Homilies on Acts, Homily 14

“Then a Pharisee in the council named Gamaliel, a teacher of the law held in honor by all the people, stood up and ordered the men to be put outside for a little while.” This Gamaliel was Paul’s teacher. And one may well wonder how, with such sound judgment and with his learning in the law, he still did not believe. But it cannot be that he remained in unbelief to the end. In fact, that is plain from the words he speaks here. He “ordered,” it says, “the men to be put outside for a little while [and said unto them.]” Notice how wisely he frames his speech, and how right at the outset he fills them with fear. And so that he will not be suspected of taking the Apostles’ side, he addresses them as if he shared their opinion. He does not speak with much vehemence; instead, as though he were speaking to men drunk with passion, he puts it this way: “Men of Israel, take care what you intend to do to these men.” (v. 35.) Do not, he means, go about this rashly and in a hurry. “For before these days Theudas rose up, claiming to be somebody, and a number of men, about four hundred, joined him. He was killed, and all who followed him were scattered and came to nothing.” (v. 36.) He teaches them prudence by examples, and to encourage them he mentions last the man who led astray the greatest number. Before he gives the examples, he says, “Take care”; but once he has cited them, he states his opinion and says, “Keep away from these men.” For, he says, “Judas the Galilean rose up in the days of the census and drew many people after him. He too perished, and all who followed him were scattered. And now I tell you, keep away from these men and leave them alone, for if this plan or this work is of men, it will come to nothing. But if it is of God, you cannot overthrow them.” (al. it) (v. 37–39.) Then what is there, he means, to keep you from being overthrown? For, he says (take care), “or you may even be found fighting against God.” He tries to dissuade them by arguing both that the thing is impossible and that it is not to their advantage. And he does not say by whom these people were destroyed, but only that they “were scattered” there, and their alliance dwindled to nothing. For if, he says, it is of man, why do you need to make any fuss over it? But if it is of God, for all your fuss you will not be able to overcome it. The argument is unanswerable. “And they were persuaded by him.” (v. 40.) How were they persuaded? Enough not to kill them, but only to flog them. For it says, “And when they had called in the Apostles and beaten them, they ordered them not to speak in the name of Jesus, and let them go.” See after what great works they are flogged! And again their teaching spread further, for they taught at home and in the temple: “And they left the presence of the council, rejoicing that they had been counted worthy to suffer shame for His name. And every day, in the temple and in every house, they did not stop teaching and preaching Jesus Christ. (v. 41, 42.) And in those days, when the number of the disciples was multiplying, a complaint arose from the Hellenists against the Hebrews, because their widows were being neglected in the daily service.” (ch. vi. 1.) Not strictly in those very days, for it is the custom of Scripture to speak of things that were about to happen next as if they followed immediately. But by “Hellenists” I suppose he means those who spoke Greek [“against the Hebrews”]: for they did not use the Greek language. Look, another trial! Notice how there was warfare from inside and outside from the very beginning! “Then,” it says, “the twelve called the whole body of the disciples together and said, It is not right that we should leave the word of God to serve tables.” (v. 2.) Well said, for what is necessary must give way to what is more necessary. But see how they immediately attend to these (inferior matters) and yet do not neglect the preaching. “Because their widows were overlooked”: for those (the Hebrews) were treated as the more important people (αἰδεσιμώτεροι). “Therefore, brothers, select from among you seven men of good reputation, full of the Holy Spirit and of wisdom, whom we may appoint over this business. But we will devote ourselves continually to prayer and to the ministry of the word. And what they said pleased the whole multitude, and they chose Stephen, a man full of faith and of the Holy Spirit” (v. 3–5.)—so the others too were full of faith, so that the same things would not happen as in the case of Judas, as in the case of Ananias and Sapphira—“and Philip, and Prochorus, and Nicanor, and Timon, and Parmenas, and Nicolas, a proselyte from Antioch. They set these men before the Apostles, and when they had prayed, they laid their hands on them. And the word of God increased, and the number of the disciples in Jerusalem multiplied greatly, and a large number of the priests became obedient to the faith.” (v. 5–7.) But let us look again at what has been said. “Men of Israel, take care.” (Recapitulation, v. 35.) Notice here, please, how gently Gamaliel reasons. He says only a few words to them, and he does not recount ancient histories, though he could have, but more recent cases, which are the most powerful for producing belief. With this in view he drops a hint himself, saying, “For before these days” (v. 36): meaning, not many days before. Now if he had said straight off, “Let these men go,” he would have fallen under suspicion himself, and his speech would not have been as effective; but coming after the examples, it gained its own proper force. And he mentions not just one instance but a second as well: “for,” says the Scripture, “by the mouth of two witnesses” (Matt. xviii. 