[ Pobierz całość w formacie PDF ]
covered with brightness, the whole mystery of the Holy Trinity is declared, because we shall see
in the resurrection that glory of the Trinity which we believers confess in baptism, and shall praise
it all together.
Nor is it without reason that the Holy Ghost appeared here in a bright cloud, there in the form of a
dove; because he who now with a simple heart keeps the faith which he hath embraced, shall
then contemplate what he had believed with the brightness of open vision. But when the voice
had been heard over the Son, He was found Himself alone, because when He shall have
manifested Himself to His elect, God shall be all in all, yea Christ with His own, as the Head with
the body, shall shine through all things. [1 Cor 15:28]
9. And as they came down from the mountain, He charged them that they should tell no man
what things they had seen, till the Son of man were risen from the dead.
10. And they kept that saying with themselves, questioning one with another what the rising from
the dead should mean.
11. And they asked Him, saying, "Why say the Scribes that Elias must first come?"
12. And He answered and told them, "Elias verily cometh first, and restoreth all things: and how it
is written of the Son of man, that He must suffer many things, and be set at nought.
13. But I say unto you, That Elias is indeed come, and they have done unto him whatsoever they
listed, as it is written of him."
Origen, in Matt. tom. 12, 43: After the shewing of the mystery on the mount, the Lord commanded
His disciples, as they were coming down from [p. 170] the mount, not to reveal His
transfiguration, before the glory of His Passion and Resurrection.
Wherefore it is said, "And as they came down from the mountain, He charged them that they
should tell no man what things they had seen, till the Son of man were risen from the dead."
Chrys., Hom. in Matt., 56: Where He not only orders them to be silent, but mentioning His
Passion, He implies the cause why they were to be silent.
124
Theophylact: Which He did lest men should be offended, hearing such glorious things of Him
Whom they were about to see crucified. It was not therefore fitting to say such things of Christ
before He suffered, but after His resurrection they were likely to be believed.
Pseudo-Chrys., Vict. Ant. e Cat. in Marc.: But they, being ignorant of the mystery of the
resurrection, took hold of that saying, and disputed one with another.
Wherefore there follows, "And they kept that saying with themselves, questioning one with
another what the rising from the dead should mean."
Pseudo-Jerome: This, which is peculiar to Mark, means, that when death shall have been
swallowed up in victory, we shall have no memory for the former things.
It goes on, "And they asked Him, saying, "Why say the Scribes that Elias must first come?"
Chrys.: The design of the disciples in asking this question seems to me to be this. We indeed
have seen Elias with Thee, and have seen Thee before seeing Elias, but the Scribes say that
Elias cometh first; we therefore believe that they have lied.
Bede: Or thus; the disciples thought that the change which they had seen in Him in the mount,
was His transformation to glory; and they say, If Thou hast already come in glory, wherefore doth
not Thy forerunner appear? chiefly because they had seen Elias go away.
Chrys., Hom. in Matt. 57: But what Christ answered to this, is seen by what follows, "And He
answered and told them, Elias verily cometh first, and restoreth all things;" in which He shews
that Elias will come before His second advent. For the Scriptures declare two advents of Christ,
namely, one which has taken place, and another which is to come; but the Lord asserts that Elias
is the forerunner of the second advent.
Bede: Again, He will restore all things, that is to say, those things which Malachi points out,
saying, "Behold, I will send you Elijah the prophet, and he shall turn the heart of the fathers to the
children, and the heart of the children [p. 171] to their fathers;" [Mal 4:5-6] he will yield up also to
death that debt, which by his prolonged life he has delayed to render.
Theophylact: Now the Lord puts this forward to oppose the notion of the Pharisees, who held that
Elias was the forerunner of the first advent, shewing that it led them to a false conclusion;
wherefore he subjoins, "And how it is written of the Son of man, that He must suffer many things,
and be set at nought." As if He had said, When Elias the Tishbite cometh, he will pacify the Jews,
and will bring them to the faith, and thus be the forerunner of the second advent.
If then Elias is the forerunner of the first advent, how is it written that the Son of man must suffer?
One of these two things therefore will follow; either that Elias is not the forerunner of the first
advent, and thus the Scripture will be true; or that he is the forerunner of the first advent, and then
the Scripture will not be true, which say that Christ must suffer; for Elias must restore all things, in
which case there will not be an unbelieving Jew, but all, whosoever hear him, must believe on his
preaching.
Bede: Or this, "And how it is written;" that is, in the same way as the prophets have written many
things in various places concerning the Passion of Christ, Elias also, when he comes, is to suffer
many things, and to be despised by the wicked.
Chrys.: Now as the Lord asserted that Elias was to be the forerunner of the second advent, so
consequently He asserted that John was the forerunner of the first.
Wherefore He subjoins, "But I say unto you, that Elias is indeed come."
Gloss.: He calls John Elias, not because he was Elias in person, but because he fulfilled the
ministry of Elias; for as the latter will be the forerunner of the second advent, so the former has
been that of the first.
Theophylact: For again, John rebuked vice, and was a zealous man, and a hermit like Elias; but
they heard him not, as they will hear Elias, but killed him in wicked sport, and cut off his head.
125
Wherefore there follows, "And they have done unto him whatsoever they listed, as it is written of
him."
Pseudo-Chrys., Vict. Ant. e Cat. in Marc.: Or else, the disciples asked Jesus, how it was written
that the Son of man must suffer? Now in answer to this, He says, As John came in the likeness of
Elias, and they evil intreated him, so according to the Scriptures must the Son of man suffer. [p.
172]
14. And when He came to His disciples, He saw a great multitude about them, and the Scribes
questioning with them.
15. And straightway all the people, when they beheld Him, were greatly amazed, and running to
Him saluted Him.
16. And He asked the Scribes, "What question ye with them?"
17. And one of the multitude answered and said, "Master, I have brought unto thee my son,
which hath a dumb spirit;
18. And wheresoever he taketh him, he teareth him: and he foameth, and gnasheth with his
teeth, and pineth away: and I spake to thy disciples that they should cast him out; and they could
not."
19. He answereth him, and saith, "O faithless generation, how long shall I be with you? how long
shall I suffer you? bring him unto Me."
[ Pobierz całość w formacie PDF ]