The Twelve Prophets: Volume 14

Ancient Christian Commentary on Scripture #14

by Alberto Ferreiro (Editor), Thomas C. Oden (Editor)

"And beginning with Moses and all the prophets, [the risen Jesus] interpreted to them in all the scriptures the things concerning himself" (Lk 24:27). The church fathers mined the Old Testament throughout for prophetic utterances regarding the Messiah, but few books yielded as much messianic ore as the Twelve Prophets, sometimes known as the Minor Prophets because of the relative brevity of their writings. Encouraged by the example of the New Testament writers, the church fathers found numerous parallels between the Gospels and the prophetic books. Among the events foretold, they found not only the flight into Egypt after the nativity, the passion, and resurrection of Christ, and the outpouring of the Spirit at Pentecost, but also Judas's act of betrayal, the earthquake at Jesus' death and the rending of the temple veil. Detail upon detail brimmed with significance for Christian doctrine, including baptism and the Eucharist as well as the relation between the covenants. In this rich and vital resource you will find excerpts, some translated here into English for the first time, from more than thirty church fathers, ranging in time from Clement of Rome, Justin Martyr, and Irenaeus (late first and early second centuries) to Gregory the Great, Braulio of Saragossa, and Bede the Venerable (late sixth to early eighth centuries). Geographically the sources range from the great Cappadocians―Basil the Great, Gregory of Nazianzus, Gregory of Nyssa―John Chrysostom, Ephrem the Syrian, and Hippolytus in the East, to Ambrose, Augustine, Cyprian, and Tertullian in the West, and Origen, Cyril, and Pachomius in Egypt. This Ancient Christian Commentary on Scripture volume is a treasure trove out of which Christians may bring riches both old and new in their understanding of these ancient texts.

Genres: Reference, Theology, Christian

392 pages, Hardcover

First published October 1, 2003

Reviews

[Reina Colet]

# Now, about marriage. Eight months ago, when God’s Book inspired me to support Abraham three times, I came to support you, and I began learning things. I never liked those terms—marriage and wedding. Not even when I put my vows under a tree. I termed you ‘Special bestie.’ I beginning hope that you not only remember but also know it. I hope it was you. Anyway, even five months ago, those terms for a fake world was outrageous to me. Even insulting. Evil. Satan’s ploy to divert believers into some false worlds while they forget the real world. Even five months ago, I hated those terms. Until I began seeing the numbers. Getting more contexts from the Book. The blood lines. Children. Charity. All the spiritual methods of cleansing one’s soul. Even if that world is fake, false, I at least know this much that God’s signature will be there too. That no world can ever exist without God’s one set of rules that has built the basic construct of creation. I don’t know whether you got my message before, but I asked you several times to pair the believers off among themselves—the ones who are travelling with us. Since “Everyone is responsible for their own flock,” and since I wanted the believers together, I even said, “Maybe not as the same family living in the same house, but as a brotherhood that fights the liars and the tyrants who keep us chained.” I don’t know whether you got that message either. Anyway, I saw the signs, but I was still proud to say those words for a fake world. That was until some people annoyed me playing ‘marriage’ calls on repeat over the phone. I even said something I’ll never forget. I won’t say it here. Anyway, this huge explanation is only because God has shown me the copy of everything from the real world, in a fake world. And since the war in that world is important, I realized I cannot ignore the people in my closet. Hence, I began exploring my closets. Every time, I asked about David to the Book, God always showed me the pages about ‘Divorce’ and ‘the finest way out in a way that I won’t be able to imagine,’ where both parties will be happy and get an honorable living. I obviously knew what the outcome will be, but I stayed mad the whole summer not talking to his people and boys at all. The day before I left the summer camp was when I wrote my letter about the way out. I wonder if you saw it. Anyway, I didn’t want to leave David with anger, since even two or three days ago, the only page I turned waking up in the morning was pg 70 in the Book and it seemed to have varieties of topics—all of which probably fit that day? I posted the whole two pages in fragments that day. That’s how I came to know people are talking about Mary. Anyways, those two pages had ten prophets’ names in a strikingly noticeable groups.
Noah
Abraham, Ishmael, Isaac, Jacob and the patriarchs.
Jesus, Job, Jonah, Aaron and Solomon;
And just as we gave David the Psalms.
Moses
Besides, in my studies, David seems similar to Umar too. I wanted a way out, but I also knew he would be fighting for you. For faith. The way I got to read his character from books and histories, I’m sure he’d consider and flesh and blood and gold as enough of a way out—that is considering I know how these treasure things work in that fake world.
Anyways, I know we have entered a major liars’ territory. At this moment, I’d only ask to remain careful about what you hear. I’m trying to be careful too.

[Diane · Rating 4 out of 5]

This commentary focuses on the minor prophets, with an emphasis on early Christian interpretations of their message. The book is basically a collection of early Christian writings about each prophet, with minimal editorial intervention. As such, it is rather dense for the non-specialist. However, the volume is very informative, and was helpful to me in understanding the message of the minor prophets, who have been preached and expounded on only rarely, in my experience. The volume concentrates on how the prophets' message points to salvation and redemption, and particularly how this message will become a universal vision including both Jews and Gentiles.

[Jonathan]

None

[Dim Bulb · Rating 5 out of 5]

For those interested in the fours senses of Scripture-literal, moral, allegorical and anagogical-this will be a delight.