- Expositio in Matthaeum Evangelistam
"Exposito in Matthaeum Evangelistam" ("Commentary on the
Gospel of Matthew ") is a work by the ninth-centuryBenedictine monkChristian of Stavelot . As its name implies, it is a commentary on theGospel of Matthew . In the preface, Christian promised to produce commentaries on the other gospels, but wrote only two brief works on theGospel of John and theGospel of Luke , neither of which are as comprehensive or complete.The traditional date given for the composition of this work is 864; however, some scholars have questioned this and maintained that Christian actually lived decades earlier.ref|date Multiple editions have survived of Christian's commentary on Matthew, some of which were likely edited by later writers to conform with their own views. Of particular interest to, and considerable debate among, modern scholars is Christian's view of the doctrine of
transubstantiation . As Philip Schaff noted::"Curiously enough, his exact language upon this interesting point cannot be now determined beyond peradventure, because every copy of the first printed edition prepared by
Wimphelin de Schelestadt , Strassburg 1514, has perished, and in the MS. in possession of the Cordelier Fathers atLyon the critical passage reads differently from that in the second edition, by the Lutheran,Johannes Secerius , Hagenau 1530. In the Secerius text, now printed in the Lyon edition of the Fathers, and inMigne , the words are, 26:26, “"Hoc est corpus meum. Id est, in sacramento"” (“This is my body. That is, in the sacrament,” or the sacramental sign as distinct from the res sacramenti, or the substance represented). Matt. 26:28, "Transferens spiritaliter corpus in panem, vinum in sanguinem" (“Transferring spiritually body into bread, wine into blood”). In the MS. the first passage reads: “"Id est, vere in sacramento subsistens"” (“That is, truly subsisting in the sacrament”); and in the second the word “"spiritaliter"“ is omitted. TheRoman Catholic s now generally admit the correctness of the printed text, and that the MS. has been tampered with, but insist that Druthmar is not opposed to the Catholic doctrine on the Eucharist."ref|SchaffChristian's writings have also attracted the interest of scholars of
Jewish history . A tantalizing reference exists in Christian's work to the conversion of theKhazars toJudaism , believed to have occurred in the late eighth or early ninth centuries::"At the present time we know of no nation under the heavens where Christians do not live. For [Christians are even found] in the lands of
Gog and Magog -- who are aHun nic race and are called Gazari (Khazars) [they are] circumcized and observing all [the laws of] Judaism. TheBulgars , however, who are of the same seven tribes [as the Khazars] , are now becomingbaptized [into Christianity] ."ref|quoteee also
*
Exposito en Brevis in Lucam
*Expositiuncula in Ioannem Evangelistam Notes
# Dunlop ___.
# Schaff § 172.
# [http://www.khazaria.com/khazar-quotes.html Quotes at Khazaria.com]References
*Dunlop, D.M.. "A History of the Jewish Khazars".
Princeton, New Jersey :Princeton University Press , 1954.
*Schaff, Philip. "History of the Christian Church". Volume IV: Mediaeval Christianity. A.D. 590-1073. Grand Rapids, MI: Christian CLassics Ethereal Library, 1882.External links
* [http://www.ellopos.net/theology/laistner-greek.html Knowledge of Greek in the early Middle Ages]
* [http://www.tcnj.edu/~chazelle/carindex.htm Caronlingian Biblical Commentary Manuscripts]
* [http://www.ccel.org/ccel/schaff/hcc4.i.xiv.xxxi.html?bcb=0 Christian Druthmar]
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