Prophecy, Not Blasphemy
…who works mighty deeds that we cannot bear; over whom we have wasted away with jealousy and envy; whom the deaf man obeys when he is called; to whom the blind man looks and sees, having received his eyes from him; from whose tongue the lame man asks for feet, and borrows hands as well; through whom the beds of the sick have been emptied; through whom there is no difference between the healthy and the sick; through whom lepers have forgotten their disease; through whom there is no need of physicians; through whom the medicines people grind are useless.”
“This man does not stop speaking words against this holy place and the law” (Acts 6:13). What words are these? “For we have heard him say that this Jesus of Nazareth will destroy this place and will change the customs that Moses handed down to us” (Acts 6:14). Rightly are you called false witnesses and slanderers, because you speak the truth as though it were not the truth; because you call blasphemies against God the prophecies that came from him and concern this place; and because you count as a setting aside of the law the very things he himself threatened would come to pass.
For whose voice is this, whose prophecy, whose proclamation? Who commanded Isaiah, who commanded Micah to speak in this way: “Therefore because of you Zion shall be plowed like a field, and Jerusalem shall be like a hut for watching fruit” (Micah 3:12); “The daughter of Zion shall be left like a booth in a vineyard and like a hut in a cucumber field” (Isaiah 1:8)? Who inspired David as well to say such things: “Remember, Lord, against the sons of Edom the day of Jerusalem, those who said, ‘Lay it bare, lay it bare, down to its foundation’” (Psalm 137:7)?
And what of Moses? Does he not also cast his vote with what Stephen said? Did he not write down these curses of yours, which have now come true in plain experience and which let everyone see the causes for which they were pronounced? Let the wounds that befell the Jewish people be set beside the words of Moses. If you examine them word for word, you will find that they came to pass without being false anywhere in anything, small or great. “And if after this you walk crookedly” (Leviticus 26:21): for they never kept their heart straight toward God, and far less in the later times, when they swerved from the call of Christ. Therefore he went on: “And if you will not obey me” – and indeed they did not obey when Christ called – “I will bring seven more plagues on you according to your lawless deeds” (Leviticus 26:21). For since they denied the seven gifts of the Spirit, the seven spirits of wickedness, which entered and dwelt in them, become seven plagues for them; and their last state became worse than the first (Matthew 12:45).
“And I will send against you the wild beasts of the earth” (Leviticus 26:22). He means the nations; for formerly, through their ignorance, they were beasts, because they worshiped the divine in the image of beasts and four-footed creatures and reptiles (Romans 1:23). Cursing them, David said: “May those who make them become like them, and all who trust in them” (Psalm 115:8). These are the nations God has now sent against them, and they do what the lawgiver says next: “And they shall devour you, and consume your cattle, and make you few; and your roads shall be deserted” (Leviticus 26:22). For every one of these things has happened to them, both visibly and spiritually, since they have been ruled by the nations.
Yet God did not stop the threats he spoke through Moses to the thankless people at this point, but set out others harsher and greater than these. For he says: “You shall take a wife, and another man shall have her. You shall build a house, and you shall not live in it. You shall plant a vineyard, and you shall not gather its grapes. Your calf shall be slaughtered before you, and you shall not eat of it” (Deuteronomy 28:30-31). And after threatening many other things besides these, he did not hide the cause from which these things come, but brings it in with a host of threats that are joined to the ones we have just quoted: “And your life shall hang before your eyes; and you shall fear day and night, and you shall not believe in your life. In the morning you shall say, ‘When will it be evening?’ And in the evening you shall say, ‘When will it be morning?’ because of the fear of your heart, with which you shall fear, and because of the sights of your eyes, which you shall see” (Deuteronomy 28:66-67).
Hear, then, how these things end; hear also how they come to pass, and do not blame Stephen for addressing the people in agreement with the law and the prophets. “You shall take a wife”: the old covenant; “and another man shall have her”: for the people from the nations has gained it. “You shall build a house, and you shall not live in it”: the temple, plainly, for you see it fallen. “You shall plant a vineyard, and you shall not gather its grapes”: for it bore not grapes but thorns (Isaiah 5:2). Or let us also take the vineyard to mean the vine that is Christ…
Greek
δυνάμεις ποιῶν, ἃς ἡμεῖς καρτερεῖν οὐ δυ νάμεθα· οὗ πρὸς τὸν ζῆλον καὶ πρὸς τὸν φθόνον τετήκαμεν· ᾧ κωφὸς ὑπακούει καλούμενος· καὶ τυφλὸς βλέπει πρὸς αὐ τόν, παρ' αὐτοῦ λαβὼν ὄμματα· καὶ χωλὸς αἰτεῖ πόδας, ἀπὸ τῆς τούτου γλώττης καὶ χεῖρας δανεισάμενος· δι' ὃν ἐκενώθη τὰ τῶν ἀρρώστων κλινίδια, δι' ὃν ὑγιαινόντων καὶ νοσούντων οὐκ ἔστιν διαφορά, δι' ὃν οἱ λεπροὶ τοῦ πάθους ἐπελήσθησαν, δι' ὃν οὐκ ἔστιν τῶν ἰατρῶν χρεία, δι' ὃν περιττὰ τὰ τριβόμενα φάρμακα.» 8 «Οὗτος οὐ παύεται λαλῶν ῥήματα κατὰ τοῦ τόπου τοῦ ἁγίου τούτου καὶ τοῦ νόμου.» Ποῖα δὴ ταῦτα; «Ἀκηκόαμεν γὰρ αὐτοῦ λέγοντος ὅτι Ἰησοῦς ὁ Ναζωραῖος οὗτος καταλύσει τὸν τόπον τοῦτον, καὶ ἀλλάξει τὰ ἔθη ἃ παρέδωκεν ἡμῖν Μωυ σῆς.» Εἰκότως ψευδεῖς μάρτυρες καὶ συκοφάνται λέγεσθε, ὅτι τὴν ἀλήθειαν ὡς οὐκ ἀλήθειαν φθέγγεσθε, ὅτι βλασφημίας τοῦ θεοῦ τὰς παρ' αὐτοῦ καὶ περὶ αὐτοῦ προφητείας ὀνομάζετε, καὶ ἀθέτησιν εἶναι τοῦ νόμου νομίζετε ἅπερ αὐτὸς ἠπεί λησεν ἐκβησόμενα. 9 Τίνος γὰρ φωνή, τίνος προφητεία, τίνος τυγχάνει κήρυγμα; Τίς εἰπεῖν οὕτω τὸν Ἠσαΐαν, τίς Μιχαίαν προσέταξεν· «∆ιὰ τοῦτο δι' ὑμᾶς Σιὼν ὡς ἀγρὸς ἀροτριαθήσεται, καὶ Ἰερουσαλὴμ ὡς ὀπωροφυλάκιον ἔσται»· «Ἐγκαταλειφθήσεται ἡ θυγάτηρ Σιὼν ὡς σκηνὴ ἐν ἀμπελῶνι καὶ ὡς ὀπωροφυλάκιον ἐν σικυηρά τῳ»; Τίς καὶ τὸν ∆αυὶδ τοιαῦτα εἰπεῖν ἐνέπνευσεν· «Μνή σθητι, κύριε, τῶν υἱῶν Ἐδὼμ τὴν ἡμέραν Ἰερουσαλήμ, τῶν λεγόντων· Ἐκκενοῦτε, ἐκκενοῦτε, ἕως οὗ ὁ θεμέλιος ἐν αὐτῇ»; 10 Τί δαὶ καὶ Μωυσῆς; Οὐχὶ τοῖς εἰρημένοις παρὰ Στεφά νου καὶ αὐτὸς συμψηφίζεται; Οὐ ταύτας ὑμῶν κατέγραψεν τὰς ἀράς, αἵπερ αὐτῇ πείρᾳ νῦν εἰς ἔργον ἐξέβησαν, καὶ πᾶσι τὰς αἰ τίας ὁρᾶν ὅθεν εἰσὶν ἐξενεχθεῖσαι παρέχουσι; Παρατιθέσθω τοῖς Μωυσέως ῥήμασιν τὰ συμβάντα τῷ λαῷ τῶν Ἰουδαίων τραύματα. Πρὸς λέξιν αὐτὰ ζητῶν, εὑρήσεις ὡς ἐκβέβηκεν οὐ δὲν οὐδαμοῦ μικρὸν ἢ μέγα ψευσάμενα. «Καὶ ἐὰν μετὰ ταῦτα πορεύεσθε πλάγιοι»· οὐδέποτε γὰρ εὐθῆ πρὸς τὸν θεὸν τὴν καρδίαν ἐκτήσαντο· πολὺ δὲ μᾶλλον ἐν τοῖς χρόνοις τοῖς ὕστερον, ἐν οἷς τὴν κλῆσιν τοῦ Χριστοῦ ἐπλαγίαζον. ∆ιόπερ καὶ ἐπήγαγεν· «Καὶ ἐὰν μὴ βούλεσθε ὑπακούειν μου» –οὐ τοίνυν τοῦ Χριστοῦ καλοῦντος ὑπήκουσαν–, «προσθήσω ὑμᾶς πληγὰς ἑπτὰ κατὰ τὰς ἀνομίας ὑμῶν.» Ἐπειδὴ γὰρ ἠρνήσαντο τὰς ἑπτὰ χορη γίας τοῦ πνεύματος, εἰς ἑπτὰ πληγὰς αὐτοῖς τὰ ἑπτὰ γίνεται τῆς πονηρίας πνεύματα, ἅπερ εἰσελθόντα κατῴκησεν ἐν αὐτοῖς· καὶ γέγονεν αὐτῶν τὰ ἔσχατα χείρονα τῶν πρώτων. 11 «Καὶ ἀποστέλλω ἐφ' ὑμᾶς τὰ θηρία τῆς γῆς.» Τὰ ἔθνη λέγει· θηρία γὰρ πρότερον διὰ τὴν ἀγνωσίαν ἐτύγχανον, ὅτι ἐν εἰκόνι θηρίων καὶ τετραπόδων καὶ ἑρπετῶν τὸ θεῖον ἐθρή σκευον. Οἷς ἐπαρώμενος ὁ ∆αυὶδ ἔλεγεν· «Ὅμοιοι αὐτοῖς γέ νοιντο οἱ ποιοῦντες αὐτὰ καὶ πάντες οἱ πεποιθότες ἐπ' αὐτοῖς.» Ταῦτα νῦν αὐτοῖς ὁ θεὸς τὰ ἔθνη ἐπαπέστειλεν, τὰ ἑξῆς εἰρη μένα τῷ νομοθέτῃ πράσσοντα· «Καὶ κατέδεται ὑμᾶς, καὶ ἀνα λώσει τὰ κτήνη ὑμῶν, καὶ ὀλιγοστοὺς ποιήσει ὑμᾶς· καὶ ἔρημοι ἔσονται αἱ ὁδοὶ ὑμῶν.» Τούτων γὰρ ἕκαστα αὐτοῖς, κατὰ τὸ αἰ σθητὸν καὶ κατὰ τὸ νοητόν, ὑπὸ τῶν ἐθνῶν κυριευθεῖσιν, γε γένηται. 2 12 Οὐ μὴν μέχρι τούτου τὰς διὰ Μωυσέως ἀπειλὰς ὁ θεὸς τῷ λαῷ τῶν ἀγνωμόνων ἔστησεν, ἀλλὰ τῶν εἰρημένων χαλεπω τέρας καὶ μείζονας. Φησὶ γάρ· «Γυναῖκα λήψῃ, καὶ ἀνὴρ ἕτε ρος ἕξει αὐτήν. Οἰκίαν οἰκοδομήσεις, καὶ οὐκ οἰκήσεις ἐν αὐτῇ· Ἀμπελῶνα φυτεύσεις, καὶ οὐ τρυγήσεις αὐτόν. Ὁ μόσχος σου ἐσφαγμένος ἐνώπιόν σου, καὶ οὐ φάγῃ ἐξ αὐτοῦ.» Πολλά τε τούτοις ἐπαπειλήσας ἕτερα, τὴν αἰτίαν ἐξ ἧς ταῦτα οὐκ ἔκρυψεν, ἐπιφέρει δὲ αὐτὴν μετὰ πλήθους ἀπειλῶν, αἳ ταῖς ἔναγχος ἡμῖν εἰρημέναις ἐζευγμέναι τυγχάνουσιν· «Καὶ ἔσται σου ἡ ζωὴ κρεμαμένη ἀπέναντι τῶν ὀφθαλμῶν σου· καὶ φοβηθήσῃ ἡμέρας καὶ νυκτός, καὶ οὐ πιστεύσεις τῇ ζωῇ σου. Τὸ πρωῒ ἐρεῖς· "3Πῶς ἂν γένοιτο ἑσπέρα;"3 Καὶ τὸ ἑσπέρας ἐρεῖς· "3Πῶς ἂν γένοιτο πρωΐ;"3 καὶ ἀπὸ τοῦ φόβου τῆς καρδίας σου, ἃ φοβηθήσῃ, καὶ ἀπὸ τῶν ὁραμάτων τῶν ὀφθαλμῶν σου, ὧν ὄψῃ.» 13 Ἄκουε τοίνυν τούτων τὸ πέρας· ἄκουε καὶ τὴν ἔκβασιν, καὶ μὴ μέμφου Στεφάνῳ δημηγοροῦντι τῷ νόμῳ καὶ τοῖς προ φήταις σύμφωνα. «Γυναῖκα λήψῃ»· τὴν ἀρχαίαν διαθήκην, «καὶ ἀνὴρ ἕτερος ἕξει αὐτήν»· ὁ λαὸς γὰρ αὐτὴν ὁ ἐξ ἐθνῶν ἐκτήσατο. «Οἰκίαν οἰκοδομήσεις, καὶ οὐκ οἰκήσεις ἐν αὐτῇ.» Τὸν ναὸν εὔδηλον· ὁρᾷς γὰρ καταπεπτωκ<ότα>. «Ἀμπελῶνα φυτεύσεις, καὶ οὐ τρυγήσεις αὐτόν»· οὐδὲ γὰρ σταφυλὴν ἀλλ' ἀκάνθας ἐποίησεν. Ἢ καὶ τὴν ἄμπελον τὴν τοῦ Χριστοῦ νοήσωμεν·