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| The True Prophet: Why Called the Christ.
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Chapter XLV.—The True
Prophet: Why Called the Christ.
Then Peter began to instruct me in this
manner:577
| 577 [The discourse
of chaps. 45–52 is interesting from its christological
consistency. The doctrine, while showing Ebionitic origin, is
closer to the Catholic view than that of the
Homilies.—R.] | “When God had made the world,
as Lord of the universe, He appointed chiefs over the several
creatures, over the trees even, and the mountains, and the fountains,
and the rivers, and all things which He had made, as we have told you;
for it were too long to mention them one by one. He set,
therefore, an angel as chief over the angels, a spirit over the
spirits, a star over the stars, a demon over the demons, a bird over
the birds, a beast over the beasts, a serpent over the serpents, a fish
over the fishes, a man over men, who is Christ Jesus. But He is
called Christ by a certain excellent rite of religion; for as
there are certain names common to kings, as Arsaces among the Persians,
Cæsar among the Romans, Pharaoh among the Egyptians, so among the
Jews a king is called Christ. And the reason of this
appellation is this: Although indeed He was the Son of God, and
the beginning of all things, He became man; Him first God anointed with
oil which was taken from the wood of the tree of life: from that
anointing therefore He is called Christ. Thence, moreover,
He Himself also, according to the appointment of His Father, anoints
with similar oil every one of the pious when they come to His kingdom,
for their refreshment after their labours, as having got over the
difficulties of the way; so that their light may shine, and being
filled with the Holy Spirit, they may be endowed with
immortality.578
| 578 [The
references to oil in chaps. 45–48, particularly the connection of
anointing with baptism, have been regarded, since the discovery of the
full text of Hippolytus, as showing traces of relationship to the
system of the Elkesaites. See Introductory Notice. In the
forms given by Hippolytus (see Ante-Nicene Fathers, v. pp. 132,
133) the oil is represented as one of “seven witnesses” to
be adjured by the subject of baptism.—R.] | But it
occurs to me that I have sufficiently explained to you the whole nature
of that branch from which that ointment is
taken.”
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