Epistles to the Corinthians

The first letter dates from 96–97, the second is dated to the middle of the 2nd century (the authorship of St. Clement is questioned). Both epistles were first discovered in the Codex Alexandrinus of the 5th century in incomplete form: the first epistle was missing the end of chapter 57 and chapters 58–63, the second was interrupted in chapter 12. They were published in this volume in 1860 in Preobrazhensky’s translation. 1 The missing parts were discovered after this publication in the minuscule codex of the Jerusalem metoch in Constantinople (Codex Hierosol. 54), dated 1056. These parts were translated by A. Priselkov (1st message) 2 and N.I. Barsov (2nd) 3 . 1 Corinthians Chapter I. Greetings to the Corinthian Christians and praise of their piety before the schism between them The Church of God, located 4 in Rome, the Church of God, located in Corinth, called, sanctified by the will of God through our Lord Jesus Christ. May grace and peace be multiplied to you from almighty God through Jesus Christ. The sudden and one after another misfortunes and calamities that befell us were the reason, brothers, that it was too late, as we think, for us to turn our attention to the controversial issues among you, 5 beloved, and to the indecent and alien to the chosen ones of God, the criminal and wicked rebellion, which a few daring and arrogant people inflamed to such madness that your venerable, glorious and worthy name to all was subjected to great reproach 6. For who, who visited you, did not praise your faith, filled with all virtues and firm? Were you not surprised at your sober and meek piety in Christ? Didn't extol your great generosity in hospitality? Didn’t glorify your perfect and true knowledge? In everything you acted impartially, walking in the commandments of God 7, obeying your leaders, and giving due honor to the elders 8 among you! The young men were taught modesty and decency; wives were instructed to do everything with a non-reproachful, honest and clear conscience, loving their husbands as they should, and they were taught that, without departing from the rule of obedience, they decently managed household affairs and behaved completely chastely. Chapter II. Previous Spiritual State of the Corinthians All of you were humble and free from vanity; you loved to obey rather than command, and to give rather than to receive. Content with what God gave you on the path of earthly life, and carefully listening to His words, you kept them in the depths of your heart, and His sufferings 9 were before your eyes. Thus was given to all a deep and wonderful peace and an insatiable desire to do good: and there was a complete outpouring of the Holy Spirit upon all. Full of holy desires, with sincere zeal and with pious hope, you stretched out your hands to Almighty God and begged Him to be merciful if you had unwittingly sinned. Day and night your struggle was to take care of the entire brotherhood, so that the number of His chosen ones would be saved in good nature and unanimity. You were sincere, sincere, and did not remember any harm against each other. Any rebellion and any division was disgusting to you. You cried over the misdeeds of your neighbors; their shortcomings were considered their own. They were not bored with doing good, ready for every good deed. Having been adorned with such a virtuous and honorable life, you did everything in the fear of the Lord: His commandments and commandments were written on the tablets of your heart. Chapter III. The sad state of the Corinthian Church due to the indignation that arose from envy All the glory and breadth 10 was given to you, and it was fulfilled that it was written: “He ate and drank, became fat and fat, and became disobedient beloved” (Deut. 32:15) 11. And hence jealousy and envy, hostility and discord, persecution and indignation, war and captivity. Thus, dishonest people rebelled against the respectable, inglorious against the glorious, stupid against the wise, young against the elders. Therefore, truth and peace have departed, since everyone has abandoned the fear of God, has become dull in His faith, does not walk according to the rules of His commandments, and does not lead a life worthy of Christ, but everyone followed their own evil lusts, again allowing lawless and ungodly envy, through which death entered the world (Wis. 2:24). Chapter IV. A lot of evil happened from envy in ancient times For it is thus written: “And it came to pass after some days, that Cain offered of the fruits of the ground a sacrifice unto God: and Abel also offered of the firstlings of the sheep, and of the fat of them; and God looked upon Abel and His gifts; He didn’t look at Cain or his victims. And Cain was very sad. and his face fell. And God said to Cain: Why have you become sad, and why has your face fallen? Have you sinned if you offered the sacrifice correctly, but divided it incorrectly? 12 Calm down. His address to you is 13 and you will have it. And Cain said to Abel his brother, Let us go into the field; and it came to pass while they were in the field that Cain rose up against his brother Abel and killed him” (Gen. 4:3-8). You see, brothers, jealousy and envy brought about fratricide. Because of envy, our father Jacob fled from the presence of his brother Esau (Gen. 27:41 et seq.). Envy was the reason that Joseph was persecuted to death and subjected to slavery (Gen. 37). Envy forced Moses to flee from the face of Pharaoh, the king of Egypt, when he heard from his fellow tribesman: “Who made you a decider or a judge over us? Do you want to kill me like you killed the Egyptian yesterday?” (Ref. 2, 14). Because of envy, Aaron and Miriam lived outside the camp (Num. 12:14–15). The envy of Dathan and Abiron sent the living down to hell because they rebelled against Moses, the servant of God (Numbers 16:33). Because of envy, David not only suffered the hatred of foreigners, but was also persecuted by Saul, the king of Israel (1 Sam. 18:8 et seq.). Chapter V. Quite a few disasters occurred from the same thing in the near future. Martyrdom of the Apostles Peter and Paul But leaving the ancient examples, let’s move on to the closest ascetics: let’s take worthy examples of our generation. Out of jealousy and envy, the greatest and righteous pillars of the Church were subjected to persecution and death. Let us imagine before our eyes the blessed apostles. Peter, out of lawless envy, suffered not one, not two, but many sufferings, and thus, having endured martyrdom, departed to his proper place of glory. Paul, out of envy, received a reward for his patience: he was imprisoned seven times 14, was driven out, and stoned. Being a preacher in the East and West, he acquired noble fame for his faith, since he taught the whole world the truth, and reached the borders of the West 15, and martyrically testified to the truth before the rulers. So he moved from the world and moved to a holy place, becoming the greatest example of patience. Chapter VI. Continuation. Many other martyrs These men, who led a holy life, were joined by a great many chosen ones, who, due to envy, endured many reproaches and torments, and left among us a wonderful example. Women like the Danaids and Dirks 16 were persecuted by envy; Having endured severe and terrible torment, they walked the firm path of faith, and, weak in body, received a glorious reward. Envy separated wives from their husbands and perverted the words of our forefather Adam: “Behold now bone of my bones, and flesh of my flesh” (Gen. 2:23). Envy and discord overthrew great cities and completely destroyed great nations. Chapter VII. Exhortation to Repentance This, beloved, we write not only for your instruction, but also for our own reminder; because we are in the same field, and the same feat is offered to us. So, let us leave empty and vain worries, and turn to the glorious and venerable rule of our holy calling. Let us look at what is good, what is pleasing and pleasing to our Creator. Let us pay attention to the blood of Christ and see how precious His blood is before God, which was shed for our salvation and brought the grace of repentance to the whole world. Let us go through all the generations of people and learn that the Lord in each generation mercifully accepted the repentance of those who wanted to turn to Him. Noah preached repentance, and those who obeyed him were saved (Gen. 7; see 1 Pet. 3:20; 2 Pet. 2:5). Jonah announced destruction to the Ninevites, but they, having repented of their sins, propitiated God with their prayers and received salvation, although they were far from God (Jon. 3). The servants of God's grace, under the inspiration of the Holy Spirit, spoke about repentance; and the Lord of all Himself spoke of repentance with an oath: “As I live, said the Lord, I do not want the death of the sinner, but repentance” (Ezek. 33:11); and added the following beautiful thought: “House of Israel, turn from your wickedness” (Ezek. 18:30). “Say to the sons of My people (Ezek. 32:12): although your sins will extend from earth to heaven, and although they will be redder than scarlet and blacker than sackcloth, if you turn to Me with all your heart and say: Father! then I will hear you as a holy people." 17 And in another place he says: “Wash yourselves and make yourselves clean, remove wickedness from your souls in My sight, leave behind your wickedness; learn to do good, seek righteousness, deliver the offended, judge for the orphan, justify the widow, and come and we will be judged, says the Lord: and although your sins are like crimson, I will make them white as snow; and if they are like scarlet, I will make them white as wool; and if you are willing and listen to Me, you will enjoy the blessings of the earth; But if you do not want and do not listen to Me, then the sword will destroy you: for the mouth of the Lord has spoken this” (Is. 1:16-20). So, He wants to make all His beloved participants in repentance, and He confirmed this by His omnipotent will! Chapter IX. Examples of saints who received the grace of God through faith and obedience. Enoch and Noah Therefore, let us submit to His majestic and glorious will, and, leaving behind vain affairs, discord and envy leading to death, let us fall down and turn to His mercy, imploring His mercy and goodness - Let us constantly look at those who have perfectly served His majestic glory. Let us take Enoch, who, by his obedience, was found righteous, and died, and they did not see his death (Gen. 5:24; Heb. 11:5). Noah was also found faithful, and through his ministry he preached renewal to the world (Gen. 6:8, 7:1; Heb. 11:7; 2 Pet. 2:5) 18, and through him the Lord saved the living creatures who entered the ark. Chapter X. Continued. Abraham Abraham, called a friend, 19 is found faithful in his obedience to the words of God. Out of obedience, he left his land, and from his kindred, and from his father’s house, so that, leaving a small land, a weak family, and a small house, he would inherit the promises of God. For so God told him. “Get away from your land, and from your kindred, and from your father’s house, to a land that they will show you. And I will make you a great nation, and I will bless you, and I will make your name great, and you will be blessed. And I will bless those who bless you, and I will curse those who curse you, and in you all the families of the earth will be blessed” (Genesis 12:1-3). And again, after he was separated from Lot, God said to him: “Lift up your eyes, and look from the place where you are now, to the north and south, and to the east and to the sea 20: for all the land that you see I will give to you and to your seed forever. And I will make your seed like the sand of the ground: if anyone can number the sand of the ground, then your seed will also be numbered” (Gen. 13:14-16). And it is also said: “God brought Abraham out and said to him: look at the sky and count the stars, if you can count them: so will your seed be” (Gen. 15: 5-6). And Abraham believed God, and it was counted to him as righteousness. For his faith and hospitality, a son was given to him in his old age, but out of obedience he sacrificed him to God on one of the mountains shown from Him (Gen. 21, 22; see Heb. 11, 17). Chapter XI. Continuation. Lot For his hospitality and piety, Lot emerged unharmed from Sodom, while the entire surrounding country was punished with fire and brimstone: and by this the Lord clearly showed that He does not abandon those who trust in Him; and those who deviate from Him are subjected to torment and execution (Gen. 19; cf. 2 Pet. 2:6-7). For his wife, who went out with him, because she had other thoughts and did not agree with him, was set up as a sign: she became a pillar of salt, and remained even to this day, 21 so that everyone would know that the double-minded and those who doubt the power of God serve as an example of judgment and a sign for all generations. Chapter XII. Reward for Rahab's Faith and Hospitality Rahab the harlot was saved for her faith and hospitality. When Joshua sent spies to Jericho, and the king of that land found out that they had come to inspect his land, he sent people to seize them, so that, having captured them, they would be put to death. But the hospitable Rahab, having received them to her, hid them on the top of her house in sheaves of flax. And when those sent from the king appeared to her and said: people have come to you, spies of our land, bring them out, as the king commands, then she answered: the two people whom you are looking for came to me today, but they soon left, and are now on their way; so she did not show them to the messengers. And she said to those men: I know for sure that the Lord your God will deliver this city to you; because fear and trembling from you fell on those living in it. So, when you manage to take it, save me and my father’s house. And they said to her: It will be as you told us. As soon as you learn about our approach, gather all yours under your roof and they will be safe, and whoever is found outside the house will perish (Joshua 2; see Heb. 11:31). Moreover, they gave her a sign to hang a red rope from her house, and thereby showed that all who believe and trust in God will be redeemed by the blood of the Lord 22 . You see, beloved, this woman had not only faith, but also prophecy 23 . Chapter XIII. An exhortation to humility Let us therefore be humble, brothers, putting aside all arrogance, pride, foolishness and anger, and let us do as it is written. For the Holy Spirit says: “Let not the wise man boast in his wisdom, nor the mighty in his strength, nor the rich in his wealth, but let him who boasts boast in the Lord, seeking Him, and doing justice and righteousness” (Jer. 9:22-23). Let us especially remember the words of the Lord Jesus, which He spoke, teaching meekness and generosity. He said this: “Have mercy so that you may receive mercy, forgive so that you may be forgiven; as you do, so they will do to you; as you give, so it will be given to you; as you judge, you yourself will be judged; as you condescend, so they will condescend to you; With the measure you use, it will be measured back to you." 24 By this commandment and by these suggestions let us strengthen ourselves to walk with humility, obeying His holy commandments. For the holy word says: “On whom I will look, only the meek and quiet, and trembling at My words” (Is. 66:2). Chapter XIV. One must obey God rather than the perpetrators of rebellion Therefore, the righteous and holy thing, brothers, is to obey God rather than to follow those who, in arrogance and arrogance, have become the leaders of despicable envy. For we will not suffer little harm, but on the contrary, we will be exposed to great danger if we rashly surrender ourselves to the will of those people who incite us to discord and rebellion in order to divert us from virtue. Let us be lenient with one another, 25 just as He who created us is merciful and good; for it is written: “The good will be the inhabitants of the earth, and the innocent will remain in it; and the wicked will be cut off from it” (Prov. 2:21–22). And again the Scripture says: “I saw the wicked exalted and high as the cedars of Lebanon; and I passed by, and behold he was no longer there, and I looked for his place, but did not find it. Preserve innocence and maintain righteousness, because good consequences await a peaceful person (Ps. 36:35-37) 26. Let us therefore join those who keep peace with piety, and not those who wish for peace with hypocrisy; for it is said somewhere: these people honor me with their lips, but their heart is far from Me (Isa. 29:13; Mark 7:6; Matt. 15:8). And in another place: “they blessed with their lips, but cursed with their hearts” (Ps. 61:5). And it is also said: They loved Him with their mouth, and lied to Him with their tongue; but their heart was not right with Him; and they were not faithful in His covenant (Ps. 77:36-37). Let flattering lips be dumb (Ps. 30:19), and may the Lord destroy the lips of the flattering and the tongue of the arrogant - those who say: Let us magnify our tongue, our lips are with us: Who is our Lord? For the sake of the misfortunes of the poor, and the groaning of the needy, now I will arise, says the Lord: I will serve them as salvation, and I will deal honestly with them (Ps. 11: 4-6). Chapter XVI. Christ is an example of humility For Christ belongs to the humble, and not to those who exalt themselves above His flock. The rod of the greatness of God, our Lord Jesus Christ did not come in a blaze of splendor and arrogance, although he could have, but humbly, as the Holy Spirit said about Him. For He says: “Lord, who believed our hearing? and to whom has the hand of the Lord been revealed? We have declared before Him; He is like a little child, like a root in a thirsty land—he has neither form nor glory. And we saw Him, and He had neither form nor beauty; but His appearance is dishonorable, more humiliating than the appearance of men; He is a man in ulcers and suffering, able to endure illness; because His face was turned away 27 - it was mocked and despised. He bears our sins and suffers for us; and we thought that He was righteously subject to suffering, and plague, and torment; but He was wounded for our sins and tormented for our iniquities; the chastisement of our peace rests on Him 28 Through His stripes we are healed. We are all like sheep who have gone astray; every man went astray in his way, and the Lord gave him up for our sins. And He, being tormented, does not open His mouth: just as a sheep is led to the slaughter, and like a dumb lamb before its shearers, so He does not open His mouth. For His humility, judgment was removed from Him 29. Who will tell His generation when His life is taken from the earth? For the iniquities of My people He goes to death. And therefore I will have mercy on the wicked for His grave, and the rich for His death; for He committed no iniquity, and deceit was not found in His mouth. And the Lord is pleased to cleanse Him from the plague; If you give a sacrifice 30 for sin, then your soul will see a long-lasting seed. And the Lord wants to save Him from the suffering of His soul, to show Him the light and to form Him with reason, and to justify the righteous One, who has served many beneficently; and He will bear their sins. Therefore He will possess many and divide the spoils of the mighty, because His soul was given over to death and was numbered among the evildoers; and He took away the sins of many, and was delivered up for their iniquities" (Isa. 53, 1 et seq.) 31 says: “I am a worm, and not a man, a reproach of men and the humiliation of people. All who saw Me mocked Me, spoke with their lips and nodded their heads, saying: “He trusted in the Lord, let him deliver Him and preserve Him, since He is well pleased with Him”" (Ps. 21:7-9; Heb. 11:37). – Do you see, beloved, what a pattern has been given to us: for if the Lord humbled Himself in this way, what should we do, who through Him have come under the yoke of His grace? Chapter XVII. The Saints, especially Abraham, Job and Moses, are examples of humility Let us also imitate those who wandered in goats' and sheep's skins, preaching about the coming of Christ: we mean the prophets Elijah, Elisha and Ezekiel, as well as those who received excellent testimony in the Scriptures. Abraham received a great testimony, and is called a friend of God: but, looking at the glory of God, he humbly says: “I am earth and ashes” (Gen. 18:27). Further, it is also written about Job: Job was righteous and blameless, true and pious, and shunned all evil (Job 1:1). But he, condemning himself, said: no one is clean from filth, even if His life were one day (Job 14:4-5). Moses was called faithful throughout his house, and God, through his service, brought judgment on Egypt through torment and executions: but he, so glorified, did not magnify himself, but when the Divine word came to him from the bush, he said: Who am I that You send me? I am a stutterer and tongue-tied (Ex. 3:11, 4:10). And again he says: I am steam from the boiler 32. Chapter XVIII. David is an example of humility What shall we say about the glorified David, about whom God said: “I have found a man after My heart, David the son of Jesse, with everlasting mercy I have anointed him” (Ps. 88:21; Acts 13:22)? But he also says to God: “Have mercy on me, O God, according to Your great mercy, and according to the multitude of Your mercies, cleanse my iniquity. Even more, wash me from my unrighteousness, and cleanse me from my sin, for I know my unrighteousness and my sin is always before me. You alone have I sinned and done evil before You, so that You may be justified in Your words and overcome when You are judged. For I was conceived in iniquities, and in sins my mother gave birth to me. Thou hast loved the truth: Thou hast revealed to me the hidden secrets of Thy wisdom. Sprinkle me with hyssop, and I will be clean; wash me, and I will be whiter than snow. Give to my hearing joy and gladness: and my broken bones will rejoice. Turn your face away from my sins, and blot out all my iniquities. Create in me a pure heart, O God, and renew a right spirit in my womb. Do not cast me away from Your presence, and do not take Your Holy Spirit from me. Give me the joy of Your salvation, and strengthen me with the Lord’s spirit. I will teach sinners Your ways and the wicked will turn to You. Deliver me from shedding blood, O God, God of my salvation. My tongue will sing of Your righteousness. Lord, open my mouth, and my mouth will declare Your praise. If You had wanted a different sacrifice, I would have offered it; but burnt offerings do not please you. Sacrifice to God is a broken spirit; God will not despise a broken and humble heart” (Ps. 50:3-19). Chapter XIX. Imitating these examples, we should seek peace The humility and obedient obedience of these men, who received such a glorious testimony from God Himself, made not only us 33 better, but also previous generations, precisely those who accepted His words with fear and sincerity. So, having before us so many great and glorious deeds, let us turn to the goal of the world, indicated to us from the beginning, and looking to the Father and Creator of the whole world, let us delve into His majestic and excellent gifts of peace and His benefits. Let us look at Him with our minds and spiritual eyes, let us look at the long-suffering of His will, and think how meek He is towards His entire creation. Chapter XX. The harmony of the world and the harmony of nature shows that God loves peace and harmony The heavens, moving by His order, obey Him in the world: both day and night carry out the course determined by Him, without interfering with each other. The sun and the faces of the stars, at His command, in agreement, without the slightest deviation, penetrate into their appointed paths. The fruitful earth, according to His will, at certain times produces abundant food for people, animals and all animals found on it, without slowing down or changing anything that is prescribed to them. The unsearchable and incomprehensible regions of the abyss and the underworld are held by the same dictates. The boundless sea, according to His design, aggregated into large masses of water, does not appear beyond the barriers set for it, but does as He commanded. For He said: “You will come this far, and your waves will be broken within you” (Job 38:11). The ocean, impassable for people, and the worlds beyond it are governed by the same commandments of the Lord. The seasons - spring, summer, autumn and winter - peacefully give way to one another. Certain winds, each in its own time, perform their service without hindrance. Never-ending springs, created for pleasure and health, constantly supply people with the moisture they need for their lives. Finally, the smallest animals live together peacefully and harmoniously. All this was commanded to be in harmony and peace by the great Creator and Lord of all, who does good to everyone, and especially to us, who have resorted to His mercy through our Lord Jesus Christ, to whom be glory and majesty forever and ever. Amen. Chapter XXI. Let us obey God, not the perpetrators of the disturbance See, beloved, that so many of His good deeds do not turn into condemnation for all of us, if we, living worthy of Him, do not unanimously do what is good and pleasing to Him. For it is said somewhere: “The Spirit of the Lord is a lamp that searches the secrets of the womb” (Prov. 20:27) 34. Let us think how close He is to us, and that not one of our thoughts or deliberations that we make are hidden from Him. So, we must not deviate from His will: it is better for us to resist the stupid and senseless people who exalt themselves and boast about the pomp of their words rather than God. Let us revere the Lord Jesus Christ, whose blood was given for us, let us honor our leaders, respect our elders, raise our young men in the fear of God, guide our wives to goodness, so that they are distinguished by a most amiable disposition of chastity, show their pure disposition towards meekness, reveal the modesty of their tongue by silence, 35 show their love not according to their inclinations, but equal to all those who fear holy God. Let your children receive a Christian upbringing; let them learn how powerful humility is before God, what pure love means before God, how beautiful and great the fear of God is and saving for all who walk holy in it with a pure mind. For He is the tester of our thoughts and desires: His breath is in us, and when He desires, He will take Him. Chapter XXII. These admonitions are confirmed by the Christian faith, which preaches disasters for sins All this is confirmed by the Christian faith 36. For Christ Himself through the Holy Spirit calls to us like this: come, children, listen to Me; I will teach you the fear of the Lord. Who is a person who wants life, who loves to see good days? Keep your tongue from evil, and your lips from speaking deceit. Turn away from evil and do good; seek peace and pursue it. The eyes of the Lord are on the righteous, and His ears are on their prayer: but on those who do evil, the face of the Lord is turned in order to destroy their memory from the earth. The righteous man called, and the Lord heard him, and delivered him from all his sorrows (Ps. 33:11-18). Many are the scourges of the sinner: but those who trust in the Lord will be surrounded by His mercy (Ps. 31:10). Chapter XXIII. Be humble. Believe that Christ will come again The merciful and beneficent Father in everything is merciful to those who fear Him, and He willingly and kindly distributes His gifts to those who approach Him with pure disposition. Therefore, let us not doubt, and let not our soul despair about His excellent and glorious gifts: let it be far from us that which is said in the Scripture, where it says: Unhappy are the double-minded, wavering in soul and saying: We heard this in the time of our fathers, and now we have grown old, but nothing like this has happened to us 37 . Foolish! Compare yourself to a tree, take the example of a grapevine: first it loses a leaf, then a shoot is formed, then a leaf, then a flower, and after that unripe, finally ripe grapes. See how in a short time the tree fruit reaches maturity. Soon, truly and suddenly, the will of the Lord will be accomplished, according to the testimony of Scripture itself: the Lord and Holy One, for whom you are waiting, will come soon, and will not delay, and suddenly come to His church (Hab. 2:3; Mal. 3:1; Heb. 10:37). Chapter XXIV. Images of the future resurrection from the dead in phenomena of visible nature Let us consider, beloved, how the Lord constantly shows us the future resurrection, of whom He made the Lord Jesus Christ the firstfruits, raising Him from the dead. Let us look, beloved, at the resurrection that takes place at all times. Day and night represent to us the resurrection: the night goes to sleep, the day rises; The day passes and night comes 38. Let's look at the fruits of the earth, how the grains are sown. A sower came out, threw them into the ground, and the thrown seeds, which fell to the ground dry and bare, rot: but after this destruction, the great power of the Lord’s Providence resurrects them, and from one grain brings forth many and produces fruit (1 Cor. 15:35-38). Chapter XXV. The Legend of the Phoenix as an Image of Resurrection Let's look at the extraordinary sign that happens in the eastern countries, that is, near Arabia. There is a bird there called Phoenix 39. She is born only one 40 and lives for five hundred years. Approaching her mortal destruction, she makes herself a nest from frankincense, myrrh and other aromas, into which, having fulfilled her time, she enters and dies. From the rotting body a worm is born, which, feeding on the moisture of the dead animal, feathers; then, having arrived at the fortress, he takes the nest in which the bones of his ancestor lie, and with this burden makes the journey from Arabia to Egypt, to a city called Iliopolis, and arriving during the day, in the sight of everyone, he places it on the altar of the sun, and thus departs back. The priests examine the chronicles and find that this bird appeared when it was five hundred years old. Chapter XXVI. Holy Scripture also testifies to our resurrection So, would we consider it great and amazing if the Creator of all things resurrects those who, in the hope of good faith, holyly served Him, when He reveals to us His great promises through the medium of a bird? For it is said somewhere: “And You will raise me up and I will praise You” (Ps. 27:7). And again: “I fell asleep and slept, but I arose, because You are with me” (Ps. 3:6). Job also says: “And You will resurrect this flesh of mine, which endures all this (Wis. 12:12, 11:22). Chapter XXVII. In the hope of resurrection we cling to God, omnipotent and omniscient In this hope may our souls cling to Him who is faithful in His promises and righteous in His judgments. He who commanded not to lie, much less will He Himself lie; for nothing is impossible for God: only lying is impossible. So, let His faith be kindled in us, and let us think that everything is close to Him. With the word of His majesty He created everything, but with a word He can destroy it. “Who will say to Him: Why did you do it? or whoever resists the power of His might” (Job 19:25–26) 41. When He pleases, He will do everything, and nothing He has determined will remain unfulfilled. Everything is before Him, and nothing is hidden from His counsel. “If the heavens declare the glory of God, then the firmament declares the work of His hands; day speaks word unto day, and night speaks knowledge unto night. And there are no words or speeches whose sounds are not audible (Ps. 18:2-4). Chapter XXVIII. God sees everything, and therefore we will avoid sins So, if God sees and hears everything, then let us fear Him and abandon unclean desires for evil deeds in order to be covered by His mercy from future judgments. For where can any of us escape from His mighty hand? What world will accept one who runs away from Him? For nowhere does Scripture say: “Where will I go and where will I hide from Your face? if I ascend to heaven, You are there; if I go to the ends of the earth, and Thy right hand is there; if I place myself in the depths, your Spirit will be there too” (Ps. 139:7-10). So, where could anyone retire, or where could anyone escape from the One who embraces everything? Chapter XXIX. Let us approach God in holiness of heart So, let us approach Him in holiness of soul, raising pure and undefiled hands to Him, and loving our meek, merciful Father, Who chose us to be His own; for it is thus written: “When the Most High divided the nations, when He scattered the sons of Adam, He set the boundaries of the nations according to the number of the angels of God "42: and His people Jacob became the part of the Lord, the boundary of His inheritance Israel" (Deut. 32:8-9). And in another place it is said, “Behold, the Lord chooses for Himself a people from among the nations, as a man takes the firstfruits from his threshing floor, and from that people will come the Holy of Holies 43. Chapter XXX. Let us do what is pleasing to God and avoid what is displeasing to Him in order to receive blessings So, being the portion of the Holy One, let us do everything pertaining to holiness, avoiding slander, unclean and vicious relationships, drunkenness, passion for innovation, base lusts, vile adultery and vile pride. For it is said: God resists the proud, but gives grace to the humble (Prov. 41:34; James 4:6; 1 Pet. 5:5). So, let us join those who have been given grace from God. Let us clothe ourselves with like-mindedness, let us be humble, self-controlled, far from all slander and slander, justifying ourselves by deeds and not by words. For it is said: he who speaks a lot must listen in turn; or does the long-winded man think to be righteous? Blessed is he who is born of a woman and does not last long. Do not be long-winded (Job 11:2-3), let our praise be with God, and not from ourselves; God hates those who praise themselves. Let evidence of our good behavior be given from others, just as it was given to our righteous fathers. Impudence, arrogance and insolence are characteristic of those cursed by God; let moderation, humility and meekness be among those blessed by God. Chapter XXXI. Let's see how to achieve God's blessing So, let us seek His blessing, and see what paths lead to blessing. Let's remember what happened from the beginning. Why was our father Abraham blessed? Is it not because, according to his faith, he did justice and truth? Isaac, with confidence and knowledge of the future 44, willingly became a victim. Jacob humbly left his land because of his brother, went to Laban and served; and the twelve tribes 45 of Israel were given to him. Chapter XXXII. We are justified not by ourselves and not through our works, but through faith If anyone considers everything in detail, he will recognize the greatness of the gifts given from God. From Jacob are all the priests and Levites who serve at the altar of God. From him is the Lord Jesus according to the flesh: from him are kings, rulers, leaders through Judas; and the rest of his tribes in considerable glory, as God promised: “Your seed will be like the stars of heaven” (Gen. 22:17, 28:4). And they all became glorified and exalted not by themselves, and not by their deeds, and not by the rightness of the actions they performed, but by the will of God. So we too, having been called according to His will in Christ Jesus, are justified not by ourselves, nor by our wisdom, or reason, or piety, or the works we do in holiness of heart, but by means of faith, by which God Almighty has justified everyone from the ages. To him be glory forever and ever. Amen. Chapter XXXIII. Let us not abandon good deeds and love So what should we do, brothers? Should we lag behind virtue and love? Not at all, God forbid that this should happen to us; on the contrary, let us hasten with all our effort and readiness to do every good deed. For the Creator and Lord Himself of all things rejoices in His works. He established the heavens with His all-highest power and adorned them with His incomprehensible wisdom; He separated the earth from the waters surrounding it, and established it on the solid foundation of His will, and by His power commanded the animals to walk on it. He also created the sea and the animals in it, and protected it with His power. Above all this, He, with holy and pure hands, formed the most distinct and most excellent creature in intelligence, man, the outline of His image. For this is what God says: “Let us create man in our image and likeness. And God created man, husband and wife he created them” (Gen. 1:26–27). Having done all this, He approved and blessed and said: grow and multiply. We also recognize that all the righteous are adorned with good deeds; and the Lord Himself 46 rejoiced, adorning Himself with deeds. Having such an example, let us follow His will without laziness, and with all our strength we will do the work of righteousness. Chapter XXXIV. Great is God's reward for good deeds. Uniting in one mind, let us ask it from the Lord A good worker boldly receives bread for his labor; the lazy and careless man does not dare to look at the one who gave him the job. And we must be zealous in doing good, for everything comes from 47. For Scripture predicts to us: “Behold the Lord, and His reward is before Him, to give to everyone according to his work” (Isa. 40:10, 62:11; Rev. 22:12). Thus He exhorts us to turn to Him with all our hearts, and not to be careless or careless in any good deed; in Him let our praise and hope be; let us submit to His will. Let us think about all the multitude of His angels, how they, standing before Him, fulfill His will. For the Scripture says: “thousands of thousands served Him” (Dan. 7:10), “and they cried out...: Holy, holy, holy is the Lord of hosts; all creation is full of His glory” (Isa. 6:3). So we too, in a like-minded meeting, with one spirit, as if from one mouth, will cry to Him unceasingly, so that we may become partakers of His great and glorious promises. For the Scripture says: “Eye has not seen, nor ear heard, nor has it entered into the heart of man, the things that He has prepared for those who trust in Him.”48 Chapter XXXV. God's future gifts are immeasurable. How to achieve them? How blessed and wonderful are the gifts of God, beloved, Life in immortality, radiance in truth, truth in freedom, faith in hope, self-control in holiness: all this is accessible to our understanding. What other gifts are in store for those who wait? The Creator and Father of centuries, the All-Holy One, He Himself knows their greatness and beauty. So, let us make every effort to be among those who trust in Him in order to participate in the promised gifts. How will this be, beloved? If our mind is confirmed in faith in God; if we seek what is pleasing and pleasing to Him; if we do this; that is in accordance with His holy will, and walk the path of truth, rejecting from oneself all untruth and lawlessness, covetousness, strife, malice and deceit, slander and slander, wickedness, pride and grandeur, vanity and inhospitality. For those who do this are hated by God, and not only those who do it, but also those who approve of it. Scripture says: “God said to the sinner: Why do you tell My commandments and accept My covenant with your mouth, but you hated discipline and rejected My words? If you saw Taty, you ran with him and took part with the adulterer. Your lips were filled with malice, and your tongue wove deceits. Sitting in court, you slandered your brother and plotted against your mother’s son. You did this, and I was silent; You, the lawless one, thought that I would be like you. But I will reprove you and present you before your face. Understand this, you who forget God, lest you be snatched away as if by a lion, 49 and there will be no one to deliver you. The sacrifice of praise will glorify Me, and there is the way in which I will show him the salvation of God” (Ps. 49:16-23). Chapter XXXVI. All blessedness is given to us through Christ This is the way, beloved, by which we find our salvation, Jesus Christ, the High Priest of our offerings, the intercessor and helper in our weakness. Through Him we look up to the heights of heaven; through Him, as if in a mirror, we see the pure and bright face of God, through Him the eyes of our hearts were opened, through Him our foolish and darkened mind arises into His wonderful light; Through Him the Lord wanted us to taste immortal knowledge. “He, being the radiance of His majesty, is so much more excellent than the angels, inasmuch as he inherited a name more glorious than them (Heb. 1:3-4). For it is thus written: “He creates His angels as spirits and His servants as flames of fire” (Ps. 103:4; Heb. 1:7). The Lord said this about His Son: “You are My Son, today I have begotten You; ask of Me, and I will give You the nations for Your inheritance, and the ends of the earth for Your possession” (Ps. 2:7-8; Heb. 1:5). And he also says to Him: “Sit at My right hand, until I make Your enemies Your footstool” (Ps. 109:1; Heb. 1:13). Who are the enemies? Vicious, opposing the will of God. Chapter XXXVII. An exhortation to church order by the example of military order and the harmony of the human body So, brothers! Let us fight with all our might under His holy commandments. Let us imagine the militants under the command of our leaders; how harmoniously, how diligently, how obediently they carry out orders. Not all eparchs 51, not all commanders of thousands, or commanders of hundreds, or commanders of fifties, and so on, but each in his own rank carries out the orders of the king and the generals. Neither the great without the small, nor the small without the great can exist. They all seem to be connected together, and this is beneficial. Let's take our body: a head without legs means nothing, just as legs without a head, and the smallest members in our body are necessary and useful for the whole body; they all agree and by harmonious submission serve for the health of the whole body. Chapter XXXVIII. Church members should serve each other and no one should be proud So let our whole body be healthy in Jesus Christ, and let each one obey his neighbor in accordance with the degree to which he is placed by His gift. The strong do not despise the weak, and the weak honor the strong; the rich give to the poor, and the poor thank God for what He has given him, through whom his poverty can be replenished. Wise 52 Show your wisdom not in words, but in good deeds. If you are humble, do not testify about yourself, but let someone else testify about you. Pure in the flesh 53 ... and do not become arrogant, knowing that there is another who will grant him self-control. Let us think, brothers, from what substance we came, and how we entered the world, as if from the grave and darkness. Our Creator and Creator brought us into His world, having prepared His benefits for us before our birth. So, having everything from Him, we must thank Him for everything. To him be glory forever and ever. Amen. Chapter XXXIX. A man has nothing to be proud of Mad, senseless, stupid and ignorant people laugh and curse at us for this, wanting to exalt themselves in their own thoughts. But what can a mortal do, or what strength is there in an earth-born? for it is written: “There was no image before my eyes; but I only heard a quiet breath and a voice: what? Will a person be pure before the Lord, or blameless in his deeds, if He does not rely on His servants and sees shortcomings in His angels ( Job 4:16-18 )? the sky is unclean before Him (Job 15:15); much less those who live in mortal churches, of which we ourselves are, formed from the same decay. It was as if a moth had eaten them, and from morning to evening they were no longer there: because they could not help themselves, they died. He blew on them and they perished because they had no wisdom (Job 4:19–21). Call to see if anyone will hear you, or if you will see any of the holy angels. Anger kills the fool and zeal kills the foolish. I saw the crazy ones taking root, but their home was immediately destroyed. Let their sons be far from salvation and let them be despised at lesser doors, and there will be no one to save them. For what they have gathered, the righteous will eat, but they themselves will not be taken away from evil” (Job 5:1-5). Chapter XL. Let us maintain the order in the church established by God Convinced of this and penetrating the depths of divine knowledge, we must do in order everything that the Lord commanded to be done at certain times. He commanded that sacrifices and sacred acts should not be performed randomly or without order, but at certain times and hours. Also, where and through whom this should be accomplished, He Himself determined by His highest will, so that everything would be done holy and pleasing, and would be pleasing to His will. So, pleasing to Him and blessed are those who offer their sacrifices at the appointed times; for by following the commandments of the Lord they do not sin. The High Priest was given his office, the priests were assigned their work, 54 and the Levites were assigned their offices; the worldly man is bound by decrees for the people. Each of you, brothers, thank God for your own position, keeping a good conscience and reverently not violating the specific rule of your ministry. Not everywhere, brothers, are continuous sacrifices, or votive sacrifices, or sin offerings, and trespass offerings, but only in Jerusalem, and there the offering is not made in every place, but in front of the church on the altar, after the sacrifice has been examined by the high priest and the above-mentioned ministers. Those who do anything contrary to His will are punished by death. You see, brothers, the more knowledge we are vouchsafed 55, the more we are subject to danger. Chapter XLII. The order of clergy in the church was established by Christ: bishops and deacons were appointed apostles The apostles were sent to preach the Gospel to us from the Lord Jesus Christ, Jesus Christ from God. Christ was sent from God, and the apostles from Christ; both were in order according to the will of God. So, having accepted the command, the apostles, completely convinced through the resurrection of our Lord Jesus Christ and confirmed in faith by the word of God, with the fullness of the Holy Spirit, went to proclaim the coming kingdom of God. Preaching in various countries and cities, they appointed the first-born of the believers, after spiritual testing, to be bishops 56 and deacons for future believers. And this is not a new establishment; for many centuries before it was written about bishops and deacons. This is what Scripture says: “I will appoint them bishops in righteousness and deacons in faith” (Isa. 60:17) 57. Chapter XLIII. Moses ended the dispute over the priesthood in ancient times And why be surprised if those to whom this work would have been entrusted in Christ by God appointed the above-mentioned ministers? Blessed Moses, “an entrusted servant in all the house of God” (Heb. 3:2, 5; Num. 12:7), depicted everything commanded to Him in the sacred books; Other prophets followed him, confirming his legalization with their testimony. When a dispute arose about the priesthood, and the tribes of Israel disagreed about which of them should be adorned with this glorious name, 58 Moses commanded the twelve leaders of the tribes to bring to him the rods on which the name of each tribe was written; and taking them, he bound them, sealed them with rings of the leaders of the tribes, and laid them in the tabernacle of the meeting at the table of the Lord. And, having closed the tabernacle, he sealed the locks as well as the rods, and said to them: brothers, whose tribe the rod will blossom, God has chosen for the priesthood and service to Himself. The next day in the morning he called all Israel, six hundred thousand people, and showed the leaders of the tribes their seals, and opened the tabernacle of meeting and brought out the rods: and it turned out that Aaron’s rod not only blossomed, but even had fruit on it. Do you think, beloved, that Moses knew before that this would happen? Of course he knew, but he did this so that there would be no disturbance in Israel, to glorify the name of “the true and only God” (John 17:3). To him be glory forever and ever. Amen. Chapter XLIV. An apostolic order that there should be no discord about the priesthood. You unjustly deprived people of lawfully and honestly elected positions of office And our apostles knew through our Lord Jesus Christ that there would be contention about the episcopal dignity 59 . For this very reason, having received perfect foreknowledge, they appointed the above-mentioned ministers 60, and then added a law 61 so that when they died, other proven men would take over their ministry. So, we consider it unfair to deprive the ministry of those who were appointed by the apostles themselves or after them by other venerable men 62 , with the consent of the entire Church 63 , and who served the flock of Christ blamelessly, with humility, meekly and blamelessly, and, moreover, for a long time received approval from everyone. And no small sin will be upon us if we deprive those who bring gifts 64 without reproach and holyly of their episcopacy. Blessed are the elders who preceded us, who were separated from the body after a prolific and perfect life: they have nothing to fear that anyone could overthrow them from the place they occupied. For we see that you have deprived some who lead a commendable life of service, which they performed impeccably. Chapter XLV. The wicked tend to persecute righteous people You, brothers, are contentious and zealous in matters that have nothing to do with salvation. Look into the Scriptures, these true words of the Holy Spirit. Please note that nothing unfair or perverse is written in them. You will not find righteous people being overthrown by holy people. The righteous were persecuted, but by the wicked; were imprisoned, but by the wicked; were stoned by evildoers; were killed by the vicious, carried away by criminal envy. They endured all this suffering with glory. For what shall we say, brothers? Was Daniel thrown into the lions' den because of God-fearing people (Dan 6:16)? Was Hananiah, Azariah and Mishael cast into the fiery furnace (Dan. 3:20) because they admired the splendid and glorious service of the Most High? Not at all. Who did this? Vicious people, full of all evil, reached such a frenzy that with a holy and immaculate will they subjected those who served God to torture: they did not know that the Most High is the intercessor and protector of those who with a clear conscience honor His all-perfect name. To him be glory forever and ever. Amen. And they, enduring in hope, inherited glory and honor, and were exalted by God, and became esteemed in their memory forever and ever. Amen. Chapter XLVI. Let us join the righteous. Discord is fatal We must imitate such examples, brothers. For it is written: “cleave to the saints; for those who cleave to them will be sanctified 65 . And again in another place it is said: “With an innocent man you will be innocent, and with the chosen you will be chosen, but with the corrupt you will be corrupt” (Ps. 17:26-27). So, let us join the innocent and righteous, they are God’s chosen ones. Why do you have strife? anger of disagreement, division, war? Do we not have one God and one Christ? Is there not one Spirit of grace poured out on us, is there not one calling in Christ? Why do we tear and tear apart the members of Christ, rebel against our own body, and reach such madness that we forget that we are members of each other? Remember the words of Jesus our Lord He said: “Woe to that man; It would have been better for him not to have been born, rather than to seduce one of My chosen ones; It would have been better for him if he had hung up the millstone and been cast into the sea, rather than to have caused one of My little ones to stumble.”66 Your division has corrupted many, plunged many into despondency, many into doubt, and all of us into sadness; and your confusion still continues. Chapter XLVII. Your present discord is worse than the first one in the time of Paul Take the letter of the blessed Apostle Paul 67. What did he primarily write to you about at the beginning of his gospel sermon? Truly, by inspiration, he wrote to you both about himself and about Cephas and Apollos, because even then there was a division among you into different sides. But the division at that time subjected you to a lesser sin; for you bowed to the side of the illustrious apostles, and to the side of the man approved by them. Now think about what kind of people have corrupted you and diminished the beauty of your famous brotherly love. A shameful thing, beloved, and extremely shameful and unworthy of Christian life is being heard: the most solid and ancient church of Corinth, because of one or two people, rebelled against the elders. And this rumor has reached not only us, but also our very enemies, 68 so that through your madness the name of the Lord is being desecrated, and danger is being prepared for you yourself. Chapter XLVIII. Return to brotherly loving life So, let us stop this as soon as possible, and fall before the Lord, and tearfully beg Him to be mercifully reconciled with us, and restore in us the former beautiful and pure life, full of brotherly love. This is the gate of righteousness, open to life, as it is written: “Open the gates of righteousness for Me; I will go in with you and praise the Lord. This is the gate of the Lord; the righteous will enter through it” (Ps. 117:19-20). Of the many open gates, the gate of righteousness is the gate of Christ, and blessed are those who enter through it and direct their procession in holiness and truth, doing everything without indignation. If someone is firm in faith, or capable of offering higher knowledge, or wise in discussing speeches, or pure in his deeds, the more he should humble himself the more he seems great, and should seek the common good, and not his own. Chapter XLIX. Praise of love He who has love in Christ must keep the commandments of Christ. Who can explain the union of God's love? Who is able, as he should, to express the greatness of His goodness? The height to which love takes you is indescribable. Love connects us to God; love covers a multitude of sins (1 Pet. 4:8; 1 Cor. 13:4 et seq.; James 5:2), love accepts everything, endures everything generously. There is nothing low, nothing arrogant in love, love does not allow division, love does not create rebellion, love does everything in harmony, through love all of God’s chosen ones have achieved perfection, without love there is nothing pleasing to God. The Lord received us out of love; out of the love that Jesus Christ had for us, our Lord, according to the will of God, gave His blood for us, and His flesh for our flesh, and His soul for our souls. Chapter L. Let us pray that we may achieve love You see, beloved, how great and wondrous love is, and its perfection is inexpressible. Who can have it if God Himself does not honor someone? So, let us ask and implore His mercy, so that we can live in love immaculately, without human division. All generations from Adam to this day have passed away; but those who are perfected in love by the grace of God are in the place of the pious: they will be revealed with the coming of the kingdom of Christ. For it is written: “Go into the churches for a while, until My anger and indignation pass away, and I will remember a good day, and will raise you from your graves” (Is. 26, 20; Ezek. 37:12-13). Blessed are we, beloved, if we fulfill God’s commandments in unity of love, so that through love our sins may be forgiven. For it is written: “Blessed are those whose iniquities are forgiven and whose sins are covered. Blessed is the man to whom the Lord does not impute sin, and there is no deceit in his mouth” (Ps. 31:1-2). This promise of blessedness applies to those who are chosen by God through Jesus Christ our Lord. To him be glory forever and ever. Amen. Chapter LI. The participants and especially the perpetrators of discord must repent of their sin So, in whatever we have sinned due to any slander of the enemy, we must ask for forgiveness. And those who were the leaders of indignation and discord should have a common hope in mind. For those who live their lives with fear and love would rather expose themselves to troubles than expose their neighbors, and would more willingly accept condemnation upon themselves than the good and holy consent given to us. And it is better for a person to confess his sins than to harden his heart, as the hearts of those who rebelled against the servant of God Moses hardened: judgment was clearly carried out on them, for they descended alive into hell and death swallowed them up (Numbers 16). Pharaoh, his army, all the captains of Egypt, and their chariots and horsemen did not drown in the Red Sea and perish for any other reason (Ex. 14), but because their foolish hearts were hardened after so many signs and wonders performed in the land of Egypt through the servant of God Moses. Chapter LII. Such a confession pleases God Brothers! The Lord did not need anything, and does not require anything from anyone except confession to Him. For the chosen David says: “I will confess to the Lord, and this will be more pleasing to Him than a young calf growing horns and hooves. Let the poor see this and rejoice” (Ps. 68:31-33). And again he says: “Offer a sacrifice of praise to God and offer your prayers to the Most High. And call upon Me in the day of your trouble, and I will deliver you, and you will glorify Me (Ps. 49:14-15). For sacrifice to God is a broken spirit” (Ps. 50:19). Chapter III. Moses' love for his people You know, beloved, and know the sacred Scriptures well, and understand the words of God. So, bring this to your memory: when Moses ascended the mountain and spent forty days and forty nights in fasting and humility, then the Lord said to him: “Moses, Moses, get down from here quickly, because your people, whom you brought out of the land of Egypt, have committed a crime; They soon turned aside from the path that you commanded them - they made mergers for themselves. And the Lord said to him: I have spoken to you once and twice, saying: I have seen this people, and behold they are a stiff-necked people. Let Me destroy him, and I will destroy his name under heaven, and I will make you a great and wondrous people and many of them.” Moses said: “No, Lord, forgive the sin of this people, or destroy me too from the book of the living” (Ex. 32:7 et seq.). Oh great love! O incomparable perfection! The servant boldly speaks to the Lord and asks for forgiveness from the people; otherwise he wants to be exterminated along with them. Chapter LIV. He who is filled with love is exposed to every kind of trouble, so long as the peace of the Church is preserved. So, whoever of you is noble, whoever is good-natured, whoever is filled with love, let him say: if because of me the rebellion is discord and division, I will leave, I will go wherever you please, and I will do everything that the people command, so long as the flock of Christ is in peace with the appointed elders. Whoever does this will gain great glory for himself in the Lord, and every place will accept him: for “the earth is the Lord’s and its fulfillment” (Ps. 23:1). This is what all who pursue a commendable divine life have done and will continue to do. Chapter LV. Examples of such love But let’s imagine pagan examples. Many kings and leaders during the pestilence, according to the suggestions of the soothsayer, gave themselves up to death in order to save the citizens with their blood. Many withdrew from their cities so that the disturbance in them would cease. And we know many of our own who have given themselves into bondage in order to free others. Many gave themselves into slavery, and, taking a price for themselves, fed others. Many women, strengthened by the grace of God, accomplished many courageous deeds. Blessed Judith, during the siege of the city, asked permission from the elders to go to the camp of foreigners. And she went, exposing herself to danger out of love for her fatherland and the besieged people, and the Lord gave Holofernes into the hands of a woman (Judith. 8:30). Esther, perfect in faith, exposed herself to no less danger in order to deliver the twelve tribes of Israel from impending destruction. In fasting and humility, she begged the all-seeing Lord, the God of ages, who, seeing the humility of her soul, delivered the people for whose good she had exposed herself to danger. Chapter LVI. Let's admonish each other and correct each other Let us also pray for those who are in sin, that they may be granted meekness and humility, so that they will obey not us, but the will of God. For in this way their remembrance before God and the saints will be fruitful and completely merciful. Let us accept a punishment that no one should be annoyed at, beloved! The mutual admonition we give to each other is good and very useful, for it cleaves us to the will of God. For this is what the Holy Word says: “The Lord punished me severely, but did not put me to death” (Ps. 117:18); for whom the Lord loves, he punishes, and beats every son whom he receives (Prov. 3:12; Heb. 12:6). The righteous will punish me with mercy and reprove me; Let not the oil of the sinner anoint my head" (Ps. 140:5) 70. And he also says: “Blessed is the man whom the Lord has rebuked; and do not turn away from the admonitions of the Almighty, for He brings sorrow and again restores, smites and His hands heal. He will deliver you from troubles six times, but the seventh time evil will not touch you. In times of famine he will deliver you from death, in times of war he will save you from the hand of iron; He will protect you from the scourge of the tongue, and you will not fear the coming disasters. You will laugh at the unrighteous and the lawless, and you will not be afraid of wild beasts; for the wild beasts will be at peace with you. Then you will know that your house will enjoy peace and there will be no shortage of space for your tent. You will also know that your seed is great and your children will be like the various grains of the field. You will go down to the grave like ripe wheat reaped at the right time, or like a haystack of a threshing floor brought in at the right time” (Job 5:17-26). You see, beloved, that those who are punished by the Lord are under His protection, for, as a good God, He punishes so that we will come to our senses with His holy punishment. Chapter LVII. The perpetrators of the disturbance must submit to the elders so that God does not destroy them So, you, who initiated the rebellion, submit to the elders 71 and accept admonition to repentance, bending the knees of your heart. Learn humility by putting aside the vain and arrogant insolence of the tongue. For it is better for you to be small and respected in the flock of Christ, than to appear too high and lose His hope. For this is what the all-perfect Wisdom says: “Behold, I will offer you the word of My breath and teach you My understanding. Because I called, and you did not listen, I extended words, and you did not heed, but rejected My advice, and did not obey My reproofs: then I will laugh at your destruction, and I will rejoice when destruction comes to you, and when confusion suddenly overtakes you, a revolution appears like a storm, or when sorrow and disaster come to you. It will happen then that you call on Me, but I will not listen to you; Evil ones will seek Me and will not find Me. For they hated wisdom, did not accept the fear of the Lord, and did not want to listen to My advice, but laughed at My reproofs. And therefore they will taste the fruits of their ways and be satisfied with their wickedness... (Prov. 1, 23-31) 72. Appendix 1. 1 Corinthians Ch. 57:7–63 – translation from SC 167, p. 192–202, using the Greek text in Priselkov’s study. “The Great Prayer,” due to its solemnity and volume, was translated into Church Slavonic, with some simplifications, however, and with the vocabulary as close as possible to the Russian language. 7. ...For because they have offended little children, they will be killed, and the judgment of the wicked will destroy them. But the one who listens to me will dwell (confidently) 73 in hope and will rest without fear from any evil 74 . 1. Let us therefore obey His all-holy and glorious name, avoiding the threats prophesied by Wisdom to the disobedient, in order to “dwell confidently” 75 in the most holy name of His majesty. 2. Take our advice, and you will not repent. For as God lives, and the Lord Jesus Christ lives, and the Holy Spirit lives, the faith and hope of the elect, so that he who has fulfilled in humility, with unceasing meekness, the commandments and commandments given by God, without repenting [of this], will be appointed and chosen among those who are saved through Jesus Christ, through whom to Him be glory forever and ever. Amen. 1. If some do not submit to what He has spoken through us, let them know that they will bind themselves to fall and considerable danger. 2. We will be innocent of this sin and the imams will continually pray, begging and pleading, that the Creator will preserve the indestructibly numbered number of His chosen ones 76 throughout the world through His beloved Servant (our Lord) 77 Jesus Christ, through the Worthless One you have called us from darkness into light 78, from ignorance into the knowledge of the glory of the Name Its 79, 3. hope in Thy Name, which exists before all creation, - Who has opened the thoughts of our hearts 80 in the knowledge of You, the One 81 Most High in the highest, the Holy One resting among the saints 82 , humbling the arrogance of the proud 83 , destroying the plans of tongues 84 , exalting and humbling the humble ascended 85, enricher and destroyer 86, killing and life-giving 87, the only Benefactor of spirits and God of all flesh 88, seer of the abyss 89, all-seer of human affairs 90, in danger of the present Helper, the despairing Savior 91, every spirit of the Creator and Monitor 92, multiplying the languages of the earth and choosing from all those who love Thee through Thy beloved Servant Jesus Christ, through the Unfit One Thou hast taught us, sanctified us, and honored us 93. 4. We ask (You) 94, Master, Helper and Intercessor of our existence 95, save those who exist from us in sorrow 96, [have mercy on the humble] 97, raise up the fallen, appear to those who ask, heal the weak, convert those who go astray from Your people 98, nourish free the hungry, captive from us, raise up the weak 99, comfort the faint-hearted: let all the nations know you, for you are the only God 100, and Jesus Christ is your servant, and “we are your people and the sheep of your pasture” 101. 1. For through what You have done, You have made the visibly eternal composition of the 102 world; You, Lord, created the universe, faithful in all ways 103 and righteous in judgment, wonderful in power and splendor, wise in creation and intelligent in the foundation of what was created, good in the visible and faithful 104 in those who trust in You, merciful and generous, 105 forgive us our iniquities and untruths and sins and transgressions. 2. Do not impute every sin of Your servants and handmaids, but cleanse us with the purification of Your truth 106 and straighten our steps 107 to walk in holiness, (truth and simplicity) 108 hearts 109 and do what is good and acceptable before You 110 and before our princes. 3. To her, Lord, show Thy Face 111 to us for our good in the world, so that Thy mighty hand 112 may overshadow us and deliver us from all evil with Thy high arm 113 , and deliver us from those who hate us unjustly 114 . 4. Grant unanimity and peace to us and to all who inhabit the earth, as You gave to our Fathers, who call upon Thee holy in faith and truth, 115 Submit [us] to be Thy almighty and all-perfect Name, and our prince and leader on earth. 1. You, Master, have given them the power of the kingdom of splendor and Your ineffable power for the sake of knowing us the glory You have given them and the honor of submitting to them and not resisting Your will in any way; Grant this, O Lord, health, peace, unanimity, prosperity, so that they may fulfill the guidance You have given them without mercy. 2. For You, Lord above heaven, King of ages 116, give to the sons of men glory and honor and power over those who are on earth: You, Lord, correct their counsel for what is good and pleasing before You, so that those who practice in peace and meekness the power piously given to them by You will find You merciful. 3. He alone is able to do this great good thing with us 117 We confess to You through the High Priest and Representative of our souls Jesus Christ, through You be glory and greatness, now and throughout all generations and forever and ever. Amen. 1. So, we have written enough about deeds befitting our reverence for God and most useful for a virtuous life for those who wish to lead it piously and righteously, men and brethren. 2. For we have everywhere touched on what relates to faith, repentance, sincere love, self-control, chastity and patience, reminding you that you must, in justice, truth and generosity, holyly please the Almighty God, in unanimity, unforgivingly, in love and peace, with unceasing meekness, just as our fathers mentioned above pleased the Father with humility, To God and the Creator and to all people. 3. And it was all the more pleasant for us to be reminded of this that we are writing - as we clearly know - to faithful and glorious men who delve into the sayings of the teachings of God. 1. So, it is right, following so many great and many examples, to bow our necks 118 and take the place 119 of obedience, so that, having calmed down from vain excitement, we may achieve in truth the goal set before us without any shame. 2. For you will give us joy and gladness if you obey what we have written through the Holy Spirit and put an end to the unjust anger of your jealousy, in accordance with the exhortation to peace and harmony that we addressed to you in this letter. 3. We have sent faithful and wise men, who walked blamelessly among us from youth to old age, who will be witnesses between you and us. 4. And we did this so that you would know that all our concern was and is - so that you can quickly reach peace 120. Chapter 64 (LVIII). May God reward all who call on Him with His spiritual gifts All-seeing God and the Lord of spirits and the Lord of all flesh, having chosen the Lord Jesus Christ and through Him us as a chosen people, 121 may He give to every soul that calls upon His great and holy name faith, fear, peace, patience, generosity, self-control, purity and chastity for the sake of His name, through our High Priest and Advocate Jesus Christ, through whom to Him be glory, majesty, dominion and honor now. and forever and ever. Amen. Those sent from us, Claudius Ephebus and Valerius Viton with Fortunatus, immediately release to us in peace with joy, so that they can quickly inform us about your desired and longed for peace and agreement, so that we can quickly rejoice at your prosperity. May the grace of our Lord Jesus Christ be with you and with all who are called everywhere by God and through Him; through whom to Him be glory, honor, dominion and majesty, an eternal throne, from everlasting to everlasting. Amen. Clement's first letter to the Corinthians 122. 2 Corinthians 123 Chapter I. We must not think lowly about Christ and our salvation, accomplished by Him. Brothers! You must think about Jesus Christ as God and the judge of the living and the dead (John 5:22, 27; Acts 10:42, 17:31, 2 Tim 4:1), since we should not think little about our salvation 124; for if we think little about Him 125, then we hope to receive little. And if we hear about this as if it were something small, then we sin, not knowing where we come from, by whom and to what dignity we have been called, and how much Jesus Christ was pleased to endure for us. What reward will we give Him or what fruit will we bear worthy of what He has given us? How many sacred advantages do we owe to Him? He gave us light; He greeted us as the Father of children; He saved us who were perishing. What praise will we give to Him or what will we pay for what we have received from Him - we, who in the blindness of our minds bowed to stones and trees, gold, silver and copper, human products - we, whose whole life was nothing other than death? Surrounded by darkness and having such darkened vision, we, by His will, received our sight and drove away the fog that surrounded us. For He took pity on us, and in His mercy saved us, seeing that we were in error and destruction, and that there was no hope of salvation left for us except from Him. He called us non-existent and called us from non-existence to being 126. Chapter II. The Church, previously barren, became very fruitful through the calling of the pagans “Rejoice, you who are barren, who do not give birth; shout and cry loudly, you who are not in labor; because the one who is abandoned has many more children than the one who has a husband” (Isa. 54:1; Gal.4:27). The words: “rejoice, barren, not giving birth” refer to us 127, for our Church was barren before children were given to her. And the words: “cry out loudly, not suffering from childbirth” mean that we offer our prayers to God simply, without faint-heartedness, like those who give birth. The words: “because she who is abandoned has many children, more than she who has a husband” /said/ because our people, apparently, were abandoned by God; and now that we have believed, we have become more numerous than those who were considered to have God 128. And another 129 Scripture says: “I did not come to call the righteous, but sinners” (Matthew 9:13; Luke 5:32; Luke 19:15). This means that He must save the lost. For this is greatness worthy of admiration—to establish not what stands, but what falls. So Christ also wanted to save what was perishing, and saved many by coming and calling us who were already perishing. Chapter III. Let us confess Christ, fulfilling His commandments and honoring Him with all our hearts If He has done us such mercy, and firstly by the fact that we who are alive /no longer/ offer sacrifices to the gods of the dead and do not bow to them, but through Him we have come to know the Father of truth, then what should our knowledge in relation to Him consist of, if not in not denying Him through Whom we came to know Him? He Himself says: “Whoever confesses Me before men, I will also confess before My Father” (Matthew 10:32). This is our reward for confessing Him through Whom we are saved. But how do we confess Him? That is, if we fulfill His words and do not neglect His commandments, but honor Him not only with our lips, but with all our hearts and all our thoughts. In Isaiah He says: “This people honors Me with their lips, but their heart is far from Me” (Is. 29:13). Chapter IV. Who truly confesses Christ? So, let us not be content with just calling Him Lord: this will not save us. For He says: “Not everyone who says to Me: Lord, Lord!” but those who do righteousness will be saved” (See Matt. 7:21). Therefore, brothers, let us confess Him by works, by mutual love, not by adultery, not by slandering one another, not by envy, but by self-control, mercy, and kindness; we must have compassion for each other and not be lovers of money. Let us confess Him by such and such deeds, and not by those contrary to them: and we should not fear people more than God. Therefore, the Lord, at the time when we do this, said: “If you are gathered into My arms and do not keep My commandments, I will reject you and say to you: 130 Get away from Me, I don’t know where you come from,... workers of unrighteousness” (Matthew 7:23; Luke 13:27). Chapter V. Let us despise the world and strive for the bliss of another life Therefore, brothers, having left the life of this world, let us do the will of Him who called us, and we will not be afraid to leave this world. For the Lord says: “You will be like lambs among wolves” (Matthew 10:16). Peter in response to this says: what if the wolves tear the lambs to pieces? 131 Jesus said to Peter: “lambs should not fear wolves after their death: 132 and you do not fear those who kill you and can do nothing /more/, but fear the one who after your death has power over soul and body, /power/ to cast /them/ into fiery hell” (Matthew 10:28; Luke 12:4-5). And know, brothers, that the wandering of our flesh in this world is small and short-lived, but the promise of Christ is great and wondrous, namely: the peace of the future kingdom and eternal life. How can we achieve this, if not by living a pious and righteous life, considering worldly goods to be alien to ourselves and not desiring them? For if we want to acquire them, then we depart from the right path. Chapter VI. The present century and the future are two enemies. Having despised the first, let us love the last. Otherwise there is no hope of salvation The Lord says: "no cannot serve two masters” (Matthew 6:24; Luke 16:13). If we want to serve both God and mammon, then this is useless for us. “For what good is it if someone gains the whole world and loses his own soul” (Matthew 16:26). This century and the next are two enemies. This age preaches adultery, debauchery, love of money and deception, and the future denies them. Therefore, it is impossible for us to be friends of both, but we must leave this /age/ and cleave to that. Let us think that it is better to hate these /goods/ because they are small, short-lived and perishable, and to love those /goods/ as beautiful and imperishable. For by doing the will of Christ, we will find peace, otherwise: nothing will save us from eternal punishment if we despise His commandments. And Scripture says in Ezekiel, “that if Noah and Job and Daniel arise, they will not save their children / who are / in captivity” (Ezek. 14:20). But if these righteous people cannot save their children with their righteousness, then what hope do we have of entering the kingdom of God if we do not observe baptism in purity and integrity? or who will be our intercessor if pious and righteous deeds are not found in us? Chapter VII. We must strive to be crowned So, my brothers, let us strive, knowing that the age is in struggle 133 and that many come to even vain exploits, but not all are crowned, but only those who have worked hard and fought gloriously. Let us strive so that we may all be crowned. Let us take the right path, an imperishable feat, and together we will go and strive in such a way as to be worthy of the crown. And if it is impossible for everyone to be crowned, at least we will be close to the crown 134. We must know that even the one who embarks on a vain feat, if he turns out to spoil the matter, is taken with beatings and driven out of the lists. What do you think: what should someone who cannot endure an imperishable feat have to endure? About those who did not keep the seal 135 it is said: “Their worm will not die, and their fire will not be quenched, and they will all flesh" (Isa. 66:24). Chapter VIII. While we are in this world, we must repent and keep our flesh pure So, let us repent while we live on earth, for we are clay in the hand of the artist. Just as a potter, when he makes a vessel, and it becomes warped or disintegrates in his hands, he can restore it again, but when he hastens to put it in a burning oven, then it will no longer help him: so we, while we still live in this world, must repent from the bottom of our hearts for the evil that we have done in the flesh; that we may receive salvation from the Lord while we have time to repent. For after our departure from the world, we can no longer confess or repent there. So, brothers, we will only receive eternal life when we fulfill the will of the Father, keep our flesh pure and keep the commandments of the Lord. For the Lord says in the Gospel: if you do not save the little things, who will give you the great things? I tell you: “he who is faithful in a little will also be faithful in much” 136 (Luke 16:10). This means: keep your flesh clean and your seal undamaged to receive eternal life. Chapter IX. We will be judged in the flesh; so let's get ready on time None of you should say that this flesh will not be judged and will not be resurrected. Know: in what are you saved, in what have you received your sight, if not in the flesh? Therefore, we must keep the flesh as the church of God. For just as you were called in the flesh, so you will come in the flesh. Just as 137 Christ the Lord, having saved us, although previously he was a spirit, 138 became flesh, and thus called us, so we will receive our reward in this flesh. So, let us love one another, so that we can all enter the Kingdom of God. While we have time for healing, let us devote ourselves to the healing God, giving Him payment. Which one? Repentance from a sincere heart. For He knows everything in advance and sees everything that is in our heart. Let us give Him praise not only from our lips, but also from our hearts, so that He may accept us as sons. For the Lord said: “My brothers are those who do the will of My Father” (Matthew 12:50). Chapter X. Having abandoned vice, we will strive for virtue, and we will prefer the promised benefits to worldly pleasures Therefore, my brothers, let us fulfill the will of the Father, who called us to life, let us strive more for virtue, leaving behind evil inclinations as the predecessor of our sins; we flee wickedness so that no evil befalls us. For if we try to do good, then peace will come to us. For this reason, it will not be found by those who bring human fear, preferring local pleasure to future promise. They do not know what torment the pleasure here has in itself, and what sweetness the future promise contains. And if they were the only ones doing this, it would be bearable; but they constantly instill their evil teachings in innocent souls, not knowing that they will receive doubly condemnation - both they themselves and their listeners. Chapter XI. Believing in Divine promises, we will serve God, and we will have eternal bliss Let us therefore serve God with a pure heart, and let us be righteous; if we do not serve, due to our unbelief in the promise of God, then we will be unhappy. For the prophetic word says: “unfortunate are the double-minded, wavering in heart, who say: we heard all this in the time of our fathers, but we, waiting from day to day, saw nothing like this. Foolish! Compare yourself to a tree, take /as an example/ a grapevine: first it loses a leaf, then a shoot is formed, then unripe, finally ripe grapes 139 . So my people endured anxiety and sorrow, and then they will receive good.” So, my brothers, let us not doubt, but let us remain firm in hope, so that we may receive reward. For He is faithful who promised to reward everyone according to his deeds. If we do righteousness before God, then we will enter His kingdom and receive those promised / benefits / “which the ear has not heard and the eye has not seen and has not entered the heart of man” 140. Chapter XII. Let us constantly wait for the Kingdom of God So, let us wait hourly for the Kingdom of God in love and righteousness, because we do not know the day of God’s appearing. The Lord Himself, to the question of one about when His Kingdom will come, answered: when the two are one, and the external /will be/ like the internal, the male sex together with the female will be neither male nor female 141. But two are one when we tell each other the truth, and when there is unfeignedly one soul in two bodies. And “external as internal” means the following: internal means the soul, and external means the body. Therefore, just as your body is visible, so let your soul be visible in good deeds. And the male sex with the female is neither masculine nor feminine - this is... 142, where by masculine we mean anger or rage (θυμος); under the feminine – a wish (επιθυμια) that must stop. Appendix 2. 2 Corinthians 12, (5). And “the male sex together with the female, neither male nor female,” this is what the Lord says, so that a brother, when he sees his sister, does not think anything feminine about her, and a sister, when she sees her brother, does not think anything masculine about him. 12, (6) . “If you do this,” He says, “the kingdom of My Father will come.” 13, (1) . So, brethren, let us finally repent and be sober for good, for we are filled with much madness and wickedness. Let us get rid of previous sins and, having repented from the soul, we will be saved. And let us not be people-pleasing, and let us desire to please not only ourselves, but also external people with justice, so that the Name of God is not blasphemed through us. 13, (2) . For the Lord says: “For your sake, ever My Name is blasphemed among the nations” (Isaiah 52:5), and again: “Woe to him through whom My Name is blasphemed.” What is it blasphemed by? Because we do not fulfill what we say. 13, (3) . After all, the pagans, hearing from our lips the sayings of God, beautiful and majestic, marvel at them; but then, noticing that our deeds are unworthy of the words we utter, they turn to blasphemy, saying that all this is some kind of fable and delusion. 