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he spoke more clearly: That He will rescue the order of His apostles, those poor and needy for His sake, from every ruler. For when many rulers, both visible and invisible, oppose and rise up against these very poor and needy ones, He Himself, protecting them with invisible power, will rescue them from all, so that the service of the evangelical preaching accomplished through them might not be hindered. And He will do this being with them, according to the promise He will make to them, saying: "Behold, I am with you all the days, until the end of the age." Thus, therefore, He also spared the poor and needy, and saved the souls 23.812 of the needy; and all these things He provided to His disciples and apostles, so that their sound might go out into all the earth, and their words to the ends of the world. And He redeemed the souls of these poor and needy from usury and injustice, so that they might owe nothing to anyone. And if at any time having borrowed they were in debt, so as to become liable for old sins, yet He Himself, giving His precious blood as a ransom for them, redeemed their souls; whence the divine Apostle taught, saying: "Christ redeemed us from the curse of the law, having become a curse for us." For since they were debtors and owed to the legislation of Moses, but did not fulfill the things that were written, they were then under a curse, for not keeping the whole law. For it was written: "Cursed is everyone who does not abide by all things written in the book of the law, to do them." Rightly freeing them from this curse, He redeemed them from usury and injustice, becoming a curse for them; and giving His precious blood for them, and thus making them precious to Himself. Wherefore it is said next: "And precious is their name in His sight." Whence it is recorded that He said to them: "Do not rejoice that the demons are subject to you; but rejoice and be glad, because your names are written in the heavens." And why was their name precious in His sight, but because He Himself also deemed them worthy of names, calling Simon Peter, and Thomas Didymus, and the sons of Zebedee Boanerges, which is interpreted, sons of thunder? But also according to the common name of them all, it was a precious name in His sight. And this was what the scripture of the Gospel indicated, saying: "These twelve Jesus chose, whom He also named apostles." But instead of "their name," the Hebrew scripture contains "their blood;" and so also the others have interpreted; Aquila saying: "And their blood will be honored in His eyes;" and Symmachus: "And their blood will be precious in His sight." Through which things He clearly alluded to the death of the aforementioned, each of whom endured a varied end of martyrdom, one in one way and another in another, having endured the contest of blood for the testimony to Him; so that it was said of them: "Precious in the sight of the Lord is the death of His saints." For similar to this is also what is at hand, stating: "And precious is their name in His sight." "And he shall live, and to him shall be given of the gold of Arabia, and they shall pray for him continually." It seems to me here that "and he shall live" is consonant with the saving voice that said to His disciples: "Behold, I am with you all the days, until the end of the age." For in order to present the abiding and infinitely extending life of the one prophesied, he added, "and he shall live." For a long life was needed for the accomplishment of the things spoken. If, then, the one prophesied will judge 23.813 His people with righteousness, and His poor with judgment, and humbles the slanderer, and will abide with the sun, and will rule from sea to sea, and from the river to the ends of the world; it is fitting

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σαφέστερον ἔλεγεν· Ὅτι τῶν ἀποστόλων αὐτοῦ τὸ τάγμα, τῶν δι' αὐτὸν πτωχῶν καὶ πενήτων, ῥύσεται ἀπὸ παντὸς δυνάστου. Πολλῶν γὰρ δυναστῶν ὁρατῶν τε καὶ ἀφανῶν ἀντικειμένων καὶ ἐπανισταμένων τούτοις αὐτοῖς τοῖς πτωχοῖς καὶ τοῖς πένησιν, αὐτὸς, ἀφανεῖ δυνάμει προασπίζων αὐτῶν, ἐκ πάντων αὐτοὺς ῥύσεται, πρὸς τὸ μὴ κωλυθῆναι τὴν δι' αὐτῶν ἐπιτελουμένην τοῦ εὐαγγελικοῦ κηρύγματος ὑπηρεσίαν. Καὶ τοῦτο πράξει συνὼν αὐτοῖς, καθ' ἣν ποιήσεται πρὸς αὐτοὺς ἐπαγγελίαν φήσας· «Ἰδοὺ ἐγὼ μεθ' ὑμῶν εἰμι πάσας τὰς ἡμέρας ἕως τῆς συντελείας τοῦ αἰῶνος.» Οὕτως οὖν καὶ ἐφείσατο πτωχοῦ καὶ πένητος, καὶ ψυ 23.812 χὰς πενήτων ἔσωσε· καὶ ταῦτα πάντα τοῖς αὐτοῦ μαθηταῖς καὶ ἀποστόλοις παρεῖχεν, ἵν' εἰς πᾶσαν τὴν γῆν ἐξέλθοι ὁ φθόγγος αὐτῶν, καὶ εἰς τὰ πέρατα τῆς οἰκουμένης τὰ ῥήματα αὐτῶν. Τούτων δὲ τῶν πτωχῶν καὶ τῶν πενήτων ἐκ τόκου καὶ ἐξ ἀδικίας ἐλυτρώσατο τὰς ψυχὰς, ὅπως μηδενὶ μηδὲν ὀφείλοιεν. Εἰ δὲ καί ποτε δεδανεισμένοι ὤφλησαν, ὥστε ἐνόχους αὐτοὺς γενέσθαι παλαιῶν ἁμαρτημάτων, ἀλλ' αὐτὸς, τὸ αἷμα τὸ τίμιον λύτρον ὑπὲρ αὐτῶν δοὺς, ἐλυτρώσατο τὰς ψυχὰς αὐτῶν· ὅθεν ὁ θεῖος Ἀπόστολος ἐδίδασκε λέγων· «Χριστὸς ἡμᾶς ἐξηγόρασεν ἐκ τῆς κατάρας τοῦ νόμου, γενόμενος ὑπὲρ ἡμῶν κατάρα.» Ἐπειδὴ γὰρ χρεῶσται ἦσαν καὶ ὀφειλέται τῆς Μωϋσέως νομοθεσίας, οὐκ ἐπλήρουν δὲ τὰ γεγραμμένα, εἶθ' ὑπὸ κατάραν ἦσαν, διὰ τὸ μὴ πάντα τὸν νόμον φυλάττειν. Γέγραπτο γάρ· «Ἐπικατάρατος πᾶς ὃς οὐκ ἐμμένει πᾶσι τοῖς γεγραμμένοις ἐν τῷ βιβλίῳ τοῦ νόμου τοῦ ποιῆσαι αὐτά.» Εἰκότως ταύτης τῆς ἀρᾶς ἐλευθερώσας αὐτοὺς, ἐκ τόκου καὶ ἐξ ἀδικίας ἐλυτροῦτο αὐτοὺς, γινόμενος ὑπὲρ αὐτῶν κατάρα· καὶ τὸ τίμιον αὐτοῦ αἷμα ὑπὲρ αὐτῶν διδοὺς, καὶ οὕτω τιμίους ἑαυτῷ ἀπεργαζόμενος. ∆ιὸ λέλεκται ἑξῆς· «Καὶ ἔντιμον τὸ ὄνομα αὐτῶν ἐνώπιον αὐτοῦ.» Ὅθεν ἀναγέγραπται εἰρηκὼς πρὸς αὐτούς· «Μὴ χαίρετε, ὅτι τὰ δαιμόνια ὑμῖν ὑποτάσσεται· χαίρετε δὲ καὶ ἀγαλλιᾶσθε, ὅτι τὰ ὀνόματα ὑμῶν ἐγγέγραπται ἐν τοῖς οὐρανοῖς.» ∆ιὰ τί δὲ τὸ ὄνομα αὐτῶν ἔντιμον ἦν ἐνώπιον αὐτοῦ, ἀλλ' ἐπειδήπερ αὐτὸς καὶ τῶν ὀνομάτων αὐτοὺς ἠξίου, τὸν μὲν Σίμωνα Πέτρον ἀνειπὼν, τὸν δὲ Θωμᾶν ∆ίδυμον, τούς τε οἱοὺς Ζεβεδαίου Βοανεῖργες, ὅπερ ἑρμηνεύεται υἱοὶ βροντῆς; Ἀλλὰ καὶ κατὰ τὸ κοινὸν πάντων αὐτῶν ἔντιμον ὄνομα ἦν ἐνώπιον αὐτοῦ. Τοῦτο δὲ ἦν ὅπερ ἐπεσημήνατο ἡ τοῦ Εὐαγγελίου γραφὴ φήσασα· «Τούτους τοὺς δώδεκα ἐξελέξατο ὁ Ἰησοῦς, οὓς καὶ ἀποστόλους ὠνόμασεν.» Ἀντὶ δὲ τοῦ, «τὸ ὄνομα αὐτῶν,» τὸ αἷμα αὐτῶν, ἡ Ἑβραϊκὴ γραφὴ περιέχει· οὕτω δὲ καὶ οἱ λοιποὶ ἡρμήνευσαν· ὁ μὲν Ἀκύλας εἰπών· «Καὶ τιμηθήσεται τὸ αἷμα αὐτῶν ἐν ὀφθαλμοῖς αὐτοῦ·» ὁ δὲ Σύμμαχος· «Καὶ τίμιον ἔσται τὸ αἷμα αὐτῶν ἐνώπιον αὐτοῦ.» ∆ι' ὧν σαφῶς ᾐνίξατο τὸν θάνατον τῶν προλεχθέντων, ὧν ὁ καθεὶς ποικίλον ὑπέμεινε τὸ τοῦ μαρτυρίου τέλος, ἄλλος ἄλλως διὰ τὴν εἰς αὐτὸν μαρτυρίαν τὸν δι' αἵματος ὑπομείνας ἀγῶνα· ὥστ' εἰρῆσθαι περὶ αὐτῶν· «Τίμιος ἐνώπιον Κυρίοι ὁ θάνατος τῶν ὁσίων αὐτοῦ.» Τούτῳ γὰρ ὅμοιον τυγχάνει καὶ τὸ μετὰ χεῖρας φάσκον· «Καὶ ἔντιμον τὸ ὄνομα αὐτῶν ἐνώπιον αὐτοῦ.» «Καὶ ζήσεται καὶ δοθήσεται αὐτῷ ἐκ τοῦ χρυσίου τῆς Ἀραβίας, καὶ προσεύξονται περὶ αὐτοῦ διαπαντός.» ∆οκεῖ μοι ἐνταῦθα τὸ, «καὶ ζήσεται,» συνᾴδειν τῇ σωτηρίῳ φωνῇ φησάσῃ πρὸς τοὺς αὐτοῦ μαθητάς· «Ἰδοὺ ἐγὼ μεθ' ὑμῶν εἰμι πάσας τὰς ἡμέρας ἕως τῆς συντελείας τοῦ αἰῶνος.» Ἵνα γὰρ τὴν παραμονὴν καὶ τὴν παρατείνουσαν εἰς ἄπειρον ζωὴν τοῦ προφητευομένου παραστήσῃ, ἐπήγαγε τὸ, «καὶ ζήσεται.» Μακρᾶς γὰρ ἔδει ζωῆς εἰς κατόρθωσιν τῶν εἰρημένων. Εἰ γοῦν ὁ προφητευόμενος κρινεῖ 23.813 τὸν λαὸν αὐτοῦ ἐν δικαιοσύνῃ, καὶ τοὺς πτωχοὺς αὐτοῦ ἐν κρίσει, καὶ ταπεινοῖ συκοφάντην, καὶ συμπαραμενεῖ τῷ ἡλίῳ, κατακυριεύσει τε ἀπὸ θαλάσσης ἕως θαλάσσης, καὶ ἀπὸ ποταμοῦ ἕως τῶν περάτων τῆς οἰκουμένης· εἰκότως