John Chrysostom, Against the Jews

but more clearly than a trumpet through the sight, admonishing all no longer to attempt such things. And not this only, but again he ordained him in another way. For since many, having conspired, desired his office—for the office was somehow contested and desirable to many—he commanded them again to bring censers, and putting incense in them, to await the 48.913 vote from above. And as they were offering incense, the earth opened and swallowed all who were rising up with them, and fire from above consumed those who held the censers. And so that what had happened, being consigned to oblivion by time, would not cause those who came after to be ignorant of the miraculous vote of God, Moses commanded that those censers be taken and hammered out as a covering for the altar, so that just as the rod without a voice sent forth a voice through its appearance, so also these plates might speak to all who came after and admonish and counsel them in no way to imitate the folly of the former ones, lest they should suffer the same punishment. Do you see how in ancient times the priests were ordained? But now everything among the Jews is a child's game, and a laugh, and a shame, and a business, and full of countless transgressions. Do you then follow these, tell me, who are always contentiously doing and saying everything contrary to the laws of God, and do you run to their synagogues? and do you not fear that a thunderbolt from above might come down and consume your head? Do you not know that, even if someone does not rob, but is seen in the cave of robbers, he receives the same punishment as them? And why do I speak of robbers? You all know and remember, of course, when certain polluted men and sorcerers among us pulled down the statues, how not only those who dared to do it, but also as many as were simply present at what happened, were seized and brought to court and, led away with them, suffered the ultimate penalty? But you, where the Father is insulted, and the Son is blasphemed, where the Holy and life-giving Spirit is rejected, do you hasten to run there, tell me? and do you not fear nor shudder at bringing yourself into those profane and unclean places? And what defense will you have, tell me, what excuse, willingly pushing yourself into the pit, and casting yourself down from cliffs? For do not tell me this, that the law lies there and the books of the prophets. This is not enough to make a place holy. For what is greater, for books to lie in a place, or to utter the things from the books? It is clear that it is to utter the things from the books and to hold them in the mind. What then, tell me, since the devil spoke from the Scriptures, was his mouth sanctified? One cannot say so, but he remained a devil. And what of the demons? Since they proclaimed and said, 'These men are servants of the Most High God, who proclaim to you the way of salvation,' shall we therefore number them among the apostles for this reason? By no means, but we continue to turn away from and hate them all the same. Then do words, when uttered, not sanctify, but books, when they lie there, sanctify? and how could this be reasonable? For this reason, I especially hate the synagogue, because it has the law and the prophets, and I hate it more now than if it had none of these. Why so? Because from this source the bait is great, the deceit is much for the more simple; since for this reason Paul drove out that demon when it was speaking rather than when it was silent. For being grieved, it says, in spirit he said, 'Come out of her.' And for what reason? Because it was crying out, 'These men are servants of the Most High God.' For while silent they did not deceive in this way, but by speaking they were likely to draw away many of the more simple and 48.914 persuade them, and to make them pay attention to them in other matters as well. For in order to open a door for their own deceits, and to give much boldness to falsehood, for this reason they also mixed in some true things, just as those who mix poisonous drugs, by smearing the rim of the cup with honey, make the harm easy to receive. For this reason especially Paul was grieved, and hastened to silence them, because they were seizing a dignity not belonging to them. For this reason I also hate the Jews, because they have the law, while insulting the law, and in this way

σάλπιγγος δὲ λαμπρότερον διὰ τῆς ὄψεως πᾶσι παραινοῦσα, μηκέτι τοῖς τοιούτοις ἐπιχειρεῖν πράγμασι. Καὶ οὐ τοῦτο μόνον, ἀλλὰ καὶ ἑτέρῳ πάλιν αὐτὸν ἐχειροτόνησε τρόπῳ. Ἐπειδὴ γὰρ πολλοὶ συστάντες ἐπεθύμουν αὐτοῦ τῆς τιμῆς περιμάχητον γάρ πως ἡ ἀρχὴ, καὶ πολλοῖς ἐπέραστον, ἐκέλευσε πυρεῖα πάλιν ἐνεγκόντας, καὶ θυμίαμα ἐπιθέντας, τὴν ἄνωθεν 48.913 ἀναμένειν ψῆφον. Καὶ θυμιώντων αὐτῶν, ἡ γῆ διαστᾶσα πάντας κατέπιε τοὺς συναιρομένους αὐτοῖς, καὶ τοὺς τὰ πυρεῖα λαβόντας ἄνωθεν κατέφλεξε πῦρ. Καὶ ἵνα μὴ τῷ χρόνῳ λήθῃ τὸ γενόμενον παραδοθὲν ἀγνοεῖν τοὺς μετὰ ταῦτα ποιῇ τὴν παράδοξον τοῦ Θεοῦ ψῆφον, προσέταξεν ὁ Μωϋσῆς ἐκεῖνα τὰ πυρεῖα λαβόντας περιελάσαι τῷ θυσιαστηρίῳ, ἵν' ὥσπερ ἡ ῥάβδος χωρὶς φωνῆς ἠφίει φωνὴν διὰ τῆς ὄψεως, οὕτω καὶ τὰ πέταλα ταῦτα τοῖς μετὰ ταῦτα διαλέγηται πᾶσι καὶ παραινῇ καὶ συμβουλεύῃ, μηδαμῶς μιμεῖσθαι τὴν τῶν προτέρων ἄνοιαν, ἵνα μὴ τὴν αὐτὴν ὑπομείνωσι δίκην. Ὁρᾷς πῶς τὸ παλαιὸν οἱ ἱερεῖς ἐχειροτονοῦντο; Νυνὶ δὲ παίγνια τὰ παρὰ Ἰουδαίοις πάντα καὶ γέλως καὶ αἰσχύνη καὶ καπηλεῖα καὶ μυρίας μεστὰ παρανομίας. Τούτοις οὖν ἀκολουθεῖς, εἰπέ μοι, τοῖς ἀπεναντίας ἀεὶ τοῖς τοῦ Θεοῦ νόμοις ἅπαντα καὶ ποιεῖν καὶ λέγειν φιλονεικοῦσι, καὶ πρὸς τὰς συναγωγὰς αὐτῶν τρέχεις; καὶ οὐ δέδοικας μὴ σκηπτὸς ἄνωθεν κατενεχθεὶς καταφλέξῃ σου τὴν κεφαλήν; Οὐκ οἶδας ὅτι, κἂν μὴ λῃστεύῃ τις, ἐν δὲ τῷ τῶν λῃστευόντων σπηλαίῳ φανῇ, τὴν αὐτὴν ἐκείνοις δίδωσι δίκην; Καὶ τί λέγω τὰ τῶν λῃστῶν; Ἴστε δήπου πάντες καὶ μέμνησθε, ὅτε τοὺς ἀνδριάντας καθεῖλον παρ' ἡμῖν μιαροί τινες ἄνθρωποι καὶ γόητες, πῶς οὐκ ἐκεῖνοι μόνον οἱ τολμήσαντες, ἀλλὰ καὶ ὅσοι παρόντες ἁπλῶς τοῖς γενομένοις ἐφάνησαν, εἰς δικαστήριον ἀναρπασθέντες καὶ συναπαχθέντες ἐκείνοις, τὴν ἐσχάτην ἔδωκαν δίκην; Σὺ δὲ, ἔνθα Πατὴρ ὑβρίζεται, καὶ Υἱὸς βλασφημεῖται, ἔνθα τὸ Πνεῦμα τὸ ἅγιον καὶ ζωοποιὸν ἀθετεῖται, σπεύδεις τρέχειν, εἰπέ μοι; καὶ οὐ δέδοικας οὐδὲ φρίττεις εἰς τοὺς βεβήλους καὶ ἀκαθάρτους τόπους ἐκείνους σαυτὸν εἰσάγων; Καὶ ποίαν ἕξεις, εἰπέ μοι, ἀπολογίαν, τίνα συγγνώμην, ἑκὼν σεαυτὸν εἰς τὸ βάραθρον ὠθῶν, καὶ κατὰ κρημνῶν ἀφιείς; Μὴ γάρ μοι τοῦτο εἴπῃς, ὅτι νόμος ἐκεῖ κεῖται καὶ προφητῶν βιβλία. Οὐκ ἀρκεῖ τοῦτο ποιῆσαι τόπον ἅγιον. Τί γὰρ μεῖζόν ἐστι, βιβλία κεῖσθαι ἐν τόπῳ, ἢ φθέγγεσθαι τὰ ἀπὸ τῶν βιβλίων; Εὔδηλον ὅτι τὰ ἀπὸ τῶν βιβλίων φθέγγεσθαι καὶ ἔχειν ἐν διανοίαις. Τί οὖν, εἰπέ μοι, ἐπειδὴ ὁ διάβολος ἐφθέγξατο ἀπὸ τῶν Γραφῶν, ἆρα ἡγιάσθη αὐτοῦ τὸ στόμα; Οὐκ ἔστιν εἰπεῖν, ἀλλ' ἔμεινεν ὢν διάβολος. Τί δὲ οἱ δαίμονες; ἐπειδὴ ἐκήρυττον καὶ ἔλεγον· Οὗτοι οἱ ἄνθρωποι δοῦλοι τοῦ Θεοῦ εἰσι τοῦ ὑψίστου, καταγγέλλοντες ὑμῖν ὁδὸν σωτηρίας, ἆρα οὖν διὰ τοῦτο εἰς τοὺς ἀποστόλους αὐτοὺς ἐντάξομεν; Οὐδαμῶς, ἀλλ' ὁμοίως αὐτοὺς μένομεν ἀποστρεφόμενοι καὶ μισοῦντες. Εἶτα ῥήματα μὲν προφερόμενα οὐχ ἁγιάζει, τὰ δὲ βιβλία κείμενα ἁγιάζει; καὶ πῶς ἂν ἔχοι τοῦτο λόγον; ∆ιὰ τοῦτο μάλιστα μὲν μισῶ τὴν συναγωγὴν, ἐπειδὴ τὸν νόμον ἔχει καὶ τοὺς προφήτας, καὶ πλέον αὐτὴν μισῶ νῦν, ἢ εἰ μηδὲν εἶχε τούτων. Τί δήποτε; Ὅτι μέγα τὸ δέλεαρ, πολλὴ ἡ ἀπάτη τοῖς ἀφελεστέροις ἐντεῦθεν γίνεται· ἐπεὶ καὶ τὸν δαίμονα ἐκεῖνον διὰ τοῦτο φθεγγόμενον μᾶλλον ἢ σιωπῶντα ἤλαυνεν ὁ Παῦλος. ∆ιαπονηθεὶς γὰρ, φησὶ, τῷ πνεύματι εἶπεν· Ἔξελθε ἀπ' αὐτῆς. Καὶ τίνος ἕνεκεν; Ἐπειδὴ ἐβόα· Οὗτοι οἱ ἄνθρωποι δοῦλοι τοῦ Θεοῦ τοῦ ὑψίστου εἰσί. Σιγῶντες μὲν γὰρ οὐχ οὕτως ἠπάτων, φθεγγόμενοι δὲ πολλοὺς ἤμελλον τῶν ἀφελεστέρων ὑποσύρειν καὶ 48.914 πείθειν, καὶ ἐν τοῖς ἄλλοις αὐτοῖς προσέχειν. Ἵνα γὰρ θύραν ἀνοίξωσι ταῖς ἑαυτῶν ἀπάταις, καὶ τῷ ψεύδει πολλὴν δῶσι παῤῥησίαν, διὰ τοῦτο καὶ ἀληθῆ τινα ἀνέμιξαν, καθάπερ οἱ τὰ δηλητήρια κεραννύντες φάρμακα, μέλιτι τὸ στόμα τῆς κύλικος περιχρίοντες, εὐπαράδεκτον ποιοῦσι τὴν βλάβην. ∆ιὰ τοῦτο δὴ μάλιστα Παῦλος διεπονεῖτο, καὶ ἔσπευδεν αὐτοὺς ἐπιστομίσαι, ἐπειδὴ μὴ τὴν αὐτοῖς προσήκουσαν ἥρπαζον ἀξίαν. ∆ιὰ τοῦτο κἀγὼ μισῶ Ἰουδαίους, ἐπειδὴ νόμον ἔχουσι, νόμον ὑβρίζοντες, καὶ ταύτῃ