Беседа 9

The torment of sinners has no end. – Depiction of sin in general and greed in particular. 1 Corinthians 3:12–15. Whether anyone builds on this foundation with gold, silver, precious stones, wood, hay, straw, everyone’s work will be revealed; for the day will show it, because it will be revealed by fire, and the fire will try everyone’s work, what kind it is. Whoever's work that he built survives will receive a reward. And whoever’s work is burned, he will suffer loss; however, he himself will be saved, but as if from fire. 1. Here we are presented with a question that is not unimportant, but concerns the subject of the most necessary and is being investigated by all people: will the fire of hell have an end? Christ revealed to us that this fire has no end: “their worm does not die and the fire is not quenched” (Mark 9:46). I see that you shudder when you hear this; but what to do? God commands to constantly proclaim this: “show,” he says, “my people” (Is. 58:1). We are assigned to the ministry of the word, and therefore we need to speak unpleasant things to the listeners; although against desire, it is necessary. However, if you want, it will not be unpleasant for you. If you do good, says (the apostle), do not be afraid (Rom. 13:3). Therefore, you can listen to us not only without fear, but also with pleasure. So, Christ revealed that the fire of hell has no end; and Paul states that the torment will be endless when he says that sinners “shall be subject to the punishment of everlasting destruction” ( 2 Thess. 1:9 ); and one more thing: do not be deceived: “neither fornicators,... nor adulterers, nor wicked... will inherit the kingdom of God” (1 Cor. 6:9-10). And to the Jews he says: “Strive to have peace with everyone and holiness, without which no one will see the Lord” (Heb. 12:14). Also, Christ, in response to the words: “We have done many miracles in Your name,” will say: “Depart from Me, you who do iniquity; I do not know you” (Matthew 7:22–23). And the virgins, for whom the doors were shut, could no longer enter; and about those who did not feed Him, He says: “they will go... into eternal torment” (Matthew 25:46). Don't tell me: where is justice if the torment has no end? When God does something, obey His determinations and do not subject them to human speculation. Moreover, is it unfair if a person who first received thousands of benefits, and then committed something worthy of punishment and was not made better by either threats or benefits, is punished? If you demand justice, then according to the law of truth we should have perished immediately at the beginning; but it would be better, and then it would not be according to the law of truth alone, but it would be an act of love for humanity if we tolerated this too. Whoever insults a person who has not caused him any harm is subject to punishment according to the law of truth; If someone owes his benefactor, who does not owe him anything, but has shown him countless benefits, the only culprit of his existence and, moreover, God, who breathed into him a soul, bestowed thousands of blessings and wanted to take him to heaven, if such (a benefactor), after such benefits, not only insults, but also upsets him every day with his deeds, then what kind of forgiveness will he be worthy of? Don't you see how (God) punished Adam for one sin? He, would you say, gave him paradise and honored him with his great favor? But it is not the same thing to sin while enjoying prosperity or to spend life in great sorrow. It’s hard that you sin while you are not in paradise, but among the countless misfortunes of real life, and you are not admonished by misfortunes; it is the same as if someone does evil while bound. (God) promised you blessings greater than paradise; I haven’t given them yet, so that you don’t become lazy during your exploits, but you also haven’t kept silent about them, so that you don’t weaken in your labors. Adam, having committed one sin, brought death upon himself; and we commit thousands of sins every day. If, having committed one sin, he brought upon himself so much evil and introduced death into the world, then what will we not be subjected to, who constantly live in sins, although we are waiting for heaven instead of paradise? This word is hard and sad for the listener. I know this from the feeling that I myself experience: my heart is confused and trembles, and the more I am convinced of the certainty of Gehenna, the more I tremble and am filled with fear. But we need to talk about this so that we do not fall into Gehenna. You did not receive paradise, not trees and plants, but heaven and heavenly blessings. If the one who received less was condemned and nothing could justify him, then much more will we, who are called to the highest and sin more than he, be subjected to unbearable torment. Imagine how long our race remains under the dominion of death for one sin. Five thousand or more years have passed, and death has not yet ceased for one sin. Moreover, we cannot say that Adam listened to the prophets, that he saw the punishments that befell others for their sins, that he could therefore come into fear and be brought to his senses by these examples; He was then the first and only, but he was punished. You cannot imagine anything like this, who becomes worse after such examples, who has been rewarded with such gifts of the Spirit, and you commit not one, not two, not three, but countless sins. Do not look at the fact that the sin is committed in a short time and do not think that therefore the punishment will be short-lived. Don't you see how people who commit theft or adultery once and in one minute often spend their whole lives in prisons and mines, subjected to constant hunger and countless types of death? And yet no one justified them or said that since they committed the sin in a short time, the punishment should continue for a period corresponding to the sin. 2. But, you say, people act this way, but God loves mankind? Firstly, people do this not out of cruelty, but out of love for humanity; and God punishes this way because He loves mankind; According to the greatness of His mercy, great is His punishment. Therefore, when you say that God loves mankind, then all the more you prove the justice of punishment if we sin against such (a Being). That is why Paul said: “It is a terrible thing to fall into the hands of the living God” (Heb. 10:31). Consider, I exhort you, the power of these words; maybe you can get some consolation from this. Which of the people can punish the way God punished, who caused the flood and the destruction of the human race, and a little later, rained fire from heaven and destroyed everyone (the inhabitants of Sodom) to the ground? What human punishment can compare with such punishment? Don't you see an almost endless punishment here too? Four thousand years have passed, and the punishment of the Sodomites still remains in force. Just as God’s love for mankind is great, so is His punishment. Moreover, if God had commanded something difficult and impossible, then another could refer to the difficulty of His commandments; if He commands something very easy, then what can we say without worrying about this? Can't you fast and keep your virginity? You can, if you want, as those who did this accuse us of; but God did not use all severity against us, did not command or command this, but left it to the will of the listeners; You can be chaste in marriage, and you can abstain from drunkenness. Can't you give away all your property? You can, as those who have done it show; but God did not command this either, but commanded not to steal someone else’s property and to give from one’s property to those in need. If anyone says that he cannot be content with one wife, he is seducing and deceiving himself, as those who remain chaste even without a wife accuse him of. Can't you help but slander, can't help but swear? On the contrary, it is more difficult to do it than not to do it. What excuse do we have when we don’t do something so easy and convenient? We can't imagine any. From all that has been said, it is obvious that the torment will be eternal. But some people think that Paul's saying contradicts this; Therefore, let us turn to his explanation. Having said: “Whoever’s work that he has built stands, he will receive a reward. And whoever’s business is burned will suffer loss,” he added: “however, he himself will be saved, but as if from fire.” What can I say about this? Let us consider, first, what is foundation, what is gold, what is precious stones, what is hay and stubble. He himself clearly called Christ the foundation: “no one can lay another foundation,” he says, “except that which is laid, which is Jesus Christ” (1 Cor. 3:11, 14–15); and the building, it seems to me, means business. True, some claim that it speaks of teachers and students, and of ungodly heresies; but the meaning of the speech does not allow this. After all, if so, then how will the work perish, and the one who edifies will be saved as if from fire? The culprit should all the more have perished, but here the one who was edified will be subjected to greater punishment. If the teacher was the author of evil, then he deserves greater punishment: how can he be saved? If he is not guilty, and the disciples became so out of their own corruption, then the one who edified well does not deserve punishment or any harm at all: how is it said that he will suffer damage? From this it is clear that we are talking about business here. Intending to talk about the incestuous, the apostle makes an introduction to this in advance and for a long time. He, as a rule, when discussing any subject, in this very reasoning hints in advance at another subject to which he intends to move on. For example, reproaching the Corinthians for not waiting for each other at suppers, he introduced a speech on the sacraments. So here too, intending to talk about the incest and having spoken about the foundation, he added: “Do you not know that you are the church of God, and the Spirit of God lives in you? If anyone destroys the church of God, God will punish him” (1 Cor. 3:16–17). With these words he already terrified and shocked the incestuous soul. “Does anyone build on this foundation with gold, silver, precious stones, wood, hay, straw?” After faith, edification is needed; therefore, in another place he says: “Comfort one another with these words” (1 Thess. 4:18). Both the artist and the student participate together in edification; That’s why he says: “But each one be careful how he builds.” 3. If this were said about faith, it would be said unfoundedly. In faith everyone must be equal, because faith is one; but in the affairs of life, not everyone is the same. Faith is neither worse nor better, but is the same for all true believers; But in life, some are more zealous, others are more careless, some are more efficient, others are more careless, some do more, others less, some sin more severely, others more easily. That is why the apostle said: “gold, silver, precious stones, wood, hay, straw. Everyone’s business will be revealed.” Here He speaks of works. “Whoever’s work that he built survives will receive a reward. And whoever’s business is burned, he will suffer loss.” If this were said about students and teachers, then teachers would not have to suffer punishment if the students did not listen to them. That is why He says: “everyone will receive his reward according to his work,” not according to the end of the task, but according to the work. What need did he have if the listeners did not listen? And from this it is also clear that it is talking about works. And the meaning of the words is as follows: whoever leads a bad life with the right faith, faith will not protect him from punishment when the matter burns. It will burn, which means it will not survive the power of fire. If someone crossed a fiery river with a golden weapon, he would cross it with glory; but if, on the contrary, someone crosses it with hay, he will not only not have success, but will also destroy himself: this is what happens with deeds. In saying this, the apostle does not mean the actual burning of people, but wants to instill the strongest fear and show that he who lives wickedly is in danger. That’s why he says: “he will suffer damage”: this is the first punishment. “He himself will be saved, but as if from fire”: that’s another thing. These words mean the following: he himself will not perish like the matter, he will not turn into nothing, but will remain in the fire. This is what the apostle calls salvation; That’s why he didn’t just say: he will be saved, but added: “as if from fire.” So we usually say: they are preserved in fire - about such things that do not burn and do not suddenly turn into ashes. Therefore, when you hear about fire, do not think that those who are burned will turn into nothing. Do not be surprised that the apostle calls such torment salvation; He often uses good expressions about unpleasant objects, and bad ones about pleasant objects. For example, the word captivity means a bad object; but Paul uses it well, saying: “We take every thought captive to the obedience of Christ” (2 Cor. 10:5). Also, speaking about bad things, he uses a good expression in the following words: “sin reigned” (Rom. 5:21); Meanwhile, the word reign rather sounds good. So here, having said: he will be saved, he expresses nothing more than a continuation of the punishment, and, as it were, says: he himself will suffer incessantly. Then he says: “Don’t you know that you are the church of God?” . Having previously spoken of those who divided the Church, he now touches upon the incestuous man, hinting, although vaguely and vaguely, at his depraved life and showing the greatness of his sin from the grace given to him. He also instructs others by what they have already received. Thus, he directs both the future and the present, both the sorrowful and the pleasant, towards one goal; future: “for the day will show, because it is revealed in fire”; present: “Do you not know that you are the church of God, and the Spirit of God dwells in you? If anyone destroys the church of God, God will punish him.” Do you see the power of speech? However, as long as the face (of the one exposed) is not revealed, the reproof is not so difficult, because everyone shares the fear of reproach. God will punish him, i.e. will be given over to destruction. Here the apostle does not curse, but predicts. “The church of God,” he says, “is holy,” and adds: “and this church is you.” No one should deceive himself. And this (applies) to him, since he considered himself to be something important and boasted of wisdom. And in order not to strike him too much, the apostle, having brought him into fear and trembling, again offers a general reproof and says: “If anyone among you thinks to be wise in this age, let him be foolish in order to be wise” (1 Cor. 3:18). He denounces with great power, as if he had already sufficiently enlightened them. Even if someone were rich, even noble, he would be more despicable than the despicable if he fell into the power of sin. Just as a king, if he becomes a slave of barbarians, becomes the most unhappy of all, so does sin. Sin is a barbarian who, having once captured a soul, does not spare it, but torments it to the destruction of those who fall under his power. 4. Truly, nothing is so reckless, nothing is so senseless, stupid and arrogant as sin. Wherever he invades, he subverts, upsets and destroys everything; he is ugly in appearance, intolerable and disgusting. If any painter wanted to depict him, then, it seems to me, he would not have made a mistake by depicting him as a woman, bestial, barbaric, breathing fire, ugly and black, as external (pagan) poets depict Scylla. Sin wraps its thousand arms around our thoughts, invades unexpectedly and torments everything, like dogs that bite suddenly. However, why do we need a pictorial image when we can imagine (the people themselves) like him? Who should you picture first? Isn't he a greedy man and a robber? Indeed, what could be more shameless than his eyes? What is more unscrupulous than him and more like dogs? The dog does not act as brazenly as he does when he steals the property of others. What is worse than his hands? What is more vile than his mouth, which devours everything and is not satisfied? Do not mistake his face and eyes for human ones: that is not how human eyes look. He does not look at people as people, does not look at the sky as at the sky, does not direct his gaze to the Lord, but sees money in everything. Human eyes, seeing those dejected by poverty, usually shed tears; and the eyes of the robber, seeing the poor, express brutality. Human eyes do not look at what belongs to others, they do not desire what belongs to others, but they give theirs to others; and the eyes of a greedy man do not rest until they have stolen everything from others, because they do not look like a human being, but like a beast. Human eyes cannot see their own body naked - after all, for them it is theirs even when in appearance it belongs to others - and the eyes of a self-seeking person are not satisfied until they completely expose someone and hide everything at home, or, better said, they are never satisfied. Therefore, the hands of such people can be called not only brutal, but also much more ferocious and dangerous than those of animals. Bears and wolves, having had their fill, retreat from food, but they never get enough. Meanwhile, God gave us hands so that we could help others and not harm them. If we begin to use them as a last resort, then it would be better to cut them off and remain without them. You grieve when a wild beast tears a sheep to pieces; and when you yourself do the same with your fellow tribesman, don’t you consider this thing terrible? What kind of person are you? Don’t you know that we call a deed human that is full of mercy and love for mankind, but we call a rude and cruel deed inhumane? Thus, we depict the character of a person by deeds of mercy, and the character of a beast by deeds contrary to this, and we often say: is he really a man, and not a beast or a dog? People tend to alleviate poverty rather than increase it. People who are selfish have mouths that are brutal, or even worse; they utter words that, with their poisonousness, cause death much more quickly than the teeth of animals. And if we were to count everything, it would be clearly visible how inhumanity turns people into beasts. And whoever tests the soul of such people will call them not only beasts, but even demons. They are filled with extreme cruelty and hostility towards their neighbors: there is in them neither the desire for the kingdom, nor the fear of Gehenna, nor shame before people, nor mercy, nor compassion, but shamelessness, arrogance and contempt for the whole future; God's broadcasts about (future) torment seem to them a fable, threats - a ridicule. Such is the soul of a self-seeking man! If they are demons inside, and outside they are beasts and even worse than beasts, then who, tell me, will we consider them to be? That they are worse than animals is evident from the following: animals are such by nature, and they, having received meekness from nature, contrary to nature, try to assimilate the properties of animals. The demons themselves make ill-intentioned people their accomplices, since if the latter were not their accomplices, then most of their intrigues against us would remain unsuccessful; and they try to oppress those who assist them in their unrighteous deeds. Moreover, the demon is at enmity against man, and not against demons like him; and the self-seeking man tries in every possible way to cause harm to his neighbor and relatives, without being ashamed of nature itself. I know that many are indignant at me for these words; but I am not angry with them, but I regret and cry that they are in such a state. If they even wanted to beat me, I would have endured that with pleasure, if only they would stop their atrocity. And not only I, but the prophet along with me excludes such from the number of people: “a man,” he says, “who is in honor and foolish, is like animals” (Ps. 49:21). Let us try to be human: let us look to heaven, “put on... the image of Him who created us” (Col. 3:10) and not to humiliate ourselves, so that we may be worthy of future blessings, 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 to the ages of ages. 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” You might be interested in: