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in the heavens. Now I want you to know, brothers, that what has happened to me has really served to advance the Gospel, so that my chains have become known throughout the whole praetorium and to all the rest, and most of the brothers in the Lord, having become confident by my chains, are much more bold to speak the word without fear. He writes the epistle to them from Rome while they are in much discouragement because of his bonds. Concerning which bonds he so dissuades them from being grieved, as even to have them feel great joy, teaching through them that through them the preaching increases, and error is driven out. Some indeed preach Christ even from envy and strife, but some also from good will. The enemies of the preaching, when the Apostle was bound for preaching Jesus, wishing to incite Nero more, they themselves also preached Jesus, and the opposite of what they wanted to do happened to them. For wanting to destroy the preaching, they increased it more, even if they did not preach purely, that is from the heart, being zealous for this very thing, not for people to learn the truth, but to stir up affliction for the Apostle. The one group proclaims Christ out of selfish ambition, not sincerely, supposing to add affliction to my chains; but the other out of love, knowing that I am appointed for the defense of the Gospel. What then? Only that in every way, whether in pretense or in truth, Christ is preached. As many as preach purely, he says, do this, being confident in my defense. For they knew that the defense made by the Apostle would be a common one on their behalf. 95.861 I rejoice; in this I rejoice, and I will rejoice. For I know that this will turn out for my salvation through your prayer and the supply of the Spirit of Jesus Christ, according to my earnest expectation and hope. So far am I, he says, from grieving over my chains and the coming defense, not only for what I preach, but also for what they preach, that I even consider the matter a joy. For it will turn out for our salvation; and immediately he introduces humility through their prayer and the supply of the Spirit, saying that this salvation comes to him in this way. That in nothing I shall be ashamed, but with all boldness, as always, so now also Christ will be magnified in my body. That is, not out of fear of chains, nor of the defense, nor of death itself, will I betray the preaching. Whether by life or by death. Whether I live, he says, I will advance the preaching, or if I die, again Christ is glorified, because his preaching had such servants as to despise even death itself. For to me, to live