John Chrysostom, On the Acts of the Apostles

to define the number, and to ordain, and what was needed in such a matter, was their own part; but to choose the men they permit to them, that they might not seem to be showing favoritism; since God also permits Moses to choose elders, whom he knows. For much wisdom is needed in such administrations. For do not suppose, because the Word has not been entrusted to him, that such a one has no need of wisdom; for he has need, and of much. But we, he says, will give ourselves continually to prayer and to the ministry of the word. And beginning 60.116 and ending they make their defense. We will give ourselves continually, they say. For so it was necessary, not simply nor as it happened, but to give oneself continually. And the saying, he says, pleased the whole multitude. And this is worthy of their wisdom. All praised what was said; so wise was it. And they chose, he says (again they themselves choose), Stephen, a man full of faith and of the Holy Spirit, 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. From this it is clear that they set them apart from the multitude, and they themselves bring them forward, not the apostles leading them. See how the writer is not superfluous; for he does not say how, but simply, that they were ordained through prayer; for this is ordination. The hand of the man is laid on, but God does it all, and it is His hand that touches the head of the one being ordained, if he is ordained as he ought to be. And the word of God, he says, increased, and the number of the disciples was multiplied. He did not say this simply, but to show how great is the power of almsgiving and of this arrangement. And he is about to relate the events concerning Stephen; which is why he also sets forth their causes first: And many, he says, of the priests were obedient to the faith. For when they saw the ruler and teacher decreeing these things, they then took their experience from the works. And it is worthy of wonder how the multitude was not divided in the choice of the men, how the apostles were not rejected by them. But what rank then these men had, and what ordination they received, it is necessary to learn. Was it that of the deacons? And yet this is not in the Churches, but the administration is of the presbyters; and yet there was as yet no bishop, but only the apostles. Wherefore I think that the name neither of deacons nor of presbyters was clear and manifest; but for the time being they were ordained for this. And they were not simply appointed, but they prayed for power to come upon them. But see, if seven men were needed for this, so great was the flow of money, so great was the multitude of widows. Therefore the prayers were not made simply, but with much leisure; and this, just like the preaching, was thus accomplished; for they accomplished most things by these. Thus spiritual things were chosen, thus also were they sent on journeys, thus was the word entrusted to these men. And he does not say, nor does he praise them, but that to leave the work which was given is not pleasing. Thus they had been taught from Moses not to handle all things themselves. For this reason Paul also, Only, he says, that we should be mindful of the poor. And how they appointed these, learn: They fasted, they continued steadfastly in prayer. This ought to be done now also. And he said not simply spiritual, but full of the Spirit and of wisdom, showing that it required great philosophy to bear the accusations of widows. For what is the benefit, when one does not steal, but wastes everything? Or is rash and easily provoked? And in this respect also Philip was admirable. For concerning him he says: And entering into the house of Philip the evangelist, who was one of the seven, we abode with him. Do you see that nothing is managed in a human way? And the number of the disciples was multiplied in Jerusalem. In Jerusalem the multitude increased. 60.117 The wonderful thing, where Christ was slain, there the preaching increased. And not only were none of the disciples offended, seeing some apostles being scourged, others threatening, others tempting the Spirit, and others murmuring; but rather there were even added of the

μὲν ὁρίσαι τὸν ἀριθμὸν, καὶ χειροτονῆσαι, καὶ τὸ ἐν χρείᾳ τοιαύτῃ, αὐτῶν ἦν· τὸ δὲ ἑλέσθαι τοὺς ἄνδρας ἐκείνοις ἐπιτρέπουσιν, ἵνα μὴ δόξωσιν αὐτοὶ χαρίζεσθαι· ἐπεὶ καὶ ὁ Θεὸς Μωσῇ ἐπιτρέπει ἑλέσθαι πρεσβυτέρους, οὓς οἶδε. Καὶ γὰρ σοφίας πολλῆς δεῖ ἐν ταῖς τοιαύταις οἰκονομίαις. Μὴ γὰρ δὴ νομίσητε, ἐπειδὴ λόγον οὐκ ἐγκεχείρισται, ὅτι οὐ χρείαν ἔχει σοφίας ὁ τοιοῦτος· χρῄζει γὰρ, καὶ πολλῆς. Ἡμεῖς δὲ, φησὶ, τῇ προσευχῇ καὶ τῇ διακονίᾳ τοῦ λόγου προσκαρτερήσομεν. Καὶ ἀρχό 60.116 μενοι καὶ τελευτῶντες ἀπολογοῦνται. Προσκαρτερήσομεν, φασίν. Οὕτω γὰρ ἔδει, οὐχ ἁπλῶς οὐδ' ὡς ἔτυχεν, ἀλλὰ προσκαρτερεῖν. Καὶ ἤρεσε, φησὶν, ὁ λόγος ἐνώπιον παντὸς τοῦ πλήθους. Καὶ τοῦτο τῆς αὐτῶν σοφίας ἄξιον. Πάντες ἐπῄνεσαν τὸ λεχθέν· οὕτως ἦν συνετόν. Καὶ ἐξελέξαντο, φησὶ (πάλιν αὐτοὶ ἐκλέγονται), Στέφανον, ἄνδρα πλήρη πίστεως καὶ Πνεύματος ἁγίου, 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. Ἐκ τούτου δῆλον, ὅτι ἀφώρισαν αὐτοὺς τοῦ πλήθους, καὶ αὐτοὶ ἕλκουσιν, οὐχ οἱ ἀπόστολοι ἄγουσιν. Ὅρα, πῶς οὐκ ἔστι περιττὸς ὁ συγγραφεύς· οὐ γὰρ λέγει πῶς, ἀλλ' ἁπλῶς, ὅτι ἐχειροτονήθησαν διὰ προσευχῆς· τοῦτο γὰρ ἡ χειροτονία ἐστίν. Ἡ χεὶρ ἐπίκειται τοῦ ἀνδρὸς, τὸ δὲ πᾶν ὁ Θεὸς ἐργάζεται, καὶ ἡ αὐτοῦ χείρ ἐστιν ἡ ἁπτομένη τῆς κεφαλῆς τοῦ χειροτονουμένου, ἐὰν ὡς δεῖ χειροτονῆται. Καὶ ὁ λόγος, φησὶ, τοῦ Θεοῦ ηὔξανε, καὶ ἐπληθύνετο ὁ ἀριθμὸς τῶν μαθητῶν. Οὐχ ἁπλῶς εἶπε τοῦτο, ἀλλ' ἵνα δείξῃ, ὅση τῆς ἐλεημοσύνης ἡ ἰσχὺς καὶ τῆς διατάξεως. Καὶ μέλλει λοιπὸν διηγεῖσθαι τὰ κατὰ Στέφανον· διὸ καὶ τὰς αἰτίας αὐτῶν προτίθησι· Καὶ πολλοὶ, φησὶ, τῶν ἱερέων ὑπήκουον τῇ πίστει. Ἐπειδὴ γὰρ εἶδον τὸν ἄρχοντα καὶ διδάσκαλον ταῦτα ἀποφηνάμενον, ἀπὸ τῶν ἔργων λοιπὸν τὴν πεῖραν ἐλάμβανον. Καὶ θαυμάσαι ἄξιον, πῶς οὐκ ἐσχίσθη τὸ πλῆθος ἐν τῇ αἱρέσει τῶν ἀνδρῶν, πῶς οὐκ ἀπεδοκιμάσθησαν ὑπ' αὐτῶν οἱ ἀπόστολοι. Ὁποῖον δὲ ἄρα ἀξίωμα εἶχον οὗτοι, καὶ ποίαν ἐδέξαντο χειροτονίαν, ἀναγκαῖον μαθεῖν. Ἆρα τὴν τῶν διακόνων; Καὶ μὴν τοῦτο ἐν ταῖς Ἐκκλησίαις οὐκ ἔστιν, ἀλλὰ τῶν πρεσβυτέρων ἐστὶν ἡ οἰκονομία· καίτοι οὐδέπω οὐδεὶς ἐπίσκοπος ἦν, ἀλλ' οἱ ἀπόστολοι μόνον. Ὅθεν οὔτε διακόνων, οὔτε πρεσβυτέρων οἶμαι τὸ ὄνομα εἶναι δῆλον καὶ φανερόν· ἀλλὰ τέως εἰς τοῦτο ἐχειροτονήθησαν. Καὶ οὐχ ἁπλῶς ἐνεχειρίσθησαν, ἀλλ' ἐπεύξαντο αὐτοῖς γενέσθαι δύναμιν. Ὅρα δέ μοι, εἰ ἑπτὰ ἀνδρῶν ἐδέησεν εἰς τοῦτο, τοσαῦτα ἴσως ἐπέῤῥει χρήματα, τοσούτων χηρῶν πλῆθος ἦν. Ἄρα οὐχ ἁπλῶς αἱ εὐχαὶ ἐγίνοντο, ἀλλὰ μετὰ πολλῆς τῆς σχολῆς· καὶ τοῦτο, ὥσπερ τὸ κήρυγμα, οὕτως ἠνύετο· τὰ γὰρ πλείω ταύταις ἤνυον. Οὕτω τὰ πνευματικὰ ἐπελέγοντο, οὕτω καὶ πρὸς ἀποδημίας ἐστέλλοντο, οὕτως ἐνεχειρίσθησαν οὗτοι τὸν λόγον. Καὶ οὐ λέγει, οὐδὲ ἐπαίρει αὐτοὺς, ἀλλ' ὅτι τὸ δοθὲν ἀφεῖναι ἔργον, οὐκ ἀρεστόν. Οὕτως ἦσαν ἀπὸ Μωσέως παιδευθέντες μὴ πάντα αὐτοὶ μεταχειρίζειν. ∆ιὰ τοῦτο καὶ ὁ Παῦλος, Μόνον τῶν πτωχῶν, φησὶν, ἵνα μνημονεύωμεν. Πῶς δὲ καὶ προῆγον τούτους, μάνθανε· Ἐνήστευον, προσεκαρτέρουν εὐχῇ. Τοῦτο καὶ νῦν γίνεσθαι ἔδει. Οὐχ ἁπλῶς δὲ πνευματικοὺς, ἀλλὰ Πνεύματος πλήρεις καὶ σοφίας εἶπε, δηλῶν, ὅτι μεγάλης φιλοσοφίας ἦν φέρειν κατηγορίας χηρῶν. Τί γὰρ ὄφελος, ὅταν μὴ κλέπτῃ μὲν, ἀπολλύῃ δὲ πάντα; ἢ θρασὺς ᾖ καὶ παροξύνηται; Καὶ ταύτῃ δὲ θαυμαστὸς ἦν ὁ Φίλιππος. Περὶ γὰρ αὐτοῦ φησι· Καὶ εἰσελθόντες εἰς τὸν οἶκον Φιλίππου τοῦ εὐαγγελιστοῦ, ὄντος ἐκ τῶν ἑπτὰ, ἐμείναμεν παρ' αὐτῷ. Ὁρᾷς οὐδὲν ἀνθρωπίνως διοικούμενον; Καὶ ἐπληθύνετο ὁ ἀριθμὸς τῶν μαθητῶν ἐν Ἱερουσαλήμ. Ἐν Ἱεροσολύμοις ἐπεδί 60.117 δου τὸ πλῆθος. Τὸ θαυμαστὸν, ἔνθα ἐσφάγη ὁ Χριστὸς, ἐκεῖ ηὔξετο τὸ κήρυγμα. Καὶ οὐ μόνον οὐκ ἐσκανδαλίσθησάν τινες τῶν μαθητῶν, ὁρῶντες τοὺς μὲν ἀποστόλους μαστιζομένους, τοὺς δὲ ἀπειλοῦντας, ἄλλους τὸ Πνεῦμα πειράζοντας, ἑτέρους δὲ γογγύζοντας· ἀλλὰ μάλιστα καὶ προσετίθετο τῶν