John Chrysostom, On 2 Timothy

prevailing, or he who with ten thousand armies is defeated? The king therefore departed, with the prisoner having set up a trophy against him. Tell me then, of which side would one have wished to be? For do not tell me of the things after this, but for now, examine those things; of which side would one have wished to be, that of Paul, or that of Nero? I do not speak according to the reasoning of faith; for that is clear; but according to that of glory and of majesty and of splendor. If anyone were of sound judgment, he would have said, of Paul. For if to conquer is more splendid than to be conquered, he is the glorious one. And this is not yet the great thing, that he conquered, but that in such a guise he conquered one in such a guise. For again I will say, and I will not cease saying the same things; he was wearing a chain, and he cast down the one bound with the diadem. 4. Such is the power of Christ; a chain conquered the royal crown, and this guise was shown to be more splendid than that; he was wearing squalid rags, as one living in a prison, and more than the purple robe he turned all towards the bonds that he wore; he stood upon the ground, held fast and bowing his head, and all, leaving the one on the golden chariot, paid attention to him; with good reason. For it was a common thing to see a king sitting on a pair of white steeds; but this was strange and paradoxical, to see a prisoner conversing with a king with as much boldness, as a king might with a miserable and wretched slave. A great crowd stood around, and all were servants of the king; but they marveled not at their own master, but at him who was conquering their master; and him whom all feared and trembled at, that one, being alone, trampled underfoot. See how great is the splendor in the bonds themselves. What could one say of the things after this? Of that one, not even his tomb is known; but this one, more splendid than all kings, lies in the queen of cities itself, where he conquered, where also he set up his trophy. If anyone mentions that one, he mentions him with blame, and of his own household (for he is said to have been licentious); of this one, the memory is everywhere with praise; for not only among us, but also among our enemies. For when the truth shines forth, not even the enemies can be shameless; for even if they do not admire him on account of his faith, yet they do for his boldness, for his courage. This one is proclaimed in the mouths of all, everywhere, being crowned each day; but that one is pelted with censures and accusations. What then are the splendid things? But I have unawares been praising the lion from its claw, when I ought to speak of the things that truly are. And what are these? The things in the heavens; how he will come with the 62.624 King of the heavens, with a splendid appearance; how Nero will then stand downcast, gloomy. But if I seem to you to say things incredible and ridiculous, you are ridiculous for laughing at things not worthy of laughter. For if you disbelieve the things to come, believe from the things that have already happened; the time for the crowns is not yet, and the athlete has enjoyed such honor; when the judge of the contest comes, how much honor will he enjoy? Among strangers he was a stranger, a stranger and a sojourner, and is so admired; when he is among his own, what good will he not enjoy? Now our life is hidden with Christ in God, and yet he who is dead is more active and honored than the living; when our life itself comes, of what will he not partake, what will he not obtain? For this reason God has made him enjoy this honor, not because he needed it. For if while in the body he despised the glory from the many, much more so having been set free from the body. But He did not make him enjoy it for this reason only, but so that those who disbelieve the things to come might at least be led by the things present. I say that Paul will come with the King of the heavens, when there will be a resurrection, that he will enjoy ten thousand good things. But the unbeliever does not believe; therefore from the present things he will believe. The tentmaker is more splendid than the king, more honored than the king; no one who has become king of Rome,

περιγινόμενος, ἢ ὁ μετὰ μυρίων στρατοπέδων ἡττώμενος; Ἀπήρχετο οὖν ὁ βασιλεὺς, τοῦ δεσμώτου κατ' αὐτοῦ τρόπαιον στήσαντος. Εἰπὲ οὖν μοι, ποίας ἄν τις ἠβουλήθη μερίδος εἶναι; Μὴ γάρ μοι τὰ μετὰ ταῦτα εἴπῃς, ἀλλὰ τέως ἐκεῖνα ἐξέτασον· ποίας μερίδος ἄν τις ἠθέλησεν εἶναι, τῆς τοῦ Παύλου, ἢ τῆς τοῦ Νέρωνος; οὐ λέγω κατὰ τὸν τῆς πίστεως λόγον· τοῦτο γὰρ δῆλον· ἀλλὰ κατὰ τὸν τῆς δόξης καὶ τῆς σεμνότητος καὶ τῆς λαμπρότητος. Εἴ τις εὐγνώμων, τοῦ Παύλου ἔφησεν ἄν. Εἰ γὰρ τὸ νικᾷν τοῦ νικᾶσθαι λαμπρότερον, ἐκεῖνος ἐπίδοξος. Καὶ οὔπω τοῦτο μέγα, ὅτι ἐνίκησεν, ἀλλὰ ὅτι ἐν τοιούτῳ σχήματι τὸν ἐν τοιούτῳ ἐνίκησε. Πάλιν γὰρ ἐρῶ, καὶ οὐ παύσομαι τὰ αὐτὰ λέγων· ἅλυσιν περιέκειτο, καὶ τὸν ἀναδεδεμένον τὸ διάδημα ἔβαλε. δʹ. Τοιαύτη τοῦ Χριστοῦ ἡ δύναμις· ἅλυσις τὸν στέφανον ἐνίκα τὸν βασιλικὸν, καὶ λαμπρότερον τοῦτο ἐκείνου τὸ σχῆμα ἐδείκνυτο· ῥάκια περιέκειτο αὐχμῶντα, ἅτε δεσμωτήριον οἰκῶν, καὶ μᾶλλον τῆς ἁλουργίδος πάντας ἐπέστρεφε πρὸς τὰ περικείμενα αὐτῷ δεσμά· ἐπὶ γῆς εἱστήκει κατεχόμενος καὶ κάτω νεύων, καὶ τὸν ἐπ' ὀχήματος χρυσοῦ ἅπαντες ἀφέντες ἐκείνῳ προσεῖχον· εἰκότως. Τὸ μὲν γὰρ συνηθείας ἦν βασιλέα ἰδεῖν ἐπὶ ζεύγους καθήμενον λευκοῦ· τοῦτο δὲ ξένον καὶ παράδοξον, δεσμώτην ὁρᾷν μετὰ τοσαύτης παῤῥησίας βασιλεῖ διαλεγόμενον, μεθ' ὅσης ὁ βασιλεὺς πρὸς ἀνδράποδον οἰκτρὸν καὶ ταλαίπωρον. Ὄχλος περιειστήκει πολὺς, καὶ δοῦλοι πάντες τοῦ βασιλέως ἦσαν· ἐθαύμαζον δὲ οὐ τὸν δεσπότην τὸν αὑτῶν, ἀλλὰ τὸν νικῶντα τὸν δεσπότην αὐτῶν· καὶ ὃν ἅπαντες ἐδεδοίκεσαν καὶ ἔτρεμον, τοῦτον μόνος ὢν κατεπάτει ἐκεῖνος. Ἴδε ἐν αὐτοῖς τοῖς δεσμοῖς πόση ἡ λαμπρότης. Τί ἄν τις εἴποι τὰ μετὰ ταῦτα; Ἐκείνου μὲν οὐδὲ τὸ μνῆμα δῆλον· οὗτος δὲ πάντων βασιλέων λαμπρότερος ἐν αὐτῇ κεῖται τῇ βασιλίδι, ἔνθα καὶ ἐνίκησεν, ἔνθα καὶ τὸ τρόπαιον ἔστησεν. Ἐκείνου κἂν μνησθῇ τις, μετὰ ψόγου μέμνηται, καὶ τῶν οἰκείων (καὶ γὰρ καὶ ἀσελγὴς λέγεται γεγενῆσθαι)· τούτου μετ' εὐφημίας ἡ μνήμη πανταχοῦ· οὐ γὰρ ἡμῖν μόνον, ἀλλὰ καὶ παρὰ τοῖς ἐχθροῖς. Ὅταν γὰρ ἐκλάμπῃ ἡ ἀλήθεια, οὐδὲ οἱ ἐχθροὶ ἀναισχυντεῖν ἔχουσιν· εἰ γὰρ καὶ μὴ τῆς πίστεως ἕνεκεν αὐτὸν θαυμάζουσιν, ἀλλὰ τῆς παῤῥησίας, ἀλλὰ τῆς ἀνδρείας. Οὗτος ἐν τοῖς ἁπάντων στόμασι πανταχοῦ καθ' ἑκάστην ἡμέραν στεφανούμενος ἀνακηρύττεται· ἐκεῖνος δὲ βαλλόμενος ψόγοις καὶ κατηγορίαις. Ποῖα τοίνυν τὰ λαμπρά; Ἀλλὰ γὰρ ἔλαθον ἀπὸ τοῦ ὄνυχος τὸν λέοντα ἐπαινῶν, δέον τὰ ὄντως εἰπεῖν. Τίνα δὲ ταῦτά ἐστι; Τὰ ἐν τοῖς οὐρανοῖς· πῶς ἥξει μετὰ τοῦ 62.624 βασιλέως τῶν οὐρανῶν, μετὰ λαμπροῦ τοῦ σχήματος· πῶς ὁ Νέρων στήσεται τότε κατηφὴς, στυγνός. Εἰ δὲ δοκῶ σοι ἄπιστα λέγειν καὶ καταγέλαστα, σὺ καταγέλαστος εἶ γελῶν τὰ μὴ γέλωτος ἄξια. Εἰ γὰρ ἀπιστεῖς τοῖς μέλλουσιν, ἀπὸ τῶν φθασάντων πίστευσον· οὔπω τῶν στεφάνων ὁ καιρὸς, καὶ τοσαύτης ἀπέλαυσε τιμῆς ὁ ἀθλητής· ὅταν ὁ ἀγωνοθέτης ἔλθοι, πόσης ἀπολαύσεται τιμῆς; Ἐν τοῖς ἀλλοτρίοις ξένος ἦν, ξένος καὶ παρεπίδημος, καὶ οὕτω θαυμάζεται· ὅταν ἐν τοῖς ἰδίοις ᾖ, τίνος οὐκ ἀπολαύσεται ἀγαθοῦ; Νῦν ἡ ζωὴ ἡμῶν κέκρυπται σὺν τῷ Χριστῷ ἐν τῷ Θεῷ, καὶ ὅμως τῶν ζώντων ὁ τεθνηκὼς μᾶλλον ἐνεργεῖ καὶ τιμᾶται· ὅταν ἔλθῃ αὐτὴ ἡ ζωὴ ἡμῶν, τίνος οὐ μεθέξει, τίνος οὐκ ἐπιτεύξεται; ∆ιὰ τοῦτο ταύτης αὐτὸν τῆς τιμῆς ἀπολαῦσαι ἐποίησεν ὁ Θεὸς, οὐκ ἐπειδὴ ἐκεῖνος ἐδεῖτο. Εἰ γὰρ ἐν σώματι ὢν κατεφρόνει τῆς παρὰ τῶν πολλῶν δόξης, πολλῷ μᾶλλον ἀπαλλαγεὶς τοῦ σώματος. Οὐ διὰ τοῦτο δὲ ἐποίησεν αὐτὸν ἀπολαῦσαι μόνον, ἀλλ' ἵνα οἱ τοῖς μέλλουσιν ἀπιστοῦντες κἂν ἐκ τῶν παρόντων ἐνάγωνται. Λέγω ὅτι ἥξει Παῦλος μετὰ τοῦ βασιλέως τῶν οὐρανῶν, ὅτε ἀνάστασις ἔσται, ὅτι μυρίων ἀπολαύσει τῶν ἀγαθῶν. Ἀλλ' οὐ πιστεύει ὁ ἄπιστος· οὐκοῦν ἀπὸ τῶν παρόντων πιστεύσει. Λαμπρότερος τοῦ βασιλέως ὁ σκηνοποιὸς, ἐντιμότερος τοῦ βασιλέως· οὐδεὶς βασιλεὺς τῆς Ῥώμης γενόμενος,