Tyrannius Rufinus

In his own words on Psalms

• Psalms 55:21

  If it does not make you weary, let me point out, as briefly as possible, specific references to prophecy in the Gospels, so that those who are being instructed in the basic elements of the faith may have these testimonies written on their hearts, lest they should be surprised by any doubt they may entertain concerning the things that they believe. We are told in the Gospel that Judas, one of Christ's friends and associates at their last meal together, betrayed him. Let me show you how this is foretold in the Psalms: "He who has eaten my bread has lifted up his heel against me"; and in another place, "My friends and my neighbors drew near and set themselves against me"; and again, "His words were smoother than oil, and yet they are real darts." What then is meant when it says that his words were smooth? "Judas came to Jesus and said to him, Hail, Master, and kissed him." Thus through the soft blandishment of a kiss he implanted the execrable dart of betrayal. In response the Lord said to him, "Judas, do you betray the Son of Man with a kiss?" You observe that he was appraised by the traitor's covetousness at thirty pieces of silver.

  COMMENTARY ON THE APOSTLES' CREED 20

• Psalms 57:4

  I have read the document sent from the East by our friend and good brother to a distinguished member of the Senate, Pammachius, which you have copied and forwarded to me. It brought to my mind the words of the prophet: "The sons of men whose teeth are spears and arrows and their tongue a sharp sword." But for these wounds that people inflict on one another with the tongue we can hardly find a physician; so I have turned to Jesus, the heavenly physician, and he has brought out for me from the medicine chest of the gospel an antidote of sovereign power; he has assuaged the violence of my grief with the assurance of the righteous judgment that I shall have at his hands. The potion that our Lord dispensed to me was nothing else than these words: "Blessed are you when people persecute you and say all manner of evil against you falsely. Rejoice and leap for joy, for great is your reward in heaven, for so persecuted they the prophets who were before you." With this medicine I was content, and, as far as the matter concerned me, I had determined for the future to keep silence; for I said to myself, "If they have called the master of the house Beelzebub, how much more them of his household?" (that is, you and me, unworthy though we are). And, if it was said of him, "He is a deceiver, he deceives the people," I must not be indignant if I hear that I am called a heretic and that the name of mole is applied to me because of the slowness of my mind or indeed my blindness. Christ who is my Lord, yes, and who is God over all, was called "a gluttonous man and a drunkard, a friend of publicans and sinners." How can I, then, be angry when I am called a carnal man who lives in luxury?

  APOLOGY 1:1

• Psalms 93:2

  To sit at the right hand of the Father is a mystery belonging to the incarnation. For it does not befit that incorporeal nature without the assumption of flesh; neither is the excellency of a heavenly seat sought for the divine nature but for the human. Thus it is said of him, "Your seat, O God, is prepared from thence forward; you are from everlasting." The seat, then, on which the Lord Jesus was to sit, was prepared from everlasting, "in whose name every knee should bow, of things in heaven and things on earth and things under the earth; and every tongue shall confess to him that Jesus is Lord in the glory of God the Father;" of whom also David says, "The Lord said to my Lord, Sit on my right hand until I make your enemies your footstool." Referring to these words the Lord in the Gospel said to the Pharisees, "If therefore David in spirit calls him Lord, how is he his Son?" By which [Jesus Christ] showed that according to the Spirit he was the Lord, according to the flesh he was the Son of David. Also the Lord says in another place, "Truly I say to you, henceforth you shall see the Son of man sitting at the right hand of the power of God." And the apostle Peter says of Christ, "Who is on the right hand of God, seated in the heavens." And Paul also, writing to the Ephesians, "According to the working of the might of his power, which he wrought in Christ, when he raised him from the dead and seated him on his right hand."

  COMMENTARY ON THE APOSTLES' CREED 32