61

call themselves, but this one he also calls a fellow prisoner. For just as a prisoner of war, so he was led and carried about, and was set before all to suffer evil, or rather, even worse than they. For when the enemy take them, they then hold them in much care, as taking care of their own possessions; but this man, as an enemy and a foe, all led and carried about, flaying, scourging, insulting, falsely accusing him. This was also a comfort to them; for when the teacher is also in such circumstances, the disciples are more comforted. And Mark the cousin of Barnabas. And this one he has for the present praised from his relationship; for Barnabas was a great man. concerning whom you received commands; if he comes to you, receive him? For what? would they not receive him even without this? Yes; but I wish it with much earnestness, he says; and this shows the man to be great. From where they received the commands, he does not say. And Jesus who is called Justus. Perhaps this man was a Corinthian. Then to all he gives a common encomium, after having stated the particular of each; Who are of the circumcision; these only are my fellow workers for the kingdom of God, who have been a comfort to me. Since he said, Fellow prisoner, lest he should depress the soul of his hearers, see how he puts this, and rouses them; Fellow workers, he says, for the kingdom of God. So that partaking of the temptations, they partake of the kingdom. Who have been a comfort to me. He shows them to be great, if indeed they have become a comfort to Paul. But let us see the wisdom of Paul. Walk in wisdom, he says, toward them that are without, redeeming the time. That is, The time is not yours, but it is theirs; do not therefore wish 62.376 to have authority, but redeem the time. And he did not say simply, Buy, but, Redeem, showing, that By so disposing yourselves, you make it yours in another way. For it is of excessive folly, to devise pretexts for wars and enmities. For besides enduring superfluous dangers and having no gain, there is also another harm, that the Greeks do not come over to us. For when you are among the brethren, you are reasonably bold; but without, it is not right to be so. Do you see how everywhere he calls them that are without, Greeks? For this reason also, writing to Timothy, he said; Moreover he must have a good report of them which are without; and again, For what have I to do to judge them also that are without? Walk in wisdom, he says, toward them that are without. For they are without, even though they inhabit the same world with us, being without the kingdom and the paternal home. At the same time he also comforts them, by calling those men without; which he said above, that Your life is hid with Christ in God. Then, he says, seek glory, then honors, then all other things; but not now, but give way to them. Then, lest you should think he speaks of money, he adds; Let your speech be always with grace, seasoned with salt, that you may know how you ought to answer every man. That it be not full of hypocrisy, he says; for this is not grace, nor is it seasoned with salt. For instance, if it be needful to pay court without danger, do not refuse; if it be a time for conversing affably, do not think the matter to be flattery; do all things that pertain to honor, without piety being injured. Do you not see how Daniel pays court to an ungodly man? do you not see the three children, how they conducted themselves with wisdom toward the king, both showing courage, and boldness, and nothing rash nor offensive? for this is no longer boldness, but vainglory. That you may know, he says, how you ought to answer every man. For one way to a ruler, another to one who is ruled; another to the rich, another to the poor. Why? Because the souls of the rich and rulers happen to be weaker, more inflamed, more lax; so that there one must be condescending; the souls of the poor and the ruled, are firmer and more sensible; so that here one must use greater boldness, looking to one thing, edification. Not that because one is rich and another poor, the one should be honored more, and the other less;

61

ἑαυτοὺς καλοῦσιν, οὗτος δὲ καὶ αἰχμάλωτον. Καθάπερ γὰρ αἰχμάλωτος, οὕτως ἤγετο καὶ ἐφέρετο, καὶ πᾶσιν εἰς τὸ κακῶς πάσχειν προὔκειτο, μᾶλλον δὲ καὶ ἐκείνων χεῖρον. Ἐκείνους μὲν γὰρ, ἐπειδὰν λάβωσιν οἱ πολέμιοι, ἐν πολλῇ θεραπείᾳ λοιπὸν ἔχουσιν, ἅτε ὡς οἰκείων κτημάτων ἐπιμελούμενοι· τοῦτον δὲ ὡς ἐχθρὸν καὶ πολέμιον πάντες ἦγον καὶ ἔφερον, δέροντες, μαστίζοντες, ὑβρίζοντες, συκοφαντοῦντες. Τοῦτο καὶ ἐκείνοις παράκλησις ἦν· ὅταν γὰρ καὶ ὁ διδάσκαλος ἐν τοῖς τοιούτοις ᾖ, μᾶλλον παρακαλοῦνται οἱ μαθηταί. Καὶ Μάρκος ὁ ἀνεψιὸς Βαρνάβα. Καὶ τοῦτον ἐνεκωμίασε τέως ἀπὸ τῆς συγγενείας· μέγας γὰρ ἦν ἀνὴρ ὁ Βαρνάβας. Περὶ οὗ ἐλάβετε ἐντολάς· ἐὰν ἔλθῃ πρὸς ὑμᾶς, δέξασθε αὐτόν; Τί γάρ; οὐκ ἐδέχοντο καὶ χωρὶς τούτου; Ναί· ἀλλὰ μετὰ πολλῆς τῆς σπουδῆς βούλομαι, φησί· καὶ τοῦτο τὸν ἄνδρα δείκνυσι μέγαν. Πόθεν τὰς ἐντολὰς ἔλαβον, οὐ λέγει. Καὶ Ἰησοῦς ὁ λεγόμενος Ἰοῦστος. Ἴσως Κορίνθιος ἦν οὗτος. Εἶτα πᾶσι τὸ ἐγκώμιον κοινὸν ἀποδίδωσιν, εἰπὼν τὸ ἰδιάζον ἑκάστου· Οἱ ὄντες ἐκ περιτομῆς· οὗτοι μόνοι συνεργοὶ εἰς τὴν βασιλείαν τοῦ Θεοῦ, οἵτινες ἐγενήθησάν μοι παρηγορία. Ἐπειδὴ εἶπε, Συναιχμάλωτος, ἵνα μὴ συγκατενέγκῃ τὴν ψυχὴν τῶν ἀκουόντων, ὅρα πῶς τοῦτο τίθησι, καὶ διανίστησιν αὐτούς· Συνεργοὶ, φησὶν, εἰς τὴν βασιλείαν τοῦ Θεοῦ. Ὥστε τῶν πειρασμῶν κοινωνοῦντες, τῆς βασιλείας κοινωνοῦσιν. Οἵτινες ἐγενήθησάν μοι παρηγορία. ∆είκνυσιν αὐτοὺς μεγάλους, εἴ γε Παύλῳ παρηγορία γεγένηνται. Ἀλλ' ἴδωμεν τὴν σύνεσιν Παύλου. Ἐν σοφίᾳ, φησὶ, περιπατεῖτε πρὸς τοὺς ἔξω, τὸν καιρὸν ἐξαγοραζόμενοι. Τουτέστιν, Οὐκ ἔστιν ὑμέτερος ὁ καιρὸς, ἀλλ' ἐκείνων ἐστί· μὴ τοίνυν βούλεσθε 62.376 αὐθεντεῖν, ἀλλ' ἐξαγοράζετε τὸν καιρόν. Καὶ οὐκ εἶπεν ἁπλῶς, Ἀγοράζετε, ἀλλ', Ἐξαγοράζετε, δηλῶν, ὅτι Οὕτω διατιθέμενοι, ὑμέτερον αὐτὸν ποιεῖτε ἑτέρως. Ἀνοίας γὰρ περιττῆς, πολέμων καὶ ἀπεχθείας προφάσεις ἐπινοεῖν. Πρὸς γὰρ τῷ κινδύνους περιττοὺς ὑπομένειν καὶ κέρδος οὐκ ἔχοντας, καὶ ἑτέρα γίνεται βλάβη, τὸ τοὺς Ἕλληνας μὴ προσιέναι ἡμῖν. Ἐν γὰρ τοῖς ἀδελφοῖς ὅταν ᾖς, εἰκότως θαῤῥεῖς· ἔξω δὲ οὐχ οὕτω χρή. Ὁρᾷς πῶς πανταχοῦ τοὺς ἔξω, τοὺς Ἕλληνας λέγει; ∆ιὰ τοῦτο καὶ Τιμοθέῳ γράφων ἔλεγε· ∆εῖ δὲ αὐτὸν καὶ μαρτυρίαν καλὴν ἔχειν ἀπὸ τῶν ἔξωθεν· καὶ πάλιν, Τί γάρ μοι καὶ τοὺς ἔξω κρίνειν; Ἐν σοφίᾳ, φησὶ, περιπατεῖτε πρὸς τοὺς ἔξω. Ἔξω γάρ εἰσι, κἂν τὸν αὐτὸν κόσμον οἰκῶσιν ἡμῖν, τῆς βασιλείας ὄντες ἔξω καὶ τοῦ οἰκίσκου τοῦ πατρικοῦ. Ἅμα καὶ παραμυθεῖται αὐτοὺς, ἔξω ἐκείνους καλῶν· ὅπερ ἔλεγεν ἀνωτέρω, ὅτι Ἡ ζωὴ ὑμῶν κέκρυπται σὺν τῷ Χριστῷ ἐν τῷ Θεῷ. Τότε, φησὶ, δόξαν ζητεῖτε, τότε τιμὰς, τότε τὰ ἄλλα πάντα· νῦν δὲ μὴ, ἀλλ' ἐκείνοις παρέχετε. Εἶτα, ἵνα μὴ νομίσῃς χρήματα λέγειν αὐτὸν, ἐπάγει· Ὁ λόγος ὑμῶν πάντοτε ἐν χάριτι, ἅλατι ἠρτυμένος, εἰδέναι ὑμᾶς πῶς δεῖ ἑνὶ ἑκάστῳ ἀποκρίνεσθαι. Ἵνα μὴ ὑποκρίσεως γέμῃ, φησί· τοῦτο γὰρ οὐ χάρις, οὐδὲ ἅλατι ἤρτυται. Οἷον, ἐὰν δέῃ θεραπεῦσαι ἀκινδύνως, μὴ παραιτήσῃ· ἂν καιρὸς ᾖ προσηνῶς διαλεχθῆναι, μὴ νομίσῃς τὸ πρᾶγμα κολακείαν· πάντα ποίει τὰ εἰς τιμὴν ἀνήκοντα, ἄνευ τοῦ βλάπτεσθαι τὴν εὐσέβειαν. Οὐχ ὁρᾷς πῶς ∆ανιὴλ ἄνθρωπον ἀσεβῆ θεραπεύει; οὐχ ὁρᾷς τοὺς τρεῖς παῖδας, πῶς μετὰ σοφίας τῷ βασιλεῖ προσεφέροντο, καὶ ἀνδρείαν δεικνύντες, καὶ παῤῥησίαν, καὶ οὐδὲν θρασὺ οὐδὲ ἐπαχθές; τοῦτο γὰρ οὐκέτι παῤῥησίας, ἀλλὰ κενοδοξίας. Εἰδέναι, φησὶ, πῶς δεῖ ὑμᾶς ἑνὶ ἑκάστῳ ἀποκρίνεσθαι. Ἑτέρως γὰρ τῷ ἄρχοντι, ἄλλως τῷ ἀρχομένῳ· ἄλλως τῷ πλουτοῦντι, ἄλλως τῷ πένητι. ∆ιὰ τί; Ὅτι αἱ τῶν πλουτούντων καὶ ἀρχόντων ψυχαὶ ἀσθενέστεραι τυγχάνουσιν οὖσαι, μᾶλλον φλεγμαίνουσαι, μᾶλλον διαῤῥέουσαι· ὥστε ἐκεῖ συγκαταβατικὸν εἶναι δεῖ· αἱ τῶν πενήτων καὶ ἀρχομένων, στεῤῥότεραι καὶ συνετώτεραι· ὥστε ἐνταῦθα καὶ παῤῥησίᾳ χρὴ μείζονι κεχρῆσθαι, πρὸς ἓν ὁρῶντα, τὴν οἰκοδομήν. Μὴ ἐπειδὴ ὁ μὲν πλούσιος, ὁ δὲ πένης, ὁ μὲν πλέον τιμάσθω, ὁ δὲ ἔλαττον·