Беседа 44

Evil that comes from arrogance. - How to achieve the correction of the brethren. 1 Corinthians 16:10. If Timothy comes to you, see that he is safe with you; for he is doing the Lord’s work, just as I do. 1. Perhaps someone will think that such an admonition is not worthy of Timothy’s courage; but this was said not for Timothy, but for the listeners, so that through any actions against him they would not harm themselves. He was always ready for danger: “for,” says (Paul), “he served me as a son to his father in the gospel” (Phil. 2:22); but so that, by insulting the student, they do not insult the teacher and do not themselves become worse, (the apostle) warns them in advance and says: “so that he will be safe with you,” i.e. lest any of the shameless rebel against him. He, perhaps, had to reprimand them for what Paul wrote about, for which he was sent, as (the apostle) expressed in the words: “For this purpose I have sent to you Timothy, my beloved and faithful son in the Lord, who will remind you of my ways in Christ, as I teach everywhere in every church” (1 Cor. 4:17). So, so that they, hoping for nobility, wealth, protection from the people and worldly wisdom, do not attack him, do not insult him and plot against him, being indignant at his reproofs, or at the admonitions of the teacher, and wanting to take revenge on the latter in the person of the former, (the apostle) says: “so that he may be safe with you.” Do not refer, he says, to outsiders - pagans and unbelievers; I demand this from you, for whom the entire epistle was written. He inspired fear in them even at the beginning, in the introduction; That’s why he says here: “with you.” Then he instills in them confidence (in Timothy) by his very ministry: “for he is doing the Lord’s work.” Do not look at the fact that he is not rich, not educated and not old, but at what is entrusted to him and what he does: “for he is doing the Lord’s work”; this replaces him with nobility, and wealth, and old age, and wisdom. Not content with this, he adds: “like me”; and above (said): “For this purpose I have sent to you Timothy, my beloved and faithful son in the Lord, who will remind you of my ways in Christ” (1 Cor. 4:17). Since he was young and he alone was entrusted with the correction of such a society, and therefore both could be the reason for neglect of him, then (the apostle) rightly continues: “therefore let no one neglect him” (1 Cor. 16:11); and not only this demands for him, but even greater honor: “See him off,” he says, “in peace,” i.e. safely, without quarrels and word disputes, without enmity and hatred, but with humility and respect for him as a teacher. “So that he comes to me, for I am waiting for him with the brothers”; and by this he instills fear in them, so that they, knowing that he will tell (the apostle) everything that happened to him, would be more meek; That’s why he adds: “for I am waiting for him.” And on the other hand, by this he also inspires confidence (in Timothy), expressing that he himself, intending to go, is waiting for him, and at the same time testifies to his love for them, showing what a useful person he sent to them. “And as for brother Apollos, I very much asked him to go with his brothers to you; but he did not want to go now, but will come when it is convenient for him” (1 Cor. 16:12). This one, apparently, was educated and older than Timothy; therefore, so that they do not say why he did not send this man to them, but (sent) a young man instead - look how the apostle calms them about him, calling him brother and informing him that he asked him a lot (to go to them). And again, so as not to think that he preferred Timothy to him and therefore did not send him, and so as not to arouse more envy in them, he says: “I really asked him that he and his brothers would go to you.” What then? He did not agree and did not listen, but resisted and refused? (Paul) does not say this, but in order not to accuse him and justify himself, he notes: “but he did not want to go now, but will come when it is convenient for him.” Then, so as not to be told that this is just an excuse and a pretext, he adds: “he will come when it is convenient for him.” Thus, he justified him, and reassured them, who wanted to see him, with the hope of his arrival. Further, instilling that they should place the hope of salvation not in teachers, but in themselves, he says: “Watch, stand strong in faith” (1 Cor. 16:13), not in external wisdom - because it is impossible to stand firmly in it without wavering - but in faith, in which you can stand firmly. “Be courageous, be strong. Let everything with you be done with love” (1 Cor. 16:13–14). In these words, he apparently offers an admonition, and at the same time reproaches them for carelessness; and therefore he says to them: “keep awake” as if they were sleeping, “stand” as if they were wavering, “be courageous, be strong” as if they were cowardly, “let everything be done with