The Beatitudes

And seeing the multitudes, he went up into a mountain: and when he was set, his disciples came unto him: And he opened his mouth, and taught them, saying, Blessed are the poor in spirit: for theirs is the kingdom of heaven. Blessed are they that mourn: for they shall be comforted. Blessed are the meek: for they shall inherit the earth. Blessed are they which do hunger and thirst after righteousness: for they shall be filled. Blessed are the merciful: for they shall obtain mercy. Blessed are the pure in heart: for they shall see God. Blessed are the peacemakers: for they shall be called the children of God. Blessed are they which are persecuted for righteousness' sake: for theirs is the kingdom of heaven. Blessed are ye, when men shall revile you, and persecute you, and shall say all manner of evil against you falsely, for my sake. Rejoice, and be exceeding glad: for great is your reward in heaven: for so persecuted they the prophets which were before you.

ORIGEN: Notice how often the word "the multitudes" is mentioned, and also the word "the disciples." If you watch for this and put the passages together, you can see that the evangelists aim to show, through the Gospel story, the differences among those who come to Jesus. Some are the multitudes and are not called disciples; others are the disciples who are better than the multitudes. For now, it is enough for us to share a few sayings, then anyone who is stirred by them can do the same with the whole Gospels. It is written as if the multitudes were below, but the disciples were able to come to Jesus when he went up into the mountain, where the multitudes were not able to be. It says, "And seeing the multitudes, he went up into the mountain. And when he had sat down, his disciples came to him, and he opened his mouth and taught them, saying, 'Blessed are the poor in spirit.'" And so on.

IRENAEUS: In his role as a teacher, this is what he said to the rich: "Woe to you who are rich, for you have received your consolation; and woe to you who are full, for you will hunger; and you who laugh now, for you will weep; and woe to you when all people speak well of you, for so their fathers did to the false prophets." We have known all things like this through Luke alone.

CLEMENT OF ALEXANDRIA: Scripture should be believed when it says, "It is easier for a camel to go through the eye of a needle than for a rich man to live a philosophical life." But on the other hand, it blesses the poor. Plato understood this when he said, "It is not the lowering of someone's resources, but the increasing of never-satisfied desire that should be counted as poverty." For it is not small means that ever makes poverty, but never-satisfied desire. The good man is free from this and will also be rich.

CLEMENT OF ALEXANDRIA: That soul is unclean when it is rich in lusts and is struggling with many worldly desires, but the person who holds possessions, and gold, and silver, and houses as gifts from God is different. He uses them to serve God, who gives them for the salvation of people. He knows that he has them more for the sake of his brothers and sisters than for himself. He is above owning them, and he is not a slave to the things he owns. He does not carry these things around in his soul. He does not tie up and limit his life inside them. Instead, he is always working at some good and godly task. Even if he must, at some time or another, be deprived of these things, he can bear their loss with a cheerful mind, just as well as he can handle having plenty. This is the person whom the Lord blesses and calls poor in spirit. He is a fitting heir of the kingdom of heaven. He is not someone who could not live as a rich person.

TERTULLIAN: Who has the Lord called happy, if not the patient person? He says, "Blessed are the poor in spirit, for theirs is the kingdom of the heavens." No one is poor in spirit unless he is humble, so who is humble unless he is patient? In the first place, no one can lower himself without patience, because he must be able to bear the act of being lowered.

TERTULLIAN: it is the poor, not the rich, whose are the kingdoms of the heavens?

ORIGEN: Those who have obeyed the word of God, and who from now on have shown by their obedience that they are able to receive wisdom, are said to deserve the kingdom of that heaven, or of those heavens. In this way, the prediction is fulfilled in a more worthy way: "Blessed are the meek, for they shall inherit the earth," and "Blessed are the poor in spirit, for they shall inherit the kingdom of heaven."

ORIGEN: Next, about what Jesus said against rich people, he said, "It is easier for a camel to go through the eye of a needle than for a rich man to enter into the kingdom of God." Now, if Celsus, a pagan critic, had not read the Gospels with hatred and dislike, but had been filled with a love of truth, he would not have left without examining the fact that Jesus calls the poor "blessed" while he calls the rich "miserable." He also would have examined whether these words refer to rich and poor people that we can see with our senses, or whether there is some kind of poverty known to the Logos that should be considered completely blessed, and some kind of rich person who should be completely condemned. For even an ordinary person would not praise the poor in this careless way, since many poor people live very wicked lives.

ORIGEN: But if you look into the meaning of the words, "theirs is the kingdom of heaven," you may say that Christ is theirs as far as He is the true kingdom. He reigns in every thought of the person who is no longer under the rule of sin. Sin rules in the mortal body of those who have put themselves under it. And when I say that He reigns in every thought, I mean something like this: He reigns as righteousness, wisdom, truth, and the rest of the virtues in the person who has become a heaven, because that person bears the image of the heavenly. He also reigns in every power, whether angelic or the rest that are called saints, not only in this age but also in the age to come. These are the ones who are worthy of a kingdom like this.

ORIGEN: Blessed are the poor in spirit, for theirs is the kingdom of heaven. So, this is a blessed kind of poverty. It says, "Gold and silver I do not have, but what I have, I give to you. In the name of Jesus Christ of Nazareth, rise and walk." A poor man like this always lives in Jerusalem while still having spiritual riches. His gold is wisdom, and his silver is words of knowledge.

