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1. He does this well and advantageously, calling together the chief of the Jews for a discussion. For he wished to free both himself and others from blame; himself, so that they might not accuse him, and this harm them; and them, so that it might not seem that the whole matter was their doing. For it was likely that a report would prevail that he was delivered up by the Jews; and this would have been enough to strike them. Immediately, therefore, he sets himself against this, and makes his defense concerning his own affairs so gently. But see how he weaves his defense, saying: Men and brethren, though I have done nothing against the people, or customs of our fathers, yet was I delivered prisoner from Jerusalem into the hands of the Romans. Then, having said this, since it was likely that some who heard would say, How does it make sense that they simply handed you over? he added: Who, when they had examined me, would have let me go; as if he were saying: The Roman rulers bear witness, who both examined me and wished to release me. Why then did they not release you? Because the Jews spoke against it, he says. Do you see how he refutes their charges? For if he had wished to magnify them, it was in his power to use more vehement language. Therefore, having spoken thus, he added: I was constrained to appeal unto Caesar; so that the whole thing is a matter of pardon. Then, so that no one might say, What then? And have you done this in order to accuse them? by what he adds he corrects this lurking suspicion, and says: Not that I had ought to accuse my nation of; that is, I appealed to Caesar not to accuse them, but to escape the danger. For your sake I am bound with this chain. So far am I, he says, from being hostilely disposed towards you, that for this reason I am even bound with this chain. What then did they do? They were so overcome by his speech, that they made a defense not only for themselves, but also for their kinsmen; wherefore, indicating this, he continues: And they said unto him, We neither received letters out of Judaea concerning thee, neither any of the brethren that came shewed or spake any harm of thee. But we desire to hear of thee what thou thinkest: for as concerning this sect, we know that every where it is spoken against. As if they were saying: Neither through letters, nor through men did they make known anything 60.380.10 evil concerning you; but nevertheless we wish to hear from you. Thus they laid down their own opinion, showing it, and they say: For as concerning this sect, we know that every where it is spoken against. They did not say, that We speak against it, but, It is spoken against, freeing themselves from the accusation. And when they