John Chrysostom, Synopsis of Sacred Scripture

It is just, to return what one received to keep safe; and of these, to give evil for evil, and good for good. But it happens that such definitions are not precise. For do not say, "In the way he treated me, I will treat him, and I will repay him for the things in which he wronged me." For this reason he teaches them true justice: true justice is to give to each his own. First, honor the Lord from your just labors, and offer to him firstfruits from your fruits of righteousness. Then, honor the king, and to your parents render what is due, and to all what is equal. And this is one type. A second is, to justify one's own soul, to guard equality, so as not to incline toward inequal 56.372 ity; but to the rational part, "Let not an evil counsel overtake you, which forsakes the teaching of youth, but do all things with counsel, and let your reasonings be judgments"; so that each may judge himself, and have every desire be good; For every desire of the just is good, and the desire of a just man is acceptable. And regarding the spirited part, "Be not a companion to an irascible man, nor associate with an angry friend." For a foolish man brings forth all his anger; but a wise man stores it up in part. And so a man regulating himself, keeping the proper action of each part of the soul sound and unharmed, will be one who knows true justice. To direct judgments is, first, to judge justly according to the law of God, as it says: "Open your mouth for the word of God, and judge all things soundly." "Judge the poor and the weak." "For he who says to the impious, 'He is just,' is accursed to the peoples and hated by the nations." For to show partiality in judgment is not good. This must be said openly; then, so that what one judges in others, one may also direct this judgment to oneself, and test oneself, rebuking oneself if anger prevails; restraining, if desire abounds; rousing, if the reasoning faculty is dormant, saying: "How long, O sluggard, will you lie down?" For so, conducting himself justly, and becoming his own accuser, he will learn to direct judgment, and will not hear from another: "You who teach another, do you not teach yourself? You who say, 'Do not commit adultery,' do you commit adultery?" For just as he who travels and directs his way reaches the end, so he who directs judgments will be known as just and wise. Parables are called sayings, like images of the things being said. For from them, through similarity, what is said is understood. For thus the Lord spoke, as Mark says: "To what shall I liken the kingdom of God, or with what parable shall I compare it?" as if that which is spoken by way of similitude is a parable. For even saying, "The kingdom of God is like," he later added, "Therefore I speak to them in parables." Such then are the parables: "As the coolness of snow in the heat of harvest benefits, so a faithful messenger benefits those who sent him." And again: "Like winds, and clouds, and rains, so are those who boast of a false gift;" and things similar to these. And the sayings of the wise are words not sophistical, nor deceiving in what is plausible, but precise; not spoken as by command, but as known by them, and offered as their declarations; such as: "When the heart rejoices, the face blooms; but when it is in sorrow, it is downcast." And, "An upright heart seeks perception; but the mouth of the uninstructed will know evils." And, "Hatred stirs up strife; but friendship covers all who are not contentious." And, "He who despises a matter will be despised by it; but he who fears a commandment, this one is sound." For the words of other men are for the most part ambiguous; but those of the wise, such as these, are true, and are precise from every side, so that they cannot even be contradicted. And other men recognize the matter from the end; as for instance, that the unjust man is worthless, and the adulterer is not good; but this would be clear to anyone. But the wise 56.373 foretell the beginnings of actions, so that each one, knowing the beginnings of evils, may be on guard, and they enjoin, as it were, a watchword for the movements of the soul, such as

∆ίκαιόν ἐστι, τὸ ἀποδιδόναι ἅπερ ἔλαβέ τις φυλάξαι· τῶν δὲ, τὸ διδόναι κακὸν ἀντὶ κακοῦ, καὶ ἀγαθὸν ἀντὶ ἀγαθοῦ. Συμβαίνει δὲ μὴ ἀκριβεῖς εἶναι τοὺς τοιούτους ὅρους. Μὴ εἴπῃς γὰρ, Ὃν τρόπον ἐχρήσατό μοι, χρήσομαι αὐτῷ, τίσομαι δὲ αὐτὸν ἅ με ἠδίκησε. ∆ιὰ τοῦτο οὗτος τὴν ἀληθῆ δικαιοσύνην διδάσκει τούτοις· τὸ ἀληθὲς δίκαιον, τὸ ἀποδιδόναι ἑκάστῳ τὸ ἴδιον. Προηγουμένως μὲν τίμα τὸν Κύριον ἀπὸ σῶν δικαίων πόνων, καὶ ἀπάρχου αὐτῷ ἀπὸ σῶν καρπῶν δικαιοσύνης. Ἔπειτα τίμα βασιλέα, καὶ τοῖς μὲν γονεῦσι τὸ καθῆκον ἀποδίδου, τοῖς δὲ πᾶσι τὸ ἴσον. Καὶ οὗτος μὲν εἷς τύπος. ∆εύτερος δὲ, δικαιοῦν τὴν ψυχὴν ἑαυτοῦ, τὴν ἰσότητα φυλάττειν, ὥστε μὴ κλίνειν εἰς ἀνισό 56.372 τητα· ἀλλὰ τῷ μὲν λογικῷ, Μή σε καταλάβῃ βουλὴ κακὴ, ἡ ἀπολείπουσα διδασκαλίαν νεότητος, ἀλλὰ μετὰ βουλῆς πάντα ποίει, καὶ οἱ λογισμοί σου ἔστωσαν κρίματα· ὥστε κρίνειν ἑαυτὸν ἕκαστον, καὶ τὴν μὲν ἐπιθυμίαν πᾶσαν ἔχειν ἀγαθήν· Ἐπιθυμία γὰρ δικαίων πᾶσα ἀγαθὴ, καὶ ἐπιθυμία δικαίου δεκτή. Κατὰ δὲ τὸ θυμικὸν, Μὴ ἴσθι ἑταῖρος ἀνδρὶ θυμώδει, φίλῳ δὲ ὀργίλῳ μὴ συναυλίζου. Ὅλον γὰρ τὸν θυμὸν ἐκφέρει αὐτοῦ ἄφρων· ὁ δὲ σοφὸς ταμιεύεται κατὰ μέρος. Οὕτω δὲ ἑαυτὸν ῥυθμίζων ἄνθρωπος, τὴν ἰδίαν ἑκάστου μέρους τῆς ψυχῆς πρᾶξιν ὑγιῆ καὶ ἀσινῆ φυλάττων, ἔσται γινώσκων τὴν ἀληθῆ δικαιοσύνην. Κρίματα δὲ κατευθύνειν ἐστὶ, προηγουμένως μὲν κρίνειν δικαίως κατὰ τὸν τοῦ Θεοῦ νόμον, ὥς φησι· Ἄνοιγε σὸν στόμα λόγῳ Θεοῦ, καὶ κρῖνε πάντας ὑγιῶς. ∆ιάκρινε δὲ πένητα καὶ ἀσθενῆ. Ὁ γὰρ εἰπὼν τὸν ἀσεβῆ, δίκαιός ἐστιν, ἐπικατάρατος τοῖς λαοῖς καὶ μισητὸς εἰς ἔθνη. Αἰδεῖσθαι γὰρ πρόσωπον ἐν κρίσει οὐ καλόν. Τοῦτο μὲν ἐκ τοῦ φανεροῦ ῥητέον· ἔπειτα δὲ ἵνα ὅπερ ἑτέρους κρίνει τις, τοῦτο καὶ εἰς ἑαυτὸν τὸ κρίμα κατευθύνῃ, καὶ ἑαυτὸν δοκιμάζῃ, ἐπιτιμῶν μὲν ἑαυτῷ, ἐὰν πλεονεκτῇ ὁ θυμός· ἐπέχων δὲ, ἐὰν περισσεύῃ ἡ ἐπιθυμία· διεγείρων δὲ, ἐὰν ἀφυπνοῖ τὸ λογιστικὸν, λέγων· Ἕως πότε, ὀκνηρὲ, κατάκεισαι; Οὕτω γὰρ ἑαυτὸν δικαίως ἄγων, καὶ κατήγορος ἑαυτοῦ γινόμενος, κρίμα κατευθύνειν μαθήσεται, καὶ οὐκ ἀκούσεται παρ' ἑτέρου· Ὁ διδάσκων ἕτερον, σεαυτὸν οὐ διδάσκεις; ὁ λέγων, Μὴ μοιχεύσῃς, μοιχεύεις; Ὥσπερ γὰρ ὁ ὁδεύων καὶ κατευθύνων τὴν ὁδὸν φθάνει εἰς τὸ τέλος· οὕτως ὁ κατευθύνων κρίματα, δίκαιος γνωσθήσεται καὶ σοφός. Παραβολαὶ δὲ λέγονται λόγοι, ὥσπερ εἰκόνες τῶν λεγομένων. Ἐξ αὐτῶν γὰρ διὰ τὴν ὁμοιότητα τὸ λεγόμενον καταλαμβάνεται. Οὕτω γὰρ ὁ Κύριος ἔλεγεν, ὡς ὁ Μάρκος φησί· Τίνι ὁμοιώσω τὴν βασιλείαν τοῦ Θεοῦ, ἢ ἐν ποίᾳ παραβολῇ παραβάλωμαι αὐτήν; ὡς τῶν κατὰ ὁμοίωσιν λεγομένων παραβολῆς οὔσης. Καὶ γὰρ λέγων, Ὁμοία ἐστὶν ἡ βασιλεία τοῦ Θεοῦ, ὕστερον ἐπέφερε, ∆ιὰ τοῦτο ἐν παραβολαῖς αὐτοῖς λαλῶ. Εἰσὶν οὖν τοιαῦται αἱ παραβολαί· Ὥσπερ ἔξοδος χιόνος ἐν ἀμητῷ κατάκαυμα ὠφελεῖ, οὕτως ἄγγελος πιστὸς τοὺς ἀποστείλαντας αὐτόν. Καὶ πάλιν· Ὥσπερ ἄνεμοι, καὶ νέφη, καὶ ὑετοὶ, οὕτως οἱ καυχώμενοι ἐπὶ δόσει ψευδεῖ· καὶ τὰ ὅμοια τούτοις. Ῥήσεις δὲ σοφῶν εἰσι λόγοι οὐ σεσοφισμένοι, οὐδὲ ἐν τῷ πιθανῷ ἀπατῶντες, ἀλλ' ἠκριβωμένοι· οὐχ ὡς κατὰ πρόσταξιν δὲ λεγόμενοι, ἀλλ' ὡς παρ' αὐτῶν γνωσθέντες, καὶ ὡς ἀποφάσεις αὐτῶν προσφερόμενοι· οἷοί εἰσι· Καρδίας εὐφραινομένης, πρόσωπον θάλλει· ἐν δὲ λύπαις οὔσης, σκυθρωπάζει. Καὶ, Καρδία ὀρθὴ ζητεῖ αἴσθησιν· στόμα δὲ ἀπαιδεύτων γνώσεται κακά. Καὶ, Μῖσος ἐγείρει νεῖκος· πάντας δὲ τοὺς μὴ φιλονεικοῦντας καλύπτει φιλία. Καὶ, Ὃς καταφρονεῖ πράγματος, καταφρονηθήσεται ὑπ' αὐτοῦ· ὁ δὲ φοβούμενος ἐντολὴν, οὗτος ὑγιαίνει. Τῶν μὲν γὰρ ἄλλων ἀνθρώπων οἱ λόγοι κατὰ πλεῖστον ἀμφίβολοι τυγχάνουσιν ὄντες· οἱ δὲ τῶν σοφῶν, οἷοί εἰσιν οὗτοι, ἀληθεῖς εἰσιν, καὶ πανταχόθεν ἠκρίβωνται, ὥστε μηδὲ ἀντιλέγεσθαι αὐτούς. Καὶ οἱ μὲν ἄλλοι ἄνθρωποι ἀπὸ τοῦ τέλους γνωρίζουσι τὸ πρᾶγμα· οἷόν ἐστιν, ὅτι ὁ ἄδικος φαῦλός ἐστι, καὶ ὁ μοιχὸς οὐ καλός· τοῦτο δὲ καὶ παντὶ δῆλον ἂν εἴη. Οἱ δὲ σοφοὶ 56.373 τὰς ἀρχὰς τῶν πράξεων προλέγουσιν, ἵν' ἕκαστος γινώσκων τὰς ἀρχὰς τῶν κακῶν φυλάττηται, καὶ ὥσπερ σύμβολον τῶν τῆς ψυχῆς κινημάτων παραγγέλλουσιν, οἷά