Chapter LIII.--Other Sayings of Christ.
"But also a witnessing voice was heard from heaven, saying, This is my beloved Son, in whom I am well pleased; hear Him.' [1003] And in addition to this, willing to convict more fully of error the prophets from whom they asserted that they had learned, He proclaimed that they died desiring the truth, but not having learned it, saying, Many prophets and kings desired to see what ye see, and to hear what you hear; and verily I say to you, they neither saw nor heard.' [1004] Still further He said, I am he concerning whom Moses prophesied, saying, A Prophet shall the Lord our God raise unto you of your brethren, like unto me: Him hear in all things; and whosoever will not hear that Prophet shall die.' [1005]
[1003] Matt. xvii. 5.
[1004] Matt. xiii. 17; Luke x. 24.
[1005] Deut. xviii. 15-19; Acts iii. 22; vii. 37.
Chapter LIV.--Other Sayings.
"Whence it is impossible without His teaching to attain to saving truth, though one seek it for ever where the thing that is sought is not. But it was, and is, in the word of our Jesus. Accordingly, He, knowing the true things of the law, said to the Sadducees, asking on what account Moses permitted to marry seven, [1006] Moses gave you commandments according to your hard-heartedness; for from the beginning it was not so: for He who created man at first, made him male and female.' [1007]
[1006] [A curious confusion of two Gospel narratives, mistaking the significance of both.--R.]
[1007] Matt. xix. 8; Mark x. 5, 6.
Chapter LV.--Teaching of Christ.
"But to those who think, as the Scriptures teach, that God swears, He said, Let your yea be yea, and nay, nay; for what is more than these is of the evil one.' [1008] And to those who say that Abraham and Isaac and Jacob are dead, He said, God is not of the dead, but of the living.' [1009] And to those who suppose that God tempts, as the Scriptures say, He said, The tempter is the wicked one,' [1010] who also tempted Himself. To those who suppose that God does not foreknow, He said, For your heavenly Father knoweth that ye need all these things before ye ask Him.' [1011] And to those who believe, as the Scriptures say, that He does not see all things, He said, Pray in secret, and your Father, who seeth secret things, will reward you.'
[1008] Matt. v. 37.
[1009] Matt. xxii. 32; Mark xii. 27; Luke xx. 38.
[1010] Perhaps Matt. xiii. 39.
[1011] Matt. vi. 8, 32.
[1012] Matt. vi. 6.
Chapter LVI.--Teaching of Christ.
"And to those who think that He is not good, as the Scriptures say, He said, From which of you shall his son ask bread, and he will give him a stone; or shall ask a fish, and he will give him a serpent? If ye then, being evil, know to give good gifts to your children, how much more shall your heavenly Father give good things to those who ask Him, and to those who do His will!' [1013] But to those who affirmed that He was in the temple, He said, Swear not by heaven, for it is God's throne; nor by the earth, for it is the footstool of His feet.' [1014] And to those who supposed that God is pleased with sacrifices, He said, God wishes mercy, and not sacrifices' [1015] --the knowledge of Himself, and not holocausts.
[1013] Matt. vii. 9-11.
[1014] Matt. v. 34, 35.
[1015] Matt. ix. 13; xii. 7. [Comp. Hos. vi. 6.--R.]
Chapter LVII.--Teaching of Christ.
"But to those who are persuaded that He is evil, as the Scriptures say, He said, Call not me good, for One only is good.' [1016] And again, Be ye good and merciful, as your Father in the heavens, who makes the sun rise on good and evil men, and brings rain upon just and unjust.' [1017] But to those who were misled to imagine many gods, as the Scriptures say, He said, Hear, O Israel; the Lord your God is one Lord.'" [1018]
[1016] Matt. xix. 17; Mark x. 18; Luke xviii. 19.
[1017] Matt. v. 44, 45.
[1018] Mark xii. 29. [Comp. Deut. vi. 4.--R.]