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of their mind, being darkened in their understanding, being alienated from the life of God, because of the ignorance that is in them, because of the hardness of their heart. Who, being past feeling, have given themselves over to licentiousness, for the working of all uncleanness. As upon Christ a witness he says, to remember the calling to sanctification, and not to run back to the life before the calling, which has no purpose, nor end, but is carried along in vain. With greediness. But you did not so learn Christ. Greediness is a necessary consequence of the love of the flesh, because of wanting to have so much, from which they will spend on pleasures. If indeed you have heard him, and have been taught by him, as the truth is in Jesus: That you put off concerning the former conduct the old man, which is corrupt according to the deceitful lusts. And be renewed in the spirit of your mind, and that you put on the new man, which after God is created in righteousness and true holiness. Wherefore putting away lying, speak every man truth with his neighbour: for we are members one of another. He says this, since they had not been taught by him, but by John the evangelist. Therefore the teaching that has already come to you says, if indeed it has come in truth according to Christ, it does not permit the pleasure-loving life and the life in ignorance, which has nothing good, nor true. For he who has learned according to Christ, has learned the good and the true, being taught to change the oldness of the life in the flesh into the newness that is in the Spirit. 95.845 Be angry, and do not sin: let not the sun go down upon your wrath. Neither give place to the devil. Let him that stole steal no more: but rather let him labour, working with his hands the thing which is good, that he may have to give to him that needeth. Let no harsh word proceed out of your mouth, but if any is good, for the edification of need, that it may give grace unto the hearers. Even if he should fall into anger, he says, let it not prevail unto sinning, but even before a second day comes, let it cease. For if these things prevail in you, being teachings of the devil, the teacher will enter in through his own teachings. And grieve not the holy Spirit of God, whereby ye are sealed unto the day of redemption. The Spirit will turn away from you, he says, as if grieved, because, just as it was given to you in a sealing for union, it does not find those who have received the grace to escape the punishment of corruption fit for union. Let all bitterness, and wrath, and anger, and blasphemy, be put away from you, with all malice. And be kind to one another, tenderhearted, forgiving yourselves, even as God also forgave. Those things which are, he says, of carnal ignorance, let him who is being built up spiritually leave them behind.

CHAPTER 5. Be ye therefore followers of God, as dear children; and walk in love,

as Christ also hath loved us, and hath given himself for us an offering and a sacrifice to God for a sweetsmelling savour. It is necessary, he says, to imitate God in forgiving those who sin against us, so that we may be imitators of God. But death, he did not call death, but an offering to God; for the Lord was not the spoil of death, but took captive to life those in death, nor was he held by death, but was with God, and was then acceptable and precious, and a most fragrant gift on behalf of the whole world according to holiness. But fornication, and all uncleanness, or covetousness, let it not be once named among you, as becometh saints; Neither filthiness, nor foolish talking, nor jesting, which are not convenient: but rather giving of thanks. Having gone through the things that are profitable for one another, he adds that which is sober and pure for each one individually. Not even here using the measure of the law, but beyond it. For there it is said, 'there shall not be a male prostitute, nor a female prostitute'; but here, 'let it not even be named, or heard.' 95.848 For this you are

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τοῦ νοὸς αὐτῶν, ἐσκοτισμένοι τῇ διανοίᾳ, ὄντες ἀπηλλοτριωμένοι τῆς ζωῆς τοῦ Θεοῦ, διὰ τὴν ἄγνοιαν τὴν οὖσαν ἐν αὐτοῖς, διὰ τὴν πώρωσιν τῆς καρδίας αὐτῶν. Οἵ τινες ἀπηλγηκότες, ἑαυτοὺς παρέδωκαν τῇ ἀσελγείᾳ εἰς ἐργασίαν ἀκαθαρσίας πάσης. Ὡς ἐπὶ Χριστοῦ μάρτυρος λέγει, τὸ μεμνῆσθαι τῆς κλήσεως τῆς ἐπὶ ἁγιασμὸν, καὶ μὴ ἀνατρέχειν εἰς τὸν πρὸ κλήσεως βίον, τὸν οὐκ ἔχοντα σκοπὸν, οὐδὲ τέλος, ἀλλὰ ματαίως φερόμενον. Ἐν πλεονεξίᾳ. Ὑμεῖς δὲ οὐχ οὕτως ἐμάθετε τὸν Χριστόν. Πλεονεξία φιλοσαρκίας ἐστὶν ἀναγκαῖον παρακολούθημα, διὰ τὸ τοσοῦτον ἐθέλειν ἔχειν, πόθεν εἰς τὰς ἡδονὰς ἀναλώσουσιν. Εἴ γε αὐτὸν ἠκούσατε, καὶ ἐν αὐτῷ ἐδιδάχθητε, καθώς ἐστιν ἀλήθεια ἐν τῷ Ἰησοῦ, ἀποθέσθαι ὑμᾶς κατὰ τὴν προτέραν ἀναστροφὴν τὸν παλαιὸν ἄνθρωπον, τὸν φθειρόμενον κατὰ τὰς ἐπιθυμίας τῆς ἀπάτης. Ἀνανεοῦσθαι δὲ τῷ πνεύματι τοῦ νοὸς ὑμῶν, καὶ ἐνδύσασθαι τὸν καινὸν ἄνθρωπον, τὸν κατὰ Θεὸν κτισθέντα ἐν δικαιοσύνῃ, καὶ ὁσιότητι τῆς ἀληθείας. ∆ιὸ ἀποθέμενοι τὸ ψεῦδος, λαλεῖτε ἀλήθειαν ἕκαστος μετὰ τοῦ πλησίον αὐτοῦ, ὅτι ἐσμὲν ἀλλήλων μέλη. Τοῦτό φησιν, ἐπειδὴ οὐ παρ' αὐτοῦ διδαχθέντες ἦσαν, ἀλλὰ παρὰ τοῦ Ἰωάννου τοῦ εὐαγγελιστοῦ. Λέγει οὖν ἤδη πρὸς ὑμᾶς ἐλθοῦσα διδασκαλία, εἴπερ ἦλθεν τῷ ὄντι κατὰ Χριστὸν, οὐ τὴν φιλήδονον, καὶ τὴν ἐν ἀγνοίᾳ ζωὴν ἐπιτρέπει, ἥτις οὐδὲν ἀγαθὸν ἔχει, οὐδὲ ἀληθές. Ὁ γὰρ κατὰ Χριστὸν μαθὼν, τὸ ἀγαθὸν μεμάθηκε καὶ τὸ ἀληθὲς, τὴν ἐν σαρκικῷ βίῳ παλαίωσιν μεταβάλλειν διδασκόμενος εἰς καινότητα τὴν ἐν Πνεύματι. 95.845 Ὀργίζεσθε, καὶ μὴ ἁμαρτάνετε· ὁ ἥλιος μὴ ἐπιδυέτω ἐπὶ τῷ παροργισμῷ ὑμῶν. Μηδὲ δίδοτε τόπον τῷ διαβόλῳ. Ὁ κλέπτων, μηκέτι κλεπτέτω, μᾶλλον δὲ κοπιάτω, ἐργαζόμενος τὸ ἀγαθὸν ταῖς χερσὶν, ἵνα ἔχῃ μεταδιδόναι τῷ χρείαν ἔχοντι. Πᾶς λόγος σκληρὸς ἐκ τοῦ στόματος ὑμῶν μὴ ἐκπορευέσθω, ἀλλ' εἴ τις ἀγαθὸς, πρὸς οἰκοδομὴν τῆς χρείας, ἵνα δῷ χάριν τοῖς ἀκούουσιν. Εἰ καὶ ὀργῇ προσπέσοι, φησὶ, μὴ εἰς τὸ ἁμαρτάνειν ἐπικρατείτω, ἀλλὰ καὶ πρὸ τοῦ ἡμέραν ἐπιστῆναι δευτέραν, παυέσθω. Ἐὰν γὰρ ταῦτα ἐν ὑμῖν κρατῇ, διαβόλου διδάγματα ὄντα, ὁ διδάσκαλος διὰ τῶν ἰδίων αὐτοῦ διδαγμάτων ἐπεισελεύσεται. Καὶ μὴ λυπεῖτε τὸ Πνεῦμα τοῦ Θεοῦ, ἐν ᾧ ἐσφραγίσθητε εἰς ἡμέραν ἀπολυτρώσεως. Τὸ Πνεῦμα ὑμᾶς ἀποστραφήσεται, φησὶ, καθάπερ λυπούμενον, ὅτι ὥσπερ ἐν σφραγισμῷ δοθὲν ὑμῖν εἰς ἕνωσιν, οὐκ ἐπιτηδείους πρὸς ἕνωσιν εὑρίσκει τοὺς δεδεγμένους τὴν χάριν εἰς τὸ διαφυγεῖν τὴν κόλασιν τῆς διαφθορᾶς. Πᾶσα πικρία, καὶ θυμὸς, καὶ ὀργὴ, καὶ βλασφημία ἀρθήτω ἀφ' ὑμῶν σὺν πάσῃ κακίᾳ. Γίνεσθε δὲ εἰς ἀλλήλους χρηστοὶ, εὔσπλαγχνοι, χαριζόμενοι ἑαυτοῖς, καθὼς καὶ ὁ Θεὸς ἐχαρίσατο. Ἅπερ ἐστὶ, φησὶ, τῆς σαρκικῆς ἀγνωσίας, ταῦτα ἀπολειπέτω ὁ κατασκευαζόμενος πνευματικῶς.

