Ante-Nicene Fathers/Volume V/Cyprian/The Treatises of Cyprian/Three Books of Testimonies Against the Jews/Book III/Part 19

by Cyprian

19. That we are not to obey our own will, but the will of God.

In the Gospel according to John: “I came not down from heaven to do mine own will, but the will of Him that sent me.”^[1] Of this same matter, according to Matthew: “Father, if it be possible, let this cup pass from me; nevertheless, not what I will, but what Thou wilt.”^[2] Also in the daily prayer:  “Thy will be done, as in heaven, so in earth.”^[3] Also according to Matthew: “Not every one who saith unto me, Lord, Lord, shall enter into the kingdom of heaven; but he who doeth the will of my Father which is in heaven, he shall enter into the kingdom of heaven.”^[4] Also according to Luke:  “But that servant which knoweth his Lord’s will, and obeyed not His will, shall be beaten with many stripes.”^[5] In the Epistle of John: “But he that doeth the will of God abideth for ever, even as He Himself also abideth for ever.”^[6]

Footnotes

1. John vi. 38.
2. Matt. xxvi. 39.
3. Matt. vi. 10.
4. Matt. vii. 21.
5. Luke xii. 47.
6. 1 John ii. 17.