13, (4) . For when they hear from us that God says: “There is no grace for you if you love those who love you, but grace for you if you love your enemies and those who hate you” ((cf. Luke 6:32-35)), when they hear this, they are amazed at the abundance of goodness. When they see that we do not love not only those who hate us, but also those who love us, they mock us, and the Name of God is blasphemed. 14, (1) . Therefore, brethren, fulfilling the will of our Father God, we will be children of the original, spiritual Church, created before the sun and moon; if we do not fulfill the will of the Lord, then we will, as the Scripture says: “My house has become a den of thieves” (Jer. 7:11; Matt. 21:13). Therefore, let us prefer to belong to the Church of the Belly, so that we may be saved. 14, (2) . I do not think that you do not know that the living Church is the Body of Christ (Eph. 1:23) (for Scripture says: “God created man..., husband and wife” (Gen. 1:27); the husband is Christ, the wife is the Church) and that the Church, according to the testimony of the Books and Apostles, not only exists today, but from ancient times. For she was spiritual, like our Jesus, but she appeared in the last days (1 Pet. 1:20) to save us. 14, (3) . Being spiritual, the Church appeared in the flesh of Christ, clearly showing us that if any of us preserves Her in the flesh and does not harm Her, He will receive Her in the Holy Spirit. After all, this flesh is a photograph of the Spirit, and no one, having damaged the photograph, will have a part in the original. For it is said, brethren: “Save the flesh, that you may have a part in the Spirit.” 14, (4) . If we say that the flesh is the Church, and the Spirit is Christ, it means that he who disgraced the flesh also disgraced the Church. Such a one will have no part in the Spirit, which is Christ. 14, (5). This flesh can receive such a great part in life and incorruption when the Holy Spirit cleaves to it that no one can either utter or express what the Lord has prepared for His chosen ones. 15, (1) . I think I have already told you quite a bit about abstinence: whoever follows my advice will not repent, but will save himself and me, who gave the advice. For it is no small merit to turn a lost and perishing soul to salvation. 15, (2) . This is our reward to God, who created us, if the speaker and the listener with faith and love - one speaks and the other listens. 15, (3) . So, let us remain righteous and reverent in what we have believed, so that we can boldly ask God, who says: “Again I say to you, a river: Behold, I have come” (Is. 58:9). 15, (4) . For this saying is a sign of a great promise, since the Lord says that He gives more willingly than the one who asks asks. 15, (5). So, having received a share in such great goodness, let us not refuse to receive such great blessings, for just as great joy will these sayings bring to those who observe them, so great condemnation to those who disobey them. 16, (1) . Therefore, brethren, having no small incentive to repent, let us return - while there is time - to God who called us, as long as He accepts us. 16, (2) . For if we part with worldly pleasures and conquer our soul by not fulfilling its evil desires, we will have a share in the mercy of Jesus. 16, (3) . Know then that the Day of Judgment is already coming like a furnace of fire, and some of the heavens and all the earth will melt away like lead melting in fire; and then the secret and obvious deeds of men will be revealed. 16, (4) . A good deed is almsgiving as repentance for sin. Fasting is greater than prayer, but almsgiving is higher than both fasting and prayer: “love covers a multitude of sins” (1 Pet. 4:8); prayer from a good conscience delivers from death. Blessed is everyone who is filled with them, for alms become relief from sin. 17, (1) . So, let us repent with all our hearts, so that none of us perish. For if we have commandments to tear away from idols and denounce the pagans and fulfill them, shouldn’t it be all the more so that the soul that already knows God does not perish? 17, (2) . So, let us strive to lead both ourselves and all the weak to good, so that we may all be saved by converting and admonishing each other. 17, (3) . And may we turn out to be believers and heed the elders who instruct us, not only at the present moment, but also when we return home - let us remember the commandments of the Lord and not allow ourselves to be carried away by worldly lusts, but drawing closer together, we strive to excel in the commandments of the Lord, so that all those who “likewise wise” (Rom. 12:16; 2 Cor. 13:11) may be gathered together for life, 17, (4) . for the Lord said: “I am coming to gather together... nations and languages” (Is. 66:18). He speaks of this about the day of His appearance, when He will come and save each of us according to his works. 17, (5). And the infidels will see His glory (Ibid.) and power and will be amazed when they see the kingdom of peace in Jesus, and will say: “Woe to us, that You were, and we did not know and did not believe and did not listen to the elders who told us about our salvation.” And “their worm will not die, and their fire will not be quenched, and they will all flesh" (Isaiah 66:24: Mark 9:44). 17, (6) . He speaks of that Day of Judgment when they will see the wicked among us and those who have despised the commandments of the Lord. 17, (7) The righteous, who have found happiness, having endured torment and despised worldly pleasures, when they see how those who have sinned and denied Christ in words and deeds are tormented by terrible torments and unquenchable fire, they will give glory to their God, saying: “There is hope for him who has served God with all his heart.” 18, (1) . Let us also be among those who give thanks, those who have served God, and not among the condemned wicked ones. 18, (2) . And I myself, an all-sinner, who has not yet escaped temptation, but still remains among the tools of the devil, am trying to achieve righteousness in order to be able to at least get closer to it, trembling at the future judgment. 19, (1) . Therefore, brothers and sisters, following the true God, I read to you a lesson, so that you heed what is written, in order to save yourself and those who read among you. For as a reward I demand from you whole-hearted repentance, which will give you salvation and life. By doing this, we will set a goal for all young people who want to strive in the piety and goodness of God. 19, (2). And we, the unwise, will not turn away and be indignant when someone begins to admonish us and turn us from unrighteousness to righteousness. For we, when we do something evil, do not know it because of the double-mindedness and unbelief inherent in our hearts, and “we are darkened in our understanding” (Eph. 4:18) with vain lusts. 19, (3). Let us do the truth, so that we may be saved to the end. Blessed are those who obey these instructions: if they have little time and endure in this world, they will reap the immortal fruit of the resurrection. 19, (4) . So, let the pious not grieve if he suffers at the present time; That blissful time awaits him: having finished his life, he will rejoice with his fathers in heaven in a carefree age. 20, (1) . But let not your mind be confused by the fact that we see the unrighteous getting rich, and the servants of God oppressed. 20, (2) . We believe, brothers and sisters, that we endure the temptation of the living God and strive in this life in order to be crowned in the future. 20, (3) . None of the righteous have received quick fruit, but they are waiting for it, 20, (4) . because if God quickly gave a reward to the righteous, then we would immediately be jealous of self-interest, and not of godliness; would seem righteous, seeking not piety, but profit; and therefore the divine judgment hindered (εβλαψε) the unrighteous spirit and burdened it with fetters. invisible (1 Tim. 1:17), to the Father of truth, who sent us the Savior and the Author of incorruption, through whom He showed us the truth and the heavenly life, to Him be glory forever and ever. Amen. “Monuments of ancient Christian writing in Russian translation” (Vol. 2 “Writings of Apostolic Men”, appendix to “Orthodox Review”, M., 1860). "Review of the Epistles of St. Clement, bishop Roman, to the Corinthians”, Issue 1. Review of the First Epistle. St. Petersburg, 1888. – pp. 43–51, 53–56 (Greek text with parallel Russian translation). “The history of primitive Christian preaching (before the 4th century)”, St. Petersburg, 1885, 162–165. Literally from Greek - wandering, living on a foreign side (παριοκωσα). See Polycarp, “Epistle to the Philippians,” 1. This expressed the consciousness of Christians that they are strangers and strangers on earth (1 Peter 2:11), who do not have permanent residence and citizenship rights here, but live in a certain place of this world, as temporarily settled strangers. The writer of the letter to Diognetus (ch. 5.) says that Christians live in their fatherland, but as temporary settlers (παροικοι). See 2nd Clementine Sequence, ch. 5. Others translate: the matters you asked about. But in this case, instead of: (επιδητωμενον παρ υμιν) should stand; ( παρ υμων ). And in this expression there is no basis for the usual assumption expressed by Cotelier, Hefele and others, that the Corinthians turned to the Roman Church and its bishop in their affairs. There is no hint of this or anywhere else in the message; on the contrary, 47 ch. reached the Roman Christians in the same way as the Roman pagans, namely by ear. Of course, from the side of the pagans, who also heard rumors of troubles between the Corinthian Christians, as can be seen from Chapter 47. These words: “whoever visited you... walked in the commandments of God” are cited by Clement of Alexandria. Strom., IV, p. 17. That is, the elders. Since the indignation in Corinth concerned the church order, the word senior (πρεσβυτερος) should mean not generally the senior members of the church, but the rank of church leaders, with which, however, perfect maturity of age was associated in ancient times. See chap. 44 Hefele and Hilgenfeld. The word “leaders” (ηγωεμνοι) can generally be applied to persons of the church hierarchy, no matter what their rank and name. Guillenf. The suffering of Christ, by communicating the properties of His dual nature, is called the suffering of God: this expresses faith in the Divinity of Jesus Christ. Latitude (πλατυσμος) among the Fathers of the Church often means joyful states of the heart. See Hermas "The Shepherd", mandat, 5, 1. 3here, as in other places, Clement cites biblical words according to the text of 70 interpreters, however, not with literal accuracy. Expression: incorrectly divided, according to St. !Irenea (“Haer.”, IV, 34, 3), points to the divided heart of Cain, who made a sacrifice to God with envy and anger at his brother Abel - Nolte (Scheiner. Zeitschr. f. kath. Theol. t.VI) implies the gifts brought here: he divided the sacrifice incorrectly, i.e., he kept the best part for himself. See Hefele. Those. Your gift, which I did not accept, returns to you, and it will again be in your power. Nolte, instead of προς σε reads: προς σου η αποζ ( ? ) ροη αυτου - from you comes the dislike for him (Abel) και συ αεξεις αυτου , and you leave him alone, stop chasing him. About the sevenfold conclusion of the ap. There is no testimony of Paul in the book of the Acts of the Apostles. Probably Clement speaks about this as a contemporary eyewitness, or according to reliable legend. They understand Italy and in particular Rome as the border of the West in relation to the East. This opinion is held by those who reject the second bond of Paul in Rome, for example. Baur Schenkel and Hilgenfeld. Others (Neander Guericke, Gug, etc.) attribute this to Spain, about a trip to which the ap supposedly speaks. Paul in Rom. XV, 24. So we translate in accordance with the opinion of Hilgenfeld. The Danaids, daughters of Danaus, king of Argos, by order of their father, killed their husbands during sleep, and for this they were punished in the underworld or in hell - to forever draw water into a perforated barrel. Dirka, for her anger and persecution against Antiope, the daughter of the Theban king Nyctaeus, suffered punishment from the sons of the latter: she was tied to the horns of a bull and tortured to death thrown into the river. See Reallexibon des classisch. Alterthums, Lubker, 1860. To these women of the pagan world, known in Greek mythology for their crimes, Clement contrasts them with Christian martyrs who innocently suffered at the hands of the pagans. – Cotelier revered Danae and Dirka as Christian martyrs, but such names were not preserved in martyrologies. Jacobson thinks that these words were transferred by a clumsy copyist from the margins into the text itself. These words are not in Holy Scripture. See Ps. 102, 11; Is. 1, 18; Jer. 3, 19, 22. That Noah, before his ascension into the ark, announcing the coming cataclysm to the timely people, called them to repentance and correction of their lives, this idea is expressed by Theophilus of Antioch (Ad Autol., III, 19). Those. God's. Clement of Alexandria, abbreviated these words of Clement of Rome, calls Abraham ιλοι Θεου. See Isa. 41, 8; 2 Par. 20, 7; Jacob 2, 23 Clement's contemporary, Josephus (Antiqu. I, 11, 4) says that he saw this pillar: the church fathers, for example, Irenaeus (Adv. haer., IV, 31), also mention its existence in their time. But according to research by scientists, the inhabitants of that country falsely passed off something as the pillar of Lot’s wife (Frey in Hefele). A mysterious interpretation of the sign by which Rahab was saved is found in Justin (Dial c. Tryph., II, III), Irenaeus (Adv. haer., IV, 20), etc. Of course, here is Rahab’s prediction that the Lord will give Jericho to the Israelites. In this sense, Rahab is also called a prophetess by Origen (Hom 3 in Ios. Nave). These words of the Savior are found in a different form in the text of the evangelists: Matthew 7:1–2 and Luke 6:36–38. According to Jacobson, with whom Gilgenfeld agrees, it should read: εαυτοις or αυτοις, which is often used in the meaning αλληλοι Hefele adheres to the reading: αυτος, referring this to violators of church order. These and the following words before the beginning of ch. The XVI messages are given by Clement of Alexandria (Strom. IV, 5). Out of shame, the sufferer hides or turns away his face. The punishment we humans face. had to undergo in order to be reconciled with the just God, He (the Savior) took upon Himself. Those. His execution and torment ended and thus marked the beginning of His glorification. In the manuscript, according to Jacobson, there is δωτε, and not δωται, as some scholars read. And again He, that is, Christ. These words are not found in the Pentateuch of Moses, and it is unknown where they were taken from. These words from the epistle of Clement and further to the end of the XXII chapter are given, with slight changes, by Clement of Alexandria (Strom. IV, 17). Instead of δια της φωνης, found in the manuscript and in printed editions of Clement of Alexandria, it reads δια της σιγης, which, according to scientists, works better in practice. After general exhortations to repentance, obedience and peace, mainly based on the Old Testament scriptures and on consideration of the will of God for all people, St. Clement turns to the Christian faith and to moral activity, which must correspond to the religion of grace. But since the full manifestation of divine grace will follow in the future and is the subject of aspiration for the Christian, the author of the letter especially dwells on the future resurrection of the dead, with which the fullness of God’s grace and promises will be revealed. These words are not in the Holy Scriptures. Scripture. According to Cotelier and others, they are borrowed from some apocryphal work. But Wotton guesses that this saying was formed by Clement from the words of the apostles James (James 1:8) and Peter (2 Pet. 3, 3–4). This alternation of night and day, as an image of death and resurrection, is beautifully depicted by Tertullian (De resurr. p. 12). The mythological legend about the Phoenix bird, very similar to Clement’s, is found in Herodotus (11, 73). She is mentioned in the book of Job (Job.29:18); According to the translation from Hebrew, Girtzel reads this verse: “I will die with my nest and multiply the days like a phoenix” (Gilgenf). But in the translation of 70 interpreters, after referring to verse 19, which speaks of plants by the water, by phoenix (ζελεχος φοινικος), it is easier to mean a palm tree. – Clement of Rome is the first Christian writer to introduce the phoenix as a symbol of the future resurrection of the dead. He was followed by Tertullian (De resurr., p. 13), who explains the words of Psalm 91:13: the righteous will flourish like a phoenix in relation to the fabulous bird. Lactantius, in his poem about the Phoenix, combines both, deriving the name of the tree from the bird that perched on top of it. Those. one individual, in one copy (μονογενες υπαρχων) About this passage of the book of Job (rather, Job 9:12 - Editorial “The ABCs of Faith”), cited, however, by Clement, rather inaccurately according to the text, 70 interpreters, Blessed. Jerome notes: “no one speaks so openly after (the coming of) Christ about the resurrection as he (Job) did before Christ.” - Orr. T. II, p. 438, ed. Vallars. This is how it is read in all the manuscripts of the text of the 70 interpreters. But in the Hebrew text and in the Vulgate it says: “according to the number of the sons of Israel.” The reading given by Clement, the idea of ​​which is also expressed in Sirach (Sir. 17, 17), is already found in Philo (“De post Caini”, 25; “De plant Noe”, 14). St. Justin (“Dial c. Tryph.”, p. 131) rejects the reading of the Hebrew text as corrupted by the Jews. According to scholars, Clement compiled this from the words of Deut. 4, 34 and Num. 18, 26, and also 2 Chron. 31:14 to express this thought: God has chosen us from among other people into His possession, just as holy firstfruits are taken from the threshing floor to God and become the Holy of Holies. Vocher adds in vain: as if knowing the future, meaning here any consequences or reward for Isaac’s self-sacrifice. It is much easier to attribute this to the readiness and consciousness with which Isaac gave himself up for sacrifice without grumbling or contradiction. Literally: scepters. The word "scepter" is used here in the sense of tribe, as in 1 Kings. 11:31, 35 . The meaning is this: Jacob became the ancestor of the 12 tribes of Israel. Those. from God who created us for good works. These words are quoted almost literally by the apostle. Paul (1 Cor. 2:9), as the words of Scripture. In the Old Testament, a similar saying to this is read in Isaiah (Isaiah 64:3–4). The words: as if by a lion (ως λεων) are not found either in the Hebrew text or in the Greek translation of 70 interpreters. This is what Jesus Christ is called by St. Paul (Heb. 4:15). That is, the heads of the provinces, who also had military power. These words are quoted by Clement of Alexandria (Strom., IV, 17). Here in the manuscript there is a lack of one word, Nolte supplements this with the word: σιγατω be silent. Literally: place (τοπος). This word is used in the sense of a title or dignity associated with the performance of a special service. See below chap. XLI also "Ignatius, Epistle to Polycarp", ch. I; "Epistle to the Smyrnae", ch. VI; Polycarp, Epistle to the Philippians, ch. XI. St. Clement speaks of the higher, spiritual nature of the Christian religion in comparison with Judaism. Under this name, Clement also means the so-called presbyters, who are appointed by them to perform sacred rites and share with them the work of shepherding the flock of Christ. Below Clement speaks of the same pastors of the church, calling them elders. However, Clement changes the reading of 70 interpreters to accommodate his thought, calling deacons instead of princes (αρχοντας). Explaining this event from Numbers 17, Clement adds some details that were silent in St. Scriptures, but probably borrowed from Jewish tradition. Literally: about the bishop's name (επι του ονοματος); this word also means rank, dignity. That is, bishops (in the broadest sense) and deacons. It is remarkable that Clement speaks about the apostles in general and calls them ours, without showing any particular authority to the apostle. Peter and any advantage of the church. Επινομη, according to Hilgenfeld, means here an addition to the law: i.e. The apostles, in addition to appointing the first of their converts to be bishops and deacons, made a further order so that after the death of the persons they appointed, their office would again be bequeathed to other worthy ones. In the next sentence; “so that when they rest” the subject refers not to the apostles, but to their successors. For example, Titus, Timothy and other associates of the apostles, who were given the right to supply bishops, presbyters and deacons. The participation of the people in the installation (καταςασις) of bishops and other sacred persons, which actually belonged to the apostles and their successors, is expressed here by approval (συνευδοκησις). On this see !Cyprian Epist. 55 and 68 and in Origen Hom. in Lev (Vol. II. 216. ed. Bene d.). Cyprian says: “let the priest be chosen in the presence of the people in the sight of everyone, and the worthy and capable one must be approved by public opinion and testimony, so that in the presence of the people either the crimes of bad people or the merits of good people will be revealed.” (Epist. 63). That is, the Eucharist. See Ignatius, to the Smyrnans, ch. VII; "Apostolic Constitutions", VIII, 12. These words are not in Holy Scripture. Wed. Clement of Alexandria, Strom., V, 8. Here Clement combined several passages from the Gospel into one, namely Matt. 18:6, 26:24; OK. 17, 2; Mk. 9, 12. First last to the Corinthians. Those. not Christians. Wed. Rome. 2, 24; 1 Tim. 6:1; Ignatius, to Thrall. In this remarkable and at the same time difficult passage, Hilgenfeld refers to the words “before the saints” to the church itself, but such an interpretation here represents the incongruity that it, the church, is called by Clement to prayerfully intercede for the forgiveness of those who have sinned before God and the saints, i.e. church... The Protestant publisher of the works of the apostolic men, Dressel (pp. 101–130 in notes), disagreeing with Hilgenfeld, recognizes that it is best to understand here the calling of the saints glorified by God for the courageous confession of His name (see 45 to judge the world (1 Cor. 6, 2; Apoc. 20:4), then it is natural for Christians to call upon the saints in their prayers so that they averted or eased punishment for people who fell into sin. That is I reject the joys prepared for me by sinners. By elders we mean here the primates of the church in general, without distinguishing degrees, as is often found in the book “Erm” “Shepherd”. In the manuscript, according to Junius, one sheet is missing. Scientists make assumptions about the content of what is missing. Based on evidence in the essay included in the publication of the works of St. !Justina torment. (Quaestiones, et responsiones ad orthodoxos, 74; see Irenaeus. Adv. haer., 3, 3, 3), Clement gave the Corinthians the testimony of the Sibyl about the fiery punishment of the wicked. Such a mention of the Sibyl is appropriate in the message of Clement, who (chapter 6 Hefele thinks that the words of Clement cited by Basil the Great (“On the Holy Spirit”, ch. 29): “as God and the Lord Jesus Christ and the Holy Spirit live,” refer to the same place in the letter. Dropped into Hierus. hands and 70, available in Latin, Syriac. translations and from Clement of Alexandria Proverbs 1, 32–33 (hereinafter quotes from text 70). Wed. Open 6, 11; Post. Apostle VIII. 22, 3. Acts 26, 18; 2 Peter 2, 9. Wed. Is. 42, 16. Wed. Post. Apostle VIII, 11, 2. Wed. Job 5, 11; Is. 10, 33; Ezek. 17, 24; 21, 31. Deut. 32, 39. Wed. 1 Sam. 2, 6; 2 Kings 5, 7. Wed. Am. 4, 13; Job 10, 12. Ps. 118, 114; Judith. 9, 11. Wed. “Apostolic Constitutions”, VIII, 10:14–15, 12 and litanies of the liturgy of St. Brand. Omitted in Latin, sire. and Copt. translations. Wed. 1 Kings 8, 60; 2 Kings 19, 19; Is. 37, 20; Ezek. 36, 23; In. 17, 4. Wed. Prem. 7, 17; "Apostolic Constitutions", VIII, 22, 3. “useful” Lat., Sir., Copt. translations. Joel. 4, 13; Sire. 2.11. Wed. Charter, IV, 21 (p. 39); In. 17, 17. In Jerus. hands absent. Deut. 6:18, 12:25, 28, 13:19, 21:9. Number 6, 25; Ps. 30:17, 66etc. Wed. Is. 51, 10; Prem. 5, 16, etc. Comrade 13, 7, 11; 1 Tim. 1, 17. “with us” – Hebraism, instead of “to us”, going back to the translation of the 70s, cf. 2 Sam. 2, 6; Ps. 118, 65, etc. Further see the translation by P. Preobrazhensky. Περιουσιος special, chosen. See Titus. 2, 14. Monuments of ancient Christian writing in Russian translation: T. 1–7: Appendix to the Orthodox Review. – Moscow: Type. Katkova and Co., 1860–1866. / Vol. 2: Writings of the Apostolic Men. – 1860. – 452 p. This is how Clement's letter ends in the Alexandrian manuscript. Like the Jews, who dreamed of the kingdom of the Messiah on earth, a sensual kingdom. Those. about Jesus Christ (περι αυτου). Some think that the author here had in mind the Ebionites, who revered Christ as a simple man: But his words about Christ the Savior are so general that they do not provide grounds for such an opinion; on the contrary, they go very much towards the author’s goal - to arouse to the true confession of Christ and contempt of the world. See Rome. 4, 17; Os. 2, 23; Rom.9, 25. Those. to the pagans. From the words of the author of this letter (chapter I II from the Gentiles. Those. New Testament. Matt. 9, 13; OK. 5, 32. These words are not in St. Scripture. Such a conversation between Christ and Peter is not mentioned in Holy Scripture. Cotelier and others read: αγων (feat), instead of: αιων (century), as it appears in the manuscript. Dressel does not find it necessary to deviate from the last reading, imagining that the expression: εν χερσιν ειναι means: to fight, to be in battle. Here we are talking about crowning not in the general sense of a future reward, but in a particular sense, namely, about the crown of martyrdom, which, of course, not /all/ struggling Christians can achieve. A similar thing is read in Luke. 16, 10–11. At St. Irenaeus (“Ha_er.”, II) also quotes the words: “if you have not been faithful in small things, who will give you great things?”, which are not in the Holy Scriptures. Scripture. Handwritten stands εις /one/ Christ, but Frey, Schänemann, Hefele Dressel and others read: ως, in accordance with the second part of the period, beginning ουτως και ... By spirit here we mean the pure spirituality of the Divine nature in Christ. See 1 Peter. 1, 11., Hermas Past., book. III. Simil. V, 5. Theophila Ad Autolyc. II, 14. These words are not in the Holy Scriptures. Scripture. According to Cotelier and others, they are borrowed from some apocryphal work. But Wotton guesses that this saying was formed by Clement from the words of the apostles James (James 1:8) and Peter (2 Pet. 3, 3–4). These words are also given in the 1st last. Clement to Cor. Ch. 23. These words are quoted almost literally by the apostle. Paul (1 Cor. 2:9), as the words of Scripture. In the Old Testament, a similar saying to this is read in Isaiah (Is. 64:3,4). Mentioned in the first last. Klim. to Cor. These words are borrowed not from the canonical books of the Gospel, but from the apocryphal Gospel of the Egyptians, as Clement of Alexandria testifies (Strom., III, 13). The above question to the Savior is attributed to Solomiya. Here ends the text of this message, which has survived in the Alexandrian manuscript. The missing explanation of the last point can be supplemented from Clement Alexander. Strom. III, p. 9 Translation by N.I. Barsova, re-verified and significantly corrected according to the edition: συγγραφεων, Μερος Α, 1955, σ. 44–47.