John Chrysostom, On Timothy

and endless genealogies. Perhaps here and there alluding to the Jews, who, being greatly 62.696 proud of having Abraham as their forefather, were neglectful of their own affairs. For this reason he calls them foolish and unprofitable; for it is foolishness to be confident in unprofitable matters. And contentions, he says, with heretics, that we may not labor in vain, when there is no profit; for their end is nothing. When someone is perverse, and has determined not to change his mind, whatever may happen, why do you labor in vain, sowing upon rocks, when you ought to bestow this good labor on your own people, discoursing to them about almsgiving and the other virtues? How then does he say elsewhere, “if God perhaps will grant them repentance,” but here, “A man that is an heretic after the first and second admonition reject; knowing that he that is such is subverted, and sinneth, being condemned of himself”? There he speaks of the correction of those who have hope, and of those who are simply opposed; but when he is plain and manifest to all, why do you fight in vain? Why do you beat the air? What is, “Being condemned of himself”? For he cannot say that no one told him, no one admonished him. When, therefore, after the admonition he persists in the same thing, he becomes self-condemned. When I shall send Artemas unto thee, or Tychicus, be diligent to come unto me to Nicopolis. What are you saying? Having appointed him over Crete, you call him to yourself again? Not drawing him away from that duty, but further instructing him. For that he does not call him to himself in order to lead him about and have him following everywhere, hear what he says: “For I have determined there to winter.” And Nicopolis is of Thrace. Bring Zenas the lawyer and Apollos on their journey diligently, that nothing be wanting unto them; but they were not yet of those who had been entrusted with a charge, but of those who were with him; and Apollos was more vehement, being mighty in the Scriptures, and an eloquent man. If, then, that man was a lawyer, he ought not, he says, to be maintained by others. But here he calls a lawyer one experienced in the Jewish laws; as if he had said, Settle them in all abundance, that nothing be wanting to them. And let ours also learn to maintain good works 62.697 for necessary uses, that they be not unfruitful. All that are with me salute thee. Greet them that love us in the faith. He means either those who love him, or faithful men. Grace be with you all. Amen. How then do you command him to stop the mouths of those who contradict, if it is necessary to avoid these men, when they do all things for their own destruction? He says, however, that this should never be done primarily for their gain; for they would never gain, being once perverted in their mind. For if they were harming others, one must stand apart and fight, and with much courage avoid them; but if you should be reduced to necessity, seeing others being corrupted, do not be silent, but stop their mouths, caring for those who are about to perish. On the whole, it is not for one who has zeal and a right life to endure a fight. But, as I said, do so; for the matter arises from idleness and superfluous philosophy, being occupied only with words. For to speak superfluous things is a great loss, when one ought either to teach, or to pray, or to give thanks. For we ought not to be sparing of money, but not of words; but rather of these than of those, and not simply give ourselves up to all. What is, “That they may be careful to maintain good works”? That they may not wait for those in need to come to them, but that they themselves may seek out those who are in need of their help; for he who is careful, is careful in this way; for thus he will accomplish this especially and with much zeal. For in the things in which he does good, what is done brings revenue and profit not so much to the recipients as to the doers; for it gives them boldness before God. But there the end of the fight is nothing. Therefore he calls the incorrigible man a heretic. For just as to overlook those who have hopes of a change is laziness;

καὶ γενεαλογίας ἀπεράντους. Τάχα καὶ ἐνταῦθα καὶ ἐκεῖ αἰνιττόμενος Ἰουδαίους, οἳ μέγα 62.696 φρονοῦντες ἐπὶ τῷ πρόγονον ἔχειν τὸν Ἀβραὰμ, τῶν καθ' ἑαυτοὺς ἠμέλουν. ∆ιὰ τοῦτο καὶ μωρὰς αὐτὰς καλεῖ καὶ ἀνωφελεῖς· μωρίας γὰρ ἐπὶ ἀνωφελέσι πράγμασι τὸ θαῤῥεῖν. Ἔρεις δὲ, φησὶ, τὰς πρὸς τοὺς αἱρετικοὺς, ἵνα μὴ κάμνωμεν εἰκῆ, ὅταν μηδὲν ᾖ κέρδος· τὸ γὰρ τέλος αὐτῶν οὐδέν. Ὅταν ᾖ τις διεστραμμένος, καὶ μηδ', ἂν ὁτιοῦν γένηται, προῃρημένος μεταθέσθαι τὴν γνώμην, τίνος ἕνεκεν εἰκῆ κάμνεις κατὰ πετρῶν σπείρων, δέον πονεῖν τὸν καλὸν τοῦτον πόνον εἰς τοὺς σοὺς τὰ περὶ ἐλεημοσύνης αὐτοῖς διαλεγόμενος καὶ τῆς ἄλλης ἀρετῆς; πῶς οὖν ἑτέρωθί φησι, Μή ποτε δῷ αὐτοῖς ὁ Θεὸς μετάνοιαν, ἐνταῦθα δὲ, Αἱρετικὸν ἄνθρωπον μετὰ μίαν νουθεσίαν καὶ δευτέραν παραιτοῦ, εἰδὼς ὅτι ἐξέστραπται ὁ τοιοῦτος, καὶ ἁμαρτάνει ὢν αὐτοκατάκριτος; Ἐκεῖ μὲν περὶ τῆς τῶν ἐλπίδα ἐχόντων διορθώσεώς φησι, καὶ περὶ τῶν ἀντιδιατιθεμένων ἁπλῶς· ὅταν δὲ δῆλος ᾖ πᾶσι καὶ φανερὸς, τίνος ἕνεκεν πυκτεύεις εἰκῆ; τί τὸν ἀέρα δέρεις; Τί ἐστιν, Ὢν αὐτοκατάκριτος; Οὐ γὰρ ἔχει εἰπεῖν, ὅτι οὐδεὶς εἶπεν, οὐδεὶς ἐνουθέτησεν. Ὅταν οὖν μετὰ τὴν παραίνεσιν ὁ αὐτὸς ἐπιμένῃ, αὐτοκατάκριτος γίνεται. Ὅταν πέμψω Ἀρτεμᾶν πρὸς σὲ ἢ Τυχικὸν, σπούδασον ἐλθεῖν πρός με εἰς Νικόπολιν. Τί λέγεις; ἐπιστήσας αὐτὸν τῇ Κρήτῃ, πάλιν καλεῖς πρὸς σεαυτόν; Οὐκ ἀπάγων αὐτὸν τῆς σχολῆς ἐκείνης, ἀλλὰ πλέον ῥυθμίζων. Ὅτι γὰρ οὐχ ὥστε περιάγειν αὐτὸν καὶ πανταχοῦ ἔχειν ἀκολουθοῦντα καλεῖ πρὸς ἑαυτὸν, ἄκουσον τί φησιν· Ὅτι ἐκεῖ κέκρικα παραχειμάσαι. Ἡ δὲ Νικόπολις τῆς Θρᾴκης ἐστί. Ζηνᾶν τὸν νομικὸν καὶ Ἀπολλὼ σπουδαίως πρόπεμψον, ἵνα μηδὲν αὐτοῖς λείπῃ· αὐτοὶ δὲ οὐδέπω τῶν ἐγχειρισθέντων ἦσαν, ἀλλὰ τῶν συνόντων αὐτῷ· σφοδρότερος δὲ ἦν ὁ Ἀπολλὼς, δυνατὸς ὢν ἐν ταῖς Γραφαῖς, καὶ ἀνὴρ λόγιος. Εἰ τοίνυν νομικὸς ἦν ἐκεῖνος, οὐκ ἔδει παρ' ἑτέρων αὐτὸν, φησὶ, τρέφεσθαι. Ἀλλὰ νομικὸν ἐνταῦθά φησι τὸν τῶν Ἰουδαϊκῶν νόμων ἔμπειρον· ὡσεὶ ἔλεγεν, Ἐν πάσῃ ἀφθονίᾳ αὐτοὺς κατάστησον, ἵνα μηδὲν αὐτοῖς λείπῃ. Μανθανέτωσαν δὲ καὶ οἱ ἡμέτεροι καλῶν ἔργων προΐστασθαι 62.697 εἰς τὰς ἀναγκαίας χρείας, ἵνα μὴ ὦσιν ἄκαρποι. Ἀσπάζονταί σε οἱ μετ' ἐμοῦ πάντες· ἄσπασαι τοὺς φιλοῦντας ἡμᾶς ἐν πίστει. Ἤτοι τοὺς αὐτὸν φιλοῦντάς φησιν, ἢ τοὺς πιστοὺς ἄνδρας. Ἡ χάρις μετὰ πάντων ὑμῶν. Ἀμήν. Πῶς οὖν αὐτῷ κελεύεις τοὺς ἀντιλέγοντας ἐπιστομίζειν, εἰ περιιστάναι τούτους δεῖ, ὅταν ἐπὶ λύμῃ πάντα ποιῶσιν ἑαυτῶν; Φησὶ δὲ προηγουμένως ἐπὶ τῷ ἐκείνων κέρδει μηδέποτε τοῦτο ποιεῖν· οὐδὲ γὰρ ἂν κερδάνειάν ποτε, ἅπαξ διεστραμμένοι τὴν γνώμην. Εἰ μὲν γὰρ ἑτέροις λυμαίνοιντο, διεστάναι χρὴ καὶ μάχεσθαι, καὶ μετὰ πολλῆς τῆς ἀνδρείας περιίστασθαι· εἰ δὲ εἰς ἀνάγκην κατασταίης, ὁρῶν ἑτέρους διαφθειρομένους, μὴ σίγα, ἀλλ' ἐπιστόμιζε, τῶν μελλόντων ἀπόλλυσθαι κηδόμενος. Ὅλως δὲ οὐκ ἔστι τὸν σπουδὴν ἔχοντα καὶ βίον ὀρθὸν, μάχης ἀνέχεσθαι. Πλὴν, ὡς εἶπον, οὕτω ποίει· ἀπὸ γὰρ ἀργίας καὶ τῆς περιττῆς φιλοσοφίας τὸ πρᾶγμα γίνεται, τὸ περὶ τὰ ῥήματα ἠσχολῆσθαι μόνον. Καὶ γὰρ περιττὰ φθέγγεσθαι πολλὴ ζημία, δέον ἢ διδάσκειν, ἢ εὔχεσθαι, ἢ εὐχαριστεῖν. Οὐδὲ γὰρ χρημάτων μὲν φείδεσθαι ὀφείλομεν, ῥημάτων δὲ οὔ· ἀλλὰ μάλιστα τούτων ἢ ἐκείνων, καὶ μὴ ἁπλῶς πᾶσιν ἑαυτοὺς ἐκδιδόναι. Τί ἐστιν, Ἵνα φροντίζωσι καλῶν ἔργων προΐστασθαι; Ἵνα μὴ περιμένωσι τοὺς δεομένους ἐλθεῖν πρὸς αὐτοὺς, ἀλλὰ καὶ αὐτοὶ περιεργάζωνται τοὺς δεομένους τῆς αὐτῶν βοηθείας· ὁ γὰρ φροντίζων, οὕτω φροντίζει· οὕτω γὰρ μάλιστα καὶ μετὰ πολλῆς τῆς σπουδῆς τοῦτο ἐργάσεται. Καὶ γὰρ ἐν οἷς εὖ ποιεῖ, οὐ τοῖς πάσχουσι τοσοῦτον, ὅσον τοῖς εὖ ποιοῦσι πρόσοδον καὶ κέρδος φέρει τὸ γινόμενον· παῤῥησίαν γὰρ δίδωσιν αὐτοῖς πρὸς τὸν Θεόν. Ἐκεῖ δὲ τῆς μάχης τέλος οὐδέν. Τὸν ἀδιόρθωτον οὖν λέγει αἱρετικόν. Ὥσπερ γὰρ τὸ τοὺς ἐλπίδας ἔχοντας μεταβολῆς παρορᾷν, νωθείας·