Acts IV. 1

“And as they spake unto the people, there came unto them the priests, and the captain of the temple.”

Ere yet they had time to take breath after their first trials, straightway they enter into others. And observe how the events are disposed. First, they were all mocked together; this was no small trial: secondly, they enter into dangers. And these two things do not take place in immediate succession; but when first the Apostles have won admiration by their two discourses, and after that have performed a notable miracle, thereupon it is that, after they are waxen bold, through God’s disposal, they enter the lists. But I wish you to consider, how those same persons, who in the case of Christ must need look out for one to deliver Him up to them, now with their own hands arrest the Apostles, having become more audacious and more impudent since the Crucifixion. In truth, sin, while it is yet struggling to the birth, is attended with some sense of shame; but when once fully born, it makes those more shameless who practise it. “And the captain of the temple,” it is said. The object again was to attach a public criminality to what was doing, and not to prosecute it as the act of private individuals: such in fact was constantly their plan of proceeding.

“Being grieved that they taught the people.” (v. 2.) Not merely because they taught, but because they declared, not alone that Christ Himself was risen from the dead, but moreover, that we through Him do rise again. “Because they taught the people, and preached through Jesus the resurrection of the dead.” So mighty was His Resurrection, that to others also He is the cause of a resurrection.²⁴⁶

246 It is more likely that καταγγέλειν ἐν τῶ ᾽Ιησοῦ τὴν ἀνάστασιν κ. τ. λ. means “to declare in (the case of) Jesus the resurrection,” i.e. that the reference is specifically to the resurrection of Jesus instead of (as Chrys.) to the resurrection generally.—G.B.S.

247 So A. C. N. Cat. but B. omits οὐκ. Edd. “They had their hands still reeking with the blood of their former victim and they were not chilled (ἐνάρκων), but again laid them upon others, to fill them with fresh blood. Or perhaps also they feared them as having now become a multitude, and for this reason the captain,” etc. But the statement, οὐκ ἔδεισαν τὸ πλῆθος is explained in the Recapitulation: they led Christ to trial immediately, for fear of the multitude; but not so here.

248 C. D. E. F. ῎Εἰ γὰρ ὁ σταυρωθεὶς, φησὶ τοιαῦτα ἐργάζεται, καὶ τὸν χωλὸν ἀνέστησεν, οὐ φοβούμεθα οὐδὲ τούτους. A. B. N. ἐργάζεται, οὐδὲ τούτους φοβούμεθα· τὸν χωλὸν ἀνέστησε, and so Cat. which however has ἔστησαν. The meaning is obscure, especially the emphatic οὐδὲ τούτους: but perhaps it may be explained: “He was crucified; they did their worst to Him, to how little purpose! therefore neither need we fear these men, what they can do to us.” But the report is otherwise so defective and confused, that perhaps what Chrys. actually said here was meant of the priests: “We were able to crucify the Master, therefore we do not fear these common men, His followers, though, as they say, it is He that does these works, that made the lame man walk.”

“And it came to pass on the morrow, that their rulers, and elders, and scribes, and Annas the High Priest, and Caiaphas, and John, and Alexander, and as many as were of the kindred of the High Priest, were gathered together at Jerusalem.” (v. 5, 6.) For now along with the other evils (of the times²⁴⁹

249 Something is wanting here: perhaps a remark on the mention of Annas as the high-priest, whereas elsewhere Caiaphas appears to have been high-priest shortly before.

250 ἀπὸ τοῦ προοιμίου διεκωμῴδησεν, i.e. “You, the rulers of the people, and elders of Israel,—to make it a crime,” etc. For this, which is the reading of the other mss. and the Catena, E. alone has καὶ διεκωδώνισε, μᾶλλον δὲ αὐτοὺς καὶ ἀνέμνησεν κ. τ. λ. “And he rung them, nay, rather also reminded them,” etc. Διακωδωνίζειν is a word elsewhere used by St. Chrys., and would suit the passage very well, either as “he put their unsoundness to the proof (like false metal, or cracked earthenware),” or “he sounded an alarm in their ears:” but the other is equally suitable, and better accredited here. Below, ᾽Επειδὴ δὲ καὶ κρινόμεθα κ. τ. λ.—Cat. ἐπεὶ δέ. Edd. νῦν δέ.

251 ῞Οταν γὰρ μὴ ᾖ τι κατορθῶσαι. Quando enim non est aliquid præclare agendum. Ben. Non est corrigendum aliquid, Erasm. But see the comment in the recapitulation. “Where need was to teach, they allege prophecies; where, to show boldness, they affirm peremptorily.” κατορθῶσαι, “to carry their point,” “to come off in the right;” viz. here, to convince by argument.

“Now when they saw the boldness of Peter and John, and perceived that they were unlearned and ignorant men, they marvelled and they took knowledge of them, that they had been with Jesus.” (v. 13.) The two unlearned men beat down with their rhetoric them and the chief priests. For it was not they that spake, but the grace of the Spirit. “And beholding the man which was healed standing with them, they could say nothing against it.” (v. 14.) Great was the boldness of the man; that even in the judgment-hall he has not left them. For had they said that the fact was not so, there was he to refute them. “But when they had commanded them to go aside out of the council, they conferred among themselves, saying, What are we to do to these men?” (v. 15.) See the difficulty they are in, and how the fear of men again does everything. As in the case of Christ, they were not able (as the saying is) to undo what is done,²⁵²

252 ἀνατρέψαι (φησὶν) τὸ γενόμενον οὐκ ἔνι, A. B. C. Cat. A proverbial expression. Edd. ἀνατρέψαι τὸ γενόμενον οὐκ ἴσχυσαν, “Since then they had not power to undo,” etc.

“And as they spake unto the people, etc. Being grieved that they taught the people, and preached through Jesus the resurrection of the dead.” (Recapitulation, v. 1, 2.) So²⁵³

253 We have supplied the text, instead of which C. inserts, “What shall we do to these men?” adopted by E. and Edd. Below, after the text 5. 28. E. inserts the latter part of v. 17. “Let us straitly threaten them,” etc.

254 All our mss. and Cat. πεισθέντος ὅτι ἀνέστη, καὶ τοῦτο (A. C. N. τούτου, Cat. τὸ) τεκμ. λαβ., ὅτι ἐστὶ Θεὸς, except that B. reads ὅτι ἂν ἔστη Θεός. Hence we read, ὅτι ἀνέστῃ. The repetition of these words may have led to the alteration.

255 The modern text adds, “And marvel not that they again attempt what had been vainly essayed before.”

256 Καὶ μὴν ἄνω καὶ κάτω ἔλεγον. E. F. D. for the sake of connection insert διὰ τοῦτο before ἔλεγον, adopted in Edd.

257 The same mss. and Edd. “And that in the Name of Jesus, this man stands before you whole.” And below: “And besides, they themselves held, etc.…: but now they disbelieve and are troubled, taking counsel to do something to them.” Again, after “the wickedness of the many:”—“And pray why do they not deliver them up to the Romans? Already they were,” etc. All these variations are due to the innovator, who did not perceive that the recapitulation began at the place marked above.

258 The modern text inserts Καὶ τί δήποτε οὐ παραδιδόασιν αὐτοὺς ῾Ρωμαίοις; “And why do they not deliver them over to the Romans? Already they were,” etc. And after ὥστε μᾶλλον ἑαυτοὺς ἐκακιζον, the same adds, ὑπερτιθέμενοι τὴν αὐτῶν ἔνδειξιν· and below, “But concerning these, they neither were bold, nor yet do they take them to Pilate.”

“And it came to pass on the morrow, that their rulers, and elders, and scribes were gathered together at Jerusalem.” (v. 5.) Again in Jerusalem: and there it is that men’s blood is poured out; no reverence for their city either; “And Annas, and Caiaphas,” etc. (v. 6.) “And Annas,” it says, “and Caiaphas.” His maid-servant it was that questioned Peter, and he could not bear it: in his house it was that Peter denied, when Another was in bonds there: but now, when he has come into the midst of them all, see how he speaks! “By what name have ye done this?” Why dost thou not speak it, what it is, but keepest that out of sight? “By what name have ye done this?” (v. 7.) And yet he affirmed, It was not we that did it. “Ye rulers of the people,” etc. (v. 8.) Observe his wisdom: he does not say outright, “In the Name of Jesus we did it,” but how? “In His Name this man”—He does not say, “was made whole by us;” but—“doth stand here before you whole.” And again, “If we be examined concerning the good deed done to the impotent man.” (v. 9.) He hits them hard, that they are always making a crime of such acts, finding fault with works of beneficence done to men: and he reminds them of their former doings, that they run to do murder, and not only so, but make a crime of doing good deeds. Do you observe too (in point of rhetoric) with what dignity they express themselves?²⁵⁹

259 πῶς ἔχει καὶ τὸ βαρὺ τὰ ῥ& 208·ματα; καὶ ἐν τούτοις ἐγυμνάζοντο. i.e. “how their words have the rhetorical quality of τὸ βαρύ—grave and dignified impressiveness. Even in these, i.e. in the use of words,” etc.

