Беседа 1

Col. 1:1–3. Paul, by the will of God an Apostle of Jesus Christ, and Timothy brother, to the saints and faithful brothers in Christ Jesus who are in Colosse: Grace to you and peace from God our Father and the Lord Jesus Christ. Time of writing and content of the message. - Various types of friendship. – Contrasting a meal for the rich with a meal for the poor. - Description of a luxurious feast. - The evil of satiety. 1. All Paul's epistles are holy; but those that he wrote while in prison - such as the Ephesians, Philemon, Timothy, Philippians, and what this is now - contain something more; and he sent this too while in chains, as he himself says: “That I might reveal it as I should proclaim it” (Col. 4:4). But this epistle seems to be later than the epistle to the Romans; he wrote the latter without yet seeing the Romans, and this when he had already seen them and was approaching the end of his preaching ministry, which is obvious from the following: in his letter to Philemon he says: “None other than I, Paul the Elder” (Phil. 1:9), and asks for Onesimus; and in this he sends Onesimus himself, as he says: “With Onesimus, the faithful and beloved brother” (Col. 4:9), calling him faithful, beloved and brother. Therefore, this epistle expresses itself confidently: “From the hope of the gospel which you have heard, which was proclaimed to every creature under heaven” (Col. 1:23), since the preaching has already had its time. The Epistle to Timothy, I think, was written later than this - it was written just before his death, since it says: “For I am already becoming a sacrifice” (2 Tim. 4:6). But still it is older than the letter to the Philippians, since in it he appears at the beginning of the bonds in Rome. Why do I say that these messages contain something more? Because he wrote them while in prison. As a courageous warrior would write from the battlefield on which he placed trophies, so he does. He himself knew that this was a great thing. So, writing to Philemon, he says: “Whom I have begotten in my bonds” (Phil. 1:10). And he said this so that we not only would not lose heart in adversity, but would also rejoice. At the same time, Philemon was with them, because there he says: “And to Archippus our companion” (Phil. 1:2), and here: “Tell Archippus” (Col. 4:17). It seems to me that he was entrusted with some kind of church business. Paul did not see them, neither the Romans nor the Jews, when he wrote to them. He mentions the latter in many places, and about those - listen to what he says: “For the sake of all who have not seen my face in the flesh” (Col. 2:1), and again: “For although I am absent in body, I am with you in spirit” (Col. 2:5). He knew that his presence was very important everywhere, and therefore, even if he was not with them, he always imagined himself as if he were there: so, look, when he punishes the fornicator, he imagines himself at the judgment seat: “But I,” he says, “being absent in body, but present with you in spirit, have already decided as if I were with you” (1 Cor. 5:3); and again: “I will come to you and test not the words of the proud, but the power” (1 Cor. 4:19); and again: “Not only in my presence, but now much more in my absence” (Phil. 2:12). "Paul, an Apostle of Jesus Christ by the will of God." It is necessary to say about the content that we find in the message. What does it consist of? (The Colossians) were brought to God through angels, and adhered to many Jewish and pagan customs: (in the epistle) this is corrected. For this reason (Paul) at the very beginning says: “By the will of God” (δια δελήματος θεού), and again he used δια (through). “And Timothy is brother.” Consequently, he too was an apostle; they probably knew him too. “In Colossae the saints.” Colossae was a city Phrygian and, as you know, stood not far from Laodicea. “And I am a faithful brother in Christ.” Why, tell me, were you called faithful? secrets? Is it not for the sake of Christ? “And to the faithful brothers in Christ,” “Where does peace come from? From God our Father,” he says. But I ask the blasphemers of the Spirit: where did God, the Father of slaves, do such great things? Who is the faithful? Who is the son of God? The one who made you worthy of faith is the one who is responsible for what has been entrusted to you. 2. We are called faithful not only because we believe, but also because God entrusted us with secrets that even the angels did not know before us. However, Paul considers this indifferent. “We give thanks to the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ.” It seems to me that he refers everything to the Father, so that he does not suddenly turn the word to them. “Praying always for you” ( Col. 1:3 ). He shows his love for them not only by thanksgiving, but also by unceasing prayer, because he always had those whom he did not see within himself. “Hearing about your faith in Christ Jesus” (Col. 1:4). Above I mentioned our Lord, and here about Jesus Christ. He Himself is the Lord, he says, not (said): servants of Jesus Christ, - and here are the signs of good deeds: “For He will save His people from their sins” (Matthew 1:21), said (the evangelist). “Having heard about your faith in Christ Jesus and your love for all the saints” (Col. 1:4). Paul is already winning them over; the one who proclaims this is acceptable. He sends the message with Tychicus, whom he kept with him. “And about love,” he says, “for all the saints,” and not just for some, and therefore for us. “In hope of what is prepared for you in heaven”: speaks of future blessings. This is against temptation, so as not to seek peace here. Otherwise, someone would say: what is the use of loving the saints when they are in need? We rejoice,” he says, “that you have acquired great (blessings) for yourself in heaven.” "In the hope of the provision": indicates something safe. “Which you have heard before in the true word.” This is a reproachful word for them for what they had for a long time, they changed. “What you have heard before,” he says, “is in the true word of the gospel” (Col. 1:5). And he testifies to the truth with his word - justly, because there is no lie in him. “Good news”: he does not say sermons, but calls them the gospel, he constantly reminded them of the good deeds of God, and he himself reminds them of this, first praising them. “Which abides among you as well as in all the world” (Col. 1:6). Here (Paul) already says something pleasant to them. “Which abides with you” is said metaphorically: it is not that it came, he says, and went away, but remains and abides there. Then, since many are then especially confirmed in the teaching, when they have many allies, he adds: “As in the whole world.” It is present everywhere, dominates everywhere, stands everywhere. “And it bears fruit and increases, just as it does among you.” It is fruitful in deeds, and grows in that it accepts many and affirms more. After all, plants are also dense when the plant stands firm. "As between you." With praises (Paul) takes possession of the listener in advance, so that he does not leave against his will. "Since the Day You Heard". It is amazing that you quickly came and believed and immediately showed the fruits at the very beginning. “From the day you heard and knew the grace of God in truth” (Col. 1:6), not in speech, not in deception, but in deeds themselves. He expresses this with the word: “bears fruit,” that is, rich in signs and wonders, which you immediately accepted, as soon as you knew the grace of God. And what immediately shows its strength, isn’t it hard not to believe? “Just as we learned from Epaphras, our beloved fellow worker”: he probably preached there, you learned the Gospel from him. Then, showing that this man is worthy of trust, he says: “Our fellow worker, a faithful servant of Christ for you, who made us aware of your love in the spirit” (Col. 1:7-8). Do not doubt, he says, regarding future hope - you see that the universe is turning around. And is it necessary to say what is happening to others? Besides this, what is happening among you is worthy of faith, because “you have known the grace of God in the truth,” that is, in works. The future is confirmed by these two (things) - by the fact that everyone believed, and by the fact that you. And nothing else happened, but Epaphras said something else - no, he says, - he is “faithful”, that is, true. But why is he “a servant for you”? Because he went (to Paul): “Who also made us aware,” he says, “of your love in the spirit,” that is, spiritual love for us. If he is a servant of Christ, then how do you say that you were brought through angels? “Who informed us,” he says, “of your love in the spirit”: this is a wondrous and firm love, while others bear only the name of love. Some are not like that; but this is not friendship, and therefore it is easily dissolved. 3. There are many cases of acquiring friendship; Now we will not mention the shameful ones - no one will object to the fact that they are bad - but, if you want, we will bring out natural and everyday cases. Everyday ones are, for example, those when someone receives (from another) something good, acquires a friend from ancestors, shares a meal or a journey with someone, or lives in the neighborhood. These cases are also good. These also include the sameness of occupations, although there is no sincerity here, here there is a place of jealousy and envy. Natural cases of friendship, for example, father to son, son to father, brother to brother, grandfather to grandson, mother to children - let us add, if you like, and wife to husband - because all marriage cases belong to the number of everyday and earthly ones. The latter seem stronger than the former; I say - they seem, because they are often the first to overcome: sometimes friends (in everyday relationships) are more sincerely disposed than brothers (towards brothers) and sons to their fathers; another, even being related, will not help, and another, without even being a sign, will come and help. But spiritual love is higher than any other love, it, like some kind of queen, rules over its own, and therefore is more brilliantly dressed (theirs); nothing earthly gives birth to it like that one - neither habit, nor good deed, nor nature, nor time; it comes down from above, from heaven. And what is surprising if for its existence it does not need good deeds, if it does not die from suffering? And that it is more than that, listen to the words of Paul: “I myself would like to be excommunicated from Christ for my brothers” (Rom. 9:3). What father would want (for the sake of his children) to be unhappy? And again: “Resolve and be with Christ, because this is incomparably better; but it is more necessary for you to remain in the flesh” (Phil. 1:23–24). What mother would dare to say this, expressing neglect for her children? And again listen to what he says: “We were separated from you for a short time in face, and not in heart” (1 Thess. 2:17). There the father, being offended, ends the friendship; but here it’s not like that - here he goes to those who stoned him, with the goal of doing good to them. There is nothing, truly nothing, as strong as the bonds of the spirit. He who becomes a friend by receiving benefits will become an enemy if they are not continuous; whoever has become inseparable out of habit, when the habit is interrupted, extinguishes the friendship. The wife, when there is a fight (between spouses), leaves her husband and stops loving; the son, when he sees that his father lives a long time, begins to feel burdened. But there is nothing like that in spiritual love: it is not destroyed by anything like that, since its composition is not like that. Neither time, nor the long journey (of life), nor suffering, nor listening to troubles, nor anger, nor insult - nothing penetrates this love and cannot destroy it. Know that Moses was stoned (by the Jews) and asked for them (Ex. 17). What kind of father would do this for (the son) who threw a stone at him? On the contrary, wouldn't he have attacked him himself? We must seek this spiritual friendship, because it is strong and inseparable, and not (friendship) at the table, which is forbidden to be introduced there (into the life of the spirit). Listen, in fact, to what Christ says in the Gospel: “Do not invite your friends... nor rich neighbors... when you make a feast, invite the poor, the crippled, the lame” (Luke 14:12-13). And this is fair, because for them there is a great reward. But you cannot, you are not able to feast with the lame and the blind, do you consider it hard and boring? One should not, of course, (avoid this); however, this is not necessary: ​​if you no longer seat them with you, then send them food from your table. After all, whoever invited friends did not do anything great, and here he has already received a reward; and whoever invites the weak and poor has God as his debtor. So, we should grieve not for what we do not receive here (reward), but for what we receive, because we will no longer receive it there. Or, what is the same, if a person repays, God will not reward; and if man does not repay, God will. Let us try to do good not to those who can repay us, and not to do good with such hopes: this is a cold calculation. If you invite a friend, then you gain gratitude until the evening, therefore this temporary friendship is spent rather than costs: if you invite the poor and weak, then gratitude never perishes, because (in this case) you have God as a debtor, who always remembers and never forgets. And how great, tell me, is the pettiness of the soul - not being able to sit with the poor! What are you saying? Is the poor thing unclean, dirty? So wash him, and then take him to your meal. Does his clothes have tatters? Change it and give him a clean dress. 4. Don’t you see how much benefit there is? Through him Christ comes to you, and because of him you humiliate Christ? When you invite the King to a meal, are you afraid of Him in the face of the poor? Let two tables be set up, and one will be full of these - the blind, the hunched over, the lame, without those arms, those legs, without shoes, covered only with outer clothing, and even then torn: and at the other let the nobles, military leaders, locums, great rulers sit, clothed in expensive clothes and fine fabrics, and girded with gold belts. Again, there - at the table of the poor, let there be neither silver nor an abundance of wine, but only as much as is needed to cheer a person, and let the goblets and other vessels be only glass; on the contrary here - at the meal of the rich, let all the vessels be made of silver and gold, and let the semicircular table be such that one cannot even carry it, and only two servants can barely move it, let the bowl be gilded, weighing half a talent, so that two young men could hardly carry it, let there also be a whole row of amphorae, shining not with silver, but much better - with gold, and let the semicircular table be all covered with a soft tablecloth. Again - let there be many servants standing here, decorated with outfits no less than those reclining, and let them be brilliantly dressed, in wide trousers, beautiful in appearance, blooming with age, strong and plump; and let only two servants stand there, trampling down all pomp. And before these, let many expensive dishes be placed, and before those, only as much as is needed to satisfy hunger and strengthen (a person). Have I said enough? Are both meals prepared properly? Is there anything missing? Don't think; I touched on the guests, and the value of the vessels, decorations, and dishes. However, if we missed anything, we will find it in further speech. So, when both of our meals looked decent, let’s see where you lie down. I will go where the blind and lame sit; and many of you will perhaps choose this solemn and brilliant meal of military leaders. Let's see which one is filled with more pleasure. We will not explore the future yet, because in the future mine prevails. Why? Because Christ will recline behind her, and behind this - people, behind that the Master, and behind this slave. But we won’t talk about this for now, but let’s see which meal is more enjoyable in the present. And from this side the pleasure (to sit with the poor) is greater: reclining at a meal with the king brings, of course, more pleasure than reclining with slaves; but let us exclude this and examine the matter in itself. I and others who have chosen this meal with me will talk about everything and listen to each other with great freedom and courage; and you, fearing and trembling, and ashamed of those around you, do not even dare to stretch out your hand, as if you had come not to dinner, but to school, and as if you were in awe of cruel masters. That's not the case with those people. But what a great honor, you say! Yes, I am more honored. Your insignificance is then clearly revealed when, taking part in this meal, you speak slavishly, because the slave is then especially a slave when he reclines at the meal with the master. Being where he should not be, through this rapprochement he not only receives honor, but is subjected to humiliation - then it is he who is very humiliated. And you will see the slave glorious when he is on his own, and the poor man glorious when he is on his own, and not when he walks next to the rich. The low is then low when it stands next to the high: from comparison the low becomes lower, not higher. In the same way, reclining with those at meals makes you less important, not us. We have an advantage over you in two respects - in freedom and honor, with which, when it comes to pleasure, nothing can compare. I would rather agree to eat bread, enjoying freedom, than numerous dishes, enduring slavery. “Better,” says (the Wise One), “a dish of greens, and with it love, than a fatted ox, and with it hatred” (Proverbs 15:17). Those who have become parasites or have become even worse than them, no matter what they say, must either praise those present or insult them. They, although with shame and annoyance, still have the courage to speak, but you do not have even this. Such is your insignificance: you are afraid and crawl, but there is no honor. So, that meal is devoid of any pleasure; and this one, on the contrary, is filled with all kinds of joy. 5. But we will also examine the very properties of the food. There, although you don’t want to, you necessarily harm yourself with a lot of wine; but here, whoever does not want to, may not eat or drink. Thus, there both the preceding feeling of humiliation and the burden that follows satiation destroy the pleasure aroused by the quality of the food. Indeed, satiety, no less than hunger, even much stronger, destroys bodies and exposes them to disease. Give me whomever you want, I would sooner destroy it with satiety than with hunger: undoubtedly the latter is more bearable than the former. Hunger can be endured for twenty days; and one cannot endure satiety even for two days. Constantly fighting hunger, the villagers enjoy health and do not need doctors; and this, I mean satiety, cannot be tolerated by those who constantly call on doctors - or, better to say, his tyranny often disgraces their help. So, as far as pleasure is concerned, the meal of the poor has an advantage. If it is more pleasant to be in honor than to be dishonored, to have power is more pleasant than to obey, to maintain courage is more pleasant than to tremble and be afraid, to enjoy as much as you need is more pleasant than to be overly immersed in the waves of luxury - then in relation to pleasure this meal is better than that. It is also better in relation to costs: that one is ruinous, but this one is not. But what? Is this meal only more pleasant for those reclining, or does it bring more pleasure to the inviter than that one? This is what is especially asked about. The convener (of nobles) prepares for many days, is forced to fuss, worry and worry, forget sleep at night and rest during the day, must think about a lot with himself, talk with cooks, bakers, and meal organizers. Then, when the appointed day has arrived, you see that he is more worried than the one who enters the battle, lest something unexpected happen, lest he speak badly, lest he get many accusers. On the contrary, this one (who invites the poor), preparing a meal at home and not worrying about it for many days, is free from all such worries and troubles. And after this, he is immediately deprived of gratitude, but this one has God as his debtor and feeds on good hopes, finding in his meal food for daily rejoicing. Bread is spent, but goodness is not spent, but every day it pleases and cheers more than (how much fun people have) when they drink plenty of wine. Nothing nourishes the soul as much as good hope and aspirations for good things. But let's see what comes next. There are flutes, zithers and pipes; here - not a single indecent song - but what? – hymns and psalmody; there demons are sung, here God, the Lord of all. Look how much gratitude there is and how much lack of appreciation and insensitivity there is. Tell me: God has fed you with His blessings, and having been fed, you should thank Him; and you introduce demons? After all, songs to demons are sung to the accompaniment of a pipe. It would be appropriate to say: blessed are You, Lord, that you have nourished me with Your blessings; and you, like some kind of dog that doesn’t know honor, don’t even remember (about God), but introduce demons? Yes, and dogs, whether they receive anything or not, are affectionate towards the family; and you don’t even have that. The dog, receiving nothing, caresses his master; and when you receive it, you bark at him. Again, a dog, even benefited by a stranger, does not leave hostility towards him and does not enter into friendship with him; and you, having suffered countless atrocities from demons, invite them to dinners. That's why you're twice as bad as a dog. By the way, I now remembered about dogs, in relation to people who are grateful for the good they receive. Be ashamed, I ask you, of the dogs who, even when hungry, caress their masters, while you, hearing that a demon has served someone, immediately leave the Lord, oh, most senseless dog! But harlots, you say, excite pleasure when you look at them. What pleasure? Is it not all dishonor? Your house has become a house of lewdness, fury and fury - and are you not ashamed to call it pleasure? After all, if it is permissible to enjoy all pleasures, then the greatest shame will be the grief that results from them. How? Isn’t it hard to make your house obscene and enjoy pleasure like pigs wallowing in the mud? If this is so only in appearance, then again great grief, because the view is not pleasure when it is not followed by action, but a greater desire and a stronger fire. Do you want to know the end? Those, getting up from the table, become like frantic and raging people, display insolence, arrogance, and are funny even for slaves, since the household members come out sober, and they are drunk. What a shame! Here, on the contrary, nothing like that happens - here those who dined, having concluded the meal with thanksgiving, return to their homes and joyfully fall asleep, joyfully awaken and are free from all shame and responsibility. 6. If you want to see those who are called themselves, then you will see them the same internally as they are externally, that is, blind, crippled, lame. And such are the bodies of these, such are the souls of those - stricken with dropsy and inflammation: such is precisely arrogance. After a luxurious feast, ugliness occurs: these are precisely the satiety and drunkenness that make people lame and crooked. And you will see these the same in soul as they are in body, that is, bright, adorned: spending their lives in gratitude, not seeking anything but contentment, and being philosophical, through this they are always cheerful. Let's see here and there at the end. There is unbridled pleasure, loud laughter, drunkenness, witticisms, swearing; if they themselves are ashamed to utter shameful things, then this is done through harlots; on the contrary here is philanthropy, meekness. The one who calls those is armed with vanity; and whoever invites these is excited by philanthropy and meekness; This meal is arranged by philanthropy, and that one by vanity and cruelty in connection with injustice and covetousness. That one ends, as I said, in arrogance, frenzy, frenzy - this is precisely the product of vanity - and this one ends in thanksgiving and the glory of God. That one is praised more by people (than this one); they envy him, and everyone, even those who have not benefited, reveres him as a common father. And just as those who are not offended sympathize with those who are offended and all together become enemies (of those who offend), so those who have not benefited sympathize with those who have benefited and together praise and glorify the one who has done a good deed. There's a lot of hate out there; and here there is a lot of care, a lot of prayers from all. This is the case now; then, when Christ comes, this one will stand with great boldness and hear before the whole universe: you saw me hungry, and fed me, naked, and clothed me, a stranger, and brought me in, etc., and he will listen to the opposite: “the wicked servant and the slothful” (Matthew 25:35, 26), and again: woe to those who lie in their beds and sleep on beds of ivory, drinking strained wine and anointing themselves with the finest ointments, as if they thought to stand and not run (Amos. 6:4–5). This is not told to us simply, but so that you change your thoughts and do not do anything useless. Why, you say, shouldn’t I do this and that? This question is repeated over and over again. But, tell me, what kind of necessity is it, having the opportunity to do everything usefully, to separate (your actions), and direct some not only to the unnecessary, but also to the vain, and others to the useful? Tell me, if during sowing you threw some seeds on a stone, and others on good soil, would it be indifferent to you, and would you say: what harm is there that we threw those seeds on empty land, and these on good soil? Why shouldn't everything be good? Why reduce the benefit? When you need to acquire money, you do not say this, but you acquire it from everywhere; but there it’s not like that. When you need to use money to grow, you don’t say: why give some to the poor, others to the rich, but all to those? Why don’t you calculate in this way here, where there is so much benefit, and allow yourself to be wasted and vainly squandered (your property)? But this, you say, has its benefits. Which one, tell me? This will increase friendship. There is nothing colder than people who become friends because of this - from food and parasitic satiety; There is nothing more unpleasant than a friendship that has received such a beginning. Do not insult that wondrous thing - that love (αγάπη), and do not say that it is the root of your meal; otherwise you would say the same thing to someone who would claim that the root of the tree that bears gold and precious stones is not the same, but that it is born from rottenness. Even if your friendship was born from here, nothing would be colder than it. Those meals establish friendship not with people, but with God, and (that friendship) is determined by the regulations, just as (the meals) are determined by them. He who spends something here and something here, even if he gave a lot, did not do anything great; and whoever spends everything here, even though he gives a little, accomplishes everything. The question is not whether to give a lot or a little, but to give no less than you can. Let us remember the five talents and the two talents; Let us remember the one who put two mites; Let us remember the widow in the time of Elijah. The one who gave two mites did not say: what harm is it if I keep one mite and give one? No, she gave all her money. And you, who live in such great abundance, are stingier than she. So, let us not be careless about our salvation, but let us take care of alms. There is nothing better than her; the future will show this, and the present also shows this. Let us live for the glory of God, and do what is pleasing to Him, so that we may be worthy of the promised blessings, which may we all be worthy of by the grace and love for mankind of our Lord Jesus Christ, to whom be glory, power, honor, now and ever, and unto ages of ages. Amen. The paragraphs in the text were arranged by us. – Editorial staff of “ABC of Faith” You might be interested in: