3. Such is the solicitude of a mentor! He was the first to appoint a teacher. He did not say, "We are enough," so he was devoid of all vanity, and strove only for one goal, although he did not have the same significance as everyone else. However, this was quite natural because of the virtue of this man, and also because at that time superiority was not an honor, but a concern for subordinates. Hence it came about that even those who were elected were not proud, because they were called to danger; and those who were not chosen did not grieve, because they did not consider it a disgrace to themselves. But now it is no longer so, but quite the opposite. See, there were a hundred and twenty of them, and out of all this multitude he demands (that they choose) one, and (demands) justly. He is the first to dispose in this matter, since everyone is entrusted to him. After all, Christ said to him: "And when thou art converted, strengthen thy brethren" (Luke 22:32). "He was numbered," he says, "among us"; and therefore it is necessary to appoint another, so that he may become a witness in the place of Judas. And see how he imitates his Teacher: everywhere he argues on the basis of the Scriptures and says nothing about Christ, that He often predicted this. Nor does he point to those passages of Scripture where the betrayal of Judas is mentioned, e.g.; "the mouth of the sinner and the mouth of the flatterer have been opened against me" (Psalm 108:2); but he cites only the passage where his punishment is mentioned, since now it was only useful for them to learn about this. Here again the Lord's love for mankind is especially visible. "He was numbered," he says, "among us, and received the lot of this ministry." Everywhere he calls it the lot, and thereby shows that everything here is the work of God's grace and the work of election, and at the same time reminds them of ancient times, expressing the idea that God made it His lot just as He made the Levites. Then, continuing to speak of him, he remarks that the reward for his betrayal has become a solemn herald of his punishment. "But he has gained," he says, "the land with an unrighteous reward." Notice how this event took place according to God's dispensation. "Unrighteous." There are many untruths; but there has never been anything more unrighteous than this unrighteousness; This is primarily an unrighteous deed. And this became known not only to contemporaries, but also to all who lived after that. The Jews unwittingly, without knowing it, gave the name (to the village), just as Caiaphas had predicted, without knowing it. God moved them to call him in Hebrew: Akeldama. From this it was already possible to foresee the calamities that would befall the Jews. Further, he shows that the prophecy has already partially come true, which says: "It would have been better for this man not to have been born" (Matt. 26:24). The same can be applied to the Jews, because if the former leader (suffered such a fate), then with even greater justice (should have experienced it) these people. But (Peter) does not yet say anything of the sort. Then, to show that (this field) is justly called Akeldama, he quotes the prophet's saying: "Let his court be desolate." And what, in fact, can be more desolate than a village turned into a cemetery? And this village, of course, can be called his village. Whoever has paid the next payment for it should justly be considered the lord of this great desolation, even if others have bought it. This desolation, if one delves into the matter attentively, is already the beginning of Jewish desolation. It is known that the Jews destroyed themselves by starvation and killed many, and that their city turned into a cemetery for strangers, for soldiers: they were not allowed to bury (the dead), because they were considered unworthy even of burial. "Therefore it is necessary," he says, "that one of those who were with us." Look, he wants them to be obvious witnesses. Although the Holy Spirit had come to them, for all this, extreme care was directed to this matter. "Therefore it is necessary that one of those who were with us," he says, "all the time that the Lord Jesus dwelt and dealt with us." This shows that they lived with Him, and not just were with Him as His disciples. Indeed, from the very beginning, many followed him. See how (John) points to this when he says: "one of the two who heard from John about Jesus, and followed Him" (John 1:40). "All the time," he says, "when the Lord Jesus dwelt and dealt with us, beginning with the baptism of John." Well done; for what was before this, no one knew by teaching, but learned from the Holy Spirit, "until that day," he says, "in which he ascended from us, was with us a witness of his resurrection" (v. 22). He did not say: "a witness" of the rest, but: "a witness" of the "resurrection" alone, because he (the witness) was more reliable who could say that He was risen, Who ate, drank, was crucified. There was no need for a witness either for what was before, or for what came after, or for miracles, the question was precisely the resurrection, since it was clearly and universally recognized, and the resurrection took place secretly, and only they knew it. And they do not say, "The angels have told us," but, "We have seen, whence is it clear?" From the fact that we work miracles. Therefore, it was then that they had to be especially reliable. "And they appointed," says (the writer), "two." Why not more? In order not to increase despondency among them, and not to spread this matter to many. And it is not without reason that he places (Matthias) after (Joseph), but by this he shows that he who enjoys respect among men is often less in the sight of God. And all pray together in this way: "You, O Lord, Knower of the Heart of all, show me" (v. 24). You, they say, not us. The Knower of the Heart is also called upon at the right time: it was fitting that He should make the election, and not strangers. So they were sure that one should certainly be chosen. And they did not say, 'Choose; but, "Show," they say, "the chosen one, whom Thou hast chosen," they knew that with God everything was predetermined. "Show one of these two, whom you have chosen to accept the lot of this ministry and apostleship" (vv. 24, 25), because there was another ministry. "And they cast lots for them" (v. 26). They did not yet consider themselves worthy of making their own choice; therefore they want to know by means of some sign.

