John Chrysostom, On "Would that you could endure a little"

from within, but through the necessity of conscience, deprived of boldness by their thefts; but the incorruptible are burdensome and vexatious, not these again from within, but by some vainglory and from being pure of gain; and one could not easily see both coming together in one man. This holy man, wishing to show that he had overcome both, and mastered both gain and anger, having said, “Have I taken a calf from any of you?” did not fall silent, but added, “Or have I oppressed any of you, or extorted?” that is, afflicted? What he says is something like this: No one could say this, that I did not take, but because I did not take, I became burdensome and vexatious and cruel and savage. For this reason he said, “Or have I oppressed any of you?” What then did they say? “You have neither oppressed us, nor extorted, nor have you taken anything from our hand.” And so that you may learn that he said these things instructing the king himself, he added, “The Lord is witness, and his anointed is witness.” And by this he reveals and shows to us that the testimony was not given as a favor, he called as witness the one who knows the secrets of the mind, which is proof of a pure conscience. For no one, no one, unless he were utterly mad and beside himself, would ever call God as a witness to his own conscience, unless he were exceedingly confident in himself. When they, therefore, had testified to the things he said, he himself shows another virtue of his own; and having reminded them of all the ancient things concerning Egypt, and of God’s protection, and of the wars after those, he reminds them of the battle that happened in his time and of the unexpected victory; and having said how they were often delivered over to their enemies because of their own sins, he 51.310 himself called upon God, and delivered them from their enemies, joining new things with the old, he adds and says, “The Lord sent Jerubbaal, that is, Gideon, and Barak, and Jephthah, and Samuel, and delivered you from the hand of your enemies on every side, and you dwelt in safety.” 10. Do you see how it is the custom of the saints not to speak of their own achievements, unless they are ever compelled? For this reason Paul, too, looking at these, and being accurately instructed, that for someone to say the same thing about himself is vexatious and burdensome, said, “Would that you would bear with me in a little foolishness;” not much, but a little. For not even when there is a necessity is he prepared to pour himself out lavishly into the narration of his praises, but he runs over them briefly; and this very thing for their sake and for their salvation. For just as, when there is no necessity to speak of one's own achievements, it is extreme folly, so when necessity is present and force impels, it is again a betrayal to be silent about one's own deeds. But nevertheless Paul, even seeing that there was a necessity, hesitated, and called the matter foolishness, so that you might learn his understanding and wisdom and great caution. For after saying, “What I speak, I speak not according to the Lord,” he added, “but in this confidence of boasting.” Do not think, he says, that I say this in general. Therefore, for this reason I especially praise and admire him and call him most wise, because he considered it a matter of foolishness to praise and commend himself.

But if this man, seeing there was a necessity, called this foolishness, what forgiveness would they be worthy of, what defense, who, even when there is no necessity, say great things about themselves, or even compel others to say them? Knowing these things, then, let us not only praise what is said, but also imitate and emulate it, and forgetting our achievements, let us always remember our sins, so that we may be able to be moderate, and stretching forward to the things that are before, we may receive the prize of the upward call, by the grace and loving-kindness of our Lord Jesus Christ, with whom to the Father together with the Holy Spirit be glory, dominion, honor, now and always, and unto the ages of ages. Amen.

