Two Books of Gospel Questions

In the work of Bl. Aurelius Augustine's Two Books of Gospel Questions (c. 400) explains a number of difficult passages in the Gospels of Matthew and Luke. The work is written in the form of questions and answers. The first book contains an interpretation of 47 selected passages from the Gospel of Matthew. The second book is an interpretation of 52 selected passages from the Gospel of Luke. The conversations and parables of Jesus Christ are mainly analyzed. Blzh. Augustine uses the tropological method of interpretation (monastic or moral exegesis). The author also interprets the numbers 1 to 10, some 2-digit numbers, and the numbers 10,000 and 20,000 allegorically. See also: Supplement to the essay “Two Books of Gospel Questions.” Book 2 Book one. Questions in the Gospel of Matthew Question I. (All things were handed over to Me by My Father, and no one knows the Son except the Father; and no one knows the Father except the Son, and to whom the Son wants to reveal. Matthew 11:27). Having said: no one knows the Son except the Father, he did not add: “to whom the Father wishes to reveal it.” Saying: no one knows the Father except the Son (nemo novit Patrem nisi Filius) 1 added: and to whom the Son wants to reveal. This should not be understood as if the Son could not be known by anyone except the Father, but the Father is known not only by the Son, but also by those to whom the Son revealed. So, for our benefit, it is said so that we understand that the Father and the Son Himself are revealed through the Son, for He is the light of our thought, so when I added: and to whom the Son wants to reveal, then accept not only the Father, but also the Son; The above applies to integer 2. For the Father Himself is revealed through His Word; The Word not only reveals itself through the word, but also reveals Itself. Question II. (At that time Jesus walked through the sown fields on the Sabbath; His disciples became hungry and began to pluck the ears of corn and eat. Matthew 12:1). The Lord's disciples began to pick the ears of corn and eat them, which they could not do otherwise than by rubbing them vigorously with their hands. Hence: put to death your earthly members, for no one enters the body of Christ unless he takes off his earthly garments. Hence: put off 3 the old man ( Col. 3:5–9 ). Hence: by circumcision without hands to put off (in expolationem) 4 the flesh. Question III. (He will not break a bruised reed, and he will not quench the smoking flax, until he brings victory to the court; Matthew 12:20). "In flax smoking." It should be noted (that it is said: it will not quench), for when extinguished it produces a stench. Question IV. (Then they brought to Him a demon-possessed blind and dumb man; and He healed him, so that the blind and dumb man began to speak and see. Matthew 12:22). Then he was brought to Him who had a demon, was blind and dumb - that is, one who does not believe and is given over to the power of the devil - who does not understand and does not confess the faith of which it is said: confess with the mouth for salvation (Rom. 10:10). Question V. (And if I cast out demons by the power of Beelzebub, by whose power do your sons cast them out? Therefore they will be your judges. But if I cast out demons by the Spirit of God, then of course the kingdom of God has come to you. Or how can anyone enter the house of a strong man and plunder his goods, unless he first binds the strong man? and then he will plunder his house. Matthew 12:27-29). He said: And if I cast out demons in Beelzebub 5, even according to your confession, then the kingdom of God has come upon you, for the kingdom of the devil, which you recognize as divided against itself, cannot stand. He speaks of the kingdom of God, by which the wicked are condemned and separated from believers who repent of their sins. He calls him (i.e., the devil) “strong,” because he himself “restrained him,” so that people could not get rid of him by their own strength, but by the grace of God. He calls all unbelievers his vessels. If he does not bind the strong one first: he says: he will bind: he will take away his power to prevent believers from following Christ and achieving the kingdom of God. Question VI. (O brood of vipers! how can you speak good when you are evil? For out of the abundance of the heart the mouth speaks. Matthew 12:34). He calls them a generation of vipers, for he also attaches to them the name of the sons of the devil. To that extent, everyone is his son insofar as he imitates him in sin. Question VII. (For just as Jonah was in the belly of the whale for three days and three nights, so the Son of Man will be in the heart of the earth for three days and three nights. Matthew 12:40). For just as Jonah was in the belly of the whale for three days and three nights, so will the Son of man be in the heart of the earth for three days and three nights. Take part of the sixth holiday day, on which He was buried, together with the preceding night, as night and day, that is, for the whole day; followed by Saturday night and day; then - the night of the Lord with the rising day. Thus, taking the part for the whole, you will have three days and three nights. They talk about ten months of pregnancy, although nine full months pass; but the beginning of the tenth is taken to be a whole month. And about the Transfiguration of the