Apostles as salt

Meaning

The Apostles' comparison to salt becomes an argument for the excellence of general salt. Christ is the Teacher of Teachers who makes the comparison, not one apostle or a physician prescribing the substance.

II.2.22 says that he could instead have named diamonds, rubies, pearls, gold or silver had any been comparable to this salt. The author thereby recruits a scriptural image into his natural-philosophical hierarchy of precious things. The comparison does not establish that apostolic ministry is literally a chemical operation or that the common table seasoning is the proposed universal medicine. General salt receives praise as a source to which perfected materials owe their excellence.

Note 129 identifies the apostolic salt allusion with Matthew 5:13 while the English retains the author's extended argument. The scriptural comparison and Nuysement's inference from it remain distinguishable.