John Chrysostom, On Holy Pentecost

of powers demonstrating their virtue. For they did not come down below, but what was more wonderful, those below ascended to their virtue; for they did not go about with naked souls, having cast off the flesh, but remaining in their nature, by their will they became angels. And that you may learn that not even the former punishment was a punishment, when He said, "You are earth, and to earth you shall return," for this reason He let you remain on the earth, that the power of the Spirit might be shown more greatly, working such things through a body of dust. For it was possible to see a tongue of clay commanding demons; it was possible to see a hand of clay healing sicknesses; or rather, it was possible to see not only a hand of clay, but what was much more wonderful, the shadows of clay bodies overcoming both death and incorporeal powers, I mean the demons. For just as when the sun appears darkness is driven away, wild beasts sink into their own dens, murderers and robbers and grave-robbers run up to the tops of the mountains; 50.456 so when Peter appeared and uttered a sound, the darkness of error was driven away, the devil withdrew, demons fled, sufferings of bodies were removed, diseases of souls were healed, all wickedness was driven away, virtue was brought back to the earth. And just as from royal treasuries containing gold and precious stones, if someone is able to bring out a little of what is gloriously stored within, even just one stone, it creates great wealth for the one possessing it; so also from the mouths of the apostles; for their mouths were royal treasuries, having a stored-up treasure of healings; and each word that came out produced great spiritual wealth. Then it was truly possible to see that the oracles of the Lord are more to be desired than gold and much precious stone; for what gold could not do, nor precious stone, this the words of Peter did. For how many talents of gold were able to straighten the man lame from birth? But the word of Peter was able to remove this maiming of nature. He said, "In the name of Jesus Christ, rise up and walk," and the word became deed.

Have you seen how they are more to be desired than gold and much precious stone? Have you seen how their mouths were royal treasuries? Truly they were physicians of the world, and farmers, and pilots; physicians, because they healed sicknesses; farmers, because they sowed the word of piety; and pilots, because they stopped the surging wave of error. For this reason, He sometimes says, "Go and heal the sick," as if speaking to physicians; and at other times, "Behold, I send you to reap what you have not labored for," as if speaking to farmers; and again elsewhere, "I will make you fishers of men"; and to Peter He says, "Do not be afraid; from now on you will be catching men alive," as if speaking to pilots and fishermen; and it was possible to see wonders upon wonders. For our nature ascended ten days ago to the royal throne, and the Holy Spirit descended today to our nature; the Lord offered up our first-fruit, and brought down the Holy Spirit. Another Lord distributing these gifts; for the Spirit is Lord, and the Father and the Son and the Holy Spirit distributed the economy on our behalf. Christ had not yet ascended ten days, and He sent us spiritual gifts, gifts of that reconciliation. For so that no one might doubt, and wonder what Christ did when He ascended; Did He reconcile the Father? Did He make Him propitious? Wishing to declare to us that He reconciled Him to our nature, He immediately sent us the gifts of reconciliation. For when enemies are united and reconciled to one another, immediately after the reconciliation follow both friendly overtures and greetings and gifts. We therefore sent faith, and received gifts from there; we sent obedience, and received righteousness. 50.457 γʹ. And that you may learn that the giving of the Holy Spirit is a gift of the reconciliation of God, I will try to persuade you from the Scriptures, first from the contrary

δυνάμεων τὴν ἀρετὴν ἐπιδεικνυμένων. Οὐ γὰρ ἐκεῖνοι κάτω κατέβησαν, ἀλλ' ὃ θαυμαστότερον ἦν, οἱ κάτω πρὸς τὴν ἀρετὴν ἀνέβησαν τὴν ἐκείνων· οὐ γὰρ τὴν σάρκα ῥίψαντες γυμναῖς ταῖς ψυχαῖς περιῄεσαν, ἀλλὰ μένοντες ἐν τῇ φύσει, τῇ προαιρέσει ἄγγελοι ἐγένοντο. Καὶ ἵνα μάθῃς, ὅτι οὐδὲ ἡ προτέρα τιμωρία τιμωρία ἦν, ὅτε εἶπεν, ὅτι Γῆ εἶ, καὶ εἰς γῆν ἀπελεύσῃ, διὰ τοῦτό σε ἀφῆκε μένειν ἐν τῇ γῇ, ἵνα μειζόνως ἡ τοῦ Πνεύματος δειχθῇ δύναμις. διὰ χοϊκοῦ σώματος τοιαῦτα ἐργαζομένη. Ἦν γὰρ ἰδεῖν γλῶτταν πηλίνην δαίμοσιν ἐπιτάττουσαν· ἦν ἰδεῖν χεῖρα πηλίνην ἰωμένην νοσήματα· μᾶλλον δὲ οὐ χεῖρα πηλίνην μόνον ἦν ἰδεῖν, ἀλλ' ὃ πολλῷ θαυμαστότερον ἦν, πηλίνων σωμάτων σκιὰς καὶ θανάτου καὶ δυνάμεων ἀσωμάτων περιγενομένας, τῶν δαιμόνων λέγω. Καθάπερ γὰρ ἡλίου φανέντος ἐλαύνεται τὸ σκότος, καταδύεται θηρία πρὸς τοὺς οἰκείους φωλεοὺς, ἀνδροφόνοι καὶ λῃσταὶ καὶ τυμβωρύχοι πρὸς τὰς κορυφὰς τῶν ὀρέων ἀνατρέχουσιν· 50.456 οὕτω Πέτρου φανέντος καὶ φωνὴν ἀφιέντος, ἠλαύνετο τὸ σκότος τῆς πλάνης, ἀνεχώρει διάβολος, ἐδραπέτευον δαίμονες, ἀνῄρητο παθήματα σωμάτων, ἐθεραπεύετο νοσήματα ψυχῶν, ἠλαύνετο κακία πᾶσα, ἀρετὴ πρὸς τὴν γῆν ἐπανήγετο. Καὶ καθάπερ ἐκ ταμιείων βασιλικῶν ἐχόντων χρυσίον καὶ λίθους τιμίους κἂν μικρόν τις δυνηθῇ ἐξενεγκεῖν τῶν ἀποκειμένων ἐνδόξως, κἂν ἕνα λίθον μόνον, πολὺν ἐργάζεται τὸν πλοῦτον τῷ κατεχομένῳ· οὕτω καὶ ἀπὸ τῶν στομάτων τῶν ἀποστολικῶν· ταμιεῖα γὰρ βασιλικὰ ἦν τὰ στόματα ἐκείνων θησαυρὸν ἰαμάτων ἔχοντα ἀποκείμενον· καὶ ἕκαστον ῥῆμα ἐξιὸν πολὺν εἰργάζετο πλοῦτον πνευματικόν. Ἦν τότε ἀληθῶς ἰδεῖν, ὅτι τὰ λόγια Κυρίου ἐπιθυμητὰ ὑπὲρ χρυσίον καὶ λίθον τίμιον πολύν· ὅπερ γὰρ οὐκ ἠδύναντο χρυσὸς, οὐδὲ λίθος τίμιος, τοῦτο ἐποίει τὰ ῥήματα Πέτρου. Πόσα γὰρ τάλαντα χρυσίου τὸν χωλὸν ἐκ γενετῆς διορθώσασθαι ἴσχυον; Ἀλλὰ τὸ ῥῆμα Πέτρου ἴσχυσε τῆς φύσεως ἀνελεῖν ταύτην τὴν πήρωσιν. Εἶπεν, Ἐν τῷ ὀνόματι Ἰησοῦ Χριστοῦ ἔγειραι,καὶ περιπάτει, καὶ ὁ λόγος ἔργον ἐγένετο.

