John Chrysostom, On 2 Timothy

hearing that the teacher is about to die, and that he did not even enjoy his company in the time near his death, which is wont to grieve more than anything? For we are not so grateful for the time past, if we are deprived of the departed in the time near their end. For this reason, when he had offered much exhortation, then he speaks of his own death; and not simply, but also uses words sufficient to comfort him and fill him with joy, so that the matter might be considered a sacrifice rather than a death, and rather a departure, which indeed it was, and a removal to better things. For I am already being poured out as a drink offering, he says. For this reason he wrote, saying; All Scripture is God-breathed, and profitable for teaching, for reproof, for correction. All, what? That of which I spoke, he says, all sacred; of which he was speaking, these things were said; of which he said, that From a child you have known the holy scriptures. All such Scripture, therefore, is God-breathed. 62.650.30 Therefore have no doubt, he says. And profitable for teaching, for reproof, for correction, that the man of God may be complete, thoroughly equipped for every good work. For teaching. If we must learn anything, if we must be ignorant of anything, from there we shall know it; if to refute falsehoods, this too from there; if to be corrected and disciplined. For exhortation, for comfort, he says. For correction; that is, if anything is lacking and needs to be added; That the man of God may be complete. For this reason, he says, was the exhortation of the Scriptures given, that the man of God may be complete. It is not possible, then, to be complete without it. In my place, he says, you have the Scriptures; if you wish to learn anything, you will be able from there. But if he wrote these things to Timothy, who was filled with the Spirit, how much more to us? Thoroughly equipped for every good work. Not simply participating, he says, but thoroughly equipped with exactness. I solemnly charge you, therefore, in the presence of God and of the Lord Jesus Christ, who is to judge the living and the dead. He means either sinners and the righteous, or both those who have departed and those who are now living, because many will be left alive. He put him in fear in the former [epistle] by saying, I charge you in the sight of God, who gives life to all things; but here he has put the more fearful thing, Who is to judge the living and the dead; that is, who is to demand an account; by His appearing and His kingdom. To judge, when? At His appearing with glory, with His kingdom. He either says this, then, that He will not come thus, as now; or that by 62.651 His appearing and His kingdom I bear witness to you. He calls Him to witness, showing that He had also reminded him of this. Then, teaching how one must preach the word, he adds; Preach the word, be ready in season and out of season, reprove, rebuke, exhort, with all longsuffering and teaching. What is, In season, out of season? That is, have no set time, let it always be your season, not in peace, not in security, nor only when sitting in the church; even if in dangers, even if you are in prison, even if you are wearing a chain, even if you are about to go forth to death, even at that very moment reprove, do not shrink from rebuking. For then also the rebuke has its season, when the reproof has taken effect, when the deed has been proved. Exhort, he says, just as in the case of physicians, having pointed out the wound, he applied the incision, he brought on the medicine; but if any of these should be left out, the other becomes useless. For if you rebuke without reproofs, you will seem to be insolent, and no one will endure it; but after it has been proven, then he also accepts the rebuke, but before, he will be defiant; and if you reprove and rebuke, but harshly, and do not bring forth exhortation, again the whole thing is overturned. For reproof by itself is unbearable, when it does not also have exhortation mixed in. For just as the incision, although it is saving, if it does not have many things that soothe the pains, is not endured

ἀκούοντα ὅτι μέλλει ἀποθνήσκειν ὁ διδάσκαλος, καὶ ὅτι οὐδὲ ἀπέλαυσεν αὐτοῦ τὸν χρόνον τὸν ἐγγὺς τοῦ θανάτου, ὃ μάλιστα πάντων εἴωθε λυπεῖν; Οὐ γὰρ οὕτω χάριν ἴσμεν τῷ παρελθόντι χρόνῳ, ἂν τὸν ἐγγὺς χρόνον ἀπολειφθῶμεν τῶν τετελευτηκότων. ∆ιὰ τοῦτο, ὅτε πολλὴν ἐποιήσατο τὴν παράκλησιν, τότε περὶ τῆς τελευτῆς ἑαυτοῦ διαλέγεται· καὶ οὐχ ἁπλῶς, ἀλλὰ καὶ λέξεσι χρῆται ἱκαναῖς αὐτὸν παραμυθήσασθαι καὶ χαρᾶς ἐμπλῆσαι, ὡς θυσίαν νομισθῆναι εἶναι τὸ πρᾶγμα ἢ τελευτὴν, καὶ ἀποδημίαν μᾶλλον, ὅπερ οὖν καὶ ἦν, καὶ μετάστασιν πρὸς τὰ κρείττω. Ἐγὼ γὰρ ἤδη σπένδομαι, φησί. ∆ιὰ τοῦτο ἔγραφε, λέγων· Πᾶσα γραφὴ θεόπνευστος, καὶ ὠφέλιμος πρὸς διδασκαλίαν, πρὸς ἔλεγχον, πρὸς ἐπανόρθωσιν. Πᾶσα, ποία; Περὶ ἧς εἶπον, φησὶ, πᾶσα ἱερά· περὶ ἧς διελέγετο, ταῦτα εἴρητο· περὶ ἧς ἔλεγεν, ὅτι Ἀπὸ βρέφους τὰ ἱερὰ γράμματα οἶδας. Πᾶσα οὖν ἡ τοιαύτη θεόπνευστος. 62.650.30 Μηδὲν οὖν ἀμφίβαλλε, φησί. Καὶ ὠφέλιμος πρὸς διδασκαλίαν, πρὸς ἔλεγχον, πρὸς ἐπανόρθωσιν, ἵνα ἄρτιος ᾖ ὁ τοῦ Θεοῦ ἄνθρωπος, πρὸς πᾶν ἔργον ἀγαθὸν ἐξηρτισμένος. Πρὸς διδασκαλίαν. Εἴ τι μαθεῖν, εἴ τι ἀγνοῆσαι χρὴ, ἐκεῖθεν εἰσόμεθα· εἰ ἐλέγξαι τὰ ψευδῆ, καὶ τοῦτο ἐκεῖθεν· εἰ ἐπανορθωθῆναι καὶ σωφρονισθῆναι. Πρὸς παράκλησιν, πρὸς παραμυθίαν, φησί. Πρὸς ἐπανόρθωσιν· τουτέστιν, εἴ τι λείπει, καὶ χρὴ προστεθῆναι· Ἵνα ἄρτιος ᾖ ὁ τοῦ Θεοῦ ἄνθρωπος. ∆ιὰ τοῦτο, φησὶ, γέγονεν ἡ τῶν Γραφῶν παράκλησις, ἵνα ἄρτιος ᾖ ὁ τοῦ Θεοῦ ἄνθρωπος. Οὐκ ἄρα χωρὶς αὐτῆς ἄρτιον ἔνι γενέσθαι. Ἀντ' ἐμοῦ, φησὶ, τὰς Γραφὰς ἔχεις· εἰ τι βούλει μαθεῖν, ἐκεῖθεν δυνήσῃ. Εἰ δὲ Τιμοθέῳ ταῦτα ἔγραφε τῷ Πνεύματος ἐμπεπλησμένῳ, πόσῳ μᾶλλον ἡμῖν; Πρὸς πᾶν ἔργον ἀγαθὸν ἐξηρτισμένος. Οὐχ ἁπλῶς μετέχων, φησὶν, ἀλλὰ μετὰ ἀκριβείας ἐξηρτισμένος. ∆ιαμαρτύρομαι οὖν ἐγὼ ἐνώπιον τοῦ Θεοῦ καὶ τοῦ Κυρίου Ἰησοῦ Χριστοῦ τοῦ μέλλοντος κρίνειν ζῶντας καὶ νεκρούς. Ἤτοι ἁμαρτωλοὺς λέγει καὶ δικαίους, ἤτοι καὶ τοὺς ἀπελθόντας καὶ τοὺς νῦν ὄντας, ὅτι πολλοὶ καταλειφθήσονται ζῶντες. Ἐφόβησεν αὐτὸν ἐν μὲν τῇ προτέρᾳ λέγων, Παραγγέλλω σοι ἐνώπιον τοῦ Θεοῦ τοῦ ζωοποιοῦντος τὰ πάντα· ἐνταῦθα δὲ τὸ φοβερώτερον τέθεικε, Τοῦ μέλλοντος κρίνειν ζῶντας καὶ νεκρούς· τουτέστι, τοῦ μέλλοντος εὐθύνας ἀπαιτεῖν· κατὰ τὴν ἐπιφάνειαν αὐτοῦ καὶ τὴν βασιλείαν αὐτοῦ. Κρίνειν, πότε; Ἐν τῇ ἐπιφανείᾳ αὐτοῦ τῇ μετὰ δόξης, τῇ μετὰ βασιλείας. Ἢ τοίνυν τοῦτο λέγει, ὅτι οὐχ οὕτως ἥξει, ὡς νῦν· ἢ ὅτι δια 62.651 μαρτύρομαί σοι τὴν ἐπιφάνειαν αὐτοῦ καὶ τὴν βασιλείαν. Μάρτυρα καλεῖ ἐκεῖνον, δεικνὺς ὅτι καὶ τούτου αὐτὸν ἀνέμνησεν. Εἶτα πῶς δεῖ κηρύττειν τὸν λόγον διδάσκων, ἐπάγει· Κήρυξον τὸν λόγον, ἐπίστηθι εὐκαίρως, ἀκαίρως, ἔλεγξον, ἐπιτίμησον, παρακάλεσον ἐν πάσῃ μακροθυμίᾳ καὶ διδαχῇ. Τί ἐστιν, Εὐκαίρως, ἀκαίρως; Τουτέστι, μὴ καιρὸν ἔχε ὡρισμένον, ἀεί σοι καιρὸς ἔστω, μὴ ἐν εἰρήνῃ, μὴ ἐν ἀδείᾳ, μηδὲ ἐν ἐκκλησίᾳ καθήμενος μόνον· κἂν ἐν τοῖς κινδύνοις, κἂν ἐν δεσμωτηρίῳ ᾖς, κἂν ἅλυσιν περικείμενος, κἂν μέλλῃς ἐξιέναι ἐπὶ θάνατον καὶ παρ' αὐτὸν τὸν καιρὸν ἔλεγξον, μὴ ὑποσταλῇς ἐπιτιμῆσαι. Τότε γὰρ καὶ ἡ ἐπιτίμησις ἔχει καιρὸν, ὅταν ὁ ἔλεγχος προχωρήσῃ, ὅταν ἀποδειχθῇ τὸ ἔργον. Παρακάλεσον, φησὶ, καθάπερ ἐπὶ τῶν ἰατρῶν, εἰπὼν τὸ τραῦμα, ἔδωκε τὴν τομὴν, ἐπήγαγε τὸ φάρμακον· ὅπερ δὲ ἂν τούτων ἀπολειφθῇ, τὸ ἕτερον ἄχρηστον γίνεται. Ἄν τε γὰρ χωρὶς ἐλέγχων ἐπιτιμήσῃς, δόξεις εἶναι θρασὺς, καὶ οὐδεὶς ἀνέχεται· μετὰ δὲ τὸ ἀποδειχθῆναι, τότε καὶ καταδέχεται τὴν ἐπιτίμησιν, πρότερον δὲ ἰταμὸς ἔσται· ἄν τε ἐλέγξῃς μὲν καὶ ἐπιτιμήσῃς, σφοδρῶς δὲ, καὶ μὴ παράκλησιν προσαγάγῃς, πάλιν τὸ πᾶν ἀνατέτραπται. Ἀφόρητον γὰρ ἔλεγχος καθ' ἑαυτὸν, ὅταν μὴ καὶ παράκλησιν ἀναμεμιγμένην ἔχῃ. Καθάπερ γὰρ ἡ τομὴ, καίτοι σωτήριος οὖσα, ἂν μὴ πολλὰ τὰ παραμυθούμενα τὰς ἀλγηδόνας ἔχῃ, οὐκ ἀνέχεται