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he will have his boast, and not in another. He says these things not as a legislator, but condescendingly, as if he were to say: To boast is not a good thing. But if 95.817 you indeed wish to, do not do it against your neighbor, like the Pharisee. And he permitted this, so that he might remove the whole thing little by little. For the one who has been accustomed to boast only in himself, and not against others, will also quickly correct this fault. For each one will bear his own burden. He seems to offer a reasoning that prevents boasting against another. But he corrects the one who boasts, so that he might not even think highly of himself, bringing him to the thought of his own sins, and pressing his conscience with the names of the burden. Let the one who is instructed in the word share in all good things with the one who instructs. Do not be deceived, God is not mocked. For whatever a man sows, that he will also reap. For he who sows to his own flesh will from the flesh reap corruption. But he who sows to the Spirit will from the Spirit reap eternal life, and in doing good, let us not grow weary. Here again his argument is about teachers, so that they might enjoy much care from their students. Christ also ordained this. And why? Listen. Since the teaching office often puffed up those who held it, crushing their pride, He made them dependent on their students, and again He led the latter to an occasion to become more inclined to good deeds, training them to be gentle. And he says, in all good things, so that every generosity might be shown to them. For in due season we will reap, if we do not lose heart. Not as the carnal man is at a loss, he says, and in the harvest has much labor, so also is the spiritual man, but he is in much rest. So then, as we have opportunity, let us do good to all, especially to those who are of the household of faith. He exhorts to bring swiftness and diligence concerning almsgiving. For we are not always masters of showing mercy. For when we are carried away from here, even if we wish it ten thousand times, we accomplish nothing more. But the phrase, to all, is in contrast to the Jewish meanness. For with them, all acts of philanthropy were toward their kinsmen. But the philanthropy of grace calls both land and sea to partake of almsgiving, and shows greater diligence toward those of the household. See with what large letters I have written to you with my own hand. He advises to receive his every word, and the greatness of the doctrines, having indicated it by saying, with what large letters, 95.820 and, with my own hand; and something else