Didymus the Blind

In his own words on Acts

• Acts 4:24

  Many of those with heretical views divide the Godhead, saying that the demiurge is one God and the Father of Christ another. From this they go on to divide the Scripture and say that the old covenant is of the demiurge and the new covenant of the Father of Christ. In accordance with their blasphemous view, they say that these gods are in opposition to each other, and their scriptures as well; that those who seek refuge in the Lord are enemies of the demiurge and better people obtain the latter; that people of the demiurge have been accused by Christ and his teaching. The present Scripture passage exposes their impiety by bringing in the apostles. After their release from the plot of the high priests and elders, they went to their friends, that is, to those who shared their faith. Together with them they sent up a hymn of thanks to the Creator of heaven and earth, mentioning that he spoke through the mouth of David (in the Holy Spirit, naturally) what is the second psalm, which begins, "Why do the nations conspire and the peoples plot in vain?" After all this it is clear that the demiurge and the Father of the Savior is the same God and that both covenants are given by him.

  CATENA ON THE ACTS OF THE APOSTLES 4.25

• Acts 6:5

  Of those who have a share in virtue, some possess it perfectly and others imperfectly. Hence it is said of Stephen that he was selected because he was full of faith and the Spirit, as every believer is not full of faith. Someone upon whom Peter looked is said to "have faith" but not to be full of faith.

  CATENA ON THE ACTS OF THE APOSTLES

• Acts 10:10

  Those heretics who introduce [different] natures [into the argument that some are evil by nature] claim that those people who are called, because of their depravity, "dogs" and "pigs," are unable to have a share of salvation, and that it is to these that the Savior forbade the giving of what is holy, the divine pearls. They also say that these people, who are called ravenous wolves and foxes along with the names of all the other brute animals, are evil by nature. Their claim is to be refuted from the vision in this passage that none of them is evil by nature but by his intentions. For when God wanted to teach Peter that no one must be rejected as impure and polluting, he sent down from heaven to earth by its four corners a certain vessel similar to a linen cloth, in which were all the species of brute animals, from which Peter was ordered to sacrifice and eat. And, since he still observed the Jewish laws and thought that what he was seeing was physical, he refused to eat, saying that he had never eaten anything impure and unclean. When he had spoken these words, he heard the divine oracle: "What God has purified do not call unclean." Drawing from this the conclusion that these things were said about the character of people, he said that God had shown him that no one is unclean by his nature. He therefore went without objection to the house of Cornelius, who desired to receive the fruit of the gospel teaching together with all his family. Thus it has been shown that four-footed animals, reptiles and birds, in reference to the different characters of human beings, are acceptable to God. And therefore, not because of an opposing nature has it been forbidden to throw pearls or what is holy to dogs and pigs, but because of the extremely evil character that can be left behind until no dog or pig exists anymore. Thus the Syrophoenician woman was made from a dog into a human being, so that Jesus also granted her the bread of the children."He fell into a trance," Scripture says, "and saw the heavens opened." Those who love to be the disciples of delirious women—those from Phrygia—claiming to be prophets, inspired by the Holy Spirit, do not understand their own utterances at the moment of prophecy. They believe they have proof for their error from this passage of Scripture that Peter fell into a trance. But let the foolish and truly insane know that this word means many different things. For it indicates both the awe at something wondrous, and the action of going out of the tangible world to the spiritual, as well as the delirium of senses, which cannot be applied to Peter or the prophets, but the other meanings of this word can be. For without a doubt, Peter, in a trance, followed along so as to proclaim what he saw and heard and what the signs, which he received, revealed. And you can certainly say the same about all the prophets who followed along with and saw the things that they reported to have seen. Indeed they were wise and learned from the same mouth what they proffered, for the Lord openly commanded them, after his resurrection, to instruct all the nations in his doctrine. So why did the apostles in Jerusalem, after hearing what had been done at the house of Cornelius, argue with Peter? Clearly Peter, the all-holy leader of the apostles, needed the divine revelation concerning the nations. He did not know that there is no distinction between circumcised and uncircumcised with respect to the faith. Furthermore, he did not clearly know that the Lord called for the nations to be made into disciples apart from the visible worship according to the law until he revealed the mystery of God's unspoken will and revelation. And through the figure shown by the linen cloth and through the granting of the grace of the Holy Spirit in like manner to the nations according to faith, he made the case that in Christ there is no distinction between Jew and Gentile.

