John Chrysostom, On John

he is worthy of so great a condemnation; but he who has ascended to the highest pinnacle of honor, and then displays things that are groveling and base, will be worthy of a much greater punishment. But may it never be that we should suspect such things of you. For we are confident in the Lord, that you have given your souls wings toward heaven, and have withdrawn from the earth, and though you are in the world, you do not engage in the things of the world. But nevertheless, even though we are persuaded, we do not cease continually exhorting you to the same things. Since even in the public games, it is not those who have fallen down, nor those who are lying on their backs, but those who are active, those still running, that all the spectators encourage. For in their case, as laboring in vain, and being unable to raise them up through their exhortations, since they are completely cut off from victory, they thus cease from condemning them; but here, not only in the case of you who are sober, but also in the case of those who have fallen, if they should wish to change, it is possible to expect something good. Therefore we also do everything, exhorting, reproaching, encouraging, praising, so as to work out your salvation. Do not, therefore, be vexed by the constant exhortation concerning your way of life. For what is said does not come from those who have condemned you for indifference, but from those who have very good hopes for you. And not to you alone, but also to us who say these things has it been said and will it be said; for we ourselves also need the same teaching. For even if it is said by us, yet nothing prevents these things from being said to us also. For the word, having found one to be liable, has corrected him, but the one who is outside and free, it has again led as far away as possible. For we ourselves are not pure from sins. Therefore, the healing is common, and the medicines are set before all; but the cure, for the rest, is not common, but comes about according to the choice of those who use them. Therefore, he who has properly handled the medicine has profited from the cure; but he who has not applied it to the wound, has wrought a greater evil, and has come to a most grievous end. Therefore, let us not be grieved when being healed, but much rather let us rejoice, even if the method of teaching brings bitter pains; for afterward it will show us a most sweet fruit. Therefore, let us do all things for this end, that pure from the wounds and blows which the teeth of sin inflict upon the soul, we may depart into that age, so that having become worthy of the sight 59.97 of Christ, we may not be delivered over on that day to the punishing and severe powers, but to those who are able to lead us into the inheritance of the heavens, which is prepared for those who 59.98 love him; which may it be granted to us all to obtain, by the grace and loving-kindness of our Lord Jesus Christ, to whom be the glory and the power for ever and ever. Amen. 59.97 HOMILY 15. No one has ever seen God; the only-begotten Son, who is in the bosom of the Father, he has made him known. 1. Concerning the names and the words which are found in the Scriptures, God does not wish us to hear them simply, but with much understanding. For this reason, the blessed David in many places of his Psalms prefixed, "For understanding," and said: Uncover my eyes, and I will understand the wonderful things from your law. And after him, his son also, suggesting, shows that one must seek out wisdom like silver; or rather, trade for it more than for gold. And the Lord also, when exhorting the Jews to search the Scriptures, leads us further into investigation. For He would not have spoken thus, if it were possible to understand them straightway and from a first reading. For that which lies in the open, and is at hand, no one would ever search for, but that which is obscure, and is found with much seeking. For this reason also he says that they are a hidden treasure, stirring us up to the search. These things have been said by us, so that we may not approach the words of the Scriptures simply or at random, but with much precision. For if anyone should hear the things said in them without examination, and should accept everything thus

τοσαύτης καταγνώσεως ἄξιός ἐστιν· ὁ δὲ πρὸς τὴν ἀνωτάτω κορυφὴν τῆς τιμῆς ἀναβὰς, εἶτα χαμαίζηλα καὶ ταπεινὰ ἐπιδεικνύμενος, πολλῷ μείζονος ἔσται κολάσεως ἄξιος. Ἀλλὰ μὴ γένοιτο περὶ ὑμῶν τοιαῦτα ὑποπτεῦσαί ποτε. Πεποίθαμεν γὰρ ἐν Κυρίῳ, ὅτι πρὸς τὸν οὐρανὸν τὰς ψυχὰς ὑμῶν ἐπτερώσατε, καὶ τῆς γῆς ἀπανέστητε, καὶ ἐν τῷ κόσμῳ ὄντες, οὐ τὰ τοῦ κόσμου μεταχειρίζεσθε. Ἀλλ' ὅμως καὶ πεπεισμένοι, οὐ παυόμεθα συνεχῶς τὰ αὐτὰ παρακαλοῦντες. Ἐπεὶ καὶ ἐν τοῖς ἔξωθεν ἀγῶσιν, οὐ τοὺς ἀναπεπτωκότας, οὐδὲ τοὺς ὑπτίους κειμένους, ἀλλὰ τοὺς ἐνεργοῦντας, τοὺς ἔτι τρέχοντας ἅπαντες προτρέπονται οἱ θεαταί. Ἐπ' ἐκείνων μὲν γὰρ ὡς ἀνόνητα πονοῦντες, καὶ οὐ δυνάμενοι διὰ τῶν παρακλήσεων αὐτοὺς ἀναστῆσαι, ἀποῤῥαγέντας καθάπαξ τῆς νίκης, οὕτω παύονται καταγινώσκοντες· ἐνταῦθα δὲ οὐκ ἐφ' ὑμῶν μόνον τῶν νηφόντων, ἀλλὰ καὶ ἐπὶ τῶν ἀναπεσόντων, εἰ βουληθεῖεν μεταβαλέσθαι, ἔστι τι προσδοκῆσαι χρηστόν. ∆ιὸ καὶ πάντα πράττομεν, παρακαλοῦντες, ὀνειδίζοντες, προτρέποντες, ἐπαινοῦντες, ὥστε τὴν ὑμετέραν πραγματεύσασθαι σωτηρίαν. Μὴ τοίνυν τῇ συνεχεῖ τῇ περὶ τῆς πολιτείας δυσχεράνητε παραινέσει. Οὐ γὰρ ῥᾳθυμίαν κατεγνωκότων ἐστὶ τὰ λεγόμενα, ἀλλὰ χρηστὰς σφόδρα ἐλπίδας ἐχόντων περὶ ὑμῶν. Οὐ πρὸς ὑμᾶς δὲ μόνον, ἀλλὰ καὶ πρὸς ἡμᾶς τοὺς λέγοντας ταῦτα εἴρηται καὶ εἰρήσεται· καὶ γὰρ καὶ αὐτοὶ τῆς αὐτῆς δεόμεθα διδασκαλίας. Εἰ γὰρ καὶ παρ' ἡμῶν λέγεται, ἀλλὰ καὶ πρὸς ἡμᾶς οὐδὲν κωλύει ταῦτα λέγεσθαι. Τὸν μὲν γὰρ εὑρὼν ὑπεύθυνον ὄντα, ὁ λόγος διωρθώσατο, τὸν δὲ ἐκτὸς καὶ ἀπηλλαγμένον, ὡς ποῤῥωτάτω, πάλιν ἀπήγαγεν. Οὐδὲ γὰρ αὐτοὶ τῶν ἁμαρτημάτων ἐσμὲν καθαροί. Ἥ τε οὖν ἰατρεία κοινὴ, τά τε φάρμακα ἅπασι πρόκειται· ἡ δὲ θεραπεία λοιπὸν οὐ κοινὴ, ἀλλὰ παρὰ τὴν τῶν χρωμένων προαίρεσιν γίνεται. ∆ιὸ καὶ ὁ μὲν δεόντως μεταχειρίσας τὸ φάρμακον, ἀπώνατό τι τῆς θεραπείας· ὁ δὲ μὴ ἐπιθεὶς τῷ τραύματι, μεῖζον εἰργάσατο τὸ κακὸν, καὶ εἰς τὴν χαλεπωτάτην κατέστρεψε τελευτήν. Μὴ τοίνυν ἀλγῶμεν ἰατρευόμενοι, ἀλλὰ πολλῷ μᾶλλον χαίρωμεν, κἂν πικρὰς φέρῃ τὰς ὀδύνας τῆς διδασκαλίας ἡ μεθοδεία· πολὺ γὰρ ἥδιστον ἡμῖν ὕστερον ἐπιδείξεται τὸν καρπόν. Πάντα οὖν εἰς τοῦτο πράττωμεν, ὅπως καθαροὶ τραυμάτων καὶ πληγῶν, ἃς οἱ τῆς ἁμαρτίας ὀδόντες ἐντιθέασι τῇ ψυχῇ, εἰς τὸν αἰῶνα ἀπάρωμεν ἐκεῖνον, ἵνα ἄξιοι τῆς ὄψεως γενό 59.97 μενοι τοῦ Χριστοῦ, μὴ ταῖς τιμωρητικαῖς καὶ ἀποτόμοις δυνάμεσι κατὰ τὴν ἡμέραν παραδοθῶμεν ἐκείνην, ἀλλὰ ταῖς δυναμέναις πρὸς τὴν κληρονομίαν εἰσαγαγεῖν ἡμᾶς τῶν οὐρανῶν, τὴν ἡτοιμασμένην τοῖς 59.98 ἀγαπῶσιν αὐτόν· ἧς γένοιτο πάντας ἡμᾶς ἐπιτυχεῖν, χάριτι καὶ φιλανθρωπίᾳ τοῦ Κυρίου ἡμῶν Ἰησοῦ Χριστοῦ, ᾧ ἡ δόξα καὶ τὸ κράτος εἰς τοὺς αἰῶνας τῶν αἰώνων. Ἀμήν. 59.97 ΟΜΙΛΙΑ ΙΕʹ. Θεὸν οὐδεὶς ἑώρακε πώποτε· ὁ μονογενὴς Υἱὸς, ὁ ὢν εἰς τὸν κόλπον τοῦ Πατρὸς, ἐκεῖνος ἐξηγή σατο. αʹ. Τῶν ὀνομάτων καὶ τῶν ῥημάτων τῶν ἐν ταῖς Γραφαῖς κειμένων, οὐχ ἁπλῶς ἡμᾶς ὁ Θεὸς ἐπακούειν βούλεται, ἀλλὰ μετὰ πολλῆς τῆς συνέσεως. ∆ιὰ τοῦτο ὁ μὲν μακάριος ∆αυῒδ πολλαχοῦ τῶν Ψαλμῶν προέγραφε τῶν ἑαυτοῦ τὸ, Εἰς σύνεσιν, καὶ ἔλεγεν· Ἀποκάλυψον τοὺς ὀφθαλμούς μου, καὶ κατανοήσω τὰ θαυμάσια ἐκ τοῦ νόμου σου. Μετὰ δὲ τοῦτον καὶ ὁ τούτου παῖς ὑποτιθεὶς δείκνυσιν, ὅτι δεῖ καθάπερ ἀργύριον ἐκζητεῖν τὴν σοφίαν· μᾶλλον δὲ ὑπὲρ χρυσίον αὐτὴν ἐμπορεύεσθαι. Καὶ ὁ Κύριος δὲ τοῖς Ἰουδαίοις παραινῶν τὰς Γραφὰς ἐρευνᾷν, ἐπὶ πλέον ἡμᾶς εἰς ζήτησιν ἐνάγει. Οὐκ ἂν γὰρ οὕτως εἶπεν, εἴ γε αὐτόθεν καὶ ἐκ πρώτης αὐτὰς καταλαβεῖν δυνατὸν ἦν τῆς ἀναγνώσεως. Τὸ γὰρ ἐν μέσῳ κείμενον, καὶ πρόχειρον, οὐδείς ποτ' ἂν ἐρευνήσαιτο, ἀλλὰ τὸ συνεσκιασμένον, καὶ μετὰ πολλῆς εὑρισκόμενον τῆς ζητήσεως. ∆ιὰ τοῦτο καὶ θησαυρὸν κεκρυμμένον αὐτὰς εἶναί φησι, πρὸς τὴν ζήτησιν ἡμᾶς διεγείρων. Ταῦτα δὲ ἡμῖν εἴρηται, ἵνα μὴ ἁπλῶς μηδὲ ὡς ἔτυχε προσβάλλωμεν τοῖς τῶν Γραφῶν ῥήμασιν, ἀλλὰ μετὰ ἀκριβείας πολλῆς. Εἰ μὲν γὰρ ἀνεξετάστως τις ἐπακούσειε τῶν λεγομένων ἐν αὐταῖς, καὶ δέξαιτο πάντα οὕτως