Chapter 24

§ 1.

On this account also Paul, being the Apostle of the Gentiles, saith, I laboured more than they all. For to them the elementary teaching was easy,¹ because, you see, they had Scripture proofs and the hearers of Moses and the Prophets did also readily receive as first-born from the dead,² and as Prince of the Divine Life, Him Who by stretching out His Hands destroyed³ Amalek, and brought man to life from the serpent’s wound by faith which was in Him. Now the Gentiles had first indeed to be instructed by the Apostle (as we have explained in the preceding Book) how they should depart from the superstition of idols, and worship one God, the Maker of Heaven and Earth, and framer of the whole creation: and how He hath His Son, His Word, by Whom He established all things; and that He in the last time becoming a man among men, did both reform mankind, and destroy and vanquish man’s enemy, and give to His own creature the victory over him, for all his struggles. But besides this, those who were of the circumcision, although they did not the words of God, as being despisers, yet were they warned not to commit adultery, not to fornicate, not to steal nor cheat: and that whatever is done to the ruin⁴ of our neighbours is bad and is hated by God. Wherefore also they readily agreed to keep from such things, because they had been so taught.

§ 2.

But the Gentiles had to learn even this very thing, that such works are bad, and ruinous, and unprofitable, and hurtful to the doers of them. Wherefore it was harder work for him who had received the Apostleship of the Gentiles, than for such as preached the Son of God in the Circumcision. For they were helped by the Scriptures, which the Lord confirmed and fulfilled, being, when He came, such as He was announced. But here it was a strange sort of teaching, and a new doctrine, that the Gods of the nations,⁵ so far from being Gods, are rather images of demons;⁶ and that there is but one God, who is above all princedom and dominion and power and every name that is named; and that His Word, a Person naturally invisible, had become such as to be touched and seen among men,⁷ and descended even unto death, and that the death of the Cross;⁸ and that such as believe in Him shall be incorruptible and impassive, and receive the Kingdom of Heaven. And these things were preached to the Gentiles in discourse without scriptures: wherefore they did work harder who preached to the Gentiles. And again the faith of the Gentiles is shewn to be the more noble, in that they attain the word of God without instruction in letters.