THEOSISJohn Chrysostom
That is, do not cut off at once, but examine everything with great exactness. When you have learned clearly, then demand an account strictly, so that others also may be instructed.
As it is harmful to condemn rashly, so not to punish those who have openly sinned means giving others a path to do the same and attempt the same. "Rebuke," he says, showing that one must act not casually, but with severity, because in this way others too will fear.
How, then, does Christ say: "Go and rebuke him between you and him alone" (Mt 18:15), if he has sinned against you? Yet Christ also allows him to be rebuked in the Church.
What then? Will there not be greater scandal when you rebuke before all? How so? When people learn of the sin but do not see the punishment, they will be more scandalized. Just as many sin because those who sin remain unpunished, so many are corrected because they are punished.
God also acted in this way. He brought Pharaoh into the midst of the sea and punished him. We also see that Nebuchadnezzar received punishment, and many other people and cities. Therefore he wants all to have fear before the bishop, and he sets him over all.
But since many were condemned on suspicion, he says that there must be witnesses who convict him, according to the command of the ancient law: "At the mouth of two witnesses, or at the mouth of three witnesses, the matter shall be established" (Deut 19:15).
"Against a presbyter," he says, "do not receive an accusation" otherwise. He did not say, "Do not condemn," but, "Do not even receive an accusation, and do not call him to judgment at all."
But what if even two witnesses lie? This rarely happens. Besides, through investigation at the judgment even this can be discovered. For sins, two witnesses are enough, since they are committed secretly and hiddenly. This itself is a sign of strict investigation.
But what if the sins are manifest, and there are no witnesses, but only suspicion of evil? "I said above," he says, "He must also have a good testimony from those outside" (1 Tim 3:7).
Let us therefore love God with fear. Although "the law is not laid down for a righteous man" (1 Tim 1:9), still many who practice virtue out of necessity, and not from a free disposition of will, receive great benefit from fear, often cutting off their desires.
For this reason let us hear of Gehenna, so that this threat and this fear may bring us something great. If He who intends to cast sinners into it had not first declared this threat, many would fall into it.
Indeed, even now, when fear shakes our souls, there are people who sin so easily, as if Gehenna did not exist. What evil would we not have done if nothing of this sort were told us, and no such threat were made?
Therefore, as I always say, Gehenna shows God's care for us no less than the kingdom. Gehenna cooperates with the kingdom of God by moving people toward it through fear. Let us not consider this a sign of excessive severity and cruelty, but of mercy, great love for mankind, care, and love for us.
If destruction had not threatened in the days of Jonah, destruction would not have been averted. If God had not said that "Nineveh shall be overthrown" (Jon 3:4), Nineveh would not have stood. If He had not threatened us with Gehenna, we would all fall into Gehenna. If He had not threatened us with fire, no one would escape the fire.
He says that He will do what is contrary to His desire, in order to do what He desires. He does not desire the death of the sinner, but He speaks of the death of the sinner so as not to hand him over to death.
He expresses this not only by word, but also shows it in deed, so that we may escape it. Lest anyone think that this is only a threat and not something real, He made it plain through the events that happened here before.
Does it not seem to you that the flood is an image of Gehenna, and destruction by rain an image of the same destruction by fire? "As it was," He says, "in the days of Noah, they were marrying and being given in marriage" (Mt 24:37-38). So it is now.
He foretold it long beforehand then, about four hundred years or more in advance, but no one listened. Everyone considered it fables. Everyone laughed. No one felt fear. No one wept. No one struck his breast.
The river of fire boils. The flame burns up. Yet we laugh, give ourselves to pleasures, and sin fearlessly. No one ever brings that day to mind. No one considers that the present is passing, and that all this is temporary, though events speak of it daily.
Premature death, changes of circumstance that happen while we are still alive, do not instruct us. Nor do sicknesses and other infirmities instruct us. These changes may be seen not only in our bodies, but also in the elements themselves.
The changes observed in the seasons lead us daily to reflect on death. Everywhere, in everything, the instability of things is imprinted. Winter, summer, spring, and autumn never continue unchanged. Everything runs, flies, and flows.
What would you like me to speak to you about? Flowers, honors, kings who live today and tomorrow cease to exist? Or the rich? Or splendid buildings? Or night and day? Or the sun and the moon?
Does not the moon itself decrease? Is not the sun itself often eclipsed and covered with darkness? Does not a cloud cover it? Does anything visible remain unchanged? Nothing of all that is in us, except the soul. Yet we neglect it.
We care greatly for what is changeable, as if it were permanent. As for what is permanent, the soul, we pay no attention to it, as if it were something fleeting.
Suppose someone has great power. Only until tomorrow. After that it perishes. This is clear because there have been people endowed with great might, and now they are nowhere to be seen.
Life is like a stage and a dream. On the stage, when the curtains are removed, the variety of images disappears. When a ray of sun appears, all dreams fly away. So now, after the end comes, both the general end and each person's own end, everything is destroyed and disappears.
