John Chrysostom, On the Letter to the Ephesians

One might find these and other such things being said. Therefore, I beseech you, having banished this custom from everywhere, let us speak those things which are fitting for us; and let not the holy mouths utter shameful and disgraceful words. For what partnership has righteousness with lawlessness? Or what fellowship has light with darkness? For it is desirable, having kept ourselves from all unseemly things, to be able to attain the promised good things, much less when we are dragging so many things upon ourselves, and corrupting the precision of our mind through so many things. For he who jests will quickly become a slanderer; and the slanderer heaps up for himself countless other evils. Therefore, having disciplined these two aspects of the soul, and having yoked them to reason, like well-reined horses, both desire and anger, let us thus set the mind as a charioteer, so that we may also receive the prize of the upward call; of which may it be granted 62.121 for all of us to attain in Christ Jesus our Lord, with whom to the Father, together with the Holy Spirit, 62.122 be glory, power, honor, now and forever, and unto the ages of ages. Amen.

HOMILY XVIII. For this you know, that every fornicator, or unclean person, or covetous man, who is an idolater, has no inheritance in the kingdom of Christ and of God. Let no one deceive you with empty words: for because of these things the wrath of God comes upon the sons of disobedience.

1. There were, it seems, even in the time of our forefathers, some who weakened the hands of the people, and carried into effect what was said by Ezekiel, or rather did the things of the false prophets, who for a handful of barley made God of no account in the sight of his people; which I think is done by some even now. So when we say that he who calls his brother a fool goes to hell, others say, "Yes, does he who calls his brother a fool go to hell?" "No," he says; and when we say that the covetous man is an idolater, they again make light of this, saying the saying is an exaggeration; and thus they disparage all the commandments. Alluding to these, then, the blessed Paul wrote at that time to the Ephesians, saying thus: For this you know, that every fornicator, or unclean person, or covetous man, who is an idolater, has no inheritance in the kingdom of Christ and of God. Then he adds: Let no one deceive you with empty words. These are empty words, which have charm for a season, and are in no way shown in deeds; for the matter is deceit. Because of these things the wrath of God comes upon the sons of disobedience. Because of fornication, he says, because of covetousness, because of uncleanness, or both because of these and because of the deceit, since they are deceivers. He calls sons of disobedience those who are exceedingly disobedient, those who disobey him. Therefore, do not be partakers with them. For you were once darkness, but now you are light in the Lord. See how wisely he exhorted; first from Christ, that you love one another, and wrong no one; then again from punishment and from hell; For you were once darkness, he says, but now you are light in the Lord. which he also says in the Epistle to the Romans: What fruit did you have then in the things of which you are now ashamed? and he reminds them of their former wickedness; that is, Considering what you once were, and what you have now become, do not return to your former wickedness, nor insult the grace of God. You were once darkness, but now you are light in the Lord; not from your own virtue, he says, but through the grace of God this has happened to you; that is, You too were once worthy of the same things, but no longer. Walk therefore as children of light. What then is, Children of light, he adds next: For the fruit of the Spirit is in all righteousness and goodness and truth. Proving what is well-pleasing to the Lord. In all, he says, goodness. This is for the angry, for the bitter; And in righteousness; this is for those who

