Didascalia Apostolorum (Gibson translation) (chapters 11–20)

Didascalia Apostolorum (Gibson translation)

continued

Chapter 11

1 Again, exhortation to Bishops and Deacons, that they govern justly, and that they be with one another in concord and love; that they do not receive testimony from the heathen against a believer, and that a Christian be not vexed and contend with his neighbour. If it happen that they have a lawsuit, let them not say their say before the heathen, but before the Church, and let them be pacified, even if one of them lose something according to the flesh; and let him that is hard and obstinate about peace be kept from the Church until he repent; when the two persons approach, let those judge who judge without respect of persons, with much caution, on Monday, investigating the conduct of him who brings the accusation, and his conscience, and the reason of his lawsuit and contention. And him that is accused in like manner. Let them punish justly him that is found guilty.

2 Again, about those who are angry, that it is right they should forgive each other's faults, if it be that we seek forgiveness from God. 3 Strive therefore, O Bishops, with the Deacons, that ye be righteous before the Lord, because the Lord hath said, "If ye be righteous with Me, I also will be righteous with you; and if ye walk with Me frowardly, I also will walk frowardly, saith the Lord of Hosts. Be ye therefore righteous, that ye may be worthy to receive praise from the Lord. Let therefore both the Bishops and the Deacons be of one mind, and let them feed the people carefully in one opinion. For it is required of you twain that ye be one flesh, father and son, for ye are in the likeness of the Divinity. Let the Deacon make known everything to the Bishop, as the Christ doth to His Father; let the Deacon settle some of them himself that he can; the rest of the other things the Bishop must judge; but nevertheless let the Deacon be the ear of the Bishop, and his mouth and his heart, and even his soul; for when ye twain are of one mind and in one consent there is peace in the Church. This praise then becomes the Christian, that he have not an evil word with any one. But if some temptation should happen to some one from the operation of the Enemy, and he have a lawsuit, let him strive to be delivered from it, even if he lose somewhat by it.

4 Only let him not go to the judgment of the heathen, and do not ye receive the testimony of the heathen about any of our people, for by means of the heathen the Enemy plots against the servants of God. Because the heathen are destined to stand on the left, he calls them the left, for our Lord hath said to us thus, "Let not thy left hand know what thy right hand doeth. Let not then the heathen know anything about your lawsuits, and receive not testimony against yourselves from them. Be not judged before them, as also it is said in the Gospels, "Give to Caesar that which is Caesar's, and to God that which is God's. Be therefore willing to lose, and more zealous to make peace though losing somewhat in worldly matters for the sake of peace; before God it will be thy gain, because thou fearest God, and doest according to the commandment. But if there be brethren who have an unavoidable quarrel with one another, which God forbid! it is required of you 'that ye immediately make peace, that ye rulers may know that those who venture to act thus perform no act of brotherhood in the Lord. If then one of them be of the children of God, humble and much oppressed, that one is a son of light; but he who is hard and bold and injurious and a blasphemer, he is a hypocrite.

5 Reprove him therefore, and reprimand him, disgrace him and put him out of the Church as a rebel, and afterwards receive him that he may not perish utterly. When ye punish and rebuke those that are such, ye will not have many lawsuits. For if they do not know the word which was spoken by our Lord in the Gospel, about how many times, if my brother offend me, shall I forgive him? and they are angry with one another, teach them, and make peace between them, as it is said, "Blessed are the peacemakers. Know that it is required of the Bishop with the Elders that he judge cautiously, as our Saviour said, when they asked Him about how often, if my brother offend me, shall I forgive him? until seven times? But our Lord said, Not until seven times, but until seventy times seven seven. For thus the Lord desireth, that those who are His own in truth, should never have aught against any, and should not be angry with any one. But if there happen anything, by the operation of the Enemy, let them be judged before you; let it be on Monday, lest it happen that some one rise up against the word of your judgments; that there be opportunity for you until the Sabbath, that ye may arrange the matter, and make peace, and pacify them on the Sunday. Let the Bishops then be constant in all judgments with the Elders and Deacons, and judge ye without respect of persons;

6 the two individuals therefore coming and standing together in judgment, as the Scripture hath said, "Those who have any controversy or litigation with one another," and when ye have heard them righteously, give an answer of judgment. Strive to keep them in love, before the judgment come out against them, so that in the judgment ye may have the Christ as Associate, Counsellor, Assessor and Overseer of the Court. If there are people against whom an accusation is brought that they do not walk well in the way of the Lord, having heard the two individuals, investigate carefully, like people who decree judgment concerning eternal life, or for a harsh and bitter death; and if some one be reproved and go out of the Church, he is cast out from life and from everlasting glory...he is rejected by men, and found guilty before God., and incline a little, that ye may save, without respect of persons. But if there be a man who is innocent, and is condemned by judges from respect of persons, it will not hurt him before God but will rather advantage him the more on account of the short time that he hath been unjustly judged by men. Therefore thus shall ye receive retribution from God, and ye shall be cast out of the Catholic Church of God, and that shall be accomplished against you that by the judgment that ye have judged ye shall be judged. Therefore when ye sit to judge, let the two individuals come and stand together;

7 we do not call them brethren until there be peace betwixt them; and investigate carefully with diligence between them about those things concerning which they have a lawsuit and contention with one another. Learn first about him who accuses if there be any accusation against him, or if he have brought actions also against others, and again [if] the accusation proceed from some former enmity, or from contention or envy, and what his conduct is, and if he be humble and without anger; if he love widows, and the poor, and strangers, and doth not love filthy lucre; if he be quiet and philanthropic, a lover of all men; if he be merciful, and stretch out his hand to give; not a glutton and not greedy; not avaricious and not a drunkard; for a perverse heart that deviseth evil things disturbeth cities, even if he have not done the evil things that are in the world. If then he who accuses be free from all these things, Be careful therefore, O Bishops, that ye be not hasty in sitting down in judgment hurriedly, lest ye oppress and condemn any one; but before they come and stand in judgment, bring them together, and make peace between them; and admonish them that have the lawsuit and strife with one another; and teach them first that no one ought to be angry; for the Lord hath said, that "every one who is angry with his brother without cause is condemned in the judgment";

8 and again, that if it happen that there is anger by the work of the Enemy, it is required of you immediately in that day that ye be reconciled and pacified, and that ye be at peace with one another; for it is written, "Let not the sun go down upon wrath against thy brother. David also said, "Be ye angry, and sin not. This is, that ye be quickly reconciled, lest anger remaining, there be a grudge with it, and it should bear sin, for it is said in the Proverbs, "The soul that keepeth a grudge shall die. Again, also our Saviour said, "If thou bring thy gift to the altar, and there rememberest that thy brother keepeth anger against thee; leave thy gift before the altar, and go, first be reconciled to thy brother, and then come, offer thy gift. But the gift of God is our prayer and our Eucharist. If it be then that thou hast some grudge against thy brother, or he against thee, thy prayer is not heard, nor thy Eucharist accepted, but thou art found void of prayer and of the Eucharist, because of the anger that thou keepest. Prayer ought to be made diligently at every season. But those who are in anger and malice with their brethren, God heareth them not. If then thou prayest three times an hour, thou hast no advantage, for thou art not heard because of the enmity towards thy brother.

9 Therefore if thou carest, and strivest to be a Christian, acquiesce in the word of the Lord which He spake, "Loose all the bonds of wickedness, cut the bonds of the yoke of avarice"; for our Saviour hath given thee this authority, to forgive thy brother who hath wronged thee, until seventy times over seven, seven, that is 490 times. How many times therefore hast thou forgiven thy brother, that thou dost not wish again to forgive him, but keepest a grudge and cherishest enmity, and desirest to go to law; thy prayer therefore is hindered, even if thou fulfil the 490 times which thou hast forgiven him, increase also for thine own sake, and in thy goodness without anger forgive thy brother. If thou doest it not for thy brother's sake, consider, and do it for thine own sake: forgive thy neighbour, that thou mayest be heard when thou prayest, and mayest bring an acceptable offering to the Lord. Because of this therefore, O ye Bishops, that your gifts and prayers may be received, when ye stand in the church to pray, let the Deacon say with a loud voice, Is there any one who is keeping any grudge against his fellow? If there be found any people who have a lawsuit and strife with one another, persuade and make peace betwixt them; in the house as they go in and say, Peace be to this house; they are also evangelists of peace who bring peace.

10 If therefore thou preachest peace to others, it is required yet more of thee, that thou be at peace with thy brethren, as a son of light and of peace. Be to every one light and peace; and do not contend with any one, but be at rest and at peace with every one, and be a helper with God, for this is the will of the Lord God. They who love to be in enmity and quarrels, those are the enemies of God, because that the Lord from the beginning from generation to generation, by means of prophets and righteous men, calleth to repentance and to life. And we too, the Apostles, who have been found worthy to be witnesses of His revelation in the knowledge of the Divine Word, we have heard from the mouth of the Lord Jesus the Christ, we know truly and say, what is His will and the will of His Father, that no one should perish, but that all men should believe and live; for this is what He taught us, that we should say when we pray, "Thy will be done on earth as it is in Heaven," that as the Angels of Heaven and all the Powers praise God, thus also upon the earth should men praise God. It is His will therefore to save all men, and this is His delight, that there should be many who are saved.

11 But he who is contentious, and is an enemy to his neighbour, diminishes the people of God and deprives God of the soul of a man which would have been saved, or by means of his contentiousness expels and casts himself out from the Church, and thus again he sins against God, for God our Saviour hath said thus, "Every one that is not with Me is against Me, and every one that gathereth not with Me scattereth abroad. Thou art not therefore a helper with God, to gather the people, because thou art a disturber, and a scatterer of the flock, and an adversary of God. Be not therefore constantly prone to quarrel, either by fights or by calumnies, or by enmity or by lawsuits, that thou scatter not people from the Church, because that we, by the power of the Lord God, have collected from all peoples, and from all tongues, and have brought [them] to the Church by much labour and toil, and by daily danger, that we may do the will of God, and fill the chamber with guests, that is to say, the Catholic Church, that they should be glad and rejoice and confess and praise God, Him who has called them to salvation, and ye therefore, O ye laity! be at peace with one another, and like wise doves, strive to fill the Church, and those who are without convert and reconcile and cause to enter her (the Church).

12 This is a great reward which is promised by God, if ye save them from the fire and bring them into the Church, confirmed and believing.

Chapter 12

1 Commands Bishops to be quiet and humble, far removed from all harshness and anger, and teaches them about the Order of the House of God, and how the places in it should be distributed for standing and for sitting, to every rank as befits it. And if there come a man from another Church, let him have honour as befits him; let him be honoured with the place that suits him, and let not the Christ, who loveth strangers, be despised in him. 2 Ye then, O Bishops, be not harsh nor tyrannical nor irascible; and be not wroth with the people of God whom He has given into your hands; do not destroy the House of God nor scatter His people; but convert all men, that ye may be helpers with God. Assemble the believers with much humility and long suffering, and with patience without anger; by doctrine and entreaty, as servants of the everlasting kingdom; in your assemblies, in the holy Churches, after all good patterns form your gatherings, and arrange the places for the brethren carefully with all sobriety. Let a place be reserved for the Elders in the midst of the eastern part of the House, and let the throne of the Bishop be placed amongst them; let the Elders sit with him; but also at the other eastern side of the house let the laymen sit; for thus it is required that the Elders should sit at the eastern side of the house with the Bishops, and afterwards the laymen, and next the women: that when ye stand to pray the rulers may stand first, afterwards the laymen, and then the women also, for towards the East it is required that ye should pray, as ye know that it is written, "Give praise to God, who rideth on the heavens of heavens towards the East. As for the Deacons, let one of them stand constantly over the gifts of thankfulness (the Eucharist), and let another stand outside the door and look at those who come in;

3 and afterwards when ye make offerings, let them serve together in the Church. And if a man be found sitting out of his place, let the Deacon who is within reprove him, and make him get up and sit in the place that befits him, for our Lord compared the Church to a fold. For as we see the irrational beasts, we mean oxen, sheep, and goats, lying down in herds, rising and feeding and mating, and none of them is separate from its race; and also the beasts of the deserts go in the mountains along with those who are like them. Thus therefore it ought to be also in the Church, that those who are children should sit by themselves, if there be room; if not, let them stand upon their feet. And let those who are advanced in years sit by themselves. But let the children stay at one side, or let their fathers and mothers keep them beside them and let them stand on their feet. Again, also let those who are girls sit apart, or if there be not room let them stand on their feet behind the women. Let those who are married and young and have children stay by themselves, but the old women and widows sit by themselves, the Deacon seeing as every one enters that he goes to his place, lest any one sit in a place that is not his. Let the Deacon also notice lest any one whisper, or sleep or laugh or make signs;

4 for thus it is required that [people] be attentive in the Church, with watchfulness and good manners, and with their ears open to the word of the Lord. If there come a person from another assembly, a brother or a sister, let the Deacon ask and learn if she be the wife of a man, or again if she be a believing widow, if she be a daughter of the Church, or if it be one of the heresies, and then let him lead her and put her in the place that befits her. If an Elder come from another assembly, ye Elders receive him to a share in your place, and if he be a Bishop let him sit with the Bishop, and let him give him the honour of his place like himself; and let the Bishop say to him that he preach to his people; for entreaty and admonition of strangers is of great help, especially because it is written, that "no prophet is acceptable in his country. When ye are offering the Eucharist, let him speak. If he be wise, and give thee honour and do not wish to officiate, yet over the cup let him speak.

5 If while ye are sitting, there come another person, either man or woman who has honour in the world, either from the place or from another assembly, thou then, O Bishop, who speakest the word of the Lord, or hearest, or readest, do not shew respect to persons and leave off the service of thy word to appoint them a place, but remain thou quietly as thou art; do not interrupt thy word, but let the brethren receive them. If there be no room, let that one of the brethren who is full of love, and loves his brethren and would do honour, rise and give them place. Let him stand on his feet. If while the boys or the girls are sitting, he or she that is eldest rise and give up his [or her] place, look thou, O Deacon, at those who are sitting, for him who is younger than his comrades or her who is younger; make them rise, and seat the one who rose and gave up his place. Lead the one whom thou hast made to rise and put him behind his comrades, that others also may be educated and learn to give place to those who are more honourable than they.

6 If a poor man or a poor woman come, either belonging to thine own assembly, or from another assembly, and especially if they are advanced in years, and there be no room for such, appoint a place for them with all thy heart, O Bishop, even if thou hast to sit on the floor, and be not thou like a respecter of persons, but let thy service be acceptable to God.

Chapter 13

1 That no Christian should neglect the assembly of the Church at the time of prayer, or of the Eucharist; not for the sake of the work of the hands, or any other work of the world; he should not go to a theatrical spectacle, to hear heathen words, dissuading his soul away from the hearing of the words of the Scriptures of life; nor to the foreign assemblies of heretics. Let those who are children in the Church hear and serve in it without laziness. Let no Christian love idleness from the work of handicraft, which is alien to the Church. When thou teachest, command and remind the people, that they be constant in the assembly of the Church; so that ye be not hindered, but that they be constantly assembled, that no one diminish the Church by not assembling, and make smaller by a member the body of Christ. For it is not about others alone that a man should think, but also about himself, hearing what our Lord hath said, that "he who gathereth not with Me scattereth abroad." As, therefore, ye are members of the Christ; scatter not yourselves from the Church by not assembling yourselves, for ye have a head, that is the Christ, as He counsels and promises, that ye are partakers with us. Therefore do not despise yourselves, and do not deprive our Saviour of His members; do not mangle and scatter His body, do not have more respect to the affairs of the world than to the word of God, but leave everything on the Lord's day and run eagerly towards your Church, for this is your glory.

2 If not, what excuse will ye have before God, for those who have not assembled on the Lord's day, to hear the Word of Life, and to be nourished with the divine food which endureth for ever? For ye strive to get the things that are for a time, for a day or an hour, but ye neglect those that are eternal; ye go on providing for bathing, for eating, for drinking, for the belly, and for other things to be nourished; but for eternal things ye do not care; ye despise your souls and do not hasten to the Church, that ye may hear and receive the Word of God. In comparison with those who err, what apology have ye? for, because the heathen, when they rise from their sleep every day, go in the morning to worship and serve their idols, before all their works and labours they go first and worship their idols, and also they do not neglect their feasts and pilgrimages, but assemble constantly, not only the natives, but also those who come from afar. They also assemble for the spectacle of their own theatre, and all of them come. Thus also those who vainly are called Jews, are idle one day for six, and assemble in their synagogue. They do not neglect their holidays, they who have deprived themselves of the strength of the Word, because they believe not, nor even of the name by which they have called themselves, i.e. Jews.

3 Jew is interpreted as confession, but they are not confessors, for they do not confess to the murder of the Christ, which they have committed in transgressing the Law, that they may repent and live. If, therefore, those who are not saved strive always for the things in which there is no profit nor help to them, what excuse has he before the Lord God? he who restrains himself from the assembly of the Church, and does not even imitate the Gentiles; and because he does not assemble, neglects himself and goes afar, and does iniquities; those to whom the Lord spake by means of Jeremiah, "My laws ye have not kept; but ye have not even walked according to the laws of the Gentiles, and ye have almost excelled them in wickedness. "Have the nations changed their gods, which yet are no gods? but My people hath changed its glory for that which doth not profit. How then can he who is neglectful make excuse, he who is not zealous in the assembling of the Church of God? If a man gets an excuse on account of secular work and is prevented, let him know that the handicrafts of believers are called works of superfluity; for the sure work is the fear of God. Do your handicrafts, therefore, as a work of superfluity for your nourishment, but let your real work be the worship of God. Strive, therefore, never to be hindered from the assembling of the Church.

4 But if a man forsake the assembling of the Church of God, and go to the assembly of the Gentiles, what shall he say, and what excuse will he make to God in the day of judgment? who has left the Holy Church, and the words of the living God which live and give life, and can redeem and save from the fire and give life? and hath gone to the assembly of the heathen, because he desired the spectacle of the theatre? Therefore he will be considered as one of those who enter there because he desired to hear and receive the fables of their words, which are those of dead men, and of the spirit of Satan; for they are dead and cause death, they cause people to turn from the faith, and bring near to everlasting fire. Yet ye care for the world, and occupy yourselves with domestic concerns, and ye disdain to hasten to the Catholic Church, the beloved daughter of the Lord God Most High, that ye may receive the doctrine of God which remaineth for ever and is able to give life to those who receive the Word of Life. Be, therefore, constant in assembling with the believers who are saved in your mother the Church, her who liveth and giveth life to her children. Be watchful not to assemble yourselves as those who perish in the theatre, which is an assembly of the heathen of error and of perdition;

5 for he who enters into the assembly of the Gentiles shall be counted as one of them, and shall receive woe; for the Lord saith by means of Isaiah the Prophet to those who are such, "Woe, woe, to [those who] come from the spectacle," and again He saith, " Women who come from the spectacle, because this is a people who have no understanding. Therefore He calls the Church women, those whom He has called, and brought out, and drawn from the spectacle of the theatre, and He holds and receives them, and He has taught us not to go there any more; for He saith in Jeremiah, "Learn not the way of the nations," and again in the Gospel He hath said, "Go not in the way of the Gentiles. Here, therefore, He teaches and warns, that we remove completely from all heresies, which are the cities of the Samaritans, and that we should not enter into strange synagogues, and from their pilgrimages which are on behalf of idols. Let a believer not approach their pilgrimage, excepting to buy provision for his body and his life. Remove yourselves far from all vain spectacles of idols, and from their feasts and pilgrimages. Let then those who are children in the Church serve diligently without laziness, in all things that are required, with much modesty and chastity. All ye believers, therefore, at all times always when ye are not in the Church be constant at your labours;

6 and in all the course of your life either be constant in exhortation, or labour at your work and never be idle, because the Lord hath said, "Be like the ant, O sluggard, emulate its ways, and learn from it; for it has no office, and no one to impel it, nor is it under authority. It gathers its food in the summer, and collects much food in the harvest. And again He saith, "Go to the bee, and learn how she works, that she doeth her work with wisdom, and from her work she offereth food to the rich and to the poor. She is beloved and honoured, and yet she hath little strength. She honoureth wisdom and she is illustrious. Until when wilt thou sleep, O sluggard, and when wilt thou arise from thy slumber? Thou wilt sleep a little and slumber a little, and sit a little, and put thy hands upon thy breast. Poverty shall come upon thee as one who runs, and want as a skilful man. If then without laziness, thy revenues shall increase and overflow like a fountain, and poverty be removed from thee. Work, therefore, at all times, for idleness is a blot for which there is no cure. "If any man among you work not, neither let him eat," for the Lord even hateth sluggards, for a sluggard cannot be a believer.

Chapter 14

1 About Widows, and about the time of their order in the Church. Encomium on her who keeps the statute of her widowhood before God, and condemnation of her who tramples on her statute. Exhortation to the Bishop about the Widows and the Poor and the Needy. 2 Let widows then be appointed; she who is not less than fifty years of age and over, in order that by reason of her years she may be removed from the thought of having another husband. If you appoint one who is a girl to the place of a widow, and she doth not support her widowhood because of her youth, she will take a husband, and bring disgrace upon the glory of widowhood. She will give account to God, first for having had two husbands, and next for having promised to God to be a widow; she has received as a widow and did not remain in widowhood. If there be the widow of a young man who was for a short time with her husband, and he died, or for any other reason which she receives and there be no separation, and she remain alone by herself, being in the honour of widowhood, she will be blessed by God, because she has resembled that widow who was in Zareptah of Sidon, with whom the holy messenger, the Prophet of God, found rest, or she will be as Anna, who celebrated the coming of the Christ, and there was a testimony to her, and for her goodness she receives honour from man on the earth, and inherits glory from God in Heaven.

