John Chrysostom, On Timothy

faith of God’s elect. 62.665 That you have believed, or that you were entrusted? I think he means that he himself was entrusted with the elect of God. That is, I did not receive the dignity from my own achievements, nor from toils and labors, but the whole thing came from the beneficence of Him who entrusted me. Then, that grace might not be thought unreasonable; for not all is of Him; since why did He not entrust it to others also? for this reason he added, And the acknowledging of the truth which is after godliness. From this, he says, I was entrusted, or rather this also was entrusted to me by His grace; for indeed He is the cause of this also. For this reason Christ Himself says, You have not chosen Me, but I have chosen you; and again this blessed one himself writing elsewhere says, I shall know, even as also I am known; and again, If I may apprehend that for which also I was apprehended by Christ Jesus. First we were apprehended, and afterwards we knew; first we were known, and then we apprehended; first we were called, and then we obeyed. But by saying, According to the faith, he attributes the whole to them, that For their sakes I am an apostle, not as being worthy, but on account of the elect; which he also says elsewhere, For all things are yours, whether Paul, or Apollos. And the acknowledging, he says, of the truth which is after godliness. For there is a truth of things, but not after godliness; for instance, to know agriculture, to know arts, is truly to know; but this is the truth after godliness. Or, According to the faith, means that they believed just as the rest of the elect, and they acknowledged the truth. Acknowledging, therefore, is from faith, not from reasonings. In hope of eternal life. He spoke of the present life in the grace of God; he speaks also of the future, and sets rewards for us for those things in which He has benefited us. For since we have believed and been delivered from error, He wishes to crown us. See how the introduction is full of the benefits of God; and this entire epistle is especially of such a kind, stirring up that holy man himself more to his labors, and his disciples. For nothing so benefits us as to remember continually the benefits of God, both those in common and those in particular. For if, by recalling the benefits of a friend, or hearing a kind word or deed, we are warmed, much more, when we see how many dangers we have fallen into, and from all of them God has delivered us, we shall be more zealous for obedience. And the acknowledging, he says, of the truth. He spoke