1- We always hear that the letters of the blessed Paul are read twice, and often three or four times a week, when celebrating the memorial of the holy martyrs.

Certainly, I am filled with great joy when I listen to this spiritual voice - the voice of St. Paul - and I feel elevated and warm in spirit. I often imagine him present before me, and I think I see him speaking. But at the same time, I am filled with sadness and pain, because this man is not well known to many. Some are very ignorant of him, and do not even know how many of his letters are. This happens because they do not want to be concerned with this saint.

And if we know some things about him, this is not due to the enlightenment and awakening of the mind, but rather because we constantly had a goal before us, which was to communicate with this man, for we were preoccupied with him for a long time. And those who love people always long to know their affairs more than others because these matters concern them. And this is exactly what the Apostle Paul declares to us when he says to the Philippians, “As I am fit to think of you all, for I keep you in my heart and in my bonds, and in the defense and confirmation of the gospel, for you are all partakers of my grace.” [1].

Therefore, if you are careful in your reading, you will not need anything else. The word of Christ is true when he said, “Ask, and it will be given to you; seek, and you will find; knock, and it will be opened to you.”[2]But because many of those gathered here with us have undertaken the responsibility of raising children, caring for their wives, and looking after the affairs of the family, they will not be able to devote all their efforts to this work.

Therefore, if you wish to enjoy what others know, take care to show as much interest in hearing the divine sayings as you do in accumulating and hoarding money, although I am not supposed to ask you to do this, because it would be more pleasant if you showed more interest from yourselves. For it is a fact that due to ignorance of the sacred Scriptures, immeasurable evils have resulted. For the same reason also have been the destructive results of corrupt heresies. This is due to indifference and wasted effort on useless things.

For those who are deprived of the gift of sight cannot walk normally, so also those who do not look to the splendor of the Holy Scriptures, inevitably fall into many sins because they walk in a fearful darkness. In order that all this may not happen, we must open the eyes of our minds to the ray of the apostolic word. For truly the word of the apostle Paul shone brighter than the sun, and he was considered better than all in his teachings, and he received the grace of the Holy Spirit in abundance because he had labored more than all of them. This is shown not only by his letters, but also by the book of Acts, for when he had the opportunity to speak, he did not hesitate to give a word, for he always had something to offer.

Therefore, the people of Lystra considered him to be Hermes (ΕΡΜΗΣ).[3] Because he was the first to speak, “So they called Barnabas Zeus, and Paul Hermes, because he was the first to speak.”[4].

2- But since this is a matter of the Epistle to the Romans, there is a need to determine the time of its writing, because it was not written before the other epistles, as some think. Rather, it was written before those epistles that were written from Rome. Because the two epistles to the Corinthians were sent before the Epistle to the Romans, and this is clear from what he wrote at the end of the Epistle, saying: “But now I am going to Jerusalem to minister to the saints. For it has pleased Macedonia and Achaia to make a distribution to the poor saints who are from Jerusalem.” [5]In his letter to the Corinthians, he says, “If it is worthy that I also go, they will go with me.” [6]. He said this to those who brought aid there. So it is clear that when he wrote the letter to the Corinthians he was on this journey. So the letter to the Romans was written after the two letters to the Corinthians. It is also clear that the letter to the Thessalonians was written before the letter to the Corinthians, because he spoke about the works of mercy when he said, “But concerning brotherly love you have no need that I write to you, for you yourselves are taught by God to love one another.” [7]At that time he wrote to the Corinthians explaining this matter, saying: “For I know your activity, which I boast about to the Macedonians, that Achaia has been ready since last year. And your zeal has stirred up the majority.” [8].

So, while the Epistle to the Romans is considered to be later than these letters, it is earlier than the letters written from Rome, because he had not yet moved to Rome when this letter was written, and this is explained by his saying: “For I long to see you, that I may impart to you some spiritual gift for your steadfastness.” [9]From Rome he wrote to the Philippians, and that is why he says, “All the saints greet you, especially those of Caesar’s household.” [10]And to the Hebrews he wrote, saying: “Greet all your leaders and all the saints. Those from Italy greet you.” [11]The second letter to Timothy was sent from Rome, while he was imprisoned, and this letter, as it appears to me, was written the last of the letters, and this is clear from its ending: “For now I am being poured out as a drink offering, and the time of my departure has come.”[12]As for the matter of his life ending there, this is clear and certain to everyone.

Also, the letter to Philemon is considered one of the last letters, because he wrote it when he was very old, and for this reason he says: “For the sake of love I ask rather, since I am a man, like Paul the elder, and now also a prisoner of Jesus Christ.”[13]But it was prior to the letter to the Colossians, and this is clear from the conclusion of the letter to the Colossians: “Tychicus, a beloved brother and faithful minister and fellow servant in the Lord, will make known to you all my affairs, whom I have sent to you for this very purpose, to know your state and to comfort your hearts, with Onesimus, a beloved brother who is one of you. They will make known to you all that is here.”[14]Onesimus is the person for whom the letter to Philemon was written. Onesimus is not a person with another name, as is clear from Archippus, whom Paul took as his assistant. He advises him when he writes to the Colossians, saying, “And say to Archippus, ‘Consider the ministry which you have received in the Lord, so that you may fulfil it.’”[15].

It is also clear to me that the Epistle to the Galatians precedes the Epistle to the Romans. But if these Epistles have a different order, this is not at all strange. The twelve prophets, although they do not come chronologically one after the other, but are separated by great distances of time, we find them in order one after the other. Haggai and Zechariah and others prophesied after Ezekiel and Daniel, and many after Jonah and Zephaniah and the other prophets, and yet they are in one unity with those separated by great distances of time.

3- We hope that none of you will consider this previous presentation as unimportant, or a kind of digression that goes beyond the subject of research in this letter, because the time of writing the letters helps us a lot in our subject. Because when he writes to the Romans and to the Colossians about the same subjects, he does not write in the same style. When he writes to the Romans, we notice the tone of extreme friendliness in his speech, so we find him saying: “He who is weak in faith, receive him, but not to dispute about thoughts. For one believes that he may eat all things, but he who is weak eats herbs.”[16]While we find him writing to the Colossians on the same subjects, there is a harsh tone in his words, saying: “If then you have risen with Christ from the elemental principles of the world, why, as though living in the world, are you subject to ordinances that you should not touch, nor taste, nor touch? All these things perish with the use of men, according to the commandments and doctrines of men, which have a story of wisdom in supererogatory worship, and humility and compulsion of the flesh, which are of no value to the satisfaction of mankind?”[17].

I find no other reason for this difference in speech, except the time of writing these letters and his response to private questions, and one can find that the Apostle Paul does this in other places in his letters.

This is also what both the physician and the teacher do. The physician does not treat his patients who are at the beginning of their illness in the same way as other patients who are nearing recovery. Nor does the teacher treat children who want to learn their first letters in the same way as those who need more complete instruction. Therefore, when the blessed Paul writes, we find that he has a motive for writing. But what is the motive for writing his letters? He himself makes this clear when he writes to the Corinthians, saying: “Now concerning the things about which you wrote to me.”[18]While to the Galatians he writes about the same things from the beginning of the letter to its end, as for the Romans, for what reason and for what purpose did he write to them? And why does he assure them that they are full of all goodness and all knowledge, and able to give advice to others?

For what reason then did he write the letter? Because of the grace of God, as he says: “But I have written to you in part more boldly, brothers, as a reminder to you of the grace that was given to me from God to be a minister of Jesus Christ.”[19].

That is why he said from the beginning: “I am indebted to both Greeks and barbarians, to wise and foolish. So, as much as I have, I am ready to preach the gospel to you who are in Rome also.”[20]

He wanted to give advice to others, but at the same time it was necessary to correct the situation by his letters, since he had not yet arrived in Rome. He advises them in the hope of his personal presence later.

The Apostle Paul embraced the whole world and carried everyone within himself. He considered union with God to be far more important and greater than any other kinship. His aim was to give birth to them all in order to imagine Christ in them. This is how he loved them, and in a better sense, he showed a womb of compassion far greater than any physical father. This is the grace of the Holy Spirit that conquers physical suffering and reveals a burning spiritual longing. This is what one sees in a very special way in the person of the Apostle Paul who, out of his love for everyone, became like a bird that moves from place to place without staying in one place. For he heard Christ say to Peter, “Do you love me? Feed my sheep.”[21] He took this upon himself as the greatest law of love, and presented it in a manner that surpassed all others.

4- As long as we walk in the footsteps of this lover, let each one of us correct - I do not mean the path of the entire universe or entire cities or nations - but at least his home, wife, children, friends and neighbors. And let no one tell me that he is incapable or that he is a simple person, for there is no one more ignorant than Peter or more simple than the Apostle Paul. He himself confessed and was not ashamed to say: “If you are simple in speech, you are not in knowledge.”[22]But this simpleton and the other uneducated man triumphed over great philosophers and silenced many orators, and excelled in everything with their pure conscience and the work of God’s grace within their souls.

What answer will we give if we do not help anyone, not even twenty people, and are not even useful to those who live with us? So the excuse of ignorance or simplicity is unjustified, because lack of education and lack of culture will not hinder the word, what hinders it is laziness, indolence and lack of vigilance. As long as we shake off this laziness and care for others, we will enjoy inner peace and tranquility, and we will correct the path of our loved ones with the fear of God, so that in eternal life we may enjoy countless blessings through the grace and love of mankind of our Lord Jesus Christ, to whom be glory with the Father and the Holy Spirit, now and ever and unto the ages of ages. Amen.

[1] In 7:1.

[2] Matthew 7:7.

[3] Hermes - according to pagan beliefs - is the god of the ancient Greeks who conveyed understandable messages from the gods to humans, farmers, travelers, athletes, writers, scientists, and artists.

[4] Acts 13:14.

[5] Romans 25:15.

[6] 1 Corinthians 4:16.

[7] 1 Thessalonians 9:4.

[8] 2 Corinthians 2:9.

[9] Romans 11:1.

[10] 1 Timothy 4:22.

[11] Hebrews 24:13.

[12] 2 Timothy 6:4.

[13] Philemon 9:1.

[14] Colossians 7:4-9.

[15] Colossians 17:4.

[16] Romans 1:14-2.

[17] Colossians 2:20-23.

[18] 1 Corinthians 1:7.

[19] Romans 15:15.

[20] Romans 14:1-15.

[21] John 15:21.

[22] 2 Corinthians 6:11.