Chapter One

The Book of Kinship.

Why did St. Matthew not say "vision" or "word" like the prophets, for they wrote in this way: "The vision which Isaiah saw" (Isaiah 1:1) or "the word which came to Isaiah" (Isaiah 2:1)? Do you want to know why? Because the prophets addressed the hard-hearted and disobedient, and therefore they said that this was a Divine vision and the word of God, so that the people would be afraid and would not despise what they said. Matthew, on the other hand, spoke to the faithful, the well-meaning as well as the obedient, and therefore did not say anything like this to the prophets beforehand. I have something else to say: what the prophets saw, they saw with their minds, contemplating it through the Holy Spirit; That's why they called it a vision. Matthew, on the other hand, did not intellectually see Christ and contemplate Him, but morally dwelt with Him and sensually listened to Him, contemplating Him in the flesh; therefore he did not say, "The vision which I saw," or "contemplation," but said, "The Book of Kinship."

Jesus.

The name "Jesus" is not Greek, but Hebrew, and translated means "Savior", for the word "yao" in the Hebrews refers to salvation.

Christ.

Christs ("Christ" in Greek means "anointed one") were called kings and high priests, because they were anointed with holy oil poured from the horn that was placed on their heads. The Lord is called Christ both as King, because He reigned against sin, and as High Priest, because He Himself offered Himself as a sacrifice for us. He was anointed with true oil, the Holy Spirit, and anointed above others, for who else had the Spirit as the Lord? In the saints the grace of the Holy Spirit was at work, but in Christ it was not the grace of the Holy Spirit that was at work, but Christ Himself, together with the Spirit of One Essence with Him, performed miracles.