε καὶ εὐάρεστόν ἐστιν, ὅταν πληρωθῇ ἐπ' αὐτῷ τὸ ὑπὸ τοῦ Ἀποστόλου εἰρημένον· Πάντα εἰς δόξαν Θεοῦ ποιεῖτε· καὶ, Πάντα εὐσχημόνως καὶ κατὰ τάξιν γινέσθω. Πά λιν δὲ, ὅταν καὶ θέλημα Θεοῦ ᾖ τι, καὶ ἀγαθὸν ᾖ, καὶ εὐάρεστον ᾖ, οὐδ' οὕτως ἀμεριμνεῖν χρὴ, ἀλλ' ἀγωνιᾷν καὶ φροντίζειν, ὅπως τέλειον καὶ ἀνελλιπὲς τοῦτο ᾖ· ἐν μέτρῳ ποτὲ μὲν τοῦ γινομένου, εἰ κατὰ τὸ προστεταγμένον γίνεται, ποτὲ δὲ τῆς τοῦ ποιοῦν τος δυνάμεως. Ἀγαπήσεις γὰρ, φησὶ, Κύριον τὸν Θεόν σου ἐξ ὅλης τῆς ψυχῆς σου, καὶ ἐξ ὅλης τῆς δυνάμεώς σου, καὶ ἐξ ὅλης τῆς ἰσχύος σου, καὶ ἐξ ὅλης τῆς διανοίας σου, καὶ τὸν πλησίον σου ὡς ἑαυτόν· καθὼς καὶ ὁ Κύριος ἐν τῷ κατὰ Ἰωάννην Εὐαγγελίῳ ἐδίδαξε. Καὶ πᾶσαν δὲ ἐντο λὴν, καθὼς γέγραπται·