![[St. Pachomius Library]](title.gif)
CHAPTER 1
That we ought to value our salvation; and to show that we do, by a sincere
obedience.
1. Brethren, we ought so to think of Jesus Christ as of God as of the
judge
of the living and
the dead; nor should we think any less of our salvation.
2. For if we think little things of him, we shall hope
only
to receive some small things from
him.
3. And if we do so, we shall sin; not considering from where we have been
called, and by
whom, and to what place; and how much Jesus Christ condescended to suffer
for our
sakes.
4. What recompense then shall we render unto him? Or what fruit that may
be
worthy of
what he has given to us?
5. For indeed, how great are those advantages which we owe to him in
relation to our
holiness? He has illuminated us; as a father, he has called us his
children;
he has saved us
who were lost and undone.
6. What praise shall we give to him? Or what reward that may be answerable
to those
things which we have received?
7. We were defective in our understandings, worshipping stones and wood,
gold, and silver,
and brass, the works of men's hands; and our whole life was nothing else
but
death.
8. But being surrounded by darkness, and having such a mist before our
eyes,
we have
looked up, and through his will have laid aside the cloud with which we
were
surrounded.
9. For he had compassion upon us, and being moved in his affection towards
us, he saved
us, having beheld in us much error and destruction, and seen that we had
no
hope of
salvation, but only through him.
10. For he called us who were not, and was pleased from nothing to give us
being.
CHAPTER 2
1. Rejoice, you barren that bear not, break forth and cry you that travail
not; for she that
is desolate has many more children than she that has an husband. [Isa.
54:1]
2. In that he said, Rejoice you barren that bear not, he spoke of us: for
our church was
barren before children were given to it.
3. And again; when he said, Cry you that travail not; he implied thus
much:
That after the
manner of women in travail, we should not cease to put up our prayers to
God
abundantly.
4. And for what follows, because she that is desolate has more children
than
she that has
an husband: it was therefore added, because our people which seem to have
been forsaken
by God, now believing in him, are become more than they who seemed to have
God.
5. And another Scripture saith, I came not to call the righteous but
sinners. The meaning of
which is this: that those who were lost must be saved. [Matt. 9:13]
6. For that is, indeed, truly great and wonderful, not to confirm those
things that are yet
standing, but those which are falling.
7. Even so did it seem good to Christ to save what was lost; and when he
came into the
world, he saved many, and called us who were already lost.
8. Seeing then he has showed so great mercy towards us; and chiefly for
that, we who are
alive, do now no longer sacrifice to dead gods, nor pay any worship to
them,
but have by
him been brought to the knowledge of the Father of truth.
9. Whereby shall we show that we do indeed know him, but by not denying
him
by whom we
have come to the knowledge of him?
10. For even he himself saith, Whosoever shall confess me before men, him
will I confess
before my Father [Matt. 10:32, 33]. This therefore is our reward if we
shall
confess him by whom we have
been saved.
11. But, wherein must we confess him? Namely, in doing those things which
he
says, and
not disobeying his commandments: by worshipping him not with our lips
only,
but with all
our heart, and with all our mind. For he says in Isaiah: This people
honors
me with their
lips, but their heart is far from me. [Isa. 29:13]
12. Let us then not only call him Lord; for that will not save us. For he
says: Not every one
that says to me Lord, Lord, shall be saved, but he that does
righteousness.
[Matt. 7:21]
13. Wherefore, brethren, let us confess him by our works; by loving one
another; in not
committing adultery, not speaking evil against each other, not envying one
another; but by
being temperate, merciful, good.
14. Let us also have a mutual sense of one another's sufferings; and not
be
covetous of
money: but let us by our good works confess God, and not by those that are
otherwise.
15. Also let us not fear men, but rather God. Wherefore, if we should do
such wicked
things, the Lord has said: Though you should be joined to me, even in my
very bosom, and
not keep my commandments, I would cast you off, and say to you: Depart
from
me; I know
not where you are, you workers of iniquity. [Matt. 7:23; Luke 13:26,
27] CHAPTER 3
1. Wherefore, brethren, leaving willingly for conscience sake our
sojourning
in this world,
let us do the will of him who has called us, and not fear to depart out of
this world.
2. For the Lord saith, You shall be as sheep in the midst of wolves
[Matthew
10:16]. Peter answered and
said, What if the wolves shall tear in pieces the sheep? Jesus said to
Peter, Let not the
sheep fear the wolves after death: also fear not those that kill you, and
after that have no
more that they can do to you; but fear him who after you are dead, has
power
to cast both
soul and body into hell-fire. [Luke 12:4, 5]
3. For consider, brethren, that the sojourning of this flesh in the
present
world is but little,
and of a short continuance, but the promise of Christ is great and
wonderful, even the rest
of the kingdom that is to come, and of eternal life.
4. What then must we do that we may attain to it? We must order our
conversation holily
and righteously, and look upon all the things of this world as none of
ours,
and not desire
them. For, if we desire to possess them we fall from the way of
righteousness.
5. For thus says the Lord, No servant can serve two masters. If therefore
we
shall desire
to serve God and Mammon it will be without profit to us [Luke 16:13]. For
what will it profit, if one gain
the whole world, and lose his own soul? [Matthew 16:26]
6. Now this world and that to come are two enemies. This speak of adultery
and
corruption, of covetousness and deceit; but renounces these things.
7. We cannot, therefore, be the friends of both; but we must resolve by
forsaking the one,
to enjoy the other. And we think it is better to hate the present things,
as
little, short-
lived, and corruptible, and to love those which are to come, which are
truly
good and
incorruptible.
8. For, if we do the will of Christ, we shall find rest: but if not,
nothing
shall deliver us from
eternal punishment if we shall disobey his commands. For even thus says
the
Scripture in
the prophet Ezekiel, If Noah, Job, and Daniel should rise up, they shall
not
deliver their
children in captivity. [Ezekiel 14:14, 20]
9. Wherefore, if such righteous men are not able by their righteousness to
deliver their
children; how can we hope to enter into the kingdom of God, except we keep
our baptism
holy and undefiled? Or who shall be our advocate, unless we shall be found
to have done
what is holy and just?
10. Let us therefore, my brethren, contend with all earnestness, knowing
that our combat
is at hand; and that many go long voyages to encounter for a corruptible
reward.
11. And yet all are not crowned, but they only that labor much, and strive
gloriously. Let
us, therefore, so contend that we may all be crowned. Let us run in the
straight road, the
race that is incorruptible: and let us in great numbers pass into it, and
strive that we may
receive the crown. But and if we cannot all be crowned, let us come as
near
to it as we are
able.
12. Moreover, we must consider, that he who contends in a corruptible
combat, if he be
found doing anything that is not fair, is taken away and scourged, and
cast
out of the lists.
What think ye then that he shall suffer, who does anything that is not
fitting in the combat
of immortality?
13. Thus speaks the prophet concerning those who keep not their seal;
Their
worm shall
not die, and their fire shall not be quenched; and they shall be for a
spectacle to all flesh. [Isaiah 66:24]
14. Let us therefore repent, while we are yet upon the earth: for we are
as
clay in the hand
of the artificer. For as the potter, if he make a vessel, and it be turned
amiss in his hands,
or broken, again forms it anew; but if he has gone so far as to throw it
into the furnace of
fire, he cannot more bring any remedy to it.
15. So we, while we are in this world, should repent with our whole heart
for whatsoever
evil we have done in the flesh; while we have yet the time of repentance,
that we may be
saved by the Lord.
16. For after we shall have departed out of this world, we shall no longer
be able to confess
our sins or repent in the other.
17. Wherefore, brethren, let us be doing the will of the Father, and
keeping
our flesh pure,
and observing the commandments of the Lord, lay hold on eternal life: for
the Lord saith in
the gospel, If ye have not kept that which was little, who will give you
that which is great?
For I say to you, he that is faithful in that which is least, is faithful
also in much. [Luke 16:10]
18. This, therefore, is what he is saying: keep your bodies pure, and your
seal without
spot, that you may receive eternal life.
CHAPTER 4
1. And let not any one among you say, that this very flesh is not judged,
neither raised up.
Consider, in what were you saved; in what did you look up, if not while
you
were in this
flesh.
2. We must, therefore, keep our flesh as the temple of God. For in like
manner as ye were
called in the flesh, ye shall also come to judgment in the flesh. Our one
Lord Jesus Christ,
who has saved us, being first a spirit, was made flesh, and so called us;
even so we also
shall in this flesh receive the reward.
3. Let us, therefore, love one another, that we may attain to the kingdom
of
God. While we
have time to be healed, let us deliver up ourselves to God our physician,
giving our reward
to him.
4. And what reward shall we give? Repentance out of a pure heart. For he
knows all things
beforehand, and searches out our very hearts.
5. Let us, therefore, give praise to him, not only with our mouths, but
with
all our souls so
he may receive us as children. For so the Lord has said: They are my
brethren, who do the
will of my Father. [Matthew 12:50]
6. Wherefore, my brethren, let us do the
will of the Father, who has called us that we may live. Let us pursue
virtue
and forsake
wickedness, which leads us into sins; and let us flee all ungodliness, so
that evils overtake
us not.
7. For if we shall do our diligence to live well, peace will follow us.
And
yet how hard is it to
find a man that does this? For almost all are led by human fears, choosing
rather the
present enjoyments than the future promise.
8. For they know not how great a torment the present enjoyments bring with
them, nor
what delights the future promise.
9. And if only they themselves did this, it might the more easily be
endured; but now they
go on to infect innocent souls with their evil doctrines, not knowing that
both themselves
and those that hear them will receive a double condemnation.
10. Let us, therefore, serve God with a
pure heart, and we shall be righteous; but if we shall not serve him
because
we do not
believe the promise of God, we shall be miserable.
11. For thus says the prophet: Miserable are the double-minded who doubt
in
their heart
and say, These things we have heard even in the time of our fathers, but
we
have seen
none of them, though we have expected them from day to day.
12. O ye fools! Compare yourselves to a tree; take the vine for an
example.
First it sheds
its leaves, then it buds, then come the sour grapes, then the ripe fruit;
even so my people
have borne disorders and afflictions, but will hereafter receive good
things.
13. Therefore my brethren, let us not doubt in our minds, but let us
expect
with hope, that
we may receive our reward; for he is faithful, who has promised that he
will
render to
every one a reward according to his works.
14. If, therefore, we shall do what is just in the sight of God, we shall
enter into his
kingdom and shall receive the promises: Which neither eye has seen, nor
ear
heard, nor
have entered into the heart of man. [Isaiah 64:4; 1 Corinthians 2:9]
15. So let us every hour expect the
kingdom of God in love and righteousness, because we know not the day of
God's
appearing. CHAPTER 5 (A fragment)
1. For the Lord himself, being asked by a certain person when his kingdom
should come,
answered, When two will be one, and that which is without as that which is
within, and the
male with the female is neither male nor female.
2. Now two are one, when we speak the truth to each other, and there is,
without
hypocrisy, one soul in two bodies:
3. And by that which is without as that which is within, he means this: he
calls the soul that
which is within, and the body that which is without. As therefore your
body
appears, so let
your soul be seen by its good works.
4. And by the male with the female is neither male nor female, he means
this: he calls our
anger the male and our concupiscence the female.
1. That God had before prophesied by Isaiah that the Gentiles should be
saved. 8. That this
ought to engage them especially to live well, without which they will
still
miscarry.
1. That while we secure the other world, we need not fear what can befall
us
in this. 5. That if
we follow the interests of this present world, we cannot escape the
punishment of the other.
10. Which ought to bring us to repentance and holiness, 14. and that
quickly: because in this
world is the only time for repentance.
1. We shall rise, and be judged in our bodies; therefore we must live well
in them, 6. that we
ought, for own interest, to live well; though few seem to mind what really
is for their
advantage, 10. and not deceive ourselves: seeing God will certainly judge
us, and render to
all of us according to our works.
Of the Lord's kingdom.