[19] Here, as in other passages, [Greek: doxa] has been incorrectly
translated "honor"; [Greek: doxa], from the verb [Greek: dokeô],
means "manner of seeing, judgment, _doctrine_."
To believe, Jesus says, we must seek for the doctrine that comes from
God alone.
"_He that speaketh of himself seeketh_ (to extend) _his own doctrine,
[Greek: doxan tên idian], but he that seeketh_ (to extend) _the doctrine
of him that sent him, the same is true, and no untruth is in him._"
(John vii. 18.)
The doctrine of life, [Greek: doxa], is the foundation of faith, and
actions result spontaneously from faith. But there are two doctrines of
life: Jesus denies the one and affirms the other. One of these
doctrines, a source of all error, consists of the idea that the personal
life is one of the essential and real attributes of man. This doctrine
has been followed, and is still followed, by the majority of men; it is
the source of divergent beliefs and acts. The other doctrine, taught by
Jesus and by all the prophets, affirms that our personal life has no
meaning save through fulfilment of the will of God. If a man confess a
doctrine that emphasizes his own personal life, he will consider that
his personal welfare is the most important thing in the world, and he
will consider riches, honors, glory, pleasure, as true sources of
happiness; he will have a faith in accordance with his inclination, and
his acts will always be in harmony with his faith. If a man confess a
different doctrine, if he find the essence of life in fulfilment of the
will of God in accordance with the example of Abraham and the teaching
and example of Jesus, his faith will accord with his principles, and his
acts will be conformable to his faith. And so those who believe that
true happiness is to be found in the personal life can never have faith
in the doctrine of Jesus. All their efforts to fix their faith upon it
will be always vain. To believe in the doctrine of Jesus, they must look
at life in an entirely different way. Their actions will coincide always
with their faith and not with their intentions and their words.
Public-domain text, read in full here on John Shaqi.
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