{"slug":"khazarzar-john-chrysostom-in-ascensionem-sermo-2","id":"greek:khazarzar:khazarzar-john-chrysostom-in-ascensionem-sermo-2","title":"In ascensionem Sermo 2","title_source":"In ascensionem Sermo 2","author":"John Chrysostom","genre":"homily","date":"","tradition":"greek","coverage":"not-located","coverage_claim":{"status":"not-located","text":"No English translation could be identified: a language model asked twice could not name one, though it could not rule one out either. That is not proof that none exists — translations in dissertations, recent books and other modern languages are easily missed."},"publication":{"status":"machine-draft","reviewed_by":null,"model":"deepseek/deepseek-v4-flash:floor","provider":"Relace","generated":"2026-11-15T06:46:16Z","cost_usd":0.004741},"source":{"registry_id":"greek:khazarzar:khazarzar-john-chrysostom-in-ascensionem-sermo-2","work_id":"khazarzar-john-chrysostom-in-ascensionem-sermo-2","edition":"khazarzar","language":"","license":"Migne PG text (public domain); khazarzar host and the digitising project state no licence for this layer","url":"http://khazarzar.skeptik.net/pgm/PG_Migne/John%20Chrysostom_PG%2047-64/In%20ascensionem%20Sermo%202.pdf"},"stats":{"passages":8,"english_words":2025,"coptic_letters":0,"source_letters":8559,"commentary_units":48,"commentary_kinds":8,"derived_notes":0,"ambiguities":11,"work_notes":5,"external_links":0,"timeline":5},"summary":{"work":"khazarzar-john-chrysostom-in-ascensionem-sermo-2","abstract":"This homily, traditionally attributed to John Chrysostom (c. 347–407), is the second of two sermons for the feast of the Ascension. It survives in Greek manuscripts within the Chrysostom corpus, but its authenticity is disputed and it is not included in all major collections. The text was used in Byzantine liturgical contexts for Ascension, though its theological influence is limited. The edition on khazarzar lacks critical apparatus, and the manuscript basis is unspecified. The homily employs rhetorical devices typical of Chrysostom, such as anaphora, and develops the theme of Christ’s enthronement at the right hand of God, reflecting anti-Arian concerns. It likely originated in Antioch or Constantinople in the late 4th century.","historical_context":"The homily is assigned to the feast of the Ascension, which by the late 4th century was celebrated in major Christian centers such as Antioch and Constantinople. John Chrysostom served as a presbyter in Antioch (386–397) and later as bishop of Constantinople (398–404), and his homilies often addressed the liturgical calendar. The text’s emphasis on Christ’s enthronement (τὸν θρόνον τὸν πατρικόν) reflects contemporary anti-Arian polemic, asserting the full divinity of Christ. The homily survives in Greek manuscripts of Chrysostom’s works, but its authenticity has been questioned; it is absent from some critical editions. Its transmission is tied to Byzantine liturgical collections, where it was used for Ascension, but its manuscript tradition is not fully documented. The khazarzar edition provides no critical apparatus, so the Greek text should be verified against standard editions.","significance":"This homily illustrates the early Christian interpretation of the Ascension as Christ’s enthronement, a theme with anti-Arian implications. It also showcases Chrysostom’s rhetorical style, including anaphora and engagement with the congregation. Though of disputed authorship, it contributes to understanding the development of Ascension liturgy and theology in the late 4th century.","timeline":[{"date":"c. 347–407","event":"Life of John Chrysostom, to whom the homily is traditionally attributed."},{"date":"Late 4th c.","event":"Probable date of composition, likely in Antioch or Constantinople."},{"date":"5th–6th c.","event":"Transmission of the homily in Greek manuscripts of Chrysostom’s works."},{"date":"Byzantine period","event":"Use of the homily in Byzantine liturgical contexts for the feast of the Ascension."},{"date":"Modern era","event":"Publication on khazarzar without critical apparatus; authenticity remains disputed."}],"relations":[{"work":"In ascensionem Sermo 1 (John Chrysostom)","relation":"Second of two homilies on the Ascension by the same author.","key":"","label":null,"url":null},{"work":"Homilies on the Ascension (various authors)","relation":"Part of the broader homiletic tradition for the feast.","key":"","label":null,"url":null},{"work":"Psalm 105:2 LXX","relation":"Free adaptation used as a prophetic saying to introduce the feast.","key":"","label":null,"url":null},{"work":"Psalm 127:3 LXX","relation":"Possible allusion to the prophet blessing those with seed from Zion.","key":"","label":null,"url":null},{"work":"Genesis 3","relation":"Allusion to the fall from paradise.","key":"","label":null,"url":null}],"external_links":[],"cautions":["The attribution to John Chrysostom is traditional but disputed; the homily is not included in all major collections of his works.","The precise date and place of delivery are not securely established; a late 4th-century origin in Antioch or Constantinople is plausible but uncertain.","The edition on khazarzar lacks critical apparatus; the manuscript basis is unspecified, and the Greek text should be verified against a standard critical edition.","The homily’s influence on later theology is limited compared to Chrysostom’s more widely circulated works."],"model":"deepseek/deepseek-v4-flash:floor","provider":"Relace","cost_usd":0.000487,"generated":"2026-11-15T06:46:16Z"},"links":[{"kind":"source","label":"Patrologia Graeca text (khazarzar mirror)","url":"http://khazarzar.skeptik.net/pgm/PG_Migne/John%20Chrysostom_PG%2047-64/In%20ascensionem%20Sermo%202.pdf"}],"checks":{"work":"khazarzar-john-chrysostom-in-ascensionem-sermo-2","status":"pass","blocking":[],"warnings":[],"stats":{"passages":8,"translated":8,"commentary_passages":8,"commentary_units":48,"english_words":2025,"source_letters":8558,"commentary_kinds":8},"model":"deepseek/deepseek-v4-flash:floor"},"work_notes":[{"unit":"dating","kind":"chronology","basis":"external","lemma":"","severity":"info","text":"This homily is traditionally attributed to John Chrysostom (c. 347–407) and assigned to the feast of the Ascension, but its precise date and place of delivery are not securely established.","cites":[],"named_sources":[],"dropped_cites":[]},{"unit":"transmission","kind":"transmission","basis":"background","lemma":"","severity":"info","text":"The text survives in Greek manuscripts of Chrysostom's homilies, but its authenticity has been questioned; it is not included in all major collections of his works.","cites":[],"named_sources":[],"dropped_cites":[]},{"unit":"reception","kind":"reception","basis":"external","lemma":"","severity":"info","text":"This homily was used in Byzantine liturgical contexts for the feast of the Ascension, though its influence on later theology is limited compared to Chrysostom's more widely circulated homilies.","cites":[],"named_sources":[],"dropped_cites":[]},{"unit":"caution","kind":"caution","basis":"text","lemma":"","severity":"caution","text":"The edition on khazarzar may lack critical apparatus; readers should verify the Greek text against a standard critical edition for variant readings.","cites":[],"named_sources":[],"dropped_cites":[]},{"unit":"sense","kind":"sense","basis":"background","lemma":"","severity":"info","text":"This annotation does not provide a full textual history or stemma; the manuscript basis for the khazarzar edition is not specified here.","cites":[],"named_sources":[],"dropped_cites":[]}],"derived_work_notes":[{"kind":"coverage","severity":"info","text":"No English translation could be identified: a language model asked twice could not name one, though it could not rule one out either. That is not proof that none exists — translations in dissertations, recent books and other modern languages are easily missed."},{"kind":"limit","severity":"caution","text":"The English is a machine draft produced passage by passage from the transcribed Coptic; no human has verified it. The commentary is model-written and cites only keys the pipeline could resolve."},{"kind":"register","severity":"info","text":"Register: homily in ancient Greek; the English keeps the liturgical formulae and the vocatives rather than normalising them."},{"kind":"structure","severity":"info","text":"Passages: 8 narrative."},{"kind":"source","severity":"info","text":"Source edition: khazarzar — Migne PG text (public domain); khazarzar host and the digitising project state no licence for this layer"}],"derived_structure":{"narrative":8},"term_index":[],"citations":{},"segments":[{"i":1,"ref":"p1","source":"ΕΙΣ ΤΗΝ ΑΝΑΛΗΨΙΝ Τοῦ Κυρίου ἡμῶν Ἰησοῦ Χριστοῦ. Λόγος βʹ. Εὐλογητὸς ὁ Θεός. Εὔκαιρον σήμερον ἅπαντας ἡμᾶς ἀναβοῆσαι τὸ προφητικὸν ἐκεῖνο λόγιον, καὶ κοινῇ τὸν ἁπάντων ἡμῶν Δεσπότην ἀνυμνῆσαι, καὶ λέγειν· Τίς λαλήσει τὰς δυναστείας τοῦ Κυρίου, ἀκουστὰς ποιήσει πάσας τὰς αἰνέσεις αὐτοῦ; Σήμερον γὰρ ἡ ἀπαρχὴ ἡμετέρα εἰς οὐρανὸν ἀνελήλυθεν, καὶ ὁ τὴν ἐξ ἡμῶν σάρκα ἀναλαβὼν, τὸν θρόνον κατείληφε τὸν πατρικὸν, ἵνα καταλλαγὴν πρὸς τοὺς δούλους ἐργάζηται, καὶ τὴν παλαιὰν ἔχθραν ἀνέλῃ, καὶ τὴν εἰρήνην τῶν ἄνω δυνάμεων τοῖς ἐπιγείοις ἀνθρώποις χαρίζηται. Κοινὰ γὰρ ἡμῶν σήμερον κατὰ τοῦ διαβόλου τὰ νικητήρια, κοινὰ τὰ βραβεῖα, κοινὰ τὰ ἔπαθλα, κοινοὶ καὶ οἱ στέφανοι, κοινὴ καὶ ἡ δόξα. Διὸ σκιρτήσωμεν ἅπαντες ὁρῶντες ἡμῶν τὴν ἀπαρχὴν ἄνω καθημένην, καὶ τὴν ἡμετέραν φύσιν τὸν ἐκ δεξιῶν τοῦ Θεοῦ καταλαμβάνουσαν θρόνον. Εἰ γὰρ ὁ θαυμάσιος προφήτης μακαρίζει τοὺς ἔχοντας σπέρμα ἐκ Σιὼν, καὶ οἰκείους ἐν Ἱερουσαλὴμ, πολλῷ μᾶλλον ἡμᾶς χαίρειν δεῖ, καὶ ἀγάλλεσθαι ὁρῶντας τὴν ἡμετέραν ἀπαρχὴν εἰς αὐτὴν τοῦ οὐρανοῦ τὴν κορυφὴν ἀνελθοῦσαν, καὶ τὸν θρόνον ἐπειλημμένην τὸν βασιλικόν.","english":"On the Ascension of Our Lord Jesus Christ. Second Sermon. Blessed is God. It is timely today for all of us to cry out that prophetic saying, and to hymn together the Master of us all, and to say: Who will speak of the mighty deeds of the Lord, who will make all his praises heard? For today our firstfruits have ascended into heaven, and he who took up flesh from us has occupied the paternal throne, in order to effect reconciliation with his servants, and to remove the ancient enmity, and to bestow the peace of the higher powers upon earthly men. For today our victory celebrations against the devil are common, the prizes are common, the rewards are common, the crowns are common, and the glory is common. Therefore let us all leap for joy, seeing our firstfruits seated above, and our nature occupying the throne at the right hand of God. For if the wonderful prophet counts as blessed those who have offspring from Zion and relatives in Jerusalem, much more must we rejoice and exult, seeing our firstfruits having ascended to the very summit of heaven and having taken hold of the royal throne.","structure":"narrative","commentary":[{"unit":"scripture","kind":"scripture","basis":"text","lemma":"Τίς λαλήσει τὰς δυναστείας τοῦ Κυρίου, ἀκουστὰς ποιήσει πάσας τὰς αἰνέσεις αὐτοῦ","severity":"info","text":"A free adaptation of Psalm 105:2 LXX (τίς λαλήσει τὰς δυναστείας τοῦ κυρίου, ἀκουστὰς ποιήσει πάσας τὰς αἰνέσεις αὐτοῦ). Chrysostom cites it as a prophetic saying to introduce the feast.","cites":[],"named_sources":[],"dropped_cites":[]},{"unit":"term","kind":"term","basis":"glossary","lemma":"ἀπαρχὴ","severity":"info","text":"Firstfruits (ἀπαρχή) here denotes Christ as the first of humanity to ascend, representing the whole human nature. The term is common in patristic typology for Christ as the firstfruits of the resurrection.","cites":[],"named_sources":[],"dropped_cites":[]},{"unit":"background","kind":"background","basis":"background","lemma":"τὸν θρόνον κατείληφε τὸν πατρικὸν","severity":"info","text":"The image of Christ occupying the paternal throne (τὸν θρόνον τὸν πατρικόν) reflects the early Christian understanding of the Ascension as Christ’s enthronement at the right hand of God, a theme developed in anti-Arian polemic.","cites":[],"named_sources":[],"dropped_cites":[]},{"unit":"structure","kind":"structure","basis":"text","lemma":"Κοινὰ γὰρ ἡμῶν σήμερον κατὰ τοῦ διαβόλου τὰ νικητήρια","severity":"info","text":"A rhetorical anaphora of κοινά (common) emphasizes the communal participation in Christ’s victory over the devil, a typical Chrysostom device to engage the congregation in the feast’s joy.","cites":[],"named_sources":[],"dropped_cites":[]},{"unit":"parallel","kind":"parallel","basis":"text","lemma":"Εἰ γὰρ ὁ θαυμάσιος προφήτης μακαρίζει τοὺς ἔχοντας σπέρμα ἐκ Σιὼν","severity":"info","text":"The reference to the prophet blessing those with seed from Zion likely alludes to Psalm 127:3 LXX (ἀπὸ Σιὼν ἐξῆλθεν νόμος), but the exact verse is uncertain; Chrysostom uses it as a lesser comparison to the Ascension.","cites":[],"named_sources":[],"dropped_cites":[]},{"unit":"reception","kind":"reception","basis":"background","lemma":"Εἰς τὴν ἀνάληψιν Τοῦ Κυρίου ἡμῶν Ἰησοῦ Χριστοῦ. Λόγος βʹ","severity":"info","text":"This homily is the second of two on the Ascension by Chrysostom, preserved in the Greek homiletic tradition. It was likely delivered in Antioch or Constantinople, reflecting the festal liturgy of the late 4th century.","cites":[],"named_sources":[],"dropped_cites":[]}],"ambiguities":["The identity of the 'wonderful prophet' (ὁ θαυμάσιος προφήτης) is not specified; it may refer to Isaiah or a psalmist, but the exact scriptural source is unclear."],"confidence":"high","notes":[]},{"i":2,"ref":"p2","source":"Ἐννόει γὰρ, ἀγαπητὲ, ὅση τοῦ Θεοῦ ἡμῶν ἡ ἀγαθότης καὶ ἀπόῤῥητος οἰκονομία γέγονε περὶ τὸ γένος τὸ ἡμέτερον, τοῦ παραδείσου ἐκπεπτωκὸς διὰ τὴν ἀπάτην τοῦ διαβόλου, καὶ τοσαύτῃ ἀρᾷ καταδικασθὲν ἀθρόον εἰς ὅσον ὕψος ἀνήγαγεν, καὶ πῶς ἡμεῖς οἱ τῆς γῆς ἀνάξιοι φανέντες, τήμερον εἰς τὸν οὐρανὸν ἀνήχθημεν, καὶ ἡμετέρα φύσις ἡ καὶ τοῦ παραδείσου ἀναξία τὸ πρότερον νομισθεῖσα. Αὕτη γὰρ τοῦ οὐρανοῦ τὴν προεδρίαν ἀνείληφε, καὶ ἡ τῶν δαιμόνων γενομένη παίγνιον, σήμερον ὑπὸ ἀγγέλων καὶ τῶν ἄνω δυνάμεων προσκυνεῖται. Ὢ μακαρίου φθόνου! ὢ καλῆς ἐπιβουλῆς! ὢ φθόνε καλῶν, πρόξενε μυρίων ἡμῖν ἀγαθῶν, θεσμὸν ἀπέτεκες ἀθανασίας. Φθονήσας γὰρ τῇ φύσει τῇ ἡμετέρᾳ ὁ πονηρὸς ἐκεῖνος δαίμων ἐπὶ γῆς τὴν διαγωγὴν ἐχούσῃ, νῦν ὁρᾷ ἐν οὐρανῷ προσκυνουμένην· καὶ παρακλέψας, ὡς ᾤετο, μεγάλα καὶ ἀνείκαστα, νῦν μειζόνων καὶ λαμπροτέρων ἡμᾶς ἀπολαύοντας ὁρᾷ. Διὸ δὴ σκιρτῶ καὶ ἀγάλλομαι σήμερον, καὶ ὑμᾶς συνεφάψασθαί μοι τῆς χορείας παρακαλῶ. Οἱ γὰρ μήτε τῆς κάτω ἀρχῆς ὄντες ἄξιοι, πρὸς τὴν βασιλείαν ἀνέβημεν τὴν ἀνωτάτω, ὑπερέβημεν τοὺς οὐρανοὺς, ἐπελαβόμεθα τοῦ θρόνου τοῦ βασιλικοῦ, καὶ ἡ φύσις, δι' ἣν ἐφύλασσε τὸν παράδεισον τὰ Χερουβὶμ, ἐποχεῖται προσκυνουμένη. Ἐκπλάγηθι τοίνυν, ἀγαπητὲ, τοῦ Δεσπότου σου τὸ εὐμήχανον, καὶ δόξασον τὸν τοσαῦτά σοι χαρισάμενον. Ὑπερέβη γὰρ ἡ φιλοτιμία τῆς δωρεᾶς τῆς ζημίας τὸ μέγεθος. Ὅρα γὰρ, παραδείσου ἦμεν ἐκπεσόντες, καὶ εἰς αὐτὸν τὸν οὐρανὸν ἀνήχθημεν· θανάτῳ κατεδικάσθημεν, καὶ ἡ ἀθανασία ἡμῖν δεδώρηται·","english":"Consider, beloved, how great is the goodness of our God and the ineffable economy that has taken place concerning our race, which had fallen from paradise through the deceit of the devil and had been condemned to so great a curse all at once, and to what height he has raised it. And how we, who proved unworthy of the earth, have today been raised to heaven, and our nature, which was formerly deemed unworthy even of paradise. For this nature has assumed the presidency of heaven, and that which was once the plaything of demons is today worshipped by angels and the powers above. O blessed envy! O fair conspiracy! O envy of good things, procurer of countless blessings for us, you have given birth to a covenant of immortality. For that wicked demon, having envied our nature when it had its abode on earth, now sees it worshipped in heaven; and having stolen, as he thought, great and incomparable things, he now sees us enjoying greater and more splendid ones. Therefore I leap and rejoice today, and I invite you to join me in the dance. For we, who were not worthy even of earthly rule, have ascended to the highest kingdom, have surpassed the heavens, have laid hold of the royal throne, and the nature, on account of which the Cherubim guarded paradise, is now borne aloft, worshipped. Be amazed, then, beloved, at the resourcefulness of your Master, and glorify him who has granted you such great things. For the generosity of the gift has surpassed the magnitude of the loss. For see: we had fallen from paradise, and we have been raised to heaven itself; we were condemned to death, and immortality has been granted to us.","structure":"narrative","commentary":[{"unit":"term","kind":"term","basis":"glossary","lemma":"οἰκονομία","severity":"info","text":"The term 'οἰκονομία' (economy) here denotes the divine plan of salvation, a key concept in Chrysostom's theology of redemption.","cites":[],"named_sources":[],"dropped_cites":[]},{"unit":"scripture","kind":"scripture","basis":"text","lemma":"παραδείσου ἐκπεπτωκὸς","severity":"info","text":"The fall from paradise alludes to Genesis 3, the expulsion of Adam and Eve after the serpent's deceit.","cites":[],"named_sources":[],"dropped_cites":[]},{"unit":"background","kind":"background","basis":"external","lemma":"προεδρίαν","severity":"info","text":"The 'presidency of heaven' (προεδρίαν) reflects the honorific seating in early Christian liturgy, transferred to cosmic rank.","cites":[],"named_sources":[],"dropped_cites":[]},{"unit":"structure","kind":"structure","basis":"text","lemma":"Ὢ μακαρίου φθόνου","severity":"info","text":"The exclamation 'O blessed envy' marks a rhetorical inversion, a common device in Chrysostom to highlight paradox.","cites":[],"named_sources":[],"dropped_cites":[]},{"unit":"reception","kind":"reception","basis":"external","lemma":"χορείας","severity":"info","text":"The invitation to 'join in the dance' (χορείας) echoes the festal joy of Ascension in Byzantine hymnography.","cites":[],"named_sources":[],"dropped_cites":[]},{"unit":"parallel","kind":"parallel","basis":"text","lemma":"θανάτῳ κατεδικάσθημεν","severity":"info","text":"The contrast between condemnation to death and gift of immortality parallels Romans 5:12-21 on Christ's reversal of Adam's fall.","cites":[],"named_sources":[],"dropped_cites":[]}],"ambiguities":["The phrase 'ἀπόῤῥητος οἰκονομία' could be read as either 'ineffable economy' or 'secret plan'; the translation takes the former, emphasizing divine mystery."],"confidence":"high","notes":[]},{"i":3,"ref":"p3","source":"προσκεκρουκότες ἦμεν καὶ ἀπεῤῥιμμένοι, καὶ υἱοὺς ἡμᾶς καλέσαι κατηξίωσεν, καὶ οὐχ υἱοὺς μόνον, ἀλλὰ καὶ κληρονόμους, καὶ οὐ κληρονόμους μόνον, ἀλλὰ καὶ συγκληρονόμους Χριστοῦ. Ἴδε πῶς μείζονα τῶν ἀφαιρεθέντων τὰ παρὰ τοῦ Κυρίου δεδωρημένα ἡμῖν. Ἀλλ' ὅταν ἀκούσῃς, ὅτι ἀνῆλθε καὶ ἀνελήφθη, μὴ κατάβασιν τοπικὴν ἐπὶ Θεοῦ ὑπολάβοις· ἡ γὰρ Θεότης ἅπαντα πληροῖ, καὶ πανταχοῦ πάρεστιν, καὶ οὐδαμοῦ ἀπολιμπάνεται, ὡς πάντων ἔφορος, καὶ πάντων δημιουργός. Τὸ δὲ ὁμογενὲς ἡμῖν σῶμα, ὃ ἀναλαβὼν ὀφθῆναι κατηξίωσεν ἐπὶ τῆς γῆς, ὅμοιον ἡμῖν κατὰ πάντα, αὐτό ἐστι τὸ ἡμέτερον ἀναλαμβανόμενον. Καὶ διὰ τοῦτο κοινῇ πάντες σήμερον ἀναβοήσωμεν τὸ προφητικὸν ἐκεῖνο λόγιον· Ἀνέβη ὁ Θεὸς ἐν ἀλαλαγμῷ, Κύριος ἐν φωνῇ σάλπιγγος,\n\nκαὶ τὴν περιφανῆ ταύτην καὶ λαμπρὰν ἑορτάζωμεν πανήγυριν, ἐπειδὴ καὶ κοινῇ πάντες τῆς ὑπ' αὐτοῦ δωρεᾶς ἀπηλαύσαμεν. Καθάπερ δὲ δεσπότης φιλάνθρωπος ἀγαπήσας τὸν ἴδιον οἰκέτην, διὰ τὸ περὶ αὐτὸν φίλτρον οὐ παραιτεῖται τὸ ἱμάτιον αὐτοῦ περιβάλλεσθαι· οὕτω καὶ ὁ Δεσπότης ἡμῶν Χριστὸς ἀγαπήσας τὴν φύσιν τὴν ἡμετέραν, καὶ θεασάμενος εἰς βυθὸν κακίας κατενεχθεῖσαν, καὶ οὐδεμίαν ἐλπίδα σωτηρίας ἔχουσαν, καὶ πολλῆς δεομένην τῆς συγκαταβάσεως, κατηξίωσε τὸ σῶμα τὸ ἡμέτερον ἀναλαβεῖν. Καὶ διὰ τοῦτο φανεὶς τῷ κόσμῳ, πάντας ἀνθρώπους ἀπὸ τῆς πλάνης ἠλευθέρωσε, καὶ πρὸς τὴν ἀλήθειαν ἐπανήγαγε· καὶ βοᾷ ἐν Εὐαγγελίῳ, λέγων· Οὐκ ἦλθον καλέσαι δικαίους, ἀλλὰ ἁμαρτωλοὺς, εἰς μετάνοιαν.","english":"We had been offensive and cast off, and He deemed us worthy to be called sons, and not only sons, but also heirs, and not only heirs, but also co-heirs of Christ. See how the gifts given to us by the Lord are greater than what was taken away. But when you hear that He went up and was taken up, do not suppose a local descent in the case of God; for the Godhead fills all things, is present everywhere, and is absent nowhere, as overseer of all and creator of all. But the body consubstantial with us, which He deigned to take up and be seen on earth, like us in all respects, it is this that is taken up on our behalf. And for this reason let us all together today cry out that prophetic saying: God went up with a shout, the Lord with the sound of a trumpet,\n\nand let us celebrate this brilliant and splendid festival, since we have all in common enjoyed the gift from Him. Just as a benevolent master, loving his own servant, does not refuse to put on his garment because of his affection for him, so also our Master Christ, loving our nature and seeing it brought down into the depth of evil, having no hope of salvation and needing much condescension, deigned to take up our body. And for this reason, having appeared to the world, He freed all men from error and led them back to the truth; and He cries out in the Gospel, saying: I did not come to call the righteous, but sinners, to repentance.","structure":"narrative","commentary":[{"unit":"term","kind":"term","basis":"text","lemma":"συγκληρονόμους Χριστοῦ","severity":"info","text":"The phrase 'co-heirs of Christ' echoes Pauline language (e.g., Rom 8:17) and emphasizes the believer's share in Christ's inheritance, a key theme in Chrysostom's soteriology.","cites":[],"named_sources":[],"dropped_cites":[]},{"unit":"scripture","kind":"scripture","basis":"text","lemma":"Ἀνέβη ὁ Θεὸς ἐν ἀλαλαγμῷ, Κύριος ἐν φωνῇ σάλπιγγος","severity":"info","text":"This 'prophetic saying' is not a direct biblical quotation but likely a liturgical adaptation of Ps 47:5 (LXX) or a similar verse, used here to evoke the festal acclamation of the Ascension.","cites":[],"named_sources":[],"dropped_cites":[]},{"unit":"scripture","kind":"scripture","basis":"text","lemma":"Οὐκ ἦλθον καλέσαι δικαίους, ἀλλὰ ἁμαρτωλοὺς, εἰς μετάνοιαν","severity":"info","text":"This saying is not found verbatim in the canonical Gospels; it may be a free paraphrase of Jesus' teaching on repentance (e.g., Matt 9:13; Luke 15:7) or a logion from an apocryphal source.","cites":[],"named_sources":[],"dropped_cites":[]},{"unit":"background","kind":"background","basis":"text","lemma":"δεσπότης φιλάνθρωπος","severity":"info","text":"The analogy of a master donning a servant's garment illustrates the incarnation as an act of divine condescension (συγκατάβασις), a central concept in Chrysostom's Christology.","cites":[],"named_sources":[],"dropped_cites":[]},{"unit":"structure","kind":"structure","basis":"text","lemma":"","severity":"info","text":"The passage moves from a rhetorical climax (sons, heirs, co-heirs) to a theological clarification (no local descent of God), then to a typological exegesis of the Ascension, and finally to a moral application (Christ's call to sinners).","cites":[],"named_sources":[],"dropped_cites":[]},{"unit":"caution","kind":"caution","basis":"text","lemma":"ἀπεῤῥιμμένοι","severity":"caution","text":"The reading ἀπεῤῥιμμένοι (with a diacritic) is uncertain; the standard form is ἀπερριμμένοι ('cast off'). The text may contain a scribal error or a variant spelling.","cites":[],"named_sources":[],"dropped_cites":[]}],"ambiguities":["The phrase 'Ἀνέβη ὁ Θεὸς ἐν ἀλαλαγμῷ' is not a precise scriptural citation; its source is unclear, possibly a liturgical or patristic adaptation.","The saying 'Οὐκ ἦλθον καλέσαι δικαίους...' is unattested in the canonical Gospels; its origin is uncertain."],"confidence":"high","notes":[]},{"i":4,"ref":"p4","source":"Ὃ τοίνυν ἐβούλετο, κατώρθωσε, καὶ τὴν ἀνθρωπίνην φύσιν κάτω που κειμένην ἀνέστησε, καὶ τοσαύτην φιλανθρωπίαν ἐπεδείξατο, ὡς μὴ χωρεῖν ἀνθρώπινον λογισμὸν τὸν λόγον τῶν γενομένων. Πῶς γὰρ, εἰπέ μοι, ἡμεῖς οἱ προσκεκρουκότες, οἱ τῆς γῆς ἀνάξιοι φανέντες, καὶ τῆς ἀρχῆς κάτωθεν ἐκπεσόντες, πρὸς τοσοῦτον ὕψος ἀθρόον ἀνήχθημεν; πῶς ὁ πόλεμος κατελύθη; πῶς ἡ ὀργὴ ἀνῃρέθη; Τὸ γὰρ θαυμαστὸν καὶ πολλῆς ἐκπλήξεως γέμον τοῦτό ἐστιν, ὅτι οὐχ ἡμῶν προσδραμόντων, ἀλλ' αὐτοῦ τοῦ δικαίως πρὸς ἡμᾶς ἀγανακτοῦντος, παρακαλέσαντος ὑπὲρ ἡμῶν, καὶ οὕτως ἡ εἰρήνη γέγονεν. Καὶ βοᾷ Παῦλος λέγων· Ὑπὲρ Χριστοῦ πρεσβεύομεν, ὡς τοῦ Θεοῦ παρακαλοῦντος δι' ἡμῶν. Εἶδες εὐμήχανον σοφίαν; εἶδες ἄφατον φιλανθρωπίαν Δεσπότου; εἶδες κηδεμονίαν ὑπερβάλλουσαν; Νῦν τὸ κέντρον τοῦ θανάτου διελύθη· νῦν τοῦ ᾅδου τὸ νῖκος διεῤῥάγη· νῦν τοῦ θανάτου ἡ δυναστεία κατήργηται· νῦν ἡ ἔχθρα καταλέλυται· νῦν ὁ χρόνιος ἔσβεσται πόλεμος· ἄνθρωποι τότε ἀγγέλοις ὡμοιώθησαν, ἄνθρωποι τοῖς ἀγγέλοις ἀνεμίγησαν, καὶ πολὺς παρ' ἑκατέρας τῆς ὁμωνυμίας ὁ σύνδεσμος πεπολίτευται. Ἀνῆλθε γὰρ ὁ κοινὸς Δεσπότης καταλλάξας τὸν ἑαυτοῦ Πατέρα τῷ τῶν ἀνθρώπων γένει. Καὶ ὅτι διὰ τοῦτο ἀνῆλθεν, ἄκουσον αὐτοῦ λέγοντος· Συμφέρει ὑμῖν, ἵνα ἐγὼ ἀπέλθω· ἐὰν γὰρ μὴ ἐγὼ ἀπέλθω, ὁ Παράκλητος οὐκ ἐλεύσεται πρὸς ὑμᾶς. Καὶ σημεῖον τῆς καταλλαγῆς ἐπαγγέλλεται δώσειν ἡμῖν τὴν τοῦ Παρακλήτου παρουσίαν. Ὅρα γὰρ καὶ τὸ ἐπαγόμενον πῶς ἀκριβῶς προσέθηκεν· Καὶ αὐτὸς, φησὶν, ὁδηγήσει ὑμᾶς εἰς πᾶσαν τὴν ἀλήθειαν·","english":"What He wished, He accomplished: He raised up the human nature lying low somewhere below, and displayed such great love for humanity that the account of what happened cannot be contained by human reasoning. For how, tell me, did we, who had offended, who proved unworthy of the earth, and fell from the rule from below, suddenly be raised to such a height? How was the war ended? How was the anger removed? For this is the marvelous thing, full of great astonishment: that not we ran to Him, but He who was justly indignant with us interceded on our behalf, and thus peace was made. And Paul cries out, saying: \"We intercede for Christ, as God entreats through us.\" Do you see the resourceful wisdom? Do you see the unspeakable love of the Master? Do you see the surpassing care? Now the sting of death has been dissolved; now the victory of Hades has been shattered; now the dominion of death has been abolished; now the enmity has been dissolved; now the long-standing war has been extinguished. Men then were likened to angels; men were mingled with angels, and a great bond of this common name has been established. For the common Master ascended, having reconciled His own Father with the human race. And that He ascended for this reason, hear Him saying: \"It is beneficial for you that I go away; for if I do not go away, the Paraclete will not come to you.\" And He promises to give us the coming of the Paraclete as a sign of the reconciliation. For see how precisely He added the following: \"And He Himself,\" He says, \"will lead you into all truth.","structure":"narrative","commentary":[{"unit":"sense","kind":"sense","basis":"text","lemma":"προσκεκρουκότες","severity":"info","text":"The participle προσκεκρουκότες ('having offended') echoes the homily's theme of human transgression and divine reconciliation, contrasting with the earlier 'offensive and cast off' in the previous passage.","cites":[],"named_sources":[],"dropped_cites":[]},{"unit":"scripture","kind":"scripture","basis":"text","lemma":"Ὑπὲρ Χριστοῦ πρεσβεύομεν, ὡς τοῦ Θεοῦ παρακαλοῦντος δι' ἡμῶν","severity":"info","text":"This citation of Paul is not a direct biblical verse but a paraphrase of the apostle's role as intercessor; Chrysostom often adapts Pauline language (cf. Romans 8:34, 2 Corinthians 5:18-20).","cites":[],"named_sources":[],"dropped_cites":[]},{"unit":"scripture","kind":"scripture","basis":"text","lemma":"Συμφέρει ὑμῖν, ἵνα ἐγὼ ἀπέλθω· ἐὰν γὰρ μὴ ἐγὼ ἀπέλθω, ὁ Παράκλητος οὐκ ἐλεύσεται πρὸς ὑμᾶς","severity":"info","text":"This saying of Christ is not found in the canonical Gospels; it may be a Chrysostomic adaptation of John 16:7 or a lost tradition, emphasizing the Ascension as prerequisite for the Paraclete's coming.","cites":[],"named_sources":[],"dropped_cites":[]},{"unit":"background","kind":"background","basis":"text","lemma":"Παράκλητος","severity":"info","text":"The term 'Paraclete' (advocate) here refers to the Holy Spirit, whose descent at Pentecost is promised as a sign of reconciliation; Chrysostom links the Ascension to the Spirit's mission.","cites":[],"named_sources":[],"dropped_cites":[]},{"unit":"structure","kind":"structure","basis":"text","lemma":"νῦν ... νῦν ... νῦν ... νῦν ... νῦν","severity":"info","text":"The anaphoric repetition of 'νῦν' (now) five times creates a climactic series celebrating the cosmic effects of the Ascension: death's sting dissolved, Hades' victory shattered, etc.","cites":[],"named_sources":[],"dropped_cites":[]},{"unit":"reception","kind":"reception","basis":"text","lemma":"ἄνθρωποι τότε ἀγγέλοις ὡμοιώθησαν","severity":"info","text":"The motif of humans being likened to angels after the Ascension recurs in Chrysostom's soteriology, reflecting the theme of deification (theosis) in Greek patristic thought.","cites":[],"named_sources":[],"dropped_cites":[]}],"ambiguities":["The phrase 'τῆς ἀρχῆς κάτωθεν ἐκπεσόντες' could mean 'fallen from the rule from below' (earthly authority) or 'fallen from the beginning from below' (original state); the translation takes it as earthly rule, consistent with the context of human offense and elevation."],"confidence":"high","notes":[]},{"i":5,"ref":"p5","source":"δηλονότι πλανωμένους, καὶ ὧδε κἀκεῖσε περιαγομένους, καὶ τὸ Πνεῦμα τὸ ἅγιον καταπεμφθὲν ἅπαντας ἡμᾶς πρὸς τὴν ἀλήθειαν ὁδηγήσει. Ἐπειδὴ γὰρ αὐτὸς ὠργίζετο, ἡμεῖς δὲ καὶ οὕτως ἀπεστρεφόμεθα τὸν φιλάνθρωπον Δεσπότην, μέσον ἑαυτὸν ἐμβαλὼν ὁ Δεσπότης ἡμῶν Χριστὸς, τὴν καταλλαγὴν εἰργάσατο. Ἔλυσε γὰρ ἀληθῶς τὸ μεσότοιχον τοῦ φραγμοῦ. Διὸ χρηστὰς ἔχομεν λοιπὸν τὰς ἐλπίδας πρὸς τὸν τῆς ἡμετέρας ἀπαρχῆς ἀφορῶντες Κύριον.\n\nὍπερ ἂν γὰρ λοιπὸν εἴποις, οὐκ ἔτι δέδοικα, κἂν σκώληκα εἴποις, κἂν κόνιν, κἂν πῦρ, κἂν κόλασιν, κἂν βρυγμὸν ὀδόντων, κἂν τέφραν, κἂν ὁτιοῦν μοι εἴποις, πάντα μοι εὐκαταφρόνητα ἐπὶ ἀπαρχὴν τὴν ἐμὴν ὁρῶντι ἄνω καθημένην, καὶ μονονουχὶ πᾶσιν ἀνθρώποις διαλεγομένην καὶ βοῶσαν· Ἀπόστητε τῆς ῥᾳθυμίας λοιπὸν, καὶ ἐπίγνωτε τὴν ἑαυτῶν εὐγένειαν, ἐννοήσαντες, τὸ μέτρον τῶν δωρεῶν, ὧν μετ' οὐ πολὺ τὴν μετουσίαν ὑποδέχεσθαι μέλλετε. Συναυλιζόμενος γὰρ αὐτοῖς παρήγγειλεν ἀπὸ Ἱεροσολύμων μὴ χωρίζεσθαι, ἀλλὰ περιμένειν τὴν ἐπαγγελίαν τοῦ Πατρός. Ὅρα καὶ ἐν τούτῳ κηδεμονίαν Δεσπότου· ἰδὼν γὰρ τῆς ἀνθρωπίνης φύσεως τὴν ἀσθένειαν, καὶ ὅτι πολλῆς δεῖται συμμαχίας, ἐχαρίσατο τὴν τοῦ ἁγίου Πνεύματος βοήθειαν, ἵνα ἀκαταγώνιστος γένηται ὁ ἄνθρωπος πρὸς τὰς τοῦ διαβόλου μηχανάς. Καὶ ταυτὸν γέγονεν, ὥσπερ ἂν εἴ τις στρατηγὸς ἄριστος ἰδὼν τοὺς ὑπ' αὐτὸν ταττομένους στρατιώτας, οὐ φέροντας τὰς τῶν ἐναντίων ἀπειλὰς, ἀλλὰ καταπεπληγμένους ὑπὸ τῆς ἀγωνίας, ἅπαντας αὐτοὺς ἐπιῤῥώσειεν, περιφράξας πανταχόθεν θώρακι καὶ ἀσπίδι καὶ περικεφαλαίᾳ, καὶ τῇ λοιπῇ","english":"clearly wandering, and being led here and there, and the Holy Spirit, sent down, will guide us all to the truth. For since He Himself was angry, and we, even so, were turning away from the philanthropic Master, our Master Christ, placing Himself in the middle, accomplished the reconciliation. For He truly broke down the partition wall of the fence. Hence we now have good hopes, looking to the Lord of our firstfruits.\n\nFor whatever you might say from now on, I no longer fear; whether you say worm, or dust, or fire, or punishment, or gnashing of teeth, or ashes, or whatever you might say to me, all things are contemptible to me as I look upon my firstfruits seated above, and all but speaking to all men and crying out: \"Abandon laziness from now on, and recognize your own nobility, having considered the measure of the gifts of which you are soon to receive a share.\" For, while dwelling with them, He commanded them not to depart from Jerusalem, but to await the promise of the Father. Observe in this also the care of the Master; for, seeing the weakness of human nature, and that it needs much assistance, He granted the help of the Holy Spirit, so that man might become invincible against the machinations of the devil. And it has become the same as if some excellent general, seeing the soldiers arrayed under him not enduring the threats of the enemy, but being struck with terror by the struggle, were to strengthen them all, having surrounded them on all sides with breastplate, shield, helmet, and the rest","structure":"narrative","commentary":[{"unit":"term","kind":"term","basis":"glossary","lemma":"ἀπαρχὴν","severity":"info","text":"The term 'firstfruits' (ἀπαρχή) here refers to Christ as the firstfruits of the resurrection, a Pauline concept (1 Cor 15:20, 23). Chrysostom uses it to ground hope in the ascended Lord.","cites":[],"named_sources":[],"dropped_cites":[]},{"unit":"scripture","kind":"scripture","basis":"text","lemma":"μεσότοιχον τοῦ φραγμοῦ","severity":"info","text":"The 'partition wall of the fence' alludes to the barrier between God and humanity, possibly echoing Ephesians 2:14 (the dividing wall of hostility) or a common patristic metaphor for sin.","cites":[],"named_sources":[],"dropped_cites":[]},{"unit":"background","kind":"background","basis":"background","lemma":"Πνεῦμα τὸ ἅγιον καταπεμφθὲν","severity":"info","text":"The sending of the Holy Spirit at Pentecost (Acts 2) is the event Chrysostom references. The Spirit's descent empowers believers and completes the reconciliation begun by Christ's ascension.","cites":[],"named_sources":[],"dropped_cites":[]},{"unit":"structure","kind":"structure","basis":"text","lemma":"Ὅρα καὶ ἐν τούτῳ κηδεμονίαν Δεσπότου","severity":"info","text":"This phrase marks a rhetorical shift to an exemplum: the general arming his soldiers. Chrysostom uses military imagery to illustrate the Spirit's protective role, a common homiletic device.","cites":[],"named_sources":[],"dropped_cites":[]},{"unit":"parallel","kind":"parallel","basis":"text","lemma":"στρατηγὸς ἄριστος","severity":"info","text":"The general metaphor parallels Chrysostom's own usage in other homilies (e.g., In Pentecosten) and echoes Pauline military imagery (2 Cor 10:3-4). It reinforces the theme of divine provision.","cites":[],"named_sources":[],"dropped_cites":[]},{"unit":"caution","kind":"caution","basis":"text","lemma":"ἐπιῤῥώσειεν","severity":"caution","text":"The reading ἐπιῤῥώσειεν (strengthen) is a conjecture; the manuscript may have ἐπιρρώσειεν. The sense is clear, but the exact form is uncertain due to possible scribal error.","cites":[],"named_sources":[],"dropped_cites":[]}],"ambiguities":["The phrase 'ἀπὸ Ἱεροσολύμων μὴ χωρίζεσθαι' could mean either 'not to depart from Jerusalem' (as translated) or 'not to be separated from the Jerusalem church'; the context favors the former.","The term 'ἀπαρχὴν' might also refer to the first converts or the offering of firstfruits, but Chrysostom consistently uses it for Christ as the firstfruits of resurrection."],"confidence":"high","notes":[]},{"i":6,"ref":"p6","source":"παντευχίᾳ· οὕτω δὴ καὶ ὁ Κύριος ἡμῶν Ἰησοῦς Χριστὸς θεασάμενος πολλὴν οὖσαν τὴν τῶν ἐναντίων δυνάμεων δυναστείαν, καὶ διὰ τοῦτο πολλῆς δεομένην βοηθείας τὴν ἀνθρωπίνην φύσιν, ἐδωρήσατο τοῦ ἁγίου Πνεύματος τὴν χάριν, ἵνα ὁ πρότερον δεδιὼς τῶν δαιμόνων τὰς φάλαγγας, νῦν ταύταις φοβερὸς ὀφθῇ, καὶ καταπλήττῃ, καὶ μόνον ὀφθεὶς ἀπελάσῃ τὸν δόλιον ὄφιν. Τοιαύτη γὰρ ἡ τοῦ ἁγίου Πνεύματος χάρις· ὅπου γὰρ ἂν φανείη, δραπετεύειν ποιεῖ τῶν δαιμόνων τὰς φάλαγγας, καὶ πάσας τὰς ἀντικειμένας δυνάμεις. Λήψεσθε γὰρ, φησὶ, δύναμιν ἐπελθόντος τοῦ ἁγίου Πνεύματος ἐφ' ὑμᾶς, καὶ ἔσεσθέ μοι μάρτυρες ἔν τε Ἱερουσαλὴμ, καὶ ἐν πάσῃ τῇ Ἰουδαίᾳ, καὶ Σαμαρείᾳ, καὶ ἕως ἐσχάτου τῆς γῆς. Τίς δὲ ἦν αὕτη ἡ δύναμις; Ὅπερ καὶ πρώην πρὸς αὐτοὺς ἔλεγεν· Ἀσθενοῦντας θεραπεύετε, λεπροὺς καθαρίζετε, δαιμόνια ἐκβάλλετε, καὶ ὅσα τοιαῦτα· οὐδὲν γὰρ ἔσται νόσημα, φησὶν, οὕτως ἰσχυρὸν, ὃ μὴ εἴξῃ τῇ τοῦ ἁγίου Πνεύματος δυνάμει. Τοσούτων ἡμῖν ἀγαθῶν αἰτία γέγονεν ἡ σήμερον ἡμέρα. Σήμερον γὰρ ἀπέλαβον ἄγγελοι, ἃ πάλαι ἐπεθύμουν, τὴν φύσιν τὴν ἡμετέραν ὁρῶντες ἀπὸ τοῦ θρόνου ἀστράπτουσαν τοῦ βασιλικοῦ. Καὶ ἵνα μάθῃς τὸ διάφορον δούλου καὶ δεσπότου, ἡνίκα μὲν Ἠλίας ἀνελαμβάνετο, ἐν ἅρματι πυρίνῳ τοῦτο ὑπέμεινεν· ἡνίκα δὲ ὁ Δεσπότης ὁ ἡμέτερος μετὰ σαρκὸς, νεφέλη πρὸς τὴν ἄνοδον ὑπηρέτει. Βλεπόντων γὰρ αὐτῶν, φησὶν, ἐπήρθη, καὶ ἡ νεφέλη ὑπέλαβεν αὐτὸν ἀπὸ τῶν ὀφθαλμῶν αὐτῶν. Καὶ ἐκεῖνος μὲν ὡς εἰς τὸν οὐρανὸν ἀνῄει, δοῦλος γὰρ ἦν· ὁ δὲ εἰς αὐτὸν τὸν οὐρανὸν, Δεσπότης γὰρ ἦν.","english":"in full armor. So also our Lord Jesus Christ, seeing that the dominion of the opposing powers was great, and that for this reason human nature needed much assistance, bestowed the grace of the Holy Spirit, so that he who formerly feared the phalanxes of demons might now appear terrible to them, and strike them with terror, and by his mere appearance drive away the treacherous serpent. For such is the grace of the Holy Spirit: wherever it appears, it causes the phalanxes of demons and all opposing powers to flee. For you will receive power, he says, when the Holy Spirit comes upon you, and you will be my witnesses in Jerusalem, and in all Judea, and Samaria, and to the ends of the earth. And what was this power? That which he also said to them before: Heal the sick, cleanse lepers, cast out demons, and all such things; for there will be no disease so strong, he says, that it will not yield to the power of the Holy Spirit. So many good things has this day caused for us. For today the angels received what they had long desired, seeing our nature shining from the royal throne. And that you may learn the difference between servant and master: when Elijah was taken up, he endured this in a fiery chariot; but when our Master was taken up with his flesh, a cloud served for the ascent. For while they were watching, it says, he was lifted up, and the cloud received him from their eyes. And that one ascended as if into heaven, for he was a servant; but this one ascended into heaven itself, for he was the Master.","structure":"narrative","commentary":[{"unit":"term","kind":"term","basis":"text","lemma":"παντευχίᾳ","severity":"info","text":"The Greek term παντευχίᾳ (dative of παντευχία) means 'in full armor' or 'fully armed,' a military metaphor that Chrysostom uses to introduce the Holy Spirit as divine armament against demonic forces.","cites":[],"named_sources":[],"dropped_cites":[]},{"unit":"scripture","kind":"scripture","basis":"text","lemma":"Λήψεσθε γὰρ, φησὶ, δύναμιν ἐπελθόντος τοῦ ἁγίου Πνεύματος ἐφ' ὑμᾶς","severity":"info","text":"This is a paraphrase of Acts 1:8, where Jesus promises the apostles power from the Holy Spirit to witness in Jerusalem, Judea, Samaria, and to the ends of the earth.","cites":[],"named_sources":[],"dropped_cites":[]},{"unit":"scripture","kind":"scripture","basis":"text","lemma":"Ἀσθενοῦντας θεραπεύετε, λεπροὺς καθαρίζετε, δαιμόνια ἐκβάλλετε","severity":"info","text":"Chrysostom echoes Jesus' commission to heal the sick, cleanse lepers, and cast out demons, likely drawing on Matthew 10:8 or similar synoptic passages about apostolic powers.","cites":[],"named_sources":[],"dropped_cites":[]},{"unit":"background","kind":"background","basis":"text","lemma":"Ἠλίας ἀνελαμβάνετο, ἐν ἅρματι πυρίνῳ","severity":"info","text":"The fiery chariot of Elijah's assumption (2 Kings 2:11) is contrasted with Christ's cloud-borne ascension, emphasizing the difference between servant and master in Chrysostom's typology.","cites":[],"named_sources":[],"dropped_cites":[]},{"unit":"structure","kind":"structure","basis":"text","lemma":"Καὶ ἵνα μάθῃς τὸ διάφορον δούλου καὶ δεσπότου","severity":"info","text":"This phrase marks a structural pivot from the Holy Spirit's power to a typological contrast between Elijah (servant) and Christ (master), reinforcing the homily's rhetorical climax.","cites":[],"named_sources":[],"dropped_cites":[]},{"unit":"reception","kind":"reception","basis":"text","lemma":"Σήμερον γὰρ ἀπέλαβον ἄγγελοι, ἃ πάλαι ἐπεθύμουν","severity":"info","text":"Chrysostom asserts that the Ascension fulfills angelic longing to see human nature glorified on the royal throne, a theme echoed in later Byzantine hymnography and iconography.","cites":[],"named_sources":[],"dropped_cites":[]}],"ambiguities":["The phrase 'ἕως ἐσχάτου τῆς γῆς' could mean 'to the ends of the earth' or 'to the last of the earth,' but the context supports the former as a standard eschatological expression.","The identity of 'αὐτῶν' in 'βλεπόντων γὰρ αὐτῶν' is ambiguous: it likely refers to the apostles or witnesses of the Ascension, but Chrysostom does not specify."],"confidence":"high","notes":[]},{"i":7,"ref":"p7","source":"Ἰδοὺ δύο ἄνδρες ἐν ἐσθῆτι λευκῇ, καί φασι πρὸς αὐτούς· Οὗτος ὁ Ἰησοῦς ὁ ἀναληφθεὶς ἀφ' ὑμῶν εἰς τὸν οὐρανὸν, οὗτος ἐλεύσεται ὃν τρόπον ἐθεάσασθε αὐτόν.\n\nΚαὶ ὅτε μὲν τὸν δοῦλον ἔδει κληθῆναι, ἅρμα κατεπέμπετο· ὅτε δὲ τὸν Υἱὸν, θρόνος βασιλικὸς, καὶ οὐχ ἁπλῶς θρόνος, ἀλλ' αὐτὸς ὁ πατρικός. Ἄκουε γὰρ Ἡσαΐου τοῦ μεγαλοφώνου περὶ τοῦ Πατρὸς λέγοντος· Ἰδοὺ Κύριος κάθηται ἐπὶ νεφέλης κούφης. Διὰ τοῦτο καὶ τῷ Υἱῷ τὴν νεφέλην κατέπεμψεν. Καὶ ὁ μὲν Ἠλίας ἀνελθὼν ἀφῆκε μηλωτὴν ἐπὶ τὸν Ἐλισσαῖον, ὁ δὲ Ἰησοῦς ἀναβὰς ἀφῆκε χαρίσματα ἐπὶ τοὺς μαθητὰς, οὐχ ἕνα προφήτην ποιοῦντα, ἀλλὰ μυρίους Ἐλισσαίους, μᾶλλον δὲ ἐκείνου πολλῷ μείζους καὶ λαμπροτέρους. Ἅπερ ἅπαντα ἐννοοῦντες, ἀγαπητοὶ, ἀμειψώμεθα καὶ ἡμεῖς τὸν ἡμέτερον Δεσπότην διὰ τῆς ἀρίστης πολιτείας, ἵνα ὡς αὐτὸς ἡμᾶς ἐδόξασε διὰ τῶν οἰκείων χαρισμάτων, οὕτω καὶ ἡμεῖς διὰ τῶν κατορθωμάτων καὶ τῆς ἀρίστης πολιτείας τὸν Θεὸν ἵλεων ἐργαζώμεθα. Δοξάσωμεν τοίνυν τὸν ἡμέτερον Δεσπότην, καὶ τῆς ὑπεροψίας τῶν παρόντων καταφρονήσωμεν. Αὕτη γὰρ ἀρίστη μάλιστα διδασκαλία δυναμένη τοὺς ἀπίστους πρὸς τὴν ἀλήθειαν χειραγωγῆσαι. Οὐδὲ γὰρ οὕτω τοῖς παρ' ἡμῶν λεγομένοις προσέχουσιν, ὡς τοῖς ὑφ' ἡμῶν πραττομένοις. Διὰ τοῦτο καὶ ὁ Χριστὸς ἔλεγεν· Μακάριος ὁ ποιήσας καὶ διδάξας· δεικνὺς ὅτι τῆς διὰ λόγων διδασκαλίας ἡ διὰ τῶν ἔργων ἐστὶν ἀκριβεστέρα, καὶ μᾶλλον ἐναγαγεῖν δυναμένη τοὺς ἀγνώμονας.","english":"Behold two men in white clothing, and they say to them: This is Jesus who was taken up from you into heaven; he will come in the manner in which you have seen him.\n\nAnd when it was necessary to summon the servant, a chariot was sent down; but when it was the Son, a royal throne, and not merely a throne, but the paternal throne itself. For listen to Isaiah the great-voiced speaking concerning the Father: Behold, the Lord sits upon a light cloud. For this reason he also sent down the cloud for the Son. And Elijah, having ascended, left his sheepskin to Elisha, but Jesus, having ascended, left gifts to the disciples, not making one prophet, but countless Elishas, indeed much greater and more brilliant than that one. Considering all these things, beloved, let us also requite our Master through the best way of life, so that just as he glorified us through his own gifts, so also we, through our good deeds and the best way of life, may render God propitious. Let us therefore glorify our Master, and let us despise the contempt of present things. For this is especially the best teaching, capable of leading unbelievers to the truth. For they do not attend so much to what is said by us as to what is done by us. For this reason Christ also said: Blessed is the one who does and teaches, showing that teaching through deeds is more precise than teaching through words, and more capable of leading the ungrateful to conviction.","structure":"narrative","commentary":[{"unit":"scripture","kind":"scripture","basis":"text","lemma":"Ἰδοὺ δύο ἄνδρες ἐν ἐσθῆτι λευκῇ","severity":"info","text":"This phrase echoes Acts 1:10, where two men in white appear at the ascension, though the exact wording is not a direct quotation.","cites":[],"named_sources":[],"dropped_cites":[]},{"unit":"scripture","kind":"scripture","basis":"text","lemma":"Ἰδοὺ Κύριος κάθηται ἐπὶ νεφέλης κούφης","severity":"info","text":"This is a paraphrase of Isaiah 19:1 (LXX: Ἰδοὺ κύριος κάθηται ἐπὶ νεφέλης κούφης), used to support the imagery of the cloud sent for the Son.","cites":[],"named_sources":[],"dropped_cites":[]},{"unit":"scripture","kind":"scripture","basis":"text","lemma":"Μακάριος ὁ ποιήσας καὶ διδάξας","severity":"info","text":"This saying is not found verbatim in the canonical Gospels; it may be a loose citation of a dominical logion or a proverbial expression attributed to Christ.","cites":[],"named_sources":[],"dropped_cites":[]},{"unit":"background","kind":"background","basis":"text","lemma":"μηλωτὴν","severity":"info","text":"The sheepskin (μηλωτή) left by Elijah to Elisha is a reference to 2 Kings 2:13, where Elijah's mantle is passed on, symbolizing prophetic succession.","cites":[],"named_sources":[],"dropped_cites":[]},{"unit":"parallel","kind":"parallel","basis":"text","lemma":"ἅρμα κατεπέμπετο","severity":"info","text":"The chariot sent for the servant contrasts with the throne for the Son, echoing the chariot of fire in 2 Kings 2:11 that took Elijah up.","cites":[],"named_sources":[],"dropped_cites":[]},{"unit":"structure","kind":"structure","basis":"text","lemma":"Καὶ ὅτε μὲν ... ὅτε δὲ","severity":"info","text":"This antithetical structure (μὲν ... δὲ) contrasts the summoning of a servant (Elijah) with that of the Son (Christ), emphasizing the superior honor due to Christ.","cites":[],"named_sources":[],"dropped_cites":[]}],"ambiguities":["The identity of the 'two men in white clothing' is not specified; they may be angels or witnesses, and the phrase 'they say to them' lacks a clear antecedent for 'them'."],"confidence":"high","notes":[]},{"i":8,"ref":"p8","source":"Γενώμεθα τοίνυν εὐάρεστοι Θεῷ, καὶ μετὰ ἀκριβείας τὸν ἑαυτῶν βίον ῥυθμίσωμεν, ἵνα καὶ τοῦ Πνεύματος τὴν χάριν ἐπισπασώμεθα, καὶ πρὸς τὴν τῆς ἀρετῆς κατόρθωσιν πλείονα τὴν εὐκολίαν ἕξωμεν ὑπὸ τῆς τοῦ Πνεύματος δυνάμεως συνεργούμενοι. Ἔνθα γὰρ ἂν ἴδῃ ψυχὴν νήφουσαν ἡ χάρις, ἐκεῖ μετὰ δαψιλείας ἐφίπταται. Εὐτρεπίσωμεν τοίνυν ἑαυτοὺς, παρακαλῶ, ἵνα παρὰ τῆς τοῦ Πνεύματος ἐνεργείας δυναμούμενοι, καὶ τὸν παρόντα βίον ἄλυπον διανύσωμεν, καὶ τῶν μελλόντων ἐπιτύχωμεν ἀγαθῶν, καὶ τῆς βασιλείας τῶν οὐρανῶν ἀξιωθῆναι· ὧν γένοιτο πάντας ἡμᾶς ἐπιτυχεῖν χάριτι καὶ φιλανθρωπίᾳ τοῦ ἐξαγοράσαντος ἡμᾶς τῷ τιμίῳ τῆς ζωοδώρου πλευρᾶς αὐτοῦ αἵματι, καὶ ἐκ πλάνης καὶ ἐκ δουλείας ἡμᾶς ἀπαλλάξαντι, Ἰησοῦ Χριστοῦ τοῦ Κυρίου ἡμῶν· μεθ' οὗ πρέπει τιμὴ καὶ κράτος, πᾶσα δόξα καὶ\n\nμεγαλοπρέπεια τῷ Πατρὶ καὶ τῷ ἁγίῳ καὶ ζωοποιῷ Πνεύματι, νῦν καὶ ἀεὶ, καὶ εἰς τοὺς αἰῶνας τῶν αἰώνων. Ἀμήν.","english":"Let us therefore be well-pleasing to God, and regulate our own life with precision, so that we may draw down the grace of the Spirit, and have greater ease in the achievement of virtue, being assisted by the power of the Spirit. For wherever grace sees a soul that is sober, there it alights abundantly. Let us therefore prepare ourselves, I exhort you, so that, strengthened by the energy of the Spirit, we may complete the present life without grief, and attain the future goods, and be deemed worthy of the kingdom of heaven. May it be that we all attain these things by the grace and loving-kindness of Him who ransomed us with the precious blood of His life-giving side, and delivered us from error and from slavery, Jesus Christ our Lord; with whom it is fitting that honor and power, all glory and magnificence be to the Father and to the holy and life-giving Spirit, now and always, and unto the ages of ages. Amen.","structure":"narrative","commentary":[{"unit":"sense","kind":"sense","basis":"text","lemma":"Γενώμεθα τοίνυν εὐάρεστοι Θεῷ","severity":"info","text":"The homily concludes with a paraenetic call to moral discipline, typical of Chrysostom's exhortatory style.","cites":[],"named_sources":[],"dropped_cites":[]},{"unit":"term","kind":"term","basis":"text","lemma":"τοῦ Πνεύματος τὴν χάριν","severity":"info","text":"The phrase 'grace of the Spirit' reflects Chrysostom's emphasis on the Holy Spirit's active role in moral and spiritual life, consistent with his pneumatology.","cites":[],"named_sources":[],"dropped_cites":[]},{"unit":"scripture","kind":"scripture","basis":"text","lemma":"τῷ τιμίῳ τῆς ζωοδώρου πλευρᾶς αὐτοῦ αἵματι","severity":"info","text":"The 'precious blood of his life-giving side' alludes to Christ's side wound, a common patristic image evoking the Passion and eucharistic theology, though no single verse is quoted.","cites":[],"named_sources":[],"dropped_cites":[]},{"unit":"background","kind":"background","basis":"text","lemma":"ἐξαγοράσαντος","severity":"info","text":"The term 'ransomed' (ἐξαγοράσαντος) reflects the early Christian metaphor of Christ as redeemer from slavery, a theme in Chrysostom's soteriology.","cites":[],"named_sources":[],"dropped_cites":[]},{"unit":"structure","kind":"structure","basis":"text","lemma":"νῦν καὶ ἀεὶ, καὶ εἰς τοὺς αἰῶνας τῶν αἰώνων","severity":"info","text":"The doxological conclusion with 'now and always, and unto the ages of ages' is a standard liturgical formula, marking the homily's end.","cites":[],"named_sources":[],"dropped_cites":[]},{"unit":"reception","kind":"reception","basis":"text","lemma":"Ἀμήν","severity":"info","text":"The final 'Amen' indicates the homily's liturgical use, likely as part of a festal service for the Ascension.","cites":[],"named_sources":[],"dropped_cites":[]}],"ambiguities":["The phrase 'τῷ τιμίῳ τῆς ζωοδώρου πλευρᾶς αὐτοῦ αἵματι' could be read as a direct reference to the eucharistic blood of Christ, but Chrysostom does not specify the sacrament here; the reading taken is a general soteriological image."],"confidence":"high","notes":[]}]}