Moralia in Job 867

48. On the weakness of the apostles and of their chief, before they received the Holy Spirit. — What heavens, but those of whom it is written: 'The heavens declare the glory of God' (Ps. 19:1)? Whom the Spirit then adorned, when He filled them. Which we have learned from Luke's account, who says: 'Suddenly there came from heaven a sound, as of a rushing mighty wind, and it filled all the house where they were sitting. And there appeared unto them divided tongues as of fire, and it sat upon each of them. And they were all filled with the Holy Spirit, and began to speak with divers tongues, according as the Holy Spirit gave them to utter' (Acts 2:2). From that time, therefore, they received the ornaments of virtue, whom before the immense foulness of fear had possessed.

For we know that that chief of the apostles — that is, the first of the heavens — before he received the grace of this Spirit, as often as he feared death, denied life. He who was laid low not by punishments, not by afflictions, not by the terrible power of anyone, but by the sole questioning of a single bondservant. And indeed, that the bondservant might not display anything terrible by a stronger sex, he was tempted with a maidservant inquiring (Matt. 26:70). And again, that the weakness of such a sex might be made worthless even by the lowliness of its office, he was questioned not by a maidservant only, but by a maidservant who was a doorkeeper (John 18:17).

Behold how base a person he was who was engaged to tempt him, so that it might openly be betrayed how great a weakness of fear possessed him, who could not stand firm even before the voice of a doorkeeping maidservant. 49. On Peter's fortitude after he had received it. — But let us now see what sort of man this one, a little before so timid, showed himself to be after the coming of the Spirit. Surely, as Luke testifies, we have learned with how great authority he preached the Lord against the priests and the rulers. For when, a miracle having been done, a question had arisen (Acts 4:14), and the chief priests, the elders, and the scribes ran together in persecution of the apostles, setting them in the midst, they took care to inquire by what power they had done the miracle. To whom Peter, filled with the Holy Spirit, said:

'Ye rulers of the people and elders, if we this day are judged concerning the good deed done to the infirm man, by what means he is made whole; be it known unto you all, and to all the people of Israel, that in the name of Jesus Christ of Nazareth, whom ye crucified, whom God raised from the dead, in Him doth this man stand here before you whole' (ibid. 4:8). And when at these things the fury of the persecutors increased, and the priests and rulers forbade them to preach Jesus, with what authority Peter grew strong against the wrath of the rulers is shown, when there straightway is added: 'But Peter and the apostles said: We ought to obey God rather than men' (ibid. 5:29).

But when the precepts of those resisting could not suppress the authority of the preachers, they came to scourging. For it is added: 'Then the chief priests, having beaten them, charged them that they should not speak in the name of Jesus, and let them go' (ibid. 5:40). But that not even scourgings availed to suppress the virtue of the apostles is plainly shown, when straightway it is subjoined: 'And they indeed departed rejoicing from the presence of the council, because they were counted worthy to suffer shame for the name of Jesus' (ibid. 5:41). And soon, even after the joys of scourgings, what they did is shown: 'And every day, in the temple and about the houses, they ceased not teaching and preaching Christ Jesus.'

Behold, that man a little before so timid now speaks with tongues, flashes with miracles, rebukes with free voice the unbelief of the priests and rulers, gives to the rest an example of authority for preaching Jesus, is forbidden by stripes to speak in His name, and yet is not restrained. He despises the scourges of those who beat him, who a little before had feared the words of those who questioned him; and he who when questioned dreaded the powers of a maidservant, when scourged tramples down the powers of rulers. For now, made firm by the virtue of the Holy Spirit, he trod down the heights of this world with the heel of liberty, so that he might discern as lying low whatever swelled up high against the grace of the Creator. 50. With what gifts and virtues the apostles shone, the Holy Spirit having been poured out upon them.

— These are the ornaments of the heavens, these are the gifts of the Spirit, which are wont to be manifested by diverse virtues, which Paul, as divided by the gift of a hidden dispensation, enumerates, saying: 'To one indeed is given through the Spirit the word of wisdom, to another the word of knowledge according to the same Spirit, to another faith in the same Spirit, to another the grace of healings in the one Spirit, to another the working of miracles, to another prophecy, to another discerning of spirits, to another kinds of tongues, to another interpretation of speeches' (1 Cor. 12:8-10). Which, presently concluding with a general definition, he says: 'But all these worketh one and the same Spirit, dividing to every one severally as He will.' Of these heavens also it is said in the psalm: 'By the word of the Lord were the heavens established' (Ps. 33:6).

Of these ornaments of the spirit also it is subjoined: 'And by the breath of His mouth all their power.' Well then is it said: 'His Spirit hath adorned the heavens,' because the holy preachers, unless they had received the promised gifts of the Paraclete, would have shone with no adornment of fortitude. But because, the holy apostles being adorned with the grace of virtues, the preaching of life prevailed against the hearts of unbelievers, and the ancient enemy, driven out by the voices of the preachers, forsook the beleaguered minds of the unbelievers, after the ornaments of the heavens it is aptly subjoined: