Trial And Endurance And Glory

Propter quod peto ne deficiatis in tribulationibus meis pro vobis; quae est gloria vestra. Exhortationem quam debet omnibus, ut eos confirmatos redderet, in se revocavit. Propter hanc, inquit, causam scilicet, quia mihi minimo omnium sanctorum data est haec gratia inter gentes evangelizare, et caetera; propter quod, id est, propter istam causam, peto ne deficiatis in tribulationis meis. Multum enim qui Paulum sequuntur fatigari possent in fide, cum audirent eumdem Paulam tribulationes sustinere. Si enim ille qui praedicat, qui evangelizat, qui a Dei electus est, multa tolerat, fatiagatur periculis, laboribus multisque aliis tribulationis; multum, inquam, deterrentur illi qui eum sequuntur, et fidem pene non integram incipiunt habere, quod quasi et ipsa periclitiari possint et graviter laborare; si quidem ille qui evangelizat et praedicat, est tantae gratiae in tribulationis. Sit ergo peto, inquit propter id quod mihi revelatum est, ut non vos deficiatis in tribulationis meis: quas tamen tribulationis non meo merito patior, neque mea causa, sed quoniam vos vel infirmi in fide estis, vel adhuc trepidatis, et nescio quomodo alia adjungitis. Idcirco ego tribulationes sustineo, volens vos ad disciplinam veram observationemque revocare, ut a Christo ne recedatis,; nihil ad Christum adjungatis, solam spem de Christo habeatis. Haec non est gloria vestra; mea, inquit. Ergo tribulationes quoniam pro vobis sunt; gloria, inquit, vestra est, ut ad gloriam me laborante, operante, per tribulationes exercitato, ad gloram vestra venire possitis. Victorinus Afrus, In Epistolam Pauli ad Ephesios, Liber Primus, Caput III Source: Migne PL 8.1267b-d

Because of which I pray that you not grow weary at my tribulations for you, which is your glory. 1 He recalls himself as an exhortation for everyone, so that it might strengthen them, because of which, he says, that is, the cause, it has been given to me the least of all who are holy to evangelise the nations, and the rest, because of which, that is, this cause, I pray you do not grow weary at my tribulations. For those who followed Paul could have been greatly wearied in their faith when they heard that the same Paul endured tribulations. For if he who preached and evangelised, and was chosen by God, suffered so much, being wearied by dangers and many labours, with other tribulations, many may have been deterred who followed him, who had not yet begun to have a perfect faith, with which they were able to be endangered and endure hard toils, though certainly he who evangelised and preached had such grace in tribulations. Therefore I pray, he says, because of what was revealed to me, that you do not grow weak because of my tribulations, which, however, I do not suffer for any merit of mine, nor for my sake, but because you are either infirm in faith or yet fearful, and I do not know what other things to add. Therefore I endure my tribulations because I wish to call you to the observation of true discipline, so that you do not fall away from Christ. You are not bound to Christ, you only have hope in Christ, That is not your glory, but mine, he says. Therefore the tribulations I suffer for you, are your glory, so that with my toiling for glory, and working, through the exertion of tribulation, you are able to come to your glory. Victorinus Afrus, On the Letter of Saint Paul to the Ephesians, Book One, Chapter Three 1 Ephes 3.13