Matthew 16:24–28
Since the disciples did not yet have “power from on high,” (Luke 24:49) it was likely they might somehow also fall into human weaknesses and, having thought something of the sort, say: How will someone deny himself? Or how, having lost his own soul, will he find it? And what equal-honoring prize is there for those who have suffered this?
Therefore, so that he might stand them away from such reasonings and, as it were, reforge them toward courage by instilling desire for the fair fame about to be theirs, he says, “There are some of those standing here,” (Matthew 16:24–28) and what follows — hinting at Peter and the sons of Zebedee. For these were taken along at the transfiguration, which he calls a kingdom as having shown the ineffable of his authority and the unvarying genuineness of his relation to the Father. In it he also indicated the dignity of the second coming and a frightful prelude — showing this as confirmation, as it were, of that. For he will come in the glory of God the Father, not in the smallness that is ours.
Greek
Ἐπεὶ οὔπω τὴν "ἐξ ὕψους δύναμιν" ἐσχηκότας τοὺς μαθητὰς εἰκὸς ἦν τάχα που καὶ ἀνθρωπίναις 22 περιπεσεῖν ἀσθενείαις καί τι τοιοῦ τον ἐννενοηκότας εἰπεῖν· πῶς ἀρνήσεταί τις ἑαυτόν; ἢ πῶς ἀπολέσας τὴν ἑαυτοῦ ψυχὴν εὑρήσει αὐτήν; τί δὲ τοῖς τοῦτο παθοῦσιν τὸ ἰσοτιμοῦν γέρας; διὰ τοῦτο, ἵνα τῶν τοιούτων αὐτοὺς ἀποστήσῃ λογι σμῶν καὶ οἷον μεταχαλκεύσῃ πρὸς εὐανδρίαν τῆς ἐσομένης αὐτοῖς εὐ κλείας ἐπιθυμίαν ἐντεκών, φησίν· εἰσίν τινες τῶν ὧδε ἑστηκότων καὶ τὰ ἑξῆς, Πέτρον αἰνιττόμενος καὶ τοὺς υἱοὺς Ζεβεδαίου· οὗτοι γὰρ ἐν τῇ μεταμορφώσει συμπαρελήφθησαν, ἣν καλεῖ βασιλείαν ὡς ἐκ φήνασαν τῆς ἐξουσίας τὸ ἄφατον καὶ τῆς πρὸς τὸν πατέρα γνησιότητος τὸ ἀπαράλλακτον· ἐν αὐτῇ δὲ καὶ τῆς δευτέρας παρουσίας τὸ ἀξίωμα καὶ τὸ φρικτὸν ὑπεδήλωσε προοίμιον ταύτην ἐκείνης καὶ οἷον βεβαίωσιν ἐνδειξάμενος. ἥξει γὰρ ἐν δόξῃ τοῦ θεοῦ καὶ πατρός, οὐκ ἐν σμικρο πρεπείᾳ τῇ καθ' ἡμᾶς.
About this text
Catena fragments on Matthew (CPG 5206). Contents follow Matthew chapter and verse. Edition fragment numbers stay in About this text and under each passage.
English follows the named copy-text (Aegean/khazarzar Migne PG 72 extract). Other prints were checked as noted; no silent merge of recensions.
Witnesses
- Copy-text Migne PG 72 Commentarii in Matthaeum (Aegean Digital Patrologia / khazarzar) (Greek · CPG 5206 catena fragments (290 parsed heads))
- Checked print matia.gr mirror of same Aegean extract (Greek · Byte-identical PDF; integrity check only)
- Checked print Internet Archive PG 72 volume OCR (bim … 1859_72) (Greek (OCR damaged) · Locus confirmation only; not used as reading text)
This is an AI-assisted study translation. Source fidelity and completeness have not been independently certified. Open Greek on each section for the source text. This is not a complete critical edition.