Homilies on the Acts of the Apostles 20

Now there was a certain disciple at Damascus named Ananias; and the Lord said to him in a vision:

And the Lord said to him:

Arise, and go into the street which is called Straight, and inquire in the house of Judas for one named Saul, of Tarsus;

and he has seen in a vision a man named Ananias coming in and putting his hand upon him, that he might recover his sight.

Why then did He neither call nor send any of the chief apostles for the instruction of Paul? Because it was not fitting that he should be brought in through men, but through Christ Himself;

since even this man taught him nothing, but only baptized him.

At all events, as soon as he was baptized he drew to himself much grace of the Spirit, by reason of his zeal and his great eagerness.

That Ananias too was among the very notable ones is plain from the things whereby he is made manifest and speaks to Him, and from the things whereby again he himself answers, saying:

Lord, I have heard from many concerning this man, how much evil he has done to Thy saints in Jerusalem.

If then he spoke thus in reply to the Lord, how much more would he have done so had He sent an angel!

For this reason too, before this, Philip does not hear beforehand what is to come, but only sees the angel;

and thus the Spirit commands him to go near and to join himself to the chariot.

But here meanwhile He cuts short his fear, and all but says this by His saying:

Behold, he is praying, he is blind, and dost thou fear? So Moses also is afraid;

so that these are the words of one who is afraid rather than of one who disbelieves.

And hear their words:

Lord, I have heard from many concerning this man.

What sayest thou? God speaks, and dost thou doubt? Even so: they did not yet know the power of Christ.

And here he has authority from the chief priests to bind all who call upon Thy name.

Whence is this plain? It was likely that, being in fear, they made careful inquiry.

He says these things, then, not as though Christ did not know them, but as one at a loss, that, these things being so, how it could be possible for these to come to pass.

So also in another place the disciples say:

Who can be saved? But observe how much is ordered by providence, that he might believe in Him who was coming.

In a dream he saw, He signified to him beforehand: He is praying, He says;

And why does He not tell him of the good deed that had been done? To teach us not to proclaim our own good deeds;

or rather, having also seen him afraid.

Not even so did He say, Thou shalt not be disbelieved, but what? Arise, and go.

For he knows in a vision a man laying hands upon him.

For this reason it was in a vision, since he was blind.

And not even the exceeding greatness of the miracle carried away the disciple;

nevertheless, through him God made Paul, who was blind, to recover his sight.

And the Lord said to him:

Go thy way; for this man is a chosen vessel unto Me, to bear My name before nations and kings, and the children of Israel.

For I will show him how great things he must suffer for My name's sake.

He shall not only be faithful, He says, but also a teacher, and shall use much boldness of speech.

Before nations and kings.

So far, He says, shall the teaching prevail, as even to overcome nations and kings, one and all.

And Ananias departed and entered into the house, and laying his hands upon him he said:

Brother Saul, the Lord has sent me (Jesus, who appeared to thee in the way as thou camest), that thou mightest recover thy sight and be filled with the Holy Spirit.

At once he makes him his own by the name.

Jesus, he says, who appeared to thee in the way.

And yet Christ had not told him this;

but he learned it from the Spirit.

And immediately there fell from his eyes as it were scales, and he received his sight forthwith, and arose and was baptized.

And having taken food, he was strengthened.

He only laid his hands upon him, and immediately there fell from his eyes the scales.

Some say that these were the cause of his blindness.

And why did He not blind his eyes? This would have been more marvellous;

for even with his eyes open he did not see;

which is what he experienced under the law, until the name of Jesus was laid upon him.

And immediately, he says, he was baptized.

And having taken food, he was strengthened.

So then he was also enfeebled by his journey, and by his fear, and by hunger and despondency.

Wishing therefore to heighten his despondency, He suffered him to remain blind until Ananias came.

And that no one might think the blindness to be a mere appearance, for this reason there were the scales.

So then he needed no other teaching, but the thing that befell him became his teaching.

And he was with the disciples who were at Damascus certain days.

And immediately he preached Christ in the synagogues, that this is the Son of God.

Observe, immediately he was a teacher in the synagogues.

He was not ashamed of the change, he did not fear to overthrow the very things in which he had before been distinguished.

He was not simply a teacher, but a teacher even in the synagogues.

So then from the very outset the man was one bent on slaying, and prepared for murders.

Dost thou see what a clear sign came to pass concerning him? By this very thing he also astounded all men.

Wherefore, making this plain also, he adds, saying:

And all who heard him were amazed, and said:

Is not this he who in Jerusalem laid waste those who called upon this name, and has come here for this very purpose, that he might lead them bound before the chief priests? But Saul was strengthened all the more, and confounded the Jews who dwelt in Damascus, proving that this is the Christ.

For being learned in the Law, he stopped their mouths and would not let them so much as utter a word.

They thought they had rid themselves of disputations of this kind when they were rid of Stephen; and behold, in place of Stephen they found another more vehement still.

But let us look from the beginning at what concerns Ananias.

He did not say to him, 'Reason with him and instruct him.'

For if, when the Lord had said that 'he is praying,' and that he had seen a man laying his hands upon him, this did not persuade him,

how much more, had He said this.

so that he would not even distrust you.

'Therefore do not be afraid, but go.'

Thus neither did Philip at that time hear the whole matter all at once.

'For this man is a chosen vessel unto me.'

This is the utterance of One who out of His abundance dissolves fear, and persuades him to take courage;

if indeed he was so to be minded on His behalf as even to suffer many things.

And having said 'vessel,' in order to show that his wickedness was not natural to him, He added 'of choice,' that He might make clear that he is also approved;

for it is that which is approved that we choose.

Let no one, hearing these things, imagine that Ananias says this out of disbelief in what is spoken, or from thinking that Christ had been deceived;

but rather, fearing and trembling, he did not even attend to what was said, once he had heard the name of Paul;

so did fear, arising from his very name, seize the soul beforehand;

and yet, having heard that He had blinded him, he ought to have taken courage.

'And here too,' he says, 'he has come for this very purpose, to bind all who call upon Your name.'

'I am afraid lest at some time he lead me up to Jerusalem.'

'Why do you cast me into the lion's mouth? Why do you betray me to this man?' He is afraid, and says these things, that we may learn from every side the virtue of the man.

For that such things should be said by the Jews is nothing to wonder at;

but that they came from this man, and one so afraid, this is shown to be the greatest proof of the power of God.

Here both the fear becomes great, and the obedience, coming after the fear, is greater still.

Then, since He had said 'a chosen vessel,' lest you should say that the whole is God's work, drawing you away from this notion, He adds what follows, saying:

'to bear My name before Gentiles and kings, and the sons of Israel.'

He heard that which Ananias greatly desired, namely, that he would also stand firm against the Jews;

wherefore he is filled not only with joy, but also with courage.

'For I,' He says, 'will show him how great things he must.'

'suffer for My name's sake.'

These things are spoken both by way of forewarning and at the same time of reproof: if that man, who was so raging mad, is to suffer all things, while he himself is unwilling even to baptize him that he may recover his sight.

'For this reason he is now gentle, because he is blind;

why do you bid me open his eyes? that he may bind again? But do not fear the future;

for he will use his restored sight not against us, but on our behalf;

to the words 'that he may recover his sight,' let these also be added:

he will do you no harm, but on the contrary will himself suffer many things.

And what is indeed marvelous is this, that he first suffers, and only then embarks upon the dangers.

'Brother Saul, the Jesus who appeared to you on the road has sent me.'

He did not say, 'He who maimed you,' but, 'He who appeared to you;'

so well did he know how to be moderate, and nowhere does he utter anything boastful.

Just as Peter said concerning the lame man:

'Why do you fasten your eyes on us, as though by our own power or godliness we had made him to walk?' so also this man said, 'The Jesus who appeared to you.'

While his hands were laid upon him he uttered these things, and a twofold blindness was being dissolved.

And in saying that 'having taken food he was strengthened,' he made clear that he had been utterly enfeebled, both from the dejection over his blindness, and from the fear, and from the fasting.

For he had not even endured to partake of food before, until, having been baptized, he straightway obtained the great gifts.

And he does not say, 'Jesus who was crucified, the Son of God, He who works signs;'

but what? 'He who appeared to you,' from the things familiar to that man;

since Christ Himself also added nothing more, nor did He say:

'I am He who was crucified, who rose again;'

He did not say, 'He who was persecuted,' lest He should seem to be exulting over him and mocking him.

'He who appeared to you,' he says, 'on the road.'

And yet He was not seen, but was seen through the deeds themselves.

And wishing to soften the burdensomeness of the word, he straightway added:

'that you may recover your sight, and be filled with the Holy Spirit.'

'He has come not to reprove what has been done, but to give the gift,' he says.

It seems to me that both this man and Cornelius partook of the Spirit at once, as soon as these words were spoken;

and yet he who gave it was not one of the Twelve.

Thus nothing in all that concerned him was human, nor came about through man, but it was God who was present, doing these things.

And at the same time He trains him also to be moderate, not leading him to the pre-eminent apostles, and shows that here there was nothing human.

Yet he was not deemed worthy of the Spirit that works the signs, in order that even in this way his faith might be shown;

'And immediately,' it says, 'in the synagogues he preached the Christ, that this is the Son of God.'

It was not that He rose again that he preached, nor that He lives;

but what? With the utmost exactness he set forth the doctrine:

'That this is the Son of God.'

But they, hearing these things, thereafter come to unbelief, though they ought not only to have believed, but also to have been astounded.

And why is it that they do not simply say that he was a persecutor, but that he laid waste those who called upon this name? By this they set forth his exceeding madness.

And they did not name Jesus, out of malice not enduring even to hear the name;

so brutalized were they.

And here too he has come to this very point.

We cannot say, he means, that he had first associated with the apostles.

See by how many witnesses it is confessed, even by those who were his enemies, that Paul was such a man.

But he was not merely unashamed before these men; he even gloried in them.

But Saul increased the more in strength, and confounded the Jews.

That is, he stopped their mouths, he did not allow them to say anything.

Proving that this is the Christ.

For indeed he was straightway a teacher.

And when many days were fulfilled, the Jews took counsel to kill him.

The Jews again resort to their forcible reasoning.

For they no longer seek out false accusers, and prosecutors, and false witnesses;

for they can no longer endure even these.

But what then? Henceforth they carry out the deed by themselves, with their own hands.

For when they saw the matter growing more intense, they do not even convene a tribunal.

But their plot became known to Saul;

and they watched the gates both day and night, that they might kill him.

Why? Because more unbearable to them than all that had already happened were the signs, the five thousand, and the rest.

And observe how for the present he is saved, not by grace, but by human wisdom;

that you may learn the virtue of the man, shining forth even without signs.

But the disciples took him by night, and let him down through the wall, lowering him in a basket.

That the affair might be free from suspicion.

What then? Having escaped so great a danger, does he stand still? By no means; but he departs to where he would inflame them still more.

For that he had truly and thoroughly believed was as yet incredible to the many.

For this reason, this takes place after many days.

What then does this mean? It is likely that he did not wish for a while to depart from thence, though many perhaps urged him;

but when he learned of it, then he yielded to his disciples;

for indeed he had disciples straightway.

Hinting at this, he said:

The governor under Aretas the king kept guard over the city of the Damascenes, wishing to seize me.

And observe the evangelist saying nothing in the way of boasting, nor setting Paul forth as illustrious, but only that they stirred up the king.

So they sent him away alone, and no one with him.

And this too was to his advantage, so that he might appear to the apostles at Jerusalem;

or rather, they indeed sent him away, thinking that thereby he would henceforth procure his own safety;

but he, doing the very opposite, straightway leapt in among those who were raging.

This is to be on fire; this above all is to be fervent.

And consider how he follows, from the very first day keeping the precept which the apostles heard, namely: If any man take not up his cross and follow me.

The fact, then, that he came later than the others made him all the more eager.

And in deed was fulfilled that saying: He to whom much is forgiven will love the more.

So that by however much he came last, by so much the more did he love.

For this reason also, branding his former life as with a pillar of infamy, and often marking himself with a stigma, he thought nothing sufficient to hide the things that had gone before.

Proving, it says; that is, teaching with gentleness.

And observe, they do not say to him, You are the persecutor;

why have you changed? For they were ashamed.

For he might have said, and with far greater justice, that This above all ought to teach you, since he thus makes his defence even before Agrippa.

Let us imitate this man, I beseech you, even we ourselves, and let us be arrayed in readiness against all dangers.

And how, one may say, does that man flee? The thing was not a matter of cowardice, but he was preserving himself for the preaching.

If he had been cowardly, he would not have gone to Jerusalem, he would not straightway have taken up the teaching;

he would have abated somewhat of his vehemence.

But he was not cowardly; rather, he was prudent in stewardship.

He was instructed by the suffering of Stephen.

Wherefore he counted it no great thing to die for the sake of the preaching, unless he could do so with much profit—a man who did not even wish to see Christ, whom above all he was hastening to see, since the work of his stewardship toward men was not yet completed for him.