you in love” as if they do not have mutual consent; one is directed against seducers: “Watch, stand strong”: the other against offenders: “Be of good courage”; thirdly, against those who incite disagreement and strife: “let everything be done with you with love” - love, which is the union of perfection, the root and source of goods. What does it mean: “let everything be done with love”? Whether someone reproaches, whether someone rules, or obeys, whether someone studies or teaches, everything (should be) with love, because all the mentioned (evil) came from neglecting it. If (love) were not despised, then they would not be proud and would not say: “I am Paul’s”; “I am Apollos’” (1 Cor. 1:12); if it had been between them, then they would not have been judged by the outside (pagans), or better yet, they would not have been judged at all; if she had been between them, then (the fornicator) would not have lived with his father’s wife, they would not have despised their weak brothers, they would not have had divisions, they would not have been vain of spiritual gifts. That’s why he says: “Let everything with you be done with love.” I ask you, brethren (you know the family of Stephen, that they are the firstfruits of Achaia and that they dedicated themselves to the service of the saints)” (1 Cor. 16:14-15). 2. Even at the beginning of the letter, he mentioned this when he said: “I also baptized Stephen’s house” (1 Cor. 1:16), and now he calls it the firstfruits not only of Corinth, but of all Greece. It is an important honor to be the first to approach Christ. Therefore, in his letter to the Romans, praising some for this, he said: “those who believed in Christ were also before me” (Rom. 16:7). He did not say here: the first believed, but: “there is a firstfruits,” expressing that along with faith they showed a beautiful life as its fruit, and turned out to be worthy in all respects. Truly, the firstfruits must be better than other things of which they are the firstfruits, and this is what Paul testified about them with this expression. They, as I said, not only sincerely believed, but also in practice showed great piety, high virtue and zeal in works of mercy. And not only by this does he prove their reverence, but also by the fact that the whole house was filled with piety. And how zealous they were in good deeds, this (the apostle) shows in further words: “they dedicated themselves to the service of the saints.” Do you hear what praise he gives to homosexuality? He did not say: they serve, but: “and that they dedicated themselves to serving the saints”; This is the life they have chosen for themselves forever, they care about it. “Be ye also respectful to such” (1 Cor. 16:16), i.e. assist them with monetary donations and physical service, have communication with them, because their work will become easier if they have employees, and charitable actions will extend to a larger number of people. He did not just say: cooperate, but: “obey” 62 them, no matter what they command you, instilling the strictest obedience. But so that it does not seem that he is pleasing them, he adds: “and to everyone who cooperates and works.” Let, he says, this law be general; I’m not talking about them exclusively, but let everyone like them receive the same. Therefore, even starting to talk about them, he calls the Corinthians themselves as witnesses: “I ask you, brothers,” he says, “you know the Stefano family.” You, he says, know yourself how they work, and you don’t need to hear about it from us. “I am glad about the arrival of Stefan, Fortunatus and Achaic: they made up for your absence for me, for they calmed my spirit and yours. Honor such” (1 Cor. 16:17–18). Since they could have displeasure against these persons, because these were the very ones who came and told (Paul) about their troubles, and through whom it was written to him about virginity and marriage, then look how at the beginning of the letter he reassured them when he said: “For from the household of Chloe it became known to me about you, my brethren, that there are disputes among you” (1 Cor. 1:11), where, pointing to them, at the same time, he hid them - and, of course, he mentions them here - but now he says: “they made up for your absence for me, for they calmed my spirit and yours,” and thereby shows that they came to him instead of everyone else and decided to undertake such a journey for them. But how can this private action of theirs become general? If you will reward your absence with goodwill towards them, if you begin to honor them, if you accept them, if you show participation in their good deed. That’s why he says: “Be respectful to such people.” Praising those who came to him, he at the same time praises others, connecting those who sent them with those sent: “for they,” he says, “have calmed my spirit and yours.” “You too should be respectful to such people,” because for you they left their fatherland and their home. Do you see the wisdom (of the apostle)? Not only did they do a service to Paul, he says, but to them, because they represented the whole city in their person; and through this he made those who were sent worthy of trust, and did not allow those who sent to be separated from them, since they were the representatives of everyone before Paul. “The churches of Asia greet you” (1 Cor. 16:19). He always brings together and unites the members (of the Church) in his greetings. “Aquila and Priscilla and their home church greet you earnestly in the Lord.” He lived with them as a film maker. “With their home church.” And this is an important merit - to turn your house into a church. “All the brothers greet you. Greet one another with a holy kiss" (1 Cor. 16:20). He makes such an addition - “with a holy kiss” - only here. Why? Because (among the Corinthians) there was a great division; they said: “I am Pavlov”; “I am Apollos”; “I am Cephas”; “I am Christ’s”” (1 Cor. 1:12); some of them suffered hunger, while others got drunk; There were quarrels, strife and litigation between them: even because of the gifts of grace themselves, they had great envy and great arrogance. Having reconciled them with his admonition, he rightly commands them to unite with a holy kiss; it could unite them and make them a single body - it is holy if it is alien to deceit and hypocrisy. “My, Paul’s, greeting with my own hand” (1 Cor. 16:21): expresses that this message was written by him with great care; therefore he adds the following: “whoever does not love the Lord Jesus Christ is anathema, maranatha” (1 Cor. 16:22). 3. With this one saying he brings into fear all those who made their members members of harlots, who seduced the brethren by eating idols' sacrifices, who were called by the names of people, who did not believe in the resurrection - and not only brings fear, but also shows the path to virtue and the source of vices. Just as love (for Christ), when it is strong, drives out and destroys all types of sins, so exactly when it is weak, it allows them to grow. "Maranatha". Why is this said, and moreover in Hebrew? Since the cause of all evil was arrogance, which came from external (pagan) wisdom, and this arrogance was the main evil that mainly divided the Corinthians, then (the apostle), wanting to overthrow their arrogance, uses not a Greek, but a Hebrew expression, showing that he is not only not ashamed of simplicity, but, on the contrary, loves it very much. What does Maranatha mean? Our Lord has come. Why is he saying this? In order to confirm the teaching about the economy of God, since this is primarily where the seeds of the resurrection lie, and also in order to shame them, he seems to say this: the common Ruler of all deigned to humiliate Himself to such an extent, and you still remain in the same position and continue to sin? Are you not amazed by His excessive love, the greatest of all blessings? Remember only this one thing, he says, and you will be able to excel in every virtue and destroy every sin. “The grace of our Lord Jesus Christ be with you” (1 Cor. 16:23). It is common for a teacher to help not only with advice, but also with prayers. “And my love is with you all in Christ Jesus. Amen." (1 Cor. 16:24). So that they do not think that he is drawing such a conclusion out of flattery towards them, he says: “in Christ Jesus” (his love) has nothing human in itself, nothing carnal, but is spiritual, and therefore most sincere; his expressions reveal intense love. Being separated from them in place, he, as it were, stretches out his right hand and embraces them with the arms of love: “my loves,” he says, “with ... you”; as if he were saying: I am with you all. This shows that what he wrote did not come from irritability or anger, but from concern (for the Corinthians), if even after such reproofs he does not turn away from them, but loves and embraces them, despite the long distance, and pours out (his soul) to them in writings and epistles. This is what everyone who corrects others should do; if he does this with only anger, he will satisfy his passion; and if, having exposed the sinner, he also shows love for him, then he will prove that his reproaches also came from love. Let us also admonish each other in this way: and let him who reproaches not be angry, because anger reveals passion, and not a desire to correct; and let the one who is reproved not be upset, because the reproof given to him is medicine, and not something hostile. If doctors are not reproached when they perform cauterizations, although they often make mistakes in the success of the case, but even the patients themselves, subjected to cauterizations and incisions, consider those who cause them such suffering to be their benefactors, then all the more should the one receiving the reproof have such a disposition, to listen to the admonisher as a doctor, and not as an enemy. And when we denounce someone, we will approach him with great meekness and great prudence. If you see a brother sinning, then rebuke him not publicly, but as Christ commanded: “between you and him alone” (Matthew 18:15), moreover, not blaspheming or attacking the one lying down, but condoling and lamenting; be ready to listen to reproof yourself if you sin in anything. But to make what has been said clearer, let us present this by means of an example; however, I do not want such examples to exist in reality. Suppose that some brother lives with a girl; let him be a well-behaved and chaste man, but despite all this there is a bad rumor about him. When rumors of his cohabitation reach you, do not ignore it and do not say: does he not have a mind of his own? Doesn't he himself know what is good for him? Love without a reason, but do not allow hatred without a reason (says the proverb): why should I needlessly incur enmity on myself? Such crazy words are characteristic of wild animals, or better yet, demons. He who wants to correct another does not incur hatred in vain, but acts to achieve great benefits and indescribable crowns. And against what you say: doesn’t he have his own mind? – I’ll tell you that he really isn’t, because he’s intoxicated with passion. If in worldly courts the defendants, being agitated by anger, are unable to speak for themselves, although, however, such sensitivity is not blamed on them, then how many times worse is the condition of a person given over to a vicious passion? That’s why I say that even though he was a thousand times smart, but for all that he does not have a waking mind. Who was more prudent than David, who said: “You have shown me the unknown and secret things of Your wisdom” (Ps. 50:8)? But when he looked with immodest eyes at the warrior’s wife, he also experienced what usually happens to people sailing on a stormy sea, as he himself says: “and all their wisdom was lost” (Ps. 106:27); and he needed others to correct him, and did not even feel how deeply evil he was; therefore, mourning his sins, he said: “For my iniquities have gone beyond my head, like a heavy burden they have weighed me down. Do my wounds stink and bend because of my madness” (Ps. 37:5-6). 4. So, whoever sins has no mind, because he is intoxicated and darkened. Therefore, do not say so, and to your words: what need do I have? - do not add: “each one will bear his own burden” (Gal.6:5). You incur the greatest responsibility on yourself if, seeing someone who is lost, you do not want to help him. If Jewish law forbade leaving even the enemy’s livestock unattended (Deut. 22:1), then what justification would there be for leaving unattended not the livestock or the enemy, but the perishing soul of a friend? The fact that he has his own mind cannot justify us, because we, who have repeatedly taught instructions to others, often turned out to be incompetent in relation to ourselves and could not help ourselves. Also reason about another erring person that he is more likely to receive good advice from you than from himself, and do not say: what need do I have for him? Remember with horror who first said such words; they mean the same as the words (of Cain): “Am I my brother’s keeper?” (Gen.4:9). This is where all kinds of evil come from, that we consider what belongs to our own body to be foreign. What are you saying? Don't you have any need for your brother? But who will care about him? Does the unbeliever, who rejoices in his misfortune, revile him and try to harm him? Or the devil, who pursues him and lays snares for him? And why do you say that? Therefore, you will say that my well-intentioned words and advice will not be successful. But how do you know that they will not be successful? And this again is extremely insane - without knowing the consequences, making yourself guilty of obvious negligence. God Himself, who knows the future, often spoke without success, and yet did not stop speaking, although He knew in advance that they would not listen to Him. If He, who knew in advance that He would not do anything, did not cease to take measures to correct people, then what excuse will you have, who do not know the future at all, and indulge in carelessness and negligence? Many, having taken up this task, were successful, and when they least hoped for it, then they were especially successful. Even if you do nothing, at least you will do your duty. Therefore, do not be inhumane, uncompassionate and careless. Your words come from cruelty and negligence, as you can see from the following. When one of your bodily members suffers, why don’t you say: what need do I have for it? And how do you know that if you use healing, he will recover? However, you take all measures so that, if you do not have any success, at least you do not blame yourself for neglecting to do something useful. So we take care of the members of the body: why do we neglect the members of Christ? What excuse will we have after that? And if my words do not bow you: take care of your own member, then I will remind you of the body of Christ, so that you, although out of fear, become better. Indeed, isn’t it terrible to see His body covered with sores and remain indifferent? When your servant or even your donkey is stricken with sores, you do not remain indifferent; and when you see the body of Christ covered in purulent scabs, how do you pass by? Isn't this worthy of a thousand thunders? That’s why everything about you has become distorted – from such inhumanity, from such negligence! So, I exhort you, let’s leave this cruelty: come to the one who lives with the girl, tell him some kind of praise in a brotherly way, combining it from the virtues that are in him, and with such praise, as if with warm water, wet and soften the swelling of his wound; confess to him that you too are in a pitiful state, imagine the guilt of the entire human race, explain that we are all in sins, ask for forgiveness that you are taking on a task that is beyond your strength, but that love prompts you to decide on everything; then offer advice, speaking not in a commanding manner, but in a brotherly manner. When, through all this, you have calmed his ardor and softened the pain that must come from the action of reproof, and when, so to speak, you have bound him with repeated apologies and requests so that he does not get angry, then strike him a blow, not too strong and not too weak, so that in the first case he does not recoil from you, and in the last he does not remain inattentive. If you don't hit hard enough, you won't do anything; and if you hit him too hard, he will move away from you. Therefore, after all this, when you begin to reprove, you again add praise to the reproof; but since his behavior in itself cannot be called commendable - after all, living with a young girl is not a commendable thing - then you turn to the intention of the person living with her and say: I know that you are doing this for God, that you gave a helping hand to this unfortunate woman, seeing her lonely and defenseless. Even if he was not actually guided by such intentions, you say so, and then, asking for an apology again, in addition to the previous one, say: I am telling you this not as an order, but as a reminder; I know that you are doing this for God's sake, but let's see if any evil comes from here; if nothing happens, then keep her with you and continue to show her good deeds - no one interferes; but if harm can come from this that is more important than good, then, I admonish you, let us be careful so that, while trying to bring peace to one soul, we do not seduce thousands. However, do not directly present to him the punishments that await seducers, but take him yourself as a witness and say: you have no need to learn about this from me, you yourself know what punishment is due to the one “who seduces one of these little ones” (Matthew 18:6); and, having thus sweetened your words and calmed his ardor, finally apply the medicine of correction. If he again refers to her loneliness, then even then you should not directly denounce this pretext, but tell him: this should not frighten you at all; A sufficient justification for you will be the fear of tempting others, since you will leave this concern not out of carelessness, but out of desire for the good of others. 5. Moreover, let your advice be brief, because he does not need long moralizing; let the apologies be repeated and frequent, and most of all refer to love, covering with it the severity of your speeches and leaving what follows to his will; say: I only suggest and advise you this, and it is up to you to obey; I do not force or force you, but I leave everything to your own reasoning. If we take reproof in this way, we will easily be able to correct those who sin. And what we are doing now is more characteristic of wild beasts and dumb animals than of people. Nowadays, as soon as others hear about some such sinner, they do not say anything to him, but whisper among themselves like drunken old women, and here, it seems, the proverb never applies: love without a reason, but do not allow hatred without a reason. When they want to slander someone, they don’t think at all, so as not to needlessly incur hatred, and even punishment - this entails not only hatred, but also punishment - and when they need to correct someone, they give this excuse and many other pretexts. It is precisely then, when you slander, when you slander, that you should keep in mind the rules: do not incur hatred on yourself in vain, or: there will be no success, or: I have no need for anything else. Meanwhile, now in the first case you are working hard and zealously, despite the hatred and many evils that arise from this; and when you need to take care of saving your brother, then you remain inactive and do not want to be a burden to another. Slander is hateful before men and before God, but you do not care much about it; and for advice in private and for such reproofs, you gain love for yourself both from the person being rebuked and from God. If he hates you, then God will love you all the more for it. However, he will not hate you as much as he would for slander; on the contrary, then he would begin to turn away from you as an ill-wisher and enemy, but now he will respect you more than his father. Although outwardly he will be upset, but internally, in private, he will give you great gratitude. 6. So, remembering this, let us take care of our members, and not sharpen our tongues against each other and not speak destructive speeches, undermining the honor of our neighbor and, as in war and battle, inflicting and receiving blows. What benefit will there be for us from fasting or vigil if our tongue indulges in intemperance, eats food worse than the meat of dogs, becomes bloodthirsty, spews out filth and turns our lips into a stream of sewage, or even worse? What flows from these streams defiles the body; and what it spews often infects the soul. I say this, feeling sorry not for those about whom bad rumors are spread in vain - they even deserve crowns if they endure slander generously - but for you, who spread such rumors. The one about whom evil is spoken in vain, the Scriptures please; and the one who speaks badly about another is deprived of the holy sacraments and even expelled from the very depths (of the Church): “Whoever secretly slanderes his neighbor, I have driven him out,” says (the Psalmist) (Ps. 100:5), and even considers such a person unworthy to read the holy books: “Why,” he says, “do you preach My statutes and keep My covenant with your lips?” (Ps.49:16); then he gives the reason: “while sitting (in the meeting) you slandered your brother” (Ps. 49:20). It is not determined here whether something fair or unfair will be said; and in another place it is defined and it is said that, even if you could speak the truth, even in this case you should not say: “Do not judge,” says (the Lord), “so that you will not be judged” (Matthew 7:1). Therefore (the Pharisee), who reproached the publican, was condemned, although he reproached him justly. How, you say, if we meet some impudent and depraved person, shouldn’t we reprove him and correct him? One should reprove and correct, but in the same way as I said above; and if you reproach him, then be careful that you do not become like the Pharisee and suffer the same thing that he suffered. After all, this does not bring any benefit to you who speaks, or to the one who listens to you, or to the one who is reproached; but on the contrary, the latter becomes even more shameless: he, while not yet discovered, can be ashamed, and when he becomes known and dishonored, then he throws off the last bridle; the one who listens suffers even greater harm: if he is aware of some merits in himself, then reproaches against another arouse pride and arrogance in him, and if he is aware of shortcomings, then he is more willing to do evil; finally, the speaker himself deserves a bad opinion of himself from the one who listens to him, and even more so incurs the wrath of God. Therefore, I exhort you, let us abandon all slander and speak only what is good and serves for edification. Or do you want to take revenge on someone? But why do you take revenge on yourself instead of him? When trying to take revenge on someone who has insulted you, you take revenge as Paul commands to take revenge: “If your enemy is hungry, feed him; if he is thirsty, give him something to drink” (Rom. 12:20). If you do not do this, but only slander, then you are raising the sword against yourself. Therefore, when another speaks badly of you, then take revenge on him with approval and praise: in this way you will take revenge on him, and you will rid yourself of a bad opinion about you. Anyone who is upset by bad rumors about himself is usually thought to be tormented by a bad conscience; and whoever laughs at such a rumor about himself provides the clearest proof that he knows nothing bad about himself. So, if by blaming you do not bring benefit either to the one who listens to you, or to yourself, or to the one whom you censure, but only raises the sword against yourself, then at least come to your senses with this. You should find motivation in the teaching about the kingdom of heaven and the will of God; but since you are still too rude and bite others like a wild beast, then at least understand this, so that, having become more prudent from the above, you can be guided solely by the will of God and, having become above all passion, achieve heavenly blessings, which may we all be worthy of by the grace and love of our Lord Jesus Christ, with whom to the Father, with the Holy Spirit, be glory, power, honor, now and ever, and forever forever and ever. Amen. These conversations were delivered by the saint in Antioch around 390. The paragraphs in the text were arranged by us – Editorial staff of “ABC of Faith” (there is no Russian translation of this word) You might be interested in: