Homilies on 1 Timothy 4.1–4.2
Greek text: PG 62.English: Claude (claude-opus-5-5), public domain (CC0).
Chapter 4
4.1PG 62:541
Πιστὸς ὁ λόγος, καὶ πάσης ἀποδοχῆς ἄξιος, ὅτι Χριστὸς Ἰησοῦς ἦι1θεν εἰς τὸν κόσμον ἁ τωλοὺς σῶσαι, ὧν πρῶτός εἰμι ἐγώ. ᾿Αλλὰ διὰ τοῦτο ἠ,Ἰεήθην, ἵνα ἐν ἐμοὶ πρώτῳ ἐνδείξηται Ἱησοῦς Χριστὸς τὴν ἅπασαν. μακροθυμίαν, πρὸς ὑποτύπωσιν τῶν μελλόντων πιστεύειν ἐπ᾿ αὐτῷ εἰς ζωὴν αἰώνιον. Οὕτω μεγάλαι εἰσὶν αἱ εὐεργεσία: τοῦ θεοῦ, καὶ πᾶσαν ἀνθρωπίνην ὑπερδαίνουσαι προσδοχίαν καὶ ἐλπίδα, ὡς πολλαχοῦ καὶ ἀπιστεῖσθαι. “Α γὰρ μῆτε ἐνενόησε, μὴτε προτεδόχησε νοῦς ἀνθρώπινος, ταῦτα ἡμῖν ἐχαρίσατο. Διὰ τοῦτο καὶ πολὺν οἱ ἀπόστολοι λόγον ὑπὲρ τούτου ποιοῦνται, ὥστε πιστευθῆναι τὰ δῶρα τὰ παρὰ τοῦ Θεοῦ ἡμῖν παρασχεθέντα. Καθάπερ γὰρ ἐπὶ τῶν μεγάλων ἀγαθῶν « τοῦτο πάσχομεν, ἄρα μὴ ὄναρ ἐστίν; λέγοντες, τῷ ἀπιστεῖν " οὕτω καὶ ἐπὶ τῶν τοῦ Θεοῦ δωρεῶν. Τί οὖν ἧν τὸ ἀπιστούμενον; Εἰ οἱ ἐχθροὶ, εἰ οἱ ἁμαρτωλοὶ, εἰ οἱ ἂν νόμῳ μὴ δικαιωθέντες μηδὲ δι᾽ ἔργων, οὗτοι ἑξαίφνης διὰ πίστεως μόνης ἔμελλον τῶν πρωτείων τεύξεσθαι. Πολλὰ μὲν οὖν καὶ ἐν τῇ πρὸς Ῥωμαίους περὶ τούτου διαλέγεται τοῦ χεφαλαίου, πολλὰ δὲ καὶ ἐνταῦθα. Πιστὸς, φησὶν, ὁ «.1όγος, καὶ πάσης ἀποδοχῆς ἄξιος, ὅτι Χριστὸς ᾿Ιησοῦς ἦλθεν εἰς τὸν κόσμον ἁμαρτωοὺς σῶσαι, ὧν πρῶτός εἰμι ἐγώ. Ἐπειδὴ γὰρ Ἰουδαῖοι τούτῳ μάλιστα ἐφείλχοντο, πείθει αὐτοὺς τῷ νόμῳ μὴ προσέχειν, ὡς οὐχ ἑνὸν δι᾽ ἐχείνου σωθῆναι πίστεως χωρίς. Πρὸς τοῦτο τοίνυν μάχεται. ΓΑπιστον γὰρ εἶναι ἐδόχει, εἰ δὴ ἄνθρωπος πάντα τὸν ἔμπροσθεν χαταδαπανήσας βίον εἰχῆ καὶ μάτην ἐν πονηραῖς πράξεσι χαταναλώσας, ἔμελλε σώζεσθαι ὕστερον ἀπὸ πίστεως μόνης. Διὰ τοῦτό φῆσι, Πιστὸς ὁ λόγος. ᾿ΔΝλλά τινες οὐχ ἠπίστουν μόνον, ἀλλὰ καὶ ἐνεχάλουν, ὃ καὶ νῦν ποιοῦσιν Ἕλληνες λέγοντες " Ποιήσωμεν τὰ κακὰ, ἵνα δλθῃ τὰ ἀγαθά. ᾿Ἐπειδὴ γὰρ ἤχουσαν λέγοντος, Ὅπου ἐπλεόνασεν ἡ ἁμαρτία, ὑπερεξεπερίσσευσεν ἡ χάρις, διασύροντες τὰ ἡμέτερα ἐχεῖνοι ἔλεγον τοῦτο., Οὕτω καὶ ὅταν περὶ γεέννης διαλεγώμεθα αὐτοῖς, Καὶ ποῦ, φασὶ, ταῦτα ἄξια Θεοῦ, εἰ ἄνθρωπος μὲν τὸν οἰκέτην λαδὼν τὸν ἑαυτοῦ πολλὰ ἡμαρτηχότα, ἀφίησι καὶ συγγνώμης ἀξιοῖ" ὁ δὲ Θεὸς ἀθάνατα χολάζει; Καὶ ὅταν περὶ λουτροῦ πάλιν αὐτοῖς διαλεγώμεθα καὶ τῆς διὰ τούτου τῶν ἁμαρτημάτων ἀφἐσεως, Ποῦ ταῦτα, φασὶν, ἄξια Θεοῦ, τὸν μυρία ἐργασάμενον χαχὰ, ἀφιέναι τῶν ἁμαρτημάτων; Ὁρᾷς, τὴν ἐνδιάστροφον Ὑνώμην, πῶς πανταχοῦ τὴν οἰχείαν ἐνδείκννται φιλονεικίαν; Καὶ μὴν εἰ ἡ ἄφεσις χαχὸν, καλὸν ἡ χόλασις " εἰ δὲ ἡ χόλασις οὐ καλὸν, ἡ ἄφεσις καλόν’ χατὰ τὸν ἐκείνων φημὶ λόγον " χατὰ γὰρ τὸν ἡμέτερον ἀμφότερα χαλά- καὶ πῶς, ἐν ἑτέρῳ δείξομεν καιρῷ " οὐ γὰρ τοῦ παρόντος ἂν εἴη. Βαθὺν γὰρ ὄντα καὶ πολλῆς δεόμενον τῆς ἐπεξεργασίας, ἐν χαιρῷ δεῖ τοῦτον προθεῖναι ἐπὶ τῆς ὑμετέρας ἀγάπητ᾿ τέως δὲ τῶν προχειμένων ἐχώμεθα. Πιστὸς, φησὶν, ὁ «ἰόγος. Πόθεν πιστός; Καὶ ἀπὸ τῶν προαγόντων, καὶ ἀπὸ τῶν μετὰ ταῦτα. Ὅρα πῶς καὶ προκατασχευάζει, καὶ μετὰ τὸ κατασχευάδαι αὐτῷ ἐνδιατρίδει. Τὸ γὰρ εἰπεῖν, ὅτι Βλάσφημον ὄντα καὶ διώχτην ἠλέησε, τοῦτο χατασχευάζοντος ἣν. Καὶ οὐκ ἠλέησε, φησὶ, μόνον, ἀλλὰ καὶ πιστὸν ἐποίησε " τοσοῦτον οὐ χρὴ, φησὶν, ἀπιστεῖν ὅτι ἠλέησεν. υὐδεὶς γὰρ ὁρῶν τὸν δεσμώτην ἐν βασιλείοις στρεφόμένον, ὅτι ἠλεήθη ἀμφιθάλλει ποτέ " ὅπερ ἐπὶ «οὔ Παύλου ἦν ἰδεῖν. ᾿Αφ᾽ ἑαυτοῦ γὰρ ποιεῖται τὸ σημεῖον, καὶ οὐχ αἰσχύνεται χαλῶν ἑαυτὸν ἁμαρτωλὸν, ἀλλὰ καὶ μᾶλλον εὐφραίνεται. Οὕτω γὰρ μάλιστα δύναται δεῖξαι τὸ μέγα τῆς τοῦ θεοῦ χηδεμονίας θαῦμα, καὶ ὅτι φιλανθρωπίας ἠξιώθη τοσαύτης. Καὶ πῶς ἀλλαχοῦ λέγων περὶ ἑαυτοῦ, Κατὰ δικαιοσύνην τὴν ἐν γόμῳ γενόμενος ἄμεμπτος, ἕν-. ταῦθά φησιν ἁμαρτωλὸν εἶναι, καὶ πρῶτον τῶν ἀμαρπωλῶν; Ὅτι πρὸς τὴν δικαιοσύνην, ἣν ὁ Θεὸς εἰργάσατο, καὶ τὴν ὄντως ζητουμένην, ἁμαρτωλοὶ καὶ οἱ ἐν τῷ νόμῳ“ Πάντες γὰρ ἥμαρτον, καὶ ὑστεροῦνται τῆς δόξης τοῦ Θεοῦ. Διὰ τοῦτο οὐχ ἁπλῶς εἶπε δικαιοσύνην, ἀλλὰ, Τὴ» ἐγ γόμω. Ὥσπερ γὰρ ὁ ἀργύριον πολὺ χεχτημένος χαθ᾽ ἑαυτὸν μὲν πλούσιος φαίνεται, κατὰ δὲ τὴν σύγχρισιν τῶν θησαυρῶν τῶν βασιλικῶν σφόδρα πένης, καὶ πρῶτος πένης " οὕτω δὴ καὶ ἐνταῦθα, πρὸς τοὺς ἀγγέλους χρινόμενοι, ἁμαρτωλοὶ οἱ ἄνθρωποι, καὶ εἰ δίκαιοι. Εἰ δὲ Παῦλος ὁ ἐὴν ἐν νόμῳ διχαιοσύνην ἐργασάμενος πρῶτος ἁμαρτωλὸς, τίς ἄρα τῶν ἄλλων δίκαιος ἂν χληθείη; Οὐ γὰρ διαδάλλων αὐτοῦ τὸν βίον ὡς ἀσελγῇ, τοῦτό φησι, μὴ γένοιτο, ἀλλὰ τὴν δικαιοσύνην ἐχείνὴν πρὸς ταύτην συγχρίνων, τὸ μηδὲν εἶναι δείχνυσιν οὐ μόνον δὲ τοῦτο, ἀλλὰ καὶ ἁμαρτωλοὺς τοὺς ἔχοντας αὑτὴν ἀποφαίνει. ᾿Αλλὰ “διὰ τοῦτο θην, φησὶν, ἵνα ἐν ἐμοὶ πρώτῳ ἐνδείξηται Ἰησοῦς Χριστὸς τὴν πᾶσαν μακροθυμίαν, πρὸς ὑποτύπωσιν τῶν μελλόντων πιστεύειν εἰς αὐτὸν εἰς
Pistos ho logos, kai pasēs apodochēs axios, hoti Christos Iēsous ēi1then eis ton kosmon ha tōlous sōsai, hōn prōtos eimi egō. ᾿Alla dia touto ē,Ieēthēn, hina en emoi prōtǭ endeixētai Hiēsous Christos tēn hapasan. makrothymian, pros hypotypōsin tōn mellontōn pisteuein ep᾿ autǭ eis zōēn aiōnion. Houtō megalai eisin hai euergesia: tou theou, kai pasan anthrōpinēn hyperdainousai prosdochian kai elpida, hōs pollachou kai apisteisthai. “A gar mēte enenoēse, mēte protedochēse nous anthrōpinos, tauta hēmin echarisato. Dia touto kai polyn hoi apostoloi logon hyper toutou poiountai, hōste pisteuthēnai ta dōra ta para tou Theou hēmin paraschethenta. Kathaper gar epi tōn megalōn agathōn « touto paschomen, ara mē onar estin? legontes, tǭ apistein " houtō kai epi tōn tou Theou dōreōn. Ti oun hēn to apistoumenon? Ei hoi echthroi, ei hoi hamartōloi, ei hoi an nomǭ mē dikaiōthentes mēde di᾽ ergōn, houtoi hexaiphnēs dia pisteōs monēs emellon tōn prōteiōn teuxesthai. Polla men oun kai en tę̄ pros Rhōmaious peri toutou dialegetai tou chephalaiou, polla de kai entautha. Pistos, phēsin, ho «.1ogos, kai pasēs apodochēs axios, hoti Christos ᾿Iēsous ēlthen eis ton kosmon hamartōous sōsai, hōn prōtos eimi egō. Epeidē gar Ioudaioi toutǭ malista epheilchonto, peithei autous tǭ nomǭ mē prosechein, hōs ouch henon di᾽ echeinou sōthēnai pisteōs chōris. Pros touto toinyn machetai. GApiston gar einai edochei, ei dē anthrōpos panta ton emprosthen chatadapanēsas bion eichē kai matēn en ponērais praxesi chatanalōsas, emelle sōzesthai hysteron apo pisteōs monēs. Dia touto phēsi, Pistos ho logos. ᾿DNlla tines ouch ēpistoun monon, alla kai enechaloun, ho kai nyn poiousin Hellēnes legontes " Poiēsōmen ta kaka, hina dlthę̄ ta agatha. ᾿Epeidē gar ēchousan legontos, Hopou epleonasen hē hamartia, hyperexeperisseusen hē charis, diasyrontes ta hēmetera echeinoi elegon touto., Houtō kai hotan peri geennēs dialegōmetha autois, Kai pou, phasi, tauta axia Theou, ei anthrōpos men ton oiketēn ladōn ton heautou polla hēmartēchota, aphiēsi kai syngnōmēs axioi" ho de Theos athanata cholazei? Kai hotan peri loutrou palin autois dialegōmetha kai tēs dia toutou tōn hamartēmatōn apheseōs, Pou tauta, phasin, axia Theou, ton myria ergasamenon chacha, aphienai tōn hamartēmatōn? Horąs, tēn endiastrophon Hynōmēn, pōs pantachou tēn oicheian endeiknntai philoneikian? Kai mēn ei hē aphesis chachon, kalon hē cholasis " ei de hē cholasis ou kalon, hē aphesis kalon’ chata ton ekeinōn phēmi logon " chata gar ton hēmeteron amphotera chala- kai pōs, en heterǭ deixomen kairǭ " ou gar tou parontos an eiē. Bathyn gar onta kai pollēs deomenon tēs epexergasias, en chairǭ dei touton protheinai epi tēs hymeteras agapēt᾿ teōs de tōn procheimenōn echōmetha. Pistos, phēsin, ho «iogos. Pothen pistos? Kai apo tōn proagontōn, kai apo tōn meta tauta. Hora pōs kai prokatascheuazei, kai meta to katascheuadai autǭ endiatridei. To gar eipein, hoti Blasphēmon onta kai diōchtēn ēleēse, touto chatascheuazontos hēn. Kai ouk ēleēse, phēsi, monon, alla kai piston epoiēse " tosouton ou chrē, phēsin, apistein hoti ēleēsen. yydeis gar horōn ton desmōtēn en basileiois strephomenon, hoti ēleēthē amphithallei pote " hoper epi «ou Paulou ēn idein. ᾿Aph᾽ heautou gar poieitai to sēmeion, kai ouch aischynetai chalōn heauton hamartōlon, alla kai mallon euphrainetai. Houtō gar malista dynatai deixai to mega tēs tou theou chēdemonias thauma, kai hoti philanthrōpias ēxiōthē tosautēs. Kai pōs allachou legōn peri heautou, Kata dikaiosynēn tēn en gomǭ genomenos amemptos, hen-. tautha phēsin hamartōlon einai, kai prōton tōn amarpōlōn? Hoti pros tēn dikaiosynēn, hēn ho Theos eirgasato, kai tēn ontōs zētoumenēn, hamartōloi kai hoi en tǭ nomǭ“ Pantes gar hēmarton, kai hysterountai tēs doxēs tou Theou. Dia touto ouch haplōs eipe dikaiosynēn, alla, Tē» eg gomō. Hōsper gar ho argyrion poly chechtēmenos chath᾽ heauton men plousios phainetai, kata de tēn synchrisin tōn thēsaurōn tōn basilikōn sphodra penēs, kai prōtos penēs " houtō dē kai entautha, pros tous angelous chrinomenoi, hamartōloi hoi anthrōpoi, kai ei dikaioi. Ei de Paulos ho eēn en nomǭ dichaiosynēn ergasamenos prōtos hamartōlos, tis ara tōn allōn dikaios an chlētheiē? Ou gar diadallōn autou ton bion hōs aselgę̄, touto phēsi, mē genoito, alla tēn dikaiosynēn echeinēn pros tautēn synchrinōn, to mēden einai deichnysin ou monon de touto, alla kai hamartōlous tous echontas hautēn apophainei. ᾿Alla “dia touto thēn, phēsin, hina en emoi prōtǭ endeixētai Iēsous Christos tēn pasan makrothymian, pros hypotypōsin tōn mellontōn pisteuein eis auton eis
“The saying is trustworthy and deserving of full acceptance, that Christ Jesus came into the world to save sinners, of whom I am the foremost. But I received mercy for this reason, that in me first Jesus Christ might display his entire patience, as an example to those who were to believe in him for eternal life.”
So great are God’s benefits, surpassing all human expectation and hope, that they are often disbelieved. What the human mind neither conceived nor anticipated, these he has granted us. That is why the apostles too speak at length about this, so that the gifts provided to us by God may be believed. Just as with great good things we experience this (we say, “Is it not a dream?” because we cannot believe it), so too with God’s gifts. What, then, was it that was disbelieved? That enemies, sinners, people justified neither by the law nor by works, should suddenly through faith alone obtain the first place. He discusses this point at length in the letter to the Romans, and at length here too. “The saying is trustworthy,” he says, “and deserving of full acceptance, that Christ Jesus came into the world to save sinners, of whom I am the foremost.” Since the Jews were especially drawn to the law, he persuades them not to give heed to it, since it is not possible to be saved through it without faith. Against this, then, he contends. For it seemed incredible that a man who had wasted his whole previous life, spending it rashly and vainly in wicked deeds, should be saved afterward by faith alone. That is why he says, “The saying is trustworthy.”
But some not only disbelieved but even accused, as the Greeks do even now, saying, “Let us do evil, that good may come.” For since they heard him say, “Where sin increased, grace abounded all the more,” they said this to mock our teaching. So too when we discuss Gehenna with them: And how, they say, is this worthy of God, if a man who takes his servant who has sinned much lets him off and thinks him worthy of pardon, while God punishes without end? And again, when we discuss with them the washing and the forgiveness of sins through it: How is it worthy of God, they say, to forgive the sins of one who has done countless evils? Do you see the perverse mind, how everywhere it displays its contentiousness? And yet if forgiveness is bad, punishment is good; and if punishment is not good, forgiveness is good: according to their reasoning, I mean. According to ours both are good; how, we will show at another time, for it would not suit the present. Since the question is deep and needs much working out, we must set it before your love at a fitting time; meanwhile let us keep to the matter in hand.
“The saying is trustworthy,” he says. Why trustworthy? Both from what went before and from what follows. See how he both prepares the ground beforehand and, having prepared it, dwells on it. For to say that God had mercy on him though he was a blasphemer and a persecutor was preparing the ground. And not only did he have mercy, he says, but he made him faithful; so far is there from being any need to disbelieve that he had mercy. No one who sees a prisoner moving about in the palace ever doubts that he received mercy; and this could be seen in Paul’s case. He makes himself the proof, and is not ashamed to call himself a sinner, but rather rejoices in it. For in this way above all he can show the great wonder of God’s care, and that he was counted worthy of such love for humankind.
And how is it that, though he says of himself elsewhere, “as to righteousness under the law, blameless,” here he says that he is a sinner, and the foremost of sinners? Because compared with the righteousness that God has worked, the righteousness truly sought, even those under the law are sinners: “For all have sinned and fall short of the glory of God.” That is why he did not simply say “righteousness,” but “righteousness under the law.” Just as one who has much silver seems rich on his own, but compared with royal treasuries is very poor, the poorest of all, so too here: compared with the angels, human beings are sinners, even if they are righteous. And if Paul, who achieved the righteousness under the law, is the foremost sinner, who among the others could be called righteous? He does not say this to disparage his life as licentious, God forbid; but by comparing that righteousness with this, he shows it to be nothing, and not only that, but he declares those who have it to be sinners. “But for this reason I received mercy,” he says, “that in me first Jesus Christ might display his entire patience, as an example to those who were to believe in him for [eternal life].”
Textual problem in this passage: see the notes.
1 Tim 1:15–16 (quotation, high confidence) · 1 Cor 2:9 (echo, medium confidence) · Rom 3:8 (quotation, high confidence) · Rom 5:20 (quotation, high confidence) · Phil 3:6 (quotation, high confidence) · Rom 3:23 (quotation, high confidence)
Notes and citation
Summary: Chrysostom explains why Paul calls the salvation of sinners by faith alone a “trustworthy saying,” answers pagan objections to forgiveness, and explains how the blameless Paul can call himself the foremost of sinners.
