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of Christ. He makes the victory brilliant and conspicuous. For we do not war with words, he says, but with deeds against words. And being ready to punish every disobedience, when your obedience is first fulfilled. For we are waiting for you, he says, so that when through exhortation and threat we have corrected you, and brought you forth, and separated you from their fellowship, then when only those who are incurably sick are left behind, we may inflict the punishment, when we see you completely separated from these. For you are obedient even now, but not completely. Therefore he did not say, "when you obey," but "when your obedience is fulfilled." Look at what is before your face. If any one is confident in himself that he is Christ's, let him consider this again from himself. The charge is not small, but very great. For the accusation is of easily deceived men. And he says that it is judged from appearances, from carnal things. And what is it, from carnal things? If someone is rich, if someone is puffed up, if someone is surrounded by many flatterers. That as he is Christ's, so also are we Christ's. For even if I should boast somewhat more about our authority, which the Lord gave to us. He does not wish to be very burdensome from the beginning, but he increases and reaches a climax little by little. For building up, and not for tearing you down. I will not be ashamed, that I may not seem as if I were frightening you through my letters; for his letters, they say, are weighty and strong, but his bodily presence is weak, and his speech of no account. Let such a one consider this, that what we are in word by letters when we are absent, such we will be also in deed when we are present. 95.757 For we do not dare to classify ourselves with some of those who commend themselves, but they, measuring themselves by themselves and comparing themselves with themselves, do not understand. See how he again soothes their envy. But we will not boast beyond measure, but according to the measure of the rule which God has distributed to us, a measure to reach even to you. For not as though we did not reach you, do we overextend ourselves. For we have come as far as you also in the Gospel of Christ; not boasting beyond measure, but in other men's places. For the false apostles also said this, that we have converted the world, we have arrived at the ends of the earth; and at the same time it is an indication of his humility. But having hope, as your faith increases, to be magnified among you according to our rule unto abundance, to preach the gospel in the regions beyond you, not in another man's rule, to boast in things made ready to our hand. But he who boasts, let him boast in the Lord. For not he who commends himself is approved; but whom the Lord commends. I hope, he says, that when you have acknowledged it, our rule will be extended even further. For we will go on even further, so as to preach and to labor, not so as to boast in words about what others have labored for. And he well called it a rule, and a measure, as having entered upon the possession of the world and an excellent inheritance, and showing the whole work of God. Having therefore such works, he says, and expecting greater things, we do not boast as they do who have nothing, nor do we reckon it to ourselves, but all to God. Therefore he also adds, so that he who boasts, let him boast in the Lord.

CHAP. XI. Would that you would bear with me a little in my folly, but indeed you do bear with me.

Being about to enter into his own praises, he has made use of much preliminary treatment. For I am jealous over you with a godly jealousy. For I have betrothed you to one husband, to present you as a pure virgin to Christ. He did not say, I love you, but he puts what was much more vehement than this. For the souls burning for their beloved are exceedingly jealous. And jealousy would not be born otherwise, unless from vehement love. But I fear lest, as the serpent deceived Eve by his cunning, so your minds should be corrupted. For even if the destruction is yours, yet the despondency is shared; but the "lest,"

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Χριστοῦ. Λαμπρὰν καὶ περιφανῆ τὴν νίκην ποιεῖ. Οὐ γὰρ λόγοις πολεμοῦμεν, φησὶν, ἀλλ' ἔργοις πρὸς λόγους. Καὶ ἐν ἑτοίμῳ ἔχοντες ἐκδικῆσαι πᾶσαν παρακοὴν, ὅταν πληρωθῇ πρότερον ὑμῶν ἡ ὑπακοή. Ὑμᾶς μὲν γὰρ, φησὶν, ἀναμένομεν, ἵνα ὅταν διὰ τῆς παραινέσεως καὶ τῆς ἀπειλῆς διορθώσωμεν ὑμᾶς, καὶ ἐξενέγκωμεν, καὶ ἀποστήσωμεν τῆς ἐκείνων κοινωνίας, τότε ἐκείνων ἀπολειφθέντων μόνων τῶν τὰ ἀνίατα νοσούντων, ἐπαγάγωμεν τὴν τιμωρίαν, ὅταν ὁλοκλήρους ἴδωμεν ὑμᾶς ἀποστάντας τούτων. Ὑπακούετε μὲν γὰρ καὶ νῦν, οὐ τελείως δέ. ∆ιὸ οὐκ εἶπεν, ὅταν ὑπακούσητε, ἀλλ' ὅταν πληρωθῇ ὑμῶν ἡ ὑπακοή. Τὰ κατὰ πρόσωπον βλέπετε. Εἴ τις πέποιθεν ἑαυτῷ Χριστοῦ εἶναι, τοῦτο λογιζέσθω πάλιν ἀφ' ἑαυτοῦ. Οὐ μικρὸν τὸ ἔγκλημα, ἀλλὰ καὶ σφόδρα μέγα. Εὐαπατήτων γὰρ ἀνθρώπων ἡ κατηγορία. Λέγει δὲ, ὅτι ἀπὸ τῶν φαινομένων δοκιμάζεται, ἀπὸ τῶν σαρκικῶν. Τί δέ ἐστιν, ἀπὸ τῶν σαρκικῶν; Εἴ τις πλουτεῖ, εἴ τις φυσιοῦται, εἴ τις πολλοὺς περιβέβληται κόλακας. Ὅτι καθὼς αὐτὸς Χριστοῦ, οὕτω καὶ ἡμεῖς Χριστοῦ. Ἐάν τε γὰρ καὶ περισσότερόν τι καυχήσωμαι περὶ τῆς ἐξουσίας ἡμῶν, ἧς ἔδωκεν ὁ Κύριος ἡμῖν. Οὐ βούλεται ἐκ προοιμίων σφόδρα γενέσθαι φορτικὸς, ἀλλὰ κατὰ μικρὸν αὔξεται καὶ κορυφοῦται. Εἰς οἰκοδομὴν, καὶ οὐκ εἰς καθαίρεσιν ὑμῶν. Οὐκ αἰσχυνθήσομαι, ἵνα μὴ δόξω ὡς ἂν ἐκφοβεῖν ὑμᾶς διὰ τῶν ἐπιστολῶν· ὅτι αἱ μὲν ἐπιστολαὶ, φησὶν, βαρεῖαι καὶ ἰσχυραὶ, ἡ δὲ παρουσία τοῦ σώματος ἀσθενὴς, καὶ ὁ λόγος ἐξουθενούμενος. Τοῦτο λογιζέσθω ὁ τοιοῦτος, ὅτι οἷοί ἐσμεν ἐν τῷ λόγῳ δι' ἐπιστολῶν ἀπόντες, τοιοῦτοι καὶ παρόντες τῷ ἔργῳ. 95.757 Οὐ γὰρ τολμῶμεν ἐγκρῖναι ἑαυτούς τισιν τῶν ἑαυτοὺς συνιστανόντων, ἀλλὰ αὐτοὶ ἐν ἑαυτοῖς ἑαυτοὺς μετροῦντες καὶ συγκρίνοντες ἑαυτοὺς ἑαυτοῖς, οὐ συνιοῦσιν. Ὅρα πῶς πάλιν παραμυθεῖται τὸν φθόνον. Ἡμεῖς δὲ οὐκ εἰς τὰ ἄμετρα καυχησόμεθα, ἀλλὰ κατὰ τὸ μέτρον τοῦ κανόνος, οὗ ἐμέρισεν ἡμῖν ὁ Θεὸς μέτρου, ἐφικέσθαι μέχρι καὶ ὑμῶν. Οὐ γὰρ ὡς μὴ ἐφικνούμενοι εἰς ὑμᾶς, ὑπερεκτείνομεν ἑαυτούς. Ἄχρι γὰρ καὶ ὑμῶν ἐφθάσαμεν ἐν τῷ Εὐαγγελίῳ τοῦ Χριστοῦ· οὐκ εἰς τὰ ἄμετρα καυχώμενοι, ἀλλ' ἐν ἀλλοτρίοις τόποις. Καὶ γὰρ οἱ ψευδαπόστολοι τοῦτο ἔλεγον, ὅτι τὴν οἰκουμένην ἐπεστρέψαμεν, πρὸς τὰ πέρατα τῆς γῆς ἀφικόμεθα· ἅμα δὲ ἔνδειξίς ἐστι τῆς ταπεινοφροσύνης αὐτοῦ. Ἐλπίδα δὲ ἔχοντες αὐξανομένης τῆς πίστεως ὑμῶν, ἐν ὑμῖν μεγαλυνθῆναι κατὰ τὸν κανόνα ἡμῶν εἰς περισσείαν, εἰς τὰ ὑπερέκεινα ὑμῶν εὐαγγελίσασθαι, οὐκ ἐν ἀλλοτρίῳ κανόνι, εἰς τὰ ἕτοιμα καυχήσασθαι. Ὁ δὲ καυχώμενος, ἐν Κυρίῳ καυχάσθω. Οὐ γὰρ ὁ ἑαυτὸν συνιστάνων, ἐκεῖνός ἐστι δόκιμος· ἀλλ' ὃν ὁ Κύριος συνίστησιν. Ἐλπίζω, φησὶν, ὑμῶν ἐπιγνόντων, ὅτι καὶ περαιτέρω κανὼν ἡμῶν ἐκταθήσεται. Προβησόμεθα γὰρ καὶ περαιτέρω, ὥστε κηρύξαι καὶ καμεῖν, οὐχ ὥστε λόγοις κομπάζειν ὑπὲρ ὧν ἔκαμον ἕτεροι. Καλῶς δὲ καὶ κανόνα ἐκάλεσε, καὶ μέτρον, ὡς ἐπὶ κτῆσιν τῆς οἰκουμένης εἰσελθὼν καὶ κληρονομίαν ἀρίστην, καὶ δεικνὺς τοῦ Θεοῦ τὸ ἔργον ὅλον. Ἔχοντες οὖν τοιαῦτα ἔργα, φησὶ, καὶ μείζονα προσδοκῶντες, οὐ κομπάζομεν ὡς ἐκεῖνοι μηδὲν ἔχοντες, οὐδ' ἑαυτοῖς λογιζόμεθα, ἀλλὰ τῷ Θεῷ τὸ πᾶν. ∆ιὸ καὶ ἐπάγει, ὥστε ὁ καυχώμενος, ἐν Κυρίῳ καυχάσθω.

ΚΕΦΑΛ. ΙΑʹ. Ὄφελον ἀνείχεσθέ μου μικρὸν τῇ ἀφροσύνῃ, ἀλλὰ καὶ ἀνέχεσθέ μου.

Μέλλων εἰσβαίνειν εἰς τοὺς οἰκείους ἐπαίνους, πολλῇ ἀποκέχρηται τῇ προθεραπείᾳ. Ζηλῶ γὰρ ὑμᾶς Θεοῦ ζήλῳ. Ἡρμοσάμην γὰρ ὑμᾶς ἑνὶ ἀνδρὶ παρθένον ἁγνὴν παραστῆσαι τῷ Χριστῷ. Οὐκ εἶπεν, Ἀγαπῶ ὑμᾶς, ἀλλ' ὃ πολλῷ τούτου σφοδρότερον ἦν, τοῦτο τίθησι. Ζηλότυποι γάρ εἰσιν αἱ ψυχαὶ σφόδρα τῶν ἐρωμένων περικαιόμεναι. Καὶ οὐκ ἂν ἄλλως τεχθῇ ἡ ζηλοτυπία, εἰ μὴ ἀπὸ σφοδρᾶς φιλίας. Φοβοῦμαι δὲ μήπως ὡς ὄφις ἐξηπάτησεν Εὖαν ἐν τῇ πανουργίᾳ αὐτοῦ, οὕτω φθαρῇ τὰ νοήματα ὑμῶν. Εἰ γὰρ καὶ ἡ ἀπώλεια ὑμετέρα, ἀλλ' ἡ ἀθυμία κοινή· τὸ δὲ, μήποτε,