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of the body. "And God has appointed in the Church, first apostles." He makes a list of the gifts, and he ranks the apostles first, who also had the gifts everywhere in themselves. "Second, prophets." For these were also prophesying in grace, such as Agabus, and those with him. "Third, teachers." He means bishops. Then powers, then gifts of healing." The one having power was able both to punish and to heal. But the one having the gift of healing only healed. But he places the word of teaching before the gift of healings. For it is a greater thing to proclaim the word and piety to the souls of the hearers than to perform miracles. "Helps." To help the weak. "Administrations." To manage spiritual things. And he calls our own achievements spiritual, showing that we everywhere need God's help. "Kinds of tongues." He places it last, on which they were especially proud, teaching them not to be puffed up. "Are all apostles? Are all prophets? 95.676 Are all teachers? Are all powers? Do all have gifts of healing? Do all speak with tongues? Do all interpret?" Since it was likely that upon hearing these things they would say, And why did we not all become apostles? He says this, using the argument more reprovingly; and this he again establishes from the body. "But earnestly desire the greater gifts. And I show you a still more excellent way."

CHAPTER 13. If I speak with the tongues of men and of angels, but love not

I have, I have become a noisy gong or a clanging cymbal. And if I have prophecy, and know all mysteries and all knowledge, and if I have all faith, so as to remove mountains, but do not have love, I am nothing. And if I give away all my possessions, and if I hand over my body to be burned, but do not have love, I gain nothing." Having said this, he hinted that they were responsible for receiving the lesser gifts, and were masters, if they wished, of the greater ones. But love is much greater than all the gifts. And he establishes this by showing the comparison, that all the other gifts are nothing in the absence of love. But see how he establishes it. For he did not say, "If I see tongues," but "If I speak with the tongues of angels." And he did not simply say, "If I prophesy," but "If I know all mysteries and all knowledge," with emphasis. And he did not say, "I give my possessions," but "I give them away piece by piece," so that service might be added to the expense. Therefore, having shown all things with emphasis, he shows them to be much inferior to love. So if you desire great gifts, practice love, he says. Naturally, love is greater than the gifts; since these indeed divided, but this unites those who are divided. See where he begins, from what seemed great among them, that of tongues, and not only of men, but also of angels. But he means "tongue of angels" here, not putting a body on angels. But what he says is this: Even if I should speak in the way that is customary for angels to converse with one another. As when he says that "to Him every knee shall bow, of things in heaven and on earth and under the earth," he does not say these things by assigning knees and bones to angels, but he wishes to signify intense worship through a form familiar to us. So also here he called it a "tongue," wishing to indicate their conversation with one another in a manner familiar to us. "Love is patient." Observe how he first sets down the most excellent of all goods. And what is this? long-suffering? 95.677 for long-suffering is indeed an invincible weapon, easily repelling all grievous things. And it is called long-suffering (makrothumia), because one has a long (makran) and great soul. For what is long and great

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σώματος. «Καὶ οὓς μὲν ἔθετο ὁ Θεὸς ἐν τῇ Ἐκκλησίᾳ, πρῶτον ἀποστόλους.» Κατάλογον ποιεῖται τῶν χαρισμάτων, καὶ πρώτους γε τάττει τοὺς ἀποστόλους, οἳ καὶ πανταχοῦ ἐν ἑαυτοῖς εἶχον τὰ χαρίσματα. «∆εύτερον προφήτας.» Καὶ γὰρ ἐν τῇ χάριτι ἦσαν οὗτοι προφητεύοντες, οἷον Ἄγαβος, καὶ οἱ μετ' αὐτοῦ. «Τρίτον διδασκάλους.» Ἐπισκόπους φησίν. Ἔπειτα δυνάμεις, ἔπειτα χαρίσματα ἰαμάτων.» Ὁ δύναμιν ἔχων, καὶ κολάζειν, καὶ ἰᾶσθαι ἠδύνατο. Ὁ δὲ χάρισμα ἰαμάτων ἔχων, ἐθεράπευε μόνον. Προτάττει δὲ τοῦ χαρίσματος τῶν ἰαμάτων τὸν λόγον τῆς διδασκαλίας. Μεῖζον γὰρ τὸ καταγγεῖλαι τὸν λόγον καὶ τὴν εὐσέβειαν εἰς τὰς τῶν ἀκουόντων ψυχὰς, τοῦ δυνάμεις ποιεῖν. «Ἀντιλήψεις.» Τὸ ἀντιλαμβάνεσθαι τῶν ἀσθενῶν. «Κυβερνήσεις.» Τὸ οἰκονομεῖν πνευματικά. Καὶ τὰ ἡμέτερα δὲ κατορθώματα πνευματικὰ λέγει, δεικνὺς ὅτι τῆς τοῦ Θεοῦ πανταχοῦ δεόμεθα βοηθείας. «Γένη γλωσσῶν.» Ὕστερον τίθησιν, ἐφ' ᾧ μάλιστα ἐκεῖνοι μέγα ἐφρόνουν, διδάσκων αὐτοὺς μὴ φυσιοῦσθαι. «Μὴ πάντες ἀπόστολοι; μὴ πάντες προφῆται; 95.676 μὴ πάντες διδάσκαλοι; μὴ πάντες δυνάμεις; μὴ πάντες χαρίσματα ἔχουσιν ἰαμάτων; μὴ πάντες γλώσσαις λαλοῦσι; μὴ πάντες διερμηνεύουσιν;» Ἐπειδὴ εἰκὸς ἦν ταῦτα ἀκούσαντας λέγειν, Καὶ διὰ τί μὴ πάντες ἀπόστολοι ἐγενόμεθα; Τοῦτό φησιν, ἐπιπληκτικώτερον χρώμενος τῷ λόγῳ· καὶ τοῦτο ἐκ τοῦ σώματος πάλιν κατασκευάζει. «Ζηλοῦτε τὰ χαρίσματα τὰ μείζονα, καὶ ἔτι καθ' ὑπερβολὴν ὁδὸν ὑμῖν δείκνυμι.»

ΚΕΦΑΛ. ΙΓʹ. Ἐὰν ταῖς γλώσσαις τῶν ἀνθρώπων λαλῶ καὶ τῶν ἀγγέλων, ἀγάπην δὲ μὴ

ἔχω, γέγονα χαλκὸς ἠχῶν ἢ κύμβαλον ἀλαλάζον. Καὶ ἐὰν ἔχω προφητείαν, καὶ ἴδω τὰ μυστήρια ἅπαντα, καὶ πᾶσαν τὴν γνῶσιν, καὶ ἐὰν ἔχω πᾶσαν τὴν πίστιν, ὥστε ὄρη μεθιστάνειν, ἀγάπην δὲ μὴ ἔχω, οὐθέν εἰμι. Κἂν ψωμίσω πάντα τὰ ὑπάρχοντά μου, κἂν παραδῶ τὸ σῶμά μου, ἵνα καυθήσωμαι, ἀγάπην δὲ μὴ ἔχω, οὐδὲν ὠφελοῦμαι.» Τοῦτο εἰπὼν, ᾐνίξατο αἰτίους ὄντας τοῦ τὰ ἐλάσσονα λαμβάνειν, καὶ κυρίους, εἰ βούλοιντο, τοῦ τὰ μείζονα. Ἔστι δὲ πολὺ μείζων ἡ ἀγάπη πάντων τῶν χαρισμάτων. Κατασκευάζει δὲ τοῦτο καὶ τὴν σύγκρισιν δεικνὺς, ὡς πάντα τὰ ἄλλα χαρίσματα οὐδέν ἐστι τῆς ἀγάπης ἀπούσης. Ὅρα δὲ πῶς αὐτὸ κατασκευάζει. Οὐ γὰρ εἶπεν, Ἐὰν ἴδω γλώσσας, ἀλλ' Ἐὰν ταῖς γλώσσαις τῶν ἀγγέλων λαλῶ. Καὶ οὐκ εἶπεν ἁπλῶς, Ἐὰν προφητεύω, ἀλλ' Ἐὰν ἴδω τὰ μυστήρια πάντα καὶ πᾶσαν τὴν γνῶσιν, μετὰ ἐπιτάσεως. Καὶ οὐκ εἶπε, ∆ῶ τὰ ὑπάρχοντα, ἀλλὰ ψωμίσω, ἵνα πρὸς τῇ δαπάνῃ καὶ διακονία προσῇ. Πάντα οὖν μετ' ἐπιτάσεως δείξας, δείκνυσι πολὺ ἥττονα τῆς ἀγάπης. Ὥστε εἰ μεγάλων χαρισμάτων ἐρᾶτε, τὴν ἀγάπην ἐπιτηδεύετε, φησί. Εἰκότως μείζων τῶν χαρισμάτων ἡ ἀγάπη· εἴ γε ταῦτα μὲν διέσχισαν, αὕτη δὲ ἑνοῖ τοὺς διαστάντας. Ὅρα πόθεν ἄρχεται, ἀπὸ τοῦ μεγάλου δοκοῦντος παρ' αὐτοῖς τοῦ τῶν γλωσσῶν, καὶ οὐ μόνον τῶν ἀνθρώπων, ἀλλὰ καὶ τῶν ἀγγέλων. Γλῶτταν δὲ ἀγγέλων ἐνταῦθα, οὐχὶ σῶμα περιθεὶς ἀγγέλοις. Ἀλλ' ὃ λέγει τοιοῦτόν ἐστι· Κἂν οὕτω φθέγγωμαι, ὡς νόμος ἀγγέλοις πρὸς ἀλλήλους διαλέγεσθαι. Ὡς ὅταν λέγῃ, ὅτι Αὐτῷ κάμψει πᾶν γόνυ ἐπουρανίων καὶ ἐπιγείων καὶ καταχθονίων, οὐ γόνατα καὶ ὀστᾶ περιτιθεὶς τοῖς ἀγγέλοις ταῦτα λέγει, ἀλλὰ τὴν ἐπιτεταμένην προσκύνησιν διὰ τοῦ παρ' ἡμῖν σχήματος αἰνίξασθαι βούλεται. Οὕτω καὶ ἐνταῦθα γλῶσσαν ἐκάλεσε, τὴν πρὸς ἀλλήλους αὐτῶν ὁμιλίαν τῷ γνωρίμῳ παρ' ἡμῖν τρόπῳ ἐνδείξασθαι βουλόμενος. «Ἡ ἀγάπη μακροθυμεῖ.» Σκόπει, πῶς πρῶτον αὐτὴν τίθησι τὸ πάντων ἀστειότατον τῶν ἀγαθῶν. Τί δὲ τοῦτό ἐστι; μακρο 95.677 θυμία; καὶ γὰρ ὅπλον ἐστὶν ἄμαχον πάντα διακρουόμενον τὰ λυπηρὰ ῥᾳδίως ἡ μακροθυμία. Μακροθυμία δὲ λέγεται, διὰ τὸ μακράν τινα καὶ μεγάλην ἔχειν ψυχήν. Τὸ γὰρ μακρὸν καὶ μέγα