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of reproaches it is said: "Do not acquire the reproaches of evil men"; for it did not say absolutely: "Do not acquire reproaches", but "of evil men". Do not be reproached for worthlessness; for there are those who are reproached for good things. Indeed to his disciples Jesus says: "Rejoice and be glad when they reproach you". This reproach is not to be shunned; for it is good and leads one into the kingdom of heaven. But the reproaches of evil men are to be fled. 10 I became deaf and did not open my mouth. Who is the foolish one who reproaches, or that sinner who stood against him, inasmuch as "he became deaf and did not open his mouth"? And here again it means the same thing: "I became deaf and did not open my mouth". I did not answer him concerning the things with which he reproaches. I have said this many times, that with another force the apostle teaches this, saying: "a heretical man after a first admonition, reject". Do not open your mouth to him at all. But so that you may have a defense and a word for yourself to say that: "I have done my part," admonish him. If he does not endure the admonition or "a second"—for some of the copies have "and a second"—turn him away "knowing that he is sinning". The "self-condemned" one must not be admonished. 10-11 For you are the one who made me, remove your scourges from me. Do not scourge me; for I am your creation. "But he scourges every son whom he receives" who has, evidently, things for which he is scourged. Therefore forgive me these things; grant me forgiveness; for thus I will no longer be scourged. But now I am still liable to scourges. 278 Indeed, doubtless he who has made the Most High his refuge has no evils approaching nor a scourge nearing his tent. Therefore make me such that I am no longer liable to scourges, remove what in me is punishable. Since, therefore, I say: "Deliver me from all my iniquities," when you deliver me, I am no longer punishable. Therefore in a certain way he was scourging him also through the foolish one, and he says the reproaches of the foolish one are scourges. Unless God hands him over, he has no power, not even by opposing the one not yet handed over. 11 From the strength of your hand I fainted. The strength of your chastening hand is upon me, the one striking, the one subjecting to toils. Since, therefore, it has become strong upon me, I fainted. I cast off my former life, I left my former state; for I did not faint so as to no longer exist, so as to become weak, but so as to leave the state that makes me punishable. "I fainted." I, the one saying these things, the one confessing, the one saying: "you have made me a reproach to the foolish," I fainted, having gone outside of my former state. It is possible to faint in a praiseworthy way, and it is also possible in a blameworthy way. "But Esau came from the field, fainting," when he wanted to eat pottage. Here "fainting" is instead of "having become weak" and "desiring food". It is often said also in a praiseworthy way. "They fainted and went away" or "they turned aside"—for it is also rendered this way—. This fainting is blameworthy. "Faith has failed from their mouth." This too is blameworthy. But if someone fails in unbelief and wickedness, this failure is not blameworthy. Indeed it is said: "My soul longs and faints for the courts of my God". When it conceives a longing for the courts of the Lord which are "in the house of the Father," it faints inasmuch as it is soul, it casts off being soulish, it becomes spiritual. 12 In reproofs for iniquity you have disciplined man. You do not reprove unless I commit iniquity. Reproving for iniquity you discipline man. You make him know that he is a man, that he is rational, that he is in the image of God. And thus having been reproved he is disciplined. It is indeed blessed not to be disciplined in wrath, but in reproofs; for we were saying: "all things when they are reproved are made manifest by the light". This reproof is a demonstration and a manifestation. Reproof is not found at all in a praiseworthy sense in Scripture, or rarely, behold, as in the text: "all things when they are reproved are made manifest by the light". But those outside [call] demonstration reproof

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οὔσης ὀνειδισμῶν λέγεται· "μὴ κτήσῃ κακῶν ἀνδρῶν ὀνείδη"· μὴ γὰρ εἶπεν καθόλου· "μὴ κτήσῃ ὀνείδη", ἀλλὰ "κακῶν ἀνδρῶν". μὴ ἐπὶ φαυλότητι ὀνειδίζου· εἰσὶν γὰρ ὀνειδιζόμενοι ἐπὶ καλοῖς. τοῖς γοῦν γνωρίμοις Ἰησοῦς λέγει· "χαίρετε καὶ ἀγαλλιᾶτε ὅταν ὀνειδίζωσιν ὑμᾶς". οὐ τοῦτον τὸν ὀνειδισμὸν παραιτητέον· ἀγαθὸς γάρ ἐστιν καὶ ξεναγεῖ εἰς τὴν βασιλείαν τῶν οὐρανῶν. τοὺς δὲ τῶν κακῶν ἀνδρῶν ὀνειδισμοὺς φευκτέον. 10 ἐκωφώθην καὶ οὐκ ἤνοιξα τὸ στόμα μου. τίς ἐστιν ὁ ὀνειδίζων ἄφρων ἢ ἐκεῖνος ὁ ἁμαρτωλὸς ὁ συνστὰς κατεναντίον αὐτοῦ, ὅσον "ἐκωφώθη καὶ οὐκ ἤνοιξεν τὸ στόμα αὐτοῦ"; καὶ ἐνταῦθα πάλιν τὸ αὐτὸ σημαίνει· "ἐκωφώθην καὶ οὐκ ἤνοιξα τὸ στόμα μου". οὐκ ἀπεκρίθην αὐτῷ πρὸς ἃ ὀνειδίζει. ἔλεγον δὲ τοῦτο πολλάκις ὅτι ἄλλῃ δυνάμει ὁ ἀπόστολος τοῦτο διδάσκει λέγων· "αἱρεθικὸν ἄνθρωπον ἀπὸ μιᾶς νουθεσίας παραιτοῦ". μὴ ἄνοιγε αὐτῷ ὅλως τὸ στόμα. ὅπως δὲ ἂν ἀπολογητικὸν ἔχῃς καὶ σοὶ λόγον περὶ σεαυτοῦ εἰπεῖν ὅτι· "τὸ παρ' ἐμαυτοῦ πεποίηκα", νουθέτησον αὐτόν. ἐὰν τῆς νουθεσίας μὴ ἀνάςχηται ἢ "καὶ δευτέρας"-ἔνια γὰρ τῶν ἀντιγράφων ἔχει "καὶ δευτέρας"-, ἀνάτραπε αὐτὸν "εἰδὼς ὅτι ἁμαρτάνει". τὸν "αὐτοκατάκριτον" οὐ δεῖ νου θετεῖν. 10-11 ὅτι σὺ εἶ ὁ ποιήσας με, ἀπόστησον ἀπ' ἐμοῦ τὰς μάστιγάς σου. μὴ μάστιζέ με· ποίημα γὰρ σοῦ εἰμι. "μαστιγοῖ δὲ πάντα υἱὸν ὃν παραδέχεται" ἔχοντα δηλονότι δι' ἃ μαστίζεται. ταῦτα οὖν ἄφες μοι· ἄφεσιν μοι δώρησαι· οὕτω γὰρ οὐκέτι μαστιχθήσομαι. νῦν δ̣ε`̣ ἐ´̣τι υ῾̣πε̣υ´̣θυνος μάστιξίν εἰμι. 278 ἀμέλει γοῦν ὁ τὸν ὕψιστον θέμενος καταφυγὴν ἑαυτοῦ οὐκ ἔχει προσεγγίζοντα κακὰ οὐδὲ μάστιγαν ἐγγίζουσαν τοῦ σκηνώματος αὐτοῦ. ποίησόν με οὖν τοιοῦτον ὥστε μηκέτι ὑπεύθυνον εἶναι μάστιξιν, τὸ κ̣ολαστέον μου ἀπόστησον. ἐπεὶ τοίνυν λέγω ὅτι· "ἀπὸ πασῶν τῶν ἀνομιῶν μου ῥῦσαί με", ὅταν ῥύσῃ με, ου᾿̣κέτι κολαστέος εἰμί. τρόπον οὖν τινα ἐμάστιζεν αὐτὸν καὶ διὰ τοῦ ἄφρονος, καὶ λέγει τοὺς ὀνειδισμοὺς τοῦ ἄφρονος μάστιγας εἶναι. εἰ μὴ ὁ θεὸς παραδῷ, οὐκ ἰσχύει οὐδὲ ἐναντιούμενος τῷ μήπω παραδοθέντι. 11 ἀπὸ τῆς ἰσχύος τῆς χειρός σου ἐγὼ ἐξέλιπον. ἐπίκειταί μοι ἡ ἰσχὺς τῆς χειρός σου ἡ παιδευτική, ἡ πλήττουσα, ἡ πόνοις ὑποβάλλουσα. ἐπεὶ οὖν ἰσχυρὰ γέγονεν ἐπ' ἐμοί, ἐξέλιπον. ἀπέβαλον τὴν προτέραν μου ζωήν, ἀπέλιπον τὴν προτέραν κατάστασιν· οὐ γὰρ ἐξέλιπον ὥστε μηκέτι εἶναι, ὥστε ἀσθενὴς γενέσθαι, ἀλλ' ὥστε ἐκλιπεῖν τὴν κατάστασιν τὴν κολαστέον με παρασκευάζουσαν. "ἐγὼ ἐξέλιπον". ἐγὼ ὁ ταῦτα λέγων, ὁ ἐξομολογούμενος, ὁ λέγων· "ὄνειδος ἄφροσιν ἔδωκάς με", ἐξέλιπον ἔξω γενόμενος τῆς προτέρας μου καταστάσεως. ἔστιν ἐπαινετῶς ἐκλιπεῖν, ἔστιν δὲ καὶ ψεκτῶς. "ἦλθεν δὲ Ἠσαῦ ἐκ τοῦ πεδίου ἐκλείπων", ὅτε ἠθέλη̣σ̣εν ἕψημα φαγεῖν. τὸ ὧδε "ἐκλείπων" ἀντὶ τοῦ "ἀσθενήσας" καὶ "ὀρεγόμενος τροφῆς". λέγεται πολλάκις καὶ ἐπαινετῶς. "ἐξέλιπον καὶ ἀπήλθοσαν" ἢ "ἐξέκλιναν" -καὶ οὕτω γὰρ φέρεται-. ἡ ἔκλειψις αὕτη ψεκτή ἐστιν. "ἐξέλιπεν ἡ πίστις ἐκ τοῦ στόματος αὐτῶν". καὶ αὕτη ψεκτή ἐστιν. ἐὰν δὲ ἐκλείψῃ τις ἀπιστίαν καὶ κακίαν, οὔκ ἐστιν ψεκτὴ ἡ ἔκλειψις αὕτη. λέγεται γοῦν· "ἐπιποθεῖ καὶ ἐκλείπει ἡ ψυχή μου εἰς τὰς αὐλὰς τοῦ θεοῦ μου". ὅταν πόθον λάβῃ τῶν αὐλῶν τοῦ κυρίου τῶν "ἐν τῇ οἰκίᾳ τοῦ πατρός", ἐκλείπει καθὸ ψυχή ἐστιν, ἀποβάλλει τὸ ψυχικὸν εἶναι, πνευματικὸς γίνεται. 12 ἐν ἐλεγμοῖς ὑπὲρ ἀνομίας ἐπαίδευσας ἄνθρωπον. οὐκ ἐλέγχεις εἰ μὴ ἀνομήσω. ὑπὲρ ἀνομίας ἐλέγχων παιδεύεις ἄνθρωπον. ποιεῖς αὐτὸν γνῶναι ὅτι ἄνθρωπός ἐστιν, ὅτι λογικός ἐστιν, ὅτι κατ' εἰκόνα τοῦ θεοῦ ἐστιν. καὶ οὕτω παιδεύεται ἐλεγχθείς. μακάριόν γέ ἐστιν μὴ ὀργῇ παιδευθῆναι, ἀλλ' ἐν ἐλεγμοῖς· ἐλέγαμεν γάρ· "τὰ πάντα ἐλεγχόμενα ὑπὸ τοῦ φωτὸς φανεροῦται". ὁ ἔλεγχος δὲ οὗτος ἀπόδειξίς ἐστιν καὶ φανέρωσις. οὐ πάνυ τι ἐν τῇ γραφῇ κεῖται ἐπαινετῶς ὁ ἔλεγχος ἢ σπανίως, ἰδοὺ ὡς τό· "τὰ πάντα ἐλεγχόμενα ὑπὸ τοῦ φωτὸς φανεροῦται". οἱ ἐκτὸς δὲ τὴν ἀπόδειξιν ἔλεγχον