1

 2

 3

 4

 5

 6

 7

 8

 9

 10

 11

 12

 13

 14

 15

 16

 17

 18

 19

 20

 21

 22

 23

 24

 25

 26

 27

 28

 29

 30

 31

 32

 33

 34

 35

 36

 37

 38

 39

 40

 41

 42

 43

 44

 45

 46

 47

 48

 49

 50

 51

 52

 53

 54

 55

 56

 57

 58

 59

 60

 61

 62

 63

 64

 65

 66

 67

 68

 69

 70

 71

 72

 73

 74

 75

 76

 77

 78

 79

 80

 81

 82

 83

 84

 85

 86

 87

 88

 89

 90

 91

 92

 93

 94

 95

 96

 97

 98

 99

 100

 101

 102

 103

 104

 105

 106

 107

 108

 109

 110

 111

 112

 113

 114

 115

 116

 117

 118

 119

 120

 121

 122

 123

 124

 125

 126

 127

 128

 129

 130

 131

 132

 133

 134

 135

 136

 137

 138

 139

 140

 141

 142

 143

 144

 145

 146

 147

 148

 149

 150

 151

 152

 153

 154

 155

 156

 157

 158

 159

 160

 161

 162

 163

 164

 165

 166

 167

 168

 169

 170

 171

 172

 173

 174

 175

 176

 177

 178

 179

 180

 181

 182

 183

 184

 185

 186

 187

 188

 189

 190

 191

 192

 193

 194

 195

 196

 197

 198

 199

 200

 201

 202

 203

 204

 205

 206

 207

 208

 209

 210

 211

 212

 213

 214

 215

 216

 217

 218

 219

 220

 221

 222

 223

 224

 225

 226

 227

 228

 229

 230

 231

 232

 233

 234

 235

 236

 237

 238

 239

 240

 241

 242

 243

 244

 245

 246

 247

 248

 249

 250

 251

 252

 253

 254

 255

 256

 257

 258

 259

 260

 261

 262

 263

 264

 265

 266

 267

 268

 269

 270

 271

 272

 273

 274

 275

 276

 277

 278

 279

 280

 281

 282

 283

 284

 285

 286

 287

 288

 289

 290

 291

 292

 293

 294

 295

 296

 297

188

he was angered at such a matter; but they are separated from one another, so as to discipline and perfect through the separation those needing their teaching; just as therefore he also does elsewhere, say 60.249 ing; But you, do not grow weary in doing good. And he rebukes others, but commands to do good to all. This we also do in our custom. Here it seems to me that others also became indignant with Paul. And finally, taking them aside privately, he does everything, and exhorts, and admonishes. Concord can do much, love can do much; even if you ask for a great thing, even if you are unworthy, you will be heard because of your purpose, do not be afraid. He passed through, it says, the cities. And behold, there was a disciple named Timothy, who was well spoken of by the brothers in Lystra and Iconium. Great is the faith of Timothy, because he is testified to by all. When Barnabas departed, he finds another as a counterbalance. Concerning him he says, Being mindful of your tears and of your sincere faith, which dwelt first in your grandmother Lois, and in your mother Eunice. And taking him, it says, he circumcised him. And for what reason, he himself brings it up, saying; Because of the Jews who were in those places. For this reason, therefore, he is circumcised; or also because of his father; for he remained a Greek. So he was not circumcised. See the law already being dissolved. But to some it seems that he was born after the preaching; but perhaps this is not so. For from a child, it says, you have known the holy Scriptures. It is possible to say this, therefore, or if not this, that he was going to make him a bishop, and he ought not to be uncircumcised. Meanwhile, the Gentiles ought to observe nothing of the sort. This was no small thing, where indeed after so much time this too was a stumbling block to them. The beginning of the dissolution was the Gentiles not observing these things, and not being harmed at all, nor having less in faith; willingly, therefore, they departed. Since, therefore, he was about to preach, so that he might not strike the Jews doubly, he circumcised this man, although he was of half-stock; for he was of a Greek father, and a faithful mother; but nevertheless, since that achievement among the Gentiles was great, he did not care about this; for the word had to be sown; for this reason he himself circumcised him. See here also some great good resulting from opposition. And they increased in number, it says. Do you see that circumcision not only did no harm, but also was of the greatest benefit? And when he had seen the vision, immediately, it says, we sought to go into Macedonia, concluding that the Lord had called us. See, no longer through an angel as with Philip, as with Cornelius; but what? Through a vision it appears to him, then, in a more human way, no longer in a more divine way. For where it is easier to be persuaded, it is more human; but where the compulsion is great, it is more divine. For where he was only urged to preach, for this a dream appears to him; but where he was not permitted to preach, for this the Holy Spirit reveals. So also there to Peter: Arise, go down. For the Spirit certainly did not work the easy things, but a dream was also sufficient for him. And to Joseph, being easily persuaded, a dream appears, but to others a waking vision. So also to Cornelius, and to this man himself. And behold, it says, a man of Macedonia standing, beseeching and saying. He did not say, Commanding, but Beseeching; that is, on behalf of those themselves who need the healing. What is, Concluding? Inferring, it says. For from the fact that Paul saw it and no one else, and 60.250 from being forbidden by the Spirit, and from being at the borders, from all these things they gathered these things. And otherwise the voyage also indicated this; for not much time passed, whence they arrive at the very root of Macedonia. So the contention is expediently ordained to happen. For the Holy Spirit would not have worked, Macedonia would not have received the word. And such great progress is a sign that what happened was not something human. And yet he did not say that Barnabas was provoked; but, A contention arose between them. If this one was not provoked, neither was that one. 5. Knowing these things, let us not simply select them, but let us learn and be taught; for it has not been written in vain. A great evil to be ignorant of the Scriptures; from which one ought to be profited, from these

188

τοιοῦτον πρᾶγμα ὠργίσθη· ἀλλὰ χωρίζονται ἀπ' ἀλλήλων, ὥστε παιδεῦσαι καὶ ἀπαρτίσαι διὰ τοῦ χωρισμοῦ τοὺς δεομένους τῆς παρ' αὐτῶν διδασκαλίας· ὥσπερ οὖν καὶ ἀλλαχοῦ ποιεῖ λέ 60.249 γων· Ὑμεῖς δὲ μὴ ἐκκακεῖτε τὸ καλὸν ποιοῦντες. Καὶ ἐπιτιμᾷ μὲν ἑτέροις, κελεύει δὲ τὸ καλὸν ποιεῖν πρὸς πάντας. Τοῦτο καὶ ἐν τῇ συνηθείᾳ ποιοῦμεν. Ἐνταῦθά μοι δοκοῦσι καὶ ἄλλοι συναγανακτῆσαι τῷ Παύλῳ. Καὶ λοιπὸν κατ' ἰδίαν κἀκείνους λαβὼν πάντα ποιεῖ, καὶ παραινεῖ, καὶ νουθετεῖ. Πολλὰ ἡ ὁμόνοια δύναται, πολλὰ ἡ ἀγάπη· κἂν ὑπὲρ μεγάλου ἀξιοῖς, κἂν ἀνάξιος ᾖς, ἀπὸ τῆς προαιρέσεως ἀκουσθήσῃ, μὴ φοβοῦ. ∆ιήρχετο, φησὶ, τὰς πόλεις. Καὶ ἰδοὺ ἦν μαθητὴς ὀνόματι Τιμόθεος, ὃς ἐμαρτυρεῖτο ὑπὸ τῶν ἐν Λύστροις καὶ Ἰκονίῳ ἀδελφῶν. Μεγάλη ἡ πίστις τοῦ Τιμοθέου, ὅτι ὑπὸ πάντων μαρτυρεῖται. Ὅτε ἀπέστη Βαρνάβας, ἕτερον ἀντίῤῥοπον εὑρίσκει. Περὶ τούτου φησὶ, Μεμνημένος σου τῶν δακρύων καὶ τῆς ἀνυποκρίτου σου πίστεως, ἥτις ἐνῴκησε πρῶτον ἐν τῇ μάμμῃ σου Λωΐδι, καὶ τῇ μητρί σου Εὐνίκῃ. Καὶ λαβὼν, φησὶ, περιέτεμεν αὐτόν. Τίνος δὲ ἕνεκεν, αὐτὸς ἐπάγει λέγων· ∆ιὰ τοὺς Ἰουδαίους τοὺς ὄντας ἐν τοῖς τόποις ἐκείνοις. ∆ιὰ τοῦτο τοίνυν περιτέμνεται· ἢ καὶ διὰ τὸν πατέρα· Ἕλλην γὰρ ἔμενεν ὤν. Ἄρα οὐκ ἦν ἐμπερίτομος. Ὅρα ἤδη τὸν νόμον λυόμενον. Τισὶ δὲ δοκεῖ μετὰ τὸ κήρυγμα αὐτὸν τεχθῆναι· ἀλλ' οὐκ ἔστι τάχα τοῦτο. Ἀπὸ βρέφους γὰρ, φησὶ, τὰ ἱερὰ Γράμματα οἶδας. Ἐκεῖνο τοίνυν ἔστιν εἰπεῖν, ἢ εἰ μὴ τοῦτο, ὅτι ἔμελλεν αὐτὸν ἐπίσκοπον ποιεῖν, καὶ οὐκ ἔδει ἀκρόβυστον εἶναι. Τέως δὲ ἔδει τὰ ἔθνη μηδὲν τοιοῦτον φυλάττειν. Οὐ μικρὸν καὶ τοῦτο ἦν, ὅπου γε μετὰ τοσοῦτον χρόνον καὶ τοῦτο αὐτοὺς ἐσκανδάλιζεν. Ἀρχὴ καταλύσεως ἦν τὸ τὰ ἔθνη μὴ τηρεῖν ταῦτα, καὶ μηδὲν βλάπτεσθαι, μηδὲ ἔλαττον ἔχειν κατὰ τὴν πίστιν· ἑκόντες λοιπὸν ἀφίσταντο. Ἐπεὶ οὖν ἔμελλε κηρύττειν, ἵνα μὴ διπλῇ πλήξῃ τοὺς Ἰουδαίους, περιέτεμε τοῦτον, καίτοι ἐξ ἡμισείας ἦν· ἀπὸ πατρὸς Ἕλληνος γὰρ ἦν, καὶ πιστῆς μητρός· ἀλλ' ὅμως ἐπειδὴ μέγα ἦν ἐκεῖνο τὸ κατόρθωμα τὸ ἐν τοῖς ἔθνεσιν, οὐκ ἐφρόντιζε τούτου· τὸν γὰρ λόγον ἔδει κατασπαρῆναι· διὰ τοῦτο καὶ αὐτὸς αὐτὸν περιέτεμεν. Ὅρα καὶ ἐνταῦθα ἀπὸ ἐναντιώσεως μέγα τι γενόμενον ἀγαθόν. Καὶ ἐπερίσσευον τῷ ἀριθμῷ, φησίν. Ὁρᾷς, ὅτι οὐ μόνον οὐδὲν ἔβλαψε περιτομὴ, ἀλλὰ καὶ τὰ μέγιστα ὠφέλησεν; Ὡς δὲ τὸ ὅραμα εἶδεν, εὐθέως, φησὶν, ἐζητήσαμεν ἐξελθεῖν εἰς τὴν Μακεδονίαν, συμβιβάζοντες ὅτι προσκέκληται ἡμᾶς ὁ Κύριος. Ὅρα, οὐκέτι δι' ἀγγέλου καθάπερ Φιλίππῳ, καθάπερ Κορνηλίῳ· ἀλλὰ τί; ∆ι' ὁράματος φαίνεται αὐτῷ λοιπὸν ἀνθρωπινώτερον, οὐκέτι θειότερον. Ἔνθα μὲν γὰρ εὐκολώτερον τὸ πεισθῆναι, ἀνθρωπινώτερον· ἔνθα δὲ πολλὴ ἡ βία, θειότερον. Ὅπου μὲν γὰρ κηρῦξαι ἠπείγετο μόνον, εἰς τοῦτο ὄναρ φαίνεται αὐτῷ· ὅπου δὲ μὴ κηρῦξαι οὐκ ἠνείχετο, εἰς τοῦτο Πνεῦμα ἅγιον ἀποκαλύπτει. Οὕτω καὶ ἐκεῖ τῷ Πέτρῳ· Ἀναστὰς κατάβηθι. Οὐ γὰρ δὴ καὶ τὰ εὔκολα εἰργάζετο τὸ Πνεῦμα, ἀλλ' ἤρκει καὶ ὄναρ αὐτῷ. Καὶ τῷ Ἰωσὴφ δὲ ῥᾳδίως πειθομένῳ ὄναρ φαίνεται, τοῖς δὲ ἄλλοις ὕπαρ. Οὕτω καὶ Κορνηλίῳ, καὶ αὐτῷ τούτῳ. Καὶ ἰδοὺ, φησὶν, ἀνὴρ Μακεδὼν ἑστὼς, παρακαλῶν καὶ λέγων. Οὐκ εἶπεν, Ἐπιτάττων, ἀλλὰ Παρακαλῶν· τουτέστιν, ὑπὲρ αὐτῶν τῶν δεομένων τῆς θεραπείας. Τί ἐστι, Συμβιβάζοντες; Στοχαζόμενοι, φησί. Τῷ τε γὰρ Παῦλον ἰδεῖν καὶ μηδένα ἕτερον, καὶ 60.250 τῷ κωλυθῆναι ὑπὸ τοῦ Πνεύματος, καὶ τῷ πρὸς τοῖς ὅροις εἶναι, ἀπὸ τούτων ἁπάντων ταῦτα συνῆγον. Ἄλλως δὲ καὶ ὁ πλοῦς τοῦτο ἐνέφαινεν· οὐ γὰρ ἐγένετο χρόνος πολὺς, ὅθεν εἰς αὐτὴν τὴν ῥίζαν τῆς Μακεδονίας παραγίνονται. Ὥστε ὁ παροξυσμὸς συμφερόντως οἰκονομεῖται γενέσθαι. Οὐκ ἂν γὰρ ἐνήργησε τὸ Πνεῦμα τὸ ἅγιον, οὐκ ἂν τὸν λόγον Μακεδονία ἐδέξατο. Ἡ δὲ τοσαύτη προκοπὴ σημεῖον τοῦ μὴ εἶναί τι ἀνθρώπινον τὸ γεγονός. Καίτοι οὐκ ἔφη, ὅτι Βαρνάβας παρωξύνθη· ἀλλὰ, Μεταξὺ αὐτῶν παροξυσμὸς ἐγένετο. Εἰ οὗτος οὐ παρωξύνθη, οὐδὲ ἐκεῖνος. εʹ. Ταῦτα εἰδότες, μὴ ἁπλῶς δὴ αὐτὰ ἐκλέγωμεν, ἀλλὰ μανθάνωμεν καὶ παιδευώμεθα· οὐ γὰρ εἰκῇ γέγραπται. Μέγα κακὸν ἀγνοεῖν Γραφάς· ἀφ' ὧν ὠφελεῖσθαι δεῖ, ἀπὸ τούτων