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again; I Paul say to you, that if you are circumcised, Christ will profit you nothing. But here since the discussion was about silence, he does not press hard, by this very thing drawing them on more. So then, my brothers, desire earnestly to prophesy, and do not forbid speaking in tongues. He has run back again to the former subject. But see how up to this point he has maintained the distinction, setting the one as absolutely necessary, the other not so; wherefore on the one he says, "Desire earnestly," but on the other, "Do not forbid." But let all things be done decently and in order. As if correcting all things in summary, he added this word.

CHAPTER 15. Now I make known to you, brothers, the Gospel which I preached to you, which also

you received, in which also you stand. Having completed the discourse on spiritual things, he comes to the most necessary of all, the subject of the resurrection; for on this they were greatly failing. For since this is our whole hope, the devil was standing strongly against this. And sometimes he altogether took it away, and at other times he said it had already happened, as he said when writing to Timothy, "Of whom are Hymenaeus and Philetus, who concerning the truth have erred, saying that the resurrection has already happened." Again at other times they said that the body does not rise, but the resurrection is the purification of the soul. Opposing these opinions, then, see how from the beginning he showed that he brings in nothing new or strange. For he is not making known that which has already been made known and then fallen into forgetfulness, but he makes it known, bringing it to mind again. It was well also to say "the Gospel." For this is the chief point of the good tidings, the resurrection. by which also you are saved. He shows the profit of believing in the resurrection. by what word I preached to you, if you hold it fast; unless You do not need to learn the doctrine itself, he says, but only to be reminded. 95.689 you have believed in vain. For I delivered to you first of all, that which I also received. Since he said, "in which also you stand," lest he make them more careless, he frightens them again. That Christ died for our sins. He did not say immediately that there is a resurrection of bodies, but he establishes this very point, and at the same time reminds them of the great love which God showed, in that He gave His Son for them. according to the Scriptures. For God says through the prophet, "For the transgressions of my people he was led to death"; and, "The Lord delivered him for our sins"; and, "He was wounded for our transgressions." And that He was buried, and that He was raised on the third day, according to the Scriptures. Again Isaiah testifying that "His burial has been taken out of the way." And again: "The Lord is willing to cleanse from the stroke, to show him light." And David, "For you will not abandon my soul to Hades," concerning Christ. And that he appeared to Cephas. He brings forward the most trustworthy of the apostles first as a witness. But see how he brings on the prophets and the apostles testifying to the matter. Then to the eleven; then he appeared to more than five hundred brothers at once, of whom the greater part remain until now; but some have also fallen asleep. For after the ascension Matthias was enrolled, not immediately after the resurrection. Then he appeared to James, then to all the apostles. He did not say, "they died," but "they have fallen asleep," and by this word again confirming the resurrection. Last of all, as to one untimely born, he appeared also to me. For I am the least of the apostles; who am not worthy to be called an apostle, because I persecuted the Church of God. But by the grace of God I am what I am, and His grace toward me was not in vain; but I labored more abundantly than all of them; yet not I, but the grace of God that was with me. This is a saying of humility. Whether then it was I or they, so we preach, and so you believed. But if Christ is preached, that he has been raised from the dead, From whomsoever, he says, you wish to learn, learn. We do not differ at all. how do some among you say that there is no resurrection of the dead? 95.692 The prophets, he says, foretold this, and He Himself taught it through His appearance,

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πάλιν· Ἐγὼ Παῦλος λέγω ὑμῖν, ὅτι ἐὰν περιτέμνησθε, Χριστὸς ὑμᾶς οὐδὲν ὠφελήσει. Ἐνταῦθα δὲ ἐπειδὴ περὶ σιγῆς ἦν ὁ λόγος, οὐ σφόδρα ἐπιτίθεται, αὐτῷ τούτῳ μᾶλλον αὐτοὺς περισπώμενος. Ὥστε, ἀδελφοί μου, ζηλοῦτε τὸ προφητεύειν, καὶ τὸ λαλεῖν μὴ κωλύετε γλώσσας. Ἐπὶ τὴν προτέραν πάλιν ὑπόθεσιν ἔδραμεν. Ὅρα δὲ πῶς μέχρι τούτου τὴν διαφορὰν ἐφύλαξε, τὸ μὲν σφόδρα ἀναγκαῖον, τὸ δὲ οὐχ οὕτως, τιθείς· διὸ ἐπ' ἐκείνου μὲν, Ζηλοῦτε, ἐπὶ τούτου δὲ, Μὴ κωλύετε. Πάντα δὲ εὐσχημόνως, καὶ κατὰ τάξιν γινέσθω. Ὡς ἐν κεφαλαίῳ τὰ πάντα διορθούμενος, ἐπήγαγε τὸν λόγον.

ΚΕΦΑΛ. ΙΕʹ. Γνωρίζω δὲ ὑμῖν, ἀδελφοὶ, τὸ Εὐαγγέλιον ὃ εὐαγγελισάμην ὑμῖν, ὃ καὶ

παρελάβετε, ἐν ᾧ καὶ ἑστήκατε. Ἀπαρτίσας τὸν τῶν πνευματικῶν λόγον, ἐπὶ τὸν πάντων ἀναγκαιότατον ἔρχεται, τὴν περὶ τῆς ἀναστάσεως ὑπόθεσιν· καὶ γὰρ ἐπὶ τοῦτο σφόδρα ἔκαμνον. Ἐπειδὴ γὰρ ἡ πᾶσα ἡμῶν ἐλπὶς αὕτη, πρὸς τοῦτο σφοδρῶς ἵστατο ὁ διάβολος. Καὶ ποτὲ μὲν ἀνῄρει καθάπαξ αὐτὴν, ποτὲ δὲ ἔλεγεν ἤδη γεγονέναι ὡς ἐπιστέλλοντι Τιμοθέῳ ἔλεγεν, Ὧ ἐστιν Ὑμεναῖος καὶ Φιλητὸς, οἵτινες περὶ τὴν ἀλήθειαν ἠστόχησαν, λέγοντες τὴν ἀνάστασιν ἤδη γεγονέναι. Ποτὲ πάλιν ἔλεγον, ὅτι τὸ σῶμα οὐκ ἀνίσταται, ἀλλὰ τῆς ψυχῆς ὁ καθαρμός ἐστιν ἡ ἀνάστασις. Πρὸς ταύτας οὖν τὰς δόξας ἀνθιστάμενος, ὅρα πῶς ἀπὸ τῆς ἀρχῆς ἔδειξεν, ὅτι οὐδὲν καινὸν εἰσφέρει, οὐδὲ ξένον. Οὐ γὰρ γνωρίζων τὸ ἤδη γνωρισθὲν, εἶτα εἰς λήθην ἐμπεσὼν, γνωρίζει, πάλιν εἰς μνήμην φέρων. Εὖ δὲ καὶ τὸ Εὐαγγέλιον εἰπεῖν. Τοῦτο γάρ ἐστι τῶν εὐαγγελίων τὸ κεφάλαιον ἡ ἀνάστασις. ∆ι' οὗ καὶ σώζεσθε. Τὸ κέρδος δείκνυσι τοῦ πιστεύειν εἰς τὴν ἀνάστασιν. Τίνι λόγῳ εὐηγγελισάμην ὑμῖν, εἰ κατέχετε· ἐκτός Οὐκ αὐτὸ δεῖσθε μαθεῖν τὸ δόγμα, φησὶν, ἀλλ' ὑπομνησθῆναι μόνον. 95.689 Εἰ μὴ εἰκῆ ἐπιστεύσατε. Παρέδωκα γὰρ ὑμῖν ἐν πρώτοις, ὃ καὶ παρέλαβον. Ἐπειδὴ εἶπεν, ἐν ᾧ καὶ ἑστήκατε, ἵνα μὴ ῥᾳθυμοτέρους ποιήσῃ, ἐκφοβεῖ πάλιν. Ὅτι Χριστὸς ἀπέθανεν ὑπὲρ ἁμαρτιῶν ἡμῶν. Οὐκ εἶπεν εὐθέως, ὅτι ἀνάστασίς ἐστι σωμάτων, ἀλλὰ αὐτὸ μὲν τοῦτο κατασκευάζει, ἅμα δὲ καὶ τῆς ἀγάπης αὐτοὺς ὑπομιμνήσκει τῆς πολλῆς, ἧς ἐνεδείξατο ὁ Θεὸς, ὅτι τὸν Υἱὸν αὐτοῦ ἔδωκεν ὑπὲρ αὐτῶν. Κατὰ τὰς Γραφάς. Ὁ γὰρ Θεὸς διὰ τοῦ προφήτου φησίν, Ἀπὸ τῶν ἀνομιῶν τοῦ λαοῦ μου ἤχθη εἰς θάνατον· καὶ, Ὁ Κύριος παρέδωκεν αὐτὸν ταῖς ἁμαρτίαις ἡμῶν· καὶ, Ἐτραυματίσθη διὰ τὰς ἁμαρτίας ἡμῶν. Καὶ ὅτι ἐτάφη, καὶ ὅτι ἐγήγερται τῇ τρίτῃ ἡμέρᾳ, κατὰ τὰς Γραφάς. Πάλιν Ἡσαΐας μαρτυρῶν, ὅτι Ἐκ μέσου ἦρται ἡ ταφὴ αὐτοῦ. Καὶ πάλιν· Κύριος βούλεται καθαρίσαι ἀπὸ τῆς πληγῆς, δεῖξαι αὐτῷ φῶς. Καὶ ὁ ∆αβὶδ, Ὅτι οὐκ ἐγκαταλείψεις τὴν ψυχήν μου εἰς ᾅδου, περὶ τοῦ Χριστοῦ. Καὶ ὅτι ὤφθη Κηφᾷ. Τὸν ἀξιόπιστον τῶν ἀποστόλων πρῶτον παράγει μάρτυρα. Ὅρα δὲ πῶς τοὺς προφήτας, καὶ τοὺς ἀποστόλους μαρτυροῦντας ἐπάγει τῷ πράγματι. Εἶτα τοῖς ἕνδεκα· ἔπειτα ὤφθη ἐπάνω πεντακοσίοις ἀδελφοῖς ἐφάπαξ, ἐξ ὧν οἱ πλείους μένουσιν ἕως ἄρτι· τινὲς δὲ καὶ ἐκοιμήθησαν. Μετὰ γὰρ τὴν ἀνάληψιν ὁ Ματθίας κατελέγη, οὐ μετὰ τὴν ἀνάστασιν εὐθέως. Ἔπειτα ὤφθη Ἰακώβῳ, ἔπειτα τοῖς ἀποστόλοις πᾶσιν. Οὐκ εἶπεν, ἀπέθανον, ἀλλ' ἐκοιμήθησαν, καὶ ταύτῃ τῇ λέξει πάλιν βεβαιῶν τὴν ἀνάστασιν. Ἔσχατον δὲ πάντων ὡσπερεὶ τῷ ἐκτρώματι ὤφθη κἀμοί. Ἐγὼ γάρ εἰμι ὁ ἐλάχιστος τῶν ἀποστόλων· ὃς οὐκ εἰμὶ ἱκανὸς καλεῖσθαι ἀπόστολος, διότι ἐδίωξα τὴν Ἐκκλησίαν τοῦ Θεοῦ. Χάριτι δὲ Θεοῦ εἰμὶ, ὅ εἰμι, καὶ ἡ χάρις αὐτοῦ ἡ εἰς ἐμὲ οὐ κενὴ ἐγενήθη· ἀλλὰ περισσότερον αὐτῶν πάντων ἐκοπίασα· οὐκ ἐγὼ δὲ, ἀλλ' ἡ χάρις τοῦ Θεοῦ ἡ σὺν ἐμοί. Τοῦτο ταπεινοφροσύνης τὸ ῥῆμά ἐστιν. Εἴτε οὖν ἐγὼ, εἴτε ἐκεῖνοι, οὕτω κηρύσσομεν, καὶ οὕτως ἐπιστεύσατε. Εἰ δὲ Χριστὸς κηρύσσεται, ὅτι ἐκ νεκρῶν ἐγήγερται, Παρ' οὗ, φησὶ, βούλεσθε μαθεῖν, μάθετε. Οὐδὲν διαφέρομεν. Πῶς λέγουσιν ἐν ὑμῖν τινες, ὅτι ἀνάστασις νεκρῶν οὐκ ἔστιν; 95.692 Οἱ προφῆται, φησὶ, τοῦτο προεκήρυξαν, καὶ αὐτὸς ἐδίδαξεν διὰ τῆς ὄψεως,