Origen, COMMENTARY ON THE GOSPEL OF MATTHEW Complete

Translated by John Patrick.

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128 Pages

Page 27

But he who is likened to him, as in imitation of him, wishes to do that which is like. Perhaps, then, the man who is a householder is Jesus Himself, who brings forth out of His treasury, according to the time of the teaching, things new, things spiritual, which also are always being renewed by Him in the "inner man" of the righteous, who are themselves always being renewed day by day, [5248] and old things, things "written and engraven on stones," [5249] and in the stony hearts of the old man, so that by comparison of the letter and by exhibition of the spirit He may enrich the scribe who is made a disciple unto the kingdom of heaven, and make him like unto Himself; until the disciple shall be as the Master, imitating first the imitator of Christ, and after him Christ Himself, according to that which is said by Paul, "Be ye imitators of me even as I also of Christ." [5250] And likewise, Jesus the householder may in the simpler sense bring forth out of His treasury things new,--that is, the evangelic teaching--and things old,--that is, the comparison of the sayings which are taken from the law and the prophets, of which we may find examples in the Gospels. And with regard to these things new and old, we must attend also to the spiritual law which says in Leviticus, "And ye shall eat old things, and the old things of the old, and ye shall bring forth the old from before the new; and I will set my tabernacle among you." [5251] For we eat with blessing the old things,--the prophetic words,--and the old things of the old things,--the words of the law; and, when the new and evangelical words came, living according to the Gospel we bring forth the old things of the letter from before the new, and He sets His tabernacle in us, fulfilling the promise which He spoke, "I will dwell among them and walk in them." [5252]

[5248] 2 Cor. iv. 16.

[5249] 2 Cor. iii. 7.

[5250] 1 Cor. xi. 1.

[5251] Lev. xxvi. 10, 11.

[5252] Lev. xxvi. 12; 2 Cor. vi. 16.

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