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it needs preparation, but is content with the declaration. What he says is something like this: For if you eat, does this bring you into the kingdom? Therefore, mocking them, as thinking great things of themselves for this, he spoke not only of food, but also of drink. What then are the things that lead in? Righteousness and peace and joy, the virtuous life, peace toward the brother, which this contentiousness opposes; the joy from concord, which this rebuke destroys. But these things he said not to one party only, but to both; for it was the right time for them to be said to both. 2. Then, since he had spoken of peace and joy (and there is peace and joy also in evil things), he added, In the Holy Spirit. Since he who destroys his broth 60.639 er has both overthrown peace and joy, and has done a greater injustice than one who seizes money; and what is worse, that another saved him, and you are wronging and destroying him. When, therefore, these things do not bring one in—the eating and the supposed perfection—but the things that subvert them do bring one in, how is it not right to despise the small things so as to establish the great things? Then, since this rebuking was also happening quietly out of vainglory, he adds, saying: For he that in these things serves Christ is well-pleasing to God and approved by men. For they will not so much admire you for your perfection as all will for your peace and concord. For all will enjoy this good thing, but of that one, not even one. Therefore let us pursue the things of peace, and the things of edification for one another. This to that man, that he might be at peace; this to this man, that he might not destroy his brother. But still, he has made both of these common again by saying, For one another, and showing that without peace it is not easy to build up. For the sake of food, do not destroy the work of God; thus calling the salvation of the brother, and intensifying the fear, and showing that he does the opposite of what he is zealous for. For not only do you not build up, he says, what you think you are, but you also destroy, and not a human building, but God's, and not for the sake of anything great, but for a trivial matter; For the sake of food, he says. Then, lest so many concessions should confirm the weaker one in his evil supposition, he lays down the doctrine again, saying thus: All things indeed are pure; but it is evil for the man who eats with offense; that is, with an evil conscience. So that even if you compel him and he eats, there is no benefit; for it is not the eating that makes one unclean, but the opinion with which he eats. If, therefore, you do not correct that, you have done everything in vain, and have rather done harm; for it is not the same to think something is unclean, and, while