Demonstration of the Apostolic Preaching 58–82

English translation by J. Armitage Robinson (1920); the original is not shown

And again Moses says: There shall rise a star Num. out of Jacob; and a leader shall be raised up out of Israel; showing yet more plainly that the dispensation of His coming in flesh should be among the Jews. And from Jacob and from the tribe of Judah He who was born, coming down from heaven, took upon Him this economy of dispensation: for the star appeared in heaven. And by leader he means king, because He is the King of all the redeemed. And at His birth the star appeared to the Magi who dwelt in the east; and thereby they learned that Christ was born; and they came to Judza, led by the star; until the star came to Bethlehem where Christ was born, and entered the house wherein was laid the child, wrapped in swaddling-clothes; and it stood over His head, declaring to the Magi the Son of God; the Christ.

English translation by J. Armitage Robinson (1920); the original is not shown

Moreover Isaiah himself yet further says: And there shall come forth a rod out of the roots of Jesse,anda flower from hts root shall come forth. And the spirit of God shall rest upon him; the spirit of wisdom and of understanding, the spirit of counsel and of might, the spirit of knowledge and of godliness: the spirit of the fear of God shall fill him? Not according to opinion shall he judge, and not according to speech shall he reprove: but he shall judge judgment for the humble, and shew mercy to the humble of the earth, And he shall smite the earth with the word of his mouth, and with the breath of his lips shall he slay the impious man. And he shall be girt about his loins with righteousness, and with truth encompassed about his reins. And the wolf shall feed with the lamb, and the leopard” with the kid, and the calf and the lion shall pasture together. And a sucking child shall put his hand on the hole of the asps, and on the lair of the offspring of the asps, and they shall not hurt him. And in that day there shall be a root of Jesse, and he that riseth up to rule the Gentiles: in him shall the Gentiles hope: and his rising up? shall be honour. By these words he states that He was born from her who was of the race of David and of Abraham. For Jesse was the descendant of Abraham, and the father of David; (and David’s) descendant the virgin was who conceived Christ. Now (as to) the vod: for this cause also Moses with a rod showed the mighty works to Pharaoh: and with other men also the rod is a sign of rule. And by flower he means His flesh; for from spirit it budded forth, as we have said before.

English translation by J. Armitage Robinson (1920); the original is not shown

Now, Wot according to opinion shall he judge, and not according to speech shall he reprove: but he shall judge judgment for the humble, and shall show mercy to the humble on the earth—(by this) he the more establishes and declares His godhead.t For to judge without respect of persons and partiality, and not as favouring the illustrious, but affording to the humble worthy and like and equal treatment, accords with the height and summit of the righteousness of God: for God is influenced and moved by none, save only the righteous. And to show mercy is the peculiar attribute of God, who by mercy is able to save. And He shall smite the earth with a word, and slay the impious with a word only: this belongs to God who worketh all things with a word. And in saying: He shall be girt about his loins with righteousness, and with truth encompassed about his reins, he declares His human form and aspect, and His own surpassing righteousness.

English translation by J. Armitage Robinson (1920); the original is not shown

Now as to the union and concord and peace of the animals of different kinds,? which by nature are opposed and hostile to each other, the Elders say that so it will be in truth at the coming of Christ, when He is to reign over all. For already in a symbol he announces the gathering together in peace and concord, through the name of Christ, of men of unlike races and (yet) of like dispositions. For, when thus united, on the righteous, who are likened to calves and lambs and kids and sucking children, those inflict no hurt at all who in the former time were, through their rapacity, like wild beasts in manners and disposition, both men and women; so much so that some of them were like wolves and lions, ravaging the weaker and warring on their equals; while the women (were like) leopards or asps, who slew, it may be, even their loved ones with deadly poisons, or by reason of lustful desire. (But now) coming together in one name, they have acquired righteous habits by the grace of God, changing their wild and untamed nature. And this has come to pass already. For those who were before exceeding wicked, so that they left no work of ungodliness undone, learning of Christ and believing on Him, have at once believed and been changed, so as to leave no excellency of righteousness undone; so great is the transformation which faith in Christ the Son of God effects for those who believe on Him. And he says: Rising up to rule the Gentiles, because He is to die and rise again, and be confessed and believed as the Son of God (and) King. On this account he says: Aud His rising up shall be honour: that is, glory; for then was He glorified as God, when He rose.

English translation by J. Armitage Robinson (1920); the original is not shown

Wherefore again the prophet says:? In that day I will raise up the tabernacle of David that is fallen: that body of Christ, which, as we have said before, is born of David, he plainly declares as after death rising from the dead. For the body is called a tabernacle. For by these words he says that He who according to the flesh is of the race of David will be Christ the Son of God; and that He will die and rise again, and that He is in aspect a man, but in power God; and that He Himself will be as judge of all the world and as the only worker of righteousness and redeemer—all this the Scripture declared.

English translation by J. Armitage Robinson (1920); the original is not shown

And again the prophet Micah speaks of the place where Christ should be born, that it should Matt. iii be in Bethlehem of Judza, saying thus: And See thou, Bethlehem of Judea, art thou the least among the princes of Judah? for out of thee shall come a prince who shall feed my people Israel? But Bethlehem is the native place? of David: so that not only in respect of the Virgin who bore Him is He of David’s race, but also in respect of His birth in Bethlehem the native place of David.

English translation by J. Armitage Robinson (1920); the original is not shown

And again David says that of his race Christ is to be born, (speaking) after this manner: Jor sober David my servant's sake turn not away the face of thy Christ. The Lord sware truth unto David, and he will not disappoint him: Of the fruit of thy body will I set on thy throne: tf thy children shall keep my covenant and my testimonies, which I covenanted with them, thetr sons for evermore (shall sit upon thy throne). But none of the sons of David reigned for evermore, nor was their kingdom for evermore; for it was brought to nought. But the king that was born of David, He is Christ. All these testimonies declare in plain terms His descent according to the flesh, and the race and place where He was to be born; so that no man should seek among the Gentiles or elsewhere for the birth of the Son of God, but in Bethlehem of Judza from Abraham and from David’s race.

English translation by J. Armitage Robinson (1920); the original is not shown

And the manner of His entry into Jerusalem, which was the capital of Judza, where also was His royal seat and the temple of God, the prophet Isaiah declares: Say ye to the daughter of Sion, Behold a king cometh unto thee, meek and sitting Be upon an ass, a colt the foal of an For, sitting on an ass’s colt, so He entered into Jerusalem, the t multitudes strewing and putting down for Him their garments. And by the daughter of Sion he means Jerusalem.

English translation by J. Armitage Robinson (1920); the original is not shown

So then, that the Son of God should be born, and in what manner born, and where He was to be born, and that Christ is the one eternal King,’ the prophets thus declared. And again they told beforehand concerning Him how, sprung from mankind, He should heal those whom He healed, and raise the dead whom He raised, and be hated and despised and undergo sufferings and be put to death and crucified, even as He was hated and despised and put to death.

English translation by J. Armitage Robinson (1920); the original is not shown

At this point let us speak of His healings. Isaiah says thus: He took our infirmities and bare our sicknesses: that is to say, He shall take, and shall bear. For there are passages in which the Spirit of God through the prophets recounts things that are to be as having taken place For that which with God is essayed and conceived of as determined to take place, is reckoned as having already taken place: and the Spirit, regarding and seeing the time in which the issues of the prophecy are fulfilled, utters the words (accordingly). And concerning the kind of healing, thus will He make mention, saying: In that day shall the deaf hear the words of the book, and in darkness and in mist. the eyes of the blind shall see. And the same says again: Be strong, ye weak hands and feeble and trembling knees: be comforted, ye that are of a fearful mind. Be strong, fear not. Behold, our God will recompense judgment: He will come and save us. Then shall the eyes of the blind be opened, and the ears of the deaf shall hear: then shall the lame man leap as an hart, and the tongue of the stammerers shall be plain. And concerning the dead, that they shall be raised, he says thus: The dead shall be raised, and they that are in the tombs shall be raised. And in bringing these things to pass He shall be believed to be the Son of God.

English translation by J. Armitage Robinson (1920); the original is not shown

And that He shall be despised and tormented and in the end put to death, Isaiah says thus: Behold, my son shall understand, and shall be exalted and glorified greatly. Even as many shall be astonished at thee, so without glory shall thy form be from men. And many races shall be astonished, and kings shall shut their mouths: for they to whom it was not declared concerning him shall see, and they who have not heard shall consider. Lord, who hath believed our report? and to whom hath the arm of the Lord been revealed? We declared before him as a child, as a root in a dry ground: and there is to him no form nor glory: and we saw him, and he had no form nor beauty: and his form was without honour, meaner than that of other men: a man in chastisement, and acquainted with the bearing of pain; for his face was turned away, he was dishonoured and made of no account. He beareth our sins, and for our sakes endureth pain: and we accounted him to. be in pain and chastisement and affliction. But he was wounded for our iniquities, and was tormented for our sins. The discipline of our peace (was) upon Him, by his stripes. we were healed. By these words it is declared that He was tormented; as also David says: And I was tormented. David was never tormented, but Christ (was), when the command was given that He should be crucified. And again by Isaiah His Word says: J gave my back to scourging,and my checks to smiting: and my face I turned not away from the shame of spitting And Jeremiah the prophet says the same, thus: He shall give his cheek to the smiter: he shall be filled with reproaches. All these things Christ suffered.

English translation by J. Armitage Robinson (1920); the original is not shown

Now what follows in Isaiah is this: By his stripes we were healed. All we like sheep went astray: a man in his way went astray: and the Lord delivered him up to our sins. It is manifest therefore that by the will of the Father these things occurred to Him for the sake of our salvation. Then he says: And he by reason of his suffering opened not (his) mouth: as a sheep to the slaughter was he brought, as a lamb? dumb before the shearer. Behold how he declares His voluntary coming to death. And when the prophet says: In the humiliation his judgment was taken away, he signifies the appearance of His humiliation: according as His form of the abasement was the taking away of judgment. And the taking away of judgment is for some unto salvation, and to some unto the torments of perdition. For there is a taking away for a person, and also from a person. So also with the judgment—those for whom it is taken away have it unto the torments of their perdition: but those from whom it is taken away are saved by it. Now those took away to themselves the judgment who crucified Him, and when they had done this to Him believed not on Him: for through that judgment which was taken away by them they shall be destroyed with torments. And from them that believe on Him the judgment is taken away, and they are no longer under it. And the judgment is that which by fire will be the destruction of the unbelievers at the end of the world.

English translation by J. Armitage Robinson (1920); the original is not shown

Then he says: His generation who shalt declare? This was said to warn us, lest on account of His enemies and the outrage of His sufferings we should despise Him as a mean and contemptible man. For He who endured all this has an undeclarable generation; for by generation He means descent; (for) He who is His Father is undeclarable and unspeakable. Know therefore that such descent was His who endured these sufferings; and despise Him not because of the sufferings which for thy sake He of purpose endured, but fear Him because of His descent.

English translation by J. Armitage Robinson (1920); the original is not shown

Andin another place Jeremiah says: The Spirit of our face, the Lord Christ; and how He?” was taken in thetr snares, of whom we said, Under his shadow we shall live among the Gentiles. That, being (the) Spirit of God, Christ was to become a suffering man the Scripture declares; and is, as it were, amazed and astonished at His sufferings, that in such manner He was to endure sufferings, under whose shadow we said that we should live. And by shadow he means His body. For just as a shadow is made by a body, so also Christ’s body was made by His Spirit. But, further, the humiliation and contemptibility’ of His body he indicates by the shadow. For, as the shadow of bodies standing upright is upon the ground and is trodden upon, so also the body -of Christ fell upon the ground by His sufferings and was trodden on indeed. And he named Christ’s body a shadow, because the Spirit overshadowed it, as it were, with glory and covered it. Moreover oftentimes when the Lord passed by, they laid those who were held by divers diseases in the way, and on whomsoever His shadow fell, they were healed.

English translation by J. Armitage Robinson (1920); the original is not shown

And again the same prophet (says) thus concerning the sufferings of Christ: Behold how the righteous is destroyed, and no man layeth it to heart; and righteous men are taken away, and no man understandeth. For from the face of iniquity the taking away of the righteous: peace shall be his burial, he hath been taken away from the midst. And who else is perfectly righteous, but the Son of God, who makes righteous and perfects them that believe on Him, who like unto Him are persecuted and put to death. But in saying: Peace shall be his burial, he declares how on account of our redemption He died: for it is in the peace of redemption: and (also he declares) that by His death those who aforetime were enemies and opposed to one another, believing with one accord upon Him, should have peace with one another, becoming friends and beloved on account of their common faith in Him; as indeed they have become. But in saying: He hath been taken away Jrom the midst, he signifies His resurrection from the dead. Moreover because He appeared no more after His death and burial, the prophet declares that after dying and rising again He was to remain immortal, (saying) thus: He asked life, and thou gavest (it) him, and length of days for ever and ever. Now what is this that he says, He asked life, since He was about to die? He proclaims His resurrection from the dead, and that being raised from the dead He is immortal. For He received both, that He should rise, and length of days for ever and ever, that He should be incorruptible.

English translation by J. Armitage Robinson (1920); the original is not shown

And again David says thus concerning the death and resurrection of Christ: I laid me down and slept: I awaked, for the Lord received me. David said not this of himself, for he was not raised after death: but the Spirit of Christ, who (spake) also in other prophets concerning Him, says here by David: I lazd me down and slept: I awaked, for the Lord received me. By sleep he means death; for He arose again.

English translation by J. Armitage Robinson (1920); the original is not shown

And again David (says) thus concerning the sufferings of Christ: Why did the Gentiles rage, and the people tmagine vain things? Kings rose up on the earth, and princes were gathered together, against the Lord and his Anointed. For Herod the king of the Jews and Pontius Pilate, the governor of Claudius Cæsar, came together and condemned Him to be crucified. For Herod feared, as though He were to be an earthly king, lest he should be expelled by Him from the kingdom. But Pilate was constrained by Herod and the Jews that were with him against his will to deliver Him to death: (for they threatened him) if he should not rather do this? than act contrary to Cæsar, by letting go a man who was called a king.

English translation by J. Armitage Robinson (1920); the original is not shown

And further concerning the sufferings of Christ the same prophet says: Thou hast repelled and despised us; and hast cast away thine Anointed. Thou hast broken the covenant of my servant; thou hast cast his holiness to the ground. Thou hast overthrown all his hedges; thou hast made his strongholds to tremble They that pass on the way have ravaged him; he is become a reproach to his neighbours. Thou hast exalted the right hand of his oppressors; thou hast made his enemies to rejoice over him. Thou hast turned away the help of his sword, and gavest him not a hand in the battle. Thou hast removed and thrown him down from purification; thou hast overturned his throne upon the ground. Thou hast shortened the days of his time, and hast poured forth shame upon him. That He should endure these things, and that too by the will of the Father, he manifestly declared: for by the will of the Father He was to endure sufferings.

English translation by J. Armitage Robinson (1920); the original is not shown

And Zechariah says thus: Sword, awake against my shepherd, and against the man (that is)” my companion. Smite the shepherd, and the sheep of the flock shall be scattered. And this came to pass when He was taken by the Jews: for all the disciples forsook Him, fearing lest they should die with Him. For not yet did they stedfastly believe on Him, until they had seen Him risen from the dead.

English translation by J. Armitage Robinson (1920); the original is not shown

Again He says in the Twelve Prophets: And they bound him and brought him as a present to the king. For Pontius Pilate was governor of Judza, and he had at that time resentful enmity against Herod the king of the Jews. But then, when Christ was brought to him bound, Pilate sent Him to Herod, giving command to enquire of him, that he might know of a certainty what he should desire concerning Him; making Christ a convenient occasion of reconciliation with the king.

English translation by J. Armitage Robinson (1920); the original is not shown

And in Jeremiah He thus declares His death and descent into hell, saying: And the Lord the Holy One of Israel, remembered his dead, which aforetime fell asleep in the dust of the earth; and he went down unto them, to bring the tidings of his salvation, to deliver them. In this place He also renders the cause of His death: for His descent into hell was the salvation of them that had passed away.

English translation by J. Armitage Robinson (1920); the original is not shown

And, again, concerning His cross Isaiah says thus: I have stretched out my hands all the day long to a disobedient and gainsaying people. For this is an indication of the cross.) And yet more manifestly David says: Hunting-dogs encompassed me: the assembly of evil-doers came about me. They pierced my hands and my feet. And again he says: My heart became even as wax melting in the midst of my body; and they put asunder? my bones, and again he says: Spare my soul from the sword and nail my flesh: for the assembly of evil-doers hath risen up against me. In these words with manifest clearness he signifies that He should be crucified. And Moses says this same thing to the people, thus: And thy life shall be hanged up before Deut. thine eyes, and thou shalt fear by day and by night, and thou shalt not believe in thy life.

English translation by J. Armitage Robinson (1920); the original is not shown

And again David says: They looked upon me, they parted my garments among them, and upon my vesture they cast lots. For at His crucifixion the soldiers parted His garments as they were wont; and the garments they parted by tearing; but for Cf. John the vesture, because it was woven from the top and was not sewn, they cast lots, that to whomsoever it should fall he should take it.

English translation by J. Armitage Robinson (1920); the original is not shown

And again Jeremiah the prophet says: Amd Matt. they took the thirty pieces of silver, the price of him that was sold, whom they bought from the children of Israel; and they gave them for the potters field, as the Lord commanded me. For Judas, being one of Christ’s disciples, agreed with the Jews and covenanted with them, when he saw they desired to kill Him, because he had been reproved by Him: and he took the thirty staters of the province, and betrayed Christ unto them: and then, repenting of what he had done, he gave the silver back again to the rulers of the Jews, and hanged himself. But they, thinking it not right to cast it into their treasury, because it was the price of blood, bought with it the ground that was a certain potter’s for the burial of strangers.

English translation by J. Armitage Robinson (1920); the original is not shown

And at His crucifixion, when He asked a drink, they gave Him to drink vinegar mingled with gall. And this was declared through David: They gave gall to my meat, and in my thirst they gave me vinegar to drink