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ACTS XX. 32.
"And now, brethren, I commend you to God,
and to the word of His grace, which is able to
build you up, and to give you an inheritance
among all them that are sanctified."
WHAT he does when writing in an Epistle,
this he does also when speaking in council from
exhorting, he ends with prayer: for since he
had much alarmed them by saying, "Grievous
wolves shall enter in among you" (v. 29),
therefore, not to overpower them, and make them
lose all self-possession, observe the
consolation (he gives). "And now," he
says, as always, "I commend you, brethren,
to God, and to the word of His grace: that
is, to His grace: it is grace that saveth.
He constantly puts them in mind of grace, to
make them more earnest as being debtors, and to
persuade them to have confidence. "Which is
able to build you up." He does not say, to
build, but, "to build up," showing that they
had (already) been built. Then he puts them
in mind of the hope to come; "to give you an
inheritance," he says, "among all them which
are sanctified." Then exhortation again: "I
have coveted no man's silver, or gold, or
apparel." (v. 33.) He takes away that
which is the root of evils, the love of money.
"Silver, or gold," he says. He says not,
I have not taken, but, not even "coveted."
No great thing this, but what follows after is
great. "Yea, ye yourselves know, that these
hands have ministered unto my necessities, and
to them that were with me. I have showed you
all things, how that so laboring, ye ought to
support the weak." (v. 34, 35.)
Observe him employed in work and not simply
that, but toiling. "These hands have
ministered unto my necessities, and to them that
were with me:" so as to put them to shame.
And see how worthily of them. For he says
not, Ye ought to show yourselves superior to
money, but what? "to support the weak
"--not all indiscriminately--" and to hear
the word of the Lord which He spake, It is
more blessed to give than to receive." For
lest any one should think that it was spoken with
reference to them, and that he gave himself for
an ensample, as he elsewhere says, "giving an
ensample to you" (Phil. iii. 17), he
added the declaration of Christ, Who said,
"It is more blessed to give than to receive."
He prayed over them while exhorting them: he
shows it both by action,--"And when he had
thus spoken, he kneeled down, and prayed with
them all," (v. 36)--he did not simply
pray, but with much feeling: (katanuxews):
great was the consolation--and by his
saying," I commend you to the Lord. And
they all wept sore, and fell on Paul's neck
and kissed him, sorrowing most of all for the
words which he spake, that they should see his
face no more." (v. 37, 38.) He had
said, that "grievous wolves should enter in;"
had said, "I am pure from the blood of all
men:" and yet the thing that grieved them most
of all was this, "that they should see him no
more:" since indeed it was this that made the
war grievous. "And they accompanied them,"
it says, "unto the ship. And it came to
pass, that after we had torn ourselves from
them"--so much did they love him, such was
their affection towards him-"and had launched,
we came with a straight course unto Coos, and
the day following unto Rhodes, and from thence
unto Patara: and finding a ship sailing over
unto Phenicia, we went aboard, and set forth.
Now when we had discovered Cyprus, we left it
on the left hand, and sailed into Syria, and
landed at Tyre" (Acts xxi. 1-3): he
came to Lycia, add having left Cyprus, he
sailed down to Tyre--" for there the ship was
to unlade her burden. And finding disciples,
we tarried there seven days: who said to Paul
through the Spirit, that he should not go up to
Jerusalem." (v. 4.) They too prophesy of
the afflictions. It is so ordered that they
should be spoken by them also, that none might
imagine that Paul said those things without
cause, and only by way of boasting. And there
again they part from each other with prayer.
"And when we had accomplished those days, we
departed, and went our way; and they all
brought us on our way, with wives and children,
till we were out of the city: and we kneeled
down on the shore, and prayed. And when we had
taken our leave one of another, we took ship;
and they returned home again. And when we had
finished our course from Tyre, we came to
Ptolemais, and saluted the brethren, and abode
with them one day. And the next day we that
were of Paul's company departed, and came unto
Caesarea: and we entered into the house of
Philip the evangelist, which was one of the
seven; and abode with him." (v. 5-8.)
Having come to Caesarea, it says, we abode
with Philip, which was one of the seven.
"And the same man had four-daughters,
virgins, which did prophesy." (v. 9.)
But it is not these that foretell to Paul,
though they were prophetesses; it is Agabus.
"And as we tarried there many days, there came
down from Judea a certain prophet, named
Agabus. And when he was come unto us, he took
Paul's girdle, and bound his own hands and
feet, and said, Thus saith the Holy Ghost,
So shall the Jews at Jerusalem bind the man
that owneth this girdle, and shall deliver him
into the hands of the Gentiles." (v. 10,
11.) He who formerly had declared about the
famine, the same says, This "man, who owneth
this girdle, thus shall they bind." (ch.
xi. 28.) The same that the prophets used to
do, representing events to the sight, when they
spoke about the captivity--as did
Ezekiel--the same did this (Agabus).
"And," what is the grievous part of the
business, "deliver him into the hands of the
Gentiles. And when we heard these things,
both we, and they of that place, besought him
not to go up to Jerusalem." (v. 12.)
Many even besought him not to depart, and still
he would not comply. "Then Paul answered,
What mean ye to weep and to break mine heart?"
(v. 13.) Do you mark? Lest, having
heard that saying, "I go bound in the
Spirit" (ch. xx. 22), you should imagine
it a matter of necessity, or that he fell into
it ignorantly, therefore these things are
foretold. But they wept, and he comforted
them, grieving at their tears. For, "what
mean ye," he says, "to weep and to break my
heart?" Nothing could be more affectionate:
because he saw them weeping, he grieved, he
that felt no pain at his own trials. "For I
am ready not to be bound only, but also to die
at Jerusalem for the name of the Lord Jesus.
And when he would not be persuaded, we ceased,
saying, The will of the Lord be done."v.
13, 14.) Ye do me wrong in doing this:
for do I grieve? Then they ceased, when he
said, "to break my heart." I weep, he
says, for you, not on account of my own
sufferings: as for those men), I am willing
even to die for them. But let us look over
again what has been said.
(Recapitulation.) "Silver, or gold, or
apparel," etc. (ch. xx. 33, 34; 1
Cor. ix.; 2 Cor. xi.) So then, it was
not in Corinth only that they did this--they
that corrupted the disciples, but in Asia as
well. But he nowhere casts this up as a
reproach to the Ephesians, when writing to
them. And why? Because he did not fall upon
any subject that obliged him to speak of this.
But to the Corinthians he says, "My boasting
has not been stopped in the regions of
Achaia." (2 Cor. xi. 10.) And he
does not say, Ye did not give to me; but,
"Silver, or gold, or apparel, I coveted
not," that it might not seem to be their
doing, that they had not given. And he does
not say, From no man have I coveted the
necessaries of life, that again it might not
look like accusing them: but he covertly hints
as much, seeing that he provided subsistence for
others as well as himself. See how he worked
with earnestness, "night and day"
(discoursing to others), "with tears warning
each one of them." (v. 31.) (Here)
again he puts them in fear: "I have showed you
all things," he says: ye cannot take refuge in
the plea of ignorance: "have shown you" by
works "how that so laboring ye ought to work."
And he does not say, that to receive is bad,
but that not to receive is better. For,
"remember," he says, "the words of the Lord
which he spake: It is more blessed to give than
to receive." (v. 35.) And where said He
this? Perhaps the Apostles delivered it by
unwritten tradition; or else it is plain from
recorded sayings, from) which one could infer
it. For in fact here he has shown both boldness
in meeting dangers, sympathy with those over
whom he ruled, teaching with (unshrinking)
boldness, humility, (voluntary) poverty:
but, what we have here is even more than that
poverty. For if He says there (in the
Gospel), "If thou wilt be perfect, sell
what thou hast and give to the poor" (Matt.
xix. 21), when, besides receiving nothing
himself, he provides sustenance for others
also, what could equal this? It is one degree
to fling away one's possessions; a second, to
be sufficient for the supply of one's own
necessities: a third, to provide for others
also; a fourth, for oneto do all this) who
preaches and has a right to receive. So that
here is a man far better than those who merely
forego possessions. "Thus it is right to
support the weak:" this is indeed) sympathy
with the weak; for to give from the labors of
others, is easy. "And they fell on his
neck," it says, "and wept." (v. 37.)
He shows their affection also by saying,
"Upon his neck," as taking a last and yet a
last embrace, such was the love they conceived
from his discourse, such the spell of love that
bound them. For if we groan when simply parting
from each other, although we know that we shall
receive one another back again, what a tearing
away of themselves it must have been to them!
Methinks Paul also wept. "Having torn
ourselves away," he says: he shows the
violence of it by saying, "having torn
ourselves away from them." And with reason:
otherwise they could never have got to sea.
What means, "We came with a straight course
unto Coos?" Instead of saying, "we did not
go round nor make stay in other places." Then
"unto Rhodes." (ch. xxi. 1.) See how
he hastes on. "And finding a ship sailing over
unto Phenicia. (v. 2.) Possibly that ship
(in which they had come) was making a stay
there: wherefore they shifted to another, and
not having found one going to Caesarea, but
(finding this) for Phenice, they embarked in
it (and pursued their voyage), having left
Cyprus also and Syria: but the expression,
"having left it on the left hand," is not said
simply in that meaning), but that they made
speed not to get to Syria either. "We landed
at Tyre." (v. 3.) Then they tarry with
the brethren seven days. Now that they were
come near to Jerusalem, they no longer run.
"Who said to Paul through the Spirit, that
he should not go up to Jerusalem." (v.
4.) Observe how, when the Spirit does not
forbid, he complies. They said, "Adventure
not thyself into the theatre, and he did not
adventure" (ch. xix. 31): often they bore
him off (from dangers), and he complied:
again he es caped by a window: and now, though
numberless persons, so to say, beseech him,
both those at Tyre and those at Caesarea,
weeping also and predicting numberless dangers,
he refuses to comply. And yet it is not
merely), they predicted the dangers, but
"said by the Spirit." If then the Spirit
bade, why did he gainsay? "By the Spirit,"
that is, they knowing "by the Spirit"what
would be the consequences, said to him): for
of course it does not mean that the exhortation
they made was by the Spirit. For they did not
simply foretell to him the dangers through the
Spirit), but added of themselves) that it
behooved him not to go up--sparing him. But
"after we had accomplished the days," i.e.
had fulfilled the appointed days, "we
separated, and went on our way: they all
bringing us on our way with wives and
children." (v. 5.)--See how great was
the entreaty. And again they part with prayer.
Also in Ptolemais they stay one day, but in
Caesarea many. (v. 6-8.) Now that they
are near to Jerusalem, they no longer hurry.
For observe, I pray you, all the days.
"After the day of unleavened bread" they came
"to Troas in five days" (ch. xx. 6);
then they there spent "seven;" in all,
twelve: then to "Thasos," to "Mytilene,"
to "Trogylium" and "over against Chios,"
and to "Samos" and "Miletus" (ib.
13-17); eighteen in all. Then to
"Cos," to "Rhodes," to "Patara,"
twenty-one: then say five to "Tyre;"
twenty-six: there "seven;" thirty-three;
"Ptolemais," thirty-four; then to
"Caesarea, many days" (ch. xxi.
1-10); and then, thereafter, the prophet
puts them up thence.c) When Paul has heard
that he has to suffer numberless perils, then he
is in haste, not flinging himself upon the
dangers but accounting it to be the command of
the Spirit. And Agabus does not say, "They
shall bind" Paul, that he may not seem to
speak upon agreement with Paul), but "the man
that owneth this girdle" (v. 11)--so then
he had a girdle also. But when they could not
persuade him--this was why they wept--then
they "held their peace." Do you mark the
resignation? do you mark the affection? "They
held their peace," it says, "saying, The
will of the Lord be done." (v.
12-14.) The Lord, say they, Himself
will do that which is pleasing in his sight.
For they perceived that it was the will of
God. Else Paul would not be so bent (upon
going)--he that on all other occasions
delivers himself out of dangers.d) "And after
these, days," it says, "having taken up our
baggage"--i.e. having received the
supplies) necessary for the journey--"we went
up to Jerusalem." (v. 15.) "And there
went with us also certain of the disciples from
Caesarea, bringing us to one with whom we
should lodge, one Mnason, an ancient disciple
of Cyprus." (v. 16.) "And when we were
come to Jerusalem, the brethren received us
gladly." (v. 17.) "Bringing us," it
says, " (to him) with whom we should
lodge"--not to the church: for on the former
occasion (ch. xv. 4), when they went up
concerning the decrees, they lodged with the
Church, but now with a certain "ancient
disciple."The expression) shows that the
preaching had been going on a long time: whence
it seems to me that this writer in the Acts
epitomizes the events of many years, relating
(only) the matters of chief importance. So
unwilling were they to burthen the Church, when
there was another to lodge them; and so little
did they stand upon their dignity. "The
brethren," it says, "received us gladly."
Affairs among the Jews were now full of peace:
there was not much war fare among them).
"Bringing us," it says, "to one with whom
we should lodge." Paul was the guest he
entertained. Perchance some one of you says:
Aye, if it were given me to entertain Paul as
a guest, I readily and with much eagerness
would do this. Lo! it is in thy power to
entertain Paul's Master for thy guest, and
thou wilt not: for "he that receiveth one of
these least," he saith, "receiveth Me."
(Matt. xviii. 5; Luke ix. 48.) By
how much the brother may be least, so much the
more does Christ come to thee through him. For
he that receives the great, often does it from
vainglory also; but he that receives the small,
does it purely for Christ's sake. It is in
thy power to entertain even the Father of
Christ as thy guest, and thou will not:
for,8) "I was a stranger," He says,
"and ye took me in" (Matt. xxv. 35):
and again, "Unto one of the least of these the
brethren that believe on Me, ye have done it
unto Me." (ib. 40.) Though it be not
Paul, yet if it be a believer and a brother,
although the least, Christ cometh to thee
through him. Open thine house, take Him in.
"He that receiveth a prophet," He saith,
"shall receive a prophet's reward." (Matt.
x. 41.) Therefore too he that receives
Christ, shall receive the reward of him who has
Christ for his guest. Do not thou disbelieve
His words, but be believing. Himself hath
said, Through them I come to thee: and that
thou mayest not disbelieve, He lays down both
punishments for those who do not receive, and
honors for those who do receive; since He would
not have done this, unless both the person
honored and the person insulted were Himself.
"Thou receivedst Me," He saith, "into thy
lodging, I will receive thee into the Kingdom
of My Father; thou tookest away My hunger,
I take away thy sins; thou sawest Me bound,
I see thee loosed; thou sawest Me a stranger,
I make thee a citizen of heaven; thou gavest
Me bread, I give thee an entire Kingdom,
that thou mayest inherit and possess it." He
saith not, "Receive," but, "Inherit,"
the word which is spoken of those who have
possession by right of ownership; as when we
say, "This have I inherited." Thou didst
it to Me in secret, I will proclaim it
openly: and of thine acts indeed I say, that
they were of free gift, but Mine are of debt.
"For since thou," He saith, "didst begin,
I follow and come after: I am not ashamed to
confess the benefits conferred on Me, nor from
what things thou didst free Me, hunger and
nakedness and wandering. Thou sawest Me
bound, thou shalt not behold the fire of hell;
thou sawest Me sick, thou shalt not behold the
torments nor the punishments." O hands, truly
blessed, which minister in such services as
these, which are accounted worthy to serve
Christ! Feet which go into prisons for
Christ's sake, with ease defy the fire: no
trial of bonds have they, (the hands) which
saw Him bound! Thou clothedst Him with a
garment, and thou puttest on a garment of
salvation: thou wast in prison with Him, and
with Him thou findest thyself in the Kingdom,
not ashamed, knowing that thou visitedst Him.
The Patriarch knew not that he was entertaining
Angels, and he did entertain them. (Gen.
xviii. 3.) Let us take shame to ourselves,
I beseech you: he was sitting in mid-day,
being in a foreign land, where he had none
inheritance, "not so much as to set his foot
on" (ch. vii. 5):he was a stranger, and
the stranger entertained strangers: for he was a
citizen of heaven. Therefore, not even while
he was on earth was he a stranger (to Him).
We are rather strangers than that stranger, if
we receive not strangers. He had no home, and
his tent was his place of reception. And mark
his liberality--he killed a calf, and kneaded
fine meal: mark his ready mind--by himself and
his wife: mark the unassuming manner--he
worships and beseeches them. For all these
qualities ought to be in that man who entertains
strangers--readiness, cheerfulness,
liberality. For the soul of the stranger is
abashed, and feels ashamed; and unless (his
host) show excessive joy, he is as slighted,
and goes away, and it becomes worse than not to
have received him, his being received in this
way. Therefore he worships them, therefore he
welcomes them with speech, therefore with a
seat. For who would have hesitated, knowing
that this work was done unto Him? "But we are
not in a foreign land." If we will, we shall
be able to imitate him. How many of the
brethren are strangers? There is a common
apartment, the Church, which we call the
"Xenon." Be inquisitive (periergazesqe),
sit before the doors, receive those who come
yourselves; though you may not wish to take them
into your houses, at any rate in some other way
(receive them), by supplying them with
necessaries. "Why, has not the Church
means" you will say? She has: but what is
that to you? that they should be fed from the
common funds of the Church, can that benefit
you?
If another man prays, does it follow that you
are not bound to pray? Wherefore do you not
say, "Do not the priests pray? then why
should I pray? "But I," you will say,
"give to him who cannot be received there."
Give, though it be to that one: for what we
are anxious for is this, that you should give at
any rate. Hear what Paul says: "That it may
relieve them that are widows indeed; and that
the Church be not burdened." (1 Tim. v.
16.) Be it how you will, only do it. But
I put it, not, "that the Church be not
burdened," but, "that thou be not
burdened;" for at this rate thou wilt do
nothing, leaving all to the Church. This is
why there is a common room set apart by the
Church, that you may not say these things.
"The Church," say you, "has lands, has
money, and revenues." And has she not
charges? I ask; and has she not a daily
expenditure? "No doubt," you will say. Why
then do you not lend aid to her moderate means?
I am ashamed indeed to say these things:
however, I compel no man, if any one imagines
what I am saying to be for gain. Make for
yourself a guest-chamber in your own house: set
up a bed there, set up a table there and a
candlestick. (comp. 2 Kings iv. 10.)
For is it not absurd, that whereas, if
soldiers should come, you have rooms set apart
for them, and show much care for them, and
furnish them with everything, because they keep
off from you the visible war of this world, yet
strangers have no place where they might abide?
Gain a victory over the Church. Would you put
us to shame? This do: surpass us in
liberality: have a room, to which Christ may
come; say, "This is Christ's cell; this
building is set apart for Him." Be it but an
underground chamber, and mean, He disdains it
not. "Naked and a stranger," Christ goes
about, it is but a shelter He wants: afford
it, though but this. Be not uncompassionate,
nor inhuman; be not so earnest in worldly
matters, so cold in spiritual. Let also the
most faithful of thy servants be the one
entrusted with this office, and let him bring in
the maimed, the beggars, and the homeless.
These things I say to shame you.
For ye ought indeed to receive them in the upper
part of your house; but if ye will not do this,
then though it be below, though but where thy
mules are housed, and thy servants, there
receive Christ. Perchance ye shudder at
hearing this. What then, when ye do not even
this? Behold, I exhort, behold, I bid
you; let this be a matter to be taken up in
earnest. But ye do not wish it thus, perhaps?
Do it some other way. There are many poor men
and poor women: set apart some one (of these)
constantly to remain there: let the poor man be
(thine inmate) though but as a guard to thy
house: let him be to thee wall and fence,
shield and spear. Where alms are, the devil
dares not approach, nor any other evil thing.
Let us not overlook so great a gain. But now a
place is set apart for a chariot, and for
litters (basterniois) another; but for Christ
Who is wandering, not even one! Abraham
received the strangers in the place where he
abode himself; his wife stood in the place of a
servant, the guests in the place of masters.
He knew not that he was receiving Christ; knew
not that he was receiving Angels; so that had
he known it, he would have lavished his whole
substance. But we, who know that we receive
Christ, show not even so much zeal as he did
who thought that he was receiving men. "But
they are impostors," you will say, "many of
them, and unthankful." And for this the
greater thy reward. when thou receivest for the
sake of Christ's name. For if thou knowest
indeed that they are impostors, receive them not
into thy house: but if thou dost not know this,
why dost thou accuse them lightly? "Therefore
I tell them to go to the receiving house."
But what kind of excuse is there for us, when
we do not even receive those whom we know, but
shut our doors against all? Let our house be
Christ's general receptacle: let us demand of
them as a reward, not money, but that they make
our house the receptacle for Christ; let us run
about everywhere, let us drag them in, let us
seize our booty: greater are the benefits we
receive than what we confer.
He does not bid thee kill a calf: give thou
bread to the hungry, raiment to the naked,
shelter to the stranger. But that thou mayest
not make this thy pretext, there is a common
apartment, that of the Church; throw thy money
into that, and then thou hast received them:
since (Abraham) there had the reward of those
things also which were done by his servants.
"He gave the calf to a young man, and he
hasted to dress it." (Gen. xviii. 7.)
So well trained were his servants also! They
ran, and murmured not as ours do: for he had
made them pious. He drew them out to war, and
they murmured not: so well disciplined were
they. (Gen. xiv. 14.) For he had equal
care for all as for himself: he all but said as
Job did, "We were alike formed in the same
womb." (Job xxxiii. 6.) Therefore let us
also take thought for their salvation, and let
us make it our duty to care for our servants,
that they may be good; and let our servants also
be instructed in the things pertaining to God.
Then will virtue not be difficult to us, if we
train them orderly. Just as in war, when the
soldiers are well-disciplined, the general
carries on war easily, but the contrary
happens, when this is not so; and when the
sailors too are of one mind, the pilot easily
handles the rudder-strings; so here likewise.
For say now, if thy servants have been so
schooled, thou wilt not be easily exasperated,
thou wilt not have to find fault, wilt not be
made angry, wilt not need to abuse them. It
may be, thou wilt even stand in awe of thy
servants, if the), are worthy of admiration,
and they will be helpers with thee, and will
give thee good counsel. But from all these
shall all things proceed that are pleasing to
God, and thus shall the whole house be filled
with blessing, and we, performing things
pleasing to God, shall enjoy abundant succor
from above, unto which may we all attain,
through the grace and mercy of our Lord Jesus
Christ, with Whom to the Father and the Holy
Ghost, together be glory, might, honor, now
and ever, world without end. Amen.
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