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| Chapter XLIII.—He concludes that the law had an end in Christ, who was born of the Virgin.
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Chapter XLIII.—He concludes that the
law had an end in Christ, who was born of the Virgin.
“As, then, circumcision began
with Abraham, and the Sabbath and sacrifices and offerings and feasts
with Moses, and it has been proved they were enjoined on account of the
hardness of your people’s heart, so it was necessary, in accordance
with the Father’s will, that they should have an end in Him who was
born of a virgin, of the family of Abraham and tribe of Judah, and of
David; in
Christ the Son of God, who was proclaimed as about to come to all the
world, to be the everlasting law and the everlasting covenant, even as
the forementioned prophecies show. And we, who have approached God
through Him, have received not carnal, but spiritual circumcision, which
Enoch and those like him observed. And we have received it through baptism,
since we were sinners, by God’s mercy; and all men may equally
obtain it. But since the mystery of His birth now demands our attention I
shall speak of it. Isaiah then asserted in regard to the generation of
Christ, that it could not be declared by man, in words already
quoted:2068
‘Who shall declare His generation? for His life is taken
from the earth: for the transgressions of my people was He led2069
to death.’2070
The
Spirit of prophecy thus affirmed that the generation of Him who was to
die, that we sinful men might be healed by His stripes, was such as could
not be declared. Furthermore, that the men who believe in Him may possess
the knowledge of the manner in which He came into the world,2071
| 2071 Literally, “He was in
the world, being born.” | the Spirit of prophecy by the
same Isaiah foretold how it would happen thus: ‘And the Lord spoke
again to Ahaz, saying, Ask for thyself a sign from the Lord thy God, in
the depth, or in the height. And Ahaz said, I will not ask, neither will
I tempt the Lord. And Isaiah said, Hear then, O house of David; Is it a
small thing for you to contend with men, and how do you contend with the
Lord? Therefore the Lord Himself will give you a sign. Behold, the virgin
shall conceive, and shall bear a son, and his name shall be called
Immanuel. Butter and honey shall he eat, before he knows or prefers the
evil, and chooses out the good;2072
for before the child knows
good or ill, he rejects evil2073
| 2073 Literally, “disobeys evil” (ἀπειθεῖ πονηρά).
Conjectured: ἀπωθεῖ, and
ἀπειθεῖ πονηρία. |
by choosing out the good. For before the child knows how to call father
or mother, he shall receive the power of Damascus and the spoil of
Samaria in presence of the king of Assyria. And the land shall be
forsaken,2074
| 2074 The mss. of Justin read, “shall
be taken:” καταληφθήσεται. This
is plainly a mistake for καταλειφθήσεται; but
whether the mistake is Justin’s or the transcribers’, it
would be difficult to say, as Thirlby remarks. | which thou
shalt with difficulty endure in consequence of the presence of its two
kings.2075
| 2075 The rendering of
this doubtful: literally, “from the face of the two kings,”
and the words might go with “shall be forsaken.” |
But God shall bring on thee, and on thy people, and on the house of thy
father, days which have not yet come upon thee since the day in which
Ephraim took away from Judah the king of Assyria.’2076
Now it is
evident to all, that in the race of Abraham according to the flesh no one
has been born of a virgin, or is said to have been born [of a virgin],
save this our Christ. But since you and your teachers venture to affirm
that in the prophecy of Isaiah it is not said, ‘Behold, the virgin
shall conceive,’ but, ‘Behold, the young woman shall
conceive, and bear a son;’ and [since] you explain the prophecy as
if [it referred] to Hezekiah, who was your king, I shall endeavour to
discuss shortly this point in opposition to you, and to show that
reference is made to Him who is acknowledged by us as Christ.E.C.F. INDEX & SEARCH
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