Holy Scripture
How they read the Old Testament: as plain history, as pictures that point ahead to Christ, and at times as allegory.
Each row is one claim. Each name is a writer, placed at the date of the passage. Select a name to read what they said.
3 of the 5 writers here teach: “Old Testament laws and events are types of Christ.” They answer a rival view: “This world is only a shadow of a bodiless heavenly order.”
teaches it partly rejects it later writer, summary only
Old Testament laws and events are types of Christ3 teach
This world is only a shadow of a bodiless heavenly order1 reject
Greek philosophy can prepare the mind for the faith1 teach
Now, wherefore did Moses say, You shall not eat the swine, nor the eagle, nor the hawk, nor the raven, nor any fish which is not possessed of scales? He embraced three doctrines in his mind in doing so. Moreover, the Lord says to them in Deuteronomy, And I will establish my ordinances among this people.
Let us ask whether the Lord cared to reveal the meaning of the water and the cross. Concerning the water, Scripture speaks about Israel: the baptism that brings forgiveness of sins will not be accepted by them; instead they will build for themselves.
Ζητήσωμεν δέ, εἰ ἐμέλησεν τῷ κυρίῳ προφανερῶσαι περὶ τοῦ ὕδατος καὶ περὶ τοῦ σταυροῦ. περὶ μὲν τοῦ ὕδατος γέγραπται ἐπὶ τὸν Ἰσραήλ, πῶς τὸ βάπτισμα τὸ φέρον ἄφεσιν ἁμαρτιῶν οὐ μὴ προσδέξονται, ἀλλ’ ἑαυτοῖς οἰκοδομήσουσιν.
In the same way, he defines the cross once more through another prophet, who says: "And when will these things be fulfilled?" The Lord answers: "When wood is bent and stands up, and when blood drips from wood." Here again you have a reference to the cross and to the one who is about to be crucified.
Ὁμοίως πάλιν περὶ τοῦ σταυροῦ ὁρίζει ἐν ἄλλῳ προφήτῃ λέγοντι: Καὶ πότε ταῦτα συντελεσθήσεται; λέγει κύριος: ὅταν ξύλον κλιθῇ καὶ ἀναστῇ, καὶ ὅταν ἐκ ξύλου αἷμα στάξῃ. ἔχεις πάλιν περὶ τοῦ σταυροῦ καὶ τοῦ σταυροῦσθαι μέλλοντος.
So understand this, children of joy: the good Lord has revealed everything to us so we may know the One to whom we owe thanks and praise in all things.
Οὐκοῦν νοεῖτε, τέκνα εὐφροσύνης, ὅτι πάντα ὁ καλὸς κύριος προεφανέρωσεν ἡμῖν, ἵνα γνῶμεν, ᾧ κατὰ πάντα εὐχαριστοῦντες ὀφείλομεν αἰνεῖν.
What do you suppose the pattern means? God commanded Israel to offer a heifer, but the men who do so are people in whom sin has reached its full measure.
Τίνα δὲ δοκεῖτε τύπον εἶναι, ὅτι ἐντέταλται τῷ Ἰσραὴλ προσφέρειν δάμαλιν τοὺς ἄνδρας, ἐν οἷς εἰσὶν ἁμαρτίαι τέλειαι, καὶ σφάξαντας κατακαίειν, καὶ αἴρειν τότε τὴν σποδὸν παιδία καὶ βάλλειν εἰς ἄγγη καὶ περιτιθέναι τὸ ἔριον τὸ κόκκινον ἐπὶ ξύλον ʽἴδε πάλιν ὁ τύπος ὁ τοῦ σταυροῦ…
I have already shown that the two comings of this Christ were foretold symbolically by Moses through the figure of the two goats offered in the fast.
Καὶ ὅτι δύο παρουσίας συμβολικῶς γενήσεσθαι τούτου τοῦ Χριστοῦ καὶ ὑπὸ Μωσέως προελέγετο, προεῖπον διὰ τοῦ συμβόλου τῶν ἐν τῇ νηστείᾳ προσφερομένων τράγων. Καὶ πάλιν ἐν οἷς ἐποίησαν Μωσῆς καὶ Ἰησοῦς τὸ αὐτὸ προκηρυσσόμενον συμβολικῶς ἦν καὶ λεγόμενον.
The mystery of the lamb which God commanded to be sacrificed as the Passover was a type of Christ. Through his blood, according to the word of faith in him, believers anoint their own houses, that is, themselves. For the creature God formed, Adam, became a house of the breath from God, and you can all understand this.
Τὸ μυστήριον οὖν τοῦ προβάτου, ὃ τὸ πάσχα θύειν ἐντέταλται ὁ θεὸς τύπος ἦν τοῦ Χριστοῦ, οὗ τῷ αἵματι κατὰ τὸν λόγον τῆς εἰς αὐτὸν πίστεως χρίονται τοὺς οἴκους ἑαυτῶν, τουτέστιν ἑαυτούς, οἱ πιστεύοντες εἰς αὐτόν· ὅτι γὰρ τὸ πλάσμα, ὃ ἔπλασεν ὁ θεὸς τὸν Ἀδάμ, οἶκος ἐγένετο τοῦ…
The offering of fine flour, gentlemen, was said to be presented on behalf of those being cleansed from leprosy. It served as a type of the bread of the Eucharist, which Jesus Christ our Lord commanded us to perform in remembrance of the passion he endured on behalf of those being cleansed in their souls from all human…
Καὶ ἡ τῆς σεμιδάλεως δὲ προσφορά, ὦ ἄνδρες, ἔλεγον, ἡ ὑπὲρ τῶν καθαριζομένων ἀπὸ τῆς λέπρας προσφέρεσθαι παραδοθεῖσα. τύπος ἦν τοῦ ἄρτου τῆς εὐχαριστίας, ὃν εἰς ἀνάμνησιν τοῦ πάθους, οὗ ἔπαθεν ὑπὲρ τῶν καθαιρομένων τὰς ψυχὰς ἀπὸ πάσης πονηρίας ἀνθρώπων, Ἰησοῦς Χριστὸς ὁ κύριος…
God, speaking through Moses, also declared the power of the mystery of the cross in the blessing with which He blessed Joseph: "The land of Joseph is blessed by the Lord, from the heavens above and from the dew, and from the deep that lies beneath, and from the fruitfulness of the earth, and from the seasons of the…
Καὶ γὰρ δι᾿ ἄλλου μηνύων τὴν ἰσχὺν τοῦ μυστηρίου τοῦ σταυροῦ ὁ θεὸς διὰ Μωσέως εἶπεν ἐν εὐλογίᾳ, ἣν εὐλόγει τὸν Ἰωσήφ. Ἀπὸ εὐλογίας κυρίου ἡ γῆ αὐτοῦ, ἀπὸ ὡρῶν οὐρανοῦ καὶ δρόσων, καὶ ἀπὸ ἀβύσσου πηγῶν κάτωθεν, καὶ καθ᾿ ὥραν γεννημάτων ἡλίου τροπῶν, καὶ ἀπὸ συνόδων μηνῶν, καὶ ἀπὸ…
They will claim that this is the shadow of those realities, just as some among them dare to assert, so that, according to this logic, images must exist. It then becomes necessary for them to confess that the bodies themselves which are above are those very things.
Philosophy was necessary for the Greeks before the Lord's coming for the sake of righteousness; now it has become useful for piety, serving as a kind of preparatory training for those who are brought to perfection through faith by demonstration.
Ἦν μὲν οὖν πρὸ τῆς τοῦ κυρίου παρουσίας εἰς δικαιοσύνην Ἕλλησιν ἀναγκαία φιλοσοφία, νυνὶ δὲ χρησίμη πρὸς θεοσέβειαν γίνεται, προπαιδεία τις οὖσα τοῖς τὴν πίστιν δἰ ἀποδείξεως καρπουμένοις, ὅτι ὁ πούς σου φησὶν οὐ μὴ προσκόψῃ, ἐπὶ τὴν πρόνοιαν τὰ καλὰ ἀναφέροντος, ἐάν τε Ἑλληνικὰ…
It is therefore evident that Hellenic pre-education, along with its philosophy, comes from God to humanity not in a predetermined manner, but just as rains pour down upon the good earth and upon the dung heap and upon the roofs alike.
Καταφαίνεται τοίνυν προπαιδεία ἡ Ἑλληνικὴ σὺν καὶ αὐτῇ φιλοσοφίᾳ θεόθεν ἥκειν εἰς ἀνθρώπους οὐ κατὰ προηγούμενον, ἀλλ’ ὅν τρόπον οἱ ὑετοὶ καταρρήγνυνται εἰς τὴν γῆν τὴν ἀγαθὴν καὶ εἰς τὴν κοπρίαν καὶ ἐπὶ τὰ δώματα.
You are trying to drive a wedge into the outcome, I think, denying that the passion of the cross was preached in Christ of the Creator, and arguing further that we should not believe the Creator exposed his Son to this kind of death, since he himself cursed it: "Cursed is everyone who hangs on a tree" (Deuteronomy…