THEOSISJerome of Stridon
Jephthah, recognized by the apostle among the righteous, is the offspring of a prostitute. However, consider this: Rebekah and Isaac gave rise to Esau, who was diverse in both character and appearance, much like good wheat corrupted into chaff and weeds. The foundation of vices and virtues does not stem from the lineage, but from the intention of the one who is born.
It is common practice among orators to initiate a discourse by recalling the lineage and achievements of the individual being honored, gradually shifting focus to the individual themselves. This approach aims to enhance their significance by showcasing the merits of their ancestors, demonstrating that they are either not an outcast if their forebears were virtuous or that they have brought honor to those who were average. However, in extolling the soul, I will refrain from discussing the fleeting merits of the flesh, which the esteemed individual himself regarded with contempt; nor will I boast about the merits of others. Indeed, the revered figures, Abraham and Isaac, were ancestors of transgressors such as Ishmael and Esau (Gen.
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16 and 25), while Jephthah, whom the apostle included among the justified, arose from a woman of ill repute (Heb. 11:32, Judg. 11:1). It is stated that “the soul that sins shall die” (Ezek. 18:4); thus, that which remains untainted lives on. The merits or iniquities of the ancestors do not transfer to their descendants. Our accountability begins anew when we are reborn in Christ. Paul, once a relentless persecutor of the church and a figurative wolf of predation in his youth (Gen. 49:27), later nourished the faithful by humbling himself before Ananias, the shepherd (Acts 9).