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they chose Stephen, a man full of faith and of the Holy Spirit, and Philip, and Prochorus, and Nicanor, and the rest, whom they set before the apostles; and when they had prayed, they laid their hands on them. 1 TIMOTHY. Deacons likewise must be dignified, not double-tongued, not given to much wine, not greedy for dishonest gain, and so forth.

RULE 72. Concerning hearers. That those hearers who have been taught the

Scriptures must test what is said by the teachers; and accept what is in harmony with the Scriptures, but reject what is foreign; and those with such 31.848

teachings who persist must be turned away from more vehemently. Chapter 1. MATTHEW. Woe to that man by whom the offense

comes. And if your eye causes you to sin, pluck it out; likewise also concerning the hand and the foot. JOHN. Truly, truly, I say to you, he who does not enter the sheepfold by the door, but climbs in by another way, that man is a thief and a robber. And after a little: They will not follow a stranger, but will flee from him, for they do not know the voice of strangers. GALATIANS. But even if we, or an angel from heaven, should preach to you a gospel contrary to what you received, let him be accursed. 1 THESSALONIANS, Do not despise prophecies. Test everything; hold fast what is good. Abstain from every form of evil. That those who do not have much knowledge of the Scriptures must recognize the character of the saints by the fruits of the Spirit; and to receive such ones, but to turn away from those who are otherwise. Chapter 2. MATTHEW. But beware of false prophets, who come to you in sheep's clothing but inwardly are ravenous wolves. You will know them by their fruits. PHILIPPIANS. Become imitators of me, brethren, and observe those who walk according to the pattern you have in us. That one must receive those who rightly handle the word of truth as from the Lord, to the glory of him who sent them, Jesus Christ our Lord. Chapter 3. MATTHEW. He who receives you, receives me. JOHN. He who receives whomever I send, receives me. LUKE. He who hears you, hears me. GALATIANS. And the trial, which was in my flesh, you did not despise or scorn, but you received me as an angel of God, as Christ Jesus. That those who disobey the ones sent by the Lord, do not limit the dishonor to them, but extend it to the one who sent them, and bring upon themselves a judgment worse than that of those in Sodom and Gomorrah. Chapter 4. MATTHEW. And whoever does not receive you or hear your words, as you leave that city or house, shake off the dust from your feet. Truly I say to you, it will be more tolerable for the land of Sodom and Gomorrah on the day of judgment than for that city. LUKE. 31.849 He who rejects you, rejects me. 1 THESSALONIANS. Therefore he who rejects, does not reject man but God, who has also given his Holy Spirit to us. That one must receive the teaching of the Lord's commandments as that which procures eternal life and the kingdom of heaven; and to practice it eagerly, even if it seems difficult. Chapter 5. JOHN. Truly, truly, I say to you, that he who hears my word and believes him who sent me, has eternal life, and does not come into judgment, but has passed from death to life. ACTS. And after they had preached the gospel to that city and had made many disciples, they returned to Lystra and to Iconium and to Antioch, strengthening the souls of the disciples, exhorting them to continue in the faith, and that through many tribulations we must enter the kingdom of heaven. That one must receive reproof and rebuke as a medicine that destroys passion and establishes health. From which it is clear that

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ἐξελέξαντο Στέφανον ἄνδρα πλήρη πίστεως καὶ Πνεύματος ἁγίου, καὶ Φί λιππον, καὶ Πρόχορον, καὶ Νικάνορα, καὶ τοὺς λοιποὺς, οὓς ἔστησαν ἐνώπιον τῶν ἀποστόλων· καὶ προσευξάμενοι ἐπέθηκαν αὐτοῖς τὰς χεῖρας. ΠΡΟΣ ΤΙΜ. αʹ. ∆ιακόνους ὡσαύτως σεμνοὺς, μὴ διλόγους, μὴ οἴνῳ πολλῷ προσέχοντας, μὴ αἰσχροκερδεῖς, καὶ τὰ ἑξῆς.

ΟΡΟΣ ΟΒʹ. Περὶ ἀκροατῶν. Ὅτι δεῖ τῶν ἀκροατῶν τοὺς πεπαιδευμένους τὰς

Γραφὰς, δοκιμάζειν τὰ παρὰ τῶν διδασκάλων λεγόμενα· καὶ τὰ μὲν σύμφωνα ταῖς Γραφαῖς δέχε σθαι, τὰ δὲ ἀλλότρια ἀποβάλλειν· καὶ τοὺς τοιού 31.848 τοις

διδάγμασιν ἐπιμένοντας ἀποστρέφεσθαι σφοδρότερον. Κεφάλ. αʹ. ΜΑΤΘΑΙΟΣ. Οὐαὶ τῷ ἀνθρώπῳ ἐκείνῳ, δι' οὗ τὸ σκάνδαλον

ἔρχεται. Καὶ εἰ ὁ ὀφθαλμός σου σκανδαλίζει σε, ἔξελε αὐτόν· ὁμοίως καὶ περὶ χειρὸς καὶ ποδός. ΙΩΑΝΝΗΣ. Ἀμὴν ἀμὴν λέγω ὑμῖν· ὁ μὴ εἰσερχόμενος διὰ τῆς θύρας εἰς τὴν αὐλὴν τῶν προβάτων, ἀλλὰ ἀναβαίνων ἀλλα χόθεν, ἐκεῖνος κλέπτης ἐστὶ καὶ λῃστής. Καὶ μετ' ὀλίγα· Ἀλλοτρίῳ δὲ οὐ μὴ ἀκολουθήσω σιν, ἀλλὰ φεύξονται ἀπ' αὐτοῦ, ὅτι οὐκ οἴ δασι τῶν ἀλλοτρίων τὴν φωνήν. ΠΡΟΣ ΓΑΛ. Ἀλλὰ καὶ ἐὰν ἡμεῖς, ἢ ἄγγελος ἐξ οὐρανοῦ εὐαγγελίζηται ὑμῖν παρ' ὃ παρελάβετε, ἀνάθεμα ἔστω. ΠΡΟΣ ΘΕΣΣ. αʹ, Προφητείας μὴ ἐξουθενεῖτε. Πάντα δοκιμάζετε· τὸ καλὸν κατέχετε. Ἀπὸ παντὸς εἴδους πονηροῦ ἀπέχεσθε. Ὅτι δεῖ τοὺς μὴ πολλὴν ἔχοντας τὴν τῶν Γραφῶν γνῶσιν, ἐν τοῖς καρποῖς τοῦ Πνεύματος γνωρίζειν τὸν χαρακτῆρα τῶν ἁγίων· καὶ τοὺς μὲν τοιούτους δέχεσθαι, τοὺς δὲ ἄλλως ἔχοντας ἀποστρέφε σθαι. Κεφάλ. βʹ. ΜΑΤΘΑΙΟΣ. Προσέχετε δὲ ἀπὸ τῶν ψευδοπρο φητῶν, οἵτινες ἔρχονται πρὸς ὑμᾶς ἐν ἐνδύμασι προβάτων, ἔσωθεν δέ εἰσι λύκοι ἅρπαγες. Ἀπὸ τῶν καρπῶν αὐτῶν ἐπιγνώσεσθε αὐτούς. ΠΡΟΣ ΦΙΛΙΠΠ. Συμμιμηταί μου γίνεσθε, ἀδελφοὶ, καὶ σκοπεῖτε τοὺς οὕτω περιπατοῦντας, καθὼς ἔχετε τύπον ἡμᾶς. Ὅτι δεῖ τῶν ὀρθοτομούντων τὸν λόγον τῆς ἀληθείας οὕ τως ἀνέχεσθαι, ὡς τοῦ Κυρίου, εἰς δόξαν αὐτοῦ τοῦ ἀποστείλαντος Ἰησοῦ Χριστοῦ τοῦ Κυρίου ἡμῶν. Κεφάλ. γʹ. ΜΑΤΘΑΙΟΣ. Ὁ δεχόμενος ὑμᾶς, ἐμὲ δέχεται. ΙΩΑΝ. Ὁ λαμβάνων ἐάν τινα πέμψω, ἐμὲ λαμβάνει. ΛΟΥΚΑΣ. Ὁ ἀκούων ὑμῶν, ἐμοῦ ἀκούει. ΠΡΟΣ ΓΑΛ. Καὶ τὸν πειρασμὸν, τὸν ἐν τῇ σαρκί μου, οὐκ ἐξουθενήσατε, οὐδὲ ἐξεπτύσατε, ἀλλ' ὡς ἄγγελον Θεοῦ ἐδέξασθέ με, ὡς Χριστὸν Ἰησοῦν. Ὅτι οἱ ἀπειθοῦντες τοῖς παρὰ τοῦ Κυρίου ἀποστελ λομένοις, τὴν ἀτιμίαν οὐ μέχρι τούτων ἱστῶσιν, ἀλλὰ ἀνάγουσιν ἐπὶ τὸν ἀποστείλαντα, καὶ κρῖμα ἑαυτοῖς χεῖρον τῶν ἐν Σοδόμοις καὶ Γομόῤῥοις ἐπι σπῶνται. Κεφάλ. δʹ. ΜΑΤΘΑΙΟΣ. Καὶ ὃς ἂν μὴ δέξηται ὑμᾶς, μη δὲ ἀκούσῃ τοὺς λόγους ὑμῶν, ἐξερχόμενοι τῆς πόλεως ἢ τῆς οἰκίας ἐκείνης, ἐκτινάξατε τὸν κο νιορτὸν τῶν ποδῶν ὑμῶν. Ἀμὴν λέγω ὑμῖν, ἀν εκτότερον ἔσται γῇ Σοδόμων καὶ Γομόῤῥας ἐν ἡμέρᾳ κρίσεως, ἢ τῇ πόλει ἐκείνῃ. ΛΟΥΚΑΣ. 31.849 Ὁ ἀθετῶν ὑμᾶς, ἐμὲ ἀθετεῖ. ΠΡΟΣ ΘΕΣΣ. αʹ. Τοι γαροῦν ὁ ἀθετῶν, οὐκ ἄνθρωπον ἀθετεῖ, ἀλλὰ τὸν Θεὸν, τὸν καὶ δόντα τὸ Πνεῦμα αὐτοῦ τὸ ἅγιον εἰς ἡμᾶς. Ὅτι δεῖ τὴν διδασκαλίαν τῶν ἐντολῶν τοῦ Κυρίου οὕτως δέχεσθαι, ὡς ζωῆς αἰωνίου καὶ βασιλείας οὐρανῶν περιποιητικήν· καὶ προθύμως ἐνεργεῖν αὐτὴν, κἂν ἐπίπονος εἶναι δοκῇ. Κεφάλ. εʹ. ΙΩΑΝΝΗΣ. Ἀμὴν ἀμὴν λέγω ὑμῖν, ὅτι ὁ τὸν λόγον μου ἀκούων, καὶ πιστεύων τῷ πέμψαντί με, ἔχει ζωὴν αἰώνιον, καὶ εἰς κρίσιν οὐκ ἔρχεται, ἀλλὰ μεταβέβηκεν ἐκ τοῦ θανάτου εἰς τὴν ζωήν. ΠΡΑΞΕΙΣ. Εὐαγγελισάμενοί τε τὴν πόλιν ἐκεί νην καὶ μαθητεύσαντες ἱκανοὺς, ὑπέστρε ψαν εἰς τὴν Λύστραν, καὶ Ἰκόνιον, καὶ Ἀντιόχειαν, ἐπιστηρίζοντες τὰς ψυχὰς τῶν μαθητῶν, παρακαλοῦντες ἐμμένειν τῇ πίστει· καὶ ὅτι διὰ πολλῶν θλίψεων δεῖ ἡμᾶς εἰσελθεῖν εἰς τὴν βα σιλείαν τῶν οὐρανῶν. Ὅτι δεῖ τὸν ἔλεγχον καὶ τὴν ἐπιτίμησιν οὕτως δέχε σθαι, ὡς φάρμακον ἀναιρετικὸν πάθους, καὶ ὑγείας κατασκευαστικόν. Ἐξ οὗ δῆλόν ἐστιν, ὅτι