131

I perceive that God is not a respecter of persons, but in every nation he that fears Him and works righteousness is acceptable to Him. That is, whether he is uncircumcised or circumcised. Paul also declaring this says, For there is no respect of persons with God. Now therefore are we all here present, he says, before God. See how great the faith, how great the piety. He knew that Peter said nothing human, when he said, God has shown me. Wherefore he also says the words, We are present to hear all things that are commanded you of God. What then? Is the one in Persia acceptable to Him? If he is worthy, in this way will he be acceptable, by being counted worthy of the faith. Hence He did not overlook the eunuch from Ethiopia either. And what, he says, would you say concerning the devout who were overlooked? Away with it; no devout person is overlooked. For it is not possible, it is not possible for any such person ever to be overlooked. In every nation, he says, he that fears God and works righteousness. Righteousness, he calls all virtue. 2. Do you see how he restrains his mind by saying: In every nation he that fears God is acceptable to Him? as if he were saying: He rejects no one, He accepts all who believe. Then, lest they should seem to be in the rank of the rejected, he adds: The word which He sent to the children of Israel, preaching peace by Jesus Christ: He is Lord of all. He says these things on account of those present, that he might persuade them also. For this reason he also prepares Cornelius to speak. The word, he says, which He sent to the children of Israel. 60.179 See, for the time being he gives the preeminence to these. Then he also brings them in as witnesses, saying: You know the word which was published throughout all Judea, beginning from Galilee, after the baptism which John preached. That it is so, he confirms also from what follows: Jesus of Nazareth, how God anointed Him with the Holy Spirit and with power. He did not say, 'You know Jesus'—for they did not know Him—but he recounts the things worked by Him: Who went about doing good, and healing all that were oppressed by the devil. From this he shows many maimings and distortions of the body to have been caused by that one. for God was with Him. Again he utters lowly things, not simply, I think, but on account of the human aspect. And we are witnesses of all things which He did both in the country of the Jews and in Jerusalem. Both you, he says, and we. Whom they also slew, hanging Him on a tree. Here he preaches the passion. This man God raised up on the third day, and gave Him to be made manifest, not to all the people, but to witnesses chosen before of God, to us, who did eat and drink with Him after He rose from the dead. This is the greatest proof of the resurrection. And He commanded us to preach to the people and to testify that it is He who was ordained by God to be the Judge of the living and the dead. This too is great for showing them to be trustworthy. And he also brings forward testimony, saying: To Him all the prophets bear witness, that through His name whoever believes in Him shall receive remission of sins. This is a pre-announcement of what was about to happen after these things; which indeed confirming, he seasonably brings forward the prophets as witnesses. But let us look at the things concerning Cornelius from the beginning. He sent, it says, to Joppa to summon Peter. He believed that he would certainly come; wherefore he also sends. And talking with him, it says, he went in. What then was he talking about? These things, I think, uttering what has been said before. And falling at his feet he worshipped. See a discourse everywhere free of flattery, and full of humility. Hence that eunuch also is shown to be worthy. For he bade Philip to come up and sit in the chariot; and yet not knowing who he was, or only from the reading of the prophet. But this man even fell at his feet. Have you seen a character without pride? But observe for me how Peter shows his presence to be divine by saying: You know how it is an unlawful thing. And why did he not speak of the sheet immediately? Because he was exceedingly free from vainglory. For that he was sent

131

καταλαμβάνομαι, ὅτι οὐκ ἔστι προσωπολήπτης ὁ Θεὸς, ἀλλ' ἐν παντὶ ἔθνει ὁ φοβούμενος αὐτὸν καὶ ἐργαζόμενος δικαιοσύνην, δεκτὸς αὐτῷ ἐστι. Τουτέστιν, ἄν τε ἀκρόβυστός ἐστιν ἄν τε ἐμπερίτομος. Τοῦτο καὶ Παῦλος δηλῶν, Οὐ γάρ ἐστι προσωποληψία παρὰ τῷ Θεῷ, λέγει. Νῦν οὖν πάρεσμεν πάντες ἡμεῖς, φησὶν, ἐνώπιον τοῦ Θεοῦ. Ὅρα, ὅση ἡ πίστις, ὅση ἡ εὐλάβεια. Ἤδει, ὅτι οὐδὲν ἀνθρώπινον εἶπεν ὁ Πέτρος, Ὁ Θεὸς ἔδειξέ μοι, εἰπών. ∆ιὸ καὶ τὸ, Πάρεσμεν, ἀκοῦσαι πάντα τὰ προστεταγμένα σοι ὑπὸ τοῦ Θεοῦ, λέγει. Τί οὖν; ἆρα δεκτὸς αὐτῷ ἐστι ὁ ἐν Περσίδι; Ἂν ᾖ ἄξιος, ταύτῃ δεκτὸς ἔσται τῷ καταξιωθῆναι τῆς πίστεως. Ἐντεῦθεν καὶ τὸν ἐξ Αἰθιοπίας εὐνοῦχον οὐ περιεῖδε. Καὶ τί, φησὶν, ἂν εἴποις περὶ τῶν θεοσεβῶν καὶ περιοφθέντων; Ἄπαγε· οὐδεὶς περιορᾶται θεοσεβής. Οὐ γὰρ ἔστιν, οὐκ ἔστι περιοφθῆναί τινα τῶν τοιούτων ποτέ. Ἐν παντὶ ἔθνει, φησὶ, ὁ φοβούμενος τὸν Θεὸν καὶ ἐργαζόμενος δικαιοσύνην. ∆ικαιοσύνην, τὴν πᾶσαν ἀρετὴν καλεῖ. βʹ. Ὁρᾷς, πῶς καταστέλλει αὐτοῦ τὸ φρόνημα τῷ εἰπεῖν· Ἐν παντὶ ἔθνει ὁ φοβούμενος τὸν Θεὸν, δεκτὸς αὐτῷ ἐστιν; ὡσεὶ ἔλεγεν· Οὐδένα ἀπωθεῖται, πάντας προσίεται τοὺς πιστεύοντας. Εἶτα, ἵνα μὴ δόξωσιν ἐν τάξει ἀπεῤῥιμμένων εἶναι, ἐπάγει· Τὸν Λόγον, ὃν ἀπέστειλε τοῖς υἱοῖς Ἰσραὴλ εὐαγγελιζόμενος εἰρήνην διὰ Ἰησοῦ Χριστοῦ· οὗτός ἐστι πάντων Κύριος. Ταῦτα λέγει διὰ τοὺς παρόντας, ἵνα καὶ ἐκείνους πείσῃ. ∆ιὰ τοῦτο παρασκευάζει καὶ τὸν Κορνήλιον εἰπεῖν. Τὸν Λόγον, φησὶν, ὃν ἀπέστειλε τοῖς υἱοῖς Ἰσραήλ. 60.179 Ὅρα, τούτοις δίδωσι τέως τὸ ἐξαίρετον. Εἶτα καὶ αὐτοὺς μάρτυρας ἐπάγεται, λέγων· Ὑμεῖς οἴδατε τὸ γενόμενον ῥῆμα καθ' ὅλης τῆς Ἰουδαίας, ἀρξάμενον ἀπὸ τῆς Γαλιλαίας, μετὰ τὸ βάπτισμα ὃ ἐκήρυξεν Ἰωάννης. Ὅτι οὕτως ἔχει, τοῦτο καὶ ἀπὸ τοῦ ἑξῆς βεβαιοῖ· Ἰησοῦν τὸν ἀπὸ Ναζαρὲθ, ὡς ἔχρισεν αὐτὸν ὁ Θεὸς ἐν Πνεύματι ἁγίῳ καὶ δυνάμει. Οὐκ εἶπεν· Ἴστε Ἰησοῦν· οὐδὲ γὰρ ᾔδεσαν· ἀλλὰ τὰ ὑπ' αὐτοῦ εἰργασμένα διέξεισιν· Ὃς διῆλθεν εὐεργετῶν καὶ ἰώμενος πάντας τοὺς καταδυναστευομένους ὑπὸ τοῦ διαβόλου. Ἐντεῦθεν δείκνυσι πολλὰς πηρώσεις διαβολικὰς καὶ διαστροφὴν σώματος ὑπ' ἐκείνου γενομένας. Ὅτι ὁ Θεὸς ἦν μετ' αὐτοῦ. Πάλιν ταπεινὰ φθέγγεται, οὐχ ἁπλῶς, οἶμαι, ἀλλὰ διὰ τὸ ἀνθρώπινον. Καὶ ἡμεῖς μάρτυρες πάντων ὧν ἐποίησεν ἔν τε τῇ χώρᾳ τῶν Ἰουδαίων καὶ ἐν Ἱερουσαλήμ. Καὶ ὑμεῖς, φησὶ, καὶ ἡμεῖς. Ὃν καὶ ἀνεῖλον κρεμάσαντες ἐπὶ ξύλου. Ἐνταῦθα τὸ πάθος κηρύττει. Τοῦτον ὁ Θεὸς ἤγειρε τῇ τρίτῃ ἡμέρᾳ, καὶ ἔδωκεν αὐτὸν ἐμφανῆ γενέσθαι, οὐ παντὶ τῷ λαῷ, ἀλλὰ μάρτυσι τοῖς προκεχειροτονημένοις ὑπὸ τοῦ Θεοῦ ἡμῖν, οἵτινες συνεφάγομεν καὶ συνεπίομεν αὐτῷ, μετὰ τὸ ἀναστῆναι αὐτὸν ἐκ νεκρῶν. Τοῦτο τεκμήριον τῆς ἀναστάσεως μέγιστον. Καὶ παρήγγειλεν ἡμῖν κηρῦξαι τῷ λαῷ καὶ διαμαρτύρασθαι, ὅτι αὐτός ἐστιν ὁ ὡρισμένος ὑπὸ τοῦ Θεοῦ κριτὴς ζώντων καὶ νεκρῶν. Μέγα καὶ τοῦτο πρὸς τὸ δεῖξαι ἀξιοπίστους. Ὁ δὲ καὶ μαρτυρίαν ἐπάγει, λέγων· Τούτῳ πάντες οἱ προφῆται μαρτυροῦσιν, ἄφεσιν ἁμαρτιῶν λαβεῖν διὰ τοῦ ὀνόματος αὐτοῦ πάντα τὸν πιστεύοντα εἰς αὐτόν. Τοῦτο τοῦ μέλλοντος ἔσεσθαι μετὰ ταῦτα προαναφώνησις· ἣν δὴ καὶ βεβαιῶν, τοὺς προφήτας εὐκαίρως μάρτυρας παράγει. Ἀλλ' ἴδωμεν ἄνωθεν τὰ κατὰ τὸν Κορνήλιον. Ἀπέστειλε, φησὶν, εἰς Ἰόππην μετακαλέσασθαι τὸν Πέτρον. Ἐπίστευσε, ὅτι πάντως ἥξει· διὸ καὶ ἀποστέλλει. Καὶ συνομιλῶν αὐτῷ, φησὶν, εἰσῆλθε. Τί ἄρα ὁμιλῶν; Ταῦτα, οἶμαι, φθεγγόμενος, ἅπερ ἔμπροσθεν εἴρηται. Καὶ πεσὼν ἐπὶ τοὺς πόδας προσεκύνησεν. Ὅρα κολακείας ἀπηλλαγμένον τὸν λόγον πανταχοῦ, καὶ ταπεινότητος γέμοντα. Ἐντεῦθεν ἄξιος δείκνυται καὶ ἐκεῖνος ὁ εὐνοῦχος. Ἐκέλευσε γὰρ τῷ Φιλίππῳ ἀναβῆναι καὶ καθίσαι ἐπὶ τὸ ὄχημα· καίτοι οὐκ εἰδὼς, ὅστις ἐστὶν, ἢ ἀπὸ τῆς ἀπαγγελίας μόνον τῆς τοῦ προφήτου. Οὗτος δὲ καὶ ἔπεσεν ἐπὶ τοὺς πόδας. Εἶδες ἦθος ἄτυφον; Σὺ δέ μοι σκόπει, πῶς δείκνυσι Πέτρος θείαν αὐτοῦ τὴν παρουσίαν, τῷ λέγειν· Ὑμεῖς ἐπίστασθε ὡς ἀθέμιτόν ἐστι. Καὶ διὰ τί μὴ εἶπε τὴν σινδόνα εὐθέως; Ὅτι ἀκενόδοξος ἦν σφόδρα. Ὅτι μὲν γὰρ ἀπέσταλται