[That We Ought to Afford an Helping Hand to Such as are Spoiled for the Sake of Christ, Although We Should Incur Danger Ourselves.]
III. Receive also those that are persecuted on account of the faith, and who “fly from city to city” 5 See Eph. vi. 5; 1 Pet. ii. 18. See Eph. vi. 5; 1 Pet. ii. 18. on account of the Lord’s commandment; and assist them as martyrs, rejoicing that ye are made partakers of their persecution, as knowing that they are esteemed blessed by the Lord; for Himself says: “Blessed are ye when men shall reproach you, and persecute you, and say all manner of evil against you falsely, for my sake. Rejoice, and be exceeding glad, because your reward is great in heaven: for so persecuted they the prophets which were before us.” 6 Col. iv. 1. See 1 Tim. vi. 2. Col. iv. 1. See 1 Tim. vi. 2. And again: “If they have persecuted me, they will also persecute you.” 7 Eph. vi. 6; Col. iii. 22, 24. Eph. vi. 6; Col. iii. 22, 24. And afterwards: “If they persecute you in this city, flee ye to another. For in the world ye have tribulation: for they shall deliver you into the synagogues; and ye shall be brought before rulers and kings for my sake, and for a testimony to them.” 8 See 1 Pet. ii. 13; Tit. iii. 1. See 1 Pet. ii. 13; Tit. iii. 1. And, “He that endureth unto the end, the same shall be saved.” 9 Rom. xiii. 1, 4, 7. Rom. xiii. 1, 4, 7. For he that is persecuted for the sake of the faith, and bears witness in regard to Him, Christ , and endures, is truly a man of God.
[3] Καὶ τοὺς διωκομένους δὲ διὰ τὴν πίστιν καὶ πόλιν ἐκ πόλεως φεύγοντας διὰ τὴν ἐντολὴν τοῦ Κυρίου προσλαμβάνεσθε, ἀντιλαμβανόμενοι αὐτῶν καὶ προσδεχόμενοι αὐτοὺς ὡς μάρτυρας, χαίροντες, ὅτι κοινωνοὶ τοῦ διωγμοῦ αὐτῶν γεγένησθε, γινώσκοντες αὐτοὺς ὑπὸ τοῦ Κυρίου μεμακαρίσθαι. Φησὶν γὰρ αὐτός: «Μακάριοί ἐστε, ὅταν ὀνειδίσωσιν ὑμᾶς καὶ διώξωσιν καὶ εἴπωσιν πᾶν πονηρὸν ῥῆμα καθ' ὑμῶν ψευδόμενοι ἕνεκεν ἐμοῦ: χαίρετε καὶ ἀγαλλιᾶσθε, ὅτι ὁ μισθὸς ὑμῶν πολὺς ἐν τοῖς οὐρανοῖς: οὕτως γὰρ ἐδίωξαν τοὺς προφήτας τοὺς πρὸ ὑμῶν.» Καὶ πάλιν: «Εἰ ἐμὲ ἐδίωξαν, καὶ ὑμᾶς διώξουσιν.» Καὶ ἑξῆς: «Ἐὰν διώκωσιν ὑμᾶς ἐν τῇ πόλει ταύτῃ, φεύγετε εἰς τὴν ἄλλην, ὅτι ἐν τῷ κόσμῳ τούτῳ θλῖψιν ἕξετε: παραδώσουσιν γὰρ ὑμᾶς εἰς συναγωγάς, καὶ ἐπὶ ἡγεμόνας καὶ βασιλεῖς ἀχθήσεσθε ἕνεκεν ἐμοῦ, εἰς μαρτύριον αὐτοῖς: καὶ ὁ ὑπομείνας εἰς τέλος, οὗτος σωθήσεται.» Ὁ γὰρ διωχθεὶς ἕνεκεν τῆς πίστεως καὶ μαρτυρήσας περὶ αὐτοῦ καὶ ὑπομείνας, οὗτος ἀληθῶς ἄνθρωπος Θεοῦ.