4. On the other hand, if where there was neither prayer nor worthy people, the lot had such great power because it was the result of a just decision towards Jonah, then it was much more so here, where it was necessary to complete the countenance, to restore the order (apostolic). And the other (Joseph) was not grieved (because he was not chosen): otherwise the apostles would have said so, since they did not hide their shortcomings. For even of the chief apostles they did not fail to remark that they were sometimes dissatisfied; And this is not once, but twice, and even more often. Let us also imitate them, for my word does not yet apply to all, but only to those who seek power. If you believe that the choice is made by God, then do not be indignant: otherwise you will be dissatisfied with Him, you will be irritated against Him, because He has chosen. If, in spite of His election, you dare to be grieved, then you act as Cain did. He ought to have approved (the sentence of God), but he was grieved because of the preference given to his brother's sacrifice; indignant when he should have been touched. But, however, this is not the point, but the fact that God knows how best to arrange things. It often happens that in character, for example, you are more modest, but do not correspond to the goal. Again, your life is irreproachable and your character is noble, but this is not only what is needed in the Church. And moreover, one is suitable for one thing, and the other for another. Do you not see how much is said about this in the Holy Scriptures?

But I will tell you why this matter has become an object of persecution: the reason is that we seek it, not as a duty to govern others and care for the brethren, but as an honor and a quiet life. And if you knew that a bishop should belong to everyone and bear the burdens of all, that others are forgiven when they are angry, but never him, that others, if they sin, are willingly excused, but he is not, you would not seek this leadership, you would not strive for it. The bishop is subject to the judgment of everyone, to the judgment of all, both the wise and the foolish; every day, every night, he is exhausted in cares; He has many ill-wishers, many envious people. Do not speak to me of those who please in all things, who want to sleep, who go to this work as to rest—it is not about them, but about those who watch over your souls, who prefer the salvation of their subordinates to their own. Tell me, if he who has ten children, who are subject to him and always live with him, is compelled to take care of them continually, what should he be like who has so many persons who are not subject to him, who do not live with him, but freely dispose of themselves? For that, you will say, he enjoys honor. By what honor? The last beggars revile him in the square. So why doesn't he silence them? Ok; But this is not the bishop's business. And again, do not give to everyone, both those who (spend time) in idleness and those who work, a thousand reproaches from all sides; no one is afraid to accuse and slander him. They are afraid to condemn (worldly) rulers; but these (bishops) do not, because the fear of God has no power in such people. And what can be said about concern for the word and for teaching? About the difficulty of ordinations? Or perhaps I am very weak, pitiful, and insignificant, or it is really as I say. The soul of a priest is no different from a ship tossed about by the waves; On all sides it is wounded by friends, enemies, friends, and strangers. Does not the king govern the universe, while the bishop rules only the city? But the care of the latter is as much greater as the rising and raging sea differs from the water of the river, which is moved only by the wind. Why would this be so? Because there are many helpers there, and everything is done according to the law and by decree; but here there is nothing of the sort, and it is impossible to order at will. But if you act strongly, you will be called cruel; and if not too much, cold. It is necessary to combine both, so as not to be neglected, and not to deserve hatred. On the other hand, the matters themselves are especially difficult here. How many (the bishop) is forced to grieve, willingly or unwillingly! How many are forced to act harshly, whether he wants it or not! I speak in no other way, but exactly as I think and feel. I do not think that there are many among the priests who are being saved; on the contrary, there are many more who are perishing, and precisely because this work requires a great soul. A bishop has many needs that compel him to leave his home; He needs thousands of eyes on all sides. Do you not see how much he needs to have? He must be teachable, patient, and hold fast to "the true word, which agrees with the doctrine, that it may be strong and instruct in sound doctrine" (Tim. 3:2; Titus 1:9, etc.). And how difficult it is! And then, when others sin, the guilt falls on him. Without saying anything else, I will only say that if only one person departs (from this life) without initiation into the sacraments, will this not overthrow all his salvation? For the destruction of even one soul is such a loss that no word can express. If her salvation has such a price, that the Son of God also became a man for this purpose and endured so much, then think what punishment her destruction will entail! If the one through whom the other perishes is worthy of death in the present life, then much more is it there. Do not say to me: a presbyter or a deacon has sinned, for the guilt of all of them falls on the head of those who ordained them. I will also point out something else: if one of the bad people happens to be received into the clergy, there is a perplexity: what decision should be made regarding his former sins? There are two abysses here: he should not be left unpunished, and the rest should not be tempted. Is it necessary, then, to vomit it up? But at present there is no reason. Or leave him unpunished? Yes, you will, because the one who ordained it is to blame. So what is it? Is it not necessary, at least, to ordain him and elevate him to another degree? But then it will be clear to everyone that he is some kind of bad person, and, consequently, temptation will again arise from here. Or elevate him to the highest degree? But this is much worse.

5. And so, if everyone aspired to the episcopacy as a duty to care for others, then no one would soon dare to accept it. Otherwise we are chasing after him as surely as we are after worldly offices. Because of being in glory, in order to attain honor among men, we perish in the eyes of God. And what is the use of honor? How clearly it has been proved to be nothing! When you strongly desire the priesthood, then oppose hell, oppose the account that should be given there, oppose the rest of life, oppose the degree of punishment. If you sin simply as a man, you will not tolerate anything of the kind; but if you sin as a priest, you are lost. Think how much he endured, how much wisdom he took, how much good Moses showed in himself; and yet, because he had committed only sin, he suffered severe punishment. And rightly so, because it was combined with harm to others. Thus, he was punished with special severity, not only because his sin was obvious, but also because it was the sin of a priest. And yet we are not subjected to the same punishment for open sins and for secret sins. Sin is one and the same, but the harm from it is not the same, or rather, the sin is not the same, because it is not the same to sin secretly and imperceptibly, and to sin openly. And a bishop cannot sin secretly. It is already good if he is free from reproaches, when he does not sin; and there is nothing to say about when he sins. Whether he gets angry, laughs, or wants to rest himself by sleeping, there are many scoffers, many who are offended, many legislators, many who remember the former (bishops) and blaspheme the present; And this is not done because they want to praise those – no, – they remember the former bishops and presbyters only in order to hurt them. War, they say, is pleasant for those who have not experienced it. The same is proper to say now; or better, we say so until we have entered upon the podvig; and as soon as we enter, we are not even known to the people. We no longer have a struggle against those who oppress the poor; we do not take the trouble to fight for our flock, but, like those shepherds mentioned in Ezekiel (34:2), we only slaughter and eat. Who among us shows the same concern for the flock of Christ as Jacob had for the flocks of Laban? Who can boast of anything that could be equal to enduring the cold of the night? Do not call me all-night vigils on a par with this great solicitude. No, now everything is completely different. District governors and local governors do not enjoy such great honor as a ruler in the Church. Will he enter the royal palace — who will take the first place? Whether it be with women, or in noble houses, no one else has greater honor before him. Everything is lost, everything is ruined! I say this not to shame you, but to keep you from this passion. With what conscience will you be, if you have coveted (this rank) either by yourself or through someone else? With what eyes will you look at the one who was your accomplice? What excuse will you have? Whoever (accepted this dignity) against his will, under compulsion, against his will, has some other justification; Though he is for the most part denied forgiveness, yet he has some excuse. Think what Simon was subjected to? What is the need, that you do not give silver, but, in exchange for silver, flatter and use all sorts of intrigues and tricks? "Let thy money be unto destruction" (Acts 8:20), he was told; and it will also be said to these people, Let your covetousness be with you unto destruction, because you have thought to acquire the gift of God through the machinations of men. But there is no one like that? Oh, if only it hadn't! For I do not wish that my words should apply to you; And now I had to say it only in the course of my speech. And when I speak against covetousness, my words do not apply to you either, or even to any of you. May God grant that we prepare medicines in vain. And the wishes of doctors are exactly the same: not what else they want, but that, after their considerable work, the medicines should be thrown away for nothing. We want the same thing, that is, that our words be spoken simply, in the air, so that they remain only words. I am ready to endure everything so as not to be forced to talk about it. However, if you like, we will be silent; only let our silence be safe: I do not think that anyone, however vain, would want to speak unnecessarily, and only to show himself. We will leave it to you to teach; Teaching by works is a more important doctrine. And the best physicians, notwithstanding that the sickness of the sick bring them profits, desire that their friends should be in good health; so I want you all to be healthy. I do not want to be praised and you to be condemned. I would like, if possible, to show by my very eyes the love that I have for you: then no one would reproach me with anything, even if my word were too harsh. What is said between friends is easily tolerated, even if there is something offensive in it, because "sincere are the reproaches of him who loves, and false are the kisses of him who hates" (Proverbs 27:6). Nothing is dearer to me than you, not even this light is dearer. A thousand times I would like to lose my sight myself, if only through this it were possible to convert your souls, so your salvation is more pleasant to me than the light itself. And what profit does the rays of the sun profit me, when sorrow for you brings deep darkness to my eyes? Light is good when it appears in a time of joy; and for a sorrowful soul it seems even burdensome. And that I am not lying, God forbid that I should ever be convinced of this by experience! But, however, if it should happen that any of you are sinning, come to me while I am sleeping: let me perish if I am not like the paralytic, if I am not like the ecstatic; then, in the words of the prophet, "the light of my eyes is not with me" (Psalm 37:11). What hope is there for you when you don't show success? And if you deserve praise, what kind of sorrow is possible? I think I'm flying (for joy) when I hear something good about you. "Complete my joy" (Phil. 2:2). This is the only thing I ask of you, because I wish you success: And I will argue with everyone about the fact that I love you, that I have become related to you, that you are everything to me - father, mother, brothers, and children. Do not think, then, that I am saying anything out of dislike for you; No, (I say) for your correction. "A brother," says the Scriptures, "is helped by a brother, as a mighty city" (Proverbs 18:19). Therefore, do not disregard my words. For I do not refuse to listen to you; No, I would like you to correct me, I would like to learn from you. After all, we are all brothers, and we have one Teacher; but even among the brethren it is necessary that one should give orders, and the rest should obey. So do not despise my words, but let us do everything for the glory of God, for to Him be the glory forever and ever. Amen.

CONVERSATION 4

"At the coming of the day of Pentecost, they were all with one accord together. And suddenly there was a noise from heaven, as of a rushing mighty wind, and it filled all the house where they were" (Acts 2:1-2).

Why did the Holy Spirit descend on Pentecost? — The Holy Spirit. descended on the worshippers. — On Ap. Petra. — Comparison of the Apostles with the Philosophers.

1. What is this Pentecost? This is the time when it was necessary to cut the harvest with a sickle, when it was necessary to gather the fruit. Have you seen the image? Look, in turn, at the truth itself. When it was necessary to use the sickle of the word, when it was necessary to gather the harvest, then, like a refined sickle, the Spirit flies. Listen, indeed, to what Christ says: "Lift up your eyes, and see how they are white, and are ripe for harvest" (John 4:35); and again: "The harvest is plentiful, but the laborers are few" (Luke 10:2). Thus, Christ Himself was the first to lay the sickle; He lifted up to heaven the firstfruits of our nature; wherefore they call it the harvest. "At the coming," it is said, "the day of Pentecost," that is, not before Pentecost, but near Pentecost itself, so to speak. It was fitting that this also should take place during the feast, so that those who were present at the cross of Christ would see this event as well. "And suddenly there was a noise from heaven." Why did this event not take place without any sensible manifestations? Because, if the Jews also said, "They were drunk with sweet wine," then what would they not have said if nothing of the kind had happened? And not just a noise, but "from the sky". And by his suddenness he stirred up his disciples. "And he filled the whole house." This shows the great swiftness of the Spirit. Note, All were gathered together, that those present might believe, and the disciples might be worthy. And not only this (says Luke), but he adds what is much more striking: "And there appeared to them cloven tongues as of fire" (v. 3). It is beautifully added everywhere: "as if," so that you do not think anything sensual about the Spirit: "as if fiery," it is said, and "as if from a rushing strong wind." It was not the wind that usually spreads in the air. When John needed to know the Holy Spirit, He descended on the head of Christ in the form of a dove; and now, when all the people were to be converted, He appears in the form of fire. "And they rested on each of them," i.e., stopped, rested: to sit down means to be affirmed, to remain in place. What then? Did the Holy Spirit descend on the twelve disciples alone, and not on the rest? No, He came down on all one hundred and twenty people. Peter not without reason cited the testimony of the prophet, saying: "And it shall come to pass in the last days, saith God, that I will pour out my Spirit upon all flesh, and your sons and your daughters shall prophesy; and your young men shall see visions, and your old men shall be admonished by dreams" (v. 17). And note, it was so that he might not only smite them, but also fill them with grace; therefore (it is said): "By the Holy Spirit and by fire" (Matt. 3:11). "And they were filled," it is added, "with all the Holy Spirit, and began to speak with other tongues, as the Spirit gave them utterance" (v. 4). This is what they receive before any other sign, because it was extraordinary, and there was no need of another sign. "And they rested," it is said, "on each of them," and therefore also on him who was not chosen; for this reason he no longer grieves that he was not chosen like Matthias. It is said: "And all were fulfilled." Not only did they receive the grace of the Spirit, but they were filled. "And they began to speak with other tongues, as the Spirit gave them utterance." I would not have said "all," although there were also apostles, if the rest had not participated. On the other hand, having previously spoken of them separately and by name, he would not have spoken of them now along with the others. If, where it was only necessary to say that the apostles were here, he mentions them separately, how much more would he mention them here.

But notice, please see how the Spirit comes just when they're in prayer, when they're in love. And the words, "as if of fire," reminded them of another vision, because He appeared like fire in the bush. "As the Spirit gave them utterance"; Their words were indeed prophecies (αποφθέγματα). It is said, "And in Jerusalem there were Jews, a pious people" (v. 5). That they were reverent is evidenced by the fact that they lived there. How? Belonging to so many peoples and leaving their homeland, their homes, their relatives, they lived here. "And in Jerusalem there were Jews, pious men, of every nation under heaven. And when the noise was made, the people gathered together, and were thrown into confusion" (v. 5, 6). Since this event happened in the house, those who were outside the house naturally came running. "The people, and they were dismayed." What does it mean: "into confusion"? I was embarrassed, surprised. Then (the writer), explaining why they were surprised, adds: "For every one heard them speaking in his own tongue." So the people gathered together, "saying among themselves, Are not all these who speak Galileans?" (vv. 6-7) Immediately they turned their eyes to the apostles. "Why," they say, "we each hear our own dialect in which we were born. Parthians, and Medes, and Elamites, and the inhabitants of Mesopotamia, Judea and Cappadocia, Pontus and Asia, Phrygia and Pamphylia, Egypt and the parts of Libya adjacent to Cyrene, and those who came from Rome, Jews and proselytes, Cretans and Arabians, do we hear them speaking in our tongues about the great works of God? And they were all amazed, and perplexed, they said to one another, What does this mean?" (vv. 8-12). Do you see how they rush from east to west? "And others, mocking, said, They (γλεύκους) are drunk with sweet wine" (v. 13).

2. What madness! What great malice! Now was not the time for new wine (γλεύκους), because it was Pentecost. And what is worse, while everyone acknowledges (the miracle), both the Romans and the strangers, and perhaps even those who crucified (the Lord), they say after all this, "they are drunk with sweet wine." But let us return to what has been said above. "And he filled the whole house." The stormy breath was like a font of water; and fire is a sign of abundance and power. This never happened to the prophets; so it was only now, with the apostles; but with the prophets it is different. For example, Ezekiel is given a scroll of a book, and he eats what he was supposed to say: "And it was," he says, "in my mouth sweet as honey" (Ezekiel 3:3). Or again: the hand of God touches the tongue of another prophet (Jeremiah 1:9). And here the Holy Spirit Himself (does everything) and is thus equal to the Father and the Son. Again in another place (the prophet) says: "Weeping, and groaning, and woe" (Ezekiel 2:10). The prophets naturally (grace was given) in the form of a book, they still needed images; moreover, they had to deal with only one people, with their own people, and the apostles with the whole universe, with people whom they had never known. Elisha receives grace through mercy; another, like David, by means of oil; Moses is summoned by means of the burning bush; But here it is not so, and the fire itself "rested" on the apostles. Why didn't the fire fill the houses? Because it would strike them with terror. However, from the words (of the writer) it is clear that this was so; Only pay attention not to these words: "And there appeared to them cloven tongues," but to others: "As of fire." Such a multitude of fires can engulf a huge forest in flames. And it is beautifully said, "divided"; for they were of the same root, so that you may know that this is the power sent by the Comforter. But look: the apostles also first showed themselves worthy, and then they were vouchsafed the Spirit. So it is with David: as he did while he was still with the flocks, so he behaved in the same way after the victory and after the triumph, in order to show his simple faith. Look again at Moses: he (at first) despises the royal chambers, and after forty years he receives the government of the people; or Samuel, who was brought up in the temple; or Elisha, who had forsaken everything; or Ezekiel again. And that this was indeed the case (with the apostles) is clear from what follows: they left everything that they had. Therefore, they receive the Holy Ghost when they have discovered their virtue. They also learned human weakness from what they experienced; learned that they had not performed these feats in vain. In the same way, Saul first had a testimony of himself that he was good, and only then did he receive the Holy Spirit. But no one, not even the greatest of the prophets, Moses, received as much as the apostles. Moses, when it was necessary for others to become spiritual, underwent a diminution himself; But here it is not so. On the contrary, just as the fire, no matter how many lamps one wants to light from it, does not diminish in the least, so it happened then with the apostles. By means of fire not only was the abundance of grace shown, but everyone received the (inexhaustible) source of the Spirit, just as Christ Himself said that those who believe in Him will have a fountain of water springing up into eternal life (John 4:14). And this is very natural, because they did not go to talk to Pharaoh, but to fight with the devil. And, what is more surprising, when they were sent, they did not contradict in the least, and did not say that they were ill-spoken and tongue-tied, in which Moses taught them, nor did they say that they were too young, in which Jeremiah made them wise. Though they had heard many terrible things, and much more than they (the prophets), yet they were afraid to contradict them. From this it can be seen that these were angels of light and ministers of higher works. No one appears to the prophets from heaven, because they still