Homilies on Acts

WHILE PETER WAS STILL SPEAKING THESE WORDS: the Holy Spirit fell on all who heard the word. And the believers of the circumcision who came with Peter were astonished, because the gift of the Holy Spirit had also been poured out on the Gentiles. For they heard them speak in tongues and magnify God.

Observe God's providential management. He does not allow the speech to be finished, nor the baptism to take place at Peter's command. But when He has made clear how admirable their state of mind is, and when a beginning has been made in the work of teaching, and they have believed with certainty that baptism is the remission of sins, then immediately the Spirit comes upon them. Now this is done because God so arranges it as to provide Peter with a mighty ground of justification. And it is not simply that the Spirit came upon them, but they spoke with tongues. This was the thing that astonished those who had come together. They altogether disliked the matter. Therefore the whole is of God. And as for Peter, it may almost be said that he is present only to be taught, with them, the lesson that they must take the Gentiles in hand, and that they themselves are the persons by whom this must be done. For although after all these great events there was still questioning about it, both in Caesarea and in Jerusalem, what would it have been if these tokens had not gone step by step with the progress of the matter? Therefore this is carried to a kind of excess. Peter seizes his advantage, and see the plea he makes from it: "Can any man forbid water, that these should not be baptized, who have received the Holy Ghost as well as we?" Acts 10:47 Mark the outcome to which he brings it, and how he has been laboring to bring this forth. He was entirely of this mind. "Can anyone," he asks, "forbid water?" This is almost the language of one triumphantly pressing his advantage against those who would forbid it, against those who would say that this ought not to be. "The whole thing," he says, "is complete, the most essential part of the business, the baptism with which we were baptized." "And he commanded them to be baptized in the name of Jesus Christ." Acts 10:48 After he has cleared himself, then, and not before, he commands them to be baptized, teaching them by the facts themselves. Such was the Jews' dislike of it. Therefore he first clears himself, although the very facts cry aloud, and then gives the command. Then they asked him, and rightly so, to stay for a few days, and from that time on he stayed with good courage.

NOW THE APOSTLES AND THE BROTHERS IN JUDEA HEARD THAT THE GENTILES ALSO HAD RECEIVED THE WORD OF GOD: And when Peter had come up to Jerusalem, those of the circumcision contended with him, saying, "You went in to uncircumcised men and ate with them." Acts 11:1-3 After such great things, those of the circumcision contended. Not the Apostles. God forbid. It means they took no small offense. And see what they allege. They do not say, "Why did you preach?" but, "Why did you eat with them?" But Peter, not stopping to notice this frigid objection—for frigid indeed it is—takes his stand on that great argument: if they had the Spirit itself given to them, how could anyone refuse to give them baptism? But how did it happen that in the case of the Samaritans this did not happen, but on the contrary, there was no controversy either before their baptism or after it, and they did not take it amiss there? No, as soon as they heard of it, they sent the Apostles for this very purpose. Acts 8:14 True, but even in the present case, this is not the thing they complain of. For they knew that it was of Divine Grace. What they say is, "Why did you eat with them?" Besides, the difference is not so great for Samaritans as it is for Gentiles. Moreover, it is so managed, as part of the divine arrangement, that he is accused in this way, on purpose that they may learn. For Peter, without some cause given, would not have related the vision. But observe his freedom from all elation and vainglory. For it says, "But Peter rehearsed the matter from the beginning, and expounded it in order to them, saying, I was in the city of Joppa praying." He does not say why, nor on what occasion. "And in a trance I saw a vision, a certain vessel coming down, like a great sheet let down from heaven by four corners. And it came even to me." Verse 4 and 5. "When I had fastened my eyes on it, I considered, and saw four-footed beasts of the earth, and wild beasts, and creeping things, and birds of the air. And I heard a voice saying to me, 'Arise, Peter; slay and eat.'" Verse 6 and 7. It is as if he were saying, "This by itself was enough to persuade me: that I had seen the sheet. But besides this, a Voice was added." But I said, "Not so, Lord. For nothing common or unclean has at any time entered into my mouth." Acts 11:8 Do you see? "I did my part," he says. "I said that I have never eaten anything common or unclean," with reference to this, that they said, "You went in and ate with them." But he does not say this to Cornelius, for there was no need to mention it to him. "But the voice answered me again from heaven, 'What God has cleansed, do not you call common.' And this was done three times. And all were drawn up again into heaven." Verse 9 and 10. The essential points were those that followed at Caesarea. But by these he prepares the way for them. Observe how he justifies himself by reasons, and forbears to use his authority as teacher. For the more mildly he expresses himself, the more tractable he makes them. "At no time," he says, "has anything common or unclean entered into my mouth." And behold, this too was part of his defense. "Three men stood at the house in which I was, sent to me from Caesarea. And the Spirit bade me go with them, doubting nothing." Verse 11 and 12. Do you see that the making of laws belongs to the Spirit? "And these also accompanied me"—nothing can be more lowly, when he alleges the brothers as witnesses—"these six men, and we entered into the man's house. And he showed us how he had seen an angel in his house, standing and saying to him, 'Send men to Joppa, and call for Simon, whose surname is Peter. He shall tell you words, by which you and all your house shall be saved.'" Verse 13 and 14. And he does not mention the words spoken by the angel to Cornelius, "Your prayers and your alms have come up for a memorial before God," so that he may not disgust them. But what does he say? "He shall tell you words, by which you and all your house shall be saved." With good reason this is added. He also says nothing of the man's fitness. He might have said, "The Spirit having sent me, God having commanded, on one side having summoned me through the angel, on the other urging me on and solving my doubt about these things, what was I to do?" However, he says none of these things. Instead, he makes his strong point from what happened last, which even in itself was an argument that could not be denied. "And as I began to speak," etc. Acts 11:15 Then why did this not happen by itself alone? This is worked by God in superabundance, so that it might be shown that the beginning too was not from the Apostle. But if he had set out of his own motion, without any of these things having taken place, they would have been very much hurt. So from the beginning he disposes their minds in his favor, saying to them, "who received the Holy Spirit even as we." And not content with this, he also reminds them of the words of the Lord: "Then I remembered the word of the Lord, how He said, 'John indeed baptized with water, but you shall be baptized with the Holy Spirit.'" Acts 11:16 He means that no new thing has happened, but only what the Lord foretold. But was there no need to baptize? But the baptism had already been completed. And he does not say, "I ordered them to be baptized." But what does he say? "Since then God gave them the like gift as He gave to us, who believed on the Lord Jesus Christ, what was I, that I could withstand God?" Acts 11:17 He shows that he himself had done nothing. For the very thing that we have obtained, he says, those men also received. So that he may more effectively stop their mouths, he says, "the like gift." Do you see how he does not allow them to have less? "When they believed," he says, "God gave them the same gift as He gave to us who believed on the Lord," and He Himself cleanses them. And he does not say, "to you," but, "to us." Why do you feel aggrieved when we call them partakers with us? "When they heard these things, they held their peace and glorified God, saying, 'Then God has also granted repentance to life to the Gentiles.'" Acts 11:18 Do you see that it all came from Peter's discourse, by his admirably skillful way of relating the facts? They glorified God that He had given repentance to themselves also. They were humbled by these words. Henceforth the door of faith was opened to the Gentiles. But if you please, let us look over again what has been said.

WHILE PETER WAS STILL SPEAKING: and so on. To sum up: he does not say that Peter was astonished, but those of the circumcision were, since he knew what was being prepared. And yet they ought to have marveled at this: how they themselves had believed. When they heard that these people had believed, they were not astonished, but when God gave them the Spirit. Then Peter answered and said, and so on, Acts 10:47. And this is why he says, "God has shown that I should not call any human being common or unclean," Acts 10:28. He knew this from the first, and he planned his speech beforehand with a view to it. Gentiles? What Gentiles from now on? They were no longer Gentiles, since the Truth had come. He says it is nothing wonderful if they received the Spirit before the act of baptism. The same thing happened in our own case. Peter shows that they too were not baptized as the rest were, but in a much better way. This is the reason why the thing happens in this manner: so that they may have nothing to say, and so that even in this way they may count them equal with themselves. And they begged him, it says, to stay certain days, Acts 10:48. And the Apostles and brothers, and so on. And those of the circumcision contended with him, Acts 11:1-2. Do you see how they were not kindly disposed toward him? They said, "You went in to uncircumcised men and ate with them," Acts 11:3. Do you see what zeal they had for the Law? Peter's authority did not put them to shame, nor the signs that had taken place, nor the success that had been achieved, nor what a great thing it was that the Gentiles had received the word. Instead, they contended about those petty things. For if none of those signs had taken place, was not the success itself enough? But Peter does not frame his defense in that way. He was wise, or rather, it was not his wisdom, but the Spirit that spoke the words. And by the way he makes his defense, he shows that in not one point was he himself the author, but in every point God was, and he casts the whole matter upon Him. "The trance," he says: it was He who caused me to fall into it, for I was in Joppa, and so on. "The vessel": it was He who showed it. I objected. Again, He spoke, and even then I did not listen. The Spirit commanded me to go, and even then, though I went, I did not run. I said that God had sent me. And after these things, even then I did not baptize, but again God did the whole. God baptized them, not I. And he does not say, "Was it not right then to add the water?" Instead, implying that nothing was lacking, he says, "What was I, that I should withstand God?" What a defense is here! For he does not say, "Then, knowing these things, keep silent." But what does he do? He bears their attack, and to their accusation he pleads, "What was I, to be able to hinder God?" It was not possible for me to hinder Him. This is indeed a forcible defense, and one that might well put them to shame. Therefore, at last becoming afraid, they kept silent and glorified God.

IN THE SAME WAY: we also should glorify God for the good things that happen to our neighbors. But we should not act as the rest of the newly baptized do when they are offended to see others receive baptism and then immediately depart this life. It is right to glorify God, even if all are saved. And as for you, if you are willing, you have received a greater gift than they have. I do not mean in regard to baptism, because the gift there is the same for him as for you. I mean that you have been given a set time in which to win distinction. The other person put on the robe, but was not allowed to show himself with it in the procession. But to you, God has given full opportunity to use your arms for the right purpose, and by this to prove them. The other goes away with only the reward of his faith. You are standing in the race, able both to gain a rich reward for your works and to show yourself as much more glorious than he is as the sun is than the smallest star, and as the general, or rather the Emperor himself, is than the lowest soldier. Then blame yourself, or rather do not merely blame yourself, but correct yourself. It is not enough to blame yourself. It is in your power to compete again. Have you been thrown down? Have you been badly hurt? Stand up. Recover yourself. You are still in the race. The arena is not yet dismissed. Do you not see how many people who have been thrown in wrestling have later returned to the contest? Only do not choose your fall willingly. Do you count him happy because he departed this life? Count yourself much happier instead. Was he freed from his sins? But you, if you are willing, will not only wash away your sins, but will also have accomplishments in good works, which was not possible in his case. It is in our power to recover ourselves. The healing medicines of repentance are powerful. Let no one despair of himself. The man who truly deserves to be despaired of is the man who despairs of himself. That man no longer has salvation or any hope. It is not falling into a depth of evils that is dreadful. It is staying there after you have fallen. It is not coming into such a condition that is terrible. It is making light of it that is ungodly. Should the very thing that ought to make you earnest be the thing that makes you reckless? After receiving so many wounds, have you fallen back? The soul can have no incurable wound. The body has many such wounds, but the soul has none. Yet we never stop trying to heal those wounds of the body, while for these wounds of the soul we are careless. Do you not see the thief on the cross, and how quickly he gained salvation? Do you not see the Martyrs, and how quickly they completed the whole work? But martyrdom is not available nowadays. True, but there are still contests to be had, as I have often told you, if only we have the will. For, as the Apostle says, "All who desire to live godly in Christ Jesus will suffer persecution." 2 Timothy 3:12. Those who live godly lives are always undergoing persecution. If it is not from men, it is at least from evil spirits, and that is a more severe persecution. Yes, and it is because of ease and comfort, first of all, that those who are not watchful suffer this. Or do you think it is a small persecution to live at ease? This is more severe than all the rest. This is worse than persecution. For ease, like a flowing sickness, makes the soul weak and slack. And as summer is different from winter, so persecution is different from ease. But to show you that this is the worse persecution, listen. It brings sleep into the soul, along with endless yawning and drowsiness. It stirs up the passions on every side. It arms pride. It arms pleasure. It arms anger, envy, vainglory, and jealousy. But in a time of persecution, none of these can cause trouble. Fear comes in and lashes them sharply, as a man does to a barking dog, and does not let any of these passions even try to make a sound. Who can indulge in vainglory during persecution? Who can live in pleasure? No one. Instead there is much trembling and fear, and this creates a great calm. It makes the harbor still and fills the soul with reverence. I have heard from our fathers, for may God grant that it may not happen in our own time, since we are told not to ask for temptation, that during the persecution in former times one could see people who were truly Christian. None of them cared about money, wife, children, home, or country. The one great concern of all was to save their lives, or rather their souls. There they were hiding, some in tombs and graves, some in deserts. Yes, even delicate and refined women were there too, all the while struggling against constant hunger.

