Homilies on Second Timothy — Homily 2

St. John Chrysostom

1. 0. Greeting

[[2 Timothy 1.8]]-10

Be not thou therefore ashamed of the testimony of our Lord, nor of me His prisoner: but be thou partaker of the afflictions of the Gospel according to the power of God; Who has saved us, and called us with an holy calling, not according to our works, but according to His own purpose and grace, which was given us in Christ Jesus before the world began; but is now made manifest by the appearing of our Saviour Jesus Christ.

There is nothing worse than that man should measure and judge of divine things by human reasonings. For thus he will fall from that rock a vast distance, and be deprived of the light. For if he who wishes with human eyes to apprehend the rays of the sun will not only not apprehend them, but, besides this failure, will sustain great injury; so, but in a higher degree, is he in a way to suffer this, and abusing the gift of God, who would by human reasonings gaze intently on that Light. Observe accordingly how Marcion, and Manes, and Valentinus, and others who introduced their heresies and pernicious doctrines into the Church of God, measuring divine things by human reasonings, became ashamed of the Divine economy. Yet it was not a subject for shame, but rather for glorying; I speak of the Cross of Christ. For there is not so great a sign of the love of God for mankind, not heaven, nor sea, nor earth, nor the creation of all things out of nothing, nor all else beside, as the Cross. Hence it is the boast of Paul, God forbid that I should glory, save in the Cross of our Lord Jesus Christ. [[Galatians 6.14]] But natural men, and those who attribute to God no more than to human beings, stumble, and become ashamed. Wherefore Paul from the first exhorts his disciple, and through him all others, in these words: Be not thou ashamed of the testimony of our Lord, that is, Be not ashamed, that you preach One that was crucified, but rather glory in it. For in themselves death and imprisonment and chains are matters of shame and reproach. But when the cause is added before us, and the mystery viewed aright, they will appear full of dignity, and matter for boasting. For it was that death which saved the world, when it was perishing. That death connected earth with heaven, that death destroyed the power of the devil, and made men angels, and sons of God: that death raised our nature to the kingly throne. Those chains were the conversion of many. Be not therefore ashamed, he says, of the testimony of our Lord, nor of me His prisoner: but be thou partaker of the afflictions of the Gospel; that is, though you should suffer the same things, be not thou ashamed. For that this is implied appears from what he said above; God has given us a spirit of power, and of love, and of a sound mind; and by what follows, Be thou partaker of the sufferings of the Gospel: not merely be not ashamed of them, but be not ashamed even to experience them.

And he does not say, Do not fear, but, the more to encourage him, be not ashamed, as if there w