Matthew 12:28 (WEB)
But if I by the Spirit of God cast out demons, then God’s Kingdom has come upon you.
Catechism · 1
“The coming of God's kingdom means the defeat of Satan's: "If it is by the Spirit of God that I cast out demons, then the kingdom of God has come upon you."” — Catechism footnote: Mt 12:26, 28.
Fathers and councils · 26
Gregory of Nyssa
“…the only-begotten God, Who said to the devil, “I charge thee,” ascribes to the power of the Spirit, when He says, “If I by the Spirit of God cast out devils,” so that the expulsion of devils is not destructive of the glory of the Spirit, but rather a demonstration of His divine and transcendent power.” — editor's note: S. Matt. xii. 28.
Read the whole comment“For He says, “If I by the Spirit of God cast out devils”; where He includes every form of doing good in a partial description, by reason of the unity of action: for the name derived from operation cannot be divided among many where the result of their mutual operation is one.” — editor's note: S. Matt. xii. 28.
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Athanasius of Alexandria
“For the Jews saying that He cast out devils in Beelzebub, He answered and said to them, for the exposure of their blasphemy, ‘But if I through the Spirit of God cast out demons.’” — editor's note: Matt. xii. 28.
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Cyril of Jerusalem
“And again, But if I by the Spirit of God cast out devils; and immediately afterwards, Therefore I say unto you, All manner of sin and blasphemy shall be forgiven unto men; but the blasphemy against the Holy Ghost shall not be forgiven.” — editor's note: Matt. xii. 28.
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Augustine of Hippo
“Our Lord, when answering those who accused Him of casting out devils in the name of Beelzebub, saith, “If I cast out devils by the Spirit of God;” and another Evangelist, in relating the same saying, saith, “If I with the finger of God cast out devils.”” — editor's note: Matt. xii. 28.
Read the whole comment“And Jesus knew their thoughts, and said unto them, Every kingdom divided against itself shall be brought to desolation;” and so on, down to the words, “By thy words thou shalt be justified, and by thy words thou shalt be condemned.”” — editor's note: Matt. xii. 23–37.
Read the whole comment“For the Lord in saying to the Pharisees, “Whosoever shall speak an evil word against the Son of Man,” &c., may have meant to warn them to come to the grace of God, and having received it, not to sin as they have now sinned.” — editor's note: Matt. xii. 24–33.
Read the whole comment“And in the Spirit too He wrought miracles, saying: “But if I with the Spirit of God cast out devils, no doubt the kingdom of God is come upon you.”” — editor's note: Matt. xii. 28
Read the whole comment“For if He reckoned them so condemned, that there was no hope left for them, He would not judge that they ought still to be admonished, as He did by adding the statement, “Either make the tree good, and his fruit good; or else make the tree corrupt, and his fruit corrupt.”” — editor's note: Matt. xii. 24–33.
Read the whole comment“Then He subjoins, “But if I by the Spirit of God cast out devils, then the kingdom of God is come unto you.”” — editor's note: Matt. xii. 28.
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John Chrysostom
““But if I cast out devils by the Spirit of God, then the Kingdom of God is come unto you.”” — editor's note: Matt. xii. 28. [R.V., “upon you.”]
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Basil the Great
“But the Holy Ghost is the finger of God, as it is said “if I by the finger of God cast out devils,” of which the version in another Gospel is “if I by the Spirit of God cast out devils.”” — editor's note: Matt. xii. 28.
Read the whole comment“It is called “Spirit of God,” “Spirit of truth which proceedeth from the Father,” “right Spirit,” “a leading Spirit.”” — editor's note: Matt. xii. 28, etc.
Read the whole comment“He was inseparably with Him while working His wonderful works; for, it is said, “If I by the Spirit of God cast out devils.”” — editor's note: Matt. xii. 28.
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Ambrose of Milan
“And so the Church in the Song of Songs and Christ in the Gospel invites them, saying: “Come unto Me, all ye who labour and are heavy laden, and I will refresh you; take My yoke upon you and learn of Me, for I am meek and lowly in heart.”” — editor's note: S. Matt. xii. 28, 29.
Read the whole comment“For in the same place in another book of the Gospel He named the Spirit of God, as you find: “But if I by the Spirit of God cast out devils.”” — editor's note: S. Matt. xii. 28.
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Hilary of Poitiers
“And when the Lord Himself bears witness of Himself, But if I in the Spirit of God cast out devils, then has the kingdom of God come upon you.” — editor's note: Ib. 28.
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Catena Aurea on Matthew
- John ChrysostomCatena Aurea on Matthew
After the first answer, He comes to a second more plain than the first, saying, “And if I by Beelzebub cast out daemons, by whom do your sons cast them out? Therefore shall they be your judges.”
Read the whole comment - JeromeCatena Aurea on Matthew
He alludes, as is His manner, under the name children of the Jews, either to the exorcists of that race, or to the Apostles who are by race of that nation. If He means the exorcists who by the invocation of God cast…
Read the whole comment - Hilary of PoitiersCatena Aurea on Matthew
And they are worthily appointed judges over them, to whom Christ is found to have given that power over the daemons, which it was denied that He had.
Read the whole comment - Rabanus MaurusCatena Aurea on Matthew
Or, because the Apostles well knew within their own conscience that they had learnt no evil art from Him.
Read the whole comment - John ChrysostomCatena Aurea on Matthew
Yet He said not, My disciples, or Apostles, but “your children;” that if they chose to return again to their own privileges, they might take occasion hence; but if they should be ungrateful, they might not have even…
Read the whole comment - JeromeCatena Aurea on Matthew
For the kingdom of God denotes Himself, of whom it is written in another place, “The kingdom of God is among you; [Luke 17:21] and, “There standeth one in the midst of you whom ye know not.” [John 1:26]. Or surely…
Read the whole comment - Hilary of PoitiersCatena Aurea on Matthew
If then the disciples work by Christ, and Christ by the Spirit of God, already is the kingdom of God transferred to the Apostles through the office of the Mediator.
Read the whole comment - Glossa OrdinariaCatena Aurea on Matthew
For the weakening of the kingdom of the Devil is the increase of the kingdom of God.
Read the whole comment - Augustine of HippoCatena Aurea on Matthew
Whence the sense might be this, “If I by Beelzebub cast out daemons,” then, according to your own opinion, “the kingdom of God is come upon you,” for the kingdom of the Devil, being thus divided against itself,…
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Cross-references · 19
Cited together in On the Holy Spirit III.3.
Cited together in On the Holy Spirit Chapter 8.
Cited together in On 'Not Three Gods'.
Cited together in On the Holy Spirit III.3.
Cited together in On 'Not Three Gods'.
Cited together in On the Holy Spirit Chapter 8.
Cited together in On the Holy Spirit Chapter 8.
Cited together in On the Holy Spirit III.3.
Cited together in On the Holy Spirit III.3.
Cited together in On the Holy Spirit III.3.
Cited together in On the Holy Spirit III.3.
Cited together in On 'Not Three Gods'.
Cited together in On 'Not Three Gods'.
Cited together in On the Holy Spirit III.3.
Cited together in On the Holy Spirit Chapter 8.
Cited together in On the Holy Spirit Chapter 8.
Cited together in On 'Not Three Gods'.
Cited together in On 'Not Three Gods'.
Cited together in On the Holy Spirit III.3.
