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compel him, but you yourself also abstain for his sake, not abstaining from it as if it were unclean, but because he is scandalized, and he will love you more. Thus also Paul commanded, saying, It is good not to eat meat; not because it is unclean, but because the brother is scandalized and is weak. Do you have faith? Have it to yourself. Here it seems to me he gently hints also at the vainglory of the more perfect one. What he says is something like this: Do you want to show me that you are perfect and complete? Do not show me, but let your conscience be sufficient for you. 3. Here he means faith not concerning dogmas, but that concerning the present subject. For concerning that one he says: With the mouth confession is made unto salvation; and, Whoever denies me before men, him will I also deny. For that faith, when not confessed, destroys, but this one, when confessed unseasonably. Blessed is he who does not judge himself in what he approves. Again he strikes the weaker one, and shows that for him the crown of conscience is sufficient. For even if man does not see, you are sufficient for yourself to become blessed. For since he said, Let him have it to himself, so that he might not think this tribunal a small thing, he says this is better for you than the whole world. Even if all accuse you, but you do not condemn yourself, nor does your conscience take hold of you, you are blessed. He has not set this down as speaking simply about all things. For there are many who do not condemn themselves, and yet are sinning greatly; who are the most wretched of all; but for the present he keeps to the subject at hand. But he who doubts is condemned if he eats. Again, exhorting him to spare the weaker one, he says this. For what is the benefit, if he eats while doubting, and will condemn himself? For I approve of him who both eats and not with doubt. See how he leads him not only to eating, but also to eating with a clean conscience. Then he also states the reason why he is condemned, adding and saying: Because it is not from faith; not because it is unclean, but because it is not from faith; for he did not believe that it is clean, but touched it as if it were unclean. And through these things he shows them also how much harm they are doing, by compelling and not persuading them to touch things that for the time being seem to them to be unclean, so that for this reason at least they might refrain from rebuking. But whatever is not from faith is sin. For when he is not confident, he says, nor believes that it is clean, how has he not sinned? All these things were said by Paul concerning the subject at hand, not concerning all things. And consider how much forethought he takes not to cause scandal; for above he was saying: But if because of food your brother is grieved, you are no longer walking according to love. And if one must not grieve, much more must one not cause scandal. And again, Do not for the sake of food destroy the work of God. For if it is a difficult and unholy thing to tear down a church, much more a spiritual temple; for a man is also more venerable than a church. For Christ did not die for the walls, but for these temples. 60.641 Let us therefore consider our own affairs from every side, and let us not give even a small handle to anyone. For the present life is a racecourse, and one must have ten thousand eyes on every side, nor think that ignorance is a sufficient defense. For it is possible, it is possible even to be punished for ignorance, when the ignorance is inexcusable; since the Jews also were ignorant, but their ignorance was not worthy of pardon; and the Greeks were ignorant, but they have no excuse, For when you are ignorant of those things which it is not possible to know, you will sustain no charge; but when it is of things easy and possible to be known, you will pay the ultimate penalty. Moreover, if we are not very remiss, but contribute everything on our part, God will also hold out a hand to us in the things we are ignorant of; which is what Paul also said to the Philippians: And if in anything you are otherwise minded, God will reveal even this to you. But when we are not willing to accomplish even those things of which we are masters, we will not enjoy that assistance either; which is also what happened in the case of the Jews. For this reason I speak to them in parables, he says, because seeing they do not see. How, seeing, did they not see? They saw demons being cast out, and they said, He has a demon; they saw

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ἀνάγκαζε ἐκεῖνον, ἀλλὰ καὶ αὐτὸς ἀπέχου δι' ἐκεῖνον, οὐχ ὡς ἀκαθάρτου ἀπεχόμενος, ἀλλ' ἐπειδὴ σκανδαλίζεται ἐκεῖνος, καὶ μᾶλλόν σε ἀγαπήσει. Οὕτω καὶ ὁ Παῦλος ἐκέλευσεν εἰπὼν, Καλὸν τὸ μὴ φαγεῖν κρέα· οὐκ ἐπειδὴ ἀκάθαρτον, ἀλλ' ἐπειδὴ σκανδαλίζεται καὶ ἀσθενεῖ ὁ ἀδελφός. Σὺ πίστιν ἔχεις; Κατὰ σαυτὸν ἔχε. Ἐνταῦθά μοι δοκεῖ ἠρέμα καὶ εἰς κενοδοξίαν αἰνίττεσθαι τὸν τελειότερον. Ὃ δὲ λέγει, τοιοῦτόν ἐστι· Θέλεις μοι δεῖξαι, ὅτι τέλειος εἶ καὶ ἀπηρτισμένος; Μὴ ἐμοὶ δείκνυε, ἀλλ' ἀρκείτω σοι τὸ συνειδός. γʹ. Πίστιν δὲ ἐνταῦθα οὐ τὴν περὶ δογμάτων, ἀλλὰ τὴν περὶ τῆς προκειμένης ὑποθέσεως λέγει. Περὶ γὰρ ἐκείνης φησί· Στόματι δὲ ὁμολογεῖται εἰς σωτηρίαν· καὶ, Ὃς δ' ἂν ἀρνήσηταί με ἔμπροσθεν τῶν ἀνθρώπων, ἀρνήσομαι αὐτὸν κἀγώ. Ἐκείνη μὲν γὰρ μὴ ὁμολογουμένη καταστρέφει, αὕτη δὲ ὁμολογουμένη ἀκαίρως. Μακάριος ὁ μὴ κρίνων ἑαυτὸν ἐν ᾧ δοκιμάζει. Πάλιν τὸν ἀσθενέστερον πλήττει, καὶ δείκνυσι τούτῳ ἀρκοῦντα στέφανον τὸν τοῦ συνειδότος. Κἂν γὰρ ἄνθρωπος μὴ ἴδῃ, ἀρκεῖς σὺ σαυτῷ εἰς τὸ γενέσθαι μακάριος. Ἐπειδὴ γὰρ εἶπε, Καθ' ἑαυτὸν ἐχέτω, ἵνα μὴ νομίσῃ μικρὸν τὸ δικαστήριον τοῦτο, λέγει τῆς οἰκουμένης σοι τοῦτο βέλτιον. Κἂν πάντες σου κατηγορῶσι, σὺ δὲ σαυτὸν μὴ κατακρίνῃς, μηδὲ τὸ συνειδὸς ἐπιλάβηται, μακάριος εἶ. Οὐχ ἁπλῶς δὲ περὶ πάντων λέγων τοῦτο τέθεικεν. Εἰσὶ γὰρ πολλοὶ μὴ κατακρίνοντες ἑαυτοὺς, καὶ σφόδρα πλημμελοῦντες· οἳ πάντων εἰσὶν ἀθλιώτεροι· ἀλλὰ τέως τῆς προκειμένης ὑποθέσεως ἔχεται. Ὁ δὲ διακρινόμενος, ἐὰν φάγῃ, κατακέκριται. Πάλιν παρακαλῶν αὐτὸν φείσασθαι τοῦ ἀσθενεστέρου, τοῦτό φησι. Τί γὰρ ὄφελος, ἐὰν φάγῃ διακρινόμενος, καὶ κατακρινεῖ ἑαυτόν; Ἐγὼ γὰρ ἐκεῖνον ἀποδέχομαι τὸν καὶ ἐσθίοντα καὶ μὴ μετ' ἀμφιβολίας. Ὅρα πῶς αὐτὸν ἐνάγει οὐκ εἰς τὸ φαγεῖν μόνον, ἀλλὰ καὶ εἰς τὸ καθαρῷ συνειδότι φαγεῖν. Εἶτά φησι καὶ τὴν αἰτίαν, δι' ἢν κατακέκριται, ἐπάγων καὶ λέγων· Ὅτι οὐκ ἐκ πίστεως· οὐκ ἐπειδὴ ἀκάθαρτον, ἀλλ' ὅτι οὐκ ἐκ πίστεως· οὐ γὰρ ἐπίστευσεν, ὅτι καθαρόν ἐστιν, ἀλλ' ὡς ἀκαθάρτου ἥψατο. ∆ιὰ δὲ τούτων δείκνυσιν αὐτοῖς καὶ τὴν βλάβην ὅσην ἐργάζονται, ἀναγκάζοντες καὶ μὴ πείθοντες ἅπτεσθαι τῶν τέως δοκούντων αὐτοῖς ἀκαθάρτων εἶναι, ἵνα κἂν διὰ τοῦτο ἀπόσχωνται τοῦ ἐπιπλήττειν. Πᾶν δὲ ὃ οὐκ ἐκ πίστεως, ἁμαρτία. Ὅταν γὰρ μὴ θαῤῥῇ, φησὶ, μηδὲ πιστεύῃ ὅτι καθαρὸν, πῶς οὐχ ἥμαρτε; Ταῦτα δὲ πάντα περὶ τῆς προκειμένης ὑποθέσεως εἴρηται τῷ Παύλῳ, οὐ περὶ πάντων. Καὶ σκόπει πόσην ποιεῖται τοῦ μὴ σκανδαλίζειν πρόνοιαν· καὶ γὰρ ἀνωτέρω ἔλεγεν· Εἰ δὲ διὰ βρῶμα ὁ ἀδελφός σου λυπεῖται, οὐκέτι κατὰ ἀγάπην περιπατεῖς. Εἰ δὲ λυπεῖν οὐ δεῖ, πολλῷ μᾶλλον σκανδαλίζειν οὐ δεῖ. Καὶ πάλιν, Μὴ ἕνεκεν βρώματος κατάλυε τὸ ἔργον τοῦ Θεοῦ. Εἰ γὰρ ἐκκλησίαν κατασκάψαι χαλεπὸν καὶ ἀνόσιον, πολλῷ μᾶλλον ναὸν πνευματικόν· καὶ γὰρ καὶ ἄνθρωπος ἐκκλησίας σεμνότερον. Οὐ γὰρ διὰ τοὺς τοίχους ὁ Χριστὸς ἀπέθανεν, ἀλλὰ διὰ τοὺς ναοὺς τούτους. 60.641 Πάντοθεν τοίνυν τὰ καθ' ἑαυτοὺς περισκοπῶμεν, καὶ μηδὲ μικρὰν μηδενὶ παρέχωμεν λαβήν. Καὶ γὰρ στάδιον ὁ παρὼν βίος, καὶ μυρίους πάντοθεν ὀφθαλμοὺς ἔχειν δεῖ, μηδὲ νομίζειν ἀρκεῖν εἰς ἀπολογίαν τὴν ἄγνοιαν. Ἔστι γὰρ, ἔστι καὶ ἀγνοίας δοῦναι δίκην, ὅταν ἡ ἄγνοια ἀσύγγνωστος ᾖ· ἐπεὶ καὶ Ἰουδαῖοι ἠγνόησαν, ἀλλ' οὐ συγγνώμης ἄξια ἠγνόησαν· καὶ Ἕλληνες ἠγνόησαν, ἀλλ' ἀπολογίαν οὐκ ἔχουσιν, Ὅταν μὲν γὰρ ταῦτα ἀγνοῇς ἃ μὴ δυνατὸν εἰδέναι, οὐδὲν ἔγκλημα ὑποστήσῃ· ὅταν δὲ τὰ ῥᾴδια καὶ δυνατὰ γνωσθῆναι, τὴν ἐσχάτην δώσεις δίκην. Ἄλλως δὲ, ἂν μὴ σφόδρα ὦμεν ἀναπεπτωκότες, ἀλλὰ τὰ παρ' ἑαυτῶν συνεισενέγκωμεν ἅπαντα, καὶ ἐν τοῖς ἀγνοουμένοις χεῖρα ἡμῖν ὁ Θεὸς ὀρέξει· ὃ καὶ Φιλιππησίοις ἔλεγε Παῦλος· Καὶ εἴ τι ἑτέρως φρονεῖτε, καὶ τοῦτο ὁ Θεὸς ὑμῖν ἀποκαλύψει. Ὅταν δὲ μηδὲ ὧν ἐσμεν κύριοι, βουλώμεθα ἀνύειν, οὐδὲ ἐκείνης ἀπολαύσομεν τῆς συμμαχίας· ὃ καὶ ἐπὶ Ἰουδαίων γέγονε. ∆ιὰ γὰρ τοῦτο ἐν παραβολαῖς αὐτοῖς λαλῶ, φησὶν, ὅτι βλέποντες οὐ βλέπουσι. Πῶς βλέποντες οὐκ ἔβλεπον; Ἑώρων δαίμονας ἐλαυνομένους, καὶ ἔλεγον, ∆αιμόνιον ἔχει· ἑώρων