16. This is Jesus Christ who came a
High-Priest of the good things to come Heb. ix. 11.;
who for the bountifulness of His Godhead imparted His own title to us
all. For kings among men have their royal style which others may
not share: but Jesus Christ being the Son of God gave us the
dignity of being called Christians. But some one will say, The
name of “Christians” is new, and was not in use
aforetime οὐκ
ἐπολιτεύετο, “was not in citizenship,” “not
naturalised.” Cf. Sueton. Nero. cap. 16:
“Christiani, genus hominum superstitionis novae et
maleficae.”: and
new-fashioned phrases are often objected to on the score of strangeness τὸ ξένον.. The prophet made this point safe
beforehand, saying, But upon My servants shall a new name be called,
which shall be blessed upon the earth Isa. lxv. 15, 16. The LXX. here depart from
the meaning of the Hebrew: “He shall call His servants
by another name: so that he who blesseth himself in the earth
shall bless himself in the God of truth” (R.V.).. Let us question the Jews: Are
ye servants of the Lord, or not? Shew then your new name.
For ye were called Jews and Israelites in the time of Moses, and the
other prophets, and after the return from Babylon, and up to the
present time: where then is your new name? But we, since we
are servants of the Lord, have that new name: new indeed,
but the new name, which shall be blessed upon the earth.
This name caught the world in its grasp: for Jews are only in a
certain region, but Christians reach to the ends of the world:
for it is the name of the Only-begotten Son of God that is
proclaimed.