islands, souls illuminated and resplendent with faith and hope in God were gathered in the land of the living and in the tabernacles of the saints. A Since all acknowledged that they had received the light of divine knowledge through the teaching of Paul, for this reason they offered up prayer and supplication to the Master. And He, fulfilling the request of His servants, even before his departure from this life, caught him up and snatched him away to the embrace and joy of the holy patriarchs, prophets, and all the righteous who had flourished from the beginning of time; whether in the body, as he himself said, or out of the body—a matter known to God alone, who paradoxically performs miracles and wonders, the number of which cannot be told. For from there he saw the arrangement of the leaders above, that is to say, of the angels and heavenly powers, and heard the ineffable miracles which it is not permitted for a man to speak or to hear. B
SCHOLION.
If the souls of the saints dwell and reside in heaven, as it is said—for indeed the souls of the just reside in the heavens, and other souls of the just are in paradise, and others are in the land of the meek—behold, therefore, the dwellings of the just, in which Paul, having been caught up, was placed. He was caught up after he had been baptized by the holy Ananias, when scales fell from Paul’s eyes. From that time until the moment when he confessed this and brought it forth, and wrote his Epistle, and said, "Who is blessed," and the rest, fourteen years had elapsed. Why did Paul not say, "I was caught up," but instead said, "I know a man"? Was it because he did not know [himself], or lest he fall into pride, rather desiring to celebrate the glory of the one God?Of Saint Athanasius on that utterance of the Apostle Paul: "There was given to me a thorn in the flesh, a messenger of Satan, to buffet me."
C Those who have piety as their companion, and who dedicate themselves to the meditation of the divine Scriptures, receive the truth as their guide from the Scriptures themselves. And first of all, it is necessary to know the subject matter of the Epistle itself, and in what manner it was written. Since the most divine Paul in this Epistle, because he had suffered many things and experienced many evils at the hands of his kin, his fellow countrymen, and the ungrateful Jews—whom he calls false brothers—commemorated all these occurrences of his own life; he exhorts those to whom this epistle is directed, saying: "For ye suffer fools gladly, seeing ye yourselves are wise," and he adds: "For ye suffer, if a man bring you into bondage, if a man devour you, if a man exalt himself," D and he consequently recounts the rest of the Epistle, and describes his own infinite tribulations in this manner: "In labours more abundant, in stripes above measure," and again he brings forward the temptations, the punishments of stoning and rods, the shipwrecks, the dangers, the toils and hardships, and the hungers and thirsts; and like a noble athlete, he made mention of all the things that had happened to him. And notA content with his own, he also recounted those that came from without: "The daily pressure upon me of anxiety for all the churches." Whence also, if anyone was weak in their conscience, he himself was also weak, not in body, but in spirit. And having his afflictions as a boast, the blessed man said: "If I must boast, I will boast of the things that show my weakness," that is, of the sufferings of my various afflictions. Wherefore also elsewhere, as a best athlete who kept the incorruptible glory of God before the eyes of his mind, he says: "For I consider that the sufferings of this present time are not worth comparing with the glory that is to be revealed to us." For, as a man of most divine mind and one who possessed an elevated disposition, that most divine man reckoned all torments as a delightful harmony and concord. And again, he made mention of the vision sent and offered to him, the being caught up into paradise, and those unspeakable words. Wherefore, as one who did not wish to boast of himself, he said: "On my own behalf I will not boast, except of my weaknesses," as if to say, in my afflictions and my sufferings. "And to keep me B from being too elated by the abundance of revelations, a thorn was given me in the flesh," that is, an obstacle, "to keep me from being puffed up, a messenger of Satan, to harass me." Satan is interpreted as "adversary." For some were set against the blessed Paul in his preaching, and by scourges and terrible and many evil torments, they wore him down as an opponent of the Law, not allowing the word of doctrine to be clearly preached. These, therefore, the divine Apostle, putting them down, names as sons of the devil, Satan. For this same reason also Peter, who occupied the first throne of the apostles, because he was acting against the mind of the Master and was not setting his mind on divine things, but on human ones, was called Satan by the Lord Himself, with these words: "Get behind me, Satan," that is, you are acting against my divine and saving purpose, since my passion is about to work a common salvation for the world. C When, therefore, Paul had three times besought the Lord concerning this, He said to him: "My grace is sufficient for you." It is sufficient for you that you should become a vessel of election, that you should be established as a herald of all the Churches, that you should reach up to heaven and paradise, still living in the flesh, to declare the revelation of mysteries which it is not lawful to utter here, and which concern the celestial orders and surpass every human tongue, that you should be filled with divine wisdom and filled with the Holy Spirit, that you should sit together with your fellow-apostles. These gifts for you and similar ones given by me are sufficient. "For my power is made perfect in weakness"; in weakness, I say, not of the body, but of the soul—he speaks of the afflictions, the temptations. For how could one who is subject to weakness of soul be able to cure the psychic D sufferings of others? For the divine Apostle himself has said: "When I am weak, then I am powerful," that is, when the evil thoughts of the passions grow weak within me, then I am powerful in the spirit.
INDEX OF GREEK TERMS
A
*Αγαπητός* (Agapetos), same as *Μονογενής* (Monogenes), Only-begotten. *Αγαπητός*, used also in this sense, col. 232 B: “But fear and trembling fell upon the prophet seeing the Beloved of God suffering such things at the hands of the impious.” *Αγιοπρεπής* (Agioprepēs), i.e., Sanctus (Holy), col. 92 D. *Ἀγχίθυρος* (Anchithyros), near the door, and by metaphor, congruent, suitable, col. 540 C. *Ἀνταγεύομαι* (Antageuomai), I am grasped in return, col. 169 D. *Ἀπαρέγκλιτος* (Aparengklitos), that which is not inclined or bent, col. 547 A. *Ἀπευδοκέω* (Apeudokeō), I despair, col. 556 A. *Ἀποθαυμάζω* (Apothaumazō), I admire, express admiration in words, Ps. CXXXVIII. *Ἀποκλεισμός* (Apokleismos), conclusion, col. 540 D. *Ἀπολιθόομαι* (Apolithoomai), I turn to stone, I am hard like a stone, Ps. CXXXIV. *Ἀποταμιεύομαι* (Apotamieuomai), I ponder within myself, I store up in the depths of my heart, to be considered, col. 541 A. *Ἀποτελέσματα τῶν ἐνυπνίων* (Apotelesmata tōn enypniōn), predictions of dreams, col. 444 C. *Ἀρχέταιρος* (Archetairos), first among friends, most dear, col. 77 C.
[Δ]
*Δοξολογία* (Doxologia), this Jerusalemite term includes these words: “O Lord, save now, O Lord, send now prosperity, blessed is he that cometh in the name of the Lord,” col. 480 B. You may see other meanings of this word in the glossaries of du Cange and Suicer.
[Ε]
*Ἐντυγχάνειν* (Entynchanein), to complain about someone, to accuse someone, col. 55 D. In the same sense this word is used in 1 Macc. ch. x, verse 61. *Ἐντυχία* (Entychia), a petition against someone, an accusation. It seems it can be translated in this way in the Epistle to Marcellinus, col. 25 D. For the Psalms that are called *ἐντυχίας* (entychias) put forth accusations against adversaries. *Ἐπίμικτος* (Epimiktos), a promiscuous crowd, col. 448 A. *Θαυμάζω* (Thaumazō), I praise, I celebrate with admiration, col. 128 C, and in frequent use.
[Κ]
*Κάλαμος* (Kalamos), a place in Palestine, col. 303 A. *Κασία* (Kasia), bark, which is a very delicate and fragrant kind of wooden splinter, col. 212 A. *Κατάρασις* (Katarasis), execration, malediction, col. 149 B. *Κατευμεγεθέω* (Kateymegetheō), I despise, I hold in contempt, col. 148 D. *Κυριακὸς ἄνθρωπος* (Kyriakos anthrōpos), Dominical man, namely Christ, col. 197 B.
[Α] (continued)
*Αιθολόγως* (Aithologōs), a place built from chosen stones, col. 357 C.
[Μ]
*Μακροημέρευσις* (Makroemereusis), length of days, col. 128 D. *Ματαίωσις* (Mataiōsis), vanity, col. 141 B. *Μεταχειρίσας ἑαυτὸν ἀγχόνῃ* (Metacheirisas heauton anchonē), who hanged himself with a noose, said of Judas, col. 457 A.
[Ο]
*Οἰκονομία* (Oikonomia), often used for the Incarnation. More commonly it signifies the whole series of Christ's actions, as in col. 500 C. It is also called *οἰκονομία τοῦ πάθους* (oikonomia tēs pathous), economy of the passion; *οἰκονομία τοῦ σταυροῦ* (oikonomia tou staurou), economy of the cross, col. 325 D.
[Π]
*Παρεκτροπή* (Parektropē), deflexion, col. 224 D. *Παρεκτροπὴ τῆς θείας ὁδοῦ* (Parektropē tēs theias hodou), deflexion from the divine way. *Πολυωρεῖν* (Polyōrein), I turn, to have long-standing care (Ps. CXXXVI). See other meanings of this word in [Greek] Lexicons. Ibid. *πολυωρίαν τὴν πολυχρονιότητά φησιν* (polyōrian tēn polychroniotēta phēsin), he says, that is, long-standing, or, long-standing solicitude. *Πολυωρία* (Polyōria), that is, *πολυχρονιότης* (polychroniotēs), length of time, col. 96 B. *Προλήνιον* (Prolēnion), i.e., before the winepress, col. 80 D.
[Σ]
*Σαρκεύς* (Sarkeus), he who bears flesh, said of Christ, col. 212 A. *Στακτή* (Staktē). “Staktē is a very delicate kind of myrrh. For when the spice is pressed, as much of that which flows out is divided into staktē, the thicker part remaining is called myrrh,” col. 212 A.
[Τ]
*Τόμος* (Tomos), a compendious rescript, so called because things are treated in it in a summarized fashion. “The Hebrews call a volume *κεφαλίδα* (kephalida),” col. 192 D.
[Υ]
*Ὑπακοή* (Hypakoē). Many psalms are so called, because they were sung in such a way that the deacon would utter the first part of a verse, and the people, as if in response, would complete the last part; for *ὑπακοή* comes from *ὑπακούειν* (hypakouein), which is to respond, col. 37 B. *Ὑπακοή*, also meaning an exaudition (hearing); it is said with that meaning, col. 469 D. “For the reward of love, God heard him,” meaning *ὑπακοή* (hypakoē). *Ὑποψάλλειν* (Hypopsallein), seems to signify the same as *ὑπακούειν* (hypakouein), which is to sing in response, as was done formerly when the deacon sang the first part of a verse, and the people the latter part, col. 256 B.