Chapter 25

1If any Christian has been brought before the judgment seat of the ungodly—whether for execution, banishment, imprisonment, or delivery to wild beasts—for the name of our Lord Jesus Christ, the true faith, and the love of God, do not turn your face away. Send such people sustenance from your own possessions and from the sweat of your brow. Also provide sustenance for the soldiers who guard them, so that they may not afflict them with severe torment. Do not reject your Christian brother who has been dragged before the judgment seat for the name of the Lord our God. He is a holy martyr, the brother of our Lord, a son of the Most High, and a dwelling place of the Holy Spirit. He is a faithful witness who has kept the commandment of the Gospel and inherited the crown of life. He is a martyr for the sake of the sufferings of our Lord Jesus Christ and the [koinōnia] of his precious blood.

2Therefore, you faithful, serve the saints with your labor and your possessions. Let those who have no money fast for their sake, and let those who have money give a portion of their possessions to the saints. If anyone gives all his possessions as a ransom to save them, he is blessed and is a friend of Christ. If anyone who gives his possessions to the poor is chosen and holy, how much more is one who freely gives his possessions for the sake of the martyrs? He has fulfilled the will of God and imitated the saints who confessed our Lord before Gentiles, kings, and the people of Israel. For it is said, “Whoever confesses me in the presence of men, I also will confess in the presence of my Father who is in heaven.” Christ, then, will bear witness before the Father concerning those who do this.

3As for you, it is not right for you to be negligent or ashamed to go to the prison and visit the prisoners. Instead, help and comfort them. If you do this, you will be counted with the martyrs. Their witness is recorded because they have suffered and been afflicted, and you also will be counted with them because you served them with a willing heart and good ministry, without sloth. Concerning these, our Lord says, “Come to me, you who are blessed by my Father. Inherit the kingdom prepared for you before the world existed. For I was hungry, and you gave me food; I was thirsty, and you gave me drink; I was a stranger, and you received me; I was naked, and you clothed me; I was sick, and you visited me; I was in prison, and you spoke to me.” Then the righteous will answer and say, “Lord, when did we see you hungry and give you food, or thirsty and give you drink? When did we see you as a stranger and receive you, or naked and clothe you, or sick and visit you, or in prison and speak to you?” The King will answer and say to them, “Truly I say to you, whatever you did for one of these little ones, you did for me.” Then he will say to those on his left hand, “Depart, you cursed, into the eternal fire prepared for Satan and his angels. For I was hungry, and you gave me no food; I was thirsty, and you gave me no drink; I was a stranger, and you did not receive me; I was naked, and you did not clothe me; I was sick, and you did not visit me; I was in prison, and you did not speak to me.” Then those on the left hand will answer, saying, “Lord, when did we see you hungry, thirsty, a stranger, naked, sick, or in prison, and not minister to you?” Then the King will answer them, saying, “Truly I say to you, whatever you did not do for one of these little ones, you did not do for me.” These will go away into eternal condemnation, but the righteous into eternal life.

4If anyone says, “I am a Christian,” but does evil, commits fornication, and is impure, and a sentence of death is passed upon him, keep far away from such a person. Christians should not transgress or break the law by doing evil. Instead, they should turn away from the ungodly and unbelieving and have no fellowship with them.

5But as for those whom the ungodly have imprisoned, banished, bound, or delivered over to death for the sake of Christ’s name, take care to rescue your brothers and fellow members from the hands of the ungodly. If any Christian has labored for their sake, he is blessed, for he will be counted with the martyrs because he has suffered for Christ’s sake. In the same way, suffering and affliction came upon us from Caiaphas, Alexander and those with him, and Annas the high priest. Afterward, we went out from them rejoicing that we had been found worthy to endure the sufferings of Christ. In the same way, you also must endure patiently and rejoice in suffering, so that you may be blessed on that day.

6But whoever associates with the ungodly and has denied Christ so that unbelievers will not hate him, and who loves himself more than his Lord—in whose hand is his breath—is hated, despised, and tormented by God. He has preferred the love of man, become a hater of God, and sided with the accursed rather than with the saints. Instead of the kingdom prepared for the blessed, he has chosen for himself the eternal fire of Gehenna prepared for Satan and his angels. Concerning such a person, our Lord answered and said, “Whoever denies me in the presence of men, I also will deny in the presence of my Father who is in heaven.” Again, he commanded, saying, “Whoever loves father or mother more than me is not worthy of me, and whoever loves his son or daughter more than me is not worthy of me. Whoever does not take up his cross and follow after me is not worthy of me. Whoever finds his life, let him lose it, and whoever loses his life for my sake will find it. What does it profit a man if he gains the whole world and loses his life? What would he not give as a ransom for his life?” Again he says, “Do not fear those who kill your bodies but are unable to kill your souls. Rather, fear him who is able to destroy both soul and body in Gehenna.”

7It is right for one who has learned a craft to teach others, and if he does not teach others, he is not perfect like his master. Jesus Christ is our Savior and our Master. How, then, can we fail to love teaching and admonition? Our Lord hated haughtiness, pride, luxury, riches, covetousness, and revenge. Moreover, he regarded sister and mother as of little account for love of his Father and love of humanity. He also patiently endured suffering, stripes, reproach, reviling, and mockery. Beyond that, he was wounded on the cross to save all who believe in him. If he patiently endured all this, did not disdain to be crucified on the cross, and patiently endured the sufferings of death, how can we fail to endure the sufferings of our Savior? But although he suffered willingly for our sake, we do not suffer for his sake, but rather hope for his mercy. There is nothing he desires to receive from us except belief in the right faith.

8Therefore, let us regard our parents, relatives, friends, wives, children, and all the good things of this world as of little account. If we love these, we will not keep this commandment. Nevertheless, let us take care that we do not enter into temptation. When we are called to bear witness, let us hold firmly to our faith in the precious name of our Savior. Let us rejoice and endure patiently when we are persecuted, so that we may inherit eternal life. Let us not love honor and praise as the Jewish people did, who rejected Christ’s miracles and did not believe in him because they feared the chief priests. They preferred praise from men rather than praise from God. But we have believed in the right faith so that we may instruct the new converts who have received baptism and strengthen the hearts of the catechumens. If we keep the faith in our hearts but, through fear of condemnation and affliction, do not speak it boldly before others, we will forfeit eternal life. Moreover, we will become a stumbling block to others and a snare to many. If we act in this way, we will receive a twofold penalty.

9Let us take care, then, that we do not fall into affliction, and let us pray that we do not enter into temptation. For the spirit is willing, but the flesh is weak. Let us be wise so that we do not fall away from this right faith through fear of the ungodly and unbelieving, for our years are few. If anyone abandons his hope in Jesus Christ, the Son of God, throughout his life, he will be afflicted with suffering for which there is no remedy and with wrath that weakens the limbs and breaks the bones. Hereafter, he will lose eternal life and be punished in the fire of Gehenna, amid weeping and gnashing of teeth. But whoever has suffered for the Lord and become a martyr will rejoice in God, because he has chosen for himself the crown of the kingdom, and his departure from this world has been perfected in the right faith.

10If a catechumen suffers, patiently endures affliction, and dies for Christ’s sake, his sufferings will take the place of baptism for him, and he will obtain a good hope and eternal life. Others also who have fought a good fight and died for Christ’s name in the right faith will rejoice and be glad, for they have kept their Master’s admonition. For he says, “Be worthy as your Master is worthy.” Our Lord Jesus Christ suffered for our sake and patiently endured reviling and mockery. He bore the spitting of the unclean, reproach, reviling, and blows. After this they scourged him, pierced him on the cross, and gave him vinegar mixed with gall to drink. When he had accomplished everything that was written, he said to God, “Father, behold, into your hand I commend my soul.” Whoever desires to be a disciple must patiently endure suffering and affliction and bear stripes with a brave and loving heart.

11If he is cast into the fire, nothing will touch him, just as the Three Children were saved from the fiery furnace. Everyone who has suffered for his sake will receive a reward, because he has believed in one God, the Father, and in Jesus Christ, the great High Priest, our teacher, the guide of our souls, and the giver of our life. To him be glory for ever and ever. Amen.

12He, then, is the Lord God Almighty, our Savior Jesus Christ, who will strengthen us in his faith and raise us up with those who have fallen asleep and have fulfilled his will perfectly, without omission. If we are drowned in the sea, or if beasts and birds devour our flesh, not one hair of our heads will perish, for the world and everything in it are held in his hand. Therefore, he taught us, saying, “By your patience you will possess your souls.” On the last day every creature will rise again, both the righteous and sinners.

13Concerning the resurrection of the dead and the reward of the martyrs.

14If the ungodly who do not believe the Holy Scriptures mock us, behold, the Sibyl, their own prophetess, makes their hearts glad and says to them, “When the flesh has decayed and become dust, fire will consume it by the command of God, who does not grow old or decay. God will raise again the bones that were burned in the fire and became ashes. Then God will pronounce the sentence of judgment upon the whole world. Those who have done evil will descend into the depths of the earth, while those who have kept his commandment will have eternal life. God will give them the spirit of life, and those who are saved will look upon one another.”

15If they do not believe in the resurrection, let them not reject belief in another creature. Behold, the bird called the phoenix will make the ungodly understand, for they themselves say that it is the only one of its kind. They say that this bird lives for five hundred years. It then goes down to Egypt, bringing cinnamon, cassia, and aloe wood with it. It alights upon the image of the idol called [Ion], looks toward the east, and worships the Sun. It is then consumed and reduced to ashes. A small worm comes forth from the ashes and becomes a young phoenix. When it is fully grown, it returns to the land of Arabia. If they know of the resurrection of this bird, how can they question us about what we say and believe? Cannot he who created man out of nothing raise the dead by his great power? Therefore, it is right for us to endure patiently the various sufferings and afflictions that come upon us. But if we do not believe in the resurrection of the dead, our suffering and affliction are in vain.

16We believe what Moses says: “In the beginning God made heaven and earth.” There was nothing that he needed, for all things are created by his Word. It was his pleasure that there should be heaven and earth, light and darkness, night and day, stars, birds, whales, beasts, creeping things, trees, and plants. Thus he raised them up by his will and needed no other helper. By his power he is able to renew the world again and to raise the dead. Man, however, was not created first, but God created him from the four elements and gave him a soul. In the same way, he will give back to this the body of flesh that has dissolved. For resurrection is for those who have fallen asleep, not for those who have never been created. He created it from what was without flesh and placed many wonders within it. He will again raise up and save those who have fallen asleep, just as he created flesh from seed in the womb.

17As Jeremiah the prophet says, “Before I created you in the womb, I knew you.” Again it is said, “I am the Lord who created the heavens and laid the foundations of the earth, and I create the soul in man.” As Scripture says concerning this, God the Father said to his only-begotten Son, Jesus Christ, “Let us make man in our image and in our likeness.” Then God created them male and female. Furthermore, the holy victor Job—of whom Scripture says, “He will rise with those whom the Lord raises”—says: “You have milked me like milk and curdled me like cheese. You have clothed me with flesh and skin and bound my bones with sinews. You have shown me compassion and mercy, and your visitation has preserved my spirit. I know this concerning you: you can do all things, and nothing is impossible for you.”

18Again, David, the lover of God, says, “Your hands have made and fashioned me; give me understanding, and I will learn your commandment.” Elsewhere he says, “You have created me and laid your hand upon me. Your work is marvelous, and my soul knows it very well. My bones were not hidden from you, which you made in secret, nor was my substance, which was beneath the earth. Your eyes have seen what I have done, and all is written in your book.” Isaiah also says, “We are the clay, and you have created us.” If, then, human beings are God’s creation, made by Christ, they will be raised with Christ. Those who have done his will will receive honor and the crown of life. Thus the ungodly and unbelieving, who have not received baptism and do not believe in the resurrection, will be condemned to eternal punishment, but those who have done good will shine like stars of light. For David says, “The Lord is faithful in all his words and righteous in all his works.”

19He who created for himself a body from a virgin—he who is the Creator of the whole world—is the only one who has risen from the dead. Moreover, he will cause all the dead to rise. He causes a grain of wheat to spring from the earth and multiplies its fruit. He is able to make a tree that has been cut down spring up again and multiply its branches. He caused Aaron’s dry rod to blossom, and in the same way he is also able to raise us with him into the glory with which he ascended. He straightened the feet of the lame, cured the paralyzed, and healed the man whose hand was withered. He spat on the ground, made clay, and anointed the eyes of the man born blind. He healed wasted limbs; will he not also be able to raise us?

20He satisfied five thousand people with five barley loaves and two fish, and they gathered twelve full baskets of what remained. He turned water into wine. He sent Peter, who took a penny from the fish’s mouth. He is the one who will raise the dead.

21Behold, we are his witnesses concerning everything the prophets proclaimed about him. We, his companions, ate and drank with him and saw his miracles and his life. We also saw his sufferings, agony, death, and resurrection. We heard his words, were his friends, and remained with him for forty days. After he rose from the dead, he charged us to proclaim the preaching of the holy Gospel throughout the world. He commanded us to baptize into the name of the Father, the Son, and the Holy Spirit, who is the Paraclete, the Spirit of truth. When he had given this charge, he ascended into heaven, in the flesh that he took from us, to the Father who had sent him. If you believe in this way, you are blessed. But if you do not believe, you are far from him because you have not kept his commandment.