thinking it is unclean, to taste it. Therefore you sin in two ways here: both by intensifying his prejudice through contentiousness, and by making him taste what is unclean; so until you persuade him, do not compel him. It is good not to eat meat, nor to drink wine, nor anything by which your brother is scandalized, or stumbles, or is weakened. Again he demands more, so that one not only does not compel, but also condescends to him. For he himself also did this in many places; as when he circumcised, as when he shaved his head, as when he offered that Jewish sacrifice. And he does not say to him, Do it, but he puts it in the category of an opinion, so as not to make that weaker one more careless again. And what does he say? It is good not to eat meat. And why do I say meat? Even if it be wine, or anything else of that kind which causes a scandal, abstain; for nothing is equal to the salvation of the brother. And this Christ shows, both by coming from heaven, and by suffering all things for us, which he suffered. But consider how he also touches upon that man, saying: He stumbles or is scandalized or is weakened. For do not tell me, he says, that it is irrational, but that you are able to set it right. For that man has a sufficient right to be helped in his weakness, and there is no harm to you; for the matter is not hypocrisy, but edification and stewardship. For if you compel him, he is both destroyed and will condemn you, and will be all the more built up in not eating; if 60.640 you condescend, for the time being he will love you, and will not hold you in suspicion when you teach, and you will then get the authority to imperceptibly sow the right doctrines in him. But if he once hates you, you have also blocked the entrance for the word. Therefore do not

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κατασκευῆς δεῖται, ἀλλ' ἀρκεῖται τῇ ἀποφάσει. Ὃ δὲ λέγει, τοιοῦτόν ἐστι· Μὴ γὰρ, ἐὰν φάγῃς, τοῦτό σε εἰς βασιλείαν εἰσάγει; ∆ιὸ καὶ διασύρων αὐτοὺς, ὡς μέγα ἐπὶ τούτῳ φρονοῦντας, οὐχὶ βρῶσιν εἶπε μόνον, ἀλλὰ καὶ πόσιν. Τίνα οὖν ἐστι τὰ εἰσάγοντα; ∆ικαιοσύνη καὶ εἰρήνη καὶ χαρὰ, ὁ ἐνάρετος βίος, ἡ πρὸς τὸν ἀδελφὸν εἰρήνη, ᾗ ἐναντιοῦται αὕτη ἡ φιλονεικία· ἡ ἐκ τῆς ὁμονοίας χαρὰ, ἢν ἀναιρεῖ αὕτη ἡ ἐπίπληξις. Ταῦτα δὲ οὐ θατέρῳ μόνον, ἀλλὰ ἑκατέροις ἔλεγε· καὶ γὰρ πρὸς ἑκατέρους εἰρῆσθαι καιρὸν εἶχεν. βʹ. Εἶτα, ἐπειδὴ εἶπεν εἰρήνην καὶ χαράν (ἔστι δὲ εἰρήνη καὶ χαρὰ καὶ ἐπὶ πονηρῶν πραγμάτων), ἐπήγαγεν, Ἐν Πνεύματι ἁγίῳ. Ὡς ὅ γε ἀπολλὺς τὸν ἀδελ 60.639 φὸν καὶ εἰρήνην ἀνέτρεψε καὶ τὴν χαρὰν, καὶ ἠδίκησε πλέον ἢ ὁ τὰ χρήματα ἁρπάζων· καὶ τὸ δὴ χεῖρον, ὅτι ἄλλος ἔσωσε, καὶ σὺ ἀδικεῖς καὶ ἀπολλύεις. Ὅταν οὖν ταῦτα μὲν μὴ εἰσάγῃ, ἡ βρῶσις καὶ ἡ δοκοῦσα τελειότης, τὰ δὲ ἀνατρέποντα αὐτὰ εἰσάγει, πῶς οὐ χρὴ καταφρονεῖν τῶν μικρῶν ὥστε τὰ μεγάλα πῆξαι; Εἶτα, ἐπειδὴ καὶ ἀπὸ κενοδοξίας ἠρέμα