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sent forth for service for the sake of those who are to inherit salvation?" This one also declared the former rank of the Adversary, that he was of the power of the air, and announced his fall from the heavens because of pride. This one cries out again: "Do you not know that we shall judge angels?" And again: "The angels judge the world." 5.221 This is the one who in all his Epistles commands us to think heavenly things and seek heavenly things, and to hasten to run in heaven and to be eager to attain the things above. This is the one who declared heaven to be the city and dwelling place of the righteous, of angels and of men, and of the whole Church together, and who called the Lord Christ the head of the whole body, as being higher; for he said He is far above all Rule and Authority and Power and Dominion, and every name that is named, not only in this age but also in the one to come; and, to speak concisely, this is the great teacher and interpreter of the heavenly orders and of the Church, who himself mentions only the present and the future states, and the immortality and incorruptibility given to us by God in the future, and the immutability and all the super-cosmic good things, the power of which we are not able to comprehend. Glory to God who prepared all these things beforehand and foretold them and has now fulfilled and is fulfilling them, unto the ages. Amen. Furthermore, 5.222 Paul praises the faith of the Romans right at the beginning, as being proclaimed in all the world, and calls them of like faith. But he finds fault with the Corinthians, as being formerly philosophers of this world, for although they already believed in the resurrection of Christ, he declares this is useless for them if our own resurrection is not also believed by them. Rightly, therefore, did the Athenians call him a babbler, as one who was digging up the tares of their superstition. He calls the Galatians foolish and, like soulless things, easily moved, since after baptism they were deceived and circumcised. To the Ephesians he proclaims the whole counsel of God, and having nearly fought with beasts there, he commends them, prophesying and saying that after this some would come in to them as wolves and tear them apart, among whom, he said, some would also rise up from among themselves, like wolves, tearing apart the Church. 5.223 He greatly marvels at the Philippians, praising them as the only ones showing much care and love for him both in his bonds and in his defense, and having often sent to him the things for his need. But again he also praises the Colossians in the faith, if indeed they continue, and for having love for all the saints. He calls the Thessalonians lovers of the brethren, and persecuted, and suffering for the sake of piety, just as also the faithful Hebrews, and he strengthens them just as he does the Corinthians concerning the resurrection of the dead, and at the same time concerning the second coming of the Lord. To the Hebrews, as a Hebrew and as one of them sharing in their common lot, he calls them holy brethren and called and partakers of heavenly things, and persecuted and suffering for the sake of piety, except, he says, "if indeed we hold our beginning firm to the end," and he warns them not to be undone by fear of persecution and to turn back to the unbelievers. 5.224 To Timothy again in Ephesus he gives charge, writing to be on guard against those who teach other doctrines and not to give heed to their myths, and he strengthens him in the doctrines and delivers ecclesiastical canons: "So that you may know," he says, "how one ought to behave in the house of God." And he speaks of certain heresies appearing at the last and turning away from the truth, and he foretells that they will not advance for the better, but will become manifest and their folly will be evident to all. To Titus again, also in Crete, he delivers ecclesiastical canons and strengthens him in the doctrines and uses a rebuke against the Cretans, as liars and flighty and deceitful and being led astray by those of the circumcision. 5.225 To Philemon he bears witness of having great faith, piety, and love
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διακονίαν ἀποστελλόμενα διὰ τοὺς μέλλοντας κληρονομεῖν σωτηρίαν;" Οὗτος καὶ τήν ποτε τάξιν τοῦ Ἀντικειμένου, ὡς τῆς ἐξουσίας τοῦ ἀέρος ὑπῆρχεν, ἐξεῖπε καὶ τὴν ἀπὸ τοῦ τύφου ἐξ οὐρανῶν πτῶσιν ἀνήγγειλεν. Οὗτος πάλιν βοᾷ· "Οὐκ οἴδατε ὅτι ἀγγέλους κρινοῦμεν;" Καὶ πάλιν· "Οἱ ἄγγελοι τὸν κόσμον κρίνουσιν." 5.221 Οὗτός ἐστιν ὁ ἐν πάσαις ταῖς Ἐπιστολαῖς ἑαυτοῦ παραγγέλλων οὐράνια φρονεῖν καὶ οὐράνια ζητεῖν, καὶ σπεύδειν δραμεῖν ἐν οὐρανῷ καὶ ἐπείγεσθαι τῶν ἄνω τυγχάνειν. Οὗτός ἐστιν ὁ τὴν πόλιν καὶ τὸ οἰκητήριον τῶν δικαίων, ἀγγέλων καὶ ἀνθρώπων, καὶ πάσης ὁμοῦ τῆς Ἐκκλησίας τὸν οὐρανὸν ἐξειπών, κεφαλὴν ὅλου τοῦ σώματος ὡς ἀνώτερον τὸν ∆εσπότην Χριστὸν προσεῖπεν· ὑπεράνω γὰρ εἶπε πάσης Ἀρχῆς καὶ Ἐξουσίας καὶ ∆υνάμεως καὶ Κυριότητος καὶ παντὸς ὀνόματος ὀνομαζομένου οὐ μόνον ἐν τῷ αἰῶνι τούτῳ, ἀλλὰ καὶ ἐν τῷ μέλλοντι· καί, συντόμως εἰπεῖν, οὗτός ἐστιν ὁ τῶν οὐρανίων ταγμάτων καὶ τῆς Ἐκκλησίας διδάσκαλος μέγας καὶ ἐξηγητὴς καὶ αὐτὸς τῆς νῦν καὶ τῆς μελλούσης μόνων καταστάσεων μνημονεύων καὶ τῆς ἀθανασίας καὶ ἀφθαρσίας τῆς παρεχομένης ἡμῖν ὑπὸ τοῦ Θεοῦ ἐν τῷ μέλλοντι καὶ τῆς ἀτρεπτότητος καὶ πάντων τῶν ἀγαθῶν τῶν ὑπερκοσμίων, ὧν τὴν δύναμιν λογίσασθαι οὐ δυνάμεθα. ∆όξα τῷ ταῦτα πάντα προετοιμάσαντι καὶ προμηνύσαντι καὶ νῦν πληρώσαντι καὶ πληροῦντι Θεῷ εἰς τοὺς αἰῶνας. Ἀμήν. Ἔτι 5.222 Ῥωμαίων μὲν εὐθὺς ἐν προοιμίοις ὁ Παῦλος τὴν πίστιν ἐπαινεῖ καταγγελλομένην ἐν ὅλῳ τῷ κόσμῳ, καὶ ὁμοπίστους ἀποκαλεῖ. Κορινθίους δέ, ὡς πρώην φιλοσόφους τοῦ κόσμου τούτου ὄντας, μέμφεται, πιστεύσαντας μὲν ἤδη περὶ τῆς ἀναστάσεως τοῦ Χριστοῦ, ἀνόνητον δὲ αὐτοῖς τοῦτο ἀποφαίνεται, μὴ καὶ τῆς ἡμετέρας ἀναστάσεως πιστευομένης παρ' αὐτῶν. ∆ικαίως οὖν οἱ Ἀθηναῖοι σπερμολόγον αὐτὸν προσηγόρευον, ὡς ἀνορύττοντα τὰ τῆς δεισιδαιμονίας αὐτῶν ζιζάνια. Γαλάτας ἀνοήτους ἀποκαλεῖ καὶ δίκην ἀψύχων εὐχερῶς μετατιθεμένους, ὡς μετὰ τὸ βάπτισμα ἀπατηθέντας καὶ περιτμηθέντας. Ἐφεσίοις πᾶσαν τὴν βουλὴν τοῦ Θεοῦ ἐξαγγέλλει καὶ σχεδὸν ἐκεῖσε θηριομαχήσας παρατίθεται αὐτοῖς προφητεύων καὶ λέγων μετὰ ταῦτα τινὰς πρὸς αὐτοὺς ὡς λύκους εἰσερχομένους καὶ διασπῶντας αὐτούς, μεθ' ὧν, ἔφη, καὶ ἐξ αὐτῶν ἀνίστασθαί τινας ὁμοίως τοῖς λύκοις διασπῶντας τὴν Ἐκκλησίαν. 5.223 Φιλιππησίους πάνυ θαυμάζει ἐπαινῶν ὡς μόνους πολλὴν φροντίδα καὶ ἀγάπην τιθεμένους πρὸς αὐτὸν ἔν τε τοῖς δεσμοῖς αὐτοῦ καὶ ἐν τῇ ἀπολογίᾳ, καὶ πολλάκις αὐτῷ πέμψαντας τὰ πρὸς τὴν χρείαν. Κολοσσαεῖς δὲ πάλιν καὶ αὐτοὺς ἐπαινεῖ ἐν τῇ πίστει, εἴ γε ἐπιμένουσι, καὶ ἀγάπην ἔχοντας εἰς πάντας τοὺς ἁγίους. Θεσσαλονικέας φιλαδέλφους λέγει καὶ διωκομένους καὶ πάσχοντας ὑπὲρ τῆς εὐσεβείας, ὥσπερ καὶ τοὺς Ἑβραίους πιστούς, καὶ ἐπιστηρίζει αὐτοὺς ὥσπερ καὶ τοὺς Κορινθίους περὶ ἀναστάσεως νεκρῶν, ἅμα καὶ περὶ τῆς δευτέρας τοῦ Κυρίου παρουσίας. Ἑβραίοις, ὡς Ἑβραῖος καὶ ὡς εἷς ἐξαὐτῶν κοινοποιούμενος τὰ αὐτῶν, ἁγίους ἀδελφοὺς καὶ κλητοὺς καὶ μετόχους τῶν οὐρανίων γεγονότας ὀνομάζει καὶ διωκομένους καὶ πάσχοντας ὑπὲρ τῆς εὐσεβείας, πλήν, φησίν, "ἐάνπερ τὴν ἀρχὴν μέχρι τέλους βεβαίαν κατασχῶμεν", καὶ ἀσφαλίζεται μὴ τῷ φόβῳ τοῦ διωγμοῦ ἐκλυθῆναι καὶ παλινδρομῆσαι πρὸς τοὺς ἀπίστους. 5.224 Τιμοθέῳ πάλιν ἐν Ἐφέσῳ παραγγέλλει γράφων ἀσφαλίζεσθαι τοὺς ἑτεροδιδασκάλους καὶ μὴ προσέχειν τοῖς αὐτῶν μύθοις, καὶ στηρίζει ἐν τοῖς δόγμασι καὶ κανόνας παραδίδωσιν ἐκκλησιαστικούς· "Ἵνα γνῷς, φησί, πῶς δεῖ ἐν οἴκῳ Θεοῦ ἀναστρέ φεσθαι." Λέγει δὲ καί τινας αἱρέσεις ἀναδεικνυμένας ἐπ' ἐσχάτου καὶ ἀποστρεφομένας τὴν ἀλήθειαν, καὶ προλέγει ὅτι οὐ προκόψουσιν ἐπὶ τὸ κρεῖττον, ἀλλὰ φανεροὶ γενήσονται καὶ ἡ ἄνοια αὐτῶν εὔδηλος ἔσται πᾶσι. Τίτῳ πάλιν καὶ αὐτῷ ἐν τῇ Κρήτῃ κανόνας ἐκκλησιαστικοὺς παραδίδωσι καὶ στηρίζει ἐν τοῖς δόγμασι καὶ ἐπιτιμήσει κέχρηται πρὸς τοὺς Κρῆτας, ὡς ψεύστας καὶ κούφους καὶ δολίους καὶ ὑπὸ τῶν ἐκ περιτομῆς πλανωμένους. 5.225 Φιλήμονι μαρτυρεῖ πολλὴν πίστιν, εὐσεβείας καὶ ἀγάπην ἔχοντι