Беседа 25

Conversation 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10 11 12 13 14 15 16 17 18 19 20 21 22 23 24 25 26 27 28 29 30 31 32 Rom 14.1–2. Accept him who is weak in faith, not into doubting thoughts. He believes in eating all the food, but the one who is exhausted eats potions. I know that these words are difficult for many to understand. Therefore, first of all, it is necessary to set out the content of this entire passage and say what (the apostle) wanted to correct when he wrote about it. So what did he want to fix? There were many of the believing Jews who, having a conscience bound by the law, and having accepted the faith, observed strict discrimination in food, not yet daring to completely deviate from the law. Then, abstaining only from pork meat, they, in order not to be criticized, then began to abstain from all meat and ate only vegetables in such a way that what was happening seemed to be observing fasting, and not the law. On the other hand, there were those who were more perfect in the faith, who, while not at all observing such discernment in food, burdened and upset those who observed it with their reproaches and reproofs, throwing them into despondency. Therefore, Blessed Paul feared that they, having the intention of correcting an unimportant deficiency, would not spoil everything, wanting to deviate those who are weak in the faith from being picky about food, would not lead them to fall away from the faith and, trying ahead of time to bring everything to perfection, would not harm their real good, and with their incessant reproaches would not shake them in the confession of Christ, so that after that it would be impossible to correct either one or the other. See how prudently the apostle acts and how, with his characteristic wisdom, he takes care of the benefit of both sides. He does not dare to say to those who reproach him: “You are doing bad,” so as not to confirm others’ pickiness, and he also does not say: “You are doing well,” so that they do not attack even more strongly, but he uses a proportionate prohibition: apparently, he reproaches the stronger side, but his entire reproach falls on the opposite side. This is the easiest way of correction, when, turning a word to one, you strike the other. Then the one to whom the prohibition is made is not given a reason to be angry, and the medicine of correction is invisibly poured into him. Notice how prudently and timely (the apostle) does this. Having said: “Do not please the flesh through lust” (Rom. 13:14), he suddenly moves on to real speech, so that one cannot think that he is speaking in favor of those who forbade choosiness and advised eating everything. The weak side always needs to be taken care of more, which is why (the apostle) turns directly to the stronger side and says this: “he who fails in faith.” Do you see that one blow has already been dealt to the observer of legibility? By calling him faint, (the apostle) shows that he is sick. Then he strikes again, saying: “Accept.” By this he again shows that he needs great care, which also serves as a sign of extreme illness. "Do not doubt your thoughts." Here he struck the third blow. With these words, he shows that his sin is so great that it arouses doubt even in those who, although they themselves do not participate in this sin, are nevertheless united by bonds of friendship with those who commit it and care about its healing. Do you notice how, apparently, he speaks to one, and then imperceptibly and slightly reproaches others? After that, comparing both, he praises some and denounces others. Precisely, by saying: “He who believes in everything eats”, he praises faith, and by adding: “he who is exhausted with potions ... eats,” he condemns weakness in faith. Then, after having dealt a very strong blow, he again encourages the weak one, saying this: Rom.14:3. Let the poisonous one not rebuke the poisonous one. He didn’t say: allow them to do this, or: reprove, or: don’t encourage correction; but: do not reproach, do not despise, showing that they (those who did not eat) did something worthy of great laughter. But about the one who believes to eat everything, (the apostle) expressed himself differently. How exactly? And let not the poisonous one condemn the poisonous one. Just as the more perfect humiliated those who did not eat, considering them to be of little faith, untrue Christians, carrying a hidden illness within themselves and still adhering to Judaism, so the latter condemned the former, considering them to be violators of the law or even indulge in gluttony, since many of them were probably converts from paganism. Therefore (the apostle) added: But he did not say this about the one who does not eat, although apparently the one who eats should be humiliated as one of little faith. (The Apostle) said the opposite, showing by this that the one who eats not only does not deserve humiliation, but he himself can humiliate others. But does not (the apostle) himself condemn the eater, you ask? Not at all, that’s why he added: “God accepts him.” So, why are you talking about the law to him as a criminal? God accepted him, that is, showed his inexpressible grace in him and freed him from all guilt. Then (the apostle) again turns his speech to those who are firm in the faith: Rom.14:4. Who are you, a judge of a strange servant? From this it is clear that those who were strong in the faith not only humiliated, but