First Christian Voices: Practices of the Apostolic Fathers

60

First Christian Voices

will understand the parable of the Lord except him who is wise and discerning and who loves his Lord?” ( Prov 1:6; Isa 40:13 ). Since, therefore, He has renewed us by the remission of our sins, He has made us after another model so that we should possess the soul of children. That is, He has created us anew by His Spirit. For the Scripture speaks about us when He speaks to the Son, “Let us make man in our image, after our likeness. And let them have dominion over the fish of the sea and over the birds of the heavens and over the livestock” (Gen 1:26). And the Lord said, when He saw the creation, “Be fruitful and multiply and fill the earth” (Gen 1:28). These things He said to the Son. Again, I will show you what the Lord says. He has made a second creation in these last days. And the Lord says, “So the last will be first, and the first last” (Matt 20:16). In reference to this, then, the Prophet proclaimed, “Go up to a land flowing with milk and honey, and have dominion over it” ( Exod 33:3 ). Behold, therefore, we have been refashioned, as again He says in another Prophet, “I will remove the heart of stone from those who the Spirit of the Lord foresaw, and give them a heart of flesh” ( Ezek 11:19 ), because He was to be revealed in flesh and to walk among us. For, my friends, the dwelling of our heart is a holy temple to the Lord. For again the Lord says, “And with what will I appear before the Lord my God and be glorified?” ( Ps 42:2 ). He says, “I will tell of your name to my brothers; in the midst of the congregation I will praise you” (Ps 22:22). We, then, are they who He has led into the good land.