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But I trust in the Lord. From this itself, he says, from the judgment. And this is the meaning: "I am considering," he says, "what will happen to me concerning the judgment, and so I am sending him to you." That I myself will also come shortly He knows through the Spirit that the matters concerning his first defense will be easy, and he will pass through both death and bonds; and that it happened this way, he declared in his letter to Timothy, saying, "At my first defense no one stood with me, but all forsook me. But the Lord stood with me, and I was delivered from the lion's mouth." But I thought it necessary to send to you Epaphroditus, my brother, and fellow worker, and fellow soldier, but your messenger and minister to my need, since he was longing to see you all. A great commendation concerning each of the disciples, where indeed he calls Epaphroditus a fellow worker and fellow soldier, and Timothy like-minded. And was distressed, because you had heard that he was sick. For indeed he was sick almost unto death, but God had mercy on him; and not on him only, but on me also. Epaphroditus had endured affliction in Philippi because of the preaching, and so much so that from the sufferings which he endured, he fell ill with a sickness unto death; And not only was he stoned, but also the Apostle. And this he made clear when writing to the Thessalonians: "For you yourselves know," he says, "beloved, our entrance 95.872 to you, that it was not in vain, but after we had suffered before and were shamefully treated, as you know, in Philippi." Therefore Epaphroditus was disheartened, because they had heard that on account of the preaching to them, so great a danger had surrounded him as to even come to the point of death. Lest I should have sorrow upon sorrow. Therefore I sent him the more eagerly, that when you see him again, you may rejoice, and that I may be the less sorrowful. Receive him therefore in the Lord with all gladness, and hold such men in honor; because for the work of Christ he came near to death, not regarding his life. He had, therefore, sorrow because of the perdition of his persecutors. He recovered, therefore, he says, so that in addition to that sorrow I might not have another, that of the death of the Apostle. And he was sorrowful, not because he was departing and would be with Christ, but because he had need of him in the preaching, just as indeed of himself; as he himself said: To remain in the flesh is more necessary for you. "You were not present," he says, "but you ministered to me through him, by sending him." That he might supply what was lacking in your service to me. "I have not yet," he says, "completed the service which I minister to you in the preaching. But I am lacking, because of the bonds for the sake of the preaching. This lack, therefore, the beloved Epaphroditus supplies." CHAPTER 3. Finally, my brethren, rejoice in the Lord. To write the same things to you is not tedious for me. And where is the joy for me, with him being in chains. But for you it is a safeguard. For he greatly secured their soul, teaching them not to be distressed by the bonds for the sake of the preaching. Beware of dogs; beware of evil workers. He means the rulers of the Jews, about whom it was written, "They are all dumb dogs, they cannot bark," and "dogs shameless in soul, not knowing satisfaction." Beware of the concision. For they only cut the flesh, being profited nothing by the deed; for circumcision is the seal of faith; but they do not believe. For why are they circumcised? Whose seal do they receive? Therefore, they are only mutilated. For we are the circumcision, who worship God in the spirit, and rejoice in Christ Jesus, and have no confidence in the flesh: though I might also have confidence in the flesh. Who cut off every worldly desire. For this 95.873 the Spirit of God has given us to do, and our boasting is in Christ. If any other man thinks that he has whereof he might trust in the flesh, I more. Circumcised the eighth day, of the stock of Israel, of the tribe of Benjamin, a Hebrew of the Hebrews; as touching the law, a Pharisee; concerning zeal, persecuting the church; touching the righteousness which is in the law, blameless. But what things were gain to me, those I counted loss for Christ. Yea doubtless, and I count all things but loss for the excellency of the knowledge of Christ Jesus my Lord: for whom I have suffered the loss of all things,

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Πέποιθα δὲ ἐν Κυρίῳ. Ἐξ αὐτῆς μὲν, τῆς κρίσεως λέγει. Ὁ δὲ νοῦς οὗτος· Σκοπῶ, φησὶν, οἷά μοι τὰ περὶ τὴν κρίσιν γενήσεται, καὶ οὕτως ὑμῖν αὐτὸν ἀποστέλλω. Ὅτι καὶ αὐτὸς ταχέως ἐλεύσομαι Οἶδεν διὰ τοῦ Πνεύματος, ὅτι τὰ περὶ τὴν πρώτην αὐτοῦ ἀπολογίαν ἔσται ῥᾴδια, καὶ διελεύσεται, καὶ τὸν θάνατον, καὶ τὰ δεσμά· καὶ ὅτι οὕτως ἐγένετο, ἐδήλωσεν ἐν τῇ πρὸς Τιμόθεον εἰπὼν, Ἐν τῇ πρώτῃ μου ἀπολογίᾳ οὐδείς μοι παρέστη, ἀλλὰ πάντες με ἐγκατέλιπον. Ὁ δὲ Κύριός μοι παρέστη, καὶ ἐῤῥύσθην ἐκ στόματος λέοντος. Ἀναγκαῖον δὲ ἡγησάμην Ἐπαφρόδιτον τὸν ἀδελφὸν, καὶ συνεργὸν, καὶ συστρατιώτην μου, ὑμῶν δὲ ἀπόστολον, καὶ λειτουργὸν τῆς χρείας μου, πέμψαι πρὸς ὑμᾶς, ἐπειδὴ ἐπιποθῶν ἦν πάντας ὑμᾶς ἰδεῖν. Μεγάλη σύστασις περὶ ἑκάστου τῶν μαθητῶν, ὅπου γε Ἐπαφρόδιτον μὲν συνεργὸν καὶ συστρατιώτην λέγει, Τιμόθεον δὲ ὁμόψυχον. Καὶ ἀδημονῶν, διότι ἠκούσατε ὅτι ἠσθένησε. Καὶ γὰρ ἠσθένησε παραπλήσιον θανάτῳ, ἀλλὰ Θεὸς αὐτὸν ἠλέησεν· οὐκ αὐτὸν δὲ μόνον, ἀλλὰ καὶ ἐμέ. Ὁ Ἐπαφρόδιτος θλίψιν ἦν ὑπομείνας ἐν Φιλίπποις διὰ τὸ κήρυγμα, καὶ τοσαύτην, ὡς καὶ ἀπὸ τῶν παθῶν ὧν ἔπαθε, νοσῆσαι τὴν εἰς θάνατον νόσον· Οὐ μόνος δὲ αὐτὸς ἐλιθάσθη, ἀλλὰ καὶ ὁ Ἀπόστολος. Καὶ τοῦτο ἐδήλωσε γράφων Θεσσαλονικεῦσι· Αὐτοὶ γὰρ οἴδατε, φησὶν, ἀγαπητοὶ τὴν εἴσοδον ὑμῶν 95.872 τὴν πρὸς ὑμᾶς, ὡς οὐ κενὴ γέγονεν, ἀλλὰ προπαθόντες καὶ ὑβρισθέντες, καθὼς οἴδατε, ἐν Φιλίπποις. Ἠθύμει οὖν ὁ Ἐπαφρόδιτος, ὅτι ἦσαν ἀκηκοότες, ὡς διὰ τὸ κήρυγμα τὸ εἰς αὐτοὺς, τοσοῦτος αὐτὸν περιέστη κίνδυνος, ὡς καὶ εἰς θάνατον ἐλθεῖν. Ἵνα μὴ λύπην ἐπὶ λύπην σχῶ. Σπουδαιοτέρως οὖν ἔπεμψα αὐτὸν, ἵνα ἰδόντες αὐτὸν πάλιν χαρῆτε, κἀγὼ ἀλυπότερος ὦ. Προσδέχεσθε οὖν αὐτὸν ἐν Κυρίῳ μετὰ πάσης χαρᾶς, καὶ τοὺς τοιούτους ἐντίμους ἔχετε· ὅτι διὰ τὸ ἔργον τοῦ Χριστοῦ μέχρι θανάτου ἤγγισε, παραβουλευσάμενος τῇ ψυχῇ. Εἶχε μὲν οὖν λύπην διὰ τὴν τῶν διωκόντων ἀπώλειαν. Ὑγίανεν οὖν, φησὶν, ἵνα μὴ πρὸς ἐκείνῃ τῇ λύπῃ καὶ ἑτέραν σχῶ τὴν τοῦ θανάτου τοῦ Ἀποστόλου. Ἐλυπεῖτο δὲ, οὐχ ὅτι ἀνέλυε, καὶ σὺν Χριστῷ ἦν, ἀλλ' ὅτι χρείαν εἶχεν αὐτοῦ ἐν τῷ κηρύγματι, ὥσπερ ἀμέλει καὶ αὐτοῦ· ὡς καὶ αὐτὸς εἶπε· Τὸ ἐπιμένειν τῇ σαρκὶ ἀναγκαιότερον δι' ὑμᾶς. Οὐ παρῆτε ὑμεῖς, φησὶ, ἀλλ' ἐλειτουργήσατέ μοι δι' ἐκείνου, τῷ ἐκεῖνον πέμψαι. Ἵνα ἀναπληρώσῃ τὸ ὑμῶν ὑστέρημα τῆς πρός με λειτουργίας. Οὔπω τελείαν, φησὶ, τὴν λειτουργίαν πεποίημαι, ἣν λειτουργῶ ὑμῖν εἰς τὸ κήρυγμα. Ὑστερῶ δὲ, διὰ τοὺς ὑπὲρ τοῦ κηρύγματος δεσμούς. Τοῦτο οὖν τὸ ὑστέρημα ὁ ἀγαπητὸς ἀναπληροῖ Ἐπαφρόδιτος. ΚΕΦΑΛ. Γʹ. Τὸ λοιπὸν, ἀδελφοί μου, χαίρετε ἐν Κυρίῳ. Τὰ αὐτὰ γράφειν ὑμῖν ἐμοὶ μὲν οὐκ ὀκνηρόν. Καὶ ποῦ μοι τὸ χαίρειν, καὶ δεδεμένου αὐτοῦ. Ὑμῖν δὲ τὸ ἀσφαλές. Μεγάλως γὰρ αὐτῶν τὴν ψυχὴν ἠσφαλίζετο, διδάσκων μὴ ἀδημονεῖν ἐν τοῖς δεσμοῖς τοῖς διὰ τὸ κήρυγμα. Βλέπετε τοὺς κύνας· Βλέπετε τοὺς κακοὺς ἐργάτας. Τοὺς ἄρχοντας τῶν Ἰουδαίων φησὶ, περὶ ὧν ἐγέγραπτο, Πάντες κύνες ἐνεοὶ μὴ δυνάμενοι ὑλακτεῖν, καὶ οἱ κύνες ἀναιδεῖς τῇ ψυχῇ, οὐκ εἰδότες πλησμονήν. Βλέπετε τὴν κατατομήν. Μόνον γὰρ τὴν σάρκα κατατέμνουσιν, οὐδὲν ἐκ πράγματος ὠφελούμενοι· ἡ γὰρ σφραγὶς τῆς πίστεως ἡ περιτομή· οὐ πιστεύουσι δέ. Τί γὰρ περιτέμνονται; τίνος σφραγίδα λαμβάνουσιν; οὐκοῦν κατατέμνονται μόνον. Ἡμεῖς γάρ ἐσμεν ἡ περιτομὴ, οἱ πνεύματι Θεοῦ λατρεύοντες, καὶ καυχώμενοι ἐν Χριστῷ Ἰησοῦ, καὶ οὐκ ἐν σαρκὶ πεποιθότες· καίπερ ἐγὼ ἔχων πεποίθησιν καὶ ἐν σαρκί. Οἱ πᾶσαν κοσμικὴν ἐπιθυμίαν ἀποτέμνοντες. Τοῦτο 95.873 γὰρ ἡμῖν δέδωκε τὸ Πνεῦμα τοῦ Θεοῦ ποιεῖν, καὶ ἡ καύχησις ἡ εἰς τὸν Χριστόν. Εἴ τις δοκεῖ ἄλλος πεποιθέναι ἐν σαρκὶ, ἐγὼ μᾶλλον. Περιτομὴ ὀκταήμερος, ἐκ γένους Ἰσραὴλ, φυλῆς Βενιαμὶν, Ἑβραῖος ἐξ Ἑβραίων, κατὰ νόμον Φαρισαῖος, κατὰ ζῆλον διώκων τὴν Ἐκκλησίαν, κατὰ δικαιοσύνην τὴν ἐν νόμῳ γενόμενος ἄμεμπτος. Ἀλλ' ἅτινα ἦν μοι κέρδη, ταῦτα ἥγημαι διὰ τὸν Χριστὸν ζημίαν. Ἀλλὰ μὲν οὖν καὶ ἡγοῦμαι πάντα ζημίαν εἶναι διὰ τὸ ὑπερέχον τῆς γνώσεως Χριστοῦ Ἰησοῦ τοῦ Κυρίου μου· δι' ὃν τὰ πάντα ἐζημιώθην,