The Ancient Witnesses

236 • The Ancient Witnesses: A Journey to Discover Our Sacred Roots

plot in vain? The kings of the earth set themselves, and the rulers were gathered together, against the Lord and against his Anointed” for truly in this city there were gathered together against your holy servant Jesus, whom you anointed, both Herod and Pontius Pilate, along with the Gentiles and the peoples of Israel, to do whatever your hand and your plan had predestined to take place. Acts 4:24–28 “The prayer quotes Psalm 2,” explained Father Greg, “the Anointed—the Messiah—was the royal descendant of David, whom the rulers opposed.” “They are taking God at his word,” said Chrysostom, “to comfort themselves and to ensure that their opponents’ threats come to nothing. 14 They flee, in prayer, to the true Help, lifting up their voices to God with one accord, addressing Him as Sovereign.” “We could learn a lot from the prayers of early Christians,” said Preacher. “Consider this,” added Chrysostom, “when they prayed for the wisdom to choose a replacement for Judas they said, ‘You, Lord, who knows the heart of all men, show us…’ for that was a subject for foreknowledge. But here, the thing needed was that the mouths of their adversaries should be closed, and so they speak of lordship—Lord, the God who made heaven and earth, and the sea, and all that in them.” 15 14 The phrase: Ac si pacta a Deo exigerent, prophetiam in medium afferent, seipsos simul consolantes, quod omnia frustra meditentur inimici answers the question, “Why this prophesy?” Answer: This prophecy they point to in order to take God at his word, both to comfort themselves and to ensure that opponents threats come to nothing.

15 Acts 1:24; Chrysostom, Acts of the Apostles , Homily 11, Patrologia Graeca 60, 93. (NPNF 1.11.70).