οἴκοθεν, ἀλλὰ διὰ τὴν ἀνάγκην τοῦ συνειδότος, ἐκ τῶν κλεμμάτων περιηρημένοι τὴν παῤῥησίαν· οἱ δὲ ἀδωροδόκητοι, φορτικοὶ καὶ ἐπαχθεῖς, οὐδὲ αὐτοὶ πάλιν οἴκοθεν, ἀλλ' ὑπό τινος κενοδοξίας καὶ τοῦ καθαροὶ λημμάτων εἶναι· ἀμφότερα δὲ οὐκ ἄν τις ἴδοι ῥᾳδίως συνελθόντα εἰς ἕνα· δεῖξαι βουλόμενος ὁ ἅγιος οὗτος, ὅτι ἀμφοτέρων περιεγένετο, καὶ λημμάτων ἐκράτει καὶ ὀργῆς, εἰπὼν, Μὴ μόσχον τινὸς ὑμῶν εἴληφα; οὐκ ἐσίγησεν, ἀλλ' ἐπήγαγεν, Ἢ κατεδυνάστευσά τινα ὑμῶν ἢ ἐξεπίεσα; τοῦτ' ἔστιν, ἐξέθλιψα; Ὃ δὲ λέγει τοιοῦτόν ἐστιν· Οὐδεὶς ἂν ἔχοι τοῦτο εἰπεῖν, ὅτι οὐκ ἔλαβον μὲν, ἐπειδὴ δὲ οὐκ ἔλαβον, φορτικὸς ἐγενόμην καὶ ἐπαχθὴς καὶ ὠμὸς καὶ ἄγριος. ∆ιὰ τοῦτο ἔλεγεν, Ἢ κατεδυνάστευσά τινα ὑμῶν; Τί οὖν ἐκεῖνοι; Οὔτε κατεδυνάστευσας ἡμᾶς, οὔτε ἐξεπίεσας, οὐδὲ εἴληφας ἐκ χειρὸς ἡμῶν οὐδέν. Καὶ ἵνα μάθῃς, ὅτι καὶ τὸν βασιλέα αὐτὸν παιδεύων ταῦτα ἔλεγεν, ἐπήγαγε· Μάρτυς Κύριος, καὶ μάρτυς ὁ χριστὸς αὐτοῦ· τοῦτο δὲ ἡμῖν αὐτὸ παραδηλῶν καὶ δεικνὺς, ὡς οὐκ ἦν ἡ μαρτυρία κεχαρισμένη, αὐτὸν ἐκάλεσε μάρτυρα τὸν τὰ ἀπόῤῥητα τῆς διανοίας εἰδότα, ὅπερ ἐστὶ καθαροῦ συνειδότος ἀπόδειξις. Οὐδεὶς γὰρ, οὐδεὶς, εἰ μὴ σφόδρα ἦν μεμηνὼς καὶ ἐξεστηκὼς, τοῦ συνειδότος τοῦ ἑαυτοῦ καλέσειεν ἄν ποτε μάρτυρα τὸν Θεὸν, εἰ μὴ σφόδρα ἑαυτῷ θαῤῥοίη. Μαρτυρησάντων τοίνυν ἐκείνων ἐπὶ τοῖς εἰρημένοις αὐτῷ, καὶ ἑτέραν ἑαυτοῦ δείκνυσιν αὐτὸς ἀρετήν· καὶ τῶν παλαιῶν ἀναμνήσας ἁπάντων τῶν κατὰ τὴν Αἴγυπτον, καὶ τῆς τοῦ Θεοῦ προστασίας, καὶ τῶν μετ' ἐκείνους πολέμων, ἀναμιμνήσκει τῆς μάχης τῆς ἐπ' αὐτοῦ γενομένης καὶ τῆς νίκης τῆς παραδόξου· καὶ εἰπὼν πῶς πολλάκις διὰ τὰς οἰκείας ἁμαρτίας τοῖς πολεμίοις παραδοθέντων, ἐκάλεσεν 51.310 αὐτὸς τὸν Θεὸν, καὶ ἀπήλλαξεν αὐτοὺς τῶν πολεμίων, συνάπτων τοῖς παλαιοῖς τὰ νέα, ἐπάγει καὶ λέγει· Ἐξαπέστειλε Κύριος τὸν Ἱεροβάαλ, τὸν Γεδεὼν, καὶ τὸν Βαρὰκ, καὶ τὸν Ἰεφθάε, καὶ τὸν