209
all of it a prisoner; and when he paid the penalty as the examinations were intensified, then I, wishing to go to give testimony, was returning through the gardens by a river with another person. And he, seeing the book floating on the surface, at first thought it was a piece of linen, but when he got near, he knew it was a book, and going down, he picked it up. But I argued that the discovery should be 60.275 common, and I was laughing. "But let's see," he says, "what it is." He breaks off a part of the page, and finds magical things written on it. It happened that a soldier was passing by at that moment. Then he took it from within and went away, and was frozen with fear. For who would have believed that we had taken and picked it up from the river, when at that time everyone, even the unsuspected, was being arrested? And we did not dare to throw it away, lest we be seen, and to tear it up was again a similar fear. So God granted, and we threw it away, and were finally delivered from the dangers then. And I could tell ten thousand things, if I wished to recount them all. And I have said these things for your sake, so that if anyone has not such things, but some others, he may remember them continually; for instance, if ever a stone was carried along, about to come upon you, and it did not come upon you, hold this in everlasting remembrance. These things create a great friendship for us with God. For if, when we remember the men who have saved us, we are greatly vexed when we are not able to repay them, much more so in the case of God. This is useful elsewhere too. When, therefore, we wish not to be distressed, let us say, "If we have received good things from the Lord, 60.276 shall we not endure evil things?" And Paul for this reason said from where he was delivered, that he might remind them also. See also how Jacob had all these things in mind; wherefore he also said, "The Angel who has redeemed me from my youth." And let us consider not only that He delivered, but how and for what purpose. See, at least, how he particularly remembers the benefits. "With my staff," he says, "I passed over this Jordan." And the Jews always remember even the things of their forefathers, dwelling on the things in Egypt. Should not we, therefore, much more remember our own things and what has happened to us, how often we have fallen into insults and calamities; and if God had not held out His hand, we would have perished long ago. Let us all, thinking on these things, and recounting them every day, give thanks continually to God, and let us all in common send up glory to Him, and glorifying Him let us not cease, that we may receive a great reward for our gratitude, by the grace and mercies of His only-begotten Son, with whom together with the Holy Spirit be glory, dominion, honor, now and ever, and unto ages of ages. Amen.
60.275 HOMILY 39. And when they heard of the resurrection of the dead, some mocked: and others said, We will hear thee again of this matter. And so Paul departed from among them. 1. Why then, when he had so persuaded them that even the Athenians said, "We will hear you again on this matter," and there being no dangers, does Paul hasten to leave Athens? Perhaps he knew he would not profit them much; and besides, he was being led by the Spirit to Corinth. Howbeit certain men clave unto him, and believed: among whom was Dionysius the Areopagite, and a woman named Damaris, and others with them. And after these things Paul departed from Athens, and came to Corinth. And found a certain Jew named Aquila, born in Pontus, lately come from Italy, with his wife Priscilla (because that Claudius had commanded all Jews to depart from Rome), and came unto them; and because he was of the same craft, he abode with them, and wrought: for by their occupation they were tentmakers. Naturally, he was led by the Spirit to Corinth, as I said, where he had to stay. For the Athenians, although lovers of hearing something new, yet did not pay attention; for they were not zealous for this, but in order to
209
ἅπασαν δέσμιος· ὡς δὲ τῶν ἐλέγχων ἐπιτεινομένων δέδωκε δίκην, τότε ἐγὼ εἰς μαρτύριον ἀπιέναι βουλόμενος, ἐπανῄειν διὰ τῶν κήπων παρὰ ποταμὸν μετὰ καὶ ἑτέρου τινός. Ἰδὼν δὲ ἐκεῖνος τὸ βιβλίον ἄνω ἐπιπλέον, τὸ μὲν πρῶτον ἐνόμιζεν ὀθόνην εἶναι, γενόμενος δὲ ἐγγὺς, ἔγνω ὅτι βιβλίον ἦν, καὶ καταβὰς ἀνείλετο. Ἐγὼ δὲ ἐφιλονείκουν, ὥστε κοινὴν 60.275 εἶναι τὴν εὕρεσιν, καὶ ἐγέλων. Ἀλλ' ἴδωμεν, φησὶν, ὅ τί ποτε καὶ ἔστιν. Ἀνακλᾷ μέρος τῆς σελίδος, καὶ εὑρίσκει ἐγγεγραμμένα μαγικά. Συνέβη δὲ κατὰ ταυτὸν στρατιώτην παριέναι. Εἶτα ἔνδοθεν λαβὼν ἀπῄει, καὶ ἐπεπήγει τῷ δέει. Τίς γὰρ ἂν καὶ ἐπίστευσεν, ὅτι ἀπὸ τοῦ ποταμοῦ λαβόντες ἀνειλόμεθα, πάντων τότε καὶ τῶν ἀνυπόπτων κατεχομένων; Καὶ ῥῖψαι οὐκ ἐτολμῶμεν, μὴ ὀφθῶμεν, καὶ καταμερίσαι αὐτὸ πάλιν ὅμοιον δέος ἦν. Ἔδωκε γοῦν ὁ Θεὸς, καὶ ἐῤῥίψαμεν, καὶ ἔσχατον ἀπηλλάγημεν τότε τῶν κινδύνων. Καὶ μυρία ἂν ἔχοιμι λέγειν, εἰ πάντα καταλέγειν ἐθέλοιμι. Καὶ ταῦτα δὲ ὑμῶν ἕνεκεν εἶπον, ὥστε εἴ τις κἂν μὴ τοιαῦτα, ἀλλ' ἕτερά τινα ἔχοι, ταῦτα μεμνήσθω διηνεκῶς· οἷον, εἴ ποτε λίθος τις ἐνεχθεὶς, μέλλων ἐπὶ σὲ ἔρχεσθαι, καὶ οὐκ ἐπὶ σὲ ἦλθε, τοῦτο ἀείμνηστον ἔχε· μεγάλην ταῦτα ποιεῖ πρὸς Θεὸν φιλίαν ἡμῖν. Εἰ γὰρ ἀνθρώπων ἀναμνησθέντες τῶν διασωσάντων ἡμᾶς, πάνυ δακνόμεθα, ὅταν αὐτοὺς ἀμείψασθαι μὴ δυνηθῶμεν· πολλῷ μᾶλλον ἐπὶ Θεοῦ. Τοῦτο καὶ ἀλλαχοῦ χρήσιμον. Ὅταν οὖν βουλώμεθα μὴ ἀλύειν, λέγωμεν δή· Εἰ τὰ ἀγαθὰ ἐδεξάμεθα παρὰ Κυρίου, 60.276 τὰ κακὰ οὐχ ὑποίσομεν; Καὶ Παῦλος διὰ τοῦτο ἔλεγεν ὅθεν ἐῤῥύσθη, ἵνα κἀκείνους ἀναμνήσῃ. Ὅρα καὶ ὁ Ἰακὼβ πῶς πάντα ταῦτα ἐν νῷ εἶχε· διὸ καὶ ἔλεγεν· Ὁ ἄγγελος ὁ ῥυόμενός με ἐκ νεότητός μου. Καὶ μὴ μόνον, ὅτι ἐῤῥύσατο, ἀλλὰ πῶς καὶ ἐπὶ τίνι ἐννοῶμεν. Ὅρα γοῦν κἀκεῖνον ἰδικῶς μνημονεύοντα τῶν εὐεργεσιῶν. Ἐν τῇ ῥάβδῳ μου, φησὶ, διῆλθον τὸν Ἰορδάνην. Οἱ δὲ Ἰουδαῖοι καὶ τῶν ἐπὶ προγόνων μέμνηνται ἀεὶ, τὰ κατὰ τὴν Αἴγυπτον στρέφοντες. Οὐκοῦν πολλῷ μᾶλλον ἡμεῖς τῶν οἰκείων καὶ εἰς ἡμᾶς συμβεβηκότων, ποσάκις εἰς ἐπηρείας καὶ συμφορὰς ἐμπεπτώκαμεν· καὶ εἰ μὴ ὁ Θεὸς χεῖρα ὑπερέσχε, πάλαι ἂν ἀπολώλειμεν. Ταῦτα ἐννοοῦντες ἅπαντες, καὶ ἀναλεγόμενοι καθ' ἑκάστην, χάριν εἰδῶμεν διηνεκῶς τῷ Θεῷ, καὶ πάντες κοινῇ δόξαν αὐτῷ ἀναπέμψωμεν, καὶ δοξάζοντες αὐτὸν μὴ διαλιμπάνωμεν, ἵνα τῆς εὐγνωμοσύνης πολλὴν τὴν ἀμοιβὴν κομισώμεθα, χάριτι καὶ οἰκτιρμοῖς τοῦ μονογενοῦς αὐτοῦ Υἱοῦ, μεθ' οὗ ἅμα τῷ ἁγίῳ Πνεύματι δόξα, κράτος, τιμὴ, νῦν καὶ ἀεὶ, καὶ εἰς τοὺς αἰῶνας τῶν αἰώνων. Ἀμήν.
60.275 ΟΜΙΛΙΑ ΛΘʹ. Ἀκούσαντες δὲ ἀνάστασιν νεκρῶν, οἱ μὲν ἐχλεύα ζον, οἱ δὲ εἶπον· Ἀκουσόμεθά σου πάλιν περὶ τούτου. Καὶ οὕτως ὁ
Παῦλος ἐξῆλθεν ἐκ μέσου αὐτῶν. αʹ. Τί δήποτε πείσαντος οὕτως αὐτοῦ ὡς καὶ εἰπεῖν Ἀθηναίους, Ἀκουσόμεθά
σου πάλιν περὶ τούτου, καὶ κινδύνων οὐκ ὄντων, ἐπείγεται τὰς Ἀθήνας ἀφεῖναι ὁ Παῦλος; Ἴσως ᾔδει οὐ μέγα ὀνήσων· ἄλλως τε καὶ ὑπὸ τοῦ Πνεύματος εἰς Κόρινθον ἤγετο. Τινὲς δὲ ἄνδρες κολληθέντες αὐτῷ, ἐπίστευσαν, ἐν οἷς καὶ ∆ιονύσιος ὁ Ἀρεοπαγίτης, καὶ γυνὴ ὀνόματι ∆άμαρις, καὶ ἕτεροι σὺν αὐτοῖς. Μετὰ δὲ ταῦτα χωρισθεὶς ὁ Παῦλος ἐκ τῶν Ἀθηνῶν, ἦλθεν εἰς Κόρινθον. Καὶ εὑρών τινα Ἰουδαῖον ὀνόματι Ἀκύλαν, Ποντικὸν τῷ γένει, προσφάτως ἐληλυθότα ἀπὸ τῆς Ἰταλίας, καὶ Πρίσκιλλαν γυναῖκα αὐτοῦ (διὰ τὸ διατεταχέναι Κλαύδιον χωρίζεσθαι πάντας τοὺς Ἰουδαίους ἐκ τῆς Ῥώμης), προσῆλθεν αὐτοῖς· καὶ διὰ τὸ ὁμότεχνον εἶναι, ἔμεινε παρ' αὐτοῖς, καὶ εἰργάζετο· ἦσαν γὰρ σκηνοποιοὶ τῇ τέχνῃ. Εἰκότως εἰς Κόρινθον, ὡς ἔφην, ὑπὸ τοῦ Πνεύματος ἤγετο, ἐν ᾗ μένειν ἔδει. Οἱ γὰρ Ἀθηναῖοι, καίτοι ξένης ὄντες ἀκροάσεως ἐρασταὶ, ὅμως οὐ προσεῖχον· οὐ γὰρ τοῦτο ἐσπούδαζον, ἀλλ' ὥστε