Chap. xvii.--the danger of impenitence.
Let us therefore repent from the whole heart, that no one of us perish by the way. For if we have commandments that we should also practice this, 1 to draw away men from idols and instruct them, how much more ought a soul already knowing God not to perish! Let us therefore assist one another that we may also lead up those weak as to what is good, 2 in order that all may be saved; and let us convert and admonish one another. 3 4 And let us not think to give heed and believe now only, while we are admonished by the presbyters, but also when we have returned home, 5 6 remembering the commandments 7 of the Lord; and let us not be dragged away by worldly lusts, but coming 8 more frequently let us attempt to make advances in the commandments of the Lord, that all being of the same mind 9 we may be gathered together unto life. For the Lord said, "I come to gather together all the nations, tribes, and tongues." 10 This He speaketh of the day of His appearing, when He shall come and redeem us, each one according to his works. 11 And the unbelievers "shall see His glory," and strength; and they shall think it strange when they see the sovereignty 12 of the world in Jesus, saying, Woe unto us, Thou wast He, 13 and we did not know and did not believe, and we did not obey the presbyters when they declared unto us concerning our salvation. And "their worm dieth not, and their fire is not quenched, and they shall be for a spectacle unto all flesh." 14 He speaketh of that day of judgment, when they shall see those among us 15 that have been ungodly and acted deceitfully with the commandments of Jesus Christ. But the righteous who have done well and endured torments and hated the enjoyments of the soul, when they shall behold those that have gone astray and denied Jesus through their words or through their works, how that they are punished with grievous torments in unquenchable fire, shall be giving glory to God, saying, There will be hope for him that hath served God with his whole heart.
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Lightfoot, with Syriac, reads hina kai` touto pra'ssomen. Comits hina, and reads pra'ssomen, "If we have commandments and practise this." ↩
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Here Lightfoot thinks a verb has probably fallen out of the text. ↩
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Bryennios thus connects: "in order that all may be saved, and may convert," etc. ↩
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"This clearly shows that the work before us is a sermon delivered in church" (Lightfoot). The preacher is himself one of "the presbyters;" comp. chap. xix. It is possible, but cannot be proven, that he was the head of the presbyters, the parochial bishop. ↩
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entalma'ton, not the technical word for the commandments of the Decalogue (entolai). ↩
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Syriac, "praying," which Lightfoot thinks may be correct; but prosercho'menoi might very easily be mistaken for proseucho'menoi. The former means coming in worship: comp. Heb. x. 1, 22. ↩
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2 Cor. xiii. 11; Phil. ii. 2. ↩
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Isa. lxvi. 18. But "tribes" is inserted; comp. Dan. iii. 7. The phrase "shall see His glory" is from the passage in Isaiah, The language seems to be put into the mouth of Christ by the preacher. ↩
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This implies various degrees of reward among these redeemed. ↩
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to` basi'leion; not exactly "the kingdom," rather "the kingly rule." en to 'Iesou is rightly explained by Lightfoot, "in the hands, in the power, of Jesus;" xenisthesontai is rendered above "shall think it strange," as in 1 Pet. iv. 4, 12. ↩
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"He" is properly supplied as frequently in the Gospels. There seems to be a reminiscence of John viii. 24 and similar passages. ↩
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Isa. lxvi. 24; comp. chap. vii. above. ↩
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C reads humin, as often, for hemin, Syriac, accepted by all editors. ↩
