Letter 187: What you will in any case leave to your enemies against your will — give it willingly now.

On the words, "I became to the Jews as a Jew," and what is meant by, "Being not without law to God, but under the law to Christ." If I were not fully persuaded that what is lacking in my own faculty of speech is made up by your understanding, I do not think I would have inscribed these letters. What, then, is it that you wished to learn? The reason for which the Apostle [Paul] said, "I became to the Jews as a Jew, that I might gain the Jews; to those without law as without law, being not without law to God, but under the law to Christ, that I might gain those without law" [1 Corinthians 9:20-21]. This above all requires precise examination, until the truth hidden within these words plainly comes to light. But it shall be stated concisely. He became to the Jews as a Jew when he purified himself in the temple and offered sacrifice; and having circumcised Timothy, he sent him as a teacher to the Jews, abolishing circumcision through circumcision. Therefore he did not say "a Jew," but "as a Jew." He became to those without law as without law when, addressing the Athenians, he discoursed neither from the prophets nor from the law, but made his exhortation starting from an altar, mastering them by means of their own doctrines. He did not say "without law," but "as without law." As for the phrase, "being not without law to God, but under the law to Christ" - these things he said as a matter of indifference (for where there is one substance, there is no difference; and wishing to show this elsewhere, he said: "So that he who eats, eats unto the Lord, and gives thanks to God" [Romans 14:6]). Or, if you consider this forced, I think it indicates this: that he conducted his life not only according to the law inscribed by some to the Father - and on account of the disposition of the learners, not on account of the dignity of the lawgiver, suited rather to infants and to those being instructed in first principles - but also according to the heavenly and perfect law of Christ. As, for instance: not without law according to the old law, but indeed under the law according to the Gospel; not outside the law, but indeed within grace; not untried in milk, but indeed experienced in solid food; not unpracticed in the wrestling-school, but indeed shining forth at the Olympic games. "I did not commit adultery" on account of the law, "but I did not even look upon a woman with unchaste desire" on account of the Gospel. "I did not commit murder" on account of fear, "but I even mastered anger" on account of love. For he who kept the old law was not without law to God, nor is he who keeps the new without law to Christ. He said these things not assigning the law to the Father and the Gospel to the Son, but looking to the supposition and opinion of the many. For all the things of the Father are the Son's, and the things of the Son are the Father's.

Εἰς τὸ, «Ἐγενόμην τοῖς Ἰουδαίοις ὡς Ἰουδαῖος. Καὶ τί ἐστι, «Μὴ ὢν ἄνομος Θεῷ, ἀλλ᾽ ἔννομος Χριστῷ.» Εἰ μὴ ἀκριβῶς ἐπεπείσμην, ὅτι τὸ λεῖπον τῇ ἡμετέρᾳ γλώττῃ ἢ σῇ ἀπεπλήρου σύνεσις, οὐκ ἄν μοι δοκῶ τάδε χαράξαι τὰ γράμματα. Τί οὖν ἐστιν ὃ ἠθέλησας μαθεῖν; Δι᾽ ἣν ὁ Ἀπόστολος αἰτίαν ἔφη «Ἐγενόμην τοῖς Ἰουδαίοις ὡς Ἰουδαῖος, ἵνα Ἰουδαίους κερδήσω· τοῖς ἀνόμοις ὡς ἄνομος, μὴ ὢν ἄνομος Θεοῦ, ἀλλ᾽ ἔννομος Χριστοῦ, ἵνα κερδήσω ἀνόμους.» Μάλιστα μὲν ἀκριβοῦς ταῦτα βασάνου δεῖται, ἕως ἂν ἡ κεκρυμμένη ἐν αὐτοῖς ἀλήθεια, σαφῶς ὑποπέσῃ. Συντόμως δὲ εἰρήσεται· Ἐγένετο τοῖς Ἰουδαίοις ὡς Ἰουδαῖος, ὅτε ἐν τῷ ἱερῷ ἡγνίσατο, καὶ ἔθυσε· καὶ περιτεμὼν Τιμόθεον, Ἰουδαίοις πέπομπε διδάσκαλον, διὰ περιτομῆς τὴν περιτομὴν ἀναιρῶν. Διὸ οὐκ εἶπεν, Ἰουδαῖος, ἀλλ᾽, ὡς Ἰουδαῖος· τοῖς ἀνόμοις ὡς ἄνομος, ὅτε Ἀθηναίοις δημηγορῶν, οὐκ ἀπὸ προφητῶν, οὐδ᾽ ἀπὸ τοῦ νόμου διελέχθη, ἀλλ᾽ ἀπὸ βωμοῦ τὴν παραίνεσιν ἐποιήσατο, ἀπὸ τῶν οἰκείων αὐτοὺς χειρούμενος δογμάτων. Οὐκ οὐκ εἶπεν, ἄνομος, ἀλλ᾽, ὡς ἄνομος· Τὸ δὲ, μὴ ὢν ἄνομος Θεοῦ, ἀλλ᾽ ἔννομος Χριστοῦ, ἃ ὡς ἀδιάφορον εἶπεν (ἐπὶ γὰρ μιᾶς οὐσίας, οὐκ ἔστι διαφορά· τοῦτο γὰρ ἀλλαχοῦ δεῖξαι βουλόμενος ἔφη· Ὥστε καὶ ὁ ἐσθίων, Κυρίῳ ἐσθίει, καὶ εὐχαριστεῖ τῷ Θεῷ)· ἢ, εἰ τοῦτο βεβιασμένον ἡγῇ, οἶμαι τοῦτο μηνύειν, τὸ μὴ μόνον κατὰ τὸν νόμον πεπολιτεῦσθαι, τὸν τῷ Πατρὶ παρά τινων ἐπιγραφόμενον, καὶ διὰ τὴν ἕξιν τῶν μανθανόντων, οὐ διὰ τὴν ἀξίαν τοῦ νομοθέτου, νηπίοις μᾶλλον ἁρμόττοντα, καὶ στοιχειωθέντα, ἀλλὰ καὶ κατὰ τὸν τοῦ Χριστοῦ οὐράνιον καὶ τέλειον νόμον· οἷον οὐκ ἄνομος κατὰ τὸν παλαιὸν νόμον, ἀλλὰ καὶ ἔννομος κατὰ τὸ Εὐαγγέλιον· οὐκ ἔξω τοῦ νόμου, ἀλλὰ καὶ εἴσω τῆς χάριτος· οὐκ ἄπειρος τοῦ γάλακτος, ἀλλὰ καὶ ἔμπειρος τῆς στερεᾶς τροφῆς· οὐκ ἀμελέτητος τῆς παλαίστρας, ἀλλὰ καὶ ἐν τοῖς Ὀλυμπίοις διαλάμψας. Οὐκ ἐμοίχευσα διὰ τὸν νόμον, ἀλλ᾽ οὔτε εἶδον ἀκολάστως γυναῖκα διὰ τὸ Εὐαγγέλιον. Οὐκ ἐφόνευσα διὰ τὸν φόβον, ἀλλὰ καὶ ὀργῆς ἐκράτησα διὰ τὸ πόθον. Ὁ μὲν γὰρ (33). τὸν παλαιὸν φυλάξας οὐκ ἦν ἄνομος Θεοῦ, οὐδὲ τὸν νέον, ἔστιν ἔννομος Χριστοῦ. Ταῦτα δὲ ἔλεγεν οὐκ ἀποκληρῶν τῷ μὲν Πατρὶ τὸν νόμον, τῷ δὲ Υἱῷ τὸ Εὐαγγέλιον· ἀλλὰ πρὸς τὴν τῶν πολλῶν ὑπόνοιαν καὶ δόξαν ἀφορῶν. Πάντα γὰρ τὰ τοῦ Πατρὸς, τοῦ Υἱοῦ ἐστι· καὶ τὰ τοῦ Υἱοῦ, τοῦ Πατρός.