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047 - Homily 29 Part 1 - Romans 1514 · Homilies on Romans

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  Speaker 1: Section forty seven of Homily's own Romans by John Chrysostom,
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  Speaker 1: translated by J. B. Morris. This LibriVox recording is in
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  Speaker 1: the public domain. Homily twenty nine, Romans fifteen, verse fourteen,
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  Speaker 1: Part one. And I myself also am persuaded of you,
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  Speaker 1: my brethren, that ye also are full of goodness, filled
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  Speaker 1: with all knowledge able also to admonish one another. He
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  Speaker 1: had said, inasmuch as I am the apostle of the Gentiles,
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  Speaker 1: I magnify mine office. He had said, take heed, lest
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  Speaker 1: he also spare not thee He had said, be not
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  Speaker 1: wise in your own conceits. And again, why dost thou
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  Speaker 1: judge thy brother? And who art thou that judgest another
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  Speaker 1: man's servant? And several other like things. Besides, since then
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  Speaker 1: he had often made his language somewhat harsh, He now
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  Speaker 1: heals the wound. And what he said in the beginning
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  Speaker 1: that he doth in the end. Also at the beginning
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  Speaker 1: he said, I thank my God for you all that
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  Speaker 1: your faith is spoken of throughout the whole world. But
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  Speaker 1: here he says, I am persuaded that ye are full
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  Speaker 1: of goodness, being able also to admonish others. And this
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  Speaker 1: is more than the former. And he does not say
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  Speaker 1: I have heard, but I am persuaded, And not I
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  Speaker 1: inquire of others to know, but I myself, that is
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  Speaker 1: I that rebuke that accuse you, and that ye are
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  Speaker 1: full of goodness. This applies to the exhortation lately given,
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  Speaker 1: as if he said it was not as if you
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  Speaker 1: were cruel or haters of your brethren, that I gave
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  Speaker 1: you that exhortation to receive and to suffer, and not
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  Speaker 1: to destroy the work of God. For I am aware
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  Speaker 1: that ye are full of goodness. But he seems to
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  Speaker 1: me here to be calling entire virtue by this name.
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  Speaker 1: And he does not say ye have, but ye are
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  Speaker 1: full of goodness. And the sequel is with the same intensitives,
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  Speaker 1: filled with all knowledge. For suppose they had been affectionate,
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  Speaker 1: but yet did not know how to treat those they
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  Speaker 1: loved properly. This was why he added all knowledge able
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  Speaker 1: also to admonish others, not to learn only, but also
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  Speaker 1: to teach Verse fifteen. Nevertheless, I have written the more
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  Speaker 1: boldly unto you in some sort observe the lowly mindedness
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  Speaker 1: of Paul. Observe his wisdom. How he gave a deep
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  Speaker 1: cut in the former part. And then when he had
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  Speaker 1: succeeded in what he wished, how he uses much kindliness next.
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  Speaker 1: For even without what he has said, this very confession
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  Speaker 1: of his having been bold were enough to unstring their vehemency.
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  Speaker 1: And this he does in writing to the Hebrews, also
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  Speaker 1: speaking as follows, but beloved, we have persuaded better things
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  Speaker 1: of you than things which belong unto salvation. Though we
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  Speaker 1: thus speak, and to the Corinthians again in like manner.
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  Speaker 1: Now I praise your brethren, that you remember me in
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  Speaker 1: all things and keep the ordinances as I delivered them
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  Speaker 1: to you. And in writing to the Galatians he says,
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  Speaker 1: I have confidence in you that you will be none
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  Speaker 1: otherwise minded. And in all parts of his epistles one
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  Speaker 1: may find this to be frequently observed, but here even
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  Speaker 1: in a greater degree, for they were in a higher rank,
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  Speaker 1: and there was need to bring down their fastidious spirit,
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  Speaker 1: not by astringence only, but by laxatives also, for he
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  Speaker 1: does this in different ways. Wherefore he says, in this
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  Speaker 1: place too, I have written them more boldly unto you.
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  Speaker 1: And with this even he is not satisfied, but has
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  Speaker 1: added in some sort that is gently and even here
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  Speaker 1: he does not pause. But what does he say as
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  Speaker 1: putting him in mind? That he does not say as
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  Speaker 1: teaching or simply putting in mind, But he uses a
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  Speaker 1: word which means putting him in mind in a quiet way.
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  Speaker 1: Observe the end, falling in with the introduction. For as
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  Speaker 1: in that passage he said that your faith is made
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  Speaker 1: known in all the world. So in the end of
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  Speaker 1: the epistle, also for your obedience hath reached unto all.
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  Speaker 1: And as in the beginning he said, for I long
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  Speaker 1: to see you, that I may impart unto you some
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  Speaker 1: spiritual gift to the end that you may be established,
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  Speaker 1: that is, that I may be comforted together with you.
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  Speaker 1: So here also he said, as putting you in mind,
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  Speaker 1: and having come down from the seat of the Master,
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  Speaker 1: Both there and here he speaks to them as brethren
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  Speaker 1: and friends and of equal rank. And this is quite
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  Speaker 1: a teacher's duty to give his address that variety which
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  Speaker 1: is profitable to the hearers. See then, how after saying
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  Speaker 1: I have written the more boldly and in some sort,
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  Speaker 1: and as putting you in mind, he was not satisfied
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  Speaker 1: even with these, But making his language still more lowly,
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  Speaker 1: he proceeds because of the grace that is given me
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  Speaker 1: of God. As he said at the beginning, I am
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  Speaker 1: a debtor. As if he had said, I have not
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  Speaker 1: snatched at the honor myself, neither was I first to
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  Speaker 1: leap forward to it. But God command this, and this
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  Speaker 1: too according under grace, not as if He had separated
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  Speaker 1: me from this office because I deserved it. Do not
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  Speaker 1: yet then be exasperated, since it is not I that
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  Speaker 1: raise myself up, but it is God that enjoins it.
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  Speaker 1: And as he there says, whom I serve in the
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  Speaker 1: Gospel of His Son, so also here, after saying because
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  Speaker 1: of the grace given unto me by God, he adds
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  Speaker 1: for sixteen that I should be the minister of Jesus
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  Speaker 1: Christ to the gentiles, ministering the Gospel of God. For
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  Speaker 1: after his abundant proof of his statements, he draws his
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  Speaker 1: discourse to a more lofty tone, not speaking of mere
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  Speaker 1: service as in the beginning, but of service and priestly ministering.
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  Speaker 1: For to me, this is a priesthood, this preaching and declaring,
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  Speaker 1: this is the sacrifice I bring. Now. No one will
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  Speaker 1: find fold with a priest for being anxious to offer
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  Speaker 1: the sacrifice without blemish, and he says this at once
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  Speaker 1: to elevate their thoughts and show them that they are
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  Speaker 1: a sacrifice, and in apology for his own part in
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  Speaker 1: the matter, because he was appointed to this office. For
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  Speaker 1: my knife, he says, is the gospel, the word of
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  Speaker 1: the preaching. And the cause is not that I may
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  Speaker 1: be glorified, not that I may appear conspicuous, but that
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  Speaker 1: the offering up of the gentiles may be acceptable being
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  Speaker 1: sanctified by the Holy Ghost. That is, that the souls
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  Speaker 1: of those that are taught by me may be accepted.
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  Speaker 1: For it was not so much to honor me that
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  Speaker 1: God led me to this pitch, as out of a
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  Speaker 1: concern for you. And how he means are they to
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  Speaker 1: become acceptable in the Holy Ghost. For there is need
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  Speaker 1: not only a faith, but also of a spiritual way
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  Speaker 1: of life, that we may keep the spirit that was
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  Speaker 1: given once for all. For it is not wood and fire,
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  Speaker 1: nor altar and knife, but the spirit that is all
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  Speaker 1: in us. For this cause I take all means to
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  Speaker 1: prevent that fire from being extinguished, as I have been
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  Speaker 1: also enjoined to do. Why then, do you speak to
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  Speaker 1: those that need it? Not? This is just the reason
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  Speaker 1: why I do not teach you, but put you in mind.
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  Speaker 1: He replies, as the priest stands by stirring up the fire,
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  Speaker 1: So I do rousing up your ready mindedness and observe.
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  Speaker 1: He does not say that the offering up of you
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  Speaker 1: may be et cetera, but of the gentiles. But when
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  Speaker 1: he says of the gentiles, he means the whole world,
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  Speaker 1: the land, and the whole sea, to take down their haughtiness,
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  Speaker 1: that they might not disdain to have him for a
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  Speaker 1: teacher who was putting himself forth to the very end
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  Speaker 1: of the world, as he said in the beginning, as
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  Speaker 1: among the other gentiles. Also I am a debtor to Greeks,
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  Speaker 1: and also to barbarians, to wise and to foolish Verse seventeen.
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  Speaker 1: I have therefore whereof I may glory through Jesus Christ
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  Speaker 1: in those things which pertain to God. Inasmuch as he
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  Speaker 1: had humbled himself exceedingly, he again raised his style, doing
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  Speaker 1: this also for their sakes, lest he should seem to
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  Speaker 1: become readily and object of contempt. And while he raises himself,
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  Speaker 1: he remembers his own proper temper and says, I have
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  Speaker 1: therefore whereafter glory I glory. He means not in myself,
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  Speaker 1: not in our zeal, but in the grace of God
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  Speaker 1: verse eighteen. For I will not dare to speak of
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  Speaker 1: any of those things which Christ hath not wrought by
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  Speaker 1: me to make the gentiles obedient by word and deed,
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  Speaker 1: through mighty signs and wonders, by the power of the
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  Speaker 1: Spirit of God. And none he means can say that
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  Speaker 1: my words are a mere boast, For of this priestly
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  Speaker 1: ministry of mine, the signs that I have, and the
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  Speaker 1: proofs of the appointment too, are many, not the long
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  Speaker 1: garment and the belles as they of old, nor the
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  Speaker 1: miter and the turban, but signs and wonders far more
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  Speaker 1: awful than these. Nor can it be said that I
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  Speaker 1: have been entrusted indeed with the charge, but yet have
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  Speaker 1: not executed it. Or rather, it is not I that
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  Speaker 1: have executed, but Christ. Wherefore also it is in Him
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  Speaker 1: that I boast, not about common things, but about spiritual
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  Speaker 1: And this is the force of in things which pertain
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  Speaker 1: to God. For that I have accomplished the purpose for
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  Speaker 1: which I was sent, and that my words are not
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  Speaker 1: mere boast. The miracles and the obedience of the gentiles show,
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  Speaker 1: for I will not dare to speak of any of
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  Speaker 1: those things which Christ hath not wrought by me to
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  Speaker 1: make the gentiles obedient by word and deed, through mighty
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  Speaker 1: signs and wonders, by the power of the Spirit of God.
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  Speaker 1: See how violently he tries to show that the whole
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  Speaker 1: is God's doing and nothing his own. For whether I
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  Speaker 1: speak anything, or do anything, or work miracles, he doth
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  Speaker 1: all of them the Holy Spirit all and this he
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  Speaker 1: says to show the dignity of the Holy Spirit. Also,
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  Speaker 1: see how these things are more wondrous and more awful
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  Speaker 1: than those of old, the sacrifice, the offering, the symbols.
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  Speaker 1: For when he says in word and deed, through mighty
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  Speaker 1: signs and wonders, he means this the doc doctrine, the
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  Speaker 1: system relating to the kingdom, the exhibition of actions and conversation,
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  Speaker 1: the dead that were raised, the devils that were cast out,
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  Speaker 1: and the blind that were healed, and the lame that leaped,
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  Speaker 1: and the other marvelous acts, all whereof the Holy Spirit
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  Speaker 1: wrought in us. Then the proof of these things, since
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  Speaker 1: all this is yet but an assertion, is the multitude
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  Speaker 1: of the disciples. Wherefore he adds so that from Jerusalem,
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  Speaker 1: and roundabout. Unto a lyricum, I have fully preached the
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  Speaker 1: Gospel of Christ. Count up then cities and places, and
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  Speaker 1: nations and peoples, not those under the Romans only, but
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  Speaker 1: those also under Barbarians. For though you were to go
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  Speaker 1: the whole way through Phoenicia and Syria, and the Silicians
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  Speaker 1: and Cappadocians, still reckonaples in the parts behind the country
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  Speaker 1: of the Saracens and Persians and Armenians, and that of
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  Speaker 1: the other savage nations. And this is why he said
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  Speaker 1: round about that he might not only go through the
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  Speaker 1: direct high road, but that he should run over the whole,
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  Speaker 1: even the southern part of Asia in your mind. And
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  Speaker 1: as he ran over miracles thick as snow in a
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  Speaker 1: single word, by saying through mighty signs and wonders, so
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  Speaker 1: he has comprehended again endless cities and nations and peoples
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  Speaker 1: and places in this one word round about. For he
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  Speaker 1: was far removed from all boasting. And this he said
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  Speaker 1: on their account, so that they should not be conceited
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  Speaker 1: about themselves. And at the beginning he said that I
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  Speaker 1: might have some fruit amongst you, also even as among
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  Speaker 1: other gentiles. But here he states the compulsion of his priesthood.
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  Speaker 1: For as he had spoken in a sharper tone, he
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  Speaker 1: shows also by it his power more clearly. This is
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  Speaker 1: why he there only says even as among other gentiles.
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  Speaker 1: But here he insists on the topic fully so that
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  Speaker 1: the conceit may be pruned away on all grounds. That
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  Speaker 1: he does not merely say, preach the gospel, but have
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  Speaker 1: fully preached the Gospel of Christ, so as to show
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  Speaker 1: that his achievements were of zealous striving verse twenty YEA,
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  Speaker 1: so have I strived to preach the gospel? Not where
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  Speaker 1: Christ was named? See here another pre eminence. That he
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  Speaker 1: had not only preached the gospel to so many and
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  Speaker 1: persuaded them, but he did not even go to those
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  Speaker 1: who had become disciples. So far was he from thrusting
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  Speaker 1: himself upon other men's disciples, and from doing this for
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  Speaker 1: Glory's sake, that he even made it a point to
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  Speaker 1: teach those who had not heard. For neither does he
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  Speaker 1: say where they were not persuaded, but where Christ was
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  Speaker 1: not even named. Which is more, and what was the
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  Speaker 1: reason why he had this ambition? Lest I should build
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  Speaker 1: he says, upon another man's foundation. This he says to
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  Speaker 1: show himself a stranger to vanity, and to instruct them
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  Speaker 1: that it was not from any love of glory or
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  Speaker 1: of honor from them. That it was not from any
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  Speaker 1: love of glory or of honor from them that he
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  Speaker 1: came to write, but as fulfilling his ministry, as perfecting
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  Speaker 1: his priestly duty, as loving their salvation. But he calls
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  Speaker 1: the foundation of the apostles another man's, not in regard
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  Speaker 1: to the quality of the person or the nature of
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  Speaker 1: the preaching, but in regard to the question of reward.
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  Speaker 1: For it was not that the preaching was that of
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  Speaker 1: another man, yet so far as the reward of it went,
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  Speaker 1: it was another man's. For the reward of the labors
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  Speaker 1: of others was to this man's another man's. Then he
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  Speaker 1: shows that a prophecy was fulfilled, also saying verse twenty one,
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  Speaker 1: as it is written to whom he was not spoken of,
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  Speaker 1: they shall see, and they that have not heard shall understand.
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  Speaker 1: You see he runs to where the labor is more,
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  Speaker 1: the toil greater verse twenty two, for which cause also
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  Speaker 1: I have been much hindered from coming to you. Observe
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  Speaker 1: again how he makes the end of the like texture
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  Speaker 1: with the introduction. For while he was quite at the
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  Speaker 1: beginning of the epistle, he said, oftentimes purpose to come
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  Speaker 1: unto you, but was let hitherto. But here he gives
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  Speaker 1: the cause also by which he was let, and that
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  Speaker 1: not once but twice even I and many times, For
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  Speaker 1: as he says, there are oftentimes I purpose to come
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  Speaker 1: to you. So here too I have been much hindered
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  Speaker 1: from coming to you. Now it is a thing which
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  Speaker 1: proves a very strong desire that he attempted it so
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  Speaker 1: often verse twenty three. But now having no more place
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  Speaker 1: in these parts, see how he shows that it was
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  Speaker 1: not from any coveting of glory from them that he
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  Speaker 1: both wrote and was also coming and having a great
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  Speaker 1: desire to see you these many years Verse twenty four.
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  Speaker 1: Whensoever I take my journey into Spain, I trust to
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  Speaker 1: see you in my journey, and to be brought on
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  Speaker 1: my way thitherward by you, if first I be somewhat
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  Speaker 1: filled with your company, for that he might not seem
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  Speaker 1: to be holding them very cheap. By saying, since I
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  Speaker 1: have not anything to do therefore in coming to you,
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  Speaker 1: he again touches on the point of love by saying,
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  Speaker 1: I have a great desire these many years to come
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  Speaker 1: unto you. The reason why I desire to come is
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  Speaker 1: not because I am disengaged, but that I may give
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  Speaker 1: birth to that desire, wherewith I am travailing so long.
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  Speaker 1: Then that this again should not puff them up. Consider
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  Speaker 1: how he lowers them by saying, whensoever I take my
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  Speaker 1: journey into Spain, I trust to see you in my journey.
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  Speaker 1: For this was why he stated this, that they should
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  Speaker 1: not be high minded, For what he wants is to
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  Speaker 1: show his love and at the same time to prevent
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  Speaker 1: them from being dainty. And so he places this close
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  Speaker 1: on the other and uses things confirmative of either. Ultimately
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  Speaker 1: for this reason again, that they might not say he
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  Speaker 1: makes us a by object of his journey, he adds,
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  Speaker 1: and to be brought on my way thitherward by you,
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  Speaker 1: that is that you may be my witnesses. That it
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  Speaker 1: is not through any slight of you, by by force
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  Speaker 1: of necessity, that I run by you. But as this
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  Speaker 1: is still distressing, he heals it over more carefully by saying,
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  Speaker 1: if I be fist somewhat filled with your company. For
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  Speaker 1: by his saying in my journey, he shows that he
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  Speaker 1: did not covet their good opinion, but by saying be filled,
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  Speaker 1: that he was eager for their love, and not only
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  Speaker 1: was eager for it, but exceedingly so. And this is
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  Speaker 1: why he does not say be filled, but be somewhat so,
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  Speaker 1: that is, no length of time can fill me or
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  Speaker 1: create in me a satiety of your company. See how
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  Speaker 1: he shows his love when, even though in haste, he
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  Speaker 1: doth not rise up until he be filled. And this
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  Speaker 1: is a sign of his great affectionateness that he uses
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  Speaker 1: his words in so warm a way. For he does
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  Speaker 1: not say even I will see, but shall be filled,
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  Speaker 1: imitating thus the language of parents. And at the beginning
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  Speaker 1: he said that I might have some fruit, but here
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  Speaker 1: that I may be filled. And both these are like
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  Speaker 1: a person who is drawing others to him, For the
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  Speaker 1: one was a very great commendation of them, if they
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  Speaker 1: were likely to yield him fruit from their obedience, and
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  Speaker 1: the other a genuine proof of his own friendship. And
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  Speaker 1: in writing to the Corinthians, he thus says that he
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  Speaker 1: may bring me on my journey whithersoever I go, so
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  Speaker 1: in all ways exhibiting an unrivaled love to his disciples.
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  Speaker 1: And so at the beginning of all his epistles, it
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  Speaker 1: is with this he starts, and at the end in
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  Speaker 1: this he concludes again. For as an indulgent father doth
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  Speaker 1: and only and trueborn son, so did he love all
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  Speaker 1: the faithful. Whence it was that he said, who is weak,
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  Speaker 1: and I am not weak? Who is offended? And I
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  Speaker 1: burn not? End of Section forty seven.