lived after Him, but also those who
preceded Him; therefore, when He was approaching His Passion, both
"the multitude that followed" and that "which went before, cried
saying: 'Hosanna,'" as related Matt. 21:9, beseeching Him, as it
were, to save them. Consequently it was fitting that witnesses should
be present from among those who preceded Him--namely, Moses and
Elias--and from those who followed after Him--namely, Peter, James,
and John--that "in the mouth of two or three witnesses" this word
might stand.

Reply Obj. 1: By His transfiguration Christ manifested to His
disciples the glory of His body, which belongs to men only. It was
therefore fitting that He should choose men and not angels as
witnesses.

Reply Obj. 2: This gloss is said to be taken from a book entitled _On
the Marvels of Holy Scripture._ It is not an authentic work, but is
wrongly ascribed to St. Augustine; consequently we need not stand by
it. For Jerome says on Matt. 17:3: "Observe that when the Scribes and
Pharisees asked for a sign from heaven, He refused to give one;
whereas here in order to increase the apostles' faith, He gives a
sign from heaven, Elias coming down thence, whither he had ascended,
and Moses arising from the nether world." This is not to be
understood as though the soul of Moses was reunited to his body, but
that his soul appeared through some assumed body, just as the angels
do. But Elias appeared in his own body, not that he was brought down
from the empyrean heaven, but from some place on high whither he was
taken up in the fiery chariot.

Reply Obj. 3: As Chrysostom says on Matt. 17:3: "Moses and Elias are
brought forward for many reasons." And, first of all, "because the
multitude said He was Elias or Jeremias or one of the prophets, He
brings the leaders of the prophets with Him; that hereby at least
they might see the difference between the servants and their Lord."
Another reason was " . . . that Moses gave the Law . . . while Elias
. . . was jealous for the glory of God." Therefore by appearing
together with Christ, they show how falsely the Jews "accused Him of
transgressing the Law, and of blasphemously appropriating to Himself
the glory of God." A third reason was "to show that He has power of
death and life, and that He is the judge of the dead and the living;
by bringing with Him Moses who had died, and Elias who still lived."
A fourth reason was because, as Luke says (9:31), "they spoke" with
Him "of His d