- Homily 4 on 1 Tim 1:15–16. Quotations: 1 Tim 1:15–16; Rom 3:8; 5:20; Phil 3:6; Rom 3:23. “What the human mind neither conceived” echoes 1 Cor 2:9. “The washing” is baptism. Chrysostom’s statement that sinners are saved “through faith alone” (διὰ πίστεως μόνης) is translated literally. A Migne footnote (a variant reading) and Latin-column debris are removed by a logged correction; other OCR slips are translated by sense.
Notes on the original text
- Digital text corrected (Migne footnote and Latin-column OCR leaked into the Greek): Καθά- 4 Ἡδης νὭτίδιῃ Ἰϑοϊ ποι αἴδγὶ ϑαν} 05, χαθάπερ γὰρ, ἐπὶ τῶν παρ᾽ ἡμῖν μεγάλων πραγμάτων. περ γὰρ → Καθάπερ γὰρ.
Topics: Baptism
Cite (SBL): Chrysostom, Hom. 1 Tim. 4.1 (PG 62:541; trans. Sophia Scriptura, https://sophiascriptura.com/p/chrysostom-hom-1-timotheum/4-1). (abbreviation not yet checked)
Permanent link: https://sophiascriptura.com/p/chrysostom-hom-1-timotheum/4-1
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Translation: Translated by Claude from the Greek (PG 62, archive OCR); compared afterwards with the public-domain English of NPNF¹ 13 (1889).
4.2PG 62:541
Ὁρᾷ: πῶς πάλιν ταπειιεῖ γαὶ γαταπττέλλει ἑαυτὸν, ἑτέραν εὐτελεστέραν λέγων αἰτίαν; Τὸ μὲν γὰρ ἄγνοιαν λέγειν ἐλεηθῆναι, οὐ σφόδρα δείχνυσιν ἁμαρτωλὸν τὸν ἐλεούμενον, οὐδὲ ἄγαν χατεγνωσμένον " τὸ δὲ διὰ τοῦτο ἐλεηθῆναι, ἵνα μηδεὶς ἀπαγορεύῃ λοιπὸν τῶν ἡμαρτηχότων, ἀλλὰ θαῤῥῇ ὅξι καὶ αὐτὸς τῶν αὐτῶν τεύξεται, σφόδρα μέγα καὶ μεθ᾽ ὑπερδολῆς. Ὥστε φθεγξάμενος, Πρῶτός εἰμι ἐγὼ τῶν ἁμαρτωλῶν, καὶ βλάσφημος καὶ διώκτης καὶ ὑδριστής" καὶ, Οὐκ εἰμὶ ἱκανὸς καλεῖσθαι ἀπόστοῖος, καὶ ὅσα εἴρηχεν "ὅμως οὐδὲν οὕτω ταπεινὸν ἐφθέγξατο. Καὶ ἐπὶ ὑποδείγματος δὲ τοῦτο σαφὲς ἔσται. "Ἔστω γὰρ πόλις πολνάνθρωπος πάντας τοὺς πολίτας ἔχουσα φαύλους, τοὺς μὲν ἧττον, τοὺς δὲ μᾶλλον, πάντας μέντοι χατεγνωσμένους “ εἷ: δέ τις ἐν τοῖς πολλοῖς ἐχείνοις πάντων μᾶλλον ἔστω χολάσεως καὶ τιμωρίας ἄξιος, καὶ πᾶν ἐπελθὼν εἶδος χαχίας. "Ἂν τοίνυν λέγῃ τις, ὅτι πᾶσιν ἀφεῖναι βούλεται ὁ βασιλεὺς, οὐχ οὕτω πιστεύσουσι τῷ λόγῳ, ἕως ἂν ἴδωσι τὸν πάντων φαυλότερον αὑτῶν τούτου τυχόντα" οὐχ ἔστι γὰρ λοιπὸν ἀμφισδήτησις. Τοῦτο καὶ Παῦλός φησιν, ὅτι βουλόμενος ὁ Θεὸς πληροφορῆσαι τοὺς ἀνθρώπους, ὅτι πάντα αὐτοῖς ἀφίησι, τὸν πάντων ἁμαρτωλύτερον εἴλετο. Οὐ γὰρ ἂν, ἐμοῦ τυχόντος συγχωρήσεως, φησὶ, περὶ τῶν ἄλλων ἀμφισδητήσειέ τις" ὡς ἂν εἰ ἔλεγέ τις καὶ ἐν τῇ συνηθείᾳ, Ἐὰν δὲ τῷδε ὁ θεὸς συγχωρήσῃ, οὐδένα τῶν ἄλλων χολάσει. Καὶ δείκνυσι διὰ τούτου οὐδὲ ἄξιον ἑαυτὸν ὄντα συγχωρήσεως, ἀλλὰ διὰ τὴν εἰς ἑτέρους σωτηρίαν ταύτης πρότερον ἀπολαύσαντα. Νηδεὶς τοίνυν ἀμφιδαλλέτω, φησὶ, περὶ σωτηρίας, ὁπότε Καὶ ὅρα τοῦ μακαρίου τούτου τὴν τὰ εινοφροσύνην. Οὐχ ἔφη, Ἵνα ἐνδείξηται ἐν ἐμοὶ τὴν μαχρϑθυμίαν, ἀλλὰ, Τὴν πᾶσαν μακροθυμίαν" ὡς ἂν εἰ ἔλεγε" Μᾶλλον ἐμοῦ ἐπ᾽ ἄλλῳ οὐχ ἔχει μαχροῦυμῆσαι, οὐδὲ εὑρεῖν οὕτως ἁμαρτωλὸν, παντὸς δεόμενον αὐτοῦ τοῦ ἐλέους, πάσης τῆς μακροθυμίας, οὐ μέρους, χαθάπερ οἱ ἐπὶ μέρους ἁμαρτάνοντες. Πρὸς ὑποτύπωσιν, φησὶ, τῶν μειλιλόντων πιστεύειν ἐπ᾽ αὑτῷ εἰς ζωὴν αἰώνιον, τουτέστι, πρὸς παράχγ)ησιν, πρὸς προτροπήν. Ἐπειδὴ δὲ μέγα τι περὶ τοῦ Υἱοῦ ἐφθέγξατο, καὶ ὅτι τοσαύτην ἀγάπην ἐνεδείξατο, ἵνα μή τις νομίσῃ ταύτης ἀπεστερῆσθαι τὸν Πατέρα, ἀναφέρε: καὶ αὐτῷ δόξαν ἐπάγων, καί φησι" Τῷ δὲ βασιλεῖ τῶν' αἰώνων ἀφθάρτῳ, ἀοράτῳ, μόνῳ σοφῷ θεῷ τιμὴ καὶ δόξα εἰς τοὺς αἰῶνας τῶν αἰώνων, ᾿Αμήγ. Ὑπὲρ δὴ τούτων, φησὶν οὗ τὸν Υἱὸν μόνον, ἀλλὰ καὶ τὸν Πατέρα δοξάζομεν. Ἐρώμεθα οὖν τοὺς αἱρετιχούς ᾿ Ἰδοὺν Μόνῳ Θεῷ, εἴρηκε περὶ Πατρὸς λέγων " ἄρα οὗ Θεὸς ὁ Υἱός; καὶ, Μόνῳ ἀφθάρτῳ" ἄρα οὐχ ἄφθαρτος ὁ Υἱός; καὶ ὃ δίδωσιν ἡμῖν μετὰ καῦτα, αὐτὸς οὖκ ἔχει; Ναὶ, φησὶ, καὶ Θεὸς, καὶ ἄφθαρτος, ἀλλ οὐ τοιοῦτος, οἷος ὁ Πατήρ. Τί φής; οὐ τοιοῦτος, καὶ ἐλάττονος οὐσίας ἐστίν; οὐχοῦν καὶ ἀφθαρσίας ἐλάττονος. Τί δέ ἐστι, μείξων καὶ ἥττων ἀφϑαρσία; ἧ γὰρ ἀφθαρσία οὐδὲν ἄλλο ἐστὶν, ἣ «ὃ μὴ διαφθείρεσθαι. Δόξα μὲν γὰρ μείζων καὶ ἥττων ἐστὶν, ἀφθαρσία δὲ μείζων χοὶ ἥττων οὐχ ἔστιν, ὥσπερ οὖν οὐδὲ ὑγεία ἥττων καὶ πλείων " ἢ γὰρ φθείρεσθαί τι δεῖ, ἣ μηδ᾽ ὅλως, Τί οὖν, φησίν; ἡμεῖς καὶ ἄφθαρτοι ὡσαύτως; Μὴ γένοιτο" οὐδαμῶς. Διὰ Ὅτι αὑτὸς μὲν φύσει τοῦτο ἔχει, ἡμεῖς δὲ ἔπεισα ἄχτως. Αρ᾽ οὖν καὶ ἐπὶ τοῦ Υἱοῦ οὕτως; Οὐδαμῶς" ἀλλὰ καὶ αὐτὸς φύσει. Τίνος οὖν ἕνεχεν ἡ διαφορά; Ὅτι αὐτὸς μὲν, φησὶ, παρ᾽ οὐδενὸς ἐγένετο τοιοῦτος, ὁ δὲ Υἱὸς παρὰ τοῦ Πατρός. Καὶ ἡμεῖς τοῦτο ὁμολογοῦμεν" οὐδὲ γὰρ ἡμεῖς ἀρνούμεθα, ὅτι ἐχ τοῦ Πατρὸς ὁ ΥἹὸς ἀφθάρτως γεγέννηται. Ὑπὲρ τούτων, φησὶ, τὸν Πατέρα δοξάζομεν, ὅτι τοιοῦτον αὐτὸν ἐγέννησεν. Ὁρᾷς ὅτι τότε μάλιστα δοξάζεται ὁ πατὴρ, ὅταν μεγάλα ἡ χατωρθωχὼς ὁ παῖς; εἰς αὐτὸν γὰρ ἀναφέρεται τὰ τοῦ υἱοῦ. Οὐχοῦν, ὅταν δυνατὸν ἧ γεγεννηχὼς, καὶ τοιοῦτον οἷον αὐτὸς, ἣ δόξα τοῦ υἱοῦ" μᾶλλόν στιν ἣ τοῦ πατρὸς, ὅταν αὑὐτάρχη. ὅταν ἑαυτῷ ἀρχοῦντα, ὅταν μὴ ἀσθενῆ. Τῷδε, Βασιλεῖ τῶν αἰώνων, καὶ περὶ τοῦ Υἱοῦ εἴρηται, Δι᾽ οὗ καὶ τοὺς αἰῶνας ἑποίησε. Τὸ αὑτό ἐστιν ἐνταῦθα. Παρὰ μὲν γὰρ ἡμῖν διήρηται ἀμςότερα, ἣ δημιουργία, λέγω, καὶ ἡ χτίσις, καὶ ἕτερος μὲν κατασχευάζει καὶ ποιεῖται καὶ ταλαιπωρεῖ, ἕτερος δὲ χρατεῖ. Διὰ τί; Ὅτι ὁ χατασχενάζων ἐλάττων ἐστίν. Ἐχεῖ δὲ οὐδαμῶς " οὐχ ἑτέρου μὲν ἡ δεσποτεία, ἑτέρου δὲ ἡ δημιουργία. Οὐδὲ γὰρ, ἐπειδὰν ἀχούσω, Δι᾿ οὗ καὶ τοὺς αἰῶνας ἐποίησεν, ἀφαιρῶ τὸν Πατέρα τὸ δημιουργιχόν " οὔτε δὲ ὅταν ἀχούσω, Ὁ Πατὴρ βασιλεὺς τῶν αἰώνων, τὸν Υἱὸν ἀφαιρῶ τὴν δεσποτείαν " χοινὰ γὰρ καὶ ἐχείνου καὶ τούτου ταῦτα" ἀμφότερα γὰρ ἑκχατέροις ἐστίν. Ἕχτισεν ὁ Πατὴρ τῷ δημιουργὸν Υἱὸν γεγεννηχέναι" βασιλεύει ὁ ΥἹὸς τῷ Κύριος εἶναι τῶν χτισμάτων. Οὐ γὰρ μισθοῦ ἐργάζεται, καθάπερ οἱ παρ᾽ ἡμῖν, οὐδὲ ἑτέρῳ ὑπαχούων, κχαθάπερ οὗτοι, ἀλλὰ δι᾽ οἰχείαν ἀγαθότητα καὶ φιλανθρωπίαν. Τί δέ; ὁ γῆς ὡράθη ποτέ; Οὐχ ἄν τις ἔχοι λέγειν. Τί οὖν ἔστιν, ᾿Αφθάρτῳ, ἀοράτῳ, μόνῳ σοφῷ Θεῷ; τί δὲ ὅταν λέγῃ, Οὐδὲ γάρ ἐστιν ὄνομα. ἕτερον, ἐν ᾧ δεῖ σωθῆναι ἡμᾶς; καὶ πάλιν, Οὐκ ἔστιν ἐν ἄλλῳ οὐδενὶ ἡ σωτηρία; Τιμὴ καὶ δόξα, φησὶν, εἰς τοὺς αἰῶνας. ᾿Αμήν. Τιμὴ καὶ δόξα οὐ διὰ ῥημάτῶν γίνεται. Ἐπεὶ οὖν καὶ αὐτὸς οὐ διὰ ῥημάτων ἡμᾶς ἐτίμησεν, ἀλλὰ καὶ διὰ πραγμάτων καὶ ἔργων, οὕτω καὶ ἡμεῖς αὐτὸν τιμήσωμεν καὶ διὰ πραγμάτων καὶ δι᾽ ἔργων. Καίτοι αὕτη μὲν ἡ τιμὴ ἡμῶν ἅπτεται, ἐχείνη δὲ αὐτοῦ οὐδαμῶς " οὐ γὰρ εῖται τῆς παρ᾽ ἡμῶν, ἡμεῖς δὲ τῆς παρ᾽ αὐτοῦ δεόμεθα. Υ΄. Ὥστε χἂν τιμήσωμεν αὐτὸν, πάλιν ἡμᾶς αὐτοὺς ἐτιμήσαμεν. Ὥσπερ γὰρ ὁ τοὺς ὀφθαλμοὺς ἀνοίξας, ἵνα τὸ ἡλιαχὸν ἴδῃ φῶς, ἑαυτὸν πάλιν ὥνησε, θαυμάζων τὸ κάλλος τοῦ ἄστρου, οὐχ ἐχείνῳ τι χεχάρίτται" οὐ γὰρ λαμπρότερον αὐτὸ πεποίηχεν, ἀλλὰ μένει τὸ αὐτό" οὕτω, καὶ πολλῷ μᾶλλον, ἐπὶ τοῦ Θεοῦ - ὁ θαυμάζων τὸν Θεὸν καὶ τιμῶν, ἑαυτὸν ἔσωσε, καὶ ὠφέλησεν ὠφέλειαν μεγίστην. Πῶς; Ὅτι τὴν ἀρετὴν μετερχόμενος Ῥ, παρ᾽ αὐτοῦ δοξάζεται " Τοὺς γὰρ δοξάζοντάς με, φησὶ, δοξάσω. Πῶς οὖν αὑτὸς δοξάζεται, φησὶν, ἀπὸ τῆς δόξης τῆς ἡμετέρας οὐδὲν ἀπολαύων : Ὥσπερ οὖν καὶ πεινῆν λέγεται, καὶ διψῆν - πάντα γὰρ οἰχειοῦται τὰ ἡμέτερα, ἵνα χἂν οὕτως ἡμᾶς ἐφελχύσηται, καὶ τὰς τιμὰς καὶ τὰς ὕδρεις, ἵνα χἂν οὕτω φοδηθῶμεν " καὶ οὐδ᾽ οὕτως ἐφελχόμεθα. Δοξάσωμεν δὴ τὸν Θεὸν, ἄρωμεν τὸν Θεὸν ἐν τῷ ῷ λεῖ. σα δ, σώματι καὶ ἐν τῷ πνεύματι ἡμῶν. Καὶ πῶς τις ἐν τῷ σώματι δοξάζει, φησί; πῶς δὲ ἐν τῷ πνεύματι; Πνεῦμα ἐνταῦθα τὴν ψυχὴν λέγει, πρὸς ἀντιδιαστολὴν τοῦ σώματος. Πῶς οὖν τις δοξάζει ἐν τῷ σώματι; πῶς δὲ ἐν τῇ ψυχῇ; Ἐν σώματι δοξάζει ὁ μὴ πορνεύων, ὁ μὴ μεθυσχόμενος, ὁ μὴ γαστριζόμενος, ὁ μὴ καλλωπιζόμενος, ὁ Τοσαύτην αὐτοῦ ποιούμενος πρόνοιαν, ἦσον πρὸς ὑγείαν ἀρχεῖν μόνον, ὁ μὴ μοιχεύων, ἣ μὴ μυριζομένη, ἡ μὴ χρώματι διαγράφούσα τὸ πρόσωπον, ἡ ἀρχουμένη τῇ πλάσει τοῦ Θεοῦ, καὶ μηδὲν ἐπιτεχνωμένη. Τί γὰρ, εἰπέ μοι, προσάγεις τὰ παρὰ σαυτῆς τῇ ἀπηρτισμένῃ παρὰ τοῦ Θεοῦ δημιουργίᾳ; οὐκ αὐτάρχης σοι γέγονεν ἣ διάπλασις; ὡς βελτίων ποίνυν τεχνῖτις ἐπιχειρεῖς ῥυθμίσαι τὸ ἔργον; Οὐχ ἔστι τοῦτο, ἀλλὰ διὰ τοῦτο χαλλωπίζῃ, καὶ ὑδρίζεις τὸν Δημιουργὸν, ἵνα μυρίους ἐραστὰς ἐπισπάσῃ. Καὶ τί πάθω, φησίν; οὐδὲ γὰρ ἐγὼ βούλομαι, ἀλλὰ διὰ τὸν ἄνδρα ταῦτα ποιεῖν ἀναγχάζομαι. Οὐχ ἕνι μὴ βουλομένην ἐρᾶσθαι. Καλήν σε ὁ Θεὸς ἐποίησεν, ἵνα θαυμάζηται καὶ ἐπὶ τούτῳ, οὐχ ἵνα ὑδρίζηται" μὴ τούτοις αὐτὸν ἀμείδου τοῖς δώροις, ἀλλὰ σωφροσύνῃ καὶ χοσμιότητι. Καλήν σε ὁ Θεὸς ἐποίησεν, ἵνα σοι τοὺς «ἧς χοσμιότῆτος ἄθλους αὐξήσῃ. Οὐ γάρ ἐστιν ἴσον, ἐπέραστον οὖσαν σωφρονεῖν, καὶ ὁπ᾽ οὐδενὸς γενομένην περιμάχητον. ᾿Αχούεις τί φησιν ἡ Γραφὴ περὶ τοῦ Ἰωσήφ; ὅτι Ἦν ὡραῖος καὶ καλὸς τῇ ὄψει. Τί ἡμᾶς τοῦτο ἀχούοντας ὠφελεῖ, ὅτι καλὸς ἦν Ἰωσήφ; Ἵνα μᾶλλον αὐτοῦ τὸ κάλλος θαυμάζωμεν καὶ τὴν χοσμιότητα. Ἐποίησέ σε χαλῆν ὁ Θεός; τί τοίνυν χατασχευάζεις ἄμορφον σαυτήν; “Ὥσπερ γὰρ ἂν εἴ τις χρυσῷ ἀνδριάντι ἐπιχρίσειε πηλὸν βορδόρου, οὕτως σεις σαυτὴν ς τὴν μὲν φοινιχῆν, τὴν δὲ λευχήν. ᾿Αλλ᾽ αἱ ἄμορφοι, φησὶν, εἰχότως τοῦτο πράττουσι. Τίνος ἕνεχεν, εἰπέ μοι; ἵνα τὴν ἀμορφίαν χρύψωσιν; ᾿Αλλὰ ἀνόνητα πονοῦσι. Πότε γὰρ, εἰπέ μοι, τὸ φυσιχὸν ὑπὸ τοῦ τεχνιχοῦ ἀ καὶ ἐπιτετηδευμένου νιχᾶται; Τί δὲ ὅλως ἡ ἀμορφία λυπεῖ, ὅταν ψόγον μὴ ἔχῃ; ἴΛχουε γὰρ σοφοῦ τινος λέγοντος, Μὴ βδε- «1ύξῃ ἄνδρα ἐν ὁράσει αὐτοῦ, μηδὲ αἱγέσῃς ἄνδρα ἂν τῷ κάλλει αὐτοῦ " μᾶλλον μὲν οὖν Θεὸν ᾿θαύμασον τὸν ἀριστοτέχνην, ἐχεῖνον δὲ μηχέτι " οὐ γὰρ αὐτοῦ χατόρθωμα τὸ γενόμενον. Ποῖον γὰρ χέρδος ἀπὸ χάλλους, εἰπέ μοι; Οὐδὲν, ἀλλ᾽ ἀγῶνες πλείους, μείζονες ἐπήρειαι, καὶ οἱ χίνδυνοι καὶ αἱ ὑποψίαι. Τὴν μὲν γὰρ οὐ τοιαύτην οὐδ᾽ ἂν ὑποπτεύσειέ τις " ἐχείνη δὲ ἂν μὴ πολλῇ τῇ χοσμυύτητι καὶ μεθ᾽ ὑπερθολῆς ἧ χεχρημένη, εὐθέως δέξεται δόξαν πονηράν᾽ καὶ ὁ ἀνὴρ δὲ μεθ᾽ ὑποψίας συνοιχεῖ, οὗ τί γένοιτ᾽ ἂν χαλεπώτερον; οὐ τοσαύτην ἀπὸ τῆς θέας χτώμενος τὴν ἡδονὴν, ὅσον ἀπὸ τῆς ὑπονοίας χαρποῦται τὴν λύπην. Ἐχείνη μὲν γὰρ τῇ συνηθείᾳ μαραίνεται, βλαχείας, διαχύσεως, ἀσελγείας δόξαν λαμδανούσης αὑτῆς τῆς ψυχῆς, βαναύσου γινομένης, ἀπονοίας πολλῆς πληρουμένης" πρὸς ταῦτα γὰρ πάντα μᾶλλον ἣ εὑμορφία ἕλχει. Τὴν δὲ οὐ τοιαύτην οὐχ ἂν εὕροιμεν πολλὰ τὰ χωλύματα ἔχουσαν. Οὔτε γὰρ οἱ ἐπιπηδῶντες χύνες εἰσὶν, ἀλλὰ, χαθάπερ τις ἀμνὰς, ἐν ἡσυχίᾳ πολλῇ βόσχεται, οὐδενὸς ἐνοχλοῦντος λύχου οὐδὲ ἐπιπηδῶντος, ἅτε τοῦ ποι μένος παραχαθημένου αὐτῇ. Οὐχ ἔστι πλεονεξία τὸ ἑτέραν μὲν εἶναι καλὴν, ἑτέραν δὲ μὴ τοιαύτην" πλεονεξία ἐστὶ τὸ ἑτέραν μὲν πορνεύειν καὶ καλὴν μὴ οὖσαν, ἑτέραν δὲ εἶναι πονηράν. Εἰπὲ γάρ μοι, -ἰς ἀρετὴ ὀφθαλμῶν; ἄρα τὸ ὑγροὺς εἶναι καὶ εὖκαὶ διορατιχούς; Ἐγὼ μὲν τοῦτό φημι, καὶ δῆλον ἐχεῖθεν᾽ Τίς ἀρετὴ λύχνου; τὸ λαμπρὰ φαίνειν καὶ μεγίστων καὶ θαυμαστῶν ὁμοίως ἀπολαύωμεν, οὐδὲν πλεονεχτούμεθα. Οἷόν τι λέγω" Τὸν χόσμον τοῦτον ὁμοίως ὁρῶμεν, τὸν ἥλιον, τὴν σελήνην, τοὺς ἀστέρᾶᾳς, τὸν ἀέρα ὁμοίως ἕλχομεν, τοῦ ὕδατος, τῆς τροφῆς ὁμοίως μετέχομεν, ἄν τε εὔμορφοι ὥμεν, ἄν τε μή. ἙΕὶ δὲ χρή τι καὶ θαυμαστὸν εἰπεῖν, τῶν εὐμόρφων αἱ μὴ τοιαῦται μᾶλλον ὑγιεινότεραι. Ἐχεῖναι μὲν. γὰρ ὡς δὴ τὴν ὥραν διαφυλάττουσαι, χαμάτοι; ἑαυτὰς οὐ διδόασιν, ἀλλ᾽ ἀργίᾳ καὶ σχιαπᾶσαν χατανγάζειν τὴν οἰχίαν, ἣ τὸ καλῶς πεπλά- 4Οτροφίᾳ, ὑφ᾽ ὧν μάλιστα αἱ τῶν μελῶν ἐνέργειαι σθαι καὶ στρογγύλον εἶναι; Ἐχεῖνο πάντως ἂν εἴποιμεν τοῦτο μὲν γὰρ ἀδιάφορον, τὸ δὲ ζητούμενον ἐχεῖνο. Διὰ τοῦτο καὶ, Σαπρὸν λύχνον ἐποίησας, πρὸς τὴν ἐγχεχειρισμένην θεραπαινίδα ἀεὶ λέγομεν " οὕτω λύχνοῦ τὸ φωτίζειν ἐστίν. Οὐχοῦν καὶ ὀφθαλμὸς, ἐάν τε τοιόσδε ἐάν τε τοιόσδε ἧ, οὐδέν ἐστιν, ἕως ἂν μετὰ πάτης αὐταρχείας τὴν χρείαν πληροῖ" ὥσπερ οὖν καὶ σαπρὸς λέγεται, ἐὰν ἀμδλυωπῇ, καὶ τὴν σύνθεσιν μὴ ἔχῃ πᾶσαν ἀπηρτισμένην " καὶ γὰρ τοὺς ἀνεῳγμένῶν τῶν ὀφθαλμῶν μὴ βλέποντας σαπροὺς ἔχειν ᾿Ἰκαχέως πορνεύσει- οὐδὲ γὰρ εὑρίσχει ταῦτα παρὰ ὀφθαλμούς φαμεν. Πᾶν γὰρ ὃ μὴ τὴν ἰδίαν χρείαν πληροῖ, σαπρὸν λέγομεν " καὶ τοῦτο ὀφθαλμοῦ καχία. Τῆς δὲ ῥινὸς, εἰπέ μοι, ποία ἀρετὴ; ἄρα τὸ εὐθεῖαν εἶναι, καὶ ἀπεξεαμένην ἑχατέρωθεν, καὶ τὴν ἀναλογίαν σύμμετρον ἔχειν, ἣ τὸ πρὸς τὴν ὄσφρησιν ἐπιτηδείαν εἶναι, καὶ δυναμένην ταχέοις νεσθαι καὶ παραπέμψαι τῷ ἐγχεφάλῳ; Τοῦτο δὴ παντί που δῆλόν ἀστι. Φέρς δὴ, καὶ ἐπὶ ὑποδείγματι τὸ πρᾶγμα προσοξετάσωμεν. Εἰπὲ γάρ μοι, τοὺς ἄρπαγας, τὰ σχεύη, ποῖα φήσομεν κατεσχευάσθαιῦ καλῶς, τὰ δυνάμενα ἁρπάζειν μετὰ ἀχριδείας καὶ χατέχειν, ἣ τὰ διαπεπλααμένα καλῶς; Δῆλον ὅτι "ἐχεῖνα, Τί δὲ ὀδόντας, ποίους εἶναι φήσομεν χαλούς; τοὺς τμητιχοὺς καὶ εὐχόλως διατέμνοντας τὴν τροφὴν, ἣ τοὺς καλῶς συγχειμένους; Δῆλον ὅτι ἐχείνους. Καὶ ὅλως ἐπὶ παντὸς τοῦ σώματος τούτῳ προσάγοντες τῷ λόγῳ τὴν ζήτησιν, εὑρήσομεν πάντα τὰ ὑγιῆ καὶ καλὰ, ἕως ἂν ἐνεργῇ μετὰ ἀχριθείας τὰ οἰχεῖα τῶν μελῶν ἕχαστον. Οὕτω καὶ σχεῦος ἕχαστον λέγομεν ἀμθλύτεραι γίνονται " αὗται δὲ ἁπλῶς καὶ ἄδην, ὅτε οὐδεμίαν περὶ ταῦτα ἔχουσαι τὴν σπουδὴν, ἐχεὶ τὸ πᾶν ἀναλίσχουσι. Δοξάσωμεν τοίνυν τὸν θεὸν, ἄρωμεν αὑτὸν ἐν τῷ σώματι ἡμῶν, μὴ καλλωπιζώμεθα" περιττὴ αὕτη ἡ σπουδὴ καὶ ἀνόνητος. Μὴ παιδεύωμεν τοὺς ἄνδρας ὄψεις μόνας φιλεῖν " ἂν γὰρ ἧς οὕτω κοσμουμένη, ταχέως ὑπὸ τῆς ἡταιρηκχυίας, μελετῆσας ἐν τῇ ὄψει τῇ σῇ, ἁλίσχεται" ἂν μέντοι διδάξῃς αὐτὸν τρόπους φιλεῖν καὶ χοσμιότητα, οὐ τῇ πόρνῃ, ἀλλὰ τὰ τούτοις ἐναντία. Μὴ τοίνυν διδάξῃς αὐτὸν ὑπὸ γέλωτος ἁλίσχεσθαι, μηδὲ ὑπὸ σχήματος ἐχχεχυμένου, ἵνα μὴ χατὰ σαυτῆς σῃς τὰ φάρμακα. Ποίδευε αὐτὸν χοσμιότητι καίρειν" δυνήσῃ δὲ τοῦτο, ὅταν καὶ τὸ σχῆμα τοιοῦτον ἧ᾽ ἐπεὶ ἐὰν ἐἑπτερωμένη καὶ ἄσωτος ἧς, πῶς δυνήσῃ προτενεγχεῖν ῥῆμα σεμνόν; τίς δέ σε οὐ χλενυάσεται καὶ γελάσει: Πῶς δὲ ἔστι καὶ ἐν τῷ σώματι ἄραι τὸν Θεόν 4; ᾿Αρετὴν ἀσχοῦντα, τὴν ψυχὴν χαλλωπίζοντα" καὶ γὰρ ἐπ᾽ αὐτῆς τοῦτο οὐ χεχώλνται. Οὕτω δοξάζομεν τὸν Θεὸν, ὅταν πάντοθεν ὦμεν ἀγαθοὶ, καὶ δοξαζόμεθα καὶ ἡμεῖς ἐν τῇ ἡμέρᾳ ἐχείνῃ οὐχ ὁμοίως, ἀλλὰ πολλῷ μειζόνως. Αογίζομαι γὰρ, φησὶν, ὅτι οὐκ ἄξια τὰ παθήματα τοῦ νῦν καιροῦ πρὸς τὴν μέλλουσαν δόξαν ἀποκαιλύπτεσθαι εἰς ἡμᾶς. Ἧς γένοιτο πάντας ἡμᾶς μετασχεῖν, χάριτι καὶ φιλανθρωπίᾳ τοῦ Κυρίου ἡμῶν Ἰησοῦ Χριστοῦ, μεθ᾽ οὗ τῷ Πατρὶ ἅμα τῷ ἁγίῳ Πνεύματι δόξα, χράτος, τιμὴ, νῦν καὶ ἀεὶ, καὶ εἰς τοὺς αἰῶνας τῶν αἰώνων. χαλὸν͵ καὶ ζῶον καὶ φυτὸν, οὐχ ἀπὸ τῆς διαπλάσεως «(5 ᾿Αμήν.
Horą: pōs palin tapeiiei gai gatapttellei heauton, heteran eutelesteran legōn aitian? To men gar agnoian legein eleēthēnai, ou sphodra deichnysin hamartōlon ton eleoumenon, oude agan chategnōsmenon " to de dia touto eleēthēnai, hina mēdeis apagoreuę̄ loipon tōn hēmartēchotōn, alla tharrhę̄ hoxi kai autos tōn autōn teuxetai, sphodra mega kai meth᾽ hyperdolēs. Hōste phthenxamenos, Prōtos eimi egō tōn hamartōlōn, kai blasphēmos kai diōktēs kai hydristēs" kai, Ouk eimi hikanos kaleisthai apostoios, kai hosa eirēchen "homōs ouden houtō tapeinon ephthenxato. Kai epi hypodeigmatos de touto saphes estai. "Estō gar polis polnanthrōpos pantas tous politas echousa phaulous, tous men hētton, tous de mallon, pantas mentoi chategnōsmenous “ hei: de tis en tois pollois echeinois pantōn mallon estō cholaseōs kai timōrias axios, kai pan epelthōn eidos chachias. "An toinyn legę̄ tis, hoti pasin apheinai bouletai ho basileus, ouch houtō pisteusousi tǭ logǭ, heōs an idōsi ton pantōn phauloteron hautōn toutou tychonta" ouch esti gar loipon amphisdētēsis. Touto kai Paulos phēsin, hoti boulomenos ho Theos plērophorēsai tous anthrōpous, hoti panta autois aphiēsi, ton pantōn hamartōlyteron eileto. Ou gar an, emou tychontos synchōrēseōs, phēsi, peri tōn allōn amphisdētēseie tis" hōs an ei elege tis kai en tę̄ synētheią, Ean de tǭde ho theos synchōrēsę̄, oudena tōn allōn cholasei. Kai deiknysi dia toutou oude axion heauton onta synchōrēseōs, alla dia tēn eis heterous sōtērian tautēs proteron apolausanta. Nēdeis toinyn amphidalletō, phēsi, peri sōtērias, hopote Kai hora tou makariou toutou tēn ta einophrosynēn. Ouch ephē, Hina endeixētai en emoi tēn machrϑthymian, alla, Tēn pasan makrothymian" hōs an ei elege" Mallon emou ep᾽ allǭ ouch echei machrouymēsai, oude heurein houtōs hamartōlon, pantos deomenon autou tou eleous, pasēs tēs makrothymias, ou merous, chathaper hoi epi merous hamartanontes. Pros hypotypōsin, phēsi, tōn meililontōn pisteuein ep᾽ hautǭ eis zōēn aiōnion, toutesti, pros parachg)ēsin, pros protropēn. Epeidē de mega ti peri tou Huiou ephthenxato, kai hoti tosautēn agapēn enedeixato, hina mē tis nomisę̄ tautēs apesterēsthai ton Patera, anaphere: kai autǭ doxan epagōn, kai phēsi" Tǭ de basilei tōn' aiōnōn aphthartǭ, aoratǭ, monǭ sophǭ theǭ timē kai doxa eis tous aiōnas tōn aiōnōn, ᾿Amēg. Hyper dē toutōn, phēsin hou ton Huion monon, alla kai ton Patera doxazomen. Erōmetha oun tous hairetichous ᾿ Idoun Monǭ Theǭ, eirēke peri Patros legōn " ara hou Theos ho Huios? kai, Monǭ aphthartǭ" ara ouch aphthartos ho Huios? kai ho didōsin hēmin meta kauta, autos ouk echei? Nai, phēsi, kai Theos, kai aphthartos, all ou toioutos, hoios ho Patēr. Ti phēs? ou toioutos, kai elattonos ousias estin? ouchoun kai aphtharsias elattonos. Ti de esti, meixōn kai hēttōn aphϑarsia? hē gar aphtharsia ouden allo estin, hē «ho mē diaphtheiresthai. Doxa men gar meizōn kai hēttōn estin, aphtharsia de meizōn choi hēttōn ouch estin, hōsper oun oude hygeia hēttōn kai pleiōn " ē gar phtheiresthai ti dei, hē mēd᾽ holōs, Ti oun, phēsin? hēmeis kai aphthartoi hōsautōs? Mē genoito" oudamōs. Dia Hoti hautos men physei touto echei, hēmeis de epeisa achtōs. Ar᾽ oun kai epi tou Huiou houtōs? Oudamōs" alla kai autos physei. Tinos oun henechen hē diaphora? Hoti autos men, phēsi, par᾽ oudenos egeneto toioutos, ho de Huios para tou Patros. Kai hēmeis touto homologoumen" oude gar hēmeis arnoumetha, hoti ech tou Patros ho HuIos aphthartōs gegennētai. Hyper toutōn, phēsi, ton Patera doxazomen, hoti toiouton auton egennēsen. Horąs hoti tote malista doxazetai ho patēr, hotan megala hē chatōrthōchōs ho pais? eis auton gar anapheretai ta tou huiou. Ouchoun, hotan dynaton hē gegennēchōs, kai toiouton hoion autos, hē doxa tou huiou" mallon stin hē tou patros, hotan hauytarchē. hotan heautǭ archounta, hotan mē asthenē. Tǭde, Basilei tōn aiōnōn, kai peri tou Huiou eirētai, Di᾽ hou kai tous aiōnas hepoiēse. To hauto estin entautha. Para men gar hēmin diērētai amsotera, hē dēmiourgia, legō, kai hē chtisis, kai heteros men katascheuazei kai poieitai kai talaipōrei, heteros de chratei. Dia ti? Hoti ho chataschenazōn elattōn estin. Echei de oudamōs " ouch heterou men hē despoteia, heterou de hē dēmiourgia. Oude gar, epeidan achousō, Di᾿ hou kai tous aiōnas epoiēsen, aphairō ton Patera to dēmiourgichon " oute de hotan achousō, Ho Patēr basileus tōn aiōnōn, ton Huion aphairō tēn despoteian " choina gar kai echeinou kai toutou tauta" amphotera gar hekchaterois estin. Hechtisen ho Patēr tǭ dēmiourgon Huion gegennēchenai" basileuei ho HuIos tǭ Kyrios einai tōn chtismatōn. Ou gar misthou ergazetai, kathaper hoi par᾽ hēmin, oude heterǭ hypachouōn, kchathaper houtoi, alla di᾽ oicheian agathotēta kai philanthrōpian. Ti de? ho gēs hōrathē pote? Ouch an tis echoi legein. Ti oun estin, ᾿Aphthartǭ, aoratǭ, monǭ sophǭ Theǭ? ti de hotan legę̄, Oude gar estin onoma. heteron, en hǭ dei sōthēnai hēmas? kai palin, Ouk estin en allǭ oudeni hē sōtēria? Timē kai doxa, phēsin, eis tous aiōnas. ᾿Amēn. Timē kai doxa ou dia rhēmatōn ginetai. Epei oun kai autos ou dia rhēmatōn hēmas etimēsen, alla kai dia pragmatōn kai ergōn, houtō kai hēmeis auton timēsōmen kai dia pragmatōn kai di᾽ ergōn. Kaitoi hautē men hē timē hēmōn haptetai, echeinē de autou oudamōs " ou gar eitai tēs par᾽ hēmōn, hēmeis de tēs par᾽ autou deometha. Y΄. Hōste chan timēsōmen auton, palin hēmas autous etimēsamen. Hōsper gar ho tous ophthalmous anoixas, hina to hēliachon idę̄ phōs, heauton palin hōnēse, thaumazōn to kallos tou astrou, ouch echeinǭ ti checharittai" ou gar lamproteron auto pepoiēchen, alla menei to auto" houtō, kai pollǭ mallon, epi tou Theou - ho thaumazōn ton Theon kai timōn, heauton esōse, kai ōphelēsen ōpheleian megistēn. Pōs? Hoti tēn aretēn meterchomenos Rh, par᾽ autou doxazetai " Tous gar doxazontas me, phēsi, doxasō. Pōs oun hautos doxazetai, phēsin, apo tēs doxēs tēs hēmeteras ouden apolauōn : Hōsper oun kai peinēn legetai, kai dipsēn - panta gar oicheioutai ta hēmetera, hina chan houtōs hēmas ephelchysētai, kai tas timas kai tas hydreis, hina chan houtō phodēthōmen " kai oud᾽ houtōs ephelchometha. Doxasōmen dē ton Theon, arōmen ton Theon en tǭ ǭ lei. sa d, sōmati kai en tǭ pneumati hēmōn. Kai pōs tis en tǭ sōmati doxazei, phēsi? pōs de en tǭ pneumati? Pneuma entautha tēn psychēn legei, pros antidiastolēn tou sōmatos. Pōs oun tis doxazei en tǭ sōmati? pōs de en tę̄ psychę̄? En sōmati doxazei ho mē porneuōn, ho mē methyschomenos, ho mē gastrizomenos, ho mē kallōpizomenos, ho Tosautēn autou poioumenos pronoian, ēson pros hygeian archein monon, ho mē moicheuōn, hē mē myrizomenē, hē mē chrōmati diagraphousa to prosōpon, hē archoumenē tę̄ plasei tou Theou, kai mēden epitechnōmenē. Ti gar, eipe moi, prosageis ta para sautēs tę̄ apērtismenę̄ para tou Theou dēmiourgią? ouk autarchēs soi gegonen hē diaplasis? hōs beltiōn poinyn technitis epicheireis rhythmisai to ergon? Ouch esti touto, alla dia touto challōpizę̄, kai hydrizeis ton Dēmiourgon, hina myrious erastas epispasę̄. Kai ti pathō, phēsin? oude gar egō boulomai, alla dia ton andra tauta poiein ananchazomai. Ouch heni mē boulomenēn erasthai. Kalēn se ho Theos epoiēsen, hina thaumazētai kai epi toutǭ, ouch hina hydrizētai" mē toutois auton ameidou tois dōrois, alla sōphrosynę̄ kai chosmiotēti. Kalēn se ho Theos epoiēsen, hina soi tous «hēs chosmiotētos athlous auxēsę̄. Ou gar estin ison, eperaston ousan sōphronein, kai hop᾽ oudenos genomenēn perimachēton. ᾿Achoueis ti phēsin hē Graphē peri tou Iōsēph? hoti Ēn hōraios kai kalos tę̄ opsei. Ti hēmas touto achouontas ōphelei, hoti kalos ēn Iōsēph? Hina mallon autou to kallos thaumazōmen kai tēn chosmiotēta. Epoiēse se chalēn ho Theos? ti toinyn chatascheuazeis amorphon sautēn? “Hōsper gar an ei tis chrysǭ andrianti epichriseie pēlon bordorou, houtōs seis sautēn s tēn men phoinichēn, tēn de leuchēn. ᾿All᾽ hai amorphoi, phēsin, eichotōs touto prattousi. Tinos henechen, eipe moi? hina tēn amorphian chrypsōsin? ᾿Alla anonēta ponousi. Pote gar, eipe moi, to physichon hypo tou technichou a kai epitetēdeumenou nichatai? Ti de holōs hē amorphia lypei, hotan psogon mē echę̄? iLchoue gar sophou tinos legontos, Mē bde- «1yxę̄ andra en horasei autou, mēde haigesę̄s andra an tǭ kallei autou " mallon men oun Theon ᾿thaumason ton aristotechnēn, echeinon de mēcheti " ou gar autou chatorthōma to genomenon. Poion gar cherdos apo challous, eipe moi? Ouden, all᾽ agōnes pleious, meizones epēreiai, kai hoi chindynoi kai hai hypopsiai. Tēn men gar ou toiautēn oud᾽ an hypopteuseie tis " echeinē de an mē pollę̄ tę̄ chosmyytēti kai meth᾽ hypertholēs hē chechrēmenē, eutheōs dexetai doxan ponēran᾽ kai ho anēr de meth᾽ hypopsias synoichei, hou ti genoit᾽ an chalepōteron? ou tosautēn apo tēs theas chtōmenos tēn hēdonēn, hoson apo tēs hyponoias charpoutai tēn lypēn. Echeinē men gar tę̄ synētheią marainetai, blacheias, diachyseōs, aselgeias doxan lamdanousēs hautēs tēs psychēs, banausou ginomenēs, aponoias pollēs plēroumenēs" pros tauta gar panta mallon hē heumorphia helchei. Tēn de ou toiautēn ouch an heuroimen polla ta chōlymata echousan. Oute gar hoi epipēdōntes chynes eisin, alla, chathaper tis amnas, en hēsychią pollę̄ boschetai, oudenos enochlountos lychou oude epipēdōntos, hate tou poi menos parachathēmenou autę̄. Ouch esti pleonexia to heteran men einai kalēn, heteran de mē toiautēn" pleonexia esti to heteran men porneuein kai kalēn mē ousan, heteran de einai ponēran. Eipe gar moi, -is aretē ophthalmōn? ara to hygrous einai kai eukai dioratichous? Egō men touto phēmi, kai dēlon echeithen᾽ Tis aretē lychnou? to lampra phainein kai megistōn kai thaumastōn homoiōs apolauōmen, ouden pleonechtoumetha. Hoion ti legō" Ton chosmon touton homoiōs horōmen, ton hēlion, tēn selēnēn, tous asteraąs, ton aera homoiōs helchomen, tou hydatos, tēs trophēs homoiōs metechomen, an te eumorphoi hōmen, an te mē. HeEi de chrē ti kai thaumaston eipein, tōn eumorphōn hai mē toiautai mallon hygieinoterai. Echeinai men. gar hōs dē tēn hōran diaphylattousai, chamatoi? heautas ou didoasin, all᾽ argią kai schiapasan chatangazein tēn oichian, hē to kalōs pepla- 4Otrophią, hyph᾽ hōn malista hai tōn melōn energeiai sthai kai strongylon einai? Echeino pantōs an eipoimen touto men gar adiaphoron, to de zētoumenon echeino. Dia touto kai, Sapron lychnon epoiēsas, pros tēn enchecheirismenēn therapainida aei legomen " houtō lychnou to phōtizein estin. Ouchoun kai ophthalmos, ean te toiosde ean te toiosde hē, ouden estin, heōs an meta patēs autarcheias tēn chreian plēroi" hōsper oun kai sapros legetai, ean amdlyōpę̄, kai tēn synthesin mē echę̄ pasan apērtismenēn " kai gar tous aneǭgmenōn tōn ophthalmōn mē blepontas saprous echein ᾿Ikacheōs porneusei- oude gar heurischei tauta para ophthalmous phamen. Pan gar ho mē tēn idian chreian plēroi, sapron legomen " kai touto ophthalmou kachia. Tēs de rhinos, eipe moi, poia aretē? ara to eutheian einai, kai apexeamenēn hechaterōthen, kai tēn analogian symmetron echein, hē to pros tēn osphrēsin epitēdeian einai, kai dynamenēn tacheois nesthai kai parapempsai tǭ enchephalǭ? Touto dē panti pou dēlon asti. Phers dē, kai epi hypodeigmati to pragma prosoxetasōmen. Eipe gar moi, tous arpagas, ta scheuē, poia phēsomen katescheuasthaiy kalōs, ta dynamena harpazein meta achrideias kai chatechein, hē ta diapeplaamena kalōs? Dēlon hoti "echeina, Ti de odontas, poious einai phēsomen chalous? tous tmētichous kai eucholōs diatemnontas tēn trophēn, hē tous kalōs syncheimenous? Dēlon hoti echeinous. Kai holōs epi pantos tou sōmatos toutǭ prosagontes tǭ logǭ tēn zētēsin, heurēsomen panta ta hygiē kai kala, heōs an energę̄ meta achritheias ta oicheia tōn melōn hechaston. Houtō kai scheuos hechaston legomen amthlyterai ginontai " hautai de haplōs kai adēn, hote oudemian peri tauta echousai tēn spoudēn, echei to pan analischousi. Doxasōmen toinyn ton theon, arōmen hauton en tǭ sōmati hēmōn, mē kallōpizōmetha" perittē hautē hē spoudē kai anonētos. Mē paideuōmen tous andras opseis monas philein " an gar hēs houtō kosmoumenē, tacheōs hypo tēs hētairēkchuias, meletēsas en tę̄ opsei tę̄ sę̄, halischetai" an mentoi didaxę̄s auton tropous philein kai chosmiotēta, ou tę̄ pornę̄, alla ta toutois enantia. Mē toinyn didaxę̄s auton hypo gelōtos halischesthai, mēde hypo schēmatos echchechymenou, hina mē chata sautēs sę̄s ta pharmaka. Poideue auton chosmiotēti kairein" dynēsę̄ de touto, hotan kai to schēma toiouton hē᾽ epei ean heepterōmenē kai asōtos hēs, pōs dynēsę̄ protenenchein rhēma semnon? tis de se ou chlenyasetai kai gelasei: Pōs de esti kai en tǭ sōmati arai ton Theon 4? ᾿Aretēn aschounta, tēn psychēn challōpizonta" kai gar ep᾽ autēs touto ou chechōlntai. Houtō doxazomen ton Theon, hotan pantothen ōmen agathoi, kai doxazometha kai hēmeis en tę̄ hēmerą echeinę̄ ouch homoiōs, alla pollǭ meizonōs. Aogizomai gar, phēsin, hoti ouk axia ta pathēmata tou nyn kairou pros tēn mellousan doxan apokailyptesthai eis hēmas. Hēs genoito pantas hēmas metaschein, chariti kai philanthrōpią tou Kyriou hēmōn Iēsou Christou, meth᾽ hou tǭ Patri hama tǭ hagiǭ Pneumati doxa, chratos, timē, nyn kai aei, kai eis tous aiōnas tōn aiōnōn. chalon͵ kai zōon kai phyton, ouch apo tēs diaplaseōs «(5 ᾿Amēn.
Do you see how he again humbles and lowers himself, giving another and humbler reason? To say that he received mercy because of ignorance does not show the one who received mercy to be a great sinner or greatly condemned; but to say that he received mercy for this reason, that none of those who have sinned may despair any longer, but may be confident that he too will obtain the same, is very great and beyond measure. So, though he said, “I am the foremost of sinners,” and “a blasphemer and a persecutor and an insolent man,” and “I am not worthy to be called an apostle,” and all the rest, nevertheless he said nothing so lowly as this. This will be clear from an example. Suppose a populous city whose citizens are all wicked, some less, some more, but all condemned; and suppose that one among that multitude deserves punishment more than all, having gone through every kind of wickedness. If someone says that the king wishes to pardon them all, they will not readily believe the report until they see the worst of them all obtaining it; then there is no longer any doubt. This is what Paul says: that God, wishing to assure people fully that he forgives them everything, chose the greatest sinner of all. If I obtained pardon, he says, no one would doubt about the others; as one might say in common speech, If God forgives this man, he will punish none of the others. By this he shows that he was not even worthy of pardon, but enjoyed it first for the salvation of others. Let no one, then, have doubts about salvation, he says, since … And see the humility of this blessed man. He did not say, “that he might display his patience in me,” but “his entire patience”; as if he said: He could not show patience to anyone more than to me, nor find such a sinner, needing all his mercy and all his patience, not a part of it, as those do who sin in part. “As an example,” he says, “to those who were to believe in him for eternal life,” that is, for encouragement, for exhortation.
Since he had said something great about the Son, that he had shown such love, so that no one might think the Father deprived of this, he refers glory to him too, saying: “To the King of the ages, incorruptible, invisible, the only wise God, be honor and glory to the ages of ages. Amen.” For these things, he says, we glorify not the Son only but the Father as well. Let us then ask the heretics: See, he said “to the only God,” speaking of the Father; is the Son then not God? And “to the only incorruptible”; is the Son then not incorruptible? And what he gives us afterward, does he himself not have? Yes, they say, he is both God and incorruptible, but not such as the Father is. What do you say? Not such, and of a lesser substance? Then of a lesser incorruptibility too. But what is greater and lesser incorruptibility? Incorruptibility is nothing else than not being corrupted. Glory admits of greater and less, but incorruptibility does not, just as health does not admit of less and more: either a thing must be corrupted, or not at all. What then, someone says, are we incorruptible in the same way? God forbid, by no means. Why? Because he has it by nature, and we by acquisition. Is it so with the Son too? By no means; he too has it by nature. Why then the difference? Because, they say, the Father became such from no one, but the Son from the Father. And we too confess this; we do not deny that the Son was begotten incorruptibly from the Father. For these things, he says, we glorify the Father, that he begot such a Son. Do you see that a father is glorified most when his child has achieved great things? For the son’s achievements redound to him. So when he has begotten one who is powerful, and such as he himself is, the son’s glory is rather the father’s, when the son is self-sufficient, when he suffices for himself, when he is not weak.
