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For he called them first, as Paul said to them: "It was necessary for the word to be preached to you first. But since you reject it, we are turning to the Gentiles." Therefore, he says that he has taken hold of those from among them who have believed. 2356 But some say that, having initiated those from the Gentiles, he encourages the apostles, through whom he was about to make the discourse of catechesis; and he reminded them of the virtue of the fathers, on account of which they were loved by God. And calling the fathers beloved and chosen, he exhorts those who are from them, being from a noble root, to emulate the fathers and their piety; saying that he took hold of Abraham, calling him from the end of the earth, saying: "Go out from your land and from your kindred." But he says 'heights,' since Chaldea is recorded to be mountainous, by which it was signified that Abraham was at the extremity of idolatry. Then he says, as concerning all Israel, that 'I said to you: You are my child.' For he has been named firstborn. And having become this chosen one, God did not abandon him. To whom he says: 'Do not fear, nor be led astray; for I am your God, who has strengthened you.' Having taught him through the law that God is one, and the Lord is one, and him alone must one worship, making him through his own right hand of the Only-begotten an heir of the conquered nations. But according to the first interpretation, having mentioned the seed of Abraham, he returned again to the election of the apostolic choir, saying 'my child,' but according to the others, 'servant,' in which Paul also, taking great pride, called himself a servant, as from some high rank. For the prophet, going on, will say: "It is a great thing for you to be called my child." And here again he placed servitude before the election. But encouraging the elect to preach the Gospel to all the nations: 'Do not fear,' he says, 'for I am with you.' According to that: "Behold, I am with you all the days, until the end of the age." But 'do not be led astray,' he says, thinking that the preaching is sufficient for so great a task by its own power. For what would you have done, if I were not present and did not instill endurance for hardships? For I was guarding you, so that nothing would become an obstacle to you as you preach. Therefore, take no account of those who resist. For they will come to nothing, who for a little while in persecuting seemed to be something, whose end is destruction. According to that: "I have seen the wicked highly exalted, and I passed by, and behold, he was not." "For those who mind high things," he says, "suffer a terrible and unexpected crushing." And again: "He who makes his house high seeks a crushing." But the phrase, 'I have helped you, fear not, worm Jacob,' is not found in the Septuagint. But he addressed him as 'worm,' whom he had previously called 'elect,' because, like a worm, by entering the cities of the unbelievers he destroys the superstitious error from the very depth of the souls of men, and because the preaching of the apostles is humble and simple. Thus, therefore, the Savior himself also says in a psalm: "But I 2357 am a worm, and not a man." And he calls Israel 'few in number' because the disciples were few in number. "For there were twelve, and after them, seventy." But Symmachus rendered it, 'number of Israel.' And Aquila, 'dead ones of Israel.' And Theodotion, 'dead ones'; in agreement with the apostle: "I no longer live, but Christ lives in me." And: "I die daily, by the pride which I have in you." But although you are a worm, and dead, and few in number, do not fear, because of the alliance from me, through which you will thresh the impiety of the unbelieving nations, calling the opposing powers mountains and hills, as being raised up against the knowledge of God, with the subordinate spirits being called hills; when these have been destroyed, you will rejoice in the Lord. For he has given us authority to tread upon snakes and scorpions, and upon all the power of the enemy. And you might also call mountains and hills those in worldly positions of power who rose up against the apostles. But when these also have been brought down, you will rejoice in the saints of Israel, taking delight when you see many having become saints, and ranked among the sons of Israel. "For not all who are from Israel,

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Αὐτοὺς γὰρ πρώτους ἐκάλεσεν, ὡς ὁ Παῦλος αὐτοῖς ἔφασκεν· "Ὑμῖν ἔδει πρώτοις τὸν λόγον κηρυχθῆναι. Ἐπεὶ δὲ ἀποστρέφεσθε, πορευόμεθα ἐς τὰ ἔθνη." Τῶν οὖν ἐξ αὐτῶν πεπιστευκότων ἀντειλῆφθαί φησιν. 2356 Τινὲς δὲ λέγουσιν, ὡς μυσταγωγήσας τοὺς ἐξ ἐθνῶν, παραθαῤῥύνει τοὺς ἀποστόλους, δι' ὧν ἤμελλε τὸν τῆς κατηχήσεως ποιεῖσθαι λόγον· καὶ τῆς τῶν πατέρων αὐτοὺς ὑπέμνησεν ἀρετῆς, ἐξ ἧπερ ἠγαπῶντο παρὰ Θεοῦ. Ἀγαπητοὺς δὲ καὶ ἐκλελεγμένους τοὺς πατέρας καλῶν, ὡς ἐκ ῥίζης ὄντας τοὺς ἐξ αὐτῶν εὐγενοῦς ζηλῶσαι τοὺς πατέρας παρακαλεῖ, καὶ τὴν ἐκείνων εὐσέβειαν· λέγων, ὡς τοῦ Ἀβραὰμ ἀντελάβετο, καλέσας τοῦτον ἐξ ἄκρου τῆς γῆς, εἰπών· "Ἔξελθε ἀπὸ τῆς γῆς σου, καὶ ἀπὸ τῆς συγγενείας σου." Σκοπιῶν δέ φησιν, ἐπειδήπερ ὀρεινὴν εἶναι τὴν Χαλδαίαν ἱστόρηται, δι' ὧν ἐν ἄκρῳ τῆς εἰδωλολατρείας εἶναι τὸν Ἀβραὰμ ἐσημαίνετο. Εἶτά φησιν ὡς περὶ παντὸς Ἰσραὴλ, ὅτι Εἶπά σοι· Παῖς μου εἶ. Πρωτότοκος γὰρ ὠνόμασται. Γεγονότα τε τοῦτον ἀπόλεκτον οὐκ ἐγκατέλιπεν ὁ Θεός. Πρὸς ὅν φησι· Μὴ φοβοῦ, μηδὲ πλανῶ· ἐγὼ γάρ εἰμι ὁ Θεός σου, ὁ ἐνισχύσας