John Chrysostom, On John

both of the goods here and of those that have been promised, by the grace of Christ, with whom to the Father be the glory, together with the Holy Spirit, for ever and ever. Amen.

59.45 HOMILY 4. In the beginning was the Word, and the Word was with God.

αʹ. When children are first introduced to their lessons, their teachers do not give them many burdens in a row, nor do they do this all at once, but rather they give them short lessons, and often repeat the same things to them, so that what is said may be easily impressed upon their minds, and so that they are not, from the beginning, disheartened by the quantity and the difficulty of remembering, becoming more slothful in gathering what has been given, some torpor coming upon them from the difficulty. Wishing to do this very thing myself, and to make your labor light, I thus place into your souls, taking them little by little, the things upon this divine table. For which reason also 59.46 I will take up the same words again, not to say the same things again, but only to add what is lacking. Come, then, let us lead the discourse again to the introduction. In the beginning was the Word, and the Word was with God. For what reason, when all the other evangelists began from the economy (for Matthew says, The book of the generation of Jesus Christ, the son of David; and Luke in the beginning relates to us the things concerning Mary; and Mark likewise dwells on the same words, weaving from there the history concerning the Baptist), does John, after hinting at this briefly and later on, saying, And the Word was made flesh, pass over all the other things—the conception, the birth, the upbringing, the growth—and straightway relate to us about the eternal generation? What, then, is the cause of these things? 59.47 I will now tell you. Since the other evangelists dwelt for the most part on the accounts of the flesh, there was a fear lest some, being for this reason groveling, should remain only in these doctrines; which also Paul of Samosata suffered. Leading up, therefore, those who were about to fall into this groveling, and drawing them up to heaven, he fittingly makes the beginning of his narrative from above and from the eternal existence. For while Matthew enters into the narrative from Herod the king, Luke from Tiberius Caesar, and Mark from the baptism of John, this one, leaving all these things, ascends above all time and age, there darting the mind of his hearers to, In the beginning was, not allowing it to stop anywhere, nor setting a limit, as they did, with Herod and Tiberius and John. But what is worthy of wonder along with these things, is most of all to say this, that neither did this one, in devoting himself to the higher discourse, neglect the economy; nor did they, in being zealous for the narrative concerning this, keep silent about the pre-eternal existence; and very rightly so. For it was one Spirit that moved the souls of all; for which reason also they showed great unanimity in their account. But you, beloved, when you hear "Word," never tolerate those who say He is a work, nor those who think He is simply a word. For many are the words of God, which the angels also perform, but none of those words is God; but all those are prophecies and commands (for so the Scripture is accustomed to call the laws of God, and the commandments, and the prophecies; for which reason also it adds, speaking concerning the angels, Mighty in strength, performing his word); but this Word is a certain substance with its own hypostasis, which has come forth from the Father without passion. For this, as I have already said, he declared by the appellation of the Word. As therefore, In the beginning was the Word, signifies what is eternal; so, He was in the beginning with God, has shown to us what is co-eternal. For lest, having heard that In the beginning was the Word, you should think Him eternal, but suspect His life to be older than the Father's by some interval and a greater age,

καὶ τῶν ἐνταῦθα καὶ τῶν ἐπηγγελμένων ἀγαθῶν, χάριτι τοῦ Χριστοῦ, μεθ' οὗ τῷ Πατρὶ ἡ δόξα, ἅμα τῷ ἁγίῳ Πνεύματι, εἰς τοὺς αἰῶνας τῶν αἰώνων. Ἀμήν.

59.45 ΟΜΙΛΙΑ ∆ʹ. Ἐν ἀρχῇ ἦν ὁ Λόγος, καὶ ὁ Λόγος ἦν πρὸς τὸν Θεόν.

αʹ. Τοῖς ἄρτι τῶν παίδων εἰσαγομένοις πρὸς τὰ μαθήματα οὔτε πολλὰ ἐφεξῆς ἐπιτιθέασιν οἱ διδάσκαλοι τὰ φορτία, οὔτε εἰσάπαξ τοῦτο ποιοῦσιν, ἀλλὰ καὶ βραχέα, καὶ τὰ αὐτὰ πολλάκις ἐνηχοῦσιν αὐτοῖς, ὥστε αὐτῶν ῥᾳδίως ἐντεθῆναι τῇ διανοίᾳ τὰ λεγόμενα, ἀλλὰ μὴ ἐκ προοιμίων δυσχεράναντας αὐτοὺς πρὸς τὸ πλῆθος καὶ τὸ τῆς μνήμης δυσκάθεκτον, ὀκνηροτέρους γενέσθαι περὶ τὴν συλλογὴν τῶν δοθέντων, νάρκης τινὸς αὐτοῖς ἀπὸ τῆς δυσκολίας ἐγγινομένης. Τοῦτο δὴ καὶ αὐτὸς κατασκευάσαι βουλόμενος, καὶ τὸν πόνον ὑμῖν ποιῆσαι κοῦφον, κατὰ μικρὸν ἀπολαμβάνων τὰ ἐν τῇ θείᾳ ταύτῃ τραπέζῃ, εἰς τὰς ὑμετέρας οὕτως ἐνίημι ψυχάς. ∆ιὸ καὶ 59.46 τῶν αὐτῶν ἅψομαι πάλιν ῥημάτων, οὐχ ὥστε τὰ αὐτὰ πάλιν εἰπεῖν, ἀλλ' ὥστε τὰ λείποντα προσθεῖναι μόνον. Φέρε οὖν, τὸν λόγον ἐπὶ τὰ προοίμια πάλιν ἀγάγωμεν. Ἐν ἀρχῇ ἦν ὁ Λόγος, καὶ ὁ Λόγος ἦν πρὸς τὸν Θεόν. Τίνος ἕνεκεν, τῶν ἄλλων ἁπάντων εὐαγγελιστῶν ἀπὸ τῆς οἰκονομίας ἀρξαμένων (καὶ γὰρ ὁ Ματθαῖός φησι, Βίβλος γενέσεως Ἰησοῦ Χριστοῦ υἱοῦ ∆αυΐδ· καὶ ὁ Λουκᾶς τὰ κατὰ τὴν Μαρίαν ἡμῖν ἐν ἀρχῇ διηγεῖται· καὶ ὁ Μάρκος δὲ ὁμοίως τοῖς αὐτοῖς ἐνδιατρίβει λόγοις, τὴν κατὰ τὸν Βαπτιστὴν ἱστορίαν ἐντεῦθεν ὑφαίνων), ὁ Ἰωάννης τοῦτο μὲν ἐν βραχεῖ καὶ μετὰ ταῦτα ᾐνίξατο εἰπὼν, Καὶ ὁ Λόγος σὰρξ ἐγένετο· τὰ δὲ ἄλλα πάντα παραδραμὼν, τὴν σύλληψιν, τὸν τόκον, τὴν ἀνατροφὴν, τὴν αὔξησιν, εὐθέως περὶ τῆς ἀϊδίου γεννήσεως ἡμῖν διηγεῖται; Τί ποτ' οὖν ἐστι τὸ αἴτιον τούτων, 59.47 ἤδη πρὸς ὑμᾶς ἐρῶ. Τῶν λοιπῶν εὐαγγελιστῶν τὸ πλέον ἐν τοῖς κατὰ σάρκα διατριψάντων λόγοις, δέος ἦν τοῦ μή τινας διὰ τοῦτο χαμαιπετεῖς ὄντας τούτοις ἐναπομεῖναι μόνοις τοῖς δόγμασιν· ὃ καὶ Παῦλος ἔπαθεν ὁ Σαμοσατεύς. Ἐκ ταύτης τοίνυν ἀνάγων τῆς χαμαιζηλίας τοὺς μέλλοντας ἐμπεσεῖσθαι, καὶ εἰς τὸν οὐρανὸν ἀνέλκων, εἰκότως ἄνωθεν καὶ ἐκ τῆς ὑπάρξεως τῆς ἀϊδίου ποιεῖται τῆς διηγήσεως τὴν ἀρχήν. Τοῦ μὲν γὰρ Ματθαίου ἀπὸ Ἡρώδου τοῦ βασιλέως, τοῦ Λουκᾶ δὲ ἀπὸ Τιβερίου τοῦ Καίσαρος, τοῦ δὲ Μάρκου ἀπὸ τοῦ βαπτίσματος Ἰωάννου πρὸς τὴν διήγησιν εἰσβαλόντων, πάντα ταῦτα ἀφεὶς οὗτος, ἀνωτέρω παντὸς ἄνεισι χρόνου τε καὶ αἰῶνος, ἐκεῖ τὴν διάνοιαν τῶν ἀκροατῶν ἀκοντίζων πρὸς τὸ, Ἐν ἀρχῇ ἦν, καὶ οὐκ ἀφιεὶς στῆναί που, οὐδὲ ὅρον τιθεὶς, καθάπερ ἐκεῖνοι, τὸν Ἡρώδην καὶ τὸν Τιβέριον καὶ τὸν Ἰωάννην. Ὃ δὲ ἄξιον μετὰ τούτων θαυμάσαι, ἐκεῖνο μάλιστα εἰπεῖν ἔστιν, ὅτι οὔτε οὗτος πρὸς τὸν ὑψηλότερον ἑαυτὸν λόγον ἀφιεὶς τῆς οἰκονομίας ἠμέλησεν· οὔτε ἐκεῖνοι τὴν περὶ ταύτης ἐσπουδακότες διήγησιν, τὴν προαιώνιον ἐσίγησαν ὕπαρξιν· καὶ μάλα εἰκότως. Ἓν γὰρ ἦν τὸ Πνεῦμα τὸ κινοῦν τὰς ἁπάντων ψυχάς· διὸ καὶ πολλὴν περὶ τὴν ἀπαγγελίαν ἐπεδείξαντο τὴν ὁμόνοιαν. Σὺ δὲ, ἀγαπητὲ, Λόγον ἀκούσας, μηδέποτε ἀνάσχῃ τῶν λεγόντων ἔργον αὐτὸν εἶναι, ἀλλὰ μηδὲ τῶν ἁπλῶς λόγον αὐτὸν εἶναι νομιζόντων. Πολλοὶ μὲν γὰρ οἱ τοῦ Θεοῦ λόγοι, οὓς καὶ ἄγγελοι ποιοῦσιν, ἀλλ' οὐδεὶς ἐκείνων τῶν λόγων Θεὸς, ἀλλ' ἐκεῖνοι μὲν ἅπαντες προφητεῖαι καὶ προστάγματα (οὕτω γὰρ ἔθος τῇ Γραφῇ καλεῖν τοὺς νόμους τοῦ Θεοῦ, καὶ τὰ ἐπιτάγματα, καὶ τὰς προφητείας· διὸ καὶ ἐπάγει λέγων περὶ τῶν ἀγγέλων, ∆υνατοὶ ἰσχύϊ, ποιοῦντες τὸν λόγον αὐτοῦ)· οὗτος δὲ ὁ Λόγος οὐσία τίς ἐστιν ἐνυπόστατος, ἐξ αὐτοῦ προελθοῦσα ἀπαθῶς τοῦ Πατρός. Τοῦτο γὰρ, ὡς ἔφθην εἰπὼν, διὰ τῆς τοῦ Λόγου προσηγορίας ἐδήλωσεν. Ὥσπερ οὖν τὸ, Ἐν ἀρχῇ ἦν ὁ Λόγος, τὸ ἀΐδιον δηλοῖ· οὕτω τὸ, Οὗτος ἦν ἐν ἀρχῇ πρὸς τὸν Θεὸν, τὸ συναΐδιον ἡμῖν ἐνέφηνεν. Ἵνα γὰρ μὴ, ἀκούσας ὅτι Ἐν ἀρχῇ ἦν ὁ Λόγος, ἀΐδιον μὲν νομίσῃς, πρεσβυτέραν δὲ διαστήματί τινι τοῦ Πατρὸς τὴν ζωὴν ὑποπτεύσῃς καὶ αἰῶνι πλείονι,