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since they of all people were bound by the Law, it was not likely that he would change it for no reason and without any strong necessity. But perhaps someone might say: This is of no consequence, that he was brought up here; for what if you were here for trade or some other reason? Therefore, lest he be thought this on account of that, he added, At the feet of Gamaliel; and he did not simply say, With Gamaliel, but, At the feet, showing his perseverance, his constant attendance, his eagerness for hearing, the great reverence he had for the man. Taught according to the perfect manner of the law of our fathers. Not simply of the Law, but he adds, Of our fathers; showing that he was such from the first, and not one who simply knew the Law. These things seem to be said in their favor, but they were against them, if indeed he left it even though he knew it. Then, lest someone 60.328 again object: What then, if you know the law perfectly, but neither avenge nor love it? Being zealous, he says; that is, not simply knowing, but also being exceedingly zealous for it. Then, since he had spoken great praises about himself, he now makes his discourse common, adding, As you all are this day. For he shows that they act not with a human purpose, but with a divine zeal. This he says, indulging them and winning over their minds, and holding them in matters where there was no harm. Then he also brings forward proofs, saying: As for this way, I persecuted it unto death, binding and delivering into prisons both men and women, as also the high priest bears me witness, and all the estate of the elders. Lest anyone should say: And how is this evident? he brings forward as witnesses the high priest himself and the elders. And he speaks, smoothing things over, Being zealous as you are, that is, your equal; but by his works he shows that he was beyond them. For I did not wait to arrest them, but I also stirred up the priests, and went on journeys; and I did not stop at men, as you do, but also women; and binding them all, and casting them into prisons. The testimony is indisputable, the case of the Jews indefensible. See how many witnesses he brings forward: the presbytery, the high priest, those in the city. 2. But see also that his defense is not one of cowardice, but rather of teaching and instruction. For if the listeners had not been stones, they would have paid attention to what was being said. For up to this point he had them as witnesses, but the rest was without witness. From whom also I received letters, and went to the brethren at Damascus, to bring them which were there bound unto Jerusalem, for to be punished. And it came to pass, that, as I made my journey, and was come nigh unto Damascus about noon, suddenly there shone from heaven a great light round about me, And I fell unto the ground, and heard a voice saying unto me, Saul, Saul, why persecutest thou me? And I answered, Who art thou, Lord? And he said unto me, I am Jesus of Nazareth, whom thou persecutest. Most of all, therefore, these things ought to have been trustworthy from what had gone before; for he would not have been converted. What then, if he is boasting? one says. By no means. For why did he suddenly cast away so great a zeal? tell me. Expecting honor? And yet he endured the opposite; but ease? Not that either; but what else? But it is not possible to find anything from reasoning. Therefore, leaving it to them to gather these things, he recounts the events. When I was come nigh, he says, to Damascus, about noon, suddenly there shone from heaven a great light round about me, And I fell unto the ground. See how great was the excess of the light. And that I am not boasting, those who were with me bear witness, those who led me by the hand, those who saw the light. And they that were with me saw indeed the light, and were afraid; but they heard not the voice of him that spake to me. Do not be surprised, if here it is thus, but elsewhere he says, that They stood hearing a voice, but seeing no man. This is not a contradiction. For there were two voices, that of Paul and that of the Lord; so there he speaks of the voice of Paul, but here he added, saying, They heard not the voice of him that spake to me. Therefore, the phrase, Seeing no man, is indicative not of seeing, but of not hearing. For he did not say that they did not see the light; but, No man

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μάλιστα πάντων κατεχομένων ὑπὸ τοῦ νόμου, οὐκ ἦν εἰκὸς ἁπλῶς καὶ οὐδεμιᾶς ἀνάγκης ἰσχυρᾶς οὔσης μεταθέσθαι αὐτόν. Ἀλλ' ἴσως εἴποι τις ἄν· Οὐδὲν τοῦτο ποιεῖ, ὅτι ἐνταῦθα ἀνετράφη· τί γὰρ εἰ κατὰ ἐμπορίαν ἢ κατ' ἄλλην τινὰ αἰτίαν ἐνταῦθα γέγονας; Ἵνα τοίνυν μὴ διὰ τοῦτο νομισθῇ, ἐπήγαγε, Παρὰ τοὺς πόδας Γαμαλιήλου· καὶ οὐχ ἁπλῶς εἶπε, Παρὰ Γαμαλιήλου, ἀλλὰ, Παρὰ τοὺς πόδας, τὴν καρτερίαν, τὴν προσεδρείαν, τὴν σπουδὴν τὴν περὶ τὴν ἀκρόασιν, τὴν πολλὴν πρὸς τὸν ἄνδρα αἰδῶ δεικνύς. Πεπαιδευμένος κατὰ ἀκρίβειαν τοῦ πατρῴου νόμου. Οὐχ ἁπλῶς νόμου, ἀλλὰ Τοῦ πατρῴου προστίθησι· δεικνὺς ὅτι ἄνωθεν τοιοῦτος ἦν, καὶ οὐχ ἁπλῶς εἰδὼς τὸν νόμον. Ταῦτα δὲ δοκεῖ μὲν ὑπὲρ ἐκείνων λέγεσθαι, κατ' ἐκείνων δὲ ἦν, εἴ γε καὶ εἰδὼς αὐτὸν εἴασεν. Εἶτα, ἵνα μὴ πάλιν τις 60.328 ἐπενέγκῃ· τί οὖν, εἰ οἶδας μὲν ἀκριβῶς τὸν νόμον, οὐκ ἐκδικεῖς δὲ οὐδὲ φιλεῖς; Ζηλωτὴς, φησὶν, ὑπάρχων· τουτέστιν, οὐχ ἁπλῶς εἰδὼς, ἀλλὰ καὶ σφόδρα ζηλῶν ὑπὲρ αὐτοῦ. Εἶτα, ἐπειδὴ μεγάλα περὶ αὐτοῦ ἐγκώμια εἶπε, κοινοῖ τὸν λόγον λοιπὸν, ἐπάγων, Καθὼς πάντες ὑμεῖς ἐστε σήμερον. ∆είκνυσι