Preface TO THE HOMILIES OF CHRYSOSTOM ON THE TWO EPISTLES TO THE CORINTHIANS
§ I. — 1. On the excellence of these Homilies, 2. and on the prologue to the same. 3. Some deny that it is Chrysostom’s.
1. Among the most excellent works of John Chrysostom are counted the Homilies on both Epistles of Paul to the Corinthians, and they can vie with the best in elegance and gravity; most especially the Homilies on the first Epistle, which many think are to be preferred to the Homilies on the second, if you consider their tropes and precision. For in the former he pursues everything diligently and in a more flowing style, frequently uses wit, and discusses even the minutiae; you will certainly nowhere find homilies elaborated with greater care: in which matter some modern readers might perhaps say he is redundant and sometimes goes beyond the mark. But he, as is the chief duty of an orator, had explored the wit and capacity of his audience so skillfully that he won their hearts to himself, and you may see the grateful murmuring of the assembly and frequent applause as his discourse proceeds. Moreover, in the Homilies on the first Epistle there occur many things—fights, indeed, and frequent skirmishes against external philosophers and worshipers of false gods and against some heretics, and certain singular things pertaining to the customs and usage of that age, and other things concerning which we will presently speak briefly. A
2. For before I proceed further, the very beginning of the work, or prologue, causes delay, and gives not a little trouble. For at the beginning we read these things: "But many things did Paul suffer in this city, namely Corinth, and Christ appearing to him in it said: 'Do not stay silent, but speak: for there is much people for me in this city.'" And he stayed there two years. In this city also a demon went out, whom the Jews adjuring, suffered grave things from him: in this city likewise some, led by repentance, burned magical books; and they were seen to be fifty thousand (denarii): in this city lastly, with Gallio the proconsul sitting on the tribunal, Paul was beaten. B
3. Having seen these things, some learned men have doubted whether Chrysostom was the author of this prologue. Did Chrysostom, they say, being so well-versed in the reading of Holy Scripture, have the power to be ignorant that these things which are recounted concerning the Jewish sons of Sceva, that they were evilly punished by the demon when they invoked the name of the Lord Jesus to cast him out; and concerning those who burned magical books, the price of which was fifty thousand denarii; these things, I say, were done not in Corinth, but in Ephesus, as is clear from the book of Acts, chap. 19? And did Chrysostom even say that Paul was beaten in the sight of Gallio? Which thing is said in the 18th chapter of Acts not about Paul, but about Sosthenes? I confess I am certainly not a little moved by these errors continuously placed here. For although Chrysostom not infrequently lapses in memory, and mentions one book of Scripture for another, here certainly a major lapse is caught. But, this passage excepted, the prologue is so aptly put together that to me it appears that Chrysostom himself is speaking; and what detains me more, so that I do not altogether agree with those learned men, is that the prologue ends in such a way that the same writer, beginning the first homily, is seen to proceed in the same manner of series. For that he sometimes lapses in memory you may see in this very Volume, col. 614, line 46, where he put Milesians for Ephesians, and similar things are not rarely detected elsewhere. However, I leave the matter to the judgment of the learned reader. C
§ II. — 1. The Homilies on the first Epistle to the Corinthians were held at Antioch, by Chrysostom’s own testimony. 2. They embrace many things most worthy of being known concerning external philosophers: 3. concerning heretics, namely Manichaeans and Marcionites. 4. The ridiculous rite of the Marcionites. 5. Against the customs of the Antiochene Christians. 6. Other things are observed.
1. It is not irrelevant here to relate what occasion moved Chrysostom to declare that he was preaching the first [homily] at Antioch, col. 178. There were many rich men in that city, [who were] avaricious and not inclined to distribute alms to the poor. Those [who were] poor would drive away anyone they happened upon, not even offering a farthing. But the others, in order to sway those opulent men, would attempt every terrible thing. Some would blind their children so as to move them to pity; others for the sake of spectacle would chew the leather of worn-out shoes; others would drive sharp nails into their heads; these would remain with naked bellies on waters frozen with ice; others would endure things even more absurd and bitter than these. Yet those flowing with riches, moved by spectacles of this kind, would pour out money generously to those whom they had previously repelled when they were begging. But the holy doctor attacks them most bitterly, as was right; and in order to reduce them to a better way of life by example, he recalls to memory those ancient Antiochenes who had flourished in apostolic times, and who were the first to be called by the name of Christians, [their] good things D