326

moderation, it would be necessary neither to be a virgin nor to be able to be continent at all in any way. But if they are virgins and are continent, and they are continent whenever they subdue the body—for otherwise to be continent from sin is impossible—therefore the body is not unable to be subject to the law of God. For how would John have subjected his own body to purity? Or how Peter to holiness? Or those after him to righteousness? And how does Paul say, "Let not sin therefore reign in your mortal body to obey its desires, neither present your members as instruments of unrighteousness to sin, but present yourselves to God as being alive from the dead, and your members as instruments of righteousness to God," and again, "For just as you presented your members as slaves to impurity and to lawlessness leading to more lawlessness, so now present your members as slaves to righteousness for holiness"? 52. Therefore he knew that this tabernacle is able to be directed and to incline towards the good, so that sins might be put to death in it. For how else can a man, even in our time, be enslaved to righteousness, unless, having first subjected the members of his flesh so that they obey not sin, but righteousness, he should live a life worthy 2.482 of Christ? Since to sin and not to sin happens through the body, the soul using it as an instrument either for virtue or for vice. For if "neither fornicators, nor idolaters, nor adulterers, nor effeminate, nor homosexuals, nor thieves, nor the greedy, nor drunkards, nor revilers, nor swindlers can inherit the kingdom of God," and these things are fulfilled and strengthened through the body, and no one is justified, unless he first masters these things, and he masters these things who inclines toward moderation and faith, therefore the body is subject to the law of God; for the law of God is moderation. So the apostle said not that the flesh is not subject to the good, but the mind of the flesh, that is, destroying its very impulse toward intemperance, just as also the soul's inclination toward what is unjust. Contending indeed for cleansing even from gluttonous intemperance, and teaching that such appetites and pleasures are to be destroyed, and shaming those who consider this luxury and extravagance to be life, who "consider their belly a god," saying, "Let us eat and drink, for tomorrow we die," just like voracious cattle occupied only with base food and tables, and having said, "Foods are for the belly and the belly for foods; but God will destroy both it and them," he added, "But the body is not for fornication, but for the Lord, and the Lord for the body. And God both raised the Lord and will also raise us by His power. Or do you not know that our members are members of Christ? Taking then the members of Christ, shall I make them members of a prostitute? May it never be. 2.483 Or do you not know that he who is joined to a prostitute is one body? For 'the two,' He says, 'shall become one flesh.' But he who is joined to the Lord is one spirit. Flee fornication. Every sin that a man commits is outside the body. But he who fornicates sins against his own body. Or do you not know that your bodies are a temple of the Holy Spirit who is in you, whom you have from God? And you are not your own; for you were bought with a price. Therefore glorify God in your body." 53. For observe that since this body is able to be subject to the law of God and to receive immortality, if it is cleansed from the intemperance of passions, not being defiled at all by the unlawful provocations of lust, the apostle declared these things. For what other thing is "that which is joined to a prostitute" and draws near and becomes one flesh with her according to the joining and communion of the members, besides this outer body, through which all these things are fulfilled, the sins relating to intercourse and passion? Whence also "every sin that if a

326

σωφροσύνη, ἐχρῆν μηδὲ παρθενεύειν μήτε ἐγκρατεύεσθαι δύνασθαι τὸ σύνολον ὅλως ἐκ παντός. εἰ δὲ παρθενεύουσι καὶ ἐγκρατεύονται, ἐγκρατεύονται δὲ ὁπότε τὸ σῶμα ὑποτάσσουσιν ἄλλως γὰρ ἐγκρατεύεσθαι ἁμαρτίας ἀδύνατον οὐκ ἄρα οὐ δύναται τὸ σῶμα ὑποτάσσεσθαι τῷ τοῦ θεοῦ νόμῳ. ἐπεὶ πῶς ἂν ὁ Ἰωάννης ὑπέταξεν ἑαυτοῦ τὸ σῶμα εἰς ἁγνείαν; ἢ πῶς Πέτρος εἰς ὁσιότητα; ἢ οἱ καθεξῆς εἰς δικαιοσύνην; πῶς δὲ καὶ Παῦλος «μὴ οὖν βασιλευέτω ἡ ἁμαρτία ἐν τῷ θνητῷ ὑμῶν» λέγει «σώματι εἰς τὸ ὑπακούειν ταῖς ἐπιθυμίαις αὐτοῦ μηδὲ παριστάνετε τὰ μέλη ὑμῶν ὅπλα ἀδικίας τῇ ἁμαρτίᾳ, ἀλλὰ παραστήσατε ἑαυτοὺς τῷ θεῷ ὡσεὶ ἐκ νεκρῶν ζῶντας καὶ τὰ μέλη ὑμῶν ὅπλα δικαιοσύνης τῷ θεῷ» καὶ πάλιν «ὥσπερ γὰρ παρεστήσατε τὰ μέλη ὑμῶν δοῦλα τῇ ἀκαθαρσίᾳ καὶ τῇ ἀνομίᾳ εἰς τὴν ἀνομίαν, οὕτως νῦν παραστήσατε τὰ μέλη ὑμῶν δοῦλα τῇ δικαιοσύνῃ εἰς ἁγιασμόν»; 52. Οὐκοῦν ἐγίγνωσκεν δύνασθαι διευθύνεσθαι τὸ σκήνωμα τοῦτο καὶ νεύειν πρὸς τὸ ἀγαθόν, ἵνα νεκρωθῶσιν ἐν αὐτῷ τὰ ἁμαρτήματα. ἐπεὶ πῶς ἑτέρως δουλωθῆναι τῇ δικαιοσύνῃ δύναται ἄνθρωπος καὶ ἐφ' ἡμῶν, ἐὰν μὴ πρότερον ὑποτάξας ἑαυτοῦ τὰ μέλη τῆς σαρκὸς εἰς τὸ μὴ ὑπακούειν αὐτὰ τῇ ἁμαρτίᾳ, ἀλλὰ τῇ δικαιοσύνῃ, πολιτεύσηται κατ' ἀξίαν 2.482 τοῦ Χριστοῦ; ἐπειδὴ τὸ ἁμαρτῆσαι καὶ τὸ μὴ ἁμαρτῆσαι διὰ τοῦ σώματος γίγνεται, τῆς ψυχῆς ἢ πρὸς ἀρετὴν ἢ πρὸς κακίαν ὀργάνῳ χρωμένης αὐτῷ. εἰ γὰρ «οὔτε πόρνοι οὔτε εἰδωλολάτραι οὔτε μοιχοὶ οὔτε μαλακοὶ οὔτε ἀρσενοκοῖται οὔτε κλέπται οὔτε πλεονέκται οὔτε μέθυσοι οὔτε λοίδοροι οὔτε ἅρπαγες βασιλείαν θεοῦ κληρονομῆσαι δύνανται», πληροῦνται δὲ ταῦτα καὶ κρατύνονται διὰ τοῦ σώματος, δικαιοῦται δὲ οὐδείς, ἐὰν μὴ πρῶτον κρατήσῃ τούτων, κρατεῖ δὲ τούτων ὁ ἐκνεύων πρὸς σωφροσύνην καὶ πίστιν, ὑποτάσσεται ἄρα τὸ σῶμα τῷ νόμῳ τοῦ θεοῦ· ὁ νόμος γὰρ θεοῦ σωφροσύνη. ὥστε ὁ ἀπόστολος οὐ τὴν σάρκα μὴ ὑποτάσσεσθαι τῷ ἀγαθῷ ἔφη, ἀλλὰ τὸ φρόνημα τῆς σαρκός, οἷον τὴν ὁρμὴν αὐτῆς αὐτὴν τὴν πρὸς τὰς ἀκρασίας ἀναιρῶν, ὥσπερ δὴ καὶ τῆς ψυχῆς τὴν πρὸς τὸ ἄδικον ἔκκλισιν. ἐκκαθαίρεσθαι γοῦν ἄχρι καὶ τῆς γαστριμαργικῆς ἀκρασίας διαμιλλώμενος, διδάσκων τε τὰς τοιαύτας ὀρέξεις καὶ ἡδονὰς ἐξαπόλλυσθαι καὶ καταισχύνων τοὺς τὸ τρυφᾶν τοῦτο καὶ πολυτελεύεσθαι ζῆν εἶναι νομίζοντας, οἳ «θεὸν ἡγοῦνται τὴν κοιλίαν», φάσκοντες «φάγωμεν καὶ πίωμεν· αὔριον γὰρ ἀποθνῄσκομεν», καθάπερ ἀδηφάγα θρέμματα κάτω περὶ τὴν βορὰν μόνον καὶ τὰς τραπέζας ἀσχολούμενα, εἰπών τε «τὰ βρώματα τῇ κοιλίᾳ καὶ ἡ κοιλία τοῖς βρώμασιν· ὁ δὲ θεὸς καὶ ταύτην καὶ ταῦτα καταργήσει» ἐπήγαγε «τὸ δὲ σῶμα οὐ τῇ πορνείᾳ, ἀλλὰ τῷ κυρίῳ, καὶ ὁ κύριος τῷ σώματι. ὁ δὲ θεὸς καὶ τὸν κύριον ἤγειρε καὶ ἡμᾶς ἐξεγερεῖ διὰ τῆς δυνάμεως αὐτοῦ. ἢ οὐκ οἴδατε ὅτι τὰ μέλη ἡμῶν μέλη Χριστοῦ ἐστιν; ἄρας οὖν τὰ μέλη τοῦ Χριστοῦ ποιήσω πόρνης μέλη; μὴ 2.483 γένοιτο. ἢ οὐκ οἴδατε ὅτι ὁ κολλώμενος τῇ πόρνῃ ἓν σῶμά ἐστι; ἔσονται, γάρ φησιν, οἱ δύο εἰς σάρκα μίαν. ὁ δὲ κολλώμενος τῷ κυρίῳ ἓν πνεῦμά ἐστιν. φεύγετε τὴν πορνείαν. πᾶν ἁμάρτημα ὃ ἐὰν ποιήσῃ ἄνθρωπος ἐκτὸς τοῦ σώματός ἐστιν. ὁ δὲ πορνεύων εἰς τὸ ἴδιον σῶμα ἁμαρτάνει. ἢ οὐκ οἴδατε ὅτι τὰ σώματα ὑμῶν ναὸς τοῦ ἐν ὑμῖν ἁγίου πνεύματός ἐστιν, οὗ ἔχετε ἀπὸ θεοῦ; καὶ οὐκ ἐστὲ ἑαυτῶν· ἠγοράσθητε γὰρ τιμῆς. δοξάσατε οὖν τὸν θεὸν ἐν τῷ σώματι ὑμῶν». 53. Πρόσσχες γὰρ ὅτι ἐπειδὴ τὸ σῶμα τοῦτο δύναται τῷ νόμῳ τοῦ θεοῦ ὑποτάσσεσθαι καὶ τὴν ἀθανασίαν ὑποδέξασθαι, ἐὰν καθαίροιτο τῆς ἀκρασίας τῶν ὑπεκκαυμάτων, μὴ χραινόμενον ἀθέσμοις ὅλως οἴστρων παρατριβαῖς, ὁ ἀπόστολος ταῦτα ἀπεφθέγξατο. ποῖον γὰρ «τὸ κολλώμενον» ἕτερον «τῇ πόρνῃ» καὶ πλησιάζον καὶ σὰρξ μετ' αὐτῆς κατὰ τὴν σύνερξιν τῶν μελῶν καὶ τὴν κοινωνίαν μία γιγνόμενον παρὰ τοῦτο τὸ σῶμα τὸ ἔξω, δι' οὗ ταῦτα πάντα πληροῦνται τὰ πρὸς μῖξιν καὶ ἔκκαυσιν ἁμαρτήματα; ὅθεν καὶ «πᾶν ἁμάρτημα ὃ ἐὰν