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

NPNF (V1-14)St. Chrysostom34is blind, and cannot readily perceive anything that it ought. Being therefore stung by the prospectof having others to share the same confidence, 204 they thrust a sword against themselves, and castthemselves out from the lovingkindness of God. And with good reason. For He saith, “Friend, I dothee no wrong, I will give to ‘these also’ even as unto thee.” ( Matt. xx. 14 .) Or rather, these Jewsare not deserving even of these words. For the man in the parable if he was discontented, could yetspeak of the labors and weariness, the heat and sweat, of a whole day. But what could these menhave to tell? nothing like this, but slothfulness and profligacy and ten thousand evil things of whichall the prophets continued ever to accuse them, and by which they like the Gentiles had offendedagainst God. And Paul declaring this says, “For there is no difference between the Jew and theGreek: For all have sinned, and come short of the glory of God: being justified freely by His grace.”( Rom. x. 12; Rom. iii. 22–24 .) And on this head he treats profitably and very wisely throughoutthat Epistle. But in a former part of it he proves that they are worthy of still greater punishment.“For as many as have sinned in the law shall be judged by the law” ( Rom. ii. 12 ); that is to say,more severely, as having for their accuser the law as well as nature. And not for this only, but forthat they have been the cause that God is blasphemed among the Gentiles: “My 205 Name,” He saith,“is blasphemed among the Gentiles through you.” ( Rom. ii. 24; Isa. lii. 5 .)Since now this it was that stung them most, (for the thing appeared incredible even to those ofthe circumcision who believed, and therefore they brought it as a charge against Peter, when hewas come up to them from Cesarea, that he “went in to men uncircumcised, and did eat with them”( Acts xi. 3 ); and after that they had learned the dispensation of God, even so still 206 they wonderedhow “on the Gentiles also was poured out the gift of the Holy Ghost” ( Acts x. 45 ): showing bytheir astonishment that they could never have expected so incredible a thing,) since then he knewthat this touched them nearest, see how he has emptied 207 their pride and relaxed 208 their highlyswelling insolence. For after having discoursed on the case of the heathen, 209 and shown that theyhad not from any quarter any excuse, or hope of salvation, and after having definitely charged themboth with the perversion 210 of their doctrines and the uncleanness of their lives, he shifts his argumentto the Jews; and 211 after recounting all the expressions of the Prophet, in which he had said thatthey were polluted, treacherous, hypocritical persons, and had “altogether become unprofitable,”that there was “none” among them “that seeketh after God,” that they had “all gone out of the way”( Rom. iii. 12 ), and the like, he adds, “Now we know that what things soever the law saith, it saithto them who are under the law: that every mouth may be stopped, and all the world may becomeguilty before God.” ( Rom. iii. 19 .) “For all have sinned, and come short of the glory of God.” (Rom. iii. 23 .)Why then exaltest thou thyself, O Jew? why art thou high minded? for thy mouth also is stopped,thy boldness also is taken away, thou also with all the world art become guilty, and, like others, artplaced in need of being justified freely. Thou oughtest surely even if thou hadst stood upright and204παῤῥησίας .205τοῦ Θεοῦ G. T.206 al. “again.”207 al. “he does all things that he may empty.”208 al. “may relax.”209τῶν Ἑλληνίκων .210διαστροφή .211 al. “then.”55