Basil of Caesarea : We find a reason for some illnesses in the saints, such as in the apostle, for, lest he appear to go beyond the bounds of nature and lest anyone consider him to possess, in his nature, something greater and more excellent than is fitting—which was the case among the Lycaonians, who offered him crowns and bulls—he was struck with illness in order to show his nature was human. — THE LONG RULES 55.4 Irenaeus : Paul himself also-after that the Lord spoke to him out of heaven, and showed him that, in persecuting His disciples, he persecuted his own Lord, and sent Ananias to him that he might recover his sight, and be baptized-"preached," it is said, "Jesus in the synagogues at Damascus, with all freedom of speech, that this is the Son of God, the Christ." This is the mystery which he says was made known to him by revelation, that He who suffered under Pontius Pilate, the same is Lord of all, and King, and God, and Judge, receiving power from Him who is the God of all, because He became "obedient unto death, even the death of the cross." ... And again, at Lystra of Lycia (Lycaonia), when Paul was with Barnabas, and in the name of our Lord Jesus Christ had made a man to walk who had been lame from his birth, and when the crowd wished to honour them as gods because of the astonishing deed, he said to them: "We are men like unto you, preaching to you God, that ye may be turned away from these vain idols to [serve] the living God, who made heaven, and earth, and the sea, and all things that are therein; who in times past suffered all nations to walk in their own ways, although He left not Himself without witness, performing acts of goodness, giving you rain from heaven, and fruitful seasons, filling your hearts with food and gladness." — Against Heresies Book 3 Origen of Alexandria : For to offer a son or a daughter or cattle or an estate — all this is outside of us; but to offer oneself to God, and to please him not by another's labor but by one's own, this is more perfect and more excellent than all vows; and he who does this is an imitator of Christ. For he gave to man the earth, the sea, and all that is in them; he gave them for his service, and he granted heaven, the sun also and the moon and the stars, to the ministry of men; rains, winds, and all whatsoever is in the world, he bestowed upon men. But after all these things he gave himself; for thus God loved the world, that he gave his only-begotten Son for the life of this world. What great thing therefore will man do if he offers himself to God, to whom God himself first offered himself? — HOMILIES ON Numbers 24.2 Tertullian : Since there is no exception which defends from liability to penalty even such as are ignorant of the Lord-because ignorance of God, openly as He is set before men, and comprehensible as He is even on the score of His heavenly benefits, is not possible -how perilous is it for Him to be despised when known? Now, that man does despise Him, who, after attaining by His help to an understanding of things good and evil, often an affront to his own understanding-that is, to God's gift-by resuming what he understands ought to be shunned, and what he has already shunned: he rejects the Giver in abandoning the gift; he denies the Benefactor in not honouring the benefit. — On Repentance