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and so he is afraid, lest he suffer some evil. For this reason, therefore, he also takes others with him, perhaps to cut short his fear; or also since he was going against many, he takes many, so that more boldly, Whomever he should find, both men and women, he might bring them bound to Jerusalem. And besides, on the way he wished to show them all his entire being; so they were not zealous for this. And see him casting into prison even before this. They, therefore, did not have the strength, but he had the strength from his zeal. And as he was journeying, it happened that he drew near to Damascus; and suddenly a light from heaven shone around him, and falling to the ground, he heard a voice saying to him: Saul, Saul, why do you persecute me? 3. Why not in Jerusalem, why did it not happen in Damascus? So that it would not be possible for others to relate it otherwise, but that he himself, who was departing for this reason, might be a credible narrator. This, at least, he says, also when making his defense before Agrippa. He suffers also in his sight, because the excess 60.153 of light is accustomed to strike; for the eyes have measures. And it is said that an excess of sound can make men deaf and paralyzed. But it blinded him alone, and extinguished his anger with fear, so that he might hear what was said. Saul, Saul, he says, why do you persecute me? He does not say to him, Believe, nor anything else of that sort, but he reproaches him. For he is all but saying this, through his reproaches: What wrong, great or small, have you suffered from me, that you do these things? And he said: Who are you, Lord? For the time being he confessed himself a servant. And the Lord said: I am Jesus, whom you are persecuting. As if he were saying: Do not think that your war is against men. But those who were with him heard the voice of Paul, but saw no one to whom he was replying. Naturally; for he made them hearers of the lesser things. For if they had heard that voice, they might have disbelieved; but seeing Paul answering, they marveled. But arise, and enter into the city, and it shall be told to you what you must do. See how he does not immediately reveal everything to him, but only softens his mind beforehand, and through what he commands him to do, he immediately gives him good hopes, and that he will regain his sight. And the men who journeyed with him stood speechless, hearing the voice, but seeing no one. And Saul arose from the earth, and when his eyes were opened, he saw no one. And leading him by the hand, they brought him into Damascus. The spoil of the devil, his instruments, as if from some city or metropolis that had been captured, they bring in. And