Lord on the mountain, one Evangelist tells that it happened after six days (Matthew 17:1). And another Evangelist says: after eight days (Luke IX, 28), counting among whole and complete days the remaining part of the first day, when the Lord gave a promise about this event as a future one, and the first part of the last day, when the promise was fulfilled - so that you understand that he who said: “after six days” recalled only the middle days, which actually passed as whole, complete days. According to the book The day of Genesis begins with light and ends with darkness (Gen. I, 5), - to indicate the fall of man. And now - from darkness to light, as it is said: out of darkness let light shine (1 Cor. IV, 6), since, freed from sins, a person comes to the light of truth. Question VIII. (When the unclean spirit comes out of a person, it walks through dry places, looking for rest, and does not find it; then it says: I will return to my house from where I came. And, having come, it finds it unoccupied, swept and tidied up; then it goes and takes with it seven other spirits more evil than itself, and, entering, they live there; and for that person the last thing is worse than the first. So it will be with this evil generation. Matthew 12:43–45). When the unclean spirit leaves a person: indicates some who have accepted the faith so much that they cannot endure the labors of abstinence, and therefore are ready to return again to this age. What was said: he takes seven others with him has the meaning that when someone falls away from righteousness, he will have only a form (of it). Carnal passion, driven out by repentance (which requires removal) from usual affairs, 6 not finding pleasures in which it could calm down, returns with even greater force and again takes possession of a person’s thought. When righteousness is abandoned, then negligence sets in, and therefore the word of God does not enter (into the soul of a person) through holy teaching - it does not enter like the inhabitant of a clean, tidy house. since (such a person) will not only have those seven vices that are opposite to the seven spiritual virtues, but will hypocritically show that he has these very virtues; then, as a result of this, the former passion returns again, taking with it “seven other evil ones” - according to (his) seven-day hypocrisy - so that the last for a person will be worse than the first. Question IX. (What is sown on good soil means one who hears the word and understands, and who bears fruit, so that some bear fruit a hundredfold, some sixty, and some thirty. Matt. 13:23). Some a hundred times, some sixty, some thirty (aliud centesium, aliud sexagesimum, aliud trigesimum) 7 . “A hundredfold” – martyrs for the holiness of life or for their contempt for death; “at sixty” - virgins, since they have already finished the struggle with carnal inclinations; peace usually comes for sixty-year-olds - after military service, or after the cessation of public activity; “at thirty” – married, since this is the age of militants; they wage a fierce struggle so as not to be overcome by passions. Question X. (When the people were sleeping, his enemy came and sowed tares among the wheat and left; when the greenery sprang up and the fruit appeared, then the tares also appeared. When the servants of the householder came, they said to him: Master, did you not sow good seed in your field? Where did the tares come from? And he said to them: the enemy man did this. And the slaves said to him: Do you want, we will go and choose them? But he said: no - so that when you choose the tares, you do not pull up the wheat along with them, leave both to grow together until the harvest; and at the time of the harvest I will say to the reapers: gather the tares first and bind them in sheaves to burn them, and take the wheat into my barn. Any uncleanness in the harvest is called tares. It is said that first the tares are separated in advance at the trial: the wicked are separated from the righteous, which, of course, is done by good angels, for only the good can carry out the work of punishment with good intentions, whether it is a king or a judge; The wicked cannot perform deeds of mercy. Question XI. (He proposed another parable to them, saying: The kingdom of heaven is like a mustard seed, which a man took and sowed in his field. Matthew 13:31). “The mustard seed” for the fervor of faith, when, as they say, the poisonous (for faith) is removed, more grains are made, that is, theoretical opinions (dogmatibus). Theoretical opinions are pleasing to the sectarians, that is, what each sect likes is accepted. Question XII. (He told them another parable: The kingdom of heaven is like leaven, which a woman took and hid in three measures of flour until it was all leavened. Matthew 13:33). The woman took leaven and put it in three measures of flour. He calls wisdom a wife; leaven - love that animates and inspires. There are three sateh torments: (of course) or three powers in a person: with all the heart and with all the soul and with all the mind (Matthew 22:37); or three fruits: a hundred times, sixty, thirty (Matthew 13:8,23); or three kinds of people: Noah, Daniel and Job (Ezek.14:14). Question XIII. (The Kingdom of Heaven is also like treasure hidden in a field, which a man found and hid, and out of joy over it he goes and sells everything he has and buys that field. Matthew 13:44). He called the two Testaments of the Law in the Church a treasure hidden in a field; if someone brings them partly closer to his mind, he will feel that great things are hidden there: and he goes and sells everything he owns and buys that field, that is, by contempt for the temporary he gains peace for himself in order to become rich through the knowledge of God. Question XIV. (And having come to His own country, He taught them in their synagogue, so that they were amazed and said: Where did He get such wisdom and power? Matthew 13:54). The Jews said: where did He get this wisdom and power: wisdom in what was said, power in what was done. So the Apostle called Christ the power of God and the wisdom of God (1 Cor. I, 24): he showed the power of signs for the sake of the Jews, he showed the wisdom of teaching for the sake of the Greeks, that is, the pagans. Question XV. (And the disciples, seeing Him walking on the sea, were alarmed and said, “This is a ghost,” and they cried out in fear. But Jesus immediately spoke to them and said, “Be of good cheer; it is I, do not be afraid.” Peter answered Him, “Lord, if it is You, command me to come to You on the water.” He said, “Go.” And, getting out of the boat, Peter walked on the water to come to Jesus, but, seeing a strong wind, he was afraid and began to drown, he cried out, “Lord, save me.” Jesus immediately stretched out his hand and said to him, “Why did you doubt?” And when they entered the boat, those in the boat came up and worshiped Him and said, “Truly you are the Son of God.” The words of the disciples: “this is a ghost” mean the same as what is said (elsewhere): Do you think he will find faith on earth (Luke 18:8); for some who have fallen under the devil will doubt the second coming of Christ. And the fact that Peter begs the Lord for help so as not to drown means that even after the last persecution, the Church must still be cleansed by some tribulations. Paul expresses this when he says: he will be saved; so, however, as if from fire (1 Cor. 3:15). What then follows, namely, that all who were on the ships reverently said: “Truly You are the Son of God,” this indicates that His future glory already then became clear by “seeing vision,” although they still walked only by faith. Question XVI. (And you say: if anyone says to father or mother, “Whatever you use from me is a gift to God,” Matthew 15:5). The gift that comes from me is for your benefit... that is, the gift that you bring for me will actually apply to you. With these words, children express that it is not the job of their parents to bring gifts for them when they have reached such an age that they can already bring gifts (to God) for themselves. Track. children who were so inclined at this age that they could say such things to their parents and actually did say them were not considered guilty by the Pharisees, although they did not give due honor to their parents. Question XVII. (He answered: Every plant that My Heavenly Father has not planted will be uprooted (Matthew 15:13). Every planting that My heavenly Father did not plant will be uprooted, that is, carnal passion will be uprooted, the followers of which fell into trouble due to inattention to the signs of reality (rerum signis) or due to their own prejudices; and they did not observe the rules of (Christian) life, which cleanse the soul from passions. Question XVIII. (And Jesus said to the centurion: Go, and as you have believed, so be it done to you. And his servant was healed that hour. Then Jesus answered her, O woman, great is your faith; let it be done to you as you wish. And her daughter was healed that hour. Matthew 8:13, 15:28). He heals both the youth of the centurion and the daughter of the Canaanite woman without entering their house. This means that the Gentiles, to whom He did not come, are saved by His word. That children are healed at the request of the (parents) themselves 8 asking - understand the Church, which is both mother and children: mother for all of whom the Church consists; the same members of it, each individually, are called children. Question XIX. (And a multitude of people came to Him, having with them the lame, the blind, the dumb, the maimed, and many others, and they cast them at the feet of Jesus; and He healed them Matthew 15:30). Crowds of people brought dumb people to the Lord: those who do not praise (God) or do not profess faith; blind: those who do not understand, although they obey those who command (them); deaf: those who do not obey, although they understand; lame: those who do not keep the commandments. Question XX. (He answered them: in the evening you say: there will be a storm, because the sky is red; and in the morning: today there is bad weather, because the sky is purple. You hypocrites! You know how to discern the face of the sky, but you cannot discern the signs of the times. Matthew 16:2-3). The Lord said: in the evening you say: there will be a bucket, because the sky is red. This means that at the first coming the remission of sins is given by the blood of the sufferings of Christ. And in the morning: today there is bad weather, for the sky is red with a dusky hue (rubet enim cum tristitia) 9. This means that He intends to come to His second appearance preceded by fire. You know how to discern the face of heaven (judicare) 10, but you cannot discern the signs of the times 11. “Signs of the Times”: speaks of His coming or His suffering, which is like the evening pink sky; or understands future disasters before His coming, which are like the morning pink-gloomy sky. Question XXI. (Jesus answered them: it is true that Elijah must come first and arrange everything; Matt. 17:11). The Lord said: Elijah will come and arrange everything, that is, he will either arrange those who will be thrown into confusion by the persecution of the Antichrist, or, like the Lord Himself, he will arrange what must be arranged by His death. Question XXII. (When they came to the people, a man approached Him and, kneeling before Him, said: Lord, have mercy on my son; he goes berserk on new moons and suffers grievously, for he often throws himself into fire and often into water, Matthew 17:14-15). “Often,” he said, “he falls into fire, sometimes into water: into fire—into anger, which seeks the old 12; into the water - into carnal passions. Then the disciples say: why couldn’t we drive him out? So that they do not fall into pride as a result of the miracles that were performed by them, they are given instructions to heal with the humility of faith, like mustard greens, earthly arrogance - may it pass away - which arrogance is called (here) a mountain. Question XXIII. (He says: yes. And when he entered the house, Jesus, warning him, said: What do you think, Simon? Who do the kings of the earth take duties or taxes from? From their own sons, or from strangers? Matthew 17:25). He said: therefore the sons are free: in every kingdom, of course, the sons are free, that is, they are not subject to taxes. Moreover, this means that the sons of that kingdom under which all earthly kingdoms are located should be free in any earthly kingdom. Question XXIV. (And whoever causes one of these little ones who believe in Me to stumble, it would be better for him if a millstone were hung around his neck and he were drowned in the depths of the sea. Matthew 18:6). The Lord says: who will offend one of these little ones, that is, the humble ones, such as He wants His disciples to be, who should not show disobedience or resistance, like Alexander Kovacs, according to the Apostle (2 Tim. 4:14). It would be better for him to have a millstone hung around his neck and thrown into the depths of the sea, that is, he is characterized by a passion for earthly things, which the foolish and blind fall under, and with its weight it draws the one bound by it to destruction. Question XXV. (When he began to reckon, someone was brought to him who owed him ten thousand talents; and since he had no way to pay, his sovereign ordered him to be sold, and his wife, and children, and everything that he had, and to pay; then that slave fell, and, bowing to him, said: sovereign, have patience with me, and I will pay you everything. The sovereign, having mercy on that slave, let him go and forgave him the debt. he went out and found one of his companions who owed him a hundred denarii, and, seizing him, he strangled him, saying, “Pay me what you owe.” Then his companion fell at his feet and begged him, “Be patient with me, and I will pay you everything.” But he did not want to, but went and put him in prison until he paid off the debt. A debtor of ten thousand talents was brought to the Lord, and he ordered him to be sold, and his wife, and children, and all that he had, and to pay. It is clear that he was a debtor against the ten commandments of the law; for his passion, as well as for his deeds - as if for his wife and children - he had to pay the debt at the price of what he had: by the price of what was sold, we mean the punishment that befell the guilty one. - He did not want to forgive his comrade, but he went and put him in prison and gave him... understand: they did this to punish him. By the servants who told the master what happened, one can understand the Church, which allows one and binds another. Question XXVI. (Therefore, the Kingdom of Heaven is like a king who wanted to settle accounts with his servants; but since he did not have anything to pay with, his sovereign ordered him to be sold, and his wife, and children, and everything that he had, and to pay; Matt. 19:23.25). The Lord says that a rich man will not enter the kingdom of God. The disciples say: who can be saved? Since there are few rich people in comparison with the many poor, then understand that everyone who passionately seeks it (i.e., wealth) can find it among them (i.e., among the rich). Question XXVII. (And going up to Jerusalem, Jesus called the twelve disciples alone on the way, and told them Matthew 20:17). The Lord separately reveals to two disciples 13 about His sufferings and thereby gives evidence to confirm what is to be; since he said: by the mouth of two or three witnesses every word will be established (stabit) 14 (Matthew 18:16). So that what was said would not spread among the people, and would not be deprived of the power of human testimony, He could not say less than two (Apostles). Or here the mystery of love is indicated, for love can exist no less than between two persons. And He had to suffer not because of the need to pay a debt for His sin, but out of love for the remission of our sins. Question XXVIII. (And when they left Jericho, a multitude of people followed Him. And behold, two blind men who were sitting by the road, hearing that Jesus was walking by, began to