And from Jesus Christ, who is the faithful witness, and the first begotten of the dead, and the prince of the kings of the earth. Unto him that loves us, and washed us from our sins in his own blood,
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Oecumenius
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He had written before concerning the pre-incarnate Word of God, describing of Him as “he who was”, but now he says concerning Him as the incarnate, saying, and from Jesus Christ. He does not divide him into two, but bares witness to Him in both states at one time, that He is both the Word of the Father and that He was made flesh.
He is the faithful witness- for according to the apostle "who gave testimony under Pontius Pilate, a good confession.(1Tim. 6:13)" But He was because He is God and Lord of all even though He is incarnate. But this testimony is indeed true. He calls the one who is true faithful and genuine.
the first begotten of the dead: Paul also testifies, saying, "who is the beginning, the firstborn from the dead. (Col. 1:18)" They call Him the firstborn of the dead as being the one who founded the universal resurrection, and who, according to Scripture, "A new and living way which he hath dedicated for us through the veil, that is to say, his flesh"(Heb. 10:20), by the resurrection of the dead. For everyone who was raised from the dead before the Lord came died again, because that was not the true resurrection, but a temporary pardon from death. That is why they were not called the firstborn from the dead. But the Lord is called this, as He was both the beginning and reason of the true resurrection. And just as He is a type of first-fruits of the resurrection of man, so when He became a man he led the way as from a tomb, from death to life. Concerning the Lord, the blessed Paul wrote in his letter to the Romans, saying, "Knowing that Christ rising again from the dead, dies now no more, death shall no more have dominion over him. 10 For in that he died to sin, he died once; but in that he lives, he lives unto God.(Rom. 6:9-10)"
He says and the prince of the kings of the earth, Daniel also said this to the king of Babylon, "until he knew that the most high God is Lord of the kingdom of heaven, and will give it to whomsoever he shall please.(Dan. 5:21)" So Christ is the King of all those in Heaven too. But now he speaks concerning those on earth. As he continues he demonstrates how He is King of the holy legions in the Heaven too.
