The New Testament Text of Saint Ambrose

St Ambrose of Milan (AD 340-97) has always been considered one of the four great doctors of the Latin Church. He was a great ecclesiastical statesman, a successful bishop and administrator, and a prolific writer. His works contain numerous quotations from the New Testament; by examining them it is possible to learn something of the text available to him. The introduction deals with the syntax and vocabulary of Ambrose, giving examples of 'Europeanizes' and 'African-isms'. A list of Graecisms is also given, and there are notes on some select quotations from the New Testament. The examination shows that Ambrose's quotations generally reach a high standard of accuracy, showing agreement either with the Greek reading or a variant, or with some Latin MS. authority. The Ambrosias text is sometimes in agreement with Old Latin texts, while at other times it shows assimilation to a Vulgate text. It is interesting to note that Ambrose is an important witness to certain readings that are peculiar to the Codex Bezae.