Then consider whether any desire for rich and fancy living could even come into a woman’s mind while she was hiding beside a coffin, waiting for her maidservant to bring her food, trembling in fear that she might be captured, and lying there in terror as if in a furnace. Was she even aware that such a thing as luxurious living existed, or that dress and ornaments existed at all? Do you see that now is the time of persecution, with our passions attacking us on every side like wild beasts? Now is the testing persecution, both in this matter and especially because it is not even thought to be persecution at all. For this persecution has this evil also: though it is war, it is thought to be peace. So we do not even arm ourselves against it. We do not even rise up. No one fears. No one trembles. But if you do not believe me, ask the heathen, the persecutors: at what time was the conduct of the Christians more strict? At what time were they all more tested and proved? Back then they had indeed become few in number, but they were rich in virtue. For tell me, what profit is there in having plenty of hay, when there could be precious stones? Value does not consist in large numbers, but in proven worth. Elias was one man, yet the whole world was not worth as much as he was. And yet the world is made up of countless people. But they are not really countless when they do not even equal that one man. Better is one who does the will of God than ten thousand who are transgressors, for the ten thousand have not yet risen to the level of the one. “Do not desire a multitude of unprofitable children.” Sirach 16:1 Such people bring more blasphemy against God than if they were not Christians. What do I need with a multitude? It is only more fuel for the fire. You can see this even in the body: moderate food with health is better than a fattened calf that brings harm. The one is truly food, but the other is disease. You can also see this in war: ten skilled and brave men are better than ten thousand without experience. Those others not only do no work, but they also hinder those who do work. The same is true in a ship. Two experienced sailors are better than any number of unskilled ones, because these will sink the ship. I say these things not because I look with envy on your numbers, but because I want all of you to be proven and worthy people, and not to trust in your numbers. More people in number go down into hell, but the Kingdom is greater, however few it contains. The people of Israel were as numerous as the sand of the sea, yet one man saved them. Moses was only one, and yet he was worth more than all of them. Joshua was one, and he was enabled to do more than the six hundred thousand. Let us not make it our main concern that the people be many, but rather that they be excellent. When this has been accomplished, then that other thing will follow also. No one begins by trying to make a house wide and spacious. First he makes it strong and secure, and then spacious. No one lays the foundations in a way that will make him a laughingstock. Let us first aim at this, and then at the other. Where this is present, that also will be easy. But where this is not present, the other, even if it exists, is of no profit. For if there are people able to shine in the Church, then numbers will soon follow. But where such people are not, numbers will never be of any use. How many do you think there are in our city who are likely to be saved? What I am about to say is unpleasant, but I will say it nevertheless. Among all these countless people, not even one hundred can be found who are likely to be saved. No, even about these I have doubts. For think about how much wickedness there is in the young, and how much laziness in the old. No one makes it his duty to care for his own boy. No one is stirred by anything seen in his elders to imitate such a person. The examples have been ruined, and that is why the young do not become admirable in their conduct. Do not tell me, “We are a fine multitude.” That is the speech of people who speak without thought or feeling. In human affairs, this might be said with some appearance of reason. But in matters concerning God, to say this as if He needed us can never be allowed. No, let me tell you, even in human affairs this is foolish talk. Listen. If a person has a great number of servants, and they are corrupt, what a miserable life he will have. For the hardship of the man who has none seems to be only this, that no one waits on him. But when a person has bad servants, the evil is that he is ruining himself as well, and the harm is greater the more servants he has. For it is far worse than serving yourself to have to fight with others and carry on continual warfare. I say these things so that no one may admire the Church because of its numbers, but so that we may work to make the multitude worthy and proven, and so that each person may be earnest in his own part of the duty. He must care not only for his friends, nor only for his relatives, as I am always saying, nor only for his neighbors, but he must draw in strangers also. For example, while prayer is going on, all the young lie there on their knees, stupidly unconcerned, and the old as well. They are filthy nuisances rather than young men, giggling, laughing openly, talking—for I have even heard this happening—and mocking one another as they lie there on their knees. And you