Tyconius - Book Of Rules 2#2

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Tyconius

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Ticonius, (370 – 390 AD) was an African Donatist writer whose conception of the City of God influenced St. Augustine of Hippo.

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"Book of Rules"

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Consists seven rules that describe how to interpret "prophecy" and understand present spiritual realities.

"a Prophetic text is one that calls sinners to repentance by warning of the death and destruction that awaits those who are separated from the love of God" (Bright, 9)

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Tyconius ecclesiology and eschatology:

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For T., the Church was "a mixed society still graced with the word of God calling the sinner to repentance." (Bright, 9)

T's "rejection of literalistic, millenarian interpretations is pivotal in the Latin tradition of Apocalypse Commentaries....turned the tide in the Latin West and made his commentary the most influential ...in the Western Church." (Bright, 25).

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Summary from 13c Laon manuscript

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The first rule links our Head with the Body
The second speaks of the Body, true and mingled.
The third describes what Law and Grace can do.
The fourth decides between genus and species, the whole and the part.
The fifth differentiates greater and lesser times.
The sixth reports yet again the things which took place originally.
The seventh destroys for you the head and members of the serpent. (Bright (15–16)

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Pattern

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"The selective movement from general christological and ecclesiastical concerns to the particular emphasis on an eschatology and then on to a series of texts referring to the revelation of the "man of sin"...establishes a pattern that may be observed throughout the Book of Rules"
( Bright, 44)

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Rule 1: Of the Lord and His Body

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1. Christological interpretation (Isa. 53:4–6; Dan 2:34)
2. Union of Christ and his Body (Eph. 2:21, 4:15, 5:31)
3. Title "Son of Man" (Matt 26:64; 1 Thess 2:19)

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Rule Two: Of the bipartitate body of the Lord

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Key feature: the church's good and evil membership

Most quotes come from Isaiah
1. Promise and Warning (Is 33:20, 33:23, 42:16)
2. Continuation in NT (Matt 24:26, Rom 2:24)

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Rule Three: Of the Promises and the Law

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Pauline themes of faith and works, free will and predestination from mostly Romans and Galatians

1. Promises from God to Abraham verses conflict between Ishmael and Isaac/ Jacob and Esau related to themes in Romans and Galatians. (Gen 15:1, 22:8).

2. Salvation as gift not merit (Isa 1:19, 48:18-19)

3. Separateness of good and evil (Matt. 6:10; 1 John 4:3, 2 Thess 2:3)

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Rule four: Of Species and Genus

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"Concerned with the ecclesiological interpretation of prophecies (genus) addressed to individuals, cities, or nations (species).

1. Isa 13-14 directed to Babylon; 19 to Egypt and 23 to Tyre. Ezek 36:16–36 continues prophecy from species (house of Israel) back to all nations (Rules, 59)
2. Connected to spiritual evil in church (2 Thess 2:3, 7; Rev 11:8; Eph 6:12)

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Rule Five; Of Times

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1. ambigious signs (figurative and literal) (Rules, 89)
2. Things can be signs of something else
3. Understanding argumentation and rhetoric (part for the whole (Rules, 93). operates either by trope (Christ's 3 days), or legitmate (70x7 means always)
4. Hour, day, and month can represent year (Rules, 99).

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Rule Six: Recapitulation

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There are different kinds of recapitulation in scripture (Rules, 111).

Reference to previous and continuing narrative: Luke 17:29–32 "in that day is read with 1 John 2:18 "it is the last hour"

Recapitulation for Christians is measured by their works, not words. They must be doers of the word.

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Rule Seven: Of the Devil and his body

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Key for T. Refers to the reprobate, fallen, impious who are the body of Satan. These are the spiritual evil in the church. Revelation for T. is focused on the current warnings of evil existing inside the church.