Беседа 30

2 Corinthians 13:10. This is why I am writing this in my absence, so that in my presence I would not use severity according to the power given to me by the Lord for creation, and not for destruction. The Holy Spirit is consubstantial with the Father and the Son. 1. (The Apostle) realized that what he said, especially towards the end of the epistle, was strict. Above he said: “I, Paul, who is modest among you personally, but courageous in absentia against you, convince you with the meekness and condescension of Christ. I ask that when I come, I will not resort to that strong boldness that I think I will use against some who think about us that we walk in the flesh" ("I pray for you, Paul himself, through the meekness and quietness of Christ, who in his countenance was humble in you, but not like you I am bold in you. I pray that hope is not inherent in daring, but with it I am thinking of sweeping away someone who does not eat us, as if we were walking in the flesh”); and: “and are ready to punish all disobedience when your obedience is fulfilled” (“in the readiness of those who have to avenge all disobedience when your obedience is fulfilled”) (2 Cor. 10: 1-2, 6): and again: “For I am afraid that when I come, I will not find you such as I do not want, and also that you will not find me such as I do not want.” wish: so that I do not find among you strife, envy, anger, quarrels, slander, sneaking, pride, unrest, so that again, when I come, my God will not humiliate me among you and so that I will not mourn for many who have sinned before and did not repent of the uncleanness, fornication and lewdness that they did" ("I am afraid that the food has come, but I will not find it you, and I will be found in you, but you do not want it:... lest my God come again and humble me among you, and I may weep for many who have sinned before and have not repented of uncleanness and fornication... which I have done” (2 Cor. 12:20–21); and then: “I have preceded and continue to preface, as if I were with you for the second time, and now, being absent, I write to those who have sinned before and to everyone else, that when I come again, I will not have mercy. You are looking for proof as to whether Christ speaks in me” (“I said first, that I was with you again, and now I am absent and write... that I will come again and will not spare you; because of temptation you seek Christ speaking in me”) (2 Cor. 13:2-3). So, in view of this, as well as many other things that were said to them to intimidate, shame, reproach and blame, he, wanting to justify himself in everything, says: “For this reason I write this in the absence, so that in the presence I would not use severity” (“for this reason I am not writing this with you, lest I come and do it mercilessly”). “I wish - (he says) - that my severity would be only in words, and not in deeds; I wish that the messages were strict, that the threats continue, but are not carried out.” But even in this very justification, he again makes his speech threatening, showing that it is not he who will punish them, but God, namely, he added: “according to the authority given to me by the Lord” (“according to the authority that the Lord has given me”); and at the same time again making it clear that he did not want to use his power to punish them, he also added: “to creation, and not to destruction” (“to creation, and not to destruction”). However, now, although I made a hint about this, as I said, I left it to them to think about it, that if they do not correct themselves, then punishing those who do not correct is also creation. And he himself knew that this was really so, and showed it in practice. “However, brethren, rejoice, be perfected, be comforted, be of the same mind, be at peace, and the God of love and peace will be with you” (“Other, brethren, rejoice, be perfected, be comforted, also be wise, have peace, and the God of love and peace will be with you”) (2 Cor. 13:11). What does it mean: “However, brethren, rejoice” (“otherwise, brethren, rejoice”)? You saddened, frightened, plunged into sorrow, made you tremble and fear; How can you tell me to rejoice? “For this very reason,” he says, “I command you to rejoice. Indeed, if you, for your part, correspond to what I am obliged to do, for my part, then there will be no obstacle to joy. And on my part, everything was done: I was long-suffering, I delayed, I did not excommunicate you, I convinced, exhorted, intimidated, threatened, in order to somehow produce in you the fruits of repentance. Now you must do your part, and your joy will not be darkened.” "Improve" ("Be perfect"). What does it mean – “Improve” (“be perfected”)? Be perfect and make up for what is lacking. "Be comforted." Since there were many temptations and great dangers, seek consolation in each other, in us, and in your own correction. If your joy comes from a (clean) conscience, and if you are perfect, then nothing is lacking for your complacency and consolation, because nothing brings as much consolation as a clear conscience, even if you are surrounded by countless temptations. “Be like-minded, peaceful” (“Be wise, have peace”). He asked about this at the beginning of his first message. It happens that people have the same thoughts, but do not have peace, for example, when they agree on the dogmas of faith, but are at enmity with each other. On the contrary, Paul here demands both (both like-mindedness and agreement). “And the God of love and peace will be with you” (“And the God of love and peace will be with you”). Not only exhorts and advises to have peace, but also prays to God for it; and truly, here he either prays or predicts the future, or rather, both together. “If,” he says, “you do this, that is, philosophize the same thing and have peace among yourself, then God will be with you, because God is the God of love and peace, He rejoices in this, and is glad about this. From here - from His love - there will be peace in you. Hence - deliverance from all evils. This love saved the universe, it stopped the ancient enmity on earth, it united earth with heaven, it made people angels. Let us also love her, because she is the mother of countless blessings. By her we are saved, through her we are given all unspeakable blessings.” Then, leading them to love, (the apostle) says: “Greet one another with a holy kiss” (“kiss one another with a holy kiss”) (2 Cor. 13:12). What does “holy” mean? Not feigned, not insidious, as Judas kissed Christ. This is why the kiss was given to arouse love, to ignite sincere affection, so that we love each other as brothers of brothers, as children of fathers, and fathers of children, or even more, because this (love) is from nature, and ours is from grace. Through kissing souls unite with each other. That is why, when returning from travel, we kiss each other when our souls come into mutual communication. The kiss of the lips especially expresses the disposition of our soul. 2. Something else can be said about this holy kiss. What is it? We are the church of Christ. Therefore, kissing each other, we kiss the vestibule and entrance of the church. Don’t you see how many kiss the doors of this church 8, some bowing their heads, others touching them with their hands and raising their hands to their lips? And through these gates and doors 9 Christ entered and enters us when we receive communion. You, participants in the sacrament, understand what I am saying. It is not a simple honor that our lips are awarded when they receive the body of the Sovereign. That is why here, for the most part, we kiss each other. Let those who indulge in foul language and slander hear this, and let them be horrified at the thought of how they defile their lips. Let those who kiss shamefully hear this. Listen to what God has spoken through your lips, and protect them from desecration. He spoke with them about the future life, about the resurrection, about immortality, about the fact that death is no longer death, and about many other unspeakable mysteries. In fact, the one approaching the sacrament approaches the lips of the priest as if he were a prophet. Let's hear how scary they are. The one who comes has ruined his life while still in his ancestors, and comes to seek it and ask for advice on how to find and acquire it. Then God speaks through the mouth of the priest how to find her; and the lips of a priest are worse than purification itself. This latter never uttered such a voice, but prophesied about much lower objects, about earthly wars and about earthly peace; on the contrary, these lips speak about heaven, about the future life, about things new and beyond reason. Having said: “Greet one another with the holy kiss” (“kiss each other with the holy kiss”), (the apostle) added: “All the saints greet you” (“you kiss all the saints”), and thereby giving them joyful hope. He wrote this instead of a kiss, connecting them with each other with this mutual greeting, because from the same lips come both the kiss and the words. Do you see how he unites everyone with each other - those who are distant in the flesh and those who are close, the former through writing, and the latter through kissing? “The grace of our Lord Jesus Christ, and the love of God and the Father, and the fellowship of the Holy Spirit be with you all. Amen" (2 Cor. 13:13). Thus, having united them with each other with greetings and kisses, he again concludes the word with prayer, and through it he tries in every possible way to unite them with God. Where now are those who claim that the Holy Spirit is not consubstantial with the Father and the Son because He is not mentioned at the beginning of the Epistles? Now (the apostle) named Him along with the Father and the Son. In addition, it must be said that (the apostle) in his letter to the Colossians, having said: “Grace to you and peace from God our Father” (Col. 1:3), was silent about the Son, and did not add, as in other letters: “and the Lord Jesus Christ.” Is it possible that therefore the Son will not be consubstantial (with the Father)? But to say this is extreme madness. On the contrary, this is what shows His consubstantiality, which Paul mentions differently in different places (about persons). And that what I said is not just a guess - listen to how he mentions the Son and the Spirit, but is silent about the Father. So in the (first) letter to the Corinthians he says: “But you were washed, but you were sanctified, but you were justified in the name of our Lord Jesus Christ and by the Spirit of our God” (1 Cor. 6:11). So, tell me, were they not baptized in the name of the Father? Then they were neither washed nor sanctified. But they were baptized (in the name of the Father), because they were really baptized. Why didn’t he say that they were washed in the name of the Father? Because it makes no difference to him to mention one hypostasis once, and another time to mention another. You will find the same thing in many places in the messages. So in the Epistle to the Romans he says: “I beseech you, brethren, by the mercies of God” (“I beseech you... by the mercies of God”) (Rom. 12:1), although the mercies also belong to the Son. And in another place: “I beseech you... by the love of the Spirit” (“I pray you... by the love of the Spirit”) (Rom. 15:30), although love also belongs to the Father. Why did he not mention the Son when he talks about generosity, and the Father when he talks about love? He kept silent about this, as it was obvious and undeniable to everyone. You will also find that (the apostle) attributes the gifts themselves (to the persons of the Holy Trinity) in reverse order. So, having said here: “the grace of Christ, and the love of God and the Father, and the communication of the Holy Spirit,” in another place he attributes communication to the Son, and love to the Spirit, saying: “I beseech you... by the love of the Spirit” (“I pray you... love of the Spirit"), and in the (first) letter to the Corinthians: “God is faithful, by whom you were called into the fellowship of His Son” (“God is faithful, by whom He was called quickly into the fellowship of His Son”) (1 Cor. 1:9). Thus, everything belonging to the Trinity is inseparable! And where the communion of the Spirit is, there is the communion of the Son, and where the grace of the Son is, there is the grace of the Father and the Holy Spirit. So (the apostle) said: “Grace to you from God the Father”; and in another place, having enumerated the many types of grace, he added: “But one and the same Spirit works all these things, dividing them individually as He pleases” (“But all these things work one and the same Spirit, dividing them with authority as He wills”) (1 Cor. 12:11). I’m not saying this because I’m mixing up hypostases, no! - on the contrary, I know both how they differ and are separated, and the unity of their essence. 3. So, let us maintain these dogmas with all precision and attract the love of God to ourselves. God first loved us when we still hated Him, and reconciled us to Himself when we were still His enemies; and now wants to love us, who already love Him. Let us constantly love Him, so that He also loves us. If we, taking advantage of the love of strong people, are terrible for everyone, then all the more so when we are (in love) with God. And if out of love for Him we need to give up our property, our body, even our very soul, we will not spare anything. It is not enough to testify to your love for Him only in words; it must be shown by deeds, since He himself showed His love for us not only in words, but also in deeds. So you also show your love for Him, and do what is pleasing to Him. In this case, you yourself will benefit again. After all, He Himself does not need anything from us. This is what serves as a special proof of His sincere love for us, that, without needing our love, He does everything so that we love Him. That is why Moses said: “What does the Lord your God require of you? Just so that you... walked in all His ways, and loved Him” (“for what the Lord God seeks from you is that you... love Him, and I am ready for you to follow in His footsteps”) (Deut. 10:12). Thus, when He commands you to love Him, then He especially shows that He loves you, because nothing brings us salvation more than love for Him. Look, all His commandments tend towards our peace, salvation and glorification. So, when He says: “blessed are the merciful,... blessed are the pure in heart,... blessed are the meek,... blessed are the poor in spirit,... blessed are the peacemakers” (Matthew 5:3-9), He himself does not receive any benefit from this, but commands this in order to decorate and tune us. Likewise, when he says: “I was hungry” (“I was hungry”) (Matthew 25:42), he does not need our help, but encourages you to love humanity. He could have fed the poor without you, but, giving you the greatest treasure, he commanded it. If the sun, being a creation, does not need our eyes (it would still shine even if no one looked at it), but we benefit when we enjoy its rays, then this is all the more applicable to God. But to be even more convinced of this, listen: what do you think is the difference between God and us? Is it the same as between us and mosquitoes, or is it much more? Obviously, much and even infinitely more. So, if we, the vain ones, do not need help or glory from mosquitoes, then much less does God, who is impassive and has no need for anything, need it. Therefore, God benefits from us only to the extent that He does us good and rejoices over our salvation. Often, even leaving His own, He seeks yours. “If a brother,” it is said, “has an unbelieving wife, and she agrees to live with him, then he should not leave her” (“If a man has an unfaithful wife, and she is pleased to live with him, let him not leave her”) (1 Cor. 7:12). “Whoever divorces his wife, except for the guilt of adultery, gives her a reason to commit adultery” (“And he who puts away his wife is guilty of fornication” (Matthew 5:32). Do you see the unspeakable goodness? “If,” he says, “your wife commits adultery, I do not force you to live with her; If she is an unbeliever, I do not interfere. Again, if someone has insulted you, I command you to leave the gift you bring to Me and go to the one who insulted you.” “If you bring your gift to the altar and there you remember that your brother has something against you, leave your gift there before the altar, and go first and be reconciled with your brother, and then come and offer your gift.” and then come and bring your gift” (Matthew 5:23–24). And doesn’t the parable of the debtor show the same thing? In fact, when he squandered ten thousand talents, the master had mercy on him and let him go; when he demanded one hundred denarii from his fellow servant, the master called him evil and gave him over to punishment (Matthew 18:24). The Lord cares so much about your peace of mind! The barbarian planned a sin against the wife of a righteous man, and (the Lord) said to him: “I kept you from sinning against Me” (“I had mercy on you, so that you would not sin against Me”) (Gen. 20:6). Paul persecuted the apostles - and (the Lord) said to him: “Why are you persecuting Me?” (Acts 9:4) Others are hungry, but He calls Himself hungry, and naked, and a stranger (Matthew 25:35), wanting to shame you and encourage you to give alms. So, imagining the love that God has hitherto shown us and is showing us in everything - and He deigned to impart to us the knowledge of Himself, which constitutes the greatest and main good, the light of the mind, and the teaching of virtue, gave us the law of a virtuous life, did everything for us, gave us His Son, and promised the kingdom, and called us to unspeakable blessings, and prepared for us the most blessed life - let us do and say everything in such a way that we to appear worthy of His love, and to receive future blessings, which may we all be worthy of by the grace and love of our Lord Jesus Christ, with whom to the Father and the Holy Spirit be glory, power, honor, now and ever, and unto the ages of ages. Amen. 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