12. There is One Lord Jesus Christ, a
wondrous name, indirectly announced beforehand by the Prophets.
For Esaias the Prophet says, Behold, thy Saviour cometh, having His
own reward Isa. lxii. 11: “Behold, thy salvation
cometh; behold, his reward is with him.”. Now Jesus in
Hebrew is by interpretation Saviour. For the Prophetic
gift, foreseeing the murderous spirit of the Jews against their
Lord τὸ
κυριοκτόνον
τῶν
᾽Ιουδαίων., veiled His name, lest from knowing it
plainly beforehand they might plot against Him readily. But He
was openly called Jesus not by men, but by an Angel, who came not by
his own authority, but was sent by the power of God, and said to
Joseph, Fear not to take unto thee Mary thy wife; for that which is
conceivedin her is of the Holy
Ghost. And she shall bring forth a Son, and thou shalt call His
name Jesus Matt. i. 20.. And
immediately he renders the reason of this name, saying, for He shall
save His people from their sins. Consider how He who was not
yet born could have a people, unless He was in being before He
was born The Anathema appended
to the Creed of Nicæa condemns those who said πρὶν
γεννηθῆναι
οὐκ ἦν. On this Eusebius
of Cæsarea (Epist. § 9) remarks: “Moreover
to anathematize ‘Before His generation He was not,’ did not
seem preposterous, in that it is confessed by all, that the Son of God
was before the generation according to the flesh.”. This also
the Prophet says in His person, From the bowels of my mother hath He
made mention of My name Isa. xlix. 1.; because the Angel
foretold that He should be called Jesus. And again concerning
Herod’s plot again he says, And under the shadow of His hand
hath He hid Me Ib. xlix.
2..