of truth here in relation to the type. For that too was an acknowledging, and it was piety, but not of truth, nor yet of falsehood, but of types and of a shadow. Well did he say, In hope of eternal life, because that was in hope of the present life; For he that does them, he says, shall live in them. Do you see how from the very beginning the difference of grace is shown? They are not the elect, but we are; for though they too were called elect, yet they are so no longer. Which God, that cannot lie, he says, promised before the world began. That is, not now out of repentance, but from above these things were predestined. He places this in many places, as when he says, Separated unto the gospel of God; and again, Whom he did foreknow, he also did predestinate; showing our noble birth, 62.666 that He loved us not now, but from above. And it is no small thing to be loved from above and from the beginning. 2. Which God, that cannot lie, he says, promised. If He cannot lie, what He has promised will surely be; if He cannot lie, we must not doubt, even though it be after death. Which God, that cannot lie, he says, promised before the world began. And from saying, Before the world began, he shows its trustworthiness. Not because the Jews have not now come, he says, are these things so, but thus it was ordained from above. Hear then what he says: But has in due times manifested. What then is the delay? For the sake of care and of doing it at the fitting time; It is time, says the prophet, for the Lord to work. For "His own" means this, what is fitting, what is due,

πίστιν ἐκλεκτῶν Θεοῦ. 62.665 Ὅτι ἐπίστευσας, ἢ ὅτι ἐπιστεύθης; Οἶμαι αὐτὸν λέγειν, ὅτι αὐτὸς ἐπιστεύθη τοὺς ἐκλεκτοὺς τοῦ Θεοῦ. Τουτέστιν, οὐκ ἀπὸ κατορθωμάτων, οὐδὲ ἀπὸ πόνων καὶ ἱδρώτων τὸ ἀξίωμα ἔλαβον, ἀλλὰ τὸ πᾶν τῆς τοῦ πιστεύσαντος εὐεργεσίας ἐγένετο. Εἶτα, ἵνα μὴ ἄλογος ἡ χάρις νομισθῇ· οὔτε γὰρ τὸ πᾶν αὐτοῦ· ἐπεὶ διὰ τί μὴ καὶ ἑτέροις ἐνεπίστευσε; διὰ τοῦτο ἐπήγαγε τὸ, Καὶ ἐπίγνωσιν ἀληθείας τῆς κατ' εὐσέβειαν. Ἀπὸ ταύτης, φησὶν, ἐπιστεύθην, μᾶλλον δὲ καὶ τοῦτο ἐπιστεύθην ἐκ τῆς αὐτοῦ χάριτος· καὶ γὰρ καὶ τούτου αὐτὸς αἴτιος. ∆ιὰ τοῦτο γὰρ καὶ αὐτὸς ὁ Χριστός φησιν, Οὐχ ὑμεῖς με ἐξελέξασθε, ἀλλ' ἐγὼ ὑμᾶς ἐξελεξάμην· καὶ πάλιν αὐτὸς οὗτος ὁ μακάριος ἑτέρωθι γράφων φησίν· Ἐπιγνώσομαι, καθὼς καὶ ἐπεγνώσθην· καὶ πάλιν, Εἰ καταλάβω, ἐφ' ᾧ καὶ κατελήφθην ὑπὸ τοῦ Χριστοῦ Ἰησοῦ. Πρότερον κατελήφθημεν, καὶ ὕστερον ἐπέγνωμεν· πρότερον ἐπεγνώσθημεν, καὶ τότε κατελάβομεν· πρότερον ἐκλήθημεν, καὶ τότε ὑπηκούσαμεν. Τῷ δὲ, Κατὰ πίστιν, εἰπεῖν τὸ πᾶν ἐκείνοις λογίζεται, ὅτι ∆ι' ἐκείνους εἰμὶ ἀπόστολος, οὐχὶ ὡς ἄξιος, ἀλλὰ διὰ τοὺς ἐκλεκτούς· ὅπερ καὶ ἀλλαχοῦ λέγει· Πάντα γὰρ ὑμῶν ἐστιν, εἴτε Παῦλος, εἴτε Ἀπολλώς. Καὶ ἐπίγνωσιν, φησὶν, ἀληθείας τῆς κατ' εὐσέβειαν. Ἔστι γὰρ ἀλήθεια πραγμάτων, ἀλλ' οὐ κατ' εὐσέβειαν· οἷον τὸ εἰδέναι τὰ γεωργικὰ, τὸ εἰδέναι τέχνας, ἀληθῶς ἐστιν εἰδέναι· ἀλλ' αὕτη κατ' εὐσέβειαν ἡ ἀλήθεια. Ἢ τὸ, Κατὰ πίστιν, ὅτι ἐπίστευσαν καθάπερ οἱ λοιποὶ ἐκλεκτοὶ, καὶ ἐπέγνωσαν τὴν ἀλήθειαν. Ἀπὸ πίστεως ἄρα ἡ ἐπίγνωσις, οὐκ ἀπὸ λογισμῶν. Ἐπ' ἐλπίδι ζωῆς αἰωνίου. Εἶπε τὴν παροῦσαν τὴν ἐν τῇ χάριτι τοῦ Θεοῦ· λέγει καὶ τὴν μέλλουσαν, καὶ ἔπαθλα τίθησιν ἡμῖν ὑπὲρ ὧν ἡμᾶς εὐηργέτησεν. Ἐπειδὴ γὰρ ἐπιστεύσαμεν καὶ ἀπηλλάγημεν τῆς πλάνης, στεφανοῦν ἡμᾶς βούλεται. Ὅρα πῶς γέμει τὸ προοίμιον τῶν εὐεργεσιῶν τοῦ Θεοῦ· καὶ ὅλη διόλης ἡ ἐπιστολὴ αὕτη μάλιστα τοιαύτη τυγχάνει, καὶ αὐτὸν τὸν ἅγιον ἐκεῖνον διανιστῶσα μᾶλλον πρὸς τοὺς πόνους, καὶ τοὺς μαθητευομένους. Οὐδὲν γὰρ οὕτως ἡμᾶς ὠφελεῖ, ὡς τὸ συνεχῶς μεμνῆσθαι τῶν εὐεργεσιῶν τοῦ Θεοῦ, τῶν τε κοινῇ καὶ τῶν ἰδίᾳ. Εἰ γὰρ φίλου εὐεργεσίας ἀνενεγκόντες, ἢ ῥῆμα προσηνὲς ἀκούσαντες ἢ πρᾶγμα, διαθερμαινόμεθα, πολλῷ μᾶλλον, ὅταν ἴδωμεν πόσοις κινδύνοις περιεπέσομεν, καὶ ἀπὸ πάντων ἡμᾶς ἐξείλετο ὁ Θεὸς, προθυμότεροι πρὸς τὴν ὑπακοὴν ἐσόμεθα. Καὶ ἐπίγνωσιν, φησὶν, ἀληθείας. Ἀλήθειαν δὲ ἐνταῦθα πρὸς τὸν τύπον οὕτως εἶπε. Καὶ γὰρ καὶ ἐκείνη ἐπίγνωσις ἦν, καὶ εὐσέβεια ἦν, ἀλλ' οὐκ ἀληθείας, οὐ μὴν οὐδὲ ψεύδους, ἀλλὰ τύπων καὶ εἰκόνος. Καλῶς εἶπεν, Ἐπ' ἐλπίδι ζωῆς αἰωνίου, ὅτι ἐκείνη ἐπ' ἐλπίδι ἦν ζωῆς τῆς παρούσης· Ὁ γὰρ ποιήσας αὐτὰ, φησὶ, ζήσεται ἐν αὐτοῖς. Ὁρᾷς πῶς ἐκ προοιμίων ἤδη δείκνυται τῆς χάριτος τὸ μέσον; Ἐκεῖνοι οὐκ ἐκλεκτοὶ, ἀλλ' ἡμεῖς· εἰ γὰρ καὶ αὐτοὶ ἐλέγοντο ἐκλεκτοὶ, ἀλλ' οὐκέτι. Ἣν ἐπηγγείλατο, φησὶν, ὁ ἀψευδὴς Θεὸς πρὸ χρόνων αἰωνίων. Τουτέστιν, οὐ νῦν ἐκ μετανοίας, ἀλλ' ἄνωθεν ταῦτα προώριστο. Πολλαχοῦ τοῦτο τίθησιν, ὡς ὅταν λέγῃ, Ἀφωρισμένος εἰς τὸ εὐαγγέλιον τοῦ Θεοῦ· καὶ πάλιν, Οὓς προέγνω καὶ προώρισε· δεικνὺς τὴν εὐγένειαν τὴν 62.666 ἡμετέραν, ὅτι ἡμᾶς οὐ νῦν, ἀλλ' ἄνωθεν ἠγάπησεν. Οὐ μικρὸν δὲ τοῦτο τὸ ἄνωθεν ἠγαπῆσθαι καὶ ἐξ ἀρχῆς. βʹ. Ἣν ἐπηγγείλατο, φησὶν, ὁ ἀψευδὴς Θεός. Εἰ ἀψευδὴς, πάντως ἔσται ὃ ἐπηγγείλατο· εἰ ἀψευδὴς, οὐ δεῖ ἀμφιβάλλειν, κἂν μετὰ θάνατον ᾖ. Ἣν ἐπηγγείλατο, φησὶν, ὁ ἀψευδὴς Θεὸς πρὸ χρόνων αἰωνίων. Καὶ ἀπὸ τοῦ εἰπεῖν, Πρὸ χρόνων αἰωνίων, τὸ ἀξιόπιστον δείκνυσιν. Οὐκ ἐπειδὴ Ἰουδαῖοι νῦν οὐ προσῆλθον, φησὶ, διὰ τοῦτο ταῦτα, ἀλλ' οὕτως ἄνωθεν ἐτετύπωτο. Ἄκουε γοῦν τί φησιν· Ἐφανέρωσε δὲ καιροῖς ἰδίοις. Τίς οὖν ἡ ἀναβολή; Κηδεμονίας χάριν καὶ τοῦ εὐκαίρως ποιῆσαι· Καιρὸς, φησὶν ὁ προφήτης, τοῦ ποιῆσαι τῷ Κυρίῳ. Τὸ γὰρ Ἰδίοις, τοῦτό ἐστι, τοῖς προσήκουσι, τοῖς ὀφειλομένοις,