PROLOGUE OF SAINT JEROME.
Luke, a Syrian by nation, of Antioch, a physician by profession, a disciple of the Apostles, and afterwards indeed a follower of Paul even unto his confession, serving the Lord without fault (for he never had either a wife or children), died at seventy-four years of age in Bithynia, full of the Holy Spirit. Since the Gospels had already been written — by Matthew indeed in Judea, and by Mark in Italy — at the prompting of the Holy Spirit, he wrote this Gospel in the regions of Achaia, signifying also himself at the beginning that others had been written before his own. For him, beyond those things which the order of the evangelical arrangement demands, the greatest necessity of labor was this: first, that he should labor for the Greek faithful — with every prophecy of God Christ coming in the flesh made manifest in his humanity — lest, attentive to Jewish fables, they be held in desire for the Law alone, or lest, seduced by heretical fables and foolish enticements, they fall from the truth; then, that at the beginning of the Gospel, with the nativity of John taken up first, he might indicate for whom he was writing the Gospel and in what he had been chosen to write, testifying that the things which had been begun by others were completed in himself. To him therefore, after the baptism of the Son of God, permission was granted to trace back from the perfection of the generation fulfilled in Christ to the beginning of human birth, so that he might demonstrate to those who inquire in whom he was laying hold — with entrance granted through Nathan the son into the generation returning to God — of the inseparable God; so that, preaching to men his Christ, he might cause the work of the perfect man to return into himself through the Son, who through David the father was offering the way in Christ to those who come. To this same Luke, not undeservedly, the power of writing the Acts of the Apostles was also given in ministry: so that, with God full unto God, and the son of perdition having been destroyed, and prayer having been made by the Apostles, the number of the election might be completed by the lot of the Lord; and thus Paul might give completion to the Acts of the Apostles, whom the Lord had chosen while he had long been kicking against the goad. Although it would have been useful for those reading and seeking God that this be explained by us in every detail, knowing nevertheless that the laboring farmer ought to eat of his own fruits, we have avoided public curiosity, lest we seem to have delivered these things not so much to those who desire God as to those who are disdainful.
Exposition of this PROLOGUE.
1. Now a twofold prologue is prefixed to this book: one is that of the translator, namely blessed Jerome, and the other that of the author, namely blessed Luke. The first begins thus: Luke, a Syrian, etc.; the second thus: Forasmuch as many have undertaken, etc.
Concerning the prologue of the expositor, three things present themselves for our consideration, which are expressed in the prologue itself, namely the efficient, final, and formal cause of the subsequent work. The first is treated there: Luke, a Syrian, etc.; the second, there: For him, beyond those things which the order, etc.; the third, there: To him therefore after the baptism, etc.
2. As to the efficient cause, note that he describes the Evangelist himself with respect to three things, namely with respect to his association, with respect to his merit, and with respect to his office. - As to his association, when it is said: Luke, a Syrian, etc., up to that point: having followed Paul until his confession. From this it is shown that blessed Luke was suitable for writing the Gospel, because he lived in the company of those who were most experienced: whence in Second Timothy, the last chapter: Luke alone is with me, the Apostle says, because he clung to him as a faithful disciple.
3. Second, he describes him with respect to his merit, which consists in life and grace; and this he notes when he says: Serving the Lord without fault, in which his life is noted; and afterwards: He died full of the Holy Spirit, in which grace is noted, and therefore he was suitable for writing the Gospel. A figure of this preceded in Joseph, Genesis forty-one: Can we find such a man, who is full of the Spirit of God? For just as Joseph dispensed grain, so Luke dispensed evangelical doctrine.
4. Third, he describes him with respect to his office, because he was divinely impelled to write the Gospel among the Greeks: and this is noted when he says: Who, since the Gospels had already been written by Matthew in Judea, by Mark in Italy: where he shows that it was fitting that Luke should have the office of writing the Gospel in the third place, namely among the Greeks, so that thus their sound went forth into all the earth, and in the mystery of the Trinity the Gospel would be preached and written in three kinds of languages. And to this corresponded the inscription on the title of the cross, John nineteen, where it is said that that title — Jesus of Nazareth, King of the Jews — was written in Hebrew, Greek, and Latin.
5. But there is a doubt whether Mark wrote in the Latin language or in Greek, since Augustine and Isidore say that all the Gospels except the Gospel of Matthew were written in Greek. But it is certain that he wrote in Italy: and because both languages were customary there at that time, it seems probable that he wrote in both languages, especially since antiquity hands down that the Gospel which he wrote with his own hand is at Aquileia.
6. To whom, beyond those things, etc. Here is described the final or motivating cause, which is threefold, namely the manifestation of truth, the refutation of falsehood, and the glorification of the Lord's majesty.
First, therefore, as regards the manifestation of truth, he says: For whom, beyond those things which the order of the evangelical arrangement, that is, of the history, demands, that necessity especially, that is, the motivating necessity, of his labor was, that first for the Greek faithful, because it was written first and principally for them, by every prophecy of God Christ coming in the flesh, the humanity might be manifest: by every prophecy, that is, it was foretold by all the Prophets that Christ God would come in the flesh. The humanity might be manifest, because he was occupied with the humanity of Christ, according as through it we were redeemed. Whence Second Timothy chapter two: Remember that our Lord Jesus Christ rose from the dead, of the seed of David, according to my Gospel. Now this Gospel was especially the Gospel of Luke, just as the Gospel of Mark was principally Peter's.
7. Second, as regards the confutation of heretical depravity, he says: Lest, attentive to Jewish fables, by which they had been seduced into thinking that the legal prescriptions could suffice without the Gospel, they might be held in desire for the Law alone, that those things might suffice, etc. Or lest by heretics, etc., up to: he should labor. And the text should be construed thus: that he should labor, lest by Jewish fables, etc. And concerning this it was very necessary to insist in the primitive Church; whence First Timothy chapter one: "I besought you to charge some that they teach no other doctrine, neither give heed to fables and endless genealogies, which furnish questions rather than the edification of God, which is in faith."
8. Third, as regards the honoring of the Lord's majesty, he adds: Then, that in the beginning of the Gospel, with the nativity of John presupposed, to whom he was writing the Gospel, "that is, to whose honor," as the Gloss says, he might indicate, etc., up to: begun by others. For he wrote to the honor of Christ; whence Tobit chapter twelve: "It is good to hide the secret of a king, but honorable to reveal and confess the works of God."
Or it can be said that the third motive is the edification of fraternal charity; and he notes this when he says: to whom he was writing, because to Theophilus, whose name "is interpreted: lover of God, or beloved of God, " in which it is shown that he wrote for the edification of fraternal charity, according to that passage in First Timothy chapter one: "The end of the commandment is charity from a pure heart and a good conscience and faith unfeigned."
9. To whom therefore after baptism, etc. Here is described the formal cause or manner of proceeding, first as regards this book: second, as regards the annexed book, namely the Acts of the Apostles: third, as regards the prefatory prologue.
First, therefore, with regard to this book, he states why Luke describes Christ's genealogy after the baptism, from the state of perfect age, and in retrograde order ascending through Nathan. And he gives the reason for this, namely that he intended to treat of Christ's generation insofar as through it we are led back to God — which indeed happens through baptismal and adoptive regeneration, Christ the natural Son of God leading us back to His Father, who is also our Father through adoption. And this is what he wishes to intimate through Nathan: because, since Solomon was the son of David, the natural lineage of Joseph and Mary does not ascend to David through Nathan according to the flesh, but through Solomon according to the flesh, whereas through Nathan according to adoption, as will be shown in the third chapter. And this is what he wishes to say, and he says it very obscurely; and the text should be construed thus: To whom therefore was granted the power of tracing back human nativity from the beginning, that is, up to the beginning, namely up to God, and this after the baptism, from the perfection of generation, that is, after the age of thirty years, as will be said in the third chapter: "Jesus himself was beginning to be about thirty years old, being as was supposed the son of Joseph, who was of Heli," etc.; so that by the entry of the generation of the inseparable God, that is, of Christ equal to the Father;
of the generation, namely the return into God: by the entry, I say, admitted, that is, traced through Nathan, the son of David, he might show to those seeking God, in whom he was apprehending, namely God. Here he shows that it is necessary to return to the Father through Christ; and this is what he adds: So that by preaching to men His Christ — for Christ is ours: below in the second chapter: "Today is born to us the Savior of the world," etc. — the work of the perfect man, that is, of the man in whom all things are perfected, to return into himself, that is, into his own state from which he fell, he might accomplish through the Son, through the Son, namely, of God and of man, Jesus Christ, who was providing the way in Christ, that is, was showing it to be provided to those coming, namely to God, through David the father of Nathan, namely, or of Christ; this is to say that he wished in that genealogy after the baptism to show how through Christ it is necessary for us who have been regenerated to return to God: Ephesians 1: "It pleased Him to restore in Christ the things that are in the heavens and the things that are on the earth."
10. Second, regarding the appended book, namely the Acts of the Apostles, he adds: To this Luke, not undeservedly, the authority of writing also the Acts of the Apostles is given in ministry, etc. up to: the Lord had chosen. And he means to say that it was more fitting for Luke to describe the Acts than for another Evangelist, because he treated of Christ insofar as He was leading back to the Father through grace; and this is what is principally treated in the Acts of the Apostles. This he notes when he says: So that, with God fully manifested unto God: that is, fully shown through the Ascension, through which the Holy Spirit was fully given, there would be a consummation in Paul, who was a vessel of election, according to preeminent grace. Whence Ephesians 4: "He who descended is the same who ascended, that He might fill all things"; Ephesians 1: "He gave Him as head over the whole Church, which is His body, and the fullness of Him who fills all things in all."
11. Third, regarding the present prologue : Which, although it had been useful for readers and inquirers to treat through each point, that is, individually and distinctly all the aforementioned things, yet knowing that the laboring farmer must first eat of his fruits, we have avoided public curiosity, that is, superfluous loquacity or display of knowledge beyond necessity; lest we should seem not so much to demonstrate God to the willing as to have disclosed Him to the disdainful. This is to say that because the teacher and expositor, like a farmer, ought to eat of his own fruits, he ought not to seek curious things but fruitful ones, not the praise of others but the testimony of conscience, not the display of vanity,
but the edification of charity. And this is the reason why it is frequently necessary to pass over many things and to say what is necessary, avoiding what is not opportune.
Or it can be explained in another way: because he did not wish to expound everything, so that he might give others occasion for laboring and eating of their own fruits. And this was prefigured in the Law, where it is said to the harvesters in Leviticus 19 that they should not gather the remaining ears of grain, because the first teachers ought to leave to those who come after an occasion for exercise. And in both ways the passage can be expounded quite soundly.
COMMENTARY ON THE GOSPEL OF ST. LUKE