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reproaching her, "being an enemy and an avenger," then, being ashamed, she is silent, taking on deafness. He says therefore, "Hold back much speaking," so that by his saying it, a lesson might arise in them. Taking up my flesh in my teeth. In a way, he gives them some respite. For since he had previously accused them of being "comforters of evils"—for they did not comfort as they ought, but rather stirred up the grief and pain of the one supposedly being comforted—, he says that, "I take up my flesh in my teeth," I am no longer angry at you, but at myself." In this way the name of the flesh might be smoothed out. For often, when someone wants to report a crushing blow that has happened to him, he makes mention of the flesh, as it is said: "When evildoers drew near me to eat my flesh," instead of "to harm me"; for they did not eat his flesh under the skin, but afflicted him. Similar to this is also "then they would have swallowed us alive," indicating the fierce 350 attack of the oppressors. He might say that, "I take up my flesh in my teeth." In this way I feed on my pains. And just as food taken into the teeth is ground down and shows its benefit, so too by feeding on my pains and digesting the afflictions from them, I receive an increase of benefit." But if he shows endurance by saying, "taking up the flesh in my teeth," instead of "caring nothing for the affliction," consider it. But I will put my soul in my hand, if the #6ruler overpowers me, since it has already begun. In accord with "taking up my flesh in my teeth" should also be taken "but I will put my soul in my hand," so that he might be saying that, "I even despise my own soul for the sake of benefiting you with some benefit, being subject to the one who handles me, and this having already begun," indicating God who had conceded to the one who had asked for him. "I am therefore ready to be given over to death." But if he says this, that a future change will happen 351 to him, it is worth considering, lest "since it has already begun" be a contradiction, calling God ruler because of his rescuing from those who oppress; indeed I will speak and I will reprove in his presence, and this will result in salvation for me. Through everything his concern is to teach his friends the reason for the painful things, so that he may win them over from thinking contrary things. For he considered this to be salvation: for them to know the reason of providence concerning this, which he, wishing to reveal, said "and I will reprove"; for often reproof signifies proof, just as Paul also says: "all things when they are reproved are made manifest by the light," and again, "faith is the substance of things hoped for, the proof of things not seen," instead of "demonstration." For deceit shall not come before him. Wishing to present his truthfulness and reverence he says that "what I say, I utter with God watching. For it is not possible for any deceit to happen to God, so as for deceit to come before him." This might be understood 352 in two ways by the citation of a similar passage, which goes thus, being from the gospel: "And the light shines in the darkness and the darkness did not overcome it." For what is overshadowed is dissolved, not withstanding the presence of the light, or whoever brings deceit near to the light is turned away as the deceit is dissolved, and does not overcome at all. For all the effort of those who deceive and devise is useless; for they will not comprehend the beauty of the truth. Deceit, therefore, does not draw near to the fount of truth, because those who use it do not dare to bring it to it. And otherwise, there is no deceit in God; for it is not in its nature to be in him. "For God is faithful and there is no injustice in him." And again: "If we are faithless, he remains faithful." For he is unchangeable and immutable. Hear, hear my words; for I will announce while you are listening. He repeats the word, so that he may surely [lead] them to the

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αὐτῆς ὀνειδίζων αὐτῇ, "ἐχθρὸς ὑπάρχων καὶ ἐκδικητής", τότε αἰσχυνομένη σιωπᾷ κώφωσιν ἀναδεχομένη. λέγει οὖν ὅτι «ἐπέχετε τὴν πολυλογίαν», ἵνα διὰ τοῦ αὐτὸν εἰπεῖν παίδευσις αὐτοῖς ἐνγένηται. ἀναλαβὼν τὰς σάρκας μου τοῖς ὀδοῦσιν. τρόπον τινὰ ὑπαναπαύει αὐτούς. ἐπεὶ γὰρ αὐ τὸς ᾐτιάσατο αὐτοὺς πρότερον ὡς "παρακλήτορας κακῶν" ὄντας-οὐ γὰρ παρεκάλουν ὡς ἔδει, ἀλλὰ μᾶλλον τὴν λύπην ἤγειρον καὶ τὴν ὀδύνην τοῦ δῆθεν παρακαλουμένου-, λέγει ὅτι «"ἀναλαμβάνω τὰς σάρκας μου τοῖς ὀδοῦσιν", οὐκέτι καθ' ὑμῶν ὀργίζομαι, ἀλλὰ κατ' ἐμαυτοῦ». ἐξομαλισθείη οὕτως τὸ τῶν σαρκῶν ὄνομα. πολλάκις γάρ, ὅτε τις ἀπαγγεῖλαι βούλεται ἑαυτῷ συντριβὴν γεγενημένην, τῶν σαρκῶν μνημονεύει καθὸ εἴρηται· "ἐν τῷ ἐγγίζειν ἐπ' ἐμὲ κακοῦντας τοῦ φαγεῖν τὰς σάρκας μου," ἀντὶ τοῦ «τοῦ κακῶσαί με»· οὐ γὰρ τὰς σάρκας αὐτοῦ τὰς ὑπὸ δέρμα ἦσαν φαγόντες, ἀλλὰ θλίψαντες αὐτόν. ὅμοιον τούτῳ καὶ τὸ "ἄρα ζῶντας ἂν κατέπιον ἡμᾶς" δηλοῦν τὴν σφο350 δρὰν ἐπίθεσιν τῶν βιαζομένων. λέγοι ἂν ὅτι «"ἐγὼ τὰς σάρκας μου τοῖς ὀδοῦσιν ἀναλαμβάνω." οὕτω τρέφομαι τὰς ὀδύνας μου. καὶ ὥσπερ τροφὴ ἀναλαμβανομένη εἰς τοὺς ὀδόντας λεπτύνεται καὶ τὸ ἐπωφελὲς αὐτῆς δείκνυσιν, οὕτω καὶ τὰς ὀδύνας μου τρεφόμενος καὶ τὰς ἐκ τούτων κακώσεις ἕψων αὔξησιν ὠφελείας δέχομαι.» εἰ δὲ τὴν καρτερίαν ἐμφαίνει διὰ τοῦ λέγειν "ἀναλαβὼν τὰς σάρκας τοῖς ὀδοῦσιν", ἀντὶ τοῦ «τῆς κακώσεως οὐδὲν φροντίσας», συνεπίσκεψαι. ψυχὴν δέ μου θήσω ἐν χειρί, ἐάν με χειρώσηται #6ὁ δυνάστης, ἐπεὶ καὶ ἦρκται. συν φώνως τῷ "ἀναλαβὼν τὰς σάρκας μου τοῖς ὀδοῦσιν" ἐκλημπτέον καὶ τὸ "ψυχὴν δέ μου θήσω ἐν χειρί", ἵν' ᾖ λέγων ὅτι «καὶ τῆς ψυχῆς τῆς ἐμαυτοῦ καταφρονῶ ὑπὲρ τοῦ τινα ὠφέλειαν ὑμᾶς ὠφελῆσαι ὑποκείμενος τῷ χειρουμένῳ με καὶ ἤδη τούτου ὑπαρξαμένῳ» δηλῶν τὸν θεὸν τὸν τῷ ἐξαιτήσαντι αὐτὸν συνκεχωρηκότα. «ἕτοιμος οὖν εἰμι θανάτῳ ἐκδοθῆναι.» εἰ δὲ τὴν εἰς αὐτὸν μέλλουσαν μεταβολὴν ἔσεσθαι 351 τοῦτο λέγει, σκοπῆσαι ἄξιον ἐννοοῦντα, μὴ ἀντίκειται τὸ "ἐπεὶ καὶ ἦρκται", δυνάστην καλῶν τὸν θεὸν διὰ τὸ ῥύεσθαι ἐκ τῶν καταπονούντων· ἦ μὴν λαλήσω καὶ ἐλέγξω ἐναντίον αὐτοῦ, καὶ τοῦτό μοι ἀποβήσεται εἰς σωτηρίαν. δι' ὅλων σπουδὴ αὐτῷ ἐστιν παιδεῦσαι τοὺς φίλους τὴν αἰτίαν τῶν ἐπιπόνων, ἵνα κερδήσῃ αὐτοὺς μὴ ἐναντία δοξάζειν. σωτηρίαν γὰρ ταύτην ἐλογίζετο τὸ τούτους γνῶναι τὸν καὶ περὶ τούτου τῆς προνοίας λόγον, ὅντινα φανερῶσαι βουλόμενος ἔλεγεν τὸ "καὶ ἐλέγξω"· πολλάκις γὰρ ὁ ἔλεγχος τὴν ἀπόδειξιν σημαίνει, καθὸ καὶ Παῦλός φησιν· "τὰ πάντα ἐλεγχόμενα ὑπὸ τοῦ φωτὸς φανεροῦται," καὶ πάλιν δὲ "πίστις ἐστὶν ἐλπιζομένων ὑπόστασις, πραγμάτων ἔλεγχος οὐ βλεπομένων", ἀντὶ τοῦ «ἀπόδειξις». οὐ γὰρ ἐναντίον αὐτοῦ δόλος εἰσελεύσεται. τὸ ἀψευδὲς αὐτοῦ παραστῆσαι βουλόμενος καὶ τὸ εὐλαβὲς λέγει ὅτι «ἃ λ̣ε´̣γω θεοῦ ὁρῶντος φθέγγομαι. οὐ γὰρ οἷόν τε ἀπάτην τινὰ γενέσθαι θεῷ, ὡς δόλον εἰσελθεῖν ἐνώπιον αὐτοῦ.» τοῦτο δὲ δι̣ττ̣ῶς ἂν νο352 ηθείη τῇ τοῦ ὁμοίου παραθέσει, ὅπερ οὕτως ἔχει εὐαγγελικὸν ὑπάρχον· "καὶ τὸ φῶς ἐν τῇ σκοτίᾳ φαίνει καὶ ἡ σκοτία αὐτὸ οὐ κατέλαβεν." ἠ`̣ γὰρ συνσκιάζον λύεται μὴ ὑφιστάμενον τοῦ φωτὸς τῇ παρουσίᾳ, ἠ`̣ ὅστις ἀπάτην προσάγει ἐπὶ τῷ ἐγγὺς τοῦ φωτὸς γενέσθαι ἀποστρέφετα̣ι̣ λυομένης τῆς ἀπάτης̣, και`̣ ὅλως οὐ καταλαμβάνει. π̣ᾶσα γὰρ τῶν ἀπατώντων καὶ μηχανωμένων ἀνόνητος ἡ σπουδή· οὐ γὰρ καταλήμψονται τῆς ἀληθείας τὸ κάλλος. δόλος οὖν οὐκ ἐγγίζει τῆι πηγῇ τῆς ἀληθείας διὰ τὸ μὴ τολμᾶν τοὺς χρω̣μ̣ε´̣νους αὐτῷ αὐτῇ αὐτὸν προσαγαγεῖν. καὶ ἄλλως δόλος οὐκ ἔστιν ἐν θεῷ· οὐ γὰρ πε´̣φ̣υκεν̣ ἐν αὐτῶι γίνεσθαι. "πιστὸς γὰρ ὁ θεὸς καὶ οὐκ ἔστιν ἀδικία ἐν αὐτῷ." καὶ πάλιν· "εἰ ἀρνησόμεθα, αὐτὸς πιστὸς μένει." ἄτρεπτος γάρ ἐστιν καὶ ἀναλλοίωτος. ἀκούσατε, ἀκούσατε τὰ ῥήματά μου· ἀναγγελῶ γὰρ ὑμῶν ἀκουόντων. ἐπαναδιπλασιάζει τὸ ῥῆμα, ἵνα βεβαίως αὐτοὺς πρὸς τὸ