John Chrysostom, On Matthew

Deliverance from and abolition of sins. For He shall save, it says, His people from their sins. And here He points out the paradoxical thing. For He proclaims the good news not of deliverance from perceptible wars, nor from barbarians, but what was much greater than these, deliverance from sins; which had never before been possible for anyone. And for what reason, he says, did it say, "His people," and not also add "the Gentiles"? So as not to startle the hearer for the time being. For to the one who listens with understanding, He hinted also at the Gentiles. For His people are not the Jews only, but also all who come to Him and receive the knowledge from Him. But consider how He has also revealed to us His dignity, by calling the Jewish people His people. For this shows nothing other than that the One being born is the Son of God, and that his discourse is about the King of those above. For to forgive sins is not of any other power, but of that substance alone. Since, therefore, we have enjoyed so great a gift, let us do everything 57.48 so as not to insult so great a benefit. For if what was done was worthy of punishment even before this honor, much more so after this unspeakable benefit. And I say these things now not simply, but because I see many after baptism continuing more carelessly than the uninitiated, and having no distinctive mark of their way of life. For this very reason it is not possible to know quickly, either in the marketplace or in the church, who is a believer and who is not a believer, unless one should be present at the time of the mysteries, and see some being cast out, and others remaining within. But one ought to be recognized not by place, but by manner of life. For external dignities are, reasonably, evident from the external signs that surround them; but our things ought to be known from the soul. For the believer should be manifest not only from the gift, but also from the new life. The believer ought to be a light of the world and salt. But when you do not shine even for yourself, nor check your own decay, from where shall we know you then? That you have stepped into the sacred streams? But this becomes for you a provision for punishment. For the greatness of an honor is an addition of chastisement for those who choose to live unworthily of the honor. For it is right for the believer to shine not only from what he has received from God, but also from what he himself has contributed, and to be recognizable from every aspect, from his walk, from his gaze, from his bearing, from his voice. I have said these things, not that we should regulate ourselves for show, but for the benefit of those who see us. But now, from wherever I might seek to recognize you, I find you appearing everywhere from the opposite things. For if I should wish to understand you from your location, I see you spending your days in hippodromes and theaters and lawless acts, in wicked gatherings in the marketplace, and in the company of corrupt men; and if from the expression of your face, I see you laughing aloud continually and dissolute, just like a grinning and wanton courtesan; and if from your clothes, I see you arrayed no better than those on the stage; and if from your followers, you lead about parasites and flatterers; and if from your words, I hear you uttering nothing sound, nor necessary, nor that holds our life together; and if from your table, the accusation from there will appear even greater. 8. From where, then, tell me, will I be able to recognize you as the believer, when all the things I have mentioned vote for the opposite? And why do I say the believer? For I cannot even learn clearly if you are a human being. For when you kick like a donkey, leap like a bull, and neigh after women like a horse; and are gluttonous like a bear, and fatten your flesh like a mule; and bear grudges like a camel; and seize like a wolf, and are wrathful like a snake, and strike like a scorpion, and are treacherous like a fox, and preserve the venom of wickedness like an asp and a viper, and war against your brothers like that evil demon 57.49; how shall I be able to count you among human beings, not seeing in you the characteristics of such a nature? For in seeking the difference between a catechumen and a believer, I am in danger of not even

Ἁμαρτιῶν ἀπαλλαγὴ καὶ ἀναίρεσις. Αὐτὸς γὰρ σώσει, φησὶ, τὸν λαὸν αὑτοῦ ἀπὸ τῶν ἁμαρτιῶν αὐτῶν Καὶ ἐνταῦθα τὸ παράδοξον ἐνδείκνυται. Οὐ γὰρ πολέμων αἰσθητῶν, οὐδὲ βαρβάρων, ἀλλ' ὃ πολλῷ τούτων μεῖζον ἦν, ἁμαρτημάτων ἀπαλλαγὴν εὐαγγελίζεται· ὃ μηδενί ποτε ἔμπροσθεν ἐγένετο δυνατόν. Καὶ τίνος ἕνεκεν, φησὶ, Τὸν λαὸν αὑτοῦ, εἶπε, καὶ οὐχὶ καὶ τὰ ἔθνη προσέθηκεν; Ἵνα μὴ πτοήσῃ τὸν ἀκροατὴν τέως. Τῷ γὰρ συνετῶς ἀκροωμένῳ καὶ τὰ ἔθνη ᾐνίξατο. Λαὸς γὰρ αὐτοῦ οὐχ οἱ Ἰουδαῖοι μόνον, ἀλλὰ καὶ πάντες οἱ προσιόντες καὶ δεχόμενοι τὴν παρ' αὐτοῦ γνῶσιν. Σκόπει δὲ πῶς αὐτοῦ καὶ τὸ ἀξίωμα ἡμῖν παρήνοιξε, λαὸν αὐτοῦ καλῶν τὸν δῆμον τὸν Ἰουδαϊκόν. Τοῦτο γὰρ οὐδὲν ἄλλο δεικνύντος ἐστὶν, ἢ ὅτι Θεοῦ Παῖς ὁ τικτόμενος, καὶ περὶ τοῦ τῶν ἄνω βασιλέως ὁ λόγος ἐστὶν αὐτῷ. Οὐδὲ γὰρ ἁμαρτήματα ἀφιέναι ἑτέρας ἐστὶ δυνάμεως, ἀλλ' ἢ τῆς οὐσίας μόνης ἐκείνης. Ἐπεὶ οὖν τοσαύτης ἀπελαύσαμεν δωρεᾶς, πάντα 57.48 ποιῶμεν, ὥστε μὴ τὴν εὐεργεσίαν καθυβρίσαι τὴν τοσαύτην. Εἰ γὰρ καὶ πρὸ τῆς τιμῆς ταύτης ἄξια κολάσεως τὰ γινόμενα ἦν, πολλῷ μᾶλλον μετὰ τὴν ἄφατον ταύτην εὐεργεσίαν. Καὶ ταῦτα οὐχ ἁπλῶς λέγω νῦν, ἀλλ' ἐπειδὴ πολλοὺς ὁρῶ μετὰ τὸ βάπτισμα ῥᾳθυμότερον τῶν ἀμυήτων διατελοῦντας, καὶ οὐδὲν ἔχοντας ἴδιον γνώρισμα πολιτείας. ∆ιά τοι τοῦτο οὐκ ἐν ἀγορᾷ, οὐκ ἐν ἐκκλησίᾳ δυνατὸν εἰδέναι ταχέως, τίς μὲν ὁ πιστὸς, τίς δὲ ὁ μὴ πιστὸς, πλὴν εἴ τις κατὰ τὸν καιρὸν ἐπισταίη τῶν μυστηρίων, καὶ ἴδοι τοὺς μὲν ἐκβαλλομένους, τοὺς δὲ ἔνδον μένοντας. Ἐχρῆν δὲ οὐκ ἀπὸ τοῦ τόπου, ἀλλ' ἀπὸ τοῦ τρόπου γνωρίζεσθαι. Τὰ μὲν γὰρ ἔξωθεν ἀξιώματα, εἰκότως ἀπὸ τῶν ἔξωθεν περικειμένων τεκμηρίων ἐστὶ κατάδηλα· τὰ δὲ ἡμέτερα ἀπὸ τῆς ψυχῆς εἶναι γνώριμα χρή. Τὸν γὰρ πιστὸν οὐκ ἀπὸ τῆς δωρεᾶς χρὴ φαίνεσθαι μόνον, ἀλλὰ καὶ ἀπὸ τῆς ζωῆς τῆς καινῆς. Τὸν πιστὸν, φωστῆρα δεῖ εἶναι τοῦ κόσμου καὶ ἅλας. Ὅταν δὲ μηδὲ σαυτῷ φαίνῃς, μηδὲ τὴν οἰκείαν σηπεδόνα ἐπισφίγγῃς, πόθεν σε εἰσόμεθα λοιπόν; ὅτι τῶν ναμάτων ἐπέβης τῶν ἱερῶν; Ἀλλὰ τοῦτό σοι κολάσεως ἐφόδιον γίνεται. Τιμῆς γὰρ μέγεθος τοῖς οὐκ ἀξίως τῆς τιμῆς ζῇν προαιρουμένοις προσθήκη τιμωρίας ἐστί. Τὸν γὰρ πιστὸν οὐκ ἀφ' ὧν ἔλαβε παρὰ τοῦ Θεοῦ μόνον, ἀλλὰ καὶ ἀφ' ὧν αὐτὸς εἰσήνεγκε λάμπειν δίκαιον, καὶ πανταχόθεν εἶναι γνώριμον, ἀπὸ τοῦ βαδίσματος, ἀπὸ τοῦ βλέμματος, ἀπὸ τοῦ σχήματος, ἀπὸ τῆς φωνῆς. Ταῦτα δὲ εἶπον, οὐχ ἵνα πρὸς ἐπίδειξιν, ἀλλ' ἵνα πρὸς ὠφέλειαν τῶν ὁρώντων ἑαυτοὺς ῥυθμίσωμεν. Νῦν δὲ ὅθεν ἂν ζητήσω σε ἐπιγνῶναι, πανταχοῦ σε ἀπὸ τῶν ἐναντίων εὑρίσκω φαινόμενον. Ἄν τε γὰρ ἀπὸ τοῦ τόπου βουληθῶ σε καταμαθεῖν, ἐν ἱπποδρομίοις καὶ θεάτροις καὶ παρανομίαις ὁρῶ διημερεύοντα, ἐν πονηροῖς συλλόγοις τοῖς ἐν ἀγορᾷ, καὶ ἀνθρώπων συνουσίαις διεφθαρμένων· ἄν τε ἀπὸ τοῦ σχήματος τῆς ὄψεως, ἀνακαγχάζοντα βλέπω διηνεκῶς καὶ διαλελυμένον, καθάπερ σεσηρυῖαν ἑταιρίδα καὶ ἀπολελυμένην· ἄν τε ἀπὸ τῶν ἱματίων, τῶν ἐπὶ σκηνῆς οὐδὲν ἄμεινον διακείμενον ὁρῶ· ἄν τε ἀπὸ τῶν ἑπομένων, παρασίτους περιφέρεις καὶ κόλακας· ἄν τε ἀπὸ τῶν ῥημάτων, οὐδὲν ὑγιὲς, οὐδὲ ἀναγκαῖον, οὐδὲ συνέχον ἡμῶν τὴν ζωὴν ἀκούω φθεγγόμενον· ἄν τε ἀπὸ τῆς τραπέζης, μείζων ἐντεῦθεν ἡ κατηγορία φανεῖται. ηʹ. Πόθεν οὖν, εἰπέ μοι, δυνήσομαί σε ἐπιγνῶναι τὸν πιστὸν, τῶν εἰρημένων ἁπάντων τἀναντία ψηφιζομένων; Καὶ τί λέγω τὸν πιστόν; Οὐδὲ γὰρ εἰ ἄνθρωπος εἶ, σαφῶς δύναμαι μαθεῖν. Ὅταν γὰρ λακτίζῃς μὲν ὥσπερ ὄνος, σκιρτᾷς δὲ ὥσπερ ταῦρος, χρεμετίζῃς δὲ ἐπὶ γυναιξὶν ὥσπερ ἵππος· καὶ γαστριμαργῇς μὲν ὥσπερ ἄρκτος, πιαίνῃς δὲ τὴν σάρκα ὥσπερ ἡμίονος· μνησικακῇς δὲ ὥσπερ κάμηλος· καὶ ἁρπάζῃς μὲν ὡς λύκος, ὀργίζῃ δὲ ὡς ὄφις, πλήττῃς δὲ ὡς σκορπίος, ὕπουλος δὲ ᾖς ὥσπερ ἀλώπηξ, ἰὸν δὲ πονηρίας διατηρῇς ὥσπερ ἀσπὶς καὶ ἔχις, πολεμῇς δὲ κατὰ τῶν ἀδελφῶν ὥσπερ ὁ πονηρὸς δαίμων 57.49 ἐκεῖνος· πῶς δυνήσομαί σε μετὰ τῶν ἀνθρώπων ἀριθμεῖν, οὐχ ὁρῶν ἐν σοὶ τῆς τοιαύτης φύσεως τοὺς χαρακτῆρας; Κατηχουμένου γὰρ καὶ πιστοῦ διαφορὰν ζητῶν, κινδυνεύω μηδὲ