Homilies on First Timothy 6

'I exhort therefore, first of all, that supplications, prayers, intercessions, and thanksgivings be made for all men; for kings and for all who are in high position, that we may lead a quiet and peaceable life in all godliness and dignity.'

'For this is good and acceptable in the sight of God our Saviour, who wills all men to be saved and to come to the knowledge of the truth.'

The priest is, as it were, a common father of the whole world.

It is therefore fitting that he care for all, just as God does, to whom he ministers as priest;

for this reason he says, 'I exhort therefore, first of all, that supplications, prayers be made.'

For from this two good things come to pass: the enmity which we bear toward those outside is dissolved;

for no one will be able to bear ill-will toward the one for whom he offers supplications;

and those very men become better, both by our making prayers on their behalf and by our not being made savage toward them.

For nothing is so conducive to teaching as to love and to be loved.

Consider how great a thing it was for those who plotted, who scourged, who drove out, who slew, to hear that those who suffered such things were making earnest prayers to God on behalf of those who did such things.

Do you see how he wishes the Christian to be above all men? For just as with little children, even if the child while being carried strikes his father's face, he does not on that account cut short any of his affection;

so also, even if we are struck by those outside, we ought in no way to lessen our goodwill toward them.

And what is meant by 'first of all'? That is, in the daily service.

And this those who are initiated know, how it is done each day, both at evening and in the morning;

how we make our supplication on behalf of the whole world, and of kings and of all who are in high position.

But perhaps someone will say that he did not speak on behalf of all, but on behalf of the faithful.

What then, when he says, 'For kings'? For at that time the kings were surely not god-fearing, but for a long while they continued so, ungodly succeeding ungodly.

Then, lest the thing should be flattery, he said by anticipation:

'For all,' and then, 'for kings.'

For if he had said, 'For kings' only, perhaps someone would have supposed this (to be flattery).

Then, since it was likely that the soul of the Christian would grow numb on hearing these things, and would not admit the exhortation—if indeed one must offer supplications on behalf of the pagan at the time of the mysteries—see what he says, and how he sets forth the gain, that at least in this way you may accept the exhortation.

'That we may lead a quiet and peaceable life,' he says.

That is, their salvation is our freedom from care;

just as also in the Epistle to the Romans, urging them to be obedient to their rulers, he says:

'Not only for wrath's sake, but also for conscience' sake.'

For God ordained the ruling authorities for the common benefit.

How, then, is it not absurd that they should take up arms and go to war on our behalf, so that we may live in security,

while we do not so much as offer prayers for those who face danger and go to battle? Therefore this practice is not flattery, but is done according to the principle of justice.

For if they were not preserved, nor were victorious in their wars, of necessity our own affairs too would be thrown into turmoil and confusion;

for either we ourselves would have to go to war, once those men were cut down, or else to flee everywhere and wander as fugitives.

For they are, as it were, like bulwarks set out before us, he says, keeping those within in peace.

For we ought to give thanks to God also for the good things granted to others—for instance, that He makes His sun to rise on the evil and the good, that He sends rain on the just and the unjust.

Do you see that not only through prayer, but also through thanksgiving, He unites and binds us together? For he who is constrained to give thanks to God for the good things of his neighbour is likewise constrained both to love him and to be favourably disposed toward him.

And if we ought to give thanks for the things that befall our neighbours, how much more for the things that come to ourselves—both those that happen secretly, whether willingly or unwillingly, and even for those things that seem to be grievous;

for God orders all things for us toward good.

Let every prayer of ours, therefore, contain thanksgiving.

And if we are commanded to pray on behalf of our neighbours—not only the faithful, but even unbelievers—consider how great an evil it is to pray against the brethren.

What do you say? He commanded you to pray for your enemies, and do you pray against your brother? You pray not against him, but against yourself;

for you provoke God by uttering those unholy words:

'Deal thus with him, do thus to him, strike him down, requite him.'

Far be these things from the disciples of Christ, who are gentle and mild.

