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Paul, lest wishing to set right a small thing, they should overturn the whole, and desiring to lead them to indifference concerning foods, they should cause them to fall away from the faith, and hastening to correct everything before the proper 60.628.40 time, they should work injury in the most vital matters, shaking them from their confession of Christ by continually rebuking them, and they should remain uncorrected in both respects; see with how much understanding he deals, and how he cares for both parties with his accustomed wisdom. For neither does he dare to say to those who rebuke, "You do wrong," lest he should confirm the others in their observance, nor again, "You do well," lest he make them more vehement accusers, but he makes his rebuke a measured one; and he seems to be rebuking the stronger, but he directs the whole force against the others in his address to these. For this correction is least offensive, when one turns his argument to another, and strikes a different person. For he neither allows the one rebuked to be carried away into anger, and he covertly injects the medicine of correction. See, then, how prudently he does it, and how opportunely. For having said, *Make not provision for the flesh, to fulfill the lusts thereof,* he then proceeds to the discussion of these matters, so that he might not seem to be speaking on behalf of those who rebuke and command to eat all things. For the weakened part always needs more provision. Therefore he also immediately addresses the strong, saying thus: *But him that is weak in the 60.629 faith.* Did you see one blow immediately given to that man? For by saying, *him that is weak*, he showed him to be sick. Then he adds a second, saying, *Receive ye.* For he shows again that he needs much care, which is a sign of extreme sickness. *Not to doubtful disputations.* Behold, he has inflicted a third blow as well. For from this he shows that his error is of such a kind that even those who do not commit the same sin as he, but who nevertheless share in his friendship and are concerned with his cure, are brought to disputes. Do you see how he seems to be conversing with these, but rebukes those covertly and without offense? Then, placing both side by side, he sets the one with commendations, the other with accusations; for he adds, saying: *One believes that he may eat all things*, proclaiming him from his faith; *but he that is weak eats herbs*, again reproaching this one for his weakness. Then, since he had given a critical blow, he comforts him again, saying thus: *Let not him that eats despise him that eats not.* He did not say, "Let him be," he did not say, "Let him not accuse," he did not say, "Let him not correct," but, "Let him not reproach, let him not scorn," showing that they were doing something worthy of much ridicule. But in this one's case not so, but how? *Let not him which eats not judge him that eats.* For just as the more perfect despised these as being of little faith and insincere and spurious, and still Judaizing, so those judged these as transgressing the law or as being altogether given to gluttony; of whom it is likely that many were also from the Gentiles. Wherefore he also added: *For God has received him.* But in the other's case he did not say this; and yet the despising was of the one who eats, as a glutton, while the judging was of the one who does not eat, as being of little faith. But he has interchanged them, showing that not only is he not worthy of being despised, but he can even despise. "But do I also condemn him?" he says. By no means; for this is why he added that, *God has received him.* Why then do you discourse to him about the law, as to a transgressor? For God has received him; that is, He has shown His unspeakable grace towards him, and has freed him from all accusations. Then again to the strong, *Who are you that judges another's servant?* From which it is clear, that they also judged, not only despised. *To his own master he stands or falls.* 2. Behold, again another blow. And the indignation seems to be directed towards the strong, but it touches that one. When he says, *Yea, he shall be holden up*, he shows him to be still shaken, and in need of much attention, and of so much care as to call God in as a physician for these things; *For God is able,* he says, *to make him stand.* Which is what we say in cases that are utterly desperate. Then,

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Παῦλος μὴ μικρὸν κατορθῶσαι βουλόμενοι, τὸ πᾶν ἀνατρέψωσι, καὶ θέλοντες εἰς τὴν τῶν βρωμάτων αὐτοὺς ἀδιαφορίαν ἀγαγεῖν, καὶ τῆς πίστεως αὐτοὺς ἐκπεσεῖν παρασκευάσωσι, καὶ πρὸ τοῦ καιροῦ τοῦ 60.628.40 προσήκοντος τὸ πᾶν ἐπανορθῶσαι σπεύδοντες, περὶ τὰ καίρια ζημίαν ἐργάσωνται, ἀπὸ τῆς εἰς Χριστὸν ὁμολογίας αὐτοὺς παρασαλεύοντες τῷ συνεχῶς ἐπιτιμᾷν, καὶ ἐν ἑκατέροις μείνωσιν ἀδιόρθωτοι· ὅρα πόσῃ κέχρηται συνέσει, καὶ πῶς ἑκατέρων ἐπιμελεῖται τῶν μερῶν μετὰ τῆς συνήθους αὐτῷ σοφίας. Οὔτε γὰρ ὅτι Κακῶς ποιεῖτε, τολμᾷ τοῖς ἐπιτιμῶσιν εἰπεῖν, ἵνα μὴ ἐκείνους βεβαιώσῃ ἐν τῇ παρατηρήσει, οὔτε πάλιν, ὅτι Καλῶς, ἵνα μὴ σφοδροτέρους κατηγόρους ἐργάζηται, ἀλλὰ συμμεμετρημένην ποιεῖται τὴν ἐπιτίμησιν· καὶ δοκεῖ μὲν τοῖς ἰσχυροτέροις ἐπιτιμᾷν, τὸ δὲ πᾶν εἰς ἐκείνους κενοῖ ἐν τῷ πρὸς τούτους λόγῳ. Αὕτη γὰρ μάλιστα ἡ διόρθωσις ἀνεπαχθεστέρα, ὅταν πρὸς ἄλλον τις τρέψας τὸν λόγον, ἕτερον πλήττῃ. Οὔτε γὰρ εἰς θυμὸν ἀφίησιν ἐξενεχθῆναι τὸν ἐπιτιμώμενον, καὶ λανθανόντως τὸ τῆς διορθώσεως ἐνίησι φάρμακον. Ὅρα τοίνυν πῶς αὐτὸ ποιεῖ συνετῶς, καὶ πῶς εὐκαίρως. Εἰπὼν γὰρ, Τῆς σαρκὸς πρόνοιαν μὴ ποιεῖσθε εἰς ἐπιθυμίας, τότε εἰς τὸν περὶ τούτων ἐκβαίνει λόγον, ἵνα μὴ δόξῃ ὑπὲρ ἐκείνων λέγειν τῶν ἐπιτιμώντων καὶ κελευόντων ἐσθίειν ἅπαντα. Τὸ γὰρ ἠσθενηκὸς μέρος ἀεὶ πλείονος δεῖται τῆς προνοίας. ∆ιὸ καὶ πρὸς τὸν ἰσχυρὸν εὐθέως ἀποτείνεται, λέγων οὕτω· Τὸν δὲ ἀσθενοῦντα τῇ 60.629 πίστει. Εἶδες πληγὴν εὐθέως μίαν ἐκείνῳ δοθεῖσαν; Εἰπὼν γὰρ Τὸν ἀσθενοῦντα, ἔδειξεν αὐτὸν ἄῤῥωστον. Εἶτα δευτέραν προστίθησι λέγων, Προσλαμβάνεσθε. ∆είκνυσι γὰρ πάλιν πολλῆς δεόμενον ἐπιμελείας, ὅπερ σημεῖον ἐσχάτης ἀῤῥωστίας ἐστί. Μὴ εἰς διακρίσεις λογισμῶν. Ἰδοὺ καὶ τρίτην ἐπέθηκε πληγήν. Ἐντεῦθεν γὰρ δηλοῖ τοιοῦτον αὐτοῦ τὸ ἁμάρτημα ὂν, ὡς καὶ τοὺς τὰ αὐτὰ αὐτῷ οὐ πλημμελοῦντας, κοινωνοῦντας δὲ ὅμως αὐτῷ τῆς φιλίας, καὶ ἀντεχομένους αὐτοῦ τῆς θεραπείας διακρίνεσθαι. Εἶδες πῶς δοκεῖ μὲν τούτοις διαλέγεσθαι, ἐκείνοις δὲ ἐπιτιμᾷ λανθανόντως καὶ ἀνεπαχθῶς; Εἶτα τιθεὶς ἀμφοτέρους παράλληλα, τὸν μὲν μετ' ἐγκωμίων, τὸν δὲ μετ' ἐγκλημάτων τίθησιν· ἐπάγει γὰρ λέγων· Ὃς μὲν πιστεύει φαγεῖν πάντα, ἀνακηρύττων αὐτὸν ἀπὸ τῆς πίστεως· ὁ δὲ ἀσθενῶν λάχανα ἐσθίει, καὶ τοῦτον πάλιν κακίζων ἀπὸ τῆς ἀσθενείας. Εἶτα, ἐπειδὴ καιρίαν ἔδωκε τὴν πληγὴν, παραμυθεῖται πάλιν αὐτὸν, οὕτω λέγων· Ὁ ἐσθίων τὸν μὴ ἐσθίοντα μὴ ἐξουθενείτω. Οὐκ εἶπεν, Ἐάτω, οὐκ εἶπε, Μὴ ἐγκαλείτω, οὐκ εἶπε, Μὴ διορθούσθω, ἀλλὰ, Μὴ ὀνειδιζέτω, μὴ διαπτυέτω, δεικνὺς ὅτι πρᾶγμα πολλοῦ γέλωτος ἄξιον ἐποίουν. Ἐπὶ δὲ τούτου οὐχ οὕτως, ἀλλὰ πῶς; Ὁ μὴ ἐσθίων τὸν ἐσθίοντα μὴ κρινέτω. Ὥσπερ γὰρ οἱ τελειότεροι τούτους ἐξευτέλιζον ὡς ὀλιγοπίστους καὶ ὑπούλους καὶ νόθους· καὶ ἰουδαΐζοντας ἔτι, οὕτως ἐκεῖνοι τούτους ἔκρινον ὡς παρανομοῦντας ἢ ὅλως λαιμαργίᾳ προσέχοντας· ὧν πολλοὺς καὶ ἐξ ἐθνῶν εἰκὸς εἶναι. ∆ιὸ καὶ ἐπήγαγεν· Ὁ Θεὸς γὰρ αὐτὸν προσελάβετο. Ἐπ' ἐκείνῳ δὲ οὐκ εἶπε τοῦτο· καίτοι τὸ μὲν ἐξουθενεῖσθαι τοῦ ἐσθίοντος ἦν ὡς λαιμάργου, τὸ δὲ κρίνεσθαι τοῦ μὴ ἐσθίοντος ὡς ὀλιγοπίστου. Ἀλλ' ἀντήλλαξεν αὐτὰ, δεικνὺς ὅτι οὐ μόνον τοῦ ἐξουθενεῖσθαι οὐκ ἔστιν ἄξιος, ἀλλὰ καὶ ἐξουθενεῖν δύναται. Ἀλλὰ καὶ ἐγὼ κατακρίνω, φησίν; Οὐδαμῶς· διὰ γὰρ τοῦτο ἐπήγαγεν, ὅτι Ὁ Θεὸς αὐτὸν προσελάβετο. Τί τοίνυν περὶ νόμου αὐτῷ διαλέγῃ ὡς παραβαίνοντι; Ὁ Θεὸς γὰρ αὐτὸν προσελάβετο· τουτέστι, τὴν ἄφατον αὐτοῦ περὶ αὐτὸν ἐπεδείξατο χάριν, καὶ πάντων ἀπήλλαξεν ἐγκλημάτων. Εἶτα πάλιν πρὸς τὸν ἰσχυρὸν, Σὺ τίς εἶ ὁ κρίνων ἀλλότριον οἰκέτην; Ὅθεν δῆλον, ὅτι καὶ ἐκεῖνοι ἔκρινον, οὐ μόνον ἐξουθένουν. Τῷ ἰδίῳ κυρίῳ στήκει ἢ πίπτει. βʹ. Ἰδοὺ πάλιν ἄλλη πληγή. Καὶ δοκεῖ μὲν ἡ ἀγανάκτησις εἶναι πρὸς τὸν ἰσχυρὸν, καθάπτεται δὲ ἐκείνου. Ὅταν εἴπῃ, Σταθήσεται δὲ, δείκνυσιν ἔτι σαλευόμενον, καὶ πολλῆς δεόμενον τῆς προσοχῆς, καὶ τοσαύτης τῆς ἐπιμελείας, ὡς καὶ τὸν Θεὸν καλεῖν εἰς ταῦτα ἰατρόν· ∆υνατὸς γὰρ, φησὶν, ὁ Θεὸς στῆσαι αὐτόν. Ὅπερ ἐπὶ τῶν σφόδρα ἀπεγνωσμένων λέγομεν. Εἶτα,