The Nature of Asking and True Friendship
A brief exposition by Didymus on the Catholic Epistles. For just as the men of this world, in the writings of life's transactions, wish to deal with the duties concerning them, so also the apostles, in the beginnings of their writings, are deemed to deal as servants of God and Christ (2 Cor 2:8–12).
He subsequently calls them brothers, rather than children or sons, exhorting toward perfection through courage and endurance (2 Cor 2:28–29; Matt 18:3). Having sufficiently exhorted to stand under trials with joy, so that tested work and perfect patience might be produced; and since these things are completed by themselves and not done through something else, he attempts to persuade through another exhortation, rightly setting forth the things laid ahead by saying that he who endures trial is blessed. For he who thus athletically runs the race, trained through all things, will become a tested man; and thus, having been revealed from the shadows, a crown of life will be given to those loved by God who have been made compliant (2 Cor 4:19-27; Matt 18:4).
In this way, he who despises enduring trial, overlooking it, will receive the crown of eternal life instead of the fleeting life he despised. If the crown of life which God prepared for those loving him is a thing to be sought, what God prepared for those loving him is something that, because of the greatness of divinity, will be seen and heard, having ascended beyond even simple human thought (2 Cor 4:27-32).
Truly the position of the Savior is as it is said: 'Ask and it shall be given to you,' which is confirmed by the saying: 'Everyone who asks receives.' If anyone were to ask how some who pray are not heard... Regarding what is to be said: he who comes to ask, following the way and leaving nothing undone of those things contributing to the attainment of what the diligent seek, will receive all that he urged to be given to him; but if anyone, departing from the aim of the stated request, seems to...
To seek, not asking in the way that is necessary, nor asking at all; therefore, because he does not receive it, he does not falsify the thing: 'everyone who asks receives' (Matt 7:7). For even when a teacher says: 'everyone who approaches me for the sake of lessons will have their knowledge,' we understand grammatically 'to approach the teacher,' that is, to attend closely to what is from the teacher along with practicing and studying them; but he who does not do so, it must be said to him: you did not approach him as I instructed (Cr 25, 21-26, 1).
The writer, making the letter clearer, having pre-empted those who, seeming to ask, do not receive—the opponents and those asking badly for the sake of vain pleasures (Cr 26, 1-9). But someone will say: 'and indeed, some asking for the sake of divine knowledge and the taking up of virtues do not receive'; it must be said also to them, that they were not worthy to receive according to those very good things, but asked for the sake of being praised through them; and it is the nature of pleasure-seekers to rejoice in praises; whence also this is not given to them, because they wish to spend on pleasures those things for which they are worthy (Cr 26, 1-9).
8 Origen. Since wickedness brings forth friendship toward the world, but virtue brings forth friendship toward God, virtue and wickedness cannot coexist (Cr 26, 16-18).
Proverbs. He who loves the world through sinning is shown to be an enemy of God; likewise also he who, confirming friendship toward God through piety, is immediately found to be an enemy of the world; whence it is impossible, just as one cannot serve God and Mammon (Matt 6:24), so one cannot be a friend to God and the world. For the Lord, having come, made those who are friends of God and obey Him a sword and a division upon the earth (Matt 10:34); for the word of His teaching divides and separates, preparing through this to have enmity toward the world and union toward God, which is friendship toward Him; therefore also He gives peace, not as the world desires; for that world through which they give peace makes one passible toward material things; but the Lord, providing peace...
Greek
In epistulas catholicas brevis enarratio 1 ∆ιδύμου. Ὡς γὰρ οἱ τοῦ κόσμου ἄνθρωποι ἐν ταῖς συγγραφαῖς τῶν βιωτικῶν συναλλαγμάτων ἐκ τῶν περὶ αὐτοὺς ἀξιωμάτων χρηματίζειν θέλουσιν, οὕτω καὶ οἱ ἀπόστολοι ἐν ταῖς ἀρχαῖς τῶν συγγραμμάτων αὐτῶν δοῦλοι θεοῦ καὶ Χριστοῦ χρηματίζειν ἀξιοῦσιν. (Cr 2, 8–12) 2 Εἰς τελειότητα οὖν τὴν κατ' ἀνδρείαν καὶ καρτερίαν προτρέπων ἀκολούθως ἀδελφοὺς ὀνομάζει, ἀλλ' οὐ τέκνα οὐδὲ υἱούς. (Cr 2, 28–29 Ma 183) Τοῦ Χρυσοστόμου. Αὐτάρκως προτρεψάμενος ὑφίστασθαι τοὺς πειρασμοὺς μετὰ χαρᾶς, ἵνα ἐγγένηται δόκιμον ἔργον καὶ ὑπομονὴ τελεία· τελειοῦται δὲ ταῦτα καθ' ἑαυτά, καὶ μὴ δι' ἄλλο πραττόμενα· δι' ἑτέρας παραινέσεως πείθειν ἐπιχειρεῖ κατορθοῦν τὰ προκείμενα δι' ἐπαγγελίαν μακάριον εἶναι λέγων τὸν πειρασμὸν ὑπομένοντα· γενή 3 σεται γὰρ ὁ οὕτως ἀθλητικῶς ἄγων τὸν ἀγῶνα δόκιμος ἀνὴρ διὰ πάντων γεγυμνασμένος· οὕτω δὲ ἀναφανέντι ἐκ τῶν σκυθρωπῶν δοθήσεται στέφανος ζωῆς εὐτρεπισθεὶς ὑπὸ τοῦ θεοῦ τοῖς αὐτὸν ἀγαπῶσιν. (Cr 4, 19-27 Ma 184) οὕτως ὁ τῷ ὑπομένειν πειρασμὸν καταφρονῶν ἐπιπόνων καὶ αὐτοῦ τοῦ θανάτου στέφανον τῆς αἰωνίου ζωῆς ἀπολήψεται, ἀνθ' ἧς κατεφρόνησε προσκαίρου ζωῆς· ζητήσεις, εἰ ὕλη οὗ ἡτοίμασεν ὁ θεὸς στεφάνου ζωῆς τοῖς ἀγαπῶσιν αὐτὸν ἔστιν, ἃ ἡτοίμασεν ὁ θεὸς τοῖς 4 ἀγαπῶσιν αὐτόν, ἃ διὰ μέγεθος θειότητος ὄψει καὶ ἀκοῇ οὐχ ὑπόκειται οὐδὲ ἐπὶ ψιλὴν νόησιν ἀνθρώπου ἀναβέβηκεν. (Cr 4, 27-32 Ma 184) 6 Ἀληθοῦς οὔσης τῆς τοῦ σωτῆρος θέσεως τῆς λεγούσης· “αἰτεῖτε καὶ δοθήσεται ὑμῖν”, ἣν καὶ πιστοῦται διὰ τοῦ φάναι· “πᾶς ὁ αἰτῶν λαμβάνει”, ζητήσειεν ἄν τις, πῶς τινες εὐχόμενοι οὐκ ἀκούονται. Πρὸς ὃ λεκτέον· ὁ ὁδῷ τῇ ἀκολούθῳ ἐπὶ τὸ αἰτεῖν ἐρχόμενος οὐδὲν παραλείψας τῶν συντελούντων πρὸς τὸ τυχεῖν τῶν σπουδαζομένων πάντως λήψεται, ὃ παρεκάλεσε δοθῆναι αὐτῷ· εἰ δέ τις ἔξω χωρήσας τοῦ σκόπου τῆς παραδοθείσης αἰτήσεως δόξει αἰτεῖν, οὐκ αἰτῶν ὃν δεῖ τρόπον οὐδὲ ὅλως αἰτεῖ· διὸ μὴ λαμβάνοντος αὐτοῦ οὐ ψευδοποιεῖται τό· “πᾶς ὁ αἰτῶν λαμβάνει”. Καὶ γὰρ διδασκάλου λέγοντος· πᾶς ὁ προσ 7 ιών μοι μαθημάτων ἕνεκα ἕξει αὐτῶν τὴν ἐπιστήμην, τὸ “προσιέναι τῷ διδασκάλῳ” γραμματικῶς ἐκλαμβάνομεν, τουτέστι μετὰ τοῦ συντόμως προσέχειν τοῖς παρὰ τοῦ διδασκάλου μετὰ τοῦ ἀσκεῖν καὶ μελετᾶν αὐτά· ὁ δὲ μὴ οὕτω, λεκτέον αὐτῷ· οὐ προσῆλθες αὐτῷ, ὡς προετρέψω. (Cr 25, 21-26, 1) Φανερώτερον ποιῶν ὁ γράφων τὴν ἐπιστολήν, τίνες δοκοῦντες αἰτεῖν οὐ λαμβάνουσι, τοὺς ἀντιρρήτους καὶ κακῶς αἰτουμένους ἡδονῶν ματαίων ἕνεκα προείληφεν. Ἀλλ' ἐρεῖ τις· καὶ μὴν ὑπὲρ γνώσεως θείας καὶ ἀναλήψεως ἀρετῶν αἰτούμενοί τινες οὐ λαμβάνουσι· λεκτέον δὲ καὶ αὐτοῖς, ὅτι οὐ κατ' αὐτὰ τὰ ἀγαθὰ λαβεῖν ἠξίωσαν, ἀλλ' ἕνεκα τοῦ ἐπαινεῖσθαι δι' αὐτά· ἔστι δὲ φιληδόνων καὶ τὸ χαίρειν ἐπαίνοις· ὅθεν καὶ τούτοις οὐ δίδοται, ἐπεὶ εἰς ἡδονὰς καταδαπανῆσαι θέλουσι τὰ περὶ ὧν ἀξιοῦσιν. (Cr 26, 1-9) 8 Ὠριγένους. Ἐπεὶ ἡ κακία προξενεῖ τὴν πρὸς τὸν κόσμον φιλίαν, ἀρετὴ δὲ τὴν πρὸς τὸν θεόν, ἀρετῇ καὶ κακίᾳ οὐ δύναται συνυπάρχειν. (Cr 26, 16-18) Παροιμίαι. Ὁ διὰ τοῦ ἁμαρτάνειν φιλῶν τὸν κόσμον ἐχθρὸς ἀποδείκνυται τοῦ θεοῦ· ὡσαύτως καὶ ὁ τὴν πρὸς θεὸν φιλίαν δι' εὐσεβείας βεβαιῶν εὐθέως ἐχθρὸς εὑρίσκεται τοῦ κόσμου· ὅθεν ἀδύνατόν ἐστιν ὥσπερ δουλεύειν θεῷ καὶ μαμμωνᾷ, οὕτω φιλιάζειν θεῷ καὶ κόσμῳ. Ἀμέλει γοῦν ἐλθὼν ὁ κύριος φίλους θεοῦ τοὺς πειθομένους αὐτῷ ποιῆσαι μάχαιραν καὶ διαμερισμὸν ἔβαλεν ἐπὶ τῆς γῆς· ὁ γὰρ λόγος τῆς διδασκαλίας αὐτοῦ διαιρεῖ καὶ μερίζει τῶν γηϊνῶν καὶ ὑλικῶν διὰ τούτου παρασκευάζων ἔχθραν ἔχειν πρὸς τὸν κόσμον καὶ ἕνωσιν πρὸς τὸν θεόν, ἥτις ἐστὶν ἡ 1 πρὸς αὐτὸν φιλία· διὸ καὶ εἰρήνην δίδωσιν οὐ καθὼς ὁ κόσμος ὀρέγει· ἐκεῖνος γὰρ δι' ἧς δίδωσιν εἰρήνης πρὸς τὰ ὑλικὰ ἐμπαθεῖς ποιεῖ· ὁ δὲ κύριος εἰρήνην παρέχων
About this text
A clear explanation of the Catholic Epistles showing how Christians are called to endure and grow in faith
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- Copy-text PG (Khazarzar) (Greek)
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