Virtue as a House

It is a matter of parts. The apostle knows, just as he does, that 'by a part' and for the perfect ones here 'knowledge' possesses a 'storehouse of the spirit' and these things; but he who possesses a storehouse does not have the whole of it, but a 'part' of it. But for him who 'has come to perfection,' he has the part along with the whole; for this is the storehouse.

And as for me, my heart is toward you. He wishes to present to them, saying, that they have re-formations in their own intellects, asserting: 'And my heart is toward you' and I do not agree with you in the same intellect. Or do you not think you think excessively? For I also understand; for it does not differ from the logical regarding the logical. But the difference occurs by the imposition.

He speaks, therefore, concerning faults: 'Hear me, you who have lost your heart.' For he does not speak of the essence, but of its energy, its faulty loss. For a righteous and blameless man became a reproach. When he speaks of lesser things, he applies them to himself; for he is deficient in himself through blindness. But when praise is necessary, he says of the righteous and the one possessing virtue, that they fall upon the same, just as the blessed Paul, saying, 'I know a man in Christ' (2 Cor 5:19). For God testified to him, saying, 'Do you suppose I have used you differently than that you should appear righteous?' (Job 2:9).

And if Job once said, being compelled because of the desire to glorify his friends against him, 'I know that I shall appear righteous' (Job 13:15), this became a character; he said this from the reports concerning himself of those using and working virtue, saying: 'I know that if I should use courage until the end, "I shall appear righteous."' For he did not say: 'I am righteous,' but he inclined his expectation toward a future time, announcing the proper characteristic of virtues. For he was prepared to fall at a set time, and his house was to be despoiled by the lawless. This shows that he was delivered to those who requested to test him. Some also, not using this word well, thought fate to be, referring the 'set time' to it. But this is a lie; for not every set time signifies fate. What he presents, therefore, is this: that even if he became a reproach, this did not happen unto infinity, but at the time of God's allowance for this to happen, just as...

“given into the hands of those who afflict.” He said “a fixed” “time,” which is the time for a man to use such a virtue, by which also he is called able to fight. And he says “houses” are “being shaken” regarding the virtues; for those who oppose are eager through the instigators to shake and to unsettle them; for it has been said that houses are taken instead of virtues: “because the midwives feared God, they made themselves houses.” Were they therefore homeless before they feared God? But it is clear that the virtues, according to one hearing the words of Jesus and building his own house, which is life, are not upon a sensible rock, but upon the Christ who said to Peter: “You are Peter, and upon this rock I will build my church” (Matt 16:18), signifying that Peter has a house in such a rock. And the Savior builds the church, being himself both rock and builder; for God cooperates with the diligent. Thus also the psalmist says: “In a rock you lifted me up” (Ps 27:10). But it is no great gift of God to be lifted up on a sensible rock, but it is clear that it is by the secure word, as again the psalmist says: “You established my feet upon a rock” (Ps 40:2). It should be noted that it is the righteous or another... but the lawless.

And “to be shaken” shows the courage of the righteous having been thrown into confusion; it is also said in the psalms: “Many times they have fought against me from my youth, and indeed they were not able to prevail against me” (Ps 38:6), as also Paul: “Who shall separate us from the love of God?” (Rom 8:35) and the following. And “houses” must be understood in the plural as the abundance of virtue; temperance is a house, courage is a house, meekness and others, as it is said: “A stronghold is the holy fear of the Lord” (Ps 127:1); thus also justice. There are against these houses, which the Lord destroys: “For the Lord destroys the houses of the insolent; but he has established a boundary for the widow” (Ps 147:7). For he destroys the houses of the proud, as it is said: “Capernaum, until you ascend to heaven, shall you be brought down to Hades” (Matt 11:23), and “the one who exalts himself will be humbled” (Luke 14:11). “He establishes a boundary for the widow,” which is: the house, the life of those serving God, protected from evils. And “the houses of the lawless shall undergo cleansing, but the houses of the righteous are received” also shows the lives of each. Not, however, but let no one, being evil, trust that he will be innocent. As many as