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I said when they were stirring these things up, that both these and those are Jews; whom must we obey? But they were persuaded as they should have been. Therefore let us also obey the laws of God, and do all things according to what seems good to Him, and conduct ourselves according to His will, while we are yet in this present life, so that having completed the remaining time of our life with virtue, we may be able to obtain the good things promised to those who love Him, and be deemed worthy of honor with those who have pleased Him, by the grace and love for mankind of His only-begotten Son, and of the all-holy and life-giving Spirit, of the one and true Godhead, now and ever, and unto the ages of ages. Amen.

60.245 HOMILY 34. But Paul and Barnabas stayed in Antioch,

teaching and preaching the word of the Lord, with many others also. And after some days Paul said to Barnabas, "Let us return now and visit the brethren in every city where we proclaimed the word of the Lord, to see how they are."

a. See again their humility, how they also impart the word to others.

And indeed, Luke has already described for us the character of the remaining apostles, showing that the one was gentler and more inclined to forgiveness, while this one was more exact and sterner. For the gifts are different; and that this too is a gift, is clear. But the one is suited to certain characters of men, and the other to others; and if they should be changed, it becomes useless thereafter. And there seems to be some contention, but the whole thing is a dispensation. For this happens so that each might receive his proper place. Moreover, it was necessary that not all should be of equal honor, but one to rule, and another to be ruled; and this is by dispensation. For the Cypriots had demonstrated no such thing as those in Antioch and the rest; and the former were more in need of the gentler character, but the latter of this one. But Barnabas determined to take with them John, whose surname was Mark. But Paul thought it not good to take him with them, who departed from them from Pamphylia, and went not with them to the work. And the contention was so sharp between them, that they departed asunder one from the other: and so Barnabas took Mark, and sailed unto Cyprus; But Paul chose Silas, and departed, being recommended by the brethren unto the grace of God. Thus also among the prophets we find different opinions and different characters; for instance, Elijah was stern, Moses was gentle. Here, therefore, Paul is more vehement. But see even so his reasonableness. He thought it not good, it says, to take him who had departed from them from Pamphylia. For just as a general would not choose to have a baggage-carrier always undisciplined, so neither would the apostle. This both instructed the others, and disciplined that man himself. "Therefore," one might say, "is Barnabas bad?" By no means; but it is even exceedingly absurd to think this. For how is it not absurd to say that he became bad over so small a matter? But see, first, that no evil came of it if, being sufficient for whole nations, they were separated from each other, but rather a great good; second, that if this had not happened, they would not have easily chosen to leave one another. But admire for me 60.246 this man for not even hiding this. "But if they had to be separated," one might say, "it should have been without contention." Most certainly, then, even from this the human element is shown. For if on Christ's account this had to happen, much more so here. Moreover, the contention would not be a bad thing, when each disputes over such matters, and with just reason. If, then, one of them was provoked seeking his own interest, and the honor for himself, fine; but if each, wishing to instruct and to teach, the one went this way, and the other that way, what fault is this? They also did many things by human reasoning; not

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εἶπον ὅτε ταῦτα ἐκίνουν, ὅτι καὶ οὗτοι κἀκεῖνοι Ἰουδαῖοι· τίνι δεῖ ἡμᾶς πείθεσθαι; Ἀλλ' ἐπείσθησαν ὡς ἔδει. Οὐκοῦν καὶ ἡμεῖς πειθώμεθα τοῖς τοῦ Θεοῦ νόμοις, καὶ πάντα πράττωμεν κατὰ τὸ αὐτῷ δοκοῦν, καὶ κατὰ τὴν αὐτοῦ βούλησιν πολιτευσώμεθα, ὡς ἔτι ἐσμὲν ἐν τῷ παρόντι βίῳ, ἵνα μετὰ ἀρετῆς τὸν ὑπόλοιπον χρόνον τῆς ζωῆς ἡμῶν διανύσαντες, τῶν ἐπηγγελμένων ἀγαθῶν τοῖς ἀγαπῶσιν αὐτὸν ἐπιτυχεῖν δυνησώμεθα, καὶ σὺν τοῖς εὐαρεστήσασιν αὐτῷ τιμῆς ἀξιωθῶμεν, χάριτι καὶ φιλανθρωπίᾳ τοῦ μονογενοῦς Υἱοῦ αὐτοῦ, καὶ τοῦ παναγίου καὶ ζωοποιοῦ Πνεύματος, τῆς μιᾶς καὶ ἀληθοῦς θεότητος, νῦν καὶ ἀεὶ, καὶ εἰς τοὺς αἰῶνας τῶν αἰώνων. Ἀμήν.

60.245 ΟΜΙΛΙΑ Λ∆ʹ. Παῦλος δὲ καὶ Βαρνάβας διέτριβον ἐν Ἀντιοχείᾳ,

διδάσκοντες καὶ εὐαγγελιζόμενοι μετὰ καὶ ἑτέρων πολλῶν τὸν λόγον τοῦ Κυρίου Μετὰ δέ τινας ἡμέ ρας εἶπε Παῦλος πρὸς Βαρνάβαν· Ἐπιστρέψαν τες δὴ ἐπισκεψώμεθα τοὺς ἀδελφοὺς κατὰ πᾶσαν πόλιν, ἐν αἷς κατηγγείλαμεν τὸν λόγον τοῦ Κυ ρίου, πῶς ἔχουσιν.

αʹ. Ὅρα πάλιν αὐτῶν τὸ ταπεινὸν, πῶς καὶ ἑτέροις μεταδιδόασι τοῦ λόγου.

Καὶ ἤδη μὲν τῶν ἀποστόλων τῶν λοιπῶν τὸ ἦθος ἀνέγραψεν ἡμῖν ὁ Λουκᾶς, δεικνὺς ὅτι ὁ μὲν ἁπαλώτερος ἦν καὶ μᾶλλον συγγνωμονικὸς, οὗτος δὲ ἀκριβέστερος καὶ αὐστηρότερος· διάφορα γάρ ἐστι τὰ χαρίσματα· ὅτι δὲ καὶ τοῦτο χάρισμα, δῆλον. Ἀλλ' ἐκεῖνο μὲν ἑτέροις ἤθεσιν ἀνθρώπων ἁρμόζει, τοῦτο δὲ ἑτέροις· κἂν μετασκευάσωνται, γέγονεν ἄχρηστον λοιπόν. Καὶ δοκεῖ μὲν εἶναί τις παροξυσμὸς, τὸ δὲ πᾶν οἰκονομία ἐστίν. Ὥστε γὰρ τοὺς προσήκοντας ἕκαστον τόπους ἀπολαβεῖν, τοῦτο γίνεται. Ἄλλως δὲ καὶ ἔδει πάντας οὐχ ὁμοτίμους εἶναι, ἀλλὰ τὸν μὲν ἄρχειν, τὸν δὲ ἄρχεσθαι· καὶ τοῦτο οἰκονομικόν. Κύπριοι μὲν γὰρ οὐδὲν τοιοῦτον ἐπεδείξαντο, οἷον οἱ ἐν Ἀντιοχείᾳ καὶ οἱ λοιποί· καὶ ἐκεῖνοι μᾶλλον ἐδέοντο τοῦ ἤθους τοῦ ἁπαλωτέρου, οὗτοι δὲ τούτου. Βαρνάβας δὲ ἐβουλεύσατο συμπαραλαβεῖν καὶ Ἰωάννην τὸν καλούμενον Μάρκον· Παῦλος δὲ ἠξίου τὸν ἀποστάντα ἀπ' αὐτῶν ἀπὸ Παμφυλίας, καὶ μὴ συνελθόντα αὐτοῖς εἰς τὸ ἔργον, μὴ συμπαραλαβεῖν τοῦτον. Ἐγένετο οὖν παροξυσμὸς, ὥστε χωρισθῆναι αὐτοὺς ἀπ' ἀλλήλων, τόν τε Βαρνάβαν παραλαβόντα τὸν Μάρκον, ἐκπλεῦσαι εἰς Κύπρον· Παῦλος δὲ ἐπιλεξάμενος Σίλαν, ἐξῆλθε παραδοθεὶς τῇ χάριτι τοῦ Θεοῦ ὑπὸ τῶν ἀδελφῶν. Οὕτω καὶ ἐν τοῖς προφήταις εὑρίσκομεν διαφόρους γνώμας καὶ διάφορα ἤθη· οἷον ὁ Ἠλίας αὐστηρὸς, ὁ Μωϋσῆς πρᾶος. Καὶ ἐνταῦθα τοίνυν σφοδρότερός ἐστιν ὁ Παῦλος. Ἀλλ' ὅρα καὶ οὕτω τὸ ἐπιεικὲς αὐτοῦ. Ἠξίου, φησὶ, τὸν ἀποστάντα ἀπ' αὐτῶν ἀπὸ Παμφυλίας μὴ συμπαραλαβεῖν. Καθάπερ γάρ τις στρατηγὸς οὐκ ἂν ἕλοιτο τὸν σκευοφόρον ἔχειν ἀεὶ βάναυσον· οὕτως οὐδὲ ὁ ἀπόστολος. Τοῦτο καὶ τοὺς ἄλλους ἐπαίδευε, καὶ αὐτὸν ἐῤῥύθμιζεν ἐκεῖνον. Οὐκοῦν, φησὶ, κακὸς ὁ Βαρνάβας; Οὐδαμῶς· ἀλλὰ καὶ σφόδρα ἄτοπον τὸ νομίζειν τοῦτο. Πῶς δὲ οὐκ ἄτοπον ὑπὲρ οὕτω πράγματος μικροῦ τοῦτον λέγειν γενέσθαι κακόν; Ἀλλ' ὅρα, ὅτι πρῶτον μὲν κακὸν οὐδὲν γέγονεν, εἰ ὁλοκλήροις ἔθνεσιν ἀρκοῦντες, ἀπεσχίσθησαν ἀπ' ἀλλήλων, ἀλλὰ καὶ μέγα ἀγαθόν· ἔπειτα ὅτι εἰ μὴ τοῦτο ἦν, οὐκ ἂν εἵλοντο εὐκόλως ἀφεῖναι ἀλλήλους. Σὺ δέ μοι θαύμασον 60.246 τοῦτον μηδὲ τοῦτο κρύψαντα. Ἀλλ' εἰ καὶ χωρισθῆναι ἔδει, φησὶ, χωρὶς παροξυσμοῦ. Μάλιστα μὲν οὖν καὶ ἐντεῦθεν δείκνυται τὰ ἀνθρώπινα. Εἰ γὰρ ἐπὶ τοῦ Χριστοῦ τοῦτο ἔδει γενέσθαι, πολλῷ μᾶλλον ἐνταῦθα. Ἄλλως δὲ ὁ παροξυσμὸς οὐκ ἂν εἴη φαῦλος, ὅταν ὑπὲρ τοιούτων ἕκαστος ἀμφισβητῇ, καὶ μετὰ δικαίου λόγου. Εἰ μὲν οὖν τις αὐτῶν τὸ ἑαυτοῦ ζητῶν παρωξύνετο, καὶ τὴν εἰς αὐτὸν τιμὴν, καλῶς· εἰ δὲ παιδεῦσαι καὶ διδάξαι ἑκάτερος βουλόμενος, ὁ μὲν ταύτην, ὁ δὲ ἐκείνην ὥδευον, τοῦτο ποῖον ἔγκλημα; Πολλὰ καὶ ἀνθρωπίνῃ διανοίᾳ ἐποίουν· οὐ