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to wish to see a man, even if unjustly, yet accused. So this also was of the dispensation. Therefore his wife also hears along with him, and is not absent from the hearing. And she does not simply listen, but with much honor. Such a great desire did she have; for she would not, if she had not desired it, have sought to hear, nor would he have made his wife a partner in the hearing, if he did not imagine great things about him. But it seems to me that she too longed for this. And see Paul immediately discoursing not only about faith nor about the remission of sins, but also about things to be done. But let us look at what was said above. For the present, he says, go your way; and when I have a convenient season, I will call for you. See the hardness of heart; hearing such things, he was expecting to receive money from him. And not only is this terrible, but also having discoursed with him, he did not release him, but because he was at the end of his term of office, he left him bound, in order to do the Jews a favor; so that he was a lover not only of money, but also of glory. How, you polluted man, do you seek money from a man who preaches the contrary? That he did not receive it, is clear from the fact that he left him bound, for he would have loosed him, if he had received it. This one was discoursing about self-control, but that one was expecting to receive money from him as he was discoursing on these things. And he did not dare to ask; for such is wickedness, cowardly and suspecting everything; but he hoped. So he naturally did them a favor, having ruled there for so long. Festus therefore having come into the province; the high priest and the chief of the Jews informed him against Paul, he says. Immediately and at the beginning the priests came forward, not hesitating to come to Caesarea, if he had not gone up beforehand, since indeed they approach him immediately upon his arrival. And having gone down to Caesarea, he stays for ten days. Perhaps, I think, so that it might be possible for those wishing to destroy him. But Paul was in the prison. And they besought him, he says, that he would send for him to Jerusalem. And why did they ask for a favor, if he deserves to die? But the plot became so clear to him also, that in speaking he said: Men who are present, behold this man, about whom the multitude of the Jews have dealt with me. For through the word, They dealt with me, it signifies, Asking for a favor against him. So they already wanted to bring him to a verdict, fearing the tongue of Paul. What do you fear? Why do you hurry? For this is what, That he should be kept, implies. For does he flee? Therefore, he says, let those among you who are able, accuse him. Again accusers in Caesarea, and again Paul is brought forth. And on the next day having sat, he says, on the judgment seat. 3. See, having come he immediately sat on the judgment seat; so they were pushing him with such haste, so they hurry. As long, therefore, as he had not yet had experience of the 60.355 Jews, and of the honor from them, he answered correctly; but when he was in Jerusalem, he also does them a favor; and he does not simply do a favor, but does this with deceit; and how, listen; for he adds: Are you willing to go up to Jerusalem, and there be judged of these things before me? As if he were saying; I am not giving you to them, but I myself will be judge. But he says this, and makes him the master, that by the honor he might win him over; since if it were a decision, it would have seemed completely shameless, to wish to take him there when nothing had been proven here. But Paul did not say, I am not willing, lest he make the judge even more severe, but again he speaks boldly, and says: I stand at Caesar's judgment seat, where I ought to be judged. Great is the boldness. And see how he reasons against them; for he as good as says this through his defense: They themselves cast me out once, and they think to condemn me by this, by showing that I have sinned against Caesar; before him, the one who has been wronged, I wish to be judged. Having said this, he adds: To the Jews I have done no wrong, as you also know very well. He then touched upon him as also doing a favor. Then when he had touched upon it, he again relaxes his speech, adding: If then I am an offender, or have committed any thing worthy of death, I refuse not to die. I cast the vote against myself, he says. This is not of one desiring death, but of one very confident, in what he was speaking; for with the

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βούλεσθαι ἰδεῖν ἄνθρωπον, εἰ καὶ ἀδίκως, ὅμως κατηγορούμενον. Οὕτως ἦν καὶ τοῦτο οἰκονομίας. ∆ιὸ καὶ ἡ γυνὴ αὐτοῦ συνακούει, καὶ τῆς ἀκροάσεως οὐκ ἀπολιμπάνεται. Καὶ οὐδὲ ἁπλῶς ἀκροᾶται, ἀλλὰ μετὰ πολλῆς τῆς τιμῆς. Τοσαύτην ἔσχε τὴν ἐπιθυμίαν· οὐ γὰρ ἂν, εἰ μὴ ἐπεθύμησεν, ἐζήτησεν ἂν ἀκοῦσαι, οὐδ' ἂν καὶ τὴν γυναῖκα κοινωνὸν ἐποιήσατο τῆς ἀκροάσεως, εἰ μὴ μεγάλα περὶ αὐτοῦ ἐφαντάζετο. Ἐμοὶ δὲ δοκεῖ κἀκείνην τοῦτο ποθῆσαι. Καὶ ὅρα τὸν Παῦλον εὐθέως οὐ περὶ πίστεως μόνον οὐδὲ περὶ ἀφέσεως ἁμαρτημάτων, ἀλλὰ καὶ περὶ τῶν πρακτέων διαλεγόμενον. Ἀλλ' ἴδωμεν ἄνωθεν τὰ εἰρημένα. Τὸ νῦν ἔχον, φησὶ, πορεύου· καιρὸν δὲ λαβὼν, μετακαλέσομαί σε. Ὅρα τὴν πώρωσιν· τοιαῦτα ἀκούων, χρήματα προσεδόκα λήψεσθαι παρ' αὐτοῦ. Καὶ οὐ τοῦτο μόνον δεινὸν, ἀλλὰ καὶ διαλεχθεὶς, οὐκ ἀφῆκεν αὐτὸν, ἀλλ' ἐπειδὴ πρὸς τῷ τέλει τῆς ἀρχῆς ἦν, κατέλιπεν αὐτὸν δέσμιον, ἵνα χαρίσηται τοῖς Ἰουδαίοις· ὥστε οὐ χρημάτων ἤρα μόνον, ἀλλὰ καὶ δόξης. Πῶς χρήματα, μιαρὲ, παρὰ ἀνθρώπου τὸ ἐναντίον κηρύττοντος ἐπιζητεῖς; Ὅτι δὲ οὐκ ἔλαβε, δῆλον ἐξ ὧν εἴασε δεδεμένον, λύσας ἂν, εἴπερ ἔλαβε. Περὶ ἐγκρατείας οὗτος διελέγετο, ἐκεῖνος δὲ χρήματα προσεδόκα λαβεῖν παρ' αὐτοῦ ταῦτα διαλεγομένου. Καὶ αἰτῆσαι μὲν οὐκ ἐτόλμα· τοιοῦτον γὰρ ἡ κακία, δειλὸν καὶ πάντα ὑποπτεῦον· ἤλπιζε δέ· ὥστε εἰκότως αὐτοῖς ἐχαρίζετο, ἅτε τοσοῦτον ἄρξας ἐκεῖ. Φῆστος οὖν ἐπιβὰς τῇ ἐπαρχίᾳ· ἐνεφάνισαν αὐτῷ ὅ τε ἀρχιερεὺς καὶ οἱ πρῶτοι τῶν Ἰουδαίων κατὰ Παύλου, φησίν. Εὐθέως καὶ ἐν ἀρχῇ προσῆλθον οἱ ἱερεῖς, οὐκ ἂν ὀκνήσαντες καὶ εἰς Καισάρειαν ἐλθεῖν, εἰ μὴ ἔφθη ἀνελθὼν, ὅπου γε εὐθέως ἐπιβάντι προσέρχονται. Καὶ καταβὰς ἐν Καισαρείᾳ, διατρίβει δέκα ἡμέρας. Τάχα, δοκῶ, ὥστε ἐγγενέσθαι τοῖς βουλομένοις αὐτὸν διαφθεῖραι. Παῦλος δὲ ἦν ἐν τῷ δεσμωτηρίῳ. Καὶ παρεκάλουν αὐτὸν, φησὶν, ὅπως μεταπέμψηται αὐτὸν εἰς Ἱερουσαλήμ. Καὶ διὰ τί χάριν ᾔτησαν, εἰ δίκαιός ἐστιν ἀποθανεῖν; Ἀλλ' οὕτω κἀκείνῳ δήλη ἐγένετο ἡ ἐπιβουλὴ, ὡς διαλεγόμενον εἰπεῖν· Ἄνδρες οἱ συμπαρόντες, θεωρεῖτε τοῦτον, περὶ οὗ τὸ πλῆθος ἐνέτυχόν μοι τῶν Ἰουδαίων. ∆ιὰ γὰρ τοῦ, Ἐνέτυχον, τὸ, Αἰτούμενοι κατ' αὐτοῦ χάριν, δηλοῖ. Ὥστε ἤδη ἐβούλοντο αὐτὸν εἰς ἀπόφασιν ἐξενεγκεῖν, φοβούμενοι τὴν Παύλου γλῶτταν. Τί φοβεῖσθε; τί ἐπείγετε; Τοῦτο γὰρ ἐμφαίνει τὸ, Φυλάττεσθαι αὐτόν. Μὴ γὰρ φεύγει; Οἱ οὖν ἐν ὑμῖν, φησὶ, δυνατοὶ κατηγορείτωσαν αὐτοῦ. Πάλιν κατήγοροι ἐν Καισαρείᾳ, καὶ πάλιν ἐξάγεται Παῦλος. Τῇ δὲ ἐπαύριον καθίσας, φησὶν, ἐπὶ τοῦ βήματος. γʹ. Ὅρα, εὐθέως ἐλθὼν ἐκάθισεν ἐπὶ τοῦ βήματος· οὕτως αὐτὸν ὤθουν μετὰ τοσαύτης σπουδῆς, οὕτως ἐπείγουσιν. Ἕως μὲν οὖν οὐδέπω πεῖραν ἦν λαβὼν τῶν 60.355 Ἰουδαίων, καὶ τῆς τιμῆς τῆς παρ' αὐτῶν, ὀρθῶς ἀπεκρίνατο· ἐπειδὴ δὲ ἐγένετο ἐν τοῖς Ἱεροσολύμοις, καὶ οὗτος χαρίζεται αὐτοῖς· οὐχ ἁπλῶς δὲ χαρίζεται, ἀλλὰ μετὰ ἀπάτης τοῦτο ποιεῖ· καὶ ὅπως, ἄκουε· ἐπάγει γάρ· Θέλεις εἰς Ἱεροσόλυμα ἀναβὰς, ἐκεῖ περὶ τούτων κρίνεσθαι ὑπὲρ ἐμοῦ; Ὡσεὶ ἔλεγεν· Οὐχὶ αὐτοῖς δίδωμί σε, ἀλλ' αὐτὸς κριτὴς ἔσομαι. Τοῦτο δὲ λέγει, καὶ αὐτὸν ποιεῖ κύριον, ἵνα τῇ τιμῇ αὐτὸν χαλάσῃ· ἐπειδὴ εἰ ἦν ἀπόφασις, καὶ πάνυ ἀναίσχυντον ἐδόκει, μηδὲν ἐνταῦθα ἐλεγχθέντα ἐκεῖ θέλειν ἀπάγειν. Ὁ δὲ Παῦλος οὐκ εἶπεν, Οὐ βούλομαι, μή ποτε καὶ σφοδρότερον ποιήσῃ τὸν δικαστὴν, ἀλλὰ πάλιν παῤῥησιάζεται, καί φησιν· Ἐπὶ τοῦ βήματος Καίσαρος ἑστώς εἰμι, οὗ με δεῖ κρίνεσθαι. Μεγάλη ἡ παῤῥησία. Καὶ ὅρα πῶς αὐτοὺς συλλογίζεται· μονονουχὶ γὰρ τοῦτο λέγει δι' ὧν ἀπολογεῖται· Ἐξέβαλόν με ἅπαξ αὐτοὶ, καὶ τοῦτο νομίζουσι κατακρίνειν, τῷ δεικνύειν, ὅτι εἰς Καίσαρα ἥμαρτον· ἐπ' αὐτοῦ βούλομαι κριθῆναι τοῦ ἠδικημένου. Οὕτως εἰπὼν, ἐπάγει· Ἰουδαίους οὐδὲν ἠδίκησα, ὡς καὶ σὺ κάλλιον ἐπιγινώσκεις. Καθήψατο αὐτοῦ λοιπὸν ὡς καὶ χαριζομένου. Εἶτα ἐπεὶ καθήψατο, πάλιν ἐκλύει τὸν λόγον, ἐπάγων· Εἰ μὲν οὖν ἀδικῶ, ἢ ἄξιόν τι θανάτου πέπραχα, οὐ παραιτοῦμαι τὸ ἀποθανεῖν. Κατ' ἐμαυτοῦ τὴν ψῆφον ἐκφέρω, φησίν. Τοῦτο οὐ θανατῶντος, ἀλλὰ σφόδρα θαῤῥοῦντός ἐστιν, οἷς ἐλάλει· μετὰ γὰρ τῆς