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until the time of the resurrection, but since he was speaking of the living, and he himself was alive; in saying these things, he used the common custom of speech, with "we who are living." That he says this, he adds, "who are left," since if he means "while I am living," how does he say elsewhere that "we shall all be raised"? For if he is caught up 95.916 alive, how is he raised? Therefore, "we who are living," he says, according to the reason previously given. We shall not precede those who have fallen asleep, for the Lord himself will descend from heaven with a command, with the voice of an archangel, and with the trumpet of God. And how will he not precede, he says; For the Lord himself with a command. With what kind? With that of the resurrection; instead of "commanding to rise." With the voice of an archangel, which he also calls the trumpet of God, because it happens by the command of God. This the parable in the Gospel also showed. For there was a cry at midnight, "Go out to meet the bridegroom." And the dead in Christ will rise first. Then we who are alive, who are left, will be caught up together with them in the clouds to meet the Lord in the air, and so we shall always be with the Lord. Therefore comfort one another with these words.

CHAPTER 5. Now concerning the times and the seasons, brethren, you have no need for me

to write. For you yourselves know well that the day of the Lord comes like a thief in the night. For when they say, "Peace and security," then sudden destruction comes upon them, like labor pains on a pregnant woman, and they will not escape. But you, brethren, are not in darkness, that the day should overtake you like a thief. You are all sons of light and sons of day; we are not of the night, nor of darkness. He shows that the dead would not simply find the resurrection, if not through Christ. For if Christ had not died according to the flesh, death would not have been undone. Or even "dead in Christ," he means those who died for Christ's sake, suitably comforting those who were listening because they were in affliction. Therefore, he says, that those who suffer for Christ's sake might also be the first to attain the resurrection. So then, let us not sleep as others do, but let us be watchful and sober. For those who sleep, sleep at night; and those who get drunk, are drunk at night. But we who are of the day, let us be sober, putting on the breastplate of faith and love, and as a helmet, the hope of salvation; for God has not destined you for wrath, but for obtaining salvation through our Lord Jesus Christ, who died for us, so that whether we are awake or asleep, we may live together with him. Therefore encourage one another, and build one another up, just as you are doing. He opportunely introduces the word concerning labor, showing through it the word concerning the mystery, and why the death of Christ happened. And we ask you, brethren, to know those who labor among you, and are over you in the Lord, and admonish you, and to esteem themselves 95.917 very highly in love for their work. Be at peace among yourselves. He teaches concerning teachers, exhorting what sort they should be. And we urge you, brethren, admonish the unruly, comfort the fainthearted, support the weak, be patient with all. See that no one repays anyone evil for evil, but always pursue what is good, both for one another and for all. Rejoice always; pray without ceasing, in everything give thanks. For this is the will of God in Christ Jesus for you. He weaves for them a discourse of various virtues. Do not quench the Spirit, do not despise prophecy; but test everything, hold fast to what is good, abstain from every form of evil. Now may the God of peace himself sanctify you. Instead of, "Do not restrain the one who prophesies"; and this the following shows. completely; and your whole being. If anything is lacking in you, he will fill it up. The Spirit, and the soul, and the body, blamelessly at the