shout: have mercy on us, O Lord, Son of David! The people forced them to remain silent; but they began to shout even louder: Have mercy on us, O Lord, Son of David! Jesus stopped, called them and said: what do you want from Me? They say to Him: Lord! that our eyes may be opened. Jesus, having compassion, touched their eyes; and immediately their eyes received sight, and they followed Him. Matthew 20:29-34). The Lord departs from Jericho, leaving this country. Many crowds of people follow Him, both Jews and pagans believe in Him. Two blind men sitting near the path mean that in one and the other people (i.e., among Jews and pagans) there are some who are already clinging by faith to that dispensation in time (dispensationi temporali), according to which (i.e., dispensation) Christ is the way (of life), and already wishing to see, that is, to understand something about the eternity of the Word; so that when Jesus passed by, they began to cry out loudly, that is, to cry out for the imputation of faith, which is believed (qua creditur) in the Son of God, who became incarnate and suffered for us. According to this economy (in time), Jesus walks by, as it were, - this is an action in time. It was necessary for them to cry out until they could overcome the noise of the crowd of people obstructing them, i.e. persistently strained their spirit with prayer and constant petition until, with the greatest tension, they overcame the usual carnal desires, which, like a crowd, stand in the way of thinking, striving to see the light of eternal truth, or until they overcame the very crowd of carnal people, which hinders spiritual pursuits (studia). And Jesus, who said: to the one who asks, it will be given, and to the one who seeks, it will be opened, and to the one who interprets it will be opened (Matt. 7:8), hearing that they are coming to Him and, with the strongest desire, achieving what they desire, Jesus, having become, touches them and enlightens. The economy comes in time, but the eternity of the Word does not come, which, remaining in itself, renews everything (Wis. 7:27). since faith in the incarnation in time prepares us for the understanding of the eternal, then by the passing of Jesus the blind are encouraged (to ask) for insight, and those who have stopped (by the Lord) are enlightened. The temporary comes, the eternal remains. Question XXIX. (Jesus answered them: Truly I say to you, if you have faith and do not doubt, you will not only do what was done to the fig tree, but if you also say to this mountain, “Be taken up and thrown into the sea,” it will be Matthew 21:21). What the Lord says to His disciples: You will say to this mountain: rise up and be cast into the sea - this speaks of the pride that is characteristic of this age: the servant of God must say this to himself in order to drive it away from himself, for it does not become him. Or (it is indicated) that, according to their preaching (i.e., the Apostles), for they preached the Gospel, the Lord Himself, called the mountain (Is. 2:2), was rejected by the Jews, in order then, as if to the sea, to approach the pagans. Question XXX. (And whoever falls on this stone will be broken, and whoever it falls on will be crushed. Matthew 21:44). The Lord says: whoever falls on this stone will be broken, and whoever it falls on will crush him. By those who fall on Him he means those who despise Him or subject Him to insults. They are not yet internally destroyed, but, however, they are crushed, so that they can no longer walk upright. On whomever He falls, He will come from heaven to judgment and punish (them) with destruction. He said: He will crush them, so that the wicked will be like dust blown up by the wind from the face of the earth (Ps. 1:4). Question XXXI. (The kingdom of heaven is like a man king, who made a wedding feast for his son and sent his servants to invite those invited to the wedding feast; and they did not want to come. Again he sent other servants, saying: Tell those who were invited: behold, I have prepared my dinner, my bullocks and what is fattened, slaughtered, and everything is ready; come to the wedding feast. But they, despising it, went, some to their field, and some to their trade; the rest, seizing His servants were insulted and killed. When the king heard about this, he was angry, and, sending his troops, he destroyed their killers and burned their city. Then he said to his servants: the wedding feast is ready, but those who were invited were not worthy; therefore, go to the crossroads and invite everyone you find to the wedding feast. The Lord said: The kingdom of heaven is like a man king, who arranged a wedding feast for his son. He called the incarnate Word “the wedding feast,” for in Him, upon the acceptance of humanity, the Church is united with God. He said: my bullocks and what was fattened was slaughtered: he called the princes of the nations (plebium) bullocks; “well-fed” – everything that is fattened. The Lord said: go to the crossroads and invite whomever you find to the wedding feast: by “crossroads” we mean the teachings (dogmata) of the pagans, for out of all the pagans there were those who came to the wedding, that is, those who believed in Christ. Question XXXII. (we had seven brothers; the first, having married, died and, having no children, left his wife to his brother; Matthew 22:25). The Sadducees say to the Lord: We had seven brothers, and the first, having taken a wife, died, and the second and the rest. This refers to wicked people who cannot bear the fruit of righteousness on earth in all seven ages of peace to which this earth is subject. Then the earth itself will pass away, and with it all of them (that is, the wicked) will pass away fruitlessly, like these seven who did not leave seeds. Question XXXIII. (All the law and the prophets are based on these two commandments. Matt. 22:40). The Lord says: in these two commandments (praeceptis) 15 (tota) 16 hangs all the law and the prophets. He says: hangs (pendet), that is, it relates to that (these two commandments), there it has its purpose. Question XXXIV. ( Fools and blind! what is greater: gold, or the church sanctifying gold? Fools and blind! what is greater: the gift, or the altar sanctifying the gift? Matthew 23:17.19). The Lord said: for which is greater, gold or the church that sanctifies gold? And then: for which is greater, the gift, or the altar that sanctifies the gift? By church and altar we mean Christ Himself; gold and gift are the praises and sacrifices of prayers that we offer in Him and through Him. For it is not He through them, but they through Him who are sanctified. Question XXXV. (Woe to you, scribes and Pharisees, hypocrites, who give tithes of mint, anise and cumin, and forsook the most important things in the law: judgment, mercy and faith; these should have been done, and this should not be abandoned. Blind leaders, straining out a gnat and devouring a camel! Matthew 23:23.24). The Lord said: straining out a mosquito: refers to what was said earlier - that they give tithes from everything that is most insignificant. Those who consume the camel: refers to what was said earlier: they left the most important things in the law: mercy, and judgment, and faith. So the meaning is this: you observe small things, but despise great things. As a result of such moral perversity, what happened to them - an allegorical application of the words (of the Lord) to them - was that they released Barabbas, although, obviously, he did not keep the Sabbath, which they observed with great zeal purely carnally, and they killed the Lord, who encouraged the spiritual observance of the Sabbath: through mercy, and judgment, and faith, which they completely despised. And it would not be incongruous to see in a mosquito an indication of a rebellious robber (i.e., Barabbas): this insect disturbs with its buzzing and drinks blood. Accordingly, under the camel, bending down to carry a great burden, is of course the Lord. Question XXXVI. (Jerusalem, Jerusalem, who kills the prophets and stones those who are sent to you! How often have I wanted to gather your children together, as a bird gathers its chicks under its wings, and you did not want to! Matthew 23:37). The Lord said to Jerusalem: How often have I wanted to gather your children together, as a hen gathers her chicks under her wings, but they did not want to. This genus of living beings has a special love for its chicks, so that, struck (instinctively) by their weakness, it itself becomes weak; and - which is difficult to find in other living creatures - covering the chicks with her wings, she enters into a fight with the kite. So our Mother, the Wisdom of God, being weak in some way through the adoption of flesh (hence the Apostle says: the weak of God is stronger than men; 1 Cor. 1:25), covers our weakness and resists the devil so that he does not plunder us. What she, in defense, tries to do against the kite by natural impulse, this one does against the devil by (inherent) power. Question XXXVII. (Pray that your flight does not happen in winter or on Saturday, Matthew 24:20). The Lord said: pray that your flight does not happen in winter or on Saturday, that is, that you are not delayed by some obstacle, for even in bad weather - in rain or cold, and on Saturday, when it was not allowed to travel, everyone was kept from the journey. Or in other words: so that this day does not overtake anyone in sorrow and joy about the temporary. Question XXXVIII. (Then if anyone says to you, “Behold, here is Christ, or there,” do not believe it. For false Christs and false prophets will arise and show great signs and wonders to deceive, if possible, even the elect. Behold, I told you beforehand. So if they say to you, “Behold, He is in the wilderness,” do not go out; “Behold, He is in the secret chambers,” do not believe; for like lightning comes from the east and is visible even to the west, so will be the coming of the Son of Man; The Lord says: for as lightning comes from the east and reaches even to the west, so will the coming of the Son of Man be. By the name of East and West he wanted to designate the entire universe through which the Church has to spread, when the gospel begins from Jerusalem, to spread according to what He said: from now on you will see the Son of Man coming on the clouds (Matthew 26:64). According to its nature, he called the Church lightning, which usually shines especially among the clouds. Endowed with authority, clear, open and visible throughout the world, she exhorts the disciples and all believers who equally want to believe in Him, so that they do not believe schismatics and heretics. For every schism and every heresy is either confined to a certain space on earth, occupying some part of it, or seduces the curiosity of people in (their) secret, hidden meetings. His words relate to this: if someone says to you: here is Christ, or there, - which indicates certain parts of countries or regions. Or in hidden ones or in the desert - which means secret and hidden meetings of heretics. Consequently, what He said, that His coming will be from the east to the west, is directed against those who, calling themselves by certain parts of the earth, say that they have Christ. His words are like lightning to those who gather together secretly, as if in hidden places, and some as if in the desert. So the Church adopts the name lightning to designate its clarity, lightness, which (by contrast) indicates the night or darkness of this age; for then (in the darkness) the flash of lightning will appear. Question XXXIX. (Take the likeness of a fig tree: when its branches become soft and put out leaves, you know that summer is near; Matt. 24:32). The Lord said: take likeness from the fig tree: by the fig tree understand the human race, tempted by the flesh. When its branch already becomes soft, that is, when the sons of men, through faith in Christ, achieve spiritual fruits, and the glory of the adoption of the children of God is revealed in them. Question XL. (However, the Son of Man comes, as it is written about Him, but woe to that man by whom the Son of Man is betrayed: it would have been better for this man not to have been born. Matthew 26:24). The Lord said about Judas: it was good for him not to be born. Was it in this life, as usual, that he used this saying? But for someone who does not exist, nothing can be good. And if anyone insists that there is another life before this life, then it is clear that there is no point in being born, not only for Judas, but for no one else. Didn’t he say: not to be born for the devil, for sin? Wouldn’t it be good for him not to be born to Christ through a calling (to become an Apostle), so as not to later become a traitor? Question XLI. (And he said: What will you give me, and I will betray Him to you? They offered him thirty pieces of silver; Matthew 26:15). That the Lord was sold for thirty pieces of silver, this in the person of Judas indicates the ungrateful Jews who, following the carnal and temporal, relating to the five bodily senses, rejected Christ. Since they did this in the sixth age of the world, it is indicated that they received six times five (6x5), as if the price of the sold Lord. The prophet threatens such (people) of this time, saying: sons of men, how long will you be heavy in heart? How long will you love vanity and seek lies (Ps. 4:3)? (He says) because, if during the five ages of the world there was still some excuse for the vanity that was being chased; then at the sixth age we must understand the truth preached and testified by Our Lord - at the sixth age, according to the fact that on the sixth day man was created in the image of God (Gen. 1:26). since they did not want this, they have six times five (6x5) inscribed the image of the prince of this age, and do not have Christ, by whom the light of Your countenance is marked upon us, O Lord (Ps. 4:7). And since the words of the Lord are silver (Ps. 11:7), and they understood the law itself carnally, then, leaving the Lord, they took upon themselves, as if inscribed on silver, the image of the prince of the powers of this world. Question XLII. (For this is My Blood of the New Testament, which is shed for many for the remission of sins. Matthew 26:28). The Lord says: where the body is, there the eagles will gather, that is, in heaven, where He took up the body with Him, having taken on humanity; the body is called a “corpse,” because this was said at the time when He intended to give Himself up to death. There the eagles will gather: we are talking about spiritual people who, imitating His suffering and humiliation, seem to feast on His body, for He accepted the body for the sake of humiliation and suffering for us. Question XLIII. (I tell you that from now on I will not drink of this fruit of the vine until the day when I drink new wine with you in the kingdom of My Father. Matt. 26:29). The Lord says to the disciples before the time of suffering: from now on I will not drink from this fruit of the vine until the day when I drink it new with you in the kingdom of My Father: calling it (wine) new, makes it clear that this (wine) is old. since the body that He had to give up in suffering to death (therefore, by the “sacrament of wine” indicates His blood), He received from the descendants of Adam, called the old man; then what else should we mean by new wine, if not the immortality of renewed bodies? So by saying: I will drink with you, he gives them the promise of the resurrection of their bodies to endow them with immortality. What has been said: with you should not be related to time 17, but to renewal (tel). For the Apostle also says that we have been raised with Christ (Col. 11:12), so that hope in the future gives (us) joy in the present. What, in contrast to this fruit of the vine, calls that (wine) new, this means that bodies that die due to earthly decay will be resurrected in accordance with heavenly renewal. And if under the vine, from whose oldness you drank the cup before suffering, you understand the Jews, then (in words) it is indicated that the Gentiles themselves, as a result of the renewal of life, will enter the body of Christ, and when the fullness of the Gentiles is fulfilled, all Israel will be saved (Rom. 11:25). Question XLIV. (Then they spat in His face and strangled Him; others struck Him on the cheeks (Matthew 26:67). It is said: they spat in his face: it refers to those who reject the presence of His grace. And blows are struck by those who prefer their own honor to Him. The reed on His Face is given by those who, blinded by unbelief, claim that He did not come, sweeping aside and denying His presence. Question XLV. (Peter was sitting outside in the courtyard. And one maid came to him and said, “You too were with Jesus the Galilean.” But he denied it before everyone, saying, “I don’t know what you are saying.” And when he went out of the gate, another saw him, and said to those who were there, “This one too was with Jesus the Nazarene.” And he again denied with an oath that he does not know this man. A little later those who were standing there came up and said to Peter, “Surely you are also one of them, for you are also one of them.” your speech convicts you. Then he began to swear and swear that he did not know this man. And suddenly the rooster crowed. Peter, not yet confirmed in the faith, denied the Lord three times. It seems that his threefold renunciation marks the (character) of the perverted lies of the heretics. For the lies of heretics about Christ are of three kinds: they stumble either about His Divinity, or His humanity, or both. Question XLVI. (Peter followed Him from afar, to the courtyard of the high priest; and going in, he sat down with the servants to see the end. Matthew 26:58). That Peter follows from afar the Lord coming to suffer, this indicates the Church, which follows, that is, imitates the suffering of the Lord. But the difference is very significant: the Church suffers for itself, and He suffers for the Church. Question XLVII. (And, going away a little, he fell on His face, prayed and said: My Father! if it is possible, let this cup pass from Me; however, not as I want, but as You do. And going away another time, he prayed, saying: My Father, if this cup cannot pass from Me, lest I drink it, Thy will be done. And, leaving them, he went away again and prayed a third time, saying the same word. Matthew 26:39.42.44). Just as the temptation of the flesh is threefold, so the temptation of fear is threefold. The passion for knowledge is opposed to the fear of death, for just as in that there is a greed for the knowledge of things, so in this there is a fear of the loss of such knowledge. The passion for honor or praise is opposed to the fear of humiliation and insults. The passion for pleasure is opposed to the fear of sorrow. Not without reason, therefore, one can believe that as a result of the threefold temptation that occurs in suffering, the Lord prays three times that the cup may pass away. But so (He prayed) that the will of the Father might be better fulfilled. Book two. Questions in the Gospel of Luke Question I. (The angel said to him: Do not be afraid, Zechariah, for your prayer has been heard, and your wife Elizabeth will bear you a son, and you will call his name John; and behold, you will remain silent and will not be able to speak until the day this comes true, because you did not believe my words, which will come true in due time. Luke 1:13.20). Zechariah, praying for the people, receives a message from an angel: your prayer (oratio) 18 has been heard; Behold, your wife Elizabeth will conceive 19 and bear a son, and you will call his name John. First of all, you need to pay attention to the following. It is incredible that at a time when he was making a sacrifice for the sins of the people, their salvation or atonement, and the people were waiting for him to offer it, it is incredible that he, an old man who had an elderly wife, could, distracted from the subject of public prayer, ask for offspring. Moreover, no one, after all, asks to receive something for which he no longer has hope, and until now he had already lost hope of seeing offspring, so he did not believe the promise of the angel. Track. what was said to him: your prayer has been heard should be understood this way: (prayer) for the people, since the salvation of this people, their redemption and liberation from sins will be accomplished by Christ, and the son of Zechariah, destined to be the Forerunner of Christ, will announce this. As for the fact that he, who did not believe the angel, is proclaimed by the same angel: and behold, you will be silent until this is fulfilled in due time 20, then this means that the prophecy before John - it seemed to fall silent with a sound clearly discernible, for it remained incomprehensible until it was fulfilled in the Lord 21. Addition to the essay “Two Books of Gospel Questions.” Book two Vulg: neque Patrem quis novit, nisi Filius. That is, to all previous speech. Exuete. Vulg: expoliantes. Reading adopted in the Vulgate. Vulg.: alium quidem... alium... dutem... aliud... vero. "The Youth" of the Centurion Bl. Augustine apparently considers him a son. Vulg.: rutilat enim triste coelum. In Vulg. scire is added. That is, by the time of the general resurrection. Concipiet in Vulg. absent. The text deviates significantly from Vulg. Due to the closure of the journal “Transactions of the Kyiv Theological Academy” in the beginning. 1918, there was no continuation. (Note - A.K.)