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and in their homes they did not cease teaching and preaching Jesus Christ. Now in those days, when the disciples were increasing in number, there arose a murmuring of the Hellenists against the Hebrews, because their widows were being neglected in the daily ministration. He does not mean in those very days; but since such is the custom in Scripture, and it speaks of things that are about to happen as if they happened in sequence, for this reason he spoke thus. I think he calls Hellenists those who speak Greek; for these, though Hebrews, spoke Greek. Behold, another temptation; or rather, if you wish to consider it, you will see that from the beginning the wars were both from within and from without. Then the twelve, it says, called the multitude of the disciples to them, and said, It is not right that we should leave the word of God and serve tables. Rightly; for of necessary things, the more necessary are to be preferred. But see how they at once make provision for these things, and do not neglect the preaching. But as those were more venerable, they are therefore preferred. Therefore, brethren, look among you for seven men of good repute, full of the Spirit and of wisdom, whom we will appoint over this business. But we will give ourselves continually to prayer and to the ministry of the word. And the saying pleased the whole multitude. And they chose Stephen, a man full of faith and of the Holy Spirit. Therefore those also whom they chose were full of faith, so that the same things might not happen as in the case of Judas, as in the case of Ananias and Sapphira. And Philip, and Prochorus, and Nicanor, and Timon, and Parmenas, and Nicolaus a proselyte of Antioch, whom they set before the apostles, and when they had prayed, they laid their hands on them. And the word of the Lord increased, and the number of the disciples in Jerusalem multiplied greatly; and a great crowd of the priests became obedient to the faith. But let us look at what was said above. Men, take heed to yourselves. Observe for me Gamaliel here, how he speaks with reasonableness and relates a few things to them, and does not tell old stories, although he had them, but more recent ones, which were especially strong for belief. Wherefore he also hints covertly, saying, For before these 60.114 days; all but declaring, as it were, that it was not long ago. For if he had said at once, Let the men go, he himself would have seemed suspect, and his word would not have been so strong; but with the examples it gained its proper strength. For this reason he mentions not one, but also a second, although he could have spoken of a third, showing out of abundance that he himself spoke well, and leading them away from their murderous intent. Refrain from these men. 2. See how gentle his character is. And he makes his speech not long, but concise; nor does he mention those men with anger. and all who obeyed him were scattered. Saying this, he blasphemes Christ in no way, but rather achieves what he most desires. If it is, he says, of men, it will be overthrown. Here it seems to me that he is reasoning with them, and saying: Therefore, since it was not overthrown, it is not of man. lest you even be found fighters against God. He said this, checking them with what was impossible and inexpedient. But if it is of God, you will not be able to. He did not say, If Christ is God; for the work itself showed this; nor did he declare that it is not of man, nor that it is divine, but he entrusted the persuasion to the future time, so as to convince. And if he convinced them, for what reason, he says, did they scourge them? They could not look upon the indisputable justification; nevertheless, they fulfilled their own anger; and otherwise they expected to frighten them by this again. And by saying these things when they were not present, he won them over the more; and the sweetness of his words, and the justice of what was said, persuaded them. For he all but preached the Gospel himself; or rather, he addresses them, reasoning in this manner: You were convinced that you were not able to overthrow it. Why did you not believe? So great is the preaching, that the testimony comes even from enemies. There four hundred rose up, and after this a considerable crowd; here the first were twelve. Let not, therefore, the multitude that has been added frighten you.

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καὶ κατ' οἶκον οὐκ ἐπαύοντο διδάσκοντες καὶ εὐαγγελιζόμενοι Ἰησοῦν Χριστόν. Ἐν δὲ ταῖς ἡμέραις ταύταις πληθυνόντων τῶν μαθητῶν, ἐγένετο γογγυσμὸς τῶν Ἑλληνιστῶν πρὸς τοὺς Ἑβραίους, ὅτι παρεθεωροῦντο ἐν τῇ διακονίᾳ τῇ καθημερινῇ αἱ χῆραι αὐτῶν. Οὐκ ἐν ἐκείναις πάντως λέγει ταῖς ἡμέραις· ἀλλ' ἐπεὶ συνήθεια τοιαύτη ἐστὶ τῇ Γραφῇ, καὶ τὰ μέλλοντα συμβαίνειν ὡς ἐφεξῆς γινόμενα λέγει, διὰ τοῦτο οὕτως εἶπεν. Ἑλληνιστὰς δὲ οἶμαι καλεῖν, τοὺς Ἑλληνιστὶ φθεγγομένους· οὗτοι γὰρ Ἑλληνιστὶ διελέγοντο Ἑβραῖοι ὄντες. Ἰδοὺ καὶ ἄλλος πειρασμός· μᾶλλον δὲ καὶ σὺ, εἰ βούλει σκοπεῖν, ὄψει καὶ ἔσωθεν καὶ ἔξωθεν τοὺς πολέμους ὄντας ἐξ ἀρχῆς. Προσκαλεσάμενοι δὲ, φησὶ, οἱ δώδεκα τὸ πλῆθος τῶν μαθητῶν, εἶπον· Οὐκ ἀρεστόν ἐστι καταλιπόντας ἡμᾶς τὸν λόγον τοῦ Θεοῦ, διακονεῖν τραπέζαις. Καλῶς· τῶν γὰρ ἀναγκαίων τὰ ἀναγκαιότερα προτιμότερα. Ὅρα δὲ, πῶς εὐθέως καὶ τούτων πρόνοιαν ποιοῦνται, καὶ τοῦ κηρύγματος οὐκ ἀμελοῦσιν. Ὡς αἰδεσιμώτεροι δὲ ἐκεῖνοι ἦσαν, διὸ καὶ προκρίνονται. Ἐπισκέψασθε οὖν, ἀδελφοὶ, ἄνδρας ἐξ ὑμῶν μαρτυρουμένους ἑπτὰ, πλήρεις Πνεύματος καὶ σοφίας, οὓς καταστήσομεν ἐπὶ τῆς χρείας ταύτης. Ἡμεῖς δὲ τῇ προσευχῇ καὶ τῇ διακονίᾳ τοῦ λόγου προσκαρτερήσομεν. Καὶ ἤρεσεν ὁ λόγος ἐνώπιον παντὸς τοῦ πλήθους. Καὶ ἐξελέξαντο Στέφανον ἄνδρα πλήρη πίστεως καὶ Πνεύματος ἁγίου. Ἄρα καὶ ἐκεῖνοι πλήρεις πίστεως ἦσαν, οὓς καὶ ἐξελέξαντο, ἵνα μὴ τὰ αὐτὰ γένηται, οἷα ἐπὶ Ἰούδα, οἷα ἐπὶ Ἀνανίου καὶ Σαπφείρας. Καὶ Φίλιππον, καὶ Πρόχορον καὶ Νικάνορα, καὶ Τίμωνα, καὶ Παρμενᾶν, καὶ Νικόλαον προσήλυτον Ἀντιοχέα, οὓς ἔστησαν ἐνώπιον τῶν ἀποστόλων, καὶ προσευξάμενοι, ἐπέθηκαν αὐτοῖς τὰς χεῖρας. Καὶ ὁ λόγος τοῦ Κυρίου ηὔξανε, καὶ ἐπληθύνετο ὁ ἀριθμὸς τῶν μαθητῶν ἐν Ἱερουσαλὴμ σφόδρα· πολύς τε ὄχλος τῶν ἱερέων ὑπήκουε τῇ πίστει. Ἀλλ' ἴδωμεν ἄνωθεν τὰ εἰρημένα. Ἄνδρες, προσέχετε ἑαυτοῖς. Ὅρα δή μοι τὸν Γαμαλιῆλον ἐνταῦθα πῶς μετ' ἐπιεικείας διαλέγεται καὶ βραχέα διέξεισι πρὸς αὐτοὺς, καὶ οὐ λέγει παλαιὰ διηγήματα, καίτοι γε ἔχων, ἀλλὰ νεώτερα, ἃ μάλιστα πρὸς πίστιν ἦσαν ἰσχυρά. ∆ιὸ καὶ μετ' ἐπικρύψεως αἰνίττεται λέγων· Πρὸ γὰρ τούτων 60.114 τῶν ἡμερῶν· μονονουχὶ δηλῶν, ὡς οὐ πρὸ πολλῶν. Εἰ μὲν οὖν εὐθέως εἶπεν, Ἄφετε τοὺς ἄνδρας, καὶ αὐτὸς ἔδοξεν ὕποπτος ἂν, καὶ ὁ λόγος οὕτως οὐκ ἦν ἰσχυρός· μετὰ δὲ τῶν παραδειγμάτων τὴν οἰκείαν ἰσχὺν ἐλάμβανε. ∆ιὰ τοῦτο οὐδὲ ἑνὸς μέμνηται, ἀλλὰ καὶ δευτέρου, καίτοι εἶχεν εἰπεῖν καὶ τρίτον, ἐκ περιουσίας καὶ ἑαυτὸν καλῶς λέγοντα δεικνὺς, κἀκείνους ἀπάγων τῆς φονικῆς προαιρέσεως. Ἀπόστητε ἀπὸ τῶν ἀνθρώπων. βʹ. Ὅρα, πῶς τὸ ἦθος ἐπιεικής. Καὶ οὔτε μακρὸν τὸν λόγον, ἀλλὰ σύντομον ποιεῖ· οὔτε ἐκείνων μετὰ θυμοῦ μέμνηται. Καὶ πάντες ὅσοι ἐπείθοντο αὐτῷ, διεσκορπίσθησαν. Τοῦτο λέγων, οὐδὲν εἰς Χριστὸν βλασφημεῖ, ἀλλ' ὃ βούλεται μάλιστα, κατορθοῖ. Ἐὰν ᾖ, φησὶν, ἐξ ἀνθρώπων, καταλυθήσεται. Ἐνταῦθα καὶ συλλογίζεσθαί μοι αὐτοὺς δοκεῖ, καὶ λέγειν· Οὐκοῦν ἐπεὶ οὐ κατελύθη, οὐκ ἔστιν ἀνθρώπινον. Μήποτε καὶ Θεομάχοι εὑρεθῆτε. Τοῦτο εἶπε, τῷ ἀδυνάτῳ καὶ ἀσυμφόρῳ καταστέλλων αὐτούς. Εἰ δὲ ἐκ Θεοῦ ἐστιν, οὐ δυνήσεσθε. Οὐκ εἶπεν, Ἐὰν ᾖ Θεὸς ὁ Χριστός· τὸ γὰρ ἔργον τοῦτο ἐδήλου· οὐδ' ἀπεφήνατο, ὅτι οὐκ ἀνθρώπινόν ἐστιν, οὔτε ὅτι θεῖον, ἀλλὰ τῷ μέλλοντι καιρῷ τὴν πίστιν ἐπέτρεψεν, ὥστε πεῖσαι. Καὶ εἰ ἔπεισε, τίνος ἕνεκεν, φησὶν, ἐμάστιξαν; Τῇ μὲν ἀναμφισβητήτῳ δικαιολογίᾳ ἀντιβλέψαι οὐκ εἶχον· ὅμως δὲ τὸν θυμὸν ἐπλήρουν τὸν οἰκεῖον· ἄλλως δὲ καὶ πάλιν ταύτῃ φοβήσειν προσεδόκησαν. Καὶ τῷ μὴ παρόντων δὲ αὐτῶν ταῦτα λέγειν, ἐπεσπάσατο μᾶλλον αὐτούς· καὶ ἡ γλυκύτης δὲ τῶν λόγων, καὶ τὸ δίκαιον τῶν λεγομένων ἔπειθε. Μόνον γὰρ οὐχὶ ἐκήρυττε καὶ οὗτος τὸ Εὐαγγέλιον· μᾶλλον δὲ μονονουχὶ τοιαῦτα δικαιολογούμενος πρὸς αὐτοὺς ἀποτείνεται· Ἐπείσθητε, ὅτι οὐκ ἰσχύσατε καταλῦσαι. ∆ιὰ τί οὐκ ἐπιστεύσατε; Οὕτω μέγα τὸ κήρυγμα, ὅτι καὶ παρὰ τῶν ἐχθρῶν ἡ μαρτυρία. Ἐκεῖ τετρακόσιοι ἀνέστησαν, καὶ μετὰ τοῦτο ἱκανὸς ὄχλος· ὧδε δώδεκα ἦσαν οἱ πρῶτοι. Μὴ οὖν ὑμᾶς πτοείτω τὸ πλῆθος τὸ προσγενόμενον.