τούτων καὶ ἕτερα τοιαῦτα λεγόμενα εὕροι τις ἄν. ∆ιὸ, παρακαλῶ, πάντοθεν τοῦτο ἐξορίσαντες τὸ ἔθος, ἐκεῖνα φθεγγώμεθα, ἃ ἡμῖν ἁρμόττει· καὶ μὴ τὰ ἅγια στόματα τὰ τῶν ἀτίμων καὶ αἰσχρῶν φθεγγέσθω ῥήματα. Τίς γὰρ μετοχὴ δικαιοσύνῃ καὶ ἀνομίᾳ; τίς δὲ κοινωνία φωτὶ πρὸς σκότος; Ἀγαπητὸν γὰρ, πάντων τῶν ἀτόπων ἑαυτοὺς ἀποστήσαντας, δυνηθῆναι τῶν ἐπηγγελμένων τυχεῖν ἀγαθῶν, μήτι γε τοσαῦτα ἐπισυρομένους, καὶ τὸ ἀκριβὲς τῆς διανοίας διὰ τῶν τοσούτων λυμαινομένους. Ὁ γὰρ εὐτραπελευόμενος κακήγορος ἔσται ταχέως· ὁ δὲ κακήγορος καὶ μυρία ἑαυτῷ ἐπισωρεύει ἕτερα κακά. Ταῦτα δὴ οὖν τὰ δύο τῆς ψυχῆς εἴδη ῥυθμίσαντες, καὶ ὑποζεύξαντες τῷ λογισμῷ, καθάπερ ἵππους εὐηνίους, τήν τε ἐπιθυμίαν, καὶ τὸν θυμὸν, οὕτως ἐπιστήσωμεν τὸν νοῦν ἡνίοχον, ἵνα καὶ τὸ βραβεῖον λάβωμεν τῆς ἄνω κλήσεως· οὗ γένοιτο 62.121 πάντας ἡμᾶς ἐπιτυχεῖν ἐν Χριστῷ Ἰησοῦ τῷ Κυρίῳ ἡμῶν, μεθ' οὗ τῷ Πατρὶ ἅμα τῷ ἁγίῳ Πνεύματι 62.122 δόξα, κράτος, τιμὴ, νῦν καὶ ἀεὶ, καὶ εἰς τοὺς αἰῶνας τῶν αἰώνων. Ἀμήν.

ΟΜΙΛΙΑ ΙΗʹ. Τοῦτο γὰρ ἴστε γινώσκοντες, ὅτι πᾶς πόρνος, ἢ ἀκάθαρτος, ἢ πλεονέκτης, ὅς

ἐστιν εἰδωλο λάτρης, οὐκ ἔχει κληρονομίαν ἐν τῇ βασιλείᾳ τοῦ Χριστοῦ καὶ Θεοῦ. Μηδεὶς ὑμᾶς ἀπατάτω κενοῖς λόγοις· διὰ ταῦτα γὰρ ἔρχεται ἡ ὀργὴ τοῦ Θεοῦ ἐπὶ τοὺς υἱοὺς τῆς ἀπειθείας. αʹ. Ἦσαν, ὡς ἔοικε, τινὲς καὶ ἐπὶ τῶν προγόνων τῶν ἡμετέρων οἱ τὰς χεῖρας ἐκλύοντες τοῦ λαοῦ, καὶ τὸ παρὰ τοῦ Ἰεζεκιὴλ εἰρημένον εἰς ἔργον ἄγοντες, μᾶλλον δὲ τὰ τῶν ψευδοπροφητῶν ποιοῦντες, οἱ δρακὸς κριθῶν ἐκφαυλίζοντες τὸν Θεὸν ἐνώπιον τοῦ λαοῦ αὐτοῦ· ὃ δὴ καὶ νῦν οἶμαι παρά τινων γίνεσθαι. Ὅταν οὖν εἴπωμεν, ὅτι ὁ μωρὸν καλέσας τὸν ἀδελφὸν, εἰς γέενναν ἀπέρχεται, ἄλλοι φασί· Ναὶ, ὁ μωρὸν καλέσας τὸν ἀδελφὸν εἰς γέενναν ἀπέρχεται; Οὐχὶ, φησί· καὶ ὅταν εἴπωμεν, ὅτι ὁ πλεονέκτης εἰδωλολάτρης ἐστὶ, καὶ τοῦτο πάλιν ἐκφαυλίζουσι, λέγοντες ὑπερβολῆς εἶναι τὸ ῥῆμα· καὶ πάσας οὕτω τὰς ἐντολὰς ἐξευτελίζουσι. Τούτους οὖν αἰνιττόμενος ὁ μακάριος Παῦλος, καὶ τότε ἔγραφεν Ἐφεσίοις, οὕτω λέγων· Τοῦτο γὰρ ἴστε γινώσκοντες, ὅτι πᾶς πόρνος, ἢ ἀκάθαρτος, ἢ πλεονέκτης, ὅς ἐστιν εἰδωλολάτρης, οὐκ ἔχει κληρονομίαν ἐν τῇ βασιλείᾳ τοῦ Χριστοῦ καὶ Θεοῦ. Εἶτα ἐπάγει· Μηδεὶς ὑμᾶς ἀπατάτω κενοῖς λόγοις. Κενοί εἰσιν οὗτοι οἱ λόγοι, οἱ πρὸς καιρὸν χάριν ἔχοντες, καὶ οὐδαμῶς ἐπὶ τῶν ἔργων δεικνύμενοι· ἀπάτη γὰρ τὸ πρᾶγμά ἐστι. ∆ιὰ ταῦτα ἔρχεται ἡ ὀργὴ τοῦ Θεοῦ ἐπὶ τοὺς υἱοὺς τῆς ἀπειθείας. ∆ιὰ τὴν πορνείαν, φησὶ, διὰ τὴν πλεονεξίαν, διὰ τὴν ἀκαθαρσίαν, ἢ καὶ διὰ ταῦτα καὶ διὰ τὴν ἀπάτην, ἐπειδή εἰσιν ἀπατεῶνες. Υἱοὺς ἀπειθείας, τοὺς σφόδρα ἀπειθεῖς, τοὺς αὐτῷ ἀπειθοῦντας καλεῖ. Μὴ οὖν γίνεσθε συμμέτοχοι αὐτῶν. Ἦτε γάρ ποτε σκότος, νῦν δὲ φῶς ἐν Κυρίῳ. Ὅρα πῶς συνετῶς προέτρεψε· πρῶτον ἀπὸ τοῦ Χριστοῦ, ὅτι ἀγαπᾶτε ἀλλήλους, καὶ μηδένα ἀδικεῖτε· εἶτα πάλιν ἀπὸ τῆς κολάσεως καὶ τῆς γεέννης· Ἦτε γάρ ποτε σκότος, φησὶ, νῦν δὲ φῶς ἐν Κυρίῳ. Ὅπερ λέγει καὶ ἐν τῇ πρὸς Ῥωμαίους Ἐπιστολῇ· Τίνα οὖν καρπὸν εἴχετε τότε, ἐφ' οἷς νῦν ἐπαισχύνεσθε; καὶ ἀναμιμνήσκει αὐτοὺς τῆς προτέρας κακίας· τουτέστιν, Ἐννοήσαντες τί ἦτέ ποτε ὑμεῖς, καὶ τί γεγόνατε νῦν, μὴ παλινδρομῆτε πρὸς τὴν προτέραν κακίαν, μηδὲ ἐνυβρίζητε τοῦ Θεοῦ τὴν χάριν. Ἦτέ ποτε σκότος, νῦν δὲ φῶς ἐν Κυρίῳ· οὐκ ἀπὸ τῆς ὑμετέρας, φησὶν, ἀρετῆς, ἀλλὰ διὰ τῆς τοῦ Θεοῦ χάριτος τοῦτο ὑμῖν ὑπῆρξε· τουτέστι, Καὶ ὑμεῖς τῶν αὐτῶν ἄξιοι ἦτέ ποτε, ἀλλ' οὐκέτι. Ὡς τέκνα τοίνυν φωτὸς περιπατεῖτε. Τί δή ἐστι, Τέκνα φωτὸς, ἐπάγει ἑξῆς· Ὁ γὰρ καρπὸς τοῦ Πνεύματος ἐν πάσῃ δικαιοσύνῃ καὶ ἀγαθωσύνῃ καὶ ἀληθείᾳ. ∆οκιμάζοντες τί ἐστιν εὐάρεστον τῷ Κυρίῳ. Ἐν πάσῃ, φησὶν, ἀγαθωσύνῃ. Τοῦτο πρὸς τοὺς ὀργιζομένους, πρὸς τοὺς πικρούς· Καὶ δικαιοσύνῃ· τοῦτο πρὸς τοὺς