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which He purchased with His own blood. And now I commend you, brothers, to God and to the word of His grace, which is able to give you an inheritance among all who are sanctified. So we speak, not as pleasing men, but God, who tests our hearts. For we never came with words of flattery, as you know, nor with a pretext for greed—God is witness. Nor did we seek glory from people, whether from you or from others, though we could have been a burden as apostles of Christ. But we were among you as if a nursing mother should cherish her own children. If anyone aspires to the office of overseer, he desires a noble task. Therefore an overseer must be above reproach, the husband of one wife, sober-minded, respectable, hospitable, able to teach, not a drunkard, not violent, but rather gentle, not a lover of money, managing his own household well, having children in submission with all dignity. For if someone does not know how to manage his own household, how will he care for God's church? He must not be a recent convert, so that he may not become puffed up with conceit and fall into the condemnation of the devil. Moreover, he must have a good reputation with outsiders, so that he may not fall into disgrace and a snare of the devil. Do not be hasty in the laying on of hands, nor take part in the sins of others. Keep yourself pure. An overseer must be blameless, as an apostle of Christ and a steward; not arrogant, not quick-tempered, not a drunkard, not violent, not greedy for gain, but 95.1541 hospitable, a lover of good, self-controlled, upright, holy, and disciplined. Let no one despise you for your youth. Remind them to be submissive to rulers and authorities, to be obedient, to be ready for every good work. exercising oversight, not under compulsion, but willingly; not for shameful gain, but eagerly according to God; not domineering over those in your charge, but being examples to the flock. Let the office not puff up the one who presides, lest he fall from the blessedness of humility, or, being blinded himself, fall into the condemnation of the devil. But let him be persuaded of this, that the care of the many is the service of the many. Therefore, just as one who serves many wounded people, wiping away the discharge of each wound, and applying remedies according to the specific nature of the underlying affliction, does not take his service as an occasion for pride, but rather of humility and anxiety; so much more must this one who is entrusted with healing the infirmities of the brotherhood, as a servant of all and having to give an account for all, be thoughtful and anxious. For in this way the purpose of the Lord will be achieved, who said: If anyone would be first among you, he must be last of all and servant of all. Let the one entrusted with the common care be so disposed, as one who must give an account for each of those entrusted to him. To learn without shame, and to teach without envy, and if he has been taught something by another, not to hide it, like worthless women who substitute illegitimate children for their own; but to proclaim with gratitude the Father of the Word. For a man, since it is difficult to know how to be ruled, it is likely even more difficult to know how to rule men; and especially this rule of ours, which is in the divine law and leads to God, whose height and dignity are matched by its danger. This seems to me to be in reality an art of arts, and a science of sciences, to lead man, the most multifaceted and varied of creatures. Just as with bodies, not all are offered the same medicine and food, but some one kind and others another, whether they are healthy or sick, so also souls must be treated with different teaching and guidance. Witnesses of the treatment are also the passions. Some are led by reason, others are regulated by example. Some need a goad, others a bridle. For some are sluggish and slow to move toward the good, who must be stirred up by the strike of the word, while others are hotter than is moderate in 95.1544 spirit and hard to restrain in their impulses, like noble colts running past the post. Some are helped by praise, others by blame; both with

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περιεποιήσατο διὰ τοῦ ἰδίου αἵματος. Καὶ τανῦν παρατίθημι ὑμᾶς, ἀδελφοὶ, τῷ Θεῷ, καὶ τῷ λόγῳ τῆς χάριτος αὐτοῦ, τῷ δυναμένῳ καὶ δοῦναι ὑμῖν κληρονομίαν ἐν τοῖς ἡγιασμένοις. Οὕτως λαλοῦμεν, οὐχ ὡς ἀνθρώποις ἀρέσκοντες, ἀλλὰ τῷ Θεῷ τῷ δοκιμάζοντι τὰς καρδίας ἡμῶν. Οὔτε γάρ ποτε ἐν λόγῳ κολακείας ἐγενήθημεν, καθὼς οἴδατε, οὔτε ἐν προφάσει πλεονεξίας, Θεὸς μάρτυς, οὔτε ζητοῦντες ἐξ ἀνθρώπων δόξαν, οὔτε ἀφ' ὑμῶν, οὔτε ἀπὸ ἄλλων, δυνάμενοι ἐν βάρει εἶναι, ὡς Χριστοῦ ἀπόστολοι· ἀλλ' ἐγενήθημεν ἐν μέσῳ ὑμῶν ὡς ἐὰν τροφὸς θάλπῃ τὰ ἑαυτῆς τέκνα. Εἴ τις ἐπισκοπῆς ὀρέγεται, καλοῦ ἔργου ἐπιθυμεῖ. ∆εῖ οὖν τὸν ἐπίσκοπον ἀνεπίληπτον εἶναι, μιᾶς γυναικὸς ἄνδρα, νηφάλιον, κόσμιον, φιλόξενον, διδακτικὸν, μὴ πάροινον, μὴ πλήκτην, ἀλλ' ἐπιεικῆ μᾶλλον, ἀφιλάργυρον, τοῦ ἰδίου οἴκου καλῶς προϊστάμενον, τέκνα ἔχοντα ἐν ὑποταγῇ πολλῇ μετὰ πάσης σεμνότητος. Εἰ δέ τις τοῦ ἰδίου οἴκου προστῆναι οὐκ οἶδεν, πῶς Ἐκκλησίας Θεοῦ ἐπιμελήσεται; Οὐ νεόφυτον, ἵνα μὴ τυφωθεὶς, εἰς κρίμα ἐμπέσῃ τοῦ διαβόλου. ∆εῖ δὲ καὶ μαρτυρίαν καλὴν ἔχειν αὐτὸν ἀπὸ τῶν ἔξωθεν, ἵνα μὴ εἰς ὀνειδισμὸν ἐμπέσῃ καὶ παγίδα τοῦ διαβόλου. Χεῖρας ταχέως μηδενὶ ἐπιτίθει, μηδὲ κοινώνει ἁμαρτίαις ἀλλοτρίαις. Ἑαυτὸν ἁγνὸν τήρει. ∆εῖ τὸν ἐπίσκοπον ἀνέγκλητον εἶναι, ὡς Χριστοῦ ἀπόστολον καὶ οἰκονόμον· μὴ αὐθάδη, μὴ ὀργίλον, μὴ πάροινον, μὴ πλήκτην, μὴ αἰσχροκερδῆ, ἀλλὰ 95.1541 φιλόξενον, φιλάγαθον σώφρονα, δίκαιον, ὅσιον, ἐγκρατῆ. Μηδείς σου περιφρονείτω τῆς νεότητος. Ὑπομίμνησκε αὐτοὺς ἀρχαῖς καὶ ἐξουσίαις ὑποτάττεσθαι, πειθαρχεῖν, πρὸς πᾶν ἔργον ἀγαθὸν ἑτοίμους εἶναι. Ἐπισκοποῦντες, μὴ ἀναγκαστῶς, ἀλλ' ἑκουσίως, μηδὲ αἰσχροκερδῶς, ἀλλὰ προθύμως κατὰ Θεόν· μηδὲ ὡς κατακυριεύοντες τῶν κλήρων, ἀλλὰ τύπος γινόμενοι τοῦ ποιμνίου. Τὸν προεστῶτα μὴ ἐπαιρέτω τὸ ἀξίωμα, ἵνα μὴ ἐκπέσῃ τοῦ μακαρισμοῦ τῆς ταπεινοφροσύνης, ἢ καὶ αὐτὸς τυφλωθεὶς εἰς κρίμα ἐμπέσῃ τοῦ διαβόλου. Ἀλλ' ἐκεῖνο πεπείσθω, ὅτι ἡ τῶν πλειόνων ἐπιμέλεια πλειόνων ἐστὶν ὑπηρεσία. Ὡς οὖν ὁ πολλοῖς μὲν ὑπηρετῶν τετραυματισμένοις, καὶ ἀποξύων μὲν τοὺς ἰχῶρας ἑκάστου τραύματος, προσάγων δὲ τὰ βοηθήματα κατὰ τὴν ἰδιότητα τῆς ὑποκειμένης κακώσεως, οὐχὶ ἐπάρσεως ἀφορμὴν τὴν ὑπηρεσίαν λαμβάνει, ἀλλὰ μᾶλλον ταπεινώσεως καὶ ἀγωνίας· καὶ πολὺ πλέον οὗτος ὁ τὰ ἀσθενήματα ἰᾶσθαι τῆς ἀδελφότητος πιστευθεὶς, ὡς πάντων ὑπηρέτης, καὶ ὑπὲρ πάντων λόγον ἔχων δοῦναι, διανοεῖσθαι καὶ ἀγωνιᾷν ὀφείλει. Τούτῳ γὰρ τῷ τρόπῳ κατορθωθήσεται ὁ σκοπὸς τοῦ Κυρίου εἰπόντος· Εἴ τις θέλει ἐν ὑμῖν εἶναι πρῶτος, ἔστω πάντων ἔσχατος, καὶ πάντων διάκονος. Ὁ τὴν κοινὴν φροντίδα πεπιστευμένος, ὡς ὀφείλων λόγον δοῦναι περὶ ἑκάστου τῶν ἐμπεπιστευμένων, οὕτω διακείσθω. Μανθάνειν ἀνεπαισχύντως, καὶ διδάσκειν ἀνεπιφθόνως, καὶ εἴ τι παρ' ἑτέρου δεδίδακται, μὴ ἐπικρύπτειν, ὥσπερ αἱ φαῦλαι τῶν γυναικῶν, αἱ τὰ νόθα ὑποβαλλόμεναι· ἀλλὰ κηρύσσειν εὐγνωμόνως τὸν Πατέρα τοῦ Λόγου. Ἀνθρώπῳ, χαλεποῦ ὄντος τοῦ εἰδέναι ἄρχεσθαι, κινδυνεύει μᾶλλον χαλεπώτερον εἶναι τὸ εἰδέναι ἄρχειν ἀνθρώπων· καὶ μάλιστα ἀρχὴν ταύτην τὴν ἡμετέραν, τὴν ἐν νόμῳ θείῳ καὶ πρὸς Θεὸν ἄγουσαν, ἧς ὅσον τὸ ὕψος καὶ τὸ ἀξίωμα, τοσοῦτον καὶ ὁ κίνδυνος. Αὕτη μοι φαίνεται τῷ ὄντι τέχνη τις εἶναι τεχνῶν, καὶ ἐπιστήμη ἐπιστημῶν, ἄνθρωπον ἄγειν τὸ πολυτροπώτατον ζῶον καὶ ποικιλώτατον. Ὥσπερ τοῖς σώμασιν, οὐ τὴν αὐτὴν φαρμακείαν καὶ τροφὴν προσφέρονται ἅπαντες, ἄλλοι δὲ ἄλλην, ἢ εὐεκτοῦντες, ἢ κάμνοντες, οὕτω καὶ τὰς ψυχὰς διαφόρῳ λόγῳ καὶ ἀγωγῇ θεραπευτέον. Μάρτυρες δὲ τῆς θεραπείας, ὧν καὶ τὰ πάθη. Τοὺς μὲν ἄγει λόγος, οἱ δὲ ῥυθμίζονται παραδείγματι. Οἱ μὲν δέονται κέντρου, οἱ δὲ χαλινοῦ. Καὶ οἱ μὲν γάρ εἰσι νωθεῖς καὶ δυσκίνητοι πρὸς τὸ καλὸν, οὓς τῇ πληγῇ τοῦ λόγου διεγερτέον, οἱ δὲ θερμότεροι τοῦ μετρίου τῷ 95.1544 πνεύματι καὶ δυσκάθεκτοι ταῖς ὁρμαῖς, καθάπερ πῶλοι γενναῖοι ἔξω τῆς νύσσης θέοντες. Τοὺς μὲν ἔπαινος ὤνησεν, τοὺς δὲ ψόγος· ἀμφότερα μετὰ