Homilies on Acts

Marvel not, he says, if they on whom Christ confers His benefits refuse His kingdom, seeing in the case of Moses it was just the same. (Recapitulation). “He brought them out;” and rescued them not in a general way, but also while they were in the wilderness. “Wonders and signs,” etc. Do you mark that they themselves (Stephen's hearers) are concerned in those old miracles also? “This is that Moses:” he, that conversed with God; he, that had been saved out of situations so strange and wonderful; he, that wrought so great works, and had so great power. [“Which said unto the children of Israel, A prophet,” etc.] He shows, that the prophecy must by all means be fulfilled, and that Moses is not opposed to Him. “This is he that was in the Church in the wilderness, and, that said unto the children of Israel.” Do you mark that thence comes the root, and that “salvation is from the Jews?” “With the Angel,” it says, “which spoke unto him.” Lo, again he affirms that it was He (Christ) that gave the Law, seeing Moses was with “Him” in the Church in the wilderness. And here he puts them in mind of a great marvel, of the things done in the Mount: “Who received living oracles to give unto us.” On all occasions Moses is wonderful, and (so) when need was to legislate. What means the expression, “Living oracles” (λόγια)? Those, whereof the end was shown by words (διὰ λόγων): in other words, he means the prophecies. Then follows the charge, in the first instance, against the patriarchs [after], the “signs and wonders,” after the receiving of the “lively oracles: To whom,” he says, “our fathers would not obey.” But concerning those, Ezekiel says that they are not “living;” as when he says, “And I gave you statutes that are not good.” It is with reference to those that he says, “Living. But thrust him from them, and in their hearts turned back to Egypt”— the place where they groaned, where they cried, whence they called upon God. “And said unto Aaron, Make us gods which shall go before us.” O the folly! “Make,” say they; “that they may go before us.” Whither? “Into Egypt.” See how hard they were to tear away from the customs of Egypt! What do you say? What, not wait for him that brought you out, but flee the benefit, and deny the Benefactor? And mark how insulting they are: “For as for this Moses,” they say:— “which brought us out of the land of Egypt” nowhere the name of God: instead of that, they ascribed all to Moses. Where they ought to give thanks (to God), they bring Moses forward: where it was, to do as the Law bade them, they no longer make account of Moses. “We know not what has become of him.” And yet he told them that he was going up to receive the Law: and they had not patience to wait forty days. “Make us gods”— they did not say, “a God.”— And yet one may well wonder at this, that they do not even know.— “And they made a calf in those days, and offered sacrifices unto the idol, and rejoiced in the works of their own hands”: for which they ought to have hid their faces. What wonder that you know not Christ, seeing ye knew not Moses, and God Who was manifested by such wonders? But they not only knew Him not: they also insulted in another way, by their idol making. “Then God turned, and gave them up to worship the host of heaven” Hence these same “customs” date their origin, hence the sacrifices: they were themselves the first that made sacrifices to their idols! For that is why it is marked, “They made a calf in Horeb, and offered sacrifices to the idol:” seeing that, before this the name of sacrifice is nowhere mentioned, but only lively ordinances, and “lively oracles. And rejoiced”— that is the reason for the feasts. “As it is written in the Book of the Prophets”— and observe, he does not cite the text without a purpose, but shows by it that there is no need of sacrifices; saying: “Did ye offer slain beasts and sacrifice to Me?”— He lays an emphasis on this word (to Me?). You cannot say that it was from sacrificing to Me, that you proceeded to sacrifice to them:— “by the space of forty years:” and this too, “in the wilderness,” where He had most signally shown Himself their Protector. “Yea, you took up the tabernacle of Moloch, and the star of your god Remphan: images which you made to worship them.” The cause of sacrifices! “And I will carry you away beyond Babylon.” Even the captivity, an impeachment of their wickedness! “But a Tabernacle,” say you, “there was (the Tabernacle) 'of Witness.'” (Yes,) this is why it was: that they should have God for Witness: this was all. “According to the fashion,” it says, “that was shown you on the mount:” so that on the mount was the Original. And this Tabernacle, moreover, “in the wilderness,” was carried about, and not locally fixed. And he calls it, “Tabernacle of witness:” i.e. (for witness) of the miracles, of the statutes. This is the reason why both it and those (the fathers) had no Temple. “As He had appointed, that spoke unto Moses, that he should make it according to the fashion that he had seen.” Again, it was none other than He (Christ) that gave the fashion itself. “Until the days of David”: and there was no temple! And yet the Gentiles also had been driven out: for that is why he mentions this: “Whom God drove out,” he says, “before the face of our fathers. Whom He drove out,” he says: and even then, no Temple! And so many wonders, and no mention of a Temple! So that, although first there is a Tabernacle, yet nowhere a Temple. “Until the days of David,” he says: even David, and no Temple! “And he sought to find favor before God”: and built not:— so far was the Temple from being a great matter! “But Solomon built Him an house.” They thought Solomon was great: but that he was not better than his father, nay not even equal to him, is manifest. “Howbeit the Most High dwells not in temples made with hands; as says the prophet, Heaven is My throne, and earth is My footstool.” (v. 48, 49.) Nay, not even these are worthy of God, forasmuch as they are made, seeing they are creatures, the works of His hand. See how he leads them on little by little (showing) that not even these are to be mentioned. And again the prophecy says openly, “What house will you build Me?” etc.