care about what is on earth; but after a man has ascended to the height, the Holy Spirit also descends from the height: "as of a rushing," it is said, "a mighty wind." This shows that nothing will be able to resist them, but that they will scatter their opponents like dust. "And he filled the whole house." The house served as a symbol of peace. "The people gathered together, and were in confusion." Do you see the piety of these people, how is it that they do not immediately pronounce judgment, but are perplexed? And those foolish ones pronounce judgment, saying, "They are drunk with sweet wine." Since according to the law they were allowed to appear in the temple three times a year, pious people from all nations lived here. Notice from the present incident how the writer does not flatter them: he did not say that they gave their vote, but what? "The people gathered together, and were in confusion." This is natural; they thought that the present event threatened them with destruction for what they had dared to do against Christ. On the other hand, their conscience also shook their souls, for the murder was still in their hands, so to speak, and everything frightened them. "Are not all these who speak Galileans?" So they recognized it. And they were so amazed by this noise that people from most of the universe gathered here. Meanwhile, for the apostles themselves, this served as a reinforcement; they did not know what it meant to speak Parthian, and now they learned from these people. And the writer mentions the peoples hostile to them – the Cretans, the Arabians, the Egyptians, the Persians – in order to show that they will overcome them all.

3. Since the Jews were in captivity at that time, it is probable that many of the Gentiles came here with them; and on the other hand, the rumor of the dogmas had already spread among the peoples at that time, and therefore many of them were present here, in remembrance of what they had heard. Thus, the testimony from all sides was indisputable – from the citizens, from the foreigners, from the outsiders. "We hear them with our tongues, speaking of the great works of God." They did not just speak, but said something wonderful; and therefore these people were rightly perplexed, since there had never been anything like it. Notice the reasonableness of these people: they were amazed and perplexed, saying: "To one another, what does this mean? And others, mocking, said, 'They are drunk with sweet wine' (v. 12, 13). What shamelessness if they laughed at it! And what is surprising about this, if they say of the Lord Himself, when He cast out demons, that "He has Beelzebub in Himself" (Mark 3:22)? Where insolence prevails, there one cares only about saying something; not about saying anything reasonable, but just to say something. "They got drunk on sweet wine." True, it is so, because people surrounded by so many dangers, trembling for life itself, which is in such sorrow, dare to say such things! And behold, since this was incredible, in order to deceive the hearers and show that (the apostles) were really drunk, they attribute everything to the quality (of the drink) and say: "They were drunk with sweet wine." "And Peter stood with the eleven, and lifted up his voice, and cried out to them." There you see his solicitude, and here his courage. Let them be amazed, let them be amazed; But at the same time not to give a voice among such a multitude of people? If even when you speak among your own people you are confused, then how much more so when you speak between enemies, between people who breathe murder. And that (the apostles) were not drunk, this was immediately made evident from their voices, because they did not fall into a frenzy like the possessed, and were not deprived of the freedom to control themselves. But what does "with eleven" mean? That is, they defended themselves with a common voice: Peter ministered through the mouth of all, and the other eleven (disciples) stood before him, confirming his words with their testimony. "He lifted up his voice," that is, he spoke with great boldness.

And he does this in order that they may know the grace of the Spirit. In fact, before he could not bear the question of an insignificant servant, but now, in the midst of the crowd of the people, when everyone breathes murder, he speaks with such boldness! This was an unmistakable testimony to the resurrection, because he acts with such boldness among people who laughed and mocked at such a great event. Think how much insolence, how much impiety, how much shamelessness is needed to consider the extraordinary gift of tongues as the work of drunkenness! But all this did not in the least embarrass the apostles and did not take away their courage, although they heard these ridicules. With the coming of the Spirit, they have already changed and become above all things carnal, because where the Holy Spirit appears, there also the perishable become golden. Look, for example, I beg you, at Peter and recognize in him that man – fearful, foolish, just as Christ said: "Do you not yet understand?" (Matt. 15:16), a man who, after his wondrous confession, was called Satan (Matt. 16:23). Pay attention also to the unanimity of the apostles: they yield to him to speak to the people, because it was not necessary to speak to everyone. "He lifted up," it is said, "his voice," and began to speak to them with great boldness. This is what it means to become a spiritual man! Let us also make ourselves worthy of the highest grace, and then everything will be easy for us. Just as a fiery man, having fallen into the stubble, will not suffer any harm, but on the contrary, he himself will cause harm, because he himself does not suffer in the least, and the stalks that attach themselves to him destroy themselves, so it was now. Or better: just as a man who has fire in his hand boldly enters into battle with the one who carries hay, so the apostles came out against these people with great courage. And, in fact, what harm did this large crowd do them? Tell me: did they not struggle with poverty and hunger? Have you not fought with dishonor and bad reputation? After all, they were considered deceivers. Were they not subjected to ridicule and abuse from those present? After all, both fell upon them: some laughed at them, and others cursed at them. Were they not subject to the fury and fury of entire cities, to rebellions and malice? Were they not threatened by fire, and iron, and beasts? Did they not have to fight with innumerable enemies on all sides? Were they not in such a state as if they had seen these disasters in a dream or in a picture? And what happened? Have they not exhausted the fury of their enemies? Have you not put them in difficulty? Were not these people most obsessed with both anger and fear? Were they not anxious, fearful, and trembling? In fact, listen to what they say: "You want to bring the blood of that man upon us" (Acts 5:28).

And, what is surprising, the apostles, completely unarmed, took up arms against the armed, against the leaders who had authority over them; Inexperienced, unskilled in words, and utterly simple, they confronted and waged a struggle with the artificers, the deceivers, the crowd of sophists, rhetoricians, and philosophers, who had rotted away in the academies and in the school of the Peripatetics. And he who had previously exercised only near the lakes, conquered them as accurately as if he were fighting with dumb fishes; Yes, he defeated everyone as a true fisherman defeats dumb fishes. And Plato, who had been so delirious, fell silent; but this one speaks, and not only to his own people, but also to the Parthians, to the Medes, to the Elamites, and in India, and everywhere on earth, even to the ends of the universe. Where is the pride of Greece now? Where is the glory of Athens? Where is the ravings of philosophers? A Galilean, a Bethsaidite, a commoner, defeated them all. Tell me, are you not ashamed at the mere name of the country that was the homeland of your conqueror? And if you hear his name, and learn that his name was Cephas, you will be even more ashamed. It is precisely this that has ruined you, that you consider it humiliating for yourself, that you find all glory in eloquence, and consider the lack of art in the gift of speech a disgrace. You did not follow the path you should have taken; but you have left the royal path, which is convenient and smooth, and have followed the uneven, steep and difficult path. That is why you have not reached the kingdom of heaven.