260 Chrys. rightly remarks upon the great boldness and force of Peter’s answer to the Sanhedrin (8–12). The ἐι ἀνακρινόμεθα, κ. τ. λ. (9) is ironical: “If for doing a good deed a man must make answer.” Then follow the bold declarations which are almost of the nature of a challenge (10) “Be it known to you all,” etc., and the assertion that it was in the name which they despised—the “Nazarene”—that the miracle had been wrought and all this is pointed by the contrast: “Ye crucified” but “God raised” and the charge of opposition to the divine plan in that they had rejected the stone which God had made the head of the corner.—G.B.S.

261 Οὐ γὰρ τὰ ῥ& 208·ματα μόνον, καὶ τὰ σχήματα ἐδείκνυντο τὸ ἀφροντίστως εστάναι περὶ τοιούτων κρινομένους. A. C. but the former has ἐδείκνυον, N. ἐδείκνυ. Our other mss. have, οὐ γὰρ τοῖς ῥ& 208·μασι μόνον ἐδείκνυντο ἀφροντιστοῦντες π. τ. κρινόμενοι: which is only an attempt to make the passage grammatical. The comment is on the word θεωροῦντες: they beheld the boldness, for not words only, their gestures also, declared it.—Below, τὴν παρρησίαν ἐνέφαινον τὴν κατὰ τοῦ λαοῦ. ᾽Εξ ὧν ἐφθέγγοντο ἐθαύμαζον ἴσως. Edd. τὴν παρρ. ἐνέφαινον ἐπὶ τοῦ λαοῦ ἐξ ὧν ἐφθέγγοντο. ᾽Εθαύμαζον δὲ ἴσως.

262 ἀφ᾽ ὧν ἔλεγον; Edd. and Erasm. take this affirmatively: but this can hardly be the Author’s meaning; as he has just said that “from the things they uttered, they marvelled” that the speakers should be illiterate and common men. Something perhaps is wanting: e.g. “Not from the matter, but from the dialect, or from the brevity and abruptness of Peter’s style, or, from the appearance of the men.—In the mss. the next sentence is, ὥστε ἐπέσκηψαν ἂν αὐτοῖς, Extrema auctoritate mandassent iis, Erasm. Acrius in eos egissent, Ben. Here and in what follows we have endeavored to restore the proper order. In the mss. in consequence, as it seems, of a confusion between the two clauses, οὐ δυνάμεθα ἀρνήσασθαι, and οὐ δυνάμεθα γὰρ…μὴ λαλεῖν, the order of the comments is deranged: viz. “So that they would—been with them.” “And they recognized—stopped their mouths:” “‘Whether it be right—judge ye.’ When the terror—mere bravery. ‘Whether it be right,’ he says, and, ‘We cannot deny it.’ So that they would—better to let them go. ‘Whether it be right—more than unto God.’ Here by God—His Resurrection.”

263 The author seems to give two different interpretations of the statement: “They recognized them that they had been with Jesus.” (1) They perceived that these were the men whom they had before seen in company with Jesus. (2) They saw that their words and acts betokened association with Jesus. It is evident that the former only is meant in this place.—G.B.S.

264 Καίτοι πανταχοῦ αἱ ἀρχαὶ δειναὶ καὶ δύσκολοι. “If at the beginning you failed, how can you expect to succeed now? for the beginning being always the hardest part of any difficult undertaking, if you could not stop it then, much less afterwards.” The modern text unnecessarily alters it to οὕπω π. αἱ ἀ. χαλεπαί τε καὶ δυσκ.

265 Πολλῷ μᾶλλον αὐτοῖς βέλτιον ἦν αὐτοὺς ἀφεῖναι. N. has a colon at αὐτοῖς, which perhaps is better; then the first clause may be the comment on τὸ καθόλου μὴ φθέγγεσθαι: “not to speak at all: much more to them. It had been better to dismiss them (at once).” For this sentence E. alone has, Πάνυ γε, τοὺς οὐδὲν ὑμᾶς ἡγουμένους καὶ ἀπειλοῦντας: “Aye, men who make nothing of you for all your threatening:” which is adopted by Edd.

266 E. and Edd. “That a notable miracle is done, we cannot deny:” and below “Here they say, of God, for, ‘of Christ.’ Do you see how that is fulfilled which He said unto them, ‘Behold I send you as sheep in the midst of wolves; fear them not.’ Then once more they confirm,” etc. For τοῦ Θεοῦ, A. B. have τοῦ Χριστοῦ.

Already these as martyrs have borne testimony: set in the battle against all, they said, “We cannot but speak the things we have seen and heard.” If the things we speak be false, reprehend them; if true, why hinderest thou? Such is philosophy! Those, in perplexity, these in gladness: those covered with exceeding shame, these doing all with boldness: those in fear, these in confidence. For who, I would ask, were the frightened? those who said, “That it spread no further among people,” or these who said, “we cannot but speak the things we have seen and heard?” And these had a delight, a freedom of speech, a joy surpassing all; those a despondency, a shame, a fear; for they feared the people. But these were not afraid of those; on the contrary, while these spake what they would, those did not what they would. Which were in chains and dangers? was it not these last?

Let us then hold fast to virtue; let not these words end only in delight, and in a certain elevation of the spirits. This is not the theatre, for singers (κιθαρώδων), and tragedians, and musicians (κιθαριστὥν), where the fruit consists only in the enjoyment and where the enjoyment itself passes with the passing day. Nay, would that it were enjoyment alone, and not mischief also with the enjoyment! But so it is: each man carries home with him much of what he has witnessed there, sticking to him like the infection of a plague: and one indeed, of the younger sort, having culled such snatches of song here and there of those satanic plays,²⁶⁷

267 The various readings are ᾀσμάτων for δραμάτων, and μέρη for μέλη. Below, τῶν δὲ ἐκεῖσε λεγομένων καὶ κηρυγμάτων καὶ ῥημάτων μέμνηται πάντων. The mod, omits καὶ κηρ. The meaning is, “He cannot carry away in his memory the preaching which he hears in Church: but the preachments (proclamations) which he hears in the theatre he remember, every word.”

268 A description of the attire of a philosopher. Lucian mentions the long beard and the staff, but as the vestment, the τριβώνιον or tritum pallium. The ἐξωμὶς elsewhere denotes (in opposition to ἐπωμὶς) a tunic without sleeves, forming part of the dress of old men, and slaves, and also used in comedy. Here it seems to mean a cope, perhaps (Doun. ap. Savil.), the original of the academic hood, caputium.

Well, then, let us speak to you to-day from the Old Testament. What does it tell us? “Accustom not thy mouth to swearing; neither use thyself to the naming of the Holy One.” And why? “For as a servant that is continually beaten shall not be without a blue mark, so he that sweareth.” (Ecclus. xxiii. 10.) See the discernment of this wise man. He did not say, “Accustom not to swearing” thy mind, but “thy mouth”; because being altogether an affair of the mouth, thus it is easily remedied. For at last it becomes a habit without intention; as for instance, there are many who entering the public baths, as soon as they have passed the threshold, cross (Hom. in 1 Cor. xi. 7) themselves (σφραγίζονται).²⁶⁹

269 Tertull. de Corona militum. “Ad omnem progressum atque promotum, ad omnen aditum et exitum, ad calceatum, ad lavacra, ad mensas, ad lumina, ad cubilia, ad sedilia, quæcunque nos conversatio exercet, frontem crucis signaculo terimus.”

270 ὑπὲρ τῶν φυγαδευσάντων αὐτόν. When the “intercession” of Moses is spoken of, it is natural to suppose that the reference is to Exod. xxxii. 11 ff. But Sav. and Ben. refer this to Num. xii. 13, perhaps because of ἐβόα (LXX. ἐβόησε). But the addition, “for those who had driven him into banishment,” does not suit the latter and less memorable occasion: for Miriam and Aaron did but “speak against Moses,” not attempt to banish or expel him. More fully expressed, the meaning may be, “For a people who began by making him a fugitive, Ex. ii. 15, Acts vii. 29, and now had put the finishing stroke to their ingratitude.” Comp. Ex. xvii. 4; Num. xiv. 10, 13, etc.

271 ἂν μὲν τὸν βίρρον ἐναλλὰξ περιβάλῃ. A. N. βίρον. B. C. βίον (the word βίρρος, birrhus having perhaps become obsolete). Mod. τὴν ἐσθῆτα.

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