John Chrysostom, On "I believed for this reason I spoke"

In illud: Credidi propter quod locutus sum

Of Saint John Chrysostom; On "I believed, therefore I spoke." They say that the bee, flitting on light wings over flowering trees and plants and harmlessly plundering the moisture lying in the forms of the flowers, from there provides the sweetest honeycomb of honey for humans. Such are the teachers of the church; for flitting on the light wing of the mind over the beautifully green springtime of the scriptures and drawing out the moisture of the spirit lying in the letter, they gently sprinkle the sweetest honey of faith into the hearts of their flock. Come then, beloved, let us too, imitating the bee and warming our mind with the rays of the sun of righteousness, run down with fervent spirit to the most flowery meadow of the psalmody. For what did the psalm just now sung to us say? I believed, therefore I spoke. But what power does the saying have? It is necessary for us, having drawn out the honey-sweet meaning lying in the depth of the letter, to mix a drinkable stream of the word for all you who are thirsty, to the extent that we are able.

I believed, therefore I spoke. Just as those who wish to tell someone about a certain matter first become fully convinced themselves and so begin to teach the matter in detail, so also the prophet, being about to teach us, first becomes fully convinced himself concerning the existence of God and the hope laid up in Christ for mankind; he says: I believed, therefore I spoke. For it was not 352 safe for him, not having first believed and been fully convinced about what he was about to relate, to begin teaching; therefore he necessarily puts first, saying: I believed, therefore I spoke. But what did I believe? I believed God to be the Father of Christ, not the creator and maker, but the begetter; and having been fully convinced of this, I believed, therefore I spoke; nor did I curiously examine the nature of God, of what kind and how great it is, but I believed Christ to be the Son of God, ineffably begotten of the Father before the ages, and having been fully convinced of this, I believed, therefore I spoke. But although the Jews have this psalm, they cannot sing it in truth; for they did not believe God to be the Father of Christ, nor did they know Christ to be the Son of God; for if they had known, they would not have crucified the Lord of glory. Although the Eunomians and Arians have this psalm, they cannot sing it in truth; for they did not believe God to be the begetter of Christ, but the creator and maker, nor again did they believe Christ to be the Son of God, saying he is a creature and a thing made; and by rejecting Christ they reject the Father.

Hear the scripture saying: If anyone does not have the Son, he does not have the Father either. I believed, therefore I spoke. Although the Macedonians have this psalm, they cannot sing it in truth; for they did not believe the Holy Spirit, who ineffably proceeds from the Father, to be God; and not having the Holy Spirit, they do not have Christ either. Hear Paul saying: If anyone does not have the Spirit of Christ, he is not his. Therefore everyone who rightly believes in the Father and the Son and the Holy Spirit says this: I believed, therefore I spoke. 353 But let us also see the next verse, what it means to say; after "I believed, therefore I spoke": But I was humbled exceedingly. But to one who does not understand, the verse seems to be out of sequence; but if each of us understands, just as David also understood, he says concerning God and concerning himself: But I was humbled exceedingly. Having beheld with the eyes of the heart the inexpressible and indescribable majesty of God, that as much as heaven differs from an ant, so much does God

In illud: Credidi propter quod locutus sum

Τοῦ ἐν ἁγίοις ̓Ιωάννου τοῦ Χρυσοστόμου· Εἰς τὸ ̓Επίστευσα, διὸ ἐλάλησα. Φασί ποτε τὴν μέλισσαν κούφοις πτεροῖς δένδρεσι καὶ βοτάναις ἀνθοφόροις ἐφιπταμένην καὶ τὴν ἐν ταῖς τῶν ἀνθῶν ἰδέαις ἐγκειμένην νοτίδα ἀβλαβῶς λῃστεύουσαν τὸ γλυκύτατον κηρίον τοῦ μέλιτος τοῖς ἀνθρώποις ἐκεῖθεν πορίζεσθαι. Τοιοῦτοί εἰσιν οἱ τῆς ἐκκλησίας διδάσκαλοι· κούφῳ γὰρ τῷ πτερῷ τῆς διανοίας ἐπὶ τὸ καλλίχλοον ἔαρ τῶν γραφῶν ἐφιπτάμενοι καὶ τὴν ἐν τῷ γράμματι ἐγκειμένην νοτίδα τοῦ πνεύματος ἀρυόμενοι τὸ γλυκύτατον τῆς πίστεως μέλι εἰς τὰς τῶν ὑπηκόων καρδίας ἠρέμα ἐνραίνουσιν. ∆εῦρο δὴ καὶ ἡμεῖς, ἀγαπητοί, μιμησάμενοι τὴν μέλισσαν καὶ ταῖς ἀκτῖσι τοῦ ἡλίου τῆς δικαιοσύνης τὸν νοῦν ἐκθερμάναντες ἐπὶ τὸν ἀνθηρότατον λειμῶνα τῆς ψαλμῳδίας θερμῷ τῷ πνεύματι καταδράμωμεν. Τί γὰρ ἡμῖν ὁ ὑποψαλθεὶς ἀρτίως ψαλμὸς ἔλεγεν; Ἐπίστευσα, διὸ ἐλάλησα. Ποίαν δὲ ἔχει δύναμιν ὁ λόγος; Ἀναγκαῖόν ἐστι τὸ ἐν τῷ βάθει τοῦ γράμματος κείμενον μελισταγὲς νόημα ἀρυσαμένους ἡμᾶς πᾶσιν ὑμῖν τοῖς διψῶσι, καθ' ὃ μὲν ἰσχύομεν, πότιμον τὸ ῥεῦμα τοῦ λόγου κεράσαι.

Ἐπίστευσα, διὸ ἐλάλησα. Ὥςπερ οἱ βουλόμενοι ἐπί τινος πράγματος διηγήσασθαί τισι πρότερον αὐτοὶ ἐν πληροφορίᾳ γίνονται καὶ οὕτως ἄρχονται λεπτομερῶς τὸ πρᾶγμα διδάσκειν, ὡςαύτως καὶ ὁ προφήτης μέλλων διδάσκειν ἡμᾶς αὐτὸς ἐν πληροφορίᾳ πρότερον γίνεται περὶ τῆς τοῦ θεοῦ ὑπάρξεως καὶ τῆς ἐν Χριστῷ ἐλπίδος ἀποκειμένης τοῖς ἀνθρώποις· λέγει· Ἐπίστευσα, διὸ ἐλάλησα. Οὐκ ἦν 352 γὰρ αὐτῷ ἀσφαλές, μὴ πιστεύσαντι πρότερον καὶ πληροφορηθέντι περὶ ὧν ἔμελλε διηγήσασθαι, ἄρξασθαι τοῦ διδάσκειν· διὸ ἀναγκαίως προτάσσει λέγων· Ἐπίστευσα, διὸ ἐλάλησα. Τί δὲ καὶ ἐπίστευσα; Ἐπίστευσα τὸν θεὸν πατέρα εἶναι Χριστοῦ, οὐ κτίστην καὶ ποιητήν, ἀλλὰ γεννήτορα· καὶ τοῦτο πληροφορηθεὶς ἐπίστευσα, διὸ ἐλάλησα· οὐδὲ περιειργασάμην τὴν φύσιν τοῦ θεοῦ, ὁποία τε καὶ πόση ἐστίν, ἀλλ' ἐπίστευσα τὸν Χριστὸν θεοῦ εἶναι υἱόν, πρὸ αἰώνων ἀφράστως ἐκ πατρὸς γεννηθέντα, καὶ τοῦτο πληροφορηθεὶς ἐπίστευσα, διὸ ἐλάλησα. Ἀλλὰ τοῦτον τὸν ψαλμὸν εἰ καὶ ἔχουσιν Ἰουδαῖοι, ψάλλειν ἀληθείᾳ οὐ δύνανται· οὐ γὰρ ἐπίστευσαν τὸν θεὸν πατέρα εἶναι τοῦ Χριστοῦ οὐδὲ ἔγνωσαν τὸν Χριστὸν υἱὸν εἶναι θεοῦ· εἰ γὰρ ἔγνωσαν, οὐκ ἂν τὸν κύριον τῆς δόξης ἐσταύρωσαν. Τοῦτον τὸν ψαλμὸν εἰ καὶ ἔχουσιν Εὐνομιανοὶ καὶ Ἀρειανοί, ἀλλ' ἐν ἀληθείᾳ ψάλλειν οὐ δύνανται· οὐ γὰρ ἐπίστευσαν τὸν θεὸν εἶναι γεννήτορα τοῦ Χριστοῦ, ἀλλὰ κτίστην καὶ ποιητήν, οὐδ' αὖ πάλιν ἐπίστευσαν τὸν Χριστὸν εἶναι υἱὸν τοῦ θεοῦ, κτίσμα εἶναι αὐτὸν λέγοντες καὶ ποίημα· Χριστὸν δὲ ἀθετοῦντες τὸν πατέρα ἀθετοῦσιν.

Ἄκουε τῆς γραφῆς λεγούσης· Εἴ τις τὸν υἱὸν οὐκ ἔχει, οὗτος οὐδὲ τὸν πατέρα ἔχει. Ἐπίστευσα, διὸ ἐλάλησα. Τοῦτον τὸν ψαλμὸν εἰ καὶ ἔχουσι Μακεδονιανοί, ψάλλειν ἐν ἀληθείᾳ οὐ δύνανται· οὐ γὰρ ἐπίστευσαν τὸ πνεῦμα τὸ ἅγιον τὸ ἐκ πατρὸς ἐκπορευόμενον ἀρρήτως εἶναι θεόν· τὸ δὲ ἅγιον πνεῦμα οὐκ ἔχοντες, οὐδὲ τὸν Χριστὸν ἔχουσιν. Ἄκουε Παύλου λέγοντος· Εἴ τις τὸ πνεῦμα Χριστοῦ οὐκ ἔχει, οὗτος οὐκ ἔστιν αὐτοῦ. Πᾶς οὖν ὁ ὀρθῶς πιστεύων εἰς πατέρα καὶ υἱὸν καὶ ἅγιον πνεῦμα, τοῦτο λέγει· Ἐπίστευσα, διὸ ἐλάλησα. 353 Ἴδωμεν δὲ καὶ τὸν ἑξῆς στίχον, τί βούλεται λέγειν· μετὰ τὸ Ἐπίστευσα, διὸ ἐλάλησα· Ἐγὼ δὲ ἐταπεινώθην σφόδρα. Ἀλλ' ὁ μὴ νοῶν δοκεῖ ἀνακόλουθον εἶναι τὸν στίχον· ἀλλ' ἐὰν νοήσῃ ἕκαστος ἡμῶν, καθὼς καὶ ∆αυὶδ ἐνόησε, περὶ τοῦ θεοῦ καὶ περὶ ἑαυτοῦ λέγει· Ἐγὼ δὲ ἐταπεινώθην σφόδρα. Ὀφθαλμοῖς καρδίας τὴν ἀνέκφραστον καὶ ἀνεκδιήγητον τοῦ θεοῦ μεγαλειότητα θεωρήσας, ὅτι ὅσον ὁ οὐρανὸς διαφέρει μύρμηκος, τοσοῦτον θεὸς