Chapter I.—The Two Ways; The First Commandment.
1.
There
are two ways,
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one of life and one of death;
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but a great difference between the two ways. 2. The way of life, then, is this: First, thou shalt love God
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who made thee; second, thy neighbour as thyself;
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and all things whatsoever thou wouldst should not occur to thee, thou also to another do not do.
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3. And of these sayings
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the teaching is this: Bless them that curse you, and pray for your enemies, and fast for them that persecute you.
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For what thank
is there
, if ye love them that love you? Do not also the Gentiles do the same?
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But do ye love them that hate you; and ye shall not have an enemy.
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4. Abstain thou from fleshly and worldly lusts.
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If one give thee a blow upon thy right cheek, turn to him the other also;
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and thou shalt be perfect. If one impress thee for one mile, go with him two.
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If one take away thy cloak, give him also thy coat.
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If one take from thee thine own, ask it not back,
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for indeed thou art not able. 5. Give to every one that asketh thee, and ask it not back;
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for the Father willeth that to all should be given of our own blessings (free gifts).
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Happy
is
he that giveth according to the commandment; for he is guiltless. Woe to him that receiveth; for if one having need receiveth, he is guiltless; but he
that receiveth
not having need, shall pay the penalty, why he received and for what, and, coming into straits (confinement),
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he shall be examined concerning the things which he hath done, and he shall not escape thence until he pay back the last farthing.
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6. But also now concerning this, it hath been said, Let thine alms sweat
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in thy hands, until thou know to whom thou shouldst give.
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This phrase connects the book with the
Duæ Viæ
; see Introductory Notice.
Barnabas
has “light” and “darkness” for “life” and “death.”
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Deut. xxx. 15, 19
;
Jer. xxi. 8
;
Matt. vii. 13, 14
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Comp.
Deut. vi. 5
, which is fully cited in
Apostolic Constitutions
, vii. 2, though the verb here is more exactly cited from LXX.
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Lev. xix. 18
;
Matt. xxii. 37, 39
. Comp.
Mark xii. 30, 31
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Comp.
Tobit iv. 15
; and
Matt. vii. 12
;
Luke vi. 31
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These Old-Testament commands are thus taught by the Lord.
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Matt. v. 44
. But the last clause is added, and is of unknown origin; not found in
Apostolic Constitutions
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Matt. v. 46, 47
;
Luke vi. 32
. The two passages are combined.
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So
Apostolic Constitutions
. Comp.
1 Pet. iii. 13
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1 Pet. ii. 11
. The Codex has
σωματικῶν
, “bodily;” but editors correct to
κοσμ
ικῶν
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Matt. v. 39
;
Luke vi. 29.
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Matt. v. 41
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Matt. v. 40
;
Luke vi. 29
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Luke vi. 30
. The last clause is a peculiar addition: “art not able,” since thou art a Christian; otherwise it is a commonplace observation.
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Luke vi. 30
. The rest of the sentence is explained by the parallel passage in
Apostolic Constitutions
, which cites
Matt. v. 45
.
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Bryennios
finds a parallel (or citation) in
Hermas
, Commandment Second,
p. 20
, vol. i.
Ante-Nicene Fathers
. The remainder of this chapter has no parallel in
Apostolic Constitutions
.
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Gr.
ἐν συνοχῇ
. Probably = imprisonment; see next clause.
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Matt. v. 26
.
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Codex:
ιδροτάτω
, which in this connection is unintelligible. Bryennios corrects into
ιδροσάτω
, rendered as above. There are various other conjectural emendations. The verse probably forbids indiscriminate charity, pointing to an early abuse of Christian liberality.