Беседа 52

Acts 25:23. The next day, when Agrippa and Bernice came with great pomp and entered the courtroom with the captains and the most noble citizens, Paul was brought in by order of Festus. The blessings of believers. – There is no need to strive for people to be afraid of us. – Virtue is a great blessing. 1. Look what kind of society is going to listen to Paul: “the most noble,” says (the writer), “citizens.” The ruler and the king come with all their armor-bearers, and with them come the commanders and the first people of the city, whom he calls “the most noble.” Then Paul is brought in, and look how Festus speaks about him: he not only presents him as innocent, but also defends him. What is he saying? “And Festus said: King Agrippa and all the men present with us! you see the one against whom the whole multitude of Jews approached me in Jerusalem and here and shouted that he should no longer live. But I found that he had done nothing worthy of death; and since he himself demanded trial from Augustus, I decided to send him to him. I don’t have anything true to write about him to the sovereign; Therefore, I brought it before you, and especially before you, King Agrippa, so that, after consideration, I might have something to write. For, it seems to me, it is foolish to send a prisoner and not show the charges against him” (Acts 25:24-27). Look how he accuses those (the Jews) and justifies him. What an abundance of excuses! After repeated research, the ruler does not find anything to accuse him of, and they said that he deserves death. Therefore he said: “I found,” he said, “that he did nothing worthy of death”; and adds: “I don’t have anything true to write about him to the sovereign.” And this serves as proof of Paul's innocence that the judge has nothing to say about him. “Therefore,” he says, “he brought him before you. It seems to me that it would be unreasonable to send a prisoner and not show the charges against him.” Look into what a great difficulty the Jews put their rulers into. What about Agrippa? Wanting to know something about the matter, he “said to Paul: You are allowed to speak for yourself” (Acts 26:1). The king commands him to speak, strongly wanting to listen to him. Then Paul begins to speak boldly and calls himself happy, not out of flattery, but because he speaks before a man who knows everything; and what exactly is why, listen to what he says next. “Then Paul, stretching out his hand, began to speak in his defense: King Agrippa! I consider myself happy that today I can defend myself before you in everything that the Jews accuse me of, especially since you know all the customs and controversial opinions of the Jews. Therefore I ask you to listen to me generously” (Acts 26:1–3). If he had been aware of anything about himself, then, of course, he would have been in fear, going to court before a man who knew everything; but his conscience is clear, and therefore he does not refuse to appear before a judge who knows the case well, but also rejoices and considers himself happy. Then he says: “I ask you to listen to me generously.” Since he intended to make a long speech and talk about himself, he first makes this request and then says: “My life from my youth, which I first spent among my people in Jerusalem, is known to all Jews; They have long known about me, if they want to testify, that I lived as a Pharisee according to the strictest teaching in our religion” (Acts 26:4-5), i.e. how could I become a rebel, being still so young and benefiting from the testimony of everyone? He further confirms his words, pointing to his sect: “I lived as a Pharisee according to the strictest teaching in our religion.” And, since again someone else could say: although the sect is worthy of respect, you are not good, look how he prevents such an objection: he calls as witnesses all the Jews who know his life and conversion. “And now I stand before judgment,” he says, “for the hope of the promise given from God to our fathers, the fulfillment of which our twelve tribes hope to see, diligently serving God day and night. For this hope, King Agrippa, the Jews accuse me. So what? Do you really think it incredible that God raises the dead?” (Acts 26:6-8). He offers two proofs of the resurrection: one from the prophets, although he does not give prophecies, but the opinion of the Jews about this; another, and stronger, from deeds. What is it? The fact that Christ, risen from the dead, spoke to him. The last of the evidence confirms, telling in detail about his previous delusion; He speaks of the Jews with praise: “zealously serving God day and night.” Therefore, (he says) if I had not lived an impeccable life, then I should not have been judged for this, King Agrippa. Then another proof: “what? Do you really think it incredible that God raises the dead?” If (the Jews) had not had such an opinion, if they had not been brought up in these teachings and only now they were introduced, then others might not have accepted this teaching. He goes on to say how he persecuted (the Christians) - and this serves to confirm what was said - bringing the high priests and foreign cities as witnesses, and how he heard the words: “It is difficult for you to go against the pricks” (Acts 26:14). Then he shows God’s love for mankind, how (the Lord) appeared to him, being persecuted from him; and not only, he says, did he benefit me, but he sent me to teach others. 