John Chrysostom, On the Acts of the Apostles

the delay of time worked even more. And see, who are being received: the chief of the apostles, having become for the rest an example, so that they no longer seek one another, nor to be in common. But many of those who heard the word believed, and the number of the men became about five thousand. What is this? For did they not see them having success? Did they not see them bound? How then did they believe? Do you see a manifest power? And indeed it was necessary for those who had already believed to become weaker; but they did not; for the public speech of Peter cast the seeds deep, and touched their understanding. But they were angry because of this, that they feared them not at all, that they considered the present dangers as nothing. For if the crucified one, he says, works such things, and raised the lame man, we do not fear even these men. Therefore this also happened by the economy of God. Hence those who now believed became more than the first ones. For which reason, being afraid, they bound the apostles in their sight for this reason, so that they might make them more timid. But the opposite of what they wanted happened. For this reason also they do not examine them in their presence, but in 60.86 private, so that the hearers might not gain from their boldness. And it came to pass on the next day that their rulers and elders and scribes were gathered together in Jerusalem, and Annas the high priest, and Caiaphas, and John, and Alexander, and as many as were of the high-priestly family. Again they come together in the same place. For no longer, with the other evils, were the things of the law observed. And again they put on the matter the form of a court, so that they might be liable to the unjust judgment. And having set them in the midst, they asked, By what power, or in what name, have you done this? And yet they knew; for being troubled, it says, because they proclaimed in Jesus the resurrection. For this reason indeed they also seized them. For what reason then do they ask? Expecting them to deny on account of the multitude, and thinking through this to have accomplished everything. See then also what they say: In what name have you done this? Then Peter, filled with the Holy Spirit, said to them; remember for me now the words of Christ, and how it came to pass what He said; But when they deliver you up to the synagogues, do not be anxious how or what you will speak; for it is the Spirit of your Father that speaks in you. Therefore they received much power. But what he says, hear; Rulers of the people and elders of Israel. See the philosophy of the man, and how, being full of boldness, he utters nothing insolent, but with honor; Rulers of the people, he says, and elders of Israel, if we this day are examined concerning a good deed done to an infirm man, by what means this man has been saved, be it known to all of you, and to all the people of Israel. He very nobly took hold of them from the preface, and tested them; or rather, he even reminded them of former things, that they were judging them for a good deed, as if he said; We ought rather to be crowned for these things, and to be proclaimed as benefactors; but now we are even judged for a good deed to an infirm man, not a rich man, not a powerful man, not a glorious man; and yet who would begrudge this? 2. The promise is full of much gravity. And it is shown from this, that they themselves pierce themselves with evils. That in the name of Jesus Christ of Nazareth. He adds what most grieved them. This then was what Christ said to them; What you have heard in the ear, preach on the housetops. That in the name of Jesus Christ of Nazareth, whom you crucified, whom God raised from the dead, by him this man stands here before you whole. Do not think, he says, that we hide his country or his passion. Whom you crucified, whom God raised from the dead, by him he stands before you whole. Again the passion, again the resurrection. This is the stone which was set at nought by you the builders, which has become the head of the corner. He reminded them also of a word sufficient to frighten them; For he who falls, he says, on this stone, will be broken; but on whomsoever it shall fall,

μᾶλλον εἰργάζετο ἡ ἀναβολὴ τοῦ χρόνου. Καὶ ὅρα, τίνες ἀπολαμβάνονται· οἱ κορυφαῖοι τῶν ἀποστόλων, τοῖς ἄλλοις λοιπὸν ὑπόδειγμα γενόμενοι, ἵνα μηκέτι ζητῶσιν ἀλλήλους, μηδὲ τὸ κοινῇ εἶναι. Πολλοὶ δὲ τῶν ἀκουσάντων τὸν λόγον ἐπίστευσαν, καὶ ἐγενήθη ὁ ἀριθμὸς τῶν ἀνδρῶν ὡσεὶ χιλιάδες πέντε. Τί τοῦτο; μὴ γὰρ εὐδοκιμήσαντας εἶδον; οὐχὶ δεθέντας ἐθεάσαντο; πῶς οὖν ἐπίστευσαν; Ὁρᾷς ἐνέργειαν φανεράν; Καὶ μὴν καὶ τοὺς ἤδη πιστεύσαντας ἔδει ἀσθενεστέρους γενέσθαι· ἀλλ' οὐκ ἐγένοντο· ἡ γὰρ Πέτρου δημηγορία εἰς τὸ βάθος τὰ σπέρματα κατέβαλε, καὶ τῆς διανοίας αὐτῶν ἥψατο. Οἱ δὲ διὰ τοῦτο ὠργίζοντο, ὅτι οὐδὲν αὐτοὺς ἐδεδίεσαν, ὅτι οὐδὲν τὰ παρόντα δεινὰ ἡγοῦντο. Εἰ γὰρ ὁ σταυρωθεὶς, φησὶ, τοιαῦτα ἐργάζεται, καὶ τὸν χωλὸν ἀνέστησεν, οὐ φοβούμεθα οὐδὲ τούτους. Ἄρα καὶ τοῦτο τῆς τοῦ Θεοῦ οἰκονομίας γέγονε. Ἐντεῦθεν πλείους οἱ νῦν πιστεύσαντες τῶν πρώτων ἐγένοντο. Ἐφ' ᾧ καὶ δείσαντες, διὰ τοῦτο αὐτῶν ὁρώντων ἔδησαν τοὺς ἀποστόλους, ἵνα καὶ αὐτοὺς δειλοτέρους ἐργάσωνται. Τὸ ἐναντίον δὲ γέγονεν ἢ ἐκεῖνοι ἐβούλοντο. ∆ιὰ τοῦτο καὶ οὐκ ἐπ' αὐτῶν αὐτοὺς ἐξετάζουσιν, ἀλλὰ κατ' 60.86 ἰδίαν, ἵνα μὴ ἀπὸ τῆς παῤῥησίας οἱ ἀκούοντες κερδάνωσιν. Ἐγένετο δὲ ἐπὶ τὴν αὔριον συναχθῆναι αὐτῶν τοὺς ἄρχοντας καὶ πρεσβυτέρους καὶ γραμματεῖς ἐν Ἱερουσαλὴμ, καὶ Ἄνναν τὸν ἀρχιερέα, καὶ Καϊάφαν, καὶ Ἰωάννην, καὶ Ἀλέξανδρον, καὶ ὅσοι ἐκ γένους ἦσαν ἀρχιερατικοῦ. Πάλιν συνέρχονται ἐπιτοαυτό. Οὐκέτι γὰρ μετὰ τῶν ἄλλων κακῶν τὰ τοῦ νόμου ἐφυλάττετο. Καὶ πάλιν δικαστηρίου σχῆμα τῷ πράγματι περιτιθέασιν, ἵνα ὑπεύθυνοι τῇ ἀδίκῳ γένωνται κρίσει. Καὶ στήσαντες αὐτοὺς ἐν μέσῳ, ἐπυνθάνοντο, Ἐν ποίᾳ δυνάμει, ἢ ἐν ποίῳ ὀνόματι ἐποιήσατε τοῦτο ὑμεῖς; Καὶ μὴν ᾔδεισαν· ∆ιαπονούμενοι γὰρ, φησὶ, διὰ τὸ καταγγέλλειν ἐν τῷ Ἰησοῦ τὴν ἀνάστασιν. ∆ιὰ δὴ τοῦτο καὶ κατέσχον αὐτούς. Τίνος οὖν ἕνεκεν ἐρωτῶσι; Προσδοκῶντες αὐτοὺς διὰ τὸ πλῆθος ἐξάρνους γενήσεσθαι, καὶ τὸ πᾶν διὰ τούτου νομίζοντες κατωρθωκέναι. Ὅρα γοῦν καὶ τί φασιν· Ἐν ποίῳ ὀνόματι ἐποιήσατε τοῦτο ὑμεῖς; Τότε Πέτρος πλησθεὶς Πνεύματος ἁγίου, εἶπε πρὸς αὐτούς· ἀναμνήσθητί μοι νῦν τῶν τοῦ Χριστοῦ λόγων, καὶ πῶς ἐξέβη, ὃ ἔλεγεν· Ὅταν δὲ παραδιδῶσιν ὑμᾶς εἰς συναγωγὰς, μὴ μεριμνήσητε, πῶς ἢ τί λαλήσετε· τὸ γὰρ Πνεῦμα τοῦ Πατρὸς ὑμῶν ἐστι τὸ λαλοῦν ἐν ὑμῖν. Ἄρα ἐνεργείας πολλῆς ἀπέλαβον. Τί δὲ καὶ λέγει, ἄκουσον· Ἄρχοντες τοῦ λαοῦ καὶ πρεσβύτεροι τοῦ Ἰσραήλ. Ὅρα φιλοσοφίαν ἀνδρὸς, καὶ πῶς γέμων παῤῥησίας οὐδὲν ὑβριστικὸν φθέγγεται, ἀλλὰ μετὰ τιμῆς· Ἄρχοντες τοῦ λαοῦ, φησὶ, καὶ πρεσβύτεροι τοῦ Ἰσραὴλ, εἰ ἡμεῖς σήμερον ἀνακρινόμεθα ἐπὶ εὐεργεσίᾳ ἀνθρώπου ἀσθενοῦς, ἐν τίνι οὗτος σέσωσται, γνωστὸν ἔστω πᾶσιν ὑμῖν, καὶ παντὶ τῷ λαῷ Ἰσραήλ. Σφόδρα αὐτῶν γενναίως καθήψατο ἀπὸ τοῦ προοιμίου, καὶ διεκωδώνισε· μᾶλλον δὲ αὐτοὺς καὶ ἀνέμνησε τῶν προτέρων, ὅτι ἐπ' εὐεργεσίᾳ αὐτοὺς κρίνουσιν, ὡσανεὶ ἔλεγε· Μάλιστα μὲν ἐχρῆν στεφανοῦσθαι ἡμᾶς ἐπὶ τούτοις, καὶ ὡς εὐεργέτας ἀνακηρύττεσθαι· νῦν δὲ καὶ κρινόμεθα ἐπὶ εὐεργεσίᾳ ἀνθρώπου ἀσθενοῦς, οὐχὶ πλουσίου, οὐχὶ δυνάστου, οὐχὶ ἐνδόξου· καίτοι ἐν τούτῳ τίς ἂν ἐβάσκηνε; βʹ. Πολλῆς βαρύτητος ἡ ἐπαγγελία γέμει. ∆είκνυται δὲ ἐντεῦθεν, ὅτι αὐτοὶ ἑαυτοὺς περιπείρουσι τοῖς κακοῖς. Ὅτι ἐν τῷ ὀνόματι Ἰησοῦ Χριστοῦ τοῦ Ναζωραίου. Ὃ μάλιστα αὐτοὺς ἐλύπει, προστίθησι. Τοῦτο ἦν ἄρα, ὃ ἔλεγεν αὐτοῖς ὁ Χριστός· Ὃ ἠκούσατε εἰς τὸ οὖς, κηρύξατε ἐπὶ τῶν δωμάτων. Ὅτι ἐν τῷ ὀνόματι Ἰησοῦ Χριστοῦ τοῦ Ναζωραίου, ὃν ὑμεῖς ἐσταυρώσατε, ὃν ὁ Θεὸς ἤγειρεν ἐκ νεκρῶν, ἐν τούτῳ οὗτος παρέστηκεν ἐνώπιον ὑμῶν ὑγιής. Μὴ νομίσητε, φησὶν, ὅτι κρύπτομεν τὴν πατρίδα ἢ τὸ πάθος. Ὃν ὑμεῖς ἐσταυρώσατε, ὃν ὁ Θεὸς ἤγειρεν ἐκ νεκρῶν, ἐν τούτῳ αὐτὸς παρέστηκεν ἐνώπιον ὑμῶν ὑγιής. Πάλιν τὸ πάθος, πάλιν ἡ ἀνάστασις. Αὐτός ἐστιν ὁ λίθος ὁ ἐξουθενωθεὶς ὑφ' ὑμῶν τῶν οἰκοδομούντων, ὁ γενόμενος εἰς κεφαλὴν γωνίας. Ἀνέμνησεν αὐτοὺς καὶ ῥήματος ἱκανοῦ φοβῆσαι· Ὁ πεσὼν γὰρ, φησὶν, ἐπὶ τὸν λίθον τοῦτον, συνθλασθήσεται· ἐφ' ὃν δ' ἂν πέσῃ,