42

one flock, one shepherd, having heard: Feed my lambs; and almost in His own stead the Lord gave the most faithful disciple to the converts as a father and shepherd and teacher. 8.15.3 Hearing this voice, therefore, he did not live his life in idleness nor did he love a life free from dangers, but traveling about the whole world he revealed Christ to those who were blind, guiding the wandering, strengthening those who had tasted of salvation, fighting against enemies, exhorting his own people, enduring persecutions, bearing the burden of prisons, in many ways risking his life for the gospel. 8.16.1 As time went on, having reached the ruling city of men, from there he ascended to the kingdom. For Nero, having been stirred to anger, as once Herod was in Palestine when the magi announced Christ as king, surpassed the other methods of punishment, and decreed for the thrice-blessed one to be nailed to the wood of a cross, so that Peter might imitate the Master not only by walking on the sea, but also by hanging on the wood. 8.16.2 Yet as one pious and wise, even in the hour of his struggle, knowing the difference between the Lord and a servant, he asked one favor of his enemies: not to be brought to the wood in the same posture, but to have his head nailed to the part of the cross near the ground. For it is not worthy even in suffering for the servant to receive the same things as the Master. He spoke and he received what he wished and through the cross he departed to the one who was crucified and rose again, he himself having been bound with the crown of martyrdom, and leaving to us the reasons for these feasts. 8.17.1 These things we too, according to our ability, O dear and sacred head, have rendered to you as thanks for your many achievements; but it is time now to turn the discourse to another champion, the partner of your virtue, the man of Tarsus, who by a different manner of punishment, but with the one purpose of piety, departed with you to Christ. Paul the divine, the loud-voiced trumpet of the gospel, who was formerly a bitter enemy of Christians, but finally a powerful advocate of the church, was born younger to the apostles by grace; and in time he was second to the disciples of Christ, but equal in the proven quality of his virtue, that I may say nothing more, making the grey-haired twelve blush, 8.18.2 a fervent zealot of Moses, if anyone ever was, a wall of the law, a strong and unshakable tower of the Old Testament; and as long as he held his opinion unchanged, there was great danger for those who spoke of Christ, and everywhere he terrified our people and put them to flight; truly, according to the prophecy of Jacob, Benjamin a ravenous wolf, tearing the lambs of the New Testament and scattering the flocks. 