  CATENA ON THE ACTS OF THE APOSTLES 10.10

• Acts 10:43

  If one repents from the evil things he has done and believes in the name of the Lord, he receives absolution from the sins that he has sincerely recognized. All the prophets, whose teaching is brought to the people of the Jews, have spoken according to their trust and faith in their Father. Therefore it will be universally admitted that all the prophets testify that the absolution from sin is given to those who believe in the Lord.

  CATENA ON THE ACTS OF THE APOSTLES 10.43

• Acts 18:9

  In Corinth, God appeared in a vision to the apostle and urged him not to be afraid to teach, and he made clear to him the reason why he should speak and not be silent, namely that, in that town, there were many that God knew would receive the proclamation of the gospel. For since it was natural that Paul, being human, was afraid of some attack against himself, seeing that then nearly everyone there was still pagan, God encourages and rouses the teacher to be brave by saying, "I am with you and will prevent anybody from attempting to harm you, so that nobody lays a hand on you."

  CATENA ON THE ACTS OF THE APOSTLES 18.9-11

• Acts 18:18

  After his resurrection the Savior said to his disciples, "Go and make disciples of all nations." They to whom the command had been given knew that "God wants all people to be saved and to attain knowledge of the truth." Since the human race had been divided into two religious groups, Jews and pagans, a division of the heralds of the gospel was also made so that some were assigned to teach the Jews, while others to be apostles of the nations. But since all the teachers had the single aim of leading all to the knowledge of the one God and to the teaching of the gospel, Paul, though an apostle of the nations, if he happened to be able to benefit the Jews would, without a doubt, become a Jew to the Jews so that they might not be estranged from him as if he had departed from the law, although he had already crossed over and beyond the Jewish shadow. In this way, therefore, according to the customs of his homeland, he shaved his head at Cenchrea, since he was under a vow according to the prescription of the old law.

  CATENA ON THE ACTS OF THE APOSTLES 18.18

• Acts 18:25

  Speaking somewhat accurately the things concerning Jesus is not different from laying out somewhat accurately the things concerning the way, the teaching of Christ, for it is possible that someone, having a generally precise knowledge about the things of Christ, needs a most nuanced explanation of them. Apollos, being a Jew, had the opportunity to know the Old Testament that gives witness concerning Jesus. Therefore, being learned, he was speaking in the Spirit, and he was teaching in the synagogues what he knew about Jesus. Being students of the apostle Paul, Priscilla and Aquila take him, being full of eagerness, aside in order to pass on to him the entire way of the gospel. It is probable that Apollos knew that Jesus had lived among humankind and had commanded these things of the way, but it is unlikely that he knew why he had come among us.

  CATENA ON THE ACTS OF THE APOSTLES 18.28

• Acts 19:16

  As one confessing God in word alone, he denies him with his deeds. This is "knowing Jesus" according to mere opinion. Therefore, it is no paradox if the evil spirit says to the Jewish exorcists, "I know Jesus" and the following, just as other demons used to say, with a loud cry, to Jesus himself, "I know who you are, the Holy One of God." To these you can add the passage, "even demons believe and they tremble," for it provides no evidence that evil spirits have faith accounted as righteousness. We must also say with regard to our current passage that just as those who receive cures from Jesus do so according to their faith, so those calling on Jesus for the expulsion of a demon or for another cure accomplish this in accord with the faith they have. Here, however, the evil spirit says, "Who are you that call on Jesus, for I do not perceive the power that I have often experienced when his name is called."

  CATENA ON THE ACTS OF THE APOSTLES 19.13

• Acts 19:19

  Let those who accuse Christ's disciples of being magicians be refuted by this reading, since it shows clearly that all magic is destroyed by the power of their teaching. See these people, not being incompetent but having great ability in this art, after being purified of the magical arts or of their customary demons, how they gathered together all the books of magic and burned them before all present at that time, even though they were of great value.

  CATENA ON THE ACTS OF THE APOSTLES 19.19-20

• Acts 20:22

  The one who has been united to the Holy Spirit has been bound in him so that he does not separate from the Spirit in any way. The person of such a disposition is a captive of Christ whose Spirit he has. For if whoever does not have the Spirit of Christ is not of Christ, who has the Spirit, it is clear that whoever has Christ is in the Spirit. Whoever is bound and decorated with these chains begets, by both the gospel's and his own chains, those he teaches.… This verse must be read in respect to the following, which says that the apostle is ready to be clothed with chains because of his beliefs. When it is said to him that he must not go up to Jerusalem, since there he will certainly be covered with chains and afflictions, he says that he is bound in the Spirit now to make his way to Jerusalem in full knowledge of what would befall him there. His words, "Daily I die," are a manifestation of this determination of his, as are his words, "Ever are we, while living, handed over to death because of Christ Jesus." To this you can add the words of the psalmist, "I am ready to be scourged."

  CATENA ON THE ACTS OF THE APOSTLES 20.22

• Acts 20:27

  If a teacher, in educating those who are able to profit, harms none of these students, even in this does he imitate Paul. He will say that he is clean of the blood of all his students, meaning that by his teaching he has not slaughtered any through error, as if he had poured out the vital force of his soul, which is allegorically called blood. In addition to this he declares openly that he has set out and announced to them the entire counsel of God. But understood simply the entire counsel of God is incomprehensible to creatures, "for who knows the mind of the Lord?" So we must find out what meaning this passage bears. Now, since we have here the phrase "I announced to you," it means something different, namely, that [Paul] calls that "entire counsel" what it was possible for humans to say and hear. This interpretation is in agreement with his sentiment that "we know in part," and this very knowledge is, in relation to the coming age, partial in itself, be it of any sort and of the greatest fullness. It is possible that "the entire counsel of God" means the plan concerning the giving of the law and the prophets and the gospel.

  CATENA ON THE ACTS OF THE APOSTLES 20.26

• Acts 20:28

  "Take care for yourselves and for the entire flock," and the following. Since it is not according to nature but according to an appropriation of the power that comes from the Spirit that a person is ordained to the episcopacy by the Holy Spirit for our sake, it is possible for one holding such a position to fall from it, without due care. For if someone were established as a shepherd of the church because of the state of his being, that person would hold whatever office without possibility of change. But it not only says that bishops must pay heed to themselves but also to the flock that the Savior acquired by his blood. And just as he will not fall if he is attentive to himself by taking care for both the requisite virtues and his faith—that is, he will neither start speaking the perverse things of heresies nor follow selfish ambition by attempting to lure Christ's disciples away in order to imitate himself and follow him—so also he must take care for the flock by turning away from it the wolves who are falsely called apostles and who, being ravenous, live on the ruin of the flock.… Now he turns away these wolves, if he, established by the Holy Spirit to oversee the church, is a good shepherd. A hired man, not being a shepherd, flees when a wolf comes to scatter and kill the sheep. Furthermore, a hired man is no shepherd, since he takes charge of the community for profit and pay, and not come what may. So it is to be realized that the Holy Spirit establishes shepherds and bishops for the church just as God establishes in the church "first apostles," and the following.

  CATENA ON THE ACTS OF THE APOSTLES 20.28

• Acts 20:34

  These words are spoken to the leaders of the church so that, in addition to the other things, they might judge themselves imitators of Paul by refusing to accept money. This is quite obvious from the words that follow: "I have given you example in all things that those who toil must come to the help of the weak" and provide for them. If the words of the Lord should be remembered, they will provide the principle: "It is better to give than to receive." Let giving be preferred by bishops.

  CATENA ON THE ACTS OF THE APOSTLES 20.34

• Acts 21:13

  To this sort of opposition, respond as follows: "Why are you trying to keep me from the way I have set out on by weeping at the mention of the chains and afflictions that await me when I arrive in Jerusalem? Let it be known that I will follow the Spirit that has made known to me what awaits me and that I am setting out on the road to the city. I do not go ignorant of what will happen there, for I have foreseen it, and I am not being checked from going. So do not break my heart with your tears." Whoever has been nobly prepared to be courageous enough to have no thought for his own life does not succumb to fear even if someone tries to provoke it. Now among them such dread had come to grip their thinking, and so the apostle said that his heart was being broken. He was not saying that he was weak but that he had come to such a state because of their bitter weeping. One could also say that just as little sins, in their actual commission, seem great to a holy person, so do the initial movements toward them, and so here he says the breaking of his heart is great.

  CATENA ON THE ACTS OF THE APOSTLES 21.13-14