Encyclopedia of sacred theology - pagina 472

448

§ 78.

THE TESTIMONY OF THE APOSTLES

[Div. Ill

Such quoting is only conceivable and warranted by the supposition that all these sayings, however truly they have come to us by several writers, are actually from one and the same author exactly in the same way in which one quotes from the works of the same writer or from the articles of the same lawgiver. That this was indeed the apostolic apprehension appears more clearly still from the fact, which they state: that the words of the Old Testament often contain more than the writers themselves understood. In Rom. iv. 23 it is said of the words from Gen. xv. 6, that "it was reckoned unto him for righteousness," did not refer to Abraham only, In Rom. as the writer must have intended, but also to us. XV. 3, Ps. Ixix. 9 is quoted, and what David exclaimed in a Psalm, which cannot stand before the ethical judgment of many, is cited as coming from the Messianic subject and

ground.

;

;

yet this quotation furnishes the apostle the occasion for the

general

statement, " that whatsoever things were written

aforetime were written for our learning, that through pa-

and through comfort of the Scriptures we might have This, of course, could not have been the intention David sang when his heart of the instrumental authors. was full, Jeremiah prophesied when the fire burned in his Thus this intention is thought of as in the " mind of bones. the first author," and it is only by divine direction, that the tience

hope."

Scriptures are thus predestined to realize their given pur-

pose in the Church of

This is applied not only but also to the historical parts. " Do ye not hear the Old Testament (rov vo/xov') ? " Paul " in that Abraham had asks Gal. iv. 22 For it is written, two sons"; and of this he says: "Which things contain an to moral

the ages.

all

and doctrinal

dicta,

;

allegory,"

i.e.

all this, which was by him who wrote these words. 11, 12, where the exposition of

a meaning was hidden in

neither foreseen nor intended

The same appears

in

Heb.

v.

the priesthood after the order of Melchizedek

is

introduced,

an exposition in which numerous deductions are made from the common historic narrative, Avhich were not intended by the writer of Genesis. The understanding of this deeper sense

is

called in verse 11

"hard

of interpretation";

it

does

Deze tekst is geautomatiseerd gemaakt en kan nog fouten bevatten. Digibron werkt voortdurend aan correctie. Klik voor het origineel door naar de pdf. Voor opmerkingen, vragen, informatie: contact.

Op Digibron -en alle daarin opgenomen content- is het databankrecht van toepassing. Gebruiksvoorwaarden. Data protection law applies to Digibron and the content of this database. Terms of use.

Printen