John Chrysostom, On the Acts of the Apostles

he works. But while the one who was healed was holding on to Peter and 60.72 John, all the people, utterly astonished, ran together to the portico called Solomon's. Out of goodwill towards them and affection he did not separate from them; and perhaps also giving thanks to them and praising them. And, it says, all the people ran together. But when Peter saw them, he answered. Again he both works and speaks to the people. Then, indeed, the matter concerning the tongues stirred them to hear, but now this does; and then he began with their accusations, but now from their suspicion. Let us see, then, how this public address differs from that one, and in what they have in common. That one, then, takes place in the house, when no one had yet come forward, nor had they themselves done anything; but this one, with everyone marveling, with the healed man standing nearby; with no one doubting, as then, when they said, that They are full of new wine. And then he spoke while he was with all the apostles; but now with John alone; for henceforth he is bold and becomes more vehement. For such is virtue; having made a beginning, it goes forward, and nowhere does it stop. And see how it was arranged for the sign to happen in the temple, so that others too might take courage. For they do not work it in some corner, or secretly; but neither inside the temple, where the great crowd was. How then was it believed, you say? Because the man who was healed himself proclaimed the good deed. For he would not have lied, nor would he have gone to any others. Therefore, either because there was ample space, they worked the sign there, or because the place was set apart. And see what happened. They went up for one reason, and they do other things. Thus also Cornelius, while fasting, was praying for other things, and sees other things. Up to that time, they everywhere call Christ the Nazarene. In the name of Jesus Christ the Nazarene, he says, rise up and walk. For at that time this was the thing sought, that he be believed. Let us not then grow weary at the beginning of the narrative; but even if someone, having mentioned a right action, should pause, let us take up the beginning again. If we get into the habit, we will quickly come to the end; quickly we will stand at the summit. For zeal, it says, begets zeal, and sloth sloth. He who has accomplished some small thing has received encouragement to come to what is greater, and from that to advance even further. And just as a fire, whatever pieces of wood it may envelop, becomes that much more intense; so also is zeal: however many pious thoughts it may stir up, so much the more is it armed against the others. For instance; There stand in us like thorns: perjury, lying, hypocrisy, deceit, malice, reviling, jests, buffoonery, filthy talk, coarse jesting; again, in another part: greed, robbery, injustice, false accusation, plots; again: evil desire, impurity, licentiousness, fornication, adultery; again: envy, jealousy, anger, wrath, malice, retaliation, blasphemy. countless such things; if we accomplish the first things, not only are those things accomplished, but through them also the things that come after. For from now on, reason becomes stronger for their overthrow. For example, if he who swears often should get rid of this satanic habit, not only has this been accomplished by him, but another piety has also been introduced. For no one, I think, of those who do not swear will easily wish to do anything else wicked, but will be ashamed of the virtue already accomplished. For just as one wearing a fine garment is ashamed to roll himself in mud; 60.73 so also is this one. And from this he will come to not being angry, nor striking, nor insulting. For if he once accomplishes the small things, the whole is completed. But often the opposite also happens, that once having accomplished something, people through sloth fall back into the same things, so that from this the matter henceforth becomes impossible. For instance, we set for ourselves a law not to swear, we succeeded for three or even four days; after those days, having fallen into a necessity, we squandered all the profit we had gathered; we then fall into sloth and despair, so as not even to wish to take up the same things again; and rightly so. For one who has built something for himself, and then sees the building demolished,

ἐργάζεται. Κρατοῦντος δὲ τοῦ ἰαθέντος τὸν Πέτρον καὶ 60.72 τὸν Ἰωάννην, συνῆλθε πᾶς ὁ λαὸς ἐπὶ τῇ στοᾷ τῇ καλουμένῃ Σολομῶντος ἔκθαμβοι. Ἀπὸ τῆς εὐνοίας τῆς εἰς αὐτοὺς καὶ τῆς φιλίας οὐκ ἐχωρίζετο αὐτῶν· ἴσως δὲ καὶ εὐχαριστῶν αὐτοῖς καὶ ἐπαινῶν. Καὶ συνέδραμε, φησὶ, πᾶς ὁ λαός. Ἰδὼν δὲ αὐτοὺς ὁ Πέτρος, ἀπεκρίνατο. Πάλιν αὐτὸς καὶ ἐργάζεται καὶ δημηγορεῖ. Τότε μὲν οὖν αὐτοὺς εἰς τὴν ἀκρόασιν διήγειρε τὸ πρᾶγμα τὸ περὶ τὰς γλώσσας, νυνὶ δὲ τοῦτο· καὶ τότε μὲν ἀρχὴν ἔλαβεν ἀπὸ τῶν ἐγκλημάτων, νῦν δὲ ἀπὸ τῆς ὑπονοίας. Ἴδωμεν οὖν, τί διενήνοχεν αὕτη ἡ δημηγορία ἐκείνης, καὶ κατὰ τί κοινωνεῖ. Ἐκείνη μὲν οὖν ἐν τῇ οἰκίᾳ γίνεται, οὐδέπω προσελθόντος οὐδενὸς, οὐδὲ αὐτῶν τι ἐργασαμένων· αὕτη δὲ πάντων θαυμαζόντων, τοῦ θεραπευθέντος πλησίον ἑστῶτος· οὐδενὸς ἀμφιβάλλοντος, καθάπερ τότε, ὅτε ἔλεγον, ὅτι Γλεύκους μεμεστωμένοι εἰσί. Καὶ τότε μετὰ τῶν ἀποστόλων πάντων ὢν διελέγετο· νῦν δὲ μετὰ τοῦ Ἰωάννου μόνου· λοιπὸν γὰρ θαῤῥεῖ καὶ σφοδρότερος γίνεται. Τοιοῦτον γὰρ ἡ ἀρετὴ, ἀρχὴν λαβοῦσα πρόεισι, καὶ οὐδαμοῦ ἵσταται. Ὅρα δὲ καὶ πῶς ᾠκονομήθη ἐν τῷ ἱερῷ γενέσθαι τὸ σημεῖον, ἵνα καὶ ἄλλοι θαῤῥήσωσιν. Οὐκ ἐν παραβύστῳ γὰρ αὐτό που ἐργάζονται, ἢ καὶ λανθανόντως· ἀλλ' οὔτε ἔνδον ἐν τῷ ἱερῷ, ἔνθα τὸ πολὺ πλῆθος ἦν. Πῶς οὖν ἐπιστεύθη, φησίν; Ὅτι αὐτὸς ὁ θεραπευθεὶς ἐκήρυττε τὴν εὐεργεσίαν. Οὐδὲ γὰρ ἂν ἐψεύσατο, οὐδ' ἂν ἐπ' ἄλλους τινὰς ἦλθεν. Ἤτοι οὖν, ὡς εὐρυχωρίας οὔσης, ἐκεῖ τὸ σημεῖον εἰργάσαντο, ἢ ὡς κεχωρισμένου τοῦ τόπου. Καὶ ὅρα τὸ γενόμενον. Ἐφ' ἑτέραν ἀνῆλθον πρόφασιν, καὶ ἕτερα ἐργάζονται. Οὕτω καὶ Κορνήλιος ἄλλα νηστεύων ηὔχετο, καὶ ἄλλα ὁρᾷ. Μέχρι δὲ τότε πανταχοῦ τὸν Χριστὸν Ναζωραῖον ὀνομάζουσιν. Ἐν τῷ ὀνόματι Ἰησοῦ Χριστοῦ τοῦ Ναζωραίου, φησὶν, ἔγειραι καὶ περιπάτει. Τέως γὰρ τοῦτο ἦν τὸ ζητούμενον, τὸ πιστευθῆναι αὐτόν. Μὴ δὴ πρὸς τὴν ἀρχὴν ἀποκάμωμεν τοῦ διηγήματος· ἀλλ' εἰ καὶ κατόρθωμά τις εἰπὼν διαλίπῃ, πάλιν ἀναλάβωμεν τὴν ἀρχήν. Ἂν ἐν ἕξει γενώμεθα, ταχέως πρὸς τὸ τέλος ἥξομεν· ταχέως πρὸς τὴν κορυφὴν στησόμεθα. Σπουδὴ γὰρ, φησὶ, σπουδὴν γεννᾷ, καὶ ῥᾳθυμία ῥᾳθυμίαν. Ὁ μικρόν τι κατωρθωκὼς ἔλαβε παράκλησιν ἐπὶ τὸ μεῖζον ἐλθεῖν, καὶ μᾶλλον ἐξ ἐκείνου περαιτέρω χωρῆσαι. Καὶ καθάπερ τὸ πῦρ ὅσα ἂν περιλάβῃ ξύλα, τοσούτῳ σφοδρότερον γίνεται· οὕτω καὶ προθυμία, ὅσους ἂν διεγείρῃ λογισμοὺς εὐσεβεῖς, τοσούτῳ μᾶλλον κατὰ τῶν ἄλλων ὁπλίζεται. Οἷόν τι λέγω· Ἑστήκασιν ἐν ἡμῖν καθάπερ ἄκανθαι ἐπιορκία, ψεῦδος, ὑπόκρισις, δόλος, κακουργία, λοιδορία, σκώμματα, γελωτοποιίαι, αἰσχρολογίαι, εὐτραπελίαι· πάλιν ἐν ἄλλῳ μέρει πλεονεξία, ἁρπαγὴ, ἀδικία, συκοφαντία, ἐπιβουλαί· πάλιν ἐπιθυμία πονηρὰ, ἀκαθαρσία, ἀσέλγεια, πορνεία, μοιχεία· πάλιν φθόνος, ζηλοτυπία, ὀργὴ, θυμὸς, μνησικακία, ἀνταπόδοσις, βλασφημία. μυρία τοιαῦτα· ἂν τὰ πρότερα κατορθώσωμεν, οὐκ ἐκεῖνα μόνον κατώρθωται, ἀλλὰ δι' ἐκείνων καὶ τὰ μετὰ ταῦτα. Ἰσχυρότερος γὰρ γίνεται λοιπὸν ὁ λογισμὸς πρὸς τὴν ἐκείνων ἀνατροπήν. Οἶον, ὁ πολλὰ ὀμνὺς ἂν περιέλῃ τὸ σατανικὸν ἔθος τοῦτο, οὐ τοῦτο μόνον αὐτῷ κατώρθωται, ἀλλὰ καὶ ἑτέρα εὐλάβεια ἐπεισῆκται. Οὐδεὶς γὰρ, οἶμαι, τῶν οὐκ ὀμνυόντων εὐκόλως θελήσει ἄλλο τι πρᾶξαι πονηρὸν, ἀλλὰ τὴν ἤδη κατορθωθεῖσαν ἀρετὴν αἰσχυνθήσεται. Καθάπερ γὰρ ὁ φορῶν ἱμάτιον καλὸν αἰσχύνεται βορβόρῳ ἐγκυ 60.73 λίσαι ἑαυτόν· οὕτω δὴ καὶ οὗτος. Ἀπὸ δὲ τούτου ἥξει εἰς τὸ μὴ ὀργίζεσθαι, μηδὲ τύπτειν, μηδὲ ὑβρίζειν. Ἂν γὰρ ἅπαξ τὰ μικρὰ κατορθώσῃ, τὸ πᾶν ἤνυσται. Συμβαίνει δὲ πολλάκις καὶ τὸ ἐναντίον, ἅπαξ κατορθώσαντάς τι πάλιν ἀπὸ ῥᾳθυμίας τοῖς αὐτοῖς περιπεσεῖν, ὡς ἐκ τούτου καὶ εἰς ἀδύνατον περιστῆναι λοιπὸν τὸ πρᾶγμα. Οἷον, ἐθήκαμεν ἑαυτοῖς νόμον μὴ ὀμνύναι, κατωρθώσαμεν ἡμέρας τρεῖς ἢ καὶ τέσσαρας· μετ' ἐκείνας εἰς ἀνάγκην περιπεσόντες, τὸ συλλεχθὲν κέρδος ἅπαν ἐσκορπίσαμεν· εἰς ῥᾳθυμίαν λοιπὸν ἐμπίπτομεν καὶ ἀπόγνωσιν, ὡς μηδὲ τῶν αὐτῶν ἅψασθαι βουληθῆναι πάλιν· καὶ εἰκότως. Ὁ γάρ τι οἰκοδομήσας ἑαυτῷ, εἶτα ἰδὼν καθῃρημένον τὸ οἰκοδόμημα,