John Chrysostom, On the Acts of the Apostles

having been believed, much more would he who composed these things, which he received not from others, but which he saw and heard, have been justified in being believed. For if you received the things of Christ, he says, much more the things of the apostles. What then? Is the matter only a history, and the account void of the Spirit? By no means. How? Because what those who from the beginning were eyewitnesses and ministers of the word delivered to him, were of the Spirit. And why did he not say, As they who were counted worthy of the Holy Spirit delivered to us, but, Those who from the beginning were eyewitnesses? Because this is most trustworthy for belief, to learn from eyewitnesses; but that would have seemed to the foolish both boastfulness and conceit. Therefore John also said thus: I have seen and have testified that this is the Son of God. And Christ also reasons thus with Ni 60.17 codemus who was rather slow: What we know we speak, and what we have seen we testify, and no one receives our testimony. And again, showing that it is possible to testify to many things also from sight, he said to the disciples: And you also testify concerning me, because you have been with me from the beginning. And the apostles themselves in many places say thus: We are witnesses and the Holy Spirit, which God has given to those who obey him. And after this, Peter, confirming the resurrection, said: We who ate and drank with him. For they more readily accepted the testimony of men who had been with him, because for the time being they were very much lacking in the concept of the Spirit. For this reason John also, in the writing of the Gospel, said that he himself saw, when speaking about the blood and the water, putting forth sight to them as the greatest testimony; and yet the things from the Spirit are more accurate than sight, but not so to the unbelievers. For that the man partook of the Spirit is clear from many things, both from the signs now happening, and from the fact that even ordinary men at that time received the Spirit, and from Paul's testimony (For whose praise, he says, is in the Gospel), and from the vote at his ordination. For having said this, he adds: But also chosen by the Churches, our fellow traveler in this grace which is administered by us. 3. And see his freedom from conceit. For he does not say, The first Gospel, which I preached; but, The first account I made, thinking the title of Gospel to be greater than himself. And yet the Apostle from this adorns him, saying: Whose praise is in the Gospel. But he himself is modest and says: The first account I made concerning all things, O Theophilus, which Jesus began both to do and to teach; not simply, concerning all things, but from the beginning to the end. Until the day, he says, in which he was taken up. And yet John shows that it was not possible to write all things. For wishing to declare this, having said, Which if they should be written one by one, I suppose that even the world itself could not contain, he adds, the books that would be written. How then, he says, does this man speak of concerning all things? But he did not say, All things, but, Concerning all things; as one might say, in summary and in general outline; or he speaks of all things, those that are essential and urgent. Then he also shows which all things. Which Jesus began both to do and to teach, alluding to the miracles and the teachings. And not only this, but that even by doing he taught. But see also his philanthropic and apostolic mind, if for the sake of one he took such great pains as to write an entire Gospel. That you might have, he says, certainty concerning the things wherein you were instructed. For he had heard Christ saying: It is not the will of my Father, that one of these little ones should perish. And for what reason did he not make one book, writing to the one Theophilus, but divided it into two subjects? For the sake of clarity, and to give rest to the hearer; and besides, the treatises are also divided by their subject matter. But observe how Christ made his words trustworthy through his works. 60.18 He exhorted concerning meekness, and said: Learn from me, for I am meek and lowly in heart. He taught to be without possessions, and this was shown through his works; For the Son

πιστευθεὶς, πολλῷ μᾶλλον ὁ ταῦτα συνθεὶς ἃ μὴ παρ' ἑτέρων παρείληφεν, ἀλλ' ἃ εἶδε καὶ ἤκουσε, πιστευθῆναι δίκαιος ἂν ἦν. Εἰ γὰρ τὰ τοῦ Χριστοῦ ἐδέξω, φησὶ, πολλῷ μᾶλλον τὰ τῶν ἀποστόλων. Τί οὖν; ἱστορία μόνον τὸ πρᾶγμά ἐστι, καὶ Πνεύματος ἄμοιρος ὁ λόγος; Οὐδαμῶς. Πῶς; Ὅτι ἅπερ οἱ ἀπαρχῆς αὐτόπται καὶ ὑπηρέται γενόμενοι τοῦ λόγου αὐτῷ παρέδοσαν, τοῦ Πνεύματος ἦσαν. Καὶ διατί μὴ εἶπεν, ὅτι Καθὼς παρέδοσαν ἡμῖν οἱ Πνεύματος ἁγίου καταξιωθέντες, ἀλλ', Οἱ ἀπ' ἀρχῆς αὐτόπται γενόμενοι; Ὅτι τοῦτο μάλιστα εἰς πίστιν ἐστὶν ἀξιόπιστον, τὸ παρὰ αὐτοπτῶν μαθεῖν· ἐκεῖνο δὲ καὶ ἀλαζονεία, καὶ τῦφος ἂν ἔδοξε τοῖς ἀνοήτοις. ∆ιὸ καὶ Ἰωάννης οὕτως ἔλεγεν· Ἐγὼ ἑώρακα καὶ μεμαρτύρηκα, ὅτι οὗτός ἐστιν ὁ Υἱὸς τοῦ Θεοῦ. Καὶ ὁ Χριστὸς δὲ οὕτω διαλέγεται τῷ Νι 60.17 κοδήμῳ παχυτέρῳ ὄντι· Ὃ οἴδαμεν λαλοῦμεν, καὶ ὃ ἑωράκαμεν μαρτυροῦμεν, καὶ τὴν μαρτυρίαν ἡμῶν οὐδεὶς λαμβάνει. Καὶ πάλιν δεικνὺς, ὅτι πολλὰ καὶ ἀπὸ ὄψεως μαρτυρεῖν ἔστι, τοῖς μαθηταῖς ἔλεγε· Καὶ ὑμεῖς μαρτυρεῖτε περὶ ἐμοῦ, ὅτι ἀπ' ἀρχῆς μετ' ἐμοῦ ἐστε. Καὶ αὐτοὶ οἱ ἀπόστολοι πολλαχοῦ οὕτω φασί· Μάρτυρες ἡμεῖς καὶ τὸ Πνεῦμα τὸ ἅγιον, ὃ ἔδωκεν ὁ Θεὸς τοῖς πειθαρχοῦσιν αὐτῷ. Καὶ μετὰ ταῦτα δὲ πιστούμενος τὴν ἀνάστασιν ὁ Πέτρος ἔλεγεν· Οἵτινες συνεφάγομεν καὶ συνεπίομεν αὐτῷ. Τάχιον γὰρ τὴν παρὰ τῶν συγγενομένων ἀνθρώπων μαρτυρίαν ἐδέχοντο, διὰ τὸ τῆς περὶ τοῦ Πνεύματος ἐννοίας σφόδρα τέως ἀποδεῖν. ∆ιὰ τοῦτο καὶ Ἰωάννης ἐν τῇ τοῦ Εὐαγγελίου συγγραφῇ ἔλεγεν, ὅτι αὐτὸς εἶδε, περὶ τοῦ αἵματος καὶ τοῦ ὕδατος διαλεγόμενος, τὴν ὄψιν αὐτοῖς ἀντὶ μαρτυρίας τιθεὶς μεγίστης· καίτοι ὄψεως ἀκριβέστερα τὰ παρὰ τοῦ Πνεύματος, ἀλλ' οὐ παρὰ τοῖς ἀπίστοις. Ἐπεὶ ὅτι Πνεύματος μετεῖχεν ὁ ἀνὴρ, πολλαχόθεν δῆλον, ἀπό τε τῶν σημείων τῶν νῦν γινομένων, ἀπό τε τοῦ καὶ τοὺς τυχόντας τότε μεταλαμβάνειν Πνεύματος, ἀπό τε τῆς Παύλου μαρτυρίας (Οὗ γὰρ, φησὶν, ὁ ἔπαινος ἐν τῷ Εὐαγγελίῳ), ἀπό τε τῆς κατὰ τὴν χειροτονίαν ψήφου. Εἰπὼν γὰρ τοῦτο, ἐπάγει· Ἀλλὰ καὶ χειροτονηθεὶς ὑπὸ τῶν Ἐκκλησιῶν, συνέκδημος ἡμῶν ἐν τῇ χάριτι ταύτῃ τῇ διακονουμένῃ ὑφ' ἡμῶν. γʹ. Καὶ ὅρα αὐτοῦ τὸ ἄτυφον. Οὐ γὰρ λέγει, Τὸ μὲν πρῶτον Εὐαγγέλιον, ὃ εὐηγγελισάμην· ἀλλὰ, Τὸν μὲν πρῶτον λόγον ἐποιησάμην, μείζονα ἑαυτοῦ εἶναι νομίζων τοῦ Εὐαγγελίου τὴν προσηγορίαν. Καίτοιγε ὁ Ἀπόστολος ἐντεῦθεν αὐτὸν κοσμεῖ λέγων· Οὗ ὁ ἔπαινος ἐν τῷ Εὐαγγελίῳ. Ἀλλ' αὐτὸς μετριάζει καί φησι· Τὸν μὲν πρῶτον λόγον ἐποιησάμην περὶ πάντων, ὦ Θεόφιλε, ὧν ἤρξατο ὁ Ἰησοῦς ποιεῖν τε καὶ διδάσκειν· οὐχ ἁπλῶς, περὶ πάντων, ἀλλ' ἀπ' ἀρχῆς μέχρι τέλους. Ἄχρι γὰρ τῆς ἡμέρας, φησὶν, ἧς ἀνελήφθη. Καὶ μὴν Ἰωάννης δείκνυσιν, ὅτι οὐκ ἦν δυνατὸν πάντα γράψαι. Θέλων γὰρ τοῦτο δηλῶσαι, εἰπὼν, Ἅτινα ἐὰν γράφηται καθ' ἓν, οὐδὲ αὐτὸν τὸν κόσμον οἶμαι χωρῆσαι, προστίθησι, Τὰ γραφόμενα βιβλία. Πῶς οὖν, φησὶ, περὶ πάντων οὗτος λέγει; Ἀλλ' οὐκ εἶπε, Πάντα, ἀλλὰ, Περὶ πάντων· ὡς ἂν εἴποι τις, ἁδρομερῶς καὶ παχυμερῶς· ἢ περὶ πάντων λέγει, τῶν συνεχόντων καὶ κατεπειγόντων. Εἶτα δείκνυσι καὶ ποίων πάντων. Ὧν ἤρξατο ὁ Ἰησοῦς ποιεῖν τε καὶ διδάσκειν, τὰ θαύματα καὶ τὰς διδασκαλίας αἰνιττόμενος. Οὐ τοῦτο δὲ μόνον, ἀλλ' ὅτι καὶ ποιῶν ἐδίδασκεν. Ὅρα δὲ αὐτοῦ καὶ τὴν φιλάνθρωπον καὶ ἀποστολικὴν γνώμην, εἰ καὶ ἑνὸς ἕνεκεν τοσαύτην ἐποιεῖτο ἀκρίβειαν, ὡς ὁλόκληρον Εὐαγγέλιον γράψαι. Ἵνα γὰρ ἔχῃς, φησὶ, περὶ ὧν κατηχήθης λόγων τὴν ἀσφάλειαν. Καὶ γὰρ ἤκουσε τοῦ Χριστοῦ λέγοντος· Οὐκ ἔστι θέλημα τοῦ Πατρός μου, ἵνα ἀπόληται εἷς τῶν μικρῶν τούτων. Καὶ τίνος ἕνεκεν οὐχ ἓν βιβλίον ἐποίησεν, ἑνὶ τῷ Θεοφίλῳ ἐπιστέλλων, ἀλλ' εἰς δύο διεῖλεν ὑποθέσεις; Σαφηνείας ἕνεκεν, καὶ τοῦ διαναπαῦσαι τὸν ἀκροατήν· ἄλλως δὲ, καὶ τῇ ὑποθέσει διῃρημέναι εἰσὶν αἱ πραγματεῖαι. Σκόπει δὲ ὅπως ἑαυτοῦ τοὺς λόγους ὁ Χριστὸς διὰ τῶν ἔργων ἀξιοπίστους ἐποίει. 60.18 Περὶ πραότητος παρῄνει, καὶ ἔλεγε· Μάθετε ἀπ' ἐμοῦ, ὅτι πρᾶός εἰμι καὶ ταπεινὸς τῇ καρδίᾳ. Ἐδίδασκεν ἀκτήμονας εἶναι, καὶ τοῦτο ἐδείκνυτο διὰ τῶν ἔργων· Ὁ γὰρ Υἱὸς