482 TRANSLATION, NOTES, AND COMMENTSthrough Moses was an ancient grace, but it was only temporary; eternal grace
and truth came through Jesus Christ.
Origen (contra Gels. ii 74-75) says the Jews fashioned the calf because they
did not believe the marvels of Egypt, the Sea, and the Wilderness. In keeping
with their character of disbelief, they refused to accept the coming of Jesus and
the "second covenant;' which were equally marvelous. Christian preachers,
says Origen, like the Apostles are to be "ministers of the new covenant" (2 Cor
3:6), i.e., messengers who ascend high mountains by preaching good news to
the poor (comm. Jo. i 11; cf. Isa 52:6-7; 40:9). Paul was a "minister of the new
covenant," distinguished not by voluminous writings but by the preaching
done under the power of the Spirit (comm. Jo. v 3; cf. Rom 15: 19). Origen
therefore wonders if he himself will qualify as a "minister of the new covenant"
with all the writing he is doing (comm. Jo. v 4).
Lactantius (Div. Inst. iv 20) reiterates themes developed by the earlier Fa-
thers. Jeremiah 31:31-32 shows that Jews are disinherited and that Christians,
thanks to the death of Jesus, are now heirs to the Kingdom. The "house of
Judah" in v 31 refers to those called out from among the Gentiles. There are
two testaments: the old, which is used by the Jews, and the new, which is used
by Christians. The new fulfills the old and is more complete than the old. As a
result of being adopted under the new covenant, the Gentiles are freed from
their chains and brought into the light of wisdom (Isa 42:6-7).
Against Marcion and others, the Fathers argued that although there were
two covenants (and two peoples), there was but one Cod (Irenaeus, haer. iv 9,
15, 32-33; Tertullian, adv. Marc. i 20; iv l; Origen, comm. Jo. i 14). Clement of
Alexandria argued against the Valentinians that the Holy Spirit operating in
the Church was the same Holy Spirit that operated in the OT (exc. Thdot. 24
[PG 9: 671-72]). Irenaeus saw in both Testaments the same righteousness of
God when God takes vengeance, although he believed that in the NT ven-
geance was more real, more enduring, and more rigid (haer. iv 28.1).
The Marcionite heresy required also from the Fathers a defense of the unity
of Scripture. Origen did this with eloquence. He said that all the sacred writ-
ings were in fact one book (comm. Jo. v 4; comm. Mt. ii 15), "one perfect and
harmonized instrument of God" (comm. Mt. ii 1 ). The OT was the beginning
of the gospel of Jesus Christ; from another point of view, John the Baptist was
a type of OT (comm. Jo. i 14-15). If Origen was the most eloquent in defending
the unity of Scripture, Tertullian was the most open in acknowledging Scrip-
ture's diversity, but he said that amidst all the diversity, there was still no incon-
sistency with one and the same God (adv. Marc. iv 1).
d) Ongoing Creation, Ongoing Covenant (31:3 5-3 7)
31 35 Thus said Yahweh
who gives the sun for light by day
statutes of the moon and stars
for light by night