the wonderful thing is, the very combatants and enemies brought him in, while all were looking on. And he was three days without sight, and neither ate nor drank. What could be equal to this? As a counterbalance to the despondency over Stephen, the conversion of Paul becomes a consolation, having in itself comfort, that he had departed thus, and receiving this as well, and the villages of the Samaritans being brought over, provided the greatest consolation. And why, he says, did this not happen from the beginning, but after these things? So that it might be shown that Christ was truly risen. For he who persecuted him, and disbelieved in his death and resurrection, and persecuted his disciples, from where, tell me, would he have believed, if the power of the crucified one were not great? Granted, they were doing him a favor; what will you say to this one? Moreover, for this reason he came after the resurrection, and not immediately, so that his war might be shown more clearly. For he who was so mad as even to shed blood, and to cast into prisons, suddenly believes. It was not enough not to have been with Christ, but it was also necessary that the faithful be fiercely warred against by him; he left no excess of madness undone; he was more vehement than all. But when he was blinded, then he recognized the proofs of his lordship and his love for mankind; or also so that no one might say that he was pretending. For how could one who desired blood, who went to the priests, who cast himself into dangers, and who persecuted and punished those outside? This man, therefore, after all these things, confesses the lordship. But why not within the city

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καὶ οὕτω φοβεῖται, μή τι πάθῃ κακόν. ∆ιὰ τοῦτο γοῦν καὶ ἄλλους λαμβάνει μεθ' ἑαυτοῦ, τὸν φόβον τάχα ὑποτεμνόμενος· ἢ καὶ ἐπεὶ κατὰ πολλῶν ἀπῄει, πολλοὺς λαμβάνει, ὅπως θαρσαλεώτερον, Οὓς ἂν εὕρῃ ἄνδρας τε καὶ γυναῖκας, δεδεμένους ἀγάγῃ ἐν Ἱερουσαλήμ. Ἄλλως τε καὶ διὰ τῆς ὁδοῦ πᾶσιν αὐτοῖς δεῖξαι ἐβούλετο αὐτοῦ τὸ πᾶν ὄν· οὕτως ἐκεῖνοι οὐκ ἐσπούδαζον τοῦτο. Καὶ ὅρα αὐτὸν εἰς φυλακὴν ἐμβάλλοντα καὶ πρὸ τούτου. Ἐκεῖνοι μὲν οὖν οὐκ ἴσχυσαν, οὗτος δὲ ἴσχυσεν ἀπὸ τῆς προθυμίας. Ἐν δὲ τῷ πορεύεσθαι ἐγένετο αὐτὸν ἐγγίζειν τῇ ∆αμασκῷ· καὶ ἐξαίφνης περιήστραψεν αὐτὸν φῶς ἀπὸ τοῦ οὐρανοῦ, καὶ πεσὼν ἐπὶ τὴν γῆν, ἤκουσε φωνῆς λεγούσης αὐτῷ· Σαοὺλ, Σαοὺλ, τί με διώκεις; γʹ. ∆ιὰ τί μὴ ἐν Ἱεροσολύμοις, διὰ τί μὴ γέγονεν ἐν ∆αμασκῷ; Ὥστε μὴ ἐξεῖναι ἄλλους ἄλλως αὐτὸ διηγήσασθαι, ἀλλ' αὐτὸς ἀξιόπιστος ᾖ διηγούμενος ὁ διὰ τοῦτο ἀπιών. Τοῦτο γοῦν λέγει, καὶ πρὸς Ἀγρίππαν ἀπολογούμενος. Πάσχει δὲ καὶ τὰς ὄψεις, διότι ἡ ὑπερ 60.153 βολὴ τοῦ φωτὸς πλήττειν εἴωθε· μέτρα γὰρ ἔχουσιν οἱ ὀφθαλμοί. Λέγεται δὲ καὶ φωνῆς ὑπερβολὴ κωφοὺς ποιεῖν καὶ ἀποπλῆγας. Ἀλλὰ τοῦτον μόνον ἐπήρωσε, καὶ ἔσβεσεν αὐτοῦ τὸν θυμὸν τῷ φόβῳ, ὥστε αὐτὸν ἀκοῦσαι τὰ λεγόμενα. Σαοὺλ, Σαοὺλ, φησὶ, τί με διώκεις; Οὐ λέγει αὐτῷ, Πίστευσον, οὐδὲ ἄλλο τι τοιοῦτον οὐδὲν, ἀλλ' ἐγκαλεῖ. Μονονουχὶ γὰρ τοῦτό φησι, δι' ὧν ἐγκαλεῖ· Τί παρ' ἐμοῦ μέγα ἢ μικρὸν ἠδικημένος ταῦτα ποιεῖς; Εἶπε δέ· Τίς εἶ, Κύριε; Τέως ὡμολόγησεν ἑαυτὸν δοῦλον. Ὁ δὲ Κύριος εἶπεν· Ἐγώ εἰμι Ἰησοῦς, ὃν σὺ διώκεις. Ὡσεὶ ἔλεγε· Μὴνομίσῃς πρὸς ἀνθρώπους εἶναί σοι τὸν πόλεμον. Οἱ δὲ συνόντες αὐτῷ, τὴν φωνὴν μὲν τοῦ Παύλου ἤκουσαν, οὐδένα δὲ ἐθεώρουν, πρὸς ὃν ἀπεκρίνατο. Εἰκότως· τῶν γὰρ ἐλαττόνων αὐτοὺς ἐποίησεν ἀκροατάς. Εἰ γὰρ τῆς φωνῆς ἤκουσαν ἐκείνης, κἂν ἠπίστησαν· τὸν δὲ Παῦλον ὁρῶντες ἀποκρινόμενον, ἐθαύμαζον. Ἀλλὰ Ἀνάστηθι, καὶ εἴσελθε εἰς τὴν πόλιν, καὶ λαληθήσεταί σοι, τί σε δεῖ ποιεῖν. Ὅρα, πῶς οὐκ εὐθέως πάντα αὐτῷ ἀποκαλύπτει, ἀλλὰ μόνον προμαλάττει αὐτοῦ τὴν διάνοιαν, καὶ δι' ὧν παρακελεύεται ποιεῖν αὐτὸν, παραχρῆμα δίδωσιν αὐτῷ χρηστὰς ἐλπίδας, καὶ ὅτι ἀναβλέψει. Οἱ δὲ ἄνδρες οἱ συνοδεύοντες αὐτῷ, εἱστήκεισαν ἐννεοὶ, ἀκούοντες μὲν τῆς φωνῆς, μηδένα δὲ θεωροῦντες. Ἠγέρθη δὲ ὁ Σαῦλος ἀπὸ τῆς γῆς, ἀνεῳγμένων τε τῶν ὀφθαλμῶν αὐτοῦ, οὐδένα ἔβλεπε. Χειραγωγοῦντες δὲ αὐτὸν εἰσήγαγον εἰς ∆αμασκόν. Τὸ λάφυρον τοῦ διαβόλου, τὰ σκεύη αὐτοῦ, καθάπερ πόλεώς τινος ἢ μητροπόλεως ληφθείσης, εἰσάγουσι. Καὶ τὸ δὴ θαυμαστὸν, αὐτοὶ οἱ πολέμιοι καὶ ἐχθροὶ εἰσήγαγον αὐτὸν, πάντων ὁρώντων. Καὶ ἦν ἡμέρας τρεῖς μὴ βλέπων, καὶ οὐκ ἔφαγεν οὐδὲ ἔπιε. Τί τούτου ἴσον γένοιτ' ἄν; Ἀντίῤῥοπος τῆς ἐπὶ Στεφάνου ἀθυμίας παράκλησις ἡ Παύλου προσαγωγὴ γίνεται, ἔχουσα μὲν καὶ αὐτόθεν παραμυθίαν, τὸ οὕτως αὐτὸν ἀπελθεῖν, λαβοῦσα δὲ καὶ ταύτην, καὶ αἱ Σαμαρειτῶν δὲ κῶμαι προσαχθεῖσαι, μεγίστην παρέσχον παράκλησιν. Καὶ διὰ τί, φησὶ, μὴ ἐξ ἀρχῆς τοῦτο γέγονεν, ἀλλὰ μετὰ ταῦτα; Ἵνα δειχθῇ, ὅτι ὄντως ἀνέστη ὁ Χριστός. Ὁ γὰρ ἐλαύνων αὐτὸν, καὶ ἀπιστῶν αὐτοῦ τῇ τελευτῇ καὶ τῇ ἀναστάσει, καὶ τοὺς μαθητὰς αὐτοῦ διώκων, οὗτος πόθεν, εἰπέ μοι, ἂν ἐπίστευσεν, εἰ μὴ πολλὴ ἦν τοῦ σταυρωθέντος ἡ ἰσχύς; Ἔστω, ἐκεῖνοι αὐτῷ ἐχαρίζοντο· τί ἐρεῖς πρὸς τοῦτον; Ἄλλως δὲ διὰ τοῦτο μετὰ τὴν ἀνάστασιν προσῆλθε, καὶ οὐκ εὐθέως, ἵνα σαφέστερος αὐτοῦ δειχθῇ ὁ πόλεμος. Ὁ γὰρ οὕτω μαινόμενος, ὡς καὶ αἵματα ἐκχεῖν, καὶ εἰς δεσμωτήρια ἐμβάλλειν, ἀθρόον πιστεύει. Οὐκ ἤρκει τὸ μὴ συγγενέσθαι τῷ Χριστῷ, ἀλλ' ἔδει καὶ πολεμηθῆναι σφοδρῶς ὑπ' αὐτοῦ τοὺς πιστούς· οὐδεμίαν κατέλιπεν ὑπερβολὴν μανίας· πάντων σφοδρότερος οὗτος ἦν. Ἐπειδὴ δὲ ἐπηρώθη, τότε τῆς δεσποτείας αὐτοῦ τὰ τεκμήρια καὶ τῆς φιλανθρωπίας γνωρίζει· ἢ καὶ ἵνα μή τις εἴπῃ, ὅτι ὑπεκρίνατο. Πῶς γὰρ, ὁ αἱμάτων ἐπιθυμῶν, ὁ τοῖς ἱερεῦσι προσελθὼν, ὁ εἰς κινδύνους ἑαυτὸν ἐπιῤῥίπτων, καὶ τοὺς ἔξω ἐλαύνων καὶ τιμωρούμενος; Οὗτος οὖν μετὰ ταῦτα πάντα τὴν δεσποτείαν ὁμολογεῖ. ∆ιὰ τί δὲ οὐκ ἔνδον ἐν τῇ πόλει