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In epistulam ad Philemonem (homiliae 13)

OF OUR FATHER AMONG THE SAINTS JOHN, ARCHBISHOP OF CONSTANTINOPLE, CHRYSOSTOM. COMMENTARY ON THE EPISTLE TO PHILEMON.

62.701 INTRODUCTION. First it is necessary to state the argument of the epistle, and then the matters of inquiry. What then is the argument? Philemon was a certain admirable and noble man (for that he was admirable is clear from his whole household being faithful, and so faithful as to be called a Church. For this reason also, when writing, he said: And to the church in your house. He also bears witness to his great obedience, and that the hearts of the saints were refreshed through him. And he himself, writing in this epistle, instructed him to prepare a lodging. Thus his house seems to me to have been a lodging for saints, for all reasons).

This admirable man, then, had a certain servant, Onesimus. This Onesimus, then, after stealing something from his master, ran away; for that he did steal, hear what he says: But if he has wronged you in any way, or owes you anything, I will repay it. Coming then to Paul in Rome, and finding him in prison, and having benefited from his teaching, he also received baptism there. For that he received the gift of baptism there is clear from his saying: whom I have begotten in my bonds. Paul therefore writes, commending him to his master, so that on all accounts a release might be made, and 62.702 that he might receive him as one now born again. But since some say it is superfluous for this epistle to be included, if indeed he made a request about a small matter, about one man, let those who make these charges learn that they are worthy of ten thousand accusations. For not only ought such short epistles, sent about such necessary matters, to have been recorded; but would that it were possible to have access to one who could hand down to us the history of the apostles, I do not mean concerning what they wrote and discussed, but also their other conduct, and what they ate and when they ate, when they sat and where they walked, and what they accomplished each day, in what parts they were, and into what house they entered, and where they lodged, and to relate everything with accuracy; so full of much benefit are all the things that came from them.

But since most people do not know the profit from this, for this reason they attempt to find fault. For if, when we see only the places where they sat or were bound, inanimate places, we often 62.703 send our thoughts there, and we imagine their virtue, and we are stirred up and become more zealous; if we heard their words and their other deeds, how much more so. But one asks about a friend, where he is living, what he is doing, where he is going; but concerning the common teachers of the world, ought we not to learn these things, tell me? For when someone lives spiritually, both the bearing and the gait, and the words and the deeds of such a one, and everything simply, benefits those who hear, and nothing hinders or becomes an obstacle. Nevertheless, that the epistle was sent concerning necessary matters, it is useful for you to learn. See, then, how many things are set right from this. One, and the first, is that one should be earnest about all things. For if Paul shows so much care for a runaway, for a robber and a thief, and does not shrink from sending him with so many praises, nor is he ashamed, much more so it is not fitting for us to be neglectful in such matters.

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In epistulam ad Philemonem (homiliae 13)

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

ΠΡΟΣ ΦΙΛΗΜΟΝΑ ΕΠΙΣΤΟΛΗΝ.

62.701 ΥΠΟΘΕΣΙΣ. Πρῶτον ἀναγκαῖον τὴν ὑπόθεσιν εἰπεῖν τῆς ἐπιστολῆς, εἶτα καὶ τὰ

ζητούμενα. Τίς οὖν ἡ ὑπόθεσις; Φιλήμων ἀνήρ τις τῶν θαυμαστῶν καὶ γενναίων (ὅτι γὰρ θαυμαστὸς ἦν, δῆλον ἀπὸ τοῦ καὶ τὴν οἰκίαν αὐτοῦ πᾶσαν εἶναι πιστὴν, καὶ οὕτω πιστὴν, ὡς καὶ Ἐκκλησίαν αὐτὴν ὀνομάζεσθαι. ∆ιὰ τοῦτο καὶ γράφων ἔλεγε· Καὶ τῇ κατ' οἶκόν σου Ἐκκλησίᾳ. Μαρτυρεῖ δὲ αὐτῷ καὶ πολλὴν ὑπακοὴν, καὶ ὅτι σπλάγχνα τῶν ἁγίων ἀνεπέπαυτο εἰς αὐτόν. Καὶ αὐτὸς δὲ γράφων ἐν ταύτῃ τῇ ἐπιστολῇ παρήγγελλεν αὐτῷ ἑτοιμάσαι ξενίαν. Οὕτω μοι δοκεῖ καταγώγιον εἶναι ἁγίων ἡ οἰκία ἡ ἐκείνου πάντων ἕνεκεν).

Οὗτος δὴ οὖν ὁ θαυμαστὸς ἀνὴρ παῖδά τινα εἶχεν Ὀνήσιμον. Ὁ τοίνυν Ὀνήσιμος οὗτος κλέψαςτι παρὰ τοῦ δεσπότου, ἐδραπέτευσεν· ὅτι γὰρ ἔκλεψεν, ἄκουσον τί φησιν· Εἰ δέ τι ἠδίκησέ σε, ἢ ὀφείλει, ἐγὼ ἀποτίσω. Ἐλθὼν τοίνυν πρὸς τὸν Παῦλον εἰς τὴν Ῥώμην, καὶ εὑρὼν αὐτὸν ἐν τῷ δεσμωτηρίῳ, καὶ ἀπολαύσας τῆς παρ' αὐτοῦ διδασκαλίας, καὶ τοῦ βαπτίσματος ἔτυχεν ἐκεῖ. Ὅτι γὰρ ἐκεῖ ἔτυχε τῆς τοῦ βαπτίσματος δωρεᾶς, δῆλον ἐκ τοῦ εἰπεῖν· Ὃν ἐγέννησα ἐν τοῖς δεσμοῖς μου. Ὁ τοίνυν Παῦλος γράφει συνιστῶν αὐτὸν πρὸς τὸν δεσπότην, ὥστε πάντων ἕνεκεν λύσιν γενέσθαι, καὶ 62.702 προσίεσθαι αὐτὸν ὡς ἀναγεννηθέντα νῦν. Ἀλλ' ἐπειδή τινές φασι, περιττὸν εἶναι τὸ καὶ ταύτην προσκεῖσθαι τὴν ἐπιστολὴν, εἴ γε ὑπὲρ πράγματος μικροῦ ἠξίωσεν, ὑπὲρ ἑνὸς ἀνδρὸς, μαθέτωσαν ὅσοι ταῦτα ἐγκαλοῦσιν, ὅτι μυρίων εἰσὶν ἐγκλημάτων ἄξιοι. Οὐ μόνον γὰρ τὰς οὕτω μικρὰς ἐπιστολὰς, καὶ ὑπὲρ οὕτω πραγμάτων ἀναγκαίων ἐπεσταλμένας ἔδει ἐγγεγράφθαι· ἀλλ' εἴθε γὰρ ἐνῆν εὐπορῆσαι τοῦ τὴν ἱστορίαν ἡμῖν παραδιδόντος τῶν ἀποστόλων, οὐ λέγω ὑπὲρ ὧν ἔγραψαν καὶ διελέχθησαν, ἀλλὰ καὶ τὴν ἄλλην αὐτῶν ἀναστροφὴν, καὶ τί ἔφαγον καὶ πότε ἔφαγον, πότε ἐκάθισαν καὶ ποῦ ἐβάδισαν, καὶ τί καθ' ἑκάστην ἡμέραν διεπράξαντο, ἐν ποίοις μέρεσι γεγόνασι, καὶ εἰς ποίαν οἰκίαν εἰσῆλθον, καὶ ποῦ κατήχθησαν, καὶ μετὰ ἀκριβείας ἅπαντα διηγήσασθαι· οὕτω πάντα τὰ παρ' αὐτῶν γενόμενα πολλῆς ὠφελείας γέμει.

Ἀλλ' ἐπειδὴ μὴ ἴσασιν οἱ πλείους τὸ κέρδος τὸ ἐντεῦθεν, διὰ τοῦτο μέμφεσθαι ἐπιχειροῦσιν. Εἰ γὰρ τόπους ὁρῶντες μόνον, ἔνθα ἐκάθισαν ἢ ἐδέθησαν, τόπους ἀψύχους, πολλάκις 62.703 ἐκεῖ παραπέμπομεν τὴν διάνοιαν, καὶ φανταζόμεθα αὐτῶν τὴν ἀρετὴν, καὶ διανιστάμεθα καὶ προθυμότεροι γινόμεθα· εἰ τὰ ῥήματα καὶ τὰς ἑτέρας αὐτῶν πράξεις ἠκούσαμεν, πολλῷ μᾶλλον. Ἀλλὰ περὶ μὲν φίλου τις ἐρωτᾷ, ποῦ διάγει, τί πράττει, ποῦ πρόεισι· περὶ δὲ τῶν κοινῶν τῆς οἰκουμένης διδασκάλων οὐκ ἔδει ταῦτα μαθεῖν, εἰπέ μοι; Ὅταν γάρ τις πνευματικῶς ζῇ, καὶ σχήματα καὶ βαδίσματα, καὶ ῥήματα καὶ πράγματα τοῦ τοιούτου, καὶ πάντα ἁπλῶς τοὺς ἀκούοντας ὠφελεῖ, καὶ οὐδὲν ἐμποδίζει οὐδὲ κώλυμα γίνεται. Πλὴν ὅτι περὶ ἀναγκαίων ἡ ἐπιστολὴ διεπέμπετο, μαθεῖν ὑμᾶς χρήσιμον. Ὅρα τοίνυν, πόσα κατορθοῦται ἐντεῦθεν. Ἓν μὲν καὶ πρῶτον, τὸ σπουδαῖόν τινα εἶναι περὶ πάντα. Εἰ γὰρ Παῦλος ὑπὲρ δραπέτου, ὑπὲρ λῃστοῦ καὶ κλέπτου τοσαύτην ποιεῖται πρόνοιαν, καὶ οὐ παραιτεῖται μετὰ τοσούτων αὐτὸν ἐγκωμίων παραπέμψαι, οὐδὲ αἰσχύνεται, πολλῷ μᾶλλον οὐδὲ ἡμᾶς προσήκει ῥᾳθύμους εἶναι περὶ τὰ τοιαῦτα.