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In epistulam ad Colossenses (homiliae 112)

OF OUR FATHER AMONG THE SAINTS JOHN, ARCHBISHOP OF CONSTANTINOPLE, CHRYSOSTOM, COMMENTARY ON THE

EPISTLE TO THE COLOSSIANS.

HOMILY I. Paul, an apostle of Jesus Christ by the will of God, and Timothy our brother, to the saints and faithful brethren in Christ which are at Colossae: Grace be unto you, and peace, from God our Father and the Lord Jesus

Christ. 1. All the Epistles of Paul are indeed holy, but those have something more which he sent when in bonds, such as that to the Ephesians, such as that to Philemon, such as that to Timothy, such as that to the Philippians, such as this present one; for this too was sent when he was a prisoner, as when writing he said: For which I am also in bonds, that I may make it manifest, as I ought to speak. But this seems to be later than that to the Romans. For that one he wrote when he had not yet seen the Romans, but this one after he had seen them, and was near the end of his preaching. And this is clear from what follows; for in the Epistle to Philemon he says, Being such an one, as Paul the aged, and pleading on behalf of Onesimus; and in this one he sends Onesimus himself, as he says, With Onesimus, a faithful and beloved brother, calling him faithful and beloved, and a brother. Wherefore also he says boldly in this Epistle, From the hope of the Gospel, which ye have heard, which was preached in all creation under heaven; for the preaching had already had time. Therefore I think that the one to Timothy is later than this one, and at his very end; for there he says, For I am already being offered. This one is older than that to the Philippians; 62.300 for in that one he appears to be at the beginning of his bonds in Rome. But why do I say that these epistles have something more? In this respect, that he writes them while in bonds; as if a champion were to write letters in the midst of slaughter and erecting trophies; so also did he. For he himself knows this to be a great thing; for writing to Philemon he says, Whom I have begotten in my bonds. And he said these things, that we might not be vexed by terrible things, but might even rejoice. Philemon was here among them; for writing there he says, And to Archippus our fellow-soldier; and here, Say to Archippus. It seems to me that this man was entrusted with some part of the Church. But he had seen neither these, nor the Romans, nor the Hebrews, when he wrote to them. And concerning those he makes it clear in many places, but concerning these, hear him say, And as many as have not seen my face in the flesh; and again, For though I be absent in the flesh, yet am I with you in the spirit. So he knew that his presence was a great thing everywhere, and he always makes himself present even when absent; and when he punishes the fornicator, see how he makes himself present at the tribunal. For I verily, he says, as absent in body, but present in spirit, have judged already, as though I were present; and again, I will come to you, and will know, not the speech of them which are puffed up, but the power; and again, not only as in my presence with you, but now much more in my absence. 62.301 Paul, an apostle of Jesus Christ by the will of God. It is worthwhile also to state the argument, which we have found from the epistle. What then is it? They were brought to God through angels, they had many observances both Jewish and Greek. These things, then, he corrects. For this reason, even at the beginning, he says, Through

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In epistulam ad Colossenses (homiliae 112)

ΤΟΥ ΕΝ ΑΓΙΟΙΣ ΠΑΤΡΟΣ ΗΜΩΝ ΙΩΑΝΝΟΥ, ΑΡΧΙΕΠΙΣΚΟΠΟΥ ΚΩΝΣΤΑΝΤΙΝΟΥΠΟΛΕΩΣ, ΤΟΥ ΧΡΥΣΟΣΤΟΜΟΥ ΥΠΟΜΝΗΜΑ ΕΙΣ ΤΗΝ

ΠΡΟΣ ΚΟΛΟΣΣΑΕΙΣ ΕΠΙΣΤΟΛΗΝ.

ΟΜΙΛΙΑ Αʹ. Παῦλος ἀπόστολος Ἰησοῦ Χριστοῦ διὰ θε λήματος Θεοῦ, καὶ Τιμόθεος ὁ ἀδελφὸς, τοῖς ἐν Κολοσσαῖς ἁγίοις καὶ πιστοῖς ἀδελφοῖς ἐν Χριστῷ, χάρις ὑμῖν καὶ εἰρήνη ἀπὸ Θεοῦ Πα τρὸς ἡμῶν, καὶ Κυρίου Ἰησοῦ

Χριστοῦ. αʹ. Πᾶσαι μὲν ἅγιαι αἱ ἐπιστολαὶ Παύλου, ἔχουσι δέ τι πλέον αἱ δεδεμένου αὐτοῦ

πεμπόμεναι, οἵα ἐστὶν ἡ πρὸς Ἐφεσίους, οἵα ἡ πρὸς Φιλήμονα, οἵα ἡ πρὸς Τιμόθεον, οἵα ἡ πρὸς Φιλιππησίους, οἵα αὕτη ἡ παροῦσα· καὶ γὰρ καὶ αὕτη δεσμίου ὄντος ἐπέμπετο, καθὼς γράφων ἔλεγε· ∆ιὸ καὶ δέδεμαι, ἵνα φανερώσω αὐτὸ, ὡς δεῖ με λαλῆσαι. Ἀλλ' αὕτη μὲν δοκεῖ τῆς πρὸς Ῥωμαίους ὑστέρα εἶναι. Ἐκείνην μὲν γὰρ οὐδέπω ἰδὼν Ῥωμαίους ἔγραφε, ταύτην δὲ ἤδη τεθεαμένος, καὶ πρὸς τῷ τέλει τοῦ κηρύγματος ὤν. Καὶ δῆλον ἐκεῖθεν· ἐν γὰρ τῇ ἐπιστολῇ φησι τῇ πρὸς Φιλήμονα, Τοιοῦτος ὢν, ὡς Παῦλος πρεσβύτης, καὶ ὑπὲρ Ὀνησίμου ἀξιῶν· ἐν ταύτῃ δὲ αὐτὸν πέμπει τὸν Ὀνήσιμον, καθώς φησι, Σὺν Ὀνησίμῳ τῷ πιστῷ καὶ ἀγαπητῷ ἀδελφῷ, πιστὸν καὶ ἀγαπητὸν, καὶ ἀδελφὸν αὐτὸν καλῶν. ∆ιὸ καὶ θαῤῥούντως λέγει ἐν ταύτῃ τῇ ἐπιστολῇ· Ἀπὸ τῆς ἐλπίδος τοῦ Εὐαγγελίου, οὗ ἠκούσατε, τοῦ κηρυχθέντος ἐν πάσῃ τῇ κτίσει τῇ ὑπὸ τὸν οὐρανόν· ἤδη γὰρ χρόνον εἶχε τὸ κήρυγμα. Ταύτης οὖν ὑστέραν οἶμαι τὴν πρὸς Τιμόθεον εἶναι, καὶ πρὸς αὐτῇ τῇ τελευτῇ λοιπόν· ἐκεῖ γάρ φησιν, Ἐγὼ γὰρ ἤδη σπένδομαι. Τῆς μὲν οὖν πρὸς Φιλιππησίους 62.300 ἥδε πρεσβυτέρα· ἐν ἐκείνῃ γὰρ φαίνεται ἀρχὴν ἔχων τῶν δεσμῶν τῶν ἐν τῇ Ῥώμῃ. Τίνος δὲ ἕνεκεν λέγω πλέον ἔχειν ταύτας τὰς ἐπιστολάς; Κατὰ τοῦτο, ὅτι ἐν δεσμοῖς ὢν αὐτὰς γράφει· ὡς ἂν εἰ ἀριστεὺς σφαγὰς μεταξὺ καὶ τρόπαια ἱστὰς ἐπέστελλεν· οὕτω δὲ ἐποίει καὶ αὐτός. Οἶδε γὰρ καὶ αὐτὸς τοῦτο μέγα ὄν· τῷ γὰρ Φιλήμονι γράφων φησὶν, Ὃν ἐγέννησα ἐν τοῖς δεσμοῖς μου. Ταῦτα δὲ εἶπεν, ἵνα μὴ ἀσχάλλωμεν πρὸς τὰ δεινὰ, ἀλλὰ καὶ χαίρωμεν. Ἐνταῦθα ἦν παρὰ τούτοις Φιλήμων· καὶ γὰρ ἐκεῖ γράφων φησὶ, Καὶ Ἀρχίππῳ τῷ συστρατιώτῃ ἡμῶν· καὶ ἐνταῦθα, Εἴπατε Ἀρχίππῳ. ∆οκεῖ μοι οὗτος ἐγκεχειρίσθαι τινὰ τῆς Ἐκκλησίας. Οὐκ εἶδε δὲ οὔτε τούτους, οὔτε Ῥωμαίους, οὔτε Ἑβραίους, ἡνίκα ἔγραφε πρὸς αὐτούς. Καὶ περὶ μὲν ἐκείνων πολλαχοῦ δηλοῖ, περὶ δὲ τούτων ἄκουε αὐτοῦ λέγοντος, Καὶ ὅσοι οὐχ ἑωράκασι τὸ πρόσωπόν μου ἐν σαρκί· καὶ πάλιν, Εἰ καὶ τῇ σαρκὶ ἄπειμι, ἀλλὰ τῷ πνεύματι σὺν ὑμῖν εἰμι. Οὕτως ᾔδει μέγα ὂν τὴν παρουσίαν αὐτοῦ πανταχοῦ, καὶ ἀεὶ ἑαυτὸν καὶ ἀπόντα ἐφίστησι· καὶ ὅταν κολάζῃ τὸν πορνεύοντα, ὅρα πῶς ἑαυτὸν ἐφίστησι τῷ δικαστηρίῳ. Ἐγὼ μὲν γὰρ, φησὶν, ὡς ἀπὼν τῷ σώματι, παρὼν δὲ τῷ πνεύματι, ἤδη κέκρικα ὡς παρών· καὶ πάλιν, Ἐλεύσομαι πρὸς ὑμᾶς, καὶ γνώσομαι οὐ τὸν λόγον τῶν πεφυσιωμένων, ἀλλὰ τὴν δύναμιν· καὶ πάλιν, Μὴ μόνον ἐν τῷ παρεῖναί με πρὸς ὑμᾶς, ἀλλὰ πολλῷ μᾶλλον ἐν τῷ ἀπεῖναί με. 62.301 Παῦλος ἀπόστολος Ἰησοῦ Χριστοῦ διὰ θελήματος Θεοῦ. Ἄξιον δὲ καὶ τὴν ὑπόθεσιν εἰπεῖν, ἣν ἐκ τῆς ἐπιστολῆς εὕρομεν. Τίς οὖν ἐστιν αὕτη; ∆ι' ἀγγέλων προσήγοντο τῷ Θεῷ, παρατηρήσεις εἶχον πολλὰς καὶ Ἰουδαϊκὰς καὶ Ἑλληνικάς. Ταῦτ' οὖν διωρθοῦται. ∆ιὰ τοῦτο καὶ ἀρχόμενός φησι, ∆ιὰ