Mateus 7
Philoxenus of Mabbug
Mateus 7:13
Now His own righteousness is that which is above the law, concerning which He said, "Enter in at the narrow gate." In the one case, with the law, sometimes thou art afflicted, and sometimes thou hast ease, sometimes thou labourest, and sometimes thou restest, and by these and such like things all thy life of righteousness is woven; but as concerning the rule of Christ it is written, "Enter in at the narrow gate." For well did our Lord go step by step, and like a wise and good Teacher did He bring things from the Old Testament and things from the New Testament unto His disciples, that He might shew, firstly, that He was the Giver of that which was at the beginning and of that which was at the end, and secondly, that He might make His disciples go step by step from lesser unto greater things, and from the command, "Thou shalt love thy God as thyself," unto the command, "Thou shalt love Him more than thyself"; and from the command, "Give of what thou hast," unto the command, "Give away everything that thou hast." — 13 Ascetic Discourses, Discourse 9 -- Second Discourse on Poverty
Mateus 7:13
"Enter ye in at the strait gate," proclaimeth the word of the Redeemer unto all true disciples of His word, for without this gate a man cannot enter into the kingdom of God. For a man is not wholly worthy of the experience of the rule and life of Christ until he hath put to an end in him all feeling for the meats of the world, and he is not able to cut off and to cast away from him this affection, except through the power of patience he cut off from himself pleasure in all things which are lusted after. Now the beginning of abstinence is bitter and severe, but the end thereof is pleasant and sweet. Its burden is heavy unto those who do not feel how light it is, and its load is difficult unto those who do not look into the spiritual riches which are therein, for it is the strait gate which leadeth into the broad country of spiritual beings; and as poverty of possessions is the end of the way of the world, even so is abstinence the beginning of the path of the rule and life of the Gospel. — 13 Ascetic Discourses, Discourse 11 -- On Abstinence
Mateus 7:14
And everywhere, if thou seekest, O disciple, thou wilt find that none of the righteous pleased God in the world without tribulations and labours, for this is the road of the royal city which is above, and that "strait and narrow is the way which leadeth unto life." — 13 Ascetic Discourses, Discourse 11 -- On Abstinence
Mateus 7:15
And moreover our Lord also maketh known that heretics are cunning and crafty, for He said, "Beware of false prophets, which come to you in sheep's clothing, but inwardly are ravening wolves;" and He maketh known also, that when a man appeareth to be one thing and is another, he is a worker of cunning. To appear in sheep's clothing, being actually wolves, was taught unto them by cunning; for cunning ministereth unto two things, it maketh wickedness to grow, and it maketh wickedness to increase, and moreover, it schemeth how it may teach itself to others. Where it is meet to hide, it hideth, and where it knoweth that it is meet to reveal, it revealeth; for wickedness is blind, but cunning hath eyes. — 13 Ascetic Discourses, Discourse 4 -- On Faith: First Discourse on Simplicity
Mateus 7:24
Our Lord and our Redeemer Jesus Christ in His living Gospel invited us to draw nigh in wisdom to the work of keeping His commandments, and to lay within ourselves the foundation of His discipline rightly, in order that the edifice of our life and character might mount up straightly. For he who knoweth not how to begin wisely the building of this tower which goeth up to heaven is not able to complete it or to bring it to the finish which is of wisdom. For knowledge and wisdom should order, and arrange, and work the beginning and end and founding of the edifice, and whosoever beginneth thus is called a wise man by the word of our Redeemer, "Whosoever heareth these My words, and doeth them, is like unto a wise man who hath dug, and made deep, and set his building upon the rock: and the rain descended, and the rivers came, and the winds blew, and beat upon that house; and it fell not; for its foundations were laid upon the rock. But whosoever heareth and doeth not, is like unto a foolish man who set his building upon the sand, and even if feeble things beat upon his building they will sweep it away". We are therefore bound by the word of our Teacher not to be constant listeners only to the Word of God but also constant doers. — 13 Ascetic Discourses, Discourse 1 -- Prologue
Mateus 7:25
Our Lord and our Redeemer Jesus Christ in His living Gospel invited us to draw nigh in wisdom to the work of keeping His commandments, and to lay within ourselves the foundation of His discipline rightly, in order that the edifice of our life and character might mount up straightly. For he who knoweth not how to begin wisely the building of this tower which goeth up to heaven is not able to complete it or to bring it to the finish which is of wisdom. For knowledge and wisdom should order, and arrange, and work the beginning and end and founding of the edifice, and whosoever beginneth thus is called a wise man by the word of our Redeemer, "Whosoever heareth these My words, and doeth them, is like unto a wise man who hath dug, and made deep, and set his building upon the rock: and the rain descended, and the rivers came, and the winds blew, and beat upon that house; and it fell not; for its foundations were laid upon the rock. But whosoever heareth and doeth not, is like unto a foolish man who set his building upon the sand, and even if feeble things beat upon his building they will sweep it away". We are therefore bound by the word of our Teacher not to be constant listeners only to the Word of God but also constant doers. — 13 Ascetic Discourses, Discourse 1 -- Prologue
Mateus 7:26
Our Lord and our Redeemer Jesus Christ in His living Gospel invited us to draw nigh in wisdom to the work of keeping His commandments, and to lay within ourselves the foundation of His discipline rightly, in order that the edifice of our life and character might mount up straightly. For he who knoweth not how to begin wisely the building of this tower which goeth up to heaven is not able to complete it or to bring it to the finish which is of wisdom. For knowledge and wisdom should order, and arrange, and work the beginning and end and founding of the edifice, and whosoever beginneth thus is called a wise man by the word of our Redeemer, "Whosoever heareth these My words, and doeth them, is like unto a wise man who hath dug, and made deep, and set his building upon the rock: and the rain descended, and the rivers came, and the winds blew, and beat upon that house; and it fell not; for its foundations were laid upon the rock. But whosoever heareth and doeth not, is like unto a foolish man who set his building upon the sand, and even if feeble things beat upon his building they will sweep it away". We are therefore bound by the word of our Teacher not to be constant listeners only to the Word of God but also constant doers. — 13 Ascetic Discourses, Discourse 1 -- Prologue
Mateus 7:27
Our Lord and our Redeemer Jesus Christ in His living Gospel invited us to draw nigh in wisdom to the work of keeping His commandments, and to lay within ourselves the foundation of His discipline rightly, in order that the edifice of our life and character might mount up straightly. For he who knoweth not how to begin wisely the building of this tower which goeth up to heaven is not able to complete it or to bring it to the finish which is of wisdom. For knowledge and wisdom should order, and arrange, and work the beginning and end and founding of the edifice, and whosoever beginneth thus is called a wise man by the word of our Redeemer, "Whosoever heareth these My words, and doeth them, is like unto a wise man who hath dug, and made deep, and set his building upon the rock: and the rain descended, and the rivers came, and the winds blew, and beat upon that house; and it fell not; for its foundations were laid upon the rock. But whosoever heareth and doeth not, is like unto a foolish man who set his building upon the sand, and even if feeble things beat upon his building they will sweep it away". We are therefore bound by the word of our Teacher not to be constant listeners only to the Word of God but also constant doers. — 13 Ascetic Discourses, Discourse 1 -- Prologue