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Contra Faustum Manichaeum libri triginta tres
3.
Displicet vobis talis Christus, qualis per Hebraeos praenuntiatus est; et tamen omnes populi gentium, apud quos Hebraeam prophetiam nullum pondus auctoritatis habere arbitramini, in talem Christum credunt, qualis per Hebraeos praenuntiatus est, accipiendo scilicet evangelium, quod deus ante promiserat, sicut apostolus commemorat, per prophetas suos in scripturis sanctis de filio suo, qui factus est ei ex semine David secundum carnem. Unde Propheta Esaias dicit: Erit radix Iesse, qui exsurget regnare in gentibus; in eum gentes sperabunt, et: ‛Ecce virgo concipiet et pariet filium, et vocabunt nomen eius Emmanuhel’, quod interpretatur: nobicum deus, ne putent isti hominem tantummodo Christum ab Hebraeis prophetis praenuntiatum. Hoc enim videtur tetigisse Faustus, cum ait Christum quidem nostrum filium dei, quasi Hebraei Christum suum non filium dei dicerent. p. 380,15 Ecce nos ostendimus deum Christum virginis filium ex Hebraea prophetia. Nam utique et Iudaei carnales ne hoc solum putarent esse Christum, quod propter nos factus est homo ex semine David, admonet eos ipse dominus ex prophetia eiusdem David quaerens ab eis, quid eis videretur de Christo, cuius eum esse dicerent filium. Qui cum respondissent: David, ne hoc solum, ut dixi, putaretur et non respicerent ad Emmanuhel, quod est interpretatum nobiscum deus, et: quomodo inquit ipse David in spiritu dicit eum ‛dominum’: ‛dixit dominus domino meo, sede ad dexteram meam, donec ponam inimicos tuos scabellum pedum tuorum’? Ecce, inquam, nos ostendimus Hebraea prophetia Christum deum; vos ostendite aliquam prophetiam uestram, unde nomen Christi didiceritis. p. 381,1
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Reply to Faustus the Manichaean
3.
Christ as foretold by the Hebrew prophets does not please you; but this is the Christ in whom the Gentile nations believe, with whom, according to you, Hebrew prophecy should have no weight. They receive the gospel which, as Paul says, "God had promised before by His prophets in the Holy Scriptures of His Son, who was made of the seed of David according to the flesh." 1 So we read in Isaiah: "There shall be a Root of Jesse, which shall rise to reign in the nations; in Him shall the Gentiles trust." 2 And again: "Behold, a virgin shall conceive and bear a son, and they shall call His name Emmanuel," 3 which is, being interpreted, God with us. Nor let the Manichaean think that Christ is foretold only as a man by the Hebrew prophets; for this is what Faustus seems to insinuate when he says, "Our Christ is the Son of God," as if the Christ of the Hebrews was not the Son of God. We can prove Christ the virgin's son of Hebrew prophecy to be God. For the Lord Himself teaches the carnal Jews not to think that, because He is foretold as the son of David, He is therefore no more than that. He asks: "What think ye of Christ? Whose son is He?" They reply: "Of David." Then, to remind them of the name Emmanuel, God with us, He says: "How does David in the Spirit call Him Lord, saying, The Lord said unto my Lord, Sit Thou at my right hand, till I make Thine enemies Thy footstool?" 4 Here, then, Christ appears as God in Hebrew prophecy. What prophecy can the Manichaeans show with the name of Christ in it?