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to manage their children for God. Not a recent convert, lest being puffed up with pride, He means one newly catechized, not one younger in age. he fall into the condemnation of the devil. That is, into the condemnation which he endured from his pride. Moreover he must have a good testimony from them which are without; lest he fall into reproach and the snare of the devil. Likewise must the deacons be grave, not doubletongued, not given to much wine, not greedy of filthy lucre; holding the mystery of the faith, Thus, he says, one ought to be admirable and just, so that even his enemies bear witness to him. And it is similar to, Let your light so shine before men. In a pure conscience. And let these also first be proved; then let them use the office of a deacon, being found blameless. Even so must their wives be grave, not slanderers, sober, faithful in all things. Let the deacons be the husbands of one wife, ruling their children and their own houses well. For they that have used the office of a deacon well purchase to themselves a good degree, and great boldness in the faith which is in Christ Jesus. These things write I unto thee, hoping to come unto thee shortly. But if I tarry long, that thou mayest know how thou oughtest to behave thyself in the house of God, which is the church of the living God, the pillar and ground of the truth. That is, having a right faith, and introducing nothing deceitful to it. And without controversy great is the mystery of godliness: God was manifest in the flesh. Do not speak to me of the bells, he says, nor of the Holy of Holies, nor of the high priest. The Church is the pillar of the world; and it is a mystery, and a great one, and a mystery of godliness, and confessedly so, not a matter for inquiry. For it is beyond doubt. Justified in the Spirit. This he says, that having partaken of blood and flesh like us, he committed no sin, neither was guile found in his mouth. Seen of angels, preached unto the Gentiles, believed on in the world, received up into glory.

CHAPTER 4. Now the Spirit speaketh expressly, that in the latter times some shall depart from the

faith. 95.1009 So that even angels with us saw the Son of God, who before had not seen him. Giving heed to seducing spirits, and doctrines of devils; speaking lies in hypocrisy; having their conscience seared with a hot iron; forbidding to marry, and commanding to abstain from meats, which God hath created to be received with thanksgiving of them which believe and know the truth. He says all these things with regard to the Manichaean and Marcion. For every creature of God is good, and nothing to be refused, if it be received with thanksgiving: For it is sanctified by the word of God and prayer. If thou put the brethren in remembrance of these things, thou shalt be a good minister of Jesus Christ. He sets down two main points here: one, that no creature is common; and second, if it should become common by opinion, you have the remedy: having sealed it, give thanks; glorify God, and all impurity flies away. Nourished up in the words of faith, and of good doctrine, whereunto I have attained. Indicating the continual attention to such things. But refuse profane and old wives' fables. He means the mythical traditions of the Jews. and exercise thyself He who exercises himself sweats a great deal. rather unto godliness. That is, a pure faith and life. For bodily exercise profiteth little: but godliness is profitable unto all things. Some say this was said about fasting. Away with it; it is not bodily exercise, but spiritual. For if it were bodily, it would nourish the body. But if it wastes it, and thins it, and makes it gaunt, it is not bodily. So he speaks of the exercise of the body, so that we need the exercise of the soul; for that has no profit, but benefits the body little; but the exercise of godliness yields its fruit both in the future, and is acquired here. Having promise of the life that now is, and of that which is to come. So then here too we are in good hopes. For he who is conscious of no wrong to himself, even here

