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we await a Savior, the Lord Jesus Christ, who will transform the body of our humiliation, that it may be conformed 95.877 to the body of his glory, according to the working by which he is able even to subject all things to himself. CHAPTER 4. Therefore, my beloved and longed-for brethren, my joy and crown. Again it is necessary for him to tell them to imitate him, and to know who walks thus as he does. He says this, not being high-minded, but turning them away from the company of false teachers, showing how great is the distance between each, both the spiritual and the carnal. And this distance can be seen from the end of each. For of the one, he says, the end is destruction; but of the other, to be transformed and to become conformed to the body of the glory of Christ. And this very transformation, that is of our bodies, Christ will accomplish, because he is able, and has all things in subjection; and the phrase, and their glory is in their shame, indicates this, that they are proud of those things for which they ought to be ashamed. For all things of the belly are shame and corruption. So stand firm in the Lord, beloved. So, how? As awaiting from heaven a Savior, the Lord Jesus. He calls the disciples his crown, he says, because their obedience to the preaching becomes for him a cause of crowns. I entreat Euodia, and I entreat Syntyche to be of the same mind in the Lord. Yes, I ask you also, true yokefellow, help them, for they have labored with me in the Gospel, along with Clement and the rest of my fellow workers. Having given a general exhortation, he also offers it specifically to those pre-eminent in the faith; and this is clear from his adding: who have labored with me in the Gospel. Some say that he is entreating his wife here. But it is not so; but some woman, or even the husband of one of them. Whose names are in the book of life. He has said this, having learned it from the Lord; For rejoice, he says, that your names are written in heaven. Rejoice in the Lord always. Even if you hear of your teacher in chains, he says, or in scourges, or in death itself, and not only regarding teachers is it necessary, but we ourselves should suffer these things for Christ. Again I will say, Rejoice. Let your reasonableness be known to all men. He all but testifies to them that they must not be disheartened, but rejoice. The Lord is at hand; be anxious for nothing. Let not the things concerning me trouble you, he says. For the Lord will be with me. 95.880 But in everything by prayer and supplication with thanksgiving let your requests be made known to God. And the peace of God, which surpasses all understanding. Since he told