Novatian — Commentary on Scripture

One who worships God through food is almost like one who has God for his belly.

JEWISH FOODS 5.9

Accordingly, it is evident that all these foods enjoy again the blessings they received at their creation, now that the law has ended.

JEWISH FOODS 5.6

1 Corinthians 11:3

Scripture states: “And the two shall be but one flesh,” so that what was once one may become one again.… The head matches its own limbs and the limbs their own head, a natural bond uniting both in complete harmony, lest the closeness of the divine covenant be shattered by some sort of discord arising from the division of members.… Husbands are to love their wives even as Christ loved the church, and wives are to love their husbands as the church loves Christ.

IN PRAISE OF PURITY 5

1 Corinthians 15:50

This does not mean that the substance of our flesh was condemned. On the contrary, only the guilt of the flesh is censured, the guilt which was caused by humanity’s deliberate and rash rebellion against the claims of divine law.

ON THE TRINITY 10

2 Corinthians 4:13

It is one and the same Spirit who is in the prophets and in the apostles. However, the Spirit dwelt in the prophets sporadically, whereas he abides in believers forever.

ON THE TRINITY 29.6

2 Corinthians 4:13

Accordingly the apostle Paul says: “Since we have the same spirit, as shown in that which is written: ‘I believed, and so I spoke,’ we also believe and so we speak.” Therefore, it is one and the same Spirit who is in the prophets and in the apostles. He was, however, in the former only for a while; whereas he abides in the latter forever. In other words, he is in the prophets but not to remain always in them; in the apostles, that he might abide in them forever. He has been apportioned to the former in moderation; to the latter, he has been wholly poured out. He was sparingly given to the one; upon the other, lavishly bestowed.

ON THE TRINITY 29.5-6

2 Corinthians 11:2

May purity, then—that purity which goes above and beyond the will and which we should will always to possess—be also given to us for the sake of redemption, so that what has been consecrated by Christ cannot be corrupted. If the apostle states that the church is the bride of Christ, I ask you now to reflect just what purity is required of you, when the church herself is given in marriage as a virgin bride.

IN PRAISE OF PURITY 1

2 Kings 19:20-31

When eyes are ascribed to God, it is implied that he sees all things; an ear, to show that he hears all things; a finger, to reveal a certain signification of the will; nostrils, to show that he is aware of our prayers as one is of odors; hands, to prove that he is the author of every created thing; an arm, to make it known that no nature can resist his power; and finally feet, to make it clear that he fills all things and that there is no thing in which God is not.

ON THE TRINITY 6.6

2 Peter 1:4

The word of Christ bestows immortality. But immortality is the companion of divinity, because divinity is immortal, and so immortality is the result of partaking in the divine nature.

ON THE TRINITY 15.7

2 Samuel 6:14

And that David danced before the Lord does in no way encourage faithful Christians to take seats in the theater. He did not distort his body in obscene movements and dance out the drama of Grecian libido.… Therefore, no approval whatever is given for spectators of illicit things.

ON THE SPECTACLES 3.2

Amos 4:11

And that there might not remain any doubt that he [God the Son] had been the guest of Abraham, it is written regarding the destruction of the Sodomites that “the Lord poured down on Sodom and Gomorrah fire and sulfur from the Lord out of heaven.” In fact, the prophet also says in the person of God, “I destroyed you as the Lord destroyed Sodom and Gomorrah.” The Lord, therefore, destroyed Sodom; that is, God destroyed Sodom. In the destruction of the Sodomites, however, it was the Lord who rained fire from the Lord. This Lord was the God seen by Abraham. This God is Abraham’s guest and was undoubtedly seen because he was touched. Now, since the Father, inasmuch as he is invisible, was assuredly not seen at that time, he who was seen and who was hospitably received and taken in was he who was willing to be seen and touched. This one then is the Son of God, “the Lord, who rained upon Sodom and Gomorrah fire and sulfur from the Lord.” But he is the Word of God, and the “Word” of God “was made flesh and dwelt among us.” This one then is Christ. Therefore it was not the Father who was the…

And that there might not remain any doubt that he [God the Son] had been the guest of Abraham, it is written regarding the destruction of the Sodomites that “the Lord poured down on Sodom and Gomorrah fire and sulfur from the Lord out of heaven.” In fact, the prophet also says in the person of God, “I destroyed you as the Lord destroyed Sodom and Gomorrah.” The Lord, therefore, destroyed Sodom; that is, God destroyed Sodom. In the destruction of the Sodomites, however, it was the Lord who rained fire from the Lord. This Lord was the God seen by Abraham. This God is Abraham’s guest and was undoubtedly seen because he was touched. Now, since the Father, inasmuch as he is invisible, was assuredly not seen at that time, he who was seen and who was hospitably received and taken in was he who was willing to be seen and touched. This one then is the Son of God, “the Lord, who rained upon Sodom and Gomorrah fire and sulfur from the Lord.” But he is the Word of God, and the “Word” of God “was made flesh and dwelt among us.” This one then is Christ. Therefore it was not the Father who was the guest of Abraham but Christ. Nor was it the Father who was seen but the Son; therefore it was Christ who was seen. Consequently Christ is both Lord and God, who could be seen by Abraham only because he was God, the Word, begotten of God the Father before Abraham even existed.

ON THE TRINITY 18:15–17

Daniel 3:27

The Father’s care and providence neither allowed the garments of the Israelites to perish nor the worthless shoes on their feet to wear out; nor, finally, did he permit the wide trousers of the captive young men to be burned. And this is not without reason, for if he who contains all things embraces all things (all things, however, and the whole sum are made up of individual parts), then it follows logically that his care will be bestowed on every individual part because his providence extends to the whole, whatever it be.

ON THE TRINITY 8:6

Deuteronomy 32:8

Moses represents God as descending to the tower that the sons of men were building, seeking to inspect it and saying, “Come, let us go down quickly, and there confuse their language, so that they may not understand one another’s speech.” Who do the heretics think was the God that descended to the tower in this passage and then sought to visit these men? Was he God the Father? In that case, God is enclosed in a place. If so, how then does he embrace all things? Or is it possible that he speaks of an angel descending with other angels and saying, “Come, let us go down quickly, and there confuse their language”? On the contrary, we note in Deuteronomy that it was God who recounted these things and God who spoke, where it is written: “When he scattered abroad the sons of Adam, he set up the boundaries of the people according to the number of the angels of God.” Therefore the Father did not descend, nor did an angel command these things, as the narrative clearly indicates. Accordingly, the only remaining conclusion is that he descended of whom the apostle Paul says, “He who descended, he…

Moses represents God as descending to the tower that the sons of men were building, seeking to inspect it and saying, “Come, let us go down quickly, and there confuse their language, so that they may not understand one another’s speech.” Who do the heretics think was the God that descended to the tower in this passage and then sought to visit these men? Was he God the Father? In that case, God is enclosed in a place. If so, how then does he embrace all things? Or is it possible that he speaks of an angel descending with other angels and saying, “Come, let us go down quickly, and there confuse their language”? On the contrary, we note in Deuteronomy that it was God who recounted these things and God who spoke, where it is written: “When he scattered abroad the sons of Adam, he set up the boundaries of the people according to the number of the angels of God.” Therefore the Father did not descend, nor did an angel command these things, as the narrative clearly indicates. Accordingly, the only remaining conclusion is that he descended of whom the apostle Paul says, “He who descended, he it is who ascended also above all heavens, that he might fill all things,” that is, the Son of God, the Word of God.

ON THE TRINITY 17.7

Exodus 7:1

Why in the world, after reading that this name was also given to Moses, when it is stated, “I have made you as god to Pharaoh,” should they deny this title to Christ who we find has been constituted not a god to Pharaoh but rather the Lord and God of all creation?

THE TRINITY 20.7

Exodus 16:3

Since they dared to prefer the bitterest of Egyptian foods to the heavenly food of manna and preferred the succulent meats of their hostile masters to their own freedom, did they deserve anything else than to have their joy in foods curtailed? They truly deserved to bear the brand of the slavery they had longed for, since a better food—the food of the free—displeased them so.

JEWISH FOODS 4.5

Ezekiel 1:15

The wheels that lie beneath it signify the various periods of time in which all the component members of the world are constantly being whirled forward. Furthermore, feet have been given to these members that they may not always stand still but move on. All their limbs are studded with eyes because the works of God are to be contemplated with ever careful observation. And within their very bosom is a fire of glowing coals, to signify that this world is hastening to the fiery day of judgment or that all the works of God are fiery and not obscure.

ON THE TRINITY 8:8-9

Ezekiel 37:1-14

He will contemplate truly admirable souls that have been brought back from the grave to reanimate completely consumed bodies.

ON THE SPECTACLES 10:2

Genesis 1:29-30

Man’s first food was solely fruit and produce from trees. Man’s guilt subsequently introduced the use of bread. The posture of his body shows forth the state of his conscience. As long as man’s conscience did not reproach him, innocence raised him up toward the heavens to pluck his food from the trees. Once sin had been committed, it bowed man down to the soil of the earth to get grain. Still later the use of meat was added.

JEWISH FOODS 2.6

Genesis 11:4-8

Moses represents God as descending to the tower that the sons of men were building, seeking to inspect it and saying, “Come, let us go down quickly, and there confuse their language, so that they may not understand one another’s speech.” Who do the heretics think was the God that descended to the tower in this passage and then sought to visit these men? Was he God the Father? In that case, God is enclosed in a place. If so, how then does he embrace all things? Or is it possible that he speaks of an angel descending with other angels and saying, “Come, let us go down quickly, and there confuse their language”? On the contrary, we note in Deuteronomy that it was God who recounted these things and God who spoke, where it is written: “When he scattered abroad the sons of Adam, he set up the boundaries of the people according to the number of the angels of God.” Therefore the Father did not descend, nor did an angel command these things, as the narrative clearly indicates. Accordingly, the only remaining conclusion is that he descended of whom the apostle Paul says, “He who descended, he…

Moses represents God as descending to the tower that the sons of men were building, seeking to inspect it and saying, “Come, let us go down quickly, and there confuse their language, so that they may not understand one another’s speech.” Who do the heretics think was the God that descended to the tower in this passage and then sought to visit these men? Was he God the Father? In that case, God is enclosed in a place. If so, how then does he embrace all things? Or is it possible that he speaks of an angel descending with other angels and saying, “Come, let us go down quickly, and there confuse their language”? On the contrary, we note in Deuteronomy that it was God who recounted these things and God who spoke, where it is written: “When he scattered abroad the sons of Adam, he set up the boundaries of the people according to the number of the angels of God.” Therefore the Father did not descend, nor did an angel command these things, as the narrative clearly indicates. Accordingly, the only remaining conclusion is that he descended of whom the apostle Paul says, “He who descended, he it is who ascended also above all heavens, that he might fill all things,” that is, the Son of God, the Word of God.

ON THE TRINITY 17.7

Genesis 12:7

Please note that the same Moses says in another passage that God appeared to Abraham. Yet the same Moses hears from God that no man can see God and live. If God cannot be seen, how did God appear? If he appeared, how is it that he cannot be seen? For John says similarly, “No one has ever seen God.” And the apostle Paul says, “Whom no man has seen or can see.” But certainly Scripture does not lie; therefore God was really seen. Accordingly this can only mean that it was not the Father, who never has been seen, that was seen, but the Son, who willed to descend and to be seen, for the simple reason that he has descended. In fact, he is the “image of the invisible God,” that our limited human nature and frailty might in time grow accustomed to see God the Father in him who is the Image of God, that is, in the Son of God. Gradually and by degrees, human frailty had to be strengthened by means of the Image for the glory of being able one day to see God the Father.

ON THE TRINITY 18.1-3