Слово на Святую Пятидесятницу. Святого Иоанна Златоустого, архиепископа Константинопольского

The grace that today distributed tongues, which made uneducated people teachers of the world, which chose fishermen as speakers, and confounded the wise men of the world in their superficial wisdom, does not allow me to fear the poverty of my tongue. And for what other reason did crowds of people, infected with idolatry, rush to piety? Why did they forget about slavery to demons - these numerous masters of theirs? Why could a small number of disciples compete against hordes of people, and with them demons, if it were not armed with the fire of the Divine? Today, through the medium of fire, sources of grace have poured out, and the flame rushing with the blowing of the wind communicates the gift of the Spirit. Informing His disciples about this grace, Christ said: I will not leave you orphans (John 14:18): The Father is sending you another Comforter. The Ascension of the Lord into heaven serves as a guarantee of the descent of the Spirit from there. Those who accepted Jesus also had to receive the Spirit, so that the work of knowledge of God in them would reach an ever more perfect degree. So, Jesus, having assumed human nature and a form akin to ours, raised people to receive the Spirit. The imam still speaks a lot, He says, but you cannot wear it. When the Comforter, the Spirit of truth, comes, he will guide you into all truth (John 16:12, 13). after Me will come One who is of the same essence as Me; He who is from the Father and who is equal to the Father in His essence will appear. So, what was announced to them in words, they saw fulfilled in practice; regarding what they received a promise, the fulfillment of it was firmly expected. When the days of Pentecost ended (Acts 2:1). A short period of time passed between the ascension of the Lord and the descent of the Spirit. The Savior's promise was fulfilled in action. The host of the apostles, holding tightly to the Lord's promise, as if to some anchor, awaited the manifestation of the Spirit. When the course of days has reached the number fifty (within which the circle of seven weeks, revolving according to the legal order, is limited by holidays), then the descent of the Spirit occurs. But He did not take on flesh like the Son; He did not appear in the form of a man; and it was not the sight of a dove that indicated the coming of the Spirit, as, for example, in the streams of the Jordan (because the Sovereign Essence appears as it wishes), but thunder thundered from the sky, like a trumpet, with its sound defeating all the power of hearing, and the arriving flame produced tongues of fire. The division of fire was the mother of tongues. Dividing, the tongues sat on the crowns of the disciples. This, therefore, was the image of the coming of the Spirit. The Lord chooses this day preferentially over others. He does not use this holiday without reason and not out of haste, and does not bring down the Spirit after the holiday has passed. Why? Only the following holidays are national among the Jews. The first is Easter, on which, sacrificing a lamb, they did not recognize the true Lamb, and, honoring the image, they acted illegally with the Creator of the image. The second holiday, following the first, is called Pentecost, as it occurs seven weeks after that. These holidays necessarily brought all the Jews together into one city. Since during the first holiday the cross was erected and suffering was carried upon it, and until then the entire Jewish people were spectators, whose members, of their own free will, did not know the miracle of the resurrection, showed unbelief, hid this miracle, slandered - then on the next holiday, when, according to the prescription of the law, again all the Jewish tribes gathered in the same place, grace, having found the proper time, is poured out on the disciples and turns the eyes and ears of everyone to himself so that the gift poured out on Christ’s disciples would testify to the Risen One, so that those who did not believe in Christ’s resurrection would see the gifts sent down from heaven, and so that those sent to seal the tomb would become spectators of heavenly miracles. So, the sound of thunder, fire from heaven and Divine power confirmed the manifestation of the Spirit. Once upon a time the flames on Mount Sinai wavered in the same way, and Moses, in the midst of the fire, listened to the laws from God (Ex. 19:16). Now another flame was rushing - from the highest fire - descending on the heads of the apostles. He who then raised Moses to communicate the law to the Jews, now accomplished what was said for the salvation of the nations. Therefore, the memory of the miracles of ancient times is added to the current miracles. And again the mediating principle is fire, which by the similarity of what is contemplated proves that the same God testifies of Himself with real miracles. In the form of divided tongues, grace is communicated in order to make those who receive it teachers, so that, walking in the fire, they become teachers of the universe. The once bold pandemonium was the reason for the division of the hitherto one speech and one language among all, and the disagreement of languages ​​put an end to the war undertaken against heaven. Countless languages ​​uttered countless sounds, but they did not find the same hearing in all, which would understand everything that was said. The division of languages ​​entailed the division of thoughts; a frustrated tongue fettered the hands of the builders. Now grace has united the divided lips into a language understood by each individual, thereby expanding the boundaries of instruction and paving many paths of faith. Oh, extraordinary miracles! The apostle spoke - and the Indian received instructions. The Jew spoke - and the barbarian learned. Grace sounded - and the ear perceived the word. The Persians were amazed at the speaker, and the barbarian peoples were strengthened by one language. As many tribes were seen in the human race, grace abounded in just as many languages. The shared nature of fire multiplies activity. The wealth of grace serves as a source of light. Again, the nature of fire, ignited, does not decrease from this; on the contrary, the communication of fire to more and more new objects only strengthens it: so the influence of grace increases its waves. One lamp lights countless torches, and they all shine brightly, however, the radiance of its light does not weaken: so the grace of the Spirit, passing from one to another, fills both the latter and those from whom it passes on. So, first of all, grace descended on the apostles and took possession of them, as if with a fortress - through them, pouring out onto the believers, it fills everything, and, however, the waves of grace do not decrease. A fiery tongue descended; each disciple was a receptacle of countless tongues; The students addressed those present, performing feats of learning. Those present at the miracle were spectators; the multitude of listeners, differing from each other in their nationality, clearly understood the apostolic speech, which convinced them with words that were familiar to each. Through the touch of fire, as if by coloring, receiving the gift of speech, the apostles perceived knowledge that does not have a temporary origin. And faith was the subject of instruction, and grace was the subject of wonder, and God was the subject of knowledge. However, the Jew mocked, slanderously explained the miracle as a state of intoxication, and called the sacrament of grace a matter of fresh wine. As with wine, says Scripture, you are filled with wine (Acts 2:13). Oh, the ingratitude so common among the Jews! Consider the time, Jew, and restrain your slanderous tongue. Where is fresh wine when harvest time is already approaching? When spring has just arrived, where can the thought of fresh wine take place? Consider the season and bridle your tongue... What about Peter, who excelled in the gifts of the Spirit, abounding in grace, full of fire? “He uses his tongue to protect languages.” “It is not as if you are not hungry,” he says, “these are drunken: but this is what was spoken by the prophet Joel: I will pour out of My Spirit (Acts 2:15–17; Joel 2:28). The prophet preaches about a sea of ​​grace-filled gifts. “I will pour out,” he says, “of My Spirit.” But isn't the channel then shortened? Isn’t this gift reserved only for the Jews? - No way. “I will pour out,” he says, “on all flesh.” Having become familiar with the prophecy, pay attention to its fulfillment. The language of the Spirit preceded the prophetic language. Let us ask that at least a drop of that grace be poured out on us, so that, while preserving the memory of those miracles, we may taste the benefits it brings. And if there is an appropriate disposition of the heart, then the gift is sent down quickly, because it is one and the same God, Who acts all in all. To him is strength and dominion forever and ever. Amen 115. See Bibliot. Patr. Concionator. tom. IV., p.p. 511–513; Wed Full collection created, St. Chrysostom, ed. 1897, vol. III, pp. 872–875. In Curs. Compl. Patrolog. Migne is a word classified as spuria. You might be interested in: