10

tolerable? And if a king sends letters, releasing those in prison, there is gladness and joy; but God sends down the Spirit from heaven, not forgiving deficits of money, but whole sins; and do you all weep and mourn? What is this anomaly? For I do not yet say that water was also poured on the dead, and the holy things were cast upon the earth; but we are not the cause of these things, but the ungrateful are. Therefore I exhort you, having put all things aside, to collect yourselves and to approach baptism with all readiness, so that having shown much zeal in the present, we may attain confidence in the future; which may we all attain, by the grace and loving-kindness of our Lord Jesus Christ, to whom be glory and dominion forever and ever. Amen.

60.25 HOMILY II. They therefore that were come together asked him, saying

Lord, will you at this time restore the kingdom to Israel?

1. Whenever the disciples are about to ask something, they approach together. This they do

that by their number they might prevail. For they knew that what was formerly said by Him, that "No one knows the day," was by way of evasion, not of ignorance, but of deferring the answer; wherefore they approach again, and ask. But they would not have asked, if indeed they had been truly persuaded. For since they heard that they were about to receive the Spirit, as being now worthy, they wished to learn, and were ready for deliverance. For they did not wish to cast themselves into dangers, but to take a breath; because the things that had happened to them were not small, but danger overhung them concerning the last things. Therefore, saying nothing to Him about the Spirit, they ask, saying: Lord, will you at this time restore the kingdom to Israel? And they did not say, "When?" but, "Will you now?" he says; so much did they desire to learn the day. Therefore they also approach with greater reverence. But it seems to me that it was not at all clear to them what the kingdom was; for the Spirit had not yet taught them. And they did not say, "When will these things be?" but what? "Will you at this time restore the kingdom to Israel?" as if it had already fallen. They inquire thus, because they were still disposed towards sensible things, even if not in the same way as before; for they had not yet become better. So, then, these men imagined greater things concerning him. Since, therefore, they were elevated, he also speaks with them in an elevated manner. For he no longer says to them, that "Neither the Son knows the day"; but what? "It is not for you to know times or seasons, which the Father has set in His own authority." "You ask for greater things," he says. And yet they had already learned even things that were much greater. And that you may learn this 60.26 accurately, see how many things I enumerate. What is greater, tell me, than for them to have learned what they did learn? At least they learned that He is the Son of God, and that God has a Son of equal honor; they learned that there will be a resurrection; they learned that having ascended He sat down at the right hand of the Father; a more awesome thing than this they learned, that flesh sits above, and is worshipped by angels; they learned that He will come again to judge the whole world; they learned that they themselves will then sit as judges of the twelve tribes of Israel; they learned that the Jews are cast out, and those from the nations enter in their place. To know that these things will be is great; but to learn that someone will reign or when, is nothing great. Paul learned things which it is not lawful for a man to speak; he learned all things from before the world. What is more difficult to learn, the beginning, or the end? It is clear, that the former is. Moses, then, learned this, and when, and how many years before, he shows by the years which he numbers. This also Solomon, which is why he said: "I will remember the things from of old." That it is near, therefore, these also know after this; just as Paul also, saying: "The Lord is near, be anxious for nothing." But then not

10

ἀνεκτά; Κἂν μὲν βασιλεὺς πέμψῃ γράμματα, τοὺς ἐν δεσμωτηρίῳ λύων, εὐφροσύνη καὶ χαρά· ὁ δὲ Θεὸς καταπέμπει τὸ Πνεῦμα ἐξ οὐρανῶν, οὐχὶ ἐλλείμματα χρημάτων, ἀλλ' ὁλόκληρα ἁμαρτήματα συγχωρῶν· καὶ πάντες θρηνεῖτε καὶ ὀδύρεσθε; Τίς ἡ ἀνωμαλία αὕτη; Οὔπω γὰρ λέγω, ὅτι καὶ νεκροῖς ἐπεχύθη ὕδωρ, καὶ τὰ ἅγια ἐῤῥίφη εἰς γῆν· ἀλλ' οὐχ ἡμεῖς τούτων αἴτιοι, ἀλλ' οἱ ἀγνώμονες. ∆ιὸ παρακαλῶ πάντα ἀφέντας συστρέψαι ἑαυτοὺς καὶ προσιέναι τῷ βαπτίσματι μετὰ προθυμίας ἁπάσης, ἵνα καὶ ἐν τῷ παρόντι πολλὴν ἐπιδειξάμενοι σπουδὴν, τῆς μελλούσης τύχωμεν παῤῥησίας· ἧς γένοιτο πάντας ἡμᾶς ἐπιτυχεῖν, χάριτι καὶ φιλανθρωπίᾳ τοῦ Κυρίου ἡμῶν Ἰησοῦ Χριστοῦ, ᾧ ἡ δόξα καὶ τὸ κράτος εἰς τοὺς αἰῶνας τῶν αἰώνων. Ἀμήν.

60.25 ΟΜΙΛΙΑ Βʹ. Οἱ μὲν οὖν συνελθόντες ἐπηρώτων αὐτὸν λέγον

τες· Κύριε, εἰ ἐν τῷ χρόνῳ τούτῳ ἀποκαθιστά νεις τὴν βασιλείαν τῷ Ἰσραήλ;

αʹ. Ὅταν τι μέλλωσιν ἐρωτᾷν οἱ μαθηταὶ, ὁμοῦ προσέρχονται. Τοῦτο δὲ

ποιοῦσιν, ἵνα τῷ πλήθει δυσωπήσωσιν. Ἤδεισαν γὰρ, ὅτι τὸ πρώην παρ' αὐτοῦ εἰρημένον, ὅτι Οὐδεὶς οἶδε τὴν ἡμέραν, διακρουομένου ἦν, οὐκ ἀγνοοῦντος, ἀλλ' ἀναβαλλομένου τὴν ἀπόκρισιν· ὅθεν πάλιν προσέρχονται, καὶ ἐρωτῶσιν. Οὐκ ἂν δὲ ἠρώτησαν, εἴ γε ὄντως ἦσαν πεπεισμένοι. Ἐπειδὴ γὰρ ἤκουσαν, ὅτι Πνεῦμα μέλλουσι λαμβάνειν, ὡς ἄξιοι λοιπὸν ὄντες ἤθελον μαθεῖν, καὶ πρὸς ἀπαλλαγὴν ἦσαν ἕτοιμοι. Οὐ γὰρ ἐβούλοντο καθεῖναι ἑαυτοὺς εἰς κινδύνους, ἀλλὰ ἀναπνεῦσαι· διότι οὐ μικρὰ ἦν τὰ συμβεβηκότα αὐτοῖς, ἀλλὰ περὶ τῶν ἐσχάτων ὁ κίνδυνος ἐπεκρεμάσθη. Οὐδὲν οὖν αὐτῷ περὶ τοῦ Πνεύματος εἰπόντες, ἐρωτῶσι λέγοντες· Κύριε, εἰ ἐν τῷ χρόνῳ τούτῳ ἀποκαθιστάνεις τὴν βασιλείαν τῷ Ἰσραήλ; Καὶ οὐκ εἶπον, Πότε; ἀλλὰ, Εἰ νῦν; φησίν· οὕτως ἐπεθύμουν τὴν ἡμέραν μαθεῖν. ∆ιὸ καὶ μετὰ πλείονος προσίασι τῆς τιμῆς. Ἐμοὶ δὲ δοκεῖ οὐδὲ τετρανῶσθαί πως αὐτοῖς, τίς ποτε ἦν ἡ βασιλεία· οὔπω γὰρ ἦν τὸ Πνεῦμα διδάξαν αὐτούς. Καὶ οὐκ εἶπον, Πότε ταῦτα ἔσται; ἀλλὰ τί; Εἰ ἐν τῷ χρόνῳ τούτῳ ἀποκαθιστάνεις τὴν βασιλείαν τῷ Ἰσραήλ; ὡς ἤδη ἐκπεπτωκυῖαν. Ταῦτα οὕτω πυνθάνονται, ὅτι περὶ τὰ αἰσθητὰ ἔτι διέκειντο, εἰ καὶ μὴ ὁμοίως ὡς πρότερον· οὐδὲ γὰρ οὐδέπω γεγένηντο βελτίους. Οὕτω λοιπὸν οὗτοι μείζονα περὶ αὐτοῦ ἐφαντάζοντο. Ἐπεὶ οὖν ἀνήχθησαν, καὶ αὐτὸς ἀνηγμένως αὐτοῖς διαλέγεται. Οὐκέτι γὰρ λέγει πρὸς αὐτοὺς, ὅτι Οὐδὲ ὁ Υἱὸς οἶδε τὴν ἡμέραν· ἀλλὰ τί; Οὐχ ὑμῶν ἐστι γνῶναι χρόνους ἢ καιροὺς, οὓς ὁ Πατὴρ ἔθετο ἐν τῇ ἰδίᾳ ἐξουσίᾳ. Μείζονα αἰτεῖτε, φησί. Καὶ μὴν ἤδη ἔμαθον καὶ ἃ πολλῷ μείζονα ἦν. Καὶ ἵνα μάθῃς τοῦτο 60.26 ἀκριβῶς, ὅρα πόσα ἀπαριθμοῦμαι. Τί μεῖζον, εἰπέ μοι, τοῦ μαθεῖν αὐτοὺς ἅπερ ἔμαθον; Ἔμαθον γοῦν, ὅτι Υἱὸς τοῦ Θεοῦ ἐστι, καὶ Υἱὸν ἔχει ὁ Θεὸς ὁμότιμον· ἔμαθον, ὅτι ἀνάστασις ἔσται· ἔμαθον, ὅτι ἀνελθὼν ἐκάθισεν ἐν δεξιᾷ τοῦ Πατρός· τὸ τούτου φρικωδέστερον ἔμαθον, ὅτι σὰρξ ἄνω κάθηται, καὶ προσκυνεῖται ὑπὸ ἀγγέλων· ἔμαθον, ὅτι ἥξει πάλιν κρῖναι πάντα τὸν κόσμον· ἔμαθον, ὅτι μέλλουσι καθεδεῖσθαι καὶ αὐτοὶ τότε κριταὶ τῶν δώδεκα φυλῶν τοῦ Ἰσραήλ· ἔμαθον, ὅτι Ἰουδαῖοι ἐκβάλλονται, οἱ δὲ ἐξ ἐθνῶν ἀντεισέρχονται. Τὸ ταῦτα εἰδέναι ὅτι ἔσται, μέγα· τὸ δὲ μαθεῖν, ὅτι βασιλεύσει τις ἢ τὸ πότε, οὐδὲν μέγα. Ἔμαθε Παῦλος ἃ οὐκ ἐξὸν ἀνθρώπῳ λαλῆσαι· τὰ πρὸ τοῦ κόσμου ἅπαντα ἔμαθε. Τί μαθεῖν δυσκολώτερον, τὴν ἀρχὴν, ἢ τὸ τέλος; Εὔδηλον, ὅτι τὸ πρῶτον. Οὐκοῦν τοῦτο Μωϋσῆς ἔμαθε, καὶ πότε, καὶ πρὸ πόσων χρόνων, δείκνυσι δι' ὧν ἀριθμεῖ τὰ ἔτη. Τοῦτο καὶ Σολομῶν, διὸ καὶ ἔλεγε· Μνημονεύσω τὰ ἀπ' αἰῶνος. Ὅτι τοίνυν ἐγγύς ἐστιν, ἴσασι μετὰ ταῦτα καὶ οὗτοι· ὥσπερ καὶ ὁ Παῦλος, λέγων· Ὁ Κύριος ἐγγὺς, μηδὲν μεριμνᾶτε. Ἀλλὰ τότε οὐκ