THEOSISJohn Chrysostom
The Apostle began with prayer and ended his epistle with prayer. On both sides he enclosed what was said with great walls. Having laid a firm foundation, he added a firm ending. "Grace," he says, "to you and peace." And again, "The grace of our Lord Jesus Christ be with you all. Amen."
The Lord also bequeathed this when He said to the disciples, "And behold, I am with you always, to the end of the age" (Mt 28:20). But this happens only when we desire it. He will not be with us at all if we ourselves withdraw from Him. "I will remain with you forever," He says. Therefore let us not drive this grace away from ourselves.
The Apostle wants us to withdraw from every brother who walks disorderly. To be separated from the whole community of brethren was then considered a great calamity. Therefore the Apostle subjects all to this punishment. Thus elsewhere, in the epistle to the Corinthians, he said, "With such a one do not even eat" (1 Cor 5:11).
But now most people consider this unimportant. Everything has now been mixed together and thrown into disorder. We enter into fellowship indiscriminately and as it happens with adulterers, fornicators, and covetous people. If it was necessary to withdraw from one who merely ate without his own labor, how much more from the rest?
That you may know what fear separation from the fellowship of the brethren inspired, and what benefit it brought to those who accepted such punishment with good sense, listen. The man who boasted of his sin reached the last degree of vice. He committed fornication not even named among the pagans. He remained insensible to his wound, and in this lies the final degree of corruption.
Yet this very man, who was so wicked, became so humbled and tamed that Paul later said of him, "This punishment by the majority is sufficient for such a one. Therefore I beg you to show him love" (2 Cor 2:6, 8). Such a man was then like a member torn from the rest of the body.
The reason this inspired such fear then was that it was considered a great good to be in the society of believers. Then in every Church believers lived as people dwelling in one house, subject to one father, and sharing one table. Therefore removal from such great love was a misfortune for everyone.
But now this does not seem important, because we also do not consider our mutual fellowship important. What formerly was counted among punishments now happens even apart from punishment, because love has grown cold. We separate from one another without cause, out of indifference. Truly the absence of love is the cause of all evils. It has destroyed and abolished everything great and glorious in the Church, everything for which one ought to rejoice.
Great boldness is given to the teacher by the thought that he can exhort his disciples by appealing to his righteous deeds. Therefore Paul also said, "For you yourselves know how you ought to imitate us." A teacher must teach more by life than by word. Let no one think that the Apostle said this because he wished to praise himself excessively. Necessity compelled him to say it, and he did so for the common benefit.
"For," he says, "we did not behave disorderly among you." Do you not see his humility in this, that he calls it good order as if it were not a merit? "We did not behave disorderly," he says, "nor did we eat anyone's bread for nothing." Here he also indicates that they were probably poor.
Do not say to me, but not all of them were poor. He speaks about the poor and about those who could obtain their necessary food only by the labor of their hands. He did not say, let them receive food from their fathers, but, "The laborer is worthy of his food." If I, he says, a preacher of the words of teaching, feared to burden you, how much more should one fear who brings you no benefit?
This is indeed a burden. It is also a burden when someone gives something to another without great zeal. But the Apostle is not hinting at this. He is speaking of those who seemed willingly to belong among the destitute. Indeed, why do you not work? God gave you hands not so that you might receive from others, but so that you yourself might give to others.
"And the Lord," he says, "be with you." We also may ask this for ourselves, if only we fulfill what the Lord commanded. Hear what Christ says to His disciples: "Go therefore and teach all nations, baptizing 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 behold, I am with you always, to the end of the age. Amen" (Mt 28:19-20).
This was said not only to them, but also to us. That it was not promised to them alone, but to all who would walk in their steps, is clear from the words, "to the end of the age." But why did He say this, and not only to teachers? Each of you, if he wishes, can become a teacher, if not for another, then for himself.
First teach yourself. When you have learned all that the Lord commanded you to observe, then through this you will acquire many imitators for yourself. A lamp, when it burns, can kindle many others from itself. But when it is extinguished, it gives no light even for itself and cannot kindle other lamps. So it is with a righteous life. When the light dwelling in us is bright, then, by presenting in ourselves an example to others, we can form many disciples and teachers.
My words cannot bring as much benefit to listeners as our life can. Indeed, suppose there is a man pleasing to God, shining with virtue, and having a wife. One who has a wife, children, servants, and friends can also be pleasing to God. Tell me, can such a man not bring more benefit to everyone than I do?
They hear me once or twice a month, or not even once. What they hear they perhaps keep in memory only as far as the church threshold, and then immediately forget. But by constantly looking at his life, they receive great benefit from it. Indeed, if he receives an insult and does not return insult for insult, does he not by his meekness awaken and imprint shame in the soul of the one who insulted him?
Although that man, because of irritation, shame, or disturbance of soul, does not at once recognize this benefit, he can soon come to his senses. It is impossible for the most insolent man, even if he were a beast, to encounter a guileless man and depart from him without receiving great benefit. Even if we do not do good, nevertheless we all praise and admire the good.
Likewise a wife, seeing her husband's meekness and constantly living with him, receives great benefit from it. The same is true of a child. Thus everyone can be a teacher. "Therefore exhort one another," he says, "and edify one another, just as you are doing" (1 Thess 5:11).
Consider this. Has a loss occurred in your house? The wife, being weaker and more attached to luxury, is troubled by it. But if the husband is philosophical and laughs at the loss, he will comfort her and persuade her to bear it nobly. Tell me, then, will he not bring her much more benefit than our words? It is not hard for anyone to speak, but to act when necessary is very hard. For this reason human nature is usually corrected more by example.
The excellence of virtue is so great that often even a servant, together with the master, benefits the whole house. Indeed, it is not in vain or without reason that Paul continually commands servants to be perfected in virtue and to obey their masters. He is not so much concerned that they serve their masters as that the word of God and the Gospel teaching not be blasphemed.
When it is not blasphemed, then soon it will be admired. I know many houses that received great benefit from the virtue of servants. If a servant, being under authority, can admonish his master, much more can a master admonish his servants. Share this ministry with me, I beg you. I speak to all in general, and you speak to each in particular. Let each one aid the salvation of his neighbor.
To be convinced that fathers of families must guide their households in this, hear where Paul sends wives. "If they wish to learn anything," he says, "let them ask their husbands at home" (1 Cor 14:35). He does not send them to the teacher. As in schools there are teachers even among the pupils, so also in the Church. The Apostle wants not everyone to burden the teacher.
Why? Because great benefits will flow from this. Not only does the teacher's labor become lighter, but each of the disciples, being diligent, can in a short time become a teacher if he takes care. Indeed, see what service your wife renders you. She watches over the house, cares for everything in the house, directs the maidservants, clothes you with her own hands, and becomes the reason you are called father of a family.
She restrains you from disreputable houses, helps you lead a chaste life, and calms the excessive force of natural desires. But you also must benefit her. How? Stretch out to her a helping hand in spiritual matters. When you hear something useful, then, like swallows, preserve it in your mouth, bring it, and place it in the mouth of the mother and the young.
Is it not unreasonable that, in every other matter, you claim primacy and occupy the place of the head, while in the matter of teaching you abandon the place proper to you? The one who rules must surpass those under him not in honor, but in virtues. The latter is the duty of the ruler, while the former belongs to those under him. In this lies the ruler's own dignity.
If you enjoy great honor, this does not depend on you. You received it from others. But if you shine with virtue, this belongs wholly to you. You are the head of your wife. Let the head govern the rest of the body. Do you not see that the head is raised above the rest of the body not so much by its place as by its care for it, guiding it like a helmsman?
In the head are the eyes of both body and soul. From there the power of sight and the faculty of guidance are communicated to them. All the rest of the body is appointed for service, but the head is for governing. All the senses have their beginning and source in it. From there arise the organs of speech, sight, smell, and every sensation. There is the root of nerves and bones.
Do you see that the head is exalted above the body more by its care for it than by honor? Let us also strive to rule our wives in this way. Let us overcome them not by demanding greater honor from them, but by doing them more good from our side. I have shown that they render us no small benefits. But if we wish to repay them with spiritual benefits, we will surpass them.
Among bodily goods, none can be found equal to these. What will you point to? That you acquire much money? But she preserves it. Her care here has equal value and is just as necessary. Why? Because many acquired much money, yet, having no wife to preserve it, lost everything. As for children, there you do everything with common strength, and the service from both is equal.
Even in this case, her service is bound up with greater labors, since she constantly bears the fruit within herself and undergoes the pains of childbirth. Thus only in spiritual matters can you have the advantage over her. Therefore let us not care about having money, but about being able with boldness to present before God the souls entrusted to our care. By instructing them we bring the greatest benefit to ourselves.
One who teaches another, even if he gains nothing else, is at least moved to compunction himself while he speaks. This is especially so when he sees that he himself is guilty of what he reproves in others. Therefore, since through this we bring benefit both to ourselves and to them, and through them to the whole house, and since this above all is well pleasing before God, let us not withdraw from care not only for our own soul, but also for the soul of those who serve us.