Chapter 24. Catechizing the Gentiles Was Harder than Catechizing the Jews.
Chapter 24
1. For this reason, Paul, on his part, since he was the Apostle of the Gentiles, said, I worked harder than any of them. For the catechizing of the former was easy, since they had the proofs from the Scriptures, and those who used to listen to Moses and the Prophets also easily accepted the Firstborn of the dead and the Author of the life of God, who destroyed Amalech because of the extension of hands and revived man from the bite of the serpent by faith in himself.
As we have shown in the preceding book, the Apostle was accustomed to catechize the Gentiles to forsake the superstition of idolatry and to worship one God, the Creator of heaven and earth and the maker of the entire creation; moreover, that the Word was this God’s Son, through whom he created all things, and that he became man among men in the last epoch of the world, and refashioned the human race but destroyed and conquered man’s Enemy, and gave to his handiwork victory against the Adversary. But although those who were of the circumcision did not keep God’s words, because they held them in contempt, they, nevertheless, had been instructed in advance not to commit adultery or fornication, not to steal or cheat, and that whatever is done to the detriment of one’s neighbor is evil and hateful to God. Wherefore they easily consented to abstain from these, because they had learned them in advance.
2. It was necessary, however, that the Gentiles learn precisely this that such actions are evil, destructive, useless, and harmful to those who do them. He, therefore, who had received the apostolate of the Gentiles worked harder than those who preached God’s Son among the circumcised. For the Scriptures that the Lord approved and fulfilled by coming just as he had been announced beforehand helped them. But in that case [of the Gentiles] it was a kind of strange teaching and a new doctrine that the gods of the Gentiles were no gods at all but idols of the demons; that there is one God who is above all rule and authority and dominion, and above every name that is named; and that his Word, which is by nature invisible, was made visible among men and descended unto death, even death on a cross; and that those who believe in him would become imperishable and impassible, and would receive the kingdom of heaven. These things were preached to the Gentiles without the Scriptures; so, those who preached among the Gentiles worked harder. Then, too, the faith of the Gentiles, who followed the Word of God without the instruction of the Scriptures, is shown to be more generous.