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he addressed so many, which he did not do in another epistle; we might say this, that he does this because he had never seen the Romans. And yet, he says, he did not see the Colossians either, and he did nothing of the sort. But these were more approved than the others, and had moved there from other cities, as to a safer and more imperial city. Since, therefore, they were living in a foreign land, and it was necessary for them to enjoy much security 60.672, and some of them were acquaintances of his, while others who had served him much and greatly were present; he reasonably commends them through his letters. For the reputation of Paul was not small at that time, but so great that even from letters alone those who received his epistles had much protection; for they not only respected him, but also feared him. For if this were not so, he would not have said, Who has been a helper of many, and of myself also; and again, I could wish that I myself were accursed. And writing to Philemon he said, As Paul the aged, and now also a prisoner in Christ Jesus; and to the Galatians, Behold, I Paul say to you; and, As Christ Jesus you received me. And writing to the Corinthians he said; As though I were not coming to you, some are puffed up; and again, And these things I have figuratively transferred to myself and Apollos, that you may learn in us not to think beyond what is written. From all these things it is clear, that all had a great opinion of him. Wishing, therefore, for them to be in security and honor, he addressed each one, embellishing them as far as possible. For one he called beloved, another kinsman, another both, another fellow prisoner, another fellow worker, another approved, another elect; and one from her office; for he does not simply say, Her who is ministering, since if this were so, he would have named Tryphaena and Persis thus, but one as having the ordination of a deacon, another as a fellow worker and minister, another as a mother, another from the labors which she labored; and some from their household, others from the name of the brethren, others from the address of the saints; and some he honors by addressing them, others by addressing them by name; and some by calling them firstfruits, others by the seniority of their time; but more than all, Priscilla and Aquila. For even if all were faithful, not all are alike, but they are distinguished by their labors. Therefore, leading them all to greater zeal, he concealed no one's encomiums. For when those who do more do not receive a greater reward, many become more lazy. 4. For this reason, neither in the kingdom is the honor equal, nor