Homilies 8.3–8.7
Greek text: PG 40.English: Claude (claude-opus-5-5), public domain (CC0).
Chapter 8
8.3PG 40:260
… Ἐλθόντος δὲ εἰς ἐπίδοσιν καὶ προχοπὴν ἱχανὴν τοῦ τῶν Χριστιανῶν τάγματος, ἐπειδὴ πρὸς ταῖς λογιχαῖς διδασχαλίαις καὶ παραινέσεσιν, καὶ τῆς πραχτιχῆῇς δυνάμεως θαυμαστὴν παρεῖχε τὴν πεῖραν, ἄρτιον ἀναστήσας τὸν χωλὸν ἐχ τῶν τοῦ ναοῦ προπυλαίων, χωλὸν ἐχεῖνον τὸν ἐχ χοιλίας μητρὸς, πταέσματι φύσεως παθόντα τὴν νόσον' ἅπαξ δὲ ὁ λαὸς ἐπὶ τὸ ἱερὸν συνεῤῥύη, τῇ φήμῃ τῆς μεγαλουργίας δημαγωγηθεὶς πρὸς τὴν θέαν, καὶ πρὸς τὸν ἄνδρα ἀπεφράγη τῶν ἐχθρῶν τοῦ Χριστοῦ τὰ στόματα, καὶ ὁ σταυρὸς λοιπὸν ἦν π“ρόπαιον νίχης, οὐκ ὄνειδος. Πάλιν ὁ ἀπαίδευτος, ὁ τῆς βαναύσον τέχνης ἐργάτης, δευτέρων ἄρχεται λόγων, φάσχων πρὸς αὐτοὺς, ὅτι Ὦ ἄγδρες, εἰ θαύματος ὑμῖν ἄξιον, καὶ θεϊκῆς Β ἐνεργείας φαίνεται τὸ γενόμενον, προσχυγεῖτ α τὸν θεραπευτὴν τοῦ χωι.λοῦ, Ἰησοῦν, ὃν ἑῤῥαπέσατε" καὶ τελευταῖον ὑπερζέσαγτες τῷ θυμῷ, ἐπὶ τοῦ ξύλου ὑψώσατε. Οὗτός ἐστιν, καὶ ζῃ" καὶ χαθὼς ὑμῖν ἐλέχθη πο.λάχις, ἀναστὰς ἐκ « Προσέλθετε πρὸς αὐτὸν, καὶ φωτίσθητε, ν καθὼς ὁ πατὴρ ὑμῶν.1έγει Δαδίδ. Εἰ γὰρ υἱοὶ τῶν προφητῶν ἐστε, καὶ μαθηταὶ τοῦ Μωύσέως, καὶ 5 ἀτιμάσητε τῶν προγόνων ὑμῶν τὴν χάριν, ξασθε ταῖς ψυχαῖς τὸν Σωτῆρα τοῦ γένους ὑμῶν. Οὗτος γάρ ἐστι ὃν καὶ Μωῦσῆς ἐπηγγείλατο προφήτην ὑμῖν ἀναστήσεσθαι. Ταῦτα καὶ τὰ πκοιαῦτα πρὸς τὸν λαὸν διελθὼν, ἀπῆλθεν, ἄλλους τοσούτους τοῖς τρισχιλίοις προσθείς. Τοιοῦτος μὲν οὖν ἐν τῷ δημοσίᾳ λαλεῖν θαῤῥούντως ὑπὲρ τῆς τοῦ Εὐαγγελίου μυσταγωγίας πρόθυμος, ἀχατάπληχτος, συνετὸς, θάρσος τῶν ἰδίων, καὶ τῶν ἐναντίων δειλία. Ἐπειδὴ δὲ, οὐ τοῦτο μόνον ἣν περισπούδαστον τῷ χαλλίστῳ διδασχάλῳ τῆς εὐσεδείας, τὸ πολυάνθρωπον τὸν τοῦ Θεοῦ λαὸν ἀπεργάξεσθα', ἀλλὰ πολλῷ πλέον τὸ ζὴν ἀχριθῶς τοὺς μαθητὰς ἐν τοῖς δοθεῖσι νόμοις " εἶδεν δὲ τὸν ᾿Ανανίαν ἐχεῖνον, τὸν τῶν ἰδίων καρπῶν χλέπτην καὶ παράδοξον ἱερόσυλον, μέλλοντα χαχὴν ἐμποιεῖν τοῖς Χριστιανοῖς συνήθειαν ἁμαρτίας, ἀποτόμως αὐτὸν τῆ; Ἐχχλησίας ἐξέχοψεν " οὐχ ὠμὸς ὧν καὶ φονιχὸς τὴν γνώμην, ἀλλὰ κατὰ σχοπὸν ὠφελείας, οὕτως ἰατρεύτας τὴν ἁμαρτίαν. Ἐπειδὴ γὰρ νεοπροσἥλυτος ἣν καὶ νεοπαγὴς ὁ λαὸς, ἐχ τῆς Ἑλληνιχῇς καὶ Ἰουδαϊχῆς ἀδιαφορίας ὑπόγνον τοὺς εὐαγγελικοὺς δεξάμενος νόμους, εἰχότως ἐνόμισεν, οὐ τῆς ἐχ λόγων νουθεσίας μόνον χρήζειν τοὺς μαθητὰς, ἀλλὰ καὶ φόθου τινὸς εὑπράχτου (εἰώθασι γάρ πως οἱ ἄνθρωποι, ὅπως ἂν ἐν ἀρχαῖς τῶν ἐπιτηδευμάτων χανονισθῶσιν, οὕτω μέχρι τέλους τηρεῖν τὴν συνήθειαν)" καὶ διὰ τοῦτο ἐλέγξας τὴν ἁμαρτίαν, εὐθὺς θάνατον φἣν τιμωρίαν ἐπήγαγεν᾽ οὐ ξίφει χρησάμενος, οὐδὲ δημίοις αὐτὸν παραδούς " ἀλλὰ τότε διαφερόντως τὴν τοῦ Χριστοῦ δύναμιν δείξας, ἐν τῷ τρόπῳ τῆς ἀναι… ἐγυξεν. Τοῦτο δὲ ἡλίχον ἐστὶν, καὶ ὅσην τῇ Ἐχχλησίᾳ ἐνεποίησε τὴν εὐλάδειαν, οὐ χρήζομεν μαθεῖν, Δύο γὰρ ἐν ἑνὶ χατωρθώθη, τὸ καὶ τὸν Σωτῆρα ἡμῶν πιστευθῆναι εἶναι Θεὸν, καὶ τὸν παιδευτὴν τῶν ἐχείνου νόμων, παρεπομένηυς ἔχων δ' ἀγγέλους, πρὸς τὴν βούλησιν τοῦ ἀποστόλου ἐνεργοῦντας ἑτοίμως. Ἐθέλησεν εὐεργετῆσαι τὸν χωλὸν, καὶ οὐχ ἑόράδυνεν ἡ χάρις " ἐδουλήθη χολάσαι τὸν ἱερόσυλον, καὶ παρἐγένετο ἣ τιμωρία. Ταῦτα ἱχανὰ λιθίνας χαταπλῆξαι ψυχὰς καὶ πεῖσαι βεδαίως, ὡς οὐχ ἀπάτης ἣν τὰ ῥήματα τὰ παρὰ Πέτρου λεγόμενα" ἀλλὰ Θεὸς ἣν ἀληθῶς μετ᾽ αὐτοῦ, καὶ ἅγιον ὑπῆρχε καὶ ἀληθὲς, τὸ μυστήριον ὃ χατῆγγελλε, Καὶ τοῦτο δὲ προπέχειν ἀναγχαῖον, ὅτι τὸ μὲν ἐπὶ τιμωρίᾳ καὶ φόνῳ σημεῖον, ἅπαξ παρὰ τοῦ ἀποστόλου διὰ τὴν χρείαν γεγένηται" ἵνα τοῖς χκαχῶς προαιρουμένοις, τῆς χολαστιχῆς δυνάμεως παράσχηται τὴν ἀπόδειξιν" τὰ δὲ τῶν εὐεργεσιῶν καὶ τῶν ἰάσεων, χαθ᾽ ἡμέραν καὶ συνεχῶς ἐπετέλει " καὶ τοσαύτης αὐτῷ περιῆν τῆς τοῦ θεραπεύειν εὐχολίας καὶ χάριτος, ὦττε οὐδεὶς προσελθὼν τῶν ἀῤῥωστούντων ἀνέλυεν ψευσθεὶς τῆς ἐλπίδος, ἀλλ᾽ ἄρτιος καὶ ὑγιὴς ἐπὶ τὴν οἰχίαν ἀπήει. Καὶ πᾶς τόπος τῆς Ἵερουσαλὴμ, ἔνθα Πέτρος ἐφαίνετο, τὸν Χριστὸν ἐλάλει" καὶ τὸ πλῆθος εἶχεν ἀχολουθούντων ἀῤῥώστων,, καὶ θέατρον χαθ᾽ ἡμέραν παράδοξον ἐχ δήμου συμμίχτου" τῶν μὲν συναγομένων, ἵνα τῶν ὀχλούντων χαχῶν ἀπαλλαγῶσι, τῶν δὲ, ἵνα τοὺς θεραπενομένους θεάσωνται. Οὕτω τοι χἀχεῖνο περὶ τοῦ ἀποστόλου. τὸ θαυμαστὸν ἀναγέγραπται, ὃ ἐπ᾽ οὐδενὶ τῶν ἄλλων ἐλέχθη, ὅτι οἱ συγγενεῖς, καὶ οἱ τῶν ἀσθενούντων οἱχεῖοι, ἔφερον αὑτοὺς ἐπὶ χλινῶν δημοσίᾳ, ἵἴγα ἐρχοβέγου Πέτρου, κἂν ἡ σκιὰ ἐπισκιάσῃ τινὶ αὐτῶν.
… Elthontos de eis epidosin kai prochopēn hichanēn tou tōn Christianōn tagmatos, epeidē pros tais logichais didaschaliais kai parainesesin, kai tēs prachtichēę̄s dynameōs thaumastēn pareiche tēn peiran, artion anastēsas ton chōlon ech tōn tou naou propylaiōn, chōlon echeinon ton ech choilias mētros, ptaesmati physeōs pathonta tēn noson' hapax de ho laos epi to hieron synerrhyē, tę̄ phēmę̄ tēs megalourgias dēmagōgētheis pros tēn thean, kai pros ton andra apephragē tōn echthrōn tou Christou ta stomata, kai ho stauros loipon ēn p“ropaion nichēs, ouk oneidos. Palin ho apaideutos, ho tēs banauson technēs ergatēs, deuterōn archetai logōn, phaschōn pros autous, hoti Ō agdres, ei thaumatos hymin axion, kai theïkēs B energeias phainetai to genomenon, proschygeit a ton therapeutēn tou chōi.lou, Iēsoun, hon herrhapesate" kai teleutaion hyperzesagtes tǭ thymǭ, epi tou xylou hypsōsate. Houtos estin, kai zę̄" kai chathōs hymin elechthē po.lachis, anastas ek « Proselthete pros auton, kai phōtisthēte, n kathōs ho patēr hymōn.1egei Dadid. Ei gar huioi tōn prophētōn este, kai mathētai tou Mōyseōs, kai 5 atimasēte tōn progonōn hymōn tēn charin, xasthe tais psychais ton Sōtēra tou genous hymōn. Houtos gar esti hon kai Mōysēs epēngeilato prophētēn hymin anastēsesthai. Tauta kai ta pkoiauta pros ton laon dielthōn, apēlthen, allous tosoutous tois trischiliois prostheis. Toioutos men oun en tǭ dēmosią lalein tharrhountōs hyper tēs tou Euangeliou mystagōgias prothymos, achataplēchtos, synetos, tharsos tōn idiōn, kai tōn enantiōn deilia. Epeidē de, ou touto monon hēn perispoudaston tǭ challistǭ didaschalǭ tēs eusedeias, to polyanthrōpon ton tou Theou laon apergaxestha', alla pollǭ pleon to zēn achrithōs tous mathētas en tois dotheisi nomois " eiden de ton ᾿Ananian echeinon, ton tōn idiōn karpōn chleptēn kai paradoxon hierosylon, mellonta chachēn empoiein tois Christianois synētheian hamartias, apotomōs auton tē? Echchlēsias exechopsen " ouch ōmos hōn kai phonichos tēn gnōmēn, alla kata schopon ōpheleias, houtōs iatreutas tēn hamartian. Epeidē gar neoprosēlytos hēn kai neopagēs ho laos, ech tēs Hellēnichę̄s kai Ioudaïchēs adiaphorias hypognon tous euangelikous dexamenos nomous, eichotōs enomisen, ou tēs ech logōn nouthesias monon chrēzein tous mathētas, alla kai phothou tinos heuprachtou (eiōthasi gar pōs hoi anthrōpoi, hopōs an en archais tōn epitēdeumatōn chanonisthōsin, houtō mechri telous tērein tēn synētheian)" kai dia touto elenxas tēn hamartian, euthys thanaton phēn timōrian epēgagen᾽ ou xiphei chrēsamenos, oude dēmiois auton paradous " alla tote diapherontōs tēn tou Christou dynamin deixas, en tǭ tropǭ tēs anai… egyxen. Touto de hēlichon estin, kai hosēn tę̄ Echchlēsią enepoiēse tēn euladeian, ou chrēzomen mathein, Dyo gar en heni chatōrthōthē, to kai ton Sōtēra hēmōn pisteuthēnai einai Theon, kai ton paideutēn tōn echeinou nomōn, parepomenēus echōn d' angelous, pros tēn boulēsin tou apostolou energountas hetoimōs. Ethelēsen euergetēsai ton chōlon, kai ouch heoradynen hē charis " edoulēthē cholasai ton hierosylon, kai paregeneto hē timōria. Tauta hichana lithinas chataplēxai psychas kai peisai bedaiōs, hōs ouch apatēs hēn ta rhēmata ta para Petrou legomena" alla Theos hēn alēthōs met᾽ autou, kai hagion hypērche kai alēthes, to mystērion ho chatēngelle, Kai touto de propechein ananchaion, hoti to men epi timōrią kai phonǭ sēmeion, hapax para tou apostolou dia tēn chreian gegenētai" hina tois chkachōs proairoumenois, tēs cholastichēs dynameōs paraschētai tēn apodeixin" ta de tōn euergesiōn kai tōn iaseōn, chath᾽ hēmeran kai synechōs epetelei " kai tosautēs autǭ periēn tēs tou therapeuein eucholias kai charitos, ōtte oudeis proselthōn tōn arrhōstountōn anelyen pseustheis tēs elpidos, all᾽ artios kai hygiēs epi tēn oichian apēei. Kai pas topos tēs Hierousalēm, entha Petros ephaineto, ton Christon elalei" kai to plēthos eichen acholouthountōn arrhōstōn,, kai theatron chath᾽ hēmeran paradoxon ech dēmou symmichtou" tōn men synagomenōn, hina tōn ochlountōn chachōn apallagōsi, tōn de, hina tous therapenomenous theasōntai. Houtō toi chacheino peri tou apostolou. to thaumaston anagegraptai, ho ep᾽ oudeni tōn allōn elechthē, hoti hoi syngeneis, kai hoi tōn asthenountōn hoicheioi, epheron hautous epi chlinōn dēmosią, hiiga erchobegou Petrou, kan hē skia episkiasę̄ tini autōn.
… When the order of Christians had come to considerable growth and progress, since besides his spoken teachings and exhortations he also gave wonderful proof of practical power, raising up sound the lame man at the porches of the temple, that man lame from his mother's womb, who suffered his disease through a failure of nature; and once the people had flowed together to the temple, drawn to the sight by the report of the mighty work, and the mouths of Christ's enemies had been stopped before the man, and the cross from then on was a trophy of victory and not a reproach; again the uneducated man, the worker at a mechanical trade, begins a second speech, saying to them: “Men, if what has happened seems to you worthy of wonder and the work of divine power, worship the healer of the lame man, Jesus, whom you struck, and finally, boiling over with rage, lifted up on the wood. This is he, and he lives; and as you were often told, he rose from [the dead] … Come to him and be enlightened, as your father David says. For if you are sons of the prophets and disciples of Moses, and [would not] dishonour the grace of your forefathers, [embrace] in your souls the Saviour of your race. For this is the one whom Moses too promised would be raised up as a prophet for you.” Having gone through these and similar things with the people, he departed, having added as many again to the three thousand. Such, then, was he in speaking boldly in public for the mysteries of the Gospel: eager, undaunted, intelligent, the courage of his own people and the dread of his opponents. But to the most excellent teacher of godliness, making God's people numerous was not the only object of zeal; much more was it that the disciples should live exactly by the laws given them. And when he saw that Ananias, the thief of his own fruits and strange temple-robber, was about to create among Christians a bad habit of sin, he cut him off sharply from the Church; not because he was cruel and murderous in mind, but healing the sin in this way with a view to benefit. For since the people were newly converted and newly formed, having recently received the laws of the Gospel out of the indifference of the Greeks and the Jews, he reasonably judged that the disciples needed not only admonition by words but also an effective fear (for people are accustomed to keep to the end whatever rule they are given at the beginning of their practices); and for this reason, having convicted the sin, he at once brought death upon him as punishment, not using a sword, nor handing him over to executioners, but showing the power of Christ then especially in the manner of his death … How great this was, and how much reverence it produced in the Church, we do not need to learn. For two things were achieved in one: our Saviour was believed to be God, and the teacher of his laws was believed to have angels attending him, readily acting at the apostle's will. He wished to benefit the lame man, and the grace was not slow; he wished to punish the temple-robber, and the punishment came. These things were enough to strike stony souls and persuade them firmly that the words spoken by Peter were not deceit, but that God was truly with him, and the mystery he proclaimed was holy and true. It is necessary to note this too: the sign of punishment and death was done once by the apostle, out of need, to give proof of the power to punish to those who chose evil; but works of kindness and healing he performed daily and continually. He had such ease and grace in healing that none of the sick who came to him returned disappointed in his hope, but went home sound and healthy. Every place in Jerusalem where Peter appeared spoke of Christ; he had a crowd of the sick following him, and every day an extraordinary spectacle from a mixed crowd, some gathering to be freed from the ills that troubled them, others to see those being healed. So too that wonder is recorded of the apostle which was said of none of the others: that the relatives and households of the sick carried them out on beds in public, so that as Peter came by, his shadow might fall on one of them.
Acts 3:1–11 (allusion, high confidence) · Acts 3:12–26 (allusion, high confidence) · Ps 34:5 (33:6 LXX) (quotation, high confidence) · Deut 18:15 (allusion, high confidence) · Acts 4:4 (allusion, high confidence) · Acts 5:1–11 (allusion, high confidence) · Acts 5:15 (quotation, high confidence)
Notes and citation
Summary: Asterius recounts Peter's healing of the lame man and second sermon, his punishment of Ananias as a necessary warning to the young Church, and his daily healings, even by his shadow.
- Asterius defends the death of Ananias (Acts 5:1–11) as a single necessary example of punishing power for a newly formed people, translated exactly as written. The speech of Acts 3:12–26 is paraphrased, adding Ps 34:5 (LXX 33:6) and Deut 18:15. Leaked footnotes at the start and in the account of Ananias's death were removed by logged corrections; lost words are marked “…”. References: Acts 3:1–11; Acts 4:4; Acts 5:15.
Notes on the original text
- Digital text corrected (leaked footnote references and variant notes; leaked footnote references and variant notes; Greek lost): ἜΤ. λέγειν ἔδει δι΄. τ λόυυ, καὶ, 1ὅ. 5 Δεῖ. τι, - 13. [βεᾳ. προφητεύοντος, οἱ ἰηΐγα, Ὦ, τοσοῦτον αὐτῷ περιῆν. 15 Γ5Α]. χχι, → … ; ἀναιο ΑΘ. Υ, ὁ ξ64ᾳ. δ γρ μή. «ς → ἀναι… .
Cite (SBL): Asterius, Hom. 8.3 (PG 40:260; trans. Sophia Scriptura, https://sophiascriptura.com/p/asterius-amasea-homiliae/8-3). (abbreviation not yet checked)
Permanent link: https://sophiascriptura.com/p/asterius-amasea-homiliae/8-3
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Translation: Translated by Claude from the Greek (PG 40, archive.org OCR; divisions are the staging's, not Migne's); re-read against the Greek, since no public-domain English exists.
8.4PG 40:260
Τοῦτο μὲν οὖν μεῖζον καὶ τῶν δεσποτιχῶν θαύμασίων “ καὶ ὁ δοῦλος εὐφημεῖται ὑπὲρ τὸν Κύριον. Καὶ τάχα ἐν τούτῳ τῷ σημείῳ συμπληροῦται ἡ προφητεία, ἣν ὁ Σωτὴρ πρὸς τοὺς μαθητὰς ἐποιήσατο: Ἀμὴν, ἀμὴν «1έγω ὑμῖν" Ὃ πιστεύων εἰς ἐμὲ, τὰ ἔργα ἃ ἐγὼ ποιῶ, κἀχεῖνος πριήσει, καὶ μείζονα τούτων ποιήσει. Τούτη δὲ ἃταν λέγω, οὐ τὸν δοῦλον τῷ Δεσπότῃ συγχρίνω,. ΓΑπαγε! Μαινομένου τὸ νόημα." ἀλλ᾽ ὅτι διὰ τῶν ἑαυτοῦ θεραπόντων ὁ Θεὸς, τὴν ἑαυτοῦ δύναμιν ἐνδειχνύμενος, οὐδένα τῶν μαθη- ἢ τῶν, ὡς Πέτρον, ταῖς ἰδίαις δωρεαῖς χατεπλούτησεν" ἀλλὰ καὶ πάντων αὐτὸν προὔύθηχεν, ὑψώσας ταῖς ἄνωθεν δωρεαῖς" καὶ ὥσπερ πρῶτος μαθητὴς, καὶ μείζων τῶν ἀδελφῶν ἐπὶ τῆς πείρας τῶν πραγμάτων ἐδείχθη τῇ δυνάμει τοῦ Πνεύματος. Πρῶτος ἐχλήθη, καὶ ταχέως ὑπήχουσε " πρὸς τοῖς αἰγιαλοῖς εὑρεθεὶς ἐν τῷ παραχώδει τοῦ χόσμου χωρίῳ, ὁ τοῖς χύμασιν ἀεὶ ἔχει τὴν βοῶσαν περὶ τὰς ἠϊόνας εὐχὴν. Πρῶτος ἐν Χριστιανοῖς τῶν χοσμιχῶν ὑλῶν κατεφρόνησε, καὶ τῶν ἐν ποσὶ πάντων ὑπεριδὼν, πρὸς τὰ νοητὰ καὶ δι … τρισμαχάριον ἐχεῖνον ἀποχαλούντων " Τί γὰρ ἀπἔθετο; Τί δὲ ἀπεχτήσατο; Πάντα ὅσα εἶχεν, ὦ ἄνθρωπε " ἑκάστῳ δὲ, ὃ χέχτηται, μέγα " χἀχεῖνο πλοῦτος, ὃ ἔχει ἀχτήμων. “Ὅμοιος παρὰ τῷ Θεῷ φαίνεται, καὶ ὁ τὰ ἄρματα ἀποθέμενος, καὶ ὁ χαταφρονή,σας τοῦ ὄνου. “Ὅπερ γάρ ἔστι τῷ πλουσίῳ τὸ τέθριππον, τοῦτο τῷ πένητι ὁ εὐτελὴς χανθέλιός. Φιλόσοφος δέ ἐστιν ὁμοίως, καὶ ὁ τὴν ἀργυρᾶν χαταλιπὼν τράπεζαν, τὴν ταῖς ἱστορίαις πεποιχιλμένην, καὶ ὁ τὴν ξυλίνην τὴν εὔωνον" ὁμοίως καὶ ὁ τὴν χώμην τὴν πολυάνθρωπον, καὶ τὸ μιχρὸν χηπίον ὁ τὴν ἐσθῆτα τὴν χρυσόπαστον, καὶ τὸν πεπαλαιωμένον χιτῶνα. Οὐ γὰρ ἐν τῷ πλήθει καὶ τῇ ποιότητι τῶν διδομένων ὁ Θεὸς τὸ μεταδοτιχὸν καὶ φιλάνθρωπον χρίνει' ἀλλὰ τὴν προαίρεσιν ἀποδέχεται τοῦ διδόντος. Διὸ καὶ τὴν χήραν ἐχείνην, ὡς εὐγνώμονα χηρύσσει τὸ Εὐαγγέλιον, τὴν τὸ ὁδολὸν ἐπιδοῦσαν᾽ ἐπειδὴ μηδὲν παραχατέσχεν, ὧν εἶχε. Καὶ ὁ τὸ ποτήριον δὲ ὁρέξας τοῦ ψυχροῦ ὕδατος, λαμδάνει μισθὸν τῆς ὄντως εὐχόλου δεξιώσεως, τὴν βασιλείαν. Ὧ γὰρ εἶχεν, ἐθεράπευσε τοῦ διψῶντος τὴν χρείαν, εἰ καὶ μὴ παρἣν αὐτῷ οἶνος ἀνθοσμίας διὰ πενίαν. Ταῦτα δὲ λέγω χατὰ συγχώρησιν, ἐπεὶ οὐ πάντως, εἴ τις ἁλιεὺς, οὗτος καὶ πένης. Οὐχ οἶδας, ὡς «ἀλιεὺς μαργαριτῶν ἐστι θηρευτής; Μαργαρῖται δὲ, ἄνθος εἰσὶ τοῦ γαύῥου καὶ ὑψαύχενος πλούτου, οἷς βασιλεῖς χοσμοῦνται, οἷς γυναῖκες φιλόπλουτοι καὶ φιλόχοσμοι ἐπαγάλλονται. ᾿Αλιεὺς βάπτει τὴν ἁλουργίδα τὴν πολυθρύλλητον, καὶ ἀφιερωμένην τῇ βασιλείᾳ ἁλιεῖς βάπτουσι τες. Οὐ τοίνυν δεῖ προσέχειν τοῖς ὀργάνοις τῆς τέχνης αὐτῶν, ὡς εὐώνοις καὶ εὐκαταφρονήτοις, τῷ διχτίῳ φημὶ, καὶ τοῖς ἀγχίστροις " ἀλλ᾽ ἐκ τῆς τελουμένης ἐργασίας, αἱ εὑπορίαι χαταμανθάνονται᾽ ἐπεί τοί γε χατ᾽ ἐχεῖνον τὸν λόγον, οὐδὲν πενέστερον εὕρῃς τῆς γεωργίας, εἰ ἀπὸ τῆς διχέλλης καὶ τῆς σχαπάνης ὁ πλοῦτος αὐτῆς δοχιμάζοιτο. “Ἄποροι δὲ παντελῶς καὶ οἱ τὸν χρυσὸν ἀνορύττοντες, τὸν βασιλέα τοῦ πλούτου. Μία γὰρ αὐτοῖς ἀξίνη συνεργεῖ ξύλινος ὁ τῆς γῆς τὸν χρυσὸν ἀποχρίνων. Σιγάτωσαν τοίνυν ἐθνιχοὶ καὶ Ἑόδραῖοι, οἱ Πέτρῳ πενίαν ὀνειδίξοντες, καὶ ἀπὸ τοῦ ἁλιέως σμιχρύνειν τὸν μέγαν πειρώμενοι" καὶ χαταλιπόντες τὰ τοιαῦτα χομψεύεσθαι, λε- Ὁ γέτωσάν μοι πυνθανομένῳ" Τίς ἁλιέων, ἣ τῶν πάντῶν ἀνθρώπων ἑπέξευσε θάλασσαν; Τίς ἔστησε πόδα χατὰ λίμνης ἑστώσης, ὡς ἐχεῖνος χατὰ χυμάτων τοῖς ἀνέμοις τινασσομένων; Τοῦ γὰρ Θεοῦ ἡμῶν τοῦ ἀγαθοῦ, πολλὰ θαύματα διὰ τῶν οἰκείων δούλων τελέσαντος, ἐπί τε τῆς πολιτείας τοῦ Ἰσραὴλ τὸ ἀρχαῖον, χὰν τοῖς ὕστερον χρόνοις, ἐν οἷς ἡ φιλάνθρωπος οἷχονομία τοῦ Σωτῆρος ἡμῶν ἐπεφάνη τῷ χόσμῳ " οὐδεὶς τῶν ἐξ ἀρχῆς εἰς τέλος ἀγίων, τοιαύτην διὰ πίστεως ἰδίας, καὶ τῆς ἄνωθεν χάριτος, πρᾶξιν ἐπιτελέσαι φαίνεται.
Touto men oun meizon kai tōn despotichōn thaumasiōn “ kai ho doulos euphēmeitai hyper ton Kyrion. Kai tacha en toutǭ tǭ sēmeiǭ symplēroutai hē prophēteia, hēn ho Sōtēr pros tous mathētas epoiēsato: Amēn, amēn «1egō hymin" Ho pisteuōn eis eme, ta erga ha egō poiō, kacheinos priēsei, kai meizona toutōn poiēsei. Toutē de hatan legō, ou ton doulon tǭ Despotę̄ synchrinō,. GApage! Mainomenou to noēma." all᾽ hoti dia tōn heautou therapontōn ho Theos, tēn heautou dynamin endeichnymenos, oudena tōn mathē- ē tōn, hōs Petron, tais idiais dōreais chateploutēsen" alla kai pantōn auton prouythēchen, hypsōsas tais anōthen dōreais" kai hōsper prōtos mathētēs, kai meizōn tōn adelphōn epi tēs peiras tōn pragmatōn edeichthē tę̄ dynamei tou Pneumatos. Prōtos echlēthē, kai tacheōs hypēchouse " pros tois aigialois heuretheis en tǭ parachōdei tou chosmou chōriǭ, ho tois chymasin aei echei tēn boōsan peri tas ēïonas euchēn. Prōtos en Christianois tōn chosmichōn hylōn katephronēse, kai tōn en posi pantōn hyperidōn, pros ta noēta kai di … trismacharion echeinon apochalountōn " Ti gar apetheto? Ti de apechtēsato? Panta hosa eichen, ō anthrōpe " hekastǭ de, ho chechtētai, mega " chacheino ploutos, ho echei achtēmōn. “Homoios para tǭ Theǭ phainetai, kai ho ta armata apothemenos, kai ho chataphronē,sas tou onou. “Hoper gar esti tǭ plousiǭ to tethrippon, touto tǭ penēti ho eutelēs chanthelios. Philosophos de estin homoiōs, kai ho tēn argyran chatalipōn trapezan, tēn tais historiais pepoichilmenēn, kai ho tēn xylinēn tēn euōnon" homoiōs kai ho tēn chōmēn tēn polyanthrōpon, kai to michron chēpion ho tēn esthēta tēn chrysopaston, kai ton pepalaiōmenon chitōna. Ou gar en tǭ plēthei kai tę̄ poiotēti tōn didomenōn ho Theos to metadotichon kai philanthrōpon chrinei' alla tēn proairesin apodechetai tou didontos. Dio kai tēn chēran echeinēn, hōs eugnōmona chēryssei to Euangelion, tēn to hodolon epidousan᾽ epeidē mēden parachateschen, hōn eiche. Kai ho to potērion de horexas tou psychrou hydatos, lamdanei misthon tēs ontōs eucholou dexiōseōs, tēn basileian. Hō gar eichen, etherapeuse tou dipsōntos tēn chreian, ei kai mē parēn autǭ oinos anthosmias dia penian. Tauta de legō chata synchōrēsin, epei ou pantōs, ei tis halieus, houtos kai penēs. Ouch oidas, hōs «alieus margaritōn esti thēreutēs? Margaritai de, anthos eisi tou gaurhou kai hypsauchenos ploutou, hois basileis chosmountai, hois gynaikes philoploutoi kai philochosmoi epagallontai. ᾿Alieus baptei tēn halourgida tēn polythryllēton, kai aphierōmenēn tę̄ basileią halieis baptousi tes. Ou toinyn dei prosechein tois organois tēs technēs autōn, hōs euōnois kai eukataphronētois, tǭ dichtiǭ phēmi, kai tois anchistrois " all᾽ ek tēs teloumenēs ergasias, hai heuporiai chatamanthanontai᾽ epei toi ge chat᾽ echeinon ton logon, ouden penesteron heurę̄s tēs geōrgias, ei apo tēs dichellēs kai tēs schapanēs ho ploutos autēs dochimazoito. “Aporoi de pantelōs kai hoi ton chryson anoryttontes, ton basilea tou ploutou. Mia gar autois axinē synergei xylinos ho tēs gēs ton chryson apochrinōn. Sigatōsan toinyn ethnichoi kai Heodraioi, hoi Petrǭ penian oneidixontes, kai apo tou halieōs smichrynein ton megan peirōmenoi" kai chatalipontes ta toiauta chompseuesthai, le- Ho getōsan moi pynthanomenǭ" Tis halieōn, hē tōn pantōn anthrōpōn hepexeuse thalassan? Tis estēse poda chata limnēs hestōsēs, hōs echeinos chata chymatōn tois anemois tinassomenōn? Tou gar Theou hēmōn tou agathou, polla thaumata dia tōn oikeiōn doulōn telesantos, epi te tēs politeias tou Israēl to archaion, chan tois hysteron chronois, en hois hē philanthrōpos hoichonomia tou Sōtēros hēmōn epephanē tǭ chosmǭ " oudeis tōn ex archēs eis telos agiōn, toiautēn dia pisteōs idias, kai tēs anōthen charitos, praxin epitelesai phainetai.
This, then, is greater even than the Master's wonders, and the servant is praised above the Lord. Perhaps in this sign the prophecy is fulfilled which the Saviour made to the disciples: “Truly, truly, I say to you, whoever believes in me will also do the works that I do, and will do greater works than these.” When I say this, I do not compare the servant with the Master; away with it, the thought of a madman! I mean that God, displaying his own power through his servants, enriched none of the disciples with his gifts as he did Peter, but set him before them all, exalting him with gifts from above; and as he was the first disciple, so in the experience of deeds he was shown greater than his brothers by the power of the Spirit. He was called first, and obeyed quickly; he was found by the shores, in the coastal region of the world, which with its waves always keeps up its roaring … along the beaches. He was the first among Christians to despise worldly goods, and, overlooking everything at his feet, [turned] to the spiritual and … call him thrice-blessed. For what did he put away? What did he give up? All that he had, O man; and to each what he possesses is great, and what the man without possessions has is his wealth. Before God the man who put away chariots and the man who despised his donkey appear alike. For what the four-horse chariot is to the rich man, the cheap pack-donkey is to the poor. He is equally a philosopher who has left the silver table decorated with stories, and he who has left the cheap wooden one; equally he who has left the populous village and he who has left the little garden, the gold-spangled garment and the worn-out tunic. For God does not judge generosity and love for others by the quantity and quality of what is given, but accepts the choice of the giver. That is why the Gospel proclaims as generous that widow who gave the obol, since she held back nothing of what she had. And the one who offered the cup of cold water receives the kingdom as wages for a truly easy hospitality; for he served the need of the thirsty with what he had, even if poverty left him no fragrant wine. I say this by way of concession, since not every fisherman is poor. Do you not know that a fisherman is a hunter of pearls? And pearls are the flower of proud and arrogant wealth: kings are adorned with them, and women who love riches and ornament delight in them. A fisherman dyes the celebrated purple robe consecrated to kingship … So one must not look at the tools of their trade, I mean the net and the hooks, as cheap and contemptible; prosperity is learned from the work accomplished. By that reasoning you would find nothing poorer than farming, if its wealth were judged by the hoe and the mattock. And those who dig up gold, the king of wealth, would be utterly destitute; for one wooden axe works with them, separating the gold from the earth. Let pagans and Hebrews be silent, then, who reproach Peter with poverty and try to belittle the great man because he was a fisherman; and leaving off such clever talk, let them tell me when I ask: Which fisherman, or which man at all, has walked on the sea? Who has set foot even on a still lake, as he did on waves tossed by the winds? For though our good God has performed many wonders through his own servants, both in Israel's ancient commonwealth and in later times, when the loving dispensation of our Saviour appeared to the world, none of the saints from the beginning to the end appears to have accomplished such a deed through his own faith and the grace from above.
John 14:12 (quotation, high confidence) · Mark 1:16–18 (allusion, high confidence) · Matt 19:27 (allusion, medium confidence) · Mark 12:41–44 (allusion, high confidence) · Matt 10:42 (allusion, high confidence) · Matt 14:28–29 (allusion, high confidence)
Notes and citation
Summary: Asterius says Peter's miracles exceeded even the Lord's, fulfilling John 14:12, defends Peter's renunciation and trade against those who despise him as a poor fisherman, and introduces his walking on the sea.
- Asterius's claim that Peter's healing by his shadow was “greater than the Master's wonders” is qualified at once: he does not compare servant and Master, but sees God's power at work through his servants, translated exactly as written. A leaked block of notes was removed by a logged correction; lost words are marked “…”. References: John 14:12; Mark 1:16–18; Matt 19:27; Mark 12:41–44; Matt 10:42; Matt 14:28–29.
Notes on the original text
- Digital text corrected (leaked footnote references; Greek lost): [μς. ἔχοντα. 55 Αοἱ.ν, ἰδ. 35 304}. χιν, 12. - ξ΄ φ᾿ → … .
Topics: Ethics
Cite (SBL): Asterius, Hom. 8.4 (PG 40:260; trans. Sophia Scriptura, https://sophiascriptura.com/p/asterius-amasea-homiliae/8-4). (abbreviation not yet checked)
Permanent link: https://sophiascriptura.com/p/asterius-amasea-homiliae/8-4
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Translation: Translated by Claude from the Greek (PG 40, archive.org OCR; divisions are the staging's, not Migne's); re-read against the Greek, since no public-domain English exists.
8.5PG 40:260
δὲ … θαυμαστὸς ὁ Μωῦσῆς, πέλαγος ἄνευ πλοίων περαιωθείς " ἀλλὰ γῆν ἐπέζευσεν, ἧ νόμος ἀνθρώποις, ἔνθεν τοῦ ὕδατος ἀναστέλλοντος πρὸς ἑαυτόν. Μέγας καὶ ὁ Ἰησοῦς ὁ τούτου διάδοχος, ὅτι τὸν Ἰορδάνην ἐπεραιώθη, ὑπὲρ τὰς ὄχθας πλημμύροντα " ἀλλ᾽ ὁμοίως τῆς Ἐρυθρᾶς θαλάσσης, χἀχεῖνος διασχὼν ἑαυτὸν, καὶ ἀναχόψας τὸ ῥεῖθρον, ἔδωχε τῷ περαιουμένῳ λαῷ γυμνὴν τὴν ξηρὰν εἰς ἑἐπίόασιν. Οὐδεὶς δέ ποτε ἀνδρῶν χατὰ ὕδατος ἦρε!σε πόδα. Οὐδὲ γὰρ ὁ νόμος τῆς φύσεως καταδέχεται, τὴν ὀργὰν {{. ὕλην] ὑγρὰν ᾿καὶ ῥέουσαν, ἀντέχειν τῷ στερεῷ καὶ πιέξοντι. Δοχεῖΐ δέ μοι ὁ τῶν ὅλων Κύριος καὶ Δεσπότης, ὑπεραγασθεὶς τηνιχαῦτα τὴν ὑπερζέουσαν τοῦ ἀνδρὸς ἐπιθυμίαν, μεθ᾽ ἧς ἐχέχραγε λέγων, Κέιευσόν με ἐλθεῖν ἐπὶ τοῦ ὕδατος πρὸς σὲ. μισθὸν αὐτῷ τῆς πολλῆς ἀγάπης καὶ πίστεως, ἐχείνην δοῦναι τὴν χαινὴν καὶ παράδοξον χάριν, ἧς Πέτρος ἐφάνη δεχτιχὸς μόνος, ἀπὸ τῶν ἐξ ᾿Αδὰμ καὶ μέχρι τέλους ἀνθρώπων. Καὶ γὰρ ἀληθὲς καὶ ἐξαίρετος τοῦ Θεοῦ, ἡ τῆς τοιαύτης μεγαλουργίας ἐπίδειξις, ὑπερέχουσα τὴν τῆς χτίσεως «ἀπεινότητα, χαθὼς καὶ τῷ Δαθδὶδ δοχεῖ τῷ βελτίστῳ τῶν προφητῶν. Κἀχεῖνος γὰρ ἕν τινι τῶν ψαλμῶν ἀνυμνῶν τὸν Θεὸν, καὶ τὴν ἄφατον αὐτοῦ καὶ ἀπερινόητον ἐξηγούμενος δύναμιν, ταῦτ᾽ εἶπεν, ἃ συνἔθως μελῳδοῦντες γνωρίζετε - Ἕν θαλάσσῃ ἡ ὁδός σου, καὶ αἱ τρίδοι σου ἐν ὕδασι ποι1.λοῖς, καὶ τὰ ἴχγη σου οὗ γγωσθήσεται. Ὃ τοίνυν εἶχεν ὁ Δεσπότης ἐν τοῖς τῆς θεότητος ἐξάιρέτοις γνωρίσμασι, (οὔτο χοινὸν ἐποιήσατο πρὸς τὸν δοῦλον, ἄξιον χρίνας τς τοσαύτης τιμῆς. Ζηλωτὸς μὲν οὖν καὶ μέγας Ἰωάννης, ἐπὶ τῶν τοῦ ν Κυρίου στέρνων ἀναπαυόμενος " μέγας καὶ Ἰάχωύος, ὃς υἱὸς ὀνομασθεὶς βροντῆς " λαμπρὸς ἐν ταῖς τιμαῖς καὶ ὁ Φίλιππος, ὡς παρὰ τοῦ Πνεύματος ἀρπασθεὶς, ἑνίχα τὸν Αἰθίοπα πρὸς τὴν ἐπίγνωσιν τοῦ Σωτῆρος ἐμυσταγώγησεν " ἀλλ᾽ ὅμως οἱ πάντες ὑποχωρείἴτωσαν Πέτρῳ, καὶ δευτερεύειν ὁμολογείτωσαν, ὅταν ἡ τῶν χαρισμάτων σύγχρισις δοχιμάζῃ τὸν προτιμότερον. ᾿Αναθεωρῶν δὲ πάντα τὰ καθ᾽ ἕἔχαστον καὶ σχοπούμενος, εὑρίσχω τὸν ἄνδρα τοῦτον ἐπί τε τῶν λογιχῶν διαλέξεων, καὶ τῶν πραχτιχῶν ἐνεργημάτων, ὁμοίως πανταχοῦ προπηδῶντα τῶν ἄλλων μαγητῶν καὶ προξξαλλόμενον, καὶ χατόπιν ἀφιέντα τοὺς τὸ αὐτὸ τοῦ βίου στάδιον τρέχοντας. Ἑρωτῶντος γάρ ποτε τοῦ Κυρίου τοὺς δώδεχα, καὶ ἀπόπειραν ποιουμένου, ὅπως ἔχουσι πληροφορίας καὶ γνώμης περὶ τῆς εἰς αὐτὸν ὑπολήψεως, καὶ χελεύουσιν δ᾽ σαφῶς εἰπεῖν, τίνα λέγουσιν αὐτὸν εἶναι" τῶν ἄλλων ἁπάντων σιωπῆσαι βουλομένων, καὶ βραδυνόντων, καὶ δειχνύντων, ὡς διά τινος ἐπισχέψεως, τὴν ἀπόχρισιν" ἀνοίξας τὸ στόμα ταχέως ὁ τὸν ζώπυρον ἐπὶ τῆς Ψυχῆς φέρων τῆς πίστεως ἄνθραχα, ᾧ καὶ Ἡσαΐας πρότερον ἐχαθάρθη τὰ χείλη, τὴν μαχαρίαν ἐχείνην καὶ σαφῆ ἀληθῶς ῥῆσιν χαθωμολόγησε᾽ Σὺ εἶ ὁ Χριστὸς ὁ Υἱὲς τοῦ θεοῦ τοῦ ζῶντος. Τίνα ἄν τις πρὸς ἀξίαν τῶν λόγων τούτων θαυμάσειεν, ἀξιόπιστος γενόμενος ἐρμηνεὺς τοῦ μεγίστον τῶν ἀποστόλων; Ὁρᾶτε γὰρ πρῶτον, ὅπως ἀπέριττος ὁ λόγος καὶ σύντομος, ἐχφωνήσει βραχείᾳ μυρίων πραγμάτων καὶ μεγάλων δύναμιν ἐχτιθέμενος. Πᾶς γὰρ λόγος οὗτος ἄριστος, οὗπερ ἀνήχει, καὶ μὴ περιῤῥέῃ ἢ φράσις ἐπ᾽ ὀλίγῳ πενιχρῷ τῷ νοήματι" τοὐναντίον δὲ, πλῆθος πραγμάτῶν ἕν βραχυλογίᾳ σημαίνῃ, κατὰ τὴν ὁμοίωσιν τοῦ χόχχου τοῦ νάπυος" ὃς μικρότατος μὲν ἔστιν, ἐν τῷ Χχρατεῖσθαι καὶ βλέπεσθαι" εἰ δὲ προσαγάγῃς αὑτὸν τῇ αἰσθήσε: τοῦ στόματος, ὅλον τὸ ζῶον ἐχ ποδῶν εἰς χεφαλὴν, πρὸς τὴν οἰχείαν εἶλχε θερμότητα. Σὺ εἰ Χριστὸς ὁ Υἱὸς τοῦ Θεοῦ τοῦ ζῶγτος. λόγος ὁ συντελῶν πρὸς τὴν ἐπίγνωσιν τοῦ θεοῦ καὶ Σωτῆρος ἡμῶν, πρὸς δύο ταῦτα καὶ θεωρεῖται καὶ στρέφεται ἕν μὲν, ὁ τῆς ἀρχεγόνου θεότητος “ ἧτις ἐστὶν ὁ ἐν ἀρχῇ Λόγος ὧν ἀεὶ, καὶ πρὸς τὸν Πατέρα ὧν, καὶ Θεὸς ὧν, χαθὼς ἡμᾶς ὁ μέγας θεολόγος Ἰωάννης ἐμυσταγώγησεν, οἷον σπογγιά τις τῷ στήθει τοῦ Μονογενοῦς παραχείμενος, χἀχεῖθεν ἑλχύσᾳς τῆς χεχρυμμένης σοφίας τὴν γνῶσιν" ἕτερον δὲ, τὸ τῆς οἰχονομίας, ἣν ἀγαθὸς ὁ Θεὸ: πρὺς συγχατάθδασιν τῆς ἀσθενείας ἡμῶν χατεδέξατο. ἴΛξιον τοίνυν θεωρῆσαι τὴν ἀπόχρισιν, ὅπως ἐν βραχυλογίᾳ καὶ ὁλιγορημοσύνῃ, πάντων ἀχριθῶς ἐν ὀλίγῳ τὴν διάνοιαν παρεδήλωσεν, ἀρξάμενος ἀπὸ τῶν χάτω, καὶ πρὸς τὰ ὑψηλὰ χατὰ μέρος ἀναγαγὼν τὴν διάνοιαν, Σὺ εἴ ὁ Χριστός. Τοῦτο τῆς οἰχονομίας δήλωσις, καὶ τῆς ἐνσάρχον θεοφανείας ἐξήγησις. Ὁ γὰρ Χριστὸς] οὐκ ἔστιν ὄνομα τοῦ πρραιωνίου, ἀλλὰ τῆς τῶν χριομένων χάριτος μήνυμα. Διὸ καὶ Κύριος ἡμῶν χαταδεξάμενος ὅλως τὸ ἄνθρωπος γενέσθαι, καὶ τὰ ἄλλα πάντα ὅσα στρέφεται περὶ τὴν σάρχα, συγχαταδέχεται καὶ χαλεῖται ᾽5 χρισθεὶς εἰς βασιλέα, οὐ τῷ ἐλαίῳ τοῦ χέρατος, ὡς Σαμονὴλ, καὶ Δαθὶδ, καὶ οἱ καθεξῆς ἄνθρωποι, ἀλλὰ τῇ ἐνεργείᾳ τοῦ Ἠνεύματος, χαθ᾽ ἣν καὶ ὁ Κυριαχὸς ἄνθρωπος (οὔτω γὰρ τοῖς πολλοῖς φίλον προσαγορεύειν τὸν Ἰησοῦν) θαυμαστῶς ἐχυήθη καὶ παραδόξως ἐν τῇ γαστρὶ τῆς Παρθένου. Ὁμολογήσας δὲ τὸν Ἰησοῦν τὸν ὑπὲρ ἡμῶν γενόμενον ἄνθρωπον, οὐκ ἔστησε μέχρι τούτου λόγον ἀλλὰ διὰ τῆς χλίμαχος τοῦ Ἰαχὼδ τῆς νοητῆς πρὸς τὸν οὐρανὸν ἀναδὰς, καὶ γενόμενος ἐν Ὁ θεωρίᾳ τοῦ ἐν ἀρχῇ Θεοῦ Λόγου, προστίθησιν αὐτῷ «ὃ ἐξαίρετον καὶ ἀληθινὸν ἀξίωμα, Υἱὸν τοῦ Θεοῦ προσαγορεύσας τοῦ ζῶντος. ᾿Αχριδῶς δὲ οὗτος καὶ οὐχ ἕτερος" αὐτός τε ὁμολογήσας τὸν εὐθῇ τὸν διάστρόφον "δ χανόνα τῆς πίστεως, καὶ πᾶσιν ἡμῖν παοὐχ ἄἅμισθος ἀπῆλθε, οὐδὲ ἀγέραστος " μαχάριος δὲ ὀνομασθεὶς παρὰ τοῦ ὄντως μαχαρίου, πέτρα χαλεῖται τῆς πίστεως, καὶ θεμέλιος, καὶ ὑποθάθρα τῆς χατὰ Θεὸν Ἐχχλησίας. Λαμύάνει δὲ διὰ τῆς ὑποσχέσεως τῆς βασιλείας τὰς χλεῖς, καὶ χύριος γίνεται τῶν ἐχείνης πυλῶν, ὥστε αὐτὰς ἀπανοίγειν εἷς ἂν ἐθέλοι, καὶ χλείειν οἷς ἂν δίκαιον ἦν, πάντως α δὲ τοῖς βεόδήλοις, καὶ ἀνιέροις, καὶ τοῖς ἀρνουμένοις τὴν ὁμολογίαν ἐχείνην, δι᾽ ἣν αὐτὸς, ὡς ἀχριδὴς τῶν Ἐχχλησιῶν "7 ἀγαθῶν φύλαξ, ἐπιστατεῖν ταῖς εἰσὀδοις τῆς βασιλείας ἐτάχθη. Ὥ τοῦ ζόφου καὶ ἀχλύος, ἣ πολλὴ χέχυται πρὸ τῶν ἀνθρωπιχῶν ὀφθαλμῶν, δι’ ἦν οὐ βλέπουσιν οἱ αἱρετιχοὶ τῶν Πατέρων τὰ ἴχνη, οὐδὲ βαδίζειν ἐχείνην, ἣν ἔτριψαν τῶν ἀποστόλων οἱ πόδες! Ἰδοὺ γὰρ Πέτρος ὁ χατ' ἐχλογὴν γνήσιος τοῦ Χριστοῦ μαθητὴς, ὁ πανταχοῦ τὴν πρώτην Ψῆφον καὶ τῶν τιμῶν καὶ τῶν χατορθωμάτων δεξάμενος, ὁ μέγας ἐχεῖνος ὁ πάνυ, οὗ τὸ χλέος πᾶσαν τὴν οἷχουμένην ἐπλήρωσεν, χελευσθεὶς εἰπεῖν, ὅπως δοξάζει περὶ τοῦ Θεοῦ καὶ Σωτῆρος ἡμῶν, οὐχ ἀπὸ μαχρᾶς τινος ἤρξατο περινοίας, οὐδὲ χύχλον συλλο… πρὸς τὴν πεῦσιν, ὥσπερ δὴ νῦν ποιεῖν εἰώθασιν εἱ δεινοὶ σοφισταὶ καὶ τεχνολόγοι τῆς πίστεως " ἀλλ᾽ ἐν ἀπλότητι χαρδίας, σύντομον ἐξέθετο τὴν ἀλήθειαν" οὐ τὸν ἀγέννητον διαστείλας τῷ γεννητῷ, οὐ τὰ περὶ ὁμοίου καὶ ἀνομοίου λεπτολογήσας οὐδὲ τῶν ὑπὲρ πάντα οὐσιῶν πολυπραγμονήσας διαφορὰν, οὐδὲ τὴν ἀμέτρητον θεότητα μετρήσας συλλογισμοῖς, οἷα δὴ τὰ ᾿Αρείου παίγνια, καὶ τὰ Εὐνομίου παρεγχειρήματα. Ζηλώσωμεν τοίνυν, ὦ Χριστιανοὶ (ὧν πίστις, οὐ πολυλογία τὸ γνώρισμα), τὸν ἁλιέα, τὸν ἀπερίεργον, τὸν ἐχ Βηθσαϊδᾶς τὸ πρῶτον θήρευμα τοῦ Χριστοῦ. Μελετήσωμεν λέγειν᾿ Σὺ εἶ ὁ Χριστὸς ὁ Υἱὸς τοῦ Θεοῦ τοῦ ζῶγτος" τὰ δὲ πλείονα τούτων ἀφιέναι τοῖς λογομάχοις, ὧν ἔρις τὸ ἔργον, καὶ τὸ τέλος ἀπώλεια.
de … thaumastos ho Mōysēs, pelagos aneu ploiōn peraiōtheis " alla gēn epezeusen, hē nomos anthrōpois, enthen tou hydatos anastellontos pros heauton. Megas kai ho Iēsous ho toutou diadochos, hoti ton Iordanēn eperaiōthē, hyper tas ochthas plēmmyronta " all᾽ homoiōs tēs Erythras thalassēs, chacheinos diaschōn heauton, kai anachopsas to rheithron, edōche tǭ peraioumenǭ laǭ gymnēn tēn xēran eis heepioasin. Oudeis de pote andrōn chata hydatos ēre!se poda. Oude gar ho nomos tēs physeōs katadechetai, tēn organ {{. hylēn] hygran ᾿kai rheousan, antechein tǭ stereǭ kai piexonti. Docheiï de moi ho tōn holōn Kyrios kai Despotēs, hyperagastheis tēnichauta tēn hyperzeousan tou andros epithymian, meth᾽ hēs echechrage legōn, Keieuson me elthein epi tou hydatos pros se. misthon autǭ tēs pollēs agapēs kai pisteōs, echeinēn dounai tēn chainēn kai paradoxon charin, hēs Petros ephanē dechtichos monos, apo tōn ex ᾿Adam kai mechri telous anthrōpōn. Kai gar alēthes kai exairetos tou Theou, hē tēs toiautēs megalourgias epideixis, hyperechousa tēn tēs chtiseōs «apeinotēta, chathōs kai tǭ Dathdid dochei tǭ beltistǭ tōn prophētōn. Kacheinos gar hen tini tōn psalmōn anymnōn ton Theon, kai tēn aphaton autou kai aperinoēton exēgoumenos dynamin, taut᾽ eipen, ha synethōs melǭdountes gnōrizete - Hen thalassę̄ hē hodos sou, kai hai tridoi sou en hydasi poi1.lois, kai ta ichgē sou hou ngōsthēsetai. Ho toinyn eichen ho Despotēs en tois tēs theotētos exairetois gnōrismasi, (outo choinon epoiēsato pros ton doulon, axion chrinas ts tosautēs timēs. Zēlōtos men oun kai megas Iōannēs, epi tōn tou n Kyriou sternōn anapauomenos " megas kai Iachōyos, hos huios onomastheis brontēs " lampros en tais timais kai ho Philippos, hōs para tou Pneumatos arpastheis, henicha ton Aithiopa pros tēn epignōsin tou Sōtēros emystagōgēsen " all᾽ homōs hoi pantes hypochōreiitōsan Petrǭ, kai deutereuein homologeitōsan, hotan hē tōn charismatōn synchrisis dochimazę̄ ton protimoteron. ᾿Anatheōrōn de panta ta kath᾽ heechaston kai schopoumenos, heurischō ton andra touton epi te tōn logichōn dialexeōn, kai tōn prachtichōn energēmatōn, homoiōs pantachou propēdōnta tōn allōn magētōn kai proxxallomenon, kai chatopin aphienta tous to auto tou biou stadion trechontas. Herōtōntos gar pote tou Kyriou tous dōdecha, kai apopeiran poioumenou, hopōs echousi plērophorias kai gnōmēs peri tēs eis auton hypolēpseōs, kai cheleuousin d᾽ saphōs eipein, tina legousin auton einai" tōn allōn hapantōn siōpēsai boulomenōn, kai bradynontōn, kai deichnyntōn, hōs dia tinos epischepseōs, tēn apochrisin" anoixas to stoma tacheōs ho ton zōpyron epi tēs Psychēs pherōn tēs pisteōs anthracha, hǭ kai Hēsaïas proteron echatharthē ta cheilē, tēn macharian echeinēn kai saphē alēthōs rhēsin chathōmologēse᾽ Sy ei ho Christos ho Huies tou theou tou zōntos. Tina an tis pros axian tōn logōn toutōn thaumaseien, axiopistos genomenos ermēneus tou megiston tōn apostolōn? Horate gar prōton, hopōs aperittos ho logos kai syntomos, echphōnēsei bracheią myriōn pragmatōn kai megalōn dynamin echtithemenos. Pas gar logos houtos aristos, houper anēchei, kai mē perirrheę̄ ē phrasis ep᾽ oligǭ penichrǭ tǭ noēmati" tounantion de, plēthos pragmatōn hen brachylogią sēmainę̄, kata tēn homoiōsin tou chochchou tou napyos" hos mikrotatos men estin, en tǭ Chchrateisthai kai blepesthai" ei de prosagagę̄s hauton tę̄ aisthēse: tou stomatos, holon to zōon ech podōn eis chephalēn, pros tēn oicheian eilche thermotēta. Sy ei Christos ho Huios tou Theou tou zōgtos. logos ho syntelōn pros tēn epignōsin tou theou kai Sōtēros hēmōn, pros dyo tauta kai theōreitai kai strephetai hen men, ho tēs archegonou theotētos “ hētis estin ho en archę̄ Logos hōn aei, kai pros ton Patera hōn, kai Theos hōn, chathōs hēmas ho megas theologos Iōannēs emystagōgēsen, hoion spongia tis tǭ stēthei tou Monogenous paracheimenos, chacheithen helchysąs tēs chechrymmenēs sophias tēn gnōsin" heteron de, to tēs oichonomias, hēn agathos ho Theo: prys synchatathdasin tēs astheneias hēmōn chatedexato. iLxion toinyn theōrēsai tēn apochrisin, hopōs en brachylogią kai holigorēmosynę̄, pantōn achrithōs en oligǭ tēn dianoian paredēlōsen, arxamenos apo tōn chatō, kai pros ta hypsēla chata meros anagagōn tēn dianoian, Sy ei ho Christos. Touto tēs oichonomias dēlōsis, kai tēs ensarchon theophaneias exēgēsis. Ho gar Christos] ouk estin onoma tou prraiōniou, alla tēs tōn chriomenōn charitos mēnyma. Dio kai Kyrios hēmōn chatadexamenos holōs to anthrōpos genesthai, kai ta alla panta hosa strephetai peri tēn sarcha, synchatadechetai kai chaleitai ᾽5 christheis eis basilea, ou tǭ elaiǭ tou cheratos, hōs Samonēl, kai Dathid, kai hoi kathexēs anthrōpoi, alla tę̄ energeią tou Ēneumatos, chath᾽ hēn kai ho Kyriachos anthrōpos (outō gar tois pollois philon prosagoreuein ton Iēsoun) thaumastōs echyēthē kai paradoxōs en tę̄ gastri tēs Parthenou. Homologēsas de ton Iēsoun ton hyper hēmōn genomenon anthrōpon, ouk estēse mechri toutou logon alla dia tēs chlimachos tou Iachōd tēs noētēs pros ton ouranon anadas, kai genomenos en Ho theōrią tou en archę̄ Theou Logou, prostithēsin autǭ «ho exaireton kai alēthinon axiōma, Huion tou Theou prosagoreusas tou zōntos. ᾿Achridōs de houtos kai ouch heteros" autos te homologēsas ton euthę̄ ton diastrophon "d chanona tēs pisteōs, kai pasin hēmin paouch haamisthos apēlthe, oude agerastos " macharios de onomastheis para tou ontōs machariou, petra chaleitai tēs pisteōs, kai themelios, kai hypothathra tēs chata Theon Echchlēsias. Lamyanei de dia tēs hyposcheseōs tēs basileias tas chleis, kai chyrios ginetai tōn echeinēs pylōn, hōste autas apanoigein heis an etheloi, kai chleiein hois an dikaion ēn, pantōs a de tois beodēlois, kai anierois, kai tois arnoumenois tēn homologian echeinēn, di᾽ hēn autos, hōs achridēs tōn Echchlēsiōn "7 agathōn phylax, epistatein tais eisodois tēs basileias etachthē. Hō tou zophou kai achlyos, hē pollē chechytai pro tōn anthrōpichōn ophthalmōn, di’ ēn ou blepousin hoi hairetichoi tōn Paterōn ta ichnē, oude badizein echeinēn, hēn etripsan tōn apostolōn hoi podes! Idou gar Petros ho chat' echlogēn gnēsios tou Christou mathētēs, ho pantachou tēn prōtēn Psēphon kai tōn timōn kai tōn chatorthōmatōn dexamenos, ho megas echeinos ho pany, hou to chleos pasan tēn hoichoumenēn eplērōsen, cheleustheis eipein, hopōs doxazei peri tou Theou kai Sōtēros hēmōn, ouch apo machras tinos ērxato perinoias, oude chychlon syllo… pros tēn peusin, hōsper dē nyn poiein eiōthasin hei deinoi sophistai kai technologoi tēs pisteōs " all᾽ en aplotēti chardias, syntomon exetheto tēn alētheian" ou ton agennēton diasteilas tǭ gennētǭ, ou ta peri homoiou kai anomoiou leptologēsas oude tōn hyper panta ousiōn polypragmonēsas diaphoran, oude tēn ametrēton theotēta metrēsas syllogismois, hoia dē ta ᾿Areiou paignia, kai ta Eunomiou parencheirēmata. Zēlōsōmen toinyn, ō Christianoi (hōn pistis, ou polylogia to gnōrisma), ton haliea, ton aperiergon, ton ech Bēthsaïdas to prōton thēreuma tou Christou. Meletēsōmen legein᾿ Sy ei ho Christos ho Huios tou Theou tou zōgtos" ta de pleiona toutōn aphienai tois logomachois, hōn eris to ergon, kai to telos apōleia.
… Moses is wonderful, having crossed the sea without ships; but he walked on land, as is the law for men, the water drawing back on itself on either side. Great too is Joshua his successor, because he crossed the Jordan when it overflowed its banks; but, as with the Red Sea, the river too divided itself, cut off its stream, and gave the people as they crossed bare dry ground to walk on. But no man ever set foot on water. For the law of nature does not allow wet and flowing matter to hold up what is solid and presses on it. It seems to me that the Lord and Master of all, greatly admiring at that moment the man's boiling desire with which he cried out, “Command me to come to you on the water,” gave him, as the reward of his great love and faith, that new and extraordinary grace of which Peter alone, of all men from Adam to the end, has proved capable. For the display of such a mighty work is truly a special mark of God, surpassing the lowliness of creation, as David too thinks, the best of the prophets. He too, in one of the psalms, singing of God and setting out his ineffable and inconceivable power, said these words, which you know from singing them so often: “Your way is in the sea, and your paths in many waters, and your footsteps will not be known.” What the Master had among the special marks of his Godhead, this he shared with his servant, judging him worthy of so great an honour. Enviable and great is John, who rested on the Lord's breast; great too is James, who was named son of thunder; brilliant in honours is Philip as well, as one snatched away by the Spirit after he had initiated the Ethiopian into the knowledge of the Saviour. Yet let them all give way to Peter and confess themselves second, when the comparison of gifts tests who is more honoured. Reviewing and examining every particular, I find this man, both in spoken discourses and in practical works, everywhere leaping ahead of the other disciples and outstripping them, and leaving behind those who run the same course of life. For when the Lord once asked the Twelve, testing how firmly assured they were in their judgment about him, and told them to say clearly who they said he was, all the others wished to be silent and hung back, and showed that their answer needed some consideration. But he who carried in his soul the live coal of faith, by which Isaiah's lips too had once been cleansed, quickly opened his mouth and confessed that blessed and truly clear saying: “You are the Christ, the Son of the living God.” Who could admire these words as they deserve, and become a trustworthy interpreter of the greatest of the apostles? See first how plain and concise the saying is, setting out in a short utterance the force of countless great matters. Every saying is best which reaches its goal, whose expression does not spill over a small and poor thought, but on the contrary signifies a multitude of matters briefly, like the grain of mustard: it is very small when held and seen, but if you bring it to the sense of the mouth, it draws the whole creature, from feet to head, into its own heat. “You are the Christ, the Son of the living God.” The teaching that leads to the knowledge of our God and Saviour is considered under, and turns upon, these two things. One is that of the primordial Godhead, which is the Word who was in the beginning, always being, being with the Father, and being God, as the great theologian John taught us, lying like a sponge on the breast of the Only-begotten and drawing from there the knowledge of the hidden wisdom. The other is that of the dispensation, which the good God accepted in condescension to our weakness. It is worth examining the answer, then: how in brevity and few words he showed the whole meaning accurately in little, beginning from below and leading the mind up step by step to the heights. “You are the Christ”: this is the declaration of the dispensation and the account of the theophany in the flesh. For “Christ” is not the name of the One before the ages, but the indication of the grace given to those who are anointed. Therefore our Lord too, having accepted wholly to become man, and all the other things that belong to the flesh, accepts also to be called [Christ], anointed as king, not with the oil of the horn, like Samuel's anointing of David and the men after them, but by the working of the Spirit, by which also the Lordly Man (for so many like to call Jesus) was wonderfully and extraordinarily conceived in the Virgin's womb. Having confessed Jesus who became man for us, he did not stop his saying there; but climbing to heaven by the spiritual ladder of Jacob, and coming to the contemplation of God the Word who was in the beginning, he adds to him the special and true dignity, calling him Son of the living God. He confessed exactly this and nothing else, the straight and undistorted rule of faith, and [handed it on] to all of us; and he did not go away unrewarded or unhonoured, but, named blessed by the One who is truly blessed, he is called the rock of faith, and the foundation and base of the Church according to God. Through the promise he receives the keys of the kingdom, and becomes master of its gates, so as to open them to whomever he wishes, and to shut them to those for whom it is just, certainly to the profane and unholy and to those who deny that confession, because of which he himself, as the exact guardian of the goods of the Churches, was appointed to preside over the entrances of the kingdom. O the gloom and mist poured thickly before human eyes, because of which the heretics do not see the footsteps of the Fathers, nor walk the road that the feet of the apostles wore smooth! For behold, Peter, the genuine disciple of Christ by election, who everywhere received the first vote both in honours and in achievements, that truly great man, whose fame filled the whole world, when told to say what he thought of our God and Saviour, did not begin with some long circumlocution, nor [run] a circle of syllogisms … toward the question, as the clever sophists and technicians of the faith are now accustomed to do; but in simplicity of heart he set out the truth concisely. He did not distinguish the unbegotten from the begotten, did not split hairs about like and unlike, did not busy himself with the difference of the substances that are above all, did not measure the immeasurable Godhead by syllogisms, as do the games of Arius and the attempts of Eunomius. Let us, then, Christians (whose mark is faith, not wordiness), imitate the fisherman, the unaffected man, Christ's first catch from Bethsaida. Let us practise saying, “You are the Christ, the Son of the living God,” and leave anything beyond this to the fighters over words, whose work is strife and whose end is destruction.
Exod 14:21–22 (allusion, high confidence) · Josh 3:14–17 (allusion, high confidence) · Matt 14:28 (quotation, high confidence) · Ps 77:19 (76:20 LXX) (quotation, high confidence) · John 13:23 (allusion, high confidence) · Mark 3:17 (allusion, high confidence) · Acts 8:26–39 (allusion, high confidence) · Matt 16:13–15 (allusion, high confidence) · Isa 6:6–7 (allusion, high confidence) · Matt 16:16 (quotation, high confidence) · Matt 13:31 (allusion, medium confidence) · John 1:1 (allusion, high confidence) · 1 Sam 16:13 (allusion, high confidence) · Luke 1:35 (allusion, medium confidence) · Gen 28:12 (allusion, high confidence) · Matt 16:17–19 (allusion, high confidence) · John 1:44 (allusion, high confidence) · 2 Tim 2:14 (echo, medium confidence)
Notes and citation
Summary: Asterius sets Peter's walking on the water above the miracles of Moses and Joshua, expounds his confession “You are the Christ, the Son of the living God” as covering both Christ's eternal Godhead and his incarnation, and contrasts its simplicity with the arguments of Arius and Eunomius.
- Asterius gives Peter the keys and the authority to open and shut the gates of the kingdom (Matt 16:19) and calls him rock, foundation and base of the Church, translated exactly as written. “Lordly Man” (κυριακὸς ἄνθρωπος) is a title for Jesus that Asterius says many use. The theological terms he rejects (unbegotten and begotten, like and unlike, difference of substances) belong to the Arian and Eunomian controversy of the fourth century. Leaked footnotes and Latin were removed by logged corrections; lost words are marked “…”. References: Exod 14:21–22; Josh 3:14–17; Matt 14:28; Ps 77:19 (LXX 76:20); John 13:23; Mark 3:17; Acts 8:26–39; Matt 16:13–19; Isa 6:6–7; Matt 13:31; John 1:1; 1 Sam 16:13; Luke 1:35; Gen 28:12; John 1:44.
Notes on the original text
- Digital text corrected (leaked footnote references; leaked footnotes and fragment of Migne's Latin column splitting a word; leaked fragment of Migne's Latin column; Greek lost; stray margin letter splitting a word): [ὰο. Χχι, 3-ὁ. δ Μαι}. χ, 43.. → … ; πε- α ραιωθείς → περαιωθείς; λόδ Ἰσ. χελεύοντος, χιι, 27, 2 λοι. νι ὃ. 38 ᾿ς. 00], 10. ὁοΙημράΓδί πὶ 681, οὐ πὶ Δ4ια ᾿ἶης ἰηάς δὲ 56 ων 406 δἰ Πλεπ ἀπ ἢ} συ θνοχοῦὶι. Τα ἐε (τίει. ἰ51: 9 ΘΘΟΟΠΟΠἾΔ 1 ἀδοϊαγαι, δὸ οὶ ὙΊμορ, χαλεῖσθαι. 5 [,μερ. ἀδιάστροφον. Β → λόγων ; μοῦθυΐϊδηὶ 86 οὐ] 6 πὶ ἢ} μίυτγ ανϑιη ἴπ 815 ΟΠΙ͂!Ι νατο → … .
Topics: Christology, Heresy
Cite (SBL): Asterius, Hom. 8.5 (PG 40:260; trans. Sophia Scriptura, https://sophiascriptura.com/p/asterius-amasea-homiliae/8-5). (abbreviation not yet checked)
Permanent link: https://sophiascriptura.com/p/asterius-amasea-homiliae/8-5
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Translation: Translated by Claude from the Greek (PG 40, archive.org OCR; divisions are the staging's, not Migne's); re-read against the Greek, since no public-domain English exists.
8.6PG 40:260
ἶλρα οὖν μὲν μέχρι τῶν λεχθέντων ἵσταται τοῦ ἀποστόλου τὰ θαύματα: ἣ πᾶν τοὐναντίον, οὐδὲ ἧρχϑα: δοχοῦμεν, εἴ τις τοῖς εἰρημένοις παραμε- -ροίη τὰ λείποντα. ᾿Αλλ᾽ ἐγὼ τὰ πολλὰ τῇ ὑμετέρᾳ Ἱνώσει χαταλιπὼν (ἴστε γὰρ τὸν Πέτρον καὶ τὰ ἐχείνου, χᾶν μηδεὶς ἐπαινεῖν τὸν ἄνδρα προέληται), μιχρὰ περὶ τῆς ἀναπαύσεως αὐτοῦ εἰπεῖν βούλομαι, καὶ ὅπως ἐκ τῆς γῆς εἰς τὸν οὐρανὸν μετῴχησεν, ἵν᾽ ἐχεῖ τοῦ λέγειν παύσωμαι, ἔνθα χἀχεῖνος τὸν βίον. Ὁ μὲν οὖν Σωτὴρ ἡμῶν ἡνίκα ἔμελλεν ἁγιάζειν τῷ αὐθαιρέτῳ θανάτῳ ", ὥσπερ τινὰ παραθήκην ἑξαίρέῖον, τὴν χαθόλου καὶ οἰχουμενιχὴν. Ἐχχλησίαν τούτῳ τῷ ἀνδρὶ παρατίθεται, τρίτον αὐτοῦ πυθόμενος τὸ, Φεῖεῖς με; Ὡς δὲ ταῖς ἐρωτήσεσι μάλα προθύμως ἰσαρίθμους τὰς ὁμολογίας προέθετο, ἕλαὑεν τὸν χόσμον εἰς ἐπιμέλειαν, ὡς μίαν ἀγέλην εἷς ποιμὴν, ἀχούσας- Βόσκε τὰ ἀργία μου" καὶ σχεδὸν ἀνθ᾽ ἑαυτοῦ τὸν πιστότατον μαθητὴν ἔδωχεν ὁ Κύριος τοῖς προσηλύτοις πατέρα, καὶ νομέα, καὶ παιδευτὴν, Ταύτης τοίνυν ἀχούσας τῆς φωνῆς, οὐχ ἐν ῥᾳθυμίᾳ τὸν βίον ἔξησεν, οὐδὲ ἠγάπησε τὴν ἔξω χινδύνων ζωήν ἀλλὰ πᾶσαν τὴν οἰχουμένην περ!νοστῶν, τὸν Χριστὸν τοῖς τυφλώττουσιν ἀπεχάλυππτεν, τοὺς μὲν πλανωμένους ὁδηγῶν, τοὺς δὲ γευδαμέγους τῆς εὐσεδείας ν᾽ τοῖς ἐχθροῖς μαχόμενος, … ἀχθηδόνα δεσμωτηρίων. πολυτρόπως τοῦ Εὐαγ- Χρόνου δὲ προϊόντος, τὴν βασιλεύουσαν πόλιν τῶν ἀνθρώπων λαδὼν, ἐχεῖθεν ἐπὶ τὴν βασιλείαν ἀνέδραμεν. ᾿Αναῤῥιπισθεὶς γὰρ ἃ Νέρων εἰς ὀργὴν, ὥς ποτε χατὰ τὴν Παλαιστίνην Ἡρώδης, ἡνίχα βασιλέα. τὸν Χριστὸν οἱ μάγοι διήγγελλον, ὑπερδαίνει μὲν τοὺς ἄλλους τῶν χολάσεων τρόπους, ψηφίζει δὲ τὸν τρισμαχάριον προσηλωθῆναι σταυρῷ, ἵνα μὴ μόνον πεξεύων θάλασσαν Πέτρος τὸν Δεσπότην μιμεῖται, ἀλλὰ καὶ ἐπὶ ξύλου χρεμάμενος. Ὅμως, ὡς εὐλαδὴς καὶ σοφὸς χἀν τῷ χαιρῷ τῆς ἀγωνίας, εἰδὼς, τίς διαφο-» ρὰ Κυρίου πρὸς δοῦλον, μίαν ἤτησε παρὰ τῶν ἐχθρῶν χάριν, μῆτι γε ἐν ὁμοίῳ τῷ σχήματι τῷ ξύλῳ προσαγαγεῖν, ἀλλὰ τὴν χεφαλὴν τῷ προσγείῳ μέρει τοῦ σταυροῦ προσηλώσαντας. Οὐ γὰρ ἄξιον, οὐδὲ ἐν πάθει τῶν ἴσων τὸν δοῦλον τῷ Δεσπότῃ τυχεῖν. Εἷπεν, καὶ ἔτυχεν ὧν ἐδούλετο, καὶ διὰ τοῦ σταυροῦ πρὸς τὸν σταυρωθέντα καὶ ἀναστάντα ἀπῆλθεν, αὖ τὸς μὲν τὸν τοῦ μαρτυρίου ἀναδησάμενος στέφανον, ἡμῖν δὲ τούτων τῶν ἑορτῶν χαταλιπὼν τὰς αἷ- «ἰας. Ταῦτά σοι καὶ ἡμεῖς κατὰ δύναμιν, ὦ φίλη καὶ ἱερὰ χεφαλὴ, τῶν πολλῶν χατορθωμάτων ἀπεδώχαμεν χαριστήρια: ὥρα δὲ λοιπὸν, ἐπ᾽ ἄλλον ἀγωνι"» στὴν τρέψαι τὸν λόγον, τὸν χοινὸν " τῆς τὸν Ταρσέα, τὸν διαφόρῳ μὲν τρόπῳ τῆς τιμωρίας, ἑνὶ δὲ σχοπῷ τῆς εὐσεύείας μετὰ σοῦ πρὸς Χριστὸν Παῦλος ὁ θεσπέσιος, ἡ μεγαλόφωνος τοῦ Εὐαγγελίον: σάλπιγξ, ὁ πρότερον μὲν πιχρὸς δυσμενὴς Χριστιανῶν, ἰσχυρότατος δὲ τελευταῖον τῆς Ἐχχλησίας συνήγορος, νεώτερος μὲν ἐπετέχθη τοῖς ἀποστόλοις παρὰ τῆς χάριτος" καὶ τῷ χρόνῳ δεύτερος ἣν τῶν μαθητῶν τοῦ Χριστοῦ, ἴσος δὲ χατὰ τὸ δόχιμον τῆς ἀρετῆς, ἵνα μηδὲν εἴπω πλέον, τὴν πολιὰν ἐρυθριάσας τῶν δώδεχα, ζηλωτὴς δὲ θερμὸς τοῦ Μωῦσέως, εἴπερ τις ἕτερος, τεῖχος τοῦ νόμου, πύργος τῆς Παλαιᾶς Διαθήχης χαρτερὸς καὶ ἄσειστος " καὶ μέχρις οὗ τὴν γνώμην ἀμετἀδλητον εἶχεν, μέγας ὑπήρχρ χίνδυνος τῶν τὸν Χριστὸν λαλούντων, καὶ πανταχοῦ διεπτόει τοὺς ἡμετέρους καὶ ἐφυγάδευσεν" ὄντως, ἅρπαξ, σπαράσσων τῆς Νέας Διαθήχης τοὺς ἀμείγους, καὶ σχορπίζων τὰ ποίμνια. Ἐπειδὴ δὲ καὶ τὸ δρᾶμα τὸ χατὰ τὸν ἅγιον Στέφανον ἐξειργάσατο, καὶ τὰς χεῖρας ἔχων ἔτι μεμολυ σμένας τῷ αἵματι, τὴν ἐπὶ Δαμασχὸν ἔτρεχεν, διωγμῷ διωγμὸν καὶ φόνοις φόνους συνάψαι βουλόμενος, καὶ ἀνασπάσαι τὸν Χριστιανισμὸν πρόῤῥιζον, ἄρτι τὴν πρώτην ἀνθοῦντα φνήν᾽ εἶδεν χαλῶς ὁ Θεὸς ἡμῶν ὃ πεποίηχεν, ὅτι ὁ ἰσχυρὸς ἐχθρὸς γένητ᾽ ἂν καὶ φίλος γενναῖος " καὶ περιλάμψας αὑτὸν αἰφνίδιον τῷ φωτὶ, χαταπλήττει καὶ μεταδάλλει πρὸς ταπεινότητα, στήσας μὲν τοῦ δρόμου διὰ τὸν φόδον, τοὺς δὲ τὸ πυσας τῷ σχότῳ. Τιμωρεῖται δὲ αὐτὸν, οὐ μετὰ σιωπῆς, ἀλλὰ καὶ λόγον τῷ ἔργῳ προσέθηχεν, εἰπὼν ἐχείνῳ Σχιληρόν σοι πρὸς κέντρα «1αχτίζειν"" οὐχ ὡς αὖτὸς χρήζων τῆς διαλέξεως { τί γὰρ ἔδει λόγων, τῶν πραγμάτων ἀρχούντων), ἀλλ᾽ ἵνα πρόφασιν ἐνδῷ τοῦ ἐ»ωτῇσαι καὶ μαθεῖν, ὅτι ὁ νομιζόμενος τεθνάναι καὶ χεῖσθαι Χριστὸς, ζῇ, καὶ ἐξ οὐρανῶν ἐπιφαίνεται.
ilra oun men mechri tōn lechthentōn histatai tou apostolou ta thaumata: hē pan tounantion, oude hērchϑa: dochoumen, ei tis tois eirēmenois parame- -roiē ta leiponta. ᾿All᾽ egō ta polla tę̄ hymeterą Hinōsei chatalipōn (iste gar ton Petron kai ta echeinou, chan mēdeis epainein ton andra proelētai), michra peri tēs anapauseōs autou eipein boulomai, kai hopōs ek tēs gēs eis ton ouranon metǭchēsen, hin᾽ echei tou legein pausōmai, entha chacheinos ton bion. Ho men oun Sōtēr hēmōn hēnika emellen hagiazein tǭ authairetǭ thanatǭ ", hōsper tina parathēkēn hexaireion, tēn chatholou kai oichoumenichēn. Echchlēsian toutǭ tǭ andri paratithetai, triton autou pythomenos to, Pheieis me? Hōs de tais erōtēsesi mala prothymōs isarithmous tas homologias proetheto, helauen ton chosmon eis epimeleian, hōs mian agelēn heis poimēn, achousas- Boske ta argia mou" kai schedon anth᾽ heautou ton pistotaton mathētēn edōchen ho Kyrios tois prosēlytois patera, kai nomea, kai paideutēn, Tautēs toinyn achousas tēs phōnēs, ouch en rhąthymią ton bion exēsen, oude ēgapēse tēn exō chindynōn zōēn alla pasan tēn oichoumenēn per!nostōn, ton Christon tois typhlōttousin apechalyppten, tous men planōmenous hodēgōn, tous de geudamegous tēs eusedeias n᾽ tois echthrois machomenos, … achthēdona desmōtēriōn. polytropōs tou Euag- Chronou de proïontos, tēn basileuousan polin tōn anthrōpōn ladōn, echeithen epi tēn basileian anedramen. ᾿Anarrhipistheis gar ha Nerōn eis orgēn, hōs pote chata tēn Palaistinēn Hērōdēs, hēnicha basilea. ton Christon hoi magoi diēngellon, hyperdainei men tous allous tōn cholaseōn tropous, psēphizei de ton trismacharion prosēlōthēnai staurǭ, hina mē monon pexeuōn thalassan Petros ton Despotēn mimeitai, alla kai epi xylou chremamenos. Homōs, hōs euladēs kai sophos chan tǭ chairǭ tēs agōnias, eidōs, tis diapho-» ra Kyriou pros doulon, mian ētēse para tōn echthrōn charin, mēti ge en homoiǭ tǭ schēmati tǭ xylǭ prosagagein, alla tēn chephalēn tǭ prosgeiǭ merei tou staurou prosēlōsantas. Ou gar axion, oude en pathei tōn isōn ton doulon tǭ Despotę̄ tychein. Heipen, kai etychen hōn edouleto, kai dia tou staurou pros ton staurōthenta kai anastanta apēlthen, au tos men ton tou martyriou anadēsamenos stephanon, hēmin de toutōn tōn heortōn chatalipōn tas hai- «ias. Tauta soi kai hēmeis kata dynamin, ō philē kai hiera chephalē, tōn pollōn chatorthōmatōn apedōchamen charistēria: hōra de loipon, ep᾽ allon agōni"» stēn trepsai ton logon, ton choinon " tēs ton Tarsea, ton diaphorǭ men tropǭ tēs timōrias, heni de schopǭ tēs euseueias meta sou pros Christon Paulos ho thespesios, hē megalophōnos tou Euangelion: salpinx, ho proteron men pichros dysmenēs Christianōn, ischyrotatos de teleutaion tēs Echchlēsias synēgoros, neōteros men epetechthē tois apostolois para tēs charitos" kai tǭ chronǭ deuteros hēn tōn mathētōn tou Christou, isos de chata to dochimon tēs aretēs, hina mēden eipō pleon, tēn polian erythriasas tōn dōdecha, zēlōtēs de thermos tou Mōyseōs, eiper tis heteros, teichos tou nomou, pyrgos tēs Palaias Diathēchēs charteros kai aseistos " kai mechris hou tēn gnōmēn ametadlēton eichen, megas hypērchr chindynos tōn ton Christon lalountōn, kai pantachou dieptoei tous hēmeterous kai ephygadeusen" ontōs, harpax, sparassōn tēs Neas Diathēchēs tous ameigous, kai schorpizōn ta poimnia. Epeidē de kai to drama to chata ton hagion Stephanon exeirgasato, kai tas cheiras echōn eti memoly smenas tǭ haimati, tēn epi Damaschon etrechen, diōgmǭ diōgmon kai phonois phonous synapsai boulomenos, kai anaspasai ton Christianismon prorrhizon, arti tēn prōtēn anthounta phnēn᾽ eiden chalōs ho Theos hēmōn ho pepoiēchen, hoti ho ischyros echthros genēt᾽ an kai philos gennaios " kai perilampsas hauton aiphnidion tǭ phōti, chataplēttei kai metadallei pros tapeinotēta, stēsas men tou dromou dia ton phodon, tous de to pysas tǭ schotǭ. Timōreitai de auton, ou meta siōpēs, alla kai logon tǭ ergǭ prosethēchen, eipōn echeinǭ Schilēron soi pros kentra «1achtizein"" ouch hōs autos chrēzōn tēs dialexeōs { ti gar edei logōn, tōn pragmatōn archountōn), all᾽ hina prophasin endǭ tou e»ōtę̄sai kai mathein, hoti ho nomizomenos tethnanai kai cheisthai Christos, zę̄, kai ex ouranōn epiphainetai.
Do the apostle's wonders, then, stop at what has been said? Quite the opposite: we do not seem even to have begun, if one sets what remains beside what has been said. But leaving most things to your own knowledge (for you know Peter and his deeds, even if no one chooses to praise the man), I wish to say a little about his repose, and how he moved from earth to heaven, so that I may stop speaking where he too ended his life. When our Saviour was about to sanctify [the world] by his voluntary death, he entrusted to this man, like a special deposit, the universal and worldwide Church, asking him three times, “Do you love me?” And when Peter very readily set forth confessions equal in number to the questions, he received the world into his care, as one shepherd receives one flock, hearing the words, “Feed my lambs”; and in his own place, one might almost say, the Lord gave his most faithful disciple to the converts as father, shepherd and teacher. Having heard this voice, then, he did not live his life in idleness, nor love a life out of danger; going about the whole world, he revealed Christ to the blind, guiding those who had gone astray, [setting right] those who lied against godliness, fighting the enemies, … the weight of prisons, … the Gospel in many ways. As time went on, he took the ruling city of mankind, and from there ran up to the kingdom. For Nero, fanned into anger, as Herod once was in Palestine when the magi announced Christ as king, passed over the other kinds of punishment and decreed that the thrice-blessed man be nailed to a cross, so that Peter might imitate his Master not only in walking on the sea but also in hanging on the wood. Yet, reverent and wise even in the hour of his contest, knowing the difference between Lord and servant, he asked one favour from his enemies: not to fix him to the wood in the same posture, but to nail his head to the part of the cross near the ground. For it is not fitting that the servant should receive equal treatment with the Master, even in suffering. He spoke, and obtained what he wished, and through the cross departed to the Crucified and Risen One, himself crowned with the crown of martyrdom, and leaving to us the occasions of these feasts. These thanks for your many achievements we too have rendered you as far as we are able, dear and sacred head. It is time now to turn the discourse to another contestant, the common … the man of Tarsus, who went to Christ with you, by a different manner of punishment but with the one aim of godliness: the divine Paul, the loud-voiced trumpet of the Gospel, once a bitter enemy of Christians but at the last the strongest advocate of the Church. He was born to the apostles later, by grace, and in time he was second among the disciples of Christ, but equal in proven virtue, not to say more, putting to shame the grey hair of the Twelve. He had been a warm zealot of Moses, if ever anyone was, a wall of the law, a strong and unshaken tower of the Old Testament; and as long as he held to his mind unchanged he was a great danger to those who spoke of Christ, and everywhere terrified and put to flight our people: truly a ravening [wolf], tearing the lambs of the New Testament and scattering the flocks. But when he had carried out the drama against Saint Stephen, and, with his hands still stained with blood, was running along the road to Damascus, wishing to join persecution to persecution and murders to murders, and to tear Christianity up by the roots when it was just putting out its first bloom, our God saw well what he did: that the strong enemy could also become a noble friend. Suddenly shining around him with light, he struck him and turned him to humility, stopping him in his course through fear, and [blinding] his eyes with darkness. And he punished him not in silence, but added a word to the deed, saying to him, “It is hard for you to kick against the goads”; not because he needed conversation (what need was there of words, when deeds sufficed?), but to give him occasion to ask and to learn that the Christ who was thought to be dead and laid in the tomb lives and appears from heaven.
John 21:15–17 (allusion, high confidence) · Matt 2:1–3 (allusion, high confidence) · Gen 49:27 (allusion, medium confidence) · Acts 7:58–8:3 (allusion, high confidence) · Acts 9:3–5 (allusion, high confidence) · Acts 26:14 (quotation, high confidence)
Notes and citation
Summary: Asterius tells how Christ entrusted the whole Church to Peter, how Peter preached everywhere and was crucified head downward in Rome under Nero, and turns to Paul, the persecutor converted on the road to Damascus.
- Asterius says that Christ entrusted to Peter “the universal and worldwide Church” and gave him “in his own place” to the converts as father, shepherd and teacher (John 21:15–17), translated exactly as written. The crucifixion of Peter head downward at Rome under Nero follows tradition (attested in the Acts of Peter and in Origen as reported by Eusebius, Hist. eccl. 3.1.2), not Scripture. A leaked block of Migne's notes and Latin was removed by a logged correction; lost words are marked “…”. References: Matt 2:1–3; Gen 49:27; Acts 7:58–8:3; Acts 9:1–5; Acts 26:14.
Notes on the original text
- Digital text corrected (leaked footnote references and fragment of Migne's Latin column; Greek lost): ἡ ἴσ. τῶν τῶν νο] ἐχχλησιαστιχῶν. 55 1είπ. τὸν ἄνθρωπον, νοὶ] φυϊα ΘΟΙΏροΓΘΙ. Ενο πἰ ΠΟΥ 15 ρ γᾶ α νϑβίγοθ βοΐ ἢ 1125 "ἡ δογί5 Πιοϑ 5 δὸ γα] 8, απο Γοϑὶ ροειογὶβ 86 ρων → … .
Topics: Martyrdom, Persecution, Church office
Cite (SBL): Asterius, Hom. 8.6 (PG 40:260; trans. Sophia Scriptura, https://sophiascriptura.com/p/asterius-amasea-homiliae/8-6). (abbreviation not yet checked)
Permanent link: https://sophiascriptura.com/p/asterius-amasea-homiliae/8-6
BibTeX · RIS · CSL-JSON (whole work; this passage's key: sophiascriptura-asterius-amasea-homiliae-8-6) · Report an error
Translation: Translated by Claude from the Greek (PG 40, archive.org OCR; divisions are the staging's, not Migne's); re-read against the Greek, since no public-domain English exists.
8.7PG 40:260
Οὐδὲν δὲ οἷον αὐτὰ τὰ ῥήματα παραθέσθαι, τὰ τοῦ Ἕδραίου λύχου τὴν θήραν ἡμῖν ἐξηγούμενα. Ὁ δὲ Σαῦ.τος ἔτι ἐμπγέων ἀπειλῆς καὶ φόγου. Ὑπογράφει μοι ὁ λόγος ἄνδρα θυμῷ ῥηγνύμενον ἐχ τῆς προλαθούσης μιαιφονίας, ἕτι πνευστιῶντα μετὰ τὰς τῶν λίθων βολὰς, ὕφαιμον καὶ ἄγριον βλέποντα, οἷον ἐπάναγχες τὸν φονέα, σώζοντα τὰ ἐν ἀρχῇ, τῆς τοῦ πατριάρχου προφητείας τὰ σύμδολα. Ἐχεῖνος γλο, ἐπειδὴ τελευτᾷν ἔμελλεν, πάντοθεν τοὺς αὑτοῦ παῖδας περιστήσας τῇ χλίνῃ, Πνεύματι προγηγόρευσεν, Οὕτω γοῦν τὸν Ἰούδαν εὐλογῶν, ἐχείνῳ μὲν διξλέγετο, ἀλληγορικῶς δὲ ὕμνησε τὸν ἀπ᾽ ἐχείνου Χοιστόν. Ἑξῆς ὃὲ τοῖς πᾶσι προμαντευσάμενος τὰ εἰς ὕστερον, τελευταῖον ἦλθεν ἐπὶ τὸν Βενιαμὴν, ὡς καὶ τῷ χρόνῳ νεώτερον᾽ δῆθεν μὲν πρὸς τὸν υἱὸν ἐφθέγγετο, τῷ ὄντι δὲ τὸν Παῦλον ἐσήμαινεν, ἐχ τῆς φυλῆς, ὡς ἔγνωμεν, τῆς ἐχείνου χατάγοντα. μὴν «ύκος ἅρπαξ, τῷ πρωϊ ἔδεται, καὶ εἰς ἑσ πέ- (αν διαδώσει τροφήν. Τί ἔστι τὸ λεγόμενον, ἔἐρευ- Ὑγσώμεθα" ἢ τοῦτο πάντως, ὅτι τὰ πρῶτα φαγών (τουτέστι, διώξας, φονεύσας, ἐχχέας αἵματα, σχορπίσας ὡς ἀγέλην τὴν Ἐχχλησίαν). τελευταῖον ἐγένετο νομεὺς καὶ ποιμὴν ἀγαθὸς, ἀποθέμενος τὸν διώχτην, γαὶ ἐνδυσάμενος τὸν ἀπόστολον " πᾶσι δὲ ὡς τροφὴν διανέμων τὸν νόμον, καὶ τὴν ἁγίαν ἡμῖν ταύτην ἱδὁρυσάμενος τράπεζαν. Ἡ γὰρ τοῦ Κυρίου δύναμις τοιαύτη, ἀφοπλίζουσα τοῦ θυμοῦ καὶ τῶν δυσσεδῶν τ μάτων τοὺς στασιάζοντας, προσαγομένη δὲ εὐμηθτρίων δαχνόντων ἐργαζομένη. Ἐπὶ τούτοις, τί φησιν ἡ Γραφῇ; ὅτι Προσελθὼν τῷ ἀρχιερεῖ, ἠτήσατο παρ᾽ αὐτοῦ ἐπιστοιϊὶὰς εἰς Δαμασχὸν πρὸς τὰς συναγωγὰς, ὅπως τοὺς Χριστιανοὺς ἀγάγῃ ἐγ ὭὮ μάχη καὶ διαφορὰ ἐπιστολῶν, τῶν τότε παρὰ Παύλου ζητουμένων, καὶ τῶν ἃς τὸν Χριστὸν χαταγγέλ- Ὁ λων ὄστερον ἔγραψεν! Αἱ μὲν ἐδέσμουν Χριστιανοὺς, αἱ ὃξ τὰς ἀλύσεις τὰς ὑπὲρ Χριστοῦ περιέθηχαν τῷ διώχτῃ πολλὰς, καὶ βαρείας, καὶ χαλεπὰς ἐνεγχεῖν " χἀχεῖ μὲν ἐγέγραπτο: Παῦλος Ἑόραῖος, τοῦ νόμου. προστάτης, ἐχθρὸς τοῦ σταυροῦ, τοῦ Εὐαγγελίου πο- ᾿λέμιος - ἐν δὲ ταῖς μεταγενεστέραις Ἐπιστολαὶς" “Παῦζιος δοῦλος Ἰησοῦ Χριστοῦ. Ποίου; Πρόσχες" τοῦ ἐςσταυρωμένου. Ὦ τοῦ θαύματος! Ὃ πρὸ ὀλίγου ὄνειδος, νῦν γέγονε χαύχημα" καὶ τὸ ἐξουθενούμενον, ὡς δόξα σήμερον μνημονεύεται. Οὐδεὶς γὰρ δοξοχόκὸς καὶ γαυριῶν βασιλεὺς οὕτως ἐνεπόμπευσε τῇ περιφανείᾳ τῆς ἀρχῆς, ὡς Παῦλος τῷ σταυρῷ καὶ τοῖς ἥλοις, γράφων ἑαυτὸν πᾶσι δεσμώτην, καὶ πλέον … τῷ σιδήρῳ χαλλυνόμενος, ἣ αἱ χόραι τῷ χοσμοῦντε χρυσῷ. ᾿Εξαίφνης τε περιήστραψεν αὐτὸν φῶς ἐχ τοῦ οὐραγοῦ. Διὰ τί οὐ φαίνεται αὐτῷ ἐν μορφῇ ἀνθρώπου, ὥσπερ καὶ Στεφάνῳ ἔχ τοῦ οὐρανοῦ, ἀλλ᾽ ἐν εἴδει πυρὸς, ἣ φωτός; “Ὅτι Στεφάνῳ μὲν, ὡς τελείῳ καὶ εἰδότι τὸ τῆς ἐνανθρωπήσεως μυστήριον, καὶ μὴ.δὲν βλαπτομένῳ ἐχ τῆς εὐτελείας τῆς χαθ᾽ ἡμᾶς, χαλῶς οὕτως ἑαυτὸν ἐπεδείχνυ, ὥσπερ οὖν καὶ ἀνῆλθεν ἐπὶ τὸν οὐρανόν" Παύλῳ δὲ, ὡς διὰ τοῦτο μὴ καταδεχομένῳ Θεὸν ὀνομάζειν τὸν Ἰησοῦν, ἐπειδὴ ἐν σὥματι παρεγένετο πρὸς ἡμᾶς, οὐ φαίνεται ἄνθρωπος, ἵνα μὴ βεδαιώσῃ ἀπίστῳ τὸ πρόσχομμα" ἀλλὰ μᾶλλον ἐν ἰδέ, ἀστραπῆς καὶ πυρὸς, ἵν᾽ ἐχ τοῦ νόμου καὶ Μωῦσέως αὐτὸν ἐφελχύσηται. Κἀκεῖ γὰρ ὁ αὐτὸς οὗτος Θεὸς, τῷ Μωῦσεϊζ ἐμφανίζων, ἐν πυρὶ ἐλάλει " καὶ τὸν νόμον διδοὺς ἐπὶ τοῦ Σινᾶ, πυρὶ χαταλάμπων τὸν Ἑόραϊον, ἐνεχείριζε τὰς πλάχας αὑτῷ. Περιαυγάζει τοίνυν αὐτὸν, ἵνα τὸν νοῦν ἐπιθαλὼν τῶν τότε γενομένων τῇ ὁμοιότητι καὶ νῦν, καὶ ὥσπερ ἐχ λήθης τινὸς ἑαυτὸν ἀφυπνίσας, γνωρίσῃ τῆς μιᾶς δυνάμεως ὄντα τὰ θεοφάνια " ἀποστέλλει δὲ ἐξ οὐρανοῦ τὴν αὐγὴν, ἵνα μηχέτι περὶ τὴν Βηθλεὲμ καὶ τὴν Γαλιλαίαν στρεφόμενος τῇ διανοίᾳ ὁ Ὠαὔλος, υἱὸν τοῦ Δαδὶδ ὀνομάζῃ τὸν Χριστὸν καὶ ἄνθρωπον, καὶ πάντα τὰ ἄλλα, τὰ τῆς οἰχονομίας ὀνόματα" διδαχθῇ δὲ σαφῶς, ὅτι Θεὸς ὧν ἄνωθεν, ἀφίχετο πρὸς ἡμᾶς, ὅθεν καὶ νῦν ἐπιφαίνεται.
Ouden de hoion auta ta rhēmata parathesthai, ta tou Hedraiou lychou tēn thēran hēmin exēgoumena. Ho de Sau.tos eti empgeōn apeilēs kai phogou. Hypographei moi ho logos andra thymǭ rhēgnymenon ech tēs prolathousēs miaiphonias, heti pneustiōnta meta tas tōn lithōn bolas, hyphaimon kai agrion bleponta, hoion epananches ton phonea, sōzonta ta en archę̄, tēs tou patriarchou prophēteias ta symdola. Echeinos glo, epeidē teleutąn emellen, pantothen tous hautou paidas peristēsas tę̄ chlinę̄, Pneumati progēgoreusen, Houtō goun ton Ioudan eulogōn, echeinǭ men dixlegeto, allēgorikōs de hymnēse ton ap᾽ echeinou Choiston. Hexēs hoe tois pasi promanteusamenos ta eis hysteron, teleutaion ēlthen epi ton Beniamēn, hōs kai tǭ chronǭ neōteron᾽ dēthen men pros ton huion ephthengeto, tǭ onti de ton Paulon esēmainen, ech tēs phylēs, hōs egnōmen, tēs echeinou chatagonta. mēn «ykos harpax, tǭ prōï edetai, kai eis hes pe- (an diadōsei trophēn. Ti esti to legomenon, eereu- Hygsōmetha" ē touto pantōs, hoti ta prōta phagōn (toutesti, diōxas, phoneusas, echcheas haimata, schorpisas hōs agelēn tēn Echchlēsian). teleutaion egeneto nomeus kai poimēn agathos, apothemenos ton diōchtēn, gai endysamenos ton apostolon " pasi de hōs trophēn dianemōn ton nomon, kai tēn hagian hēmin tautēn hidorysamenos trapezan. Hē gar tou Kyriou dynamis toiautē, aphoplizousa tou thymou kai tōn dyssedōn t matōn tous stasiazontas, prosagomenē de eumēthtriōn dachnontōn ergazomenē. Epi toutois, ti phēsin hē Graphę̄? hoti Proselthōn tǭ archierei, ētēsato par᾽ autou epistoiïias eis Damaschon pros tas synagōgas, hopōs tous Christianous agagę̄ eg HōŌ machē kai diaphora epistolōn, tōn tote para Paulou zētoumenōn, kai tōn has ton Christon chatangel- Ho lōn osteron egrapsen! Hai men edesmoun Christianous, hai hox tas alyseis tas hyper Christou periethēchan tǭ diōchtę̄ pollas, kai bareias, kai chalepas enenchein " chachei men egegrapto: Paulos Heoraios, tou nomou. prostatēs, echthros tou staurou, tou Euangeliou po- ᾿lemios - en de tais metagenesterais Epistolais" “Pauzios doulos Iēsou Christou. Poiou? Prosches" tou esstaurōmenou. Ō tou thaumatos! Ho pro oligou oneidos, nyn gegone chauchēma" kai to exouthenoumenon, hōs doxa sēmeron mnēmoneuetai. Oudeis gar doxochokos kai gauriōn basileus houtōs enepompeuse tę̄ periphaneią tēs archēs, hōs Paulos tǭ staurǭ kai tois hēlois, graphōn heauton pasi desmōtēn, kai pleon … tǭ sidērǭ challynomenos, hē hai chorai tǭ chosmounte chrysǭ. ᾿Exaiphnēs te periēstrapsen auton phōs ech tou ouragou. Dia ti ou phainetai autǭ en morphę̄ anthrōpou, hōsper kai Stephanǭ ech tou ouranou, all᾽ en eidei pyros, hē phōtos? “Hoti Stephanǭ men, hōs teleiǭ kai eidoti to tēs enanthrōpēseōs mystērion, kai mē.den blaptomenǭ ech tēs euteleias tēs chath᾽ hēmas, chalōs houtōs heauton epedeichny, hōsper oun kai anēlthen epi ton ouranon" Paulǭ de, hōs dia touto mē katadechomenǭ Theon onomazein ton Iēsoun, epeidē en sōmati paregeneto pros hēmas, ou phainetai anthrōpos, hina mē bedaiōsę̄ apistǭ to proschomma" alla mallon en ide, astrapēs kai pyros, hin᾽ ech tou nomou kai Mōyseōs auton ephelchysētai. Kakei gar ho autos houtos Theos, tǭ Mōyseïz emphanizōn, en pyri elalei " kai ton nomon didous epi tou Sina, pyri chatalampōn ton Heoraïon, enecheirize tas plachas hautǭ. Periaugazei toinyn auton, hina ton noun epithalōn tōn tote genomenōn tę̄ homoiotēti kai nyn, kai hōsper ech lēthēs tinos heauton aphypnisas, gnōrisę̄ tēs mias dynameōs onta ta theophania " apostellei de ex ouranou tēn augēn, hina mēcheti peri tēn Bēthleem kai tēn Galilaian strephomenos tę̄ dianoią ho Ōaulos, huion tou Dadid onomazę̄ ton Christon kai anthrōpon, kai panta ta alla, ta tēs oichonomias onomata" didachthę̄ de saphōs, hoti Theos hōn anōthen, aphicheto pros hēmas, hothen kai nyn epiphainetai.
There is nothing like setting out the very words that describe to us the hunting of the Hebrew wolf. “But Saul, still breathing threats and murder.” The passage depicts for me a man bursting with rage from the bloodshed just before, still panting after the throwing of the stones, with a bloodshot and savage look, as a murderer must have, preserving at the start the signs of the patriarch's prophecy. For the patriarch, when he was about to die, set his sons around his bed on every side and foretold the future by the Spirit. So, when he blessed Judah, he spoke to him, but in allegory he sang of the Christ who would come from him. Then, having foretold to each in turn what would happen later, he came last to Benjamin, as the youngest; he spoke ostensibly to his son, but in reality he signified Paul, who was descended, as we know, from his tribe. “[Benjamin is] a ravening wolf; in the morning he will eat, and in the evening he will distribute food.” Let us search out what is meant. Surely this: that having eaten at first (that is, persecuted, murdered, shed blood, and scattered the Church like a flock), at last he became a shepherd and good pastor, putting off the persecutor and putting on the apostle, distributing the law to all as food, and setting up for us this holy table. For such is the power of the Lord: it disarms the rebellious of their anger and impious [thoughts], and … biting … What does Scripture say next? That “he went to the high priest and asked him for letters to the synagogues at Damascus, so that he might bring the Christians bound …” O the conflict and difference between letters: those which Paul sought then, and those which he wrote later proclaiming Christ! The first bound Christians; the second put around the persecutor's neck chains for Christ, many, heavy and hard to bear. In the first was written: “Paul the Hebrew, champion of the law, enemy of the cross, foe of the Gospel”; but in the later Epistles: “Paul, slave of Jesus Christ.” Of which Jesus? Note it: of the Crucified. O wonder! What a little before was a reproach has now become a boast, and what was despised is remembered today as glory. No glory-seeking, proud king ever paraded in the splendour of his rule as Paul did in the cross and the nails, describing himself to everyone as a prisoner, and more … adorned with iron than girls with the gold that decks them. “And suddenly a light from heaven flashed around him.” Why does he not appear to him in human form, as he did from heaven to Stephen, but in the form of fire or light? Because to Stephen, as one perfect, who knew the mystery of the incarnation and was in no way harmed by our lowliness, he rightly showed himself so, just as he had ascended into heaven. But to Paul, who would not consent to call Jesus God because he had come to us in a body, he does not appear as a man, so as not to confirm the stumbling-block for an unbeliever; rather he appears in the form of lightning and fire, so as to draw him on from the law and Moses. For there too this same God, appearing to Moses, spoke in fire; and giving the law on Sinai, he lit up the Hebrew with fire and handed him the tablets. So he shines around him, so that Paul, setting his mind on the likeness between what happened then and now, and waking himself as if from some forgetfulness, might recognize that the theophanies belong to one and the same power. And he sends the radiance from heaven, so that Paul, no longer turning in his mind around Bethlehem and Galilee, might not call Christ son of David and man and all the other names that belong to the dispensation, but might be clearly taught that, being God from above, he came to us from the place from which he now appears.
Acts 9:1 (quotation, high confidence) · Acts 7:58 (allusion, high confidence) · Gen 49:8–12 (allusion, high confidence) · Gen 49:27 (quotation, high confidence) · Rom 11:1 (allusion, medium confidence) · Acts 9:2 (quotation, high confidence) · Rom 1:1 (quotation, high confidence) · Eph 3:1 (allusion, medium confidence) · Acts 9:3 (quotation, high confidence) · Acts 7:55–56 (allusion, high confidence) · Exod 3:2 (allusion, high confidence) · Exod 19:18 (allusion, high confidence) · Exod 31:18 (allusion, medium confidence)
Notes and citation
Summary: Asterius reads Jacob's blessing of Benjamin as a prophecy of Paul the persecutor turned shepherd, contrasts Paul's letters of arrest with his Epistles, and explains why Christ appeared to him as light and fire rather than in human form.
- Asterius reads Gen 49:27 (LXX) as a prophecy of Paul, of the tribe of Benjamin (Rom 11:1; Phil 3:5), and contrasts Christ's appearing to Stephen in human form (Acts 7:56) with his appearing to Paul as light, translated as written. Leaked footnotes and Latin were removed by logged corrections; lost words are marked “…”. References: Acts 9:1–3; Gen 49:8–12; Rom 1:1; Eph 3:1; Exod 3:2; Exod 19:18; Exod 31:18.
Notes on the original text
- Digital text corrected (leaked fragment of Migne's Latin column; leaked fragment of Migne's Latin column and footnote references; Greek lost; leaked fragment of Migne's Latin column and margin letter): ΡαΓβθ το Γ, οὶ ᾿π οὐ ([68 → ; Υἱϑ; αι 86 οποηίδυβ Υἱηοίατηι δον δογοὶ " : πηδφίβαυα Α → ; ἀδ σοἶος εἱ πα ᾽πὶ Ῥδυϊυβ δ πιὸ γ γβδι8 Βα 6 ἢ 6 ἢ] 85 68] }}98ἢ, Πἰ πὶ [λα ν} 18 86. Ἰοιηΐ πα πὶ ϑρρεϊϊαὶ 9 ΡΟ. 9. 3 Δεῖ. γι, ὃ, 9 ἴσ. ἐπάγω. → … .
Topics: Christology
Cite (SBL): Asterius, Hom. 8.7 (PG 40:260; trans. Sophia Scriptura, https://sophiascriptura.com/p/asterius-amasea-homiliae/8-7). (abbreviation not yet checked)
Permanent link: https://sophiascriptura.com/p/asterius-amasea-homiliae/8-7
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Translation: Translated by Claude from the Greek (PG 40, archive.org OCR; divisions are the staging's, not Migne's); re-read against the Greek, since no public-domain English exists.