John Chrysostom, On John

of grace, still more fervently contending for the greatness of the things that have been given, he adds, saying: The law was given through Moses; grace and truth came through Jesus Christ. Do you see how gently and little by little, in unison, both John the Baptist and the disciple lead their hearers to the highest knowledge, having first exercised them in lower things? For that one, having compared to himself the one who incomparably surpasses all, thus after this shows his superiority, saying, Who came before me; then adding, He was before me. But this one did much more than that one, yet less than the dignity of the Only-begotten. For he makes the comparison not with John, but with the one more admired than him among the Jews, I mean Moses. For the law, he says, was given through Moses; grace and truth came through Jesus Christ. And behold the wisdom; he does not make an examination of the person, but of the things. For when these were shown to be much greater, of necessity it was likely that even the ungrateful would accept the verdict and the estimation concerning Christ. For when the things themselves bear witness, which are under no suspicion of doing this out of favor for someone or out of enmity, it presents an indisputable verdict even to the ungrateful. For however those who made them may arrange them, so they remain in appearance; for this reason, the testimony from them is, most of all, unsuspected. But see also how he makes the comparison inoffensive even to the weaker ones. For he does not construct the superiority by argument, but from the bare names he points out the difference, contrasting grace and truth with law, and "came to be" with "was given." And there is a great difference between the two. For "was given" belonged to one ministering, who received from another and gave to whom he was commanded to give; but "came to be" grace and truth, belonged to a king with authority forgiving all sins, and himself preparing the gift. Wherefore He said, "Your sins are forgiven you;" and again, "But that you may know that the Son of Man has authority on earth to forgive sins," He says to the paralytic, "Rise, take up your bed, and go to your house." Do you see how grace comes through Him? But consider also the truth. So then, the grace is shown by these things, and the things concerning the thief, and the gift of baptism, and the grace of the Spirit given through Him, and many other things; but we shall know the truth more clearly, if we understand the types. For the types, as types, anticipated and prefigured the dispensations that were to be fulfilled in the New Covenant; but Christ, having come, fulfilled it. Let us therefore look at the types in brief; for it is not for the present time to go through all the types; but from the few I shall set before you, having learned them, you will also know the rest. Do you wish then that we begin from the passion itself? What then does the type say? "Take a lamb for each house, and sacrifice it, and do as he commanded and legislated." But Christ did not do so; for He does not command this to be done, but He Himself becomes 59.96 it, having offered Himself as a sacrifice and offering to the Father. 4. See how the type was given through Moses, but the truth came to be through Jesus Christ. And again, on Mount Sinai, when the Amalekites were warring with the Hebrews, the hands of Moses were supported, being held up by Aaron and Hur standing on either side; but Christ, having come, Himself by Himself held His hands stretched out on the cross. Did you see how the type was given, but the truth came to be? Again the law said, "Cursed is everyone who does not abide by all things written in this book;" but what does grace say? "Come to me, all you who labor and are heavy laden, and I will give you rest;" and Paul, "Christ has redeemed us from the curse of the law, having become a curse for us." Since then we have enjoyed so great grace and truth, I exhort you, let us not become more slothful because of the greatness of the gift. For by how much greater honor we have been deemed worthy, by so much more are we debtors of virtue. For one who has received small benefits, even if he shows small things, not

χάριτος, ἔτι θερμότερον ἐπαγωνιζόμενος τῷ μεγέθει τῶν δεδομένων, ἐπάγει λέγων· Ὁ νόμος διὰ Μωϋσέως ἐδόθη, ἡ χάρις καὶ ἡ ἀλήθεια διὰ Ἰησοῦ Χριστοῦ ἐγένετο. Εἴδετε πῶς ἠρέμα καὶ κατὰ μικρὸν ἑνὶ ῥήματι, ὅ τε Βαπτιστὴς Ἰωάννης, ὅ τε μαθητὴς πρὸς τὴν ὑψηλοτάτην τοὺς ἀκροατὰς ἐνάγουσι γνῶσιν, πρότερον τοῖς ταπεινοτέροις ἐγγυμνάσαντες; Ἐκεῖνος μὲν γὰρ πρὸς ἑαυτὸν συγκρίνας τὸν ἀσυγκρίτως ἁπάντων ὑπερέχοντα, οὕτως αὐτοῦ μετὰ ταῦτα δείκνυσι τὴν ὑπεροχὴν λέγων, Ὃς ἔμπροσθέν μου γέγονεν· εἶτα ἐπάγων τὸ, Πρῶτός μου ἦν· οὗτος δὲ ἐκείνου μὲν πολλῷ μεῖζον ἐποίησε, τῆς δὲ ἀξίας τῆς τοῦ Μονογενοῦς ἔλαττον. Οὐ γὰρ πρὸς Ἰωάννην, ἀλλὰ πρὸς τὸν ἐκείνου μᾶλλον θαυμαζόμενον παρὰ Ἰουδαίοις ποιεῖται τὴν σύγκρισιν, τὸν Μωϋσέα λέγω· Ὁ νόμος γὰρ, φησὶ, διὰ Μωϋσέως ἐδόθη, ἡ χάρις καὶ ἡ ἀλήθεια διὰ Ἰησοῦ Χριστοῦ ἐγένετο. Καὶ θέα τὴν σύνεσιν· Οὐ τοῦ προσώπου ποιεῖται τὴν ἐξέτασιν, ἀλλὰ τῶν πραγμάτων. Τούτων γὰρ ἀποδειχθέντων πολλῷ μειζόνων, ἐξ ἀνάγκης καὶ τοὺς ἀγνώμονας εἰκὸς ἦν παραδέξασθαι τὴν ψῆφον καὶ τὴν ὑπόνοιαν περὶ τοῦ Χριστοῦ. Ὅταν γὰρ τὰ πράγματα μαρτυρῇ, τὰ μηδεμίαν ἔχοντα ὑποψίαν ὡς πρὸς χάριν τινὸς, ἢ καὶ πρὸς ἀπέχθειαν τοῦτο ποιοῦντα, ἀναμφισβήτητον καὶ τοῖς ἀγνώμοσι τὴν ψῆφον παρίστησιν. Οἷα γὰρ ἂν αὐτὰ διαθῶσιν οἱ ποιήσαντες, τοιαῦτα μένει φαινόμενα· διὸ μάλιστα πάντων ἀνύποπτος ἡ παρὰ τούτων ἐστὶ μαρτυρία. Ὅρα δὲ καὶ πῶς ἀνεπαχθῆ ποιεῖται τὴν παράθεσιν καὶ παρὰ τοῖς ἀσθενεστέροις. Οὐ γὰρ κατασκευάζει τῷ λόγῳ τὴν ὑπεροχὴν, ἀλλ' ἀπὸ τῶν ὀνομάτων γυμνῶν τὴν διαφορὰν παραδείκνυσι, χάριν καὶ ἀλήθειαν ἀντιθεὶς νόμῳ, καὶ τὸ, Ἐγένετο, τῷ, Ἐδόθη. Πολὺ δὲ τὸ μέσον ἑκατέρων. Τὸ μὲν γὰρ διακονουμένου ἦν τὸ, Ἐδόθη, λαβόντος παρ' ἑτέρου καὶ δόντος οἷς προσετάγη δοῦναι· τὸ δὲ, Ἐγένετο, ἡ χάρις καὶ ἡ ἀλήθεια, βασιλέως μετὰ ἐξουσίας πάντα ἀφιέντος τὰ ἁμαρτήματα, καὶ αὐτοῦ κατασκευάζοντος τὴν δωρεάν. ∆ιὸ ἔλεγεν· Ἀφέωνταί σου αἱ ἁμαρτίαι· καὶ πάλιν· Ἵνα δὲ εἰδῆτε ὅτι ἐξουσίαν ἔχει ὁ Υἱὸς τοῦ ἀνθρώπου ἀφιέναι ἐπὶ τῆς γῆς ἁμαρτίας, λέγει τῷ παραλυτικῷ· Ἐγερθεὶς ἆρον τὴν κλίνην σου, καὶ ὕπαγε εἰς τὸν οἶκόν σου. Ὁρᾷς πῶς ἡ χάρις γίνεται δι' αὐτοῦ; Σκόπει δὲ καὶ τὴν ἀλήθειαν. Τὴν μὲν οὖν χάριν, καὶ ταῦτα καὶ τὰ κατὰ τὸν λῃστὴν, καὶ ἡ τοῦ βαπτίσματος δωρεὰ, καὶ ἡ τοῦ Πνεύματος χάρις ἡ δι' αὐτοῦ διδομένη δείκνυσι, καὶ ἕτερα πολλά· τὴν δὲ ἀλήθειαν σαφεστέραν εἰσόμεθα, ἂν τοὺς τύπους καταμάθωμεν. Τὰς γὰρ μελλούσας ἐπιτελεῖσθαι ἐν τῇ Καινῇ οἰκονομίας προλαβόντες προδιέγραψαν οἱ τύποι ὡς τύποι· ἐλθὼν δὲ ἐπετέλεσεν αὐτὴν ὁ Χριστός. Ἴδωμεν τοίνυν καὶ τοὺς τύπους ἐν ὀλίγοις· οὐδὲ γὰρ ἅπαντα διελθεῖν τὰ τῶν τύπων τοῦ νῦν καιροῦ· ἀφ' ὧν δὲ παραθήσομαί τινα μαθόντες, καὶ τὰ λοιπὰ εἴσεσθε. Βούλεσθε οὖν ἀπ' αὐτοῦ τοῦ πάθους ἀρξώμεθα; Τί οὖν φησιν ὁ τύπος; Λάβετε ἀρνίον κατ' οἰκίαν, καὶ θύσατε, καὶ ποιήσατε ὡς προσέταξε καὶ ἐνομοθέτησεν. Ὁ δὲ Χριστὸς οὐχ οὕτως· οὐ γὰρ προστάττει τοῦτο γενέσθαι· ἀλλ' αὐτὸς αὐτὸ γίνε 59.96 ται, θυσίαν ἑαυτὸν καὶ προσφορὰν τῷ Πατρὶ προσενεγκών. δʹ. Ὅρα πῶς ὁ μὲν τύπος ἐδόθη διὰ Μωϋσέως, ἡ δὲ ἀλήθεια ἐγένετο διὰ Ἰησοῦ Χριστοῦ. Καὶ πάλιν ἐν τῷ ὄρει Σινᾷ τῶν Ἀμαληκιτῶν πολεμούντων Ἑβραίοις, αἱ χεῖρες μὲν ἐστηρίζοντο τοῦ Μωϋσέως, αἰρόμεναι ὑπὸ Ἀαρὼν καὶ Ὢρ ἑκατέρωθεν ἑστώτων· ὁ δὲ Χριστὸς παραγενόμενος, αὐτὸς δι' ἑαυτοῦ τὰς χεῖρας τείνας εἶχεν ἐν τῷ σταυρῷ. Εἶδες πῶς ὁ μὲν τύπος ἐδίδοτο, ἡ δὲ ἀλήθεια ἐγίνετο; Πάλιν ὁ νόμος ἔλεγεν· Ἐπικατάρατος πᾶς ὃς οὐκ ἐμμένει ἐν πᾶσι τοῖς γεγραμμένοις ἐν τῷ βιβλίῳ τούτῳ· ἡ δὲ χάρις τί φησι; ∆εῦτε πρός με, πάντες οἱ κοπιῶντες καὶ πεφορτισμένοι, κἀγὼ ἀναπαύσω ὑμᾶς· καὶ ὁ Παῦλος, Χριστὸς ἡμᾶς ἐξηγόρασεν ἐκ τῆς κατάρας τοῦ νόμου, γενόμενος ὑπὲρ ἡμῶν κατάρα. Ἐπεὶ οὖν τοσαύτης ἀπολελαύκαμεν χάριτος καὶ ἀληθείας, παρακαλῶ, μὴ διὰ τὸ μέγεθος τῆς δωρεᾶς γενώμεθα ῥᾳθυμότεροι. Ὅσῳ γὰρ μείζονος ἠξιώθημεν τιμῆς, τοσούτῳ καὶ πλείονός ἐσμεν ἀρετῆς ὀφειλέται. Ὁ μὲν γὰρ μικρὰ εὐεργετηθεὶς, κἂν μικρὰ ἐπιδείξηται, οὐ