John Chrysostom, On "Having the same spirit"

they had no help from philanthropy, they were not strong enough in themselves to hold on to the gift of the Spirit; wherefore they were also cast out of the bridechamber, and heard that fearful voice, Depart, I know you not; which was also more grievous than Gehenna; for this reason He also called them foolish; and rightly so; because after overcoming a more tyrannical desire, they were conquered by a weaker one. For see: they conquered the violence of nature, they bridled raging madness, they calmed the waves of desire, while living on earth they displayed an angelic life, clothed in a body they contended with the bodiless powers; and after so much labor they did not master the desire for money, truly foolish and senseless; for this reason they were not even deemed worthy of pardon. For their fall was from negligence alone; for those who were able to extinguish the furnace of desire in so great a flame, and who leaped over the hurdles, and who displayed more than what was commanded (for virginity is not a law, but is entrusted to the free choice of those who hear), and then were defeated by money, than whom would they not be more pitiable, having cast the crown from their head for a few pieces of silver? I say these things, not to weaken the hands of virgins, nor wishing to extinguish virginity, but so that they may not run in vain, so that after countless sweats they may not withdraw from the contest un-crowned and full of shame. Virginity is a good thing and the achievement is beyond nature; but this good and great thing which is beyond nature, if it does not have philanthropy yoked with it, will not be able even to step upon the threshold of the bridechamber. And consider for me the strength of philanthropy, and the power of almsgiving. Virginity without almsgiving was not strong enough to lead even to the threshold of the bridechamber; but almsgiving without virginity, led its own nurslings with many praises into the kingdom prepared before the foundation of the world. For these, because they did not show lavish almsgiving, heard, 'Depart, I know you not;' but those who gave Christ to drink when he was thirsty, and fed him when he was hungry, although not putting forth virginity, heard, 'Come, you blessed of my Father, inherit the kingdom prepared for you from the foundation of the world.' And quite rightly so; for he who is a virgin and fasts, is useful to himself; but he who gives alms is a common harbor for the shipwrecked, correcting the poverty of his neighbors, and relieving the needs of others. And of achievements, those are wont to be most approved, which are for the benefit of others. 7. And that you may learn that these commandments are more earnestly sought by God than the others, when speaking about fasting and virginity, he mentions the kingdom of hea 51.278 ven; but when legislating about almsgiving and philanthropy and making oneself merciful, he has set a much greater prize than the kingdom of heaven, saying, 'That you may become like your Father who is in heaven.' For those laws especially make men like God, as it is fitting for men to become like God, which tend to the common good. And Christ, declaring this very thing, said; 'Because he makes his sun rise on the evil and on the good, and sends rain on the just and on the unjust.' So also you, using your possessions according to your ability for the common good of the brethren, imitate him who sets forth his good things to all alike. Great is the dignity of virginity, and for this reason I wish it to be more strengthened. For the dignity of virginity is not only to abstain from marriage, but to be philanthropic and brotherly and sympathetic. For what is the benefit of virginity with cruelty? And what is the gain of chastity with inhumanity? You were not conquered by the desire of bodies, but you were conquered by the desire of money; not

φιλανθρωπίας οὐκ εἶχον βοήθειαν, οὐκ ἴσχυσαν παρ' ἑαυταῖς κατασχεῖν τὸ τοῦ Πνεύματος χάρισμα· διὸ καὶ τοῦ νυμφῶνος ἐξεβλήθησαν, καὶ τῆς φοβερᾶς ἐκείνης ἤκουσαν φωνῆς, Ὑπάγετε, οὐκ οἶδα ὑμᾶς· ἣ καὶ τῆς γεέννης ἦν χαλεπωτέρα· διὰ τοῦτο καὶ μωρὰς αὐτὰς ὠνόμασεν· εἰκότως· ὅτι τυραννικωτέρας ἐπιθυμίας περιγενόμεναι, ὑπὸ τῆς ἀσθενεστέρας ἑάλωσαν. Ὅρα γάρ· φύσεως βίαν ἐνίκησαν, λυττῶσαν μανίαν ἐχαλίνωσαν, τὰ τῆς ἐπιθυμίας ἐστόρεσαν κύματα, ἐν γῇ διατρίβουσαι ἀγγελικὸν ἐπεδείξαντο βίον, σῶμα περικείμεναι πρὸς τὰς ἀσωμάτους ἡμιλλήθησαν δυνάμεις· καὶ μετὰ τοσοῦτον πόνον χρημάτων ἐπιθυμίας οὐκ ἐκράτησαν, ὄντως μωραὶ καὶ ἀνόητοι· διὰ τοῦτο καὶ οὐδὲ συγγνώμης ἠξιώθησαν. Ῥᾳθυμίας γὰρ τὸ πτῶμα γέγονε μόνον· αἱ γὰρ ἐν τοσαύτῃ φλογὶ κάμινον ἐπιθυμίας δυνηθεῖσαι σβέσαι, καὶ ὑπὲρ τὰ σκάμματα πηδήσασαι, καὶ πλείω τῶν προσταχθέντων ἐπιδειξάμεναι (οὐ γάρ ἐστι νόμος ἡ παρθενία, ἀλλὰ τῇ προαιρέσει τῶν ἀκουόντων ἐπιτέτραπται), εἶτα ὑπὸ χρημάτων ἡττηθεῖσαι, τίνος οὐκ ἂν εἶεν ἐλεεινότεραι, δι' ὀλίγων ἀργυρίων τὸν στέφανον ἀπὸ τῆς κεφαλῆς ῥίψασαι; Ταῦτα λέγω, οὐχὶ τὰς χεῖρας τῶν παρθένων ἐκλύων, οὐδὲ τὴν παρθενίαν σβέσαι βουλόμενος, ἀλλ' ἵνα μὴ ἀνόνητα δράμωσιν, ἵνα μὴ μετὰ μυρίους ἱδρῶτας ἀστεφάνωτοι καὶ αἰσχύνης γέμουσαι ἐκ τῶν σκαμμάτων ἀναχωρήσωσι. Καλὸν ἡ παρθενία καὶ ὑπὲρ τὴν φύσιν τὸ κατόρθωμα· ἀλλὰ τὸ καλὸν τοῦτο καὶ μέγα καὶ ὑπὲρ τὴν φύσιν, ἂν μὴ φιλανθρωπίαν ἔχῃ συνεζευγμένην, οὐδὲ ἐπιβαίνειν τῶν τοῦ νυμφῶνος προθύρων δυνήσεται. Καὶ σκόπει μοι τῆς φιλανθρωπίας τὴν ἰσχὺν, καὶ τῆς ἐλεημοσύνης τὴν δύναμιν. Παρθενία μὲν χωρὶς ἐλεημοσύνης οὐκ ἴσχυσεν οὐδὲ μέχρι τῶν προθύρων τοῦ νυμφῶνος ἀγαγεῖν· ἐλεημοσύνη δὲ χωρὶς παρθενίας, τοὺς ἑαυτῆς τροφίμους μετὰ πολλῶν ἐγκωμίων εἰς τὴν πρὸ καταβολῆς κόσμου βασιλείαν ἡτοιμασμένην ἐχειραγώγησεν. Αὗται μὲν γὰρ, ἐπειδὴ ἐλεημοσύνην οὐκ ἐπεδείξαντο δαψιλῆ, ἤκουσαν, Ὑπάγετε, οὐκ οἶδα ὑμᾶς· ἐκεῖνοι δὲ οἱ διψῶντα ποτίσαντες, καὶ πεινῶντα θρέψαντες τὸν Χριστὸν, καίτοι παρθενίαν μὴ προβαλλόμενοι, ἤκουσαν, ∆εῦτε, οἱ εὐλογημένοι τοῦ Πατρός μου, κληρονομήσατε τὴν ἡτοιμασμένην ὑμῖν βασιλείαν ἀπὸ καταβολῆς κόσμου. Καὶ μάλα εἰκότως· ὁ μὲν γὰρ παρθενεύων καὶ νηστεύων, ἑαυτῷ χρήσιμος· ὁ δὲ ἐλεῶν, κοινός ἐστι τῶν ναυαγούντων λιμὴν, τὰς τῶν πλησίον διορθούμενος πενίας, καὶ τὰς ἑτέρων λύων ἀνάγκας. Τῶν δὲ κατορθωμάτων ἐκεῖνα μάλιστα εὐδοκιμεῖν εἴωθεν, ἅπερ ἂν πρὸς τὸ συμφέρον ἑτέροις γίνεται. ζʹ. Καὶ ἵνα μάθῃς, ὅτι αὗται μᾶλλον τῷ Θεῷ περισπούδαστοι τῶν ἄλλων αἱ ἐντολαὶ, περὶ μὲν νηστείας καὶ παρθενίας διαλεγόμενος, βασιλείας οὐρα 51.278 νῶν μέμνηται· περὶ δὲ ἐλεημοσύνης καὶ φιλανθρωπίας καὶ τοῦ ποιεῖν ἑαυτοὺς οἰκτίρμονας νομοθετῶν, πολὺ μεῖζον τῆς βασιλείας τῶν οὐρανῶν τέθεικεν ἔπαθλον, Ὅπως γένησθε ὅμοιοι τοῦ Πατρὸς ὑμῶν τοῦ ἐν τοῖς οὐρανοῖς, λέγων. Ἐκεῖνοι γὰρ μάλιστα τῶν νόμων ὁμοίους ποιοῦσι τοὺς ἀνθρώπους τῷ Θεῷ, ὡς ἀνθρώπους εἰκὸς γενέσθαι ὁμοίους τοῦ Θεοῦ, οἱ πρὸς τὸ κοινῇ συμφέρον ἐκβαίνοντες. Καὶ δηλῶν αὐτὸ τοῦτο ὁ Χριστὸς ἔλεγεν· Ὅτι τὸν ἥλιον αὐτοῦ ἀνατέλλει ἐπὶ πονηροὺς καὶ ἀγαθοὺς, καὶ βρέχει ἐπὶ δικαίους καὶ ἀδίκους. Οὕτω καὶ ὑμεῖς τοῖς οὖσι κατὰ δύναμιν εἰς τὸ κοινῇ συμφέρον τῶν ἀδελφῶν ἀποκεχρημένοι, μιμήσασθε τὸν τὰ ἀγαθὰ αὐτοῦ προτιθέντα πᾶσιν ὁμοίως. Μέγα τὸ τῆς παρθενίας ἀξίωμα, καὶ διὰ τοῦτο μᾶλλον συγκροτηθῆναι αὐτὸ βούλομαι. Παρθενίας γὰρ ἀξίωμα οὐκ ἀποσχέσθαι γάμων μόνον, ἀλλὰ τὸ φιλάνθρωπον εἶναι καὶ φιλάδελφον καὶ συμπαθητικόν. Τί γὰρ ὄφελος παρθενία μετὰ ὠμότητος; τί δὲ κέρδος σωφροσύνη μετὰ ἀπανθρωπίας; Οὐχ ἑάλως σωμάτων ἐπιθυμίᾳ, ἀλλ' ἑάλως χρημάτων ἐπιθυμίᾳ· οὐκ