253
they stood beholding; that is, speaking. 60.329 And this happened for good reason; for he needed to be counted worthy of that voice. For if they also had heard, the wonder would not have been so great. Since, then, the more dull are persuaded more by sight, for this reason they too saw only the light, which was sufficient to persuade them; whence they also became fearful. Moreover, the light did not work as much on them as on him; for it blinded his sight, giving them too a chance to see again through what was happening to him, if they were willing. At any rate, it seems to me that it was also by a divine economy that they did not believe, so that they might be trustworthy witnesses. And He said to me, he says: I am Jesus of Nazareth, whom you are persecuting. And the city is rightly added, so that they might recognize him. The Apostles also said thus: Jesus of Nazareth. See, He Himself also testifies that He was being persecuted. And those who were with me saw the light, and became fearful, but they did not hear the voice of the one speaking to me. And I said: What shall I do, Lord? And the Lord said to me: Arise and go into Damascus, and there it will be told you what you must do. And when I could not see for the glory of that light, being led by the hand by those who were with me, I came into Damascus. And a certain man Ananias, a devout man according to the law, having a good report from all the Jews who dwelt in Damascus, came to me and standing by, said to me: Brother Saul, receive your sight. And I in the same hour looked up at him. Enter, he says, into the city, and there it will be told you what you must do. Behold, again another witness. And see how he also makes him trustworthy. And a certain man Ananias, he says, a devout man according to the law, having a good report from all the Jews, having come in to me and standing by, said to me: Receive your sight. Thus there is nothing alien. And I in the same hour received my sight. Then the testimony through the events. And see it being woven through persons and events, persons both friendly and alien. The persons are the priests, the elders, those journeying with him; the events, what he did, what he suffered; and events bear witness to events, not only persons. Or also otherwise: Ananias is alien; then the event itself, the recovery of sight; then a great prophecy. But he said, he says: The God of our fathers has chosen you to know His will, and to see the Just One. He said well, “Of the fathers,” to show that they are not Jews, but strangers to the law, and acting out of envy, not zeal. To know, he says, His will, and to see the Just One. Therefore this is His will. See how in the order of the narrative there is teaching. And to hear a voice from His mouth, for you shall be a witness for Him to all men, of what you have seen and heard. And to see, he says, the Just One; for now he says this. But if He is just, these are responsible. And to hear a voice from His mouth. See how he elevates the matter. For you shall be, he says, a witness for Him. Therefore for this reason you will not betray the sight and the hearing, of the things you have seen and the things you have heard; through both senses he makes him credible. And now why do you delay? Arise, be baptized, and wash away your sins, calling on His name. 3. Here he uttered something great. For he did not say, “Be baptized into His name,” but, “Calling upon the name of Christ.” This shows that He is God 60.330; for it is not possible to call upon any other, except God. Then he also shows that he himself was not compelled by what he says: And the Lord said to me: Go into Damascus, and there it will be told you what you must do. Nothing is without witness, but he brings forward the testimony of a whole city, which indeed also saw him being led by the hand. And see also the prophecy fulfilled, which he heard, that he would be a witness of the Lord. For he truly became His witness, and a witness as is fitting, both by what he did and by what he said. We too should be such witnesses, and not betray what we have been entrusted with; I speak not only concerning doctrines, but also concerning life. For see: what he saw, what he heard, he testifies to all men, and nothing hindered him. And we have heard, that
253
θεωροῦντες εἱστήκεισαν· τουτέστι, λα 60.329 λοῦντα. Εἰκότως δὲ τοῦτο ἐγένετο· αὐτὸν γὰρ ἔδει τῆς φωνῆς καταξιωθῆναι ἐκείνης. Εἰ γὰρ ἤκουσαν κἀκεῖνοι, οὐκ ἂν τοσοῦτον ἐγένετο τὸ θαῦμα. Ἐπειδὴ τοίνυν οἱ παχύτεροι ὄψει πείθονται μᾶλλον, διὰ τοῦτο καὶ ἐκεῖνοι τὸ φῶς εἶδον μόνον, ὅπερ ἱκανὸν ἦν αὐτοὺς πεῖσαι· ὅθεν καὶ ἔμφοβοι γίνονται. Ἄλλως δὲ οὐ περὶ αὐτοὺς τὸ φῶς τοσοῦτον εἰργάσατο, ὅσον περὶ τοῦτον· καὶ γὰρ ἐπήρωσεν αὐτοῦ τὰς ὄψεις, διὰ τῶν εἰς τοῦτον συμβαινόντων κἀκείνοις διδοὺς ἀναβλέψαι, εἴ γε ἤθελον. Ἐμοὶ γοῦν δοκεῖ καὶ οἰκονομικῶς ἐκείνους μὴ πιστεῦσαι, ὥστε εἶναι μάρτυρας ἀξιοπίστους. Εἶπέ τε, φησὶ, πρὸς ἐμέ· Ἐγώ εἰμι Ἰησοῦς ὁ Ναζωραῖος, ὃν σὺ διώκεις. Καλῶς καὶ ἡ πόλις πρόσκειται, ὥστε ἐπιγνῶναι αὐτούς. Καὶ οἱ ἀπόστολοι οὕτως ἔλεγον· Ἰησοῦν τὸν ἀπὸ Ναζαρέθ. Ὅρα, καὶ αὐτὸς μαρτυρεῖ, ὅτι ἐδιώκετο. Οἱ δὲ σὺν ἐμοὶ ὄντες τὸ μὲν φῶς ἐθεάσαντο, καὶ ἔμφοβοι ἐγένοντο, τὴν δὲ φωνὴν οὐκ ἤκουσαν τοῦ λαλοῦντός μοι. Εἶπον δέ· Τί ποιήσω, Κύριε; Ὁ δὲ Κύριος εἶπε πρός με· Ἀναστὰς πορεύου εἰς ∆αμασκὸν, κἀκεῖ σοι λαληθήσεται τί σε δεῖ ποιῆσαι. Ὡς δὲ οὐκ ἐνέβλεπον ἀπὸ τῆς δόξης τοῦ φωτὸς ἐκείνου, χειραγωγούμενος ὑπὸ τῶν συνόντων μοι, ἦλθον εἰς ∆αμασκόν. Ἀνανίας δέ τις ἀνὴρ εὐλαβὴς κατὰ τὸν νόμον, μαρτυρούμενος ὑπὸ πάντων τῶν ἐν ∆αμασκῷ Ἰουδαίων, ἐλθὼν πρός με καὶ ἐπιστὰς, εἶπέ μοι· Σαοὺλ ἀδελφὲ, ἀνάβλεψον. Κἀγὼ αὐτῇ τῇ ὥρᾳ ἀνέβλεψα εἰς αὐτόν. Εἴσελθε, φησὶν, εἰς τὴν πόλιν, κἀκεῖ σοι λαληθήσεται τί σε δεῖ ποιῆσαι. Ἰδοὺ πάλιν ἄλλος μάρτυς. Καὶ ὅρα πῶς αὐτὸν καὶ ἀξιόπιστον ποιεῖ. Ἀνανίας δέ τις, φησὶν, ἀνὴρ εὐλαβὴς κατὰ τὸν νόμον, μαρτυρούμενος ὑπὸ πάντων τῶν Ἰουδαίων, εἰσελθὼν πρός με καὶ ἐπιστὰς, εἶπέ μοι· Ἀνάβλεψον. Οὕτως οὐδὲν ἀλλότριόν ἐστι. Κἀγὼ αὐτῇ τῇ ὥρᾳ ἀνέβλεψα. Εἶτα ἡ διὰ τῶν πραγμάτων μαρτυρία. Καὶ ὅρα διὰ προσώπων καὶ πραγμάτων αὐτὴν πλεκομένην, προσώπων οἰκείων τε καὶ ἀλλοτρίων. Πρόσωπα οἱ ἱερεῖς, οἱ πρεσβύτεροι, οἱ συνοδεύοντες τὰ πράγματα ἃ ἐποίει, ἃ ἔπαθε· καὶ πράγματα πράγμασι μαρτυρεῖ, οὐχὶ πρόσωπα μόνον. Ἢ καὶ ἑτέρως· ἀλλότριος ὁ Ἀνανίας· εἶτα τὸ πρᾶγμα αὐτὸ, ἡ ἀνάβλεψις· εἶτα προφητεία μεγάλη. Ὁ δὲ εἶπε, φησίν· Ὁ Θεὸς τῶν πατέρων ἡμῶν προεχειρίσατό σε γνῶναι τὸ θέλημα αὐτοῦ, καὶ ἰδεῖν τὸν δίκαιον. Καλῶς εἶπε, Τῶν πατέρων, ἵνα δείξῃ αὐτοὺς οὐκ ὄντας Ἰουδαίους, ἀλλὰ ἀλλοτρίους τοῦ νόμου, καὶ φθόνῳ, οὐχὶ ζήλῳ ποιοῦντας. Γνῶναι, φησὶ, τὸ θέλημα αὐτοῦ, καὶ ἰδεῖν τὸν δίκαιον. Οὐκοῦν αὐτοῦ θέλημα τοῦτο. Ὅρα πῶς ἐν τάξει διηγήσεως διδασκαλία ἐστί. Καὶ ἀκοῦσαι φωνὴν ἐκ τοῦ στόματος αὐτοῦ, ὅτι ἔσῃ μάρτυς αὐτοῦ πρὸς πάντας ἀνθρώπους, ὧν ἑώρακας καὶ ἤκουσας. Καὶ ἰδεῖν, φησὶ, τὸν δίκαιον· τέως τοῦτο λέγει. Εἰ δὲ δίκαιος, οὗτοι ὑπεύθυνοι. Καὶ ἀκοῦσαι φωνὴν ἐκ τοῦ στόματος αὐτοῦ. Ὅρα πῶς τὸ πρᾶγμα ἐπαίρει. Ὅτι ἔσῃ, φησὶ, μάρτυς αὐτοῦ. Οὐκοῦν διὰ τοῦτο οὐ προδώσεις τὴν ὄψιν, καὶ τὴν ἀκρόασιν, ὧν τε ἑώρακας ὧν τε ἤκουσας· δι' ἑκατέρων τῶν αἰσθήσεων αὐτὸν πιστοῦται. Καὶ νῦν τί μέλλεις; Ἀναστὰς βάπτισαι, καὶ ἀπόλουσαι τὰς ἁμαρτίας σου, ἐπικαλεσάμενος τὸ ὄνομα αὐτοῦ. γʹ. Ἐνταῦθα μέγα ἐφθέγξατο. Οὐ γὰρ εἶπεν, Εἰς τὸ ὄνομα αὐτοῦ βάπτισαι· ἀλλ', Ἐπικαλεσάμενος τὸ ὄνομα τοῦ Χριστοῦ. Τοῦτο δὲ δεικνύντος ἐστὶν αὐτὸν Θεὸν 60.330 ὄντα· οὐ γὰρ ἔνι ἕτερόν τινα ἐπικαλέσασθαι, εἰ μὴ τὸν Θεόν. Εἶτα δείκνυσι καὶ ἑαυτὸν οὐκ ἀναγκασθέντα δι' ὧν λέγει· Ὁ δὲ Κύριος εἶπε πρός με· Πορεύου εἰς ∆αμασκὸν, κἀκεῖ σοι λαληθήσεται τί σε δεῖ ποιῆσαι. Οὐδὲν ἀμάρτυρον, ἀλλὰ πόλεως ὁλοκλήρου μαρτυρίαν παράγει, ἥ γε καὶ εἶδεν αὐτὸν χειραγωγούμενον. Ὅρα δὲ καὶ τὴν προφητείαν ἐξελθοῦσαν, ἣν ἤκουσε μάρτυρα αὐτὸν ἔσεσθαι τοῦ Κυρίου. Μάρτυς γὰρ ὄντως αὐτοῦ γέγονε, καὶ μάρτυς ὡς χρὴ, καὶ δι' ὧν ἔπραξε, καὶ δι' ὧν εἶπε. Τοιούτους καὶ ἡμᾶς εἶναι χρὴ μάρτυρας, καὶ μὴ προδιδόναι, ἃ ἐνεπιστεύθημεν· οὐ περὶ δογμάτων λέγω μόνον, ἀλλὰ καὶ περὶ βίου. Ὅρα γάρ· ὅτι εἶδεν, ὅτι ἤκουσε, μαρτυρεῖ πᾶσιν ἀνθρώποις, καὶ οὐδὲν αὐτὸν ἐκώλυσε. Καὶ ἡμεῖς ἠκούσαμεν, ὅτι