Слово на Святую Пятидесятницу. Святого Ионна Златоустого, архиепископа Константинопольского

The grace of the Spirit appeared because He who promised the gift of the Spirit is true. The Comforter proclaimed by the Lord Christ has already come, because He who revealed to us in advance about His coming is not a lie; It was not the slave who predicted the appearance of the slave, but the Lord announced the Lord, who has equal honor with Him, and the good Teacher gives way to the same Teacher, or better to say: with the co-present He is present, with the ascendant He ascends, and with the descendant He descends. The grace of the Trinity is indivisible: just as the Ascendant was not absent, so the Coming One was present. God the Word ascended as a man, and yet is present on earth; The Comforter descended and, nevertheless, did not leave heaven, but reigns with the Father and illuminates the earth, completed the economy and sent the generations of languages ​​to the apostles. Suddenly they heard a loud noise, the sound of a stormy wind was heard, and the appearance of the Spirit was like a thunderclap, because the Spirit descended on the sons of thunder. And the nations appeared to them, dividing them like fire (Acts 2:3). What was seen with the eyes produced fear; and what happened was desired; the flames were approaching, but did not burn; the fire touched, but did not ignite - that fire that bestowed heavenly wisdom, that was divided into countless languages, that contained countless types of words - that fire that taught fishermen wisdom, that made the tanner an orator. It is better to say: the sages cannot even be compared with them. The former were teachers of just one people, and the latter (i.e., the apostles) became teachers of the universe. The Galilean husband spoke the language of the Medes, knew Parthian and was not ignorant of the Elamite language; in his mouth he had images of every language. None of the listeners considered him a barbarian, none of them avoided listening to his speeches as incomprehensible; on the contrary, they listened to him as a citizen of every nation, as a person familiar with the language of the entire universe. In this case we received the first fruit of godliness. When the tower was built, the languages ​​of the peoples were divided, and people did not understand each other's language. It was necessary that the unanimity, manifested in an ungodly plan, should be upset due to the misunderstanding of the words of others - that people, united among themselves in a vicious cause, should disperse due to a change in their language, and that they would be convinced of the folly of their intentions from their speech, when the speaker in essence said nothing, and the listener did not understand, so that time was wasted in vain. What benefit does arrogance have for you? What is the end of a proud matter? Why are you trying to grab the elusive? Why are you trying to steal heaven when you are not even worthy to use the earth? Why do you talk about what is above - in the sky, when you don’t even understand the speech of your neighbor? I divide your tongue and put an end to the matter, not because I am afraid of your ascension, and not because I fear for My kingdom, but because I am concerned about your vain labor and the same fatigue. What usually raises one to heaven is not a building made of stones or a tower built by many hands, but the chariots of knowledge of God, the horses of truth, the life that is purer than light, and the wings of virtue - this is what leads one to that path. Thanks to the wise and at the same time humane management of God, the division of languages ​​put an end to the insolence of those builders. What God took from those as bad people, he gave to the apostles as virtuous people. Having punished the wicked through the tongue, He glorified the saints with the same instrument. The servants of the word accept his images, having to use grace not for proud purposes, but receiving this gift for the benefit (of their neighbors). After all, it was necessary for the teachers of the universe to know its languages. A teacher whose students do not understand is powerless. Those who were entrusted with such great sacraments must first of all receive the gift of knowledge of languages. No one can initiate anyone into the sacraments who has not first believed in Christ. But no one will believe unless he first understands what is being said to him. This is where the grace of the Spirit began and therefore, first of all, performed the miracle concerning tongues. Their message went out into all the earth (Ps. 18:5). It was necessary for them to take possession of the universe, it was necessary for their broadcast to spread throughout all the borders of the earth, it was necessary for them not to leave anyone without teaching and without guidance. Appearing in the form of fire, he divided the nations. The tongues of the apostles were supposed to act like fire and reveal their dual use: to burn the devil and to enlighten those sitting in darkness. Pay attention to the fact that for the faithful, fire is gentler than oil; then, that for the devil the tongue is more terrible than any fire; see how the tongue burns up the thorns of wickedness and waters the fields of piety; note that twelve disciples were instructed by one Teacher, that twelve military leaders were appointed by one King, that twelve brilliant lights shine from one peak, that twelve pure rays emanate from one sun, that twelve lamps are lit from one spark, that twelve branches grow from the true vine, that twelve caskets are filled with one meal, that twelve rivers flow from one source that twelve tongues speak by one grace. Do not think that the apostles got drunk with wine; by your unbelief do not insult the gift, do not imitate people worthy of damnation, and do not call the actions of the Spirit intoxication. Intoxication cannot give birth to tongues; on the contrary, it binds everyone and the one who has it makes a person mad and interrupts the flow of speech. A drunken man, like one walking in the dark among stones, stumbles and hits his teeth on the ground, and although he has the ability to think, he uses it randomly, creates non-existent images, shortens the syllables of the words he pronounces. Drunkenness is a dream of a waking person, a dream visible to those who are not sleeping, a rage consumed by thirst, a hungry demon, the devil, a robber sitting in wine, setting up ambushes at feasts, scorching the mind with whole wine and making poison out of medicine for a soul overcome by despondency. This is what intoxication usually produces. The wicked unjustly accused the apostles of the latter. And it is not surprising if the sober people seemed drunk to the Jews. Once upon a time holy men suffered insults from them, and the Jews mocked the prophets as if they were drunk. Even if they tried to deny it, let us say to them: O children of Israel, have you no food to eat? says the Lord. And My sanctified ones drank wine, and commanded the prophet, saying: You shall not prophesy (Amos 2:11–12). However, I myself admit that the apostles were drunk, but not in the sense in which you call them so; their intoxication was the most divine and spiritual, the one who experiences it is filled with wisdom, stays awake and sober in the work of virtue, learns to love God, will not feel thirst forever, rages with Paul, shows courage in relation to all fire and iron, plunges himself into danger, welcomes every misfortune as a joyful event - comes to admiration from slander, as if they were greetings - insults proud, like praises, and proud of bonds for the Savior, like royal crowns. Such a cup made the apostles drunk. The Savior's disciples drank from this vessel - and fell into a state of the most beautiful intoxication, were completely satisfied with the holy meal and said together with blessed David: Thou hast prepared a table before me to resist those who are cold to me: Thou hast anointed my head with oil, and Thy cup intoxicates me like a mighty one. And Your mercy will marry me all the days of my life (Ps. 22:5-6). The one who drinks from this cup is sober in Christ, but to foolish people he seems drunk, because he thinks about what is the Savior’s. The Lord Christ dissolved this cup for us from His blood, and called many together with us as participants in His feast, gathered countless Gospel fish, filled Peter’s net, and a spectacle unusual for the latter took place: the storm made his fishing more brilliant. And those whom (the Lord) did not catch with conviction, he caught with fear, since his capture was facilitated by the radiance of lightning. However, let no one impute this to the new flock as dishonor if its sheep were caught with the help of lightning, since Christ usually bridles the rebellious young “horses” through the latter. And whoever knows about the calling of Blessed Paul, he rejoices, having been called along with him, and, having seen the Lord Christ in lightning, he becomes Christ’s disciple. To him be glory forever and ever. Amen 114. See Bibliot. Patr. Concionator. tom. IV, p.p. 510–511; Wed Full collection created, St. Chrysostom, ed. 1897, vol. IIΙ, pp. 869–872. In Curs. Compl. Patrolog. Migne is a word classified as spuria You might be interested in: