"I know, and am persuaded by (Gr. in) the Lord Jesus, that there is
nothing unclean of itself, but to him that esteemeth anything to be
unclean, to him it is unclean."
AFTER first rebuking the person who judgeth his brother, and
moving him to leave off this reproaching, he then explains himself
further upon the doctrinal part, and instructs in a dispassionate tone
the weaker sort, displaying in this case too a great deal of
gentleness. For he does not say he shall be punished, nor anything
of the sort, but merely disburdens him of his fears in the matter, and
that with a view to his being more easily persuaded with what he
tells him; and he says, "I know, and am persuaded." And then
to
prevent any of those who did not trust him (or "believe," twn
ou
pistwn) saying, And what is it to us if thou art persuaded? for thou
art no trustworthy evidence to be set in competition with so great a
law, and with oracles brought down from above, he proceeds, "in the
Lord." That is, as having learned from Him, as having my confidence
from Him.
The judgment then is not one of the mind of man. What is
it that thou art persuaded of and knowest? Tell us. "That there is
nothing unclean of itself." By nature, he says, nothing is unclean
but
it becomes so by the spirit in which a man uses it. Therefore it
becomes so to himself only, and not to all. "For to him that
esteemeth anything to be unclean, to him it is unclean." What then?
Why not correct thy brother, that he may think it not unclean? Why
not with full authority call him away from this habit of mind and
conception of things, that he may never make it common? My reason
is, he says, I am afraid to grieve him. Wherefore he proceeds, Ver. 15.
"But if thy brother be grieved with thy meat, now walkest thou not
charitably."
You see how far, for the present, he goes in affection for him,
showing that he makes so great account of him, that with a view not
to grieve him he does not venture even to enjoin things of great
urgency, but by yieldingness would rather draw him to himself, and
by charity. For even when he has freed him of his fears, he does not
drag him and force him, but leaves him his own master. For keeping
a person from meats is no such matter as overwhelming with grief.
You see how much he insists upon charity. And this is because he is
aware that it can do everything. And on this ground he makes
somewhat larger demand upon them. For so far he says from its
being proper for them to distress you at all, the), ought even, if need
be, not to hesitate at condescending to you. Whence he proceeds to
say, "Destroy not him with thy meat, for whom Christ died." Or
dost
thou not value thy brother enough even to purchase his salvation at
the price of abstinence from meats? And yet Christ refused not to
become a slave, nor yet to die for him; but thou dost not despise
even food, that thou mayest save him. And yet with it all Christ was
not to gain all, yet still He died for all; so fulfilling His own part.
But
art thou aware that by meat thou art overthrowing him in the more
important matters, and yet makest a disputing? And him who is the
object of such care unto Christ, dost thou consider so contemptible,
and dishonor one whom He loveth? Yet He died not for the weak
only, but even for an enemy. And wilt not thou refrain from meats
even, for him that is weak? Yet Christ did what was greatest even,
but thou not even the less. And He was Master, thou a brother. These
words then were enough to tongue-tie him. For they show him to be
of a little spirit, and after having the benefit of great things from
God,
not to give in return even little ones.
Ver. 16, 17. "Let not then your good be evil spoken of. For the
kingdom of God is not meat and drink."
