Commentary on Matthew, Mark, Luke - Volume 2.pdf

<strong>Commentary</strong> on Matthew, Mark, Luke - Volume 2
time was still hidden, was about to be revealed. As if he had said, “There is no reason why that
mean condition should discourage you; for I, who am scarcely equal to the lowest, will at length
ascend to my throne of majesty. Endure then for a little, till the time arrive for revealing nay glory.”
And what does he then promise to them? That they shall be partakers of the same glory.
You also shall sit on twelve thrones By assigning to them thrones, from which they may judge
the twelve tribes of Israel, he compares them to assessors, or first councilors and judges, who occupy
the highest seats in the royal council. We know that the number of those who were chosen to be
apostles was twelve, in order to testify that, by the agency of Christ, God purposed to collect the
remnant of his people which was scattered. This was a very high rank, but hitherto was concealed;
and therefore Christ holds their wishes in suspense till the latest revelation of his kingdom, when
they will fully receive the fruit of their election. And though the kingdom of Christ is, in some
respects, manifested by the preaching of the Gospel, there is no doubt that Christ here speaks of
the last day.
In the regeneration. Some connect this term with the following clause. In this sense, regeneration
would be nothing else than the renovation which shall follow our restoration, when life shall swallow
up what is mortal, and when our mean body shall be transformed into the heavenly glory of Christ.
But I rather explain regeneration as referring to the first coming of Christ; for then the world began
to be renewed, and arose out of the darkness of death into the light of life. And this way of speaking
occurs frequently in the Prophets, and is exceedingly adapted to the connection of this passage. For
the renovation of the Church, which had been so frequently promised, had raised an expectation
of wonderful happiness, as soon as the Messiah should appear; and therefore, in order to guard
against that error, Christ distinguishes between the beginning and the completion of his reign.
Luke 22:28. You are they who have continued with me. Although Luke appears to relate a
different discourse of Christ, and one which was delivered at a different time, yet I have no doubt
that it refers to the same time. For it is not a continued discourse of Christ that is here related, but
detached sentences, without any regard to the order of time, as we shall shortly afterwards have
occasion to state. But he employs more words than Matthew; for he declares that, as the apostles
had accompanied him, and had remained steadfastly in his temptations, they would also be partakers
of his glory. It is asked, in what sense does he call them his temptations? I think that he means the
contests by which God tried him and the apostles in common. And properly did he use the word
temptations; for, according to the feeling of human nature, his faith and patience were actually
tried.
29. And I appoint to you the kingdom. Here he makes them not only judges, but kings; for he
shares with them the kingdom which he received from the Father There is an emphasis in the word
appoint, that they may not, by warmth and vehemence of desire, hasten too eagerly to possess the
kingdom of which he alone has the lawful right to dispose. By his own example, also, he exhorts
them to patience; for, though he was ordained by the Father to be a King, yet he was not immediately
raised to his glory, but even emptied Himself, (Philippians 2:7,) and by the ignominy of the cross
286
John Calvin