John Chrysostom, On the Beginning of Acts

distinguish the counterfeit from the genuine; so you also must do, and do not accept every word, but cast out from yourself the one that is counterfeit and corrupt. but commit to your mind the one that is sound and brings salvation. For you have, you also have balances and weights, 51.99 not made from bronze and iron, but composed of purity and faith, and by these test every word. For this is why he says, Become approved money-changers, not so that you might stand in the marketplace and count silver coins, but so that you might examine words with all accuracy; for this reason also the apostle Paul says; Test all things, hold fast only what is good. But he called you money-changers not only for testing, but also for the distribution of what is deposited. For with money-changers, if they only receive the money and lock it up at home, and no longer distribute it to others, all their business will be gone; so also the same thing happens in the case of hearers. For if, having received the teaching, you keep it to yourself and no longer put it out to others, all your enterprise will be washed away. For this reason, in those workshops we see entry and exit happening all day long. Let this, therefore, also happen with teaching. For in the case of those money-changers we also see some depositing money, others receiving it immediately and departing, and one might see this happening all day long. For this reason, although the money is not their own, because they have used it for its proper purpose, through what belongs to others they gather for themselves great abundance. So you also must do. These sayings are not yours, but the Spirit's; but nevertheless if you show the best use of them, you will gather for yourself great spiritual abundance; for this reason God has also called you money-changers. But for what reason did he call the word 'silver'? Because just as silver has the perfected royal image (for if it does not have this, it is not approved silver, but is called counterfeit), so also the teaching of the faith must have the perfected image of the Word. Again, the use of silver coins constitutes our whole life, and becomes the basis of all contracts; whether we need to buy something or sell something, we do everything through these. This also happens in the case of teaching; for of spiritual contracts, this spiritual silver is the basis and root; whence, if we wish to buy something from God, having first deposited the word of prayer, we thus receive what we ask for. And if we see a brother neglected and perishing, we will gain his salvation, and we will buy his life, by depositing the word of teaching. Wherefore we must guard and hold fast all things with all accuracy, so that we may also distribute them to others; for indeed we are required to pay interest on this silver. Let us pay attention, therefore, to the reception, so that we may be able to distribute the silver to others; for each person, if he wishes, has the power of teaching. You cannot set such a great Church aright; but you can admonish your wife. You cannot discourse to so great a multitude; but you can discipline your son. You cannot address a word of teaching to so large a populace; but you can make your servant better. That group of disciples is not greater than your power; that measure of teaching is not beyond your understanding, but you can regulate all of them more easily than we can. 51.100 For I am with you once a week, or often even a second time; but you continually have your disciples within your house, both wife and children and servants, and in the evening, and at table, and throughout the whole day you can correct them. And from another perspective, this healing becomes easier; for I, speaking among so great a multitude, do not know the passion of the soul that troubles you, for which reason I am also compelled in each teaching

διακρίνουσι τὸ νόθον ἀπὸ τοῦ γνησίου· οὕτω καὶ σὺ ποίησον, καὶ μὴ πάντα παραδέχου λόγον, ἀλλὰ τὸν μὲν κίβδηλον καὶ διεφθαρμένον ἔκβαλλε ἀπὸ σοῦ. τὸν δὲ ὑγιῆ καὶ σωτηρίαν ἔχοντα παράπεμπε τῇ διανοίᾳ. Ἔστι γὰρ, ἔστι καὶ σοὶ ζυγὰ καὶ σταθμία 51.99 οὐκ ἀπὸ χαλκοῦ καὶ σιδήρου κατεσκευασμένα, ἀλλ' ἀπὸ ἁγνείας καὶ πίστεως συγκείμενα, καὶ διὰ τούτων δοκίμαζε λόγον ἅπαντα. Καὶ γὰρ διὰ τοῦτό φησι, Γίνεσθε τραπεζῖται δόκιμοι, οὐχ ἵνα ἐπὶ τῆς ἀγορᾶς ἑστῶτες τὰ ἀργύρια ἀριθμῆτε, ἀλλ' ἵνα τοὺς λόγους βασανίζητε μετὰ ἀκριβείας ἁπάσης· διὰ τοῦτο καὶ ὁ ἀπόστολος Παῦλός φησι· Πάντα δοκιμάζετε, τὸ καλὸν δὲ κατέχετε μόνον. Οὐ διὰ τὴν δοκιμασίαν δὲ μόνον ὑμᾶς τραπεζίτας ἐκάλεσεν, ἀλλὰ καὶ διὰ τὴν τῶν καταβαλλομένων νομήν. Καὶ γὰρ τοῖς τραπεζίταις, ἐὰν μόνον ὑποδεχόμενοι τὰ χρήματα κατακλείωσιν οἴκοι, μηκέτι δὲ εἰς ἑτέρους διανέμωσιν, ἅπαν τὸ τῆς ἐμπορίας οἰχήσεται· οὕτω καὶ ἐπὶ τῶν ἀκροατῶν τὸ αὐτὸ τοῦτο γίνεται. Ἂν γὰρ δεξάμενος τὴν διδασκαλίαν παρὰ σαυτῷ κατασχῇς, μηκέτι δὲ εἰς ἑτέρους ἐκβάλῃς, πᾶσά σου ἡ πραγματεία διαῤῥυήσεται. ∆ιὰ τοῦτο ἐπὶ τῶν ἐργαστηρίων ἐκείνων διὰ πάσης ἡμέρας εἴσοδόν τε καὶ ἔξοδον γινομένην ὁρῶμεν. Τοῦτο τοίνυν καὶ ἐπὶ τῆς διδασκαλίας γινέσθω. Καὶ γὰρ καὶ ἐπὶ τῶν τραπεζιτῶν ἐκείνων ὁρῶμεν τοὺς μὲν καταβάλλοντας χρήματα, τοὺς δὲ λαμβάνοντας εὐθέως, καὶ ἀπιόντας, καὶ τοῦτο διὰ πάσης ἡμέρας γινόμενον ἴδοι τις ἄν. ∆ιὰ τοῦτο, καίτοι τῶν χρημάτων οὐκ ὄντων αὐτοῖς οἰκείων, ἐπειδὴ τῇ χρήσει πρὸς τὸ δέον κέχρηνται, διὰ τῶν ἀλλοτρίων πολλὴν ἑαυτοῖς συλλέγουσι τὴν εὐπορίαν. Οὕτω καὶ σὺ ποίησον. Οὐκ ἔστι ταῦτα τὰ λόγια σὰ, ἀλλὰ τοῦ Πνεύματος· ἀλλ' ὅμως ἐὰν ἀρίστην ἐπιδείξῃ τὴν χρῆσιν, πολλὴν ἑαυτῷ συνάξεις τὴν εὐπορίαν τὴν πνευματικήν· διὰ τοῦτο καὶ τραπεζίτας ὑμᾶς ἐκάλεσεν ὁ Θεός. Τίνος δὲ ἕνεκεν ἀργύριον τὸν λόγον ἐκάλεσεν; Ἐπειδὴ καθάπερ τὸ ἀργύριον τὸν χαρακτῆρα ἔχει ἀπηρτισμένον τὸν βασιλικὸν (κἂν γὰρ μὴ τοῦτον ἔχῃ, οὐκ ἔστιν ἀργύριον δόκιμον, ἀλλὰ κίβδηλον καλεῖται), οὕτω καὶ τὴν διδασκαλίαν τῆς πίστεως τὸν χαρακτῆρα τοῦ λόγου ἀπηρτισμένον ἔχειν δεῖ. Πάλιν τῶν ἀργυρίων ἡ χρῆσις πᾶσαν ἡμῶν συγκροτεῖ τὴν ζωὴν, καὶ συμβολαίων ἁπάντων ὑπόθεσις γίνεται, κἂν ἀγοράσαι τι, κἂν πωλῆσαι δέῃ, διὰ τούτων ἅπαντα πράττομεν. Τοῦτο καὶ ἐπὶ τῆς διδασκαλίας γίνεται· τῶν γὰρ συμβολαίων πνευματικῶν ὑπόθεσίς ἐστι καὶ ῥίζα τὸ ἀργύριον τοῦτο τὸ πνευματικόν· ὅθεν κἂν παρὰ τοῦ Θεοῦ τι βουληθῶμεν ἀγοράσαι, τὸν λόγον τῆς εὐχῆς καταβαλόντες πρῶτον, οὕτω λαμβάνομεν ἅπερ αἰτοῦμεν. Κἂν ἀδελφὸν ἴδωμεν ἠμελημένον καὶ ἀπολλύμενον, τὴν σωτηρίαν αὐτοῦ κερδήσομεν, καὶ τὴν ζωὴν ἀγοράσομεν, τὸν λόγον τῆς διδασκαλίας καταβάλλοντες. ∆ιὸ χρὴ μετὰ ἀκριβείας ἁπάσης φυλάττειν καὶ κατέχειν ἅπαντα, ἵνα καὶ εἰς ἑτέρους αὐτὰ διανείμωμεν· καὶ γὰρ καὶ τόκους τῶν ἀργυρίων τούτων ἀπαιτούμεθα. Προσέχωμεν τοίνυν τῇ ὑποδοχῇ, ἵνα καὶ εἰς ἑτέρους διανεῖμαι δυνηθῶμεν τὰ ἀργύρια· καὶ γὰρ ἕκαστος, ἐὰν θέλῃ, δύναμιν ἔχει διδασκαλίας. Οὐ δύνασαι Ἐκκλησίαν ὀρθῶσαι τοσαύτην· ἀλλὰ δύνασαι τὴν γυναῖκα τὴν σὴν νουθετῆσαι. Οὐ δύνασαι πρὸς πλῆθος τοσοῦτον διαλεχθῆναι· ἀλλὰ τὸν υἱόν σου σωφρονίσαι δύνασαι. Οὐ δύνασαι πρὸς δῆμον τηλικοῦτον τὸν λόγον ἀποτεῖναι διδασκαλίας· ἀλλὰ τὸν οἰκέτην σου βελτίονα ἐργάσασθαι δύνασαι Οὐκ ἔστι σου μείζων τῆς δυνάμεως ἐκεῖνος τῶν μαθητῶν ὁ σύλλογος· οὐκ ἔστι σου πλέον τῆς συνέσεως ἐκεῖνο τῆς διδασκαλίας τὸ μέτρον, ἀλλὰ καὶ ἡμῶν εὐκολώτερον ὑμεῖς ἐκείνους πάντας ῥυθμίζειν δύνασθε. 51.100 Ἐγὼ μὲν γὰρ ὑμῖν ἅπαξ τῆς ἑβδομάδος συγγίνομαι, ἢ καὶ δεύτερον πολλάκις· σὺ δὲ διαπαντὸς ἔνδον ἔχεις τῆς οἰκίας τοὺς μαθητὰς, καὶ τὴν γυναῖκα, καὶ τὰ παιδία, καὶ τοὺς οἰκέτας, καὶ ἐν ἑσπέρᾳ, καὶ ἐν τραπέζῃ, καὶ διὰ πάσης ἡμέρας δύνασαι διορθοῦν αὐτούς. Καὶ ἑτέρωθεν δὲ ἡ ἰατρεία αὕτη εὐκολωτέρα γίνεται· ἐγὼ μὲν γὰρ ἐν πλήθει τοσούτῳ διαλεγόμενος οὐκ οἶδα τὸ ἐνοχλοῦν ὑμῖν πάθος τῆς ψυχῆς, διὸ καὶ ἀναγκάζομαι καθ' ἑκάστην διδασκαλίαν