143

you shall have tribulation? But you, saying these things, will perhaps also say this, that they ought not even to have been scourged. But see the famine also becoming for them a cause of salvation, an occasion for almsgiving, a producer of many good things; so that it would have become so for you too, if you had wished, but you did not wish it. And it is foretold, so that for the future they might be prepared beforehand for almsgiving, because those in Jerusalem were suffering terrible things; but before this they were not in a famine. And Barnabas and Paul are sent to minister. And of the disciples, as each had means. Did you see them at once believing, and at once bearing fruit, not only for their own, but also for those far away? This seems to me to say here what Paul says elsewhere, that They gave to me and Barnabas the right hands of fellowship, only that we should remember the poor. So much did the famine profit. And see them not even in affliction falling into lamentations and tears, as we do, but giving themselves over to a great and good work; for with greater confidence they preached the word. And they did not say: We, being Cyrenians and Cypriots, shall we set upon such a brilliant and great city? but trusting in the grace of God, both those men undertook the teaching, and these did not think it unworthy to learn something from them. See how through small things everything is constructed, the preaching is increased, those in Jerusalem caring for all alike, as having the whole world as one household. They heard that Samaria had received the word, and they sent Peter and John; they heard the news concerning Antioch, and they send Barnabas. For the distance was great, and it was not necessary for the apostles for a time to be separated, lest they should be thought to be fugitives, and to have fled from their own people. But then they are separated of necessity, when at last their situation seemed to be incurable; when at last the war was at hand, and it was necessary to perish; when the sentence was passed; for until Paul went up to Rome, they were there. They go forth 60.194, not fearing the war; for how could they, who went to those about to make war? And the war happens after the apostles have died, and the saying concerning them receives its fulfillment: Wrath has come upon them to the uttermost. The more obscure they were, therefore, the more the grace shone, working great things through small ones. But let us look at what has been said from the beginning. He exhorted all, it says, to remain with the Lord, because he was a good man. To me it seems "good" here means the simple, the unfeigned, the one strongly desiring the salvation of his neighbors. And not only was he a good man, but also full of the Holy Spirit and of faith. Therefore also with purpose of heart he exhorted all; that is, with encomium and praise. And observe how like a fertile land this city received the word, and showed forth much fruit. But why did Barnabas move him from Tarsus and bring him here? Not without reason; but because here there were also good hopes, and the city was larger, and the multitude was great. Did you see grace working all things, not Paul; and how through small things the matter took its beginning, but when it became conspicuous, then they send Barnabas? And why did they not send him before this? They were exercising great foresight for their own people, and did not wish the Jews to accuse them of receiving the Gentiles; and yet, because they were inevitably mixing with them, since some dispute was going to arise from them, the matter of Cornelius anticipated it. Then, at any rate, they also say: that we should go to the Gentiles, and they to the circumcision. And observe how opportunely the necessity of the famine introduced the fellowship sent from the Gentiles to those in Jerusalem. For they receive the things from them, who also do not, as we pass our time in lamentations during calamities, so indeed did they; but they went on with greater confidence, being far from those who hindered them, and being among men who did not fear the Jews; which itself also contributed not a little. But they also arrived in Cyprus, where there was much confidence, and greater freedom from care. But to no one, it says, did they speak the word, except to Jews. Not because of fear of men, which they considered as nothing, was this

143

θλῖψιν ἕξετε; Σὺ δὲ ταῦτα λέγων, τάχα καὶ τοῦτο ἐρεῖς, ὅτι ἔδει μηδὲ μαστίζεσθαι. Ἀλλ' ὅρα αὐτοῖς γινόμενον καὶ τὸν λιμὸν σωτηρίας αἴτιον, ἐλεημοσύνης ἀφορμὴν, πολλῶν πρόξενον ἀγαθῶν· ὥστε καὶ ὑμῖν γέγονεν ἂν, εἴ γε ἐβούλεσθε, ἀλλ' οὐκ ἠθελήσατε. Προλέγεται δὲ, ὥστε λοιπὸν προπαρασκευασθῆναι πρὸς τὴν ἐλεημοσύνην, ὅτι δεινὰ ἔπασχον οἱ ἐν Ἱερουσαλήμ· πρὸ δὲ τούτου οὐκ ἐν λιμῷ ἦσαν. Καὶ πέμπεται Βαρνάβας καὶ Παῦλος διακονήσοντες. Τῶν δὲ μαθητῶν, καθὼς ηὐπορεῖτό τις. Εἶδες ἅμα πιστεύοντας, καὶ ἅμα καρποφοροῦντας, οὐ τοῖς αὐτῶν μόνον, ἀλλὰ καὶ τοῖς πόῤῥω; Τοῦτο δοκεῖ μοι ἐνταῦθα λέγειν, ὅπερ ἀλλαχοῦ ὁ Παῦλός φησιν, ὅτι ∆εξιὰς ἔδωκαν ἐμοὶ καὶ Βαρνάβα κοινωνίας, μόνον ἵνα τῶν πτωχῶν μνημονεύωμεν. Τοσοῦτον ὠφέλησεν ὁ λιμός. Καὶ ὅρα αὐτοὺς οὐδὲ ἐν τῇ θλίψει εἰς θρήνους καὶ δάκρυα καταπίπτοντας, καθάπερ ἡμεῖς, ἀλλ' εἰς ἔργον μέγα καὶ ἀγαθὸν ἑαυτοὺς ἐκδιδόντας· μετὰ πλείονος γὰρ ἀδείας ἐκήρυττον τὸν λόγον. Καὶ οὐκ εἶπον· Ἡμεῖς Κυρηναῖοι καὶ Κύπριοι ὄντες, τοιαύτῃ ἐπιθώμεθα πόλει λαμπρᾷ καὶ μεγάλῃ· ἀλλὰ τῇ χάριτι τοῦ Θεοῦ πιστεύοντες, καὶ ἐκεῖνοι ἐπεχείρησαν τῇ διδασκαλίᾳ, καὶ οὗτοι οὐκ ἀπηξίωσαν παρ' ἐκείνων τι μαθεῖν. Ὅρα διὰ τῶν μικρῶν πάντα κατασκευαζόμενα, τὸ κήρυγμα αὐξανόμενον, τοὺς ἐν Ἱεροσολύμοις πάντων ὁμοίως φροντίζοντας, ὡς μίαν οἰκίαν τὴν οἰκουμένην ἔχοντας. Ἤκουσαν, ὅτι Σαμάρεια δέδεκται τὸν λόγον, καὶ ἔπεμψαν Πέτρον καὶ Ἰωάννην· ἤκουσαν τὰ εἰς Ἀντιόχειαν, καὶ πέμπουσι Βαρνάβαν. Πολὺ γὰρ τὸ διάστημα ἦν, καὶ οὐκ ἔδει τοὺς ἀποστόλους τέως χωρισθῆναι, ἵνα μὴ νομισθῶσιν εἶναι φυγάδες, καὶ τοὺς αὐτῶν πεφευγέναι. Τότε δὲ ἀναγκαίως χωρίζονται, ὅτε λοιπὸν ἀνίατα ἔχειν ἐδόκει τὰ κατ' αὐτούς· ὅτε λοιπὸν ὁ πόλεμος ἐπέστη, καὶ ἀπολέσθαι ἔδει· ὅτε ἡ ἀπόφασις ἐξηνέχθη· ἐπεὶ ἕως Παῦλος εἰς Ῥώμην μὴ ἀνέβαινεν, ἐκεῖ ἦσαν. Ἐξέρχονται 60.194 δὲ, οὐχὶ τὸν πόλεμον δεδοικότες· πῶς γὰρ, οἵ γε πρὸς τοὺς πολεμεῖν μέλλοντας ἀπῄεσαν; Καὶ ὁ πόλεμος δὲ γίνεται λοιπὸν τελευτησάντων τῶν ἀποστόλων, καὶ πέρας τὸ περὶ αὐτῶν ῥηθὲν λαμβάνει· Ἔφθασεν ἐπ' αὐτοὺς ἡ ὀργὴ εἰς τέλος. Ὅσῳ ἀσημότεροι οὖν ἦσαν, τοσούτῳ μᾶλλον ἔλαμπεν ἡ χάρις, διὰ μικρῶν ἐργαζομένη μεγάλα. Ἀλλ' ἴδωμεν ἄνωθεν τὰ εἰρημένα. Παρεκάλει πᾶντας, φησὶ, προσμένειν τῷ Κυρίῳ, ὅτι ἦν ἀνὴρ ἀγαθός. Ἐμοὶ δοκεῖ ἀγαθὸν νῦν τὸν ἀφελῆ λέγειν, τὸν ἄπλαστον, τὸν σφόδρα τῆς τῶν πλησίον ἐπιθυμοῦντα σωτηρίας. Οὐ μόνον δὲ ἦν ἀνὴρ ἀγαθὸς, ἀλλὰ καὶ πλήρης Πνεύματος ἁγίου καὶ πίστεως. ∆ιὸ καὶ τῇ προθέσει τῆς καρδίας παρεκάλει πάντας· τουτέστι, μετὰ ἐγκωμίου καὶ ἐπαίνου. Καὶ σκόπει, πῶς καθάπερ γῆ λιπαρὰ τὸν λόγον ἐδέξατο ἡ πόλις αὕτη, καὶ πολὺν τὸν καρπὸν ἀπεδείξατο. ∆ιὰ τί δὲ τῆς Ταρσοῦ αὐτὸν ἀπέστησεν ὁ Βαρνάβας καὶ ἐνταῦθα ἤγαγεν; Οὐχ ἁπλῶς· ἀλλ' ὅτι ἐνταῦθα καὶ ἐλπίδες χρησταὶ, καὶ μείζων ἡ πόλις, καὶ πολὺ τὸ πλῆθος. Εἶδες πάντα τὴν χάριν ἐργαζομένην, οὐ Παῦλον· καὶ πῶς διὰ τῶν μικρῶν τὸ πρᾶγμα ἀρχὴν ἔλαβεν, ὅτε δὲ περιφανὲς γέγονε, τότε Βαρνάβαν πέμπουσι; Καὶ διὰ τί μὴ πρὸ τούτου ἔπεμψαν αὐτόν; Πολλὴν τῶν καθ' ἑαυτοὺς πρόνοιαν ἐποιοῦντο, καὶ οὐκ ἐβούλοντο ἐγκαλεῖν αὐτοῖς Ἰουδαίους, ὅτι προσελάμβανον τὰ ἔθνη· καίτοι διὰ τὸ ἀπαραιτήτως αὐτοῖς ἐπιμίγνυσθαι, ἐπεὶ ἔμελλέ τις ἀμφισβήτησις γίνεσθαι παρ' αὐτῶν, τὰ κατὰ Κορνήλιον προὔλαβε. Τότε γοῦν καὶ λέγουσιν· Ἵνα ἡμεῖς εἰς τὰ ἔθνη, αὐτοὶ δὲ εἰς τὴν περιτομήν. Καὶ σκόπει, πῶς εὐκαίρως ἡ ἀνάγκη τοῦ λιμοῦ εἰσήγαγε τὴν κοινωνίαν τὴν ἀπὸ τῶν ἐθνῶν τὴν πρὸς τοὺς ἐν Ἱεροσολύμοις πεμφθεῖσαν. ∆έχονται γὰρ τὰ παρ' αὐτῶν, οἳ καὶ οὐ, καθάπερ ἡμεῖς ἐν θρήνοις τὰς συμφορὰς διάγομεν, οὕτω δήπου καὶ οὗτοι· ἀλλὰ μετὰ πλείονος ἀδείας διῆγον, ἅτε πόῤῥω γενόμενοι τῶν κωλυόντων αὐτοὺς, καὶ ἐν ἀνθρώποις ὄντες οὐ πεφοβημένοις τοὺς Ἰουδαίους· ὃ καὶ αὐτὸ συνεβάλλετο οὐ μικρόν. Ἀλλὰ καὶ εἰς Κύπρον ἀφίκοντο, ὅπου πολὺ μὲν τὸ ἀδεὲς, πλείων δὲ ἡ ἀμεριμνία. Οὐδενὶ δὲ τὸν λόγον, φησὶν, εἰ μὴ Ἰουδαίοις ἐλάλουν. Οὐ διὰ τὸν τῶν ἀνθρώπων φόβον, ὃν οὐδὲν ἡγοῦντο, τοῦτο