Required reading
Ante-Nicene Fathers (Volume 3) (Available from Amazon or free here) - Continue Book IV of 'The five books against Marcion' by reading Chapters 23 to 34.
My summary
This week Tertullian continues to argue against Marcion by showing that Jesus is the Christ of the Creator.
Tertullian shows that Jesus is the Christ because of:
(i) his treatment of infants;
(ii) the mission of his seventy disciples;
(iii) the Lord's prayer;
(iv) his rebuke of the Pharisees;
(v) his similarity with Moses;
(vi) the consistency of Christ with the prophets;
(vii) various parables of Jesus;
(viii) Jesus' teaching on divorce.
What grabbed me
I was interested to read Tertullian's interpretation of the parables of the lost sheep and coin: 'Who sought after the lost sheep and the lost piece of silver? Was it not the loser? But who was the loser? Was it not he who once possessed them? Who, then, was that? Was it not he to whom they belonged? Since, then, man is the property of none other than the Creator, He possessed Him who owned him; He lost him who once possessed him; He sought him who lost him; He found him who sought him; He rejoiced who found him. Therefore the purport of neither parable has anything whatever to do with him to whom belongs neither the sheep nor the piece of silver, that is to say, man. For he lost him not, because he possessed him not; and he sought him not, because he lost him not; and he found him not, because he sought him not; and he rejoiced not, because he found him not. Therefore, to rejoice over the sinner’s repentance—that is, at the recovery of lost man—is the attribute of Him who long ago professed that He would rather that the sinner should repent and not die. '
The focus on the joy of God over the repentance of a sinner is a point worthy of emphasis.
Next week's reading
Conclude Book IV of 'The five books against Marcion'.
Now it's your turn
Please post your own notes and thoughts in the comments section below.
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