| Aliquotiens diximus apostolum Paulum
virum fuisse doctissimum et eruditum ad pedes Gamalihel,
qui in apostolorum Actibus contionatur ed dicit: et
nunc quid habetis cum hominibus istis? si enim a deo est,
stabit, si ex hominibus, destruetur. [Act. 5:38f.]
cumque haberet sanctarum scripturarum et sermonis
diversarumque linguarum gratiam possideret - unde ipse
gloriatur in domino et dicit: gratias ago deo, quod
omnium eorum magis linguis loquor [1 Cor. 14:18f.],
divinorum sensuum maiestatem digno no poterat Graeci
eloquii explicare sermone. |
We have said several times that the
apostle Paul was a very educated man and erudite at the
feet of Gamaliel, who addressed the assembly in the Acts
of the Apostles and said, And now what do you have to
do with these men? For if it is of God, it will stand, if
it is of men, it is ruined. [Acts 5:38f.] While he
had the holy scriptures and possessed the grace of
speaking and of different tongues - about which he boasts
in the Lord and says: I thank God, because I speak in
tongues more than all of them [1 Cor 14:18f.], he
could not properly explain the majesty of the divine
meanings in eloquent Greek speech. |
| Habebat ergo Titum interpretus sicut
et beatus Petrus Marcum, cuius evangelium Petro narrante
et illo scribente compositum est. Denique et
duae epistulae, quae feruntur Petri, stilo inter se et
caractere discrepant structuraque verborum; ex quo
intellegimus pro necessitate rerum diversis eum usum
interpretibus. |
He, thus, had Titus as an interpreter, just
as the blessed Peter also had Mark, whose gospel was
composed with Peter narrating and him writing.
Further, the two epistles, which circulate as Peter's,
are also different in style among themselves and in
character, and in word structure; from which we
understand that he used different interpreters as
necessary. |
| Matthaeus qui et Levi,
ex publicano apostolus, primus in Judaea, propter eos qui
ex circumcisione crediderunt, Evangelium Christi Hebraeis
litteris verbisque composuit; quod quis postea in Greacum
transtulerit, non satis certem est. Porro ipsum Hebraicum
habetur usque hodie in Caesariensi bibliotheca, quam
Pamphilus martyr studiossime confecit. |
Matthew who is also
Levi, ex-publican apostle, composed the Gospel of Christ
in Hebrew letters and words first in Judea, on account of
those from the circumcision who believed; who later
translated it in Greek is not quite certain. Futher, the
Hebrew itself is still kept today in the Caesarean
library, which Pamphilus the martyr diligently assembled. |
| Mihi quoque a Nazaraeis qui in Borea,
urbe Syriae, hoc volumine utuntur, describendi facultas
fuit. In quo animadvertendum quo ubicumque evangelista,
sive ex persona sua sive ex Domini Salvatoris veteris
scripturae testimoniis abutitur, non sequatur Septuagint
translatorum auctoritatem, sed Hebraicum. E quibus illa
duo sunt: Ex Aegypto vocavi Filium meum [2:15],
et, Quoniam Nazaraeus vocabitur. [2:23] |
I also got the opportunity from the
Nazareans to copy this volume, which they use in Borea, a
city in Syria. In it, it is noted that whenever the
evangelist, either of his person or of the Lord Saviour,
made full use of testimonies of the old scriptures, he
did not follow the authority of Seventy translators, but
the Hebrew. From which, these are two: Out of Egypt I
have called my Son [2:15], and, For he shall be
called a Nazarean. [2:23] |
| Lucas, medicus
Antiochensis, ut ejus scripta indicant Graeci sermonis
non ignarus fuit, sectator apostoli Pauli et omnis ejus
peregrinationis comes, scripsit Evangelium, de quo idem
Paulus: misimus, inquit, com illo fratem cujus laus
est in evangelio per omnes ecclesias. [2 Cor. 8:18],
et ad Colossenes, salutat vos Lucas medicus
carissimus [4:14], et ad Timotheum, Lucas est
mecum solus [2 Tim. 4:11]. |
Luke, an Antiochene
physician, was not ignorant of the Greek speech as his
writings indicate. A follower of the apostle Paul and
companion on all his journeying, he wrote a gospel about
which Paul said: we have sent with him the brother
whose praise is in the gospel throughout all the churches.
[2 Cor. 8:18], and to the Colossians, Luke the
dearest physician greets you [4:14], and to Timothy,
Luke alone is with me [2 Tim. 4:11]. |
| Aliud quoque edidit volumen egregium
quod titulo Apostolicorum praxewn
praenotatur, cujus historia usque ad biennium Romae
commorantis Pauli pervenit, id est usque ad quartum
Neronis annum. Ex quo intelligimus in eadem urbe librum
esse compositum. Igitur periodouV
Pauli et Theclae et totam baptizati leonis fabulam inter
apocryphas scripturas computemus. Quale enim est, ut
individuus comes apostoli inter ceteras ejus res hoc
solum ignoravit? Sed et Tertullianus, vicinus illorum
temporem, refert presbyterum quendam in Asia, spoudasthn apostoli Pauli, convictum
apud Johannem quod auctor esset libri, et confessum se
hoc Pauli amore fecisse, loco excidisse. |
He also published another excellent
volume which is known by the title Acts of Apostles,
whose story reaches up to Paul's two-year stay in Rome,
that is until the fourth year of Nero. From which we
understand that the book was composed in the same city.
Therefore, the Journeys of Paul and Thecla and the entire
tale about the baptized lion we reckon among the
apocryphal scriptures. For how is it that the inseparable
companion of the apostle among his other things be
unaware of just this? But Tertullian too, close to those
times, reports that a certain presbyter in Asia, a fan of
the apostle Paul, convicted by John to be the author of
the book and confessed that he did it for the love of
Paul, left his position. |
| Quidam suspicantur, quotiescumque Paulus
in epistulis suis dicat juxta evangelium meum
[Rom. 16:23], de Lucae significare volumine et Lucam non
solum ab apostolo Paulo didicisse evangelium, qui cum
Domino in carne non fuerat, sed et a ceteris apostolis.
Quod ipse quoque in principi volumnis sui declarat
dicens: sicut tradiderunt nobis qui a principio ipsi
viderunt et ministeri fuerant sermonis [Luke 1:2].
Igitur Evanglium, sicut audierat scripsit, Acta vero
apostolorum, sicut viderat ipse, composuit. |
Certain people suspect that whenever
Paul says according to my gospel in his letters
[Rom 16:23], he means the volume of Luke's and that Luke
was taught the gospel not only by Paul, who had not been
with the Lord in the flesh, but also by the other
apostles. As he himself also declared in the beginning of
his volume, just as those who themselves saw from the
beginning and were ministers of the word, handed down to
us [Luke 1:2] Therefore, he wrote the gospel just as
he heard and composed the acts just as he himself saw. |
| Sepultus est Constantinopolim, ad quam
urbem, vicesimo Constantii anno, ossa ejus, cum reliquiis
Andreae apostoli, translata sunt. |
He was buried in Constantinople, into
which city, in twentieth year of Constantius [II, emperor
337-61], his bones with the relics of the apostle Andrew
were translated. |
| Marcus, discipulus et
interpres Petri juxta quod Petrum referentum audierat,
rogatus Romae a fratribus breve scripsit Evangelium. Quod
cum Petrus audisset, probavit et ecclesiis legendum sua
auctoritate edidit, sicut scribit Clemens in sexto Upotuposewn libro et Papias Hierapolitanus episcopus.
Meminit hujus Marci et Petrus in prima epistula, sub
nomine Babylonis figuraliter Romam significans: salutat
vos quae est in Babylone coelecta et Marcus filius meus
[1 Pet. 5:13]. |
Mark, disciple and
interpreter of Peter according to what he heard Peter
relate, wrote a brief Gospel as requested by the brothers
in Rome.When Peter heard, he approved and ordained it on
his authority for reading in the churches, just as
Clement wrote in the sixth book of the Hypotyposes,
and Papias the Hierapolitan
bishop. Peter also mentioned this Mark in the first
epistle, under the name of Babylon figuratively
signifying Rome: she who is in Babylon chosen
together with you, sends you greetings and so does Mark
my son [1 Pet. 5:13]. |
| Assumpto itaque evangelio quod ipse
confecerat, perrexit Aegyptum et primus Alexandriae
Christum annucians constituit ecclesiam tanta doctrina et
vitae continentia, ut omnes sectatores Christi ad
exemplum sui cogeret. Denique Philon, disertissimus
Judaeorum, videns Alexandriae primam ecclesiam adhuc
judaizantem quasi in laudem gentis suae librum super
eorum conversatione scripsit, et quomodo Lucas narrat
Hierosolymae credentes omnia habuisse communia, sic ille
quod Alexandriae sub Marco fieri doctore cernebat
memoriae tradidit. |
And so, he took the gospel which he put
together and proceeded to Egypt. First proclaiming Christ
in Alexandria, he founded a church with such teaching and
self-control in life that she compels all followers of
Christ to her example. Further, Philo, the most brilliant
of the Jews, upon seeing the first church of Alexandria
when it was still Jewish, wrote a book about their
dealings as if in praise of his own people, and he handed
down a remembrance of what he saw was done in Alexandria
under the instructor Mark in the same manner that Luke
relates that the believers of Jerusalem had everything in
common. |
| Mortuus est autem octavo Neronis anno et
sepultus Alexandriae, succedente sibi Anniano. |
Mark died in the eighth year of Nero
[emperor 54-68] and was buried in Alexandria, Annianus
succeeding him. |
| Primus omnium Matthaeus
est publicanus cognomento Levi, qui evangelium in Judaea
hebreo sermone edidit, ob eorum vel maxime causam qui in
Jesum crediderunt ex Judaeis et nequaquam legis umbra
succendente evangelii vertitatem servabat. |
First of all is Matthew,
a publican with the name of Levi, who published a gospel
in Judea in the Hebrew speech, especially on account of
those of the Jews who believed in Jesus, and he kept the
truth of gospel with the shadow of the law in no way
coming back. |
| Secundus Marcus
interpres apostoli Petri et Alexandriae ecclesiae primus
episcopus, qui dominum quidem salvatorem ipse non vidit,
sed ea quae magistrum audierat praedicantem juxta fidem
magis gestorum narravit quam ordinem. |
Second was Mark,
interpreter of the apostle Peter and first bishop of the
church of Alexandria. He did in fact not see the lord and
savior, but told these things which he heard the master
preach according to the faith rather than in order of
events. |
| Tertius Lucas medicus,
natione Syrus Antiochensis, cujus laus in evangelio, qui
et ipse discipulus apostoli Pauli in Achaiae Boeotiaeque
partibus volumen condidit, quaedam altius repetens et, ut
ipse in prohemio confitetur, audita magis quam visa
describens. |
Third was Luke,
physician, Antiochene Syrian by birth, whose praise is in
the gospel. He, also a disciple of the apostle Paul, put
together the volume in the regions of Achaia and Boeotia,
repeating certain things more deeply and, as he
acknowledged in his preface, describing what he heard
rather than saw. |
| Ultima Johannes
apostolus et evangelista, quem Jesus amavit plurimum, ... |
Last was John, apostle
and evangelist, whom Jesus loved very much, ... |
External Evidence: Jerome