John Chrysostom, Against the Jews

he prophesied of another later. How is this clear? Both from what has been said, and from many other signs. And first, indeed, from the place; for he foretold that this worship would be performed not in one city, as was the case for the Jews, but from the rising of the sun to its setting. Then, from the manner of the sacrifice; for by foretelling it to be pure, he showed which one he meant. And also from the persons of those offering it; for he did not say, 'In Israel,' but, 'Among the nations.' And so that you may not think that the matters of this worship will be confined to one, two, or three cities, he did not simply say, 'In every place,' but, 'From the rising of the sun to its setting;' showing that the preaching will possess as much of the earth as the sun beholds. And he calls it a pure sacrifice, as if the former were impure, not on account of its own nature, but on account of the disposition of those who offered it. For this reason he said: 'Incense is an abomination to me.' And besides, if one were to compare the sacrifice itself, he will find the difference great and infinite, and so much so that this one alone is properly called pure by way of comparison. And what Paul said concerning the law and grace, that 'what was glorified has not been glorified, on account of the surpassing glory,' this we might also boldly 48.903 say here, that this sacrifice, when compared to that one, might be called properly and alone pure. For it is offered not through smoke and the savor of burning fat, nor through blood and ransoms, but through the grace of the Spirit. Hear then also another prophet proclaiming this very same thing beforehand and saying, that the worship of God will not be established in one place, but that henceforth all men will know him. Therefore Zephaniah says something like this: 'The Lord will appear over all the nations, and he will destroy all the gods of the nations, and they will worship him, each from his own place.' And yet this was not permitted, but Moses commanded them to worship in one place. When, therefore, you hear the prophets foretelling and proclaiming beforehand that men will no longer be compelled to gather from all places to one city, nor to one place, but each, sitting at home, will worship the divine, what other time could you name but this present one? Hear, then, how both the Gospels and the Apostle harmonize with this prophet. For the prophet said, 'The Lord will appear;' the Apostle says, 'The grace of God that brings salvation has appeared to all men, teaching us.' This one said, 'Over the nations;' that one says, 'To all men.' This one said, 'He will destroy their gods;' that one said, 'Teaching us, that, denying ungodliness and worldly lusts, we should live soberly and righteously.' Again, Christ says to the Samaritan woman, 'Believe me, woman, that the hour is coming, when you will worship the Father neither on this mountain, nor in Jerusalem.' 'God is Spirit, and those who worship 48.904 him must worship in spirit and in truth.' And he said these things, thus freeing us from the necessity arising from the observance of place, and introducing a higher and more spiritual form of worship. It was possible, therefore, along with these things, to show again that neither sacrifice, nor priesthood, nor king will henceforth exist among the Jews. For especially through the destruction of the city have all these things been demonstrated together; but nevertheless it was possible also to bring forward prophets expressly saying this very thing. But I see that you are weary from the length of what has been said, and I fear lest I might seem to be troubling you in vain and to no purpose. Therefore, promising to speak of this to you at another time, for now I beg this of you: to save your brothers, to deliver them from error, to lead them back to the truth. For there is no benefit in hearing, when the demonstration through works does not correspond with what is said. For what has been said was not said for your sake, but for the sake of those who are weak, so that they, learning these things from you, and being delivered from their wicked habit, may show forth a sincere and genuine Christianity, and may flee the wicked things of the Jews

ἑτέρας οὗτος προεφήτευσεν ὕστερον. Πόθεν τοῦτο δῆλον; Ἀπό τε τῶν εἰρημένων, ἀπό τε ἑτέρων πλειόνων σημείων. Καὶ πρῶτον μὲν ἀπὸ τοῦ τόπου· οὐ γὰρ ἐν μιᾷ πόλει, καθάπερ ἐπὶ τῶν Ἰουδαίων, ἀλλ' Ἀπὸ ἀνατολῶν ἡλίου μέχρι δυσμῶν τὴν θεραπείαν ἐπιτελεῖσθαι ταύτην προεῖπεν. Εἶτα ἀπὸ τοῦ τρόπου τῆς θυσίας· τῷ γὰρ καθαρὰν αὐτὴν προειπεῖν, ἔδειξε ποίαν ἔλεγε. Καὶ ἀπὸ τῶν προσώπων δὲ τῶν προσαγόντων αὐτήν· οὐ γὰρ εἶπεν, Ἐν τῷ Ἰσραὴλ, ἀλλ', Ἐν τοῖς ἔθνεσι. Καὶ ἵνα μὴ νομίσῃς, ὅτι ἐν μιᾷ καὶ δυσὶ καὶ τρισὶ πόλεσι τὰ τῆς λατρείας περιστήσεται ταύτης, οὐχ ἁπλῶς εἶπεν, Ἐν παντὶ τόπῳ, ἀλλ', Ἀπὸ ἀνατολῶν ἡλίου μέχρι δυσμῶν· δεικνὺς ὅτι, ὅσην ὁ ἥλιος ἐφορᾷ γῆν, τοσαύτην καὶ τὸ κήρυγμα καταλήψεται. Καθαρὰν δὲ λέγει θυσίαν, ὡς τῆς προτέρας ἀκαθάρτου οὔσης, οὐ διὰ τὴν οἰκείαν φύσιν, ἀλλὰ διὰ τὴν προαίρεσιν τῶν προσαγόντων. ∆ιὰ τοῦτο ἔλεγε· Θυμίαμα βδέλυγμά μοί ἐστιν. Ἄλλως δὲ, καὶ αὐτὴν τὴν θυσίαν εἴ τις παραβάλοι, πολὺ τὸ μέσον εὑρήσει καὶ ἄπειρον καὶ τοσοῦτον, ὡς ταύτην κυρίως μόνην κατὰ τὸν τῆς συγκρίσεως λόγον λέγεσθαι καθαράν. Καὶ ὅπερ ἐπὶ τοῦ νόμου καὶ τῆς χάριτος ἔλεγεν ὁ Παῦλος, ὅτι οὐ δεδόξασται τὸ δεδοξασμένον, ἕνεκεν τῆς ὑπερβαλλούσης δόξης, τοῦτο καὶ ἐνταῦθα θαῤῥοῦντες 48.903 ἂν εἴποιμεν, ὅτι συγκρινομένη πρὸς ἐκείνην αὕτη ἡ θυσία, κυρίως ἂν λεχθείη καὶ μόνη καθαρά. Οὐ γὰρ διὰ καπνοῦ καὶ κνίσσης, οὐδὲ δι' αἱμάτων καὶ λύτρων, ἀλλὰ διὰ τῆς τοῦ Πνεύματος προσάγεται χάριτος. Ἄκουσον δὴ καὶ ἑτέρου προφήτου τὸ αὐτὸ τοῦτο προαναφωνοῦντος καὶ λέγοντος, ὅτι οὐκ ἐν ἑνὶ τόπῳ στήσεται τὰ τῆς τοῦ Θεοῦ θεραπείας, ἀλλὰ πάντες αὐτὸν εἴσονται λοιπὸν ἄνθρωποι. Ὁ οὖν Σοφονίας οὕτω πώς φησιν· Ἐπιφανήσεται Κύριος ἐπὶ πάντα τὰ ἔθνη, καὶ ἐξολοθρεύσει πάντας τοὺς θεοὺς τῶν ἐθνῶν, καὶ προσκυνήσουσιν αὐτῷ ἕκαστος ἀπὸ τοῦ τόπου αὐτοῦ. Καίτοι γε οὐκ ἐφεῖτο τοῦτο, ἀλλ' εἰς ἕνα τόπον λατρεύειν ἐκέλευσεν ὁ Μωϋσῆς. Ὅταν οὖν ἀκούσῃς τῶν προφητῶν προλεγόντων καὶ προαναφωνούντων, ὅτι οὐκ ἔτι εἰς μίαν πόλιν, οὐδὲ εἰς ἕνα τόπον ἀναγκασθήσονται συνάγεσθαι πάντοθεν οἱ ἄνθρωποι, ἀλλ' οἴκοι καθήμενος ἕκαστος θεραπεύσει τὸ θεῖον, τίνα ἂν ἔχοις εἰπεῖν ἕτερον καιρὸν, ἀλλ' ἢ τὸν παρόντα τοῦτον; Ἄκουε γοῦν πῶς καὶ τὰ Εὐαγγέλια καὶ ὁ Ἀπόστολος τῷ προφήτῃ τούτῳ συνᾴδουσιν. Ὁ γοῦν προφήτης εἶπεν, Ἐπιφανήσεται Κύριος· ὁ Ἀπόστολός φησιν, Ἐπεφάνη ἡ χάρις τοῦ Θεοῦ ἡ σωτήριος πᾶσιν ἀνθρώποις παιδεύουσα ἡμᾶς. Οὗτος εἶπεν, Ἐπὶ τὰ ἔθνη· ἐκεῖνός φησιν, Ἐπὶ πᾶσιν ἀνθρώποις. Οὗτος εἶπεν, Ἐξολοθρεύσει τοὺς θεοὺς αὐτῶν· ἐκεῖνος εἶπεν, Παιδεύουσα ἡμᾶς, ἵνα ἀρνησάμενοι τὴν ἀσέβειαν καὶ τὰς κοσμικὰς ἐπιθυμίας, σωφρόνως καὶ δικαίως ζήσωμεν. Πάλιν ὁ Χριστὸς τῇ Σαμαρείτιδί φησι, Πίστευσόν μοι, γύναι, ὅτι ἔρχεται ὥρα, ὅτε οὔτε ἐν τῷ ὄρει τούτῳ, οὔτε ἐν Ἱεροσολύμοις προσκυνήσετε τῷ Πατρί. Πνεῦμα ὁ Θεὸς, καὶ τοὺς προσκυ48.904 νοῦντας αὐτὸν ἐν πνεύματι καὶ ἀληθείᾳ δεῖ προσκυνεῖν. Ταῦτα δὲ ἔλεγε, τήν τε ἀνάγκην ἡμῶν λύων λοιπὸν τὴν ἐκ τῆς τοῦ τόπου παρατηρήσεως, καὶ τὸ τῆς λατρείας ὑψηλότερον καὶ πνευματικώτερον εἰσάγων. Ἐνῆν μὲν οὖν μετὰ τούτων δεῖξαι πάλιν, ὅτι οὔτε θυσία, οὔτε ἱερωσύνη, οὔτε βασιλεὺς παρὰ Ἰουδαίοις ἔσται λοιπόν. Μάλιστα μὲν γὰρ διὰ τῆς κατὰ τὴν πόλιν κατασκαφῆς ἅπαντα ταῦτα συναποδέδεικται· πλὴν ἀλλ' ἐνῆν καὶ προφήτας παραγαγεῖν ῥητῶς αὐτὸ τοῦτο λέγοντας. Ἀλλ' ὁρῶ κεκμηκότας ὑμᾶς τῷ μήκει τῶν εἰρημένων, καὶ δέδοικα μὴ μάτην καὶ εἰκῆ δόξω διενοχλεῖν. ∆ιόπερ αὐτὸ εἰς ἕτερον ὑμῖν ὑποσχόμενος καιρὸν ἐρεῖν, ἐκεῖνο τέως δέομαι ὑμῶν, τοὺς ἀδελφοὺς διασῶσαι τοὺς ὑμετέρους, ἀπαλλάξαι τῆς πλάνης, ἐπαναγαγεῖν ἐπὶ τὴν ἀλήθειαν. Οὐδὲν γὰρ ὄφελος ἀκροάσεως, ὅταν ἡ διὰ τῶν ἔργων ἐπίδειξις μὴ συμβαίνῃ τοῖς λεγομένοις. Καὶ γὰρ τὰ εἰρημένα οὐ δι' ὑμᾶς εἴρηται, ἀλλὰ δι' ἐκείνους τοὺς ἀσθενοῦντας, ἵνα παρ' ὑμῶν ἐκεῖνοι μανθάνοντες ταῦτα, καὶ τῆς πονηρᾶς ἀπαλλαγέντες συνηθείας, εἰλικρινῆ καὶ γνήσιον τὸν Χριστιανισμὸν ἐπιδείξωνται, καὶ τὰς πονηρὰς φεύξωνται τῶν Ἰουδαίων