John Chrysostom, On the Letter to the Philippians

let us learn; for elsewhere he says, I have been crucified to the world, and the world to me. How then does he say, I no longer live, and how again, For to me to live is Christ, hear: 62.201 The name of life is of many meanings, beloved, that is, it signifies many things, just as does that of death. There is this life of the body, and there is the life of sin; as he himself says elsewhere: But if we died to sin, how shall we still live in it? Therefore it is possible to live the life of sin; pay close attention, I beseech you, so that we may not labor in vain; there is the eternal and immortal life, and with this, the heavenly one; For our citizenship, he says, is in heaven. There is the life of the body, of which he says, In him we live, and move, and have our being. Therefore he does not say that he does not live the natural life, but this life of sin, which all men live; and reasonably so. For he who does not desire the present life, how does he live it? he who is hastening to another, how does he live this one? he who despises death, how does he live this one? he who desires none of the things here, how does he live this one? For just as one composed of adamant, though he be struck ten thousand times, would never be turned aside; so neither was Paul. But I live, he says, yet not I, that is, the old man; and again elsewhere, Wretched man that I am! Who will deliver me from this body of death? So he who does nothing for the sake of food, nothing for the sake of clothing, nothing for the sake of any of the present things, how does this man live? This man does not even live the natural life; he who cares for none of the things of this life, does not live. We live this life, we who do all things for its sake; but he did not live it; for he was occupied with none of the things here. How then did he live? So we also say of some people: So-and-so is not present to me, when he does nothing that pertains to me; so-and-so does not live for me, again in like manner. For that he does not reject the natural life, he says elsewhere: And the life I now live in the flesh I live by faith in the Son of God, who loved me and gave himself for me. That is, I live a certain new life, a transformed one. 3. All these things, then, he says for the consolation of the Philippians. Do not think, he says, that I am deprived of this life; since even when I was living, I did not live this life, but that which Christ willed. For tell me, he who despises money, luxury, hunger and thirst, dangers, health, salvation, does he live this life? he who has nothing here, who often wishes to cast it away, when there is necessity, and does not cling to it, does he live this life? By no means. But it is necessary to make this clear to you by way of example; for instance, let someone be in great wealth, and have servants and gold, and use none of these things; is this man rich with that wealth? By no means. Let him also see his children squandering his possessions, wandering about idly, and let him care for none of these things; and if you wish, let him not feel pain even when being beaten; shall we say he is in wealth? By no means; and yet it is his. So also Paul, To me, he says, to live is Christ. If you wish to examine my life, it is he. And to die is gain. Why? Because I will be with him more clearly; 62.202 so that to die is rather to live. Those who are about to kill me will do me no terrible thing, but will send me on to my life, and release me from this one that is not fitting. What then? while being here, were you not Christ’s. Very much so. Yet for me to live in the flesh, this is fruit from my labor; and what I shall choose I do not know. Lest anyone should say: If, then, that is life, for what reason did Christ leave you here? It is fruit from my labor, he says. So it is possible to use even the present life for what is needful, not living it as the many do. This he says, that you may not think life is to be slandered, nor say: For if we are of no use here, for what reason are we not

μάθωμεν· καὶ γὰρ ἀλλαχοῦ φησιν, Ἐγὼ τῷ κόσμῳ ἐσταύρωμαι, καὶ ἐμοὶ ὁ κόσμος. Πῶς οὖν φησιν, Οὐκέτι ζῶ, καὶ πῶς πάλιν, Ἐμοὶ τὸ ζῇν Χριστὸς, ἀκούσατε· 62.201 Τὸ τῆς ζωῆς ὄνομα πολυσήμαντόν ἐστιν, ἀγαπητοὶ, τουτέστι, πολλὰ σημαίνει, ὥσπερ καὶ τὸ τοῦ θανάτου. Ἔστι ζωὴ αὕτη ἡ τοῦ σώματος, καὶ ἔστι ζωὴ ἡ τῆς ἁμαρτίας· καθώς φησιν αὐτὸς ἀλλαχοῦ· Εἰ δὲ ἀπεθάνομεν τῇ ἁμαρτίᾳ, πῶς ἔτι ζήσομεν ἐν αὐτῇ; Ἄρα ἔστι ζῇν τὴν τῆς ἁμαρτίας ζωήν· προσέχετε ἀκριβῶς, παρακαλῶ, ἵνα μὴ εἰκῆ κοπτώμεθα· ἔστι ζωὴ ἡ ἀΐδιος καὶ ἀθάνατος, μετὰ δὲ ταύτης ἡ οὐράνιος· Ἡμῶν γὰρ, φησὶ, τὸ πολίτευμα ἐν οὐρανοῖς ὑπάρχει. Ἔστι ζωὴ ἡ τοῦ σώματος, ἥν φησι, ∆ι' αὐτοῦ ζῶμεν, καὶ κινούμεθα, καὶ ἐσμέν. Οὐ τὴν φυσικὴν οὖν φησι μὴ ζῇν ζωὴν, ἀλλὰ ταύτην τὴν τῶν ἁμαρτημάτων, ἣν ἅπαντες ἄνθρωποι ζῶσιν· εἰκότως. Ὁ γὰρ μὴ ἐπιθυμῶν τῆς παρούσης ζωῆς, πῶς ταύτην ζῇ; ὁ πρὸς ἑτέραν σπεύδων, πῶς ταύτην ζῇ; ὁ θανάτου καταφρονῶν, πῶς ταύτην ζῇ; ὁ μηδενὸς τῶν ἐνταῦθα ἐπιθυμῶν, πῶς ταύτην ζῇ; Ὥσπερ γὰρ ὁ ἐξ ἀδάμαντος συγκείμενος, κἂν μυριάκις πλήττοιτο, οὐκ ἂν ἐπιστραφείη ποτέ· οὕτως οὐδὲ ὁ Παῦλος· Ζῶ δὲ, φησὶν, οὐκέτι ἐγὼ, τουτέστιν, ὁ παλαιὸς ἄνθρωπος· καὶ πάλιν ἀλλαχοῦ, Ταλαίπωρος ἐγὼ ἄνθρωπος· τίς με ῥύσεται ἐκ τοῦ σώματος τοῦ θανάτου τούτου; Οὕτως ὁ μηδὲν διὰ τροφὴν ποιῶν, ὁ μηδὲν δι' ἔνδυμα, ὁ μηδὲν διά τι τῶν παρόντων, πῶς οὗτος ζῇ; Οὗτος οὐδὲ τὴν φυσικὴν ζωὴν ζῇ· ὁ μηδενὸς φροντίζων τῶν βιωτικῶν, οὐ ζῇ. Ἡμεῖς ζῶμεν τοῦτον τὸν βίον, οἱ πάντα ὑπὲρ τούτου πράττοντες· ἐκεῖνος δὲ οὐκ ἔζη· οὐδὲν γὰρ ἐπραγματεύετο τῶν ἐνταῦθα. Πῶς οὖν ἔζη; Οὕτω καὶ ἡμεῖς ἐπί τινων λέγομεν· Ἐμοὶ ὁ δεῖνα οὐ πάρεστιν, ὅταν μηδὲν πράττῃ τῶν ἀνηκόντων εἰς ἐμέ· ἐμοὶ ὁ δεῖνα οὐ ζῇ, πάλιν ὁμοίως. Ὅτι γὰρ οὐ τὴν φυσικὴν παραιτεῖται ζωὴν, φησὶν ἀλλαχοῦ· Ὃ δὲ νῦν ζῶ ἐν σαρκὶ, ἐν πίστει ζῶ τῇ τοῦ Υἱοῦ τοῦ Θεοῦ τοῦ ἀγαπήσαντός με, καὶ παραδόντος ἑαυτὸν ὑπὲρ ἐμοῦ. Τουτέστι, Καινήν τινα ζωὴν ζῶ, ἐξηλλαγμένην. γʹ. Ταῦτα δὴ πάντα πρὸς παραμυθίαν τῶν Φιλιππησίων λέγει. Μὴ νομίσητε, φησὶν, ὅτι τῆς ζωῆς ἀποστεροῦμαι ταύτης· ἐπεὶ μηδὲ ζῶν, ταύτην ἔζων τὴν ζωὴν, ἀλλ' ἐκείνην, ἢν ὁ Χριστὸς ἐβούλετο. Εἰπὲ γάρ μοι, ὁ χρημάτων καταφρονῶν, ὁ τρυφῆς, ὁ λιμοῦ καὶ δίψης, ὁ κινδύνων, ὁ ὑγείας, ὁ σωτηρίας, ταύτην ζῇ τὴν ζωήν; ὁ μηδὲν ἐνταῦθα ἔχων, ὁ πολλάκις αὐτὴν ῥῖψαι βουλόμενος, ἀνάγκης οὔσης, καὶ μὴ ἀντιποιηθεὶς, ταύτην ζῇ τὴν ζωήν; Οὐδαμῶς. Ὡς ἐπὶ ὑποδείγματος δὲ ὑμῖν χρὴ τοῦτο ποιῆσαι φανερόν· οἷον, ἔστω τις ἐν πλούτῳ πολλῷ, καὶ οἰκέτας ἐχέτω καὶ χρυσίον, καὶ μηδενὶ τούτων κεχρήσθω· ἆρα οὗτος πλουτεῖ τὸν πλοῦτον ἐκεῖνον; Οὐδαμῶς. Ὁράτω δὲ καὶ διασπαθῶντας τὰ ὑπάρχοντα τοὺς παῖδας, εἰκῆ ῥεμβομένους, καὶ μηδενὸς αὐτῶν φροντιζέτω· εἰ βούλει δὲ, καὶ τυπτόμενος μὴ ἀλγείτω· ἆρα φήσομεν αὐτὸν εἶναι ἐν πλούτῳ; Οὐδαμῶς· καίτοι γε αὐτοῦ ἐστιν. Οὕτω καὶ Παῦλος, Ἐμοὶ, φησὶ, τὸ ζῇν Χριστός. Εἰ βούλει τὴν ζωὴν ἐξετάσαι τὴν ἐμὴν, ἐκεῖνός ἐστι. Καὶ τὸ ἀποθανεῖν κέρδος. ∆ιὰ τί; Ὅτι σαφέ 62.202 στερον αὐτῷ συνέσομαι μᾶλλον· ὥστε μᾶλλόν ἐστι ζῆσαι τὸ ἀποθανεῖν. Οὐδὲν δεινὸν ἐργάσονταί με οἱ ἀποκτενοῦντές με, τῇ ζωῇ παραπέμποντες τῇ ἐμῇ, καὶ ταύτης τῆς οὐ προσηκούσης ἀπαλλάττοντες. Τί οὖν; ἐνταῦθα ὢν, οὐκ ἦς τοῦ Χριστοῦ. Καὶ σφόδρα. Εἰ δὲ τὸ ζῇν ἐν σαρκὶ, τοῦτό μοι καρπὸς ἔργου, καὶ τί αἱρήσομαι οὐ γνωρίζω. Ἵνα μή τις εἴποι· Εἰ τοίνυν ἐκεῖνο ζωὴ, τίνος ἕνεκεν ὁ Χριστὸς εἴασέ σε ἐνταῦθα; Καρπὸς ἔργου, φησὶν, ἐστίν. Ὥστε ἔνεστι καὶ τῇ παρούσῃ ζωῇ εἰς δέον χρήσασθαι, μὴ ζῶντας αὐτὴν, ὡς οἱ πολλοί. Τοῦτό φησιν, ἵνα μὴ νομίσῃς διαβεβλῆσθαι τὴν ζωὴν, μηδὲ εἴπῃς· Εἰ γὰρ οὐδὲν χρησιμεύο[ι]μεν ἐνταῦθα, τίνος ἕνεκεν οὐκ