John Chrysostom, On John

this pain death will follow, an immortal death; for there is no end of the punishment there; and here, those who daydream about things that do not exist differ in no way from those who are mad. For they seem to be rich while not being rich, and they think they are living in luxury while not living in luxury, and they do not perceive this deceit as they should, until they are freed from their madness, until they shake off their sleep. Therefore Paul exhorts all to be sober and watchful; and Christ again says the same things. The one who is sober and watchful, even if he is caught by sin, quickly repels it; but the one who is sleeping and out of his mind, does not perceive how he is possessed by it. Therefore let us not sleep. For it is not the time of night, but of day. Therefore, let us walk becomingly, as in the day. For nothing is more unseemly than sin. In terms of unseemliness, it is a lesser evil to go about naked, than sinning or transgressing. For that is not so great a charge; for often it might even happen from poverty; but nothing is more shameful and dishonorable than a sinner. Let us consider, then, those who go to a court of law on account of plunder 59.60 and greed, how shameful and ridiculous they appear, being shameless in all things, lying and being reckless. But we are so pitiful and wretched, that we would not endure simply to put on a garment crookedly, but if we see another suffering this, we correct him; but when all, both ourselves and our neighbors, are walking on their heads, we do not even perceive it. For what is more shameful, tell me, than a man going in to a harlot woman? what could be more ridiculous than an insolent man, or a reviler and slanderer? Why then do these things not seem to be as shameful as walking naked? From custom alone. For no one ever suffered this willingly; but that is always dared by all with impunity. Since if someone came into a multitude of angels, among whom nothing of the sort ever happened, he would then see clearly the great ridicule. And why do I say a multitude of angels? For in the very palaces among us, if anyone should bring in a harlot and use her, or be overcome by drunkenness with wine, or commit some other such unseemly act, he pays the ultimate penalty. And if in palaces it is not tolerable to dare such things, much more, when the King of all is present everywhere and observing what is done, if we dare such things, we will undergo the ultimate punishment. Therefore, I beseech you, let us show great tranquility in our life, great purity. For we have a King who sees all our affairs continually. Therefore, that this light may always illuminate us abundantly, let us draw this ray to ourselves. For thus we shall enjoy both the good things here and those to come, by the grace and loving-kindness of our Lord Jesus Christ, through whom and with whom to the Father be glory, together with the Holy Spirit, for ever and ever. Amen.

59.59 HOMILY 6. There was a man sent from God, whose name was

John. Having discussed for us the urgent matters concerning God the Word in the prologues, by way and in order advancing, he now comes to the herald of the Word, his namesake John. But you, hearing that he was sent from God, no longer consider anything said by him to be human. For he utters not his own things, but all the things of Him who sent him. Therefore he is also called a messenger; and the virtue of a messenger is to say nothing of his own. But the phrase, "There was," here is not indicative of his coming into being, but of his mission itself. For, "There was a man sent from God," is instead of, "he was sent from God." How then do they say that, "existing in the form of God," is not spoken concerning his sameness with the Father because the article is not added? For behold, here too the article is nowhere added. Is it not then about the Father

ὀδύνην ταύτην θάνατος ἕψεται, θάνατος ἀθάνατος· οὐδὲ γάρ ἐστι τῆς ἐκεῖ κολάσεως τέλος· καὶ ἐνταῦθα δὲ τῶν παραπαιόντων οὐδὲν διενηνόχασιν οἱ πράγματα ὀνειροπολοῦντες οὐχ ὑφεστῶτα. Καὶ γὰρ δοκοῦσι πλουτεῖν οὐ πλουτοῦντες, καὶ νομίζουσι τρυφᾷν οὐ τρυφῶντες, καὶ οὐ πρότερον αἰσθάνονται τῆς ἀπάτης ὡς χρὴ ταύτης, ἕως ἂν τῆς μανίας ἀπαλλαγῶσιν, ἕως ἂν τὸν ὕπνον ἀποτινάξωνται. ∆ιὸ νήφειν καὶ ἐγρηγορέναι πᾶσιν ὁ Παῦλος παρακελεύεται· καὶ ὁ Χριστὸς τὰ αὐτὰ πάλιν. Ὁ νήφων καὶ ἐγρηγορὼς, κἂν ὑπὸ τῆς ἁμαρτίας ἁλῷ, ταχέως αὐτὴν ἀποκρούεται· ὁ δὲ καθεύδων καὶ ἐξεστηκὼς, οὐκ αἰσθάνεται πῶς ὑπ' αὐτῆς κατέχεται. Μὴ τοίνυν καθεύδωμεν. Οὐ γὰρ νυκτὸς ὁ καιρὸς, ἀλλ' ἡμέρας. Ὡς ἐν ἡμέρᾳ τοίνυν εὐσχημόνως περιπατήσωμεν. Οὐδὲν γὰρ ἁμαρτίας ἀσχημονέστερον. Ἔλαττον κακὸν εἰς ἀσχημοσύνης λόγον, γυμνοὺς, ἢ ἁμαρτάνοντας ἢ πλημμελοῦντας περιέρχεσθαι. Ἐκεῖνο μὲν γὰρ οὐ τοσοῦτον ἔγκλημα· πολλάκις γὰρ καὶ ἀπὸ πενίας γένοιτ' ἄν· τοῦ δὲ ἁμαρτάνοντος οὐδὲν αἰσχρότερον καὶ ἀτιμότερον. Ἐννοήσωμεν οὖν τοὺς εἰς δικαστήριον ἀπιόντας ἁρπαγῆς ἕνεκα 59.60 καὶ πλεονεξίας, πῶς αἰσχροὶ καὶ καταγέλαστοι φαίνονται, πάντα ἀναισχυντοῦντες, ψευδόμενοι καὶ ἰταμευόμενοι. Ἡμεῖς δὲ οὕτως ἐσμὲν ἐλεεινοὶ καὶ ταλαίπωροι, ὡς ἱμάτιον μὲν μὴ ἂν ὑπομεῖναι ἁπλῶς περιβαλέσθαι καὶ διεστραμμένως, ἀλλὰ κἂν ἕτερον ἴδωμεν τοῦτο πάσχοντα, διορθούμεθα· πάντων δὲ καὶ ἡμῶν καὶ τῶν πλησίον κατὰ κεφαλῆς περιπατούντων, μηδὲ ἐπαισθάνεσθαι. Τί γὰρ αἰσχρότερον, εἰπέ μοι, ἀνδρὸς πρὸς γυναῖκα πόρνην εἰσιόντος; τί δὲ ὑβριστοῦ, τί δὲ λοιδόρου καὶ βασκάνου καταγελαστότερον γένοιτ' ἄν; πόθεν οὖν οὐ δοκεῖ ταῦτα οὕτως εἶναι αἰσχρὰ, ὡς τὸ γυμνοὺς περιπατεῖν, Ἀπὸ τῆς συνηθείας μόνης. Τοῦτο μὲν γὰρ οὐδεὶς οὐδέποτε ἑκὼν ἔπαθεν· ἐκεῖνο δὲ ἅπασιν ἀεὶ τολμᾶται μετὰ ἀδείας. Ἐπεὶ εἴ τις εἰς ἀγγέλων πλῆθος ἦλθε, παρ' οἷς οὐδὲν οὐδέποτε τοιοῦτον ἐγένετο, εἶδεν ἂν τότε ἀκριβῶς τὸν πολὺν γέλωτα. Καὶ τί λέγω πλῆθος ἀγγέλων; Ἐν γὰρ τοῖς βασιλείοις αὐτοῖς τοῖς παρ' ἡμῖν, εἴ τις ἂν πόρνην εἰσαγαγὼν χρῷτο αὐτῇ, ἢ μέθῃ οἴνου κατασχεθείη, ἢ ἄλλο τι τοιοῦτον ἀσχημονήσειε, τὴν ἐσχάτην δίδωσι δίκην. Εἰ δὲ ἐν βασιλείοις οὐκ ἀνεκτὸν τὰ τοιαῦτα τολμᾷν, πολλῷ μᾶλλον, τοῦ πανταχοῦ βασιλέως παρόντος καὶ τὰ γινόμενα θεωμένου, ἂν τοιαῦτα τολμῶμεν, τὴν ἐσχάτην ὑποστησόμεθα κόλασιν. ∆ιὸ, παρακαλῶ, πολλὴν ἐν τῷ βίῳ τὴν ἡσυχίαν ἐπιδειξώμεθα, πολλὴν τὴν καθαρότητα Καὶ γὰρ ἔχομεν βασιλέα πάντα ὁρῶντα διηνεκῶς τὰ ἡμέτερα. Ἵν' οὖν ἡμᾶς ἀεὶ τοῦτο δαψιλῶς φωτίζῃ τὸ φῶς, ἐπισπασώμεθα ταύτην τὴν ἀκτῖνα. Οὕτω γὰρ καὶ τῶν ἐνταῦθα καὶ τῶν μελλόντων ἀπολαύσομεν ἀγαθῶν, χάριτι καὶ φιλανθρωπίᾳ τοῦ Κυρίου ἡμῶν Ἰησοῦ Χριστοῦ, δι' οὗ καὶ μεθ' οὗ τῷ Πατρὶ ἡ δόξα ἅμα τῷ ἁγίῳ Πνεύματι, εἰς τοὺς αἰῶνας τῶν αἰώνων. Ἀμήν.

59.59 ΟΜΙΛΙΑ ςʹ. Ἐγένετο ἄνθρωπος ἀπεσταλμένος παρὰ Θεοῦ, ὄνομα αὐτῷ

Ἰωάννης. ∆ιαλεχθεὶς περὶ τοῦ Θεοῦ Λόγου τὰ κατεπείγοντα ἐν προοιμίοις ἡμῖν, ὁδῷ

καὶ τάξει προβαίνων, καὶ ἐπὶ τὸν τοῦ Λόγου κήρυκα τὸν ὁμώνυμον αὐτοῦ τὸν Ἰωάννην ἔρχεται λοιπόν. Σὺ δὲ ἀκούων, ὅτι παρὰ Θεοῦ ἀπεστάλη, μηδὲν λοιπὸν ἀνθρώπινον εἶναι νόμιζε τῶν λεγομένων παρ' ἐκείνου. Οὐ γὰρ τὰ αὐτοῦ, ἀλλὰ τὰ τοῦ πέμψαντος ἅπαντα φθέγγεται. ∆ιὸ καὶ ἄγγελος προσηγόρευται· ἀγγέλου δὲ ἀρετὴ, τὸ μηδὲν ἴδιον εἰπεῖν Τὸ δὲ, Ἐγένετο, ἐνταῦθα οὐ τῆς εἰς τὸ εἶναι παρόδου δηλωτικὸν, ἀλλὰ τῆς ἀποστολῆς ἐστιν αὐτῆς. Τὸ γὰρ, Ἐγένετο ἀπεσταλμένος παρὰ Θεοῦ, ἀντὶ τοῦ, ἀπεστάλη παρὰ Θεοῦ. Πῶς οὖν τὸ, Ἐν μορφῇ Θεοῦ ὑπάρχων, οὐ περὶ τῆς πρὸς τὸν Πατέρα ἀπαραλλαξίας εἰρῆσθαί φασι διὰ τὸ μὴ προσκεῖσθαι τὸ ἄρθρον; Ἰδοὺ γὰρ καὶ ἐνταῦθα οὐδαμοῦ τὸ ἄρθρον πρόσκειται. Ἆρ' οὖν οὐ περὶ τοῦ Πατρὸς