Letter 868: Scripture speaks with precision to those who read carefully.

These heralds, however, were neither permitted nor able to follow him, since he was running, as I said, to the very ends of the earth. And what marvel is it if the female sex was left behind, when even Barnabas, that most excellent of men, was separated from Paul on account of a disagreement about Mark? For the apostolic ministry demanded a speed and a daring that exceeded ordinary human capacity. Paul ran as one who would not be caught, preached as one who could not be silenced, suffered as one who would not be broken. He traversed seas and mountains, deserts and cities, prisons and palaces, with an energy that seemed to draw upon some inexhaustible spring. And those who could not keep pace with him were not thereby dishonored; they simply served in a different capacity, at a different station, in the great campaign of the Gospel. For the body of Christ has many members, and not all members have the same function. The foot cannot say to the hand, "I have no need of you," nor can the eye say to the ear, "I have no need of you." Each serves according to the gift bestowed, and the whole body grows when each part does its work.

Σ. ΙΣΙΔΩΡΟΥ ΠΗΛΟΥΣΙΩΤΟΥ κήρυκας. Τούτῳ δὲ ἀκολουθῆσαι, οὔτ᾽ ἐπετράπησαν, οὔτε ἠδυνήθησαν, εἰς αὐτὰ, ὡς ἔφην, τρέχοντι τῆς γῆς τὰ πέρατα. Καὶ τί θαυμαστὸν, εἰ τὸ γυναικεῖον ἀπελείφθη γένος, ὁπότε καὶ Βαρνάβας, ὁ τῆς ξυν ωρίδος κοινωνὸς, ὀκλάσας πρὸς τὸν ἀπέραντον ἐκεῖνον δρόμον τε καὶ πόνον, παρεχώρησε τῷ Παύλῳ τὰ πρωτεία; ὅτε γοῦν αὐτῷ συνετέτακτο, ταῦτ᾽ ἔγρα- φεν ὁ Παῦλος, «Μὴ οὐκ ἔχομεν ἐξουσίαν ἀδελφὴν γυναῖκα περιάγειν, ὡς καὶ οἱ λοιποὶ ἀπόστολοι, καὶ οἱ ἀδελφοὶ τοῦ Κυρίου, καὶ Κηφᾶς; Η μόνος ἐγὼ καὶ Βαρνάβας οὐκ ἔχομεν ἐξουσίαν μὴ ἐργάζεσθαι;» Οὐχ ὅτι γυναιξὶ συνώκουν οἱ τῆς παρθενίας σύμ- βουλοι, καὶ τῆς σωφροσύνης κήρυκες, καὶ τῶν παρθένων ῥυθμίζοντες τοὺς χορούς. Τις γὰρ ἂν αὐτῶν ἡνέσχετο περὶ παρθενίας συμβουλευόντων, εἶγε αὐτοὶ ἡδοναῖς ἐγκαλινδούμενοι ἡλίσκοντο; Οὐ τοίνυν τοῦτό φησιν (ᾗ γὰρ ἂν εἶπε γαμετὴν γυναῖκα, ὡς οἱ συμβολαιογράφοι ἐν τοῖς προικῴοις γράφουσι, τρέφειν τε καὶ ἀμφιάζειν, ὡς προσήκει γυναίκὶ γαμετῇ κατὰ δύναμιν· τὴν μὲν γυναῖκα τάττον τες διὰ τὴν φύσιν, τὴν δὲ γαμετὴν διὰ τὴν συμ βίωσιν)· ἀλλ᾽ ἐπειδὴ ἡκολούθουν αὐτοῖς, ἐκ τῶν ὑπαρχόντων αὐταῖς τρέφουσαι τοὺς τῆς ἀκτημοσύνης ὑφηγητὰς, ἀδελφὴν μὲν εἶπεν, ἵνα τὴν ἁγνείαν ἐμα φανίσῃ, γυναῖκα δὲ, ἵνα τὴν φύσιν δηλώσῃ. Γυνή γὰρ καὶ ἡ παρθένος καλεῖται, κἂν ἀνέπαφος ᾖ· γυνή διὰ τὸ εἶδος, κἂν ἀκέραιος ᾖ· γυνὴ διὰ τὴν φύσιν, xἂν ἀῤῥενικῆς ὁμιλίας ἀμύητος τυγχάνῃ. Ὅτι δε τοῦτο οὐκ ἀπὸ σκοποῦ τυγχάνει, περὶ τοῦ κατὰ σάρκα τετέχθαι τὸν Σωτῆρα ὑπὸ τῆς ἀγίας Παρ θένου Μαρίας λέγων αὐτὸς οὗτος ὁ Παῦλος, οἱ τὴν λέξιν παρερμηνεύειν τινὲς κακούργως τολμῶσιν, Εφη, « Γενόμενον ἐκ γυναικός. » Τί ποιεῖς, ὦ Παῦλε; τὴν Παρθένον γυναῖκα καλεῖς; Ναὶ, φησί, γυναῖκα καλῶ διὰ τὴν φύσιν, παρθένον δὲ ἔχω τῇ γνώμῃ. Γυνή γὰρ ἡ παρθένος, κἂν ἀνέπαφος ᾖ. Γυνὴ διὰ τὸ σχῆμα καὶ τὴν πλάσιν· παρθένος διὰ τὸ ἀκέραιον καὶ τὸ καθαρόν.