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ACC ~ John 15 v18

PREPARE FOR PERSECUTION

CYPRIAN: How grave is the case of a Christian if, as a servant, he is unwilling to suffer when his master first suffered! How serious it is that we should be unwilling to suffer for our own sins, when he who had no sin of his own suffered for us! The Son of God suffered that he might make us sons [children] of God, and yet we who are human sons will not suffer so that we may continue to be sons of God! If we suffer from the world’s hatred, Christ first endured the world’s hatred. If we suffer reproaches in this world, if exile, if tortures, the maker and Lord of the world experienced harder things than these. And he also warns us, saying, “If the world hates you, remember that it hated me before you. If you were of the world, the world would love its own. But because you are not of the world, but I have chosen you out of the world, therefore the world hates you. Remember the word that I said to you, ‘The servant is not greater than his lord. If they have persecuted me, they will also persecute you.’” Whatever our Lord and God taught, he also did, so that the disciple might not be excused if he learns but then does not put into practice what he learned.

Let none of you, beloved, be so terrified by the fear of future persecution or the coming of the threatening antichrist that you are not found armed for all things by the preaching of the gospel and its commands—and by the heavenly warnings. Antichrist is coming, but above him Christ comes also. The enemy goes about and rages, but the Lord immediately follows to avenge our sufferings and our wounds. The adversary is enraged and threatens, but there is One who can deliver us from his hands. LETTER 55.6-7. [1]

[1] ANF 5:349**; Letter 58.6-7 in CCL 3C:328-29.

CYRIL OF ALEXANDRIA: The word that speaks to the pleasure of the listeners will flatter rather than benefit the world. But those who obey the words of the Savior will not conduct their ministry in this way. Such a minister will prefer rather to please the Savior, and if the minister incurs hatred from those who have chosen to treat virtue with the utmost hostility, it shall be considered spiritual wealth. COMMENTARY ON THE GOSPEL OF JOHN 10.2. [1]

[1] LF 48:413.

WORLD CONDEMNED PERSECUTES, WORLD RECONCILED SUFFERS

AUGUSTINE: But look here, the one that persecutes is called the world. Let us find out whether the one that suffers persecution is also called the world. Or are you completely deaf to the voice of Christ saying—or rather of holy Scripture testifying, “God was in Christ reconciling the world to himself” [1] ? “If the world hates you,” he said, “know that it first hated me.” There you are, the world hates. … Which world? “God was in Christ reconciling the world to himself.” The world condemned persecutes; the world reconciled suffers persecution. The world condemned includes whatever is outside and apart from the church; the world reconciled is the church. “For the Son of man,” he says, “did not come to judge the world, but that the world might be saved through him.” [2] SERMON 96.8. [3]

[1] 2 Cor 5:19.

[2] Jn 3:17.

[3] WSA 3 4:33; PL 38:588.

EVIDENCE OF GOODNESS

CHRYSOSTOM: As if Christ’s suffering were not consolation enough, he consoles them still further by telling them that the hatred of the world would be an evidence of their goodness. They ought rather to grieve … if they were loved by the world, as that would be evidence of their wickedness. HOMILIES ON THE GOSPEL OF JOHN 77.2. [1]

[1] NPNF 1 14:283**; PG 59:416.

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