8.19.1 But when he had also perpetrated the deed against the holy Stephen, and while his hands were still stained with blood, he was running to Damascus, wishing to join persecution to persecution and murders to murders and to uproot Christianity, which was just then blooming with its first growth. Our God saw well what He had done, that the strong enemy might also become a noble friend; 8.19.2 and shining a light suddenly around him, He strikes him down and changes him toward humility, stopping his course through fear, and tempering with darkness the eyes that looked on with fire and rage. And He punishes him not in silence, but also added a word to the deed, saying that which is written: 8.19.3 Saul, Saul, why do you persecute me? It is hard for you to kick against the goads; not as though He Himself needed discussion—for what need was there of words when the facts were sufficient?—but in order to give him a reason to ask and to learn that Christ, who was thought to be dead and buried, lives and appears from heaven and thus with authority defends those who grieve Him. But there is nothing like quoting the very words that explain to us the hunt of the Hebrew wolf. 8..1 20 But Saul, still breathing threats

42

μίαν ἀγέλην εἷς ποιμὴν ἀκούσας· Βόσκε τὰ ἀρνία μου· καὶ σχεδὸν ἀνθ' ἑαυτοῦ τὸν πιστότατον μαθητὴν ἔδωκεν ὁ Κύριος τοῖς προσηλύτοις πατέρα καὶ νομέα καὶ παιδευτήν. 8.15.3 Ταύτης τοίνυν ἀκούσας τῆς φωνῆς οὐκ ἐν ῥᾳθυμίᾳ τὸν βίον ἔζησεν οὐδὲ ἠγάπησε τὴν ἔξω κινδύνων ζωήν, ἀλλὰ πᾶσαν τὴν οἰκουμένην περινοστῶν τὸν Χριστὸν τοῖς τυφλώττουσιν ἀπεκάλυπτεν, τοὺς μὲν πλανωμένους ὁδηγῶν, τοὺς δὲ γευσαμένους τῆς σωτηρίας στηρίζων, τοῖς ἐχθροῖς μαχόμενος, τοὺς οἰκείους παρακα λῶν, διωγμῶν ἀνεχόμενος, φέρων ἀχθηδόνα δεσμωτηρίων, πολυτρόπως τοῦ εὐαγγελίου προκινδυνεύων. 8.16.1 Χρόνου δὲ προϊόντος τὴν βασιλεύουσαν τῶν ἀνθρώπων πόλιν καταλαβὼν ἐκεῖθεν ἐπὶ τὴν βασιλείαν ἀνέδραμεν. Ἀναρριπισθεὶς γὰρ ὁ Νέρων εἰς ὀργὴν ὥς ποτε κατὰ τὴν Παλαιστίνην Ἡρώδης ἡνίκα βασιλέα τὸν Χριστὸν οἱ μάγοι διήγγελλον, ὑπερβαίνει μὲν τοὺς ἄλλους τῶν κολάσεων τρόπους, ψηφίζεται δὲ τὸν τρισμακάριον ξύλῳ προσηλω θῆναι σταυροῦ, ἵνα μὴ μόνον πεζεύων θάλασσαν Πέτρος τὸν ∆εσπότην μιμῆται, ἀλλὰ καὶ ἐπὶ τοῦ ξύλου κρεμάμενος. 8.16.2 Ὅμως ὡς εὐλαβὴς καὶ σοφὸς κἀν τῷ καιρῷ τῆς ἀγωνίας εἰδὼς τίς διαφορὰ Κυρίου πρὸς δοῦλον μίαν ᾔτησε παρὰ τῶν ἐχθρῶν χάριν μήτοι γε ἐν ὁμοίῳ τῷ σχήματι τῷ ξύλῳ προσαγαγεῖν, ἀλλὰ τὴν κεφαλὴν τῷ προσγείῳ μέρει τοῦ σταυροῦ προσηλώσαντας. Οὐ γὰρ ἄξιον οὐδὲ ἐν πάθει τῶν ἴσων τὸν δοῦλον τῷ ∆εσπότῃ τυχεῖν. Εἶπεν καὶ ἔτυχεν ὧν ἐβούλετο καὶ διὰ τοῦ σταυροῦ πρὸς τὸν σταυρωθέντα καὶ ἀναστάντα ἀπῆλθεν, αὐτὸς μὲν τὸν τοῦ μαρτυρίου ἀναδησάμενος στέφανον, ἡμῖν δὲ τούτων τῶν ἑορτῶν καταλιπὼν τὰς αἰτίας. 8.17.1 Ταῦτά σοι καὶ ἡμεῖς κατὰ δύναμιν, ὦ φίλη καὶ ἱερὰ κεφαλή, τῶν πολλῶν κατορθωμάτων ἀπεδώκαμεν χαριστήρια· ὥρα δὲ λοιπὸν ἐπ' ἄλλον ἀγωνιστὴν τρέψαι τὸν λόγον, τὸν κοινωνὸν τῆς σῆς ἀρετῆς, τὸν Ταρσέα, τὸν διαφόρῳ μὲν τρόπῳ τῆς τιμωρίας, ἑνὶ δὲ σκοπῷ τῆς εὐσε βείας μετά σου πρὸς Χριστὸν ἀναλύσαντα. Παῦλος ὁ θεσπέσιος, ἡ μεγαλόφωνος τοῦ εὐαγγελίου σάλπιγξ, ὁ πρότερον μὲν πικρὸς δυσμενὴς χριστιανῶν, ἰσχυρὸς δὲ τελευταῖον τῆς ἐκκλησίας συνήγορος, νεώτερος μὲν ἐπετέχθη τοῖς ἀποστόλοις παρὰ τῆς χάριτος· καὶ τῷ χρόνῳ δεύτερος ἦν τῶν μαθητῶν τοῦ Χριστοῦ, ἴσος δὲ κατὰ τὸ δόκιμον τῆς ἀρετῆς, ἵνα μηδὲν εἴπω πλέον τὴν πολιὰν ἐρυθριάσας τῶν δώδεκα, 8.18.2 ζηλωτὴς δὲ θερμὸς τοῦ Μωϋσέως, εἴπερ τις ἕτερος, τεῖχος τοῦ νόμου, πύργος τῆς παλαιᾶς ∆ιαθήκης καρτερὸς καὶ ἄσειστος· καὶ μέχρις οὗ τὴν γνώμην ἀμετάβλητον εἶχεν, μέγας ὑπῆρχε κίνδυνος τῶν τὸν Χριστὸν λαλούντων καὶ πανταχοῦ διεπτόει τοὺς ἡμετέρους καὶ ἐφυγάδευεν· ὄντως κατὰ τὴν πρόρρησιν τοῦ Ἰακὼβ Βενιαμὶν λύκος ἅρπαξ, σπαράσσων τῆς νέας ∆ιαθήκης τοὺς ἀρνειοὺς καὶ σκορπίζων τὰ ποίμνια. 8.19.1 Ἐπειδὴ δὲ καὶ τὸ δρᾶμα τὸ κατὰ τὸν ἅγιον Στέφανον ἐξειργάσατο, καὶ τὰς χεῖρας ἔχων ἔτι μεμολυσμένας τῷ αἵματι τὴν ἐπὶ ∆αμασκὸν ἔτρεχε διωγμῷ διωγμὸν καὶ φόνοις φόνους συνάψαι βουλόμενος καὶ ἀνασπάσαι τὸν χριστιανισμὸν πρόρριζον ἄρτι τὴν πρώτην ἀνθοῦντα φυήν. Εἶδεν καλῶς ὁ Θεὸς ἡμῶν ὃ πεποίηκεν, ὅτι ὁ ἰσχυρὸς ἐχθρὸς γένοιτ' ἂν καὶ φίλος γενναῖος· 8.19.2 καὶ περιλάμψας αὐτὸν αἰφνίδιον τῷ φωτὶ καταπλήττει καὶ μεταβάλλει πρὸς ταπεινότητα στήσας μὲν τοῦ δρόμου διὰ τὸν φόβον, τοὺς δὲ τὸ πυρῶδες καὶ θυμοειδὲς βλέποντας ὀφθαλμοὺς σωφρονίσας τῷ σκότῳ. Τιμωρεῖται δὲ αὐτὸν οὐ μετὰ σιωπῆς, ἀλλὰ καὶ λόγον τῷ ἔργῳ προσέθηκεν εἰπὼν ἐκεῖνο τὸ γεγραμμένον· 8.19.3 Σαῦλε, Σαῦλε, τί με διώκεις; Σκληρόν σοι πρὸς κέντρα λακτίζειν· οὐχ ὡς αὐτὸς διαλέξεως χρῄζωντί γὰρ ἔδει λόγων τῶν πραγμάτων ἀρκούντων, ἀλλ' ἵνα πρόφασιν ἐνδῷ τοῦ ἐρωτῆσαι καὶ μαθεῖν ὅτι ὁ νομιζόμενος τεθνάναι καὶ κεῖσθαι Χριστὸς ζῇ καὶ ἐξ οὐρανῶν ἐπιφαίνεται καὶ οὕτως ἀπ' ἐξουσίας τοὺς λυποῦντας ἀμύνεται. Οὐδὲν δὲ οἷον αὐτὰ τὰ ῥήματα παραθέσθαι τὰ τοῦ Ἑβραίου λύκου τὴν θήραν ἡμῖν ἐξηγούμενα. 8..1 20̔ δὲ Σαῦλος ἔτι ἐμπνέων ἀπειλῆς