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was corrupted? Was it not in the beginnings of the preaching that Stephen, flowing more than rivers and silencing everyone, he who stopped the shameless tongues of the Jews, whom no one was able to resist, who confounded all things Jewish, who set up a brilliant trophy and a conspicuous victory, 14.4 this noble and wise man, filled with grace and benefiting so great a Church, after not a long time in the ministry, was he not suddenly seized and condemned as a blasphemer and stoned? And what of James? Was he not also snatched away at the beginning, from the very starting-line, so to speak, and, beheaded by Herod to please the Jews, thus ended his life, such a pillar and so great a foundation of the truth? 14.5 How many were scandalized then when these things happened? But those who stood firm, stood firm, and stood more firmly. Listen, at any rate, to what Paul says, writing to the Philippians: “But I want you to know, brethren, that the things which happened to me have turned out for the progress of the Gospel, so that most of the brethren in the Lord, having become confident by my chains, are much more bold to speak the word of God without fear.” 14.6 Have you seen the courage? Have you seen the boldness? Have you seen the vigor of soul? Have you seen the philosophical mind? They saw their teacher shut up in prison and in chains, choked, beaten and suffering a myriad of terrible things, and not only were they not scandalized, nor were they troubled, but they also acquired greater zeal and made greater progress in the struggles because of the teacher's sufferings. 14.7 But others were drawn away, he says. Yes, and I do not speak against this; for it is likely that many were also drawn away when these things happened. But, what I have often said and will not cease to say, this I will also say now: these men might justly reckon this to themselves, not to the nature of the events. For Christ, when he departed from here, left this inheritance to us, saying: "In the world you will have tribulation" and "You will be brought before governors and kings" and, "The time is coming that whoever kills you will think that he offers service to God." So you needlessly bring up to me those who are scandalized everywhere; for these things always happened. 14.8 And what am I to say of the apostles' affairs? How many were scandalized by the cross of our common Lord of all, and became more lawless and more insolent, and passing by they mocked him, saying, “You who destroy the temple and build it in three days, he saved others; himself he cannot save? If you are the Son of God, come down from the cross, and we will believe in you.” 14.9 But nevertheless these men would have no defense because of the cross. For the thief accuses all such people. For he also saw him crucified above and not only was he not scandalized, but from this he also received a greater occasion for philosophizing, and having surpassed all human things and being lifted up on the wing of faith, he philosophized about the things to come. 14.10 For seeing him impaled, scourged, insulted, given gall to drink, spit upon, mocked by so great a crowd, condemned by a court, led away to death, he was scandalized by none of these things; but seeing the cross and the nails driven in and so great a mockery being made by the corrupted multitude, he himself walked the right way, saying: “Remember me in 14.11 your kingdom,” and he silenced his accuser and confessed his own sins and philosophized about the resurrection; and this without seeing the dead being raised, or lepers being cleansed, or the lame being made straight, or the sea being reined in, or demons being driven out, or loaves springing forth, or the other things which the people of the Jews had seen, and having seen them, crucified him. 14.12 But this man, seeing him impaled, both confessed him as God and made mention of a kingdom and philosophized about the things to come; while they, having seen him working miracles and having enjoyed his teaching through words and through deeds, not only gained nothing, but were also brought down into the lowest pit of destruction, to the

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διεφθάρη; Οὐκ ἐν προοιμίοις τοῦ κηρύγματος ὁ Στέφανος ὑπὲρ τοὺς ποταμοὺς ῥέων καὶ πάντας ἐπιστομίζων, ὁ τὰς ἀναισχύντους ἀποφράττων Ἰουδαίων γλώττας, ᾧ οὐδεὶς ἀντιστῆναι ἠδύνατο, ὁ πάντα συγχὺς τὰ Ἰουδαϊκά, ὁ λαμπρὸν στήσας τρόπαιον καὶ νίκην περιφανῆ, 14.4 ὁ γενναῖος οὗτος καὶ σοφὸς καὶ χάριτος πεπληρωμένος καὶ τοσαύτην Ἐκκλησίαν ὠφελῶν, οὐδὲ πολὺν χρόνον ποιήσας ἐν τῷ κηρύγματι, ἀθρόον ἡρπάγη καὶ ὡς βλάσφημος κατεδικάζετο καὶ κατελεύετο; Τί δαὶ Ἰάκωβος; οὐκ ἐν ἀρχῇ καὶ αὐτὸς καὶ ἐξ αὐτῆς, ὡς εἰπεῖν, βαλβῖδος ἀνεσπάσθη καὶ ἀποτμηθεὶς εἰς χάριν τῶν Ἰουδαίων ὑπὸ Ἡρώδου, οὕτω τὸν βίον κατέλυσε, στῦλος τοιοῦτος καὶ ἑδραίωμα τηλικοῦτον τῆς ἀληθείας; 14.5 Πόσοι τότε ἐσκανδαλίζοντο γινομένων τούτων; Ἀλλ' οἱ ἑστῶτες ἵσταντο καὶ μειζόνως ἵσταντο. Ἄκουσον γοῦν τί φησιν ὁ Παῦλος Φιλιππησίοις ἐπιστέλλων· «Γινώσκειν δὲ ὑμᾶς βούλομαι, ἀδελφοὶ ὅτι τὰ κατ' ἐμὲ μᾶλλον εἰς προκοπὴν τοῦ Εὐαγγελίου ἐλήλυθεν, ὥστε τοὺς πλείονας τῶν ἀδελφῶν ἐν Κυρίῳ, πεποιθότας τοῖς δεσμοῖς μου, περισσοτέρως τολμᾶν ἀφόβως τὸν λόγον τοῦ Θεοῦ λαλεῖν.» 14.6 Εἶδες ἀνδρείαν; εἶδες παρρησίαν; εἶδες εὐτονίαν ψυχῆς; εἶδες φιλόσοφον γνώμην; Ἑώρων τὸν διδάσκαλον ἐν δεσμωτηρίῳ καὶ ἁλύσει συγκεκλεισμένον, ἀγχόμενον, παιόμενον καὶ μυρία πάσχοντα δεινὰ καὶ οὐ μόνον οὐκ ἐσκανδαλίζοντο, οὐδὲ ἐθορυβοῦντο, ἀλλὰ καὶ μείζονα προθυμίαν ἐκτῶντο καὶ πλείονα προκοπὴν εἰς τοὺς ἀγῶνας ἐλάμβανον τοῦ διδασκάλου τοῖς παθήμασιν. 14.7 Ἀλλὰ καὶ ὑπεσύροντο, φησίν, ἕτεροι. Ναὶ οὐδὲ ἐγὼ πρὸς τοῦτο ἀντιλέγω· καὶ γὰρ εἰκὸς πολλοὺς καὶ ὑποσύρεσθαι, γινομένων τούτων· ἀλλ', ὃ πολλάκις εἶπον καὶ λέγων οὐ παύσομαι, τοῦτο καὶ νῦν ἐρῶ· ἑαυτοῖς δίκαιοι τοῦτο ἂν εἶεν λογίζεσθαι οὗτοι, οὐ τῇ τῶν πραγμάτων φύσει. Καὶ γὰρ ἀπιὼν ὁ Χριστὸς ἐντεῦθεν ταύτην κατέλιπεν ἡμῖν τὴν κληρονομίαν λέγων· «Ἐν τῷ κόσμῳ θλῖψιν ἕξετε» καὶ «Ἐπὶ ἡγεμόνας καὶ βασιλέας ἀχθήσεσθε» καὶ, «Ἔσται καιρὸς ὅτε πᾶς ὁ ἀποκτείνας ὑμᾶς δόξει λατρείαν προσφέρειν τῷ Θεῷ». Ὥστε περιττῶς μοι τοὺς σκανδαλιζομένους πανταχοῦ προφέρεις· ἀεὶ γὰρ ταῦτα συνέβαινε. 14.8 Καὶ τί λέγω τὰ τῶν ἀποστόλων; Πόσοι τῷ σταυρῷ αὐτοῦ τοῦ κοινοῦ πάντων ἡμῶν ∆εσπότου ἐσκανδαλίσθησαν καὶ παρανομώτεροι καὶ θρασύτεροι μᾶλλον ἐγένοντο καὶ παριόντες ἐκωμῴδουν αὐτόν, λέγοντες. «Ὁ καταλύων τὸν ναὸν καὶ ἐν τρισὶν ἡμέραις ἐγείρων αὐτὸν ἄλλους ἔσωσεν, ἑαυτὸν οὐ δύναται σῶσαι; Εἰ Υἱὸς εἶ τοῦ Θεοῦ, κατάβηθι ἀπὸ τοῦ σταυροῦ καὶ πιστεύσομεν εἰς σέ.» 14.9 Ἀλλ' ὅμως οὐκ ἂν ἔχοιεν ἀπολογίαν οὗτοι διὰ τὸν σταυρόν. Ὁ γὰρ λῃστὴς ἁπάντων κατηγορεῖ τῶν τοιούτων. Καὶ γὰρ καὶ ἐκεῖνος ἐσταυρωμένον εἶδεν ἄνω καὶ οὐ μόνον οὐκ ἐσκανδαλίσθη, ἀλλὰ καὶ ἐντεῦθεν μείζονα ὑπόθεσιν ἔλαβεν εἰς τὸ φιλοσοφῆσαι καὶ πάντα ὑπερβὰς τὰ ἀνθρώπινα καὶ τῷ πτερῷ τῆς πίστεως κουφισθείς, περὶ τῶν μελλόντων ἐφιλοσόφει. 14.10 Ὁρῶν γὰρ ἀνεσκολοπισμένον, μεμαστιγωμένον, ὑβριζόμενον, χολὴν ποτιζόμενον, ἐμπτυόμενον, ὑπὸ δήμου τοσούτου χλευαζόμενον, ὑπὸ δικαστηρίου κατακριθέντα, τὴν ἐπὶ θάνατον ἀπαχθέντα, οὐδενὶ τούτων ἐσκανδαλίσθη· ἀλλ' ὁρῶν σταυρὸν καὶ ἥλους ἐμπεπηγότας καὶ κωμῳδίαν τοσαύτην γινομένην ὑπὸ τοῦ πλήθους τοῦ διεφθαρμένου, τὴν ὀρθὴν ὁδὸν αὐτὸς ἐβάδισε λέγων· «Μνήσθητί μου ἐν 14.11 τῇ βασιλείᾳ σου»καὶ τὸν κατηγοροῦντα ἐπεστόμιζε καὶ τὰ οἰκεῖα ἁμαρτήματα ἐξωμολογεῖτο καὶ περὶ ἀναστάσεως ἐφιλοσόφει· καὶ ταῦτα οὐ νεκροὺς ἰδὼν ἐγειρομένους, οὐ λεπροὺς καθαιρομένους, οὐ χωλοὺς διορθουμένους, οὐ θάλατταν χαλινουμένην, οὐ δαίμονας ἐλαυνομένους, οὐκ ἄρτους πηγάζοντας, οὐ τὰ ἄλλα, ἅπερ ἐθεάσατο τῶν Ἰουδαίων ὁ δῆμος καὶ θεασάμενος ἐσταύρωσεν. 14.12 Ἀλλ' οὗτος μὲν ἀνεσκολοπισμένον ἰδὼν καὶ ὡμολόγησε Θεὸν καὶ βασιλείας ἐμνημόνευσε καὶ περὶ τῶν μελλόντων ἐφιλοσόφησεν· ἐκεῖνοι δὲ θαυματουργοῦντα θεασάμενοι καὶ τῆς διὰ λόγων καὶ τῆς διὰ πραγμάτων ἀπολαύσαντες διδασκαλίας, οὐ μόνον οὐδὲν ἀπώναντο, ἀλλὰ καὶ εἰς τὸ ἔσχατον βάραθρον τῆς ἀπωλείας κατηνέχθησαν, ἐπὶ τὸν