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What the Fathers say
Eastern Fathers
John Chrysostom
This then is the first answer; the second which relates to His disciples He gives as follows, And if I by Beelzebub cast out devils, by whom do your sons cast them out? He says not, "My disciples," but your sons, wishing to soothe their wrath. (ut sup.) For since they who come forth from you are obedient unto Me, it is plain that they will condemn those who do the contrary.
Cyril of Alexandria
But others by similar darts of envy sought of him a sign from heaven. As it follows, And others, tempting him, sought of him a sign from heaven. As if they said, "Although thou hast cast out a devil from the man, this is no proof however of Divine power. For we have not yet seen any thing like to the miracles of former times. Moses led the people through the midst of the sea, (Exod. 14) and Joshua his successor stayed the sun in Gibeon. (Josh. …
Theophylact of Ohrid
Let it be so, that "I cast out demons... by the power of Beelzebul"; but "your sons," that is, the apostles, "by whose power do they cast them out?" Is it not obvious that it is by My name? How then do you say about Me that I cast out demons through Beelzebul, being in need of his power, when your sons, namely the apostles, cast them out by My name? Truly, they will judge you. For if they cast out demons by My name, then I Myself obviously have no need of the power of another.
Western Saints
Bede
But if I cast out demons by Beelzebub, by whom do your sons cast them out? Therefore, they shall be your judges. He said this, indeed, about his disciples, the sons of that people, who certainly being disciples of Lord Jesus Christ, were well aware that they had learned nothing of evil arts from the good teacher to cast out demons by the prince of demons. …
Bonaventure
Second, he leads to a false improbability, when he adds: But if I cast out demons by Beelzebub: in which he intends to form such an argument: if I cast out demons by the power of demons, and I gave your sons the power of casting out demons —this he presupposes and leaves unstated—therefore they themselves cast out demons by the prince of demons. But this is false and improbable both according to their own opinion and according to the testimony of the Apostles themselves. …
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