I charge thee, before God and Jesus Christ, who shall judge the living and the dead, by his coming, and his kingdom:†2 Preach the word: be instant in season, out of season: reprove, entreat, rebuke in all patience and doctrine.3 For there shall be a time, when they will not endure sound doctrine; but, according to their own desires, they will heap to themselves teachers, having itching ears:†4 And will indeed turn away their hearing from the truth, but will be turned unto fables.5 But be thou vigilant, labour in all things, do the work of an evangelist, fulfill thy ministry. Be sober.6 For I am even now ready to be sacrificed: and the time of my dissolution is at hand.†7 I have fought a good fight, I have finished my course, I have kept the faith.8 As to the rest, there is laid up for me a crown of justice, which the Lord the just judge will render to me in that day: and not only to me, but to them also that love his coming. Make haste to come to me quickly.
But not to dwell upon ancient examples, let us come to the most recent spiritual heroes. Let us take the noble examples furnished in our own generation. Through envy and jealousy the greatest and most righteous pillars [of the church] have been persecuted and put to death. Let us set before our eyes the illustrious apostles... Owing to envy, Paul also obtained the reward of patient endurance, after being seven times thrown into captivity, compelled to flee, and stoned. After preaching both in the east and west, he gained the illustrious reputation due to his faith, having taught righteousness to the whole world, and come to the extreme limit of the west, and suffered martyrdom under the prefects. Thus was he removed from the world, and went into the holy place, having proved himself a striking example of patience.
If any man come to me, and hate not his father, and mother, and wife, and children, and brethren, and sisters, yea and his own life also, he cannot be my disciple.†27 And whosoever doth not carry his cross and come after me, cannot be my disciple.28 For which of you having a mind to build a tower, doth not first sit down, and reckon the charges that are necessary, whether he have wherewithal to finish it:29 Lest, after he hath laid the foundation, and is not able to finish it, all that see it begin to mock him,30 Saying: This man began to build, and was not able to finish.31 Or what king, about to go to make war against another king, doth not first sit down, and think whether he be able, with ten thousand, to meet him that, with twenty thousand, cometh against him?32 Or else, whilst the other is yet afar off, sending an embassy, he desireth conditions of peace.33 So likewise every one of you that doth not renounce all that he possesseth, cannot be my disciple.†34 Salt is good. But if the salt shall lose its savour, wherewith shall it be seasoned?†35 It is neither profitable for the land nor for the dunghill, but shall be cast out. He that hath ears to hear, let him hear.
(in Esai. 2.) Or the tower is a lofty watch-tower fitted for the guardianship of the city and the discovery of the enemy’s approach. In like manner was our understanding given us to preserve the good, to guard against the evil. For the building up whereof the Lord bids us sit down and count our means if we have sufficient to finish.
But our Lord’s intention in the above-mentioned example is not indeed to afford occasion or give liberty to any one to become His disciple or not, as indeed it is lawful not to begin a foundation, or not to treat of peace, but to shew the impossibility of pleasing God, amidst those things which distract the soul, and in which it is in danger of becoming an easy prey to the snares and wiles of the devil.
About CSB. A personal translation of the New Testament, rendered directly from the public-domain Greek in a literary style — not a scholarly critical edition, and not for liturgical or doctrinal authority. It is one reader's work, offered for enjoyment; where it matters, weigh it against an established translation. (Placeholder text — final wording to come.)