70

And yet, though other signs had occurred before, there was not such fear. So true is that which is said, The Lord is known by executing judgments. So also it happened in the case of the ark; Uzzah was punished, and fear came upon the others. But there the king, being afraid, put the ark away; here, however, these become more attentive. You see how Peter did not call him, but waited for him to enter; nor did any of the others dare to speak of what had happened. This is fear of a teacher, this is honor of disciples, this is obedience. An interval of three hours. And the woman did not learn of it, nor did any of those present speak of it, although it was a matter likely to be talked about; but they were afraid. This indeed the writer, marveling, says, Not knowing what had happened, she came in. And yet from this it was possible to learn that he knows hidden things. For why, having asked no one, does he ask you? Is it not clear that it is as one who knows? But her great hardness of heart did not allow her to put away the accusation, but she answers with great insolence; for she thought she was speaking to a man. This is the terrible thing, that as from one counsel they came to the sin, or as if from some agreement. How is it that you have agreed together, he says, to test the Holy Spirit? Behold, the feet of those who have buried your husband are at the door, and they will carry you out. First he teaches her her sin, and then shows that she will justly suffer the same things as her husband, since she also sinned the same things. And how, it says, did she immediately fall down at his feet and expire? Because she was standing near. Thus they brought the punishment upon themselves. Who then would not have been astonished? who would not have feared the apostle? who would not have marveled? And they were all with one accord, he says, in Solomon's portico. From this it is clear that it was not in a house, but having taken over the temple they spent their time there; nor indeed did they henceforth guard themselves from touching the unclean, but they simply touched the dead. And see how they are severe with their own people, but do not use their power on outsiders. But more, he says, believers were added to the Lord, multitudes of both men and women, so that they brought the sick out into the streets and laid them on cots and mats, that at least the shadow of Peter passing by might overshadow some of them. 3. Great was the faith of those who came, and greater than in the time of Christ. Whence then did this happen? From Christ's having declared and said: He who believes in Me, the works that I do he will do also; and greater works than these he will do. For while they were remaining there and not going about, everyone brought the sick they had on cots and mats, and from every side the wonder was gathered to them, from those who believed, from those who were healed 60.103 from the one who was punished, from the boldness toward those men, from the virtue of those who had not simply believed; for what happened was not of signs alone. For even if they, being modest, attribute the whole to Him, saying they do these things in the name of Christ, yet the life and virtue of the men also accomplished this. But see how he does not here state the number of those who believed, leaving the hearer to reckon for himself; so much did the things of the faith extend to an infinite multitude. From this the resurrection also was more proclaimed. And no one dared join them, but the people esteemed them highly. He says this, showing that they were no longer contemptible as before; and that in a short time, and in the twinkling of an eye, such great things were done by the fisherman and the unlearned man. The earth then was henceforth a heaven, for the sake of their way of life, and boldness, and miracles, and everything; and like angels so were they marveled at, turning toward nothing, not toward laughter, not toward threats, not toward dangers. And not only for this reason, but because being exceedingly philanthropic and caring, they helped some with money, and others with healing of their bodies. Why has Satan filled your heart? Peter, in a manner, makes a defense, as he is about to punish him, and he instructs the others. For since what was about to happen would seem very grievous, for this reason, both in his case and in the case of the

70

καίτοι δὲ σημείων ἄλλων πρότερον γενομένων, ὅμως οὐκ ἦν φόβος τοιοῦτος. Οὕτως ἀληθές ἐστιν ἐκεῖνο, ὅτι Γινώσκεται Κύριος κρίματα ποιῶν. Οὕτω καὶ ἐπὶ τῆς κιβωτοῦ γέγονεν· Ὀζᾶν ἐτιμωρήθη, καὶ ἐγένετο τοῖς ἄλλοις φόβος. Ἀλλ' ἐκεῖ μὲν φοβηθεὶς ὁ βασιλεὺς ἀπώσατο τὴν κιβωτόν· ἐνταῦθα δὲ οὗτοι μᾶλλον προσεκτικώτεροι γίνονται. Εἶδες, πῶς οὐκ ἐκάλεσε αὐτὸν ὁ Πέτρος, ἀλλ' ἀνέμεινεν ὥστε εἰσελθεῖν· οὐδὲ τῶν ἄλλων τις ἐτόλμησεν ἐξειπεῖν τὸ γεγονός. Τοῦτο φόβος διδασκάλου, τοῦτο τιμὴ μαθητῶν, τοῦτο ὑπακοή. Τριῶν ὡρῶν διάστημα. Καὶ οὐκ ἔμαθεν ἡ γυνὴ, οὐδὲ ἐξεῖπέ τις τῶν παρόντων, καίτοι γε ἱκανὸν ἦν ἐξηχθῆναι· ἀλλ' ἐφοβοῦντο. Τοῦτο γοῦν καὶ θαυμάζων ὁ συγγραφεὺς λέγει, ὅτι Μὴ εἰδυῖα τὸ γεγονὸς, εἰσῆλθε. Καίτοι γε ἀπὸ τούτου ἐνῆν μαθεῖν, ὅτι οἶδε τὰ λανθάνοντα. ∆ιὰ τί γὰρ μηδένα ἐρωτήσας, ὑμᾶς ἐρωτᾷ; Ἢ δῆλον, ὅτι ὡς εἰδώς; Ἀλλ' ἡ πολλὴ πώρωσις οὐκ εἴασεν αὐτὴν τὸ ἔγκλημα ἀποδύσασθαι, ἀλλὰ μετὰ αὐθαδείας πολλῆς ἀποκρίνεται· ἐνόμιζε γὰρ πρὸς ἄνθρωπον διαλέγεσθαι. Τὸ δεινὸν τοῦτο, ὅτι ὡς ἐκ μιᾶς βουλῆς ἐπὶ τὴν ἁμαρτίαν ἦλθον, ἢ ὥσπερ ἀπὸ συνθήκης τινός. Τί ὅτι συνεφωνήθη ὑμῖν, φησὶ, πειρᾶσαι τὸ Πνεῦμα τὸ ἅγιον; Ἰδοὺ οἱ πόδες τῶν θαψάντων τὸν ἄνδρα σου ἐπὶ τὴν θύραν, καὶ ἐξοίσουσί σε. Πρότερον αὐτὴν διδάσκει τὸ ἁμάρτημα, καὶ τότε δείκνυσιν, ὅτι δικαίως τὰ αὐτὰ πείσεται τῷ ἀνδρί· ἐπειδὴ καὶ τὰ αὐτὰ ἥμαρτε. Καὶ πῶς, φησὶ, Παραχρῆμα ἔπεσε παρὰ τοὺς πόδας αὐτοῦ, καὶ ἐξέψυξεν; Ὅτι πλησίον εἱστήκει. Οὕτως αὐτοὶ καθ' ἑαυτῶν τὴν τιμωρίαν ἐπεσπάσαντο. Τίς λοιπὸν οὐκ ἂν ἐξεπλάγη; τίς οὐκ ἂν ἔδεισε τὸν ἀπόστολον; τίς οὐκ ἂν ἐθαύμασε; Καὶ ἦσαν ὁμοθυμαδὸν, φησὶν, ἅπαντες ἐν τῇ στοᾷ Σολομῶντος. Ἐκ τούτου δῆλον, ὅτι οὐκ ἐν οἰκίᾳ, ἀλλὰ τὸ ἱερὸν καταλαβόντες ἐκεῖ διέτριβον· οὔτε μὴν λοιπὸν ἀκαθάρτων ἅπτεσθαι ἐφυλάττοντο, ἀλλ' ἁπλῶς ἥπτοντο τῶν νεκρῶν. Καὶ ὅρα, πῶς ἐν μὲν τοῖς οἰκείοις εἰσὶ σφοδροὶ, ἐν δὲ τοῖς ἀλλοτρίοις οὐ κέχρηνται τῇ δυνάμει. Μᾶλλον δὲ, φησὶ, προσετίθεντο πιστεύοντες τῷ Κυρίῳ πλήθη ἀνδρῶν τε καὶ γυναικῶν· ὥστε κατὰ τὰς πλατείας τιθέναι τοὺς ἀσθενεῖς ἐπὶ κλινῶν καὶ κραββάτων, ἵνα ἐρχομένου Πέτρου κἂν ἡ σκιὰ ἐπισκιάσῃ τινὶ αὐτῶν. γʹ. Πολλὴ τῶν προσιόντων ἡ πίστις, καὶ μείζων ἢ ἐπὶ τοῦ Χριστοῦ. Πόθεν δὴ τοῦτο γέγονεν; Ἀπὸ τοῦ τὸν Χριστὸν ἀποφήνασθαι καὶ εἰπεῖν· Ὁ πιστεύων εἰς ἐμὲ, τὰ ἔργα, ἃ ἐγὼ ποιῶ, ποιήσει, καὶ μείζονα ποιήσει. Μενόντων γὰρ αὐτῶν ἐκεῖ καὶ οὐ περιιόντων, ἔφερον πάντες ἐπὶ τῶν κλινῶν καὶ κραββάτων οὓς εἶχον ἀσθενεῖς, καὶ πάντοθεν αὐτοῖς συνήγετο τὸ θαῦμα, ἀπὸ τῶν πιστευσάντων, ἀπὸ τῶν θεραπευθέν 60.103 των, ἀπὸ τοῦ κολασθέντος, ἀπὸ τῆς παῤῥησίας τῆς πρὸς ἐκείνους, ἀπὸ τῆς ἀρετῆς τῶν οὐχ ἁπλῶς πιστευσάντων· οὐ γὰρ δὴ τῶν σημείων ἦν μόνον τὸ γενόμενον. Εἰ γὰρ καὶ αὐτοὶ μετριάζοντες τούτῳ τὸ πᾶν λογίζονται, λέγοντες ἐν τῷ ὀνόματι τοῦ Χριστοῦ ταῦτα ποιεῖν, ἀλλὰ καὶ ὁ βίος καὶ ἡ ἀρετὴ τῶν ἀνδρῶν τοῦτο πεποίηκε. Σκόπει δὲ, πῶς ἀριθμὸν ἐνταῦθα τῶν πιστευσάντων οὐ λέγει, ἀφεὶς ἐξ ἑαυτοῦ τὸν ἀκροατὴν συλλογίζεσθαι· οὕτως εἰς πλῆθος ἄπειρον ἐπέτεινε τὰ τῆς πίστεως. Ἐντεῦθεν καὶ ἡ ἀνάστασις μᾶλλον ἐκηρύττετο. Οὐδεὶς δὲ αὐτοῖς ἐτόλμα κολλᾶσθαι, ἀλλ' ἐμεγάλυνεν αὐτοὺς ὁ λαός. Τοῦτο λέγει, δεικνὺς, ὅτι οὐκ ἔτι λοιπὸν ἦσαν εὐκαταφρόνητοι καθάπερ καὶ πρότερον· καὶ ὅτι ἐν βραχεῖ καιρῷ, καὶ μιᾷ ῥοπῇ τοσαῦτα γέγονεν ὑπὸ τοῦ ἁλιέως καὶ ἰδιώτου. Οὐρανὸς οὖν λοιπὸν ἦν ἡ γῆ, καὶ πολιτείας, καὶ παῤῥησίας, καὶ θαυμάτων, καὶ πάντων ἕνεκεν· καὶ καθάπερ ἄγγελοι οὕτως ἐθαυμάζοντο, πρὸς οὐδὲν ἐπιστρεφόμενοι, οὐ πρὸς γέλωτα, οὐ πρὸς ἀπειλὰς, οὐ πρὸς κινδύνους. Οὐ μόνον δὲ διὰ τοῦτο, ἀλλ' ὅτι σφόδρα φιλάνθρωποι καὶ κηδεμονικοὶ τυγχάνοντες, τοῖς μὲν χρήμασιν ἐβοήθουν, τοῖς δὲ θεραπείᾳ σωμάτων. ∆ιὰ τί ἐπλήρωσεν ὁ Σατανᾶς τὴν καρδίαν σου; Μονονουχὶ ἀπολογεῖται ὁ Πέτρος μέλλων κολάσειν αὐτὸν, καὶ τοὺς ἄλλους παιδεύει. Ἐπειδὴ γὰρ σφόδρα φορτικὸν ἔμελλε φαίνεσθαι τὸ γενόμενον, διὰ δὴ τοῦτο καὶ ἐπ' αὐτοῦ τούτου καὶ ἐπὶ τῆς