Edition Masquer
Contra Faustum Manichaeum libri triginta tres

63.

Sed inquiunt iste Iudas, qui cum sua nuru concubuit, inter duodecim patriarchas computatur. Quid enim? Et ille Iudas, qui dominum tradidit, nonne inter duodecim apostolos numeratus est et cum eis unus ex eis ad praedicandum evangelium diabolus missus est? Sed adhuc respondent et dicunt ille post tale facinus laqueo suo peremptus et apostolorum numero exemptus est; iste autem post hanc turpitudinem inter fratres suos ab illo patre, cui tam magnum testimonium deus perhibet, praecipue benedictus et supra omnes laudatus est. p. 659,6 Quin immo hinc expressius apparet non ad ipsum, sed ad Christum, qui ex eius tribu praenuntiabatur in carne venturus, illam pertinere prophetiam, et ideo magis flagitium eius divina scriptura tacere non debuit, sicut non tacuit, ut in verbis patris eius, quibus post illud dedecus ita laudatur, quia ipse non agnoscitur, alius requiratur.

Traduction Masquer
Reply to Faustus the Manichaean

63.

But, it is said, Judah, who lay with his daughter-in-law, is reckoned as one of the twelve patriarchs. And was not Judas, who betrayed the Lord, reckoned among the twelve apostles? And was not this one of them, who was a devil, sent along with them to preach the gospel? ¹ In reply to this, it will be said that after his crime Judas hanged himself, and was removed from the number of the apostles; while Judah, after his evil conduct, was not only blessed along with his brethren, but got special honor and approval from his father, who is so highly spoken of in Scripture. But the main lesson to be learned from this is, that this prophecy refers not to Judah, but to Christ, who was foretold as to come in the flesh from his tribe; and the very reason for the mention of this crime of Judah is to be found in the desirableness of teaching us to look for another meaning in the words of his father, which are seen not to be applicable to him in his misconduct, from the praise which they express.