John Chrysostom, On the Letter to the Colossians

For just as to the Jews, as if they were little children, he set Moses over them as a schoolmaster, 62.329 and as children, so he led them up, sketching things out in shadow, just as we do the letters of the alphabet. For the law had a shadow of the good things to come, not the very image of the things. Just as, therefore, we buy cakes for little children, and give them coins, demanding one thing only from them, that for the time being they go to the school; so also God then gave both wealth and luxury, buying from them one thing only through his great forbearance: that they should listen to Moses. For this reason he handed them over to a teacher, so that they might not despise him, but might cling to him as to a loving father. For see how they feared him alone. For they did not say, Where is God? but, Where is Moses? and he was fearsome only when present. When, at any rate, they did evil, see how he punished them. For God wanted to disown them, but he did not allow it; or rather, the whole thing was of God, as of a father threatening, while he, as it were a teacher, interceded for him, and said, Forgive me, and from now on I take them in charge. Thus the wilderness became a school. And just as little children who have spent a long time at their studies wish to depart; so also they at that time continually sought Egypt, and cried out, saying: We are lost, we are consumed, we are utterly lost. And Moses shattered their tablet, on which he had written for them as it were certain names; doing the same thing that a teacher might do, taking the tablet, and seeing it badly written, he throws down the tablet itself, wishing to show great anger; and even if he breaks it, the father is not angry. For he was intent on writing; but they, not looking at him but turned elsewhere, were disorderly; and just as in the schoolroom children strike one another, so also then he commanded them to strike and kill one another. And again, like one giving lessons, then demanding them back, and not getting them, he would punish. I mean something like this: the things in Egypt were letters that made known the power of God. Yes, he says; but these letters signified the plagues, and that he punishes enemies, and it was a proper school for them. For what else was the punishment of the enemies but a benefit to you? And in another way he also benefited you; and the same thing happened, as if someone should say he knows his letters, but when asked them out of order cannot find them, and is beaten. So too they said they knew the power of God, but when asked for the knowledge out of order, they did not provide it; for this reason they were beaten. Did you see water? You ought to have remembered the water in Egypt. For he who made blood from water will be able to do this also; just as we often say to little children: When you see the letter 'a' in the book, remember that you had it on your tablet. Did you see famine? remember that it was he who destroyed the crops. Did you see wars? remember the drowning. Did you see that the inhabitants of the land are great? but not greater than the Egyptians. Then he who took you from their midst, would he not much more save you when you are outside? But they did not know how to be asked the letters out of order; for this reason they were beaten. They ate and drank, and kicked. They ought not to have sought luxury in the manna, having learned the evil that comes from it. And they were doing the same thing, as if a freeborn child, being sent to school, should seek to be led about with the slaves, and to serve them, and having received the necessary food befitting a free man, 62.330 and sitting at his father's table, should wish to enjoy that of the servants, which is foul-smelling and full of confusion. So also these people sought Egypt, and they would say to Moses, Yes, Lord, all that you say we will do, and we will hear. And what happens with very incorrigible children, when the father wants to destroy them, the teacher

Καθάπερ γὰρ παιδίοις τοῖς Ἰουδαίοις γραμματιστὴν τὸν Μωϋσέα οὕτως αὐτοῖς ἐπέστησε, 62.329 καὶ ὡς παιδία, οὕτως αὐτοὺς ἀνήγαγεν ἐκεῖνος σκιαγραφῶν, καθάπερ ἡμεῖς τὰ στοιχεῖα. Σκιὰν γὰρ ἦν ἔχων ὁ νόμος τῶν μελλόντων ἀγαθῶν, οὐκ αὐτὴν τὴν εἰκόνα τῶν πραγμάτων. Καθάπερ οὖν ἡμεῖς τοῖς παιδίοις καὶ πλακοῦντας ὠνούμεθα, καὶ ἀργύρια δίδομεν, ἓν μόνον παρ' αὐτῶν ἀπαιτοῦντες, τὸ τέως βαδίζειν ἐπὶ τὸ διδασκαλεῖον· οὕτω καὶ ὁ Θεὸς τότε καὶ πλοῦτον ἔδωκε καὶ τρυφὴν, ἓν παρ' αὐτῶν ὠνούμενος μόνον διὰ τῆς πολλῆς συγχωρήσεως τὸ ἀκούειν Μωϋσέως. ∆ιὰ τοῦτο αὐτοὺς διδασκάλῳ παρέδωκεν, ἵνα μὴ αὐτοῦ καταφρονῶσιν, ἀλλὰ περιέχωνται καθάπερ πατρὸς φιλοστόργου. Ὅρα γὰρ πῶς ἐκεῖνον μόνον ἐδεδοίκεσαν. Οὐ γὰρ εἶπον, Ποῦ ἐστιν ὁ Θεός; ἀλλὰ, Ποῦ ἐστι Μωϋσῆς; καὶ παρὼν μόνον φοβερὸς ἦν. Ὅτε γοῦν κακῶς ἔπραξαν, ὅρα πῶς αὐτοὺς ἐκόλασεν. Ὁ μὲν γὰρ Θεὸς αὐτοὺς ἀποκηρῦξαι ἐβούλετο, αὐτὸς δὲ οὐκ ἀφίησι· μᾶλλον δὲ τὸ ὅλον τοῦ Θεοῦ γέγονε, καθάπερ πατρὸς ἀπειλοῦντος, ἐκείνου δὲ αὐτὸν οἱονεὶ διδασκάλου παραιτουμένου, καὶ λέγοντος, ὅτι Ἐμοὶ συγχώρησον, καὶ ἐκ τοῦ νῦν ἀναδέχομαι. Οὕτως ἐγένετο διδασκαλεῖον ἡ ἔρημος. Καὶ καθάπερ παιδία χρονίσαντα ἐπὶ τῆς διατριβῆς, ἀναχωρῆσαι βούλεται· οὕτω καὶ ἐκεῖνοι τότε συνεχῶς τὴν Αἴγυπτον ἐζήτουν, καὶ ἔκλαιον λέγοντες· Ἀπολώλαμεν, ἐξανηλώμεθα, παραπολώλαμεν. Καὶ τὴν πινακίδα αὐτῶν συνέτριψεν ὁ Μωϋσῆς, ἐφ' ἧς γράψας αὐτοῖς ἦν καθάπερ ὀνόματά τινα· ταυτὸ ποιῶν, ὅπερ καὶ διδάσκαλος ποιήσειεν ἂν, τὴν δέλτον λαβὼν, καὶ ἰδὼν κακῶς γεγραμμένην, καὶ αὐτὴν ῥίπτει τὴν δέλτον, πολὺν τὸν θυμὸν ἐνδείξασθαι βουλόμενος· κἂν κατεάξῃ, ὁ πατὴρ οὐ χολᾷ. Αὐτὸς μὲν γὰρ ἐνέκειτο γράφων· ἐκεῖνοι δὲ οὐχ ὁρῶντες εἰς αὐτὸν, ἀλλ' ἑτέρωθι ἐστραμμένοι ἠτάκτουν· καὶ καθάπερ ἐν τῇ διατριβῇ ἀλλήλους τύπτουσιν οἱ παῖδες, οὕτω καὶ τότε ἀλλήλους τύπτειν ἐκέλευσε καὶ ἀναιρεῖν. Καὶ πάλιν καθάπερ μαθήματα διδοὺς, εἶτα ἀπαιτῶν, καὶ οὐχ εὑρίσκων, ἐκόλαζεν. Οἷόν τι λέγω· γράμματα τῆς δυνάμεως τοῦ Θεοῦ ἦσαν γνωριστικὰ τὰ ἐν Αἰγύπτῳ. Ναὶ, φησίν· ἀλλὰ ταῦτα τὰ γράμματα τὰς πληγὰς ἐδήλου, καὶ ὅτι τοὺς ἐχθροὺς κολάζει, καὶ διδασκαλεῖον αὐτοῖς ἦν ἀκριβές. Τί γὰρ ἦν ἄλλο ἡ κόλασις τῶν ἐχθρῶν, ἀλλ' ἢ ὑμετέρα εὐεργεσία; Ἄλλως δὲ καὶ εὐηργέτει ὑμᾶς· καὶ ταυτὸν γέγονεν, οἷον ἂν εἴ τις λέγοι μὲν εἰδέναι τὰ στοιχεῖα, σποράδην δὲ ἐρωτώμενος μὴ εὑρίσκοι, καὶ τύπτοιτο. Οὕτω κἀκεῖνοι ἔλεγον μὲν εἰδέναι τὴν δύναμιν τοῦ Θεοῦ, σποράδην δὲ ἀπαιτούμενοι τὴν γνῶσιν, αὐτὴν οὐ παρείχοντο· διὸ καὶ ἐτύπτοντο. Εἶδες ὕδωρ; ὀφείλεις ἀναμνησθῆναι τοῦ ὕδατος τοῦ ἐν Αἰγύπτῳ. Ὁ γὰρ ἀπὸ ὕδατος αἷμα ποιήσας, δυνήσεται καὶ τοῦτο ποιῆσαι· ὥσπερ καὶ ἡμεῖς λέγομεν πολλάκις τοῖς παιδίοις· Ὅταν ἴδῃς ἐν τῷ βιβλίῳ τὸ, α, στοιχεῖον, ἀναμνήσθητι ὅτι ἐν τῇ πινακίδι αὐτὸ εἶχες. Εἶδες λιμόν; ἀναμνήσθητι ὅτι αὐτὸς ἦν ὁ τὰ γεννήματα ἀπολέσας. Εἶδες πολέμους; ἀναμνήσθητι τοῦ καταποντισμοῦ. Εἶδες ὅτι μεγάλοι οἱ τὴν γῆν οἰκοῦντες; ἀλλ' οὐ τῶν Αἰγυπτίων μείζους. Εἶτα ὁ ἐκ μέσου αὐτῶν σε λαβὼν, οὐ πολλῷ μᾶλλον ἔξωθεν ὄντα σώσειεν ἄν; Ἀλλ' οὐκ ᾔδεσαν σκορπιστὰ ἐρωτᾶσθαι τὰ στοιχεῖα· διὰ τοῦτο ἐτύπτοντο. Ἔφαγον καὶ ἔπιον, καὶ ἀπελάκτισαν. Ἔδει ἐν τῷ μάννα μὴ ζητεῖν τρυφὴν, τὸ ἀπὸ ταύτης μαθόντας κακόν. Καὶ ταυτὸν ἐποίουν, οἷον εἰ ἐλεύθερος παῖς εἰς διδασκαλεῖον πεμπόμενος, ἐπιζητοίη τὸ μετὰ τῶν δούλων ἄγεσθαι, καὶ ὑπηρετεῖν αὐτοῖς, καὶ τὴν ἀναγκαίαν καὶ ἐλευθέρῳ πρέ 62.330 πουσαν τροφὴν λαβὼν, καὶ ἐν τῇ τοῦ πατρὸς τραπέζῃ καθήμενος, τῆς τῶν οἰκετῶν ἀπολαύειν θέλοι τῆς δυσώδους, τῆς ταραχῆς ἐμπεπλησμένης. Οὕτω καὶ οὗτοι Αἴγυπτον ἐζήτουν, καὶ ἔλεγον τῷ Μωϋσῇ, Ναὶ, Κύριε, πάντα ὅσα ἂν εἴπῃς ποιήσομεν, καὶ ἀκουσόμεθα. Καὶ ὅπερ ἐπὶ τῶν σφόδρα δυσδιορθώτων παίδων γίνεται, τοῦ πατρὸς αὐτοὺς ἀνελεῖν βουλομένου, ὁ διδάσκαλος