among the disciples are all equal, but the three excelled the others, and among these three themselves there is again a great difference; for there is great exactness with God even to the last things. For star differs from star in glory, he says. And yet they were all apostles, and all are to sit on twelve thrones, and all left their own things, and all were with Him; but nevertheless He took the three. And again, even of these themselves He said it was possible for some to surpass others; For to sit, He says, on my right hand and on my left, is not mine to give, but to them for whom it has been prepared. And He prefers Peter among them, saying, Do you love Me more than these? and John was loved above the others. For there will be an exact examination of all things; even if you surpass your neighbor a little, even by a moment, even by anything at all, God will not overlook this. And one might see this shining forth from of old. For Lot was righteous, but not so as Abraham; and Hezekiah again, but not so as David; and all the prophets, but not so as John. Where then are those who after such exactness do not wish for there to be a Gehenna? For if all the righteous will not enjoy the same things, even if they surpass the others by a little 60.673 (for star differs from star, he says, in glory); how will sinners be in the same state as the righteous? For not even a man would work this confusion, much less God. But if you wish, also concerning those who have sinned, and concerning those things that have already happened

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τοσούτους προσεῖπεν, ὅπερ ἐν ἑτέρᾳ οὐκ ἐποίησεν ἐπιστολῇ· τοῦτο ἂν εἴποιμεν, ὅτι διὰ τὸ μηδέποτε ἑωρακέναι Ῥωμαίους τοῦτο ποιεῖ. Καίτοι γε, φησὶν, οὐδὲ Κολοσσαέας εἶδε, καὶ οὐδὲν τοιοῦτον ἐποίησεν. Ἀλλ' οὗτοι δοκιμώτεροι τῶν ἄλλων ἦσαν, καὶ ἐξ ἑτέρων πόλεων ἐκεῖ μεταστάντες, ὡς εἰς ἀσφαλεστέραν τινὰ καὶ βασιλικωτέραν πόλιν. Ἐπεὶ οὖν ἐν ξένῃ διῆγον, καὶ πολλῆς ἀσφαλείας ἔδει ἀπολαύειν 60.672 αὐτοὺς, καὶ τῶν αὐτῷ γνωρίμων ἦσάν τινες ἐξ αὐτῶν, οἱ δὲ καὶ διακονησάμενοι πολλὰ καὶ μεγάλα ὑπὲρ αὐτοῦ παρόντες· εἰκότως αὐτοὺς συνίστησι διὰ τῶν γραμμάτων. Καὶ γὰρ οὐ μικρὰ ἦν ἡ δόξα Παύλου τότε, ἀλλὰ τοσαύτη, ὡς καὶ ἀπὸ γραμμάτων μόνων πολλὴν ἔχειν προστασίαν τοὺς τῶν ἐπιστολῶν ἀπολαύοντας· οὐδὲ γὰρ ᾐδοῦντο μόνον αὐτὸν, ἀλλὰ καὶ ἐδεδοίκεσαν. Εἰ γὰρ μὴ τοῦτο ἦν, οὐκ ἂν εἶπεν, Ἥτις προστάτις πολλῶν ἐγενήθη, καὶ αὐτοῦ ἐμοῦ· καὶ πάλιν, Ηὐχόμην ἀνάθεμα εἶναι αὐτὸς ἐγώ. Καὶ Φιλήμονι γράφων ἔλεγεν, Ὡς Παῦλος πρεσβύτης, νυνὶ δὲ καὶ δέσμιος ἐν Χριστῷ Ἰησοῦ· καὶ Γαλάταις, Ἴδε ἐγὼ Παῦλοςλέγω ὑμῖν· καὶ, Ὡς Χριστὸν Ἰησοῦν ἐδέξασθέ με. Καὶ Κορινθίοις δὲ ἐπιστέλλων ἔλεγεν· Ὡς μὴ ἐρχομένου δέ μου πρὸς ὑμᾶς, ἐφυσιώθησάν τινες· καὶ πάλιν, Ταῦτα δὲ μετεσχημάτισα εἰς ἐμαυτὸν καὶ Ἀπολλὼ, ἵνα ἐν ἡμῖν μάθητε τὸ μὴ ὑπὲρ ὃ γέγραπται φρονεῖν. ∆ι' ὧν ἁπάντων δῆλον, ὅτι μεγάλην περὶ αὐτοῦ εἶχον δόξαν ἅπαντες. Βουλόμενος τοίνυν αὐτοὺς εἶναι ἐν ἀδείᾳ καὶ τιμῇ, προσεῖπεν ἕκαστον, κατὰ τὸ ἐγχωροῦν καλλωπίζων αὐτούς. Τὸν μὲν γὰρ ἀγαπητὸν ἐκάλεσε, τὸν δὲ συγγενῆ, τὸν δὲ ἀμφότερα, τὸν δὲ συναιχμάλωτον, τὸν δὲ συνεργὸν, τὸν δὲ δόκιμον, τὸν δὲ ἐκλεκτόν· καὶ τὴν μὲν ἀπὸ τοῦ ἀξιώματος· οὐδὲ γὰρ ἁπλῶς Τὴν διακονουμένην φησὶν, ἐπεὶ εἰ τοῦτο ἦν, καὶ τὰς περὶ Τρύφαιναν καὶ Περσίδα οὕτως ἂν ὠνόμασεν, ἀλλὰ τὴν μὲν, χειροτονίαν ἔχουσαν διακόνου, τὴν δὲ συνεργὸν καὶ λειτουργὸν, τὴν δὲ μητέρα, τὴν δὲ ἀπὸ τῶν κόπων ὧν ἐκοπίασε· καὶ τοὺς μὲν ἀπὸ τῆς οἰκίας, τοὺς δὲ ἀπὸ τοῦ τῶν ἀδελφῶν ὀνόματος, τοὺς δὲ ἀπὸ τῆς τῶν ἁγίων προσηγορίας· καὶ τοὺς μὲν αὐτῷ τῷ προσαγορεῦσαι τιμᾷ, τοὺς δὲ καὶ τῷ ὀνομαστὶ προσαγορεῦσαι· καὶ τοὺς μὲν τῷ προσειπεῖν ἀπαρχὴν, τοὺς δὲ τοῖς τῶν χρόνων πρεσβείοις· πλέον δὲ ἁπάντων τοὺς περὶ Πρίσκιλλαν καὶ Ἀκύλαν. Εἰ γὰρ καὶ πάντες ἦσαν πιστοὶ, ἀλλ' οὐ πάντες ὅμοιοι, ἀλλὰ διεστήκασι τοῖς ἄθλοις. ∆ιὸ δὴ καὶ εἰς μείζονα ζῆλον ἅπαντας ἄγων, οὐδενὸς ἔκρυψε τὰ ἐγκώμια. Ὅταν γὰρ οἱ πλείονα ποιοῦντες, οὐ πλείονα τὸν μισθὸν λαμβάνωσι, πολλοὶ γίνονται ῥᾳθυμότεροι. δʹ. ∆ιὰ τοῦτο οὐδὲ ἐν τῇ βασιλείᾳ ἴση ἡ τιμὴ, οὐδὲ ἐν τοῖς μαθηταῖς πάντες ἴσοι, ἀλλ' οἱ τρεῖς τῶν ἄλλων προεῖχον, καὶ ἐν τούτοις αὐτοῖς τοῖς τρισὶ πολλὴ πάλιν διαφορά· πολλὴ γὰρ ἀκρίβεια παρὰ τῷ Θεῷ καὶ μέχρι τῶν ἐσχάτων. Καὶ γὰρ ἀστὴρ ἀστέρος διαφέρει ἐν δόξῃ, φησί. Καίτοι γε πάντες ἦσαν ἀπόστολοι, καὶ πάντες ἐπὶ δώδεκα θρόνους μέλλουσι καθῆσθαι, καὶ πάντες ἀφῆκαν τὰ ἑαυτῶν, καὶ πάντες αὐτῷ συνῆσαν· ἀλλ' ὅμως τοὺς τρεῖς ἐλάμβανε. Καὶ πάλιν καὶ τούτων αὐτῶν ἔφησέ τινας ἐγχωρεῖν καὶ ὑπερέξειν· Τὸ γὰρ καθίσαι, φησὶν, ἐκ δεξιῶν καὶ ἐξ εὐωνύμων, οὐκ ἔστιν ἐμὸν δοῦναι, ἀλλ' οἷς ἡτοίμασται. Καὶ τὸν Πέτρον δὲ αὐτῶν προτίθησι λέγων, Φιλεῖς με πλέον τούτων; καὶ ὁ Ἰωάννης δὲ ὑπὲρ τοὺς ἄλλους ἠγαπᾶτο. Καὶ γὰρ πάντων ἐξέτασις ἔστα ἀκριβής· κἂν μικρὸν ὑπερέχῃς τοῦ πλησίον, κἂν ἀκαριαῖον, κἂν ὁτιοῦν, οὐδὲ τοῦτο παρόψεται ὁ Θεός. Καὶ τοῦτο καὶ ἄνωθεν ἴδοι τις ἂν διαλάμπον. Καὶ γὰρ ὁ Λὼτ δίκαιος ἦν, ἀλλ' οὐχ οὕτως ὡς ὁ Ἀβραάμ· καὶ ὁ Ἰεζεκίας πάλιν, ἀλλ' οὐχ οὕτως ὡς ὁ ∆αυΐδ· καὶ οἱ προφῆται πάντες, ἀλλ' οὐχ οὕτως ὡς ὁ Ἰωάννης. Ποῦ τοίνυν εἰσὶν οἱ μετὰ τὴν τοσαύτην ἀκρίβειαν οὐ βουλόμενοι εἶναι γέενναν; Εἰ γὰρ οἱ δίκαιοι πάντες οὐ τῶν αὐτῶν ἀπολαύσονται, κἂν μικρὸν ὦσι 60.673 τῶν ἑτέρων ὑπερέχοντες (Ἀστὴρ γὰρ ἀστέρος διαφέρει, φησὶν, ἐν δόξῃ)· πῶς οἱ ἁμαρτωλοὶ ἐν τοῖς αὐτοῖς ἔσονται τοῖς δικαίοις; Ταύτην γὰρ οὐδ' ἂν ἄνθρωπος ἐργάσαιτο τὴν σύγχυσιν, μήτι γε ὁ Θεός. Εἰ δὲ βούλεσθε, καὶ ἐπὶ τῶν ἡμαρτηκότων, καὶ ἐπὶ τῶν ἤδη γεγενημένων