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Θεὸν τέκνα διοικεῖν. Μὴ νεόφυτον, ἵνα μὴ τυφωθεὶς, Τὸν νεωστὶ κατηχημένον λέγει, οὐ τὸν νεώτερον τῇ ἡλικίᾳ Εἰς κρῖμα ἐμπέσῃ τοῦ διαβόλου. Τουτέστιν εἰς τὴν καταδίκην, ἣν ἐκεῖνος ἀπὸ τῆς ἀπονοίας ὑπέμεινε. ∆εῖ δὲ αὐτὸν καὶ μαρτυρίαν καλὴν ἔχειν ἀπὸ τῶν ἔξω, ἵνα μὴ εἰς ὀνειδισμὸν ἐμπέσῃ, καὶ παγίδα τοῦ διαβόλου. ∆ιακόνους ὡσαύτως σεμνοὺς, μὴ διλόγους, μὴ οἴνῳ πολλῷ προσέχοντας, μὴ αἰσχροκερδεῖς· ἔχοντας τὸ μυστήριον πίστεως, Οὕτως ὀφείλει, φησὶ, θαυμαστὸς εἶναι καὶ δίκαιος, ὡς καὶ τοὺς ἐχθροὺς αὐτῷ μαρτυρεῖν. Ὅμοιον δὲ τῷ, Λαμψάτω τὸ φῶς ὑμῶν ἔμπροσθεν τῶν ἀνθρώπων. Ἐν καθαρᾷ συνειδήσει. Καὶ οὗτοι δὲ δοκιμαζέσθωσαν πρῶτον, εἶτα διακονείτωσαν, ἀνέγκλητοι ὄντες. Γυναῖκας ὡσαύτως σεμνὰς, μὴ διαβόλους, νηφαλέους, πιστὰς ἐν πᾶσιν. ∆ιάκονοι ἔστωσαν μιᾶς γυναικὸς ἄνδρες, τέκνων καλῶς προϊστάμενοι, καὶ τῶν ἰδίων οἴκων. Οἱ γὰρ καλῶς διακονήσαντες, βαθμὸν ἑαυτοῖς καλὸν περιποιοῦνται, καὶ πολλὴν παῤῥησίαν ἐν πίστει τὰ ἐν Χριστῷ Ἰησοῦ. Ταῦτά σοι γράφω, ἐλπίζων ἐλθεῖν πρὸς σὲ τάχιον. Ἐὰν δὲ βραδύνω, ἵνα εἰδῇς, πῶς δεῖ ἐν οἴκῳ Θεοῦ ἀναστρέφεσθαι, ἥτις ἐστὶν Ἐκκλησία Θεοῦ ζῶντος, στύλος καὶ ἑδραίωμα τῆς ἀληθείας. Τουτέστιν, ὀρθὴν ἔχοντας πίστιν, καὶ μηδὲν αὐτῇ τῶν δολίων ἐπεισάγοντας. Καὶ ὁμολογουμένως μέγα ἐστὶ τὸ τῆς εὐσεβείας μυστήριον. Θεὸς ἐφανερώθη ἐν σαρκί. Μή μοι εἴπῃς τοὺς κώδωνας, φησὶν, μηδὲ τὰ Ἅγια τῶν ἁγίων, μηδὲ τὸν ἀρχιερέα. Στύλος ἐστὶ τῆς οἰκουμένης ἡ Ἐκκλησία· καὶ μυστήριόν ἐστι, καὶ μέγα, καὶ εὐσεβείας μυστήριον, καὶ ὁμολογουμένως, οὐ ζητουμένως. Ἀναμφίβολον γάρ ἐστιν. Ἐδικαιώθη ἐν πνεύματι. Τοῦτό φησιν, ὅτι μεταλαβὼν αἵματος καὶ σαρκὸς παραπλησίως ἡμῖν, οὐκ ἐποίησεν ἁμαρτίαν, οὐδὲ εὑρέθη δόλος ἐν τῷ στόματι αὐτοῦ. Ὤφθη ἀγγέλοις, ἐκηρύχθη ἐν ἔθνεσιν, ἐπιστεύθη ἐν κόσμῳ, ἀνελήφθη ἐν δόξῃ.

ΚΕΦΑΛ. ∆ʹ. Τὸ δὲ πνεῦμα ῥητῶς λέγει, ὅτι ἐν ὑστέροις καιροῖς ἀποστήσονταί τινες τῆς

πίστεως. 95.1009 Ὥστε καὶ ἄγγελοι μεθ' ἡμῶν εἶδον τὸν Υἱὸν τοῦ Θεοῦ, πρότερον οὐχ ὁρῶντες. Προσέχοντες πνεύμασι πλάνοις, καὶ διδασκαλίαις δαιμονίων, ἐν ὑποκρίσει ψευδολόγων, κεκαυτηριασμένων τὴν ἰδίαν συνείδησιν, κωλυόντων γαμεῖν, ἀπέχεσθαι βρωμάτων, ἃ ὁ Θεὸς ἔκτισεν εἰς μετάληψιν μετὰ εὐχαριστίας, τοῖς πιστοῖς, καὶ ἐπεγνωκόσι τὴν ἀλήθειαν. Εἰς Μανιχαῖον καὶ Μαρκίωνα ταῦτα πάντα λέγει. Ὅτι πᾶν κτίσμα Θεοῦ καλὸν, καὶ οὐδὲν ἀπόβλητον μετὰ εὐχαριστίας λαμβανόμενον. Ἁγιάζεται γὰρ διὰ λόγου Θεοῦ καὶ ἐντεύξεως. Ταῦτα ὑποτιθέμενος τοῖς ἀδελφοῖς, καλὸς ἔσῃ διάκονος Ἰησοῦ Χριστοῦ. ∆ύο τίθησιν ἐνταῦθα κεφάλαια· ἓν μὲν, ὅτι οὐδὲν κτίσμα κοινόν· δεύτερον δὲ, εἰ καὶ γένηται τῇ ὑπολήψει κοινὸν, ἀλλ' ἔχεις τὸ φάρμακον· σφραγίσας εὐχαρίστησον· δόξασον τὸν Θεὸν, καὶ πᾶσα ἀκαθαρσία ἀφίπταται. Ἐντρεφόμενος τοῖς λόγοις τῆς πίστεως, καὶ τῆς καλῆς διδασκαλίας, ᾗ παρηκολούθηκα. Τὸ διηνεκὲς τῆς εἰς τὰ τοιαῦτα προσοχῆς δηλῶν. Τοὺς βεβήλους καὶ γραώδεις μύθους παραιτοῦ. Τὰς μυθικὰς Ἰουδαίων παραδόσεις λέγει. Γύμναζε δὲ ἑαυτὸν Ὁ γυμναζόμενος, ἱδρῶτας ἔχει πολλούς. Πρὸς εὐσέβειαν. Τουτέστι, πίστιν καθαρὰν καὶ βίον. Ἡ γὰρ σωματικὴ γυμνασία πρὸς ὀλίγον ἐστὶν ὠφέλιμος· ἡ δὲ εὐσέβεια, πρὸς πάντα ὠφέλιμός ἐστιν. Τινὲς περὶ νηστείας τοῦτό φασιν εἰρῆσθαι. Ἄπαγε· οὐκ ἔστι σωματικὴ γυμνασία, ἀλλὰ πνευματική. Εἰ γὰρ σωματικὴ ἦν, τὸ σῶμα ἔτρεφεν ἄν. Εἰ δὲ τήκει αὐτὸ, καὶ λεπτύνει, καὶ κατισχύει, οὐκ ἔστι σωματική. Ἄρα περὶ τῆς τοῦ σώματος ἀσκήσεώς φησιν, ὥστε ἡμῖν δεῖ τῆς γυμνασίας τῆς κατὰ ψυχήν· ἐκείνη γὰρ οὐκ ἔχει κέρδος, ἀλλ' ὀλίγον ὠφέλησε τὸ σῶμα· ἡ δὲ τῆς εὐσεβείας ἄσκησις, τὸν καρπὸν καὶ ἐν τῷ μέλλοντι ἀποδίδωσι, καὶ ἐνταῦθα ἀνακτᾶται. Ἐπαγγελίαν ἔχουσα ζωῆς τῆς νῦν, καὶ τῆς μελλούσης. Ἄρα καὶ ἐνταῦθα ἐν ἐλπίσιν ἐσμὲν χρησταῖς. Ὁ γὰρ μηδὲν ἑαυτῷ συνειδὼς, καὶ ἐνταῦθα