Homilies on 2 Thessalonians 5.1–5.5

“But the Lord is faithful, who will establish you [and guard you from the evil one. And we are confident] in the Lord about you, that what we command you, you are doing and will do. Now may the Lord direct your hearts to the love of God and to the steadfastness of Christ.” We must neither entrust everything to the prayers of the saints and ourselves be idle, and run to wickedness, and lay hold of nothing that leads to virtue; nor again, when we do good, despise that alliance. For prayer for us can do great things, great things, but when we too work. Therefore Paul too, praying for them, again sets down what makes it trustworthy, from the promise, and says, “But the Lord is faithful, who will establish you and guard you from the evil one.” For if he chose you for salvation, he will not lie, nor will he let you perish utterly. But so that he may not lead them to carelessness by this, and they, thinking that everything is God’s, may sleep, see how he demands their cooperation too, saying, “And we are confident in the Lord about you, that what we command, you are doing and will do.” God is faithful, he says, and, having promised to save, will certainly save, but as he promised. And how did he promise? If we are willing and listen to him, not simply, nor while we are idle like wood and stones. And well did he put “we are confident in the Lord,” that is, we trust in his loving-kindness. Again he humbles them, hanging everything there. For if he had said, “We trust in you,” the praise would have been great, but he would not have shown them that they hang everything on God; but if he had said, “We are confident in the Lord that he will guard you,” and had not added “about you,” and “what we commanded you are doing and will do,” he would have made them more idle, throwing everything on God’s power. For we must throw everything on him, but while we ourselves are active, engaged in toils and contests. And he shows here that, even if virtue alone is enough to save, yet it must be lasting and be with us until we come to our last breath. … [He commands], “in the name of our Lord Jesus Christ”; and having said so, he shows the fearfulness of the command. “Now may the Lord direct your hearts to the love of God and to the steadfastness of Christ.” He praises them again, and prays, showing his care. For since he is about to enter on a rebuke, he smooths their hearts beforehand by these things: by saying, “I am confident that you will listen,” and by asking prayers of them, and by again praying ten thousand good things for them. “Now may the Lord direct,” he says, “your hearts to the love of God.” For many are the things that turn us aside from love, and many those that drag us away from it. And first the wickedness of mammon, laying, as it were, shameless hands on our soul, and gripping it tightly, drags and pulls us away from there even against our will; then vainglory; and afflictions and trials too have often overturned us. Therefore we need God’s help as of a wind, so that our sail may be carried, as by some strong wind, to the love of God. For do not tell me, “I love him even more than myself”; these are words; show by deeds whether you love him more than yourself. Love him more than money, and then I believe that you love him more than yourself too; but if you do not despise money for God’s sake, how will you despise yourself? And why do I speak of money? If you do not despise greed, which you ought to do even without God’s commands, how will you despise yourself? “And to the steadfastness,” he says, “of Christ.” What is “to the steadfastness”? That we may endure as he endured; or that we may do those things; or that we may wait for him with steadfastness, that is, that we may be prepared. For since he promised many things, and he himself is coming to judge the living and the dead, let us wait for him and endure. And wherever he speaks of steadfastness, he certainly hints at affliction; for this is to love God, to endure and not be troubled. “Now we command you, brothers, in the name of our Lord Jesus Christ, to keep away from every brother who walks in a disorderly way, and not according to the tradition which they received from us.” That is, it is not we who say these things, but Christ; for this is “in the name [of our Lord Jesus] Christ,” he says, “we command.” So Christ nowhere commanded idleness. “To keep away,” he says, “from every brother.” Do not tell me of the rich man, do not tell me of the poor man, do not tell me of the holy man: this is disorder. “Walks,” he says, that is, lives. “And not according to the tradition which they received from us.” He means the tradition by deeds; and properly he always calls this tradition. “For you yourselves know how you ought to imitate us, because we were not disorderly among you, nor did we eat anyone’s bread without paying.” And yet even if he had eaten, it would not have been without paying; for “the labourer,” he says, “is worthy of his wages.” “But with labour and toil we worked night and day, so as not to burden any of you; not because we do not have the right, but to give you ourselves as an example to imitate. For even when we were with you, we commanded you this: if anyone is not willing to work, let him not eat.”

See how in the first letter he speaks somewhat more gently about these things, as when he says, “But we exhort you, brothers, to abound more and to aspire,” and nowhere “we command,” nor “in the name of our Lord Jesus Christ,” which was fearful and carried danger; but he says “to abound” and “to aspire,” which was the language of one urging to virtue; “so that you may walk becomingly,” he says; but here there is nothing of the kind, but: “If anyone is not willing to work,” he says, “let him not eat.” For if Paul, having no necessity, but having the right to be idle, and having taken on so great a work, nevertheless worked, and not simply worked, but night and day, so as to be able to help others too, much more ought the others to do this. “For we hear that some are walking among you in a disorderly way, doing no work, but being busybodies.” This is here; but there, in the first letter: “so that you may walk becomingly,” he says, “toward outsiders.” Why? Perhaps nothing of the kind had yet happened; for elsewhere too he said in exhortation, “It is more blessed to give than to receive.” And “walk becomingly” is not about disorder; therefore he added, “so that you may need nothing.” But here he sets down another necessity too, so as to do what is noble and good toward all; for going on he says, “Do not grow weary in doing good.” For the one who is idle, though able to work, must necessarily be a busybody. And almsgiving has been given to those alone who are not able to support themselves by the work of their hands, or to those who teach and are wholly occupied with the word of teaching. For “you shall not muzzle,” it says, “an ox while it is threshing”; and, “the labourer is worthy of his wages.” So neither is this man idle; but he receives the wage of work, and of great work. But praying and fasting while idle is not work of the hands; for here he speaks of work done with the hands. And so that you may suspect nothing of the kind, he added, “doing no work, but being busybodies.” “Now such persons we command and exhort through our Lord Jesus Christ.” Since he had touched them vehemently, wishing to make his word [trustworthy], he added, “through the Lord,” again showing by this what is trustworthy and fearful. “That working with quietness they eat their own bread.” Why did he not say, “If they are not disorderly, let them be fed by you,” but requires both, both being in quiet and working? Because he wishes them to support themselves by working. For this is “that they eat their own bread,” that is, bread from their own toils, not another’s, procured by begging. “But you, [brothers, do not grow weary in doing good].” See how at once the fatherly heart was broken. He could not carry the rebuke further, but again had pity on them; and see with how much wisdom. He did not say, “But forgive them until they correct themselves,” but what? “But you, do not grow weary in doing good.” Keep away from them, he says, and rebuke them, yet do not overlook them perishing with hunger. “What then,” someone says, “if, having abundance from us, he remains idle?” For such a one, he says, I have spoken a gentle medicine: “keep away from him”; that is, do not give him free speech, show that you are angry. And this is no small thing. For such is the rebuke given to a brother, if we really wish to correct him. We are not ignorant of the ways of rebuke. For tell me, if you had a brother in the flesh, would you overlook him wasting away with hunger? I think not; but perhaps you would even [correct] him. “And if anyone does not obey our word through this letter.” See the humility of Paul: he did not say, “the one who disobeys disobeys me,” but gently hints: “note that man.” So he urges them to do this not secretly. “Do not associate with him.” This too is no small discipline. Then again, “so that he may be put to shame,” he says. So he does not allow it to go further. For just as, having said, “if anyone does not work, let him not eat,” fearing lest they perish with hunger, he added, “But you, do not grow weary in doing good,” so having said, “keep away,” and “do not associate with him,” then, fearing lest this very thing cut him off from the brotherhood (for one who despairs of himself quickly perishes if he does not share in free speech), he added, “And do not regard him as an enemy, but admonish him as a brother.” By this he shows that he fixed a great punishment against him, in his being deprived of free speech. For if even living with many while receiving is worthy of shame, when they both rebuke as they give and keep away, how great a reproach is this? How able to bite the soul? For if, merely by giving rather reluctantly, or grumbling, they burn up those who receive (do not tell me of shameless beggars, but of the faithful), if they were also to rebuke as they gave, what would they not do? How great a punishment would it not deserve? But we do not do so, but you give as one who has been most greatly wronged. Why do you also grieve him? “Admonish,” he said, “as brothers,” do not insult them as enemies. The one who admonishes his brother does not do it publicly, does not parade the insult, but privately and with great care, grieving and stung, and weeping and lamenting. Let us give, then, from a brotherly mind; let us admonish from a brotherly purpose; not as grieving at giving, but as grieving that he transgresses the commandment. For otherwise what is the gain? For if you insult him even after giving, you spoil the pleasure of the gift; but when you both do not give and insult him, how much harm have you not done to that wretched and miserable man? He came to receive mercy from you; but receiving a mortal blow, he went away, and wept the more. For when he is forced by want to beg, and for begging is insulted, see how great the punishment of those who insult will be. “He who dishonours a poor man,” it says, “provokes the one who made him.” For tell me, did God not leave him to be poor for your sake, so that you might be able to heal yourself, and do you insult the one who is poor for your sake? How great an ingratitude is this! How great a thanklessness is this deed! “Admonish,” he says, “as brothers”: he commanded them to admonish even after giving; but when we insult even without giving, what defence will we have? “Now may the Lord of peace himself give you peace always in every place.” See how, when he enjoins what must be done, he seals it with prayer, setting the petition and supplication like seals on what has been stored. “May he give you peace,” he says, “in every place.” For since quarrels were likely to arise from these things, those men becoming rougher, and these no longer supplying such people as before, he naturally prayed for this now, saying, “May he give you peace always.” For this is what is sought, to have it always. What is “in every place”? He wishes them to be at peace on every side, so as to have no occasion of contention from anywhere. For peace is good everywhere, even toward outsiders; for hear him saying elsewhere, “If possible, so far as it depends on you, live at peace with all men.” For nothing is so suitable for accomplishing what we wish as peaceableness and freedom from trouble, as being rid of all enmity and having no enemy. “The Lord be with you all. The greeting with my own hand, Paul’s, which is a sign in every letter; this is how I write. The grace of our Lord Jesus Christ be with you all. Amen.” He says that he writes this in every letter, so that no one may be able to counterfeit them, the signature being set as a great proof. And he calls the prayer a greeting, showing that they did everything spiritually then, and even when they had to greet, the thing was with gain, and was a prayer, not simply a token of friendship. He began from this, and with the words on both sides, laying sure foundations, he added a sure end too: “Grace to you,” he says, “and peace”; and again, “The grace of our Lord Jesus Christ be with you all. Amen.” This the Lord too promised, saying to the disciples, “See, I am with you all the days until the consummation of the age.” But this happens when we wish it; for he will not in any case be with us, if we make ourselves far off. “I will be with you,” he says, “always.” Let us not then drive away grace. He wishes us to keep away from every brother who walks in a disorderly way. This was a great evil then, to be torn away from the fullness of the brothers. With this, at any rate, he punishes all, as writing elsewhere to the Corinthians he said, “not even to eat with such a one.” But now most people do not think it great, but everything is confused and corrupted: we mix with adulterers, with fornicators, with the greedy, simply and at random. If one had to keep away even from the man who was idly fed, how much more from the others? And so that you may learn how fearful it was to be separated from the gathering of the brothers, and how much gain it brings to those who receive the rebuke with good sense, hear how that man who was puffed up in his sin, who had gone to the extreme of wickedness, who had committed sexual immorality such as is not even named among the Gentiles, who was insensible of his wound (for this is the excess of perversion), this man, such as he was, was so bent and humbled that Paul said, “Sufficient for such a one is this rebuke by the majority; so confirm your love for him.” For he was then like a limb torn from the rest of the body. And the cause, and why this was fearful then: since being with them was thought a great good to them. For just as those who live in one house, and are under one father, and share one table, so they lived then in each church. To fall from so great a love, then, how great an evil was it! But now it does not even seem great to be [among them], because it is not thought anything great when we are with one another. What was then in the rank of punishment now happens through the great coldness of love even without punishment, and we keep away from one another at random and from coldness. For the cause of all evils is that there is no love; this has dissolved and destroyed all the dignified and splendid things of the church in which we ought to exult. Great is a teacher’s boldness when he can rebuke his disciples from his own good deeds. Therefore Paul too said, “For you yourselves know how you ought to imitate us”; and a teacher ought to be a teacher of life rather than of speech. And let no one think this is boasting; for he said it when placed under necessity, and for the common benefit. “Because we were not disorderly,” he says, “among you.” Do you not see the humility in this, that he calls [being supported] “without paying” and disorder? “We were not disorderly among you, nor did we eat anyone’s bread without paying.” He shows here that they too were perhaps poor. And do not tell me, “But not all were poor”; for he speaks of the poor and of those who have their necessary food from no other source than the work of their hands. For he did not say, “so that they may have it from their fathers,” but, “so that working they may eat their own bread.” For if I, the herald, he says, of the word of teaching, feared to burden you, much more the one who benefits you in nothing. For this is truly a burden. And it is a burden when someone does not give with great eagerness. But he does not hint at this, but as of those who do not have [it] easily. For why do you not work? God gave you hands for this, not so that you may receive from others, but so that you may supply others. “And the Lord,” he says, “be with you.” We too may pray this for ourselves, if we do the things of the Lord. For hear Christ saying to the disciples, “Go, make disciples of all the nations, baptising them in the name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit, teaching them to observe all that I have commanded you; and see, I am with you all the days until the consummation of the age.” These things were said not to them only, but also to us. For that it was not promised to them only is plain from his saying, “until the consummation of the age,” but also to those who walk in their footsteps. “What then does he say to those who are not teachers?” Each of you, if he wishes, is a teacher, if not of another, at least of himself: teach yourself first. If you teach all that he commanded you to keep, through this you will have many imitators. For just as a lamp, when it is itself bright, can kindle ten thousand others, but when quenched will neither give light to itself nor be able to kindle other lamps, so too with a pure life: if the light in us is bright, we shall make ten thousand disciples and teachers, being set before them as a pattern. For my words will not be able to benefit the hearers so much as our life. For suppose, if you will, a man who is a friend of God and shines in virtue, and has a wife (for it is possible, even having a wife, to please God), and children and servants and friends: will not this man, tell me, be able to benefit all of them much more than I? For they will hear me once or twice in the month, or not even once, and whatever they hear, having perhaps kept it as far as the threshold of the church, they at once throw it away; but seeing his life continually, they gain great things. For when, being insulted, [he does not return the insult], does he not [plant] the shame of his gentleness in the soul of the one who insults? Even if he does not confess the benefit at once, from anger or from being ashamed or abashed, yet he at once receives a feeling of it; and it is impossible for an insolent man, even if he is a wild beast, to mix with a forbearing one and not go away having gained greatly. For good things, even if we do not do them, we all nevertheless praise and admire. Again, the wife, if she sees her husband gentle, gains greatly by being always with him, and the child too. It is possible, then, for each to become a teacher. “For build one another up,” he says, “[one by one,] just as you are doing.” For see: has a loss fallen upon the household? The wife is troubled, being weaker and fond of finery; the husband, if he is philosophic and laughs at loss, both comforts her and persuades her to bear it nobly. Tell me, then, will he not benefit her much more than our words? For to speak is easy for everyone, but to do it when we come into need is very difficult. Therefore human nature is accustomed to be ordered rather by deeds; and so great is the excess of virtue that often even a slave has benefited a whole household along with its master.

For it is not idly nor at random that Paul continually enjoins them to practise virtue and to be obedient to their masters, caring not so much for the service of the masters as that the word of God and the teaching may not be blasphemed; and when it is not blasphemed, it will soon be admired too. And I know many households that have gained greatly from the virtue of their slaves. And if a servant, placed under authority, could set his master in order, much more could a master set his servants in order. Share this ministry with me, I beg you. I speak to all in common; you, privately to each, and let each take in hand the salvation of his neighbours. For that one must preside over those of the household in these things, hear where Paul sends wives: “And if they wish to learn anything,” he says, “let them ask their own husbands at home”; and he does not bring them to the teacher. For just as in the schools of letters there are teachers among the pupils too, so also in the church; for he wishes the teacher not to be troubled by everyone. Why? Because great good things will come of this, not only that the labour will be light for the teacher, but also that each of the disciples, taking thought, can quickly become a teacher, having this care. For see how great a service the wife brings in: she keeps the house, and takes thought for everything in the household; she presides over the maidservants; she clothes you with her own hands; she makes you be called father of children; she delivers you from brothels; she helps toward self-control; she stops the goad of nature. But do you too benefit her. How? In spiritual things stretch out your hand: whatever useful things you hear, like the swallows, carry them away in your mouth and put them into the mouth both of the mother and of the nestlings. For how is it not absurd to claim the first place for yourself in other things, and to hold the position of the head, but in teaching to leave your rank? The ruler must surpass those ruled not in honours but in virtues; for this is the ruler’s part. For that belongs to those ruled, but this is the ruler’s own achievement. If you enjoy much honour, this is nothing to you; for you received it from others; if you shine with much virtue, this is wholly yours. You are the head of the wife: let the head, then, set the rest of the body in order. Do you not see that it surpasses the rest of the body not so much by its place as by its forethought, steering it all like a helmsman? For in the head are the eyes both of the body and of the soul; from there flows the power of discernment to these, from there the power of governing. And the rest is appointed to service, but it is set to command. All the senses have their beginning and spring from there; the organs of the voice are sent up from there, sight, smell, the whole of touch; for the root of the nerves and of the bones is established from there. Do you see that it surpasses by forethought rather than by honour? So let us too rule our wives: let us surpass them not by seeking more honour from them, but by their being more benefited by us. I have shown that they benefit us with no small benefits; but if we are willing to give the return in spiritual things, we win; since in bodily things it is not possible to bring in anything equal. For what? Do you bring in much money? But she guards it; and this forethought of hers balances that, and it needs her so. Why? Because many who possessed much, since they did not have a wife to guard it, lost everything. But in the matter of children you both share, and the benefit is equal from each; or rather she has the more laborious service in these things, [carrying] … So you will be able to win in spiritual things alone. Let us not then take thought how we may have money, but how we may present to God with boldness the souls entrusted to us; for in setting them in order we shall benefit ourselves too in the greatest things. For the one who teaches another, if nothing else, is pricked in conscience by speaking, especially when he sees himself liable for the things for which he rebukes others. Since then we benefit both ourselves and them, and through them the household, and this pleases God above all, let us not grow weary in caring both for our own soul and for those of the persons who serve us, so that we may receive the reward for all, and may arrive with much wealth at the holy city, our mother, the Jerusalem above; from which may it never be ours to fall, but, having shone in the best way of life, may we be counted worthy to see with much boldness our Lord Jesus Christ, with whom to the Father together with the Holy Spirit be glory, might, honour, now and always and to the ages of ages. Amen.