Opus Imperfectum
Encyclopedia
Opus Imperfectum in Matthaeum is an early Christian commentary on the Gospel of Matthew
, written sometime in the 5th century. Its name is derived from the fact that it is incomplete, omitting a number of passages from Matthew.
Its authorship was for centuries wrongly attributed to John Chrysostom
, a misconception first refuted by Erasmus in 1530. Some candidates for its authorship include a Arian
priest in Constantinople
named Timothy; Maximinus, an Arian bishop who accompanied the Goths
; and Anianus of Celeda
.
It exhibits a mildly Arian
Christology, and represents the sometimes confused theology that permeated Christianity in its formative centuries. It was well regarded into the Middle Ages in spite of its theological deficiencies, but fell out of widespread study after Erasmus' critique.
Thomas Aquinas
was said to have remarked that he would rather have the completed work than to be mayor of Paris
.
Gospel of Matthew
The Gospel According to Matthew is one of the four canonical gospels, one of the three synoptic gospels, and the first book of the New Testament. It tells of the life, ministry, death, and resurrection of Jesus of Nazareth...
, written sometime in the 5th century. Its name is derived from the fact that it is incomplete, omitting a number of passages from Matthew.
Its authorship was for centuries wrongly attributed to John Chrysostom
John Chrysostom
John Chrysostom , Archbishop of Constantinople, was an important Early Church Father. He is known for his eloquence in preaching and public speaking, his denunciation of abuse of authority by both ecclesiastical and political leaders, the Divine Liturgy of St. John Chrysostom, and his ascetic...
, a misconception first refuted by Erasmus in 1530. Some candidates for its authorship include a Arian
Arian
Arian may refer to:* Arius, a Christian presbyter in the 3rd and 4th century* a given name in different cultures: Aria, Aryan or Arian...
priest in Constantinople
Constantinople
Constantinople was the capital of the Roman, Eastern Roman, Byzantine, Latin, and Ottoman Empires. Throughout most of the Middle Ages, Constantinople was Europe's largest and wealthiest city.-Names:...
named Timothy; Maximinus, an Arian bishop who accompanied the Goths
Goths
The Goths were an East Germanic tribe of Scandinavian origin whose two branches, the Visigoths and the Ostrogoths, played an important role in the fall of the Roman Empire and the emergence of Medieval Europe....
; and Anianus of Celeda
Anianus of Celeda
Anianus of Celeda was deacon of the church at a place called Celeda in the early fifth century and a supporter of Pelagius...
.
It exhibits a mildly Arian
Arianism
Arianism is the theological teaching attributed to Arius , a Christian presbyter from Alexandria, Egypt, concerning the relationship of the entities of the Trinity and the precise nature of the Son of God as being a subordinate entity to God the Father...
Christology, and represents the sometimes confused theology that permeated Christianity in its formative centuries. It was well regarded into the Middle Ages in spite of its theological deficiencies, but fell out of widespread study after Erasmus' critique.
Thomas Aquinas
Thomas Aquinas
Thomas Aquinas, O.P. , also Thomas of Aquin or Aquino, was an Italian Dominican priest of the Catholic Church, and an immensely influential philosopher and theologian in the tradition of scholasticism, known as Doctor Angelicus, Doctor Communis, or Doctor Universalis...
was said to have remarked that he would rather have the completed work than to be mayor of Paris
Paris
Paris is the capital and largest city in France, situated on the river Seine, in northern France, at the heart of the Île-de-France region...
.