John Chrysostom, On Timothy

of the proclamation. For Greeks judge doctrines not from doctrine, but from deeds and life. Therefore, let women and slaves be their teachers through their own conduct. For indeed among them, and everywhere this is confessed, that the race of slaves is somehow headstrong, hard to reform, unruly, not very suited to the teaching of virtue, not because of nature, far from it, but because of their upbringing and the neglect on the part of their masters. For since their masters everywhere care for nothing else but their own service; and if they should ever take care of their character, they do this again for their own ease, so that they might not cause them trouble either by fornicating, or stealing, or being drunk; being reasonably neglected, and having no one to look after them, they are plunged into the very abysses of wickedness. For if, where a father is present and a mother and a tutor and a nurse and a teacher and peers, and the very glory of freedom surrounding them, and many other things, one could scarcely escape the company of the wicked; what do you think of those who are destitute of all these things, and are mixed with the defiled, and associate with whom they wish with impunity, with no one being there to look into their friendships? what do you think such people will be? For this reason it is difficult for a slave to become good. Moreover, they do not enjoy instruction, neither from outsiders nor from us; they do not associate with free, orderly men, who take much care for their own reputation. For all these reasons it is difficult and wonderful for a servant ever to become useful. When, therefore, they see that the power of the proclamation, having placed a bridle on so insolent a race, has made them more orderly and more gentle than all, even if their masters are the most unreasonable of all, they will receive a great impression concerning our doctrines. For it is clear that having first instilled into their soul the fear of the resurrection and of the judgment and of all the other things we philosophize about after death, they thus were able to repel wickedness, establishing in their own soul a certain counterbalancing fear to the pleasure derived from evil things. 62.686 So it is not in vain nor simply that he everywhere makes a long argument concerning these things; for the worse they are, the more the strength of the proclamation is admired. For we admire a physician then, when he brings to health and corrects one who is despaired of and enjoys no help, and is not even able to control his untimely desires, but is wallowing in them. And see what he requires of them: things that above all give rest to the master; Not talking back, not pilfering; that is, to show much goodwill in whatever they may be entrusted with, to be especially good in matters toward their masters, yielding in their commands. 4. Do not think, therefore, that I am now going through these things simply; for my speech is henceforth to the servants. Therefore, O best of men, do not look to this, that you are a slave to a man, but that you serve God, that you adorn the proclamation; and you will endure to do all things, obeying your master and bearing with him when he is unreasonably indignant and difficult. Consider that you are not doing him the favor, but are fulfilling God's command, and you will endure anything whatever with ease. And what I always say, this I will also say now, that when our spiritual matters succeed, the things of the present life will also follow. For such a servant, so well-disposed, so gentle, not only will God accept and give him a share of those brilliant crowns, but also the master himself who has been well-treated, even if he is a beast, or made of stone and inhuman and cruel, will praise and admire and prefer him above all others, and will set him over the rest, even if he is a Greek. And that, even if the masters are Greeks, he commands

κηρύγματος. Οὐ γὰρ ἀπὸ δόγματος δόγματα, ἀλλ' ἀπὸ πραγμάτων καὶ βίου τὰ δόγματα κρίνουσιν Ἕλληνες. Ἔστωσαν οὖν αὐτοῖς καὶ γυναῖκες καὶ δοῦλοι διδάσκαλοι διὰ τῆς οἰκείας ἀναστροφῆς. Καὶ γὰρ καὶ παρ' αὐτοῖς, καὶ πανταχοῦ τοῦτο διωμολόγηται, ὅτι τὸ τῶν δούλων γένος ἰταμόν πώς ἐστι, δυσδιατύπωτον, δυστράπελον, οὐ σφόδρα ἐπιτήδειον πρὸς τὴν τῆς ἀρετῆς διδασκαλίαν, οὐ διὰ τὴν φύσιν, μὴ γένοιτο, ἀλλὰ διὰ τὴν ἀνατροφὴν καὶ τὴν ἀμέλειαν τὴν παρὰ τῶν δεσποτῶν. Ἐπειδὴ γὰρ πανταχοῦ οὐδενὸς ἑτέρου, ἀλλὰ τῆς αὐτῶν διακονίας οἱ κρατοῦντες αὐτῶν φροντίζουσιν· εἰ δέ που καὶ τῶν τρόπων ἐπιμεληθεῖεν, καὶ τοῦτο πάλιν διὰ τὴν αὐτῶν ἀνάπαυσιν πράττουσιν, ὥστε μὴ πράγματα αὐτοῖς παρέχειν ἢ πορνεύοντας, ἢ κλέπτοντας, ἢ μεθύοντας· εἰκότως ἠμελημένοι, καὶ οὐδένα τῶν πολυπραγμονούντων ἔχοντες, εἰς αὐτὰ τῆς κακίας τὰ βάραθρα καταποντίζονται. Εἰ γὰρ, ἔνθα πατὴρ ἐφέστηκε καὶ μήτηρ καὶ παιδαγωγὸς καὶ τροφεὺς καὶ διδάσκαλος καὶ ἡλικιῶται, καὶ αὐτὴ ἡ τῆς ἐλευθερίας δόξα περικειμένη, καὶ πολλὰ ἕτερα, μόλις ἄν τις διαφύγοι τὰς τῶν πονηρῶν συνουσίας· τί οἴει τοὺς πάντων τούτων ἐρήμους ὄντας, καὶ μιαροῖς ἀναμιγνυμένους, καὶ μετὰ ἀδείας οἷς ἂν ἐθέλωσι συγγινομένους, οὐδενὸς ὄντος τοῦ τὰς φιλίας αὐτῶν πολυπραγμονοῦντος; τί οἴει τοὺς τοιούτους ἔσεσθαι; ∆ιὰ τοῦτο δύσκολον δοῦλον γενέσθαι ἀγαθόν. Ἄλλως δὲ οὐδὲ διδασκαλίας ἀπολαύουσιν, οὔτε τῶν ἔξωθεν οὔτε τῶν παρ' ἡμῖν· οὐ συναναστρέφονται ἀνδράσιν ἐλευθέροις, κοσμίοις, πολλὴν τῆς αὐτῶν δόξης ποιουμένοις φροντίδα. ∆ιὰ ταῦτα πάντα δύσκολον καὶ θαυμαστὸν, χρήσιμον οἰκέτην γενέσθαι ποτέ. Ὅταν οὖν ἴδωσιν, ὅτι τὸ γένος τὸ οὕτως αὔθαδες ἡ τοῦ κηρύγματος δύναμις χαλινὸν περιθεῖσα πάντων εἰργάσατο κοσμιώτερον καὶ ἐπιεικέστερον, κἂν σφόδρα πάντων ὦσιν ἀλογώτεροι οἱ δεσπόται, λήψονται ἔννοιαν μεγάλην περὶ τῶν δογμάτων τῶν παρ' ἡμῖν. ∆ῆλον γὰρ ὅτι καὶ τὸν περὶ τῆς ἀναστάσεως φόβον καὶ τὸν τῆς κρίσεως καὶ τὸν τῶν ἄλλων ἁπάντων μετὰ τὸν θάνατον φιλοσοφουμένων παρ' ἡμῖν πρότερον ἐγκαταθέντες αὐτῶν τῇ ψυχῇ, οὕτως ἴσχυσαν ἀποκρούσασθαι τὴν κακίαν, ἀντίῤῥοπόν τινα φόβον τῆς ἀπὸ τῶν κακῶν ἡδονῆς εἰς τὴν ἑαυτῶν ἐνιδρύ 62.686 σαντες ψυχήν. Ὥστε οὐκ εἰκῆ οὐδὲ ἁπλῶς πολὺν ὑπὲρ τούτων πανταχοῦ ποιεῖται τὸν λόγον· ὅσῳ γὰρ ἂν ὦσι κακοὶ, τοσούτῳ μάλιστα θαυμάζεται τοῦ κηρύγματος ἡ ἰσχύς. Καὶ γὰρ ἰατρὸν τότε θαυμάζομεν, ὅταν τὸν ἀπεγνωσμένον καὶ οὐδεμιᾶς βοηθείας ἀπολαύοντα οὐδὲ κρατῆσαι τῶν ἀκαίρων ἐπιθυμιῶν δυνάμενον, ἀλλ' ἐν ταύταις ἐγκαλινδούμενον, ἐναγάγῃ πρὸς ὑγείαν καὶ διορθώσηται. Καὶ ὅρα τίνα παρ' αὐτῶν ἀπαιτεῖ· ἃ μάλιστα πάντων ἀναπαύει τὸν δεσπότην· Μὴ ἀντιλέγοντας, μὴ νοσφιζομένους· τουτέστι, πολλὴν εὔνοιαν ἐπιδείκνυσθαι ἐν οἷς ἂν πιστευθῶσιν, ἐν τοῖς πρὸς τοὺς δεσπότας μάλιστα εἶναι ἀγαθοὺς, ὑπείκοντας ἐν τοῖς ἐπιτάγμασι. δʹ. Μὴ τοίνυν νομίζετε ἁπλῶς με ταῦτα νῦν διεξιέναι· λοιπὸν γάρ μοι πρὸς τοὺς οἰκέτας ὁ λόγος. Μὴ τοίνυν, ὦ βέλτιστε, σὺ πρὸς τοῦτο ἴδῃς, ὅτι ἀνθρώπῳ δουλεύεις, ἀλλ' ὅτι Θεῷ, ὅτι τὸ κήρυγμα κοσμεῖς· καὶ πάντα ὑποστήσῃ ποιεῖν, τῷ δεσπότῃ πειθόμενος καὶ φέρων ἀγανακτοῦντα ἀκαίρως καὶ δυσχεραίνοντα. Ἐννόησον ὅτι οὐκ ἐκείνῳ τὴν χάριν δίδως, ἀλλὰ τοῦ Θεοῦ πρόσταγμα πληροῖς, καὶ πᾶν ὁτιοῦν ὑποστήσῃ ῥᾳδίως. Ὅπερ δὲ ἀεὶ λέγω, τοῦτο καὶ νῦν ἐρῶ, ὅτι τῶν πνευματικῶν ἡμῖν κατορθουμένων, καὶ τὰ τοῦ παρόντος ἕψεται βίου. Τὸν γὰρ τοιοῦτον οἰκέτην, τὸν οὕτως εὔνουν, τὸν οὕτως ἐπιεικῆ, οὐχ ὁ Θεὸς ἀποδέξεται μόνον καὶ τῶν στεφάνων μεταδώσει τῶν λαμπρῶν ἐκείνων, ἀλλὰ καὶ αὐτὸς ὁ παθὼν εὖ δεσπότης, κἂν θηρίον ᾖ, κἂν λίθινός τις ᾖ καὶ ἀπάνθρωπος καὶ ὠμὸς, ἐπαινέσεται καὶ θαυμάσεται καὶ προτιμήσει τῶν ἄλλων ἁπάντων, καὶ τοῖς λοιποῖς αὐτὸν ἐπιστήσει, κἂν Ἕλλην ᾖ. Καὶ ὅτι, κἂν Ἕλληνες ὦσιν οἱ δεσπόται, κελεύει