John Chrysostom, On John

indeed all have recognized the reverence for Christ. How then does He enlighten every man? As far as it pertains to Him. But if some, willingly shutting the eyes of their mind, should not wish to receive the rays of this light, their darkness is not due to the nature of the light, but to the wickedness of those who willingly deprive themselves of the gift. For grace is poured out upon all, turning away neither Jew, nor Greek, nor barbarian, nor Scythian, nor free, nor slave, nor man, nor woman, nor old, nor young; but it receives all alike, and calls with equal honor. But those who are unwilling to enjoy this gift, would be right to reckon this maiming to themselves. For when the entrance is open to all, and there is nothing to hinder, if some willfully remain outside, they perish through no one else, but only through their own wickedness. He was in the world; but not as a contemporary of the world, far from it. For because of this he added, And the world was made through him; by this leading you back again to the pre-eternal existence of the Only-Begotten. For he who hears that all this is his work, even if he be very dull, even if an enemy, even if a foe to the glory of God, will certainly, both willingly and unwillingly, be compelled to confess the Maker before his works. Whence I am ever astonished at the madness of Paul of Samosata, how he dared to look against so manifest a truth, and willingly cast himself down. For he sinned not in ignorance, but knowing very well, suffering the same thing as the Jews. For just as they, looking to men, betrayed the soundness of the faith 59.66, knowing that he is the only-begotten Son of God, but not confessing him because of the rulers, so that they might not be cast out of the synagogue; so also this man, they say, currying favor with a certain woman, sold his own salvation. For the tyranny of vainglory is terrible, truly terrible, and sufficient to blind the eyes of the wise, when they are not sober. For if bribery has this power, much more the passion more violent than it. For this reason Christ also said to the Jews, How can you believe, when you receive glory from men, and do not seek the glory that comes from the only God? And the world did not know him. Here by 'world' he means the multitude, the corrupt and those attached to earthly things, the vulgar, and turbulent, and foolish people. Since indeed the friends of God, and all the wonderful men, recognized him even before his coming in the flesh. And concerning the patriarch, Christ himself says by name that Abraham your father rejoiced to see my day; and he saw it and was glad. And concerning David, reproving the Jews, he said, How then does David in the Spirit call him Lord, saying, The Lord said to my Lord, Sit at my right hand? And in many places, standing against them, he makes mention of Moses; and the Apostle, concerning the rest of the prophets. For Peter says that all the prophets from Samuel knew him and proclaimed his coming from afar, saying thus: And all the prophets from Samuel and those who followed, as many as have spoken, also announced these days. But to Jacob and to his father, and therefore also to his grandfather, he both appeared and spoke, and promised to give many and great good things, which indeed he also brought to pass. How then, he says, did he himself say, Many prophets desired to see what you see, and did not see it, and to hear what you hear, and did not hear it? Did they then not partake of the knowledge of him? Certainly they did; and I will try to make this clear from this very saying, from which some think they were deprived. For 'Many,' he says, 'desired to see what you see.' So that they knew that he would come among men, and would accomplish what he did accomplish. For if they had not known, they would not have desired. 59.67 For no one will be able to desire those things of which he has not even a conception. So they knew the Son of God, and that he would come among men. What then are the things which they did not know, and what things they did not

δὴ πάντες ἐπέγνωσαν τοῦ Χριστοῦ τὸ σέβας. Πῶς οὖν φωτίζει πάντα ἄνθρωπον; Τό γε εἰς αὐτὸν ἧκον. Εἰ δέ τινες ἑκόντες τοὺς τῆς διανοίας ὀφθαλμοὺς μύσαντες, μὴ βούλοιντο παραδέξασθαι τοῦ φωτὸς τούτου τὰς ἀκτῖνας, οὐ παρὰ τὴν τοῦ φωτὸς φύσιν ἡ σκότωσις ἐκείνοις, ἀλλὰ παρὰ τὴν κακουργίαν τῶν ἑκοντὶ ἀποστερούντων ἑαυτοὺς τῆς δωρεᾶς. Ἡ μὲν γὰρ χάρις εἰς πάντας ἐκκέχυται, οὐκ Ἰουδαῖον, οὐχ Ἕλληνα, οὐ βάρβαρον, οὐ Σκύθην, οὐκ ἐλεύθερον, οὐ δοῦλον, οὐκ ἄνδρα, οὐ γυναῖκα, οὐ πρεσβύτην, οὐ νέον ἀποστρεφομένη· πάντας δὲ ὁμοίως προσιεμένη, καὶ μετὰ τῆς ἴσης καλοῦσα τιμῆς. Οἱ δὲ οὐκ ἐθέλοντες ἀπολαῦσαι τῆς δωρεᾶς ταύτης, ἑαυτοῖς δίκαιοι ταύτην ἂν εἶεν λογίσασθαι τὴν πήρωσιν. Ὅταν γὰρ τῆς εἰσόδου πᾶσιν ἀνεῳγμένης, καὶ μηδενὸς τοῦ κωλύοντος ὄντος, ἐθελοκακοῦντές τινες ἔξω μένωσι, παρ' οὐδένα ἕτερον, ἀλλ' ἢ παρὰ τὴν οἰκείαν πονηρίαν ἀπόλλυνται μόνον. Ἐν τῷ κόσμῳ ἦν· ἀλλ' οὐχ ὡς τοῦ κόσμου σύγχρονος, ἄπαγε. ∆ιὰ γὰρ τοῦτο ἐπήγαγε· Καὶ ὁ κόσμος δι' αὐτοῦ ἐγένετο· διὰ τούτου σε πάλιν ἀνάγων ἐπὶ τὴν προαιώνιον ὕπαρξιν τοῦ Μονογενοῦς. Ὁ γὰρ ἀκούσας ὅτι ἔργον αὐτοῦ τόδε τὸ πᾶν, κἂν σφόδρα ἀναίσθητος ᾖ, κἂν ἐχθρὸς, κἂν πολέμιος τῆς δόξης τοῦ Θεοῦ, πάντως καὶ ἑκὼν καὶ ἄκων ἀναγκασθήσεται πρὸ τῶν ἔργων ὁμολογῆσαι τὸν Ποιητήν. Ὅθεν μοι καὶ θαυμάζειν ἔπεισιν ἀεὶ τὴν Παύλου τοῦ Σαμοσατέως μανίαν, πῶς πρὸς τὴν οὕτω φανερὰν ἀλήθειαν ἀντιβλέψαι ἐτόλμησε, καὶ ἑκὼν ἑαυτὸν κατεκρήμνισεν. Οὐδὲ γὰρ ἀγνοῶν, ἀλλὰ καὶ σφόδρα εἰδὼς ἡμάρτανε, ταὐτὸν παθὼν τοῖς Ἰουδαίοις. Καθάπερ γὰρ ἐκεῖνοι πρὸς ἀνθρώπους ὁρῶντες, τὸ τῆς πίστεως 59.66 προὔδωκαν ὑγιὲς, εἰδότες μὲν ὅτι αὐτός ἐστιν ὁ μονογενὴς Υἱὸς τοῦ Θεοῦ, διὰ δὲ τοὺς ἄρχοντας οὐχ ὁμολογοῦντες, ἵνα μὴ ἀποσυνάγωγοι γένωνται· οὕτω καὶ τοῦτον γυναικί τινι χαριζόμενον, τὴν σωτηρίαν φασὶν ἀποδόσθαι τὴν ἑαυτοῦ. ∆εινὸν γὰρ, ὄντως δεινὸν τῆς κενοδοξίας ἡ τυραννὶς, καὶ σοφῶν ὀφθαλμοὺς ἐκτυφλοῦν ἱκανὸν, ὅταν μὴ νήφωσιν. Εἰ γὰρ ἡ δωροδοκία τοῦτο ἰσχύει, πολλῷ μᾶλλον τὸ ταύτης βιαιότερον πάθος. ∆ιὰ τοῦτο καὶ Ἰουδαίοις ἔλεγεν ὁ Χριστός· Πῶς δύνασθε πιστεύειν, δόξαν παρὰ ἀνθρώπων λαμβάνοντες, καὶ τὴν δόξαν τὴν παρὰ τοῦ μόνου Θεοῦ οὐ ζητοῦντες; Καὶ ὁ κόσμος αὐτὸν οὐκ ἔγνω. Ἐνταῦθα κόσμον τὸ πλῆθός φησι, τὸ διεφθαρμένον καὶ τοῖς γηΐνοις προστετηκὸς πράγμασι, τὸν χυδαῖον, καὶ ταραχώδη, καὶ ἀνόητον λαόν. Ὡς οἵ γε τοῦ Θεοῦ φίλοι καὶ θαυμαστοὶ πάντες αὐτὸν ἐπέγνωσαν καὶ πρὸ τῆς ἐνσάρκου παρουσίας. Καὶ περὶ μὲν τοῦ πατριάρχου καὶ αὐτὸς ὀνομαστί φησιν ὁ Χριστὸς, ὅτι Ἀβραὰμ ὁ πατὴρ ὑμῶν ἠγαλλιάσατο, ἵνα ἴδῃ τὴν ἡμέραν τὴν ἐμήν· καὶ εἶδε, καὶ ἐχάρη. Καὶ περὶ τοῦ ∆αυῒδ δὲ Ἰουδαίους ἐλέγχων ἔλεγε· Πῶς οὖν ∆αυῒδ ἐν Πνεύματι Κύριον αὐτὸν καλεῖ λέγων· Εἶπεν ὁ Κύριος τῷ Κυρίῳ μου· Κάθου ἐκ δεξιῶν μου; Καὶ πολλαχοῦ πρὸς ἐκείνους ἱστάμενος Μωϋσέως μέμνηται· περὶ δὲ τῶν λοιπῶν προφητῶν ὁ Ἀπόστολος. Πάντας γὰρ τοὺς προφήτας ἀπὸ Σαμουὴλ ἐγνωκέναι φησὶν ὁ Πέτρος αὐτὸν, καὶ τὴν παρουσίαν αὐτοῦ πόῤῥωθεν προαναφωνεῖν, οὕτω λέγων· Καὶ πάντες οἱ προφῆται ἀπὸ Σαμουὴλ καὶ τῶν καθεξῆς ὅσοι ἐλάλησαν, καὶ κατήγγειλαν τὰς ἡμέρας ταύτας Τῷ δὲ Ἰακὼβ καὶ τῷ πατρὶ τῷ τούτου, ὥσπερ οὖν καὶ τῷ πάππῳ, καὶ ἐφάνη καὶ διελέχθη, καὶ πολλὰ καὶ μεγάλα ὑπέσχετο δώσειν ἀγαθὰ, ἅπερ οὖν καὶ εἰς ἔργον ἐξήνεγκε. Πῶς οὖν, φησὶν, αὐτὸς ἔλεγε· Πολλοὶ προφῆται ἐπεθύμησαν ἰδεῖν ἃ βλέπετε, καὶ οὐκ εἶδον, καὶ ἀκοῦσαι ἃ ἀκούετε, καὶ οὐκ ἤκουσαν; Ἆρα γὰρ οὐ μετέσχον τῆς γνώσεως τῆς εἰς αὐτόν; Πάνυ μὲν οὖν· καὶ τοῦτο καὶ ἀπὸ τῆς ῥήσεως ταύτης, ἀφ' ἧς νομίζουσί τινες αὐτοὺς ἀπεστερῆσθαι, πειράσομαι ποιῆσαι φανερόν. Πολλοὶ γὰρ, φησὶν, ἐπεθύμησαν ἰδεῖν ἃ βλέπετε. Ὥστε ᾔδεσαν αὐτὸν ἥξοντα εἰς ἀνθρώπους, καὶ οἰκονομήσοντα, ἅπερ καὶ ᾠκονόμησεν. Οὐ γὰρ ἂν, εἰ μὴ ᾔδεσαν, ἐπεθύμησαν. 59.67 Οὐδεὶς γὰρ ὧν μηδὲ ἔννοιαν ἔχει, τούτων λαβεῖν ἐπιθυμίαν δυνήσεται. Ὥστε ᾔδεσαν τὸν Υἱὸν τοῦ Θεοῦ, καὶ ὅτι ἥξει εἰς ἀνθρώπους. Τίνα οὖν ἐστιν ἅπερ οὐκ ᾔδεσαν, καὶ τίνα ἅπερ οὐκ