Reasoning against Jews and Gentiles

The treatise “Discourse against Jews and Gentiles” (17 chapters) was written by St. John Chrysostom around 387 or in 390. Probably, the work was not delivered from the church pulpit, but was assigned for reading. The saint proves the deity of Christ on the basis of the prophecies of both Christ Himself and the Old Testament prophets. St. John especially highlights the prophecies about the spread and strength of the Christian religion and the destruction of the Jerusalem Temple. He mentions that Emperor Julian the Apostate issued a decree on the restoration of the Jewish church, however, after restoration work began, fire came out from the base of the building and killed the builders. Christians revere the Holy Sepulcher, the place of His resurrection, and the Cross of Christ, which was an instrument of execution, but became a symbol of victory. *The title of the work in Greek is Πρός τε ἰουδαίους κα ἕλληνας ἀπόδειξις ὅτι ἐστ Θεὸς ὁ Χριστός. *The title of the work in Latin is Contra Judaeos et gentiles quod Christus sit Deus. The full title of this work is as follows: “A proof against the Jews and the Gentiles that Christ is God, taken from the repeated predictions of the prophets about Him.” In all likelihood, it was not pronounced from the church pulpit, but was intended for reading, and was written when St. John was not yet in Constantinople (section 9) and when he prepared Words exclusively against the Jews (section 17). Thus, the place where this discussion was written can be assumed to be the city of Antioch, and the time of writing or publication is 386 or 387 AD. 1. Since there are many people, some of whom, due to their inherent carelessness, others due to excessive concern for the affairs of everyday life, and others due to great ignorance, do not willingly accept lengthy speeches, I considered it necessary to eliminate the difficulty arising from long-winded speech, in order to use the brevity of speech and stop the laziness of the careless and the most unwilling to read - to listen with great willingness to the reasoning I propose. Therefore, without decorating the speech with selective words and expressions, but using words that would be intelligible and understandable to a servant and a maid, and a widow woman and a merchant, and a shipbuilder and a farmer, I will try in every possible way, as much as possible, to maintain brevity, and in a few words to teach instruction, and thus to arouse in careless listeners the desire to easily and without any difficulty delve into the proposed reasoning and, holding it in memory, receive benefit. I'll start the competition with the pagans. If a pagan asks: how is it clear that Christ is God? (this must be suggested first of all, since everything else follows), then I will not point to the sky or anything else similar for proof. If I tell him that he created heaven, earth and sea, he will not accept it; if I say that He raised the dead, healed the blind and cast out demons, he will not accept this; if I say that He promised the kingdom and unspeakable blessings, if I talk about the resurrection, he not only will not accept, but will also laugh. How will we convince him, especially if he is a commoner? What else if not that which is equally and unquestioningly recognized by both me and him, and which he cannot doubt? If I say in advance that Christ created the heavens and everything else that I spoke about, then he will not soon agree to believe. What is it that even a pagan recognizes as the work of Christ and which he will never contradict? That Christ planted Christianity; and a pagan will certainly not contradict the fact that Christ founded churches throughout the whole universe. From here we will borrow a proof of His power and show that He is God, and say that it is impossible for a simple person to circumvent such a vast universe, land and sea, in a short time, and attract so many people to Christianity, and, moreover, preoccupied with bad customs, or, better yet, given over to such vices. However, Christ managed to free the human race from all this, not only the Romans, but also the Persians and barbarian tribes in general. He did this without using weapons, without spending money, without leading an army, without starting wars, but at the beginning through eleven people, humble, humiliated, unlearned, simple, poor, half naked, unarmed, who had neither shoes nor two clothes. What am I saying: committed? He managed to persuade so many generations of people to think wisely not only about the present, but also about the future, to reject the laws of their fathers, to destroy ancient customs that had taken root for such a long time, and to accept others, to leave easy things and indulge in His difficult demands, and moreover, He did this despite the fact that everyone opposed Him and laughed at Him as having suffered a shameful death on the cross. And the pagans, of course, will not contradict the fact that Christ was crucified by the Jews and suffered countless torments from them, and that the preaching (of the Gospel) is increasing from day to day. It is especially surprising that it flourishes not only here, but also among the Persians, although it is now persecuted by them. There are already many martyrs among the pagans, and those who were fiercer than wolves themselves, after accepting the sermon, became humbler than sheep and are already philosophizing about immortality, the resurrection and unspeakable blessings. 2. Moreover, such beneficial actions appeared not only in cities, but also in the desert, and in villages, and in villages, and on islands, and in ship piers; and not only the common people and their leaders, but also those clothed with diadems themselves submitted with full faith to the Crucified One. And that all this did not happen by chance, but was predicted long before the fulfillment, I will try to prove in this discussion; or better, so that my words are not subject to suspicion, it is necessary to open the books of the Jews who crucified Him and, contained in these Scriptures, which are still kept by them, the testimonies about Him to be presented before the eyes of unbelievers. Thus, Jeremiah is the first to proclaim that God will become man without ceasing to be God: “This God is our God, it will not be imputed to Him. Find out every way of cunning, and give it to Jacob as His servant, and to His beloved Israel. Therefore, he appeared on earth and lived with men” (Bar.3:36-38). Do you see how clearly he depicted in a few words everything, both that God, without ceasing to be God, became man and dealt with people, and that He himself founded the Old Testament? “You will invent,” says the prophet, “every way of cunning, and give it to Jacob as His servant, and to Israel as His beloved.” With these words, he shows that the Lord, even before His appearance in the flesh, Himself ruled over everything, He Himself did everything: He gave laws, provided for, preserved, did good. And another prophet, listen to how he says that the Lord will not only become a man, but will also be born from the Virgin: “Behold, the Virgin will conceive in her womb, and give birth to a Son, and they will call His name Immanuel: it is said, God is with us” (Is. 7:14; Matt. 1:23). Then, in order to show that the Lord will not only be visible, but will truly be a man, he adds: “to eat oil and honey, before He can will evil, or choose good: before, before you know whether to reject good or evil, you will reject evil, even if you choose what is good” (Is. 7:15-16). And that the Lord will not only become a man and be born of a Virgin, but will also come from the house of David, listen to how Isaiah predicted long ago, although not in his own words, but in figurative words, but he predicts this: “a rod will come out of the root of Jesse, and a flower will come from the root thereof: and the Spirit of God will rest on him, the Spirit of wisdom and understanding, the Spirit of counsel and strength, the Spirit of knowledge and piety: the Spirit of fear will fill him. God" (Isa. 11:1-3). Jesse was David's father. From this it is clear that the Lord came from this tribe, and not only from this tribe, but from the house of Jesse, as the prophet predicted in the words: “a rod will come out of the root of Jesse,” meaning not just a rod, but Christ and His kingdom. And that he did not say this about the rod, he himself explained in subsequent words; for having said: “a rod will come forth,” he added: “and the Spirit of wisdom and understanding will rest upon it.” No one, even a very unreasonable one, will say that the grace of the Spirit descended on the tree, but it is obvious that it entered into that most pure Church. Why did the prophet not say: “he will come”, but says: “he will rest”? Because the Spirit, having descended (on Christ), remained in Him and did not depart from Him, as the Evangelist John clearly said: “I saw the Spirit descending like a dove from heaven, and remained on Him” (John 1:32). The evangelists did not remain silent about the mood of the Jews at His very birth. Matthew says: “When King Herod heard it, he was troubled, and all Jerusalem with him” (Matthew 2:3). And Isaiah, listen, how he foretold about this long ago: “they will desire,” he says, “that they might be burned with fire. For unto us a Son was born, and was given unto us, and His rulership was on His frame: and His name is called great of counsel, Angel, Wonderful, Counselor, Mighty God, Sovereign, Prince of Peace, Father of the Age to Come” (Is. 9:5-6). That This cannot be said about a simple person, obviously even for people who are very prone to verbal disputes; for from time immemorial no one was called the mighty God and the prince of such a world as the prophet speaks of: “and His peace has no end” (Is. 9:7). Experience has indeed shown that (the peace of Christ) has spread throughout the entire earth, throughout the entire sea, throughout the entire universe, inhabited and uninhabited, over mountains, and caves, and hills, from the day on which He, before His ascension, said to His disciples: “My peace I give to you; not as the world gives, I give it to you” (John 14:27). Why did Christ say this? Because the human world is easily disrupted and subject to many changes; and His peace is firm, unshakable, strong, constant, immortal, endless, although countless persecutions are raised against it everywhere and many intrigues are built daily. His all-powerful word arranged this, along with everything else. 3. And not only that the Lord would become a man, but also the very image of His coming was predicted by the prophets. He had to come, not sending thunder and lightning from above, not shaking the earth, not shaking the sky, and not producing any terrible phenomena, but being born without noise and in the unknown, in the house of a woodcutter, poor and ignorant; about which, listen, how David did not keep silent: “it will fall,” he says, “like rain on the fleece” (Ps. 72:6), expressing with these words silence, calm. And not only about this, but also about how mercifully and meekly He will treat everyone, look how clearly another prophet speaks. Subjected to insult, spitting, slander, dishonor, scourging and finally death on the cross, Christ He did not take revenge on those who did this, but generously and meekly endured everything: reproaches, intrigues, the rage and madness of the people and other attacks; the prophet expressed all this with the words: “He will not erase the broken reeds, and he will not quench the smoking flax, until in truth he will bring forth judgment, and in His name the nations will trust” (Is. 42:3-4). And another prophet also designated the place where the Lord was to be born: “And you,” he says, “in Bethlehem, the land of Judah, you are in no way least among the rulers of Judah: for from you will come a leader who will shepherd My people Israel. But He came forth from the beginning from the days of the world” (Mic. 5:2; Matt. 2:6). He points to both the Godhead and the humanity (Christ); for with the words: “He came forth from the beginning from the days of the world,” depicts the pre-eternal existence of the Lord; and with the words: “There will come a leader who will shepherd My people Israel,” - His birth according to the flesh. Notice here another clear prediction. The prophet said not only that the Lord would be born, but that the place of His birth, previously unknown and unimportant, would become glorious: “Thou art least of all among the rulers of Judah.” Indeed, the whole universe now flocks to Bethlehem to see the place where the born Lord was laid, and flocks for nothing else, but only for this. Another prophet also predicted the time at which the Lord would appear: “The prince from Judah, and the leader from his feet, will not fail,” he said, “until that which was set aside for him will come, and that is the hope of the tongues.” Tie your lot to the vine, and mount your donkey to the wine stallion: he will stain his clothes with wine, and his clothing with the blood of the grapes. His eyes are more joyful than wine, and his teeth are whiter than milk” (Gen. 49:10-12). Notice the correspondence of this prediction with the event itself. The Lord really came when the Jewish rulers had already lost their sovereignty and were subordinated to the Roman scepter; This is how the words of the prophecy were fulfilled: “The prince will not fail from Judah, nor the ruler from his feet, until that which is set aside for him will come,” said about Christ. At the same time as His birth, the first census of the people was taken, when the Romans began to dominate the Jews and subjugated them to the yoke of their power. Another thing is also meant by the words: “and that is the desire of the tongues” - that the Lord, having come, drew all nations to Himself. Herod, pursuing the born Jesus, ordered that the infants who were in that place be killed. And the prophets did not remain silent about this, but long ago they predicted this: “a voice was heard in Rama, weeping and mourning, much crying: Rachel wept for her children, and did not want to be comforted, as they were not” (Jer. 31:15; Matt. 2:18). They also predicted His return from Egypt in the words: “Out of Egypt I called My Son” (Hosea 11:1). It was also predicted that Christ, soon after His appearance in open places, would perform signs and teach. Listen to what Isaiah says: “The land of Zebulun, and the land of Naphtali, the people who sat in darkness saw a great light, and to those who sat in darkness and the shadow of death, light shone upon them” (Is.9:1-2; Matt.4:15-16); by this he points to the appearance and teaching of the Lord in those places, and to the confession produced in people by His miracles. Next, the prophet depicts other miracles and says how He will heal the lame, heal the blind, make the dumb speak: “Then the eyes of the blind will be opened, and the ears of the deaf will hear. Then the lame will leap like a tree, and the tongue of those who perish will be clear” (Is. 35:5-6). Such miracles never happened before the coming of Christ. The prophets also predicted some signs in particular. For example, when Jesus entered the church, the children, still fed on milk and unable to speak clearly, sang sacred songs to Him, exclaiming: “Hosanna in the highest, blessed is he who comes in the name of the Lord” (Matthew 21:9). The prophet predicted this long ago in the words: “Out of the mouth of a baby and of those who piss you have made praise, so that you can destroy the enemy and the local” (Ps. 8:3). Do you see how innocent children who do not have an articulate voice, contrary to their nature, glorify the Creator and proclaim the apostolic gospel? 4. Often, when talking with the Jews, because of their hardness of heart, the Lord spoke about many things in secret, in mysterious expressions and parables, which was also predicted long ago: “I will open My mouth in parables, I will proclaim the decrees from the beginning” (Ps. 77:2). And the wisdom of His conversations was foretold long ago by the prophet in the words: “Grace was poured out on Your lips” (Ps. 45:3). Another prophet also predicted the same thing: “My Son will understand, and he will be exalted and greatly glorified” (Is. 52:13). The same prophet, briefly narrating the benefits of His coming, combined with signs, said this: “The Spirit of the Lord is upon Me, for the sake of My anointing, to bring My messenger good news to the poor, to heal the brokenhearted, to preach release to the captives and recovery of sight to the blind” (Is. 61:1). And it was predicted that after so many good deeds His people would turn away from Him in vain and in vain, having no reason to accuse Him of anything, neither small nor great. Listen to how David foreshadowed this: “with those who hate peace,” he says, “he is at peace; That the Lord, riding on a colt, would enter the city, and this was predicted long ago by Zechariah in these words: “Rejoice greatly, daughters of Zion; Preach, O daughters of Jerusalem: Behold, thy King cometh to thee, meek, and always upon the yoke and the young stallion” (Zechariah 9:9). – He drove out those who sold doves and changed money from the church (Matthew 21:12; John 2:15). He did this, being zealous for the house of God and at the same time wanting to show that He does not resist God, but agrees with the Father; Therefore, He punished His house, in which trade was carried out. And this was not left without indication, but the prophet David predicted this, foretelling the intention with which Christ carried out this punishment: “zeal for your house,” he says, “devoured Me” (Ps. 68:10). What could be clearer than this? Christ was to be betrayed, and this betrayal was to be committed by the one who shared the meal with Him. Look how the same prophet predicted this in in the words: “My poisonous bread will cause Me to stumble” (Ps. 40:10). Notice how the evangelist says in agreement with him: “Whoever dips that hand with Me in salt will betray Me” (Matthew 26:23). The traitor not only betrayed the Lord, but by selling His precious blood and receiving money for it. And the prophet did not remain silent about this, but pointed out the shameless conditions and conferences of the enemies of Christ. “O God,” he says, “do not keep silent from My praise: for the mouth of the sinner and the mouth of the flatterer are opened against Me” (Ps. 109:1,2). The same traitor, later realizing his guilt, threw away the silver coins, ended his life by hanging himself on a tree, leaving his wife a widow, his children orphans and his house empty. Look how the prophet describes this too. a sad event: “let his sons be orphans, and his wife a widow: let his sons move away and be driven out of their homes” (Ps. 109:9-10). Matthias took the place of the traitor; and this was predicted by the same prophet in the words: “Let his bishopric take over” (Ps. 109:8). Judgment seat of Jews and pagans, filled with great lawlessness. Look how the prophet foretells this: “all over,” he says, “the nations reel, and the people learn in vain” (Ps. 2:1)? And not only this was foretold by the prophets, but Isaiah clearly spoke about the silence of the Lord, which He kept when those around Him spoke a lot and accused Him: “Like a sheep that is led to the slaughter, and like a lamb before its shearers, it is silent; so He opens not His mouth” (Is. 53:7). Then, showing the injustice of the sentence, He adds: “in His humility His judgment is taken away” (Is. 53:8), that is, no one judged Him fairly; and then explains the cause of Christ’s death. He, as immaculate and innocent, did not suffer for His sins, but was betrayed for the sins of the universe; look at both, as the prophet pointed out: “For thou shalt not commit iniquity, but flattery is found in His mouth” (Is. 53:9). With these words he explained why Christ was betrayed. There is another reason: “for the iniquities of My people I was led to death” (Is. 53:8). Wanting to show not only the reason, but also the fruits of His death on the cross, look at how the prophet foretells this: “all,” he says, “are like sheep that have gone astray: man has gone astray from his way; the punishment of our peace is upon Him; by His wound we are all healed” (Is. 53:5-6). Then the same prophet predicts the punishment that the Jews would suffer for these iniquities in the following words: “And I will give the wicked instead of His burial, and the rich instead of His death” (Is. 53:9). And David said: “Let us cast away their yoke from us,” he added: He who lives in heaven will laugh at them: then He will speak against them with His wrath, and I will be crushed by His wrath” (Ps. 2:3-5), meaning the dispersion of the Jews throughout the entire universe, which Christ himself predicted in the Gospel in the following words: “They who did not desire Me, so that there would be a king over them, bring this and cut it off before Me” (Luke 19:27). In addition, having spoken about the death of the Lord, the prophets did not remain silent about the method of death itself, but David also explained it this way: “I dug up My hands and My nose, and cut off all My bones” (Ps. 21:17-18). He did not keep silent about the lawlessness committed after Christ’s death on the cross, saying: “I divided My garments for myself, and cast lots for My clothing” (Ps. 21:19). Further, he spoke about the burial of the Lord in the words: “I laid Me in the pit of the grave, in the dark places and the shadow of death” (Ps. 88:7). Look at how he also predicted that Christ would rise: “Thou shalt not leave,” he says, “my soul in hell; let Thy venerable one see corruption” (Ps. 15:10). And the prophet Isaiah predicts the same thing, only in different words: “The Lord wants to cleanse Him from the plague: to show Him light, to justify the righteous, to serve many well” (Is. 53:10-11). The same prophet predicted that the death of the Lord would redeem people from their sins: “And you also took away the sins of many” (Is. 53:12); and that Christ will cast out demons from people: “and he will divide the mighty for their gain” (Is. 53:12). He did not keep silent about the fact that the Lord would accomplish this by His death: “for this reason,” he says, “His soul was given over to death” (Is. 53:12); he also predicted that Christ would receive power over the universe: “he will inherit many” (Is. 53:12). The prophets did not remain silent about the fact that the Lord, having descended into hell, would lead him into confusion, fill him with confusion and fear, and will break down his stronghold. David speaks about this like this: “lift up your gates, O princes, and lift up the everlasting gates, and the King of glory will come in” (Ps. 23:7); and Isaiah says in other words: “I will break the gates of brass, and break the chains of iron, and will give you dark hidden treasures: I will open to you the invisible” (Is. 45: 2-3), meaning here hell. Although it was hell, it contained the souls of saints and precious vessels, Abraham, Isaac and Jacob. That is why the prophet called them treasures, and dark ones because at that time the Sun of Truth had not yet illuminated hell and did not announce the resurrection. And that the Lord, after His resurrection, will not be numbered with the angels, nor with the archangels, nor with any other ministerial force, but will sit on the royal throne, listen to how David says again: “The Lord said to my Lord: Sit at My right hand, until I will make Your enemies Your footstool” (Ps. 109:1). 5. Isaiah later foretold that Christ would send the apostles (to preach), in the following words: “How red are the feet of those who bring good news of peace, those who bring good news” (Is. 52:7). Notice how he glorifies the bodily members - the legs that carried the evangelists everywhere. And David also explains the method of their victory: “The Lord,” he says, “will give the word to those who bring good news with much power” (Ps. 67:12). Indeed, they won, without using weapons, without spending money, not with bodily strength, not with a large number of troops, and not with any other similar means, but with a simple word that had great power - the power of signs. They preached the Crucified One and performed signs, and thus conquered the world. Therefore, the prophet says: “The Lord will give the word to those who bring good news with much power,” meaning here miracles. And truly, there was ineffable power in the fact that the fisherman, the publican and the tabernacle-maker, with one command, raised the dead, drove out demons, delivered from death, bridled the tongues of philosophers, stopped the mouths of rhetoricians, overcame kings and rulers, defeated barbarians, Hellenes, the entire human race. Well said the prophet. They did all this with words, and with much power they made the dead alive, sinners righteous, the blind sighted, driving out diseases from the body and vices from the soul. Where did they get such strength from? From the Holy Spirit, as it is said about this: “filled with the Holy Spirit; The nations appeared to them, divided as if they were fire; but one of them sat on one” (Acts 2:3–4). Men and women began to prophesy, which Joel also foretold long ago in the words: “I will pour out My Spirit on all flesh, and your sons will prophesy, and your daughters will see visions, and your young men will see dreams; for on My servants and on My handmaids will I pour out before the great and enlightened day of the Lord comes” (Joel 2:28-31). ); By the great and enlightened day he here means both the day of the descent of the Spirit and the future day of the end of the world. The same prophet also foretells salvation by faith (for this is not silent either) like this: “And everyone who calls on the name of the Lord will be saved” (Joel 2:32). 6. That the Lord will send preachers throughout the entire universe, and that no one will remain unheard of the sermon, this is also predicted. Listen to David’s prophetic words about this: “Their words went out into all the earth, and their words into the ends of the world” (Ps. 18:5). The same prophet in another place predicts that they will preach with authority, and will be more powerful than those clothed with diadems: “I will make princes over all the earth” (Ps. 44:17). Indeed, the very deeds show that Peter and Paul surpassed kings and rulers. The laws of kings are abolished even during their lifetime; and the laws of these fishermen, even after their death, remain firm and unshakable, although demons, and long-term habit, and wickedness, and voluptuousness and other countless forces tried to overthrow them. Further, wanting to show that these established “princes” will be desired and beloved by everyone, the prophet added: “for this reason people will confess to You forever” (Ps. 44:18), that is, they will thank You, they will have great gratitude for the fact that You have given them such princes. It was also predicted that preaching (the gospel) would win victory everywhere. Look how David presents this to you in the following words: “Ask of Me, and I will give You the tongues of Your inheritance, and Your possession is the ends of the earth” (Ps. 2:8). Another prophet foretells the same thing, expressing himself like this: “The whole earth will be filled with the knowledge of the Lord, like the sea covered with plenty of water” (Is. 11:9). And notice how easily this obedience will be accomplished: “It will not teach every man his neighbor, and every man his brother, saying: Know the Lord: for all shall know me, from the least of them even to the greatest of them” (Jer. 31:34); and what is the steadfastness of the church: “in the last days the mountain of the Lord will be revealed, and the house of God will be on the top of the mountains, and it will be exalted above the hills, and many people and nations will come to it. many" (Isa.2:2,4). And that the church will not only be firm, unyielding and unshakable, but will also spread abundant peace throughout the universe, that after many kingdoms and powers fall, a single kingdom will rise above all, in which, not like the previous ones, abundant peace will reign; - since in ancient times even artists of all kinds and rhetoricians took up arms and joined the ranks of the army, but after the coming of Christ all this stopped, and war became the occupation of only famous people; - and one prophet clearly spoke about this: “They will cleave their swords into plowshares, and their spears into pruning hooks, and their tongue will not take up the tongue of the sword, nor will they be accustomed to fight for it” (Is. 2:4). Indeed, before all people were engaged in war: but now they have forgotten about the art of war; or rather, most people did not touch it at all; and if there are some (engaged in it), then they are few, rarely and in small numbers, while before there was constant indignation among every nation. Next, the prophet predicts who will make up the church. Since not only modest, meek and kind people, but also fierce and inhuman ones and in their morals similar to wolves, lions and oxen, had to join them and all form one church, then listen to how the prophet said about the diversity of this flock: “and the wolf and the lamb will graze together” (Is. 11: 6), thereby expressing the simplicity of the life of kings. And let the Jew say that we are not talking about beasts, when did this happen? The wolf and the lamb never grazed together; and even if they began to graze together, what would be the benefit for the human race? No, he is talking about people with fierce morals, about the Scythians, Thracians, Moors, Indians, Sauromatians, Persians. That all these nations will submit under one yoke, another prophet clearly spoke about this: “they will serve Him under one yoke, and each one will worship Him from his place” (Zeph. 2:11, 3:9), not in Jerusalem alone, but throughout the entire universe; because there will be no commandment for people to go to Jerusalem, but everyone, staying at home, will perform this service. 7. The prophets did not keep silent about the fact that the Jews would be rejected; look at how the prophet predicted this: “And the doors will be shut in you, and you will not kindle fire to the sanctuary of My tuna” (Mal.1:10). It is also predicted who will serve God: “From the east of the sun to the west,” says the prophet, “my name is glorified among the nations, and in every place incense is offered to my name, and the sacrifice is pure” (Mal. 1:11). You see how he depicted the dignity of this worship, its superiority and establishment instead of the previous one - and the fact that this worship of God will depend not on the place, but on the internal disposition, and will consist not in smoking and smoke, but in some other worship. How, they will say, did the apostles attract all nations to themselves? How could someone who speaks only one Jewish language convince a Scythian, an Indian, a Sauromatian and a Thracian? Having received from the Holy Spirit the grace-filled gift of many tongues to convince the pagans; and for the persuasion of Israel - the gift of tongues. But the Jews did not heed the conviction, about which, listen to how the prophet speaks: “I will speak to this people with bad lips and a different tongue, and they will not want to hear,” says the Lord (Is. 28:11-12). – What could be clearer than this? The Jews did not believe, but the pagans were converted; and it was predicted. Listen to the prophet Isaiah, who clearly says: “I was revealed to those who did not seek Me, I was found to those who did not ask for Me: Behold, I said to the tongue that did not call on My name” (Is. 65:1); and about the Israelites: “I stretched out my hands all day long to a people who do not repent and speak against words” (Is. 65:2); and again: “I proclaimed that the child was before him, like a root in a thirsty land” (Is. 53:2); and again: “Lord, who believes our hearing, and the arm of the Lord is revealed to whom” (Is. 53:1)? The prophet did not say: “to our teaching,” wanting to show that the apostles did not speak on their own, but proclaimed what they heard from God. That our worship is superior to that of the Jews, Moses foretold this, saying: “And I will provoke (you) not because of a pagan, but because of a foolish pagan I will provoke you to anger” (Deut. 32:21); with the expression: “not about the pagan,” he meant the former humiliated state of the pagan people, who were not considered a people due to their contempt, due to ignorance, due to madness; but faith produced such a change in the pagans that they became much more venerable than the Jews who were in honor. Here it is revealed that this will greatly touch the Jews and they will become better because of it; for the prophet did not simply say: “I prefer,” but also indicated that their correction would occur from envious irritation. “I will irritate (you) not about the pagan,” he says, as if saying: I will give them so many benefits that you will be jealous, that you will be irritated. This is what made them the best. Those who saw the parting of the sea, the sound of stones, the extraordinary changes in the air and other miracles, or rather, those who slaughtered their children and served Weelphegor and indulged in many sorceries, after our faith appeared, which is much preferable to what they contained, were so irritated by envy that, having corrected themselves and humbled themselves, out of envy they began to do what they did not do while listening to prophets and contemplating miracles. Now none of them slaughter their children, turn to idols, or worship the calf. The beauty of virginity in the Old Testament was not known even by name, but in the New it was to shine, which is what David predicts: “the virgins will be brought after her to the King, they will be brought to the church of kings” (Ps. 45:15-16). The prophets did not remain silent about the priests, that is, about the bishops: “And I will give your princes into peace, and your officers in righteousness,” says Isaiah (Is. 60:17). 8. Christ will come again and demand an account from the human race, among other things, from the Jews; about this, look at how David and Malachi predict; the latter says: “Behold, this is coming, and who will endure the day of His coming, and who will stand in the sight of Him? From there it enters like the fire of a furnace. And he sits boiling and purifying like silver and like gold” (Mal. 3:1-3), in accordance with the words of Paul, who writes: “The day will be revealed before fire” (1 Cor. 3:13). And David, with the words: “God will clearly come” (Ps. 49:3), also indicates His second coming. The first coming of Christ was very humble; but the second will not be like this, fear and horror will accompany it, angels will precede it, and the very appearance will illuminate everything like lightning: “As lightning comes from the east and appears to the west, so will be the coming of the Son of man” (Matthew 24:27), says the Lord, expressing by this the brilliance that announces itself, since it does not need a herald, but reveals itself. David also expresses it with the words: “God will come.” Then, depicting the future judgment, the prophet adds: “a fire will burn before Him, and a green storm will surround Him” (Ps. 49:3). Having spoken about punishments, he also depicts the solemnity of the judgment: “he will call on the heavens from above and the earth to judge his people” (Ps. 49:4), meaning by earth the human race. Further, together with the entire human race, mentioning the Jews (to whom he especially addresses), the prophet continues like this: “Gather together His venerables, who have made His covenant about sacrifices. And the heavens will declare His righteousness: for God is the judge” (Ps. 49:5-6). About the abolition of sacrificial worship by Christ who came and the introduction of our worship in its place, listen, as predicted: “You did not desire sacrifices and offerings, but you fulfilled the body for Me” (Ps. 39:7); The prophet points to the same thing in another place: “a people who have not seen them, have worked with Me; they have listened to Me with the ear of the ear” (Ps. 17:44–45), that is, not contemplating the parted sea and the loose stones, but having listened to my apostles. Having said: “You have completed the body,” the prophet also adds: “then reh: behold I will come; in the main book it is written about Me” (Ps. 39:8). Here two circumstances are indicated: that the Lord will come, and that He will come when sacrifices are abolished; this happened when power over the Jews passed to the Romans. We find a prediction about the coming of the Lord from Baruch, who says: “He appeared on earth and lived with men” (Bar.3:38). Moses also says: “The Lord your God will raise up for you a prophet like me from your brethren; listen to him in everything. And that man who will not listen to his words, as long as that Prophet speaks in My name,” will be required of his people (Deut. 18:12–19). On whom else did this come true, if not on Christ alone? Although many prophets rebelled, and although the Jews did not listen to all of them, they did not suffer anything for this; and because of disobedience to Christ, they now drag out their lives everywhere, as wandering and homeless people, as fugitives and exiles. Look how they, having lost their citizenship, their fatherly laws and customs, are everywhere subjected to dishonor and shame, punishment and torment. And how much they suffered under Vespasian and Titus, it is impossible to say: so their disastrous fate exceeded any misfortune; This is how the prophetic words were fulfilled: “And that man who does not listen to that prophet will be consumed” (Acts 3:23). Because everything turned into a desert for them, they did not listen to that Prophet. That the Lord will resurrect everyone, this was predicted by Isaiah in the following words: “The dead will rise again, and those who are in the tombs will rise: for the dew from You is their healing” (Is. 26:19). And not only this he predicted, but also that after the Lord’s death on the cross His deeds would be more brilliant, and that after the resurrection His preaching (the gospel) would spread most widely. He was betrayed by his disciple, bound, insulted, mocked, tortured and crucified, and would not have received burial if it had depended on the Jews; and His clothes were divided by the soldiers, and he ended his life with suspicion of harassment of power, with the name of a blasphemer and a rebel; - for they said about him: “Everyone who makes himself a king resists Caesar” (John 19:12), and also: “Behold, now you have heard His blasphemy” (Matthew 26:65); since all this was about to happen, the prophet, wanting to excite and encourage the listener, says: do not be afraid of this; He who was crucified, scourged, reviled by robbers, put to death on suspicion of blasphemy, after death and resurrection will perform such deeds that no one will say that they are not filled with great honor. This came true, as the prophet predicted long ago: “The root of Jesse will rise up and rule the tongues; in Him the nations will trust: and His honor will rest” (Is. 11:10). He seemed to say: “Such a death is more honorable than a diadem; the kings, laying down their diadems, take the cross - a sign of His death; on the purple there is a cross, on the diadem there is a cross, during prayers there is a cross, on weapons there is a cross, on the sacred meal there is a cross, and throughout the entire universe the cross shines brighter than the sun” - “And His honor will rest.” 9. Such are not the works of men; but usually the opposite happens to them! The affairs of famous people prosper while they live; but when they die they perish. This can be seen in the fate of not only the rich man and the boss, but even kings. And their laws are abolished, and their images are darkened, and their memory is destroyed, and their name is forgotten, and those close to them are subjected to contempt; Meanwhile, as before, they shook their weapons, with their wave they moved peoples and cities, and changed the state of affairs, they had the power to put to death and bring back to life those who were being taken away for execution. All this disappears, although it was formerly in glory. But with Christ it’s the opposite. Before His death on the cross, His circumstances were sad; Judas betrayed, Peter denied, the other disciples fled, He alone remained among the enemies; many who believed in Him turned back. But after His suffering and death, so that you know that the Crucified One was not an ordinary man, the circumstances become most brilliant, most glorious and most excellent. Before the crucifixion of Christ, the chief of the apostles did not endure the threat of the gatekeeper, but after such a Last Supper he answered that he did not know (Jesus), and after the crucifixion he went around (preaching) the universe; From that time on, countless hosts of martyrs were put to death, deciding to die rather than say what the chief of the apostles said, fearing the threat of one gatekeeper. From that time on, all countries, cities and deserts, inhabited and uninhabited places, resounded with the glorification of the Crucified One; kings, military leaders, city governors and judges, slaves and freemen, commoners, wise and unwise, barbarians and various tribes of men inhabiting the entire sunflower land, call on His name and worship Him, so that you know what it means: “His honor will rest!” The very place where the body of the Crucified was buried, small and very cramped, became more brilliant than many royal palaces and more venerable than the kings themselves. “And there will be rest for His honor”! What is especially surprising is that the same thing happened not only to Him, but also to His disciples. During their lifetime they were taken and led around, subjected to reproach, imprisonment in chains and other countless torments: and after death they became more venerable than the kings themselves. How? You can see this from the following. In the reigning city of Rome, having abandoned everything, kings, rulers, and military leaders resort to the tombs of the fisherman and the monastery maker; and in Constantinople those clothed with diadems recognized their favorite place for burying their bodies, not near the apostles themselves, but in the vestibule outside their churches, and thus the kings became the gatekeepers of the fishermen; and such a burial is considered not only a dishonor, but a glorification, not only by the kings themselves, but also by their descendants. “And there will be,” says the Scripture, “rest for His honor!” You will know all the greatness of this honor when you look at the sign of His death, the accursed death, the most reviled death of all kinds of death; for this one kind of death is cursed. In ancient times, for example, some criminals were burned, others were stoned, others were deprived of their lives in some other way of punishment; but the one crucified and hanged on the tree (of the cross) suffered not only from being punished with such torment, but also from being cursed: “For cursed is everyone who hangs on a tree,” says Scripture (Deut. 21:23). But this cursed, blasphemous sign of extreme torment has now become coveted and lovable. It is not so much the royal crown that adorns the head as the cross, the most precious in the whole world; the image of the cross, once terrible for everyone, is now so kind to everyone that you will find it everywhere, among superiors and subordinates, among wives and husbands, among virgins and married women, among slaves and freemen; everyone constantly places the sign of the cross on the noblest part of their body and wears this sign depicted on their forehead every day, as on a pillar. It shines at the sacred meal, at the ordination of priests and together with the body of Christ at the Last Supper, you can see it ascending everywhere: in houses, in marketplaces, in deserts, on roads, on mountains, in caves, on hills, on the sea, on ships, on islands, on beds, on clothes, on weapons, in palaces, at feasts, on gold and silver vessels, on precious stones, on wall paintings, on the bodies of sick animals, on the bodies of those possessed by demons, in war, in peace, day and night, in feast gatherings and in the cells of ascetics; so this wondrous gift, filled with ineffable grace, became desired by everyone! No one is ashamed anymore or shuts down at the thought that the cross is a sign of damned death; on the contrary, we all honor him as an adornment for ourselves, more than crowns and tiaras and many necklaces made of precious stones. So he became not only not scary, but also desirable, kind and respectable to everyone, and he shines depicted everywhere: on the walls of houses, on roofs, on books, in cities, in villages, in uninhabited and inhabited places. Now I would willingly ask a pagan, why did this sign of terrible execution and damned death become dear and desirable to everyone, if not because of the great power of the Crucified One? 10. But if you are so shameless that you consider it as nothing and rebel against the truth, and remain blind in the light; then now I will present you with another proof of how important this is. What kind of proof is this? Judges have many types of instruments for torment: wood, whips, claws, lead teeth, with which they scrape the body, tear apart and crush the limbs. Who would dare to bring such tools into their home? Who would agree to touch the hands of the executioners who make them, or to see them closely? On the contrary, don’t most people turn away, and don’t some consider meeting them a bad sign, and do not dare to touch them or look at them? Do they not run away and turn away their gaze? This is what the cross was like in ancient times, or even much more terrible; because, as I said above, he was a sign not only of death, but of the damned death. Why, tell me, has he now become so desirable and so amiable to everyone and most venerable of all? Why is everyone flocking to this very tree, on which the holy body of Jesus was stretched out and nailed? Why do many, both husbands and wives, having received a small piece of this tree and overlaid it with gold, hang it on their necks as an ornament, while it was once a sign of condemnation and punishment? Because He who created everything and transformed everything, having delivered the universe from wickedness and made the earth heaven, He exalted this hateful and shameful instrument of all deaths above the heavens. Foreseeing all this, the prophet said: “And His honor will rest.” This sign of death (I will not stop talking about it constantly) has become a source of great blessing, a wall from all danger, a deadly reflection of the devil, a bridle of demons, a thunderstorm against opposing forces; he trampled death, crushed the copper gates of hell, broke its iron beliefs, destroyed the stronghold of the devil, cut the fetters of sin, delivered the entire universe from condemnation, healed the wound inflicted on our nature by God’s determination. What am I saying? What neither the parted sea, nor the loose stones, nor the changed air, nor the manna sent to so many thousands for forty years, nor the law, nor other signs performed both in the desert and in Palestine, could do, the cross was able to do, and not in one country, but throughout the entire universe; the cross, this sign once cursed, avoided by everyone, hated and shameful by everyone, could easily accomplish all this after the death of the Crucified One. And not only these, but also subsequent actions demonstrate his power. Previously the universe was sterile in regard to virtue; the land was no better than the desert and had no hope of producing anything good; and the cross suddenly made her a paradise and a most prolific matter. And the prophet predicted this long ago: “The barren one who does not give birth rejoices; the one who is not sick with the stomach shouts and cries, for there are many more empty children than those who have husbands” (Is. 54:1). Having made her like this, the Lord gave her a law that was superior to the previous one, about which the prophets also did not remain silent; look at what they foretold: “I command (them) a new covenant, not according to the covenant which their father commanded in the day in which I took them by the hand, to bring them out of the land of Egypt, because they did not abide in my covenant, and I have neglected them, says the Lord. For this is the covenant I will bequeath (to them), giving My laws in their minds, and I will write them on their hearts” (Jer. 31:31-33). Further, the prophet depicts their rapid change and easy acceptance of the teaching: “and he will not teach every man his neighbor, and every man his brother, to say, Know the Lord: for they all know Me, from the least of them even to the greatest of them” (Jer. 31:34). That the Lord who came will grant forgiveness of sins to everyone, and this was also predicted by the prophet in the words: “I will be merciful to their iniquities, and I will not remember their sins to anyone” (Jer. 31:34). What could be clearer than this? With such predictions, he announced the calling of the pagans, the superiority of the New Testament over the Old, the ease of conversion and the grace-filled gifts received by believers through Baptism. 