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he has filled with other good things. And the dignity of the apostles is also shown, what a great matter was entrusted to them, and the excess of the love of God. Therefore, we are ambassadors for Christ, as though God were entreating through us: we beg you on behalf of Christ. The Father, he says, sent the Son to entreat and to act as an ambassador to human nature on his behalf. Since, therefore, he departed after being slain, we have received the embassy, and in his place and on behalf of the Father we entreat you. So much is the human race honored, that he even gave up the Son, and this, knowing that he would be slain, and has made us apostles for your sakes. So that he also said with good reason, All things are for your sakes. Therefore, "We are ambassadors for Christ," means, we have succeeded to his work in Christ's stead. But if this seems great to you, hear also that they do this in the Father's stead. For on this account he also added, "as though God were entreating through us." For he entreated not only through his Son, but also through us who have undertaken the work of his Son. And in saying these things, he demonstrates the excess of the loving-kindness of God. Be reconciled to God. He did not say, "Reconcile God to yourselves." For it is not he who is the enemy, but you. For him who knew no sin, he made to be sin for us. I do not speak, he says, of former things, that you insulted one who had done no wrong, but even was a benefactor, and that he did not demand satisfaction from you, nor that he is the first to entreat after being insulted, but because of these things which he has now done. And what did he do? He gave the Son for those who had insulted him, he allowed the one who had done no wrong to die for those who had done wrong. And it is not said simply so, but what is much greater than this, this he has set down. And what is this? Him who knew 95.737 no sin, he says, that is, him who is righteousness itself, he made to be sin, that is, he allowed him to be condemned as a sinner. That we might become the righteousness of God in him. For this reason, he says, he gave the Son to shame, that he might bestow upon us great good things, which we never expected.

CHAP. VI. And working together with him, we also urge, not in vain the grace of God

for you to receive. For he says: In an acceptable time I have heard you, and in a day of salvation I have helped you. Since he said great things, that God was entreating, and we are ambassadors, lest they should fall away from this, he again frightens them, saying: Not to receive the grace of God in vain. For, he says, let us not be indolent because he entreats and has sent ambassadors, but rather let us hasten to please him, so that you may not fall away from such good things. Behold, now is the acceptable time; behold, now is the day of salvation. The time of the gift, he says, the time of grace, when it is not possible to be called to account for sins, nor to pay the penalty, but with the release, we also enjoy countless good things. Let us not then betray the opportunity, but let us show a diligence worthy of the grace. Giving no cause for offense in anything, so that the ministry may not be blamed; but in everything commending ourselves as ministers of God, in much patience, in afflictions, in necessities, in distresses, in beatings, in imprisonments, in tumults, in labors, in sleepless nights, in fastings, in purity, in knowledge, in long-suffering, in kindness. That is, giving to no one any blame or condemnation against us. In the Holy Spirit, in unfeigned love, in the word of truth. For in him, he says, we accomplish all these things; or he says this, that we have also been filled with the Holy Spirit. In the power of God, by the weapons of righteousness. This he always says, ascribing everything to God. For the right hand and for the left; by glory and dishonor; by evil report and good report; as deceivers, and yet true; as unknown, and yet well known. He calls left the things that seem to be grievous, although these are the things that have the reward, but he calls them so according to the opinion of the many. And right, the

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ἄλλων ἐνέπλησεν ἀγαθῶν. ∆είκνυται δὲ καὶ τὸ τῶν ἀποστόλων ἀξίωμα, ἡλίκον πρᾶγμα ἐγχειρίσθησαν, καὶ τῆς ἀγάπης τοῦ Θεοῦ ἡ ὑπερβολή. Ὑπὲρ Χριστοῦ οὖν πρεσβεύομεν, ὡς τοῦ Θεοῦ παρακαλοῦντος δι' ἡμῶν· δεόμεθα ὑπὲρ Χριστοῦ. Ἔπεμψεν τὸν Υἱὸν, φησὶν, ὁ Πατὴρ παρακαλέσαι καὶ πρεσβεύσασθαι πρὸς τὴν τῶν ἀνθρώπων φύσιν ὑπὲρ αὐτοῦ. Ἐπεὶ οὖν σφαγεὶς ἐκεῖνος ἀπῆλθεν, ἡμεῖς δὲ ἐδεξάμεθα τὴν πρεσβείαν, καὶ ἀντ' αὐτοῦ καὶ ὑπὲρ τοῦ Πατρὸς παρακαλοῦμεν ὑμᾶς. Τοσοῦτο τιμᾶται τὸ τῶν ἀνθρώπων γένος, ὅτι καὶ τὸν Υἱὸν ἐπέδωκε, καὶ ταῦτα, εἰδὼς ὅτι σφαγήσεται, καὶ ἀποστόλους ἡμᾶς δι' ὑμᾶς πεπρίηκεν. Ὥστε εἰκότως καὶ ἔλεγε, Πάντα δι' ὑμᾶς. Τὸ οὖν, Ὑπὲρ Χριστοῦ πρεσβεύομεν, τουτέστιν, ἀντὶ τοῦ Χριστοῦ ἡμεῖς διεδεξάμεθα τὰ ἐκείνου. Εἰ δὲ μέγα σοι τοῦτο δοκεῖ, ἄκουε καὶ ὅτι ἀντὶ τοῦ Πατρὸς τοῦτο ποιοῦσιν. ∆ιὰ γὰρ τοῦτο καὶ ἐπήγαγεν, ὡς τοῦ Θεοῦ παρακαλοῦντος δι' ἡμῶν. Οὐ γὰρ διὰ τοῦ Υἱοῦ αὐτοῦ παρεκάλεσε μόνον, ἀλλὰ καὶ δι' ἡμῶν τῶν τοῦ Υἱοῦ αὐτοῦ ἀναδεξαμένων ἔργον. Ταῦτα δὲ λέγων, τὴν ὑπερβολὴν ἐπιδείκνυται τῆς φιλανθρωπίας τοῦ Θεοῦ. Καταλλάγητε τῷ Θεῷ. Οὐκ εἶπε, καταλλάξατε τὸν Θεὸν ἐν ἑαυτοῖς. Οὐ γὰρ ἐκεῖνός ἐστιν ὁ ἐχθραίνων, ἀλλ' ὑμεῖς. Τὸν γὰρ μὴ γνόντα ἁμαρτίαν, ὑπὲρ ἡμῶν ἁμαρτίαν ἐποίησεν. Οὐ λέγω, φησὶ, τὰ πρότερα, ὅτι ὑβρίσατε οὐδὲν ἠδικηκότα, ἀλλὰ καὶ εὐεργετήσαντα, καὶ ὅτι δίκας οὐκ ἀπῄτησεν ὑμᾶς, οὐδὲ ὅτι παρακαλεῖ πρῶτος ὑβρισθεὶς, ἀλλὰ διὰ ταῦτα ἃ ἐποίησε νῦν. Τί δὲ ἐποίησε; Τὸν Υἱὸν ὑπὲρ τῶν ὑβρικότων ἔδωκε, τὸν μηδὲν ἠδικηκότα ὑπὲρ τῶν ἠδικηκότων ἀποθανεῖν εἴασε. Καὶ οὐχ ἁπλῶς οὕτως εἴρηται, ἀλλὰ ὃ πολλῷ τούτου μεῖζόν ἐστιν, τοῦτο ἔθηκε. Τί δέ ἐστι τοῦτο; Τὸν μὴ 95.737 γνόντα ἁμαρτίαν, φησὶν, τουτέστι τὸν αὐτὸν δικαιοσύνην ὄντα, ἁμαρτίαν ἐποίησεν, τουτέστιν ὡς ἁμαρτωλὸν κατακριθῆναι ἀφῆκεν. Ἵνα ἡμεῖς γενώμεθα δικαιοσύνη Θεοῦ ἐν αὐτῷ. ∆ιὰ τοῦτο, φησὶν, ἔδωκε πρὸς αἰσχύνην τὸν Υἱὸν, ἵνα τὰ μεγάλα ἡμῖν χαρίσηται ἀγαθὰ, ἃ οὐδέποτε προσεδοκήσαμεν.

ΚΕΦΑΛ. ςʹ. Συνεργοῦντες δὲ καὶ παρακαλοῦμεν, μὴ εἰς κενὸν τὴν χάριν τοῦ Θεοῦ

δέξασθαι ὑμᾶς. Λέγει γάρ· Καιρῷ δεκτῷ ἐπήκουσά σου, καὶ ἐν ἡμέρᾳ σωτηρίας ἐβοήθησά σοι. Ἐπειδὴ μεγάλα εἶπεν, ὅτι Θεὸς παρεκάλει, καὶ ἡμεῖς πρεσβεύομεν, ἵνα μὴ ἀναπέσωσιν ἐντεῦθεν, πάλιν αὐτοὺς φοβεῖ, λέγων· Μὴ εἰς κενὸν τὴν χάριν τοῦ Θεοῦ δέξασθαι ὑμᾶς. Μὴ γὰρ, ἐπειδὴ παρακαλεῖ, φησὶ, καὶ ἔπεμψε πρεσβεύοντας, διὰ τοῦτο ῥᾳθυμήσωμεν, ἀλλὰ μᾶλλον ἐπειγώμεθα πρὸς τὸ ἀρέσαι αὐτῷ, ἵνα μὴ τῶν τοιούτων ἐκπέσητε ἀγαθῶν. Ἰδοὺ νῦν καιρὸς εὐπρόσδεκτος· ἰδοὺ νῦν ἡμέρα σωτηρίας. Τὸν τῆς δωρεᾶς, φησὶν, τὸν τῆς χάριτος, ὅτε οὐκ ἔστιν εὐθύνας ἀπαιτηθῆναι τῶν ἁμαρτημάτων, οὐδὲ δίκην δοῦναι, ἀλλὰ μετὰ τῆς ἀπαλλαγῆς, καὶ μυρίων ἀπολαύομεν καλῶν. Μὴ τοίνυν προδῶμεν τὸ εὔκαιρον, ἀλλ' ἐπιδειξώμεθα ἄξιον τῆς χάριτος τὴν σπουδήν. Μηδεμίαν ἐν μηδενὶ διδόντες προσκοπὴν, ἵνα μὴ μωμηθῇ ἡ διακονία· ἀλλ' ἐν παντὶ συνιστῶντες ἑαυτοὺς ὡς Θεοῦ διάκονοι, ἐν ὑπομονῇ πολλῇ, ἐν θλίψεσιν, ἐν ἀνάγκαις, ἐν στενοχωρίαις, ἐν πληγαῖς, ἐν φυλακαῖς, ἐν ἀκαταστασίαις, ἐν κόποις, ἐν ἀγρυπνίαις, ἐν νηστείαις, ἐν ἁγνότητι, ἐν γνώσει, ἐν μακροθυμίᾳ, ἐν χρηστότητι. Τουτέστι, μέμψιν, κατάγνωσιν μηδενὶ παρέχοντες καθ' ἡμῶν. Ἐν Πνεύματι ἁγίῳ, ἐν ἀγάπῃ ἀνυποκρίτῳ, ἐν λόγῳ ἀληθείας. Ἐν αὐτῷ γὰρ, φησὶ, ταῦτα πάντα κατορθοῦμεν· ἢ ἐκεῖνο λέγει, ὅτι καὶ Πνεύματος ἁγίου πεπληρώμεθα. Ἐν δυνάμει Θεοῦ, διὰ τῶν ὅπλων τῆς δικαιοσύνης. Τοῦτο ἀεὶ λέγει, τὸ πᾶν ἀνατιθεὶς τῷ Θεῷ. Τῶν δεξιῶν καὶ ἀριστερῶν· διὰ δόξης καὶ ἀτιμίας· διὰ δυσφημίας καὶ εὐφημίας· ὡς πλάνοι καὶ ἀληθεῖς· ὡς ἀγνοούμενοι καὶ ἐπιγινωσκόμενοι. Ἀριστερὰ καλεῖ τὰ δοκοῦντα εἶναι λυπηρὰ, καίτοι ταῦτά ἐστι τὰ τὸν μισθὸν ἔχοντα, ἀλλὰ κατὰ τὴν ὑπόληψιν τῶν πολλῶν καλεῖ. ∆εξιὰ δὲ, τὰς