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Their extreme boldness astonished them. For not only in their words did they show that they were unconcerned while being judged about such things, and with the ultimate danger hanging over them, but also in their bearing, and in their voice, and in their gaze, and in simply everything, they displayed boldness before the people, from the things they uttered. And they marveled perhaps, because they were both unlettered men and common persons; since it is possible for someone to be unlettered, but not also a common person; or a common person, but not unlettered. Here it shows that the two came together. Perceiving, it says. From where? From what they were saying. He does not draw out long speeches, but even from the delivery itself and the composition he makes the boldness clear; so that they would have attacked them, if the man had not been with them. And they recognized them, it says, that they had been with Jesus. Which made them believe that they knew these things from him, and that as his disciples they did everything. But no less than their voice, the wonder and the sign uttered a voice; which indeed especially stopped their mouths. Whether it is right, he says, in the sight of God to listen to you rather than to God, you judge. When the fear was rather cut away (for to command them was nothing other than to be released), then they speak more gently; so far were they from rashness. That a notable sign has been done, We cannot deny. So they would have denied it, if it were not for this, if there were not the testimony of the many. And yet it was manifest to all. But such is wickedness, audacious and reckless. Let us threaten them with a threat. What are you saying? Do you expect to stop the preaching with a threat? Thus everywhere beginnings are hard and difficult. You killed the teacher, and you did not stop it; 60.90 and now, if you threaten, do you expect to make us desist? The bond did not persuade us to speak submissively, and you will persuade us? Indeed, we who consider you and your threats as nothing. Whether it is right, it says, in the sight of God, to listen to you rather than to God. Here they say "of God" instead of "of Christ." Do you see how what he said to them has now come to pass: Behold, I send you out as sheep in the midst of wolves; do not fear them. 4. Then again they confirm the resurrection by what they add, saying: We cannot but speak of what we have seen and heard. So we are trustworthy witnesses, but you, by adding threats, are threatening again in vain. It was necessary, therefore, for them to change their minds about the things for which the people were glorifying God, but they even threaten to kill them; so they were fighters against God. But they, after threatening them further, released them. From this they became more conspicuous and more illustrious. For My strength, it says, is made perfect in weakness. These men have already testified, having arrayed themselves against everything. What is this, We cannot but speak of what we have seen and heard? If what we say is false, it says, refute it; but if true, why do you hinder it? Such is philosophy. They were in perplexity, these in gladness; they were full of much shame, these were doing all things with boldness; they were in fear, these in confidence. For who were the ones who were afraid, tell me? Those who said, "So that it may not spread further among the people," or those who said, "We cannot but speak of what we have seen and heard"? And these were in pleasure, and in boldness, and in a gladness greater than all; those were in despondency, in shame, in fear; for they feared the people. These men uttered what they wanted; those did not do what they wanted. Who were in bonds and in dangers? Was it not especially these men. Let us therefore cling to virtue; let not what is said be for mere enjoyment, nor for some comfort. This is not a theater, beloved, of cithara players or of tragedians, where the fruit is only for enjoyment, and when the day has passed, the enjoyment is gone. And would that it were enjoyment only, and not also harm with the enjoyment; but nevertheless each one goes away from there to his home, as if having been smeared with much of the filth from there; and the young man, having taken some of the tunes of satanic songs, as many as he was able to store in his memory, sings them continually in his house; but the older man, being more dignified, does not do this, but remembers all of the words spoken there. From here having nothing

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ἐξέπληττεν αὐτοὺς ἡ σφόδρα παῤῥησία. Οὐ γὰρ τοῖς ῥήμασι μόνον ἐδείκνυντο ἀφροντιστοῦντες περὶ τοιούτων κρινόμενοι, καὶ ὑπὲρ τῶν ἐσχάτων ἐπηρτημένου τοῦ κινδύνου, ἀλλὰ καὶ τῷ σχήματι, καὶ τῇ φωνῇ, καὶ τῷ βλέμματι, καὶ πᾶσιν ἁπλῶς τὴν παῤῥησίαν ἐνέφαινον ἐπὶ τοῦ λαοῦ, ἐξ ὧν ἐφθέγγοντο. Ἐθαύμαζον δὲ ἴσως, ὅτι ἄνθρωποι καὶ ἀγράμματοί εἰσι καὶ ἰδιῶται· ἐπειδὴ ἔνι ἀγράμματόν τινα εἶναι, μὴ μέντοι καὶ ἰδιώτην· ἢ ἰδιώτην μὲν, οὐκ ἀγράμματον δέ. ∆είκνυσιν ἐνταῦθα, ὅτι τὰ δύο συνῆλθε. Καταλαβόμενοι, φησί. Πόθεν; Ἀφ' ὧν ἔλεγον. Οὐ μακροὺς κατατείνει λόγους, ἀλλὰ καὶ ἀπ' αὐτῆς τῆς ἀπαγγελίας καὶ τῆς συνθήκης τὴν παῤῥησίαν δηλοῖ· ὥστε ἐπέσκηψαν ἂν αὐτοῖς, εἰ μὴ σὺν αὐτοῖς ἦν ὁ ἄνθρωπος. Ἐπεγίνωσκόν τε αὐτοὺς, φησὶν, ὅτι σὺν τῷ Ἰησοῦ ἦσαν. Ὅπερ αὐτοὺς ἐποίει πιστεῦσαι, ὅτι παρ' ἐκείνου ταῦτα ᾔδεσαν, καὶ ὡς ἐκείνου μαθηταὶ πάντα ἔπραττον. Οὐχ ἧττον δὲ τῆς τούτων φωνῆς ἠφίει φωνὴν τὸ θαῦμα καὶ τὸ σημεῖον· ὃ δὴ καὶ μάλιστα ἐνέφραξεν αὐτῶν τὰ στόματα. Εἰ δίκαιόν ἐστι, φησὶν, ἐνώπιον τοῦ Θεοῦ ὑμῶν ἀκούειν μᾶλλον ἢ τοῦ Θεοῦ, κρίνατε. Ὅτε ὁ φόβος ὑπετμήθη μᾶλλον (τὸ γὰρ παραγγεῖλαι οὐδὲν ἦν ἕτερον ἢ ἀπολυθῆναι), τότε καὶ ἐπιεικέστερον φθέγγονται· οὕτω μακρὰν θράσους ἦσαν. Ὅτι γνωστὸν σημεῖον γέγονεν, Οὐ δυνάμεθα ἀρνήσασθαι. Ὥστε ἠρνήσαντο ἂν, εἰ μὴ τοῦτο ἦν, εἰ μὴ ἡ τῶν πολλῶν μαρτυρία ἦν. Καὶ μὴν πᾶσι κατάδηλον ἦν. Ἀλλὰ τοιοῦτον ἡ κακία, θρασὺ καὶ ἰταμόν. Ἀπειλῇ ἀπειλησώμεθα. Τί λέγεις; ἀπειλῇ προσδοκᾶτε στήσειν τὸ κήρυγμα; Οὕτω πανταχοῦ αἱ ἀρχαὶ χαλεπαί τε καὶ δύσκολοι. Τὸν διδάσκαλον ἀνείλετε, καὶ οὐκ ἐστήσατε· 60.90 καὶ νῦν, ἂν ἀπειλήσητε, προσδοκᾶτε ἀποστήσειν ἡμᾶς· Ὁ δεσμὸς οὐκ ἔπεισεν ὑφειμένως διαλεχθῆναι, καὶ ὑμεῖς πείσετε; Πάνυ γε, τοὺς οὐδὲν ὑμᾶς ἡγουμένους καὶ ἀπειλοῦντας. Εἰ δίκαιόν ἐστι, φησὶν, ἐνώπιον τοῦ Θεοῦ, ὑμῶν μᾶλλον ἀκούειν ἢ τοῦ Θεοῦ. Ἐνταῦθα τοῦ Θεοῦ φασιν ἀντὶ τοῦ Χριστοῦ. Εἶδες, πῶς νῦν ἐξέβη ὃ εἶπεν αὐτοῖς· Ἰδοὺ ἐγὼ ἀποστέλλω ὑμᾶς ὡς πρόβατα ἐν μέσῳ λύκων· μὴ φοβηθῆτε αὐτούς. δʹ. Εἶτα πάλιν τὴν ἀνάστασιν βεβαιοῦσι δι' ὧν ἐπάγουσι λέγοντες· Ἡμεῖς οὐ δυνάμεθα μὴ λαλεῖν ἃ εἴδομεν καὶ ἠκούσαμεν. Ὥστε ἡμεῖς μὲν ἀξιόπιστοί ἐσμεν μάρτυρες, ὑμεῖς δὲ προσαπειλοῦντες, εἰκῆ πάλιν ἀπειλεῖτε. ∆έον οὖν μεταβάλλεσθαι ἐφ' οἷς ὁ λαὸς ἐδόξαζε τὸν Θεὸν, οἱ δὲ καὶ ἀνελεῖν ἀπειλοῦσιν· οὕτω θεομάχοι ἦσαν. Οἱ δὲ προσαπειλησάμενοι ἀπέλυσαν αὐτούς. Ἐντεῦθεν περιφανέστεροι καὶ λαμπρότεροι ἐγένοντο. Ἡ γὰρ δύναμίς μου, φησὶν, ἐν ἀσθενείᾳ τελειοῦται. Ἤδη ἐμαρτύρησαν οὗτοι πρὸς πάντα παραταξάμενοι. Τί ἐστιν, Ἡμεῖς οὐ δυνάμεθα, ἃ εἴδομεν καὶ ἠκούσαμεν, μὴ λαλεῖν; Εἰ ψευδῆ, φησὶν, ἃ λέγομεν, ἐπιλαβοῦ· εἰ δὲ ἀληθῆ, τί κωλύεις; Τοιοῦτον ἡ φιλοσοφία. Ἐκεῖνοι ἐν ἀπορίᾳ, οὗτοι ἐν εὐφροσύνῃ· ἐκεῖνοι πολλῆς γέμοντες αἰσχύνης, οὗτοι μετὰ παῤῥησίας πάντα πράττοντες· ἐκεῖνοι ἐν τῷ δεδοικέναι, οὗτοι ἐν τῷ θαῤῥεῖν. Τίνες γὰρ ἦσαν, εἰπέ μοι, οἱ φοβούμενοι; οἱ λέγοντες, Ἵνα μὴ ἐπὶ πλέον διανεμηθῇ εἰς τὸν λαὸν, ἢ οἱ λέγοντες, Οὐ δυνάμεθα, ἃ εἴδομεν καὶ ἠκούσαμεν, μὴ λαλεῖν; Καὶ ἐν ἡδονῇ, καὶ ἐν παῤῥησίᾳ, καὶ ἐν εὐφροσύνῃ μείζονι πάντων οὗτοι· ἐκεῖνοι ἐν ἀθυμίᾳ, ἐν αἰσχύνῃ, ἐν φόβῳ· τὸν γὰρ λαὸν ἐδεδοίκεσαν. Ἃ ἐβούλοντο, ἐφθέγξαντο οὗτοι· ἐκεῖνοι, ἃ ἐβούλοντο, οὐκ ἐποίησαν. Τίνες ἦσαν ἐν δεσμοῖς καὶ ἐν κινδύνοις; οὐχὶ οὗτοι μάλιστα. Ἐχώμεθα τοίνυν τῆς ἀρετῆς· μὴ μέχρι τέρψεως τὰ λεγόμενα ἔστω, μηδὲ μέχρι παραμυθίας τινός. Οὐκ ἔστι τὸ θέατρον τοῦτο, ἀγαπητὲ, κιθαρῳδῶν οὐδὲ τραγῳδῶν, ἔνθα μέχρι τῆς τέρψεως ὁ καρπὸς, καὶ τῆς ἡμέρας παραδραμούσης παρῆλθεν ἡ τέρψις. Καὶ εἴθε ἦν τέρψις μόνη, καὶ μὴ καὶ βλάβη μετὰ τῆς τέρψεως· ἀλλ' ὅμως ἄπεισιν ἐκεῖθεν οἴκαδε ἕκαστος, καθάπερ ἀπό τινος λύμης ἀναμαξάμενος πολλὰ τῶν αὐτόθι· καὶ ὁ μὲν νέος ἀπολαβών τινα τῶν σατανικῶν ᾀσμάτων μέλη, ὅσα ἴσχυσε τῇ μνήμῃ καταθέσθαι, συνεχῶς ἐπὶ τῆς οἰκίας ᾄδει· ὁ δὲ πρεσβύτης, ἅτε δὴ σεμνότερος, τοῦτο μὲν οὐ ποιεῖ, τῶν δὲ ἐκεῖσε λεγομένων ῥημάτων μέμνηται πάντων. Ἐντεῦθεν οὐδὲν ἔχοντες