stand there, whether young man or elder. Rebuke them if you see them behaving this way. If anyone will not stop, scold him more sharply. Call the deacon. Threaten him. Do whatever is in your power to do. And if he dares to do anything against you, surely you will have everyone helping you. For who is so irrational that, when he sees you correcting such behavior, and them being corrected, he would not take your side? Go away having received your reward from the prayer. In a master’s house, we consider those servants the best disposed who cannot bear to see any part of his furniture out of order. Answer me this. If at home you saw silver plate thrown outside the doors, even though it was not your responsibility, would you not pick it up and bring it into the house? If you saw a garment thrown out of place, even though you were not in charge of it, and even if you were at odds with the one whose duty it was, would you not still, out of goodwill to the master, set it right? So it is in the present case. These people are part of the furniture. If you see them lying about in disorder, set them right. Come to me. I do not refuse the trouble. Tell me. Make the offender known to me. It is not possible for me to see everything. Excuse me in this. See what wickedness has spread over the whole world. Did I speak without reason when I said that we are no better than so much hay, or as disorderly as a stormy sea? I am not speaking of those young people because they act this way. What I am complaining about is that such sleepy indifference fills those who come in here that they do not even correct this bad behavior.

AGAIN I SEE OTHERS STANDING AND TALKING WHILE THE PRAYER IS GOING ON: Even the more consistent among them do this, not only during the prayer, but even when the priest is giving the blessing. O horror! When will there be salvation? When will it be possible for us to propitiate God? Soldiers go to their diversion, and you will see them all keeping time in the dance, with nothing done carelessly. But just as in embroidery and painting, from the well-ordered arrangement in each separate part of the work, there comes at once an exceeding harmony and good order, so it is here. We all have one shield and one head in common. And if even some chance point is thrown out of order through negligence, the whole is thrown out of order and spoiled, and the good order of the many is defeated by the disorder of the one part. And, fearful indeed even to think of, you come here not for a diversion, not to take part in a dance, and yet you stand disorderly. Do you not know that you are standing with angels? With them you chant. With them you sing hymns. And do you stand laughing? Is it not wonderful that a thunderbolt is not launched, not only at those who behave this way, but at us? For such behavior might well be visited with the thunderbolt. The Emperor is present and is reviewing the army. And do you, even with His eyes upon you, stand laughing, and endure to see another laughing? How long are we to go on rebuking? How long complaining? Should not such people be treated as very pests and nuisances, as abandoned, worthless reprobates, full of innumerable mischiefs, and be driven away from the Church? When will those stop laughing who laugh at the hour of the dread Mystery? When will those stop trifling who talk at the very moment of the blessing? Have they no sense of shame before those who are present? Have they no fear of God? Are our own idle thoughts not enough for us? Is it not enough that in our prayers we roam here and there, but laughter also must intrude, and bursts of merriment? Is what is done here a theatrical amusement? Yes, but I think it is the theaters that do this. To the theaters we owe it that most of you refuse to be curbed by us and to be reformed. What we build up here is thrown down there. And not only so, but the hearers themselves cannot help being filled with other filthinesses besides. So the case is just the same as if someone wanted to clean out a place while a fountain above it was pouring down mire. However much you clean out, more runs in. So it is here. For when we clean people out, as they come here from the theaters with their filthiness, they go there again and take in a larger stock of filthiness, as if they lived only for the purpose of giving us trouble. Then they come back to us loaded with ordure, in their manners, in their movements, in their words, in their laughter, and in their idleness. Then once more we begin shoveling it out again, as if we did this only so that, after sending them away clean, we may again see them clogging themselves with filth. Therefore I solemnly protest to you, the sound members, that this will be for you judgment and condemnation. And from now on I give you over to God, if anyone, having seen a person behaving disorderly, if anyone, having seen any person talking, especially in that part of the service, does not inform against him and does not bring him around to better behavior. To do this is better than prayer. Leave your prayer and rebuke him, so that you may both do him good and yourself get profit, and so that we may all be enabled to be saved and to attain to the kingdom of heaven, through the grace and loving-kindness of our Lord Jesus Christ, with Whom, together with the Father and the Holy Ghost, be glory, dominion, and honor, now and ever, and world without end. Amen.