METHODIUS: And the Lord does not claim to give the same honors to everyone. Instead, to some He promises that they will be counted in the kingdom of heaven; to others He promises the inheritance of the earth; and to others He promises that they will see the Father.

ARCHELAUS: It is good that he said that. In the law, God said, "I make the rich man and the poor man," but in the Gospel, Jesus called the poor blessed. He also added that no one could be His disciple unless He gave up everything He had.

ARCHELAUS: Let us look again at this fact. In the Old Testament, we find the words, "I make the rich man and the poor man," but Jesus calls the poor blessed. In that saying, Jesus did not mean people who are poor only in worldly wealth; he meant those who are poor in spirit, that is, people who are not burning with pride. They have the gentle and lowly attitude of humility; they do not think of themselves more than they ought to think. I see that Jesus also gladly looks at the gifts of rich men when they are put into the treasury. At the same time, it is far too little if gifts are thrown into the treasury by the rich alone, and so the two mites of the poor widow are also received with gladness. In that offering, truly, something is shown that goes beyond what Moses commanded about receiving money. Moses received gifts from those who had, but Jesus receives them even from those who do not have. But this man also says that it is written, "Except a man shall forsake all that he has, he cannot be my disciple." I notice again that the centurion, a man extremely wealthy and richly supplied with worldly influence, had a faith greater than that of all Israel. So even if there was anyone who had given up everything, that person was surpassed in faith by the centurion. But someone may now argue with us like this: "So then it is not a good thing to give up riches." Well, I reply that it is a good thing for those who are able to do it, but at the same time, using riches for the work of righteousness and mercy is as acceptable as if someone were to give up everything at once.

CLEMENT OF ALEXANDRIA: Blessed are the meek, for they shall inherit the earth. The meek are those who have calmed the battle of unbelief in the soul. They have also calmed the battle of anger, lust, and the other forms that are under these. He praises those who are meek by choice, not by necessity. Therefore, and with good reason, blessed are they that mourn, for they shall be comforted, because those who have repented of their former evil life will reach the calling. This is what it means to be comforted.

TERTULLIAN: "Blessed," he says, "are those who weep and mourn. Who can put up with such unhappiness without patience?" And so, to people like this, consolation and laughter are promised.

ORIGEN: Those who have obeyed the word of God, and who from now on have shown by their obedience that they are able to receive wisdom, are said to deserve the kingdom of that heaven, or of the heavens. In this way, the prediction is fulfilled more fittingly: "Blessed are the meek, for they shall inherit the earth," and "Blessed are the poor in spirit, for they shall inherit the kingdom of heaven." And the statement in the psalm: "He shall exalt you, and you shall inherit the land."

ORIGEN: Weep with those who weep. We are not being commanded to weep with those who weep over their own dead or who weep over worldly losses, for we know that the grief of this world brings about death. So, our tears are not to be connected with people like that. Instead, we are to weep with those about whom the Lord says, "Blessed are those who weep, for they will be comforted." If anyone weeps over his own sins, if anyone turns to repentance after committing sins and washes away his errors with tears, we should weep with that person. If anyone, living in this dwelling place, even groans and longs to go back to Christ and eases this holy longing by pouring out tears, we should join our tears and share our groans with people like that, for the grief that is according to God produces a sure salvation through repentance.

ORIGEN: If as the sufferings of Christ overflow, so through Christ consolation also overflows; then let us gladly accept the sufferings of Christ, so that they overflow in us, if we truly desire the abundant consolation that is received by all who mourn, though probably not in the same measure. Because if the consolation were equal for everyone, Scripture would not have said, "As the sufferings of Christ overflow to us, so also our consolation overflows." Those who share in sufferings will also share in consolation, in proportion to the sufferings they share with Christ. You learn this from the one who, with full conviction, said, "For we know that as you are partakers of the sufferings, so also do you share in the consolation." Exhortation to Martyrdom.

CYPRIAN: All good and righteous people suffer more, but they ought to endure because they are being tested and proven. In Solomon, the furnace proves the vessels of the potter, and the trial of tribulation proves righteous people. Also in the 50th Psalm, the sacrifice to God is a contrite spirit; a contrite and humbled heart God will not despise. Also in the 33rd Psalm, God is nearest to those who are contrite in heart, and He will save the lowly in spirit. Also in the same place, many are the afflictions of the righteous, but the Lord will deliver them out of them all. About this same matter in Job: Naked I came out of my mother's womb, and naked I will also go under the earth. The Lord gave, and the Lord has taken away. As it has pleased the Lord, so it is done. Blessed be the name of the Lord. In all these things that happened to him, Job sinned in nothing with his lips in the sight of the Lord. Concerning this same thing in the Gospel according to Matthew: Blessed are those who mourn, for they shall be comforted. Also according to John: These things I have spoken to you, so that in me you may have peace. But in the world you shall have affliction, but have confidence, for I have overcome the world. Concerning this same thing in the 2nd Epistle to the Corinthians: There was given to me a thorn in the flesh, a messenger of Satan to strike me, so that I would not be exalted. For this thing I begged the Lord three times, that it would depart from me. And He said to me, My grace is sufficient for you, for strength is perfected in weakness. Concerning this same thing to the Romans: We glory in hope of the glory of God. And not only so, but we also glory in afflictions, knowing that affliction works patience, and patience experience, and experience hope. And hope does not confound, because the love of God is poured into our hearts by the Holy Spirit, who is given to us. About this same thing in Tobias. Where are your righteousnesses? Look at what you suffer. Also in the wisdom of Solomon: In the places of the wicked the righteous groan, but at their ruin the righteous will abound.

IGNATIUS: pray without stopping for other people; there is hope in them that they will repent so that they may reach God. So make sure they are taught by your actions if there is no other way. Be gentle when they are angry; be humble when they brag. When they speak evil things about God, answer with your prayers. When they are in error, stay firm in the faith; when they are cruel, show your gentleness. While we are careful not to copy what they do, let us be found to be their brothers and sisters in all true kindness. Let us try to be followers of the Lord. Who was ever treated more unjustly, more left with nothing, more condemned? Then no plant of the devil will be found in you; instead, you will remain in all holiness and self-control, in Jesus Christ, in both body and spirit.

PAPIAS: As the Presbyters say, those who are considered worthy of a home in heaven will go there; others will enjoy the delights of paradise; others will have the splendor of the city, because everywhere the Savior will be seen, in keeping with how worthy the people are who see Him. They also say there is a difference between the home of those who produce a hundredfold and the home of those who produce sixtyfold and the home of those who produce thirtyfold. The first will be taken up into the heavens; the second group will live in paradise; the last will live in the city. Because of this, the Lord said, "In my Father's house are many mansions, for all things belong to God." He provides everyone with a suitable place to live. His word also says that the Father gives a share to all according to how worthy each one is or will be, and this is the couch where those will recline who feast after being invited to the wedding. The Presbyters, the disciples of the apostles, say that this is the order and arrangement of those who are saved. They say these people move forward by steps like this. They also say that they go up through the Spirit to the Son and through the Son to the Father, and they say that in due time the Son will hand over His work to the Father, just as the apostle says, "For He must reign until He has put all enemies under His feet." The last enemy that will be destroyed is death, for in the times of the kingdom, the righteous man who is on the earth will forget to die. But when He says all things are put under Him, it is clear that He is excepted who did put all things under Him, and when all things will be brought under Him, then the Son will also be subject to Him who put all things under Him, so that God may be all in all.

IRENAEUS: "The flesh does not inherit, but is inherited." The Lord also declares, "Blessed are the meek, for they shall possess the earth by inheritance," as if, in the future kingdom, the earth is to be possessed by inheritance. This earth is where the substance of our flesh comes from. This is the reason He wanted the temple, that is, the flesh, to be clean. He wanted it clean so that the Spirit of God may take delight in it, like a bridegroom with a bride.

IRENAEUS: God made a promise of the earth to Abraham and his seed, yet neither Abraham nor his seed—that is, those who are made right by faith—receive any inheritance in it now, but they will receive it at the resurrection of the just. God is true and faithful. Because of this, He said, "Blessed are the meek, for they shall inherit the earth." For this reason, when He was about to suffer, so that He might announce to Abraham and those with Him the good news that the inheritance was now open, Christ did this. After He gave thanks while holding the cup and drank from it and gave it to the disciples, He said to them, "Drink all of it. This is My blood of the new covenant, which shall be shed for many for the remission of sins. But I say to you, I will not drink from this time on of the fruit of this vine until that day when I will drink it new with you in My Father's kingdom." So then, He Himself will renew the inheritance of the earth. He will also set in order again the mystery of the glory of His sons. As David says, "He who has renewed the face of the earth," He promised to drink the fruit of the vine with His disciples. By this, He showed two things. First, the inheritance of the earth where the new fruit of the vine is drunk. Second, the resurrection of His disciples in the flesh. The new flesh that rises again is the same flesh that also received the new cup. And He cannot be understood as drinking the fruit of the vine when settled with His disciples above in a place beyond the heavens. Also, those who drink it are not without flesh. To drink what flows from the vine belongs to flesh, not to spirit. For this reason, the Lord said, "When you make a dinner or a supper, do not call your friends nor your neighbors nor your family members, in case they ask you in return, and so repay you. But call the lame, the blind, and the poor, and you will be blessed, since they cannot repay you, but a reward shall be given to you at the resurrection of the just." And again He says, "Whosoever shall have left lands, or houses, or parents, or brothers and sisters, or children because of Me, he shall receive in this world an hundredfold, and in that to come, he shall inherit eternal life." What are the hundredfold rewards in this world? What are the meals given to the poor and the suppers that are paid back with a return invitation? These are to happen in the times of the kingdom. That is, on the seventh day, which has been made holy. On that day, God rested from all the works He created. This is the true Sabbath of the righteous. In that Sabbath, they will not be busy with any earthly work. Instead, they will have a table ready for them, prepared by God, and He will provide them with all kinds of dishes. The blessing of Isaac when He blessed His younger son Jacob means the same thing. He says, "See, the smell of My son is as the smell of a full field which the Lord has blessed. But the field is the world." So He added, "God give to you of the dew of heaven and of the fatness of the earth plenty of corn and wine, and let the nations serve you, and kings bow down to you, and be lord over your brother, and your father's sons shall bow down to you. Cursed shall he be who shall curse you, and blessed shall he be who shall bless you." If anyone does not accept these words as pointing to the appointed kingdom, that person must fall into many contradictions. This is what happens with the Jews, who are in complete confusion. In this life, the nations did not serve this Jacob. Even after he received the blessing, he left his home and served his uncle Laban the Syrian for twenty years. Not only was he not made lord over his brother, but he bowed down before his brother Esau when he returned from Mesopotamia to his father. He also offered many gifts to him. Also, how did he inherit plenty of corn and wine here? He moved to Egypt because of the famine in the land where he lived. He became subject to Pharaoh, who was then ruling over Egypt. So the blessing that was predicted clearly belongs to the times of the kingdom. It belongs to the time when the righteous will rule after they rise from the dead. It also belongs to the time when creation, having been made new and set free, will produce an abundance of every kind of food, from the dew of heaven and from the richness of the earth. The elders who saw John, the disciple of the Lord, said they had heard from him how the Lord used to teach about these times. The Lord would say, "The days will come in which vines shall grow, each having ten thousand branches, and in each branch ten thousand twigs, and in each twig ten thousand shoots, and in each one of the shoots ten thousand clusters, and on every one of the clusters ten thousand grapes, and every grape when pressed will give twenty-five metretes of wine, and when any one of the saints shall lay hold of a cluster, another shall cry out, 'I am a better cluster, take me, bless the Lord through me.'" In the same way, the Lord said that a grain of wheat would produce ten thousand ears. Every ear would have ten thousand grains. Every grain would yield ten pounds of clear, pure, fine flour. He also said that all other fruit-bearing trees and seeds and grass would produce in the same kind of amounts. And He said that all animals feeding only on what the earth produces would in those days become peaceful and in harmony with each other. They would be in perfect submission to man. These things are also witnessed in writing by Papias, the hearer of John and a companion of Polycarp, in his fourth book. He wrote five books in all. Papias also says, "Now these things are credible to believers." And he says that when the traitor Judas did not believe them, he asked, "How then can things about to bring forth so abundantly be worked by the Lord?" The Lord answered, "They who shall come to those times shall see."

IRENAEUS: Since there are real people, there must also be a real order of things. That way, people do not fade away among things that do not exist. Instead, they move forward among things that truly exist. The substance and the essence of creation are not destroyed; the one who established it is faithful and true. But the fashion of the world passes away. That means the things where sin has happened will pass away, because people have grown old in them. Therefore, this present order of things was made temporary. God knew everything ahead of time. He also showed, as much as was possible, the reason for creating this world of temporary things. But when this present order of things passes away, people will be made new. They will flourish in a state that cannot decay, so that it will not be possible for them to grow old. Then there will be the new heaven and the new earth. In them, the new person will remain forever, always having fresh fellowship with God. And since these things will continue forever without end, Isaiah declares, "For as the new heavens and the new earth which I do make continue in my sight," says the Lord, "so shall your seed and your name remain." And as the elders say, then those who are considered worthy of a home in heaven will go there. Others will enjoy the delights of paradise. Others will possess the splendor of the city. For everywhere the Savior will be seen, according to how worthy those who see him are. They also say there is a difference between the home of those who produce a hundredfold, those who produce sixtyfold, and those who produce thirtyfold. The first will be taken up into the heavens. The second will live in paradise. The last will live in the city. And it was for this reason that the Lord declared, "In my Father's house are many mansions." For all things belong to God. He provides everyone with a suitable place to live. Just as his word says, a share is given to all by the Father, according to how worthy each person is or will be. And this is the couch where the guests will recline after being invited to the wedding. The elders, the disciples of the apostles, say that this is the order and arrangement of those who are saved. They say that people move forward by steps like these. They also say that people rise through the Spirit to the Son, and through the Son to the Father. And in due time, the Son will hand over his work to the Father, just as the apostle says, "For he must reign till he has put all enemies under his feet." The last enemy that shall be destroyed is death. For in the times of the kingdom, the righteous person who is on the earth will then forget to die. But when he says, "All things shall be subdued to him," it is clear that he is excepted who did put all things under him. And when all things shall be subdued to him, then the Son will also himself be subject to him who put all things under him, that God may be all in all. John therefore clearly foresaw the first resurrection of the just and the inheritance in the kingdom of the earth. What the prophets prophesied about it agrees with his vision. The Lord also taught these things when he promised that he would drink the mixed cup new with his disciples in the kingdom. The apostle also has confessed that creation will be set free from the slavery of corruption, so that it may pass into the freedom of the sons of God. In all these things, and through all of them, the same God the Father is shown; he formed man. He promised the inheritance of the earth to the fathers. He brought creation out from slavery at the resurrection of the just. He fulfills the promises for the kingdom of his Son. After that, he gives like a father those things which neither the eye has seen, nor the ear has heard, nor has thought concerning them arisen within the heart of man. For there is one Son who carried out his Father's will. And there is one human race in which the mysteries of God are at work, which the angels desire to look into. The angels are not able to fully search out the wisdom of God. By this wisdom, his handiwork is made complete, confirmed, and joined with his Son. This is so that his offspring, the first begotten word, would come down to creation, that is, to what had been formed, and that it would be held by him. And on the other hand, creation would hold the word and rise to him, going beyond the angels, and be made according to the image and likeness of God.

TERTULLIAN: "Blessed are the gentle." Under this term, the impatient surely cannot possibly be included.

ORIGEN: Also, Celsus continues, these people speak terrible blasphemies against each other. They say all kinds of things that are shameful to even say out loud. They will not give in even a little for the sake of peace. They hate each other with complete hatred. Now, in answer to this, we have already said that in philosophy and medicine, groups can be found fighting against other groups. But we are followers of the word of Jesus. We have trained ourselves to think, speak, and act in ways that match His words. When reviled, bless. Being persecuted, we suffer it. Being defamed, we entreat. So we would not say all kinds of things that are shameful to even say out loud against those who have different opinions than we do. Instead, if possible, we try with all our strength to lift them to a better condition. We do this by calling them to hold to the Creator alone. We also lead them to do every act like people who will one day be judged. And if those who hold different opinions will not be persuaded, we follow the command given for how to treat such people. A man that is a heretic, after the first and second admonition, reject, knowing that he that is such is subverted and sinful, being condemned of himself. Also, we know the saying, blessed are the peacemakers, and this too, blessed are the meek. So we would not look at the corruptors of Christianity with hatred.

CLEMENT OF ALEXANDRIA: Our Holy Savior applied poverty and riches, and things like that, both to spiritual things and to things we can sense. When he said, "Blessed are they that are persecuted for righteousness' sake," he clearly taught us that in every situation we should look to the martyr. If the martyr is poor for righteousness' sake, he shows that the righteousness he loves is a good thing. If he hungers and thirsts for righteousness' sake, he shows that righteousness is the best thing. In the same way, the one who weeps and mourns for righteousness' sake shows that the best law is beautiful. So then, just as "those that are persecuted," so also "those that hunger and thirst for righteousness' sake" are called blessed by him. He approves of the true desire, a desire that not even famine can stop. And if they hunger after righteousness itself, they are blessed.

CLEMENT OF ROME: Therefore, brothers and sisters, let us be humble in mind. Let us lay aside all arrogance, pride, foolishness, and angry feelings. Let us act according to what is written. The Holy Spirit says, "Let not the wise man glory in his wisdom, neither let the mighty man glory in his might, neither let the rich man glory in his riches, but let him that glories glory in the Lord, in diligently seeking him and doing judgment and righteousness." Let us be especially mindful of the words of the Lord Jesus that he spoke, teaching us meekness and patience. For he said, "Be merciful that you may obtain mercy; forgive that it may be forgiven to you; as you do, so shall it be done to you; as you judge, so shall you be judged; as you are kind, so shall kindness be shown to you; with what measure you measure, with the same it shall be measured to you." By this command and by these rules, let us make ourselves firm so that we walk with all humility and obedience to his holy words. For the holy word says, "On whom shall I look, but on him that is meek and peaceable, and that trembles at my words?"

CLEMENT OF ALEXANDRIA: and he blesses the merciful, for they shall obtain mercy.

CLEMENT OF ALEXANDRIA: He also says, "Blessed are the merciful, for they shall obtain mercy." Mercy is not, as some philosophers have imagined, pain because of other people's disasters. Instead, it is something good, as the prophets say. For it is said, "I will have mercy, and not sacrifice." By "the merciful," he means not only those who do acts of mercy, but also those who want to do them, even though they are not able. They do as much as their purpose is concerned.

CYPRIAN: He will not be able to deserve the mercy of the Lord if he himself has not been merciful. He will not receive anything from God's pity in his prayers if he has not been kind and compassionate toward the poor man's prayer.

LACTANTIUS: He shows mercy to the person he sees as merciful. He has no mercy on the person he sees as harsh to those who beg him for help.

IRENAEUS: The prophets then showed ahead of time that God would be seen by people. The Lord also says, "Blessed are the pure in heart, for they shall see God." But when it comes to His greatness and His wonderful glory, no man shall see God and live, because the Father cannot be fully understood. But when it comes to His love and kindness, and to His infinite power, He even gives this to those who love Him—that is, to see God.

CLEMENT OF ALEXANDRIA: And since there are two ways to reach the perfection of salvation—works and knowledge—he called the "pure in heart blessed, for they shall see God." And if we really look at the truth of the matter, knowledge is the cleansing of the leading part of the soul, and it is a good activity. Some things, then, are good in themselves; other things are good by sharing in what is good, as we say, good actions are good. But without intermediate things that take the place of material, neither good actions nor bad actions are formed. I mean things like life and health and other necessary things, or things that depend on the situation. Pure, then, in respect to bodily lusts, and pure in respect to holy thoughts, he means those are the ones who reach the knowledge of God when the chief part of the soul has nothing false to stand in the way of its power.

CLEMENT OF ALEXANDRIA: we find in Moses, "No man shall see my face and live." It is clear that no one, during this life, has been able to understand God clearly, but the pure in heart shall see God when they reach final perfection. Since the soul became too weak to understand real things, we needed a divine teacher. The Savior is sent down; He is a teacher and leader in gaining what is good. He is the secret and sacred sign of the great providence.

CLEMENT OF ALEXANDRIA: "Having wealth in these people is deadly for everyone; losing it is health-giving. So, to make the soul pure, that is, poor and bare, we must listen to the Savior speaking like this: 'Come, follow me.' For to the pure in heart, he now becomes the way. But God's grace finds no entrance into an impure soul."

ORIGEN: Wise men, Moses, the oldest of them all, and the prophets who came after him, knew that the highest good could not be described in words at all. They were the first to write that God shows Himself to those who deserve it and to those who are able to see Him. So they wrote that He appeared to Abraham, or to Isaac, or to Jacob, but they left it for others to investigate who it was that appeared, and what form He had, and in what way He appeared, and which mortal being He was like. They left this for those who are able to show that they are like the people to whom God showed Himself, because He was not seen with their bodily eyes, but with a pure heart. For according to what our Jesus said, "Blessed are the pure in heart, for they shall see God."

ORIGEN: Seeing God belongs to a pure heart. From that kind of heart, these things no longer come out: evil thoughts, murders, adulteries, fornications, thefts, false witness, blasphemies, the evil eye, or any other evil thing. Therefore it is said, "Blessed are the pure in heart, for they shall see God." But the strength of our will is not enough to get a perfectly pure heart. We need God to create it. So the person who prays the way he should offers this request to God: "Create in me a clean heart, O God."

ORIGEN: We believe that not only God is beyond words, but also other things that are below Him. These are the kinds of things Paul works hard to describe when he says, "I heard unspeakable words, which it is not lawful for a man to utter." Here, the word "heard" is used to mean "understood." It is like the passage, "He who has ears to hear, let him hear." We also believe it is very hard to see the Creator and Father of the universe, but it is possible to see Him in the way spoken of here. "Blessed are the pure in heart, for they shall see God," and not only that, but also in the sense of the words about Him who is the image of the invisible God. Also, "He who has seen me has seen the Father who sent me." Also, it is clear that these words, "He that has seen me has seen the Father who sent me," are not meant in a crude, physical sense. This is shown by the answer he gave to Philip: "Have I been so long time with you, and yet you do not know me, Philip?" He said this after Philip had asked, "Show us the Father, and it is sufficient for us." So the person who understands how these words, "The word was made flesh," should be understood about the only begotten Son of God, the firstborn of all creation, will also understand how, by seeing the image of the invisible God, we see the Creator and Father of the universe.

ORIGEN: So the people who hold on to the hope of seeing this glory are the ones about whom it has been said, "Blessed are the pure in heart, for they will see God." At that time, pain and sadness and sighing will flee. Then the things that are now seen in a mirror and in a riddle will be set aside. The things that are face to face will remain.

ARCHELAUS: What good is it for a man to circumcise himself if he still holds the worst thoughts against his neighbor? He wanted instead to show us the way to the fullest life by a short path. He did this so that, after we had traveled long roads of our own, we would not find our day ending too soon in night. He also did this so that even if we look impressive to people on the outside, we would not be like hungry, attacking wolves on the inside, or like whitewashed tombs. A man like that should be ranked far below the man who, even though he is dressed only in dirty and torn clothes, keeps no evil hidden in his heart against his neighbor. Only the circumcision of the heart brings salvation. Mere physical circumcision cannot help people unless they are also strengthened with spiritual circumcision. Listen to what Scripture says about this: "Blessed are the pure in heart, for they shall see God."

NOVATIAN: If Christ himself had been the Father, why did he promise, as something for the future, a reward that he had already granted and given? He says, "Blessed are they of a pure heart, for they shall see God." This is understood to promise looking at and seeing the Father. So he had not given this yet. Why would he promise it if he had already given it? He would have already given it if he was the Father because he was seen and he was touched. But when Christ himself is seen and touched, he still promises. He says that the one who is pure in heart will see God. By this very statement, he proves that the one who was present then was not the Father. He was seen, and yet he promised that whoever is pure in heart would see the Father. So it was not the Father but the Son who promised this. The Son promised what still had to be seen. His promise would have been unnecessary unless he had been the Son. Why would he promise the pure in heart that they would see the Father if the people who were there already saw Christ as the Father? But because he was the Son, not the Father, it was right that he was seen then as the Son, because he was the image of God. And the Father, because he is invisible, is promised and pointed out as the one to be seen by the pure in heart.

IRENAEUS: On the disagreement in Asia about the celebration of Pascha: The controversy is not only about the day, but also about the form of the fast itself. Some think they must fast one day, others two days, others even more. Others do it for forty. They count the daytime and the nighttime hours together as their fasting day. This variety among those who keep the fast did not begin in our time. It began long before, in the time of our predecessors. Some of them, probably because they were not very careful in how they kept it, passed down to later generations the custom as it had been introduced among them, through simplicity or personal preference. And yet, even so, all these lived in peace with one another, and we also keep peace together. In fact, the difference in how the fast is observed shows the harmony of our shared faith. The presbyters who came before Soter in leading the church you now rule—I mean Anicetus and Pius, Hyginus and Telesphorus, and Sixtus—did not observe it in that way themselves. They also did not allow those with them to do so. Even so, those who did not keep the feast in this way were peaceful toward those who came to them from other dioceses where it was observed that way. This kind of observance was seen as more clearly opposed by those who did not agree with it. Still, no one was ever thrown out of the church over this matter. Instead, those presbyters who came before you, and who did not observe this custom, sent the Eucharist to those in other dioceses who did observe it. When the blessed Polycarp was staying in Rome in the time of Anicetus, a small controversy had come up between them about certain other points, but they were immediately well disposed toward each other about the matter at hand. They did not want any quarrel to arise between them over this. Anicetus could not persuade Polycarp to stop observing it in his own way. That was because these things had always been observed that way by John, the disciple of our Lord, and by other apostles whom he had known. On the other hand, Polycarp could not persuade Anicetus to keep the observance in his way. Anicetus said he was bound to stick to the practice of the presbyters who came before him. In this situation, they still shared fellowship with each other. Anicetus allowed Polycarp to celebrate the Eucharist in the church as a way of showing him respect. So they separated from one another in peace. They kept peace with the whole church, both with those who did observe this custom and with those who did not.

CLEMENT OF ALEXANDRIA: Truly, blessed are the peacemakers. They teach people who are at war in their lives and in their errors here; they lead them back to the peace that is in the Word.

CLEMENT OF ALEXANDRIA: Blessed, then, are the peacemakers who have subdued and tamed the law that wars against the attitude of the mind. They have also subdued the threats of anger, the traps of lust, and the other passions that fight against reason. These people have lived with knowledge of both good works and true reason; they will be brought back into adoption, which is more precious. It follows that perfect peacemaking is the kind that keeps what is peaceful unchanged in every situation. It calls providence holy and good; it exists in the knowledge of divine and human matters. By this knowledge, it considers the opposites that are in the world to be the most beautiful harmony of creation. They also are peacemakers who teach those who fight against the schemes of sin to turn to faith and peace.

TERTULLIAN: He points out the peacemakers and calls them sons of God. Do impatient people have any connection with peace? Even a fool can see that.

CYPRIAN: The Holy Spirit warns us and says, "What man is he that desires to live, and would see good days? Refrain your tongue from evil, and your lips that they speak no guile. Abstain from evil, and do good; seek peace, and follow it." The child of peace should seek peace and follow it. Anyone who knows and loves the bond of love should keep their tongue from the evil of causing division. Among His divine commands and helpful teachings, the Lord added this command. He said it when He was very near to His suffering and death. He said, "Peace I leave with you; my peace I give to you." He gave this to us as an inheritance. He promised all the gifts and rewards He spoke about, as long as peace is kept. If we are fellow-heirs with Christ, let us remain in the peace of Christ. If we are children of God, we should be peacemakers. "Blessed," He says, "are the peacemakers, for they shall be called the sons of God." It is right for the children of God to be peacemakers. They should be gentle in heart and simple in speech. They should agree in love and be faithfully joined to one another in the bonds of complete unity.

LACTANTIUS: A righteous man is not hostile toward any human being; he also does not want anything at all that belongs to someone else. Why should he take a sea voyage? What should he look for in another land when his own land is enough for him? Why should he wage war and get mixed up in other people's passions when his mind lives in constant peace with others?

ANONYMOUS: All the martyrdoms then were blessed and noble because they happened according to the will of God. It is right for us, who claim greater devotion than others, to give God authority over all things. And truly, who could fail to admire their noble spirit and their patience, along with the love for their Lord that they showed? When they were torn with whips so badly that the structure of their bodies was opened up, even down to their inner veins and arteries, they still endured patiently. Even the people standing nearby felt sorry for them and wept for them. But the martyrs reached such courage that not one of them let out a sigh or a groan. In this way, they proved to all of us that these holy martyrs of Christ, at the very time they suffered such torments, were away from the body. Or rather, the Lord was standing with them then and speaking with them. And because they looked to the grace of Christ, they treated all the torments of this world as nothing. By suffering for a single hour, they rescued themselves from eternal punishment. For this reason, the fire of their savage executioners seemed cool to them. They kept in mind escape from the fire that is eternal and will never be put out. They looked ahead with the eyes of their heart to the good things stored up for those who endure. These are things "which ear has not heard, nor eye seen, neither have entered into the heart of man." But these things were revealed by the Lord to them because they were no longer acting like mere men but had already become angels. In the same way, those who were sentenced to wild beasts endured terrible tortures. They were stretched out on beds full of spikes and put through many other kinds of torment. This was done so that, if possible, the tyrant might use their slow suffering to lead them to deny Christ.

JUSTIN MARTYR: Reason guides people who are truly godly and thoughtful to honor and love only what is true. It teaches them not to follow traditional opinions if those opinions are worthless. Sound reason not only tells us to refuse the leadership of people who did or taught anything wrong; it also requires the lover of truth in every way, and even if death is threatened, to choose what is right to do and to say, even before his own life. As for us, we believe that no evil can be done to us unless we are convicted as evildoers or proved to be wicked men. And you, you can kill us, but you cannot hurt us.

CLEMENT OF ALEXANDRIA: And in my opinion, this is the highest point of all virtue. The Lord teaches us that, because of love for God, we must despise death. "Blessed are they," he says, "who are persecuted for righteousness' sake, for they shall be called the sons of God." Or, as some of those who rearrange the Gospels say, "Blessed are they who are persecuted by righteousness, for they shall be perfect." And, "Blessed are they who are persecuted for my sake, for they shall have a place where they shall not be persecuted." And, "Blessed are you when men shall hate you, when they shall separate you, when they shall cast out your name as evil, for the Son of Man's sake." We must not hate our persecutors. We must accept punishments from them. We must not hate them because we think we were put to the test later than we expected. We must also know this: every time we are tested is a chance to give testimony.

TERTULLIAN: He is still following the same idea in the passage where he puts the reward above the sufferings. He says, "For we know that if our earthly house of this tabernacle were dissolved, we have a house not made with hands, eternal in the heavens." In other words, because our flesh is being dissolved through its sufferings, we will be given a home in heaven. He also remembered the reward that the Lord gives in the Gospel. "Blessed are they who are persecuted for righteousness' sake, for theirs is the kingdom of heaven." But when he compared the reward to the sufferings like this, he did not deny that the flesh will be restored. The reward is owed to the same substance that is said to be dissolved. That substance is, of course, the flesh.

TERTULLIAN: We would have to suppose that, in Christ's case, the divine nature, the will, and the religious system are all different from anything known before! If so, He would have commanded either no martyrdoms at all, or martyrdoms that must be understood in a sense different from the ordinary one. He would be the sort of person who urged no one to take such a risk and promised no reward to those who suffered for Him, because He did not want them to suffer. Yet when setting out His chief commands, He says, "Blessed are they who are persecuted for righteousness' sake, for theirs is the kingdom of heaven."

ORIGEN: Therefore, I beg you, during this present conflict, remember the great rewards stored up in heaven for those who are persecuted and insulted for righteousness' sake and for the Son of Man's sake. Remember also that you should rejoice, be glad, and celebrate, just as the apostles rejoiced when, on one occasion, they were "counted worthy to suffer insults for His name."

CYPRIAN: For this battle, our Lord stirs us up, as if with the trumpet of His gospel, when He says, "He that loves father or mother more than me is not worthy of me, and he that loves his own soul more than me is not worthy of me, and he that does not take up his cross and follow after me is not worthy of me." And again, "Blessed are they which are persecuted for righteousness' sake, for theirs is the kingdom of heaven. Blessed shall you be when men shall persecute you and hate you. Rejoice and be exceedingly glad, for so did their fathers persecute the prophets which were before you." And again, "Because you shall stand before kings and powers, and the brother shall deliver up the brother to death, and the father the son, and he that endures to the end shall be saved." And again, "To him that overcomes I will give to sit on my throne, even as I also overcame and am set down on the throne of my Father." Moreover, the Apostle says, "Who shall separate us from the love of Christ? Shall tribulation, or distress, or persecution, or famine, or nakedness, or peril, or sword? As it is written, For your sake we are killed all the day long; we are accounted as sheep for the slaughter. No, in all these things we are more than conquerors for Him who loved us."

CYPRIAN: Also, the Lord in the Gospel, who Himself will punish those who persecute us and reward us for our suffering, says, "Blessed are they who suffer persecution for righteousness' sake, for theirs is the kingdom of heaven." And again, "Blessed shall you be when men shall hate you, and shall separate you, and shall expel you, and shall revile your name as evil, for the Son of man's sake. Rejoice in that day, and leap for joy; for, behold, your reward is great in heaven." And once more, "Whosoever shall lose his life for my sake, the same shall save it." And the rewards of God's promise do not come only to those who are insulted and killed. Even if suffering itself is missing for the faithful, their faith can still remain strong and unconquered. If a Christian has left behind and rejected all his possessions and has shown that he is following Christ, then he also is honored by Christ among the martyrs. This is what Christ Himself promises and says: "There is no man that has left house, or land, or parents, or brothers and sisters, or wife, or children, for the kingdom of God's sake, who will not receive seven times as much in this present time, and in the world to come eternal life."

TERTULLIAN: The following statement applies first to everyone without exception, then it applies in a special way to the apostles themselves: "Blessed shall you be when men shall revile you, and persecute you, and shall say all manner of evil against you, for my sake. Rejoice and be exceedingly glad, since very great is your reward in heaven; for so their fathers used to do even to the prophets." In the same way, he also foretold that they would have to be killed, following the example of the prophets. But even if he had appointed all this persecution only for those who were apostles at that time, if he were obeyed, then surely through them, along with the whole sacrament, with the new growth of the name, with the spreading of the Holy Spirit, the rule about enduring persecution would also apply to us. It would apply to us as disciples by inheritance, and, so to speak, as bushes grown from apostolic seed. And again he gives guidance to the apostles: "Behold, I send you forth as sheep in the midst of wolves;" and, "Beware of men, for they will deliver you up to the councils, and they will scourge you in their synagogues; and you shall be brought before governors and kings for my sake, for a testimony against them and the Gentiles," and so on. Now, when he adds, "But the brother will deliver up the brother to death, and the father the child; and the children shall rise up against their parents, and cause them to be put to death," he has clearly announced, with reference to others, that they would be put under this kind of evil behavior. We do not find this happening in the case of the apostles. None of them experienced a father or a brother as a betrayer. But very many of us have. Then he returns to the apostles: "And you shall be hated of all men for my name's sake." How much more will we be hated, since for us there is even the need to be handed over by parents too? So, by assigning this betrayal now to the apostles and now to everyone, he brings the same destruction on all who bear the name. The name will rest on them, along with the condition that it will be hated. But the one who endures to the end, this person will be saved. Endures what, if not persecution, betrayal, and death? To endure to the end is nothing other than to suffer the end. And so these words immediately follow: "The disciple is not above his master, nor the servant above his own lord." This is because the master and lord himself stood firm while suffering persecution, betrayal, and death. So it is even more the duty of his servants and disciples to bear the same things. Otherwise they might seem to be above him, or to have gained protection from the attacks of evil. Instead, this should be glory enough for them, to be made like their lord and master in his sufferings. And as he prepares them to endure these things, he reminds them that they must not fear people who kill only the body, but cannot destroy the soul. Instead, they must direct their fear to him who has the power to kill both body and soul, and to destroy them in hell.

TERTULLIAN: if the bitterness of your tongue breaks out in a curse or an insult, look back at the saying, "When they curse you, rejoice." The Lord Himself was cursed in the eyes of the law, and yet He is the only Blessed One. Therefore, let us servants follow our Lord closely; let us be cursed patiently, so that we may be able to be blessed.

TERTULLIAN: He says, "Rejoice and be glad as often as they shall curse and persecute you, for very great is your reward in heaven." Of course, he does not make that promise to impatience that is just excited and loud. No one will exult in troubles unless he has first learned to look down on them with contempt, and no one will do that unless he has learned to practice patience.