§18.5Στίχ. ε΄. Καὶ ὃς ἐὰν δέξηται παιδίον τοιοῦτον ἓν ἑπὶ τῷ ὀνόματί μου, ἐμὲ δέχεται. Παραινεῖ δέχεσθαι τοὺς πιστοὺς ἐπὶ τῷ ὀνόματι αὐτοῦ ἒν παιδίον τοιοῦτον, ἢ ἔν τοιούτων (10) τῶν πνευματικῶν καὶ μεμορφωμένων τὸν Χριστὸν, κατὰ τὸ ταπεινῶσαι τὸ ἑαυτοῦ πνεῦμα.
Verse 5: "And whoever receives one such child in my name receives me." He exhorts the believers to receive in His name one such child, or one of such people who are spiritual and conformed to Christ, by means of humbling their own spirit.
Κατὰ δὲ τὸν Λουκᾶν, τὸ δεικνύμενον ὑπὸ τοῦ Σωτῆρος παιδίον δέχεσθαι δεῖ ἐν τῷ ὀνόματιαὐτοῦ, ἵνα ἐν αὐτῷ δέξηται τὸν Χριστὸν ὄντα καὶ ἐν τῷ Πνεύματι.
According to Luke, one must receive the child shown by the Savior in His name, so that in him one may receive Christ who is also in the Spirit.
Ἤ ἕν τοιοῦτον, ἐπεὶ ἕν εἰσι πάντες οἱ πνευματικοί.
Or "one such," since all spiritual people are one.
Προτρέπει δὲ ὁ λόγος καὶ τὸ δέχεσθαι τῶν ἁπλῶν καὶ πραέων τῇ καρδίᾳ ἐν τῷ λόγῳ Χριστοῦ.
And the word also encourages receiving those who are simple and gentle in heart in the word of Christ.
Ἀνακόπτων τὸ φιλόνικον τῶν μαθητῶν (ἐπειδὴ ὅτε οἱ διδάσκαλοι μάχονται, σχίσματα γίνονται πολλῶν σκανδαλιζομένων, βουλομένων τῶν σκανδαλιζομένων ἐπισπᾶσθαι εἰς αὑτοὺς τοὺς ἀκροατὰς), προλέγει τὴν μετʼ αὐτῶν τιμωρίαν.
Cutting short the contentiousness of the disciples (since when teachers fight, schisms occur with many being stumbled, and those who are stumbled wish to draw the listeners to themselves), He foretells the punishment that accompanies them.
Τοῦτο δὲ ἐπιτεταγμένως ἐλέχθη.
And this was said commandingly.
Τουτέστιν κἂν εὐτελῆ ἄνθρωπον τῶν πιστῶν σκανδαλίσητε, βαρεῖα ἔσται καθʼ ὑμῶν ἡ τιμωρία.
That is, even if you stumble one of the lowly among the believers, heavy will be the punishment against you.
Τὴν γὰρ ἀφόρητον τιμωρίαν διὰ τοῦ μύλου καὶ καταποντισμοῦ σημαίνει, τὴν ἐσομένην μετὰ τῶν τοὺς τοιούτους ὑβριζόντων.
For He signifies the unbearable punishment by means of the millstone and drowning, which will be with those who abuse such people.
Σκάνδαλον γὰρ ἐνταῦθα τὴν ὕβριν καλεῖ. Ταῦτα δέ φημι, ἐπειδὴ οἱ μικροὶ εὐσκανδάλιστοί εἰσιν, ἵνα μὴ καταφρονῶμεν αὐτῶν.
For here He calls abuse a "stumbling block." And I say these things because the little ones are easily stumbled, so that we may not despise them.
Ὁ γὰρ μέγας καὶ τέλειος ἐν ἀρετῇ παντὸς σκανδάλου καταφρονεῖ.
For the great and perfect in virtue despises every stumbling block.
Ἐξ ὧν δὲ προλέγει καὶ θρηνεῖ τοὺς τοιούτους, δίδωσιν αὐτοῖς καιρὸν μετανοίας.
And from the fact that He foretells and laments such people, He gives them time for repentance.
Εἰπὼν δὲ, Ἀνάγκη, οὐκ ἀναιρεῖ τὸ αὐτεξούσιον, ἀλλὰ τὸ προγνωστικὸν τοῦ πάντως ἐσομένου δηλοῖ.
And by saying, "Necessity," He does not destroy free will, but shows the foreknowledge of what will certainly be.
Διὸ καὶ τὸ οὐαὶ αὐτοῖς ἐπιφωνεῖ, ὡς ἑκουσίως πταίουσι.
Therefore He also exclaims "woe to them," as they sin voluntarily.
Κόλασιν δὲ λέγει τοὺς ἀσέμνους (11) ζῶντας ἀνθρώπους.
And He says that those who live indecently receive punishment.
§18.20Στ. κʼ. Οὗ γάρ εἰσι δύο ἢ τρεῖς (11) συνημμένοι εἰς τὸ ἐμὸν ὅνομα, ἐκεῖ εἰμι ἐν μέσῳ αὐτῶν. §18.21Στ. κα΄. Τότε προσελθὼν αὐτῷ ὁ Πέτρος, εἶπε· Κύριε, ποσάκαις ἁμαρτήσει εἰς ἐμὲ ὁ ἀδελφός μου, καὶ ἀφήσω αὐτῷ;
Verse 20: "For where two or three are gathered in my name, there am I in the midst of them." Verse 21: "Then Peter came to him and said, 'Lord, how often shall my brother sin against me, and I forgive him?
ἕως ἑπτάκις Δύο συνημμένοι ἐπὶ τῷ τοῦ Χριστοῦ ὀνόματι, σῶμα καὶ πνεῦμα, μὴ ἀντιστρατευόμενα· ὑποταγέντος μὲν τοῦ σώματος, τοῦ δὲ πνεύματος μεταδιδόντος αὐτῷ θείας ζωῆς·
Up to seven times?'" Two gathered in the name of Christ are body and spirit, not warring against each other; the body being subjected, and the spirit imparting divine life to it.
τρεῖς δέ τε (13) ὁλόκληρον, πνεῦμα, ψυχὴ, σῶμα, τηρεῖ τῇ παρουσίᾳ Χριστοῦ·
And three is to preserve the whole—spirit, soul, body—for the presence of Christ.
Ἤ αἱ δύο διαθῆκαι, ὅταν ὁ συναγωγεὺς αὐτῶν τὸ Πνεῦμα τὸ ἅγιον ἐν αὐταῖς ᾗ·
Or the two covenants, when their gatherer, the Holy Spirit, is in them.
τρεῖς δὲ, νόμον, προφήτας, Εὐαγγέλιον·
And three: the Law, the Prophets, the Gospel.
ἢ θυμὸν καὶ ἐπιθυμίαν, καὶ λογισμόν·
Or anger, desire, and reason.
ἢ τὴν κλῆσιν καὶ ἐκλογὴν, καὶ τὸ εἰς πρώτην τιμὴν τασσόμενον γένος μεθʼ ἡμῶν.
Or the calling, the election, and the race ordained to the first honor with us.
Τήρει δὲ, ὅτι οὐκ εἶπεν ἔσομαι, ἀλλʼ εἰμί. Ὡς Θεός γὰρ πανταχοῦ ὢν, ἐν μέσῳ ἐστὶ τῶν διʼ εὐσεβείας συναπτομένων.
And note that He did not say "I will be," but "I am." For as God, being everywhere, He is in the midst of those who are joined through piety.
Ἡ γὰρ πανεπίσκοπος τοῦ Θεοῦ δύναμις ἀμέριστος μεριστὴ γίνεται τοῖς ἀξίοις.
For the all-seeing power of God, being indivisible, becomes divided to those who are worthy.
Ἐπειδὴ τῶν εἰς ἡμᾶς πταισμάτων ἡμεῖς κύριοί ἐσμεν τοῦ συγχωρεῖν, οὐ μὴ (14) τῶν εἰς Θεὸν φθατόντων εἰ μὴ αὐτὸς ὁ Θεός· διὰ τοῦτο εἶπεν ὁ Πέτρος τὸ, εἰς ἐμέ. Ἐρωτῶν γὰρ, ἕως τίνος χρεία μὴ μνησικακεῖν, ὡς μέγα προσέθηκε τὸ, ἑπτάκις.
Since we are masters of forgiving the offenses committed against us, but by no means those reaching against God, unless God Himself does so; for this reason Peter said "against me." For asking how long it is necessary not to hold a grudge, he added "seven times" as something great.
Ὁ δὲ Κύριος, τὸ ἄπειρον σημαίνων τῆς ἀνεξικακίας, εἶπεν τὸ, ἑβδομηκοντάκις ἑπτά· τουτέστιν· Ὁσάκις ἁμάρτῃ εἰς σὲ, ἐὰν μετανοῇ, ἄφες αὐτῷ. Ἐπειδὴ ἐπὶ τῶν ἀφοριζομένων μέτρον ὥρισεν ὁ Χριστὸς, οὐ μὴν καὶ ἐπὶ τῶν μετανοούντων, εἰκότως ἐρωτᾷ ὁ Πέτρος τό· Ἕως πόσου δεῖ δέχεσθαι τὸν μετανοοῦντα; Ὅρα δὲ εἱ δύναται· Ἐπεὶ ὁ μὲν ἓξ ἀριθμὸς ἐργατικὸς καὶ ἐν γενέσει κόσμου, ὁ δὲ ἑπτὰ ἀναπαύσεως· ὁ μὲν τὰ τοῦ κόσμου καὶ ὑλικὰ ἀγαπῶν, ἐξαμαρτάνων τέλος ἔχει τὴν ἑβδομάδα· ὅπερ νοήσας ὁ Πέτρος, συγχωρεῖν θέλει ἐν τῷ ἑπτά.
But the Lord, signifying the infinity of forbearance, said "seventy times seven"; that is: "As many times as he sins against you, if he repents, forgive him." Since Christ set a limit for those who are separated, but indeed not for those who repent, Peter reasonably asks: "How long must we receive the one who repents?" And see if it is possible: Since the number six is laborious and belongs to the creation of the world, and seven belongs to rest; the one who loves the things of the world and material things, sinning, has the seventh as an end; which Peter having understood, wished to forgive in the seven.
Ὁ δὲ Κύριος ἐπιτείνει τοῦτο ἐν τῷ αὐτῷ τρόπῳ, ἀναλόγως γὰρ μονάδος πρὸς δεκάδας καὶ ἑκατοντάδας, ὡς τὸν ὑπερβάντα τὰ κοσμικὰ μηκέτι ἔχειν ἄφεσιν τῶν ἁμαρτημάτων· ἡ γὰρ ἄφεσις ἐπὶ τὰ τῇδε εἴτε βραδὺ (15), εἴτε τάχιον.
But the Lord intensified this in the same manner, analogously from units to tens and hundreds, so that the one who has transcended worldly things no longer has forgiveness of sins; for forgiveness is for the things here, whether slowly or quickly.