Глава вторая

Acts 2:1–4. When the day of Pentecost arrived they were all with one accord together. And suddenly there came a sound from heaven, as if from a rushing strong wind, and it filled the whole house where they were sitting. And cloven tongues as of fire appeared to them, and one rested on each of them. And they were all filled with the Holy Spirit, and began to speak in other tongues, as the Spirit gave them utterance. Why did this happen “at the coming of the day of Pentecost”? Because when the sickle had to come down for the harvest, when the fruits had to be gathered, then the sickle of the word had to come down; and, as if instead of a sickle, the sophisticated 16 Holy Spirit flew down. And Christ says: “The harvest is plentiful, but the laborers are few” (Matthew 9:37), and in another place: “Look at the fields, how they have turned white and are ripe for the harvest” (John 4:35). Having received the firstfruits, Christ Himself was the first to lift them up, and He Himself was the first to send the sickle. Why did he send “at the coming of the day of Pentecost”? Because this should have happened when the holiday came again, so that those who were at the cross of Christ could see this too. “Closing tongues as if of fire.” The Lord, who suffered in the flesh by voluntary passion and rose from the dead, resurrected with Himself those who had died in sin, and destroyed the power of the devil. Therefore, until Pentecost from Easter, we do not bow to the ground in prayer, chanting victory over our enemies: “They wavered and fell, but we stood up and stand upright” (Ps. 19:9). But, when the Holy Spirit appears to us in fiery tongues, we bow our knees, unable to bear this sight and showing that through the Holy Spirit we have come to know the perfect worship of the Holy Trinity, because God “is a spirit, and those who worship Him must worship in spirit and truth” (John 4:24). The descent of the Holy Spirit took place on the day of Pentecost for the following reason. On the day of Pentecost in the Old Testament the law was given. So, on the same day that the law was given, written on tablets, on the same day the law of the Holy Spirit was given, written not on tablets, but on hearts. On the day of Pentecost, the people of Israel received the law in the Sinai desert, because on the fourteenth day of the first month according to the lunar reckoning, when they celebrated unleavened bread and the mystery of the Passover, the children of Israel came out of Egypt. From the fourteenth day, count seventeen days until the end of the month, then thirty days of the next month and three days of the third. This is how many days Pentecost is after the Feast of Unleavened Bread or Passover. So, from the fourteenth day of the first month to the third day of the third month - fifty days. Therefore it is said: “In the third month after the exodus of the children of Israel from the land of Egypt... the Lord said to Moses: go to the people, [proclaim] and sanctify them today and tomorrow” (Ex. 19: 1, 10). This is the Lord speaking in the new moon. “On the third day,” it goes on, “the Lord will descend in the presence of all the people onto Mount Sinai” (v. 11). So, on what day the law was given, on the same day it was necessary to bestow the grace of the Spirit, because just as the Savior, having to endure holy suffering, deigned to give Himself up to this suffering not at another time, but at the one in which the lamb was slain, in order to connect the truth with the image itself, so the descent of the Holy Spirit, by grace from above, was granted not at another time, but at the time in which the law was given, to show that the Holy Spirit laid the law then and now lays the law. So, in the Old Testament the law was given on the fiftieth day. And after coming to the promised land, the Israelites held a holiday in memory of this event and at that time they offered to God from the firstfruits of new fruits and from new ears of corn; and this was a symbol of the holiday. Since on the day of Pentecost sheaves of new fruits were brought down and different persons came together under one heaven, then on this same day it was meant that the firstfruits from every nation of all the nations living under heaven would be collected into one sheaf of piety and, according to the word of the apostle, would be brought to God. The sheaf of ears served as a prototype of this, to signify the sheaves of souls chosen from different countries and brought to God. Why was the descent of the Holy Spirit not without sensory symbols? Because if at the same time they said “that they were drunk with sweet wine” (Acts 2:13), then what would they not have said if this had not happened? There was not just a noise, but a noise from the sky and sudden, so as to amaze them more. “As if from a rushing strong wind.” He says that the descent of the Spirit was with great and strong speed and forced everyone to come together and run there. “Filled the whole house.” The Holy Spirit filled the entire house to show that this gift was not given to anyone individually, but to the entirety of the Church, because the house was a symbol of the Church, just as a font is a symbol of water, and this is a sign of abundance and strength. But the house was not filled with fire, because that would have forced them to leave. What is most amazing is that the tongues were divided “and one rested on each of them.” He says very well that they were divided, so that you would know that the power sent by the Comforter is one and the same. He also says beautifully: “as if from fire,” and “as if from a rushing strong wind,” so that you do not think anything sensual about the Spirit. So, there was not just wind, not just fire, but the Holy Spirit appearing there. Observe: when John saw the Holy Spirit, he saw Him in the form of a dove, but the apostles needed to see Him in the form of fire. “They rested one on each of them,” that is, they remained and began to dwell, because the expression “to rest” is a sign of a lasting and permanent stay. On whom did the Holy Spirit rest - was it only on the twelve or on the one hundred and twenty? It is clear that on everyone, because the Apostle Peter not in vain quotes the words of the prophet when he says: “And it will come to pass in the last days, says God, that I will pour out My Spirit on all flesh” (v. 17). And they not only accepted, but “were all filled with the Holy Spirit,” and moreover, all of them, and not just the apostles. – Observe: when they “continued with one accord in prayer and supplication” (Acts 1:14), when they were filled with love, then the Spirit descends. Why did He appear in the form of fire? In order to show that He is one and the same being with the One who also appeared over the bush in the form of fire. And he rested on his head; he filled the whole man from the head; and a fire was visible on their heads, not burning, but sanctifying and enlightening. Why did they take tongues not on their lips, but on their heads? The Spirit was not given to the tongue, that is, not to the physical organ, so that they would not think that they were uttering from their belly and from their lips what they did not have. But just as the waters rising to heaven occupy the tops of mountains and from the heights descend into the valleys, so the grace of the Spirit, occupying the upper part of the head, like a mountain, then spread to the brain, then to the lips and heart, and from the head completely filled the whole person. Why, I repeat, on the head? Because the apostles were ordained at that time as teachers of the universe, and ordination is performed only on the head. So, by the fact that the tongues were above the heads, the image of ordination is shown, because ordination is accomplished through the laying of hands on the head, such an image of ordination is in force to this day. Since the descent of the Holy Spirit now occurs in an invisible way, the Gospel is placed on the head of the ordained bishop; and when it is placed, then one should see in this nothing more than a fiery tongue resting on the head - a fiery tongue for the sake of preaching - by virtue of the words “I came to bring down fire on the earth” (Luke 12:49). He did not say that the tongues were established or settled, but that they “rested”; He also did not say “occupied the surface,” but “rested on each of them,” to show that every man performing a sacred act is the throne of God. "And they began to speak in other tongues." The grace of God was pleased to determine from the beginning that the word of the apostles would be effective; because why would there be preachers if there were no listeners? And since the firstfruits of the Gentiles should have become participants in the faith from the very first days, Luke adds: “and they began to speak in other tongues.” Why did the apostles receive the gift of tongues before other gifts? Because they had to disperse to all countries; and just as during the pandemonium one language was divided into many, so now many languages ​​were united in one person and one and the same person, at the inspiration of the Holy Spirit, began to speak Persian, and Roman, and Indian, and many other languages. And this gift was called the gift of tongues, because the apostles could speak many languages. "How the Spirit gave them utterance." The apostles did not speak on their own, but spoke from the Spirit of God, preaching, that is, understanding and proclaiming the testimonies about Christ spoken by the holy prophets. Acts 2:5–6. Now in Jerusalem there were Jews, pious people, from every nation under heaven. When this noise was made, the people gathered and were in confusion; for everyone heard them speaking in his own language. "Pious people". The very fact that, having left their fatherland, they lived in Jerusalem, was a sign of their piety. Especially because people from various countries went to live in Jerusalem, leaving their homes and relatives. The expression “from every nation” is used instead of the expression “from many tongues,” because in Scripture the word “all” is often used instead of “many”; So, in this sense, the following is said: “I will pour out My Spirit on all flesh” (Joel 2:28), and: “everyone seeks his own, and not what is pleasing to Jesus Christ” (Phil. 2:21), and: “there is none righteous, not even one” (Rom. 3:10). The expression of wholeness in Scripture designates many in these passages. “When this noise was made, the people gathered and were in confusion,” that is, they were confused, amazed. Since this happened in the house, obviously people came running from outside. “For everyone heard them speaking in his own language.” They knew that the believers, and especially the apostles (since those gathered turned their attention more to the apostles), were Galileans; and yet they spoke a surprising number of languages. “The people... fell into confusion,” naturally, because those who came running believed that the event threatened them for the atrocity they had committed against Christ; and their conscience tore their souls, since the killing of Christ was still vivid in their memory and they feared everything. But this strengthened the apostles, since the listeners themselves let them know that this was a wonderful gift, because the apostles did not understand that the famous expression was Parthian, but they learned it from the listeners. He also mentions hostile peoples - the Cretans, Arabians and others; this was a symbol that they would defeat everyone, since there were many captives in Jerusalem. So, the testimony is from everywhere: from citizens, and from strangers, and from proselytes. 17 Acts 2:7–13. And they were all astonished and amazed, saying to one another, “Are not these all Galilians who speak?” How then do we hear each one in his own dialect in which he was born, the Parthians, and the Medes, and the Elamites, and the inhabitants of Mesopotamia, Judea and Cappadocia, Pontus and Asia, Phrygia and Pamphylia, Egypt and the parts of Libya adjacent to Cyrene, and those who came from Rome, Jews and proselytes, Cretans and Arabians, we hear them speaking in our own languages about great works of God? And they were all amazed and perplexed, saying to each other: What does this mean? And others, mocking, said: they got drunk on sweet wine. Everywhere, along with virtue, there is vice. Some were surprised, others reviled. The first were truly pious; They lived in Jerusalem because, by law, they were allowed to appear in the Jerusalem temple three times a year. But pay attention to the madness of others: “they got drunk,” they say, “of sweet wine,” although the time was not such that one could assume anything like that, because it was the Feast of Pentecost and the third hour; but anger stops at nothing. And most importantly: when some, who were partly from the Jews, partly from the Romans, partly from the aliens, and, perhaps, partly from the crucifiers, in a word, from almost all nations, hearing the preaching of the apostles, were surprised and claimed that the apostles spoke their languages, there were several who, however, reviled the apostles. Did those who slandered them understand when the apostles spoke different languages, or not? If they did not understand, then how is it that the apostles spoke all languages? If they understood, then how did they dare to accuse them of drunkenness, having present their accusers - the very men who heard and understood that the apostles spoke in different languages ​​and that they were not drunk? Let someone else resolve this; I say the opposite: if they did not understand, they would not have degraded the miracle to intoxication (they would not have called the miracle drunkenness), since why would they try to humiliate something that does not cause any annoyance to anyone? That is why Luke calls them slanderers, as if they were blasphemers and slanderers. So, they slandered, understanding what was being said, but they slandered because they were dissatisfied with what was said, since the apostles glorified the great works of God. How then, understanding what was said, did they attribute it to intoxication? Due to great madness and excessive cruelty. After all, for many, if they are dissatisfied with what is being said, it is the custom to consider the speaker either raging, or crazy, or to accuse him of intoxication and not understanding what he is saying, although the one who speaks speaks sensibly, and the slanderer, when accusing the first, listens and understands him. And these, accusing the apostles of drunkenness, showed even more insolence, because although they themselves listened to them in their own language, they believed that other people, people of the most diverse dialects, did not understand them. They themselves understood what was being said, but about the others, because of whom they slandered the apostles in their intoxication, they thought that they did not understand the miracle. Just as at the time when the Lord cast out demons, although they understood and saw these wonderful actions, instead of due glorification they slandered the Lord that He performed them by the power of Beelzebub; also seeing all sorts of illnesses and sufferings being healed, they made these miraculous actions a reason for envy, denunciations and murder - and now, not being able to deny the miraculousness and supernaturalism of tongues, they, however, dared to humiliate the miracle to the point of intoxication. But pay attention to the malice. Since it was incredible that anyone would be drunk at such an hour, and especially people who had experienced many dangers and horrors, they attribute everything to the quality of the wine, calling it “sweet.” 18 Here impudence seeks only to say something, and not to say something more thoroughly. Therefore, what they express is unclearly full of stupidity and madness. Notice how malice is exposed both by the time of year and the hour of the day. Where did glevkos come from on the days of Pentecost? Glevkos is the name of the new wine. 19 Further, intoxication gives the power to speak in different languages ​​- intoxication, which deprives one of the natural language! Look what God is working out. The Jews would have refused to come in and listen if they had not suspected that it was slander. The Lord allowed slander to gather many listeners. Acts 2:14–15. Peter, standing with the eleven, lifted up his voice and cried: Men of the Jews and all who live in Jerusalem! Let this be known to you, and listen to my words: they are not drunk, as you think, for it is now the third hour of the day. You saw industry above; notice the courage here, because if all the listeners were surprised, was it not just as surprising that a simple and unlearned man raised his voice among such a multitude, despite the fact that there were those who slandered and those who were capable of killing? Is this really not beyond human strength? But look: immediately upon raising his voice, he (that is, Peter) exposes the deception, proving that they are not drunk. But they are not in a frenzy. What's going on with him and Eleven? Peter spoke the common opinion and the common voice and was the mouth of all, and the eleven stood there testifying to what he said. “He raised his voice,” that is, he began to speak with great boldness so that immediately, at the beginning of it, they would feel the grace of the Spirit. The one who could not bear the question of a weak slave is the one among the people and murderers who speaks with such boldness. Before he received the gift of tongues, Peter was afraid when only the servant of the door asked him, and said: “I don’t know this man” (Mark 14:71). There is one slave and great fear, here there is an innumerable multitude and a voice full of great boldness. He did not say: “they are not drunk like you,” he slandered, but: “what do you think,” because he speaks more meekly and does not want to persistently prove that they said this out of malice, but attributes ignorance to them, and does not accuse them of wickedness, preparing the way for them to conversion. And what does the objection mean that it is not customary to get drunk at the third hour? But Peter did not dwell on it, because they themselves did not think so about the apostles, but spoke so only out of slander. Acts 2:16–18. But this is what was foretold by the prophet Joel: “And it will come to pass in the last days, says God: I will pour out My Spirit on all flesh; and your sons and your daughters will prophesy; and your young men will see visions, and your old men will dream dreams. And on My servants and on My handmaids in those days I will pour out My Spirit, and they will prophesy. It refers not to Christ's name, not to Christ's promise, but to the promise of the Father. Notice also Peter’s foresight. He did not keep silent about the prophecy, but he also did not say directly about what concerns Christ: that after He was crucified and resurrected, He promised them, the apostles, this gift. If he, Peter, had said this, he would have ruined everything; although this could prove the Divinity of Christ, it would seem incredible. The question is to believe what is being said; and what would seem incredible would make them hesitate. Nothing can resolve these perplexities except prophetic testimony. So, when any doubtful question arises, do not resort to reasoning. Rational discussions are just as refuted as they are formed, but who can destroy the voice of God? Reasoning is destroyed, Scripture is not destroyed. It is not said: “I will pour out My Spirit,” but: “of My Spirit.” Not the Spirit, but the gift of the Spirit is poured out “on all flesh,” and specifically on those who believe, that is, on the pagans. But he does not yet reveal this to them, and the words “for all flesh” give them good hopes and do not allow them to appropriate the expected benefits to themselves alone; through this very thing he cuts down envy at its very root. Pay attention to how varied the revelation of the Holy Spirit is. One, having the grace of the Spirit, prophesies; another, incapable of this service, receives the gift of visions: thus Peter sees a vessel at the sixth hour of the day, Cornelius sees an Angel at the ninth hour. Seeing with the heart is not called “look” or “gaze,” but “seeing.” Otherwise they see the vision; they see the theorem differently when they do not see with their eyes; Otherwise, they are taught by images that appear in dreams. Acts 2:19–21. And I will show wonders in heaven above and signs on earth below, blood and fire and smoking smoke. The sun will be turned into darkness and the moon into blood, before the great and glorious day of the Lord comes. And it will come to pass: whoever calls on the name of the Lord will be saved” (Joel 2:28-32). With these words, the prophet clearly predicts in advance about the future judgment, and about the destruction of Jerusalem, and about the captivity of the Jews, and about the events that took place at the cross of Christ, and, finally, about what happened to the Jews as a result of the Roman war, when the Romans shed a lot of blood in Judea, when the smoke fluttered from the burned cities and villages. Through this, the Jews were punished for their insolence against Christ, for insolence, which the sun itself could not bear and closed its eye, its light power, and the moon changed its silver-like image into red light. They say, however, that many similar phenomena occurred in heaven during the destruction of Jerusalem; This is what Josephus testifies. However, with the words: “the moon” will turn “into blood,” the prophet also points to the excessive cruelty of the slaughter (that is, the crucifixion of the Lord). But why does this happen in the third hour? To show the wonder of this phenomenon: the shine of the fire is visible in the middle of a bright day, when everyone is in the square! However, the compiler of liturgical songs understands what the prophet said as follows: blood is the incarnation, fire is the Divinity, incense is the Holy Spirit, who overshadowed the Virgin and filled the world with fragrance, and by the day of the Lord he means the day of resurrection. But the Lord says: “I will pour out my Spirit... before the day of the Lord comes.” Tell the Jew: “If the Godhead has one face and one name, and if God speaks about Himself, then why didn’t he say: “Before My day comes?” If, says Peter, you now sin with impunity, do not hope so, for this is only the beginning of that great and difficult day. Having moved and frightened their hearts by this, he calms them and allows them to harbor good hopes. “And it shall come to pass that whoever calls on the name of the Lord will be saved.” But he will not simply call, because it is said: “Not everyone who says to Me: “Lord! God!" (Matthew 7:21), no, but - everyone who calls with good will and good life. By now including in his speech the word about faith (about the necessity of faith), because salvation depends on calling, he makes his speech understandable. The name of the Lord, according to Paul's explanation, is called upon in the name of Christ, but Peter this time did not dare to reveal this to his listeners. Acts 2:22–24. Men of Israel! listen to these words: Jesus of Nazareth, a Man testified to you by God with powers and wonders and signs, which God did through Him among you, as you yourselves know, whom you took, according to the definite advice and foreknowledge of God, and, having nailed them with the hands of the wicked, you killed; but God raised Him up, breaking the bonds of death. This word is not flattery; but since Peter strongly reproached them, he now condescends and reminds them of their forefathers, urging them to remember their faith, and starts again from the beginning, so as not to outrage them, since he intended to remind them of Jesus. Previously, listening to the prophet, they could not be indignant. And see how he says nothing about sublime truths, but begins with aspects that speak of the great humility of Jesus. “Nazarene,” he says, calling Jesus by his fatherland, which seemed very insignificant. Just as in those cases when Christ is called God's Power and God's Wisdom, we attribute these names to His Divinity, so in those cases when He is called man and died for our sins, we attribute these names to His flesh. And He Himself once said: “You seek to kill Me, the Man who told you the truth” (John 8:40), and also once said: “I and the Father are one” (John 10:30). From here, on the basis of the first text, the Samosata heresy arose, which believed that Jesus was a simple man. "By powers and wonders and signs". The same thought is expressed by the words of the Apostle Paul that He “was revealed to be the Son of God with power” (Rom. 1:4), that is, the Son, whose works and miracles proved that He truly is the Son of the Father, because there is no difference between the saying: “to reveal the Son of God in power” and the saying: “to testify of Him with powers and wonders and signs that God did through Him.” Truly God acts as if through the Son, because through Him He “created the worlds” (Heb. 1:2). And with the expression “among you” he calls them to witness what he says; “among you” means not secretly, not in a corner. Then, attacking their iniquity, he tries to relieve them of responsibility for it and says: “according to certain advice,” showing by this that they did not do what they dared to do by their own strength, but because He Himself deigned to do it and that it was determined from above. Further, so that it does not seem that they are innocent - since although this was determined, they were nevertheless murderers - so that it does not seem so, he adds: “by the hands of the lawless,” that is, either through the traitor Judas, or through the soldiers who crucified Christ. Although it is known that those who nailed Him to the cross committed iniquity, nevertheless, at first Peter speaks about this clearly, so as not to drive them to despair. "God raised Him up." How did he dare to say among the murderers that Christ has risen? And if it is said that the Father raised Him, it is because of the weakness of the listeners, because through whom does the Father act? By His power, and the Father's power is Christ. So, He raised Himself, although it is said that the Father raised Him. "Breaking the bonds of death". He shows that death also suffered, as it were, in childbirth and suffered terribly when it took possession of Him, because the Old Testament calls the disease, as if giving birth, a danger and disaster for it. The woman giving birth does not hold back what is in her and does not act, but suffers and is in a hurry to free herself. Peter beautifully called the resurrection the resolution of the diseases (bonds) of death, so that we can say: having torn apart the pregnant womb and suffering from childbirth, Christ the Savior appears and emerges, as it were, from some kind of birthing womb, that is, from the bonds of death and from the environment of hell. Therefore He is called the firstborn from the dead. Acts 2:24–28. Because it was impossible for her to hold Him. For David says about Him: “I saw the Lord always before me; for He is at my right hand, so that I will not be shaken. Therefore my heart rejoiced and my tongue was glad; even my flesh will rest in hope; for You will not leave my soul in hell, and You will not allow Your holy one to see corruption. You made me know the way of life; You will fill me with joy in Your presence” (Ps. 15:8-11). Oiled fighters were elusive to opponents, and oiled spellcasters were protected and protected from the teeth of the serpent. When Christ, mysteriously anointed with His Spirit, entered into the struggle with death and submitted to this destroyer, then the enemy who appeared was crushed, because death “was unable to restrain Him.” Therefore, it was not possible that it was found that He was born of God, and that all kinds of changes or transformations were alien to Him, and that He rose (resurrected) in such a way that He would no longer die. Next he brings David, who surpasses all human understanding, because this kind of thing is a prophecy, and says: “For David speaks of Him,” and not of himself; and again begins from the side of humility. Although this has happened now, it was destined from ancient times: God deigned for this from the beginning and originally ordained it this way. “I always saw the Lord before me.” Calls the Father Lord Jesus because Jesus took on the form of a servant. If it is said here that the Father is “at the right hand” of the Son, and in other places it is said that the Son is “at the right hand” of the Father, then this signifies their equality. “Even my flesh will rest in hope. Since Jesus, having accepted death, put off the flesh that He had received according to the plan of dispensation in order to resurrect it again from death, it is fair that His flesh nourished itself with hope in anticipation of the resurrection. Although some take the words: “You will not leave my soul in hell” as words on behalf of David, without, however, having the opportunity to prove their thought, they truly and piously say that the body was resurrected to be incorruptible and spiritual, since the resurrected flesh after the resurrection is a spiritual and incorruptible body. “The path of life”, that is, the path that the souls of the righteous traveled together with the Redeemer, emerging from the underworld. In the words “Thou shalt fill me with joy before Thy face,” the face should be understood to mean the appearance of the Lord in the Divine form and the contemplation of us, with which He has shown us closer. Acts 2:29–31. Men, brothers! let it be allowed to boldly tell you about the forefather David, that he died and was buried, and his tomb is with us to this day. Being a prophet and knowing that God promised him with an oath from the fruit of his loins to raise up Christ in the flesh and seat him on his throne (2 Sam. 7:12; Ps. 131:11), he first said about the resurrection of Christ that His soul was not left in hell, and His flesh did not see corruption (Ps. 15:10). Having set forth the testimony of David, he adds “men and brethren.” When he intends to say something great, he first uses this turn of phrase, inspiring them and reconciling them. And where nothing was presented that could be harmful, he speaks with great moderation. If in this way he had simply said, “This is said by David,” he would have seemed harsh and would have rather aroused their anger than made them obedient. By showing great honor to blessed David, he achieves that the idea is acceptable that this prophecy is said about Christ. His entire speech was constructed in this spirit. So, having said that David “both died and was buried,” he did not say: “and did not rise again,” but: “and his tomb is with us to this day.” This is equivalent to the expression “and was not resurrected.” Further, he does not directly move on to Christ, but again glorifies David, and by these glorifications of David the purpose of the word is achieved, because this is why this is said, so that the Jews, for the sake of the honor they showed to David, and for the sake of his family, would accept the word about the resurrection of Christ, so that if this had not happened (that is, if they had not accepted the word about the resurrection), then they would have disdained the prophecy and would have undermined their respect for themselves. “God promised with an oath.” He did not say: “promised,” but: “promised with an oath,” thereby indicating the immutability of the promise. "Place on the throne". The Throne is used instead of the Kingdom in many places of Divine Scripture; for example: “Your throne, O God, endures forever” (Ps. 44:7). "To Raise Up Christ in the Flesh". He says this because, according to Divinity, He has always sat with the Father from all eternity; attributes everything to the Father, so that the listeners can more easily accept what is being said. But how does He sit on the throne of David? Such that He is the King of the Jews, and even more so of those who crucified Him. Acts 2:32–36. This Jesus God raised up, of which we are all witnesses. So He, having been exalted by the right hand of God and having received from the Father the promise of the Holy Spirit, poured out what you now see and hear. For David did not ascend into heaven; but he himself says: “The Lord said to my Lord: Sit at My right hand, until I make Your enemies Your footstool” (Ps. 109:1). “Know therefore all the house of Israel that God has made this Jesus, whom you crucified, both Lord and Christ. Again he points to the Father, although the previous indication was sufficient. But he knew how useful it was for the listeners in helping them accept what was especially needed. By the expression “being lifted up,” David indicated the ascension and the fact that He (Jesus) is in heaven, but this is not clear at first. Look: at the beginning of the word, when he brought the prophet Joel as a witness, he did not say that Christ sent the Holy Spirit, but said that the Father sent Him. And when he recalled the signs of Christ, and what was done against Christ, and when he boldly expressed the truth about His resurrection, then, finally, he already says that Christ poured out the Holy Spirit, which, therefore, the prophet said about Him: “And it will happen in the last days” (v. 17). “Promise” means either that which He Himself promised to the apostles, or that which the Father promised Jesus before the cross and suffering. And since Peter had a great and lofty truth to say - that Christ poured out the Holy Spirit - he obscures it by saying that the Father gave Him this promise, because no matter what anyone says, if he ends his word without benefit, then he speaks in vain and in vain. Peter also shows that the cross not only did not humiliate Jesus, but gave Him even more splendor. If then, according to the voice of John: “He will baptize you with the Holy Spirit and fire” (Matthew 3:11), the Father gave Him a promise, then now he has fulfilled the promise. “He himself says: “The Lord said to my Lord...” Here Peter speaks without fear, since what was said above encouraged him. But what is the meaning of the words “The Lord said to my Lord!” If David already calls Him (Jesus) Lord, then much less should the Jews deny this. With the words of David, “until I make your enemies your footstool,” Peter brought fear upon them as a means of defeating them. And in order not to undermine his faith in himself, he attributes everything to the Father. After speaking about great subjects, he again reduces his words to the deeds of Jesus’ humility. And who these enemies are, the apostle explains this, crying out: “The last... enemy that will be destroyed is death, because he has put everything under His feet” (1 Cor. 15:26-27). In the words “sit at my right hand,” we understand the equality of the Father and the Son, since the concepts of “right” or “left” are unthinkable in relation to an incorporeal entity. “God has made this Jesus Lord and Christ.” The expression “made” is used instead of “set” because we are not talking about existence or hypostasis. Acts 2:37–40. Hearing this, they were touched in their hearts and said to Peter and the other Apostles: What should we do, men and brethren? Peter said to them: Repent, and be baptized every one of you in the name of Jesus Christ for the forgiveness of sins; and receive the gift of the Holy Spirit. For the promise is to you and to your children and to all who are far off, even as many as the Lord our God will call. And with many other words he testified and exhorted, saying: Save yourself from this corrupt generation. You see how much mercy and how, more than severity, it is capable of penetrating the hearts of people and softening them. Although blessed Peter reminds them in this place of their boldness, he reminds them meekly, without adding anything offensive to them. They were ashamed of Petrov’s benevolence, that is, the fact that Peter spoke to them, who put the Lord Himself to death, raised their hands against the apostles and wanted to destroy them, with care, like a father and teacher. “They were touched,” it is said: not just convinced, but having come to know themselves, because they say: “What should we do, men and brethren?” - as if perplexed and worried about his boldness. Those who were previously called deceivers are now called brothers, and at the same time they do not dare to use this name in the face of those who are called