Moral Rules 1 part 7/7

That the widow who has been well approved in the achievements spoken of by the Apostle, and has attained to the order of widows indeed, must persevere in supplications and prayers with fastings, night and day.

And there was Anna, a prophetess, the daughter of Phanuel, of the tribe of Asher;

she was advanced in many days, having lived with a husband seven years from her virginity.

And she was a widow of about eighty-four years, who did not depart from the temple, serving with fastings and supplications night and day.

But she who is a widow indeed, and left alone, has set her hope on God, and continues in supplications and prayers night and day;

but she who lives in self-indulgence is dead while she lives.

That servants must obey their masters according to the flesh, unto the glory of God, with all good will;

in whatever things the commandment of God is not thereby broken.

Servants, obey your masters according to the flesh, with fear and trembling, in singleness of your heart, as to Christ;

not with eyeservice, as men-pleasers, but as servants of Christ, doing the will of God from the soul, serving with good will, as to the Lord, and not to men;

knowing that whatever good thing each one does, this he will receive back from the Lord, whether he be slave or free.

Let as many as are servants under the yoke count their own masters worthy of all honor, that the name of God and the teaching may not be blasphemed.

And those who have believing masters, let them not despise them, because they are brothers, but rather let them serve them, because they are faithful and beloved, who partake of the benefit.

That they may adorn the teaching of our Savior God in all things.

That masters, mindful of the true Lord, must, according to their ability, do for their servants the very things they enjoy receiving from them, in the fear of God and with fairness toward them, in imitation of the Lord.

Jesus, knowing that the Father had given all things into his hands, and that he had come from God, and was going to God, rises from supper, and lays aside his garments, and taking a towel, girded himself.

Then he pours water into a basin, and began to wash the disciples' feet, and to wipe them with the towel with which he was girded.

You call me Teacher, and Lord, and you say well;

If then I, the Lord and the Teacher, have washed your feet, you also ought to wash one another's feet.

For I have given you an example, that, as I have done to you, you also should do.

Masters, do the same things to them, giving up threatening;

knowing that their Master and yours is in heaven, and there is no partiality with him.

That children must honor their parents, and obey them in all things in which the commandment of God is not thereby hindered.

And his mother said to him:

Child, why have you done this to us? Behold, your father and I have been anxiously searching for you.

And he went down with them, and came to Nazareth, and was subject to them.

Children, obey your parents in the Lord.

Honor your father and mother — which is the first commandment with a promise — that it may be well with you, and you may live long upon the earth.

That parents must rear their children in the discipline and admonition of the Lord, with gentleness and patience, giving them, so far as it lies with them, no occasion for anger and grief.

And you fathers, do not provoke your children to anger, but bring them up in the discipline and admonition of the Lord.

Fathers, do not provoke your children, lest they become discouraged.

That virgins must be released from every care of the present age, so as to be able, without distraction, to give thanks to God both in mind and body, in hope of the kingdom of heaven.

There are eunuchs who have made themselves eunuchs for the sake of the kingdom of heaven.

He who is able to receive this, let him receive it.

But I want you to be free from anxieties.

He who is unmarried is anxious about the things of the Lord, how he may please the Lord;

but he who has married is anxious about the things of the world, how he may please his wife.

The wife and the virgin are divided.

The unmarried woman is anxious about the things of the Lord, that she may be holy both in body and in spirit;

but she who has married is anxious about the things of the world, how she may please her husband.

Now this I say for your own benefit;

not that I may cast a snare upon you, but to promote what is seemly, and that you may attend upon the Lord without distraction.

That it is not lawful for soldiers to extort money by violence, or to accuse falsely.

Soldiers also asked him, saying:

'And we, what shall we do?' And he said to them:

'Extort from no one by violence, nor accuse anyone falsely;

and be content with your wages.'

That rulers must be avengers of the righteous ordinances of God.

For rulers are not a terror to good works, but to evil.

Do you wish, then, not to fear the authority? Do what is good;

for he is God's servant to you for good.

But if you do evil, be afraid;

for he does not bear the sword in vain;

for he is God's servant, an avenger to execute wrath upon him who does evil.

That one must be subject to the authorities set over us, in whatever the commandment of God is not thereby hindered.

Let every soul be subject to the governing authorities.

For there is no authority except from God;

and those that exist have been ordained by God.

So then, he who resists the authority has resisted the ordinance of God;

and those who resist will bring judgment upon themselves.

For rulers are not a terror to good works, but to evil, and so forth.

One must obey God rather than men.

Remind them to be subject to rulers and authorities, to obey, to be ready for every good work.

What manner of persons this discourse would have Christians be: as disciples of Christ, formed with reference only to what they see in him or hear from him.

Take my yoke upon you, and learn from me.

You call me Teacher, and Lord;

If I then, the Lord and the Teacher, have washed your feet, you also ought to wash one another's feet.

For I have given you an example, that just as I have done to you, you also should do.

As sheep of Christ, hearing the voice of their own shepherd alone, and following him.

My sheep hear my voice, and I know them, and they follow me;

but a stranger they will not follow, but will flee from him, because they do not know the voice of strangers.

As branches of Christ, rooted in him, and bearing fruit in him, and doing and possessing everything whatsoever proper to him and worthy of him.

I am the vine, you are the branches.

As members of Christ, perfected in every working of the commandments of the Lord, or of the gifts of the Holy Spirit, worthily of the head, which is Christ.

Do you not know that your bodies are members of Christ? [To the Ephesians]

but speaking the truth in love, let us grow up in every way into him who is the head, Christ;

from whom the whole body, joined and knit together through every joint of supply, according to the working by measure of each individual part, makes the increase of the body for the building up of itself in love.

As the bride of Christ, guarding her chastity, in that she conforms only to the will of the bridegroom.

He who has the bride is the bridegroom;

For I betrothed you to one husband, to present you as a pure virgin to Christ.

As holy temples of God, pure, and filled only with the things pertaining to the worship of God.

If anyone loves me, he will keep my word, and my Father will love him,

and we will come to him, and make our abode with him.

For you are the temple of the living God;

for the Scripture says, 'I will dwell in them, and walk among them, and I will be their God.'

As an unblemished and unmarred sacrifice of God, preserving soundness in every member and part of godliness.

I appeal to you therefore, brothers, by the mercies of God, to present your bodies a living sacrifice, holy, acceptable to God, which is your reasonable service.

As children of God, formed according to the image of God, according to the measure granted to men.

Little children, yet a little while I am with you.

My little children, for whom I am again in travail until Christ be formed in you,

As light in the world, so that they themselves are unreceptive of wickedness, and enlighten those who draw near to them unto the knowledge of the truth, so that they may become what they ought, or else be exposed for what they are.

You are the light of the world.

among whom you shine as lights in the world

As salt in the earth, so that those who share with them may be renewed in spirit unto incorruption.

You are the salt of the earth.

As holding forth the word of life, confirming by their deadness to the things that are present the hope of the life that truly is.

among whom you shine as lights in the world, holding forth the word of life, so that I may have cause to boast in the day of Christ

What sort of men the word wishes those entrusted with the preaching of the Gospel to be:

and, as servants of Christ and faithful stewards of the mysteries of God, fulfilling in deed and word, without omission, only what has been appointed by the Lord.

Behold, I send you out as sheep in the midst of wolves.

Go therefore and make disciples of all nations.

Let a man so account of us, as servants of Christ, and stewards of the mysteries of God.

Moreover it is required in stewards, that a man be found faithful.

As heralds of the kingdom of heaven, for the destruction of him who has the power of death in sin.

And as you go, preach, saying:

The kingdom of heaven is at hand.

Preach the word of God.

As a pattern or rule of piety, for the correction and uprightness in all things of those who follow the Lord, and for the reproof of the perversity of those who in any manner whatsoever are disobedient.

Forgetting the things that are behind, and reaching forth to the things that are before, I press on toward the goal, for the prize of the high calling of God in Christ Jesus.

Let us therefore, as many as are perfect, be thus minded.

And if in anything you are otherwise minded, God will reveal even this to you.

Nevertheless, to that which we have already attained, let us walk by the same rule, let us mind the same thing.

Be an example to the believers, in word, in conduct, in love, in faith, in purity.

Be diligent to present yourself approved to God,

a workman that has no need to be ashamed, rightly dividing the word of truth.

As an eye in the body, discerning what is good and what is base, and directing the members of Christ toward the matters incumbent upon each.

The lamp of the body is the eye.

If therefore your eye is sound, your whole body will be full of light.

As shepherds of the sheep of Christ, not refusing, when the time requires, even to lay down their life for them, for the sake of imparting to them the Gospel of God.

The good shepherd lays down his life for the sheep.

Take heed therefore to yourselves, and to all the flock, in which the Holy Spirit has made you overseers, to shepherd the Church of God.

As physicians, healing with much compassion, according to the knowledge that comes from the Lord's teaching, the passions of souls, for the securing of health in Christ and its continuance.

Those who are strong have no need of a physician, but those who are sick.

We then who are strong ought to bear the infirmities of the weak.

As fathers and nurses of their own children, being well pleased, in the great affection of love in Christ, to impart to them not only the Gospel of God, but also their own lives.

Little children, yet a little while I am with you.

For in Christ Jesus I have begotten you through the Gospel.

As a nurse cherishes her own children, so, being affectionately desirous of you, we were well pleased to impart to you not only the Gospel of God, but also our own lives, because you had become dear to us.

As fellow-workers of God, having given themselves wholly, for the sake of the Church, to the works alone that are worthy of God,

You are God's field, God's building.

leaving nothing of the vine, which is Christ, unfruitful;

but improving, through all diligence, what belongs to it and bears fruit.

I am the true vine, and my Father is the husbandman.

Every branch in me that bears not fruit, he takes away; and every branch that bears fruit, he prunes, that it may bring forth more fruit.

I planted, Apollos watered.

As builders of the temple of God, perfecting the soul of each one, so that it may be jointly fitted together with the foundation of the apostles and prophets.

According to the grace of God given to me, as a wise master builder, I have laid the foundation;

but let each one take heed how he builds upon it.

For no other foundation can anyone lay than that which is laid, which is Jesus Christ.

Now therefore you are no longer strangers and sojourners, but fellow citizens with the saints, and members of the household of God, having been built upon the foundation of the apostles and prophets, Jesus Christ himself being the chief cornerstone, in whom the whole building, being fitted together, grows into a holy temple in the Lord, in whom you also are being built together for a dwelling place of God in the Spirit.

What is proper to a Christian? Faith working through love.

What is proper to faith? An undoubting assurance of the truth of the God-inspired words, shaken by no reasoning, whether such reasoning is introduced by natural necessity, or is fashioned for the sake of piety.

What is proper to the believer? To be disposed, in such assurance, in accordance with the force of what has been said, and to dare neither to set aside anything nor to add further ordinances.

For if everything that is not of faith is sin, as the Apostle says, and faith comes by hearing, and hearing by the word of God—

everything outside the God-inspired Scripture, since it is not of faith, is sin.

What is proper to love toward God? To keep his commandments with a view to his glory.

What is proper to love toward one's neighbor? Not to seek one's own things, but the things of the one loved, for the benefit of both soul and body.

What is proper to a Christian? To be born again through baptism of water and Spirit.

What is proper to the one born of water? That, just as Christ died to sin once for all, so he too should be dead and unmoved toward all sin, according to what is written: As many of us as were baptized into Christ Jesus were baptized into his death.

We were buried therefore with him through baptism into death, knowing this, that our old man was crucified with him, that the body of sin might be destroyed, so that we should no longer be enslaved to sin.

What is proper to the one born of the Spirit? To become, according to the measure given, that from which he was born, as it is written: That which is born of the flesh is flesh;

and that which is born of the Spirit is spirit.

What is proper to the one born again? To put off the old man with his deeds and his lusts, and to put on the new man, who is being renewed in knowledge after the image of him who created him, according to what is said: As many of you as were baptized into Christ have put on Christ.

What is proper to a Christian? To be cleansed from every defilement of flesh and spirit in the blood of Christ, and to perfect holiness in the fear of God and the love of Christ; and to have no spot or wrinkle, or any such thing, but to be holy and without blemish, and so to eat the body of Christ and drink his blood.

For he who eats and drinks unworthily eats and drinks judgment to himself.

What is proper to those who eat the bread and drink the cup of the Lord? To keep continual remembrance of him who died and was raised for us.

What is proper to those who keep such remembrance? To live no longer for themselves, but for him who died and was raised for them.

What is proper to a Christian? That his righteousness should exceed, in everything, that of the scribes and Pharisees, according to the measure of the teaching that accords with the Lord's Gospel.

Of a Christian? To love one another, just as Christ also loved us.

What is proper to a Christian? To set the Lord always before him.

What is proper to a Christian? To watch every day and hour, and to be ready in the perfection of pleasing God, knowing that the Lord comes at an hour when he is not expected.