Commentary on the Gospel according to Luke, Book IX, §19
Expositio Evangelii secundum Lucam, Liber IX, §19
Ambrose of MilanLiber IX, §19
Cathedras autem vendentium columbas cur everterit, secundum litteram non intelligo; neque enim nundinatores avium vindicare sibi poterant honorati alicujus in nundinis solii dignitatem. Nam quae praerogativa dignitatis est in columbis? Admonet tamen Dominici forma baptismatis, quando descendit Spiritus sanctus in columba (Luc. iii, 22), typo ejectorum de templo hujusmodi mercatorum, in Ecclesia Dei consortium eos habere non posse, qui sancti Spiritus gratiam nundinentur. Gratis enim, inquit, accepistis, gratis date (Matth. x, 8). Denique Simoni, qui sanctificandi munus pretio in se putavit posse conferri, respondit Petrus: Pecunia, inquit, tua tecum sit in interitum; quoniam gratiam Dei putasti pecunia possideri: non est tibi pars, neque sors in hac fide (Act. viii, 20 et 21).
Book IX, §19
Why he overturned the seats of those who sold doves I do not understand according to the letter; for the peddlers of birds could hardly claim for themselves the dignity of any place of honor in a marketplace. For what prerogative of dignity is there among doves? But the form of the Lord’s baptism gives us instruction, when the Holy Spirit descended in the likeness of a dove (Luke 3:22), [for it shows] by the figure of those traders driven out of the temple that they cannot have fellowship in the Church of God who would peddle the grace of the Holy Spirit. Freely, he says, you have received; freely give (Matthew 10:8). Hence to Simon, who supposed that the office of sanctifying could be conferred upon him by a price, Peter answered: Thy money, he says, perish with thee unto destruction; because thou hast thought that the grace of God may be possessed by money: thou hast no part nor lot in this faith (Acts 8:20–21).