John Damascene — Commentary on Scripture

1 Chronicles 28:3

“Remember your leaders, those who spoke to you the Word of God; consider the outcome of their life and imitate their faith.” Emperors have not preached the word to you, but apostles and prophets, shepherds and teachers. When God gave commands to David concerning the house David intended to build for him, he said to him, “You may not build a house for my name, for you are a warrior and have shed blood.” “Pay all of them their dues,” the apostle Paul says, “taxes to whom taxes are due, revenue to whom revenue is due, respect to whom respect is due, honor to whom honor is due.” Political prosperity is the business of emperors; the condition of the church is the concern of shepherds and teachers. Any other method is piracy, brothers. Saul tore Samuel’s cloak, and what was the consequence? God tore the kingdom away from him and gave it to David the meek.

ON DIVINE IMAGES, SECOND APOLOGY 12

1 Peter 3:18-19

The soul when it was deified descended into Hades, in order that, just as the Sun of Righteousness [Malachi 4:2] rose for those upon the earth, so likewise He might bring light to those who sit under the earth in darkness and shadow of death [Isaiah 9:2]: in order that just as He brought the message of peace to those upon the earth, and of release to the prisoners, and of sight to the blind , and became to those who believed the Author of everlasting salvation and to those who did not believe a reproach of their unbelief [1 Peter 3:19], so He might become the same to those in Hades: That every knee should bow to Him, of things in heaven, and things in earth and things under the earth. [Philippians 2:10] And thus after He had freed those who had been bound for ages, straightway He rose again from the dead, showing us the way of resurrection.

An Exposition of the Orthodox Faith (Book III), Chapter 29

1 Peter 4:6

The soul when it was deified descended into Hades, in order that, just as the Sun of Righteousness [Malachi 4:2] rose for those upon the earth, so likewise He might bring light to those who sit under the earth in darkness and shadow of death [Isaiah 9:2]: in order that just as He brought the message of peace to those upon the earth, and of release to the prisoners, and of sight to the blind , and became to those who believed the Author of everlasting salvation and to those who did not believe a reproach of their unbelief [1 Peter 3:19], so He might become the same to those in Hades: That every knee should bow to Him, of things in heaven, and things in earth and things under the earth. [Philippians 2:10] And thus after He had freed those who had been bound for ages, straightway He rose again from the dead, showing us the way of resurrection.

An Exposition of the Orthodox Faith (Book III), Chapter 29

1 Samuel 15:27-28

Political prosperity is the business of emperors; the condition of the church is the concern of shepherds and teachers. Any other method is piracy, brothers. Saul tore Samuel’s cloak, and what was the consequence? God tore the kingdom away from him and gave it to David the meek.… We will obey you, O emperor, in those matters which pertain to our daily lives: payments, taxes, tributes; these are your due, and we will give them to you. But as far as the government of the church is concerned, we have our pastors, and they have preached the word to us; we have those who interpret the ordinances of the church.

ON DIVINE IMAGES 2.12

1 Thessalonians 4:16

Then after long seasons, Christ our God shall come to judge the world in awful glory, beyond words to tell. For fear of him the powers of heaven shall be shaken, and all the angel hosts shall stand beside him in dread. Then at the voice of the archangel, and at the trump of God, shall the dead arise and stand before his awful throne. Now the resurrection is the reuniting of soul and body. So that very body, which decays and perishes, shall arise incorruptible. And concerning this, take care not to be overwhelmed by unbelief, for it is not impossible for him, who at the beginning formed the body out of earth, when according to its maker’s judgment it had returned to earth whence it was taken, to raise the same again.

BARLAAM AND IOASAPH 8.64

1 Timothy 1:9

From the time when we were born again of water and the Spirit, we have become sons of God and members of his household. For this reason St. Paul calls the faithful “saints.” Therefore we do not grieve but rejoice over the death of the saints. We are not under the law but under grace, having been justified by faith and having seen the one true God. For the law is not laid down for the just, nor do we serve as children, held under the law, but we have reached the estate of mature manhood and are fed on solid food, not on that which leads to idolatry. The law was good, as a lamp shining in a dark place until the day dawns, and the morning star rose in our hearts. The living water of divine knowledge has driven away pagan seas, and now all may know God. The old creation has passed away, and all things are made new.

ON DIVINE IMAGES 1.21

1 Timothy 2:4

The third kind of absolute worship is thanksgiving for all the good things he has created for us. All things owe a debt of thanks to God and must offer him ceaseless worship, because all things have their existence from him, and in him all things hold together. He gives lavishly of his gifts to all, without being asked. He desires all men to be saved and to partake of his goodness. He is long-suffering with us sinners, for he makes his sun rise on the evil and on the good, and sends rain on the just and the unjust. He is the Son of God, yet he became one of us for our sake and made us participants of his divine nature, so that “we shall be like him,” as John the Theologian says in his catholic epistle.

ON DIVINE IMAGES 3.30

1 Timothy 6:15

He, the framer of all creation and maker of our race, became man for our sake, and coming from a holy Virgin’s womb, on earth conversed with men. For us ungrateful servants the master endured death, even the death of the cross, that the tyranny of sin might be destroyed, that the former condemnation might be abolished, that the gates of heaven might be open to us again. In this way he has exalted our nature, and set it on the throne of glory, and granted to them that love him an everlasting kingdom and joys beyond all that tongue can tell or ear can hear. He is the mighty and the only potentate, King of kings and Lord of lords, whose might is invincible and whose lordship is beyond comparison. He alone is holy and dwells in holiness, who with the Father and the Holy Spirit is glorified. Into this faith I have been baptized.

BARLAAM AND IOASAPH 24.211

2 Peter 3:16

The enemy of our souls has made some people turn away from the straight road and divided them by strange teachings and taught them to interpret certain sayings of the Scriptures falsely. But the truth is one, and it is that which was preached by the glorious apostles and inspired Fathers and which shines in the universal church.

BARLAAM AND IOASAPH 16.134

2 Thessalonians 2:4

For he will not come to us (Christians), but to the Jews- not for the sake of Christ and Christians, for which reason he is called Antichrist.

2 Thessalonians 2:11

One should know that the Antichrist must come. Antichrist, to be sure, is everyone who does not confess that the Son of God came in the flesh, is perfect God and became perfect man while at the same time he was God. In a peculiar and special sense, however, he who is to come at the consummation of the world is called Antichrist. So, it is first necessary for the gospel to have been preached to all the Gentiles, as the Lord said, and then God shall proceed to the conviction of the impious Jews.… “Because they refused to love the truth and so be saved. Therefore God sends upon them a strong delusion, to let them believe what is false, so that all may be condemned who did not believe the truth but had pleasure in unrighteousness.”

The Orthodox Faith 4.26

2 Timothy 1:1

He wrote to him while he was hindered and bound in Rome. And therefore he urged him for a second letter. He begins by praising the student, that he is a slave to Christ who dwells above.

2 Timothy 1:8

He said that if he suffers that he must not be ashamed.

2 Timothy 1:14

Before all things, keep that truth which is committed to your trust, the holy Word of faith by which you have been taught and instructed. And let no weeds of heresy grow up among you, but preserve the heavenly seed pure and sincere, that it may yield a great harvest to the master, when he comes to demand account of our lives. He shall reward us according to our deeds, when the righteous shall shine forth as the sun, but darkness and everlasting shame shall cover the sinners.

BARLAAM AND IOASAPH 36.335

2 Timothy 2:21

It is clear that this cleansing is done freely, for he says, “if any man shall cleanse himself,” the converse of which rejoins that, if he does not cleanse himself, he will be a vessel unto dishonor, of no use to the Lord and only fit to be broken.

The Orthodox Faith 4.19

2 Timothy 3:11

He refers to the things which he suffered at Thecla.

2 Timothy 3:12

As he remembered these things when he was younger, yet he was still well aware of it.

2 Timothy 3:16

To search the sacred Scripture is very good and most profitable for the soul. For, “like a tree which is planted near the running waters,” so does the soul watered by sacred Scripture also grow hearty and bear fruit in due season. This is the orthodox faith. It is adorned with its evergreen leaves, with actions pleasing to God.

The Orthodox Faith 4.17

2 Timothy 4:1

After giving comfort and encouragement for everyone, he brings up great things at the close of his writing. Now reasonably he brings up such great things, because he was destressed about what he was going to say to the disciple about his own death. So the Scriptures say, from which he said, that "From childhood you have known the Scriptures. (2 Tim 3:15)"

2 Timothy 4:2

That is to say, do not think its not time to preach, always let it be that time for you, not just in peace or in gladness, nor should you teach only in Church while you are being censored, but even if you are in prison laying in chains, do not cease preaching.