John Chrysostom, On the Progress of the Gospel

was happening to the disciples. For they saw his body bound, but his tongue not bound; his hands tied fast, but his word unbound, and traversing the whole world faster than a ray of the sun. And this became a consolation to them, as they learned through his deeds, that none of the present things is terrible. For when a soul happens to be genuinely dyed by divine longing and love, it turns back to none of the present things; but just as madmen dare to face fire and iron and beasts and seas and all things, so too these men, having been driven by a certain most beautiful and most spiritual madness, a madness arising from sober-mindedness, laughed at all visible things. Because of this, seeing their teacher bound, they leaped for joy all the more, they exulted all the more, giving proof through their deeds to their opponents that they are from all sides indestructible and unconquerable.

9. So then, when matters were in this state, some of Paul’s enemies, wishing to stir up the war more grievously, and to make the tyrant’s hatred for him greater, pretended also to preach, and they preached the right and sound faith in order for the doctrine to grow more greatly; but they did this, not wishing to sow the faith, but so that Nero, upon learning that the preaching was growing and the doctrine was spreading, might more quickly lead Paul away to the pit of destruction. There were, therefore, two schools of teaching: that of Paul’s disciples, and that of Paul’s enemies; the one preaching out of truth, the other out of contention and hatred toward Paul. And indicating these things he said: Some indeed preach Christ even of envy and strife, referring to those enemies; but some also of good will, saying this about his own disciples. He spoke again about those others, The one part of contention, the enemies; not sincerely, 51.318 not soundly, but Supposing to add affliction to my bonds; but the other of love: again this about his own brothers; Knowing that I am set for the defense of the Gospel. What then? notwithstanding, every way, whether in pretense, or in truth, Christ is preached. So that this saying is taken up in vain and at random in the case of heresies. For those who were preaching then were not preaching a corrupt doctrine, but a sound and right faith. For if they had preached a corrupt doctrine, and had taught things different from Paul, what they wanted would not have succeeded for them. And what did they want? When the faith had grown and many had become disciples of Paul, to stir up Nero to a greater war. But if they had preached other doctrines, they would not have made many disciples of Paul; and by not doing so, they would not have provoked the tyrant. So he is not saying this, that they were introducing corrupt doctrines, but that the cause, from which they preached, this was corrupt. For it is one thing to speak of the pretext of the preaching, and another for the preaching itself not to be sound. For the preaching is not sound when the doctrines are full of error; but the pretext is not sound when, though the preaching is sound, those who preach do not preach for God's sake, but either out of enmity or to please others.

10. Therefore, he does not say this, that they were introducing heresies, but that they did not preach what they preached from a right motive, nor out of reverence. For they were not doing this in order to make the Gospel grow, but in order to make war against it, and to cast him into greater danger; for this reason he accuses them. And see how he has stated it with precision: Supposing, he says, to add affliction to my bonds. He did not say, adding, but, Supposing to add, that is, thinking; showing that even if they think so, he himself is not so disposed, but even rejoices because of the progress of the preaching. Therefore he added, saying: But also in this I rejoice and

ἐγίνετο τοῖς μαθηταῖς. Καὶ γὰρ ἑώρων τὸ μὲν σῶμα δεδεμένον, τὴν δὲ γλῶτταν οὐ δεδεμένην· τὰς μὲν χεῖρας ἐσφιγμένας, τὸν δὲ λόγον λελυμένον, καὶ τῆς ἀκτῖνος τῆς ἡλιακῆς ταχύτερον τὴν οἰκουμένην ἐπιτρέχοντα πᾶσαν. Καὶ τοῦτο αὐτοῖς παράκλησις ἐγίνετο διὰ τῶν ἔργων μανθάνουσιν, ὅτι οὐδὲν τῶν παρόντων δεινόν. Καὶ γὰρ ὅταν ὑπὸ θείου πόθου καὶ ἔρωτος ἡ ψυχὴ βαφεῖσα τύχῃ γνησίως, πρὸς οὐδὲν ἐπιστρέφεται τῶν παρόντων· ἀλλ' ὥσπερ οἱ μαινόμενοι καὶ πυρὸς καὶ σιδήρου καὶ θηρίων καὶ πελάγους καὶ πάντων κατατολμῶσιν, οὕτω καὶ οὗτοι μανίαν τινὰ καλλίστην καὶ πνευματικωτάτην μανέντες, μανίαν ἀπὸ σωφροσύνης γινομένην, πάντων κατεγέλων τῶν ὁρωμένων. ∆ιὰ τοῦτο δεδεμένον ὁρῶντες τὸν διδάσκαλον, μᾶλλον ἐσκίρτων, μᾶλλον ἠγάλλοντο, διὰ τῶν ἔργων τοῖς ἐναντίοις δόντες ἀπόδειξιν, ὅτι πάντοθέν εἰσιν ἀνάλωτοι καὶ ἀχείρωτοι.

θʹ. Τότε τοίνυν, ὅτε ἐν τούτοις τὰ πράγματα ἦν, τινὲς τῶν ἐχθρῶν τῶν

Παύλου βουλόμενοι τὸν πόλεμον ἀναῤῥιπίσαι χαλεπώτερον, καὶ μείζονα τοῦ τυράννου ποιῆσαι τὴν πρὸς αὐτὸν ἀπέχθειαν, προσεποιοῦντο καὶ αὐτοὶ κηρύττειν, καὶ ἐκήρυττον τὴν ὀρθὴν καὶ ὑγιῆ πίστιν ὑπὲρ τοῦ τὸ δόγμα ἐπιδοῦναι μειζόνως· τοῦτο δὲ ἐποίουν, οὐχὶ τὴν πίστιν σπεῖραι βουλόμενοι, ἀλλ' ἵνα μαθὼν ὁ Νέρων, ὅτι τὸ κήρυγμα αὔξεται καὶ τὸ δόγμα ἐπιδίδωσι, ταχύτερον τὸν Παῦλον ἐπὶ τὸ βάραθρον ἀπαγάγῃ. ∆ύο τοίνυν ἦν διδασκαλεῖα, τῶν Παύλου μαθητῶν, καὶ τῶν ἐχθρῶν τῶν τοῦ Παύλου· τῶν μὲν ἐξ ἀληθείας κηρυττόντων, τῶν δὲ ἀπὸ φιλονεικίας καὶ τῆς πρὸς τὸν Παῦλον ἀπεχθείας. Καὶ ταῦτα δηλῶν ἔλεγε· Τινὲς μὲν διὰ φθόνον καὶ ἔριν τὸν Χριστὸν κηρύττουσιν, ἐκείνους ἐμφαίνων τοὺς ἐχθρούς· Τινὲς δὲ καὶ δι' εὐδοκίαν, περὶ τῶν ἑαυτοῦ μαθητῶν τοῦτο λέγων. Εἶπε πάλιν περὶ ἐκείνων, Οἱ μὲν ἐξ ἐριθείας, οἱ ἐχθροί· οὐχ ἁγνῶς, 51.318 οὐχ ὑγιῶς, ἀλλ' Οἰόμενοι θλίψιν ἐπιφέρειν τοῖς δεσμοῖς μου· οἱ δὲ ἐξ ἀγάπης· πάλιν τοῦτο περὶ τῶν ἀδελφῶν τῶν ἑαυτοῦ· Εἰδότες ὅτι εἰς ἀπολογίαν τοῦ Εὐαγγελίου κεῖμαι. Τί γάρ; Πλὴν παντὶ τρόπῳ, εἴτε προφάσει, εἴτε ἀληθείᾳ, Χριστὸς καταγγέλλεται. Ὥστε μάτην καὶ εἰκῆ ἐπὶ τῶν αἱρέσεων τοῦτο τὸ ῥῆμα παραλαμβάνεται. Οἱ γὰρ τότε κηρύττοντες οὐχὶ δόγμα διεφθαρμένον ἐκήρυττον, ἀλλὰ πίστιν ὑγιῆ καὶ ὀρθήν. Εἰ γὰρ δόγμα διεφθαρμένον ἐκήρυττον, καὶ ἕτερα παρὰ τὸν Παῦλον ἐδίδασκον, οὐκ ἔμελλεν αὐτοῖς προχωρεῖν, ὅπερ ἐβούλοντο. Τί δὲ ἐβούλοντο; Τῆς πίστεως αὐξηθείσης καὶ πολλῶν γενομένων τῶν Παύλου μαθητῶν, εἰς μείζονα πόλεμον τὸν Νέρωνα διεγεῖραι. Εἰ δὲ ἕτερα δόγματα ἐκήρυττον, οὐκ ἂν πολλοὺς ἐποίησαν τοὺς Παύλου μαθητάς· μὴ ποιοῦντες δὲ, οὐκ ἂν παρώξυναν τὸν τύραννον. Οὐ τοίνυν τοῦτό φησιν, ὅτι διεφθαρμένα δόγματα εἰσῆγον, ἀλλ' ὅτι ἡ αἰτία, ἀφ' ἧς ἐκήρυττον, αὕτη ἦν διεφθαρμένη. Ἕτερον γάρ ἐστι λαλεῖν τὴν πρόφασιν τοῦ κηρύγματος, καὶ ἕτερον αὐτὸ τὸ κήρυγμα μὴ εἶναι ὑγιές. Τὸ μὲν γὰρ κήρυγμα οὐ γίνεται ὑγιὲς, ὅταν τὰ δόγματα ᾖ πλάνης γέμοντα· ἡ πρόφασις δὲ οὐ γίνεται ὑγιὴς, ὅταν τὸ μὲν κήρυγμα ὑγιὲς ᾖ, οἱ δὲ κηρύττοντες μὴ διὰ τὸν Θεὸν κηρύττωσιν, ἀλλ' ἢ πρὸς ἔχθραν, ἢ πρὸς χάριν ἑτέρων.

ιʹ. Οὐ τοίνυν τοῦτό φησιν, ὅτι αἱρέσεις εἰσῆγον, ἀλλ' ὅτι οὐκ ἀπὸ προφάσεως

ὀρθῆς, οὐδὲ δι' εὐλάβειαν ἐκήρυττον, ὅπερ ἐκήρυττον. Οὐ γὰρ ἵνα τὸ Εὐαγγέλιον αὐξήσωσι, τοῦτο ἐποίουν, ἀλλ' ἵνα αὐτὸ πολεμήσωσι, καὶ εἰς μείζονα αὐτὸν ἐμβάλωσι κίνδυνον· διὰ τοῦτο αὐτοῖς ἐγκαλεῖ. Καὶ ὅρα πῶς μετὰ ἀκριβείας αὐτὸ τέθεικεν· Οἰόμενοι θλίψιν, φησὶν, ἐπιφέρειν τοῖς δεσμοῖς μου. Οὐκ εἶπεν, ἐπιφέροντες, ἀλλ', Οἰόμενοι ἐπιφέρειν, τουτέστι, νομίζοντες· δεικνὺς ὅτι εἰ καὶ ἐκεῖνοι νομίζουσιν, ἀλλ' οὐκ αὐτὸς οὕτω διάκειται, ἀλλὰ καὶ χαίρει διὰ τὴν τοῦ κηρύγματος ἐπίδοσιν. Ἐπήγαγεν οὖν λέγων· Ἀλλὰ καὶ ἐν τούτῳ χαίρω καὶ