A conversation about perfect love, and about rewarding deeds according to their worth, and about contrition

St. John Chrysostom begins his “Discourse on Perfect Love, and on Rewarding According to the Worth of Deeds, and on Contrition” (8 chapters) with words about the need to learn the virtue of love. We learn it through the way of our birth: “Having created one person, God commanded that everything come from him, so that we would all consider each other as one person and try to live in love for each other,” as well as through mutual relationships: God “did not let everyone know everything, but gave one the ability for medical science, another for construction, and another for another, so that, needing each other, we would love each other.” There is nothing higher than love. The saint talks about the free will of man, about the coming Last Judgment and the inevitability of punishment for sinners: “If even now some, seeing their children as unfit, remove them from themselves and renounce kinship with them, then all the more will this happen at that Judgment.” Remembering this as a “bitter medicine,” if it constantly lives in our soul, can destroy every vice. The year and place of the conversation are unknown. 1. Every good deed is the fruit of love. That's why a lot is said about her. So Christ says: “By this everyone will know that you are My disciples, if you have love for one another” (John 13:35); and Paul cries: “Owe no one anything except mutual love” (Rom. 13:8). He didn’t just talk about love, but commanded us to be, as it were, debtors in love for each other. Just as in relation to the body we must constantly provide it with food, and we constantly do, and this duty extends throughout our entire life, so it teaches us to act in relation to love, or better said, even more, because it leads to eternal life and constantly remains with those who have it. “And now,” says the apostle, “these three remain: faith, hope, love; but the greatest of these is love” (1 Cor. 13:13). However, we learn this virtue not only through words, but also through deeds themselves. And, firstly, by the manner of our birth; Having created one person, God commanded that everyone come from him, so that we all consider each other as one person and try to live in love for each other. Then, through mutual relationships, He wisely arranged the need for us to have mutual love, and listen to how. Having filled the universe with many blessings, He bestowed on each country special kinds of fruits characteristic of it, so that we, forced by necessity, traveling to each other, communicating to others what is superfluous and receiving from them what we lack, would love those who are similar to us. He did the same with every person. He did not let everyone know everything, but he imparted to one the ability for medical science, to another - for construction, to another - for another, so that, needing each other, we would love each other. Also in spiritual things, in turn, one can see the same thing, as Paul says: “To one is given the word of wisdom by the Spirit, to another the word of knowledge by the same Spirit; to another faith by the same Spirit; to others gifts of healings by the same Spirit; to another the working of miracles, to another prophecy, to another discerning of spirits, to another divers tongues, to another the interpretation of tongues” (1 Cor. 12:8-10). But there is nothing higher than love; That’s why he put her above everything, saying this: “If I speak in the tongues of men and angels, but do not have love, then I am a ringing brass or a sounding cymbal. If I have the gift of prophecy, and know all mysteries, and have all knowledge and all faith, so that I could remove mountains, but do not have love, then I am nothing” (1 Cor. 13:1-2). And even at this he did not stop, but announced that death itself for piety does not bring any benefit if there is no love at the same time. It was not without reason that he said this about love; he knew, knew well, as a fulfiller of God’s commandments, that when love is firmly rooted, then the fruits of all good things will grow. The commandments: “You shall not commit adultery, you shall not kill, you shall not steal, you shall not bear false witness against your neighbor,” and every other commandment is contained in this one, as the main one: “the whole law is contained in one word: you shall love your neighbor as yourself” (Ex. 20:13–16; Lev. 19:18; Gal. 5:14). However, why talk about the small, keeping silent about the great? Out of love, the beloved Son of God came down to us, began to turn and live together with people, so that, having dispelled polytheistic error and proclaimed true knowledge, he could teach people to love one another, as John testifies when he says: “God so loved the world that he gave his only begotten Son, so that whoever believes in him should not perish but have eternal life” (John 3:16). Burning with it, Paul uttered heavenly words: “Who will separate us from the love of Christ: tribulation, or distress, or persecution, or famine, or nakedness, or danger, or the sword?” (Rom.8:35). Having despised this as insignificant, he added to it much more. “Neither death,” he says, “neither life, nor angels, nor principalities, nor powers, nor the present, nor the future, nor height, nor depth, nor any other creature, will be able to separate us from the love of God that is in Christ Jesus our Lord” (Rom. 8:38-39). Therefore, nothing could separate (from the love of God) this blessed one, burning with love: neither heaven, nor earth, nor the sea, nor the Kingdom of Heaven, nor the torments of hell; he despised everything for Christ's sake. If we look at the rest of the saints, we will see that they all pleased God with love. 2. Love presents your neighbor to you as yourself, and teaches you to rejoice in his welfare as your own, and to feel his misfortunes as your own. Love unites many into one body and makes their souls dwelling places of the Holy Spirit, because the Spirit of the world can dwell not in those separated from each other, but in those united in soul. Love makes everyone's good things common to all, as the book of Acts says: “The multitude of those who believed had one heart and one soul; and no one called anything of his property his own, but they had everything in common... and to each one was given whatever he needed” (Acts 4:32, 35). Thus, is there any wall so solid, so fortified by a collection of huge stones and so inaccessible to the attacks of enemies, as a society of those who love each other and are bound together by unanimity? It reflects the very machinations of the devil, and is very natural. Revolting against him together with each other, and not standing with him against each other, such people are invincible by his tricks and erect brilliant trophies of love. And just as the strings of a lyre, although numerous, but tuned in harmony, produce the most pleasant sounds, so united by unanimity they emit the euphonious voice of love. Therefore, Paul advises to think and speak in agreement, and consider others superior to yourself, so as not to destroy love through vanity, but, yielding honors to others, to live in unanimity. And he also says: “Serve one another through love. For the whole law is summed up in one word: You shall love your neighbor as yourself” (Gal. 5:13–14). He who loves does not only desire to subjugate, but also to obey, and rejoices more in submitting than in ruling. A lover would rather do good than to receive good deeds, because he would rather have a friend as his debtor than to be in debt to him himself. The lover wants to do good to his beloved, but does not want his good deeds to be visible; wants to be the first in good deeds, but does not want to appear first in good deeds. Perhaps some do not understand what was said; so I will explain this with an example. The man-loving Lord predestined to give His Son for us, so that it would not seem that this was His gift, but that He was paying off a debt, He commanded Abraham to sacrifice his son, so that when He Himself did the same, He would appear not as the giver of the gift, but as the giver, according to the excessive wealth of His goodness. I know that what has been said will seem strange to many; the reason is that I am talking about an object that now dwells in Heaven. Just as if I were talking about some plant that is born in India and about which no one knows experimentally, then I could not fully explain it in words, even if I talked a lot about it - so now, no matter how much I say, I would say in vain, because some will not understand what was said. In Heaven, as I said, this plant is planted. But, if we want, it can be implanted in us. Therefore, we are commanded to say to the Heavenly Father: “Thy will be done on earth as it is in heaven” (Matthew 6:10). 3. So, let us not think that it is impossible to acquire such a good. It is possible, truly possible, if we are willing to pay attention; and not only this, but it is possible to fulfill any virtue, because we are guided by free will, and are not, as some think, subject to the necessity of fate, and are convinced that both good and evil depend on desire and unwillingness. Therefore, God both promised the Kingdom and threatened punishment. And if we were bound by necessity, then He would not have acted this way, because in accordance with the intention of actions there is a reward for both deeds. He would not propose laws, would not make exhortations, if we were bound by the bonds of fate. But since we are free and powerful in our own will, and we become unprofitable from carelessness, and good from zeal, He therefore prepared such medicine, correcting us and teaching us wisdom both through the fear of punishment and the hope of receiving the Kingdom. And not only from this, but also from what we ourselves do, it is clear that it is not fate, not chance, not the birth and not the course of the stars that govern our affairs. If everything that happens (to us) depended on this, and not on the free will of people, then why do you punish a slave who stole something? Why are you dragging a wife who has committed adultery to the judgment seat? Why are you ashamed when you do something obscene? Why is it that you cannot even bear the words when they reproach you, but if someone calls you an adulterer, or a fornicator, or a drunkard, or something like that, you call it an insult? If sinning does not depend on your will, then these deeds are not a crime, and these words are not an insult. But now, by the fact that you do not forgive those who sin, and by the fact that you yourself are ashamed of doing evil and try to hide, and by the fact that you call those who do you harm insulters, with all this you express that we are not bound by necessity, but are gifted with free will. We usually forgive those who are bound by necessity. If someone, being possessed by a demon, tears apart our clothes or strikes us, then we not only do not punish him, but we also pity and forgive him. Why? Because it was not free will, but the violence of the demon that did this. So, if other sins occurred due to the necessity of fate, then we would forgive them; but since we know that they are not out of necessity, therefore we do not forgive, neither masters - servants, nor husbands - wives, nor wives - husbands, nor fathers - children, nor teachers - students, nor bosses - subordinates, but we are strict investigators and punishers of crimes, we turn to the courts, subject them to scourging, use punishments and do everything to correct them from evil. We assign mentors to our children, and send them to teachers, and add threats, and use punishment, and take many other auxiliary measures so that they become good. What is the need for labor and effort to practice virtue? If someone is destined by fate to become good, then he will be beautiful, although he will doze and sleep, or better - one cannot be called good who is so out of necessity. What is the need for work and effort to avoid evil? If someone is destined by fate to become evil, then no matter how much he works, he will be evil, or better yet, one cannot be called evil who is driven to evil by necessity. Just as a person possessed by a demon, even if he slandered or beat, - I will again use the same example - we will not call an insulter, because we attribute the insult not to him, but to the violence of the demon - so we will not call an evil person, if he is prompted to this by fate, evil, just as we will not call a good person good. After all, if we allow this, then everything with us will fall into confusion, and neither virtue will mean anything, nor vice, nor arts, nor laws, nor anything else like that. Why do we, when we are sick, worry a lot, spend money, call doctors, use medicine, observe abstinence and moderate our wishes? If both health and illness depend on fate, then it is in vain to waste money, in vain to invite doctors, in vain to carefully abstain from the sick. Now, by the way, we explain from this that all this is not in vain. Thus, the fable of fate disappears, because our actions are not subject to any necessity, but in everything, as I said, we are endowed with free will. 4. So, beloved, knowing this and even more than this - after all, much more can be said about this, but for those who are more prudent, this is enough - let us avoid vice and choose virtue, so that we ourselves may show by our actions that we have free will in relation to the objects presented to us, so that we will not be put to shame on the day of the revelation of deeds. “We must all appear before the judgment seat of Christ,” says Paul, “so that each one may receive according to what he has done while in the body, whether good or bad” (2 Cor. 5:10). Let us, I exhort you, keep that Judgment Seat in mind and imagine that it now exists, that the Judge sits and everything is revealed and exposed to view. After all, we will need to not only appear, but also open up. Aren't you embarrassed? Aren't you in awe? Don’t we often decide to die rather than reveal our secret crime to our respectable friends? How will we feel when our sins are revealed to all Angels and all people and appear before our eyes? “I will reprove you,” says the Lord, “and bring your sins before you” (Ps. 49:21). If then, when there is no event itself, but only it is assumed and depicted in words, we are tormented by conscience, then what will we do when it comes, when the whole universe will be present - Angels, Archangels, Principalities, and Powers, when trumpets will continuously sound, when the righteous will be lifted up on the clouds and there will be a great cry of sinners? What kind of fear will then embrace those remaining on earth? It is said: “One is taken, and the other is left... one is taken, and the other is left” (Matthew 24:40–41). What state will their soul be in when they see how others are dismissed with great honor, and they themselves are left with great shame? It is impossible, believe me, impossible to express this suffering in words. Have you ever seen anyone being taken to death? What state do you think their soul is in when they walk along the road to the place of execution? What would they not dare to do and endure in order to get rid of this darkness? I heard from many who, after being taken to execution, were returned back due to the tsar’s love for humanity, that they did not even recognize people as people because of mental confusion and horror. But what am I saying about those taken away for execution? They were then surrounded by people, most of whom did not know them; but if someone then looked into the soul of everyone, he would find that there is not one so cruel, not one so brave, not one so courageous, who would not fall and be confused in his soul from fear and despondency. If, then, like others who are given over to death, having no communication with them, they are in such a disposition, then in what state will we be when we ourselves undergo a more difficult fate, being deprived of that indescribable joy and sent to eternal torment? Even if there were no Gehenna, then to be rejected from such lordship and depart with dishonor - what would be the punishment? If even now many, seeing the king entering and imagining their own poverty, do not so much receive pleasure from this spectacle as experience sorrow from the fact that they do not participate in anything surrounding the king and are not near the ruler, then what will happen then? Or do you think it will be a small punishment - not to be placed along with others in that host, not to be awarded unspeakable glory, to be removed and remain far from that triumph and unspeakable blessings? But if, in addition, there will be darkness, and gnashing of teeth, and unbreakable bonds, and an undying worm, and an unquenchable fire, and weeping, and groaning, and tongues tormented by heat, like that of the rich man, when we cry out - and no one will hear, we groan and cry from suffering - and no one will listen, we will look in all directions - and no one will console us at all, then how can we judge those in in this state? What could be more miserable than those souls? What is more sad? 5. If we, entering a prison and seeing some dirty, others bound with iron shackles, others imprisoned in darkness, are moved, horrified and do everything so as not to fall into the same misfortune and sorrow, then when we, bound, are taken into the most hellish torments, what state will we be in? What are we going to do? After all, those bonds are not made of iron, but of fire, which never goes out, and we will not be controlled by any people like us, who can often be softened, but by terrible and uncompassionate Angels, on whom it will be impossible to even look, who will be very angry with us for the deeds with which we have offended the Lord. There it is not like here, it is impossible to win over some with silver, others with food, others with flattering words, and receive relief, but there is no forgiveness in anything there. Whether Noah, or Job, or Daniel see their neighbors tormented, they will not dare to stand up and give a helping hand. Then it will happen that natural compassion will be destroyed. Since there will be righteous fathers of sinful children and good children of vicious parents - evil is not from nature, but from the will - so that their joy is pure and compassion does not violate the bliss of those enjoying those benefits, and then it will fade away, so that they, together with the Lord, will be indignant at their half-blooded (sinners). If even now some, seeing their children as unfit, remove them from themselves and renounce kinship with them, then all the more will this happen at that Judgment. So, let no one hope for anything good without doing good, even if he has many righteous ancestors. “So that everyone may receive,” says the apostle, “according to what he did while living in the body, whether good or bad” (2 Cor. 5:10). Let us, I exhort you, listen and be admonished. If you have the fire of a vicious desire, then imagine the fire of torment there, and your fire will go out. If you want to say something obscene, then imagine the gnashing of teeth, and fear will serve as a bridle for you. If you want to steal something that belongs to someone else, then listen to what the Judge says: “Binding his hands and feet, take him and throw him into outer darkness; there will be weeping and gnashing of teeth” (Matthew 22:13), and you will give up your desire. If you are cruel and unmerciful, then remember those virgins who, due to the fact that their lamps went out due to lack of oil, were deprived of the bridal chamber, and you will soon become philanthropic. If you have a desire to get drunk and live luxuriously, listen to the rich man who said: “Send Lazarus, so that he might dip the tip of his finger in water and cool my tongue,” and he did not get what he wanted (Luke 16:24), and immediately you will leave your passion. And you will tame all other passions in this way. After all, God did not prescribe anything difficult for us. Why do His commandments seem burdensome? From our negligence. Just as if we are diligent, and what seems difficult will be easy and convenient, so if we are careless, and what is easy will seem difficult to us. Imagining all this, let us not consider those who live luxuriously as blessed, but let us think about their end: here fleshiness and obesity, and there worms and fire; Likewise, let us not consider predators blessed, but consider what their end is: here are worries and labors, and there are insoluble bonds and pitch darkness; also those who love glory, but (see) what their end is: here is servility and pretense, and there is great suffering and constant burning in fire. If we reason with ourselves in this way and constantly repeat this and the like with our vicious desires, then we will soon avoid vices and practice virtues, extinguish the love for present goods and ignite love for future goods. And really, what is there that is durable, or extraordinary and wondrous in real blessings, so that you could devote all your worries to them? Don't we see that the same thing is constantly revolving, for example, day and night, night and day, winter and summer, summer and winter, and nothing else? Let us, therefore, kindle in ourselves a love for future blessings, because great glory awaits the righteous, such as cannot be described in words: they, having received incorruptible bodies after the resurrection, will be glorified and will reign together with Christ. 6. And how important this is, we learn from the following, or better yet, we cannot clearly find out this from anywhere, but so that, having borrowed a similarity from our goods, we get some, even a small, understanding of those goods, I will try to explain what was said with an example to the best of my ability. Tell me: if someone, who was outdated and living in poverty, suddenly promised to make you young and bring you to the most flourishing age, to make you both very strong and more beautiful than anyone else, and to grant you reign over the whole earth for thousands of years, a reign accompanied by the deepest peace, then what would you not decide to do and endure for this promise? But behold, Christ promises not this, but much more. After all, the difference between old age and youth is not the same as between corruption and incorruption; and it is not the same between kingship and poverty as it is between present and future glory; there is a difference between them, like between dreams and truth. Or better: I have not yet said anything, because there is no word that could sufficiently depict the great difference between the benefits of the future and the present. And in relation to duration, it is impossible to even mentally imagine their differences. What can the present be compared to a life that has no end? In relation to peace, the difference between them is the same as between peace and war; and in relation to corruption and incorruption it is the same as a pure pearl is more excellent than a dirty lump. It’s better: no matter what anyone says, nothing will be able to depict it. Even if I compared the beauty of the bodies of that time with the light of a sunbeam, even with the most brilliant lightning, I still would not have said anything worthy of that lordship. And for such benefits, how much money and bodies can you give? Or better: how many souls can you give? If now someone brought you to the king and gave you the opportunity to talk to him in the presence of everyone and eat and live with him, then you would call yourself the most blessed of all; and, having the opportunity to ascend to Heaven, to appear before the King of all Himself, to shine like the Angels and enjoy that unapproachable glory, you wonder whether it is possible to sacrifice money, whereas one should, at least one should give one’s life itself, to have fun, rejoice and admire with pleasure? But you, in order to gain power, which gives you opportunities to steal - I will not call this an acquisition - you spend your property, borrow from others, and, if necessary, you would not hesitate to mortgage both your wife and children; and when the Kingdom of Heaven is approaching, the power that has no successor, do you hesitate, hesitate and spare money? Or don’t you think that if the parts of the sky close to us are so good and pleasant, then what are the higher parts, what is the Heaven of heaven? But since it is impossible to see them with your bodily eyes, then ascend in thought, and, having become higher than this sky, look at that Heaven, which is higher than this, at the boundless height, at the unapproachable light, at the hosts of Angels, at the ranks of Archangels and at the rest of the incorporeal forces. And again, having descended from on high, take the example we gave, just imagine what happens around the king of the earth, for example: men dressed in gold, a team of white horses decorated with gold, a chariot bound with precious stones, plaques attached to it, images of dragons in silk robes, asps with golden eyes, horses clothed in gold, and golden bridles. Meanwhile, when we see the king himself, we no longer look at any of this; He alone attracts our attention, his purple clothes, diadem, seat, belt, shoes and the shine of his face. So, having carefully considered all this, from here you again transport your thoughts to Heaven and imagine that terrible day on which Christ will come. Then you will see not a team of mules, not golden chariots, not dragons and asps, but something that inspires great fear and produces such amazement that even the powers of heaven themselves are horrified. “And the powers of heaven,” says Scripture, “will be shaken” (Matthew 24:29). Then the whole heaven will open and the Only Begotten Son of God will descend, accompanied not by twenty or a hundred, but by thousands and tens of thousands of Angels and Archangels, and everything will be filled with fear and horror; the earth will open up, and all people who have ever existed, starting from Adam until that day, will rise from the earth and will be raptured, and He Himself will shine with such glory that the sun and moon will hide all their light, which will be darkened by that radiance. But, how regrettable is our great insensitivity! - when such blessings are expected, we are still addicted to real blessings, and do not understand the malice of the devil, who through the unimportant deprives us of the great, gives dirt to take away Heaven, shows a shadow to remove us from the truth, presents splendor in dreams - and this is real wealth - so that when that day comes, he will show us the poorest of all. Having learned this, beloved, let us avoid his deceit, let us fear condemnation along with him, lest the Judge also say to us: “Depart from Me, you cursed, into the eternal fire prepared for the devil and his angels” (Matthew 25:41). 7. But God loves mankind, this will not happen, say some. So, is this written in vain? No, they say, but only as a threat, so that we will come to our senses. And if we don’t come to our senses, but remain evil, tell me, will God not send punishment? And will he not give rewards to the good? He will reward, they say, because it is His nature to provide benefits even above merit. So, the latter is true and will certainly happen, but as for punishments, will there be none at all? Oh, the great deceit of the devil! Oh, inhuman love of humanity! It is his idea that promises useless mercy and makes people careless. Since he knows that the fear of punishment, like some kind of bridle, holds our soul and curbs vices, he does everything and takes all measures to uproot it, so that later we can fearlessly rush into the abyss. How will we overcome it? Whatever we say from Scripture, opponents will say that it is written to threaten. But if they can talk like this about the future, although this is very wicked, then they cannot talk about what has already happened and the present. So, let us ask them: have you heard about the flood and the general extermination of that time? Was this also said as a threat? Wasn't this fulfilled and actually happened? Don't the mountains of Armenia, where the ark stopped, also testify to this? And aren’t its remains preserved there to this day for our memories? In like manner even then many spoke, and for a hundred years, while the ark was being built, the trees were being prepared, and the righteous man was proclaiming, no one believed it; but since they did not believe the threat in words, they were suddenly punished in reality. And who brought such punishment on those, will not He bring much more on us? After all, the atrocities committed today are no less than those of that time. Then lawless mixtures occurred: “The sons of God saw,” says the Scripture, “the daughters of men that they were beautiful, and they took them” (Gen. 6:2). And now there is no type of sin that would not be committed and would be neglected. But, if you wish, let’s talk about other types of punishment, so that we can believe in the future based on the past. Have any of you ever traveled to Palestine? I think (I was traveling). So, be you witnesses to the truth of what I say. Above Ascalon and Gaza, at the very end of the Jordan River, there was a vast and fruitful country, which could be equal to the Paradise of God: “Lot lifted up his eyes,” says the Scripture, “and saw the whole region of Jordan, that before the Lord destroyed Sodom and Gomorrah, all of it as far as Zoar was watered with water, like the garden of the Lord, like the land of Egypt” (Gen. 13:10); and now it is the most desolate of all deserts. Trees stand there and have fruit, but this fruit reminds of the wrath of God; There are pomegranate apples hanging, having a beautiful appearance and giving pleasant hopes to the unknowing, but, being taken in hand and broken, they do not reveal any fruit, but dust and ashes, located in abundance inside them. Such is the earth there, such are the stones, such is the air itself. Everything was burned, everything turned to dust, recalling past wrath and foreshadowing future punishment. Are these really verbal threats? Are these really just the sounds of words? If anyone does not believe in Gehenna, then let him remember Sodom, let him think about Gomorrah, about the punishment that has already been fulfilled and remains to this day. Explaining this, the Divine Scripture speaks of Wisdom: “She, during the destruction of the wicked, saved the righteous, who escaped the fire that descended on five cities, from which, as evidence of wickedness, there remained smoking empty earth and plants that did not bear fruit in their season, and a standing pillar of salt as a monument to an unfaithful soul” (Wis. 10:6-7). It is necessary to say about the reason why they suffered so much. They had one crime, serious and deserving of damnation, but only one: they indulged in a frantic passion for young men, and for this they were burned by a fiery rain. And now countless and similar and grave crimes are being committed, but such burning does not happen. Why? Because another fire is prepared, one that never goes out. The One who showed such anger for one sin, did not accept the intercession of Abraham and was not restrained by Lot who lived there, how will He spare us, who commit so much evil? This can't be, it can't be. 8. But we will not limit ourselves to this, but will introduce others who were punished in order to be convinced by numerous examples of the truth of what is being said. You have all heard about Pharaoh, the king of Egypt; You also know about the punishment to which he was subjected, how he, along with his chariots and horses, and with his entire army, was drowned in the Red Sea. And so that you can also learn about the punishments of the Jews, listen to Paul, who says: “Let us not commit fornication, as some of them committed fornication, and in one day twenty-three thousand of them perished; Let us not grumble, as some of them were tempted and died by snakes. Do not murmur, as some of them murmured and were killed by the destroyer” (1 Cor. 10:8-10). If they also experienced such punishments for their sins, then what will we not tolerate? Now we do not tolerate anything serious, but that is why we especially need to be afraid, since we are saving ourselves not so as not to suffer punishment, but so as to suffer more if we do not improve. They did not know about Gehenna - and were given over to local punishments; and for the sins that we commit, even if we do not tolerate anything regrettable in this life, we will experience everything in the future. And would it be reasonable for those who had completely youthful concepts to suffer so much, while we, who received the most perfect teaching and committed much worse sins than those, escaped punishment? Do you want to hear about their other misfortunes that they suffered in Palestine from the Babylonians, Assyrians and Macedonians? How much hunger, infection, wars, captivity did they endure under Titus and Vespasian? Read the book of Joseph, in which he described the capture of Jerusalem, and you will recognize these sad events. Among other disasters, they suffered such extreme hunger that they even ate their belts, shoes and even the most vile things - because need forced them to eat everything, as the mentioned writer says. And they didn’t stop there, they even ate their own children. How then, while they suffered such punishments, will we, who do worse than them, escape punishment? After all, if they were punished then, then why are we not punished now? Isn’t it clear to the blind that this is because punishment is being prepared for us in the future, as I have often said. At the same time, we need to think about what happens in real life, and we will not reject Gehenna. If God is righteous and impartial, as He really is, then why are some here punished for murder, while others are not? Why are some adulterers punished while others die unpunished? How many gravediggers escaped punishment, how many robbers, how many greedy people, how many robbers? So, if there is no Gehenna, where will they be punished? Will we convince those who contradict that its teaching is not a fable? It is so true that not only we, but also poets, philosophers, and fabulists talked about future reward and argued that the wicked are punished in hell. Although they could not say this in accordance with the truth, as it really is, because they were guided by conclusions and our incorrectly heard teaching, they nevertheless recognized a certain image of the Judgment. They mention certain rivers full of weeping and fire (Cocytus and Pyriflegephon), the water of the Styx and Tartarus, as distant from the earth as it is from the sky, and about many other methods of punishment; also, in turn, about the Champs Elysees, about the blessed islands, about flowery meadows, about a great fragrance, about a subtle wind, about the hosts who live there, dressed in white clothes and singing certain hymns, in general about the reward that awaits both the good and the evil after they leave this life. So, let us not reject Gehenna, lest we fall into it - after all, the unbeliever becomes more careless, and the careless will certainly fall into it - but we will undoubtedly believe and constantly talk about it, and then we will not soon begin to sin. Remembering such words, like some bitter medicine, can destroy every vice if it constantly lives in our soul. Let us use it so that, having been completely cleansed, we may be worthy to see God, as far as it is possible for people to see Him, and to receive future benefits through the grace and love of our Lord Jesus Christ. To him be glory forever and ever. Amen. The paragraphs in the text were arranged by us. – Editorial staff of “ABC of Faith” You might be interested in: