КНИГА ТРЕТЬЯ

Cyprian wishes his son Quirinus good health. According to your faith and love for the Lord God, you asked me, dearest son, to extract from the Holy Scriptures for your instruction some passages relating to the religious order of our faith: you want to observe strict frugality in Divine reading, so that the spirit does not become tired of the vast and many scrolls of books, but, having learned the list of heavenly commandments, in a saving and holy abbreviation, have support for your memory. Out of the fullness of my love for you, I did what you asked: I labored once in order to free you from labor forever. So, as far as it was possible for my measure, I collected some of the commandments of the Lord and Divine teachings: they will be both easy and useful for the readers, since, given in the shortest possible composition, they are quickly read and can be often re-read. I wish you, dear son, always good health. I. About the good of deeds and mercy Isaiah says: “Cry with might and show no mercy; Like a trumpet, lift up your voice and tell my people their sins and the house of Jacob their iniquities. They seek Me day by day and desire to understand My ways, as if people have created the truth and have not forsaken the judgment of their God; Now they ask Me for righteous judgment and desire to draw closer to the Lord, saying: Why did we become silent and did not see it? You humbled our souls and did you not lead us away? In the days of your fastings you find your wills and languish all your resources. Do you fast in trials and quarrels and beat the humble with your metacarpals, fasting to Me as I did today, when I heard your voice cry out? I did not choose this fast, nor did I choose the day to humble a man’s soul; Below, if you wear your neck like a sickle, and spread sackcloth and ashes, then you will call fasting pleasant. This is not the fast I have chosen, says the Lord; but resolve every bond of unrighteousness, destroy the debts of forced scriptures, release the contrite into freedom and tear apart every unrighteous scripture; break your bread for the hungry and bring the bloodless poor into your house; If you see a naked person, clothe him, and do not despise those belonging to your tribe. Then your light will open early and your healing will soon shine, and your righteousness will come before you and the glory of God will embrace you. Then you will cry and God will hear you, and while you are still speaking he will say, “Behold, I have come” (Is. 58:1–9). Job says the same thing: “I saved the poor from the hand of the strong and the orphan, who had no helper, no help...; the widow's lips blessed me...; the eye is blind, the foot is lame...; He was a father to the weak” (Job 29:12–16). About the same thing in the book of Tobit: “And he said to my son (Tobias): go and bring him, if you find from our brethren a poor man who remembers the Lord, and behold, I wait for you” (Tob.2:2) 6. And in another place in the same book: “all the days, child, remember the Lord our God and do not want to... transgress His commandments. Do righteousness all the days of your life and do not walk in the path of unrighteousness; If you do the truth, there will be prosperity in your deeds... Do alms from your possessions... so that you do not turn your face away from every beggar, and the face of God will not turn away from you. If you have plenty, do alms from them; If you don’t have enough, don’t be afraid to give alms in small ways. You are laying up a good deposit for your day of need. Almsgiving saves us from death and does not leave us going into darkness. The gift of goodness is alms to all who do before the Most High” (Tov.4:5-11). Solomon talks about the same thing in Proverbs: “the merciful poor gives back to God” (Prov. 19:17); “Whoever gives to the poor will not be lacking; but he who turns away his eye will be in poverty" (Proverbs 28:27); “Through alms and faith sins are cleansed” (Proverbs 16:6); “If your enemy is hungry, feed him; If anyone is thirsty, give him something to drink; For when you do this, you heap coals of fire on his head” (Prov. 25:21–22). And in another book: “Water will quench a burning fire, and alms will cleanse sins” (Sir.3:30). Again in his Proverbs: “Do not say: when you go away, come back and in the morning I will give, I am strong enough to do good; Do not consider what the day will bring forth” (Proverbs 3:28); “He who stops his ears, who will not listen to the weak, will call him and will not listen to him” (Prov. 21:13); “Whoever lives without blemish in righteousness will make his children blessed” (Prov. 20:7). In the book of the Wisdom of Jesus son of Sirach 7: “children, like the Lord, do good for yourself and bring the offerings of the Lord worthily; remember, for death will not delay” (Sir.14:11–12); “Shut up alms in your cages, 8 and it will purge you from all bitterness” (Sir.29:15). Psalm 36 speaks of the benefits of mercy for posterity: “the youngest was, for he was old, and did not see the righteous, and was left below his seed asking for bread; All day long the righteous one shows mercy and gives back, and his seed will be a blessing” (Ps. 36:25-26). About the same thing in Psalm 40: “Blessed is he who considers the poor and the wretched; in the day of cruelty the Lord will deliver him” (Ps. 40:2). And in Psalm 111: “Give to the needy; his righteousness endures forever and ever” (Ps. 112:9). Hosea talks about the same thing: “I want mercy and not sacrifice, and the taking away of God rather than burnt offerings” (Hosea 6:6). About the same thing in different places in the Gospel of Matthew, such as: “Blessed are those who hunger and thirst for righteousness, for they shall be satisfied. Blessed be the mercy, for there will be mercy” (Matthew 5:6–7). “Hide for yourself a treasure in heaven, where neither worms nor aphids smolder, and where things are not undermined or stolen; Wherever your treasure is, there will your heart be also” (Matthew 6:20–21). “The kingdom of heaven is like a merchant looking for good beads; and when he found one bead of great value, he sold all that he had, and bought it” (Matthew 13:45–46). The same Gospel says that even a small deed brings benefit: “Whoever gives one of these little ones a cup of cold water to drink only in the name of the disciple, Amen, I say to you, he will not lose his reward” (Matthew 10:42). It is said that no one should be denied alms: “Give to the one who asks you, and do not turn away the one who wants to borrow from you” ( Matthew 5:42) In another place of the same Gospel: “If you want to take it into your life, keep the commandments: Jesus said: You will not kill, you will not commit adultery, you will not steal, you will not bear false witness, and you will love your true self. The young man said to Him: I have saved all this... what is it that I haven’t finished yet? Jesus said to him: If you want to be perfect, go, sell what you have and give to the poor, and have treasure in heaven, and come after Me” (Matthew 19:17-21). And again: “When the Son of man comes in His glory and all the holy angels with Him; then He will sit on the throne of His glory, and all the nations will be gathered before Him and will separate them from each other, as a shepherd separates the sheep from the goats. And He will set the sheep at His right hand, and the goats at His left. Then the King says to those on His right hand: Come, blessed of My Father, inherit the Kingdom prepared for you from the foundation of the world. Be hungry, and give Me food; You became thirsty and drank Me; he was strange, and he knew me; naked and clothed; I am sick and visiting Me; you were in prison, and came to me. Then the righteous women answered Him, saying: Lord, when did I see You hungry and drink You? or thirsty and drunk? When did you show strangeness and introduce? or naked and covered? When did I see You sick or in prison and come to You? And having answered, the King said to them: Amen, I say to you, since you have made one of these lesser brothers of Mine, you have made them with Me. Then He also speaks to those who are on His side: Depart from Me, O curse, into the eternal fire prepared (which My Father has prepared) for the devil and his angel. You are hungry, and you will not let Me eat; You were thirsty and did not give Me a drink; he was strange, and did not know Me; naked and unclothed; sick and in prison, and not a visitor to Me. Then they answer Him saying: Lord, when did I see You hungry, or thirsty, or strange, or naked, or sick, or in prison, and not serving You? Then he answers them, saying: Amen, I say to you, because you did not make the least of these, neither did you make them for Me. And these go away into everlasting punishment, but the righteous into everlasting life” (Matthew 25:31–46). The Gospel of Luke speaks about the same thing: “Sell your possessions and give alms” (Luke 12:33). Also: “Whoever created the external, also created the internal” (Luke 11:40). And again: “Behold, half of my property, Lord, I will give to the poor, and if I have offended anyone, I will return it in quadruples. Jesus said to him, “For today salvation has come to this house, even now this son Abraham is” (Luke 19:8-9). Paul speaks about the same thing in the Second Epistle to the Corinthians: “let your abundance (complement) their deprivation; Yes, and the excess of these will be (addition) to your deprivation, so that there will be equality, as it is written: who has not increased much; and what is small, he did not diminish” (2 Cor. 8:14–15). In another place in the same letter: “sow with poverty, and with poverty you will also reap; but sow for a blessing, and you will reap a blessing. Each one has the will to have, with the heart, not out of sorrow, nor out of need; God loves the giver willingly... As it is written; lavish, give to the needy, his righteousness endures forever. Give seed to the sower and may he provide bread for food, and may your seed be multiplied and the harvest of your righteousness increase; that you may be rich in everything... For the work of this ministry not only fulfills the hardships of the saints, but also abounds in many thanksgivings to God” (2 Cor. 9:6-7, 9-12). About the same thing in the First Epistle of John: “Whoever has the riches of this world, and sees his brother demanding, and closes his womb from him, how much of the love of God abides in him?” (1 John 3:17). The Gospel of Luke speaks about the same thing: “When you have prepared a dinner or supper, do not invite your friends, nor your brethren... nor the neighbors of the rich; food when they will call on you in the same way and you will be rewarded. But whenever you hold a feast, call the poor, the weak, the lame, the blind; and blessed will you be, because they have no recompense, but he will reward you for the resurrection of the righteous” (Luke 14:12-14). II. The poverty in business and alms, resulting from our insufficiency, is replenished by diligence itself. In Paul's Second Epistle to the Corinthians: “Even if diligence is due, because if one has, it is good to eat, and not because one does not have. For it is not joy for others, but for you sorrow” (2 Cor. 8:12-13). III. Sociability and brotherly love must be observed sacredly and inviolably In Malachi: “Is not there one Father of you all? Isn’t God the only one who created you? Why do you abandon every brother of yours...?” (Mal.2:10). About the same thing in the Gospel of John: “Peace I leave with you, My peace I give to you” (John 14:27). “This is my commandment, that you love one another as you have loved. Greater love has no one to sow, but whoever lays down his life for his friend” (John 15:12-13). Also in the Gospel of Matthew: “Blessed are the peacemakers, for these shall be called the sons of God” (Matthew 5:9). “Amen I say to you: if two of you speak on earth concerning every thing that you ask, it will be done by My Father who is in heaven; For where there are two or three congregations in My name, I am in the midst of them” (Matthew 18:19–20). Paul speaks about the same thing in the First Epistle to the Corinthians: “And I, brethren, could not say to you that you are spiritual, but that you are carnal, like a child in Christ; You have drunk milk, and not meat, for you are not yet able, but below, you can still do it now; “Besides, you are of the flesh; where there is envy and zeal and strife in you, are you not of the flesh and walking after man?” ( 1 Cor. 3:1-3 ). And in another place of the same message: “Even though I am the imam of all faith, as if I left behind the mountains, I am not an imam of love, I am nothing. And even if I give away all my possessions, and even if I give up my body, I burn it, but love is not an imam, there is no benefit for me. He is patient with love, he is merciful, he does not envy love; love is not exalted, is not proud..., is not irritated, does not think evil, does not rejoice over untruth, but rejoices over the truth. He loves everything, he has faith in everything, he trusts everything, he endures everything. Love no longer ceases” (1 Cor. 13:2-8). About the same thing in the Epistle to the Galatians: “You shall love your neighbor as yourself. If you bite and devour each other, take heed, lest you be destroyed from one another” (Gal. 5:14-15). About the same thing in the First Epistle of John: “For this reason the essence of the child of God and the child of the devil was revealed. “Everyone who does not do righteousness is not from God, and does not love his brother... Everyone who hates his brother is a murderer, and you know that every murderer does not have eternal life abiding within himself” (1 John 3:10, 15). “If anyone says that I love God but hates his brother, it is a lie; For if you do not love your brother who you see, God who you cannot see, how can you love? (1 John 4:20). And in the Acts of the Apostles: “But the people who believed had one heart and soul, and not one thing came from their possessions, but they had all things in common” (Acts 4:32). Also in the Gospel of Matthew: “If you then bring your gift to the altar and remember it, because your brother has something against you; leave your gift before the altar and go first and humble yourself to your brother, and then come and bring your gift” (Matthew 5:23-24). And also in the First Epistle of John: “God is loving, and he who abides in love abides in God, and God abides in him” (1 John 4:16). “Speak to yourself in the light of being, but hate your brother, who is still in darkness” (1 John 2:9). IV. We shouldn't be proud of anything, because we have nothing of our own. In the Gospel of John: “a man cannot accept anything unless it is given to him from heaven” (John 3:27). Also in Paul’s First Epistle to the Corinthians: “What then did you receive, what did you bear? And even if you did not accept it when you boasted? (1 Cor. 4:7). The same is in the First Book of Kings: “Do not boast and do not speak high in pride; let great talk come from your mouth; For the God of understanding is the Lord... The bow of the weak is given to the weak, and the weak are girded with strength” (1 Samuel 2:3-4). About the same thing in the books of the Maccabees: “It is righteous to obey God, and being mortal equal to God, not to be proud” (2 Mac. 9:12). And in another place: “Do not be afraid of the words of a sinful man; until his words become moths and worms: today he will be exalted, but in the morning he will not be found, for he is turned to dust and his thoughts are destroyed" (1 Mac. 2:62-63). V. Humility and meekness must be observed in everything In Isaiah: “Thus says the Lord: Heaven is My throne, and the earth is My footstool; what house will you build? and what is the place of My resting place? For all this has been done by My hand, and this is all Mine... And to whom will I look but to him who is meek and silent and trembles at My words” (Is. 66:1-2). The Gospel of Matthew speaks about the same thing: “Blessed are the meek, for they will inherit the earth” (Matthew 5:5). And in the Gospel of Luke: “For if there is one lesser in you, this one is great” (Luke 9:48). “For everyone who exalts himself will humble himself, and he who humbles himself will be exalted” (Luke 14:11). About the same thing in the Epistle to the Romans: “Do not become arrogant, but be afraid. If God does not spare the natural branches, neither will He spare you” (Rom. 11:20-21). About the same thing in Psalm 33: “He will save the humble in spirit” (Ps. 33:19). Also in the Epistle to the Romans: “Render unto all what is due: for this is a lesson, a lesson; and to him tribute, tribute; and to him fear, fear; and to him honor, honor. Owe no one else, only to love one another” (Rom. 13:7-8). The same is in the Gospel of Matthew: “They love to recline first at suppers, and to sit first in congregations, and to be kissed in marketplaces, and to be called by men: teacher, teacher. Don't be rude, teacher; for there is only one Teacher” (Matthew 23:6–8). And in the Gospel of John: “there is no sick servant of his master, nor a sick messenger of him who sent him. If you know this, blessed are you, if you do" (John 13:16-17). And also in Psalm 81: "Justify the humble and the poor" (Ps. 82:3). VI. The good and righteous endure many tribulations; but they must endure them, because they are thereby tested In the book of Wisdom of the son of Sirach 9: “the furnace tests the pottery vessels, but the temptation of adversity tests the righteous people” 10 (Sir.27:5). Also in Psalm 50: “a sacrifice to God is a broken spirit, a contrite and humble heart God will not despise” (Ps. 50:19). And in Psalm 33: “The Lord is near to save the brokenhearted and humble in spirit. The tribulations of the righteous will be many, and the Lord will deliver me from them all” (Ps. 34:19-20). About the same thing in Job: “I myself came naked from my mother’s womb, and naked I will go there (to the earth). The Lord is given, the Lord is taken away; as the Lord willed, so it was; Blessed be the name of the Lord. In all these things that happened to him, Job sinned nothing less than his lips before the Lord” (Job 1:21–22). About the same thing in the Gospel of Matthew: “Blessed are those who mourn, for they will be comforted” (Matthew 5:4). And in the Gospel of John: “These words are spoken to you, that in Me you may have peace; in a world of sorrow you will be, but be of good cheer, for I have overcome the world” (John 16:33). The same is also true in the Second Epistle to the Corinthians: “I am given to the evildoer of the flesh, the angel of Satan, to play dirty tricks on me, let me not be arrogant. For this I prayed to the Lord three times, that he would depart from Me; and I said, My grace is sufficient for you, for My power is made perfect in weakness” (2 Cor. 12:7-9). Also in Romans: “And we rejoice in the hope of the glory of God; not exactly, but we also boast in sorrow, knowing that sorrow makes patience, patience is skill, and skill is hope; But our hope will not be put to shame, for the love of God has been poured out into our hearts through the Holy Spirit who has been given to us” (Rom. 5:2-5). And also in the Gospel of Matthew: “He brings in the wide gate and the broad way into destruction, and those who enter in are many; You bring a narrow gate and a strait path into the belly, and those who find it eat few” (Matthew 7:13-14). The book of Tobit talks about the same thing: “Where is the essence... of your righteousness? Behold, everything is known with you” (Tov.2:14). And in the Proverbs of Solomon: “in the place of the wicked the righteous groan, but in their destruction the righteous will increase” (Prov. 28:28). VII. We should not grieve the Holy Spirit received by us Paul writes to the Ephesians: “Do not grieve the Holy Spirit of God, by whom you are marked on the day of redemption. Let all grief and anger and wrath and crying and blasphemy be taken away from you” (Eph. 4:30-31). VIII. We must suppress anger so that it does not lead us to sin. From Solomon in Proverbs: “a man who is long-suffering is better than a strong man, and he who restrains anger is better than one who lays down hail” (Prov. 16:32). And in another place: “the madman confessed his anger; But the cunning one hides his dishonor” (Proverbs 12:16). Paul writes about the same thing to the Ephesians: “Be angry and do not sin; do not let the sun go down on your anger” (Eph. 4:26). Also in the Gospel of Matthew: “You have heard that it was said to the ancients: You shall not kill; Whoever kills is guilty of justice. But I say to you, that if anyone is angry with his brother in vain, he is guilty of judgment” (Matthew 5:21-22). IX. Brothers must mutually support each other Paul writes to the Galatians: “If you are careful, lest you also be tempted. Bear one another’s burdens, and thus fulfill the law of Christ” (Gal. 6:1–2). X. We must trust in God alone and boast in Him alone In Jeremiah: “Let not the wise man boast in his wisdom, and let not the mighty boast in his strength, and let not the rich man boast in his wealth; but let him boast of this: know and know that I am the Lord, who exercises mercy and judgment and righteousness on earth, as my will is in these, says the Lord” (Jer. 9:23-24). About the same thing in Psalm 55: “I trust in God; I will not be afraid; what will man do to me?” (Ps.55:12). And in Psalm 61: “Does not my soul obey God?” (Ps. 61:2). And in Psalm 117: “The Lord is my helper, and I will not fear what man will do to me... It is better to trust in the Lord than to trust in man; It is better to trust in the Lord than to trust in princes” (Ps. 118:6, 8-9). Daniel talks about the same thing: “And Shadrach, Meshach, and Abednego answered, saying to King Nebuchadnezzar: “You do not require us to answer you about this verb.” For there is our God in heaven, whom we serve, who is able to take us out of the burning furnace and deliver us from your hand, O king. Otherwise, let it be known to you, the king, that we do not serve your God, and we do not bow down to the golden body that you set up” (Dan. 3:16-18). Again in Jeremiah: “Cursed is the man who trusts in man..., and blessed is the man who trusts in the Lord, and the Lord will be his hope” (Jer. 17:5, 7). Also in Deuteronomy: “Thou shalt fear the Lord thy God, and shalt serve Him alone” (Deut. 6:13). In the Epistle to the Romans: “and he honored and served the creature more than the Creator...; For this reason God gave them up in the passion of dishonor” (Rom. 1:25–26). And in the First Epistle of John: “There is more who is in you than what is in the world” (1 John 4:4). XI. He who has believed, having put aside the old man, must think only about heavenly and spiritual things and not become attached to this world, which he has renounced. In Isaiah: “Seek the Lord, and whenever you find Him, call upon him; Whenever he approaches you, let the wicked leave his ways and the wicked man his counsels, and let him turn to the Lord and have mercy, for he will quickly forgive your sins” (Is. 55:6-7). Also from Solomon: “I saw every creature made under the sun, and behold, all vanity” (Eccl. 1:14). In the book of Exodus: “And you carried it with care: your loins are girded, and your boots are on your feet, and your staffs are in your hands, and you carried it with care: the passover is the Lord’s” (Ex. 12:11). About the same thing in the Gospel: “Do not worry about those who say: what are the pits, or what are we drinking, or what are we wearing? The pagans are looking for all of these; For your Heavenly Father knows that you require all of these. Seek first the Kingdom of God and its righteousness, and all these things will be added to you. Do not worry about the morning, for the morning is anxious about itself, and its wickedness prevails over the day” (Matthew 6:31-34). And in another place: “no one lays his hand on the forehead and in vain turns back, he is ruled in the Kingdom of God” (Luke 9:62). And again: “Behold the birds of the air, for they neither sow nor reap, nor gather into barns, but your heavenly Father feeds them; Aren’t you the better ones to eat them?” (Matthew 6:26). And again: “Let your loins be girded, and your lamps burning; and you are like a man who waits for his Lord when he returns from marriage, so that when he comes and pushes him, the door will be opened to him: blessed are these servants, for whom the Lord will find those who are watching” (Luke 12:35-37). Also: “foxes have ulcers and birds of heaven have nests; But the Son of man has no place to lay his head” (Matthew 8:20). “Whoever does not renounce all that he has from you cannot be My disciple” (Luke 14:33). About this very thing in the First Epistle to the Corinthians: “carry yours, which you bought naturally at a (great price); glorify (and bear) God in all your bodies” (1 Cor. 6:19-20). In the same message: “time has ceased, and so will the wives who have as if they had not, and those who weep as if they did not weep; and those who rejoice, as if they were not rejoicing; and those who buy, as if not containing; and those who demand this world, but they do not demand; For the image of this world is passing away" (1 Cor. 7:29-31). And again: “The first man from the earth has a ring; the second man is the Lord from heaven. Jacob is the ringed, so are the rings; and yakov is heavenly, and tats are also heavenly; And as we have put on the image of earth, let us also be clothed in the image of heaven” (1 Cor. 15:47-50). Also in the Epistle to the Philippise: “For all seek their own, and not other than Christ Jesus” (Phil. 2:21); “Whose death is destruction, who has God's belly and glory in their cold, who on earth philosophizes. For our life in heaven is from this, and we wait for our Savior, the Lord Jesus Christ, who will transform the body of our humility, so that it may be conformed to the body of His glory” (Phil. 3:19-21). In the Epistle to the Galatians: “Let me not boast except in the cross of our Lord Jesus Christ, through whom peace has been crucified to me and to the world” (Gal. 6:14). The same is in the Second Epistle to Timothy: “No one who has been a warrior undertakes to buy money for life, so that the commander may please him; Even if someone strives, he will not be married, unless he strives lawfully” (2 Tim. 2:4-5). About the same thing in the Epistle to the Colossians: “Even if you died with Christ from the elements of the world, why do you contend with those who live in the world? ... If you are risen with Christ, seek those on high, where Christ is seated on the right hand of God. Be wise on high, not on earth. You are dead, and your life is hidden with Christ in God. When Christ appears, your life, then you also will appear with Him in glory” (Col. 2:20, 3:1–4). And in the Epistle to the Ephesians: “put aside unto you (it is proper), according to the first life, the old man, which is corrupted by deceitful lusts; “Be renewed in the spirit of your mind, and put on the new man, created according to God in righteousness and in the likeness of the truth” (Eph. 4:22-24). Also in the First Epistle of Peter: “I pray that as strangers and strangers, be freed from carnal lusts, which wage war on the soul; for your good conduct may be known among the nations, so that they may slander you, like evildoers, but having seen good deeds, they will glorify God” (1 Pet. 2:11-12). And in the First Epistle of John: “He who says to abide in Christ must eat as He went out to eat, and let him also walk in the same way” (1 John 2:6). “Do not love the world, nor those who are in the world. If anyone loves the world, the love of the Father is not in him; for all that is in the world, the lust of the flesh and the lust of the eyes and the pride of life is not from the Father, but from the world.” This is. And the world and its desires pass away; but he who does the will of God abides (as God does) forever" (1 John 2:15-17). And again in Paul’s First Epistle to the Corinthians: “Purge away the old leaven, so that you may be a new mixture, just as you are unleavened; for our Passover Christ was devoured for us. Moreover, let us celebrate not in kvass; not with the leaven of malice and wickedness, but with the unleavened substance of purity and truth” (1 Cor. 5:7-8). In the book of the Wisdom of Jesus Sirach: “a man who swears much will be filled with iniquity, and the plague will not depart from his house... And even if he swears in vain, he will not be justified; ... and if he despises it, he will sin greatly” (Sir.23:11-13). Also in the Gospel of Matthew: “I command you not to swear in any way..., but let your word be: to her, to her; neither, nor” (Matthew 5:34, 37). And in the book of Exodus: “Thou shalt not take the name of the Lord thy God in vain” (Ex. 20:7). XIII. Shouldn't slander In the book of Exodus: “Thou shalt not speak evil, and thou shalt not speak evil unto the prince of thy people” (Ex. 22:28). Also in Psalm 33: “Who is a man who loves the days and sees good things? Keep your tongue from evil and your lips from uttering flattery” (Ps. 33:13-14). The book of Leviticus speaks about this very thing: “And the Lord spoke to Moses, saying: Bring him who curses out of the army, and let all who hear lay their hands on his head, and let all the host of the children of Israel stone him with stones” (Lev. 24:13-14). Paul’s Epistle to the Ephesians speaks about the same thing: “Let not every corrupt word proceed out of your mouth; but this is precisely what is good for the development of faith, so that he may give grace to those who hear” (Eph. 4:29). And in the Epistle to the Romans: “bless and do not curse” (Rom. 12:14). Also in the Gospel of Matthew: “Whoever says to his brother: ... you are a freak, guilty of hell fire” (Matthew 5:22). And in another place of the same Gospel: “I say to you, that every idle word that men speak will be given back on the day of judgment; For by your words you will be justified, and by your words you will be condemned” (Matthew 12:36-37). XIV. You should never grumble; but for everything that happens to us, we must bless God In Job: “say a certain word to the Lord, and die. He looked up and spoke to her: What did you say that you are the only one from crazy women? If good things are received from the hand of the Lord, will we not endure the evil ones? In all these things that happened to him, Job sinned nothing before God” (Job 2:9-10). From him: “Have you heeded your thoughts to my servant Job? There is no doubt that he is a blameless, true, godly man on earth; shun all evil things” (Job 1:8). Psalm 33 speaks about this: “I will bless the Lord at all times; I will make His praise in my mouth” (Ps. 33:2). The book of Numbers speaks about the same thing: “Let their murmuring cease from Me and not die” (Numbers 17:10). This is also mentioned in the Acts of the Apostles: “at midnight Paul and Silas prayed to the belt of God; I will listen to their captives” (Acts 16:25). And in Paul’s Epistle to the Philippians: “Do all things (for the sake of love) without murmuring or reflection, so that you may be innocent and purposeful, children of God” (Phil. 2:14-15). XV. God tempts people to test them In the book of Genesis: “God tempted Abraham and said to him: ... eat your beloved (only begotten) son, whom you loved, Isaac, and go to the earth on high and offer him there as a burnt offering, one of the mountains, which is the river" (Gen. 22: 1-2). And in the book of Deuteronomy: “The Lord your God will tempt you, if you lead away, If you love the Lord your God with all your heart and with all your soul” (Deuteronomy 13:3) The same is true in the book of the Wisdom of Solomon: “even if they receive torture before men, the hope of their immortality is fulfilled; judge with their tongue and possess people, and the Lord will reign in them forever” (Wis. 3:4-8). This is also in the 1st book of Maccabees: “Was Abraham not found faithful through temptation, and was it reckoned to him as righteousness?” (1Mac 2:52). XVI. On the benefit of martyrdom From the wise Solomon: “The martyr 11 is faithful will deliver the soul from the evil” (Prov. 14:25). He also says in another place: “Then the righteous man will stand boldly in the face of those who insulted him and sweep away his labors. Those who see will be dismayed with grave fear and will be horrified at his glorious salvation, and they will say to themselves repentantly and in distress of spirit sighingly: this one, who was once in laughter and in the parable of reproach, his life was imputed, and his death was dishonorable. What is his destiny in the sons of God and in the saints? path and destruction, and we walk in the wilderness, but we have not followed the path of the Lord. What profit has it given us with greatness? 125: “Those who sow with tears will reap with joy. Those who walk and weep, throwing their seeds; those who come will come with joy, taking up their hands” (Ps. 125: 5-6). About this same thing in the Gospel of John: “He who loves his life will destroy it; and he who hates his life in this world will keep it for everlasting life” (John 12:25). And in the Gospel of Matthew: “When you are betrayed, do not worry about what or what you say; ... you will not be the ones who speak, but the Spirit of your Father will speak in you” (Matthew 10:19–20). Again in the Gospel of John: “the hour will come, and everyone who kills you will decide to offer service to God. And they will do this, because they have not known the Father nor Me” (John 16:2-3). And in Matthew: “it is blessed to drive away righteousness for the sake of them, for the kingdom of heaven is theirs” (Matthew 5:10). He has it in another place: “Do not be afraid of those who kill the body but are not able to kill the soul; Fear ye rather than him that is mighty, to destroy both soul and body in hell” (Matthew 10:28). Also: “Everyone who has confessed Me before men, I will also confess him before My Father who is in heaven; And whoever denies Me before men, I will also deny him before My Father who is in heaven” (Matthew 10:32–33). “He who endures to the end will be saved” (Matthew 10:22). Luke talks about the same thing: “You will be blessed when men hate you and when they separate you and revile and carry your name as evil, for the sake of the Son of man. Rejoice in that day and leap for joy, behold, your reward is great in heaven” (Luke 6:22–23). From him: “Amen I say to you, for there is no one who has left home, or parents, or brothers, or sisters, or wife, or children, for the sake of the kingdom of God, who will not receive abundance in this time, and in the age to come, eternal life” (Luke 18:29-30). This is also in the Apocalypse: “And when I opened the fifth seal, I saw under the altar the souls of those beaten for the word of God and for the testimony I had. And he cried out with a great voice, saying: How long, O holy and true Lord, do you not judge and avenge our blood from those who live on the earth? And white vestments were given to each of them, and it was commanded that they should rest for a little while, until their slanderers and their brethren, who had suffered slaughter, should be as they were” (Rev. 6:9-11). In the same place: “By these things I saw, and behold, there were many people, which no one could purge, from every tongue and tribe and people and nations, standing before the throne and before the Lamb, clothed in white robes, and finches in their hands. And he cried with a great voice, saying: Salvation is to our God and to the Lamb who sits on the throne... And one elder answered, saying to me: Who are these clothed in white garments, and where did they come from? And he said to him: Lord, You weigh. And I said: these are the ones who came from great tribulation and spent their garments and made their garments white in the blood of the lamb. For this reason, they are before the throne of God and serve Him day and night in His Church, and the one who sits on the throne will dwell in them. No one will hunger or thirst; the sun will not fall on them; all heat will not fall upon them; Like the Lamb who is in the midst of the throne, I will shepherd them and guide them toward the springs of animal waters, and God will take away every tear from their eyes” (Rev. 7:9–10, 13–17). And also in the Apocalypse: “To him who overcomes I will give food from the tree of life, which is in the midst of the paradise of God... Be faithful even to death, and I will give you the crown of life” (Rev. 2:7, 10). “Blessed is he who is watchful and guards his garments, lest he walk naked and see his shame” (Rev. 16:15). About the same thing in Paul’s Second Epistle to Timothy: “I am already hungry, and the time of my departure has come. I fought the good fight, I died, I kept the faith. Otherwise, the crown of righteousness will be kept for me, which the Lord, the righteous judge, will reward me on the day; not only to me, but also to all those who loved His appearing” (2 Tim. 4:6-8). And in the Epistle to the Romans: “We are children of God; as well as children and heirs; heirs therefore to God, and heirs to Christ, since we have suffered with Him, that we may also be glorified with Him” (Rom. 8:16-17). About the same thing in Psalm 119: “Blessed are those who are blameless in their ways, who walk in the laws of the Lord. Blessed are they who experience His 12 testimonies" (Ps. 119:1-2). XVII. What we suffer in this world is insignificant compared to the reward we are promised. In Paul's Epistle to the Romans: “The passions of this present time are not worthy of the glory that would be revealed in us” (Rom. 8:18). About the same thing in the 2nd book of Maccabees: “He who has the holy mind of the Lord clearly has the power to be delivered from death; I endure cruel illnesses on the body, but on the soul I suffer the sweetness of fear for His sake” (2 Mac. 6:30). And in another place in the same book: “You, most wretched one, are destroying us from the very heart; The King of the world who died us for the sake of His laws will raise us into the resurrection of the eternal life... It is better for those who are killed by man to expect hope from God, and then for those who have to be resurrected from Him; you will not have resurrection in your life... Having power in men, you can do whatever you want; Do not imagine that our race was left by God to be. Be patient and behold His great power, how He will torment you and your seed... Do not be deceived by vain things; For this reason we suffer for our own sake, sinning against our God... But don’t you imagine that you are innocent and have begun to fight against God” (2 Mac. 7:9, 14, 16–19). XVIII. Nothing should be placed above the love of God and Christ In Deuteronomy: “thou shalt love the Lord thy God with all thy heart, and with all thy soul, and with all thy strength” (Deut. 6:5). Also in the Gospel of Matthew: “Whoever loves father or mother more than Me is worthy of Me; and whoever loves a son or daughter more than Me is worthy of Me; and whoever does not accept his cross and comes after Me is not worthy of Me” (Matthew 10:37–38). It’s the same in Paul’s Epistle to the Romans: “Who will separate us from the love of God? Is it tribulation, or distress, or persecution, or famine, or nakedness, or trouble, or sword? As it is written: For for Your sake we are slain all day long, counted as sheep of the slaughter; But in all these we are victorious because we love them” (Rom. 8:35–37). XIX. One must obey not one’s own will, but God’s will In the Gospel of John: “I came down from heaven, not to do My will, but the will of Him who sent Me” (John 6:38). The same thing is said in the Gospel of Matthew: “My Father, if it is possible, let this cup pass from Me; yet not as I will, but as You will” (Matthew 26:39). Also in daily prayer: “thy will be done as it is in heaven and on earth” (Matthew 6:10). In the same Gospel of Matthew: “not everyone shall say to Me: Lord, Lord, he will enter into the kingdom of heaven; but do the will of my Father who is in heaven” (Matthew 7:21). since God abides forever (1 John 2:17). XX. Fear serves as the basis and affirmation of hope and faith In Psalm 110: “The fear of the Lord is the beginning of wisdom” (Ps. 110:10). The same is in the book of Wisdom (the son of Sirach): “the beginning of wisdom is to fear the Lord” (Sir.1:15). And in the Proverbs of Solomon: “Blessed is the man who fears everyone for fear” (Proverbs 28:14). Also in Isaiah: “And to whom will I look but to him who is meek and silent and trembles at My words?” (Isa.66:2). About this very thing in the book of Genesis: “And the Angel of the Lord called from heaven, and said: Abraham, Abraham; he says: behold, az. And he said: Do not lay your hand on the youth; below, do something to him; Now I know that you feared God, and you did not spare your beloved son for My sake” (Gen. 22:11-12). Also in Psalm 2: “Work for the Lord with fear, and rejoice in Him with trembling” (Ps. 2:11). Deuteronomy contains the words spoken by God to Moses: “Gather the people to Me, and let them hear My words, and learn to fear Me all the days in which they dwell on the earth” (Deut. 4:10). In Jeremiah: “Behold, the days are coming, says the Lord, and I will make a new covenant with the house of Israel and the house of Judah, not according to the covenant which their father commanded in the day in which I eat them by the hand, to bring me out of the land of Egypt, because they have not continued in My covenant, and I have neglected them, says the Lord. For this is the covenant which I will bequeath to the house of Israel from these days, saith the Lord: I have given My laws in their minds, and on their hearts I will write them, and I will be their God, and they will make Me a people. And every man shall not teach his neighbor, and every man his brother, saying, Know the Lord, for they all know Me, from the least of them even to their greatest; For I will be merciful to their iniquities and will not remember their sins. Even if the heavens are exalted on high, says the Lord, and even if they are humbled from under the earth, I will not reject the family of Israel for all that I have done, says the Lord” (Jer. 31:31-35). “Behold, I will gather from all the earth, where I have scattered in My anger and My wrath and in great grief; and I will settle in this place, and I will plant in hope, and I will be a people, and I will be their God. And I will give them a different way and a different heart, to fear Me all their days for their good and for their children to follow them. And I will make an everlasting covenant with them, which I will not turn away after them, and I will put My fear in their