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| Chapter XV.—What Christ himself taught.
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Chapter XV.—What Christ himself
taught.
Concerning chastity, He uttered such sentiments as
these:1785
| 1785 The reader will
notice that Justin quotes from memory, so that there are some slight
discrepancies between the words of Jesus as here cited, and the same
sayings as recorded in our Gospels. | “Whosoever looketh
upon a woman to lust after her, hath committed adultery with her already
in his heart before God.” And, “If thy right eye offend thee,
cut it out; for it is better for thee to enter into the kingdom of heaven
with one eye, than, having two eyes, to be cast into everlasting
fire.” And, “Whosoever
shall marry her that is divorced from another husband, committeth
adultery.”1786
And, “There
are some who have been made eunuchs of men, and some who were born
eunuchs, and some who have made themselves eunuchs for the kingdom of
heaven’s sake; but all cannot receive this saying.”1787
So that all who, by human law, are twice
married,1788
| 1788 διγαμίας ποιούμενοι, lit.
contracting a double marriage. Of double marriages there are three kinds:
the first, marriage with a second wife while first still recognised by God as a lawful wife, or bigamy; the second, marriage with a
second wife after divorce from the first, and third, marriage with a
second wife after the death of the first. It is thought that Justin here
refers to the second case. | are in the eye of our Master
sinners, and those who look upon a woman to lust after her. For not only
he who in act commits adultery is rejected by Him, but also he who
desires to commit adultery: since not only our works, but also our
thoughts, are open before God. And many, both men and women, who have
been Christ’s disciples from childhood, remain pure at the age of
sixty or seventy years; and I boast that I could produce such from every
race of men. For what shall I say, too, of the countless multitude of
those who have reformed intemperate habits, and learned these things?
For Christ called not the just nor the
chaste to repentance, but the ungodly, and the licentious, and the
unjust; His words being, “I came not to call the righteous, but
sinners to repentance.”1789
For the
heavenly Father desires rather the repentance than the punishment of the
sinner. And of our love to all, He taught thus: “If ye love them
that love you, what new thing do ye? for even fornicators do this. But I
say unto you, Pray for your enemies, and love them that hate you, and
bless them that curse you, and pray for them that despitefully use
you.”1790
And that we should communicate to the needy,
and do nothing for glory, He said, “Give to him that asketh, and
from him that would borrow turn not away; for if ye lend to them of whom
ye hope to receive, what new thing do ye? even the publicans do this. Lay
not up for yourselves treasure upon earth, where moth and rust doth
corrupt, and where robbers break through; but lay up for yourselves
treasure in heaven, where neither moth nor rust doth corrupt. For what is
a man profited, if he shall gain the whole world, and lose his own soul?
or what shall a man give in exchange for it? Lay up treasure, therefore,
in heaven, where neither moth nor rust doth corrupt.”1791
And,
“Be ye kind and merciful, as your Father also is kind and merciful,
and maketh His sun to rise on sinners, and the righteous, and the wicked.
Take no thought what ye shall eat, or what ye shall put on:
are ye not better than the birds and the beasts? And God feedeth them.
Take no thought, therefore, what ye shall eat, or what ye shall put on;
for your heavenly Father knoweth that ye have need of these things. But
seek ye the kingdom of heaven, and all these things shall be added unto
you. For where his treasure is, there also is the mind of a
man.”1792
And, “Do
not these things to be seen of men; otherwise ye have no reward from your
Father which is in heaven.”1793
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