{"collection":"chr","html_url":"https://unchartedknowledge.5gfusion.net/browse/chr/ecf/112/1120014.htm","path":"chr/ecf/112/1120014.htm","source_url":"https://sacred-texts.com/chr/ecf/112/1120014.htm","text":"p. 54 Homily X.\nLet no man deceive himself. If any man (\u1f10\u03bd\u1f57\u03bc\u1fd6\u03bd omitted.) thinketh that he is wise in this world, let him become a fool, that he may become wise. For the wisdom of this world is foolishness with God.\nAs I said before, having launched out before the proper time into accusation of the fornicator, and having half opened it obscurely in a few words, and made the man\u2019s conscience to quail, he hastens again to the battle with heathen wisdom, and to his accusations of those who were puffed up there-with, and who were dividing the Church: in order that having added what remained and completed the whole topic with accuracy, he might thenceforth suffer his tongue to be carried away with vehement impulse against the unclean person, having had but a preliminary skirmishing with him in what he had said before. For this, \u201cLet no man deceive himself,\u201d is the expression of one aiming chiefly at him and quelling him beforehand by fear: and the saying about the \u201cstubble,\u201d suits best with one hinting at him. And so does the phrase, \u201cKnow ye not that ye are the Temple of God, and the Spirit of God dwelleth in you?\u201d For these two things are most apt to withdraw us from sin; when we have in mind the punishment appointed for the sin; and when we reckon up the amount of our true dignity. By bringing forward then \u201cthe hay\u201d and \u201cthe stubble,\u201d he terrifies; but by speaking of the dignity of that noble birth which was theirs, he puts them to shame; by the former striving to amend the more insensible kind, by the latter the more considerate.\n[2.] \u201cLet no man deceive himself; if any man thinketh that he is wise in this world, let him become a fool.\u201d\nAs he bids one become, as it were, dead unto the world;\u2014and this deadness harms not at all, but rather profits, being made a cause of life:\u2014so also he bids him become foolish unto this world, introducing to us hereby the true wisdom. Now he becomes a fool unto the world, who slights the wisdom from without, and is persuaded that it contributes nothing towards his comprehension of the faith. As then that poverty which is according to God is the cause of wealth, and lowliness, of exaltation, and to despise glory is the cause of glory; so also the becoming a fool maketh a man wiser than all. For all, with us, goes by contraries.\nFurther: why said he not, \u201cLet him put off wisdom,\u201d but, \u201cLet him become a fool?\u201d That he might most exceedingly disparage the heathen instruction. For it was not the same thing to say, \u201cLay aside thy wisdom,\u201d and, \u201cbecome a fool.\u201d And besides, he is also training people not to be ashamed at the want of refinement among us; for he quite laughs to scorn all heathen things. And for the same sort of reason he shrinks not from the names, trusting as he does to the power of the things [which he speaks of].\nWherefore, as the Cross, though counted ignominious, became the author of innumerable blessings, and the foundation and root of glory unspeakable; so also that which was accounted to be foolishness became unto us the cause of wisdom. For as he who hath learned anything ill, unless he put away the whole, and make his soul level and clear, and so offer it to him who is to write on it, will know no wholesome truth for certain; so also in regard of the wisdom from without. Unless thou turn out the whole and sweep thy mind clear, and like one that is ignorant yield up thyself unto the faith, thou wilt know accurately nothing excellent. For so those also who see imperfectly if they will not shut their eyes and commit themselves unto others, but will be trusting their own matters to their own faulty eyesight, they will commit many more mistakes than those who see not.\nBut how, you will say, are men to put off this wisdom? By not acting on its precepts.\n[3.] Then, seeing that he bade men so urgently withdraw themselves from it, he adds the cause, saying, \u201cFor the wisdom of this world is foolishness with God.\u201d For not only it contributes nothing, but it even hinders. We must then withdraw ourselves from it, as doing harm. Dost thou mark with what a high hand he carries off the spoils of victory, having proved that so far from profiting us at all, it is even an opponent?\nAnd he is not content with his own arguments, but he has also adduced testimony again, p. 55 saying, \u201cFor it is written, (Job v. 13.) He taketh the wise in their own craftiness.\u201d By \u201ccraftiness,\u201d i.e. by their own arms getting the better of them. For seeing that they made use of their wisdom to the doing away of all need of God, by it and no other thing He refuted them, shewing that they were specially in need of God. How and by what method? Because having by it become fools, by it, as was meet, they were taken. For they who supposed that they needed not God, were reduced to so great a strait as to appear inferior to fishermen and unlettered persons; and from that time forth to be unable to do without them. Wherefore he saith, \u201cIn their own craftiness\u201d He took them. For the saying \u201cI will destroy their wisdom,\u201d was spoken in regard to its introducing nothing useful; but this, \u201cwho taketh the wise in their own craftiness, with a view of shewing the power of God.\u201d\nNext, he declares also the mode in which God took them, adding another testimony:\n1 Cor. 3.20. \u201cFor the Lord,\u201d saith he, \u201cknoweth the reasonings of men (Ps. xciv. 11. \u1f00\u03bd\u03b8\u03c1\u03ce\u03c0\u03c9\u03bd Sept.) that they are vain.\u201d Now when the Wisdom which is boundless pronounces this edict concerning them, and declares them to be such, what other proof dost thou seek of their extreme folly? For men\u2019s judgments, it is true, in many instances fail; but the decree of God is unexceptionable and uncorrupt in every case.\n[4.] Thus having set up so splendid a trophy of the judgment from on high, he employs in what follows a certain vehemence of style, turning it against those who were under his ministry, (\u1f00\u03c1\u03c7\u03bf\u03bc\u03ad\u03bd\u03bf\u03c5\u03c2) and speaking thus:\n1 Cor. 3.21. \u201cWherefore let no man glory in men; for all things are yours.\u201d He comes again to the former topic, pointing out that not even for their spiritual things ought they to be highminded, as having nothing of themselves. \u201cSince then the wisdom from without is hurtful, and the spiritual gifts were not given by you, what hast thou wherein to boast?\u201d And in regard to the wisdom from without, \u201cLet no man deceive himself,\u201d saith he, because they were conceited about a thing which in truth did more harm than good. But here, inasmuch as the thing spoken of was really advantageous, \u201cLet no man glory.\u201d And he orders his speech more gently: \u201cfor all things are yours.\u201d\n1 Cor. 3.22. \u201cWhether Paul, or Apollos, or Cephas, or the world, or life, or death, or things present, or things to come, all are yours; and ye are Christ\u2019s and Christ is God\u2019s.\u201d For because he had handled them sharply, he refreshes them again. And as above he had said, (1 Cor. iii. 9.) \u201cWe are fellow-workers with God;\u201d and by many other expressions had soothed them: so here too he saith, \u201cAll things are yours;\u201d taking down the pride of the teachers, and signifying that so far from bestowing any favor on them, they themselves ought to be grateful to the others. Since for their sake they were made such as they were, yea, moreover, had received grace. But seeing that these also were sure to boast, on this account he cuts out beforehand this disease too, saying, \u201cAs God gave to every man,\u201d (Supr. 1 Cor. 6:5, 6.) and, \u201cGod gave the increase:\u201d to the end that neither the one party might be puffed up as bestowers of good; nor the others, on their hearing a second time, \u201cAll things are yours,\u201d be again elated. \u201cFor, indeed, though it were for your sakes, yet the whole was God\u2019s doing.\u201d And I wish you to observe how he hath kept on throughout, making suppositions in his own name and that of Peter.\nBut what is, \u201cor death?\u201d That even though they die, for your sakes they die, encountering dangers for your salvation. Dost thou mark how he again takes down the high spirit of the disciples, and raises the spirit of the teachers? In fact, he talks with them as with children of high birth, who have preceptors, and who are to be heirs of all.\nWe may say also, in another sense, that both the death of Adam was for our sakes, that we might be corrected; and the death of Christ, that we might be saved.\n\u201cAnd ye are Christ\u2019s; and Christ is God\u2019s.\u201d In one sense \u201cwe are Christ\u2019s,\u201d and in another sense \u201cChrist is God\u2019s,\u201d and in a third sense is \u201cthe world ours.\u201d For we indeed are Christ\u2019s, as his work: \u201cChrist is God\u2019s,\u201d as a genuine Offspring, not as a work: in which sense neither is the world ours. So that though the saying is the same, yet the meaning is different. For \u201cthe world is ours,\u201d as being a thing made for our sakes: but \u201cChrist is God\u2019s,\u201d as having Him the Author of his being, in that He is Father. And \u201cwe are Christ\u2019s,\u201d as having been formed by Him. Now \u201cif they are yours,\u201d saith he, \u201cwhy have ye done what is just contrary to this, in calling yourselves after their name, and not after Christ, and God?\u201d\n[5.] C. 1 Cor. 4.1. \u201cLet a man so account of us, as of ministers of Christ, and stewards of the mysteries of God.\u201d After he had cast down their spirit, mark how again he refreshes it, saying, \u201cas ministers of Christ.\u201d Do not thou then, letting go the Master, receive a name from the servants and ministers. \u201cStewards;\u201d saith he, indicating that we ought not to give these things unto all, but unto whom it is due, and to whom it is fitting we should minister.\n1 Cor. 4.2. \u201cMoreover it is required in stewards, that a man be found faithful:\u201d that is, that he do not appropriate to himself his master\u2019s goods, that he do not as a master lay claim for himself p. 56 but administer as a steward. For a steward\u2019s part is to administer well the things committed to his charge: not to say that his master\u2019s things are his own; but, on the contrary, that his own are his master\u2019s. Let every one think on these things, both he that hath power in speech and he that possesses wealth, namely, that he hath been entrusted with a master\u2019s goods and that they are not his own; let him not keep them with himself, nor set them down to his own account; but let him impute them unto God who gave them all. Wouldest thou see faithful stewards? Hear what saith Peter, \u201cWhy look ye so earnestly on us, as though by our own power or godliness we had made this man to walk?\u201d (Acts iii. 12.) Unto 57 Cornelius also he saith, \u201cWe also are men of like passions with you:\u201d and unto Christ Himself, \u201cLo, we have left all, and followed Thee.\u201d (St. Matt. xix. 27.) And Paul, no less, when he had said, \u201cI labored more abundantly than they all,\u201d (1 Cor. xv. 10.) added, \u201cyet not I, but the grace of God which was with me.\u201d Elsewhere also, setting himself strongly against the same persons, he said, \u201cFor what hast thou which thou didst not receive?\u201d (C. 1 Cor. 4.7.) \u201cFor thou hast nothing of thine own, neither wealth, nor speech, nor life itself; for this also is surely the Lord\u2019s. Wherefore, when necessity calls, do thou lay down this also. But if thou doatest on life, and being ordered to lay it down refusest, thou art no longer a faithful steward.\u201d\n\u201cAnd how is it possible, when God calls, to resist?\u201d Well, that is just what I say too: and on this account do I chiefly admire the loving-kindness of God, that the things which He is able, even against thy will, to take from thee, these He willeth not to be paid in (\u03b5\u1f30\u03c3\u03b5\u03bd\u03b5\u03c7\u03b8\u1fc6\u03bd\u03b1\u03b9) by thee unwillingly, that thou mayest have a reward besides. For instance, He can take away life without thy consent; but His will is to do so with thy consent, that thou mayest say with Paul, \u201cI die daily,\u201d (1 Cor. xv. 31.) He can take away thy glory without thy consent, and bring thee low: but He will have it from thee with thine own goodwill, that thou mayest have a recompense. He can make thee poor, though unwilling, but He will have thee willingly become such, that He may weave crowns for thee. Seest thou God\u2019s mercy to man? Seest thou our own brutish stupidity?\nWhat if thou art come to great dignity, and hast at any time obtained some office of Church government? Be not high-minded. Thou hast not acquired the glory, but God hath put it on thee. As if it were another\u2019s, therefore, use it sparingly; neither abusing it nor using it upon unsuitable things, nor puffed up, nor appropriating it unto thyself; but esteem thyself to be poor and inglorious. For never,\u2014hadst thou been entrusted with a king\u2019s purple to keep,\u2014never would it have become thee to abuse the robe and spoil it, but with the more exactness to keep it for the giver. Is utterance given thee? Be not puffed up; be not arrogant; for the gracious gift is not thine. Be not grudging about thy Master\u2019s good, but distribute them among thy fellow-servants; and neither be thou elated with these things as if they were thine own, nor be sparing as to the distribution of them. Again, if thou hast children, they are God\u2019s which thou hast. If such be thy thought, thou wilt both be thankful for having them, and if bereft thou wilt not take it hard. Such was Job when he said, (Job i. 21) \u201cThe Lord gave, the Lord hath taken away.\u201d\nFor we have all things from Christ. Both existence itself we have through Him, and life, and breath, and light, and air, and earth. And if He were to exclude us from any one of these, we are lost and undone. For (1 Pet. 2.11.) \u201cwe are sojourners and pilgrims.\u201d And all this about \u201cmine,\u201d and \u201cthine,\u201d is bare words only, and doth not stand for things. For if thou do but say the house is thine, it is a word without a reality: since the very air, earth, matter, are the Creator\u2019s; and so art thou too thyself, who hast framed it; and all other things also. But supposing the use to be thine, even this is uncertain, not on account of death alone, but also before death, because of the instability of things.\n[6.] These things then continually picturing to ourselves, let us lead strict lives; and we shall gain two of the greatest advantages. For first, we shall be thankful both when we have and when we are bereaved; and we shall not be enslaved to things which are fleeting by, and things not our own. For whether it be wealth that He taketh, He hath taken but His own; or honor, or glory, or the body, or the life itself: be it that He taketh away thy son, it is not thy son that He hath taken, but His own servant. For thou formedst him not, but He made him. Thou didst but minister to his appearing; the whole was God\u2019s own work. Let us give thanks therefore that we have been counted worthy to be His ministers in this matter. But what? Wouldest thou have had him for ever? This again proves thee grudging, and ignorant that it was another\u2019s child which thou hadst, and not thine own. As therefore those who part resignedly are but aware that they have what was not theirs; so whoever gives way to grief is in fact counting the King\u2019s property his own. For, if we are not our own, how can they be ours? I say, we: for in two ways we are His, both on p. 57 account of our creation, and also on account of the faith. Wherefore David saith, \u201cMy substance is with Thee:\u201d (Ps. 39:6, Ps. 139:14.) and Paul too, \u201cFor in Him we live and move and have our being:\u201d (Acts xvii. 28.) and plying the argument about the faith, he says, (1 Cor. 6:19, 20.) \u201cYe are not your own,\u201d and \u201cye were bought with a price.\u201d For all things are God\u2019s. When then He calls and chooses to take, let us not, like grudging servants, fly from the reckoning, nor purloin our Master\u2019s goods. Thy soul is not thine; and how can thy wealth be thine? How is it then that thou spendest on what is unnecessary the things which are not thine? Knowest thou not that for this we are soon to be put on our trial, that is, if we have used them badly? But seeing that they are not our\u2019s but our Master\u2019s, it were right to expend them upon our fellow-servants. It is worth considering that the omission of this was the charge brought against that rich man: and against those also who had not given food to the Lord. (St. Luke 14:21, Matt. 25:42.)\n[7.] Say not then, \u201cI am but spending mine own, and of mine own I live delicately.\u201d It is not of thine own, but of other men\u2019s. Other men\u2019s, I say, because such is thine own choice: for God\u2019s will is that those things should be thine, which have been entrusted unto thee on behalf of thy brethren. Now the things which are not thine own become thine, if thou spend them upon others: but if thou spend on thyself unsparingly, thine own things become no longer thine. For since thou usest them cruelly, and sayest, \u201cThat my own things should be altogether spent on my own enjoyment is fair:\u201d therefore I call them not thine own. For they are common to thee and thy fellow-servants; just as the sun is common, the air, the earth, and all the rest. For as in the case of the body, each ministration belongs both to the whole body and to each several member; but when it is applied to one single member only, it destroys the proper function of that very member: so also it comes to pass in the case of wealth. And that what I say may be made plainer; the food of the body which is given in common to the members, should it pass into one member, even to that it turns out alien in the end. For when it cannot be digested nor afford nourishment, even to that part, I say, it turns out alien. But if it be made common, both that part and all the rest have it as their own.\nSo also in regard of wealth. If you enjoy it alone, you too have lost it: for you will not reap its reward. But if you possess it jointly with the rest, then will it be more your own, and then will you reap the benefit of it. Seest thou not that the hands minister, and the mouth softens, and the stomach receives? Doth the stomach say, Since I have received, I ought to keep it all? Then do not thou I pray, in regard to riches, use this language. For it belongs to the receiver to impart. As then it is a vice in the stomach to retain the food and not to distribute it, (for it is injurious to the whole body,) so it is a vice in those that are rich to keep to themselves what they have. For this destroys both themselves and others. Again, the eye receives all the light: but it doth not itself alone retain it, but enlightens the entire body. For it is not its nature to keep it to itself, so long as it is an eye. Again, the nostrils are sensible of perfume; but they do not keep it all to themselves, but transmit it to the brain, and affect the stomach with a sweet savor, and by their means refresh the entire man. The feet alone walk; but they move not away themselves only, but transfer also the whole body. In like manner do thou, whatsoever thou hast been entrusted withal, keep it not to thyself alone, since thou art doing harm to the whole and to thyself more than all.\nAnd not in the case of the limbs only may one see this occuring: for the smith also, if he chose to impart of his craft to no one, ruins both himself and all other crafts. Likewise the cordwainer, the husbandman, the baker, and everyone of those who pursue any necessary calling; if he chose not to communicate to anyone of the results of his art, will ruin not the others only but himself also with them.\nAnd why do I say, \u201cthe rich?\u201d For the poor too, if they followed after the wickedness of you who are covetous and rich, would injure you very greatly and soon make you poor; yea rather, they would quite destroy you, were they in your want unwilling to impart of their own: the tiller of the ground, (for instance,) of the labor of his hands; the sailor, of the gain from his voyages; the soldier, of his distinction won in the wars.\nWherefore if nothing else can, yet let this at least put you to shame, and do you imitate their benevolence. Dost thou impart none of thy wealth unto any? Then shouldest thou not receive any thing from another: in which case, the world will be turned upside down. For in every thing to give and receive is the principle of numerous blessings: in seeds, in scholars, in arts. For if any one desire to keep his art to himself, he subverts both himself and the whole course of things. And the husbandman, if he bury and keep the seeds in his house, will bring about a grievous famine. So also the rich man, if he act thus in regard of his wealth, will p. 58 destroy himself before the poor, heaping up the fire of hell more grievous upon his own head.\n[8.] Therefore as teachers, however many scholars they have, impart some of their lore unto each; so let thy possession be, many to whom thou hast done good. And let all say, \u201csuch an one he freed from poverty, such an one from dangers. Such an one would have perished, had he not, next to the grace of God, enjoyed thy patronage. This man\u2019s disease thou didst cure, another thou didst rid of false accusation, another being a stranger you took in, another being naked you clothed.\u201d Wealth inexhaustible and many treasures are not so good as such sayings. They draw all men\u2019s gaze more powerfully than your golden vestments, and horses, and slaves. For these make a man appear even odious: (\u03c6\u03bf\u03c1\u03c4\u03b9\u03ba\u03cc\u03bd, a conj. of Saville\u2019s for \u03c6\u03bf\u03c1\u03c4\u03b9\u03ba\u03ac) they cause him to be hated as a common foe; but the former proclaim him as a common father and benefactor. And, what is greatest of all, Favor from God waits on thee in every part of thy proceedings. What I mean is, let one man say, He helped to portion out my daughter: another, And he afforded my son the means of taking his station among men: (\u03b5\u1f30\u03c2 \u1f04\u03bd\u03b4\u03c1\u03b1\u03c2 \u1f10\u03bc\u03c6\u03b1\u03bd\u1fc6\u03bd\u03b1\u03b9) another, He made my calamity to cease: another, He delivered me from dangers. Better than golden crowns are words such as these, that a man should have in his city innumerable persons to proclaim his beneficence. Voices such as these are pleasanter far, and sweeter than the voices of the heralds marching before the archons; to be called saviour, benefactor, defender, (the very names of God;) and not, covetous, proud, insatiate, and mean. Let us not, I beseech you, let us not have a fancy for any of these titles, but the contrary. For if these, spoken on earth, make one so splendid and illustrious; when they are written in heaven, and God proclaims them on the day that shall come, think what renown, what splendor thou shalt enjoy! Which may it be the lot of us all to obtain, through the grace and loving-kindness of our Lord Jesus Christ; with Whom unto the Father and the Holy Spirit, be glory, power, honor, now and always and unto everlasting ages. Amen.\nThese words were addressed by St. Paul and St. Barnabas, to the men of Lystra when they were about to offer sacrifices to them. Acts. xiv. 15. [The words of Peter which Chrysostom seems to have had in mind were \u201cStand up, I myself also am a man.\u201d Acts x. 26.\u2014C.]","title":"Nicene and Post-Nicene Fathers, Vol. XII: Homilies on First Corinthians.: Homily X","type":"page"}