so, but they want to declare through this their love and how much the Jews have become disposed towards the apostles. Therefore, as the beginning of Petrova’s speech shows, the apostles themselves called them by this name. Although the question was proposed to all the apostles, “Peter” again answers, since the apostles themselves preferred his mouth, and says: “Repent, and let each of you be baptized in the name of Jesus Christ.” These words do not contradict the following words of the Gospel: “Baptizing them in the name of the Father and the Son and the Holy Spirit” (Matthew 28:19), because the Church confesses the Holy Trinity as indivisible, so that, due to the unity of the three hypostases in essence, the one baptized in the name of Christ is baptized into the Trinity, since the Father and the Son and the Holy Spirit are inseparable in essence. If the name of the Father was not God and the name of the Son was not God, and the name of the Holy Spirit was not God, then one should say “in the name of God Jesus Christ,” or even simply “in the Son.” But Peter speaks in “the name of Jesus Christ,” knowing that the name of Jesus is God, as well as the name of the Father and the name of the Holy Spirit. "And you will receive the gift of the Holy Spirit." Note: Peter showed that the gift of Christ and the gift of the Holy Spirit are one and the same gift, since their dignity is the same. Speaking above, he called this gift a promise that “belongs to you... and to your children,” because the gift is more valuable when the benefits pass to the heirs, “and to all those who are distant.” If this gift is for those far away, then even more so for you, those close to you. Pay attention to when he pointed out to the Jews the calling of the pagans, saying: “and to those who are far off.” When? Then, when I found them touched and self-aware. When the soul condemns itself, then it can no longer envy. Acts 2:41–47. So those who willingly accepted his word were baptized, and about three thousand souls were added that day. And they constantly continued in the teaching of the Apostles, in fellowship and in the breaking of bread and in prayer. There was fear in every soul; and many signs and wonders were performed through the Apostles in Jerusalem. Yet the believers were together and had everything in common. And they sold estates and all kinds of property, and distributed them to everyone, depending on each person’s need. And every day they remained with one accord in the church and, breaking bread in their homes, ate their food with joy and simplicity of heart, praising God and being in the love of all the people. The Lord daily added those who were being saved to the Church. Here is the fulfillment of the prophecy that says: “Who has heard such a thing? who has seen anything like this? did the country arise in one day? Was a people born at one time, as Zion, as soon as she began to suffer from childbirth, gave birth to her sons? (Isa. 66:8). “There was... fear in every soul,” because they did not neglect what was happening as if it were something accidental. Since Peter was filled with abundant grace and revealed promises and the future, it is very natural that they were overwhelmed with fear, especially since he confirmed his words with miracles and signs. Just as under Christ there were signs first, then teaching, then miracles, so it is now. “All... the believers were together,” that is, not by place, but by disposition and thoughts, by constant agreement among themselves and by love. And he uses the words “according to the need of each” not simply, but in the sense of “economy,” because this expression shows that the apostles did not act like the wise men of the Hellenes, some of whom abandoned their fields, others threw a lot of gold into the sea. But this was not contempt for wealth, but stupidity and madness: the devil tried to denigrate God’s creations. Using wealth wisely is not an empty thing. “Every day they continued with one accord in the church.” Not one day, or two, or three, but daily and unanimously, as if in one soul. Note: the believing Jews did nothing else, only constantly stayed in the church, since, having become more attentive to the true faith, they were filled with great reverence for this sacred place. And the apostles did not distract them from there, so as not to harm them. "Breaking bread from house to house." He understands the sacred house even now, because they ate in this house. And the expression “breaking ... bread” shows their great abstinence and moderation in food, because “they took food” it is said, and not “they were satiated with food.” Thus, by faith, they changed their very lives for the better. And how did they have grace among all people? Luke says: “being in favor with all the people.” How is this possible? By his actions - alms and purity of treatment. The priests, out of hatred and envy, retreated from them and attacked them, but they had love among the people. In the form of languages ​​that appear sophisticated. – Note. ed. Converts from the Gentiles. – Note. ed. Unfermented wine (see below). – Note. translator Wine made from fruits that could not ripen on the day of Pentecost. – Note. translator You might be interested in: