John Chrysostom, To the People of Antioch

justly. Therefore, committing your hearts to God who is able to speak to your mind, and to drive out all grief from within, let us now take up our customary teaching, especially since every exposition of Scripture is an exhortation and a consolation. So that even if we seem to depart from exhorting, again we fall upon the same subject through the exposition of the Scriptures. For that all Scripture is an exhortation to those who pay attention, I will make this clear to you at once. For I will not, indeed, by going through the histories of the Scriptures try to seek for some consoling words; but in order to provide a clearer proof of the promise, I will handle the book read to us today, and if you please, its beginning and its preface, which seems especially to show not even a trace of consolation, but even 49.93 to be altogether foreign to words of exhortation, by setting it forth, I will make clear what I say. What then is the preface? In the beginning God made the heaven and the earth. And the earth was invisible and unfinished, and darkness was over the abyss. Does it seem to any of you that what has been said contains any comfort for sorrow? Is it not a narration of history and a teaching of creation?

2. Do you wish, then, that I show the consolation hidden in this saying? Rouse yourselves, therefore, and with exactness pay attention to what is about to be said. For when you hear that the heaven, the earth, the sea, the air, the waters, the many stars, the two great lights, the plants, the four-footed beasts, the swimming creatures, the flying animals, simply all things visible, God made for your sake and for your salvation and honor, do you not immediately receive sufficient consolation, and accept this as the greatest proof of the love of God, when you consider that so great and vast a world, so beautiful, and great, and wonderful, He brought forth for you who are so small? When, therefore, you hear, "In the beginning God made the heaven and the earth," do not simply pass by what is said, but go over in your mind the breadth of the earth, and consider how he has set for us a costly and abundant table, and from many sources has provided us with much gladness. And what is greatest of all, that He gave this great and vast world not as a reward for labors, nor as a recompense for good deeds, but at the same time He formed us, and with this kingdom He honored our race. For, "Let us make man," he says, "in our image and after our likeness." What is, "In our image and after our likeness"? The image of rule, he says, and just as no one is higher than God in heaven, so let no one be higher than man on earth. In this one and first way, then, he has honored him, by making him in his image; second, by providing us the rule not as a reward for labors, but making the grace a pure gift of his own love for mankind; third, by bestowing it on us as a natural one. For of authorities, some are natural, others are by election; natural, such as that of the lion over the quadrupeds, as that of the eagle over the birds; but by election, such as that of the king over us; for he does not by nature rule over his fellow-servants; which is why he also often loses his authority. For such are things that do not belong by nature; they readily accept change and reversal. But the lion is not so, but by nature he rules the quadrupeds, just as the eagle also rules the birds. At any rate, the form of kingship is always allotted to the species, and one would never see any lion having cast off this authority. Such a kingdom God also bestowed on us from the beginning, and he set us over all things. And not only in this did he honor our nature, but also in the very preeminence of the place, assigning us a choice dwelling place, paradise, and giving reason and bestowing an immortal soul. But let me not say these things; for I say that there is such an abundance of God's care, that not only from the things with which he honored us, but also from the things with which he punished us, we are likewise able to show his goodness and his love for mankind. And this, above all else, I exhort you to know with precision,

δικαίως. Παραθέμενοι τοίνυν ὑμῶν τὰς καρδίας τῷ Θεῷ τῷ δυναμένῳ λαλῆσαι εἰς τὴν διάνοιαν ὑμῶν, καὶ πᾶσαν ἔνδοθεν ἀπελάσαι λύπην, τῆς εἰωθυίας αὐτοὶ διδασκαλίας ἁψώμεθα νῦν, καὶ μάλιστα ὁπότε καὶ πᾶσα Γραφῆς ἐξήγησις παράκλησίς ἐστι καὶ παραμυθία. Ὥστε κἂν δοκῶμεν ἀφίστασθαι τοῦ παρακαλεῖν, πάλιν εἰς τὴν αὐτὴν ἐμπίπτομεν ὑπόθεσιν διὰ τῆς τῶν Γραφῶν ἐξηγήσεως· ὅτι γὰρ πᾶσα Γραφὴ παράκλησίς ἐστι τοῖς προσέχουσιν, αὐτόθεν ὑμῖν τοῦτο ποιήσω φανερόν. Οὐ γὰρ δὴ περιελθὼν τῶν Γραφῶν τὰς ἱστορίας πειράσομαι ζητῆσαι παραμυθητικούς τινας λόγους· ἀλλ' ὥστε σαφεστέραν τῆς ὑποσχέσεως ἀπόδειξιν παρασχεῖν, τὸ σήμερον ἡμῖν ἀναγνωσθὲν μεταχειριοῦμαι βιβλίον, καὶ εἰ δοκεῖ τὴν ἀρχὴν αὐτοῦ καὶ τὸ προοίμιον, ὃ δοκεῖ μάλιστα μηδὲ ἴχνος ἐμφαίνειν παραμυθίας, ἀλλὰ καὶ 49.93 καθόλου παρακλητικῶν ἀλλοτριοῦσθαι λόγων, εἰς μέσον προθεὶς, ὃ λέγω ποιήσω φανερόν. Τί ποτ' οὖν ἐστι τὸ προοίμιον; Ἐν ἀρχῇ ἐποίησεν ὁ Θεὸς τὸν οὐρανὸν καὶ τὴν γῆν· ἡ δὲ γῆ ἦν ἀόρατος καὶ ἀκατασκεύαστος, καὶ σκότος ἐπάνω τῆς ἀβύσσου. Ἆρα μὴ δοκεῖ τισιν ὑμῶν παράκλησιν ἔχειν ἀθυμίας τὰ εἰρημένα; οὐχ ἱστορίας διήγησίς ἐστι καὶ δημιουργίας διδασκαλία;

