John Chrysostom, On the Letter to the Philippians

flattery. And, if you wish, I will provide you with examples of all these things. For the opposites seem somehow to be woven alongside, just as the tares with the wheat, and the thorns with the rose. But children might easily be deceived, while those who are truly men, being experienced in spiritual husbandry, know how to distinguish the truly good things from the evil. Come, then, let us set before you their examples from the Scriptures. What, then, is adulation, and servility, and flattery? Ziba flattered David at the wrong time, and slandered his own master; or rather, Ahithophel flattered Absalom. But David was not like that, but humble-minded. For flatterers are the deceitful; for instance, as when the wise men say, 'O king, live forever.' And in the case of Paul in the Acts we shall find many such things, when he speaks with the Jews, not flattering, but being humble-minded; for he also knows how to speak boldly; as when he says, 'Men and brethren, though I had done nothing against the people, or the customs of our fathers, I was delivered as a prisoner from Jerusalem 62.217. For that the words were of humility, hear how he rebukes them in what follows, saying thus: 'Well did the Holy Spirit speak: By hearing you shall hear, and shall not understand; and seeing you shall see, and not perceive.' Do you see courage? See also the courage of John the Baptist, which he used towards Herod, saying: 'It is not lawful for you to have your brother Philip's wife.' This is boldness, this is courage; but not that of Shimei, when he said, 'Come out, you man of blood'; and yet he also spoke boldly. But this is not courage, but audacity and insolence and an undisciplined tongue. Jezebel also insulted Jehu, saying, 'The murderer of his master'; but it was audacity, not boldness. Elijah also insulted, but it was boldness and courage: 'For I am not the one troubling the people, but you and your father's house.' Again, Elijah spoke boldly to the whole people, saying: 'How long will you limp between two opinions?' This is boldness and courage, to rebuke; this also the prophets did; but that was of audacity. Do you wish to see words of both humility and freedom? hear Paul saying: 'But with me it is a very small thing that I should be judged by you, or by man's judgment; indeed, I do not even judge myself. For I know nothing by myself; yet I am not hereby justified.' This is of a mindset befitting a Christian. And again, 'Dare any of you, having a matter against another, go to law before the unrighteous, and not before the saints?' Do you wish to see the flattery of the foolish Jews? hear them saying, 'We have no king but Caesar.' Do you wish 62.218 to see humility? hear Paul saying again: 'For we do not preach ourselves, but Christ Jesus the Lord, and ourselves your servants for Jesus' sake.' Do you wish to see both flattery and audacity? the audacity of Nabal, and the flattery of the Ziphites? and how the one reproached, while the others betrayed David in their mind? Do you wish to see the wisdom, and not the flattery, of David? how he caught Saul, and spared him? Do you wish to see the flattery of those who killed Mephibosheth, whom David also put to death? But simply, and as in a sketch, to speak in summary, audacity is when one is angry and insulting for no fitting reason, either avenging oneself, or being bold in some unjust way; but boldness and courage is when one dares dangers and deaths, and disregards friendships and enmities for the sake of what seems good to God. Again, adulation and servility is when one courts certain persons for no necessary reason, but in pursuit of some worldly thing; but humility is when one does this for the sake of what seems good to God, and, so as to accomplish something great and wonderful, descends from one's own dignity. If we know these things, we are blessed if we do them. For it is not enough to know; 'For not the hearers of the law,' he says, 'but the doers of the law'

θωπεία. Καὶ, εἰ βούλεσθε, πάντων τούτων ὑμῖν τὰ ὑποδείγματα παρέξω. ∆οκεῖ γάρ πως παρυφεστάναι τὰ ἐναντία, ὥσπερ τῷ σίτῳ τὰ ζιζάνια, καὶ τῷ ῥόδῳ αἱ ἄκανθαι. Ἀλλὰ παῖδες μὲν εὐκόλως ἂν ἀπατηθεῖεν, οἱ δὲ ὄντως ἄνδρες, τῆς πνευματικῆς ὄντες γεωργίας ἔμπειροι ἴσασι τὰ ὄντως ἀγαθὰ ἀποκρίνειν τῶν κακῶν. Φέρε οὖν, ὑμῖν τὰ ὑποδείγματα αὐτῶν ἀπὸ τῶν Γραφῶν παραστήσωμεν. Τί ποτέ ἐστι κολακεία, καὶ ἀνελευθερία, καὶ θωπεία; Ὁ Σιβᾶ τὸν ∆αυῒδ ἐκολάκευε παρὰ καιρὸν, καὶ τὸν δεσπότην διέβαλε τὸν ἑαυτοῦ· μᾶλλον δὲ ὁ Ἀχιτόφελ τὸν Ἀβεσσαλώμ. Ἀλλ' οὐχ ὁ ∆αυῒδτοιοῦτος, ἀλλὰ ταπεινόφρων. Κόλακες γάρ εἰσιν οἱ ὕπουλοι· οἷον, ὡς ὅταν λέγωσιν οἱ μάγοι, Βασιλεῦ, ζῆθι εἰς τοὺς αἰῶνας. Καὶ ἐπὶ τοῦ Παύλου ἐν ταῖς Πράξεσι πολλὰ τοιαῦτα εὑρήσομεν, ὅταν Ἰουδαίοις διαλέγηται, οὐ κολακεύων, ἀλλὰ ταπεινοφρονῶν· οἶδε γὰρ καὶ παῤῥησιάζεσθαι· ὡς ὅταν λέγῃ, Ἄνδρες ἀδελφοὶ, οὐδὲν ἐναντίον ποιήσας τῷ λαῷ, ἢ τοῖς πατρῴοις ἔθεσι, δέσμιος ἐξ Ἱερουσαλὴμ παρ 62.217 εδόθην. Ὅτι γὰρ ταπεινοφροσύνης ἦν τὰ ῥήματα, ἄκουσον πῶς αὐτοῖς ἐπιτιμᾷ διὰ τῶν ἑξῆς οὕτω λέγων· Καλῶς εἶπε τὸ Πνεῦμα τὸ ἅγιον· Ἀκοῇ ἀκούσετε, καὶ οὐ μὴ συνῆτε, καὶ βλέποντες βλέψετε, καὶ οὐ μὴ ἴδητε. Εἶδες ἀνδρείαν; Ὅρα καὶ Ἰωάννου τοῦ Βαπτιστοῦ τὴν ἀνδρείαν, ᾗ πρὸς τὸν Ἡρώδην ἐχρήσατο λέγων· Οὐκ ἔξεστί σοι ἔχειν τὴν γυναῖκα Φιλίππου τοῦ ἀδελφοῦ σου. Τοῦτο παῤῥησία, τοῦτο ἀνδρεία· ἀλλ' οὐκ ἐκεῖνο τὸ τοῦ Σεμεεὶ, ὅτε ἔλεγεν, Ἔξελθε, ὁ ἀνὴρ τῶν αἱμάτων· καίτοι κἀκεῖνος ἐπαῤῥησιάσατο. Ἀλλ' οὐκ ἔστι τοῦτο ἀνδρεία, ἀλλὰ θρασύτης καὶ ὕβρις καὶ γλῶττα ἀκόλαστος. Ὕβρισε καὶ Ἰεζάβελ τὸν Ἰηοῦ λέγουσα· Ὁ φονεὺτοῦ κυρίου αὐτοῦ· ἀλλὰ θρασύτης ἦν, οὐ παῤῥησία. Ὕβρισε καὶ ὁ Ἠλίας, ἀλλὰ παῤῥησία καὶ ἀνδρεία ἦν· Οὐκ ἐγὼ γὰρ διαστρέφω τὸν λαὸν, ἀλλὰ σὺ καὶ ὁ οἶκος τοῦ πατρός σου. Ἐπαῤῥησιάσατο πάλιν πρὸς ὁλόκληρον δῆμον ὁ Ἠλίας, λέγων· Ἕως πότε χωλανεῖτε ἐπ' ἀμφοτέραις ταῖς ἰγνύαις ὑμῶν; Τοῦτο παῤῥησία καὶ ἀνδρεία, τὸ καθάψασθαι· τοῦτο καὶ οἱ προφῆται ἐποίουν· ἀλλ' ἐκεῖνο θρασύτητος ἦν. Θέλεις ἰδεῖν καὶ ταπεινοφροσύνης καὶ ἐλευθερίας ῥήματα; ἄκουε Παύλου λέγοντος· Ἐμοὶ δὲ εἰς ἐλάχιστόν ἐστιν, ἵνα ὑφ' ὑμῶν ἀνακριθῶ, ἢ ὑπὸ ἀνθρωπίνης ἡμέρας· ἀλλ' οὐδὲ ἐμαυτὸν ἀνακρίνω. Οὐδὲν γὰρ ἐμαυτῷ σύνοιδα· ἀλλ' οὐκ ἐν τούτῳ δεδικαίωμαι. Τοῦτο φρονήματος Χριστιανῷ πρέποντος. Καὶ πάλιν, Τολμᾷ τις ὑμῶν πρὸς τὸν ἕτερον πρᾶγμα ἔχων κρίνεσθαι ἐπὶ τῶν ἀδίκων, καὶ οὐχὶ ἐπὶ τῶν ἁγίων; Βούλει κολακείαν ἰδεῖν τῶν ἀνοήτων Ἰουδαίων; ἄκουε λεγόντων, Ἡμεῖς οὐκ ἔχομεν βασιλέα, εἰ μὴ Καίσαρα. Βούλει 62.218 ταπεινοφροσύνην ἰδεῖν; ἄκουε πάλιν τοῦ Παύλου λέγοντος· Οὐ γὰρ ἑαυτοὺς κηρύσσομεν, ἀλλὰ Χριστὸν Ἰησοῦν Κύριον, ἑαυτοὺς δὲ δούλους ὑμῶν διὰ Ἰησοῦν. Βούλει καὶ κολακείαν ἰδεῖν, καὶ θρασύτητα; θρασύτητα μὲν τὴν τοῦ Νάβαλ, κολακείαν δὲ τὴν τῶν Ζιφαίων; καὶ πῶς ὁ μὲν ὠνείδιζεν, οἱ δὲ προδεδώκασι τῇ γνώμῃ τὸν ∆αυΐδ; Βούλει φιλοσοφίαν, καὶ οὐ κολακείαν ἰδεῖν τὴν τοῦ ∆αυΐδ; πῶς εἷλε τὸν Σαοὺλ, καὶ ἐφείσατο; Βούλει κολακείαν ἰδεῖν τῶν ἀποκτεινάντων τὸν Μεμφιβοσθὲ, οὓς καὶ ἀνεῖλεν ὁ ∆αυΐδ; Ἁπλῶς δὲ, καὶ ὡς ἐν ὑποτυπώσει, ἐν κεφαλαίῳ εἰπεῖν, θρασύτης μέν ἐστιν, ὅταν τις ὀργίζηται καὶ ὑβρίζῃ ἐπὶ μηδενὶ προσήκοντι, ἢ ἑαυτὸν ἐκδικῶν, ἢ ἀδίκως πως θρασυνόμενος· παῤῥησία δὲ καὶ ἀνδρεία, ὅταν κινδύνων καὶ θανάτων κατατολμᾷ, καὶ φιλίας καὶ ἀπεχθείας ὑπερορᾷ ὑπὲρ τῶν δοκούντων τῷ Θεῷ. Πάλιν κολακεία μέν ἐστι καὶ ἀνελευθερία, ὅταν τις θεραπεύῃ τινὰς ἐπὶ μηδενὶ τῶν δεόντων, ἀλλὰ θηρώμενός τι τῶν βιωτικῶν· ταπεινοφροσύνη δὲ, ὅταν τις ὑπὲρ τῶν τῷ Θεῷ δοκούντων τοῦτο ποιῇ, καὶ, ὥστε ἀνύσαι τι μέγα καὶ θαυμαστὸν, ἀπὸ τοῦ ἀξιώματος καταβῇ τοῦ ἑαυτοῦ. Ἂν ταῦτα εἰδῶμεν, μακάριοί ἐσμεν, ἐὰν ποιῶμεν αὐτά. Οὐ γὰρ ἀρκεῖ τὸ εἰδέναι· Οὐ γὰρ οἱ ἀκροαταὶ τοῦ νόμου, φησὶν, ἀλλ' οἱ ποιηταὶ τοῦ νόμου