Homilies on Philippians 13.1–13.4

“For many walk, of whom I told you often, and now tell you even weeping, that they are the enemies of the cross of Christ: whose end is destruction, whose god is the belly, and whose glory is in their shame, who think of earthly things. For our citizenship is in heaven, from which also we await a Saviour, the Lord Jesus Christ, who will transform the body of our humiliation, that it may be conformed to the body of his glory, according to the working by which he is able even to subject all things to himself.” Nothing is so unfitting and foreign to a Christian as to seek ease and rest; nothing so foreign to our profession and enlistment as to be attached to the present life. Your Master was crucified, and do you seek ease? Your Master was nailed, and do you live in luxury? And where is this in a noble soldier? That is why Paul too says, “Many walk, of whom I told you often, and now tell you even weeping, that they are the enemies of the cross of Christ.” Since there were some who pretended to Christianity but lived in ease and luxury, and this is contrary to the cross, that is why he spoke so. For the cross belongs to a soul that is drawn up for battle …; but they live the opposite way. So even if they say they are Christ's, they are as enemies of the cross; for if they loved the cross, they would try to live the crucified life. Was not your Master impaled? Imitate him in another way, if you cannot in his manner: crucify yourself, even if no one crucifies you. Crucify yourself, I say, not so as to destroy yourself (God forbid, for that is impious), but as Paul said: “For to me,” he says, “the world has been crucified, and I to the world.” If you love your Master, die his death. Learn how great is the power of the cross, how much it has achieved, how much it achieves, how it is the safety of life. Through it everything is accomplished: baptism through the cross (for one must receive the seal); ordination through the cross; whether we are on the roads, or at home, or wherever we may be, the cross is a great good, a saving weapon, an invincible shield, an arrow against the devil. By being at enmity with him, then, you carry the cross, not merely sealing yourself with it, but suffering the things of the cross. Christ knows how to call sufferings a cross, as when he says, “Unless one takes up his cross and follows me”; that is, unless one is prepared for death. But these men, being ignoble and fond of life and of the body, are enemies of the cross; and everyone who is a lover of luxury and of safety here is an enemy of the cross, in which Paul boasts and which he embraces, with which he is eager to be one, as when he says, “I have been crucified to the world, and the world to me.” But now he says, “and I tell you even weeping”. Why? Because the evil had grown, because such people deserve tears. Truly those who live in luxury deserve tears, fattening the wrapper, that is, the body, but taking no account of the soul that is going to give account. See, you live in luxury, see, you get drunk, today and tomorrow, and ten years and twenty and thirty and fifty and a hundred, which is impossible; but, if you like, let us suppose it: what is the end? What the gain? Nothing. Is not living such a life worthy of tears and lamentation? God brought us into this stadium to crown us, and we go away having done nothing noble. So Paul weeps over the things at which others laugh and live wantonly; so sympathetic is he, so does he care for all people. “Whose god,” he says, “is the belly.” That is why it is a god to them: this is “Let us eat and drink.” Do you see how great an evil luxury is? For some, money is god, for others the belly. Are not these too idolaters, and worse than those? “And their glory,” he says, “is in their shame.” Some say that he means circumcision by this; but I do not say this, but it is this: they pride themselves on the things for which they ought to hide their faces. This is what he says elsewhere: “What fruit, then, did you have at that time from the things of which you are now ashamed?” For it is terrible to do shameful things; but to be ashamed while doing them is half as terrible; but when one even prides himself on them, [it is beyond all folly]. Were these things said about those men only, and have those present here with us escaped the charge? Is no one liable to it? Does no one have the belly as god? Nor his glory in his shame? I wish, I wish very much, that none of these things concerned us, and that I knew no one liable to what is said; but I fear that they are said of us rather than of those of that time. For when one spends his whole life in drinking parties and revels, and spends a little on the poor but the greater part on the belly, will it not rightly be said of him too?

Nothing is more shaming than the expression, nothing more cutting: “whose god is the belly, and whose glory is in their shame.” Who are these? “Those who think of earthly things”, who say, “Let us build houses.” Where? On earth, he says. “Let us acquire fields”: on earth again. “Let us obtain office”: again on earth. “Let us obtain glory”: again on earth. “Let us become rich”: everything on earth. These are they whose god is the belly. For those who think of nothing spiritual, but have everything here and think about these things, rightly have the belly as god, saying, “Let us eat and drink, for tomorrow we die.” Then you are grieved about the body, that it is earthly, though this harms you in nothing as regards virtue; but dragging the soul down to earth by luxury and taking no account of this, tell me, do you laugh and let yourself go? And what pardon will you obtain, being so insensible, when you ought to make even the body spiritual? For it is possible, if you will. You received a belly to feed it, not to tear it apart; to master it, not to have it as mistress; that it may serve you for the nourishment of the other members, not that you may serve it, not that you may overstep the bounds. The sea overstepping its bounds does not do so much harm as the belly does to our body together with the soul: the one floods the whole world, the other the whole body. Set it a bound, sufficiency, as God set the sand for the sea; and if it swells, if it rages, rebuke it with the power that is in you. See how God honoured you with reason, that you may imitate him; but you will not, but seeing it overflowing, corrupting the whole nature and turning it into a swamp, you do not dare to restrain or chasten it. “Whose god is the belly.” Let us see how Paul served God, and let us see how the gluttons serve the belly. Do they not endure countless deaths? Are they not afraid to disobey whatever it commands? Do they not perform impossible services for it? Are they not worse than slaves? But Paul was not such; that is why he said, “But our citizenship is in heaven.” So let us too not seek ease here; let us wish to be glorious there, where we are citizens. “From which also,” he says, “we await a Saviour, the Lord Jesus, who will transform the body of our humiliation, that it may be conformed to the body of his glory.” Little by little he has led us up: “from heaven,” he says, “our Saviour,” showing the dignity from the place and from the person. “Who will transform,” he says, “the body of our humiliation.” Our body suffers much now: it is bound, it is scourged, it suffers countless terrible things; but Christ's body too suffered as much. This he hinted at by saying, “that it may be conformed to the body of his glory.” So the body is the same, but it puts on incorruption. “Will transform,” he says: so the form too is different; or he called the change so by an extended use. And he said “the body of our humiliation” because it is now humbled, because it is subject to corruption, to pain, because it seems to be mean and to have nothing more than the rest. “That it may be conformed,” he says, “to the body of his glory.” Ah! This body becomes conformed to that one which sits at the right hand of the Father; to that one worshipped by angels; to that one at which the bodiless powers stood; to that one above every rule and authority and power, to that one it becomes conformed. If the whole world should take up tears and weep for those who have fallen from this hope, it would weep worthily. When so great a promise lies before us, to become conformed to him, does one go off with the demons? I no longer care about Gehenna; whatever you say, I count nothing compared with this loss. What are you saying, Paul? It becomes conformed to that one? Yes, he says. Then, so that you may not disbelieve, he added a reason too: “according to the working by which he is able even to subject all things to himself.” He has power, he says, to subject all things, so as to [abolish] even corruption and death (or rather, he does this too by the same power). For what, tell me, belongs to greater power: to subject angels and archangels and Cherubim and Seraphim and demons, or to make a body incorruptible and immortal? Much more the former than the latter. He has shown greater works of his power.

[From the passage on Phil 4:2–3:] … and he commends them to a man perhaps admirable, whom he also calls yokefellow; to whom perhaps he was accustomed to commend people, as to a fellow worker and soldier and partner and brother; as he does also in the Letter to the Romans, saying, “I commend to you Phoebe our sister, who is a deaconess of the church in Cenchreae.” “Yokefellow.” He calls so either some brother of theirs or the husband of one of them; as if he said: now you are a genuine brother, now a genuine husband, because you have become a member. “Who laboured with me in the gospel.” Your claim to patronage comes from yourselves, not from friendship but from achievements. “Laboured with me.” What are you saying? Women laboured with you? Yes, he says; these too contributed no small part. And though there were many who worked with him, nevertheless these too worked with him in many things. In no small way, then, were the churches knit together at that time; for from the approved, whether men or women, enjoying so much honour from the rest, many good things came about. First, the rest were led to equal zeal; second, they gained by the honour; third, they made those very people more eager and more vehement. That is why everywhere you see Paul taking care of this and commending such people, as he says also in the Letter to the Corinthians: “You know the household of Stephanas, that it is the firstfruits of Achaia.” Some say that “Yokefellow” is a proper name; but whether this or that, one must not be over-exact, but marvel that he bids them receive great patronage.