2. He also points to the prophecy that he heard: “For this purpose I appeared to you, to make you a minister and a witness of what you have seen and what I will reveal to you, delivering you from the people of Judah and from the Gentiles, to whom I am now sending you” (Acts 26:16-17). Pointing to all this, he said: “It is true, and I thought that I should do much against the name of Jesus of Nazareth. This is what I did in Jerusalem: having received power from the high priests, I imprisoned many saints, and when they killed them, I gave my voice to it; and throughout all the synagogues I repeatedly tormented them and forced them to blaspheme Jesus and, in excessive rage against them, persecuted them even in foreign cities. For this reason, going to Damascus with authority and commission from the high priests, in the middle of the day on the road, I saw, sir, a light from heaven, surpassing the radiance of the sun, shining around me and those walking with me. We all fell to the ground, and I heard a voice speaking to me in Hebrew: Saul, Saul! Why are you persecuting Me? It's hard for you to go against the grain. I said: Who are you, Lord? He said: I am Jesus, whom you persecute. But rise and stand on your feet; For this is why I appeared to you, to make you a minister and a witness of what you have seen and what I will reveal to you, delivering you from the people of Judah and from the Gentiles, to whom I am now sending you to open their eyes, so that they may turn from darkness to light and from the power of Satan to God, and through faith in Me they may receive forgiveness of sins and an inheritance with those who are sanctified” (Acts 26:9-18). Look how meekly he talks; God, he says, said to me: “For this purpose I appeared to you, to make you a minister and a witness of what you have seen and what I will reveal to you, delivering you from the people of Judah and from the pagans, to whom I am now sending you to open their eyes, so that they may turn from darkness to light and from the power of Satan to God, and through faith in Me they may receive forgiveness of sins.” As if he were saying this: I was convinced by this, by this phenomenon. He converted me and convinced me so that I could not resist. “Therefore, King Agrippa, I did not resist the heavenly vision, but first I preached to the inhabitants of Damascus and Jerusalem, then to the whole land of Judea and to the Gentiles, that they should repent and turn to God, doing works worthy of repentance” (Acts 26:19-20). If I teach others to live a virtuous life, then how, he says, can I myself be the cause of indignation and confusion? “For this the Jews seized me in the church and tried to tear me to pieces. But having received help from God, I stand to this day, testifying to small and great things, saying nothing except what the prophets and Moses said would happen, that is, that Christ was to suffer and, being the first to rise from the dead, to bring light to the people (Jews) and to the Gentiles” (Acts 26:21-23). See how his speech is free from flattery and how he attributes everything to God; then, how much boldness: “I stand to this day,” and firmness: “testifying” to the prophets, “that Christ had to suffer and, having risen first from the dead, to proclaim light to the people (Jewish) and to the pagans.” As if he said: “Christ, having risen from the dead, dies no more” (Rom. 6:9), as can be seen from the fact that he preaches this to everyone and that they themselves readily listen. Then Festus, seeing with what boldness he spoke to the king, and did not turn to him, as if having suffered some kind of offense, said: “Are you crazy, Paul?” That he, being offended, said this, listen to the following: “When he defended himself like this, Festus said in a loud voice: You are crazy, Paul! great learning drives you to madness” (Acts 26:24). What about Pavel? He meekly replies: “No, venerable Festus,” he said, “I am not mad, but I speak words of truth and common sense” (Acts 26:25). Then he explains the reason why he addressed his speech to the king. “For the king knows about this, before whom I speak boldly. I do not at all believe that any of this was hidden from him; for this did not happen in a corner. Do you believe, King Agrippa, the prophets? I know that you believe” (Acts 26:26–27). With these words, he seems to reproach (the Jews) and says to them: I know that he knows everything well, while you should have been the first to know this - which is what the remark expresses: “for this did not happen in a corner” - but you did not want to. “Do you believe, King Agrippa, the prophets? I know that you believe. Agrippa said to Paul: You are not convincing me to become a Christian. Paul said: I would pray to God, that whether little or not, not only you, but also all who hear me today, might become like me, except in these bonds” (Acts 26:27–29). Look how he prays: “I would pray to God,” he says, “God,” not “a little,” i.e. so that this is not “not enough”; not just prays, but earnestly: “not only you,” he says, “but everyone,” not only you, but everyone, “have become like me.” Then he adds: “except for these bonds”; he said this not because he was burdened by the bonds or was ashamed of them (on the contrary, he considered them to be his glory no less than anything else), but in relation to their concept; therefore he added: “except for these bonds.” But let's look at what we read above. “The next day,” says (the writer), “when Agrippa and Bernice came with great pomp and entered the courtroom with the captains and the most noble citizens, Paul was brought in by order of Festus.” The Jews retreated from him when he transferred the matter (to the court of Caesar), and then a brilliant sight presented itself to him: the king with great pomp and many Jews were present here, both of them were present. “The whole multitude of Jews,” said (Festus), “came up to me in Jerusalem and here and shouted that he should no longer live.” 3. Look at their fury: they shouted that he must die. From this it is clear that Paul rightly referred the matter to Caesar. If even then, as it was impossible to say anything reprehensible against him, the Jews went on a rampage, then they should have turned to him. “I don’t have anything right to write about him to the sovereign,” says (Festus). Do you see how many times a matter is investigated? The Jews were the authors of this justification, which was to be made known and found in Rome. “King Agrippa! “I consider myself happy,” says (Paul), “that today I can defend myself before you in everything that the Jews accuse me of.” Look how they become unwitting preachers of both their own malice and Paul’s virtue, and, moreover, before the king himself. Now Paul went (to Rome) more gloriously than if he had been free from bonds. After so many judges found him innocent, he no longer left as a deceiver and magician. Thus, having revealed everything, where he was born and how he was raised, he goes to Rome not just, but already clear of all suspicion. He did not say: what is this? - I have already taken the case to Caesar, and I have been judged so many times; how long will this last? But what? He was again ready to give an answer before the one who knew the affairs of the Jews best. He now defends himself with great boldness, since his judges had no power over him; however, although they did not have power over him and the previous decision: “you will go to Caesar” remained in force, he gives an answer and a detailed explanation for everything, and not in such a way that he answers one thing and does not answer another. And in his answer he seems to say this: I am accused of indignation, accused of heresy and that I have desecrated the church; I can justify myself in everything; All Jews know my life from my youth; It’s not in my nature to cause disturbances; The witnesses to this are the accusers themselves. What he said before: “zealous for the traditions of my fathers” (Acts 22:3; Gal.1:14), he also points out here with the words: “from my youth.” When all the people were present, then he calls them as witnesses. This is what he does not only at the trial of Lysias, but also at Festus, and here, where there were even more people; only there was no need for a lengthy justification, because the message of Lysias freed him from this. “All the Jews know,” he says; they have known about me for a long time.” He does not say what his life is, but leaves it to their conscience, and only points to the sect, expressing that he would not choose it if he were given over to vices and wickedness. So, “I lived as a Pharisee,” he says, “I stand before the court.” She is respected by them too, they pray for her and ask God to make their hopes for her come true; I proclaim this hope and for it I am accused. Isn’t it crazy to try in every possible way to make it come true, and to persecute the one who believes in it? I myself, he says, “thought that I should act a lot against the name of Jesus of Nazareth,” that is, I thought to do this because I was not one of Christ’s disciples, but one of His enemies. All the more reliable is this witness, who used thousands of means against the believers, inspired them to slander them, armed (against them) everything - both cities and rulers - and while doing this, he himself suddenly changed. Then again the witnesses are his companions. Further, he shows himself to have rightly believed, which is proven by the appearance of light, and by the prophets, and by events, and by what is now happening. “In the middle of the day on the road,” he says, “I saw a light from the sky, surpassing the sun’s radiance, shining around me and those walking with me.” You see how he convinces them both with the prophets and with the events themselves. He did not want to seem like an innovator, and yet having something great to say, he again turns to the prophets and cites their predictions. Although the events were more reliable as what was happening now, but since he alone saw them, he again refers to the prophets. And look: he does not speak the same way in the assembly (of the Jews) and in the judgment seat; there he said: “You have killed” (Christ) (Acts 13:28); but here he doesn’t say anything like that, so as not to further inflame their anger, but points to the same thing with the words: “Christ had to suffer”; so he does not touch their guilt! What I proclaim says, that is, that Christ first rose from the dead, I confirm by the prophets: and the prophets proclaim this. Therefore, accept this teaching as consistent with the prophetic. Having spoken about the vision, he then fearlessly speaks about deeds, about which ones? “Open their eyes,” he says, “so that they turn from darkness to light and from the power of Satan to God.” “For this is why I appeared to you,” i.e. not to punish you, but to make you an apostle. Look, he points to the evil that will hold non-believers: Satan and darkness, and to the blessings of believers, which are: light, God, the inheritance of the saints. He exhorts not only to repent, but also to show a life worthy of wonder. And, look, everywhere in his speech he mentions pagans, because among those present there were pagans. “By witnessing,” he says, “to the small and the great,” i.e. both noble and ignorant. He said this in relation to the soldiers. Here, leaving his excuse, he takes over the work of the teacher. That’s why Festus said to him: “You’re going crazy.” But, in order to show that it is not he himself who teaches, he points to the prophets, to Moses: “that Christ,” he says, “had to suffer and, having risen first from the dead, to proclaim light to the people (Jewish) and the pagans.” To this “Festus said in a loud voice.” So, it was a voice of indignation and anger. 4. What about Paul? “No,” he says, “because it didn’t happen in the corner.” Here he talks about the cross, about the resurrection, and says that this teaching is known throughout the universe. “Do you believe, King Agrippa,” he did not say: the resurrection, but: “the prophets?” And warning him, he continues: “I know that you believe.” Agrippa answers him: “You are not convincing me to become a Christian.” Due to a misunderstanding, Paul took the word: “soon” 34 for the word: “not a little” 35; therefore he answers this too; he was so straightforward! He didn’t say: I don’t want this, but: “I would pray to God, so that whoever knows how much, not only you, but everyone,” - so his words are alien to flattery! - “I would pray to God that those who listen to me today would become like me, except for these bonds.” Look: the one who boasted about the bonds and showed them off like a golden chain is now praying that they would not exist. But do not be surprised by this: the listeners were still very weak, and his speech was applied to them. And that he valued bonds highly, listen to how everywhere in his messages he places them above everything else. So he says: “I, Paul, became a prisoner of Jesus Christ” (Eph. 3:1); and again: “I am surrounded by these bonds, but for the word of God there are no bonds” (Acts 28:20; 2 Tim. 2:9); and again: “even to the point of being bound as an evildoer” (2 Tim. 2:9). Look: not only “to the bonds,” he says, but also adds: “like a villain,” thereby exalting the glory of the bonds. Extreme suffering, both because he was tied up and because he was like a villain! If he had been bound for a good deed, this would have provided some consolation; and now he is bound as a villain and as convicted of serious crimes; but, despite this, he did not care about it at all. Such is the soul, inspired by heavenly love! If those who harbor shameful love do not consider anything important and valuable, but they recognize as glorious and valuable only that which serves to satisfy their passion, and the object of their love is everything for them, then even more so those embraced by this love do not consider anything more valuable. It is not surprising if we do not understand these words: we are still so inexperienced in philosophy! Truly, whoever is engulfed in the fire of Christ becomes what a person would be if he lived alone on earth: he cares so little about glory and infamy! Just as a person living alone on earth would not care about anything, so he does not care about anything. He despises temptations, punishments, and bonds as if he had endured them in someone else’s body, or as if he had an adamantine body; but he laughs at the pleasures of life and is as insensitive to them as we are to the bodies of the dead, or being dead ourselves. He is as far from indulging in any passion, just as gold purified by fire is free from dirt: just as flies fly away from fire so as not to fall into it, so passions do not even dare to approach it. I would like to give examples of this from among ourselves; but since we are not able to imagine them, it is necessary to turn to the same Paul. Look what his attitude was towards the whole world. “The world is crucified to me,” he says, “and I to the world” (Gal.6:14), i.e. I am dead to the world and it is dead to me. And again: “it is no longer I who live, but Christ who lives in me” (Gal. 2:20). Only Paul could say this; but we, who are as distant from him as the earth from the sky, must hide ourselves; we do not dare to open our mouths. Listen to how he says that he lived as if in the desert and looked at everything present in this way: “we look not at what is seen, but at what is unseen” (2 Cor. 4:18). What are you saying? Isn't it possible in reality to be the opposite of what you say? After all, we do not see the invisible, but we see the visible. But you had the eyes given by Christ. Just as ours see only the visible, but do not see the invisible, so they are the opposite. He who sees the invisible does not look at the visible; but whoever looks at the visible does not see the invisible. Does something similar happen here too? Thus, when we, concentrating our mind, think about something invisible, then our eyes are above external impressions. Let us despise glory; Let us rather be laughed at than praised. He who is laughed at does not suffer any evil; but whoever is praised suffers great harm. Let us not think highly of those who instill fear in people, but let us act in this case as we would treat children. When we see someone intimidating children, we are not at all surprised by him. He only intimidates children, but cannot intimidate any husband. And just as those who frighten children do this, either by raising their eyebrows, or in some other way distorting their face, but while maintaining an ordinary and meek gaze, they could not do this - so they perform their action by distorting the mental part of their soul. No one is afraid of a meek and kind-hearted person; on the contrary, we all respect, honor and love him. And whoever brings fear to others, don’t you see how hateful and disgusting he is for all of us? Do we not turn away from everything that can frighten us, be it animals, sounds, sights, places, air or darkness? 5. Let us not be arrogant if people fear us. Firstly, no husband will be afraid of us; and secondly, it’s not a big deal if they are afraid of us. The greatest good is virtue; and look how big it is. We consider the circumstances in which it is acquired to be disasters, but we are surprised at it and please it. And who will not please a wise man, although poverty and the like are considered disasters? If (virtue) shines in the midst of what is considered a disaster, then look at its excellence. Man, are you arrogant about power? But what power, tell me, has been given to you? You received power from people; Give yourself power internally, within yourself. The boss is not who is called that, but who he really is. Just as a king cannot make a doctor or a rhetorician, neither can he become a boss, because it is not literacy or title that makes a person a boss. Let, if you like, someone build a hospital, gather students, acquire instruments and medicines, and visit the sick: is this enough to be a doctor? No; We also need art, and without it all this not only brings no benefit, but even brings harm. Whoever is not a doctor himself, it is better for him not to have medicines, since whoever does not have them can neither heal nor harm; and whoever has, but does not know how to use them, can cause harm. Treatment depends not only on the properties of the medicines, but also on the art that prescribes them: when this is absent, then everything is perverted. So is the boss; Let us assume that he has tools, i.e. voice, anger, executioners, exile, honors, gifts, praise, has medicines - laws, has sick - people (servants), has a workshop - court, has students - warriors; but if he does not know the science of healing, then all this will not bring any benefit. A judge is a physician of souls, not of bodies; If the healing of the body requires such care, then even more so the healing of the soul, because the soul is more important than the body. Thus, bearing the name of a boss does not mean being a boss. Some are called by great names, such as: Paul, Peter, James, John; but from these names they do not become what they are called; for example, I myself: I bear the same name as that blessed one (apostle), but I am not the same as him; I am not John, but I am only called that. So even those are not bosses, but are only called that way. There are bosses even without this title, just like a doctor, even if he did not apply his art to his work, but had it in his soul, there is a doctor. Bosses are those who know how to manage themselves. The following three objects are related to the soul: house, city and universe; there is gradualness in everything. Whoever wants to be the head of a house and manage it well must first of all arrange his own soul, because it is his closest home. If he is not able to govern himself, where there is one soul, where he himself is the master, where he is always by himself, then how will he manage others? Whoever could arrange his soul and make one thing dominant in it and another subordinate, he will be able to rule the house; He who is a house is also a city, and he who is a city is also the universe. If someone is not able to control his soul, then how can he rule the universe? I said all this so that we do not exalt ourselves with power, so that we know what power is. Otherwise, this is not power, but a laughing stock, slavery, and thousands of other similar names one could call it. Tell me, really, what is characteristic of a boss? Shouldn't I benefit and benefit my subordinates? What if this doesn't happen? How can one benefit others who has not done good to himself? Whoever has countless passions ruling in his soul, how will he curb them in others? In the same way, pleasure does not consist in one thing (as is usually believed), but in another. Just as the boss turns out to be not the one (who is called that), but someone else, so the enjoyer is not the one who indulges in pleasure, but someone else. They think that pleasure consists in indulging in pleasures and pleasing the belly; but this is not what it consists of, but, on the contrary, it is to have an amazing soul and to be content. Let someone eat, drink, enjoy luxury, and then experience despondency and sorrow: can one say that he enjoys? Therefore, pleasure does not consist in eating and drinking, but in feeling content. Let someone else have nothing but dry bread, but eat it with joy: is this not pleasure, and, therefore, pleasure? Let's see who has access to it - the rich or the poor? Neither directly nor the other; but to those who arrange their souls in such a way as to have no reasons for discontent. What kind of life is this, someone might ask? I see that you have all paid attention and want to hear, what kind of life is this, free from displeasure? Let each of you first of all be convinced that this is pleasure, this is pleasure when discontent does not outrage me, when it does not require from me either meat, wine, exquisite dishes, silk clothes, or a luxurious table. But if I show such a life, alien to all this, then love this pleasure, such a life. Truly, many sorrows occur among us because we do not think about this as we should. Who has more sorrows - the one who does not care about anything like this, or the one who cares? Who is afraid of random changes, or who is not afraid? Who is in danger from envy, hatred, slander, enmity, ill will, or who is free from all this? Who needs a lot, or who needs nothing? Who is servile to thousands, or who is to no one? Who is subordinate to thousands, or who is independent? Who is afraid of one master, or who is afraid of their countless multitudes? So, this is what the highest pleasure consists of. Let us strive for this and not be partial to present goods; Let us despise all the vain greatness of this life and observe moderation in everything, so that we can lead this life carelessly and be counted worthy of the promised blessings, by the grace and love of our Lord Jesus Christ, with whom to the Father with the Holy Spirit be glory, power, honor, now and ever, and unto 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: