John Chrysostom, On the Praises of Saint Paul the Apostle

a spectacle, and he yielded. Thus he was everywhere of one mind for the benefit of the faithful, for peace, for concord, and everywhere he kept himself for the preaching. 7.8 So when you hear that he sends his nephew to the tribune, wishing to rescue himself from the dangers, and when he appeals to Caesar, and when he hastens to Rome, do not think that these words are of cowardice. For he who groaned, because he was present in this life, how would he not have chosen to be with Christ? and he who despised the heavens and looked down on angels for His sake, how would he have desired the things of the present? For what reason then did he do this? In order that he might spend time in the preaching, and depart with many people, all of them crowned. For he feared lest he might depart from here poor and destitute of the salvation of the many. Therefore he also said: To abide in the flesh is more necessary for you. 7.9 Therefore, seeing the court casting a better vote concerning him, as Agrippa said to Festus: This man could have been set free, if he had not appealed to Caesar, and being bound, and being led away with countless other prisoners who had done countless terrible things, he was not ashamed to be bound with them, but also took thought for all who sailed with him, although he was confident for himself and knew that he was in safety, and he set sail on so great a sea, being bound, and rejoiced as if being sent forth to a very great office. For indeed the reformation of the city of the Romans was no small prize set before him. But still he did not neglect those on the ship, but also set them in order, narrating the vision that appeared to him, from which they learned that all who sailed with him were saved because of him. And he did this, not exalting himself, but preparing them to be obedient to him. For this reason God also allowed the sea to be stirred up, so that both by the things in which he was disobeyed, and by those in which he was obeyed, through all things the grace of Paul might be shown. For he advised them not to set sail, and was disobeyed, and there arose a danger of the utmost extremity; and not even so was he burdensome, but again, like a father of children, he took forethought, and did everything so that no one might perish. And when he arrived at Rome, there too how gently he discourses! how with freedom he silences the disobedient? And he does not stop there, but even from there he ran to Spain. 7.10 For when in danger he was all the more courageous, and became bolder from this, and not he alone, but also his disciples because of him. For just as, if they had seen him giving in and becoming more hesitant, perhaps they too would have given up; so, when they saw him becoming braver, and being insulted, and pressing on all the more, they preached with boldness. And indicating this he said: So that most of the brothers, having confidence in my chains, are much more bold to speak the word without fear. For when the general is noble, not only by slaughtering or killing, but also by being wounded, he makes those arrayed under him bolder, and more so when he is wounded than when he is wounding. For when they see him stained with blood and bearing wounds, and not even so yielding to the enemies, but standing nobly, and shaking his spear, and striking the opponents, and not giving in to the pains, they themselves also line up for battle with greater eagerness; which indeed also happened in the case of Paul. For seeing him bound and preaching in the prison, and being scourged, and overcoming those who scourged him, they received greater boldness. Therefore, indicating this, he did not simply say "having confidence," but adds: "are much more bold to speak the word without fear;" that is, more now than when I was unbound, the brothers were speaking boldly. Then he himself also received greater eagerness; for then he was all the more stirred up against the

θέατρον, καὶ εἶξεν. Οὕτως ἑνὸς ἦν πανταχοῦ τοῦ συμφέροντος τοῖς πιστοῖς, τῆς εἰρήνης, τῆς ὁμονοίας, καὶ πανταχοῦ ἑαυτὸν ἐτήρει τῷ κηρύγματι. 7.8 Ὥστε ὅταν ἀκούσῃς ὅτι τὸν ἀδελφιδοῦν πέμπει πρὸς τὸν χιλίαρχον, βουλόμενος ἑαυτὸν ἐξαρπάσαι τῶν κινδύνων, καὶ ὅταν ἐπικαλῆται Καίσαρα, καὶ ὅταν εἰς τὴν Ῥώμην σπεύδῃ, μὴ νομίσῃς ἀνανδρείας εἶναι τὰ ῥήματα. Ὁ γὰρ στένων, ἐπειδὴ παρῆν ἐν τῷ βίῳ τούτῳ, πῶς οὐκ ἂν εἵλετο μετὰ Χριστοῦ εἶναι; καὶ ὁ τῶν οὐρανῶν καταφρονῶν καὶ ἀγγέλων δι' αὐτὸν ὑπερορῶν, πῶς ἂν ἐπεθύμησε τῶν παρόντων; Τίνος οὖν ἕνεκεν τοῦτο ἐποίει; Ἵνα ἐνδιατρίψῃ τῷ κηρύγματι, καὶ μετὰ πολλῶν ἀνθρώπων ἀπέλθῃ, πάντων ἐστεφανωμένων. Καὶ γὰρ ἐδεδοίκει μήποτε πτωχὸς καὶ πένης τῆς τῶν πολλῶν σωτηρίας ἀποδημήσῃ ἐντεῦθεν. ∆ιὸ καὶ ἔλεγε· Τὸ ἐπιμεῖναι τῇ σαρκὶ ἀναγκαιότερον δι' ὑμᾶς. 7.9 ∆ιὸ καὶ ὁρῶν τὸ δικαστήριον τὴν βελτίω ψῆφον περὶ αὐτοῦ κατατιθέμενον, ὡς πρὸς τὸν Φῆστον Ἀγρίππας ἔλεγεν· Ἀπολελύσθαι ἠδύνατο ὁ ἄνθρωπος οὗτος, εἰ μὴ ἐπεκέκλητο Καίσαρα, καὶ δεθείς, καὶ μετὰ μυρίων ἑτέρων δεσμωτῶν ἀπαγόμενος μυρία εἰργασμένων δεινά, οὐκ ᾐσχύνετο τῷ συνδεδέσθαι ἐκείνοις, ἀλλὰ καὶ προενόει πάντων τῶν συμπλεόντων, καίτοι γε ὑπὲρ αὐτοῦ θαρρῶν καὶ εἰδὼς ὡς ἐν ἀσφαλείᾳ ἦν, καὶ πέλαγος τοσοῦτον ἀνήγετο δεδεμένος, καὶ ἔχαιρεν ὡς ἐπὶ μεγίστην ἀρχὴν προπεμπόμενος. Καὶ γὰρ οὐδὲ μικρὸς ἆθλος αὐτῷ τῆς Ῥωμαίων πόλεως ἡ διόρθωσις προὔκειτο. Ἀλλ' ὅμως οὐδὲ τῶν ἐν τῷ πλοίῳ κατωλιγώρησεν, ἀλλὰ καὶ ἐκείνους ἐρρύθμισε, διηγησάμενος τὴν αὐτῷ φανεῖσαν ὄψιν, ἐξ ἧς ἐμάνθανον ὅτι πάντες οἱ πλέοντες μετ' αὐτοῦ δι' αὐτὸν σώζονται. Τοῦτο δὲ ἐποίει, οὐχ ἑαυτὸν ἐπαίρων, ἀλλ' ἐκείνους ἑαυτῷ πειθηνίους παρασκευάζων. ∆ιὰ τοῦτο καὶ ὁ Θεὸς συνεχώρησε διεγερθῆναι τὴν θάλασσαν, ἵνα καὶ δι' ὧν παρηκούσθη, καὶ δι' ὧν ἠκούσθη, διὰ πάντων δειχθῇ ἡ Παύλου χάρις. Καὶ γὰρ συνεβούλευσε μὴ ἀναπλεῦσαι, καὶ παρηκούσθη, καὶ γέγονε κίνδυνος περὶ τῶν ἐσχάτων· καὶ οὐδὲ οὕτως ἦν φορτικός, ἀλλὰ πάλιν ὡς παίδων πατὴρ προενόει, καὶ ὅπως μηδεὶς ἀπόλοιτο πάντα ἔπραττεν. Ἐπειδὴ δὲ καὶ τῆς Ῥωμαίων ἐπέβη, κἀκεῖ πῶς μετὰ ἐπιεικείας διαλέγεται; πῶς μετὰ ἐλευθερίας τοὺς ἀπειθοῦντας ἐπιστομίζει; Καὶ οὐδὲ ἐνταῦθα ἵσταται, ἀλλὰ καὶ ἐκεῖθεν εἰς Ἱσπανίαν ἔδραμε. 7.10 Καὶ γὰρ κινδυνεύων μᾶλλον ἐθάρρει, καὶ τολμηρότερος ἐγίνετο ἐντεῦθεν, οὐκ αὐτὸς δὲ μόνος, ἀλλὰ καὶ οἱ μαθηταὶ δι' αὐτόν. Ὥσπερ γὰρ εἴπερ ἑώρων αὐτὸν ἐνδιδόντα καὶ ὀκνηρότερον γινόμενον, ἴσως ἂν καὶ αὐτοὶ καθυφῆκαν· οὕτως, ἐπειδὴ εἶδον αὐτὸν ἀνδρειότερον γινόμενον, καὶ ἐπηρεαζόμενον, καὶ μᾶλλον ἐπιτιθέμενον, μετὰ παρρησίας ἐκήρυττον. Καὶ τοῦτο δηλῶν ἔλεγεν· Ὡς τοὺς πλείονας τῶν ἀδελφῶν, πεποιθότας τοῖς δεσμοῖς μου, περισσοτέρως τολμᾶν ἀφόβως τὸν λόγον λαλεῖν. Ὅταν γὰρ ὁ στρατηγὸς ᾖ γενναῖος, οὐχὶ σφάττων μόνον οὐδὲ ἀποκτιννύς, ἀλλὰ καὶ τιτρωσκόμενος, τοὺς ὑπ' αὐτῷ ταττομένους θρασυτέρους ποιεῖ, καὶ μᾶλλον τιτρωσκόμενος ἢ τιτρώσκων. Ὅταν γὰρ ἴδωσιν αὐτὸν αἵματι πεφυρμένον καὶ τραύματα περιφέροντα, καὶ μηδὲ οὕτω παραχωροῦντα τοῖς ἐχθροῖς, ἀλλ' ἑστῶτα γενναίως, καὶ δόρυ σείοντα, καὶ βάλλοντα τοὺς ἐναντίους, καὶ πρὸς τὰς ἀλγηδόνας οὐκ ἐνδιδόντα, μετὰ πλείονος παρατάττονται καὶ αὐτοὶ τῆς προθυμίας· ὃ δὴ καὶ ἐπὶ Παύλου γέγονεν. Ὁρῶντες γὰρ αὐτὸν δεδεμένον καὶ ἐν τῷ δεσμωτηρίῳ κηρύττοντα, καὶ μαστιζόμενον, καὶ τοὺς μαστίζοντας χειρούμενον, πλείονα ἐδέχοντο παρρησίαν. ∆ιὸ καὶ τοῦτο δηλῶν, οὐχ ἁπλῶς Πεποιθότας εἶπεν, ἀλλὰ προστίθησι· Περισσοτέρως τολμᾶν ἀφόβως τὸν λόγον λαλεῖν· τουτέστι, μᾶλλον νῦν ἢ ὅτε λελυμένος ἤμην, ἐπαρρησιάζοντο οἱ ἀδελφοί. Τότε πλείονα προθυμίαν καὶ αὐτὸς ἐλάμβανε· μᾶλλον γὰρ τότε παρω ξύνετο κατὰ τῶν