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Homily on repentance

HOMILY ON REPENTANCE. The most honorable brother, not bearing the arrogance of those who dare to destroy repentance, has given us a second command, seeing this pride, and extending a sound-minded right hand to the brethren unto repentance. And the discourse is most useful to men. For no one among men is without sin. For to One it is testified, that he committed no sin. We shall speak, therefore, concerning repentance from the Old and the New. For these are the treasures of the Church. And we recommend repentance, not encouraging a brother's sin (for we do not wish the one who has sinned to go on to sins in the hope of repentance), but hastening to raise up the one who has fallen. For the despair introduced by our adversaries encourages the one who has once fallen to be entangled in his sins; but the expectation of repentance encourages the one who has fallen to rise up and sin no more. And who are we to legislate for God? God wishes to forgive; and who is the one forbidding it? Because we say not what they dare, but what God commands. "Does not he who falls rise again?" They speak against God. He who falls does not rise again. He did not persuade you with a mere word, he will persuade you through a clear example. For what is so un-washable as scarlet? And what among us is as white as snow, or as clean wool? He who formed these things says, that If your sins become like the unwashed colors, if you wash yourselves, it turns to the purity of snow. But this forgiveness is not after baptism. For He said, he says, "Wash yourselves, become clean." But this especially, if you had asked of us, we could have shown from Scripture, that there is forgiveness after baptism. For one ought not to choose the easy things to contradict, but to rise up against the very things that seem strong in the opposing argument. For as long as the objections are not removed from the soul, the one who is sick is incurable.

But since the salty has no place to be sweetened, we too now speak from the Old; let us say what they object to the things said from the Old. For they say, that before the Passion of the Savior, before the holy blood was shed for us, if you read to us from the Old [Testament] about repentance, we say that it was permitted in the Old [Testament]; but in the New, on account of the Passion, there will be no forgiveness. But if we show from the New [Testament], that even after baptism and the reception of the Spirit one who has sinned calls back the gift through repentance, it is clear that there is 31.1477 repentance for those who have fallen away even after baptism; and the things in the Old [Testament] concerning repentance will be authoritative. And I speak as to those who are paying attention; wherefore I also touch upon weightier matters, so that, becoming hopeful, having once fallen we may not remain in our fall. You were not persuaded by him presenting an example, be persuaded by the oath of God. God says: "As I live, says the Lord." And this is an oath befitting God. For since he had no one greater than himself, he swears because of the unbelief of those who destroy repentance, "As I live, says the Lord," [and let no one fear,] that "I do not desire the death of the sinner, but that he should turn and live." He who lives, wishes to give life. Is God not trustworthy even when he swears? Are you persuaded neither by word, nor by example, nor by oath? Be persuaded by deeds. Nineveh was not destroyed; for it repented. The indignation of the prophet, because it was not destroyed; a gourd grew up. He makes a defense to you, that you may remember that he is good. But I fear lest you hear from him: "Is your eye evil, because I am good?" Who is recorded as more impious than Ahab? I speak as to those who read. He seized a vineyard, in addition to his other plunderings, after murdering its owner; he went down to take possession;

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Homilia de paenitentia

ΟΜΙΛΙΑ ΠΕΡΙ ΜΕΤΑΝΟΙΑΣ. Τῶν τὴν μετάνοιαν ἀναιρεῖν τολμώντων τὴν ἀλαζονείαν μὴ ἐνεγκὼν ὁ τιμιώτατος ἀδελφὸς, δεύ τερον ἡμῖν ἐπίταγμα προσέταξε, τοῦτο τὸ ὑπερήφα νον βλέπων, σώφρονα δὲ τοῖς ἀδελφοῖς δεξιὰν ὀρέξων εἰς μετάνοιαν. Χρησιμώτατος δὲ ὁ λόγος ἀνθρώποις ἐστίν. Ἀνθρώπων γὰρ οὐδεὶς ἀναμάρτητος. Ἑνὶ γὰρ μαρτυρεῖται, ὅτι ἁμαρτίαν οὐκ ἐποίησε. Λέξομεν οὖν περὶ μετανοίας ἐκ Παλαιᾶς τε καὶ Καινῆς. Οὗτοι γὰρ τῆς Ἐκκλησίας θησαυροί. Συνιστῶμεν δὲ μετά νοιαν, οὐχ ἁμαρτίαν ἀδελφοῦ προτρεπόμενοι (οὐ γὰρ ἐπ' ἐλπίδι μετανοίας βουλόμεθα ἐφ' ἁμαρτίας ἰέναι τὸν ἁμαρτήσαντα), ἀλλ' ἀναστῆσαι τὸν πεσόντα σπεύ δοντες. Ἡ γὰρ παρὰ τῶν ἐναντίων εἰσαγομένη ἀνελ πιστία τὸν ἅπαξ πεσόντα συνειλεῖσθαι τοῖς ἁμαρτή μασι προτρέπεται· ἡ δὲ προσδοκία τῆς μετανοίας τὸν πεσόντα ἀναστῆναι καὶ μηκέτι ἁμαρτάνειν προτρέ πεται. Τίνες δέ ἐσμεν τῷ Θεῷ νομοθετοῦντες; Βού λεται ὁ Θεὸς ἀφιέναι· καὶ τίς ὁ κωλύων; Ὅτι ἡμεῖς λέγομεν οὐ τί ἐκεῖνοι τολμῶσιν, ἀλλὰ τί ὁ Θεὸς προστάσσει. «Μὴ ὁ πίπτων οὐκ ἀνίσταται;» Ἀντι φθέγγονται τῷ Θεῷ. Ὁ πίπτων οὐκ ἀνίσταται. Οὐκ ἔπεισέ σε ψιλῷ ῥήματι, πείσει σε δι' ὑποδείγματος ἐναργοῦς. Τί γὰρ οὕτως ἄπλυτον ὡς κόκκινον; τί δὲ λευκὸν παρ' ἡμῖν ὡς χιὼν, ἢ ὡς ἔριον καθαρόν; Φη σὶν ὁ ταῦτα πλάσας, ὅτι Ἐὰν γένωνται αἱ ἁμαρτίαι ὑμῶν ὡς τὰ ἄπλυτα χρώματα, εἰ λούσοισθε, μεταπί πτει εἰς καθαρότητα χιόνος. Ἀλλ' οὐ μετὰ τὸ βάπτι σμά ἐστιν αὕτη ἡ ἄφεσις. Εἶπε γὰρ, φησὶ, «Λούσα σθε, καθαροὶ γίνεσθε.» Τοῦτο δὲ μάλιστα, παρ' ἡμῶν εἰ ᾐτήσασθε, ἠδυνάμεθα ἀπὸ Γραφῆς δεῖξαι, ὅτι με τὰ τὸ βάπτισμά ἐστι συγχώρησις. Οὐ γὰρ τὰ εὔκολα δεῖ ἐκλεγομένους ἀντιλέγειν, ἀλλὰ πρὸς αὐτὰ τὰ δο κοῦντα ἰσχυρὰ ἐν τῷ ἐναντίῳ λόγῳ διανίστασθαι. Ἐφ' ὅσον γὰρ τὰ ἀντιπίπτοντα οὐκ αἴρεται ἀπὸ τῆς ψυ χῆς, ἀνίατός ἐστιν ὁ κάμνων.

Ἀλλ' ἐπειδὴ οὐκ ἔχει χώραν γλυκαίνεσθαι τὰ ἁλμυρὰ, λέγομεν δὲ καὶ ἡμεῖς νῦν ἀπὸ Παλαιᾶς· εἴ πωμεν τί ἀντιλέγουσι πρὸς τὰ ἐκ τῆς Παλαιᾶς λεγό μενα. Λέγουσι γὰρ, ὅτι πρὸ τοῦ πάθους Σωτῆρος, πρὸ τοῦ τὸ αἷμα τὸ ἅγιον ὑπὲρ ἡμῶν ἐκχυθῆναι, ἐὰν ἀπὸ τῆς Παλαιᾶς ἀναγνῶτε ἡμῖν περὶ μετανοίας, λέγο μεν, ὅτι ἐν τῇ Παλαιᾷ συγκεχώρηται· ἐν δὲ τῇ Και νῇ διὰ τὸ πάθος οὐκ ἔσται συγχώρησις. Ἐὰν δὲ ἀπὸ τῆς Καινῆς δείξωμεν, ὅτι καὶ μετὰ τὸ βάπτισμα καὶ μετάληψιν τοῦ Πνεύματος ἁμαρτήσας τις ἀνακαλεῖ ται διὰ μετανοίας τὸ χάρισμα, δῆλον, ὅτι ἔστι μετά 31.1477 νοια τοῖς παραπεσοῦσι καὶ μετὰ τὸ βάπτισμα· καὶ τὰ ἐν τῇ Παλαιᾷ ἔσται ὑπὲρ τῆς μετανοίας κύρια. Ὡς προσέχουσι δὲ λέγω· ὅθεν καὶ βαρυτέρων ἅπτομαι, ἵνα, εὐέλπιδες γενόμενοι, μὴ ἅπαξ πεσόντες ἐπιμέ νωμεν τῷ πτώματι. Οὐκ ἐπείσθης αὐτῷ δι' ὑποδεί γματος παριστῶντι, ὅρκῳ πείσθητι τοῦ Θεοῦ. Λέγει ὁ Θεός· «Ζῶ ἐγὼ, λέγει Κύριος.» Τοῦτο δὲ ὅρκος Θεῷ πρέπων. Ἐπειδὴ γὰρ οὐκ εἶχε μείζονα ἑαυτοῦ, ὄμνυσι δὲ διὰ τὴν ἀπιστίαν τῶν τὴν μετάνοιαν ἀναι ρούντων, «Ζῶ ἐγὼ, λέγει Κύριος,» [καὶ οὐδεὶς φο βείτω,] ὅτι «οὐ θέλω τὸν θάνατον τὸν τοῦ ἁμαρτω λοῦ, ἀλλ' ἢ ἐπιστρέψαι αὐτὸν καὶ ζῇν.» Ὁ ζῶν, ζῆ σαι θέλει. Οὐδὲ ὅτε ὄμνυσι Θεὸς ἀξιόπιστος; Οὔτε λό γῳ, οὔτε ὑποδείγματι, οὔτε ὅρκῳ πείθῃ; Ἔργοις πείσθητι. Οὐ κατεστράφη Νινευΐ· μετενόησε γάρ. Ἡ ἀγανάκτησις τοῦ προφήτου, ὅτι οὐ κατεστράφη· ἀνε φύη κολόκυνθα. Ἀπολογεῖταί σοι, ἵνα μνησθῇς, ὅτι ἔστιν ἀγαθός. ∆έδοικα δὲ μὴ ἀκούσῃς παρ' αὐτοῦ· «Εἰ ὁ ὀφθαλμός σου πονηρός ἐστιν, ὅτι ἐγὼ ἀγαθός εἰμι;» Τίς ἀσεβέστερος ἀναγέγραπται τοῦ Ἀχαάβ; Ὡς ἀναγινώσκουσι λέγω. Ἥρπασε πρὸς ταῖς ἄλλαις ἁρπαγαῖς ἀμπελῶνα, φονεύσας τὸν δεσπότην· κατῆλθε κληρονομῆσαι·