16): and yet he could have mentioned even three. “Keep away from these men.” (v. 38.) See how gentle his manner is. His speech is not long but concise, and even his mention of those (impostors) is free from passion: “And all who followed him were scattered.” And for all that, he does not blaspheme Christ. They heard him, all these unbelievers heard him, these Jews. [“For if this council or this work be of men, it will come to naught.”] Well then, since it did not come to nothing, it is not of men. [“But if it be of God, ye cannot overthrow it.”] (v. 39.) Once more he restrains them by showing that the thing is both impossible and against their interest, saying, “Or you may even be found fighting against God.” And he does not say, If Christ is God; but the work (itself) declares (this). He does not rule on it, either that it is “of men” or that it is “of God,” but leaves the proof to the future. “They were persuaded [by him].” (v. 40.) Then why, someone may ask, do you flog them? His speech was so unanswerably just that they could not face it. Even so, they gratified their own hostility, and again they expected to terrify the Apostles this way. Also, because he said these things when the Apostles were not present, he got more of a hearing than he otherwise would have; and then the gentleness of his speech and the justice of what he said helped persuade them. In fact, this man all but preached the Gospel. “You were persuaded,” one might say, “that you did not have the strength to overthrow it. Why then did you not believe?” Such is the testimony borne even by enemies. There it is four hundred, there four thousand: and here the first movers were twelve. Do not let the number that joined itself to them frighten you. (ch. ii. 41; iv. 4.) He could also have mentioned another instance, that of the Egyptian, but what he has said is quite enough. And he closes his speech on an alarming note: “Or you may even,” etc. And he does not rule on it, so as not to seem to be pleading their case; instead he reasons syllogistically from the outcome of the matter. He does not dare to declare either that it is not of men or that it is of God. If he had said it was of God, they would have contradicted him; but if he had said it was of men, they would again have taken swift action. So he tells them to wait for the outcome, saying, “Keep away.” But they threaten once more, knowing full well that they accomplish nothing, but acting as they usually do. Such is the nature of wickedness: it attempts even impossible things.—“After him Judas rose up,” etc. Josephus tells these things in detail. (Ant. xx. 8; ib. v. 2; xviii. 1. B. J. ii. 8. 1.) But what a great thing it was that he dared to affirm—that it was of God, when afterward it was proved by the events! What great boldness of speech, what great freedom from all partiality! And he does not say, “But if you do not overthrow it, it is of God,” but, “If it is of God, it will not be overthrown.” “And they agreed with him.” (v. 40.) They respected the man’s high standing. “And they left the presence of the council, rejoicing that they had been counted worthy to suffer shame for the name of Christ.” (v. 41.) What miracles are as wonderful as this? Nothing like it is recorded anywhere of the saints of old. Jeremiah was indeed flogged for the word of God, and they threatened Elijah and the rest; but in this case these men displayed the power of God even by this very thing, and not only by their miracles. He does not say that they felt no pain, but that though they felt pain they rejoiced. How is this clear? From their boldness afterward: even after their beatings, they were still intent on preaching the word. “But in the temple,” it says, “and in every house, they did not stop teaching and preaching Jesus Christ.” (v. 42.) “And in those days”—when these things were happening, when there were floggings, when there were threats, when the disciples were multiplying—then too, it says, “a complaint arose.” (ch. vi. 1.) And this comes from the size of the crowd, for it is impossible to keep strict order in a multitude. “A complaint arose,” etc., down to—“And a large number of the priests became obedient to the faith.—A complaint arose against the Hebrews”—for that class of people seemed to be more honored—“because their widows were being neglected in the daily service.” (v. 1–7.) So then there was a daily service for the widows. And notice how he calls it a “service” (διακονία), and not simply almsgiving: in this way he honors both those who did it and those for whom it was done. “Were being neglected.” This did not come from malice, but perhaps from the carelessness of so large a crowd. And so he brought it out openly, for this was no small evil. Notice how even at the beginning the evils came not only from without but also from within. You must not look only at the fact that it was set right; notice also that it was a great evil that it existed at all. “Then the twelve,” etc. (v. 2.) Do you see how outward concerns follow inward ones? They do not act on their own authority, but explain themselves to the congregation. That is how it ought to be done now. “It is not right,” he says, “that we should leave the word of God to serve tables.” First he shows them how unreasonable the