Homilies on the Gospel of St. John and the Epistle to the Hebrews

NPNF (V1-14)St. Chrysostom106spoken of is sufficient for our salvation; we need besides this a most exact life and conversation.Since though he has said here, “He that believeth on the Son hath eternal life,” and in the sameplace something even stronger, (for he weaves his discourse not of blessings only, but of theircontraries also, speaking thus: “He that believeth not the Son shall not see life, but the wrath ofGod abideth on him”;) yet not even from this do we assert that faith alone is sufficient to salvation.And the directions for living given in many places of the Gospels show this. Therefore he did notsay, “This by itself is eternal life,” nor, “He that doth but believe on the Son hath eternal life,” butby both expressions he declared this, that the thing 775 doth contain life, yet that if a right conversationfollow not, there will follow a heavy punishment. And he did not say, “awaiteth him,” but, “abidethon him,” that is, “shall never remove from him.” For that thou mayest not think that the “shall notsee life,” is a temporary death, but mayest believe that the punishment is continual, he hath put thisexpression to show that it rests 776 upon him continually. And this he has done, by these very wordsforcing them on 777 to Christ. Therefore he gave not the admonition to them in particular, but madeit universal, the manner which best might bring them over. For he did not say, “if ye believe,” and,“if ye believe not,” but made his speech general, so that his words might be free from suspicion.And this he has done yet more strongly than Christ. For Christ saith, “He that believeth not iscondemned already,” but John saith, “shall not see life, but the wrath of God abideth on him.” Withgood cause; for it was a different thing for a man to speak of himself and for another to speak ofhim. They would have thought that Christ spake often of these things from self-love, and that hewas a boaster; but John was clear from all suspicion. And if at a later time, Christ also used strongerexpressions, it was when they had begun to conceive an exalted opinion of Him.Chap. IV. Ver. 1, 2, 3 . “When therefore Jesus 778 knew how the Pharisees had heard that Jesusmade and baptized more disciples than John, (though Jesus Himself baptized not but His disciples,)He left Judæa, and departed again into Galilee.”He indeed baptized not, but they who carried the news, desiring to excite their hearers to envy,so reported. “Wherefore then ‘departed’ He?” Not from fear, but to take away 779 their malice, andto soften their envy. He was indeed able to restrain them when they came against Him, but this Hewould not do continually, that the Dispensation of the Flesh might not be disbelieved. For had Heoften been seized and escaped, this would have been suspected by many; therefore for the mostpart, He rather orders matters after the manner of a man. And as He desired it to be believed thatHe was God, so also that, being God, He bore the flesh; therefore even after the Resurrection, Hesaid to the disciple, “Handle Me and see, for a spirit hath not flesh and bones” ( Luke xxiv. 39 );therefore also He rebuked Peter when he said, “Be it far from Thee, this shall not be unto thee.” (Matt. xvi. 22 .) So much was this matter an object of care to Him.[2.] For this is no small part of the doctrines of the Church; it is the chief point of the salvationwrought for us; 780 by which all has been brought to pass, and has had success, for it was thus thatthe bonds of death were loosed, sin taken away, and the curse abolished, and ten thousand blessings775i.e. believing.776lit. “ sits upon. ”777ὠ θῶν778ὁ Κύριος , G. T.779lit. “ cut out. ”780τῆς ὑπὲρ ἡμῶν σωτ163