also condemned the weak. His Lord stands or falls. Here comes another blow again. The reproach is apparently directed at the strong, but concerns the weak. When (the apostle) says: this shows that he still hesitates, requires a lot of attention and such care that to heal him you need to call on God for help. For God is strong to establish him, - he continues. This is what they say about people who are very hopeless. But so that you do not despair of him, (the apostle), despite his weakness, calls him God’s servant, saying: “Who art thou, a judge of a strange servant?” Meanwhile, here again he imperceptibly strikes the weak. I order you not to judge him, not because his actions do not deserve condemnation, but because he is someone else’s slave, that is, not yours, but God’s. Then, encouraging him again, he doesn’t say: he’s falling, but how? “Stands or falls.” If this or that happens to him, it all depends on the Lord. If he falls, it is a loss for God, and equally, if he stands, it is a gain for God. However, such indifference would be completely unworthy of the care befitting Christians, if we again did not begin to pay attention to the goal of Paul, who wants those weak in the faith not to be reproached ahead of time. But, as I have always said, it is necessary to take into account the disposition with which something is said, the nature of the subject about which it is said, and what the speaker is trying to correct. (The Apostle), having said this, shamed the reproacher not without reason. If God, argues (Paul), suffers damage while doing nothing, then are you not acting untimely and going beyond boundaries, tormenting and disturbing a brother who is weak in the faith? Rom.14:5. He judges every day, but He judges every day. Here, I think, (the apostle) slightly hints at fasting. Naturally, some of those who fasted constantly condemned those who did not fast, or perhaps among those who were picky in food there were those who observed this pickiness on certain days, but not on others, which is why (the apostle) said: Let each one be informed by his own thoughts. By this he freed the picky from fear, calling their action indifferent, and from those who attacked them too much, he took away the reason for reproach, admonishing them that they should not constantly bother people with such great zeal for their pickiness; and such zeal is not needed, not because of the nature of the matter itself, but because of the times, because those who were reproached by them were still new in the faith. In the Epistle to the Colossians, he forbids this very strictly, saying: “Be careful that no one deceives you with philosophy and vain flattery, according to the tradition of men, according to the rudiments of the world, and not according to Christ” (Col. 2.8). And again: “But no one condemns you about eating or drinking, and... let no one deceive you” (Col. 2.16, 18). And in the Epistle to the Galatians he with all severity demands from them the highest judgment and perfection in this regard. But here he does not resort to such insistence, since the faith was recently implanted among the Romans. And therefore we should not spread the words (of the apostle) to everyone: “Let everyone be informed by his own thoughts.” So, when it comes to teaching, listen to how he says: “If anyone brings you any more good news, even if it were an angel, let him be accursed” (Gal. 1.8-9). And in another place: “I fear, lest, as the serpent deceives Eve, ... so your minds also will decay” (2 Cor 11.3). And in the Epistle to the Philippians he writes: “Beware from dogs, beware from evil workers, beware from being cut” (Philippians 3.2). But among the Romans it was still too early to correct this, and therefore he said: “Let each one be informed by his own thoughts.” Since it was also about fasting, he added the following, putting down the pride of some and driving out the fear of others: Rom.14:6. If a day philosophizes, the Lord philosophizes; and a day that does not philosophize, the Lord does not philosophize. he who is poisonous, who eats the Lord, thanks God; and he who is not poisonous, who does not eat the Lord, and thanks God. Again he touches on the same thing here. The meaning of his words is as follows: the essence is not in temporary affairs (to exist or not to exist), the only question is whether both do things for God, and whether they both end with thanksgiving? After all, both of them thank God. And if both thank you, then the difference is not great. Notice how here (the apostle) secretly strikes at those who adhere to Judaism. If the main thing is to give thanks, then it is clear that it is the one who eats who thanks, and not the one who does not eat. How can we thank someone who still adheres to the law? The same thing was confirmed by Paul in his Epistle to the Galatians: “Whoever was justified by the law has fallen away from grace” (Gal. 5.4). However, he does not reveal this thought here, but only hints at it, because the time was not yet, but for now he tolerates those who adhered to the law, and he reveals this more clearly in subsequent words, saying: Rom.14:7–8. No one lives like us, and no one dies like us. If we live, we live for the Lord; if we die, we die for the Lord. Indeed, can he who lives for the law live for Christ? However, in these words (the apostle) not only considers this, but also keeps those who are strong in the faith from haste in correcting the weak and convinces them to be patient, proving that God cannot despise the weak, but will correct them in due time. What does this mean: “nobody... lives for us?” We are not free, we have a Master over us, who wants us to be alive and does not want us to die, and for whom our life or death is more important than for ourselves. By this (the apostle) he shows that God cares about us more than we do ourselves, that He considers our life to be gain for Himself, and death to be loss. If we die, we die not only for ourselves, but also for the Lord. By death here (the apostle) means spiritual death, which consists in falling away from the faith. That God cares for us is sufficiently convincing to us that we live for Him and die for Him. However, (the apostle) is not content with this, but adds another new confirmation, saying: Whether we live or die, we are the Lord's. Here he moves from spiritual death to natural death, so that his speech does not seem cruel, and presents the new most important sign of God’s providence for us. Which one exactly? Rom.14:9. For this reason, he says, Christ died and rose again and is alive, and has control over both the dead and the living. Thus, this should assure you that the Lord always cares about our salvation and correction. If He did not provide so much for us, then what would be the need for the Economy? Will He who took so much care to assimilate us to Himself that He took upon Himself the form of a slave and died, will He neglect you after doing this? It's not possible, it's not possible. He will not want such a great cause to perish. “For this,” says (the apostle), “and I will die.” This is the same as if someone said: such and such a person will not agree to leave his slave because he is protecting his own acquisitions. But we do not love money as much as God loves our salvation. He gave not money for us, but His Blood, and therefore cannot abandon those for whom he gave such a great price. Notice also how (the apostle) shows the ineffable power of God. “For this,” he says, “you will die... and live again, and even the dead... will have power.” And above he said: “Whether we live or die, we are the Lord’s” (Rom. 14:8). Do you see how powerful His sovereignty is? Do you see how insurmountable His strength is and how comprehensive His Providence is? “Don’t talk to me about the living,” argues (the apostle): God also provides for the dead. And if he provides for the dead, then it is clear that he also provides for the living. He left nothing outside His dominion, but acquired even greater rights over people in order to provide for us more than for everything else. A man pays money for a slave and therefore carefully protects him, but God paid with death and, of course, cannot consider the salvation of one whom he bought at such a great price and acquired possession of with such zeal and effort to be unimportant. And all this (the apostle) says in order to shame the Judaizing Christian and convince him to remember the greatness of the good deed, because he was dead and came to life, because he did not receive any benefit from the law and it would be extreme ingratitude on his part if he, leaving the One who showed him so many mercies, resorted again to the law. So, having sufficiently reproached him, (the apostle) again encourages him, saying: Rom.14:10. Why are you judging your brother? or are you humiliating your brother? Here, apparently, (the apostle) equates both, but nevertheless posits a great difference between them. He stops their disputes first of all by naming his brother, and then by reminding him of the terrible day of Judgment, since, having said: “Why do you humiliate your brother,” he added: We will all stand before the judgment seat of Christ. And saying this, he, apparently, again makes a reproach to the more perfect, but in fact he tries to shake the spirit of the Judaizing Christian, not only shaming him with a reminder of the benefit shown to him, but also frightening him with future punishment: “for all this,” he says, “we will appear before the judgment seat of Christ.” Rom.14:11–12. For it is written: As I live, says the Lord, every knee will worship Me, and every tongue will confess to God. Likewise, each of us... will give his word... about himself to God. Do you see how (Paul) again shakes the spirit of one, striking a blow, apparently, to another? His words mean the same as if he had said: what are you concerned about? Surely you won't be punished for it? He did not express this directly, but this is exactly what he meant, he only expressed it much more simply, saying: “For we will all appear before the judgment seat of Christ. Moreover, each one of us will give a word about himself to God.” (The Apostle) also cited the words of the prophet, who testifies to the universal obedience to God, the unconditional obedience of all who lived in the Old Testament, and in general of all without exception. It is not just said that everyone will bow down, but that he will “confess,” that is, he will give an account of what he has done. So, imagining the common Master sitting on the Throne, be attentive to yourself, do not tear or divide the Church, turning away from grace and returning to the law, since the law also belongs to Him. And what am I saying – the law? To him belong all those who lived both in the law and before the law. And it is not the law that will demand an account from you, but Christ, both from you and from the entire human race. Do you see how (the apostle) freed the weak in faith from the fear of the law? Then, so that it would not seem that he speaks about this with the intention of frightening the weak, but that he moved on to this through the connection of speech, (the apostle) continues to discuss the same subject, saying: Rom.14:13. This is not why we condemn each other, but judge this even more, so that we do not lay a stumbling block for our brother or a temptation. This applies to one no more than to the other, and therefore can be applied to both, both to the perfect, who is tempted by pickiness in food, and to the imperfect, for whom too harsh reproaches serve as a stumbling block. Look, what kind of punishment will we be subject to if we simply seduce our neighbors? If here, where the whole mistake consisted in the untimely reproaches, (the apostle) forbids them, so that the brother would not be tempted and stumble, then what will we deserve when we seduce our brother, having no intention of correcting him at all? If not saving is a crime, as can be seen in the example of someone who buried a talent in the ground, then what will we not bring upon ourselves by tempting another? You will say: what should I do if he is tempted by himself, being weak? That’s why you should bear it all yourself. If he were strong, he would not have needed such care, but now, since he is very weak, for this reason he needs great care. So, let us present this to him and begin to support him in all cases. After all, we will give an answer not only for our sins, but also for everything in which we served as a temptation to others. And if it is difficult to answer for our sins, then how will we be saved when this responsibility is placed on us? Let us not consider it an excuse for ourselves if we find accomplices in our sins, since this will only increase our punishment. So the serpent is punished more severely than the wife, and the wife more than the husband; Jezebel suffered a more severe punishment than Ahab, who took the vineyard, because she was the main culprit of this injustice and led the king into temptation. And you, if you become the culprit of the death of others, will be subjected to a more severe punishment than those who were brought to the point of their fall. It is not so harmful to sin oneself as to lead others into sin, which is why (the apostle) says: “They do not exactly do this, but also deign to do it” (Rom. 1.32). Thus, when we see that others are sinning, not only will we not encourage them to sin, but we will try to extract them from the abyss of vice, so that we ourselves will not be punished for the death of others; Let us constantly remember the Last Judgment, the fiery river, the insoluble bonds, the impenetrable darkness, the gnashing of teeth and the poisonous worm. But God loves mankind, you say. So, in your opinion, these are all just words? The rich man who despised Lazarus does not suffer (Luke 16). Are foolish virgins not expelled from the bridal chamber? Those who refused to feed Christ will not go into the fire prepared for the devil and his angels? He who is dressed in dirty clothes will not be bound hand and foot and will not be condemned to death? The one who demanded a hundred denarii will not be handed over to the torturers? And is it not true what is said about adulterers: “Their worm does not die, and their fire is not quenched” (Mark 9.48)? Are these all just threats? Yes, you say. But on what basis, tell me, do you dare to assert this and pronounce such a verdict on your own? I can prove to you the opposite on the basis of both the words and deeds of Christ. If you do not believe about the future punishment, then at least believe what has already happened, since what has already happened, what has actually been fulfilled, is not empty threats and words. Who, under Noah, brought a flood across the entire universe, causing such terrible destruction by water and the death of our entire race? Who then brought down lightning and fire on the land of Sodom? Who sank the whole of Egypt into the sea? Who killed six hundred thousand people in the desert? Who burned the host of Avirons with fire? Who commanded the earth to open its mouth and swallow up Korah, Dathan, and those with them? Who under David killed seventy thousand in an instant? Should we also mention punishments separately? About Cain, betrayed to constant torment? About the son Charmiin, who was stoned with all his family? About the one who collected wood on the Sabbath and suffered the same punishment? About the forty-two youths who, under Elisha, were eaten by wild beasts and for whom their young age did not serve as an excuse? And if you want to see similar examples in the times of grace, then imagine what punishments the Jews suffered, how their wives ate their own children, some fried them, while others prepared them differently; how, during an unbearable famine, among various and difficult wars, they were subjected to such extreme disasters that no terrible misfortunes of previous times could be compared. And that Christ brought all this upon them, listen to how He Himself predicts this both in parables and in clear and intelligible words - in parables when He says: “They are My enemies, who did not desire Me, that there might be a King over them, bring these things and cut them off before Me” (Luke 19.27), and also in the parables about the vineyard, and about marriage: and in in clear and open words, when he threatens that “they will fall at the edge of the sword, and will be taken captive with all their tongues: and... there will be... on earth a tongue that is heavy with despair, the noise of the sea and indignation, a man dying of fear” (Luke 21.24-26). “And there will be... great tribulation, such as has not been from the beginning of the world until now, never to be” (Matthew 24.21). It is also known to everyone what punishment Ananias and Sapphira were subjected to for concealing several coins. Don’t you still notice daily accidents? Doesn't this happen? Don't you see that even now people are dying of hunger, suffering from leprosy and other bodily diseases, living in constant poverty and suffering thousands of unbearable disasters? So, what reason could there be to punish some and not others? If God is completely just, which is certain, then, of course, you too will be punished for your sins. If you think that God will not punish you, because He loves mankind, then you should not punish them either. But, as we said above, God punishes many here too, so that if you do not believe the words of the threats, you will believe the actual punishments. And since the old does not frighten us so much, He admonishes the careless with modern events that take place in every generation. Why, you ask, does God not punish everyone here? To give others the time predetermined by Him for repentance. Why doesn’t He punish everyone there? So that there are not many who do not believe in God’s Providence. Now I ask you: how many robbers were caught and how many were there who died without punishment? Where is God's love for mankind and justice? If no one were punished at all, then you could resort to this (objection), but when some are punished and others are not, and, moreover, those who sinned more were left without punishment, then what could be the meaning of the fact that for the same crimes there are unequal punishments, and might it not seem that those punished are offended? So why isn't everyone punished here? Listen to what Christ Himself answers you to this. When the tower fell and several people died, then to those who were perplexed by this, Christ said: “Do you think that... these are the most sinners above all... byahu? ...Nor, I say to you: but unless you repent, you will all perish the same way” (Luke 13.2-5). By this He teaches us not to hope that while others have been punished, we, although we will sin a lot, will remain unpunished. If we do not repent, we will certainly be punished. Why, you ask, should we endure eternal punishment when we have sinned here for a short time? But how can a person here, having committed only one murder in an instant, be condemned to work in the mines for the rest of his life? But God, you say, doesn’t act like that. How did He allow the paralytic to endure such a severe punishment for thirty-eight years? That He really punished him for his sins, listen to what Christ says: “Behold, you are healthy, let no one sin, lest it be worse” (John 5.14). However, the paralytic, you say, received release from punishment? But it won't happen there. That there really will be no release from punishment, listen to how Christ Himself speaks about this: “their worm does not die, and the fire is not quenched” (Mark 9.44). And again: “Some will go away into eternal life, and others into everlasting punishment” (Matthew 25.46). So, if there is eternal life, then there will be eternal punishment. Or do you not know how many threats there were against the Jews? Were these threats fulfilled, or were they just words? It is said: “one stone will not be left on another stone” (Luke 21.6) – and, indeed, was there any stone left on another? Christ said: “there will be... great tribulation, such as there has never been” (Matthew 24:21), and did this really not come true? Read the story of Joseph, and you will not even be able to come to your senses when you hear about the disasters that the Jews actually suffered. I say this not to upset you, but to bring you to safety, so that, while comforting you with vain hopes, I will not subject you to more severe punishments. And tell me: why don’t you deserve punishment for your sins? Didn't God tell you everything in advance? Didn't He forbid you? Didn't you frighten me? Didn’t I use thousands of means for your salvation? Didn’t he grant you the bath of rebirth and forgive all your previous sins? And after this bath, after the remission of sins, did He not provide you, when you began to sin again, with other help in repentance? Did He not make the path of remission of sins easy for you even after this? So listen to what God has commanded. If you forgive your neighbor’s sins, then I, He says, will forgive you. What inconvenience is there in this? “Judge the sire,” it is said, “justify the widow, and come, and we will be redeemed,” says the Lord; and though your sins be as scarlet, they will be as white as snow” (Isaiah 1.17–18). What is the difficulty in this? “Thou art the words of thy iniquity, that thou mayest be justified” (Isaiah 43.26). What is the burden in this? “Atone for your sins with alms” (Dan 4.24). What kind of work is involved in this? The publican said: “be merciful to me, a sinner,” and “here... justified” (Luke 18.13-14). Is it difficult to imitate the publican? But, despite all this, you do not want to make sure that there is punishment and torment. But maybe you will say that the devil is not punished? It is said: “go... into the fire... prepared for the devil and the angel him" (Matthew 25.41). But if there were no Gehenna, then the devil would not be punished; but if he is punished, then it is clear that we, doing his deeds, will be punished, since we also disobeyed the commandment of God, although not the same as he. How are you not afraid to speak boldly about God? After all, when you say that God is philanthropic and does not punish, then according to you it turns out that He is no longer philanthropic if He punishes. Do you notice what thoughts the devil makes you think? So what? Will the monks who settled in the mountains and demonstrated many feats remain uncrowned? After all, if the evil are not punished and there is no reward, then others can say that the good are not rewarded. I don’t agree with this, you say, since the goodness of God is more consistent with the existence of only one kingdom, and not Gehenna. Does this mean that a fornicator, an adulterer, who has committed thousands of crimes will enjoy the same benefits as one who has distinguished himself by chastity and holiness? Does this mean that Paul will stand alongside Nero, or even the devil along with Paul? If there is no Gehenna, and there is a general resurrection, then the wicked will also receive the same benefits as the righteous? What kind of madman can say this? Or better yet, which demon would dare say this? After all, demons recognize Gehenna, therefore “and... the cryer says: ... you have come before the time to torment us” (Matthew 8.29). How are you not afraid, not horrified, to deny what even demons admit? How do you not notice which teacher is instilling this evil instruction in you? He who seduced a man in the beginning and, with the offer of great hopes, snatched away from him the goods that were already in his hands, he now incites you to speak and think so; This is why the devil convinces some to think that there is no Gehenna to cast into it; on the contrary, God threatens Gehenna for this reason and prepared it so that you, knowing about it, would live so as not to fall into it. If the devil, even now, when Gehenna exists, assures you that it does not exist, then if it really did not exist, what need would there be to testify about it to the demons, who are trying most of all so that we do not even suspect the existence of Gehenna, so that, without fearing it, we become more careless and fall with them into the fire of Gehenna? Why, you may ask, did they testify to Gehenna then? Because they cannot stand the necessity forcing them to do so. So, reflecting on all this, let those who say this stop deceiving themselves and others, since for these words they will be punished, because they laugh at terrible things, lead to the carelessness of many who want to truly care about their salvation, and do not even imitate the pagan Ninevites in the least. Those, being ignorant of everything, when they heard that their city would be destroyed, not only did not show unbelief, but also rebelled, put on sackcloth, humbled themselves and did not stop doing all this until they satisfied the wrath of God. And you, knowing so many cases of God’s judgment, destroy with your words what God said? Therefore, your fate will be the opposite of the fate of the Ninevites. Those who were afraid of words were not punished in reality, but you, despising threats in words, will be punished in reality. Now these words seem like a fable to you, but they will not seem so when you are convinced of them in practice. Don't you see what Christ did here on earth? He did not give the same lot to the two thieves, but He brought one into the Kingdom and sent the other to Gehenna. But what can I say about the robber and murderer? Christ did not spare the apostle when he became a traitor, but, foreseeing that he was striving for a noose, would hang himself and be seated (after all, it is said: “He sat down in the middle, and his whole womb was poured out” (Acts 1.18) - foreseeing, I say, all this, however, he allowed him to endure this, in order through the present to assure you of the whole future. So, do not deceive yourselves by trusting to the devil - after all, these are his suggestions. If judges, masters, teachers and even uneducated people reward the good and punish the evil, then is it possible for God to act differently and make the good equal to the wicked? If even now wicked people, expecting punishment and being in the midst of such great fear - the fear of judges and laws - do not lag behind evil deeds, then when will they stop committing evil deeds? upon relocation to eternity, will they be freed from all fear and not only will they not fall into Gehenna, but will also receive the kingdom? Will this be philanthropy, tell me, to strengthen vice, to reward evil, to bestow the same honor on the chaste and the dissolute, the faithful and the wicked, Paul and the devil? But how long can we continue such empty talk? I beg you, free yourself from this madness, be prudent, instill in your soul fear and trembling, so that it will be freed from the future Gehenna and, having lived the present life in chastity, will be worthy of future blessings by the grace and love of our Lord Jesus Christ, with whom to the Father and the Holy Spirit be glory, power, honor, now and ever, and to the ages of ages. Amen. You might be interested in: