James, 1-2 Peter, 1-3 John, JudeGerald Lewis Bray, Thomas C. Oden Taylor & Francis, 2000 - 288 pages "Because the Catholic Epistles focus on orthodox faith and morals, the Fathers drew on them as a means of defense against the rising challenge of heretics. Many of the Fathers saw in these letters anticipatory attacks on Marcion and strong defenses against the Arians. They did so quite naturally because in their view truth was eternal and deviations from it had existed from the beginning. Above all, the Fathers found in the Catholic Epistles a manual for spiritual warfare, counsel for the faithful in the cosmic struggle between good and evil. In them was sound instruction in the ways of self-sacrifice, generosity, and humility, through which the cosmic forces could be defeated. Allusions to these letters go back as far as Justin Martyr, Irenaeus, and Tertullian, but the first commentary derives from Clement of Alexandria. Didymus the Blind was the next significant Greek-speaking commentator, though his commentary is fully extant only in Latin translation. Many of the comments from the early centuries have been passed on to us through Latin catenae, or chain commentaries, in which a later commentator collected comments from a variety of sources and chained them together in a fashion much like that of the Ancient Christian Commentary on Scripture in English. Among Latin commentators on these letters, pride of place must be given to Bede the Venerable. This volume opens up a treasure house of ancient wisdom that allows these faithful witnesses, some appearing here in English translation for the first time, to speak with eloquence and intellectual acumen to the church today."-- |
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Common terms and phrases
ANDREAS angels antichrist apostle AUGUSTINE baptism BEDE believe Bishop blessed born brother CAESARIUS OF ARLES called CATENA Catholic Epistles Cetedoc CHRYSOS CHRYSOSTOM church cleansed Clement of ALEXANDRIA comes commandments COMMEN CONCERNING THE Epistle condemned corrupt CYRIL OF ALEXANDRIA CYRIL OF JERUSALEM dead death deeds devil DIDYMUS THE BLIND divine earth Epistle of St epistulas eternal Eusebius evil faith Father flesh gift give glory God's godliness gospel grace heart heaven heretics HILARY OF ARLES Holy Spirit HOMILIES human INTRODUCTORY COMMENTARY INTRODUCTORY TRACTATE Jesus Christ John Jude judge judgment letter live Lord lust means MENIUS MENTARY mercy OECU OECUMENIUS ORIGEN OVERVIEW Paul perfect person Peter PETER.3 PL Supp pray prayer preached prophets punishment receive righteous salvation Savior says Scripture SERMONS Severus Severus of ANTIOCH sins someone soul suffering TARY teaching THEOPHYLACT things tion tongue truth ungodly wicked wisdom word