John Chrysostom, On the Praises of Saint Paul the Apostle

now using iron, but now a drug, and sometimes keeping him from food and drink, but other times allowing the sick person to gorge himself on these, and sometimes wrapping him up on all sides, but other times ordering the very one who has become overheated to drink a whole bowl of cold water, you would not condemn his change of method, nor his constant shifting; but then most of all you will praise his art, seeing him apply with confidence things that seem to us contrary and harmful, and guaranteeing a safe outcome. For this is a skilled man. If then we accept a physician who does these contrary things, much more must we proclaim the soul of Paul, which so dealt with the sick. For those whose souls are sick need skill and handling no less than those whose bodies are ill; and if you approach them directly, all chance of their salvation will be gone. 5.8 And what wonder is it, if men do these things, when God, who can do all things, uses this law of healing, and does not always speak to us directly? For since He wishes us to be good willingly, and not by necessity and force, He also had need of a method, not because of His own inability, perish the thought, but because of our weakness. For it is possible for Him merely to nod, or rather, merely to will, and to do all things whatever He wishes; but we, once we have become masters of ourselves, do not endure to obey Him in all things. If, then, He should draw us unwillingly, He will take away what He gave, I mean the freedom of choice. So that this might not happen, He had need of many methods. But these things have not been said by us without purpose, but because of the varied and wise character of the blessed Paul; so that when you see him fleeing from dangers, you may marvel equally, as when you see him going to meet them; for just as the latter is a sign of courage, so the former is a sign of wisdom. When you see him speaking great things, marvel equally, as when you see him being moderate; for just as the latter is a sign of humility, so the former is of magnanimity. When you see him boasting, marvel equally, as when you see him rejecting praise; for the latter is a mark of a character free from pride, and the former of one that is affectionate and philanthropic; for managing the salvation of the many, he did these things. 5.9 Therefore he also said; Whether we are beside ourselves, it is for God; whether we are of sober mind, it is for you. For no one else had so many necessities for madness, nor was anyone else so pure from boasting. But consider. Knowledge puffs up; and we would all say this with him; and there was so much knowledge in him, as in no one of the men who have ever been born; but nevertheless it did not lift him up, but even in this very thing he is moderate. Therefore he also says; We know in part, and we prophesy in part; and again; I, brothers, do not yet consider myself to have laid hold of it, and; If anyone thinks he knows anything, he has not yet known anything. Again, fasting puffs up; and the Pharisee shows this, saying; I fast twice a week. But this man, not fasting, but even starving, called himself an untimely birth. 5.10 What do I say of fasting and knowledge, when so many and such frequent conversations with God had happened to him, such as happened to none of the prophets, nor of the apostles, and was he not humbled all the more for these things? For do not tell me of those that are recorded; for the greater part he concealed, and he did not speak of them all, so that he might not clothe himself with great glory, nor was he silent about them all, so that he might not open the mouths of the false apostles. For he did nothing without purpose, but everything with a just and reasonable cause; and with such wisdom did he handle contrary matters, as to receive the same praises everywhere. And what I am saying is something like this. It is a great good to say nothing great about oneself; but he did it so opportunely, as to be praised more for speaking than for being silent. And if not

μὲν σιδήρῳ χρώμενον, νῦν δὲ φαρμάκῳ, καὶ ποτὲ μὲν ἀπάγοντα σιτίων καὶ ποτῶν, ποτὲ δὲ ἐπιτρέποντα τούτων ἅδην ἐμφορεῖσθαι τὸν κάμνοντα, καὶ ποτὲ μὲν περιβάλλοντα πάντοθεν, ποτὲ δὲ αὐτὸν ἐκεῖνον τὸν διαθερμανθέντα κελεύοντα φιάλην ὁλόκληρον ἐκπιεῖν ὑδάτων ψυχρῶν, οὐ καταγνώσῃ τῆς μεταβολῆς, οὐδὲ τῆς συνεχοῦς μεταστάσεως· ἀλλὰ τότε μάλιστα ἐπαινέσεις τὴν τέχνην, τὰ δοκοῦντα ἡμῖν ἐναντία εἶναι καὶ βλαβερὰ μετὰ τοῦ θαρρεῖν προσάγουσαν ὁρῶν, καὶ τὸ ἀσφαλὲς ἐγγυωμένην. Τοῦτο γὰρ ἀνὴρ τεχνικός. Εἰ δὲ ἰατρὸν ἀποδεχόμεθα τὰ ἐναντία ταῦτα ποιοῦντα, πολλῷ μᾶλλον τὴν Παύλου ψυχήν, οὕτω τοῖς κάμνουσι προσφερομένην, ἀνακηρύττειν δεῖ. Καὶ γὰρ τῶν τὰ σώματα ἀρρωστούντων οὐκ ἔλαττον οἱ τὰς ψυχὰς νοσοῦντες δέονται μηχανῆς καὶ μεταχειρίσεως· κἂν ἐξ εὐθείας αὐτοῖς προσίῃς, πάντα οἰχήσεται τὰ τῆς σωτηρίας αὐτῶν. 5.8 Καὶ τί θαυμαστόν, εἰ ἄνθρωποι ταῦτα ποιοῦσιν, ὅπου ὁ Θεός, ὁ πάντα δυνάμενος, τούτῳ κέχρηται τῆς ἰατρείας τῷ νόμῳ, καὶ οὐ πάντοτε ἡμῖν ἐξ εὐθείας ὁμιλεῖ; Ἐπειδὴ γὰρ ἑκόντας εἶναι βούλεται καλούς, ἀλλ' οὐκ ἀνάγκῃ καὶ βίᾳ, ἐδέησεν αὐτῷ καὶ μεθόδου, οὐ διὰ τὸ αὐτοῦ ἀδύνατον, ἄπαγε, ἀλλὰ διὰ τὸ ἀσθενὲς τὸ ἡμέτερον. Αὐτῷ μὲν γὰρ ἔξεστι νεῦσαι μόνον, μᾶλλον δὲ ἐθελῆσαι μόνον, καὶ ποιῆσαι πάντα ἅπερ ἂν βούληται· ἡμεῖς δὲ ἅπαξ ἑαυτῶν γενόμενοι κύριοι, οὐκ ἀνεχόμεθα πάντα ὑπακούειν αὐτῷ. Ἐὰν οὖν ἄκοντας ἑλκύσῃ, ὅπερ ἔδωκεν ἀφαιρήσεται, τὴν τῆς ἐξουσίας λέγω ἐλευθερίαν. Ἵν' οὖν μὴ τοῦτο γένηται, ἐδέησεν αὐτῷ μεθόδων πολλῶν. Ταῦτα δὲ ἡμῖν οὐχ ἁπλῶς εἴρηται, ἀλλὰ διὰ τὸ ποικίλον τοῦ μακαρίου Παύλου καὶ σοφόν· ὥστε ὅταν ἴδῃς αὐτὸν φεύγοντα κινδύνους, θαύμασον ὁμοίως, ὥσπερ ὅταν ἴδῃς ὁμόσε χωροῦντα αὐτοῖς· καθάπερ γὰρ τοῦτο ἀνδρείας, οὕτω κἀκεῖνο σοφίας. Ὅταν ἴδῃς μεγάλα φθεγγόμενον, θαύμασον ὁμοίως, ὥσπερ ὅταν ἴδῃς μετριάζοντα· καθάπερ γὰρ τοῦτο ταπεινοφροσύνης, οὕτως ἐκεῖνο μεγαλοψυχίας. Ὅταν ἴδῃς καυχώμενον, θαύμασον ὁμοίως, ὥσπερ ὅταν ἴδῃς διακρουόμενον ἐγκώμιον· καὶ γὰρ καὶ τοῦτο ἤθους ἀτύφου, κἀκεῖνο φιλοστόργου καὶ φιλανθρώπου· τὴν γὰρ τῶν πολλῶν οἰκονομῶν σωτηρίαν, ταῦτα ἔπραττε. 5.9 ∆ιὸ καὶ ἔλεγεν· Εἴτε ἐξέστημεν, Θεῷ· εἴτε σωφρονοῦμεν, ὑμῖν. Οὔτε γάρ τις ἄλλος εἶχε τοσαύτας ἀνάγκας πρὸς ἀπόνοιαν, οὔτε ἄλλος τις οὕτω καθαρὸς ἀλαζονείας ἦν. Σκόπει δέ. Ἡ γνῶσις φυσιοῖ· καὶ πάντες τοῦτο ἂν εἴποιμεν μετ' ἐκείνου· καὶ τοσαύτη δὲ ἦν ἐν αὐτῷ γνῶσις, ὅση ἐν οὐδενὶ τῶν πώποτε ἀνθρώπων γεγενημένων· ἀλλ' ὅμως αὐτὸν οὐκ ἐπῆρεν, ἀλλὰ καὶ ἐν αὐτῷ τούτῳ μετριάζει. ∆ιὸ καὶ λέγει· Ἐκ μέρους γινώσκομεν, καὶ ἐκ μέρους προφητεύομεν· καὶ πάλιν· Ἐγώ, ἀδελφοί, οὔπω λογίζομαι ἐμαυτὸν κατειληφέναι, καί· Εἴ τις δοκεῖ εἰδέναι τι, οὔπω οὐδὲν ἔγνωκε. Πάλιν νηστεία φυσᾷ· καὶ τοῦτο ὁ Φαρισαῖος δηλοῖ λέγων· Νηστεύω δὶς τῆς ἑβδομάδος. Ἀλλ' οὗτος οὐχὶ νηστεύων, ἀλλὰ καὶ λιμώττων ἑαυτὸν ἔκτρωμα ἐκάλει. 5.10 Τί λέγω νηστείαν καὶ γνῶσιν, ὅπου γε ὁμιλίαι τοσαῦται καὶ οὕτω συνεχεῖς πρὸς τὸν Θεὸν ἦσαν αὐτῷ γεγενημέναι, ὅσαι μήτε προφητῶν, μήτε ἀποστόλων ἐγένοντο μηδενί, καὶ μᾶλλον ἐταπεινοῦτο διὰ ταῦτα; Μὴ γάρ μοι ταύτας εἴπῃς τὰς ἀναγεγραμμένας· τὰς γὰρ πλείους ἀπέκρυψε, καὶ οὔτε πάσας εἶπεν, ἵνα μὴ δόξαν ἑαυτῷ περιθῇ μεγάλην, οὔτε πάσας ἐσίγησεν, ἵνα μὴ τὰ τῶν ψευδαποστόλων ἀνοίξῃ στόματα. Οὐδὲν γὰρ ἁπλῶς ἐκεῖνος ἐποίει, ἀλλὰ πάντα μετὰ αἰτίας δικαίας καὶ εὐλόγου· καὶ μετὰ τοσαύτης σοφίας μετῄει τὰ ἐναντία πράγματα, ὡς τῶν αὐτῶν πανταχοῦ τυγχάνειν ἐπαίνων. Ὃ δὲ λέγω τοιοῦτόν ἐστι. Μέγα ἀγαθὸν τὸ μηδὲν μέγα περὶ ἑαυτοῦ λέγειν· ὁ δὲ οὕτως αὐτὸ εὐκαίρως ἐποίει, ὡς εἰπὼν μᾶλλον ἢ σιγήσας ἐπαινεθῆναι. Καὶ εἰ μὴ