{"author":null,"canonical_references":[],"database_sha256":"8cfbe7284c6936871d57c02dc6aa63ebbdfd4722422d539dd9f716e46e91112e","date_end":null,"date_start":null,"edition_year":null,"id":"sermonindex-ecf-4314","native_reference":{"book_number":560,"chapter_from":5,"chapter_to":5,"system":"MyBible module coordinates (mapping unverified)","verse_from":1,"verse_to":1},"public_import_allowed":false,"record_kind":"verse-keyed-module-record","review_required":["English edition and exact text","author/work attribution","dating","verse mapping and citation kind","reuse and attribution","split author quotations and deduplicate"],"review_status":"unreviewed","source_html":"<p><b>Clement of Alexandria</b>: \"But you have not so learned Christ, if you have heard him and have been taught by him as the truth is in Christ Jesus; put off with the ways of your former life your old man which is corrupted by the deceitful lusts. Be renewed in the spirit of your mind and put on the new man which after God is created in righteousness and true holiness,\" so as to be made like unto God. \"Be therefore imitators of God, as dear children, and walk in love as Christ also loved us and gave himself for us as an offering and sacrifice to God for a sweet smelling savor. But fornication and all impurity and covetousness and shamefulness and foolish talk, let them not be mentioned among you as is fitting for saints.\" Moreover, the apostle teaches us to be chaste in speech...<br/><i>— The Stromata Book 3</i></p><p><b>Ignatius of Antioch</b>: I have become acquainted with your name, much-beloved in God, which ye have acquired by the habit of righteousness, according to the faith and love in Jesus Christ our Saviour. Being the followers of God, and stirring up yourselves by the blood of God, ye have perfectly accomplished the work which was beseeming to you. For, on hearing that I came bound from Syria for the common name and hope, trusting through your prayers to be permitted to fight with beasts at Rome, that so by martyrdom I may indeed become the disciple of Him \"who gave Himself for us, an offering and sacrifice to God,\" [ye hastened to see me].<br/><i>— Epistle of Ignatius to the Ephesians</i></p><p><b>Jerome</b>: When he wrote to the Corinthians, indeed, he said \"be imitators\" of me … for though they could not instantaneously become imitators of Christ, it was still a great thing for them if they could be imitators of the imitator. But to the Ephesians, since they are those to whom he has revealed such great mysteries, he neither says \"be imitators of me\" nor \"be imitators of Christ\" but \"be imitators of God.\" This does not imply that it is less to be an imitator of Christ than of God, for Christ is God.… Admittedly much that God has done we humans can hardly be said to imitate. But in the way that he is merciful to all and rains on good and bad, so we may pour out mercy upon all we meet. When we do this, we shall be beloved children. We shall be imitating either Paul or, as I rather think, God himself.<br/><i>— Commentary on Ephesians 5:1</i></p><p><b>John Chrysostom</b>: That thou mayest not then think it an act of necessity, hear how He saith, that \"He gave Himself up.\" As thy Master loved thee, love thou thy friend. Nay, but neither wilt thou be able so to love; yet still do so as far as thou art able. Oh, what can be more blessed than a sound like this! Tell me of royalty or whatever else thou wilt, there is no comparison. Forgive another, and thou art \"imitating God,\" thou art made like unto God. It is more our duty to forgive trespasses than debts of money; for if thou forgive debts, thou hast not \"imitated God\"; whereas if thou shalt forgive trespasses, thou art \"imitating God.\" And yet how shalt thou be able to say, \"I am poor, and am not able to forgive it,\" that is, a debt, when thou forgivest not that which thou art able to forgive, that is, a trespass? And surely thou dost not deem that in this case there is any loss. Yea, is it not rather wealth, is it not abundance, is it not a plentiful store?<br/><i>— Homily on Ephesians 17</i></p><p><b>John Chrysostom</b>: And behold yet another and a nobler incitement: \"as beloved children,\" saith he. Ye have yet another cogent reason to imitate Him, not only in that ye have received such good at His hands, but also in that ye are called His children. And since not all children imitate their fathers, but those which are beloved, therefore he saith, \"as beloved children.\"<br/><i>— Homily on Ephesians 17</i></p><p><b>Pope Anterus</b>: And be not drunk with wine, wherein is excess; but be filled with the Holy Spirit; speaking to yourselves in psalms, and hymns, and spiritual songs, singing and making melody in your hearts to the Lord; giving thanks always for all things unto God and the Father in the name of our Lord Jesus Christ, submitting yourselves one to another in the fear of Christ.\"</p>","source_html_sha256":"2690a139cac8f56c42361ce7492951eb93ea858ddecc1618afa3bc4f2b700325","source_module":"ECF","source_row_id":4314,"source_url":"https://www.sermonindex.net/commentary/ecf/","text_sha256":"3eb1dd6d99187f5242e8cef26cd1c0c50e757cf98c7c9c1ae4654a8d700e456c","translator":null,"work":null}