Commentary on the Apostles' Creed

St. Jerome

0. Greeting
Chapter 7
Chapter 8
Chapter 9
Chapter 10
Chapter 11
Chapter 12
Chapter 13
Chapter 14
Chapter 15
Chapter 16
Chapter 17
Chapter 18
Chapter 19
Chapter 20
Chapter 21
Chapter 22
Chapter 23
Chapter 24
Chapter 25
Chapter 26
Chapter 27
Chapter 28
Chapter 29
Chapter 30
Chapter 31
Chapter 32
Chapter 33
Chapter 34
Chapter 35
Chapter 36
Chapter 37
Chapter 38
Chapter 39
Chapter 40
Chapter 41
Chapter 42
Chapter 43
Chapter 44
Chapter 45
Chapter 46
Chapter 47
Chapter 48

Books of Moses, that Auses, the son of Nave, when he was chosen to lead the people, had his name changed from Auses to Jesus, to show that this was a name proper for princes and generals, for those, namely, who should save the people who followed them. Therefore, both were called Jesus, both the one who conducted the people, who had been brought forth out of the land of Egypt, and freed from the wanderings of the wilderness, into the land of promise, and the other, who conducted the people, who had been brought forth from the darkness of ignorance, and recalled from the errors of the world, into the kingdom of heaven.

Christ is a name proper either to High Priests or Kings. For formerly both high priests and kings were consecrated with the ointment of chrism: but these, as mortal and corruptible, with material and corruptible ointment. Jesus is made Christ, being anointed with the Holy Spirit, as the Scripture says of Him Whom the Father has anointed with the Holy Spirit sent down from heaven. And Isaiah had prefigured the same, saying in the person of the Son, The Spirit of the Lord is upon Me, because He has anointed Me, He has sent Me to preach good tidings to the poor.

Having shown them what Jesus is, Who saves His people, and what Christ is, Who is made a High Priest for ever, let us now see in what follows, of Whom these things are said, His only Son, our Lord. Here we are taught that this Jesus, of whom we have spoken, and this Christ, the meaning of whose name we have expounded, is the only Son of God and our Lord. Lest, perchance, you should think that these human names have an earthly significance, therefore it is added that He is the only Son of God, our Lord. For He is born One of One, because there is one brightness of light, and there is one word of the understanding. Neither does an incorporeal generation degenerate into the plural number, or suffer division, where He Who is born is in no wise separated from Him Who begets. He is only (unique), as thought is to the mind, as wisdom is to the wise, as a word is to the understanding, as valour is to the brave. For as the Father is said by the Apostle to be alone wise, so likewise the Son alone is called wisdom. He is then the only Son. And, although in glory, everlastingness, virtue, dominion, power, He is what the Father is, yet all these He has not unoriginately as the Father, but from the Father, as the Son, without beginning and equal; and although He is the Head of all things, yet the Father is the Head of Him. For so it is written, The Head of Christ is God.