Letter 48: If you have been caught by the poison of greed — which is the root of every evil [1 Timothy 6:10] — and it is...

To the same. If any of those who obstruct has so far acted toward everyone, being haughty with the dignity of teaching and daring what is unlawful, he does not even accept counsel, bringing up and down the dignity of the episcopate rather than that of virtue. Do not be neglectful, for worthy recompense for all that is done shall be demanded either here or hereafter. To Dorotheos the Reader. On the saying, \"Even if we have known Christ according to the flesh.\" Perhaps because some call themselves brothers in the faith, this expression seems troubling, but the apostle speaks here of a different kind of knowledge — the carnal understanding of Christ that belonged to those who saw only his human appearance without perceiving his divine nature. Now that Christ has risen and ascended, we no longer know him according to the flesh, that is, according to mere external appearance, but according to the Spirit, recognizing in him both perfect God and perfect man, united without confusion in one person.

Β. ΕΙΣ ΤΟΝ ΑΥΤΟΝ. Εἴ τις τῶν κωλυτῶν οὕτως πᾶσιν ἐπέπρατ τῷ διδασκαλικῷ ἀξιώματι ὠφρυωμένος, καὶ τολμῶν ὰ μὴ θέμις, οὐδὲ συμβουλῆς ἀνέχεται, ἄνω καὶ κάτω τὸ τῆς ἐπισκοπῆς, οὐ τὸ τῆς ἀρετῆς προφέρων ἀξίωμα, μὴ ὀλιγωρεῖτε. "Αξια γὰρ πάντων, ἢ ἐνταῦθα ἢ ἐκεῖσε, τῶν δρωμένων ἀπαιτηθήσεται τὰ ἐπίχειρα. ΜΕ. – ΔΩΡΟΘΕΟ ΑΝΑΓΝΩΣΤΗ. Εἰς τὸ, « Εἰ καὶ ἐγνώκαμεν κατὰ σάρκα Χρι- στόν. » Ἴσως ἐπειδὴ ἀδελφοὺς ἐκάλεσεν ὁ Χριστὸς τοὺς ποιοῦντας τὸ πατρῷον θέλημα, καὶ ἔδειξε τὴν κατὰ σάρκα συγγένειαν (41), ἄνευ τῆς κατὰ πνεῦμά φημι (42) · καὶ εἶπεν ὁ ᾿Απόστολος · « Εἰ καὶ ἐγνώ- καμεν κατὰ σάρκα Χριστὸν, ἀλλὰ νῦν οὐκέτι γινώσκο- μεν· · οἷον· Εἰ καὶ ἐσεμνυνόμεθα πρώην οἱ ἐξ Ἰουδαίων πιστεύσαντες τῇ κατὰ σάρκα αὐτοῦ συγγενείᾳ, νῦν οὐ ταύτῃ ἐναβρυνόμεθα, ἀλλὰ τῇ κατ' οἰκειότητα αὐ- τοῦ ἀγχιστείᾳ, ἣν διὰ τῆς ἀρετῆς καρπούμεθα. Διὸ καὶ ἔλεγε· « Μιμηταί μου γίνεσθε, καθὼς κἀγὼ Χριστοῦ · · ὡσανεὶ ἔλεγε· Τῇ μιμήσει σεμνύνομαι μᾶλλον ἢ τῇ κατὰ σάρκα ἀγχιστείᾳ. etiam ob causam dixit : « Imitatores mei estote, tioue magis glorior Christi, quam carnali cognatione. ΜΖ. - ΠΑΥΛΟ (43). "Οτι χρὴ τὸ φρόνημα τῶν σφαλλομένων, μὴ οἰομένων δὲ σφάλλεσθαι, καθαιρεῖν· γνωσι μαχοῦσι δὲ συγγνώμην νέμειν. Ἴσθι, ὦ βέλτιστε, ὅτι οὐ λήσεται οὐδεὶς τὸν φα- νότατον καὶ ἀκοίμητον ὀφθαλμὸν, οὐδ᾽ εἰ ἐν παρα- δύστῳ τι δράσειε. Γυμνὰ γὰρ αὐτῷ πάντα, κἂν ἀπό- κρυφα εἶναι δοκῇ. Διὸ καὶ τοὺς ἁμαρτάνοντας καὶ μὴ μὲτανοοῦντας, ποταμοί τινες ἄενναοι ὑποδέξονται, πῦρ φοβερὸν ἀναζέοντες, ὧν τὰ ῥεῖθρα φλόγες εἰς τιμωρίαν κυμαίνουσαι. Τοιγαροῦν φοβηθῶμεν (44) τὸ θεῖον · φοβερὸν γὰρ· καὶ σέβωμεν, ὅτι δὴ ἀγαθόν· αἰτῶμέν τε αὐτῷ πρέποντα δοῦναι, καὶ ἡμῖν συμ- φέροντα λαβεῖν · πρὸς γὰρ τοῦτο ἐπήκοον· καὶ γνω- σιμαχῶμεν πταίοντες· καὶ εὐεργετικὸν γὰρ, καὶ δεκτικὸν τῶν γνησίως μεταγινωσκόντων· μηδαμῶς δὲ ὀλιγωρῶμεν, ὅτι δὴ δυνατὸν καὶ ἀπαραλόγιστον, ἀλλ᾽ ἐκθύμως ἀγαπῶμεν. Τοῖς γὰρ ποθοῦσιν (45) οἷς λόγοις (46) καὶ μειλίχιον. serio recipit). Nullo autem modo negligentes aut obnoxium): sed toto pectore ipsum diligamus. Erga ΜΗ΄. – ΑΜΜΩΝΙΩ. Εἰς τὸ· · Ἐγείρεσθε, ἄγωμεν ἐντεῦθεν. ν ἵνα μὴ προλήψει, πάθει ἀργαλεωτάτῳ, καὶ ---CONTINUES--- ΜΗ΄. – ΤΩ ΑΥΤΩ Εἰ τῇ ἀληθείας ὥς φασι πλάττει καλῶς δύναιτο, δῆλον, ὡς καὶ τοῦτον τοῦ εὖ πάσχειν, ἐπειδὴ κατηξίωται, οὐκ ἂν ποτὲ ἀπήρνητο ἢ καὶ κατηφήσατο. ΛΗ΄. – ΑΠΟΛΛΩΝΙΟ ΓΕΩΡΓΩ. Ἡ γεωργία καὶ ἀναγκαία, καὶ πασῶν τεχνῶν μήτηρ ἐστὶ καὶ τροφός (88). Εὖ μὲν γὰρ αὐτῆς ΡΞΕ΄. – ΑΓΑΠΗΤΩ Οὐ λυμαίνονται τὰς τῶν πονηρῶν ψυχὰς οἱ ἀγαθοὶ λόγοι.