{"author":null,"canonical_references":[],"database_sha256":"8cfbe7284c6936871d57c02dc6aa63ebbdfd4722422d539dd9f716e46e91112e","date_end":null,"date_start":null,"edition_year":null,"id":"sermonindex-ecf-318","native_reference":{"book_number":530,"chapter_from":3,"chapter_to":3,"system":"MyBible module coordinates (mapping unverified)","verse_from":13,"verse_to":13},"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>Ambrosiaster</b>: In the fire, bad teaching will become clear to everyone, though for the moment it is deceiving some.<br/><i>— COMMENTARY ON PAUL'S EPISTLES</i></p><p><b>Augustine of Hippo</b>: The fire will try the quality of everyone's work. If his work remains, he will receive his reward. If his work burns, he will lose his reward, but he himself will be saved. In this fire neither man will be lost forever, though the fire will profit the one and harm the other, being a test for both.<br/><i>— CITY OF GOD 21</i></p><p><b>Clement of Rome</b>: Take up the epistle of the blessed Apostle Paul. What did he write to you at the time when the gospel first began to be preached? Truly, under the inspiration of the Spirit, he wrote to you concerning himself, and Cephas, and Apollos, because even then parties had been formed among you. But that inclination for one above another entailed less guilt upon you, inasmuch as your partialities were then shown towards apostles, already of high reputation, and towards a man whom they had approved. But now reflect who those are that have perverted you, and lessened the renown of your far-famed brotherly love. It is disgraceful, beloved, yea, highly disgraceful, and unworthy of your Christian profession, that such a thing should be heard of as that the most steadfast and ancient church of the Corinthians should, on account of one or two persons, engage in sedition against its presbyters. And this rumour has reached not only us, but those also who are unconnected with us; so that, through your infatuation, the name of the Lord is blasphemed, while danger is also brought upon yourselves.<br/><i>— Letter to the Corinthians (Clement)</i></p><p><b>Cyprian</b>: And do not think, dearest brother, that either the courage of the brethren will be lessened, or that martyrdoms will fail for this cause, that repentance is relaxed to the lapsed, and that the hope of peace is offered to the penitent. The strength of the truly believing remains unshaken; and with those who fear and love God with their whole heart, their integrity continues steady and strong. For to adulterers even a time of repentance is granted by us, and peace is given. Yet virginity is not therefore deficient in the Church, nor does the glorious design of continence languish through the sins of others. The Church, crowned with so many virgins, flourishes; and chastity and modesty preserve the tenor of their glory. Nor is the vigour of continence broken down because repentance and pardon are facilitated to the adulterer. It is one thing to stand for pardon, another thing to attain to glory: it is one thing, when cast into prison, not to go out thence until one has paid the uttermost farthing; another thing at once to receive the wages of faith and courage. It is one thing, tortured by long suffering for sins, to be cleansed and long purged by fire; another to have purged all sins by suffering. It is one thing, in fine, to be in suspense till the sentence of God at the day of judgment; another to be at once crowned by the Lord.<br/><i>— Epistle LI</i></p><p><b>John Chrysostom</b>: Now his meaning is this: If any man have an ill life with a right faith, his faith shall not shelter him from punishment, his work being burnt up. The phrase, \"shall be burned up,\" means, \"shall not endure the violence of the fire.\" But just as if a man having golden armor on were to pass through a river of fire, he comes from crossing it all the brighter; but if he were to pass through it with hay, so far from profiting, he destroys himself besides; so also is the case in regard of men's works. For he doth not say this as if he were discoursing of material things being burnt up, but with a view of making their fear more intense, and of shewing how naked of all defence he is who abides in wickedness. Wherefore he said, \"He shall suffer loss:\" lo, here is one punishment: \"but he himself shall be saved, but so as by fire;\" lo, again, here is a second. And his meaning is, \"He himself shall not perish in the same way as his works, passing into nought, but he shall abide in the fire.\"</p><p>\"He calleth it, however, \"Salvation,\" you will say; why, that is the cause of his adding, \"so as by fire:\" since we also used to say, \"It is preserved in the fire,\" when we speak of those substances which do not immediately burn up and become ashes. For do not at sound of the word fire imagine that those who are burning pass into annihilation. And though he call such punishment Salvation, be not astonished. For his custom is in things which have an ill sound to use fair expressions, and in good things the contrary. For example, the word \"Captivity\" seems to be the name of an evil thing, but Paul has applied it in a good sense, when he says, \"Bringing into captivity every thought to the obedience of Christ.\" And again, to an evil thing he hath applied a good word, saying, \"Sin reigned,\" here surely the term \"reigning\" is rather of auspicious sound. And so here in saying, \"he shall be saved,\" he hath but darkly hinted at the intensity of the penalty: as if he had said, \"But himself shall remain forever in punishment.\"<br/><i>— Homily on 1 Corinthians 9</i></p><p><b>Lucius Caecilius Firmianus Lactantius</b>: These things are near to the truth. For the soul, when separated from the body, is, as the same poet says, \"No vision of the drowsy night, No airy current half so light,\" because it is a spirit, and by its very slightness incapable of being perceived, but only by us who are corporeal but capable of being perceived by God, since it belongs to Him to be able to do all things.<br/><i>— The Divine Institutes Book 7</i></p><p><b>Pelagius</b>: Gold, silver and precious stones will survive the fire of judgment, but wood, hay and straw will be burned up.<br/><i>— COMMENTARY ON THE FIRST EPISTLE TO THE CORINTHIANS 3</i></p><p><b>Philoxenus of Mabbug</b>: And according to what Paul himself spake, \"If any man buildeth on this foundation gold, or silver, or stones of price, or wood, or hay, or stubble, each man's work shall be revealed, for that day shall reveal it, inasmuch as it shall be revealed by fire, and the fire shall prove each man's work of what sort it is.\" Now Paul likeneth the conduct of Christian life and character and the beauties of righteousness to gold and silver and precious stones, and among these faith is as gold, and the restraining of the passions and desires, and fasting, and self-denial and the other works of righteousness are as silver; and he likeneth to precious stones love, and peace, and hope, and pure thoughts, and holy meditations, and a mind which is wholly afraid in the Spirit, and which at all times reserveth in all its emotions wonder at God and admiration for the majesty of His Being, and an understanding which keepeth silence in trembling before the inexplicable and inexpressible mysteries of God. Now these heavenly thoughts, and emotions, and anxious fears, and life of the Spirit Paul calleth \"precious stones;\" and error and wickedness and the ministry of all the lusts he calleth wood, and hay, and stubble. And since the building itself is fixed in the ground every man can build and raise upon it whatsoever he pleaseth, until the day which shall decide is revealed.<br/><i>— 13 Ascetic Discourses, Discourse 1 -- Prologue</i></p>","source_html_sha256":"f83929d292dcbaa9dc3728230301722fa8177384835a98b6da34d12ee79e75d1","source_module":"ECF","source_row_id":318,"source_url":"https://www.sermonindex.net/commentary/ecf/","text_sha256":"29caf056345fd51a1f68e22ed61ee801ce7674625a868d16bd657d445190008d","translator":null,"work":null}