John Chrysostom, On the Change of Names

exhorting to good things? These things I have often said, and saying them I will not cease, until I see those who are sick becoming well. 51.148 I seek them out each day, until I am able to find them through your diligence. And I beg you also, with the same pain with which I now say these things, with the same labor to make the search for the more negligent. For not only to me, but also to you Paul commanded to care for your own members. For exhort, he says, one another with these words, even as you also do; and again: Build one another up. For the reward is great for those who care for their brethren, and the punishment is greatest for those who neglect and despise their salvation. 3. Wherefore I am very bold and have been persuaded, that with much eagerness you will do what has been said; and for this reason, stopping this exhortation here, I will try to bring you to the table of Paul. Paul, a called apostle. These things you have often heard, and we have read; but one must not only read, but also understand what is said; since there will be no profit for us from the reading. For a treasure trodden on from above does not show its wealth, but one must first dig it up, and go down, and so find all its abundance; so also with the Scriptures; the reading alone is not sufficient to show the treasure of the good things stored up, unless you search out the depth. If reading were sufficient, Philip would not have said to the eunuch, Do you understand what you are reading? if reading were sufficient, Christ would not have said to the Jews, Search the Scriptures; but he who searches does not stop at the surface, but goes down to the depth itself. For I see a great sea of thoughts in the introductions. For in worldly letters the salutations are made simply, showing only courtesy; but here it is not so, but the introduction is full of much wisdom. For it is not Paul who is speaking, but Christ who is moving his soul. Paul, a called one. This 'Paul,' is one name, and a mere name; but it has such a treasure of thoughts stored up, as you have known by experience. For if indeed you remember, you know that for three whole days I discoursed on this name alone, saying the reasons for which he, who before this was called Saul, was afterwards called Paul, and for what reason, not immediately after turning to the faith, he received the name, but for a long time remained having the name which his parents had given him from the beginning; and from this we were showing the great wisdom and care of God, which has been shown both toward us, and toward those saints. For if men do not simply give names to their own children, but call one after the father, another after the grandfather, another after other ancestors; much more did God not simply, nor without some reason, give names to His own servants, but with greater wisdom. For men, both for the honor of the departed and for their own consolation, often call their own sons by the names of the deceased, devising a certain consolation for the death of the departed through the name of the children; but God stores up a reminder of virtue and a teach 51.149 ing, as on a bronze pillar, in the name of the saints. So at least He called Peter from his virtue, depositing the proof of his firmness in the faith in his name, so that he might have a continual teacher, the name, of such firmness. This He also called John and James, from the greatness of voice in their preaching. But lest I annoy you by saying the same things again, leaving these things, I will say this, that even the names of the saints, spoken by themselves, are both venerable to those who love God, and terrible to those who sin.

παρακαλοῦντες ἀγαθῶν; Ταῦτα πολλάκις εἶπον, καὶ λέγων οὐ παύσομαι, ἕως ἂν ἴδω τοὺς νοσοῦντας ὑγιαίνοντας. 51.148 Καθ' ἑκάστην αὐτοὺς ἐπιζητῶ τὴν ἡμέραν, ἕως ἂν δυνηθῶ διὰ τῆς ὑμετέρας σπουδῆς αὐτοὺς εὑρεῖν. ∆έομαι δὲ καὶ ὑμῶν, μετὰ τῆς αὐτῆς ὀδύνης, μεθ' ἧς ταῦτα λέγω νῦν, μετὰ τοῦ αὐτοῦ πόνου τὴν ἔρευναν ποιεῖσθαι τῶν ῥᾳθυμοτέρων. Καὶ γὰρ οὐκ ἐμοὶ μόνον, ἀλλὰ καὶ ὑμῖν Παῦλος ἐπέταξε τῶν οἰκείων φροντίζειν μελῶν. Παρακαλεῖτε γὰρ, φησὶν, εἷς τὸν ἕνα ἐν τοῖς λόγοις τούτοις, καθὼς καὶ ποιεῖτε· καὶ πάλιν· Οἰκοδομεῖτε ἀλλήλους. Καὶ γὰρ ὁ μισθὸς μέγας τοῖς τῶν ἀδελφῶν κηδομένοις, καὶ τιμωρία μεγίστη τοῖς ἀμελοῦσι καὶ καταφρονοῦσι τῆς σωτηρίας αὐτῶν. γʹ. Ὅθεν σφόδρα θαῤῥῶ καὶ πεπίστευκα, ὅτι μετὰ πολλῆς τῆς προθυμίας ποιήσετε τὰ εἰρημένα· καὶ διὰ τοῦτο ἐνταῦθα ταύτην τὴν παραίνεσιν στήσας, ἐπὶ τὴν Παύλου τράπεζαν ὑμᾶς ἀγαγεῖν πειράσομαι. Παῦλος κλητὸς ἀπόστολος. Ταῦτα πολλάκις καὶ ὑμεῖς ἠκούσατε, καὶ ἡμεῖς ἀνέγνωμεν· ἀλλ' οὐκ ἀναγινώσκειν μόνον, ἀλλὰ καὶ ἐπιγινώσκειν χρὴ τὰ λεγόμενα· ἐπεὶ κέρδος οὐδὲν ἡμῖν ἔσται τῆς ἀναγνώσεως. Καὶ γὰρ θησαυρὸς ἄνωθεν πατούμενος οὐκ ἐνδείκνυται τὸν πλοῦτον, ἀλλὰ χρὴ διορύξαι πρῶτον αὐτὸν, καὶ καταβῆναι κάτω, καὶ οὕτως ἅπασαν τὴν εὐπορίαν εὑρεῖν· οὕτω καὶ ἐπὶ τῶν Γραφῶν· οὐκ ἀρκεῖ μόνον ἡ ἀνάγνωσις δεῖξαι τὸν τῶν ἀποκειμένων ἀγαθῶν θησαυρὸν, ἂν μὴ διερευνήσῃς τὸ βάθος. Εἰ ἤρκει ἀνάγνωσις, οὐκ ἂν εἶπεν ὁ Φίλιππος τῷ εὐνούχῳ, Ἆρά γε γινώσκεις ἃ ἀναγινώσκεις; εἰ ἤρκει ἡ ἀνάγνωσις, οὐκ ἂν εἶπεν ὁ Χριστὸς τοῖς Ἰουδαίοις, Ἐρευνᾶτε τὰς Γραφάς· ὁ δὲ ἐρευνῶν οὐ μέχρι τῆς ἐπιφανείας ἵσταται, ἀλλὰ πρὸς τὸ βάθος αὐτὸ καταβαίνει. Καὶ γὰρ πολὺ πέλαγος νοημάτων ἐν τοῖς προοιμίοις ὁρῶ. Ἐν μὲν γὰρ ταῖς βιωτικαῖς ἐπιστολαῖς αἱ προσρήσεις ἁπλῶς γίνονται, θεραπείαν ἐμφαίνουσαι μόνον· ἐνταῦθα δὲ οὐχ οὕτως, ἀλλὰ πολλῆς σοφίας γέμει τὸ προοίμιον. Οὐ γὰρ Παῦλός ἐστιν ὁ φθεγγόμενος, ἀλλ' ὁ κινῶν τὴν ἐκείνου ψυχὴν Χριστός. Παῦλος κλητός. Τὸ Παῦλος τοῦτο, ὄνομα μέν ἐστιν ἓν, καὶ ψιλὸν ὄνομα· τοσοῦτον δὲ ἔχει νοημάτων θησαυρὸν ἀποκείμενον, ὅσον διὰ τῆς πείρας ἔγνωτε. Εἰ γὰρ δὴ μέμνησθε, ἴστε ὅτι τρεῖς ἡμέρας ὁλοκλήρους ὑπὲρ τοῦ ὀνόματος τούτου διελέχθην μόνον, τὰς αἰτίας λέγων, δι' ἃς πρὸ τούτου Σαῦλος καλούμενος, μετὰ ταῦτα ἐκλήθη Παῦλος, καὶ τίνος ἕνεκεν οὐκ εὐθέως μεταστὰς πρὸς τὴν πίστιν, ἐδέξατο τὴν προσηγορίαν, ἀλλὰ μέχρι πολλοῦ διέμεινεν ἔχων τὸ ὄνομα, ὅπερ ἐξαρχῆς ἔθεντο οἱ γονεῖς· καὶ πολλὴν ἀπὸ τούτου τοῦ Θεοῦ σοφίαν καὶ κηδεμονίαν ἀνεδείκνυμεν, καὶ περὶ ἡμᾶς, καὶ περὶ τοὺς ἁγίους ἐκείνους γεγενημένην. Εἰ γὰρ ἄνθρωποι τοῖς αὑτῶν παιδίοις οὐχ ἁπλῶς ἐπιτιθέασι τὰ ὀνόματα, ἀλλὰ τὸ μὲν ἀπὸ τοῦ πατρὸς, τὸ δὲ ἀπὸ τοῦ πάππου, τὸ δὲ ἀφ' ἑτέρων προγόνων καλοῦντες· πολλῷ μᾶλλον ὁ Θεὸς τοῖς ἑαυτοῦ δούλοις οὐχ ἁπλῶς, οὐδὲ ἄνευ λόγου τινὸς τὰς προσηγορίας ἐπέθηκεν, ἀλλὰ μετὰ πλείονος σοφίας. Ἄνθρωποι μὲν γὰρ εἴς τε τιμὴν τῶν ἀπελθόντων, εἴς τε ἑαυτῶν παραμυθίαν πολλάκις τοῖς τῶν τετελευτηκότων ὀνόμασι τοὺς ἑαυτῶν υἱοὺς καλοῦσι, παραμυθίαν τινὰ τῆς τῶν κατοιχομένων τελευτῆς διὰ τῆς τῶν παίδων προσηγορίας ἐπινοοῦντες· ὁ δὲ Θεὸς ἀρετῆς ὑπόμνησιν καὶ διδασκα 51.149 λίαν, ὥσπερ ἐν στήλῃ χαλκῇ, τῇ προσηγορίᾳ τῶν ἁγίων ἐναποτίθεται. Τὸν γοῦν Πέτρον ἀπὸ τῆς ἀρετῆς οὕτως ἐκάλεσε, τὴν ἀπόδειξιν τῆς περὶ τὴν πίστιν στεῤῥότητος ἐναποτιθέμενος αὐτοῦ τῷ ὀνόματι, ἵνα ἔχῃ διδάσκαλον διηνεκῆ, τὴν προσηγορίαν, τῆς τοιαύτης στεῤῥότητος. Τοῦτο καὶ τὸν Ἰωάννην καὶ τὸν Ἰάκωβον ἐκάλεσεν,ἀπὸ τῆς κατὰ τὸ κήρυγμα μεγαλοφωνίας. Ἀλλ' ἵνα μὴ πάλιν τὰ αὐτὰ λέγων διενοχλῶ, ταῦτα ἀφεὶς, ἐκεῖνο ἐρῶ, ὅτι καὶ αὐτὰ καθ' ἑαυτὰ λεγόμενα τὰ ὀνόματα τῶν ἁγίων, καὶ τοῖς φιλοθέοις εἰσὶν αἰδέσιμα, καὶ τοῖς ἁμαρτάνουσι φοβερά.