Commentary on 2 Timothy

“Commentary on 2 Timothy” consists of 10 conversations that were delivered by St. John Chrysostom in 402 in Constantinople. Conversation 2 is devoted to the sacrament of the Eucharist. The dignity of the Eucharistic sacrifice does not depend on the priest offering it: “The gifts of God are not such that they depend on priestly virtue; everything comes from grace; The priest’s job is only to open his mouth, but God does everything; the priest performs only visible actions.” There are 10 St. in the conversation. John talks about how you can attract the grace of the Holy Spirit to yourself: “By doing what is pleasing to God, obeying Him in everything.” The conversations also touch on such topics as the inspiration of the Holy Scriptures (Conversation 9), the inevitability of sorrows and their patient enduring (Conversations 1.8), giving alms (Conversations 1.6), the fear of God's Judgment (Conversations 3.5), etc. *The title of the work in Greek is ῾Υπόμνημα εἰς τὴν πρὸς Τιμόθεον δευτέραν ἐπιστολήν. *The title of the work in Latin is In epistulam II ad Timotheum argumentum et homiliae 1-10. Conversation 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10 2 Timothy 1:1–2. Paul, an apostle of Jesus Christ by the will of God, according to the promise of life in Christ Jesus, to Timothy, beloved son: grace, mercy, peace from God the Father and Christ Jesus our Lord. Motivation and timing of writing. – Praise to Timofey. – It is impossible for a person to live without sorrows. - About alms. 1. Why does (the apostle) write 2nd Epistle to Timothy? Previously he said: “hoping to come to you soon” (1 Tim. 3:14), but this did not come true; therefore, instead of his arrival, through a letter he consoles him, perhaps grieving both for this reason and on the occasion of his acceptance of (episcopal) power at that time. After all, no matter how great the men who take the reins of government of the Church are, they are at a loss, being flooded on all sides by large waves of affairs; This can especially be said about that time, when the sermon began, when everything was uncultivated, everything was hostile, everything opposed. Moreover, there were heresies generated by Jewish teachers, which (Paul) mentioned in his first letter. However, it is not only with a message that he consoles Timothy, but also invites him to himself: “Try,” he says, “to come to me soon” and: “When you go, bring books, especially leather books” (2 Tim. 4:9, 13). It seems to me that he wrote this letter at the end of his life, because he says: “For I am already becoming a sacrifice,” and also: “When I first answered no one was with me” (2 Tim. 4:6, 16). Having arranged all this, he consoles Timothy with his own temptations and says: “Paul, an apostle of Jesus Christ by the will of God, according to the promise of life in Christ Jesus.” Immediately, at the very beginning, it encourages his soul. Don’t point out to me, he says, the disasters here; they give us eternal life, where there is nothing like that, where there is no sickness, sadness and sighing. Not for this, he says, God made us apostles so that we would only be exposed to dangers, but so that we would die, so that we would endure this too. But since pointing out his misfortunes not only was not a consolation, but also increased the sorrow, he at the very beginning offers the following consolation: “according to the promise of life in Christ Jesus.” If it is a promise, then do not look for it here, because “for if anyone sees, what can he hope for” (Rom. 8:24). "Timothy's beloved son"; not just: “son”, but: “beloved”. There may be children and unloved ones; but you are not like that, he says, and therefore I call you not just “son”, but “beloved” son. And he calls the Galatians children, but he grieves for them: “My children,” he says, “for whom I am again in the throes of birth” (Gal. 4:19). Calling him beloved, he testifies to his great virtue. How? When love is not from nature, then it is from virtue. Those born from us are kind to us not only because of their virtue, but also because of the demands of nature; and those who are beloved by faith are such because of nothing other than virtue. And how could it be otherwise, especially for Paul, who did nothing out of passion? In addition, by the expression: “beloved son,” he shows that he himself did not come to him not because he was angry with him, or despised him, or did not approve of him. "Grace, mercy, peace from God the Father and Christ Jesus our Lord." What he wanted before, he wants the same now. Notice how at the very beginning he justifies himself to him that he himself did not come to meet with him; after all, the words: “Until I come” and also: I hasten, “hoping to come to you soon” (1 Tim. 4:13, 3:14) made us expect his speedy arrival. In this he immediately justifies himself. However, he does not suddenly talk about the reason why he did not come, so as not to sadden him too much - the reason was that he was detained by Caesar - but at the end, when he invited him to his place, he revealed it. At the beginning, he does not sadden him, but expresses the hope of seeing him: “and I wish to see you,” and: “Try to come to me soon” (2 Tim. 1:4, 4:9). So, at the very beginning he encourages Timothy and continues in his praise: “I thank God, whom I serve from my ancestors with a clear conscience, because I continually remember you in my prayers day and night, and I long to see you, remembering your tears, so that I may be filled with joy” (2 Tim. 1:3, 4). “I thank God,” he says, for the fact that I remember about you, “that’s how I love you.” This is a sign of extreme love when someone loves so much that he himself admires love. “I thank God,” he says, “whom I serve.” How? “From our ancestors with a clear conscience”; his conscience was not stained. However, here he talks about life and everywhere he calls life conscience. In other words: I did not change the benefits that I had previously desired, for any human reasons, even when I was a persecutor. That’s why he said: “But he received mercy because he acted this way out of ignorance, in unbelief” (1 Tim. 1:13), and as if he was saying: do not suspect a wrongdoing here. By the way, he portrays his character so that his words about love are also reliable. And the meaning of his words is as follows: I don’t lie, I don’t think otherwise, but I say something else. So he was forced to praise himself before, as can be seen from the book of Acts. When they began to reproach him as a troublemaker and an innovator, he says: Ananias “said to me: The God of our fathers has chosen you, that you should know His will, that you should see the Just One and hear the voice from His mouth, because you will be a witness to Him before all people of what you have seen and heard” (Acts 22:14, 15). So here too, so that an opinion is not formed about him as a person alien to friendship and conscience and forgetting his neighbors, he rightly, in praise of himself, says: “I constantly remember you,” and not simply, but: “in my prayers,” that is, this is included in my prayer, at all times I constantly fulfill this - this is what is expressed by the words: “Day and night I pray to God, wanting to see you.” . Do you see the fiery affection? Do you see the abundance of love? Do you see his humility, by which he justifies himself before his disciple? Then he shows that he is not doing this simply and not without reason; showed above, and shows here: “remembering,” he says, “about your tears.” Being separated (from Paul), he probably cried and sobbed more than a child weaned from the nurse's breasts and milk. “In order to be filled with joy,” he says, “I wish to see you.” Even if I were extremely insensitive, cruel and inhuman, I would not deny myself this pleasure, because your tears that I remember could soften me. But I'm not one of those; I serve God purely. Many reasons attracted me to you. So Timothy cried. Further, Paul gives another comforting reason: “bringing to mind,” he says, “your unfeigned faith” (2 Tim. 1:5). 2. Next follows another praise, that (Timothy) was not of the pagans or of the unbelievers, but of such a house as had long served Christ. “Which formerly dwelt,” he says, “in your grandmother Lois and your mother Eunice.” “Whose mother was a Jew who believed” (Acts 16:1). How are the Jewish women? How faithful? She was not one of the pagans. But for the sake of his father, who was a Greek, and for the sake of the Jews who were in those places, (Paul) took him and circumcised him (Acts 16:3). Do you see how the law began to collapse when there were such confusions? Look how much evidence he offered to convince him that he did not despise (Timothy). I serve, he says, God; I have a clear conscience; you're crying. And not only for tears (I want to see you), but also for faith, since you are a servant of truth, and there is no hypocrisy in you. If you too are worthy of being loved, like the true disciple of Christ who loves me so much, and I am not one of those people alien to love, but zealous for the truth, then what could prevent me from coming to you? “I’m sure it’s in you too.” For a long time, he says, you have had this blessing; You received unfeigned faith from your ancestors. The virtues of our ancestors, if we imitate them, belong to us; and if we do not imitate, they have no power, but still serve to our condemnation. That’s why he added: “I’m sure it’s in you too”; I can’t guess, he says, but I’m convinced and absolutely sure. If you did not accept it for anything human, then nothing can shake you. “For this reason I remind you to stir up the gift of God, which is in you through the laying on of my hands” (2 Timothy 1:6). Do you see how he expresses that (Timothy) was in great sorrow, in despondency? He seems to be saying this: don’t think that I despise you; know that I do not despise and have not forgotten you; if no one else, then remember your grandmother and mother. I know that you have unfeigned faith, and therefore I remind you: you need to have zeal in order to ignite the gift of God. Just as fire requires wood, so grace requires our zeal to ignite it. “I remind you to kindle the gift of God, which is in you through my ordination,” i.e. the grace of the Spirit, which you accepted for leadership in the Church, for signs and all ministry, because it depends on us to both extinguish and ignite it. Therefore, in another place he says: “Do not quench the Spirit” (1 Sol. 5:19). From carelessness and laziness it fades away, from attention and zeal it ignites; it is in you; but you give him more strength, that is, fill him with strength, joy, fun; stand courageously. “For God did not give us a spirit of fear, but of power and love and a sound mind” (2 Tim. 1:7), that is, we did not receive the spirit to be contrite, but to have boldness. God also gives to many a spirit of fear, for example, in war, as read in the books of Kings. “Let fear and terror fall upon them,” says (Scripture), “(Ex. 15:16), that is, God put fear in them. On the contrary, He gave you the spirit of strength and love for Him. Consequently, this is also from grace, however, not just from grace, but if we also fulfill in advance what depends on us, since what prompts us to cry: “Abba Father” (Rom. 8:15), the same inspires us to love Him and our neighbors, so that we love one another. Love comes from strength and fearlessness; and usually, nothing destroys love so much as fear and suspicion of betrayal. “For God has given us,” he says, “a spirit not of fear, but of power and love and chastity.” He calls chastity either the health of mind and soul, or the fact that we live chastely, and he tries to admonish us and deviate us from intemperance, even if some disaster happens. So, let us not grieve when we are exposed to disasters; this is chastity. “Do not be embarrassed,” says (the Wise), “during your visit” (Sir. 2:2). Many have many domestic sorrows; sorrows are common to all of us, only their causes are different: one suffers sorrow from his wife, another from his son, another from a servant, another from a friend, another from an enemy, another from a neighbor, another from losses; There are many different causes of sorrow. In general, it is impossible to find a person who would be free from sorrows and sorrows; everyone experiences more or less sorrow. So, let us not be discouraged and think that we are the only ones who suffer sorrow. 3. There is no person who, spending this changeable life, would be without sorrows; if not today, then tomorrow, if not tomorrow, then later, sorrows come. Just as it is impossible for a sailor to be without worries, I mean sailing on the great sea, so it is impossible for someone living in this life to be without sorrows, even if he were rich. Because he is rich, he has many reasons for trouble. Imagine even the king himself; and he depends on a lot and does not do everything according to his own wishes, but often does what pleases others against his will, and in general he most often does not act as he wants. Why? Because there are many people who want to get something that belongs to him. Imagine what great sorrow he feels when he wants to do something and cannot, either out of fear, or out of suspicion, or because of enemies, or because of friends? Often, when he decides to fulfill any of his desires, all the pleasure from doing the deed is lost due to the resistance of many who are dissatisfied with him. So what? Do you think that people who live their lives without labor are free from sorrows? No. Just as it is impossible for a person not to experience death, it is also impossible for a person to live without sorrow. How many troubles they have to endure that cannot be expressed in words, but which only they can experience! How often did those who lived among wealth and luxury ask for death! Living luxuriously does not mean living without sorrows; on the contrary, luxury itself gives rise to countless sorrows, illnesses, and displeasures; and if this is not the case, (then those who live in luxury often feel sad) without any reason. Indeed, when the soul is in such a state, it can be sad for no reason. Doctors say that a weak stomach also causes a lot of grief. Doesn’t this happen to us too when we grieve and don’t know the reason for sadness? In general, it is impossible to find a person without grief. If for others the cause of grief is not as important as for us, then each of them, however, thinks the same way - his own grief is more sensitive than that of others. Just as those who have pain in any part of the body think that their suffering is stronger than the suffering of their neighbor - someone who, for example, has a pain in his eye, believes that there is no other pain like his, or someone who has a stomach ache considers his pain to be stronger than all pains, and everyone who suffers considers it the most painful suffering - so in spiritual sorrows: everyone calls the grief that befell him the most difficult, because he judges it by own experience. For example, someone who does not have children thinks that there is nothing worse than childlessness; and he who has many children, despite being poor, complains about nothing so much as having a large family; he who has one son believes that there is nothing worse than having one: because of this, he says, he is lazy, and upsets his father, and does not accept any suggestions, remaining, however, constantly a beloved son; he who has a beautiful wife says that there is nothing worse than having a beautiful wife, because in this case there is a lot of suspicion and intrigue; and he who has an ugly wife says that there is nothing worse than having an ugly wife, because it is very unpleasant. A private person says that there is nothing more worthless and lower than such a life, and a military man claims that there is nothing more difficult and dangerous than a military rank, that it is better to eat only bread and water than to endure such hardships. The superior says that there is nothing more difficult than satisfying the needs of others, and the subordinate claims that there is nothing more humiliating than submitting to the authority of others. The one who is married says that there is nothing worse than having a wife and the worries associated with her, and the one who is not married claims that there is nothing worse than being unmarried - having neither home nor peace. The merchant calls the farmer happy for his peace of mind, and the farmer calls the merchant happy for his wealth. In general, the human race is not happy with anything, it always complains and is upset. Condemning all people, they say that man is nothing, and that the entire human race is a beast of burden and a pitiful animal. How many of them glorify old age! How many are there who consider youth bliss! Thus, there are many sorrows depending on the age of life. When we see that we are being condemned for being young, we say: why aren’t we old? And when our heads turn gray, we say: where is our youth? In general, we have countless reasons for sorrow. There is only one way to get rid of this inconsistency - the path of virtue. And he, of course, is not a stranger to sorrows, but sorrows that are not in vain, but that bring good and benefit. Another has sinned and, overwhelmed by grief, washes away his sins; another shows compassion to a fallen brother, and in this we also find a considerable reward, because compassion for people in misfortune gives us great boldness before God. 4. Listen to how wisely the Holy Scripture speaks about Job; listen to what Paul says: “weep with those who weep”; and again: “follow the humble” (Rom. 12:15, 16). Participation in the sorrows of others greatly eases the sorrows: just as helping someone who alone bears a burden lightens his burden, so in everything else. Meanwhile, now, when one of our neighbors dies, many surround him, many console those close to him; and we often raise a fallen donkey; and when the souls of our brothers fall, we do not pay attention and think less about them than about a donkey. Seeing someone shamelessly entering a tavern, we do not stop him; whether he gets drunk or commits some other outrage, we not only do not interfere, but we ourselves take part in it. That is why Paul said: “not only do they practice them, but they also approve of those who do them” (Rom. 1:32); and many form partnerships for partying and drinking. Man, form partnerships in order to exterminate the passion for drunkenness; such partnerships are beneficial for prisoners, for those in sorrow. Paul prescribed something similar to the Corinthians when he said: “so as not to make preparations when I come” (1 Cor. 16:2). For drunkenness, feasting and partying, we now do everything - a common bed, a common table, common wine, and common expenses; and no one thinks about organizing public alms. In the time of the apostles there were such partnerships - then they brought all their property into one place; I do not demand the whole thing, but some part. “On the first day of the week,” says (Paul), “let each of you lay aside and save as much as his fortune will allow” (1 Cor. 16:2), as if bringing tribute for seven days, and adding it together, and thus giving more or less alms. “And no one should appear,” says (Scripture), “before the Lord empty-handed” (Deut. 16:16). If this was commanded to the Jews, how much more so to us? This is why the poor stand at the door, so that no one enters “empty-handed,” but enters with alms. You enter to receive mercy for yourself: show yourself mercy in advance. Whoever comes after must give more, because when we have already made the beginning, the next one must give more. Make God your debtor, and then ask Him; lend it to Him, and then demand it in order to receive it with a profit. God wants it and does not reject it. If you ask Him for alms, then He will be pleased with you; if you ask Him for alms, then you give Him a loan and you will receive a profit. So, I impress upon you, it is not by raising your hands that you can be heard; stretch out your hands not to heaven, but to the hands of the poor. If you stretch out your hands to the hands of the poor, you will reach the very heights of heaven, because the One who accepts alms will sit there; and if you begin to raise your hands without fruit, you will not receive any benefit. Tell me: if a king in purple came to you and asked you, would you not willingly give him all your property? Now, through the mouth of the poor, the king is not asking you from earth, but from heaven, and you stand, not paying attention to Him, and put off alms. What punishment do you deserve for this? Truly, one can be heard not by lifting one’s hands or by saying too many words, but by deeds. Listen to what the prophet says: “And when you stretch out your hands, I will close My eyes from you; and when you multiply your prayers, I do not hear” (Isaiah 1:15). He who lacks mercy should be silent and not raise his eyes to heaven; and he still dares to talk a lot! Meanwhile, what does (the prophet) say? “Save the oppressed, protect the orphan, intercede for the widow” and “learn to do good” (Isa.1:17; Psalm.9:39). Thus, we can be heard, even if we did not raise our hands, even if we did not say anything and did not ask for anything. Let us strive for this, so that we may be worthy of the blessings promised to us. 2 Timothy 1:8–10. So, do not be ashamed of the testimony of our Lord Jesus Christ, nor of me, His prisoner; but suffer with the gospel of Christ by the power of God, who saved us and called us with a holy calling, not according to our works, but according to His will and grace, given to us in Christ Jesus before the ages, now revealed by the appearance of our Savior Jesus Christ, who destroyed death and revealed life and incorruption through the gospel. Divine affairs cannot be judged by human considerations. – The dignity of the Eucharistic sacrifice does not depend on the person offering it. – In the Eucharist is the true body of Christ. 1. There is nothing worse than judging and measuring Divine matters by human considerations: in this way one can fall far from the stone of faith and be deprived of light. If he who wants to embrace the rays of the sun with human eyes not only fails to embrace them and does not achieve his goal, but also moves away from it and suffers great harm, then all the more so will he who dares to flow his speculations into the unapproachable light suffer harm, insulting the gift of God. Look at Marcion, Manes, Valentinus and everyone who introduced other heretical and destructive teachings into the Church of God, how they, measuring the works of God by human speculations, were ashamed of the economy of our salvation. Meanwhile, it - I mean the cross of Christ - deserves not shame, but great praise. In fact, nothing serves as such a great proof of God’s love for mankind, neither the sky, nor the sea, nor the earth, nor the creation of all things from nothing, nor everything else, like the cross. That is why Paul boasts about him: “But I,” he says, “do not desire to boast except in the cross of our Lord Jesus Christ” (Gal. 6:14). But spiritual people, who attribute nothing more to God than to people, fall away from the faith and are ashamed of it. Therefore (the apostle), convincing his disciple, and through him, everyone, says: “Do not be ashamed of the testimony of our Lord,” that is, do not be ashamed that you preach the Crucified One, but also boast. Although all these objects - death, prisons, bonds - in themselves are worthy of shame and reproach, here, if you delve into the reason for them and carefully consider the sacrament, they are worthy of great praise and great veneration. This death saved the dying universe; this death united heaven and earth; this death destroyed the power of the devil, made people angels and sons of God; this death elevated our nature to the royal throne; these bonds converted many. “Do not be ashamed,” he says, “of the testimony of our Lord Jesus Christ, nor of me, His prisoner; but suffer with the gospel”, i.e. even if you suffered it yourself, don’t be ashamed. That he expresses precisely this is evident both from the above words: “For God has not given us a spirit of fear, but of power and love and a sound mind” (2 Tim. 1:7), and from those that follow. So, “don’t be ashamed,” he says, – i.e. not just be ashamed, but: “don’t be ashamed” and experience it yourself. He didn’t say: don’t be afraid, don’t be afraid, but he encourages him more strongly with the word: “don’t be ashamed,” expressing that the danger does not seem to exist if you overcome shame. Shame is only painful when it overcomes us. So, do not be ashamed if I, who raises the dead, performs countless signs, flows around the entire universe, is now bound. I am bound not as a villain, but for the sake of the Crucified One; If my Master was not ashamed of the cross, then I am not ashamed of the bonds. Well, wanting to convince his disciple not to be ashamed, he reminded him of the cross in advance. If, he says, you are not ashamed of the cross, then do not be ashamed of the bonds; if our Lord and Teacher endured the cross, how much more can we endure the bonds; and whoever is ashamed of what he himself has suffered is ashamed of the Crucified One. I, he says, do not bear these bonds for myself. So, do not suffer anything human, but be partakers of the same suffering. “But suffer,” he says, “with the gospel, not in the sense that the gospel suffers, but he encourages the disciple to suffer for the gospel. “By the power of God, who saved us and called us with a holy calling, not according to our works, but according to His purpose and grace, which was given to us in Christ Jesus before the world began.” Since, on the other hand, to say: suffer meant to plunge the disciple into grave sorrow, the apostle again consoles him, saying: “not according to our works,” i.e. Do not think that you will endure this by your own strength, but by the strength of God; It’s your job to choose and show zeal, but to ease and calm is God’s work. Then he presents proof of the power of God. Remember, he says, how you were saved, how you were called; just as he says in another place: “by the power that works in us” (Eph. 3:20). Truly, in order to convince the universe, more power is needed than heaven can create. How is he called? “The title,” he says, “saint,” i.e. God made saints of former sinners and His enemies; and this is not from us - “God’s gift” (Eph. 2:8). If he is so strong in his calling and so good that he does it by grace and not by duty, then he should not be afraid. If even then, when it was necessary to save us, who were His enemies, He saved us by grace, then how much more will He help us when He sees our activity? “Not according to our works,” he says, “but according to His will,” i.e. not by anyone’s compulsion or advice, but by His own will, prompted by His own goodness, He saved us: this is the meaning of the words: “according to His own purpose and grace, which was given to us in Christ Jesus before the ages began,” i.e. it was predestined without beginning - to be this “in Christ Jesus.” This is also important, i.e., that God wanted this from time immemorial, and, therefore, not out of repentance. How can one say that the Son is not eternal? He himself wanted this from the beginning. “Given to us in Christ Jesus before the beginning of time, but now revealed by the appearing of our Savior Jesus Christ, who abolished death and brought to light life and incorruption through the gospel” (2 Timothy 1:10). 