61

they were neither Jews nor Greeks, but lived outside the law; such was Cornelius and Melchizedek. For in going to them, he feigned many of the things done by them. And some say that his discourse 95.641 with the Athenians, which arose from the inscription on the altar, is alluded to, and that he says, To them that are without law, as without law. And lest any should think this a change of principle. Being not without law to God, but under the law to Christ. 'that I might gain them that are without law. To the weak became I as weak, that I might gain the weak.' He states the reason for his condescension. 'I am made all things to all men, that I might by all means save some.' Lest he should spend time speaking of each one individually, he uses the general term. 'And this I do for the gospel's sake, that I might be partaker thereof with you.' That is, that I too may seem to have contributed something from my own resources, and may share in the crowns laid up for the faithful. For just as he said, to live of the gospel, that is, from the believers, so also here, that I may become a partaker of the gospel, that I may be able to have fellowship with those who have believed [in] the gospel. This also has a display of great humility. For he counts himself one of the many, though he has labored more than all? 'Know ye not that they which run in a race run all, but one receiveth the prize? So run, that ye may obtain.' Having shown that condescension is very useful, and that this is the highest perfection, he again rebukes them more sharply, intimating that this thing which is done by them and seems to be perfection, is an unnecessary vain labor. But he does not say this so clearly, lest they be put to shame; but by what he establishes, he shows this; and his saying, that one of all receives the prize, is not as though only one is to be saved, but as that we ought to exert great diligence. For as there, though many enter the race, not many are crowned, but it comes down to one; and it is not enough to enter the contest, nor to be anointed and to wrestle; so also here, it is not enough to believe, and to contend in any random way, but unless we run so as to render ourselves uncatchable until the end, and to get near the prize, we shall gain nothing. For even if you consider yourself perfect in knowledge, you have not yet laid hold of the whole; which he intimated when he said, that ye may obtain. 'And every man that striveth for the mastery is temperate in all things. Now they do it to obtain a corruptible crown; but we an incorruptible.' What is, temperate in all things? He does not abstain from this, and fail in another, but he controls gluttony and drunkenness, and simply all the 95.644 passions. If then there it is all things, where the crown is for one; much more here where the honor is greater. 'I therefore so run, not as uncertainly.' Having turned them from external things, he then brings himself into the midst. What is, not as uncertainly? with a definite aim, he says, not at random and in vain as you do. For what do you gain by entering into idol temples, and supposedly displaying perfection? Nothing; but I am not like that; but all that I do, I do for the love and salvation of my neighbors, whether I display perfection, it is for their sake; or condescension, it is for their sake. 'So fight I, not as one that beateth the air.' Again, alluding to what is random and in vain, he says this. 'But I keep under my body, and bring it into subjection.' Here he shows that they are also possessed by the desire of the belly, and under the pretext of perfection, are satisfying their own gluttony. 'Lest that by any means, when I have preached to others, I myself should be a castaway.' For do not think, he says, that because you have believed, this is sufficient for your salvation. For if for me, to have preached and taught thousands is not sufficient for salvation, much more for you.

CHAP. X. 'Moreover, brethren, I would not that ye should be ignorant, how that all our fathers were under the

cloud, and all passed through the sea; and were all into Moses

61

Ἰουδαῖοι ἦσαν, οὔτε Ἕλληνες, ἀλλ' ἐκτὸς νόμου ζῶντες· οἷος ἦν ὁ Κορνήλιος καὶ ὁ Μελχισεδέκ. Καὶ γὰρ πρὸς ἐκείνους εἰσιὼν, πολλὰ ὑπεκρίνετο τῶν ὑπ' ἐκείνων. Τινὲς δέ φασιν καὶ τὴν ἀπὸ τοῦ ἐπιγράμματος τοῦ ἐν τῷ βωμῷ διάλεξιν 95.641 αὐτῷ γενομένην πρὸς Ἀθηναίους αἰνίττεσθαι, καὶ λέγειν, Τοῖς ἀνόμοις ὡς ἄνομος. Καὶ ἵνα μή τις νομίσῃ μεταβολὴν εἶναι τὸ πρᾶγμα. Μὴ ὣν ἄνομος Θεοῦ, ἀλλ' ἔννομος Χριστοῦ. «Ἵνα κερδήσω ἀνόμους. Ἐγενόμην τοῖς ἀσθενέσιν ὡς ἀσθενὴς, ἵνα τοὺς ἀσθενεῖς κερδήσω.» Τὴν αἰτίαν τῆς συγκαταβάσεως λέγει. «Τοῖς πᾶσιν γέγονα τὰ πάντα, ἵνα πάντως τινὰς σώσω.» Ἵνα μὴ καθ' ἕκαστον λέγων διατρίβῃ, τῷ γενικῷ χρῆται ὀνόματι. «Τοῦτο δὲ ποιῶ διὰ τὸ Εὐαγγέλιον, ἵνα συγκοινωνὸς αὐτοῦ γένωμαι.» Τουτέστιν, ἵνα δόξω τι κἀγὼ συνεισενηνοχέναι οἴκοθεν, καὶ μετασχῶ τῶν ἀποκειμένων στεφάνων τοῖς πιστοῖς. Ὥσπερ γὰρ ἔλεγεν, ἐκ τοῦ Εὐαγγελίου ζῇν, τουτέστιν ἐκ τῶν πιστευόντων, οὕτως καὶ ἐνταῦθα, συγκοινωνὸς γένωμαι τοῦ Εὐαγγελίου, ἵνα δυνηθῶ κοινωνῆσαι τοῖς [ἐν] τῷ Εὐαγγελίῳ πεπιστευκόσι. Τοῦτο δὲ καὶ ταπεινοφροσύνης μεγάλης ἐπίδειξιν ἔχει. Ἕνα γὰρ τῶν πολλῶν ἑαυτὸν τίθησι, πάντων πλεῖον καμών; «Οὐκ οἴδατε, ὅτι οἱ ἐν σταδίῳ τρέχοντες, πάντες μὲν τρέχουσιν, εἷς δὲ λαμβάνει τὸ βραβεῖον; Οὕτως τρέχετε, ἵνα καταλάβητε.» ∆είξας ὅτι πολὺ χρήσιμον τὸ συγκαταβαίνειν, καὶ τοῦτο ἡ ἄκρα τελειότης, πληκτικώτερον πάλιν αὐτῶν καθάπτεται αἰνιττόμενος, ὅτι τοῦτο τὸ παρ' αὐτῶν γινόμενον καὶ δοκοῦν εἶναι τελειότης, ματαιοπονία ἐστὶ περιττή. Ἀλλ' οὐ λέγει οὕτω σαφῶς, ἵνα μὴ ἀπαισχυνθῶσιν· δι' ὧν δὲ κατασκευάζει, τοῦτο δηλοῖ· τὸ δὲ λέγειν, ὅτι εἷς ἐκ πάντων λαμβάνει τὸ βραβεῖον, οὐχ ὡς ἑνὸς μέλλοντος σώζεσθαι μόνον, ἀλλ' ὡς πολλὴν ὀφειλόντων ἡμῶν εἰσενεγκεῖν τὴν σπουδήν. Ὥσπερ γὰρ ἐκεῖ πολλῶν καθιέντων εἰς τὸ στάδιον οὐ στεφανοῦνται πολλοὶ, ἀλλ' εἰς ἕνα περιίσταται· καὶ οὐκ ἀρκεῖ τὸ καθιέναι εἰς τὸν ἀγῶνα, οὐδὲ τὸ ἀλείψασθαι καὶ παλαῖσαι· οὕτω καὶ ἐνταῦθα, οὐκ ἀρκεῖ τὸ πιστεῦσαι, καὶ ὡς ἔτυχεν ἀγωνίσασθαι, ἀλλ' ἂν μὴ οὕτω δράμωμεν, ὥστε μέχρι τοῦ τέλους ἀλήπτους ἑαυτοὺς παρασχεῖν, καὶ ἐγγὺς γενέσθαι τοῦ βραβείου, οὐδὲν ἡμῖν ἔσται πλέον. Εἰ γὰρ καὶ τέλειον νομίζεις σαυτὸν κατὰ τὴν γνῶσιν, ἀλλ' οὔπω τοῦ παντὸς ἐπελάβου· ὅπερ αἰνιττόμενος ἔλεγεν, ἵνα καταλάβητε. «Πᾶς δὲ ὁ ἀγωνιζόμενος πάντα ἐγκρατεύεται. Ἐκεῖνοι μὲν, ἵνα φθαρτὸν στέφανον λάβωσιν· ἡμεῖς δὲ, ἀδιάφθαρτον.» Τί ἐστι, τὰ πάντα ἐγκρατεύεται; Οὐχὶ τοῦδε μὲν ἀπέχεται, ἑτέρῳ δὲ διαμαρτάνει, ἀλλὰ καὶ γαστριμαργίας καὶ μέθης, καὶ πάντων ἁπλῶς κρατεῖ τῶν 95.644 παθῶν. Εἰ δὲ ἐκεῖ πάντα, ὅπου εἰς ἕνα ὁ στέφανος· πολλῷ μᾶλλον ἐνταῦθα ὅπου πλείων ἡ φιλοτιμία. «Ἐγὼ τοίνυν οὕτω τρέχω, ὡς οὐκ ἀδήλως.» Ἐντρέψας αὐτοὺς ἀπὸ τῶν ἔξωθεν, καὶ ἑαυτὸν εἰς μέσον ἄγει λοιπόν. Τί δέ ἐστι τὸ, οὐκ ἀδήλως; πρὸς σκοπόν τινα ἐκεῖνο, φησὶν, οὐκ εἰκῆ καὶ μάτην καθάπερ ὑμεῖς. τί γὰρ ὑμῖν γίνεται πλέον ἀπὸ τοῦ εἰς εἰδωλεῖα εἰσιέναι, καὶ τὴν τελειότητα δῆθεν ἐπιδείκνυσθαι; Οὐδέν· ἀλλ' οὐκ ἐγὼ τοιοῦτος· ἀλλὰ πάντα ἅπερ ποιῶ, ὑπὲρ τῆς τῶν πλησίον ἀγάπης ποιῶ καὶ σωτηρίας, κἂν τελειότητα ἐπιδείξωμαι, δι' αὐτούς· κἂν συγκατάβασιν, δι' αὐτούς. «Οὕτω πυκτεύω, ὡς οὐκ ἀέρα δέρων.» Πάλιν τὸ εἰκῆ καὶ μάτην αἰνιττόμενος, τοῦτό φησιν. «Ἀλλ' ὑποπιάζω μου τὸ σῶμα, καὶ δουλαγωγῶ.» Ἐνταῦθα δείκνυσι καὶ ὑπὸ ἐπιθυμίας γαστρὸς κατεχομένους, καὶ προσχήματι τελειότητος, τὴν γαστριμαργίαν πληροῦντας τὴν ἑαυτῶν. «Μήπως ἄλλοις κηρύξας, αὐτὸς ἀδόκιμος γένωμαι.» Μὴ γὰρ δὴ νομίσητε, φησὶν, ὅτι ἐπιστεύσατε, ἀρκεῖν τοῦτο εἰς σωτηρίαν ὑμῖν. Εἰ γὰρ ἐμοὶ τὸ κηρύξαι, καὶ διδάξαι μυρίους οὐκ ἀρκεῖ πρὸς σωτηρίαν, πολλῷ μᾶλλον ὑμῖν.

ΚΕΦΑΛ. Ιʹ. «Οὐ θέλω δὲ ὑμᾶς ἀγνοεῖν, ἀδελφοὶ, ὅτι οἱ πατέρες ἡμῶν πάντες ὑπὸ τὴν

νεφέλην ἦσαν, καὶ πάντες διὰ τῆς θαλάσσης διῆλθον, καὶ πάντες εἰς τὸν Μωϋσῆν