Fragments on Matthew

 had lost food, so the new Adam, by abstaining also from what he was not commanded through an excess of virtue, might be restored to the original good.

 to spare not even the most necessary things, if through them some wicked action might risk coming to be. One must not cut off the members, but as it w

 is forced to bear its burden. And old wineskins are also old men but new wine is the new word, which they do not contain for their rottenness is bur

 you, by retreating from those who persecute you, will last for the time of the evange lization not

 the spirit of Elijah. And since what was said was unclear, he left the knowledge to those who were able to understand. 63 Mt 11, 14 The angel Gabriel

 not giving to such a one. But the remission through baptism may have been passed over in silence in such cases, since it was not yet the time to disco

 76 Mt 13, 18-23 In these things it is investigated, how he has not said that the word is sown in the beginning nor said the seed sown by the wayside,

 82 Mt 16, 1-4 But indeed, neither does a physician fulfill the inopportune desires of the sick, seeking what is curative of the disease, not what is f

 no one being permitted to pay a half-shekel, not even if he were rich but the mystery was to the effect that neither was the Son incarnate with a fat

 But evil has prevailed so much as to overturn this reasoning. Therefore, the argument requires two things of us: both to remember one's own sins and t

 perfection is from him. 98 Mt 19:23-26 The apostolic word fits well here, laying aside every weight for the comparison to a camel indicated the wei

 102 Mt 20, 10-12 What the first ones thought, that they would receive more, indicates the nature of the matter, not the thought of the holy men for n

 to him, according to which, having been delivered from the plot of foreigners, he remained in his own land. and the tower, the temple, in which those

 » of God, David, and this does not yet fit the Spirit, but it is spoken with respect to his own spirit. At any rate, he was speaking in spirit also wh

 putting itself outside of God through sinning but the bird is fruitful and warm in its love and caring for its children and giving itself up for them

 to seek obedience from men, to whom you have not given a willing ear through your word. And for this reason, fearing lest I become ineffective, I guar

 of all, he says, through the one righteous one the many will be established. This indeed he also indicates here, that one suffers for many. But Apolli

 of his flesh and on earth a hiding took place. 137 Mt 27, 11-14 Good is the looking away from the slanderers for those hearing were not seeking the t

 that each of those who die is added «to his people» for below was the place and the abode of souls, and this downward journey the Lord transfers to t

putting itself outside of God through sinning; but the bird is fruitful and warm in its love and caring for its children and giving itself up for them.

122 Mt 24, 5-14 Therefore he also foretells two consummations; one, that of Jerusalem, and a second, that of the whole world. And who came in his name? Simon the magician, saying that he was the great power, came Manichaeus, came a certain Dositheus a Samaritan saying he was the prophet proclaimed by Moses. Montanus said in his own writings: I am the Word, the bridegroom, the Paraclete, the Almighty, I am all things. 123 Mt 24, 26 He says "the desert" because at that time John was living in the desert, and "in the inner rooms" because Christ in his first coming was born in a cave and a small house. 124 Mt 24, 26 Contrasting the uninhabited desert with the inhabited world <which>

he signifies through the inner rooms, he says. 125 Mt 24, 27-28 For just as eagles swoop down upon a dead animal to be fed, so also when Christ appears the saints will be gathered to him; for not as in the first coming did he make the transfer from place to place because of the flesh, so also will it be in the second, but "in the twinkling of an eye" his coming will be manifest to all, like lightning not needing one to announce it. And immediately all the saints are gathered to him, having grown wings like eagles; for where the body of the fallen Jesus is, according to the economy of the passion, so that he might raise up those who have fallen, not just anyone will be gathered, but the disciples who grow wings and, according to Solomon, have prepared wings. 126 Mt

24, 27-28 It is said by way of a certain likeness and parable and example; for just as, when a carcass and dead body should be found lying about, eagles and other carnivorous birds, carried through the air from the highest places, unexpectedly appear from the unseen to be fed, in the same way, he says, will also be the coming of the Son of Man. For when he appears again on the earth at the second and glorious coming to judge the world, then companies of angels will appear as an escort and all the saints, having risen "in a moment, in the twinkling of an eye" at the last trumpet, as the apostle says, just like certain winged eagles, swift in motion, will quickly appear from the unseen, very fittingly likened to eagles because they think on high and heavenly things and live worthily of the kingdom of heaven. But some have tried to explain this saying thus, and said that at the second coming of the Lord, all those who have lived justly and who are high and heavenly in thought like eagles will leave paradise and be gathered in that place, where the fall of Adam happened and the transgression of the commandment, through which he fell into sin. 127 Mt 24, 31 In saying, "He will send his angels," the Son of Man showed the Son of Man to be God; for angels are of God, and to send them is proper to God. And the phrase "from one end of heaven to the other" teaches us that the ends of the earth and of heaven are the same, so that one must believe in Christ and not be deceived as if the earth were a very small part in the middle of heaven, which surpasses it by infinite magnitudes. 128 Mt 25, 24 "Hard," he says, "I perceived your command to be, that of seeking obedience from men, in whom you did not create attentiveness through the word. Therefore, fearing lest I be found idle, I guarded only what was mine, and did not trouble myself about others. "Hard," he says, "I perceived your command to be, because of"

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ἑαυτὴν διὰ τοῦ ἁμαρτάνειν ἔξω ποιοῦσα ἑαυτὴν τοῦ θεοῦ· ἡ δὲ ὄρνις πολύτεκνος καὶ θερμὴ περὶ τὴν ἀγάπην καὶ κηδομένη τῶν τέκνων καὶ ἑαυτὴν παραδιδοῦσα ὑπὲρ αὐτῶν.

122 Mt 24, 5-14 διὸ καὶ δύο συντελείας προαναφωνεῖ· μίαν μὲν τὴν τῶν Ἱεροσολύμων, δευτέραν δὲ τὴν τῆς οἰκουμένης πάσης. καὶ τίνες ἦλθον ἐπὶ τῷ ὀνόματι αὐτοῦ; Σίμων ὁ μάγος λέγων ἑαυτὸν εἶναι τὴν δύναμιν τὴν μεγάλην, ἦλθεν Μανιχαῖος, ἦλθεν ∆οσίθεός τις Σαμα ρείτης τὸν ὑπὸ Μωσέως ἀνακηρυχθέντα προφήτην λέγων ἑαυτόν. Μον τανὸς εἶπεν ἐν οἰκείοις συγγράμμασιν· ἐγώ εἰμι ὁ λόγος, ὁ νυμφίος, ὁ παράκλητος, ὁ παντοκράτωρ, ἐγὼ τὰ πάντα. 123 Mt 24, 26 τὴν ἔρημον δὲ λέγει διὰ τὸ τηνικάδε τὸν Ἰωάννην ἐν ἐρήμῳ διάγειν, ἐν δὲ τοῖς ταμείοις διὰ τὸ τὸν Χριστὸν ἐν τῇ πρώτῃ παρουσίᾳ ἐν σπηλαίῳ καὶ οἰκίσκῳ μικρῷ γεγεννῆσθαι. 124 Mt 24, 26 Τῇ ἀοικήτῳ ἐρήμῳ ἀντιδιαστέλλων τὴν οἰκουμένην <ἣν>

διὰ τῶν ταμιείων σημαίνει, φησίν. 125 Mt 24, 27-28 Ὥσπερ γὰρ ἐπὶ νεκρῷ ζῴῳ οἱ ἀετοὶ καταρράσσουσιν, ἵνα τραφῶσιν, οὕτω καὶ τοῦ Χριστοῦ ὀφθέντος συνενεχθήσονται αὐτῷ οἱ ἅγιοι· οὐ γὰρ ὥσπερ ἐπὶ τῇ πρώτῃ παρουσίᾳ ἀπὸ τόπου εἰς τόπον ἐποιεῖτο τὴν μετά βασιν διὰ τὴν σάρκα, οὕτω καὶ ἐπὶ τῆς δευτέρας ἔσται, ἀλλ' «ἐν ῥιπῇ ὀφθαλμοῦ » πᾶσι κατάδηλος ἔσται ἡ παρουσία αὐτοῦ, ὡς ἀστραπὴ μὴ δεομένη τοῦ μηνύοντος. καὶ εὐθέως πρὸς αὐτὸν συνάγονται πάντες οἱ ἅγιοι πτεροφυήσαντες ὡς ἀετοί· ὅπου γὰρ τὸ κατὰ τὴν οἰκονομίαν τοῦ πάθους πτῶμα πεσόντος Ἰησοῦ, ἵνα τοὺς πεσόντας στήσῃ, συνα χθήσονται οὐχ οἱ τυχόντες, ἀλλ' οἱ πτεροφυοῦντες μαθηταὶ καὶ κατὰ τὸν Σολομῶνα κατασκευάσαντες πτέρυγας. 126 Mt

24, 27-28 Καθ' ὁμοίωσίν τινα καὶ παραβολὴν εἴρηται καὶ παράδειγμα· ὥσπερ γάρ, ὅταν πτῶμα καὶ σῶμα νεκρὸν εὑρεθείη παρακείμενον, ἀπὸ τῶν ὑψηλο τάτων τόπων δι' ἀέρος φερόμενοι καὶ ἀετοὶ καὶ ἄλλοι σαρκοφάγοι ὀρνίθων ἐκ τοῦ ἀφανοῦς ἀδοκήτως ὑφίστανται τραφησόμενοι, τὸν αὐτὸν τρόπον, φησίν, ἔσται καὶ ἡ παρουσία τοῦ υἱοῦ τοῦ ἀνθρώπου · φαινο μένου γὰρ αὐτοῦ πάλιν ἐπὶ τῆς γῆς κατὰ τὴν δευτέραν καὶ ἔνδοξον παρου σίαν ἐπὶ τῷ κρῖναι τὴν οἰκουμένην καὶ ἀγγέλων τάγματα δορυφοροῦντα φανήσεται καὶ πάντες οἱ ἅγιοι διαναστάντες «ἐν ἀτόμῳ, ἐν ῥιπῇ ὀφθαλμοῦ » κατὰ τὴν σάλπιγγα τὴν ἐσχάτην, ὥς φησιν ὁ ἀπόστολος, καθάπερ ἀετοί τινες πτηνοὶ καὶ ὀξεῖς τὴν κίνησιν ἐκ τοῦ ἀφανοῦς θᾶττον ἐπιφανήσονται, μάλα εἰκότως ἀετοῖς παρεικασθέντες διὰ τὸ φρονεῖν τὰ ὑψηλὰ καὶ οὐράνια καὶ ἀξίως τῆς βασιλείας τῶν οὐρανῶν πολιτεύεσθαι. τινὲς δὲ τὸ ῥητὸν τοῦτο οὕτως ἐπειράθησαν ἐπεξηγήσασθαι καὶ ἔφασαν ὡς ἐν τῇ παρουσίᾳ τῇ δευτέρᾳ τοῦ κυρίου πάντες οἱ δικαίως πολιτευσάμενοι καὶ κατὰ τοὺς ἀετοὺς ὑψηλοὶ καὶ οὐράνιοι τῷ φρονήματι τὸν παρά δεισον ἀπολείψονται καὶ κατ' ἐκεῖνον συναχθήσονται τὸν τόπον, ὅπου τὸ πτῶμα γέγονε τοῦ Ἀδὰμ καὶ τῆς ἐντολῆς ἡ παράβασις, δι' ἧς εἰς ἁμαρτίαν κατέπεσεν. 127 Mt 24, 31 Ἀποστελεῖ λέγων τοὺς ἀγγέλους αὐτοῦ ὁ υἱὸς τοῦ ἀνθρώπου θεὸν ἔδειξε τὸν υἱὸν τοῦ ἀνθρώπου· θεοῦ γάρ εἰσιν ἄγγελοι, καὶ τὸ ἀποστέλλειν αὐτοὺς ἴδιον θεοῦ. τὸ δὲ ἀπ' ἄκρων οὐρανῶν ἕως ἄκρων αὐτῶν διδάσκει ἡμᾶς τὰ αὐτὰ εἶναι καὶ γῆς καὶ οὐρανοῦ ἄκρα, ὥστε Χριστῷ πιστεύειν δεῖ καὶ μὴ ἀπατᾶσθαι ὡς ἐλαχίστου μορίου τῆς γῆς οὔσης ἐν μέσῳ τοῦ οὐρανοῦ ἀπείροις μεγέθεσιν ὑπερβάλλοντος αὐτήν. 128 Mt 25, 24 Σκληρόν , φησίν, τὸ ἐπίταγ μά σου συνεῖδον, τὸ ζητεῖν παρὰ ἀνθρώπων ὑπακοήν, οἷς οὐκ ἐνε ποίησας διὰ τοῦ λόγου τὸ εὐήκοον. διὸ φοβηθεὶς μὴ ἄπρακτος γένω μαι τὸ κατ' ἐμαυτὸν ἐφύλαξα μόνον, τὸ δὲ περὶ ἑτέρους οὐκ ἐσπούδασα. Σκληρόν , φησίν, συνεῖδον τὸ ἐπίταγμά σου διὰ τὸ

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