Praying also for us, that God would open unto us a door of utterance, to speak the mystery of Christ, for which I am also in bonds:
All Commentaries on Colossians 4:3 Go To Colossians 4
John Chrysostom
AD 407
That God may open to us a door for the word, to speak the mystery of Christ. He means an entrance, and boldness in speaking. Wonderful! The great athlete said not that I may be freed from my bonds, but being in bonds he exhorted others; and exhorted them for a great object, that himself might get boldness in speaking. Both the two are great, both the quality of the person, and of the thing. Wonderful! How great is the dignity! The mystery, he says, of Christ. He shows that nothing was more dearly desired by him than this, to speak. For which I am also in bonds; that I may make it manifest, as I ought to speak. Colossians 4:4 He means with much boldness of speech, and withholding nothing. His bonds display, not obscure him. With much boldness he means. Tell me, are you in bonds, and do you exhort others? Yea, my bonds give me the greater boldness; but I pray for God's furtherance, for I have heard the voice of Christ saying, When they deliver you up, be not anxious how or what you shall speak. Matthew 10:19 And see, how he has expressed himself in metaphor, that God may open to us a door for the word; (see, how unassuming he is; even in his bonds, how he expresses himself;) that is, that He would soften their hearts. Still he said not so; but, that He would give us boldness; out of lowlymindedness he thus spoke, and that which he had, he asks to receive.
He shows in this Epistle, why Christ came not in those times, in that he calls the former things shadow, but the body, says he, is of Christ. So that it was necessary they should be formed to habits under the shadow. At the same time also he exhibits the greatest proof of the love he bears to them; in order that you, he says, may hear, for that reason, 'I am in bonds.' Again he sets before us those bonds of his; which I so greatly love, which rouse up my heart, and always draw me into longing to see Paul bound, and in his bonds writing, and preaching, and baptizing, and catechizing. In his bonds he was referred to on behalf of the Churches everywhere; in his bonds he built up incalculably. Then was he rather at large. For hear him saying, So that most of the brethren being confident through my bonds are more abundantly bold to speak the word without fear. Philippians 1:14 And again he makes the same avowal of himself, saying, For when I am weak, then am I strong. 2 Corinthians 12:10 Wherefore he said also, But the word of God is not bound. 2 Timothy 2:9 He was bound with malefactors, with prisoners, with murderers; he, the teacher of the world, he that had ascended into the third heaven, that had heard the unspeakable words, was bound. 2 Corinthians 12:4 But then was his course the swifter. He that was bound, was now loosed; he that was unbound, was bound. For he indeed was doing what he would; while the other prevented him not, nor accomplished his own purpose.
What are you about, O senseless one? Do you think he is a fleshly runner? Does he strive in our race-course? His course of life is in heaven; him that runs in heaven, things on earth cannot bind nor hold. Do you see not this sun? Enclose his beams with fetters! stay him from his course! You can not. Then neither can you Paul! Yea, much less this one than that, for this enjoys more of Providence than that, seeing he bears to us light, not such as that is, but the true.
Where now are they who are unwilling to suffer anything for Christ? But why do I say suffer, seeing that they are unwilling even to give up their wealth? In time past Paul also used to bind, and cast into prison; but since he has become Christ's servant, he glories no more of doing, but of suffering. And this, moreover, is marvelous in the Preaching, when it is thus raised up and increased by the sufferers themselves, and not by the persecutors. Where has any seen such contests as this? He that suffers ill, conquers; he that does ill, is worsted. Brighter is this man than the other. Through bonds the Preaching entered. I am not ashamed Romans 1:16, yea, I glory even, he says, in preaching The Crucified. For consider, I pray: the whole world left those who were at large, and went over to those that are bound; turning away from the imprisoners, it honors those laden with chains; hating the crucifiers, it worships the Crucified.
Not the only marvel is it that the preachers were fishermen, that they were ignorant; but that there were also other hindrances, hindrances too by nature; still the increase was all the more abundant. Not only was their ignorance no hindrance; but even it itself caused the Preaching to be manifested. For hear Luke saying, And perceiving that they were unlearned and ignorant men, they marveled. Acts 4:13 Not only were bonds no hindrance, but even of itself this made them more confident. Not so bold were the disciples when Paul was at large, as when he was bound. For he says, they are more abundantly bold to speak the word of God without fear. Philippians 1:14 Where are they that will gainsay the divinity of the Preaching? Was not their ignorance enough to procure them to be condemned? Would it not then in this case too, affright them? For you know that by these two passions the many are possessed, vainglory and cowardice. Suppose their ignorance suffered them not to feel ashamed, still the dangers must have put them in fear.
But, says one, they wrought miracles. You do believe then that they wrought miracles. But did they not work miracles? This is a greater miracle than to work them, if men were drawn to them without miracles. Socrates too among the Greeks was put in bonds. What then? Did not his disciples straightway flee to Megara? Assuredly, why not? They admitted his arguments about immortality. But see here. Paul was put in bonds, and his disciples waxed the more confident, with reason, for they saw that the Preaching was not hindered. For, can you put the tongue in bonds? Hereby chiefly it runs. For as, except thou have bound the feet of a runner, you have not prevented him from running; so, except thou have bound the tongue of an evangelist, you have not hindered him from running. And as the former, if you have bound his loins, runs on the rather, and is supported, so too the latter preaches the rather, and with greater boldness.
A prisoner is in fear, when there is nothing beyond bonds: but one that despises death, how should he be bound? They did the same as if they had put in bonds the shadow of Paul, and had gagged its mouth. For it was a fighting with shadows; for he was both more tenderly regretted by his friends, and more reverenced by his enemies, as bearing the prize for courage in his bonds. And a crown binds the head; but it disgraces it not, yea rather, it makes it brilliant. Against their wills they crowned him with his chain. For, tell me, was it possible he could fear iron, who braved the adamantine gates of death? Come we, beloved, to emulate these bonds. As many of you women as deck yourselves with trinkets of gold, long ye for the bonds of Paul. Not so glitters the collar round your necks, as the grace of these iron bonds gleamed about his soul! If any longs for those, let him hate these. For what communion has softness with courage; tricking out of the body with philosophy? Those bonds Angels reverence, these they even make a mock of; those bonds are wont to draw up from earth to heaven; these bonds draw down to earth from heaven. For in truth these are bonds, not those; those are ornament, these are bonds; these, along with the body, afflict the soul also; those, along with the body, adorn as well the soul.
Would you be convinced that those are ornament? Tell me which would more have won the notice of the spectators? thou or Paul? And why do I say, thou? The queen herself who is all bedecked with gold would not have attracted the spectators so much; but if it had chanced that both Paul in his bonds and the queen had entered the Church at the same time, all would have removed their eyes from her to him; and with good reason. For to see a man of a nature greater than human, and having nought of man, but an angel upon earth, is more admirable than to see a woman decked with finery. For such indeed one may see both in theaters, and in pageants, and at baths, and many places; but whoso sees a man with bonds upon him, and deeming himself to have the greatest of ornaments, and not giving way under his bonds, does not behold a spectacle of earth, but one worthy of the heavens. The soul that is in that way attired looks about—who has seen? Who not seen?— is filled with pride, is possessed with anxious thoughts, is bound with countless other passions: but he that has these bonds on him, is without pride: his soul exults, is freed from every anxious care, is joyous, has its gaze on heaven, is clad with wings. If any one were to give me the choice of seeing Paul either stooping out of heaven, and uttering his voice, or out of the prison, I would choose the prison. For they of heaven visit him when he is in the prison. The bonds of Paul were the bond of the Preaching, that chain of his was its foundation. Long we for those bonds!
And how, some one says, may this be? If we break up and dash in pieces these. No good results to us from these bonds, but even harm. These will show us as prisoners There; but the bonds of Paul will loose those bonds; she that is bound with these here, with those deathless bonds shall she also be bound There, both hands and feet; she that has been bound with Paul's, shall have them in that day as it were an ornament about her. Free both yourself from your bonds, and the poor man from his hunger. Why do you rivet fast the chains of your sins? Some one says, How? When you wear gold while another is perishing, when thou, to get you vainglory, takest so much gold, while another hast not even what to eat, have you not wedged fast your sins? Put Christ about you, and not gold; where Mammon is, there Christ is not, where Christ is, there Mammon is not. Would you not put on the King of all Himself? If one had offered you the purple, and the diadem, would you not have taken them before all the gold in the world? I give you not the regal ornaments, but I offer you to put on the King Himself. And how can one put Christ on, does any say? Hear Paul saying, As many of you as were baptized into Christ, did put on Christ. Galatians 3:27 Hear the Apostolical precept, Make not provision for the flesh to fulfill the lusts thereof. Romans 13:14 Thus does one put on Christ, if one provide not for the flesh unto its lusts. If you have put on Christ, even the demons will fear you; but if gold, even men will laugh you to scorn: if you have put on Christ, men also will reverence you.
Would you appear fair and comely? Be content with the Creator's fashioning. Why do you overlay these bits of gold, as if about to put to rights God's creation? Would you appear comely? Clothe you in alms; clothe you in benevolence; clothe you in modesty, humbleness. These are all more precious than gold; these make even the beautiful yet more comely; these make even the ill formed to be well formed. For when any one looks upon a countenance with good will, he gives his judgment from love; but an evil woman, even though she be beautiful, none can call beautiful; for the mind being confounded pronounces not its sentence aright.
That Egyptian woman of old was adorned; Joseph too was adorned; which of them was the more beautiful? I say not when she was in the palace, and he in the prison. He was naked, but clothed in the garments of chastity; she was clothed, but more unseemly than if she had been naked; for she had not modesty. When you have excessively adorned you, O woman, then you have become more unseemly than a naked one; for you have stripped you of your fair adorning. Eve also was naked; but when she had clothed herself, then was she more unseemly, for when she was naked indeed, she was adorned with the glory of God; but when she had clothed herself with the garment of sin, then was she unseemly. And thou, when arraying yourself in the garment of studied finery, dost then appear more unseemly. For that costliness avails not to make any appear beautiful, but that it is possible even for one dressed out to be even more unseemly than if naked, tell me now; if you had ever put on the dresses of a piper or a flute-player, would it not have been unseemliness? And yet those dresses are of gold; but for this very reason it were unseemliness, because they are of gold. For the costliness suits well with people on the stage, tragedians, players, mimes, dancers, fighters with wild beasts; but to a woman that is a believer, there are given other robes from God, the Only-Begotten Son of God Himself. For, he says, as many as were baptized into Christ, did put on Christ. Galatians 3:27 Tell me, if one had given you kingly apparel, and you had taken a beggar's dress, and put this on above it, would you not, besides the unseemliness, have also been punished for it? You have put on the Lord of Heaven, and of the Angels, and are you still busied about earth?
I have spoken thus, because love of ornament is of itself a great evil, even were no other gendered by it, and it were possible to hold it without peril, (for it incites to vainglory and to pride,) but now many other evils are gendered by finery, evil suspicions, unseasonable expenses, evil speakings, occasions of rapacity. For why do you adorn yourself? Tell me. Is it that you may please your husband? Then do it at home. But here the reverse is the case. For if you would please your own husband, please not others; but if you please others, you will not be able to please your own. So that you should put away all your ornaments, when you go to the forum or proceedest to the church. Besides, please not your husband by those means which harlots use, but by those rather which wives that are free employ. For wherein, tell me, does a wife differ from a harlot? In that the one regards one thing only, namely, that by the beauty of her person she may attract to herself him whom she loves; while the other both rules the house, and shares in the children, and in all other things.
Have you a little daughter? Look to it lest she inherit the mischief, for they are wont to form their manners according to their nurture, and to imitate their mothers' behavior. Be a pattern to your daughter of modesty, deck yourself with that adorning, and see that thou despise the other; for that is in truth an ornament, the other a disfigurement. Enough has been said. Now God that made the world, and has given to us the ornament of the soul, adorn us, and clothe us with His own glory, that all shining brightly in good works, and living unto His glory, we may send up glory to the Father, and to the Son, and to the Holy Spirit, now and always, etc.
