John Chrysostom, On "If anyone is in Christ, a new creation"

Seeing our race feverish, he washes; first he says, Wash, and be freed from the disease; he washes with the washing of regeneration and anoints; and with the anointing of myrrh I anoint you, and I wash and I change you. And is the power of the washing so great? So great. Go down. He goes down, and the old man does not remain. Is there need of iron? of cutting and pain? the benefit is in pleasure; is the cure not laborious? And what shall we do to be saved? we have worked countless evils, we have a wicked conscience, we are lost. He says to be baptized and be saved; for taking, he anoints, he washes, then he nourishes with solid food. For since the sick one has become innocent, he nourishes him and nourishes with his own body, and gives his own blood to drink; Mine, he says, the sinless one's. For since you became sinless from the washing, taking such a body, he anoints, washes, nourishes.

This is a new creation. When a fornicator enters, and becomes righteous, is it not a new creation? when a plunderer enters, and is freed from his sins, is it not a new creation? Have you seen the creation in grace? 64.34 see also the creation in the way of life. How many prostitutes left the theaters, put away silk garments, sprinkled themselves with ashes, put on sackcloth, and now live their lives in Christ? is it not a new creation? When you see the prostitute no longer a prostitute, but more modest than a virgin, say: Her mind was created anew, her heart was changed, her thought was altered from its way; she no longer goes to the theater, no longer ensnares others, but is also saved herself; she is no longer a scandal to others, but a salvation; for fornicators see, and become sober-minded.

Do you see the new creation? When you see the plunderer, the Greek, the one licking altars, the one raging against Christians, stripping countless orphans, making countless widows destitute, become a Christian, and giving his own things to the poor, and attending all-night vigils, say, He himself has been created anew; so that, If anyone is in Christ, he is a new creation. See the new creation everywhere in the world. When you see monks who have taken to the mountains, crucified, trampling on the necessities of nature, imitating angels in their dispassion; so that, If anyone is in Christ, he is a new creation. Go to Persia, if not in body, then in mind; they used to marry their mothers, but now they practice virginity. So that, If anyone is in Christ, he is a new creation. See the creation even up to kings who have diadems. Before this, kings filled everything with impiety, but now kings come to church; and yet kings are fearsome to all; but now the Church is fearsome to them.

Who dares to say to a king, Lay aside your diadem? But the Church says it to him, and he obeys, and he comes with his head bare, not because anyone tells him, but because his reason persuades him; with head bare and unadorned; he casts off his diadem, and takes up a cross. The poor man and the king enter to the table alike; not one way the poor man, and another way the king; nor does the king say, Give me more, and to the poor man less, but having the same humility, the same reverence, as the poor man, so I too; so that, If anyone is in Christ, he is a new creation. For all these things, let us give thanks to God, because to him be glory for ever. Amen.

Ὁρῶν πυρέττον τὸ γένος τὸ ἡμέτερον, λούει· πρῶτον λέγει, Λοῦσαι, καὶ ἀπαλλάσσου τοῦ νοσήματος· λούει λουτρῷ παλιγγενεσίας καὶ ἀλείφει· καὶ τῷ χρίσματι τοῦ μύρου ἀλείφω σε, καὶ λούω καὶ μεταβάλλω σε. Καὶ τοσαύτη ἡ ἰσχὺς τοῦ λουτροῦ; Τοσαύτη. Κατάβηθι κάτω. Καταβαίνει κάτω, καὶ οὐ μένει ὁ παλαιὸς ἄνθρωπος. Μὴ σιδήρου χρεία; μὴ τομῆς καὶ ὀδύνης; ἐν ἡδονῇ ἡ ὠφέλεια· μὴ ἐπίπονος ἡ ἰατρεία; Καὶ τί ποιήσομεν ἵνα σωθῶμεν; μυρία εἰργασάμεθα κακὰ, πονηρὸν ἔχομεν συνειδὸς, ἀπωλόμεθα. Λέγει βαπτίζεσθαι καὶ σώζεσθαι· καὶ γὰρ λαβὼν χρίει, λούει, εἶτα τρέφει στερεὰν τροφήν. Ἐπειδὴ γὰρ ἀθῶος ὁ νοσηρὸς ἐγένετο, τρέφει αὐτὸν καὶ τρέφει τὸ σῶμα τὸ ἑαυτοῦ, καὶ ποτίζει τὸ αἷμα τὸ ἑαυτοῦ· Ἐμοῦ, φησὶ, τοῦ ἀναμαρτήτου. Ἐπειδὴ γὰρ ἐγένου σὺ ἀναμάρτητος ἀπὸ τοῦ λουτροῦ, λαβὼν σῶμα τοιοῦτον, χρίει, λούει, τρέφει.

Τοῦτό ἐστι καινὴ κτίσις. Ὅταν εἰσέλθῃ πόρνος, καὶ γίνεται δίκαιος, οὐκ ἔστι καινὴ κτίσις; ὅταν εἰσέλθῃ ἅρπαξ, καὶ ἀπαλλαγῇ τῶν ἁμαρτημάτων, οὐκ ἔστι καινὴ κτίσις; Εἶδες ἐν τῇ χάριτι τὴν κτί 64.34 σιν; βλέπε καὶ ἐν τῇ πολιτείᾳ τὴν κτίσιν. Πόσαι πόρναι κατέλειπον τὰ θέατρα, ἀφῆκαν σηρικὰ ἱμάτια, κατεπάσσαντο σποδὸν, περιεβάλλοντο σάκκους, καὶ νῦν πολιτεύονται ἐν Χριστῷ; οὐκ ἔστι καινὴ κτίσις; Ὅταν οὖν ἴδῃς τὴν πόρνην μηκέτι πόρνην, ἀλλὰ παρθένου σεμνοτέραν, εἰπέ· Ἐκτίσθη αὐτῆς ἡ γνώμη, μετεβλήθη αὐτῆς ἡ καρδία, μετέστη ἡ διάνοια ἀπὸ τοῦ τρόπου· οὐκ ἔτι αὐτὴ εἰς τὸ θέατρον, οὐκέτι ἄλλους βροχίζει, ἀλλὰ καὶ αὐτὴ σώζεται· οὐκέτι ἄλλοις γίνεται σκάνδαλος, ἀλλὰ σωτηρία· βλέπουσι γὰρ οἱ πόρνοι, καὶ σώφρονες γίνονται.

Ὁρᾶς καινὴν τὴν κτίσιν; Ὅταν ἴδῃς τὸν ἅρπαγα, τὸν Ἕλληνα, τὸν βωμοὺς λείχοντα, τὸν μαινόμενον κατὰ Χριστιανῶν, μυρίους ἀποδύοντα ὀρφανοὺς, μυρίας γυμνοῦντα χήρας, Χριστιανὸν γενόμενον, καὶ τὰ ἑαυτοῦ διδόντα πένησι, καὶ εἰς παννυχίδας παραγινόμενον, εἰπὲ, Ἐκτίσθη ὁ αὐτός· ὥστε, Εἴ τις ἐν Χριστῷ, καινὴ κτίσις. Ὅρα πανταχοῦ τῆς οἰκουμένης καινὴν τὴν κτίσιν. Ὅταν ἴδῃς μοναχοὺς ὄρη κατειληφότας, ἐσταυρωμένους, τὰς ἀνάγκας τῆς φύσεως καταπατοῦντας, ἀγγέλους μιμουμένους τῇ ἀπαθείᾳ· ὥστε, Εἴ τις ἐν Χριστῷ, καινὴ κτίσις. Ἄπελθε εἰς Περσίδα, εἰ μὴ καὶ τῷ σώματι, ἀλλὰ τῷ νοΐ· μητέρας ἐγάμουν, νῦν δὲ παρθενίαν ἀσκοῦσιν. Ὥστε, Εἴ τις ἐν Χριστῷ, καινὴ κτίσις. Μέχρι βασιλέων βλέπε τὴν κτίσιν τῶν τὰ διαδήματα ἐχόντων. Πρὸ τούτου βασιλεῖς πάντα ἔπλησαν ἀσεβείας, νῦν δὲ βασιλεῖς εἰς ἐκκλησίαν ἀπαντῶσι· καίτοι πᾶσι φοβεροὶ οἱ βασιλεῖς· νῦν δὲ ἡ Ἐκκλησία αὐτοῖς φοβερά.

Τίς τολμᾷ εἰπεῖν βασιλεῖ, Θές σου τὸ διάδημα; ἡ δὲ Ἐκκλησία αὐτῷ λέγει, καὶ ὑπακούει, καὶ ἔρχεται γυμνῇ τῇ κεφαλῇ οὐδενὸς λέγοντος, ἀλλὰ τοῦ λογισμοῦ παραινοῦντος· γυμνῇ τῇ κεφαλῇ καὶ ἀκαλλωπίστῳ· ῥίπτει διάδημα, καὶ λαμβάνει σταυρόν. Εἰσέρχεται εἰς τὴν τράπεζαν ὁ πτωχὸς καὶ ὁ βασιλεὺς ὁμοίως· οὐκ ἄλλως ὁ πτωχὸς, καὶ ἄλλως ὁ βασιλεύς· οὐδὲ λέγει ὁ βασιλεὺς, Ἐμοὶ πλέον δὸς, καὶ τῷ πτωχῷ ἔλαττον, ἀλλὰ τὴν αὐτὴν ταπεινοφροσύνην, τὴν αὐτὴν εὐλάβειαν ἔχων, ὡς ὁ πτωχὸς καὶ ἐγώ· ὥστε, Εἴ τις ἐν Χριστῷ, καινὴ κτίσις. Ὑπὲρ δὲ τούτων ἁπάντων εὐχαριστήσωμεν τῷ Θεῷ, ὅτι αὐτῷ ἡ δόξα εἰς τοὺς αἰῶνας. Ἀμήν.