τοῦτο ἐγίνετο τὸ ἐπιτιμᾷν, ἐπάγει λέγων· Ὁ γὰρ ἐν τούτοις δουλεύων τῷ Χριστῷ, εὐάρεστος τῷ Θεῷ καὶ δόκιμος τοῖς ἀνθρώποις. Οὐ γὰρ οὕτω σε θαυμάσονται τῆς τελειότητος, ὡς τῆς εἰρήνης καὶ τῆς ὁμονοίας ἅπαντες. Τούτου μὲν γὰρ τοῦ καλοῦ πάντες ἀπολαύσονται, ἐκείνου δὲ οὐδὲ εἷς. Ἄρα οὖν τὰ τῆς εἰρήνης διώκωμεν, καὶ τὰ τῆς οἰκοδομῆς τῆς εἰς ἀλλήλους. Τοῦτο πρὸς ἐκεῖνον, ἵνα εἰρηνεύῃ· τοῦτο πρὸς τοῦτον, ἵνα μὴ καταλύῃ τὸν ἀδελφόν. Ἀλλ' ὅμως κοινὰ πάλιν ἀμφότερα ταῦτα πεποίηκεν εἰπὼν, Τῆς εἰς ἀλλήλους, καὶ δείξας ὅτι χωρὶς εἰρήνης οὐκ εὔκολον οἰκοδομεῖν. Μὴ ἕνεκεν βρώματος κατάλυε τὸ ἔργον τοῦ Θεοῦ· τὴν σωτηρίαν τοῦ ἀδελφοῦ οὕτω καλῶν, καὶ ἐπιτείνων τὸν φόβον, καὶ δεικνὺς ὅτι τοὐναντίον οὗ σπουδάζει ποιεῖ. Οὐ γὰρ μόνον οὐκ οἰκοδομεῖς, φησὶν, ὃ νομίζεις, ἀλλὰ καὶ καταλύεις, καὶ οἰκοδομὴν οὐκ ἀνθρωπίνην, ἀλλὰ Θεοῦ, καὶ οὐδὲ μεγάλου τινὸς ἕνεκεν, ἀλλὰ πράγματος εὐτελοῦς· Ἕνεκεν γὰρ βρώματος, φησίν. Εἶτα ἵνα μὴ αἱ τοσαῦται συγχωρήσεις βεβαιώσωσι τὸν ἀσθενέστερον ἐν τῇ πονηρᾷ ὑπολήψει, δογματίζει πάλιν οὕτω λέγων· Πάντα μὲν καθαρά· ἀλλὰ κακὸν τῷ ἀνθρώπῳ τῷ διὰ προσκόμματος ἐσθίοντι· τῷ μετὰ συνειδότος πονηροῦ. Ὥστε κἂν ἀναγκάσῃς καὶ φάγῃ, τὸ ὄφελος οὐδέν· οὐ γὰρ τὸ φαγεῖν ποιεῖ ἀκάθαρτον, ἀλλ' ἡ γνώμη, μεθ' ἧς ἐσθίει. Ἂν τοίνυν ἐκείνην μὴ διορθώσῃ, πάντα εἰκῆ πεποίηκας, καὶ μᾶλλον ἔβλαψας· οὐ γάρ ἐστιν ἴσον νομίζειν ἀκάθαρτόν τι, καὶ νομίζοντα ἀκάθαρτον εἶναι, ἀπογεύεσθαι. ∆ύο τοίνυν ἐνταῦθα ἁμαρτάνεις. καὶ τὴν πρόληψιν ἐπιτείνων τῇ φιλονεικίᾳ, καὶ ἀκαθάρτου ποιῶν ἀπογεύεσθαι· ὥστε ἕως ἂν μὴ πείσῃς, μὴ ἀναγκάσῃς. Καλὸν τὸ μὴ φαγεῖν κρέα, μηδὲ πιεῖν οἶνον, μηδὲ ἐν ᾧ ὁ ἀδελφός σου σκανδαλίζεται ἢ προσκόπτει ἢ ἀσθενεῖ. Πάλιν τὸ πλέον ἀπαιτεῖ, ὥστε μὴ μόνον μὴ ἀναγκάζειν, ἀλλὰ καὶ συγκαταβαίνειν αὐτῷ. Καὶ γὰρ καὶ αὐτὸς αὐτὸ πολλαχοῦ ἐποίησεν· ὡς ὅτε περιέτεμεν, ὡς ὅτε ἐξυρᾶτο, ὡς ὅτε ἔθυε τὴν Ἰουδαϊκὴν θυσίαν ἐκείνην. Καὶ οὐ λέγει αὐτῷ, ὅτι Ποίησον, ἀλλ' ἐν τάξει γνώμης αὐτὸ τίθησιν, ἵνα μὴ ἐκεῖνον πάλιν ῥᾳθυμότερον ποιήσῃ τὸν ἀσθενέστερον. Καὶ τί φησι; Καλὸν τὸ μὴ φαγεῖν κρέα. Καὶ τί λέγω κρέα; Κἂν οἶνος ᾖ, κἂν ἄλλο ὁτιοῦν τοιοῦτον σκανδαλίζον, ἀπέχου· οὐδὲν γὰρ ἴσον τῆς σωτηρίας τοῦ ἀδελφοῦ. Καὶ τοῦτο δηλοῖ ὁ Χριστὸς, καὶ ἐξ οὐρανῶν παραγενόμενος, καὶ πάντα παθὼν δι' ἡμᾶς, ἅπερ ἔπαθε. Σκόπει δέ μοι πῶς καὶ ἐκείνου καθικνεῖται, λέγων· Προσκόπτει ἢ σκανδαλίζεται ἢ ἀσθενεῖ. Μὴ γάρ μοι λέγε, φησὶν, ὅτι ἀλόγως, ἀλλ' ὅτι δύνασαι κατορθῶσαι. Καὶ γὰρ ἀρκοῦν ἔχει δικαίωμα εἰς τὸ βοηθεῖσθαι τὴν ἀσθένειαν ἐκεῖνος, καὶ σοὶ βλάβη οὐδεμία· οὐδὲ γὰρ ὑπόκρισις τὸ πρᾶγμά ἐστιν, ἀλλ' οἰκοδομὴ καὶ οἰκονομία. Ἂν μὲν γὰρ ἀναγκάσῃς, καὶ καταλύεται καὶ σοῦ καταγνώσεται, καὶ μᾶλλον οἰκοδομηθήσεται εἰς τὸ μὴ ἐσθίειν· ἐὰν 60.640 δὲ συγκαταβῇς, τέως σε ἀγαπήσει, καὶ οὐχ ἕξει σε ἐν ὑποψίᾳ διδάσκοντα, καὶ λήψῃ λοιπὸν ἐξουσίαν ἀνεπαισθήτως σπείρειν ἐν αὐτῷ τὰ ὀρθὰ δόγματα. Ἂν δὲ καθάπαξ σε μισήσῃ, καὶ τὴν εἴσοδον ἀπέφραξας τῷ λόγῳ. Μὴ τοίνυν