Testimonia — Early Christian Bible Commentary

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Luke 19

1He entered and was passing through Jericho.

2There was a man named Zacchaeus. He was a chief tax collector, and he was rich.

3He was trying to see who Jesus was, and couldn’t because of the crowd, because he was short.

4He ran on ahead and climbed up into a sycamore tree to see him, for he was going to pass that way.

5When Jesus came to the place, he looked up and saw him, and said to him, “Zacchaeus, hurry and come down, for today I must stay at your house.”

6He hurried, came down, and received him joyfully.

7When they saw it, they all murmured, saying, “He has gone in to lodge with a man who is a sinner.”

8Zacchaeus stood and said to the Lord, “Behold, Lord, half of my goods I give to the poor. If I have wrongfully exacted anything of anyone, I restore four times as much.”

9Jesus said to him, “Today, salvation has come to this house, because he also is a son of Abraham.

10For the Son of Man came to seek and to save that which was lost.”

11As they heard these things, he went on and told a parable, because he was near Jerusalem, and they supposed that God’s Kingdom would be revealed immediately.

12He said therefore, “A certain nobleman went into a far country to receive for himself a kingdom and to return.

13He called ten servants of his and gave them ten mina coins, and told them, ‘Conduct business until I come.’

14But his citizens hated him, and sent an envoy after him, saying, ‘We don’t want this man to reign over us.’

15“When he had come back again, having received the kingdom, he commanded these servants, to whom he had given the money, to be called to him, that he might know what they had gained by conducting business.

16The first came before him, saying, ‘Lord, your mina has made ten more minas.’

17“He said to him, ‘Well done, you good servant! Because you were found faithful with very little, you shall have authority over ten cities.’

18“The second came, saying, ‘Your mina, Lord, has made five minas.’

19“So he said to him, ‘And you are to be over five cities.’

20Another came, saying, ‘Lord, behold, your mina, which I kept laid away in a handkerchief,

21for I feared you, because you are an exacting man. You take up that which you didn’t lay down, and reap that which you didn’t sow.’

22“He said to him, ‘Out of your own mouth I will judge you, you wicked servant! You knew that I am an exacting man, taking up that which I didn’t lay down and reaping that which I didn’t sow.

23Then why didn’t you deposit my money in the bank, and at my coming, I might have earned interest on it?’

24He said to those who stood by, ‘Take the mina away from him and give it to him who has the ten minas.’

25“They said to him, ‘Lord, he has ten minas!’

26‘For I tell you that to everyone who has, will more be given; but from him who doesn’t have, even that which he has will be taken away from him.

27But bring those enemies of mine who didn’t want me to reign over them here, and kill them before me.’”

28Having said these things, he went on ahead, going up to Jerusalem.

29When he came near to Bethsphage and Bethany, at the mountain that is called Olivet, he sent two of his disciples,

30saying, “Go your way into the village on the other side, in which, as you enter, you will find a colt tied, which no man has ever sat upon. Untie it and bring it.

31If anyone asks you, ‘Why are you untying it?’ say to him: ‘The Lord needs it.’”

32Those who were sent went away and found things just as he had told them.

33As they were untying the colt, its owners said to them, “Why are you untying the colt?”

34They said, “The Lord needs it.”

35Then they brought it to Jesus. They threw their cloaks on the colt and sat Jesus on them.

36As he went, they spread their cloaks on the road.

37As he was now getting near, at the descent of the Mount of Olives, the whole multitude of the disciples began to rejoice and praise God with a loud voice for all the mighty works which they had seen,

38saying, “Blessed is the King who comes in the name of the Lord! Peace in heaven, and glory in the highest!”

39Some of the Pharisees from the multitude said to him, “Teacher, rebuke your disciples!”

40He answered them, “I tell you that if these were silent, the stones would cry out.”

41When he came near, he saw the city and wept over it,

42saying, “If you, even you, had known today the things which belong to your peace! But now, they are hidden from your eyes.

43For the days will come on you when your enemies will throw up a barricade against you, surround you, hem you in on every side,

44and will dash you and your children within you to the ground. They will not leave in you one stone on another, because you didn’t know the time of your visitation.”

45He entered into the temple and began to drive out those who bought and sold in it,

46saying to them, “It is written, ‘My house is a house of prayer,’ but you have made it a ‘den of robbers’!”

47He was teaching daily in the temple, but the chief priests, the scribes, and the leading men among the people sought to destroy him.

48They couldn’t find what they might do, for all the people hung on to every word that he said.

Early Christian texts and source notes

c. 182–188 (historical edition's dating) | Irenaeus of Lyons

4. And committing many other abominations and impieties, they run us down (who from the fear of God guard against sinning even in thought or word) as utterly contemptible and ignorant persons, while they highly exalt themselves, and claim to be perfect, and the elect seed. For they declare that we simply receive grace for use, wherefore also it will again be taken away from us; but that they themselves have grace as their own special possession, which has descended from above by means of an unspeakable and indescribable conjunction; and on this account more will be given them. They maintain, therefore, that in every way it is always necessary for them to practise the mystery of conjunction. And that they may persuade the thoughtless to believe this, they are in the habit of using these very words, "Whosoever being in this world does not so love a woman as to obtain possession of her, is not of the truth, nor shall attain to the truth. But whosoever being of this world has intercourse with woman, shall not attain to the truth, because he has so acted under the power of concupiscence." On this account, they tell us that it is necessary for us whom they call animal men, and describe as being of the world, to practise continence and good works, that by this means we may attain at length to the intermediate habitation, but that to them who are called "the spiritual and perfect" such a course of conduct is not at all necessary. For it is not conduct of any kind which leads into the Pleroma, but the seed sent forth thence in a feeble, immature state, and here brought to perfection.

Source passage · edition’s verse reference · Against Heresies, Book 1, Preface or unspecified section · Original source

1867 (English edition) | Historical editor/translator (individual note author unspecified)

In allusion to the cleansing of the temple (John ii. 13–17; Matt. xxi. 12, 13; Luke xix. 45, 46).

Editorial footnote · The Instructor, THE WRITINGS OF CLEMENT OF ALEXANDRIA. / THE INSTRUCTOR. / BOOK III. / CHAPTER XI. A COMPENDIOUS VIEW OF THE CHRISTIAN LIFE. · Original source

1867 (English edition) | Historical editor/translator (individual note author unspecified)

Matt. xviii. 32; Luke xix. 22; Matt. xxv. 30.

Editorial footnote · The Stromata (Miscellanies), THE WRITINGS OF CLEMENT OF ALEXANDRIA. / THE MISCELLANIES. / BOOK I. / CHAPTER I. PREFACE—THE AUTHOR’S OBJECT—THE UTILITY OF WRITTEN COMPOSITIONS. · Original source

1868 (English edition) | Historical editor/translator (individual note author unspecified)

Luke xix. 5.

Editorial footnote · Against Heresies, Book 1, Preface or unspecified section · Original source

1868 (English edition) | Historical editor/translator (individual note author unspecified)

Luke xix. 42, loosely quoted.

Editorial footnote · Against Heresies, Book 1, Preface or unspecified section · Original source

1868 (English edition) | Historical editor/translator (individual note author unspecified)

Comp. Luke xix. 26.

Editorial footnote · Against Heresies, Book 1, Preface or unspecified section · Original source

1868 (English edition) | Historical editor/translator (individual note author unspecified)

Luke xix. 8.

Editorial footnote · Against Heresies, Book 4, Preface or unspecified section · Original source

1869 (English edition) | Historical editor/translator (individual note author unspecified)

Luke xix. 14.

Editorial footnote · On First Principles, The Writings of Origen, Vol. 1 of 2 / ORIGEN DE PRINCIPIIS. / BOOK II. / CHAPTER IV. THE GOD OF THE LAW AND THE PROPHETS, AND THE FATHER OF OUR LORD JESUS CHRIST, IS THE SAME GOD. · Original source

1869 (English edition) | Historical editor/translator (individual note author unspecified)

Cf. Luke xix. 19 and 17.

Editorial footnote · On First Principles, The Writings of Origen, Vol. 1 of 2 / ORIGEN DE PRINCIPIIS. / BOOK II. / CHAPTER XI. ON COUNTER PROMISES. · Original source

1869 (English edition) | Historical editor/translator (individual note author unspecified)

Luke xix. 26; cf. Matt. xxv. 29.

Editorial footnote · On First Principles, The Writings of Origen, Vol. 1 of 2 / ORIGEN DE PRINCIPIIS. / BOOK II. / CHAPTER XI. ON COUNTER PROMISES. · Original source

1869 (English edition) | Historical editor/translator (individual note author unspecified)

Luke xix. 26.

Editorial footnote · The Stromata (Miscellanies), THE WRITINGS OF CLEMENT OF ALEXANDRIA. / BOOK VII. / CHAPTER X. STEPS TO PERFECTION. · Original source

1869 (English edition) | Historical editor/translator (individual note author unspecified)

Luke xix. 8, 9, 10.

Editorial footnote · The Stromata (Miscellanies), THE WRITINGS OF CLEMENT OF ALEXANDRIA. / BOOK IV. / CHAPTER VI. SOME POINTS IN THE BEATITUDES. · Original source

1869 (English edition) | Historical editor/translator (individual note author unspecified)

Luke xix. 8–10.

Editorial footnote · The Stromata (Miscellanies), THE WRITINGS OF CLEMENT OF ALEXANDRIA. / BOOK IV. / CHAPTER VI. SOME POINTS IN THE BEATITUDES. · Original source

1871 (English edition) | Historical editor/translator (individual note author unspecified)

Luke xix. 10.

Editorial footnote · The City of God, THE CITY OF GOD. / BOOK SEVENTEENTH. / ARGUMENT. / 6. Of the Jewish priesthood and kingdom, which, although promised to be established for ever, did not continue; so that other things are to be understood to which eternity is assured. · Original source

1872 (English edition) | Historical editor/translator (individual note author unspecified)

Luke xix. 17.

Editorial footnote · Against Celsus, The writings of Origen, Vol. 2 of 2 / BOOK VIII. / Chapter LXXIV. · Original source

Date uncertain | Clement of Alexandria

But those who act contrary to these things—the avaricious, the liars, the hypocrites, those who make merchandise of the truth—the Lord cast out of His Father’s court, not willing that the holy house of God should be the house of unrighteous traffic either in words or in material things.

Source passage · edition’s verse reference · The Instructor, THE WRITINGS OF CLEMENT OF ALEXANDRIA. / THE INSTRUCTOR. / BOOK III. / CHAPTER XI. A COMPENDIOUS VIEW OF THE CHRISTIAN LIFE. · Original source

Date uncertain | Clement of Alexandria

But it is not doubting in reference to God, but believing, that is the foundation of knowledge. But Christ is both the foundation and the superstructure, by whom are both the beginning and the ends. And the extreme points, the beginning and the end—I mean faith and love—are not taught. But knowledge, conveyed from communication through the grace of God as a deposit, is entrusted to those who show themselves worthy of it; and from it the worth of love beams forth from light to light. For it is said, “To him that hath shall be given:” to faith, knowledge; and to knowledge, love; and to love, the inheritance.

Source passage · edition’s verse reference · The Stromata (Miscellanies), THE WRITINGS OF CLEMENT OF ALEXANDRIA. / BOOK VII. / CHAPTER X. STEPS TO PERFECTION. · Original source

Date uncertain | Origen

4. And now, if, on account of those expressions which occur in the Old Testament, as when God is said to be angry or to repent, or when any other human affection or passion is described, [our opponents] think that they are furnished with grounds for refuting us, who maintain that God is altogether impassible, and is to be regarded as wholly free from all affections of that kind, we have to show them that similar statements are found even in the parables of the Gospel; as when it is said, that he who planted a vineyard, and let it out to husbandmen, who slew the servants that were sent to them, and at last put to death even the son, is said in anger to have taken away the vineyard from them, and to have delivered over the wicked husbandmen to destruction, and to have handed over the vineyard to others, who would yield him the fruit in its season. And so also with regard to those citizens who, when the head of the household had set out to receive for himself a kingdom, sent messengers after him, saying, “We will not have this man to reign over us;” for the head of the household having obtained the kingdom, returned, and in anger commanded them to be put to death before him, and burned their city with fire. But when we read either in the Old Testament or in the New of the anger of God, we do not take such expressions literally, but seek in them a spiritual meaning, that we may think of God as He deserves to be thought of. And on these points, when expounding the verse in the second Psalm, “Then shall He speak to them in His anger, and trouble them in His fury,” we showed, to the best of our poor ability, how such an expression ought to be understood.

Source passage · edition’s verse reference · On First Principles, The Writings of Origen, Vol. 1 of 2 / ORIGEN DE PRINCIPIIS. / BOOK II. / CHAPTER IV. THE GOD OF THE LAW AND THE PROPHETS, AND THE FATHER OF OUR LORD JESUS CHRIST, IS THE SAME GOD. · Original source

Date uncertain | Origen

4. But if these views should not appear to fill the minds of those who hope for such results with a becoming desire, let us go back a little, and, irrespective of the natural and innate longing of the mind for the thing itself, let us make inquiry so that we may be able at last to describe, as it were, the very forms of the bread of life, and the quality of that wine, and the peculiar nature of the principalities, all in conformity with the spiritual view of things. Now, as in those arts which are usually performed by means of manual labour, the reason why a thing is done, or why it is of a special quality, or for a special purpose, is an object of investigation to the mind, while the actual work itself is unfolded to view by the agency of the hands; so, in those works of God which were created by Him, it is to be observed that the reason and understanding of those things which we see done by Him remains undisclosed. And as, when our eye beholds the products of an artist’s labour, the mind, immediately on perceiving anything of unusual artistic excellence, burns to know of what nature it is, or how it was formed, or to what purposes it was fashioned; so, in a much greater degree, and in one that is beyond all comparison, does the mind burn with an inexpressible desire to know the reason of those things which we see done by God. This desire, this longing, we believe to be unquestionably implanted within us by God; and as the eye naturally seeks the light and vision, and our body naturally desires food and drink, so our mind is possessed with a becoming and natural desire to become acquainted with the truth of God and the causes of things. Now we have received this desire from God, not in order that it should never be gratified or be capable of gratification; otherwise the love of truth would appear to have been implanted by God into our minds to no purpose, if it were never to have an opportunity of satisfaction. Whence also, even in this life, those who devote themselves with great labour to the pursuits of piety and religion, although obtaining only some small fragments from the numerous and immense treasures of divine knowledge, yet, by the very circumstance that their mind and soul is engaged in these pursuits, and that in the eagerness of their desire they outstrip themselves, do they derive much advantage; and, because their minds are directed to the study and love of the investigation of truth, are they made fitter for receiving the instruction that is to come; as if, when one would paint an image, he were first with a light pencil to trace out the outlines of the coming picture, and prepare marks for the reception of the features that are to be afterwards added, this preliminary sketch in outline is found to prepare the way for the laying on of the true colours of the painting; so, in a measure, an outline and sketch may be traced on the tablets of our heart by the pencil of our Lord Jesus Christ. And therefore perhaps is it said, “Unto every one that hath shall be given, and be added.” By which it is established, that to those who possess in this life a kind of outline of truth and knowledge, shall be added the beauty of a perfect image in the future.

Source passage · edition’s verse reference · On First Principles, The Writings of Origen, Vol. 1 of 2 / ORIGEN DE PRINCIPIIS. / BOOK II. / CHAPTER XI. ON COUNTER PROMISES. · Original source

Date uncertain | Origen

And if Celsus would have us to lead armies in defence of our country, let him know that we do this too, and that not for the purpose of being seen by men, or of vainglory. For “in secret,” and in our own hearts, there are prayers which ascend as from priests in behalf of our fellow-citizens. And Christians are benefactors of their country more than others. For they train up citizens, and inculcate piety to the Supreme Being; and they promote those whose lives in the smallest cities have been good and worthy, to a divine and heavenly city, to whom it may be said, “Thou hast been faithful in the smallest city, come into a great one,” where “God standeth in the assembly of the gods, and judgeth the gods in the midst;” and He reckons thee among them, if thou no more “die as a man, or fall as one of the princes.”

Source passage · edition’s verse reference · Against Celsus, The writings of Origen, Vol. 2 of 2 / BOOK VIII. / Chapter LXXIV. · Original source