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to the flock, in which the Holy Spirit has made you overseers, to shepherd the Church of God, which He purchased with His own blood. Do you see? He commanded two things. Therefore, neither does setting others right by itself have any profit (For I fear, he says, lest after preaching to others I myself should be disqualified), nor taking care of oneself alone. For such a one is a lover of self and seeks only his own things, and is like the one who buried the talent. He says these things, not because our salvation is more precious than the flock's, but because when we take heed to ourselves, then the flock also profits. In which the Holy Spirit has made you overseers, to shepherd the Church of God. See how many obligations. You have your ordination from the Spirit, he says; for this is what 'He has made' means. This is one obligation; then, 'To shepherd the Church of God.' Behold, a second one; and a third, 'which,' he says, 'He purchased with His own blood.' Through what he said, he shows how precious the matter is, and that the danger is not for small things, if indeed the Master for the sake of the Church did not even spare His own blood, yet we despise the salvation of the brethren. And He, to reconcile enemies, even shed His blood; but you are not even able to hold on to them when they have become friends. For I know this, that after my departure savage wolves will come in among you, not sparing the flock. Again from another quarter he turns them by what is to come; just as when he says elsewhere: Our struggle is not against flesh and blood. That there will come in, he says, after my departure savage wolves among you. The evil is twofold, that he himself is not present, and that others will attack. Why then do you depart, if you foresee this? The Spirit draws me, he says. 3. And see; he did not simply say, 'Wolves,' but added, 'savage,' hinting at their vehemence and audacity; and what is more grievous, is that he says these very ones will arise from among themselves; which is indeed very grievous, when the war is also a civil one. And well did he say, 'Take heed,' showing that the matter is of extreme importance (for it is the Church 60.311), and that the danger is great (for He redeemed it with blood), and that the war is great and twofold. These things therefore he made clear, saying: And from among your own selves will arise men speaking perverse things, to draw away the disciples after them. Then, since he had greatly frightened them by speaking of 'savage wolves,' and of those arising from among them who would speak perverse things, as if someone had raised a difficulty, saying, 'How then? And what will be the safeguard?' he adds, saying: Be watchful, remembering that for three years night and day I did not cease to admonish each one with tears. See how many hyperboles; 'with tears,' and 'night and day,' and 'each one.' For not when he saw many did he then spare himself, but he knew to do all things even for one soul. Thus indeed he also held them together. What he is saying is this: What came from me is sufficient; for three years I remained, they have been sufficiently strengthened, sufficiently rooted. With tears, he says. Do you see that the tears are for this reason? Let us also do these things. The wicked man does not grieve; you grieve, perhaps he too will grieve. Just as when a sick man sees the physician taking food, he himself is also encouraged; so indeed will it be here too; if he sees you lamenting, he will be softened, he will become a good and gentle man. Not knowing, he says, the things that will happen to me. What then? Is it for this reason you depart? By no means; but I know very well that bonds and afflictions await me. That trials await me, therefore, I know, but of what kind, I do not know; which was more grievous. Do not therefore think I say these things lamenting; I do not hold my life dear. In order to raise up their minds, he says these things, and to persuade them not only not to flee, but also to bear it nobly. For this reason he calls the matter a 'race' and a 'ministry'; the one, showing the splendor from the race, the other, what is owed from the ministry. I am a minister, he says; I have nothing more. And having comforted them, so that they might not grieve at the evils he suffers, and having said that he endures these things with joy, and having shown the fruit, then he introduces the grievous thing. And he does this, so as not to overwhelm their minds. What is this?

