or the terms that the Father has set in His power, but you will receive power when the Holy Spirit has come upon you; and ye shall be witnesses unto me in Jerusalem, and in all Judea and Samaria, and unto the uttermost part of the earth. And when he had said this, he was lifted up in their eyes, and a cloud took him out of their sight" (Acts 1:6-9). You see how Christ dwelt with them on earth forty days and ascended into heaven. But let us see if the Holy Spirit was sent at Pentecost. "At the coming," says the Scriptures, "the day of Pentecost, suddenly there was a noise from heaven, as of a rushing mighty wind, and there appeared to them cloven tongues as of fire, and they rested one upon each of them" (Acts 2:1-3). Do you see a precise indication that Christ remained on earth for forty days and that the apostles had not yet performed miracles? And how could they work miracles without having yet received the grace of the Holy and life-giving Spirit?

Do you see that Jesus ascended to heaven after forty days? Do you also see that ten days after this the apostles began to work miracles? Because after the days of Pentecost were fulfilled, the Holy Spirit was sent. Now it remains to decide why the Acts of the Apostles are read at Pentecost. If the Apostles had then begun to perform signs, i.e. after the Resurrection of the Lord, then this book should have been read: just as we read the things relating to the cross on the day of the cross, and the things relating to the resurrection on the day of the Resurrection, and on each feast we read the things relating to this feast, so we should read about the miracles of the Apostles on the days of the Apostolic signs.

6. Why then do we not read about them then, but immediately after the cross and resurrection? Listen to the whole reason for this with attention. Immediately after the cross we proclaim the resurrection of Christ, and the proof of the resurrection is the signs of the apostles, and the signs of the apostles are set forth in this book (Acts). Thus, which especially confirms the truth of the Lord's Resurrection, the Fathers established that it should be read immediately after the Cross and the Life-Giving Resurrection. Therefore, beloved, immediately after the cross and resurrection we read about the signs of the apostles, so that we may have a clear and undoubted proof of the resurrection. Thou hast not seen Him Himself risen with the eyes of the body, but thou seest Him risen with the eyes of faith; with these eyes you have not seen the Risen One Himself, but with the help of those miracles you will see Him risen. The manifestation of signs leads you to the contemplation of faith. And the fact that signs were performed in His name was a better and clearer proof (of the resurrection) than the appearance of the Risen One Himself. Do you want to know how this better confirms the truth of the resurrection than if He Himself appeared before the eyes of all people? Listen attentively, because many ask about this and say: Why did not the Lord, having risen, immediately appear to the Jews? This is a superfluous and vain question. If there had been a hope of converting the Jews to the faith, He would not have failed to appear to all after His resurrection. And that there was no hope that He, appearing to them after the resurrection, would convert them to faith, is evident from the incident with Lazarus. By resurrecting this four-day-old dead man, stinking and decaying, and commanding him, bound with bandages, to come out before the eyes of all, He not only did not convert them to faith, but even aroused hatred, because when they were gathered they even wanted to kill Him for this (John 22:10). If, then, when He raised up another, they did not believe, then, if He had resurrected Himself and appeared to them, would they not again have gone into a frenzy against Him? And although they could not have had any success, they would have shown their impiety by an attempt.

Therefore, wishing to save them from excessive frenzy, He hid Himself, because He would have made them even more worthy of punishment if He had appeared to them after suffering on the Cross. Therefore, sparing them, He hid Himself from their eyes, and showed Himself by the appearance of signs, because to hear the words of Peter: "In the name of Jesus Christ of Nazareth arise and walk" (Acts 3:6) meant no less than to see the Risen One Himself. And that this is indeed the greatest proof of the resurrection, and leads more easily to faith than the latter, and that the manifestation of signs performed in His name could better convince the minds of men than the sight of the Risen One Himself, is evident from the following: Christ rose and appeared to the disciples; but among them there was a certain unbeliever, Thomas called Didymus, and it was necessary for him to put his hands into the wounds of nails, and it was necessary also to touch His side (John 20:24).

The people, hearing Peter say to the lame man: "In the name of Jesus Christ of Nazareth, arise and walk," believed in Christ in the number of three thousand, and then in the number of five thousand men; But the disciple, seeing the risen One, did not believe. Do you see how the former led much more conveniently to faith in the resurrection? Seeing the risen one, His own disciple did not believe, but when He saw the signs, the enemies also believed. Thus the latter was more effective and clearer than the former, and more disposed and assured them of the resurrection. But what do I say about Thomas? And the rest of the disciples did not believe at the first vision. Listen to these things carefully, but do not condemn them, beloved: if Christ has not condemned them, do not condemn them either. The disciples saw a wondrous and extraordinary deed, they saw the firstborn risen from the dead; and such great miracles usually strike at first, until in time they are established in the souls of believers; It was the same with the disciples then. When Christ, risen from the dead, said to them: "Peace be unto you," then, says the Evangelist, "they were troubled and afraid, thinking that they were seeing a spirit, but He said to them, 'Why are you troubled?' And then, showing them hands and feet, "they did not yet believe for joy, and were amazed, He said to them, 'Do you have any food here?'" Wishing thereby to assure them of the resurrection (Luke 24:36-41). You are not convinced, He says, neither ribs nor wounds; let the meal at least convince.

7. And in order that you may know more surely that He said, "Do you have any food here?" so that they may not think that before them is a ghost, or a spirit, or an apparition, but a true and real resurrection, listen to how Peter thereby proves the resurrection. Having said: "This God hath raised up, and has given Him to appear to us, witnesses who have been chosen by God," he then, giving proof of the resurrection, added: "Which ate and drank with Him" (Acts 10:40,41). Wherefore in another place Christ, having raised up the dead, and desiring to assure her of the resurrection, said: "Give her to eat" (Mark 5:43). And so, when you hear that He "manifested Himself alive, appearing to them for forty days, and ate with them" (Acts 1:10; Luke 24:43), then know the reason for this eating of food, namely: He ate food, having no need of it Himself, but wishing to correct the weakness of the disciples. From this it can be seen that the miracles and signs of the apostles were the greatest proof of the resurrection (of Christ). Wherefore He Himself says: "Verily, verily, I say unto you, He that believeth on Me, the works which I do shall he also do, and greater than these" (John 14:12). Since the preceding cross offended very many, great signs were needed after that. If the dead Christ had remained in death and in the tomb and had not risen again, as the Jews say, and ascended to heaven, then not only would there have been no great signs after the cross, but even those who had been performed before would have lost their power. Listen to me here with attention; what I say is proof of the certainty of the resurrection; Therefore, I will repeat what I have said. Christ had previously performed miracles, raised the dead, cleansed lepers, cast out demons; then He was crucified and, as the lawless Jews say, did not rise from the dead. What shall we say to them? The following: if He was not resurrected, how were great signs performed in His name after that? None of the living, when he died, performed great signs after death, but here after that there were great miracles both in the manner of their performance and in their nature. They were great in nature, because the shadow of Christ never raised the dead, but the shadows of the apostles did many such things. There were great signs also in the manner of their execution, because then He Himself performed miracles by command, and after the cross His servants, calling upon His venerable and holy name, performed great and higher works, in which His power was manifested more and more gloriously. In fact, it is much more important when another performed miracles by calling on His name than when He Himself also performed by His own command. Do you see, beloved, great both in nature and in the manner of performing the signs, performed by the apostles after the resurrection of Christ? Thus, they are the unmistakable proof of the resurrection. What I have said, I will repeat again: if Christ had not risen again when He died, then the signs would have ended and ceased; and now they not only did not cease, but after that the most important and glorious things took place. If Christ had not risen, then others would not have performed such signs in His name, because one and the same power performed miracles both before the cross and after the cross, only before the cross through Christ Himself, and afterwards through His disciples. And in order that the proof of the resurrection might be clearer and more glorious, there were greater and higher signs after the cross. But how do we know, – the infidel will say, – that there were signs then? And how do we know that Christ was crucified? From the Divine Scriptures, you will say. Exactly, it is known from the scriptures that there were signs then and that Christ was crucified; they tell about both. But if the adversary says that the apostles did not perform signs, then he will show their power and divine grace even more, that they converted such a universe to godliness without signs. It is a great sign and a wondrous miracle that poor people, who had nothing, who were ignorant, unlearned, simple, despised, and twelve in number, could attract to themselves without signs so many cities, tribes of nations, kings, rulers, philosophers, rhetoricians, and, so to speak, the whole earth. Do you want to see the signs that are happening even now? I will prove to you even greater signs than before: not one dead one who is resurrected, not one blind one who sees, but the whole earth, which has cast down the darkness of error; not just one leper being cleansed, but so many peoples who have been healed of sinful leprosy and cleansed by the bath of Genesis. What more do you seek, O man, than these signs, when you see such a sudden change in the universe?

8. Do you want to know how Christ gave the insight of the universe? Formerly, people did not consider wood and stone to be wood and stone, but called senseless things gods: so they were blinded; but now they knew that it was a tree and that it was a stone, and they believed that it was God, because it is by faith alone that this immortal and blessed Being is contemplated. Do you want to see another sign of the resurrection? You will see it in the souls of the disciples; and this sign became great after the resurrection. Everyone knows that he who is well disposed towards a person during his life, after his death, may not remember him, and he who is not well disposed towards a living person and left him during life, all the more forgets about him after death. Therefore, no one who leaves and abandons a teacher-friend during his lifetime will cherish him after his death, especially if he sees innumerable dangers threatening him for his attachment to him. But this, what does not happen to anyone, happened to Christ and the apostles: those who denied and left Him during His lifetime, left Him when He was taken, and fled, after countless reproaches and the cross, began to revere Him so highly that they laid down their lives for confession and faith in Him.

Where did he get such courage? Whence more than from the assurance of the resurrection? Since he had seen Him, conversed with Him, heard His predictions about the future, he exposed himself to danger for Him as for the living, and with such boldness he decided on all disasters, and received such great strength and such great boldness that he died for Him and was crucified on the cross upside down.

If He had not risen and come to life, then the disciples would not have performed greater signs after that than were performed before the cross. Then the disciples also forsook Him; and now the whole world flows to Him, and not only Peter, but also thousands of others, and even more after Peter, those who did not see Him, gave up their souls for Him, gave up their heads to be cut off, and endured an innumerable multitude of calamities, in order to die, keeping their faith in Him intact and inviolable. How is it that he who is dead and abides in the tomb – as you say, Jew –

"Seeing," says the Scriptures, "the Jews "the boldness of Peter and John, and noticing that they were unlettered and simple men, they were amazed" (Acts 4:13), and feared, not because they were unlearned, but because, being unlearned, they overcame all the wise men; "And when they saw the healed man standing with them, they could say nothing contrary to them" (Acts 4:14), whereas before they contradicted when they saw the signs being performed. Why then did they not contradict? Their tongue was restrained by the invisible power of the crucified one; He stopped their mouths; He restrained their audacity; therefore they stood, unable to say anything in spite of it. And when they spoke, see how they showed their fear: "You will," they say, "bring the blood of that man upon us" (Acts 5:28). But if He is a simple man, why do you fear His blood? How many prophets hast thou slain, O Jew, how many righteous men hast thou slain, and hast not feared the blood of any of them: wherefore art thou afraid here? Verily, their conscience has been shaken by the crucified one, and they, unable to conceal their confusion, unwittingly confess their own impotence before their opponents. When they crucified Him on the cross, they cried out: "His blood be on us and on our children" (Matt. 27:25): so they despised His blood! And after the cross, when they see His power shine forth, they are afraid, they are troubled, and say, "You want to bring the blood of that man upon us." If He was a deceiver and an adversary of God, as you lawless Jews say, why do you fear His blood? On the contrary, one should even boast of this murder, if He were really so. But since He was not like that, they tremble.

9. Do you see how everywhere the enemies themselves are confused and afraid? Do you see their confusion? Know also the love of humanity of the crucified. They said: "His blood be on us and on our children" (Matt. 27:25), but Christ did not do so, but, beseeching the Father, said: "Father, forgive them! forgive them, for they know not what they do" (Luke 23:34). If His blood had been on them and on their children, then the apostles would not have been from among their children, and three thousand and five thousand would not have suddenly believed. Do you see how cruel and inhuman they were to their children and denied nature itself, and God was more loving than all fathers and more loving than mothers? His blood was on them and on their children, but not on all the children, but only on those who imitated the wickedness and lawlessness of their fathers, and only those who were their sons, not by succession of nature, but by voluntary folly, were subjected to calamities.

Notice also the goodness and love of God for mankind on the other side. He did not immediately bring punishment and calamity upon them, but forty years or more after the cross. The Saviour Himself was crucified under Tiberius, and their city was taken under Vespasian and Titus. Why did He delay so long? He wanted to give them time to repent, so that they would forsake their sins and atone for their crimes. But since they, having received time for repentance, remained incurable, He finally brought punishment and calamity upon them, and, having destroyed the city, expelled and scattered them throughout the whole world, however, showing in this also His love for mankind. He scattered them so that they might see how Christ crucified by them was worshipped throughout the whole world, so that, seeing the worship given to Him from all, and knowing His power, they would realize the excessiveness of their own impiety, and, having realized it, would turn to the truth. Thus the very exile was for them an edification and a punishment of admonition, because if they had remained in the land of Judah, they would not have been convinced of the truth of the prophets. And what did the prophets say? "Ask of me, and I will give the nations for your inheritance, and the ends of the earth for your possession" (Psalm 2:8).

Therefore, the Jews had to reach the ends of the earth in order to see with their own eyes that Christ also possesses the ends of the earth. Also another prophet says: "And all the islands of the nations shall worship Him, every man from his own place" (Zeph. 2:11). Therefore they had to be scattered to all the places of the earth, that they might see with their own eyes that each one worshipped Him from his own place. And another said: "For the earth shall be filled with the knowledge of the glory of the Lord, as the waters cover the sea" (Hab. 2:14). Therefore, it behooved them to disperse throughout the whole earth, in order to see it filled with the knowledge of the Lord, and the sea, i.e. these spiritual churches, filled with piety. For this purpose, God scattered them throughout the earth, because if they had remained in Judea, they would not have known it. He wants them to be convinced with their own eyes both of the truth of the prophets and of His power, so that they, if they come to their senses, may be led to the truth through this, and if they remain in wickedness, they will have no justification in the dreadful day of judgment. For this reason He scattered them throughout the whole world, so that we also might receive some benefit from it, i.e. seeing the fulfillment of those prophecies about their dispersion and the taking of Jerusalem, which were foretold by Daniel, when he mentioned "the abomination of desolation" (Dan. 9:27), and Malachi, when he said, "It would be better for one of you to shut the doors" (Mal. 1:10), and David, and Isaiah and many other prophets, so that we, seeing those who provoked the anger of the Lord so punished, deprived of the freedom of our country and of all our own laws and patristic traditions, would know His power, which foretold and fulfilled these things, – so that our enemies might see His power from our blessings, and we might know His ineffable love for mankind and power from their punishments, and glorify Him all our lives, that we may receive both eternal and ineffable blessings, through the grace and love of mankind of our Lord Jesus Christ, with Whom the Father, together with the Holy and Life-Giving Spirit, has honor and dominion, now and ever, and unto the ages of ages. Amen.

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