First Christian Voices: Practices of the Apostolic Fathers

Chapter 3: God the Son

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And He declares in another Prophet, “I spread out My hands all the day to a rebellious people, one that opposes My righteous way” ( Isa 65:2 ). And again, Moses makes a type of Jesus showing that it was necessary for Him to suffer so that He would be the author of life. This one they believed was destroyed on the cross when Israel was failing. The Lord brought it to pass that serpents bit them (since transgression was committed by Eve through means of the serpent) so that He might convince them that on account of their transgression they were given over to death. Moreover, Moses, when he commanded, “You shall not make for yourself a carved image” (Exod 20:4), he did so that he might reveal a type of Jesus. Moses then made a bronze serpent and placed it upon a beam, and by proclamation assembled the people. Therefore, when they came together, they implored Moses that he would offer sacrifice on their behalf and prayer for their recovery. And Moses spoke to them saying, “When anyone of you is bitten, let him come to the serpent placed on the pole. Let him hope and believe that even though dead it is able to give him life and immediately he will be restored” ( Num 21:7–9 ). And they did so. You have in this also the glory of Jesus. For in Him and to Him are all things. Again, what does Moses says to Jesus the son of Nun, when he gave him this name (since he was a prophet) with the sole view that all the people might hear how the Father would reveal all things concerning His Son Jesus to the son of Nun? With this name then being given to him when he sent him to spy out the land, he said, “Take a book into your hands and write what the Lord declares. Namely that the Son of God will utterly blot