John Chrysostom, On the Beginning of Acts

3. We have discoursed to you from the apostolic sayings in the previous days, and from the evangelical, when we were speaking about Judas; we have discoursed to you also from the prophetic; today we wish to speak from the Acts of the Apostles. For this reason I said the dish is strange, and not strange. Not strange, on the one hand, because it is of the sequence of the divine Scriptures, but strange, on the other hand, because perhaps your hearing is unaccustomed to such a discourse. To many, at any rate, this book is not even familiar, and to many who think it is clear, it is again overlooked; and so it happens for some, their knowledge, and for others, their ignorance, becomes a pretext for indifference. So that, therefore, both those who are ignorant may learn, and those who think they know clearly, that it has a great depth of meanings, it is necessary to correct the indifference of both today. But first one must learn who wrote the book. For this is the sequence of the best investigation, first to see who wrote it, if it is a man, or God; and if a man, let us reject it; for, "Call no man," He says, "teacher on earth"; but if God, let us accept it; for our school is from above; for such is the dignity of this theater, to learn nothing from men, but from God through men. It is necessary, therefore, to examine who wrote it, and when he wrote it, and about what things, and for what reason it has been legislated to be read on this feast. For perhaps you do not hear this book being read throughout the whole year. For this too is useful; and after this we must inquire, for what reason it has this title, Acts of the Apostles. For we must not simply pass over the titles, nor immediately plunge into the beginning of the writing, but first look at the name of the book. For just as in our case the head makes the rest of the body more recognizable, and the face placed upon it makes it evident, so also the title placed above, before the text, on the forehead, makes the rest of the writing clearer to us. Do you not see this also on the imperial images, that above lies the image, and it has the emperor depicted; but below on the base are inscribed the emperor's trophies, the victory, the achievements? So indeed one can see this also on the Scriptures. The royal image is written above; but below are inscribed the victory, the trophies, the achievements. This is also what we do when we receive a letter; we do not immediately undo the bond, nor do we immediately read what is contained inside; but first we go over the outside inscription, and from that we learn both the sender and the one who is to receive it. And how then is it not absurd in worldly matters to use so much diligence, and not to be confused, nor to be disturbed, but to approach each thing in order; but here to be annoyed, and to leap immediately to the beginning? Do you wish to learn how great is the strength of the title? How great its power? How great a treasure lies in the beginnings of the Scriptures? Listen, so that you may not despise the title of the divine Books. Paul once entered Athens; in this very book this story is written; he found in the city not a divine book, but an altar of idols; he found an inscription that read thus, TO AN UNKNOWN GOD; and he did not pass it by, but from the inscription of the altar he demolished the altar. Saint Paul, who had the grace of the Spirit, did not pass by an altar's inscription, and you run past the title of the Scriptures? He did not neglect what the idolatrous Athenians wrote, and what the Holy Spirit wrote, you do not think necessary? And what excuse do you have? But let us see how great the profit is from the inscription. When, therefore, you see an inscription carved on an altar that afforded so much strength, you will learn that the inscriptions of the divine Scriptures will be able to do this much more. Paul entered the city, he found an altar on which was inscribed, TO AN UNKNOWN GOD. What was he to do? All were Greeks, all were impious. What, then, should he have done? Discourse from the Gospels? But they would have laughed. But from the prophetic, and the letters of the law? But they would not

γʹ. ∆ιελέχθημεν ὑμῖν ἀπὸ τῶν ἀποστολικῶν ῥημάτων ἐν ταῖς ἔμπροσθεν ἡμέραις, καὶ ἀπὸ τῶν εὐαγγελικῶν, ὅτε περὶ τοῦ Ἰούδα διελεγόμεθα· διελέχθημεν ὑμῖν καὶ ἀπὸ προφητικῶν· σήμερον βουλόμεθα ἀπὸ τῶν Πράξεων τῶν ἀποστόλων εἰπεῖν. ∆ιὰ τοῦτο εἶπον τὸ ὄψον ξένον, καὶ οὐ ξένον. Οὐ ξένον μὲν, ὅτι τῆς ἀκολουθίας ἐστὶ τῶν θείων Γραφῶν, ξένον δὲ, διότι τάχα ἀήθης ὑμῖν ἡ ἀκοὴ πρὸς τὴν τοιαύτην ἀκρόασιν. Πολλοῖς γοῦν τὸ βιβλίον τοῦτο οὐδὲ γνώριμόν ἐστι, πολλοῖς δὲ δοκοῦν σαφὲς εἶναι, πάλιν παρορᾶται· καὶ γίνεται τοῖς μὲν ἡ γνῶσις, τοῖς δὲ ἡ ἄγνοια ῥᾳθυμίας ὑπόθεσις. Ἵν' οὖν καὶ οἱ ἀγνοοῦντες μάθωσι, καὶ οἱ νομίζοντες σαφῶς εἰδέναι, ὅτι πολὺ βάθος νοημάτων ἔχει, ἀναγκαῖον ἀμφοτέρων διορθώσασθαι τὴν ῥᾳθυμίαν τήμερον. ∆εῖ δὲ πρότερον μαθεῖν, τίς τὸ βιβλίον ἔγραψεν. Αὕτη γὰρ ἀρίστης ἐρεύνης ἀκολουθία, πρότερον τὸν γράψαντα ἰδεῖν, εἰ ἄνθρωπός ἐστιν, ἣ ὁ Θεός· κἂν μὲν ἄνθρωπος, παρακρουσώμεθα· Μὴ καλέσητε γὰρ, φησὶ, διδάσκαλον ἐπὶ τῆς γῆς· ἂν δὲ Θεὸς, δεξώμεθα· ἄνωθεν γάρ ἐστι τὸ διδασκαλεῖον τὸ ἡμέτερον· καὶ γὰρ τοιοῦτον τὸ ἀξίωμα τοῦ θεάτρου τούτου, μηδὲν παρὰ ἀνθρώπων μανθάνειν, ἀλλὰ παρὰ Θεοῦ δι' ἀνθρώπων. ∆εῖ τοίνυν ἐξετάσαι, τίς ὁ γράψας, καὶ πότε ἔγραψε, καὶ περὶ τίνων, καὶ τίνος ἕνεκεν τῇ ἑορτῇ ταύτῃ νενομοθέτηται αὐτὸ ἀναγινώσκεσθαι. Τάχα γὰρ οὐκ ἀκούετε διὰ παντὸς τοῦ ἔτους ἀναγινωσκομένου τοῦ βιβλίου. Καὶ γὰρ καὶ τοῦτο χρήσιμον· καὶ μετὰ τοῦτο ζητῆσαι χρὴ, τίνος ἕνεκεν ταύτην ἔχει τὴν ἐπιγραφὴν, Πράξεις ἀποστόλων. Οὐδὲ γὰρ τὰς ἐπιγραφὰς ἁπλῶς παριέναι χρὴ, οὐδὲ εὐθέως εἰς τὴν ἀρχὴν ἐμβαλεῖν τῆς συγγραφῆς, ἀλλὰ πρότερον ὁρᾷν τὴν προσηγορίαν τοῦ βιβλίου. Καθάπερ γὰρ ἐφ' ἡμῶν ἡ κεφαλὴ γνωριμώτερον ποιεῖ τὸ λοιπὸν σῶμα, καὶ ἡ ὄψις ἄνωθεν ἐπικειμένη φανερὸν αὐτὸ ἐργάζεται, οὕτω καὶ ἡ ἐπιγραφὴ ἄνωθεν πρὸ τῆς ὑφῆς ἐπικειμένη ἐπὶ τοῦ μετώπου καταφανέστερον ἡμῖν ποιεῖ τὸ λοιπὸν τῆς γραφῆς. Οὐχ ὁρᾶτε καὶ ἐπὶ τῶν εἰκόνων τοῦτο τῶν βασιλικῶν, ὅτι ἄνω κεῖται μὲν ἡ εἰκὼν, καὶ τὸν βασιλέα ἔχει ἐγγεγραμμένον· κάτω δὲ ἐν τῇ χοίνικι ἐπιγέγραπται τοῦ βασιλέως τὰ τρόπαια, ἡ νίκη, τὰ κατορθώματα; Οὕτω δὴ καὶ ἐπὶ τῶν Γραφῶν ἔστιν ἰδεῖν. Γέγραπται μὲν ἡ εἰκὼν ἡ βασιλικὴ ἄνωθεν· κάτωθεν δὲ ἐπιγέγραπται ἡ νίκη, τὰ τρόπαια, τὰ κατορθώματα. Οὕτω καὶ ἐπιστολὴν ὅταν δεξώμεθα, ποιοῦμεν· οὐκ εὐθέως διαλύομεν τὸν δε 51.72 σμὸν, οὐδὲ εὐθέως τὰ ἐγκείμενα ἔνδοθεν ἀναγινώσκομεν· ἀλλὰ πρότερον τὴν ἔξωθεν ἐπιγραφὴν ἐπερχόμεθα, καὶ ἐξ ἐκείνης μανθάνομεν καὶ τὸν πέμψαντα, καὶ τὸν ὀφείλοντα ὑποδέξασθαι. Καὶ πῶς οὖν οὐκ ἄτοπον ἐν μὲν τοῖς βιωτικοῖς τοσαύτῃ κεχρῆσθαι σπουδῇ, καὶ μὴ θορυβεῖσθαι, μηδὲ ταράττεσθαι, ἀλλὰ κατὰ τάξιν ἕκαστον ἐπιέναι· ἐνταῦθα δὲ ἀσχάλλειν, καὶ εὐθέως ἐπιπηδᾷν τῇ ἀρχῇ; Βούλεσθε μαθεῖν ὅση τῆς ἐπιγραφῆς ἡ ἰσχύς; ὅση δύναμις; ὅσος ἀπόκειται θησαυρὸς ἐν ταῖς ἀρχαῖς τῶν Γραφῶν; Ἀκούσατε, ἵνα μὴ καταφρονῆτε τῆς ἐπιγραφῆς τῶν θείων Βιβλίων. Εἰσῆλθεν εἰς τὰς Ἀθήνας ὁ Παῦλός ποτε· ἐν αὐτῷ τῷ βιβλίῳ γέγραπται ἡ ἱστορία αὕτη· εὗρεν ἐν τῇ πόλει οὐχὶ βιβλίον θεῖον, ἀλλὰ βωμὸν εἰδώλων· εὗρεν ἐπιγραφὴν οὕτως ἔχουσαν, Ἀγνώστῳ Θεῷ· καὶ οὐ παρέδραμεν, ἀλλ' ἀπὸ τῆς ἐπιγραφῆς τοῦ βωμοῦ τὸν βωμὸν καθεῖλε. Παῦλος ὁ ἅγιος, ὁ Πνεύματος χάριν ἔχων, οὐ παρέδραμε βωμοῦ ἐπίγραμμα, καὶ σὺ ἐπιγραφὴν Γραφῶν παρατρέχεις; ἐκεῖνος οὐκ ἀφῆκεν ἅπερ ἔγραψαν Ἀθηναῖοι εἰδωλολάτραι, καὶ σὺ ἅπερ ἔγραψε τὸ Πνεῦμα τὸ ἅγιον οὐ νομίζεις εἶναι ἀναγκαῖα; καὶ ποίαν ἔχεις συγγνώμην; Ἀλλὰ γὰρ ἴδωμεν πόσον τὸ κέρδος ἀπὸ τοῦ ἐπιγράμματός ἐστιν. Ὅταν οὖν ἴδῃς ἐπίγραμμα βωμῷ ἐγκεχαραγμένον τοσαύτην παρασχὸν τὴν ἰσχὺν, μαθήσῃ ὅτι πολλῷ μᾶλλον τὰ ἐπιγράμματα τῶν θείων Γραφῶν τοῦτο ποιῆσαι δυνήσεται. Εἰσῆλθεν εἰς τὴν πόλιν ὁ Παῦλος, εὗρε βωμὸν ἐν ᾧ ἐπεγέγραπτο, Ἀγνώστῳ Θεῷ. Τί ἔδει ποιῆσαι; Ἕλληνες πάντες ἦσαν, ἀσεβεῖς πάντες. Τί οὖν ἐχρῆν ποιῆσαι; Ἀπὸ Εὐαγγελίων διαλεχθῆναι; Ἀλλὰ κατεγέλων. Ἀλλ' ἀπὸ προφητικῶν, καὶ τοῦ νόμου γραμμάτων; Ἀλλ' οὐκ