Εἶδες πῶς ἐπιθυμητὰ ὑπὲρ χρυσίον καὶ λίθον τίμιον πολύν; εἶδες πῶς ταμιεῖα βασιλικὰ ἦν ἐκείνων τὰ στόματα; Ὄντως ἰατροὶ τῆς οἰκουμένης ἐκεῖνοι, καὶ γεωργοὶ, καὶ κυβερνῆται· ἰατροὶ μὲν, ἐπειδὴ νοσήματα ἐθεράπευον· γεωργοὶ δὲ, ἐπειδὴ τὸν λόγον τῆς εὐσεβείας κατέσπειρον· κυβερνῆται δὲ, ἐπειδὴ τὸ κλυδώνιον τῆς πλάνης ἔπαυσαν. ∆ιὰ τοῦτο ποτὲ μέν φησι· Πορευθέντες ἀσθενοῦντας θεραπεύετε, ὡς πρὸς ἰατροὺς διαλεγόμενος· ποτὲ δὲ, Ἰδοὺ ἀποστέλλω ὑμᾶς θερίζειν, ὃ οὐχ ὑμεῖς κεκοπιάκατε, ὡς πρὸς γεωργοὺς διαλεγόμενος· καὶ πάλιν ἀλλαχοῦ· Ποιήσω ὑμᾶς ἁλιεῖς ἀνθρώπων· καὶ τῷ Πέτρῳ, Μὴ φοβοῦ, φησὶν, ἀπὸ τοῦ νῦν ἀνθρώπους ἔσῃ ζωγρῶν, ὡς πρὸς κυβερνήτας καὶ ἁλιεῖς ὁμιλῶν· καὶ ἦν ἰδεῖν θαύματα ἐπὶ θαύμασι. Καὶ γὰρ ἡ φύσις ἡ ἡμετέρα πρὸ δέκα ἡμερῶν εἰς τὸν θρόνον ἀνέβη τὸν βασιλικὸν, καὶ τὸ Πνεῦμα τὸ ἅγιον κατέβη σήμερον πρὸς τὴν φύσιν τὴν ἡμετέραν· ἀνήνεγκεν ὁ Κύριος τὴν ἀπαρχὴν τὴν ἡμετέραν, καὶ κατήνεγκε τὸ Πνεῦμα τὸ ἅγιον. Ἕτερος Κύριος διανέμων τὰ δῶρα ταῦτα· καὶ γὰρ τὸ Πνεῦμα Κύριός ἐστι, καὶ διενείμαντο τὴν ὑπὲρ ἡμῶν οἰκονομίαν Πατὴρ καὶ Υἱὸς καὶ ἅγιον Πνεῦμα. Οὔπω δέκα ἡμέρας εἶχεν ἀνελθὼν ὁ Χριστὸς, καὶ χαρίσματα ἡμῖν ἔπεμψε πνευματικὰ, δῶρα τῆς καταλλαγῆς ἐκείνης. Ἵνα γὰρ μηδεὶς ἀμφιβάλλῃ, καὶ διαπορῇ τί ποτε ἄρα ἂν ἀνελθὼν ὁ Χριστὸς ἐποίησεν· ἆρα κατήλλαξε τὸν Πατέρα; ἆρα ἵλεων αὐτὸν εἰργάσατο; βουλόμενος ἡμῖν δηλῶσαι, ὅτι κατήλλαξεν αὐτὸν τῇ φύσει τῇ ἡμετέρᾳ, τὰ δῶρα τῆς καταλλαγῆς ἔπεμψεν ἡμῖν εὐθέως. Τῶν γὰρ ἐχθρῶν ἑνουμένων καὶ καταλλαγέντων ἀλλήλοις, μετὰ τὴν καταλλαγὴν εὐθὺς ἐφέπονται αἵ τε φιλοτησίαι καὶ δεξιώσεις καὶ τὰ χαρίσματα. Ἐπέμψαμεν τοίνυν ἡμεῖς πίστιν, καὶ ἐλάβομεν ἐκεῖθεν χαρίσματα· ἐπέμψαμεν ὑπακοὴν, καὶ ἐλάβομεν δικαιοσύνην. 50.457 γʹ. Καὶ ἵνα μάθητε, ὅτι τῆς καταλλαγῆς τοῦ Θεοῦ δῶρόν ἐστι τὸ δοθῆναι τὸ Πνεῦμα τὸ ἅγιον, ἀπὸ τῶν Γραφῶν ὑμᾶς πεῖσαι πειράσομαι, πρότερον ἀπὸ τοῦ ἐναντίου