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ποιμνίῳ, ἐν ᾧ ὑμᾶς τὸ Πνεῦμα τὸ ἅγιον ἔθετο ἐπισκόπους ποιμαίνειν τὴν Ἐκκλησίαν τοῦ Θεοῦ, ἣν περιεποιήσατο διὰ τοῦ ἰδίου αἵματος. Ὁρᾷς; δύο προσέταξεν. Οὔτε οὖν τὸ ἑτέρους κατορθοῦν μόνον ἔχει τι κέρδος (Φοβοῦμαι γὰρ, φησὶ, μή πως ἄλλοις κηρύξας αὐτὸς ἀδόκιμος γένωμαι), οὔτε τὸ ἑαυτοῦ μόνον ἐπιμελεῖσθαι. Ὁ γὰρ τοιοῦτος φίλαυτος καὶ τὸ ἑαυτοῦ ζητεῖ μόνον, καὶ τοῦ τὸ τάλαντον καταχώσαντος ἴσος ἐστί. Ταῦτα λέγει, οὐκ ἐπειδὴ προτιμοτέρα ἡ ἡμετέρα σωτηρία τοῦ ποιμνίου, ἀλλ' ἐπειδὴ, ὅταν ἑαυτοῖς προσέχωμεν, τότε καὶ τὸ ποίμνιον κερδαίνει. Ἐν ᾧ ὑμᾶς τὸ Πνεῦμα τὸ ἅγιον ἔθετο ἐπισκόπους ποιμαίνειν τὴν Ἐκκλησίαν τοῦ Θεοῦ. Ὅρα πόσαι ἀνάγκαι. Παρὰ τοῦ Πνεύματος τὴν χειροτονίαν ἔχετε, φησί· τοῦτο γάρ ἐστι τὸ, Ἔθετο. Μία αὕτη ἀνάγκη· εἶτα, Ποιμαίνειν τὴν Ἐκκλησίαν τοῦ Θεοῦ. Ἰδοὺ καὶ δευτέρα· καὶ τρίτη, Ἥν φησιν ὅτι περιεποιήσατο διὰ τοῦ ἰδίου αἵματος. Πολὺ δείκνυσι δι' ὧν εἶπε τίμιον τὸ πρᾶγμα, καὶ ὅτι οὐχ ὑπὲρ μικρῶν ὁ κίνδυνος, εἴ γε ὁ ∆εσπότης ὑπὲρ τῆς Ἐκκλησίας, οὐδὲ τοῦ αἵματος ἐφείσατο τοῦ ἑαυτοῦ, ἡμεῖς δὲ τῆς τῶν ἀδελφῶν σωτηρίας καταφρονοῦμεν. Καὶ ἐκεῖνος μὲν ἵνα ἐχθροὺς καταλλάξῃ, καὶ τὸ αἷμα ἐξέχεε· σὺ δὲ οὐδὲ φίλους γενομένους ἰσχύεις κατασχεῖν. Ἐγὼ γὰρ οἶδα τοῦτο, ὅτι εἰσελεύσονται μετὰ τὴν ἄφιξίν μου λύκοι βαρεῖς εἰς ὑμᾶς, μὴ φειδόμενοι τοῦ ποιμνίου. Πάλιν ἄλλοθεν αὐτοὺς ἐπιστρέφει ἀπὸ τῶν ἐσομένων· ὥσπερ ὅταν ἀλλαχοῦ λέγῃ· Οὐκ ἔστιν ἡμῖν ἡ πάλη πρὸς αἷμα καὶ σάρκα. Ὅτι εἰσελεύσονται, φησὶ, μετὰ τὴν ἄφιξίν μου λύκοι βαρεῖς εἰς ὑμᾶς. ∆ιπλοῦν τὸ κακὸν, ὅτι τε αὐτὸς οὐ πάρεστι, καὶ ὅτι ἕτεροι ἐπιθήσονται. Τί οὖν ἀπέρχῃ, εἰ τοῦτο προοῖδας; Τὸ Πνεῦμά με ἕλκει, φησί. γʹ. Καὶ ὅρα· οὐχ ἁπλῶς εἶπε, Λύκοι, ἀλλὰ προσέθηκε, Βαρεῖς, τὸ σφοδρὸν αὐτῶν καὶ ἰταμὸν αἰνιττόμενος· καὶ τὸ χαλεπώτερον, ὅτι αὐτοὺς τούτους ἐξ αὐτῶν ἀναστήσεσθαι λέγει· ὃ καὶ σφόδρα ἐστὶ βαρὺ, ὅταν καὶ ἐμφύλιος ὁ πόλεμος ᾖ. Καὶ καλῶς εἶπε, Προσέχετε, δεικνὺς περισπούδαστον σφόδρα τὸ πρᾶγμα (Ἐκκλησία γάρ 60.311 ἐστι), καὶ ὅτι μέγας ὁ κίνδυνος (αἵματι γὰρ αὐτὴν ἐλυτρώσατο), καὶ ὅτι πολὺς ὁ πόλεμος καὶ διπλοῦς. Ταῦτα τοίνυν ἐδήλωσεν, εἰπών· Καὶ ἐξ ὑμῶν αὐτῶν ἀναστήσονται ἄνδρες λαλοῦντες διεστραμμένα, τοῦ ἀποσπᾷν τοὺς μαθητὰς ὀπίσω αὐτῶν. Εἶτα ἐπειδὴ σφόδρα αὐτοὺς ἐφόβησε τῷ εἰπεῖν Λύκους βαρεῖς, καὶ ἐξ αὐτῶν ἀναστῆναι τοὺς τὰ διεστραμμένα λαλοῦντας, ὥσπερ ὑπό τινος διαπορηθεὶς, πῶς οὖν; εἰπόντος, καὶ τίς ἔσται φυλακή; ἐπάγει, λέγων· Γρηγορεῖτε, μνημονεύοντες, ὅτι τριετίαν νύκτα καὶ ἡμέραν οὐκ ἐπαυσάμην μετὰ δακρύων νουθετῶν ἕνα ἕκαστον. Ὅρα πόσαι ὑπερβολαί· μετὰ δακρύων, καὶ νύκτα καὶ ἡμέραν, καὶ ἕνα ἕκαστον. Οὐ γὰρ εἰ πολλοὺς εἶδε, τότε ἐφείδετο, ἀλλ' ᾔδει καὶ ὑπὲρ μιᾶς ψυχῆς πάντα ποιεῖν. Οὕτω γοῦν αὐτοὺς καὶ συνεκρότησεν. Ὃ δὲ λέγει, τοῦτό ἐστιν· Ἀρκεῖ τὰ παρ' ἐμοῦ· τριετίαν ἔμεινα, ἱκανῶς ἐστερεώθησαν, ἱκανῶς ἐῤῥιζώθησαν. Μετὰ δακρύων, φησίν. Ὁρᾷς ὅτι τὰ δάκρυα διὰ τοῦτο; Ταῦτα ποιῶμεν καὶ ἡμεῖς. Οὐκ ἀλγεῖ ὁ κακός· ἄλγησον σὺ, ἴσως ἀλγήσει κἀκεῖνος. Καθάπερ ὅταν ἴδῃ ὁ κάμνων τὸν ἰατρὸν λαμβάνοντα σιτίου, καὶ αὐτὸς προτρέπεται· οὕτω δὴ καὶ ἐνταῦθα ἔσται· ἂν ἴδῃ σε ὀδυρόμενον, μαλαχθήσεται, χρηστὸς ἀνὴρ καὶ πρᾶος γενήσεται. Οὐκ εἰδὼς, φησὶ, τὰ συναντήσοντά μοι. Τί οὖν; διὰ τοῦτο ἀπέρχῃ; Οὐδαμῶς· ἀλλὰ καὶ σφόδρα γινώσκω, ὅτι δεσμὰ καὶ θλίψεις με μένουσιν. Ὅτι μὲν οὖν πειρασμοὶ ἐκδέχονταί με, οἶδα, ὁποῖοι δὲ, οὐκ οἶδα· ὅπερ ἦν χαλεπώτερον. Μὴ τοίνυν νομίσητέ με ἀποδυρόμενον ταῦτα λέγειν· οὐκ ἔχω τιμίαν τὴν ἐμαυτοῦ ψυχήν. Ἵνα ἀναστήσῃ αὐτῶν τὴν διάνοιαν, ταῦτά φησι, καὶ πείσῃ μὴ μόνον μὴ φεύγειν, ἀλλὰ καὶ γενναίως φέρειν. ∆ιὰ τοῦτο δρόμον καὶ διακονίαν τὸ πρᾶγμα καλεῖ· τὸ μὲν, δεικνὺς τὸ λαμπρὸν ἀπὸ τοῦ δρόμου, τὸ δὲ, τὸ ὀφειλόμενον ἀπὸ τῆς διακονίας. ∆ιάκονός εἰμι, φησίν· οὐδὲν πλέον ἔχω. Παραμυθησάμενος δὲ αὐτοὺς, ἵνα μὴ ἀλγῶσιν ἐφ' οἷς πάσχει κακῶς, καὶ εἰπὼν, ὅτι μετὰ χαρᾶς ταῦτα ὑπομένει, καὶ τὸν καρπὸν δείξας, τότε τὸ λυπηρὸν ἐπάγει. Τοῦτο δὲ ποιεῖ, ἵνα μὴ καταχώσῃ αὐτῶν τὴν διάνοιαν. Ποῖον δὲ τοῦτό ἐστι;