(Day 1) Reading the Fathers - 20 June 2013

Today’s Reading

Reading for June 20, 2013

Author: Tertullian

Reading: Against Marcion, bk. 4 ch. 13–15

Pages: ANF 3:364–370

Page 793

(Also need this for the roman numerals)

Under the section

Chapter XIII.—Christ’s Connection with the Creator Shown. Many Quotations Out of the Old Testament Prophetically Bear on Certain Events of the Life of Jesus— Such as His Ascent to Praying on the Mountain; His Selection of Twelve Apostles; His Changing Simon’s Name to Peter, and Gentiles from Tyre and

Sidon Resorting to Him.

• "You have a representation of the name; you have the action of the Evangelizer; you have a mountain for the site; and the night as the time; and the sound of a voice; and the audience of the Father: you have, (in short,) the Christ of the prophets."

• " But why was it that He chose twelve apostles" 

"In truth,I might from this very point conclude of my Christ, that He was foretold not only by the words of prophets, but by the indications of facts. For of this number I find figurative hints up and down the Creator’s dispensation" This reminds me of Armando's teaching of the numbers meaning things in the bible, e.g. 10?70? Nations (as the 12 springs of Elim scripture also refers to 70 palm trees)

"in the twelve springs of Elim; in the twelve gems of Aaron’s priestly vestment; and in the twelve stones appointed by Joshua to be taken out of the Jordan,

and set up for the ark of the covenant." beautifully contrasted with:
"Now, the same number of apostles was thus portended,as if they were to be fountains and rivers which should water the Gentile world, which was formerly dry and destitute of knowledge (as He says by Isaiah: “I will put streams in the unwatered ground”); as if they were to be gems to shed lustre upon the church’s sacred robe, which Christ, the High Priest of the Father, puts on; as if, also, they were to be stones massive in their faith, which the true Joshua took out of the laver of the Jordan, and placed in the sanctuary of His covenant." reminds me of what we learnt once at YAM equip regarding the the Priests Robes.

• Wow, I am really beginning to now see that he is connecting Christ to the Creator

" Again, He changes the name of Simon to Peter, inasmuch as the Creator also altered the names of Abram, and Sarai, and Oshea, by calling the latter Joshua, and adding a syllable to each of the former. But why Peter?"

" If it was because of the vigour of his faith, there were many solid materials which might lend a name from their strength. Was it because Christ was both a rock and a stone? For we read of His being placed “for a stone of stumbling and for a rock of offence.”
"Therefore He would fain3928 impart to the dearest of His disciples a name which was suggested by one of His own especial designations in figure; because it was, I suppose, more peculiarly fit than a name which might have been derived from no figurative description of Himself"

• " because He was born the God-man who was to build the church according to the Father’s will—even of other races also" -Psalm 87:4-5

Next Section :

Chapter XIV.—Christ’s Sermon on the Mount. In Manner and Contents It So Resembles

the Creator’s Dispensational Words and Deeds. It Suggests Therefore

the Conclusion that Jesus is the Creator’s Christ. The Beatitudes.

• "What is there, then, to wonder at, if He entered on His ministry

with the very attributes3940of the Creator, who ever in language of the same sort loved, consoled, protected, and avenged the beggar, and the poor, and the humble, and the widow, and the orphan? So that you may believe this private bounty as it were of Christ to be a rivulet streaming from the springs of salvation. In the old testament God spoke about the poor/orphans. Jesus begins his ministry with Blessed are the Needy, makes me think again, about beign more generous cause that is the heart of God

And in the following words he says of Christ: “All nations shall serve Him.”Psalm 72:11

 Now David only reigned over the Jewish nation, so that  nobody can suppose that this was spoken of David; whereas He had taken upon Himself  the condition of the poor, and such as were oppressed with want, “Because He should deliver the needy out of the hand of the mighty man; He shall spare the needy and the poor, and shall deliver the souls of the poor. From usury and injustice shall He redeem their souls, and in His sight shall their name be honoured.” Psalm 72: 12 -14 wow he goes to length about how old testament scriptures, even Hanna and Isaiah speak about the Needy that even all nations that forget Godwill be turned to hell, but the needy shall not always be forgotten So for Christ to begin his ministry with Blessed are the Needy after a wealth of Old testament scriptures !

Beautiful " To him, for whom in every stage of lowliness there is provided so much of the Creator’s compassionate regard, shall be given that kingdom also which is promised by Christ, to whose merciful compassion belong, and for a great while have belonged 3955 those to whom the promise is made. For"

I think for the first time I am semi beginning to understand this passage more. This may not be the final answer, but I thought maybe we have to mourn, to be blessed and then didnt understand that. but what it is saying is that God cares about those who are "Surely gladness and joyous exultation is promised to those who are in an opposite condition—to the sorrowful, and sad, and anxious" This passage shows the compassionate side of God his first sermon to the crowd was to tell them what he brings! I  have also begun to think of our current me centred religion and thinking maybe thats why I didnt understnad it, what am I supposed to do, instead of seeing a God come to my sad, needy, hungry, life and saying I bring you hope! again he (Tertullian) contrasts this with " Just as it is said in the 125th Psalm: “They who sow in tears shall reap in joy." to show how Christs sermon on the mount ties in with what God the Creator has said in Old testament.

Wow Comparison between Isaiah 61 and Math:

"Accordingly, He who began (His course) with consolation for the poor, and the humble,

and the hungry, and the weeping, was at once eager3964 to represent Himself as Him whom He had pointed out by the mouth of Isaiah: “The Spirit of the Lord is upon me, because He hath anointed me to preach good  tidings unto the poor.”3965 “Blessed are the needy, because theirs is the kingdom of heaven.” 3966 “He hath sent me to bind up the broken-hearted.”3967 “Blessed are they that hunger,

for they shall be filled.”

3968 “To comfort all that mourn.”3969 “Blessed are they that weep,

for they shall laugh.”

3970 “To give unto them that mourn in Sion, beauty (or glory) for ashes,and the oil of joy for mourning, and the garment of praise for the spirit of heaviness.”

He then compares the blessed are you when people perscute you for my names sake with Isaiah 51:7 and says in the end  that there was a hatred predicted even before Son of Man came to him, and for us.... " 

Now, since hatred was predicted against that Son of man who has His mission from the

Creator, whilst the Gospel testifies that the name of Christians, as derived from Christ, was

to be hated for the Son of man’s sake, because He is Christ, it determines the point that that

was the Son of man in the matter of hatred who came according to the Creator’s purpose,

and against whom the hatred was predicted. And even if He had not yet come, the hatred of His name which exists at the present day could not in any case have possibly preceded Him who was to bear the name.3980 But He has both suffered the penalty3981 in our presence, and surrendered His life, laying it down for our sakes, and is held in contempt by the Gentiles. And He who was born (into the world) will be that very Son of man on whose account our name also is rejected."

Pg 369 on being rich! Hectic... He is trying to rpove that Christ also despises rich like creator as he is a defender of the poor,  but christ on creators side even when He enriched Solomon, difference with Solomon is he didn't want the riches... read all the rest! " But with respect to this man, since, whena choice was left to him, he preferred asking for what he knew to be well-pleasing to God—even wisdom—he further merited the attainment of the riches, which he did not prefer. The endowing of a man indeed with riches, is not an incongruity to God, for by the help of riches even rich men are comforted and assisted; moreover, by them many a work of justice and charity is carried out. But yet there are serious faults4009 which accompany riches; and it is because of these that woes are denounced on the rich, even in the Gospel. “Ye have received,” says He, “your consolation;”4010 that is, of course, from their riches, in

the pomps and vanities of the world which these purchase for them. Accordingly, in Deuteronomy,

Moses says: “Lest, when thou hast eaten and art full, and hast built goodly houses,

and when thy herds and thy flocks multiply, as well as thy silver and thy gold, thine heart

be then lifted up, and thou forget the Lord thy God.”

4011 In similar terms, when king

Hezekiah became proud of his treasures, and gloried in them rather than in God before

those who had come on an embassy from Babylon,

4012 (the Creator) breaks forth4013 against

him by the mouth of Isaiah: “Behold, the days come when all that is in thine house, and

that which thy fathers have laid up in store, shall be carried to Babylon.”

4014 So by Jeremiah

likewise did He say: “Let not the rich man glory in his riches but let him that glorieth even

glory in the Lord.”
4015 Similarly against the daughters of Sion does He inveigh by Isaiah,

when they were haughty through their pomp and the abundance of their riches,

4016 just as

in another passage He utters His threats against the proud and noble: “Hell hath enlarged

herself, and opened her mouth, and down to it shall descend the illustrious, and the great,

and the rich (this shall be Christ’s ‘woe to the rich’); and man

4017 shall be humbled,” even

he that exalts himself with riches; “and the mighty man

4018 shall be dishonoured,” even hewho is mighty from his wealth
" -  Because they have indeed received their consolation, glory, and honour and a lofty  position from their wealth   

4031

Whereas in Psalm cxvii. it is said: “It is better to trust in the Lord than

to put confidence in man; it is better to trust in the Lord than to place hope in princes.”

4032

370

Thus everything which is caught at by men is adjured by the Creator, down to their good

words.

4033 It is as much His property to condemn the praise and flattering words bestowed

on the false prophets by their fathers, as to condemn their vexatious and persecuting treatment

of the (true) prophets. As the injuries suffered by the prophets could not be imputed

4034

to their own God, so the applause bestowed on the false prophets could not have been displeasing

to any other god but the God of the

true prophets.4026 Isa.
In Conclusion

I actually typed out more last night, but clearly my pc conked on me and it is non existent...

This teaching was a blessing to me, in terms of God cares! about the poor needy dependant on people (see  wikipedia post on Mathew Blessed are the poor.... Just that that is who God sees to the needy the weak, his compassionate heart.

Also wanting approval of man! How worthy it is more that God praises me than man!