Mark 9.11-13: 11 They asked Him, saying, “Why is it that the scribes say that Elijah must come first?” 12 And He said to them, “Elijah does first come and restore all things. And yet how is it written of the Son of Man that He will suffer many things and be treated with contempt? 13 But I say to you that Elijah has also come, and they did to him whatever they wished, just as it is written of him.”
Luke 24.44-49: 44 Now He said to them, “These are My words which I spoke to you while I was still with you, that all things which are written about Me in the Law of Moses and the Prophets and the Psalms must be fulfilled.” 45 Then He opened their minds to understand the Scriptures, 46 and He said to them, “Thus it is written, that the Christ would suffer and rise again from the dead the third day, 47 and that repentance for forgiveness of sins would be proclaimed in His name to all the nations, beginning from Jerusalem. 48 You are witnesses of these things. 49 And behold, I am sending forth the promise of My Father upon you; but you are to stay in the city until you are clothed with power from on high.”
John 7.38: 8 He who believes in Me, as the Scripture said, ‘Out of his belly will flow rivers of living water.’”
1 Corinthians 2.6-9: 6 Yet we do speak wisdom among those who are mature; a wisdom, however, not of this age, nor of the rulers of this age, who are passing away; 7 but we speak God's wisdom in a mystery, the hidden wisdom, which God predestined before the ages to our glory; 8 the wisdom which none of the rulers of this age has understood; for if they had understood it, they would not have crucified the Lord of glory; 9 but just as it is written, “Things which eye has not seen and ear has not heard, and which have not entered the heart of man, all that God has prepared for those who love Him.”
1 Corinthians 15.42-45: 42 So also is the resurrection of the dead. It is sown a perishable body, it is raised an imperishable body; 43 it is sown in dishonor, it is raised in glory; it is sown in weakness, it is raised in power; 44 it is sown a natural body, it is raised a spiritual body. If there is a natural body, there is also a spiritual body. 45 So also it is written, “The first man, Adam, became a living soul (= Genesis 2.7). The last Adam became a lifegiving spirit.” [This one may be a matter of the actual quotation of Genesis 2.7 ending one sentence earlier.]
Ephesians 4.8: 8 Therefore it is said, “When he ascended on high he led a host of captives, and he gave gifts to men.”
Ephesians 5.14: 14 For this reason it says, “Awake, sleeper, and arise from the dead, and Christ will shine on you.”
James 4.5: 5 Or do you think that the scripture speaks to no purpose? “He jealously desires the Spirit which He has made to dwell in us.”
1 Clement 8.1-4: 1 Those who administered the gracious gift of God spoke through the Holy Spirit about repentance. 2 And the Master of all things himself spoke about repentance with an oath: “For as I live, says the Lord, I do not want the sinner to die but to repent” (= Ezekiel 33.11?). And to this he added a good pronouncement: 3 "Repent from your lawlessness, house of Israel. Say to the children of my people, ‘If your sins extend from the earth to the sky and are redder than scarlet and blacker than sackcloth, but you return to me with your whole heart and say, “Father,” I will listen to you as to a holy people’” (= Ezekiel 18.30 + Isaiah 1.18?). 4 And in another place he speaks as follows: “Wash and become clean; remove from yourselves the evils that are before my eyes; put an end to your evil deeds; learn to do good; pursue justice, rescue those who are treated unjustly, render a decision for the orphan and do what is right for the widow. And come, let us reason together, says the Lord. Even if your sins are like crimson, I will make them white as snow; and if they are like scarlet, I will make them white as wool. If you are willing and obey me, you will eat the good things of the earth; but if you are not willing and do not obey me, a sword will devour you. For the mouth of the Lord has spoken these things” (= Isaiah 1.16-20).
1 Clement 17.5-6: 5 Moses was called faithful in his entire house, and through his service God judged Egypt through their plagues and torments; but even though he was greatly exalted, he did not boast aloud. Instead, when the revelation was given to him from the bush, he said, “Who am I that you send me? For I am feeble in speech and slow in tongue” (= Exodus 3.11; 4.10). 6 And again he said, “I am just steam from a pot.”
1 Clement 23.3-4: 3 May this Scripture be far removed from us that says: “How miserable are those who are of two minds, who doubt in their soul, who say, ‘We have heard these things from the time of our parents, and look! We have grown old, and none of these things has happened to us.’ 4 You fools! Compare yourselves to a tree. Take a vine: first it sheds its leaves, then a bud appears, then a leaf, then a flower, and after these an unripe grape, and then an entire bunch fully grown.” You see that the fruit of the tree becomes ripe in just a short time. [Refer also to 2 Clement 11.2-4, below.]
