"Wherefore I also, having heard of your faith in Christ Jesus, and of your love for all the saints, give thanks unceasingly to God for you, remembering you in my prayers, that the God of our Lord Jesus Christ, the Father of glory, may give you the Spirit of wisdom and revelation unto the knowledge of him, and enlighten the eyes of your heart, that ye may know wherein is the hope of his calling, and what riches of His glorious inheritance are for the saints, and how immeasurable is the greatness of His power in us who believe, according to the work of His sovereign power, by which He worked in Christ, raising Him from the dead" (Ephesians 1:15-20). – The deprivation of the kingdom of heaven is worse than hell. – How and at what time one should approach the Communion of the Body of Christ. 1. There is nothing with which the apostolic benevolence can be compared, which would be similar to that sympathy and tender love with which Blessed Paul was filled, who in all his prayers commemorated entire cities and nations. "I thank God for you, remembering you in my prayers," – so he used to write to everyone. Imagine, then, how many he had in his thoughts! It was even difficult to remember – there were so many people for whom he prayed, thanking God for all, as if the greatest blessings (which they received) he himself received. "For this," he says, that is, for the sake of the future blessings that await the right of believers and those who live. However, we must thank God for all that He has done for the human race, both before and after that, and we must thank Him for the faith of believers. "Having heard," he says, "of your faith in Christ Jesus, and of your love for all the saints." Everywhere it unites and brings together faith and love, like a kind of wondrous duality; and of their love he speaks not only to the natives, but to all (Christians). "I thank God for you continually, remembering you in my prayers." What should he ask for, what should he pray for? That "the God of our Lord Jesus Christ, the Father of glory, may give you the Spirit of wisdom and revelation." He wants to teach them two truths, how they are called and how they are delivered from the original (evils). Meanwhile, he himself says that there are three of these (truths). How are there three of them? Let's start with the future. From the blessings prepared for us we recognize His ineffable and overflowing riches. And from the knowledge of what we are and how we believed, we learn His power and power to turn to God those who have been alienated for so long. "The weakness of God is stronger than men" (1 Cor. 1:25). By the same power with which He resurrected Christ, He also drew us to Himself. And His power was manifested not only in the resurrection, but also in much greater things: "And having seated at His right hand in heaven, above all principality, and authority, and power, and dominion, and every name that is named, not only in this world, but also in the world to come, and subjected all things under his feet, and set him above all things, the head of the church, which is his body, the fullness of Him who fills all in all" (vv. 20-23). He has made us participants in truly great and ineffable mysteries, sacraments that can be understood only by those who have partaken of the Holy Spirit and have been vouchsafed great grace. That is why Paul begins his prayer with the words: "The Father of glory," that is, (the Father) who has given us great blessings. He always calls Him according to the subject (of which he speaks), as, for example, when He says: "Father of mercy and God of all comfort" (2 Cor. 1:3), and as the prophet (said): "The Lord is my stronghold and my refuge" (Psalm 17:3). "Father of glory". (The Apostle) cannot find such a word (with which he could fully depict the blessings prepared by God), and everywhere he calls them glory, as a word denoting for us all kinds of greatness. See: (the Apostle calls God the Father) the Father of glory and the God of Christ. What then? Does the Son have less glory? No, no one, not even a madman, will say that. "He hath given unto you" (the spirit of wisdom), that is, He will exalt and open your mind, for otherwise it is impossible to know it. "The natural man receiveth not the things of the Spirit of God, because he thinketh them foolishness" (1 Cor. 2:14). This means that in order to understand the spiritual, to see the hidden, spiritual wisdom is also needed. The Spirit reveals all things and explains to themselves the mysteries of God. The knowledge of the mysteries of God belongs to the Spirit alone, who "searches even the depths of God" (1 Cor. 2:10), and neither angel, nor archangel, nor any other created power will give you, i.e., will not grant you this gift. But if this is the fruit of revelation, then all speculation is superfluous, because he who is immersed in (contemplation) of God and knows Him will not doubt anything, will not say: this is possible, and this is impossible; will not speculate how this or that could have happened. If we also knew God as we should, if we knew from Him from Whom we should know, from the Spirit Himself, then we would no longer doubt anything. For this reason (the Apostle) says: "To the knowledge of Him, and He has enlightened the eyes of your heart." He who has been taught that there is a God will not doubt the promises, nor will he reveal disbelief in what has already happened. That is why he prays for the gift of the spirit of wisdom and revelation. However, he himself (the Apostle), what is possible, also proves by means of reasoning, (borrowing the reasons for them) from what has already been done. As he intends to speak on the one hand of what has already been accomplished, and on the other of what has not yet been accomplished, by what is done he confirms faith in that which is not yet finished, as is evident from the following: "That ye may know," he says, "wherein lies the hope of his calling," (a hope) as yet unknown, he says, but not to the faithful, "and what riches of his glorious inheritance are to the saints." – also still unknown. What is known? That we believe that He resurrected Christ "by His power." To arouse faith in souls is much more amazing than to raise the dead. How so? I will try to make this clear. Listen, indeed: Christ said to the dead: "Lazarus! go away" (John 11:43), and (the dead man) immediately obeyed. Peter said to Tabitha, "Tabitha! arise" (Acts 9:40), and it did not contradict. The Lord will speak on the last day, and all will rise, and with such rapidity that those who are still alive will not warn the dead, and all this will be accomplished and will be completed in a very short time, in the twinkling of an eye. 2. But this is not the case in the matter of conversion to faith. And how? Listen again to what (the Lord) says: "Many will seek to enter in, and will not be able" (Luke 13:24). Now do you understand what is more difficult? For this reason (the Apostle by faith) proves everything. In fact, it is much more difficult, even for human reasons, to convince man's freedom than to create nature. The reason is that God wants us to voluntarily become good. Thus (the Apostle) quite rightly sees "and how immeasurable is the greatness of His power in us who believe." When the prophets did not help, when the angels and archangels, all visible and invisible creation – the visible, being brought to the stage, could not lead, and the invisible did succeed in many things – then it was the pleasure of appearing (God) Himself, showing that in the work (of conversion to faith) Divine power is needed. "The riches of the glorious," i.e., the ineffable glory. Indeed, whose word is able to represent the glory with which the saints will once be vouchsafed? Of course, it is a draw. In order to understand this, grace is truly needed – it is necessary to receive at least a small ray (of spiritual light). Something (of the Divine truths) was known before; but now He wanted to teach greater and more perfect knowledge. Do you see what He has done? He resurrected Christ; and this is already an important matter; but see what else (He did): He seated Him at His right hand. What word can depict this? He who is from the earth, He who was dumb than fish, who was a plaything (was tempted) by demons, He suddenly raised him up on high. Verily, command His power in abundance. And see where He has led Him. He seated Him "in heaven" above all created nature, above all principality and authority. "Above all," he says, "all rulers." Therefore, truly, the Spirit (of grace) is needed, an enlightened mind is needed to know Him – in a word, revelation is needed for this. Imagine how great is the distance between the human and divine natures; yet He raised Him from this (human) insignificance to that (Divine) honor. Not one, not two, not three degrees must be passed for this. For this reason (the Apostle) did not simply say, "Higher," but "Higher." God alone is above the highest powers. And it is there that He has raised Him who is from us, from extreme humiliation He has raised Him to an extreme degree of power, beyond which there is no other (higher) dignity. "Of every principality," he says, i.e. (above) not one or the other, but of every "principality, and authority, and power, and dominion, and every name that is named"; whatever is in heaven, He has become above all things. All this (said the Apostle) is about Him who rose from the dead, and all this is worthy of wonder, and not about God the Word. For what mosquitoes are to man, so is all creation to God. And what do I say: mosquitoes? If all people before God are nothing more than a drop and like a speck of dust on a weighing cup (Isaiah 40:15), then you can compare invisible forces with mosquitoes (in this case). Thus, it was not of God the Word that (the Apostle) spoke, but of Him Who is of us. It is truly great and wondrous that He raised Him up from the pit of the earth. If all nations (before God) are like a drop, then one person is only the smallest part of the drop. And yet God made Him above all "not only in this world, but also in the world to come" – which means that the names of some of the powers (heavenly) have not yet been revealed to us and are unknown to us – "and He has subjected all things under His feet." He did not merely say, "He made Him higher" (than all) in order to prefer them, – he did not use this word in the sense of comparison; but he made him as it were lord over the slaves. Oh, truly wondrous deeds! Through the fact that God the Word dwelt (in our nature), all created power became a slave to man. But perhaps there is someone higher (than Him) who, although he has no subordinates, yet who has greater dignity? Here, too, this does not apply: "and he subjected all things under His feet," not only subdued, but subdued to perfect submission, so that there can be no greater submission. For this reason (the Apostle) said: "Under His feet, and set Him above all things, the head of the Church." Oh, and the Church to which He has raised! As if by some kind of machine, having lifted it up, He raised it to a great height, and seated it on the same throne, because where there is a head, there is a body, there is no interval between the head and the body, and if (the connection between them) were broken, then there would be neither body nor head. "Above all," he says. What does "above all" mean? Either that Christ is above all that is visible and contemplated by the intellect, or that the highest of all the blessings bestowed by Him is that He made His Son the head, leaving no one higher, neither angel, nor archangel, nor anyone else. Not only has God honored us with the fact that He has raised up the sorrow of Him who is from us, but also because He has prepared that the entire human race in general should follow Him, that He should also inherit Him (glory). "Which is His Body." Lest thou, when thou hearest the word "head," take it only in the sense of authority, but in its proper sense, not consider Him only a ruler, but see in Him, as it were, a bodily (actual) head, (the Apostle) adds: "The fullness of Him who fills all in all." He considers (the title of the chapter to be insufficient) to show the kinship and closeness (of the Church to Christ), and what can we say? The Church is the fulfillment of Christ, just as the head is completed by the body and the body is completed by the head. You see what weapons the apostle uses, how he does not stop at any turn of speech to represent the glory of God. "Fullness," he says, i.e., as the head is replenished by the body, because the body is composed of all (its) members, and each member is necessary for the other. You see how (the Apostle) imagines that (for Christ, as the head) all members are needed in general, because if many of us were not – one hand, another foot, another some other member, then His body would not be complete. Therefore His body is made up of all (members). And this means: only then will the head be fulfilled, then the perfect body will be established, when we will all be united together and held together in the most firm way. 3. Do you see "the riches of the glorious heritage"? Do you see "the immeasurable greatness of His power in us who believe"? Do you see the "hope of calling"? Let us honor our Head; let us think about what kind of Head we are, the body, to which all things are subdued. In accordance with this model, we must be better than the angels themselves and higher than the archangels, as being more honored than all of them. God took on the nature of "not angels," as the Apostle says in the Epistle to the Hebrews, but "the seed of Abraham" (Hebrews 2:16). Not powers, not principalities, not dominions, not any other power, but ours He took on our nature and planted sorrow. And what do I say: planted? He made it His garment, and not only this, but also subdued everything under the feet of the Hundred. No matter how many times you yourself die, no matter how many times, even if you lay down your life, you will not say that you have done anything equal (to what Christ did). He performed two great deeds: He Himself condescended to the last degree of humiliation, and He raised man to a great height. (The Apostle) first spoke of His humiliation; here he speaks of a still higher, truly great and main deed. Even if we were not exalted (through His humiliation), it would be sufficient (what He has done for us); or if they had been honored (with such a high honor), but without His sacrifice (that too would have been sufficient). But when He has done both, then, to depict all this, the richest word remains insufficient and powerless. The resurrection itself does not seem so great when I think about it. Not of God the Word, but of Him (the humiliated Christ) he says: "The God of our Lord Jesus Christ." Let us honor the closeness of kinship; let us be afraid that no one will be cut off from this body, that he will not fall, who will not appear unworthy. If someone were to put a diadem or a golden crown on our heads, tell me, what would we not do to show ourselves worthy of these soulless stones? Here it is not the diadem that covers our head, but Christ Himself has become our Head, which is much higher – and yet we do not attach any value to this. Angels, archangels, and all the (heavenly) powers revere our Head, but shall we not honor Her body, but neither for Her humiliation, nor for our exaltation? What hope of salvation will we have after this? Impress this royal throne in your mind, always remember the abundance of honor. This, one might say, should frighten us more than hell. If there had been no hell, then for us, who have been honored with such great honor, and then found to be unworthy of it and evil, (deprivation of this honor) what punishment, what torment would there be? Imagine near whom your Head will sit – this alone is quite enough for everything – at whose right hand is it? Shall she sit above all principality, and power, and power: but shall Her body and demons trample underfoot? But let it not be! If it were so, then there would be no body.

If you are the body of Christ, then bear the cross, because He carried; endure spitting, bruising, piercing with nails; such was His body, although it was sinless: "He did not sin," it is said, "and there was no lie in His mouth" (Isaiah 53:9). His hands acted only for the benefit of the needy. His mouth did not utter anything unseemly; "Is there not a demon in Thee?" they said to Him, but even here He said nothing contrary (John 7:20). And since we speak of His body, those who partake of the bodies and drink of His blood – remember that we partake of a body that is not in the least different from the body that sits on the mountain, which the angels worship, which is near the incorruptible Power – this is what we eat. Oh, how many paths to salvation are open to us! He made us His body, gave us His body, and all this does not distract us from evil. Oh, the darkness! Oh, great humiliation! Oh, shamelessness! "Seek the things above," it is said, "where Christ sits at the right hand of God" (Col. 3:2); and yet some are concerned about wealth, others are captivated by passions. 4. Do you not see that if we have superfluous and unnecessary growths on our body, we cut them off and take them away? Especially useless for the body are ugly growths, necrosis, or rotten, from which, meanwhile, the whole body can become infected. But we do not dare to assert that our being consists of one body. If, however, the body, in spite of the fact that it is material, is nevertheless subjected to amputation, then what horrors must we experience if our spiritual side does not remain healthy? When our body does not take food, when the passages are closed, it dies; when the canals are clogged, it is damaged. So it is with the soul: when we close our ears (to hear the word of God), it is damaged. When we do not receive spiritual food, when certain evil inclinations, like spoiled liquids, fill us and begin to harm us, then all this produces illness, a cruel illness that ends in complete exhaustion. In this case, in order to be saved, it is necessary to resort either to cauterization or to amputation, because Christ does not allow anyone with such a (spoiled) body to enter His palace. If He brought out and cast out those who were clothed in unclean garments, then what will He not do, what measures will He not use against him who allows uncleanness in the body? I notice that many simply, as it happens, more by custom and routine than with discernment and consciousness, partake of the body of Christ. The time has come, they say, for the Holy Forty Days, or the day of Theophany, for all, no matter who they may be (according to their inner disposition), must partake of the mysteries. But time does not give the right to approach (to the sacrament), because it is not the feast of Theophany or the Forty Days that make those who approach worthy, but the brightness and purity of the soul. Always approach with these qualities; Without them, never. "For every time," says (the Apostle), "when you eat this bread and drink this cup, you proclaim the death of the Lord" (1 Cor. 11:26), i.e. you make remembrance of your salvation and of My good work. Remember with what fear one approached participation in ancient sacrifices. What did you not do, what did you not do beforehand? They were always cleansed beforehand; And you, approaching the sacrifices with which the angels tremble, determine the accomplishment of this deed at a certain time? How will you stand before the judgment seat of Christ after this, you who with unclean lips and hands pray to receive His body? You do not dare to kiss the king when you have a bad smell from your mouth: how then do you dare to kiss the King of Heaven with a fetid soul? Such an act is an insult to Him. Tell me, would you dare to approach the sacrifice with unwashed hands? I don't think so. On the contrary, you would rather decide not to proceed at all. Than (to approach) with unclean hands. And yet, stirring such circumspection in small things, do you approach and dare to touch (the great sacrifice), having an unclean soul? After all, it is in the hands only temporarily, and it completely penetrates the soul. Moreover, do you not see how cleanly the (sacred) vessels are washed and how brightly they shine? Our souls must be even purer, holier, and brighter. Why is that? Because the vessels are thus (washed and cleansed) for us; they do not absorb into themselves, do not feel what is in them; we are the opposite. How, then, do you, who probably would not want to use an uncleansed vessel (during the divine service), approach (the sacrament) with an uncleansed soul? I see a great incongruity here. At other times, when you are purer (in your soul), you do not commune; but on Pascha, even if a crime lies upon you, you commune. Oh, custom! Oh, superstition! In vain is the daily sacrifice offered, in vain do we stand before the altar of the Lord – no one partakes of it! However, I do not say this so that you may only partake of it; but so that you prepare yourselves for worthy communion. If you are not worthy of communion, then you are not worthy of participation (in the Liturgy of the faithful), and therefore in prayers. Thou hearest the deacon (χύρυξ) exclaiming: Ye who are in repentance (όσοι εν μετάνοία), come forth, all of you. Those who do not commune are in repentance; if you are also in repentance, then you should not commune, because he who does not partake of it is one of those who repent. Why then (the deacon) should he say: "Come out, you who are unable to pray, and you continue to stand shamelessly?" But you are not among them (the penitents), but those who are able to commune? And yet you do not pay any attention to this, and as if you consider this Cause to be insignificant? 5. Look, I beseech you: here is the royal table; angels serve a meal; the Tsar himself is present here. And you stand carelessly, you have no thought, and moreover, you are in unclean clothes. But are your garments clean? In that case, approach and commune. Himself (the King) will come every time to see those present here; he talks to everyone; And now in your conscience he says to you: Friends, how do you stand here without a wedding garment? He did not say (to him who did not have a wedding garment) (Matt. 22:12): Why did you lie down? – but he said that he was unworthy of being invited and (me) entering; He did not say, "Why were you invited?" He says the same thing now, addressing all of us who stand shamelessly and boldly. Anyone who does not partake of the Holy Mysteries stands shamelessly and boldly; For this reason, first of all, those who are in sins (penitents) are cast out. As during a meal in the presence of the master, the inferior servants are not allowed to participate in it, and they are sent out, so it must be here. When the sacrifice is worn out and Christ is offered as a sacrifice, this is the Lord's sheep; when you hear: let us all pray together; When you see that the veil is lifting, then imagine that the heavens are opened, and angels descend from above. Just as it is impossible for any of the unenlightened to be present, so it is impossible for the unclean, even if enlightened, to be present. If a person, being invited to a feast, were to consent to this, appeared, and had already begun to eat, but then did not partake of it, then, tell me, would he not thereby offend the one who called him? And wouldn't it be better for such a person not to come at all? In the same way you came, sang a song, as if acknowledging yourself together with all the worthy (of the Holy Mysteries), because you did not go out with the unworthy. Why then did you stay, and yet do not partake of the meal? I am unworthy, you say. It means: you are not worthy of communion in prayers, because the Spirit descends not only when (gifts) are offered, but also when (sacred) songs are sung. Haven't you seen how the pasha's servants first wash the table with a sponge, clean the house, and then put the dishes out? (In churches) this is accomplished by the prayers offered by the deacon (χύρυξ), with which, like a sponge, we wash the church, in order to make an offering in a clean church, so that there is not a single stain, not a single speck of dust. And indeed there are those in the church whom the eyes are not worthy to see (what is presented to the eyes here), whom the ears are not worthy to hear (what is proclaimed here). If the cattle touch the mountain, said (the Lord once), they will be stoned (Exodus 19:13). And (the Israelites) were not counted worthy to ascend (to the mountain), although afterwards they ascended and saw where the Lord stood; they could come and see afterwards. Be thou also departed, when (God) is present here, it is even more inadmissible for thee to be here than for the catechumen. For it is not all the same never to partake of the mysteries, and after having been vouchsafed them, to despise them, to insult them, and to make oneself unworthy of them. An even greater and more terrible thing could be said; but, in order not to burden your mind, this is enough. If this does not bring you to your senses, then the greater (will not succeed). Therefore, that no greater condemnation may come upon you, I beseech you, not that you should not come hither—no—but that ye may so that ye may be worthy to enter here and be present here. If any king were to command this, "Whoever does this or that will not be worthy of my table," tell me, would you not then do all things for the sake of this? (God) has called us to heaven, to the table of the great and wondrous King, and we refuse, delay, and are in no hurry to take advantage of this call? What hope do we have for salvation after this? You can't blame weakness for this, you can't blame nature. Carelessness is what makes us unworthy, as we have said. He who touches hearts and gives the spirit of tenderness, let him also touch your hearts and plant deep seeds (of piety) in them, so that you may receive them into your soul with fear, revive in yourselves the spirit of salvation, and have the boldness to approach (the sacrament of Communion). "Thy sons," it is said, "are like olive branches round about thy table" (Psalm 127:4). Let there be nothing old in us, nothing wild and coarse, nothing unripe! Only such new plantings are able to bear fruit, a wondrous fruit, I mean olive fruit, and can be present around the meal, and moreover, not just and not randomly gather here, but with fear and trembling. Then and there we will look to Christ Himself with boldness, and we will be worthy of the heavenly kingdom, which may we all receive through the grace and love of mankind of our Lord Jesus Christ, with Whom to the Father with the Holy Spirit be glory, dominion, honor, now and ever, and unto the ages of ages. Amen.

CONVERSATION 4

"And you, who were dead in your trespasses and sins, in which you once lived, according to the custom of this world, according to the will of the prince who dominates the air, the spirit who now works in the sons of disobedience, among whom we also once lived according to our carnal lusts, fulfilling the desires of the flesh and thoughts, and were by nature children of wrath, like the rest" (Ephesians 2:1-3) Refutation of the Manichaeans. "Without mercy it is impossible to enter the kingdom of heaven. 1. There is bodily death, there is also spiritual death. To be subjected to the first is not sinful or frightening, because it is a matter of nature, and not of good will; Appearing as a result of the first Fall, bodily death later became necessary for our nature, although it will soon be abolished. The other death is spiritual, because it comes from good will, it exposes one to responsibility and has no excuse. But see how Paul, having first shown in the clearest and most convincing way that it is much more difficult to heal a soul mortified (by sins) than to raise the dead, now speaks again of this great (work of God's love for mankind), and expounds it as follows. "And you," he says, "who are dead in your trespasses and sins, in which you once lived, according to the custom of this world, according to the will of the prince who dominates the air, the spirit that now works in the children of disobedience." Do you notice Paul's meekness with which he exhorts his listener without frightening him in the least? Having said that you have come to the utmost degree of evil (and this is what it means to be dead), he points out to them a helper (who has helped them to reach such a degree of evil) in order not to grieve them too much (since people are usually embarrassed if their former crimes are exposed to them, whether they are fatal crimes, or if they do not contain anything particularly dangerous), points them to a helper (who helped them to reach such a degree of evil). and on the helper of the strong; and he does this in order that they should not think that they alone are to blame for everything. Who is this assistant? Devil. The Apostle does the same in the Epistle to the Corinthians. Having said, "Be not deceived, neither fornicators nor idolaters," and then enumerating other sinners, and adding, "They shall not inherit the kingdom of God," then saying, "And such were some of you." He did not simply say, "there were," but, "there were some," that is, so you were once also. Here the heretics rise up against us, who assert that all this must be attributed to God, and, not restraining their unbridled tongue, assimilate to God that which is the work of the devil alone. With what shall we stop their mouths? In their own words. But you acknowledge (we say) that God is just; but if He did so, it not only does not testify to His justice, but on the contrary shows extreme injustice and lawlessness. And without a doubt, God could never be lawless. Why does (the apostle) call the devil the prince of this age? Because human nature has almost completely surrendered to him and everyone serves him voluntarily and intentionally. Christ, although He promises innumerable blessings, is not heeded by anyone; but to him, although he promises nothing of the kind, but on the contrary sends him to hell, "everyone obeys. He reigns in this age, he has more servants than God, and he, with the exception of a few, is more readily obeyed than God; And all this comes from our carelessness. "By the will of the prince," he says, "the spirit that dominates the air." This (the Apostle) speaks in order to show that (the devil) dwells in the heavenly places, that the spirits of the air are incorporeal forces, which help him in his actions. And that his (the devil's) power is a temporal power (ή αρχή αιώνιος), i.e., that it will cease with the present age, listen to what (the Apostle) says about this at the end of the epistle. "For we wrestle not against flesh and blood, but against principalities, against powers, against the rulers of the darkness of this world" (Ep. 6:12). In order that when you hear how (the Apostle) calls (the devils) the rulers of the world, you do not consider them uncreated, he adds: "The darkness of the world." Likewise, in another place, where there is no talk of creation at all, he calls the corrupt time "of the evil age" (Gal. 1:4). It seems to me that, being a ruler in the heavenly realm (before, before the fall), the devil did not lose this leadership even after the fall. "Who is active," he says, "now among the sons of disobedience." Do you see that it is not by force, not tyrannically, but through persuasion, that he draws to himself? Pointing to "resistance" (απείθεια), (the Apostle) seems to want to say that (the devil) draws everyone away with flattery and persuasion. And not only by this (the Apostle) he encourages, which points to their accomplice, but also by the fact that he places himself together with them. "Among whom," he says, "we all once lived"; "all", because it cannot be said that anyone is an exception. "According to our carnal lusts, fulfilling the desires of the flesh and thoughts, we were by nature children of wrath, like the rest," i.e., not thinking about anything spiritual. But lest anyone suspect that this is said with the intention of slandering the flesh, and lest he think that its guilt in this is already too great, see how (the Apostle) warns: "fulfilling," he says, "the desires of the flesh and thoughts," that is, being carried away by lusts and pleasures. We have irritated God, we have angered Him, we have become only the object of wrath (of God), and nothing else. As a human child, by its very nature, is a man, so we were children of wrath. "Like the others." That is, no one was free (from wrath), but all of us, according to our works, were worthy of wrath. "God rich in mercy" (v. 4); not simply to say, "merciful," but, "rich"; likewise, in another place it says: "according to the abundance of Thy mercy" (Ps. 68:17), and again: "Have mercy on me according to Thy great mercy" (Ps. 50:1). "According to his great love, with which he loved us" (v. 4). Here (the apostle) points to the source of (God's) love for us. All our deeds were not worthy of love, but of wrath and the cruelest punishment; it means: (if He loved us, it was only) by His great mercy. "And we, who were dead in sins, He made alive with Christ" (v. 5); again the mediator is Christ, and therefore this matter is quite true. If the firstfruits are alive, we will also live; if God has made Him alive, (to give life to) us also. 2. Do you see that all this (the apostle) spoke about Christ in the flesh? Do you see the overabundance of "the greatness of His power in us who believe"? He revived those who were dead, who were children of wrath. Do you see the "hope of calling"? "He raised up with him, and seated him in heaven" (v. 6). Do you see the glory of His inheritance? Yes, you will say; that He raised us up is clear; and how does (the apostle) prove that he "seated us in heaven in Christ Jesus" (v. 6)? By the same thing with which (he proves what He has raised). No one would ever have risen if the Head had not been resurrected; and when our Head is risen, we are also resurrected, just as when Jacob bowed down to Joseph, the woman also bowed down. In the same way, He planted us. When the Head sits, the body sits together. For this reason (the Apostle) added: "In Christ Jesus." Or, if we look at it from the other side, He raised us up through the font of baptism; how then did He sit down? "If we endure," says (the Apostle), "we shall also reign with Him" (2 Tim. 2:12). If we died together, we will live together. Truly, the gift of the Spirit and revelation are needed to comprehend the depth of these mysteries! Then, that you may not remain unbelieving, see what he adds: "That he may manifest in the ages to come the abundant riches of his grace in goodness to us in Christ Jesus" (v. 7). For before he had spoken all about Christ, and in all that he said there was nothing that directly applied to us, what, you will say, is really because Christ has risen? – then, having previously shown that this must apply to us – because the Saviour is united with us – now He speaks of what actually applies to us: "And we, who were dead in trespasses, He raised up with Him, and set us down." Therefore, as I have said, believe (that He has seated us with Him), being convinced of this truth by what has been said before, by what has been said about the Head, and by the fact that He wants to show us His goodness. How, in fact, can He manifest it, if this is not the case (i.e., if He did not sit us with Him)? And "to manifest in the ages to come." What is to be revealed? That the blessings prepared by Him are both great and completely worthy of faith. Now these benefits seem unrealizable to the infidels; And then everyone will know them. If you also wish to know how He seated us, listen to what Christ Himself said to His disciples: "Ye also shall sit down on twelve thrones, to judge the twelve tribes of Israel" (Matt. 19:28); and in another place: "But to let me sit on my right hand and on my left, it does not depend on me, but on whom my Father has prepared it" (Matt. 20:23). So, this is already prepared. And well did (the apostle) say, "In goodness to us in Christ Jesus." To sit at the right hand is the highest honor of all honor, for which there is no other. By saying this (i.e., "in kindness to us"), (the Apostle) shows that we also will be seated. To sit with Christ is truly an unspeakable riches, this truly abounding majesty of His power! If you had thousands of souls, would you not lay them down for this? If it were necessary to go into the fire, would you not have to be completely prepared for this test? Christ Himself says: "Whom Thou hast given Me, I would that where I am, they also should be with Me" (John 17:24; cf. 12:26). For such an honor, if every day had to be cut, then should not this also be endured with joy? Think where He sits? "Above all principality and authority." And with whom will you sit down? With him. But who are you? A dead man is by nature a child of wrath. What have you done right? No problem. Now, indeed, it is opportune to exclaim: "O the depth of the riches and wisdom and knowledge of God!" (Romans 11:33)! "For by grace," says (the apostle), "you are saved" (v. 8). In order that the greatness of your blessings may not overwhelm you, see how he humbles you, saying, "By grace you are saved." But in order not to destroy your participation, he also adds what is required of us ("through faith"). Then, again, as it were, he destroys this free participation of ours, when he says: "And this is not of you." And faith, he says, is not from us; if (Christ) had not come, if He had not called us, how could we believe? "How can we believe in Him," it is said, "of Whom have you not heard?" (Romans 10:14)? Faith, therefore, is not our possession: "God's," he says, "is not a gift of works" (v. 9). Faith, says (the Apostle), is not sufficient for salvation; but in order not to save us without any of our participation, God demands it from us. He said that faith saves, but (not by itself, but) through God; God wills, and faith saves. Tell me, how can faith save you without works? It itself is a gift of God, "That no one should boast" (v. 9), but on the contrary, everyone will become grateful to grace. And so, you ask, did (the Apostle) himself forbid to be justified by works? Not at all! He only says that works will not justify anyone, and he says this in order to show the grace and love of God. Those who have works behind Him (God) does not reject from Himself, but those who would perish even with works, He saves by grace, so that after this absolutely no one has the right to boast. 3. Then, so that when you hear that it is done not by works, but by faith (you will save us), you will not remain careless, see what (the Apostle) says next: "For we are His creation, created in Christ Jesus for good works, which God has ordained for us to do" (v. 10). Notice that he himself is preaching: he is alluding here to re-creation. Indeed, (our salvation is) the second creation: (through redemption) we are as if brought into being from non-existence. In the state in which we were before, that is, in the state of the old man, we were dead; but now they have become what they were not before. This means that this work is really a creation, and a creation much more excellent than the first. By this creation we are called to life, and by this we are made capable of a good life. "For the good works which God has ordained for us to do" – that is, we are required to have a constant virtue that lasts until the last hour of life. If, having undertaken a journey to the royal capital and having made the greater part of it, we suddenly became lazy and stopped without completing the journey, then such a journey would not be of any use to us. In the same way, the "hope of calling" cannot benefit us who participate in this hope if we do not walk worthily of Him who called. We, who are called to good works, must also abide in them until we have done all of them. Without a doubt, we are not called to do one good deed, but to do all. Just as we have the five senses and we must use all of them properly, so we must also perform all the virtues. If someone is chaste, but not merciful, or merciful, but covetous, or although he does not take what is not his own, he does not give away his own, – for such a person everything is in vain. Virtue alone will not give us the right to boldly stand before the throne of Christ; for this many virtues are needed, varied and heterogeneous, or rather, all virtues. Listen to what Christ said to His disciples: "Go ye therefore, and make disciples of all nations, teaching them to observe all that I have commanded you" (Matt. 28:19); and in another place: "Whosoever therefore breaketh one of these least commandments shall be called the least in the kingdom of heaven" (Matt. 5:19), i.e. in the resurrection. This means that such a person will not enter the kingdom, because He usually calls the time of resurrection the kingdom. "Whosoever therefore breaks," he says, "one of the commandments, shall be called the least of them." Therefore, we need to keep everything (commandments). Vide; Without mercy it is impossible to enter (into the Kingdom of Heaven), and we will depart into the fire if we do not have at least one of these virtues. "Depart from Me," the Saviour will say, "you cursed into everlasting fire, prepared for the devil and his angels" (Matt. 25:41). Why and for what is this? "For I was hungry, and ye gave me not to eat; I was thirsty, and ye did not give me to drink" (v. 42). Do you see, He accuses them of nothing else, and for this alone (lack of mercy) they perish? And the virgins were expelled from the palace for this alone; although they had chastity, but since they lacked mercy, they were not admitted to the palace. "Strive to have peace," it is commanded, "with all, and holiness, without which no one will see the Lord" (Hebrews 12:14). Remember, then, that without chastity it is impossible to see the Lord, although this is not always possible with chastity, because something else can hinder it. But (you will say): we have fulfilled everything, only we did not help our neighbor; Is it possible that for this alone we will not enter the kingdom? Where does this come from? (From the parable) about the slaves to whom the talents were entrusted. They fulfilled all the virtues, did not omit a single one; but since (one) was lazy, and did not care about multiplication, he was justly expelled for this. There is also an indication that for the mere backbiting they will be cast into hell. "Whosoever shall say," it is said, "to his brother, 'fool,' shall be liable to hell fire" (Matt. 5:22). Let one keep all the commandments, but be only a troublemaker, and such a one will not enter (into the kingdom of God). And let no one accuse God of severity because He deprives sinners of the heavenly kingdom in this way. For even among men, if someone does something illegal, it is no longer allowed before the king's eyes, even if he transgresses one decree – for example, if he pronounces an unjust sentence on someone in court, he loses his power; if he fornicates and takes him at the scene of the crime, he is already dishonored, and even if he has committed a thousand lawful deeds, he perishes; if he commits murder and is caught in it, this alone is quite enough to subject him to severe punishment. If human laws are so strictly guarded, are not the laws of God much greater? But God is good, you will say. Oh, how long will we utter these foolish words? What I call foolish here is not that we believe in the goodness of God; but the fact that we allow ourselves to abuse this faith – despite the fact that we have already spoken against it thousands of times. Listen to what the Scriptures say: "Do not say, 'His mercy is great, he will forgive the multitude of my sins' (Sir. 5:6). (Scripture) does not forbid us to say that "His mercy is great" – not at all – it does not encourage us to do so, on the contrary, it advises us to speak constantly about it – to this Paul directs all his speeches; but as is evident from what follows, (the Scriptures) rebuke when they marvel at the love of God for mankind in order to sin, and say: "His mercy is great, He will forgive the multitude of my sins." 4. And we talk so often and much about goodness, not in order to do (anything) in hope of it, because in that case goodness will be the cause of the loss of our salvation, but so that we do not despair of sins and bring repentance. "Does the goodness of God lead you to repentance?" (Romans 2:4), and not to become more stubborn in evil. If you remain evil for the sake of goodness, then through this you will slander it before people – and I see many who slander God's long-suffering in this way! – and you will give an account for having used (grace) improperly. God loves mankind, but He is also just; He forgives sins, but recompenses each one according to his deeds; to surpass iniquity, to take away iniquity, but also to execute judgment. Isn't this contradictory to one another? Not at all, if only we pay attention to the times. He will take away iniquities here and through the font of baptism and through repentance, and will punish all iniquities there with fire and torment. And so, perchance you will say after this: If even for a small evil, if even for one sin I am expelled and deprived of the kingdom, then why should I not do all kinds of evil in this case? These speeches are the speeches of an imprudent slave! But let's consider them. Do not do evil if you want to save yourself. All of us (if we do evil) will equally lose the kingdom; but we will not suffer punishment in hell all the same; and some have more, others less. If you or any one else has despised the commandments of God, and the one has despised more commandments than the other, both of you will not enter the kingdom alike. But if you did not despise them equally, but one more than the other, then in hell you will feel the difference. What does this mean, you will ask, why are there such rebukes on those who do not show mercy – why are they sent into the fire, and not just into the fire, but "into the everlasting fire, prepared for the devil and his angels"? What is this for and why? For nothing offends God as much as offending one's friends. We must also love our enemies; Wherefore he who abhors those who love him, and is thus worse than the Gentiles themselves, what shall he not be worthy of punishment? Thus, according to the importance of sin, such a one should justly depart (into hell) with the devil. Woe, it is said, to him who does not give alms. If it was so in the old testament, how much more so (so it should be) in the new; If where it was permitted to acquire, enjoy, and take care of (earthly things), so much attention was paid to helping the poor, how much more so here, where it is commanded to leave everything? In fact, what did the Israelites not do? Tithes were paid; then they gave other tithes to help orphans, widows and proselytes. Someone said to me with surprise: so-and-so gives tithes. Shame on us! We Christians wonder what was not surprising among the Jews. At that time it was dangerous not to distribute tithes: imagine how it is (i.e., is it not much more dangerous) now! Nor will drunkenness inherit the kingdom. But at the same time, what do most people usually say? (They say): well, if both he and I endure the same thing together, then this is no small consolation. What shall we say to this? First of all, it must be said that you and he will not be punished the same thing; And besides, there is absolutely no consolation here, because the sameness of suffering can only be a consolation when the misfortunes do not yet exceed measure, but when it exceeds it, when they plunge us into terror, then (no comparison of our own misfortunes with the misfortunes of others) can bring consolation. In fact, tell the condemned man at the burning, while he is already standing in the fire, that so-and-so also endures: you will not give him any consolation at all. Did not all the Israelites perish together? However, what comfort did this bring them? On the contrary, did it not grieve them more? That is why they cried out: "We are lost, killed, slain." So, is there any consolation in this? In vain do we console ourselves with such hopes. The only consolation is not to fall into this inextinguishable fire; but he who has fallen can no longer receive any consolation where there is gnashing of teeth, where there is weeping, where there is a worm that never sleeps, where there is an unquenchable fire. Moreover, being in such sorrow and distress, will you be able to understand any consolation? Will there be any presence of mind left in you? I beseech and beseech you, let us not deceive ourselves in vain, let us not console ourselves with this kind of reasoning, but let us do what can save us. You are to sit down with Christ, and meanwhile you give yourself over to such covetousness. If there were no other sin, then for these words alone what punishment should we be subjected to? We are so negligent, so lazy, so careless, that we make such speeches when we are offered such a great honor. Oh, how bitterly you groan when you hear that those who have lived godly will be called with honor into the kingdom of God; When you see that in the kingdom of glory there will be both slaves and people of low birth – people who have taken care of little here, and there will be participants in the royal throne! Will not such a sight be worse than any punishment? If even now, when you see that someone is blessed, although you yourself do not tolerate anything bad, you consider it worse than any punishment, and because of this alone you become upset, suffer, weep, and think that it costs a thousand deaths, then tell me, what will you have to endure? Let there be no hell: can not the mere thought of the kingdom (which you have lost and which others enjoy) strike you and upset you completely? And that it will really be so, life and experience can convince you of this. And so, let us cease to console ourselves in vain with such reasoning; let us rather be attentive and diligent to our salvation; let us be zealous for virtue and stir ourselves up to do good works, so that we may be worthy of such high honor in Christ Jesus our Lord.