them to be anxious for nothing, lest they become remiss, thinking that he declared this universally; For this reason, he says, I said not to be anxious about my bonds, as if I were suffering something terrible from them. For they are not terrible; but be anxious, he says, in prayer, and in supplication to God. For one must ask God, giving thanks, not being disheartened, nor despondent. Will guard your hearts and your minds in Christ Jesus. Again he prays for their unity in faith. For this is what it is for their hearts and minds to be guarded in Christ. Finally, brethren, whatever is true, whatever is honorable, whatever is just, whatever is pure, whatever is lovely, whatever is commendable, if there is any excellence, and if there is anything worthy of praise, think about these things, which you have both learned and received and heard. The Apostle has taught us that the head of every good thing for us is faith in Christ, and that all works according to virtue are, as it were, a small part in comparison to it. It is therefore as if he were saying: You have the faith, which I pray may be kept among you. But you still lack the conduct according to virtue, which I also exhort you to hold fast to. He says finally, then, not because to live according to virtue is a small thing—for it is great—but because it is small in comparison with faith, and what is left over. For the foundation and the security is faith, without which it is not possible for anything to be built. Since it is not even a building, just as there is no house without foundations. Faith then is the foundation, and the

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Σωτῆρα ἀπεκδεχόμεθα Κύριον Ἰησοῦν Χριστὸν, ὃς μετασχηματίσει τὸ σῶμα τῆς ταπεινώσεως ἡμῶν, εἰς τὸ γενέσθαι αὐτὸ σύμ 95.877 μορφον τῷ σώματι τῆς δόξης αὐτοῦ, κατὰ τὴν ἐνέργειαν τοῦ δύνασθαι αὐτὸν καὶ ὑποτάξαι ἑαυτῷ τὰ πάντα. ΚΕΦΑΛ. ∆ʹ. Ὥστε, ἀδελφοί μου ἀγαπητοὶ καὶ ἐπιπόθητοι, χαρὰ καὶ στέφανός μου. Πάλιν ἀναγκαῖον αὐτοῖς λέγει, τὸ μιμεῖσθαι αὐτὸν, καὶ εἰδέναι τίς οὕτω περιπατεῖ ὡς αὐτός. Τοῦτο δὲ λέγει, οὐχ ὑψηλοφρονῶν, ἀλλὰ ἀποτρέπων τῆς τῶν ἑτεροδιδασκάλων συνουσίας, δεικνὺς πόσον ἑκατέρων τὸ μέσον τῶν τε πνευματικῶν καὶ τῶν σαρκικῶν. Τὸ δὲ μέσον τοῦτο ἀπὸ τοῦ τέλους ἑκατέρων ἔστιν ἰδεῖν. Τῶν μὲν γὰρ, φησὶ, τὸ τέλος ἀπώλεια· τῶν δὲ, τὸ μετασχηματισθῆναι καὶ συμμόρφους γενέσθαι τῷ σώματι τῆς δόξης Χριστοῦ. Τοῦτο δὲ αὐτὸ μετασχηματισθῆναι, ἡμῶν δηλονότι τὰ σώματα, ποιήσει Χριστὸς, διὰ τὸ δύνασθαι, καὶ πάντα ἔχειν ὑποτεταγμένα· τὸ δὲ, καὶ ἡ δόξα ἐν τῇ αἰσχύνῃ αὐτῶν, τοῦτο δηλοῖ, ὅτι ἐπὶ τούτοις μέγα φρονοῦσιν, ἐφ' οἷς αὐτοὺς ἔδει αἰσχύνεσθαι. Πάντα γὰρ τὰ τῆς κοιλίας, αἰσχύνη καὶ φθορά. Οὕτω στήκετε ἐν Κυρίῳ, ἀγαπητοί. Οὕτω, πῶς; ὡς ἀπεκδεχόμενοι ἐξ οὐρανῶν Σωτῆρα τὸν Κύριον Ἰησοῦν. Στέφανον δὲ ἑαυτοῦ τοὺς μαθητὰς, φησὶ, διά τοι τῶν στεφάνων αὐτῷ γίνεσθαι πρόξενον τὴν ἐπακοὴν αὐτῶν τὴν εἰς τὸ κήρυγμα. Εὐωδίαν παρακαλῶ, καὶ Συντύχην παρακαλῶ τὸ αὐτὸ φρονεῖν ἐν Κυρίῳ. Ναὶ ἐρωτῶ καὶ σὲ, σύζυγε γνήσιε, συλλαμβάνου αὐταῖς, αἵτινες ἐν τῷ Εὐαγγελίῳ συνήθλησάν μοι, μετὰ καὶ Κλήμεντος, καὶ τῶν λοιπῶν συνεργῶν μου. Εἰπὼν ἐν τῷ καθόλῳ παράκλησιν, καὶ κατ' εἶδος αὐτὴν προσφέρει ἐπὶ τῶν ἐξόχων ἐν τῇ πίστει· καὶ τοῦτο δῆλον ἐκ τοῦ ἐπενεγκεῖν αὐτόν· Οἵτινες συνήθλησάν μοι ἐν τῷ Εὐαγγελίῳ. Τινὲς τὴν γυναῖκά φασιν αὐτοῦ παρακαλεῖν ἐνταῦθα. Ἀλλ' οὐκ ἔστιν. ἀλλά τινα γυναῖκα, ἢ καὶ ἄνδρα μιᾶς αὐτῶν. Ὧν τὰ ὀνόματα ἐν βίβλῳ ζωῆς. Τοῦτο εἴρηκεν ἐκ τοῦ Κυρίου μαθών· Χαίρετε γὰρ, φησὶν, ὅτι τὰ ὀνόματα ὑμῶν ἐγγέγραπται ἐν τοῖς οὐρανοῖς. Χαίρετε ἐν Κυρίῳ πάντοτε. Κἂν ἐν δεσμοῖς, φησὶν, ἀκούητε τὸν διδάσκαλον, κἂν ἐν μάστιξιν, κἂν ἐν αὐτῷ θανάτῳ, καὶ οὐ μόνον ἐπὶ τῶν διδασκάλων δεῖ, ἀλλὰ καὶ αὐτοὶ ταῦτα διὰ Χριστὸν πάσχοιμεν. Πάλιν ἐρῶ, Χαίρετε, τὸ ἐπιεικὲς ὑμῶν γνωσθήτω πᾶσιν ἀνθρώποις. Μονονουχὶ διαμαρτύρεται αὐτοῖς, ὡς οὐ δεῖ ἀθυμεῖν, ἀλλὰ χαίρειν. Ὁ Κύριος ἐγγύς· μηδὲν μεριμνᾶτε. Μὴ θορυβείτω, φησὶν, ὑμᾶς τὰ κατ' ἐμέ. Ὁ γὰρ Κύριός μοι παρέσται. 95.880 Ἀλλ' ἐν παντὶ τῇ προσευχῇ, καὶ τῇ δεήσει μετὰ εὐχαριστίας τὰ αἰτήματα ὑμῶν γνωριζέσθω πρὸς τὸν Θεόν· καὶ εἰρήνη τοῦ Θεοῦ ἡ ὑπερέχουσα πάντα νοῦν. Ἐπειδὴ μηδὲν μεριμνᾷν αὐτοῖς εἶπεν, ἵνα μὴ ἀναπέσωσι, νομίσαντες αὐτὸν ἐν τῷ καθόλου τοῦτο ἀποφήνασθαι· Τούτου χάριν, φησὶν, εἶπον μὴ μεριμνᾷν ἐν τοῖς περὶ ἐμοῦ δεσμοῖς, ὡς δεινόν τι πάσχοντος ἐξ αὐτῶν. Οὐ γάρ εἰσι δεινά· ἀλλὰ μεριμνᾶτε, φησὶν, ἐν τῇ προσευχῇ, καὶ τῇ δεήσει τῇ πρὸς τὸν Θεόν. Αἰτεῖν γὰρ τὸν Θεὸν δεῖ, εὐχαριστοῦντας, οὐκ ἀθυμοῦντας, οὐδὲ ἀκηδιῶντας. Φρουρήσει τὰς καρδίας ὑμῶν, καὶ τὰ νοήματα ὑμῶν ἐν Χριστῷ Ἰησοῦ. Πάλιν αὐτοῖς τὸ ὁμόπιστον εὔχεται. Τοῦτο γάρ ἐστι τὸ φρουρηθῆναι τὰς καρδίας αὐτῶν, καὶ τὰ νοήματα ἐν Χριστῷ. Τὸ λοιπὸν, ἀδελφοὶ, ὅσα ἐστὶν ἀληθῆ, ὅσα σεμνὰ, ὅσα δίκαια, ὅσα ἁγνὰ, ὅσα προσφιλῆ, ὅσα εὔφημα, εἴ τις ἀρετὴ, καὶ εἴ τις ἔπαινος, ταῦτα λογίζεσθε, ἃ καὶ ἐμάθετε, καὶ παρελάβετε, καὶ ἠκούσατε. Ἐδίδαξεν ἡμᾶς ὁ Ἀπόστολος, ὡς κεφαλὴ παντὸς ἡμῖν ἀγαθοῦ ἡ πίστις, ἡ εἰς τὸν Χριστὸν, καὶ ὡς πάντα τὰ ἔργα τὰ κατ' ἀρετὴν, ὡς μέρος τι μικρὸν κατ' ἐκείνην εἰσίν. Ὅμοιον οὖν ὡσεὶ λέγοι· Ἔχετε τὴν πίστιν, ἣν καὶ φυλάττεσθαι ἐν ὑμῖν εὔχομαι. Λείπει δὲ ἔτι ὑμῖν ἡ κατ' ἀρετὴν πολιτεία, ἧς καὶ ἀντέχεσθαι ὑμᾶς παραινῶ. Τὸ λοιπὸν οὖν λέγε, οὐχ ὅτι μικρὸν τὸ κατ' ἀρετὴν πολιτεύεσθαι· μέγα γάρ· ἀλλ' ὅτι μικρὸν ὡς πρὸς σύγκρισιν τῆς πίστεως, καὶ περίλοιπον. Ὁ γὰρ θεμέλιος, καὶ ἡ ἀσφάλεια ἡ πίστις ἐστὶν, ἧς ἄνευ οὐ δυνατὸν οἰκοδομηθῆναί τι. Ἐπεὶ οὐδὲ οἰκοδομή ἐστιν, ὥσπερ οὐδὲ οἶκος ἄνευ θεμελίων. Ἔστιν οὖν ἡ μὲν πίστις τὰ θεμέλια, καὶ ἡ