“For if we have been united with him in the likeness of his death, we shall certainly be also in the likeness of his resurrection” (Romans 6:5).

          1. What I said in the last sermon, I will say now also. The apostle Paul always resorts to speaking about moral conduct alongside the teaching of faith, while in most of his other epistles he divides the epistle into two parts, the first of which he devotes to matters of faith, and the second of which to deal with matters of morality. He does not do the same here, but mixes the two things together throughout the epistle, so that his speech may be more easily accepted. He speaks here of two kinds of death. The first happened through Christ in baptism, while the other must happen through us, through our struggle which comes after baptism. For the burial of our former sins was a work peculiar to the gift of God, but inasmuch as we remain after baptism dead to sin, it is a work peculiar to our struggle, though we see that God here also helps us in a very great way. For baptism not only accomplishes the removal of our former sins, but also secures us against sins which may happen in the future. Just as you profess faith in the efficacy of baptism to remove sins, so with regard to future sins, you must show a change of desire so that you will not defile yourself again (with the defilement of sin). So he advises these and similar things by saying, “If we have been united with him in the likeness of his death, we shall also be in the likeness of his resurrection.”

          Have you seen how he called the listener so that he might lead him directly to the Lord, trying to show the greatness of his likeness? That is why he did not say (united with him in his death) so that you would not object to that, but he said “in the likeness of his death,” because when we die with him in baptism, the one who dies is the sinful man, that is, evil. And he did not say “for even though we have become partakers with him in the likeness of his death,” but he said “united with him in the likeness of his death,” meaning by this word that plant that bore fruit and came from Christ to us. Just as his body, after it was buried in the earth, brought forth the fruits of salvation for humanity, so our body, after it was buried in baptism, received the fruits of righteousness, holiness, adoption, and other countless blessings, and it will receive the final gift, which is the resurrection. For we were buried in water, while he was buried in the earth, and we died as regards sin, but he died in the flesh, and therefore he did not say: “united with him in his death” but “in the likeness of his death.” For there are two deaths, the death of Christ and our death, but they are two different deaths.

          So if he said, “We have become united with him in the likeness of his death,” then in the resurrection “we will also become like his resurrection,” and here he means the coming resurrection. For he had previously spoken about death, saying, “Or do you not know, brothers, that all of us who were baptized into Jesus Christ were baptized into his death?” [1] He did not mention anything clearly about the resurrection, but he pointed to our way of life after baptism, urging us to make our behavior conform to the requirements of the new life. Therefore, here he mentions the same words, and informs us in advance about that coming resurrection. And so that you may know that he is not talking about the resurrection from baptism, but about the coming resurrection, we find that after he said: “For if we have become united with him in the likeness of his death,” he did not say we will become united in the likeness of his resurrection, but he said: “We will become also in his resurrection.” And so that we do not say, “How does this happen?” Since we did not die as he died, how will we rise as he rose? We say that when he referred to death, he did not say united in his death, but “in the likeness of his death.” However, when he referred to the resurrection, he did not yet say in the likeness of his resurrection, but he said we will become united in his resurrection itself. And he did not say we have become, but “we will become,” referring by this word also to the resurrection that has not yet happened, but that will happen later.

          2 - Then, after that, he wanted to make his speech trustworthy, so he showed how a resurrection had already occurred here in this life, before that future resurrection came, so that through this resurrection that occurred in the present life you would believe in the other resurrection. For after he said we will also be united by his resurrection, he added:

“Knowing this, that our old man was crucified with him, that the body of sin might be done away with” (Romans 6:6).

Here he points to the cause as well as the evidence of the coming resurrection. He did not say that our old man was crucified, but “was crucified with him,” and he brings baptism beside the cross. And that is why he said before: “We have become united with him in the likeness of his death.” “That the body of sin might be done away with.” He does not call this human body the body of sin, but the body of sin is every wicked and evil thing, for just as he calls all vices the old man, so he also calls wickedness the body of sin, which is composed of various kinds of evils.

          This is not just a simple thought, and I hope you will notice Paul himself explaining exactly the same thing in the following verses. For after saying, “that the body of sin might be done away with,” he adds, “that we should no longer be slaves of sin.” So he wants the body to become dead as to sin. He does not want the body to die and perish, but he wants it to not sin. Then he goes on to explain this more clearly, saying:

“For he who has died has been freed from sin” (Romans 6:7).

          This is what he says to every man, because just as the mortal is completely freed from the possibility of sinning as long as he is mortal, so also he who has been baptized, because he died once in baptism, must always remain dead to sin. If then you died in baptism, let you remain dead forever, for this is the truth, that every mortal can no longer sin. But if you sin, you will have despised the gift of God. And after asking us to act with this great degree of wisdom, he immediately explains the value of the reward, saying:

  “If we have died with Christ” (Romans 6:8).

          And if this in itself represents a great honor before receiving the reward, meaning that you have become a partner with the Lord, but He gives you another reward. And what is this reward? It is eternal life. Because He says, “We believe that we shall also live with Him.”

          How is this clear? It is clear from his saying:

  “Knowing that Christ, having been raised from the dead, will never die again” (Romans 6:9).

Notice the apostle Paul's attempt to prove this also through this paradox. Since it was natural for some to raise a fuss about the cross and death, he showed how precisely for this reason we should have the courage not to think that Christ is mortal. Rather, that he truly remains alive forever. For his death became death to death. And because he died, therefore he will not die (again).

  “For in the death in which he died he died to sin” (Romans 6:10).

What does it mean, “He died to sin”? It means that He did not deserve to die, but He died for our sins, in order to wipe out sin and cut off its nerve and all its power, so He died. You see how He made death terrible, since He could not die a second time, and since there is no second baptism, you must die to sin. So He says all this in order to counteract those who say, “Let us do evil that good may come,” and also those who say, “Shall we continue in sin that grace may abound?” So He mentions all this in order to root out such a thought.

“And the life that he lives, he lives for God.” That is, he speaks of imperishability, and that death will no longer reign. For if the first death passed him by without his having deserved it, since he passed it for the sins of others, much more so that he will not die now, since he has abolished death. This is what he says in the Epistle to the Hebrews: “For then it was necessary for him to have suffered often since the foundation of the world, but now he has appeared once at the end of the ages to put away sin by the sacrifice of himself. And as it is appointed for men to die once, but after this the judgment, so Christ also, having been offered once to bear the sins of many, will appear a second time without sin to those who are eagerly waiting for him for salvation.” [2] He has made clear the power of life that is according to God’s will, and at the same time he has shown the power of sin. The power of life is revealed in us according to God’s will because death will no longer have dominion over him, while we realize how powerful sin is that it has caused the one who is without sin to die (for the sins of mankind), so how can it not destroy those who are responsible for sins?

3 - Then after that - and because he spoke about life in Christ - and so that no one would say, “What does this have to do with us?” he added:

  “Likewise you also, reckon yourselves to be dead indeed to sin, but alive to God in Christ Jesus our Lord” (Romans 6:11).

          And it is well said, “Reckon,” because by means of descriptive language we cannot show the fact that we died, so he used this word, “reckon,” to emphasize an important fact, which is (that we have indeed died to sin). And what does he mean by the phrase “reckon”? It means that we are “dead to sin but alive to God in Christ Jesus our Lord.” And whoever lives in this way will be able to overcome sins, because Jesus himself is his helper. And this is the meaning of the phrase “in Christ.”

          If He raised them when they were dead, much more will He be able to keep them alive.

  “Therefore do not let sin reign in your mortal body, that you should obey its lusts” (Romans 6:12).

          He did not say, then, that the body should not live and should not work, but, “Let not sin reign in your body,” for He did not come to destroy the nature of the body, but to reform the will. After that, He showed that sin does not reign over us by force and compulsion, but by our own free will. He did not say, “Let not sin rule over you,” which shows that it is like a tyrannical force, but He said, “Let not sin reign.” For it would be absurd indeed for sin to reign over them as a queen, while they are being led toward the kingdom of heaven, and while they are called to reign with Christ, they would rather become captives of sin. Just as it would be absurd also for a man to throw off the king’s crown from his head, and want to become the slave of a woman possessed with a demon, who goes about as a beggar and wears torn clothes.

          Because the victory over sin seems to us a difficult thing, He shows it to be an easy thing, and praises the struggle that is made, saying: “in your mortal body.” Therefore He makes it clear that the troubles will be temporary and will soon be over. But He reminds us of the former evils and the roots that brought forth death, which if the body yielded to them would become a mortal body, because it was not mortal from the beginning of its creation. But it is also possible for you not to sin, even though you bear a body that is subject to death. Have you seen the abundance of Christ’s grace? What a strange paradox! For Adam, although he did not yet bear a mortal body, fell, while you, although you have taken a body that is subject to death, can be crowned. And how does sin reign? It reigns not through its power, but through your own indifference. Therefore, after saying: “Do not reign,” He explains the method of this reign, saying: “That you may obey it in its lusts (that is, the lusts of the flesh).” For it is not something that calls for dignity to be defeated by our own will before its lusts (i.e. the lusts of the body), but it is considered a worse slavery and a greater contempt, because when the body does everything it wants it has lost freedom, but when it is able to control its desires, then it essentially preserves its value and dignity.

  4 - “Do not present your members as instruments of unrighteousness to sin, but as instruments of righteousness to God” (Romans 6:13).

          Accordingly, the body is between the state of sin and righteousness, as is the case with machines (there are machines of sin and machines of righteousness), and the practice of either sin or righteousness depends on who uses the machines. As with the soldier who fights for his country, and the robber who arms himself to attack the citizens, both are armed with the same weapons. Crime, then, is not an act related to the type of weapon used, but is the responsibility of those who use these weapons to do evil. This can be said, of course, in the case of the body, where the act of sin or righteousness becomes dependent on the attitude of the soul, and this has nothing to do with its nature. For if the eye looks at beauty with an impure look, it becomes an instrument of sin, not according to its nature or its function, for the function of the eye is to look, but this look is not for evil; but if the eye looks with an impure look, it will be due to the evil thought that commanded it. But if you can control the eye, the body will become an instrument of righteousness. And this applies to the tongue, and to the hands, and to all the other members. And the apostle Paul well calls sin sin. Because when a person sins, he either sins himself or sins his neighbor, and it is better to say that he sins himself before his neighbor.

          So after advising them not to practice evil, he began to lead them to practice virtue, saying: “But present yourselves to God as those who are alive from the dead.” Notice how he urges them to live righteously with simple names. In the previous paragraph, he refers to sin, while here he refers to God. For after explaining the huge difference between those who reign (in the kingdom of God) and those who are slaves to sin, we find him not tolerating the believer who has forsaken God and wants to submit to the power of sin. And not only that, but he explains this matter in what will happen in the future, saying: “as those who are alive from the dead.” For with these words he shows how hideous sin is and how great is the gift of God. So consider who you are and what you have become. Who are you? You are dead, and this lost destiny cannot be repaired by anything, for no one, however powerful, can help you. And I wonder what you have become among those dead people of whom you are? You have become people who desire eternal life. And also, by whose help have you become (alive from the dead)? By the help of God Almighty. Accordingly, it is just that you should willingly submit to His commands, and this of course is fitting for people who have become alive after being dead.

          “Your members are instruments of righteousness.” Therefore, the body is not evil, since it can become an instrument of righteousness. But his saying that it is an instrument shows that there is a terrible war facing us. Therefore, in addition to the necessity of arming ourselves strongly, it requires a courageous will and a good knowledge of everything related to these wars, and of course, above all, we must know the leader. For this leader is always present and ready to help, no one can dominate him, and he always prepares for us powerful weapons. But later it requires a will to use these weapons properly, to obey the leader’s orders, and to take up arms for the salvation or protection of the country (i.e., the soul).

          5 - So after he told us about the great things, and reminded us about weapons, battle, and wars, notice how he also gives courage to the soldier and prepares his will, saying:

  “For sin will not have dominion over you, for you are not under law but under grace” (Romans 6:14).

If sin will no longer have dominion over us, why does He command or command us these many things, saying, “Let not sin reign in your mortal body,” and, “Do not present your members to sin as instruments of unrighteousness.” What does this mean? He is giving a speech here as if sowing a seed, as a prelude to what He will say later, and preparing for it greatly. And what is this speech? Before the coming of Christ it was easy for sin to have dominion over our flesh. Indeed, after death many sufferings were added to us. And for this very reason the way to righteousness was not easy or comfortable. For the Holy Spirit had not been given to help us, nor baptism, which would have mortified the flesh with its lusts. It ran like an untrained horse, and often committed trespasses, while the law was giving those things to do and those not to do, but it gave no more than verbal advice to those who were struggling.

But when Christ came, the struggle later became easier. That is why we face greater trials, because we have received greater help. That is why Christ, glory be to Him, said: “Unless your righteousness exceeds that of the scribes and Pharisees, you will never enter the kingdom of heaven.” [3] . And this he says very plainly in the following verses, while here he refers to it in brief words, showing how, unless we are very humble, sin will conquer us. For there is now no law which only exhorts to the practice of virtue, but grace which pardons past things, and secures future things. For the law promised crowns after the passing of labors, while grace first crowned, and then called to spiritual struggle. But it seems to me that he does not refer to all that pertains to the life of the believer, but makes a comparison between baptism and the law, which he says elsewhere, “The letter kills, but the Spirit gives life.” [4] Because the law condemns transgression, while grace removes transgression, just as the law condemns sin, grace forgives and delivers you from the power of sin. Accordingly, you are doubly free from the tyranny of sin in that you are freed from the subjection of the law, and you have enjoyed grace.

6 - After this talk that makes the listener feel comfortable and safe, he adds some advice by saying:

“What then shall we sin, since we are not under law but under grace? Certainly not!” (Romans 6:15).

          So first he uses the prohibitive method, because the speech referred to is exaggerated and completely unreasonable. But then he turns the conversation towards advice, and shows that passing through difficulties with satisfaction is a great thing, saying:

  “Do you not know that to whom you present yourselves slaves to obey, you are the slaves of the one you obey, whether of sin leading to death or of obedience leading to righteousness?” (Romans 6:16).

          It is not yet Hell, nor that great hell, but the shame that appears in this life, when you become slaves, slaves of your own free will, slaves of sin, and when your reward is death once more. If sin caused the death of the body before you received baptism and the wound required such a great deal of healing that the Master of all should descend from heaven and die, and evil should cease, then you cast yourself into baseness if you surrender to sin of your own free will after receiving this great gift of freedom. I wonder in astonishment: What has God not done for you?

          So do not run towards this great destruction, and do not willingly surrender yourself to sin. For it often happens in wars that soldiers surrender, but against their will, but here if you do not advance yourself towards the enemy’s camp (that is, the camp of Satan), no one will defeat you. And after telling them what they must do, he frightens them with the recompense and mentions the two things, righteousness and death. Not physical death, but a death more terrible than this death. For if Christ had not yet died, who could have abolished that death? There is no one. Accordingly, it was inevitable that we should suffer and be punished forever. For physical death for us had not yet occurred, where the body rests and separates from the soul. “For the last enemy that shall be destroyed is death.” [5] Accordingly, Hell will continue to exist, but not for believers but for the wicked, because believers will have the rewards and good things that come from righteousness.

  7 - “But thanks be to God that, although you were slaves of sin, you obeyed from the heart that form of teaching to which you were delivered” (Romans 6:17).

          And after having shamed them for their slavery to sin, and having frightened them with punishment and urged them to do good, he corrects their course again by reminding them of doing good. For by these works they prove that they have been delivered from many evils, but he also reminds them that this was not done by their struggle, and that the things of the age to come are more comfortable. Just as if someone had rescued a prisoner from the hand of a tyrant and advised him not to return to this tyrant, by reminding him of the terrible sufferings he had undergone, so the apostle Paul did. He reminds them of the sins they had committed before and thanks God for forgiveness. For no human power could have delivered us from all these sins, so we must thank God who wanted to save us and accomplished many things for us. And he said well, “You obeyed from the heart,” for he did not force you or compel you, but you turned away from sins of your own free will and desire. However, this speech represents praise for these people, and at the same time condemnation of them. It is as if he is saying to them: O you who have turned away from sins of your own free will and without any compulsion, what excuse and justification do you have if you return to the previous sins?

          Then after that, so that you may know that He is not expressing His gratitude only for them, but is giving credit to the grace of God that encompasses the whole universe, after saying, “You obeyed from the heart,” He said, “The form of instruction which you received,” because obedience from the heart certainly shows the freedom of their acceptance. And the fact that they received instruction means that God gave them this help (grace). And what is the form of instruction? That they live in a right way, with pleasing behavior.

  “And having been set free from sin, you have become slaves of righteousness” (Romans 6:18).

          Here he shows two gifts of God, freedom from sin, and slavery to righteousness, which is better than all (false worldly) freedom. For what God has done is like a person who has taken up with him an orphan child who has come from the land of the barbarians to his own country. He not only freed him from captivity, but became a caring father to him, and raised him to the greatest dignity. This is exactly what happened to us. For he not only freed us from former sins, but led us to the angelic life, and opened before us the way of good conduct, and after he had delivered us to safe righteousness, he removed former sins, and put to death our old man, and led us to eternal life.      

          8. Let us therefore hold fast to this life, for many who think they live this life and walk in it walk more miserably than the dead. For in truth there are different kinds of deaths. There is the death of the body, according to which Abraham was not dead, although he had died, for God is “not the God of the dead, but of the living.” [6] There is another death, which is the death of the soul, which Christ meant when he said: “Let the dead bury their dead.” [7] There is another death which should be praised, which comes through self-control, and about which Paul said: “Therefore put to death your members which are on the earth.” [8] There is another death which occurred because of sin, and this is what occurred in baptism because: “Our old man was crucified.” [9] That is, he died. And knowing all this, let us avoid that death, according to which, though we are alive, we pass through death, while we should not fear that physical death which includes all. Let us have a preference for the other two deaths, the one of which is blessed, that which is given by God, while the other is commendable, that which is accomplished through us and through the help of God, and let us strive toward them. For the one of them David blessed, saying: “Blessed is he whose transgression is forgiven, and whose sin is covered.” [10] While the other is praised by Saint Paul, who wrote to the Galatians, saying: “Those who belong to Christ have crucified the flesh with its passions and desires.” [11] .

          As for the other dead, Christ said that the one is not important: “Do not fear those who kill the body but cannot kill the soul,” while the other death is frightening: “But fear... him who is able to destroy both soul and body in hell.” [12] . And therefore, since we avoid that death (that is, the death of the soul), we must pass through that death which is blessed and admirable, until we come to the other two deaths, one of which we avoid (that is, the death of the soul), and the other of which we do not fear (that is, the death of the body). For there is no benefit to us, who live and see the sun and eat and drink, unless there are good works accompanying life. Tell me, what is the benefit when a king is clothed in purple, and has weapons, but has no guards under him and is not safe from those who wish to attack and insult him? So is the Christian; he will profit nothing if he has faith and the gift of baptism, but is not protected against lusts, because the insult will be greater and the shame greater. For just as a king who wears a crown and purple not only gains nothing by this attire in regard to the honor he receives, but abuses this attire if his conduct is shameful, so the believer who lives a corrupt life, not only will not be respected, because of this corrupt life, but will become the object of great ridicule. “For all who have sinned without the law will perish without the law, and all who have sinned under the law will be judged by the law.” [13] And when he wrote to the Hebrews, he said: “Whoever has broken the law of Moses must die without mercy on the witness of two or three witnesses. How much worse punishment do you think he will deserve who has trampled underfoot the Son of God?” [14] . And this is very natural, because all the lusts have been subjected to you by baptism. So what happened that you should dishonor this great gift, and become another man instead of being different (from what you were before)? Because God has put to death and buried your former sins as insects are buried. So why do you give birth to other sins? Knowing that sins are worse than insects, since insects destroy the body, while sins destroy the soul, and cause more putrefaction. But we do not feel this putrefaction, so we do not take care to purify our souls. For the drunkard does not know what spoiled wine is or what its foul smell is, but the conscious man knows these things precisely. This is what happens with sin. He who lives chastely knows precisely the putrefaction and stain of sin, while he who has given himself up to evil, like the drunkard, does not know that he is sick.

This, however, is the terrible thing about sin, that it leaves no room for those who fall into it to realize the extent of their destruction. While they are in the stench, they think they smell good. And for this very reason they cannot get rid of it, and while they are full of vermin, they boast as if they were adorned with precious stones. And for this reason they do not want to kill them, but they feed them and make them multiply within them, until they are with them in hell, for these vermin are the reason why there are vermin that do not die in hell, “where their worm does not die.” [15] These insects kindle a never-ending hell. So that this does not happen, let us be careful to destroy the source of evil, to extinguish the fire, and to uproot sin from its roots. For if you cut down the tree of evil from above, you have done nothing, as long as the root remains from below and will grow the same things again.

          9 - And I ask: What are the roots of sins? I answer: Learn from the good gardener, who knows these things well, who tends the spiritual vineyard and shepherds the whole world.

          Also, what is the root of all evil? I say: It is the love of money, because the Apostle Paul says: “The love of money is the root of all evil.” [16] . Hence come quarrels, enmities, and wars; hence come quarrels, foul language, suspicions, and insults; hence come murders, thefts, and grave-digging. Because of the love of money, not only cities and villages are filled with blood and murder, but also streets, inhabited and deserted lands, mountains, valleys, and hills in general. Nor has the sea escaped this evil; murder has reached it with a great obsession, for pirates surround it on every side, and invent new ways of robbery and theft. All ties of kinship have been overturned because of the love of money, and all the divine commandments concerning the law of love have been trampled underfoot.

          For the tyrannical power of money has armed these hands not only against the living, but against the dead as well. Even death does not make these people stop practicing their evils, but they open the graves, and extend their polluted hands to the bodies of the dead, without leaving even those who have passed away out of their mischief. And if you happen to see the perpetrators of sins, no matter how great, whether in the house, in the market, in the courts, in the parliaments, in the palaces, or in any other place, you will see that all these sins come from the love of money. For it is this sin that has drowned everyone in blood and murder, this sin that has kindled the flames of hell, and it is this sin that has made the cities not better than the desert (in terms of security), but worse. For it is easy to fortify ourselves against those who lie in wait for us in the desert, because they do not attack constantly, but those who imitate them inside the cities are worse than them, and it is difficult to fortify ourselves against them, because they begin to commit these things openly while those do them secretly. Because the laws that are supposed to be in place to curb their sin, they have made them their allies, filling the cities with murder and everything that causes pollution.

          Tell me, is it not murder and worse than murder when we deliver the poor man to hunger, and put him in prison, and in addition to the suffering of hunger deliver him to endless torments and iniquities? And even if you do not do these things yourself, but pay another to do them, you do these things most of all through your servants. For the murderer uses his sword at the same time as he commits his crime, and the torment of murder lasts only a short time. But you, by your slanders, insults, and attacks, turn light into darkness for him, and make him desire death a thousand times; think how many deaths you commit for one death. And most terrible of all, you rob and snatch, and you are greedy and greedy, not because poverty presses you, nor because hunger compels you to do so, but so that the saddle of the horse may be covered with much gold, and also the roof of the house and the heads of the pillars. How much more than hell do you deserve, when you throw a brother who has become your partner in heavenly blessings and who has been so highly honored by your Master, into these endless calamities, in order to adorn the floors and walls of your dwelling and also the bodies of horses who do not need this adornment because they do not feel it?

          How strange that the dog has become the object of so great interest of the rich, while man, or rather every one who is called by the name of Christ, is in a worse state than hunger because of the interest of the rich in the dog. Is there anything worse than this confusion and entanglement? Is there anything more dreadful than this transgression? How many rivers of fire would suffice for such a soul? How strange that man, who was created in the image of God, is left in such a miserable state, because of your cruelty, O rich man, while the mules that draw your wife's chariot shine with the abundance of gold and also with the money spent on decorating the chariot with precious metals, woods, and leather. And if it is necessary to make a throne or a footstool, you make them all of gold and silver, while one of the members of Christ, for whom he came from heaven and shed his precious blood, does not even have the necessary food for his life, because of your greed and gluttony. And of course, the bed in your palace is also covered with silver on every side, while the bodies of the saints are deprived of the necessary covering, and Christ (the poor) is worth less to you than what is given to the servants, the mules, the bed, the throne, and the footstool. As for the vessels that are more precious than these things, I pass over them, leaving you to estimate them.

          If you feel terrified when you hear these things, refrain from doing them, and nothing that has been said will happen to you. Keep away from this obsession, because to care about these things that we have mentioned is really complete madness. Therefore, after we have left these things, let us look up to heaven, even if it is late, to remember the day of judgment, to think of the fearful judgment and the certain responsibilities (which we bear as a result of our actions) and the just judgments of God. And although God sees these things, He has not sent a thunderbolt upon us from heaven, although what is happening deserves not only thunderbolts but other more terrible calamities, so let us think of all these things. And yet He has not done that, nor has He caused the sea to flood toward us, nor has the earth opened in the middle, nor has the sun been extinguished, nor has He thrown the planets and stars into the sky, nor has He destroyed everything, but He still leaves everything in order, and the whole universe is still at our service.

          10. So, as long as we think of these things, let us tremble before the greatness of His love for mankind, and let us return to our noble origin. For we certainly do not now behave better than the irrational animals, but in a much worse way. For these animals love other animals of their kind, and are happy to share in this animal nature, and what unites them is compassion, while you, although you have unlimited motives that lead you and push you towards others who are members of one body because of the sharing in the same nature, and among which is that you have been honored with reason, and that you share with Him in the practice of piety, and that you are a partner with Him in countless blessings, yet you have become more brutal than those animals, since you show great interest in worthless things, and dare to destroy the temples of God. [17] By leaving it a prey to hunger and nakedness, and many times causing it many evils. And I say to you, if you are doing all this because of your great love of glory, yet you should have cared for your brother more than you cared for the horse. Because the more you care for the human being who is more deserving of attention than the animal, the more a bright wreath will be woven for you because of your care and concern for him. But unfortunately, you are now falling into the abyss of contradictions and bringing upon yourself many accusations that you do not feel.

          For who sees your deeds and does not condemn you? And who among men will not accuse you of this extreme cruelty and hatred of men, when he sees that you insult the human race, and care for animals and household furnishings at the expense of men? Have you not heard the apostles who said that those who first received the Word sold houses and fields in order to feed the brethren? But alas, you plunder houses and fields, in order to adorn horses, wood, hides, walls, and floors. And it is certain that not only men but also women suffer from this obsession, alas, they assign men to such tiring and useless work and force them to spend on superfluous things, instead of taking care of necessary things. And if someone accuses them for taking care of these useless things, their defense will be present and full of severe condemnation, and we infer from their defense that they are afflicted with the same obsession, and that they push their men in this way.

          And I wonder what you say? Do you not fear and count the starving Christ among the horses and mules and the bed and the footstools? Or, rather, do you not count Him with these vanity things, and devote the greater part of your wealth to them, while you give to Christ the least part. Do you not know that you are indebted to Him, because all the things you possess are His? Yet you do not return the favor, and do not want to give Him a small reward. Here is an example that will make this clear to you. If you have rented a small house, you would be careful about the rent, but now that you enjoy all that is in the universe, which is His, and this great world as your dwelling place, would you not be responsible for paying a small rent? You are giving yourself and all your wealth over to vain glory. For in truth all these things depend on what we are now. For the horse cannot be made better in value or in ability, when these ornaments are put upon it, nor the man who sits upon it, but sometimes he becomes even more unworthy of honor. For many leave the rider, and turn their eyes to the ornaments of the horse, and to the servants who surround him, and who walk in a formal manner, while he who is surrounded by all these, they hate and turn away from him as their enemy. But this does not happen to you when you adorn yourself with virtue, but men and angels and the Lord of angels, all weave the crown for you.

          If you desire glory, flee from the things you are doing now, and do not care about decorating the house, and adorn the soul with virtue so that you may become radiant and famous. But what is happening now will certainly make you more worthless than anything, since you have a barren and fruitless soul, and care more about the beauty of the house than about people.

If you do not suffer from what I say, hear what one of the heathens did, and you will at least be ashamed for their philosophy. It is said that one of these, when he entered a house that was shining with gold carvings, and was lit up with the beauty of marble, columns, and carpeted floors, spat in the face of the owner of the house. When he was condemned for this act, he said that he was not allowed to spit anywhere else in the house, and so I had to insult his face. [18] Have you seen that he who cares about his outward appearance is laughed at and despised by those who have insight? This is quite natural. For if someone left his wife wearing torn clothes, and did not care about her outward appearance, and then took care of the maids and dressed them in dazzling dresses, you would not accept this matter, but would be angry and say that this is an extremely improper act.

          This then is what you should think about the soul. For when you adorn the walls and floors, the furniture, and all other things, and do not perform acts of mercy generously, and do not live a life of chastity, then all you do is a repetition of one thing, or rather, you commit terrible evils. For there is no difference between a maid and a housewife (as regards the body), but there is a great difference between the soul and the body. And since there is a great difference between the soul and the body, much more will there be a great difference between it and the house, the bed, and the footstool. What justification then can you say, when all these things are covered with silver, while the soul is left shabby, neglected, hungry, full of wounds, and devoured by many dogs (that is, many evils), and then you think that you gain glory by adorning all the things that surround you from without? This, however, is evidence of the worst state of mind. While you are the object of ridicule and mockery, and behave foolishly and are despised, and fall into the worst punishment, you still boast about all these things. Therefore, I hope, after thinking well about all this, that we will at least once, even if it is late, wake up and return to our minds, changing the adornment from external adornment to adornment of the soul. For in this way it will remain a constant adornment, and will make us equal to the angels, and we will become the cause of certain good things. And may we all obtain all these good things by the grace and love of men of our Lord Jesus Christ, to whom be glory with the Father and the Holy Spirit for ever and ever. Amen.

[1] Romans 6:3.

[2] Hebrews 9:26-28.

[3] Matthew 20:5.

[4] 2 Corinthians 6:3.

[5] 1 Corinthians 15:26.

[6] Matthew 22:32.

[7] Matthew 22:8.

[8] Colossians 5:3.

[9] Romans 6:6.

[10] Psalm 32:1.

[11] Galatians 5:24.

[12] Matthew 28:10.

[13] Romans 12:2.

[14] Hebrews 10:28-29.

[15] Mark 44:9.

[16] 1 Timothy 10:6.

[17] He means by it the bodies of humans that have become a dwelling place for God: “You are the temple of God, and the Spirit of God dwells in you” (1 Corinthians 3:16).

[18] This comic story is told by Aristippo, as Diogenes tells us when he writes about the philosopher's biography.