Homilies on the Acts of the Apostles 19

Now an angel of the Lord spoke to Philip, saying:

'Arise and go toward the south, unto the way that goes down from Jerusalem to Gaza.'

It seems to me that he was given this command while he was in Samaria, because from Jerusalem one does not go toward the south, but toward the north;

but from Samaria one goes toward the south.

He says this, so that Philip might not be afraid of the watchfulness of the Jews.

And he did not ask, Why? but he arose and went.

'And behold,' it says, 'a man of Ethiopia, a eunuch, a court official of Candace queen of the Ethiopians, who was over all her treasure, who had come to worship at Jerusalem.'

'And he was returning, and sitting in his chariot, and was reading the prophet Isaiah.'

Great are the praises spoken concerning this man;

seeing that, though dwelling in Ethiopia, and encompassed by so many affairs, and there being no feast, and being in that superstitious city, he was coming to worship at Jerusalem.

And great too was his diligence, in that even while sitting in the carriage he was reading.

And the Spirit said to Philip:

'Go near and join yourself to this chariot.'

So Philip ran to him, and heard him reading Isaiah the prophet, and said:

'Do you then understand what you are reading?' And he said:

'How could I, unless someone should guide me?'

See again another instance of reverence.

In that, not understanding, he was reading; then, after reading, he inquires.

And he invited Philip to come up and sit with him.

Now the passage of Scripture which he was reading was this:

'He was led as a sheep to the slaughter, and as a lamb before its shearer is dumb,

so He opens not His mouth.

In His humiliation His judgment was taken away.

And who shall declare His generation? For His life is taken from the earth.'

And the eunuch answered Philip, and said:

'I beg you, of whom does the prophet say this? Of himself, or of some other?' Then Philip opened his mouth, and beginning from this Scripture, preached to him the good news of Jesus.

Do you see how the things concerning him are ordered by divine providence? First he reads and does not understand;

then he reads this very passage, where were the passion, and the resurrection, and the gift.

And as they went along the way, they came to a certain water;

'Behold, here is water; what hinders me from being baptized?' Do you see his eagerness? Do you see his exactness? And he commanded the chariot to stand still, and they both went down into the water, both Philip and the eunuch, and he baptized him.

And when they came up out of the water, the Spirit of the Lord caught away Philip, and the eunuch saw him no more.

For he went on his way rejoicing.

Why, he asks, did the Spirit of the Lord take him away? Because he was to pass through other cities also and preach the gospel.

So then this came to pass that he might afterward be marvelled at, so that men might reckon what concerned him to be not human but divine.

But Philip was found at Azotus, and passing through he preached the gospel to all the cities, until he came to Caesarea.

And from this it is plain that this man is one of the seven;

for indeed he is afterward found there in Caesarea as well.

It was therefore to good purpose that the Spirit caught him away, since otherwise the eunuch would have thought it right to depart together with him;

and Philip would have grieved him by declining and refusing, since the time for that was not yet come.

Do you see the angels lending their aid to the preaching, yet not themselves preaching, but only summoning these men to do it? And the marvel of it is shown from this very thing as well;

for that which of old was rare and scarcely came to pass, this here comes to pass with great abundance.

In another way too, what had come to pass was a kind of foreannouncement that they would prevail over the Gentiles.

For indeed the trustworthiness of those who believed was sufficient to persuade the learners to be roused up to the like zeal themselves.

For this reason indeed he also went on his way rejoicing; so that, had he known, he would not have been glad.

But what, one asks, hindered him from learning everything exactly even while he was in the vehicle, and especially in the wilderness? Because the matter was not for display.

But let us examine the passages that have been read from the beginning.

'And behold,' it says, 'a man of Ethiopia, a eunuch, a man of great authority under Candace queen of the Ethiopians.'

From this it is plain that they were ruled by her.

For indeed women held rule of old, and this was a custom among them.

Thus Philip did not know for what reason he had come into the wilderness, seeing that it is no longer an angel, but the Spirit that catches him away.

But the eunuch sees none of these things, being as yet imperfect—or else because these things belong not to the more carnal but to the more spiritual—nor indeed does he learn what Philip is taught.

And why does not the angel appear to him and lead him to Philip? Because perhaps he would not have been persuaded, but rather would have been the more astounded.

Observe the wisdom of Philip;

he did not accuse, he did not say;

he did not flatter, but said to him;

Thus his word was free both of boldness and of flattery, and rather full of care and love toward men.

For it behooved him to ask, it behooved him to long for it.

And it shows that he knew that the other man knew nothing, by his saying;

'Understandest thou indeed what thou readest?'—and at the same time pointing out the great treasure that lay within.

But observe how prudently the eunuch too makes his answer.

'For how,' he says, 'could I, except some man should guide me?' He did not look at the outward appearance, he did not say;

'Who art thou?' he did not find fault, he does not boast, he does not claim to know, but confesses his ignorance;

he shows his wound to the physician;

he perceived that the other both knew these things and was willing to teach.

For indeed Philip bore no splendid outward appearance.

So ready was he to listen and so attentive to the words, that even the saying 'He that seeketh findeth' was fulfilled in him.

'And he besought Philip,' it says, 'that he would come up and sit with him.'

Do you see his diligence? Do you see his longing? He besought him to come up and sit together with him;

so little did he know what Philip was about to say to him, but supposed that he would simply hear some prophecy.

And this too was a greater honour, that he did not simply bring him up, but did so with an entreaty.

'And Philip ran up, and heard him reading.'

And the running was a sign of one willing to speak, and the reading a sign of diligence.

For he was reading at such a time as when the sun makes the heat more fierce.

'He was led as a sheep to the slaughter.'

And this too is a token of his love of learning, that he had in his hands this prophet, who is loftier than the rest.

Wherefore also Philip does not expound to him with vehemence, but gently;

or rather he does not even so much as utter a word beforehand, until he was asked, until the other besought him;

as though doing the same thing again, he says;

'I pray thee, of whom does the prophet say this?' It seems to me that he did not know that the prophets speak concerning others;

or if not this, then he was ignorant that they discourse concerning themselves in the person of another.

Let us be ashamed, both poor and rich, before that treasurer.

Then they came to a certain water, and he says;

This was the mark of a soul exceedingly kindled.

'What hinders me from being baptized?' Do you see his desire? He does not say, 'Baptize me,' nor yet is he silent;

but he utters something midway between desire and reverence, saying;

'What hinders me from being baptized?' See how he had the doctrines complete;

for indeed the prophet embraced all things—the incarnation, the passion, the resurrection, the ascension, the judgment that is to come;

which things indeed wrought in him an especially great desire.

Be ashamed, as many of you as remain unenlightened.

'And he commanded,' it says, 'the chariot to stand still.'

At one and the same moment he spoke and gave the order, before he had heard anything further.

'And when they came up out of the water, the Spirit of the Lord caught away Philip.'

Well done, that what took place might be shown to be divine, and that the eunuch might not suppose that he was simply a man.

'And he went,' it says, 'on his way rejoicing.'

This he said, showing that he would have been grieved, had he known;

so did he, by reason of his great joy—though he had been deemed worthy of the Spirit—not even perceive the things that were before him.

'And he was found,' it says, 'at Azotus.'

From this Philip too gained much.

For what he had heard concerning the prophets—concerning Habakkuk, concerning Ezekiel and the rest—he saw come to pass in his own case, being shown in an instant to have traversed a great distance, seeing that he was found at Azotus, and there thereafter he remains, where he also had to preach the gospel.

But Saul, still breathing out threats and slaughter against the disciples of the Lord, went to the high priest and asked from him letters to the synagogues at Damascus, so that if he found any who were of the Way, whether men or women, he might bring them bound to Jerusalem.

Opportunely he inserted the account of Paul's zeal, so as to show that it was in the very midst of that zeal that he was drawn.

For not yet sated with the murder of Stephen, nor filled with the persecution of the Church and its dispersion, he goes to the high priest.

Here is fulfilled the word spoken by Christ to the disciples: 'The hour comes, that whosoever kills you will think that he offers worship to God.'

Now this man acted thus, but not as the Jews did.

For that he acted out of zeal is plain from the fact that he even went off to cities outside.

But those men took no thought even for those in Jerusalem; they aimed at one thing only, to enjoy their honor.

But why did he journey to Damascus? It was a great city, a royal city.

He was afraid lest that city too should be taken beforehand by the faith.

And mark his longing and his vehemence, how he acted according to law.

He does not approach a magistrate, but the high priest.

He asks letters from him, so that if he should find any who were of the Way.

He calls the believers 'the Way,' by which name they were then so called by all, perhaps because they were cutting the way that leads to heaven.

But why did he not obtain authority to punish them there, but instead brings them to Jerusalem? So that here, with greater authority, he might carry out the punishments.

And mark into what danger he flung himself, and yet.

And even so he is afraid lest he should suffer some harm.

For this reason indeed he takes others also with him, thereby perhaps cutting short his fear.

Or also, since he was going against many, he takes many with him, so as to be the bolder: 'that whomsoever he might find, both men and women, he might bring them bound to Jerusalem.'

Besides, he also wished to show all of them by the journey that the whole affair was his own doing; so little did those others make this their earnest concern.

So little did those men make this their earnest concern.

And mark him casting into prison even before this.

Those men, then, had no power to do so, but this man had power, from his eagerness.

And as he journeyed, it came to pass that he drew near to Damascus.

And suddenly there shone round about him a light from heaven; and falling to the earth, he heard a voice saying to him:

'Saul, Saul, why do you persecute me?' (Section 3)

Why not in Jerusalem, why did it not happen in Damascus? So that others might not be able to narrate it in different ways, but that he himself, who was going off for this very purpose, might be a trustworthy narrator.

This indeed he says when making his defense before Agrippa also.

And he suffers also in his eyes, because an excess of light is wont to strike them.

For the eyes have their measure.

It is said that an excess of sound also makes men deaf and stupefied.

But him alone it blinded, and it quenched his rage by fear, so that he might hear the things spoken.

'Saul, Saul,' he says, 'why do you persecute me?' He does not say to him, 'Believe,' nor anything else of the kind, but reproaches him.

For by his reproach he all but says this:

'In what great or small thing have you been wronged by me, that you do these things?' And he said:

'Who are you, Lord?' Meanwhile he confessed himself a servant.

'I am Jesus, whom you persecute.'

'Do not think that your war is against men.'

And they that were with him heard indeed the voice of Paul, but they beheld no one to whom he was answering.

For he made them hearers of the lesser things.

For if they had heard that voice, they would perhaps have disbelieved.

But seeing Paul answering, they marveled.

But 'Arise, and enter into the city, and it shall be told you what you must do.'

Mark how he does not at once reveal all things to him, but only first softens his mind, and by the things he bids him do he straightway gives him good hopes, namely that he will recover his sight.

And the men who journeyed with him stood speechless, hearing indeed the voice, but beholding no one.

And Saul arose from the ground; and when his eyes were opened, he saw no one.

And leading him by the hand, they brought him into Damascus.

The devil's spoil, his vessels, they bring in, as when some city or metropolis has been captured.

And what is indeed wonderful, his very foes and enemies brought him in, while all were looking on.

And he was three days without sight, and neither ate nor drank.

What could be equal to this? A counterweight to the despondency over Stephen becomes the winning-over of Paul, having in itself its own consolation—that he thus departed—but receiving this consolation too; and the villages of the Samaritans that were brought in afforded the greatest consolation.

'And why,' one asks, 'did this not happen from the beginning, but afterward?' In order that it might be shown that Christ truly rose.

For he who drove him and disbelieved in his death and resurrection, and persecuted his disciples—this man, tell me, from where would he have believed, unless the strength of the Crucified had been great? Grant that those others were showing him favor;

what will you say concerning this man? Moreover, for this reason he came over after the resurrection, and not immediately, so that his war against Christ might be shown more clearly.

For he who so raged as even to pour out blood and to cast men into prison, all at once believes.

It was not enough that he had not associated with Christ, but it was necessary also that the faithful should be warred upon vehemently by him;

he left no excess of madness untried;

he was more vehement than all.

But when he had been blinded, then he comes to know the tokens of Christ's lordship and of his lovingkindness;

or also, that no one might say that he was feigning.

For how could he—who longed for bloodshed, who went to the priests, who flung himself into dangers, and who drove out and punished those outside? This man, then, after all these things, confesses the lordship.

But why not within the city

was he encircled by the light, but before it? Because the many would not have believed, but would even have mocked;

seeing that even there, when a voice was borne from above, those who heard it said that it was thunder;

but this man was trustworthy in reporting rather the things concerning himself.

And he was led in bound, though no bonds were placed about him, and they dragged him—him who had expected to drag the others.

But for what reason did he neither eat nor drink? He was condemning himself over what had happened, he was confessing, he was praying, he was entreating God.

But if someone should say that the matter was one of compulsion (for Elymas too suffered the same thing), we shall say:

Yes, he suffered it, but he remained as he was.

How then was he not compelled? And what is more compelling than the earthquake at the resurrection, than the soldiers who reported it, than the other signs, than seeing him risen? But these things are not compelling, but instructive.

Why did the Jews not believe when they heard these things? Because it was plain that he spoke the truth.

For he would not have been changed, had this not come to pass;

so that all ought to have believed.

He was no less than those who proclaimed His resurrection, but rather even more worthy of credit, having been so suddenly transformed.

He had consorted with none of the believers, but was changed in Damascus, or rather he underwent this even before reaching Damascus.

From what cause, tell me, was Paul changed? He had seen so many signs, and was not changed;

his teacher was changed, and yet he himself was not changed;

who persuaded him? Or rather, who so suddenly cast into him such zeal, that he even prayed to become anathema for Christ's sake? The truth of the facts is manifest.

But, as I said, for the present let us be put to shame by the eunuch, both being illumined and reading.

Behold how great was his authority, how great his wealth, and yet not even on the road did he take his ease. Who then was this man that abode in his house, since not even on the roads did he endure to be idle? What manner of man was he by night?

As many of you as are in positions of dignity, hear this, and imitate his freedom from pride and his reverent piety.

And yet, though about to depart homeward, he did not say to himself:

'I am going away to my native land; there I shall receive the washing'—the cold words of the many.

He needed no signs, he needed no wonders;

from the prophet alone he believed.

For this reason Paul bewails himself, saying:

'But for this cause I obtained mercy, that being ignorant I did it in unbelief; and that in me first Jesus Christ might show forth all longsuffering.'

Truly this eunuch is worthy of admiration.

He had not seen Christ, he had not seen a sign;

he still beheld Jerusalem standing, and yet he believed Philip.

Whence then did he become such a man? His soul was full of care, he gave heed to the Scriptures, he was diligent in his readings.

And yet the robber too saw signs, and the magi saw a star;

but this man saw nothing of the kind, and yet he believed;

so profitable a thing is the reading of the Scriptures!

What then of Paul? Did he not study the Law? But it seems to me that he was purposely deferred, for the reasons I mentioned earlier, because Christ willed by every means to draw the Jews to Himself.

For if they had understanding, nothing would have profited them so much as this.

For this, more than signs and all else, was sufficient to draw them;

just as, on the other hand, nothing is so apt to offend the grosser sort.

Observe then, that after the dispersion of the apostles, God too works the signs.

The Jews accused the apostles, and cast them into prison;

thereafter God works wonders.

The bringing them forth from the prison was His sign;

the leading of Philip was His sign;

the bringing of Paul to Himself was His sign;

the showing of Himself to Stephen was His sign.

And consider how Paul is honoured, and how the eunuch.

Here Christ Himself appears, perhaps because of his hardness, and because he would not otherwise have been persuaded.

Let us too, dwelling upon these wonders, prepare ourselves to be worthy.

Many now, even when they enter the church, do not know what is being said;

but the eunuch, even in the market-place and while being carried in his chariot, gave heed to the reading of the Scriptures.

For not one of you has a book in his hands, but everything rather than the book.

But why does He not see him before the events at Jerusalem, but

afterward? He ought not to have seen the apostles being persecuted, because of his weakness as yet;

nor was it before so easy as when the prophet had instructed him.

So also now, if any of you were willing to give heed to the prophets, he would not need signs;

and if you please, let us look at the prophecy itself, what it says.

'He was led as a sheep to the slaughter; and in His humiliation His judgment was taken away.'

From this he learned that He was crucified, that His life is taken away from the earth;

that He did no sin, that He had power to save others also, that His generation is unutterable, that rocks were rent, that the veil was torn, that the dead were raised from the tombs;

or rather, Philip told him all these things, having merely taken his starting-point from the prophet.

Truly a great thing is the reading of the Scriptures.

Thus was that fulfilled which was spoken by Moses:

'When thou sittest, and liest down, and risest up, and walkest by the way, remember the Lord thy God.'

For roads especially, when they are deserted, give us leisure for our thoughts, there being nothing to disturb us.

And this man believes on the road, and Paul on the road;

but no one draws this man, save Christ Himself.

This was something greater than what befell the apostles;

and the greater point is this, that while the apostles were in Jerusalem, and none of them was in Damascus, he was returning thence already persuaded;

and those in Damascus knew that he had not come persuaded from Jerusalem;

for he was carrying letters, so as to bind those who believed.

Like a most excellent physician, while the fever was still at its height, Christ applied the remedy to him;

for it was needful that he should be seized in the very midst of his raging.

Then most of all did he fall down, and condemn himself, as one who had dared dreadful things.

But again it is good to take up the discourse afresh with you.

For what purpose, tell me, are the Scriptures? For, as far as your part is concerned, everything is done away with.

For what purpose the church? Bury the books;

perhaps that would not be so great a condemnation, not so great a punishment.

If one were to bury them in dung, and not to hear them, he would not so insult them as men do now.

For what, tell me, is the insult there? That he buried them.

And what here? That we do not hear them.

Tell me, who is most of all insulted? He that is silent and gets no answer, or he that is speaking? Assuredly he that is speaking.

So then the insult is greater now, when you will not so much as listen even while He is speaking; the contempt is greater.

'Do not speak to us,' the Jews said of old to the prophets;

but you do a worse thing, saying:

Those men indeed turned them away that they might not even speak, as though from the very voice they were receiving some occasion for reverence;

but you, out of great contempt, do not even do this.

Believe me, if you had stopped up our mouths, laying your hands upon them, the insult would not have been so great as it is now.

For tell me: he who hears and is not persuaded—does he show greater contempt, or he who will not even hear? (5)

But come, let us examine the matter as a case of insult:

If one man should restrain the person insulting him and silence him as one pained by the insults, while another should neither care nor take any notice at all, which of the two shows the greater contempt? Is it not the latter? For the former at least makes it plain that he receives a blow;

but this man all but stops up the mouth of God.

Did you shudder at what was said? But hear also how this comes to pass.

The mouth through which God speaks is the mouth of God.

For just as this mouth is the mouth of our soul, though the soul has no mouth of its own,

so also the mouth of the prophets is the mouth of God.

A common minister, the deacon stands crying aloud and saying:

That voice is the common voice of the Church, which this man utters, and no one gives heed.

After him the reader begins the prophecy of Isaiah;

and not even so does anyone give heed, although prophecy has nothing human in it.

Then he cries out for all to hear, saying, 'Thus says the Lord,' and not even so does anyone give heed.

What am I saying? He recounts things fearful and terrifying, and not even so is there anyone who gives heed.

But what is the plea of the multitude? 'It is always the same things that are read,' they say.

This is the very thing that most of all destroys you.

For if indeed you knew these things, most assuredly not even so ought you to hold aloof;

since in the theatres too it is always the same things

that take place, and yet you do not grow sated.

How dare you say they are the same things, you who do not so much as know the names of the prophets? Are you not ashamed to say that you do not listen because it is always the same things that are read, when you do not even know the names of what is read, and this though you are always hearing the same things? For you yourself have admitted that the same things are spoken.

If I were bringing this forward by way of accusation, you would have had to resort to some other defence, not to your own self-accusation.

Tell me, do you not exhort your own son? If then he should say, 'It is always the same things,' would you not consider it an insult? It would have been permissible not to repeat the same things at the time when we both knew them and demonstrated them by our deeds;

or rather, not even then is the reading superfluous.

What is equal to Timothy? Yet nevertheless, even to him Paul wrote, saying:

'Give heed to reading, to exhortation.'

For it is not, it is not possible ever to exhaust the meaning of the Scriptures;

it is a fountain that has no bound.

'I said, I have become wise,' he says, 'and then it departed from me.'

Do you wish me to show that they are not the same things? How many do you suppose have spoken concerning the Gospels? Yet all of these have spoken in strange and novel ways.

For the more one dwells upon them, the more keenly he sees, the more he beholds the pure light.

What is prophecy? Tell me;

what are narratives? what is a parable? what is an allegory? what is a type? what is a symbol? what are Gospels? Just tell me this one obvious thing: why are they called Gospels? And yet you have often heard that the Gospels ought to have nothing gloomy in them;

yet these are full of much gloom.

'Their fire shall not be quenched,' it says, 'and their worm shall not die';

and the saying, 'He shall cut him asunder, and shall appoint his portion with the hypocrites';

'I know you not; depart from me, you that work iniquity.'

Surely then we are not deceiving ourselves, supposing that these things are being spoken to us in Greek?

Or is none of this addressed to us? You have been deafened, and, as though struck senseless, you bow your heads downward.

The Gospels ought to contain nothing of things to be done, but only to counsel good things;

yet these contain countless things to be done;

such as also are the following:

'If anyone hate not his own father and mother, he is not worthy of me';

and, 'I came not to cast peace upon the earth, but a sword';

and, 'In the world you shall have tribulation.'

For this is the Gospel;

just as also in common usage men say to one another:

'What good news have I for you? Your father is coming, your mother.'

Again tell me, in what do these differ from the prophetic writings? Why are not those also called Gospels? For those too say the same things;

for instance, 'The lame man shall leap as a hart';

'The Lord shall give a word to those who bring good tidings';

'I will give you a new heaven and a new earth.'

Why are not those also called Gospels? Why is not this too called prophecy? But if, not even knowing what the Gospels are, you thus despise the reading of the Scriptures,

what shall I say to you? Let me say yet one thing more:

Why are there four Gospels? Why not ten? Why not twenty? Why did not many undertake to compose Gospels? Why not one? Why the disciples? Why those who were not disciples? And why the Scriptures at all? Yet the Old Testament says the contrary:

'I will give you a new covenant.'

Where are those who say, 'It is always the same things'? If you knew these things—that, even if a man live ten thousand years, they are not the same things—you would not have said this.

Believe me, I will tell you none of these things, neither privately nor in common;

but if any one of you find it out, I will assent;

For thus have we made you useless, always saying everything for you ready-made, and not withholding assent when we ought.

Behold, you have questions enough;

consider, tell me the reason.

Why Gospels? Why not prophecies? Why the things to be done in the Gospels? And if this man be at a loss, let another inquire, and contribute to one another what is your own;

and for the rest, we will keep silence.

For if the things that have been said have profited you nothing, much less would there be any profit even if we should add others.

In truth we are drawing water into a pierced jar; and for this reason your punishment will be the greater.

Shall we then for this cause keep silence?

That this may not come to pass rests with you; you are the masters of it.

For if we behold your zeal,

perhaps we shall speak again, that you too may be the more approved, and that we also may rejoice over you, glorifying in all things the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ;

to whom be the glory, and the might, and the majesty, and the honour, together with the Father who is without beginning, and His Holy Spirit, now and ever, and unto the ages of ages.