Then, laboring continuously until evening, they imbued many thousands of people with the word of faith, because the teachers of the church, coming at the end of the world, also preach first to ailing Israel and afterwards to the Gentile world. For they are the laborers whom the householder brought into the vineyard at the ninth and the eleventh hour.^[1]

Because the people of Israel were found rebellious not only after the Lord’s incarnation but even from the earliest times when the law was given, they were as if lame from the mother’s womb. This was well prefigured by Jacob’s being blessed, indeed, but lame when he wrestled with the angel,^[1] for this same people, when they prevailed over the Lord in his passion, was in some of [its members] blessed through the faith but in others lame through infidelity.^[2]

The beautiful gate of the temple is the Lord. Whoever enters through him will be saved. Enfeebled Israel, being unable to walk to this gate, was brought there by the words of the law and the prophets, so that they might request help from those who were entering into the interior places of the wisdom of the faith which they were to hear. Those who place the prophecies of things to come are, as it were, hearers at the gate. But Peter is the guide into the temple. To him, in virtue of his strong profession of faith, the epithet of rock and the keys of heaven were given.^[1]

The feeble man is laid at the Beautiful Gate. The poor man is not strong enough to go farther or to touch the threshold of the gate. His guilt denies him entrance. Who are those accustomed to carry Israel, lame in its heart, and who strive to bring it to the gate [called] beautiful, which signifies Jesus by its name?^[1] Isaiah, Daniel, and those like them who proclaim with prophetic voice in obscure [words] the manifest miracles of Christ; and he who has the name of the gate thus himself warns, I am the gate for you; he who refuses to enter through me will be a guilty thief.^[2]

Peter directed his gaze at him, with John, and said, ‘Look at us.’ Yet not even so were the man’s thoughts elevated, but he persisted in his insistence. For such is poverty: it compels people to persist even in the face of refusal. Let this put us to shame, we who turn away in our prayers.

What then does Peter do? He did not despise him; he did not look about for some rich subject; he did not say, If the miracle is not done to some great one, nothing great is done. He did not expect any payment from him, nor was it in the presence of others that he healed him. For the man was at the entrance, not inside, where the crowd was. Peter did not look for any of these things, nor did he enter and preach; no, it was his bearing that drew the lame man to ask. And the wonder is that he believed so readily. For those who are set free from diseases of long standing hardly believe their very eyesight. After he was healed he remained with the apostles, giving thanks to God. He entered the temple with them, walking and leaping and praising God. Notice how he does not keep quiet. This was both in delight and to shut the mouths of the Jews. And to prevent them from thinking it was an act, he jumped up. This was beyond the possibility of acting. For if previously he was incapable of simply walking, even when oppressed by hunger (indeed, he would not have chosen to share the proceeds of his begging with his litter bearers if he could have fended for himself), this should hold true even more now. And why would he have put on an act for those who had given him no alms? It can only be that the man was grateful, even after his recovery. Both by his thankfulness and by the healing itself his faith is revealed.

Hope disappointed the greedy prayer [for alms], but when [hope] withholds [one thing], it has better things in store. How often things despaired of are helpful to burdened people, and prosperity, born from an inauspicious seed, concealing its joyful nearness by sorrowful beginnings, comes in answer to prayer! The needy man will rejoice to have acquired more from an empty hand; he himself, asking for gifts, has been given to himself.

The ancient tabernacle indeed had ritual ordinances and a sanctuary, though an earthly one,^[1] embellished with gold and silver. But the blood of the gospel is more precious than the metals of the law. It springs forth because that people, who had been lying enfeebled in mind before the golden doorpost, was saved in the name of him who was crucified and [so now] enters the temple of the heavenly kingdom. In any case, blessed Peter, mindful of the Lord’s command which was spoken, Do not possess gold and silver,^[2] did not hoard for himself the money that was put at the feet of the apostles but was inclined to reserve it for the use of the poor who had lost their birthright.

Let no one then be humiliated on account of his poverty: It is not poverty that humiliates, but wealth, which compels us to have need of many and forces us to be under obligations to many. . . . So, if poverty had made people wanting in boldness, Christ would not have sent his disciples with poverty to a work requiring great boldness. For the poor person is very strong and has nothing of which he may be wronged or evil to be prayed for. But the rich person is assailable on every side: just in the same way as one would easily catch a person who was dragging many long ropes after him, whereas one could not readily lay hold on a naked person. So here also it does not succeed in the case of the rich person: slaves, gold, lands, affairs innumerable, innumerable cares, difficult circumstances, necessities, make him an easy prey to all.

Those men who received power from God never used that power as if it were their own but referred the power to him from whom they received it; for the power itself could never have any force except through the name of him who gave it. And so both the apostles and all the servants of God never did anything in their own name but in the name and invocation of Christ. For the power itself derived its force from the same source as its origin, and it could not be given through the instrumentality of the ministers, unless it had come from the Author.

Do you see the riches of Christ’s ministers? Do you see the greatness and nature of the gifts they bestow when they have nothing? Earthly possession cannot bestow those riches.

And who would not be astonished at their indifference to money, certified by their not turning from but welcoming a Master who forbade the possession of gold and silver, whose law did not even allow the acquisition of a second coat? Why, anyone only hearing such a law might reject it as too heavy, but these men are shown to have carried out the words in fact.

The one whom he encouraged by word he also strengthened by his right hand, because the discourse of a teacher is less efficacious in the hearts of his hearers if it is not also recommended by the example of his own action.

‘In the name of Jesus Christ of Nazareth, walk.’ And he took him by the right hand and raised him up. Such was also the way of Christ. Often he healed by word, often by an act, often he also held out his hand, when the people were somewhat weak in faith, so that the cure should not seem to occur by itself. And he took him by the right hand and raised him up. This act made manifest the resurrection, for it was an image of the resurrection.

After the threshold of the temple, the Porch of Solomon, who is rightly called Peacemaker, holds him [the lame man]. In the reign of faith, who will always be Peacemaker in the world except Christ?^[1] He protects all who please him under the guidance of Peter, by whose leadership they stand up.

They increased their glory even more by despising it. They revealed that what had just taken place was not a human act but was divine and that they were worthy of joining the beholders in admiration and not of receiving it from them. Do you see how free of ambition he is and how he rejects the honor paid to him? This is what the ancient fathers also did, as Daniel said, not because of any wisdom that is in me.^[1]

But what is it that he means? I [Peter] am able, he declares, to speak of far greater miracles, but I am unwilling, for fear that the greatness of the miracles should raise too high a notion of me among people. For this reason Peter also, when they had restored the lame man and all were wondering at them, in order to restrain the people and persuade them that they had exhibited nothing of this power of themselves or from their native strength, says, Why do you look so earnestly on us, as though by our own power or holiness we had made this man to walk?

Nor did they think that any one should be renowned for the gifts and marvels of God but rather for the fruits of his own good deeds, which are brought about by the efforts of his mind and the power of his works. For often, as was said above, people of corrupt minds, reprobate concerning the truth, both cast out devils and perform the greatest miracles in the name of the Lord.

It is through the saints’ preaching that God’s might and the glory of the kingdom are made known, in case they might be perhaps less sought if people did not know of them. His might was also made known when Peter and John made the man lame from birth walk, and they said, Men of Israel, why marvel at this, as if by our strength or devotion we had made this man to walk? And a little later they say that he was made whole in the name of Christ Jesus. The might of the Lord was also made known when the apostles invoked his name and made manifest diverse powers.

Notice again how discreetly he speaks of Christ’s power, showing that he raised himself. In his earlier speech he said, because it was impossible for him to be held in its power;^[1] and here he says that they killed the Author of life. Thus, it was not from another that he had his life. For the author of evil would be the one who gave birth to evil, the author of murder, the one who gave birth to murder, and likewise the author of life must be the one who has life from himself.

And the faith which is through him. This is said because someone is healed through the faith that is directed to Christ. For it is necessary that the faith of both concur, that is, the faith of the one healed and the faith of the one praying over the sick person. This we see in the case of the paralytic^[1] and the woman with the flow of blood.^[2]

And yet they did not know it was in his name, but they knew this, that he was lame. Those who had made him stand like a healthy man—they themselves confessed that it was not by their own power but by that of Christ. If this were not so and if they did not truly believe that Christ had risen again, they would not have been willing to establish the honor of a dead man rather than their own, especially while the eyes of the multitude were upon them.

As he had been hard on them and had shown that he whom they crucified had risen, he now relaxes, by giving them the power of repentance: And now, brothers, I know that you acted in ignorance, as did also your rulers. This is one ground of excuse. The second is of a different kind. As Joseph says to his brothers, God sent me before you.^[1] In the earlier speech Peter had briefly said, This Jesus, delivered up according to the definite plan and foreknowledge of God, you crucified and killed by the hands of lawless men.^[2] He enlarges upon that here: But what God foretold by the mouth of all the prophets, that his Christ should suffer, he thus fulfilled.

If indeed it was all the prophets and not only one of them who said this, it follows that, although the event took place through ignorance, it did not take place contrary to God’s ordinance. See how great is the wisdom of God, when it uses the wickedness of others to bring about what must be.

Someone familiar with the way Scripture speaks knows that the words until and then are not to be taken in the strict sense meaning a specific time, as though when that time passes something else quite different must take place. Thus, what was said by God to some, I am your God and until you grow old, I am he,^[1] does not imply that, when these addressees grow old, he will no longer be God. He is immortal and eternal. There are thousands of such instances that are contained in the divine teaching, and who can number them? Thus in the present text when it says that heaven must receive the Lord until the time of restoration, this should be understood to mean that Christ, now received into heaven, will remain there until the consummation of the world. Then he will come in power when everything else is restored as the prophets foretold. Or it can be understood to mean that, when the end is near and sensible things will cease, then Christ will be higher than the heavens, not established in heaven but above heaven with that glory that he had with the Father before the world was.^[2] Raised up above every visible creature, he will constitute an end to what is in heaven.

Everything endowed with reason will come under one law. . . . If we must refer to this subject, it will be with great brevity. The Stoics, indeed, hold that, when the strongest of the elements prevails, all things shall be turned into fire. But our belief is that the Word will prevail over the entire rational creation and change every soul into his own perfection. In this state all, by the mere exercise of his power, will choose what he desires and obtain what he chooses. For although, in the diseases and wounds of the body, there are some which no medical skill can cure, yet we hold that in the mind there is no evil so strong that it may not be overcome by the supreme Word and God. For stronger than all the evils in the soul is the Word and the healing power that dwells in him. This healing he applies, according to the will of God, to everything. The consummation of all things is the destruction of evil, although as to the question whether it shall be so destroyed that it can never anywhere arise again, it is beyond our present purpose to say. Many things are said obscurely in the prophecies on the total destruction of evil and the restoration to righteousness of every soul; but it will be enough for our present purpose to quote the following passage from Zephaniah: Prepare and rise early; all the gleanings of their vineyards are destroyed. Therefore wait upon me, says the Lord, on the day that I rise up for a testimony. For my determination is to gather the nations, that I may assemble the kings, to pour upon them my indignation, even all my fierce anger. For all the earth shall be devoured with the fire of my jealousy. For then will I bring about a transformation of pure language among the people, that they may all call upon the name of the Lord, to serve him with one consent. From beyond the rivers of Ethiopia my suppliants, even the daughter of my dispersed, shall bring my offering. In that day you will not be ashamed for all your sinful deeds of transgression against me. For then I will take away out of your midst them that rejoice in your pride; and you will be haughty no more because of my holy mountain. I will also leave in your midst an afflicted and poor people, and they will trust in the name of the Lord. The remnant of Israel will not commit iniquity nor speak lies. Neither shall a deceitful tongue be found in their mouth, for they shall feed and lie down, and none shall make them afraid.^[1]

Christ sent the Jews back to Moses so that, through Moses, he might draw them to himself. In the same way, Moses hands over his disciples to his teacher and commands them to believe him in all things.

Then [Peter] takes refuge in what is trustworthy, saying, The Lord God will raise up for you a prophet from your brothers as he raised me up. You shall listen to him in whatever he tells you. And then the severity of the punishment, And it shall be that every soul that does not listen to that prophet shall be destroyed from the people. And all the prophets who have spoken, from Samuel and those who came afterwards, also proclaimed these days. . . . It is remarkable that the two stand together, obedience and disobedience, and the punishment. As I am, he says (why are you alarmed at this?), You are the sons of the prophets. It was to you that they spoke, and it was for your sake that all these things have come to pass. They were of the belief that they had alienated themselves through their outrage—for it was illogical that the same one was now crucified and now cherished them as his own. So he proves to them that both the one and the other are in accordance with prophecy.

Although the patriarchs and saints of earlier times prophesied many things about Christ by their words and deeds, properly speaking the time of the prophets (I mean those who wrote clearly about the mystery of Christ and the church) had its beginning from Samuel, under whom the period of the kings began in Israel, and it lasted up to the deliverance from the Babylonian captivity.

Children of the covenant, that is, heirs. To prevent them from thinking that they are receiving this as a favor from Peter, he reveals that it was owed to them from the beginning, so that they might more readily believe that such is also the will of God. God, having raised up his servant, he says, sent him to you first. He did not say simply he sent his servant to you, but adds that it was after the resurrection and when he had been crucified. Because he did not want them to think that it was he, and not the Father, who granted this favor, he says to bless you. For if he is your brother and blesses you, it is a matter of promise. That is, so far from your having no share in these blessings, he wishes you to become advocates and authors of them to others. For you are not to feel like castaways. Again the resurrection. In turning every one of you, he says, from your wickedness, he blesses you [particularly], not in a general way. What kind of blessing is this? A great one. For turning from wickedness, of course, does not suffice to destroy it. If it does not suffice to destroy, then what is meant by conferring a blessing? It is certainly not that the transgressor immediately becomes blessed but that he is released from his sins. . . . Then high praise also from the other side, so that for this reason too you are obliged to obey. He calls you sons of the prophets and of the covenant, that is, heirs. Why then do you feel towards what is your own as if it were another’s? True, you have done things worthy of condemnation, but you will be able to obtain pardon. Having spoken this, he is then able to say with truth, God, having raised up his servant, sent him to you first, to bless you. He does not say, to save you, but what is greater, that the crucified one blesses his crucifiers.

Christ indeed is the offspring of Abraham, and through faith in his name a blessing is promised to all the families of the earth, namely, Jews and Gentiles. However, the apostle soothed the minds of the Jews in order to make them more well-disposed to believing by saying that, out of the whole world, the Savior chose to visit and bless them first.

Here it must be borne in mind that the one whom he calls the offspring of Abraham is at the same time the Son of God because of the two natures of the one Christ. Thus they should not believe either that Christ is only a man or that there is one son of man and one Son of God. This is the trap of heresy into which the mad Manes and Nestorius were misled.