John Chrysostom, Against the Jews

he will not be able to escape, as long as he wishes to obey it even in part. We say these things not to accuse the law, far from it! but because we wish to show the surpassing wealth of the grace of Christ. For the law is not opposed to Christ; for how could it be, given by Him, leading us to Him as a tutor? but because of the inopportune contentiousness of those who do not use it as they ought, we are compelled to say all these things. For they are the ones who insult the law, who command to depart from it altogether and to approach Christ, and yet hold on to it again. For that the law has benefited our nature in the greatest ways, I too confess, and would never deny. But you, who hold on to it out of season, do not allow the greatness of its benefit to be seen. For just as it would be the greatest praise for a tutor, that the young man tutored by him no longer48.860 needs his guardianship for self-control, having advanced to a greater virtue; so also for the law it would be the greatest praise, that we no longer have need of its help. For this very thing has been done for us by the law, that our soul has been made more fit for the reception of a greater philosophy. So that he who still sits beside it, and is not able to see anything greater than what is written there, has gained nothing great from it. But I, who have left this and run to the higher doctrines of Christ, would be most able to glorify it, because it has made me such that I was able, having surpassed the smallness of what is written in it, to ascend to the height of the teaching that came to us from Christ. The law has greatly benefited our nature, but only if it brings one genuinely to Christ; for if this is not the case, it has even done harm, by depriving us of greater things through adherence to lesser things, and by still holding us in the myriad wounds of transgressions. For if there were two physicians, one weaker, the other more powerful, and the one, by applying remedies to the wounds, could not completely free the sick person from the pain of them ... is missing ...

3. ... your brother, leave your gift there before the altar, and go; first be reconciled to your brother, and then come and offer your gift. He did not say, Conclude the sacrifice, and then go, but, Leave it to remain unfulfilled, and go and be reconciled to your brother. And not only here did he do this, but elsewhere again. For if someone has an unbelieving wife, that is, a Greek woman, he is not compelled to cast her out; For if any man, he says, has an unbelieving wife, and she is content to live with him, let him not send her away; but if she is a fornicator and an adulteress, he is not prevented from casting her out. For whoever, he says, divorces his wife, except for the reason of fornication, makes her commit adultery. So for the reason of fornication it is permitted to divorce. Do you see the philanthropy of God and his care? If your wife is a Greek woman, he says, do not cast her out; but if she is a fornicator, I do not forbid you to do this. If she acts impiously toward me, he says, do not cast her out; but if she insults you, there is no one who forbids you to cast her out. Then God shows us such great honor, and shall we not deem Him worthy of even the same, but will we overlook Him being insulted by our wives, and this even when we know that the greatest chastisement and punishment is laid up for us, when we neglect the salvation of our wives? For this reason He made you the head of the woman, for this reason Paul also commanded; If women wish to learn anything, let them ask their own husbands at home, so that like a teacher and guardian and protector, you may lead her into piety. But you, when the time of assembly calls you to the church, do not rouse them when they are slothful; but when the devil calls them to the trumpets, you do not restrain them when they readily listen, but you overlook them being caught in the accusations of impiety, and being dragged out to 48.861 licentiousness. For prostitutes and effeminate men and the whole chorus of the orchestra are accustomed to run together there. And why do I speak of the fornications

οὐ δυνήσεται διαφυγεῖν, ἕως ἂν αὐτῷ κἂν ἐκ μέρους πείθεσθαι βούληται. Ταῦτα οὐ κατηγοροῦντες τοῦ νόμου λέγομεν, μὴ γένοιτο! ἀλλὰ τὸν ὑπερβάλλοντα πλοῦτον τῆς τοῦ Χριστοῦ χάριτος δεῖξαι βουλόμενοι. Οὐ γάρ ἐστιν ὁ νόμος ἐναντίος τῷ Χριστῷ· πῶς γὰρ ὁ ὑπ' αὐτοῦ δοθεὶς, ὁ πρὸς αὐτὸν ἡμᾶς παιδαγωγῶν; ἀλλὰ διὰ τὴν ἄκαιρον φιλονεικίαν τῶν οὐκ εἰς δέον αὐτῷ χρωμένων πάντα ταῦτα λέγειν ἀναγκαζόμεθα. Ἐκεῖνοι γάρ εἰσιν οἱ τὸν νόμον ὑβρίζοντες, οἱ κελεύοντες ἀποστῆναι καθάπαξ αὐτοῦ, καὶ τῷ Χριστῷ προσελθεῖν, καὶ ἀντεχόμενοι πάλιν αὐτοῦ. Ἐπεὶ ὅτι μέγιστα τὴν φύσιν ὠφέλησε τὴν ἡμετέραν ὁ νόμος, ὁμολογῶ κἀγὼ, καὶ οὐκ ἂν ἀρνηθείην ποτέ. Ἀλλ' ὁ παρὰ καιρὸν ἀντεχόμενος αὐτοῦ σὺ οὐ συγχωρεῖς φανῆναι τῆς ὠφελείας αὐτοῦ τὸ μέγεθος. Καθάπερ γὰρ παιδαγωγοῦ μέγιστον ἐγκώμιον γένοιτ' ἂν, τὸ μηκέ48.860 τι δεῖσθαι τῆς παρ' αὐτοῦ φυλακῆς εἰς σωφροσύνην τὸν ὑπ' αὐτοῦ παιδαγωγηθέντα νέον, εἰς μείζονα ἐπιδόντα ἀρετήν· οὕτω καὶ νόμῳ μέγιστος ἔπαινος γένοιτ' ἂν, τὸ μηκέτι χρείαν ἔχειν ἡμᾶς τῆς παρ' αὐτοῦ βοηθείας. Αὐτὸ γὰρ δὴ τοῦτο παρὰ τοῦ νόμου γέγονεν ἡμῖν, τὸ πρὸς μείζονος φιλοσοφίας ὑποδοχὴν ἐπιτηδειοτέραν ἡμῖν γενέσθαι τὴν ψυχήν. Ὥστε ὁ μὲν ἔτι παρακαθήμενος αὐτῷ, καὶ μὴ δυνάμενος μεῖζόν τι τῶν ἐκεῖ γεγραμμένων ἰδεῖν, οὐδὲν ἐκέρδανε παρ' αὐτοῦ μέγα. Ἐγὼ δὲ ὁ τοῦτον μὲν ἀφεὶς, πρὸς δὲ τὰ ὑψηλότερα τοῦ Χριστοῦ δόγματα δραμὼν, μάλιστα ἂν αὐτὸν δυναίμην σεμνύνειν, ὅτι με τοιοῦτον εἰργάσατο, ὡς δυνηθῆναι τῶν ἐν αὐτῷ γεγραμμένων τὴν σμικρότητα ὑπερβάντα, πρὸς τὸ τῆς διδασκαλίας ὕψος ἀναβῆναι τῆς παρὰ τοῦ Χριστοῦ γενομένης ἡμῖν. Μεγάλα τὴν φύσιν τὴν ἡμετέραν ὠφέλησεν ὁ νόμος, ἀλλ' ἐὰν τῷ Χριστῷ προσαγάγῃ γνησίως· ὡς ἐὰν μὴ τοῦτο ᾖ, καὶ κατέβλαψε, μειζόνων ἀποστερήσας ἡμᾶς τῇ τῶν ἐλαττόνων προσεδρίᾳ, καὶ τῷ πάλιν ἐν τοῖς μυρίοις τῶν παραβάσεων τραύμασιν ἔτι κατέχειν. Καὶ γὰρ εἰ δυοῖν ἰατρῶν ὄντων, τοῦ μὲν ἀσθενεστέρου, τοῦ δὲ δυνατωτέρου, ὁ μὲν τοῖς ἕλκεσι φάρμακα ἐπιτιθεὶς μὴ δύναιτο ἀπαλλάξαι καθάπαξ τῆς ἐξ ἐκείνων ὀδύνης τὸν ἄῤῥωστον ... λείπει ...

γʹ. ... ὁ ἀδελφός σου, ἄφες τὸ δῶρόν σου ἔμπροσθεν τοῦ θυσιαστηρίου, καὶ ὕπαγε· πρῶτον διαλλάγηθι τῷ ἀδελφῷ σου, καὶ τότε ἐλθὼν πρόσφερε τὸ δῶρόν σου. Οὐκ εἶπε, Σύστειλον τὴν θυσίαν, καὶ τότε ἄπελθε, ἀλλ', Ἄφες μένειν ἀπλήρωτον, καὶ ἀπελθὼν διαλλάγηθι τῷ ἀδελφῷ σου. Καὶ οὐκ ἐνταῦθα τοῦτο μόνον ἐποίησεν, ἀλλὰ καὶ ἑτέρωθι πάλιν. Ἐὰν μὲν γὰρ ἄπιστον ἔχῃ γυναῖκά τις, τουτέστιν, Ἑλληνίδα, οὐκ ἀναγκάζεται ἐκβαλεῖν· Εἴ τις γὰρ, φησὶν, ἔχει γυναῖκα ἄπιστον, καὶ αὐτὴ συνευδοκεῖ οἰκεῖν μετ' αὐτοῦ, μὴ ἀφιέτω αὐτήν· ἂν δὲ πόρνην καὶ μοιχαλίδα, οὐ κωλύεται ἐκβάλλειν. Ὃς γὰρ ἂν φησὶν, ἀπολύσει τὴν γυναῖκα αὐτοῦ, παρεκτὸς λόγου πορνείας, ποιεῖ αὐτὴν μοιχευθῆναι. Ὥστε ἐπὶ λόγου πορνείας ἔξεστιν ἀπολῦσαι. Εἶδες φιλανθρωπίαν Θεοῦ καὶ κηδεμονίαν. Ἂν Ἑλληνὶς ᾖ, φησὶν, ἡ γυνὴ, μὴ ἐκβάλλῃς· ἂν δὲ πόρνη, οὐ κωλύω τοῦτο ποιῆσαι. Ἂν εἰς ἐμὲ, φησὶν, ἀσεβήσῃ, μὴ ἐκβάλλῃς· ἂν δὲ εἰς σὲ ὑβρίσῃ, οὐδεὶς ὁ κωλύων ἐκβαλεῖν. Εἶτα ὁ μὲν Θεὸς τοσαύτῃ τιμῇ κέχρηται πρὸς ἡμᾶς, ἡμεῖς δὲ οὐδὲ τῶν ἴσων αὐτὸν ἀξιώσομεν, ἀλλ' ὑβριζόμενον αὐτὸν παρὰ τῶν ἡμετέρων περιοψόμεθα γυναικῶν, καὶ ταῦτα εἰδότες, ὅτι μεγίστη κόλασις ἡμῖν ἀποκείσεται καὶ τιμωρία, ὅταν τῆς τῶν γυναικῶν ὑπερορῶμεν σωτηρίας; ∆ιὰ γὰρ τοῦτο κεφαλήν σε τῆς γυναικὸς ἐποίησε, διὰ τοῦτο καὶ ὁ Παῦλος ἐκέλευσεν· Εἴ τι μαθεῖν θέλουσιν αἱ γυναῖκες, ἐν οἴκῳ τοὺς ἰδίους ἄνδρας ἐπερωτᾷν, ἵνα ὥσπερ διδάσκαλος καὶ κηδεμὼν καὶ προστάτης, εἰς εὐσέβειαν αὐτὴν ἐνάγῃς. Ὑμεῖς δὲ, ὅταν μὲν καιρὸς συνάξεως πρὸς τὴν ἐκκλησίαν καλῇ, ῥᾳθυμούσας οὐ διεγείρετε· τοῦ δὲ διαβόλου πρὸς τὰς σάλπιγγας αὐτὰς καλοῦντος, ἑτοίμως ἐπακουούσας οὐ κατέχετε, ἀλλὰ περιορᾶτε τοῖς τῆς ἀσεβείας ἐγκλήμασιν ἁλισκομένας, καὶ πρὸς 48.861 ἀκολασίαν ἐξελκομένας. Καὶ γὰρ πόρναι καὶ μαλακοὶ καὶ πᾶς ὁ τῆς ὀρχήστρας χορὸς ἐκεῖ συντρέχειν εἰώθασι. Καὶ τί λέγω πορνείας τὰς