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Jews. Wherefore also with much boldness he makes his defense, since those condemning him were not in authority; who, although they were not in authority, but that decision was in force, that, You shall go to Caesar, nevertheless gives an account, and full justification concerning all things; not concerning some, and not concerning others. He is all but saying this through what he answers: They accuse me of sedition, they accuse me of heresy, and that I have profaned the temple; concerning all things I make my defense. My manner of life from my youth all the Jews know; that it is not my way to make seditions, the accusers themselves are witnesses. This he also says before this: Being zealous of the traditions of my fathers, this he also hints at here by saying, My manner of life from my youth. And when all the people were present, then he calls for their testimony. He does this not only at the tribunal of Lysias, but also at that of Festus; and again here, when more were present; but there there was no need for a long defense, since the letters of Lysias acquitted him. They know, he says, all the Jews, having known me from the first. And he does not say what kind of life his was, but leaves it to their conscience, and places the whole matter in the heresy, showing from this that he would not have chosen it, if he were evil and wicked. For this heresy, therefore, for which, he says, I stand to be judged. This is also esteemed among them, for this they prayed, for this they worship, that they might attain it; this I proclaim, and for this hope I am accused. So it is of madmen to do all things to attain this, but to persecute the one who believes in it. I myself therefore thought, he says, that I ought to do many things contrary to the name of Jesus of Nazareth; that is, I decided to do these things, because I was not one of the disciples of Christ, but I was among those who fought against him. Whence also he becomes a credible witness, that one who did countless things, and fought against the believers, and persuaded them to blaspheme, and stirred up everything, cities, rulers, and doing 60.363 these things himself, was so suddenly changed. Then again the witnesses who were with him; then he shows that he himself was justly persuaded, both from the light, and from the prophets, and from the outcomes, and from the things that had now happened. For he added: At midday, on the road, I saw a light that shone around me, and those who journeyed with me. See, then, how he makes them believe both from the prophets and from these things. For lest he seem to be innovating, although having great things to say, he again takes refuge in the prophets, and brings their words into the midst. This, then, is more credible as having happened now; but since he alone saw it, he again confirms it from the prophets. And see how he does not converse in the same way in a court of law and in the church; there, for example, he says, You also killed him; but here nothing of the sort, so as not to inflame their anger further; but he shows the same thing, by saying, If the Christ was to suffer. Thus he acquits them of the charges. What I proclaim, then, that he rose first from the dead, I show from the prophets; for indeed the prophets also proclaim this. Therefore receive the word as being that of the prophets themselves. And since he told of the vision, he then also speaks with boldness of his achievements. What are these? To open their eyes, he says, and to turn them from darkness to light, and from the power of Satan to God. For to this end I appeared to you; that is, not to punish, but to make you an apostle. See, he shows the evils that hold the unbelievers, Satan, darkness, just as also the good things of the believers, the light, God, the inheritance of the saints. And he does not simply advise to repent, but also to show forth a wonderful life. And see everywhere the Gentiles interwoven with his discourse; for those present were from the Gentiles. Testifying, he says, both to small and great, that is both to the distinguished and the undistinguished. He said this because of the soldiers. Then, leaving the role of one making a defense, he took on that of a teacher. Wherefore Festus also says to him: You are mad. Then, lest he should seem to be a teacher himself,

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Ἰουδαίους. ∆ιὸ καὶ μετὰ πολλῆς τῆς παῤῥησίας ἀπολογεῖται, ἅτε οὐκ ὄντων κυρίων τῶν καταδικαζόντων αὐτόν· ὃς, καίπερ οὐκ ὄντων κυρίων, ἀλλὰ τῆς ἀποφάσεως ἐκείνης κρατούσης, ὅτι Πρὸς Καίσαρα πορεύσῃ, δίδωσι λόγον ὅμως, καὶ πολλὰς τὰς εὐθύνας περὶ πάντων· οὐ περὶ τῶν μὲν, περὶ τῶν δὲ οὔ. Μονονουχὶ δὲ τοῦτο λέγει δι' ὧν ἀποκρίνεται· Ἐγκαλοῦσιν ὑπὲρ στάσεως, ἐγκαλοῦσιν ὑπὲρ αἱρέσεως, καὶ ὅτι τὸν ναὸν ἐβεβήλωσα· περὶ πάντων ἀπολογοῦμαι· Τὴν μὲν οὖν βίωσίν μου τὴν ἐκ νεότητος ἴσασι πάντες οἱ Ἰουδαῖοι· ὅτι μὲν οὐ τοῦ ἐμοῦ τρόπου τὸ στάσεις ποιεῖν, αὐτοὶ μάρτυρες οἱ κατήγοροι. Ὃ καὶ πρὸ τούτου λέγει· Ζηλωτὴς ὑπάρχων τῶν πατρικῶν μου παραδόσεων, τοῦτο καὶ ἐνταῦθα αἰνίττεται διὰ τοῦ εἰπεῖν, Τὴν ἐκ νεότητός μου βίωσιν. Καὶ ὅτε ὅλος ὁ δῆμος παρῆν, τότε καλεῖ αὐτῶν τὴν μαρτυρίαν. Οὐκ ἐπὶ τοῦ δικαστηρίου δὲ τοῦ Λυσίου τοῦτο ποιεῖ μόνον, ἀλλὰ καὶ ἐπὶ τοῦ Φήστου· καὶ πάλιν ἐνταῦθα, ὅτε πλείους παρῆσαν· ἐκεῖ δὲ οὐ πολλῆς ἀπολογίας ἔδει, τῶν γραμμάτων τοῦ Λυσίου ἀφιέντων αὐτόν. Ἴσασι, φησὶ, πάντες Ἰουδαῖοι προγινώσκοντές με ἄνωθεν. Καὶ οὐ λέγει, ποταπὸς αὐτοῦ ὁ βίος, ἀλλὰ ἀφίησιν αὐτῶν τῷ συνειδότι, καὶ τὸ πᾶν ἐν τῇ αἱρέσει τίθησι, δεικνὺς ἐντεῦθεν οὐκ ἂν ἑλόμενος αὐτὴν, εἰ πονηρὸς ἦν καὶ μοχθηρός. Ὑπὲρ τῆς αἱρέσεως τοίνυν ταύτης, ἧς, φησὶν, ἕστηκα κρινόμενος. Αὕτη καὶ παρ' αὐτοῖς πρεσβεύεται, διὰ ταύτην ηὔχοντο, διὰ ταύτην λατρεύουσιν, ἵνα ταύτης τύχωσι· ταύτην ἐγὼ καταγγέλλω, καὶ περὶ τῆς ἐλπίδος ταύτης ἐγκαλοῦμαι. Ἄρα μαινομένων ἐστὶ πάντα μὲν ὑπὲρ τοῦ τυχεῖν ταύτης ποιεῖν, τὸν δὲ εἰς ταύτην πιστεύοντα ἐλαύνειν. Ἐγὼ μὲν οὖν ἔδοξα ἐμαυτῷ πρὸς τὸ ὄνομα Ἰησοῦ τοῦ Ναζωραίου, φησὶ, δεῖν πολλὰ ἐναντία πρᾶξαι· τουτέστιν, Ἔκρινα ταῦτα ποιεῖν, ὅτι οὐκ ἤμην τῶν μαθητῶν τοῦ Χριστοῦ, ἀλλὰ τῶν πολεμούντων αὐτῷ ὑπῆρχον. Ὅθεν καὶ ἀξιόπιστος γίνεται μάρτυς, ὅτι ὁ μυρία ποιῶν, καὶ πολεμῶν τοὺς πιστεύοντας, καὶ πείθων βλασφημεῖν, καὶ πάντα κινῶν, πόλεις, ἄρχοντας, καὶ δι' 60.363 ἑαυτοῦ ταῦτα πράττων, οὕτως ἐξαίφνης μεταβέβληται. Εἶτα πάλιν οἱ μάρτυρες οἱ συνόντες· εἶτα δείκνυσιν ἑαυτὸν δικαίως πεισθέντα, ἀπό τε τοῦ φωτὸς, ἀπό τε τῶν προφητῶν, ἀπό τε τῶν ἐκβάσεων, ἀπό τε τῶν νῦν γεγενημένων. Ἐπήγαγε γάρ· Ἡμέρας μέσης κατὰ τὴν ὁδὸν, εἶδον περιλάμψαν με φῶς, καὶ τοὺς σὺν ἐμοὶ πορευομένους. Ὅρα γοῦν, πῶς καὶ ἀπὸ τῶν προφητῶν, καὶ ἀπὸ τούτων αὐτοὺς πιστοῦται. Ἵνα γὰρ μὴ δόξῃ καινοτομεῖν, καίτοι ἔχων μεγάλα εἰπεῖν, πάλιν ἐπὶ τοὺς προφήτας καταφεύγει, καὶ τὰ αὐτῶν εἰς μέσον τίθησι. Τοῦτο μὲν οὖν ἀξιοπιστότερον ἅτε νῦν γενόμενον· ἀλλ' ἐπειδὴ μόνος εἶδε, πάλιν αὐτὸ ἀπὸ προφητῶν πιστοῦται. Καὶ ὅρα αὐτὸν οὐχ ὁμοίως διαλεγόμενον ἐν δικαστηρίῳ, καὶ ἐν ἐκκλησίᾳ· ἐκεῖ μὲν οὖν λέγει, ὅτι καὶ Ἀνείλετε· ἐνταῦθα δὲ οὐδὲν τοιοῦτον, ὥστε μὴ πλέον ἐκκαῦσαι τὸν θυμόν· ἀλλὰ τὸ αὐτὸ δείκνυσιν, εἰπὼν, Εἰ παθητὸς ὁ Χριστός. Οὕτως ἀφίησιν αὐτοὺς ἐγκλημάτων. Ὅπερ οὖν ἐγὼ καταγγέλλω, εἰ ἀνέστη πρῶτος ἐκ τῶν νεκρῶν, ἐκ τῶν προφητῶν δείκνυμι· καὶ γὰρ καὶ οἱ προφῆται τοῦτο καταγγέλλουσιν. Οὐκοῦν δέξασθε τὸν λόγον ὡς τὸν αὐτοῦ ὄντα τῶν προφητῶν. Ἐπεὶ δὲ εἶπε τὴν ὄψιν, λοιπὸν καὶ μετὰ ἀδείας καὶ τὰ κατορθώματα λέγει. Ποῖα ταῦτα; Τοῦ ἀνοῖξαι αὐτῶν, φησὶν, ὀφθαλμοὺς, καὶ ἀποστρέψαι ἀπὸ σκότους εἰς φῶς, καὶ ἀπὸ τῆς ἐξουσίας τοῦ Σατανᾶ ἐπὶ τὸν Θεόν. Εἰς τοῦτο γὰρ ὤφθην σοι· τουτέστιν, οὐχ ὥστε κολάσαι, ἀλλ' ὥστε ἀπόστολον ποιῆσαι. Ὅρα, τὰ συνέχοντα κακὰ τοὺς ἀπίστους δείκνυσι, τὸν Σατανᾶν, τὸ σκότος, ὥσπερ καὶ τὰ ἀγαθὰ τῶν πιστῶν, τὸ φῶς, τὸν Θεὸν, τὸν κλῆρον τῶν ἁγίων. Καὶ οὐχ ἁπλῶς μετανοεῖν παραινεῖ, ἀλλὰ καὶ βίον ἐπιδείκνυσθαι θαυμαστόν. Καὶ ὅρα πανταχοῦ τὰ ἔθνη συμπλεκόμενα τῷ λόγῳ· οἱ γὰρ παρόντες ἐξ ἐθνῶν ἦσαν. Μαρτυρόμενος, φησὶ, μικρῷ τε καὶ μεγάλῳ, τουτέστι καὶ ἐπισήμῳ καὶ ἀσήμῳ. Τοῦτο διὰ τοὺς στρατιώτας οὕτως εἶπεν. Εἶτα ἀφεὶς τὴν τάξιν τοῦ ἀπολογουμένου, τὴν τοῦ διδασκάλου ἔλαβε. ∆ιὸ καὶ ὁ Φῆστός φησι πρὸς αὐτόν· Μαίνῃ. Εἶτα, ἵνα μὴ δόξῃ αὐτὸς διδάσκαλος εἶναι,