Homilies on the Acts of the Apostles — Homily 2

St. John Chrysostom

1. 0. Greeting

Acts I. 6

When they therefore had come together, they asked of Him, saying, Lord, will You at this time restore again the kingdom to Israel?

When the disciples intend to ask anything, they approach Him together, that by dint of numbers they may abash Him into compliance. They well knew that in what He had said previously, Of that day knows no man [[Matthew 24.36]], He had merely declined telling them: therefore they again drew near, and put the question. They would not have put it had they been truly satisfied with that answer. For having heard that they were about to receive the Holy Ghost, they, as being now worthy of instruction, desired to learn. Also they were quite ready for freedom: for they had no mind to address themselves to danger; what they wished was to breathe freely again; for they were no light matters that had happened to them, but the utmost peril had impended over them. And without saying anything to Him of the Holy Ghost, they put this question: Lord, will You at this time restore the kingdom to Israel? They did not ask, when? But whether at this time. So eager were they for that day. Indeed, to me it appears that they had not any clear notion of the nature of that kingdom; for the Spirit had not yet instructed them. And they do not say, When shall these things be? But they approach Him with greater honour, saying, Will You at this time restore again the kingdom, as being now already fallen. For there they were still affected towards sensible objects, seeing they were not yet become better than those who were before them; here they have henceforth high conceptions concerning Christ. Since then their minds are elevated, He also speaks to them in a higher strain. For He no longer tells them, Of that day not even the Son of Man knows [[Mark 13.32]]; but He says, It is not for you to know the times or the seasons which the Father has put in His own power [[Acts 1.7]] You ask things greater than your capacity, He would say. And yet even now they learned things that were much greater than this. And that you may see that this is strictly the case, look how many things I shall enumerate. What, I pray you, was greater than their having learned what they did learn? Thus, they learned that there is a Son of God, and that God has a Son equal with Himself in dignity [[John 5.17]]-20; they learned that there will be a resurrection [[Matthew 17.9]]; that when He ascended He sat on the right hand of God [[Luke 22.69]]; and what is still more stupendous, that Flesh is seated in heaven, and adored by Angels, and that He will come again [[Mark 16.19]]; they learned what is to take place in the judgment [[Matthew 16.27]]; learned that they shall then sit and judge the twelve tribes of Israel [[Luke 21.27]]; learned that the Jews would be cast out, and in their stead the Gentiles should come in [[Matthew 19.28]]. For, tell me, which is greater? To learn that a person will reign, or to learn the time when? [[Luke 21.24]]. Paul learned things whic