Homilies on Acts 6.1–6.4

… The word is not flattery; but since he had touched them severely, he now relaxes them, and fittingly reminds them of David. And again he begins with a preface, so that they may not be disturbed, since he was about to remind them of Jesus. Above, they would not have been disturbed at hearing of the prophet, but the name of Jesus would at once have offended them. And he did not say, “Be persuaded,” but, “Hear,” which gave no offense. And see how he says nothing lofty, but begins from very lowly things. “Jesus,” he says, “the Nazarene.” At once he names his home town, which was thought to be of no account. And for the time he says nothing great about him, not even what one would say about a prophet: “Jesus the Nazarene, a man attested by God to you.” See what a great thing this was, to say that he was sent from God. For this is what he himself, and John, and the apostles were eager to show at every turn. Hear John saying, “He said to me, ‘The one on whom you see the Spirit descending and remaining, this is he.’” And Christ himself does this to the utmost, saying, “I did not come of myself; he sent me.” And everywhere in the Scriptures this above all is what is pressed. That is why this holy man too, the leader of the blessed band, the lover of Christ, the ardent disciple, who was entrusted with the keys of heaven, who received the spiritual revelation, having first humbled them with fear, and shown that the apostles had been counted worthy of great things, and made them credible, then speaks about him. Oh, what he dared to say among the murderers: that he rose! And he does not say at once that he rose, but that he came from God to you. And this is plain from what he did. He no longer says that he himself did these things, but that God did them through him, so as to draw them on the more by his moderation; and to this end he calls them as witnesses, saying, “a man attested by God to you by mighty works and wonders and signs, which God did through him in your midst, as you yourselves know.” Then, coming to that accursed deed of theirs, see how he tries to free them from the charge; for even if it had been determined, they were nevertheless murderers. “This man,” he says, “delivered up by the determined counsel and foreknowledge of God, you took …”, all but saying the same words as Joseph said to his brothers: “Do not be afraid that you sold me; it was not you, but God who sent me here.” Then, having said that it was the counsel of God, so that they might not say, “Then we did well to do this,” he takes them to task by what he added: “by lawless hands …”; and at the same time he shows them that it was not of their own strength, had not God himself permitted it and given him up. For this is what “delivered up” means. So he turned the whole charge upon the head of Judas who betrayed him; for he betrayed him with the kiss. Either “by lawless hands” refers to him, or he means the soldiers, showing that you did not simply kill him, but did so through lawless men. And observe how everywhere they are eager first to have the passion acknowledged. The matter of the resurrection, since it was great, he veils for the time, and so he sets it in the middle. For those things were acknowledged, such as the cross and the death, but the resurrection not yet; that is why he speaks of it afterwards, adding, “whom God raised up, having loosed the pangs of death, because it was not possible for him to be held by it.” Here he hinted at something great and lofty. For “it was not possible” shows that he himself gave himself to be held, and that death itself was in travail while holding him, and suffered terribly. For Scripture everywhere is accustomed to call danger “the pangs of death.” And it shows that he so rose as never to die again. Or by saying, “because it was not possible for him to be held by it,” he makes plain that his resurrection was not one shared with the others. Then, before their mind could think anything, he set David before them, who removes every human reasoning. “For David,” he says, “says concerning him.” And see how lowly the testimony is again; and for this reason he took it from above, from the lowlier things, to show that death was not among things to be grieved over. “I saw the Lord always before me,” it says, “for he is at my right hand, so that I may not be shaken … because you will not abandon my soul to Hades.” Then, having completed the prophetic testimony, he used this preface, rousing them and making them his own: “It is permitted,” he says, “to speak to you with boldness about the patriarch David.” Great is his humility: where nothing harmed the cause, he condescends. That is why he did not say that these things were said about Christ and not about David; very prudently, shaming them by the great honor he pays the blessed David, and, in a point that was acknowledged but seemed boldly said, appeasing them by gently praising him. That is why he does not simply say “about David,” but “about the patriarch David, that he both died and was buried.” He no longer says, “and did not rise,” but establishes the same thing directly in another way, saying, “and his tomb is with us to this day.” Then, having established what he wished, even so he did not come to Christ, but again with praises of David: “Being therefore a prophet, and knowing that God had sworn to him with an oath …”

He says these things so that, at least out of honor for David and for their race, they may receive the word about the resurrection, since both the prophecy and the honor paid to them would be harmed if this were not so. “And knowing,” he says, “that God had sworn to him with an oath.” He did not simply say “promised,” but what was more, “had sworn with an oath that of the fruit of his loins, according to the flesh, he would raise up the Christ to sit on his throne.” See how he again hinted at the lofty matter. For since he had soothed them by his words, he boldly inserted this from the prophet, and discourses about the resurrection: “that neither was his soul left in Hades, nor did his flesh see corruption.” This again is wonderful; for it shows that his resurrection was not like that of the others. For death held him, but did not then do its own work. And he spoke of the sin, veiling it, but did not add the punishment; he made plain that they killed him, and then he comes to the sign given by God. When it is shown that the man who was killed was just, and a friend of God, even if you keep silent about the punishment, the sinner will condemn himself more than you would. So he ascribes everything to the Father, so that they may receive what is said. Then he brings in “it was not possible” from the prophecy.