γὰρ αὐτοὺς οὐκ ἀνθρωπίνῳ σκοπῷ ποιοῦντας, ἀλλὰ ζήλῳ θείῳ. Τοῦτο δὲ λέγει, χαριζόμενος αὐτοῖς καὶ προκαταλαμβάνων αὐτῶν τὴν διάνοιαν, καὶ κατέχων ἐν οἷς βλάβος οὐδὲν ἦν. Εἶτα καὶ τεκμήρια παράγει, λέγων· Ὃς ταύτην τὴν ὁδὸν ἐδίωξα ἕως θανάτου, δεσμεύων καὶ παραδιδοὺς εἰς φυλακὰς ἄνδρας τε καὶ γυναῖκας, ὡς καὶ ὁ ἀρχιερεὺς μαρτυρεῖ μοι, καὶ πᾶν τὸ πρεσβυτέριον. Ἵνα μηδεὶς εἴπῃ· Καὶ πόθεν τοῦτο δῆλον; μάρτυρας παράγει αὐτὸν τὸν ἀρχιερέα καὶ τοὺς πρεσβυτέρους. Καὶ λέγει μὲν λεαίνων, Ζηλωτὴς ὑπάρχων καθὼς ὑμεῖς, τουτέστιν, ἴσος ὑμῖν· δείκνυσι δὲ διὰ τῶν ἔργων, ὅτι ὑπὲρ αὐτοὺς ἦν. Οὐ γὰρ δὴ περιέμενον ὥστε συλλαβεῖν, ἀλλὰ καὶ τοὺς ἱερέας διήγειρον, καὶ ἀποδημίας ἐστελλόμην· καὶ οὐδὲ μέχρις ἀνδρῶν ἐχώρουν καθάπερ ὑμεῖς, ἀλλὰ καὶ γυναικῶν· καὶ δεσμεύων πάντας, καὶ εἰς δεσμωτήρια ἐμβάλλων. Ἀναμφισβήτητος ἡ μαρτυρία, ἀναπολόγητα τὰ τῶν Ἰουδαίων. Ὅρα πόσους παράγει μάρτυρας, τὸ πρεσβυτέριον, τὸν ἀρχιερέα, τοὺς ἐν τῇ πόλει. βʹ. Βλέπε δὲ αὐτοῦ καὶ τὴν ἀπολογίαν οὐ δειλίας οὖσαν, ἀλλὰ διδασκαλίας μᾶλλον καὶ κατηχήσεως. Εἰ γὰρ μὴ λίθοι ἦσαν οἱ ἀκούοντες, προσεῖχον ἂν τοῖς λεγομένοις. Μέχρι γὰρ τούτου μάρτυρας εἶχεν αὐτοὺς, τὰ δὲ λοιπὰ ἀμάρτυρα. Παρ' ὧν καὶ ἐπιστολὰς δεξάμενος, πρὸς τοὺς ἀδελφοὺς εἰς ∆αμασκὸν ἐπορευόμην, ἄξων καὶ τοὺς ἐκεῖσε ὄντας δεδεμένους εἰς Ἱερουσαλὴμ, ἵνα τιμωρηθῶσιν. Ἐγένετο δὲ πορευομένῳ μοι καὶ ἐγγίζοντι τῇ ∆αμασκῷ, περὶ μεσημβρίαν ἐξαίφνης ἐκ τοῦ οὐρανοῦ περιαστράψαι φῶς ἱκανὸν περὶ ἐμὲ, ἔπεσόν τε εἰς τὸ ἔδαφος, καὶ ἤκουον φωνῆς λεγούσης μοι· Σαοὺλ, Σαοὺλ, τί με διώκεις; Ἐγὼ δὲ ἀπεκρίθην· Τίς εἶ, Κύριε; Εἶπέ τε πρός με· Ἐγώ εἰμι Ἰησοῦς ὁ Ναζωραῖος, ὃν σὺ διώκεις. Μάλιστα μὲν οὖν καὶ ταῦτα ἀξιόπιστα ἔδει εἶναι ἀπὸ τῶν προλαβόντων· οὐ γὰρ ἂν μετεστράφη. Τί οὖν, εἰ κομπάζει; φησίν; Οὐδαμῶς. ∆ιὰ τί γὰρ τοσοῦτον ἐξαίφνης ἔῤῥιψε ζῆλον; εἰπέ μοι. Τιμὴν προσδοκῶν; Καὶ μὴν τἀναντία ὑπέμεινεν· ἀλλ' ἄνεσιν; Οὐδὲ τοῦτο· ἀλλὰ τί ἕτερον; Ἀλλ' οὐδὲν ἀπὸ λογισμῶν εὑρεῖν δυνατόν. Ταῦτα τοίνυν ἀφεὶς αὐτοῖς συλλέγειν, τὰ πράγματα διηγεῖται. Ἐγγίζοντί μοι, φησὶ, τῇ ∆αμασκῷ, περὶ μεσημβρίαν ἐξαίφνης ἐκ τοῦ οὐρανοῦ περιαστράψαι φῶς ἱκανὸν περὶ ἐμὲ, ἔπεσόν τε εἰς τὸ ἔδαφος. Ὅρα πόση ἡ ὑπερβολὴ τοῦ φωτός. Καὶ ὅτι οὐ κομπάζω, οἱ συνόντες μαρτυροῦσιν, οἱ χειραγωγοῦντες, οἱ τὸ φῶς θεασάμενοι. Οἱ δὲ σὺν ἐμοὶ ὄντες τὸ μὲν φῶς ἐθεάσαντο, καὶ ἔμφοβοι ἐγένοντο, τὴν δὲ φωνὴν οὐκ ἤκουσαν τοῦ λαλοῦντός μοι. Μηδὲν ξενισθῇς, εἰ ἐνταῦθα μὲν οὕτως, ἑτέρωθι δὲ λέγει, ὅτι Εἱστήκεισαν τὴν μὲν φωνὴν ἀκούοντες, μηδένα δὲ θεωροῦντες. Οὐκ ἔστι τοῦτο ἐναντίον. Φωναὶ γὰρ δύο ἦσαν, ἡ Παύλου καὶ ἡ τοῦ Κυρίου· τὴν φωνὴν τοίνυν ἐκεῖ τοῦ Παύλου λέγει, ἐνταῦθα δὲ καὶ προσέθηκεν εἰπὼν, Τὴν φωνὴν οὐκ ἤκουσαν τοῦ λαλοῦντός μοι. Οὐκοῦν τὸ, Μηδένα θεωροῦντες, οὐ τοῦ ἰδεῖν, ἀλλὰ τοῦ μὴ ἀκοῦσαι δηλωτικόν ἐστιν. Οὐ γὰρ εἶπεν ὅτι τὸ φῶς οὐκ ἔβλεπον· ἀλλὰ, Μηδένα