John Chrysostom, On the Beginning of Acts

of authority. For no man went before them, uttering a sound, but the grace of the Spirit, and the demonstration through miracles sent forth a voice brighter than any trumpet; thus it prepared the way for them everywhere. And just as rulers are established in great eminence, with private citizens not daring to simply mingle with them; so also it was with the apostles. For of the rest, it says, no one dared to join them; but the people held them in high esteem. Have you seen the power of the prison, and the strength of the remission of debts, and them having a sword, and girded with a belt, and traveling in a chariot, and a voice brighter than any trumpet going before them, and being in great eminence?

2. It is necessary then also to show all their achievements, and how much they benefited the world. For this too belongs to rulers, not only to enjoy honor, but also to show great providence and protection toward those they rule. But what has been said is more than enough. For this reason, postponing these things to another discourse, I will try to bring forward a word of exhortation for the newly-illuminated. And let no one think the counsel untimely. For I have already said that not only after ten and twenty days, but even after ten and twenty years it is possible to call the initiated newly-illuminated, if they are sober. What then would be the best exhortation for them? If we were to remind them of the manner of their birth, both the first and the second, the natural and the spiritual, and if we were to show what is between each birth. Rather, they should not learn these things from us; the son of thunder himself will speak to them about these things, John, the beloved of Christ. What then does he say? But as many as received him, to them he gave power to become children of God; then, reminding them of the former birth, and showing by comparison the majesty of the present grace, he says thus: Who were born, not of blood, nor of the will of man, but of God. In a single word he showed their noble birth. O pure birth pangs! O spiritual childbirth! O new birthings! a conception without a womb, a birth without a belly, a childbirth without flesh, 51.97 a spiritual childbirth, a childbirth from the grace and loving-kindness of God, a childbirth full of gladness and joy. But the former is not so, but has its beginning from lamentations. For the child, slipping from the womb and coming down from the belly, utters its first sound with tears, as someone says: The first sound, the same for all, crying equally. For through lamentations is the entrance into life, through tears the prelude, with nature foretelling the painful future. Why does the child cry on coming into the light? For this reason: before sin God said, Be fruitful, and multiply, which was a blessing; but, In sorrow you shall bring forth children, was after sin, which was a punishment. And not only tears at birth, but also swaddling clothes and bonds; tears at birth, tears at death; swaddling clothes at birth, swaddling clothes at death; so that you may learn that this life ends in death, and directs its end toward that. But not so this birth. 51.98 Nowhere are there tears and swaddling clothes, but the one born is loosed, and prepared for struggles; for this reason his feet and hands are unbound, that he may run and box; nowhere lamentation, nowhere tears here, but greetings, and friendships, and embraces of the brethren recognizing their own member, and as if receiving him back from a long journey abroad. For since before the illumination he was an enemy, but after the illumination he has become a friend of the common Master of us all, for this reason we all rejoice together; for this reason also the kiss is called peace, so that we may learn that God has abolished war, and has brought his own back to reconciliation. Let us then keep this continuously, let us guard this peace, let us extend this friendship, so that we may also obtain the eternal tabernacles, by the grace and loving-kindness of the

ἀρχῆς. Οὐ γὰρ ἄνθρωπος αὐτῶν προηγεῖτο, φωνὴν ἀφιεὶς, ἀλλ' ἡ τοῦ Πνεύματος χάρις, καὶ ἡ διὰ τῶν θαυμάτων ἀπόδειξις πάσης σάλπιγγος λαμπροτέραν ἠφίει φωνήν· οὕτως αὐτοῖς πανταχοῦ προοδοποιεῖ. Καὶ καθάπερ οἱ ἄρχοντες ἐν πολλῇ περιφανείᾳ καθεστήκασι, τῶν ἰδιωτῶν οὐ τολμώντων αὐτοῖς ἁπλῶς ἀναμίγνυσθαι· οὕτω καὶ ἐπὶ τῶν ἀποστόλων ἐγίνετο· Τῶν γὰρ λοιπῶν, φησὶν, οὐδεὶς ἐτόλμα κολλᾶσθαι αὐτοῖς· ἀλλ' ἐμεγάλυνεν αὐτοὺς ὁ λαός. Εἶδες δεσμωτηρίου δύναμιν, καὶ ἀφέσεως ὀφλημάτων ἰσχὺν, καὶ ξίφος ἔχοντας, καὶ ζώνην ἐζωσμένους, καὶ ὀχήματι ὁδεύοντας, καὶ φωνὴν πάσης σάλπιγγος λαμπροτέραν προηγουμένην αὐτῶν, καὶ ἐν πολλῇ περιφανείᾳ ὄντας;

ʹ. Ἀναγκαῖον δὴ καὶ τὰ κατορθώματα αὐτῶν δεῖξαι πάντα, καὶ ὅσα τὴν οἰκουμένην ὤνησαν. Καὶ γὰρ καὶ τοῦτο ἀρχόντων, τὸ μὴ τιμῆς ἀπολαύειν μόνον, ἀλλὰ καὶ πολλὴν ἐνδείκνυσθαι πρὸς τοὺς ἀρχομένους τὴν πρόνοιαν καὶ τὴν προστασίαν. Ἀλλὰ πλείονα τοῦ δέοντος καὶ τὰ εἰρημένα. ∆ιὰ τοῦτο εἰς ἑτέραν ἀναβαλλόμενος ταῦτα διάλεξιν, πρὸς τὴν τῶν νεοφωτίστων παραίνεσιν παραγαγεῖν πειράσομαι λόγον. Μηδεὶς δὲ ἄκαιρον νομιζέτω τὴν συμβουλήν. Καὶ γὰρ ἔφθην εἰπὼν, ὅτι οὐ μετὰ δέκα καὶ εἴκοσι ἡμέρας μόνον, ἀλλὰ καὶ μετὰ δέκα καὶ εἴκοσι ἔτη δυνατὸν νεοφωτίστους καλεῖν τοὺς μεμυημένους, ἐὰν νήφωσι. Τίς οὖν ἂν γένοιτο πρὸς τούτους ἀρίστη παραίνεσις; Εἰ τοῦ τρόπου τῆς γεννήσεως αὐτοὺς ἀναμνήσαιμεν, καὶ τοῦ προτέρου, καὶ τοῦ δευτέρου, τοῦ φυσικοῦ, καὶ τοῦ πνευματικοῦ, καὶ τί τὸ μέσον ἑκατέρας τῆς γεννήσεως δείξαιμεν. Μᾶλλον δὲ οὐ δεῖ παρ' ἡμῶν αὐτοὺς ταῦτα μανθάνειν· αὐτὸς ὁ τῆς βροντῆς υἱὸς περὶ τούτων αὐτοῖς διαλέξεται, ὁ ἀγαπητὸς τοῦ Χριστοῦ Ἰωάννης. Τί οὖν ἐκεῖνός φησιν; Ὅσοι δὲἔλαβον αὐτὸν, ἔδωκεν αὐτοῖς ἐξουσίαν τέκνα Θεοῦ γενέσθαι· εἶτα ἀναμιμνήσκων αὐτοὺς τῆς προτέρας γεννήσεως, καὶ ἐκ συγκρίσεως τὸ σεμνὸν τῆς παρούσης χάριτος ἐνδεικνύμενος, οὕτω φησί· Οἳ οὐκ ἐξ αἱμάτων, οὐδὲ ἐκ θελήματος ἀνδρὸς, ἀλλ' ἐκ Θεοῦ ἐγεννήθησαν. Ἑνὶ ῥήματι αὐτῶν ἔδειξε τὴν εὐγένειαν. Ὢ καθαρῶν ὠδίνων! ὢ πνευματικῶν τόκων! ὢ καινῶν λοχευμάτων! χωρὶς μήτρας σύλληψις, χωρὶς γαστρὸς γέννησις, χωρὶς σαρ 51.97 κὸς τόκος, τόκος πνευματικὸς, τόκος ἐκ χάριτος καὶ φιλανθρωπίας Θεοῦ, τόκος εὐφροσύνης γέμων καὶ χαρᾶς. Ἀλλ' οὐ τοιοῦτος ὁ πρότερος, ἀλλ' ἀπὸ θρήνων ἔχει τὴν ἀρχήν. Τὸ γὰρ παιδίον ἐκ τῆς μήτρας ὀλισθαῖνον καὶ ἐκ τῆς νηδύος καταφερόμενον, πρώτην φωνὴν μετὰ δακρύων ἐκβάλλει, καθάπερ τίς φησι· Πρώτην φωνὴν τὴν ὁμοίαν ἅπασιν ἴσα κλαίων. ∆ιὰ θρήνων γὰρ ἡ εἴσοδος εἰς τὸν βίον, διὰ δακρύων προοίμια, τῆς φύσεως τὸ μέλλον ὀδυνηρὸν προαναφωνούσης. Τί κλαίει τὸ παιδίον εἰς φῶς ἐλθόν; ∆ιὰ τοῦτο· πρὸ μὲν τῆς ἁμαρτίας ἔλεγεν ὁ Θεὸς, Αὐξάνεσθε, καὶ πληθύνεσθε, ὅπερ εὐλογίας ἦν· τὸ δὲ, Ἐν λύπαις τέξῃ τέκνα, μετὰ τὴν ἁμαρτίαν, ὅπερ τιμωρίας ἦν. Οὐ δάκρυα δὲ ἐν τῇ γεννήσει μόνον, ἀλλὰ καὶ σπάργανα καὶ δεσμά· δάκρυα ἐν τῇ γεννήσει, δάκρυα ἐν θανάτῳ· σπάργανα ἐν γεννήσει, σπάργανα ἐν θανάτῳ· ἵνα μάθῃς ὅτι πρὸς θάνατον ἡ ζωὴ αὕτη τελευτᾷ, καὶ πρὸς ἐκεῖνο καταστρέφει τὸ τέλος. Ἀλλ' οὐχ ἡ γέννησις αὕτη. Οὐ 51.98 δαμοῦ δάκρυα καὶ σπάργανα, ἀλλὰ λελυμένος ὁ γεννηθεὶς, καὶ πρὸς ἀγῶνας παρεσκευασμένος· διὰ τοῦτο ἄφετοι οἱ πόδες καὶ αἱ χεῖρες, ἵνα τρέχῃ καὶ πυκτεύῃ· οὐδαμοῦ θρῆνος, οὐδαμοῦ δάκρυα ἐνταῦθα, ἀλλ' ἀσπασμοὶ, καὶ φιλίαι, καὶ περιπλοκαὶ τῶν ἀδελφῶν τὸ οἰκεῖον μέλος ἐπιγινωσκόντων, καὶ ὥσπερ ἐκ μακρᾶς ἀπολαβόντων ἀποδημίας. Ἐπειδὴ γὰρ πρὸ τοῦ φωτίσματος ἐχθρὸς ἦν, μετὰ δὲ τὸ φώτισμα γέγονε φίλος τοῦ κοινοῦ πάντων ἡμῶν ∆εσπότου, διὰ τοῦτο πάντες συνηδόμεθα· διὰ τοῦτο καὶ τὸ φίλημα εἰρήνη καλεῖται, ἵνα μάθωμεν ὅτι πόλεμον κατέλυσεν ὁ Θεὸς, καὶ πρὸς τὴν οἰκείωσιν ἐπανήγαγε τὴν ἑαυτοῦ. Ταύτην οὖν τηρῶμεν διηνεκῶς, ταύτην φυλάττωμεν τὴν εἰρήνην, ταύτην ἐκτείνωμεν τὴν φιλίαν, ἵνα καὶ τῶν αἰωνίων ἐπιτύχωμεν σκηνῶν, χάριτι καὶ φιλανθρωπίᾳ τοῦ