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of Gehenna. Do you not hear Paul saying: Who will pay an eternal penalty away from the face of the Lord? Do you not hear what kind of man Nero was, whom Paul also calls the mystery of the antichrist? For the mystery of lawlessness, he says, is already at work. What then? Will Nero suffer nothing? Will the antichrist suffer nothing, the devil nothing? Therefore the antichrist will always exist, and the devil; for they will not cease from evil if they are not punished. Yes, he says; but that there is punishment and Gehenna is surely clear to everyone; but only the unbelievers will fall into it. For what reason, tell me? Because the faithful, he says, have known their own Master. And what of that? For when their life is impure, for this reason they will pay a greater penalty than the unbelievers. For all who have sinned without the law will also perish without the law; and all who have sinned under the law will be judged by the law. And, The servant who knew his master’s will and did not do it will be beaten with many blows. But if one does not have to give an account of his life, but these things are said simply, then not even the devil will be punished; for indeed he knows God, and more than many men; and all the demons both know him, and shudder, and confess him as judge. If, therefore, one does not have to give an account of his life, nor of wicked deeds, these too will escape. These things are not so, they are not so; do not deceive yourselves, beloved. For if there is no Gehenna, how will the apostles judge the twelve tribes of Israel? How does Paul say, Do you not know that we will judge angels? How much more the things of this life? How did Christ say, The men of Nineveh will rise up at the judgment and condemn this generation? And, It will be more tolerable for the land of Sodom on the day of judgment? Why then do you trifle in matters not to be trifled with? Why do you deceive yourself and mislead your soul, O man? Why do you fight against the loving-kindness of God? For this is why He both prepared it and threatened it, so that we might not fall into it, becoming better through fear. So that he who denies the teaching concerning these things, does nothing other, without realizing it, than to push and cast himself into it through this deception. Do not, therefore, weaken the 60.675 hands of those who labor for virtue, nor increase the laziness of those who are sleeping. For if the many were persuaded that there is no Gehenna, when would they cease from evil? And where will justice appear? I am not speaking of sinners and righteous, but of sinners and sinners. Why was one punished here, while another was not punished for having sinned in the same ways, or even in much worse ones? For if there is no Gehenna, you will be able to offer no defense for these things to those who accuse you. Therefore I urge you, ceasing from this laughter, to silence those who speak against us concerning these things. For there will be a strict examination even of the smallest things, both in sins and in right actions. For we will give an account for undisciplined eyes, and for an idle word, and for laughter and simple abuse, and for a thought, and we will be held responsible for drunkenness; just as, again, in good things, we will receive a reward even for a cup of cold water and a good word and a single groan. For, he says, set a mark on the forehead of those who groan and are in pain; how then do you dare 60.676 to say that He who examines our affairs with such precision, threatened Gehenna simply and in vain? Do not, I beseech you, do not destroy yourself and those who are persuaded by these empty hopes. For if you disbelieve our words, question Jews, Greeks, all heretics, and all as from one mouth will answer that there will be a judgment and a recompense. But are men not enough? Ask the demons themselves, and you will hear them crying out: Why have you come here to torment us before the time? And having gathered all these things together, persuade your soul not to talk nonsense in vain, so that it may not learn of Gehenna through experience, but being chastened from here may be able to escape those torments, and to attain the good things to come, by the grace and loving-kindness of our Lord Jesus Christ, with whom to the Father, together with the Holy Spirit, be glory, dominion, honor, now and always, and unto the ages of ages. Amen. 60.675 HOMILY 32. But I urge you, brethren, to watch out for those who

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γεέννης. Οὐκ ἀκούεις Παύλου λέγοντος· Οἵτινες δίκην τίσουσιν αἰώνιον ἀπὸ προσώπου Κυρίου; οὐκ ἀκούεις οἷος ὁ Νέρων ἐγένετο, ὃν καὶ μυστήριον καλεῖ τοῦ ἀντιχρίστου ὁ Παῦλος; Τὸ γὰρ μυστήριον ἤδη, φησὶν, ἐνεργεῖται τῆς ἀνομίας. Τί οὖν; οὐδὲν πείσεται ὁ Νέρων; οὐδὲν πείσεται ὁ ἀντίχριστος, οὐδὲν ὁ διάβολος; Οὐκοῦν ἀεὶ ὁ ἀντίχριστος ἔσται, καὶ ὁ διάβολος· οὐδὲ γὰρ ἀποστήσονται τῆς κακίας μὴ κολαζόμενοι. Ναὶ, φησίν· ἀλλ' ὅτι μέν ἔστι κόλασις καὶ γέεννα, παντί που δῆλον· οἱ δὲ ἄπιστοι ἐμπεσοῦνται μόνοι. Τίνος ἕνεκεν, εἰπέ μοι; Ὅτι οἱ πιστοὶ, φησὶ, τὸν ∆εσπότην ἐπέγνωσαν τὸν ἑαυτῶν. Καὶ τί τοῦτο; Ὅταν γὰρ ὁ βίος ἀκάθαρτος ᾖ, καὶ μείζονα κατὰ τοῦτο δώσουσι δίκην τῶν ἀπίστων· Ὅσοι γὰρ ἀνόμως ἥμαρτον, ἀνόμως καὶ ἀπολοῦνται· καὶ ὅσοι ἐν νόμῳ ἥμαρτον, διὰ νόμου κριθήσονται· καὶ, Ὁ οἰκέτης ὁ εἰδὼς τὸ θέλημα τοῦ κυρίου αὑτοῦ, καὶ μὴ ποιήσας, δαρήσεται πολλάς. Εἰ δὲ οὐκ ἔστι βίου δοῦναι λόγον, ἀλλ' ἁπλῶς ταῦτα εἴρηται, οὐδὲ ὁ διάβολος τιμωρηθήσεται· καὶ γὰρ τὸν Θεὸν οἶδε, καὶ ἀνθρώπων μᾶλλον πολλῶν· καὶ οἱ δαίμονες δὲ πάντες καὶ ἴσασιν αὐτὸν, καὶ φρίττουσι, καὶ κριτὴν ὁμολογοῦσιν. Εἰ τοίνυν βίου οὐκ ἔστι δοῦναι λόγον, οὐδὲ πονηρῶν πράξεων, διαφεύξονται καὶ οὗτοι. Οὐκ ἔστι ταῦτα, οὐκ ἔστι· μὴ ἑαυτοὺς ἀπατᾶτε, ἀγαπητοί. Εἰ γὰρ μὴ ἔστι γέεννα, πῶς κρινοῦσι τὰς δώδεκα φυλὰς τοῦ Ἰσραὴλ οἱ ἀπόστολοι; πῶς φησιν ὁ Παῦλος· Οὐκ οἴδατε, ὅτι ἀγγέλους κρινοῦμεν; μήτι γε βιωτικά; πῶς ὁ Χριστὸς ἔλεγεν· Ἄνδρες Νινευῖται ἀναστήσονται ἐν τῇ κρίσει, καὶ κατακρινοῦσι τὴν γενεὰν ταύτην; καὶ, Ἀνεκτότερον ἔσται γῇ Σοδόμων ἐν ἡμέρᾳ κρίσεως; Τί τοίνυν παίζεις ἐν οὐ παικτοῖς; τί ἀπατᾷς σαυτὸν καὶ παραλογίζῃ τὴν ψυχήν σου, ἄνθρωπε; τί τῇ τοῦ Θεοῦ φιλανθρωπίᾳ μάχῃ; ∆ιὰ γὰρ τοῦτο καὶ ἡτοίμασεν αὐτὴν καὶ ἠπείλησεν, ἵνα μὴ ἐμπέσωμεν, τῷ φόβῳ γενόμενοι βελτίους. Ὥστε ὁ τὸν περὶ τούτων ἀναιρῶν λόγον, οὐδὲν ἕτερον λανθάνει ποιῶν, ἢ εἰς αὐτὴν αὑτὸν ὠθεῖ καὶ ἐμβάλλει διὰ τῆς ἀπάτης ταύτης. Μὴ τοίνυν ἐκλύσῃς τὰς 60.675 χεῖρας τῶν ὑπὲρ ἀρετῆς πονούντων, μηδὲ ἐπιτείνῃς τὴν ῥᾳθυμίαν τῶν καθευδόντων. Εἰ γὰρ πεισθεῖεν οἱ πολλοὶ, ὅτι γέεννα οὐκ ἔστι, πότε ἀποστήσονται τῆς κακίας; ποῦ δὲ καὶ τὸ δίκαιον φανεῖται; Οὐ λέγω ἐπὶ ἁμαρτωλῶν καὶ δικαίων, ἀλλ' ἐπὶ ἁμαρτωλῶν καὶ ἁμαρτωλῶν. ∆ιὰ τί ὁ μὲν ἐκολάσθη ἐνταῦθα, ὁ δὲ οὐκ ἐκολάσθη τὰ αὐτὰ ἁμαρτὼν, ἢ καὶ πολλῷ χαλεπώτερα; Εἰ γὰρ οὐκ ἔστι γέεννα, οὐδὲν ὑπὲρ τούτων δυνήσῃ ἀπολογήσασθαι τοῖς ἐγκαλοῦσι. ∆ιὸ παρακαλῶ παυσαμένους τοῦ γέλωτος τούτου, ἐπιστομίζειν τοὺς ὑπὲρ τούτων ἡμῖν ἀντιλέγοντας. Καὶ γὰρ καὶ τῶν μικροτάτων καὶ ἐν τοῖς ἁμαρτήμασι καὶ ἐν τοῖς κατορθώμασιν ἀκριβὴς ἔσται ἡ ἐξέτασις. Καὶ γὰρ καὶ ὀφθαλμῶν ἀκολάστων δώσομεν δίκην, καὶ ῥήματος ἀργοῦ, καὶ γέλωτος καὶ λοιδορίας ἁπλῶς, καὶ ἐνθυμήσεως, καὶ μέθης εὐθύνας ὑφέξομεν· ὡς πάλιν καὶ ἐν τοῖς ἀγαθοῖς καὶ ποτηρίου ψυχροῦ ληψόμεθα μισθὸν καὶ λόγου ἀγαθοῦ καὶ στεναγμοῦ μόνου. ∆ὸς γὰρ, φησὶ, τὸ σημεῖον ἐπὶ τὸ πρόσωπον τῶν στεναζόντων καὶ κατοδυνωμένων· πῶς οὖν τολμᾷς 60.676 εἰπεῖν, ὅτι ὁ μετὰ τοσαύτης ἀκριβείας ἐξετάζων τὰ ἡμέτερα, ἁπλῶς καὶ εἰκῆ τὴν γέενναν ἠπείλησε; Μὴ, παρακαλῶ, μὴ ταῖς κεναῖς ταύταις ἐλπίσι σεαυτὸν ἀπόλλυε, καὶ τοὺς πειθομένους. Εἰ γὰρ τοῖς ἡμετέροις ἀπιστεῖς λόγοις, ἐξέτασον Ἰουδαίους, Ἕλληνας, αἱρετικοὺς ἅπαντας, καὶ πάντες ὡς ἐξ ἑνὸς στόματος ἀποκρινοῦνται, ὅτι κρίσις ἔσται καὶ ἀντίδοσις. Ἀλλ' οὐκ ἀρκοῦσιν ἄνθρωποι; Ἐρώτησον καὶ τοὺς δαίμονας αὐτοὺς, καὶ ἀκούσῃ βοώντων· Τί ἦλθες ὧδε πρὸ καιροῦ βασανίσαι ἡμᾶς; καὶ ταῦτα πάντα συναγαγὼν πεῖσον τὴν ψυχὴν μὴ μάτην ληρεῖν, ἵνα μὴ διὰ τῆς πείρας μάθῃ τὴν γέενναν, ἀλλ' ἐντεῦθεν σωφρονισθεῖσα καὶ τὰς βασάνους ἐκείνας δυνηθῇ διαφυγεῖν, καὶ τῶν μελλόντων ἀγαθῶν ἐπιτυχεῖν, χάριτι καὶ φιλανθρωπίᾳ τοῦ Κυρίου ἡμῶν Ἰησοῦ Χριστοῦ, μεθ' οὗ τῷ Πατρὶ, ἅμα τῷ ἁγίῳ Πνεύματι δόξα, κράτος, τιμὴ, νῦν καὶ ἀεὶ, καὶ εἰς τοὺς αἰῶνας τῶν αἰώνων. Ἀμήν. 60.675 ΟΜΙΛΙΑ ΛΒʹ. Παρακαλῶ δὲ ὑμᾶς, ἀδελφοὶ, σκοπεῖν τοὺς τὰς δι