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Xii.—The Importance Of Knowledge To True Spiritual Life.Apostolic Fathers 381ListenPlay this chapter in spoken English.Save chapterListen to chapter1When you have read and carefully listened to these things, you shall know what God bestows on such as rightly love Him, being made [as ye are] a paradise of delight, presenting[1521] in yourselves a tree bearing all kinds of produce and flourishing well, being adorned with various fruits. For in this place[1522] the tree of knowledge and the tree of life have been planted; but it is not the tree of knowledge that destroys—it is disobedience that proves destructive. Nor truly are those words without significance which are written, how God from the beginning planted the tree of life in the midst of paradise, revealing through knowledge the way to life,[1523] and when those who were first formed did not use this [knowledge] properly, they were, through the fraud of the serpent, stripped naked.[1524] For neither can life exist without knowledge, nor is knowledge secure without life. Wherefore both were planted close together. The apostle, perceiving the force [of this conjunction], and blaming that knowledge which, without true doctrine, is admitted to influence life,[1525] declares, “Knowledge puffeth up, but love edifieth.” For he who thinks he knows anything without true knowledge, and such as is witnessed to by life, knows nothing, but is deceived by the serpent, as not[1526] loving life. But he who combines knowledge with fear, and seeks after life, plants in hope, looking for fruit. Let your heart be your wisdom; and let your life be true knowledge[1527] inwardly received. 2Bearing this tree and displaying its fruit, thou shalt always gather[1528] in those things which are desired by God, which the serpent cannot reach, and to which deception does not approach; nor is Eve then corrupted,[1529] but is trusted as a virgin; and salvation is manifested, and the apostles are filled with understanding, and the passover of the Lord advances, and the choirs are gathered together, and are arranged in proper order, and the Word rejoices in teaching the saints,—by whom the Father is glorified: to whom be glory for ever. Amen. 3Literally, “trusting in what God, etc., they look down.” 4Some read, “that you by hearing may be edified.” 5Literally, “of what substance, or of what form.” 6Some make this and the following clauses affirmative instead of interrogative. 7The text is here corrupt. Several attempts at emendation have been made, but without any marked success. 8Some read, “Who of you would tolerate these things?” etc. 9The text is here uncertain, and the sense obscure. The meaning seems to be, that by sprinkling their gods with blood, etc., they tended to prove that these were not possessed of sense. 10The text is here very doubtful. We have followed that adopted by most critics. 11Otto, resting on MS. authority, omits the negative, but the sense seems to require its insertion. 12This seems to refer to the practice of the Jews in fixing the beginning of the day, and consequently of the Sabbath, from the rising of the stars. They used to say, that when three stars of moderate magnitude appeared, it was night; when two, it was twilight; and when only one, that day had not yet departed. It thus came to pass (according to their night-day (νυχθήμερον) reckoning), that whosoever engaged in work on the evening of Friday, the beginning of the Sabbath, after three stars of moderate size were visible, was held to have sinned, and had to present a trespass-offering; and so on, according to the fanciful rule described. 13Otto thus supplies the lacuna which here occurs in the MSS., καταδ[ιαιρεῖν]. 14The great festivals of the Jews are here referred to on the one hand, and the day of atonement on the other. 15Otto omits “bed,” which is an emendation, and gives the second common the sense of unclean. 16Or, “though punished, increase in number daily.” 17The word “sun,” though omitted in the MSS., should manifestly be inserted. 18Literally, “has received to observe.” 19God here refers to the person sent. 20A considerable gap here occurs in the MSS. 21Literally, “these things are the marvels and error.” 22The sense is here very obscure. We have followed the text of Otto, who fills up the lacuna in the MS. as above. Others have, “to see, and to handle Him.” 23Otto refers for a like contrast between these two times to Rom. iii. 21-26, v. 20, and Gal. iv. 4. 24The reading and sense are doubtful. 25Both the text and rendering are here somewhat doubtful, but the sense will in any case be much the same. 26Many variations here occur in the way in which the lacuna of the MSS. is to be supplied. They do not, however, greatly affect the meaning. 27In the MS. “saying” is here inserted, as if the words had been regarded as a quotation from Isa. liii. 11. 28Thus Otto supplies the lacuna; others conjecture somewhat different supplements. 29So Böhl. Sylburgius and Otto read, “in the earth.” 30Some render, “nor do I rashly seek to persuade others.” 31Some propose to read, “and becoming a friend to the Word.” 32It has been proposed to connect this with the preceding sentence, and read, “have known the mysteries of the Father, viz. for what purpose He sent the Word.” 33Literally, “knowledge without the truth of a command exercised to life.” See 1 Cor. viii. 1. 34The MS. is here defective. Some read, “on account of the love of life.” 35The meaning seems to be, that if the tree of true knowledge and life be planted within you, you shall continue free from blemishes and sins. ‹Previous chapterApostolic Fathers 380Next chapterApostolic Fathers 382›Similar passagesBy tradition and source labelFind similarCompare selectedCompare with similarAsk Deep ThoughtSelect passages to search for parallels.Tap any verse to select it, then compare selected passages or ask Deep Thought. Public domain in the United States via Project Gutenberg