By their "good," he means here either their faith, or the hope
of
rewards hereafter, or the perfectness of their religious state. For it
is
not only that you fail to profit your brother, he means, but the
doctrine itself, and the grace of God, and His gift, you cause to be
evil spoken of. Now when thou tightest, when thou quarrellest, when
thou art vexatious, when thou makest schism in the Church, and
reproachest thy brother, and art distant with him, those that are
without will speak evil of you. And so good is so far from coming of
this, that just the opposite is the case. For your good is charity, love
of the brotherhood, being united, being bound together, living at
peace, living in gentleness (epieikeias). He again, to put an end to his
fears and the other's disputatious-ness, says, "For the kingdom of
God is not meat and drink." Is it by these, he means, that we are
to
be approved? As he says in another passage too, "Neither if we eat
are we the better, neither it we eat not are we the worse." And he
does not need any proof, but is content with stating it. And what he
says is this, If thou eatest, does this lead thee to the Kingdom? And
this was why, by way of satirizing them as mightily pleased with
themselves herein, he said, not "meat" only, but
"drink." What then
are the things that do bring us here? "Righteousness, and peace,
and joy," and a virtuous life, and peace with our brethren (whereto
this quarrelsomeness is opposed), the joy from unanimity, which
this rebuking puts an end to. But this he said not to one party only,
but to both of them, it being a fit season for saying it to both. Then
as
he had mentioned peace and joy, but there is a peace and joy over
bad actions also, he adds, "in the Holy Ghost." Since he that
ruins
his brother, hath at Once subverted peace, and wronged joy, more
grievously than he that plunders money. And what is worse is, that
Another saved him, and thou wrongest and ruinest him. Since then
eating, and the supposed perfect state, does not bring in these
virtues, but the things subversive of them it does bring in, how can it
be else than right to make light of little things, in order to give
firmness to great ones?
Then since this rebuking took place in some degree out of vanity, he
proceeds to say, Ver. 18. "For he that in these things serveth
Christ,
is acceptable to God, and approved of men."
For they will not admire thee so much for thy perfect state, as all will
for peace and amity. For this is a goodly thing, that all will have the
benefit of, but of that not one even will.
Ver. 19. "Let us therefore follow after the things which make for
peace, and things wherewith one may edify one another:"
This applies to the other, that he may grow peaceable. But the other
to the latter too, that he may not destroy his brother. Still he has
made both apply to either again, by saying, "one another," and
showing that without peace it is not easy to edify.
Ver. 20. "For meat destroy not the work of God."
Giving this name to the salvation of a brother, and adding greatly to
the fears, and showing that he is doing the opposite of that he
desires. For thou, he says, art so far from building up as thou
intendest, that thou dost even destroy, and that a building too not of
man but of God, and not for any great end either, but for a trivial
thing. For it was "for meat," he says. Then lest so many indulgences
should confirm the weaker brother in his misconception, he again
becomes doctrinal, as follows, "All things indeed are pure, but it
is
evil for that man who eateth with offence."
Who does it, that is, with a bad conscience. And so if you should
force him, and he should eat, there would be nothing gained. For it is
not the eating that maketh unclean, but the intention with which a
man eats. If then thou dost not set that aright, thou hast done all to
no purpose, and hast made things worse: for thinking a thing
unclean is not so bad as tasting it when one thinks it unclean. Here
then you are committing two errors, one by increasing his prejudice
through your quarrel- someness, and another by getting him to taste
of what is unclean. And so, as long as you do not persuade him, do
not force him.
Ver. 21. "It is good neither to eat flesh, nor to drink wine, nor
anything whereby thy brother stumbleth, or is offended, or is made
weak."
Again, he requires the greater alternative, that they should not only
not force him, but even condescend to him. For he often did this
himself also, as when he circumcised (Acts xvi. 3), when he was
shorn (ib. xviii. 18), when he sacrificed that Jewish sacrifice. (ib.
xxi.
26, see p. 126). And he does not say to the man "do so," but
he
states it in the form of a sentiment to prevent again making the other,
the weaker man, too listless. And what are his words? "It is good
not
to eat flesh." And why do I say flesh? if it be wine, or any other
thing
of the sort besides, which gives offence, refrain. For nothing is so
important as thy brother's salvation. And this Christ shows us, since
He came from Heaven, and suffered all that He went through, for our
sakes. And let me beg you to observe, how he also drives it home
upon the other, by the words "stumbleth, or is offended, or is made
weak." And do not tell me (he means) that he is so without reason
but, that thou hast power to set it right. For the other has a
sufficient
claim to be helped in his weakness, and to thee this were no loss not
being a case of hypocrisy (Gal. ii. 13), but of edification and
economy. For if thou force him, he is at once destroyed, and will
condemn thee, and fortify himself the more in not eating. But if thou
condescend to him, then he will love thee, and will not suspect thee
as a teacher, and thou wilt afterwards gain the power of sowing
imperceptibly in him the right views. But if he once hate thee, then
thou hast closed the entrance for thy reasoning. Do not then compel
him, but even thyself refrain for his sake, not refraining from it as
unclean, but because he is offended, and he will love thee the more.
So Paul also advises when he says, "It is good not to eat
flesh," not
because it was unclean, but because the brother is offended and is
weak.
Ver. 22. "Hast thou faith? have it to thyself."
Here he seems to me to be giving a gentle warning to the more
advanced on the score of vanity. And what he says is this, Dost thou
wish to show me that thou art perfect, and fully furnished? Do not
show it to me, but let thy conscience suffice. And by faith, be here
means that concerned not with doctrines, but with the subject in
hand. For of the former it says, "With the mouth confession is made
unto salvation" (Rom. x. 10); and, "Whosoever shall deny Me
before
men, him will I also deny." (Luke ix. 26.) For the former by not
being
confessed, ruins us; and so does this by being confessed
unseasonably. "Happy is he that condemneth not himself in the thing
which he alloweth." Again he strikes at the weaker one, and gives
him (i.e. the stronger) a sufficient crown, in that of his conscience.
Even if no man see, that is, thou art able to be happy in thyself. For
after saying, "Have it to thyself," to prevent his thinking
this a
contemptible tribunal, he tells him this is better to thee than the
world. And if all accuse thee, and thou condemn not thyself, and thy
conscience lay no charge against thee, thou art happy. But this is a
statement he did not make to apply to any person whatever. For
there are many that condemn not themselves, and yet are great
transgressors: and these are the most miserable of men. But he still
keeps to the subject in hand.
Ver. 23. "And he that doubteth is condemned if he eat."
Again, it is to exhort him to spare the weaker, that he says this. For
what good is it if he eat in doubt, and condemn himself? For I
approve of him, who both eateth, and doeth it not with doubting. See
how he induces him not to eating only, but to eating with a good
conscience too. Then he mentions likewise the reason why he is
condemned. continuing in these words, "Because he eateth not of
faith." Not because it is unclean, but because it is not of faith.
For he
did not believe that it is clean, but though unclean he touched it. But
by this he shows them also what great harm they do by compelling
men, and not persuading them, to touch things which had hitherto
appeared unclean to them, that for this at all events they might leave
rebuking. "For whatsoever is not of faith is sin." For when a
person
does not feel sure, nor believe that a thing is clean, how can he do
else than sin? Now all these things have been spoken by Paul of the
subject in hand, not of everything. And observe what care he takes
not to offend any; and he had said before, "If thy brother be
grieved
with thy meat, now walkest thou not charitably." But if one should
not grieve him, much less ought one to give him offence. And again,
"For meat destroy not the work of God." For if it were a
grievous act
of iniquity to throw down a Church, much more so is it to do so to
the spiritual Temple. Since a man is more dig nified than a Church:
for it was not for walls that Christ died, but for these temples.
Let us then watch our own conduct on all sides, and afford to no one
ever so little handle. For this life present is a race-course and we
ought to have thousands of eyes (Hilary in Ps. cxix.) on every side,
and not even to fancy that ignorance will be an adequate excuse. For
there is such a thing, there certainly is, as being punished for
ignorance, when the ignorance is inexcusable. Since the Jews too
were ignorant. yet not ignorant in an excusable way. And the
Gentiles were ignorant, but they are without excuse.
(Rom. i. 20.) For when thou art ignorant of those things which it is
not possible to know, thou wilt not be subject to any charge for it:
but when of things easy and possible, thou wilt be punished with the
utmost rigor. Else if we be not excessively supine, but contribute our
own share to its full amount, God will also reach forth His hand unto
us in those things which we are ignorant of. And this is what Paul
said to the Philippians likewise. "If in anything ye be otherwise
minded, God shall reveal even this unto you." (Phil. iii. 15.) But
when
we are not willing to do even what we are masters of, we shall not
have the benefit of His assistance in this either. And this was the
case with the Jews too. "For this cause," He says, "speak
I unto
them in parables, because seeing they see not." (Matt. xiii. 13.)
In
what sense was it that seeing they saw not? They saw devils cast
out, and they said, He hath a devil. They saw the dead raised, and
they worshipped not, but attempted to kill Him. But not of this
character was Cornelius. (ib. xii. 24.) For this reason then, when he
was doing the whole of his duty with sincerity, God added unto him'
that which was lacking also. Say not then, how came God to neglect
such and such a one who was no formalist (aplastos) and a good
man, though a Gentile? For in the first place no man can possibly
know for certain whether a person is no formalist, but He only who
"formed (plasanti) the hearts severally." (Ps. xxxiii.
(xxxii.) 15, LXX.)
And then there is this to be said too, that perchance (pollakis) such
an one was neither thoughtful nor earnest. And how, it may be said,
could be, as being very uninformed?
(aplastos.) Let me beg you to
consider then this simple and singlehearted
man, and take notice of him in the affairs of life, and you will
see him a pattern of the utmost scrupulousness, such that if he
would have shown it in spiritual matters he would not have been
overlooked: for the facts of the truth are clearer than the sun. And
wherever a man may go, he might easily lay hold of his own
salvation, if he were minded, that is, to be heedful, and not to look on
this as a by-work. For were the doings shut up into Palestine, or in a
little corner of the world? Hast thou not heard the prophet say,
"All
shall know Me from the least even to the greatest?" (Jer. xxxi. 34;
Heb. viii. 11.) Do not you see the things themselves uttering the
truth? How then are these to be excused, seeing as they do the
doctrine of the truth spread far and wide, and not troubling
themselves, or caring to learn it? And dost thou require all this, it is
asked, of a rude savage? Nay not of a rude savage only, but of any
who is more savage than men of the present day. For why is it, pray,
that in matters of this world he knows how to answer when he is
wronged, and to resist when he has violence done him, and do and
devise everything to prevent his ever having his will thwarted even in
the slightest degree; but in spiritual concerns he has not used this
same judgment? And when a man worships a stone, and thinks it a
god, he both keeps feasts to it, and spends money on it, and shows
much fear towards it, and in no case becomes listless from his
simpleness. But when he has to seek to the very and true God, do
you then mention singleness and simpleness to me? These things
are not so, assuredly they are not! For the complaints are those of
mere listlessness. For which do you think the most simple and rude,
those in Abraham's day or those now? (Josh. xxiv. 2.) Clearly the
former. And when that it was easiest to find religion out now or then?
Clearly now. For now the Name of God is proclaimed even by all
men, and the Prophets have preached, the things come to pass, the
Gentiles been convinced. (Gen. xxxii. 29; Judges xiii. 18.) But at that
day the majority were still in an uninstructed state, and sin was
dominant. And there was no law to instruct, nor prophets, nor
miracles, nor doctrine, nor multitude of men acquainted with it, nor
aught else of the kind, but all things then lay as it were in a deep
darkness, and a night moonless and stormy. And yet even then that
wondrous and noble man, though the obstacles were so great, still
knew God and practised virtue, and led many to the same zeal; and
this though he had not even the wisdom of those without. For how
should he, when there were no letters even yet invented? Yet still he
brought his own share in, and God joined to bring in what was
lacking to him. For you cannot say even this, that Abraham received
his religion from his fathers, because he (Terah, see Josh. xxiv. 2.)
was an idolater. But still, though he was from such forefathers and
was uncivilized, and lived among uncivilized people, and had no
instructor in religion, yet he attained to a knowledge of God, and in
comparison with all his descendants, who had the advantage both of
the Law and the Prophets, he was so much more illustrious as no
words can express. Why was it then? It was because in things of this
world he did not give himself any great anxiety, but in things of the
spirit he applied his whole attention. (In Gen. Hem. 33, etc.) And what
of Melchizedek? was not he also born about those times, and was so
bright as to be called even a priest of God? (In Gen. Hem. 35, 36.) For
it is impossible in the extreme, that the sober-minded (nhfonta)
should ever be overlooked. And let not these things be a trouble to
us, but knowing that it is the mind with which in each case the power
lies, let us look to our own duties, that we may grow better. Let us
not be demanding an account of God or enquire why He let such an
one alone, but called such an one. For we are doing the same as if a
servant that had given offence were to pry into his master's
housekeeping. Wretched and miserable man, when thou oughtest to
be thoughtful about the account thou hast to give, anti how thou wilt
reconcile thy master, dost thou call him to account for things that
thou art not to give an account of, passing over those things of
which thou art to give a reckoning?What am I to say to the Gentile?
he asks. Why, the same that I have been saying. And look not merely
to what thou shalt say to the Gentile, but also to the means of
amending thyself? When he is offended by examining into thy life,
then consider what thou wilt say. For if he be offended, thou wilt not
be called to a reckoning for him, but if it be thy way of life by which
he is injured, thou wilt have to undergo the greatest danger. When he
seeth thee philosophizing about the kingdom, and fluttering at the
things of this life, and at once afraid about hell, and trembling at the
calamities of this life, then lay it to mind. When he sees this, and
accuses thee, and says, If thou art in love with the Kingdom, how is
it thou dost not look down upon the things of this life? If thou art
expecting the awful judgment, why dost thou not despise the terrors
of this world? If thou hopest for immortality, why dost thou not think
scorn of death? When he says this, be thou anxious what defence
thou wilt make. When he sees thee trembling at the thought of losing
thy money, thee that expectest the heavens, and exceedingly glad
about a single penny, and selling thy soul again for a little money,
then lay it to mind. For these are the things, just these, that make the
Gentiles stumble. And so, if thou art thoughtful about his salvation,
make thy defence on these heads, not by words, but by actions. For
it is not through that question that anybody ever blasphemed God,
but through men's bad lives it is, that there are thousands of
blasphemies in all quarters. Set him right then. For the Gentile will
next ask thee, How am I to know that God's commands are feasible?
For thou that art of Christian extraction, and hast been brought up in
this fine religion, dost not do anything of the kind. And what will you
tell him? You will be sure to say, I will show you others that do;
monks that dwell in the deserts. And art thou not ashamed to
confess to being a Christian, and yet to send to others, as unable to
show that you display the temper of a Christian? For he also will say
directly, What need have I to go to the mountains, and to hunt up the
deserts? For if there is no possibility for a person who is living in
the
midst of cities to be a disciple, this is a sad imputation on this rule
of
conduct, that we are to leave the cities, and run to the deserts. But
show me a man who has a wife, and children, and family, and yet
pursueth wisdom. What are we then to say to all this? Must we not
hang down our heads, and be ashamed? For Christ gave us no such
commandment; but what? "Let your light shine before men"
(Matt. v.
16), not mountains, and deserts, and wildernesses, and out-of-theway
places. And this I say, not as abusing those who have taken up
with the mountains, but as bewailing those that dwell in cities,
because they have banished virtue from thence. Wherefore I beseech
you let us introduce the discipline they have there here also, that the
cities may become cities indeed. This will improve the Gentile. This
will free him from countless offences. And so if thou wouldest set
him free from scandal, and thyself enjoy rewards without number,
set thy own life in order, and make it shine forth upon all sides,
"that
men may see your good works, and glorify your Father which is in
heaven." For so we also shall enjoy that unutterable and great
glory,
which God grant that we may all attain to, by the grace and love
toward man, etc.
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