John Chrysostom, On Matthew

But what is the defense against the accusations? I am not, he says, one of the monks, but I have a wife and children, and I take care of a household. For this is what has ruined everything, that you think the reading of the divine Scriptures belongs to them alone, when you need it much more than they do. For those who are tossed about in the midst of life, and who receive wounds every day, these especially need medicines. So, much worse than not reading is to think the practice superfluous; for these are the words of satanic device. 2. Do you not hear Paul saying, that All these things were written for our instruction? But you, if you had to receive a Gospel book, would not choose to do this with unwashed hands; yet do you not think the things contained within are exceedingly necessary? For this reason everything has been turned upside down. For if you wish to learn how great is the profit of the Scriptures, examine yourself, what you become when hearing psal `psal 57.31` ms, and what when hearing a satanic song; and how you are disposed when spending time in church, and how when sitting in the theater; and you will see a great difference between this soul and that, though it is one and the same. For this reason Paul said: Evil communications corrupt good manners. For this reason we need continuous incantations from the Spirit. For this is wherein we have the advantage over the irrational animals, since in other respects we are very much their inferiors. This is the food of the soul, this its adornment, this its security; just as not to hear is famine and corruption. For I will send, he says, upon them, Not a famine of bread, nor a thirst for water, but a famine of hearing the word of the Lord. What then could be more miserable, than when you voluntarily draw down upon your own head the very evil which God threatens as a punishment, introducing a grievous famine to the soul, and making it weaker than all things? For it is its nature to be corrupted and to be saved by words. For this same thing provokes it to anger, and this again soothes it; and a shameful word has kindled it to lust, and a word full of gravity has led it to self-control. If a mere word has such power, how do you despise the Scriptures? Tell me. For if exhortation can do so much, much more when the exhortations are with the Spirit. For a word resounding from the divine Scriptures softens the hardened soul more than fire, and prepares it for all good things. Thus Paul, finding the Corinthians puffed up and inflamed, calmed them and made them more gentle. For in those things for which they ought to have been ashamed and veiled, they were greatly proud. But when they received the Epistle, hear their change, to which the teacher himself `57.32` bore witness for them, saying thus: For this very thing, that you were made sorry after a godly manner, what earnestness it wrought in you; yea, what clearing of yourselves, yea, what indignation, [yea, what fear, yea, what vehement desire,] yea, what zeal, yea, what revenge. In this way we regulate servants, and children, and wives, and friends, and we make enemies friends. In this way also the great men, and friends of God, became better. For David, after his sin, when he had partaken of the words, then came to that most beautiful repentance; and the apostles also thus became what they became, and drew the whole world to themselves. And what is the profit, he says, when someone hears, and does not do the things that are said? The profit from hearing will not be small. For he will condemn himself and groan, and will one day come to do the things that are said. But he who does not even know that he has sinned, when will he cease from transgressing? When will he condemn himself? Let us not then despise the hearing of the divine Scriptures. For these things are of a satanic mind, not allowing us to see the treasure, so that we may not gain the wealth. For this reason he says that the hearing of the divine laws is nothing, so that he may not see the doing of them result for us from the hearing. Knowing, therefore, this wicked art of his, let us fortify ourselves on all sides, that being fenced with these weapons, we may ourselves remain unconquered, and may strike his head; and thus the glorious prizes of victory

Ἀλλὰ τίς ἡ ἀπολογία τῶν ἐγκλημάτων; Οὐκ εἰμὶ, φησὶ, τῶν μοναχῶν, ἀλλὰ καὶ γυναῖκα ἔχω καὶ παιδία, καὶ οἰκίας ἐπιμελοῦμαι. Τοῦτο γάρ ἐστιν ὃ πάντα ἐλυμήνατο, ὅτι ἐκείνοις μόνοις νομίζετε προσήκειν τὴν ἀνάγνωσιν τῶν θείων Γραφῶν, πολλῷ πλέον ἐκείνων ὑμεῖς δεόμενοι. Τοῖς γὰρ ἐν μέσῳ στρεφομένοις, καὶ καθ' ἑκάστην ἡμέραν τραύματα δεχομένοις, τούτοις μάλιστα δεῖ φαρμάκων. Ὥστε τοῦ μὴ ἀναγινώσκειν πολλῷ χεῖρον τὸ καὶ περιττὸν εἶναι τὸ πρᾶγμα νομίζειν· ταῦτα γὰρ σατανικῆς μελέτης τὰ ῥήματα. ʹ. Οὐκ ἀκούετε Παύλου λέγοντος, ὅτι Πρὸς νουθεσίαν ἡμῶν ταῦτα πάντα ἐγράφη; Σὺ δὲ, ἂν μὲν Εὐαγγέλιον δέξασθαι δέῃ, χερσὶν ἀνίπτοις οὐκ ἂν ἕλοιο τοῦτο ποιῆσαι· τὰ δὲ ἔνδον ἐγκείμενα οὐχ ἡγῇ σφόδρα ἀναγκαῖα εἶναι; ∆ιὰ τοῦτο πάντα ἄνω καὶ κάτω γέγονεν. Εἰ γὰρ βούλει μαθεῖν ὅσον τῶν Γραφῶν τὸ κέρδος, ἐξέτασον σεαυτὸν, τίς μὲν γίνῃ ψαλ 57.31 μῶν ἀκούων, τίς δὲ σατανικῆς ᾠδῆς· καὶ πῶς διάκεισαι ἐν ἐκκλησίᾳ διατρίβων, καὶ πῶς ἐν θεάτρῳ καθήμενος· καὶ ὄψει πολὺ τὸ μέσον ταύτης κἀκείνης τῆς ψυχῆς, καίτοιγε μιᾶς οὔσης. ∆ιὰ τοῦτο Παῦλος ἔλεγε· Φθείρουσιν ἤθη χρηστὰ ὁμιλίαι κακαί. ∆ιὰ τοῦτο συνεχῶν ἡμῖν δεῖ τῶν ἀπὸ τοῦ Πνεύματος ἐπῳδῶν. Καὶ γὰρ τοῦτό ἐστιν ᾧ τῶν ἀλόγων πλεονεκτοῦμεν, ὡς τῶν γε ἄλλων ἕνεκεν καὶ σφόδρα αὐτῶν ἐλαττούμεθα. Τοῦτό ἐστι τροφὴ ψυχῆς, τοῦτο κόσμος, τοῦτο ἀσφάλεια· ὥσπερ οὖν τὸ μὴ ἀκούειν, λιμὸς καὶ φθορά. ∆ώσω γὰρ, φησὶν, αὐτοῖς, Οὐ λιμὸν ἄρτου, οὐδὲ δίψαν ὕδατος, ἀλλὰ λιμὸν τοῦ ἀκοῦσαι λόγον Κυρίου. Τί γένοιτ' ἂν οὖν ἀθλιώτερον, ὅταν ὅπερ ὁ Θεὸς ἐν τάξει κολάσεως ἀπειλῇ, τοῦτο αὐτομάτως σὺ κατὰ τῆς σαυτοῦ κεφαλῆς ἕλκῃς τὸ κακὸν, λιμόν τινα χαλεπὸν ἐπεισάγων τῇ ψυχῇ, καὶ πάντων αὐτὴν ἀσθενεστέραν ποιῶν; Ἀπὸ γὰρ λόγων καὶ φθείρεσθαι καὶ σώζεσθαι πέφυκε. Καὶ γὰρ εἰς ὀργὴν τοῦτο αὐτὴν ἐξάγει, καὶ πραΰνει τὸ αὐτὸ τοῦτο πάλιν· καὶ πρὸς ἐπιθυμίαν ἐξῆψε ῥῆμα αἰσχρὸν, καὶ εἰς σωφροσύνην ἤγαγε λόγος σεμνότητος γέμων. Εἰ δὲ λόγος ἁπλῶς τοσαύτην ἔχει τὴν ἰσχὺν, πῶς τῶν Γραφῶν καταφρονεῖς; εἰπέ μοι. Εἰ γὰρ παραίνεσις τοσαῦτα δύναται, πολλῷ μᾶλλον ὅταν μετὰ Πνεύματος ὦσιν αἱ παραινέσεις. Καὶ γὰρ πυρὸς μᾶλλον τὴν πεπωρωμένην μαλάττει ψυχὴν, καὶ πρὸς ἅπαντα ἐπιτηδείαν κατασκευάζει τὰ καλὰ, λόγος ἀπὸ τῶν θείων ἐνηχούμενος Γραφῶν. Οὕτω καὶ Κορινθίους πεφυσιωμένους λαβὼν ὁ Παῦλος καὶ φλεγμαίνοντας, κατέστειλε καὶ ἐπιεικεστέρους ἐποίησε. Καὶ γὰρ ἐφ' οἷς αἰσχύνεσθαι ἔδει καὶ ἐγκαλύπτεσθαι, ἐπὶ τούτοις μέγα ἐφρόνουν. Ἀλλ' ἐπειδὴ τὴν Ἐπιστολὴν ἐδέξαντο, ἄκουσον αὐτῶν τὴν μεταβολὴν, ἣν αὐτὸς ὁ διδά 57.32 σκαλος αὐτοῖς ἐμαρτύρησεν, οὕτω λέγων· Αὐτὸ γὰρ τὸ κατὰ Θεὸν λυπηθῆναι ὑμᾶς, πόσην εἰργάσατο ἐν ὑμῖν σπουδήν· ἀλλὰ ἀπολογίαν, ἀλλὰ ἀγανάκτησιν, [ἀλλὰ φόβον, ἀλλὰ ἐπιπόθησιν,] ἀλλὰ ζῆλον, ἀλλὰ ἐκδίκησιν. Οὕτω καὶ οἰκέτας, καὶ παῖδας, καὶ γυναῖκας, καὶ φίλους ῥυθμίζομεν, καὶ τοὺς ἐχθροὺς φίλους ποιοῦμεν. Οὕτω καὶ οἱ μεγάλοι ἄνδρες, καὶ τῷ Θεῷ φίλοι, βελτίους ἐγένοντο. Καὶ γὰρ ὁ ∆αυῒδ μετὰ τὴν ἁμαρτίαν, ἐπειδὴ λόγων ἀπήλαυσε, τότε εἰς τὴν καλλίστην ἐκείνην ἦλθε μετάνοιαν· καὶ οἱ ἀπόστολοι δὲ οὕτω γεγόνασιν ὅπερ γεγόνασι, καὶ τὴν οἰκουμένην ἅπασαν ἐπεσπάσαντο. Καὶ τί τὸ κέρδος, φησὶν, ὅταν ἀκούῃ τις, καὶ μὴ ποιῇ τὰ λεγόμενα; Οὐ μικρὸν μὲν καὶ ἀπὸ τῆς ἀκροάσεως ἔσται τὸ κέρδος. Καὶ γὰρ καταγνώσεται ἑαυτοῦ καὶ στενάξει, καὶ ἥξει ποτὲ καὶ ἐπὶ τὸ ποιεῖν τὰ λεγόμενα. Ὁ δὲ μηδ' ὅτι ἥμαρτεν εἰδὼς, πότε ἀποστήσεται τοῦ πλημμελεῖν; πότε καταγνώσεται ἑαυτοῦ; Μὴ τοίνυν καταφρονῶμεν τῆς ἀκροάσεως τῶν θείων Γραφῶν. Σατανικῆς γὰρ ταῦτα διανοίας, οὐκ ἀφιείσης τὸν θησαυρὸν ἰδεῖν, ἵνα μὴ τὸν πλοῦτον κερδάνωμεν. ∆ιὰ τοῦτο οὐδὲν εἶναί φησι τὴν ἀκρόασιν τῶν θείων νόμων, ἵνα μὴ τὴν πρᾶξιν ἀπὸ τῆς ἀκροάσεως ἴδῃ προσγενομένην ἡμῖν. Εἰδότες τοίνυν τὴν πονηρὰν ταύτην αὐτοῦ τέχνην, πάντοθεν ἑαυτοὺς ἀποτειχίζωμεν, ἵνα τοῖς ὅπλοις τούτοις φραξάμενοι, αὐτοί τε ἀνάλωτοι μένωμεν, καὶ τὴν ἐκείνου βάλωμεν κεφαλήν· καὶ οὕτω λαμπρὰ τὰ νικητήρια