Homily 24 — Acts 10, verse 44, to 11, verse 18

“While Peter was still speaking these words, the Holy Spirit fell on all who heard the word. And those of the circumcision who believed were astonished, as many as had come with Peter, because the gift of the Holy Spirit had been poured out on the Gentiles also. For they heard them speaking with tongues and magnifying God.” [a]

Notice how God arranges things. He does not let the speech be finished, nor the baptism take place at Peter’s command. Instead, once he has made it plain how admirable their frame of mind is, and a beginning has been made of the teaching, and they have believed that baptism is certainly the forgiveness of sins, then at once the Spirit comes upon them. God arranges it this way to give Peter a powerful ground for declaring himself in the right. And it is not simply that the Spirit came upon them: “they spoke with tongues,” and that was what astonished those who had come together.

They disliked the whole affair intensely; that is why the whole of it comes from God. As for Peter, one might almost say that he is present only to be taught, along with them, the lesson that they must take the Gentiles in hand, and that they themselves are the ones by whom this must be done. For if, even after all these great events, the matter was still questioned both in Caesarea and in Jerusalem, what would it have been like if these signs had not kept pace, step by step, with the progress of the affair? That is why this is carried almost to excess.

Peter seizes his advantage, and see what a plea he makes of it: “Can anyone forbid water, so that these should not be baptized, who have received the Holy Spirit just as we have?” (verse 47). Notice the conclusion he brings it to, and how he had been in labor to bring this to birth. So completely was he of this mind! “Can anyone,” he asks, “forbid water?” These are the words, we might almost say, of a man pressing his advantage in triumph against any who would forbid it, any who might say that this ought not to be. The whole thing, he says, is complete already — the most essential part of the business, the baptism with which we ourselves were baptized.

“And he commanded them to be baptized in the name of Jesus Christ” (verse 48). Only after he has declared himself in the right, and not before, does he command them to be baptized, teaching them by the facts themselves. Such was the dislike the Jews had for it! That is why he first declares himself in the right, although the very facts cry aloud, and then gives the command. “Then they asked him” — and well they might — “to stay on for some days.” And from then on he stays with full confidence. [b]

“Now the apostles and brothers who were in Judea heard that the Gentiles too had received the word of God. And when Peter had come up to Jerusalem, those who were of the circumcision contended with him, saying, You went in to uncircumcised men and ate with them” (Acts 11, verses 1 to 3). After such great events, “those of the circumcision contended with him” — not the apostles; far from it! 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 does not stop to notice this lame objection — and lame it certainly is. He takes his stand on that great argument: if they had been given the Spirit himself, how could anyone refuse to give them the baptism?

But how did it come about that in the case of the Samaritans this did not happen? On the contrary, there was no dispute either before their baptism or after it, and there they did not take it badly; in fact, as soon as they heard of it, they sent the apostles for this very purpose (Acts 8, verse 14). True; but in the present case, either, this is not what they complain of, for they knew that it came from God’s 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 arranged, as part of God’s plan, that he should be accused in this way, precisely so that they may learn: for without some occasion given, Peter would not have told the vision. But notice how free he is from all pride and empty glory.

For it says, “But Peter went over the matter from the beginning and explained it to them in order, saying, I was in the city of Joppa, praying” — he does not say why, or 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 its four corners; and it came right to me (verses 4 and 5). When I had fixed my eyes on it, I considered, and saw four-footed animals of the earth, and wild beasts, and creeping things, and birds of the air. And I heard a voice saying to me, Get up, Peter; kill and eat” (verses 6 and 7). It is as if he said, “This by itself was enough to persuade me — my having seen the linen sheet; but a voice was added besides.”

“But I said, Not so, Lord; for nothing common or unclean has ever entered my mouth” (verse 8). Do you notice? “I did my part,” he says; “I said that I have never eaten anything common or unclean.” He says this with reference to their charge, “You went in and ate with them.” But this he does not say to Cornelius, for there was no need to mention it to him.

