Грех

Since some sins are involuntary, and in other cases we sin with evil intent, then the definition of the Just One about these sins is not the same. For let us suppose that fornication is being judged and that there are two harlots on trial; but one, having been sold to the owner of a debauched house, out of necessity falls into sin, bringing profit to the evil master, and the other, out of lust, voluntarily gives herself over to sin. Therefore, in one case, an involuntary sin finds an excuse, and in the other, a sin of bad will is condemned. Again, another sinned, having at first been brought up badly, because he was brought into the world by unrighteous parents, and grew up hearing and seeing lawless speeches and actions; and the other had a lot that called him to virtue - an honest upbringing, advice from parents, exactingness from teachers, hearing the words of God, an orderly lifestyle and everything else that guides the soul to virtue, but he later crawled into a similar sin; Wouldn’t such a person be justly considered worthy of the heaviest punishment? One will be condemned as a result of the saving impulses implanted in our minds, and precisely because he did not use them sensibly; and the other, moreover, because he made all the benefits given to him in vain and through inattention was carried away into a vicious life (1). Blessed is the man who... does not sit in the seats of the destroyers (Ps. 1:1) 39. Is he talking about those seats on which we rest our bodies? And what is the relation of wood to sin, so that the seat which was previously occupied by a sinner should be avoided by me as something harmful? Or should we think that the seat means a motionless and constant inertia in the approval of sin? We must beware of this, because zealous indifference to sin produces in our souls some incorrigible habit. For an old spiritual passion or a time-established thought of sin is difficult to heal or becomes completely incurable when skills, as most often happen, turn into nature. Therefore, we must desire that we not even touch evil. And the other way is to immediately run away from the temptation, like a blow inflicted by an archer, according to what is written by Solomon about an evil wife: but jump back, do not hesitate in place, do not stop your gaze on her (Proverbs 9:18). And now I know those who in their youth crawled into carnal passions and, out of habit of evil, remain in sins until they turn gray. Just as pigs, wallowing in the mud, continually become more and more covered in mud, so these people, through voluptuousness, cover themselves with new shame every day. So, it is a blessed thing to not think of evil. If, caught by the enemy, you have taken into your soul the advice of wickedness, do not continue in sin. And if you have been subjected to this, do not establish yourself in evil. Therefore, do not sit on the seat of the destroyers. If you understand what kind of seat Scripture means, namely, that it refers to a long stay in evil, then examine who it calls destroyers. About the pestilence, people knowledgeable in this matter say that if it touches one person or livestock, it spreads through communication to all those approaching. Such is the nature of this disease that everyone from each other is filled with the same weakness. Such are the workers of iniquity, for by transmitting illness to each other, they all suffer from the illness together and perish together. Have you ever seen how fornicators sit in the marketplace, ridicule the chaste, tell their shameful deeds, their occupations worthy of darkness, and list cases of their dishonor, like exploits or some other valor? These are destroyers who try to pass on their own vice to everyone and strive to make many similar to themselves in order to avoid reproach when the vices become common. Fire, having touched a combustible substance, cannot but engulf all this substance, especially if a strong wind blows, which carries the flame from one place to another. So it is with sin: having touched one person, it cannot help but spread to all those approaching, when evil spirits fan it. So the spirit of fornication is not limited to dishonoring one, but immediately comrades join in: feasts, drunkenness, shameful stories and an indecent woman who drinks together, smiles at one, seduces another and inflames everyone to the same sin. Is this infection really small, is this spread of evil unimportant? But he who imitates a covetous man or a man who through some other vice has achieved significant power in society, becomes a ruler of nations or a military leader and then indulges in the most shameful passions - can he who imitates him not accept destruction into his soul, having turned the vice of the one he imitates into his own? A brilliant position in the world shows along with itself the lives of people placed in plain sight. Warriors most often imitate military leaders; those living in cities take examples from their commanders; and in general, when many consider the vice of one person worthy of emulation, then it is fair and decent to say that from him some kind of destruction of souls spreads in life. For sin in the person of the eminent attracts many who are tempted to imitate the same thing. And since one borrows damage from another, it is said about such people that they destroy souls. So, do not sit in the seat of the destroyers, do not participate in the meeting of people who damage morality and are destructive, do not remain in the company of advisers for evil! (2) The root of sin is death (4). One who is involuntarily drawn into sin must know about himself that he is possessed by another, previous sin, which he voluntarily serves and by which he is already led into those sins that he does not want to fall into (4). Sin never exists (in itself) and is not thought of as a special entity. But through the impoverishment of good, receiving existence more in those who commit sin than in what is done badly, unrighteous deeds are formed into spiritual darkness, which, however, is dispelled by the light of truth, because light shines in darkness (John 1:5) and continues only until the end of the untruths themselves. For with the cessation of evil works, the existence of sin is also destroyed (5). Every sin must be revealed to the superior, either to those who have sinned, or to those who have learned about sin, when they themselves cannot heal it according to the commandment of the Lord (Matthew 18:15). For silent sin is festering harm in the soul. As a benefactor, we do not call someone who retains something harmful in the body, but, on the contrary, who brings it out through painful means and incisions, or throws out what is harmful through vomiting, or generally, through the discovery of a disease, makes the method of cure known: so, obviously, to hide a sin means preparing the patient’s death. For it is said: the sting of death is sin (1 Cor. 15:56); open reproof is better than hidden love (Prov. 27:5). Therefore, do not hide the sins of one another, lest a brotherly lover become a fratricide. Don’t hide it from yourself either (5). The detection of sins is subject to the same law as the declaration of bodily infirmities. Therefore, just as people reveal bodily infirmities not to everyone and not to the first person they meet, but only to those skilled in healing, so the revelation of sins should be before those who are able to heal them (5). How should one behave with those who avoid major sins, but do small ones without fear? First of all, you need to know that such a distinction cannot be seen in the New Testament. For all sins are subject to one judgment of the Lord, who said: everyone who commits sin is a slave of sin (John 8:34); and again: the word that I spoke will judge him on the last day (John 12:48). And John cries: he who does not believe in the Son will not see life, but the wrath of God abides on him (John 3:36), and the reason for the threat for unbelief is not the difference of sins, but disobedience. In general, if we allow ourselves to say: “small” and “great” sin, then we can recognize as indisputable that for everyone what he owns is great and what he owns is small; like with wrestlers, the victorious is stronger, and the defeated is weaker than the victorious, no matter who he is. Therefore, in the judgment of everyone who commits any sin, he must observe the judgment of the Lord, Who said: If your brother sins against you, go and tell him his fault between you and him alone; If he listens to you, then you have gained your brother; But if he does not listen, take with you one or two more, so that by the mouth of two or three witnesses every word may be established; if he does not listen to them, tell the church; and if he does not listen to the church, then let him be to you as a pagan and a publican (Matthew 18:15–17). In the reasoning of all such, let what was said by the apostle be observed: why did you become proud, instead of rather crying, so that the one who did such a thing would be removed from among you (1 Cor. 5:2)? For when cutting off one must show long-suffering and compassion (5). How should one turn from sins? Being jealous of the disposition of David, who, firstly, says: I recognized my iniquity and I did not hide my sin, he said: “I confess my iniquity to the Lord” (Ps. 31:5); and then explains the way to do this in various ways in the sixth and other psalms; learning from the apostle that he testified to the Corinthians about the sin of others, saying: grief for the sake of God produces unchangeable repentance leading to salvation, and, adding the property of sadness: you were saddened for the sake of God, look what zeal has produced in you, what apologies, what indignation at the guilty person, what fear, what desire, what jealousy, what retribution! In all respects you have shown yourself to be clean in this matter (2 Cor. 7:10, 11). Why does it become clear from this that one must not only move away from sin and grieve for those who sin, but also turn away from the sinners themselves. And David clearly expressed this when he said: Depart from me, all you who commit iniquity (Ps. 6:9); The apostle commanded not even to eat with such a person (1 Cor. 5:11) (5). Translated by P. Yungerov: blessed is the man who... did not sit in the company of destroyers. You might be interested in: