使徒行傳講道集 第 14 章

'But there stood up one in the council, a Pharisee named Gamaliel, a teacher of the law, held in honour by all the people, and commanded to put the men outside for a little while.'

This Gamaliel was Paul's teacher.

And it is worthy of wonder how, though possessing sound judgment and being learned in the law, he had not yet believed.

But it is not possible that he should have remained unbelieving to the end.

And this is plain from the words in which he gives his counsel.

'For he commanded,' it says, 'to put the men outside for a little while.'

Observe the shrewdness of his address, and how at once he cast them into fear.

And that he might not be suspected of holding with the apostles, he speaks as to men of the same mind with himself, and does not use much vehemence, but addresses them as men drunk with rage, saying thus:

'Men of Israel, take heed to yourselves what you are about to do with regard to these men.'

Do not, he says, act rashly, nor at random.

'For before these days rose up Theudas, claiming to be somebody, to whom a number of men, about four hundred, joined themselves;

and all who obeyed him were scattered and came to nothing.'

He brings them to soberness by examples, and mentions afterwards the one who drew away the greater number, thereby soothing them.

Before giving the examples, then, he says, 'Take heed to yourselves';

but when he has shown them, he declares his judgment, saying:

'And now I say to you, Refrain from these men.'

'After him rose up Judas the Galilean in the days of the census, and drew away a considerable people after him;

he also perished, and all who obeyed him were scattered.'

'And now I say to you, Refrain from these men, and let them alone;

for if this counsel or this work be of men, it will be overthrown;

but if it is of God, you will not be able to overthrow it.'

Hold back, he says; and if these men too have banded together of themselves, nothing will hinder them also from being overthrown.

'Lest perhaps you be found even fighting against God.'

Both by the impossibility and by the inexpediency of the thing he dissuades them.

He did not say by whom those men were destroyed, but simply that they were scattered—perhaps as being beside the point.

But by what he suggests he teaches them: If the work is of men, you will need no trouble at all;

but if it is divine, not even with all your efforts will you be able to prevail against it.

Thus at any rate the speech seemed judicious, so that they were even persuaded not to kill them, but only to scourge them.

'For they were persuaded by him,' it says;

'and having called the apostles, they beat them and charged them not to speak in the name of Jesus, and released them.'

See after how many miracles they are scourged!

And yet again the teaching was extended still further;

for indeed they taught both in the house and in the temple.

'They then went their way rejoicing from the presence of the council, because they had been counted worthy to suffer dishonour for the name of Christ; and every day in the temple'

'and from house to house they did not cease teaching and preaching Jesus Christ.'

'Now in those days, when the disciples were multiplying, there arose a murmuring of the Hellenists against the Hebrews, because their widows were being overlooked in the daily ministration.'

He does not mean precisely in those very days;

but since it is the custom of Scripture to speak also of things about to happen as though occurring in immediate sequence, for this reason he spoke thus.

By 'Hellenists' I suppose he means those who spoke in Greek;

for these, though they were Hebrews, conversed in Greek.

Behold yet another trial!

Rather, if you are willing to consider the matter, you too will see that from the very beginning the wars were both from within and from without.

'And the twelve,' he says, 'called the multitude of the disciples to them, and said:'

'It is not fitting that we should forsake the word of God and serve tables.'

For among things necessary, the more necessary are the more to be preferred.

But observe how at once they take thought even for these things, and yet do not neglect the preaching.

Now those men were the more worthy of reverence, and for this reason they are also given the preference.

'Look you out therefore, brethren, from among you seven men of good report, full of the Spirit and of wisdom, whom we may appoint over this business.'

'But we will continue steadfastly in prayer and in the ministry of the word.'

'And the saying pleased the whole multitude.'

'And they chose Stephen, a man full of faith and of the Holy Spirit.'

Those, then, whom they chose were also full of faith, so that there might not happen the same things as befell Judas, and as befell Ananias and Sapphira.

'And Philip, and Prochorus, and Nicanor, and Timon, and Parmenas, and Nicolaus a proselyte of Antioch: whom they set before the apostles; and when they had prayed, they laid their hands on them.'

'And the word of the Lord increased, and the number of the disciples multiplied in Jerusalem exceedingly;'

'and a great company of the priests were obedient to the faith.'

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

Men, take heed to yourselves.

Consider, I pray, how Gamaliel here reasons with them with all forbearance, and goes through but few matters before them, and does not tell old stories—though he might have done so—but recent ones, which were especially strong for producing belief.

Wherefore also he hints at the matter with concealment, saying:

'For before these days;'

all but showing that it was not long before.

If, then, he had said at once, 'Let the men go,' he himself would have seemed suspect, and his argument thus would not have been strong;

but with the examples his argument took its own proper force.

For this reason he mentions not one only, but a second also—though he might have told a third as well—showing out of his abundance both that he himself spoke well, and leading them away from their murderous purpose.

'Refrain from these men.'

See how forbearing his character is.

And he makes his speech not long, but concise;

nor does he mention those men with anger.

'And all, as many as obeyed him, were scattered.'

In saying this he in no way blasphemes against Christ, but rather accomplishes precisely what he intends.

'If it be of men,' he says, 'it will be overthrown.'

Here he seems to me both to reason with them and to say:

'Therefore, since it was not overthrown, it is not of human origin.'

'Lest haply ye be found even to fight against God.'

This he said, restraining them by the impossibility and the unprofitableness of the thing.

'But if it be of God, ye will not be able.'

He did not say, 'If Christ be God;'

for the work itself made this manifest;

nor did he pronounce that it is not of human origin, nor that it is divine, but he committed the belief to the time to come, so as to persuade them.

And if he persuaded them, why then, one asks, did they scourge the apostles? Against the incontrovertible justness of the plea they had nothing to oppose;

yet nonetheless they gave vent to their own anger;

and besides, they expected once more by this means to strike fear.

And by speaking these things in the absence of the apostles, he drew them the more to himself;

and the sweetness of his words, and the justice of what was said, prevailed with them.

For this man too all but preached the Gospel;

or rather, all but pleading such a cause, he directs his words at them:

'Ye have been persuaded that ye had not power to overthrow it.'

Why did ye not believe? So great is the preaching, that even from its enemies comes its witness!

There four hundred rose up, and after that a considerable throng;

here the first were twelve.

'Let not, then, the multitude that has been added dismay you.'

'For if this work be of men, it will be overthrown.'

He might have named yet another, the Egyptian, but his speech would then have been superfluous.

You see how he shut up his argument with what is fearful? Wherefore also he does not pronounce outright, lest he should seem to speak on their behalf;

but he reasons from the outcome of the matter.

But he did not venture to pronounce that it is not of human origin, nor that it is of God;

since, if he had said that it is of God, they would have gainsaid him;

and if that it is of men, they would again have been ready to rise up against it.

For this reason he bids them await the end, saying:

But they threaten once more, knowing indeed that they accomplish nothing, yet doing their own part.

For such is wickedness: it often sets its hand to things impossible.

'And after this man rose up Judas.'

These things you will learn more accurately by poring over the books of Josephus;

for he, in compiling the history of these events, records them with exactness.

You see how bold a thing he ventured to say, that 'It is of God,' when he had at length taken his conviction from the facts themselves.

Truly great was his boldness of speech, great his freedom from respect of persons.

'And when they had called the apostles, they beat them and let them go.'

They stood in awe of the man's glory.

For this reason they draw back from putting the apostles to death;

and having only scourged them, they let them go.

So they departed from the presence of the council, rejoicing that they were counted worthy to suffer dishonor for the name of Christ.

How much more marvelous is this than any number of miracles!

Nowhere in the days of old did this ever come to pass;

for Jeremiah too was scourged for the word of God, and they threatened Elijah, and the others as well;

but here, by this very thing—and not by the miracles alone—they displayed the power of God.

He did not say that they felt no pain, but that even while suffering pain they rejoiced.

Whence is this plain? From the boldness which they showed thereafter;

for thus they stood firm ever afterward, preaching even after the stripes.

Wherefore, declaring this also, he says: In the temple and in every house they ceased not to teach and preach Jesus Christ.

And in these days—

In what days? When these things were taking place, when there were scourgings, when there were threats, when the disciples were multiplying—then it was that a murmuring arose.

It came about, perhaps, from the very multitude;

for it is not possible that exactness should be preserved in a multitude.

And a great company of the priests were obedient to the faith.

This is spoken by way of intimation, and to show that from the very quarters whence the death of Christ was contrived, from these many came to believe.

There arose, he says, a murmuring, because their widows were being overlooked in the daily ministration.

So then there was a daily ministration to the widows.

And observe how this man too calls it a ministration, and does not readily call it almsgiving;

at the same time exalting by this both those who give and those who receive.

This was not the result of malice, but perhaps of the negligence that attends a multitude.

Therefore he also brought it out into the midst (for it was no small evil), that it might speedily be set right.

Do you see how, even in the beginning, evils were not only from without, but also from within? But do not merely notice this, that it was set right, but that it was a great evil.

Look out among yourselves, brethren, seven men.

They do not act on their own private judgment, but first render account to the multitude.

So ought it to be done now also.

It is not fitting, he says, that we should leave the word of God and serve tables.

First he sets forth the incongruity, showing that it is impossible for both to be done with diligence;

since even when they were about to ordain Matthias, they first showed the need of the matter, namely that one was lacking, and that there had to be twelve.

And here also they made the need manifest;

and neither did they act beforehand, but waited until the murmuring arose, nor yet did they suffer this to go on for long.

And observe, they commit the decision to them, and put forward those who were pleasing to all and testified to by all.

Now when Matthias had to be put forward, they said: It is necessary that one of the men who accompanied us the whole time;

for that matter was not of such a kind.

Wherefore they did not commit it to the lot, nor again, though they were able themselves to choose being moved by the Spirit, do they do this;

rather, they establish what seemed good on the strength of the testimony of the many.

To determine the number, and to ordain, and what pertained to such a need, was theirs;

but the choosing of the men they entrust to those others, that they themselves might not seem to be showing favor;

since God too commits to Moses the choosing of elders whom he knew.

For indeed there is need of much wisdom in such administrations.

For do not suppose that, because the word has not been entrusted to him, such a man has no need of wisdom;

But we, he says, will give ourselves continually to prayer and to the ministry of the word.

Both at the beginning and at the end they render their account.

For so it behooved—not carelessly nor as it might chance, but to give oneself wholly to it.

And the saying, he says, pleased the whole multitude.

And this too was worthy of their wisdom.

All approved of what was said;

And they chose, he says (again it is they themselves who choose), Stephen, a man full of faith and of the Holy Spirit, and Philip, and Prochorus, and Nicanor, and Timon, and Parmenas, and Nicolas a proselyte of Antioch;

whom they set before the apostles.

And having prayed, they laid their hands upon them.

From this it is plain that they separated them from the multitude, and it is they themselves who draw them forth, not the apostles who bring them.

Observe how the writer is nowhere superfluous;

for he does not say how, but simply that they were ordained through prayer;

for this is what ordination is.

The hand of the man is laid upon him, but God works the whole, and it is His hand that touches the head of the one being ordained, if the ordination be performed as it ought.

And the word of God, he says, increased, and the number of the disciples multiplied.

He did not say this without reason, but to show how great is the might of almsgiving and of good ordering.

And now he is about to relate the things concerning Stephen;

wherefore he also sets forth beforehand the causes of these things;

And many, he says, of the priests were obedient to the faith.

For when they saw the ruler and teacher declaring these things, thereafter they took proof of it from the works.

And it is worthy of admiration, how the multitude was not divided in the choosing of the men, how the apostles were not rejected by them.

But what sort of dignity these men had, and what kind of ordination they received, it is necessary to learn.

Was it then that of deacons? And yet this does not exist in the Churches, but the administration is that of the presbyters;

and yet as yet no one was a bishop, but only the apostles.

Whence I think that neither the name of deacons nor of presbyters was clear and manifest;

but for the time being they were ordained unto this.

And they were not simply entrusted with it, but prayer was made that power might come upon them.

But consider with me: if seven men were needed for this, so much money, it seems, flowed in, so great was the multitude of widows.

So then, the prayers were not offered carelessly, but with much leisure and attention.

And this, like the preaching, was accomplished in the same way; for by means of these very prayers they accomplished the greater part.

For it was by these prayers that they brought most things to pass.

Thus were spiritual matters decided; thus too were men sent forth on their journeys; and thus were these entrusted with the word.

And he does not say it, nor does he exalt them, but he shows that to forsake the work given to them was not pleasing.

In this way they had been trained by Moses not to take everything into their own hands.

For this reason Paul also says, 'Only that we should remember the poor.'

And how they also promoted these men, learn this.

They fasted, they continued steadfastly in prayer.

This ought to be done even now.

And he did not say merely 'spiritual men,' but 'full of the Spirit and of wisdom,' showing that it required great wisdom of soul to bear the complaints of widows.

For what profit is there, when a man does not steal, yet wastes everything? Or when he is rash and easily provoked? In this respect too Philip was admirable.

'And entering into the house of Philip the evangelist, who was one of the seven, we abode with him.'

Do you see that nothing was managed after a merely human fashion? 'And the number of the disciples multiplied in Jerusalem.'

In Jerusalem the multitude increased.

The wonder is that, where Christ was slain, there the preaching grew.

And not only were none of the disciples caused to stumble, seeing some of the apostles scourged, others threatened, others tempted by the Spirit, and yet others murmuring;

but rather there were even more added to their number.

Thus by what happened concerning Ananias they were sobered, and greater fear came upon them.

But observe for me how the multitude increased.

After the trials, then it increased, not before them.

And consider too how great was the loving-kindness of God.

For from among those chief priests who were inciting the crowds to murder, who were shouting and saying such things as these:

'He saved others; himself he cannot save'—

from these, he says, 'Many were obedient to the faith.'

Let us therefore also become imitators of Him.

He received them, and did not cast them out.

In this way let us repay our enemies, who have wrought against us countless grievous wrongs.

Whatever good we may have, let us bestow it upon them;

let us not pass them by without doing them good.

For if by suffering evil we must satiate their wrath, much more by doing them good;

for this is a lesser thing than that.

For it is not the same thing to do good to an enemy, and to be willing to suffer even greater ills than one is called to endure;

from this we shall arrive at that also.

This is the mark of dignity belonging to the disciples of Christ.

They crucified Him when He came for their benefit, they scourged His disciples, and after these things He leads them into the same honour as the disciples, imparting to them alike of what is His own.

Let us become imitators of Christ, I beseech you;

for in this it is possible to imitate Him;

this makes one equal to God, this is something greater than what belongs to man.

This is the tutor and teacher of that heavenly wisdom.

He who has learned to pity the man in misfortune will learn also not to bear a grudge;

he who has learned this will be able also to do good to his enemies.

Let us learn to be broken with compassion at our neighbours' ills, and we shall learn also to bear their evils against us.

Let us ask the very man who has treated us ill, whether he does not condemn himself, whether he would not wish to act wisely, whether he does not say that the whole thing is a matter of anger, of small-mindedness, of wretchedness, whether he would not rather be among those who are insulted and keep silence, than among those who insult and rage, whether he does not depart marvelling at the one who suffered the wrong.

Do not then suppose that this makes men contemptible.

Nothing makes men so contemptible as to insult others;

nothing makes them so worthy of reverence as to bear being insulted.

For the one is an insolent man, but the other a lover of wisdom;

and the one is worse than a man, but the other equal to the angels.

For even if he were weaker than the one insulting him, yet even so, if he wished, he had it in his power to retaliate.

And besides, this man is pitied by all, but that one is hated.

What then? Will not this man by this very means be far the better? For all will attend to the one as to a madman, but to the other as to a man of sense.

Whenever, then, someone compels you to speak ill of another, say to him:

'I cannot speak ill of him;

for I am afraid lest perhaps he were not such a man.'

Above all, do not even say it in your mind;

do not entreat God against him;

if you see one being ill spoken of, defend him;

say, the words are of passion, not of the man;

say, they are of anger, not of the friend.

Let us reason thus in the case of each of the sins.

Do not wait for the fire to be kindled, but before this restrain it;

do not provoke the wild beast, but do not even allow it to be provoked;

for you are no longer master to restrain it, once the flame is kindled.

For what did he say? 'Fool and senseless'? Who then is answerable for the word, the one who hears it, or the one who speaks it? For the latter, even though he be exceedingly wise, has taken to himself the reputation of a fool;

but the former, even though he be foolish, has gained that of a wise man and a lover of wisdom.

Which is the foolish one, tell me, the one who reproaches another with things that are not so, or the one who is not even moved by it? For if not to be moved even when moved is a mark of wisdom,

then to be smitten when no one is even striking—how great is the folly of that!

I do not yet speak of what place of punishment is laid up for those who thus reproach and blaspheme their neighbour.

But what? Did he call him dishonoured and sprung from dishonoured men, and worthless and sprung from worthless men? Again he has turned the reproach back upon himself.

For the one man will appear honorable and worthy of reverence, but the other truly worthless.

For to bring forth such things by way of reproach — I mean the lowliness of one's birth — is the mark of a truly petty soul.

But the other will be great and admirable, inasmuch as he counts such a thing as nothing, but is so disposed as though he had heard that he possessed something surpassing the rest.

But will he call the other an adulterer, and cast up the rest? At this point—

for when the conscience is not stricken, neither would anger find any occasion.

And considering what wicked and foul words he brings out into the open, not even so ought we to be grieved.

For that which each man was afterwards going to learn, this he has now uncovered;

he has thereby rendered himself untrustworthy to all, as one who knows not how to cover the evils of his neighbor, and has shamed himself rather than the other, and has choked up every harbor for himself, and has made the reckonings of the coming tribunal fearful to himself.

For all will turn away not so much from this man as from that one, who has stripped bare and disclosed what ought not to have been revealed.

But do you say nothing of what you know against him; rather, keep silence, if you wish to receive the splendid glory.

For not only will you undo what was said, nor merely conceal it, but you will also work another good thing:

you will no longer cause the vote to be cast against yourself.

Does such a one speak ill of you? Do you say:

If he had known all, he would not have said only so much.

Did you marvel and were you astonished at what was said? But you must imitate it.

For it is on this account that we tell you all these sayings drawn from outside sources — not because the Scriptures do not have countless such examples, but because these are the more able to put men to shame;

since Scripture too knows how to speak so as to shame, as when it says:

Do not even the heathen do the same? And the prophet Jeremiah brought forward the sons of Rechab, who would not consent to transgress their father's command.

Miriam and Aaron spoke ill of Moses, and at once He demanded their punishment, and did not even allow it that some should merely learn that Moses had obtained vindication.

but this above all we wish all men to learn, that they did not pass by unpunished.

How long shall we breathe from the earth? A battle cannot be sustained from one side alone.

If you drag away madmen by both sides, you will provoke them the more;

but if from the right or from the left, you have quenched the anger.

The one who strikes, if he has an opponent who does not yield, is the more roused;

but if one who gives way, he is the more slackened, and the blow recoils upon himself.

For a man skilled in the pancratium does not so unnerve the strength of his antagonist as does a man who, being insulted, does not return the insult.

For that man, put to shame, thereupon departs condemned — first by his own conscience, and secondly by all the onlookers.

And there is a certain proverb, that indeed 'He who honors, honors himself.'

So then also the one who insults, insults himself.

No one will be able to wrong us — I say again — unless we ourselves do so;

nor will anyone make me poor, unless I make myself so.

Come, then, let us consider it thus:

Let my soul be poor, and let all pour out their wealth upon me;

what of it? So long as that soul is not changed, all is in vain.

Let my soul be great, and let all take away my wealth;

what of it? So long as you do not make that soul poor, there is no harm.

Let my life be impure, and let all say the opposite concerning me;

what of it? For though they say it, yet they do not also so reckon it in their minds.

Again, let my life be pure, and let all say the opposite;

and what of it? For in their conscience they will condemn themselves;

for surely they do not speak from conviction.

For just as one ought not to admit praises, so neither ought one to admit accusations.

And why do I say these things? No one will ever be able to plot against us, nor to involve us in any accusation, if we so will.

Let someone drag me into court, let him bring false charges, if he will, and even carry off my life;

and what of it, to suffer these things undeservedly for a little while? 'This very thing, then, is an evil,' he says.

Nay rather, this very thing is a good — to suffer not according to one's deserts.

But what? Ought it to have been according to your deserts? Let me say something again:

A certain philosopher from among those outside, when he heard that a certain man had died, and one of his disciples said to him—

he, turning, said, 'But what — did you wish it to be justly?' And did not John too die unjustly? Whom, then, do you rather pity — him who died justly, or him who died not so? Do you not count this one wretched, but the other you even admire? What harm, then, has the man suffered, who from that very death gained great things, being not only in no way harmed? For if it had made him mortal who was immortal, perhaps there would have been harm;

but if he was mortal, and by nature was destined a little later to await death, and this man hastened it upon him with glory,

what harm is there? Let our soul be rightly ordered, and there will be no harm from without.

But you are not in glory? And what of that? For what holds true concerning wealth, this holds also concerning glory.

For if I am magnanimous, I shall have need of nothing;

but if I am vainglorious, the more I obtain, by so much the more shall I have need.

And then shall I be most illustrious, and shall enjoy greater glory, if I despise glory.

Knowing these things, then, let us also give thanks to Him who has bestowed on us such a life, even Christ our God, and let us pursue that life unto His glory; for to Him belongs the glory, together with the Father who is without beginning, and His Holy Spirit, unto the ages of ages.