CONVERSATION 5

"Remember therefore that ye who were once Gentiles according to the flesh, who were called uncircumcised, the so-called circumcised by the circumcision of the flesh by the hands, that ye were at that time without Christ, that ye were alien from the congregation of Israel, that ye were strangers to the covenants of promise, that had no hope, and were ungodly in the world." 2:11,12) What is the meaning of carnal wisdom. 1. There are many proofs of God's love for us: first, He Himself saved us, and He saved us in such a wondrous way; secondly, He saved us when we were in such a state (already dead and children of wrath by nature); thirdly, He has raised us (to an extraordinary height). All this contains the greatest proof of God's love for mankind, and all this Paul depicts in this epistle. Above he said that we, "dead in transgressions and children of wrath," (God) has saved; now He shows us to whom He has made us equals. "Remember," he says, "When we pass from great poverty into the opposite state, or are vouchsafed some greater honor, then, enjoying the glory of our new position, we usually do not remember the former one. With this in mind, (the Apostle) says: "Remember, therefore." What should be remembered? That we were created for good works. This is enough to motivate us to care about virtue. "Remember," because such remembrance can make us grateful to the Benefactor. "What are you, Gentiles of old." Notice how (the Apostle) destroys those advantages of which the Jews were proud, and marvels at the defects of the Gentiles, which, however, were not defects (which make it impossible for them to be saved in Christ), and for both he draws admonitions from their conduct and life. "Who were called the uncircumcised." Honor was only in words, and the advantage (of circumcision) was only in the flesh, because neither uncircumcision nor circumcision means anything. "Those who are so-called," continues (the Apostle), "circumcised by the circumcision of the flesh done with hands, because you were at that time without Christ, alienated from the congregation of Israel, strangers to the covenants of promise, having no hope, and being ungodly in the world." Only the Jews call you uncircumcision. But why, intending to show that in the communion of the Gentiles with the Jews the former is beneficence, does (the Apostle) not degrade the dignity of the latter, but on the contrary exalts it? Those qualities (of the Jews) that remain necessary (for them and for Gentile Christians) he exalts, and those that (pagans who converted to Christianity) could not have, he humiliates. That is why he goes on to say: "Fellow citizens with the saints, and of the household of God" (2:19). See how he doesn't humiliate. This, to speak, is indifferent. Do not think to say that there is any difference between not being circumcised and being uncircumcised; it is frightening (not this, but) this: to be without Christ, to be alienated from the life of Israel – and the first does not belong to the life – to be outside the covenant of promise, to have no hope for the future, and to be godless in this world, as the pagans were. (The Apostle had previously spoken of heavenly things; (now) speaks of earthly ones, because the Jews held them in very high esteem. In the same way, Christ, comforting His disciples, after saying: "Blessed are they that are persecuted for righteousness' sake, for theirs is the kingdom of heaven" (Matt. 5:10), adds the lesser (consolation) and says: "Thus they persecuted also the prophets who were before you" (v. 12). The latter encouragement is essentially less great; but in relation to bringing (to salvation), in relation to faith, it is both sufficient and great, and contains great power, since it is taken from life and experience. He did not say: excommunicated (χεχωριομένοι), but: alienated (άπηλλοτριωνοι) of life; nor did he say, "Those who do not hold to the promises" (ου προέχοντες), but "Those who do not have" (ουδέ μετέχοντες) and "Strangers" (ξένοι). There is a great difference in the meaning of these words, indicating also the great distance (between the Gentiles and the Jews). And the Israelites did not lead a truly good life, not because they were alienated (i.e., incapable), but because they were careless; and they fell from the promises, but not as strangers to them. "To thee," it is said, "and to thy seed I will give this land" (Bb. 12:7), and also something else was promised to them. "They had no hope," says (the Apostle), "and there were godless." Although the pagans worshipped gods, there were nevertheless godlessness, because idols mean nothing. "But now in Christ Jesus ye that were once far off have become near by the blood of Christ. For He is our peace, Who made both one, and broke down the barrier that stood in the middle, having abolished enmity in His flesh" (vv. 13, 14). It is also important to say (the Apostle) that we have come to the Jewish life. How is that? He is in charge of all things in heaven and on earth, and yet you speak of the Israelites? But, to speak, it is truly so! This must be accepted by faith; And this is justified by deeds. "And now in Christ Jesus ye who were once far off," he says, "have become near" in life, because to be far or near depends solely on freedom. "For he is our peace, which made of both one." 2. What does it mean: "one of both"? (The Apostle) does not show by this that God has granted us the same nobility as the Jews; but that He has raised us and them to a better state. However, the blessings (of God) to us are even greater; those (the Jews) were given promises and they were closer to God than we are, but we were not given any promises and we defended further. That is why it is said: "And to the Gentiles, out of mercy, that they may glorify God" (Romans 15:9). The Israelites received the promises, but they proved unworthy of them; but nothing was promised to us, we were strangers to promises; we had nothing in common with them, and He joined us together, not so that He joined us to them, but He joined us and them together. Let us imagine an example: imagine two statues, one of silver, the other of pewter; These two statues were melted and two golden statues were formed from them: these two became the same. Or let us take another example: let one be a slave, the other adopted; both of them were to serve Him (i.e., God); but the one was declared disinherited, the other fled and did not know the Father, and then both were made heirs and legitimate children. They were honored with the same honor, the two became one, with the only difference that one came from afar, the other from near, and that the nearest came first to the Father. "Who destroyed," he says, "the barrier that stood in the middle." What is to be understood by "the barrier that stood in the middle," he himself explains when he says, "having abolished enmity by His flesh, and the law of commandments by doctrine." Some say that the mediastinum was a law that did not allow Jews to mix with Gentiles. And I think that he understood under the mediastinum (not the law, but) the enmity of the flesh, which was, as it were, an intermediate wall separating us from God, as the prophet says: "But your iniquities have made a division between you and your God" (Isaiah 59:2)? And rightly so. Such a barrier as the enmity of the flesh was a barrier to God, both for the Gentiles and for the Jews, because the law not only did not destroy, but on the contrary increased (enmity): "For the law," says (the Apostle), "worketh wrath" (Romans 4:15). And just as in the words, "For the law produces wrath," the Apostle does not properly make the law the cause (of wrath), but our disobedience to it and its transgression, so here he calls the law the center, because he who transgresses it enters into enmity (with God). The law was also a hedge, a hedge for affirmation (in good), and it was called a hedge because it could protect (from evil). Listen to what the prophet says: "He hath enclosed him with a hedge" (Isaiah 5:2); and again: "Thou hast broken down her hedges, so that all who pass by the way cut her off" (Psalm 79:13) – here we speak of confirmation; and again: "I will take away his hedge, and he shall be laid waste" (Isaiah 5:5); and again: "Turn to the law" (Isaiah 8:20); and in another place: "The Lord doeth righteousness and judgment. He showed His works to the children of Israel" (Psalm 102:6,7). And the mediastinum existed not to protect, but to separate them from God. Such is the difference between the mediastinum and the fence. And showing what it is, he adds: "Having abolished enmity by His flesh, and the law of commandments by doctrine" (v. 15). How? (Abolished), having ceased and destroyed enmity (with God). And not only in this way did He abolish (the law), but also in that He Himself preserved it. What, then, you ask, as soon as we have got rid of the first crime, how are we again compelled to keep the law? This, of course, would have happened again, (but the fact is that He) destroyed the law itself. "Having abolished the law of commandments," he says, "by teaching." Oh, philanthropy! He gave us the law that we might keep it; then, when we did not keep it and were to be punished for it, He also abolished the law. (It is like) as if someone, having entrusted his child to the educator and then noticing that he did not obey, freed him and led him away from the educator. Oh, what a great love of humanity! What does it mean, "having abolished by doctrine"? (The Apostle) makes a great difference between the commandment (εντολή) and the scholars (δόγματα). By doctrine he calls either faith, because we are saved by faith alone, or definitions (of God), such as that of which Christ said: "For verily I say unto you, Be not angry utterly" (Matt. 5:12). This means that if you believe that God raised him from the dead, you will be saved. And again: "The word is near to you, in your mouth and in your heart" (Romans 10:8). 3. "Do not say in your heart, Who will ascend into heaven? Or who will descend into the abyss? that is, to raise up Christ from the dead" (Romans 10:6,7). Instead of life, He introduced faith, so that the work of salvation would not be wasted; He himself accepted punishment, and requires them to believe in dogmas. "That out of the two he might create in himself one new man" (v. 15). You see, the Gentile did not become a Jew, but both came to a new state. He did not abolish the law in order to transform one into the other, but in order to recreate both. And well (the apostle) uses the word "in order to create"; He did not say "change," in order to show the special power of this action, and that although this creation was accomplished in a visible way, it is still no less than the first creation, and finally, that we should not deviate from natural objects. "That of the two," he says, "he might create in Himself," that is, through Himself. He did not entrust it to anyone else; but by Himself, having previously melted, as it were, both (i.e., the Greek and the Jew), He created one wondrous (i.e., the Christian), Himself becoming the first creation of this kind, which is much higher than the previous creation. "In Himself" can also mean that He was the first to present us with a model and an example (of the new creation). At the same time, occupying the middle himself, He draws the Jew with one hand, the Greek with the other, and, having mingled them, and having destroyed everything that alienated them from each other, He transfigured them from above by fire and water, not by water and earth, but by water and fire. He transformed both the Jew, who was circumcised and under a curse, and the Greek, who was outside the law, "into one new man", superior to both – both Jew and Greek. "Making peace" (v. 15), both in relation to God and in relation to one another. If the Jews had remained Jews, the Greeks Greeks, they would never have united with each other; Without abandoning their own position, how could each of them come to a better condition? A Jew only draws near to a Greek, when he becomes faithful. Two wills occupy two separate chambers below, and have one common, beautiful and extensive room above: they cannot see each other until they go upstairs. "Making peace" – primarily with God, as is evident from the following. What exactly should he say next? "And in one body to reconcile both to God by the cross" (v. 16). He did not say: to reconcile (χαταλλάξη), but – "to reconcile" (άποχαταλλάξη), i.e. to reconcile again, showing through this that even before human nature was capable of reconciliation (with God), as with the saints even before the law. "In one body," he says, "His own "with God." How did He accomplish this? Himself, to speak, having borne the due punishment on the cross. "Having killed the enmity on it" (v. 16); It cannot be more impressive and accurate than these expressions. His death, says (the Apostle), killed, pierced, and destroyed enmity; not to another to whom He entrusted this matter, and not only acted Himself, but also suffered. He did not say, "having allowed," nor did he say, "having taken away," but he used the strongest expression, "having killed," so that (enmity) will never arise again. And how could it have rebelled? Perhaps because of our great malice. And as long as we remain in the body of Christ, as long as we are united with Him, it will not rise, but will lie dead. Properly speaking, it will never arise, and we can only produce another (enmity), but by no means the former one, which is killed and killed. And it means that you will already give birth to this other (enmity). "Carnal thoughts," it is said, "are enmity against God." If we do not philosophize anything carnal, then this new (enmity) will never be born, but there will always be "peace" (cf. v. 15). 4. Just think how terrible it is for us to enter into enmity with God again, after He has done so much to reconcile us, and has really reconciled us! This (enmity) awaits no longer the font of baptism, but hell, not forgiveness, but punishment. "Carnal thoughts" are intemperance, gluttony; "carnal thoughts" are covetousness and any sin in general. Why is it called carnal wisdom? After all, the body cannot do anything without the soul? (The Apostle) does not slander the flesh, just as he does not slander the soul when he says: "natural man"; but (he shows by this) that neither body nor soul by themselves, unless they receive help from above, are able to accomplish anything great and valiant. That is why he calls spiritual that which the soul does of itself; and he calls carnal that which the body does of itself, not because all this is by nature (φυσικά), but because, not having received protection from above, he is lost. In the same way, good eyes, but without light, cause much trouble; this does not depend on their nature, but on their weakness. If everything natural were evil, then we should not use it even for its proper purpose. On the contrary, there is no natural evil. What exactly is called the wisdom of the flesh? Sins. When it (the flesh), imagining itself, seizes power over the charioteer, then it produces an innumerable number of evils. The virtue of the flesh is to obey the soul, on the contrary, vice is to rule over the soul. As a good and strong-legged horse does not show merit when it does not obey the driver, so the flesh is only good when we restrain its impulses. However, the driver must also have knowledge of his business; and without knowledge he will cause much trouble Knowledge is everywhere necessary. The spirit that teaches this, making the charioteer stronger, thereby adorns both soul and body. As the soul, as long as it is in the body, gives it beauty, and when the soul ceases to give life to the body and flies away, then (there is a spectacle) similar to that which happens when a painter mixes his colours – namely, there is a great ugliness, every member tends to decay and destruction – exactly the same, or worse and greater ugliness, when the spirit leaves soul and body in vain. So, if the body is inferior to the soul, do not blame it for this. For I, too, take care not to defame the soul only because it can do nothing without the spirit. But if there is one thing to be said, it is that the soul is worthy of even greater accusation. The body without the soul would not be able to do anything wrong, and the soul can do much without the body. It does a lot even when the body is exhausted and the blood is no longer boiling in it. We see this in sorcerers, magi, potion makers, and envious people, whose bodies are for the most part emaciated. Even gluttony is not due to the needs of the body, but due to the carelessness of the soul; The body needs food, not overeating. If I want to rule the horse more firmly, I bridle it; but the body cannot force the soul to indulge in vices. Why then does (the Apostle) call (sin) the wisdom of the flesh? Because he belongs entirely to the flesh. When it takes power for itself, when it neglects the promptings of the mind and the power of the soul, then it sins. And the virtue of the body consists precisely in obedience to its soul, because the body itself is neither good nor bad. But can the body do anything by itself? According to the connection (arguments), if the body is good, then it is good only in relation to subordination (the soul); and in itself it is neither good nor bad, it is capable of both, it can incline to both sides. The body desires, but not fornication, or adultery, but copulation; the body desires, but not voluptuousness and gluttony, but food, not drunkenness, but drink. That drunkenness does not constitute the desire of the body, see: it does not restrain (i.e., throws back) when you overstep the measure and go beyond the boundaries of the body. Truly, everything else (except the necessary needs of the body) belongs to the soul; especially when it becomes carnal, and, so to speak, becomes numb. True, even a good body is still much lower than the soul; but, on the other hand, just as tin, although it is lower than gold, is still necessary for the adhesion (of the latter), so the body is needed for the soul. Or just as the noblest child needs a tutor, so the soul needs a body. Do not be surprised that we give such examples, that we say childish things, without applying themselves to the age (of the listeners): this is exactly what we should talk about the body. But it is possible, if we wish, not to be in the body, just as it is possible not to be on earth, but to be in heaven and in the spirit. "To be where" – this expression can be used to denote not only one abode, but also a state (mental). Of many people who have been to a certain place, we say that they were not, to put it: so-and-so did not come here. And why am I saying this? Often we say: you are beside yourself, or: I am beside yourself. What can be closer and more inseparable to everyone than himself? Meanwhile, we say that he is beside himself. Let us be in ourselves, in heaven, in the spirit; let us abide in peace and in the grace of God, so that, forsaking all things of the flesh, we may attain the promised good things in Christ Jesus our Lord, with whom to the Father with the Holy Spirit be glory, dominion, and honor, now and ever, and unto the ages of ages. Amen.

CONVERSATION 6

"And when he came, he preached peace to you, far off and near, because through him both have access to the Father, in one Spirit. Therefore ye are no longer strangers, nor strangers, but fellowcitizens with the saints, and of the household of God, having been built upon the foundation of the apostles and prophets, having Jesus Christ Himself as the cornerstone, whereupon the whole edifice, being built up in order, groweth up into a holy temple in the Lord, upon which ye also are built into the habitation of God by the Spirit" (Ephesians 2:17-22). On the valor of Ap. Paul. It was not through anyone else, says (the Apostle), that God announced to us the oto, but Himself Himself. He did not send either an angel or an archangel for this, because only He Himself, appearing on earth, and no one else could correct so many evils and announce what had been done. The Lord took upon Himself the office of servant and almost slave, came and proclaimed, saying (the Apostle), "Peace be unto you, far and near," i.e., to the Jews, who were nearer to us (to God), and to the Gentiles, whom, as strangers to the covenants of promise, he calls far-off. "Because through Him both have access to the Father, in one Spirit. To reconcile both to God," he says, because (Christ) reconciled us (to God). Of this He Himself said: "Peace I leave with you, My peace I give unto you" (John 14:27); and in another place: "Be of good cheer: I have overcome the world" (John 16:33); and again: "If you ask anything in my name, I will do it" (John 14:14); also: "For the Father himself loves you" (John 16:27). All these are signs of peace for both of them. From whence can it be seen that for these as well? "For through Him" (δί αυτού) "both have access to the Father," it is said, "in one Spirit" (εν ένί Πνεύματι), not that you are less, and they are greater, but of one and the same grace. He destroyed enmity by death, and made us pleasing to the Father through the Spirit. Behold, behold, again the particles: εν (in), δια (through). Through Himself and through the Spirit, He has brought us to God. "Ye are therefore no longer strangers, nor strangers, but fellowcitizens with the saints." Do you see that we are assigned to the city not just of Jews, but of men great in their holiness, such as Abraham, Moses, and Elijah, and in this city we shall one day appear? "For those who speak thus" (i.e., those who call themselves strangers and strangers), it is said, "show that they seek a homeland" (Heb. 11:14); and you are already fellow citizens of the saints, and not strangers or strangers. Strangers are those who do not have heavenly blessings. "The Son," it is said, "abides forever" (John 8:35). "And of God's own," says (the Apostle). What the ancients acquired for so much labor, the grace of God grants you. "Having been established on the foundation of the apostles and prophets": this is the foundation of the hope of (our) calling! See how (the apostle) mixes all together: the Gentiles, the Jews, the apostles, the prophets, Christ; and, in order to show the close connection between all of them, he represents them all now as a body, now as a building. "Being established," he says, "upon the foundation of the apostles and prophets," that is, the apostles and prophets serve as the foundation of the building. And the apostles were placed first, although they were after the prophets, in order to show that both equally serve as the foundation, that everything constitutes one building and has one root. But remember that the pagans also had patriarchs as their foundation. By presenting this under the image of a building, the Apostle expresses (the idea of the union of Gentiles and Jews) much more clearly than if he had substituted it under the image of grafting. Then (the Apostle) adds: "having Jesus Christ Himself as the cornerstone," showing that Christ contains everything, since the cornerstone is called that which supports both walls and foundations. "On Whom the whole building is." Notice how the Apostle connects this: sometimes he represents Him from above as containing and ruling over the whole body, and sometimes bearing the whole edifice on Himself from below, the main foundation. (The Apostle) said above: "That He might create one new man" (Ephesians 2:15), in order to show that He Himself actually joined against the walls of the building, and, on the other hand, that in Him all were recreated. "He who is begotten," it is said (of Him), "is before all creation" (Col. 1:15), i.e., He bears all things. "On which the whole building is composed": so that whatever you point to, whether it is the roof, or the walls, or anything else, He bears it all. In another place he calls (Christ) the foundation: "For no one can lay any other foundation," he says, "except that which is laid, which is Jesus Christ" (1 Cor. 3:11). "On Whom" (εν ψ), he says, "the whole edifice is being put together." Here he accentuates and shows even more clearly that there is no other way to become (the temple of God) than by leading one's life with all attention. "It grows," he says, "into a holy temple in the Lord, on which you also are built." Very often (the Apostle) speaks of building: "into the holy temple, into the dwelling place of God by the Spirit." Why did this creation take place? In order for God Himself to dwell in this temple. Each one of you, and all of you together, is a temple, and dwells as in the body of Christ, dwells as in a spiritual temple. Therefore (the Apostle) did not say, "Entrance," but, "We have access" (v. 18), i.e., we did not come by ourselves, but were brought by Him. "No one," said (the Saviour), "cometh unto the Father, except through me"; and in another place: "I am the way, the truth, and the life" (John 14:6). "Being formed harmoniously, it grows into a holy temple." (The Apostle) again returns to the example he gave earlier and unites them with the (Old Testament) saints, and (the saints themselves in turn) does not allow them to be separated from Christ. This means that the economy of our salvation began even before the coming (of Christ); therefore, having this in mind, Paul said: "As a wise builder, he laid the foundation" (1 Cor. 3:10), and in another place: "For no one can lay any other foundation than that which is laid, which is Jesus Christ." Do you see that examples should not be understood simply, but should look for what is implied in them? (The Apostle) speaks here with the help of examples, as Christ did when He represented the Father as a farmer, and Himself as a root. "For this reason I, Paul, have become a prisoner of Jesus Christ for you Gentiles" (3:1). Formerly (the Apostle) spoke of the great providence of Christ, but now he speaks of his zeal, small and insignificant in comparison with His (providence), which in itself is sufficient to lead (to salvation). "For this reason I," he says, "am in chains, because if my Lord suffered crucifixion for you, how much more must I endure bonds. Not only was He Himself bound, but He was pleased that His servants should also suffer chains for you, the Gentiles. The great meaning (is contained in these words): not only do we not turn away from you, he says, but we also endure bonds for you, and I, by the way, have been vouchsafed such mercy. "As ye have heard of the economy of the grace of God which was given unto me unto you" (v. 2). Here (the Apostle) alludes to the prophecy proclaimed about him to Ananias in Damascus, when (the Lord) said: "Go, for he is My chosen vessel, to declare My name before nations and kings" (Acts 9:15). It is this revelation that He calls the providence of grace. The meaning is as follows: I did not learn from man; He vouchsafed me, when I was alone, a revelation concerning you, because he himself said to me, "Go; I will send you far away to the Gentiles" (Acts 22:21). And it is just (the Apostle) to call it looking; truly, it was a great providence, when one who could not be persuaded in any way was called from above, with the words: "Saul, Saul! why persecute me?" (Acts 9:4), and at the same time loses his sight from the ineffable light. "Because," he says, "a mystery has been made known to me by revelation (of which I have written briefly above)" (v. 3). Perhaps he announced this to them through someone, or perhaps a little earlier he himself wrote to them. Indeed, tell me, Paul himself, the great and wondrous Paul, versed in the law, brought up with diligence at the feet of Gamaliel, was he not saved by grace? Rightly (the Apostle) also calls it a mystery; It is truly a mystery how the Gentiles were suddenly brought to a greater nobility than the nobility of the Jews was. "Of what I have written briefly," he says, "briefly," that is, briefly, "you may see when you read" (v. 4); So, alas, he did not write about everything, and not even about everything that needed to be written. However, here it depended on the nature of the circumstances, while in other cases, such as in relation to the Jews and the Corinthians, it depended on their vices. "You, when you read," he says, "can see my understanding of the mystery of Christ" (v. 4), that is, (you can know) how I understood and how I understood, or the revelation of God in general, or the truth that He (the Son) sits at the right hand (of the Father). Then (the apostle) points out a special advantage, saying that God did not do this to every people. What kind of people is this, for whom God has done so much? (The Apostle) shows this by saying, "Which was not proclaimed to the former generations of the sons of men, as it is now revealed to his holy apostles and prophets by the Holy Ghost" (v. 5). Tell me, then, is there anything that the prophets did not know? How, then, did Christ say that Moses and the prophets wrote this about Me? And in another place: "For if you had believed Moses, you would have believed me also" (John 5:46). And again: "Search the Scriptures, for you think by them to have eternal life; but they bear witness of me" (John 5:39). (The Apostle), in saying this, indicates either that which was not revealed to all men, because he adds: "Which was not proclaimed to the former generations of the sons of men, as it is now revealed," or that it was not so manifested in their deeds and deeds: "Which was not proclaimed to the former generations of the sons of men, as it is now revealed." Think about it: Peter would not have gone to the Gentiles if he had not heard the Spirit's instructions. Listen to what he says: "If God hath given unto them" the Holy Ghost, "even unto us" (Acts 11:17). The words (of the Apostle Paul): "By the Holy Spirit" (εν Πνεύματι) mean that God through the Holy Spirit. He vouchsafed them a share in grace. The prophets also spoke of this, but (people) would never have known it with such clarity as they did when they heard the apostles, who surpassed all human intelligence and general expectations. "That the Gentiles also may be joint heirs, being of one body, and partakers" (v. 6). What does it mean to be joint-heirs, partakers of the promise, and stealers? The meaning of these words is high: they mean that (Gentiles and Jews) are united in one body, in a close union. That (the Gentiles) would be called was known before; but that they would be called to this, no one knew. For this reason (the Apostle) calls it "the mystery of the promise." The Israelites had been partakers of God's promise before; now the pagans are also made partakers. "In Christ Jesus by the gospel" (v. 6), i.e., (the Gentiles were made partakers of the promise) by being sent to them (evangelists), and they believed them. And so, not simply (made partakers of the promise), but through the gospel. However, this is still great and not important; (the Apostle) reveals to us a great and most important thing, namely, that not only men, but neither angels, nor archangels, nor any other created power knew this. It was quite a secret, unknown to anyone. "To see," he says, "my understanding" (v. 4). Perhaps by these words (the apostle) alludes to what he told them in Acts, to some of his conviction that the Gentiles also must be called; he expressed this understanding of the mystery above, saying that (Christ) "in order to create one new man out of two" (2:15). Both he and Peter were taught by revelation that they should not turn away from the Gentiles; (about revelation) he speaks in order to protect himself. "Whom I have become a minister, according to the gift of the grace of God, which hath been given me by the work of his power" (v. 7). Having said that he (for the Gentiles) endures bonds, (the apostle) again attributes everything to God, saying: "By the gift of the grace of God," since by the power of this gift he is worthy of this honor. But the gift would not be sufficient if the power (of God) were not put in with it. Truly, human zeal alone is not enough (for evangelism), but a higher power is needed. (The Apostle) introduced the following three qualities into the work of his evangelism: ardent and undaunted zeal, a soul ready to endure absolutely everything, reason and wisdom. But courage would not have been enough, an irreproachable life would not have been enough, if he had not received the strength of the Spirit. To do this, look at him himself, or rather listen to what he writes: "so that our "ministry" may not be reproached" (2 Cor. 6:3); Again: "For in our teaching there is neither error, nor impure motives, nor guile; nor any kind of gain" (1 Thess. 2:3,5). Do you see how blameless (the apostolic ministry) is? And again: "Take care of what is good in the sight of all men," and not in the sight of the Lord alone (Romans 12:17). Then note these words: "I die every day: I bear witness of this by your praise, brethren, which I have in Christ Jesus" (1 Cor. 15:31); and again, "Who shall separate us from the love" of Christ? "tribulation, or distress, or persecution" (Romans 8:35)? again: "In great patience, in tribulations," in persecutions, "in wants, in distresses" (2 Corinthians 6:4). Then, regarding his prudence, he says: "To the Jews I was as a Jew, to those under the law I was as one under the law, to those who were strangers to the law, as a stranger to the law" (1 Corinthians 9:20, 21). He exposes himself to dangers and performs innumerable (feats). But most importantly, the power of the Holy Spirit was always at work in him. "For I dare not," he says, "say anything that Christ has not done through me" (Romans 15:18); again: "For what do you lack before the rest of the churches" (2 Cor. 12:13)? again: "For I lack nothing against the higher apostles, although I am nothing" (2 Cor. 12:11). Without these qualities, he could not (have success). Therefore it was not by a sign that he converted to faith, nor were his miracles the cause of it, nor did he boast of them, nor did he boast of others and (his own qualities). (Evangelist) must be blameless in life, and wise, and ready for all dangers, and instructive; These qualities mainly distinguished his actions. If we had them, then there would be no need for miracles. Here we see that before He performed any sign, He had already performed innumerable feats of this kind. And now, having none of these qualities, we want everything to obey us. However, even if we had these qualities, but not all of them, they would not be useful to us. In fact, what is the use of your readiness to endure dangers, if your life gives rise to soaring? "If therefore the light that is in you is darkness," said (the Saviour), "what then is the darkness" (Matt. 6:23)? What good will the most irreproachable life do if you are careless and sleepy? "And whosoever taketh not up his cross, and follows me," says (the Saviour), "is not worthy of me" (Matt. 10:38). (He is not a good shepherd) who does not lay down his life for the sheep (John 10:11). What is the use of both these qualities, if they do not have the wisdom to know how to answer each one? If there are no signs in our time, then these qualities must be there. However, (the Apostle), having shown these qualities of his, attributes everything to grace: this is the sign of a grateful servant. And we would never have known about his exploits if circumstances had not made it necessary for him (to speak about them). After that, are we worthy to even remember Paul? He, in the name of the grace that came to him, did not think that this was enough, but exposed himself to a thousand dangers; But we, who do not have such boldness, from what source, tell me, shall we draw the hope that we shall preserve the souls entrusted to our care, and that we shall attract those who have not yet entered (into the Church)? (How can we hope for this) people who care only for pleasures, who always seek only one thing – rest, we cannot, or rather, do not want to be exposed to dangers even in sleep, which in wisdom we are as far removed (from Paul) as heaven is from earth? That is why our flock is so much lower than those of that time. The pupils of that time were better than the teachers of today: they were threatened among the people and tyrants, they had enemies everywhere, and yet nothing could bend and shake them, even for a short time. Listen to what (the Apostle) says in the Epistle to the Philippians: "For it has been given to you for Christ's sake, not only to believe in Him, but also to suffer for Him" (1:29). And again in the Epistle to the Thessalonians: "For you have become imitators of the churches of God in Christ Jesus which are in Judea" (2:15,16). And in the Epistle to the Hebrews he writes: "And the plundering of your goods was accepted with joy" (10:34). The following testifies about the Colossians in the Epistle to them: "For you are dead, and your life is hidden with Christ in God" (3:3); and of the many other dangers to which they were exposed, he left a testimony. To the Galatians he wrote: "Have you suffered so much in vain? Oh, if only it were useless!" (3:3). You see, at that time everyone thought only of doing good. That is why grace then acted with such power; That is why at that time they spent their lives in asceticism. But listen to what he writes to the Corinthians, whom he accused of innumerable crimes. Does he not speak of them with praise, speaking of their "diligence and desire" (2 Cor. 7:11)? Meanwhile, what he praises in the Corinthians, no one will notice even in the teachers of the present time. So, everything perished and was lost. The reason for this is that love has grown cold, and that those who sin do not suffer due punishment. Listen to what he wrote to Timothy: "Rebuke those who sin before all" (1 Tim. 5:20), and now (with sins) the rulers suffer. And when the head is unhealthy, can the rest of the body be healthy? Moreover, see what an unnatural order of affairs it is now. Those who live rightly and somehow still retain boldness (to God) occupy the tops of the mountains – they have withdrawn from our midst as a society alien and hostile to them, and not kindred. But the lawless, burdened with a thousand crimes, invaded the Church; the tax-farmers became abbots. From this come a thousand evils, and there is no one who would correct or enlighten them. On the contrary, this disorder has acquired a certain legal form and spreads freely. Has anyone sinned and is accused? Such a person does not try to prove his innocence, but how to find accomplices for his crimes. Oh, with what horror I imagine that hell threatens us! Believe me, if God had not prepared punishment for us there, we would have seen terrible sights every day, more terrible than the misfortunes endured by the Jewish people. What is really going on in our country? However, no one should be angry: I will not call anyone by name. If any one, having come into the church and stood in the midst of you who are now with us, were to make a test, or even not to do it now, but on the day of the Holy Passover, if he wanted to carefully test all those who came here and prepared to approach the mysteries – wished, I say, to test in order to know in detail all that they have done – then how many evils he would find, much more grievous than the iniquities of the Jews? He would find birds that tell fortunes by their flight and cries, resorting to charms, incantations, and refrains, fornicators, adulterers, drunkards, and blasphemers. I do not want to mention the covetous, lest I touch upon any of those who are standing here. What, then, if one were to examine all who came to the temples of the whole universe, what crime would he not encounter? He would have seen the rulers greedy for money, he would have seen that the offices had been acquired by them through purchase, he would have seen among them many envious, slanderous, vain, devoted to insatiable greed, subservient to money. With such great wickedness, all evil can be expected. And in order that you may know what punishment those who are devoted to these sins deserve, remember the ancient events. One soldier stole part of the sacred treasures, and everyone began to die. Do you know the story, no doubt? I am talking about Huria, who stole part of the spoils of war, dedicated to God (Josh. 7:22). The prophet once said that their country was full of sorcerers, as if it were a foreign country (Isaiah 2:6). Now everything and everywhere is full of evil, and no one is afraid! Meanwhile, it should be feared: God punishes the righteous together with the wicked, as was the case with Daniel, with the three youths, as it was with many others, as, finally, it happens now in wars. The righteous, through these calamities sent down upon them from above, cast off the weight of their sins that they have; but the wicked do not. As a result of all this, let us be attentive to ourselves. Do you not see the abuse? Do you not hear of calamities? Or does nothing already bring you to your senses? Nations and entire cities have perished and been destroyed; thousands were enslaved by barbarians. If Gehenna does not enlighten you, at least be enlightened by these calamities. Do you think that these are not (God's) rebukes, that they are just ordinary events? The dead suffered a great punishment; but we will suffer even more if we do not come to our senses at the sight of so many calamities. I know that my words are cruel; but if you delve into them, they will be useful. Although what has been said, of course, does not give you grace – this can never be expected – it is always able to humble and enlighten the soul. And this will serve as a pledge of future blessings, which may we all be vouchsafed by grace and love for mankind (our Lord Jesus Christ, with Whom to the Father with the Holy Spirit be glory, dominion, honor, now and ever, and unto the ages of ages, Amen).

