Nicene/Post-Nicene, Series I, Volume 22
Chrysostom, A.D. 347 - 407
... for the destruction indeed of
Jerusalem took place many years ago; but there are also
other predictions which extend along from that time until
His coming; which examine as you please: for instance,
this, "I am with you alway, even unto the end of the
world: (St. Matt. xxviii. 20.) and, "Upon this Rock
I will build My Church, and the gates of hell shall not
prevail against it: " (St. Matt. xvi. 18.) and,
"This Gospel shall be preached unto all nations:"
(St. Matt. xxiv. 14.) and that which the woman which was
an an harlot did: and many others more than these. Whence
then the truth of this prediction if indeed it were a
forgery? How did "the gates of hell" not "prevail"
against "the Church?"...
Homilies on First Corinthians,
Homily VI, § [6.]
... Again, He said, "The gates of Hades shall not
prevail against the Church (St. Matt. xvi. 18.) ... The
miracle then is one, the raising of Lazarus; but the
predictions are two; made evident, the one here, the
other in the world to come. Consider now, how they are
all proved by one another. For if a man disbelieve the
resurrection of Lazarus, from the prophecy uttered about
the Church let him learn to believe the miracle. For the
word spoken so many years before, came to pass then, and
received accomplishment: for "the gates of Hades
prevailed not against the Church." You see that He
who spake truth in the prophecy, it is clear that he also
wrought the miracle: ... .
Homilies on First Corinthians,
Homily VII, § [19.]
"Have we no right to lead about a wife that is a
believer, even as the rest of the Apostles, and the
brethren of the Lord, and Cephas?" Observe his
skilfulness. The leader of the choir stands last in his
arrangement: since that is the time for laying down the
strongest of all one's topics. Nor was it so wonderful
for one to be able to point out examples of this conduct
in the rest, as in the foremost champion and in him who
was entrusted with the keys of heaven. But neither does
he mention Peter alone, but all of them: as if he had
said, Whether you seek the inferior sort or the more
eminent, in all you find patterns of this sort.
Homilies on First Corinthians,
Homily XXI, § [3.]
Ver. 1--5 "That our fathers," saith he, "were
all under the cloud, and all passed through the sea; and
were all baptized unto Moses in the cloud and in the sea;
and did all eat the same spiritual meat; and did all
drink the same spiritual drink; for they drank of a
spiritual Rock that followed them: and the Rock
was Christ. Howbeit with most of them God was not well
pleased."
¶ Further: this was a symbol of the Font, and that which
follows, of the Holy Table. For as thou eatest the Lord's
Body, so they the manna: and as thou drinkest the Blood,
so they water from a rock.... therefore having
said that "they drank the same spiritual drink,"
he added, "for they drank of a spiritual Rock
that followed them," and he subjoined, "and the
Rock was Christ." For it was not the nature
of the rock which sent forth the water, (such is
his meaning,) else would it as well have gushed out
before this time: but another sort of Rock, a
spiritual One, performed the whole, even Christ who was
every where with them and wrought all the wonders....
Homilies on First Corinthians,
Homily XXIII, § [3.]
That this therefore may not always be so, and lest wave
after wave receiving us should carry us out into the deep
of miseries and altogether drown and destroy us; while
there is time, let us bear up and standing upon the rock,
I mean of the divine doctrines and words, let us look
down upon the surge of this present life....
Homilies on First Corinthians,
Homily XXIX, § [9.]
... After that, He was seen of James." I suppose,
His brother. For the Lord is said to have Himself
ordained him and made him Bishop in Jerusalem first....
... Therefore he appears to Peter first. For he that
first confessed Him to be Christ was justly also counted
worthy first to behold His resurrection. And not on this
account alone doth He appear to him first, but also
because he had denied Him, more abundantly to comfort him
and to signify that he is not despaired of, before the
rest He vouchsafed him even this sight and to him first
entrusted His sheep....
Homilies on First Corinthians,
Homily XXXVIII, § [5.]
Ver. 5. "For I reckon that I am not a whit behind
the very chiefest Apostles," no longer making
comparison of himself with them, but with Peter and the
rest.... Therefore he also mentions them with encomiums,
not speaking simply of "the Apostles," but
"the very chiefest," meaning Peter and James
and John.
Homilies on Second Corinthians,
Homily XXIII, § [2.]
... For he that wears the purple himself goes to embrace
those tombs, and, laying aside his pride, stands begging
the saints to be his advocates with God, and he that hath
the diadem implores the tent-maker and the fisherman,
though dead, to be his patrons. Wilt thou dare then, tell
me, to call the Lord of these dead; whose servants even
after their decease are the patrons of the kings of the
world? And this one may see take place not in Rome only,
but in Constantinople also. For there also Constantine
the Great, his son considered he should be honoring with
great honor, if he buried him in the porch of the
fisherman; and what porters are to kings in their
palaces, that kings are at the tomb to fisherman. And
these indeed as lords of the place occupy the inside,
whilst the others as though but sojourners and neighbors
were glad to have the gate of the porch assigned them;
showing by what is done in this world, even to the
unbelievers, that in the Resurrection the fisherman will
be yet more their superiors....
Homilies on Second Corinthians,
Homily XXVI, § [5.]
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