I.

8

Christ's high charge to the Apostles.

HOMIL.for an ensample. For nothing is more frigid than a teacher who shews his philosophy only in words: this is to act the part not of a teacher, but of a hypocrite. Therefore the Apostles first taught by their conduct, and then by their words; nay rather they had no need of words, when their deeds spoke so loud. Nor is it wrong to speak of Christ's Passion as action, for in suffering all He performed that great and wonderful act, by which He destroyed death, and effected all else that He did for us.

v. 2.

28.

19. 20.

Until the day in which He was taken up, after that He, through the Holy Spirit, had given commandments unto the Apostles whom He had chosen. After He had given commandments through the Spirit; i. e. they were spiritual words that He spake unto them, nothing human; either this is the meaning, or, that it was by the Spirit that He gave them commandments. Do you observe in what low terms

he still speaks of Christ, as in fact Christ had spoken of Mat. 12, Himself? But if I by the Spirit of God cast out devils; for indeed the Holy Ghost wrought in that Temple. Well, Ib. 28, what did He command? Go ye therefore, He says, make disciples of all the nations, baptizing them into the Name of the Father, and of the Son, and of the Holy Ghost; teaching them to observe all things whatsoever I have commanded you. A high encomium this for the Apostles; to have such a charge entrusted to them, I mean, the salvation of the world! words full of the Spirit! And this the writer hints at

John 6, in the expression, through the Holy Ghost; (and, the words which I spake unto you, saith the Lord, are Spirit;) thus leading the hearer on to a desire of learning what the commands were, and establishing the authority of the Apostles, seeing it is the words of the Spirit they are about to speak, and the commandments of Christ. After He had given commandments, he says, He was taken up. He does not say, 'ascended;' he still speaks as concerning a man. It appears then that He also taught the Disciples after His resurrection, but of this space of time no one has related to us the whole in detail. St. John indeed, as also does the present writer, dwells at greater length on this subject than the others; but none has clearly related every thing, (for they hastened to something else ;) however, we have learnt

Why He appeared during forty days, and not to all. 9

,

these things through the Apostles, for what they heard, that did ACTS they tell. To whom also He shewed Himself alive. Having 1.1, 2. first spoken of the Ascension, he adverts to the Resurrection; for since thou hast been told that He was taken up, therefore, lest thou shouldest suppose Him to have been taken up by others', he adds, To whom He shewed Himself alive. For if He shewed Himself in the greater, surely He did in the minor circumstance. Seest thou, how casually and unperceived he [4.] drops by the way the seeds of these great doctrines?

Being seen of them during forty days. He was not always with them now, as He was before the Resurrection. For the writer does not say "forty days," but, during forty days. He came, and again disappeared: by this leading them on to higher conceptions, and no longer permitting them to stand affected towards Him in the same way as before, but taking effectual measures to secure both these objects, that the fact of His Resurrection should be believed, and that He Himself should be ever after apprehended to be greater than man. At the same time, these were two opposite things; for in order to the belief in His Resurrection, much was to be done of a human character, and for the other object, just the reverse. Nevertheless, both results have been effected, each when the fitting time arrived.

But why did He appear not to all, but to the Apostles only? Because to the many it would have seemed a mere apparition, inasmuch as they understood not the secret of the mystery. For if the disciples themselves were at first incredulous and were troubled, and needed the evidence of actual touch with the hand, and of His eating with them, how would it have fared in all likelihood with the multitude? For this reason therefore by the miracles [wrought by the Apostles] He renders the evidence of His Resurrection unequivocal, so that not only the men of those times this is what would come of the ocular proof-but also all men thereafter, should be certain of the fact, that He was risen. Upon this ground also we argue with unbelievers. For if He did not rise again, but remains dead, how did the Apostles perform

10 Work of the Apostles; proof of the Resurrection.

HOMIL. miracles in His name? But they did not, say you, perform I. miracles? How then was our religion1 instituted? For

1 ἔθνος.

this certainly they will not controvert nor impugn what we see with our eyes: so that when they say that no miracles took place, they inflict a worse stabs upon themselves. For this would be the greatest of miracles, that without any miracles, the whole world should have eagerly come to be taken in the nets of twelve poor and illiterate men. For not by wealth of money, not by wisdom of words, not by any thing else of this kind, did the fishermen prevail; so that objectors must even against their will acknowledge that there was in these men a Divine power, for no human strength could ever possibly effect such great results. For this He then remained forty days on earth, furnishing in this length of time the sure evidence of their seeing Him in His own proper Person, that they might not suppose that what they saw was a phantom. And not content with this, He added also the evidence of eating with them at their board: as to signify v. 4. this, the writer adds, And being at table with them, He commanded. And this circumstance the Apostles themselves always put forth as an infallible token of the Resurrection;

Acts 10, as where they say, Who did eat and drink with Him.

41.

And what did He, when appearing unto them those forty days? Why, He conversed with them, says the writer, concerning the kingdom of God. For, since the disciples both had been distressed and troubled at the things which already had taken place, and were about to go forth to encounter great difficulties, He recovered them by His discourses concerning the future. He commanded them that they should not depart from Jerusalem, but wait for the promise of the Father. First, He led them out to Galilee, afraid and trembling, in order that they might listen to His Why commanded to tarry at Jerusalem.

11

I. 3, 4.

words in security. Afterwards, when they had heard, and ACTS had passed forty days with Him, He commanded them that they should not depart from Jerusalem. Wherefore ? Just as when soldiers are to charge a multitude, no one

thinks of letting them issue forth until they have armed themselves, or as horses are not suffered to start from the barriers until they have got their charioteer; so Christ did not suffer these to appear in the field before the descent of the Spirit, that they might not be in a condition to be easily defeated and taken captive by the many. Nor was this the only reason, but also there were many in Jerusalem who should believe. And then again that it might not be said, that leaving their own acquaintance, they had gone to make a parade among strangers, therefore among those very men who had put Christ to death do they exhibit the proofs of His Resurrection, among those who had crucified and buried Him, in the very town in which the iniquitous deed had been perpetrated; thereby stopping the mouths of all foreign objectors. For when those even who had crucified Him appear as believers, clearly this proved both the fact of the crucifixion and the iniquity of the deed, and afforded a mighty evidence of the Resurrection. Furthermore, lest the Apostles should say, How shall it be possible for us to live among wicked and bloody men, they so many in number, we so few and contemptible, observe how He does away their fear and distress, by these words, But wait for the promise of the Father, which ye have heard v. 4. of Me. You will say, When had they heard this? When He said, It is expedient for you that I go away; for if I go not John 16, away, the Comforter will not come unto you. And again, id. 14, I will pray the Father, and He shall send you another 16. Comforter, that He may abide with you.

7.

But why did the Holy Ghost come to them, not while [5.] Christ was present, nor even immediately after His departure, but, whereas Christ ascended on the fortieth day, the Spirit descended when the day of Pentecost, that is, the fiftieth, Acts 2, was fully come? And how was it, if the Spirit had not yet come, that He said, Receive ye the Holy Ghost? In order John20, to render them capable and meet for the reception of Him. For if Daniel fainted at the sight of an Angel, much more Dan. 8,

1.

19.

12 Why the Spirit not given while Christ was on earth.

HOMIL. would these when about to receive so great a grace. Either I. this then is to be said, or else that Christ spoke of what was Lukelo, to come, as if come already; as when He said, Tread ye upon serpents and scorpions, and over all the power of the devil. But why had the Holy Ghost not yet come? It was fit that they should first be brought to have a longing desire for that event, and so receive the grace. For this reason Christ Himself departed, and then the Spirit descended. For had He Himself been there, they would not have expected the Spirit so earnestly as they did. On this account neither did He come immediately after Christ's Ascension, but after eight or nine days. It is the same with us also: for our desires towards God are then most raised, when we stand in need. Accordingly, John chose that time to send his disciples to Christ when they were likely to feel their need of Jesus, during his own imprisonment. Besides, it was fit that our nature should be seen in heaven, and that the reconciliation should be perfected, and then the Spirit should come, and the joy should be unalloyed. For, if the Spirit being already come, Christ had then departed, and the Spirit remained; the consolation would not have been so great as it was. For in fact they clung to Him, and could not bear

7.

to part with Him; wherefore also to comfort them He said,

John 16, It is expedient for you that I go away. On this account He also waits during those intermediate days, that they might first despond for a while, and be made, as I said, to feel their need of Him, and then reap a full and unalloyed delight. But if the Spirit were inferior to the Son, the consolation would not have been adequate; and how could He have said, It is expedient for you? For this reason the greater matters of teaching were reserved for the Spirit, that the disciples might not imagine Him inferior.

Consider also how necessary He made it for them to abide in Jerusalem, by promising that the Spirit should be granted there. For lest they should again flee away after His Ascension, by this expectation, as by a bond, He keeps them

v. 4, 5. to that spot. But having said, Wait for the promise of the Father, which ye have heard of Me, He then adds, For John truly baptized with water, but ye shall be baptized with the Holy Ghost not many days hence. For now indeed He