Homilies on the Acts of the Apostles 15

And Stephen, full of faith and power, did great wonders and signs among the people.

Observe how, even among the seven, there was one preeminent, who held the first place.

For though the ordination was common to all, yet this man drew to himself a greater grace.

But before this he did not work signs; rather, it was when he had become conspicuous, that it might be shown that grace alone does not suffice, but ordination too is needed;

so that there came about an increase of the Spirit.

But if even before this they were full of the Spirit, yet it was of the Spirit that comes from the laver.

But there arose certain of those from the synagogue.

Again by 'arose' he denotes their provocation and their wrath.

Observe here too the great multitude;

or rather, how different was the form of the accusation.

For since Gamaliel had restrained them from bringing any charge on that other account, they introduce a different accusation.

'And there arose,' he says, 'certain of those of the synagogue called that of the Libertines, and Cyrenians, and Alexandrians, and of those from Cilicia and Asia, disputing with Stephen;'

'and they were not able to withstand the wisdom and the Spirit by which he spoke.'

'Then they suborned men, who said, We have heard him speak blasphemous words against Moses and against God.' In order to establish the accusation, 'It is against God,' he says, 'and against Moses that he speaks.'

For this reason too they kept disputing with him, that they might compel him to say something.

But he thereafter discoursed still more openly, and perhaps was speaking only of the ceasing of the Law;

or rather he did not say it outright, but hinted at it darkly.

For if he had said it plainly, there would have been no need of suborned men nor of false witnesses.

Now the synagogues were of various kinds, of the Libertines and of the Cyrenians.

But the Cyrenians are those beyond Alexandria, who there too had synagogues among the Gentiles;

and perhaps they even remained there, that they might not be constantly compelled to travel abroad.

And the Libertines are so called who were freedmen of the Romans.

And just as many strangers dwelt there, so also they had synagogues, where the Law had to be read and prayers offered.

But consider with me how this man too, though compelled, sets himself to teach, while those others again are moved to envy on account of the signs; and not only so, but since he also prevailed in argument and was intolerable to them, they set up false witnesses.

For they were not willing to make away with him outright, but by a formal vote, that they might also injure his reputation;

and leaving those others, they come against these, thinking thereby to strike terror into the others as well.

And they did not say, 'He speaks,' but 'He does not cease speaking,' magnifying the accusation.

And they stirred up the elders and the scribes, and coming upon him they seized him, and brought him into the council, and set up false witnesses who said:

This man does not cease to speak words against this holy place and the Law.

'He does not cease,' they say, thereby making plain that he made this his very work.

For we have heard him saying that this Jesus of Nazareth will destroy this place, and will change the customs which Moses delivered to us.

'Jesus,' they say, 'the Nazarene'—and this reproachfully—'will destroy this place, and will change the customs.'

This same charge they also brought against Christ, when they said:

'He that destroys the temple of God.'

Their reverence was both for the temple, since they wished besides to keep their dwelling there, and for the name of Moses.

And observe how the accusation is twofold.

'He will destroy,' they say, 'the place, and will change the customs.' And not only twofold, but also bitter, and full of dangers.

And all who sat in the council, fixing their eyes on him, saw his face as it were the face of an angel.

Thus it is possible for those in a lesser rank also to shine.

For tell me, in what respect had this man less than the apostles? Did he not work signs? Did he not display much boldness of speech? 'They saw his face,' it says, 'as it were the face of an angel.'

This, then, was the grace; this also was the glory of Moses.

And it seems to me that God made him thus full of grace, perhaps because he was about to say certain things, and in order that at once by his very appearance he might strike them with awe.

For there are, yea there are, faces full of spiritual grace, lovely to those who long for them, and reverend and fearful to those who hate them.

Or he said this also as the reason for which they bore with his public discourse.

And what does the high priest say? 'Are these things,' he says, 'so?' You see how the question is put with mildness, and has nothing as yet burdensome in it? Therefore Stephen too begins his words with gentleness, and says:

Men, brethren and fathers, hearken.

The God of glory appeared to our father Abraham when he was in Mesopotamia, before he dwelt in Haran.

At once from the very outset he overthrows their glory, and establishes, by the things he says unsuspectedly, that the temple itself is nothing, nor the customs, and that they will not prevail against the preaching, and that God always does and accomplishes all things out of what seems impossible.

Observe, then, how through these things the discourse is woven, showing that though they had ever enjoyed much loving-kindness, they requited their benefactor with the opposite, and that they were attempting the impossible.

The God of glory appeared to our father Abraham, and said to him:

Go out from your land, and come into a land which I will show you.

And there was no temple, and there was no sacrifice, and yet Abraham was counted worthy of a divine vision; and he had Persians for his forefathers, and was in a foreign land.

And why, pray, at the beginning did he call God the God of glory? Because He has made the dishonored to be glorious;

and that he might teach that, if He glorified those men, much more will He glorify these.

Do you see how he leads them away from things bodily, and first from the place, since the discourse was about the place? 'The God of glory.'

If He is the God of glory, it is plain that He needs not the glory that comes from us, nor that which is through the temple;

for He Himself is the fountain of glory.

Do not then suppose that you glorify Him by this.

'And how,' one may ask, 'does the Scripture say this concerning father Abraham?' Because it is not lavish upon things not very necessary.

For that which was profitable to learn, this alone it taught us, namely, that from the vision of the Son he came forth with him;

but what was more than this it passed over as not to be narrated, because of his dying soon after he had dwelt in Haran.

Go out from your kindred.

Here he shows that these men are not children of Abraham.

How so? Because that man was obedient, but these are disobedient;

or rather, from what he does when commanded we learn that he indeed endured the toils, while these reap the fruits, and that all the forefathers lived in hardship.

And going out from the land of the Chaldeans, he dwelt in Haran;

and from thence, after his father died, He removed him into this land, in which you now dwell;

and He gave him no inheritance in it, not even a foot's breadth.

Observe how he leads them up away from the land.

For he did not say, 'He will give,' but 'He gave not,' showing that all things are from Him and nothing from them.

For he came, having forsaken both kindred and fatherland.

Why then did He not give it? Because it was a type of another land, and He promised to give that land to him.

Do you see that again he takes up the discourse not without purpose? 'He gave him not,' he says.

And He promised to give it to his seed also after him, when as yet he had no child.

Again from this is shown the power of God, and that He does all things out of what is impossible.

For him that was in Persia and so far away, this man He said He would make lord of Palestine.

But let us look at what has been said from the beginning.

'Fixing their eyes on him,' it says, 'they saw his face

as it were the face of an angel.'

Whence did the grace bloom upon Stephen? Was it not from faith? It is quite plain that it was;

for it was testified of him above that he was full of faith.

But it is possible to have grace even not in the working of healings;

wherefore the Apostle also says, 'To one indeed is given a grace of healings, but to another a word of wisdom.'

And here it seems to me that he hints that Stephen was also full of grace, by saying:

They saw his face as it had been the face of an angel; which of Barnabas also is testified.

which of Barnabas also is testified.

Whence we know that the guileless and the innocent are especially marveled at, and that such men are the more full of grace.

Then they suborned men, saying, We have heard him speak blasphemous words.

In the case of the Apostles they said that they were preaching the resurrection, and that a great multitude was flocking to them;

but here, that men were being healed.

For the very things for which they ought to have given thanks, for these they found fault; and those who prevailed by their works they expected to overcome by words (the very thing they did in the case of Christ), and they were forever drawing them into disputes of words.

For simply to seize them they were ashamed, having nothing whereof to accuse them.

And observe, how not even the judges themselves bear witness;

but they simply hire others, that the affair might not seem to be a matter of malice.

The same thing that had happened one might see also in the case of Christ.

Do you see the power of the preaching, and how it prevails not only over those who are scourged, but even over those who are stoned, not only over those led into court, but even over those driven from every quarter? Hence, even when they bore false witness, not only did they not prevail, but they had not strength even to withstand, and that though they were exceedingly shameless;

so mightily did the preaching lay hold of them, and that too when they were doing many things past belief (as also in the case of Christ), who did all things to compass His death, so that henceforth it became plain to all that the conflict was not human, but of God against men.

But consider also what the suborned false witnesses say, being set up by those who had murderously dragged him into the Sanhedrin.

We have heard him speak blasphemous words against Moses and God.

You do blasphemous things against God, and take no thought of it;

and do you pretend to take thought for Moses? For this reason Moses is added, because they cared not greatly for the things of God, and up and down they keep making mention of Moses, saying, This Moses, who brought us out, stirring up the fickle nature of the crowd.

And yet how could a blasphemous man have prevailed? and how could one so blasphemous have wrought such signs among the people? But such is envy: it makes those whom it has seized beside themselves, so that they do not even perceive what they utter.

We have heard him, they say, speak blasphemous words against Moses and God;

and again, This man ceases not to speak words against this holy place and the law, and with the addition, Which Moses delivered to us;

You see how they accuse him of subverting the polity and of impiety? But that it was not in such a man's nature to say such things, and that boldly, is surely plain to every one;

so gentle was he even in his countenance.

Now where they were not falsely accused, the Scripture says nothing of the sort;

but since here the whole is calumny, fitly does God set it right even by the very appearance of his face.

So then the Apostles were not falsely accused, but were forbidden;

for this very reason, before all else, his very appearance makes his defense.

Perhaps this also put the high priest to shame.

And in saying that He promised, he shows that the promise was made before the place, before circumcision, before sacrifice, before the temple, and that these men received neither circumcision nor law according to any merit, but that the reward of obedience alone was the land.

But not even after circumcision was given is the promise fulfilled.

And that these were types, both the leaving of one's fatherland at God's command, and one's kindred (for that is a fatherland, wherever God leads), and the not receiving an inheritance here;

and that, if one were to examine accurately, the Jews are Persians;

and that without signs one ought to obey God when He speaks, even though some grievous things befall;

since the patriarch too, leaving even his father's sepulchre and all things, obeyed God.

he shared with him the sojourn into Palestine, in that he was unbelieving;

much more will the children have no share, though they come far along the road, if they emulate not the virtue of their father.

And He promised to give it to him and to his seed after him, he says.

Here is shown both the great lovingkindness of God, and the faith of Abraham.

For the fact that, though he had no child, he obeyed, this shows both his obedience and his faith;

and yet the events showed the contrary;

for instance, after he came, he had not so much as a foot's breadth of ground, he had no child, things which were contrary to the faith.

Considering these things, then, let us also receive whatever God may promise, even though the events be contrary;

and yet in our case they are not contrary, but even exceedingly consistent.

For where there are promises, when the contrary comes to pass, they are truly contrary;

here He spoke of affliction, but there of rest.

Why do we confound the seasons? why do we turn things upside down? Are you afflicted, tell me, because you pass your life in poverty, and are you troubled on this account? Be not troubled;

for it were worthy of trouble, if you were destined to be afflicted there;

for this affliction is the cause of rest.

This sickness, he says, is not unto death.

That affliction is punishment;

this is discipline and correction.

The present time is a contest;

therefore there is need of boxing.

No one in war seeks rest, no one in war seeks luxury, no one is anxious about money, no one takes thought for his wife, but looks to one thing only, how he may prevail over his enemies.

and if we prevail and return with trophies, God will give us all things.

Let this alone be our earnest care, how we may prevail over the devil;

or rather, the matter is not of our own diligence, but the whole is of God's grace.

Let one thing be our care, how we may draw to ourselves His grace, how we may attract to ourselves that inclination of His favour.

If God be for us, who can be against us, he says? Let us be earnest for one thing only, that He may not become our enemy, that He may not turn away from us.

It is not to be afflicted that is evil, but to sin is evil.

This is the grievous affliction, even though we pass our life in luxury;

I speak not of the world to come, but even in the present.

For how do you think our conscience is gnawed? of what torment is it not worse? I would fain ask accurately those who live in wickedness, whether they never come to a thought of their own sins, whether they tremble not, whether they fear not, whether they are not in anguish, whether they count not blessed those who live in fasting, those in the mountains, those who live in the philosophic life. Would you find rest there? Be afflicted here for Christ's sake;

nothing is equal to this rest.

The Apostles rejoiced when they were scourged.

Paul exhorts to this, saying:

And how is it possible to rejoice, he says, where there are bonds, where torments, where tribunals? Especially here is it possible to rejoice.

But how it is possible to rejoice, where these things are, learn.

He who is conscious of no evil in himself will somehow greatly rejoice, so that the more you speak of the affliction, by so much the more you tell of the pleasure.

For tell me, the soldier who has received ten thousand wounds and is returning, will he not return with much pleasure, having his wounds as a ground of confidence, and of splendour and renown? And you too, if you can utter that voice which Paul did, that I bear the marks of Jesus, you will be able to become great and splendid and of good repute.

But there is no persecution? Then stand for glory;

And even if someone speaks against you, do not be afraid to be spoken ill of for Christ's sake.

Stand firm against the tyranny of pride, stand firm against the battle of wrath, stand firm against the torment of desire.

These too are brands of suffering, and these are torments.

For tell me, what is the most terrible thing about torments? Is it not that the soul is pained and burned? For there, at least, it is the body that is divided;

but here the whole of it belongs to the soul.

The anguish concerns the soul itself, when one is angry, when one envies, when one does anything of the sort — or rather, when one suffers it.

For to be angry, to harbor envy, is not to act but to suffer.

For this reason they are called passions of the soul, and wounds, and scars.

For it is truly a suffering, and harder to bear than any suffering.

Consider, you who are angry, that you do these things out of passion.

Therefore he who is not angry does not suffer. Do you see that the one who is insulted does not

suffer, but the one who inflicts the insult, as I have already said? For that he suffers is plain both from such a thing being called a passion, and also from the body;

for these passions are born of anger: dimness of sight, palsy, and countless others.

But he insulted my boy, one says; but it was my servant.

Do not think it a sign of weakness that you yourself did not do the same in return.

For tell me, was it well done? I do not think you can say so;

therefore do not do what is not well done.

I know what sort of angers are born in such situations.

What then, one says, if he despises me, if he speaks against me again? Reprove him, rebuke him, exhort him;

for in matters that concern ourselves we ought not even to do this, but in matters concerning others it is even necessary to do so.

Do not consider it your own personal insult that your servant was insulted;

and if you grieve, let it be on his behalf, not as if you yourself had been insulted;

for it was not you who were insulted because your servant was ill-treated, but rather the one who did the wrong.

Quench the sharp sword, let it lie in its sheath.

If we keep it bared, we shall often use it even when there is no occasion, being drawn on by it;

but if it lies hidden, then, even should need arise, the anger will be quenched.

Christ does not wish us to be angry even on His own behalf (for hear what He says to Peter:

Put back your sword into its sheath);

and will you be angry on your servant's behalf? Teach your servant too to practice wisdom;

tell him the sufferings of the Master;

imitate your Teacher.

When they too were about to be dishonored, He did not say, I will avenge;

but what did He say? They persecuted Me, and they will persecute you also;

for you are not better than I.

Say these things too, both to your son and to your servant:

You are not better than your Master.

But the words of this wisdom seem to belong to widows.

Alas, that it is not possible to set forth in words how much one may be taught by the very experience of it.

And that you may learn it: standing in the midst of two who are contending, take the part of those wronged and not of those doing wrong — see if you do not find the victory with yourself, if you do not receive splendid crowns.

See how God is insulted, and how He answers gently and mildly.

Where is, He says, Abel your brother? And what did that one reply? Am I my brother's keeper? What could be more insolent than this? Would anyone endure it even from a son? For if it came from a brother, would he not have regarded the matter as an insult? Yet God again answers mildly:

The voice of your brother's blood, He says, cries out to Me.

But God, one says, is above anger.

But it was for this very reason that the Son of God came down, that He might make you a god so far as is possible for human nature.

But I cannot, one says, being a man.

Come then, let us bring men before you as examples.

And do not think I shall name Paul or Peter, but rather some of the lesser and far more lowly.

The child of Eli insulted Hannah, saying —

What could be more insulting than this? What then did she say? I am a woman in a hard day.

Truly there is nothing equal to affliction;

and this same woman, though she had her rival, did not insult her;

but what did she do? She fled to God for refuge, and in her prayer did not so much as mention her, nor say, Since so-and-so reproaches me, avenge me;

so full of wisdom was this woman (let us men be ashamed);

and yet you know that there is nothing equal to jealousy.

The tax collector, being insulted by the Pharisee, did not return the insult, though, had he wished, he was able;

but he bore it wisely, saying:

Be merciful to me the sinner.

Mephibosheth, being accused and slandered by his servant, neither said nor did anything evil against him, not even before the king.

Do you wish to hear the wisdom even of a harlot? Hear Christ speaking, when she was wiping His feet with her hair:

Tax collectors and harlots go before you into the kingdom.

Did you see her standing and weeping, and washing away her own sins? See how, even toward the Pharisee, she was not angry though reproached;

for, he said, if He knew that this woman is a sinner, He would not have allowed her.

Are you clean from sins? But she suffered the more, lamented the more, and shed the warmer tears.

But if women and tax collectors and harlots practice wisdom, and

that too before grace, what pardon shall we deserve, who after such great grace make war more fiercely than wild beasts, biting and kicking? Nothing is more shameful than wrath, nothing more dishonorable, nothing more terrible, nothing more unpleasant, nothing more harmful.

I say these things, not only that we may be gentle toward men, but that even if a woman be a scold, you may bear with her;

let the woman be to you a wrestling-school and a place of exercise.

For how is it not absurd, to undertake exercises that bring no gain, in which we strain the body;

yet not to make our home a place of exercise, one that offers us a crown even before the contests? Does the woman insult you? Do not you become a woman;

for to insult is womanish.

It is a disease of the soul, it is a defect.

Do not think it beneath you when your wife has insulted you.

It is beneath you rather when you do the insulting, while she practices self-restraint; then it is you who are disgraced, then it is you who are insulted.

Then you act unseemly, then you have been insulted.

But if, being insulted, you bear it, great is the display of your strength.

I do not say these things to lead women into insolence.

But if it should ever happen, through some satanic circumstance, then bear with one another.

It belongs to men, to the strong, to bear with the weak.

Even if a servant answers back, do you show forbearance.

Do not say or do what that person deserves to hear, but rather what it befits you to do and to say.

Never, when rebuking a young girl, let a shameful word escape you.

Never call a servant 'foul.'

It was not he who was insulted, but you.

The angry man cannot be in possession of himself, any more than a surging sea can be calm, or a spring remain clear when mire has fallen into it from somewhere.

So all things are jumbled together; or rather, so all things are turned upside down.

Even if you strike, even if you tear the little tunic, it is you who have suffered the greater harm.

For to him the blow falls upon the body and the garment, but to you it falls upon the soul.

You have cut her in two, you have wounded her, you have thrown the charioteer down from the horses and made him to be dragged along on his back.

And it comes to the same thing as if a charioteer, being angry at another, should choose to be dragged along himself.

Even if you reprove, even if you admonish, even if you do anything whatever, do it without anger and without wrath.

For if he who reproves is a physician to the one who sins, how could he heal another when he has first injured himself and does not heal himself? Tell me, if some physician were to go to heal another, having first wounded his own hand, having first blinded his own eyes—would he in that state effect the other's cure? Certainly not, he says.

So you also, even if you reprove, even if you admonish, let your eyes look with clarity.

Do not cloud your mind, for how then shall the healing come to pass? It is not possible to be in the same calm, being free from anger and being angry at once.

Why, having overthrown the teacher from his throne, do you thus converse with him as with one lying on the ground? Do you not see the judges, who, when they are about to give judgment, sit upon the throne and in a fitting posture? Do you also do the same.

Adorn your soul with the judicial robe—and this robe is gentleness—and then sit as a judge upon the throne.

'But he will not be afraid,' someone says.

He will be more afraid. For then, even if you say what is just, the servant will attribute it to your temper.

But if you speak with gentleness, he will condemn himself; and what is chief of all, God will accept you, and thus you will be able to attain the eternal good things, by the grace and mercies and lovingkindness of our Lord Jesus Christ, with whom to the Father, together with the Holy Spirit, be glory, might, and honor, now and ever, and unto the ages of ages.