All things are ours in heaven, both Saviour and city and whatever one might name: “From which,” he says, “we also await a Saviour, the Lord Jesus Christ.” And this belongs to his love for humankind. He himself comes to us again; he does not drag us there, but so takes us and departs; and this belongs to great honour. For if he came to us when we were enemies, much more when we have become friends. He does not entrust this to angels or to servants, but he himself comes on the clouds to call us into his palace. [Those who honour] him, honoured by him, will be caught up through clouds. “For we too,” he says, “shall be caught up in clouds,” we who honour him, “and so we shall always be with the Lord.” Who, then, will be found the faithful and wise servant? Who are those counted worthy of such good things? How pitiable are those who fall away! For if we wept all our time for having missed the kingdom, would we be doing anything worthy of it? For if you name countless Gehennas, you will name nothing equal to that pain which the soul then undergoes, when the whole world is shaken, when the trumpets sound, when the angels run before, the first, then the second, then the third, then countless ranks poured out onto the earth, then the Cherubim (and these are many and countless), then the Seraphim, when he himself comes in that unspeakable glory, when those who have come to bring the elect into the midst go out to meet him; then those with Paul, and all who have been approved, honoured by the King before the whole heavenly host. For even if there were no Gehenna, how great a thing is it that these are honoured and those dishonoured! Gehenna is unbearable, I admit, very unbearable; yet more unbearable than it is falling from the kingdom. Tell me: if some king or son of a king, having gone away and won countless wars and been admired, and having a whole army, should enter some city with his chariot, with trophies, with countless ranks all wearing gold, with all his bodyguards around him holding golden shields, and the whole city were crowned, and all the rulers of the world were with him, and every age followed him, and behind him captives of foreign nations, prefects, satraps, consuls, tyrants, rulers; then, in all that splendour, he should receive and kiss those of the citizens who came to meet him, and stretch out his hand to them, and share every freedom with them, or speak with them, while all stood by, as with friends, and say that he had made that whole journey for their sake, and lead some into his own palace but leave others behind: what punishment is this not worth, even if they are not punished? And if with a man it is so bitter to fall from this glory, much more with God, when all the powers above are present with the King, when the demons are bound and bow down, and the devil himself is led a prisoner, and every opposing power, when the powers of the heavens …, when he himself comes on the clouds. Believe me, from the pain that grips my soul at this account I cannot even finish the discourse. Let us consider how great a glory we are deprived of, when we need not be deprived. For the terrible thing is this, that though we have it in our power not to suffer these things, we suffer them. For when he receives some and leads them away to the Father into heaven, but sends others, weeping and bowed down, to the fire of Gehenna, first made an example before the whole world, how great do you think the pain is? Let us hasten, then, while there is time, and take great care of our own salvation. How many such things we shall have to say as the rich man did: “If someone now allowed us, we would plan something profitable”; but no one allows it. And that we shall say this is clear not only from him but from many others. And that you may learn: how many have fallen into fever and said, “If we recover …!” Many such things we shall say then, but we shall hear what the rich man heard: that there is a chasm, that we received our good things here. So let us groan bitterly, I beg you; or rather, let us not only groan, but also pursue virtue. Let us mourn now for salvation, so that we may not mourn then in vain; let us weep now, and not weep then over wickedness: this weeping belongs to virtue, that one to useless repentance. Let us afflict ourselves now, so that we may not be afflicted then. It is not the same to be afflicted here and there. For here you are afflicted for a short time, or rather you do not even feel the affliction, knowing that you are afflicted for good; but there the affliction is harsher, because it is not in hope, nor with any way out, but endless and forever. May we all be freed and obtain rest. But since there is need of intense zeal and unceasing prayers so as not to miss it, let us be zealous, I beg you; for if we are zealous, we also succeed when we pray; if we pray earnestly, God gives. But if we neither ask him nor do anything of the kind nor work, how is it possible ever to succeed while sleeping? Not at all. For it is something to be glad of to be able to attain it [even while being conformed] to his death, as Paul said, let alone sleeping. “If by any means I may attain,” he says. If Paul said, “if by any means I may attain,” what shall we say? For while sleeping one cannot even accomplish worldly affairs, let alone spiritual ones; while sleeping one cannot even receive anything from friends, let alone from God; fathers do not honour sleepers, let alone God. Let us toil a little, that we may rest forever. One must certainly be afflicted; if we are not afflicted here, it remains for there. Why do we not choose [to be afflicted here, so that we may rest there]? May we all, having lived worthily of Christ and been conformed to his death, obtain the unspeakable good things in Christ Jesus, with whom to the Father together with the Holy Spirit be glory, power, honour, now and always and to the ages of ages. Amen.

[From the passage on Phil 4:1–3:] [He showed greater works of his power, so that you may believe] these too. So even if you see these men rejoicing, even if you see them [honoured], stand firm; be in no way harmed by them, in nothing be frightened; these hopes are enough to raise up even one very sluggish and drowsy. “So then, my brothers, beloved and longed for, my joy and crown, so stand firm in the Lord, beloved.” “So”: how? As you have stood unbending. See how after the exhortation come the praises: “my joy and crown.” Not … Perhaps simply joy, but also glory; not simply glory, but also a crown; and there is no glory equal to this, when they are Paul's crown. “So stand firm in the Lord, beloved”: that is, in the hope of God. “I exhort Euodia and I exhort Syntyche to think the same thing in the Lord. And I ask you too, genuine yokefellow.” Some say that he is exhorting his own wife here, “genuine yokefellow”; but it is not so, but someone … wife, or the husband of one of them. “Help these women, who laboured with me in the gospel, with Clement also and the rest of my fellow workers, whose names are in the book of life.” Do you see how great a virtue he bears witness to in them? What Christ said to the apostles, “Do not rejoice that the demons obey you, but that your names are written in the book of life”, this Paul too bears witness to in them, saying, “whose names are in the book of life.” These women seem to me to be the chief part of the church there; and he commends …