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experienced mockings and scourgings, and moreover bonds and imprisonment. They were stoned. Stephen. They were sawn in two, they were tempted, they died by the slaughter of the sword. The prophets who died, he says, like Isaiah, because he was sawn with a wooden saw. They went about in sheepskins, in goatskins, being destitute, afflicted, mistreated. Elijah. Of whom the world was not worthy. Wandering in deserts and mountains and caves and holes of the earth; and all these, having obtained a good testimony through faith, did not receive the promise, God having provided something better for us, so that they should not be made perfect apart from us.

CHAPTER 12. Therefore, since we have so great a cloud surrounding us Those around

Elijah, he says. What then were they about to receive here? Indeed, by these, 'the world' should be understood as those in the world. of witnesses, laying aside every weight, By 'witnesses,' he means not only those in the New, but also those in the Old [Testament]. For they also bore witness to the majesty of God. and the sin which so easily ensnares us, let us run with endurance the race that is set before us, looking unto Jesus, the author and finisher of our faith. That which easily surrounds us, or that which is able easily to suffer circumstance. Rather, this. For it is easy, if we are willing, to overcome sin. who for the joy that was set before Him endured the cross, despising the shame, and has sat down at the right hand of the throne of God. That is, it was possible for Him to suffer nothing, if He had so wished. But instead of this, He endured the cross, having no necessity to be crucified. For He was crucified for our sake. For consider Him who endured such hostility from sinners against Himself, lest you become weary and discouraged in your souls. You have not yet resisted to the point of blood, striving against sin; and you have forgotten the exhortation which speaks to you as to sons: My son, do not despise the chastening of the LORD, nor be discouraged when you are rebuked by Him. For whom the LORD loves He chastens, and scourges every son whom He receives; you endure chastening; God deals with you as with sons. For what son is there whom a father does not chasten? But if you are without chastening, of which all have become partakers, then you are illegitimate and not sons. Furthermore, we have had human fa 95.989 thers who corrected us, and we paid them respect; shall we not much more readily be in subjection If the sufferings of our neighbors do not rouse us, he says, yet those of the Master stir us to this, to strive for our souls. to the Father of spirits and live? for they indeed for a few days chastened us as seemed best to them, but He for our profit, that we may be partakers of His holiness. Now no chastening seems to be joyful for the present, but painful; nevertheless, afterward a peaceful fruit to those who by it Or of the spiritual gifts, he says, or of prayers, or of powers. it yields to those who have been trained, of righteousness. Therefore strengthen the hands which hang down and the feeble knees, and make straight paths for your feet, so that what is lame may not be dislocated, but rather be healed. Pursue peace with all people, and holiness, without which no one will see the Lord. looking carefully lest anyone fall short of the grace of God. Instead of, for those who have endured for a long time and persevered; and he has used a well-omened name. Therefore, discipline is a training, making the athlete strong, and unconquerable in contests, invincible in wars. lest any root of bitterness springing up cause trouble, and by this many become defiled. And if there be any such root, he says, do not permit any sprout to come up, but cut it out, so that it may not bear fruit. lest there be any fornicator or profane person like Esau, who for one morsel of food sold his birthright. One must punctuate here, so that the meaning may be complete, and what follows, 'or profane person like Esau.' And a profane person is a glutton and intemperate. For you know that afterward, when he wanted

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ἐμπαιγμῶν καὶ μαστίγων πεῖραν ἔλαβον, ἔτι δὲ δεσμῶν καὶ φυλακῆς. Ἐλιθάσθησαν. Στέφανος. Ἐπρίσθησαν, ἐπειράσθησαν, ἐν φόνῳ μαχαίρας ἀπέθανον. Τοὺς ἀποθανόντας προφήτας, φησὶν, ὡς τὸν Ἡσαΐαν, ὅτι ἐν ξυλίνῳ ἐπρίσθη πρίονι. Περιῆλθον ἐν μηλωταῖς, ἐν αἰγείοις δέρμασιν, ὑστερούμενοι, θλιβόμενοι, κακουχούμενοι. Ἠλίας. Ὧν οὐκ ἦν ἄξιος ὁ κόσμος. Ἐν ἐρημίαις πλανώμενοι, καὶ ὄρεσι, καὶ σπηλαίοις, καὶ ταῖς ὀπαῖς τῆς γῆς· καὶ οὗτοι πάντες μαρτυρηθέντες διὰ τῆς πίστεως, οὐκ ἐκομίσαντο τὴν ἐπαγγελίαν, τοῦ Θεοῦ περὶ ἡμῶν κρεῖττόν τι προβλεψαμένου, ἵνα μὴ χωρὶς ἡμῶν τελειωθῶσι.

ΚΕΦΑΛ. ΙΒʹ. Τοιγαροῦν καὶ ἡμεῖς τοσοῦτον ἔχοντες περικείμενον ἡμῖν νέφος Τοὺς περὶ

Ἠλίαν φησί. Τί τοίνυν ἤμελλον ἐνταῦθα ἀπολαμβάνειν; Κόσμον γε μὴν ἐν τούτοις, τοὺς ἐν κόσμῳ νοεῖσθαι πρέπει. Μαρτύρων, ὄγκον ἀποθέμενοι πάντα, Μάρτυρας, οὐχὶ τοὺς ἐν τῇ Καινῇ λέγει μόνον, ἀλλὰ καὶ τοὺς ἐν τῇ Παλαιᾷ. Καὶ γὰρ καὶ αὐτοὶ ἐμαρτύρησαν τῇ τοῦ Θεοῦ μεγαλειότητι. Καὶ τὴν εὐπερίστατον ἁμαρτίαν, δι' ὑπομονῆς τρέχωμεν τὸν προκείμενον ἡμῖν ἀγῶνα, ἀφορῶντες εἰς τὸν τῆς πίστεως ἀρχηγὸν, καὶ τελειωτὴν Ἰησοῦν. Τὴν εὐκόλως περιισταμένην ἡμᾶς, ἢ τὴν εὐκόλως περίστασιν δυναμένην παθεῖν. Μᾶλλον δὲ τοῦτο. Ῥᾴδιον γὰρ ἐὰν θελήσωμεν, περιγενέσθαι τῆς ἁμαρτίας. Ὃς ἀντὶ τῆς προκειμένης αὐτῷ χαρᾶς ὑπέμεινε σταυρὸν, αἰσχύνης καταφρονήσας, ἐν δεξιᾷ τε τοῦ θρόνου τοῦ Θεοῦ κεκάθικεν. Τουτέστιν, ἐξῆν αὐτῷ μηδὲν παθεῖν, εἴπερ ἠβούλετο. Ὁ δὲ ἀντὶ τούτου σταυρὸν ὑπέμεινε, μηδεμίαν ἔχων ἀνάγκην τοῦ σταυρωθῆναι. Ἐσταυρώθη γὰρ ἡμῶν ἕνεκεν. Ἀναλογίσασθε γὰρ τὸν τοιαύτην ὑπομεμενηκότα ὑπὸ τῶν ἁμαρτωλῶν εἰς αὐτὸν ἀντιλογίαν, ἵνα μὴ κάμητε, ταῖς ψυχαῖς ὑμῶν ἐκλυόμενοι. Οὔπω μέχρις αἵματος ἀντικατέστητε, πρὸς τὴν ἁμαρτίαν ἀνταγωνιζόμενοι· καὶ ἐκλέλησθε τῆς παρακλήσεως, ἥτις ὑμῖν ὡς υἱοῖς διαλέγεται· Υἱέ μου, μὴ ὀλιγώρει παιδείας Κυρίου, μηδὲ ἐκλύου ὑπ' αὐτοῦ ἐλεγχόμενος. Ὃν γὰρ ἀγαπᾷ Κύριος, παιδεύει, μαστιγοῖ δὲ πάντα υἱὸν ὃν παραδέχεται· εἰς παιδείαν ὑπομένετε· ὡς υἱοῖς ὑμῖν προσφέρεται ὁ Θεός. Τίς γάρ ἐστιν υἱὸς, ὃν οὐ παιδεύει πατήρ; Εἰ δὲ χωρίς ἐστε παιδείας, ἧς μέτοχοι γεγόνασι πάντες, ἄρα νόθοι ἐστὲ, καὶ οὐχ υἱοί. Εἶτα τοὺς μὲν τῆς σαρκὸς ἡμῶν πατέ 95.989 ρας εἴχομεν παιδευτὰς, καὶ ἐνετρεπόμεθα· οὐ πολλῷ μᾶλλον ὑποταγησόμεθα Εἰ τὰ τῶν πλησίων πάθη οὐ διανίστησιν ἡμᾶς, φησὶν, ἀλλ' οὖν τὰ τοῦ ∆εσπότου εἰς τοῦτο διεγείρει, εἰς τὸ ἀθλεῖν ὑπὲρ τῶν ψυχῶν ἡμῶν. Τῷ Πατρὶ τῶν πνευμάτων, καὶ ζήσομεν; οἱ μὲν γὰρ πρὸς ὀλίγας ἡμέρας κατὰ τὸ δοκοῦν αὐτοῖς ἐπαίδευον· ὁ δὲ ἐπὶ τὸ συμφέρον εἰς τὸ μεταλαβεῖν τῆς ἁγιότητος αὐτοῦ. Πᾶσα δὲ παιδεία πρὸς τὸ παρὸν οὐ δοκεῖ χαρᾶς εἶναι, ἀλλὰ λύπης· ὕστερον δὲ καρπὸν εἰρηνικὸν τοῖς δι' αὐτῆς Ἢ τῶν χαρισμάτων φησὶν, ἢ τῶν εὐχῶν, ἢ τῶν δυνάμεων. Γεγυμνασμένοις ἀποδίδωσι δικαιοσύνης. ∆ιὸ τὰς παρειμένας χεῖρας, καὶ τὰ παραλελυμένα γόνατα ἐπανορθώσατε, καὶ τροχιὰς ὀρθὰς ποιήσατε τοῖς ποσὶν ὑμῶν, ἵνα μὴ τὸ χωλὸν ἐκτραπῇ, ἰαθῇ δὲ μᾶλλον. Εἰρήνην διώκετε μετὰ πάντων, καὶ τὸν ἁγιασμὸν, οὗ χωρὶς οὐδεὶς ὄψεται τὸν Κύριον. Ἐπισκοποῦντες μή τις ὑστερῶν ἀπὸ τῆς χάριτος τοῦ Θεοῦ. Ἀντὶ τοῦ, τοῖς ἀνασχομένοις ἐπὶ πολὺ, καὶ καρτερήσασι· καὶ εὐφήμῳ ὀνόματι κέχρηται. Ἄρα γυμνασία ἐστὶν ἡ παιδεία, τὸν ἀθλητὴν ἰσχυρὸν ἐργαζομένη, καὶ ἀκαταγώνιστον ἐν τοῖς ἀγῶσιν, ἄμαχον ἐν τοῖς πολέμοις. Μή τις ῥίζα πικρίας ἄνω φύουσα ἐνοχλῇ, καὶ διὰ ταύτης μιανθῶσι πολλοί. Κἂν ᾖ τις ῥίζα τοιαύτη γέγονε, φησὶ, μηδεμίαν βλάστην ἄφες ἀναβῆναι, ἀλλ' ἔκκοψον, ἵνα μὴ φέρῃ καρπούς. Μή τις πόρνος, ἢ βέβηλος, ὡς Ἡσαῦ, ὃς ἀντὶ βρώσεως μιᾶς ἀπέδοτο τὰ πρωτοτόκια αὐτοῦ. Εἰς τοῦτο στίξαι δεῖ, ἵνα ᾖ τελεία διάνοια, καὶ τὸ ἐπιφερόμενον, ἢ βέβηλος, ὡς Ἡσαῦ. Βέβηλος δὲ, γαστρίμαργος καὶ ἀκρατής. Ἴστε γὰρ ὅτι καὶ μετέπειτα θέλων