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I will fear, what will man do to me. Remember your leaders, who spoke to you the word of God. Let it be, he says, honorable, and not be defiled by intercourse with another. Considering the outcome of their way of life, imitate their faith. Jesus Christ is the same yesterday and today and forever. Do not be carried away by all kinds of strange teachings. For considering their life and conduct, he says, imitate their faith. What is "considering"? continually turning it over in yourselves, examining, reasoning, seeking, scrutinizing accurately, that their way of life has a good end. for the heart to be strengthened by grace, Instead of "by faith." not by foods, from which those who participated in them did not benefit. We have an altar from which those who serve in the tabernacle have no right to eat. For the bodies of those animals whose blood is brought into the holy places by the high priest as a sacrifice for sin are burned outside the camp. So Jesus also, that he might sanctify the people through his own blood, He gently alludes to those who introduce the refusal of foods. suffered outside the gate. Therefore let us go to him outside the camp, bearing his reproach 95.996. For here we do not have an enduring city, but we are looking for the city that is to come. Through him, therefore, let us continually offer to God a sacrifice of praise, that is, the fruit That is, suffering the same things, let us share in the sufferings of Christ. of lips that confess his name. And do not forget to do good and to share with others, for with such sacrifices God is pleased. He means to offer thanksgiving, and to bear all things nobly, even those that seem grievous. This makes us to be near God; then we also have God as a debtor. But when we do not suffer well, we are debtors and answerable to God, and often these things become a judgment for us; but those for the paying off of sins. Obey your leaders and submit to them. For they are keeping watch over your souls, as those who will have to give an account. Let them do this with joy and not with groaning, for that would be of no advantage to you. Pray for us. For we are sure that we have a clear conscience, desiring to act honorably in all things. I urge you the more earnestly to do this in order that I may be restored to you the sooner. Now may the God of peace who brought up from the dead our Lord Jesus, the great shepherd of the sheep, by the blood of the eternal covenant, equip you with everything good that you may do his will, working in us that which is pleasing in his sight, through Jesus Christ, to whom be glory forever and ever. Amen. I appeal to you, brothers, bear with my word of exhortation. For I have written to you briefly. You should know that our brother Timothy. What then does he say? If he is wicked, are we to obey? In what way do you mean wicked? If on account of faith, flee from him, and shun him, not only if he is a man, but even if he is an angel come down from heaven. But if on account of his life, do not be overly curious. For hear what Christ says, The scribes and the Pharisees sit on Moses' seat. Having first said many terrible things about them, he then says, They sit on Moses' seat. So do whatever they tell you to do; but do not do what they do. They have, he says, the dignity, but their life is impure. But pay attention not to their life, but to their words. For on account of their morals no one would be harmed. Why so? because they are clear to all, and not even he, though he be wicked ten thousand times over, will ever teach wicked things. But on account of faith, it is not clear to all, and a wicked man will not shrink from teaching it. Since also, Judge not, that you be not judged, is about life, not about faith. At any rate, what follows makes this clear. Why do you see, he says, the speck that is in your brother's eye, but do not notice the log that is in your own eye? So do whatever they tell you, but do not do according to their works. 95.997 You see that it is not about doctrines, but about life and works. But Paul first established
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φοβηθήσομαι, τί ποιήσει μοι ἄνθρωπος. Μνημονεύετε τῶν ἡγουμένων ὑμῶν, οἵτινες ἐλάλησαν ὑμῖν τὸν λόγον τοῦ Θεοῦ. Γενέσθω, φησὶ, τίμιος, καὶ μὴ μολυνέσθω τῇ πρὸς ἑτέραν κοινωνίᾳ. Ὧν ἀναθεωροῦντες τὴν ἔκβασιν ἀναστροφῆς, μιμεῖσθε τὴν πίστιν. Ἰησοῦς Χριστὸς χθὲς, καὶ σήμερον ὁ αὐτὸς, καὶ εἰς τοὺς αἰῶνας. ∆ιδαχαῖς ποικίλαις καὶ ξέναις μὴ παραφέρεσθε. Καλὸν γὰρ Θεωροῦντες αὐτῶν τὸν βίον, καὶ τὴν πολιτείαν, φησὶ, μιμεῖσθε τὴν πίστιν. Τί ἐστι ἀναθεωροῦντες; συνεχῶς στρέφοντες ἐν ἑαυτοῖς, ἐξετάζοντες, λογιζόμενοι ἀναζητοῦντες, ἀκριβῶς βασανίζοντες, ὅτι τέλος χρηστὸν αὐτῶν ἔχει ἡ ἀναστροφή. Χάριτι βεβαιοῦσθαι τὴν καρδίαν, Ἀντὶ τοῦ πίστει. Οὐ βρώμασιν, ἐν οἷς οὐκ ὠφελήθησαν οἱ περιπατήσαντες. Ἔχομεν θυσιαστήριον, ἐξ οὗ φαγεῖν οὐκ ἔχουσιν οἱ τῇ σκηνῇ λατρεύοντες. Ὧν γὰρ εἰσφέρεται ζώων τὸ αἷμα περὶ ἁμαρτίας εἰς τὰ ἅγια διὰ τοῦ ἀρχιερέως, τούτων τὰ σώματα κατακαίεται ἔξω τῆς παρεμβολῆς. ∆ιὸ καὶ Ἰησοῦς, ἵνα ἁγιάσῃ διὰ τοῦ ἰδίου αἵματος τὸν λαὸν, Ἠρέμα αἰνίττεται τοὺς τὴν παραίτησιν τῶν βρωμάτων εἰσάγοντας. Ἔξω τῆς πύλης ἔπαθεν. Τοίνυν ἐξερχώμεθα πρὸς αὐτὸν ἔξω τῆς παρεμβολῆς, τὸν ὀνειδισμὸν αὐτοῦ 95.996 φέροντες. Οὐ γὰρ ἔχομεν ὧδε μένουσαν πόλιν, ἀλλὰ τὴν μέλλουσαν ἐπιζητοῦμεν. ∆ι' αὐτοῦ οὖν ἀναφέρομεν θυσίαν αἰνέσεως διὰ παντὸς τῷ Θεῷ, τουτέστι καρπὸν Τουτέστι, τὰ αὐτὰ πάσχοντες κοινωνήσωμεν τοῖς παθήμασι τοῦ Χριστοῦ. Χειλέων ὁμολογούντων τῷ ὀνόματι αὐτοῦ. Τῆς δὲ εὐποιίας καὶ κοινωνίας μὴ ἐπιλανθάνεσθε· τοιαύταις γὰρ θυσίαις εὐαρεστεῖται ὁ Θεός. Τὸ τὴν εὐχαριστίαν ἀναφέρειν λέγει, καὶ γενναίως ἅπαντα φέρειν, καὶ τὰ δοκοῦντα λυπηρά. Τοῦτο ἐγγὺς ἡμᾶς εἶναι ποιεῖ Θεοῦ· τότε καὶ τὸν Θεὸν ὀφειλέτην ἔχομεν. Ὅταν δὲ οὐ καλῶς πάθωμεν, ἡμεῖς ἐσμεν ὀφειλέται καὶ ὑπεύθυνοι τοῦ Θεοῦ, καὶ πολλάκις ἡμῶν ταῦτα εἰς κρῖμα γίνεται· ἐκεῖνα δὲ εἰς ἔκτισιν ἁμαρτημάτων. Πείθεσθε τοῖς ἡγουμένοις ὑμῶν, καὶ ὑπείκετε. Αὐτοὶ γὰρ ἀγρυπνοῦσιν ὑπὲρ τῶν ψυχῶν ὑμῶν, ὡς λόγον ἀποδώσοντες, ἵνα μετὰ χαρᾶς τοῦτο ποιῶσι, καὶ μὴ στενάζοντες· ἀλυσιτελὲς γὰρ ὑμῖν τοῦτο. Προσεύχεσθε περὶ ἡμῶν. Πεποίθαμεν γὰρ, ὅτι καλὴν συνείδησιν ἔχομεν ἐν πᾶσιν, καλῶς θέλοντες ἀναστρέφεσθαι. Περισσοτέρως δὲ παρακαλῶ τοῦτο ποιῆσαι, ἵνα τάχιον ἀποκατασταθῶ ὑμῖν. Ὁ δὲ Θεὸς τῆς εἰρήνης, ὁ ἀναγαγὼν ἐκ νεκρῶν τὸν ποιμένα τῶν προβάτων τὸν μέγαν, ἐν αἵματι διαθήκης αἰωνίου, τὸν Κύριον ἡμῶν Ἰησοῦν, καταρτίσαι ὑμᾶς ἐν παντὶ ἔργῳ ἀγαθῷ, εἰς τὸ ποιῆσαι τὸ θέλημα αὐτοῦ, ποιῶν ἐν ὑμῖν τὸ εὐάρεστον ἐνώπιον αὐτοῦ, διὰ Ἰησοῦ Χριστοῦ, ᾧ ἡ δόξα εἰς τοὺς αἰῶνας τῶν αἰώνων. Ἀμήν. Παρακαλῶ δὲ ὑμᾶς, ἀδελφοὶ, ἀνέχεσθε τοῦ λόγου τῆς παρακλήσεως. Καὶ γὰρ διὰ βραχέων ἐπέστειλα ὑμῖν. Γινώσκετε τὸν ἀδελφὸν Τιμόθεον. Τί οὖν φησιν; ἂν πονηρὸς ᾖ, πειθώμεθα; πονηρὸς πῶς λέγεις; εἰ μὲν πίστεως ἕνεκεν, φύγε αὐτὸν, καὶ παραίτησαι, μὴ μόνον ἂν ἄνθρωπος ᾖ, ἀλλὰ κἂν ἄγγελος ἐξ οὐρανοῦ κατιών. Εἰ δὲ βίου ἕνεκεν, μὴ περιεργάζου. Ἄκουε γὰρ τοῦ Χριστοῦ λέγοντος, Ἐπὶ τῆς Μωϋσέως καθέδρας ἐκάθισαν οἱ Γραμματεῖς καὶ οἱ Φαρισαῖοι. Πρότερον εἰπὼν περὶ αὐτῶν δεινὰ πολλὰ, τότε φησὶν, Ἐπὶ τῆς Μωϋσέως καθέδρας ἐκάθισαν. Πάντα οὖν ὅσα λέγωσιν ὑμῖν ποιεῖν, ποιεῖτε· κατὰ δὲ τὰ ἔργα αὐτῶν μὴ ποιεῖτε. Ἔχουσι, φησὶ, τὸ ἀξίωμα, ἀλλὰ βίου εἰσὶν ἀκαθάρτου. Ἀλλὰ μὴ τῷ βίῳ, ἀλλὰ τοῖς λόγοις προσέχετε. Τῶν μὲν γὰρ ἠθῶν ἕνεκεν οὐδεὶς ἂν βλαβείη. Τί δήποτε; ὅτι καὶ δῆλα πᾶσίν ἐστιν, καὶ οὐδὲ αὐτὸς, κἂν μυριάκις ᾖ πονηρὸς, πονηρὰ διδάξει ποτέ. Πίστεως δὲ ἕνεκεν, οὔτε δῆλόν ἐστι πᾶσιν, ὅτε πονηρὸς οὐ παραιτήσεται διδάσκειν. Ἐπεὶ καὶ τὸ, Μὴ κρίνετε, ἵνα μὴ κριθῆτε, περὶ βίου ἐστὶν, οὐ περὶ πίστεως. Τὸ γοῦν ἐπαγόμενον, τοῦτο δηλοῖ. Τί βλέπεις, φησὶν, τὸ κάρφος τὸ ἐν τῷ ὀφθαλμῷ τοῦ ἀδελφοῦ σου, τὴν δὲ δοκὸν τὴν ἐν τῷ σῷ ὀφθαλμῷ οὐ κατανοεῖς; Πάντα οὖν ὅσα ἂν λέγωσιν ὑμῖν, ποιεῖτε, κατὰ δὲ τὰ ἔργα αὐτῶν μὴ 95.997 ποιεῖτε. Ὁρᾷς ὅτι οὐ περὶ δογμάτων ἐστὶν, ἀλλὰ περὶ βίου καὶ ἔργων. Ἀλλὰ ὁ Παῦλος πρότερον συνέστησεν