John Chrysostom

Behold Barnabas giving place to Paul - how should it be otherwise? - to him whom he brought from Tarsus; just as we find John on all occasions giving way to Peter: and yet Barnabas was more looked up to than Paul: true, but they had an eye only to the common advantage. "Then Paul stood up," it says - this was a custom of the Jews - "and beckoned with his hand." And see how he prepares the way beforehand for his discourse: having first praised them, and showed his great regard for them in the words, "ye that fear God," he so begins his discourse. And he says not, Ye proselytes, since it was a term of disadvantage. "The God of this people chose our fathers: and the people" - See, he calls God Himself their God peculiarly, Who is the common God of men; and shows how great from the first were His benefits, just as Stephen does. This they do to teach them, that now also God has acted after the same custom, in sending His own Son; as Christ Himself does in the parable of the vineyard - "And the people," he says, "He exalted when it sojourned in the land of Egypt" - and yet the contrary was the case: true, but they increased in numbers; moreover, the miracles were wrought on their account: "and with an high arm brought He them out of it." Of these things (the wonders) which were done in Egypt, the prophets are continually making mention.

"And when he had removed him, He raised up unto them David to be their king: to whom also He gave testimony, and said, I have found David the son of Jesse, a man after Mine own heart, which shall fulfil all My will. Of this man's seed hath God according to His promise raised unto Israel a Saviour, Jesus." This was no small thing that Christ should be from David.

Observe how he twines the thread of his discourse alternately from things present, from the prophets. Thus, "from this man's seed according to the promise" - the name of David was dear to them; well then, is it not a thing to be desired that a son of his, he says, should be their king?

The Promise then, he says, the fathers received; ye, the reality. And observe, he nowhere mentions right deeds of theirs, but only benefits on God's part: "He chose: Exalted: Suffered their manners:" these are no matters of praise to them: "They asked, He gave." But David he does praise, and him only, because from him the Christ was to come. "I have found David, the son of Jesse, a man after Mine own heart, which shall fulfil all My will." Observe also; it is with praise that he says of him, "David after that he had served the will of God:" just as Peter - seeing it was then the beginning of the Gospel - making mention of him, said, "Let it be permitted me to speak freely of the patriarch David." Also, he does not say, Died, but, "was added to his fathers."

Then John bears witness to this: "When John had first preached before His coming the baptism of repentance to all the people of Israel. And as John fulfilled his course, he said, Whom think ye that I am? I am not He. But, behold, there cometh one after me, whose shoes of His feet I am not worthy to loose." And John too not merely bears witness to the fact, but does it in such sort that when men were bringing the glory to him, he declines it: for it is one thing not to affect an honor which nobody thinks of offering; and another, to reject it when all men are ready to give it, and not only to reject it, but to do so with such humility.

Then he adduces John: then again the prophets, where he says, "By condemning they fulfilled," and again, "All that was written:" then the Apostles as witnesses of the Resurrection: then David bearing witness. For neither the Old Testament proofs seemed so cogent when taken by themselves as they are in this way, nor yet the latter testimonies apart from the former: wherefore he makes them mutually confirm each other.

"Of this man's seed," etc. "When John," he says, "had first preached before His entry" - by entry he means the Incarnation - "the baptism of repentance to all the people of Israel." Thus also John, writing his Gospel, continually has recourse to him: for his name was much thought of in all parts of the world. And observe, he does not say it "Of this man's seed," etc. from himself, but brings John's testimony.

"Men and brethren, children of the stock of Abraham, and whosoever among you feareth God, to you is the word of this salvation sent. For they that dwell at Jerusalem, and their rulers, because they knew Him not, nor yet the voices of the prophets which are read every sabbath day, they have fulfilled them in condemning Him. And though they found no cause of death in Him, yet desired they Pilate that He should be slain."

On all occasions we find them making a great point of showing this, that the blessing is peculiarly theirs, that they may not flee from Christ, as thinking they had nothing to do with Him, because they had crucified Him. "Because they knew Him not," he says: so that the sin was one of ignorance. See how he gently makes an apology even on behalf of those crucifiers. And not only this: but he adds also, that thus it must needs be.

"Men and brethren," etc. For since they were possessed by fear, as having slain Him, and conscience made them aliens, the Apostles discourse not with them as unto Christicides, neither as putting into their hands a good which was not theirs, but one peculiarly their own. "For they that dwell at Jerusalem, and their rulers:" as much as to say, not ye, but they: and again, apologizing even for those, "Because they knew Him not, and the voices of the Prophets which are read every sabbath day, in condemning Him, they fulfilled them." A great charge it is against them that they continually hearing heeded not. But no marvel: for what was said above concerning Egypt and the wilderness, was enough to show their ingratitude.

"Men and brethren, children of the stock of Abraham" - he also calls them after their father - "unto you was the word of this salvation sent." Here the expression, "Unto you," does not mean, Unto you Jews, but it gives them a right to sever themselves from those who dared that murder. And what he adds, shows this plainly. "For," he says, "they that dwell at Jerusalem, because they know Him not." And how, you will say, could they be ignorant, with John to tell them? What marvel, seeing they were so, with the prophets continually crying aloud to them? Then follows another charge: "And having found no cause of death in Him:" in which ignorance had nothing to do. For let us put the case, that they did not hold Him to be the Christ: why did they also kill Him? And "they desired of Pilate, he says, that He should be slain."

"And when they had fulfilled all that was written of Him, they took Him down from the tree, and laid Him in a sepulchre. But God raised Him from the dead. And He was seen many days of them which came up with Him from Galilee to Jerusalem, who are His witnesses unto the people" - that He rose again.

And how so? "By condemning Him, they fulfilled the voices of the prophets." Then again from the Scriptures. And observe also, as one moved by the Spirit Himself, he continually preaches the Passion, the Burial. "Having taken Him down from the tree." Observe, what a great point they make of this. He speaks of the manner of His death. Moreover they bring Pilate conspicuously forward, that the fact of the Passion may be proved by the mention of the tribunal by which he was condemned, but at the same time, for the greater impeachment of those His crucifiers, seeing they delivered Him up to an alien. And he does not say, They made a complaint against Him, but, "They desired, though having found no cause of death in Him, that He should be slain."

"Who appeared," he says, "for many days to them that came up with Him from Galilee to Jerusalem." Instead of which he says, "Who are His witnesses unto the people," to wit, "The men which came up with Him from Galilee to Jerusalem." Then he produces David and Isaiah bearing witness.

"And when they had fulfilled all that was written of Him." Observe what a point he makes of showing that the whole thing was a Divine Dispensation. See, by saying what did they persuade men? By telling them that He was crucified? Why, what could be less persuasive than this? That He was buried - by them to whom it was promised that He should be salvation? that He who was buried forgives sins, yea, more than the Law has power to do?

"Who are His witnesses," he says, "unto the people" - the people that slew Him. Who would never have been so, were they not strengthened by a Divine Power: for they would never have borne such witness to blood-thirsty men, to the very persons that killed Him.

"And as concerning that He raised Him up from the dead, now no more to return to corruption, He said on this wise, I will give you the sure mercies of David. Wherefore he saith also in another Psalm, Thou shall not suffer Thine Holy One to see corruption. For David, after he had served his own generation by the will of God, fell on sleep, and was laid unto his fathers, and saw corruption: but He, Whom God raised again, saw no corruption."

"The faithful mercies," the abiding mercies, those which never perish. Paul loved them exceedingly. And observe, he does not enlarge on the ingratitude of the fathers, but puts before them what they must fear. For Stephen indeed with good reason does this, seeing he was about to be put to death, not teaching them; and showing them, that the Law is even now on the point of being abolished: but not so Paul; he does but threaten and put them in fear. And he does not dwell long on these, as taking it for granted that the word is of course believed; nor enlarge upon the greatness of their punishment, and assail that which they affectionately love, by showing the Law about to be cast out: but dwells upon that which is for their good, telling them that great shall be the blessings for them being obedient, and great the evils being disobedient.