σε. ∆ιδάξας αὐτὸν διὰ τοῦ νόμου, ὅτι καὶ Θεὸς εἷς ἐστι, καὶ Κύριος εἷς, καὶ αὐτῷ χρὴ μόνῳ λατρεύειν, διὰ τῆς ἰδίας δεξιᾶς τοῦ Μονογενοῦς κληρονόμον ποιήσας ἐθνῶν ἡττημένων. Κατὰ δὲ τὴν πρώτην ἐξήγησιν, τοῦ σπέρματος Ἀβραὰμ μνημονεύσας, ἐπὶ τὴν τοῦ ἀποστολικοῦ χοροῦ πάλιν ἀνέδραμεν ἐκλογὴν, παῖς μου λέγων, κατὰ δὲ τοὺς λοιποὺς, δοῦλε, ἐφ' ᾧ καὶ Παῦλος μέγα φρονῶν, δοῦλον ἑαυτὸν, ὡς ἀπό τινος ἐκάλεσεν ἀξιώματος. Καὶ προϊὼν γὰρ ὁ προφήτης ἐρεῖ· "Μέγα σοί ἐστι τοῦ κληθῆναί σε παῖδά μου." Κἀνταῦθα δὲ πάλιν τῆς ἐκλογῆς τὴν δουλείαν προέταξεν. Παραθαῤῥύνων δὲ τὴν ἐκλογὴν πρὸς τὸ πᾶσι τὸ Εὐαγγέλιον κηρύξαι τοῖς ἔθνεσιν· Μὴ φοβοῦ, φησί· μετὰ σοῦ γάρ εἰμι. Κατὰ τό· "Ἰδοὺ ἐγὼ μεθ' ὑμῶν εἰμι πάσας τὰς ἡμέρας, ἕως τῆς συντελείας τοῦ αἰῶνος." Ἀλλὰ μηδὲ πλανῶ, φησὶν, νομίσας ἰδίᾳ δυνάμει πρὸς τοσοῦτον ἐξαρκέσαι τὸ κήρυγμα. Τί γὰρ ἂν ἔπραξας, μὴ παρόντος ἐμοῦ, καὶ πρὸς ταλαιπωρίας καρτερίαν ἐμβάλλοντος; ἐγώ σε γὰρ ἐφρούρουν, πρὸς τὸ μηδὲν ἐμποδῶν σοι γενέσθαι κηρύττοντι. Τῶν οὖν ἀνθισταμένων μηδένα πεποίησο λόγον. Ἔσονται γὰρ εἰς οὐδὲν, οἱ πρὸς ὀλίγον ἐν τῷ διώκειν εἶναί τι δόξαντες, ὧν τὸ τέλος ἀπώλεια. Κατὰ τό· "Εἶδον τὸν ἀσεβῆ ὑπερυψούμενον, καὶ παρῆλθον, καὶ ἰδοὺ οὐκ ἦν." "Οἱ γὰρ φρονοῦντες, φησὶ, τὰ ὑψηλὰ, δεινὴν καὶ ἀδόκητον ὑπομένουσι συντριβήν." Καὶ πάλιν· "Ὃς ὑψηλὸν ποιεῖ τὸν ἑαυτοῦ οἶκον, ζητεῖ συντριβήν" Τὸ δὲ, Ἐγὼ ἐβοήθησά σοι, μὴ φοβοῦ, σκώληξ Ἰακὼβ, οὐ κεῖται παρὰ τοῖς Ἑβδομήκοντα. Σκώληκα δὲ προσηγόρευσεν ὃν προλαβὼν ἐκάλεσεν ἐκλεκτὸν, διὰ τὸ σκώληκος δίκην τῶν ἀπίστων τὰς πόλεις ὑποδυόμενον τὴν δεισιδαίμονα πλάνην ἐξ αὐτοῦ βάθους τῆς τῶν ἀνθρώπων ἐξαφανίζειν ψυχῆς, καὶ ὅτι περ εὐτελὲς καὶ ἰδιωτικὸν τῶν ἀποστόλων ὑπάρχει τὸ κήρυγμα. Οὕτω γ' οὖν καὶ αὐτὸς ἐν ψαλμῷ φησιν ὁ Σωτήρ· "Ἐγὼ δέ 2357 εἰμι σκώληξ, καὶ οὐκ ἄνθρωπος." Ὀλιγοστὸν δὲ καλεῖ τὸν Ἰσραὴλ διὰ τὸ τῶν μαθητῶν εὐαρίθμητον. "∆ώδεκα γὰρ ἦσαν, οἱ δὲ μετ' αὐτοὺς, ἑβδομήκοντα." Ὁ δὲ Σύμμαχος ἐξέδωκεν, ἀριθμὸς Ἰσραήλ. Ὁ δὲ Ἀκύλας, τεθνεῶτες Ἰσραήλ. Ὁ δε Θεοδοτίων, νεκροί· τῷ ἀποστολικῷ συμφώνως· "Ζῶ δὲ οὐκέτι ἐγὼ, ζῇ δὲ ἐν ἐμοὶ Χριστός." Καί· "Καθ' ἡμέραν ἀποθνήσκω, νὴ τὴν ὑμετέραν καύχησιν." Ἀλλὰ καίπερ σκώληξ ὢν, νεκρός τε καὶ ὀλιγοστὸς, μὴ φοβοῦ, διὰ τὴν ἐξ ἐμοῦ συμμαχίαν, δι' ἧς ἀλοήσεις τῶν ἀπίστων ἐθνῶν τὴν ἀσέβειαν, ὄρη καὶ βουνοὺς λέγων τὰς ἀντικειμένας δυνάμεις, ὡς ἐπαιρομένας κατὰ τῆς γνώσεως τοῦ Θεοῦ, τῶν ὑποβεβηκότων πνευμάτων λεγομένων βουνῶν· ὧν ἀπολομένων εὐφρανθήσῃ σὺ ἐν Κυρίῳ. ∆έδωκε γὰρ ἡμῖν ἐξουσίαν πατεῖν ἐπάνω ὀφέων καὶ σκορπίων, καὶ ἐπὶ πᾶσαν τὴν δύναμιν τοῦ ἐχθροῦ. Εἴποις δ' ἂν ὄρη καὶ βουνοὺς καὶ τοὺς ἐν δυναστείαις κοσμικαῖς τοῖς ἀποστόλοις ἐπαναστάντας. Ἀλλὰ καὶ τούτων καθῃρημένων, σὺ εὐφρανθήσῃ ἐν τοῖς ἁγίοις Ἰσραὴλ, ἐντρυφῶν ὅτ' ἂν ἴδῃς πολλοὺς γεγονότας ἁγίους, καὶ ἐν υἱοῖς Ἰσραὴλ τεταγμένους. "Οὐ γὰρ πάντες οἱ ἐξ Ἰσραὴλ,