is also revealed by this. What? Since those who slandered him said that he preached circumcision, and pretended not to preach it, for this reason he was compelled to write the epistle with his own hand, laying down written testimony. As many as desire to make a good showing in the flesh, they compel you to be circumcised. He shows that they too do their preaching only for the sake of ambition, not because it ought to be so. Only that they may not be persecuted for the cross of Christ. Another reason again for their not preaching from conviction is their not being persecuted by the Jews; but what is done out of fear or out of vainglory is not done as something that is owed. Therefore, even if circumcision is preached by them, it is not preached as something necessary. For not even those who are circumcised keep the law themselves, but they want you to be circumcised. The proof that they do not preach from conviction is their not keeping these things which they preach. That they may boast in your flesh. Having disciples, and being teachers. But far be it from me to boast, except in the cross of our Lord Jesus Christ. What is the boast of the cross? That Christ took the form of a servant, and suffered the things which He suffered for me, the servant, the enemy, the foolish one; so He loved me, as to give Himself up. Through whom the world has been crucified to me. By world, he means the affairs of this life; the praise from men, the bodyguard, the glory. These things, he says, have become dead to me, things so splendid and

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καύχημα ἕξει, καὶ οὐκ εἰς τὸν ἕτερον. Ταῦτα οὐ νομοθετῶν λέγει, ἀλλὰ συγκαταβαίνων, ὡς ἂν εἰ ἔλεγε· Τὸ καυχᾶσθαι μὲν οὐ καλόν. Εἰ δὲ 95.817 ἄρα βούλῃ, μὴ κατὰ τοῦ πλησίον, ὡς ὁ Φαρισαῖος. Καὶ τοῦτο δὲ συνεχώρησεν, ἵνα τὸ ὅλον κατὰ μικρὸν ἐξέλῃ. Ὁ γὰρ συνεθισθεὶς εἰς ἑαυτὸν μόνον, καὶ μὴ καθ' ἑτέρων, καὶ τοῦτο ταχέως διορθώσεται τὸ ἐλάττωμα. Ἕκαστος γὰρ τὸ ἴδιον φορτίον βαστάσει. ∆οκεῖ μὲν τιθέναι λογισμὸν κωλύοντα καθ' ἑτέρου καυχᾶσθαι. ∆ιορθοῦται δὲ τὸν καυχώμενον, ὥστε μηδὲ ἐφ' ἑαυτῷ μέγα φρονεῖν, εἰς ἔννοιαν ἀγαγὼν αὐτὸν τῶν οἰκείων ἁμαρτημάτων, καὶ τοῖς ὀνόμασι τοῦ φορτίου πιέζων αὐτοῦ τὸ συνειδός. Κοινωνείτω δὲ ὁ κατηχούμενος τὸν λόγον τῷ κατηχοῦντι ἐν πᾶσιν ἀγαθοῖς. Μὴ πλανᾶσθε, Θεὸς οὐ μυκτηρίζεται. Ὃ γὰρ ἐὰν σπείρῃ ἄνθρωπος, τοῦτο καὶ θερίσει. Ὅτι ὁ σπείρων εἰς τὴν σάρκα ἑαυτοῦ, ἐκ τῆς σαρκὸς θερίσει φθοράν. Ὁ δὲ σπείρων εἰς τὸ πνεῦμα, ἐκ τοῦ πνεύματος θερίσει ζωὴν αἰώνιον, τὸ δὲ καλὸν ποιοῦντες, μὴ ἐκκακῶμεν. Ἐνταῦθα περὶ τῶν διδασκάλων πάλιν ὁ λόγος αὐτῷ, ὥστε πολλῆς ἀπολαύειν παρὰ τῶν μαθητευομένων θεραπείας. Τοῦτο καὶ ὁ Χριστὸς ἐνομοθέτησε. Καὶ διὰ τί; ἄκουε. Ἐπειδὴ τὸ διδασκαλικὸν ἀξίωμα πολλάκις κατεφύσα τοὺς ἔχοντας, καταπαίων αὐτῶν τὸ φρόνημα, εἰς ἀνάγκην αὐτοὺς κατέστησε τοῦ δεῖσθαι τῶν μαθητευομένων, κἀκείνους πάλιν εἰς ἀφορμὴν ἤγαγεν τοῦ πρὸς εὐποιίαν εὐκολωτέρους γίνεσθαι, γυμνάζων αὐτοὺς ἡμέρους εἶναι. Φησὶ δὲ, ἐν πᾶσιν ἀγαθοῖς, ὥστε πᾶσαν ἐπιδείκνυσθαι εἰς αὐτοὺς δαψίλειαν. Καιρῷ γὰρ ἰδίῳ θερίσομεν, μὴ ἐκλυόμενοι. Οὐχ ὥσπερ ὁ σαρκικὸς ἄπορος, φησὶ, καὶ ἐν τῷ ἀμητῷ πολὺν ἔχει κόπον, οὕτω καὶ ὁ πνευματικὸς, ἀλλ' ἐν ἀναπαύσει γίνεται πολλῇ. Ἀλλὰ οὖν ὡς καιρὸν ἔχομεν, ἐργαζώμεθα τὸ ἀγαθὸν πρὸς πάντας, μάλιστα πρὸς τοὺς οἰκείους τῆς πίστεως. Τάχος καὶ σπουδὴν περὶ τὴν ἐλεημοσύνην εἰσφέρειν παρακελεύεται. Οὔτε γὰρ πάντοτε τοῦ ἐλεεῖν ἐσμεν κύριοι. Ὅταν γὰρ ἐντεῦθεν ἀπενεχθῶμεν, κἂν μυριάκις βουληθῶμεν, οὐδὲν περαίνομεν πλέον. Τὸ δὲ, πρὸς πάντας, πρὸς ἀντιδιαστολὴν τῆς Ἰουδαϊκῆς ταπεινότητος. Ἐκείνοις μὲν γὰρ τὰ τῆς φιλανθρωπίας ἅπαντα πρὸς τοὺς ὁμοφύλους ἦν. Ἡ δὲ τῆς χάριτος φιλανθρωπία, γῆν ὁμοῦ καὶ θάλατταν ἐπὶ τὴν τῆς ἐλεημοσύνης μετάληψιν καλεῖ, καὶ πλείονα πρὸς τοὺς οἰκείους τὴν σπουδὴν ἐπιδείκνυται. Ἴδετε πηλίκοις ὑμῖν γράμμασιν ἔγραψα τῇ ἐμῇ χειρί. Πάντα δέχεσθαι τὸν λόγον αὐτοῦ παραινεῖ, καὶ τὸ μέγεθος τῶν δογμάτων, διὰ τὸ, πηλίκοις, εἰπεῖν, 95.820 κατασημάνας, καὶ τὸ, τῇ ἐμῇ χειρί· καὶ ἄλλο καὶ διὰ τούτου δηλοῦται. Ποῖον; Ἐπειδὴ συκοφαντοῦντες αὐτὸν ἔλεγον περιτομὴν αὐτὸν καταγγέλλειν, καὶ ὑποκρίνεσθαι, ὡς οὐ καταγγέλλει, διὰ τοῦτο ἠναγκάσθη ἰδιόγραφον ποιήσασθαι τὴν ἐπιστολὴν, μαρτυρίαν ἔγγραφον ἀποθέμενος. Ὅσοι θέλουσιν εὐπροσωπῆσαι ἐν σαρκὶ, οὗτοι ἀναγκάζουσιν ὑμᾶς περιτέμνεσθαι. ∆είκνυσι κἀκείνους διὰ φιλοδοξίαν μόνον ποιουμένους τὸ κήρυγμα, οὐ δι' αὐτὸ τὸ οὕτως ὀφεῖλον γενέσθαι. Μόνον ἵνα μὴ τῷ σταυρῷ τοῦ Χριστοῦ διώκωνται. Ἑτέρα πάλιν αἰτία τοῦ μὴ ἀπὸ γνώμης κηρύττειν αὐτοὺς, τὸ μὴ διώκεσθαι παρὰ τῶν Ἰουδαίων αὐτούς· τὸ δὲ κατὰ φόβον, ἢ κατὰ κενοδοξίαν γινόμενον, τοῦτο οὐχ ὡς ὀφειλόμενον πράττεται. Οὐκοῦν εἰ καὶ κηρύσσεται περιτομὴ παρ' αὐτῶν, οὐχ ὡς ἀναγκαία κηρύσσεται. Οὐδὲ γὰρ οἱ περιτεμνόμενοι, αὐτοὶ νόμον φυλάσσουσιν, ἀλλὰ θέλουσιν ὑμᾶς περιτέμνεσθαι. Ἀπόδειξις τοῦ μὴ κατὰ γνώμην κηρύσσειν αὐτοὺς, τὸ μὴ φυλάττειν αὐτοὺς ταῦτα ἃ κηρύσσουσιν. Ἵνα ἐν τῇ ὑμετέρᾳ σαρκὶ καυχήσωνται. Μαθητὰς ἔχοντες, καὶ ὄντες διδάσκαλοι. Ἐμοὶ δὲ μὴ γένοιτο καυχᾶσθαι, εἰ μὴ ἐν τῷ σταυρῷ τοῦ Κυρίου ἡμῶν Ἰησοῦ Χριστοῦ. Τί ἐστι τὸ καύχημα τοῦ σταυροῦ; ὅτι ὁ Χριστὸς δούλου μορφὴν ἔλαβεν, καὶ ἔπαθεν, ἅπερ ἔπαθεν δι' ἐμὲ τὸν δοῦλον, τὸν ἐχθρὸν, τὸν ἄφρονα· οὕτω με ἠγάπησεν, ὡς ἑαυτὸν ἐκδοῦναι. ∆ι' οὗ ἐμοὶ κόσμος ἐσταύρωται. Κόσμον, τὰ βιωτικὰ πράγματά φησιν· τὸν ἔπαινον τὸν παρὰ ἀνθρώπων, τὴν δορυφορίαν, τὴν δόξαν. Ταῦτα, φησὶν, ἐμοὶ νεκρὰ γέγονε, τὰ οὕτω λαμπρὰ καὶ