215

he has brought, so much does he care for you. 2. And how may it become acceptable? In the Holy Spirit; for not faith alone is needed, but also a spiritual way of life, that we may hold fast to the Spirit once given. For we have not wood and fire, nor altar and knife, but the Spirit is all things among us. For this reason I do all things, that that fire may not be quenched; for this is what I have been commanded. What then do you say to those who have no need? For this very reason I do not teach, but I remind, he says; just as the priest stands by rekindling the fire, so I too am stirring up your zeal. And see; he did not say, ‘That your offering may be,’ but, ‘Of the Gentiles.’ But when he says, ‘Of the Gentiles,’ he means the whole world, all the land and sea, putting down their pride, so that they might not disdain to have as a teacher one who is stretching out to the ends of the earth; which he also said at the beginning, ‘As also among the other Gentiles, I am a debtor both to Greeks and to Barbarians, both to the wise and to the foolish.’ I have therefore a boast in Christ Jesus in the things pertaining to God. For since he had greatly humbled himself, he again lifts up his discourse, and does this for their sakes, so that he might not seem contemptible. And in lifting it up, he is mindful of his own character, saying thus: ‘I have therefore a boast.’ I boast, he says, not in myself, nor in my own zeal, but in the grace of God. For I will not dare to speak of anything of those things which Christ has not wrought by me, to make the Gentiles obedient, by word and deed, through mighty signs and wonders, by the power of the Spirit of God. For no one could say, he says, that my words are a boast; for of this my priestly service I have many symbols to show, and proofs of my 60.656 ordination, not a robe and bells, like the ancients, nor a mitre and a turban, but signs and wonders far more awesome than these. For one cannot say that I was entrusted, but did not do what was commanded; rather, it was not I who did it, but Christ; wherefore I also boast in Him, not about ordinary matters, but about spiritual ones. For this is, ‘the things pertaining to God.’ For that I have accomplished that for which I was sent, and that my words are not a boast, the miracles and the obedience of the Gentiles make clear. For I will not dare to speak of anything of those things which Christ has not wrought by me, to make the Gentiles obedient, by word and deed, through mighty signs and wonders, by the power of the Spirit of God. See how he strives to show that all is of God, and nothing of himself. For whether I say anything, or do anything, or work miracles, He does it all, the Holy Spirit does it all. And he says these things, showing also the dignity of the Spirit. Do you see how these things are more wonderful and more awesome than those of old—the sacrifice, the offering, the symbols? For when he says, ‘In word and deed, in the power of signs and wonders,’ he means this: the teaching, the philosophy concerning the kingdom, the demonstration of works and of life, the dead being raised, the demons being driven out, the blind being healed, the lame leaping, the other wonders, all of which the Holy Spirit wrought in us. Then the proof of these things, since these were so far a declaration, is the multitude of the disciples. Wherefore he also added: ‘So that from Jerusalem and round about unto Illyricum, I have fully preached the gospel of Christ.’ Count up then both cities and countries, and nations and peoples, not only those under the Romans, but also those under the barbarians. For do not come to me by the road through Phoenicia and Syria and that of the Cilicians and Cappadocians, but reckon also all that lies behind, that of the Saracens and Persians and Armenians and that of the other barbarians. For for this reason he said, ‘And round about,’ that you might not come only by the direct highway, but might also in your mind run over the whole of Asia towards the south. And just as he passed over snowflakes of miracles in one word, saying, ‘In the power of signs and wonders,’ so also he gathered together again in this one word countless cities, and nations and peoples and countries. In the phrase ‘round about.’ For he was far from all pride; and he uttered these things for their sakes, that they might not think great things of themselves. And at the beginning, he says, ‘That I might have some fruit among you also, even as among other Gentiles;’ here

215

ἤγαγεν, ὅσον ὑμῶν κηδόμενος. βʹ. Καὶ πῶς ἂν γένοιτο εὐπρόσδεκτος; Ἐν Πνεύματι ἁγίῳ· οὐ γὰρ πίστεως δεῖ μόνης, ἀλλὰ καὶ πολιτείας πνευματικῆς, ἵνα κατέχωμεν τὸ Πνεῦμα τὸ δοθὲν ἅπαξ. Οὐ γὰρ ξύλα καὶ πῦρ, οὐδὲ βωμὸς καὶ μάχαιρα, ἀλλὰ Πνεῦμα πάντα παρ' ἡμῖν. ∆ιὰ τοῦτο πάντα ποιῶ, ἵνα μὴ σβεσθῇ ἐκεῖνο τὸ πῦρ· τοῦτο γὰρ καὶ ἐπιτέταγμαι. Τί οὖν τοῖς μὴ δεομένοις λέγεις; ∆ι' αὐτὸ δὴ τοῦτο οὐ διδάσκω, ἀλλ' ἀναμιμνήσκω, φησί· καθάπερ ὁ ἱερεὺς παρέστηκε τὸ πῦρ ἀνακαίων, οὕτω καὶ ἐγὼ τὴν προθυμίαν ὑμῶν διεγείρων. Καὶ ὅρα· οὐκ εἶπεν, Ἵνα γένηται ἡ προσφορὰ ὑμῶν, ἀλλὰ, Τῶν ἐθνῶν. Ὅταν δὲ εἴπῃ, Τῶν ἐθνῶν, τὴν οἰκουμένην λέγει, γῆν καὶ θάλασσαν ἅπασαν, καταστέλλων ἐκείνων τὰ φρονήματα, ὥστε μὴ ἀπαξιῶσαι καὶ διδάσκαλον ἔχειν τὸν πρὸς τὰ πέρατα τῆς οἰκουμένης τεινόμενον· ὃ καὶ ἀρχόμενος ἔλεγε, Καθὼς καὶ ἐν τοῖς λοιποῖς ἔθνεσιν, Ἕλλησί τε καὶ βαρβάροις, σοφοῖς τε καὶ ἀνοήτοις ὀφειλέτης εἰμί. Ἔχω οὖν καύχησιν ἐν Χριστῷ Ἰησοῦ τὰ πρὸς τὸν Θεόν. Ἐπειδὴ γὰρ σφόδρα ἑαυτὸν ἐταπείνωσε, πάλιν ἐπαίρει τὸν λόγον, καὶ τοῦτο ὑπὲρ ἐκείνων ποιῶν, ὥστε μὴ δόξαι εὐκαταφρόνητος εἶναι. Καὶ ἐν τῷ ἐπαίρειν δὲ αὐτὸν, τοῦ οἰκείου μέμνηται ἤθους, οὕτω λέγων· Ἔχω οὖν καύχησιν. Καυχῶμαι, φησὶν, οὐκ ἐν ἐμαυτῷ, οὐδὲ ἐν τῇ ἡμετέρᾳ σπουδῇ, ἀλλὰ τῇ τοῦ Θεοῦ χάριτι. Οὐ γὰρ τολμήσω τι λαλῆσαι, ὧν οὐ κατειργάσατο ὁ Χριστὸς δι' ἐμοῦ εἰς ὑπακοὴν τῶν ἐθνῶν, λόγῳ καὶ ἔργῳ, ἐν δυνάμει σημείων καὶ τεράτων, ἐν δυνάμει Πνεύματος Θεοῦ. Οὐδὲ γὰρ ἂν ἔχοι τις εἰπεῖν, φησὶν, ὅτι κόμπος μου τὰ ῥήματα· τῆς γὰρ ἱερουργίας μου ταύτης τὰ σύμβολα, καὶ τῆς 60.656 χειροτονίας ἔχω πολλὰ δεῖξαι τὰ τεκμήρια, οὐ ποδήρη καὶ κώδωνας, καθάπερ οἱ παλαιοὶ, οὐδὲ μίτραν καὶ κίδαριν, ἀλλὰ πολλῷ φρικωδέστερα τούτων σημεῖα καὶ θαύματα. Οὐδὲ γὰρ ἔστιν εἰπεῖν, ὅτι ἐνεχειρίσθην μὲν, οὐκ ἐποίησα δὲ τὸ ἐπιταχθέν· μᾶλλον δὲ οὐδὲ ἐγὼ ἐποίησα, ἀλλὰ ὁ Χριστός· διὸ καὶ ἐν αὐτῷ καυχῶμαι, οὐχ ὑπὲρ τῶν τυχόντων πραγμάτων, ἀλλ' ὑπὲρ τῶν πνευματικῶν. Τοῦτο γάρ ἐστι, Τὰ πρὸς τὸν Θεόν. Ὅτι γὰρ ἤνυσα ἐφ' ὃ ἐπέμφθην, καὶ οὐ κόμπος τὰ ῥήματα, δηλοῖ τὰ θαύματα καὶ ἡ τῶν ἐθνῶν ὑπακοή. Οὐ γὰρ τολμήσω τι λαλῆσαι ὧν οὐ κατειργάσατο ὁ Χριστὸς δι' ἐμοῦ εἰς ὑπακοὴν ἐθνῶν, λόγῳ καὶ ἔργῳ, ἐν δυνάμει σημείων καὶ τεράτων, ἐν δυνάμει Πνεύματος Θεοῦ. Ὅρα πῶς βιάζεται τὸ πᾶν δεῖξαι τοῦ Θεοῦ, καὶ οὐδὲν ἑαυτοῦ. Εἴτε γὰρ φθέγγομαί τι, εἴτε ποιῶ, εἴτε θαυματουργῶ, πάντα αὐτὸς, πάντα τὸ Πνεῦμα τὸ ἅγιον. Ταῦτα δὲ λέγει, δεικνὺς καὶ τοῦ Πνεύματος τὸ ἀξίωμα. Εἶδες πῶς ταῦτα τῶν παλαιῶν θαυμαστότερα καὶ φρικωδέστερα, ἡ θυσία, ἡ προσφορὰ, τὰ σύμβολα; Ὅταν γὰρ εἴπῃ, Ἐν λόγῳ καὶ ἔργῳ, ἐν δυνάμει σημείων καὶ τεράτων, τοῦτο λέγει, τὴν διδασκαλίαν, τὴν περὶ βασιλείας φιλοσοφίαν, τὴν τῶν ἔργων, καὶ τῆς πολιτείας ἐπίδειξιν, τοὺς νεκροὺς τοὺς ἐγειρομένους, τοὺς δαίμονας τοὺς ἐλαυνομένους, τοὺς θεραπευομένους τυφλοὺς, τοὺς πηδῶντας χωλοὺς, τὰ ἄλλα τεράστια, ἅπερ ἅπαντα εἰργάζετο τὸ Πνεῦμα τὸ ἅγιον ἐν ἡμῖν. Εἶτα ἡ τούτων ἀπόδειξις, ἐπειδὴ ταῦτα τέως ἀπόφασις ἦν, τῶν μαθητῶν τὸ πλῆθος. ∆ιὸ καὶ ἐπήγαγεν· Ὥστε με ἀπὸ Ἱερουσαλὴμ καὶ κύκλῳ μέχρι τοῦ Ἰλλυρικοῦ πεπληρωκέναι τὸ εὐαγγέλιον τοῦ Χριστοῦ. Ἀρίθμει τοίνυν καὶ πόλεις καὶ χώρας, καὶ ἔθνη καὶ δήμους, μὴ τοὺς ὑπὸ Ῥωμαίοις μόνους, ἀλλὰ καὶ τοὺς ὑπὸ βαρβάροις. Μὴ γάρ μοι τὴν διὰ τῆς Φοινίκης καὶ Συρίας καὶ τῆς Κιλίκων καὶ Καππαδοκῶν ἔλθῃς ὁδὸν, ἀλλὰ καὶ τὰ ὄπισθεν ἅπαντα λογίζου, τὴν Σαρακηνῶν καὶ Περσῶν καὶ Ἀρμενίων καὶ τὴν τῶν ἄλλων βαρβάρων. ∆ιὰ γὰρ τοῦτο εἶπε, Καὶ κύκλῳ, ἵνα μὴ τὴν κατευθὺ λεωφόρον ἔλθῃς μόνον, ἀλλὰ καὶ πᾶσαν καὶ τὴν κατὰ τὸν νότον Ἀσίαν περιδράμῃς τῇ διανοίᾳ. Καὶ ὥσπερ νιφάδας θαυμάτων ἑνὶ λόγῳ παρέδραμεν, εἰπὼν, Ἐν δυνάμει σημείων καὶ τεράτων· οὕτω καὶ πόλεις ἀπείρους, καὶ ἔθνη καὶ δήμους καὶ χώρας ἐνὶ τούτῳ πάλιν συνεῖλε ῥήματι. Τῷ κύκλῳ. Πόῤῥω γὰρ ἦν τύφου παντός· καὶ ταῦτα δὲ διὰ τούτους ἐφθέγγετο, ὥστε μὴ μέγα φρονεῖν ἐφ' ἑαυτοῖς. Καὶ ἀρχόμενος μὲν, φησὶν, Ἵνα τινὰ καρπὸν σχῶ καὶ ἐν ὑμῖν, καθὼς καὶ ἐν τοῖς λοιποῖς ἔθνεσιν· ἐνταῦθα