§601The Scriptures had foretold this divine plan of salvation through the putting to death of "the righteous one, my Servant" as a mystery of universal redemption, that is, as the ransom that would free men from the slavery of sin.397 Citing a confession of faith that he himself had "received", St. Paul professes that "Christ died for our sins in accordance with the scriptures."398…

§608After agreeing to baptize him along with the sinners, John the Baptist looked at Jesus and pointed him out as the "Lamb of God, who takes away the sin of the world".422 By doing so, he reveals that Jesus is at the same time the suffering Servant who silently allows himself to be led to the slaughter and who bears the sin of the multitudes, and also the Paschal Lamb, the symbol …

Doctrine of the rest of the apostles. 1. The Apostle Peter, therefore, after the resurrection of the Lord, and His assumption into the heavens, being desirous of filling up the number of the twelve apostles, and in electing into the place of Judas any substitute who should be chosen by God, thus addressed those who were present: Men [and] brethren, this Scripture must needs hav…

The patriarchs and prophets by pointing out the advent of Christ, fortified thereby, as it were, the way of posterity to the faith of Christ; and so the labours of the apostles were lessened inasmuch as they gathered in the fruits of the labours of others. 1. For which reason the Lord declared to the disciples: Behold, I say unto you, Lift up your eyes, and look upon the distri…

Whosoever confesses that one God is the author of both Testaments, and diligently reads the Scriptures in company with the presbyters of the Church, is a true spiritual disciple; and he will rightly understand and interpret all that the prophets have declared respecting Christ and the liberty of the New Testament. 1. A spiritual disciple of this sort truly receiving the Spirit …

2. What then is it which he is bringing about? For that it belongs not to John to have doubt hereupon, no nor to any ordinary person, nor even to one extremely foolish and frenzied; so much is evident from what we have said. And now we have only to add the solution. For what intent then did he send to ask? John's disciples were starting aside from Jesus, and this surely any one…

2. What then says the mouth of the apostles, Peter, the ever fervent, the leader of the apostolic choir? When all are asked, he answers. And whereas when He asked the opinion of the people, all replied to the question; when He asked their own, Peter springs forward, and anticipates them, and says, You are the Christ, the Son of the living God. Matthew 16:16 What then says Chris…

1. Do we then run and labor in vain? Are we sowing upon the rocks? Does the seed fall upon the rocks? Does the seed fall without our knowing it by the wayside, and among thorns? I am greatly troubled and fear, lest our husbandry be unprofitable; not as though I shall be a loser as well as you, touching the reward of this labor. For it is not with those who teach as it is with h…

1. Deceit is a thing easily detected, and weak, though it be daubed outside with ten thousand colors. For as those who whitewash decayed walls, cannot by the plastering make them sound, so too those who lie are easily found out, as in fact was the case here with the Jews. For when Christ said to them, If I be lifted up I will draw all men unto Me; We have heard, says one of the…

1. A marvelous thing is longsuffering; it places the soul as in a quiet harbor, fleeing it from tossings and evil spirits. And this everywhere Christ has taught us, but especially now, when He is judged, and dragged, and led about. For when He was brought to Annas, He answered with great gentleness, and, to the servant who smote Him, said what had power to bring down all his in…

Chapter 24.—Passages from the Psalms of David Which Predict the End of the World and the Last Judgment. There are many allusions to the last judgment in the Psalms, but for the most part only casual and slight. I cannot, however, omit 444 to mention what is said there in express terms of the end of this world: “In the beginning hast Thou laid the foundations of the earth, O Lor…

Chapter 30.—That in the Books of the Old Testament, Where It is Said that God Shall Judge the World, the Person of Christ is Not Explicitly Indicated, But It Plainly Appears from Some Passages in Which the Lord God Speaks that Christ is Meant. There are many other passages of Scripture bearing on the last judgment of God,—so many, indeed, that to cite them all would swell this …

For Christ is of those who are humble-minded, and not of those who exalt themselves over His flock. Our Lord Jesus Christ, the Sceptre of the majesty of God, did not come in the pomp of pride or arrogance, although He might have done so, but in a lowly condition, as the Holy Spirit had declared regarding Him. For He says, "Lord, who hath believed our report, and to whom is the …

For to this end the Lord endured to deliver up His flesh to corruption, that we might be sanctified through the remission of sins, which is effected by His blood of sprinkling. For it is written concerning Him, partly with reference to Israel, and partly to us: "He was wounded for our transgressions, He was bruised for our iniquities."

Who hath believed our report? He is despised and rejected of men, a man of sorrows and acquainted with grief. This chapter is the summit of Old Testament prophecy concerning the suffering Messiah. Calvin shows that every detail — the vicarious bearing of our griefs, the chastisement of our peace, the stripes by which we are healed, the silence before his shearers, the death amo…

From the Preface You are not content to fulfil the office, when I am present with you, of a taskmaster to drive me to labour at theology; even when I am absent you demand that I should spend most of my time on you and on the task I have to do for you. I, for my part, am inclined to shrink from toil, and to avoid that danger which threatens from God those who give themselves to …

1. The Work is Taken Up After a Violent Interruption, Which Has Driven the Writer from Alexandria. He Addresses Himself to It Again, with Thanks for His Deliverance, and Prayer for Guidance. When a house is being built which is to be made as strong as possible, the building takes place in fine weather and in calm, so that nothing may hinder the structure from acquiring the need…

54. For it is written, 'So much better than the Angels.' let us then first examine this. Now it is right and necessary, as in all divine Scripture, so here, faithfully to expound the time of which the Apostle wrote, and the person , and the point; lest the reader, from ignorance missing either these or any similar particular, may be wide of the true sense. This understood that …

16. Peter then, having learned this from the Saviour, in both points set the Jews right, saying, O Jews, the divine Scriptures announce that Christ comes, and you consider Him a mere man as one of David's descendants, whereas what is written of Him shows Him to be not such as you say, but rather announces Him as Lord and God, and immortal, and dispenser of life. For Moses has s…

Should the Son of God have assumed in human nature defects of body? Did he assume the obligation of being subject to these defects? Did He contract these defects? Did he assume all these defects? Article 1. Whether the Son of God in human nature ought to have assumed defects of body? Objection 1. It would seem that the Son of God ought not to have assumed human nature with defe…

Was there sin in Christ? Was there the "fomes" of sin in Him? Was there ignorance? Was His soul passible? Was there sensible pain in Him? Was there sorrow? Was there fear? Was there wonder? Was there anger? Was He at once wayfarer and comprehensor? Article 1. Whether there was sin in Christ? Objection 1. It would seem that there was sin in Christ. For it is written (Psalm 21:2)…

Is it fitting that Christ should be a priest? The victim offered by this priest The effect of this priesthood Does the effect of His priesthood pertain to Himself, or only to others? The eternal duration of His priesthood Should He be called "a priest according to the order of Melchisedech"? Article 1. Whether it is fitting that Christ should be a priest? Objection 1. It would …

We believe that Jesus Christ is a high priest forever according to the order of Melchizedek—made such by an oath—and that he presented himself in our name before his Father, to appease his Father's wrath with full satisfaction by offering himself on the tree of the cross and pouring out his precious blood for the cleansing of our sins, as the prophets had predicted. For it is w…

Christ truly suffered and truly died — the Cross is not a phantom but the instrument of our salvation. Cyril points to the very place of Golgotha, visible from where he preaches, as the physical evidence of Christ's real death. The wood of the Cross, the crown of thorns, and the tomb are all witnesses. He fulfilled Isaiah's prophecy of the Suffering Servant who was led like a s…

For the prophets did not simply prophesy concerning Christ in general terms, but they foretold even the manner of His death, and the events of His Passion. Isaiah says: 'I gave My back to the smiters, and My cheeks to them that plucked off the hair: I hid not My face from shame and spitting.' See Isa. l. 6. And: 'He was led as a sheep to the slaughter, and as a lamb before his …

But the Jews say, How can this man be God, when He was born like us and grew up like us? To them I reply: If you admit that the prophets spoke by the Holy Spirit, then examine what they prophesied and tell me honestly — the things which the prophets foretold, in whom were they fulfilled? 'A virgin shall conceive' — where did this take place except in Mary? 'Out of Bethlehem sha…