180

is fulfilled. But see his understanding, confirming the word of the prophets from both new and old. For he had no deed to show, like Peter, like Paul. And it is well arranged for these things to happen through those who were not going to remain in Jerusalem, so that he who taught them might not be held responsible, nor yet be divided from their opinion. And what does he say? Men and brethren, listen to me. Simeon has declared. Some say this is the one spoken of by Luke; others, another of the same name. But whether it is this one or that one, one must not be meticulous, but only accept as necessary what he has declared. Men, he says, and brethren. Great is the moderation of the man, and this speech is more perfect, seeing that it also puts an end to the matters. how God at the first did visit to take out of the Gentiles a people for his name. And to this agree the words of the prophets. Since he was known from the time, but did not have credibility because he was not of old, he brings in an ancient prophecy, saying; As it is written: After this I will return, and will build again the tabernacle of David, which is fallen down; and I will build again the ruins thereof, and I will set it up: That the residue of men might seek after the Lord, and all the Gentiles, upon whom my name is called, says the Lord, who does all these things. What then? Was Jerusalem raised, or rather was it not destroyed? But it was not concerning these things that this was spoken to him. And what raising, he says, does he speak of? The one after Babylon. Known unto God are all His works from the beginning of the world. Then the credibility of the word, that nothing is new, but these things were prefigured from the beginning. And the authority again. Wherefore my sentence is, that we trouble not them, which from among the Gentiles are turned to God: But that we write unto them, that they abstain from pollutions of idols, and from fornication, and from things strangled, and from blood. For Moses of old time has in every city them that preach him, being read in the synagogues every sabbath day. Since they had not heard the law, he reasonably commands these things from the law, so that he might not seem to annul it. And see how he does not let them hear these things from the law, but from himself, saying: I judge, that is, from myself, not having heard from the law. Then, finally, the decree becomes common. Then it pleased the apostles and elders, with the whole church, to choose men of their own company and send them to Antioch with Paul and Barnabas; namely, Judas surnamed Barsabas, and Silas, leading men among the brethren, having written by their hand these things. See that they do not legislate these things simply; but so that the decree might be credible, 60.240 they send those from among themselves, and so that Paul and his companions might finally be above suspicion. And see how onerously they write, denouncing those men. The apostles and the elders and the brethren to the brethren who are of the Gentiles in Antioch and Syria and Cilicia, greeting. Forasmuch as we have heard, that certain which went out from us have troubled you with words, subverting your souls, saying you must circumcise your children, and keep the law, to whom we gave no such commandment. This is a sufficient accusation of their rashness, and worthy of the moderation of the apostles who said nothing further. It seemed good unto us, being assembled with one accord, to send chosen men unto you with our beloved Barnabas and Paul, men that have hazarded their lives for the name of our Lord Jesus Christ. So as to show that it is not tyrannical, that these things seem good to all, that they write these things after examination. Having chosen, he said, men from among us. Then, so that the sending of those men might not seem to be a slander against Paul and Barnabas, see their praises: To men, he says, who have hazarded their lives for the name of our Lord Jesus Christ. We have sent therefore Judas and Silas, who shall also tell you the same things by mouth. For it seemed good to the Holy Spirit, and to us. Therefore it is nothing human, if these things seem good to the Spirit. Nothing

180

πληροῦται. Ὅρα δὲ καὶ τούτου τὴν σύνεσιν, ἀπό τε νέων, ἀπό τε παλαιῶν βεβαιουμένου τῶν προφητῶν τὸν λόγον. Οὐ γὰρ εἶχέ τι πρᾶγμα δεῖξαι καθάπερ Πέτρος, καθάπερ Παῦλος. Καὶ καλῶς οἰκονομεῖται δι' ἐκείνων ταῦτα γενέσθαι τῶν οὐ μελλόντων ἐπιχωριάζειν τοῖς Ἱεροσολύμοις, τοῦτόν τε τὸν διδάσκοντα αὐτοὺς μὴ εἶναι ὑπεύθυνον, μηδὲ μὴν ἀπεσχίσθαι τῆς γνώμης. Καὶ τί φησιν; Ἄνδρες ἀδελφοὶ, ἀκούσατέ μου. Συμεὼν ἐξηγήσατο. Τινὲς τοῦτον εἶναί φασι τὸν ὑπὸ τοῦ Λουκᾶ εἰρημένον· ἄλλοι δὲ ἕτερον ὁμώνυμον τούτῳ. Εἴτε δὲ οὗτος, εἴτε ἐκεῖνός ἐστιν, οὐκ ἀκριβολογεῖσθαι χρὴ, ἀλλὰ μόνον ὡς ἀναγκαῖα δέχεσθαι, ἃ ἐξηγήσατο. Ἄνδρες, φησὶν, ἀδελφοί. Πολλὴ ἡ ἐπιείκεια τοῦ ἀνδρὸς, καὶ τελειοτέρα αὕτη ἡ δημηγορία, ὅπου γε καὶ τέλος ἐπιτίθησι τοῖς πράγμασι. Καθὼς πρῶτον ὁ Θεὸς ἐπεσκέψατο λαβεῖν ἐξ ἐθνῶν λαὸν τῷ ὀνόματι αὐτοῦ. Καὶ τούτῳ συμφωνοῦσιν οἱ λόγοι τῶν προφητῶν. Ἐπειδὴ ἐκεῖνος ἀπὸ μὲν τοῦ χρόνου δῆλος ἦν, τὸ δὲ ἀξιόπιστον οὐκ εἶχε διὰ τὸ μὴ παλαιὸς εἶναι, ἐπάγει καὶ παλαιὰν προφητείαν, λέγων· Καθὼς γέγραπται· Μετὰ ταῦτα ἀναστρέψω, καὶ ἀνοικοδομήσω τὴν σκηνὴν ∆αυῒδ τὴν πεπτωκυῖαν, καὶ τὰ κατεσκαμμένα αὐτῆς ἀνοικοδομήσω, καὶ ἀνορθώσω αὐτὴν, ὅπως ἐκζητήσωσιν οἱ κατάλοιποι τῶν ἀνθρώπων τὸν Κύριον, καὶ πάντα τὰ ἔθνη, ἐφ' οὓς ἐπικέκληται τὸ ὄνομά μου ἐπ' αὐτοὺς, λέγει Κύριος ὁ ποιῶν ταῦτα πάντα. Τί οὖν; ἠγέρθη τὰ Ἱεροσόλυμα, ἀλλ' οὐχὶ κατεσκάφη μᾶλλον; Ἀλλ' οὐ περὶ τούτων αὐτῷ εἴρηται ταῦτα. Καὶ ποίαν, φησὶ, λέγει ἔγερσιν; Τὴν μετὰ Βαβυλῶνα. Γνωστὰ ἀπ' αἰῶνός ἐστι τῷ Θεῷ πάντα τὰ ἔργα αὐτοῦ. Εἶτα τὸ ἀξιόπιστον τοῦ λόγου, ὅτι οὐδὲν καινὸν, ἀλλ' ἐξ ἀρχῆς ταῦτα προτετύπωτο. Καὶ τὸ ἀξίωμα πάλιν. ∆ιὸ ἐγὼ κρίνω μὴ παρενοχλεῖν τοῖς ἀπὸ τῶν ἐθνῶν ἀποστρέφουσιν ἐπὶ τὸν Θεὸν, ἀλλ' ἐπιστεῖλαι αὐτοῖς τοῦ ἀπέχεσθαι ἀπὸ τῶν ἀλισγημάτων τῶν εἰδώλων καὶ τῆς πορνείας καὶ τοῦ πνικτοῦ καὶ τοῦ αἵματος. Μωϋσῆς γὰρ ἐκ γενεῶν ἀρχαίων κατὰ πόλιν τοὺς κηρύσσοντας αὐτὸν ἔχει ἐν ταῖς συναγωγαῖς κατὰ πᾶν σάββατον ἀναγινωσκόμενος. Ἐπειδὴ οὐκ ἦσαν ἀκηκοότες τοῦ νόμου, εἰκότως ταῦτα ἐπιτάττει ἀπὸ τοῦ νόμου, ἵνα μὴ δόξῃ ἀκυροῦν αὐτόν. Καὶ ὅρα πῶς οὐκ ἀφίησιν αὐτοὺς ἀπὸ τοῦ νόμου ταῦτα ἀκούειν, ἀλλὰ παρ' ἑαυτοῦ, εἰπών· Κρίνω ἐγὼ, τουτέστιν, ἐξ ἐμαυτοῦ, οὐχὶ παρὰ τοῦ νόμου ἀκούσας. Εἶτα λοιπὸν κοινὸν τὸ δόγμα γίνεται. Τότε ἔδοξε τοῖς ἀποστόλοις καὶ πρεσβυτέροις σὺν ὅλῃ τῇ Ἐκκλησίᾳ, ἐκλεξαμένους ἄνδρας ἐξ αὐτῶν πέμψαι εἰς Ἀντιόχειαν σὺν Παύλῳ καὶ Βαρνάβᾳ, Ἰούδαν τὸν ἐπικαλούμενον Βαρσαβᾶν καὶ Σίλαν, ἄνδρας ἡγουμένους ἐν τοῖς ἀδελφοῖς, γράψαντες διὰ χειρὸς αὐτῶν τάδε. Ὅρα αὐτοὺς οὐχ ἁπλῶς ταῦτα νομοθετοῦντας· ὥστε δὲ ἀξιόπιστον γενέσθαι τὸ δόγμα, 60.240 πέμπουσι τοὺς παρ' αὐτῶν, καὶ ἵνα ἀνύποπτοι ὦσιν οἱ περὶ Παῦλον λοιπόν. Καὶ ὅρα πῶς φορτικῶς ἐκείνους διαβάλλοντες ἐπιστέλλουσιν. Οἱ ἀπόστολοι καὶ οἱ πρεσβύτεροι καὶ οἱ ἀδελφοὶ τοῖς κατὰ Ἀντιόχειαν καὶ Συρίαν καὶ Κιλικίαν ἀδελφοῖς τοῖς ἐξ ἐθνῶν χαίρειν. Ἐπειδὴ ἠκούσαμεν, ὅτι τινὲς ἐξ ἡμῶν ἐτάραξαν ὑμᾶς, λόγοις ἀνασκευάζοντες τὰς ψυχὰς ὑμῶν, λέγοντες περιτέμνειν αὐτοὺς τὰ τέκνα, καὶ τηρεῖν τὸν νόμον, οἷς οὐ διεστειλάμεθα. Ἀρκοῦσα αὕτη κατηγορία τῆς ἐκείνων προπετείας, καὶ ἀξία τῆς τῶν ἀποστόλων ἐπιεικείας οὐδὲν μακρότερον εἰρηκότων. Ἔδοξεν ἡμῖν γενομένοις ὁμοθυμαδὸν, ἐκλεξαμένους ἄνδρας πέμψαι πρὸς ὑμᾶς, σὺν τοῖς ἀγαπητοῖς ἡμῶν Βαρνάβᾳ καὶ Παύλῳ, ἀνδράσι παραδεδωκόσι τὰς ψυχὰς αὐτῶν ὑπὲρ τοῦ ὀνόματος τοῦ Κυρίου ἡμῶν Ἰησοῦ Χριστοῦ. Ὥστε δεῖξαι, ὅτι οὐ τυραννικῶς, ὅτι πᾶσι ταῦτα δοκεῖ, ὅτι μετὰ ἐπισκέψεως ταῦτα γράφουσιν. Ἐκλεξάμενοι, εἶπεν, ἄνδρας ἐξ ἡμῶν. Εἶτα ἵνα μὴ δόξῃ διαβολὴ εἶναι Παύλου καὶ Βαρνάβα τὸ ἐκείνους ἀποσταλῆναι, ὅρα τὰ ἐγκώμια αὐτῶν· Ἀνθρώποις, φησὶ, παραδεδωκόσι τὰς ψυχὰς αὐτῶν ὑπὲρ τοῦ ὀνόματος τοῦ Κυρίου ἡμῶν Ἰησοῦ Χριστοῦ. Ἀπεστάλκαμεν οὖν Ἰούδαν καὶ Σίλαν, καὶ αὐτοὺς διὰ λόγου ἀπαγγέλλοντας τὰ αὐτά. Ἔδοξε γὰρ τῷ ἁγίῳ Πνεύματι καὶ ἡμῖν. Ἄρα οὐδὲν ἀνθρώπινον, εἰ Πνεύματι ταῦτα δοκεῖ. Μηδὲν