Matthew 26:60

"But false witnesses came, and said, This fellow said, I will destroy this temple, and in three days I will raise it." And indeed He had said, "In three days," but He said not, "I will destroy," but, "Destroy," and not about that temple but about His own body.

But at last there came forward two false witnesses and said: This man said: I am able to destroy the temple of God and after three days to rebuild it (26, 60ᵇ. 61). Do not suppose that Matthew called these two witnesses false without cause, since their testimonies seemed to be true from the fact that John sets forth that Christ said: "Destroy this temple, and I in three days will raise it up", when there is also added: "But this he said concerning the temple of his body". But observe the cunning of the two false witnesses, by what persuasion they, taking their start from a certain true saying which Jesus had spoken, fabricated a false testimony. For Jesus did not say: I destroy this temple, and in three days I raise it up, but: "Destroy … this temple, and in three days I will raise it up". But the false witnesses reported that he had said what had not been said by him, nor did he say: I am able to destroy the temple of God and in three days to rebuild it. Therefore he did not himself promise to do the impiety of destroying the temple, but he committed it to those who were fit for such a work, saying: "Destroy this temple". But what did he reserve for himself, namely: "And I in three days will raise it up". And the fact that "he said this concerning the temple of his body" the Jews, hindered by their malice, misheard and understood concerning that temple of stone, which is manifest from the fact that, answering, they said: "In forty and six years was this temple built, and dost thou raise it up in three days?" And consider that not one false witness came forward for this testimony (for one was not sufficient for those wishing to kill Jesus, since the law commanded: "One witness shall not stand to give testimony against a man"), but neither were there three; for though many false witnesses came forward, scarcely two were found who seemed to say anything. But neither were their testimonies in agreement, as Mark sets forth; for he says in this manner, that "the chief priests and the whole council sought testimony against Jesus, that they might deliver him to death, and found none; for many spoke false testimony against him, and their testimonies were not in agreement. And others rising up spoke false testimony against him: that we heard him saying: that I destroy this temple made with hands, and in three days I will make another not made with hands. But neither…