Chapter III.—Of the Fact that Matthew, Together with Mark, Had Specially in View
the Kingly Character of Christ, Whereas Luke Dealt with the Priestly.
5. For the Lord Jesus Christ, who is the one true King and the one true Priest, the former
to rule us, and the latter to make expiation for us, has shown us how His own figure bore
these two parts together, which were only separately commended [to notice] among the
Fathers.506 This becomes apparent if (for example) we look to that inscription which was
affixed to His cross—“King of the Jews:” in connection also with which, and by a secret in-
stinct, Pilate replied, “What I have written, I have written.”507 For it had been said aforetime
in the Psalms, “Destroy not the writing of the title.”508 The same becomes evident, so far as
the part of priest is concerned, if we have regard to what He has taught us concerning offering
and receiving. For thus it is that He sent us beforehand a prophecy509 respecting Himself,
which runs thus, “Thou art a priest for ever, after the order of Melchisedek.”510 And in
many other testimonies of the divine Scriptures, Christ appears both as King and as Priest.
Hence, also, even David himself, whose son He is, not without good reason, more frequently
declared to be than he is said to be Abraham’s son, and whom Matthew and Luke have both
alike held by,—the one viewing him as the person from whom, through Solomon, His lineage
can be traced down, and the other taking him for the person to whom, through Nathan, His
genealogy can be carried up,—did represent the part of a priest, although he was patently a
king, when he ate the shew-bread. For it was not lawful for any one to eat that, save the
priests only.511 To this it must be added that Luke is the only one who mentions how Mary
was discovered by the angel, and how she was related to Elisabeth,512 who was the wife of
Zacharias the priest. And of this Zacharias the same evangelist has recorded the fact, that
the woman whom he had for wife was one of the daughters of Aaron, which is to say she
belonged to the tribe of the priests.513
6. Whereas, then, Matthew had in view the kingly character, and Luke the priestly, they
have at the same time both set forth pre-eminently the humanity of Christ: for it was accord-
ing to His humanity that Christ was made both King and Priest. To Him, too, God gave the
506 Some editions insert antiquos, the ancient Fathers; but the mss. omit it.—Migne.
507 John xix. 19–22.
508 Ps. lxxv. 1.
509 Two mss. give prophetam (“prophet”) instead of prophetiam (“prophecy”).—Migne.
510 Ps. cx. 4.
511 1 Sam. xxi. 6; Matt. xii. 3.
512 The reading supported by the manuscripts is: Mariam commemorat ab Angelo manifestatam cognatam
fuisse Elisabeth. It is sometimes given thus: Mariam commemorat manifeste cognatam, etc. = mentions that Mary
was clearly related to Elizabeth.
513 Luke i. 36, 5.
Of the Fact that Matthew, Together with Mark, Had Specially in View the Kingly Character of Christ, Whereas Luke Dealt with the Priestly.
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Of the Fact that Matthew, Together with Mark, Had Specially in View the…