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To the Father together with the Holy Spirit be glory, might, honor, now and ever, and unto the ages of ages. Amen.

60.233.40 HOMILY XXXII. "But they stayed there," he says, "no little time with the

disciples. And certain men having come down from Judea, were teaching the brethren that, Unless you are circumcised after the manner of Moses, you cannot be saved."

1. See everywhere of the transition to the Gentiles the necessary beginning from

them being brought in. Before this, being accused he made his defense, and in the manner of a defense he said the whole thing; which made the word readily acceptable; then, when the Jews turned away, so he came to the Gentiles. Here again, seeing another immoderation being brought forward, so he establishes the law. For since, having been taught by God, they spoke to all without distinction, this provoked to jealousy those from the Jews. And they did not teach circumcision simply, but that you cannot even be saved. Of which the contrary it was opportune to say, that being circumcised you cannot be saved. Do you see the continuous temptations from within, from without? But this is well managed with Paul being present, that he might speak against it. And Paul did not say: "What then? am I not worthy of belief after so many signs?" but he was persuaded for 60.234 their sake. And see, from then on all learn the things that had happened to the Gentiles, and the Samaritans, and they rejoiced. Therefore, when no little dissension and debate had arisen for Paul and Barnabas against them, they determined that Paul and Barnabas, and certain others of them, should go up to the apostles and elders in Jerusalem about this question. So being sent on their way by the Church, they passed through Phoenicia and Samaria, declaring the conversion of the Gentiles; and they caused great joy to all the brethren. And when they came to Jerusalem, they were received by the Church and the apostles and the elders, and they declared all that God had done with them. See how great a management takes place. But some of the sect of the Pharisees who believed rose up, saying that it is necessary to circumcise them, and to command them to keep the law of Moses. And the apostles and elders came together to see about this 60.235 matter. And when there had been much disputing, Peter rose up and said to them, 'Men and brethren, you know that from early days God made a choice among you, that by my mouth the Gentiles should hear the word of the gospel, and believe.' See Peter, separated from the matter from the first, and up to now Judaizing. "You know," he says. Perhaps those also were present who had formerly accused him in the case of Cornelius, and those who had entered with him; for this reason he brings them forward as witnesses. "From early days God made a choice among you." What is, "Among you"? Either in Palestine, he says, or with you being present. "By my mouth." See how he shows that God was speaking through him, and nothing human. "And God, who knows the heart, bore witness to them." He leads them up to the spiritual testimony. "giving them the Holy Spirit, just as to us." See how he everywhere makes the Gentiles equal. "And made no distinction between us and them, purifying their hearts by faith." "By faith alone," he says, "they obtained the same things." And these things are a reproof to them; or rather, it can also teach them that faith alone is needed, and not works nor circumcision. For they do not say these things making a defense for the Gentiles only, but also instructing them to depart from the Law. But as yet they do not say this. "Now therefore why do you test God by putting a yoke on the neck of the disciples, which neither our fathers nor we were able to bear? But we believe that through the grace of the Lord Jesus we shall be saved, in the same manner as they." What is, "You test God"? What

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Πατρὶ ἅμα τῷ ἁγίῳ Πνεύματι δόξα, κράτος, τιμὴ, νῦν καὶ ἀεὶ, καὶ εἰς τοὺς αἰῶνας τῶν αἰώνων. Ἀμήν.

60.233.40 ΟΜΙΛΙΑ ΛΒʹ. ∆ιέτριβον δὲ ἐκεῖ, φησὶ, χρόνον οὐκ ὀλίγον σὺν τοῖς

μαθηταῖς. Καί τινες κατελθόντες ἀπὸ τῆς Ἰου δαίας, ἐδίδασκον τοὺς ἀδελφοὺς, ὅτι Ἐὰν μὴ περιτέμνησθε τῷ ἔθει Μωϋσέως, οὐ δύνασθε σω θῆναι.

αʹ. Ὅρα πανταχοῦ τῆς εἰς τὰ ἔθνη μεταβάσεως ἀναγκαίαν τὴν ἀρχὴν ἀπ'

αὐτῶν εἰσαγομένην. Πρὸ τούτου ἐγκαλούμενος ἀπελογήσατο, καὶ ἐν τάξει ἀπολογίας τὸ πᾶν εἶπεν· ὅπερ εὐπαράδεκτον τὸν λόγον ἐποίει· ἔπειτα τῶν Ἰουδαίων ἀποστραφέντων, οὕτως ἦλθεν εἰς τὰ ἔθνη. Ἐνταῦθα πάλιν ἄλλην ἀμετρίαν ὁρῶν φερομένην, οὕτως ἵστησι τὸν νόμον. Ἐπειδὴ γὰρ, ἅτε παρὰ τοῦ Θεοῦ διδαχθέντες, ἀδιαφόρως διελέγοντο πᾶσι, τοῦτο εἰς ζῆλον ἤγαγε τοὺς ἀπὸ Ἰουδαίων. Καὶ οὐκ ἐδίδασκον ἁπλῶς περιτομὴν, ἀλλ' ὅτι οὐδὲ σωθῆναι δύνασθε. Οὗ τοὐναντίον εὔκαιρον ἦν λέγειν, ὅτι περιτεμνόμενοι σωθῆναι οὐ δύνασθε. Ὁρᾷς συνεχεῖς τοὺς πειρασμοὺς ἔνδοθεν, ἔξωθεν; Καλῶς δὲ οἰκονομεῖται τοῦτο Παύλου παρόντος, ἵνα ἀντείπῃ. Καὶ οὐκ εἶπεν ὁ Παῦλος· Τί γάρ; οὐκ εἰμὶ ἀξιόπιστος ἀπὸ τοσούτων σημείων; ἀλλ' ἐπείσθη δι' 60.234 ἐκείνους. Καὶ ὅρα μανθάνουσι λοιπὸν πάντες τὰ εἰς τὰ ἔθνη γεγενημένα καὶ Σαμαρεῖται, καὶ ἔχαιρον. Γενομένης οὖν στάσεως καὶ ζητήσεως οὐκ ὀλίγης τῷ Παύλῳ καὶ τῷ Βαρνάβᾳ πρὸς αὐτοὺς, ἔταξαν ἀναβαίνειν τὸν Παῦλον καὶ Βαρνάβαν, καί τινας ἄλλους ἐξ αὐτῶν πρὸς τοὺς ἀποστόλους καὶ πρεσβυτέρους εἰς Ἱερουσαλὴμ περὶ τοῦ ζητήματος τούτου. Οἱ μὲν οὖν προπεμφθέντες ὑπὸ τῆς Ἐκκλησίας, διήρχοντο τὴν Φοινίκην καὶ Σαμάρειαν ἐκδιηγούμενοι τὴν ἐπιστροφὴν τῶν ἐθνῶν· καὶ ἐποίουν χαρὰν μεγάλην πᾶσι τοῖς ἀδελφοῖς. Παραγενόμενοι δὲ εἰς Ἰερουσαλὴμ, ἀπεδέχθησαν ὑπὸ τῆς Ἐκκλησίας καὶ τῶν ἀποστόλων καὶ τῶν πρεσβυτέρων, ἀνήγγειλάν τε ὅσα ὁ Θεὸς ἐποίησε μετ' αὐτῶν. Ὅρα πόση οἰκονομία γίνεται. Ἐξανέστησαν δέ τινες τῶν ἀπὸ τῆς αἱρέσεως τῶν Φαρισαίων πεπιστευκότες, λέγοντες, ὅτι ∆εῖ περιτέμνειν αὐτοὺς, παραγγέλλειν τε τηρεῖν τὸν νόμον Μωϋσέως. Συνήχθησαν δὲ οἱ ἀπόστολοι καὶ οἱ πρεσβύτεροι ἰδεῖν περὶ τοῦ 60.235 λόγου τούτου. Πολλῆς δὲ συζητήσεως γενομένης, ἀναστὰς Πέτρος εἶπε πρὸς αὐτούς· Ἄνδρες ἀδελφοὶ, ὑμεῖς ἐπίστασθε, ὅτι ἀφ' ἡμερῶν ἀρχαίων ὁ Θεὸς ἐν ὑμῖν ἐξελέξατο διὰ τοῦ στόματός μου ἀκοῦσαι τὰ ἔθνη τὸν λόγον τοῦ εὐαγγελίου, καὶ πιστεῦσαι. Ὅρα τὸν Πέτρον ἄνωθεν κεχωρισμένον τοῦ πράγματος, καὶ μέχρι τοῦ νῦν ἰουδαΐζοντα. Ὑμεῖς ἐπίστασθε, φησί. Παρῆσαν ἴσως καὶ οἱ ἐγκαλέσαντες αὐτῷ ἐπὶ Κορνηλίου πάλαι, καὶ εἰσελθόντες μετ' αὐτοῦ· διὰ τοῦτο αὐτοὺς παράγει μάρτυρας. Ἀφ' ἡμερῶν ἀρχαίων ἐν ὑμῖν ὁ Θεὸς ἐξελέξατο. Τί ἐστιν, Ἐν ὑμῖν; Ἤτοι ἐν Παλαιστίνῃ, φησὶν, ἢ παρόντων ὑμῶν. ∆ιὰ τοῦ στόματός μου. Ὅρα πῶς δείκνυσι τὸν Θεὸν δι' αὐτοῦ φθεγγόμενον, καὶ οὐδὲν ἀνθρώπινον. Καὶ ὁ καρδιογνώστης Θεὸς ἐμαρτύρησεν αὐτοῖς. Ἐπὶ τὴν πνευματικὴν ἀνάγει μαρτυρίαν αὐτούς. ∆οὺς αὐτοῖς τὸ Πνεῦμα τὸ ἅγιον, καθὼς καὶ ἡμῖν. Ὅρα πῶς πανταχοῦ ἐξισοῖ τὰ ἔθνη. Καὶ οὐδὲν διέκρινε μεταξὺ ἡμῶν τε καὶ αὐτῶν, τῇ πίστει καθαρίσας τὰς καρδίας αὐτῶν. Ἀπὸ τῆς πίστεως μόνης, φησὶ, τῶν αὐτῶν ἔτυχον. Κἀκείνων ταῦτα ἐντρεπτικά· μᾶλλον δὲ καὶ ἐκείνους διδάξαι δύναται, ὅτι πίστεως δεῖ μόνης, καὶ οὐκ ἔργων οὐδὲ περιτομῆς. Οὐ γὰρ δὴ ὑπὲρ τῶν ἐθνῶν ἀπολογούμενοι ταῦτα λέγουσι μόνον, ἀλλὰ κἀκείνους παιδεύοντες ἀποστῆναι τοῦ νόμου. Ἀλλὰ τέως οὔπω λέγουσι τοῦτο. Νῦν οὖν τί πειράζετε τὸν Θεὸν ἐπιθεῖναι ζυγὸν ἐπὶ τὸν τράχηλον τῶν μαθητῶν ὃν οὔτε οἱ πατέρες ἡμῶν, οὔτε ἡμεῖς ἰσχύσαμεν βαστάσαι, Ἀλλὰ διὰ τῆς χάριτος τοῦ Κυρίου Ἰησοῦ πιστεύομεν σωθῆναι, καθ' ὃν τρόπον κἀκεῖνοι. Τί ἐστι, Πειράζετε τὸν Θεόν; Τί