“But the voice answered me a second time from heaven, What God has cleansed, you must not call common. This happened three times, and everything was drawn up again into heaven” (verses 9 and 10). The essential points were the ones that followed at Caesarea; but with these he prepares the way for them. [c]

Notice how he makes his defense with reasons, and holds back from using his authority as teacher. For the more mildly he speaks, the more willing he makes them to be led. “At no time,” he says, “has anything common or unclean entered my mouth. And look” — this too was part of his defense — “three men stood at the house where I was, sent to me from Caesarea. And the Spirit told me to go with them, without doubting at all” (verses 11 and 12). Do you notice that making laws belongs to the Spirit?

“And these also went with me” — nothing could be more humble than this, when he calls on the brothers as witnesses! — “these six men, and we entered the man’s house. And he told us how he had seen an angel standing in his house, who said to him, Send men to Joppa and call for Simon, whose other name is Peter; he will tell you words by which you and all your household will be saved” (verses 13 and 14). And he does not mention the words the angel spoke to Cornelius, “Your prayers and your alms have come up as a memorial before God,” so as not to offend them. What does he say instead? “He will tell you words by which you and all your household will be saved.” There is good reason for adding this. Nor does he say anything about how considerate a man he was.

He might have said: “The Spirit sent me; God commanded me, on the one hand summoning me through the angel, on the other urging me on and resolving my doubt about these things. What was I to do?”

But he says none of these things. Instead he makes his strong point of what happened last, which even by itself was an argument no one could answer: “And as I began to speak,” and so on (verse 15). Why, then, did this not happen by itself alone? God does this over and above what was needed, to show that the beginning too did not come from the apostle. Had Peter set out of his own accord, without any of these things having taken place, they would have been deeply hurt. So from the very start he wins their minds over, saying to them, “who have received the Holy Spirit just as we have.”

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 baptized with water, but you will be baptized with the Holy Spirit” (verse 16). He means that nothing new has happened, only what the Lord foretold. “But was there no need, then, to baptize?” But the baptism had been completed already. And he does not say, “I ordered them to be baptized.” What does he say? “If, then, God gave them the same gift as he gave us, when we believed in the Lord Jesus Christ, who was I, that I could withstand God?” (verse 17). He shows that he himself had done nothing. For the very thing we have obtained, he says, those men received too. That is why he says “the same gift”: to stop their mouths all the more effectively.

Do you see how he does not allow that they have any less? When they believed, he says, God gave them the same gift as he gave us who believed in the Lord, and he himself cleanses them. And he does not say “to you,” but “to us.” Why do you feel wronged, when we call them sharers with us?

“When they heard these things, they fell silent, and glorified God, saying, Then God has granted to the Gentiles also repentance that leads to life” (verse 18). Do you notice that it all came from Peter’s speech, from his admirably skillful way of telling the facts? They glorified God that he had given repentance to them also: these words humbled them.

So from that time on the door of faith was opened to the Gentiles. But, if you please, let us look over again what has been said. [f]

“While Peter was still speaking,” and so on. The writer does not say that Peter was astonished, but “those of the circumcision,” since Peter knew what was being prepared. And yet they ought to have marveled at this: how these men had come to believe at all. When they heard that they had believed, they were not astonished; they were astonished when God gave them the Spirit.

Then “Peter answered and said,” and so on (verse 47). And that is why he says, “God has shown that I should not call any human being common or unclean” (verse 28). He knew this from the first, and planned his speech ahead with this in view. Gentiles? What Gentiles, from now on? They were no longer Gentiles, now that the truth had come. It is nothing to wonder at, he says, if they received the Spirit before the act of baptism; the same thing happened in our own case. Peter shows that they were not baptized like the rest either, but in a much better way. That is why the thing happens as it does: so that they may have nothing to say, but may count these men equal with themselves even in this way.

“And they asked him,” it says, “to stay on for some days” (verse 48). “And the apostles and brothers,” and so on. “And those of the circumcision contended with him” (Acts 11, verses 1 and 2). Do you notice how they were not kindly disposed toward him? “Saying, You went in to uncircumcised men and ate with them” (verse 3). Do you notice what zeal they had for the law? Peter’s authority did not abash them, nor the signs that had taken place, nor the success achieved — what a thing it was, the Gentiles having “received the word”! Instead they contended about those petty things. For even if none of those signs had taken place, was not the success itself enough?

But that is not how Peter frames his defense. He was wise — or rather, it was not his own wisdom, but the Spirit who spoke the words. And by the substance of his defense he shows that in no single point was he the author, but God in every point, and he lays the whole thing on him: “The trance — it was he who made me 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 told them that God had sent me, and even after all these things I did not baptize; again God did the whole. God baptized them, not I.”

And he does not say, “Was it not right, then, to add the water?” But, implying that nothing was lacking, he says, “Who was I, that I should withstand God?” What a defense this is! For he does not say, “Then, knowing these things, be quiet.” What does he say? He takes their attack, and against their accusation he pleads, “Who was I, to be able to hinder God?” It was not possible for me to hinder him. A forceful plea indeed, and one that might well put them to shame.

So at last, afraid, “they fell silent, and glorified God.” [h]

In the same way we too ought to glorify God for the good things that happen to our neighbors — only not the way the rest of the newly baptized feel wronged when they see others receive baptism and immediately depart this life. It is right to glorify God, even though all are saved. And as for you, if you are willing, you have received a greater gift than they. I do not mean with respect to the baptism, for there the gift is the same for him as for you. I mean that you have been given a set time for winning distinction.

The other man put on the robe, but was not allowed to show himself in it in the procession. To you, God has given full opportunity to use your weapons for their right purpose, and so to prove them. The other goes his way having only the reward of his faith. You stand in the racecourse, able both to win an abundant reward for your works and to show yourself as much more glorious than he as the sun is than the smallest star — as a general, or rather the Emperor himself, is than the lowest soldier.

Then blame yourself — or rather, do not blame yourself, but correct yourself. For it is not enough to blame yourself; it is in your power to fight all over again. Have you been thrown? Have you been badly hurt? Stand up, recover yourself: you are still in the racecourse, and the spectators have not yet gone home. Do you not see how many who have been thrown in wrestling have afterward taken up the fight again?

Only do not fall of your own will. Do you count him fortunate for departing this life? Count yourself far more fortunate. Was he released from his sins? But you, if you are willing, will not only wash away your sins but will also have good works to your credit, which in his case is not possible. It is in our power to recover ourselves. Great are the healing powers of repentance: let no one despair of himself. [j]

The man who truly deserves to be despaired of is the man who despairs of himself; that man has no salvation left, and no hope. It is not having fallen into a pit of evils that is dreadful, but lying there once fallen. It is not having come into such a state that is ungodly, but making light of it. The very thing that ought to make you earnest — tell me, is this what makes you reckless? Have you received so many wounds, and so fallen back? For the soul there is no incurable wound. For the body there are many, but none for the soul. And yet for the body’s wounds we never stop trying to find a cure, while about the soul’s we lie back and do nothing.

Do you not see the thief on the cross, in how short a time he won his salvation? Do you not see the martyrs, in how short a time they accomplished the whole work? “But martyrdom is not to be had nowadays.” True; but there are contests to be had, as I have often told you, if we had the will. “For all who want,” says the apostle, “to live a godly life in Christ Jesus will suffer persecution” (Second Timothy 3, verse 12).

Those who live a godly life are always suffering persecution — if not from men, then at any rate from evil spirits, which is a more grievous persecution. Yes, and it is above all through ease and comfort that those who are not watchful suffer it. Or do you think it a trifling persecution to live at ease? This is more grievous than any; this is worse than persecution. For, like a running flux, ease makes the soul limp; and as summer and winter are, so are persecution and ease. [k]

To show you that this is the worse persecution, listen. It brings sleep on the soul, endless yawning and drowsiness. It stirs up the passions on every side: it arms pride, it arms pleasure, it arms anger, envy, empty glory, jealousy. But in time of persecution none of these can cause any disturbance. Fear comes in and plies the whip hard, as one does with a barking dog, and will not let any of these passions so much as try to give tongue. Who will be able to indulge in empty glory in time of persecution? Who will live for pleasure? Not one. Instead there is much trembling and fear, which makes a great calm, settles the harbor into stillness, and fills the soul with awe.

I have heard from our fathers — and God grant it may not happen in our own time, since we are told not to ask for trials — that in the persecution of the old days one could see men who were Christians indeed. None of them cared for money, none for wife, none for children, nor home, nor country. The one great concern of them all was to save their souls. There they were in hiding, some in tombs and graves, some in deserts — yes, delicate and pampered women too, struggling all the while with constant hunger.

Now think: would any longing for luxury and dainty living ever enter the mind of a woman hiding beside a coffin, waiting for her maidservant to bring her meal, trembling in case she was taken, lying in her terror as if in a furnace? Was she even aware that such a thing as dainty living had ever existed, or that there was such a thing as finery at all?

Do you see that the persecution is now, with our passions setting on us from every side like wild beasts? Now is the testing persecution — in this respect, and above all because it is not even thought to be persecution. For this persecution has this evil in it as well: though it is war, it is thought to be peace, so that we do not even arm ourselves against it, we do not even stand up to it. No one fears, no one trembles.

But if you do not believe me, ask the pagans, the persecutors: when was the conduct of the Christians stricter, when were they all more fully proven? They were few in number then, but rich in virtue. For tell me, what good is it to have hay in plenty, when one could have precious stones? What counts is not the size of the number but proven worth. Elijah was one man, yet the whole world was not worth as much as he. And yet the world is made up of tens of thousands; but they are not tens of thousands when they do not come up even to that one. “Better is one who does the will of God than ten thousand transgressors”: for the ten thousands have not yet come up to the one.

“Do not desire a multitude of worthless children” (Sirach 16, verse 1). Such people bring more blasphemy on God than if they were not Christians at all. What need have I of a multitude? It is only more food for the fire. One can see this even with the body: moderate food with health is better than a fatted calf that does harm. The first is more truly food than the other: this is food, but that is disease. One can see it in war too: ten skilled and brave men are better than ten thousand with no experience. Besides doing no work themselves, these get in the way of those who do. One can see the same thing in a ship: two experienced sailors are better than any number of unskilled ones, for these will sink the ship. [r]

I say these things, not because I begrudge you your numbers, but because I want all of you to be proven men and not to trust in your numbers. Far more in number are those who go down into hell; but the kingdom is greater than it, however few it holds. The people of Israel were as many as the sand of the sea, yet one man saved them. Moses was only one, and yet he could do more than all of them; Joshua was one, and he was able to do more than the six hundred thousand.

Let us not make it our only aim that the people should be many, but rather that they should be excellent. When this has been achieved, the other will follow as well. No one starts out wanting to build a spacious house. First he makes it strong and secure, then spacious; no one lays the foundations only to be laughed at. Let us aim at this first, and then at the other. Where this is present, that too will be easy; but where this is not, the other, even if it is there, does no good. For if there are those who are able to shine in the church, there will soon be numbers too; but where these are lacking, the numbers will never be good for anything.

How many do you suppose there are in our city who are likely to be saved? What I am about to say is unpleasant, but I will say it all the same. Among all these tens of thousands, not a hundred are to be found who are likely to be saved; and even about these I have my doubts. For think what wickedness there is among the young, what slackness among the old! No one makes it his business to look after his own boy; no one is moved by anything he sees in his elder to be eager to imitate him. The patterns have been defaced, and that is why the young do not become admirable in their conduct either.

Do not tell me, “We are a fine large crowd.” This is the talk of people with no thought or feeling. In human affairs, indeed, it might be said with some show of reason. But where God is concerned, it can never be allowed — as though he needed us! In fact, let me tell you, even in human affairs it is a senseless thing to say. Listen. A man with a great number of household servants — if they are a corrupt lot, what a miserable time he will have of it!

For the man who has none, the hardship, it seems, comes to this: he is not waited on. But where a man has bad servants, the evil is that he is ruining himself along with them, and the damage is the greater the more of them there are. For it is far worse than having to be one’s own servant, to have to fight with others and take up a constant war.

I say these things so that no one will admire the church for its numbers, but so that we may make it our business to make the multitude proven; so that each may be earnest about his own share of the duty — not only for his friends, nor his relatives, as I am always saying, nor his neighbors, but so that he may draw in strangers too.

For example: the prayer is going on. There they all lie on their knees, the young ones, stupidly unconcerned — yes, and the old ones too. Filthy pests, rather than young men! Giggling, laughing out loud, talking — for I have heard even this going on — and jeering at one another as they lie there on their knees. And there you stand, young man or elder. Rebuke them if you see them behaving this way. If anyone will not stop, reprimand him more severely. Call the deacon, threaten, do whatever is in your power to do. And if he dares to do anything to you, you will certainly have everyone on your side.

For who is so unreasonable that, when he sees you rebuking such conduct and them being rebuked, he will not take your side? Then go your way, having received your reward from the prayer. [v]

In a master’s house, we count as his most devoted servants those who cannot bear to see any of his household goods in disorder. Answer me: if at home you saw the silver dishes lying tossed out of doors, even though it is not your job, would you not pick them up and bring them into the house? If you saw a garment flung out of its place, even though it is not in your care, even though you are on bad terms with the one whose job it is, would you not put it right out of goodwill to the master? So it is in the present case. These people are part of the household goods. If you see them lying about in disorder, put 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; forgive me for that.

See what wickedness covers the whole world! Was I wrong to say that we are no better than so much hay, as disorderly as a stormy sea? I am not complaining about those young people, that they behave this way. What I complain of is that such a sleepy indifference has taken hold of those who come in here that they do not even correct this misbehavior. Again, I see others standing and talking while the prayer is going on — and the more thorough of them do it not only during the prayer, but even while the priest is giving the blessing. What a horror!

When will there be salvation? When will we be able to win God’s favor? Soldiers go off to their entertainment, and you will see them all keeping time in the dance, with nothing done carelessly. Just as in embroidery and painting, from the good order of each separate part of the design there comes a great harmony and balance all at once, so it is here: we have one shield, one head, all of us in common. And if some single point, however small, is thrown out of order by carelessness, the whole is thrown out of order and spoiled, and the good order of the many is undone by the disorder of the one part. [x]

And — fearful indeed to think of — here you come, not to entertainment, not to perform in a dance, and yet you stand in disorder. Do you not know that you are standing in the company of angels? With them you chant, with them you sing hymns — and do you stand there laughing?

Is it not a wonder that a thunderbolt is not hurled, not only at those who behave this way, but at us too? For such behavior may well be visited with the thunderbolt. The Emperor is here, reviewing the army — and do you, with his very eyes upon you, stand laughing, and put up with seeing another laugh? How long are we to go on rebuking, how long complaining? Should not such people be treated as real pests and nuisances, as abandoned, worthless reprobates, loaded with countless mischiefs, and driven out of the church?

When will they stop laughing, those who laugh in the hour of the awesome mystery? When will they give up their trifling, those who talk at the very moment of the blessing? Have they no 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 our minds wander here and there, but laughter must intrude too, and bursts of merriment? Is what is done here some theatrical amusement?

Yes, and I think it is the theaters that do this. To the theaters we owe it that most of you refuse so stubbornly to be curbed and reformed by us. What we build up here is torn down there. And not only that: the hearers themselves cannot help being filled with other filth besides. So the case is just as if someone wanted to clean out a place with a spring above it pouring out mud: 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 filth, they go back there again and take in a larger stock of filth, as though they lived only to give us trouble. Then they come back to us laden with dung — in their manners, in their movements, in their words, in their laughter, in their idleness. Then we begin shoveling it out all over again, as though we had to do this only so that, having sent them away clean, we may see them clog themselves with filth once more.

Therefore I solemnly declare to you who are sound members: this will be judgment and condemnation for you — and I hand you over to God from this time on — if anyone who has seen someone behaving in a disorderly way, anyone who has seen someone talking, especially in that part of the service, does not report him and does not bring him round 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 gain profit yourself. And so may we all be enabled to be saved and to attain the kingdom of heaven, through the grace and love for humankind of our Lord Jesus Christ, with whom, to the Father and the Holy Spirit together, be glory, dominion, and honor, now and always, and forever and ever. Amen.