John Chrysostom, On the Beginning of Acts

you will prove what is being said, which is why I will say the same things again. Christ performed signs before this, he raised the dead, he cleansed lepers, he drove out demons; after these things he was crucified, and as the lawless Jews say, he was not raised from the dead. What then should we say to them? That if he was not raised, how after these things were greater signs done in his name? For no one 51.108 of the living, having died, performed greater signs after death, but here the wonders after these things were greater both in manner and in nature. For they were greater in nature, because the shadows of Christ never raised the dead; but in the case of the apostles, their shadows did many such things. And the signs became greater in manner, because then he himself performed wonders by commanding; but after the cross his servants, using his venerable and holy name, did greater and loftier things, so that his power shone forth more greatly and more gloriously. For it was much greater for another, using his name, to work such wonders than for him to command them himself. Do you see, beloved, that the signs of the apostles after the resurrection of Christ were greater both in nature and in manner? Therefore the proof of the resurrection is indisputable. For what I was saying, I will say again, if Christ had died and was not raised, the signs also should have ended and been extinguished; but now not only have they not been extinguished, but they have also become more brilliant and more glorious after these things. For if Christ had not been raised, others would not have done such signs in his name. For the same power worked wonders both before the cross and after the cross; and first through himself, but later through the disciples; and so that the proof of the resurrection might become clearer and more glorious, the signs became greater and loftier after the cross. And how is it clear that signs occurred then? the unbeliever will say. And how is it also clear that Christ was crucified? From the divine Scriptures, he says. For it is clear from the holy Scriptures both that signs occurred then and that Christ was crucified. For they say both these things and those. But if the opponent says that the apostles did not perform signs, you show their power and divine grace all the more, because without signs they drew so great a world to piety. For this is the greatest sign and a paradoxical wonder, when the poor, and needy, and despised, and unlettered, and common men, and lowly, and twelve in number, are seen to have drawn to themselves so many cities, and nations, and peoples, and kings, and tyrants, and philosophers, and orators, and, so to speak, the whole earth without signs. But do you want to see signs happening even now? I will show you even greater ones than the former, not one dead man being raised, not one blind man recovering his sight, but the whole earth putting away the darkness of error; not one leper being cleansed, but so many nations wiping away the leprosy of sin and being purified through the washing of regeneration. What greater sign than these do you seek, O man, seeing such a great change of the world happening all at once?

8. Do you want to learn how Christ made the world to see again? Before, men did not consider wood and stone to be wood and stone, but called inanimate things gods, so blinded were they; but now they have seen what is wood, what is stone; they have believed what is God. For that imperishable and blessed nature is beheld by faith alone. But do you want to see another sign of the resurrection? From the disposition of the disciples you will see this too becoming greater after 51.109 the resurrection. For it is agreed by all, that one who is well-disposed toward a living man perhaps does not even remember him when he is dead; but one who is ill-disposed toward a living man and abandoned him while he was alive, will much more forget him when he is dead. Wherefore no man, having left and abandoned his friend and teacher while alive, holds him in high esteem when he is dead, and especially when countless dangers for him

ἀποδείξεις τὰ λεγόμενα, διὸ καὶ πάλιν τὰ αὐτὰ ἐρῶ. Ἐποίησε σημεῖα πρὸ τούτου ὁ Χριστὸς, νεκροὺς ἤγειρε, λεπροὺς ἐκάθηρε, δαίμονας ἀπήλασεν· ἐσταυρώθη μετὰ ταῦτα, καὶ ὡς οἱ παράνομοι Ἰουδαῖοι λέγουσιν, οὐκ ἀνέστη ἐκ νεκρῶν. Τί οὖν ἂν εἴποιμεν πρὸς αὐτούς; Ὅτι εἰ μὴ ἀνέστη, πῶς μετὰ ταῦτα ἐν τῷ ὀνόματι αὐτοῦ μείζονα ἐγένετο σημεῖα; Οὐδεὶς 51.108 γὰρ τῶν ζώντων τελευτήσας μείζονα σημεῖα ἐποίησε μετὰ τὴν τελευτὴν, ἐνταῦθα δὲ μείζονα καὶ τῷ τρόπῳ καὶ τῇ φύσει τὰ θαύματα μετὰ ταῦτα ἦν. Φύσει γὰρ μείζονα ἦν, ὅτι μὲν τοῦ Χριστοῦ οὐδέποτε σκιαὶ νεκροὺς ἀνέστησαν· ἐπὶ δὲ τῶν ἀποστόλων αἱ σκιαὶ αὐτῶν πολλὰ τοιαῦτα ἐποίουν. Τρόπῳ δὲ μείζονα ἐγένετο σημεῖα, ὅτι τότε μὲν αὐτὸς ἐπιτάττων ἐθαυματούργει· μετὰ δὲ τὸν σταυρὸν οἱ δοῦλοι αὐτοῦ τῷ σεβασμίῳ καὶ ἁγίῳ αὐτοῦ ὀνόματι χρώμενοι μείζονα καὶ ὑψηλότερα ἐποίουν, ὥστε μειζόνως αὐτοῦ καὶ ἐνδοξοτέρως διαλάμψαι τὴν ἰσχύν. Τοῦ γὰρ αὐτὸν ἐπιτάττειν πολλῷ μεῖζον ἦν τὸ ἕτερον τῷ ἐκείνου κεχρημένον ὀνόματι τοιαῦτα θαυματουργεῖν. Εἶδες, ἀγαπητὲ, καὶ τῇ φύσει καὶ τῷ τρόπῳ μείζονα ὄντα τὰ σημεῖα τῶν ἀποστόλων μετὰ τὴν ἀνάστασιν τοῦ Χριστοῦ; Οὐκοῦν ἀναμφισβήτητος ἡ ἀπόδειξις τῆς ἀναστάσεως. Ὅπερ γὰρ ἔλεγον, καὶ πάλιν ἐρῶ, εἰ ἐτετελευτήκει ὁ Χριστὸς, καὶ οὐκ ἀνέστη, ἔδει καὶ τὰ σημεῖα τελευτῆσαι καὶ ἀποσβεσθῆναι· νυνὶ δὲ οὐ μόνον οὐκ ἀπεσβέσθη, ἀλλὰ καὶ λαμπρότερα καὶ ἐνδοξότερα γέγονε μετὰ ταῦτα. Εἰ γὰρ μὴ ἀνέστη ὁ Χριστὸς, οὐκ ἂν ἕτεροι ἐν τῷ ὀνόματι αὐτοῦ τοιαῦτα σημεῖα ἐποίησαν. Ἡ αὐτὴ μὲν γὰρ δύναμις καὶ πρὸ τοῦ σταυροῦ καὶ μετὰ τὸν σταυρὸν ἐθαυματούργει· καὶ πρῶτον μὲν δι' ἑαυτοῦ, ὕστερον δὲ διὰ τῶν μαθητῶν· ἵνα δὲ σαφεστέρα καὶ ἐνδοξοτέρα γένηται τῆς ἀναστάσεως ἡ ἀπόδειξις, μείζονα καὶ ὑψηλότερα μετὰ τὸν σταυρὸν ἐγένετο τὰ σημεῖα. Καὶ πόθεν δῆλον ὅτι σημεῖα γέγονε τότε; ὁ ἄπιστος ἐρεῖ Πόθεν δὲ καὶ δῆλον ὅτι ἐσταυρώθη ὁ Χριστός; Ἀπὸ τῶν θείων Γραφῶν, φησί. Καὶ γὰρ ὅτι σημεῖα γέγονε τότε καὶ ὅτι ἐσταυρώθη ὁ Χριστὸς, ἀπὸ τῶν ἁγίων Γραφῶν δῆλον. Ἐκεῖναι μὲν γὰρ καὶ ταῦτα κἀκεῖνα λέγουσιν. Εἰ δὲ λέγει ὁ ὑπεναντίος, ὅτι οὐκ ἐποίησαν σημεῖα οἱ ἀπόστολοι, μειζόνως αὐτῶν δεικνύεις τὴν δύναμιν καὶ τὴν θείαν χάριν, ὅτι χωρὶς σημείων τοσαύτην οἰκουμένην ἐπεσπάσαντο πρὸς θεοσέβειαν. Τοῦτο γὰρ μέγιστον σημεῖον καὶ παράδοξον θαῦμα, ὅταν οἱ πτωχοὶ, καὶ πένητες, καὶ εὐκαταφρόνητοι, καὶ ἀγράμματοι, καὶ ἰδιῶται, καὶ εὐτελεῖς, καὶ δώδεκα τὸν ἀριθμὸν, πόλεις τοσαύτας, καὶ ἔθνη, καὶ δήμους, καὶ βασιλεῖς, καὶ τυράννους, καὶ φιλοσόφους, καὶ ῥήτορας, καὶ πᾶσαν, ὡς εἰπεῖν, τὴν γῆν χωρὶς σημείων φαίνωνται πρὸς ἑαυτοὺς ἑλκύσαντες. Βούλει δὲ καὶ νῦν σημεῖα γινόμενα ἰδεῖν; Ἐγώ σοι δείξω καὶ μείζονα τῶν προτέρων, οὐχ ἕνα νεκρὸν ἐγειρόμενον, οὐχ ἕνα τυφλὸν ἀναβλέποντα, ἀλλὰ πᾶσαν τὴν γῆν τὸ σκότος τῆς πλάνης ἀποθεμένην· οὐχ ἕνα λεπρὸν καθαιρόμενον, ἀλλ' ἔθνη τοσαῦτα τὴν λέπραν τῆς ἁμαρτίας ἀποσμήξαντα καὶ διὰ τοῦ λουτροῦ παλιγγενεσίας καθαρθέντα. Τί τούτων τῶν σημείων μεῖζον ἐπιζητεῖς, ἄνθρωπε, ἀθρόον τοσαύτην τῆς οἰκουμένης μεταβολὴν ὁρῶν γεγενημένην;

ηʹ. Βούλει μαθεῖν πῶς ἀναβλέψαι τὴν οἰκουμένην ἐποίησεν ὁ Χριστός; Τὸ πρότερον τὸ ξύλον καὶ τὸν λίθον οὐκ ἐνόμιζον εἶναι ξύλον καὶ λίθον οἱ ἄνθρωποι, ἀλλὰ θεοὺς ἐκάλουν τὰ ἀναίσθητα, οὕτως ἦσαν ἀποτετυφλωμένοι· νυνὶ δὲ εἶδον τί ξύλον, τί λίθος· ἐπίστευσαν τί Θεός. Πίστει γὰρ μόνῃ θεωρεῖται ἡ ἀνώλεθρος καὶ μακαρία φύσις ἐκείνη. Βούλει δὲ καὶ ἕτερον ἀναστάσεως ἰδεῖν σημεῖον; Ἀπὸ τῆς τῶν μαθητῶν γνώμης ὄψει καὶ τοῦτο μεῖζον γινόμενον μετὰ 51.109 τὴν ἀνάστασιν. Καὶ γὰρ παρὰ πᾶσιν ὡμολόγηται, ὅτι ὁ μὲν περὶ ζῶντα ἄνθρωπον εὐνοϊκῶς διακείμενος καὶ ἀποθανόντος ἴσως οὐδὲ μέμνηται· ὁ δὲ περὶ ζῶντα ἀγνωμόνως διατεθεὶς καὶ ἐγκαταλιπὼν περιόντα, πολλῷ μᾶλλον ἀποθανόντος ἐπιλήσεται. Ὅθεν οὐδεὶς τῶν ἀνθρώπων τὸν φίλον καὶ τὸν διδάσκαλον ἀφεὶς ζῶντα καὶ ἐγκαταλιπὼν, τελευτήσαντα περὶ πολλοῦ ποιεῖται, καὶ μάλιστα ὅταν κινδύνους μυρίους αὐτῷ