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De laudibus sancti Pauli apostoli

Of our father among the saints, John, archbishop of Constantinople, the Chrysostom, an encomium for the holy apostle Paul

Homily 1. 1.1 One would not err in calling Paul's soul a meadow of virtues and a spiritual paradise, so greatly did it blossom with grace, and the soul’s wisdom proved itself worthy of that grace. For since he became a chosen vessel, and purified himself well, the bounteous gift of the Spirit was poured out upon him. From whence he also produced for us marvelous rivers, not just four, like the spring of paradise, but many more flowing each day, not watering the earth, but stirring up the souls of men to the fruitfulness of virtue. What discourse, then, will be sufficient for his achievements? Or what tongue will be able to attain to his praises? For when a single soul possesses all good things that are in men, and all with excess, and not only those of men, but also those of angels, how shall we overcome the greatness of the praises? Yet we shall not be silent for this reason, but indeed for this very reason we shall especially speak. For this too is the greatest form of praise, that the magnitude of his achievements overcomes with all abundance the facility of speech, and the defeat is more glorious to us than countless trophies. 1.2 From where then might it be fitting to begin the praises? From where else than from this very first point, of showing that he possessed the good things of all? For whether prophets displayed something noble, or patriarchs, or righteous men, or apostles, or martyrs, he possesses all of these things together with an excess far beyond how any of them possessed the good thing which each had. 1.3 But consider: Abel offered a sacrifice, and from this he is proclaimed. But if you bring Paul's sacrifice into the midst, it is shown to be as much better than that one as heaven is than the earth. Which one, then, do you wish me to speak of? For there is not only one. For he sacrificed himself each day, and in this again he made the offering twofold; on the one hand by dying each day, on the other by carrying about the dying in his body. For he was continually arrayed against dangers, and was slain by his choice, and so mortified the nature of the flesh, as to be disposed in no way less than slaughtered victims, but even much more so. For he did not offer oxen and sheep, but he doubly slaughtered himself each day. For which reason he also dared to say: For I am already being poured out as a drink offering, calling his own blood a libation. 1.4 Yet he was not content with these sacrifices, but since he had well consecrated himself, he also offered the whole inhabited world, both land and sea, both Greek and barbarian, and simply all the earth the sun looks upon; this he traversed entirely, as if having become winged, not simply traveling, but pulling up the thorns of sins, and sowing the word of piety, driving out error, bringing back the truth, making angels out of men, or rather, making men angels from demons. For which reason also, when he was about to depart after the many toils and these frequent trophies, comforting his disciples, he said: Even if I am being poured out upon the sacrifice and service of your faith, I rejoice and share my joy with you all; for which reason you also

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De laudibus sancti Pauli apostoli

Τοῦ ἐν ἁγίοις πατρὸς ἡμῶν Ἰωάννου ἀρχιεπισκόπου Κωνσταντινουπόλεως τοῦ Χρυσοστόμου ἐγκώμιον εἰς τὸν ἅγιον ἀπόστολον Παῦλον

λόγος αʹ 1.1 Οὐκ ἄν τις ἁμάρτοι λειμῶνα ἀρετῶν καὶ παράδεισον πνευματικὸν καλέσας

τὴν Παύλου ψυχήν, οὕτω πολὺ μὲν ἤνθει τῇ χάριτι, ἀξίαν δὲ τῆς χάριτος ἐπεδείκνυτο τῆς ψυχῆς τὴν φιλοσοφίαν. Ἐπειδὴ γὰρ σκεῦος ἐκλογῆς γέγονε, καὶ καλῶς ἑαυτὸν ἐξεκάθηρε, δαψιλὴς ἡ τοῦ Πνεύματος ἐξεχύθη εἰς αὐτὸν δωρεά. Ὅθεν ἡμῖν καὶ τοὺς θαυμαστοὺς ἔτεκε ποταμούς, οὐ κατὰ τὴν τοῦ παραδείσου πηγὴν τέσσαρας μόνους, ἀλλὰ πολλῷ πλείους καθ' ἑκάστην ῥέοντας τὴν ἡμέραν, οὐ τὴν γῆν ἄρδοντας, ἀλλὰ τὰς τῶν ἀνθρώπων ψυχὰς εἰς καρπογονίαν ἀρετῆς διεγείροντας. Τίς οὖν ἀρκέσει λόγος τοῖς τούτου κατορθώμασιν; ἢ ποία δυνήσεται γλῶσσα ἐφικέσθαι τῶν ἐγκωμίων τῶν ἐκείνου; Ὅταν γὰρ ἅπαντα τὰ ἐν ἀνθρώποις καλὰ συλλαβοῦσα ἔχῃ ψυχὴ μία, καὶ πάντα μεθ' ὑπερβολῆς, οὐ μόνον δὲ τὰ τῶν ἀνθρώπων, ἀλλὰ καὶ τὰ τῶν ἀγγέλων, πῶς περιεσόμεθα τοῦ μεγέθους τῶν ἐγκωμίων; Οὐ μὴν διὰ τοῦτο σιγήσομεν, ἀλλὰ καὶ δι' αὐτὸ μὲν οὖν τοῦτο μάλιστα ἐροῦμεν. Καὶ γὰρ καὶ τοῦτο ἐγκωμίου μέγιστον εἶδος, τὸ νικᾶν τῶν κατορθωμάτων τὸ μέγεθος μετὰ πάσης περιουσίας τοῦ λόγου τὴν εὐκολίαν, καὶ ἡ ἧττα μυρίων τροπαίων ἐστὶν ἡμῖν λαμπροτέρα. 1.2 Πόθεν οὖν εὔκαιρον εἴη ἂν ἅψασθαι τῶν ἐγκωμίων; Πόθεν ἄλλοθεν ἢ ἀπ' αὐτοῦ τούτου πρώτου, τοῦ δεῖξαι τὰ ἁπάντων ἔχοντα ἀγαθά; Εἴτε γὰρ προφῆται ἐπεδείξαντό τι γενναῖον, εἴτε πατριάρχαι, εἴτε δίκαιοι, εἴτε ἀπόστολοι, εἴτε μάρτυρες, πάντα ταῦτα ὁμοῦ συλλαβὼν ἔχει μετὰ τοσαύτης ὑπερβολῆς μεθ' ὅσης οὐδεὶς ἐκείνων, ὅπερ ἕκαστος εἶχε καλόν, ἐκέκτητο. 1.3 Σκόπει δέ· προσήνεγκεν Ἄβελ θυσίαν, καὶ ἐντεῦθεν ἀνακηρύττεται. Ἀλλ' ἐὰν τὴν Παύλου θυσίαν εἰς μέσον ἀγάγῃς, τοσοῦτον δείκνυται βελτίων ἐκείνης, ὅσον τῆς γῆς ὁ οὐρανός. Ποίαν οὖν βούλεσθε εἴπω; Οὐδὲ γὰρ μία μόνον ἐστί. Καὶ γὰρ ἑαυτὸν καθ' ἑκάστην κατέθυεν ἡμέραν, καὶ ταύτῃ πάλιν διπλῆν ἐποίει τὴν προσφοράν· τοῦτο μὲν καθ' ἑκάστην ἡμέραν ἀποθνήσκων, τοῦτο δὲ τὴν νέκρωσιν ἐν τῷ σώματι αὐτοῦ περιφέρων. Καὶ γὰρ πρὸς κινδύνους διηνεκῶς παρετάττετο, καὶ ἐσφάττετο τῇ προαιρέσει, καὶ τῆς σαρκὸς τὴν φύσιν οὕτως ἐνέκρωσεν, ὡς τῶν σφαγιαζομένων ἱερείων μηδὲν ἔλαττον διακεῖσθαι, ἀλλὰ καὶ πολλῷ πλέον. Οὐδὲ γὰρ βοῦς καὶ πρόβατα προσέφερεν, ἀλλ' ἑαυτὸν διπλῇ καθ' ἑκάστην ἐσφαγίαζε τὴν ἡμέραν. ∆ιὸ καὶ ἐθάρρησεν εἰπεῖν· Ἐγὼ γὰρ ἤδη σπένδομαι, σπονδὴν ἑαυτοῦ τὸ αἷμα καλέσας. 1.4 Οὐ μὴν ἠρκέσθη ταῖς θυσίαις ταύταις, ἀλλ' ἐπειδὴ καλῶς ἑαυτὸν καθιέρωσε, καὶ τὴν οἰκουμένην πᾶσαν προσήνεγκε, καὶ γῆν καὶ θάλατταν, καὶ Ἑλλάδα καὶ βάρβαρον, καὶ πᾶσαν ἁπαξαπλῶς ὅσην ἥλιος ἐφορᾷ γῆν, ταύτην, καθάπερ ὑπόπτερός τις γενόμενος, ἐπῆλθε πᾶσαν, οὐχ ἁπλῶς ὁδοιπορῶν, ἀλλὰ τὰς ἀκάνθας τῶν ἁμαρτημάτων ἀνασπῶν, καὶ τὸν λόγον τῆς εὐσεβείας κατασπείρων, τὴν πλάνην ἀπελαύνων, τὴν ἀλήθειαν ἐπα νάγων, ἐξ ἀνθρώπων ἀγγέλους ποιῶν, μᾶλλον δὲ ἀπὸ δαιμόνων ἀγγέλους τοὺς ἀνθρώπους. ∆ιὸ καὶ μέλλων ἀπιέναι μετὰ τοὺς πολλοὺς ἱδρῶτας καὶ τὰ πυκνὰ ταῦτα τρόπαια, παραμυθούμενος τοὺς μαθητάς, ἔλεγεν· Εἰ καὶ σπένδομαι ἐπὶ τῇ θυσίᾳ καὶ λειτουργίᾳ τῆς πίστεως ὑμῶν, χαίρω καὶ συγχαίρω πᾶσιν ὑμῖν· διὸ καὶ ὑμεῖς