{"author":null,"canonical_references":[],"database_sha256":"8cfbe7284c6936871d57c02dc6aa63ebbdfd4722422d539dd9f716e46e91112e","date_end":null,"date_start":null,"edition_year":null,"id":"sermonindex-ecf-2446","native_reference":{"book_number":510,"chapter_from":1,"chapter_to":1,"system":"MyBible module coordinates (mapping unverified)","verse_from":10,"verse_to":10},"public_import_allowed":false,"record_kind":"verse-keyed-module-record","review_required":["English edition and exact text","author/work attribution","dating","verse mapping and citation kind","reuse and attribution","split author quotations and deduplicate"],"review_status":"unreviewed","source_html":"<p><b>Bede</b>: Behold, two men stood by them in white apparel. White garments are more fitting for exaltation than for humiliation. And so, as the Lord ascends, angels appear in white garments, who are not said to appear in white clothing at the Lord's birth, because he who appeared humble as a God in his birth, appeared sublime as a man in his ascension. For the location is also fitting, while he, who was born as a man in a humble little city, returned to heaven from a high mountain.<br/><i>— Commentary on Acts</i></p><p><b>Bede</b>: While they were looking on as he went into heaven. In Greek, it is thus: And while they were gazing into heaven as he went; that is, they were gazing into heaven, where he was going. Hence, the angels say to them: Why do you stand looking into heaven? Because it is also shown that they were gazing at him who was going into heaven, by the angels' following words, when it is said: He will come in the same way you saw him going into heaven.<br/><i>— Retractions on Acts</i></p><p><b>Cosmas Indicopleustes</b>: Any one who takes into view the ascension into Heaven of our Lord Christ, and the angels clothed in white raiment announcing to the Apostles his second coming, would never cease magnifying Jesus who showed and opened up to men the ascent into the future heavenly state, which He had prepared from the foundation of the world;<br/><i>— The Christian Topography, Book 6</i></p><p><b>Cosmas Indicopleustes</b>: And to speak briefly they were trained by wars and miracles and dreams and their sacred books, and were thus taught to know Him who was truly God, Him whom the Jews revere and worship, in order that they also might be the better prepared for the reception of Christianity, so that, at the time when our Lord sojourned upon earth, many nations of Greece, seeing the signs wrought by the Apostles, assented to the faith of Christ, confessing His resurrection and His ascension into heaven. But now, after a long lapse of time and the cessation of signs, they have fallen into a sort of oblivion of that faith, and have reverted to the former superstition, declaring it impossible that there can be a resurrection of the dead and an ascent into heaven. Wherefore you find them observing baptism, and yet thinking that the heaven has a spherical form, in order that the resurrection of their bodies and their ascension into heaven may be denied.<br/><i>— The Christian Topography, Book 12</i></p><p><b>Gregory the Dialogist</b>: But first we must inquire what it means that when the Lord was born, angels appeared, yet they are not recorded as having appeared in white garments, whereas when the Lord ascended, angels who were sent are recorded as having appeared in white garments. For it is written thus: \"While they were watching, he was lifted up, and a cloud received him from their sight. And while they were gazing into heaven as he went, behold, two men stood beside them in white garments.\"</p><p>In white garments, joy and festivity of mind are shown. What does it mean, then, that when the Lord was born, angels appear not in white garments, but when the Lord ascended, angels appear in white garments, unless that then a great festivity was made for the angels, when God as man entered heaven? For when the Lord was being born, divinity seemed to be humbled; but when the Lord ascended, humanity was exalted. For white garments are more fitting for exaltation than for humiliation. Therefore at his assumption, angels ought to have been seen in white garments, because he who at his nativity appeared as humble God, at his Ascension was shown as exalted man.<br/><i>— Forty Gospel Homilies, Homily 29</i></p><p><b>John Chrysostom</b>: \"And while they looked stedfastly,\" it is said, \"toward heaven, as he went up, behold, two men stood by them in white apparel; which also said, Ye men of Galilee, why stand ye gazing up into heaven? This same Jesus, which is taken up from you into heaven\" - they used the expression \"This\" demonstratively, saying, \"this Jesus, which is taken up from you into heaven, shall thus\" - demonstratively, \"in this way\" - \"come in like manner as ye have seen Him going into heaven.\" Again, the outward appearance is cheering - \"in white apparel.\" They were Angels, in the form of men. And they say, \"Ye men of Galilee:\" they showed themselves to be trusted by the disciples, by saying, \"Ye men of Galilee.\" For this was the meaning: else, what needed they to be told of their country, who knew it well enough? By their appearance also they attracted their regard, and showed that they were from heaven.<br/><i>— Homily on Acts 2</i></p><p><b>John Chrysostom</b>: \"Behold, two men stood by them.\" That they may vent no sorrowful exclamations, and that it might not be with them as it was with Elisha, who, when his master was taken up, rent his mantle (2 Kings ii. 12). And what say they? \"This Jesus, which is taken up from you into heaven, shall thus come.\" And, \"Behold, two men stood by them.\" With good reason: for \"in the mouth of two witnesses shall every word be established\" (Deut. xvii. 6): and these utter the same things. And it is said, that they were \"in white apparel.\" In the same manner as they had already seen an Angel at the sepulchre, who had even told them their own thoughts; so here also an Angel is the preacher of His Ascension; although indeed the Prophets had frequently foretold it, as well as the Resurrection.<br/><i>— Homily on Acts 2</i></p><p><b>Oecumenius</b>: Men, appearing as angels because of the vision, speak through the experience, according to the kindred nature of the vision, so that they do not completely astonish those already struck by the uniqueness of the ascension.<br/><i>— Commentary on Acts</i></p><p><b>Tertullian</b>: After that, Pentecost is a most joyous space for conferring baptisms; wherein, too, the resurrection of the Lord was repeatedly proved among the disciples, and the hope of the advent of the Lord indirectly pointed to, in that, at that time, when He had been received back into the heavens, the angels told the apostles that \"He would so come, as He had withal ascended into the heavens; \" at Pentecost, of course.<br/><i>— On Baptism</i></p>","source_html_sha256":"7ddf7f69758bc94c45f4b66fe3302b58111b20f4cd2db12b7fc733801bc52f15","source_module":"ECF","source_row_id":2446,"source_url":"https://www.sermonindex.net/commentary/ecf/","text_sha256":"d17570388223263e4858f9334b41b667bc7101841619ae4bae496b430ae3c3ce","translator":null,"work":null}