Joshua 7

"You shall not steal:" [Exodus 20:15] for Achan, when he had stolen in Israel at Jericho, was stoned to death; [Joshua 7:1] and Gehazi, who stole, and told a lie, inherited the leprosy of Naaman; [2 Kings 5:27] and Judas, who stole the poor's money, betrayed the Lord of glory to the Jews, [John 12:6] and repented, and hanged himself, and burst asunder in the midst, and all his bowels gushed out; [Matthew 27:5; Acts 1:18] and Ananias, and Sapphira his wife, who stole their own goods, and "tempted the Spirit of the Lord," were immediately, at the sentence of Peter our fellow-apostle, struck dead. [Acts 5:1-11]

Behold, did not Achar the son of Zata transgress in the accursed thing, and trouble then lighted on all the congregation of Israel? And this one man was alone in his sin; but he was not alone in the death that came by his sin. And by us, too, everything of a gainful kind at this time, which is ours not in our own rightful possession, but as property strictly belonging to others, ought to be reckoned a thing devoted. For that Achar indeed took of the spoil; and those men of the present time take also of the spoil. But he took what belonged to enemies; while these now take what belongs to brethren, and aggrandize themselves with fatal gains.

Suppose any one should make scrutiny into all the communicants in the world, what kind of transgression is there which he would not detect? and what if he examined those in authority? Would he not find them eagerly bent upon gain? making traffic of high places? envious, malignant, vainglorious, gluttonous, and slaves to money? Where then there is such impiety as this going on, what dreadful calamity must we not expect? And to be assured how sore vengeance they incur who are guilty of such sins as these, consider the examples of old. One single man, a common soldier, stole the sacred property, and all were smitten. Ye know, doubtless, the history I mean? I am speaking of Acham the son of Carmi, the man who stole the consecrated spoil.… On account of all these things, let us take heed to ourselves. Do ye not see these wars? Do ye not hear of these disasters? Do ye learn no lesson from these things? Nations and whole cities are swallowed up and destroyed, and myriads as many again are enslaved to the barbarians. If hell bring us not to our senses, yet let these things. What, are these too mere threats, are they not facts that have already taken place? Great is the punishment they have suffered, yet a greater still shall we suffer, who are not brought to our senses even by their fate.

But this too must not be run over idly: that when one man sinned, wrath came upon the whole people. How does this happen? When the priests, who are set over the people, wish to seem kindly toward wrongdoers, and, fearing the tongues of sinners lest perhaps they speak ill of them, forgetful of priestly severity, are unwilling to fulfill what is written: "rebuke the sinner before all, that the rest may have fear," and again: "take away the evil from among your own selves," nor, kindled with zeal for God, do they imitate the Apostle who says that "such a man is to be handed over to Satan for the destruction of the flesh, that the spirit may be saved." Nor do they strive to fulfill that evangelical precept that, if they see one sinning, they should first meet him privately, afterward also with "two or three witnesses"; and if he shall have despised this and after the church's correction shall not have been amended, they should hold him, expelled from the church, "as a heathen and a publican." And while they spare one, they contrive the ruin of the whole church. What kind of goodness is this, what kind of mercy is it, to spare one and to bring all into danger? For the people is defiled by one sinner. Just as by one diseased sheep the whole flock is infected, so also, when one man either fornicates or commits any other kind of crime, the whole populace is defiled. And therefore let us watch over one another, and let the conduct of each one be known, especially to the priests and ministers. Nor let them think they are speaking rightly when they say: what does this concern me, if another does evil? This is to say, as the head says to the feet: what does it pertain to me, if my feet ache, if they are in a bad state? it is no concern of mine, so long as the head continues in health; or as if the eye should say to the hand: I do not need your work, what does it pertain to me if you ache, if you are wounded? shall I, the eye, be troubled by the sickness of the hand? Such, then, is what those do who preside over the churches, not considering that we who believe are all "one body," having one God, who binds us together in unity and holds us fast, namely Christ, of whose body you, who preside over the church, are the eye — for this very purpose, surely, that you may look around upon all things, survey all things, and even foresee things to come. You are a shepherd; you see the little sheep of the Lord, unaware of the danger, being carried to the precipices and hanging over the crags: do you not run to meet them? do you not call them back? do you not at least restrain them with your voice and deter them with the shout of rebuke? Are you so forgetful of the Lord's sacrament that, whereas he, "having left the ninety-nine in the heavens" for the sake of one little sheep "that had gone astray," descended to the earth and, having found it, "carried it back upon his shoulders" to heaven, we in no way at all follow the example of the master shepherd in caring for the little sheep? We do not say these things in order that anyone should be cut off for a slight fault; but if perhaps someone, having been admonished and rebuked for his offense once and again and a third time, has shown no amendment, let us use the discipline of the physician. If we have anointed with oil, if we have soothed with plasters, if we have softened with a poultice, and yet the hardness of the swelling does not yield to the medicines, the only remaining remedy is to cut it away. For so the Lord also says: "if your right hand causes you to stumble, cut it off and cast it away from you." Does the hand of our body ever "cause us to stumble," or is it about this hand of the body that the Gospel says: "cut it off, and cast it away from you"? But this is what it means: that I, who seem to you to be the right hand and am named a presbyter and seem to preach the word of God, if I do anything against ecclesiastical discipline and the rule of the Gospel, so that I cause a stumbling-block to you, to the church, then the whole church, conspiring together in one consent, should cut me off as its right hand and cast me away from itself. For "it is expedient for you," the church, without me, your hand — who by doing evil "have caused a stumbling-block" — to enter into the kingdom of heaven, rather than with me "to go into hell." We have said these things for this reason, because we see it related in the holy Scriptures that on account of one man sinning "the children of Israel were made accursed," so that they were conquered by their enemies.

And Jericho had seen in her own ruin Our hand's control, when conquering Achan fell. Renowned for bloodshed, proud of leveling walls, He fell a victim to the enemy's gold When from the dust he gleaned the stuff accursed And snatched the mournful plunder from the ruins. His tribe did not avail, nor his descent From Judah, founder of the race of Christ And patriarch blessed in his noble scion. Let those who imitate his race accept A similar form of death and punishment.

You say these were the disgraceful acts of a few men and what was not done by all could not injure all. Indeed, I have said above quite often that the crime of one man was the destruction of many among the people of God, just as the people were ruined by Achan's theft, just as pestilence arose from Saul's jealousy, just as death came from the counting of the people by the holy David. The church of God is as the eye. As a speck of dirt, even though small, which falls into the eye blinds the sight completely, in the same way, if some, even though they are a few in the body of the church, commit filthy acts, they block almost all the light of the splendor of the church.

For we find that some sins are also a punishment for other sins … as in the flight of the Israelites from the face of the enemy out of the city of Ai because fear was instilled into their hearts so that they fled. And this was done to punish their sin and to punish it as it deserved to be punished, which is why the Lord said to Joshua, the son of Nun, "The children of Israel shall not be able to stand before their enemies." What is the meaning of "shall not be able to stand"? Why did they not use their free will to stand rather than take flight because their wills were thrown into confusion by fear? Was it not for the simple reason that God, as Master of people's wills, can in his anger instill fear into the hearts of whomsoever he pleases? Was it not of their own free choice that the enemies of the Israelites fought against God's own people when they had Joshua, son of Nun, as their leader? And yet the Scripture tells us that "it was by the will of the Lord that their hearts should be strengthened that they should fight against Israel … and should be destroyed."

But human habits have so long applied themselves to this admiration of money that no one is thought worthy of honor unless he is rich. This is no new habit. No, this vice (and that makes the matter worse) grew long years ago in human hearts. When the city of Jericho fell at the sound of the priests' trumpets and Joshua the son of Nun gained the victory, he knew that the valor of the people was weakened through love of money and desire for gold. For when Achan had taken a garment of gold and two hundred shekels of silver and a golden ingot from the spoils of the ruined city, he was brought before the Lord and could not deny the theft but admitted it.

But let us also see what his very sin was: "he stole," it says, "a tongue of gold, and placed it in his tent." I do not think that in that theft of a little gold there was such force of sin that it could stain so innumerable a church of the Lord. But let us see whether perhaps, in the inner understanding, the bitterness of this sin is so great and so grave. There is much beauty in words, and much loveliness in the discourses of the philosophers or the rhetoricians, who are all from the city of Jericho, that is, men of this world. If, then, you find among the philosophers perverse doctrines adorned with the assertions of brilliant speech, this is "the tongue of gold." But see that the splendor of the work does not deceive you, that the beauty of golden speech does not carry you away; remember that Jesus commanded all the gold that should be found in Jericho to be "accursed." If you read a poet weaving gods and goddesses in measured verses and in resplendent song, do not be delighted by the sweetness of eloquence: for it is a tongue of gold; if you take it up and place it in your tent, if you bring into your heart the things that are asserted by them, you will defile the whole church of the Lord. This the wretched Valentinus did, and Basilides; this Marcion also did. These men stole "tongues of gold" from Jericho and attempted to introduce into the churches the not-upright sects of the philosophers and to defile the whole church of the Lord. But let us follow the preceding example of the fathers; let us examine more diligently, lest anyone should have a Jerichoan "tongue" hidden in his tent, and let us cast away the evil from our very selves, because, even if we hold back, God will convict him, so that he himself will spontaneously confess and say: "I stole a tongue of gold and pure bracelets." Do you see of what sort was the theft he stole? He steals "a tongue" and "pure bracelets." Now "pure bracelets" are works in which nothing divine is mixed, but the whole is carried out according to man. Indeed, in our disputations too it is customary to say that we do not call Christ a mere man, but confess him God and man. But that which is stolen from Jericho is said to be "pure," that is, without God — which, for the one stealing it, was surely the cause of sin. And therefore let us perceive nothing pure and human concerning Christ, but let us confess him God and man alike, because the "wisdom" of God is also called "manifold," so that through these things we may deserve to take a share in "the wisdom of God," which is "Christ" Jesus our Lord, "to whom is glory and dominion unto the ages of ages. Amen."

Accordingly, I find, in taking up the Holy Scripture, that in the Old and New Testament contumacy toward God is clearly condemned, not in consideration of the number or heinousness of transgressions but in terms of a single violation of any precept whatsoever, and, further, that the judgment of God covers all forms of disobedience. In the Old Testament, I read of the frightful end of Achan and the account of the man who gathered wood on the sabbath day. Neither of these men was guilty of any other offense against God, nor had they wronged a man in any way, small or great; but the one, merely for his first gathering of wood, paid the inescapable penalty and did not have an opportunity to make amends, for, by the command of God, he was forthwith stoned by all his people. The other, only because he had pilfered some part of the sacrificial offerings, even though these had not yet been brought into the synagogue nor had been received by those who perform this function, was the cause not only of his own destruction but of that also of his wife and children and of his house and personal possessions besides. Moreover, the evil consequences of his sin would presently have spread like fire over his nation—and this, too, although the people did not know what had occurred and had not excused the sinner—unless his people, sensing the anger of God from the destruction of the men who were slain, had promptly been struck with fear, and unless Joshua, son of Nun, sprinkling himself with dust, had prostrated himself together with the ancients, and unless the culprit, discovered thus by lot, had paid the penalty mentioned above.Perhaps someone will raise the objection that these men might plausibly be suspected of other sins for which they were overtaken by these punishments, yet the Holy Scripture made mention of these sins alone as very serious and worthy of death.

Achan sinned, and the entire nation transgressed. And the Lord said to Joshua, "The children of Israel will not be able to stand before their enemies but shall flee from their adversaries, because there is a curse in their midst. And I shall no more be with you, unless the anathema is destroyed out of you." And when they made search for the guilty person and the lot discovered him hiding, Achan, and his sons and daughters, and his asses and sheep are killed; his tent and all his possessions are destroyed by fire. Granted, that he himself committed a sin. What sin did his children commit, his oxen, his asses, his sheep? Reprehend God, why one man committed a sin and a number of people were put to death; why even he is stoned to death and all his possessions are destroyed by the avenging flame? Let us also quote the other testimony: "There was not a city," he says, "that the Lord did not deliver to the children of Israel, except the Hivites who dwell in Gibeon; they took all by fight, because it was the sentence of the Lord that their hearts should be hardened and they should fight against Israel and be killed, and that they should not deserve any clemency and should be destroyed, as the Lord commanded Moses." If it was done by the will of God that they should neither make peace with Israel nor obtain peace from Israel, let us say with the apostle: "Why then does he find fault? For who can resist his will?"

What compulsion commands him [Paul] to do what he dislikes? And why must he not do what he wishes but what he dislikes and does not wish? He will answer you thus: "No, but, O man, who are you that replies against God? Shall the thing formed say to him that formed it, 'Why have you made me this way?' Has not the potter power over the clay, of the same lump to make one vessel to honor and another to dishonor?" Bring a yet graver charge against God and ask him why, when Esau and Jacob were still in the womb, he said, "Jacob I have loved, but Esau I have hated." Accuse him of injustice because, when Achan the son of Carmi stole part of the spoil of Jericho, he butchered so many thousands for the fault of one.