Lecture 2
Lectio 2
Calling of the apostles
Vocatio apostolorum
4:12 And when Jesus had heard that John was delivered up, he retired into Galilee: [n. 347]
4:12 Cum autem audisset Iesus quod Ioannes traditus esset, secessit in Galilaeam, [n. 347]
4:13 and leaving the city Nazareth, he came and dwelt in Capernaum on the sea coast, in the borders of Zabulon and Nephthalim; [n. 354]
4:13 et relicta civitate Nazareth, venit, et habitavit in civitate Capharnaum maritima, in finibus Zabulon et Nephtalim: [n. 354]
4:14 that it might be fulfilled what was said by Isaiah the Prophet: [n. 355]
4:14 ut adimpleretur quod dictum est per Isaiam Prophetam: [n. 355]
4:15 land of Zabulon and land of Nephthalim, the way of the sea beyond the Jordan, Galilee of the gentiles: [n. 356]
4:15 terra Zabulon, et terra Nephtalim: via maris trans Iordanem, Galilaea gentium: [n. 356]
4:16 the people who walked in darkness, have seen great light: and to them who sat in the region of the shadow of death, light has sprung up. [n. 357]
4:16 populus qui ambulabat in tenebris, vidit lucem magnam: et sedentibus in regione umbrae mortis lux orta est eis. [n. 357]
4:17 From that time Jesus began to preach, and to say: do penance, for the kingdom of heaven is at hand. [n. 360]
4:17 Exinde coepit Iesus praedicare et dicere: poenitentiam agite: appropinquabit enim regnum caelorum. [n. 360]
4:18 And Jesus walking by the Sea of Galilee, saw two brothers, Simon who is called Peter, and Andrew his brother, casting a net into the sea: for they were fishermen. [n. 363]
4:18 Ambulans autem Iesus iuxta Mare Galilaeae vidit duos fratres, Simonem qui vocatur Petrus, et Andream fratrem eius mittentes rete in mare: erant enim piscatores. [n. 363]
4:19 And he said to them: come after me, and I will make you fishers of men. [n. 370]
4:19 Et ait illis: venite post me: et faciam vos fieri piscatores hominum. [n. 370]
4:20 And immediately leaving their nets, they followed him. [n. 371]
4:20 At illi relictis retibus et navi secuti sunt eum. [n. 371]
4:21 And going on from there, he saw two other brothers, James the son of Zebedee, and John his brother, in a ship with Zebedee their father, mending their nets: and he called them. [n. 374]
4:21 Et procedens inde vidit alios duos fratres, Iacobum Zebedaei, et Ioannem fratrem eius in navi cum Zebedaeo patre eorum, reficientes retia sua: et vocavit eos. [n. 374]
4:22 And they immediately left their nets and father, and followed him. [n. 380]
4:22 Illi autem statim relictis retibus, et patre, secuti sunt eum. [n. 380]
346. Above, the Evangelist showed how Christ was examined and approved, namely by overcoming the devil; here he shows how Christ began to teach. And concerning this he does three things:
346. Supra Evangelista ostendit quomodo Christus examinatus est, et approbatus, scilicet vincendo diabolum, hic ostendit quomodo Christus docere incepit: et circa hoc tria facit.
for first, the place in which he preached is described;
Primo enim describitur locus in quo praedicat;
second, he shows how he chose the servants of his preaching, at and Jesus walking by the sea of Galilee, saw two brothers;
secundo ostendit quomodo ministros suae praedicationis elegit, ibi ambulans autem Iesus iuxta mare Galilaeae, vidit duos fratres;
third, how he brought the crowd to hear, at and Jesus went about all Galilee (Matt 4:23).
tertio quomodo turbam ad audiendum induxit, ibi et circuibat Iesus totam Galilaeam.
Concerning the first, he describes the time, the place, and the manner of preaching.
Circa primum describit tempus, locum et modum praedicandi;
The second is at he retired into Galilee; the third, at from that time Jesus began to preach.
secundum ibi secessit in Galilaeam etc.; tertium ibi et exinde coepit Iesus praedicare.
347. This time of Christ’s public preaching was after the imprisonment of John; hence he says, and when Jesus had heard that John was delivered up, namely by God, because he permitted it.
347. Tempus istud publicae praedicationis Christi fuit post incarcerationem Ioannis; unde dicit cum autem audisset Iesus quod Ioannes traditus esset, a Deo scilicet, quia ipso permittente.
348. And one should note this for the understanding of the Gospels, that there is a seeming contrariety here between John and the other three evangelists, because the other three say that Christ came down into Capernaum after the imprisonment of John, but it is said that he came down into Capernaum before the imprisonment of John (John 2:12); which nevertheless was in Galilee.
348. Et notandum hoc pro intellectu Evangeliorum, quod hic videtur quaedam contrarietas esse inter Ioannem et alios tres: quia illi dicunt quod Christus descendit in Capharnaum post incarcerationem Ioannis; Ioannes vero dicit quod descendit in Capharnaum ante incarcerationem Ioannis: quae tamen in Galilaea erat.
One should respond that John, who was last, supplied those things which were left out by the others.
Respondetur, quod Ioannes qui ultimus fuit, supplevit ea quae ab aliis praetermissa sunt.
But why did they leave this out? One should say that, although Christ did some things in the first two years, yet they were few in comparison with those things which were done in the last year. So one should say that John speaks of those things which he did in the first and second years, and some things from the third; but these other Gospels speak of those things which were done in the last year.
Sed quare praetermiserunt? Dicendum, quod licet Christus aliqua fecerit primis duobus annis, pauca tamen fecerat respectu eorum quae facta sunt ultimo anno. Ergo dicendum quod Ioannes loquitur de his quae fecit primo et secundo, et aliqua de tertio: isti vero, quae facta sunt ultimo anno.
349. Likewise, it is asked how many years Christ preached.
349. Item quaeritur quot annis Christus praedicavit.
Some say that he preached for two and a half years, as from epiphany to Passover is reckoned as half a year, although it is not completed; for John does not make mention except of three Passovers, for after the baptism he says that he went into Jerusalem (John 2:13). Afterwards he mentions the Passover when he worked the miracle of the five loaves, and after that there was one year until the passion.
Quidam dicunt, quod duobus annis et dimidio, ut dimidius computetur ab epiphania usque ad Pascha, licet non sit completus: Ioannes enim non fecit mentionem nisi de triplici Pascha, quia post baptismum dicit quod ivit in Ierusalem, Io. II, 13. Postea facit mentionem de Pascha, quando factum fuit miraculum de quinque panibus, et post unus annus fuit usque ad passionem.
But this opinion does not seem true to this extent, that it does not accord with the opinion of the Church. For the Church holds that three miracles were worked on the day of epiphany, namely the adoration of the magi, the baptism, and the changing of water into wine. Therefore, it must be said that from the baptism to the conversion of water into wine was one year. Hence it seems that Christ preached for three years, because it was one year to the miracle of the wine; and from there to the Passover was another; from the purification to the passion was another; so thinks the Church.
Sed ista opinio non videtur vera pro tanto, quia non concordat opinioni Ecclesiae: tenet enim Ecclesia, quod tria miracula sint facta in die epiphaniae, scilicet de adoratione magorum, de baptismo et de conversione aquae in vinum. Oportet ergo dicere quod a baptismo usque ad conversionem aquae in vinum fuerit annus unus. Unde videtur quod Christus tribus annis praedicavit, quia usque ad miraculum de vino fuit unus annus: et inde ad Pascha fuit medius alius: a purificatione alius usque ad passionem: ita enim sentit Ecclesia.
And according to this, one should say that John says very little about the first year; he says something about the second, to be sure, namely how he came down into Capernaum, and about the question between Christ and the Jews about purification.
Et secundum hoc dicendum quod Ioannes parum dicit de primo anno; de secundo vero dicit aliquid, scilicet quomodo descendit Capharnaum: et de quaestione quae fuit de purificatione inter ipsum Christum et Iudaeos.
