Matthew 1-13

Manlio Simonetti, Thomas C. Oden, Thomas C. Oden, Manlio Simonetti

• Publisher: IVP Academic
• Year: 2014
• ISBN:
  9780830897414
• Topic: Theology & Religion
• Subtopic: Biblical Studies

The Gospel of Matthew stands out as a favorite biblical text among patristic commentators. The patristic commentary tradition on Matthew begins with Origen's pioneering twenty-five-volume commentary on the First Gospel in the mid-third century. In the Latin-speaking West, where commentaries did not appear until about a century later, the first commentary on Matthew was written by Hilary of Poitiers in the mid-fourth century. From that point, the First Gospel became one of the texts most frequently commented on in patristic exegesis. Outstanding examples are Jerome's four-volume commentary and the valuable but anonymous and incomplete Opus imperfectum in Matthaeum. Then there are the Greek catena fragments derived from commentaries by Theodore of Heraclea, Apollinaris of Laodicea, Theodore of Mopsuestia and Cyril of Alexandria. The ancient homilies also provide ample comment, including John Chrysostom's ninety homilies and Chromatius of Aquileia's fifty-nine homilies on the Gospel of Matthew. In addition, there are various Sunday and feast-day homilies from towering figures such as Augustine and Gregory the Great, as well as other fathers. This rich abundance of patristic comment, much of it presented here in English translation for the first time by editor Manlio Simonetti, provides a bountiful and varied feast of ancient interpretation of the First Gospel.

THE GOSPEL ACCORDING TO MATTHEW

THE GENEALOGY OF JESUS CHRIST
MATTHEW 1:1-17

OVERVIEW: The divine lineage is an unfathomable mystery (ORIGEN). Christ’s true humanity is revealed in Matthew’s genealogy (SEVERUS). Matthew’s Gospel, written first in Hebrew, prominently displays Jesus’ kingly succession from David and blood lineage with Abraham (CHROMATIUS, HILARY, ANONYMOUS). The varied reports of Christ’s lineage are not inconsistent due to the distinction between blood father and adoptive father (AUGUSTINE). Isaac’s birth is prefigurative of the birth of Jesus, and Jacob’s twelve sons prefigure the twelve apostles of the age to come (ANONYMOUS). Christ took upon himself a blood relationship to the nature that fornicated, in order to purify it (SEVERUS). Thus Rahab the harlot is unapologetically in the lineage of the Lord, as well as Zerah, who prefigures the Jews under the law; Perez, who prefigures the Gentiles and the gospel; and notably David and Bathsheba (ANONYMOUS). The relation of Joseph and Mary stands as an enduring commendation to faithful married persons of the principle that even when by common consent they maintain their continence, the marital relation can still remain and can still be called one of wedlock. Joseph was truly the husband of Mary yet without the intercourse of the flesh (AUGUSTINE).

1:1 The Genealogy of Jesus Christ

WHO WILL TELL OF JESUS’ LINEAGE? ANONYMOUS: The Bible is like a storehouse of grace. For just as everyone finds whatever he desires in the storehouse of a rich man, so also does every soul find whatever is considered important in this book.

Why is it that Matthew says, “The book of the genealogy of Jesus Christ, descendant of David, descendant of Abraham,” while the prophet Isaiah exclaims, “And who will tell of his lineage?”1 Matthew is setting forth his fleshly line, while Isaiah proclaims that his divine lineage is an unfathomable mystery. INCOMPLETE WORK ON MATTHEW.2

JESUS’ HUMANITY REVEALED IN THE GENEALOGY. SEVERUS: One must bear in mind therefore that the Evangelists, or rather the Spirit speaking through them, took pains to ensure that their readers believed that Christ was truly God and truly human. Because of what they wrote, no one could possibly doubt that he is God by nature, beyond all variation, mutation or illusion, and that according to the ordered plan of God he was truly human. This is why John could say, on the one hand, “In the beginning was the Word, and the Word was with God, and the Word was God.” John immediately adds, “The Word was made flesh and dwelt among us.”3 Hence Matthew wrote appropriately, “The book of the generation of Jesus Christ, the son of David, the son of Abraham.” On the one hand he is not able to be counted simply from natural generation among families, since it is written, “Who shall declare his generation?”4 He is before the centuries and of one substance with the Father himself, from the standpoint of eternity. But by this genealogy he is also numbered among the families of humanity according to the flesh. For in truth, while remaining God, Christ became man without ceasing to be God, unaltered till the end of time.

This is why there is also mention of the ancient patriarchs in the lineage, the narrative and observation of the times and vicissitudes that are indeed proper to human history. Through all this Matthew made it clear that Christ participates in our human generation and in our nature. Otherwise some might claim that he appeared in illusion and in imagination only, rather than by becoming genuinely human. Think of what might have been said if none of this had been written? CATHEDRAL SERMONS, HOMILY 94.5

WHY DAVID IS NAMED BEFORE ABRAHAM. ANONYMOUS: Furthermore, he did not say “of Jesus Christ, Son of God” but instead “Son of David, Son of Abraham.” But why then did John immediately point out the nature of his divinity by saying in the beginning of his Gospel, “In the beginning was the Word, and the Word was with God”?6 Because John’s Gospel was set in exile among the Gentiles. He wrote in the Greek language for the benefit of the Gentiles, who knew little of such matters as whether God had a Son or in what sense God had offspring. Therefore it was important to first show to the Gentiles the mystery of his incarnation, since they did not know who he was at that time. For that reason it was first necessary for them to realize that the Son of God is God. Then, because God took on flesh, John said in the next phrase that “the Word was made flesh and lived among us.”7

Matthew instead wrote his Gospel to the Jews in the Hebrew language, just as I have already said, so that the Jews might be edified in faith. Indeed, the Jews always knew that he is the Son of God and how he is the Son of God.8 Therefore it was unnecessary to explain to them the nature of his divinity, which they themselves knew quite well.

But why did he name David first when Abraham came before him in time? The first and straightforward reason is this: When the Evangelist proposed to recount the lineage of the Lord from Abraham, if he had first listed him as the descendant of Abraham, David would have come afterward. He realized it was necessary to return to Abraham again and to count him twice in this very place.9 Moreover, there is the other reason that rank of kingdom is greater than rank of birth. For even if Abraham came first in time, David nevertheless came first in rank. INCOMPLETE WORK ON MATTHEW, HOMILY 1.10

THE LINE OF DESCENT. CHROMATIUS: Therefore St. Matthew began writing his Gospel with an introduction of this sort, saying, “This is the book of Jesus Christ, descendant of David, descendant of Abraham. Abraham begot Isaac, Isaac begot Jacob,” and the rest that follows. Matthew, as I have said, tells of the second birth11 of the Lord into flesh and for this reason traces his family line from Abraham, treating separately the tribe of Judah, until he comes down to Joseph and Mary. Since the Evangelist begins from Abraham by succession of birth and recounts in order the names of all, one may wonder why he calls Christ our Lord only the descendant of David and the descendant of Abraham in saying, “This is the book of the lineage of Jesus Christ, Son of David, Son of Abraham.” At any rate, we know that the Evangelist did not say this without reason and in this order. Each of them, both Abraham and David, whether by the promise of the Lord or rank of birth, lived as a worthy predecessor in the line of Jesus Christ as to his existence in flesh. For the Lord had promised to Abraham, who by right of circumcision was the founding patriarch of the Jewish people, that from his seed all nations would be blessed. This was realized in Christ, who received his body from the line of Abraham. The apostle made an interpretation for the Galatians about this, saying, “Now the promises were made to Abraham and to his offspring. It does not say, ‘And to offsprings,’ referring to many; but, referring to one, ‘And to your offspring,’ which is Christ.”12 So also is David first among the tribe of Judah in the rank of king. And likewise God promised to this very tribe that the eternal king, Christ the Lord, would be born from the fruit of its womb. For David was the first king from the tribe of Judah, from which the Son of God received his flesh. Thus Matthew rightly counted Christ our Lord as the descendant of David and Abraham, because both Joseph and Mary are descended from these regal origins, the line of David, who himself descended from Abraham, who in faith lived as the father of nations and in flesh was the first of the Jewish people. TRACTATE ON MATTHEW 1.1.13

THE KINGLY SUCCESSION PRESENTED BY MATTHEW. HILARY: What Matthew publishes in order of kingly succession, Luke has set forth in order of priestly origin.14 While accounting for each order, both indicate the relationship of the Lord to each ancestral lineage. The order of his lineage is thus duly presen...