Homilies on the Acts of the Apostles — Homily 35

St. John Chrysostom

1. 0. Greeting

Acts XVI. 13, 14

And on the sabbath we went out of the city by a river side, where prayer was wont (Chrys. was thought likely ) to be made; and we sat down, and spoke unto the women which resorted there. And a certain woman named Lydia, a seller of purple, of the city of Thyatira, which worshipped God, heard us: whose heart the Lord opened, that she attended unto the things which were spoken of Paul.

See again Paul judaizing. Where it was thought, it says, both from the time and from the place, that prayer would be.— Out of the city, by a river side: for it is not to be supposed that they prayed only where there was a synagogue; they also prayed out of synagogue, but then for this purpose they set apart, as it were, a certain place, because as Jews they were more corporeal — and, on the sabbath-day, when it was likely that a multitude would come together. And we sat down, and spoke to the women which resorted there. Mark again the freedom from all pride. And a certain woman: a woman and she of low condition, from her trade too: but mark (in her) a woman of elevated mind ( φιλόσοφον ). In the first place, the fact of God's calling her bears testimony to her: And when she was baptized, it says, she and her household — mark how he persuaded all of them — she besought us, saying, If you have judged me to be faithful to the Lord, come into my house, and abide there. And she constrained us [[Acts 16.15]]: then look at her wisdom, how she importunes ( δυσωπεἵ ), the Apostles how full of humility her words are, how full of wisdom. If you have judged me faithful, she says. Nothing could be more persuasive. Who would not have been softened by these words? She did not request (or, claim ) did not entreat simply: but she left them to decide, and (yet) exceedingly forced them: And she constrained us, it says, by those words. And again in a different way: for see how she straightway bears fruit, and accounts it a great gain. If you have judged me, that is, That ye did judge me is manifest, by your delivering to me such ( holy ) mysteries (i.e. sacraments, see p. 225, note 3): and she did not dare to invite them before this. But why was there any unwillingness on the part of Paul and those with them, that they should need to be constrained? It was either by way of calling her to greater earnestness of desire, or because Christ had said, Enquire who is worthy, and there abide. [[Luke 10.8]] (It was not that they were unwilling), but they did it for a purpose. — And it came to pass, it says, as we went to prayer, a certain damsel possessed with a spirit of divination met us, which brought her masters much gain by soothsaying: the same followed Paul and us, and cried, saying, These men are the servants of the most high God, which show unto us the way of salvation. (v. 16, 17.) What may be the reason that both the demon spoke these words, and Paul forbade him? Both the one acted maliciously, and the other wisely: the demon wished in fact to make himself credible.