Whose mouths must be stopped, who ruin whole households, teaching things which they ought not, for dishonest gain.
All Commentaries on Titus 1:11 Go To Titus 1
John Chrysostom
AD 407
Whose mouths must be stopped.
Do you see how he shows that they are such? From their not wishing to be ruled, but to rule. For he has glanced at this. When therefore you can not persuade them, do not give them charges, but stop their mouths, for the benefit of others. But of what advantage will this be, if they will not obey, or are unruly? Why then should he stop their mouths? In order that others may be benefited by it.
Who subvert whole houses, teaching things which they ought not for filthy lucre's sake.
For if he has undertaken the office of a Teacher, and is not able to combat these enemies, and to stop their mouths who are so shameless, he will become in each case the cause of their destination who perish. And if some one has thus advised, Seek not to be a judge, unless you can take away iniquity Sirach 7:6; much more may we say here, Seek not to be a Teacher, if you are unequal to the dignity of the office; but though dragged to it, decline it. Do you see that the love of power, the love of filthy lucre, is the cause of these evils? Teaching things which they ought not, he says, for filthy lucre's sake.
Moral . For there is nothing which is not spoiled by these passions. But as when violent winds, falling on a calm sea, turn it up from its foundation, and mingle the sand with the waves, so these passions assailing the soul turn all upside down, and dim the clearness of the mental sight, but especially does the mad desire of glory. For a contempt for money any one may easily attain, but to despise the honor that proceeds from the multitude, requires a great effort, a philosophic temper, a certain angelic soul that reaches to the very summit of heaven. For there is no passion so tyrannical, so universally prevalent, in a greater or less degree indeed, but still everywhere. How then shall we subdue it, if not wholly, yet in some little part? By looking up to heaven, by setting God before our eyes, by entertaining thoughts superior to earthly things. Imagine, when you desire glory, that you have already attained it, and mark the end, and you will find it to be nothing. Consider with what loss it is attended, of how many and how great blessings it will deprive you. For you will undergo the toils and danger, yet be deprived of the fruits and rewards of them. Consider that the majority are bad, and despise their opinion. In the case of each individual, consider what the man is, and you will see how ridiculous a thing is glory, that it is rather to be called shame.
And after this, lift up your thoughts to the theater above. When in doing any good you consider that it ought to be displayed to men, and you seek for some spectators of the action, and art in travail to be seen, reflect that God beholds you, and all that desire will be extinguished. Retire from the earth, and look to that theater that is in Heaven. If men should praise you, yet hereafter they will blame you, will envy you, will assail your character; or if they do not, yet their praise will not benefit you. It is not so with God. He delights in praising our virtuous deeds. Have you spoken well, and obtained applause? What have you gained? For if those who applauded you were benefited, changed in their minds, become better men, and had desisted from their evil deeds, then might thou indeed rejoice, not at the praises bestowed, but at the wonderful change for the better. But if they continue their praises, and loud plaudits, but gain no good by what they applaud, you ought rather to grieve: for these things turn to their judgment and condemnation. But you obtain glory for your piety. If you are truly pious, and conscious of no guilt, you should rejoice, not because thou are reputed pious, but because you are so. But if, without being so, you desire the good opinion of the multitude, consider that they will not be your judges at the last day, but He who knows perfectly the things that are hid. And if while conscious of guilt, you are supposed by all to be pure, instead of rejoicing, you should grieve and mourn bitterly, keeping constantly in view that Day, in which all things will be revealed, in which the hidden things of darkness will be brought to light.
Do you enjoy honor? Reject it, knowing that it renders you a debtor. Does no one honor you? You ought to rejoice at it. For God will not lay to your charge this, among other things, that you have enjoyed honor. Do you see not that God upbraids Israel with this among other things, by his prophet, I took of your sons for Prophets, and of your young men for sanctification? Amos 2:11, Septuagint You will therefore gain this advantage at least, that you will not aggravate your punishment. For he who is not honored in the present life, who is despised, and held in no consideration, but is insulted and scorned, gains this at least, if nothing else, that he has not to answer for being honored by his fellow-servants. And on many other accounts he gains by it. He is brought down and humbled, nor if he would, can he be high-minded, if he takes the more heed to himself. But he, who enjoys more honor, besides being responsible for great debts, is lifted up into arrogance and vainglory, and becomes the slave of men; and as this tyranny increases, he is compelled to do many things which he would not.
Knowing therefore that it is better to want glory, than to possess it, let us not seek for honors, but evade them when they are offered, let us cast them from us, let us extinguish that desire. This we have said at once to the rulers of the church, and to those under their rule. For a soul desirous of honor, and of being glorified, shall not see the kingdom of heaven. This is not my own saying. I speak not my own words, but those of the Spirit of God. He shall not see it, though he practice virtue. For he says, They have their reward. Matthew 6:5 He then, who has no reward to receive, how shall he see the kingdom of heaven? I forbid you not to desire glory, but I would wish it to be the true glory, that which proceeds from God. Whose praise, it is said, is not of men, but of God. Romans 2:29 Let us be pious in secret, not cumbered with parade, and show, and hypocrisy. Let us cast away the sheep's clothing, and rather let us become sheep. Nothing is more worthless than the glory of men. Should thou see a company of little children, mere sucklings, would you desire glory from them? Be thus affected towards all men with respect to glory.
It is for this reason called vainglory. Do you see the masks worn by stage-players? How beautiful and splendid they are, fashioned to the extreme height of elegance. Can you show me any such real countenance? By no means. What then? Did you ever fall in love with them? No. Wherefore? Because they are empty, imitating beauty, but not being really beautiful. Thus human glory is empty, and an imitation of glory: it is not true glory. That beauty only which is natural, which is within, is lasting: that which is put on externally often conceals deformity, conceals it from men until the evening. But when the theater breaks up, and the masks are taken off, each appears what he really is.
Let us therefore pursue truth, and not be as if we were on the stage and acting a part. For of what advantage is it, tell me, to be gazed at by a multitude? It is vainglory, and nothing else. For return to your house, and solitude, and immediately all is gone. You have gone to the market-place, you have turned upon you the eyes of all present. What have you gained? Nothing. It vanished, and passed away like dissolving smoke. Do we then love things thus unsubstantial? How unreasonable is this! What madness! To one thing only let us look, to the never seek the praise of men; but if it falls to us, we shall despise, deride, and reject it. We shall be affected as those who desire gold, but receive clay. Let not any one praise you, for it profits nothing; and if he blame you, it harms you not. But with God praise and blame are attended with real gain and loss, while all is vain that proceeds from men. And herein we are made like God, that He needs not glory from men. I receive not, said Christ, honor from men. John 5:41 Is this then a light thing, tell me? When you are unwilling to despise glory, say, By despising it, I shall resemble God, and immediately you will despise it. But it is impossible that the slave of glory should not be a slave to all, more servile than slaves in reality. For we do not impose upon our slaves such tasks, as glory exacts from her captives. Base and shameful are the things she makes them say, and do, and suffer, and when she sees them obedient, she is the more urgent in her commands.
Let us fly then, I entreat you, let us fly from this slavery. But how shall we be able? If we think seriously of what is in this world, if we observe that things present are a dream, a shadow, and nothing better; we shall easily overcome this desire, and neither in little nor in great things shall be led captive by it. But if in little things we do not despise it, we shall easily be overcome by it in the most important. Let us therefore remove far from us the sources of it, and these are, folly, and meanness of mind, so that, if we assume a lofty spirit, we shall be able to look beyond honor from the multitude, and to extend our views to heaven, and obtain the good things there. Of which God grant that we may all be partakers, by the grace and lovingkindness of our Lord Jesus Christ, with whom, etc.