“To the King of the ages”: of the Son too it is said, “through whom he also made the ages.” It is the same here. With us the two are separated, craftsmanship, I mean, and creation; one builds and makes and toils, while another rules. Why? Because the one who builds is inferior. But there it is not so at all: lordship does not belong to one and craftsmanship to another. When I hear “through whom he also made the ages,” I do not take creative power away from the Father; nor, when I hear “the Father, King of the ages,” do I take lordship away from the Son; for these things belong to both alike; both belong to each. The Father created by begetting the Son as Creator; the Son reigns by being Lord of the creatures. For he does not work for wages, as people among us do, nor in obedience to another, as they do, but from his own goodness and love for humankind. What then? Was the Son ever seen? No one could say so. What, then, does “to the incorruptible, invisible, only wise God” mean? And what of his saying, “For there is no other name by which we must be saved,” and again, “There is salvation in no one else”? “Honor and glory,” he says, “to the ages. Amen.”
Honor and glory do not come about through words. Since, then, he too honored us not through words only but through deeds and works, so let us too honor him through deeds and works. Yet this honor touches us, while that does not touch him at all; for he does not need ours, but we need his. So even when we honor him, we have honored ourselves. Just as one who opens his eyes to see the light of the sun benefits himself by admiring the beauty of that star, and does it no favor (he has not made it brighter; it remains the same), so, and much more, with God: one who admires and honors God has saved himself and gained the greatest benefit. How? Because, pursuing virtue, he is glorified by God: “Those who glorify me,” he says, “I will glorify.” How then, someone asks, is God glorified, if he gains nothing from our glory? Just as he is said to hunger and thirst. He makes all our things his own, honors and insults alike, so that even in this way he may draw us, so that even in this way we may fear; and not even so are we drawn.
Let us, then, glorify God; let us bear God in our body and in our spirit. And how, someone asks, does one glorify him in the body, and how in the spirit? Here he calls the soul “spirit,” to distinguish it from the body. How then does one glorify him in the body, and how in the soul? He glorifies him in the body who does not commit sexual immorality, does not get drunk, does not gorge himself, does not beautify himself, who takes only so much care of his body as suffices for health, who does not commit adultery; she glorifies him who does not perfume herself, who does not paint her face with colors, who is content with God’s fashioning and adds no artifice. For tell me, why do you add your own things to the workmanship perfected by God? Is his fashioning not enough for you? Do you attempt, as a better artist, to reshape the work? That is not it; you beautify yourself and insult the Creator so as to draw countless lovers. And what am I to do? she says. I do not want it, but I am forced to do these things because of my husband; I cannot be loved unless I am willing to do so. God made you beautiful so that he might be admired in this too, not so that he might be insulted; do not repay him for his gifts with these things, but with chastity and modesty. God made you beautiful so as to increase the prizes of your modesty. It is not the same thing to be chaste when one is desirable and when one is fought over by no one. Do you hear what Scripture says of Joseph, that he “was handsome and fair to look upon”? What does it profit us to hear that Joseph was handsome? That we may admire his beauty and his modesty the more. Did God make you beautiful? Why then do you make yourself ugly? For as if someone smeared a golden statue with the mud of the mire, so you smear yourself, one part with red, another with white.
But plain women, someone says, have good reason to do this. For what reason, tell me? To hide their plainness? But they labor uselessly. When, tell me, is the natural overcome by the artificial and contrived? And what harm at all does plainness do, when it carries no blame? Hear a wise man saying: “Do not loathe a man for his appearance, nor praise a man for his beauty.” Rather admire God, the supreme artist, and no longer that man; for what came about is not his achievement. What gain is there from beauty, tell me? None; rather more struggles, greater harassment, dangers and suspicions. No one would suspect a woman who is not beautiful; but the beautiful one, unless she practices great and extraordinary modesty, will at once get a bad name, and her husband lives with her in suspicion; and what could be harder than that? He does not get as much pleasure from looking at her as he reaps pain from suspicion. The pleasure fades with familiarity, while the soul itself gets a reputation for softness, looseness, and licentiousness, becomes vulgar, and is filled with much folly; for beauty draws one rather to all these. But we would not find the woman who is not beautiful beset by many obstacles. No dogs leap upon her; like a lamb she grazes in great quiet, no wolf troubling her or springing upon her, since the shepherd sits beside her. It is no unfairness that one woman is beautiful and another not; the unfairness would be that one, though not beautiful, is chaste, while another is wicked. For if we enjoy the greatest and most wonderful things equally, we are at no disadvantage. I mean: we see this world alike, the sun, the moon, the stars; we breathe the air alike; we share water and food alike, whether we are beautiful or not. And if something surprising must be said, plain women are healthier than beautiful ones. The beautiful, to guard their bloom, do not give themselves to labor, but to idleness and a sheltered life, by which above all the working of the limbs is dulled; but the plain, with no concern for such things, simply and freely spend everything on work.
For tell me, what is the excellence of the eyes? Is it to be moist and well-shaped, or to be clear-sighted? I say the latter, and it is clear from this. What is the excellence of a lamp? To shine brightly and light up the whole house, or to be well molded and round? We would surely say the former: this is indifferent; that is what is sought. That is why we always say to the maid in charge of it, “You have made the lamp bad”; so giving light is the business of a lamp. So the eye too, whether of this sort or of that, counts for nothing until it fulfils its use with full sufficiency; just as it is called bad if it is dim-sighted and its structure is not perfect; for we say that those who do not see though their eyes are open have bad eyes. Everything that does not fulfil its own use we call bad; and this is the defect of an eye. And the nose, tell me, what is its excellence? To be straight, smoothed on either side, of symmetrical proportion, or to be fit for smelling, able to take in odors quickly and send them on to the brain? This is clear to everyone. Come, let us also examine the matter by an example. Tell me, of tongs, which shall we say are well made: those able to grip exactly and hold, or those nicely shaped? Clearly the former. And teeth, which shall we call good? Those that cut and divide food easily, or those that are nicely set? Clearly the former. And in general, applying this reasoning to the whole body, we shall find everything healthy and good so long as each member performs its own function exactly. So too we call each vessel, each animal, each plant good not from its shape …
Let us, then, glorify God; let us bear him in our body; let us not beautify ourselves. This zeal is superfluous and useless. Let us not teach our husbands to love faces only. For if you adorn yourself so, he, trained on your face, is quickly caught by the harlot; but if you teach him to love character and modesty, he will not quickly commit sexual immorality, for he does not find these things with the harlot, but their opposites. Do not then teach him to be caught by laughter or by a loose bearing, lest you prepare the poisons against yourself. Train him to rejoice in modesty; and you will be able to, when your own bearing is such. For if you are flighty and dissolute, how will you be able to offer a serious word? Who will not mock you and laugh? And how is one to bear God in the spirit too? By practicing virtue and adorning the soul; for in its case this is not forbidden. So we glorify God when we are good in every respect; and we too are glorified on that day, not equally, but much more greatly. “For I consider,” he says, “that the sufferings of the present time are not worth comparing with the glory that is to be revealed to us.” May we all share in it, by the grace and love for humankind of our Lord Jesus Christ, with whom to the Father, together with the Holy Spirit, be glory, power, honor, now and always, and to the ages of ages. Amen.
1 Tim 1:15–17 (quotation, high confidence) · 1 Cor 15:9 (quotation, high confidence) · Heb 1:2 (quotation, high confidence) · Acts 4:12 (quotation, high confidence) · 1 Sam 2:30 (quotation, high confidence) · Matt 25:35 (allusion, medium confidence) · 1 Cor 6:20 (quotation, high confidence) · Gen 39:6 (quotation, high confidence) · Rom 8:18 (quotation, high confidence)
Notes and citation
Summary: Chrysostom explains that Paul was pardoned as an example to all sinners, defends the Son’s equal incorruptibility and lordship against the heretics, and in the moral part urges glorifying God in body and soul, especially by rejecting cosmetics and vanity about beauty.
- Quotations: 1 Tim 1:15–17; 1 Cor 15:9; Heb 1:2; Acts 4:12 (twice, in two forms); 1 Sam 2:30; 1 Cor 6:20; Gen 39:6; Sir 11:2; Rom 8:18. God “said to hunger and thirst” alludes to Matt 25:35. The doxology of 1 Tim 1:17 is used against those (Arians) who make the Son lesser; translated as written. The question “Was the Son ever seen?” translates a damaged phrase (ὁ γῆς ὡράθη ποτέ). In the moral part the OCR has misplaced several lines (the passages on the eye and lamp, on beauty and health, and the phrase on the husband who “will not quickly commit sexual immorality”); they are translated in their evident order. “Though not beautiful, is chaste” translates by sense: the printed text has πορνεύειν (“commits sexual immorality”), and the sense of the sentence is uncertain. “In the spirit too” renders the printed “in the body,” evidently a slip, since Chrysostom is turning from body to soul. A long block of Latin-column OCR is removed by logged corrections.
Notes on the original text
- Digital text corrected (OCR of Migne’s Latin column leaked into the Greek): ἐπὶ ἰερὲ ἐεῖ, εἶπ φμετεία [αρί ( ΙΗ. 5.; δῖα 86 λεῖα, αἱ νοὶ δἷς ποὸ5 διίγαθ δαί ἢ ΠΟποτοβ β᾽ πηι} οἱ σοηἀὐϑ τη, 40.580 ἴα, οἷδ τοὶ ἃ 60 ρδγίεοία ογθϑίῷ ὃ ποῃ ἰδ] → ; οὐδενὸς ἃ ἕϊς ςογγθοΐαπι 6 (Οταταοὶ. οἱ 8401}. Γι ρεθδίυν Υἱ 1050 → οὐδενὸς .
Extrabiblical texts: Sir 11:2 (Sirach [in RC, EO, ETH canons]; quotation)
Cite (SBL): Chrysostom, Hom. 1 Tim. 4.2 (PG 62:541; trans. Sophia Scriptura, https://sophiascriptura.com/p/chrysostom-hom-1-timotheum/4-2). (abbreviation not yet checked)
Permanent link: https://sophiascriptura.com/p/chrysostom-hom-1-timotheum/4-2
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Translation: Translated by Claude from the Greek (PG 62, archive OCR); compared afterwards with the public-domain English of NPNF¹ 13 (1889).