John Chrysostom, On the Praises of Saint Paul the Apostle

to you, not that you should be grieved, but that you might know the love which I have more abundantly for you; and again: To the Jews I became as a Jew, to those under the law as under the law, to the weak as weak, I have become all things to all men, that I might by all means save some; and elsewhere again: That I may present every man perfect in Christ Jesus. 3.6 Have you seen a soul that surpasses all the earth? He expected to present every man, and for his part, he did present them all. For just as if he himself had given birth to the whole world, so was he troubled, so did he run, so did he hasten to bring all into the kingdom, healing, exhorting, promising, praying, supplicating, frightening the demons, driving out the corrupters, by his presence, by letters, by words, by deeds, by disciples, by himself, raising up the falling, strengthening those who stood, rousing those who lay on the ground, healing the broken, anointing the indolent, shouting fearfully at his enemies, looking sharply at his foes; like some excellent general, himself a baggage-carrier, himself a shield-bearer, himself a defender, himself a helper, himself becoming all things to the army. 3.7 And not only in spiritual matters, but also in fleshly ones he showed much forethought, much zeal. Hear him, at any rate, how he writes to a whole people on behalf of one woman, saying: I commend to you Phoebe, our sister, who is a servant of the church in Cenchreae, that you may receive her in the Lord in a manner worthy of the saints, and assist her in whatever business she has need of you; and again: You know the household of Stephanas; that you also submit to such, and again: Acknowledge such people. For this too is characteristic of the affection of the saints, to help also in these things. Thus also Elisha benefited the woman who received him not only in spiritual things, but also was eager to repay her in fleshly things; wherefore he also said: Is there any matter for you with the king, or with the captain? 3.8 And why do you wonder, if Paul gave recommendation by letters, when, in calling some to himself, he did not even think it unworthy to be concerned about their provisions, and to set it down in a letter? For writing to Titus he says: Send Zenas the lawyer and Apollos on their journey diligently, that nothing be lacking to them. But if he sent them off so diligently when entrusting them, much more, if he saw them anywhere in danger, would he have done everything. See, at any rate, also when writing to Philemon, how much zeal he shows on account of Onesimus, and how prudently, how caringly he writes. And he who, on behalf of one servant, and one who had become a fugitive and had stolen many of his master's things, did not refuse to compose a whole epistle, consider how great he was concerning others. For he considered only one thing to be worthy of shame, to overlook something that needed to be done for salvation. For this reason he moved everything, and hesitated to spend nothing for those being saved, not words, not money, not his body; for he who gave himself over to death ten thousand times, much more did he not spare money, if he had any. And what am I saying, if he had any? For it is possible to show that even when he did not have it, he did not spare it. And do not think the saying is a riddle, but hear him again writing to the Corinthians: Most gladly I will spend and be spent for your souls. And addressing the Ephesians he said: You yourselves know that these hands have ministered to my necessities, and to those who were with me. 3.9 And being great in the chief of good things, in love, he was more vehement than any flame; and just as iron falling into fire becomes wholly fire, so also

ὑμῖν, οὐχ ἵνα λυπηθῆτε, ἀλλὰ ἵνα γνῶτε τὴν ἀγάπην, ἣν ἔχω περισσοτέρως εἰς ὑμᾶς· καὶ πάλιν· Ἐγενόμην τοῖς Ἰουδαίοις ὡς Ἰουδαῖος, τοῖς ὑπὸ νόμον ὡς ὑπὸ νόμον, τοῖς ἀσθενέσιν ὡς ἀσθενής, τοῖς πᾶσι γέγονα τὰ πάντα, ἵνα πάντως τινὰς σώσω· καὶ ἀλλαχοῦ πάλιν· Ἵνα παραστήσω πάντα ἄνθρωπον τέλειον ἐν Χριστῷ Ἰησοῦ. 3.6 Εἶδες ψυχὴν ὑπερβαίνουσαν πᾶσαν τὴν γῆν; Πάντα ἄνθρωπον προσεδόκησε παραστῆσαι, καὶ τό γε αὐτοῦ μέρος, πάντας παρέστησε. Καὶ γὰρ ὥσπερ τὴν οἰκουμένην ἅπασαν γεννήσας αὐτός, οὕτως ἐθορυβεῖτο, οὕτως ἔτρεχεν, οὕτω πάντας ἐσπούδαζεν εἰσαγαγεῖν εἰς τὴν βασιλείαν, θεραπεύων, παρακαλῶν, ὑπισχνούμενος, εὐχόμενος, ἱκετεύων, τοὺς δαίμονας φοβῶν, τοὺς διαφθείροντας ἐλαύνων, διὰ παρουσίας, διὰ γραμμάτων, διὰ ῥημάτων, διὰ πραγμάτων, διὰ μαθητῶν, δι' ἑαυτοῦ, τοὺς πίπτοντας ἀνορθῶν, τοὺς ἑστῶτας στηρίζων, διεγείρων τοὺς χαμαὶ κειμένους, θεραπεύων τοὺς συντετριμμένους, ἀλείφων τοὺς ῥᾳθυμοῦντας, φοβερὸν ἐμβοῶν ἐπὶ τοῖς ἐχθροῖς, δριμὺ βλέπων ἐπὶ τοῖς πολεμίοις· καθάπερ τις στρατηγὸς ἄριστος, αὐτὸς σκευοφόρος, αὐτὸς ὑπασπιστής, αὐτὸς προασπιστής, αὐτὸς παραστάτης, αὐτὸς πάντα γινόμενος τῷ στρατοπέδῳ. 3.7 Καὶ οὐκ ἐν τοῖς πνευματικοῖς μόνον, ἀλλὰ καὶ ἐν τοῖς σαρκικοῖς πολλὴν τὴν πρόνοιαν ἐπεδείκνυτο, πολλὴν τὴν σπουδήν. Ἄκουσον γοῦν αὐτοῦ, πῶς ὑπὲρ μιᾶς γυναικὸς πρὸς ὁλόκληρον ἐπιστέλλει δῆμον λέγων· Συνίστημι δὲ ὑμῖν Φοίβην, τὴν ἀδελφὴν ἡμῶν, διάκονον οὖσαν τῆς Ἐκκλησίας τῆς ἐν Κεγχρεαῖς, ἵνα προσδέξησθε αὐτὴν ἐν Κυρίῳ ἀξίως τῶν ἁγίων, καὶ παραστῆτε αὐτῇ, ἐν ᾧ ἂν ὑμῶν πράγματι χρῄζῃ· καὶ πάλιν· Οἴδατε τὴν οἰκίαν Στεφανᾶ· ἵνα καὶ ὑμεῖς ὑποτάσσησθε τοῖς τοιούτοις· καὶ πάλιν· Ἐπιγινώσκετε τοὺς τοιούτους. Καὶ γὰρ καὶ τοῦτο ἴδιον τῆς φιλοστοργίας τῶν ἁγίων, τὸ καὶ ἐν τούτοις βοηθεῖν. Οὕτω καὶ ὁ Ἑλισσαῖος τὴν ὑποδεξαμένην αὐτὸν γυναῖκα, οὐκ ἐν τοῖς πνευματικοῖς μόνον ὠφέλει, ἀλλὰ καὶ ἐν τοῖς σαρκικοῖς ἐσπούδαζεν ἀμείβεσθαι· διὸ καὶ ἔλεγεν· Εἴ σοί τίς ἐστι λόγος πρὸς τὸν βασιλέα, ἢ πρὸς τὸν ἄρχοντα; 3.8 Καὶ τί θαυμάζεις, εἰ τὴν ἀπὸ τῶν γραμμάτων παρεῖχε σύστασιν ὁ Παῦλος, ὅπου γε καὶ καλῶν τινας πρὸς ἑαυτόν, οὐδὲ τοῦτο ἀνάξιον εἶναι ἐνόμισε, τὸ καὶ περὶ ἐφοδίων αὐτῶν φροντίσαι, καὶ καταθέσθαι αὐτὸ ἐν ἐπιστολῇ; Καὶ γὰρ ἐπιστέλλων Τίτῳ φησί· Ζηνᾶν τὸν νομικὸν καὶ Ἀπολλὼ σπουδαίως πρόπεμψον, ἵνα μηδὲν αὐτοῖς λείπῃ. Εἰ δὲ παρατιθέμενος οὕτω σπουδαίως ἐξέπεμπε, πολλῷ μᾶλλον, εἴ που κινδυνεύοντας εἶδε, πάντα ἂν ἔπραξεν. Ὅρα γοῦν καὶ πρὸς τὸν Φιλήμονα ἐπιστέλλων, διὰ Ὀνήσιμον πόσην ποιεῖται σπουδήν, καὶ πῶς συνετῶς, πῶς κηδεμονικῶς ἐπιστέλλει. Ὁ δὲ ὑπὲρ ἑνὸς οἰκέτου, καὶ ταῦτα φυγάδος γεγενημένου, καὶ ὑφελομένου πολλὰ τῶν δεσποτικῶν, ὁλόκληρον μὴ παραιτησάμενος συνθεῖναι ἐπιστολήν, ἐννόησον ἡλίκος περὶ τοὺς ἄλλους ἦν. Καὶ γὰρ ἓν μόνον αἰσχύνης ἄξιον ἐνόμιζεν εἶναι, τό, δέον γενέσθαι τι πρὸς σωτηρίαν, παριδεῖν. ∆ιὰ τοῦτο πάντα ἐκίνει, καὶ οὐδὲν ὤκνει δαπανᾶν ὑπὲρ τῶν σωζομένων, οὐ ῥήματα, οὐ χρήματα, οὐ σῶμα· ὁ γὰρ μυριάκις ἑαυτὸν θανάτοις ἐκδούς, πολλῷ μᾶλλον οὐδὲ χρημάτων ἐφείσατο, εἴ γε παρῆν. Καὶ τί λέγω, εἴ γε παρῆν; Καὶ γὰρ μὴ παρόντων δυνατὸν δεῖξαι, ὅτι οὐκ ἐφείσατο. Καὶ μὴ νομίσῃς αἴνιγμα εἶναι τὸ ῥῆμα, ἀλλ' αὐτοῦ πάλιν ἄκουσον γράφοντος Κορινθίοις· Ἥδιστα δαπανήσω, καὶ ἐκδαπανηθήσομαι ὑπὲρ τῶν ψυχῶν ὑμῶν. Καὶ Ἐφεσίοις δὲ δημηγορῶν ἔλεγεν· Αὐτοὶ οἴδατε ὅτι ταῖς χρείαις μου καὶ τοῖς οὖσι μετ' ἐμοῦ ὑπηρέτησαν αἱ χεῖρες αὗται. 3.9 Καὶ ὢν μέγας, ἐν τῷ κεφαλαίῳ τῶν ἀγαθῶν, τῇ ἀγάπῃ, φλογὸς πάσης σφοδρότερος ἦν· καὶ καθάπερ σίδηρος εἰς πῦρ ἐμπεσών, ὅλος γίνεται πῦρ, οὕτω καὶ