John Chrysostom, On Timothy

they considered them gods. For this reason the Apostle said they were liars. But the question is, why does he bring his testimonies from the Greeks. Because we especially put them to shame by these things, when we bring testimonies and accusations from their own house, when we set over them as accusers those who are admired among them. For this reason he also used it elsewhere, saying, To an unknown God. For the Athenians, since they did not receive all the gods from the beginning, but over time, and some others, such as those from the Hyperboreans, such as those of Pan, such as the lesser, such as the greater mysteries, they introduced later; these, conjecturing from these things that it was likely there was also another god, but unknown to them, so that they might be duly reverent toward him also, erected an altar to him, inscribing it, To an unknown God, all but declaring this, and if any god were unknown. He said, therefore, that Whom you have anticipated and acknowledged, Him I declare to you. But the phrase, For we are also his offspring, was said by Aratus concerning Zeus; who, since he said at the beginning, The ways are full of Zeus, and the sea is full, then added, For we are also his offspring, showing, I think, even he, that we have come from God. How then did Paul apply what was said about Zeus to the God of all things? He did not apply what was said about Zeus to God, but what was fitting for God, and not genuinely nor properly applied to Zeus, these things he restores to God; since even the name, god, belongs to Him alone, and is unlawfully applied to idols. But from where ought he to have reasoned with them? from the pro 62.678 phets? But they would not have believed; since even to the Jews he utters nothing from the Gospels, but from the prophets; for this reason he says, I became to the Jews as a Jew, to those without law as without law, to those under the law as under the law. B. This God also does; for instance, in the case of the magi, He does not lead them by an angel, nor by a prophet, nor by an apostle, nor by an evangelist, but from where? Through a star; for since they had their art concerned with these things, from there He drew them. Again in the case of the oxen with the ark, If they go, it says, this way, the indignation of God is real, just as the soothsayers suggested. Therefore do the soothsayers speak the truth? Far from it; but from their own mouths He refutes and confounds them. Again in the case of the ventriloquist; for since he believed her, through her He made Saul hear the things that were about to befall him. For what reason then did Paul silence the demon that said, These men are servants of the Most High God, who proclaim to us a way of salvation? and for what reason does Christ also forbid the demons to speak? In that case, with good reason; for the signs went before; since here also it was not a star, but He Himself proclaimed Himself; and the demons were not being worshipped. For it was not an idol that was speaking, that it should be forbidden. And He allowed Balaam to bless, and did not prevent him. Thus everywhere He condescends. And why do you wonder at this? He Himself allows evil and unworthy opinions about Himself to be formed, for instance that He was formerly a body, that He was visible; against this, at any rate, He says, God is Spirit. Again, that He rejoices in sacrifices, which was foreign to Him, and He utters words discordant with His profession; and all such things. For nowhere does He look to His own dignity, but everywhere to what is useful for us. For if a father does not look to his own dignity, but lisps with his children, and calls food and meats and drinks not by Greek names, but by some childish and barbarous dialect, much more so does God. And He condescendingly reproaches through the prophet, saying; If nations will change their gods; and everywhere in the Scriptures there is condescension, both in words and in deeds. For which cause, it says, rebuke them sharply, that they may be sound in the faith. It says this, because their character is insolent and deceitful and undisciplined.

ἐνόμιζον θεούς. ∆ιὰ τοῦτο ὁ Ἀπόστολος ψεύστας αὐτοὺς εἶπεν. Ἀλλὰ τὸ ζητούμενον, τί δήποτε ἀπὸ τῶν Ἑλληνικῶν ἄγει τὰς μαρτυρίας. Ὅτι μάλιστα τούτοις ἐντρέπομεν αὐτοὺς, ὅταν οἴκοθεν ἐνέγκωμεν τὰς μαρτυρίας καὶ τὰς κατηγορίας, ὅταν τοὺς παρ' αὐτοῖς θαυμαστοὺς, τούτους ἐπιστήσωμεν αὐτοῖς αἰτιωμένους. ∆ιὰ τοῦτο καὶ ἑτέρωθι κέχρηται λέγων, Ἀγνώστῳ Θεῷ. Οἱ γὰρ Ἀθηναῖοι ἐπειδὴ οὐκ ἐξ ἀρχῆς τοὺς θεοὺς πάντας παρέλαβον, ἀλλὰ κατὰ χρόνους, καὶ ἄλλους τινὰς, ὡς τὰ ἐκ τῶν Ὑπερβορέων, ὡς τὰ τοῦ Πανὸς, ὡς τὰ μικρὰ, ὡς τὰ μεγάλα μυστήρια ἐπήγαγον ὕστερον, οὗτοι στοχαζόμενοι ἀπὸ τούτων, ὅτι εἰκὸς καὶ ἄλλον εἶναι θεὸν, ὑπ' αὐτῶν δὲ ἠγνοῆσθαι, ἵνα καὶ περὶ ἐκεῖνον ὦσιν εὐκαθοσίωτοι, τούτῳ βωμὸν ἔστησαν ἐπιγράψαντες, Ἀγνώστῳ Θεῷ, μονονουχὶ τοῦτο δηλοῦντες, καὶ εἴ τις ἄγνωστος εἴη θεός. Εἶπεν οὖν, ὅτι Ὃν προλαβόντες ὑμεῖς ἐπέγνωτε, τοῦτον ἐγὼ καταγγέλλω ὑμῖν. Τὸ δὲ, Τοῦ γὰρ καὶ γένος ἐσμὲν, περὶ τοῦ ∆ιὸς εἴρηται τῷ Ἀράτῳ· ὃς ἐπεὶ ἀρχόμενος εἶπε, Μεσταὶ δὲ ∆ιὸς μὲν ἀγυιαὶ, μεστὴ δὲ θάλασσα, τότε ἐπήγαγε τὸ, Τοῦ γὰρ καὶ γένος ἐσμὲν, δεικνὺς οἶμαι κἀκεῖνος ὅτι γεγόναμεν ἐκ Θεοῦ. Πῶς οὖν ὁ Παῦλος τὰ περὶ τοῦ ∆ιὸς εἰρημένα εἰς τὸν Θεὸν τῶν ὅλων εἵλκυσεν; Οὐ τὰ περὶ τοῦ ∆ιὸς εἰρημένα εἵλκυσεν εἰς τὸν Θεὸν, ἀλλὰ τὰ προσήκοντα τῷ Θεῷ, καὶ οὐ γνησίως οὐδὲ κυρίως ἐπιτεθέντα τῷ ∆ιὶ, ταῦτα ἀποδίδωσι τῷ Θεῷ· ἐπεὶ καὶ τὸ, θεὸς, ὄνομα αὐτοῦ μόνου ἐστὶ, καὶ παρανόμως ἐπίκειται τοῖς εἰδώλοις. Ἀλλὰ πόθεν ἐχρῆν αὐτοῖς διαλεχθῆναι; ἀπὸ τῶν προ 62.678 φητῶν; Ἀλλ' οὐκ ἂν ἐπίστευσαν· ἐπεὶ καὶ Ἰουδαίοις οὐδὲν ἀπὸ τῶν Εὐαγγελίων φθέγγεται, ἀλλ' ἀπὸ τῶν προφητῶν· διὰ τοῦτό φησιν, Ἐγενόμην τοῖς Ἰουδαίοις ὡς Ἰουδαῖος, τοῖς ἀνόμοις ὡς ἄνομος, τοῖς ὑπὸ νόμον ὡς ὑπὸ νόμον. βʹ. Τοῦτο καὶ ὁ Θεὸς ποιεῖ· οἷον ἐπὶ τῶν μάγων, οὐ δι' ἀγγέλου αὐτοὺς ἄγει, οὐ διὰ προφήτου, οὐ δι' ἀποστόλου, οὐ δι' εὐαγγελιστοῦ, ἀλλὰ πόθεν; ∆ιὰ ἄστρου· ἐπειδὴ γὰρ περὶ ταῦτα τὴν τέχνην εἶχον, ἐκεῖθεν αὐτοὺς εἵλκυσε. Πάλιν ἐπὶ τῶν βοῶν ἐπὶ τῆς κιβωτοῦ, Ἐὰν πορευθῶσι, φησὶ, τήνδε τὴν ὁδὸν, ἀληθής ἐστιν ἡ τοῦ Θεοῦ ἀγανάκτησις, καθάπερ οἱ μάντεις ὑπετίθεντο. Οὐκοῦν ἀληθεύουσιν οἱ μάντεις; Ἄπαγε· ἀλλ' ἀπὸ τῶν οἰκείων στομάτων αὐτοὺς ἐλέγχει καὶ καταπλήττει. Πάλιν ἐπὶ τῆς ἐγγαστριμύθου· καὶ γὰρ ἐπειδὴ ταύτῃ ἐπίστευε, διὰ ταύτης ἐποίησεν ἀκοῦσαι τὸν Σαοὺλ τὰ μέλλοντα αὐτὸν καταλαμβάνειν. Τίνος οὖν ἕνεκεν ἐπεστόμισε τὸν δαίμονα ὁ Παῦλος τὸν λέγοντα, Οὗτοι οἱ ἄνθρωποι δοῦλοι τοῦ Θεοῦ τοῦ ὑψίστου εἰσὶν, οἵτινες καταγγέλλουσιν ἡμῖν ὁδὸν σωτηρίας; τίνος δὲ ἕνεκεν καὶ ὁ Χριστὸς κωλύει τοὺς δαίμονας φθέγγεσθαι; Ἐκεῖ μὲν εἰκότως· καὶ γὰρ τὰ σημεῖα προεχώρει· ἐπεὶ καὶ ἐνταῦθα οὐκ ἀστὴρ ἦν, ἀλλ' αὐτὸς ἑαυτὸν ἐκήρυττε· καὶ οἱ δαίμονες δὲ οὐ προσεκυνοῦντο. Οὐκ ἦν γὰρ εἴδωλον τὸ φθεγγόμενον, ἵνα κωλυθῇ. Καὶ τὸν Βαλαὰμ δὲ εἴασεν εὐλογῆσαι, καὶ οὐκ ἐκώλυσεν. Οὕτω πανταχοῦ συγκαταβαίνει. Καὶ τί τοῦτο θαυμάζεις; Αὐτὸς περὶ ἑαυτοῦ ἀφίησι δόξας πονηρὰς καὶ ἀναξίους ἑαυτοῦ συνίστασθαι, οἷον ὅτι σῶμα ἦν πρότερον, ὅτι ὁρατός· πρὸς τοῦτο γοῦν λέγει, Πνεῦμα ὁ Θεός. Πάλιν ὅτι χαίρει ταῖς θυσίαις, ὅπερ ἦν ἀλλότριον αὐτοῦ, καὶ ῥήματα φθέγγεται ἀπᾴδοντα αὐτοῦ τῆς ὁμολογίας· καὶ ὅσα τοιαῦτα. Οὐδαμοῦ γὰρ τὴν ἀξίαν ὁρᾷ τὴν ἑαυτοῦ, ἀλλὰ πανταχοῦ τὸ ἡμῖν χρήσιμον. Εἰ γὰρ πατὴρ οὐχ ὁρᾷ τὴν ἀξίαν τὴν ἑαυτοῦ, ἀλλὰ συμψελλίζει τοῖς παιδίοις, καὶ τροφὴν καὶ ἐδέσματα καὶ πόματα οὐχ Ἑλληνικοῖς ὀνόμασι καλῶν, ἀλλὰ παιδικῇ τινι διαλέξει καὶ βαρβάρῳ, πολλῷ μᾶλλον ὁ Θεός. Καὶ ὀνειδίζει συγκαταβατικῶς διὰ τοῦ προφήτου, λέγων· Εἰ ἀλλάξονται ἔθνη θεοὺς αὐτῶν· καὶ πανταχοῦ συγκατάβασίς ἐστι τὰ ἐν ταῖς Γραφαῖς, καὶ ῥήματα καὶ πράγματα. ∆ι' ἣν αἰτίαν, φησὶν, ἔλεγχε αὐτοὺς ἀποτόμως, ἵνα ὑγιαίνωσι τῇ πίστει. ∆ιὰ τοῦτό φησιν, ἐπειδὴ ἦθος αὐτοῖς ἐστιν ἰταμὸν καὶ δολερὸν καὶ ἀκόλαστον.