But all men are vain, in whom there is not the knowledge of God: and who by these good things that are seen, could not understand him that is, neither by attending to the works have acknowledged who was the workman:2 But have imagined either the fire, or the wind, or the swift air, or the circle of the stars, or the great water, or the sun and moon, to be the gods that rule the world.3 With whose beauty, if they, being delighted, took them to be gods: let them know how much the Lord of them is more beautiful than they: for the first author of beauty made all those things.4 Or if they admired their power and their effects, let them understand by them, that he that made them, is mightier than they:5 For by the greatness of the beauty, and of the creature, the creator of them may be seen, so as to be known thereby.6 But yet as to these they are less to be blamed. For they perhaps err, seeking God, and desirous to find him.7 For being conversant among his works, they search: and they are persuaded that the things are good which are seen.8 But then again they are not to be pardoned.9 For if they were able to know so much as to make a judgment of the world: how did they not more easily find out the Lord thereof?
If it is not possible to see the divine nature with eyes of flesh, it is possible to gain an image of the divine power of the Creator from his works. Solomon says this: "In fact, one knows the author by analogy from the greatness and beauty of creatures." He does not say simply that one knows the author from creatures but adds "by analogy." The more we consider his creatures in a contemplative way, in fact, the more God will show himself to be great. And the more our heart is raised in contemplation, the higher will be the image that we have of God.
The heavens shew forth the glory of God, and the firmament declareth the work of his hands.3 Day to day uttereth speech, and night to night sheweth knowledge.4 There are no speeches nor languages, where their voices are not heard.5 Their sound hath gone forth into all the earth: and their words unto the ends of the world.
He it is who "comes forth as a bridegroom from his bridal chamber." For he [returns] even to the height; "since no one has ascended into heaven except him who has descended from heaven, the Son of man who is in heaven." He repeats this very same fact when he says, "Father, glorify me with the glory that I had with you before the world existed." If this Word descended from heaven as a bridegroom to take on our flesh, so that in taking flesh he might ascend again as Son of man to that place where, as Son of God, the Word had descended, then assuredly, because of a mutual bond, the flesh bears the Word of God, and the Son of God assumes the weakness of the flesh. He ascends with his spouse, the flesh, to the same place from which he had descended without the flesh and receives now that glory that he is shown to have had before the creation of the world. This proves, without the least doubt, that he is God. Nevertheless, since the world itself is said to have been created after him, it is evident that it was created through him. This fact itself gives proof of the glory and the authority of the divinity that is in him, through whom the world was made.
And as it came to pass in the days of Noe, so shall it be also in the days of the Son of man.27 They did eat and drink, they married wives, and were given in marriage, until the day that Noe entered into the ark: and the flood came and destroyed them all.28 Likewise as it came to pass, in the days of Lot: they did eat and drink, they bought and sold, they planted and built.29 And in the day that Lot went out of Sodom, it rained fire and brimstone from heaven, and destroyed them all.30 Even thus shall it be in the day when the Son of man shall be revealed.31 In that hour, he that shall be on the housetop, and his goods in the house, let him not go down to take them away: and he that shall be in the field, in like manner, let him not return back.32 Remember Lot’s wife.33 Whosoever shall seek to save his life, shall lose it: and whosoever shall lose it, shall preserve it.†34 I say to you: in that night there shall be two men in one bed; the one shall be taken, and the other shall be left.35 Two women shall be grinding together: the one shall be taken, and the other shall be left: two men shall be in the field; the one shall be taken, and the other shall be keft.36 They answering, say to him: Where, Lord?37 Who said to them: Wheresoever the body shall be, thither will the eagles also be gathered together.†
Having used the example of the deluge, that no one might expect a future deluge by water, our Lord cites, secondly, the example of Lot, to shew the manner of the destruction of the wicked, namely, that the wrath of God would descend upon them by fire from heaven.
He does not say that fire came down from heaven upon the wicked Sodomites before that Lot went out from them, just as the deluge did not swallow up the inhabitants of the earth before that Noah entered the ark; for as long as Noah and Lot dwelt with the wicked, God suspended His anger that they might not perish together with the sinners, but when He would destroy those, He withdrew the righteous. So also at the end of the world, the consummation shall not come before all the just are separated from the wicked.
He hereby implies that a persecution will come from the son of perdition upon Christ’s faithful. By that day then He means the time previous to the end of the world, in which let not him who is flying return, nor care to lose his goods, lest he imitate Lot’s wife, who when she fled out of the city of Sodom, turning back, died, and became a pillar of salt.
Or by the eagles feeding on the dead animals, he has here described the rulers of the world, and those who shall at that time persecute the saints of God, in whose power are left all those who are unworthy of being taken up, who are called the body or carcase. Or by the eagles are meant the avenging powers which shall fly about to torment the wicked.
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.)