1 Clement 46.2: 2 For it is written, “Cling to those who are holy; for those who cling to them will themselves be made holy.”
2 Clement 11.2-4: 2 For the prophetic word also says, “How miserable are those of two minds, who doubt in their hearts, who say, ‘We heard these things long ago, in the time of our parents, but though we have waited day after day, we have seen none of them.’ 3 Fools! Compare yourselves to a tree. Take a vine: first it sheds its leaves, then a bud appears, and after these things an unripe grape, and then an entire bunch fully grown. 4 So too my people is now disorderly and afflicted; but then it will receive what is good.” [Refer also to 1 Clement 23.3-4, above.]
2 Clement 13.2: 2 For the Lord says, “My name is constantly blasphemed among all the gentiles” (= Isaiah 52.5). And again he says, “Woe to the one who causes my name to be blasphemed.”
Barnabas 6.13: 13 Again I will show you how he speaks to us. He made yet a second human form in the final days. And the Lord says, “See! I am making the final things like the first.” This is why the prophet proclaimed, “Enter into a land flowing with milk and honey, and rule over it” (= Exodus 33.3).
Barnabas 7.4: 4 What then does he say in the prophet? “Let them eat some of the goat offered for all sins on the day of fasting.” Now pay careful attention: “And let all the priests alone eat the intestines, unwashed, with vinegar.”
Barnabas 10.5-7: 5 “And do not,” he says, “eat the lamprey eel, the octopus, or the cuttlefish.” “You must not," he says, “be like such people, who are completely impious and condemned already to death.” For these fish alone are cursed and hover in the depths, not swimming like the others but dwelling in the mud beneath the depths. 6. But also “do not eat the hare” (= Leviticus 11.6). For what reason? “You must not,” he says, “be one who corrupts children or be like such people.” For the rabbit adds an orifice every year; it has as many holes as years it has lived. 7 “Nor shall you eat the hyena.” “You must not,” he says, “be an adulterer or a pervert nor be like such people.” For what reason? Because this animal changes its nature every year, at one time it is male, the next time female.
I have underlined the mysterious quotations themselves and boldfaced the contextual indications that scripture is being quoted.
These citations are all culled from the New Testament and from the Apostolic Fathers, but I would be interested in similar ones up through the end of century II or thereabouts, if anyone knows of some.
Thanks.
Ben.
ETA: A closer look at one of the above passages:
Ezekiel 33.11: 11 "Say to them, 'As I live!' declares the Lord God, 'I take no pleasure in the death of the wicked, but rather that the wicked turn from his way and live. Turn back, turn back from your evil ways! Why then will you die, O house of Israel?'" / 11 εἰπὸν αὐτοῖς, Ζῶ ἐγώ τάδε, λέγει κύριος, οὐ βούλομαι τὸν θάνατον τοῦ ἀσεβοῦς ὡς τὸ ἀποστρέψαι τὸν ἀσεβῆ ἀπὸ τῆς ὁδοῦ αὐτοῦ καὶ ζῆν αὐτόν. ἀποστροφῇ ἀποστρέψατε ἀπὸ τῆς ὁδοῦ ὑμῶν, καὶ ἵνα τί ἀποθνῄσκετε οἶκος Ισραηλ.
Ezekiel 18.30: 30 "Therefore I will judge you, O house of Israel, each according to his conduct," declares the Lord God. "Repent and turn away from all your transgressions, so that iniquity may not become a stumbling block to you." / 30 ἕκαστον κατὰ τὴν ὁδὸν αὐτοῦ κρινῶ ὑμᾶς οἶκος Ισραηλ, λέγει κύριος. ἐπιστράφητε καὶ ἀποστρέψατε ἐκ πασῶν τῶν ἀσεβειῶν ὑμῶν καὶ οὐκ ἔσονται ὑμῖν εἰς κόλασιν ἀδικίας.
Isaiah 1.16-20: 16 "Wash yourselves; make yourselves clean; remove the evil of your deeds from My sight. Cease to do evil, 17 learn to do good; seek justice, reprove the ruthless, defend the orphan, plead for the widow. 18 Come now, and let us reason together," says the Lord. "Though your sins are as scarlet, they will be as white as snow; tough they are red like crimson, they will be like wool. 19 If you consent and obey, you will eat the best of the land; 20 but if you refuse and rebel, you will be devoured by the sword." Truly, the mouth of the Lord has spoken. / 16 λούσασθε, καθαροὶ γένεσθε, ἀφέλετε τὰς πονηρίας ἀπὸ τῶν ψυχῶν ὑμῶν ἀπέναντι τῶν ὀφθαλ- μῶν μου, παύσασθε ἀπὸ τῶν πονηριῶν ὑμῶν, 17 μάθετε καλὸν ποιεῖν, ἐκζητήσατε κρίσιν, ῥύσασθε ἀδικούμενον, κρίνατε ὀρφανῷ καὶ δικαιώσατε χήραν· 18 καὶ δεῦτε καὶ διελεγχθῶμεν, λέγει κύριος, καὶ ἐὰν ὦσιν αἱ ἁμαρτίαι ὑμῶν ὡς φοινικοῦν, ὡς χιόνα λευκανῶ, ἐὰν δὲ ὦσιν ὡς κόκκινον, ὡς ἔριον λευκανῶ. 19 καὶ ἐὰν θέλητε καὶ εἰσακούσητέ μου, τὰ ἀγαθὰ τῆς γῆς φάγεσθε· 20 ἐὰν δὲ μὴ θέλητε μηδὲ εἰσακούσητέ μου, μάχαιρα ὑμᾶς κατέδεται· τὸ γὰρ στόμα κυρίου ἐλάλησεν ταῦτα.
Clement of Alexandria, The Instructor 1.10.2b: 2b For He says by Ezekiel, "If you return with your whole heart and say, 'Father,' I will hear you, as a holy people." / 2b φησὶ γὰρ δι' Ἰεζεκιήλ· «ἐὰν ἐπιστραφῆτε ἐξ ὅλης τῆς καρδίας καὶ εἴπητε πάτερ, ἀκούσομαι ὑμῶν ὥσπερ λαοῦ ἁγίου.»
Clement of Alexandria, The Rich Man 39.4: 4 Wherefore also He cries, "I will have mercy and not sacrifice" (= Hosea 6.6). "I desire not the death but the repentance of the sinner" (= Ezekiel 18.23). "Though your sins be as scarlet wool, I will make them white as snow; though they be blacker than darkness, I will wash and make them like white wool" (= Isaiah 1.18). / 4 διὸ καὶ κέκραγεν· «ἔλεον θέλω καὶ οὐ θυσίαν· οὐ βούλομαι τὸν θάνατον τοῦ ἁμαρτωλοῦ, ἀλλὰ τὴν μετάνοιαν· κἂν ὦσιν αἱ ἁμαρτίαι ὑμῶν ὡς φοινικοῦν ἔριον, ὡς χιόνα λευκανῶ, κἂν μελάντερον τοῦ σκότους, ὡς ἔριον λευκὸν ἐκνίψας ποιήσω.»
Possibly related:
Jeremiah 3.19, 22: 19 "Then I said, 'How I would set you among My sons and give you a pleasant land, the most beautiful inheritance of the nations!' And I said, 'You shall call Me, "My Father," and not turn away from following Me.'" .... 22 "Return, O faithless sons; I will heal your faithlessness." "Behold, we come to You; for You are the Lord our God. / 19 καὶ ἐγὼ εἶπα γένοιτο κύριε ὅτι τάξω σε εἰς τέκνα καὶ δώσω σοι γῆν ἐκλεκτὴν κληρονομίαν θεοῦ παντοκράτορος ἐθνῶν, καὶ εἶπα πατέρα καλέσετέ με καὶ ἀπ᾽ ἐμοῦ οὐκ ἀποστραφήσεσθε. .... 22 ἐπιστράφητε υἱοὶ ἐπιστρέφοντες καὶ ἰάσομαι τὰ συντρίμματα ὑμῶν. ἰδοὺ, δοῦλοι ἡμεῖς ἐσόμεθά σοι, ὅτι σὺ κύριος ὁ θεὸς ἡμῶν εἶ.
Was there an apocryphal Ezekiel with parts drawn from Isaiah? Tertullian writes in On the Flesh of Christ 23.6, "We read in Ezekiel of a heifer which brought forth, and still did not bring forth" [legimus quidem apud Ezechielem de vacca illa quae peperit et non peperit]. Clement of Alexandria writes in Miscellanies 7.16, "'She brought forth and did not bring forth,' says the scripture" («τέτοκεν καὶ οὐ τέτοκεν», φησὶν ἡ γραφή). And Epiphanius writes in Panarion 30.1.3, "And again it says in another place, 'And the heifer shall bear, and they shall say, "It has not borne."'" And then there is this claim: