Chapter XII.—Ye are superior to me.

May I enjoy you in all respects, if indeed I be worthy! For though I am bound, I am not worthy to be compared to any of you that are at liberty. I know that ye are not puffed up, for ye have Jesus Christ in yourselves. And all the more when I commend you, I know that ye cherish modesty80    Literally, “are reverent.” of spirit; as it is written, “The righteous man is his own accuser.”81    Prov. xviii. 17. (LXX).

May I enjoy you in all respects, if indeed I be worthy! For though I am bound, I am not worthy to be compared to one of you that are at liberty. I know that ye are not puffed up, for ye have Jesus in yourselves. And all the more when I commend you, I know that ye cherish modesty82    Literally, “are reverent.” of spirit; as it is written, “The righteous man is his own accuser;”83    Prov. xviii. 17. (LXX). and again, “Declare thou first thine iniquities, that thou mayest be justified;”84    Isa. xliii. 26. and again, “When ye shall have done all things that are commanded you, say, We are unprofitable servants;”85    Luke xvii. 10. “for that which is highly esteemed among men is abomination in the sight of God.”86    Luke xvi. 15. For says [the Scripture], “God be merciful to me a sinner.”87    Luke xviii. 13. Therefore those great ones, Abraham and Job,88    Some read, “Jacob.” styled themselves “dust and ashes” 89    Gen. xviii. 27; Job xxx. 19. before God. And David says, “Who am I before Thee, O Lord, that Thou hast glorified me hitherto?”90    1 Chron. xvii. 16. And Moses, who was “the meekest of all men,”91    Num. xii. 3. saith to God, “I am of a feeble voice, and of a slow tongue.”92    Ex. iv. 10. Be ye therefore also of a humble spirit, that ye may be exalted; for “he that abaseth himself shall be exalted, and he that exalteth himself shall be abased.”93    Luke xiv. 11.

XII 1. Ὀναίμην ὑμῶν κατὰ πάντα, ἐάνπερ ἄξιος ὧ. εἰ γὰρ καὶ δέδεμαι, πρὸς ἕνα τῶν λελυμένων ὑμῶν οὐκ εἰμί. οἶδα ὅτι οὐ φυσιοῦσθε· Ἰησοῦν γὰρ Χριστὸν ἔχετε ἐν ἑαυτοῖς· καὶ μᾶλλον, ὅταν ἐπαινῶ ὑμᾶς, οἶδα, ὅτι ἐντρέπεσθε, ὡς γέγραπται, ὅτι ὁ δίκαιος ἑαυτοῦ κατήγορος.