John Chrysostom, Speech on Epiphany

Oratio de epiphania

Of John, bishop of Constantinople, on the Theophany.

1 I feel my soul is divided in two; for today's reading of the Gospels, hinting at the duality of natures, calls me to itself; but the hymn produced by the one who came before draws me back to the praise of the Epiphany. Come, then, let us too with the one who came before share in the hymn for the day of the Epiphany. For if the day of the feast has passed, yet the benefit of the feast has not passed.

2 The day of the Nativity was indeed also full of a god-befitting epiphany, but it was secret to the multitudes of the Jews and not visible to the eyes of the people. For he who was born was known only by the rumor which the arrival of the Magi generated, and they themselves inquired as if about an unknown birth: Where is the one born king of the Jews? For this reason also a star again pointed out to them the place of the infant, since he who was born was not manifest. For it was expedient for the birth to be unknown, and especially because of Herod's wrath; for if he had found the infant being recognized, he would have slaughtered him before the end of the economy.

3 But at the Epiphany the sight of him who was born was for all the people and the knowledge more manifest, and <from> this the eponym "Epiphany", because, being previously known to a few, he then became manifest to the multitudes, with all of Jerusalem being present with the Baptist, and all of Judea being emptied out to him, and all the region of the Jordan running to him. For, he says, Jerusalem went out, and all Judea, and all the region around the Jordan, and were baptized by him, confessing their sins.

4 Meanwhile the Master went, making use of the common access of the multitude, and not being recognized by John. For, he says, I did not know him, but he who sent me to baptize in water, he said to me. But the grace of the Spirit, secretly touching the heart of the Baptist, revealed the worth of the one present. And John, having received the knowledge of the Master's presence, drew back his hand, and bowed his head; leaving aside the one baptizing, he took on the role of one to be baptized. From this a dialogue arose, with John hiding his hand, and Christ insisting on the baptism, the one saying "Baptize," the other gainsaying, the one shuddering at the touch, the Master commanding to be bold. But the time of the words hindered the multitude hastening to the baptism. And being hindered, they sought the reason, and seeking, though scattered far off, they ran together to John, and running together, they all heard from nearby what was being said.

5 And first, the words of John, filled with astonishment: I have need to be baptized by you, and do you come to me? Put away, he says, before me the guise of one being baptized; leave off the pretense of one needing to be cleansed. What you are by nature to bestow, do not pretend to borrow; since wealth is yours in these matters, do not act as though you are poor. In your presence I do not have a right hand for the use of baptizing, but a head needing to be baptized. I do not know how to wash the rays of the sun; for it is not in the nature of the sun to be illumined by a lamp; clay does not cleanse a spring.

6 As these things were being said by the Baptist, the multitude hearing the words from nearby naturally spoke among themselves: Who is this at whom this Baptist shudders? Who is this to whom the Baptist shows the rank of a sinner? Who is this who by his presence frightens so great a one? He shudders as at a lawful master. How

Oratio de epiphania

Ἰωάννου ἐπισκόπου Κωνσταντινουπόλεως εἰς τὰ θεοφάνια.

1 ∆ιχῇ μοι τῆς ψυχῆς μεριζομένης αἰσθάνομαι· ἡ μὲν γὰρ σημερινὴ τῶν εὐαγγελίων ἀνάγνωσις τὸ τῶν φύσεων αἰνιττομένη διπλοῦν πρὸς ἑαυτὴν συγκαλεῖ· ὁ δὲ παρὰ τοῦ προλαβόντος γεγενημένος ὕμνος εἰς τὴν τῶν ἐπιφανίων εὐφημίαν ἀνθέλκει. ∆εῦρο δὴ καὶ ἡμεῖς τῷ προλαβόντι τὸν εἰς τὴν τῶν ἐπιφανίων ἡμέραν κοινωνήσωμεν ὕμνον. Εἰ γὰρ παρῆλθεν τῆς ἑορτῆς ἡ ἡμέρα, ἀλλὰ τῆς ἑορτῆς οὐ παρῆλθεν εὐεργεσία.

2 Ἦν μὲν οὖν καὶ ἡ τῶν γενεθλίων ἡμέρα θεοπρεποῦς ἐπιφανείας μεστή, ἀλλὰ τοῖς Ἰουδαίων ἀπόρρητος πλήθεσι καὶ δήμων οὐκ ἐμφανὴς ὀφθαλμοῖς. Φήμῃ γὰρ ὁ τεχθεὶς ἐγνωρίζετο μόνῃ ἣν ἡ τῶν μάγων ἐγέννησεν ἄφιξις, καὶ αὐτῶν ὡς ἐπ' ἀγνώστῳ τῷ τόκῳ πυνθανομένων· Ποῦ ἐστὶν ὁ τεχθεὶς βασιλεὺς τῶν Ἰουδαίων; ∆ιὰ τοῦτο καὶ ἀστὴρ τὸ τοῦ βρέφους αὖθις αὐτοῖς ἐδακτυλοδείκτει χωρίον, ὡς οὐκ ὄντος ἐμφανοῦς τοῦ τεχθέντος. Συνέφερε γὰρ τῷ τόκῳ τὸ ἄγνωστον καὶ πρῶτόν γε διὰ τὸν Ἡρῴδου θυμόν· εἴπερ τὸ βρέφος γνωριζόμενον ηὗρε, τοῦ τῆς οἰκονομίας ἂν προανέσφαξε τέλους.

3 Ἐν δὲ τοῖς ἐπιφανίοις πάνδημος τοῦ τεχθέντος ἡ θέα καὶ γνῶσις ἐμφανεστέρα καὶ <ἐκ> ταύτης τὸ τῶν ἐπιφανίων ἐπώνυμον ὄνομα, ὅτι βραχέσι πρότερον γνωριζόμενος ἐπιφανὴς τότε γεγένηται πλήθεσιν, ὅλης μὲν τῆς Ἰηρουσαλὴμ τῷ βαπτιστῇ συμπαρ ούσης, ὅλης δὲ τῆς Ἰουδαίας πρὸς αὐτὸν κενωθείσης, ὅλης δὲ τῆς Ἰορδάνου χώρας πρὸς αὐτὸν δραμούσης. Ἐξεπορεύετο γάρ, φησίν, ἡ Ἰεροσόλυμα καὶ πᾶσα ἡ Ἰουδαία καὶ πᾶσα ἡ περίχωρος τοῦ Ἰορδάνου καὶ ἐβαπτίζοντο ὑπ' αὐτοῦ ἐξομολογούμενοι τὰς ἁμαρτίας αὐτῶν.

4 Μεταξὺ δὲ ὁ δεσπότης ᾔει τῇ κοινῇ τοῦ πλήθους κεχρημένος προσόδῳ καὶ τῷ Ἰωάννῃ μὴ γνωριζόμενος. Ἐγὼ γάρ, φησίν, οὐκ ᾔδειν αὐτόν, ἀλλ' ὁ πέμψας με βαπτίζειν ἐν ὕδατι, ἐκεῖνός μοι εἶπεν. Ἡ τοῦ Πνεύματος δὲ χάρις τῆς τοῦ βαπτιστοῦ λαθραίως ἁψαμένη καρδίας τὴν τοῦ παρόντος ἀξίαν ἐμήνυσε. ∆εξάμενος δὲ τῆς δεσποτικῆς παρουσίας Ἰωάννης τὴν γνῶσιν, τὴν χεῖρα συστείλας, τὴν κεφαλὴν ὑπετίθει· ἀφεὶς τὸν βαπτίζοντα, τὴν τοῦ βαπτιζομένου μετελάμβανε τάξιν. ∆ιάλεξις ἐντεῦθεν ἐτίκτετο, κρύπτοντος μὲν Ἰωάννου τὴν χεῖρα, ἐγκειμένου δὲ τοῦ Χριστοῦ τῷ βαπτίσματι, τοῦ μὲν λέγοντος Βάπτισον, τοῦ δὲ ἀντιλέγοντος, τοῦ μὲν φρίττοντος τὴν ἁφήν, τοῦ δεσπότου δὲ θαρρεῖν ἐπιτάττοντος. Ὁ τῶν λόγων δὲ χρόνος τὸ πρὸς τὸ βάπτισμα σπεῦδον ἐνεπόδιζε πλῆθος. Ἐμποδιζόμενοι δὲ τὴν αἰτίαν ἐζήτουν, ζητοῦντες δὲ καὶ μακρὰν κεχυμένοι παρὰ τὸν Ἰωάννην συνέτρεχον, συντρέχοντες δὲ ἅπαντες τῶν λαλουμένων ἐγγύθεν κατήκουον.

5 Καὶ πρῶτόν γε τῶν Ἰωάννου φωνῶν πεπληρωμένων ἐκπλήξεως· Ἐγὼ χρείαν ἔχω ὑπὸ σοῦ βαπτισθῆναι, καὶ σὺ ἔρχῃ πρὸς μέ. Ἀπόθου, φησί, πρὸς ἐμὲ τοῦ βαπτιζομένου τὸ σχῆμα· ἄφες τὴν τοῦ καθαρθῆναι δεομένου προσποίησιν. Ἃ χαρίζεσθαι πέφυκας, μὴ πλάττου δανείζεσθαι· σὸν πλοῦτος ὡς ἐν τούτοις μὴ σχηματίζου πενόμενος. Οὐκ ἔχω σοῦ παρόντος δεξιὰν πρὸς τὸ βαπτίζειν χρήσει ἀλλὰ τοῦ βαπτισθῆναι κεφαλὴν δεομένην. Οὐκ οἶδα νίπτειν ἀκτῖνας ἡλιακάς· οὐ γὰρ πέφυκεν ἥλιος παρὰ λύχνου φωτίζεσθαι· πηλὸς οὐ σμήχει πηγήν.

6 Τούτων παρὰ τοῦ βαπτιστοῦ λεγομένων, τὸ τῶν λόγων ἐγγύθεν ἀκροώμενον πλῆθος πρὸς ἀλλήλους ὡς εἰκὸς ὑπελάλει· Τίς οὗτος ὃν οὗτος ὁ βαπτιστὴς ὑποφρίττει; Τίς οὗτος πρὸς ὃν ἁμαρτωλοῦ τάξιν ὁ βαπτιστὴς ἐπιδείκνυται; Τίς οὗτος ὁ τὸν τοσοῦτον τῇ παρουσίᾳ φοβῶν; Ὡς ἔννομον ἐπιστήμονα φρίττει. Πῶς