DISCOURSE 9, on what should not go to the lists, nor to the spectacles. And having grieved them, then at the meeting that took place after that Sunday, yielding to speak to the bishop who had come from Galatia, and having been silent, also at this (meeting) grieving, he spoke this discourse in the great church to the words: "My Father worketh hitherto, and I work" (John 5:17).

DISCOURSE 10, spoken in the church of the Apostle, after the bishop had previously spoken a little, on the words: "The harvest is plentiful, but the laborers are few" (Matt. 9:37).

DISCOURSE 11, spoken after another very old man had previously spoken, about Eleazar and the seven youths.

To the words: "In the beginning was the Word..." (John 1:1) and so on; and that the Spirit searches the depths of God (1 Cor. 2:10); both for the newly enlightened and against heretics.

About meekness.

The order of the Divine Liturgy of St. John Chrysostom.

The prayer of John Chrysostom, when there is an intention to read, or to listen to another reader.

The Second Prayer of John Chrysostom.

On New Sunday, and on the Apostle Thomas.

On St. Stephen.

On Holy Pentecost.

About patience, the end of the world and the second coming.

Homily about St. Gregory the Great, the Illuminator.

COMMENTARY ON THE EPISTLE TO THE HEBREWS

PREFACE

1. In the Epistle to the Romans, Blessed Paul says: "As an Apostle to the Gentiles, I glorify my ministry, lest I stir up jealousy in [my kinsmen] according to the flesh" (Romans 11:13-14); and in another place he also (says): "He who cooperated with Peter in the apostleship among the circumcision, helped me also among the Gentiles" (Gal. 2:8). Therefore, if (Paul) was an apostle to the Gentiles, as in Acts, God said to him, "Go; I will send thee far away to the Gentiles" (Acts 22:21), then what did he care about the Jews? Why did he write an epistle to them? At the same time, (the Jews) bore enmity towards him, and this can be seen from many places. Thus, listen to what Jacob says to him: "Do you see, brother, how many thousands of Jews have believed?, and they have heard of you, that you teach all the Jews who dwell among the Gentiles to turn away from Moses" (Acts 21:20-21); and he often had many temptations on this occasion.

Why, someone will ask, did God not send him to the Jews, who was versed in the law, and he studied the law at the feet of Gamaliel, and therefore had the opportunity to refute (his opponents) with special power? Because they would especially oppose him because of this. Wherefore God, foreseeing that they would not receive him, said to him, "Go to the Gentiles, for they will not receive your testimony about me," and he answers, "Lord! they know that I have imprisoned those who believe in Thee, and smote them in the synagogues, and when the blood of Stephen Thy witness was shed, I stood there, approving of his slaying, and guarding the garments of those who slew him" (Acts 22:19-20). This, (he says), is a sign and proof that they will not believe him.

There was, in addition, another reason for unbelief. Which? That Peter and others (the apostles) dealt with Christ, saw signs and wonders (of Him); but he was not a witness of any such thing, but, being on the side of the Jews, suddenly departed from them and became one of the apostles; this was especially a proof of the superiority of our teaching. Of them it may have been thought that they bear witness partially, and some may have said that they preach thus out of love for the Master; but he heard only one voice (of the Lord), and testifies to the resurrection. Wherefore, as you see, (the Jews) were so strongly hostile to him, they were indignant, and used all means to put him to death. But for such reasons the infidels were hostile to him; And why did they believe? Because he, being obliged to preach to the Gentiles, preached pure Christianity, and when he happened to be in Judea, he was also not ashamed. Peter and others with him, who preached in Jerusalem, where there was great zeal (for the law), were forced to command to keep the law, but he was completely free. His (disciples) were more of the Gentiles than of the Jews, because they were outside (the Jews); therefore they weakened the law, did not have such reverence for it, that (Paul) preached pure (doctrine) in everything. Indeed, for this, as we see, he was condemned before the people, when they said: "See, brother, how many thousands of Jews have believed." That is why they hate and abhor you, because "they have heard about you, that... teach the apostasy from Moses." (Acts 21:20-21).

Why, then, did he, not being a teacher of the Jews, write an epistle to them? And where were those to whom he writes? I think in Jerusalem and in Palestine. How does he write? In the same way as he baptized without receiving the commandment to baptize: "I say, he was not sent to baptize" (1 Cor. 1:17), yet it was not forbidden either, he did it beyond what was due. And how could he not have written to those for whom he wished to be excommunicated (Romans 9:3)? Therefore he said to them: "Know that our brother Timothy has been released, and I will see you with him, if he comes soon" (Hebrews 13:28), since he had not yet been taken into custody. For two years he lived in Rome in chains; then he was released; then he went to Spain; then he traveled to Judea, where he met with the Jews. Then he again arrived in Rome, where he was deprived of his life by order of Nero. Therefore this epistle was written before the epistle to Timothy; there he says: "For I am already becoming a victim"; and also in the same place to say: "At my first answer there was no one with me" (2 Tim. 4:6,16). He often shared their suffering. Thus, in the Epistle to the Thessalonians, he says: "For you, brethren, have become imitators of the churches of God in Christ Jesus, which are in Judea" (1 Thess. 2:14); and in an epistle to them to say: "The plundering of your goods was received with joy" (Hebrews 10:34). Do you see how they suffered? If (the Jews) did this to the apostles not only in the Jews, but also when they were among the Gentiles, then why not in deeds with (other) believers? For this reason, as you see, he was especially concerned about these believers. When he says, "I am going up to Jerusalem to minister to the saints" (Romans 15:25); also when he persuades the Corinthians to charity, saying that the Macedonians have already collected alms (2 Cor. 8:4), and when he says: "If it be fitting for me also to go" (1 Cor. 16:4), he expresses the same thing; and when he says, "Only that we may remember the poor, which I have tried to do exactly" (Gal. 2:10), he expresses the same thing; and when we say, "Give me and Barnabas the hand of fellowship, that we may go to the Gentiles, and them to the circumcised" (Galatians 2:9), he expresses the same thing. He does not say this about the poor there in vain, but so that we also participate in charity. We, he says, have divided the preaching among ourselves, that we may go to the Gentiles, and they to the circumcision, but we have not divided the care of the poor in the same way. And everywhere it is evident that Paul had great care for them, and this is just. Among the other nations, where there were both Jews and Gentiles, there was nothing of the kind; and where (the Jews) still thought to have power and independence, and did many things according to their own laws, since the government was not yet established and had not yet completely passed into the hands of the Romans, it is not surprising that they allowed themselves to make great oppressions. If in other cities, such as Corinth, they beat the ruler of the synagogue before the proconsul's judgment seat, and Gallio was not in the least anxious about this (Acts 8:17); what did they not do in Judea?

2. In other cities, as you see, they brought (the believers) to the rulers and had to resort to their help and to the people, but here they did not care about this in the least, but formed a Sanhedrin themselves and killed whom they wanted. Thus they killed Stephen, so they scourged the apostles, not taking them to their leaders; so they wanted to kill Paul also, if the commander had not intervened (Acts 22:29,30). This was because the priests still existed, the church with the divine services and sacrifices was still intact. Paul himself, look, submits to the judgment of the high priest and says: "I did not know, brethren, that he was a high priest," and moreover with the rulers (Acts 22:5), because they still had great power at that time. Imagine, then, what persecutions (the believers) who lived in Jerusalem and Judea had to endure. Is it surprising, then, that he who desired to be excommunicated for the sake of those who did not yet believe, and so served the believers that he was ready to go himself in case of need, and always had great care for them, exhorts and comforts them by means of the Scriptures, and corrects those who fall and lie down? And indeed, they were already exhausted and despairing from a multitude of sorrows. This he expresses at the end (of the epistle), when he says: "Strengthen therefore the hands that are drooping, and the knees that are weak" (Heb. 12:12); and again: "For a little while, very little, and he who is coming will come, and will not delay" (Hebrews 10:37); and again: "But if ye remain without chastisement, which is common to all, then ye are illegitimate children, and not sons" (Heb. 12:8). Since they were Jews and learned from their fathers to expect good and evil immediately, in the present life, and yet then it was the opposite - good in hope after death, and evil in the present reality, and many of them, having endured much, inevitably fell into faint-heartedness, he shows great care for them. However, we will talk about this at more length in due time; and now we will only note that it was necessary for him to write to those for whom he had such care; The reason why he was not sent to them is obvious, but it did not prevent him from writing to them. And that they fell into faint-heartedness, he expresses when he says: "Strengthen therefore the hands that are drooping, and the knees that are weak, and walk upright with your feet, that the lame may not be turned astray, but rather be reformed" (Hebrews 12:12,13); and again: "For God is not unrighteous, that he should forget your work and the labor of love" (Hebrews 6:10). The soul, which is subjected to many temptations, often falls away from faith. Therefore he exhorts them to give heed to what they hear, and not to have an evil and unfaithful heart. For the same reason, in this particular epistle, he talks a lot about the faith, and at the end he gives many examples that even those (ancients) were not granted the blessings promised immediately. In addition, in order that they should not consider themselves rejected, he admonishes them twofold: the first, to endure with courage all that happens, and the second, to undoubtedly expect retribution, because God will not despise Abel and the subsequent righteous men who have not received recompense. He comforts them in three ways: first, by what Christ endured, since He Himself says: "A servant is not greater than his master" (John 15:20); secondly, by the blessings that are prepared for believers; thirdly, disasters. And this is confirmed not only by the future, which was not yet so convincing, but also by the past, by what happened to their fathers. Christ does the same, inspiring: "A servant is not greater than his master," and again: "In My Father's house are many mansions" (John 14:2), and threatening unbelievers with innumerable calamities. He also spoke much about the new and old testaments, because this was very necessary for him to be convinced of the truth of the resurrection. In order that they, hearing of the sufferings (of the Lord), should not doubt the resurrection, he confirms this with prophecies, and proves that it is not the Jewish teaching that deserves respect, but ours, and since at that time the temple also stood and there were sacrifices, he also says: "Let us therefore go out to Him outside the camp, bearing His reproach" (Hebrews 13:13). But even this did not favor him; Others could justly say: if this is a shadow, if this is an image, then why did it not pass away and cease when the truth appeared, and still continues? He suggests that little by little this will be fulfilled in due time. And that they had long since accepted the faith and endured sorrows, he expressed in the following words: "For [judging by] the time, it behooved you to be teachers" (Heb. 5:12); again: "Take heed, brethren, that there be no evil and unfaithful heart in any of you" (Hebrews 3:12); and again: "That ye may not be slothful, but imitate those who by faith and patience inherit the promises" (Hebrews 6:12).

[1] Cf. "Make haste, and come out of Jerusalem quickly, for [here] they will not receive your testimony about me" (Acts 22:18).