First Christian Voices: Practices of the Apostolic Fathers

Chapter 6: The Church

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should acquire another for themselves. The Prophet therefore declares, “Be appalled, O heavens, at this,” declares the Lord, “because my people have committed two evils: they have forsaken me, the fountain of living waters, and hewed out for themselves broken cisterns. Is my holy hill Zion a desolate rock? For you will be like fleeing birds, which fly away when the nest is scattered.” ( Jer 2:12–13; Isa 16:2 ) And again the Prophet says, I will go before you and level the exalted places, I will break in pieces the doors of bronze and cut through the bars of iron, I will give you the treasures of darkness and the hoards in secret places, that you may know that it is I, the Lord. (Isa 45:2–3) And, “He will dwell on the heights; his place of defense will be the fortresses of rocks” (Isa 33:16). Furthermore, what does He say about the Son? “His water will be sure. Your eyes will behold the king in his beauty” (Isa 33:16–17), “your heart will muse on the fear of the Lord” ( Isa 33:18 ). And again He says in another Prophet, He is like a tree planted by streams of water that yields its fruit in its season, and its leaf does not wither. In all that he does, he prospers. The wicked are not so, but are like chaff that the wind drives away. Therefore, the wicked will not stand in the judgment, nor sinners in the congregation of the righteous; for the Lord knows the way of the righteous, but the way of the wicked will perish. (Ps 1:3–6)