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the powers that are at work. As dying, and behold, we live. He says this, showing the ineffable power of God. 95.740 As being disciplined, and not being put to death. And he says this, showing for what reason God allows these things; for whom the Lord loves, He also disciplines. As sorrowful, yet always rejoicing; as poor, yet making many rich; as having nothing, and yet possessing all things. For by those outside we are suspected of being in despair, but we have pleasure at its height. He says all these things, commanding not to be troubled by the opinions of the many, even if they call us deceivers, even if they consider us condemned, or at the point of death, or to be sorrowful, or to be in poverty, or to have nothing. Our mouth is open to you, O Corinthians. After recounting the things concerning his own trials and afflictions, he turns to the discourse on love; which is as if he were to say: We cannot bear to be silent towards you, but we desire to speak and converse with you, which is the custom of those who love. Our heart is enlarged. For love, being fervent, both gave wings to Paul's mouth and enlarged his heart. For I do not love with my mouth, he says, but I also have my heart in harmony. You are not restricted by us. We have all within, he says, and not simply this, but with much roominess. But you are restricted in your own affections. But for the same recompense. And the rebuke is offered with much forbearance. For he did not say, you do not love us, but that it is not with the same measure. I speak as to children; be enlarged, you also. Do not be unequally yoked with unbelievers. For what fellowship has righteousness with lawlessness? or what communion has light with darkness? and what accord has Christ Instead of: I ask nothing great, if, being a father, I wish to be loved by you. with Belial? or what portion does a believer have with an unbeliever? The apostate? In the Hebrew tongue. And what agreement has the temple of God with idols? for you are the temple of the living God, as God has said. Neither does your king have anything in common with him. For what accord has Christ with Belial? nor do the things; for what communion has light with darkness? therefore, neither should you. I will dwell in them, and walk among them; and I will be their God, and they shall be my people. Fleeing flattery, he confirms by testimony that they are temples of God. Therefore come out from their midst, and be separate, says the Lord, and touch no unclean thing, and I 95.741 will receive you; and I will be a Father to you, and you shall be to me sons and daughters, says the Lord Almighty.

CHAP. VII. Therefore, having these promises, beloved, let us cleanse ourselves from

all defilement of flesh and spirit, perfecting holiness. For not touching the unclean does not make one clean, but we also have need of other things to become holy: diligence, attentiveness, piety, and, simply put, all virtue. In the fear of God. For it is possible to practice self-control not in the fear of God, but for the sake of vainglory; and besides, he teaches us the way of self-control, all but saying: even if desire be tyrannical, yet if you attain the fear of God, you will destroy its madness. And by holiness here he means not only self-control, but also freedom from all sin. Make room for us. Again he moves the discourse to love, restraining the harshness of the rebuke. But see how pitiably he says, Make room for us. Which is as if he were to say: Who has driven us out, he says, who has cast us out of your mind? why are we restricted in you? We have wronged no one. See how again he does not mention his good deeds, but makes his speech more burdensome and striking. We have corrupted no one. That is, we have deceived no one, as he also says elsewhere: Lest as the serpent deceived Eve, so your minds may be corrupted. We have defrauded no one. We have not seized, he says, anyone's money. Not for condemnation

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δυνάμεις τὰς ἐνεργουμένας. Ὡς ἀποθνήσκοντες, καὶ ἰδοὺ ζῶμεν. Τοῦτο λέγει, δεικνὺς τὴν ἄφατον τοῦ Θεοῦ δύναμιν. 95.740 Ὡς παιδευόμενοι, καὶ μὴ θανατούμενοι. Καὶ τοῦτο λέγει, δεικνύων καὶ τίνος ἕνεκεν ταῦτα συγχωρεῖ ὁ Θεός· ὃν γὰρ ἀγαπᾷ Κύριος, καὶ παιδεύει. Ὡς λυπούμενοι, ἀεὶ δὲ χαίροντες· ὡς πτωχοὶ, πολλοὺς δὲ πλουτίζοντες· ὡς μηδὲν ἔχοντες, καὶ πάντα κατέχοντες. Παρὰ μὲν γὰρ τοῖς ἔξω ὑποπτευόμεθα ἐν ἀθυμίᾳ εἶναι, ἡμεῖς δὲ τὴν ἡδονὴν ἀκμάζουσαν ἔχομεν. Ταῦτα δὲ πάντα λέγει, κελεύων μὴ ταράττεσθαι ταῖς τῶν πολλῶν δόξαις, κἂν πλάνους λέγωσι, κἂν καταδίκους νομίσωσι, κἂν ἐπιθανατίους, κἂν λυπεῖσθαι, κἂν ἐν πτωχείᾳ εἶναι, κἂν μηδὲν ἔχειν. Τὸ στόμα ἡμῶν ἀνέῳγε πρὸς ὑμᾶς, Κορίνθιοι. ∆ιηγησάμενος τὰ περὶ τῶν ἑαυτοῦ πειρασμῶν καὶ θλίψεων, εἰς τὸν περὶ τῆς ἀγάπης μεταβαίνει λόγον· ὅμοιον δὲ ὡς εἰ λέγοι· Οὐκ ἀνεχόμεθα σιωπᾷν πρὸς ὑμᾶς, ἀλλὰ καὶ ἐπιθυμοῦμεν φθέγξασθαι καὶ διαλέγεσθαι ὑμῖν, ὅπερ ἔθος τῶν ἀγαπώντων ἐστίν. Ἡ καρδία ἡμῶν πεπλάτυται. Θερμὴ γὰρ οὖσα ἡ ἀγάπη, καὶ τὸ στόμα ἀνεπτέρωσε Παύλου, καὶ τὴν καρδίαν ἐπλάτυνεν. Οὐδὲ γὰρ τῷ στόματι φιλῶ, φησὶν, ἀλλὰ καὶ τὴν καρδίαν συνᾴδουσαν ἔχω. Οὐ στενοχωρεῖσθε ἐν ἡμῖν. Πάντας ἔνδον ἔχομεν, φησὶ, καὶ οὐδὲ τοῦτο ἁπλῶς, ἀλλὰ μετὰ εὐρυχωρίας πολλῆς. Στενοχωρεῖσθε δὲ ἐν τοῖς σπλάγχνοις ὑμῶν. Τὴν δὲ αὐτὴν ἀντιμισθίαν. Καὶ ἡ ἐπιτίμησις μετὰ φειδοῦς πολλῆς προσάγεται. Οὐκ εἶπε γὰρ, οὐ φιλεῖτε ἡμᾶς, ἀλλ' ὅτι οὐ μετὰ τοῦ αὐτοῦ μέτρου. Ὡς τέκνοις λέγω· πλατύνθητε καὶ ὑμεῖς. Μὴ γίνεσθε ἑτεροζυγοῦντες ἀπίστοις. Τίς γὰρ μετοχὴ δικαιοσύνῃ καὶ ἀνομίᾳ; ἢ τίς κοινωνία φωτὶ πρὸς σκότος; τίς δὲ συμφώνησις Χριστοῦ Ἀντὶ τοῦ, οὐδὲν μέγα αἰτῶ, εἰ πατὴρ ὢν, βούλομαι φιλεῖσθαι παρ' ὑμῶν. Πρὸς Βελίαρ; ἢ τίς μερὶς πιστῷ μετὰ ἀπίστῳ; Ὁ ἀποστάτης; τῇ Ἑβραίων φωνῇ. Τίς δὲ συγκατάθεσις ναῷ Θεοῦ μετὰ εἰδώλων; ὑμεῖς γὰρ ναὸς Θεοῦ ἐστε ζῶντος, καθὼς εἶπεν ὁ Θεός. Οὔτε ὁ βασιλεὺς ὑμῶν ἔχει τι κοινὸν πρὸς αὐτόν. Τίς γὰρ συμφώνησις Χριστοῦ πρὸς Βελίαρ; οὔτε τὰ πράγματα· τίς γὰρ κοινωνία φωτὶ πρὸς σκότος; οὐκοῦν οὐδὲ ὑμᾶς δεῖ. Ἐνοικήσω ἐν αὐτοῖς, καὶ ἐμπεριπατήσω· καὶ ἔσομαι αὐτῶν Θεὸς, καὶ αὐτοὶ ἔσονταί μου λαός. Φεύγων τὴν κολακείαν μαρτυρίᾳ πιστοῦται τὸ εἶναι αὐτοὺς ναοὺς Θεοῦ. ∆ιὸ ἐξέλθατε ἐκ μέσου αὐτῶν, καὶ ἀφορίσθητε, λέγει Κύριος, καὶ ἀκαθάρτου μὴ ἅπτεσθε, κἀγὼ εἰσ 95.741 δέξομαι ὑμᾶς· καὶ ἔσομαι ὑμῖν εἰς Πατέρα, καὶ ὑμεῖς ἔσεσθέ μοι, εἰς υἱοὺς καὶ θυγατέρας, λέγει Κύριος παντοκράτωρ.

ΚΕΦΑΛ. Ζʹ. Ταύτας οὖν ἔχοντες τὰς ἐπαγγελίας, ἀγαπητοὶ, καθαρίσωμεν ἑαυτοὺς ἀπὸ

παντὸς μολυσμοῦ σαρκὸς καὶ πνεύματος, ἐπιτελοῦντες ἁγιωσύνην. Οὐ γὰρ τὸ μὴ ἀκαθάρτου ἅπτεσθαι ποιεῖ καθαρὸν, ἀλλὰ καὶ ἄλλων ἡμῖν χρεία πρὸς τὸ γενέσθαι ἁγίους, σπουδῆς, προσοχῆς, εὐσεβείας, καὶ ἁπλῶς εἰπεῖν ἀρετῆς πάσης. Ἐν φόβῳ Θεοῦ. Ἔστι γὰρ ἐπιτελεῖν σωφροσύνην οὐκ ἐν φόβῳ Θεοῦ, ἀλλὰ διὰ κενοδοξίαν· ἄλλως τε καὶ τὴν ὁδὸν τῆς σωφροσύνης ἡμᾶς διδάσκει, μονονουχὶ λέγων· εἰ καὶ τυραννικὸν ᾖ ἐπιθυμία, ἀλλ' ἐὰν ἐπιτυχήσῃς τὸν τοῦ Θεοῦ φόβον, καταλύσεις αὐτῆς τὴν μανίαν. Ἁγιωσύνην δὲ ἐνταῦθα, οὐ τὴν σωφροσύνην λέγει μόνον, ἀλλὰ καὶ πάσης ἁμαρτίας ἀπαλλαγήν. Χωρήσατε ὑμᾶς. Πάλιν τὸν περὶ ἀγάπης κινεῖ λόγον, συστέλλων τὸ τραχὺ τῆς ἐπιτιμήσεως. Ὅρα δὲ πῶς καὶ ἐλεεινῶς τὸ, Χωρήσατε. Ὅμοιον δὲ ὡς εἰ λέγοι· Τίς ἡμᾶς ἀπήλασεν, φησὶ, τίς ἐξέβαλε τῆς διανοίας τῆς ὑμετέρας; πόθεν στενοχωρούμεθα ἐν ὑμῖν; Οὐδένα ἠδικήσαμεν. Ὅρα πῶς πάλιν οὐ τίθησι τὰς εὐεργεσίας, ἀλλ' ἐπαχθέστερον καὶ πληκτικώτερον τὸν λόγον ποιεῖ. Οὐδένα ἐφθείραμεν. Τουτέστιν, οὐδένα ἠπατήσαμεν, ὥσπερ καὶ ἀλλαχοῦ λέγει· Μήπως ὡς ὁ ὄφις Εὖαν ἠπάτησεν, οὕτω φθαρῇ τὰ νοήματα ὑμῶν. Οὐδένα ἐπλεονεκτήσαμεν. Οὐχ ἡρπάσαμεν, φησὶ, τά τινων χρήματα. Οὐ πρὸς κατάκρισιν