hearts, so that they will not depart from Me, and I will make you happy and plant them in the land with faith and with all My heart and with all My soul” (Jer. 32:37-41). Also in the Apocalypse: “and the twenty and four elders, sitting on their thrones before God, fell on their faces and bowed to God, saying: We praise You, Lord God Almighty, who is here and who is and who is to come, because You have received Your great power and reigned. And the nations were angry, and Thy wrath came, and the time was come for the dead to receive judgment, and to give reward to Thy servants the prophets and saints, and to them that fear Thy name, small and great, and to corrupt the corrupt earth” (Rev. 11:16-18). And in another place of the Apocalypse: “And I saw another angel hovering in the midst of heaven, having the gospel forever to preach to those who dwell on the earth and to every nation and tongue and kindred and people, saying with a great voice: Fear God and give Him glory, for the hour of His judgment is come, and worship Him who made heaven and earth, and the sea and the springs of water” ( Rev. 14:6–7 ). And also there: “And I saw a sea of ​​glass mixed with fire, and the conqueror of the beast and his image and his mark and the number of his name, standing on the sea of ​​glass, having the harps of God. And I sang the song of Moses the servant of God and the song of the lamb, saying: Great and wondrous are Thy works, O Lord God Almighty; righteous and true are Your ways, O King of saints. Who will not fear you, O Lord, and glorify your name? For you alone are reverent; For all the nations will come and worship before You, because Your righteousness has been revealed” (Rev. 15:2-4). Also in Daniel: “And there was a man living in Babylon, whose name was Joachim, and a wife whose name was Sosanna, the daughter of Hilkiah, who was very good and feared God. And her parent was righteous, and taught her daughter according to the law of Moses” (Dan. 13:1-3). From the same Daniel: “And we are humble throughout the whole earth today to sin for our sakes, and in this time there is no prince and prophet and leader, lower than a burnt offering, lower than a sacrifice, lower than an offering, lower than a censer, no place to devour before You and find mercy; but let us accept it with a contrite soul and a humble spirit. As in the burnt offerings of rams and young ones, and as in the darkness of a fat lamb: so may our sacrifice be before Thee this day, and may it be accomplished for Thee, as there is no cold for those who trust in Thee. And now let us follow with all our hearts and fear You and seek Your face. Do not put us to shame, but deal with us according to Your meekness and according to the abundance of Your mercy” (Dan. 3:37-42). And again from him: “Then the king great rejoiced over him (about Daniel) and the speech of Daniel was brought out of the den; and Daniel was brought out of the den, and not a single harm was found on him, for he had faith in his God. And the king spoke, and brought the men who had slandered Daniel, and threw me and their sons and their wives into the ditch of Levsk; and before they reached the bottom of the ditch, they even overcame the lions and thinned out all their bones. Then Darius the king wrote to all the people, the tribe, the tongue living in all the earth: May peace be multiplied to you. From my presence this commandment was commanded throughout all the land of my kingdom, that they should tremble and fear at the presence of the God of Daniel, for He is the living God and abides forever, and His kingdom will not crumble and His power to the end; lifts up and delivers, and performs signs and wonders in heaven and on earth, who delivered Daniel from the mouth of the lions” (Dan. 6:23-27). Also in Micah: “In what way will I apprehend the Lord? Will I bury my Most High God? Shall I bury Him with a burnt offering, bulls of the same age? Will the Lord receive food in thousands of rams, or in heaps of fat goats? Shall I give my firstborn for my wickedness, the fruit of my womb for the sins of my soul? Let it be known to you, O man, that what is good or what does the Lord seek from You, unless you do justice and love mercy and be ready to walk with the Lord your God. The voice of the Lord will be called to the city and will save those who fear His name” (Mic. 6:6-9). And he also says: “Shepherd Thy people with Thy rod, the sheep of Thy inheritance, dwelling one in the oak grove in the midst of Carmel, will feed Basanitis and Gileaditis, like the days of the ages. And on the day of your exodus from Egypt you will see a wonderful thing, the nations will see it and will be ashamed of all their strength, they will lay their hands on their mouths, and their ears will be deaf, they will lick the dust like a serpent splattering on the earth, they will be confused in their deceit; They will be horrified and afraid of You in our Lord God. Who is God like You, who takes away iniquity and forsakes wickedness?” (Micah 7:14–18). And from Nahum: “The mountains shook because of Him, and the hills were shaken; and the earth was terrified at His presence, the world and all who lived on it. Who can stand against His wrath? and who can resist His fury in anger? His wrath will melt away the power and the stone will be shaken off from Him. The Lord is good to those who endure Him in the day of trouble, and know those who fear Him” (Nahum.1:5-7). Also in Haggai: “And when Zerubbabel the Shealtiel, of the tribe of Judah, and Joshua the great priest, and all the rest of the people, heard the voice of the Lord their God, and the words of Haggai the prophet, as the Lord their God had sent him unto them, and the people feared at the presence of the Lord” (Hag. 1:12). And in Malachi: “My covenant was with him of life and peace, and gave him the fear of fearing Me, and at the presence of My name he should be afraid” (Mal. 2:5). Also in Psalm 33: “Fear the Lord, all your saints, for those who fear Him will have no hardship” (Ps. 33:10). And in Psalm 18: “The fear of the Lord is pure, abide forever” (Ps. 19:10). XXI. One should not judge others recklessly In the Gospel of Luke: “Judge not, and you will not be judged; and do not condemn, lest you be condemned” (Luke 6:37). About the same thing in the Epistle to the Romans: “Who are you, a judge of a strange servant? his Lord stands or falls. It will happen; for God is able to establish him” (Rom. 14:4). “For this reason, you are irresponsible, O man, and judge everyone; Because you judge a friend, you condemn yourself, and you judge in the same way... Do you think this,... judge the same to those who do it, and do the same thing yourself, so that you will escape the judgment of God? (Rom.2:1, 3). The same is in Paul’s First Epistle to the Corinthians: “Be careful to stand and be careful, lest you fall” (1 Cor. 10:12). “If anyone thinks that he knows something, he has no understanding as he ought to understand” (1 Cor. 8:2). XXII. One must forgive and forget the offense received In the Gospel, in daily prayer: “and forgive us our debts, as we also forgive our debtors” (Matthew 6:12). Also in the Gospel of Mark: “When you stand praying, forgive whatever you have against anyone, so that your Father who is in heaven will forgive you your sins. If you do not forgive, neither will your Father who is in heaven forgive you your sins” (Mark 11:25-26). And also there: “measure accordingly, and it will be measured back to you” (Mark 4:24). XXIII. Should not repay evil for evil In Paul's Epistle to the Romans: “repaying no one evil for evil... Do not be overcome by evil, but overcome evil with good” (Rom. 12:17, 21). About the same thing in the Apocalypse: “and my verbs: do not seal the words of the prophecy of this book, for the time is near. Let the one who offends still offend, and the wicked one may still be defiled, and the righteous one may still do righteousness, and the one who is holy, let him still be holy. And behold, I am coming quickly, and My reward is with Me, to reward everyone according to his work” (Rev. 22:10–12). XXIV. You can come to the Father only through His Son Jesus Christ In the Gospel of John: “I am the way, the truth, and the life; no one will come to the Father except by Me” (John 14:6). And also there: “I am the door; By me whoever enters will be saved” (John 10:9). XXV. Only the baptized and regenerated can reach the Kingdom of God In the Gospel of John: “Unless one is born of water and the Spirit, he cannot enter into the Kingdom of God. What is born of the flesh is flesh; and that which is born of the Spirit is spirit” (John 3:5–6). And also in the same Gospel: “Unless you eat the flesh of the Son of man and drink His blood, you have no life within you” (John 6:53). XXVI. Baptism and the reception of the Eucharist are of little benefit to one who does not succeed in actions and deeds In Paul's First Epistle to the Corinthians: “Do you not know that those who run into disgrace all run away, but only one receives honor? So be careful that you will comprehend... and they may receive a crown that has been corrupted, but we have not been corrupted” (1 Cor. 9:24-25). In the Gospel of Matthew: “every tree that does not produce good fruit is cut down and thrown into the fire” (Matthew 3:10). In the same Gospel: “Many people said to Me in that day: Lord, Lord, have we not prophesied in Your name, and in Your name we have cast out demons, and in Your name we have created many mighty powers? And then we will confess to them: for I know you no more; Depart from Me, you workers of iniquity” (Matthew 7:22–23). And also there: “For so your light will shine before men, that they may see your good works and glorify your Father who is in heaven” (Matthew 5:16). Also in Paul's Epistle to the Philippiseys: “Yes... you are as lights in the world” (Phil. 2:15). XXVII. And the baptized may lose the grace he has received if he does not maintain integrity In the Gospel of John: “Behold, you are healthy, let no one sin, lest it be worse” (John 5:14). Also in Paul’s First Epistle to the Corinthians: “Do you not know that you are the church of God, and the Spirit of God dwells in you? If anyone corrupts God’s church, God will corrupt him” (1 Cor. 3:16–17). About the same thing in the Second Book of Chronicles: “The Lord is with you, just as He was with Him; ...if you forsake Him, He will forsake you” (2 Chronicles 15:2). XXVIII. The Church cannot grant remission to anyone who has sinned against God. In the Gospel of Matthew: “Whoever speaks a word against the Son of man, it will be forgiven him; but whoever speaks against the Holy Spirit will not be forgiven him, neither in this age nor in the age to come” (Matthew 12:32). Also in the Gospel of Mark: “All the sins of the son of man and blasphemies, if they blaspheme, will be forgiven; and whoever blasphemes against the Holy Spirit will not He has remission forever, but he is guilty of eternal judgment” (Mark 3:28-29). This is also in the First Book of Kings: “If a man sins, he will pray for him to the Lord; but if he sins against the Lord, who will pray for him?” (1 Samuel 2:25). XXIX. It was previously predicted about hatred for the name (of Christ) In the Gospel of Luke: “And you will be hated by everyone for My name’s sake” (Luke 21:17). Also in the Gospel of John: “Even though the world hates you, you see how it hated Me before you. If we were quicker from the world, the world would love its own; as if you are not from the world, but I chose you out of the world, for this reason the world hates you. Remember the word that I said to you: the servant of his Lord is not in pain; If you cast Me out, you will also be cast out” (John 15:18–20) 13. XXX. We must immediately fulfill our vow to God In Solomon: “If you promise a vow to God, do not hesitate to pay it” (Eccl. 5:3). Also in Deuteronomy: “If you promise a vow to the Lord to your God, do not hesitate to pay it, for the Lord your God will exact it from you, and sin will be upon you” (Deut. 23:21). About this same thing in Psalm 49: “devour the sacrifice of praise to God and render your prayers (vows) to the Most High. And call upon Me in the day of your sorrow, and destroy you and glorify Me” (Ps. 49:14–15). About the same thing in the Acts of the Apostles: “Why would Satan fill your heart to lie to the Holy Spirit and hide from the price of the village? Isn’t what you have yours, and what is sold is not in your power? ...thou didst not lie to man, but to God” (Acts 5:3–4). Also in Jeremiah: “Cursed is he who does the work of the Lord carelessly” (Jer.48:10). XXXI. He who does not believe is already condemned In the Gospel of John: “He who does not believe is already condemned, because he does not believe in the name of the only begotten Son of God. This is judgment, because the light has come into the world and men loved darkness rather than light” (John 3:18-19). About this in the first psalm: “for this reason wickedness will not rise again for judgment, lower than the sinner for the council of the righteous” (Ps. 1:5). XXXII. About the benefits of virginity and abstinence In the book of Genesis: “I will multiply and multiply your sorrows and your sighs; when you are sick, give birth to a child and turn to your husband, and he will rule over you” (Gen. 3:16). And in the Gospel of Matthew: “not all can bear this word, but to them it is given to eat; They are eunuchs, who were born from their mother’s womb; u are eunuchs, who have gathered together from people; They are eunuchs who have distorted themselves for the sake of the Heavenly Kingdom. He who is able to contain, let him contain” (Matthew 19:11–12). Also in the Gospel of Luke: “the sons of this age marry and trespass; and those who have been honored for centuries will receive the resurrection from the dead, neither marry nor commit violence. No one can die; For they are equal to the angels and the sons of God, the resurrections are sons. And as if the dead rose up, and Moses said at the bush, as the Lord God of Abraham and the God of Isaac and the God of Jacob spoke. God is not dead, but alive; For that is why you live” (Luke 20:34–38). And in Paul’s First Epistle to the Corinthians: “It is good for a man not to touch his wife; but for the sake of fornication let every man have his own wife, and every wife have her own husband. Let the husband render due love to his wife; likewise a wife to her husband. The wife does not own her body, but the husband does; Likewise, the husband does not control his body, but the wife does. Do not deprive yourself of each other, only by consent for the time being, but remain in prayer; and get together again, so that Satan does not tempt you with your intemperance. I say this by advice, and not by command. I want all people to be like me; but everyone has his own talent from God, both in his own way and in his own way... He who is not married cares for the Lord, how to please the Lord; But he who gets married worries about the things of the world, how to please his wife. The wife and the virgin were separated: she who has not encroached cares for the Lord, how to please the Lord, that she may be holy in both body and spirit; But the one who encroaches is concerned about the things of the world, how to please her husband” (1 Cor. 7:1–7, 32–34). In the book of Exodus we read that when the Lord commanded Moses to sanctify the people on the third day, he sanctified it, adding: “Be prepared; for three days you shall not go in among the women” (Ex. 19:15). Also in the First Book of Samuel: “And the priest answered David and said: Forgive me not the loaves, but rather the sacred loaves of mine; Even if the children are preserved, they are devoured only by the wife” (1 Samuel 21:4). The same is in the Apocalypse: “These are the ones who have not defiled themselves with their wives, but are virgins; These will follow the Lamb, even if He goes away" (Rev. 14:4). XXXIII. The Father does not judge, but the Son does; and he who honors the Father honors the Son In the Gospel of John: “For the Father does not judge anyone, but all judgment is given to the Sons; that all may honor the Son as they honor the Father, and whoever does not honor the Son does not honor the Father who sent Him” (John 5:22-23). Also in Psalm 71: “O God, grant Thy judgment to the king, and Thy righteousness to the king’s son; judge Your people in righteousness” (Ps. 72:1-2). And in the book of Genesis: “and the Lord rained on Garden and Gamorr a bogey and fire from the Lord from heaven” (Gen. 19:24). XXXIV. Believers should not live like pagans In Jeremiah: this is what the Lord says: “Do not learn by the way of tongues” (Jer. 10:2). The fact that everyone must move away from the pagans, so as not to become an accomplice in their guilt and a participant in their punishment, is said in the Apocalypse: “and I heard a voice from heaven, saying: come out of her, my people, and do not share in her sin and do not be harmed by her wounds; for her sins rose up even to heaven, and God remembered her iniquity. Reward her... and make it even worse for her; ... using the cup that you use to draw from, draw from it exclusively. As much as you have glorified and enjoyed yourself, you will only give her torment and weeping, as she says in her heart: I sit as a queen, and I am not a widow, and I am not able to see weeping. For this reason, in one day plagues will come to her, death and mourning and famine, and she will be burned with fire, for the Lord God is strong, judge her. And the kings of the earth will weep and mourn over her, having loved her and enjoyed her” (Rev. 18:4-9). Also in Isaiah: “come out from among him; let them go away who bear the vessels of the Lord” (Is. 52:11). XXXV. God is patient so that we repent of our sin and correct ourselves. In the Book of Wisdom of the son of Sirach: “not the people who sinned and what happened to me (evil)? The Lord is a long-suffering rewarder (Sir.5:4). Also in Paul’s Epistle to the Romans: “Or are you careless about the riches of His kindness and meekness and long-suffering, not knowing how the goodness of God leads you to repentance? According to your cruelty and unrepentant heart, store up wrath for yourself on the day of wrath and revelation of the righteous judgment of God, who will reward everyone according to his deeds” (Rom. 2:4-6). XXXVI. A wife should not adorn herself in a worldly way In the Apocalypse: “And one angel came from the seven, who had the seven phials, and spoke with me, saying: Come, that I will show thee the judgment of the great fornicators, who sit on many waters, with whom the kings of the earth have committed fornication... And I saw a woman sitting on beasts... And the woman was clothed in purple and scarlet, and gilded with gold and precious stones and beads, having a cup of gold in her hand full of abomination and the filthiness of her fornication” (Rev. 17:1-4). Also in the First Epistle to Timothy: “And wives... let them adorn themselves with shame and chastity, not with wickerwork, gold, beads, or costly garments, but, as is fitting for women who promise godliness, with good works” (1 Tim. 2:9-10). Peter’s First Epistle to the Pontines speaks about the same thing: “Let women not wear outward braiding of hair and overlaying gold or garments of beauty, but let them be the hidden man of the heart” (1 Peter 3:3-4). The same in the book of Genesis: Tamar “put on the summer robe and adorned herself... And when Judah saw her, I thought she was a harlot” (Gen. 38:14, 15). XXXVII. If a believer must suffer execution, then it is not for any crimes, but only for one name In Peter’s First Epistle to the Pontians: “Let no one suffer from you as a murderer, or as a thief, or as a villain, or as an alien visitor; If you are a Christian, let him not be ashamed” (1 Peter 4:15–16). XXXVIII. The servant of God must be blameless so as not to be subject to worldly execution In Paul’s Epistle to the Romans: “Do you want to not be afraid of authority? Do good and you will receive praise from him” (Rom. 13:3). XXXIX. In Christ we are given a pattern of life In Peter’s First Epistle to the Pontians: “Christ suffered for us, leave us an image, so that we may follow His footsteps; Whoever committed no sin, neither was flattery found in His mouth; Whoever we rebuke is not reproached, the suffering will not be forgiven, but rather we will hand it over to Him who judges” (1 Pet. 2:21-23). Also in Paul’s Epistle to the Philippiseys: “Whoever is in the form of God is not equal to being God through admiration; but He diminished Himself and took on the form of a servant, becoming in the likeness of mankind, and found in the likeness of a man; He humbled himself, becoming obedient even to the point of death, death on the cross. Therefore God also highly exalted Him and gave Him a name that is above every name, that in the name of Jesus every knee should bow, of those in heaven and on earth and under the earth, and every tongue should confess that Jesus Christ is to the glory of God the Father” (Phil. 2:6-11). About the same thing in the Gospel of John: “If I have washed your noses, Lord and Teacher, you also must wash each other’s noses; I have given you an image, that as I have created for you, you also do it” (John 13:14–15). XL. Alms should be given without boasting or noise In the Gospel of Matthew: “Let not your fool know what your right hand is doing, for let your alms be in secret; and your Father, who sees in secret, will reward you in reality” (Matthew 6:3-4). And a little higher: “Whenever you give alms, do not blow a trumpet before you, as the hypocrites do in congregations and in hundreds, so that they may be glorified by men; Amen, I say to you, they will receive their reward” (Matthew 6:2). XLI. Should not talk idle talk and blaspheme In Paul's Epistle to the Ephesians: “and foul language and blasphemies or blasphemy, even such things as are not like... let that be called among you” (Eph. 5:3–4). XLII. Faith is useful for everything and we can do as much as we believe In the book of Genesis: “And Abraham believed God, and it was reckoned to him as righteousness” (Gen. 15:6). Also in Isaiah: “If you do not believe, you will not understand” (Is. 7:9). The same is in the Gospel of Matthew: “Why did you doubt?” (Matthew 14:31). “If you have faith like the grain of a mountain, you say to this mountain: leave from here, and it will pass away; and nothing will be possible for you” (Matthew 17:20). And in the Gospel of Mark: “Everything that you ask when you pray, believe as you receive, and it will be done for you” (Mark 11:24). “All things are possible to him who believes” (Mark 9:23). In Habakkuk: “the righteous shall live by faith” (Hab.2:4). Also in Daniel: Hananiah, Azariah and Mishael, believing God, were delivered from the flames of fire (Dan.3). XLIII. He who truly believes can immediately get what he wants In the Acts of the Apostles: “Behold, water, what forbids me to be baptized? And Philip said to him: If you believe with all your heart, you are powerful” (Acts 8:36-37). XLIV. Believers, when arguing among themselves, should not seek judgment from the pagans In Paul's First Letter to the Corinthians: “Dare any one of you, having a thing for another, be judged by the unjust, and not by the saints? Don’t you know how the saints of the world have to judge?... It’s already a shame for you, because you have litigation among yourself. Why are you no more offended? Why are there nothing worse than deprivation? But you yourself will offend and deprive, and even your brethren. Or don’t you know that the unrighteous will not inherit the Kingdom of God?” (1 Cor. 6:1-2, 7-9). XLV. Hope has as its object the future, and therefore our faith must be patient in waiting for what is promised. In Paul's letter to the Romans: “We are saved through hope. But visible hope is not hope; Who sees what and trusts? If we do not see him, we hope, we wait with patience” (Rom. 8:24–25). XLVI. A woman should be silent in church In Paul’s First Letter to the Corinthians: “Let your wives keep silence in the churches; ...if they want to learn anything, let them ask their husbands at home” (1 Cor. 14:34-35). Also in First Timothy: “Let the woman study in silence with all subjection. I do not command a wife to teach, below to rule over her husband, but to be in silence. Adam was created first, then Eve; And Adam was not deceived, but the woman was deceived into transgression" (1 Tim. 2:11-14). XLVII. Because of our sins and merits, we suffer and do not feel God’s help in everything. In Hosea: “Hear the word of the Lord, O children of Israel: for the judgment of the Lord is upon them that dwell on the earth; there is no truth, no mercy, no knowledge of God on earth; oaths and lies, and murder, and theft and fornication are spread over the earth, and blood mixes with blood. For this reason, the earth will mourn and diminish with all those who dwell on it, with the wild beasts of the land and with the creeping things of the earth and with the birds of the air, and the fish of the sea will become scarce; for no one will be found guilty, neither will anyone be convicted” (Hosea 4:1-4). Isaiah talks about the same thing: “The hand of the Lord cannot save food? Or have you grown so heavy that you cannot hear? But your sins separate you and God, and sin, for your sake, turns away His face from you, so as not to have mercy. For your hands are defiled with blood and your fingers are full of sins, but your mouth has spoken iniquity and your tongue has taught unrighteousness. No one speaks truth, below is true judgment; They trust in vain things and speak in vain, for they conceive labor and give birth to iniquity” (Is. 59:1-4). Also in Zephaniah: “Let them all become poor from the face of the earth, says the Lord; may man and beast become poor, may the birds of the air and the fish of the sea become poor... and I will take away the wicked from the face of the earth" (Zeph.1:2-3). XLVIII. Should not be extortionate In Psalm 14: “He who has his own money will not give for interest, nor will he accept bribes on the innocent; this work shall not be moved forever” (Ps. 14:5). Also from Ezekiel: “But a man who is righteous... does not commit violence to a man, he will give the debt to the debtor and will not steal by stealing, he will give his bread to the greedy and clothe the naked with a robe, and will not give his money for usury” (Ezekiel 18:5, 7-8). And in Deuteronomy: “Thou shalt not give thy brother more than enough money, or more than enough food” (Deut. 23:19). XLIX. Must love enemies too In the Gospel of Luke: “If you love those who love, what grace have you? for even sinners love them” (Luke 6:32). Also in the Gospel of Matthew: “love your enemies... and pray for those who harm you...; that you may be sons of your Father, who is not in heaven, for His sun shines on the evil and on the good, and rains on the just and on the unjust” (Matthew 5:44-45). L. The sacrament of faith must not be profaned From Solomon in Proverbs: “Speak nothing in the ear of a fool, lest your wise words be completely desecrated” (Prov. 23:9). Also in the Gospel of Matthew: “Do not let the holy dogs cast your pearls before swine, lest they trample them under your feet and be torn apart as you turn” (Matthew 7:6). LI. No one should be vain about what they do In the Book of Wisdom of the son of Sirach: “Do not be wise in doing your work, and do not glorify yourself” (Sir.10:29). Also in the Gospel of Luke: “Whoever has a servant from you, yelling or shepherding, who came to him from the village says: Abiye, when he came, lie down? But doesn’t he say to him: Prepare what I eat, and, having girded yourself, serve me until I drink and eat, and then eat and eat? Does food thank that servant for what he was commanded to do? I don't remember. So you too, when you have done all that is commanded to you, say, as if we are servants without keys; as we must have created, we have created” (Luke 17:7-10). LII. It depends on our arbitrariness whether to believe or not to believe. In Deuteronomy: “I gave life and death before you, a blessing and an oath; and choose life, that you may live” (Deut. 30:19). Also in Isaiah: “If you are willing and listen to Me, you will destroy the good earth, but if you are not willing, you will listen to Me; you will girdle the sword: for the mouth of the Lord speaks this” (Is. 1:19–20). And in the Gospel of Luke: “The kingdom of God is within you” (Luke 17:21). LIII. It is impossible to comprehend the mysteries of God; and therefore our faith should be simple In Paul's First Epistle to the Corinthians: “For now we see as with a mirror in divination, but then face to face; Now I understand in part, but then I will know just as I was also known” (1 Cor. 13:12). Also in Solomon’s book of Wisdom: “Seek Him in simplicity of heart” (Wis. 1:1). He says: “Whoever walks simply walks in hope” (Prov. 10:9). And again: “Do not seek those who are superior to you, and do not test those who are stronger for yourself” (Sir.3:21). Again from Solomon: “Do not be truthful, and do not become overly wise” (Eccl. 7:16). Also in Isaiah: “Woe to those who take deep counsel” (Is. 29:15). In the First Book of Maccabees: “Daniel in his simplicity was taken out of the mouth of the lions” (1 Mac. 2:60). In Paul's letter to the Romans: “O the depth of the riches both of the wisdom and understanding of God! for you have not tested His judgment and unsearched His ways. Who understands the mind of the Lord? or who will be His adviser? or who first gave to Him and will be rewarded to him? For from That and by That and in Him are all things. To him be glory forever” (Rom. 11:33–36). And in the Second Epistle to Timothy: “Deny from such and unpunished strife, knowing that they give rise to quarrels; But it is not fitting for the servant of the Lord to become arrogant, but to be quiet to everyone” (2 Tim. 2:23–24). Liv. There is no one without filth and without sin In Job: “Who will be clean from filth? No one, even if he lived only one day on earth” (Job 14:4–5). Also in Psalm 50: “Behold, I was conceived in iniquity, and my mother gave birth to me in sins” (Ps. 50:7). And in the First Epistle of John: “if we say that we have no sin, we deceive ourselves and the truth is not in us” (1 John 1:8). LV. We must please not people, but God Psalm 52 speaks of people-pleasers: “They were ashamed, for God had despised them” (Ps. 52:6). Also in Paul’s Epistle to the Galatians: “Even though he had pleased men, he would never have been a servant of Christ” (Gal. 1:10). LVI. No works are hidden from God In Solomon in Proverbs: “in every place the eyes of the Lord look on both evil and good” (Prov. 15:3). Also in Jeremiah: “God draw near I am... and not God from afar. What if someone hides in the hidden and I don’t see him? ...Do I not fill heaven and earth with food? speaks the Lord" (Jer. 23:23–24). And in the First Book of Kings: “man looks on the outward appearance, but God looks on the heart” (1 Samuel 16:7). Also in the Apocalypse: “and all the churches will know that I am the one who searches the hearts and the bowels, and will give to you to everyone according to what you have done” (Rev. 2:23). And in Psalm 18: “Who understands the fall? Cleanse me from my secrets” (Ps. 19:13), Lord. Also in Paul’s Second Epistle to the Corinthians: “For it is fitting for us all to appear before the judgment seat of Christ, so that everyone may receive what he has done with his body, either good or evil” (2 Cor. 5:10). LVII. God, by punishing, preserves the believer In Psalm 117: “The Lord punished me, but He did not give me over to death” (Ps. 117:18). And in Psalm 88: “I will visit them with the rod of their iniquity and the stripes of their iniquity; But I will not destroy My mercy from them” (Ps. 89:33–34). Also in Malachi: “and he will sit, boiling and purifying, like silver and like gold, and he will purify the sons of Levi” (Mal.3:3). And in the Gospel: “you will not leave from there until you have given up the last coin” (Matthew 5:26). LVIII. No one should be embarrassed by death, since in life there is work and danger, and in death there is peace and the hope of resurrection In the book of Genesis: And the Lord said to Adam: “Because you listened to the voice of your wife and you ate from the tree of which you were commanded not to eat this one thing, from which you ate, cursed is the earth in your deeds, bear it in sorrow all the days of your life. Thorns and thistles will grow for you, and take down the grass. By the sweat of your brow, bear away your bread until you return to the land from which you were taken; For thou art earth, and thou shalt go unto earth” (Gen. 3:17-19). In another place in the same book: “And Enoch pleased God, and not being found, God cast him away” (Gen. 5:24). In Isaiah: “All flesh is hay, and all the glory of man is like the flower of grass. The grass is gone and the color is gone. But the word of our God endures forever” (Is. 40:6–8). In Ezekiel: “They say: our bones are dry, our hope is lost, we are killed. For this reason the prophets and the prophets spoke to them: this says the Lord Adonai: Behold, I will open your graves and bring you out from your graves... and I will bring you into the land of Israel; ...and I will put My Spirit in you, and you will live; And I will establish you in your land and make you know that I am the Lord: I will also create, says Adonai the Lord” (Ezek. 37:11-14). In the book of the Wisdom of Solomon: “he was caught up, lest malice change his mind... For his soul was pleasing to the Lord” (Wisdom 4:11, 14). In Psalm 83: “How beloved is Your village, O Lord of hosts! My soul longs and ends for the courts of the Lord” (Ps. 84:2-3). Also in Paul’s First Epistle to the Thessalonians: “I do not want you, brothers, not to know about the dead, so that you do not grieve, as others do who have no hope. If we believe that Jesus died and rose again, so God will also bring those who died in Jesus with Him” (1 Thessalonians 4:13-14). And in the First Epistle to the Corinthians in various places; namely: “You are foolish, unless you die” (1 Cor. 15:36). And again: “a star differs from a star in glory; so is the resurrection of the dead. It is sown in corruption, it is raised in incorruption; it is sown not in honor, it is raised in glory; it is sown in weakness, it is raised in power; a natural body is sown, a spiritual body is raised” ( 1 Corinthians 15:41-44) And again: “It is fitting for this corruptible to put on incorruption, and for this mortal to put on immortality. But when this corruptible has put on incorruption and this mortal has put on immortality, then the word will be written: Death was sacrificed in victory.” Where is the sting, death? Where the hell is victory? (1 Cor. 15:53–55). Also in the Gospel of John: “Father, these things which you have given to me, I will, that even where I am, they also may be with me; that they may see my glory, which you have given to me... before the foundation of the world” (John 17:24). And in the Gospel of Luke: “now you are releasing your servant, O Master, according to your word, in peace, as your eyes have seen.” my salvation is Thy” (Luke 2:29–30). And again in the Gospel of John: “If you loved Me, you quickly rejoiced; for I go to the Father, for I am a sick Father” (John 14:28). LIX. About idols revered by pagans for borov In the book of the Wisdom of Solomon: “the pagans made all the idols into gods, below the hair they are used for sight, below the nostrils for attracting the air, below the ears to hear, below the fingers of the hands for touch, and their feet are idle for walking. Man created them, and took the spirit in return to create them. No man can create a god like himself. But the mortal makes the dead with wicked hands: the best one eats his idols, as if this one lives, he will never live” (Wis. 15:15-17). And also in the same book: “I have not known a sly man by heeding deeds; but either fire, or spirit, or quick air, or the circle of stars, or green water, or the heavenly lights, the builders of the world, the gods, arose to be. And even if they delight in their beauty, these gods have exalted them, so that they will know how many of these the Lord is the best; ...if they are amazed at the power and action, let them understand from them that he who created this is the mightiest” (Wis. 13:1-4). Also in Psalm 134: “The tongue of idols is silver and gold, the work of men’s hands; They have lips and do not speak, they have eyes and do not see, they have ears and do not hear, for there is spirit in their mouth. Let those who create, I and all who trust in her, be like them” (Ps. 134:15-18). And in Psalm 95: “All God is the tongue of the devil; The Lord made the heavens” (Ps. 95:5). In the book of Exodus: “You shall not make for yourselves gods of silver and gods of gold” (Exodus 20:23). And again: “You shall not make for yourself any graven image or any likeness” (Ex. 20:4). Also in Jeremiah: “This is what the Lord says: Do not learn by the way of tongues, and do not be afraid of the signs of heaven, as the pagans fear them; For now, the laws of the tongues are vanity. The tree is cut from the forest, a matter of tectonics and fusion; I have adorned the essence with silver and gold, and I have strengthened it with gold and nails, so that they will not move” (Jer. 10:2-4). “Silver comes from Tarshish, gold from Ophaz (Moab) ... the works of all artists; they will clothe them in blue and scarlet” (Jer. 10:9). “They run around with their feet, they won’t be able to walk. Do not be afraid of them, for they will do no evil, and there is no good in them” (Jer. 10:5). “Thus shout to them: Gods, who did not create the heavens and the earth, let them perish from the earth and from these who are under the heavens” (Jer. 10:11). “The sky was horrified at this and greatly trembled,” says the Lord. My people have committed two evils: They have forsaken the fountains of living water for Me, and have dug up for themselves treasures of brokenness that cannot contain water... Your apostasy will punish you and your malice will expose you; and see and see how evil and bitter you are; Forsake Me, says the Lord your God; and I have not been well pleased with you, says the Lord your God. From time immemorial you have broken your yoke (mine) and you have torn apart your bonds and said: I am not an imam to serve You, but I will go to every high hill and under every leafy tree there I will spill myself in my fornication... You rend wood, as you are my father, and you have given birth to stones; and turning your backs towards me, and not your faces” (Jer. 2:12–13, 19–20, 27). In Isaiah: “When Bel fell, Dagon was crushed and turned them into beasts and cattle; bear, I am bound as a burden to the one who labors... and I hunger and am weak together” (Is. 46:1-2). And again: “Who will you liken Me to? You see, you are cunning to those who go astray: those who make gold from fur and weights of silver put it in a measuring stick and, using the goldsmith, create a hand-made one and bow down and worship them; I will erect it on a frame and walk; If they put me in my place, they lie there and move lower; and even if he cries to them, they will not hear, and they will not save him from troubles” (Is. 46:5-7). Again in Jeremiah: “The Lord created the earth in His power and ordered the world in His wisdom and spread out the heavens with His understanding. When He gives His voice, the waters in the heavens will multiply, raise clouds from the ends of the earth, create lightning in the rain, bring forth light (winds) from His treasures. Every man has been shackled by reason, every merger has been put to shame by his graven images, for his fusions are false and there is no spirit in them; the essence of the matter is vanity and worthy of laughter; in the hour of their visit they will perish” (Jer. 51:15-18). And in the Apocalypse: “and the sixth angel sounded the trumpet, and I heard one voice from the four horns of the golden altar that exists before God, saying to the sixth angel who has the trumpet: let the four angels be bound at the river of the great Euphrates. And the four angels gave permission for the hour and the day and the month and the summer, that they should kill the third part of the people. And the number of mounted warriors is two dark; and I heard their number. And so I saw in a vision horses, and those who sat on them had armor of fire and vakynths and bogeymen; and the heads of the horse were like the heads of a lion, and from their mouths came fire and smoke and a bogeyman. And by these three plagues the third part of men perished, by the fire, and by the smoke, and by the bogeyman that came out of their mouth. The region of horses is in their mouths, and their mistakes are like a serpent, possessing the head and doing dirty tricks with them. And let not the rest of mankind, who were not slain with these plagues, but have repented from the works of their hands, worship a demon, nor an idol of gold and silver, and copper, and stone, and wood, which they can neither see, nor hear, nor walk; and did not repent of her murders” (Rev. 9:13–21). And in another place: “and the third Angel followed him, saying with a great voice: whoever worships the beast and his icon and receives a mark on his forehead or on his hand, and he should drink from the wine of the wrath of God... and he will be tormented with fire and a bogey before the holy angels and before the Lamb; and the smoke of their torment ascends forever and ever” (Rev. 14:9–11). LX. Don't be too greedy for food In Isaiah: “Let us eat and drink, and in the morning we will die... That sin will not be left to you until you die” (Is. 22:13–14). Also in the book of Exodus: “And the people sat down to eat and drink, and rose to play” (Exod. 32:6). In Paul’s First Epistle to the Corinthians: “But he does not make us worthless before God; pits, we overindulge, and if there are no pits, we are deprived" (1 Cor. 8:8). If anyone is hungry, let him eat in the house, but let him not enter into sin" (1 Cor. 11:33-34). (Rom. 14:17) In the Gospel of John: “I am meat (to eat), which you do not know. ... My food is, that I may do the will of him who sent Me, and accomplish His work” (John 4:32, 34). LXI. Should not be addicted to property and money In Solomon's book of Ecclesiastes: “he who loves money will not be satisfied with money” (Eccl. 5:9). And in the book of Proverbs: “Sell wheat sparingly; the people are cursed, but the blessing of the Lord is on the head of the giver” (Prov. 11:26). Also in Isaiah: “Woe to those who join house to house, and village to village, to those who draw near, so that they may take away something from their neighbor; food will you settle alone on the earth?” (Isa.5:8). And in Zephaniah: “They build dwellings and have no habitation in them, and they plant vineyards and have no drink of their wine: for the day of the Lord is near” (Zeph. 1:13-14). Also in the Gospel of Luke: “What profit does a man have if he has gained the whole world and lost it to himself?” (Luke 9:25). And in another place: “O fool, this night they will take your soul from You; and what you have prepared, for whom will they be?” (Luke 12:20). And again: “Remember that you received your good in your belly, and Lazarus also received your evil; but now here he is comforted, but you suffer” (Luke 16:25). In the Acts of the Apostles: “Peter said: I have no silver and gold; But I give this to the Imam. In the name of Jesus Christ of Nazareth, arise and walk. And I eat him by the hand by the right hand” (Acts 3:6-7). Also in Paul’s First Epistle to Timothy: “We brought nothing into this world; Indeed, as if below, we can wear out what we can. Having food and clothing, we will be content with these. But those who want to get rich fall into misfortunes and snares, and into many senseless and harmful lusts, which plunge people into all-destruction and destruction. For the love of money is the root of all evil, and there is no one who desires it, having gone astray from the faith and brought many illnesses upon himself” (1 Tim. 6:7-10). LXII. You should not enter into marriage alliances with pagans In Tobit: “Your father shall take a wife from the seed; Do not understand the strange wife that is not from your father’s tribe” (Tov.4:12). The book of Genesis tells that Abraham sent his youth to take Rebekah from his own tribe as a wife for his son Isaac (Gen. 24). And in the First Book of Ezra we read that God averted the devastation of the Jews only on the condition that they left foreign wives and children who had lived with them (1 Ezra 10). In Paul’s First Epistle to the Corinthians it is written: “A woman is bound by the law as long as her husband lives; If her husband dies, she is free to eat, but wants to encroach on something worthless, but in the Lord. But the most blessed one is, if so she endures” (1 Cor. 7:39–40). And again: “Do you not know that your body is the delight of Christ? Shall I take the hooks of Christ and create the hooks of harlots? It won't happen. Or do you not know that the filthy one who cleaves himself is one body (with a harlot)? It will be said that both will become one flesh. Cling to the Lord; there is one spirit with the Lord” (1 Cor. 6:15-17). Also in the Second Epistle to the Corinthians: “Do not be unequally yoked by unbelievers; What part of righteousness is there in lawlessness? or some communication between light and darkness? (2 Cor. 6:14). The Third Book of Kings says about Solomon: “and he made a strange woman turn away his heart after other gods” (1 Kings 11:4). LXIII. Serious sin - fornication In Paul’s First Epistle to the Corinthians: “every sin that man commits, besides the body, is; but the fornicator sins in his own body... Carry your own; bought at a natural price (great). Glorify (and bear) God in all your bodies” (1 Cor. 6:18–20). LXIV. Carnal works, which cause death, and spiritual works, which lead to life. Paul writes to the Galatians: “The flesh lusts against the spirit, and the spirit against the flesh; but these things oppose one another, and do these things not as ye will... The essence of the works of the flesh is revealed, which are: adultery, fornication, uncleanness, adultery, idolatry, sorcery, enmity, zeal, envy, rage, incitement, strife, temptations, heresies, envy, murder, drunkenness, disorderly cries and similar to sim; I tell you... that those who create the Kingdom of God will not inherit. The fruit of the Spirit is: love, joy, peace, long-suffering, kindness, mercy, faith, meekness, self-control... Those who are Christ’s are the flesh crucified with passions and lusts” (Gal. 5:17-24). LXV. All sins are laid aside in baptism In the First Epistle to the Corinthians: “neither harlots, nor idolaters, nor adulterers, nor immorality, nor sexually immoral, nor sodomites, nor covetous, nor thieves, nor drunkards, nor molesters, nor extortioners will inherit the kingdom of God. And these things are evil; but you were washed, but you were sanctified, but you were justified in the name of our Lord Jesus Christ and by the Spirit of our God” (1 Cor. 6:9-11). LXVI. Church decrees must be guided by Divine teaching In Jeremiah: “And I will give you shepherds according to My heart, and they will feed you with understanding and doctrine” (Jer. 3:15). Also from Solomon in Proverbs: “Son, do not despise the punishment of the Lord, and weaken from Him when we rebuke you; For the Lord loves him and punishes him” (Proverbs 3:11–12). And in the second psalm: “Receive punishment, lest the Lord be angry, and perish from the path of righteousness, when His wrath is soon kindled: blessed are all who hope in Nan” (Ps. 2:12). Also in Psalm 49: “But God said to the sinner, “Will you tell my justifications and accept my covenant with your lips?” But you hated punishment and you rejected My words back” (Ps. 49:16-17). And in the book of the Wisdom of Solomon: “he who despises punishment is damned” (Wisdom 3:11). LXVII. Sound Doctrine Foretold to Be Rejected Paul writes in Second Timothy: “The time will come when they will not listen to sound doctrine, but according to their own lusts they will choose for themselves teachers with scratchy ears, and will turn away their ears from the truth and turn aside to fables” (2 Tim. 4:3-4). LXVIII. One must move away from someone who lives dishonestly and is contrary to decorum. Paul writes in his Second Epistle to the Thessalonians: “We command you, brethren, in the name of our Lord Jesus Christ, that you separate yourself from every brother who walks disorderly, and not according to tradition, which you received from us” (2 Thess. 3:6). Also in Psalm 49: “If you saw the thief, you flowed with him, and you made your share with the adulterer” (Ps. 49:18). LXVIX. The Kingdom of God does not consist in worldly wisdom and eloquence, but in the faith of the cross and the power of the word In Paul’s First Epistle to the Corinthians: “Christ sent me... to preach the gospel, not with wisdom of speech, lest the cross of Christ be made void. The Word of the Cross is foolishness to those who are perishing, but the power of God to those who are being saved. For it is written: I will destroy the wisdom of the wise and destroy the understanding of the prudent. Where is the wise man? where is the scribe? where is the questioner of this century? Has not God shod the wisdom of this world? Because in the wisdom of God, not in the understanding of the world, through the wisdom of God, God deigned to save the believers through the violence of preaching. Even Judea is asking for a sign, and Hellenes are seeking wisdom; But we preach Christ crucified, a stumbling block to Jews, and foolishness to Greeks, but to those who are called Jews and Greeks, Christ is the power of God and the wisdom of God” (1 Cor. 1:17-24). And also in the same message: “Let no one deceive himself. If anyone thinks that he will be wise in you in this world, let it happen, as if he will be wise. God has the wisdom of this world. It is written: rebuke the wise in their deceit; and again: The Lord is the message of the thoughts of the wise, for they are vanity” (1 Cor. 3:18-20). LXX. Must obey parents In Paul's letter to the Ephesians: “Children, listen to your parents; this is righteous. Honor your father and mother; which is the first commandment of promise: that it may go well with you, and that you may live long on the earth" (Eph. 6:1-3). LXXI. And parents shouldn't be harsh with their children. In the same Epistle: “And fathers, do not provoke your children to anger, but bring them up in the discipline and discipline of the Lord” (Eph. 6:4). LXXII. Slaves, when they believe, should serve their carnal masters the more diligently In Paul’s letter to the Ephesians: “servants, listen to those who are your masters according to the flesh, with fear and trembling, in the simplicity of your heart, as Christ was, not working before your eyes as women pleasing men, but as the servants of Christ” (Eph. 6:5–6). LXXIII. Also, gentlemen should be more meek In the same Epistle: “And Lord, do the same to us, easing rebuke for them; Knowing that both you and you the Lord is in heaven, and with Him there is no blame” (Eph. 6:9). LXXIV. We must show respect to blameless widows In Paul’s First Epistle to Timothy: “Honor widows as true widows; ... but she who feeds generously dies alive” (1 Tim. 5:3, 6). And again: “deny young widows; Whenever they become furious against Christ, they want to encroach, having sin, because they have rejected the first faith” (1 Tim. 5:11-12). LXXV. Everyone must take care of his own, and especially the faithful The Apostle writes to Timothy in the First Epistle: “If anyone does not provide for his own, much less for those of his own household, he has denied the faith and is greedy to eat the unfaithful” (1 Tim. 5:8). About the same thing in Isaiah: “If you see a naked person, clothe him, and do not despise those of your kindred” (Is. 58:7). About the household it is said in the Gospel: “If you have slandered the lord of Beelzebub’s house, how much more than his household?” (Matthew 10:25). LXXVI. One should not recklessly blame an older person In the First Epistle to Timothy: “they did not accept blasphemy against an elder” (1 Tim. 5:19). LXXVII. The one who sins must be publicly rebuked In Paul's First Epistle to Timothy: “Rebuke those who sin before everyone, so that others also may fear” (1 Tim. 5:20). LXXVIII. Should not start conversations with heretics In the Epistle to Titus: “deny the man who is a heretic according to the first and second punishment, knowing that he has become corrupt and sins and is self-condemned” (Titus 3:10–11). The First Epistle of John speaks about the same thing: “She came forth from us, but was not from us; If they had been from us, they would have remained with us” (1 John 2:19). Also in the Second Epistle to Timothy: “their word comes out like gangrene, fat” (2 Tim. 2:17). LXXIX. We must boldly strive for innocence and achieve it In the First Epistle of John: “If our hearts do not deceive us, boldness toward God is acceptable, and whatever we ask is acceptable from Him” (1 John 3:21–22). Also in the Gospel of Matthew: “blessed are the pure in heart, that they shall see God” (Matthew 5:8). And in Psalm 23: “Who will ascend to the mountain of the Lord? or who will stand in His holy place? He is innocent in hand and pure in heart” (Ps. 23:3-4). LXXX. The devil cannot do anything to a person without God's permission In the Gospel of John, Jesus said: “Have no power in Me except it be given from above” (John 19:11). Also in the Third Book of Kings: “And the Lord will raise up an adversary against Solomon” (1 Kings 11:23). And in Job we find that God first allowed it and then the devil could harm him. We also read in the Gospel that the Lord first allowed Judas to act, saying to him: “Whatever you do, do it quickly” (John 13:27). And again in the Proverbs of Solomon: “the heart of a king is in the hand of God” (Proverbs 21:1). LXXXI. It is necessary to immediately give the wages to the mercenary In the book of Leviticus: “Let not the wages of your hired servant remain with you until morning” (Lev.19:13). LXXXII. Shouldn't bewitch In the book of Leviticus: “Do not be an enemy, and do not hide from the birds” (Lev.19:26). LXXXIII. Should not have curls around the head In the book of Leviticus: “You shall not shave the hair of your heads around” (Lev.19:27). LXXXIV. Shouldn't shave In the same book of Leviticus: “You shall shave your braids” (Lev.19:27). LXXXV. Must stand at the entrance of the bishop and presbyter In the book of Leviticus: “stand up before the gray man and stand near the old man’s face” (Lev.19:32). LXXXVI. There is no need to make a split; but we must try to ensure that those who deviate from us remain in the same faith with us and keep the same tradition From Solomon in Ecclesiastes: “he who cuts wood will cause trouble in it, even if the cut falls away” (Eccl. 10:9–10). Also in the book of Exodus: “let it be eaten together in the house, ... and do not take the meat out of the house” (Ex. 12:46). And in Psalm 132: “Be it good or good, but how can the brethren live together?” (Ps. 133:1). In the Gospel of Matthew: “Whatever is with me is upon me; and those who do not gather with Me scatter” (Matthew 12:30). Also in Paul’s First Epistle to the Corinthians: “I pray you, brethren, in the name of our Lord Jesus Christ, that all things you may say the same, and that there may be no discord among you, but that you may be established in the same understanding and in the same thought” (1 Cor. 1:10). And in Psalm 67: “God brings like-minded people into the house” (Ps. 67:7). LXXXVII. Believers must combine simplicity with wisdom In the Gospel of Matthew: “Be wise as a serpent, and purposeful as doves” (Matthew 10:16). In the same Gospel: “you are the salt of the earth; If the salt becomes overwhelming, how will it be salted? It will come to nothing, but let men be thrown out and trampled underfoot” (Matthew 5:13). LXXXVIII. Shouldn't deceive my brother In Paul’s First Epistle to the Thessalonians: “And do not transgress and take covetousness from your brother’s property; The Lord is avenger of all these” (1 Thess. 4:6). LXXXIX. The end of the world will follow suddenly The Apostle says: “The day of the Lord will come like a thief in the night.” Whenever they say: peace and confirmation, then all destruction will suddenly attack them” (1 Thess. 5:2-3). We also read in the Acts of the Apostles: “You have no understanding of the times and years which the Father has ordained in His power” (Acts 1:7) XC. A wife should not leave her husband; and if she departed, then she must remain celibate In Paul’s First Epistle to the Corinthians: “But to those who are married I command not I, but the Lord, that the wife should not separate from her husband; Even if she is separated, let her remain celibate, or let her reconcile herself with her husband; and the husband shall not let his wife go” (1 Cor. 7:10–11). XCI. Everyone is tempted as much as he can bear In Paul's First Epistle to the Corinthians: “temptation has not come upon you, but that of men; But God is faithful, who will not leave you to be tempted more than you can, but will create with temptation also an abundance, so that you are able to bear it” (1 Cor. 10:13). XCII. Not everything should be done that is permissible Paul writes in the First Epistle to the Corinthians: “Everything is for the good, but not everything is for good; All are to fly, but not all edify” (1 Cor. 10:23). XCIII. It is predicted that there will be heresies In Paul's First Epistle to the Corinthians: “It is fitting that heresies also should be in you, so that trials may be manifested in you” (1 Cor. 11:19). XCIV. The Eucharist must be received with fear and reverence In the book of Leviticus: “Whoever eats of the flesh of the sacrifice of salvation that the Lord eats, and his uncleanness is on him, his soul will perish from his people” (Lev. 7:20). Also in the First Epistle to the Corinthians: “If anyone eats this bread or drinks the cup of the Lord unworthily, he will be guilty of the Body and Blood of the Lord” (1 Cor. 11:27). XCV. Should seek community with the good and avoid the evil In Solomon in Proverbs: “Do not bring the wicked into the pasture of the righteous” (Prov. 24:15). Also in the book of Wisdom of the son of Sirach: “Let righteous men sup with you” (Sir.9:21). Again in the same book: “a friend is faithful to the healing of life” and immortality (Sir.6:16). And again: “Whoever has the power to kill will retreat far from man, and will not fear the fear of death” (Sir.9:16). And in another place: “Blessed is he who has found a faithful friend, 14 and tell it in the ears of those who listen” (Sir.25:12). And again: “Fence your ears with thorns and do not listen to the tongue of the wicked” (Sir.28:27-28) 15. Also in Psalm 17: “You will be reverent with the holy one, and innocent with the innocent man... and corrupt with the obstinate” (Ps. 17:26–27). And in Paul’s First Epistle to the Corinthians: “good customs are corrupted by evil conversations” (1 Cor. 15:33). XCVI. You need to succeed in deeds, not words In the Book of Wisdom of the son of Sirach: “Do not be quick with your tongue, but lazy and weak in your deeds” (Sir.4:33). And in Paul’s First Epistle to the Corinthians: “For the kingdom of God is not in word, but in power” (1 Cor. 4:20). Also in the Epistle to the Romans: “For they who are not hearers of the law are righteous before God, but they who do the law, these will be justified” (Rom. 2:13). The same is in the Gospel of Matthew: “Whoever does and teaches, he will be called great in the Kingdom of Heaven” (Matthew 5:19). And again: “Everyone who hears My words and does what I do, I will liken him to the wise man who built his church on the stone. And the rain came down, and the rivers came, and the winds blew, and attacked that church: and did not fall; bo be is based on stone. And everyone who hears My words, and without doing them, will become like the deformed man who built his church on a fox. And the rain came down, and the rivers came, and the winds blew, and they questioned that church: and fell; and its destruction was great” (Matthew 7:24–27). XCVII. We must hasten to faith and attainment of baptism In the Book of Wisdom of the Son of Sirach: “Do not hesitate to turn to the Lord and do not delay day by day; suddenly the wrath of the Lord will come out” (Sir.5:8-9). XCVIII. The catechumen must no longer sin In Paul's letter to the Romans: “Let us create evil, that good may come; whose judgment is righteous” (Rom. 3:8). XCIX. The judgment will be adapted to the times: for those who lived before the law - a judgment of justice, and for those who lived after Moses - a judgment according to the law Paul writes to the Romans: “For those who sin without the law will perish without the law; and those who sin in the law will receive judgment through the law” (Rom. 2:12). C. The grace of God must be free In the Acts of the Apostles: “Let your money perish with you, for you did not receive the gift of God to acquire silver” (Acts 8:20). Also in the Gospel: “Tuna you will eat, you will give to you” (Matthew 10:8). And in another place: “Do not make purchases for My Father’s house;... do not make the house of prayer... a den of thieves” (John 2:16; fn. Luke 19:46). Also in Isaiah: “If you are thirsty, go to the water, and do not have any money, but go and buy... and drink without money” (Is. 55:1). And in the Apocalypse: “I am Alpha and Omega, the beginning and the end. I will give to the thirsty animal from the source of water. He who overcomes will inherit all things, and I will be his God, and he will be my son” (Rev. 21:6–7). CI. The Holy Spirit often appears on fire In the book of Exodus: “Mount Sinai was all smoking, descending into flames for the sake of God” (Ex. 19:18). Also in the Acts of the Apostles: “And suddenly there came from heaven a sound like a storm of breath, and it filled the whole house where it sat; and the nations appeared to them, dividing them like fire; sat down with one of them, and were all filled with the Holy Spirit” (Acts 2:2-4). During sacrifices that were pleasing to God, fire also came down from heaven and burned up what was sacrificed 16 . Even in the book of Exodus: “the Angel of the Lord appeared in a flame of fire from a bush” (Ex. 3:2). CII. The good should be willing to listen to reproof In Solomon’s Proverbs: “Do not rebuke the wicked, lest they hate you; reprove wisely, and he will love you” (Proverbs 9:8). III. One must refrain from verbosity Solomon says: “You cannot avoid sin from speaking too much; but by sparing your lips you will become wise” (Proverbs 10:19). Solomon says: “Lying lips are an abomination to the Lord” (Prov. 12:22). CV. It is necessary to often reprimand those who sin in home service. From Solomon: “He who spares his rod hates his son” (Proverbs 13:25). And again: “punish your son” (Proverbs 19:18). CVI. The insult received must be endured patiently and retribution must be left to God. Do not say: I will take revenge on my enemy; but endure the Lord so that He can help you. “Vengeance is mine, I will repay, says the Lord” (Rom. 12:19; cf. Deut. 32:25). Also in Zephaniah: “Be patient with Me, says the Lord, on the day of My resurrection as a testimony; My judgment is before the congregation of tongues to receive kings, to pour out my wrath on you” (Zeph. 3:8). CVII. Should not slander From Solomon in Proverbs: “Do not love to slander, lest you become arrogant” (Prov. 20:13). And in Psalm 49: “Thou didst slander thy brother, and thou didst cause offense to thy mother’s son” (Ps. 49:20). Also in Paul’s Epistle to Titus: “Do not blaspheme one thing, lest you be contentious” (Titus 3:2). CVIII. One must not set snares for one's neighbor From Solomon in Proverbs: “If you dig a hole for the sincere, he will fall into shame” (Proverbs 26:27). CIX. Patients need to be visited In the Book of Wisdom of the son of Sirach: “do not be lazy to visit the sick; For these you will be loved” (Sir.7:38). Also in the Gospel: “I was sick and visited me; They were in prison, and came to Me” (Matthew 25:36). In the Book of Wisdom of the son of Sirach: “a whisperer and a bilingual should be cursed; You will destroy many peaceful people” (Sir.28:15). CXI. The sacrifices of evil people are not accepted by God In the same book: “The Most High does not favor the offering of the wicked” (Sir.34:19). CXII. The judgment will be stricter on those who had more power in this world According to Solomon: “The most severe judgment is advantageous. For the little one is worthy of mercy; but the mighty will be greatly tormented” (Wis. 6:5–6). Also in the second psalm: “And now, kings, understand, be punished, all you who judge the earth” (Ps. 2:10). CXIII. Should patronize the widow and orphans From the son of Sirach: “be an orphan like a father, and instead of a husband their mother, and you will be like a son of the Most High” (Sir.4:10-11). And in the book of Exodus: “Do not embitter all widows and orphans; If I become embittered with malice, and they cry out to Me, I will hear their voice with my ears, and I will be angry with fury, and I will strike you with the sword, and your wives will be widows and your children orphans” (Ex. 22:22-24). Also in Isaiah: “Judge the orphan and justify the widow, and come, and let us be redeemed, says the Lord” (Is. 1:17–18). Also in Job: “I saved the poor from the hand of the strong, and helped the orphan, who had no helper; ... the widow’s lips blessed me” (Job 29:12–13). And in Psalm 67: “Father of the orphans and Judge of widows” (Ps. 67:6). CXIV. Everyone, while in the flesh, must bring repentance and confession In Psalm 6: “Who in hell will confess to You?” (Ps.6:6). And in Psalm 29: “Will food be dusty to you?” (Ps. 29:10). Also, other places in Scripture speak of the need for repentance. For example: “I do not want the sinner to die, but for the wicked to turn from his way” (Ezek. 33:11). And in Jeremiah: this says the Lord: “When food falls, does it not rise? or will he turn away and not be converted?” (Jer.8:4). In Isaiah: “those who bless you flatter you and trouble the paths of your feet” (Is. 3:12). CXVI. He loves God more who is left with more sins in baptism. In the Gospel of Luke: “Her sins, which were many, are forgiven, because she loved much; but little is left to him, he loves less” (Luke 7:47). CXVII. We are faced with a strong battle against the devil, and therefore we must stand bravely in order to win. In Paul’s Epistle to the Ephesians: “Our struggle is not against flesh and blood, but against the principalities and powers and rulers of the darkness of this world, against the spiritual forces of wickedness in the heavenly places... Therefore gird your waist with the truth (of the Gospel), and put on the breastplate of righteousness; and put shoes on your nose for the preparation of the gospel of peace; Take up the shield of faith over everyone, in which you will be able to extinguish all the kindled arrows of the evil one; and take the helmet of salvation and the sword of the Spirit, which is the word of God” (Eph. 6:12, 14-17). CXVIII. It is said about the Antichrist that he will come in the form of a man In Isaiah: “This man has provoked the earth, shaken kings, and made the whole world empty” (Is. 14:16–17). CXIX. The yoke of the law that we threw off was heavy, and the yoke of the Lord that we took upon ourselves was light. In the second psalm: “Have the nations and people reeled in vain? The kings of the earth and the princes came together to gather together against the Lord and His Christ. Let us break their bonds and cast their yoke away from us” (Ps. 2:1-3). Also in the Gospel of Matthew: “Come to Me, all you who labor and are heavy laden, and I will give you rest. Take My yoke upon you and learn from Me, for I am meek and lowly in heart, and you will find rest for your souls. For My yoke is easy, and My burden is light” (Matthew 11:28–30). And in the Acts of the Apostles: “For it has pleased the Holy Spirit and us to lay upon you no greater burden than these needy ones: to rob yourself of those sacrificed to idols and blood, and those strangled, and fornication; and if you do not want to be, do not do it to others” (Acts 15:28–29). CXX. Must be persistent in prayers In Paul's Epistle to the Colossians: “endure in prayer, being watchful in it with thanksgiving” (Col. 4:2). Also in the first psalm: “But his will is in the law of the Lord, and in His law he shall learn day and night” (Ps. 1:2). At St. Cyprian, this text reads like this: “And I said to my son Tobias: go and bring whomever you find, a poor one from our brothers who thinks about God with all his heart; bring him and he will eat my lunch together. I will wait for you, son, until you come.” St. Cyprian everywhere considers the book of Jesus son of Sirach to be Solomon's. At St. Cyprian, as well as in the Vulgate, instead of “in your cages” it reads “in the hearts of the poor.” This book of St. Cyprian, as we noted above, attributes it to Solomon and therefore, referring to it, he writes everywhere: “in Solomon.” This is the reading of the quoted text by St. Cyprian and according to the Vulgate. In our Slavic Bible it reads like this: “the oven tempts the vessels of the poor, and the temptation of man is in his thoughts.” In the Slavic Bible, instead of “martyr” it is read “witness”. The Latin word martyr means both “witness” and “martyr.” It is obvious that St. Cyprian puts this word here in the latter meaning. At St. Cyprian's "martyria" is a word meaning both "dates" and "martyrdom." In the edition of Balusius and Maran, which we mainly use, after the passage from the Gospel of John given here, the following passage (as it appears there) from the book of Baruch is placed: “The time will come when you and your descendants will seek Me to hear the word of wisdom and understanding, and you will not find it. The peoples will wish to see the wise man, but they will not succeed; not because there was no wisdom or because it became scarce on earth in that age: for the age there will not be a lack of the word of the law. But wisdom will be in the vigilant, silent and quiet few who will talk only with themselves; because some will fear and fear them as evil, while others will not believe the word of the law of the Most High. Some in amazement will believe and not believe and, being in contradiction with themselves, will hinder the spirit of truth. Others will be wise for the spirit of error and pronounce the commands of the Most High and Mighty One. Some will take faith personally; and some will be skillful and strong in the faith of the Most High, but hateful to outsiders.” Other editions do not contain this passage; Yes, it is not at all in the book of Baruch, but only by its content it partly points to the 3rd and 4th chapters of the said book. In our Bible, instead of the words “faithful friend,” there is the word “wisdom.” You might be interested in: