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in the breaking of the bread, and in prayer. All things in common, all things with perseverance they did, it says. And fear came upon every soul of those who believed, and many wonders and signs were done by the apostles. With good reason. For they did not despise them as ordinary men, nor did they pay attention to the things seen, but their mind was set on fire. And since Peter was flowing copiously from above, and was showing the promises and the things to come, they were naturally beside themselves with fear, and the miracles bore witness to the things being said. Just as therefore in the case of Christ, first there were signs, then teaching, then miracles; so also now. And all who believed were together, and had all things in common. See straightaway how great the progress was. For the fellowship was not only in the prayers, nor in the teaching, but also in their way of life. And they sold their possessions and goods, and distributed them to all, as anyone had need. See, how great a fear came upon them? And they distributed them. He said this, indicating the stewardship. As anyone had need. Not simply, like the philosophers among the Greeks, some of whom let their land go, and others threw much gold into the sea, which was not out of contempt for money, but foolishness and madness. For everywhere the devil has always been eager to slander the creatures of God, as if it were not possible to use money well. And day by day, continuing with one accord in the temple. Here he teaches the manner in which they partook of the teaching. 2. And consider, how the Jews did nothing else, not small, not great, but attended upon the temple. For having become more zealous, they also had more reverence for the place. For the apostles did not for the time being draw them away, so as not to cause harm. And breaking bread from house to house, they partook of food with gladness and simplicity of heart, praising God, 60.65 and having favor with all the people. In speaking of the bread, it seems to me, he here signifies also their fasting and their hard life; for they partook of sustenance, not of luxury. From this, beloved, learn that it is not luxury, but nourishment that produces enjoyment; and that those who live in luxury are in sorrow, but those who do not live in luxury are in joy. Do you see that Peter's words also had this, the moderation of life? Thus it is not possible for gladness to exist, without simplicity. And how, he says, did they have favor with all the people? Through what they were doing by means of almsgiving. For do not look at this, that the chief priests came upon them out of envy and malice; but that they had favor with the people. And the Lord added to the Church daily those who were being saved. And all who believed were together. So everywhere concord is a good thing. And with other words he testified. He said this, showing that what had been said was not enough; or rather, those things were for the purpose of bringing them to faith, but these things were said about what the believer must do. And he did not say, In the cross, but, Let each one of you be baptized in the name of Jesus Christ. Nor does he continually remind them of the cross, lest he seem to be reproaching them, but simply, Repent, he says, and be baptized every one in the name of Jesus Christ for the remission of sins. And yet the law of the courts here is otherwise; but in the case of the preaching, when the sinner confesses, then he is saved. See how Peter did not pass over the greater thing; but having first spoken of the grace, then he also added that, saying: You shall receive the gift of the Holy Spirit. The word is credible in itself from what they themselves had received. For for the time being he speaks what is easy and has a great gift, and then he leads them to their manner of life, knowing that to have already tasted so many good things will be for them a cause for zeal. But since the hearer longed to hear what was the main point of his many words, he adds this also, showing that it is the gift of the Holy Spirit. Those therefore who accepted the word praised what was said, although it was full of fear, and after their assent they then come to baptism. But let us look at what was said from the beginning. They were, it says, continuing steadfastly in the teaching. From this it is clear, that not for one day, nor for two and three, but for many days they were taught, since they had passed over to another life. And it came to pass

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τῇ κλάσει τοῦ ἄρτου, καὶ τῇ προσευχῇ. Πάντα κοινῇ, πάντα μετὰ καρτερίας ἐποίουν, φησί. Ἐγένετο δὲ πάσῃ ψυχῇ φόβος τῶν πιστευσάντων, πολλά τε τέρατα καὶ σημεῖα διὰ τῶν ἀποστόλων ἐγίνετο. Εἰκότως. Οὐ γὰρ ὡς τῶν τυχόντων κατεφρόνουν, οὐδὲ τοῖς ὁρωμένοις προσεῖχον, ἀλλὰ πεπύρωτο αὐτῶν ἡ διάνοια. Ἐπειδὴ δὲ ἄνωθεν ἦν πολὺς ῥέων ὁ Πέτρος, καὶ ἐδείκνυ τὰς ἐπαγγελίας καὶ τὰ μέλλοντα, εἰκότως ἐξέστησαν τῷ φόβῳ, καὶ ἐμαρτύρει τοῖς λεγομένοις τὰ θαύματα. Καθάπερ οὖν ἐπὶ τοῦ Χριστοῦ πρότερον σημεῖα, εἶτα διδασκαλία, εἶτα θαύματα· οὕτω καὶ νῦν. Πάντες δὲ οἱ πιστεύοντες ἦσαν ἐπιτοαυτὸ, καὶ εἶχον ἅπαντα κοινά. Ὅρα εὐθέως ὅση ἡ ἐπίδοσις. Οὐ γὰρ ἐν ταῖς εὐχαῖς μόνον ἡ κοινωνία, οὐδὲ ἐν τῇ διδασκαλίᾳ, ἀλλὰ καὶ ἐν τῇ πολιτείᾳ. Καὶ τὰ κτήματα καὶ τὰς ὑπάρξεις ἐπίπρασκον, καὶ διεμέριζον αὐτὰ πᾶσι, καθότι ἄν τις χρείαν εἶχεν. Ὅρα, πόσος φόβος αὐτοῖς ἐνεγένετο; Καὶ διεμέριζον αὐτά. Τοῦτο εἶπε, τὸ οἰκονομικὸν δηλῶν. Καθότι ἄν τις χρείαν εἶχεν. Οὐχ ἁπλῶς, καθάπερ οἱ παρ' Ἕλλησι φιλόσοφοι, οἱ μὲν ἀνῆκαν τὴν γῆν, οἱ δὲ εἰς θάλασσαν ἔῤῥιψαν πολὺ χρυσίον, ὅπερ οὐχ ὑπεροψίᾳ χρημάτων ἦν, ἀλλὰ μωρία καὶ ἄνοια. Πανταχοῦ γὰρ ἐσπούδασεν ὁ διάβολος ἀεὶ τοῦ Θεοῦ τὰ κτίσματα διαβάλλειν, ὡς οὐκ ἐνὸν καλῶς χρήσασθαι χρήμασι. Καθ' ἡμέραν τε προσκαρτεροῦντες ὁμοθυμαδὸν ἐν τῷ ἱερῷ. Ἐνταῦθα τὸν τρόπον διδάσκει, καθ' ὃν τῆς διδασκαλίας ἀπέλαυον. βʹ. Καὶ σκόπει, πῶς οὐδὲν ἐποίουν ἕτερον Ἰουδαῖοι, οὐ μικρὸν, οὐ μέγα, ἀλλὰ τῷ ἱερῷ προσήδρευον. Ἅτε γὰρ σπουδαιότεροι γεγενημένοι, καὶ περὶ τὸν τόπον εὐλάβειαν πλείονα εἶχον. Οὐ γὰρ ἀπέσπων αὐτοὺς οἱ ἀπόστολοι τέως, ὥστε μὴ βλάψαι. Κλῶντές τε κατ' οἶκον ἄρτον, μετελάμβανον τροφῆς ἐν ἀγαλλιάσει καὶ ἀφελότητι καρδίας, αἰνοῦντες τὸν Θεὸν, 60.65 καὶ ἔχοντες χάριν πρὸς ὅλον τὸν λαόν. Τὸν ἄρτον ἐμοὶ δοκεῖ λέγων, καὶ τὴν νηστείαν ἐνταῦθα σημαίνειν καὶ τὸν σκληρὸν βίον· τροφῆς γὰρ, οὐ τρυφῆς μετελάμβανον. Ἐντεῦθεν, ἀγαπητὲ, μάνθανε, ὡς οὐχ ἡ τρυφὴ, ἀλλ' ἡ τροφὴ τὴν ἀπόλαυσιν ποιεῖ· καὶ ὡς οἱ τρυφῶντες, ἐν λύπῃ, οἱ δὲ μὴ τρυφῶντες, ἐν χαρᾷ. Ὁρᾷς, ὅτι οἱ Πέτρου λόγοι καὶ τοῦτο εἶχον, τὸν τοῦ βίου σωφρονισμόν; Οὕτως οὐκ ἔνι γενέσθαι ἀγαλλίασιν, μὴ ἀφελείας οὔσης. Καὶ πῶς, φησὶν, Εἶχον χάριν πρὸς ὅλον τὸν λαόν; ∆ι' ὧν ἐποίουν διὰ τῆς ἐλεημοσύνης. Μὴ γάρ μοι, εἰ οἱ ἀρχιερεῖς ἐπέστησαν αὐτοῖς ὑπὸ φθόνου καὶ βασκανίας, τοῦτο ἴδῃς· ἀλλ' ὅτι πρὸς τὸν λαὸν χάριν εἶχον. Ὁ δὲ Κύριος προσετίθει τοὺς σωζομένους καθ' ἡμέραν τῇ Ἐκκλησίᾳ. Πάντες δὲ οἱ πιστεύοντες ἦσαν ἐπιτοαυτό. Οὕτω πανταχοῦ καλὸν ἡ ὁμόνοια. Ἑτέροις τε λόγοις διεμαρτύρατο. Τοῦτο εἶπε, δεικνὺς, ὅτι οὐκ ἤρκει τὰ λεχθέντα· ἢ καὶ ἐκεῖνα μὲν, ὥστε πρὸς πίστιν ἐπαχθῆναι, ταῦτα δὲ, τίνα χρὴ τὸν πιστὸν ποιεῖν, εἴρηται. Καὶ οὐκ εἶπεν, Ἐπὶ τῷ σταυρῷ, ἀλλ', Ἐπὶ τῷ ὀνόματι Ἰησοῦ Χριστοῦ βαπτισθήτω ἕκαστος ὑμῶν. Οὐδὲ ἀναμιμνήσκει αὐτοὺς συνεχῶς τοῦ σταυροῦ, ἵνα μὴ ὀνειδίζειν δόξῃ, ἀλλ' ἁπλῶς, Μετανοήσατε, φησὶ, καὶ βαπτισθήτω ἕκαστος ἐν τῷ ὀνόματι Ἰησοῦ Χριστοῦ εἰς ἄφεσιν ἁμαρτιῶν. Καὶ μὴν ἑτέρως ἔχει τῶν ἐνταῦθα δικαστηρίων ὁ νόμος· ἀλλ' ἐπὶ τοῦ κηρύγματος ὅταν ὁ ἡμαρτηκὼς ὁμολογήσῃ, τότε σώζεται. Ὅρα, πῶς οὐ τὸ μεῖζον παρέδραμεν ὁ Πέτρος· ἀλλὰ πρότερον τὴν χάριν εἰπὼν, τότε καὶ ἐκεῖνο ἐπήγαγε, λέγων· Λήψεσθε τὴν δωρεὰν τοῦ ἁγίου Πνεύματος. Ἀξιόπιστος ὁ λόγος αὐτόθεν ἐξ ὧν αὐτοὶ ἔλαβον. Τέως γὰρ τὸ εὔκολον λέγει καὶ πολλὴν ἔχον δωρεὰν, καὶ τότε ἐπὶ τὸν βίον ἄγει, εἰδὼς, ὅτι ὑπόθεσις αὐτοῖς ἔσται σπουδῆς, τὸ ἤδη γεύσασθαι τῶν τοσούτων ἀγαθῶν. Ἐπεὶ δὲ ἐπόθει ἀκοῦσαι ὁ ἀκροατὴς, τί ἦν τῶν πλειόνων λόγων τὸ κεφάλαιον, καὶ τοῦτο προστίθησι, δεικνὺς ὅτι ἡ δωρεὰ τοῦ ἁγίου Πνεύματος. Οἱ μὲν οὖν ἀποδεξάμενοι τὸν λόγον ἐπῄνεσαν τὰ λεχθέντα, καίτοι φόβου γέμοντα, καὶ μετὰ τὴν συγκατάθεσιν τότε ἐπὶ τὸ βάπτισμα ἔρχονται. Ἀλλ' ἴδωμεν ἄνωθεν τὰ εἰρημένα. Ἦσαν, φησὶ, προσκαρτεροῦντες τῇ διδαχῇ. Ἐκ τούτου δῆλον, ὅτι οὐ μίαν ἡμέραν, οὐδὲ δύο καὶ τρεῖς, ἀλλ' ἐπὶ πολλὰς ἐδιδάσκοντο, ἅτε ἐφ' ἕτερον μεταστάντες βίον. Καὶ ἐγένετο