帖撒羅尼迦前書講道集 第 3 章 第 1/2 段

'For you remember, brethren, our labour and our toil;'

'for working night and day, that we might not be a burden to any of you, we preached to you the Gospel of God.'

'You are witnesses, and God also, how holily and blamelessly and righteously we behaved ourselves toward you who believe; even as you know how we exhorted and comforted every one of you, as a father does his own children, and charged you that you should walk worthily of God, who has called you unto His own kingdom and glory.'

A teacher ought to count nothing burdensome of the things that make for the salvation of his disciples.

For if the blessed Jacob was worn down night and day in guarding the flocks, much more must he who has been entrusted with souls—even though the work be laborious, even though it be mean—do all things, looking to one thing alone, the salvation of those he disciples, and the glory that thence accrues to God.

See, at any rate, how Paul too, though he was herald and apostle to the whole world, and had taken up so great an honour, yet worked with his hands so as not to burden those he was discipling.

'You remember, brethren,' he says, 'our labour and our toil.'

He had said before that, 'We might have been burdensome, as apostles of Christ;'

which very thing he also says in the Epistle to the Corinthians:

'Do you not know that they who minister about holy things eat of the things of the temple? Even so did Christ ordain that they who proclaim the Gospel should live of the Gospel.'

'But I,' he says, 'was not willing to do so, but laboured instead.'

And he worked not carelessly, but with much diligence.

He did not say, 'the benefits that came from me,' but, 'Our labour and our toil.'

'Working night and day, that we might not be a burden to any of you, so we preached to you the Gospel of God.'

But to the Corinthians he says something different:

'I robbed other Churches, taking wages of them for ministering to you.'

And yet there too he laboured;

but he did not remind them of this, and instead set down something more striking;

as though he were saying, 'I was supported by others while ministering to you.'

But here it is not so; rather what? 'Working night and day.'

'And when I was present with you and was in want, I was chargeable to no man,' and, 'I took wages for ministering to you;'

but here he shows that these men were in poverty;

for which reason he continually brings them forward as witnesses:

'For you,' he says, 'are witnesses, and God also;'

making his word trustworthy, and adding that which most of all gave them full assurance;

for the one is uncertain to those who do not know it, but the other is henceforth beyond all doubt to all.

For he did not see that it was Paul who was saying these things, but out of great abundance he wishes to give them full assurance.

'You are witnesses, and God also, how holily and righteously and blamelessly we behaved ourselves toward you who believe.'

He needed to praise them once more;

for this reason he sets forth these things, which were sufficient to persuade them.

For he reasons that he who, having come to be in need there and yet took nothing, much more would he do so now.

'How holily and righteously and blamelessly we behaved ourselves toward you who believe; even as you know, how, as a father his own children, we exhorted and comforted every one of you.'

Having spoken above of his manner of conduct, here he speaks of his love;

which was even greater than his patronage and protection.

And what has been said is a mark of his freedom from pride.

'As a father his own children, exhorting you and comforting you and charging you that you should walk worthily of God, who calls you unto His own kingdom and glory.'

When he had said, 'And charging you,' then he made mention of fathers, showing that, 'Even if we charged you, yet this was not harshly, but as fathers.'

To leave out no one in so great a multitude—neither small nor great, neither rich nor poor.

'Exhorting'—to what end did he say it? To the end that they should bear all things.

'And comforting and charging you.'

'That you should walk worthily of God, who calls you unto His own kingdom and glory.'

See again how, in the course of his narration, he both teaches and comforts;

for if He has called you to a kingdom, you ought to bear all things.

'We exhort you, not that you may bestow anything on us, but that you may attain the kingdom of heaven.'

'For this cause we also thank God without ceasing, because, when you received the word of the message of God from us, you accepted it not as the word of men, but, as it is in truth, the word of God, which also works effectually in you who believe.'

'It cannot be said,' he says, 'that we for our part do all things blamelessly, but that you have done things unworthy of our conduct;'

'for you were not disposed toward us as though hearing men, but as though God Himself were exhorting; so did you give heed.'

Whence is this clear? For just as the fact that he preached not in flattery nor in vainglory is shown from his own trials, and from their testimony, and from the things he did;

so also the fact that they rightly received the word is shown from the trials.

For whence, he says, unless you had heard as though God were speaking, would you have endured such perils?

And observe the dignity of it: 'For you,' he says.

'For you, brethren,' he says, 'became imitators of the churches of God which are in Judea in Christ Jesus, because you also suffered the same things from your own countrymen, even as they did from the Jews, who both killed the Lord Jesus and their own prophets, and drove us out, and please not God, and are contrary to all men.'

'forbidding us to speak to the Gentiles that they might be saved, so as always to fill up the measure of their sins.'

'But the wrath has come upon them to the uttermost.'

'You,' he says, 'became imitators of the churches of God which are in Judea.'

'It is nothing marvelous,' he says, 'that they should do these things against you, seeing that they did so even against their own countrymen.'

And this too is no small proof that the preaching is true, seeing that even Jews endured to suffer all things.

'Because you also,' he says, 'suffered the same things from your own countrymen, just as they did from the Jews.'

There is something more in his saying, 'and they too, in Judea.'

For he shows that they rejoiced everywhere, as men who had contended in the contest.

He says then, 'And you suffered the same things.'

And what marvel again, if it be even against you, seeing that they dared to do the same even against the Master? Do you see how he introduced this as containing great consolation? And he continually turns this about, and one may find it in almost all the Epistles if he examines accurately, how in temptations he always brings Christ forward in various ways.

And here too, while accusing the Jews, he brings them to remembrance of the Master, and of the sufferings of the Master.

So well did he know that the matter contained the greatest consolation.

'Who both killed the Lord,' he says.

What then? Did they not also kill and stone their own prophets, whose very volumes they carry about? And indeed they did these things not for the sake of the truth.

So then it is not only a consolation in temptations,

but also a reminder not to suppose that they do these things for the truth's sake, and to be troubled on that account.

'And who drove us out,' he says.

'And we too,' he says, 'have suffered countless dreadful things.'

'And who please not God, and are contrary to all men, forbidding us to speak to the Gentiles that they might be saved.'

'Contrary,' he says, 'to all men.'

How so? For if it is necessary to speak to the whole world, and these men hinder it, they are the common enemies of the world.

They murdered Christ and the prophets, they insult God, they are the common enemies of the world, they drive out us who have come for men's salvation.

What marvel if they displayed such conduct even against you, seeing that they did so even in Judea? 'Forbidding us,' he says, 'to speak to the Gentiles that they might be saved.'

It is then a mark of envy to hinder the salvation of all.

'So as always to fill up the measure of their sins.'

'But the wrath has come upon them to the uttermost.'

These things will no longer be as the former ones; there is no more return, no more end;

but the wrath stands close at hand.

Whence is it plain? From this, that Christ foretold it.

For it has not only this consolation, that we take partners in our afflictions, but also that we hear of those who afflict us being punished.

And if the delay grieves us, let it be a comfort that they will no more lift up their heads.

Or rather, he even cut short the delay by saying 'The wrath,' showing again that it is due, and predetermined, and prophesied.

'But we, brethren, being bereaved of you for a short season, in presence, not in heart, endeavored the more abundantly to see your face with great desire.'

He did not say 'being separated,' but what was more.

He spoke above concerning flattery, showing that he does not flatter, that he does not seek glory;

here he speaks concerning love.

'As a father his children,' 'as a nurse'—here he says yet another thing, 'being bereaved,' which belongs to children seeking their fathers.

And were not those bereaved?

one may consider the longing—how, like little children unprotected, having suffered an untimely orphanhood, they are in great longing for their parents, not only by reason of nature itself, but also because of their desolation.

From this he shows also his own dejection, in which he was because of the separation.

'And these things,' he says, 'it cannot be said that we waited a long time, but for a season, and that in presence, not in heart;'

for we always have you in our thought.

and yet though having them continually in his heart, he sought also their presence face to face.

Tell me not of that excessive philosophy;

this is truly the mark of fervent love—both to see and to hear and to speak, and this would contribute much.

'The more abundantly,' he says, 'we endeavored.'

What is 'the more abundantly'? Either this is to say, 'We clung to you exceedingly;'

or, as was likely, 'Having been left for an hour, we endeavored to see your face.'

Observe the blessed Paul, when he cannot fulfill his longing by himself, doing this through others;

as when he sends Timothy to the Philippians, and again the same man to the Corinthians, associating with them through others, when he cannot do so himself.

For as a lover he was a kind of frenzied and unrestrained man, and impatient in his affection.

'Wherefore we would have come to you.'

And yet here he states no other need, but only 'that we might see you.'

'I Paul indeed, both once and again.'

What do you say? Does Satan hinder? Yes;

for this was not God's work.

For in the case of the Romans he says that God hindered him;

and elsewhere too Luke says that the Spirit forbade them to come into Asia;

and to the Corinthians he says it was the work of the Spirit, but here only of Satan.

But what hindrance of Satan does he mean? Certain unexpected and violent temptations.

'For a plot having been laid against him,' he says, 'by the Jews, he was detained in Greece three months.'

And it is one thing to remain for the sake of a dispensation, and that willingly, and another to be hindered.

Wherefore, 'no longer having a place in these regions,' and, 'Sparing you, I came no more to Corinth;'

but here nothing of the kind, but what? That Satan hindered.

'I Paul indeed,' he says, 'both once and again.'

See how he takes an honorable pride and glories in it,

wishing to show that he loved them above all others.

The phrase 'I Paul' stands in the place of this:

For those others wished only, whereas I both wished and set my hand to the work.

'For what is our hope, or joy, or crown of glorying? Are not even you, before our Lord Jesus Christ at His coming?' They are Macedonians, tell me—are they your hope, O blessed Paul? 'Not these alone,' he says.

'Are not even you?' 'For what,' he says, 'is our hope, or joy, or crown of glorying?' Do you not recognize these as the words of women whose hearts are utterly aflame with tenderness, and who converse with their little children? 'And a crown,' he says, 'of glorying.'

For the name 'crown' did not suffice to show its splendor, but he added also 'of glorying.'

Of how great an ardor is this a sign! Never could a mother, nor a father, even had they come together and mingled their own longing into one, have shown an affection equal in weight to Paul's affection.

'A joy,' he says, 'and a crown.'

That is to say: 'I rejoice more over you,' he says, 'than over a crown.'

For consider how great a thing it is that a whole Church should stand present, planted and rooted by Paul.

Who would not exult over so numerous and so goodly an offspring? So that this too is not flattery.

For he did not say simply 'You,' but 'You also,' together with the rest.

'For you are our glory and our joy.'

'Therefore, when we could no longer bear it, we thought it good to be left behind at Athens alone.'

This he said in the sense of 'we chose.'

'And we sent Timothy, our brother and a minister of God, and our fellow worker in the Gospel of Christ.'

Not so as to exalt Timothy, he says, but rather to honor them, in that he sent to them the fellow worker and minister of the Gospel.

'Having drawn him away from his labors, we sent to you the minister of God and our fellow worker in the Gospel of Christ.'

'To establish you and to exhort you concerning your faith, that no one should be shaken amid these afflictions.'

What then does he mean here? Since the trials of teachers throw the disciples into confusion, and at that time he had fallen into many trials—as he himself says, 'Satan hindered us'—

it was to restore them that he spoke thus.

'And once and again I wished to come, but I was not able.'

And this too was likely to have thrown them into confusion.

For the disciples are not so troubled at their own trials as at those of their teachers;

just as a soldier is not so troubled at his own perils as when he sees his general struck down.

'To establish you,' he says.

So then, it was in order that they should not be thrown into confusion that he sent him, and not as though they were lacking in anything of the faith, nor as though they needed to learn something.

'And to exhort you concerning your faith, that no one should be shaken amid these afflictions;

for you yourselves know that we are appointed to this.'

'For indeed, when we were with you, we told you beforehand that we were about to suffer affliction, even as it also came to pass, and you know.'

One must not be troubled, he says;

for nothing strange, nothing beyond expectation, is happening;

which was enough to rouse them up.

Do you see that for this very reason Christ also foretold these things to His disciples? For hear Him saying:

'From now on I tell you before it comes to pass, so that, when it does come to pass, you may believe.'

For it is a great thing—truly a great thing—toward the consolation of others, to hear from one's teachers the things that are coming to pass.

For just as a sick man, if he hears from the physician that such and such will happen, is not greatly troubled;

but if it turns out unexpectedly, then, as though the physician himself were at a loss and the disease had proved greater than his skill, he is distressed and thrown into confusion.

Foreseeing these things, Paul told them beforehand: 'That we are about to suffer affliction.'

'Even as,' he says, 'it also came to pass, and you know.'

He does not say merely that this came to pass, but that he foretold many other things as well, and they came about.

So that not only concerning things past ought one not to be troubled and disturbed—

for this is what 'to be shaken' means—

but neither concerning things to come, should any such thing befall.

Let us hear, we who have ears to hear:

for this the Christian is appointed.

The words 'we are appointed to this' he speaks concerning all the faithful.

And yet we, as though appointed to ease, are astonished as at some strange thing.

Rather, on account of what are we astonished as at some strange thing? For no season of affliction, nor any trial, has overtaken us, save such as is common to man.

It is fitting to say to you also: 'You have not yet resisted unto blood, striving against sin.'

Or rather, it is not this that is fitting to say to you, but what? 'You have not yet despised riches.'

For to those who had lost all their possessions these things were fittingly spoken;

but to those who still possess their own, this:

Who has been robbed of his goods for Christ's sake? Who has been buffeted? Who has been insulted? I mean, even as far as words.

Whence comes our glorying? Whence can you have boldness? So many things did Christ suffer for us while we were enemies;

what can we point to of what we have suffered for His sake? Of what we have suffered, nothing;

but of the good things we receive from Him, ten thousand.

Whence shall we have boldness in that Day? Do you not know that even the soldier, when he displays ten thousand wounds and scars, then is able to be resplendent before the king; but if he has no exploit to show, even though he has committed no fault, he will be ranked among the lowest? 'But it is not a time of war,' he says.

For if it were, tell me, who would have contended? Who would have leaped forward? Who would have broken through the phalanx? Perhaps no one.

For when I see that you do not despise riches for Christ's sake,

how shall I believe you that you will despise blows? Tell me, do you bear those who insult you nobly, and bless them? This you do not do, but you disobey.

That which involves no peril you do not do; and will you endure blows, tell me, where the pain and anguish are so great? Do you not know that in peace one must exercise oneself in the things of war? Do you not see those soldiers who, even when no war disturbs them but there is deep peace, keep their weapons burnished, and going out daily, so to speak, with the instructors who teach them tactics into level and spacious plains, train themselves in the things of war with great exactness? Which of the spiritual soldiers has done this? Not one.

For this reason in wars we become slack and craven, and easily captured by all.

But of how great sluggishness is it not to reckon the present time to be a time of war, when Paul cries aloud:

'And all who wish to live godly in Christ Jesus shall be persecuted'? And when Christ says:

'In the world you shall have tribulation'? And again, when the blessed Paul cries with a resounding voice and says:

'Our wrestling is not against blood and flesh'? And again:

'Stand therefore, having girded your loins with truth'? And none of those men said then, 'Why do you arm us, when there is no war? Why do you needlessly trouble us? You put breastplates on the soldiers, when it is possible to rest and be at quiet.' But if anyone had said this, he would have answered in return:

'Most certainly, even if there were no war, one ought to give thought to the things of war.

For he who in peace takes thought for the things of battle will be formidable in the time of battle;

but he who is inexperienced in the things of war will be all the more thrown into confusion even in peace.'

Why so? Because he will weep over what he possesses, and because, being unable to fight on their behalf, he will be filled with anguish.

For the possessions of the coward, the inexperienced, and the man unfit for battle belong to all the brave who know how to make war; therefore it is for this reason that I first arm you.

Therefore for this reason I first arm you.

And next, the whole span of our life is a time of warfare.

How, and in what manner? The devil stands ever at the ready.

Hear what Scripture says concerning him.

He goes about roaring like a lion, seeking to seize his prey.

He lays upon us countless bodily passions, which we must pass through, lest we deceive ourselves in vain.

For what, tell me, does not war against us? Do not riches, beauty, luxury, dominion, power, envy, glory, and pride? For not only does our own glory war against us, hindering us from stooping to humility, but so also does the glory of others, drawing us into envy and malice.

But what of their opposites—poverty, dishonor, being despised, being cast aside, having no strength at all? Yet these things are within us;

while those which come from men are wickednesses, plots, deceits, slanders, and countless troublesome circumstances;

and likewise those which come from the demons—principalities, powers, the world-rulers of the darkness of this age, the spiritual forces of wickedness.

Some of us are rejoicing, others in pain;

here health, there sickness.

From what source will a man not sin? Would you have me tell you, beginning at once from Adam, from the very beginning? What overthrew the first-formed man? Pleasure, and food, and the love of dominion.

What overthrew the one after him, his son? Malice and envy.

What overthrew those in the days of Noah? The pleasures of the body, and the evils born from them.

What overthrew his son? Insolence and shamelessness.

What overthrew the Sodomites? Insolence and licentiousness and fullness of bread.

And often poverty too does this;

for this reason a certain wise man said:

'Give me neither riches nor poverty.'

Or rather it is neither wealth nor poverty, but the will that is unable to make right use of either of these.

'Know,' he says, 'that you are passing through the midst of snares.'

Wonderfully did the blessed Paul speak;

he did not say simply that 'we are tempted,' but 'we are appointed unto this,' which is to say, we were brought into being for this.

This is our work, this is our life; and do you seek ease? The executioner does not stand over you, tearing your side with hooks and forcing you to sacrifice;

rending it, and compelling you to sacrifice;

but there stands over us a fierce desire for money and for gain, gouging out our eyes.

No soldier has kindled a fire against us, nor set us upon the gridiron;

but the burning of the body inflames the soul more than those flames did.

No emperor stands by, promising countless good things and cajoling us;

but there stands by the madness for glory, tickling us worse than he.

It is a great war indeed, and exceedingly great, if only we are willing to be watchful;

the present time also has its crowns;

'Henceforth there is laid up for me the crown of righteousness, which the righteous Judge shall award to me;

and not to me only, but also to all those who have loved his appearing.'

When you lose a beloved only-begotten child, reared amid great wealth, giving fair hopes, one who alone was to inherit your estate—do not groan, but give thanks to God, and glorify Him who took him, and in this you will be in no way inferior to Abraham.

For just as he gave to God when He commanded, so you, when He took, did not groan.

Have you fallen into a grievous sickness, and many come pressing upon you, some with incantations, some with amulets, others urging you by other means to relieve the malady? For the fear of God have you borne it nobly and unwaveringly, and would you rather suffer anything than endure to perform any of the idolatrous practices? This brings you a martyr's crown.

And how, and in what manner? I will tell you.

Because, just as the martyr nobly bears the pains from the tortures so as not to worship the idol, so you too bear the sufferings from the sickness, so as neither to need anything from that quarter nor to do the things it enjoins.

But are those pains more violent? Yet these are more prolonged, so that it comes out equal.

And often they are even more violent.

For what, tell me, when a burning fever troubles and inflames you within, and though the others urge it you shake off the incantation—have you not bound upon yourself a martyr's crown? Again, has someone lost his money? Many are they who urge him to go off to soothsayers;

but you, out of the fear of God, since it is forbidden, chose rather not to recover the money than to disobey God? You have a reward equal to him who gave it to the poor;

if, having lost it, you give thanks, and though able to go off to soothsayers you endure rather not to recover it than to recover it in such a way, you have a gain equal to him who emptied it out for God's sake.

For just as that man, out of the fear of God, emptied it out to the needy, so you too, out of the fear of God, when those men seized it, did not take it back.

We are masters both of wronging ourselves and of not doing so;

and, if you please, let us exercise the matter in the very case of theft.

The thief cut through the wall, leaped into the chamber, carried off precious gold and costly stones—in a word, cast out an entire treasure—and was not caught.

What has happened is grievous, and the affair seems to be a loss; yet it is not yet so, but it lies in you either to make it a loss or a gain.

'And how,' one asks, 'could this become a gain?'

I will try to demonstrate how.

If you are willing, it will be a great gain;

but if you are unwilling, the loss will be worse than what has happened.

For just as, when material is set before craftsmen, the one skilled in the art uses it as needed, but the unskilled ruins it and makes it a loss to himself;

so also is it in affairs.

How then will it be a gain? If you give thanks to God, if you do not wail bitterly, if you speak the words of Job:

'The Lord gave, the Lord has taken away;

naked came I out of my mother's womb, and naked shall I return.'

'What do you mean, The Lord has taken away? The thief took it away; and how,' one says, 'can you say, The Lord has taken away?' Do not marvel;

for indeed Job also said of the things which the devil had taken away, 'The Lord has taken them away.'

But if he had the courage to speak thus, why will you not say, concerning the things the thief took, that 'The Lord has taken them away'? Whom do you admire, tell me—the one who emptied out his own goods to the poor, or Job for these words? Surely,

does he who did not then give have less than he who gave alms? For do not say, 'I have no thanks for it, the deed was not of my own will;

the robber took it without my knowledge and against my will;

what reward shall be mine?' It was without Job's knowledge and against his will too that these things were taken;

for how could it be otherwise? Yet nonetheless he strove and won.

It is possible for you also to receive as great a reward as if you had cast them away willingly.

And rightly do we admire this man more—the one who bears injury with thanksgiving—than the one who gives willingly.

And why is this? Because the one is nourished by the praises he receives, and by his own conscience, and he holds good hopes;

and having first borne the loss of his goods nobly, he then cast them away of his own accord;

but this man, while still bound fast to them, had them torn from him by force.

It is not the same thing to have been first persuaded to part from one's goods and thus to empty oneself of them, and to be robbed of them while still clinging to them.

If you speak these words, you will receive many times as much, even more than Job did.

For he received double here below;

but to you Christ has promised a hundredfold.

You did not blaspheme through the fear of God, you had no recourse to diviners, you gave thanks though suffering ill? You are like the man who despised the loss;

for these things too do not come to pass unless you first learn to despise them.

But it is not the same thing to have practiced over a long time the despising of riches, and to bear a loss that has fallen upon one all at once.

Thus the loss becomes gain, and you will suffer no harm, but will even be profited by the devil.

But how then does a loss become grievous? When you suffer loss in your soul.

For tell me: has the thief robbed you of your goods? Why then do you rob yourself of salvation? Why, grieving over the ills you have wrongfully suffered from others, do you yourself cast yourself into still greater evils? He perhaps has cast you into poverty, but you wickedly harm yourself in the things that matter most;

he took from you the things that are outside you, and which would afterwards leap away from you even against your will;

but you deprive yourself of eternal riches.

Has the devil grieved you by taking away your goods? Then grieve him in turn by giving thanks, and do not gladden him.

If you go off to diviners, you have gladdened him;

but if you give thanks to God, you have dealt him a mortal blow.

Nor will you find your goods again by going off to the diviners;

for it is not theirs to know such things;

and even if somewhere they should hit upon it by chance and say it, you also lose your soul in the bargain, and you will be laughed to scorn by your brethren, and again you will lose the goods in an evil way.

For the demon, knowing that you cannot bear the loss, but for the sake of these things even deny your God, gives back the money, that he may have an occasion to deceive you again.

But if the diviners do sometimes speak truly, do not marvel;

the demon is bodiless, he goes about everywhere;

he himself arms the robbers;

for these things do not come to pass without a demon.

If then he arms them, he also knows where they deposit their spoils;

he is not ignorant of his own servants.

And this is nothing to marvel at;

if he sees you grieving at the loss, he brings on yet another;

but if he sees you laughing it to scorn and despising it, he will desist from this course.

For just as we treat our enemies in those matters wherein we grieve them;