11. He who did all this will one day come as a Judge; about which the prophets also did not remain silent and predicted, some contemplating Him in the very form in which He would come, others announcing it in their own words. So Daniel, being among the Babylonian barbarians, saw Him coming on the clouds; listen to the very words of the prophet: “I saw,” he says, “and behold, on the clouds of heaven, the Son of man came, and even came to the Old One, and was brought before Him: and to Him was given power and honor and a kingdom, and all people, tribes and nations will serve Him” (Dan. 7:13-14). And the judgment itself The prophet depicts him this way: “in vain, until the throne was set up, and the books were opened: a river of fire flowed forth before Him, thousands of thousands serving Him, and ten thousand stood before Him” (Dan. 7:9-10). In addition, the prophet shows what honor the righteous will be awarded: “and he gave judgment to the saints of the Most High, and the holy kingdom was received” (Dan. 7:22). And the prophet Malachi predicts that this judgment will be carried out through fire: “He enters like the fire of a furnace, and like the soap of those who feather” (Mal.3:2). Do you see with what accuracy the prophets foretold the whole future? Do you really dare not believe after such striking proofs of the power of Christ, after the prophecies connected over such a long time, and the events that took place in accordance with the predictions, so that absolutely nothing remained unfulfilled? And that all this was not invented by us, the (sacred) books and those who first received and to this day contain and preserve them, our enemies and the descendants of those who crucified the Lord, testify to this. Why, they will say, do they not believe, having these books? That is why they did not believe when they saw His miracles. But this is not the fault of those who are not believed, but of those who see nothing in the middle of the day. Thus God created the visible world, this beautifully tuned organ, everywhere proclaiming and glorifying the Creator; however, there are people of whom some consider everything formed by itself, others consider everything visible to exist from eternity, others attribute its creation and preservation to demons, or chance and fate, natural development, the influence of the stars, etc. But the Creator is not to blame for this, and those who suffer from extreme diseases with such treatments are worthy of condemnation. A prudent soul sees what it should do, without needing many benefits; but the unreasonable and insensitive, even if she had many leaders, having given herself over to passions, remains blind. This can be seen everywhere, not only in the present matter (of faith), but also in others. How many people, for example, have not heard of the laws, and yet lived their lives in accordance with them? And others, from early age to old age, studied the laws, and yet constantly violated them. This happened in ancient times too. The Jews, who saw many signs and wonders, did not become better. And the Ninevites, having heard only the appeal, changed and abstained from vices. This can be seen not only in higher people, but also in lower ones. What teaching did Judas not receive? and yet he became a traitor. What instruction did the thief hear? - and yet on the cross he confessed the Lord and proclaimed His kingdom. Do not judge objects according to the opinions of corrupt people, but according to the true properties of objects, form a proper opinion about well-intentioned people. The Jews did not believe, the pagans believed. And the prophets did not remain silent about this; So the prophet David cries out: “The sons of strangers have lied to me, the sons of strangers have made promises, and are lame from their paths” (Ps. 17:45,46); and Isaiah says: “Lord, who is the believer of our hearing, and the arm of the Lord is revealed to whom” (Is. 53:1)? And again: “I was revealed to those who did not seek Me, I was found to those who did not ask about Me” (Is. 65:1). So during the earthly life of the Lord, a Canaanite woman and a Samaritan woman believed in Him, but the priests and elders were at enmity and plotted against Him, inciting others to do the same, and those who believed in Him were expelled from the synagogue. So don't be surprised by this. Our lives are filled with similar examples, both in our time and in previous times; however, among the Jews, although not all, but many, both then and now, believed (in Christ); and that not everything is not new, and not strange; such is ingratitude, such is the recklessness of a soul given over to passions! Having outlined the prophecies about Christ spoken by the prophets and foretold for so many years, I will now present those prophecies that He Himself, when He lived on earth and dealt with people, spoke about future events, so that you might know His power from them. The Lord, having come to earth then and arranging the salvation of people, both those who lived in past times and those who would live later, arranged this salvation in various ways. And watch how he acts. He works miracles and predicts some of the future distant events, assuring the listeners of that time with contemporary events of the truth of future events, and for future generations making reliable the miracles He performed at that time through the fulfillment of His predictions, and with such strong evidence instilling faith in His kingdom. 12. The prophecies of Jesus Christ were of two kinds: some of them were to be fulfilled in this life, and others would come true at the very end of the world; they mutually reinforce themselves and with great power prove the truth of both. I will try to explain unclear words with an example. The twelve disciples were the companions of the Lord; Even the name of the church did not even occur to anyone at that time, because the synagogue was still in a flourishing state. When almost the entire universe was given over to wickedness, what did the Lord say and foretell? “On this rock I will build my church, and the gates of hell will not prevail against it” (Matthew 16:18). Consider this saying as you wish, and you will see its truth in full brilliance. It is not only surprising that He established His church throughout the universe, but also that He made it insurmountable, and insurmountable when it experiences so many hostile attacks. The words: “the gates of hell will not prevail against her” mean dangers that lead to hell. Do you see the truth of the prediction? Do you see the power of doing it? Do you see words brilliantly justified by deeds, and an irresistible force that easily accomplishes everything? Brief saying: “I will build my church,” but do not ignore it, but delve into it with your mind and imagine how great a thing it is to fill the entire sunflower land with churches, convert so many tribes, convince nations, destroy fatherly customs, uproot an ingrained habit, overthrow the dominion of voluptuousness and the power of wickedness like dust; altars, churches, idols and their services, disorderly celebrations and unclean sacrifices will be scattered like smoke; and erect altars to the true God everywhere - in the Roman country, in Persia, in Scythia, in Mauritania, in India; what am I saying? – even outside our universe; for the British Isles, which lie beyond the sea, on the ocean itself, felt the power of the Lord’s saying; and churches and altars were erected there. This saying, spoken then by the Lord, is now implanted in all souls and is on all lips; the whole, so to speak, land, filled with thorns, was cleansed, became a pure field and received the seeds of piety. A great, truly great thing, or, better to say, a proof of extreme greatness and divine power, would be - without any obstacle, in a time of peace, with the assistance of many and without any enemies, to suddenly tear the universe away from the vicious habits that had been established for such a long time, and turn to others, much more difficult. And here the opponents were not only skill, but also voluptuousness - these two tyrants. It was necessary to reject what had been accepted from ancient times from fathers, grandfathers, great-grandfathers and ancient ancestors, from philosophers and rhetoricians; it was quite difficult; - and accept other new customs that require great feats, which was even more difficult. Christ banished luxury and introduced fasting; drove out covetousness, established non-covetousness; drove out intemperance, established chastity; cast out anger, introduced meekness; drove out envy, established friendliness; He led away from the long and wide path and led to the narrow, sorrowful and difficult path, and brought those who were accustomed to the long. He did not take any other people outside the universe without these skills, but those who had become corrupted in this world and became more worthless than dirt, He commanded them to follow the narrow and sorrowful, hard and harsh path, and convinced them. And how many did you convince? Not one, not ten, not twenty, not a hundred, but almost everyone living under the sun. And through whom did he convince? Through eleven people, unlearned, simple, who did not know languages, ignorant, poor, who had neither fatherland, nor wealth, nor bodily strength, nor fame, nor the celebrity of ancestors, nor the power of speech, nor the art of eloquence, nor the advantages of learning; but fishermen, tabernacle workers, who spoke their own language, not the same as the language of those to whom they preached, but alien and different from all other languages, that is, Jewish, and through them Christ built His church, stretching from the ends to the ends of the universe! 13. And not only this is amazing, but also the fact that these people, simple, poor, few, humble, unlearned, humiliated, speaking in an alien language and despised, chosen to correct the entire universe and received the command to turn it to the most difficult things, did this not in a time of peace, but in the face of countless attacks being launched against them from everywhere. In every nation and city - what do I say: in the people and city? – in every house they faced a struggle. The doctrine they preached often separated son from father, daughter-in-law from mother-in-law, brother from brother, slave from master, subordinate from boss, husband from wife, wife from husband, father from children; because not everyone suddenly accepted it; this exposed them to daily hostility, continuous struggle, thousands of deaths, and disposed people to treat them as common enemies and enemies. Everyone persecuted them: kings, rulers, commoners, freemen, slaves, peoples and cities; and not only them, but also those who accepted their teaching, but were not yet strong in the faith. There was a general war both against students and against teachers, since this teaching seemed contrary to royal regulations, habit, and paternal customs. They exhorted to reject idols, to despise the altars, which were revered by all fathers and ancestors, to renounce unclean beliefs, to abhor festivals and to turn away from rituals for which people had reverence and fear, and for which they were ready to give their souls rather than accept what the apostles preached and believe in the One born of Mary, condemned by the hegemon, reproached, endured countless sufferings and blasphemous death, buried and resurrected. And this produced incredulity that His suffering was obvious to everyone, scourging, blows on the cheeks, spitting on the face, strangulation, crucifixion, great ridicule, reproach from everyone, burial given as mercy; and the circumstances of the resurrection were not yet known, since after His resurrection He appeared to some disciples. And yet, with such preaching they convinced and organized the church. How and in what way? By the power of Him who commanded it; He himself was their leader: He himself made everything difficult easy. If divine power had not cooperated, then this matter would have received neither entry nor beginning. And how could it be done? But He who said: let there be heaven, and did it in practice; Who said: let the earth be created, and gave it existence; Who commanded: let the sun shine, and he showed the light; He who created all things by His word also planted these churches; and His word: “I will build my church,” accomplished all this. These are the words of God; they do wonderful and wondrous things. Once He said: “Let the earth sprout the old grass” (Gen. 1:11), and suddenly everything became a garden, everything became meadows, and the earth, heeding the command, was covered with countless plants. So now He said: “I will build my church,” and this happened with great ease; and while rulers armed themselves against it, warriors shook their weapons, entire nations raged stronger than fire, habit opposed, rhetoricians, sophists, rich, simple people and leaders rebelled, His word, acting stronger than fire, destroyed thorns, cleared the fields, sowed the gospel teaching. And while some of those who believed were imprisoned, others were sent into exile, others were deprived of their property, others were killed and cut up, burned, drowned and subjected to all kinds of torment, mocked and driven out from everywhere, as if common enemies, new confessors appeared in greater numbers, who, looking at the suffering of others, not only did not cool down to the faith, but they strove even more willingly and better for this wonderful catch, and were caught not by coercion, not by violence, but by running themselves and expressing gratitude to those who brought them to Christ; looking at the streams of blood of believers, they became more ardent towards faith and more courageous; and while not only the disciples, but also the teachers, some were imprisoned, others were expelled, others were scourged, and endured countless other torments, the number of believers multiplied and their zeal increased. Paul speaks about this this way: “And the brethren who are numerous in the Lord, who have trusted in my bonds, dare to speak the Word of God without fear” (Phil. 1:14); and in another place: “For ye, brethren, have become like unto the churches of God which are in Judea, that ye also have suffered at the hands of your own brethren, as ye also have suffered at the hands of the Jews, who slew the Lord, and forbidding us to speak with our tongues, that they may be saved” (1 Thess. 2:14-16). And in his letter to others, he says: “Remember the first days, in which you were enlightened, and you struggled through many sufferings, so that you might have possessions in heaven” (Heb. 10:32,34). Do you see the excellent power of Him who accomplished all this? The martyrs, being exposed to suffering, not only did not become faint-hearted, not only did not grieve, but rejoiced, triumphed, and rejoiced. And Paul says about this that “they accepted the plunder of their estates with joy” (Heb. 10:34); and Luke tells about the teachers in the book of Acts that they returned with joy from the Sanhedrin, having been deemed worthy to accept dishonor for the name of Christ (Acts 5:41). And Paul also says about himself: “I rejoice in my sufferings, for I have fulfilled the privation of the sorrows of Christ in my flesh” (Col. 1:24). And what is surprising if he rejoiced in the midst of suffering, when, preparing to endure death, he not only rejoiced, but also called on his disciples to participate in his joy, which is characteristic of an extremely rejoicing soul. “I rejoice,” he says, “and I rejoice with you all: you also rejoice and rejoice with me” (Phil. 2:17–18). What happened, tell me that you are filled with such joy? “For,” he says, “I am already devoured, and the time of my departure has come” (2 Tim. 4:6). 14. In this way they built churches everywhere. No one could build even one wall of stone and mortar, subject to persecution and obstacles; and they built so many churches throughout the entire universe, being subjected to wounds, bonds, persecution, exile, confiscation of property, scourging, strangulation, burning, drowning together with their disciples, and they built it not from stones, but from the souls and wills of men, which is much more difficult than building from stones. It makes no difference whether to build a wall, or to incite the soul, which has been in the power of demons for so long, to repentance and turn it from insane fury to chastity. However, the apostles, who were poor and had no shoes, were able to do this, walking around the entire universe in one garment; because they had as their champion and helper the irresistible power of the one who said: “On this rock I will build my church, and the gates of hell will not prevail against it.” Calculate how many rulers rebelled against her, how many heaviest persecutions they instituted against her, in what position she was in all the previous times, when faith was just being implanted, when people’s minds were not yet firm in it. 15. The kings were pagans, Augustus, Tiberius, Gaius, Nero, Vespasian, Titus and all those who followed until the time of the blessed king Constantine; and they all persecuted the church, some with less cruelty, and others with greater cruelty, but they all persecuted it. Although some of them, apparently, left her alone, the very fact that the kings were clearly given over to wickedness served as a reason for persecution, since others, out of flattery, pleased them with persecution of the church. But all such intrigues and attacks were dissolved more easily than a web, dissipated faster than smoke, dissipated faster than dust. By these very machinations they produced a great host of martyrs and left the church immortal treasures, towers and pillars, which not only during their lifetime, but also after their death, became a source of great prosperity for subsequent Christians. Do you see the power of the prediction: “and the gates of hell will not prevail against her”? After this, believe that in the future none of them will defeat her. If then, when it consisted of a few, when it seemed like an innovation, when the doctrine had just been taught, when there were so many obstacles and so many hostile attacks from all sides, the enemies could not and did not overcome it, then all the more so when it spread throughout the entire universe and in every place, over mountains and caves and hills. Indeed, it has embraced both the sea and all the tribes under the sun, and wickedness already reigns among a few, after the destruction of altars, churches, idols and everything, festivals, rituals, smoke and stench and wicked gatherings. How could such a great work, with such obstacles, receive such a brilliant end and success, testifying to its truth, if not by some divine and invincible power of the one who predicted and accomplished it? No one will contradict this, except perhaps one of the extremely insane and crazy people who have lost their natural meaning. And not only those, but also other predictions testify to His invincible power. Thus He predicted the future with all truth and brought (His predictions) into fulfillment; and nothing that He said can remain in vain, but rather the earth and heaven will perish than anything from His words and predictions will turn out to be spoken falsely. Therefore, He Himself, pointing to this before the fulfillment of events, clearly spoke about His sayings like this: “heaven and earth pass by, but My words will not pass by” (Matthew 24:35); and very understandable; because they are not mere words, but the words of God, by which deeds are created; This is how God created the sky, the earth, the sea, the sun, hosts of angels, and other invisible forces. Explaining this, the prophet said: “He commanded that speech, and it was created” (Ps. 149:5), meaning all creation, higher and lower, sensory and spiritual, bodily and incorporeal. So the prediction about the church, as I said above, proves the greatness, power and superiority of His truth, providence, goodness and trusteeship. 16. Now we will consider another of His predictions, shining brighter than the sun and brighter than the rays of the sun, which is before the eyes of everyone and extends to all subsequent generations, like the previous one. These are for the most part His predictions. They are not limited to a short time and are not fulfilled in one generation, but to all people, present, future and following them, and further beyond these and to the end of time, they make everyone understand the power of their truth, like the previous one. According to this prediction, the church, from the day it was spoken until the end of time, will remain firm and unshakable, flourishing and shining, every day prospering, growing, strengthening and imparting to all people who have to be from that time until the (second) coming of Christ, the greatest blessings and ineffable benefits. Both those who were before us, and those who were before these and even before those who were, knew its power, seeing the attacks erected against the church, danger and intrigue, confusion, excitement and storms, and seeing it unsinkable, insurmountable, invincible, indestructible, but flourishing, prospering and growing more and more. And the prediction about which I now intend to speak is the same to prove His power and the truth of what He has spoken. What kind of prediction is this? Christ once entered the Jewish church, which was then in a flourishing state, sparkling everywhere with an abundance of gold, the beauty and splendor of the buildings, containing all other artificial and material jewelry, and while His disciples were surprised, what did He say to them? “Don’t you see all this; Amen, I say to you, not to leave here one stone upon another” (Matthew 24:2), meaning its future destruction, destruction, desolation, the present ruins in Jerusalem; and truly all these brilliant and famous buildings turned into ruins. Do you see His great and ineffable power in both - in the fact that He created and multiplied those who worshiped Him, and in the fact that He humbled, crushed and uprooted those who were hostile to Him? Nowhere was there such a church, so glorious and enjoyed such veneration. The Jews, who lived everywhere to the very ends of the earth, from ancient times came there, bringing gifts, sacrifices, alms, first fruits and much more, and decorating the temple with the wealth of the universe; and all the Jewish proselytes (from the pagans) flocked there from everywhere, and the glory of this place was great, reaching to the very ends of the universe. But one word of Christ destroyed and destroyed all this and scattered it like dust; and where previously not all Jews, not even all priests, but only one high priest were allowed to enter, and, moreover, only once a year in his vestments, crowns and miter and other sacred clothes, now lewd fornicators and depraved adulterers can enter without any obstacle; because the word (of Christ) addressed to him destroyed and destroyed everything; and from this church there remains as much as is necessary to indicate where it was located in ancient times. Imagine the power that accomplished this deed. Those who had such power, overcame nations and kings, repeatedly won victories in wars without shedding their blood and erected many extraordinary and wondrous trophies, could not build one church from that time to now, and moreover, when there were so many kings who assisted them, and so many of them themselves, scattered throughout the universe and having such riches. Do you see how no one destroyed what He built, and no one built what He destroyed? He built the church and no one can destroy it; He destroyed the church, and no one can restore it, and in such a long time; Meanwhile, they tried to destroy the church, but could not, and they tried to restore the church, but could not. This was allowed so that no one could say that if they tried, they could (restore the church). So they tried, but they couldn't do anything. During our generation, the king (Julian), who surpassed everyone in wickedness, then gave them permission and assisted them, and they began the task, but could not have any success, since the fire that burst out of the foundation dispersed them. And what they wanted to build, the proof of this to this day is the exposed foundation (of the church), so that you can see that they tried to dig up the ground, but could not build, since the mentioned saying (of Christ) opposed them. This church had been destroyed before, but upon the return (of the Jews from Babylonian captivity) after seventy years, it was immediately restored, as the prophets spoke and predicted before the event. And now more than three hundred years have passed, and there is no thought, no probability, no hope that he will appear again. What was the obstacle if not the divine power opposing this? Do they not have a great abundance of wealth? Doesn’t their patriarch, collecting income from everyone everywhere, own countless treasures? Is this people not bold, not shameless, not persistent, not impudent, not warlike? Aren't there many of them in Palestine? Isn't there a lot in Phenicia? Isn’t there a lot – everywhere? How could they not restore one church, and, moreover, seeing that because of this their worship was delayed everywhere, and Jewish customs were violated, and sacrifices and offerings and other similar provisions of the law were canceled and stopped? For neither to build an altar, nor to offer sacrifices, nor to make drink offerings, nor to lay on sheep and incense, nor to read the law, nor to celebrate a feast, nor anything else similar to them was allowed outside the vestibule of that church. 17. Once in Babylon and being forced by enemies to sing, they did not agree and did not obey, although they were captives and slaves of the masters who oppressed them; but even without a fatherland and freedom, and being in fear for their lives, and being in the hands of captives, as if in a net, when they were ordered to sing songs on instruments, they said this: “on the rivers of Babylon, there is a gray horse and a mourner; as if we have captivated us and asked about the words of the songs; How can we sing the song of the Lord in a foreign land” (Ps. 136:1–4)? And no one can say that they did this for lack of tools; They themselves gave the reason for this in the words: “How shall we sing the song of the Lord in a foreign land”? And the tools were with them; “On the willows,” they say, “in the midst of both of them are our organs” (Ps. 137:2). It was not permissible for them to fast there. Pointing to this, the prophet said to them: “Have I fasted seventy years, says the Lord” (Zechariah 7:5)? And that it was not permissible for them to do either incense or drink offerings, listen to the three youths, who say: “There is no prince, nor prophet, nor leader, nor place where He can eat before You and find mercy” (Dan. 3:38,39). They didn't say there was no priest; because there were priests; but so that you know that everything depended on the place and all legislation was attached to it, they said: “there is no place.” But what am I saying: do incense and libations? It was not permissible for them to even simply read the law there; and for this, once reproaching them, another prophet said: “And he proclaimed the law from without, and called for confession” (Am. 4:5); neither celebrate Passover, nor Pentecost, nor the Feast of Tabernacles, nor anything else like that. And yet, knowing that the desolation of the place made all this impermissible for them, and that if they began to attempt something like that, they would be attempting illegally and would be punished for it, they could not erect and restore the place in which it was allowed to do all this by law. So the power of Christ, which created the church, destroyed this place. And the prophet predicted that Christ would come and do this, although he himself lived after the captivity. Listen to what he says: “And the doors will be shut in you, and you will not light a fire on the altar of my tuna: my will is not in you; From the east of the sun to the west my name was glorified among the nations, and in every place incense was offered to my name and the sacrifice was pure” (Mal. 1:10-11). Do you see how he clearly rejected Judaism and presented Christianity as shining and spreading throughout the whole earth? Another prophet depicts the property of this worship as follows: “and everyone will worship him from their place, working together under the yoke” (Zeph. 2:11, 3:9-10); and another: “The virgin of Israel is cast down, there is no one who can raise her up” (Amos 5:2). And Daniel clearly says that everything will cease, both the sacrifice and the drink offering, and the anointing and the judgment (Dan.9:27). However, I will reveal this more clearly and more extensively when I speak to the Jews, but for now I will stick to the suggested path, in refutation of the reasoning of the foolish pagans. I did not tell you about the resurrection of the dead, nor about the cleansing of lepers, so that you would not say: this is a lie, an invention, a fable, who saw it, who heard it? Those who said that Christ was crucified and received blows on the cheeks, the same ones said about this. Why do you, considering them reliable in the latter, rebel against what they said about the former, as if unrealizable? If they had written out of vain vanity to glorify their teacher, they would have kept silent about events that were regrettable and seem shameful to many, but meanwhile, to prove their truth, they especially focused on these latter ones and told everything with accuracy and great detail, without omitting anything small or great; They kept a lot silent about signs and wonders, but about suffering and events that seemed shameful, which they dwelled on, they said everything with accuracy. I didn’t tell you anything about this, that is. about miracles and signs, in order to more strongly restrain every shameless tongue, he presented what is now evident, is now before our eyes, which is clearer than the sun, spread throughout the entire earth and embraces the entire universe, which happened above human nature and was only the work of God. Are you saying He didn't raise the dead? But you cannot say that there are no churches in the universe, that they have not been persecuted and that they do not overcome and conquer. Saying this is as impossible as saying that there is no sun. But don’t you see the destruction of the Jewish church accomplished before the eyes of the entire universe? Why don’t you reason with yourself like this: if it was not God and the mighty God who acted, then why did those who worship Him increase so much even during persecution, and those who crucified Him and those who attacked Him were so humiliated that they lost their entire state and wander as wanderers, exiles and fugitives, and such a long time has not changed both? The Jews undertook wars against the Roman power, took up arms, continued to take up arms for a long time, sometimes won victories and caused quite a bit of trouble to the then emperors, and yet these same Jews, who fought and took up arms against such kings, and had so much money and weapons and warriors and repelled many generals, could not restore one temple; They built synagogues in many cities, but they could not restore that one place that gave strength to their own state, where they were accustomed to do everything and where Judaism was held together. You might be interested in: