5. The Field and the Treasure Interpreted.
And here we must inquire separately as to the field, and
separately as to the treasure hidden in it, and in what way the man who
has found this hidden treasure goes away with joy and sells all that he
has in order to buy that field; and we must also inquire—what are
the things which he sells. The field, indeed, seems to me
according to these things to be the Scripture, which was planted with
what is manifest in the words of the history, and the law, and the
prophets, and the rest of the thoughts; for great and varied is the
planting of the words in the whole Scripture; but the treasure hidden
in the field is the thoughts concealed and lying under that which is
manifest, “of wisdom hidden in a mystery,” “even
Christ, in whom are all the treasures of wisdom and knowledge
hidden.”
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But another
might say that the field is that which is verily full, which the Lord
blessed, the Christ of God; but the treasure hidden in it is the things
said to have been “hidden in Christ” by Paul, who says
about Christ, “in whom are the treasures of wisdom and knowledge
hidden.” The heavenly things, therefore, even the kingdom
of heaven, as in a figure it is written in the Scriptures—which
are the kingdom of heaven, or Christ—Himself the king of the
ages, are the kingdom of heaven which is likened to a treasure hidden
in the field.
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Col. ii. 3
.