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they were saying, this they were showing. Strengthening, it says, the souls of the disciples. So that they were strengthened; or rather, they were added to. Therefore, they foretold, that they might not be scandalized. And as if on purpose the same thing happens, not only through the apostles, but also through the disciples; that from the very beginning they might learn straightway both the power of the preaching, and that they themselves must suffer such things, and that they might stand nobly, not only gaping at the signs, but much more at the temptations. For this reason he himself also said: Having the same conflict which you saw in me, and heard. Persecutions succeeded persecutions; everywhere wars, battles, stonings. What sort of exhortation? How did they persuade by speaking of tribulations in the very beginning? Then also another comfort. And when they had ordained them elders in every church, and had prayed with fasting, they commended them to the Lord, in whom they had believed. Have you seen the warmth of Paul? Having prayed, he says, with fasting they commended them to the Lord. See, with fasting are the ordinations. Again fasting, the purification of our souls. And after they had passed through Pisidia, they came to Pamphylia; and when they had spoken the word in Perga, they came down to Attalia. For lest the spirits of the disciples should fall, because those who were thought to be gods suffer such things, they went in to them, and conversed with them. And see: first he goes out to Derbe, giving them a respite from the wrath, and then again to Lystra and Iconium and Antioch, yielding to them while they were angry, but setting upon them when they had ceased. Do you see that they managed not all things by grace, but also by their own diligence? And from there they sailed to Antioch, from where they had been commended to the grace of God for the work which they had fulfilled. Why do they come again to Antioch? That they might report the things that happened there. But otherwise a great matter is also arranged from this; for it was necessary from then on to preach to the Gentiles with boldness. They come therefore reporting these things, that they might have knowledge. And it is arranged then for those to come down who forbid conversing with the Gentiles, so that, having received much permission from Jerusalem, they might go away with boldness. Or in another way, it shows their character not to be arrogant. For they come showing both their boldness, that even without them they preached to the Gentiles, and their 60.230 obedience, in that they report to them; for they did not become arrogant, as though they had accomplished so much. From where they had been commended, he says, to the grace of God. And yet the Spirit had spoken; but he knows that the things of the Spirit are the Son's; for there is one authority, just as the nature of both Son and Spirit is one. And when they had arrived and gathered the Church together, they reported all that God had done with them, and that God had opened a door of faith to the Gentiles. And there they spent no little time with the disciples. And reasonably so; for the city, being large, needed teachers. Let us look, then, from the beginning at what has been said. By this very sight they struck them with amazement when they tore their garments. This Joshua son of Nun also did at the defeat of the people. Do not think, then, that this was unworthy of them, and of their stability; for otherwise they would not have restrained so great an impulse, otherwise they would not have extinguished the pyre. Therefore, when something necessary must be done, let us not refuse it either. If then even after this they scarcely persuaded them, if they had not acted thus, what would not have happened? For if they had not done so, they would have been thought somehow to be high-minded, and to desire the honor more. And see the discourse measured in its rebuke, and at once full of wonder and of rebuke. This especially checked them, the saying, We also are men of like passions with you, preaching the gospel to you that you should turn from these vanities to God. As if they were saying: We are men, he says, but greater than these; for these are dead. See them not only overturning, but also teaching, and saying nothing about things invisible. Who made, he says, the heaven and the earth and the sea, and all things that are in them. He calls the seasons themselves witnesses. O the madness of the Jews! to a people that so honored the apostles they dared

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ἔλεγον, τοῦτο ἐδείκνυον. Ἐπιστηρίζοντες, φησὶ, τὰς ψυχὰς τῶν μαθητῶν. Ὥστε ἐστηριγμένοι ἦσαν· μᾶλλον δὲ προσετίθεντο. Προὔλεγον τοίνυν, ἵνα μὴ σκανδαλισθῶσιν. Ὥσπερ ἐπίτηδες δὲ τὸ αὐτὸ γίνεται, οὐ διὰ τῶν ἀποστόλων μόνον, ἀλλὰ καὶ διὰ τῶν μαθητῶν· ἵνα μάθωσιν ἐκ προοιμίων εὐθέως καὶ τοῦ κηρύγματος τὴν δύναμιν, καὶ ὅτι καὶ αὐτοὺς δεῖ τοιαῦτα πάσχειν, καὶ ἵνα γενναίως στῶσι, μὴ μόνον πρὸς τὰ σημεῖα κεχηνότες, ἀλλὰ πολλῷ μᾶλλον πρὸς τοὺς πειρασμούς. ∆ιὰ τοῦτο καὶ αὐτὸς ἔλεγε· Τὸν αὐτὸν ἀγῶνα ἔχοντες, οἷον εἴδετε ἐν ἐμοὶ καὶ ἠκούσατε. ∆ιωγμοὶ διωγμοὺς διεδέχοντο· πανταχοῦ πόλεμοι, μάχαι, λιθοβολίαι. Ποία προτροπή; πῶς ἔπειθον ἐν προοιμίοις θλίψεις λέγοντες; Εἶτα καὶ ἄλλη παραμυθία. Χειροτονήσαντες δὲ αὐτοῖς πρεσβυτέρους κατ' Ἐκκλησίαν, προσευξάμενοι μετὰ νηστειῶν, παρέθεντο αὐτοὺς τῷ Κυρίῳ, εἰς ὃν πεπιστεύκεισαν. Εἶδες θερμότητα Παύλου; Προσευξάμενοι, φησὶ, μετὰ νηστειῶν παρέθεντο αὐτοὺς τῷ Κυρίῳ. Ὅρα, μετὰ νηστειῶν αἱ χειροτονίαι. Πάλιν νηστεία, τὸ καθάρσιον τῶν ἡμετέρων ψυχῶν. Καὶ διελθόντες τὴν Πισιδίαν, ἦλθον εἰς Παμφυλίαν· καὶ λαλήσαντες ἐν Πέργῃ τὸν λόγον, κατήντησαν εἰς Ἀττάλειαν. Ἵνα γὰρ μὴ καταπέσῃ τὰ φρονήματα τῶν μαθητῶν, ὅτι οἱ νομιζόμενοι θεοὶ τοιαῦτα πάσχουσιν, εἰσῆλθον πρὸς αὐτοὺς, καὶ διελέχθησαν. Καὶ ὅρα· πρῶτον εἰς ∆έρβην ἐξέρχεται, διδοὺς αὐτοῖς ἀναπνεῦσαι τοῦ θυμοῦ, καὶ τότε πάλιν εἰς Λύστραν καὶ Ἰκόνιον καὶ Ἀντιόχειαν, θυμουμένοις μὲν αὐτοῖς εἴκων, πεπαυμένοις δὲ ἐπιτιθέμενος. Ὁρᾷς, ὅτι οὐ πάντα χάριτι, ἀλλὰ καὶ οἰκείᾳ σπουδῇ διῴκουν; Κἀκεῖθεν ἀπέπλευσαν εἰς Ἀντιόχειαν, ὅθεν ἦσαν παραδεδομένοι τῇ χάριτι τοῦ Θεοῦ εἰς τὸ ἔργον, ὃ ἐπλήρωσαν. ∆ιὰ τί πάλιν ἔρχονται εἰς Ἀντιόχειαν; Ἵνα ἀπαγγείλωσι τὰ ἐκεῖ γενόμενα. Ἄλλως δὲ καὶ οἰκονομεῖται μέγα πρᾶγμα ἐντεῦθεν· ἔδει γὰρ λοιπὸν μετὰ παῤῥησίας τοῖς ἔθνεσι κηρύττειν. Ἔρχονται οὖν ταῦτα ἀπαγγέλλοντες, ἵνα εἰδέναι ἔχωσι. Καὶ οἰκονομεῖται τότε κατελθεῖν τοὺς κωλύοντας τοῖς ἔθνεσιν ὁμιλεῖν, ἵνα λοιπὸν ἀπὸ Ἱεροσολύμων πολλὴν λαβόντες ἄδειαν, μετὰ παῤῥησίας ἀπίωσιν. Ἢ καὶ ἄλλως, δείκνυσιν αὐτῶν τὸ ἦθος οὐκ αὔθαδες. Ἔρχονται γὰρ τήν τε παῤῥησίαν ἐνδεικνύμενοι, ὅτι καὶ χωρὶς ἐκείνων τοῖς ἔθνεσιν ἐκήρυξαν, καὶ τὴν 60.230 ὑπακοὴν, ὅτι αὐτοῖς ἀναφέρουσιν· οὐ γὰρ ὡς τοσαῦτα κατορθωκότες ἀπενοήθησαν. Ὅθεν ἦσαν παραδεδομένοι, φησὶ, τῇ χάριτι τοῦ Θεοῦ. Καὶ μὴν τὸ Πνεῦμα εἶπεν· ἀλλὰ τὰ τοῦ Πνεύματος οἶδεν ὄντα τοῦ Υἱοῦ· μία γὰρ ἐξουσία, ὥσπερ ἡ φύσις καὶ Υἱοῦ καὶ Πνεύματος μία. Παραγενόμενοι δὲ καὶ συναγαγόντες τὴν Ἐκκλησίαν, ἀπήγγειλαν ὅσα ἐποίησεν ὁ Θεὸς μετ' αὐτῶν, καὶ ὅτι ἤνοιξεν ὁ Θεὸς τοῖς ἔθνεσι θύραν πίστεως. ∆ιέτριβον δὲ ἐκεῖ χρόνον οὐκ ὀλίγον σὺν τοῖς μαθηταῖς. Εἰκότως· μεγάλη γὰρ οὖσα ἡ πόλις, ἐδεῖτο διδασκάλων. Ἴδωμεν λοιπὸν ἄνωθεν τὰ εἰρημένα. Αὐτῇ τῇ ὄψει κατέπληξαν αὐτοὺς διαῤῥήξαντες τὰ ἱμάτια. Τοῦτο καὶ Ἰησοῦς ὁ τοῦ Ναυὴ ἐποίει ἐπὶ τῇ ἥττῃ τοῦ λαοῦ. Μὴ τοίνυν νομίσῃς ἀνάξιον αὐτῶν εἶναι τοῦτο, καὶ τῆς εὐσταθείας αὐτῶν· οὐκ ἂν γὰρ ἄλλως ἐπέσχον τὴν τοσαύτην ὁρμὴν, οὐκ ἂν ἄλλως τὴν πυρὰν ἔσβεσαν. Ὅταν οὖν τι δέῃ τῶν δεόντων γενέσθαι, μηδὲ ἡμεῖς παραιτώμεθα. Εἰ τοίνυν καὶ μετὰ ταῦτα μόλις ἔπεισαν, εἰ μὴ οὕτως εἰργάσαντο, τί οὐκ ἂν ἐγένετο; Εἰ γὰρ μὴ οὕτως ἐποίησαν, ἐνομίσθησαν ἄν πως ὑψηλοφρονεῖν, καὶ μᾶλλον ἐφίεσθαι τῆς τιμῆς. Καὶ ὅρα τὸν λόγον μεμετρημένον ἐν τῇ ἐπιπλήξει, καὶ θαύματος ὁμοῦ γέμοντα καὶ ἐπιπλήξεως. Τοῦτο μάλιστα αὐτοὺς ἐκώλυσε, τὸ εἰπεῖν, Καὶ ἡμεῖς ὁμοιοπαθεῖς ἐσμεν ὑμῖν ἄνθρωποι, εὐαγγελιζόμενοι ὑμᾶς ἀπὸ τῶν ματαίων τούτων ἐπιστρέφειν ἐπὶ τὸν Θεόν. Ὡσεὶ ἔλεγον· Ἄνθρωποι μέν ἐσμεν, φησὶ, τούτων δὲ μείζους· ταῦτα γὰρ νεκρά. Ὅρα αὐτοὺς οὐκ ἀνατρέποντας μόνον, ἀλλὰ καὶ διδάσκοντας, καὶ οὐδὲν περὶ ἀοράτων φθεγγομένους. Ὃς ἐποίησε, φησὶ, τὸν οὐρανὸν καὶ τὴν γῆν καὶ τὴν θάλασσαν, καὶ πάντα τὰ ἐν αὐτοῖς. Μάρτυρας αὐτοὺς λέγει τοὺς ἐνιαυτούς. Ὢ τῆς μανίας τῆς Ἰουδαϊκῆς! εἰς δῆμον οὕτω τιμήσαντα τοὺς ἀποστόλους ἐτόλμησαν