The tree you planted remains. The house you built also remains. Meanwhile, the artisan and the farmer depart and perish. When all this happens, even in spite of it we are not instructed. As if immortal, we arrange all this, giving ourselves to pleasures and enjoyment.
Hear what Solomon says, who learned by experience the meaning of present things. "I built myself houses," he says. "I planted myself vineyards. I made myself gardens and groves. I made myself reservoirs. I gathered for myself silver and gold. I acquired male and female singers. I had more cattle, large and small, than all" (Eccl 2:4-8).
No one was so given to enjoyment. No one was so glorious. No one was so wise. No one was so powerful. No one saw everything go so much according to his desire.
What then? None of this benefited him. What does he say after all this? "Vanity of vanities," he says, "all is vanity" (Eccl 1:2). Not simply vanity, but vanity in the highest degree.
Let us follow him, I beg you, him who learned all things by experience. Let us follow him and turn to what has no vanity, where there is truth, where everything is constant and unchanging, where everything is founded on the rock.
There is no old age there, no changeableness. Everything blossoms. Everything is full of strength. Nothing grows worn, grows old, or approaches destruction.
Let us love God, I beg you, most sincerely, not from fear of Gehenna, but from desire to acquire the kingdom. Tell me, what can equal the vision of Christ? Nothing can. What can equal the enjoyment of those good things? Again, nothing can.
And rightly so, for it is said: "Eye has not seen, nor ear heard, nor has it entered into the heart of man, what God has prepared for those who love Him" (1 Cor 2:9). Let us strive to receive these good things and despise earthly things.
Do we not abase earthly things endlessly when we say, "Human life is nothing"? Why, then, do you care for nothing? Why do you undertake labors for nothing?
But you look upon splendid buildings, and the sight of them charms you. Then immediately look at heaven. Turn your gaze from stones and columns to that beauty, and you will see that all these are works of ants and mosquitoes.
Draw wisdom from this sight. Ascend to the heavenly. From there look upon splendid buildings, and you will see that they are nothing other than toys of small children.
Do you not see how much thinner, lighter, purer, and brighter the air becomes as you ascend to the height? Those who give alms have houses and a dwelling there. But these earthly houses will be destroyed at the resurrection. Or rather, before the resurrection, time itself will break them down, annihilate them, and destroy them.
Even before time does this, an earthquake often overthrows them in full strength and beauty, or a fire wholly destroys them. Premature death happens not only with respect to human age, but also with respect to buildings.
Often buildings grown old with time remained unharmed when the earth shook. Meanwhile, splendid, strong, and recently built structures were shaken and destroyed by a single thunderbolt. I think this happens by God's ordering, so that we may not be proud of our buildings.
Do you want another way to preserve courage of spirit? Go to the public buildings, which you own equally with others. There is truly no house, however splendid it may be, that surpasses public buildings in brilliance.
Remain there as long as you wish. These buildings are yours. They are yours as much as everyone else's. They are common, not private.
But you will say that they do not please you. They do not please you, first, because of habit, and second, because of covetousness. Therefore what pleases is covetousness, not beauty. Therefore enjoyment consists in covetousness and in the desire to make everything one's own.
How long, then, shall we cling to this? How long shall we be chained to the earth and crawl in the mud like worms? God gave us a body from the earth so that we might raise even it to heaven, not so that through it we might bring the soul down to earth.
It is earthly. But if I wish, it will be heavenly. See what honor He has granted us, entrusting such a work to us. "I created," He says, "earth and heaven. I also give you creative power. Make earth into heaven. You can do this."
It is said of God: "Who made all things and transforms them" (Amos 5:8). But He gave the same power to human beings, like a child-loving father who practices painting and wants not only to do it himself, but also to bring his son to equal perfection with himself.
"I created a beautiful body," He says. "I give you power to create something better. Make the soul beautiful. I said, 'Let the earth bring forth greenery, grass bearing seed, and fruit trees'" (Gen 1:11). "You also say: Let the same earth bring forth its own fruit, and let what must happen according to Your desire come to pass.
"I make summer and darkness. I establish thunder and create the spirit. I created the serpent to be mocked, that is, the devil. I did not begrudge you this power either. Mock him also, if you wish. You can bind him like a little bird.
"I make the sun shine on the evil and on the good. Imitate Me also. Distribute your possessions to the good and the evil. When I am insulted, I endure and do good to those who insult Me. Imitate Me also. You can do this.
"I do good not for the sake of repayment. Imitate Me also, and do good not for repayment and not for reward. I kindled luminaries in heaven. You also kindle luminaries brighter than these. You can do this: enlighten those who have gone astray.
"To make Me known is a greater benefit than to give the ability to see the sun. You cannot create a human being, but you can make him righteous and pleasing to God. I created the substance. You adorn the intention. See how I love you, and that I have given you power even in greater things."