350. One should also know that John was killed around the time of the Passover; because it is said that the Passover was near when the miracle of the five loaves was worked (John 6:4); and it is said that Christ, having heard about the death of John, withdrew into Galilee (Matt 14:13). It is clear then that John had been beheaded around the Passover, and Christ had preached publicly for only one year.
350. Sciendum etiam quod Ioannes circa Pascha occisus fuit: quia legitur Io. VI, v. 4, quod quando factum fuit miraculum de quinque panibus, quod Pascha proximum erat; et Matth. XIV, 13 dicitur quod Christus, audita morte Ioannis, secessit in Galilaeam. Patet ergo quod Ioannes decollatus fuit circa Pascha: et Christus publice praedicationem non tenuit, nisi per unum annum.
351. Next he treats of the place, when he says, he retired into Galilee. And
351. Deinde agitur de loco, cum dicitur secessit in Galilaeam. Et
first, the location of the province is treated;
primo agitur de loco provinciae;
second, of the city.
secundo de civitate.
352. He says then, he retired; this withdrawal is not the first, which John speaks about (John 2:12); but this happened after one or two years, because the evangelists are silent about this.
352. Dicit ergo secessit; ista secessio non est prima de qua Ioannes dicit, sed post unum vel duos annos hoc fuit, quia hanc tacent evangelistae.
Now, he withdrew for two reasons. First, so that he might put off the time of his passion; my time is not yet come (John 7:6). Second, for the sake of our example, namely that we might flee from persecutions; if they have persecuted me, they will also persecute you (John 15:20).
Secessit autem propter duo. Primo ut differret tempus passionis suae; Io. VII, 6: tempus meum nondum advenit. Secundo propter exemplum nostrum, ut scilicet persecutiones fugeremus; Io. XV, 20: si me persecuti sunt, et vos persequentur.
But mystically, he indicates that Christ’s preaching was going to pass over to the gentiles, because the Jews were persecuting the grace of God; to you it behoved us first to speak the word of God: but because you reject it, and judge yourselves unworthy of eternal life, behold we turn to the gentiles (Acts 13:46).
Sed mystice declarat quod praedicatio Christi transitura erat ad gentes: quia Iudaei persequebantur gratiam Dei; Act. XIII, 46: vobis oportebat primum loqui verbum Dei: sed quoniam repulistis illud, et indignos vos iudicatis aeternae vitae, ecce convertimur ad gentes.
353. And coming into Galilee, he came first into Nazareth (Luke 4:18), and there he went into the synagogue, and taught, the Spirit of the Lord is upon me (Luke 4:18: Isa 61:1). And from there the Jews led him to the edge of a cliff, and wanted to throw him down; and afterwards Christ fled, and came into Capernaum, and there he immediately cured a demon-possessed man (Mark 1:23). But Matthew omits this.
353. Veniens autem in Galilaeam venit primo in Nazareth, sicut dicit Lucas IV, v. 18 ss., et ibi intravit in synagogam, et docuit Spiritus Domini super me. Et inde duxerunt eum Iudaei ad supercilium montis, et voluerunt eum praecipitare, et post Christus fugit, et venit in Capharnaum, et ibi statim curavit daemoniacum, de quo Mc. I, 23. Sed hoc Matthaeus omittit.
354. Now, Nazareth is interpreted as ‘flower’. By this the teachers of the law are understood, who did not come to maturity. For Capernaum is interpreted as ‘most beautiful village’, and signifies the Church; you are beautiful, O my love (Song 6:3). Capernaum is literally by the sea, because it was next to a certain pleasant lake. For the Jews called every gathering of waters a sea; and mystically, because the Church is set next to the afflictions of the world.
354. Nazareth autem interpretatur ‘flos.’ Per hoc intelliguntur doctores legis, qui non veniunt ad maturitatem. Capharnaum enim interpretatur ‘villa pulcherrima,’ et significat Ecclesiam; Cant. VI, 3: pulchra es, amica mea, et cetera. Capharnaum est maritima ad litteram, quia iuxta lacum quemdam dulcem. Iudaei enim omnem congregationem aquarum appellant mare: et mystice, quia Ecclesia posita est iuxta tribulationes mundi.