CONVERSATION 7

"This grace has been given unto me, the least of all the saints, to preach to the Gentiles the unsearchable riches of Christ, and to reveal to all in this the economy of the mystery which was hidden from eternity in God, who created all things through Jesus Christ, that now the manifold wisdom of God may be made known through the church to the principalities and powers in heaven, according to the eternal decree which He fulfilled in Christ Jesus our Lord" (Eph. 3:8-11). Paul. – How one should love one's enemies. Whoever visits the asylum does not visit it simply, but with the intention of learning how to heal and how to use medicines. In the same way, having gathered here, we have not just gathered together, not to know the abundance of Paul's humility. What exactly? As you intend to speak of the greatness of the grace of God, listen to what he says, "To me, the least of all the saints, this grace has been given." He also showed humility in that he mourned his former sins, which had already been corrected, remembered them, and was modest to the point that he called himself a blasphemer, a persecutor and an offender; but nothing can be compared with (what he is saying now). Formerly, I was so-and-so, and calls myself a monster; but when now, having completely reformed, he still humbles himself and calls himself the least of all, this is truly great and extraordinary modesty. "To me, the least of all the saints." He did not say, "To the least of the apostles," so that he used the expression more derogatory than the latter. In another place he said: "And I am not worthy to be called an Apostle" (1 Cor. 15:9); but here he calls himself even the least of all the saints: "To me," he says, "the least of all the saints, this grace has been given." Which? "To preach to the Gentiles the unsearchable riches of Christ, and to reveal to all in what consists the economy of the mystery which was hidden from eternity in God, who created all things through Jesus Christ, that now the manifold wisdom of God may be made known through the church to the principalities and powers in heaven." Though this was not revealed to men, do you enlighten angels and archangels, principalities and powers? I enlighten, to speak, because in God it was hidden, in God, "who created all things by Jesus." And you dare to say it? Yes, I dare to speak. But how did the angels become aware of this? Through the Church. And moreover, he did not simply say: yes, (will be expressed) the different wisdom of God, but "diverse." So, what then? Did the angels really not know her? They did not know at all: if they did not know the beginning, how much more did the angels not know. Did not the archangels know either? Nor did they know: how could they know? Who could have opened it to them? When we found out, then they also learned through us. Listen to what the angel said to Joseph: "Thou shalt call His name Jesus, for He will save His people from their sins" (Μth. 1:21). He (Paul) was sent to the Gentiles, and they (the other apostles) to the circumcised. That is why his words are especially surprising and striking: "To me, the least, it is given." But even this was a work of grace, that the greatest truths were entrusted to the lesser, that he was their beneficiator, for he who became the evangelist of the greatest through this becomes great himself. "To preach to the Gentiles the unsearchable riches of Christ." If the riches (of Christ) remain unexplored even after His appearance, how much more unexplored is His being. If there is still a mystery here, how much more was it before it was known. But you call it a mystery (the riches of Christ's love) because it was known neither to the angels nor to anyone else. "And to reveal to all," he says, "what is the economy of the mystery which was hidden from eternity in God, who created all things by Jesus Christ." The angels knew only that "for His people are a part of the Lord" (Deut. 32:9). Moreover, in another place it is said: "The prince of the kingdom of Persia stood against me" (Dan. 10:13). Therefore, it is not surprising if they did not know this. If they did not know the things concerning the return (of the Israelites), how much more could they not know it (the riches of Christ's love), since it was revealed through the gospel. "He," he says, "will save His people Israel." Nothing is said here about the Gentiles; but the Spirit reveals them. Their calling was known, but that they would also sit on the throne of God, who could have expected, who could have believed it? "Hidden," he says, "in God." However, this "economy" (about the salvation of the Gentiles) is more clearly revealed in the Epistle to the Romans. "In God," he says, "who created all things through Jesus Christ." It was well for him to remember the creation and say, "By Jesus Christ." For he who created all things through Him also reveals it through Him: "And without Him," it is said, "nothing was made" (John 1:3). Having spoken of the beginnings and of the powers, he spoke both of the things above and of the things below. "From eternity". Now, to speak, it has been accomplished, but not now it has been determined, but it has been ordained of old. "From eternity in God, who created all things through Jesus Christ" – that is, according to the foreknowledge of the ages, knowing in advance the future, the ages to come, because he knew what would be, and determined it in accordance with it. "From eternity" – of course, those who were created by Jesus Christ, because through Christ "all things were made" (John 1:3). "In Whom we have," he says, "boldness and sure access through faith in Him" (v. 12). Not as captives, to speak, are we brought in, not as those who have been forgiven, not as sinners: "we have," he says, "boldness and sure access through faith," that is, with boldness (we hope). Why is that? By faith in Him. "Wherefore I beseech you not to be weary at my afflictions for your sake, which are your glory," v. 13. Why about them? And why (his afflictions) constitute their glory? Because God loved them so much that He gave His Son for them, and gave His servants (the apostles) over to suffering. Indeed, Paul was also in chains so that they might receive such blessings. So great is God's love for them! God says the same about the prophets: "He smote them with the words of My mouth" (Hos. 6:5). How did they "lose heart" when the other grieved? This means that they were afraid, embarrassed. About this he also writes to the Thessalonians, saying: "Lest any man be shaken in these afflictions" (Thess. 3:3). One should not only not grieve, but also rejoice. However, if you can be comforted by the prediction, we predict to you that we will experience tribulations here. Why? Because this is what the Lord commanded. "For this reason I bow my knees before the Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, from whom every fatherland in heaven and on earth is named" (vv. 14-15). Here (the apostle) shows the distinguishing feature of his prayer for them. He did not simply say, "I pray," but said, "I bow my knees," and thus expressed his fervent prayer for them. "From Whom every fatherland is named." It is no longer necessary to speak (of the fatherland, which was divided) "according to the number of the children of Israel" (Deut. 32:8), but of the One Who created both the tribes above and the tribes below, not such as those of the Jews. "May He grant you, according to the riches of His glory, to be firmly established by His Spirit in the inner man, that by faith Christ may dwell in your hearts" (vv. 16-17). See with what insatiability it is to ask for blessings for them, so that they do not hesitate. And how is this done? "By His Spirit in the inner man," your "by faith to dwell Christ in your hearts." How exactly? "That you, rooted and established in love, may comprehend with all the saints that breadth and length and depth and height are great, and understand the love of Christ which surpasses understanding." What (the Apostle) prayed for in the beginning, for that is also now. What did he talk about at the beginning? "That the God of our Lord Jesus Christ, the Father of glory, may give you the Spirit of wisdom and revelation unto the knowledge of Him, and enlighten the eyes of your heart, that ye may know wherein lies the hope of His calling, and what riches of His glorious inheritance are to the saints, and how immeasurable is the greatness of His power in us who believe according to the work of His sovereign power" (Ephesians 1:17-19). And now to say the same thing: "That ye may be able to comprehend with all the saints that breadth and length and depth and height," i.e., (that ye may be able) to know with certainty the mystery of the economy of our salvation. By breadth and length and depth and height he calls the knowledge of the riches of God's love, how it has spread everywhere. He describes it with bodily features, adapting himself to human concepts; (to say) that she embraced both the upper and the lower and the one on the sides. We said it was not our word that could teach it, but the Holy Spirit. It is "strong," he says, "to be strengthened" against temptations and deceptions, because there is no other way to establish oneself in good than through trials and with the help of the grace of God. And as for how Christ dwells in hearts, listen to what He Himself says: "I and My Father will love him, and We will come to him and make our abode with him" (John 14:23). He dwells not simply, but in the hearts of believers, who are strengthened and do not waver in their love for Him. "That ye may be able," he says, that is, much strength is needed. And why this power is needed, explaining this, he adds: "That you, who are rooted and established in love, may be able to comprehend with all the saints that breadth and length and depth and height, and understand the love of Christ that surpasses understanding, that you may be filled with all the fullness of God" (vv. 18-19). This means: although the love of Christ is above all human knowledge, yet you will know it, if Christ dwells in you, and you will not only know, but "that you may be filled with all the fullness of God." By the fulfillment of God he either means the knowledge of how in the Father, and the Son, and the Holy Spirit. Worship of God is given to the Spirit, or induces to those feats through which it would be possible to be filled with such virtues as God is filled with. "But to him who by the power that works in us is able to do incomparably more than all that we ask or think" (v. 20). He said well, "by power," because it is proper for power to receive that which we never expected. And what (God) does for us more than we "ask or think" is evident from what he himself (the apostle) wrote. I, he said, prick; and even without my prayer He will make more of our petitions – and not just more or more abundantly, but "incomparably more than anything else" – an expression that shows the special greatness of the gift. Where can this be seen from? From the power, to speak, acting in us – because we never asked for it and did not expect it. "To him be the glory in the church in Christ Jesus throughout all generations, from everlasting to everlasting. Amen" (v. 21). He did well (the Apostle) to conclude his discourse with prayer and doxology: it is necessary to glorify and bless. Who has given us such blessings. It is also surprising that Jesus glorifies (Him) in Christ for the gifts we have received from God. It is also well said: "To Him be the glory in the Church," because it is known that the Church will always exist. And since it always remains, he wants us also to glorify God until the end of the world, which he explained when he said, "Unto all generations." It is also necessary to say, what is fatherland (πατριαί)? Here (on earth) the word fatherland (generation) means clans; But how will there be childbirth in heaven, where no one will be born of one another? Probably (the Apostle) here calls the heavenly hosts fatherlands, since in the Scriptures the generation of Merarino is called a host (Num. 4:33). He does not ask everything of God, but demands of them faith and love, and not just love, but love rooted in us and firm, such love that the winds would not shake and destroy anything else. (The Apostle) said that sorrows constitute glory; but if such are my afflictions, how much more are your own. Thus, sorrows do not yet serve as a sign that we have been abandoned (by God): he who has shown us such goodness, of course, will not forsake us. If (the Apostle) Paul needed the prayer and help of the Spirit in order that he might know the love of God, then who will then know the essence of Christ, guided only by reasoning? Is it really so difficult to know that God loves us? It is very difficult, beloved! Some do not even know this – which is why, as they say, thousands of evils happen in the world – and others do not know the measure (of this love). Paul does not seek this measure, nor does he want to measure it (love); And how could he do it? But to say that it is an excellent and great thing to know (the riches of love), and that he can prove this very thing by the knowledge which we have been vouchsafed. What is higher than having Christ in oneself "firmly" and "established"? Much, to speak, we ask (of God); but He can do much more for us than we ask for, that we not only love Him, but love Him dearly. Let us try, beloved, to know the love of God. This is important for us: nothing else is so useful to us, nothing elevates us so much. The knowledge of this love can affect souls more than the fear of hell. How do we know it? Both from what has been said and from what is done every day. Why was all this really created? For what need? Not for any. The reason for the existence of both heavenly and lower beings is one love (God's). But this love is especially evident from the fact that He does good to people, without receiving anything from them beforehand. Therefore, in imitation of Him, let us also do good to our enemies, and let us not reject those who hate us and turn away from us. This likens us to God. If, as it is said, you love a lover, what is the use? This is also what the Gentiles do (Μth. 5:46, 47). But what is the sign of true love? Love for the hater. I want to give an example, and, forgive me, not finding it in the realm of spiritual things, I borrow it from the carnal life. Do you see lovers? How much they endure insults from their mistresses, how much deceit, how much harm, how they are tormented and withered by them – and yet they love them more than their own souls, spending nights at their doors. Let us learn by this example, of course, not to love these profligate women, but to love our enemies in this way. Indeed, tell me, do not mistresses with those who are addicted to them act worse than all enemies? Do they not squander their possessions, inflict personal insults on them, and command them with more power than their slaves? However, (lovers) do not lag behind them. And no one has such an enemy as the lover has in his mistress, because the mistress is proud of him, and dishonors him, and often abuses him, and treats him the more contemptuously, the more she is loved by him. However, they love (lovers of their mistresses). However, now we will find such love also in spiritual (people) – not today, because it has now grown cold – but in ancient, great and wondrous men. Blessed Moses surpassed even those who have passionate love. How and how? First, having left the royal court with its luxury, honors, and glory, he preferred to be better with the Israelites. And this the other would not only not have done, on the contrary, would have blushed, if someone had caught him in kinship not only with slaves, but also with people who are considered criminals. Not only was he not ashamed of his kinship, but he showed himself to be the most zealous defender (of the Israelites), and for their sake he himself was in danger. How? Seeing that it is said that one offends the other, he defended the offended and killed the offender. But he did not do this for his enemies. True, this act is also great, but not in the same way as what happened afterwards. The next day he saw the same thing, and seeing that the one for whom he had avenged (the day before) was offending, he urged him not to offend. And this man, in his extreme gratitude, also said, "Who hath made thee ruler and judge over us?" (Exodus 2:3)? Who wouldn't be annoyed by such words? If the former deed had been done under the influence of anger and reckless irritability, then this man (Moses) would have been killed. The one for whom it would have been done would not have denounced him. But he, says (the Scripture), said this, because they were related to each other; on the contrary, being offended yourself, do not say anything like this: "Who made you ruler and judge over us?" The insult you have inflicted and your cruelty have made me a prince and a judge. But, notice, now some say this to God as well. They desire (God) to be cruel to those who offend them, and accuse Him of being long-suffering towards them, although they themselves do not do this when they offend others. What is more offensive than such words? However, even after this, when he was sent to the ungrateful and ungrateful, (Moses) went and did not refuse. Nay; when, after the signs and wonders he had performed, they intended to stone him, and he avoided their hands, but remained the object of their constant murmuring, (the prophet) loved them with such love that, after the people had committed a certain grievous sin, he said to God: "Forgive them their sin, and if not, blot me also out of Thy book, in which Thou hast written" (Exodus 32:32). It is better to perish with them, than to be saved without them. This is truly – not reasoning, some kind of passionate love! And what do you say? Don't you value the sky? I do not value it, to speak, because I love those who have sinned. Do you want to be blotted out? How could it be otherwise? I like to talk. Meanwhile, what followed next? Listen to what the Scriptures say in another place: "And Moses was angry for their sake, "and Moses suffered for them" (Psalm 105:82). How many times had they insulted him! How many times both he and his brother were abandoned! How many times did they want to return to Egypt! And after all this, he burned and burned (with love), and was ready to suffer for them. This is how one should love one's enemies! Being subjected to their attacks, torments, enduring deprivations from them, one should wish them salvation. And Paul, tell me, did he not wish to be cast into hell instead of them (the Israelites)? But it is impossible not to cite the example of the Lord Himself, as He did when He said: "He commandeth His sun to rise on the evil and the good" (Μt. 5:45). He (our Saviour) is to cite the Father as an example; and we will bring Him – Christ. He came to us – I mean His economy – He became a slave for our sake, humbled Himself, exhausted Himself, took on the form of a servant; When he came (to earth), although he himself did not go to the way of tongues, he commanded his disciples to do so, and not only did this, but also went around (various places), healing every sickness and every infirmity. What then? And they were all amazed, and in perplexity they said, Where did he get all these things? (Matt. 13:56)? And those who received good deeds from Him said: "He is possessed by a demon" (John 10:20), He is a blasphemer, a fool and a deceiver (Μ 9:3, 27:63). Did He drive them away from Him? No; on the contrary, hearing this, He did even more good, and went to those who intended to crucify Him, as if He were to serve them for salvation. And being crucified, what did He say? "Father! forgive them, for they know not what they do" (Luke 23:34). Both before and after that, enduring evil, He did everything for them until His last breath and prayed for them. And after being crucified, what did He not do for them? Did He not send the Apostles? Did He not show signs? Did He not also shake the earth for them? Thus should one love one's enemies out of imitation of Christ! Thus did Paul: being stoned, enduring thousands of sufferings, he did everything for them (his enemies). Listen to what he says: "The desire of my heart and prayer to God for salvation"; and again: "For I testify unto them that they have zeal for God" (Rom. 10:2); and again: "If thou, O wild olive tree, have been grafted in their place, and have become partakers of the root and juice of the olive tree" (Romans 11:17). With what tender love does he speak these words, with what benevolence? It is impossible to say, indeed impossible! This is how one should love one's enemies. Love for one's enemies is love for God, Who gave commandments and laws, is imitation of Him. Know that by doing good to your enemies, you do not do good to them, but to yourself, you do not love them, but obey God. Therefore, knowing this, let us be strengthened in mutual love, so that, having fulfilled it exactly, we may receive the promised blessings in Christ Jesus our Lord, with Whom to the Father with the Holy Spirit be glory, dominion, honor, now and ever, and unto the ages of ages. Amen.

CONVERSATION 8

"Therefore I, a prisoner in the Lord, beseech you to walk worthy of the calling to which you have been called, with all humility and meekness" (Eph. 4:1). To be a prisoner for Christ is more glorious than to sit at His right hand. – Suffering for Christ is above all connections. – About the guard of the prison in which Paul was imprisoned. – Why did God allow those who guarded Peter in prison to perish? Fetters and sufferings served to glorify Paul. – Against those who are possessed by greed and covetousness. – About the Three Youths. The dignity of teachers does not consist in trying to acquire honor and glory from their students, but in leading them to salvation, and directing all their actions towards this goal. If any teacher cared only about the former (his honor and glory), he would not be a teacher, but a tyrant. And God has set you over them, not so that you may enjoy great honor, but so that, forgetting yourself, you may think only about what pertains to them. Such was Blessed Paul; he was a stranger to all pride and behaved on an equal footing with others, even as if he were less than others: he called himself their slave, and gave a great deal of instruction in the form of a request. Behold, and now he writes not in an imperative, authoritative tone, but meekly and humbly: "Therefore I, a prisoner in the Lord, beseech you," he says, "to walk worthy of the calling to which you have been called." Tell me, why do you ask? Is it in order for you to get something for yourself? no, to speak, but in order to save others. But whoever asks, asks for what is useful for himself? And it is useful for me to say, as I have written about it in another place: "For now we are alive while you stand in the Lord" (1 Thess. 3:8). Thus did He always wish for the salvation of His disciples! "Therefore I am a prisoner in the Lord." Truly, it is a great and important honor (to be in chains for the sake of the Lord) – it is higher than the royal, consular, and any other dignity. Of the same (his bonds) he speaks in the Epistle to Philemon: "As I, Paul, am an old man, and now also a prisoner of Jesus Christ" (Philemon 9). In fact, there is nothing so glorious as the bonds for Christ's sake, as the fetters laid upon these sacred hands. To be a prisoner for Christ's sake is more glorious than to be an apostle, teacher, and evangelist. Whoever loves Christ understands these words. Whoever irresistibly strives for the Lord and burns with love for Him, knows the power of bonds. Paul would rather be imprisoned for Christ's sake than live in heaven. His (chained) hands seemed to them (his disciples) brighter than any gold, any royal crown. It is not so much the bandage with precious stones that glitters on the head, as the iron fetters for Christ's sake. Then the prison is lighter than the royal palaces. What do I say – royal? Brighter than heaven itself, because it contains within itself a prisoner of Christ. Whoever loves Christ knows this dignity, knows this virtue, knows how many blessings imprisonment has brought to the human race for His sake. Perhaps the bonds for His sake are more glorious than sitting at His right hand, more honorable than sitting on twelve thrones. And what shall I say (after this) about human (goods)? I am ashamed to compare wealth and gold jewelry with bonds. But, having ceased to speak of the greatness of the bonds, (I will say) that if the bonds for Christ's sake were not rewarded in any way, then the reward would still be great, the reward sufficient in the very fact that these sufferings are endured for the sake of the beloved. These words are understandable to those who love, if not God, then people – those who rejoice more when they suffer for the sake of their beloved than when they receive honors from them. They were also understandable to the holy assembly of the Apostles. In fact, listen to what Blessed Luke says: "And they departed from the Sanhedrin, rejoicing that for the name of Christ they were counted worthy to receive dishonor" (Acts 5:41). Others find it ridiculous to consider dishonor a virtue and turn it into an object of joy. But those who know Christ's love consider this (dishonor) above all blessedness. If anyone were to give me either the whole heaven or these fetters, I would prefer them. If anyone wanted to place me either in the heavenly chambers with the angels, or with Paul in chains, I would choose prison. If anyone were to make me one of those powers that surround heaven and the throne (of God), or such a prisoner, I would prefer to become that prisoner. And rightly so, there is nothing more blessed than these shackles. I would now like to be in those places where, it is said, these bonds are still kept, to see them and marvel at the people who had such a strong love for Christ. I would like to see the fetters that are terrified and trembled by the demons, who are worshipped by angels. There is nothing better than suffering for Christ's sake. I do not so much praise Paul for being caught up into paradise as for being cast into prison. I do not so much praise him because I heard ineffable words, but because I was in bonds. I do not so much praise him because he was caught up to the third heaven, but because of his bonds. And that bonds are greater than all this, he knew it himself. Listen: he did not say: I beseech you, I have heard ineffable words. And what? "I, therefore, a prisoner in the Lord, beseech you." It is not surprising if he does not use these words in all his epistles, for he was not always in chains, but at times. It is more valiant for me to endure evil for Christ's sake than to receive honors from Him. This is a great honor, this is a glory that is higher than nothing. If He, having become a slave to me, and imputing glory to nothing, considered nothing so glorious to Himself as to be crucified for me, what should I not endure? Listen to what He Himself says: "Father, forgive them! glorify Thy Son" (John 17:1). What do you say? You, together with robbers and robbers, are being led to the cross, in order to subject you to a shameful death; Thou endurest beatings and spitting, and Thou callest this glory? I call, speak. Because I suffer for My loved ones, I consider (these sufferings) to be glory. But if He, having loved those who are pitiful and unfortunate, calls suffering glory; if for Him glory consisted not in being on the throne of the Father, not in glory, but in dishonor, and He preferred the latter to the former, how much more should I consider it glory. Oh, blessed bonds! Oh, blessed hands adorned with these bonds! Paul's hands were not so much honored when they put on their feet and gave the ability to walk to a lame man in Lystra (Acts 14), as when they were in chains. If I had lived in those times, I would have kissed them chiefly and applied them to my apples. I would constantly kiss the hands that have been vouchsafed to be in chains for the sake of my Lord. Do you wonder to Paul that the viper, having touched his hand, did nothing to him? Do not be surprised: she was afraid of the fetters; even the whole sea was afraid of them, because then he was in chains. If anyone had given me the power to raise the dead, I would not have chosen it, but fetters. If I had no worries about the church, and my bodily strength were weak, I would not have refused to make such a long journey, only to see Paul's fetters and the prison in which he was imprisoned. Though everywhere there are monuments of his miracles, they do not make such an impression as the monuments of his ulcers. And in the Scriptures he does not so much delight me when he performs miracles, as when he suffers, when he is beaten, dragged out. Handkerchiefs and towels, from which miraculous actions were performed, are justly revered – they are also worthy of wonder, but not like those (the apostolic sufferings). It is said: "Having smote him, and having given them many blows, they cast him into prison" (Acts 16:28); again: "the prisoners sang praises to God" (Acts 16:25); again: they "stoned" him "and dragged him out of the city, considering him dead" (Acts 14:19). If you want to know how much the fetters are imposed on the body of (His) servant for Christ's sake, listen to what Christ Himself says: "Blessed are you." When? When will you raise the dead? No. When? When will you heal the blind? And this is not the case. And when? "When they shall revile you, and persecute you, and say all manner of evil against you unrighteously for my sake" (Matt. 5:11). But if reproach alone brings so much bliss, then what will not suffering not do? Listen to what the blessed one (Paul) himself says in another place: "And now a crown of righteousness is prepared for me" (2 Tim. 4:8). But the bonds are more glorious than this crown. If only I could be worthy of them, I do not think about anything else. Without any recompense, suffering alone for Christ's sake is enough for me. Let me only be given the opportunity to say that I am fulfilling "the lack in my flesh of the afflictions of Christ" (Col. 1:24), and I need nothing more. And Peter was vouchsafed such fetters. He is said to have "slept between two soldiers, bound with two chains" (Acts 12:4-6). He was so calm in his bonds, and so little grieved over it, that he could have fallen asleep: he would not have fallen into a deep sleep if he had been in great anxiety. He slept among the soldiers, – "And behold, the angel of the Lord appeared, and the light shone on the prison. The angel pushed Peter in the side, and awoke him" (v. 7). If someone were to say to me, "What do you want to be, the angel who pushed Peter, or the saved Peter?" I'd rather be Peter, for whom an angel came. Those bonds would be sweet to me. And why, someone will say, does he pray (after being released from prison) as if he had been freed from the greatest misfortune? Do not be amazed at this. He prays because he was afraid of dying. He was afraid to die because he wanted to live for suffering. Listen to what Blessed Paul himself says about this: "I have a desire to depart and be with Christ, because this is incomparably better, and it is more necessary for you to remain in the flesh" (Phil. 1:23, 24). This he further called a gift: "For it has been given unto you for Christ's sake, not only to believe in him, but also to suffer for him" (v. 29). Thus the latter is greater than the former, because "it is given to you." Truly this is the greatest gift, and the greatest of all (other gifts) – both the gift to stop the sun and the moon, and the gift to move the world. It is more power over demons, or the power to cast out demons. They do not suffer so much when we cast them out by faith, as when they see that we suffer afflictions and are in chains for Christ's sake. This gives us greater boldness (to Christ). It is good to be in bondage for Christ's sake, not because it brings us the kingdom, but because it happens for Christ's sake. I do not please the bonds because they (as it were) open the way to heaven in advance, but because they are endured for the sake of the Lord of heaven. To know (to the apostle) that he endured chains for Christ's sake – how much consolation there is for him! What joy! What an honor! How much glory! I myself would always like to talk about this, I would like at least to touch these fetters; but since I am deprived of this happiness in practice, at least mentally, through sincere desire, I enclose my soul in them. As a result of the earthquake, it is said, the prison with Paul bound was shaken, "and the bonds of all were loosened" (Acts 16:26). Do you see the property of bonds to loose bonds? As the death of the Lord killed death, so Paul's bonds loosed the prisoners, shook the prison, and opened the doors. However, the natural power of bondage is not the same, but (completely) the opposite – to hold the prisoner firmly and not to break the walls (prison) before him. And that attribute (of which we speak) belongs not to simple bonds, but to bonds for Christ's sake. "The watchman trembled and fell down before Paul and Silas" (v. 29). This is not done by ordinary bonds, those who bind do not bring them to the feet of those who are bound, but on the contrary subordinate the latter first. And now the free man was at the prisoner's feet; The one who bound asked the bound one to free him from fear. Tell me, did you not bind him? Did you not lock him up in an inner prison? Didn't you put his stock on your feet? Why do you tremble? Why are you embarrassed? Why are you crying? Why did he draw his sword? Never, I say, have I ever knitted such (people); I did not know that such was the power of the prisoners of Christ. What do you say? They have received power to open the heavens: shall they not open the prisons? They loosed those who were bound by demons: will iron be stronger than they? You did not know these men, therefore you deserve an apology. The bound one is Paul, who is honored by all the angels, Paul, whose handkerchiefs and handkerchiefs drove away demons and healed diseases. And demonic bonds are much stronger and more indissoluble than iron bonds, because the soul is bound first, and the body is the last. So, could he not liberate the bound souls of his body? Would he who has broken the bonds of demons not have broken the iron bands? Who released those prisoners and freed them from the power of demons by means of his garments, would he not have freed himself by himself? He had been bound before; then He loosed those who were bound, in order to show you that the servants of Christ who were bound had much more power than those who were free from bonds. It would not have been so surprising if he had done so while being free from bondage. Bonds, then, were not the cause of weakness, but of greater strength. Thus the power of the saint is more brilliantly revealed when, even when he is bound, he commands those who are free from bonds, when the prisoner himself frees not only himself, but also other prisoners. What is the use of walls? What is the use of being cast into the inner prison, when he opened the outer prison? But why did this happen at night and with an earthquake? However, I have deviated from the apostolic words, I have occupied myself too much with apostolic affairs; but do not be so indulgent to me, and let me delight in Paul's bonds, and let me dwell on them still longer. I have taken hold of the bonds, and no one will bend me from them. I am now bound by love, than he was then bound by chains. No one will break these bonds, because he is from the love of Christ. Neither angels nor the kingdom of heaven can resolve them. Let us listen to what Paul himself has to say about this: "Neither angels, nor principalities, nor powers, nor things present, nor things to come, nor height, nor depth, nor any other creature, can separate us from the love of Christ" (Romans 8:38, 39). Why did this happen in the middle of the night, why with the earthquake? Listen to God's economy and be amazed. The bonds loosened and the doors opened. But this was done only for the sake of the prison guard, not to show (him the power of bonds), but for his salvation. The prisoners did not know that they were allowed, as is evident from Paul's exclamation. What exactly is being said? "But Paul cried with a loud voice, saying, Do not do any evil to yourself, for we are all here" (Acts 16:28). They would not all be (in prison) if they knew that the doors were open, and they themselves were freed from bonds. Those who break down walls, penetrate roofs and fences, and dare to do anything, being in chains, would not have remained when the bonds were loosed, and the doors were opened, and the jailer himself slept. But instead of iron bonds, they had the bonds of sleep on them. Thus it was arranged so that the deed would be accomplished, and no harm would occur from the miracle to the prison guard, who was to be saved. Moreover, prisoners are especially tightly bound at night, and not during the day. Therefore, they could be seen again connected with great effort and immersed in sleep. If this had been done in the daytime, there would have been great confusion. Why was the building shaken? In order that the prison guard might awaken and see what had happened, since he alone was worthy of salvation. Here, I beg you, look at the abundance of the grace of Christ. Speaking of Paul's bonds, it is opportune to remember the grace of Christ, especially since the bonds themselves are the work of God's grace. Some condemn the fact that the prison guard was saved, whereas in this case one should marvel at God's love for mankind. And no wonder. Such is the property of the weak that they condemn even the nutritious value of food that should be praised, and brass is called bitter. (People) are blinded by the light that should shine on them, although this does not depend on the natural quality of the light, but on the weakness of those who are unable to use it as they should. What do they say? Whereas it should be wondering that he (the apostle) saved a man who had fallen into extreme distress and made him better, they say, "How is it that he did not consider this to be a work of sorcery and sorcery, and still more did not guard them, and shouted at them?" But at the same time he understood many things: first, that he heard them sing praises to God – the sorcerers would not sing such songs, but he, it is said, heard them singing praises to God (Acts 16:25); secondly, that not only did they not run away, but they did not allow him to kill themselves. If they had done this for themselves, there would have been no prisons left, but the former would have been freed themselves. Great is also their love for mankind: they prevented the one who said them from killing themselves, as if saying to him: "You have guarded us very strongly, having locked us up in an inner prison and bound us with heavy fetters, so that you yourself may be freed from the most grievous bonds." Each (man) is bound by the bonds of his sins. These latter bonds are worthy of damnation, and t (bonds) are blessed and deserve to be asked for by great prayers. The Apostle showed in a sensual way how the latter (material) bonds free from the first (spiritual bonds). Did you see how they were freed from the iron bonds with which they were bound? You will see that you yourself have been released from other heavy bonds. These bonds – I do not mean Paul's, but those of prisoners – come from sinful bonds. There were two kinds of prisoners in the prison, and the guard himself was a prisoner. They were bound by a rod and sins, and he was bound only by sins. Paul released them for his assurance, because the bonds were visible. And Christ did the same, or better – the opposite. There was a twofold relaxation. Which one? Sinful and bodily. What does he do? "Be of good cheer," he says, "child! thy sins are forgiven thee" (Μt. 9:2). First he healed the soul from weakness, then he moved on to the body. Namely, when "some of the scribes said to themselves, He blasphemes. And Jesus, seeing their thoughts, said, Why do you think evil in your hearts? For what is easier to say, Thy sins are forgiven, or to say, Arise and walk? But that ye may know that the Son of Man hath power on earth to forgive sins, then saith unto the paralytic: Arise, take up thy bed, and go into thy house" (Μth. 9:4-6). He confirmed the mental with the sensual, with the corporeal he proved what pertained to the soul. Why did He do this? That it may be fulfilled that which is said, With thy mouth I will judge thee, O wicked servant. (Luke 19:22). What then do they say? "No one but God has the power to forgive sins," i.e., neither an angel, nor an archangel, nor any other created power. What did He have to say? If it is shown that I forgive sins, is it clear that I am God? But He did not say this, and what? "But that ye may know that the Son of Man hath power on earth to forgive sins, then saith unto the paralytic, Arise, take up thy bed, and go into thy house." And so, when I, speaking, make it more difficult, then, obviously, there should be no more unbelief and argument about what is much easier. That is why He performed spiritual healing before, because there were many contradictors. But here (the Apostle) came to the sensual from the intellectual. Thus, the faith (of the prison guard) was not frivolous. He saw the prisoners, and saw nothing or heard evil from them. He saw that the deed was not done by magic, for they were singing praises to God; he saw in what was happening the work of their great love for mankind, since they did not take revenge on him, although they could. They could have departed (from prison) having freed themselves as well as the other prisoners, and if not the prisoners, at least themselves; But they did not do this. And so he felt respect (for the apostle) not only for the miracle, but also for the very fact that he was told. How did he (Paul) exclaim? "Do no harm to yourself, for we are all here." Do you see how he really is devoid of vanity and pride, and how filled with love? He did not say that it happened for us, but surely one of the prisoners says, "For we are all here." If, however, they (Paul and Silas) had not been freed by a miracle, they ought to have kept silent and set all the prisoners free. And if they had been silent and had not stopped his hands with a loud appeal, he would have cut his throat with a sword. (The Apostle) and therefore made this proclamation, because he was imprisoned in the farthest part of the prison. You, I say, have done harm to yourself by throwing into inner prison those who will free you from danger. But they did not imitate what he did. And if he had killed himself, all the prisoners would have fled. You see that (the apostles) would rather remain in chains than see the death of the prison guard. Therefore he pondered with himself: if they were sorcerers, they would release all (the other prisoners), and they themselves would be freed from bondage. Probably, many of these (people) were thrown into prison. And he was surprised, because, although he often received sorcerers, he did not see anything of the kind. A sorcerer would not shake the foundations (of the prison): by this he can awaken the guards and make it more difficult for himself to escape. But let us finally turn our attention to the faith of the prison guard. "He demanded," it is said, "fire, and ran into the prison, and in trembling fell down before Paul and Silas, and having led them out, he said, My lords! What must I do to be saved?" (Acts 16:29, 30)? He had fire and sword in his hand, and said, "And they said, Believe on the Lord Jesus Christ, and thou shalt be saved, and all thy house" (v. 31). It is not in the nature of sorcerers, he says, to teach such a doctrine; In their words there is no mention of O demon. Do you see how worthy he was of salvation? Seeing the miracle and freed from fear, he did not forget the most important thing, and in such danger he was concerned about the salvation of his soul and approached the teachers as he should have approached – he fell at their feet. "And they preached the word of the Lord unto him, and to all that were in his house. And having taken them at that hour of the night, he washed their wounds, and immediately was baptized himself and all his household" (v. 32, 33). Do you see the fiery vomiting of this man? He did not postpone the work until the time came, did not say: "When the day comes, then we will see, we will think," but with true zeal he was baptized himself and all his house. He did not act as many do today, not paying attention to the fact that slaves, wives, and their children have not yet been sanctified (by baptism). Imitate, I beseech you, the jailer. I say this, not commanding, but expressing my desire. What is the use of commanding when even desire has no power? Yes, a coarse, cruel man, who lived with thousands of evildoers, who always had them before his eyes, suddenly became so compassionate, so caring! "He washed away their wounds," it is said. Pay attention again to Paul's fiery zeal: after imprisonment and scourging, he pleases. Oh, blessed fetters! What spawn they gave birth to that night! What children have been born! And of them it can be said: "whom I have begotten in my bonds" (Philem. 