John Chrysostom, On the Praises of Saint Paul the Apostle

saying; that he was not able to speak, as long as he saw that man's coffin nearby; for it was lying in the neighborhood. After this one again, his uncle, having committed an outrage against the sacred vessels, became eaten by worms and expired; and the treasurer of the imperial funds, on account of another transgression committed by him against the Church, burst asunder in the middle and perished. Again, the springs among us, which surpass rivers in their flow, suddenly fled and leaped away, having never suffered this before, but when the emperor polluted the place with sacrifices and libations. What could one say about the famine throughout the whole world that fell upon the cities along with the emperor, the death of the emperor himself, in the land of the Persians, the deception before his death, the army caught in the midst of the barbarians, as in a kind of dragnet and nets, the wonderful and unexpected return from there? For when the impious emperor fell wretchedly, and a pious one succeeded him, all the terrible things were immediately resolved; and the soldiers, caught in the midst of nets and having no escape from anywhere, God then having given the nod, were freed from the barbarians and returned with all safety. Which of these things are not sufficient to draw one to piety? 4.7 But are not the present things much more wonderful than these? Is not a cross proclaimed, and the world runs to it? Is not a shameful death announced, and all leap to it? For were not myriads crucified? For with Christ himself were not two robbers impaled? For were there not many wise men? For were there not many powerful men? Whose name ever so prevailed? And why do I speak of wise and powerful men? For were there not renowned kings? Who so conquered the world in a short time? For do not tell me of the various and manifold heresies; for all proclaim the same Christ, even if not all soundly; all worship that one who was crucified in Palestine, under Pontius Pilate. Do not these things then seem to have a clearer proof of his power than that voice which came down from heaven? For why did no king so conquer as this one has prevailed, and that when there were myriads of hindrances? For kings made war, and tyrants drew up in battle array, and all peoples rose up against us, and yet our affairs were not diminished, but even became more glorious. From where then, tell me, this great strength? 4.8 He was a magician, he says. Was this one then the only such magician to exist. Surely you have heard that both among Persians and Indians there have been many magicians, and they exist still even now; but not even their name is anywhere. But the one from Tyana, he says, that impostor and sorcerer, he also shone. Where and when? In a small part of the world, and for a short time, and was quickly extinguished and perished, not leaving behind a Church, nor a people, nor anything else of the sort. And why do I speak of magicians and sorcerers who have been extinguished? Why have all the things of the gods ceased, and the Dodonaean, and the Clarian, and all these wicked workshops fallen silent and been muzzled? 4.9 Why then do demons dread not only this crucified one, but also the bones of those slain for his sake? And for what reason, when they hear "cross," do they leap away? And yet they ought to mock it; for is the cross splendid and distinguished? On the contrary, then, it is shameful and disgraceful. For it is the death of a condemned man; it is the worst death for criminals, and among Jews it is accursed, and among Greeks it is abominable. Why then did demons fear it? Is it not from the power of the one crucified? For if they feared the thing itself, this would certainly be unworthy of gods; however, many were crucified both before him and after him, and two with him.

λέγων· μὴ δύνασθαι φθέγγεσθαι, ἕως ἂν τὴν λάρνακα τὴν ἐκείνου βλέπῃ πλησίον· καὶ γὰρ ἐκ γειτόνων ἦν κειμένη. Μετὰ τοῦτον πάλιν, ὁ θεῖος ὁ τούτου εἰς τὰ ἱερὰ σκεύη ἐνυβρίσας, σκωληκόβρωτος γεγονὼς ἐξέψυξε· καὶ ὁ ταμίας δὲ τῶν βασιλικῶν χρημάτων δι' ἑτέραν παρανομίαν εἰς τὴν Ἐκκλησίαν ὑπ' αὐτοῦ γενομένην, μέσον λακίσας ἀπώλετο. Πάλιν αἱ πηγαὶ αἱ παρ' ἡμῖν, αἱ νικῶσαι τῷ ῥεύματι τοὺς ποταμούς, ἀθρόον ἔφυγον καὶ ἀπεπήδησαν, μηδέποτε τοῦτο παθοῦσαι πρότερον, ἀλλ' ὅτε θυσίαις καὶ σπονδαῖς τὸ χωρίον ἐμόλυνεν ὁ βασιλεύς. Τί ἄν τις εἴποι τὸν λιμὸν τὸν πανταχοῦ τῆς οἰκουμένης μετὰ τοῦ βασιλέως ταῖς πόλεσι συνεμπεσόντα, αὐτοῦ τοῦ βασιλέως τὸν θάνατον, τὸν ἐν τῇ Περσῶν χώρᾳ, τὴν πρὸ τοῦ θανάτου ἀπάτην, τὸ στρατόπεδον τὸ ἐν μέσοις ἀποληφθὲν τοῖς βαρβάροις, καθάπερ ἐν σαγήνῃ τινὶ καὶ δικτύοις, τὴν ἄνοδον ἐκεῖθεν τὴν θαυμαστὴν καὶ παράδοξον; Ἐπειδὴ γὰρ ὁ μὲν ἀσεβὴς βασιλεὺς ἔπεσεν ἐλεεινῶς, ἕτερος δὲ εὐσεβὴς διεδέξατο, πάντα εὐθέως ἐλύετο τὰ δεινά· καὶ οἱ ἐν μέσοις εἰλημμένοι δικτύοις καὶ οὐδεμίαν οὐδαμόθεν διέξοδον ἔχοντες στρατιῶται, τοῦ Θεοῦ λοιπὸν νεύσαντος, τῶν βαρβάρων ἀπαλλαγέντες μετὰ ἀσφαλείας ἐπανῄεσαν ἁπάσης. Ταῦτα τίνα οὐχ ἱκανὰ ἐφελκύσασθαι πρὸς τὴν εὐσέβειαν; 4.7 Τὰ δὲ παρόντα οὐ πολλῷ τούτων θαυμαστότερα; οὐ σταυρὸς κηρύττεται, καὶ ἡ οἰκουμένη προστρέχει; οὐ θάνατος καταγγέλλεται ἐπονείδιστος, καὶ πάντες ἐπιπηδῶσι; μὴ γὰρ οὐκ ἐσταυρώθησαν μυρίοι; μὴ γὰρ μετ' αὐτοῦ τοῦ Χριστοῦ οὐχὶ δύο λῃσταὶ ἀνεσκολοπίσθησαν; μὴ γὰρ οὐκ ἐγένοντο πολλοὶ σοφοί; μὴ γὰρ οὐκ ἐγένοντο πολλοὶ δυνατοί; τίνος ὄνομά ποτε οὕτως ἐκράτησε; καὶ τί λέγω σοφοὺς καὶ δυνατούς; μὴ γὰρ οὐκ ἐγένοντο βασιλεῖς ἐπίδοξοι; τίς οὕτω περιεγένετο τῆς οἰκουμένης ἐν βραχεῖ χρόνῳ; Μὴ γάρ μοι λέγε τὰς αἱρέσεις τὰς ποικίλας καὶ παντοδαπάς· πάντες γὰρ τὸν αὐτὸν Χριστὸν κηρύττουσιν, εἰ καὶ μὴ ὑγιῶς πάντες, ἐκεῖνον τὸν ἐν Παλαιστίνῃ πάντες προσκυνοῦσι σταυρωθέντα, τὸν ἐπὶ Ποντίου Πιλάτου. Ταῦτα οὖν οὐ δοκεῖ τῆς δυνάμεως αὐτοῦ σαφεστέραν ἔχειν ἀπόδειξιν τῆς φωνῆς ἐκείνης τῆς ἐξ οὐρανοῦ κατενεχθείσης; ∆ιὰ τί γὰρ μηδεὶς οὕτω περιεγένετο βασιλεὺς ὡς οὗτος ἐκράτησε, καὶ ταῦτα μυρίων ὄντων τῶν κωλυμάτων; καὶ γὰρ βασιλεῖς ἐπολέμησαν, καὶ τύραννοι παρετάξαντο, καὶ δῆμοι πάντες κατεξανέστησαν, καὶ τὰ ἡμέτερα ὅμως οὐκ ἠλαττοῦτο, ἀλλὰ καὶ μᾶλλον λαμπρότερα ἐγίνετο. Πόθεν οὖν, εἴπατέ μοι, ἡ τοσαύτη ἰσχύς; 4.8 Μάγος ἦν, φησί. Μόνος οὖν οὗτος μάγος τοιοῦτος ἐγένετο. Πάντως ἠκούσατε, ὅτι καὶ παρὰ Πέρσαις καὶ Ἰνδοῖς πολλοὶ γεγόνασι μάγοι, καί εἰσιν ἔτι καὶ νῦν· ἀλλ' οὐδὲ ὄνομα αὐτῶν ἐστιν οὐδαμοῦ. Ἀλλ' ὁ ἐκ Τυάνων, φησίν, ἀπατεὼν ἐκεῖνος καὶ γόης, καὶ αὐτὸς ἔλαμψε. Ποῦ καὶ πότε; Ἐν μικρῷ μέρει τῆς οἰκουμένης, καὶ πρὸς βραχὺν χρόνον, καὶ ἐσβέσθη ταχέως καὶ ἀπώλετο, οὐκ Ἐκκλησίαν καταλιπών, οὐ λαόν, οὐκ ἄλλο τι τοιοῦτον οὐδέν. Καὶ τί λέγω μάγους καὶ γόητας τοὺς σβεσθέντας; πόθεν τὰ τῶν θεῶν ἐπαύθη πάντα, καὶ ὁ ∆ωδωναῖος, καὶ ὁ Κλάριος, καὶ πάντα τὰ πονηρὰ ταῦτα ἐργαστήρια σιγᾷ καὶ ἐπεστόμισται; 4.9 Πόθεν οὖν οὐ τοῦτον μόνον τὸν σταυρωθέντα, ἀλλὰ καὶ τὰ ὀστᾶ τῶν ὑπὲρ αὐτοῦ σφαγέντων πεφρίκασι δαίμονες; τίνος δὲ ἕνεκεν καὶ σταυρὸν ἀκούοντες ἀποπηδῶσι; Καὶ μὴν καταγελᾶν ἔδει· μὴ γὰρ λαμπρὸν καὶ ἐπίσημον ὁ σταυρός; Τοὐναντίον μὲν οὖν, αἰσχρὸν καὶ ἐπονείδιστον. Θάνατος γάρ ἐστι καταδίκου· θάνατός ἐστιν ὁ κακῶν ἔσχατος, καὶ παρὰ Ἰουδαίοις ἐπάρατος, καὶ παρὰ Ἕλλησι βδελυκτός. Πόθεν οὖν αὐτὸν ἐδεδοίκεισαν δαίμονες; ἆρ' οὐκ ἀπὸ τῆς τοῦ σταυρωθέντος δυνάμεως; Εἰ γὰρ αὐτὸ καθ' ἑαυτὸ τὸ πρᾶγμα ἐδεδοίκεισαν, μάλιστα μὲν οὖν καὶ τοῦτο ἀνάξιον θεῶν· πλὴν πολλοὶ καὶ πρὸ αὐτοῦ καὶ μετ' αὐτὸν ἐσταυρώθησαν, καὶ μετ' αὐτοῦ δὲ δύο.