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The Teaching of the Twelve Apostles
1. My child, him that speaketh to thee the word of God remember night and day; and thou shalt honour him as the Lord;[2410] for in the place whence lordly rule is uttered,[2411] there is the Lord. 2. And thou shalt seek out day by day the faces of the saints, in order that thou mayest rest upon[2412] their words. 3. Thou shalt not long for[2413] division, but shalt bring those who contend to peace. Thou shalt judge righteously, thou shalt not respect persons in reproving for transgressions. 4. Thou shalt not be undecided whether it shall be or no.[2414] 5. Be not a stretcher forth of the hands to receive and a drawer of them back to give.[2415] 6. If thou hast aught, through thy hands thou shalt give ransom for thy sins.[2416] 7. Thou shalt not hesitate to give, nor murmur when thou givest; for thou shalt know who is the good repayer of the hire. 8. Thou shalt not turn away from him that is in want, but thou shalt share all things with thy brother, and shalt not say that they are thine own; for if ye are partakers in that which is immortal, how much more in things which are mortal?[2417] 9. Thou shalt not remove thy hand from thy son or from thy daughter, but from their youth shalt teach them the fear of God.[2418] 10. Thou shalt not enjoin aught in thy bitterness upon thy bondman or maidservant, who hope in the same God, lest ever they shall fear not God who is over both;[2419] for he cometh not to call according to the outward appearance, but unto them whom the Spirit hath prepared. 11. And ye bondmen shall be subject to your[2420] masters as to a type of God, in modesty and fear.[2421] 12. Thou shalt hate all hypocrisy and everything which is not pleasing to the Lord. 13. Do thou in no wise forsake the commandments of the Lord; but thou shalt keep what thou hast received, neither adding thereto nor taking away therefrom.[2422] 14. In the church[2423] thou shalt acknowledge thy transgressions, and thou shalt not come near for thy prayer[2424] with an evil conscience.[2425] This is the way of life.[2426]
1. And the way of death[2428] is this: First of all it is evil and full of curse:[2429] murders,[2430] adulteries, lusts, fornications, thefts, idolatries, magic arts, witchcrafts, rapines, false witnessings, hypocrisies, double-heartedness, deceit, haughtiness, depravity, self-will, greediness, filthy talking, jealousy, over-confidence, loftiness, boastfulness; 2. persecutors of the good,[2431] hating truth, loving a lie, not knowing a reward for righteousness, not cleaving[2432] to good nor to righteous judgment, watching not for that which is good, but for that which is evil; from whom meekness and endurance are far, loving vanities, pursuing requital, not pitying a poor man, not labouring for the afflicted, not knowing Him that made them, murderers of children, destroyers of the handiwork of God, turning away from him that is in want, afflicting him that is distressed, advocates of the rich, lawless judges of the poor, utter sinners.[2433] Be delivered, children, from all these.[2434]
1. See that no one cause thee to err[2436] from this way of the Teaching, since apart from God it teacheth thee. 2. For if thou art able to bear all the yoke[2437] of the Lord, thou wilt be perfect; but if thou art not able, what thou art able that do. 3. And concerning food,[2438] bear what thou art able; but against that which is sacrificed to idols[2439] be exceedingly on thy guard; for it is the service of dead gods.[2440]
1. And concerning baptism,[2441] thus baptize ye:[2442] Having first said all these things, baptize into the name of the Father, and of the Son, and of the Holy Spirit,[2443] in living water.[2444] 2. But if thou have not living water, baptize into other water; and if thou canst not in cold, in warm. 3. But if thou have not either, pour out water thrice[2445] upon the head into the name of Father and Son and Holy Spirit. 4. But before the baptism let the baptizer fast, and the baptized, and whatever others can; but thou shalt order the baptized to fast one or two days before.[2446]
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