2. Do you see what power, do you see what gift was sent down to us not because of our works, but through the gospel? This is the subject of our hope. In the body of Christ, both (life and incorruption) already existed, and in ours there will still be. How? “Through the gospel, for which I was appointed a preacher and an apostle and teacher of the Gentiles” (2 Tim. 1:11). Why does Paul so often call himself a teacher of languages? To inspire, as I already said, that this should be close to the pagans. So, do not be upset at the thought of my suffering; the forces of death are crushed; I do not suffer as an evildoer, but to teach the pagans. At the same time, his teaching becomes reliable. “For this reason,” he says, “I suffer like this; but I'm not ashamed. For I know in whom I have believed, and I am confident that He is able to keep my pledge for that day” (2 Tim. 1:12). “But I’m not ashamed,” he says. In fact, tell me, are these bonds shameful, are these sufferings shameful? Don't be ashamed either. Do you see how he teaches teaching by doing it himself? I suffer, he says, I am thrown into prison, I suffer persecution. “For I know in whom I have believed, and am confident that He is able to keep my pledge against that day.” What does “collateral” mean? Faith, sermon. He who betrayed her himself, he says, will keep her unchanged. I endure everything so that this treasure is not plundered, and I am not ashamed of anything, as long as it is preserved intact. Or he calls the believers whom God has entrusted to him, or he has betrayed to God, as a pledge. Now, he says, I commend you to the Lord, that is, it will not be useless for me; and Timothy himself presents to me the fruit of this “pledge.” Do you see how he does not even feel his suffering in the hope of his disciples? This is how a teacher should be; This is how one should care about students—one should consider them everything to oneself. “For now,” he says, “we are alive, while you stand in the Lord” (1 Thess. 3:8); and again: “For what is our hope, or joy, or crown of praise? Are you not also before our Lord Jesus Christ” (1 Thess. 2:19)? Do you see how he cares about the welfare of his disciples no less than his own? Teachers must be superior to the carnal fathers, must be more diligent than them. But children should also have love for them. “Obey,” he says, “your teachers and be submissive, for they watch over your souls, as those who must give an account” (Heb. 13:17). Tell me: why, while your mentor is subject to such dangerous responsibility, do you not even want to obey him, and at the same time - for your own benefit? At least everything concerning him was in order, he worries until everything that concerns you is in order, and gives a double account. Imagine how much he has to work and take care of each of his subordinates. What honor can you give him, what service, that would be equivalent to such dangers? You can't offer anything equal; You have not yet laid down your life for him, but he lays down his life for you. If he does not put it here as circumstances dictate, he will destroy it there - and you don’t want to obey him even in words! This is the cause of all evil: due obedience to those in authority has disappeared, there is no shame or fear. “Obey,” he says, “your teachers and be submissive”; and now everything is perverted and overthrown. I’m not saying this for the sake of the rulers; what benefit will they receive from our veneration, even if we are extremely obedient to them? - but for your own benefit. Whether they are respected, they will not receive any benefit from it for themselves in the future life, but they may still be subject to greater condemnation; whether they are insulted, they will not suffer any harm from it in the future life, but they may still have more excuses. No, for your own sake I wish it to be so. When superiors are respected by their subordinates, then this also turns against them, as for example. God said to Elijah: “I chose you out of your father’s house” (1 Samuel 2:28); and when they are insulted, as, for example, happened to Samuel, God says: “For they have not rejected you, but they have rejected Me” (1 Samuel 8:7). So insult serves them in favor, and respect is a burden. So I say this not for their sake, but for yourselves. He who honors the priest will also honor God; and whoever begins to despise the priest will one day gradually reach the point of insulting God. “Whoever receives you,” said the Lord, “receives Me” (Matthew 10:40); His priests, it is said elsewhere, have honor (Numbers 18:8). The Jews began to despise God because they despised Moses and threw stones at him. He who reveres the priest will reverence all the more before God. Even if the priest were wicked, God, seeing that out of reverence for Him you honor even those unworthy of honor, will Himself reward you. If “whoever receives a prophet in the name of a prophet,” as the Lord says, “will receive the reward of a prophet” (Matthew 10:41), then, of course, the one who respects the priest, listens to him and obeys him will also receive a reward. If in the matter of hospitality, when you do not know whom you are accepting, you receive such a reward, then much more will you receive it when you obey the one whom the Lord commands to obey. “In Moses’ seat,” He said, “the scribes and Pharisees sat; So whatever they tell you to observe, observe and do; But do not walk according to their works” (Matthew 23:2, 3). Don't you know what a priest is? He is the angel of the Lord. Is he speaking his own way? If you despise him, then you despise not him, but the God who ordained him. How do you say it is known that God ordained him? But if you are not convinced of this, then your hope is vain; if God does not do anything through him, then you have neither been baptized, nor received the sacraments, nor received blessings, and, therefore, you are not a Christian. 3. What, you say, does God really ordain everyone, even the unworthy? God does not ordain everyone, but through everyone He Himself acts, even if they are unworthy, for the salvation of the people. If He spoke to the people through a donkey and Balaam, a wicked man (Num. 22), then much more through a priest. What does God not do for our salvation? What doesn't he say? Through whom does it not work? If He acted through Judas and through those prophets to whom He said: “I do not know you; Depart from Me, you workers of lawlessness” (Luke 13:27; Matt. 7:23), and who cast out evil spirits, much more will he act through the priests. When we begin to examine the life of leaders, we ourselves want to be ordainers of teachers, and thus everything is perverted, the legs become at the top and the head is at the bottom. Listen to Paul, who says: “It matters very little to me how you judge me or how other people judge me” (1 Cor. 4:3); and again: “Why do you condemn your brother” (Rom. 14:10)? If one should not condemn a brother, then even less a teacher. If God commanded you to do this, you would do well, and you would sin if you did not do so; but if on the contrary, then do not be impudent and do not go beyond your limits. When the calf was made, Korah, Dathan and Abiron rebelled against Aaron (Num. 16). So what? Didn't they die? Everyone mind their own business. Do not listen to anyone who teaches wrong teaching, even if he were an angel; and if someone teaches the right teaching, then look not at his life, but at his words. You have Paul, who teaches you what you should do both in deeds and in words. But, you will say, the priest does not give to the poor and does not manage affairs well. How do you know this? Before you know for sure, do not blame, be afraid of responsibility. Many things are convicted on suspicion. Imitate your Master; listen to what He says: “I will go down and see whether they are doing exactly what the cry is against them, rising to Me, or not; I will know” (Gen. 18:21). Even if you have learned, researched and seen, and then wait for the Judge, do not anticipate the right of Christ; he has the right to judge, not you; you are the last slave, not the master; you are a sheep; Do not judge the shepherd, lest you be punished for what you accuse him of. But how, you say, does he tell me, but doesn’t do it himself? It is not he himself who tells you - if you obey only him, you will not receive a reward - it is Christ who commands you. What am I saying? Even Paul should not be obeyed if he said something of his own, something human, but one should obey him as an apostle, having Christ in him, who spoke through him. Let us not judge other people's affairs, but each his own; explore your own life. But, you say, the priest should be better than me. Why? Because he is a priest. What does he not have more than you? Is it labors, dangers, worries, or sorrows? Why is he not better than you, having all this? But if he is no better than you, then why, tell me, do you need to destroy yourself? Your words come from pride. How do you know he's not better than you? He, you say, steals and blasphemes. How, man, do you know this? Why are you rushing into the abyss? When someone tells you that so-and-so is hiding the royal purple, then, even if you knew it, you close your ears, even if you could expose him, you immediately retreat and pretend that you know nothing, not wanting to expose yourself to unnecessary danger; and here you not only do not retreat, but you yourself bring unnecessary danger upon yourself. Such words of yours are not irresponsible; listen to what Christ says: “I tell you that for every idle word that people speak, they will give an answer on the day of judgment” (Matthew 12:36). In any case, if you consider yourself better than another, and do not sigh, do not hit yourself in the chest, do not bow your head, do not imitate the publican, then you have ruined yourself, even if you were really better. Are you better than the other? Be silent so that you remain the best; and as soon as you speak, you will lose everything. If you think about yourself like that, then you are no longer like that; and if you don’t think like that, you will gain even more. If such a sinner, having confessed his sins, came out justified, then what will he not gain who, not being so sinful, recognizes himself as such? Consider your own life. Aren't you stealing? But you rob, commit violence, and commit countless other similar things. I say this not to praise theft; no, I’m ready to cry bitterly if there really is such a person, which, however, I don’t believe. It is impossible to say how great the sin is sacrilege; but I pity you, I don’t want your virtues to be abolished through the condemnation of others. What, tell me, is worse than a publican? It was true that he was also a publican and guilty of many crimes, and yet the Pharisee only had to say: “not like this publican” (Luke 18:11) to lose everything. And you say about the priest: I’m not like this blasphemer - and aren’t you losing everything? I am forced to say this and refute such speeches not because I care so much about the priests, but because I am afraid for you, lest you abolish your virtues with such self-praise and condemnation of others. Listen to the exhortation that Paul teaches: “Let each one test his own work, and then he will have glory only in himself and not in another” (Gal. 6:4). 4. Tell me: if you, having received a wound, come to a hospital, will you really, instead of applying medicine and treating the wounds, begin to find out about the doctor, whether he has a wound or not? And if he has, do you care about it? And because he has it, do you leave your wound without healing and say: he, as a doctor, should have been healthy, but since he, being a doctor, is not healthy himself, then I leave my wound without healing? So it is here: if the priest is not good, will this be a consolation for the subordinate? Not at all. He will receive a certain punishment; You will also receive what you deserve and deserve. The teacher performs only the service. “And they will,” it says, “all be taught of God” (John 6:45). “And they will no longer say, ‘Know the Lord,’ for all themselves will know Me, from the least of them to the greatest” (Jer. 31:34). Why, you say, is he presiding? Why does it occupy such a place? Let us not, I exhort you, speak ill of teachers, let us not talk about them, so as not to harm ourselves; Let us examine our affairs and speak ill of no one. Let us be ashamed of the day on which he enlightened us with baptism. In a father, even if he has countless weaknesses, the son covers everything. “Do not seek glory,” says (the Wise One), “in the dishonor of your father, for the dishonor of your father is not glory for you. Even if he has become impoverished in mind, have mercy” (Sir. 3:10, 13). If this is said about carnal fathers, then all the more it must be said about spiritual fathers. Be ashamed: he serves you every day, offers to read the Scriptures, decorates the house of God for you, watches for you, prays for you, stands before God and intercedes for you, makes petitions for you, performs all his ministry for you. Be ashamed of this, imagine this and approach it with all reverence. Is he no good? But tell me, what of this? And does a good man himself impart great blessings to you? No; everything happens according to your faith. And the righteous will not benefit you at all if you are an unbeliever; and the wicked will not harm you at all if you are a believer. God also acted through oxen at the ark when He wanted to save His people (1 Samuel 6). Can the life of a priest, or his virtue, accomplish anything like this? The gifts of God are not such that they depend on priestly virtue; everything comes from grace; The priest’s job is only to open his mouth, but God does everything; the priest performs only visible actions. Remember the distance between John and Jesus; listen to what John himself says: “I need to be baptized by You” (Matthew 3:14), and also “I am not worthy to untie the thong of his sandals” (John 1:27), - and yet, despite such a distance (at baptism from him to Jesus), the Spirit descended, which John did not have. “And of His fullness,” says Scripture, “we have received all things” (John 1:16). And, however, the Spirit did not descend before baptism was performed; however, it was not John who did what He came down. Why was this so? So that you know that the priest performs only visible actions. There is not a single person who is as far apart from another as John is from Jesus - and yet the Spirit descended on Him (at the baptism of John) so that you would know that God arranges everything, that God does everything. I want to say something wonderful, but don’t be amazed or embarrassed. What is it? The offering (in the Eucharist) is the same, no matter who makes it - Paul or Peter; it is the same one that Christ taught to the disciples; The priests do the same thing now; the latter is in no way lower than the first, since it is not people who sanctify this, but He Himself who sanctified it even then. Just as the words now spoken by the priest are the same as those which the Lord spoke, so the offering is the same; and the same baptism that He administered. So everything depends on faith. The Holy Spirit immediately descended on Cornelius when he had previously demonstrated what was required on his part and revealed faith. So, this offering is the body (of Christ) just like that; and whoever thinks that it is lower than that does not know that Christ is now present and now active. So, knowing this - it was not in vain that we said all this, but in order to correct your thoughts and make you more careful in the future - try to carry out what was said in practice. If we always listen and never act, then what is said will not be of any benefit to us. Let us listen diligently, let us carefully heed what is said, let us inscribe it in our minds, depict it forever in our conscience, and let us continually send glory to the Father and the Son and the Holy Spirit. 2 Timothy 1:13–18. Hold fast to the pattern of sound teaching which you have heard from me, with faith and love that is in Christ Jesus. Keep the good deposit through the Holy Spirit who lives in us. You know that all the Asians have abandoned me; among them Figellus and Hermogenes. May the Lord give mercy to the house of Onesiphorus for the fact that he gave me rest many times and was not ashamed of my bonds, but, being in Rome, looked for me with great diligence and found me. May the Lord grant him to find favor with the Lord on that day; and how long he served me in Ephesus, you know better. We must fear God's judgment. 1. Not only by letters did (the apostle) instill in the disciple what he should do, but also in words. He expresses this in many other places, when, for example, he says: “neither by word nor by message, as if sent by us” (2 Thess. 2:2, 15); but much clearer here. So, let us not think that the teaching was not taught to them enough; He taught the student a lot without writing, which he reminds him of, saying: “Keep to the example of sound teaching that you heard from me.” What do these words mean? As painters do, he says, so I drew you an image of virtue and everything pleasing to God, and, as it were, some rule, prototype, and outline I put into your soul. Have this; whether you need advice about faith, or about love, or about chastity, borrow examples from there; You will not need to look for a model from others, because everything is contained there. "Keep a good pledge." How? "By the Holy Spirit who dwells in us." The human soul and human strength are not able by themselves to preserve such blessings entrusted to them. Why? Because there are many robbers around us, there is deep darkness, the devil stands and deceives, and we do not know at what hour, at what time he will attack us. How can we preserve them? “By the Holy Spirit,” that is, if we have the Spirit in us; and He will be inherent in us if we do not reject His grace, because “Unless the Lord builds the house, those who build it labor in vain; If the Lord does not guard the city, the watchman watches in vain” (Ps. 126:1). He is our wall, He is our fence, He is our refuge. If He lives in us and Himself protects us, then why are there instructions? So that we hold it, keep it, and not drive it away from us with evil deeds. Next he talks about temptations, not in order to amaze the student, but to excite him, so that if he ever happens to be subjected to the same temptations, he will not be embarrassed, looking at the teacher and remembering everything that happened to him. What is he saying? He was then probably taken into custody and abandoned by everyone, did not see any humanity, mercy, or help from anyone, but was abandoned by the believers and friends themselves, and therefore, listen to what he says: “You know that all the Asians have abandoned me.” There were probably many people from the Asian regions in Rome at that time; but no one, he says, came to me, no one recognized me, everyone recoiled. And look how wise his soul is. He only said what happened, but did not reproach them at all; He praised the one who did him good and wished him countless blessings, but did not wish them any harm - but what? “Among them,” says Figellus and Hermogenes. May the Lord give mercy to the house of Onesiphorus for the fact that they gave me rest many times and were not ashamed of my bonds, but, being in Rome, looked for me with great diligence and found me.” See how everywhere he points to shame, and not to danger, so as not to frighten Timothy, although the circumstances were full of dangers, because he then suffered the wrath of Nero by turning someone close to him. Arriving in Rome, he says, Onesiphorus not only did not avoid meeting me, but looked for me and found me. “May the Lord grant him to find favor with the Lord on that day; and how long he served me in Ephesus, you know better.” This is how believers should be - not to be held back by fear, threats, or shame, but to help each other, and, as if in war, to protect and help. And not so much to those in danger as to themselves, they benefit themselves, making themselves, through the services rendered to them, partakers of the crowns prepared for them. For example, one of the people who dedicated themselves to God was subjected to tribulation, endured many calamities and labored with great patience; but this feat has not yet been entrusted to you; but you can, if you want, without entering the field, become a partaker of the crowns prepared for him, being present with him, strengthening, comforting and encouraging him. And that this is really so, listen to what (the apostle) says in another epistle: “However, you did well, taking part in my sorrow” and also: “you also sent to Thessalonica once or twice for my needs” (Phil. 4:14, 16). But how did those who were absent take part in the sorrow of one who was not with them? How? “You sent it,” he says, “and once or twice for my needs.” He also says about Epaphroditus: “I was close to death, endangering my life, in order to make up for the lack of your services to me” (Phil. 2:30). Just as among kings, not only those who fight, but also those who keep weapons are awarded honor, and not just any, but often even receive gifts equal to those, although they did not stain their hands with blood, did not take weapons and did not even see the enemy army at all - so much more so in these (spiritual) sorrows. Whoever helps a warrior who is exhausted from hunger by being present with him, encouraging him with words and providing him with all sorts of other services, receives the same reward as the warrior. 2. Consider here not Paul, the invincible and indestructible warrior, but everyone else, who, perhaps, would not have resisted and would not have struggled if he had not received great encouragement and great consolation. Likewise, those who are outside the struggle become the culprits of victory for those who entered the struggle, and therefore will be partakers of the crowns prepared for victory. And what is surprising if someone, taking part in the exploits of still-living warriors, is awarded the same awards as them, when you can take part in people who are already dead, already lying down, already crowned and in need of nothing after death? Listen, in fact, to what Paul says: “take part in the needs of the saints” (Rom. 12:13). But how, you say, can one become a partaker of them? If you are surprised at the holy man, if you do something for which he is crowned, if you take part in his exploits, and therefore in the crowns. “May the Lord grant him to find favor with the Lord on that day.” He showed me mercy, he says, and for this he will receive reward on that terrible and terrible day when we need great mercy. “May the Lord grant him to find favor with the Lord.” So, two Lords? Not at all, “but for us there is one Lord Christ Jesus and one God”; “But we have one God the Father, from whom are all things, and we are to Him, and one Lord Jesus Christ” (1 Cor. 8:6). Those infected with Marcion's heresy refer to this expression; but let them know that it is very common in Scripture, and in other places this expression can often be found, when, for example, it is said: “The Lord said to my Lord” (Ps. 109:1); and again: “I said to the Lord: You are my Lord” (Ps. 15:2); and again: “The Lord rained brimstone and fire from the Lord out of heaven” (Gen. 19:24). This shows the consubstantiality of the Divine persons, and not the difference of essence; and (the apostle) says this not so that we imagine two beings different from each other, but two persons having the same essence. And notice how he expresses himself: “God willing.” What? Nothing more than "mercy." Just as (the apostle) himself received mercy from Onesiphorus, so he wants to receive the same from God. If Onesiphorus, who exposed himself to danger, is saved through works of mercy, then how much more so are we. A terrible, truly terrible account lies ahead of us, and we must show a lot of love for mankind, so as not to hear the terrible words: “Depart from Me, I know you, you who practice iniquity” (Matthew 7:23), - so as not to hear again the terrible words: “Depart from Me, you cursed, into the eternal fire prepared for the devil and his angels” (Matthew 25:41), - so as not to hear: “between us and the great abyss has been fixed by you” (Luke 16:26), so as not to hear with trepidation: “Take him and throw him into outer darkness” (Matthew 22:13), - so as not to hear with great fear: “the wicked and slothful servant” (Matthew 25:26). This judgment seat is terrible, very terrible and terrible, although God is good, although He is merciful. He is called the God of bounties and the God of comfort (2 Cor. 1:3); He is good like no other, lenient, generous and abundantly merciful; He does not want the sinner to die, but for him to turn and live (Ezek. 33:11). Why, why will this day be filled with such horror? A river of fire will flow before his face, the books of our deeds will be opened, the day itself will be like a burning cave, angels will rush around, and many fires will be lit. How, you say, is God philanthropic, how merciful, how good? So, with all this, He is philanthropic, and here the greatness of His philanthropy is especially revealed. This is why He instills such fear in us, so that in this way we awaken and begin to strive for the kingdom of heaven. But look how (the apostle) not only mentions Onesiphorus, but says: “he gave me rest many times.” He, he says, calmed and strengthened me in suffering, like a warrior exhausted from the heat. “You know better how long he served me in Ephesus,” not only in Ephesus, he says, but here too. This is how a zealous and watchful Christian should be - he should do good not once, not twice or thrice, but throughout his entire life. Just as our body is not once nourished to support itself throughout life, but has a need for daily nutrition, so here, in piety, we daily have a need for help from good deeds. We need great mercy, and the humane God does everything for our sins, not needing anything Himself, but doing everything for us. This is why He said and explained everything to us, and not only explained it, but also showed it through deeds. Although some of his words are reliable, so that no one would suspect his words of exaggeration or mere threat, he adds evidence through deeds. How? Sending down punishments on people - both private and general. And so that you may be convinced by the deeds themselves, for this purpose He either punished Pharaoh, then brought a flood of water and general destruction, or sent a destructive fire. And now we see how many wicked people are punished and given over to torture. All these are similarities to Gehenna. 3. So that we do not indulge in sleep and carelessness and do not forget the words (of the Lord), He reminds us of them and excites us with deeds, arranging interrogations, trials, and punishments here too. If people care so much about justice, then does God, who is the lawgiver himself, not pay any attention to it? Can you believe this? Indeed, you can see judgment courts everywhere - both in the house and in the square. So in the house the master judges the slaves every day, demands an account of their actions, and punishes for some, and forgives for others; In the villages, the farmer and his wife are in court each day; on ships the helmsman judges; in the army, the military leader judges the soldiers; in the arts, teacher - student; and many judgments can be found. Thus, both in particular and in general, everyone judges each other, and nowhere do you see justice being neglected, but everyone and everywhere gives an account. If the concern for justice is so widespread here - both in cities, and in houses, and in each person individually, then is there really no justice where the right hand of God is filled with righteousness (Psalm 47:11), and where “His righteousness is like the mountains of God” (Psalm 35:7)? But why, you say, does God, a righteous, omnipotent and long-suffering judge, allow sins and not immediately punish? Here lies the reason: He, you say, is long-suffering, and He endures for a long time, leading you to repentance; if you persist, then “because of your stubbornness and unrepentant heart, you are storing up wrath for yourself” (Rom. 2:4, 5). So, if He is righteous, He will reward according to their worth and will not leave those who do evil unpunished, because this is characteristic of the righteous. If He is omnipotent, He will reward both at death and at resurrection, because this is characteristic of the omnipotent. If, out of His long-suffering, He delays, then let us not be embarrassed and say: Why doesn’t He punish here? After all, if this were so, if He daily subjected us to punishment for our crimes, then the human race would no longer exist. No, truly there is no day free from sins, but every day we sin more or less, so that none of us could reach the age of twenty if it were not for his great long-suffering and goodness, which gives us sufficient time for repentance so that we can be cleansed of sins. Let, therefore, everyone, having delved into his affairs with a right conscience and examined his whole life, see if he deserves countless torments and executions. And when he is indignant about why such and such, who commits many evil deeds, is not punished, then let him present his own deeds, and his indignation will cease. The sins of another seem great because they concern important and obvious subjects; but if he examines his own deeds, perhaps he will find them even greater. Thus, to steal and to be covetous is equally a sin, whether it concerns gold or silver; both are born from the same thought, and the one who stole a little will not refuse to steal more; if he did not do this, then this happened not from himself, but by coincidence. A poor man who offends the poorest would not leave the rich man alone if he could, but he does not do this out of powerlessness, and not of his own will. Such and such a boss, you might say, steals the property of his subordinates. And you, tell me, aren’t you kidnapping? Don’t tell me that he steals talents of gold, and you steal dozens of obols. And others put gold into the treasury, and the widow put two mites, and, however, she contributed no less than them. Why? Because God values ​​willfulness, not alms. If you allow God to judge alms in such a way that your donation, consisting of two mites, due to your poverty, is no less than those who donated thousands of talents of gold, then why don’t you allow the same in covetousness? Is this reasonable? Just as a widow, having deposited two mites, willingly sacrificed no less than others, so you, having stolen two mites, are no better than other thieves, but even, if one can say something surprising, you reveal covetousness much more than they. Just as someone is equally guilty of adultery, whether someone committed it with the wife of a king, or with the wife of a poor man, or with the wife of a slave, because sin is judged not by the difference of persons, but by the evil disposition of the one who decided on it, so it is exactly here. And even I would rather call an adulterer the one who commits adultery with some insignificant woman, rather than with the queen herself, because here wealth, beauty and much more could serve as seduction, but there is nothing of the kind there, and, therefore, there is much more adultery there. In the same way, I will call the one who gets drunk on bad wine a drunkard; as well as covetous - one who does not neglect even the smallest things. Indeed, he who steals the great may perhaps neglect the little; but he who steals little things will never give up big things, and therefore the latter is a thief par excellence. Whoever does not despise silver, will he despise gold? So, when we condemn the leaders, we will present our own deeds, and we will see that we ourselves are more guilty of both theft and covetousness, if we judge this not by our deeds, but by our spiritual disposition, as we should judge. In fact, tell me, if someone who stole from a poor man and another who stole from a rich man are brought to court, will they not both receive the same punishment? Also, a murderer, is it not the same for a murderer whether he kills a poor and wretched person, or a rich and powerful one? So, when we say that such and such took away property from such and such, then we will think about our own deeds, and then we will not condemn others, we will marvel at the long-suffering of God, we will not be indignant that His judgment does not come to sinners, and we ourselves will be less quick to commit evil deeds. When we see that we ourselves are guilty of the same thing, we will no longer continue to be indignant at others, but will abandon our sins and be counted worthy of future blessings in Christ Jesus our Lord, to whom, with the Father and the Holy Spirit, be glory, power, honor, now and ever, and to the ages of ages. Amen. 2 Timothy 2:1–7. Therefore, my son, be strengthened in the grace of Christ Jesus, and what you have heard from me in the presence of many witnesses, convey to faithful people who will be able to teach others. So endure suffering as a good soldier of Jesus Christ. No warrior binds himself to everyday affairs in order to please the military leader. Even if someone strives, he will not be crowned if he struggles illegally. The toiling farmer must be the first to taste the fruit. Understand what I say. May the Lord give you understanding in everything. Reward for teaching. – There is neither true glory nor true blessings on earth. – Compare Paul with Nero. 1. It gives a student at sea a lot of courage when his teacher was shipwrecked and saved, because he no longer thinks that the storms attack him because of his lack of skill, but because of the natural order of things; and this helps a lot to maintain vigor. In the same way, it is encouraging for the commander of a detachment in war when he sees that his commander, being wounded, remains courageous. Likewise, it is a consolation for believers that the apostle suffered many disasters and did not lose heart from any of them. Otherwise, if this were not so, (Paul) would not have spoken about his suffering. Timothy, hearing that the teacher, who had done so much and conquered the whole universe, was in chains, in sorrow, abandoned by his own, and, however, did not complain or be indignant, and he himself, having undergone the same disasters, would not attribute what happened to human weakness, or to the fact that he is a disciple and less than Paul - after all, the teacher also suffered - according to the natural order of things. Therefore (the apostle) did so, and therefore he expands on all this in order to encourage and strengthen (Timothy). For this purpose, having talked about his sorrows and temptations, he continues: “be strong, my son, in the grace of Christ Jesus.” What are you saying? You struck us with fear, you said that you are bound, that you are in sorrow, that everyone has abandoned you, and then, as if having said that you have not suffered any disaster and have not been abandoned by anyone, you add: “Be strong, my son.” And rightly so, because the former can encourage you much more than the latter. Indeed, if I, Paul, endure such calamities, then you must endure them much more; If the teacher suffers, then how much more so does the student. He offers this admonition (to Timothy) with great love, calling him “son,” and not simply, but “my son.” If, he says, you are a son, then imitate your father; if you are a son, then be strengthened by what I have said; however, not only with my words, but with the grace of God: “be strong, my son, in the grace of Christ Jesus,” that is, the grace of Christ; stand courageously; you know the order of battle. So in another place, explaining that “our struggle is not against flesh and blood” (Eph. 6:12), he says this not to defeat the listeners, but to encourage them. So, be sober, he says, stay awake; the grace of the Lord moves and helps you; but you, too, do your job with complete readiness and eagerness. “And what you have heard from me in the presence of many witnesses, commit it to faithful people”—faithful, and not those who love to investigate and reason. “Faithful”, i.e. what? Those who will not betray what they preached. “What I heard,” and not what I made up, since “faith comes by hearing, and hearing by the word of God” (Rom. 10:17). What does it mean: “in the presence of many witnesses”? He seems to be saying this: you heard from me not secretly and secretly, but in the presence of many, openly. He did not say: say, but: “pass on,” as if about a treasure that is transferred and stored in a safe place. So he again instills fear in the student with both previous and subsequent words. Moreover, “pass on,” he says, not only to the faithful, since what is the benefit if the one who accepted, although faithful, cannot pass on the teachings to others, if he, although he himself does not betray the faith, does not make others the same? A teacher needs to have two qualities: to be faithful and to be a teacher. That’s why he says: “Who would be able to teach others. So endure suffering as a good soldier of Jesus Christ." Oh, what an honor it is to be a soldier of Christ! Remember how important it is for warriors to be under the command of earthly kings; if it is common for a royal warrior to endure suffering, then not to endure suffering is unworthy of a warrior. So, you should not grieve if you endure suffering - this is characteristic of a warrior - but you should grieve if you do not tolerate it. “No warrior binds himself to everyday affairs in order to please the military leader. Even if someone strives, he will not be crowned if he struggles illegally.” This was said to Timothy, but through him it is said to every teacher and student. Let no one who has a bishopric be upset when he hears this, but let him be upset without doing it. “But even if someone strives, he will not be crowned if he struggles illegally.” What does “if illegal” mean? For him, it is not enough to go out on a feat, or to get dirty, or to get along with the enemy; but if he does not comply with all the laws of the fight regarding food, abstinence and cleanliness, the very place of the fight, and in general if he does not fulfill everything befitting warriors, then he will not receive the crown. And look at the wisdom of Paul: he reminds (Timothy) of the struggle and of the soldiers, both so that he is ready for death, murder and bloodshed, and in order to instill in him firmness, so that he endures everything courageously and is constantly in exploits. “The toiling farmer,” he says, “should be the first to taste the fruit.” Pointing to his example and speaking about the teacher, (the apostle) further speaks about what happens to ordinary people, about warriors, about warriors, and at the same time points to their rewards, firstly - “to please the military leader”, and secondly - “to be crowned”; He also gives a third example, which is especially close (to Timothy). The example of a warrior and warrior applies to subordinates, and the example of a farmer applies to a teacher, who must be not only a warrior and warrior, but also a farmer. The farmer cares not only about himself, but also about the fruits of the earth, that is, the farmer receives considerable reward for his labors in fruits. 2. Here (the apostle), pointing to a well-known example, expresses that God has no need for anything, and speaks of reward for teaching. Just as a farmer, he says, works not without benefit, but he himself enjoys the fruits of his labors before others, so should a teacher. Either he is talking about this, or about the honor given to teachers. However, the latter assumption has no basis; otherwise, why does he speak not just about a farmer, but about a worker, and not just about a worker, but about someone who has already worked? And so that no one complains about the delay (of reward), he says: you are already receiving reward, or: in the work itself there is reward. After he gave examples of warriors, warriors and farmers, and outlined everything briefly, he says: “But even if someone strives, he will not be crowned if he struggles illegally”; and having said: “The toiling farmer must be the first to partake of the fruit,” he adds: “Understand what I say. May the Lord give you understanding in everything." This is why all this was said in examples and parables. Then again, out of his love, he begins to admonish him, as if fearing for him, as if for his own son, and says: “Remember the Lord Jesus Christ of the seed of David, who rose from the dead according to my gospel, for which I suffer even to the point of imprisonment, like an evildoer; but there is no bond on the word of God” (2 Tim. 2:8–9). Why does he mention this here? Mainly in order to repel heretics, and at the same time in order to encourage the student and show the benefit of suffering, since the teacher himself, our Christ, conquered death through suffering. Remember this, he says, and you will have sufficient consolation. “Remember,” he says, “the Lord Jesus Christ, from the seed of David, who rose from the dead.” At that time, some had already begun to pervert the economy of our salvation, ashamed of the greatness of God’s love for mankind. Indeed, God’s benefits to us are so great that people are ashamed to attribute them to God, and do not believe that He would show such condescension. “According to my gospel,” he says. He often repeats in his epistles: “according to my gospel,” either because he should have been believed, or because others preached a different gospel. “For which,” he says, “I suffer even to the point of imprisonment, like a villain.” Again, in his own example, he offers consolation, and again - exhortation, encouraging the listener in two ways: by pointing out his suffering, and that he is not subjected to it without benefit. Thus, it will be beneficial for the listener; otherwise it is even harmful, because what is the benefit if you show that the teacher suffers, but without any benefit? Otherwise, it is worthy of surprise if he suffers with benefit, for the benefit of those taught. “But there is no bond to the word of God” (2 Tim. 2:9). If, he says, we were worldly warriors, or were waging a sensual war, then these bonds that bind our hands would have force; Now God has made us such that nothing can defeat us. Our hands are tied, but not our tongues; Nothing can bind the tongue, except fear and unbelief; if we do not have them, then even if you put shackles on us, the sermon is not bound. He who binds the farmer prevents sowing, because the farmer sows with his hand; but if you bind a teacher, you will not hinder his word, because he sows with his tongue, and not with his hand. So our word is not subject to bonds, and when we are bound, it is untied and stretches forward. In what way would you say? But here we are preaching, although we are connected. He says this to encourage those who are not bound: if we, who are bound, preach, then all the more should you, who are unbound, do so. Have you heard that I “suffer like a villain?” Don't be discouraged; a truly great miracle - for the bound to do the same as the unbound do, for the bound to surpass everyone, for the bound to defeat those who bound him. What we preach is the word of God, not ours; human bonds cannot bind the words of God. I endure this, he says, for the sake of the elect: “Therefore I endure all things for the sake of the elect, so that they also may receive salvation in Christ Jesus with eternal glory” (2 Tim. 2:10). Here is another admonition. I endure this, he says, not for myself, but for the salvation of others. If I were only looking for what was mine, I could live comfortably, I could not tolerate anything like that. Why am I putting up with this? For the benefit of others, so that others may receive eternal life. And what else does it add? He didn’t just say: for some, but: “for the sake of the elect.” If God has chosen them, then we must endure everything for them, “so that they too may receive salvation.” With the expression: “so that they too,” he explains and shows that (they will receive the same) as we do, because God has chosen us too. As God suffered for us, so we must suffer for them; and thus it will be a reward, and not a gift. On the part of God this was a gift, because He showed us benefits without having yet experienced anything good from us; and on our part this is retribution, because we, having ourselves received benefits from God in advance, suffer for those for whom we suffer, so that they receive salvation. What are you saying? What salvation? Whoever is not the author of his own salvation, but destroys himself, can he be the author of the salvation of others? That is why (the apostle) added: not such salvation, but “in Christ Jesus” true salvation, “with eternal glory.” The present circumstances are regrettable, but they are only on earth; the present circumstances are painful, but they are temporary; they are full of troubles and sorrows, but only for today and tomorrow. 3. True blessings are not like this, but they are eternal, in heaven. The glory there is true, but the glory here is dishonor. Listen, beloved: there is no glory on earth, but true glory is in heaven; whoever wants to become famous, let him (here) suffer dishonor; whoever wants to achieve peace must (here) endure sorrow; whoever wants to rejoice and be blissful forever must despise the temporary. And that here dishonor is glory, and glory is dishonor, we will try to prove this as much as possible in order to find out true glory. It is impossible to achieve glory on earth; if you want to become famous, then through dishonor. Let us explain this with the example of two persons, Nero and Paul. The first enjoyed worldly fame, the second suffered dishonor. How? Nero was a sovereign, accomplished many important deeds, set up trophies, had inexhaustible wealth and countless troops everywhere, most of the universe was subject to him, the capital obeyed him, the entire Senate bowed before him, his very palaces had a brilliant appearance. Whether it was necessary to arm himself, he came out, dressed in weapons, decorated with gold and precious stones; whether it was necessary to remain in the world - he sat, dressed in purple. He had many spearmen and shield-bearers; he was called the ruler of the earth and sea, autocrat, Augustus, Caesar, king and many other similar names that invent flattery and servility. In general, he did not lack anything that was needed for glory; even the sages, rulers and kings feared him and stood in awe of him. However, he was known as a cruel and shameless man; he even wanted to be a god, despised all idols and God himself (the Lord) of all, and accepted divine worship. What is higher than such glory, or better yet, what is worse than such dishonor? I don’t know how my lips, carried away by the truth, went ahead and pronounced the verdict even before the trial. But first, let us examine this matter according to the general judgment, according to the judgment of the infidels, according to the judgment of flattery. What could be higher than that glory to be called even a god? It is truly a great dishonor for a man to reach such madness; however, we will examine the matter according to the general judgment. Thus, he did not lack anything that was needed for human glory, and everyone served him as if he were a god. Now, if you like, let us imagine Paul in contrast to him. He was a Cilician; and everyone knows what the difference is between Cilicia and Rome; there was a tanner, poor, inexperienced in worldly wisdom, who could speak only Hebrew, a language despised by everyone, and especially by the Italians, who do not so much despise people who speak a barbarian language, or Greek, or some other language, as they do in Syrian; and the Hebrew language has great similarities with it. And it is not surprising that they despised this language; if they despise the wonderful and beautiful Greek language, then even more so the Hebrew. (Paul) was a man who often suffered from hunger, who went to bed without food, who had no clothes to cover himself with, who lived, as he himself says, “in cold and nakedness” (2 Cor. 11:27), while being in bonds in which he was imprisoned, by order of the same (Nero), along with robbers, wizards, tomb robbers, murderers, and was punished as a villain, as he himself says (2 Tim. 2:9). Which of them is more glorious? Many do not even know this by name, but isn’t this glorified every day by the Hellenes, the barbarians, the Scythians, and those living at the very ends of the universe? However, we will not talk about what is now, and will explore what was then. Which of them was more famous? Who's nicer? Is it the one who was dragged out of prison in chains and shackles, or the one who emerged from the royal palaces in purple? Of course, a prisoner. Why? Because he, even having an army and sitting in shiny clothes, could not do everything he wanted; and this prisoner, imprisoned as a villain and dressed in poor clothes, did everything autocratically. How and in what way? He said: these are not words of piety; and this one answered: I will not stop sowing, because “there are no bonds for the word of God” (2 Tim. 2:9); and the Cilician, a prisoner, a tabernacle-maker, a poor man who suffered hunger, opposed the Roman, a rich man who reigned, who commanded everyone, who distributed thousands to thousands - and the latter, with all the multitude of his army, could not do anything. Which of them was more glorious? Who is more worthy of respect? Is he victorious in chains, or is he conquered in purple? Was he standing below and casting down, or was he sitting above and being cast down? Did he command and be met with contempt, or did he receive commands and pay no attention to them? Was he alone and victorious, or surrounded by countless troops and conquered? The king retreated, and the prisoner erected a trophy of victory over him. Tell me: in which of these two positions would anyone want to be? Don’t tell me about the consequences, but for now consider the positions themselves: which of them would everyone like to be in - Pavlov’s, or Nero’s? I’m not talking in relation to faith - this is obvious - but in relation to fame, celebrity, nobility. Any sane person would say: in Pavlovo. If it is more glorious to conquer than to be defeated, then he is glorious; and it is not only important that he won, but that, being in such a state (like Paul), he defeated someone who was in such a state (like Nero). So, I will say again and will not stop saying, the one in chains defeated the one wearing a diadem! 4. Such is the power of Christ: the bonds defeated the royal crown, and the first turned out to be more glorious than the last. (Paul) was dressed in unclean rags, as if he were living in prison, but the bonds with which he was bound attracted everyone more than purple; he sat on the ground, imprisoned and with his head bowed, but everyone flocked to listen to him, leaving the one who was sitting on the golden chariot. And fair enough. It’s an ordinary thing to see a king sitting on a white horse; but it is extraordinary and amazing to see a prisoner answering the king with such boldness as the king does to a poor and pitiful slave. Many people stood around, and they were all servants of the king, but they were surprised not at their ruler, but at the one who defeated their ruler; he alone trampled underfoot the one whom everyone feared and trembled. Behold, such is his glory in his very bonds! What can we say about what follows? The tomb of one (Nero) is also unknown, and the other (Paul) lies more glorious than all the kings in the very capital where he won the victory, where he erected the trophy. Even if anyone close to him remembers this, it will be with disgust—he, they say, was a libertine—but this is remembered with praise everywhere, not only between us, but also between the enemies themselves. When the truth has shone, then the enemies cannot persist, but are surprised, if not by Paul’s faith, then by his boldness, his courage. This one is proclaimed by everyone and everywhere, extolling him with praise, and this one is showered with blasphemy and reproach. Which one of them is famous? However, I imperceptibly began to praise the lion by his nails, instead of talking about what was really worthy of praise. What is this? What will happen in heaven is how (Paul) will appear with the King of Heaven, in a bright form, and how Nero will then stand sad, with his head bowed. If my words seem incredible and funny to you, then you yourself are funny, laughing at what is not worthy of laughter. If you do not believe the future, then believe what has already happened: the time for the crowns has not yet come, and yet this ascetic has already received such an honor; what kind of glory will he be awarded when the hero of heroism comes? He was a stranger among strangers, a wanderer and a stranger, and deserved such surprise: what good would he not receive when he was among his own? “Your life is hidden with Christ in God” (Col. 3:3), and yet the deceased acts and is honored more than the living: what will he not receive, what will he not achieve, when our very life comes? This is why God honored him with such an honor here, and not because he had a need for it - after all, if even in his bodily life he despised glory from people, then much more so after separation from the body. And not only because God honored him with such an honor, but also so that those who do not believe in the future can be convinced of that, at least from the present. I say that Paul will come with the King of heaven when the resurrection occurs, that he will be worthy to enjoy countless blessings; but the unbeliever does not believe; let him believe this from present events. The creator of the skin is more glorious than the king, in greater honor than the king; no Roman king was awarded such an honor; the king lies somewhere outside the city, and he (Paul) occupies the middle of the city, as if he were a king, and a living one at that. Therefore, believe in the future. If here, where he was persecuted and persecuted, he received such an honor, then what will happen when he appears again? If he became so famous where he was a screen-maker, then what will happen when he comes in the brilliance of the sun's rays? If after such humiliation he achieved such greatness, then what will he not achieve when he comes again? It is impossible to reject what has actually happened. Who would not be convinced by the fact that the creator of the skin became more famous than the one who was admired more than all the kings? If a supernatural event happened here, then even more so it will happen in the future. Believe, man, the present, if you don’t want to believe the future; believe what is visible if you do not want to believe what is invisible; or better to say: believe what is visible, and you will believe what is invisible. If you don’t want to, then it’s time for us to say the words of the apostle: we are pure from your blood; We have taught you everything, and have not omitted to say anything that should have been said (Acts 20:26); It is your own fault if you make yourself worthy of punishment in Gehenna. Let us, beloved children, imitate Paul not only in faith, but also in life; let us despise the glory here in order to receive the glory of heaven. Let nothing real carry us away; Let us despise visible blessings in order to receive heavenly blessings, or better, so that through the latter we may also receive the former, having in mind, however, primarily to achieve the heavenly blessings, which may we all be worthy of. ( 2 Timothy 2:11-14 ) “This is a sure saying: If we died with Him, we will also live with Him; if we endure, then we will reign with Him; if we deny, He will deny us; if we are unfaithful, He remains faithful, for He cannot deny Himself. Remind this, begging before the Lord not to enter into verbal disputes, which does not serve in the least to benefit, but to the frustration of those listening.” Remorse disturbs our peace. - Fear of judgment. – Sometimes in real life God punishes the wicked. 1. Many of the weak people refuse the feat of faith and cannot bear the delay in the fulfillment of hope, but strive for present blessings and judge the future by them. When death, torment, and bonds were imminent here, and (Paul) told his listeners that they would go into eternal life, then another might not believe and say: what do you preach - how is it that when I live, then I die, and when I die, then I will live? You don’t promise me anything on earth, but you deliver it in heaven? Don't give little and promise great things? Therefore, so that no one thinks so, (the apostle) presents undoubted proof of this. He had already stated this before and cited evidence - namely, the words: “Remember the Lord Jesus Christ, risen from the dead” (2 Tim. 2:8) mean that He was resurrected after death - and now again he explains the same and says: “the word is true,” that he who has heavenly life will also receive eternal life. Why “if we died with Him,” he says, “then we will live with Him.” In fact, tell me, if we participate with Christ in sorrows and suffering, then shall we not participate with Him in blessings? Этого не сделал бы и человек, – чтобы, достигнув покоя, не принять в общение с собою того, кто решился вместе с ним страдать и умереть. When did we die together (with Christ)? (Апостол) говорит о смерти, как посредством купели крещения, так и посредством страданий. So he says: “We bear in the body the death of the Lord” (2 Cor. 4:10); also: “they were buried with Him through baptism into death” (Rom. 6:4); and again: “our old man is crucified with Him” (Rom. 6:6); and again: “united with Him in the likeness of His death” (Rom. 6:5). Здесь же он говорит и о смерти посредством искушений, и преимуще­ственно об ней, так как он находился в искушениях, когда писал это. Смысл слов его следующий: если ради Него мы умерли, то ужели не оживем ради Него? There is no doubt about it. “If we endure,” he says, “then we will reign with Him.” Не сказал просто: воцаримся, но: «если терпим» , показывая, что не­достаточно умереть однажды, – сам этот блаженный умирал ежедневно, – а нужно иметь много терпения, которое особенно необходимо было Тимофею. Do not refer, he says, to previous sufferings, but tell me whether you constantly endure. Then he offers him admonition from the other side, not from good people, but also from evil ones. If even the evil could become participants in the same thing (which awaits the good), then this would not be a consolation; and if those who endured were to reign with Christ, and those who were impatient would receive only the punishment that they would not reign with Him, then, although this is terrible, it would not be a sufficient threat for many. That’s why he says something more terrible: “if we deny, He will deny us.” Consequently, retribution will befall not only the good, but also the evil. Imagine what the one who is rejected in his kingdom will endure. “Whoever denies Me,” He says, “I will also deny” (Matthew 10:33). Retribution is not equal to the crime, although, according to him, it seems so. We who deny Him are people, and He is God; Is it necessary to say what is the distance between God and people? 2. On the other hand, with such renunciation we harm ourselves, but not God, and we cannot (harm him). That is why (the apostle), explaining this, continues: “if we are unfaithful, He remains faithful, for He cannot deny Himself” - that is, if we do not believe that He has risen, then He does not suffer any harm from this; He is true, He is unchangeable, whether we confess Him or not. If He does not suffer any harm when we renounce Him, it means that He requires our confession for nothing other than for our own benefit. He remains the same, whether we renounce Him or not: “for He cannot deny Himself,” that is, renounce what He is. We can say that it does not exist, although in reality it is not so. He, in his essence, cannot help but be; this is impossible, that is, it is impossible for him to turn into oblivion; He always abides, always exists by His nature. So let us not think that we can do Him a favor or harm Him. Further, so that no one would think that Timothy had a need for such (suggestions), (the apostle) adds: “Remind this, begging before the Lord not to enter into verbal disputes, which does not serve in the least for the benefit, but for the frustration of those listening.” It’s scary to speak, bringing God as a witness, because if no one decides to change by calling a person as a witness, then even less so – God. For example, if someone draws up an agreement or a will, calling on reliable witnesses, then who would dare to attribute them to someone else, an outsider? Nobody; and even if he wanted to, he would be careful, fearing the reliability of the witnesses. What does it mean: “conjuring”? This means calling God to witness your words and actions. “Do not enter into verbal disputes”; and not only for this reason, but also “to the frustration,” he says, “of those listening.” From here there is not only no benefit, but also great harm. So, “Remind this,” but if the listeners neglect, then God will be their judge. Why does He exhort not to “enter into disputes over words”? He knew that this was an ordinary matter and that the human soul is always prone to competition and debate. To prevent this from happening, he does not simply say: “Do not enter into verbal disputes,” but uses a more terrible expression, adding: “to the frustration of those listening.” “Be diligent to present yourself approved to God, a workman who does not need to be ashamed, rightly dividing the word of truth” (2 Timothy 2:15). Everywhere he exhorts to avoid shame. Why does he mention shame so often? Because many could be ashamed of Paul himself, as the creator of the tabernacle, and of the Christian teaching, whose teachers suffered torment: Christ was crucified, he (Paul) was expected to be beheaded, Peter was nailed to the cross with his head down, and at the same time they suffered this from insignificant and despicable people. Since such people dominated, then (the apostle) says: do not be ashamed, that is, do not be at all ashamed to do everything that relates to piety, even if for this you had to be subjected to slavery, or suffer something else. How to become “worthy”? Being a “worker who does not need to be ashamed.” Just as (every) worker labors without being ashamed of anything, so should the worker of the gospel do so; he must be ready for anything. “Those who faithfully administer the word of truth.” Well (the apostle) said this, because many abuse and distort the word of truth, adding to it many things that are untrue. He did not say: manager, but: “those who teach faithfully” - i.e. separate out what is wrong, and reflect and cut off everything like that with great force; as if along a stretched thread, cut off with a spiritual sword everything that is unnecessary and alien to the sermon. “But avoid obscene idle talk” (2 Tim. 2:16), because the matter will not end there; but when something new is introduced, it constantly gives rise to new divisions; The one who comes out of a quiet harbor wanders endlessly and does not stop anywhere. “They will prosper even more,” he says, “in wickedness, and their word will spread like cancer” (2 Tim. 2:17). This is an uncontrollable evil that cannot be stopped by healing, but infects everything. (The Apostle) suggests that idle talk is a disease, and even worse than a disease; also expresses the incorrigibility of such people; they are mistaken not by chance, but voluntarily, and therefore are completely incorrigible. “Such,” he says, “are Hymenaeus and Philetus, who have departed from the truth, saying that the resurrection has already taken place, and destroy the faith of some” (2 Tim. 2:18). Well he said: “they will prosper.” Apparently, this is evil only in itself; but look at the consequences that come from this. If the resurrection has already taken place, then from here the harm for us is not only that we have lost great glory, but also judgment and retribution are destroyed; if the resurrection already took place, then there was also retribution; the good, therefore, did not receive reward for sorrow and suffering, and the evil were not punished, and it is good that they lived in pleasure. It was better to say that there is no resurrection than to say that it has already happened. “And they destroy,” he says, “the faith of some.” Not all, but “in some,” if there is no resurrection, then faith is destroyed: “if Christ is not risen, then our preaching is in vain,” and Christ is not risen (1 Cor. 15:13, 14); and if He was not resurrected, then He was not born and did not ascend into heaven. Do you see how opposition, apparently, to the doctrine of the resurrection alone entails many bad consequences? What, you say, is there really no need to do anything with those who waver (in the faith)? “But the solid foundation,” says (the apostle), “stands of God, having this seal: The Lord knows those who are His; and: “Let everyone who confesses the name of the Lord depart from unrighteousness” (2 Tim. 2:19). 3. Here it is shown that they were not steadfast before they were shaken; otherwise they would not have wavered from the first attack, just as Adam was not firm before the temptation. The firm not only do not tolerate anything from seducers, but also deserve surprise. “Solid,” he says, “the foundation.” So you need to be devoted to faith. “Having this seal, the Lord knows those who are His.” What does it mean? The apostle borrowed this from Deuteronomy 2. It means: solid souls stand firm and motionless. How can this be seen? From the fact that such words are inscribed on their deeds, that God knows them and does not allow them to perish, that they move away from untruth. “Let everyone who confesses the name of the Lord turn away from unrighteousness.” These are the signs of foundation! Such a person is like a solid foundation. Just as an inscription is made on a stone so that it is a sign of him, this inscription is expressed in his deeds. “Having,” he says, this seal inscribed: “Let everyone who confesses the name of the Lord depart from unrighteousness.” Therefore, whoever commits a lie does not have this reason; and the sign of this seal is not to do untruth. So, let us not deprive ourselves of this royal seal and sign, lest we remain unsealed and unstable, but stand on the foundations, and on solid foundations, and not be carried away. This is the sign of people who belong to God - to shun unrighteousness! How can one belong to God, who is righteous, who does injustice, opposes him with his deeds and offends him with his actions? But again we condemn untruth and again stir up many dissatisfied people against ourselves. Passion, like some kind of tyrant, took possession of the souls of everyone, and - that’s what’s scary - it took possession not by coercion or violence, but by conviction and passion, so that they are grateful for such slavery. This is truly scary, because if they were held back by violence rather than affection, they would soon fall behind. And why does something that is in itself very unpleasant seem pleasant? On the contrary, why does the truth seem unpleasant, when it is very pleasant? It depends on our feelings. So some found honey bitter, while others took something harmful with pleasure; the reason is not in the essence of things, but in the depravity of bad people themselves. Think about the judgment seat in our soul. Just as scales incorrectly show the weight of the things being weighed when the plumb line is not properly confirmed, so the soul cannot judge things well, but hesitates and is carried away when the plumb line of its thoughts is not confirmed and is not firmly attached to the law of God. If you look carefully, you can see that untruth is very bitter, not only for those who suffer from it, but also for those who do it, and much more for the latter than for the former. Let's not talk about the future, but let's talk only about the present. Isn't it accompanied by litigation, trials, condemnation, envy, slander? What could be more unpleasant than this? Isn't it accompanied by hatred, enmity, reproaches, constant torment and remorse? I would like, if it were possible, to remove the soul of an unjust man from the body - and you would see how it turns pale, trembles, is ashamed, worries and condemns itself. No matter what depths of evil we fall into, the judge of our soul is not destroyed, but remains incorruptible, and no one will directly say that untruth is good, but invents pretexts and uses all measures to, at least in words, justify himself; but he cannot receive justification from his conscience. Among us, eloquence, and the corruption of rulers, and many flatterers can darken the truth; but inside - in the conscience - there is nothing like that, there are no flatterers, there is no money to bribe the judge. This judge is implanted in us by God from nature; but that which is of God cannot endure any such thing. 4. On the contrary, unpleasant dreams, and ghosts, and the constant memory of the evil done then disturb our peace. For example, has anyone unjustly appropriated another's house? Then not only the one who lost it suffers, but also the one who appropriated it, if he is confident in (future) judgment; if he is sure of this, then he grieves and cries greatly; if he doesn’t believe in the future, then he is ashamed and blushes. However, there is no person who would not be afraid of judgment, whether he is a pagan, or a Jew, or a heretic. If he does not think about the future, then he fears and trembles for what is here, so as not to experience misfortune in money, or in children, or in his household, or in his soul, because God sends many such things. Since the doctrine of the resurrection cannot bring everyone to their senses, God still gives and shows us many signs of His justice here. Such and such a greedy man had no children, such and such fell in the war, another was mutilated, another lost his son. He knows and imagines all this, and therefore is in constant fear. Or do you not know how unjust people suffer, and how unpleasant it is? Even if they didn’t experience anything like that, wouldn’t everyone despise them? Doesn't everyone hate? Doesn't everyone turn away? Do not everyone call them the maddest wild beasts, even the wicked themselves (like them)? If they condemn themselves, then even more than others, calling him a predator, a self-seeker, a villain. What is pleasant about self-interest? Nothing except that anxiety about preserving wealth increases, worries and sorrows multiply; The more wealth one accumulates, the more insomnia he acquires. What can we say about the curses and complaints of the offended? What if illness happens? No, there is truly no person who, being sick and unable to do anything, would not worry and suffer, even if he were the most godless of all. While we live here, the voluptuous soul shuns everything regrettable; and when the time comes for her to be separated from her body, then great fear takes possession of her, as if she were entering the very threshold of the judgment seat. And the robbers, while they remain in prison, live without fear, and when they are brought to the veil itself (to the place of judgment), then they are lost with fear. Indeed, when the fear of death comes, it, like fire, burns everything else and forces the soul to come to its senses and take care of the future; She is then no longer possessed by either the desire for wealth, or the passion of greed, or voluptuousness; all this passes like a cloud, the inner judge becomes pure, and the sorrow that surrounds the soul softens its bitterness. Nothing hinders philosophy more than a life of pleasure; On the contrary, sorrow promotes wisdom. Imagine what will happen to the selfish man then. “A moment’s suffering,” says (the Wise One), “produces oblivion of joys” (Sir.11:27). How will it feel for him to remember those who were robbed by him, those who were offended, those who suffered from his covetousness? What will it be like to see others enjoying self-interest while he himself prepares to be executed? It is impossible, truly impossible, for someone who has fallen ill not to think about it; Often in such cases the soul, lost and tormented, shudders. What, tell me, is this torment? It is necessary for any illness. What won’t he endure when he sees how others are punished and how they die? And it's here; and what will happen there is impossible to express in words, what reward there will be, what punishments, what torments, what torments. That’s why we say: “Whoever has ears to hear, let him hear” (Luke 8:8)! We often talk about this, not wanting to talk about it often, but being forced to do so. We would like it if there was no need for us to start talking about this; if it is impossible not to start it, then at least we would like to relieve you of the disease and return you to health with a small treatment; but when you persist in illness, it would be low and pathetic to leave treatment, it would even be cruel and inhumane. If we ask doctors who despair of healing the body and tell them: do not leave us, do not stop using your measures until your very last breath, then shouldn’t we encourage ourselves all the more? Perhaps someone else, having already reached the very gates of hell and the threshold of the very depths of evil, will be able to come to his senses, rebel, strengthen himself and receive eternal life. How many people, after listening to admonitions ten times, do not come to a feeling of repentance, and then turn because of one admonition? Or, better said, not from one, because although they remained insensitive with the previous ten, they nevertheless received benefit from them and then showed the whole fruit at once. A tree, having received ten blows and not falling from ten, suddenly everything falls from one, then struck, blow; but actually it is not from one, but from ten that the consequence of the last blow occurs; whoever looks at the root sees this, but whoever looks from above at the trunk cannot see anything like that. So it is here. And doctors often give many medicines without bringing any benefit, and then someone, giving his medicine, corrects everything; but this is not the work of him alone, nor of the previous ones who have already affected the disease. So we too, if we do not show the fruits of listening now, we will show them later; and that we will show them, I am absolutely sure of that. It is impossible, truly impossible, for such love to remain fruitless, such zeal for your listening - let this not happen, but may all of us who are worthy to hear the commandments of Christ be worthy of eternal blessings. 2 Timothy 2:20, 21. And in a large house there are vessels not only of gold and silver, but also of wood and clay; and some in honorable, and others in low, use. So, whoever is clean from this will be a vessel of honor, sanctified and useful to the Master, fit for every good work. The servant of God should avoid competition. “Whoever is caught by the devil, even in part, is completely in his power. - An exhortation to alms. 1. Many people are still confused by the question: why do evil people stay and not die? There are many other reasons for this, for example. – so that they repent, so that they can be an example of punishment for others; but here Paul presents a reason close to the subject of his speech 3: “in a large house,” he says, “not only gold and silver, but also wood and clay.” By this he expresses that just as in a large house there are usually very different vessels, so here, throughout the universe; He is not talking about the Church, but about the whole world. Don't misunderstand the Church here; he does not want there to be any wooden or earthen vessel in it, but for all to be gold and silver where the body of Christ is, where the pure virgin is, without filth or blemish. The meaning of his words is as follows: do not be embarrassed that there are evil and wicked people; and in a large house there are different vessels. So what? They, he says, do not enjoy the same honor, but some are used in honor, and others in low. But, you say, even the last vessels in the house are used for some kind of use, but is it not so in the world? No, and God gives them, if not this, then another use - for example, a vain person builds a lot, a covetous person, a merchant, a merchant, a boss - they all have affairs in the world that are characteristic of them. The golden vessel does not serve any such purpose, but is used at the royal table. So, it is not that (the apostle) says that evil is necessary - no - but that the evil ones also have their work. If everyone were gold and silver, then there would be no need for them; for example, if everyone were hardy, there would be no need for buildings; if everyone shunned voluptuousness, then there would be no need for exquisite dishes; if everyone cared only about what was necessary, then there would be no need for magnificent dwellings. “Whoever is clean from this will be a vessel of honor.” Do you see that to be gold or clay does not depend on nature or material necessity, but on our will? In nature, an earthen vessel cannot become golden, and a golden vessel cannot become as low as an earthen vessel; and here (in the souls of people) there is a great change and transformation. Paul was a clay vessel, but became gold; Judas was a golden vessel, but became a clay vessel. Thus impurity makes men of clay; adulterer, covetous person - clay. How then does (the apostle) say in another place: “We carry this treasure in earthen vessels” (2 Cor. 4:7), and, therefore, does not disparage the earthen vessel, but gives it honor, recognizing it as capable of containing treasure? In this place he points to the nature itself, and not to the type of substance. The meaning of his words is as follows: our body is an earthen vessel; just as an earthen vessel is nothing more than baked clay, so our body is nothing more than earth, held together by the warmth of the soul. And that it is an earthen vessel is obvious: just as an earthen vessel, having fallen, breaks and crumbles, so the body, having undergone death, is destroyed. How do our bones, which are also hard and dry, differ from shards? What is the difference between flesh and clay? Isn't she made of water too? Why then, as I said, (the apostle) does not humiliate the meager vessel? There he talks about the nature (of our body), and here about free will. “Who,” he says, “will be clean from this; did not say: he will cleanse, but: he will be clean, that is, he will cleanse completely. He will be a vessel of honor, sanctified and beneficial to the Master." Consequently, those vessels are unusable, although they serve some purpose. “Fit for every good work.” Although he does not do it yet, he is suitable, capable. So, one must be ready for anything, even death, even martyrdom; must prepare for virginity and everything like that. “Flee youthful lusts” (2 Tim. 2:22). Young people are not only lusts combined with fornication, but every inappropriate desire is “youthful lust.” Let the elders listen to this: they should not do what is typical for young men. Whether someone is angry, or power-hungry, or selfish, or voluptuous, or devoted to something else like that - all this is youthful, reckless lust, characteristic of an unsteady heart and a not deep, but easily carried away mind. So, so that no one indulges in this, what does (the apostle) suggest? Run away from your youthful dreams; “but adhere to truth, faith, love, peace with all those who call on the Lord from a pure heart.” “Truth” he generally calls virtue, piety in life, faith, love, meekness. What does it mean: “with those who call on the Lord from a pure heart”? He seems to be saying this: trust not everyone who calls (the Lord), but only those who call upon him unfeignedly, without hypocrisy, do not have any deceit, approach in peace, and are not prone to strife; communicate with them; with others you should not be meek, but only maintain peace, as much as depends on yourself. “Shun foolish and ignorant contests, knowing that they give rise to quarrels” (2 Tim. 2:23). 2. Do you see how (the apostle) everywhere rejects (Timothy) from competition? This is not because he was not able to refute them; he was capable; and if he had not, he would have told him: try to become capable of refuting them, just as he said: “Pay attention to yourself and the teaching; For by doing this you will save both yourself and those who listen to you” (1 Tim. 4:16). But (the apostle) knew that it was completely useless to enter into such competitions, and that they ended in nothing more than a quarrel, enmity, insult and slander. Deny such competitions. Consequently, there are other contests, for example, regarding the Scriptures and similar subjects. “But the servant of the Lord must not quarrel” (2 Tim. 2:24). There should not be quarrels even during competition: the servant of God should be far from quarreling. If God is the God of peace, then how can a servant of the God of peace quarrel? “But be friendly to everyone.” “The servant of the Lord,” he says, “should not quarrel, but be friendly to everyone.” Why does he say: “Reprove them with all authority” (Titus 2:15); and here again: “Let no one despise your youth” (1 Tim. 4:12); and again: “Rebuke them strictly” (Titus 1:13)? Because this too is a matter of meekness. Strong reproof, when done with meekness, can be especially moving. It is much more likely to be touched by meekness than to be shamed by severity. “Teaching,” that is, for everyone who wants to learn, since he also says: “Turn away the heretic after the first and second admonition” (Titus 3:10). "Kindly". He added this well: a teacher especially needs to have kindness; otherwise everything will be in vain. If fishermen, often throwing their nets all day long and not catching anything, do not despair, then much less should we despair. Look, in fact, what happens. It often happens that the plow of the word, acting through constant suggestion, enters the depths of the soul and destroys the passion that has taken possession of it. He who has listened a thousand times must feel something; It is impossible for a person, listening incessantly, not to feel at all. Thus, it may happen that a person who is already ready to be convinced will lose everything from our impatience, and the same thing will happen as if someone unskilled in agriculture, having planted grapes and dug them in the first year, and in the second, and in the third, in the hope of receiving fruits, but not receiving them and having lost hope after three years, left them in the fourth year, precisely when he was supposed to receive reward for his labors. Having said: “to those who are not malicious” (the apostle) is not content with this, but adds: “with meekness instructing those who oppose you” (2 Tim. 2:25). Here the teacher especially needs to act with meekness; a soul that needs instruction cannot accept anything useful when it is taught with severity and abuse, and although it is ready to listen, being perplexed, it will not learn anything. Anyone who wants to learn something useful must first of all be disposed towards the teacher; if this is not first arranged, then nothing proper or useful can happen; no one can be friendly to a person who is angry and scolds. But how does (the apostle) say: “The heretic, after the first and second admonition, turn away”? He is talking about an incorrigible person, about whom it is known that he is terminally ill. “Will God not give them repentance to the knowledge of the truth, so that they may be freed from the snare of the devil, who has ensnared them in his own will” (2 Timothy 2:26). The meaning of these words is this: maybe there will be some correction. Expression: maybe - used about objects unknown exactly; therefore, we need to retreat only from those people about whom we can definitely say and about whom we are convinced that they will not improve, no matter what measures are used. “With meekness,” he says. Do you see how those who want to learn should be approached, and should not leave interviews with them before they are convinced? "Who caught them in his will". He said well: “Who caught it,” because they are still swimming in error. Notice how he teaches humility, He did not say: maybe you will be able to, but: “Will God grant them to be freed?”, if anything happens, everything belongs to the Lord; you plant, you water, and He sows and produces fruit. Therefore, let us not think that we ourselves convinced anyone, even if we did. “Who caught them,” he says, “to his will.” This must be understood not only about teaching, but also about life, since the will of God is that we live righteously. Some throughout their lives are in the snare of the devil: and one should not despair about such people. “So that they are freed,” he says, “from the snare of the devil, who ensnared them in his will.” The words: “won’t he give” express great longsuffering; and not to do the will of God means to be in the snare of the devil. 3. Just as a sparrow, even if he is not caught in a net with his whole body, but only with one part, for example, his foot, is in the power of the one who set the net, so we are in the power of the devil, even if we were not caught by him entirely - both by faith and by life, but only by life. “Not everyone who speaks to Me,” says Christ, “Lord! Lord!, will enter the Kingdom of Heaven" ; and one more thing: I don’t know “you; Depart from me, you workers of iniquity” (Matthew 7:21, 23). Do you see that faith does not bring us any benefit if the Master does not know us? And the virgins are told the same thing: “I do not know you” (Matthew 25:12). What benefit do they have from virginity and many exploits if the Lord does not know them? And in many places we find that people, although not in the least condemned for their faith, are punished only for their vicious lives; and, on the contrary, sometimes people, who are not at all condemned for life, die for an incorrect teaching because both are held together. Do you see that we are in the snare of the devil when we do not fulfill the will of God? And not only for their entire life, but also for one vice, people are often plunged into Gehenna, if they have no other equivalent good deeds. So the virgins were condemned not for fornication, or adultery, or envy, or enmity, or drunkenness, or unbelief, but for a lack of oil, that is, for not giving alms: this precisely means oil. And those condemned, to whom it was said: “Depart from Me, you cursed, into everlasting fire,” were also accused not of anything like that, but of not feeding Christ. Do you see that even one lack of mercy can plunge you into the fire of Gehenna? What, tell me, will he be good for who does not give alms? Do you fast every day? But those virgins also fasted, but did not receive any benefit from it. Are you praying? But what's in it? Without alms, prayer is fruitless. Without it, everything is unclean, everything is useless; without it, much of virtue is lost. “He who does not love his brother,” says (the apostle), “has not known God” (1 John 3:10, 4:8); How do you love him if you don’t want to share with him any of these small and insignificant blessings? Tell me, do you observe chastity? Why? Is it because you are afraid of torment? No, but because that is what you are by nature; if you had observed chastity out of fear of torment, overcoming such an impulse and such violence (of nature), then you would have been much more able to give alms. After all, it is not the same whether to curb the passion for wealth or for bodily pleasures; the latter is much more difficult. Why? Because the latter is a natural pleasure, sown and implanted in our body; but the passion for wealth is not like that. Mercy and compassion are how we can become like God; and when we do not have this, we have nothing. The Lord did not say: if you fast, you will be like your Father; He did not say: if you begin to observe virginity, or: if you begin to pray, you will be like your Father. None of this applies to God, and God does not do any of this. But what? “Be merciful,” he says, “just as your Father is merciful, who is in heaven” (Luke 6:36). This is God’s work, but if you don’t have this, then what do you have? “I want mercy,” He says, “and not sacrifice” (Hosea 6:6). God created the sky, created the earth, the sea - these are great deeds and worthy of his wisdom. But in no way did He endear the human race to Himself more than through mercy and love for mankind; and this is the work of His wisdom, power and goodness, but much more is that He became a slave. Is this why we are more surprised by him? Isn’t that why we reverence Him more? And nothing attracts God to us as much as mercy. All the prophets constantly talk about this a lot. When speaking about mercy, I do not mean that which is combined with covetousness; this is not mercy. The root of the thorn never produced oil, but the root of the olive tree produces it; In the same way, mercy is not born from the root of covetousness, untruth, or theft. Do not humiliate almsgiving, do not give everyone a reason to condemn it. If you steal in order to do charity, then nothing can be worse than such alms. When it comes from theft, it is not alms; this is some kind of cruelty and ferocity; this is an insult to God. If Cain offended God so much by sacrificing the least important of his property, then how will he be offended by the one who sacrifices someone else's? An offering is nothing more than a sacrifice—purification, not defilement. You must not pray with dirty hands; Don’t you really think it’s terrible to bring to God the dirt and uncleanness of theft? You do not allow your hands to remain in dirt and impurity, but first you clean them, and then you bring them; Meanwhile, this dirt does not constitute any crime, but it is worthy of condemnation and condemnation. 4. So, let us take care not to pray and offer with clean hands, but also to ensure that what we offer is clean. Otherwise, it will be funny in the same way as if someone, having washed a tray, filled it with unclean gifts: isn’t that funny and funny? Let your hands be clean; and they will be clean when we wash them not only with water, but also with righteousness: this is what cleanses the hands. If we are filled with untruth, then even if you wash your hands a thousand times, there will be no benefit. “Wash yourself,” says (the prophet), “be clean” (Isa. 1:16). And what? Did he add: go to the springs, go to the baths, to the ponds and rivers? No, but what? “Remove your evil deeds from before My eyes”; this means: “clean yourself.” This is what gets rid of impurity, this is true purity! Physical purity does not bring much benefit, but spiritual purity gives us boldness before God. Adulterers, and thieves, and murderers, and lovers of voluptuousness, and debauchees, and fornicators, and harlots can have it, the latter especially: they care most about the purity of the body, constantly anointing themselves with myrrh and “decorating their tomb” (“you are like whitened tombs” (Matthew 23:27)); after all, their body is a coffin, inside of which is a dead soul. They too can have such purity; internally, they cannot. It is not important if you wash your body: this is Jewish cleansing, empty and useless, if there is no internal cleansing. Suppose someone suffers from rot or wounds within, and let him wash his body; what will be the benefit, what will be the consequences? If someone who has a rotten wound in the body cannot benefit from washing and cleansing the surface, then what benefit can we get from bodily cleanliness when the rot is in the soul? No. Our prayers must be pure; but prayers cannot be pure when they flow from an unclean soul. Nothing makes the soul as unclean as covetousness and theft. Meanwhile, there are people who, having committed thousands of evil deeds during the day, in the evening, having washed themselves, enter the church and with great boldness stretch out their hands, as if freed from all impurities in the water for ablution. If this were really the case, then washing every day would be very useful; if it really were so, if the bathhouse made a person clean and freed him from sins, then I would visit it incessantly. It's fun and funny; These are jokes and children's toys. God does not turn away from the uncleanness of the body, but from the uncleanness of the soul: listen to what He says: “Blessed are the pure in heart—or is it in body? “No, but the pure in heart, for they will see God” (Matthew 5:8). What does the prophet say? “Create in me a clean heart, O God” (Ps. 50:12); and again: “Wash away the evil from your heart” (Jer. 4:14). Do you see how unimportant and useless all this is? It is a great blessing to have skill in good deeds. When the soul has acquired a skill, it does not leave it and does not dare to begin prayer before performing its usual task. For example: we are used to washing and then praying, so without washing we don’t do it, and we would rather not pray than do it with unwashed hands, as if afraid of offending God and experiencing remorse. If such an unimportant habit has such strength that it is certainly performed every day, then by accustoming ourselves to alms and making it a constant rule to never enter a house of prayer empty-handed, we would have done a good deed. Great is the power of habit in both good and evil deeds; it itself attracts us, without any labor on our part. Many have the habit of constantly making the sign of the cross on themselves, and they no longer need anyone to remind them of this, and it often happens that while the mind wanders somewhere, the hand, prompted by habit, as if a living teacher, itself rises to make this sign. Some have taught themselves not to swear, so they will not do it either willingly or unwillingly. Let us also acquire the habit of giving alms. What efforts would not be worth taking to acquire this medicine? In fact, tell me, if there were no consolation in alms, then how bitterly would we cry, having committed many sins and made ourselves worthy of punishment? Wouldn't we say: we would give everything if money could cleanse our sins; would they not spare property if money could avert the wrath of God? If we do this during illness and at death we say: if it were possible to buy off death, we would give all our property, then it is all the more necessary here. But look at God’s love for mankind: He gave you the opportunity to buy yourself off from not temporary death, but from eternal death. Buy, He says, not this short life, but that eternal life; I am selling you that one, not this one, and I am not deceiving you. If you take this one, you will take nothing; I know that life is important. This is not what merchants and sellers of life supplies do; they allow themselves to deceive whomever they want, and give little for much. But God doesn't do that; He gives much more for little. Tell me: if you came to a merchant who had two stones - one cheap, and the other precious and constituting significant wealth, and, having given the price for a small one, you received a large one, would you condemn the merchant? Of course not, but on the contrary, I would be surprised at him. So here too there are two lives ahead - temporary and eternal; God sells them; sells us the latter, not the former; shall we really regret, like foolish children, that we receive the most precious things? But is it possible, you say, to buy eternal life with money? Yes, when we give what is ours, and not someone else’s, when we do not steal from others. But it, you say, is already mine. No, what was stolen is not yours, but belongs to the one from whom it was stolen; it is someone else's, at least a thousand times you have been called its owner. When you receive something as collateral, while the person who entrusted it to you is away, it is not yours, although it is with you. If what is given to us as a pledge by those who entrust it voluntarily and with gratitude is not ours, even when it is with us, then much less what we steal from others by force and against their will is not ours. He, the other, is the owner of this property, even if it was in your possession a thousand times. Truly ours is virtue, and wealth is not only someone else’s, but also ours - not ours; Today it is ours, but tomorrow it is not ours. Virtue is ours; it is not taken away like property, but remains entirely for everyone who has it. Let us acquire it, and despise wealth, in order to receive true blessings, which may we all be worthy of. 2 Timothy 3:1–7. Know that in the last days difficult times will come. For people will be lovers of themselves, lovers of money, proud, arrogant, slanderers, disobedient to parents, ungrateful, unholy, unfriendly, unforgiving, slanderers, intemperate, cruel, not loving goodness, traitors, insolent, pompous, lovers of pleasure rather than lovers of God, having a form of godliness but denying the power thereof. Get rid of such people. These include those who sneak into houses and deceive women, drowning in sins, led by various lusts, always learning and never able to reach the knowledge of the truth. Corruption in the last days. - About Jonathan's friendship with David. - Advice to widows. 1. In the first epistle (the apostle) said: “The Spirit clearly says that in the last times some will depart from the faith” (1 Tim. 4:1), and in another place of the same epistle he predicted something similar that would happen subsequently. Here he again repeats the same thing: “Know this,” he says, “that in the last days difficult times will come,” and proves this not only by future events, but also by past ones: “How,” he says, “Jannies and Jambres resisted Moses” (2 Tim. 3:8); as well as with our own judgments: “in a great house there are vessels not only of gold and silver” (2 Tim. 2:20). Why is he doing this? So that Timothy, or any of us, will not be embarrassed when there are evil people. If, he says, they were with Moses and will be after, then it is not at all surprising that they are with us. “In the last days perilous times will come.” It is not the days or times that he condemns, but the people who will then be. So we are in the habit of calling times bad and not bad, according to the nature of the deeds committed by people during them. He immediately indicates the reason. The root and source of all evil, from which they all stem, is excessive pride. A devotee of this passion does not even watch his own affairs. Whoever does not think about his neighbor, does not care about his affairs, will he care about his own? Just as those who care about their neighbor manage their own affairs well, along with his affairs, so he who despises his neighbor’s affairs will despise his own. Indeed, if we are members of each other, then the salvation of our neighbor concerns not only him, but the whole body, and the misfortune of his neighbor is not limited to him alone, but causes pain to the whole body. If we are a building, then when one part suffers, the whole building is damaged, and when it is solid, then everything else can hold on. So it is in the Church. Have you disdained your brother? By doing this you have harmed yourself. Why? Because your penis has suffered considerable damage. If one who does not give his neighbor some of his property is thrown into Gehenna, then those who see their neighbor in great danger and do not give him help will be punished the more, the more important the harm experienced. “For people,” he says, “will be selfish.” He who is proud does not love himself in particular; and whoever loves brothers loves himself much more. This is where the love of money comes from. The infection and limitation of self-love reduces and diminishes love, which is broad and extends to everyone. "Silver lovers." From here comes pride, from pride - arrogance, from arrogance - slander, from slander - disobedience and unbelief. Indeed, he who is puffed up before people will easily be puffed up before God. This is how sins are born; they often ascend from bottom to top. He who is respectful to people will be all the more reverent before God; whoever is obedient to slaves similar to himself will be all the more submissive to the Master; and whoever despises slaves like himself will gradually come to despise God himself. Let's not despise each other. This is bad science that teaches us to despise God; and even by the fact that we despise each other, we already show contempt for God, who commanded us to have great care for each other. If you want, I will explain this differently, with an example. Cain despised his brother, and immediately showed contempt for God. How? Look how insultingly he answers God: “Am I my brother’s keeper” (Gen. 4:9)? Esau also despised his brother and showed contempt for God. That is why God said: “Jacob I loved, but Esau I hated” (Rom.9:13). That is why Paul says: “lest there be any fornicator or wicked man like Esau among you” (Heb. 12:16). Joseph's brothers despised him and they also showed contempt for God. The Israelites despised Moses and showed contempt for God. Also, the sons of Eli despised the people and showed contempt for God. Do you want to see examples of the opposite? Abraham was lenient towards his nephew, and was obedient to God, as can be seen from his obedience regarding his son Isaac and from all his other virtues. Also, Abel, being meek in relation to his brother, was pious in relation to God. Let us not despise each other, lest we learn to despise God; Let us honor each other so that we can learn to honor God. He who is daring in relation to people becomes daring in relation to God. And when love of money, pride and disobedience are united together, then what else is missing for complete destruction? Then everything becomes corrupted and a huge swamp of sins is formed. “Ungrateful,” he says. Indeed, how can a money lover be grateful? To whom will he give thanks? No one. He considers everyone his enemies, wanting to take everything from everyone. Even if you gave him all your property, he will not show you any gratitude, but will be annoyed that you did not have more wealth and did not make him the owner of more. Even if you made him the ruler of the universe, he will not express gratitude to you, but will think that he has received nothing. His desire is insatiable because it is a painful desire, and painful desires always are like that. 2. Just as someone suffering from a fever can never get drunk, but constantly feels thirsty and never quenches his desire to drink, so someone obsessed with a passion for wealth can never satisfy his desire. And never being satisfied, he will not be grateful to you, no matter how much you give him. He will be grateful only to those who give him as much as he desires; but no one can do this, because his desire is immeasurable; therefore, he cannot be grateful to anyone. There is no man so ungrateful as a lover of money; There is no one so insensitive as a greedy man; he is the enemy of the entire universe; he is annoyed that (other) people exist; he wishes that there was desert everywhere and that he alone possessed everything; and many similar things he thinks. Oh, if, he says, there were an earthquake in the city, and everyone were swallowed up by the earth, and I alone would remain and take, if possible, the property of everyone; Oh, if an infection came and destroyed everyone without touching the gold; Oh, if there were a flood, or a flood of the sea! And he keeps many such thoughts in his mind, but not a single good one, and desires only earthquakes, fires, wars, pestilences and the like. But tell me, pitiful, unfortunate and most despicable of any slave, if everything became gold, would you not lose the gold, dying of hunger? If an earthquake happened, then with the destruction of the universe you would also perish with your destructive passion; If there were no people on earth, then there would be no one to prepare what you need for your life. Let's imagine - although this is absurd and impossible - imagine that all the people in the universe suddenly disappeared, and their gold and silver naturally passed to you, and all their wealth - gold, silver, silk clothes, golden things naturally passed into your hands: what benefit will it be to you? Then death would soon overtake you, because there would be no grain farmers or farmers, wild animals would multiply, and demons would take possession of your soul. And now many demons possess it; and then they would drive you crazy and soon destroy you. No, you say, I wouldn’t want that; let there be both farmers and grain farmers. But will they also have to spend something on themselves? No, you say, I don’t want them to waste. This passion is so insatiable! What could be funnier than her? Do you see the absurdity? He wants to have many servants, and grieves that they eat food, and thereby reduce his property. Really, tell me, do you want people to be made of stone? It's all funny; these are waves, a storm, a whirlwind, anxiety and great confusion in the soul, which is constantly hungry and constantly thirsty. Isn’t such a person worthy, tell me, of regret and tears? There is a bodily illness similar to this and very painful, called by doctors wolf hunger, when a person, taking a lot of food, does not cease to feel hunger: isn’t the same illness in the soul worthy of tears? Truly, the love of money is the ravenous hunger of the soul, which absorbs a lot, but is never satisfied and is constantly tormented by desire. If one had to take hellebore or experience something a thousand times more unpleasant in order to get rid of this passion, then shouldn’t one willingly decide to do anything? There is no abundance of wealth that can fill an insatiable belly. After this, are we not ashamed when others are so violently addicted to wealth, and we do not show even the slightest part of such love in relation to God, so that God is of little value to us than money? For money, people endure sleepless nights, and travel, and constant dangers, and hatred, and insults, and everything; but for God we do not even want to say a word, or incur anyone’s wrath; if it is necessary to protect one of the oppressed, then, fearing the anger of the rulers and troubles, we betray the offended; Having received the power from God to give help, we lose it, not wanting to be subjected to someone’s enmity or hatred. Many people refer to a proverb that says: let them love you in vain, and not hate you in vain. But is it in vain that you are being hated here? What could be better than such hatred? Hating for God is much better than loving for Him; when they love us for God, then we become His debtors for such an honor, and when they hate us, then He Himself becomes a debtor, to whom our reward remains. Money lovers, no matter how much they love wealth, do not know the limits of love; and we, having done something small for God, think that we have already done everything. We don't love God as much as they love gold, not even a fraction of that. They are worthy of great condemnation because they are so passionate about gold; We also deserve great condemnation because we are not equally partial to God, because we do not give the same honor to the Lord of all as they give to the earth - after all, the gold metal is the same earth. 3. Let's look at their madness and be ashamed ourselves. What does it matter if we do not burn with a passion for gold if we do not pray fervently to God? For gold, people forget about their wife, about children, about life and their very salvation, moreover, not knowing whether they will increase their wealth, because many, after vain labors, in the midst of their very hopes, gave up the ghost and died; and we know that we will get what we want if we love God as we should love, and, however, we do not love, but we have become impoverished in everything - both in love for our neighbor and in love for God - in love for God because we have become impoverished in love for our neighbor. Indeed, a person who does not know love cannot, truly cannot have noble and magnanimous feelings. The foundation of all good things is nothing other than love. On her, says the Lord, “all the law and the prophets are established” (Matthew 22:40). Just as fire, falling into a forest, usually cleanses everything, so the heat of love, if it flares up in someone, cleanses and destroys everything harmful to the Divine seed, and makes the earth clean for receiving this seed. Where there is love, everything evil is destroyed, there is no love of money - the root of evil, no greed, no pride, because can anyone be proud of the person they love? Nothing makes you as humble as love. We serve our beloved beings like slaves, and we are not ashamed, but we also thank them for such slavery; For them, we do not spare our money, and sometimes even our bodily strength - it happened that we were exposed to danger for our loved one. Where there is love, there is no envy or backbiting; Not only do we not slander our loved ones ourselves, but we stop the mouths of others who slander them; there everything is quiet, everything is calm, there is not a trace of disagreement or quarrels, everything is full of peace: “love is the fulfillment,” says (the apostle), “of the law” (Rom. 13:10); there is nothing with her that causes trouble. Why? Because the very sins - covetousness, theft, envy, slander, arrogance, perjury, lies - all this disappears where there is love. Oathbreakers break an oath, wanting to take something from another; but no one will take away from his beloved, but will give him what is his, and will also be grateful to him more than receiving from him. You know this, who had friends, friends not only by name and by title alone, but those whom you loved as you should, to whom you were attached. And whoever does not know this, let him ask those who know. I will now tell you an example of wondrous friendship from Holy Scripture. Jonathan, the son of Saul, fell in love with David, “Jonathan’s soul was joined to his soul” (1 Samuel 18:1), so that David, mourning him, said: “Your love has come upon me like the love of a woman”: I have been wounded to death (2 Samuel 1:25, 26). So what? Was he jealous of David? No, although I had reason to be jealous. Which one? He saw from the circumstances that the kingdom would pass to David, and yet he did not feel anything like that, did not say: he is depriving me of my father’s kingdom; but he also helped him gain power and did not spare his father for his friend. Do not consider him a parricide; no, he did not insult his father, but kept him from intrigues and injustices; he did him more good than evil, not allowing him to commit an unjust murder. He repeatedly decided to even die for a friend; not only did he not slander him, but he also kept his father from slandering him; not only did he not envy, but also helped David; not only gave him money, but also saved his life. What am I talking about money? He laid down his life for him. He was not afraid of his father for his friend, because he decided to do unrighteous things, and he was not aware of anything like that. Such was his friendship with the righteous man, such was Jonathan! Let's now look at David. He did not have time to reward Jonathan, who was kidnapped by death before David received power; the benefactor died before the one who received the benefit entered the kingdom. So what? Let's see how the righteous man showed him friendship, as much as possible. “Jonathan is slain on your high places. I grieve for you, my brother Jonathan; you were very dear to me; your love was for me greater than the love of a woman” (2 Samuel 1:25, 26). But is it only? This is also not unimportant; but, in addition, remembering the love of his father, he often delivered his son and grandson from danger; and constantly protected and preserved his descendants, as if he were his son. This is the kind of love I wish for everyone to have, both for the living and for the dead. 4. Let those wives listen - especially for them I added: and to the dead - who enter into a second marriage and desecrate the bed of a deceased husband, previously loved. I do not condemn the second marriage and do not consider it debauchery when I say this; This forbids me and puts a bridle on my mouth, Paul, who says to wives: “If she gets married, she will not sin” (1 Cor. 7:28). But let's see what he says next. “It is more blessed if it remains so” (1 Cor. 7:40). The latter is much better than the former. Why? For many reasons. If not getting married at all is better than getting married, then widowhood is even better than a second marriage. But, you say, some could not bear widowhood and were exposed to dangers? They didn't know what widowhood was. Widowhood does not consist in not entering into a second marriage, just as virginity does not consist in remaining uninvolved in marriage. But what? Just as decency and constant modesty are needed there, so here - solitude, constancy in prayer, removal from luxury and voluptuousness: “but the lustful one,” says (the apostle), “died alive” (1 Tim. 5:6). If you, having remained a widow, want to have the same luxury, the same splendor, the same attire that you had with your husband, then it is better for you to get married, because it is not marriage that is evil, but intemperance. You, by not doing something that is not evil in itself, are doing something that is not indifferent, but worthy of condemnation. That is why some turned aside after Satan because they did not know how to observe widowhood well. Do you want to know what a widow is and what is the dignity of a widow? Listen to Paul, who says: “If she raised children, welcomed strangers, washed the feet of the saints, helped the needy, and was diligent in every good work” (1 Timothy 5:10). If, after the death of your husband, you surround yourself with the luxury of wealth, then truly you are not observing widowhood. Transfer this wealth to heaven, and the burden of widowhood will become light for you. But what, you say, if I have children, heirs to my father’s estate? Teach them to despise wealth; transfer yours, allocating to them as much as they need; teach them too to be above property. But, you say, I am surrounded by crowds of slaves, a lot of things, gold and silver: how can I save all this without the help of my husband? All this is a pretext and an excuse, as can be seen from many circumstances. If you are not attached to wealth and do not want to increase your property, then your burden is light; maintaining wealth is much easier than acquiring it. If you destroy one evil - the desire for acquisition, and from your possessions you help those in need, then God will protect you with His right hand; and if you say this, really caring about the inheritance of orphans, and not indulging in love of money under this pretext, then He who searches hearts knows how to keep their wealth safe, when He himself commanded to raise children. It cannot be, truly it cannot be, that a house established on alms should suffer some kind of disaster; and if he endures for a while, it will serve for his good; this will be better than a weapon and a shield for any such house. Listen to what the devil says about Job: “Have you not surrounded him and his house and all that he has” (Job 1:10)? For what? Listen to how Job himself says: “I was the eyes of the blind,” he says, “and the feet of the lame; I was a father to the poor” (Job 29:15, 16). Just as the one who does not turn away from the misfortunes of others will never experience suffering on himself, having learned to sympathize with others, so the one who does not want to endure the sorrows of compassion will experience all this on himself. As in the body, if the hand does not sympathize with a festered leg, clean its wound, apply medicine and wash away the pus, then it itself will experience the same disaster; if she does not want to serve another member, being free from suffering, then she herself will experience this suffering - because evil, having spread, will reach her, and she will no longer have to worry about serving another member, but about her own healing and salvation - just like here, whoever does not want to sympathize with others will suffer himself. “I have fenced him,” says the devil, “and his house and everything that he has,” and I do not dare approach him. However, you will say, Job suffered a disaster. But these disasters became the cause of many blessings for him: abundant property, great reward, supreme justice, bright crowns, brilliant rewards; his spiritual and worldly blessings increased. Did he lose his children? But again he received not the same ones, but others instead of those, and even those he will receive at the resurrection. If he again received the same ones, then the number of his children would be smaller; and now, having received others instead of the former, he will present those too at the resurrection. All this happened to him because he was diligent in giving alms. Let us do the same, so that we may be worthy of the same blessings by the grace and love of our Lord Jesus Christ. Amen. 2 Timothy 3:1–4. Know that in the last days difficult times will come. For people will be lovers of themselves, lovers of money, proud, arrogant, slanderers, disobedient to parents, ungrateful, unholy, unfriendly, unforgiving, slanderers, intemperate, cruel, not loving goodness, traitors, insolent, pompous, lovers of pleasure rather than lovers of God. Characteristics of an ungrateful person. – The inevitability of sorrows and sadness for the pious. – Why in real life God sometimes punishes the wicked, sometimes he does not punish them. 1. Whoever grieves that there are heretics today, let him know that this has been the case since ancient times, that the devil has always mixed lies with the truth. In the beginning God promised good things, and the devil came with promises; God planted paradise, and the devil deceived people, saying: “You will be like gods” (Gen. 3:5); He didn’t show anything in practice, he promised a lot in words. Such are all deceivers! After that there were Cain and Abel, then the sons of Seth and the daughters of men, then Ham and Japheth, Abraham and Pharaoh, Jacob and Esau, and so on until the end - Moses and the Magi, prophets and false prophets, apostles and false apostles, Christ and the Antichrist. Thus, it was the same before; and with the apostles were Theudas, and Simon, and the followers of Hermogenes and Philetus. So, there is no time when lies are not mixed with truth. Let us not mourn; this was predicted from ancient times. Therefore (the apostle) said: “Know this, that in the last days difficult times will come. For people will be lovers of themselves, lovers of money, proud, arrogant, slanderers, disobedient to parents, ungrateful, unholy, unfriendly.” So, ungrateful and wicked at the same time; and fair. What, in fact, should be the attitude towards others who is ungrateful to a benefactor? The ungrateful is treacherous; ungrateful is unfriendly. Slanderers, i.e. prone to slander. People who are not aware of anything good in themselves and find, as it were, consolation in blaming the opinions of others, make many mistakes and sin. Intemperate, both in the tongue, and in the belly, and in everything else. Cruel: this cruelty and rudeness occurs in those who are money-loving, selfish, ungrateful, and voluptuous. Those who do not love goodness, traitors, arrogant. Traitors - friendship; arrogant, i.e., having nothing solid in themselves. Pompous, that is, filled with arrogance. “They are more lovers of pleasure than lovers of God, having a form of godliness but denying its power.” So in the letter to the Romans (the apostle) says: “having in the law the pattern of knowledge and truth” (Rom. 2:20). But there he speaks in praise, but here he presents this as the most serious sin of all shortcomings. Why? Because he uses the same word not in the same sense. In a word: “image” it sometimes expresses likeness, and sometimes something soulless and insignificant. For example, he himself says in his letter to the Corinthians: “Therefore a man should not cover his head, because he is the image and glory of God” (1 Cor. 11:7); and the prophet says: “man walks like a ghost” (Ps. 39:7). Also with the word: “lion” Scripture sometimes expresses royal dignity: “he lies down like a lion and like a lioness: who can lift him up” (Gen. 49:9)? - and sometimes rapacity: “like a lion, hungry for prey and roaring” (Ps. 21:14). We do the same. Since objects are complex and varied, they are rightly depicted by many different examples and similarities; for example, when we want to praise a beautiful woman, we compare her with a painting; and when we want to praise a painting, we assert that it speaks, expresses itself. But in these cases we do not do the same thing: in the first we express that the woman is close to the image, and in the latter, that the image is close to beauty. So in the word: “image” (the apostle) expresses there a model, image, teaching, prototype of piety, but here something soulless and dead, just appearance, appearance, hypocrisy. So, faith without works is only an appearance without power; and fair. Just as a body is beautiful and flourishing, but has no strength, like a painted image, so is right faith without works. Let us imagine that some money-lover, traitor, or arrogant person contains the right faith: what is the use of this if he has nothing decent for a Christian, if he does nothing characteristic of piety, but surpasses the pagans with his wickedness, if he serves as an infection for those close to him and a reason for blasphemy against God, if he disgraces the teaching with his deeds? “From such,” says (the apostle), “depart.” But if there will be such people in the last times, then how does he say: “flee such people”? Probably, even then there were several such people, although not to such an extent wicked, but there were. What is certain is that through Timothy he exhorts everyone to move away from such people. “To these belong those,” he says, “who sneak into houses and deceive women, drowning in sins, led by various lusts, always learning and never able to come to the knowledge of the truth” (2 Tim. 3:6-7). 2. Do you see how these people imitate the ancient seducer, using the weapons that the devil used against Adam? "Which creep into houses". Do you see how the word: “creeping in” (the apostle) expresses their shamelessness, dishonesty, deception, seduction? "And they deceive women." So, whoever easily indulges in seduction is a woman, not a man; Indulging in seduction is characteristic of women, or better, not women, but “women drowning in sins.” This is why they indulge in deception - because of their sins, because they do not know anything good about themselves! And he said very precisely: “drowning,” thereby expressing the multitude of their sins, disorder and obscenity. "Driven by divers lusts". He doesn’t condemn nature; he didn’t just say women, but precisely such women. What does “different” mean? Here he means a lot: luxury, shamelessness, debauchery. “Various lusts,” he says, i.e., greed, love of fame, lust, vanity, ambition; and perhaps it points to other shameful wishes. “Always learning and never able to reach the knowledge of the truth.” Why is he saying this? Not to justify them, but to expose them more strongly. They were mired in these lusts and sins, and therefore their minds became dull. “As Jannes and Jambres resisted Moses, so these also resist the truth” (2 Tim. 3:8). Who were these wise men under Moses, and why are their names not mentioned anywhere else? They were probably preserved in unwritten tradition, or revealed to Paul by the (Holy) Spirit. “So these too,” he says, “resist the truth, people depraved in mind, ignorant in the faith. But they won't have much time; for their foolishness will be revealed to everyone, just as it happened to them” (2 Tim. 3:9). “But they won’t have much time,” he says. How, in another place, he says: “They will abound even more in wickedness” (2 Tim. 2:16); and here: “they will not succeed”? There he argues that heretics, having begun to introduce novelty and error, do not stop, but constantly invent new deceptions and false teachings, because error never stops. And here he claims that they will not deceive, will not captivate (the believers), although at first, apparently, they seduce some, but they themselves will soon be exposed. He expresses this in further words: “for their madness will be revealed to everyone.” How? Entirely. “Just like what happened to those.” Misconceptions, although they succeed at first, do not remain until the end. Such is everything that is not essentially good, but only seems good; it succeeds for a while, and then is discovered and dies. But this is not our teaching; and the witness of this is you (says the Apostle to Timothy); our teaching is not a lie; Who would dare to die for a lie? “But you followed me in doctrine” (2 Timothy 3:10). Therefore be strong; you not only accepted it, but “followed it.” Here (the apostle) expresses that many years have passed since the time of (Timothy's) conversion. “He followed me in teaching,” this is said about the word. “In Life” is about life. “In disposition” - this is about zeal and spiritual disposition. And I myself, he says, did not only teach, not only in words, but in practice. “In faith, generosity” - nothing like that, he says, bothered me. “In love,” which those people do not have. “In patience,” which they also do not have. “In generosity,” which I, he says, showed a lot to heretics. “In patience” - in persecution. Exile, suffering. The teacher is confused by two circumstances: the fact that there are many heretics, and the fact that it is difficult to endure torture. But he already said a lot about heretics, namely, that they have existed before and will exist, that there is no time when they would not exist, that they cannot harm us in the least, that there are gold and silver vessels in the world. Now, as you see, he talks about suffering. "Those who befell me in Antioch, Iconium, Lystra." Why, out of many places, does he mention only these? Because the others were known to this man (Timothy); or maybe because he talks about new events, not ancient ones; and does not count them all separately, because he was not vain and ambitious; speaks not to glorify himself, but to console the student. He speaks here of Pisidian Antioch and Lystra, where Timothy came from. "What persecutions have I suffered". The consolation is twofold: both in the fact that I showed courageous zeal, and in the fact that I was not abandoned; It cannot be said that God has abandoned me, but He has prepared for me the brightest crown. “What persecutions I endured,” he says, “and the Lord delivered me from them all. And all who desire to live godly in Christ Jesus will suffer persecution" (2 Timothy 3:11, 12). 3. But what, continues (the apostle), am I talking about myself? Everyone who wants to live piously will be persecuted. By persecution he here means sorrow and sorrow. Truly, it is impossible for a person walking the path of virtue to be without sadness, lamentation, sorrow, and temptation. In fact, how is this possible for someone who walks a narrow and sorrowful path, for someone who has heard: “in the world you will have tribulation” (John 16:33)? If Job in his time says: “There is temptation for a man to live on earth, are his days not like the days of a mercenary?” (Job.7:1), is there not much more now? “But evil men and deceivers will abound in evil, deceiving and being deceived” (2 Timothy 3:13). Don’t let it bother you at all, he says, if they prosper and you are exposed to temptation; this is the order of things; from my example you can see that it is impossible for a person who fights evil not to experience sorrows. It is impossible for a fighter to indulge in bliss; it is impossible for a warrior to feast in battle. Therefore, let no one who is in struggle seek peace or indulge in pleasures. The present time is a time of struggle, battle, sorrow, sighing; it is a field of exploits. There will be a time of rest after; and now is the time of effort and labor. No one, having undressed and anointed himself for the fight, thinks about peace. If you are looking for peace, then why did you undress, why are you raising your hands against the enemy? Shouldn’t you tell me to direct them now? Why, if you do not restrain your desires, if you do not curb the violence of nature? “And you continue in what you have been taught,” he says, “and what has been entrusted to you, knowing by whom you were taught. Moreover, from childhood you have known the sacred scriptures, which are able to make you wise for salvation through faith in Christ Jesus” (2 Tim. 3:14-15). What does it mean? Just as the prophet David exhorted: “Do not be jealous of evildoers” (Ps. 36:1), so he exhorts: “continue in what you have been taught and what has been entrusted to you.” Not simple, “what was taught,” but: “what was entrusted to you,” i.e., what you firmly believed. What did I believe? Because this is life. Do not be embarrassed if you see something contrary to what you believe; and Abraham saw the contrary (to his faith), but was not at all embarrassed; he heard that “in Isaac your seed will be called” (Gen. 21:12), meanwhile he received the command to slay Isaac, and yet he was not embarrassed or doubted. So, let no one be tempted by evil; Scripture foretold about him from ancient times. But what if the good ones had fun and the evil ones were punished? One may be, but the other is not; The wicked can endure punishment, but the good cannot always rejoice. No one can compare with Paul; but he also spent his whole life in sorrow, in tears, in sobs, day and night. “For three years,” he says, “he taught day and night without ceasing with tears” (Acts 20:31); and also: “I was in danger many times” (2 Cor. 11:26). He did not live in such a way as to rejoice today and mourn tomorrow, but he did not stop grieving every day. How does he say that “evil people will prosper in evil”?” He did not say that they would enjoy peace, but that they would “prosper in evil”; this is success in evil; did not say that they would prosper. And when they are punished, they are punished so that you do not think that sins remain unpunished. Since Gehenna cannot keep us from evil, then (God), out of pity for us, himself restrains and awakens us. If none of the wicked were punished, then no one would think that God is watching over human affairs; and if everyone received punishment, then no one would expect a future resurrection, because everyone here would receive reward. That is why (God) both punishes and does not punish. The righteous here experience sorrow because they are strangers and strangers and are in a foreign land. Thus the righteous suffer disasters for their testing; Listen, in fact, to what God says to Job: “Do you want to overthrow My judgment, accuse Me in order to justify yourself” (Job 40:3)? And sinners, when they endure something like this, it is as punishment for their sins. So, let us thank God for everything, whether He does it this way or that way: both are beneficial. He does not do anything to us out of hatred or disgust for us, but sends both out of attention and care for us. “From childhood,” says (the apostle), “you know the sacred scriptures,” that is, you studied the Holy Scriptures from an early age, and he calls the Divine Scriptures sacred scriptures, you were raised on it; and therefore your faith must be firm, and nothing should harm it; its root lies deep and has been strengthened over time; therefore nothing can tear it out. Having said: “the sacred scriptures,” he adds: “which can make you wise,” i.e. not allowing you to do anything unreasonable, as many do. 4. He who knows the Scriptures, as he should know, is not tempted by anything that happens, endures everything courageously, accepts some by faith and attributes it to the incomprehensible economy of God, and for others sees reasons and finds examples in the Scriptures. Not exploring everything and not striving to know everything is a clear sign of knowledge. If you want, I will prove this with an example. Let’s imagine a river, or better yet, several rivers—I’m not saying this by assumption, but these are what rivers really are; not all rivers are equal in depth, but some are shallow and others are deep, so that an ignorant person can drown in them; some have whirlpools, while others do not. Therefore, he does well who does not want to experience all the rivers without exception, and his reluctance to explore all the depths is no small sign of knowledge. And those who want to experience every part of the river, mostly do not know the properties of rivers, and often die, daring to venture into the depths with the same courage with which they passed shallow rivers. So with regard to God, whoever wants to know everything and dares to explore everything, especially does not know what God is. In addition, the rivers are for the most part safe, and there are few whirlpools and whirlpools in them; in God, most of it is hidden, and it is impossible to investigate His works. What makes you drown yourself? Just know that God arranges everything, that He provides for everything, that we are free, that God does some things and allows others, that He does not desire anything evil, that not everything happens according to His will, but also according to ours, namely, everything evil is only from us, and everything good is both from us and from His help, that nothing is hidden from Him: this is how He acts in everything! Knowing this, look at what is good, what is evil, and what is indifferent, such as: virtue is good, vice is evil, wealth, poverty, life, death are indifferent. Having known this, you will at the same time understand that the righteous suffer in order to receive crowns, and sinners suffer in order to receive punishment for their sins; however, not all sinners receive punishment here, so that others do not begin to disbelieve the resurrection; in the same way, the righteous do not all suffer, so that you know that it is not vice that is worthy of praise, but virtue. Here are the rules and laws; attach whatever you like to them, and you will not remain perplexed. Just as grammarians have a number of six thousand, under which everything is summed up and everything can be determined and decomposed according to this rule of six thousand, and everything revolves around this number - those who have studied grammar know this - so here, whoever knows these rules, which I will briefly repeat again, will never be tempted. What are these rules? The following: virtue is good, vice is evil, and indifferent are illnesses, poverty, intrigues against us, slander, etc. p.; the righteous suffer here, and if some of them prosper, it is so that virtue does not seem terrible; the evil ones (here) have fun in order to receive punishment there, and if some are punished (here), then so that evil does not seem good and their deeds go unpunished; if not all of them are punished, then so that faith on the day of resurrection is not lost; and among the good, there are people who commit evil deeds, for which they are here and give an account, just as among the evil there are people who commit good deeds, for which they are here and receive retribution, in order to suffer punishment there; the works of God are for the most part incomprehensible; there is a great difference between us and God, and what exactly it is, it is impossible to say. If we reason in this way, then nothing will confuse us; If we constantly listen to the Scriptures, we will find many examples of this. “Who are able,” he says, “to make you wise unto salvation.” The Scriptures set forth what ought to be done and what ought not to be done; Listen exactly to what the blessed apostle says in another place: “You are a guide for the blind, a light for those in darkness, a teacher of the ignorant, a teacher of babes” (Rom. 2:19, 20). Do you see that the law is light to those in darkness? If light is the law that represents the letter killing the letter, then what is the one in which is the life-giving spirit? If the Old Testament is light, then what is the new one, in which so much is revealed, which is so different from the old, as if someone had opened the sky to people who had not seen anything above the earth and showed them everything in it. From it we learned about Gehenna, about the kingdom (of heaven), about judgment. Let us not believe absurdities, such as all the predictions of wizards. But how, you say, what they say comes true? That’s why it comes true because you believe, if only it comes true. The wizard takes possession of you, becomes the master of your life and disposes of it as he wants. Tell me: if some leader of robbers takes into his hands and under his power the king’s son, who ran to him and fell in love with the desert and the life there, then can this leader tell him whether he will die or live? Very possible. Why? Not because he foresaw the future, but because he has the power to destroy and save the son who made him his master. He can destroy if he wants, and he can also release if he wants, because the prisoner is in his power. If he says: you will be rich or poor, both are in his power. So in the world, most people have given themselves over to the hands of the devil. 5. On the other hand, these deceivers are helped a lot when a person gets used to believing them, because no one pays attention to unsuccessful predictions, but only to successful ones. If they have any power of foresight, then bring them to me, the believer. I’m not saying this to exalt myself: I shouldn’t be proud because I don’t believe them. I am a great sinner; but I will not humble myself before them and, by the grace of God, I laugh at all of them. Bring the wizard to me; if he has any power of foreknowledge, then let him say what will happen to me, what will happen to me tomorrow. But he will not say, because I am under the authority of the king, and the wizard has no power or strength over me; I am far from his nets and ravines; I serve the king. But, you say, so-and-so stole it, and one wizard pointed it out. This is not always fair, but for the most part it is ridiculous and false. They don't know anything; and if they knew anything, it would be better for them to talk about their own, how many idol offerings were stolen, how a lot of gold was lost. Why didn't they predict this to their priests? Therefore they know nothing; Even with money they could not predict when their idolatrous churches burned down, and many of them themselves perished at the same time. Why don't they care about their own salvation? If they predicted anything, it was only a matter of chance. Our prophets do not make mistakes; They do not say one thing is true and another false, but everything is fair; this is foreknowledge. Stop, I exhort you, being crazy, if you believe in Christ; If you don’t believe, then why do you disgrace yourself, why do you deceive? “How long will you limp on both knees” (1 Kings 18:21)? And why do you go to the wizard? Why are you asking him? As soon as you came, as soon as you began to ask, you have already made yourself his slave, because you ask as a believer in him. No, you will say, I am asking, not believing that he is telling the truth, but testing him. But testing whether he is telling the truth is characteristic of those who are not sure that they are lying, but also those who doubt it. Why are you asking what will happen? If they had said: this is what will happen, do this and avoid this, then at least one should not allow such idolatry, but it would not be so crazy. If they undertake to predict the future, then the listener gains nothing but unnecessary sorrow; the prediction does not come true, but he has already experienced grief, has already exhausted himself. If it were useful to know the future, then God would not hide it from us, as if out of envy; He who told us what is in heaven does not envy. “I have told you,” He says, “everything that I heard from My Father”; and again: “I no longer call you servants, but friends: you are my friends” (John 15:14, 15). Why didn’t He reveal the future to us? Because He wants us not to worry about it at all. He did not do this out of envy; He made foreshadowings to the ancients, for example, about a donkey and some other objects (1 Samuel 9), because they were like children; and He delivered us from the worry of foreknowing the unknown, wanting us not to worry about it at all. What is revealed to us instead? What the ancients did not know. Everything revealed to them is of little importance; but we know that we will be resurrected, we will be immortal and incorruptible, that our life will have no end, that everything (the present) will pass, that we “will be caught up in the clouds” (1 Thess. 4:17), that the wicked will receive punishment, and, in addition, much more - and all this is not false. Isn’t it much better to know such truths than to know that a lost donkey will be found? Suppose you found and took a donkey: what good does it do? Can't you lose him again in some other way? If he does not leave you, then you yourself will leave him at death. And what I said we can always have if we want to have it. Let us strive for this; Let us seek constant and unchanging benefits; We will not listen to magicians, soothsayers and fortune-tellers, but to God, who clearly knows everything, has knowledge of everything; then we will know everything we need to know, and we will be worthy of all blessings. 2 Timothy 3:16, 17. All Scripture is inspired by God and is useful for teaching, for reproof, for correction, for instruction in righteousness, so that the man of God may be complete, equipped for every good work. Works and exploits of the ap. Pavel. 1. Having offered (Timothy) many admonitions and consolations of all kinds, (Paul) adds even more perfect consolation - from the Scriptures; and it is not without reason that he offers so many consolations, but because he intended to say something important and regrettable. If Elisha, who was with his teacher until the last minute of his life, seeing that he was ending his earthly life in a special way, tore his clothes, then what should Timothy, so beloved and loved so much, have felt when he heard that his teacher was preparing to die, and seeing himself deprived of his contemplation at the time closest to his death, which usually happens most sadly? We are not so grateful for the past time if we were separated from the dead at the time closest to their death. That is why (Paul) first offers (Timothy) many consolations, and then he tells him about his upcoming death, and he does not speak simply, but uses such expressions that are capable of comforting and filling with joy - presenting this event as more of a sacrifice than a death, more of a migration than it really was, and a transition to the better. “For I am already,” he says, “becoming a sacrifice” (2 Tim. 4:6). That is why here he writes: “All Scripture is inspired by God and is useful for teaching, for reproof, for correction, for instruction.” “Everything” – which one? That which he says I said is all Holy Scripture. Here, of course, is the Scripture that was mentioned above, about which he said: “You know the sacred scriptures from childhood.” So, all Holy Scripture is inspired by God. Therefore, he says, don’t doubt him at all. “And it is profitable for teaching, for reproof, for correction, for instruction in righteousness, that the man of God may be complete, equipped for every good work.” “For learning,” if we need to know something, if we happen to be perplexed about something, we can learn about it from here; if you need to expose a lie, if you need to correct yourself or come to your senses, we can learn this from here; it contributes to both exhortation and consolation. “For correction”, - that is, if something is missing and something needs to be supplemented. “That the man of God may be perfect”: for this purpose, he says, the instruction of the Scriptures was given, so that the man of God may be perfect; therefore, without them it is impossible to be perfect. Instead of me, he says, you have the Scriptures; Whenever you want to know something, you can find out from here. If this was said to Timothy, who was filled with the Holy Spirit, how much more should it be to us? “Prepared for every good work” not only by the one who sets to work, but also carefully prepared. “I charge you therefore before God and our Lord Jesus Christ, who will judge the living and the dead” (2 Tim. 4:1). Here he means either sinners and righteous people, or those who have died and those still living, since many will remain alive (until the final judgment). And in his first letter he instilled fear in Timothy with the words: “Before God, who gives life to all things, I charge you” (1 Tim. 6:13); here he says something more terrible: “Who will judge the living and the dead,” that is, those who have to demand an account. “At His appearing and His kingdom” - when? During His coming with glory, with royal majesty. Thus, he says either that the Lord will not come as he does now, or the following: I testify to you His appearance and kingdom. He calls Him as a witness, showing that this too was taught to him. Next he teaches how the doctrine should be preached. “Preach the word, be persistent in season and out of season, reprove, rebuke, exhort, with all longsuffering and teaching” (2 Timothy 4:2). What does it mean: “in time and not in time”? That is, do not set a specific time, let you always have time for this, and not just during times of peace, tranquility, or sitting in church; even if you were in danger, even if you were in prison, even if you were in chains, even if you were preparing to go to death - and at this time, reprove and do not stop admonishing. Then it is timely to reprove, when it can have success, when a case (worthy of reproof) presents itself. “Exhort,” he says; like doctors, having identified the wound and made an incision, he then applies medicine. If any of this is omitted, then the rest is useless. If you threaten without reproof, you will appear impudent and no one will listen; if you denounce it in advance, then the listener will accept the threat, but without that he will remain shameless. On the other hand, if you begin to denounce and threaten, albeit with force, but do not offer consolation, you will again ruin the whole thing. Indeed, reproof in itself is unbearable if it is not dissolved by consolation. Just as when cutting a wound, although life-saving, the sufferer cannot bear the pain of the section and cut unless many means are used to alleviate the pain, so it is here. “With all things,” he says, “longsuffering and edification.” The one who reproaches must have patience so that the listener does not believe without reason, and the threat must be combined with consolation so that it is accepted. And what does the word added to longsuffering mean: “and edification”? Reprove not with anger, not with hatred, not with malice, not with enmity, as if against an enemy - all this must be abandoned - but how? With love, with compassion, grieving more than the person being accused, mentally regretting his situation. “With all patience,” he says, “and edification,” and not just any other way. There will be a time when “people will not endure sound doctrine.” Before they become disobedient, warn them all. That’s why he said: “in season and out of season,” act in everything in such a way that those who listen to you learn voluntarily. “But according to their own whims,” he says, “they will choose teachers for themselves.” 2. There can be nothing more expressive than this word: “to choose” it means a disorderly crowd of teachers, who will then be ordained by the disciples. “They will choose,” he says, “for themselves teachers who would have their ears tickled,” looking for people who would speak for their pleasure and have their ears tickled. “And they will turn away their ears from the truth and turn aside to myths” (2 Tim. 4:4). He predicts this not so that his disciple will succumb to despondency, but so that he will courageously endure when this happens. In the same way, Christ said: “They will hand you over to judgment courts and beat you,” and they will lead you into synagogues for My name’s sake (Matthew 10:17). So in another place the blessed (apostle) says: “For I know that after I am gone, savage wolves will come in among you, not sparing the flock” (Acts 20:29). He said this so that they would stay awake and use the present time properly. “But you,” he says, “be vigilant in everything, endure tribulations” (2 Tim. 4:5). Do you see that he predicted this precisely for this purpose? Just as Christ at the end (of His earthly life) said: “false Christs and false prophets will arise” (Matthew 24:24), so he said the same thing when he was preparing to end his life. “Be vigilant in everything, endure sorrows,” that is, work, warn, bring the sheep to a safe state before the infection sets in, suffer continuously while wolves exist. “Do the work of an evangelist, fulfill your ministry.” Therefore, the job of an evangelist is to suffer both from himself and from strangers. “Fulfill (glory - it is known to do) your ministry” i.e. fulfill. And here is another reason for suffering: “For I am already,” he says, “becoming a sacrifice (σπέυδομαι), and the time of my departure has come” (2 Tim. 4:6). He did not say: my sacrifice, but something more, because not everything is offered to God from the sacrifice, but everything is from what is poured out. “I have fought the good fight, I have finished my course, I have kept the faith” (2 Tim. 4:7). Often, having picked up the apostle’s epistle and looking at this passage, I was perplexed why Paul exalts himself so much: “I have fought a good fight.” But now, it seems, by the grace of God, I understood it. Why does he say this? He wants to console the grieving disciple, commanding him to be cheerful, because he goes to the crown as having accomplished everything, as having reached a good end: he should rejoice, he says, and not grieve. Why? “I fought a good fight,” he says, like a father who, comforting his son sitting next to him and lamenting about his orphanhood, would say to him: do not cry, my son, I lived well, I am leaving you, having reached old age, my life was impeccable, I am leaving with glory, and you will be famous for my deeds; the king shows me great favor. And it’s as if he says this: I raised trophies, defeated enemies - he says not out of vanity, no, but to encourage his son, in order to inspire him with such praises - to easily endure everything that happens, to have good hope, and not to consider the upcoming separation difficult. And separation is hard, truly hard. Listen to how he himself says in another place: “But we, brethren, were separated from you for a short time in face, and not in heart” (1 Thessalonians 2:17). If he himself grieved, being separated from his disciples, then how should Timothy grieve? If he cried, parting from the living (teacher), as can be seen from the words: “Remembering your tears, so that I might be filled with joy” (2 Tim. 1:4), then isn’t it much more so at his death? Thus (Paul) wrote this for the consolation of (Timothy), and the entire epistle is filled with consolation, and is, as it were, a kind of testament. “I have fought the good fight, I have finished my course, I have kept the faith.” “A feat,” he says, “a good one.” Take it upon yourself too. Shackles, prisons, death - is this a good deed? Yes, he says, because it is accomplished for Christ and brings great crowns. "By a good deed"; there is nothing better than this feat, this crown has no end; it is not made of bay leaves; here it is not a person who is in charge of the feats, not people who are spectators, but angels who fill this spectacle. There (at ordinary spectacles) they work for many days and become tired, but in one minute they receive a crown, and immediately the pleasure passes; but here it is not so, but they remain forever in splendor, glory and honor. Therefore we should rejoice; I am going to rest, leaving the place of exploits; You heard from me that it is better to “be loosed and be with Christ” (Phil. 1:23). “Completed the flow.” It is necessary to strive and move forward: to struggle, enduring sorrows, and to move forward, not simply, but towards something useful. A truly good deed is one that does not only amuse the spectator, but brings benefit; and the true flow is not the one that strives for nothing, or only reveals strength and ambition, but the one that draws everyone to heaven. Such a current is brighter than the sun; Paul performed it on earth, or with it he strove for heaven. How did he end this course? He walked around the entire universe, starting from Galilee and Arabia, and reaching the ends of the earth: “so,” he says, “I have spread the gospel of Christ from Jerusalem and the surrounding area to Illyricum.” (Rom.15:19). He flowed through the entire universe like a bird, or better, stronger than a bird; the bird would have flown simply, but he would have flown not simply, but having the wings of the Spirit and cutting through thousands of obstacles, deaths, intrigues, disasters. Thus he was faster than the bird. If he were just a bird, he would get tired and be caught; but, being inspired by the Spirit, he flew through all the nets, as if having wings of fire. “I kept the faith,” he says. Many things tried to take her away from him, not only close relationships with people, but also threats, mortal dangers, and much more; but he stood against everything. How? Sober and awake. All this was enough to console the disciples, but he also adds about rewards. Which ones? “And now,” he says, “a crown of righteousness is laid up for me” (2 Tim. 4:8). Here again he calls virtue in general “truth.” So, he says, there is no need to grieve, because I am going away to receive from Christ the crown that He will place on my head; on the contrary, if I had remained here, then it would have been more necessary to grieve and fear lest I should fall and perish. “Which the Lord, the righteous Judge, will give to me on that day; and not only to me, but also to all who loved His appearance.” 3. Here he also encourages the disciple. If the Lord rewards “everyone,” then even more so Timothy. But he did not say: and to you, but: “to everyone,” expressing that if - to “everyone,” then even more so to him. How, you say, can one love the appearance of Christ? If you rejoice at His coming. And whoever rejoices at His coming does what is worthy of this joy; he will give, if necessary, both his property and soul in order to receive future blessings, in order to be worthy to see His second coming, in decent form, with boldness, in glory and light. This is what it means to love His appearance. Whoever loves His appearance will do everything so that before the universal one there will be a private coming to him (of Christ). How do you say this is possible? Listen to Christ himself, who says: “He who loves Me will keep My commandments; and We will come to him and make our abode with him” (John 14:23). Think how important it is when the one who has to appear to everyone in general promises to appear to each of us in particular: “We will come,” he says, “and we will make an abode with him.” He who loves His appearance will do everything to call Him to himself and keep Him with him, so that the light will shine in him. Let there be nothing in us unworthy of His coming, and He will soon dwell in us. The phenomenon (έπιφάνεια) is called so because it appears to the mountain (έπάνω φαινεσθαι) and shines from above. Therefore, let us strive for what is above, and we will soon attract the rays of the above. None of the people who crawl to the ground and bury themselves in the ground can see the light of the sun; none of the people who defile themselves with worldly affairs can see the Sun of Truth; It does not appear to anyone who indulges in such a life. Sober up at least a little, rise from this abyss, from the abyss of life, if you want to see the Sun, if you want to be worthy of His coming. If you are worthy of His coming now, you will look to Him then with great boldness. Be wise now; Let there not be a spirit of pride in you, lest it strike you and cast you down; May you not have darkness and a heart of stone, so that your ship does not crash against it; let there be no guile in you; reefs produce the most terrible shipwrecks. Do not harbor wild beasts within yourself—I mean passions, because they are fiercer than wild beasts; Do not rely on things that pass quickly, like flowing water, so that you can stand firm. No one can stand on water, but everyone can stand safely on a rock. Everyday affairs are water: “for the waters,” they say, “have reached [my] soul,” like a stream overflowing its banks (Ps. 68:2). And spiritual works are a stone: “I have set,” they say, “my feet on a stone” (Ps. 39:3). Everyday affairs are dirt and impurity. Let us renounce ourselves from them, and in this way we can be worthy of the appearance of Christ. Whatever befalls us, we will endure. Sufficient consolation in all things is to suffer for Christ; Let us repeat this divine saying, and the pain of every wound will cease. How, you say, can one suffer for Christ? Let us assume that someone simply slandered you, not for Christ. If you bravely endure this, if you give thanks, if you begin to pray for him, then you will do all this for Christ. If you curse, get annoyed, try to take revenge, then, although you will not succeed, you will not endure for Christ, but you will also receive harm and lose fruit of your own free will. It depends on us whether to receive benefit or harm from disasters; this does not depend on the nature of the disasters themselves, but on our will. Let me give you an example. Job, having experienced so many calamities, endured them with gratitude, and was justified - not because he suffered, but because, while suffering, he endured everything with gratitude. Another, experiencing the same suffering - or better, not even the same, because no one suffers like Job, but much less - becomes angry, annoyed, curses the whole world, murmurs against God; such a person is condemned and punished not because he suffered, but because he grumbled against God; and he grumbled against God not due to the necessary requirements of circumstances; otherwise, if he had acted this way according to the necessary requirements of circumstances, Job would also have grumbled; if the latter, having experienced the gravest calamities, did nothing of the kind, then it means that all this happens not out of necessity, but from weakness of will. So, we need to have a strong soul, and then nothing will be difficult for us; on the contrary, nothing is easy for a weak soul. Depending on the disposition of our will, everything is both bearable and unbearable for us; Let's strengthen it, and then we will easily endure everything. Likewise, a tree, if it takes deep roots, cannot be shaken by a strong storm; if it does not spread them deeply, on the surface, then a weak gust of wind will tear it out by the roots. So it is with us: if we nail our flesh with the fear of God, then nothing will shake us; If we leave her free, then even a weak attack can amaze and destroy us. Therefore, I exhort you, bear everything with complete complacency and imitate the prophet who says: “My soul cleaves to You” (Ps. 63:9). This is what he says: “my soul cleaves.” He didn’t just say: it surrendered, but: “it clung.” And again: “My soul thirsts for you” (Ps. 63:2); he didn’t just say: wished, but: “thirsts,” expressing with this word the special strength of desire. And again: “My flesh trembles at Your fear; nail my flesh to Your fear” (Ps. 119:120). He wants us to constantly cling to God and unite ourselves with Him so that we never depart from Him. If we are so devoted to God, if we nail our hearts to Him, if we thirst for Him with a strong desire, then we will receive everything we desire and will be worthy of future blessings in Christ Jesus our Lord, to whom, with the Father and the Holy Spirit, be glory, power, honor, now and ever, and to the ages of ages. Amen. 2 Timothy 4:9–13. Try to come to me soon. For Demas left me, having loved this present age, and went to Thessalonica, Criscent to Galatia, Titus to Dalmatia; Only Luke is with me. Take Mark and bring him with you, for I need him for service. I sent Tychicus to Ephesus. When you go, bring the phelonion that I left in Troas with Carpus, and books, especially leather ones. Why didn't all the apostles heal illnesses? – How can you attract the grace of the Spirit. - The wealth of God. 1. One may ask: How does (Paul) call Timothy to himself when the Church and the whole people were entrusted to him? The apostle does not do this out of pride; he himself was ready to go to him - listen to what he says: “If I tarry, you knew how you ought to act in the house of God” (1 Tim. 3:15). But why? Because he was in extremes, he could no longer walk of his own free will, he lived in prison, having been imprisoned there by Nero, and was preparing to die soon. Therefore, so that this does not happen before meeting with the student, he calls him to himself, wanting to see him before his death and, perhaps, convey a lot to him. “Try,” he says, “to arrive before winter” (2 Tim. 4:9, 21). “Demas left me, having loved this present age.” He does not say: to see you before you depart from this life, which would greatly sadden (Timothy); but: because I remain alone, I have no one to help me. “For Demas left me, having loved this present age, and went to Thessalonica,” i.e. That is, having loved peace, a safe and calm life, he wanted to enjoy himself at home rather than be in poverty with me and share my real dangers. He reproaches only Demas, however, not wanting to reproach him, but to strengthen us, so that we do not weaken in spirit in dangers and labors; This is what the words mean: “having loved the present age”; at the same time, he wanted to bind the student to himself even more. "Criscent to Galatia, Titus to Dalmatia". He does not reproach them, because Titus was one of the most wonderful men, so Paul entrusted him with (church) affairs on the island, which was not small, but very large - I mean Crete. “Only Luke is with me,” he was constantly with Paul; he wrote the Gospel and the Acts of the Council, was hardworking, inquisitive and patient. About him (the apostle) speaks in another letter: “in all churches he is praised for the gospel” (2 Cor. 8:18). “Take Mark and bring him with you. For what? For I need him for service." He does not require this for his own peace of mind, but to serve the Gospel, because even in prison he did not stop preaching. And he calls Timothy to himself not for his own needs, but for the gospel, so that there would be no confusion among the believers on the occasion of his death, so that his numerous disciples, being present, would calm the confusion and comfort those who mourned his death, and among those who believed in Rome, there were probably venerable men. “I sent Tychicus to Ephesus. When you go, bring the phelonion that I left in Troas with Carp, and books, especially leather ones.” He calls clothing here "Phelon"; and some mean the vagina, in which the books were kept. Why did he need books when he was preparing to go to God? And they were very necessary to convey them to the believers, so that they would have them instead of his teachings. All believers probably felt a great loss then, especially those who were present at his death and then enjoyed seeing him. And he requires a felonion in order not to have to take it from another. You see how much he cared about this; and in another place he expressed this when he said to the Ephesian (presbyters): “You yourselves know that these hands have served my needs and [the needs] of those who were with me,” and also: “It is more blessed to give than to receive.” (Acts 20:34, 35). “Alexander the coppersmith did me a lot of harm. May the Lord reward him according to his deeds” (2 Tim. 4:14). Here he again recalls temptation, not just to reproach or condemn the person mentioned, but to inspire the student to exploits and to dispose him to courageously endure (temptations). Even if the people who cause temptations were unimportant, even if they were insignificant and despicable, one must, he says, endure everything courageously. Whoever has suffered evil from an important person finds no little consolation in the high position of this person; and whoever suffers from a low and despicable person receives greater grief. “He did me a lot of harm,” that is, he insulted me in various ways. But this, he says, will not go unpunished for him: “The Lord will reward him according to his deeds.” As he said above: “What persecutions I endured, and the Lord delivered me from all” (2 Tim. 3:11), so here he consoles the disciple in two ways - by the fact that he himself experienced insults, and by the fact that the one who insulted him will be rewarded; He says this not because the saints rejoice at the punishments (of evil people), but because the work of preaching and the weakest of believers needed such consolation. “You too should beware of him,” he says, “for he strongly opposed our words” (2 Tim. 4:15), that is, he rebels and contradicts. He did not say: take revenge, punish, drive him away, although by the grace of God he could have done this; He doesn’t say anything like that, and doesn’t arm his disciple against him, but only commands him to move away from him, leaving the punishment to God. Also, to console the weakest, he says these words: “he will reward him,” which represent more of a prophecy than a curse. And that he wanted to encourage the student with these words is clear from what follows. Next, watch how he talks about his other temptations. “At my first answer,” he says, “no one was with me, but everyone left me. Let it not be counted against them” (2 Timothy 4:16). 2. You see how meekly he speaks about those close to him, although they have committed a serious offense; After all, it’s not the same thing to be abandoned by strangers or by your own. Do you see how strong his grief was? You, he says, cannot say that I, being persecuted by strangers, found consolation, relief and help in my own people - and they betrayed me: “everyone left me.” Truly, this is no small sin. If in war, the one who leaves a comrade in danger and delivers only himself from the hands of the enemy is justly punished by his own people, as a person who ruined the whole business and a traitor, then even more so in preaching. But what is the first answer he is talking about? He had previously been presented to Nero, and escaped (execution); but when he turned the butler, then his head was cut off. Further, consolation is again offered to the disciple: but “the Lord stood before me and strengthened me” (2 Tim. 4:17). Whoever is abandoned by people, God does not allow him to suffer anything calamitous. “And he strengthened me,” that is, he gave me boldness and did not allow me to fall. “So that through me the gospel might be established,” i.e. to be confirmed. Look how great his humility is. Not because, he says, God strengthened me because I was worthy of such a gift, but “so that the gospel that was entrusted to me might be established.” It is as if someone wore a scarlet robe and a diadem and was saved because of them. “And all the Gentiles heard.” What does it mean? So that, he says, the glory of the sermon and the care of Providence for me become known to everyone. And he delivered me from the mouth of the lion: “And the Lord will deliver me from every evil deed” (2 Tim. 4:18). You see how close he was to death; he was in the very jaws of the lion; he calls Nero a lion, because of his brutality, the power of his kingdom and inflexibility. And the Lord delivered me, he says, and will deliver me. If he delivers again, then how does he say: “I am already becoming a victim”? But take heed of his words. “He delivered me,” he says, “from the mouth of the lion; and further: he will deliver, no longer from the mouth of lions, but from what? - from every evil deed." Then He delivered me from danger; and now, when enough has already been done for the gospel, He will again deliver me - from all sin, i.e. will not allow me to leave (from this life) condemned. Truly, to fight sin until you bleed and not fall means to get rid of another lion - the devil. His last deliverance is more important than the first, when he was to be given over to death. “And he will preserve it for His Heavenly Kingdom, to Him be glory forever and ever. Amen" (2 Timothy 4:18). This is true salvation - when we shine there. What does it mean: “save for His Heavenly Kingdom”? He will deliver me, he says, from all guilt and keep me there. To be saved for the kingdom of heaven means to die for it here. “He who hates,” says the Lord, “will keep his life in this world to eternal life” (John 12:25). “To him be glory forever and ever. Amen." Here is the praise to the Son. “Greet Priscilla and Aquila and the house of Onesiphorus” (2 Tim. 4:19). Onesiphorus visited him in Rome, as he himself says: “May the Lord grant him to find favor with the Lord on that day” (2 Tim. 1:18). With such a greeting, he makes his household more zealous for similar feats. “Greet,” he says, “Priscilla and Aquila.” These are the persons whom he often mentions, with whom he lived, who received Apollos (Acts 18). He appoints his wife first, it seems to me, because she was more zealous and more devoted to the faith - it was she who accepted Apollos then - or he does it indifferently. Such a greeting was a considerable consolation for them, served as proof of his respect and love and brought them great grace, because even one greeting from such a holy and blessed man could fill the one who received this greeting with great grace. “Erastus remained in Corinth; But I left Trophimus sick at Miletus” (2 Tim. 4:20). We know about him and Tychicus from the book of Acts that he took them with him from Judea, and that they were always with him, perhaps because they were more diligent than others. “Trofima,” he says, “I left the patient in Milita.” Why didn't you heal him, but left him like that? The apostles could not do everything, or they did not arrange everything by grace, so that no one would think more about them than what they saw. The same thing, as we see, happened with the blessed and righteous men who preceded them, for example with Moses. He was tongue-tied - why didn’t God heal his tongue-tiedness? - often fell into sorrow and despondency, and did not enter the promised land. 3. God allowed many things to show the weakness of human nature. In fact, if at the same time the insensitive Jews said: where is Moses, “who brought us out of the land of Egypt” (Exodus 32:1)? - what would they not have done if he had brought them into the promised land? If God had not allowed him to feel fear of Pharaoh, would they not have recognized him as a god? As is known, the inhabitants of Lystra did the same with Paul and Barnabas, who took them for gods; and they “torn their clothes and rushed into the people, loudly saying: men! what are you doing? And we are men like you” (Acts 14:14, 15). Likewise, Peter, when he healed a man lame from birth and when everyone was amazed at what had happened, answered: “Men of Israel! Why do you marvel at this, or why do you look at us as if we had done by our own strength or godliness that he walks” (Acts 3:12)? Listen also to what blessed Paul says: “a thorn was given to me in the flesh, an angel of Satan, to afflict me, so that I would not become conceited” (2 Cor. 12:7). But, notice, he said this out of humility. No, that's not true; The “angel of Satan” was not given to him so that he would be humble in wisdom, and it was not only out of humility that he said this, but also for other reasons. Look, God doesn’t answer him by saying, “My grace is sufficient for you, so that you do not become arrogant,” but what? “For my strength, he says, is made perfect in weakness” (2 Cor. 12:9). Thus, two goals were achieved: events were revealed, and everything was attributed to God. Therefore, in another place (the apostle) says: “We carry this treasure in earthen vessels” (2 Cor. 4:7), that is, in bodies that are weak and subject to suffering. For what? “So that the superabundant power is [attributed] to God, and not to us.” If their bodies were not subject to suffering, then everything would be attributed to them. And in another place, we see him mourning his illness when he speaks of Epaphroditus: “For he was sick at the point of death; but God had mercy on him” (Phil. 2:27); and he did not know much else, with benefit both for himself and for the students. “Trophima,” he says, “I left the sick man in Miletus.” Miletus is located near Ephesus; therefore, (it was) either when he sailed to Judea, or at another time; and after he was in Rome, he went to Spain; but we don’t know whether he returned from there again to these countries. So, as we see, he was abandoned by everyone. “For Demas,” he says, “left me, Crescentus to Galatia, Titus to Dalmatia; Erastus remained in Corinth; I left Trofim sick in Milita. Try to come before winter. Evbul, and Pud, and Lin, and Claudia greet you” (2 Tim. 4:21). Some say about this Linus that he was the second bishop of the Roman Church after Peter. “And Lin,” he says, “and Claudia.” Do you see how the wives were zealous and fervent in the faith? Such is Priscilla, such is this Claudia, who had already crucified themselves (for the world), were already ready for exploits. But why, out of so many believers, does (the apostle) mention only these wives? Obviously because their souls had already renounced worldly affairs and were especially famous. After all, the female gender does not prevent (being virtuous). It is truly a matter of God’s grace that persons of this sex are removed only from participation in everyday affairs, or better said, they are not removed there either. In fact, the wife also inherited an important part of the overall management of affairs, namely the household part; and without her, civil affairs could never have taken place. If household affairs were in disorder and disorder, then each of the citizens would have to sit at home, and civil affairs would be in a bad state. Thus, she participates in these matters no less than (her husband) and in spiritual ones. And she can die a thousand times (for Christ), if she wants - many of them actually became martyrs - she can succeed in chastity, and even more than husbands, because the flame (of passions) does not act so strongly in her - she can have modesty, and honesty, and holiness, without which “no one will see the Lord” (Heb. 12:14), and contempt for wealth, if she wants, and in general everything else. “Try,” he says, “to come before winter.” How he compels him! And nowhere does he express anything regrettable; does not say: come before my death, so as not to sadden him, but: “before winter,” so that you do not encounter difficulties. “Evvul, and Pud, and Lin, and Claudia, and all the brethren greet you,” he says. He does not call the latter by name. Do you see that they were more ardent (in faith)? “The Lord Jesus Christ be with your spirit” (2 Tim. 4:22). There is nothing better than such goodwill. Do not grieve, he says that I am far from you: the Lord is with you. And he did not say: with you, but: “with your spirit.” Extreme help: from the grace of the Spirit and from God, who promotes it. Otherwise, God cannot be with us if there is no spiritual grace in us; if she leaves us, how will He be with us? “Grace is with us. Amen." Finally, he asks for himself (grace), that is, to always be pleasing to God, to have grace with its gifts, because if it is inherent in us, then there will be nothing regrettable. Just as someone who sees a king and enjoys his favor does not feel any sorrow, so we, even if we lose friends, even if we are subjected to some other disaster, will not feel any sorrow if grace is with us and protects us. 4. How can you attract grace to yourself? Doing what pleases God, obeying Him in everything. And in large houses, don’t we see that those servants enjoy the favor of their masters, who with all their souls and with all their zeal take care of the needs not of their own, but of the master’s, who, not only under the compulsion of the masters, but out of their own zeal and zeal, do everything well? And is it not when they are constantly before the eyes of their masters, when they study at home, when they do not worry about their own affairs and do not care about their own benefits, but consider the master’s property to be theirs? Thus, he who made his own his master’s did not make his own his master’s, but his master’s; he, like a master, disposes of his property, like him uses power; many of the other servants fear him more than the master; whatever he says, so does the lord; and all enemies fear him. If in everyday affairs, whoever despises his own and cares about the master’s things does not lose his own, but, on the contrary, receives more, then even more so in spiritual matters. Despise your own, and you will receive God's; He himself desires this. Despise the earth and you will receive the kingdom of heaven; abide there, not here; instill fear from there, not here. If you inspire fear from there, you will be afraid not only of people, but also of demons and the devil himself; if you inspire fear here with your wealth, you will be despised not only by them, but often by people as well. The more you get rich, the more you will be slaves; If you despise what is characteristic of slaves, you will become glorious in the royal house. Such were the apostles, who despised the dwelling of slaves and the local wealth; and see how they disposed of (the treasures of) the Lord. So and so, they said, let him be healed of his illness, let this one be healed of evil spirits, let him be bound, this one be freed. This happened on earth, but it happened as if in heaven. “Whatever,” the Lord said (to them), “you bind on earth will be bound in heaven” (Matthew 18:18): and he granted them even greater power. And what I say is true, listen to what He himself said: “He who believes in Me, the works that I do, he will also do, and greater works than these will he do” (John 14:12). Why? Because in this case, honor belongs to the Lord. So in our affairs, when a servant can do great things, they are even more amazed at his master, because if a servant can do so much, then how many times more can he who has him in his power? If someone, having left the service of the master, cares only about his wife, son, servant, and wants to get rich and collect for them, stealing from the master’s treasures, or causing harm to them, he will soon destroy himself along with the wealth. Therefore, I exhort you, seeing such examples, let us not worry about our own goods, so that we worry about ourselves; let us despise them in order to obtain them. If we begin to despise them, then God himself will care about them; if we take care of them, then God will despise them. Let us take care of God’s, and not ours, or better yet, ours, since what is His is also ours. I say, not about heaven, not about earth, not about worldly things; this is unworthy of Him, it belongs not only to us, but also to the infidels. What do I call His property? Glory, kingdom; it is both His, and together ours through Him. How? “If,” says (the apostle), “we died with Him, then we will live with Him; if we endure, we will also reign with Him” (2 Tim. 2:11, 12). We have become joint heirs and are called His brothers: why do we bow ourselves down, while He draws us to Himself? How long will we humiliate ourselves like this, how long will we be so pathetic? The sky is before us, and we creep on the earth; The kingdom of heaven is before us, and we choose for ourselves the squalor of this place; Eternal life is before us, and we are wasting ourselves on trees, stones and fields! Get rich - and I wish that - but only in this; collect, acquire - here it is not reproachful; on the contrary, here it is reproachful not to collect, here it is disapproving not to acquire. How so? “The Kingdom of Heaven,” says (the Lord), “is taken by force, and those who use force take it away” (Matthew 11:12). Be a strong seeker here, be a predator here; what is stolen here does not decrease. Virtue is not divided, piety is not diminished, nor is the kingdom of heaven. On the contrary, virtue increases when you plunder it; material goods decrease when you plunder them. This can be seen from the following: let there be countless people in the city; if they all plunder virtue and righteousness, they will multiply it, because it will be in thousands of righteous people; and if they don’t plunder it, they will reduce it, because it will not be visible anywhere. 5. Do you see how spiritual goods increase even more when they are plundered, and earthly goods decrease when they are plundered? Let us not be tied to this poverty, but let us choose this wealth. The riches of God consist in many enjoying His kingdom. “He is rich,” says (the apostle), “to all and to all who call on Him” (Rom. 10:12). Increase therefore His wealth; and you will multiply it when you plunder, acquire, and seek earnestly. Truly, an intense search is needed here. Why? Because there are many obstacles here: wives, children, worries, worldly affairs, in addition, demons, and the leader of the demons himself is the devil. Therefore, effort is needed, patience is needed. He who strengthens himself works. How? He endures everything, he fights with necessity. How? He dares to do the almost impossible. If strong seekers do this, and we do not even accept the possible, then when will we achieve, when will we get what we want? “Those who make effort,” said (the Lord), “take away” the kingdom of heaven. You need to strengthen yourself and delight him; it is not just given, and not suddenly. Anyone who wants to steal something constantly stays awake, sober, cares and worries in order to begin the theft in good time. Don't you see, like in war, whoever wants to kidnap does not sleep the whole night, does not take off his weapon all night. If those who want to steal everyday things do not sleep all night and remain armed, then how can we, wanting to acquire goods that are worthy of much greater care, spiritual goods, carelessly sleep even during the day, and always remain naked and unarmed? Truly, he who lives in sins is unarmed and naked; on the contrary, he who lives in truth is armed. But we do not protect ourselves with alms, we do not prepare burning lamps for ourselves, we do not put on spiritual weapons, we do not study the path leading to heaven, we are not sober, we are not watchful; That’s why we can’t steal anything. Whoever wants to take the kingdom, doesn’t he expect countless mortal dangers in advance? Doesn’t he arm himself, doesn’t he study the art of war, doesn’t he take all measures to achieve this, and in this way doesn’t he strive for the goal? But we do not do this, but want to steal (the kingdom of heaven) by indulging in sleep; That’s why we’re leaving empty-handed. Do you not see how those who steal something run, how they hurry, how they overthrow all obstacles? Need to run soon. Otherwise, the devil will overtake you and order those in front to detain you. But if you are strong, if you are cheerful, you will push one away with your foot, push away the other with your hand, and you will walk away from everyone like a bird. When you leave here, when you cross the market place, filled with great noise, what is the present life, then you will achieve what is above all this, what is the future life. There, like in the desert, there is no noise, there is no one to disturb or detain. Did you buy anything good? After acquisition, you need a little effort so as not to lose what you have acquired. If we run, if we do not look at anything that is before our eyes, if we do not worry about anything else, but only how to avoid the one who is detaining us, then we will be able to safely keep what we have acquired. Have you acquired chastity? Don’t stand, run, get away from the devil; if he sees that he cannot overtake you, he will not pursue you. So we, when we lose sight of the kidnappers, then, hoping for nothing more, we ourselves do not pursue them, and we do not ask others to detain them, but we leave them to flee from us. In the same way, you should run quickly from the very beginning. When you are far from the devil, he will no longer pursue you, and you will be safe, fearlessly enjoying the unspeakable blessings of which may we all be worthy, in Christ Jesus our Lord, with whom to the Father with the Holy Spirit be glory, power, honor and worship, now and ever, and to the ages of ages. Amen. These conversations were delivered by the saint, probably in Antioch around 397. Instead of the words: “here Paul ... speeches,” one handwritten codex reads: “Indeed, due to the mercy of God, his long-suffering towards the careless, and giving them time for repentance and sobering up, if they wanted, many received benefit and were converted, and likewise led others to salvation by their example. 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