68

This, is a great thing for the building up of the Church, and it contributes much that those who preside be apt to teach; and if this is not present, many things in the Churches are ruined. For this reason, along with the other things, along with being hospitable and gentle, along with being blameless, he also numbers this, saying, apt to teach. For why is he called a teacher? Yes, he says, that he may teach philosophy by his life. So these things are superfluous, and there is no need of teaching by words for advancement. And how does Paul say, Especially they who labor in the word and doctrine? For when the discussion is about dogmas, what life has power here? But what kind of speech does he mean? Not the boastful, nor that which has outward elegance, but that which possesses much power of the spirit, which is full of understanding and wisdom. Therefore, he does not need artifice and phrasing, but thoughts, nor composition, but sense. Receive not an accusation against an elder, but before two or three witnesses. For against a younger man must one receive an accusation without witnesses? and against anyone at all, must not judgments always be made with exactness? What then is he saying? Not even for others, he says, but especially against an elder. For here he means by 'elder' not the office, but the age, since the young sin more easily than the elders. But it is clear from this, that Timothy had then been entrusted with a Church, or even the whole nation of Asia; wherefore also he discourses to him concerning elders. Them that sin rebuke before all, that others also may fear. That is, Do not be quick to cut off, but investigate everything with much exactness; but when you have learned clearly, proceed severely, that the others may be brought to their senses. For just as it is harmful to condemn simply, so not to proceed against open sins is to give a path to others to do and dare the same things. But 'rebuke,' he said, showing that it is not simply, but with severity; for thus the others also will have fear. How then does Christ say, 'Go, rebuke him between you and him alone, if he sins against you'? Nevertheless he allows even that one to be rebuked in the church. 3. What then? Does it not cause more scandal to be rebuked before all? How so? For when they know the sin, but no longer the punishment, they are more scandalized. For just as when sinners remain unpunished, many are they who transgress; so when they are punished, many are they who do right. So also did God; He brought Pharaoh into the midst and punished him, and Nebuchadnezzar, and many others both by city and by man we see have paid the penalty. So he wishes all to have fear of the bishop, and he sets him over all. 62.583 For since many things are judged from suspicion, there must be, he says, those who bear witness, and convict him according to the old law. For 'by the mouth of two or three witnesses shall every word be established.' Against an elder, he says, 'receive not an accusation.' He did not say, 'do not condemn,' but, 'do not even receive an accusation,' nor bring it to trial at all. What then, if the two should lie? This rarely happens; but it is possible for this also to be made clear by being examined in the trial. For sins it is desirable to have even two witnesses, because they are done secretly and hiddenly; so this is a sign of much testing. What then, if the sins be confessed, but have no witnesses, but a bad suspicion? I said above, he says, 'Moreover he must have a good report of them which are without.' With fear, therefore, let us love God; for 'the law is not made for a righteous man'; but the many, pursuing virtue by necessity and not by purpose, reap great things from fear, often cutting off their own desires. For this reason let us hear about Gehenna, that we may reap something great from this threat and fear. For if one is about to cast into

68

τοῦτο, μέγα πρὸς Ἐκκλησίας οἰκοδομὴν, καὶ πολὺ συντελεῖ τὸ διδακτικοὺς εἶναι τοὺς προεστῶτας· κἂν τοῦτο μὴ παρῇ, πολλὰ τῶν ἐν ταῖς Ἐκκλησίαις οἴχεται. ∆ιὰ τοῦτο μετὰ τῶν ἄλλων, μετὰ τοῦ φιλοξένου καὶ τοῦ ἐπιεικοῦς, μετὰ τοῦ ἀλήπτου, καὶ τοῦτο ἀριθμεῖ λέγων, διδακτικόν. Ἐπεὶ διὰ τί διδάσκαλος λέγεται; Ναὶ, φησὶν, ἵνα τῷ βίῳ διδάσκῃ φιλοσοφίαν. Ὥστε ταῦτα περιττὰ, καὶ οὐ δεῖ τῆς ἀπὸ τῶν λόγων διδασκαλίας εἰς προκοπήν. Καὶ πῶς ὁ Παῦλός φησι, Μάλιστα οἱ κοπιῶντες ἐν λόγῳ καὶ διδασκαλίᾳ; ὅταν γὰρ περὶ δογμάτων ᾖ λόγος, ποῖος βίος ἐνταῦθα ἰσχὺν ἔχει; Τίνα λόγον δέ φησιν; Οὐ τὸν κομπώδη, οὐδὲ τὸν τὴν κομψείαν ἔχοντα τὴν ἔξωθεν, ἀλλὰ τὸν ἰσχὺν πολλὴν κεκτημένον τοῦ πνεύματος, τὸν συνέσεως γέμοντα καὶ φρονήσεως. Οὐ κατασκευῆς οὖν αὐτῷ καὶ φράσεως δεῖ, ἀλλὰ νοημάτων, οὐδὲ συνθήκης, ἀλλὰ φρενῶν. Κατὰ πρεσβυτέρου κατηγορίαν μὴ παραδέχου, ἐκτὸς εἰ μὴ ἐπὶ δύο ἢ τριῶν μαρτύρων. Κατὰ γὰρ νεωτέρου δεῖ ἐκτὸς μαρτύρων κατηγορίαν δέχεσθαι; κατὰ δὲ ὅλως τινὸς, καὶ οὐχὶ μετὰ ἀκριβείας πάντοτε δεῖ τὰς κρίσεις ποιεῖσθαι; Τί οὖν ἐστιν ὃ λέγει; Οὐδὲ ἐπὶ ἄλλων, φησὶ, μάλιστα δὲ κατὰ πρεσβυτέρου. Πρεσβύτερον γὰρ ἐνταῦθά φησιν, οὐχὶ τὸ ἀξίωμα, ἀλλὰ τὴν ἡλικίαν, ἐπειδήπερ εὐκολώτερον ἁμαρτάνουσιν οἱ νέοι τῶν πρεσβυτέρων. ∆ῆλον δέ ἐστιν ἐντεῦθεν, ὅτι Ἐκκλησίαν λοιπὸν ἦν ἐμπεπιστευμένος ὁ Τιμόθεος, ἢ καὶ ἔθνος ὁλόκληρον τὸ τῆς Ἀσίας· διὸ καὶ περὶ πρεσβυτέρων αὐτῷ διαλέγεται. Τοὺς ἁμαρτάνοντας ἐνώπιον πάντων ἔλεγχε, ἵνα καὶ οἱ λοιποὶ φόβον ἔχωσι. Τουτέστι, Μὴ ταχέως ἔκκοπτε, ἀλλὰ μετὰ πολλῆς τῆς ἀκριβείας ἅπαντα περιεργάζου· ὅταν μέντοι μάθῃς σαφῶς, σφοδρῶς ἐπέξιθι, ἵνα οἱ ἄλλοι σωφρονισθῶσιν. Ὥσπερ γὰρ τὸ ἁπλῶς κατακρίνειν βλαβερὸν, οὕτω τὸ μὴ ἐπεξιέναι τοῖς φανεροῖς ἁμαρτήμασιν, ὁδόν ἐστι δοῦναι τοῖς ἄλλοις τοῦ τὰ αὐτὰ ποιεῖν καὶ τολμᾷν. Ἔλεγχε δὲ, εἶπε, δηλῶν ὅτι οὐχ ἁπλῶς, ἀλλὰ μετὰ ἀποτομίας· οὕτω γὰρ καὶ οἱ λοιποὶ φόβον ἕξουσι. Πῶς οὖν φησιν ὁ Χριστὸς, Ὕπαγε, ἔλεγξον αὐτὸν μεταξὺ σοῦ καὶ αὐτοῦ μόνου, ἐὰν εἰς σὲ ἁμάρτῃ; Πλὴν κἀκεῖνον συγχωρεῖ ἐν τῇ ἐκκλησίᾳ ἐλέγχεσθαι. γʹ. Τί οὖν; οὐχὶ σκανδαλίζει μᾶλλον τὸ ἐνώπιον πάντων ἐλέγχεσθαι; Πῶς; Ὅταν γὰρ τὸ ἁμάρτημα ὦσιν εἰδότες, τὴν δὲ κόλασιν οὐκέτι, μᾶλλον σκανδαλίζονται. Ὥσπερ γὰρ ἀτιμωρήτων μενόντων τῶν ἁμαρτανόντων, πολλοὶ οἱ πλημμελοῦντες· οὕτω κολαζομένων, πολλοὶ οἱ κατορθοῦντές εἰσιν. Οὕτω καὶ ὁ Θεὸς ἐποίησε· τὸν Φαραὼ εἰς μέσον ἀγαγὼν ἐκόλασε, καὶ τὸν Ναβουχοδονόσορ, καὶ πολλοὺς ἑτέρους καὶ κατὰ πόλιν, καὶ κατὰ ἄνθρωπον ὁρῶμεν δίκην δεδωκότας. Ἄρα βούλεται πάντας φόβον ἔχειν παρὰ τοῦ ἐπισκόπου, καὶ πᾶσιν αὐτὸν ἐφίστησιν. 62.583 Ἐπειδὴ γὰρ πολλὰ ἀπὸ ὑπονοίας κρίνεται, δεῖ, φησὶν, εἶναι τοὺς μαρτυροῦντας, καὶ διελέγχοντας αὐτὸν κατὰ τὸν παλαιὸν νόμον. Ἐπὶ γὰρ δύο ἢ τριῶν μαρτύρων σταθήσεται πᾶν ῥῆμα. Κατὰ πρεσβυτέρου, φησὶ, κατηγορίαν μὴ παραδέχου. Οὐκ εἶπε, μὴ κατακρίνῃς, ἀλλὰ, μηδὲ δέξῃ κατηγορίαν, μηδὲ ὅλως εἰς κρίσιν καταθῇς. Τί οὖν, ἂν καὶ οἱ δύο ψεύδωνται; Τοῦτο σπανιάκις συμβαίνει· ἔνι δὲ ἀπὸ τῆς κρίσεως ἐξεταζόμενον καὶ τοῦτο γενέσθαι δῆλον. Τὰ γὰρ ἁμαρτήματα ἀγαπητὸν καὶ δύο μάρτυρας ἔχειν, διὰ τὸ λάθρα γίνεσθαι καὶ κεκρυμμένως· ὥστε πολλῆς δοκιμασίας σημεῖον τοῦτο. Τί οὖν, ἂν μὲν ὡμολογημένα ᾖ τὰ ἁμαρτήματα, μάρτυρας δὲ μὴ ἔχῃ, ἀλλὰ πονηρὰν ὑπόνοιαν; Εἶπον ἄνω, φησὶ, ∆εῖ δὲ αὐτὸν καὶ μαρτυρίαν καλὴν ἔχειν ἀπὸ τῶν ἔξωθεν. Μετὰ φόβου τοίνυν ἀγαπῶμεν τὸν Θεόν· δικαίῳ μὲν γὰρ νόμος οὐ κεῖται· οἱ δὲ πολλοὶ καὶ τὴν ἀρετὴν ἀνάγκῃ μετερχόμενοι, καὶ οὐ προθέσει, μεγάλα ἀπὸ τοῦ φόβου καρποῦνται, πολλάκις τὰς ἐπιθυμίας ἐκκόπτοντες τὰς ἑαυτῶν. ∆ιὰ τοῦτο περὶ γεέννης ἀκούωμεν, ἵνα πολύ τι καρπωσώμεθα ἀπὸ τῆς ἀπειλῆς καὶ τοῦ φόβου τούτου. Εἰ γὰρ μέλλων ἐμβάλλειν εἰς