{"collection":"chr","html_url":"https://unchartedknowledge.5gfusion.net/browse/chr/ecf/009/0090366.htm","path":"chr/ecf/009/0090366.htm","source_url":"https://sacred-texts.com/chr/ecf/009/0090366.htm","text":"15. The Householder and His Treasury.\nNow since \u201cevery scribe who has been made a disciple to the kingdom of heaven is like unto a man that is a householder who bringeth forth out of his treasury things new and old,\u201d 5242 it clearly follows, by \u201cconversion of the proposition,\u201d as it is called, that every one who does not bring forth out of his treasury things new and old, is not a scribe who has been made a disciple unto the kingdom of heaven. We must endeavour, therefore, in every way to gather in our heart, \u201cby giving heed to reading, to exhortation, to teaching,\u201d 5243 and by \u201cmeditating in the law of the Lord day and night,\u201d 5244 not only the new oracles of the Gospels and of the Apostles and their Revelation, but p. 423 also the old things in the law \u201cwhich has the shadow of the good things to come,\u201d 5245 and in the prophets who prophesied in accordance with them. And these things will be gathered together, when we also read and know, and remembering them, compare at a fitting time things spiritual with spiritual, not comparing things that cannot be compared with one another, but things which admit of comparison, and which have a certain likeness of diction signifying the same thing, and of thoughts and of opinions, so that by the mouth of two or three or more witnesses 5246 from the Scripture, we may establish and confirm every word of God. By means of them also we must refute those who, as far as in them lies, cleave in twain the Godhead and cut off the New from the Old, 5247 so that they are far removed from likeness to the householder who brings forth out of his treasury things new and old. And since he who is likened to any one is different from the one to whom he is likened, the scribe \u201cwho is made a disciple unto the kingdom of heaven\u201d will be the one who is likened, but different from him is the householder \u201cwho brings out of his treasury things new and old.\u201d But he who is likened to him, as in imitation of him, wishes to do that which is like. Perhaps, then, the man who is a householder is Jesus Himself, who brings forth out of His treasury, according to the time of the teaching, things new, things spiritual, which also are always being renewed by Him in the \u201cinner man\u201d of the righteous, who are themselves always being renewed day by day, 5248 and old things, things \u201cwritten and engraven on stones,\u201d 5249 and in the stony hearts of the old man, so that by comparison of the letter and by exhibition of the spirit He may enrich the scribe who is made a disciple unto the kingdom of heaven, and make him like unto Himself; until the disciple shall be as the Master, imitating first the imitator of Christ, and after him Christ Himself, according to that which is said by Paul, \u201cBe ye imitators of me even as I also of Christ.\u201d 5250 And likewise, Jesus the householder may in the simpler sense bring forth out of His treasury things new,\u2014that is, the evangelic teaching\u2014and things old,\u2014that is, the comparison of the sayings which are taken from the law and the prophets, of which we may find examples in the Gospels. And with regard to these things new and old, we must attend also to the spiritual law which says in Leviticus, \u201cAnd ye shall eat old things, and the old things of the old, and ye shall bring forth the old from before the new; and I will set my tabernacle among you.\u201d 5251 For we eat with blessing the old things,\u2014the prophetic words,\u2014and the old things of the old things,\u2014the words of the law; and, when the new and evangelical words came, living according to the Gospel we bring forth the old things of the letter from before the new, and He sets His tabernacle in us, fulfilling the promise which He spoke, \u201cI will dwell among them and walk in them.\u201d 5252\nLev. 26:10, 11.\n423:5252","title":"Ante-Nicene Fathers, Vol IX: Origen's Commentary on the Gospel of Matthew.: Chapter XV","type":"page"}