Let the mouth that has been counted worthy of such holy mysteries send forth nothing bitter, nothing distasteful—the tongue that converses with the divine Body;

let us keep it pure, and let us not bring forth curses through it.

For if revilers shall not inherit the kingdom, much more shall those who curse others not inherit it;

for he who curses must of necessity also insult;

but insult and prayer are utterly cut off from one another;

a curse and a prayer have a great gulf between them;

accusation and prayer have a great gulf between them.

You pray for God to be merciful, and do you curse another? Unless you forgive, it shall not be forgiven you;

and you yourself not only do not forgive, but even beseech God not to forgive? Have you seen the excess of wickedness? If forgiveness is withheld from him who does not forgive, how shall he be forgiven who even entreats the Master not to forgive? You harm not that man, but yourself.

Why is this? For even if you were about to be heard concerning your own concerns, on this account you will never be heard, because you make your prayers with a defiled mouth;

for such a mouth is indeed defiled and unclean, filled with every foul stench, with every impurity.

You ought to tremble for your own sins, and to make all your struggle on their account; yet do you come before God to stir Him up against your brother? Do you not fear and take anxious thought for your own matters? Do you not see what you are doing? Imitate at least the little children who go to school, who, when they see their own class within being called to account for their lessons, and all being beaten for their negligence, and each one being examined severely and struck with blows, are half-dead with terror;

and even if one of their fellow-pupils strikes them a thousand times, they do not allow themselves to grow angry, since fear holds their soul in its grip, nor do they appeal to the master, but they look to one thing only—to go in and get away without a beating—and they watch for that moment;

and once they have come out, whether they have received blows or not, they no longer take those things to heart at all, because of their gladness.

But you, while standing there and taking anxious thought for your own sins, do you not shudder when you call to mind the sins of others? And how do you entreat God? For by the very means through which you ask Him to act against that man, by those same means you make your own case more bitter, since you do not permit Him to grant pardon to your own sins.

For how is it, He says: if you wish Me to become a strict examiner of the wrongs done against you, how do you ask that pardon be granted for the wrongs you have done against Me? Let us learn at last to be Christians;

if we do not know how to pray—which is an easy thing and exceedingly simple—what shall we know of other matters? Let us learn to pray as Christians.

Those prayers belong to the heathen; those petitions belong to the Jews;

but the Christian's are the opposite: to ask remission and pardon for the wrongs done against us.

He says: 'Being reviled, we bless; being persecuted, we endure; being defamed, we entreat.'

Hear Stephen saying, 'Lord, lay not this sin to their charge.'

Not only did he not curse them, but he even prayed for them;

but you, not only have you not prayed for them, but you have even cursed them.

As, therefore, that man was admirable, so are you most base.

Whom do we admire, tell me? Those on whose behalf he prayed, or him who prayed for them? This one, plainly;

and if we admire him, much more does God.

Do you wish your enemy to be smitten? Pray for him—but not with such an intent, not as one who would strike;

for this indeed comes to pass, but do not you do it with that aim in view.

And yet that blessed man suffered all things unjustly, and still prayed for his persecutors;

but we suffer many things at the hands of our enemies, and justly too.

But if he who suffered unjustly did not dare to refrain from praying for his persecutors, then we who suffer justly, and who not only do not pray for our enemies but even curse them—of what punishment are we not worthy? You think you are dealing the blow to that man, but in truth you are thrusting the sword against yourself, since you do not permit the Judge to be gentle toward your own sins, through the very means by which you provoke Him against others.

For 'with what measure you measure, it shall be measured to you again,' He says, 'and with what judgment you judge, you shall be judged.'

Let us therefore become forgiving, that we may find God to be the same toward us.

These things I desire you not only to hear, but also to keep.

But as it is, the remembrance reaches only as far as the words—and perhaps not even that far;

for once we have dispersed, if one of those who were not present should ask what was discussed, some will not even be able to say, while others who do know will state the subject on which we spoke—only that: that the sermon was about not bearing grudges, but even praying for one's enemies; then, leaving off telling all that was said (for it is not possible to remember it), while others remember a few things—but only some.

Therefore I beseech you: if you gain nothing from what is said, do not even attend to the hearing.

For what is the profit? The judgment becomes greater, the punishment more severe, because after ten thousand exhortations we persist in the same faults.

For this reason God appointed prayer for us, that we might ask nothing worldly nor merely human.

You who are faithful know, then, what one ought to pray for, and how every prayer is common to all.

'But it is not stated there,' someone says, 'that we should pray for unbelievers.'

That is because you do not know the power of prayer, nor do you recognize its depth and its treasure;

for if one were to unfold it, he would find this too laid up within it.

For when the one who prays says, 'Thy will be done, as in heaven, so also on earth,' he hints at nothing other than this.

How so? Because in heaven there is no unbeliever, no one who offends.

If, then, it concerned the faithful only, what is said would have no meaning.

For if the faithful were going to do His will, but the unbelievers not, then His will would no longer be done as in heaven. But what is it? Just as in heaven, he says, there is no wicked one, so let there be none on earth either;

but draw all men, he says, into your own fear of God, make all men into angels, even though they be our enemies, even though they be at war with us.

Do you not see how much God is blasphemed every single day? How much He is insulted, both by unbelievers and by the faithful, both in words and in deeds? What then? Did He on that account quench the sun? Did He put the moon to sleep? Did He dash down the heaven? Did He convulse the earth? Did He dry up the sea? Did He make the springs of the waters vanish? Did He throw the air into confusion? By no means, but altogether the contrary;

He makes the sun to rise, He sends the rain, He gives fruits, He gives yearly nourishment to the blasphemers, to the senseless, to the defiled, to the persecutors—not for one day, nor two, nor three, but throughout their whole life.

Imitate Him, then, you also; emulate Him according to human power.

You cannot make the sun to rise? Then do not speak evil.

You cannot give rain? Then do not revile.

You cannot give nourishment? Then do not act with drunken insolence.

These gifts from you are enough.

On God's part, kindness toward enemies is wrought by deeds;

do you at least accomplish it by words: pray earnestly for your enemy.

Ten thousand times we have discoursed on these matters, and in discoursing we do not cease.

We do not grow numb nor weary, we are not worn out with speaking;

only see to it that you, in not listening, do not seem to be burdened.

Yet a man seems to be burdened whenever he does not do the things that are said;

for he who does them continually desires to hear the same things, as one who is not burdened but rather commended.

So then this arises from no other source than from not doing the things that are said;

from there also the speaker becomes wearisome.

If, tell me, a man practises almsgiving, and then another discourses about almsgiving, he is not only not wearied at the hearing, but even rejoices, hearing his own good deeds spoken of and proclaimed.

So then we also, since we have nothing in common with forbearance, and this virtue has not been accomplished in us, for this reason seem to be vexed even at the words;

but if the deeds were present, no word would have grieved us.

If therefore you do not wish us to be wearisome or burdensome, do thus: show forth the matter by deeds;

for we shall never cease discoursing with you on the same things, until it be accomplished in you.

For chiefly we do this out of care and tender affection toward you;

and next also because of the danger that lies upon us.

For the trumpeter, even if no one goes out to war, must still sound the trumpet, fulfilling his own duty.

It is not, then, because we wish to bring greater punishment upon you that we do this, but that we may acquit ourselves of our own charge.

And besides this, your love also constrains us;

for our inmost parts are torn away and we are stung, if any such thing should befall.

There is here, as we said just now, no expense; there is no loss of money; there is no long journey;

only one must be willing; it is a word, it is a choice of the will.

Let us guard our mouth, let us set upon it a door and a bar, that we may utter nothing that is displeasing to God.

This is done for our own sakes, not for the sake of those for whom we pray.

Let us always reckon this: that he who blesses his enemy blesses himself, and he who curses curses himself, and he who prays for his enemy prays for himself, not for the other.

If we do these things thus, we shall be able to bring this good work into deed, and to obtain the promised good things, by the grace and lovingkindness of our Lord Jesus Christ, with whom to the Father together with the Holy Spirit be glory, might, and honour, now and ever, and unto the ages of ages. Amen.