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Homily 55
Complete historical editorial footnotes. These notes retain the original edition’s wording; individual note authors are unspecified.
English translation and editorial credits: Sir George Prevost, M. B. Riddle.
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Matt. xvi. 25. 26. [Chrysostom inserts ὑπρ, and takes ψυχ in ver. 26as “soul,” but in his comment in ver. 25recognizes the obvious contrast between lower and higher life.—R.]
Editorial footnote · Homilies on the Gospel of Matthew, Homily 55, editorial note cite_note-8 · Original source
“For whosoever will save his life shall lose it,” saith He, “but whosoever shall lose his life for my sake, shall find it. For what is a man profited,if he should gain the whole world, and lose his own soul? Or what shall a man give in exchange for his soul ?”
[The word “God” is supplied by the translator, but this is not necessarily the sense; the subject may be the man himself.—R.]
Editorial footnote · Homilies on the Gospel of Matthew, Homily 55, editorial note cite_note-11 · Original source
“In order then that this may not happen in your case also,” saith He, “ye must be arrayed against continual death. For now too a grievous war is about to be kindled. Sit not therefore within, but go forth and fight; and shouldest thou fall in thy post, then hast thou obtained life.” For if in the visible wars he that in his post meets slaughter, is both more distinguished than the rest, and more invincible, and more formidable to the enemy; although we know that after death the king, in behalf of whom he takes his station, is not able to raise him up again: much more in these wars, when there are such hopes of resurrection besides, will he who exposes his own life unto death, find it; in one sense, because he will not be quickly taken; in a second, because even though he fall, Godwill lead his life on to a higher life.
Matt. xvi. 37. [Some mss. of the Homily omit ἁγων, and read τν πρξιν for τ ργα (see note 1, p. 342). So R.V.—R.]
Editorial footnote · Homilies on the Gospel of Matthew, Homily 55, editorial note cite_note-14 · Original source
“For the Son of Man shall come,” saith He, “in the glory of His Father with His holy angels, and then He shall reward every man according to his works.”
ἀπαγχονιζντων, a strong figurative expression, as it seems, for the unhallowed self-tormenting of the Manichæans. In Hom. XLII., the word is applied to Saul, “choking with envy” towards David.
Editorial footnote · Homilies on the Gospel of Matthew, Homily 55, editorial note cite_note-26 · Original source
Since not for the greater things only, but also for the lesser, we ought to give thanks. And they do give thanks for these also, putting to shame the heresy of the Manichæans, and of as many as affirm our present life to be evil. For lest for their high self-command, and contempt of the belly, thou shouldest suspect them as abhorring the meat, like the heretics aforesaid, who choke themselvesto death; they by their prayer teach thee, that not from abhorrence of God’s creatures they abstain from most of them, but as exercising self-restraint.
[In some mss. the two paragraphs which follow are omitted, “and not be ashamed” being joined with this clause.—R.]
Editorial footnote · Homilies on the Gospel of Matthew, Homily 55, editorial note cite_note-27 · Original source
As therefore when they had said, “That we may abound unto every good work,” they added, “In Christ Jesus;” so here also they say, “Fill us with the Holy Ghost, that we may be found to have been well-pleasing before Thee.”
The grace here commented on is in its commencement the same with one still used before meat in collegiate bodies: e.g. in Oriel College, Oxford. “Benedicte Deus qui pascis nos in juventute nostra, et præbes cibum omni carni: reple gaudio et lætitia corda nostra, ut nos affatim quod satis est habentes, abundemus ad omne opus bonum: Per Jesum Christum Dominum nostrum: Amen.” The conclusion of St. Chrysostom’s grace seems to be referred to by St. Just Mart. Apol. 1. p. 83 C. and p. 50 E. as quoted by Mr. Field here.
Editorial footnote · Homilies on the Gospel of Matthew, Homily 55, editorial note cite_note-30 · Original source
These then let us also imitate, and continually offer thanksgiving to God, continually sing hymns to Him; let us give heed to temperance, and to all other virtues, and the self-denial that is practised in the deserts, let us bring into our cities; that we may appear both well-pleasing before God, and approved before men, and attain unto the good things to come, by the grace and love towards man of our Lord Jesus Christ, through whom and with whom be unto the Father, glory, honor, and might, together with the holy and life-giving Spirit, now and always and world without end. Amen.
ἀπαρνησσθω. [Comp. note, p. 338.]
Editorial footnote · Homilies on the Gospel of Matthew, Homily 55, editorial note cite_note-5 · Original source
And He said not, “Let him deny,”but “Let him renounce;”even by this small addition intimating again, how very far it goes. For this latter is more than the former.
[R.V., “shall a man be profited;” so the Homily here, against rec. text.—R.]
Editorial footnote · Homilies on the Gospel of Matthew, Homily 55, editorial note cite_note-7 · Original source
“For whosoever will save his life shall lose it,” saith He, “but whosoever shall lose his life for my sake, shall find it. For what is a man profited,if he should gain the whole world, and lose his own soul? Or what shall a man give in exchange for his soul ?”
Prov. xxiii. 13, 14.
Editorial footnote · Homilies on the Gospel of Matthew, Homily 55, editorial note cite_note-9 · Original source
Now what He saith is like this: “not as unsparing towards you, but rather as exceedingly sparing you, I enjoin these things. For he who spares his child, ruins it; but he who spares it not, preserves.” To which effect also a certain wise man said, “If thou beat thy son with a rod, he shall not die, but thou shalt deliver his soul from death.” And again, “He that refresheth his son, shall bind up his wounds.”
[Here the citation agrees with the rec. text.—R.]
Editorial footnote · Homilies on the Gospel of Matthew, Homily 55, editorial note cite_note-12 · Original source
tion and destruction; to prevent any one’s imagining the one destruction and salvation to be all the same with the other, and to teach thee plainly that the difference between this salvation and that is as great as between destruction and salvation; from the contraries also He makes an inference once for all to establish these points. “For what is a man profited,”saith He, “if he gain the whole world, and lose his own soul ?”
[Here ὑπρ does not occur, the text agreeing with the received.—R.]
Editorial footnote · Homilies on the Gospel of Matthew, Homily 55, editorial note cite_note-13 · Original source
“What shall a man give in exchange for his soul ?”
[τν πρξιν, the reading accepted in R.V.—R.]
Editorial footnote · Homilies on the Gospel of Matthew, Homily 55, editorial note cite_note-16 · Original source
He suffered not however His discourse to appear only dismal, but tempered it also with good hopes. For neither did He say, “then shall He punish them that sinned,” but, “He shall reward every man according to his doings.” And this He said, reminding not only the sinners of punishment, but also them that have done well of prizes and crowns.
Deut. xxxii. 15 [LXX.]
Editorial footnote · Homilies on the Gospel of Matthew, Homily 55, editorial note cite_note-17 · Original source
Now this hymn is in all parts worthy of admiration, but especially the above ending of it. That is, because meals and food are wont to dissipate and weigh down, they put this saying as a kind of bridle upon the soul, at the time of indulgence reminding it of the time of judgment. For they have learnt what befell Israel through a costly table. “For my beloved,” saith He, “ate, and waxed fat, and kicked.” Wherefore also Moses said, “When thou shalt have eaten and drunk and art full, remember the Lord thy God.”
[See above, note 1.—R.]
Editorial footnote · Homilies on the Gospel of Matthew, Homily 55, editorial note cite_note-29 · Original source
They said not, “that we be not punished,” but, “that we be not ashamed.” For this is to us far more fearful than hell, to seem to have offended our Lord.