John Chrysostom, On 1 Timothy

and of one who loves exceedingly. Having said, therefore, many and great things about the philanthropy of God, that He had mercy on one who was a blasphemer and an insolent man and a persecutor, and that He did not stop only at this, but also counted him worthy of other great things, he again guards against that point of the unbelievers, not to say that free will is taken away; for he added, With faith and love which is in Christ Jesus. This only, he says, did we contribute; we believed that He is able to save us. 3. Let us therefore love Him through Christ. What is, Through Christ? That He has become the author of this for us, not the Law. Do you see of what good things Christ has become the cause for us, and of what things the Law has? And he did not simply say, Grace abounded, but Grace super-abounded. For it did indeed super-abound, leading suddenly into adoption those who were worthy of ten thousand punishments. Behold, again, in, is through; for not only is faith needed, but also love; since there are many even now who believe that Christ is God, but do not love Him, nor do the things of those who love; for how can they, when they prefer all things to Him: money, birth, fate, observation of omens, presages, auguries? And when we live to His dishonor, tell me, what love is there? If anyone has a warm and fervent friend, let him love Christ even so; let him so love the One who gave His Son for His enemies, when we had accomplished nothing good. What do I say, accomplished good? Indeed, having done great evils, and having dared undarable things for nothing. And He, after ten thousand benefactions and cares, did not even so cast us off, but then especially gave His Son, when we had wronged Him more greatly; but we, after receiving so many things, after becoming friends, after being deemed worthy of all good things through Him, have not loved Him even as a friend. And what hope will there be for us? Perhaps you shudder at the word; but would that you shuddered at the deeds. And how, he says, will we not love God even as we love our friends? How? I will try to show; and I pray that I may seem to say nothing, but to be talking nonsense; but I fear that the words spoken may be in accordance with the facts. Consider this: for the sake of friends, truly friends, many have often chosen even to suffer loss; but for Christ's sake, no one endures not only to suffer loss, but even to be content with what they have. For a friend we have often been insulted, and have taken up enmities; but for Christ's sake no one takes up an enmity, but, Love without cause, he says, hate not without cause. We would never overlook a starving friend; but Christ, who comes to us every day not for something great, but only for bread, we do not even receive, and this while we are belching foul odors, and are torn by gluttony, and are slaves to our bellies, and breathing out yesterday's wine, and living in luxury, and some giving to prostitutes, some 62.519 to parasites, some to flatterers, some to monstrosities and fools and dwarfs; for they even bring these defects of nature in for entertainment. And we never envy friends who are truly friends, nor are we stung by their prosperity; but in Christ's case we suffer even this; and one might see friendship having more strength than the fear of God. For even the treacherous and envious man respects men more than God. How? I will tell you. Because though God sees the things in his heart, a man does not refrain from weaving deceits; but if a man sees another man, he is undone, and blushes. Why do I say this? We go to a friend who is in trouble, and if we delay even a little, we are afraid we may be condemned; but when Christ has often died in bonds, we have not even visited. And we go to our faithful friends, not because they are faithful, but because they are friends. 4. Do you see that nothing is done from the fear of God, nor from affection for Him, but some things from friendship, others from habit? Seeing a friend going abroad, we weep, we groan, and if also

καὶ σφόδρα ἀγαπῶντος. Εἰπὼν τοίνυν πολλὰ καὶ μεγάλα περὶ τῆς φιλανθρωπίας τοῦ Θεοῦ, ὅτι βλάσφημον ὄντα καὶ ὑβριστὴν καὶ διώκτην ἠλέησε, καὶ ὅτι οὐ μέχρι τούτου ἔστη μόνον, ἀλλὰ καὶ μεγάλων ἑτέρων ἠξίωσε, πάλιν ἐκεῖνο ἀσφαλίζεται τὸ τῶν ἀπίστων, τὸ μὴ λέγειν ὅτι ἡ προαίρεσις ἀνήρηται· ἐπήγαγε γοῦν, Μετὰ πίστεως καὶ ἀγάπης τῆς ἐν Χριστῷ Ἰησοῦ. Τοσοῦτον μόνον, φησὶν, ἡμεῖς εἰσηνέγκαμεν· ἐπιστεύσαμεν, ὅτι δύναται ἡμᾶς σῶσαι. γʹ. Ἀγαπήσωμεν τοίνυν αὐτὸν διὰ τοῦ Χριστοῦ. Τί ἐστι, ∆ιὰ τοῦ Χριστοῦ; Ὅτι αὐτὸς ἡμῖν τούτου πρόξενος γέγονεν, οὐχ ὁ νόμος. Ὁρᾷς τίνων μὲν ὁ Χριστὸς αἴτιος ἡμῖν γέγονεν ἀγαθῶν, τίνων δὲ ὁ νόμος; Καὶ οὐχ ἁπλῶς εἶπεν, Ἐπλεόνασεν ἡ χάρις, ἀλλ' Ὑπερεπλεόνασε. Καὶ γὰρ ὄντως ὑπερεπλεόνασε, τοὺς μυρίων κολάσεων ἀξίους, τούτους εἰς υἱοθεσίαν ἀγαγοῦσα ἐξαίφνης. Ἰδοὺ πάλιν τὸ, ἐν, διὰ ἐστίν· οὐ γὰρ πίστεως δεῖ μόνον, ἀλλὰ καὶ ἀγάπης· ἐπεὶ πολλοὶ καὶ νῦν εἰσιν, ὅτι μέν ἐστιν ὁ Χριστὸς Θεὸς πιστεύοντες, οὐκ ἀγαπῶντες δὲ αὐτὸν, οὐδὲ τὰ τῶν φιλούντων πράσσοντες· πῶς γὰρ, ὅταν πάντα αὐτοῦ προτιμῶσι, χρήματα, γένεσιν, εἱμαρμένην, παρατήρησιν, κλῃδονισμοὺς, οἰωνισμούς; Ὅταν δὲ εἰς ὕβριν αὐτοῦ ζῶμεν, εἰπέ μοι, ποία ἀγάπη; Εἴ τις ἔχει φίλον θερμὸν καὶ διάπυρον, κἂν οὕτω φιλείτω τὸν Χριστόν· κἂν οὕτω φιλείτω τὸν ὑπὲρ τῶν ἐχθρῶν τὸν Υἱὸν αὐτοῦ δεδωκότα, οὐδὲν ἡμῶν κατωρθωκότων. Τί λέγω, κατωρθωκότων; μεγάλα μὲν οὖν ἐργασαμένων κακὰ, καὶ τετολμηκότων ἀτόλμητα ἀντ' οὐδενός. Καὶ ὁ μὲν μετὰ τὰς μυρίας εὐεργεσίας καὶ κηδεμονίας οὐδὲ οὕτως ἔῤῥιψεν, ἀλλὰ τότε μάλιστα τὸν Υἱὸν ἔδωκεν, ὅτε μείζονα ἠδικήσαμεν· ἡμεῖς δὲ μετὰ τὸ τοσούτων τυχεῖν, μετὰ τὸ γενέσθαι φίλοι, μετὰ τὸ πάντων τῶν ἀγαθῶν ἀξιωθῆναι δι' αὐτοῦ, οὐδὲ ὡς φίλον ἠγαπήσαμεν. Καὶ τίς ἡμῖν ἔσται ἐλπίς; Τάχα φρίττετε πρὸς τὸ ῥῆμα· ἀλλ' εἴθε πρὸς τὰ πράγματα. Καὶ πῶς, φησὶν, οὐδὲ ὡς τοὺς φίλους οὕτω φιλήσομεν τὸν Θεόν; Πῶς; ἐγὼ πειράσομαι δεῖξαι· καὶ εὔχομαι μὲν μηδὲν δόξαι λέγειν, ἀλλὰ ληρεῖν· φοβοῦμαι δὲ μὴ κατὰ πραγμάτων ᾖ τὰ λεγόμενα ῥήματα. Σκόπει δέ· ὑπὲρ φίλων, τῶν ὄντως φίλων, πολλοὶ καὶ ζημιωθῆναι εἵλοντο πολλάκις· τοῦ δὲ Χριστοῦ ἕνεκεν οὐ μόνον ζημιωθῆναι, ἀλλὰ τοῖς οὖσιν ἀρκεῖσθαι οὐδεὶς ἀνέχεται. Ὑπὲρ φίλου πολλάκις καὶ ὑβρίσθημεν, καὶ ἔχθρας ἀνεδεξάμεθα· διὰ δὲ τὸν Χριστὸν οὐδεὶς ἔχθραν ἀναδέχεται, ἀλλ' εἰκῆ, φησὶ, φιλοῦ, εἰκῆ μὴ μισοῦ. Τὸν φίλον λιμώττοντα οὐδέποτε περιοψόμεθα· τὸν δὲ Χριστὸν καθ' ἡμέραν ἡμῖν προσιόντα οὐχ ὑπέρ τινος μεγάλου, ἀλλ' ὑπὲρ ἄρτου μόνον, οὐδὲ προσιέμεθα, καὶ ταῦτα ἐρευγόμενοι δυσωδίας, καὶ διασπώμενοι καὶ γαστριζόμενοι, καὶ τὸν χθεσινὸν οἶνον ἀποπνέοντες, καὶ τρυφῶντες, καὶ οἱ μὲν πόρναις διδόντες, οἱ 62.519 δὲ παρασίτοις, οἱ δὲ κόλαξιν, οἱ δὲ τέρασι καὶ μωροῖς καὶ νάννοις· καὶ γὰρ τὰ τῆς φύσεως ἁμαρτήματα ταῦτα φέρουσιν εἰς τέρψιν. Καὶ φίλοις τοῖς ὄντως φίλοις οὐδέποτε φθονοῦμεν, οὐδὲ δακνόμεθα τῇ τούτων εὐπραγίᾳ· ἐπὶ δὲ τοῦ Χριστοῦ καὶ τοῦτο πάσχομεν· καὶ μείζονα ἴδοι τις ἂν τὴν φιλίαν ἰσχύουσαν, ἢ τὸν τοῦ Θεοῦ φόβον. Καὶ γὰρ ὁ ὕπουλος καὶ ὁ φθονερὸς μᾶλλον τοῦ Θεοῦ τοὺς ἀνθρώπους αἰδεῖται. Πῶς; ἐγὼ λέγω· ὅτι τοῦ μὲν Θεοῦ ὁρῶντος τὰ κατὰ καρδίαν, οὐκ ἀφίσταται ἄνθρωπος δόλους ῥάπτων· ἂν δὲ ἄνθρωπον ἴδῃ ἄνθρωπος, ἀπόλωλε, καὶ ἐρυθριᾷ. Τί τοῦτο λέγω; Πρὸς φίλον μὲν κακούμενον ἀπερχόμεθα, κἂν μικρόν τι ἀναβαλώμεθα, φοβούμεθα μὴ καταγνωσθῶμεν· τοῦ δὲ Χριστοῦ πολλάκις ἐν δεσμοῖς ἀποθανόντος, οὐδὲ ἐπεσκεψάμεθα. Καὶ πρὸς τοὺς φίλους δὲ τοὺς πιστοὺς, οὐκ ἐπειδὴ πιστοί εἰσιν, ἀπερχόμεθα, ἀλλ' ἐπειδὴ φίλοι. δʹ. Ὁρᾷς οὐδὲν φόβῳ Θεοῦ γινόμενον, οὐδὲ τῷ περὶ αὐτὸν φίλτρῳ, ἀλλὰ τὰ μὲν φιλίᾳ, τὰ δὲ συνηθείᾳ; Ὁρῶντες φίλον ἀποδημοῦντα, κλαίομεν, στένομεν, ἂν δὲ καὶ