Homilies on Acts, Homily 5

“Men of Judea, and all you who live in Jerusalem, let this be known to you, and listen to my words.” [“Ye men of Judea, and all ye that dwell at Jerusalem,”] whom the writer described above as strangers. Here he directs his speech to those others, the mockers, and while he seems to be reasoning with the mockers, it is the strangers he is setting right. For it was in fact divinely arranged that “some mocked,” so that he would have a starting point for his defense, and by means of that defense could teach. [“And all ye that dwell in Jerusalem.”] It seems they considered it high praise to live in Jerusalem as well. “Let this,” he says, “be known to you, and listen to my words.” First of all he made them more inclined to pay attention to him. “For these are not drunk,” he says, “as you suppose.” Do you notice how mild his defense is? (v. 15.) Although he had most of the people on his side, he reasons gently with those others; first he removes the ugly suspicion, and then he makes his defense. That is why he does not say, “as you mock,” or, “as you jeer,” but, “as you suppose”; he wants to make it look as though they had not said this seriously, and for the moment he charges them with ignorance rather than with malice. “For these are not drunk, as you suppose, since it is only the third hour of the day.” And why this? Isn't it possible to be drunk at the third hour? But he did not press this point literally; for there was nothing of the kind about them; the others said it only to mock. From this we learn that we should not spend many words on nonessential points. Besides, what follows is enough to back him up on this point; so now the discourse is addressed to everyone in common. “But this is what was spoken by the prophet Joel: And it shall come to pass in the last days, says the Lord God. (v. 16, 17. Joel ii. 28.) Nowhere yet is there the name of Christ, or His promises; instead, the promise is the Father's. Notice the wisdom; notice the considerate forbearance (συγκατάβασιν.) He did not move on at once to speak about the things concerning Christ—that He had promised this after His Crucifixion; that really would have ruined everything. And yet, you will say, this would have been enough to prove His divinity. True, it would, if it were believed (and the whole point was that it should be believed); but if it were not believed, it would have gotten them stoned. “And I will pour out of My Spirit on all flesh.” He holds out excellent hopes even to them, if they would accept them. And so far he does not let it be regarded as the exclusive privilege of himself and his companions, which would have made people look on them with envy; in this way he cuts off all envious feeling. “And your sons shall prophesy.” And yet, he says, this achievement, this distinction, is not yours; the gift has passed to your children. He calls himself and his companions their sons, and those [whom he is addressing] he calls his and their fathers. “And your young men shall see visions, and your old men shall dream dreams; and on My servants and on My handmaidens I will pour out of My Spirit in those days; and they shall prophesy.” So far he shows that he and his companions have found favor, in that they had received (καταξιωθέντας) [the Spirit]; not so those he is addressing, for they had crucified [the Lord]. So Christ too, wanting to soften their anger, said, “By whom do your sons cast out demons?” (Matt. xii. 27.) He did not say, My disciples; for that would indeed have seemed a flattering way of speaking. And so Peter also did not say, ‘They are not drunk, but are speaking by the Spirit’; instead he takes refuge in the prophet, and speaks under his cover. As for the charge [of drunkenness], he cleared himself of that by his own assertion; but for the grace, he brings in the prophet as a witness. “I will pour out of My Spirit on all flesh.” [“And your sons,” etc.] To some the grace was given through dreams; on others it was poured out openly. For the prophets did indeed see by dreams, and received revelations. Then he continues with the prophecy, which also contains something terrifying. “And I will show wonders in heaven above, and signs” [“in the earth beneath”]. (v. 19.) In these words he speaks both of the coming judgment and of the capture of Jerusalem. “Blood and fire, and vapor of smoke.” Notice how he describes the capture. “The sun shall be turned into darkness, and the moon into blood.” (v. 20.) This comes from the (διαθέσεως) inner condition of those who suffer. It is said, in fact, that many such phenomena really did appear in the sky, as Josephus testifies. At the same time the Apostle strikes fear into them by reminding them of the darkness that had recently occurred, and by leading them to expect things to come. “Before that great and notable day of the Lord comes.” For do not be confident, he means, just because at present you sin without being punished. For these things are the prelude to a certain great and dreadful day. Do you see how he made their souls tremble and melt within them, and turned their laughter into pleading for acquittal? For if these things are the prelude to that day, it follows that the most extreme danger is hanging over them. But what next? Again he lets them catch their breath, adding, “And it shall come to pass that whoever calls on the name of the Lord shall be saved.” (Rom. x. 13.) This is said about Christ, as Paul affirms, but Peter does not yet dare to reveal this. Well, let us look again at what has been said. It was well judged that, facing men who were laughing and mocking, he springs up and begins with, “Let this be known to you all, and listen to my words.” But he begins by saying, “Men of Judea.” By the expression ᾽Ιουδαἵοι, I take him to mean those who lived in Judea.—And, if you like, let us compare those expressions in the Gospel, so that you may learn what a sudden change has taken place in Peter. “A servant girl,” it is written, “came out to him, saying, You also were with Jesus of Nazareth.” And he says, “I do not know the Man.” And when questioned again, “he began to curse and to swear.” (Matt. xxvi. 69–72.) But see here his boldness, and his great freedom of speech.—He did not praise those who had said, “We hear them speaking in our tongues the wonderful works of God”; but by his severity toward those others, he made these more earnest, and at the same time his speech is free of any appearance of flattery. And it is worth noting that on every occasion, however much the Apostles come down to the level of their hearers (συγκατάβασις), their language is free of any appearance of either flattery or insolence: which is a hard thing to manage. Now it was not without reason that these things happened at “the third hour.” For the brightness of this fire is displayed at the very time when people are not busy at their work, nor at their midday meal; when it is broad daylight, when everyone is in the marketplace. Do you also notice the freedom that fills his speech? “And listen to my words.” And he added nothing more, but, “This,” he says, “is what was spoken by the prophet Joel: And it shall come to pass in the last days.” In fact he shows that the consummation is close at hand, and the words “in the last days” carry a certain emphasis. [“I will pour out,” etc.] And then, so that he will not seem to limit the privilege to the sons alone, he adds, “And your old men shall dream dreams.” Notice the order. Sons first; just as David said, “Instead of your fathers, your sons were born.” (Ps. xlv. 17.) And again Malachi: “They shall turn the hearts of the fathers to the children. And on my handmaidens, and on my servants.” (Mal. iv. 6.) This also is a mark of excellence, for we have become His servants by being freed from sin. And the gift is great, since the grace passes to the other sex as well, not as in the old days, when it was limited to just one or two individuals, such as Deborah and Huldah. He did not say that it was the Holy Spirit, nor did he explain the words of the prophet; he simply brings in the prophecy to fight its own battle. Also, he has not yet said anything about Judas; and yet everyone knew what a doom and punishment he had suffered; for nothing was more forceful than arguing with them from prophecy: this was more forceful even than facts. For when Christ performed miracles, they often contradicted Him. But when Christ brought forward the prophet, saying, “The Lord said to my Lord, Sit at my right hand,” they were silent, and “no one,” we read, “was able to answer Him a word.” (Ps. 110:1; Matt. 22:46.) And on every occasion He Himself also appealed to the Scriptures; for instance, “If he called them gods to whom the word of God came.” (John x. 35.) And one may find this in many places. For this reason here too Peter says, “I will pour out of my spirit on all flesh”; that is, on the Gentiles as well. But he does not yet reveal this or offer interpretations; indeed, it was better not to (just as this obscure saying, “I will show wonders in heaven above,” frightened them all the more because it was obscure.) And it would have been more offensive if it had been interpreted right from the start. Besides, he passes over it as if it were plain, wanting them to regard it that way. But after all, he does interpret it for them shortly afterward, when he speaks to them about the resurrection, and after he has prepared the way by his discourse. (infra v. 39.) For since the good things were not enough to attract them, [it is added, “And I will show wonders, etc.”]. Yet this has never been fulfilled. For no one escaped then [in that former judgment], but this time the faithful did escape, in Vespasian's time. And this is what the Lord speaks of: “Unless those days had been shortened, no flesh would be saved.”—[“Blood, and fire, and vapor of smoke.”] (Matt. xxiv. 22.) The worst comes first; namely, the inhabitants are to be captured, and then the city razed and burned. Then he dwelt on the metaphor, setting the overthrow and the capture before the hearers' eyes. “The sun shall be turned into darkness, and the moon into blood.” What does the moon turned into blood mean? It signifies the enormity of the slaughter. The language is full of helpless dismay. (supra p. 32.) “And it shall come to pass that everyone who calls on the name of the Lord shall be saved. Everyone,” he says: even if he is a priest (but he does not yet reveal the meaning), whether slave or free. For in Christ Jesus there is no male or female, no slave, no free. (Gal. iii. 28.) And rightly so, for all these things are only a shadow. For if in kings' palaces there is no highborn or lowborn, but each one stands out according to his deeds; and in a craft, each is shown by his work; much more so in that school of wisdom (φιλοσοφια). “Everyone who calls on.” Calls on: not just any way, for it is written, “Not everyone who says to Me, Lord, Lord”; but with (διαθέσεως) earnest inner devotion, with a life better than the ordinary, with the proper confidence. So far, however, he keeps the discourse light by bringing in what relates to faith, even though what relates to the punishment is terrifying. For salvation lies in this calling on the name. What, I ask you, are you saying? Are you talking about salvation for them after the Cross? Bear with me a little. God's mercy is great. And this very fact, no less than the resurrection, proves Him to be God—yes, no less than His miracles—the fact that He calls these people to Himself. For surpassing goodness belongs, above all things, peculiarly to God. That is why He also says, “No one is good except one, that is, God.” (Luke xviii. 19.) Only let us not use this goodness as an excuse for negligence. For He also punishes as God. In fact, the very punishments spoken of here were brought about by Him, the very One who said, “Everyone who calls on the name of the Lord shall be saved.” I mean the fate of Jerusalem, that unbearable punishment, of which I will tell you a few details, since they are useful to us in our contest both with the Marcionites and with many other heretics. For since they distinguish between Christ, a good God, and that evil God [of the Old Testament], let us see who it was that brought these things about. The evil God, taking vengeance for Christ? Or not? Then how is He alien to Him? Or was it the good God? No—it is shown that both the Father and the Son did these things. The Father, in many places; for instance, when He says in the parable of the vineyard, [“He will miserably destroy those wicked husbandmen” (Matt. xxi. 41); again in the parable of the marriage feast, the King is said] to send His armies (ib. xxii. 7): and the Son, when He says, “But those enemies of Mine, who did not want Me to reign over them, bring them here and kill them before Me.” (Luke xix. 27.) * * *. And they sent word, saying, We do not want You to reign over us. Would you like, then, to hear the things that actually happened? Moreover, Christ Himself also speaks of the coming tribulations, than which nothing more dreadful ever happened; nothing was ever more ruthless, my beloved, than the deeds done then! And He Himself declared it. For what could you want to see that is more grievous than these? * * *—probed them with their daggers!— * * * But shall I tell you the shocking case of the woman, that tragic story? * * * (Joseph. B. J. vi. 3. 4.) Didn't the actual events throw every misery into the shade? But shall I tell you about famines and plagues? One could speak of horrors without number: nature was forgotten; law was forgotten; they outdid wild beasts in ferocity. True, these miseries came through the fortunes of war; but it was because God, because Christ, willed it so. These facts apply both against the Marcionites and against those who do not believe that there is a hell: for they are enough to silence their impudence. Aren't these calamities more severe than the Babylonian ones? Aren't these sufferings more grievous than the famines of that time? Yes, for [“never was the like from the beginning of the world”] “no, nor ever will be.” (Matt. xxiv. 21.) And this was Christ's own declaration. In what sense, then, do you think it is said that Christ forgave them their sin? Perhaps it seems a trivial question; well then, you solve it.—It is impossible to point anywhere, even in fiction, to anything like what really happened here. And if a Christian had written this history, the matter might be viewed with suspicion; but if he was a Jew, and a Jewish zealot, and wrote after the Gospel, how can the meaning of the facts be anything but obvious to everyone? For you will see how the man, everywhere and always, exalts the affairs of the Jews.—So there is a hell, O man! And God is good.—Well, did you shudder at hearing these horrors? But these things that happen here are nothing compared with what will be in that world. Once again I am forced to seem harsh, unpleasant, stern. But what can I do? I have been appointed to this, just as a strict schoolmaster is appointed to be hated by his pupils: so are we. For wouldn't it be strange indeed if, while those who have been assigned some post by kings carry out what is assigned to them, however unpleasant the task may be, we, for fear of your criticism, were to leave our appointed task undone? Another person has a different work. Many of you have it as your work to show mercy, to act humanely, to be pleasant and agreeable to the people you benefit. But to those we do good to, we seem stern and severe, troublesome and unpleasant. For we do good not by the pleasure we give, but by the pain we cause. It is the same with the physician: though he, at least, is not excessively unpleasant, since the benefit of his art is received immediately; ours comes later. So again the magistrate is hateful to the disorderly and rebellious; so the lawgiver is irritating to those for whom he makes laws. But not so the one who invites people to enjoyment, not so the one who puts on public festivals and entertainments and crowns all the people with garlands: no, these are men who win popularity, treating whole cities, as they do, to every kind of spectacle, contributing lavishly, bearing all the cost. And so those they have treated repay them for these enjoyments with words of welcome and blessing, with hangings (παραπετάσματα) of tapestries, and a blaze of lamps, and with wreaths, and branches, and splendid garments. But at the sight of the physician, the sick become sad and downcast; at the sight of the magistrate, the rioters are subdued: no more running wild then, no more capering, except when he too goes over into their ranks. Let us see, then, who serves their cities best: those who provide these festivals and banquets and expensive entertainments and all kinds of merriment; or those who put a stop to all those goings-on, with stocks, whips, executioners, and dreaded soldiers going before them, and with a voice full of terror; who issue orders, make people hang their heads, and scatter the idlers in the marketplace with the rod. Let us see, I say; these are the unpleasant ones, those the beloved: let us see where the gain lies. (λήγει.) What comes, then, of your pleasure-givers? A sort of chilly enjoyment that lasts until evening and is gone by tomorrow; unruly mirth, indecent and dissolute talk. And what of these? Awe, sobriety, chastened thoughts; reasonableness of mind, an end to idleness; a curb on the passions within; a wall of defense, next to God, against attackers from outside. It is through these that each of us keeps his property, but through those ruinous festivities we squander it. Robbers have not actually broken in, but the craving for empty praise, together with pleasure, plays the robber. Each person sees the robber carrying off everything before his eyes, and is delighted by it! A new kind of robbery, this—getting people to be glad while someone is plundering them! On the other side, there is nothing of the kind: instead God, as the common Father, has protected us as with a wall against all [depredators], both seen and unseen. For “Take care,” He says, “not to do your alms before men.” (Matt. vi. 1.) The soul learns from the one, [excess; from the other] to flee injustice. For injustice consists not only in grabbing more wealth than belongs to us, but in giving the belly more than the food it needs, in carrying mirth beyond its proper limits and letting it run into frantic excesses. From the one it learns sobriety; from the other, unchastity. For unchastity is not merely having sexual relations with women, but even looking at a woman with unchaste eyes. From the one it learns modesty; from the other, conceited self-importance. For, “All things are lawful for me,” says the Apostle, “but not all things are beneficial.” (1 Cor. vi. 12.) From the one, decent behavior; from the other, indecency. As for what goes on in the theaters, I pass over it. But to let you see that it is not even a pleasure but a grief, show me, just one day after the festival, both those who spent their money putting it on and those who were treated to the spectacles: and you will see them all looking dejected enough, but most of all him, your (ἔκεἵνον) famous man who spent his money on it. And this is only fair: for the day before, he delighted the common man, and the common man was indeed in high good humor and enjoyment, and delighted in the splendid garment; but then, no longer having the use of it and seeing himself stripped of it, he was grieved and annoyed, and wished he were the great man, seeing even his own enjoyment as small compared with the other's. So the day after, they trade places, and now he, the great man, gets the larger share of the dejection. Now if in worldly matters amusements bring such dissatisfaction, while unpleasant things are so beneficial, this holds much more in spiritual things. Why is it that no one quarrels with the laws, but on the contrary everyone counts them a common benefit? For it was not strangers from somewhere else, nor enemies of those for whom the laws are made, who came and issued these orders, but the citizens themselves, their patrons, their benefactors: and this very act, making laws, is a sign of kindness and goodwill. And yet the laws are full of punishment and restraint, and there is no such thing as a law without penalty and coercion. Isn't it unreasonable, then, that while the interpreters of those laws are called deliverers, benefactors, and patrons, we are considered troublesome and irritating if we speak about the laws of God? When we speak about hell, we are bringing forward those laws: just as in worldly affairs people cite the laws on murder, highway robbery, and the like, so we cite the penal laws: laws that no man enacted, but the Only-Begotten Son of God Himself. Let the one who has no mercy, He says, be punished (Matt. xviii. 23); for that is the meaning of the parable. Let the one who holds a grudge pay the last penalty. Let the one who is angry without cause be thrown into the fire. Let the one who reviles receive what he deserves in hell. If you think these laws you are hearing are strange, do not be amazed. For if Christ was not meant to make new laws, why did He come? Those other laws are plain to us; we know that the murderer and the adulterer ought to be punished. If, then, we were only meant to be told the same things all over again, what need was there for a heavenly Teacher? That is why He does not say, Let the adulterer be punished, but, whoever looks with unchaste eyes. And there He tells us where and when the man will be punished. And He did not deposit His laws on fine public monuments, nor somewhere hidden from view; He did not set up pillars of bronze and engrave letters on them, but He raised up twelve souls for us, the souls of the Apostles, and in their minds He has inscribed this writing by the Spirit. This is what we cite to you. If this was ordained for the Jews, so that no one could take refuge in the excuse of ignorance, much more is it for us. But if anyone should say, “I do not hear, so I have no guilt,” on this very ground he is most liable to punishment. For if there were no teacher, one could take refuge in this excuse; but if there is, it is no longer possible. See how, speaking of the Jews, the Lord takes away all their excuse: “If I had not come and spoken to them, they would not have had sin” (John xv. 22); and Paul again: “But I say, have they not heard? Indeed they have: their sound went out into all the earth.” (Rom. x. 18.) For there is an excuse when there is no one to tell a man; but when the watchman sits there, making this his life's business, there is no excuse any longer. Or rather, it was Christ's will not that we should only look at these written pillars, but that we should ourselves be such pillars. But since we have made ourselves unworthy of the writing, let us at least look to those. For just as pillars threaten others but are not themselves liable to punishment, nor are the laws, so it is with the blessed Apostles. And notice: this pillar does not stand in one place only, but its writing is carried all around the world. If you go among the Indians, you will hear this; whether you go into Spain, or to the very ends of the earth, there is no one who has not heard, unless through his own neglect. So do not be offended, but pay attention to what has been said, so that you may be able to take hold of the works of virtue and attain the eternal blessings in Christ Jesus our Lord, with Whom, to the Father and the Holy Spirit together, be glory, power, honor, now and forever, world without end. Amen.