The writings of the Apostolic FathersClement I, Pope
General
The writings of the Apostolic Fathers
Clement I, Pope
Apostolic Fathers; Christian literature, Early
Again he said to me, “Love the truth, and let nothing but truth proceed
from your mouth, that the spirit which God has placed in your flesh may
be found truthful before all men; and the Lord, who dwelleth in
you,[1632] will be glorified, because the Lord is truthful in every
word, and in Him is no falsehood. They therefore who lie deny the Lord,
and rob Him, not giving back to Him the deposit which they have
received. For they received from Him a spirit free from falsehood. If
they give him back this spirit untruthful, they pollute the commandment
of the Lord, and become robbers.” On hearing these words, I wept most
violently. When he saw me weeping, he said to me, “Why do you weep?” And
I said, “Because, sir, I know not if I can be saved.” “Why?” said he.
And I said, “Because, sir, I never spake a true word in my life, but
have ever spoken cunningly to all,[1633] and have affirmed a lie for the
truth to all; and no one ever contradicted me, but credit was given to
my word. How then can I live, since I have acted thus?” And he said to
me, “Your feelings are indeed right and sound, for you ought as a
servant of God to have walked in truth, and not to have joined an evil
conscience with the spirit of truth, nor to have caused sadness to the
holy and true Spirit.”[1634] And I said to him, “Never, sir, did I
listen to these words with so much attention.” And he said to me, “Now
you hear them, and keep them, that even the falsehoods which you
formerly told in your transactions may come to be believed through the
truthfulness of your present statements. For even they can become worthy
of credit. If you keep these precepts, and from this time forward you
speak nothing but the truth,[1635] it will be possible for you to obtain
life. And whosoever shall hear this commandment, and depart from that
great wickedness falsehood, shall live to God.”
COMMANDMENT FOURTH.
_On putting one’s wife away for adultery._
CHAP. I.
Public-domain text, read in full here on John Shaqi.
Reviews
Reviews
No reviews yet
Be the first to share your thoughts on this work.
Elsewhere in the archive
Join the Discussion
Join the discussion
Sign in to leave a comment or review.
Sign InorCreate an account