is Christ. See by how many means he leads them away from grief: first, by not being ashamed; second, by Christ being magnified; third, by choosing to live for Christ alone, in order to fulfill his ministry. And to die is gain. Do not grieve, he says, over my chains. For to die for Christ is itself the greatest gain. But if I live in the flesh, this is the fruit of my labor. Yet what I shall choose I do not know. For I am hard-pressed between the two, having a desire He elaborates on what was said before, and as it were interprets what "for me to live is Christ" means; he says, therefore, that to live this life as Christ is nothing other than spiritual labor, for which a fruit is owed to me. To depart and be with Christ, which is far better; but to remain in the flesh is more necessary for you. And being confident of this, I know that I shall remain and continue with you all. And even now he was with Christ, according to the verse, "If you seek a proof of Christ speaking in me." But not in the same way as then. For now, he says, we see in a mirror, dimly, but then face to face. For your progress and joy of faith, that your boasting may abound in Christ Jesus in me through my coming to you again. See again how much good work he attests to them. For he who makes progress, progresses by walking. 95.864 But where do they make progress, if not into the joy of faith? And he who makes progress in this, he says, will boast in Christ. Only in a manner worthy of the Gospel of Christ

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ἐν τοῖς οὐρανοῖς. Γινώσκειν δὲ ὑμᾶς βούλομαι, ἀδελφοὶ, ὅτι τὰ κατ' ἐμὲ, μᾶλλον εἰς προκοπὴν τοῦ Εὐαγγελίου ἐλήλυθεν, ὥστε τοὺς δεσμούς μου φανεροὺς γενέσθαι ἐν ὅλῳ τῷ πραιτορίῳ καὶ τοῖς λοιποῖς πᾶσιν, καὶ τοὺς πλείονας τῶν ἀδελφῶν ἐν Κυρίῳ πεποιθότας τοῖς δεσμοῖς μου, περισσοτέρως τολμᾷν ἀφόβως τὸν λόγον λαλεῖν. Γράφει μὲν αὐτοῖς τὴν ἐπιστολὴν ἀπὸ Ῥώμης ἐν πολλῇ οὖσιν ἀθυμίᾳ διὰ τὰ δεσμά. Ἐφ' οἷς δεσμοῖς τοσοῦτον ἀποτρέπει τοῦ λυπεῖσθαι, ὡς καὶ χαρὰν μεγάλην αὐτοὺς ἔχειν, διδάσκειν δι' αὐτὰ, ὅτι δι' αὐτῶν πλεονάζει τὸ κήρυγμα, καὶ ἡ πλάνη ἐξορίζεται. Τινὲς μὲν καὶ διὰ φθόνον καὶ ἔριν, τινὲς δὲ δι' εὐδοκίαν τὸν Χριστὸν κηρύσσουσιν. Οἱ ἐχθροὶ τοῦ κηρύγματος, δεθέντος τοῦ Ἀποστόλου διὰ τὸ κηρύσσειν τὸν Ἰησοῦν, βουλόμενοι πλέον κινῆσαι τὸν Νέρωνα, καὶ αὐτοὶ ἐκήρυττον τὸν Ἰησοῦν, καὶ συνέβαινεν αὐτοῖς τὸ ἐναντίον οὗ ἐβούλοντο ποιεῖν. Θέλοντες γὰρ καταλύσαι τὸ κήρυγμα, ηὔξανον μᾶλλον, εἰ καὶ οὐχ ἁγνῶς ἐκήρυσσον, τουτέστιν ἀπὸ καρδίας, καὶ αὐτὸ τοῦτο σπουδάζοντες, οὐ τὸ μαθεῖν ἀνθρώπους τὴν ἀλήθειαν, ἀλλὰ διὰ τὸ ἐγείρειν θλίψιν τῷ Ἀποστόλῳ. Οἱ μὲν ἐξ ἐριθείας τὸν Χριστὸν καταγγέλλουσιν, οὐχ ἁγνῶς, οἱ οἰόμενοι θλίψιν ἐπιφέρειν τοῖς δεσμοῖς μου· οἱ δὲ ἐξ ἀγάπης, εἰδότες ὅτι εἰς ἀπολογίαν τοῦ Εὐαγγελίου κεῖμαι. Τί γάρ; Πλὴν παντὶ τρόπῳ, εἴτε προφάσει, εἴτε ἀληθείᾳ Χριστὸς καταγγέλλεται. Ὅσοι ἁγνῶς, φησὶ, κηρύττουσι, θαῤῥοῦντες τῇ ἐμῇ ἀπολογίᾳ τοῦτο ποιοῦσιν. Ἤδεσαν γὰρ ὡς κοινὴ ἔσται ὑπὲρ αὐτῶν ἀπολογία ἡ παρὰ τοῦ Ἀποστόλου γινομένη. 95.861 Χαίρω· ἐν τούτῳ χαίρω, ἀλλὰ καὶ χαρήσομαι. Οἶδα γὰρ ὅτι τοῦτό μοι ἀποβήσεται εἰς σωτηρίαν διὰ τῆς ὑμῶν δεήσεως, καὶ ἐπιχορηγίας τοῦ Πνεύματος Ἰησοῦ Χριστοῦ, κατὰ τὴν ἀποκαραδοκίαν καὶ ἐλπίδα μου. Τοσοῦτον ἀπέχω, φησὶ, τοῦ ἀλγεῖν ἐπὶ τοῖς δεσμοῖς καὶ τῇ μελλούσῃ ἀπολογίᾳ, οὐ μόνον τῇ ὑπὲρ ὧν ἐγὼ κηρύσσω, ἀλλὰ καὶ ὑπὲρ ὧν ἐκεῖνοι, ὥστε καὶ χαρὰν ἡγοῦμαι τὸ πρᾶγμα. Ἀποβήσεται γὰρ ἡμῖν εἰς σωτηρίαν· καὶ εὐθέως εἰσάγει τὸ μέτριον διὰ τῆς αὐτῶν δεήσεως καὶ χορηγίας τοῦ Πνεύματος, ταύτην αὐτῷ γίνεσθαι λέγων τὴν σωτηρίαν. Ὅτι ἐν οὐδενὶ αἰσχυνθήσομαι, ἀλλ' ἐν πάσᾳ παῤῥησίᾳ, ὡς πάντοτε καὶ νῦν μεγαλυνθήσεται Χριστὸς ἐν τῷ σώματί μου. Τουτέστιν, οὐ φόβῳ τῶν δεσμῶν, οὐ τῆς ἀπολογίας, οὐκ αὐτοῦ τοῦ θανάτου, προδώσω τὸ κήρυγμα. Εἴτε διὰ ζωῆς, εἴτε διὰ θανάτου. Κἂν ζῶ, φησὶ, πλεονάσω τῷ κηρύγματι, κἂν ἀποθάνω, πάλιν δοξάζεται Χριστὸς, ὅτι τοιούτους ἔσχε τοὺς ὑπηρέτας τὸ αὐτοῦ κήρυγμα, ὡς καὶ αὐτοῦ καταφρονῆσαι τοῦ θανάτου. Ἐμοὶ γὰρ τὸ ζῇν Χριστός. Βλέπε διὰ πόσων ἀπάγει αὐτοὺς τῆς λύπης. πρώτου μὲν, τοῦ μὴ αἰσχύνεσθαι· δευτέρου, τοῦ μεγαλύνεσθαι [διὰ] τὸν Χριστόν· τρίτου, τοῦ διὰ Χριστὸν μόνον αἱρεῖσθαι τὸ ζῇν, ἵνα τὴν διακονίαν αὐτοῦ πληρώσῃ. Καὶ τὸ ἀποθανεῖν κέρδος. Μὴ ἀλγεῖτε, φησὶν, ἐπὶ τοῖς δεσμοῖς μου. Καὶ αὐτὸ γὰρ τὸ ἀποθανεῖν ὑπὲρ τοῦ Χριστοῦ κέρδος μέγιστον. Εἰ δὲ τὸ ζῇν ἐν σαρκὶ, τοῦτό μοι καρπὸς ἔργου. Καὶ τί αἱρήσομαι οὐ γνωρίζω. Συνέχομαι δὲ ἐκ τῶν δύο, τὴν ἐπιθυμίαν ἔχων Ἐπεξεργάζεται τὰ προειρημένα, καὶ οἷον ἑρμηνεύει, ὅ τι ἐστὶ τὸ, ἐμοὶ ζῆν ὁ Χριστός· λέγει οὖν, ὡς τὸ ζῇν Χριστὸς ταύτην τὴν ζωὴν, οὐδὲν ἄλλο ἐστὶν, ἢ ἐργασία πνευματικὴ, ἧς ὀφείλεταί μοι καρπός. Εἰς τὸ ἀναλύσαι, καὶ σὺν Χριστῷ εἶναι, πολλῷ μᾶλλον κρεῖσσον· τὸ δὲ ἐπιμένειν ἐν τῇ σαρκὶ, ἀναγκαιότερον δι' ὑμᾶς. Καὶ τοῦτο πεποιθὼς οἶδα, ὅτι μενῶ καὶ συμπαραμενῶ πᾶσιν ὑμῖν. Καὶ νῦν μὲν ἦν μετὰ Χριστοῦ, κατὰ τὸ, Εἰ δοκιμὴν ζητεῖτε τοῦ ἐν ἐμοὶ λαλοῦντος Χριστοῦ. Ἀλλ' οὐχ οὕτως ὡς τότε. Νῦν μὲν γὰρ, φησὶν, ὁρῶμεν δι' ἐσόπτρου καὶ αἰνίγματος, τότε δὲ πρόσωπον πρὸς πρόσωπον. Εἰς τὴν ὑμῶν προκοπὴν καὶ χαρὰν τῆς πίστεως, ἵνα τὸ καύχημα ὑμῶν περισσεύῃ ἐν Χριστῷ Ἰησοῦ ἐν ἐμοὶ, διὰ τῆς ἐμῆς παρουσίας πάλιν πρὸς ὑμᾶς. Ὅρα πάλιν πόσην αὐτοῖς μαρτυρεῖ ἐργασίαν καλοῦ. Ὁ γὰρ προκόπτων, βαδίζων προκόπτει. 95.864 Ποῦ δὲ προκόπτουσιν, ἢ εἰς τὴν χαρὰν τῆς πίστεως; Ὁ δὲ εἰς ταύτην προκόπτων, καυχήσεται, φησὶν, ἐν Χριστῷ. Μόνον ἀξίως τοῦ Εὐαγγελίου τοῦ Χριστοῦ