Wherefore, my dearly beloved, (as you have always obeyed, not as in my presence only, but much more now in my absence,) with fear and trembling work out your salvation.13 For it is God who worketh in you, both to will and to accomplish, according to his good will.14 And do ye all things without murmurings and hesitations;15 That you may be blameless, and sincere children of God, without reproof, in the midst of a crooked and perverse generation; among whom you shine as lights in the world.16 Holding forth the word of life to my glory in the day of Christ, because I have not run in vain, nor laboured in vain.17 Yea, and if I be made a victim upon the sacrifice and service of your faith, I rejoice, and congratulate with you all.18 And for the selfsame thing do you also rejoice, and congratulate with me.
Such is the Word, such is the Instructor, the Creator of the world and of man: and of Himself, now the world's Instructor, by whose command we and the universe subsist, and await judgment. "For it is not he who brings a stealthy vocal word to men," as Bacchylidis says, "who shall be the Word of Wisdom;" but "the blameless, the pure, and faultless sons of God," according to Paul, "in the midst of a crooked and perverse generation, to shine as lights in the world."
The psalm of David before he was anointed. The Lord is my light and my salvation, whom shall I fear? The Lord is the protector of my life: of whom shall I be afraid?4 One thing I have asked of the Lord, this will I seek after; that I may dwell in the house of the Lord all the days of my life. That I may see the delight of the Lord, and may visit his temple.13 I believe to see the good things of the Lord in the land of the living.14 Expect the Lord, do manfully, and let thy heart take courage, and wait thou for the Lord.
[The Holy Spirit] is called Comforter, because he comforts and encourages us and "helps our weakness. For we do not know what we should pray for as we ought, but the Spirit himself pleads for us with unutterable groanings," that is, clearly, to God. Often a person for Christ's sake is treated with contumely and unjustly dishonored; martyrdom is at hand, tortures on every side, fire, swords, wild beasts and the abyss; but the Holy Spirit gently whispers, "Wait for the Lord," for your present sufferings are slight, while your rewards will be great; endure for a little while, and you will be with the angels forever. "The sufferings of the present time are not worthy to be compared with the glory to come that will be revealed in us." He portrays for the person the kingdom of heaven and even gives him a glimpse of the paradise of pleasure; and the martyrs, who must present their bodily countenances to their judges, are in spirit already in paradise, despise what appear to be hardships.
And there went great multitudes with him. And turning, he said to them:26 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.†
By bearing the cross also he announced the death of his Lord, saying, The world is crucified to me, and I to the world, (Gal. 6:14.) which we also anticipate at our very baptism, in which our old man is crucified, that the body of sin may be destroyed.
(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.)