Chapter 16

Chapter 16. — On the Resurrection of Christ. To Whom the Lord Appeared After His Rising. How He Arranged for the Disciples the Preaching of the Gospel

¹ And when the sabbath was past, Mary Magdalene, and Mary the mother of James, and Salome, bought sweet spices, that they might come and anoint Him. And very early in the morning, the first day of the week, they come to the sepulchre at the rising of the sun. And they said among themselves, Who shall roll us away the stone from the door of the sepulchre? And when they looked, they saw that the stone was rolled away; for it was very great. And entering into the sepulchre, they saw a young man sitting on the right side, clothed in a long white garment; and they were affrighted. And he says to them, Be not affrighted; you seek Jesus of Nazareth, who was crucified; He is risen; He is not here; behold the place where they laid Him. But go your way, tell His disciples and Peter that He goes before you into Galilee; there shall you see Him, as He said to you. And they went out, and fled from the sepulchre; for they trembled and were amazed; neither said they any thing to any man; for they were afraid. The women, thinking nothing great nor worthy of the Godhead of Jesus concerning Him, sit by the tomb and buy myrrh-oils, that according to the custom of the Jews they might anoint the body, so that it might remain fragrant, and suffer no foul odor from decomposition; and at the same time the myrrh-oils, having a certain drying power, drink up the moisture of the body and keep it from decay. Such things the women thought. And very early—which Matthew calls late on the sabbath, and Luke, deep dawn—of the first day of the week (that is, of the first of the days of the week; for they named the days of the week sabbaths, and the first one, one), rising up, they come to the sepulchre, and they reason who shall roll away the stone; and while they were reasoning these things, an angel rolled away the stone without the women perceiving it. Which Matthew also says, that after the women had come, the angel rolled away the stone; but Mark passed over this in silence, since Matthew had told by whom the stone was rolled away. And if Matthew says that the angel sat upon the stone, while Mark says that after entering the sepulchre the women saw him sitting within, one need not be troubled. For it is possible that the one whom they saw sitting without upon the stone, as Matthew says, this same one they saw again within the sepulchre, he having gone before the women and entered. And some say that the women in Matthew were different from those in Mark; the Magdalene, however, accompanied them all, being one fervent and ardent in zeal. So that one who appeared said to the women, Be not affrighted. For first he frees them from fear, then also he brings them the good tidings of the resurrection. And he names Him; for he is not ashamed of the cross; for this is the salvation of men, and the sum of good things. He is risen. Whence is it plain? For He is not here; and would you be assured? Behold the place where they laid Him. For this very reason He had the stone lifted, that he might show the place. But go your way, tell His disciples and Peter. He separates Peter from the disciples, naming him pre-eminently as the chief, apart from them; or, since Peter had denied Him, had the women come and said, We were charged to tell the disciples, Peter would have said, I denied Him; therefore I am no longer His disciple; He has cast me off, He has abhorred me. For this cause, then, he adds, And Peter, that Peter might not be scandalized, as though he had not been deemed worthy of a word, as one who had denied, and for this reason not even worthy to be ranked with the disciples. And He sends them into Galilee, leading them away from the tumults and the great fear of the Jews. Yet fear and amazement—that is, astonishment—held the women, both at the sight of the angel and at the awfulness of the resurrection, and for this reason they said nothing to anyone. For they were afraid; either they feared the Jews, or they were out of their minds. And for this reason they said nothing to anyone.

² Now when Jesus was risen early the first day of the week, He appeared first to Mary Magdalene, out of whom He had cast seven devils. And she went and told them that had been with Him, as they mourned and wept. And they, when they had heard that He was alive, and had been seen of her, believed not. After that He appeared in another form to two of them, as they walked, and went into the country. And they went and told it to the rest; neither believed they them. Afterward He appeared to the eleven as they sat at meat, and upbraided them with their unbelief and hardness of heart, because they believed not them which had seen Him after He was risen. Now when Jesus was risen: here put a stop, then say, Early the first day of the week He appeared to Mary Magdalene; for He did not rise early. For who knows when He rose? But He appeared early, on the Lord’s day; for this is the first of the sabbath—that is, of the week—which above he called one of the sabbaths. To Mary Magdalene, out of whom He had cast seven devils, that is, many; for Scripture is wont to take the number seven instead of a multitude; as the saying, The barren has borne seven; or seven devils, the opposites of the seven spirits of virtue; such as a spirit of fornication, a spirit of folly, a spirit of ignorance, a spirit of falsehood, and whatever else are adverse to the gifts of the Spirit. And after these things, He appeared in another form to two of them as they walked; concerning whom Luke also speaks. And they told it to the rest; neither believed they them. And how does Luke say that, returning, they found the eleven gathered together, saying that the Lord is risen, while Mark here says that they did not believe even those who came from the country? We say, then, that the saying, They told it to the rest, does not speak of the eleven apostles, but of certain others; for these he named the rest.

³ For the eleven indeed saw Him on that same day, when those also who returned from the country found them saying that the Lord is risen. And He said to them, Go into all the world, and preach the Gospel to every creature. He that believes and is baptized shall be saved; but he that believes not shall be damned. And these signs shall follow them that believe: In My name shall they cast out devils; they shall speak with new tongues; they shall take up serpents; and if they drink any deadly thing, it shall not hurt them; they shall lay hands on the sick, and they shall recover. So then, after the Lord had spoken to them, He was received up into heaven, and sat on the right hand of God. And they went forth, and preached every where, the Lord working with them, and confirming the word with signs following. Amen. Behold the commandment of the Lord, Preach to every creature. He did not say, Preach to those who obey, but, to every creature, whether they obey or not. He that believes—and this does not suffice, but also being baptized. For he that believes but is not baptized, but is still a catechumen, is not yet saved. And He says that signs shall follow them that believe: the casting out of devils, the speaking with new tongues, the taking up of serpents—that is, the doing away with serpents, whether the intelligible ones, as the saying, Tread upon serpents and scorpions, the intelligible ones, that is. But it may also be understood thus, They shall take up serpents, as Paul took up the viper in his hand, suffering nothing from it; and if they drink any deadly thing, it shall not hurt them. And such things have come to pass; in the histories it is found that certain who drank poison were preserved through the grace of the Lord. And these things He says after [it is said] that He sat on the right hand of God. And they went forth and preached every where; the Lord, he says, working with them and confirming the word through the signs that followed. Do you see—every where our part first, then the cooperation of God; for when we work and give a beginning, the Lord works with us; for if we give the occasion, then God will be present; therefore the occasion of words is the beginning of the work, and that of works is confirmed; just as in the case of the apostles then, the works and the signs that followed confirmed the word. And may it come to pass, O Word Christ, that our words also, which we speak concerning virtue, be confirmed through works and deeds; so that we may stand before You perfect, You working with us in all works and words; for to You belongs the glory through words and deeds. Amen.