3 Let not then young widows be appointed to the office of widows, but let them be taken care of and trained lest by reason of their indigence they seek to take a husband a second time, and this act be an undisciplined one; for ye know that she who has had one husband has had him lawfully, and beyond this it is fornication. Therefore take by the hand those who are young, that they may remain in chastity to God. Take care of them, therefore, O Bishop, and remember also the poor; hold them by the hand, and provide for them, even if none of them be widowers or widows, and they need help on account of poverty, or of sickness, or are straitened on account of the education of their children. It is required of thee that thou care for all men, and pay attention to all men. Therefore those who bring gifts are not to give to the widows with their own hands, but are to offer to thee on their behalf, as thou art well acquainted with those who are straitened, that thou mayest distribute to them like a good steward; for God knoweth him that giveth, even when he is not present; and when thou distributest tell them the name of the giver, that they may pray for him by his name. For in all the Scriptures the Lord commandeth about the poor, even that they be partakers;

4 and He even adds in Isaiah, and saith thus, "Break thy bread to the hungry, and bring the poor man that hath no shelter into thy house; when thou seest the naked clothe him, and turn not away from thine own flesh. Therefore by every means care for the poor.

Chapter 15

1 How it befits Widows to conduct themselves in tranquillity and chastity, and it is not fitting that women should teach, not even those who are the Widows of the Church, nor the laity. About the dissimulation of false Widows. On the manners of chaste Widows. That it is necessary for Widows to be obedient to the Bishop and Deacons, and not to do anything without permission, and that those are guilty who act thus, or pray with those who are separated. That it is not permitted to a woman to baptize. Again, of the jealousies of false Widows amongst themselves. Reproof of those who curse by their jealousies. 2 It is required, therefore, of every one who is a widow that she be humble, peaceful and quiet; and also that she be not wicked nor angry, nor a great talker, nor lift up her voice when she speaks, and that she have not a long tongue, nor love quarrels; and that when she sees or hears anything that is hateful, she be as though she saw and heard it not. Let the widow care for nothing else, but to pray for those who give, and for the whole Church. When she is asked for an explanation by any one, let her not give an answer in haste, unless it be about righteousness alone, and about the faith of God, and let her send those who wish to be instructed to the authorities. To those who ask them, let them return an answer only. But about the destruction of idols, and about there being only one God, about punishment and about rest, and about the kingdom of the name of the Christ, and about His providence, it is not incumbent on the widow nor on the layman to talk; for if they talk without the knowledge of doctrine, they bring blasphemy against the Word; for our Lord compared the word of His Gospel to a grain of mustard; for mustard, if it be not prepared with art, is bitter and sharp to those who use it.

3 Therefore the Lord said in the Gospel to widows and to all the laity, "Do not throw your pearls before swine, lest they trample them with their feet, and turn again and rend you"; for when the heathen who are instructed, hear the Word of God that it is not spoken in an orderly manner as it ought to be, for edification to eternal life, especially because it is declared to them by a woman, about how our Lord became incarnate, and about the Passion of the Christ, they will mock and joke, instead of praising as is right the word of the doctrine, and she will incur a great condemnation for the sin. Therefore it is not required nor necessary that women should be teachers, especially about the name of the Christ, and about salvation by His Passion, for women were not appointed to teach, especially not a widow, but that they should make prayer and supplication to the Lord God. For even Jesus the Christ, our Teacher, sent us the Twelve to make disciples of the people and the nations. There were with us female disciples, Mary Magdalene and another Mary, and He did not send [them] to make disciples with us of the people. For if it were required that women should teach, our Teacher would have commanded them to make disciples with us. But let the widow know that she is the Altar of God, and let her constantly sit in her house;

4 let her not wander and gad about among the houses of believers in order to receive; for the Altar of God doth not wander and gad about anywhere, but remaineth in one place. It is, therefore, not fitting that a widow should wander and gad about amongst houses; for those who are wanderers are without modesty, and do not even frequent their own houses and sit in them, because they are not widows, but blind persons, and they care for nothing else, but to be ready to receive, because they are talkative, and murmurers, insolent and inciters of quarrels, and they have no shame, for those that are such are unworthy of Him who has called them, for not even in the communion of the assembly of rest on Sunday, when they come, are they attentive who are such, the woman or the man, they either sleep soundly, or talk about something else; so that by their means others also are taken captive by Satan the enemy, and he does not allow them to be attentive to the Lord. Therefore those that are such, when they enter the Church empty, go out of the Church yet more empty, because they hear nothing that is spoken or read that they should receive it with the ears of their hearts. Those that are such are like those about whom Isaiah spoke, "Hear ye indeed, but understand not, and see ye indeed, but perceive not; for the heart of this people is made fat, and with their ears they hear heavily;

5 their eyes have they closed that they may never see with their eyes, nor hear with their ears. In this same manner are closed the ears of the hearts of such widows, so that they sit not beneath the shelter of their houses in order to pray and entreat the Lord, but they hasten to run so as [to gain] some advantage, and by their talking they accomplish the lusts of the Enemy. Such a widow then is not fitted for the Altar of the Christ; for it is written in the Gospel, "That if two agree and ask about all that they wish to be, it shall be given to you; and if they say to a mountain, that it be removed and fall into the sea, yes, it shall be thus. We see, therefore, that there are widows, by whom this thing is considered a merchandise, and they receive with avidity, and instead of doing good works and giving to the Bishop as for the reception of strangers, and for the relief of the oppressed, they lend for bitter usury, they care for nothing but Mammon, those whose gods are their purses, and their glory is their bellies; for where their treasure is, there is also their heart. For she who is assiduous to gad about in order to receive does not devise good things, but only worships Mammon, and serves filthy lucre;

6 and she cannot please God, nor attend to His service, by being constant in prayer and supplication, for her soul is much held captive by diligence in avarice. When she stands up to pray, she recollects where she should go to receive something, or that she has forgotten again to say some word to her friends. While she is standing in prayer her mind is not upon the prayer, but upon the idea that has come up in her soul. The prayer of such an one will not be heard, but is quickly cut short because of the agitation of her mind, because she has not offered prayer to God with her whole heart, but she goes into the thought wrought by Satan, and she speaks with her friends about something in which there is no advantage, because she does not know how she has believed, or of what place she is deemed worthy. But the widow who wishes to please God sits within her house, and meditates in the Lord by day and by night, without ceasing, at all times offering prayer and supplication, praying purely before the Lord, and receiving whatsoever she asketh, because all her mind is set upon this, for her soul is not greedy to receive, nor is her desire great to make great expenses, nor doth her eye wander about to see and desire anything and impede her mind. She doth not listen to wicked words to consent to them, for she goeth not out and gaddeth not without.

7 Because of this her prayer is not impeded by anything, and her peacefulness, her quietness, with her purity, are accepted before God. Whatever she asketh of God she quickly receiveth her desire, for such a widow as she is loveth not silver, nor filthy lucre, and is not greedy nor covetous, but is constant in prayer, humble, not excitable, pure and modest; who sitteth in her house and worketh with wool and flax, that she may provide something for those who are straitened, or make return to others and not receive anything from them, because she remembereth that widow to whom our Lord bare witness in the Gospel, her who came and threw into the treasury two mites, which make one dinar, her whom when our Lord and Teacher, the searcher of hearts, saw, He said unto us, O my disciples! this poor widow hath cast in more alms than all men, because they all from their abundance have cast in, but she hath cast in all the treasure that she had. It is therefore required of widows to be obedient to the Bishop, to be shamefaced and modest, to reverence the Bishop as [they reverence] God;

8 not to act according to their own will, nor to do anything except what is commanded them by the Bishop, nor talk with any one without counsel as if for conversion, nor go with any one to eat or to drink, nor should they fast with any one, nor receive aught from any one, nor put their hands upon nor pray for any one, except by the command of the Bishop; but if some one do any thing that has not been commanded let her be prevented because she has conducted herself without discipline. For whence dost thou know, O woman, from whom thou hast received, or from what service thou hast been nourished, or on account of whom thou hast fasted, or on whom thou hast put thy hand? Dost thou not know that about each of these things thou shalt give account to the Lord in the day of judgment, because thou hast been partaker of their works?

9 But thou, O widow who art without discipline, thou seest the widows thy companions, or thy brethren, in sicknesses, and thou carest not to fast and pray for thy members, to put thy hand and to visit them; but thou makest thyself as if thou wert not in health, or as if thou wert not sufficient, and with others who are in sins or who have gone out from the Church, because they give much, thou art ready to go joyfully and to visit them. Therefore ye ought to be ashamed, ye who are such, ye who wish to be wiser and more intelligent not only than men, but also more so than the Elders and the Bishops. Know then, O sisters! that in obeying all that the Pastors command you, with the Deacons, ye are obeying God, and in all that ye take part by the order of the Bishop ye are blameless before God, as also every brother of the laity, when he obeyeth the Bishop and submitteth unto him, because they will give account on behalf of all men, but if ye obey not the mind of the Bishops and the Deacons, they will be clear from your faults, and you will give account of all that you have done of your own will, or of yours, O ye widows!

10 It is not proper to pray with one who is censured. For every one who prays or takes part with any one who has gone out of the Church, is justly reckoned with him, for these things lead to the dissolution and the destruction of souls. For if any one take part and pray with him who is censured and is put out of the Church, and doth not obey the Bishop, he obeyeth not God, and is polluted along with him. Also he alloweth him not to repent. For if a man doth not take part with him he repenteth, and weepeth, and prayeth, and imploreth to be received, and turneth from what he hath done and is saved. It is not permitted to a woman to baptize. We do not advise a woman to baptize or to be baptized by a woman, for that is a transgression of the commandments, and there is great danger to her who baptizeth and also to him who is baptized; for if it were lawful to be baptized by a woman, our Lord and Teacher would have been baptized by Mary His mother; but He was baptized by John, as also others of the people. Therefore do not bring danger on yourselves, brothers and sisters, acting beyond the law of the Gospel.

11 About the jealousy of false Widows towards one another. About jealousy, or envy, or about calumny and murmurings, and about strife and vain talking, or about contention, we have spoken to you before; it is not suitable that these things should be in a Christian; nor is it fitting that one of them should even be named among the widows. But because the Author of Evil has many devices he enters into those who are not widows, and is glorified in them. For there are some who say of themselves that they are widows, and do no works worthy of their name. For it is not for the name of widowhood that they are found worthy to enter the Kingdom; but on account of faith and works. For if she cultivate good things, she will be honoured and praised; but if she cultivate evil things, and do the works of the Wicked One, she shall be reproved, and cast out from the everlasting kingdom, because she hath forsaken eternal things, and loved the things of time. For we see and hear that there are some who are called widows and there is among them jealousy of one another. For when some old woman, thy companion, has received a garment or a gift from some one, thou, O widow, when thou seest thy sister comforted, thou who art a widow of God oughtest to say, Blessed be God, who comforteth the old woman my comrade;

12 thou wilt glorify God, and afterwards him that gave, and thou wilt say, Let his deed be received in truth. Remember him, Lord, for good in the day of Thy retribution; and also my Bishop; his conduct is good before Thee, and he dispenses alms as it is necessary. For this old woman, my comrade, was naked, and was provided for. Increase praise to him, and give him a crown of glory in the day of Revelation, the [day] of Thy coming. Again, also that widow who has received alms from the Lord shall pray for him who served, hiding his name, like a wise woman, that his righteousness may be with God, and not with men. This service is as it was said in the Gospel, "When thou doest alms, let not thy left hand know what thy right hand doeth," lest when thou dost disclose and reveal his name in praying for him who gave, his name be exposed and come to the ears of the heathen, and the heathen, that is the men of the left hand, should know; for it might happen also that one of the believers, on hearing thee, should go out and talk. It is not suitable that such things should go forth and be revealed, or be spoken of in the Church, for he who goeth out and talketh about them obeyeth not God.

13 But do thou pray for him, concealing his name, and thus thou shalt fulfil that which is written, thou and the widows that are such, who are the holy Altar of the God, Jesus the Christ. We have now heard that there are widows who do not conduct themselves according to the commandment, but only care for this, that they may beg and wander and gad about. She again who has received alms from the Lord, if she be without sense, revealing what has happened, reveals and makes known the name of the giver. And she, whenever she has heard it, grumbles and blames the Bishop who made the provision, or the Elder or him that gave the gift, and says, Dost thou not know that I am nearer to thee, and I am much more destitute than she? She knoweth not that this hath not happened by the will of man, but by the commandment of God. For if thou testifiest, and sayest, I am nearer to thee, and thou knowest that I am more destitute than she, thou oughtest to know him who has commanded, and be silent, and not blame him who has served;

14 but go into thy house, and fall on thy face, and thank God on behalf of the widow thy companion, and pray also for the giver, and for the server, and seek from the Lord that the door of compassion may be opened also to thee, and the Lord will hear thy prayer quickly which is without grudge, and will send to thee more compassion than to that widow thy comrade, from whence thou hast never hoped to be served, and the proof of thy patience shall be found. Or do ye not know that it is written in the Gospel, "When thou doest alms, do not blow a trumpet before thee, that thou mayest be seen of them, as the hypocrites do. Verily I say unto thee that they have received their reward"? 15 About the audacity of cursed Widows. 16 If therefore God command that a service be performed in secret, and he who serves has performed it thus; thou therefore who hast received in secret, why dost thou proclaim openly? or thou again, why dost thou inquire? for not only dost thou roundly blame, and grumble like a fool, and thou also givest forth curses like the heathen. Or hast thou not heard what the Scripture saith, "Everyone who blesseth shall be blessed, and every one who curseth shall be cursed"? Again in the Gospel He said, "Bless them that curse you," and again He said, "When ye go into an house, say, Peace be to this house. And if the house be worthy of your peace, it shall come upon it, but if it be not worthy, it shall return to you. If therefore peace return to those that have sent it, more therefore shall the curse be upon him who hath launched it. For if we who have sent it out in vain, because he against whom it was sent was not worthy to receive a curse, everyone who curseth anyone in vain curseth himself; for it is written in the Proverbs, "As the swallows and the birds fly, thus vain curses return. And again he said, that "those who send forth curses are void of understanding";

17 for we are compared to the likeness of the bee, as the Lord said, Go to the bee, and learn from her how she worketh, that she doeth her work with wisdom, and from her work food is offered to the rich and the poor, for she is graceful and glorious, though she hath little strength. Therefore as the bee with little strength, when she stingeth anyone leaveth her dart, is sterile and soon dieth, thus also we believers in this likeness, every evil thing that we do to another person we are hurting ourselves. For everything that thou wouldst hate to happen to thee, do not thou to another. Therefore everyone who blesseth is blessed, and he who curseth is cursed. Admonish and reprove those who are without discipline. Admonish therefore, strengthen and increase those who act honestly. Let the widows therefore be removed from curses, for they are appointed to bless. Therefore neither let Bishop, nor Elder, nor Deacon, nor Widow send out a curse from their mouth, that they inherit not a curse, but a blessing. Let this be a care to thee, O Bishop, that not even one of the laity should send out a curse from his mouth; for thou hast the care of every man.

Chapter 16

1 Of the appointment of Deacons and Deaconesses, and of how it is fitting for them to conduct themselves in their service, without indolence of the mind nor license. 2 Therefore, O Bishop, appoint for thyself workers of righteousness and helpers, to help with thee to life, electing those who please thee from all the people. The man who is elected is for many oversights that are required, but a woman for the service of the women; for there are houses where thou canst not send a Deacon to the women on account of the heathen. Send a Deaconess for many things. The office of a woman Deaconess is required, first, when women go down to the water, it is necessary that they be anointed by a Deaconess, and it is not fitting that the anointing oil should be given to a woman to touch; but rather the Deaconess. For it is necessary for the Priest who baptizeth, to anoint her who is baptized; but when there is a woman, and especially a Deaconess, it is not fitting for the women that they be seen by the men, but that by the laying on of the hand the head alone be anointed, as of old time the Priests and Kings of Israel were anointed. Thou also, in like manner, by laying on [thy] hand, anoint the head of those who receive baptism, whether of men or of women, and afterwards, whether thou thyself baptize, or command the Deacon or the Elder to baptize, let it be a Deaconess, as we said before, who anoints the women. Let a man repeat over them the names of the invocation of the Godhead in the water.

3 And when she that is baptized arises from the water let the Deaconess receive her, and teach her and educate her, in order that the unbreakable seal of baptism be with purity and holiness. Therefore we affirm that the service of a woman, a Deaconess, is necessary and obligatory, because even our Lord and Saviour was served by the hand of women deaconesses, who were Mary the Magdalene, and Mary of James, the mother of Joses, and the mother of Zebedee's children, with other women. This service of Deaconesses is necessary also to thee for many things, for in the houses of the heathen, where there are believing women, a Deaconess is required, that she may go in and visit those who are sick, and serve them with whatever they need, and anoint those who are healed from sicknesses. 4 About Deacons. Let the Deacons in their conduct resemble the Bishop; let them however work very much more than he. Let them not love filthy lucre, but let them be diligent in service. According to the number of the congregation of the Church let there be Deacons, that they may be able to distinguish and to comfort every one, so that to the aged women who have no strength, and to the brothers and sisters who are in sicknesses, they may prepare for every one of them the service that is fitting for him. But let a woman preferably be diligent in the service of the women, and a man, a Deacon, in the service of the men. Let him be ready to hear and to obey the command of the Bishop. In every place to which he is sent to serve or to say something to any one, let him work and labour; for it is necessary that every one should know his office, and be diligent in fulfilling it; and be of one counsel, and of one mind, and of one soul dwelling in two bodies. Know what that service is, as our Lord and Saviour said in the Gospel, "Whosoever among you wishes to be chief let him be your servant; even as the Son of Man came not to be ministered unto, but to minister, and to give His soul a ransom for many.

5 Thus ye ought to work also, ye Deacons, even if ye have to give your lives for your brethren, in the service that is required of you. For even our Lord and Master did not despise when He served us, as it is written in Isaiah, "To justify the righteous who doeth a good service to many. If therefore the Lord of Heaven and of earth did service to us, bore and endured everything on our account, how much more is it required of us, that we should do thus to the brethren, that we, who are His imitators, and take the place of the Christ, should be like Him? You will find also that it is written in the Gospel, how our Lord girt a towel about His loins, and poured water into the wash-bason, while we were reclining, and drew near and washed the feet of us all, and dried [them] with the towel; but He did this, that He might show us the love and affection of brethren, that we also should do likewise to one another. If therefore our Lord did thus, ye Deacons, do ye hesitate to do thus to those who are sick and have no strength, ye who are doers of the Truth, and preserve the likeness of the Christ? Therefore serve in love, and do not grumble nor hesitate; but if not, if ye have done this service for the sake of men, and not for God, ye shall receive your reward according to your service in the day of judgment.

6 It is therefore required of you Deacons, that ye visit all those who are in want, and make known to the Bishop those who are afflicted, that ye be his soul and his mind, and that ye labour and obey him in everything.

Chapter 17

1 It is right that the Bishop should take care of orphans, those who are left young, and give them to be reared; and there is a condemnation on you, on those who have aught, and are not in want, who are greedy, and take of the gifts that are given to the Church for the orphans and the poor. If one of the children of Christians be an orphan, either a boy or a girl, it is good that if there be one of the brethren who hath no children, he take the boy in place of children, and let him take a girl, every one who has a son; when her time comes let him give her to him in marriage, and fulfil his work in the service of God. If there be people who do not wish because of their riches to do thus to orphan members, such people will meet also with the same, and they shall spend parsimony in these things, and what the saints have not eaten, the Assyrians shall eat; and strangers shall devour your land before your eyes. Ye therefore, O Bishops, take up the burden of them, that they be brought up so that nothing be wanting to them, and when it is the time for the maiden, give her in marriage to one of the brethren. And let the boy when he is grown up learn a handicraft, and when he is a man let him take the wage that is meet for his craft, that he may no longer be a burden on the charity of the brethren, which they had without deceit and without hypocrisy. And truly blessed is he who is able to help himself, and does not straiten the place of the orphans and the widows and the poor.

2 Those are guilty who take alms when they are not in want. Woe unto them who possess, and who receive falsely. For every one of those who receives will give account to the Lord God in the day of judgment, of how he received, whether it was on account of childish orphanhood, or on account of the feebleness of old age, or on account of the weakness of sickness, or for the education of children that he received. Verily this man is also to be praised, he is considered as the Altar of God, therefore he shall be honoured by God; for it was not in vain that he received, for he prayed diligently at all times without idleness for those who gave. He offered his prayer, which is his strength, in return for his receiving, for such people shall receive from God a blessing in everlasting life. But those who possess, and receive by improbity, or again, who are idle, and instead of working and giving to others, themselves receive a gift, what therefore they have received shall be required of them, because they have straitened the place of the believing poor. Every one who has property and does not give to others, nor make use of it himself, lays up for himself a treasure which perishes on the earth; and inherits the place of the serpent who sits upon the treasure, and incurs the danger of being reckoned with it.

3 For he who possesses, and receives by falsehood, does not believe in God, but in the mammon of iniquity, and because of the gains of avarice holds the Word in hypocrisy, and is filled with infidelity. He that is such, incurs the danger of being reckoned with the Infidels. But he who simply gives to every one, does well to give, and he is also pure who has received through necessity, and uses with sense what he has received; he has well received, and will be glorified by God in everlasting life and rest.

Chapter 18

1 Exhortation to Bishops, that they watchfully take care not to receive gifts from those who are guilty, as for the provision of orphans and widows and the poor, not even if they are constrained to be degraded by hunger, and that they are guilty if they accept; and that the prayers of the poor are not heard when they pray for them that are such, being supplied by their goods. It is fitting that they receive from the believing and the honest for the provision of the poor, and for the redemption of prisoners and the oppressed. 2 Therefore, O Bishops and Deacons, be constant in the service of Christ's Altar. For we have said about widows and orphans, that with all care and diligence ye shall observe the things that are given, what is the conduct of him or of her who gives for the provision, we say also again, of the Altar; because when widows are provided for by the work of righteousness, they bring a holy and acceptable service before the Lord by means of His beloved Son and His holy Spirit, to Whom be glory and honour to all eternity. Amen. Therefore take care and be diligent that ye serve the widows with the service of a pure mind, that what they ask for be given [to them] quickly with their prayers. If there be any Bishops who are contemptuous, and pay no attention to these things through partiality, or for the sake of filthy lucre, or because they are careless and do not investigate, they shall give an account in no ordinary manner. For they accept what is for the service of the provision for orphans and widows, from the rich who have put people in prison, who act badly towards their servants, or who deal hardly in their cities, or who oppress the poor, or from the impure and from those who use their bodies wickedly, from those who diminish and lend with usury; or from judges who are accepters of persons; from worshippers of gold or silver or brass; from those who change weights, or from those who measure in deceit;

3 or from tavern-keepers who mix [wine] with water; or from soldiers who conduct themselves iniquitously; or from any arrogant princes who have been polluted in wars, and have shed innocent blood unjustly; or from the usurers and the covetous; those therefore that from these [persons] provide for widows and the poor, will be found guilty in the judgment of the Lord; because the Lord hath said, "Better is a dinner of herbs with love and peace than a slaughter of fatted oxen with hatred. If a widow be nourished only with food from honest work, it will be of profit to her; but if aught be given to her from abundance of iniquity, it will be a certain loss to her. If a widow be nourished by aught that is unjust, she cannot offer her service and her prayer before God; even if she be just who prays for the wicked, her prayer for them will not be heard, but only [that] for herself; for God is a trier of hearts and He receives prayers in righteousness, but if they pray for those who have sinned and repent, their prayers will also be heard; for those who are enchained in sins and do not repent, not only are they certainly unheard when they pray, but they also call their delinquencies to mind before God.

4 Those Bishops are culpable who take alms from the guilty. Therefore, O Bishops, flee from such services; for it is written, "Thou shalt not take up to the altar of the Lord the price of a dog nor the wages of a harlot. For if the widows in their blindness pray for adulterers and transgressors of the law, their prayers are not heard. Ye cause a blasphemy to come upon the Word by your evil administration, as if there were not a good and liberal God. Be very watchful therefore that ye serve not the Altar of God from the services of a transgressor, for there is no cause for your saying, We did not know, for ye have heard what the Scripture has said, "Remove from evil, and fear not". Say not, These are they who alone give alms, and if we do not accept from them, from whence shall the orphans and widows who are in straits be served? God has said to you not to take from the wicked and help the Churches, it were profitable for you to be tortured by hunger, rather than to take from the wicked. Therefore investigate and prove, that ye may receive from believers, those who are in communion with the Church and conduct themselves aright, that ye may nourish those who are in straits. Do not receive from those who are put out of the Church and are blameable, until they are thought worthy to become members of the Church.

5 But if ye be in want, tell the brethren, let them work amongst you, and give; serve thus with justice. Teach and say to the people, that it is written, "Honour the Lord with honest work, and with the first of all thy fruits. Therefore with the honest work of believers nourish and clothe those who are greatly in want. Ransom slaves and captives, and those who are treated with violence, those who are condemned by the mob, and those who are in straits, let them visit every one and provide them with what they are in want of. If it should happen that ye take from the wicked, against your will, make no use of it for nourishment, unless it be just a little, expend it in wood for fire; lest a widow being in straits should buy with it some food for herself. Thus let the widows, not being polluted by evil, pray that they may receive from God all good things that they ask and seek. Also each one of them by herself, and ye also, will not be held by these sins.

Chapter 19

1 Exhortation to Bishops to take care of those who are persecuted or imprisoned for the name of the Christ, that they visit them, and keep away from him who is imprisoned and receives punishment from judges because of his depravity. Also exhortation to all Christians that they suffer with those who suffer for the sake of the Christ, and that out of fear they deny not or forsake them. He who denieth them, denieth Christianity and the Christ. And let him pray that he enter not into temptation. 2 Do not take your eyes off the Christian who is put in prison for the name of God, and for his faith and love, and is cast into the mines; but by your work and by the sweat of your face send him nourishment, and for the wage of the soldiers who guard him, that he may be at ease and be taken care of, but that your blessed brother be not completely afflicted. For he who is condemned for the name of God the Christ, let him be considered by you as a holy Martyr, and an Angel of God, he who is clothed spiritually with the Holy Ghost, because he has been thought worthy of an incorruptible crown. Therefore it is obligatory that all ye believers should diligently comfort the Martyrs with your goods. But if there be a man who has nothing, let him fast, and what he would have spent for himself for that day, let him give to his brother. But if thou art rich, it is required of thee that thou serve them according to thy power, or even that thou give all thy property to redeem them from the chains of death, for they are worthy of God, and children who fulfil His will, as the Lord hath said, "Whosoever shall confess Me before men, him will I also confess before My Father which is in heaven.

3 Do not be ashamed to talk with them when they are imprisoned, and in doing these things ye shall inherit everlasting life, for ye shall be partakers in their martyrdom; as we know that our Lord hath spoken thus in the Gospel, "Come unto Me, all ye blessed of My Father, inherit the kingdom that is prepared for you before the foundation of the world. I was hungry, and ye fed Me; I was thirsty, and ye gave Me drink; I was a stranger, and ye gathered Me in; I was naked, and ye clothed Me; in prison, and ye came unto Me. Then shall the righteous answer and say, 'Lord, when saw we Thee hungry, and fed Thee; or thirsty, and gave Thee to drink; or naked, and we clothed Thee; or sick, and we visited Thee; or a stranger, and we gathered Thee in; or in prison, and we came unto Thee?' And he shall answer and say unto them, 'that all that ye have done to My little brethren, ye have done it unto Me.' Then shall the righteous go unto eternal life.' But if there be a man who is called a Christian, and he should stumble, and be tempted by Satan, and be reproved for wicked works, either theft or murder, keep away from any that are such; lest one of you be tempted by those who belong to him. For if a heathen should lay hold of thee, and ask thee and say to thee;

4 Thou art also a Christian like that man, thou canst not deny that thou art a Christian, but thou confessest, and thou art not condemned as a Christian, but art punished as an evil-doer, for thou wast asked if thou wert like that man, and thy confession is in vain to thee; if thou deniest, thou hast denied the Lord. Therefore keep away from them, that ye may be without offence. But help with much zeal those believers, your members, who are in the bond of iniquity as evil-doers and are imprisoned, and free them from the hand of the wicked. For if some one approach those who are imprisoned for the name of the Christ our Lord, and is laid hold of along with them, blessed shall he be that he has been thought worthy of all this companionship. Receive and refresh those who are persecuted on account of the Faith, who migrate from city to city according to the Lord's command, rejoicing that ye are partakers of their persecution; for our Lord spake about you in the Gospel, Blessed are ye when they persecute you, and upbraid you for My name"; because when a Christian is persecuted, and killed because of the Faith, he is a Martyr of God;. But if he deny that he is a Christian, he will be called a [cause of] offence;

5 he will not be persecuted by men, but he will be rejected by God because of his denials, for the Lord God hath said, "Whosoever denieth Me, or is ashamed of Me and of My words, I will deny him before My Father which is in heaven, when I come to judge the quick and the dead. Again it is written, "Every one who loveth his father and mother more than Me, is not worthy of Me; and every one who taketh not up his cross, rejoicing, and cometh not after Me, is not worthy of Me. For what shall it profit a man, if he gain the whole world, and lose his soul, or what shall a man give in exchange for his soul?"; and again, "Fear not those who kill the body, but they cannot kill the soul; rather fear Me, who am able to destroy soul and body in hell. Now every one who learns a handicraft looks at his master, and sees how by means of his craft and knowledge he perfects his work; he also imitates him, and perfects the work that has been entrusted to him that he may not hear upbraiding from him, but if he come short of what has been entrusted to him, he is 'not a disciple'; but we who have a master and teacher, our Lord and Saviour, who rose incorruptible from the grave, because by His doctrine we possess incorruptible beauty, thus He came in poverty;

6 He also separated Himself from Mary, His blessed mother, and from His brethren, also from Himself, and endured persecution even unto the Cross. These things He suffered on our account, that He might save us who believe, who are of the house of Israel, from chains and condemnations, which we have mentioned before, and deliver you who are of the Gentiles from the worship of idols and from all iniquity. If therefore the Christ suffered on our account, to save us who believe in Him, why should we not resemble Him in His sufferings when He has given us patience? and these things [are] for our own sake, that we may be delivered from the Gehenna of fire. For He suffered for us; let us suffer for ourselves. Let us separate ourselves from our fathers and from our tribe, and from all that is in the world, and turn from ourselves, praying that we fall not into temptation. But if we are called to martyrdom, being questioned, let us confess; suffering, let us endure; being oppressed, let us rejoice; being persecuted, let us not be saddened; because it is not only our own souls that we are delivering, but also those who are children in the faith, that they may live before God.

7 But if we are defaulters towards the faith in the Lord, and deny because of the weakness of the flesh, as the Lord hath said, "The spirit is ready and willing, but the flesh is weak," it is not merely ourselves whom we destroy, but also the souls of our brethren; for when they see our denials, they will think that they have been taught error of doctrines, and when they are made captive we shall have to answer for them as well as for ourselves, every one of us to the Lord in the day of judgment. But let us be diligent, my brethren, to commend our lives to the Lord God; and if a man be found worthy of martyrdom, let him receive it with joy, that he is thought worthy of this crown, and that his exit from this world should be by martyrdom; for our Saviour has said that "there is no disciple that is above his Lord, but let every one be perfect like his Lord. We therefore who are His disciples, let us be imitators of Him; for if He endured everything for our sakes how much ought not we to bear for ourselves? suffering and not hesitating, for thus He has counselled us, that if even we were to burn in coals of fire, let us believe in the Lord Jesus the Christ, and in His Father, the Lord God Almighty, and in the Holy Ghost, to whom be glory and honour for ever and ever. Amen.

Chapter 20

1 About the Resurrection of the dead, we are taught not only by the Holy Scriptures, but also by means of demonstrations from the books of the heathen; and by means also of these natural demonstrations let us, being diligent, like believing men who have a sure hope of the Resurrection, not excuse ourselves from martyrdom on account of the Christ, if we are called to it. 2 God the Father Almighty will raise us by means of God our Saviour, as He has promised. He will raise us from among the dead just as we are, in the likeness in which we now are; nevertheless there shall not be wanting to us the great glory of everlasting life; for even should we be thrown into the depths of the sea, or scattered by the winds like chaff, we shall always be within this world, and all this world is enclosed in the hand of God, and therefore from the interior of His hand the Lord God will raise us, as He hath said, "A hair of your head shall not perish," and "in your patience possess ye your souls." About the resurrection and about the glory of martyrs the Lord hath said in Daniel thus, that "many who sleep in the surface of the earth shall arise in that day, some to everlasting life, and some to shame and contempt. And they that be wise shall shine as the lights of heaven, and those that are mighty in the Word as the stars of heaven." As the sun and as the moon, He hath promised to give to those who are martyrs for his Name. And it is not to believers that He hath promised resurrection, but also to all men; for He hath said thus in Ezekiel, "The hand of the Lord was upon me, and he led me out into the plain, and it was full of bones, and He caused me to pass by them round about, etc.

3 . And in the Twelve Prophets they said thus, "Behold, ye wicked, and see and understand wonders, and return to corruption, for I will work a work in your days These things and more than these are said against those who do not believe in the Resurrection, and against those who deny God, that when they shall see the glory of believers they shall return to perish in the fire because they did not believe. But we have learnt and believed in His Resurrection from the dead. The Resurrection which God has promised to us is sure to us and not deceptive, because our Saviour Himself is the earnest of our resurrection, He having risen first. Confirmation about the Resurrection, even from the writings of the heathen. Also those among the Gentiles who read, read and hear, even among the heathen, about the Resurrection from the Sybil, what was said and preached to them thus, "When everything shall be dust and ashes, the Most High God shall cause the fire which He hath kindled to cease, and then God Himself shall raise the bones and ashes of men, and shall clothe them with their likeness, and raise men as they were before. And then the judgment shall take place, in which God shall judge the wicked in the future world, and the earth shall cover the impious. The just and the righteous shall live in the land of life; God will give them spirit and goodness, and thereafter they shall all see one another." It is not only, my friends, by means of the Sybil that the Resurrection was preached to the heathen, but also by means of the holy Scriptures, before the Lord preached to the Jews and to the heathen and to the Christians together, and announced the Resurrection of the dead which shall come to men.

4 Confirmation that we must not excuse ourselves from Martyrdom for the sake of the Christ. If therefore God has shown us about the Resurrection by means of an irrational animal, much more we who believe in the Resurrection of God and in the promise of God, if martyrdom come upon us as on men worthy of all this glory of God, shall receive the incorruptible crown in eternal life, and in the glorious honour of the martyrdom of God; 5 let us receive it joyfully with all our hearts, and let us believe in the Lord God who will raise us in glorious light. As in the beginning, God commanded by a word, and He said, Let there be light, and night and day; and heaven and earth and seas, and birds and beasts, and creeping things of the earth and trees, and everything was established by His Word, as the Scripture hath said, thus also man who is His creature He will especially vivify and raise, and as with human seed He clothes man with a garment in the womb and makes him grow. If therefore He shall raise all men, as He hath said in Isaiah, "All flesh shall see the salvation of God," yet more will He vivify and raise believers, because to the simple disciples who believe in Him, He hath promised a glory like that of the stars; but He hath promised to give eternal glory, Let us believe in His birth from a virgin, and in His coming and in His willing Passion. Let us be convinced by means of the Holy Scriptures, as the Prophets announced beforehand everything about His coming, and were confirmed in our hearts; and we still more, we who were with Him, and saw Him with our eyes and ate with Him, and were companions and witnesses of His coming, we believe in the great unspeakable things which He will give as He hath promised. if we believe in His promises that they shall be.

6 Let us be called to martyrdom for His name's sake; when we go out of this world by confession, we are sanctified from all our sins in baptism to those who come from the heathen and enter the holy Church of God. Their sins are considered like Abraham and Isaac and Jacob for the Scripture saith, "Who shall boast himself and say, I am pure from sins, or who will say, I am holy? and again, "There is no man clean from pollution, even if his life should be only for a day upon the earth. Every one therefore who believeth and is baptized, his former sins are forgiven; but should he again sin after baptism, he is guilty of the sin. If then one go out of this world by martyrdom for the name of the Lord, blessed is he; for the brethren who have suffered martyrdom and have gone out of this world, in these things their sins are covered