Let us, then, look again at what was said from the beginning. “Jesus the Nazarene, a man attested by God to you”; that is, not disputed, but attested through his works. So Nicodemus too said, “No one can do these signs that you do.” “By mighty works,” he says, “and wonders and signs, which God did through him in your midst.” So it was not done in secret, if it was in your midst. He begins first from things known to them, and then comes to things not plain. Next, by saying, “by the counsel of God,” he shows that it was not they who prevailed, and that what happened was something wise, a dispensation, since it was from God. And he passed quickly over what was burdensome. For their concern everywhere is to show that he died. “Even if you deny it,” he says, “those will bear witness.” He who gave trouble to death, much more to those who crucified him … but he says nothing of the kind, that he could destroy you, but only let it be seen. For the time we too learn from what is said what “to be held” means. For one in travail does not hold what is held, nor act on it, but suffers and hastens to cast it off. And he did well to say, “For David says concerning him,” so that you would not draw the saying to the prophet himself. Do you see how he now interprets the prophecy and lays it bare, showing how he sat on his throne? For the kingdom according to the Spirit is in heaven. See how together with the resurrection he showed the kingdom too, in his rising. He shows that the prophet was under necessity; for the prophecy was about him. Why did he not say, “about his kingdom,” but, “about his resurrection”? This was the great thing. And how did he sit on the throne? By reigning over the Jews. And if over the Jews, much more over those who crucified him. “For his flesh did not see corruption,” it says. This seems to be less than the resurrection, but it is the same. “This Jesus God raised up.” See how he calls him by no other name. “Of which we all are witnesses. Being therefore exalted at the right hand of God.” Again he takes refuge in the Father, though he could have said the former; but he knows how much this means. Here he hinted also at the ascension, and that he is in the heavens; but even this he does not say openly. “And having received from the Father the promise of the Holy Spirit.” See how at the beginning he did not say that Christ himself had sent it down, but the Father; but when he had mentioned his signs and what had been done to him by the Jews, and had discoursed about the resurrection, then he boldly brings in the word about these things too, again calling them as witnesses through both senses; and he mentions the resurrection constantly, but their outrage once, so as not to weigh them down. “And having received the promise of the Holy Spirit.” This again is great. I think that he here means by the promise the one made before the passion. See how he now makes the whole thing his, unobtrusively making it great. For if he poured it out, the prophet spoke about him above: “In the last days I will pour out of my Spirit upon my menservants and upon my maidservants, and I will give wonders in the heaven above.” See what hidden things he inserts. But since it was great, he veils it again by speaking of receiving it from the Father. He spoke of the good things that had happened, the signs; he said that he is king, a thing that concerned them; he said that he himself gives the Spirit. For whatever one says, if it does not end in what is profitable, one says it in vain. So John too does, saying, “He will baptize you in the Holy Spirit.” And he shows that the cross not only did not diminish him but made him more glorious, since God had long ago promised it to him, but then gave it. “The promise,” he says, “which he promised us.” So he foretold that it would be, and after the cross he granted us greater things. And “he poured out,” he says. Here he shows the dignity, and that it was not given simply, but with abundance. That is why, to make this very thing plain, he adds what follows. For now, confident after the giving of the Spirit, he discourses also about the ascension into heaven; and not simply, but again bringing forward the witness, and reminding them of the one of whom Christ spoke. “For David did not ascend,” he says, “into the heavens.”

[3] Here he no longer addresses them with reserve, since he has confidence from what has been said, nor does he say, “It is permitted to speak,” or anything of the kind; he says openly, “The Lord said to my Lord, ‘Sit at my right hand, until I make your enemies a footstool for your feet.’” “Sit at my right hand”: he has put everything here. “Until I make your enemies a footstool for your feet.” Here too he set great fear before them, as at the beginning he showed what he does to friends and what to enemies. And again he ascribes the victory to the Father, so that they might believe. Since he had uttered great things, he brings his speech down again to lowly things: “Let all the house of Israel therefore know assuredly” (and now in the tone of command) “that God has made him both Lord and Christ.” He took this from David and from the psalm. For when he should have said, “Let all the house of Israel know assuredly that he sits at the right hand,” which was the great thing, he left this aside and brings out another thing, much lowlier, saying “made,” that is, “appointed.” So there is nothing here about his being, but he says everything about this: “this Jesus whom you crucified.” He did well to end here, shaking their minds. For once he had shown how great he is, then he laid bare their outrage too, to show it the greater and to seize them with fear. For men are not so much drawn by benefits as brought to their senses by fear. But the wonderful and great and friends of God need none of these things, such as Paul was. For he took no account of the kingdom or of hell. This is to love Christ; this is not to be a hireling, nor to think of it as a trade and a retail business, but to be truly virtuous and to do everything because it is dear to God. How many tears, then, do we deserve, when, though we owe so great a measure, we do not even seek the kingdom of heaven as retailers do? He promises us so much, and even so we do not listen? What could equal this enmity? And yet those who are mad for money, if they find enemies, or slaves, or bitterest foes, even if they are wholly bad, if only they expect that they will be able to get money through them, do everything: they flatter, they court them, they become slaves, and think them all more august than themselves, so as to get something from them; for the hope of money allows them to refuse none of these things. But the kingdom has not had the power that money has, or rather not even the smallest fraction of it; and yet the one who promises it is no ordinary person, but one incomparably greater even than the kingdom itself. When what is promised is a kingdom, and God is the one who gives it, it is a great thing in itself to receive from such a one. But as it is, it is as if a king, wishing to make us heirs, and co-heirs with his son, with countless other benefits besides, were despised; while a robber chief, who has done countless wrongs to us and to our parents, who is full of countless evils, who has destroyed our honor and our glory and our safety, were worshiped by us for showing a single obol. God promises a kingdom and is despised; the devil procures hell and is honored. This one is God, that one the devil. But let us see the difference between their commands. For if none of these things were so—if this one were not God and that one the devil, if this one did not offer a kingdom and that one hell—would not the very nature of the commands be enough to persuade us to side with this one? What, then, does each command? That one, things that bring shame; this one, things that make glorious; that one, things that surround with countless calamities and disgraces; this one, things that bring much ease. See: this one says, “Learn from me, for I am meek and lowly in heart, and you will find rest for your souls”; that one says, “Be savage and fierce, quick-tempered and wrathful, a wild beast rather than a man.” Let us see, then, which is more useful, which more profitable. But not only this; consider that the one is the devil; for if that is shown above all, the victory again will be the greater. For it is not the one who commands easy things who cares for us, but the one who commands what is profitable. Since fathers too give burdensome commands, and masters likewise to slaves; but for this reason the ones are fathers and the others masters, while those others are kidnappers and destroyers, and the very opposite in everything. Yet that it also brings pleasure is clear from this. For in what state do you think the quick-tempered man is, and in what state the patient and meek? Is not the soul of the latter like a wilderness full of quiet, and that of the former like a marketplace in uproar, where there is much shouting of attendants, and of camels and mules and asses, as men cry out loudly to those coming near so as not to be trampled? Is not the soul of such a man like the middle of cities again, where now from this side comes the great noise of the silversmiths, now from that side of the coppersmiths, and some do wrong while others suffer it? But the soul of the other is like a mountain peak, with a light breeze, receiving the sun's pure ray, pouring out clear streams from its springs, and putting forth the many charms of flowers, like spring meadows and gardens, luxuriant with plants and flowers and running with waters; and if any sound arises, it is clear and pours much pleasure on those who hear. For songbirds perch on the leaves at the tops of the trees, and cicadas and nightingales and swallows together make one music; or the west wind gently … the leaves … and often imitates swans; or a meadow puts forth roses and lilies leaning on one another, and shows dark blue flowers. Or rather one could find many images. For when one looks at the roses, he will think he sees the rainbow; when at the violets, the sea in waves; when at the lilies, the sky. And such a man would be delighted not only by the sight, by the eyes, but in his very body. For it refreshes him the more and lets him breathe, so that he thinks himself rather in heaven than on earth.

There is also another sound, when water from the mountain height, borne down of its own accord through the ravines and splashing as it goes, so relaxes our limbs with pleasure as quickly to bring limb-loosening sleep upon our eyes. You heard the description with pleasure; perhaps you have even become lovers of the wilderness. But much sweeter than this wilderness is the soul of the long-suffering man. For it was not to describe a meadow, nor to turn our speech into a display, that we took up this image; but so that, seeing from the description how great is the pleasure of the long-suffering, and that one would gain far more by keeping company with a long-suffering man than by frequenting such places, you might pursue such men. For when not even a violent breath comes from such a soul, but gentle and kindly words, truly picturing that calm of the west wind, and exhortations that have nothing harsh in them, but [imitate the singing birds, how is this not much] better? For the breeze of speech does not fall upon a body, but refreshes souls. No physician, with whatever care, could free a feverish man from his fever as quickly as a long-suffering man, taking someone wrathful and burning with anger, cools him by the breath of his own words. And why do I speak of a physician? Not even red-hot iron dipped in water loses its heat so quickly as a wrathful man who has fallen in with a long-suffering soul. But just as, if singing birds came into the marketplace, they would seem mere nonsense, so too our precepts, when they fall on hot-tempered souls. So gentleness is sweeter than bitterness and rashness. And not only this, but the one the devil commanded, the other God. Do you see that it was not idly that I said that even if there were no devil and no God, the commands themselves were enough to turn us away? For the one man is pleasant to himself and [useful] to others, the other unpleasant to himself and harmful to others. … just as there is nothing sweeter than the man who does not know how to be angry. It is better to live with a wild beast than with such a man. For the beast, once tamed, keeps its own law; but this man, however often you tame him, becomes wild again, once he has settled himself into such a habit. For as a white and bright day and a winter full of deep gloom differ from each other, so do the soul of the angry man and that of the gentle. But let us not yet look at the harm that befalls others, but at that which befalls the angry themselves; although this too is no small harm, to do evil to another; but for the time let us consider this. What executioner can so tear the ribs? What madness could so drive a man out of his natural senses as anger and frenzy? I know many who have brought forth diseases from anger; and the worst fevers are above all these. If they so ruin the body, consider the soul. Do not reason that you do not see it; but consider: if what receives the evil is so harmed, how great a harm will that which gives birth to it suffer? Many have lost their eyes, many have fallen into the gravest disease. But the one who bears nobly will endure all things easily. Yet the devil commands such burdensome things, and sets hell before us as their wages. He is the devil and the enemy of our salvation, and we obey him rather than Christ, who is Savior and benefactor, and who says things that are sweeter and more profitable and more useful, and that benefit both us and those who live with us in the greatest way. Nothing is worse than anger, beloved, nothing worse than untimely wrath; it needs no long delay; the passion is swift. Often a man has thrown out a word in wrath whose cure needs a whole lifetime, and has done something that overturned his whole life. For the grievous thing is this: that in a short time, by one deed, by a single word, it has often cast us out of eternal good things and emptied countless labors. So I exhort you to do everything to bridle this wild beast. So much about gentleness and anger; but if one were to take the other things in hand too, such as greed, contempt of money, licentiousness, self-control, envy, kindness, and compare them, he will see the difference further still. Do you see how from the commands alone the one is shown to be God and the other the devil? Let us obey God, then, and not throw ourselves into pits; but while there is time, let us wash away everything that defiles the soul, so that we may obtain the eternal good things, by the grace and loving-kindness of our Lord Jesus Christ, with whom to the Father together with the Holy Spirit be glory, power, honor, now and always and for ever and ever. Amen.