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| Chapter II.—Praise of the Corinthians continued. PREVIOUS SECTION - NEXT SECTION - HELP
Chapter II.—Praise of the Corinthians
continued.
Moreover, ye were all distinguished by humility, and
were in no respect puffed up with pride, but yielded obedience rather
than extorted it,6 and were more willing to give than to receive.7 Content with the provision which God had made for you, and
carefully attending to His words, ye were inwardly filled8
8 Literally, “ye embraced
it in your bowels.” [Concerning the complaints of Photius (ninth
century) against Clement, see Bull’s Defensio Fidei Nicænæ,
Works, vol. v. p. 132.] | with His doctrine, and His
sufferings were before your eyes. Thus a
profound and abundant peace was given to you all, and ye had an
insatiable desire for doing good, while a full outpouring of the Holy
Spirit was upon you all. Full of holy designs, ye did, with true
earnestness of mind and a godly confidence, stretch forth your hands to
God Almighty, beseeching Him to be merciful unto you, if ye had been
guilty of any involuntary transgression. Day and night ye were anxious
for the whole brotherhood,9 that the number of
God’s elect might be saved with mercy and a good conscience.10
10 So, in the ms., but many have suspected that
the text is here corrupt. Perhaps the best emendation is that which
substitutes συναισθήσεως,
“compassion,” for συνειδήσεως,
“conscience.” | Ye were sincere and uncorrupted,
and forgetful of injuries between one another. Every kind of faction and
schism was abominable in your sight. Ye mourned over the transgressions
of your neighbours: their deficiencies you deemed your own. Ye never
grudged any act of kindness, being “ready to every good
work.”11 Adorned by a thoroughly
virtuous and religious life, ye did all things in the fear of God. The
commandments and ordinances of the Lord were written upon the tablets of
your hearts.12
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