John Chrysostom, On "Having the same spirit"

4. For it is not the same thing to be warred upon from all sides and drenched with countless evils and yet be able to stand nobly, as it is to be sitting as it were in a harbor now and enjoying all security and to show the same zeal. For they were then in no better state than those tossed and buffeted on the open sea; but we now live more securely than those sitting in a harbor. 51.293 Therefore, let us neither be proud of our achievements, nor fall down under the temptations that befall us, nor use the security of peace for indolence; but let us be ever sober and watchful. For we too have a struggle against the desires of our nature. Men do not rise up against us now, but the pleasures of the flesh rise up; tyrants and kings do not make war, but anger, the love of vainglory, envy, malice, and the countless passions of the soul make war. Since, therefore, we have been freed from those temptations, let us overcome these. For this reason I have reminded you of the afflictions of those times, so that both he who is now in tribulation may receive sufficient comfort from thence, and he who enjoys much security, instead of the inaction from those dangers, may bring much zeal into the battle against improper thoughts. For all those things were written for our admonition and comfort and endurance; which it is necessary now to say to you, and to teach the magnitude of the terrors that then surrounded the faithful, not only the teachers, but also the disciples. Hear, at least, what Paul says when writing to the Hebrews: Recall the former days, in which, after you were enlightened, you endured a great contest of sufferings. For not even a short time passed, but immediately in the very beginnings of their catechesis and teaching, temptations rose up against them, and having been baptized, they were immediately in danger; suffering what, hear: On the one hand, being made a public spectacle by reproaches and afflictions. For all spat upon them, insulted them, ridiculed them, mocked them, called them fools, senseless, because having departed from their ancestral way of life, they had accepted a new doctrine. And this is no small thing to shake a soul, if the faith is not rooted deeply. For nothing so bites the soul as reproach; nothing so wastes away the soul and mind as jests and revilings; for many men have often been tripped up by being reproached. But I say these things now, that we may hold our faith with boldness. For if at that time, when the whole world reproached them, they were not tripped up, much more now ought we to hold the preaching of the truth with boldness, when the whole world has come over to our side. But that they did not stop at accusations and reproaches and revilings, but that those who suffered these things even rejoiced, hear what follows. For 'you joyfully accepted,' he says, 'the plundering of your property.' You see that their possessions were confiscated of old, and were set forth for plunder to all who wished to mistreat them. And these things he said when writing to the Hebrews. 5. But to the Thessalonians he testifies again to other such things, saying: 'For you,' he says, 'became imitators of us and of the Lord, having received the word in much affliction.' See these too being afflicted, and not simply, but 'in much affliction.' For the temptation was with intensity, the danger was continuous, not allowing even a little respite to those who were contending then. But 51.294 nevertheless, even while suffering these things, they were not annoyed, nor did they despair, but rather they even rejoiced. From where is this clear? From the very words of Paul; for having said, 'in much affliction,' he added, 'with joy of the Holy Spirit;' showing that the temptations caused the affliction, but the cause of the temptations brought forth joy for them. For it was sufficient for comfort to know in themselves that these things were for Christ's sake

δʹ. Οὐ γάρ ἐστιν ἴσον πανταχόθεν πολεμούμενον καὶ μυρίοις περιαντλούμενον κακοῖς δυνηθῆναι στῆναι γενναίως, καὶ καθάπερ ἐν λιμένι καθήμενον νῦν καὶ πάσης ἀπολαύοντα ἀδείας τὴν αὐτὴν ἐπιδείξασθαι προθυμίαν. Ἐκεῖνοι μὲν γὰρ τῶν ἐν πελάγει σαλευόντων τότε καὶ κλυδωνιζομένων οὐδὲν ἄμεινον διέκειντο· ἡμεῖς δὲ τῶν ἐν λιμένι καθημένων ἀδεέστερον 51.293 διάγομεν νῦν. Μὴ τοίνυν μήτε ἐπὶ τοῖς κατορθώμασι μέγα φρονῶμεν, μήτε ἐπὶ τοῖς συμπίπτουσι πειρασμοῖς καταπίπτωμεν, μήτε εἰς ῥᾳθυμίαν τῇ τῆς εἰρήνης ἀδείᾳ ἀποχρώμεθα· ἀλλὰ νήφωμεν ἀεὶ καὶ γρηγορῶμεν. Ἔστι γὰρ καὶ ἡμῖν πάλη πρὸς τὰς ἐπιθυμίας τῆς φύσεως. Οὐκ ἐπανίστανται νῦν ἡμῖν ἄνθρωποι, ἀλλ' ἐπανίστανται αἱ τῆς σαρκὸς ἡδοναί· οὐ πολεμοῦσι τύραννοι καὶ βασιλεῖς, ἀλλὰ πολεμεῖ θυμὸς, κενοδοξίας ἔρως, φθόνος, βασκανίαι, καὶ τὰ μυρία τῆς ψυχῆς πάθη. Ἐπεὶ οὖν ἐκείνων τῶν πειρασμῶν ἀπηλλάγμεθα, τούτων περιγενώμεθα. ∆ιὰ γὰρ τοῦτο ἀνέμνησα ὑμᾶς τῶν καιρῶν ἐκείνων τὰ προσοχθίσματα, ἵνα καὶ ὁ ἐν θλίψει νῦν ὢν, ἱκανὴν ἐκεῖθεν λαμβάνῃ παράκλησιν, καὶ ὁ πολλῆς ἀπολαύων ἀδείας, ἀντὶ τῆς ἀτεχνίας τῶν κινδύνων ἐκείνων πολλὴν εἰσάξῃ προθυμίαν εἰς τὴν τῶν ἀτόπων λογισμῶν μάχην. Εἰς γὰρ ἡμετέραν νουθεσίαν καὶ παράκλησιν καὶ ὑπομονὴν πάντα ἐκεῖνα ἐγράφετο· ἅπερ ἀναγκαῖον νῦν πρὸς ὑμᾶς εἰπεῖν, καὶ διδάξαι τὸ μέγεθος τῶν τότε τοὺς πιστοὺς περιεστηκότων δεινῶν, οὐχὶ τοὺς διδασκάλους μόνον, ἀλλὰ καὶ τοὺς μαθητάς. Ἄκουσον γοῦν τί φησιν ὁ Παῦλος γράφων Ἑβραίοις· Ἀναμιμνήσκεσθε τὰς προτέρας ἡμέρας, ἐν αἷς φωτισθέντες πολλὴν ἄθλησιν ὑπεμείνατε παθημάτων. Οὐδὲ γὰρ βραχὺς διεγένετο χρόνος, ἀλλ' ἐν αὐτοῖς εὐθὺς τοῖς προοιμίοις τῆς κατηχήσεως καὶ τῆς διδασκαλίας ἐπανέστησαν αὐτοῖς πειρασμοὶ, καὶ βαπτισθέντες εὐθέως ἐκινδύνευον· τί πάσχοντες, ἄκουε· Τοῦτο μὲν, ὀνειδισμοῖς καὶ θλίψεσι θεατριζόμενοι. Πάντες γὰρ ἐνέπτυον, ὕβριζον, κατεγέλων, ἐχλεύαζον, μωροὺς ἐκάλουν, ἀνοήτους, ὅτι τῆς πατρῴας ἀποστάντες πολιτείας, καινὸν δόγμα κατεδέξαντο. Οὐ μικρὸν δὲ τοῦτο πρὸς τὸ παρασαλεῦσαι ψυχὴν, ἐὰν μὴ ἐῤῥιζωμένη κατὰ βάθους ἡ πίστις ᾖ. Καὶ γὰρ οὐδὲν οὕτω δάκνει ψυχὴν, ὡς ὄνειδος· οὐδὲν οὕτω τήκει ψυχὴν καὶ διάνοιαν, ὡς σκώμματα καὶ λοιδορίαι· πολλοὶ γὰρ πολλάκις ἄνδρες ὑπεσκελίσθησαν ὀνειδιζόμενοι. Ταῦτα δὲ λέγω νῦν, ἵνα ἐν παῤῥησίᾳ τὴν πίστιν ἔχωμεν. Εἰ γὰρ τότε, ὅτε πᾶσα αὐτοῖς ὠνείδιζεν οἰκουμένη, οὐχ ὑπεσκελίσθησαν, πολλῷ μᾶλλον νῦν ἐν παῤῥησίᾳ τὸ κήρυγμα τῆς ἀληθείας ἔχειν δεῖ, ὅτε πᾶσα ἡ οἰκουμένη πρὸς ἡμᾶς μετετάξατο. Ὅτι δὲ οὐ μέχρι κατηγορίας καὶ ὀνειδισμῶν καὶ λοιδορίας ἵσταντο ἐκεῖνοι, ἀλλὰ καὶ ἔχαιρον οἱ ταῦτα πάσχοντες, ἄκουσον τῶν ἑξῆς. Καὶ γὰρ τὴν ἁρπαγὴν τῶν ὑπαρχόντων ὑμῶν, φησὶ, μετὰ χαρᾶς προσεδέξασθε. Ὁρᾷς ὅτι καὶ αἱ οὐσίαι αὐτῶν ἐδημεύοντο τὸ παλαιὸν, καὶ πᾶσιν εἰς ἁρπαγὴν προέκειντο τοῖς βουλομένοις ἐπηρεάζειν. Καὶ ταῦτα μὲν Ἑβραίοις ἐπιστέλλων ἔλεγε. εʹ. Θεσσαλονικεῦσι δὲ ἕτερα τοιαῦτα μαρτυρεῖ πάλιν λέγων· Ὑμεῖς γὰρ μιμηταὶ, φησὶν, ἐγενήθητε τοῦ Κυρίου καὶ ἡμῶν, δεξάμενοι τὸν λόγον ἐν θλίψει πολλῇ. Ὅρα καὶ τούτους θλιβομένους, καὶ οὐχ ἁπλῶς, ἀλλ' ἐν θλίψει πολλῇ. Μετ' ἐπιτάσεως γὰρ ἦν ὁ πειρασμὸς, διηνεκὴς ὁ κίνδυνος, οὐδὲ μικρὸν ἀναπνεῦσαι παρέχων τοῖς ἀγωνιζομένοις τότε. Ἀλλ' 51.294 ὅμως καὶ ταῦτα πάσχοντες οὐκ ἐδυσχέραινον, οὐδὲ ἀπεδυσπέτουν, ἀλλὰ μᾶλλον καὶ ἔχαιρον. Πόθεν τοῦτο δῆλον; Ἀπ' αὐτῶν τῶν τοῦ Παύλου ῥημάτων· εἰπὼν γὰρ, Ἐν θλίψει πολλῇ, προσέθηκε, Μετὰ χαρᾶς Πνεύματος ἁγίου· δηλῶν ὅτι οἱ μὲν πειρασμοὶ τὴν θλίψιν ἐποίουν, ἡ δὲ τῶν πειρασμῶν ὑπόθεσις τὴν χαρὰν αὐτοῖς ἔτικτεν. Ἤρκει γὰρ εἰς παραμυθίαν τὸ συνειδέναι ἑαυτοῖς, ὅτι ταῦτα διὰ τὸν Χριστὸν