John Chrysostom, On the Beginning of Acts

wonders; it is not the same thing: deeds, and portents, and powers; but the difference between each of these is great. For a deed is an accomplishment of one's own effort, but a wonder is a gift of a divine bestowal. Do you see how great the difference is between a deed and a wonder? A deed is the result of human sweat, a wonder is a display of divine generosity; a deed has its beginning from our own choice, a wonder receives its prelude from the grace of God, and the one is of the impulse from above, the other of the will from below. A deed is woven from both, both from our effort and from divine grace; but a wonder displays the grace from above naked, needing none of our sweat. A deed is to be gentle, temperate, moderate, to control anger, to overcome desire, to give alms, to show love for humanity, to practice every virtue; this is a deed, and our labor, and sweat. A wonder is to drive out demons, to open blinded eyes, to cleanse the bodies of lepers, to strengthen paralyzed limbs, to raise the dead, to work other such wonders. Do you see how great the difference is between deeds and wonders, between conduct and signs, between our effort and the grace of God?

3. Do you want me to show you another difference? For it is for your sake that I have undertaken this whole discourse today, so that you may learn about the wonder and the sign. The wonder is greater, and more awe-inspiring, and surpasses our nature; but the deed and the conduct, while less than the signs, are more useful and more profitable; for it is the reward of labors and the wage of effort. And that you may learn that the deed is more profitable and more useful than the sign, a good deed, even without signs, has brought those who have accomplished it into heaven, but a wonder and signs without right conduct have not had the strength to lead to those gates. And how, I will show you; but you observe how deeds 51.81 have the pre-eminence in the rewarding of wages; how signs, existing by themselves, do not save those who perform them, but a deed, existing by itself, needs nothing else for the salvation of those who possess it. Many will say to me, says Christ, on that day: Lord, Lord, did we not prophesy in your name? this is a sign and a wonder; Did we not cast out many demons in your name, and perform many mighty works? You see signs and wonders everywhere; let us see what God says. Since the wonders are naked, and there is no right conduct anywhere, Depart from me, he says, I do not know you, you workers of iniquity. If you do not know them, how do you know them, if they work iniquity? So that you may learn that, "I do not know you," is not of ignorance, but of hatred and aversion. I do not know you. For what reason, tell me? Did we not cast out demons in your name? For this reason I hate you and turn away from you, he says, because you did not become better even by the gifts, because having enjoyed so much honor you remained in the same wickedness. Depart from me, I do not know you. What then? In the old days did unworthy men receive spiritual gifts, and, being corrupt in their life, did they show signs, and enjoy divine bestowal, while not caring for the best conduct? They enjoyed it because of the love of God for humanity, not because of their own worth. For the word of piety had to be sown everywhere, since it was the beginning and the prelude of the faith. Just as, therefore, an excellent farmer, having just entrusted a newly planted tree to the bosom of the earth, since it is still tender deems it worthy of much care, fencing it about on all sides, walling it in with both stones and thorns, so that it may not be torn up by winds, nor be harmed by cattle, nor be injured by any other damage; but when he sees it has taken root and has grown up to a height, he takes away the little walls; for the tree itself is sufficient to suffer no such thing; so also it has happened in the case of the faith. When it was newly planted, when it was tender, when it was recently cast into the souls of men, it was deemed worthy of much care from all sides; but when it took root and was established and grew to a height, when it filled the whole world, and he took away the

θαύματα· οὐ τὸ αὐτό ἐστι πράξεις, καὶ τέρατα, καὶ δυνάμεις· ἀλλὰ πολλὴ ἡ διαφορὰ τούτων ἑκατέρων. Πρᾶξις μὲν γάρ ἐστιν οἰκείας σπουδῆς κατόρθωμα, θαῦμα δὲ θείας δωρεᾶς χάρισμα. Εἶδες ὅσον τὸ μέσον πράξεως καὶ θαύματος; Πρᾶξίς ἐστιν ἀνθρωπίνων ἱδρώτων συντέλεσμα, θαῦμά ἐστι θείας φιλοτιμίας ἐπίδειξις· πρᾶξίς ἐστιν ἐκ τῆς ἡμετέρας προαιρέσεως τὴν ἀρχὴν ἔχουσα, θαῦμά ἐστιν ἐκ τῆς τοῦ Θεοῦ χάριτος τὰ προοίμια λαμβάνον, καὶ τὸ μὲν τῆς ἄνωθεν ῥοπῆς, τὸ δὲ τῆς κάτωθεν γνώμης. Πρᾶξις ἐξ ἀμφοτέρων ὑφαίνεται, καὶ ἐξ ἡμετέρας σπουδῆς, καὶ ἐκ θείας χάριτος· τὸ δὲ θαῦμα γυμνὴν ἐπιδείκνυται τὴν ἄνωθεν χάριν, οὐδὲν τῶν ἡμετέρων ἱδρώτων δεόμενον. Πρᾶξίς ἐστιν ἐπιεικῆ εἶναι, σώφρονα, μέτριον, ὀργῆς κρατεῖν, ἐπιθυμίας καταγωνίζεσθαι, ἐλεημοσύνας ποιεῖν, φιλανθρωπίαν ἐπιδείκνυσθαι, ἅπασαν ἀσκεῖν ἀρετήν· τοῦτο πρᾶξίς ἐστι, καὶ πόνος, καὶ ἱδρὼς ἡμέτερος. Θαῦμά ἐστι δαίμονας ἀπελαύνειν, τυφλωθέντας ὀφθαλμοὺς ἀνοίγειν, λεπρῶν τὰ σώματα καθαίρειν, διαλελυμένα μέλη σφίγγειν, νεκροὺς ἐγείρειν, ἕτερα τοιαῦτα θαυματουργεῖν. Εἶδες πόσον τὸ μέσον πράξεων καὶ θαυμάτων, πολιτείας καὶ σημείων, τῆς ἡμετέρας σπουδῆς καὶ τῆς τοῦ Θεοῦ χάριτος;

γʹ. Βούλει καὶ ἑτέραν σοι δείξω διαφοράν; ∆ιὰ γὰρ ὑμᾶς σήμερον ἅπαντα τὸν λόγον τοῦτον ἐκίνησα, ὥστε μαθεῖν τὸ θαῦμα καὶ τὸ σημεῖον. Τὸ θαῦμα μεῖζον μέν ἐστι, καὶ φρικωδέστερον, καὶ τὴν ἡμετέραν ὑπερβαῖνον φύσιν· ἡ δὲ πρᾶξις καὶ ἡ πολιτεία ἔλαττον μὲν τῶν σημείων, χρησιμώτερον δὲ καὶ κερδαλεώτερον· πόνων γάρ ἐστιν ἀμοιβὴ καὶ σπουδῆς μισθός. Καὶ ἵνα μάθῃς ὅτι ἡ πρᾶξις τοῦ σημείου κερδαλεωτέρα καὶ χρησιμωτέρα, πρᾶξις μὲν ἀγαθὴ καὶ χωρὶς σημείων εἰς τὸν οὐρανὸν τοὺς κατωρθωκότας εἰσήγαγε, θαῦμα δὲ καὶ σημεῖα χωρὶς πολιτείας οὐκ ἴσχυσε πρὸς τὰ πρόθυρα χειραγωγῆσαι ἐκεῖνα. Καὶ πῶς, ἐγὼ δείξω· ὑμεῖς δὲ παρατηρεῖτε πῶς τὴν προεδρίαν αἱ 51.81 πράξεις ἔχουσι κατὰ τὴν τῶν μισθῶν ἀμοιβήν· πῶς τὰ μὲν σημεῖα καθ' ἑαυτὰ ὄντα οὐ σώζει τοὺς ποιοῦντας, ἡ δὲ πρᾶξις καθ' ἑαυτὴν οὖσα, οὐδενὸς ἑτέρου δεῖται πρὸς σωτηρίαν τῶν κεκτημένων. Πολλοὶ ἐροῦσί μοι, φησὶν ὁ Χριστὸς, ἐν ἐκείνῃ τῇ ἡμέρᾳ· Κύριε, Κύριε, οὐ τῷ σῷ ὀνόματι προεφητεύσαμεν; τοῦτο σημεῖον καὶ θαῦμα· Οὐ τῷ σῷ ὀνόματι δαιμόνια πολλὰ ἐξεβάλομεν, καὶ δυνάμεις πολλὰς ἐποιήσαμεν; Ὁρᾷς πανταχοῦ σημεῖα καὶ θαύματα· ἴδωμεν τί φησιν ὁ Θεός. Ἐπειδὴ γυμνὰ τὰ θαύματα, καὶ οὐδαμοῦ πολιτεία, Πορεύεσθε, φησὶν, ἀπ' ἐμοῦ, οὐκ οἶδα ὑμᾶς, οἱ ἐργαζόμενοι τὴν ἀνομίαν. Εἰ οὐκ οἶδας αὐτοὺς, πῶς οἶδας αὐτοὺς, εἰ ἐργάζονται τὴν ἀνομίαν; Ἵνα μάθῃς, ὅτι τὸ, Οὐκ οἶδα ὑμᾶς, οὐκ ἀγνοίας ἐστὶν, ἀλλὰ μίσους καὶ ἀποστροφῆς. Οὐκ οἶδα ὑμᾶς. Τίνος ἕνεκεν, εἰπέ μοι; Οὐ τῷ σῷ ὀνόματι δαιμόνια ἐξεβάλομεν; ∆ιὰ τοῦτο γὰρ ὑμᾶς μισῶ καὶ ἀποστρέφομαι, φησὶν, ὅτι οὐδὲ ταῖς δωρεαῖς βελτίους ἐγένεσθε, ὅτι τοσαύτης ἀπολαύσαντες τιμῆς ἐμείνατε ἐπὶ τῆς αὐτῆς κακίας. Πορεύεσθε ἀπ' ἐμοῦ, οὐκ οἶδα ὑμᾶς. Τί οὖν; Τὸ παλαιὸν ἀνάξιοι ἐλάμβανον χαρίσματα, καὶ διεφθαρμένοι τὸν βίον σημεῖα ἐπεδείκνυντο, καὶ θείας ἀπήλαυον δωρεᾶς, τῆς πολιτείας οὐκ ἐπιμελούμενοι τῆς ἀρίστης; Ἀπήλαυον διὰ τὴν τοῦ Θεοῦ φιλανθρωπίαν, οὐ διὰ τὴν οἰκείαν ἀξίαν. Ἔδει γὰρ πανταχοῦ σπαρῆναι τῆς εὐσεβείας τὸν λόγον, ἐπειδὴ ἀρχὴ καὶ προοίμια τῆς πίστεως ἦν. Καθάπερ οὖν γηπόνος ἄριστος νεόφυτον δένδρον τοῖς κόλποις τῆς γῆς ἄρτι παρακατατιθέμενος, ἁπαλὸν ὑπάρχον ἔτι πολλῆς ἐπιμελείας ἀξιοῖ, πανταχόθεν περιφράττων, τειχίζων καὶ λίθοις καὶ ἀκάνθαις, ὥστε μὴ ὑπὸ ἀνέμων ἀνασπασθῆναι, μήτε ὑπὸ θρεμμάτων ἀδικηθῆναι, μήτε ὑπὸ ἄλλης τινὸς ἐπηρεασθῆναι βλάβης· ἐπειδὰν δὲ παγὲν καὶ πρὸς ὕψος ἀναδραμὸν ἴδῃ, περιαιρεῖ τὰ τειχία· ἀρκεῖ γὰρ αὐτὸ τὸ δένδρον πρὸς τὸ μηδὲν τοιοῦτον παθεῖν· οὕτω καὶ ἐπὶ τῆς πίστεως γέγονεν. Ὅτε νεόφυτος ἦν, ὅτε ἁπαλὴ ὑπῆρχεν, ὅτε προσφάτως ἐν ταῖς τῶν ἀνθρώπων κατεβλήθη ψυχαῖς, πολλῆς ἐπιμελείας ἠξιοῦτο πάντοθεν· ἐπειδὴ δὲ ἐπάγη καὶ ἐῤῥιζώθη καὶ πρὸς ὕψος ἀνέδραμεν, ἐπειδὴ πᾶσαν τὴν οἰκουμένην ἐπλήρωσε, καὶ περιῆρε τὰ