ΚΕΦΑΛ. Εʹ. Γίνεσθε οὖν μιμηταὶ τοῦ Θεοῦ, ὡς τέκνα ἀγαπητὰ, καὶ περιπατεῖτε ἐν ἀγάπῃ,

καθὼς ὁ Χριστὸς ἠγάπησεν ἡμᾶς, καὶ παρέδωκεν ἑαυτὸν ὑπὲρ ἡμῶν προσφορὰν καὶ θυσίαν τῷ Θεῷ εἰς ὀσμὴν εὐωδίας. ∆εῖ, φησὶ, μιμεῖσθαι Θεὸν εἰς τὸ χαρίζεσθαι τοῖς ἁμαρτάνουσιν εἰς ἡμᾶς, ἵνα ὦμεν μιμηταὶ Θεοῦ. Τὸν δὲ θάνατον, οὐ θάνατον ὠνόμασεν, ἀλλὰ Θεοῦ προσφοράν· οὐ γὰρ ἦν θανάτου σκῦλον ὁ Κύριος, ἀλλὰ αἰχμαλωτίζων εἰς ζωὴν τοὺς ἐν θανάτῳ, οὐδὲ ὑπὸ θανάτου κατεχόμενος, ἀλλὰ παρὰ Θεῷ, καὶ τότε ὢν δεκτὸς καὶ τίμιος, καὶ δῶρον ὑπὲρ κόσμου παντὸς εὐωδέστατον κατὰ τὴν ἁγιότητα. Πορνεία δὲ, καὶ πᾶσα ἀκαθαρσία, ἢ πλεονεξία μηδὲ ὀνομαζέσθω ἐν ὑμῖν, καθὼς πρέπει ἁγίοις, καὶ αἰσχρότης, καὶ μωρολογία, καὶ εὐτραπελία, τὰ οὐκ ἀνήκοντα, ἀλλὰ μᾶλλον εὐχαριστία. Τὰ πρὸς ἀλλήλους ὠφέλιμα διελθὼν, τὸ καθ' ἑαυτὸν ἑκάστου σῶφρον καὶ καθαρὸν ἐπιφέρει. Οὐδὲ ἐνταῦθα τοῦ νόμου μέτρῳ χρώμενος, ἀλλ' ὑπὲρ τοῦτο. Ἐκεῖ μὲν γὰρ τὸ, οὐκ ἔσται πορνεύων, οὐδὲ πορνεύουσα· λέγεται, ἐνταῦθα δὲ τὸ, μηδὲ ὀνομαζέσθω, ἢ ἀκουέσθω. 95.848 Τοῦτο γάρ ἐστε