St Matthew Chapter XXVIII : Verses 11-20
Contents
- Matt. xxviii. 11-20. Douay-Rheims text & Latin text (Vulgate).
- Notes on the text.
Matt. xxviii. 11-20
 |
| Behold I am with you all days, even to the consummation of the world. J-J Tissot. Brooklyn Museum. |
Quæ cum abiissent, ecce quidam de custodibus venerunt in civitatem, et nuntiaverunt principibus sacerdotum omnia quæ facta fuerant.
12 And they being assembled together with the ancients, taking counsel, gave a great sum of money to the soldiers,
Et congregati cum senioribus consilio accepto, pecuniam copiosam dederunt militibus,
13 Saying: Say you, His disciples came by night, and stole him away when we were asleep.
dicentes : Dicite quia discipuli ejus nocte venerunt, et furati sunt eum, nobis dormientibus.
14 And if the governor shall hear this, we will persuade him, and secure you.
Et si hoc auditum fuerit a præside, nos suadebimus ei, et securos vos faciemus.
15 So they taking the money, did as they were taught: and this word was spread abroad among the Jews even unto this day.
At illi, accepta pecunia, fecerunt sicut erant edocti. Et divulgatum est verbum istud apud Judæos, usque in hodiernum diem.
16 And the eleven disciples went into Galilee, unto the mountain where Jesus had appointed them.
Undecim autem discipuli abierunt in Galilæam in montem ubi consituerat illis Jesus.
17 And seeing him they adored: but some doubted.
Et videntes eum adoraverunt : quidam autem dubitaverunt.
18 And Jesus coming, spoke to them, saying: All power is given to me in heaven and in earth.
Et accedens Jesus locutus est eis, dicens : Data est mihi omnis potestas in cælo et in terra :
19 Going therefore, teach ye all nations; baptizing them in the name of the Father, and of the Son, and of the Holy Ghost.
euntes ergo docete omnes gentes : baptizantes eos in nomine Patris, et Filii, et Spiritus Sancti :
20 Teaching them to observe all things whatsoever I have commanded you: and behold I am with you all days, even to the consummation of the world.
docentes eos servare omnia quæcumque mandavi vobis : et ecce ego vobiscum sum omnibus diebus, usque ad consummationem sæculi.
Notes
11. when they were departed. While the holy women went to announce the joyful news of Christ’s Resurrection to the apostles and disciples, the guards were on the road to Jerusalem to inform the chief priests, who had set them to watch at the sepulchre, of what had happened.
all things. They had not seen our Risen Lord, but they could bear witness to the earthquake, the displacement of the stone by the angel, and to the fact that the tomb was empty.
12. they being assembled. The chief priests hurriedly convened an informal meeting in order to discuss how they could best conceal the truth.
They evidently believed the guards’ story, which confirmed their worst fears, otherwise they would have accused the soldiers of neglect of duty or of imposture. In their blind hatred of Christ, they refused to be convinced, and thus verified His words : If they hear not Moses and the prophets, neither will they believe if one rise again from the dead (St Luke xvi. 31).
a great sum of money. As they offered Judas money to betray Jesus, so now they bribe the soldiers to calumniate the apostles and to discredit Christ’s Resurrection. St Jerome thinks that, in both cases, the money was taken from the Temple treasury.
13. Say you, His disciples, etc. The soldiers’ story was absolutely illogical and carried with it its refutation, for if the soldiers were sleeping, how could they know what had happened ?
14. if the governor shall hear of this. A Roman soldier who slept when on watch incurred the penalty of death.
Hegesippus (in Anaceph.) and Eusebius (Chronic., ii. 2) relate that the matter came to the ears of Pilate, who sent an account of the whole affair to Tiberius ; and Tertullian states that Tiberius threatened the persecutors of the Christians with death, and also endeavoured to persuade the Roman senate to enrol Jesus in the list of the national deities (see Tertul. in Apologet., c. 5)
15. did as they were taught. The soldiers acted thus in their own interest, since they had no other special motive for calumniating the Christians. It is said that the Jews also sent messengers to spread the lie among the Jews of the Dispersion. (See Justin Martyr, Dial, cum Tryph., cviii).
even unto this day. When St Matthew wrote his gospel (possibly circa 45 A.D.) this story was current, and for many years after. The Jews of our time adopt the view that the Christians were so highly wrought upon by the events of the Passion and their belief in Christ’s Resurrection, that they were deceived by subjective images which they took for objective realities.
16. the eleven disciples, — i.e. the eleven apostles. Judas was dead, and St Matthias was not elected until after the Ascension (see Acts i. 15-18).
went into Galilee. Some time later, not immediately. Cf. And after eight days, again his disciples were within, and Thomas with them. Jesus cometh, the doors being shut, and stood in the midst and said : Peace be to you (St John XX. 26). This apparition took place in Jerusalem.
where Jesus had appointed them. The name of the mountain and its exact site are unknown.
This may be the apparition referred to by St Paul : Then was he seen by more than five hundred brethren at once : of whom many remain until this present, and some are fallen asleep (1 Cor. xv. 6). If so, St Matthew names the Eleven as the most important of all the five hundred witnesses and those to whom Christ addressed His last commission.
17. but some doubted. This passage presents a difficulty, for before this time even St Thomas had expressed his faith in our Lord’s Resurrection (see St John xx. 28), and the other ten disciples were certainly no longer incredulous, since they had said to St Thomas, We have seen the Lord. The following explanations of these words have been given by various commentators.
(a) W e should read “ had doubted ” instead of “ doubted.”
(b) They did not doubt the fact of the Resurrection, but the identity of the person whom they now saw — they did not at once recognize our Lord.
(c) Jesus appeared to them invested with glory or in such majesty as they were not accustomed to see, so that His appearance was no longer familiar to them.
(d) The Eleven believed firmly, but some of the disciples doubted .
18. And Jesus coming. Some commentators are of opinion that these words were said later, possibly on Mount Olivet, just before His Ascension.
All power is given, etc. Better, “was given” (Ἐδόθη). This means absolute dominion over all creatures both in earth and in heaven. This was not conferred on Him as the Son of God, since, in virtue of His Divinity, He had the supreme right to reign, but it was given to Him as the Son of man, and as the reward of His Incarnation, Passion, and Death (see Phil. ii. 8-10).
19. Going therefore, etc. Christ sends forth His apostles to convert the world. They were to go as His representatives ; their commission was divine ; it was derived from Him who has said. He that heareth you heareth me : and he that despiseth you despiseth me (St Luke x. 16). When St Matthew wrote these words, much had been done by the apostles as regards evangelizing the known world, and it is the sublime mission of the Catholic Church to carry on this work. This commission differs from that which the apostles received earlier : Go ye not into the way of the Gentiles, and into the cities of the Samaritans enter ye not. But go ye rather to the lost sheep of the house of Israel (supra, x. 5, 6). The reason of the change was that the time had now come to proclaim the glad tidings of salvation to all men, since the Redemption was accomplished.
In St Mark’s account of our Lord’s commission to His apostles we read, He that believeth and is baptized shall be saved: but he that believeth not shall be condemned. Hence we see that God willed men to believe the truths taught by the apostles. These truths are handed down to us by the teaching and tradition of the Infallible Church. Hence it is an error to assert that men are free to believe what they please. As Catholics we are bound to accept the teaching of the Church, under pain of condemnation, i.e. of losing our soul.
teach ye all nations. Lit. “ make disciples of all nations ” (μαθητεύσατε πάντα τὰ ἔθνη).
baptizing them. A second condition is here laid down. It is the consequence of the first, since he who firmly believes will seek to be baptized. In the case of an adult, faith must precede baptism, as we see in the conversion of the Ethiopian eunuch. See, here is water ; what doth hinder me from being baptized ? And Philip said, If thou believest with all thy heart, thou mayest (Acts viii. 36, 37).
in the name of the Father, etc. Better, “ into the Name ” (εἰς τὸ ὄνομα). This does not merely mean baptize them by invoking the Name of the Trinity, nor simply with the sanction of the Blessed Trinity, but it includes bringing them into communion with all who believe in and profess obedience to the august Trinity. Hence all Christians, in virtue of their baptism, are pledged to profess their faith in the Blessed Trinity and to obey the Head of the Church — Jesus Christ, the Second Person of the Blessed Trinity.
20. Teaching them to observe. This explains how the apostles were to make disciples of all nations. Notice that any kind of faith will not save our soul, but only a living faith, productive of good works. Since Christ had received universal authority, all were bound to submit to His government.
behold I am with you all days. Thus our Lord encourages His disciples to undertake a work which, regarding only their humble position and the difficulties they would encounter, seemed so far beyond their strength. But with His assistance they were to go forward, and the history of Christianity bears witness to our Lord’s fidelity to His promises.
to the consummation of the world. These words prove that the apostles were to have successors who should, throughout all ages, continue the work of evangelizing, and in these last verses of St Matthew’s gospel we see clearly that —
1. The Church will last throughout all ages.
2. Christ is ever present to guide and assist His Church.
3. The Church is destined to teach all nations.
4. The apostles were to be the foundation stones of the Catholic Church.
Totus tuus ego sum
Et omnia mea tua sunt;
Tecum semper tutus sum:
Ad Jesum per Mariam.
No comments:
Post a Comment