John Chrysostom, On the Letter to the Colossians

but on account of weakness, let one be carried across, and another not so; for instance, when there is no cause, do not call the Greek defiled, nor be insolent; but if you are asked about the doctrine, answer that it is defiled and impious; but when no one asks nor compels you to speak, it is not fitting simply to incur enmity. For what need is there to create unnecessary enmities? Again, if you are catechizing someone, speak from an underlying hypothesis; otherwise, be silent. If your speech is seasoned with salt, even if it falls on a dissolute soul, it will tighten its laxity; and if on a rough one, it will smooth what is hard. Being gracious, let it be neither burdensome, nor again lax, but let it have both austerity and pleasantness. For if it is immoderately austere, it has harmed 62.377 more than it has helped; and if it is immoderately pleasant, it has grieved more than it has profited; so that in all things there must be measure. Be neither downcast and sullen, for it is unpleasant; nor dissolute, for that is easily despised and trampled upon, but taking the virtue of each, flee the vice, just as the bee takes from one its cheerfulness, from the other its gravity. For if a physician will not treat all bodies alike, much more so a teacher. And yet bodies might bear unsuitable medicines more easily than a soul speech; for instance, a Greek approaches, and becomes your friend? Discuss nothing with him about this until he becomes a very good friend; and when he does, do so gently. 3. For see also Paul, when he arrived in Athens, how he reasoned with them. He did not say, ‘O defiled and utterly defiled men,’ but what? ‘Men of Athens, I perceive that in every way you are very religious.’ Again, when it was necessary to be reproachful, he did not refuse; but with great vehemence he said to Elymas: ‘O full of all deceit and all recklessness, you son of the devil, you enemy of all righteousness.’ For just as to reproach them was folly, so not to reproach this man was weakness. Again, were you brought before a ruler on some matter? Pay the appropriate honors. All things here, he says, they will make known to you. Why did they not come with him, he says? What then is, They will make known to you all things here? That is, my bonds, and all the other things that restrain me. Therefore, I who pray to see them, I who also send others, would not myself have been absent, unless a great necessity restrained me. And yet this was not of those who were accusing. And yet of those who were strongly accusing. For to learn that he had both fallen into temptations and borne them nobly, this was to confirm the matter, and to set their souls upright. With Onesimus, he says, the beloved and faithful brother. Paul calls the slave a brother; naturally, since he also calls himself a slave of the faithful. Let us all put down our pride, let us trample on our arrogance. Paul calls himself a slave, he who is worth the world and ten thousand heavens, and you are proud? He who led and carried all things as he wished, who has the first place in the kingdom of heaven, who is crowned, who ascended to the third heaven, calls slaves brothers and fellow slaves. Where is the madness? where is the arrogance? So trustworthy has Onesimus become, as to be entrusted with such things. And Mark, he says, the cousin of Barnabas, concerning whom you received instructions; receive him. Perhaps they received instructions from Barnabas. Those who are of the circumcision. He puts down the pride of the Jews; he lifts up the souls of these, because few are from the circumcision, but the majority are from the Gentiles. Who have become, he says, a comfort to me. He shows himself to be in great temptations. So this too is no small thing: when we comfort the saints both by our presence and by word and by attendance, when we suffer with them (for, he says, with those in prison, as if in prison with them); when we make their sufferings our own, we will also share in the crowns. Were you not dragged into the stadium? did you not go down into the contest? another 62.378 has stripped, another is wrestling. But if you wish, you too will share; anoint him, become his friend and supporter, from the outside shout great things, arouse

ἀλλὰ διὰ τὴν ἀσθένειαν ὁ μὲν διαβασταζέσθω, ὁ δὲ μὴ οὕτως· οἷον, αἰτίας οὐκ οὔσης, μὴ κάλει τὸν Ἕλληνα μιαρὸν, μηδὲ ἔσο ὑβριστής· ἀλλ' ἂν μὲν ἐρωτηθῇς περὶ τοῦ δόγματος, ἀπόκριναι ὅτι μιαρὸν καὶ ἀσεβές· οὐδενὸς δὲ ἐρωτῶντος οὐδὲ ἀναγκάζοντος λέγειν, οὐ προσήκει ἁπλῶς ἀπέχθειαν ἀναδέχεσθαι. Ποία γὰρ ἀνάγκη περιττὰς ἔχθρας κατασκευάζειν; Πάλιν, ἄν τινα κατηχῇς, λέγε ἐξ ὑποθέσεως ὑποκειμένης· ἐπεὶ σίγα. Ἐὰν ᾖ ἅλατι ἠρτυμένος ὁ λόγος, κἂν εἰς διαῤῥέουσαν ἐμπέσῃ ψυχὴν, ἐπισφίγξει τὴν χαύνην· κἂν εἰς τραχεῖαν, λεανεῖ τὸ σκληρόν. Ἐπίχαρις ὢν, μήτε φορτικὸς ἔστω, μήτε πάλιν χαῦνος, ἀλλὰ καὶ τὸ στῦφον ἐχέτω, καὶ τὸ μεθ' ἡδονῆς. Ἄν τε γὰρ ἀμέτρως ἐπιστύψῃ, μᾶλλον ἔβλα 62.377 ψεν ἢ ὠφέλησεν· ἐὰν δὲ ἀμέτρως χαριεντίσηται, μᾶλλον ἐλύπησεν ἢ ὤνησεν· ὥστε πανταχοῦ μέτρα δεῖ εἶναι. Μήτε κατηφὴς ἔσο καὶ σκυθρωπός· ἀηδὲς γάρ· μήτε διακεχυμένος· εὐκαταφρόνητον γὰρ καὶ πεπατημένον ἀλλ' ἑκατέρου τὴν ἀρετὴν λαβὼν, τὴν κακίαν φύγε, καθάπερ ἡ μέλιττα τοῦ μὲν τὸ φαιδρὸν, τοῦ δὲ τὸ σεμνόν. Εἰ γὰρ ἰατρὸς οὐχ ὁμοίως πᾶσι χρήσεται τοῖς σώμασι, πολλῷ μᾶλλον διδάσκαλος. Καίτοι μᾶλλον ἂν τὰ σώματα ἀκατάλληλα φάρμακα ἐνέγκοι, ἢ ψυχὴ λόγον· οἷον, πρόσεισιν Ἕλλην, καὶ γίνεταί σοι φίλος; μηδὲν αὐτῷ περὶ τούτου διαλεχθῇς, ἕως ἂν γένηται πάνυ φίλος· καὶ ὅταν γένηται, ἠρέμα. γʹ. Ὅρα γὰρ καὶ ὁ Παῦλος ἡνίκα εἰς τὰς Ἀθήνας παρεγένετο, πῶς αὐτοῖς διελέγετο. Οὐκ εἶπεν, Ὦ μιαροὶ καὶ παμμίαροι· ἀλλὰ τί; Ἄνδρες Ἀθηναῖοι, κατὰ πάντα ὡς δεισιδαιμονεστέρους ὑμᾶς θεωρῶ. Πάλιν ὅτε ὑβρίσαι ἐχρῆν, οὐ παρῃτήσατο· ἀλλὰ μετὰ πολλῆς τῆς σφοδρότητος ἔλεγε τῷ Ἐλύμᾳ· Ὢ πλήρης παντὸς δόλου καὶ πάσης ῥᾳδιουργίας, υἱὲ διαβόλου, ἐχθρὲ πάσης δικαιοσύνης. Ὥσπερ γὰρ ἐκείνους ὑβρίσαι ἀνοίας ἦν, οὕτω τοῦτον μὴ ὑβρίσαι μαλακίας ἦν. Πάλιν, εἰσήχθης πρὸς ἄρχοντα διὰ πρᾶγμα; τὰς προσηκούσας ἀπόνειμαι τιμάς. Πάντα ὑμῖν, φησὶ, γνωριοῦσι τὰ ὧδε. ∆ιὰ τί μὴ συνῆλθον, φησί; Τί δέ ἐστι, Πάντα ὑμῖν γνωριοῦσι τὰ ὧδε; Τουτέστι, Τὰ δεσμὰ, καὶ τὰ ἄλλα πάντα τὰ κατέχοντά με. Οὐκ ἂν οὖν ὁ προσευχόμενος αὐτοὺς ἰδεῖν, ὁ καὶ ἑτέρους ἀποστέλλων, αὐτὸς ὑστέρησα, μὴ μεγάλης με κατεχούσης ἀνάγκης. Καὶ μὴν τοῦτο οὐκ ἦν ἐγκαλούντων. Καὶ μὴν σφόδρα ἐγκαλούντων. Τὸ γὰρ μαθεῖν ὅτι καὶ πειρασμοῖς περιέπεσε καὶ ἤνεγκε γενναίως, τοῦτο πιστουμένου ἦν τὸ πρᾶγμα, καὶ ἀνορθοῦντος τὰς ἐκείνων ψυχάς. Σὺν Ὀνησίμῳ, φησὶ, τῷ ἀγαπητῷ καὶ πιστῷ ἀδελφῷ. Ἀδελφὸν τὸν δοῦλον ὁ Παῦλός φησιν· εἰκότως· ὅπου γε καὶ ἑαυτὸν δοῦλον ὀνομάζει τῶν πιστῶν. Κατενέγκωμεν πάντες τὸν τῦφον, καταπατήσωμεν τὴν ἀλαζονείαν. ∆οῦλον ὀνομάζει ἑαυτὸν Παῦλος, ὁ τῆς οἰκουμένης ἀντάξιος καὶ μυρίων οὐρανῶν, καὶ σὺ μέγα φρονεῖς; ὁ πάντα ἄγων καὶ φέρων ὡς ἤθελεν, ὁ τὰ πρωτεῖα ἔχων ἐν τῇ βασιλείᾳ τῶν οὐρανῶν, ὁ ἐστεφανωμένος, ὁ εἰς τρίτον ἀνελθὼν οὐρανὸν, τοὺς δούλους ἀδελφοὺς καλεῖ, καὶ συνδούλους. Ποῦ ἡ μανία; ποῦ ἡ ἀλαζονεία; Οὕτως ἀξιόπιστος γέγονεν ὁ Ὀνήσιμος, ὥστε καὶ τοιαῦτα πιστεύεσθαι. Καὶ Μάρκος, φησὶν, ὁ ἀνεψιὸς Βαρνάβα, περὶ οὗ ἐλάβετε ἐντολάς· δέξασθε αὐτόν. Ἴσως παρὰ Βαρνάβα ἐντολὰς ἔλαβον. Οἱ ὄντες ἐκ περιτομῆς. Καταστέλλει τῶν Ἰουδαίων τὸ φύσημα· ἐπαίρει τούτων τὰς ψυχὰς, ὅτι ὀλίγοι μὲν ἐκ περιτομῆς, οἱ δὲ πλείους ἐκ τῶν ἐθνῶν. Οἵτινες ἐγενήθησάν μοι, φησὶ, παρηγορία. ∆είκνυσιν ἑαυτὸν ἐν πειρασμοῖς ὄντα μεγάλοις. Ὥστε οὐδὲ τοῦτο μικρόν· ὅταν τοὺς ἁγίους παρακαλῶμεν καὶ παρουσίᾳ καὶ λόγῳ καὶ προσεδρείᾳ, ὅταν συγκακουχώμεθα (τοῖς δεσμίοις γὰρ, φησὶν, ὡς συνδεδεμένοι)· ὅταν τὰ ἐκείνων ἡμέτερα ποιῶμεν πάθη, καὶ ἐν τοῖς στεφάνοις κοινωνήσομεν. Οὐχ εἱλκύσθης εἰς τὸ στάδιον; οὐ καθῆκας εἰς τὸν ἀγῶνα; ἄλλος 62.378 ἀπεδύσατο, ἄλλος παλαίει. Ἀλλ' ἐὰν θέλῃς, κοινωνήσεις καὶ σύ· ἄλειψον ἐκεῖνον, γενοῦ αὐτοῦ φιλητὴς καὶ σπουδαστὴς, ἔξωθεν ἐπιβόα μεγάλα, διέγειρε