Such ought to be the soul of the Christian.

From the very preface and from the starting-line itself the character of Paul was displayed;

for in those things which he did not according to knowledge, he acted moved by human reasoning.

For if after so long a time he was unwilling to depart;

much more at the beginning of his commerce, having just come forth from the harbours.

But Christ does not snatch him away from the danger, but leaves him;

since he wishes many things to come about also through human understanding.

And in another respect he leaves him, that we may learn that they too were men, and that grace did not everywhere work the whole;

since if this were not so, they would have been thought to be mere blocks of wood.

For this very reason they too ordered many things by means of practical measures.

Let us also do this, and thus let us reach out after the salvation of the brethren.

This is no less than martyrdom—to refuse to endure nothing for the salvation of the many.

Nothing so gladdens God.

Again I will say what I have often said;

and I say it because I greatly desire it;

since Christ also did the same, exhorting concerning forgiveness and saying:

When you pray, forgive if you have anything against anyone.

Again, discoursing with Peter, I say not to you, He says, that you forgive until seven times, but until seventy times seven;

and by his deeds he forgave the trespasses committed against himself.

Since we know that this is the definition of Christianity, we discourse about it continually.

Nothing is colder than a Christian who does not save others.

Here you cannot plead poverty;

for she who cast in the two mites will accuse you.

'Silver and gold have I none.'

And Paul too was so poor that he often went hungry and lacked the necessary food.

You cannot plead low birth;

for those men also were obscure, and sprung from obscure origins.

You cannot put forward your lack of education;

for those men also were unlettered.

Even if you are a slave, even if you are a runaway, you are able to fulfill your own part;

since Onesimus too was such a one.

But observe to what Paul calls him, and to how great a dignity he raises him.

'That he might minister to me,' he says, 'in my bonds.'

You cannot plead infirmity;

since Timothy too was such a one, being frequently subject to infirmities.

And that he was infirm, hear:

'Use a little wine for your stomach's sake and your frequent infirmities.'

Each one is able to benefit his neighbor, if he is willing to fulfill his own part.

Do you not see the barren trees, how strong they are, how fair, tall, smooth and lofty? But if we had a garden, we should much rather wish to have pomegranates and fruit-bearing olives than these;

for those trees are for delight, not for use;

and even their usefulness is but small.

Such are those who look only to their own concerns;

or rather, they are not even such;

for these are fit only for burning;

whereas those trees are useful both for building and for the security of those within.

Such also were the virgins, chaste indeed and modest and temperate, but useful to no one;

such are those who have not fed Christ.

For observe how none of these is charged on account of his own sins, not that he committed fornication, not that he swore falsely, nothing at all whatsoever;

but only that he was not useful to another.

Such was he who buried the talent, presenting indeed a blameless life, but being of no use to another.

How is such a one a Christian? Tell me, if leaven mingled with the meal does not transform the whole into its own nature, is such a thing really leaven? And what then, if perfume does not fill those near it with its fragrance, should we call this perfume? Do not say:

'It is impossible for me to lead others on;'

for if you are a Christian, it is impossible that it should not be so.

For as the things in nature are indisputable, so also are these;

for the matter lies in the very nature of the Christian.

If you say that the sun cannot shine, you insult it;

if you say that the Christian cannot be of benefit, you insult God and call Him a liar.

For it is easier for the sun not to give warmth nor to shine, than for the Christian not to give light;

it is easier for light to be darkness, than for this to come to pass.

Do not then say that it is impossible;

for the contrary is what is impossible.

If we order our own affairs well, those things will assuredly follow, and will ensue as a matter of nature.

It is not possible for the light of a Christian to be hidden;

it is not possible for so conspicuous a lamp to be concealed.

For just as from virtue the gain passes over both to us and to those who are benefited;

so also from vice the loss is double, passing over both to us and to those who are harmed.

Let there be, if you will, some ordinary man who has suffered countless evils from another, and let no one avenge him, but rather let him even do good in return;

of how much teaching is this not stronger? than how many words, how many exhortations? What wrath is it not able to quench and to soften? Knowing these things, then, let us hold fast to virtue, as it is not possible to be saved otherwise than by passing through this present life with these good deeds, that we may also attain the good things to come, by the grace and lovingkindness of our Lord Jesus Christ, with whom to the Father together with the Holy Spirit be glory, might, honor, now and ever, and unto the ages of ages. Amen.