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On the Lord's Prayer

Cyprian of Carthage

Section 28

About this work

A pastoral exposition of the Lord’s Prayer that connects each petition with Christian unity, daily discipline, forgiveness, temptation, worship, and the communal identity of believers.

Author: Cyprian of Carthage
Date: c. AD 252
Origin: Carthage, North Africa
Genre: Theological Treatise

28. What wonder is it, beloved brethren, if

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such

is

the

prayer

which

God

taught

,

seeing

that

He

condensed

in

His

teaching

all

our

prayer

in

one

saving

sentence

?

This

had

already

been

before

foretold

by

Isaiah

the

prophet

,

when

,

being

filled

with

the

Holy

Spirit

,

he

spoke

of

the

majesty

and

loving

-

kindness

of

God

,

“

consummating

and

shortening

His

word

,

”

He

says

,

“

in

righteousness

,

because

a

shortened

word

will

the

Lord

make

in

the

whole

earth

.

”

For

when

the

Word

of

God

,

our

Lord

Jesus

Christ

,

came

unto

all

,

and

gathering

alike

the

learned

and

unlearned

,

published

to

every

sex

and

every

age

the

precepts

of

salvation

,

He

made

a

large

compendium

of

His

precepts

,

that

the

memory

of

the

scholars

might

not

be

burdened

in

the

celestial

learning

,

but

might

quickly

learn

what

was

necessary

to

a

simple

faith

.

Thus

,

when

He

taught

what

is

life

eternal

,

He

embraced

the

sacrament

of

life

in

a

large

and

divine

brevity

,

saying

,

“

And

this

is

life

eternal

,

that

they

might

know

Thee

,

the

only

and

true

God

,

and

Jesus

Christ

,

whom

Thou

hast

sent

.

”

Also

,

when

He

would

gather

from

the

law

and

the

prophets

the

first

and

greatest

commandments

,

He

said

,

“

Hear

,

O

Israel

;

the

Lord

thy

God

is

one

God

:

and

thou

shalt

love

the

Lord

thy

God

with

all

thy

heart

,

and

with

all

thy

mind

,

and

with

all

thy

strength

.

This

is

the

first

commandment

.

And

the

second

is

like

unto

it

,

Thou

shalt

love

thy

neighbour

as

thyself

.

”

“

On

these

two

commandments

hang

all

the

law

and

the

prophets

.

”

And

again

:

“

Whatsoever

good

things

ye

would

that

men

should

do

unto

you

,

do

ye

even

so

to

them

.

For

this

is

the

law

and

the

prophets

.

”

Notes

73
Verbum.
74
Sermonem.
75
Isa. x. 22.
76
John xvii. 3.
77
Matt. xii. 29–31.
78
Matt. xxii. 40.
79
Matt. vii. 12.