John Chrysostom, On John

and turns down the persecutions, the plots, the wars against the Church; now saying, I am not worthy to be called an apostle, because I persecuted the Church of God; and now, That Jesus came to save sinners, of whom I am first; and again, You have heard of my former life in Judaism, how I persecuted the Church of God beyond measure and tried to destroy it. 2. For as if giving this as a sort of recompense to Christ for His long-suffering toward him, to show what kind of man he was, and how as an enemy and foe He saved him; so with great boldness he proclaims the battle which with all eagerness he fought against Christ from the beginning. Along with this, he also suggests good hopes to those who have despaired of themselves. For he says that Christ accepted him for this reason, that in him first He might display all His long-suffering and the surpassing riches of His goodness, as a pattern for those who were to believe in Him for eternal life. For what they had dared was greater than any pardon; which the Evangelist also indicated, saying: He came to His own, and His own people did not receive Him. From where did He come, Who fills all things, and is everywhere present? What place did He empty of His presence, He Who holds and sustains all things in His hand? He changed no place (for how could He?); but by His descent to 59.75 us He accomplished this. For since, being in the world, He did not seem to be present, because He was not yet known, but later He manifested Himself, deigning to put on our flesh, this manifestation and descent He calls a presence. It is worthy of admiration that the disciple is not ashamed of the Master's dishonor, but with boldness records the insult done to Him. And this is no small proof of his love for truth. And besides, one ought to be ashamed for those who committed the outrage, not for the one who was outraged. For He shone the more for this, and after the insult, showing such providence for those who insulted Him; but they appeared ungrateful and vile to all, having thrust away as an enemy and foe Him who had come for such great goods. But they were harmed not only in this way, but also by not obtaining what those who received Him obtained. And what did these obtain? But to all who did receive Him, He gave them power to become children of God, he says. Why then do you not tell us, O blessed one, also the punishment of those who did not receive Him? You have said that they were His own, and that they did not receive Him when He came to His own; but what they will suffer for this, and what punishment they will undergo, this you have not added. And yet, you would have terrified them more in this way, and softened the hardness of their folly through the threat. For what reason, then, did you remain silent? And what other punishment, he says, could ever be greater than this, that when the power to become children of God is set before them, they do not become so, but willingly deprive themselves of such great nobility and honor? Nevertheless, their punishment will not stop here, at merely receiving no good thing; but the unquenchable fire will also await them, which he revealed more clearly as he went on. Meanwhile, he speaks of the ineffable good things of those who have received Him, and sets them forth in brief words, saying thus: But to all who did receive Him, He gave them power to become children of God. Whether slaves or free, whether Greeks or barbarians, whether Scythians, whether unwise or wise, whether women or men, whether children or elders, whether dishonored or honored, whether rich or poor, whether rulers or private citizens, he says, all have been deemed worthy of the same honor. For faith and the grace of the Spirit, having removed the inequality arising from worldly dignities, has formed all into one shape, and stamped them with one royal character. What could be equal to this loving-kindness? For a king, fashioned from the same clay as we are, does not deem fellow servants who share the same nature with him, and who are often better in character, worthy of being enrolled in the royal army, if they happen to be slaves; but He

καὶ κάτω στρέφει τὰς διώξεις, τὰς ἐπιβουλὰς, τοὺς πολέμους τοὺς κατὰ τῆς Ἐκκλησίας· νῦν μὲν λέγων, Οὐκ εἰμὶ ἱκανὸς καλεῖσθαι ἀπόστολος, διότι ἐδίωξα τὴν Ἐκκλησίαν τοῦ Θεοῦ· νῦν δὲ, Ὅτι ἦλθεν Ἰησοῦς ἁμαρτωλοὺς σῶσαι, ὧν πρῶτός εἰμι ἐγώ· καὶ πάλιν, Ἠκούσατε τὴν ἐμὴν ἀναστροφήν ποτε ἐν τῷ Ἰουδαϊσμῷ, ὅτι καθ' ὑπερβολὴν ἐδίωκον τὴν Ἐκκλησίαν τοῦ Θεοῦ, καὶ ἐπόρθουν αὐτήν. βʹ. Καθάπερ γάρ τινα ταύτην ἀμοιβὴν ἀποδιδοὺς τῷ Χριστῷ τῆς εἰς αὐτὸν μακροθυμίας, τὸ δεῖξαι τίνα ὄντα, καὶ πῶς ἐχθρὸν καὶ πολέμιον ἔσωσεν· οὕτω μετὰ πολλῆς τῆς παῤῥησίας κηρύττει τὴν μάχην, ἣν πάσῃ προθυμίᾳ παρὰ τὴν ἀρχὴν ἐμαχήσατο τῷ Χριστῷ. Μετὰ δὲ τούτου καὶ τοῖς ἀπεγνωκόσιν ἑαυτῶν χρηστὰς ὑποτείνει τὰς ἐλπίδας. Καὶ γὰρ καὶ τὸν Χριστὸν διὰ τοῦτό φησι προσίεσθαι αὐτὸν, ἵνα ἐν αὐτῷ πρώτῳ ἐνδείξηται τὴν πᾶσαν μακροθυμίαν, καὶ τὸν ὑπερβάλλοντα πλοῦτον τῆς χρηστότητος αὐτοῦ, πρὸς ὑποτύπωσιν τῶν μελλόντων πιστεύειν ἐπ' αὐτῷ εἰς ζωὴν αἰώνιον. Καὶ γὰρ ἦν ἁπάσης αὐτοῖς συγγνώμης μείζονα τολμηθέντα· ἅπερ οὖν καὶ ὁ εὐαγγελιστὴς ἐμφαίνων ἔλεγεν· Εἰς τὰ ἴδια ἦλθε, καὶ οἱ ἴδιοι αὐτὸν οὐ παρέλαβον. Πόθεν ἦλθεν ὁ πάντα πληρῶν, καὶ πανταχοῦ παρών; ποῖον κενώσας τόπον τῆς αὑτοῦ παρουσίας, ὁ πάντα τῇ χειρὶ συνέχων καὶ διακρατῶν; Τόπον μὲν οὐδένα ἤμειψεν (πῶς γάρ); τῇ δὲ πρὸς 59.75 ἡμᾶς καταβάσει τοῦτο εἰργάσατο. Ἐπειδὴ γὰρ ἐν τῷ κόσμῳ ὢν, οὐκ ἐδόκει παρεῖναι, τῷ μήπω γνωρίζεσθαι, ὕστερον δὲ ἑαυτὸν ἐφανέρωσε, τὴν ἡμετέραν ὑποδῦναι σάρκα καταξιώσας, τὴν φανέρωσιν ταύτην καὶ τὴν κατάβασιν, παρουσίαν καλεῖ. Θαυμάσαι ἄξιον τὸν μαθητὴν μὴ αἰσχυνόμενον ἐπὶ τῇ τοῦ διδασκάλου ἀτιμίᾳ, ἀλλὰ καὶ μετὰ παῤῥησίας τὴν εἰς αὐτὸν γεγενημένην ἀναγράφοντα ὕβριν. Καὶ τοῦτο δὲ οὐ μικρὸν τοῦ φιλαλήθους αὐτοῦ τρόπου τεκμήριον. Καὶ ἄλλως δὲ τὸν αἰσχυνόμενον ὑπὲρ τῶν ὑβρικότων οὐχ ὑπὲρ τοῦ παροινηθέντος αἰσχύνεσθαι χρή. Οὗτος μὲν γὰρ ταύτῃ μᾶλλον ἔλαμψε, καὶ μετὰ τὴν ὕβριν, τοσαύτην τῶν ὑβρικότων ποιούμενος πρόνοιαν· ἐκεῖνοι δὲ ἀγνώμονες καὶ μιαροὶ παρὰ πᾶσιν ἐφάνησαν, τὸν ἐπὶ τοσούτοις παραγενόμενον ἀγαθοῖς, ὡς ἐχθρὸν ἀπωσάμενοι καὶ πολέμιον. Οὐ ταύτῃ δὲ μόνον ἐβλάβησαν, ἀλλὰ καὶ τῷ μὴ τυχεῖν ὧν ἔτυχον οἱ λαβόντες αὐτόν. Τίνος δὲ ἔτυχον οὗτοι; Ὅσοι δὲ ἔλαβον αὐτὸν, ἔδωκεν αὐτοῖς ἐξουσίαν τέκνα Θεοῦ γενέσθαι, φησί. Τί οὖν οὐ λέγεις ἡμῖν, ὦ μακάριε, καὶ τὴν τῶν μὴ δεξαμένων αὐτὸν κόλασιν, ἀλλ' ὅτι μὲν ἴδιοι ἦσαν, καὶ εἰς τὰ ἴδια παραγενόμενον οὐ παρέλαβον, εἶπες· τί δὲ ἀντὶ τούτου πείσονται, καὶ ποίαν ὑποστήσονται κόλασιν, τοῦτο οὐκέτι προσέθηκας; καίτοι μειζόνως ἂν αὐτοὺς οὕτως ἐφόβησας, καὶ τὸ σκληρὸν τῆς ἀπονοίας ἐμάλαξας διὰ τῆς ἀπειλῆς. Τίνος οὖν ἕνεκεν ἀπεσιώπησας; Καὶ τίς ταύτης, φησὶ, τῆς κολάσεως ἑτέρα μείζων ἄν ποτε γένοιτο, ὅταν προκειμένης ἐξουσίας αὐτοῖς τέκνα Θεοῦ γενέσθαι, μὴ γίνωνται, ἀλλ' ἑκόντες ἑαυτοὺς τῆς τοσαύτης ἀποστερῶσιν εὐγενείας τε καὶ τιμῆς; Πλὴν ἀλλ' οὐδὲ ἐνταῦθα μόνον αὐτοῖς τὰ τῆς τιμωρίας στήσεται, μέχρι τοῦ μηδὲν λαβεῖν ἀγαθόν· ἀλλὰ καὶ τὸ ἄσβεστον αὐτοὺς διαδέξεται πῦρ, ὃ καὶ προϊὼν σαφέστερον ἀπεκάλυψε. Τέως δὲ λέγει τὰ ἀπόῤῥητα ἀγαθὰ τῶν εἰληφότων αὐτὸν, καὶ ἐν βραχεῖ παρίστησιν αὐτοῖς ῥήμασι, λέγων οὕτως· Ὅσοι δὲ ἔλαβον αὐτὸν, ἔδωκεν αὐτοῖς ἐξουσίαν τέκνα Θεοῦ γενέσθαι. Κἂν δοῦλοι, κἂν ἐλεύθεροι, κἂν Ἕλληνες, κἂν βάρβαροι, κἂν Σκύθαι, κἂν ἄσοφοι, κἂν σοφοὶ, κἂν γυναῖκες, κἂν ἄνδρες, κἂν παιδία, κἂν πρεσβῦται, κἂν ἄτιμοι, κἂν ἔντιμοι, κἂν πλούσιοι, κἂν πένητες, κἂν ἄρχοντες, κἂν ἰδιῶται, φησὶ, πάντες τῆς αὐτῆς ἠξίωνται τιμῆς. Ἡ γὰρ πίστις καὶ ἡ τοῦ Πνεύματος χάρις, τὴν ἐκ τῶν κοσμικῶν ἀξιωμάτων ἀνωμαλίαν περιελοῦσα, εἰς μίαν ἅπαντας ἔπλασε μορφὴν, καὶ εἰς ἕνα ἀπετύπωσε χαρακτῆρα τὸν βασιλικόν. Τί ταύτης ἂν γένοιτο τῆς φιλανθρωπίας ἴσον; Βασιλεὺς μὲν ὁ ἐκ τοῦ αὐτοῦ διηρτισμένος ἡμῖν πηλοῦ, τοὺς ὁμοδούλους καὶ τῆς αὐτῆς αὐτῷ κοινωνοῦντας φύσεως, πολλάκις δὲ καὶ τὸν τρόπον ἀμείνους ὄντας, οὐκ ἀξιοῖ καταλέγειν εἰς τὸ στρατόπεδον τὸ βασιλικὸν, ἂν δοῦλοι τύχωσιν ὄντες· ὁ δὲ