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conduct yourselves, that whether I come and see you, or am absent, I may hear of your affairs. Having testified to their great progress, he gently restrains them, so that they might not be puffed up hearing that they had made progress. And he restrains them, exhorting them to practice a manner of life worthy of the Gospel. That you stand firm in one spirit, with one mind striving together for the faith of the Gospel, and in nothing terrified by your adversaries, which is to them an evident token of perdition, Having told them to conduct themselves in a manner worthy of the Gospel, he also speaks of the kind of conduct. This is what is genuine concerning the faith. For otherwise you cannot become one spirit, except in this way; then also to have one soul. This is a proof of exceeding love. And he says that the prize from these things is great. And what is this, but that they become athletes for the Gospel? For there were many adversaries from the circumcision. but to us of salvation, and that from God; because to you it has been granted for Christ’s sake, not only to believe in Him, but also to suffer for His sake. See again how gently he restrains. For having said that you are athletes for the Gospel, he added that this very thing comes from God; and this was granted to you, to suffer for His sake. This, he says, not dissolving the things of the mind, nor the things of purpose; for I must have a good purpose, but to consider all good things to be from God. For not I, but the grace which is with me. Having the same conflict which you saw in me, and now hear to be in me. Two useful things are here, both not to be exalted as being the only athletes, since indeed they strive in imitation of him. And not to be fainthearted at his bonds, and at the expectation of death, since indeed he exhorts them to imitate him. But see how great Paul's anxiety is for his disciples, that even when they succeed, and when they are afraid, he is anxious; when they succeed, because of pride, and when they are afraid, because of the drawing back that comes from cowardice.

CHAPTER 2. If therefore there is any encouragement in Christ, if any consolation of love, if any fellowship

of the Spirit, if any affection and mercy, fulfill my joy, that you be of the same mind, having the same love, being of one accord, of one mind. 95.865 Being about to exhort them to be of the same faith and of the same mind, he, as if by an oath, takes possession of their souls beforehand, almost saying: I adjure you by the very encouragement with which Christ encouraged us, and by the love, and by the fellowship of the Spirit, by the very affections, by the very mercies of God, fulfill my joy. And this is it, that you be of the same faith and of the same mind. Do nothing from selfish ambition or conceit, but in humility count others more significant than yourselves. For this is what especially creates heresies, strife and conceit. Let each of you look not only to his own interests, but also to the interests of others. Do not consider this, he says, how you may be called a teacher and someone great, but how you may not cause your brother to stumble. For let this mind be in you, which was also in Christ Jesus, who, being in the form of God, did not consider it robbery to be equal with God, but emptied Himself, taking the form of a servant, being made in the likeness of men, and being found in appearance as a man. He humbled Himself, becoming obedient unto death, even death on a cross. Therefore God also has highly exalted Him, and given Him the name which is above every name, that at the name of Jesus Christ every knee should bow, of things in heaven, and things in earth, and things under the earth, and that every tongue should confess that Jesus Christ is Lord. His discourse was about humility, even if it touches upon dogma. But see how great the precision of the dogma is. That Christ is also equal to the Father, and that He emptied Himself, and that He became man, and that He did so willingly. For lest anyone hearing that He became obedient to the Father should think that a necessity was imposed upon Him, as from a greater to a lesser, for this reason he often attaches the word "Himself," He emptied Himself

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πολιτεύεσθε, ἵνα εἴτε ἐλθὼν καὶ ἰδὼν ὑμᾶς, εἴτε ἀπὼν, ἀκούσω τὰ περὶ ὑμῶν. Μαρτυρήσας αὐτοῖς πολλὴν προκοπὴν, ἠρέμα καταστέλλει αὐτοὺς, ἵνα μὴ φυσηθῶσιν ἀκούσαντες, ὡς προέκοψαν. Καταστέλλει δὲ, ἀξίαν αὐτοὺς τοῦ Εὐαγγελίου πολιτείαν ἐπιτηδεύειν παραινῶν. Ὅτι στήκετε ἐν ἑνὶ πνεύματι, μιᾷ ψυχῇ συναθλοῦντες τῇ πίστει τοῦ Εὐαγγελίου, καὶ μὴ πτυρόμενοι ἐν μηδενὶ ὑπὸ τῶν ἀντικειμένων, ἥ τις αὐτοῖς μέν ἐστιν ἔνδειξις ἀπωλείας, Εἰπὼν αὐτοῖς ἀξίους τοῦ Εὐαγγελίου πολιτεύεσθαι, λέγει καὶ τὸ εἶδος τῆς πολιτείας. Τοῦτο δέ ἐστι τὸ περὶ τὴν πίστιν γνήσιον. Ἄλλως γὰρ οὐ δύνασθε ἓν πνεῦμα γενέσθαι, ἢ οὕτως· ἔπειτα τὸ καὶ μίαν ἔχειν ψυχήν. Τοῦτο δὲ ὑπερβαλλούσης ἀγάπης ἀπόδειξις. Μέγαν δὲ λέγει εἶναι τὸν ἐκ τούτων ἆθλον. Καὶ ποῖον τοῦτο, ἢ τὸ ἀθλητὰς αὐτοὺς γενέσθαι ὑπὲρ τοῦ Εὐαγγελίου; Ἦσαν γὰρ πολλοὶ οἱ ἀντικείμενοι οἱ τῆς περιτομῆς. Ἡμῖν δὲ σωτηρίας, καὶ τοῦτο ἀπὸ Θεοῦ· ὅτι ὑμῖν ἐχαρίσθη τὸ ὑπὲρ Χριστοῦ, οὐ μόνον τὸ εἰς αὐτὸν πιστεύειν, ἀλλὰ καὶ τὸ ὑπὲρ αὐτοῦ πάσχειν. Ὅρα πάλιν ὡς ἠρέμα καταστέλλει. Εἰπὼν γὰρ ὅτι ἀθληταί ἐστε ὑπὲρ τοῦ Εὐαγγελίου, ἐπήγαγεν ὅτι αὐτὸ τοῦτο ἀπὸ Θεοῦ ἔρχεται· καὶ τοῦτο ὑμῖν ἐχαρίσθη τὸ πάσχειν ὑπὲρ αὐτοῦ. Τοῦτο δὲ, φησὶν, οὐ τὰ τοῦ φρονήματος διαλύων, οὐ τὰ τῆς προθέσεως· δεῖ γὰρ ἀγαθήν με ἔχειν πρόθεσιν, πάντα δὲ ἀγαθὰ ἡγεῖσθαι ἐκ Θεοῦ. Οὐκ ἐγὼ γὰρ, ἀλλ' ἡ χάρις ἡ σὺν ἐμοί. Τὸν αὐτὸν ἀγῶνα ἔχοντες, οἷον εἴδετε ἐν ἐμοὶ, καὶ νῦν ἀκούετε ἐν ἐμοί. ∆ύο χρήσιμα ἐνταῦθά ἐστι, καὶ τὸ μὴ ὑψοῦσθαι ὡς μόνους ἀθλητὰς, ὅπου γε κατὰ μίμησιν αὐτοῦ ἀθλοῦσι. Καὶ τοῦ μὴ δειλιᾷν ἐπὶ τοῖς δεσμοῖς, καὶ τῇ προσδοκίᾳ τοῦ θανάτου, ὅπου γε καὶ μιμεῖσθαι αὐτοὺς ἑαυτὸν παρακελεύεται. Ὅρα δὲ πόση ἀγωνία τῷ Παύλῳ περὶ τῶν μαθητῶν, ὡς καὶ κατορθούντων αὐτῶν, καὶ δεδιότων, ἀγωνιᾷν· κατορθούντων μὲν διὰ τὸ ὕψωμα, δεδιότων δὲ, διὰ τὴν τῆς δειλίας γενομένην ὑποστολήν.

ΚΕΦΑΛ. Βʹ. Εἴ τις οὖν παράκλησιν ἐν Χριστῷ, εἴ τι παραμύθιον ἀγάπης, εἴ τις κοινωνία

πνεύματος, εἴ τις σπλάγχνα καὶ οἰκτιρμοὶ, πληρώσατέ μου τὴν χαρὰν, ἵνα τὸ αὐτὸ φρονῆτε, τὴν αὐτὴν ἀγάπην ἔχοντες, σύμψυχοι, τὸ ἓν φρονοῦντες. 95.865 Μέλλων αὐτοῖς παραινεῖν ὁμοπίστοις εἶναι καὶ ὁμοψύχοις, ὥσπερ ὅρκῳ αὐτῶν προκαταλαμβάνει τὰς ψυχὰς, μονονουχὶ λέγων· πρὸς αὐτῆς τῆς παρακλήσεως ὑμᾶς ὁρκίζω, ἧς παρεκάλεσεν ἡμᾶς ὁ Χριστὸς, καὶ τῆς ἀγάπης, καὶ τῆς κοινωνίας τοῦ Πνεύματος, πρὸς αὐτῶν τῶν σπλάγχνων, πρὸς αὐτῶν τῶν οἰκτιρμῶν τοῦ Θεοῦ, πληρώσατέ μου τὴν χαράν. Αὕτη δέ ἐστι τὸ, ὁμοπίστους ὑμᾶς εἶναι καὶ ὁμοψύχους. Μηδὲν κατὰ ἐρίθειαν ἢ κενοδοξίαν, ἀλλὰ τῇ ταπεινοφροσύνῃ, ἀλλήλους ἡγούμενοι ὑπερέχοντας ἑαυτῶν. Τοῦτο γάρ ἐστι μάλιστα τὸ τὰς αἱρέσεις ποιοῦν, ἔρις καὶ κενοδοξία. Μὴ τὰ ἑαυτῶν ἕκαστος σκοπεῖτε, ἀλλὰ καὶ τὰ ἑτέρων ἕκαστος. Μὴ τοῦτο σκόπει, φησὶν, ὅπως διδάσκαλος καὶ μέγας τις ὀνομασθῇς, ἀλλ' ὅπως μὴ σκανδαλίσῃς τὸν ἀδελφόν. Τοῦτο γὰρ φρονείσθω ἐν ὑμῖν, ὃ καὶ ἐν Χριστῷ Ἰησοῦ, ὃς ἐν μορφῇ Θεοῦ ὑπάρχων, οὐχ ἁρπαγμὸν ἡγήσατο τὸ εἶναι ἶσα Θεῷ, ἀλλ' ἑαυτὸν ἐκένωσε, μορφὴν δούλου λαβὼν, ἐν ὁμοιώματι ἀνθρώπων γενόμενος, καὶ σχήματι εὑρεθεὶς ὡς ἄνθρωπος. Ἐταπείνωσεν ἑαυτὸν, γενόμενος ὑπήκοος μέχρι θανάτου, θανάτου δὲ σταυροῦ. ∆ιὸ καὶ ὁ Θεὸς αὐτὸν ὑπερύψωσε, καὶ ἐχαρίσατο αὐτῷ ὄνομα τὸ ὑπὲρ πᾶν ὄνομα, ἵνα ἐν τῷ ὀνόματι Ἰησοῦ Χριστοῦ πᾶν γόνυ κάμψῃ, τῶν ἐπουρανίων, καὶ ἐπιγείων, καὶ καταχθονίων, καὶ πᾶσα γλῶσσα ἐξομολογήσηται, ὅτι Κύριος Ἰησοῦς Χριστός. Περὶ ταπεινοφροσύνης ἦν αὐτῷ ὁ λόγος, εἰ καὶ δόγματος ἅπτεται. Ὅρα δὲ πόση ἀκρίβεια τοῦ δόγματος. Ὅτι καὶ ἴσος τῷ Πατρὶ ὁ Χριστὸς, καὶ ὅτι ἑαυτὸν ἐκένωσε, καὶ ὅτι ἄνθρωπος γέγονε, καὶ ὅτι ἑκών. Ἵνα γὰρ μή τις ἀκούσας ὡς ὑπήκοος γέγονε τῷ Πατρὶ, ἀνάγκην νομίσῃ ἐπενέχθαι αὐτῷ, ὡς ἀπὸ μείζονος πρὸς ἐλάττονα, τούτου χάριν πολλαχοῦ τὸ, ἑαυτὸν, προσάπτει, ἑαυτὸν ἐκένωσε