MATTHEW

Cleveland Museum of Art

 In Blake's picture St Matthew is composing his Gospel with the oversight of an angel. They are consulting a scroll of the Hebrew bible seeking the passages which apply to the coming of the messiah. Matthew was particularly interested in writing a gospel which would speak to the Jewish Christians in Palestine and Syria whom he was teaching. Blake captured the struggle Matthew experienced when linking the revelations of the Hebrew bible with God's message which came through the life, death, and resurrection of Jesus.

Annotations to Lavater, (E 594)

   "Man is a twofold being. one part capable of evil & the other
capable of good   that which is capable of good is not also
capable of evil.  but that which is capable of evil is also
capable of good.  this aphorism seems to consider man as simple &
yet capable of evil. now both evil & good cannot exist in a 
simple being. for thus 2 contraries would. spring from one
essence which is impossible. but if man is considerd as only
evil. & god only good. how then is regeneration effected which
turns the evil to good. by casting out the evil. by the good. 
See Matthew XII. Ch. 26. 27. 28. 29 vs" 

Matthew 12
[26] And if Satan cast out Satan, he is divided against himself; how shall then his kingdom stand?
[27] And if I by Beelzebub cast out devils, by whom do your children cast them out? therefore they shall be your judges.
[28] But if I cast out devils by the Spirit of God, then the kingdom of God is come unto you.
[29] Or else how can one enter into a strong man's house, and spoil his goods, except he first bind the strong man? and then he will spoil his house. 

Phillips Translation

Jesus knew what they were thinking and said to them, “Any kingdom divided against itself is bound to collapse, and no town or household divided against itself can last for long. If it is Satan who is expelling Satan, then he is divided against himself—so how do you suppose that his kingdom can continue? And if I expel devils because I am an ally of Beelzebub, what alliance do your sons make when they do the same thing? They can settle that question for you! But if I am expelling devils by the Spirit of God, then the kingdom of God has swept over you unawares! How do you suppose anyone could get into a strong man’s house and steal his property unless he first tied up the strong man? But if he did that, he could ransack his whole house.

 

The First Christians