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μέχρι τοῦ τῆς ἀναστάσεως καιροῦ, ἀλλ' ἐπειδὴ περὶ ζώντων ἔλεγε, καὶ αὐτὸς δὲ ἔζη· ταῦτα λέγων, τῇ κοινῇ συνηθείᾳ τοῦ λόγου ἐχρήσατο, τῷ ἡμεῖς οἱ ζῶντες. Ὅτι δὲ τοῦτο λέγει, ἐπάγει, οἱ περιλειπόμενοι, ἐπεὶ εἰ τοῦτο λέγει, ὅτι ἐμοῦ ζῶντος, πῶς ἀλλαχοῦ λέγει, ὅτι πάντες μὲν ἀναστησόμεθα; Εἰ γὰρ ζῶν καταλαμ 95.916 βάνεται, πῶς ἐγείρεται; Ἡμεῖς οὖν οἱ ζῶντες, φησὶ, κατὰ τὸν προαποδεδομένον λόγον. Οὐ μὴ φθάσωμεν τοὺς κοιμηθέντας, ὅτι αὐτὸς ὁ Κύριος ἐν κελεύσματι, ἐν φωνῇ ἀρχαγγέλου, καὶ ἐν σάλπιγγι Θεοῦ καταβήσεται ἀπὸ οὐρανοῦ. Καὶ πῶς οὐ μὴ φθάσῃ, λέγει· Ὅτι αὐτὸς ὁ Κύριος ἐν κελεύσματι. Ποίῳ; Τῷ τῆς ἀναστάσεως· ἀντὶ τοῦ κελεύων ἀνίστασθαι. Ἐν φωνῇ ἀρχαγγέλου, ἣν καὶ σάλπιγγα Θεοῦ φησι, διὰ τὸ κελεύσματι Θεοῦ γενέσθαι. Τοῦτο δὲ καὶ ἡ ἐν τῷ Εὐαγγελίῳ παραβολὴ ἐδήλωσε. Κραυγὴ γὰρ ἐγένετο μεσονυκτίου, Ἐξέλθατε εἰς ἀπάντησιν τοῦ νυμφίου. Καὶ οἱ νεκροὶ ἐν Χριστῷ ἀναστήσονται πρῶτον. Ἔπειτα οἱ ζῶντες ἡμεῖς οἱ περιλειπόμενοι, ἅμα σὺν αὐτοῖς ἁρπαγησόμεθα ἐν νεφέλαις εἰς ἀπάντησιν τοῦ Κυρίου εἰς ἀέρα, καὶ οὕτω πάντοτε σὺν Κυρίῳ ἐσόμεθα. Ὥστε παρακαλεῖτε ἀλλήλους ἐν τοῖς λόγοις τούτοις.

ΚΕΦΑΛ. Εʹ. Περὶ δὲ τῶν χρόνων καὶ τῶν καιρῶν, ἀδελφοὶ, οὐ χρείαν ἔχετε ὑμῖν

γράφεσθαι. Αὐτοὶ γὰρ ἀκριβῶς οἴδατε, ὅτι ἡ ἡμέρα Κυρίου ὡς κλέπτης ἐν νυκτὶ οὕτως ἔρχεται. Ὅταν γὰρ λέγωσιν, Εἰρήνη καὶ ἀσφάλεια, τότε αἰφνίδιος αὐτοῖς ἐφίσταται ὄλεθρος, ὥσπερ ἡ ὠδὶν τῇ ἐν γαστρὶ ἐχούσῃ, καὶ οὐ μὴ ἐκφύγωσιν. Ὑμεῖς δὲ, ἀδελφοὶ, οὐκ ἐστὲ ἐν σκότει, ἵνα ἡ ἡμέρα ὑμᾶς ὡς κλέπτης καταλάβῃ. Πάντες ὑμεῖς υἱοὶ φωτός ἐστε, καὶ υἱοὶ ἡμέρας· οὐκ ἐσμὲν νυκτὸς, οὐδὲ σκότους. ∆είκνυσιν ὡς οὐχ ἁπλῶς ηὕρισκον οἱ νεκροὶ τὴν ἀνάστασιν, εἰ μὴ διὰ Χριστοῦ. Εἰ μὴ γὰρ ἀπέθανε κατὰ σάρκα ὁ Χριστὸς, οὐκ ἂν ἐλύετο θάνατος. Ἢ καὶ νεκροὺς ἐν Χριστῷ, τοὺς ἀποθανόντας λέγει διὰ Χριστὸν, εὐκαίρως διὰ τὸ ἐν θλίψει εἶναι τοὺς ἀκούοντας παραμυθούμενος. Φησὶν οὖν, ὡς οἱ διὰ Χριστὸν πάσχοντες καὶ πρῶτοι τῆς ἀναστάσεως τύχωσιν. Ἄρα οὖν μὴ καθεύδωμεν ὡς καὶ οἱ λοιποὶ, ἀλλὰ γρηγορῶμεν καὶ νήφωμεν. Οἱ γὰρ καθεύδοντες, νυκτὸς καθεύδουσι· καὶ οἱ μεθυσκόμενοι, νυκτὸς μεθύουσιν. Ἡμεῖς δὲ ἡμέρας ὄντες, νήφωμεν, ἐνδυσάμενοι θώρακα πίστεως καὶ ἀγάπης, καὶ περικεφαλαίαν, ἐλπίδα σωτηρίας· ὅτι οὐκ ἔθετο ὑμᾶς ὁ Θεὸς εἰς ὀργὴν, ἀλλ' εἰς περιποίησιν σωτηρίας διὰ τοῦ Κυρίου ἡμῶν Ἰησοῦ Χριστοῦ τοῦ ἀποθανόντος ὑπὲρ ἡμῶν, ἵνα εἴτε γρηγορῶμεν, εἴτε καθεύδωμεν, ἅμα σὺν αὐτῷ ζήσωμεν. ∆ιὸ παρακαλεῖτε ἀλλήλους, καὶ οἰκοδομεῖτε εἷς τὸν ἕνα, καθὼς καὶ ποιεῖτε. Εὐκαίρως τὸν περὶ πόνου ἐνάγει λόγον, παραδεικνὺς αὐτῷ τὸν περὶ τοῦ μυστηρίου λόγον, καὶ διὰ τί ὁ Χριστοῦ γέγονε θάνατος. Ἐρωτῶμεν δὲ ὑμᾶς, ἀδελφοὶ, εἰδέναι τοὺς κοπιῶντας ἐν ὑμῖν, καὶ προϊσταμένους ὑμῶν ἐν Κυρίῳ, καὶ νουθετοῦντας ὑμᾶς, καὶ ἡγεῖσθαι ἑαυτοὺς 95.917 ὑπερεκπερισσοῦ ἐν ἀγάπῃ διὰ τὸ ἔργον αὐτῶν. Εἰρηνεύετε ἐν ἑαυτοῖς. Τὰ περὶ διδασκάλων διδάσκει, ποίους εἶναι δεῖ περιπαραινῶν. Παρακαλοῦμεν δὲ ὑμᾶς, ἀδελφοὶ, νουθετεῖτε τοὺς ἀτάκτους, παραμυθεῖσθε τοὺς ὀλιγοψύχους, ἀντέχεσθε τῶν ἀσθενῶν, μακροθυμεῖτε πρὸς πάντας. Ὁρᾶτε μή τις κακὸν ἀντὶ κακοῦ τινι ἀποδῷ, ἀλλὰ πάντοτε ἀγαθὸν διώκετε, καὶ εἰς ἀλλήλους, καὶ εἰς πάντας. Πάντοτε χαίρετε· ἀδιαλείπτως προσεύχεσθε, ἐν παντὶ εὐχαριστεῖτε. Τοῦτο γὰρ θέλημα Θεοῦ ἐν Χριστῷ Ἰησοῦ εἰς ὑμᾶς. Ποικίλων ἀρετῶν αὐτοῖς ἐξυφαίνει λόγον. Τὸ Πνεῦμα μὴ σβέννυτε, προφητείαν μὴ ἐξουθενεῖτε· πάντα δὲ δοκιμάζετε, τὸ καλὸν κατέχετε, ἀπὸ παντὸς εἴδους πονηροῦ ἀπέχεσθε. Αὐτὸς δὲ ὁ Θεὸς τῆς εἰρήνης ἁγιάσαι ὑμᾶς. Ἀντὶ τοῦ, Μὴ ἐπέχετε τὸν προφητεύοντα· καὶ τοῦτο δηλοῖ τὸ ἑξῆς. Ὁλοτελεῖς· καὶ ὁλόκληρον ὑμῶν. Εἴ τι λείπει ὑμῖν, προσπληρώσει. Τὸ Πνεῦμα, καὶ ἡ ψυχὴ, καὶ τὸ σῶμα, ἀμέμπτως ἐν τῇ