1

Adversus Judaeos

OF OUR FATHER AMONG THE SAINTS JOHN, ARCHBISHOP OF CONSTANTINOPLE, CHRYSOSTOM, DISCOURSES AGAINST THE JEWS

48.843 First Discourse.

1. I wanted to render to you today the remainder of the subject, about which I also spoke to you before, and to show more clearly how incomprehensible God is. For about this on the past Sunday we delivered those many and long discourses, when we also brought forward witnesses, both Isaiah and David and Paul. For the one cried out, Who shall declare his generation? while the other gave thanks to him for his incomprehensibility, saying: I will praise you, for you have been fearfully made wonderful; wonderful are your works; and again, Your knowledge has been too wonderful for me, it has been made mighty, I am not able to attain to it. But Paul, not stooping down to investigate his essence itself, but only his providence, or rather, taking a small part of that providence itself, which he displayed concerning the calling of the gentiles, seeing it as a vast and incomprehensible sea, thus he cried out: O the depth of the riches both of the wisdom and knowledge of God! how unsearchable are his judgments, and his ways past finding out! And the proof through these was sufficient; but I was not content with the prophets, I did not stop at the apostles, but I went up to heaven, I showed you the choir of angels saying, Glory to God in the highest, and on earth peace, good will toward men. You heard the seraphim again, astonished and crying out with trembling, Holy, holy, holy is the Lord of hosts: the whole earth is full of his glory. I added also the cherubim crying out: Blessed be the glory of the Lord 48.844 from his place. Three witnesses below, three witnesses above, declaring the unapproachable glory of God. The proof then is indisputable, and there was much applause, and the theater was warmed, and the assembly was fired up. But I rejoiced, not because I myself was praised, but because my Master was glorified. For that applause and praise showed the love of God of your soul. And just as affectionate servants, whenever they hear someone praising their own master, are inflamed with desire for the speaker because of their affection for the master, so also you did then; by the excess of your applause you showed great good will toward the Master. I wanted, therefore, today also to contend in these struggles. For if the enemies of the truth are not satisfied with blaspheming the benefactor, much more ought we to be insatiable in praising the God of all. But what can I do? Another most grievous disease calls our tongue to its cure, a disease planted in the body of the Church. But it is necessary first to uproot this, and then to care for things outside; first to heal our own people, and then to take care of those who are strangers. And what is the disease? The feasts of the miserable and wretched Jews are about to advance one after another in succession, the trumpets, the tabernacles, the fasts; and many of those ranked with us and who say they think our thoughts, some go to see the festivals, while others even celebrate with them and share in their fasts; and I want to drive this evil custom from the Church now. For 48.845 the discourses against the Anomoeans can also be given at another time, and no harm would come from the delay; but as for those who are sick with the Jewish disease, if we do not heal them now, when the feasts of the Jews are near and at the doors, I am afraid lest from untimely custom and from the much

1

Adversus Judaeos

ΤΟΥ ΕΝ ΑΓΙΟΙΣ ΠΑΤΡΟΣ ΗΜΩΝ ΙΩΑΝΝΟΥ ΑΡΧΙΕΠΙΣΚΟΠΟΥ ΚΩΝΣΤΑΝΤΙΝΟΥΠΟΛΕΩΣ ΤΟΥ ΧΡΥΣΟΣΤΟΜΟΥ ΛΟΓΟΙ ΚΑΤΑ ΙΟΥ∆ΑΙΩΝ

48.843 Λόγος πρῶτος.

αʹ. Ἐβουλόμην ὑμῖν ἀποδοῦναι τὰ λείψανα σήμερον τῆς ὑποθέσεως, περὶ ἧς καὶ πρώην ὑμῖν διελέχθην, καὶ δεῖξαι σαφέστερον, πῶς ἀκατάληπτός ἐστιν ὁ Θεός. Περὶ γὰρ τούτου τῇ παρελθούσῃ Κυριακῇ τοὺς πολλοὺς ἐκείνους καὶ μακροὺς ἐποιησάμεθα λόγους, ὅτε καὶ μάρτυρας παρηγάγομεν τόν τε Ἡσαΐαν καὶ τὸν ∆αυῒδ καὶ τὸν Παῦλον. Ὁ μὲν γὰρ ἐβόα, Τὴν γενεὰν αὐτοῦ τίς διηγήσεται; ὁ δὲ ηὐχαρίστει αὐτῷ ὑπὲρ τῆς ἀκαταληψίας, λέγων· Ἐξομολογήσομαί σοι, ὅτι φοβερῶς ἐθαυμαστώθης· θαυμάσια τὰ ἔργα σου· καὶ πάλιν, Ἐθαυμαστώθη ἡ γνῶσίς σου ἐξ ἐμοῦ, ἐκραταιώθη, οὐ μὴ δύνωμαι πρὸς αὐτήν. Ὁ δὲ Παῦλος οὐκ εἰς αὐτὴν τῆς οὐσίας τὴν ἔρευναν διακύψας, ἀλλ' εἰς τὴν πρόνοιαν αὐτοῦ μόνην, μᾶλλον δὲ καὶ αὐτῆς τῆς προνοίας μέρος μικρὸν ἀπολαβὼν, ὃ περὶ τὴν τῶν ἐθνῶν κλῆσιν ἐπεδείξατο, ὥσπερ πέλαγος ἀχανὲς καὶ ἀκατάληπτον ἰδὼν, οὕτως ἐβόησεν· Ὦ βάθος πλούτου καὶ σοφίας καὶ γνώσεως Θεοῦ! ὡς ἀνεξερεύνητα τὰ κρίματα αὐτοῦ, καὶ ἀνεξιχνίαστοι αἱ ὁδοὶ αὐτοῦ! Καὶ ἦν μὲν ἱκανὴ ἡ διὰ τούτων ἀπόδειξις· ἐγὼ δὲ οὐκ ἠρκέσθην τοῖς προφήταις, οὐκ ἔστην μέχρι τῶν ἀποστόλων, ἀλλ' ἀνέβην εἰς τὸν οὐρανὸν, ἔδειξα ὑμῖν τὸν χορὸν τῶν ἀγγέλων λέγοντα, ∆όξα ἐν ὑψίστοις Θεῷ, καὶ ἐπὶ γῆς εἰρήνη, ἐν ἀνθρώποις εὐδοκία. Ἠκούσατε τῶν σεραφεὶμ πάλιν ἐκπληττομένων καὶ μετὰ φρίκης κραζόντων, Ἅγιος, ἅγιος, ἅγιος Κύριος σαβαώθ· πλήρης πᾶσα ἡ γῆ τῆς δόξης αὐτοῦ. Προσέθηκα καὶ τὰ χερουβὶμ βοῶντα· Εὐλογημένη ἡ δόξα αὐτοῦ 48.844 ἐκ τοῦ τόπου αὐτοῦ. Κάτω τρεῖς μάρτυρες, ἄνω τρεῖς μάρτυρες, τὸ ἀπρόσιτον τῆς τοῦ Θεοῦ δόξης δηλοῦντες. Ἀναμφισβήτητος λοιπὸν ἡ ἀπόδειξις, καὶ πολὺς ὁ κρότος ἐγίνετο, καὶ διεθερμαίνετο τὸ θέατρον, καὶ ἐπυροῦτο ὁ σύλλογος. Ἐγὼ δὲ ἔχαιρον, οὐχ ὅτι αὐτὸς ἐπῃνούμην, ἀλλ' ὅτι ὁ ∆εσπότης ὁ ἐμὸς ἐδοξάζετο. Ὁ γὰρ κρότος ἐκεῖνος καὶ ὁ ἔπαινος τὸ φιλόθεον τῆς ὑμετέρας ψυχῆς ἐνεδείκνυτο. Καὶ καθάπερ οἰκέται φιλόστοργοι, ἐπειδὰν ἀκούσωσί τινος τὸν ἑαυτῶν ἐπαινοῦντος δεσπότην, ἐκκαίονται τῷ πόθῳ περὶ τὸν λέγοντα διὰ τὸ πρὸς τὸν δεσπότην φίλτρον, οὕτω καὶ ὑμεῖς ἐποιήσατε τότε· τῇ τῶν κρότων ὑπερβολῇ τὴν πολλὴν περὶ τὸν ∆εσπότην ἐπεδείκνυσθε εὔνοιαν. Ἐβουλόμην μὲν οὖν καὶ σήμερον ἐπαγωνίσασθαι τοῖς παλαίσμασι τούτοις. Εἰ γὰρ οἱ ἐχθροὶ τῆς ἀληθείας κόρον οὐ λαμβάνουσι βλασφημοῦντες τὸν εὐεργέτην, πολλῷ μᾶλλον ἡμᾶς ἀκορέστως ἔχειν δεῖ πρὸς εὐφημίαν τοῦ τῶν ὅλων Θεοῦ. Ἀλλὰ τί πάθω; Ἕτερον νόσημα χαλεπώτατον τὴν ἡμετέραν γλῶσσαν πρὸς ἰατρείαν καλεῖ, νόσημα ἐν τῷ σώματι τῆς Ἐκκλησίας πεφυτευμένον. ∆εῖ δὲ πρότερον τοῦτο ἀνασπάσαντας, τότε φροντίσαι τῶν ἔξωθεν· πρότερον τοὺς οἰκείους θεραπεῦσαι, καὶ τότε τῶν ἀλλοτρίων ἐπιμελήσασθαι. Τί δέ ἐστι τὸ νόσημα; Ἑορταὶ τῶν ἀθλίων καὶ ταλαιπώρων Ἰουδαίων μέλλουσι προσελαύνειν συνεχεῖς καὶ ἐπάλληλοι, αἱ σάλπιγγες, αἱ σκηνοπηγίαι, αἱ νηστεῖαι· καὶ πολλοὶ τῶν μεθ' ἡμῶν τεταγμένων καὶ τὰ ἡμέτερα λεγόντων φρονεῖν, οἱ μὲν ἐπὶ τὴν θέαν ἀπαντῶσι τῶν ἑορτῶν, οἱ δὲ καὶ συνεορτάζουσι καὶ τῶν νηστειῶν κοινωνοῦσι· καὶ τοῦτο τὸ πονηρὸν ἔθος βούλομαι τῆς Ἐκκλησίας ἀπελάσαι νῦν. Οἱ μὲν γὰρ 48.845 πρὸς Ἀνομοίους λόγοι καὶ ἐν ἑτέρῳ δύνανται γενέσθαι καιρῷ, καὶ οὐδεμία ἀπὸ τῆς ἀναβολῆς γένοιτ' ἂν βλάβη· τοὺς δὲ τὰ Ἰουδαϊκὰ νοσοῦντας, εἰ μὴ νῦν θεραπεύσαιμεν, ὅτε ἐγγὺς καὶ ἐπὶ θύραις εἰσὶν αἱ τῶν Ἰουδαίων ἑορταὶ, δέδοικα μή ποτε ὑπὸ τῆς ἀκαίρου συνηθείας καὶ τῆς πολλῆς