Chap. xvi.--the excellence of almsgiving.
Wherefore, brethren, having received no small occasion 1 for repentance, while we have the opportunity, 2 3 let us turn unto God that called us, while we still have Him as One that receiveth us. For if we renounce 4 these enjoyments and conquer our soul in not doing these its evil desires, we shall partake of the mercy of Jesus. But ye know that the day of judgment even now "cometh as a burning oven," 5 6 and some "of the heavens shall melt," and all the earth shall be as lead melting on the fire, 7 8 and then the hidden and open works of men shall appear. Almsgiving therefore is a good thing, as repentance from sin; fasting is better than prayer, but almsgiving than both; 9 10 "but love covereth a multitude of sins." 11 12 But prayer out of a good conscience delivereth from death. Blessed is every one that is found full of these; for alms-giving lighteneth the burden of sin. 13 14
-
aphormen labo'ntes, as in Rom. vii. 8, 11. ↩
-
kairo`n echontes, "seeing that we have time" (Lightfoot). But "opportunity" is more exact. ↩
-
apotaxo'metha, "bid farewell to;" comp. chap. vi. ↩
-
Comp. Mal. iv. 1. ↩
-
Comp. Isa. xxxiv. 4, which resembles the former clause, and 2 Pet. iii. 7, 10, where the same figures occur. The text seems to be corrupt: tines ("some") is sustained by both the Greek and the Syriac, but this limitation is so peculiar as to awaken suspicion; still, the notion of several heavens might have been in the author's mind. ↩
-
Comp. Tobit xii. 8, 9; but the position given to almsgiving seems to be contradicted by the next sentence. Lightfoot seems to suspect a corruption of text here also, but in the early Church there was often an undue emphasis placed upon almsgiving. ↩
-
1 Pet. iv. 8. Comp. Prov. x. 12; Jas. v. 20. ↩
-
Literally, "becometh a lightener (kou'phisma) of sin;" comp. Ecclus. iii. 30. ↩
