John Chrysostom, On the Calends

and the reward for praise, doing both for the glory of God. And that I am not entertaining you in vain by saying these things, but that a great reward from the God of all is laid up for those who are so disposed in mind, and that the matter has been considered a virtue, to form such judgments about those who live in this way, hear what the prophet says, and how he places in the order of right actions the despising of those who do evil, and the glorifying of those who fear God. For after enumerating the other virtues of him who is to be honored by God, and saying what sort of man he must be who dwells in the holy tabernacle, that he is blameless, and works righteousness, and is without evil, he added this also; for having said: Who has not dealt deceitfully with his tongue, and has not done evil to his neighbor; he continued: In his sight a wicked man is despised, but he glorifies those who fear the Lord; showing that this too is one of the right actions, [that is], to despise the wicked, and to praise and bless the good. And again elsewhere, indicating this same thing, he said: But to me your friends, O God, have been greatly honored, their principalities have been made exceedingly strong. Whom God praises, do not blame; and he praises him who lives in righteousness, even if he is poor. Whom God rejects, do not praise; and he rejects him who lives in wickedness, even if he is clothed in great wealth. But whether you praise or blame, do both as God wills. It is also possible to accuse for the glory of God. How? We are often indignant with our servants. How then is it possible to accuse for God's sake? If you see one drunk, or stealing, whether your servant, or your friend, or anyone else who belongs to you, if you see him running to the theaters, neglecting his own soul, swearing, committing perjury, lying, be indignant, punish him, turn him back, correct him; and you have done all these things for God's sake. If you see him sinning against you, and falling short in his service to you, forgive 48.959 him, and you have forgiven for God's sake. But now many do the opposite, both in the case of friends, and in the case of servants. For when they sin against them, they become bitter and unforgiving judges; but when they commit insolence against God, and destroy their own souls, they take no account of it. Again, must one make friends? Make them for God's sake. Must one make enemies? Make them for God's sake. And how is it possible to make friends and enemies for God's sake? If we do not pursue those friendships from which it is possible to receive money, or to share a table, or to obtain human patronage, but if we hunt for and make friends of those who are able to always regulate our soul, to advise us on what is necessary, to rebuke us when we sin, to convict us when we transgress, to set us upright when we are tripped up, and by counsel and prayers to help bring us to God. Again, it is possible to make enemies for God's sake.

If you see someone licentious, defiled, full of wickedness, filled with impure doctrines, tripping you up and harming you, stand apart and leap away, just as Christ commanded, saying: If your right eye causes you to stumble, pluck it out and cast it from you, commanding us to cut off and cast out those friends, who are as desirable as an eye, and necessary in the affairs of life, if they harm us in regard to the salvation of the soul. If you take part in gatherings, and deliver a long speech, do this also for God's sake, and if you are silent, be silent for God's sake. And how is it possible to take part in a gathering for God's sake? If, when sitting together with some people, you discuss nothing about the affairs of this life, nor of things that are simple and random and do not concern us at all, but about our philosophy, about Gehenna, about the kingdom of heaven, but not superfluous and unprofitable things, such as: who has entered upon office? who has been removed from office? for what reason then has so-and-so been fined? from where did so-and-so profit and become wealthier? what did so-and-so leave to so-and-so when he died? and how did so-and-so fail to be enrolled among the first of the heirs

καὶ τῶν ἐπαίνων τὴν μισθαποδοσίαν, ἀμφότερα εἰς δόξαν Θεοῦ ποιήσας. Καὶ ὅτι οὐ μάτην σε ψυχαγωγῶ ταῦτα λέγων, ἀλλὰ μεγάλη τις τοῖς οὕτω τὴν γνώμην διακειμένοις κεῖται παρὰ τοῦ Θεοῦ τῶν ὅλων ἀμοιβὴ, καὶ ἀρετή τις νενόμισται τὸ πρᾶγμα, τὸ τὰ τοιαῦτα ψηφίζεσθαι, περὶ τῶν οὕτω ζώντων, ἄκουσον τί φησιν ὁ προφήτης, καὶ πῶς ἐν τάξει κατορθωμάτων τίθησι τὸ τοὺς πονηρευομένους ἐξουθενεῖν, καὶ τοὺς φοβουμένους τὸν Θεὸν δοξάζειν. Μετὰ γὰρ τὸ καταλέξαι τὴν ἄλλην ἀρετὴν τοῦ μέλλοντος παρὰ τοῦ Θεοῦ τιμᾶσθαι, καὶ εἰπεῖν, οἷον εἶναι χρὴ τὸν ἐν τῷ ἁγίῳ κατοικοῦντα σκηνώματι, ὅτι ἄμωμον, καὶ ἐργαζόμενον δικαιοσύνην, καὶ ἀπόνηρον, καὶ τοῦτο προσέθηκεν· εἰπὼν γάρ· Ὃς οὐκ ἐδόλωσεν ἐν γλώσσῃ αὐτοῦ, καὶ οὐκ ἐποίησε τῷ πλησίον αὐτοῦ κακόν· ἐπήγαγεν· Ἐξουδένωται ἐνώπιον αὐτοῦ πονηρευόμενος, τοὺς δὲ φοβουμένους τὸν Κύριον δοξάζει· δεικνὺς ὅτι καὶ τοῦτο ἕν τι τῶν κατορθωμάτων ἐστὶ, [τουτέστι], τὸ καταφρονεῖν τῶν πονηρῶν, καὶ ἐπαινεῖν καὶ μακαρίζειν τοὺς ἀγαθούς. Καὶ πάλιν ἀλλαχοῦ τὸ αὐτὸ τοῦτο δηλῶν ἔλεγεν· Ἐμοὶ δὲ λίαν ἐτιμήθησαν οἱ φίλοι σου, ὁ Θεὸς, λίαν ἐκραταιώθησαν αἱ ἀρχαὶ αὐτῶν. Ὃν ὁ Θεὸς ἐπαινεῖ, μὴ μέμψῃ· ἐπαινεῖ δὲ τὸν ἐν δικαιοσύνῃ ζῶντα, κἂν πτωχὸς ᾖ. Ὃν ὁ Θεὸς ἀποστρέφεται, μὴ ἐπαινέσῃς· ἀποστρέφεται δὲ τὸν ἐν πονηρίᾳ ζῶντα, κἂν πολὺν ᾗ περιβεβλημένος πλοῦτον. Ἀλλ' ἄν τ' ἐπαινῇς, ἄν τε ψέγῃς, ἀμφότερα ὡς ὁ Θεὸς βούλεται ποίει. Ἔστι καὶ ἐγκαλέσαι εἰς δόξαν Θεοῦ, Πῶς; Ἐπὶ τῶν οἰκετῶν ἀγανακτοῦμεν πολλάκις. Πῶς οὖν ἔστιν ἐγκαλέσαι διὰ τὸν Θεόν; Ἂν μεθύοντα ἴδῃς, ἂν κλέπτοντα, ἢ τὸν οἰκέτην, ἢ τὸν φίλον, ἢ ἕτερόν τινα τῶν σοι προσηκόντων, ἂν εἰς θέατρα τρέχοντα, ἂν τῆς ψυχῆς ἀμελοῦντα τῆς ἑαυτοῦ, ἂν ὀμνύοντα, ἂν ἐπιορκοῦντα, ἂν ψευδόμενον, ἀγανάκτησον, κόλασον, ἐπίστρεψον, διόρθωσαι· καὶ ταῦτα πάντα ἐποίησας διὰ τὸν Θεόν. Ἂν εἰς σὲ ἁμαρτάνοντα ἴδῃς, καὶ τῆς εἰς σὲ θεραπείας ἐλλείποντα, συγγνῶ 48.959 θι, καὶ συνέγνως διὰ τὸν Θεόν. Νυνὶ δὲ πολλοὶ τοὐναντίον ποιοῦσι, καὶ ἐπὶ τῶν φίλων, καὶ ἐπὶ τῶν οἰκετῶν. Ὅταν μὲν γὰρ εἰς αὐτοὺς ἁμάρτωσιν, πικροὶ καὶ ἀσύγγνωστοι γίνονται δικασταί· ὅταν δὲ εἰς τὸν Θεὸν ἐνυβρίζωσι, καὶ τὰς ἑαυτῶν ἀπόλωσι ψυχὰς, οὐδένα ποιοῦνται λόγον. Πάλιν, φίλους ποιῆσαι χρή; ∆ιὰ τὸν Θεὸν ποίησον. Ἐχθροὺς ποιῆσαι χρή; ∆ιὰ τὸν Θεὸν ποίησον. Καὶ πῶς ἔστι φίλους ποιῆσαι διὰ τὸν Θεὸν καὶ ἐχθρούς; Ἂν μὴ τὰς φιλίας ἐκείνας ἐφελκώμεθα, ὅθεν ἐστὶ χρήματα λαβεῖν, ὅθεν κοινωνῆσαι τραπέζης, ὅθεν προστασίας ἀνθρωπίνης τυχεῖν, ἀλλ' ἐκείνους θηρεύωμεν καὶ ποιῶμεν φίλους, τοὺς δυναμένους ἡμῶν ἀεὶ ῥυθμίσαι τὴν ψυχὴν, συμβουλεῦσαι τὰ δέοντα, ἁμαρτάνουσιν ἐπιτιμῆσαι, πλημμελοῦντας ἐλέγξαι, ὑποσκελιζομένους ἀνορθῶσαι, καὶ συμβουλῇ καὶ εὐχαῖς βοηθοῦντας προσαγαγεῖν τῷ Θεῷ. Πάλιν ἐχθροὺς ἔξεστι ποιῆσαι διὰ τὸν Θεόν.

Ἐὰν ἴδῃς τινὰ ἀκόλαστον, μιαρὸν, πονηρίας γέμοντα, δογμάτων ἀκαθάρτων πεπληρωμένον, ὑποσκελίζοντά σε καὶ παραβλάπτοντά σε, ἀπόστηθι καὶ ἀποπήδησον, καθάπερ καὶ ὁ Χριστὸς ἐκέλευσεν εἰπών· Ἐὰν ὁ ὀφθαλμός σου ὁ δεξιὸς σκανδαλίζῃ σε, ἔξελε αὐτὸν καὶ βάλε ἀπὸ σοῦ, κελεύων τοὺς φίλους ἐκείνους, τοὺς ἐν ὀφθαλμῶν τάξει ποθεινοὺς ὄντας, καὶ ἀναγκαίους ἐν τοῖς βιωτικοῖς πράγμασιν, ἀποκόπτειν, καὶ ἐκβάλλειν, ἂν παραβλάπτωσιν εἰς τὴν τῆς ψυχῆς σωτηρίαν ἡμᾶς. Ἂν συλλόγων κοινωνῇς, καὶ λόγον ἀποτείνῃς μακρὸν, διὰ τὸν Θεὸν καὶ τοῦτο ποίησον, κἂν σιγᾷς, διὰ τὸν Θεὸν σίγησον. Καὶ πῶς ἔστι συλλόγου κοινωνεῖν διὰ τὸν Θεόν; Ἂν συγκαθήμενός τισι, μηδὲν περὶ βιωτικῶν διαλέγῃ πραγμάτων, μηδὲ τῶν ἁπλῶν καὶ εἰκῆ καὶ οὐδὲν ἡμῖν προσηκόντων, ἀλλὰ περὶ φιλοσοφίας τῆς ἡμετέρας, περὶ γεέννης, περὶ βασιλείας οὐρανῶν, ἀλλὰ μὴ τὰ περιττὰ καὶ ἀνόνητα, οἷον· τίς ἀρχῆς ἐπέβη; τίς παρελύθη τῆς ἀρχῆς; τίνος οὖν ἕνεκεν ὁ δεῖνα ἐζημίωται; πόθεν ὁ δεῖνα ἐκέρδανε καὶ εὐπορώτερος γέγονε; τί κατέλιπεν ὁ δεῖνα τῷ δεῖνι τελευτῶν; πῶς δὲ ὁ δεῖνα ἀπέτυχεν, εἰς τοὺς πρώτους τῶν κληρονόμων ἐγγραφήσεσθαι