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

NPNF (V1-14)St. Chrysostom365there he says, “For I am now ready to be offered” 2689 ; there also he says, “In my first answer noman stood with me.” 2690 In many places they [the Hebrew Christians] had to contend 2691 withpersecution, as also he says, writing to the Thessalonians, “Ye became followers of the churchesof Judæa”: 2692 and writing to these very persons he says, “Ye took joyfully the spoiling of yourgoods.” 2693 Dost thou see them contending? And if men had thus treated the Apostles, not only inJudæa, but also wherever they were among the Gentiles, what would they not have done to thebelievers? On this account, thou seest, he was very careful for them. For when he says, “I go untoJerusalem to minister unto the saints”; 2694 and again, when he exhorts the Corinthians to beneficence,and says that the Macedonians had already made their contribution, 2695 and says, “If it be meet thatI go also,” 2696 —he means this. And when he says, “Only that we should remember the poor; thesame which I also was forward to do,” 2697 —he declares this. And when he says, “They gave to meand Barnabas the right hands of fellowship; that we should go unto the heathen, and they unto thecircumcision,” 2698 —he declares this.But this was 2699 not for the sake of the poor who were there, but that by this we might bepartakers in the beneficence. For not as the preaching did we apportion the care for the poor to eachother (we indeed to the Gentiles, but they to the circumcision). And everywhere thou seest himusing great care for them: as was reasonable.Among the other nations indeed, when there were both Jews and Greeks, such was not the case;but then, while they still seemed to have authority and independence and to order many things bytheir own laws, the government not being yet established nor brought perfectly under the Romans,they naturally exercised great tyranny. For if in other cities, as in Corinth, they beat the Ruler ofthe synagogue before the Deputy’s judgment seat, and Gallio “cared for none of these things,” 2700but it was not so in Judæa. 2701 Thou seest indeed, that while in other cities they bring them to themagistrates, and need help from them and from the Gentiles, here they took no thought of this, butassemble a Sanhedrim themselves and slay whom they please. Thus in fact they put Stephen todeath, thus they beat the Apostles, not taking them before rulers. Thus also they were about to putPaul to death, had not the chief captain thrown himself 2702 [upon them]. For this took place whilethe priests, while the temple, while the ritual, the sacrifices were yet standing. Look indeed at Paulhimself being tried before the High Priest, and saying,“ I wist not that he was the High Priest,” 27032689 2 Tim. iv. 62690 2 Tim. iv. 162691ἤ θλησαν , see ἤ θλησιν , Heb. x. 322692 1 Thess. ii. 142693 Heb. x. 342694 Rom. xv. 252695 2 Cor. viii. 1–32696 1 Cor. xvi. 42697 Gal. ii. 102698 Gal. ii. 92699“ But these things he does not say merely for, ” &c., Ben. Sav. K. Q.2700 Acts xviii. 172701i.e. in Judæa, they beat and scourged, not through the indifference of the judge, but by their own authority.2702 Acts xxi. 31–332703 Acts xxiii. 5526