had appointed him a day, there came many to him into his lodging; to whom he expounded and testified the kingdom of God, persuading them concerning Jesus, both out of the law of Moses, and out of the prophets, from morning till evening. And some believed the things which were spoken, and some believed not. Did you see how he does not answer immediately, but gives them a day to come and hear; to whom, when they had come, he discoursed both from the law of Moses and from the prophets. And some were persuaded, and some did not believe. And when they agreed not among themselves, they departed, after that Paul had spoken one word: Well spake the Holy Ghost by Esaias the prophet unto our fathers, saying, Go unto this people, and say, Hearing ye shall hear, and shall not understand; and seeing ye shall see, and not perceive. For the heart of this people is waxed gross, and their ears are dull of hearing, and their eyes have they closed; lest they should see with their eyes, and hear with their ears, and understand with their heart, and should be converted, and I should heal them. When they were departing, opposing him, then he brings Isaiah to their attention, not wishing to insult them, but to strengthen these. What does he say? By hearing you will hear, and not understand. Do you see how he cast them out from all excuse? if indeed, though they had the prophet proclaiming these things from afar, they did not turn away. And by saying, Well, he shows that they were also justly cast out. So that it has been given to the Gentiles to know this mystery. It is therefore no wonder if they contradicted; this was foretold from of old. Then again he stirs up jealousy against them from the Gentiles, adding and saying: Be it known therefore

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αʹ. Καλῶς τοῦτο καὶ συμφερόντως ποιεῖ, τοὺς πρώτους τῶν Ἰουδαίων εἰς διάλεξιν συγκαλῶν. Ἐβούλετο γὰρ καὶ ἑαυτὸν ἀπαλλάξαι αἰτίας καὶ ἑτέρους· ἑαυτὸν μὲν, ἵνα μὴ κατηγορῶσιν αὐτοῦ, καὶ τοῦτο αὐτοὺς βλάπτῃ· ἐκείνους δὲ, ἵνα μὴ δόξῃ αὐτῶν εἶναι τὸ πᾶν· Εἰκὸς γὰρ κρατῆσαι φήμην, ὅτι ὑπὸ Ἰουδαίων παρεδόθη· τοῦτο δὲ ἱκανὸν ἦν αὐτοὺς πλῆξαι. Εὐθέως οὖν πρὸς τοῦτο ἵσταται, καὶ τὰ καθ' ἑαυτὸν οὕτω πως πράως ἀπολογεῖται. Ὅρα δὲ πῶς καὶ τὴν ἀπολογίαν ὑφαίνει, λέγων· Ἄνδρες ἀδελφοὶ, ἐγὼ οὐδὲν ἐναντίον ποιήσας τῷ λαῷ ἢ τοῖς ἔθεσι τοῖς πατρῴοις, δέσμιος ἐξ Ἱεροσολύμων παρεδόθην εἰς τὰς χεῖρας τῶν Ῥωμαίων. Εἶτα οὕτως εἰπὼν, ἐπειδὴ εἰκὸς ἦν τινας ἀκούοντας εἰπεῖν, Πῶς ἔχει λόγον ἁπλῶς σε παραδοῦναι; ἐπήγαγεν· Οἵτινες ἀνακρίναντές με, ἐβούλοντο ἀπολῦσαι· ὡσεὶ ἔλεγε· Μαρτυροῦσιν οἱ Ῥωμαίων ἄρχοντες, οἳ καὶ ἀνέκριναν καὶ ἤθελον ἀπολύειν. Πῶς οὖν οὐκ ἀπέλυσαν; Ἀντιλεγόντων Ἰουδαίων, φησίν. Ὁρᾷς πῶς καθαιρεῖαὐτῶν τὰ ἐγκλήματα; Εἰ γὰρ ἐβούλετο αὐξῆσαι, ἐνῆν καὶ καταφορικώτερον χρήσασθαι. ∆ιὸ καὶ οὕτως εἰπὼν, ἐπήγαγεν· Ἠναγκάσθην ἐπικαλέσασθαι Καίσαρα· ὥστε συγγνώμης τὸ πᾶν ἐστιν. Εἶτα, ἵνα μηδεὶς εἴπῃ, Τί οὖν; καὶ ἵνα αὐτῶν κατηγορήσῃς, τοῦτο πεποίηκας; διὰ τῆς ἐπαγωγῆς διορθοῦται τὸ ὑφορμοῦν, καὶ λέγει· Οὐχ ὡς τοῦ ἔθνους μου ἔχων τι κατηγορῆσαι· τουτέστιν, Ἐπεκαλεσάμην Καίσαρα οὐχ ὥστε κατηγορῆσαι, ἀλλ' ὥστε διαφυγεῖν τὸν κίνδυνον. Ἕνεκεν γὰρ ὑμῶν τὴν ἅλυσιν ταύτην περίκειμαι. Τοσοῦτον ἀπέχω, φησὶν, ἐχθρῶς πρὸς ἡμᾶς διακεῖσθαι, ὅτι καὶ τὴν ἅλυσιν περίκειμαι. Τί οὖν ἐκεῖνοι; Οὕτως ἐχειρώθησαν τῷ λόγῳ, ὡς μὴ μόνον ὑπὲρ ἑαυτῶν, ἀλλὰ καὶ ὑπὲρ τῶν συγγενῶν ἀπολογήσασθαι· ὅθεν τοῦτο δηλῶν ἐπάγει· Οἱ δὲ εἶπον πρὸς αὐτόν· Ἡμεῖς οὔτε γράμματα περὶ σοῦ ἐδεξάμεθα ἀπὸ τῆς Ἰουδαίας, οὔτε παραγενόμενός τις τῶν ἀδελφῶν ἀπήγγειλεν ἢ ἐλάλησέ τι περὶ σοῦ πονηρόν. Ἀξιοῦμεν δὲ παρὰ σοῦ ἀκοῦσαι ἃ φρονεῖς· περὶ μὲν γὰρ τῆς αἱρέσεως ταύτης γνωστόν ἐστιν ἡμῖν, ὅτι πανταχοῦ ἀντιλέγεται. Ὡσεὶ ἔλεγον· Οὔτε διὰ γραμμάτων, οὔτε δι' ἀνθρώπων ἐγνώρισάν τι 60.380.10 περὶ σοῦ πονηρόν· πλὴν ἀλλ' ἀκοῦσαι βουλόμεθα παρὰ σοῦ. Οὕτω προκατέβαλον τὴν οἰκείαν γνώμην δεικνύντες, καί φασι· Περὶ μὲν γὰρ τῆς αἱρέσεως ταύτης γνωστόν ἐστιν ἡμῖν, ὅτι πανταχοῦ ἀντιλέγεται. Οὐκ εἶπον, ὅτι Ἀντιλέγομεν, ἀλλ' Ἀντιλέγεται, κατηγορίας ἑαυτοὺς ἀπολύοντες. Ταξάμενοι δὲ αὐτῷ ἡμέραν, ἧκον πρὸς αὐτὸν εἰς τὴν ξενίαν πλείονες· οἷς ἐξετίθετο διαμαρτυρόμενος τὴν βασιλείαν τοῦ Θεοῦ, πείθων τε αὐτοὺς τὰ περὶ τοῦ Ἰησοῦ ἀπό τε τοῦ νόμου Μωϋσέως καὶ τῶν προφητῶν, ἀπὸ πρωῒ ἕως ἑσπέρας. Καὶ οἱ μὲν ἐπείθοντο τοῖς λεγομένοις, οἱ δὲ ἠπίστουν. Εἶδες πῶς οὐκ εὐθέως ἀποκρίνεται, ἀλλὰ δίδωσιν αὐτοῖς ἡμέραν τοῦ ἐλθεῖν καὶ ἀκοῦσαι· οἷς καὶ παραγενομένοις διελέγετο ἀπό τε τοῦ νόμου Μωϋσέως καὶ τῶν προφητῶν. Καὶ οἱ μὲν ἐπείθοντο, οἱ δὲ ἠπίστουν. Ἀσύμφωνοι δὲ ὄντες πρὸς ἀλλήλους, ἀπελύοντο, εἰπόντος τοῦ Παύλου ῥῆμα ἕν· Καλῶς τὸ Πνεῦμα τὸ ἅγιον ἐλάλησε διὰ Ἡσαΐου τοῦ προφήτου πρὸς τοὺς πατέρας ἡμῶν, λέγον· Πορεύθητι πρὸς τὸν λαὸν τοῦτον, καὶ εἰπόν· Ἀκοῇ ἀκούσετε καὶ οὐ μὴ συνῆτε, καὶ βλέποντες βλέψετε καὶ οὐ μὴ ἴδητε. Ἐπαχύνθη γὰρ ἡ καρδία τοῦ λαοῦ τούτου, καὶ τοῖς ὠσὶ βαρέως ἤκουσαν, καὶ τοὺς ὀφθαλμοὺς αὐτῶν ἐκάμμυσαν, μή ποτε ἴδωσι τοῖς ὀφθαλμοῖς καὶ τοῖς ὠσὶν ἀκούσωσι, καὶ τῇ καρδίᾳ συνῶσι, καὶ ἐπιστρέψωσι, καὶ ἰάσωμαι αὐτούς. Ὅτε ἀνεχώρουν ἀντιτασσομένων αὐτῶν, τότε τὸν Ἡσαΐαν ἐφίστησιν, οὐκ ἐκείνους ὑβρίσαι βουλόμενος, ἀλλὰ τούτους στηρίξαι. Τί λέγοντα; Ἀκοῇ ἀκούσετε καὶ οὐ μὴ συνῆτε. Ὁρᾷςπῶς αὐτοὺς ἐξέβαλε πάσης συγγνώμης; εἴ γε καὶ τὸν προφήτην ἔχοντες προαναφωνήσαντα πόῤῥωθεν ταῦτα οὐκ ἀπεστράφησαν. Τῷ δὲ εἰπεῖν, Καλῶς, δείκνυσι καὶ δικαίως ἐκβεβλημένους. Ὥστε τοῖς ἔθνεσι δέδοται γνῶναι τὸ μυστήριον τοῦτο. Οὐδὲν οὖν θαυμαστὸν, εἰ ἀντέλεγον· ἄνωθεν τοῦτο προελέγετο. Εἶτα πάλιν τὸν ζῆλον κατ' αὐτῶν κινεῖ τὸν ἐξ ἐθνῶν, ἐπάγων καὶ λέγων· Γνωστὸν οὖν ἔστω