Σαμουὴλ, καὶ ἐξείλετο ὑμᾶς κύκλωθεν ἐκ χειρὸς τῶν ἐχθρῶν ὑμῶν, καὶ κατοικεῖτε πεποιθότες. ιʹ. Ὁρᾷς πῶς ἔθος τοῖς ἁγίοις μὴ τὰ ἑαυτῶν κατορθώματα λέγειν, εἰ μή ποτε καταναγκασθεῖεν; ∆ιὰ τοῦτο καὶ ὁ Παῦλος πρὸς τούτους βλέπων, καὶ παιδευόμενος ἀκριβῶς, ὅτι τὸ αὐτόν τινα περὶ ἑαυτοῦ λέγειν ἐπαχθὲς καὶ φορτικὸν, ἔλεγεν· Ὄφελον ἀνείχεσθέ μου μικρὸν τῇ ἀφροσύνῃ· οὐ μέγα, ἀλλὰ μικρόν τι. Οὐδὲ γὰρ ἀνάγκης οὔσης μετὰ δαψιλείας ἐκχεῖν ἑαυτὸν εἰς τὴν διήγησιν τῶν ἐγκωμίων παρεσκεύασται, ἀλλὰ διὰ βραχέων αὐτὰ παρατρέχει· καὶ αὐτὸ δὴ τοῦτο δι' ἐκείνους καὶ τὴν ἐκείνων σωτηρίαν. Ὥσπερ γὰρ, οὐκ οὔσης ἀνάγκης λέγειν τὰ οἰκεῖα κατορθώματα, ἀνοίας ἐστὶν ἐσχάτης, οὕτως ἀνάγκης ἐπικειμένης καὶ βίας ὠθούσης, πάλιν προδοσία ἐστὶ τὸ σιγᾷν τὰ αὐτῶν πεπραγμένα. Ἀλλ' ὅμως ὁ Παῦλος καὶ ἀνάγκην οὖσαν ὁρῶν, ἀπώκνει, καὶ τὸ πρᾶγμα ἀφροσύνην ἐκάλει, ἵνα μάθῃς αὐτοῦ τὴν σύνεσιν καὶ τὴν σοφίαν καὶ τὴν πολλὴν ἀσφάλειαν. Καὶ γὰρ εἰπὼν, Ὃ λαλῶ, οὐ λαλῶ κατὰ Κύριον, προσέθηκεν, Ἐν ταύτῃ τῇ ὑποστάσει τῆς καυχήσεως. Μὴ νομίσῃς, φησὶ, καθόλου με τοῦτο λέγειν. Ὥστε διὰ τοῦτο αὐτὸν μάλιστα ἐπαινῶ καὶ θαυμάζω καὶ σοφώτατον καλῶ, ὅτι πρᾶγμα ἀφροσύνης εἶναι ἐνόμισε τὸ ἑαυτὸν ἐγκωμιάζειν καὶ ἐπαινεῖν.

Εἰ δὲ οὗτος ἀνάγκην οὖσαν ὁρῶν, ἀφροσύνην τοῦτο ἐκάλει, τίνος ἂν εἶεν συγγνώμης ἄξιοι, ποίας ἀπολογίας, οἱ μηδὲ ἀνάγκης οὔσης περὶ ἑαυτῶν λέγοντες μεγάλα, ἢ καὶ ἑτέρους λέγειν καταναγκάζοντες; Ταῦτ' οὖν εἰδότες, μὴ ἐπαινῶμεν τὰ λεγόμενα μόνον, ἀλλὰ καὶ μιμησώμεθα καὶ ζηλώσωμεν, καὶ κατορθωμάτων ἐπιλανθανόμενοι, τῶν ἁμαρτημάτων ἀεὶ μνημονεύωμεν, ἵνα καὶ μετριάζειν δυνώμεθα, καὶ πρὸς τὰ ἔμπροσθεν ἐπεκτεινόμενοι, τὸ βραβεῖον λάβωμεν τῆς ἄνω κλήσεως, χάριτι καὶ φιλανθρωπίᾳ τοῦ Κυρίου ἡμῶν Ἰησοῦ Χριστοῦ, μεθ' οὗ τῷ Πατρὶ ἅμα τῷ ἁγίῳ Πνεύματι δόξα, κράτος, τιμὴ, νῦν καὶ ἀεὶ, καὶ εἰς τοὺς αἰῶνας τῶν αἰώνων. Ἀμήν.