10). Do you see how he (the apostle) rejoices, and how he wants to give greater dignity to the children who are born? Do you see how great is the glory of bonds, when it illumines with its Radiance not only the prisoner, but also those born by him at that time? Those who are born of Paul in bondage have something more, not in relation, I say, to grace – grace is one and the same – and not in relation to the remission of sins – and remission is the same for all – but in the respect that from the very beginning they learn to rejoice and rejoice in such feats. "And having taken them," it is said, "at that hour of the night, he washed their wounds, and immediately was baptized himself." Finally, pay attention to the fruit. He immediately repaid them (for spiritual blessings) visible. "And having brought them into his house, he offered a meal, and rejoiced with all his house, because he had believed in God" (v. 34). And what would he not have done, when the open doors of the prison opened the heavens to him? He washed the teacher, offered him a meal and rejoiced himself. The fetters of Paul entered the prison and turned everything that was there into a church, made everyone the body of Christ, offered a spiritual meal, and gave birth to children, whom the angels rejoice. Have I not spoken the truth, then, when I called the prison lighter than heaven? After all, she was the cause of joy for heaven as well. If there is joy in heaven for one repentant sinner, if where two are gathered in the name of Christ, there He is in their midst, how much more was all this here, where Paul, and Silas, and the prison guard, and all his house, and such faith. See, indeed, what firmness of faith! But this prison reminded me of another prison. Which one? The one in which Peter was. But there was nothing of the kind here – he was "commanded four quaternaries of soldiers to watch over him" (Acts 12:3), and did not sing, did not watch, but slept, and although he did not suffer blows, the danger was greater. Everything has already been done there – they have already been punished – but not yet here. Therefore, here, although the blows did not cause pain, the expectation of the future was frightening. But look at the miracle here too. "And behold," it is said, "the angel of the Lord appeared, and the light shone on the prison. The angel pushed Peter in the side, woke him up and said, "Get up quickly." And the chains fell from his hands" (Acts 12:7). In order that Peter should not think that what had happened was only an act of light, (the angel) pushed him. No one saw the light, but only he, and considered it a ghost. So those who sleep do not feel the blessings of God! "And the angel said to him," it is said, "Gird thyself and put on thy shoes. He did so. Then he said to him, "Put on your garment and follow me." Peter went out and followed him, not knowing that what the angel was doing was real, but thinking that he was seeing a vision. And when they had passed through the first and second watches, they came to an iron gate that led into the city, which opened itself to them: and they went out, and passed through a certain street, and suddenly the angel was not with him" (Acts 12:8, 9, 10). Why wasn't it what happened to Paul and Silas? Because they were going to be released from their bonds, and therefore God did not want to release them in the same way as Peter did. As for Blessed Peter, he was sentenced to death. What, they say, would not be a greater miracle if, taken from prison and delivered into the hands of the king, he was delivered here without any harm from great dangers? In such a case, the soldiers would not have perished either. There are many incomprehensible things here. In what way, they say, did God save His servant with the punishment and destruction of others? What should we say to this? First, that (God) did not desire the destruction of others; secondly, that this (their destruction) did not come from the fact that it was predestined, but from the cruelty of the judge. How? God arranged the circumstances in such a way that not only would the guards not perish, but Peter would also be saved, as we see here in relation to the prison guard; But the judge did not take advantage of the circumstances properly. "At the coming of the day," it is said, "there was great anxiety among the soldiers about what had become of Peter" (Acts 12:18). What then? Herod makes an inquiry into what happened, and after examining the guards, "ordered them to be put to death" (v. 19). If he hadn't interrogated them, he would have had some excuse. Now he summoned them to court, examined them, and learned that (Peter) was in chains, that the prison was strong, that the guards were standing at the doors, that the wall was not broken, the door was not open, and there was no other sign of evil. After this he had no choice but to marvel at the power of God which had snatched (Peter) out of the midst of these dangers, and to worship Him who could do such a deed. He also "ordered them to be executed." How can we blame God after this? If He had torn down the walls and thus set (the apostle) free, it might have been considered the work of their negligence. If, according to the dispensation (of God), it was not a human evil deed that was seen in what happened, but a divine miracle, then why did he (the judge) do so? If (Peter) had wanted to flee, he would have fled as he was, in chains. If I had wanted to flee from fear, I would not have shown such foresight, I would not have taken my sandals, but left them. In the present case, however, the angel also said to him: "Put on your shoes," so that it would be known that he did not act here as one who planned to run away, but very calmly. Being in chains and between two soldiers, he would not have had so much leisure to loose the bonds, and at the same time being in the inner compartment of the prison. Thus the guards are punished by the injustice of the judge. Why didn't the Jews do this? Here I remember another prison, the first in Rome, the second in Caesarea, and the real one was in Jerusalem. Why did the bishops and Pharisees, when they heard from those whom they had sent into prison to bring Peter out of it, that "they did not find them in prison," but that the doors were locked, and the guards stood before the doors, did not kill the guards, but "wondered what this meant" (Acts 5)? If they, with all their desire to kill them, did not think of anything of the sort, how much more should you, who do everything to please them (the Pharisees and scribes). For this he (the judge) was soon punished. If you reproach (God) after that, then reproach Him also for the murders on the roads, for a thousand other unjust deprivations of life, and even for the children who were beaten for Christ's sake. After all, according to your words, Christ should be guilty of beating them. But, in fact, (the fault of their death was) not Christ, but rather the madness and cruelty of Herod's father. If you say, Why did not (God) snatch him out of Herod's hand? He could have done this too, but it would have been of no use. How many times did Christ escape from their hands? But did this bring any benefit to the ungrateful? And here from what has been accomplished comes great benefit to the faithful. When, in the existence of monuments about an event, it is also confirmed by enemies, then the testimony is not subject to any doubt. And so, both here and there, the mouths of the enemies are blocked by nothing else but the story of the strangers about what happened. Why did the jailer do nothing of the sort, when what he saw was no less than what Herod saw? If we pay attention to the astonishment of what happened, then to know that the prisoner went out when the doors were locked is no less than to see the doors open. The latter may seem more like a vision, and the former is not, if it is accurately told. Therefore he (the watchman), if he had been evil, would have killed Paul, as Herod had killed the soldiers. But he was not like that. If we wanted to refute those who say: why did God allow children to be beaten? – then our word to you would go beyond the limits assigned to him at first. Now, having given great thanks to Paul's bonds, because they have been the cause of so many good things for us, in conclusion of our discourse, we beseech you not only not to grieve if anyone has to suffer for Christ, but also to rejoice like the apostles, and to boast like Paul: "Wherefore I will much more gladly," he said, "boast in my infirmities" (2 Cor. 12:9). For this reason it was said to him: "My grace is sufficient for you." Paul boasts of his bonds, but do you exalt yourself in your riches? The Apostles rejoiced that they had been vouchsafed to receive wounds – and you are looking for bliss and luxury? How then do you want to receive the same (blessings) with them, when you are following a completely different path with them? "And behold, now," says (the Apostle), "I, being drawn by the Spirit, go to Jerusalem, not knowing what will meet me there; only the Holy Spirit testifies in all the cities, saying that chains and sorrows await me" (Acts 20:22, 23) Why then do you go, if troubles and sorrows await you? It is in order, he says, to be bound for Christ, to die for Him. I am prepared to accept not only bonds, but also death for the name of our Lord Jesus Christ. There is nothing more blessed than this soul! What does he boast of? Bonds, sorrows, chains, wounds. "I," he says, "bear the wounds of the Lord Jesus" (Gal. 6:17), as a great trophy, "on my body"; and again: "For because of the hope of Israel," he says, "I am bound with these chains" (Acts 28:20); again: "For whom I am fulfilling an embassy in bonds" (Εth. 6:20). What does this mean? Aren't you ashamed? How was it that thou wast not afraid, after thou hadst endured the bonds, to go round the world? How could you not be afraid that someone would call your God powerless? That therefore others will not want to have fellowship with you? Such, he answers, are not my bonds. They can shine even in the royal palaces. "So that my bonds," he says, "in Christ were made known to all the praetorium and to all the rest, and the greater part of the brethren in the Lord, being encouraged by my bonds, began to preach the word of God with greater boldness, fearlessly" (Phil. 1:13,14). Do you see that bonds have more power than the resurrection of the dead? They saw (the Apostle) in chains and received even more boldness. For where there are bonds, there must be something great. Where there is sorrow, there is certainly salvation, there is certainly rest, there are probably great deeds. Thus the devil, when he wants to strike, is himself smitten; when it binds the servants of God, then the word (of God) spreads still more. And look, it happens everywhere. He was in chains, and this is what he did in prison: "in" the very "bonds," he says, "mine" (Phil. 1:7). He was chained to Rome, and there he converted many to the faith. This is because not only he himself had boldness, but also many others received boldness through him. And being afraid, it is said, he sent him away, and he who bound him was not ashamed to receive from him who was bound the doctrine of things to come. In chains he sailed, did not die in a shipwreck and tamed the storm. While he was in chains, a poisonous animal touched him and, without doing him any harm, left him behind. He was a prisoner in Rome, and by preaching in chains, he attracted thousands to himself, offering (to his hearers) this very thing, that is, bonds. Now there are no occasions to be imprisoned in chains, but there are other kinds of fetters, if we so desire. What are they? This is to restrain one's hands so as not to be inclined to covetousness. Let us bind it with these fetters. Instead of iron, let the fear of God serve us. Let us loose those who are bound by poverty and sorrow. It is not the same thing to open the doors of the prison and give freedom to the souls of a person constrained by need. It is not the same thing to loose the chains of prisoners and "set free those who are afflicted" (Luke 4:18). The latter is greater than the former, because there is no reward for it, and for this there are innumerable rewards. Paul's fetters were long and detained us for a long time. And in fact they are long, and more beautiful than any gold chain. These fetters, like a machine, draw their prisoners to heaven, and like a golden chain stretching (to heaven), they drag them to heaven. And it is surprising that by binding the prisoners of the valley, they draw their grief. This, however, is not their natural property. Therefore, if God arranges it in this way (as we have just seen), then pay attention not to the natural property and order of things, but to that which is higher than both. Let us learn from here not to lose heart in sorrows and not to grieve. Look, indeed, at this blessed one. He suffered blows, and the blows were strong: "He gave them," it is said, "many blows" (Acts 16:23). He was put in chains, and in strong bonds: (the guard) "cast" him "into the inner prison" (v. 24), and into a very strong prison. However, even in such circumstances, at midnight, when, under the influence of sleep, this powerful bond, even those who are vigorously awakened sleep, they (Paul and Silas) sang and praised the Lord. What can be harder than these souls? They knew that the youths also sang in the fire and in the furnace. Perhaps they (Paul and Silas) thought: we have not yet suffered anything like this. But the word, developing correctly, has also led us to other bonds, to another prison. What to do? And I would like to be silent, but I can't. I found another prison that is more surprising and astonishing than this. And you arise, as if the word had just begun, and cling to it with lively attention. I want to interrupt the word, but I can't. As a drunkard does not tear himself away from the cup, no matter what is said to him, so I, having taken up the wondrous prison cup of the prisoners of Christ, cannot cease, cannot be silenced. If, indeed, he was not silent in prison, and at night, and in his wounds, – shall I be silent, sitting during the day, enjoying complete tranquillity for the conversation, – shall I be silent when those who were in chains, beaten with sticks, did not allow themselves to be silent at midnight? The youths were not silent in the furnace and in the fire: will we not be ashamed to be silent? And so, let us see the prison. And here they were imprisoned, but immediately at the very beginning it turned out that they were not to be burned, but as if they were to enter the prison. Why (otherwise) do you bind those who are to be burned? They were bound like Paul, hand and foot, bound with the same cruelty; and he (Nebuchadnezzar) cast them into the inner prison, and then commanded that the furnace be kindled violently. But let us look at what follows. As they sang (Paul and Silas), the prison shook and the doors opened. When these (youths) also sang, the fetters fell from their hands and feet, the prison was opened, and the openings of the furnace were opened, because the dew of the spirit burst forth noisily (Dan. 3:8). But I imagine such a multitude of subjects that I do not know what to talk about before and what after: therefore I ask you not to demand order from me. Both events have much in common with each other. Those who were with them (Paul and Silas) in bondage were freed from their bonds, and yet they slept. Here, instead, there was something else: those who threw them into the furnace were burned. But I wanted to say that the king saw them free from their bonds, and worshipped them (Dan. 3:95); And when he heard them singing, he saw four people walking, and he called them. And so, like Paul, who could, but did not come out of the prison, until he who had imprisoned him called him and brought him out, and the three youths went out until the king commanded them to go out. What do we learn from this? Do not rush to suffering, do not rush to accept sorrows and do not remain in them; when we are freed from them. The king bowed down to them; He could have entered the place where the saints were, but when he came to the opening, he stopped: he did not dare to enter into the prison, in which he had prepared for them to burn. And notice the words. He said: "Lord, what shall I do to be saved?" This, although not with such humility, nevertheless said no less pleasant words: "Shadrach, Meshach and Abednego, servants of the Most High God! Come out and come!" (Dan. 3:93). Great honor! "Servants of the Most High God! Come out and come up!" How will they come out, O king, when you have cast them bound into the fire, when they have been in the fire for so long? Even if they had been adamantine, if they had been made of metal, would they not have perished during the time they sang their whole hymn? But they were saved because they sang. The fire was afraid of their joy, and it was afraid of their amazing song, their hymn. What do you call them? "I said beforehand, 'Servants of the Most High God!' because with the servants of God all things are possible. If there are such servants among men who have no less power and authority in the affairs of their masters, no less in command than the masters themselves, then how much more is it possible for the servants of God." These are the most pleasant words for them. The king knew that with these words he would give them special pleasure. For if they went into the fire in order to remain servants of God, no other words were more pleasing to them than these. If he had called them kings, the rulers of the universe, he would not have made them as happy as He did, saying, "Come forth and come near." And what is surprising? Paul, when he wrote to a great city that possessed the universe, and was proud of its own merits, contrasted this (the dignity of the servant of God) as equal to his dignity, even as many, incomparably greater than the consulship, and the kingdom, and the dominion over the universe: he wrote: "Paul, the servant of Jesus Christ" (Romans 1:1). "Servants of the Most High God!" If they, say (the king), try so hard to be slaves, then let us convince them of this completely. Now look at the good humor of the youths. They were not indignant, they were not angry, they did not contradict, but they went out. If they considered it an offense to be thrown into the furnace, they would be indignant with the one who threw it. Here we see nothing of the sort: they came out (from the furnace) as if they had come down from heaven itself. He will not sin who would say about them what the prophet said about the sun: "He goes out like a bridegroom out of his bridal chamber" (Psalm 18:5). Why? Because they came out then with greater glory than the sun went out. The sun is a sensual light for the illumination of the earth, and they illuminate it in a different way, that is, spiritually. For their sake the king immediately sent an injunction in these words: "The signs and wonders which the Most High God has done upon me, it pleases me to declare to you. How great and how powerful!" (Dan. 3:99). Thus they came out (out of the fire), spreading from themselves the brightest rays, with which the countries themselves were illumined, and which were to spread everywhere by royal decrees and dispel all darkness. "Come out and come over." He did not command that the furnaces should be extinguished, and with such confidence that they could not only walk within it, but also come out of it, in spite of its burning flame, he did them special honor. But let us see, if you will, the words of the jailer. "Lord, what shall I do to be saved?" What is more pleasant than these words? They make the angels themselves rejoice. In order to hear such words, the Only-begotten (Son) of God became a servant. The first believers said the same words to Peter: "What shall we do to be saved? What did he say? "Believe and be baptized" (Acts 2:33). Because of the desire for the salvation and obedience of the Jews, Paul would gladly have descended into hell to hear such words from them. And see: he demands nothing for himself, but gives everything to them. The king does not say: that I may be saved; but more powerful than all words is that which he teaches (others). He immediately becomes a preacher. It does not need to be catechumenized, like the prison guard. But what? He glorifies God and confesses His power. "I fully see that your God is the God of gods and the Lord of lords, that He has sent His angel and brought you out of the furnace." And what's next? Not only one guard, but many are announced by the royal epistle, knowing what has happened. That the Tsar could not deceive is, of course, obvious to everyone. He would not want to testify to this about the captives and thereby humiliate his way of acting. He would not have taken upon himself the infamy of such folly, so that if the truth had not been very evident, he would not have written such an edict, especially since there were so many witnesses. Do you see how strong the bonds are? What is the power of singing during the tribulation? They did not give way to despondency from persecution, did not lose heart, but it was then that they were especially cheerful, and then they were especially complacent. And they did so justly. One more thing remains: why were the prisoners released in prison, and the servants of execution burned in the furnaces, when the king should have endured this? For it was not so much those who sinned, who put them in chains, and cast them into the furnace, as those who commanded them to do so. So, why did they die? There is no need to say much here (to explain the matter). Because they were wicked. For this reason it was arranged in such a way that the power of fire would be evident and the greater miracle would be greater. If, indeed, the fire devoured with such force those who were outside the furnace, how did it leave unharmed those who were in the furnace itself? (This is so that) the power of God may be more apparent. And let no one be surprised that I have compared the king with the jailer: he acted in the same way with the latter. The king was not more glorious than the guard: both benefited equally. But the righteous, as I have said, are especially cheerful in spirit when they are in sorrow, when they are in chains, because to suffer for Christ is more pleasant than any pleasure. Do I want to remind you of another prison? We need to move from these bonds to another prison. Which one do you want? Is it the one in which Jeremiah was imprisoned? Or to Joseph's prison? Or John? Thanks be to the chains of Paulen: how many prisons they have shown us! Do you want to hear about the prison in which John was imprisoned? And he was once in chains for Christ and for the (identical law. What is he? Did he remain idle in prison? Was it not from this imprisonment that he sent his disciples, saying to them, "Go and say to Christ, 'Are you the one who is to come, or are we waiting for another?'" (Μt. 11:3). And while he was there, he taught others, he was not negligent. And Jeremiah, in the performance of his duty, did he not prophesy (in prison) of the Babylonian captivity? And Joseph? Have you been imprisoned for thirteen years? However, even here (in prison) he did not forget about virtue. Let us speak of one more bond and conclude our discourse. Our Lord was also in chains, Who had freed the world from sins; their hands were tied, which had done an innumerable multitude of good: having bound him, it is said, "they brought him to Caiaphas" (Μth. 26:57). He was in chains Who performed so many miracles. Thinking about this, let us never grieve, but let us also rejoice in bonds. We, even without fetters, are still as if bound. Do you see what a blessing bondage is? Knowing all this, let us give thanks for all things to God, in Christ Jesus our Lord.

CONVERSATION 9

"Therefore I, a prisoner in the Lord, beseech you to walk worthy of the calling to which you have been called, with all humility and meekness and longsuffering, bearing with one another in love, striving to preserve the unity of the Spirit in the bond of peace" (Ephesians 4:1-4). The high dignity of Paul coming out of prison. – What does it mean to walk worthily to be called? – About love. – Mystery is a consequence of the cooling of love. 1. In these words the great and more brilliant power of Paul's bonds is revealed to us. And (Paul) does not show this power in vain, as it seems, and not without purpose, but in order to shame them more. What can he say? "I, therefore, a prisoner in the Lord, beseech you to walk worthy of the calling to which you have been called." How (to walk)? "With all humility and meekness and longsuffering, bearing with one another in love." This means that it is good to be a prisoner, but not simply, but for Christ's sake; wherefore he said, "a prisoner in the Lord," that is, for Christ's sake. Nothing can compare to this! But the bonds (of Paul), by distracting us from the real subject of the discourse, attract us (to themselves), and, being unable to resist this attraction, we speak of them as if involuntarily, or rather, both willingly and with prayer. Oh, if only it were always possible to talk about these ties! But be patient: I want to say something that is the subject of attention of many, and about which it is said thus: if sorrows are a good deed, then how can he, defending himself before Agrippa, say: "I would pray to God, that not only you, but also all who hear me today, may become like me, except for these bonds" (Acts 26: 29)? He said this not because he considered sorrows to be a humiliating thing for himself – no; if this were so, if they were really humiliating, then he would not have boasted of chains, imprisonment, or other calamities, and would not have said: "I will much more gladly boast of my infirmities" (2 Cor. 12:9). What does this mean? What he considered to be a great deed is imprisonment. But just as he wrote to the Corinthians: "I nourished you with milk, and not with solid food, for you were not yet able, and even now are not able" (1 Corinthians 3:2), so here (it happened that) they could not listen to his teachings about the beauty, greatness and benefits of imprisonment: therefore he said: "except for these bonds." On the contrary, he did not write to the Jews in this way, but advised them to share bonds with prisoners. Therefore he himself rejoiced for the bonds, gave himself up to chains, and was taken to custody with the prisoners. Great is the power of Paul's bonds! Instead of all the spectacles, this one thing is enough to see Paul bound and led out of prison. What can be greater than the pleasure of seeing him in chains and sitting in prison? How can I appreciate this pleasure? Do you not see kings and consuls riding in chariots dressed in gold, and their bodyguards, who also have all gold on them, golden spears, golden shields, gold-adorned clothes, horse blankets with gold? But how much more pleasant the first sight is than the last! I would rather see Paul coming out of prison with the prisoners than see them a thousand times accompanied by their spearmen. How many angels, do you think, preceded (Paul) when they brought him out in this way? That I am not lying can be confirmed to you by an example from ancient history. Elisha the prophet, whom you may know, during the war between the king of Syria and Israel, sitting at home, opened the court conferences of the king of Syria with his advisers, and made his actions unsuccessful by stating his secret intentions beforehand, and thus did not allow (the Israelites) to fall into the snare that this king set for them. This disturbed and frightened the latter, and he was greatly perplexed because he did not know who was discovering all his thoughts, following him, and making his plans unsuccessful. But when the king was in this ignorance, and was trying to find out the reason (for the failure of his undertakings), one of his bodyguards told him that there lived in Samaria a prophet named Elisha, and that it was he who was frustrating the king's plans by revealing them. The king thought that he had learned everything, but in fact nothing could be sadder than his situation. In fact, instead of honoring this man, wondering at him, and being frightened by the power by which he, being at such a great distance, knows, without anyone's transmission, all the secret plans of the king, instead he becomes irritated, and, carried away only by anger, gathers horsemen and soldiers and sends them to seize the prophet. Elisha had a disciple who was still on the threshold of prophecy, so to speak, and had not received such revelations as his teacher had received. The king's soldiers came to bind the prophet. We meet the bonds again! What should I do? From everywhere they are woven into our speech. Seeing a large number of troops, the disciple was frightened and, trembling with fear, ran to the teacher with the news of this, in his opinion, misfortune and said that they were in imminent danger. The prophet smiled at the fact that (his disciple) was afraid of what was not frightening, and advised him to be of good cheer; but the latter, as yet imperfect, was not convinced by his words and, amazed by what he saw, still trembled. What about the prophet? "Lord!" he says, "open his eyes so that he may see" that there is more on our side than on theirs. And suddenly he saw: the whole mountain on which the prophet lived was filled with fiery horses and chariots (2 Kings 6:17). And this was nothing but an angelic army. 2. If Elisha, for such an occasion only, was surrounded by an army of angels, what can be said about Paul? The Prophet David says: "The angel of the Lord encamps around those who fear Him" (Psalm 33:8), and again: "They will carry you up in their hands, lest you dash your foot against a stone" (Psalm 90:12). But what do I say about angels? Vladyka Himself was with him when he came out (from prison). Abraham did not see him either. He was not with Abraham either; but (now) He Himself made the promise: "I am with you always, even to the end of the age" (Μth. 28:20). Appearing to Paul, he said: "Do not be afraid, but speak and do not be silent, for I am with you, and no one will harm you" (Acts 18:9,10). And in a dream He appeared to him and said: "Make haste and come out of Jerusalem quickly, for here they will not receive your testimony about Me" (Acts 22:11). Thus the wondrous saints are always filled with great grace, and especially when they are in danger for Christ, when they are made prisoners (for Him). As it is pleasant to look upon a valiant soldier at all times, and especially when he stands and fights beside the king himself, so imagine Paul, who could be seen teaching and in chains. Here I will tell you what, by the way, has now come to my mind. And the blessed martyr Babyla was in chains for the same thing that John did – for denouncing the emperor of iniquity, and dying, he gave orders to put these bonds together with his body, to bury himself in chains, and now the fetters lie together with the dust: such was his love for chains for Christ's sake! "His soul entered into iron" (Psalm 104:18), said the prophet about Joseph. And women also happened to experience imprisonment. And we don't want to bind ourselves! I advise you not to accept this (Paul's imprisonment) – since now is not such a time – but you, without tying your hands, bind your mind. There are still bonds, and he who does not bear one will bear the other. Listen to what Christ says: "Binding his hands and feet" (Matt. 22:13). In order not to be subjected to this imprisonment, let us take upon ourselves those bonds. Wherefore (Paul) said, "I, therefore, a prisoner in the Lord, beseech you to walk worthy of the calling to which you have been called." And again: Christ is our head. He has resurrected us and seated us on the heavenly ones, despite the fact that we are so hostile to Him and have done so much evil. Great is this calling, and to the great (it is directed)! It is great not only because (He called us) from such a state, but also because He called us to such works and in this way. How is it worthy to walk (of this calling)? "With all humility." Whoever is such is worthy to pass (this calling): humility is the foundation of all virtue. If you have humility and remember who you are and how you are saved, then the remembrance of this serves as an incentive for you to virtue. You will not be proud of your bonds, or even of what I have said; but, knowing that all you have is the gift of grace, you will humble yourself. A humble person can be a servant who remembers good deeds and is grateful for them. "What hast thou," he says, "what hast thou not received?" (1 Cor. 4:7)? Listen also to what he says: "But I have labored more than all of them: not I, however, but the grace of God, which is with me" (1 Cor. 15:10). "With all," he says, "humility," i.e., not only in words and not only in deeds, but also in outward methods and tone of speech. Do not treat one humbly, and the other boldly; Preserve humility with everyone, whether he be your friend or enemy, noble or insignificant: this is what humility consists in. Likewise, observe humility in other matters, because Christ says: "Blessed are the poor in spirit," and this (blessedness) should be placed before others, For this reason (the Apostle) they said: "with all humility and meekness and longsuffering." In another there is humility, but he is hot and irritable: then humility does not benefit him; Often, under the influence of anger, he loses everything. "Condescending," he says, "to one another in love." How can one who is irritable and slanderous endure? (The Apostle) indicated the way: "by love," he says. If you have no patience with your neighbor, how will God tolerate you? If you are impatient with your fellow servant, how will the Lord tolerate you? Where there is love, everything can be transferred. "Trying," he says, "to preserve the unity of the Spirit in the bond of peace." Bind your hands with the bonds of meekness. Thus the bright word – bonds – illumined us again; we left it, and it came to us again. Those bonds are good, and these are good; but the former are the fruit of the latter. Unite yourself with your brother: everything is easy for people who are bound together by bonds of love. Bind yourself to him and him to you: then you will be master not only over yourself, but also over another, you will be able to make your friend anyone whom you will. Good-naturedly "trying": he makes it clear that this is not a simple or accidental matter. "Trying," he says, "to preserve the unity of the Spirit." 3. What is the unity of the spirit? Just as in the body the soul embraces everything and imparts a certain unity in a diverse way, proceeding from the difference of the bodily members, so it is here. But the soul is also given in order to unite (people) who are not the same with each other in origin and in way of life. An old man and a young man, a poor man and a rich man, a lad and an adult, a husband and a wife, and every creature endowed with a soul, is something one, and it is a unity greater than the unity of the body. The first affinity is higher than the last, the (spiritual) unity is more perfect. The spiritual union is the more perfect the simpler and more monotonous. And how is it preserved? "In the Union of Peace". It does not exist where there is enmity and division. "For if there be envy among you, contention, and dissension, are you not carnal? and do you not act according to human custom?" (1 Cor. 3:3)? As fire, falling on dry trees, turns them into one burning fire, but over wet trees it has no effect and does not unite them with each other, so it is here: coldness of the soul does not contribute to unity, but for the most part warmth. Hence the warmth of love. (The Apostle) wants to unite us all in the bonds of love. "Just as," he says, "if you wish to bind yourself to another person, you can do so only by binding him to yourself, and if you wish to make this union mutual, his affection for you is necessary, so here he wants us to be bound together not by one world, but by one love, but that we all have one soul. These are beautiful bonds: by these bonds we are united both with each other and with God. These bonds do not burden or constrain the hands bound by them, on the contrary, they give them greater freedom, open up more space for them to act, and make the prisoners more cheerful than those who are not bound. The strong, being in alliance with the weak, strengthens him and does not allow him to perdition, but he excites the careless to activity. "Brother from brother we help," says (the Most Wise), "as the city is strong." This union cannot be broken by distance, nor heaven, nor earth, nor death, nor anything else; it is higher and stronger than anything else. Proceeding from the unity of the soul, it can at the same time embrace many. Listen to what Paul says: "You are not cramped in us; but your hearts are cramped. For equal recompense," I say, as to children, "spread ye also" (2 Cor. 6:12,13). What destroys this union? Love of money, lust for power, ambition, and many other things weaken and divide the members of this union. How can this gap be bridged? If there are no these (passions), there will be no obstacles to love. This is what Christ says: when iniquity abounds, "the love of many will grow cold" (Μt. 24:12). Nothing is so opposed to love as sin – I mean not only love for God, but also for one's neighbor. How, it will be asked, do robbers live peacefully among themselves? But, tell me, when? At least when they don't lead a life of robbery. But if they do not observe justice in the division of the spoils, and do not give each of them the rightful portion, then they also are seen in enmity and war among themselves. Thus, it is impossible to find peace where there is an evil deed; but it is always to be found where they live justly and virtuously. What's more? Do rivals live peacefully among themselves? Not at all! Whom do you want me to point out? A miser with a miser can never have peaceful relations. If they had been just and accommodating, and had not done injustice to one another, there would have been no such people. As two wild hungry beasts, for want of prey, devour each other, so it happens in the society of (people) miserly and evil. Thus, without virtue there can be no peace. Let us form, if you will, a whole society of covetous people, let them all enjoy equality of honor, no one will offend them, and they themselves will be unjust to each other: can such a society exist? Not at all! Do fornicators live peacefully? You will not find two concordants with each other. And the reason is again the same – cooling, and the cooling of love is a consequence of the increase of iniquity. It leads to self-love, it tears and dissects the body, weakens and destroys it. On the contrary, from virtue proceed completely contrary actions. A virtuous person is above money. If an innumerable multitude (of people) lived in poverty, they could remain at peace with each other. And misers, even if only two have come together, they can never maintain peaceful relations with each other. 4. Therefore, if virtue is in us, then love will not perish, because virtue comes from love, and love comes from virtue. Let me explain how. A virtuous person does not prefer money to friendship, he does not remember evil, he does not do injustice to his neighbor, he does not offend him, and he himself endures everything generously. This is what love consists of. Again, he who loves has all these (qualities). In this way, one is created by the other. From this it is evident that love is from virtue, as (the Lord) pointed out when He said: "When iniquity abounds, "the love of many will grow cold." And what virtue comes from love, (the Apostle) says: "He who loves another has fulfilled the law" (Romans 13:8). Therefore, it is necessary to be one of two things: either to love intensely and be loved, or to be highly virtuous. Whoever has the one must have the other; On the other hand, he who has no love does evil, and he who does evil does not know love. Let us strive to acquire love: it will protect us from evil. Let us bind ourselves (with the bonds of love). Let us have neither deceit nor guile. None of this exists where there is friendship. A certain wise man said about this: "If you have drawn a sword against a friend, do not despair, for the return of friendship is possible. If you have opened your mouth against a friend, do not be afraid, for reconciliation is possible. Only reproach, pride, the discovery of a secret, and deceitful wickedness can drive away every friend" (Sir. 22:23-25). The disclosure of the secret, he says, removes him. However, if we all live amicably with each other, then there will be no need for mysteries. Just as no one has a secret from himself and cannot hide anything from himself, so also from his friends. And when there are no secrets, there will be no possible rupture because of them. Our mysteries are a consequence of the fact that we cannot rely on the faithfulness of everyone; secrets are the fruit of the cooling of love. Indeed, what secret can you have? Do you want to do injustice to your neighbor? Or to prevent him from receiving some good, and therefore you hide from him? Or is it nothing, but you are ashamed (to speak out)? Isn't that a sign that you don't trust him? With love, there will be no betrayal of the secret, nor reproach of it. Indeed, tell me, who and when blasphemes himself? And if this happens, it is for the good. We also reprimand children in order to correct them. And when Christ rebuked the cities (Chorazin and Bethsaida), saying: "Woe to you, Chorazin! woe to thee, Bethsaido!" – he (did this in order to) deliver them from disgrace. For nothing has such an influence on the soul, nothing is so capable of restoring it and correcting its inconstancy (as reproof). And it is not without intent that we rebuke each other. In fact, why will you reproach your neighbor? For money? You won't if you consider your own to be common property. For sins? But this is not a reproach, but rather a correction. "Insidious villainy," it is said. What, then, will anyone destroy and kill himself? No one. So, let us strive for love. It is not simply said: we will love, but we will pursue (love), i.e. we must make great efforts. (Love) soon disappears, quickly leaves us: so many obstacles it encounters for itself in this life. If we pursue her, she will not leave us so hastily, and we will soon attract her. The love of God has united heaven with earth; the love of God has placed man on the royal throne; the love of God has revealed God on earth; the love of God made the Lord a slave; the love of God has betrayed the Beloved for the enemies, the Son for the haters, the Lord for the slaves, God for the people, the Free for the slaves. But she did not limit herself to this, but called on us to do more. Not only has it freed us from our former evils, but it has also promised us a much greater blessing. Thanking God for all this, let us strive to acquire every virtue, and above all let us increase in love, so that we may be worthy of the promised blessings through the grace and love of mankind of our Lord Jesus Christ, with Whom to the Father with the Holy Spirit be glory, dominion, and honor, now and ever, and unto the ages of ages. Amen.