Беседа на слова: И егда скончавашася дние Пятьдесятницы, беша вси апостоли единодушно вкупе. И бысть внезапу с небесе шум (Деян. 2:1, 2). Святого Иоанна Златоустого

What kind of Pentecost is this? This is the time when it was necessary to apply the sickle to the harvest, when it was necessary to gather the fruits. Did you see the image? Look now at the truth itself. When it was necessary to apply the sickle of the word, when it was necessary to reap the harvest: then, like a sophisticated sickle, the Spirit appears. Christ was the first to apply the sickle: for He took up the firstfruits into heaven, taking on our nature; That’s why He calls it harvest (Luke 10:2; John 4:35). When you died, it is said, the days of Pentecost, that is, not before Pentecost, but around Pentecost itself, so to speak. It was necessary that this also happen during the holiday, so that those who were present at the cross of Christ would see this event as well. And suddenly there was a noise from the sky. Why did this event not take place without any sensory phenomena? - Because, if at the same time the Jews said: as if they were filled with wine, then what would they not have said if nothing of the kind had happened? And not just a noise happened, but from heaven. And with his suddenness he excited the students. And fill the whole house. This shows the greatest swiftness of the Spirit. Note: everyone was gathered here so that those present would believe and (all) the disciples would prove worthy. And not only this (says Luke), but he also adds something that is even more amazing: and they appeared, he says, and they divided the nations like fire (Acts 2:3). It is well added everywhere: so that you do not imagine anything sensual about the Spirit: like fire, it is said, and: like breath. This means that it was not the wind that usually flows in the air. When John needed to recognize the Holy Spirit, He came to the head of Christ in the form of a dove; and now, when all the people were to be converted, He appears in the form of fire. Sitting on one of them, i.e., stopped, rested: to sit means to establish oneself, to remain in place. So what? Did (the Holy Spirit) come on only the twelve disciples, and not on all of them? No, - He came for all one hundred and twenty people. And they were all filled,” it goes on, “with the Holy Spirit, and began to speak in other tongues, as the Spirit had given them to speak (Acts 2:4). (The Evangelist) would not have said: all, although there were Apostles here, if others had not participated. On the other hand, having previously spoken about them separately, by name, he would not now have spoken about them along with others. If where it was necessary to say only that there were Apostles there, he mentions them separately, then all the more (he would have mentioned) here. But notice, I ask you, how the Spirit comes precisely when they are in prayer, when they have love. Everyone was terrified and perplexed, saying to each other: “What does this want to happen?” Some curse words as if they were full of wine (Acts 2:12–13). What madness! What great anger! Now was not the time for new wine at all, because it was Pentecost. And what’s even worse - while everyone recognizes (the miracle), both the Romans and strangers, and perhaps even those who crucified (the Lord), - these people even after everything say: as if they were filled with wine, they are... But let's return to what was said above. Complete the house. The stormy breath was like a font of water; and fire serves as a sign of abundance and strength. This never happened to the Prophets; it was only like this now - with the Apostles, and with the Prophets - differently (Ezek. 3:3; Jer. 1:9). The prophets were rightly given grace in the form of a book: they still needed images; Moreover, they dealt with only one people, with their own people, while the Apostles dealt with the whole universe, with people whom they had never known. Elisha receives grace through mantle, David through oil, Moses is called through a burning bush; but here it is not so, but the very fire is on the Apostles. Why didn't the fire fill the house? “It would terrify them.” It is said: separation; they were from the same root, so that you knew that this was power sent by the Comforter. But look: the Apostles first showed themselves worthy, and then they were already granted the Spirit. So did David: just as he acted when he was still with the flocks, he behaved in the same way after the victory and after the triumph, which showed his simple faith. Look again at Moses: and he (at first) despises the royal chambers and, after forty years, receives control of the people; or - on Samuel, brought up in the church; or - on Elisha, who abandoned everything; or again - to Ezekiel. And that this was indeed the case with the Apostles can be seen from what follows: it is known that they also left everything that they had. Therefore they then receive the Holy Spirit when they have discovered their virtue. They also learned human weakness from what they endured - they learned that it was not in vain that they accomplished these feats. Just as fire, no matter how many lamps someone wants to light from it, does not diminish at all: so it was then with the Apostles. Through the fire, only an abundance of grace was not shown, but everyone received an (inexhaustible) source of the Spirit, just as Christ Himself said that those who believe in Him will have a source of water flowing into an eternal belly (John 4:14). And this is very fair: because they did not go to talk with Pharaoh, but to fight the devil. As I carry it, it is said, my breath is heated. This shows that nothing will be able to resist them, but that they will scatter all their opponents like dust. And fill the whole house. The house serves as a symbol of peace. Sitting on one of them...: and the people came down and were confused. Do you see the piety of these people - (do you see) how they do not immediately pronounce a sentence, but are perplexed? And those foolish ones pronounce judgment, saying that the essence is filled with wine. What shamelessness if they laughed because of this! And what is surprising here, if about the Lord Himself, when He cast out demons, they said that He had an encore? Where insolence reigns, all they care about is saying something; not about saying anything reasonable, but just to say something. Peter stood with the one ten, lifted up his voice, and spoke to them. He raised his voice, that is, began to speak with great boldness; and he does this so that they may know the grace of the Spirit. Indeed, before he could not bear the question of an insignificant servant, but now among the crowd of people, when everyone is breathing murder, he speaks with such boldness! This was an undoubted evidence of the resurrection, since he acted with such boldness among people who laughed and mocked at such a great event. With the coming of the Spirit, they changed and became above everything carnal: because where the Holy Spirit appears, there the mortal ones become golden. Look, for example, I ask you, at Peter and recognize in him a fearful man, a foolish man, just as Christ said: if you also are without understanding (Matt. 15:16), - a man who, after his wondrous confession, was called Satan (Matthew 16:23). Pay attention also to the unanimity of the Apostles: they yield to him to speak to the people, because he should not have spoken to everyone. And he lifted up, it is said, his voice: and began to speak to them with great boldness. This is what it means to become a spiritual person! Let us also imagine ourselves worthy of the highest grace, and then everything will be easy for us. Just as a fiery man, falling into straw, will not suffer any harm, but, on the contrary, will cause harm himself, because he himself does not suffer at all, and the stems that attack him destroy themselves: so it was now. Or better yet, just like a man who has fire in his hands boldly enters into a fight with someone who is carrying hay: so the Apostles also came out against these people with great courage. And what harm, in fact, did this large crowd cause them? Tell me: didn’t they fight poverty and hunger? Didn't they fight against dishonor and disrepute? Were they not facing countless enemies from all sides? Were they not in such a mood as if they had seen these disasters in a dream or in an image? So what? Have they not exhausted the fury of their enemies? Haven't they themselves been put into difficulty? Weren't these people the most obsessed with both anger and fear? Were they not anxious, afraid and trembling? Listen to what they say: You want to bring the blood of this man upon us (Acts. 5:28). And what’s surprising is that the Apostles, completely unarmed, took up arms against the armed ones, against the leaders who had power over them; inexperienced, unskilled in words and completely simple, they opposed and fought with the skilled, the deceivers. When they act for glory, then everything becomes low: even if a person has everything, but does not have this (contempt for glory), he is alien to wisdom and possessed by the strongest and most vile passion. Contempt for glory can teach everything good and drive out every destructive passion from the soul. Therefore, I urge you to use great effort to uproot this passion; Otherwise, there is no way to please God and gain favor before this vigilant eye. So, let us try in every possible way to gain heavenly help, so as not to experience present sorrows, and to be worthy of future blessings, by the grace and love for mankind of our Lord Jesus Christ, with whom to the Father, together with the Holy Spirit, be glory, power, honor, now and ever, and to the ages of ages. Amen 107. In short. See Conversations of St. John Chrysostom on the Acts of the Apostles. St. Petersburg, 1856, part I, pp. 71–88. You might be interested in: