But I say unto you, That Elijah has indeed come, and they have done unto him whatsoever they desired, as it is written of him.
All Commentaries on Mark 9:13 Go To Mark 9
John Chrysostom
AD 407
Hom. in Matt., 56: Where He not only orders them to be silent, but mentioning His Passion, He implies the causewhy they were to be silent.
Vict. Ant. e Cat. in Marc.: But they, being ignorant of the mystery of the resurrection, took hold of that saying, and disputed one with another. Wherefore there follows, “And they kept that saying with themselves, questioning one with another what the rising from the dead should mean.”.
The design of the disciples in asking this question seems to me to be this. We indeed have seen Elias withThee, and have seen Thee before seeing Elias, but the Scribes say that Eliascometh first; we therefore believe that they have lied.
Hom. in Matt. 57: But what Christ answered to this, is seen by what follows, “And He answered and told them, Elias verily cometh first, and restoreth all things;” in which He shows that Elias will come before His second advent. For the Scriptures declare two advents of Christ, namely, one which has taken place, and another which is to come; but the Lord asserts that Elias is the forerunner of the second advent.
Now as the Lord asserted that Elias was to be the forerunner of the second advent, so consequently He asserted that John was the forerunner of the first. Wherefore He subjoins, “But I say unto you, that Elias is indeed come.”
