stand many things, because the Lord hath accompanied me in the way of righteousness. I am also on this account bound[1] by the strictest obligation to love you above my own soul, because great are the faith and love dwelling in you, while you hope for the life which He has promised.[2] Considering this, therefore, that if I should take the trouble to communicate to you some portion of what I have myself received, it will prove to me a sufficient reward that I minister to such spirits, I have hastened briefly to write unto you, in order that, along with your faith, ye might have perfect knowledge. The doctrines of the Lord, then, are three:[3] the hope of life, the beginning and the completion of it. For the Lord hath made known to us by the prophets both the things which are past and present, giving us also the first-fruits of the knowledge[4] of things to come, which things as we see accomplished, one by one, we ought with the greater richness of faith[5] and elevation of spirit to draw near to Him with reverence.[6] I then, not as your teacher, but as one of yourselves, will set forth a few things by which in present circumstances ye may be rendered the more joyful.
Chap. ii.—The Jewish sacrifices are now abolished.
Since, therefore, the days are evil, and Satan[7] possesses the power of this world, we ought to give heed to ourselves,
- ↑ The Latin text is here quite different, and seems evidently corrupt. We have followed the Cod. Sin., as does Hilgenfeld.
- ↑ Literally, "in the hope of His life."
- ↑ The Greek is here totally unintelligible: it seems impossible either to punctuate or construe it. We may attempt to represent it as follows: "The doctrines of the Lord, then, are three: Life, Faith, and Hope, our beginning and end; and Righteousness, the beginning and the end of judgment; Love and Joy and the Testimony of gladness for works of righteousness." We have followed the ancient Latin text, which Hilgenfeld also adopts, though Weitzäcker and others prefer the Greek.
- ↑ Instead of "knowledge" (γνώσεως). Cod. Sin. has "taste" (γεύσεως).
- ↑ Literally, "we ought more richly and loftily to approach His fear."
- ↑ Instead of "to Him with fear," the reading of Cod. Sin., the Latin has, "to His altar," which Hilgenfeld adopts.
- ↑ The Latin text is literally, "the adversary;" the Greek has, "and
