222

he alludes to a ministry of money, admiring them, because they even poured out their own blood, and they put forth all their substance for the common good. Have you seen noble women, hindered in nothing by their nature in the race of virtue? And quite rightly; For in Christ Jesus there is neither male nor female. And what he said of the former, this he says also of this one; for concerning that one he said, "Who has been a helper of many, and of myself also;" and of this one again, that "Not I alone give thanks, but also all the churches of the Gentiles." For lest he should seem to say these things in flattery, he brings in other witnesses to the women, many more in number. And the church that is in their house. For so approved were they, as even to make their house a church, both by making all in it believers, and by opening it to all strangers. For he is not in the habit of calling houses churches just for any reason, unless much piety and much fear of God were rooted in them. For this reason he also said to the Corinthians, "Greet Aquila and Priscilla, with the church that is in their house;" and writing about Onesimus he says, "Paul to Philemon and to our beloved Apphia, and to the church in your house." For it is possible for one who is married to be admirable and noble. Behold, then, these were also married, and they shone exceedingly, although their occupation was not a splendid one; for they were tent-makers; but nevertheless, virtue concealed everything, and showed them to be brighter than the sun; and neither their craft nor their marriage harmed them, but they showed that love which Christ required. "For greater love has no one than this," he says, "that someone lay down his life for his friends." And that which is the mark of a disciple, this they achieved; for they took up the cross and followed. For those who do this for Paul, 60.665 much more for Christ did they show this courage. Let both rich and poor hear these things. For if those who lived by their hands and presided over a workshop showed such liberality, as to become useful to many churches; what excuse could the rich have, who overlook the poor? For they did not spare even their own blood for what seemed good to God, but you spare even a little money, often overlooking your own soul? But were they like this toward the teacher, but not like this toward the disciples? But not even this can be said; for "the churches of the Gentiles," he says, "give thanks to them." Although they were of the Jews, yet they believed so sincerely, as to minister even to those with all readiness. Such ought women to be, not adorned with braided hair or gold or costly apparel, but with these good deeds. For what queen, tell me, has so shone, who is so sung of as this wife of the tent-maker? And she is in the mouths of all, not for ten, nor even twenty years, but until the coming of Christ; and all proclaim her for such things, which adorn her more than the royal diadem. For what is greater, what is equal to becoming a helper of Paul, to saving the teacher of the world by one's own perils? Consider then how many queens are passed over in silence, while the tent-maker's wife is carried about everywhere with the tent-maker, and as much of the world as the sun looks upon, so much of the world does the glory of the woman run through; and Persians and Scythians and Thracians, and those who dwell in the remotest parts, sing of the woman's wisdom and call her blessed. How much wealth, how many diadems and purple robes would you not have gladly cast away to receive such a testimony? For no one could say that they were like this in dangers, and liberal with their money, but neglected the preaching; for on this account he calls them fellow-workers and fellow-ministers. And he is not ashamed to call a woman a fellow-minister, the chosen vessel, but even glories in it; for he does not look at the nature, but crowns the choice. What of this world is equal? where now for you is the wealth that flows everywhere? and where is the adornment of faces?

222

χρημάτων λειτουργίαν αἰνίττεται, θαυμάζων αὐτοὺς, ὅτι καὶ τὸ αἷμα αὐτῶν ἐξέχεαν, καὶ τὴν οὐσίαν κοινὴν προὔθηκαν ἅπασαν. Εἶδες γυναῖκας γενναίας, οὐδὲν ἀπὸ τῆς φύσεως ἐμποδισθείσας εἰς τὸν τῆς ἀρετῆς δρόμον; Καὶ μάλα εἰκότως· Ἐν Χριστῷ γὰρ Ἰησοῦ οὐκ ἄρσεν, οὐ θῆλυ. Καὶ ὅπερ ἐπὶ τῆς προτέρας εἶπε, τοῦτο καὶ ἐπὶ ταύτης φησί· καὶ γὰρ καὶ περὶ ἐκείνης ἔλεγεν, Ἥτις προστάτις πολλῶν ἐγενήθη, καὶ αὐτοῦ ἐμοῦ· καὶ ἐπὶ ταύτης πάλιν, ὅτι Οὐκ ἐγὼ μόνος εὐχαριστῶ, ἀλλὰ καὶ πᾶσαι αἱ Ἐκκλησίαι τῶν ἐθνῶν. Ἵνα γὰρ μὴ δόξῃ κολακεύων ταῦτα λέγειν, καὶ ἄλλους μάρτυρας ἄγει τῶν γυναικῶν πολλῷ πλείους. Καὶ τὴν κατ' οἶκον αὐτῶν Ἐκκλησίαν. Οὕτω γὰρ ἦσαν εὐδόκιμοι, ὡς καὶ τὴν οἰκίαν ἐκκλησίαν ποιῆσαι, διά τε τοῦ πάντας ποιῆσαι πιστοὺς, καὶ διὰ τοῦ τοῖς ξένοις αὐτὴν ἀνοῖξαι πᾶσιν. Οὐδὲ γὰρ ἁπλῶς εἴωθεν οἰκίας ἐκκλησίας καλεῖν, εἰ μὴ πολλὴ ἡ εὐλάβεια καὶ πολὺς ὁ τοῦ Θεοῦ φόβος ἐῤῥιζωμένος ἐν αὐτοῖς εἴη. ∆ιὰ τοῦτο καὶ Κορινθίοις ἔλεγεν, Ἀσπάσασθε Ἀκύλαν καὶ Πρίσκιλλαν, σὺν τῇ κατ' οἶκον αὐτῶν Ἐκκλησίᾳ· καὶ περὶ Ὀνησίμου δὲ γράφων φησὶ, Παῦλος Φιλήμονι καὶ Ἀπφίᾳ τῇ ἀγαπητῇ καὶ τῇ κατ' οἶκόν σου Ἐκκλησίᾳ. Ἔνι γὰρ καὶ ἐν γάμῳ ὄντα θαυμαστὸν εἶναι καὶ γενναῖον. Ἰδοὺ οὖν καὶ οὗτοι ἐν γάμῳ ἦσαν, καὶ σφόδρα ἔλαμψαν, καίτοι γε οὐδὲ τὸ ἐπιτήδευμα αὐτῶν λαμπρὸν ἦν· σκηνοποιοὶ γὰρ ἦσαν· ἀλλ' ὅμως πάντα ἀπέκρυψεν ἡ ἀρετὴ, καὶ ὑπὲρ τὸν ἥλιον αὐτοὺς ἔδειξε· καὶ οὔτε ἡ τέχνη οὔτε ἡ συζυγία αὐτοὺς παρέβλαψεν, ἀλλὰ τὴν ἀγάπην, ἣν ὁ Χριστὸς ἀπῄτησε, ταύτην ἐπεδείξαντο. Μείζονα γὰρ ταύτης ἀγάπην οὐδεὶς ἔχει, φησὶν, ἵνα τις τὴν ψυχὴν αὑτοῦ θῇ ὑπὲρ τῶν φίλων αὑτοῦ. Καὶ ὃ γνώρισμά ἐστι μαθητοῦ, τοῦτο κατώρθωσαν· ἔλαβον γὰρ τὸν σταυρὸν, καὶ ἠκολούθησαν. Οἱ γὰρ ὑπὲρ τοῦ Παύλου τοῦτο 60.665 ποιοῦντες, πολλῷ μᾶλλον ὑπὲρ τοῦ Χριστοῦ ταύτην ἐπεδείξαντο τὴν ἀνδρείαν. Ταῦτα καὶ πλούσιοι καὶ πένητες ἀκουέτωσαν. Εἰ γὰρ οἱ ἀπὸ τῶν χειρῶν ζῶντες καὶ ἐργαστηρίου προεστηκότες τοσαύτην ἐπεδείξαντο δαψίλειαν, ὡς Ἐκκλησίαις πολλαῖς γενέσθαι χρήσιμοι· τίνα ἂν ἔχοιεν συγγνώμην οἱ πλουτοῦντες καὶ τοὺς πένητας παρορῶντες; Ἐκεῖνοι μὲν γὰρ οὐδὲ τοῦ αἵματος ἐφείσαντο διὰ τὸ τῷ Θεῷ δοκοῦν, σὺ δὲ καὶ χρημάτων ὀλίγων φείδῃ, πολλάκις ὑπεριδὼν τῆς σεαυτοῦ ψυχῆς; Ἀλλὰ περὶ μὲν τὸν διδάσκαλον τοιοῦτοι ἐκεῖνοι, περὶ δὲ τοὺς μαθητὰς οὐ τοιοῦτοι; Ἀλλ' οὐδὲ τοῦτο ἔστιν εἰπεῖν· καὶ γὰρ αἱ Ἐκκλησίαι τῶν ἐθνῶν, φησὶν, αὐτοῖς εὐχαριστοῦσι. Καίτοι ἐξ Ἰουδαίων ἦσαν, ἀλλ' ὅμως οὕτως ἐπίστευσαν εἰλικρινῶς, ὡς καὶ ἐκείνοις μετὰ προθυμίας διακονεῖσθαι πάσης. Τοιαύτας εἶναι χρὴ τὰς γυναῖκας, Μὴ ἐν πλέγμασιν ἢ χρυσῷ ἢ ἱματισμῷ πολυτελεῖ, ἀλλὰ τούτοις καλλωπιζομένας τοῖς κατορθώμασι. Ποῖα γὰρ, εἰπέ μοι, βασίλισσα οὕτως ἔλαμψε, ποία οὕτως ᾄδεται ὡς αὕτη ἡ τοῦ σκηνοποιοῦ; Καὶ ἐν τοῖς ἁπάντων ἐστὶ στόμασιν, οὐ δέκα, οὐδὲ καὶ εἴκοσιν ἔτη, ἀλλὰ μέχρι τῆς τοῦ Χριστοῦ παρουσίας· καὶ πάντες αὐτὴν ἐπὶ τοιούτοις ἀνακηρύττουσιν, ἃ τοῦ διαδήματος αὐτὴν μᾶλλον κοσμεῖ τοῦ βασιλικοῦ. Τί γὰρ μεῖζον, τί δὲ ἴσον τοῦ προστάτιν γενέσθαι Παύλου, τοῦ κινδύνοις ἰδίοις διασῶσαι τὸν τῆς οἰκουμένης διδάσκαλον; Σκόπει γοῦν καὶ ὅσαι μὲν βασιλίδες σεσίγηνται, ἡ δὲ τοῦ σκηνοποιοῦ πανταχοῦ περιφέρεται μετὰ τοῦ σκηνοποιοῦ, καὶ ὅσην ἥλιος ἐφορᾷ γῆν, τοσαύτην ἐπιτρέχει καὶ ἡ δόξα τῆς γυναικὸς οἰκουμένην· καὶ Πέρσαι καὶ Σκύθαι καὶ Θρᾷκες, καὶ οἱ τὰς ἐσχατιὰς οἰκοῦντες, ᾄδουσι τῆς γυναικὸς τὴν φιλοσοφίαν καὶ μακαρίζουσι. Πόσον πλοῦτον, πόσα διαδήματα καὶ ἁλουργίδας οὐκ ἂν ἡδέως ἔῤῥιψας ὑπὲρ τοῦ τοιαύτην μαρτυρίαν λαβεῖν; Οὐδὲ γὰρ ἔχοι τις ἂν εἰπεῖν, ὅτι ἐν κινδύνοις μὲν ἦσαν τοιοῦτοι, καὶ ἐν χρήμασι δαψιλεῖς, τοῦ κηρύγματος δὲ ἠμέλουν· καὶ γὰρ συνεργοὺς αὐτοὺς καὶ συλλειτουργοὺς διὰ τοῦτο καλεῖ. Καὶ οὐκ αἰσχύνεται γυναῖκα συλλειτουργὸν καλῶν, τὸ σκεῦος τῆς ἐκλογῆς, ἀλλὰ καὶ ἐγκαλλωπίζεται τούτῳ· οὐ γὰρ τῇ φύσει προσέχει, ἀλλὰ τὴν προαίρεσιν στεφανοῖ. Τί τοῦ κόσμου τούτου ἴσον; ποῦ νῦν ὑμῖν ὁ πλοῦτος ὁ πανταχοῦ περιῤῥέων; ποῦ δὲ ὁ τῶν ὄψεων καλλωπισμός;