John Chrysostom, On John

to hear. Let no one, therefore, introduce the things of earth to heaven; let no one standing here be anxious about the things at home. For the home and the market ought to carry about and to have the gains from here, not this place to be weighed down with the burdens from home and the market. For this reason we come 59.36 to the throne of teaching, that from here we may wash away the filth from without. But if in this little time of leisure we are to be corrupted by things said or done outside, it is better not to have entered at all. Let no one, therefore, in church ponder the things of home, but even at home let him stir up the things of the church. Let these things be more precious to us than all others. For these things are of the soul, but those of the body; or rather, the things spoken here are profitable for both body and soul. For this reason let these be our principal works, and all others secondary. For these things are of the life to come and of the present life; but those are of neither, unless they are managed according to the law laid down for these. For not only is it possible to learn from here what we shall be after this and how we shall live then, but also how we shall manage the present life. For this house stands as a spiritual infirmary, that whatever wounds we may have received from outside, we may heal here; not that, gathering others from here as well, we should so depart. For if we do not pay attention while the Holy Spirit discourses to us, not only shall we not wash away our former stains, but we shall also acquire others. Let us pay attention, therefore, with great diligence to the book being unveiled to us. For we shall not need much effort in the future, if we learn the principles and foundations with accuracy; but having toiled a little in the introductions, we will be able for the rest, like Paul, to admonish others also. For this Apostle is exceedingly lofty, and is full of many doctrines, and he dwells on these more than on other things. Let us not then listen carelessly. For this reason we also expound little by little, so that all may be easy for you to grasp and not escape your memory. Let us fear, therefore, lest we become liable to that voice which says: "If I had not come and spoken to them, they would not have had sin." For what advantage shall we have over those who have not heard, when even after hearing we go home with nothing, but marveling only at what has been said? Grant us, therefore, to sow on good ground; grant that you may draw us on more earnestly. And if any has thorns, let him bring upon them the fire of the Spirit; if any has a hard and stony heart, let him make it rich and soft, using the same fire. If any by the wayside is trodden down by all thoughts, let him go to the inner places, and not lie exposed to those who wish to attack for plunder, that we may see your harvest fields waving. For if we thus take care of ourselves, and with industry adhere to this spiritual hearing, though not all at once, yet little by little we shall be rid of all the things of this life. Therefore let us pay attention, lest it be said of us also, that: "Their ears are like those of a deaf asp." How does such a hearer differ from a beast? Tell me. And how would he not be more irrational than any irrational creature, who does not pay attention when God is speaking? For if to please God is to be a man, he who does not even wish to hear how he might achieve this, is nothing other than a beast. Consider, then, how great an evil it would be, when Christ wishes to make us equal to angels from being men, for us to transform ourselves from men into beasts. For to be a slave to the belly, and to be possessed by the desire for money, 59.37 and to be angry and to bite and to kick, belongs not to men, but to beasts. And yet the beasts, each one, so to speak, has one passion, and this according to its nature; but the man who has cast out the rule of reason and has broken away from the life according to God, gives himself over to all passions; and he becomes not only a beast, but a certain multiform and varied monster, and does not even have the excuse of nature. For all wickedness is of choice and will. But may it never be that we suspect these things of the Church of Christ; 59.38

ἀκούειν. Μηδεὶς οὖν τῷ οὐρανῷ τὰ τῆς γῆς ἐπεισαγέτω· μηδεὶς ἐνταῦθα ἑστὼς, τὰ κατὰ τὴν οἰκίαν μεριμνάτω. Τὴν γὰρ οἰκίαν καὶ τὴν ἀγορὰν ἔδει τὰ ἐντεῦθεν περιφέρειν κέρδη καὶ ἔχειν, οὐ ταύτην τοῖς ἐκ τῆς οἰκίας καὶ τῆς ἀγορᾶς φορτίοις βαρύνεσθαι. ∆ιὰ ταῦτα εἴσιμεν 59.36 παρὰ τὸν τῆς διδασκαλίας θρόνον, ἵνα ἐντεῦθεν τὸν ἔξωθεν ἀποῤῥυψώμεθα ῥύπον. Ἂν δὲ μέλλωμεν καὶ τῇ μικρᾷ ταύτῃ σχολῇ ἀπὸ τῶν ἔξω λεγομένων ἢ πραττομένων λυμαίνεσθαι, βέλτιον μηδὲ εἰσελθεῖν τὴν ἀρχήν. Μηδεὶς τοιγαροῦν ἐν ἐκκλησίᾳ τὰ κατὰ τὴν οἰκίαν μελετάτω, ἀλλὰ καὶ ἐν οἰκίᾳ τὰ κατὰ τὴν ἐκκλησίαν κινείτω. Πάντων ἡμῖν ἔστω ταῦτα τιμιώτερα. Τῆς γὰρ ψυχῆς ταῦτά ἐστι, τοῦ σώματος δὲ ἐκεῖνα· μᾶλλον δὲ καὶ σώματι καὶ ψυχῇ τὰ ἐνταῦθα λεγόμενα διαφέρει. ∆ιὰ τοῦτο ταῦτα μὲν ἔστω προηγούμενα ἔργα, πάρεργα δὲ ἅπαντα τὰ ἄλλα. Ταῦτα μὲν γὰρ καὶ τῆς μελλούσης καὶ τῆς παρούσης ἐστὶ ζωῆς· ἐκεῖνα δὲ οὐδ' ἑτέρας, ἐὰν μὴ κατὰ τὸν ὑπὲρ τούτων τεθέντα διοικῆται νόμον. Οὐ γὰρ δὴ μόνον τί μετὰ ταῦτα ἐσόμεθα, καὶ πῶς τότε ζησόμεθα, ἐντεῦθεν ἔστι μαθεῖν μόνον, ἀλλὰ πῶς καὶ τὸν παρόντα οἰκονομήσομεν βίον. Ἰατρεῖον γὰρ ὁ οἶκος οὗτος ἕστηκε πνευματικὸν, ἵνα ἅπερ ἂν λάβωμεν ἔξωθεν τραύματα, ἐντεῦθεν θεραπεύσωμεν· οὐχ ἵνα καὶ ἐντεῦθεν συλλέξαντες ἕτερα, οὕτως ἀπίωμεν. Ἂν γὰρ τοῦ Πνεύματος ἡμῖν τοῦ ἁγίου διαλεγομένου μὴ προσέχωμεν, οὐ μόνον τὰ πρότερα οὐκ ἀπολουσόμεθα, ἀλλὰ καὶ ἕτερα προσληψόμεθα. Προσέχωμεν τοίνυν τῷ βιβλίῳ μετὰ πολλῆς τῆς σπουδῆς ἡμῖν ἀνακαλυπτομένῳ. Οὐδὲ γὰρ πολλῆς δεησόμεθα λοιπὸν πραγματείας, ἂν τὰς ἀρχὰς καὶ ὑποθέσεις μετὰ ἀκριβείας μάθωμεν· ἀλλὰ μικρὸν ἐν προοιμίοις πονέσαντες, δυνησόμεθα τοῦ λοιποῦ κατὰ τὸν Παῦλον καὶ ἄλλους νουθετεῖν. Σφόδρα γάρ ἐστιν ὑψηλὸς ὁ Ἀπόστολος οὗτος, καὶ πολλῶν γέμει δογμάτων, καὶ τούτοις ἐνδιατρίβει μᾶλλον ἢ ἑτέροις. Μὴ δὴ παρέργως ἀκούωμεν. ∆ιὰ τοῦτο γὰρ ἡμεῖς καὶ κατὰ μικρὸν ἐξηγούμεθα, ὥστε ὑμῖν εὔληπτα πάντα γενέσθαι καὶ μὴ διαφυγεῖν τὴν μνήμην. Φοβηθῶμεν τοίνυν μήποτε γενώμεθα τῆς φωνῆς ἐκείνης ὑπεύθυνοι τῆς λεγούσης· Εἰ μὴ ἦλθον καὶ ἐλάλησα αὐτοῖς, ἁμαρτίαν οὐκ εἶχον. Τί γὰρ ἕξομεν τῶν οὐκ ἀκηκοότων πλέον, ὅταν καὶ μετὰ τὴν ἀκρόασιν μηδὲν οἴκαδε ἀπέλθωμεν ἔχοντες, ἀλλὰ θαυμάζοντες τὰ εἰρημένα μόνον; ∆ότε τοίνυν ἡμῖν, εἰς ἀγαθὴν σπεῖραι γῆν· δότε, ἵνα ἡμᾶς ἐπισπάσησθε μειζόνως. Καὶ εἴ τις ἀκάνθας ἔχει, τὸ πῦρ ἐπαφιέτω τοῦ Πνεύματος· εἴ τις σκληρὰν καὶ ἀντίτυπον καρδίαν, λιπαρὰν ποιείτω αὐτὴν καὶ ἁπαλὴν τῷ αὐτῷ χρώμενος πυρί. Εἴ τις κατὰ τὰς ὁδοὺς ὑπὸ πάντων πατεῖται τῶν λογισμῶν, πρὸς τὰ ἐνδότερα εἰσίτω, καὶ μὴ προκείσθω τοῖς βουλομένοις εἰς ἁρπαγὴν ἐπιέναι, ἵνα κομῶντα ὑμῶν ἴδωμεν τὰ λήϊα. Καὶ γὰρ ἂν οὕτως ἑαυτῶν ἐπιμελώμεθα, καὶ μετὰ φιλοπονίας τῆς ἀκροάσεως ἐχώμεθα ταύτης τῆς πνευματικῆς, εἰ καὶ μὴ ἀθρόον, ἀλλὰ κατὰ μικρὸν πάντων γοῦν ἀπαλλαγησόμεθα τῶν βιωτικῶν. ∆ιὸ προσέχωμεν, ἵνα μὴ καὶ περὶ ἡμῶν λέγηται, ὅτι· Ἀσπίδος κωφῆς τὰ ὦτα αὐτῶν. Τί θηρίου διενήνοχεν ὁ τοιοῦτος ἀκροατής; εἰπέ μοι. Πῶς δὲ οὐκ ἂν εἴη παντὸς ἀλογώτερος ἀλόγου, ὁ Θεοῦ διαλεγομένου μὴ προσέχων; Εἰ γὰρ τὸ εὐαρεστεῖν τῷ Θεῷ, τοῦτό ἐστιν ἄνθρωπον εἶναι· ὁ μηδὲ, ὅπως τοῦτο κατορθώσειεν, ἀκοῦσαι θέλων, οὐδὲν ἕτερον ἢ θηρίον ἐστίν. Ἐννόησον οὖν ὅσον ἂν εἴη κακὸν, τοῦ Χριστοῦ θέλοντος ἡμᾶς ἐξ ἀνθρώπων ἰσαγγέλους ποιεῖν, αὐτοὺς ἐξ ἀνθρώπων εἰς θηρία μεταποιεῖν. Τὸ γὰρ τῇ γαστρὶ δουλεύειν, καὶ τῇ τῶν χρη 59.37 μάτων ἐπιθυμίᾳ κατέχεσθαι, καὶ ὀργίζεσθαι καὶ δάκνειν καὶ λακτίζειν, οὐκ ἀνθρώπων, ἀλλὰ θηρίων ἐστί. Καίτοι τὰ μὲν θηρία, ἓν ἕκαστον, ὡς εἰπεῖν, ἔχει πάθος, καὶ τοῦτο κατὰ φύσιν· ὁ δὲ ἄνθρωπος ὁ τῶν λογισμῶν τὴν ἀρχὴν ἐκβαλὼν καὶ τῆς κατὰ Θεὸν πολιτείας ἀποῤῥαγεὶς, πᾶσιν ἑαυτὸν ἐπιτρέπει τοῖς πάθεσι· καὶ οὐκ ἔτι θηρίον γίνεται μόνον, ἀλλὰ τέρας πολύμορφόν τι καὶ ποικίλον, καὶ οὐδὲ τὴν ἀπὸ τῆς φύσεως συγγνώμην ἔχει. Προαιρέσεως γὰρ καὶ γνώμης ἡ κακία πᾶσα. Ἀλλὰ μὴ γένοιτό ποτε ταῦτα περὶ τῆς Ἐκκλησίας ὑποπτεῦσαι τοῦ Χρι 59.38 στοῦ·