Letter 211: Chrysostom thanks Timothy for zeal and endurance in danger.

I wrote to you before, and also to my honored lord the tribune Marcianus. Yet you have neither arranged for letters from him to reach us nor written to us yourself. Even so, we remain true to ourselves: whenever we can, we keep remembering you and writing. We do so now, thanking you again and again for the zeal you show and the dangers you endure. We bless you for them. By suffering a little for the present, you are storing up unfading crowns and preparing lasting rewards in heaven, rewards far greater than these labors. The sufferings of the present time are not worth comparing with the glory that is to be revealed in us.

ΣΙΑʹ. Τιμοθέῳ πρεσβυτέρῳ. Ἡμεῖς μὲν σοὶ καὶ πρώην ἐπεστάλκαμεν καὶ τῷ κυρίῳ μου τῷ τιμιωτάτῳ τριβούνῳ Μαρκιανῷ· αὐτὸς δὲ οὔτε παρ' ἐκείνου γράμματα ἡμῖν πεμφθῆναι παρεσκεύασας, οὔτε αὐτὸς ἡμῖν ἐπέσταλκας. Ἀλλ' ὅμως ἡμεῖς ἑαυτοὺς μιμούμενοι, οὐ παυόμεθα διηνεκῶς ὑμῶν μεμνημένοι καὶ ἐπιστέλλοντες, ἡνίκα ἂν ἐξῇ· ὃ δὴ καὶ νῦν πεποιήκαμεν, χάριτας ὑμῖν ὁμολογοῦντες μυρίας ὑπὲρ τῆς σπουδῆς ἧς ἐπιδείκνυσθε, καὶ τῶν κινδύνων οὓς ὑπομένετε, καὶ μακαρίζοντες ὑμᾶς. Οὐ γὰρ μικροὺς ἐντεῦθεν ὑμῖν προαποτίθεσθε στεφάνους, πρὸς ὀλίγον μὲν θλιβόμενοι, διηνεκεῖς δὲ ἀμοιβὰς ἐν τοῖς οὐρανοῖς προπαρασκευάζοντες ὑμῖν, καὶ πολλῷ μείζους τῶν ἱδρώτων τούτων. Οὐ γὰρ ἄξια τὰ παθήματα τοῦ νῦν καιροῦ πρὸς τὴν μέλλουσαν δόξαν ἀποκαλυφθῆναι εἰς ἡμᾶς.