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Then: For whatever things were written before, he says, were written for our learning; that through the patience and comfort of the Scriptures we might have hope, that is, that we might not fall away. For the struggles are many, from within and from without, that being strengthened and comforted by the Scriptures, we might show patience, that living in patience, we may remain in hope. For these things are constructive of one another, patience of hope, and hope of patience; both of which come from the Scriptures. Then again he turns his discourse to prayer, saying: Now the God of patience and of consolation grant you to be like-minded one toward another, according to Christ Jesus. For since he has spoken from himself, and brought forward the examples of Christ, and added the testimony from the Scriptures, showing that along with the Scriptures, He Himself also gives patience. For this reason he said, Now the God of patience and of consolation grant you to be like-minded one toward another, according to Christ Jesus. For this is of love, what one thinks about himself, this also about the other. 60.647 c. Then again showing, that he does not seek love simply, he added, According to Christ Jesus; which he does everywhere, since there is also another kind of love. And what is the profit of this harmony? That with one accord, he says, with one mouth you may glorify the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ. He did not say simply, With one mouth, but he commanded to do this with one soul also. Do you see how he has united the whole body, and how he has again concluded his discourse with a doxology? Wherefore he especially urges to concord and harmony. Then again from this point he takes up the same exhortation, saying: Wherefore receive one another, as Christ also received you to the glory of God. Again the example is from above, and the gain unspeakable; for to be joined together especially glorifies God. So that even if, being grieved for yourself, you are at odds with your brother, when you consider that by putting away your anger you glorify your Master, even if not for your brother's sake, at least for this reason be reconciled; or rather, for this reason first. For Christ also insists on this, and speaking with the Father He said: By this all men shall know that You have sent Me, if they are one. Let us then be persuaded, and let us join ourselves to one another. For here he no longer rouses the weak, but all. And if anyone wishes to be broken off from you, do not you also be broken off, nor utter that cold saying, If he loves me, I love him; if my right eye does not love me, I will pluck it out; for these sayings are satanic, and worthy of tax collectors, and of the small-mindedness of the Greeks. But you who have been called to a greater commonwealth, and enrolled in the heavens, are subject to greater laws. Do not say these things, but when he does not wish to love you, then show greater love, that you may draw him to you; for he is a member; and when a member is by some necessity torn from the rest of the body, we do everything to unite it again, and we show greater care then. For the reward is also greater, when you draw one who is unwilling to love. For if He commands to call to a feast those who are not able to repay us, that the things of the recompense may be increased; much more must we do this in the case of friendship. For he who is loved and loves has given you the reward; but he who is loved and does not love, has made God your debtor in his place; and besides these things, when he loves you, he does not require much effort; but when he does not love, then he has need of your help. Therefore do not make the reason for diligence a reason for indifference, nor say, Because he is sick, for this reason I neglect him; for the cooling of love is a sickness; but you, warm that which has grown cold. What then if it is not warmed? he says. Continue doing your part. What then, if he becomes more perverse? Again he procures for you a greater recompense, and so much the more shows you to be an imitator of Christ. For if to love one another is the mark of disciples; for by this, he says, shall all men know that you are My disciples, if you love one another; consider how great a thing it is to love one who hates you. For the Master

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λοιπόν· Ὅσα γὰρ προεγράφη, φησὶν, εἰς διδασκαλίαν ἡμῶν προεγράφη· ἵνα διὰ τῆς ὑπομονῆς καὶ τῆς παρακλήσεως τῶν Γραφῶν τὴν ἐλπίδα ἔχωμεν, τουτέστιν, ἵνα μὴ ἐκπέσωμεν. Ποικίλοι γὰρ οἱ ἀγῶνες ἔσωθεν, ἔξωθεν, ἵνα νευρούμενοι καὶ παρακαλούμενοι παρὰ τῶν Γραφῶν, ὑπομονὴν ἐπιδειξώμεθα, ἵνα ἐν ὑπομονῇ ζῶντες, μένωμεν ἐπὶ τῆς ἐλπίδος. Ταῦτα γὰρ ἀλλήλων ἐστὶ κατασκευαστικὰ, ἡ ὑπομονὴ τῆς ἐλπίδος, ἡ ἐλπὶς τῆς ὑπομονῆς· ἅπερ ἀμφότερα ἀπὸ τῶν Γραφῶν γίνεται. Εἶτα πάλιν εἰς εὐχὴν περιτρέπει τὸν λόγον, λέγων· Ὁ δὲ Θεὸς τῆς ὑπομονῆς καὶ τῆς παρακλήσεως δῴη ὑμῖν τὸ αὐτὸ φρονεῖν ἐν ἀλλήλοις, κατὰ Χριστὸν Ἰησοῦν. Ἐπειδὴ γὰρ εἶπε τὰ παρ' ἑαυτοῦ, καὶ τὰ ὑποδείγματα ἐπήγαγε τοῦ Χριστοῦ, καὶ τὴν ἀπὸ τῶν Γραφῶν προσέθηκε μαρτυρίαν, δεικνὺς ὅτι μετὰ τῶν Γραφῶν καὶ αὐτὸς πάλιν δίδωσι τὴν ὑπομονήν. ∆ιὰ τοῦτο ἔλεγεν, Ὁ δὲ Θεὸς τῆς ὑπομονῆς καὶ τῆς παρακλήσεως δῴη ὑμῖν τὸ αὐτὸ φρονεῖν ἐν ἀλλήλοις, κατὰ Χριστὸν Ἰησοῦν. Τοῦτο γάρ ἐστιν ἀγάπης, ὃ περὶ ἑαυτοῦ τις φρονεῖ, τοῦτο καὶ περὶ τοῦ ἄλλου. 60.647 γʹ. Εἶτα πάλιν δεικνὺς, ὅτι οὐχ ἁπλῶς ἀγάπην ζητεῖ, ἐπήγαγε, Κατὰ Χριστὸν Ἰησοῦν· ὃ πανταχοῦ ποιεῖ, ἐπειδή ἐστι καὶ ἑτέρα ἀγάπη. Καὶ τί τὸ κέρδος τῆς συμφωνίας; Ἵνα ὁμοθυμαδὸν, φησὶν, ἐν ἑνὶ στόματι δοξάζητε τὸν Θεὸν καὶ Πατέρα τοῦ Κυρίου ἡμῶν Ἰησοῦ Χριστοῦ. Οὐκ εἶπεν ἁπλῶς, Ἐν ἑνὶ στόματι, ἀλλὰ καὶ μιᾷ ψυχῇ τοῦτο ποιεῖν ἐκέλευσεν. Εἶδες πῶς τὸ σῶμα ἥνωσεν ἅπαν, καὶ πῶς τὸν λόγον κατέκλεισε πάλιν εἰς δοξολογίαν; Ὅθεν καὶ ἐνάγει μάλιστα εἰς ὁμόνοιαν καὶ συμφωνίαν. Εἶτα πάλιν ἐντεῦθεν τῆς αὐτῆς παραινέσεως ἔχεται λέγων· ∆ιὸ προσλαμβάνεσθε ἀλλήλους, καθὼς καὶ ὁ Χριστὸς προσελάβετο ὑμᾶς εἰς δόξαν Θεοῦ. Πάλιν τὸ παράδειγμα ἄνωθεν, καὶ τὸ κέρδος ἄφατον· μάλιστα γὰρ τὸν Θεὸν τοῦτο δοξάζει τὸ συμπεφράχθαι. Ὥστε κἂν ἀλγῶν ὑπὲρ αὑτοῦ διαστασιάζῃς πρὸς τὸν ἀδελφὸν, ἐννοήσας ὅτι καταλύσας τὴν ὀργὴν τὸν ∆εσπότην σου δοξάζεις, κἂν μὴ διὰ τὸν ἀδελφὸν, δι' αὐτὸ γοῦν τοῦτο καταλλάγηθι· μᾶλλον δὲ διὰ τοῦτο πρῶτον. Καὶ γὰρ ὁ Χριστὸς τοῦτο ἄνω καὶ κάτω στρέφει, καὶ τῷ Πατρὶ διαλεγόμενος ἔλεγεν· Ἐν τούτῳ γνώσονται πάντες, ὅτι σύ με ἀπέστειλας, ἐὰν ὦσιν ἕν. Πειθώμεθα τοίνυν, καὶ συνάπτωμεν ἑαυτοὺς ἀλλήλοις. Ἐνταῦθα γὰρ οὐκέτι τοὺς ἀσθενεῖς, ἀλλὰ πάντας διεγείρει. Κἂν βούληταί τις ἀποῤῥαγῆναί σου, μὴ καὶ σὺ ἀποῤῥαγῇς, μηδὲ τὸ ψυχρὸν ἐκεῖνο φθέγξῃ ῥῆμα, Ἐὰν φιλῇ με, φιλῶ· ἐὰν μὴ φιλῇ με ὁ δεξιὸς ὀφθαλμὸς, ἐξορύξω αὐτόν· σατανικὰ γὰρ τὰ ῥήματα ταῦτα, καὶ τελωνῶν ἄξια, καὶ τῆς Ἑλλήνων μικροψυχίας. Σὺ δὲ ὁ πρὸς μείζονα κληθεὶς πολιτείαν, καὶ εἰς τοὺς οὐρανοὺς ἐγγραφεὶς, μειζόνων ὑπεύθυνος εἶ νόμων. Μὴ δὴ λέγε ταῦτα, ἀλλ' ὅταν σε μὴ βούληται φιλεῖν, τότε πλείονα ἐπιδείκνυσο τὴν ἀγάπην, ἵνα αὐτὸν ἐπισπάσῃ· καὶ γὰρ μέλος ἐστί· τὸ δὲ μέλος ὅταν ὑπό τινος ἀνάγκης ἀποσχίζηται τοῦ λοιποῦ σώματος, πάντα ποιοῦμεν ὥστε ἑνῶσαι πάλιν αὐτὸ, καὶ πλείονα πρόνοιαν ἐπιδεικνύμεθα τότε. Καὶ γὰρ πλείων ὁ μισθὸς, ὅταν μὴ βουλόμενον φιλεῖν ἐφελκύσῃ. Εἰ γὰρ ἐπὶ ἀρίστου κελεύει καλεῖν τοὺς μὴ δυναμένους ἡμῖν ἀντιδοῦναι, ἵνα αὐξηθῇ τὰ τῆς ἀντιδόσεως· πολλῷ μᾶλλον ἐπὶ φιλίας τοῦτο δεῖ ποιεῖν. Ὁ μὲν γὰρ φιλούμενος καὶ φιλῶν ἀπέδωκέ σοι τὴν ἀμοιβήν· ὁ δὲ φιλούμενος καὶ μὴ φιλῶν, ἀνθ' ἑαυτοῦ τὸν Θεόν σοι χρεώστην κατέστησε· καὶ χωρὶς τούτων, ὅταν μὲν φιλῇ σε, οὐ πολλῆς δεῖται τῆς σπουδῆς· ὅταν δὲ μὴ φιλῇ, τότε σου χρείαν ἔχει τῆς ἀντιλήψεως. Μὴ τοίνυν τὴν αἰτίαν τῆς σπουδῆς αἰτίαν ποιοῦ ῥᾳθυμίας, μηδὲ λέγε, ὅτι Ἐπειδὴ νοσεῖ, διὰ τοῦτο αὐτοῦ ἀμελῶ· καὶ γὰρ νόσος ἐστὶν ἡ κατάψυξις τῆς ἀγάπης· ἀλλὰ σὺ θέρμανον τὸ καταψυχθέν. Τί οὖν ἐὰν μὴ θερμαίνηται, φησί; Μένε τὰ σαυτοῦ ποιῶν. Τί οὖν, ἂν μειζόνως διαστρέφηται; Πάλιν μείζονά σοι τὴν ἀντίδοσιν προξενεῖ, καὶ τοσοῦτον μᾶλλον δείκνυσι τοῦ Χριστοῦ μιμητήν. Εἰ γὰρ τὸ ἀγαπᾷν ἀλλήλους, γνώρισμα μαθητῶν· Ἐν τούτῳ γὰρ γνώσονται πάντες, φησὶν, ὅτι ἐμοὶ μαθηταί ἐστε, ἐὰν ἀγαπᾶτε ἀλλήλους· τὸ τὸν μισοῦντα φιλεῖν, ἐννόησον ἡλίκον. Καὶ γὰρ ὁ ∆εσπότης