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| Chapter XII.—The importance of knowledge to true spiritual life. PREVIOUS SECTION - NEXT SECTION - HELP
When you have read and carefully listened to these
things, you shall know what God bestows on such as rightly love Him,
being made [as ye are] a paradise of delight, presenting325
325 Literally, “bringing
forth.” | in yourselves a tree bearing all kinds of
produce and flourishing well, being adorned with various fruits. For in
this place326 the tree of knowledge and the tree of life have
been planted; but it is not the tree of knowledge that destroys—
it
is disobedience that proves destructive. Nor truly are those words without
significance which are written, how God from the beginning planted the
tree of life in the midst of paradise, revealing through knowledge the
way to life,327
327 Literally
“revealing life.” | and when those who were first
formed did not use this [knowledge] properly, they were, through the
fraud of the Serpent, stripped naked.328
328 Or, “deprived of it.” | For
neither can life exist without knowledge, nor is knowledge secure without
life. Wherefore both were planted close together. The Apostle, perceiving
the force [of this conjunction], and blaming that knowledge which,
without true doctrine, is admitted to influence life,329 declares, “Knowledge puffeth up, but love
edifieth.” For he who thinks he knows anything without true
knowledge, and such as is witnessed to by life, knows nothing, but is
deceived by the Serpent, as not330
330 The ms. is
here defective. Some read, “on account of the love of
life.” | loving life. But he who combines knowledge with
fear, and seeks after life, plants in hope, looking for fruit. Let your
heart be your wisdom; and let your life be true knowledge331
331 Or, “true word,”
or “reason.” | inwardly received. Bearing this tree
and displaying its fruit, thou shalt always gather332 in
those things which are desired by God, which the Serpent cannot reach,
and to which deception does not approach; nor is Eve then corrupted,333 but is trusted as a
virgin; and salvation is manifested, and the Apostles are filled with
understanding, and the Passover334 of the Lord advances, and
the choirs335
335 Here Bishop
Wordsworth would read κλῆροι, cites
1 Pet. v. 3, and refers to Suicer (Lexicon) in voce
κλῆρος.] |
are gathered together, and are arranged in proper order, and the Word
rejoices in teaching the saints,—by whom the Father is glorified: to
whom be glory for ever. Amen.336
336 [Note the Clement-like doxology.] | E.C.F. INDEX & SEARCH
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