βʹ. Βούλεσθε οὖν ἐπιδείξω τὴν ἐγκεκρυμμένην τῇ ῥήσει ταύτῃ παράκλησιν; ∆ιανάστητε τοίνυν, καὶ μετὰ ἀκριβείας προσέχετε τοῖς ῥηθήσεσθαι μέλλουσιν. Ὅταν γὰρ ἀκούσῃς, ὅτι τὸν οὐρανὸν, τὴν γῆν, τὴν θάλατταν, τὸν ἀέρα, τὰ ὕδατα, τοὺς ἀστέρας τοὺς πολλοὺς, τοὺς δύο φωστῆρας τοὺς μεγάλους, τὰ φυτὰ, τὰ τετράποδα, τὰ νηκτὰ, τὰ πετόμενα ζῶα, πάντα ἁπλῶς τὰ ὁρώμενα διὰ σὲ καὶ τὴν σὴν σωτηρίαν καὶ τιμὴν ἐποίησεν ὁ Θεὸς, οὐχ ἱκανὴν εὐθέως λαμβάνεις παράκλησιν, καὶ τῆς ἀγάπης τοῦ Θεοῦ μεγίστην δέχῃ ταύτην ἀπόδειξιν, ὅταν ἐννοήσῃς, ὅτι τοσοῦτον καὶ τηλικοῦτον κόσμον, οὕτω καλὸν, καὶ μέγαν, καὶ θαυμαστὸν διὰ σὲ τὸν βραχὺν εἰς μέσον παρήγαγεν; Ὅταν οὖν ἀκούσῃς, ὅτι Ἐν ἀρχῇ ἐποίησεν ὁ Θεὸς τὸν οὐρανὸν καὶ τὴν γῆν, μὴ ἁπλῶς παραδράμῃς τὸ εἰρημένον, ἀλλ' ἔπελθε τῇ διανοίᾳ τὸ εὖρος τῆς γῆς, καὶ ἀναλόγισαι πῶς ἡμῖν πολυτελῆ καὶ δαψιλῆ τράπεζαν ἀνῆκε, καὶ πολλὴν πολλαχόθεν παρέσχεν ἡμῖν εὐφροσύνην· καὶ τὸ δὴ μέγιστον, ὅτι οὐ πόνων ἀμοιβὴν ἔδωκεν, οὐδὲ κατορθωμάτων ἀντίδοσιν τὸν τοσοῦτον καὶ τηλικοῦτον κόσμον, ἀλλ' ὁμοῦ τε ἡμᾶς ἔπλασε, καὶ τῇ βασιλείᾳ ταύτῃ τὸ γένος ἡμῶν ἐτίμησε. Ποιήσωμεν γὰρ ἄνθρωπον, φησὶ, κατ' εἰκόνα ἡμετέραν καὶ καθ' ὁμοίωσιν. Τί ἐστι, Κατ' εἰκόνα ἡμετέραν καὶ καθ' ὁμοίωσιν; Τῆς ἀρχῆς εἰκόνα φησὶ, καὶ ὥσπερ οὐδεὶς ἀνώτερος Θεοῦ ἐν οὐρανῷ, οὕτω μηδεὶς ἔστω ἀνώτερος ἀνθρώπου ἐπὶ τῆς γῆς. Ἑνὶ μὲν οὖν τούτῳ καὶ πρώτῳ τετίμηκε, τῷ κατ' εἰκόνα αὐτὸν ποιῆσαι· δευτέρῳ δὲ τῷ μὴ πόνων ἀμοιβὴν ἡμῖν παρασχεῖν τὴν ἀρχὴν, ἀλλὰ γυμνὴν τῆς αὐτοῦ φιλανθρωπίας ποιῆσαι τὴν χάριν· τρίτῳ τῷ φυσικὴν ἡμῖν χαρίσασθαι αὐτήν. Τῶν γὰρ ἀρχῶν αἱ μὲν εἰσὶ φυσικαὶ, αἱ δὲ χειροτονηταί· φυσικαὶ μὲν, ὡς ἡ τοῦ λέοντος ἐπὶ τῶν τετραπόδων, ὡς ἐπὶ τῶν ὀρνίθων ἡ τοῦ ἀετοῦ· χειροτονηταὶ δὲ ὡς ἡ τοῦ βασιλέως τοῦ καθ' ἡμᾶς· οὗτος γὰρ οὐχὶ φύσει κρατεῖ τῶν ὁμοδούλων· διὸ καὶ ἀποβάλλει πολλάκις τὴν ἀρχήν. Τοιαῦτα γὰρ τὰ μὴ φύσει προσόντα· ῥᾳδίαν δέχεται τὴν μεταβολὴν καὶ τὴν μετάπτωσιν· ὁ δὲ λέων οὐχ οὕτως, ἀλλὰ φύσει κρατεῖ τῶν τετραπόδων, ὥσπερ οὖν καὶ τῶν ὀρνίθων ὁ ἀετός. Ἀεὶ γοῦν τῷ γένει συγκεκλήρωται τὸ τῆς βασιλείας εἶδος, καὶ οὐδένα ἄν τις ἴδοι λέοντά ποτε τὴν ἀρχὴν ἀποβαλόντα ταύτην. Τοιαύτην καὶ ἡμῖν τὴν βασιλείαν ἐξ ἀρχῆς ὁ Θεὸς ἐχαρίσατο, καὶ πᾶσιν ἡμᾶς ἐπέστησε· καὶ οὐ τούτῳ μόνον ἐτίμησεν ἡμῶν τὴν φύσιν, ἀλλὰ καὶ αὐτῇ τοῦ χωρίου τῇ προεδρίᾳ ἐξαίρετον οἰκητήριον ἀποτάξας ἡμῖν τὸν παράδεισον, καὶ λόγον δοὺς καὶ ψυχὴν ἀθάνατον χαρισάμενος. Ἀλλὰ μὴ εἴπω ταῦτα· ἐγὼ γὰρ τοσαύτην περιουσίαν εἶναί φημι τῆς τοῦ Θεοῦ κηδεμονίας, ὡς μὴ μόνον ἀφ' ὧν ἐτίμησεν, ἀλλὰ καὶ ἀφ' ὧν ἐκόλασεν, ὁμοίως ἡμᾶς δύνασθαι τὴν ἀγαθότητα αὐτοῦ δεικνύναι καὶ τὴν φιλανθρωπίαν. Καὶ τοῦτο μάλιστα πάντων ὑμᾶς παρακαλῶ μετὰ ἀκριβείας εἰδέναι,