St John Chrysostom on the Biblical, Apostolic, and ancient doctrine of synergy:

St John Chrysostom on the Biblical, Apostolic, and ancient doctrine of synergy:

"Wherefore we ought always to guard ourselves, lest at any time we should fall asleep. For Lo (it is said) he that keeps Israel shall neither slumber nor sleep Psalm 121:4, and Do not suffer your foot to be moved. Psalm 121:3 He did not say, 'be not moved' but do not thou suffer, etc. The suffering depends then on ourselves, and not on any other. For if we will stand steadfast and unmoveable 1 Corinthians 15:58, we shall not be shaken.

 

What then? Does nothing depend on God? All indeed depends on God, but not so that our free-will is hindered. 'If then it depend on God,' (one says), 'why does He blame us?' On this account I said, 'so that our free-will is not hindered.' It depends then on us, and on Him. For we must first choose the good; and then He leads us to His own. He does not anticipate our choice, lest our free-will should be outraged. But when we have chosen, then great is the assistance he brings to us.

How is it then that Paul says, not of him that wills, if it depend on ourselves also nor of him that runs, but of God that shows mercy. Romans 9:16

 

In the first place, he did not introduce it as his own opinion, but inferred it from what was before him and from what had been put forward [in the discussion]. For after saying, It is written, I will have mercy on whom I will have mercy, and I will have compassion on whom I will have compassion Romans 9:15, he says, It follows then that it is not of him that wills, nor of him that runs, but of God that shows mercy. You will say then unto me, why does He yet find fault? Romans 9:16-19

 

And secondly the other explanation may be given, that he speaks of all as His, whose the greater part is. For it is ours to choose and to wish; but God's to complete and to bring to an end. Since therefore the greater part is of Him, he says all is of Him, speaking according to the custom of men. For so we ourselves also do. I mean for instance: we see a house well built, and we say the whole is the Architect's [doing], and yet certainly it is not all his, but the workmen's also, and the owner's, who supplies the materials, and many others', but nevertheless since he contributed the greatest share, we call the whole his. So then [it is] in this case also. Again, with respect to a number of people, where the many are, we say All are: where few, nobody. So also Paul says, not of him that wills, nor of him that runs, but of God that shows mercy.

And herein he establishes two great truths: one, that we should not be lifted up: even should you run (he would say), even should you be very earnest, do not consider that the well doing is your own. For if you obtain not the impulse that is from above, all is to no purpose. Nevertheless that you will attain that which thou earnestly strivest after is very evident; so long as you run, so long as you will.

 

He did not then assert this, that we run in vain, but that, if we think the whole to be our own, if we do not assign the greater part to God, we run in vain. For neither has God willed that the whole should be His, lest He should appear to be crowning us without cause: nor again our's, lest we should fall away to pride. For if when we have the smaller [share], we think much of ourselves, what should we do if the whole depended on us?"

- Homily 12 on the Hebrews