Беседа 42

Acts 19:21–23. When this was done, Paul decided in spirit, having passed through Macedonia and Achaia, to go to Jerusalem, saying: Having been there, I must see Rome also. And, having sent two of those who served him, Timothy and Erast, to Macedonia, he himself remained for a while in Asia. At that time there was a considerable rebellion against the way of the Lord. The influence of grief. – Comparison of the house of those who feast at marriage with the house of those who mourn. -What is a person? – Comparison of prison with spectacles. 1. Having spent quite some time in the city (Ephesus), (Paul) again wants to go to another place. Therefore, he sends Timothy and Erast to Macedonia, while he himself remains in Ephesus. How does he, having first intended to go to Syria (Acts 18:18), return to Macedonia again? This is to show that he did not do everything by his own strength. At the same time, he also predicts the future: “I must,” he says, “see Rome.” He said this, perhaps wanting to console (the disciples) with the news that he would not remain (in Jerusalem), but would come to them again, and to encourage their souls with such a prediction. From this I conclude that he wrote a letter to the Corinthians in Ephesus, in which he says: “We do not want you, brothers, to be ignorant of our tribulation that happened to us in Asia” (2 Cor. 1:8). He promised to arrive in Corinth, and therefore apologizes for his delay and points out temptation, meaning the act of Demetrius. The writer also points to this same act in the words: “at that time there was a considerable rebellion against the path of the Lord.” Again danger, again confusion. Do you see (Paul's) superiority? Double signs were performed, but they contradicted. This is how events intertwine through everything. “For a certain silversmith named Demetrius, who made silver churches of Artemis and brought considerable profit to the artists, having gathered them and other similar artisans, said: friends! you know that our well-being depends on this craft; Meanwhile, you see and hear that not only in Ephesus, but in almost all of Asia, this Paul, with his convictions, seduced a considerable number of people, saying that those made by human hands are not gods. And this threatens us with the fact that not only will our craft come into contempt, but also the church of the great goddess Artemis will mean nothing, and the greatness of her, whom all Asia and the universe reveres, will be overthrown” (Acts 19:24-27). “He who made,” he says, “the silver churches of Artemis.” Did they really have silver churches? These were probably small ciboria (church-like). In Ephesus, Artemis was in great honor, so that when her church was burned, the (residents) were so upset that they forbade even pronouncing the name of the culprit of this fire. See how idolatry is everywhere supported by greed. And those out of selfishness (revolted against Paul) (Acts 16:16), and this one out of selfishness; not because their worship was threatened, but because they were deprived of the possibility of profit. Look at the malice of this man: he was rich, and it would not have caused him much harm; The others, who were poor and supported themselves by daily labor, could have lost more, and yet they do not say anything, but only he. He makes his accomplices in his trade accomplices of indignation. He exaggerates the danger: “this threatens us,” he says, “that not only our craft will come into contempt.” This means almost the same thing: with our craft, we are in danger of dying of hunger. His very words could convert them to piety, but they, as low and ignorant people, are immediately indignant, not thinking that if this man (Paul) is so strong that he converts everyone and threatens the very worship of the gods, then how great his God must be. He can give us much more than we fear. He could predispose their souls to this with the words: “they are not gods made by human hands.” Notice what the Hellenes are upset about: because it was said: “things made by human hands are not gods.” He constantly bends his speech to his craft. Then, to irritate them even more, he says: “not only will our craft come into contempt” - that is, not to mention anything else - “but also the church of the great goddess Artemis will mean nothing.” And to show that he is not saying this out of self-interest, look at what he adds: “which is revered by all Asia and the universe.” Do you see how he testifies to the superiority of Paul’s strength, how weak and insignificant are all the others, if a persecuted man who was engaged in monasticism could do so much? Thus, the enemies themselves testified in favor of the apostles. There they said: “You filled Jerusalem with your teaching” (Acts 5:28); here: “and the greatness” of Artemis will be overthrown. Previously they said: “these world-wide troublemakers have come here too” (Acts 17:6); and now: “our craft will come into contempt.” So the Jews said about Christ: “the whole world is following Him” (John 12:19), and “the Romans will come and take possession of both our place and people” (John 11:48). “Having heard this, they were filled with rage.” When did the rage happen? When they heard about Artemis and the profit. This is the nature of the common people: they get carried away and are irritated by what happened. Therefore (with him) one must deal with caution in everything. Notice how frivolous they were, so ready to bend to anything. “Having heard this, they were filled with rage,” he says, “and began to shout, saying: Great is Artemis of Ephesus! And the whole city was filled with confusion. Seizing the Macedonians Gaius and Aristarchus, Paul’s companions, they rushed with one accord to the spectacle” (Acts 19:28–29). 2. Again they attack without reason, like the Jews against Jason (Acts 17:6), and are ready for anything: they thought so little about nobility and honor! “When Paul wanted to enter the people, the disciples did not allow him. Also, some of the leaders of Asia, being his friends, sent to him and asked him not to appear at the spectacle” (Acts 19:30-31). They asked because there was a collection of disorderly people there, ready to decide on anything out of mad passion. And Paul obeys: he was neither vain nor ambitious. “Meanwhile, some shouted one thing, and others another, for the meeting was disorderly, and most of those gathered did not know why they had gathered” (Acts 19:32). Such is the crowd: it rushes towards everything without reasoning, like fire rushing towards firewood. “At the suggestion of the Jews, Alexander was summoned from among the people. Having given a sign with his hand, Alexander wanted to speak to the people” (Acts 19:33). The Jews intervened in the matter according to God's will, so that afterward they could not say anything against it. (Alexander) calls and says, listen to what. “Giving a sign with his hand, Alexander wanted to speak to the people. When they found out that he was a Jew, they all shouted with one voice, and for about two hours they shouted: “Great is Artemis of Ephesus!” (Acts 19:34). Truly, they have a childish mind! As if fearing that their piety would not be exhausted, they shout incessantly. (Paul) stayed there for two years, and look how many more Greeks there were. “The guardian of order, having calmed the people, said: Men of Ephesus! what person does not know that the city of Ephesus is the servant of the great goddess Artemis and Diopetus? (Acts 19:35). With this preface he calmed their rage. "And Diopete". He says this as if the matter were not clear in itself. Another church was called Diopet, or they called the image of Artemis Diopet, as if this clay fell from Jupiter and was not made by people, or that was the name they called some other decoration. “If there is no dispute about this, then you need to be calm and not act rashly. And you brought these men, who neither robbed the church of Artemidin, nor blasphemed your goddess” (Acts 19:36-37). Therefore, everything (said against the apostles) is false; he says this to the people to calm them down. “If Demetrius and other artists with him have a complaint against someone, that is, there are judicial assemblies and there are proconsuls: let them complain against each other. And if you are looking for something else, then it will be decided in the legal assembly. For we are in danger of being accused of indignation for what has happened now, since there is no reason by which we could justify such a gathering. Having said this, he dissolved the assembly” (Acts 19:38–40). Speaks of a legal assembly; According to their law, three meetings took place every month, but this was illegal. Then he frightens them, saying: “to be accused of indignation.” But let's turn to the above. “When this was accomplished,” says (the writer), “Paul determined in the Spirit, having passed through Macedonia and Achaia, to go to Jerusalem.” He does this not at human discretion, but “in the Spirit,” according to the inspiration of which he decides to go. This means the word: “put”; it has exactly that meaning. And why he sends Timofey and Erast is not said; but it seems to me that it is necessary to say about this too: “in the Spirit.” “And therefore, unable to endure it any longer,” (says Paul), “we decided to remain alone in Athens” (1 Thess. 3:1). And, look, he sends two of his servants to announce his arrival and make (those) more ready. And he himself remains in Asia the longest; and rightly so, because there was a large society of philosophers there. Having arrived there, he again talked with them, because there was great superstition there. “A certain silversmith named Demetrius, who made silver churches of Artemis and brought considerable profit to the artists, having gathered them and other similar artisans, said: friends! you know that our well-being depends on this craft; meanwhile you see and hear,” - so it was common knowledge! - “This Paul seduced a considerable number of people with his beliefs.” Not with violence (he acted), if with “persuasion”. This is how the city should be convinced. Then he speaks about what concerns them: “that those made by human hands are not gods.” What does it mean? He is destroying, he says, our craft. And so that they do not think and say that one person does such things, and that if he has such power, then one must obey him, he adds: “which is revered by all Asia and the universe.” They thought that their cry could hinder the Spirit of God: the real children were Greeks! “And this threatens us,” he says, “that not only our craft will come into contempt.” If your well-being depends on this activity, then how could an ignorant person convince you? How could he overcome such a custom? What deeds, or what words? Truly this is not the work of Paul, not of man. And it was enough to say, “they are not gods.” If it was so easy to overthrow this wickedness, then it should have been abandoned long ago; and if it were strong, it would be impossible to overthrow it so quickly. “Not only,” he says, “our craft will come into contempt.” He adds this, as if intending to say something more important. “Having heard this, they were filled with rage and began to shout, saying: Great is Artemis of Ephesus!” . And in each city they had their own gods. They were in such a state, as if with their cry they wanted to restore her veneration and destroy everything that had been done (by Paul). 3. Such a disorderly crowd! “When Paul,” says (the writer), “wanted to enter the people, the disciples did not allow him.” Paul wanted to go and give a speech; He even used the most turmoil as opportunities for learning; but the disciples did not allow him. Look how concerned they were about him everywhere. And before they removed him so that he would not receive a mortal blow (Acts 17:15), and now they kept him, although they heard that he still had to see Rome. Prudently, he predicted this to them so that they would not be embarrassed by such events. But they didn't want him to suffer anything. “Also,” says (the writer), “some of the Asian leaders, being his friends, sent to him and asked not to appear at the spectacle.” Knowing his jealousy, they begged: all the faithful loved him so much! Why, you say, did Alexander want to give a speech? Was he also accused? In order to find an opportunity to disperse everything and quench the rage of the people. Do you see how great the fury was? The scribe says well and intelligibly: “What man does not know” the city of Ephesus? Talks about what they feared; as if he were saying: don’t you revere this goddess? Didn’t say: who doesn’t know Artemis? - but: “the city of Ephesus”, wanting to please them. “If there is no dispute about this, then you need to be calm and not act rashly.” Here he already reproaches them and seems to say: what are you looking for, as if it were unknown? Obviously, the insult concerns the goddess. They wanted to make piety a pretext for their own benefit. Therefore, he imperceptibly reproaches them and shows that they gathered recklessly. “And not to act,” he says, “is rash.” These words express that they acted rashly. “If Demetrius and other artists with him have a complaint against someone, then there are judicial meetings and there are proconsuls.” And here he reproaches them and shows that because of private disagreements, a general meeting should not have been held. “For we are in danger,” he says, “of being accused of indignation for what has happened now.” This leads them to great bewilderment. “Since there is no reason,” he says, “by which we could justify such a gathering.” Look how prudently, how wisely the infidels speak. Thus he quelled their fury; how easily she is excited, so easily she is tamed. “Having said this, he dissolved the meeting,” says (the writer). Do you see how God allows temptations in order to arouse and awaken His disciples and make them stronger? So, let us not lose heart during temptations; He himself will provide relief so that we can bear them. Nothing promotes love and communication more than grief: nothing so unites and binds the souls of believers; Nothing helps us, teachers, so much that our words are listened to with attention. A prosperous listener is careless and careless and considers listening to the teacher to be a bother; and, oppressed by sorrow and suffering, he devotes himself to listening with great zeal. Whoever’s soul is burdened with grief seeks consolation from grief everywhere, and the word provides no small consolation. What do you say, Jews? Why, while suffering disasters, were they faint-hearted and did not listen? Because they were Jews, always weak and pitiful; Moreover, their grief was very great, and we are talking about moderate. Look, they hoped to be freed from the disasters that oppressed them and fell into even more severe and countless disasters; and this is no small shock to the soul. Sorrows keep us from being attached to the present world; we complacently await death and are not attached to bodily goods; and this is the most important part of wisdom, not to be attached and partial to real life. A soul depressed by sorrow does not care about many things; she wants only peace and quiet; she would like to be free from real (disasters), and nothing more. Just as a tired and exhausted body is incapable of either indulging in pleasures or being satiated, but has a need for rest and tranquility, so the soul, depressed by many disasters, seeks rest and tranquility. The soul, alien to sorrow, is agitated, restless, arrogant; on the contrary, the soul, alien to pleasures and not relaxed by anything, is entirely concentrated in itself and is not arrogant; This one is courageous, and that one is childishly weak, this one is solid, and that one is frivolous. Just as something light falling into water is shaken by waves, so is a soul given over to great joy. Because of the many pleasures we have, we also have many sins, which anyone can see. Imagine, if you like, two houses, one filled with those celebrating a wedding feast, and the other with mourners. Let us mentally enter into both and see which one is better. The house of mourning will be full of wisdom, and the house of marriage - disorder; look, here in fact: immodest speech, disorderly laughter, even more disorderly movements, clothing and gait, full of shamelessness, actions characterized by madness and obscenity; In general there is nothing here except ridiculous and worthy of ridicule. I’m not talking about marriage - let it not happen! - but about what happens in marriage. Here human nature is corrupted; those present turn from people into dumb animals; some neigh like horses, others kick like donkeys, everyone is in disorder, everyone is in confusion; there is nothing decent, nothing noble; here is a great celebration for the devil - cymbals, flutes, songs filled with adultery and debauchery. This is not how it happens in the house of mourning - everything happens decently there; there is deep silence, perfect silence, great contrition; there is nothing obscene, nothing disorderly. If someone begins to speak, then all his words sound as if they are filled with wisdom; and, what is worthy of surprise, in this case not only men, but also servants and wives are wise. This is the nature of grief. They try to console the mourner and express many thoughts filled with wisdom. Immediately prayers begin so that the grief does not go beyond its limits; readily console those who suffer; There are many examples of similar lamenters. After all, what is a person? Exploring our nature. 4. What is a person? At the same time, I reveal his life and insignificance, I remember the future, the trial. Everyone goes home - from marriage sad, because he himself is in an upset state, and from lamentation - joyful, because he sees himself free from such a disaster and returns with a soul calmed from any immoderate desire. But what? Do you want to compare prisons and spectacles, (these places) one for lamentation, the other for pleasure? Let's see what happens in each of them. There (in prison) there is great wisdom, because where there is sorrow, there will certainly be wisdom. There a man, formerly rich and arrogant, does not shy away from talking with anyone who turns to him; fear and sorrow, as if some powerful fire, penetrating his soul, softens its rudeness. There he becomes meek and humble; there he comprehends the vicissitudes of life and patiently endures everything. In the spectacle, everything is the opposite: here is laughter, shamelessness, demonic joy, disorder, loss of time, useless use of whole days, arousal of unclean desires, exercise of vicious lusts, a school of adultery, a school of debauchery, encouragement of immorality, incentives to ridicule, examples of obscenity. This is not what a dungeon is like; there is humility, admonition, exercise in wisdom, contempt for worldly goods. Everything (earthly) is trampled upon and despised, and fear watches over a person, like a mentor over a child, directing him to everything that should be done. But, if you want, let's look at the same places from the other side. I would like you to meet a man who is coming from a spectacle, and another who is emerging from prison: you would see how the soul of the first is indignant, not calm, truly bound, and how the soul of the latter is calm, free, sublime. He leaves the spectacle, blinded by the sight of the women there, carrying shackles that are heavier than any iron, the shackles of those places, words, actions. And the one leaving prison, being free from all this, does not feel anything regrettable, comparing his situation with the situation of others. He will consider it fortunate that he is free from bonds, he will neglect human affairs, seeing how many rich people fall into misfortune and, having previously been in great honor and strength, are kept there in prison; if he experiences any injustice, he will bear it patiently, because there are many examples of this; will remember the future judgment and shudder when he sees the present places (conclusions). And just as a prisoner in this prison becomes meek towards everyone, so those, even before the judgment, even before the next day, will become meek towards their wife and children and servants. But not so (returning) from the spectacle: he will look at his wife with displeasure, he will treat the servants cruelly, he will be angry with the children, he will be fierce towards everyone. The spectacles cause a lot of evil to cities, great evil, we don’t even know how great. If you are not tired, let us look at places of laughter, I mean feasts, where there are parasites, flatterers and great intemperance, and at other places where there are lame and blind. There is drunkenness, gluttony, debauchery; here everything is the opposite. Look at our body: when it is fat and pampered, it soon falls into illness; but when he is exhausted, it is not so (he soon falls ill). But to make my words clearer for you, let us imagine a multi-blooded, fat and overflowing body; it can even go into a fever from light food if it remains inactive. Let us imagine another, which has long been subject to hunger and exhaustion; the disease will not soon befall him and overcome him. In us, healthy blood often gives rise to diseases if there is too much of it; and if there is not much of it, then, even if it is not in a healthy state, it can easily be cured. So it is with the soul: if it is devoted to luxury and pleasures, then it is easily inclined to sin; it is close to pride, and intemperance, and vanity, and envy, and deceit, and slander. This is not the soul that lives in sorrow and abstinence - it is far from all this. Our city is great. Where does evil come from? Isn't it from the rich? Is it not from those who rejoice? Who drags (others) to judgment? Who steals property? Are they those who live in poverty and oppression, or those who are arrogant and rejoice? No evil can come from a soul oppressed by grief. Paul knows the benefit of it, which is why he says: “Tribulation produces endurance, endurance produces experience, experience produces hope, and hope does not disappoint” (Rom. 5:3-5). Let us not lose heart during sorrows, but give thanks (to God) for everything, in order to receive great benefit, in order to earn favor from God, Who allows sorrows. The greatest good is sorrow; We can see this in our children; they cannot learn anything useful without sorrow. But we need sorrow even more than they do. If they bloom when their passions are tamed, then all the more (this is necessary) for us, who are subject to so many and such great (passions). We, more than they, need mentors, since the misdeeds of children cannot be great, but ours can be very great. Our nurturer is sorrow. So, without bringing it upon ourselves when it befalls us, let us bear it complacently, as the cause of many blessings, so that we may be worthy of the favor of God and the blessings prepared for those who love Him in Christ Jesus our Lord, with whom to the Father with the Holy Spirit be glory, power, honor, now and ever, and to the ages of ages. Amen. These conversations were delivered by the saint in Constantinople in 400 or 401. The paragraphs in the text were arranged by us – Editorial staff of “ABC of Faith” You might be interested in: