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was being brought. And that my ministry in Jerusalem may be acceptable to the saints; that is, that my sacrifice may be accepted, that they may receive with readiness what is given. Do you see how again he exalted the dignity of those who were receiving, if indeed he needs prayers from such a people, for what was being sent to be accepted? And from this he shows something else, that it is not enough to give alms for it to be accepted. For when someone gives out of necessity, when out of injustice, when for vainglory, the fruit is lost. That I may come to you with joy through the will of God. Just as he said at the beginning, If by any means now at length I might have a prosperous journey by the will of God to come to you; so here too he takes refuge in the same will, and says, For this reason I am eager, and I pray to be delivered from there, that I may see you quickly, and see you with pleasure, dragging no despondency from there. And may with you be refreshed. See how again he shows his lack of pride. For he did not say, That I may teach you and instruct you, but, That I may with you be refreshed. And yet he was the one contending and fighting; how then does he say, I may be refreshed with you? Granting this favor to them even in this, and making them more eager by making them partakers of the crowns and showing that they too were contending and toiling. Then, as he is always accustomed to do, he adds the prayer after the exhortation, saying: Now the God of peace be with you all. Amen. I commend to you Phoebe our sister, who is a deaconess of the church in Cenchreae. See by how many things he honors her; for he mentioned her before all the others, and called her a sister; and it is no small thing to be called a sister of Paul. And he added the title, saying deaconess; That you may receive her in the Lord in a manner worthy of the saints. That is, for the Lord's sake, that she may enjoy honor from you. For he who receives for the Lord's sake, even if he does not receive someone great, receives with zeal; but when she is also holy, consider how great a service it is right for her to enjoy. For this reason he added, Worthy of the saints, as such persons ought to be received. For she has a twofold reason to be cared for by you, both to be received for the Lord's sake, and that she herself is holy. And that you assist her in whatever business she has need of you. Did you see how inoffensive this is? For he did not say, That you may set her free, but, That you may contribute your part, and lend a hand, and in whatever she may need of you; not in all things whatsoever, but in those things in which she may have need of you; and she will have need in those things in which you are masters. Then again the praise is unspeakable; For she has been a patron of many, and of myself also. Did you see the wisdom? First the commendations, 60.664 then in the middle the exhortation, then again he has placed the commendations, on both sides clothing the need with praises of that blessed woman. For how is she not blessed who enjoyed such a testimony from Paul, she who was able to help him who set the world right? For this is the crown of her good deeds; wherefore also he has placed it last, saying, And of myself also. What does it mean, And of myself also? Of the preacher of the world, of him who suffered so many things, of him who is sufficient for countless others. Let us therefore, both men and women, imitate that holy woman, and the one after her with her husband. And who are these? Greet, he says, Priscilla and Aquila, my fellow-laborers in Christ Jesus. Of their virtue Luke also bears witness; on the one hand, when he says that Paul stayed with them, for they were tentmakers by trade; on the other hand, when he shows the wife taking Apollos aside and instructing him in the way of the Lord. 3. For those things were great; but much greater are the things which Paul says. For what does he say? First he calls them fellow-laborers, showing them to be partakers of his unspeakable toils and dangers; then he says, Who for my life laid down their own necks. Have you seen perfected martyrs? For it is likely that under Nero the dangers were countless, when he also ordered all the Jews to depart from Rome. Unto whom not only I give thanks, but also all the churches of the Gentiles. Here the hospitality and that from the

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ἐκομίζετο. Καὶ ἵνα ἡ διακονία μου ἐν Ἱερουσαλὴμ εὐπρόσδεκτος γένηται τοῖς ἁγίοις· τουτέστιν, ἵνα δεκτή μου γένηται ἡ θυσία, ἵνα μετὰ προθυμίας ὑποδέξωνται τὰ διδόμενα. Ὁρᾷς πῶς πάλιν ἐπῆρε τὸ ἀξίωμα τῶν λαμβανόντων, εἴ γε εὐχῶν δεῖται παρὰ δήμου τοσούτου, εἰς τὸ δεχθῆναι τὰ πεμπόμενα; Ἀπὸ δὲ τούτου δείκνυσι καὶ ἕτερόν τι, ὅτι οὐκ ἀρκεῖ τὸ δοῦναι ἐλεημοσύνην εἰς τὸ δεχθῆναι. Ὅταν γὰρ μετὰ ἀνάγκης τις παρέχῃ, ὅταν ἐξ ἀδικίας, ὅταν πρὸς κενοδοξίαν, οἴχεται ὁ καρπός. Ἵνα ἐν χαρᾷ ἔλθω πρὸς ὑμᾶς διὰ θελήματος Θεοῦ. Ὥσπερ ἀρχόμενος ἔλεγεν, Εἴ πως ἤδη ποτὲ εὐοδωθήσομαι ἐν τῷ θελήματι τοῦ Θεοῦ ἐλθεῖν πρὸς ὑμᾶς· οὕτω καὶ ἐνταῦθα ἐπὶ τὸ αὐτὸ καταφεύγει θέλημα, καί φησιν, ὅτι ∆ιὰ τοῦτο ἐπείγομαι, καὶ ῥυσθῆναι ἐκεῖθεν εὔχομαι, ἵνα ταχέως ὑμᾶς ἴδω, καὶ ἴδω μεθ' ἡδονῆς, μηδεμίαν ἐκεῖθεν ἐπισυρόμενος ἀθυμίαν. Καὶ συναναπαύσωμαι ὑμῖν. Ὅρα πῶς πάλιν τὸ ἄτυφον δείκνυσιν. Οὐ γὰρ εἶπε, Ἵνα διδάξω ὑμᾶς καὶ κατηχήσω, ἀλλ', Ἵνα συναναπαύσωμαι ὑμῖν. Καίτοι αὐτὸς ἦν ὁ ἀγωνιζόμενος, καὶ πυκτεύων· πῶς οὖν φησι, Συναναπαύσωμαι; Χαριζόμενος αὐτοῖς κἀν τούτῳ, καὶ προθυμοτέρους ποιῶν τῷ κοινωνοὺς ποιεῖν τῶν στεφάνων καὶ δεικνύναι καὶ αὐτοὺς ἀγωνιζομένους καὶ πονοῦντας. Εἶτα, ὅπερ ἀεὶ ποιεῖν εἴωθε, τὴν εὐχὴν μετὰ τὴν παραίνεσιν προστίθησι λέγων· Ὁ δὲ Θεὸς τῆς εἰρήνης μετὰ πάντων ὑμῶν. Ἀμήν. Συνίστημι δὲ ὑμῖν Φοίβην τὴν ἀδελφὴν, διάκονον οὖσαν τῆς Ἐκκλησίας τῆς ἐν Κεγχρεαῖς. Ὅρα διὰ πόσων αὐτὴν σεμνύνει· καὶ γὰρ πρὸ τῶν ἄλλων αὐτῆς ἐμνήσθη πάντων, καὶ ἀδελφὴν ἐκάλεσεν· οὐ μικρὸν δὲ Παύλου κληθῆναι ἀδελφήν. Καὶ τὸ ἀξίωμα προσέθηκε, διάκονον εἰπών· Ἵνα αὐτὴν προσδέξησθε ἐν Κυρίῳ ἀξίως τῶν ἁγίων. Τουτέστι, διὰ τὸν Κύριον, ἵνα τιμῆς ἀπολαύσῃ παρ' ὑμῖν. Ὁ γὰρ διὰ τὸν Κύριον δεχόμενος, κἂν μὴ μέγαν τινὰ δέξηται, μετὰ σπουδῆς δέχεται· ὅταν δὲ καὶ ἁγία ᾖ, ἐννόησον ἡλίκης αὐτὴν ἀπολαῦσαι δίκαιον θεραπείας. ∆ιὰ τοῦτο προσέθηκε, Ἀξίως τῶν ἁγίων, ὡς δεῖ τοὺς τοιούτους ὑποδέχεσθαι. ∆ιπλῆν γὰρ ἔχει ἀφορμὴν τοῦ θεραπευθῆναι παρ' ὑμῶν, καὶ τὸ διὰ τὸν Κύριον δεχθῆναι, καὶ τὸ αὐτὴν ἁγίαν εἶναι. Καὶ παραστῆτε αὐτῇ ἐν ᾧ ἂν ὑμῶν πράγματι χρῄζῃ. Εἶδες τὸ ἀνεπαχθές; Οὐδὲ γὰρ εἶπεν, Ἵνα ἀπαλλάξητε, ἀλλ', Ἵνα τὰ παρ'ὑμῶν εἰσενέγκητε, καὶ χεῖρα ὀρέξητε, καὶ ἐν ᾧ ἂν ὑμῶν χρῄζῃ· οὐκ ἐν οἷς ἂν ᾖ πάντως, ἀλλ' ἐν οἷς ἂν ὑμῶν δέηται· δεήσεται δὲ ἐν ἐκείνοις, ἐν οἷς ἂν ὑμεῖς ἦτε κύριοι. Εἶτα πάλιν ὁ ἔπαινος ἄφατος· Καὶ γὰρ αὐτὴ προστάτις πολλῶν ἐγενήθη, καὶ αὐτοῦ ἐμοῦ. Εἶδες τὴν σύνεσιν; Πρῶτον μὲν τὰ ἐγκώμια, 60.664 εἶτα μέσην τὴν παράκλησιν, εἶτα πάλιν τὰ ἐγκώμια τέθεικεν, ἑκατέρωθεν περιστέλλων τὴν χρείαν τοῖς ἐπαίνοις τῆς γυναικὸς τῆς μακαρίας ἐκείνης. Πῶς γὰρ οὐ μακαρία ἡ τοσαύτης ἀπολαύσασα παρὰ Παύλου μαρτυρίας, ἡ καὶ αὐτῷ βοηθῆσαι δυνηθεῖσα τῷ τὴν οἰκουμένην διορθώσαντι; Τοῦτο γὰρ ὁ κολοφὼν αὐτῆς τῶν ἀγαθῶν· διὸ καὶ ὕστερον αὐτὸ τέθεικε λέγων, Καὶ αὐτοῦ ἐμοῦ. Τί δέ ἐστι, Καὶ αὐτοῦ ἐμοῦ; Τοῦ κήρυκος τῆς οἰκουμένης, τοῦ τοσαῦτα παθόντος, τοῦ μυρίοις ἀρκοῦντος. Μιμησώμεθα τοίνυν καὶ ἄνδρες καὶ γυναῖκες τὴν ἁγίαν ἐκείνην, καὶ τὴν μετ' αὐτὴν δὲ σὺν τῷ ἀνδρί. Τίνες δὲ οὗτοί εἰσιν; Ἀσπάσασθε, φησὶ, Πρίσκιλλαν καὶ Ἀκύλαν, τοὺς συλλειτουργούς μου ἐν Χριστῷ Ἰησοῦ. Τούτων τῇ ἀρετῇ καὶ ὁ Λουκᾶς μαρτυρεῖ· τοῦτο μὲν, ὅταν λέγῃ, ὅτι Ἔμεινε πρὸς αὐτοὺς ὁ Παῦλος· ἦσαν γὰρ σκηνοποιοὶ τὴν τέχνην· τοῦτο δὲ, ὅταν δεικνύῃ τὴν γυναῖκα τὸν Ἀπολλὼ προσλαμβανομένην καὶ κατηχήσασαν τὴν ὁδὸν τοῦ Κυρίου. γʹ. Μεγάλα μὲν γὰρ κἀκεῖνα· πολλῷ δὲ μείζονα, ἅ φησι Παῦλος. Τί γάρ φησι; Πρῶτον συλλειτουργοὺς αὐτοὺς καλεῖ, τῶν ἀφάτων πόνων καὶ τῶν κινδύνων δεικνὺς αὐτοὺς κοινωνούς· ἔπειτα φησιν, Ὅτι ὑπὲρ τῆς ψυχῆς μου τὸν ἑαυτῶν τράχηλον ὑπέθηκαν. Εἶδες μάρτυρας ἀπηρτισμένους; Καὶ γὰρ εἰκὸς ἐπὶ Νέρωνος μυρίους εἶναι τοὺς κινδύνους, ὅτε καὶ διετάξατο πάντας χωρίζεσθαι ἀπὸ τῆς Ῥώμης τοὺς Ἰουδαίους. Οἷς οὐκ ἐγὼ μόνος εὐχαριστῶ, ἀλλὰ καὶ πᾶσαι αἱ Ἐκκλησίαι τῶν ἐθνῶν. Ἐνταῦθα τὴν φιλοξενίαν καὶ τὴν ἀπὸ τῶν