Homilies on Philippians 6 part 2/2

And we too for this reason continually make mention of Gehenna, that we may thrust you toward the Kingdom, that having softened your mind by fear, we may prepare you to do things worthy of the Kingdom.

Do not therefore chafe at the heaviness of the words;

for the heaviness of the words works for us souls made light from their sins.

Since iron too is heavy, and the hammer is heavy, yet they fashion serviceable vessels of gold and silver, and set straight things that are twisted;

for if it were not heavy, it could not have availed to straighten the distorted material.

So too our word, being heavy, has power to shape the soul aright.

Let us not therefore flee the heaviness of the words, nor the blows that come from them.

Not that it may shatter, nor that it may crush the soul, is the blow brought down, but that it may set it straight.

We know how to strike, how to bring down the blow by the grace of God, so as not to break the vessel in pieces, but so as to smooth it, to straighten it, to make it serviceable to the Master, so as to present it gleaming with health and beautifully wrought against that Day on which comes the river of fire, so as to present it having no need of that fire yonder.

For unless we set you afire here, you must of all necessity be set afire yonder, and it cannot be otherwise;

for 'The Day of the Lord is revealed in fire.'

It is better that you be burned for a little while by our words than forever by that flame.

For that this shall surely be, is plain, and I have often set before you arguments that admit of no contradiction.

For it were fitting to be persuaded from the Scriptures alone;

but since some are contentiously disposed, we have brought forward much from reasonings also.

And nothing hinders our stating the same ones now also.

And what were they? God is just;

we all confess this—Greeks and Jews and heretics and Christians alike.

But in this present life many of those who have sinned have departed without being punished;

while many even of those who have lived rightly have departed after suffering ten thousand dreadful things.

If then God is just, where will He render good things to these, where the punishments to those, if there be no hell, if there be no resurrection? Therefore keep ever chanting this argument both to them and to yourselves, and it will not permit you to disbelieve in the resurrection.

And he who does not disbelieve in the resurrection will be diligent to live with much watchfulness,

so as to attain unto the eternal good things;

which may it be granted us all to attain, by the grace and lovingkindness of our Lord Jesus Christ, with whom to the Father together with the Holy Spirit be glory, might, and honor, now and ever, and unto the ages of ages. Amen.