thing is: it is not possible to do both things with the same attention. In the same way, when they were about to ordain Matthias, they first showed the necessity of the thing—that one was missing, and there had to be twelve. And so here they showed the necessity. They did not act earlier, but waited until the complaint arose; nor, on the other hand, did they let it spread far. And look! they leave the decision to the people: those who pleased everyone, those whom all regarded as men of good reputation—these they present. Not twelve now, but “seven, full of the Spirit and of wisdom, of good reputation” for their way of life. (v. 3.) Now when Matthias was to be presented, it was said, “So one of these men who have accompanied us all the time” (ch. i. 21); but not so here, for the case was different. And they do not cast lots now. They could indeed have made the choice themselves, moved by the Spirit; but even so, they want the testimony of the people. Fixing the number, ordaining them, and doing so for this kind of business, rested with the Apostles; but they hand the choice of the men over to the people, so that they would not seem to act out of favoritism, just as God also leaves it to Moses to choose as elders those whom he knew. (Num. xi. 16.) “And of wisdom.” A great deal of wisdom is needed in services like these. Do not think that because such a person has not been entrusted with the word, he has no need of wisdom: he does need it, and a great deal of it. “But we,” he says, “will devote ourselves continually to prayer and to the ministry of the word.” (v. 4.) Again they explain themselves, beginning and ending with this. “Will devote ourselves continually,” he says. That is what was required: not merely to perform the acts, or to do them in some haphazard way, but to be doing them continually. “And what they said,” we are told, “pleased the whole multitude.” (v. 5, 6.) This too was worthy of their wisdom. Everyone approved of what was said, so sensible was it. “And they chose,” it says (again it is the people (αὐτοί) 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 from Antioch. They set these men before the Apostles, and when they had prayed, they laid their hands on them.” They separated them from the multitude, and it is the people (αὐτοί) who bring them forward, not the Apostles who lead them. Notice how he avoids everything superfluous. He does not tell how it was done, only that they were ordained (ἐχειροτονήθησαν) with prayer, for this is the meaning of χειροτονία, (i.e. “putting forth the hand,”) or ordination: the man’s hand is laid upon (the person,) but the whole work is God’s, and it is His hand that touches the head of the one ordained, if he is duly ordained. “And the word of God,” it says, “increased, and the number of the disciples multiplied.” (v. 7.) He does not say this for nothing: it shows how great the power of almsgiving and good order is. And since he is about to enlarge (αὔξειν) on the affair of Stephen in what follows, he first sets out the causes that led to it. “And many,” he says, “of the priests became obedient to the faith.” For since they saw that this was the mind of their ruler and teacher, they went on to put the matter to the test of facts.—It is also a matter for wonder how the multitude was not divided in its choice of the men, and how the Apostles were not rejected by them. But what kind of rank these men held, and what kind of office they received—this is what we need to learn. Was it that of Deacons? And yet this is not the case in the Churches. Then does the management belong to the Presbyters? And yet at that time there was no Bishop, only the Apostles. From this I think it clearly and plainly follows that their designation is neither Deacons nor Presbyters, but that they were ordained for this particular purpose. And this business was not simply handed over to them without further ceremony: the Apostles prayed over them, so that power might be given them. But notice, please: if seven men were needed for this, the sums of money flowing in must have been correspondingly great, and the number of widows correspondingly great as well. So the prayers were not made in an offhand way, but with much deliberate attention; and this office, as well as the preaching, was brought to good effect in this way, for what they accomplished, they accomplished mostly by means of these (their prayers.) In this way the Apostles were able to give their attention to spiritual things; in this way they were also free to undertake long journeys; in this way they were entrusted with the word. But the writer does not say this, nor does he praise them; he says only that it was “not right” for them to leave the work given to them. So they had learned from Moses’ example not to take on the management of everything by themselves. (Num. xi. 14.) “Only,” it says, “that we should remember the poor.” (Gal. ii. 10.) And how did they bring these men forward? They fasted. “Select seven men,” etc. (v. 3.) It is not simply “spiritual men,” but “full of the Spirit and of wisdom,” for it took a very disciplined mind (φιλοσοφίας) to bear the complaints of widows. For what good is it if the distributor of alms does not steal, but still wastes everything, or is harsh and easily provoked? “And they chose Stephen, a man full of faith and of the Holy Spirit.” (v. 5.) And in this respect Philip too was admirable, for it is of him that the writer says, “And we entered the house of Philip the Evangelist, who was one of the seven, and stayed with him.”—(ch. xxi. 8.) Do you notice how things are arranged quite differently from the way men arrange them? “And the number of disciples was multiplied in Jerusalem.” (v. 7.) In Jerusalem the multitude increased. How wonderful: where Christ was killed, there the preaching increased! And not only were some not offended then, as in the case of Ananias, but the awe became even greater: while these are flogged, those threaten, those tempt the Spirit, those complain. But I want you to notice under what circumstances the multitude increased: it was after these trials that the multitude increased, and not before. Notice also how great God’s mercy is. Of those chief priests, of the very men who were indignant and bitterly displeased and so cried out and said, “He saved others; Himself He cannot save,” of these same men, “Many,” it says, “became obedient to the faith.” (Matt. xxvii. 42.) So let us imitate Him too. He received them and did not cast them out. So let us repay our enemies who have done us countless wrongs. Whatever good thing we have, let us share it with them; let us not pass them over when we do acts of kindness. For if we ought to satisfy their rage by suffering wrong, much more ought we to do it by doing them good, for this is a smaller thing than the other. For it is not at all the same thing to do good to an enemy and to be willing to suffer greater wrongs than he wishes (to inflict): from the one we will go on to the other. This is the dignity of Christ’s disciples. Those men crucified Him when He had come for the very purpose of doing them good; they flogged His disciples; and after all this He admits them to the same honor as His disciples, making them equal sharers in His gifts. I urge you, let us be imitators of Christ: in this respect it is possible to imitate Him; this makes a man like God; this is more than human. Let us hold fast to Mercy: she is the schoolteacher and instructor in that higher Wisdom. Whoever has learned to show mercy to the distressed will also learn not to resent injuries; whoever has learned this will be able to do good even to his enemies. Let us learn to care about the harm our neighbors suffer, and we will learn to endure the harm they inflict. Let us ask the very person who mistreats us: does he not condemn himself? Would he not be glad to show a nobler spirit (φιλοσοφεἵν)? Must he not admit that his behavior is nothing but passion, that it is small-minded and pitiful? Would he not like to be among those who are wronged and stay silent, rather than among those who do wrong and are beside themselves with passion? Can he go away without admiring the one who suffers patiently? Do not imagine that this makes people contemptible. Nothing makes people so contemptible as insolent and abusive behavior; nothing makes people so respected as enduring insolence and abuse. For the one is a thug, the other a philosopher; the one is less than a man, the other is equal to the angels. For though he is inferior to the wrongdoer, he still has the power, if he wanted, to take revenge. Besides, the one is pitied by all, the other hated. What then? The former will be much the better of the two, for everyone will treat the one as a madman and the other as a sensible man. He cannot speak evil of him: indeed, you are afraid, someone says, that perhaps he is not like that (as thou wouldest represent). Best of all is not to speak evil even in your thoughts; next best, not to speak it to anyone else. So do not pray to God against this man. If you hear him spoken ill of, take his side. Say, It was passion that spoke those words, not the man; say, It was anger, not my friend; his madness, not his heart. Let us regard every offense this way. Do not wait for the fire to be kindled, but check it before it gets that far. Do not provoke the savage beast—rather, do not let it become provoked—for once the flame is kindled, you will no longer be able to check it. For what has the man called you? “You fool and simpleton.” And which one, then, deserves the name—the one called it, or the one calling it? For the one, however wise he is, gets a reputation for being a fool; but the other, even if he is a simpleton, gets credit for being wise and having a philosophical outlook. Tell me, which is the simpleton: the one who charges another with what is untrue, or the one who is unmoved even under such treatment? For if it is the mark of true philosophy to stay unmoved however much one is provoked, then to fly into a passion when no one is provoking you to anger—what folly that is! I am not yet saying what a severe kind of punishment is in store for those who heap such reproaches and insults on their neighbor. But what? Has he called you “a lowly fellow and low-born, a sorry creature of sorry stock”? Again he has turned the taunt against himself. For the other will appear worthy and respectable, but he a sorry creature indeed: to throw such things in someone’s face as a disgrace—lowly birth, that is—is small-minded indeed. The other, meanwhile, will be thought a great and admirable character, because he thinks nothing of such a taunt and is no more affected by it than if he were told that there was some other ordinary and quite indifferent circumstance about him. But does he call you “adulterer,” and the like? At this you can even laugh, for when the conscience is not stung, there can be no reason for anger. * * For when one has considered what bad and shameful things he is disclosing, still, for all that, there is no need to grieve. He has only exposed now what everyone must find out eventually; meanwhile, as far as he himself is concerned, he has shown everyone that he cannot be trusted, since he does not know how to cover up his neighbor’s faults. He has disgraced himself more than the other; he has closed every harbor against himself; he has made the court where he must later be tried terrible for himself. For it will not be the person (whose secrets are betrayed) whom everyone detests, but the one who, where he should not even have lifted the veil, has stripped off the clothes. But as for you, say nothing about the secrets you know: keep quiet, if you want to carry off a good name. For not only will you overturn what has been said and cover it up, but you will also accomplish another very important thing: you will keep sentence from being passed against yourself. Does someone speak evil of you? Say: “If he had known everything, he would not have said only this much.”—So you admire what has been said, and are delighted with it? Yes, but you must follow it. For when we tell you all these maxims of the pagan moralists, it is not because Scripture does not contain hundreds of such sayings, but because these have more power to make you blush. In fact Scripture itself regularly makes this appeal to our sense of shame; for instance, when it says, “Do even as the heathen.” (Jer. xxxv. 3.) And the prophet Jeremiah brought the children of Rechab out into public view, showing how they would not agree to break their father’s command.—Miriam and her company spoke evil of Moses, and he immediately pleaded for them to be spared their punishment; in fact, he would not even let it be known that his cause had been avenged. (Num. ch. xii.) But we are not like that. On the contrary, this is what we want most: to have everyone know that they have not gone unpunished. How long will we keep breathing earth?—One side alone cannot cause a fight. Pull at the madmen from both sides, and you will enrage them all the more; but pull from the right or from the left, and you have quenched the passion. If the striker is dealing with someone who will not put up with blows, he is all the more set on fighting; but if he is dealing with someone who yields, he loses his nerve sooner, and his blow is spent on himself. No trained boxer saps his opponent’s strength as much as a man who, when mistreated, does not retaliate. For the other just goes away ashamed and condemned, first by his own conscience and second by all the onlookers. And there is also a proverb that says, “to honor another is to honor oneself”; so to insult another is also to insult oneself. No one, I repeat, will be able to harm us unless we harm ourselves; nor will anyone make me poor unless I make myself so. Come, let us look at it this way. Suppose I have an impoverished soul, and everyone lavishes all their wealth on me: what of it? As long as the soul is not changed, it is all in vain. Suppose I have a noble soul, and everyone takes my wealth from me: what of it? As long as you do not impoverish the soul, no harm is done. Suppose my life is impure, and everyone says just the opposite about me: what of it? Though they say it, they do not judge me that way in their hearts. Again, suppose my life is pure, and everyone says just the reverse about me: what of it? In their own conscience they will condemn themselves, since they are not convinced of what they say. Just as we should not accept the praise, neither should we accept the accusations. And why do I say these things? No one will ever be able to plot against us, or bring any evil charge against us, if we choose (that they shall not). How so, I ask you? Let him drag me into court, let him file malicious charges, let him, if you like, take my very life: what of it? To suffer these things undeservedly for a little while—what does it matter? “Well, but this,” you say, “is an evil in itself.” Well, but this in itself is a good: to suffer undeservedly. What? Would you have the suffering be deserved? Let me again mention a piece of philosophy from one of the sages. A certain man, the story goes, had been put to death. And one of the sage’s disciples said to him, “How terrible that he should have suffered unjustly!” The sage turned to him and said, “Why, what is this? Would you rather he had suffered justly?” (Socrates ap. Diog. Laert. and Xen. Mem. Socr.) John too—was he not put to death unjustly? Whom, then, do you pity more: those who justly suffer death, or [him? Do you not count them miserable, while] him you even admire? Then how is a man injured when from death itself he has gained great profit, and not merely suffered no harm? If the man had been immortal and this had made him mortal, no doubt it would be harm; but if he is mortal, and in the course of nature must expect death a little later, and his enemy has only hastened his death—and glory along with it—what is the harm? Let us just keep our soul in good order, and no harm will come from outside. But you do not have glory? So what? What is true of wealth holds for glory too: if my spirit is noble (μεγαλοπρεπής), I will need none; if I crave empty praise, the more I get, the more I will want. This is how I will be most highly honored and gain greater glory: by despising glory. Knowing these things, let us be thankful to Him Who has freely given us such a life, and let us pursue it for His glory; for to Him belongs the glory forever. Amen.