Homilies on First Corinthians — Homily 8

St. John Chrysostom

0. Greeting
Chapter 2
Chapter 3
Chapter 4
Chapter 5
Chapter 6
Chapter 7
Chapter 8
Chapter 9

And I, brethren, could not speak unto you as unto spiritual, but as unto Carnal, as unto babes in Christ. I fed you with milk, and not with meat: for you were not yet able to bear it; nay, not even now are you able. For you are yet carnal.

After having overturned the philosophy which is from without, and cast down all its arrogance, he comes unto another argument. For it was likely that they would say, If we were putting forth the opinions of Plato, or of Pythagoras, or any other of the philosophers, reason were you should draw out such a long discourse against us. But if we announce the things of the Spirit, for what reason do you turn and toss up and down ( ἄνω καὶ κάτω στρέφεις ) the wisdom which is from without?

Hear then how he makes his stand against this. And I, brethren, could not speak unto you as unto spiritual. Why, in the first place, says he, though you had been perfect in spiritual things also, not even so ought you to be elated; for what you preach is not your own, nor such as yourselves have found from your own means. But now even these things you know not as you ought to know them, but you are learners, and the last of all. Whether therefore the Gentile wisdom be the occasion of your high imaginations; that has been proved to be nothing, nay, in regard to spiritual things to be even contrary unto us: or if it be on account of things spiritual, in these, too, you come short and have your place among the hindmost. Wherefore he says, I could not speak unto you as unto spiritual. He said not, I did not speak, lest the thing might seem to proceed from his grudging them somewhat; but in two ways he brings down their high spirit; first, because they knew not the things that are perfect; next, because their ignorance was owing to themselves: yea, in a third way besides these, by pointing out that not even now are they able [to bear it]. For as to their want of ability at first, that perhaps arose from the nature of the case. In fact, however, he does not leave them even this excuse. For not through any inability on their part to receive high doctrines, does he say they received them not, but because they were carnal. However, in the beginning this was not so blame-worthy; but that after so long a time, they had not yet arrived at the more perfect knowledge, this was a symptom of most utter dulness.

It may be observed, that he brings the same charge against the Hebrews, not however, with so much vehemence. For those, he says, are such, partly because of tribulation: but these, because of some appetite for wickedness. Now the two things are not the same. He implies too, that in the one case he was intending rebuke, in the other rather stirring them up, when he spoke these words of truth. For to these Corinthians he says, Neither yet now are you able; but unto the others [[Hebrews 6.1]] Wherefore let us cease to speak of the first principles of Christ, and press on unto perfection: and again, [[Hebrews 5.9]] we are persuaded better thing