First Christian Voices: Practices of the Apostolic Fathers

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First Christian Voices

to receive my title, being the least of them. Farewell in Jesus Christ. Continue to be subject to the bishop as to the command and to the elders also. And each of you, do love one another with an undivided heart. Let my spirit be sanctified by yours, not only now, but also when I will reach God. For I am as yet exposed to danger. But the Father is faithful in Jesus Christ to fulfill both mine and your requests. In Him may you be found unblameable. B arnabas 2 b –3: For He has revealed to us by all the prophets that He needs neither sacrifices, nor burnt offerings, nor any other offering saying, “What to me is the multitude of your sacrifices?” says the Lord; “I have had enough of burnt offerings of rams and the fat of well-fed beasts; I do not delight in the blood of bulls, or of lambs, or of goats. “When you come to appear before me, who has required of your this trampling of my courts? Bring no more vain offerings; incense is an abomination to me. New moon and Sabbath and the calling of convocations—I cannot endure iniquity and solemn assembly.” (Isa 1:11–13) He has therefore abolished these things that the new law of our Lord Jesus Christ, which is without the burden, might have a human offering. And again, He says to them, “For in the day that I brought them out of the land of Egypt, I did not speak to your fathers or command them concerning burnt offerings and sacrifices. But this command I gave them: ‘Do not devise evil in your hearts against one another, and love no false oath.’” ( Jer 7:22–23; Zech 8:17 )