Chapter I.
Prologue of the Evangelist.
1. Since indeed many etc. This is the second prologue, namely that of the author, blessed Luke, which he sets before his Gospel, in which he makes known his intention with respect to four things, namely with respect to the motive, the promotive, the directive, and the consummative, in which the principal intent is sufficiently made known.
2. (Verse 1.). First, therefore, he makes known his intention with respect to the motive, which indeed was the example of others: and he indicates this when he says: Since many have undertaken to set in order a narration. Among these, some were good, such as Matthew and Mark, who wrote before him, as was stated in the prologue of Jerome; but others were bad, as the Gloss of Bede says, "such as Basilides and Apelles, and those who wrote false things under the name of Thomas and Matthias and other Apostles"; because, as it is said in Second Corinthians eleven, "such ones are false apostles, deceitful workers, transforming themselves into Apostles of Christ." The first undertook and brought their work to completion; the second undertook and fell short. The first were moved by the example of the good and the true; the second were moved by hatred of evil. To set in order a narration, namely of those things which have been accomplished among us, that is, in our midst and for our sake, such as the mystery of the incarnation, the passion, and the resurrection. Whence John one: "And the Word was made flesh and dwelt among us: and we saw his glory," etc.
3. (Verse 2.). Second, with respect to the promotive, which indeed was the testimony of the Apostles: and he indicates this when he says: Even as they delivered them to us who from the beginning were themselves eyewitnesses, namely the Apostles: whence First John one: "That which we have heard, which we have seen with our eyes, which we have looked upon, and our hands have handled," etc.; and John nineteen: "He who saw it has borne witness, and his testimony is true. And he knows that he speaks the truth, so that you also may believe." And because they had seen, therefore they bore witness; whence he adds: And were ministers of the word: Acts one: "Therefore it is necessary that of these men who have been with us during all the time in which the Lord Jesus went in and out among us, beginning from the baptism of John until the day on which he was taken up from us, one of these should be made a witness with us of his resurrection." And such were the Apostles: whence First Corinthians four: "Let a man so regard us as ministers of Christ and stewards of the mysteries of God; here now it is required," etc.
4. (Vers. 3.). Third, as to the directive element, which was an ordered, sufficient and diligent process: and this he indicates when he adds: It seemed good to me also, namely, the Holy Spirit instigating; as Jerome says, "instigated by the Holy Spirit, he wrote this Gospel." Having followed closely, that is, having followed perfectly, because from the beginning to the end: whence he also adds: To write to you all things diligently in order, most excellent Theophilus: where simultaneously sufficiency, order and diligence are indicated: and these indeed befit a historical narrator. Whence 2 Maccabees 2: "To collect the understanding and to arrange the discourse and to inquire more carefully into each and every individual part belongs to the author of a history."
5. (Vers. 4.). Fourth, as to the consummative element, which was the understanding of truth, he adds: That you may know the truth of those words in which you have been instructed, know, namely, more fully. And this was that in which the intention of the Evangelist in writing came to rest: whence 2 Timothy 3: "All Scripture divinely inspired is useful for teaching, for arguing, for correcting, for instructing in justice, that the man of God may be perfect, equipped for every good work"; and this end Luke sets forth with respect to all whom he understands in the person of Theophilus, to whom he writes. " Theophilus is interpreted as 'one who loves God' or 'one loved by God,'" and to such the truth is manifested: whence John 14: "He who loves me will be loved by my Father: and I will love him and will manifest myself to him"; and [John] 15: "But I have called you friends, because all things whatsoever I have heard from my Father I have made known to you." - And thus it is clear how fully and plainly the Evangelist discloses his intention.
6. And that Luke the Evangelist prefixes a prologue to his Gospel, which none of the other Evangelists did, this was on account of the special person to whom he writes, since all the others write generally without regard to a special cause; and there are three causes for this, the first of which is that his book could seem superfluous, since two Evangelists had already written, and "in the mouth of two witnesses every word shall stand." Hence, to remove this objection, he first assigns the first cause: that it is not superfluous, since it serves to cut away the vain, false, and superfluous things that had been written by pseudo-evangelists. - The second is that his book could seem less authoritative, as being the work of one who was not an Apostle: and therefore he shows that he wrote according to the instruction and testimony of the Apostles and of others who saw. - The third cause is that his book, since it is historical and narrative of various parables, could seem disordered and as though written haphazardly: and therefore, to remove this objection, he shows in the prologue that its procedure is sufficient, diligent, and ordered. - And thus it is clear that it is not idle curiosity to inquire into and examine the order, distinction, and sufficiency in the treatment of those things which are written in this Gospel; and by equal reasoning, neither in the others. If order attests to wisdom and goodness, it ought most of all to belong to that Scripture which proceeds from the font of wisdom and leads to the end of complete goodness. And this is the evangelical Scripture: and therefore it is not curiosity but utility if in what follows the division, order, and sufficiency are described, because this is intended by the Evangelist.
General Division
7. There was in the days of King Herod, etc. This Gospel of Luke, as was said above, has four principal parts, in the first of which the mystery of the incarnation is treated, up to the third chapter; in the second, the magisterium of instruction, up to the twenty-second; in the third, the medicine or remedy of the passion, up to the twenty-fourth; in the fourth, the trophy of the resurrection, up to the end of the book.
Part I. The mystery of the incarnation is treated in three ways.
The first part, which pursues the mystery of the incarnation, has three parts. For it unfolds the temporal nativity of Christ, which was threefold, namely: in the womb with respect to conception, from the womb with respect to birth, and outside the womb with respect to baptism. The first it unfolds in the first chapter, the second in the second, and the third in the third.
First, concerning the nativity in the womb, in two ways.
He intends therefore in the first chapter to treat of the conception of the Savior: but because the conception of the barren woman preceded the conception of the Virgin, and before the conception of the King came the beginning of the Precursor, and both are divine, and God is to be praised for both: therefore the present chapter has two parts, in the first of which the fecundation of the barren woman and the Virgin is treated; in the second, the giving of thanks, at: Rising up, Mary went into the hill country.
First, concerning the twofold conception.
The first part has two sections, in the first of which the conception of the Precursor is treated; in the second, the conception of the Savior, at the passage: In the sixth month the angel was sent, etc.
Three things are said concerning the conception of the Precursor.
Now the Evangelist, describing the conception of the Precursor, in order to show that it was wondrous, first shows the condition of the parents; second, he explains the angelic announcement, at the passage: It came to pass, while he was serving in the priesthood, etc.; third, the ministerial confirmation of the announcement, at the passage: And Zacharias said to the Angel: How shall I know this? fourth, the wondrous fulfillment of the promise, at the passage: And it came to pass, when the days of his office were fulfilled, etc.
First, the condition of the parents is described in a fourfold manner.
Now describing the condition of his parents, he explains four things: first, their office of dignity; second, their honorable marriage; third, their merit or privilege of holiness; fourth, their reproach of barrenness.
8. (Verse 5). First, therefore, he shows the office of dignity , when he says: There was in the days of Herod, king of Judea, a certain priest named Zechariah. He sets forth the priestly office, adding royal dominion, to intimate that John was to foreannounce Christ, who was a priest according to the order of Melchizedek, that is, simultaneously king and priest: Hebrews 7: "Melchizedek, king of Salem, priest of the Most High God," etc. — Or he sets forth the kingdom to show that in the time of the Law, royal power preceded the priesthood, but now it is the reverse. Whence 1 Peter 2: "But you are a chosen generation, a royal priesthood," etc.; but in Exodus 19 it is said: "You shall be to me a priestly kingdom and a holy nation." — Or he sets forth the kingdom of Herod the foreigner, who was the first among foreigners to rule over the Jews, to show that the time of Christ's coming had arrived, and that the prophecy of the penultimate chapter of Genesis had been fulfilled: "The scepter shall not be taken away from Judah, nor a ruler," etc. — Or he names Herod to show that he was notorious in wickedness. For there was a threefold Herod, namely father, son, and grandson: the first was the Ascalonite, who slew the children, Matthew 2; the second was Antipas, who beheaded John, Matthew 14; the third was Agrippa, who killed James, enclosing Peter in prison, Acts 12; but the first was the most infamous and the cruelest of all. Therefore, because "against evil, good," conversely there is named the priest Zechariah, to show that he was renowned in goodness and a friend of God, according to that passage of Exodus 33: "You have found grace before me, and I have known you by name"; nor does he show him to be a priest only by name, but also by lineage; whence he says: Of the course of Abijah, that is, of the lineage, according to the exposition of Bede in the Gloss, saying: "When David enlarged the worship of God, as is said in 1 Chronicles 24, he divided the ministries of the priests into twenty-four lots; among which the eighth lot fell to the family of Abijah, from which Zechariah descended, so that the herald of the New Testament might be born in the course of the eighth lot, because by the number eight the New Testament is understood, just as the Old is understood by the number seven."
9. Second, he sets forth the honorable marriage in that he says: And his wife was of the daughters of Aaron; and thus both were of the priestly lineage, and by this were suited for marriage according to the commandment of the Lord; Numbers 36: "Let all men take wives from the same tribe and kindred, and likewise let all women take husbands." He sets forth her name, because he was thus going to speak of her frequently: And her name was Elizabeth, both in the conception and the salutation and the birth; whence: "the time of Elizabeth was fulfilled," etc. Moreover, he sets forth the honorable marriage alongside the office of dignity, so that from both the conception might be rendered more commendable; Wisdom 4: "O how beautiful is the chaste generation with glory," etc.
10. (Verse 6). Third, he describes the privilege of holiness in that he says: And they were both just before God, that is, inwardly, in the eyes of God: Wisdom 5: "The just shall live forever"; and it follows: "Their thought is with the Most High." They were not of the kind of those about whom it is said below in chapter 16: "You are they who justify yourselves," etc.; but like Noah, of whom Genesis 6 says: "Noah was a just and perfect man in his generations; he walked with God," and Hezekiah, of whom 4 Kings 20 says: "Remember, O Lord, how I have walked before you in truth and with a perfect heart." For as it is said in 1 Kings 16: "God looks upon the heart." — They were also just outwardly, in the sight of men; and therefore he says: Walking in all the commandments and justifications of the Lord without blame: Philippians 2: "Do all things without murmurings and hesitations, that you may be without blame and simple children of God, without reproach in the midst of a crooked and perverse nation." And rightly he says in all, because, as it is said in James 2, "whoever shall keep the whole Law yet offend in one point is become guilty of all." And therefore the Prophet said: "I was directed toward all your commandments"; and in the same place: "May my ways be directed to keep your justifications."
11. (Verse 7). Fourth, he adds the reproach of barrenness in that he says: And they had no son; and in this there was a great deficiency; whence in Genesis 15 Abraham said: "Lord God, what will you give me? Behold, I go without children." And the reason for this deficiency is given in the mother, when it is said: Because Elizabeth was barren, which was a reproach in Israel; whence she could say that word of Isaiah 49: "I am barren and have not borne." And so that a greater miracle might be shown, a deficiency in both parents is added: And they were both advanced in their days, just as Abraham and Sarah: Genesis 18: "After I have grown old, and my lord is an old man, shall I give myself to pleasure?" — as if to say: this is not natural but miraculous. Whence Genesis 21: "Who would believe that Abraham should hear that Sarah would nurse a son, whom she bore to him now in his old age?" Now this reproach of barrenness was not as a punishment for sin, but for the manifestation of God's glory, as is said in John 9 concerning the man born blind.
Second, the angelic announcement is described.