To those who by patience in good work seek glory, honor, and incorruption, God will repay eternal life. By patience in good work. Good work means both each good deed, whatever may present itself, and good-doing in general, or a virtuous and holy life. Patience is so essentially bound up with such a life that without it one cannot take a single step in it. Patience is necessary at the beginning, in the continuation, and at the end of each deed and of the whole life. Everywhere there is required the exertion of powers always ready to fall, the overcoming of obstacles both within and without, the devising of means, and the bringing of them into action. None of this can be endured without patience. Patience is the substratum, the underlay, of a holy and God-pleasing life. This is why Saint Paul, passing over other points of contact in the good work of the saving life, mentioned only patience. For when patience is present, everything is present. There is zeal, attentiveness to every occasion of good that presents itself, and resolve to die rather than omit any good that lies before one. Still more is there resolve not to admit anything opposed to it. Therefore patience in good work may mean constancy in good-doing, or in a good and holy life. To those who seek glory, honor, and incorruption. To seek glory is love of glory, and to seek honor is ambition. Both are not good aspirations. How, then, is eternal life given for them? The seeking of glory and honor, when directed toward empty, unstable, human glory and honor, which feed human selfhood, gives birth to vices: love of glory and ambition. But when it is directed toward eternal glory and honor with God in the Kingdom of Heaven, it does not give birth to vices. It gives birth to good dispositions that lead to good deeds, which do not feed selfhood but require self-denial. To desire and seek that glory and honor, one must deny oneself and everything high and exalted on earth. One must descend to the most humble and abased lot, cast away what is before one's eyes, and seize what is invisible and unknown to the mind. Between what is here and what is there lies a whole abyss. How can one cross it, and who will carry one across? However this may be accomplished, it is clear that this is a great struggle. For the one who has sought the things there is wholly there in heart and thought, although visibly he remains here. Hope embraces the future goods. But hope cannot be established without love, for it is strong only because it relies on the beloved and loving one. Love cannot be born without faith, for only faith leads into the contemplation of what is worthy of love. Thus the seeking of glory, honor, and incorruption possesses high spiritual perfection. Insofar as it is such, eternal life cannot but belong to it, for it already breathes with eternal life. There will be glory and honor there, but no one will be occupied with them. That state will be glorious and most honorable. Human nature itself will become glorious and honorable. Yet the attention of those who possess it will be occupied with something else, something higher: the contemplation of God, all-blessed and making all blessed. Even here on earth, those who have sought what is there await it. Yet their attention is directed not to it, but to what safely leads to it. It is directed to a holy and God-pleasing life and to every kind of labor required to reach such an end. Therefore one may say that in their expectation there are ineffable future goods, without their being qualified by any particular feature. The Apostle calls them glory, honor, and incorruption, borrowing features from what is great among men. He does not depict their essence, but by a certain hint teaches us to anticipate their greatness. Saint Chrysostom says: "Notice that, when speaking of the future, the Apostle himself cannot depict all the goods. He speaks of glory and honor. Since these goods surpass everything human, and there is nothing on earth that can serve as their likeness, the Apostle explains them, as far as possible, by comparison with what is considered splendid among us: glory, honor, and life. For these are most desirable to men. In reality, however, heavenly goods are not such, but as incorruptible and immortal they are incomparably superior." Thus, "to those who seek glory, honor, and incorruption" means the same as "to those who seek heavenly goods." And that God will repay them eternal life means that God will enrich them with these goods. This whole passage may be expressed thus. To those who have resolved to live in a holy and God-pleasing manner, and who patiently and unswervingly walk this good path, animated by hope in the future most radiant state, God will repay eternal life. He will grant them to taste forever the ineffable heavenly goods. Here the Apostle "has shown the labors of virtue and also shown the crowns. The words 'by patience in good work' signify labors. For one must endure and advance in virtue, and in this way await its crowns. But the labor is temporary, while the acquisition is eternal" (Blessed Theodoret). "To those," he says, "who seek honor, glory, and incorruption, and never let them go from their thoughts, God will repay eternal life in the resurrection. How then are future glory, honor, and incorruption acquired? By constancy in good work. For one who is constant in good work and stands firm against every temptation truly acquires glory, honor, and immortality, or enjoyment of incorruptible goods in an incorruptible body" (Blessed Theophylact).
THEOSIS