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having recently been delivered from idols, and their mind was still thicker and more insensitive, and they were crazed and gaped after all physical things, and they had as yet no concept of incorporeal gifts, nor did they know what intelligible grace is, which is perceived by faith alone; for this reason signs occurred.

For of the spiritual gifts, some are invisible, and are apprehended by faith alone; but others display also a sensible sign for the full conviction of the unbelievers. For example: the forgiveness of sins is an intelligible matter, it is an invisible grace; for how our sins are cleansed, we do not see with the eyes of the flesh. Why is that? Because it is the soul that is cleansed; and the soul is not seen by the eyes of the body. The cleansing of sins, therefore, is an intelligible gift which cannot become manifest to the eyes of the body; but speaking in different tongues is itself also from the intelligible working of the Spirit; yet it provides a sensible sign, and one easily perceived by unbelievers. For of the working that takes place within the soul, I mean the invisible one, the external tongue that is heard is a manifestation and a proof. For this reason Paul also says: *To each is given the manifestation of the Spirit for the common good*. I, therefore, now have no need of signs. For what reason? Because even without the giving of a sign I have learned to believe in the Master. For the unbeliever needs a pledge; but I, believing, need neither a pledge nor a sign; but even if I do not speak with a tongue, I know that I have been cleansed from my sins. But they at that time would not believe, unless they received a sign; for 50.460 this reason signs were given to them, as a pledge of the faith which they believed.

So that the signs were given not as to believers, but as to unbelievers, that they might become believers; thus also Paul says: *Signs are not for believers, but for unbelievers*. Do you see that it is not from God dishonoring us, but honoring us, that he has restrained the display of signs? For wishing to show our faith, that we believe him without pledges and signs, he has done this; for they, unless they first received a sign and a pledge, would not have believed him concerning the things unseen; but I, even without this, demonstrate all faith; this, therefore, is the reason why signs do not happen now.

5. I wished also to speak about the subject of the feast, and to show what

Pentecost is, and why the gift is given on this feast, and why in tongues of fire, and why after ten days; but I see the teaching is being drawn out to great length; wherefore, adding a few things, I will end the discourse; *When the day of Pentecost was fully come, there appeared to them tongues being distributed as of fire*; not of fire, but *as of fire*, so that you might not suspect anything sensible about the Spirit. For just as at the streams of the Jordan, it was not a dove that came down, but *in the form of a dove*; so also here it was not fire, but *in the form of fire*. And again it says above: *As of a rushing mighty wind*; not a mighty wind, but *as of a rushing mighty wind*. And for what reason does Ezekiel not receive the gift of prophecy through a likeness of fire, but through a book, while the apostles receive the gifts through fire? For concerning him it says, that he gave into his mouth the roll of a book, and written on it were lamentation and song and woe, and it was written on the back and on the front; and he ate it, and it was in his mouth as sweet honey.

But concerning the apostles it is not so; but *There appeared to them tongues as of fire*. For what reason, then, a book and letters there, but here a tongue and fire? Because he was going forth to accuse of sins, and to lament Jewish calamities; but these were going out to consume the sins of the world; for this reason he

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εἰδώλων προσφάτως ἀπηλλαγμένοι, καὶ παχυτέρα καὶ ἀναισθητοτέρα αὐτῶν ἡ διάνοια ἔτι ἦν, καὶ πρὸς τὰ σωματικὰ πάντα ἐπτόηντο καὶ ἐκεχήνεσαν, καὶ οὐδεμία αὐτοῖς οὐδέπω ἔννοια δωρεῶν ἀσωμάτων ἦν, οὐδὲ εἴδεσαν τί ποτέ ἐστι νοητὴ χάρις, καὶ πίστει μόνῃ θεωρουμένη· διὰ τοῦτο σημεῖα ἐγίνετο.

Τῶν γὰρ χαρισμάτων τῶν πνευματικῶν τὰ μὲν ἀόρατά ἐστι, καὶ πίστει καταλαμβάνεται μόνῃ· τὰ δὲ καὶ αἰσθητὸν ἐνδείκνυται σημεῖον πρὸς τὴν τῶν ἀπίστων πληροφορίαν. Οἷόν τι λέγω· ἁμαρτιῶν ἄφεσις νοητόν ἐστι πρᾶγμα, ἀόρατόν ἐστι χάρισμα· πῶς γὰρ καθαίρονται ἡμῶν αἱ ἁμαρτίαι, οὐχ ὁρῶμεν τοῖς τῆς σαρκὸς ὀφθαλμοῖς. Τί δήποτε; Ὅτι ψυχή ἐστιν ἡ καθαιρομένη· ψυχὴ δὲ ὀφθαλμοῖς σώματος οὐχ ὁρᾶται. Ἡ μὲν οὖν κάθαρσις τῶν ἁμαρτημάτων νοητὴ δωρεά τίς ἐστιν ὀφθαλμοῖς οὐ δυναμένη σώματος γενέσθαι φανερά· τὸ δὲ γλώσσαις διαφόροις λαλεῖν ἐστι μὲν καὶ αὐτὸ νοητῆς ἐνεργείας τοῦ Πνεύματος· αἰσθητὸν μέντοι παρέχεται τὸ σημεῖον, καὶ τοῖς ἀπίστοις εὐσύνοπτον. Τῆς γὰρ ἔνδον ἐν τῇ ψυχῇ γινομένης ἐνεργείας, τῆς ἀοράτου λέγω, ἡ ἔξω γλῶττα ἀκουομένη φανέρωσίς τίς ἐστι καὶ ἔλεγχος. ∆ιὰ τοῦτο καὶ ὁ Παῦλος λέγει· Ἑκάστῳ δὲ ἡ φανέρωσις τοῦ Πνεύματος δίδοται πρὸς τὸ συμφέρον. Ἐγὼ μὲν οὖν νῦν χρείαν οὐκ ἔχω σημείων. Τίνος ἕνεκεν; Ὅτι καὶ χωρὶς σημείου δόσεως πιστεύειν μεμάθηκα τῷ ∆εσπότῃ. Ὁ γὰρ ἀπιστῶν ἐνεχύρου δεῖται· ἐγὼ δὲ πιστεύων οὐ δέομαι ἐνεχύρου οὐδὲ σημείου· ἀλλὰ κἂν μὴ λαλήσω γλώσσῃ, οἶδα ὅτι ἐκαθάρθην ἐκ τῶν ἁμαρτιῶν. Ἐκεῖνοι δὲ τότε οὐκ ἐπίστευον, εἰ μὴ ἔλαβον σημεῖον· διὰ 50.460 τοῦτο αὐτοῖς ἐδίδοτο σημεῖα, ὥσπερ ἐνέχυρον τῆς πίστεως ἧς ἐπίστευον.

Ὥστε οὐχ ὡς πιστοῖς, ἀλλ' ὡς ἀπίστοις ἐδίδοτο τὰ σημεῖα, ἵνα γένωνται πιστοί· οὕτω καὶ Παῦλός φησι· Τὰ σημεῖα οὐ τοῖς πιστεύουσιν, ἀλλὰ τοῖς ἀπίστοις. Ὁρᾶτε, ὅτι οὐχὶ ἀτιμάζοντος ἡμᾶς τοῦ Θεοῦ, ἀλλὰ τιμῶντός ἐστι τὸ συστεῖλαι τὴν τῶν σημείων ἐπίδειξιν; Βουλόμενος γὰρ δεῖξαι τὴν πίστιν ἡμῶν, ὅτι χωρὶς ἐνεχύρων καὶ σημείων αὐτῷ πιστεύομεν, τοῦτο πεποίηκεν· ἐκεῖνοι μὲν γὰρ εἰ μὴ ἔλαβον πρῶτον σημεῖον καὶ ἐνέχυρον, οὐκ ἂν αὐτῷ ἐπίστευον περὶ τῶν ἀφανῶν· ἐγὼ δὲ καὶ χωρὶς τούτου πᾶσαν ἐπιδείκνυμι πίστιν· τοῦτο οὖν αἴτιον τοῦ μὴ γίνεσθαι σημεῖα νῦν.

εʹ. Ἐβουλόμην καὶ περὶ τῆς ὑποθέσεως τῆς ἑορτῆς εἰπεῖν, καὶ δεῖξαι τί ποτέ

ἐστι πεντηκοστὴ, καὶ διὰ τί ἐν τῇ ἑορτῇ ταύτῃ τὸ χάρισμα δίδοται, καὶ διὰ τί ἐν γλώσσαις πυρίναις, καὶ διὰ τί μετὰ δέκα ἡμέρας· ἀλλ' ὁρῶ πρὸς μῆκος τὴν διδασκαλίαν ἐκτεινομένην· διὸ ὀλίγα προσθεὶς καταπαύσω τὸν λόγον· Ἐν τῷ συμπληροῦσθαι τὴν ἡμέραν τῆς πεντηκοστῆς ὤφθησαν αὐτοῖς διαμεριζόμεναι γλῶσσαι ὡσεὶ πυρός· οὐχὶ πυρὸς, ἀλλ' ὡσεὶ πυρὸς, ἵνα μηδὲν αἰσθητὸν ὑποπτεύσῃς περὶ τοῦ Πνεύματος. Καθάπερ γὰρ ἐπὶ τῶν Ἰορδανείων ῥείθρων οὐχὶ περιστερὰ κατέβη, ἀλλ' ἐν εἴδει περιστερᾶς· οὕτω καὶ ἐνταῦθα οὐχὶ πῦρ, ἀλλ' ἐν εἴδει πυρός. Καὶ πάλιν ἀνωτέρω φησίν· Ὡσεὶ φερομένης πνοῆς βιαίας· οὐχὶ πνοῆς βιαίας, ἀλλ' ὡς φερομένης πνοῆς βιαίας. Τίνος δὲ ἕνεκεν ὁ μὲν Ἰεζεκιὴλ οὐ δι' ὁμοιώσεως πυρὸς λαμβάνει τὸ χάρισμα τῆς προφητείας, ἀλλὰ διὰ βιβλίου, οἱ δὲ ἀπόστολοι διὰ πυρὸς λαμβάνουσι τὰ χαρίσματα; Περὶ μὲν γὰρ ἐκείνου φησὶν, ὅτι ἔδωκεν εἰς τὸ στόμα αὐτοῦ κεφαλίδα βιβλίου, καὶ ἐγγέγραπται κατάλεγμα καὶ μέλος καὶ οὐαὶ, καὶ ἦν τὰ ὀπίσω καὶ τὰ ἔμπροσθεν γεγραμμένα· καὶ ἔφαγεν αὐτὸ, καὶ ἐγένετο ἐν τῷ στόματι ὡς μέλι γλυκάζον.

Περὶ δὲ τῶν ἀποστόλων οὐχ οὕτως· ἀλλ' Ὤφθησαν αὐτοῖς γλῶσσαι ὡσεὶ πυρός. Τίνος οὖν ἕνεκεν ἐκεῖ βιβλίον καὶ γράμματα, ἐνταῦθα δὲ γλῶσσα καὶ πῦρ; Ὅτι ἐκεῖνος μὲν ἀπῄει κατηγορήσων ἁμαρτημάτων, καὶ θρηνήσων συμφορὰς Ἰουδαϊκάς· οὗτοι δὲ ἐξῄεσαν τὰ τῆς οἰκουμένης ἁμαρτήματα δαπανήσοντες· διὰ τοῦτο ἐκεῖνος