John Chrysostom, On the Acts of the Apostles

I will show, that it is not this only? Answer me with truth, I beseech you, if I swore continually and always, would my authority have stood? By no means. Do you see that it is not for this reason? What then do you gain at all? tell me. Paul was hungry; and you, choose to hunger rather than to transgress any of the commandments of God. Why are you so faithless? You then take upon yourself to do and to suffer all things for the sake of not swearing; and will He not reward you? But He feeds the perjurers, and the frequent swearers every day; and will He deliver you to famine, because you listened to Him? Let all see that of those gathered into this church, there is not one who swears; and from this let us be made manifest, not from our faith only, and let us have this as a distinction towards the Greeks, and towards all. Let us receive a seal from the heavens, that like a royal flock we may appear everywhere; for now let us be known by our mouth and our tongue, just as the barbarians are; just as those who know Greek, by this let us differ from the barbarians. For tell me, how are those called parrots known? is it not from speaking like a man? So let us too then be known from speaking as the apostles; from speaking as the angels. If anyone says, "Swear," let him hear, "Christ commanded, and I do not swear." This is sufficient to bring in all virtue. It is a door of piety, a road leading to philosophy (reverence), it is a wrestling school. Let us keep these things, that we may obtain both the present and the future 60.85 good things, by the grace and loving-kindness of our Lord Jesus Christ, with whom to the Father, together with 60.86 the Holy Spirit, be glory, dominion, honor, now and ever, and unto the ages of ages. Amen.

60.85 HOMILY 10. But as they were speaking to the people, there came upon them

the priests and the captain of the temple. 1. Not yet having caught their breath from the former temptations, immediately into others

they entered. And see how things are ordered. First, they were all mocked together; this was no small temptation; second, the leaders themselves fall into dangers. But the two did not happen in succession, nor simply; but first having been well-received in their public speeches, and after this having worked a great miracle; so indeed, after taking courage, with God permitting, they take up the contests. But you, observe for me, how in the case of Christ they were seeking for one to betray him, whereas here they now lay hands on them themselves, having become bolder and more shameless after the cross. For sin, as long as it is in labor, has a certain shame; but when it is accomplished, then it makes those who commit it more shameless. But why does a captain also come upon them? For there came upon them the priests and the captain of the temple, he says. In order that they might again cast a public charge on what was being done, and not avenge it as a private matter; which they are everywhere eager to do. Being greatly disturbed because they were teaching the people. They were disturbed, not only because they were teaching, but because they said that not only was He raised, but that we also are raised through Him. Because they were teaching the people, he says, and proclaiming in Jesus the resurrection of the dead. So powerful was the resurrection, that He became the cause of resurrection for others also. And they laid their hands on them, and put them in custody until the next day; for it was already evening. O the shamelessness! they still had their hands full of the former blood, and were not benumbed, but they laid them again to other blood so as to fill them; or perhaps they even feared them, having already become a multitude, and for this reason the captain came upon them with them. For it was already evening, he says. They, then, wishing to soften them, did this and kept them in custody; but the apostles more bold

δείξω, ὅτι οὐ τοῦτο μόνον; Μετὰ ἀληθείας ἀποκρίνασθέ μοι, παρακαλῶ, εἰ συνεχῶς ὤμνυον καὶ διαπαντὸς, ἆρα ἂν προέστη μου ἡ ἀρχή; Οὐδαμῶς. Ὁρᾷς, ὅτι οὐ διὰ τοῦτο; Τί δὲ κερδαίνεις ὅλως; εἰπέ μοι. Παῦλος ἐλίμωττε· καὶ σὺ ἑλοῦ πεινᾷν μᾶλλον ἢ παραβῆναί τινα τῶν ἐντολῶν τοῦ Θεοῦ. Τί οὕτως ἄπιστος εἶ; Σὺ μὲν οὖν πάντα αἰρῇ καὶ ποιῆσαι καὶ παθεῖν ὑπὲρ τοῦ μὴ ὀμόσαι· αὐτὸς δέ σε οὐκ ἀμείψεται; Ἀλλὰ τοὺς μὲν ἐπιόρκους, καὶ πολυόρκους καθ' ἑκάστην τρέφει τὴν ἡμέραν· σὲ δὲ παραδώσει λιμῷ, ἐπειδὴ ἤκουσας αὐτοῦ; Πάντες ἰδέτωσαν, ὅτι τῶν εἰς ταύτην τὴν ἐκκλησίαν συναγομένων οὐδεὶς οὐκ ἔστιν ὁ ὀμνύς· καὶ ἀπὸ τούτου γενώμεθα δῆλοι, μὴ ἀπὸ τῆς πίστεως μόνον, καὶ τοῦτο πρὸς Ἕλληνας, καὶ πρὸς πάντας ἔχωμεν τὸ διαλλάττον. Σφραγῖδα λάβωμεν ἐκ τῶν οὐρανῶν, ἵνα ὥσπερ ἀγέλη βασιλικὴ πανταχοῦ φαινώμεθα· ἀπὸ τοῦ στόματος καὶ τῆς γλώττης τέως γνωριζώμεθα, καθάπερ οἱ βάρβαροι· καθάπερ οἱ Ἑλληνιστὶ εἰδότες, ταύτῃ τῶν βαρβάρων διαλλάττωμεν. Εἰπὲ γάρ μοι, οἱ ψιττακοὶ λεγόμενοι πόθεν εἰσὶ γνώριμοι; οὐκ ἀπὸ τοῦ λαλεῖν κατὰ ἄνθρωπον; Καὶ ἡμεῖς τοίνυν ἀπὸ τοῦ λαλεῖν ὡς οἱ ἀπόστολοι γενώμεθα γνώριμοι· ἀπὸ τοῦ λαλεῖν ὡς οἱ ἄγγελοι. Ἂν εἴπῃ τις, Ὄμοσον, ἀκουέτω, ὅτι ὁ Χριστὸς ἐκέλευσε, καὶ οὐκ ὄμνυμι. Τοῦτο ἱκανὸν πᾶσαν εἰσαγαγεῖν ἀρετήν. Θύρα τίς ἐστιν εὐσεβείας, ὁδὸς ἐπὶ φιλοσοφίαν (εὐλαβείας) εἰσάγουσα, παλαίστρα τίς ἐστι. Ταῦτα φυλάττωμεν, ἵνα καὶ τῶν παρόντων καὶ τῶν μελλόντων 60.85 ἐπιτύχωμεν ἀγαθῶν, χάριτι καὶ φιλανθρωπίᾳ τοῦ Κυρίου ἡμῶν Ἰησοῦ Χριστοῦ, μεθ' οὗ τῷ Πατρὶ, ἅμα 60.86 τῷ ἁγίῳ Πνεύματι, δόξα, κράτος, τιμὴ, νῦν καὶ ἀεὶ, καὶ εἰς τοὺς αἰῶνας τῶν αἰώνων. Ἀμήν.

60.85 ΟΜΙΛΙΑ Ιʹ. Λαλούντων δὲ αὐτῶν πρὸς τὸν λαὸν, ἐπέστησαν αὐτοῖς

οἱ ἱερεῖς καὶ ὁ στρατηγὸς τοῦ ἱεροῦ. αʹ. Οὔπω τῶν προτέρων ἀναπνεύσαντες πειρασμῶν, εὐθέως εἰς ἑτέρους

ἐνέβησαν. Καὶ ὅρα, πῶς οἰκονομεῖται τὰ πράγματα. Πρῶτον ἐχλευάσθησαν πάντες ὁμοῦ· οὐ μικρὸς οὗτος ὁ πειρασμός· δεύτερον, αὐτοὶ οἱ κορυφαῖοι εἰς κινδύνους ἐμπίπτουσιν. Οὐκ ἐφεξῆς δὲ τὰ δύο γέγονεν, οὐδὲ ἁπλῶς· ἀλλὰ πρότερον εὐδοκιμήσαντες ἐν ταῖς δημηγορίαις, καὶ θαῦμα ἐργασάμενοι μετὰ ταῦτα μέγα· οὕτω δὴ λοιπὸν μετὰ τὸ θαῤῥῆσαι, συγχωροῦντος τοῦ Θεοῦ τῶν ἀγώνων ἅπτονται. Σὺ δέ μοι θέα, πῶς ἐπὶ τοῦ Χριστοῦ τὸν παραδώσοντα ζητοῦντες, ἐνταῦθα λοιπὸν αὐτοὶ τὰς χεῖρας ἐπιβάλλουσι, θρασύτεροι γεγονότες καὶ ἀναισχυντότεροι μετὰ τὸν σταυρόν. Ἡ γὰρ ἁμαρτία, ἕως μὲν ἂν ὠδίνηται, ἔχει τινὰ αἰσχύνην· ἐπειδὰν δὲ τελεσθῇ, τότε ἀναισχυντοτέρους ποιεῖ τοὺς ἐργαζομένους αὐτήν. Τί δήποτε δὲ καὶ στρατηγὸς ἐφίσταται; Ἐπέστησαν γὰρ αὐτοῖς οἱ ἱερεῖς καὶ ὁ στρατηγὸς τοῦ ἱεροῦ, φησίν. Ἵνα πάλιν δημόσιον ἔγκλημα περιθῶσι τοῖς γινομένοις, καὶ μὴ ὡς ἰδιωτικὸν ἐκδικῶσιν· ὅπερ πανταχοῦ σπουδάζουσι ποιεῖν. ∆ιαπονούμενοι διὰ τὸ διδάσκειν αὐτοὺς τὸν λαόν. ∆ιεπονοῦντο, οὐ μόνον ὅτι ἐδίδασκον, ἀλλ' ὅτι οὐκ αὐτὸν μόνον ἔλεγον ἐγηγέρθαι, ἀλλὰ καὶ ἡμᾶς δι' ἐκεῖνον ἀνίστασθαι. ∆ιὰ τὸ διδάσκειν αὐτοὺς, φησὶ, τὸν λαὸν, καὶ καταγγέλλειν ἐν τῷ Ἰησοῦ τὴν ἀνάστασιν τῶν νεκρῶν. Οὕτως ἰσχυρὰ ἐγένετο ἡ ἀνάστασις, ὡς καὶ ἑτέροις αὐτὸν αἴτιον γενέσθαι ἀναστάσεως. Καὶ ἐπέβαλον αὐτοῖς τὰς χεῖρας, καὶ ἔθεντο αὐτοὺς εἰς τήρησιν εἰς τὴν αὔριον· ἦν γὰρ ἑσπέρα ἤδη. Ὢ τῆς ἀναισχυντίας! ἔτι τῶν προτέρων αἱμάτων γεμούσας τὰς χεῖρας εἶχον, καὶ οὐκ ἐνάρκων, ἀλλ' ἐπέβαλλον πάλιν αὐτὰς ἑτέροις αἵμασιν ὥστε πληρῶσαι· ἢ τάχα καὶ ἔδεισαν πλῆθος αὐτοὺς ἤδη γεγονότας, καὶ διὰ τοῦτο αὐτοῖς ὁ στρατηγὸς συνεπέστη. Ἦν γὰρ, φησὶν, ἑσπέρα ἤδη. Ἐκεῖνοι μὲν οὖν βουλόμενοι αὐτοὺς μαλάξαι, τοῦτο ἐποίουν καὶ ἐφύλαττον· τοὺς δὲ ἀποστόλους τολμηροτέρους