Chapter I.—After the salutation, the...

Chapter I.—After the salutation, the writer declares that he would communicate to his brethren something of that which he had himself received.

All hail, ye sons and daughters, in the name of our Lord ¹⁴⁴⁵ Jesus Christ, who loved us in peace.

Seeing that the divine fruits ¹⁴⁴⁶ of righteousness abound among you, I rejoice exceedingly and above measure in your happy and honoured spirits, because ye have with such effect received the engrafted ¹⁴⁴⁷ spiritual gift. Wherefore also I inwardly rejoice the more, hoping to be saved, because I truly perceive in you the Spirit poured forth from the rich Lord ¹⁴⁴⁸ of love. Your greatly desired appearance has thus filled me with astonishment over you. ¹⁴⁴⁹ I am therefore pursuaded of this, and fully convinced in my own mind, that since I began to speak among you I understand many things, because the Lord hath accompanied me in the way of righteousness. I am also on this account bound ¹⁴⁵⁰ by the strictest obligation to love you above my own soul, because great are the faith and love dwelling in you, while you hope for the life which He has promised. ¹⁴⁵¹ Considering this, therefore, that if I should take the trouble to communicate to you some portion of what I have myself received, it will prove to me a sufficient reward that I minister to such spirits, I have hastened briefly to write unto you, in order that, along with your faith, ye might have perfect knowledge. The doctrines of the Lord, then, are three: ¹⁴⁵² the hope of life, the beginning and the completion of it. For the Lord hath made known to us by the prophets both the things which are past and present, giving us also the first-fruits of the knowledge ¹⁴⁵³ of things to come, which things as we see accomplished, one by one, we ought with the greater richness of faith ¹⁴⁵⁴ and elevation of spirit to draw near to Him with reverence. ¹⁴⁵⁵ I then, not as your teacher, but as one of yourselves, will set forth a few things by which in present circumstances ye may be rendered the more joyful.

Footnotes

137:1445

The Cod. Sin. has simply, “the Lord.”

137:1446

Literally, “the judgments of God being great and rich towards you;” but, as Hefele remarks, δικαίωμα seems here to have the meaning of righteousness, as in Rom. v. 18.

137:1447

This appears to be the meaning of the Greek, and is confirmed by the ancient Latin version. Hilgenfeld, however, following Cod. Sin., reads “thus,” instead of “because,” and separates the clauses.

137:1448

The Latin reads, “spirit infused into you from the honourable fountain of God.”

137:1449

This sentence is entirely omitted in the Latin.

137:1450

The Latin text is here quite different, and seems evidently corrupt. We have followed the Cod. Sin., as does Hilgenfeld.

137:1451

Literally, “in the hope of His life.”

137:1452

The Greek is here totally unintelligible: it seems impossible either to punctuate or construe it. We may attempt to represent it as follows: “The doctrines of the Lord, then, are three: Life, Faith, and Hope, our beginning and end; and Righteousness, the beginning and the end of judgment; Love and Joy and the Testimony of gladness for works of righteousness.” We have followed the ancient Latin text, which Hilgenfeld also adopts, though Weitzäcker and others prefer the Greek.

137:1453

Instead of “knowledge” (γνώσεως), Cod. Sin. has “taste” (γεύσεως).

137:1454

Literally, “we ought more richly and loftily to approach His fear.”

137:1455

Instead of, “to Him with fear,” the reading of Cod. Sin., the Latin has, “to His altar,” which Hilgenfeld adopts.