Instructions

Contents

Reading pages: 1–1.31 · 1.32–2.19 · 2.20–2.39

1. 1The list of chapter titles of Book One of Commodian's Instructions.
2. 1.1Commodian, himself converted from paganism by reading the law, announces that he will show the way to those who wander.
3. 1.2God's law forbids the worship of idols, which began as prayers to dead kings, and promises resurrection to those who abandon them.
4. 1.3The gods are the spirits of the Giants born of fallen angels and women, who now wander as demons.
5. 1.4Saturn, who grew old and devoured his children, was a mortal king, not a god.
6. 1.5Jupiter, born in time on Crete, dethroned his father and seduced women; he is not the God who made heaven and earth.
7. 1.6It is childish to believe that Jupiter, a mortal born on earth and dead in Crete, thunders from heaven.
8. 1.7Astrology is folly, for the planets bear the names of adulterous mortals, and Commodian once believed it himself.
9. 1.8The sun and moon were set in place by God on the fourth day and must not be worshiped.
10. 1.9Mercury, painted with his purse, is a picture, not a god.
11. 1.10Neptune, a fisherman, hired mason, and adulterer, was a mortal.
12. 1.11Apollo, deceived by Cassandra, outrun by Daphne, and unable to foresee Hyacinthus's death, was no diviner and no god.
13. 1.12Bacchus, killed by the Titans and born a second time of Semele, was a mortal, and his rites are feigned frenzy.
14. 1.13The Unconquered god born from a rock, a cattle thief, cannot be God.
15. 1.14Silvanus, a wooden image bought for money, is no god; the one God promises life after death.
16. 1.15Hercules was honored for killing Cacus, but he was a strong man, not a god.
17. 1.16The pagan gods and goddesses, the fates, and the amulet-demons worn around the neck are all empty.
18. 1.17Pagan seers and the frenzied priests of Bellona feign possession to get money.
19. 1.18When Caesar took the gold from the temple of Ammudates, the god and his prophet fell silent, showing the cult was a fraud.
20. 1.19The devotees of Nemesis are fooled by drunken priests who carry and spin a wooden image and pretend to divine.
21. 1.20The household gods and images of the Titans are dead men and bronze.
22. 1.21The mountain gods cannot save; the law of God offers eternal salvation to those who leave them.
23. 1.22Commodian laments pagan divination and urges his fellow citizens to seek the law of God and choose the right road.
24. 1.23Commodian rebukes the time-server who, for the sake of his belly, is ready for anything and betrays God's people to a tyrant.
25. 1.24Commodian warns those who go both to the synagogue and to the temples that they will perish, since punishment and reward await after death.
26. 1.25Commodian urges the God-fearers who hold back from faith to believe in Christ, whom the old law foretold.
27. 1.26This life is full of misery, while God, who required Abel's blood of Cain, will reward the good and punish the wicked after death.
28. 1.27Death does not end existence; the dead remember their deeds and will be judged, so honor God and believe that Christ raises the dead.
29. 1.28The righteous will rise; the wicked, who fear earthly judges, will not escape God's punishment after death.
30. 1.29The rich unbeliever, ungrateful to God who gives him everything, will suffer eternal punishment.
31. 1.30Commodian rebukes the proud rich and urges them to share with the poor and atone for their sins by good deeds.
32. 1.31Commodian reminds judges of Scripture's warnings against bribery.
33. 1.32The prosperous and proud are lost unless they humble themselves before the crucified Christ.
34. 1.33Commodian, once a pagan himself, invites the Gentiles into the shelter of the church and the hope of resurrection.
35. 1.34The Gentile should tame himself like a trained horse, leave idols and games, and believe, to gain the golden ages after death.
36. 1.35Death entered through the tree of Eden, and life comes from the tree of the cross; after six thousand years believers will be immortal.
37. 1.36The cross is folly to unbelievers descended in spirit from Cain, who will recognize the crucified Lord only at the judgment, while Abel's race believes.
38. 1.37Commodian warns pagans who attend the synagogue that Jewish teachers cannot lead them to salvation.
39. 1.38Commodian reproaches the Jews for rejecting the second law, in which God placed hope.
40. 1.39Leah and Rachel, Rebekah's twins, Tamar's twins, and Cain and Abel show that the younger people, the church, is preferred.
41. 1.40The prophets reject Israel's sabbaths and sacrifices and foretold the crucifixion of God, who is life, which the Jews mock.
42. 1.41At the end Nero will return from hell as Antichrist, reigning half of seven years after Elijah, and will deceive the Jews at Jerusalem.
43. 2The list of chapter titles of Book Two of Commodian's Instructions.
44. 2.1At the end Christ will bring back the hidden people of the lost tribes, who will overthrow the Antichrist and free Jerusalem before the judgment by fire.
45. 2.2At the end of the age the Lord will judge the wicked by fire, sparing the righteous, while some nations are kept to serve the saints for a thousand years.
46. 2.3In the first resurrection the heavenly city descends and the saints and martyrs live in abundance, marrying and begetting children, for a thousand years.
47. 2.4At the final judgment fire will consume heaven and earth, a new creation will be made, and the wicked will go into the second death.
48. 2.5Catechumens must leave their old life and avoid sin, since baptism forgives only past sins.
49. 2.6The baptized must not hate their brothers or go to law with them, for even martyrdom does not expiate hatred and baptism cannot be repeated.
50. 2.7The baptized must avoid the devil's bait, for there are bloodless martyrdoms: not coveting, curbing the tongue, humility, and patience.
51. 2.8Penitents should pray, stay close to the church, and do public penance; Commodian admits he was once one of them.
52. 2.9Using the image of war, Commodian says that those who surrender to the enemy in persecution have lost their King, and should rather have hidden or died.
53. 2.10Those who lapsed as children in persecution are not to be blamed, but once grown should return to the church as if newly born.
54. 2.11Deserters from Christ's army should seek his mercy, confess, and after restoration sin no more.
55. 2.12Christ's soldiers must leave luxury, obey their King, and fight tirelessly for the reward he gives.
56. 2.13Those who flee from the church to a barbarian king and to idols separate themselves and are to be rejected.
57. 2.14Fruitless Christians mixed in the church are like the weeds and the barren fig tree, and will be separated and burned.
58. 2.15The dissembler ignores the law proclaimed by so many prophets while calling himself God's son.
59. 2.16Christians must shun the shows and pleasures they renounced at baptism, whatever lax teachers allow for gifts.
60. 2.17A Christian should live by toil and sadness toward the world, not in pleasure, and wait for rest after death.
61. 2.18Christian matrons should give up jewelry, cosmetics, and dyed hair and show their wealth in almsgiving, like Tabitha.
62. 2.19Paul and Isaiah condemn women who adorn themselves; the holy woman shows her riches in her heart.
63. 2.20Commodian rebukes the church for comfort while confessors suffer, and urges feeding the poor, especially on the Lord's day.
64. 2.21One who longs for martyrdom should first conquer evil by good living, which is itself a martyrdom in time of peace.
65. 2.22The Christian's war is daily, against lust, luxury, wine, anger, and greed; martyrdom is not won in a single idle moment.
66. 2.23Covetous envy of others' wealth is folly, since death may come this very night, as God told the rich fool.
67. 2.24Alms given from extortion, usury, or profiting from persecution are rejected by God.
68. 2.25The peace after persecution is a hidden war, and leaders who led the people into schism have become soldiers of another than Christ.
69. 2.26Readers should set an example of humble, peaceable living, as flowers and lamps among the people.
70. 2.27Deacons should serve the mysteries chastely, set an example, and obey the bishops.
71. 2.28Pastors should be patient, firm, and consistent, for a worldly pastor ruins the people and a devoted one sustains the whole church.
72. 2.29Commodian rebukes the elders of the church for being corrupted by the deceitful peace, taking payment for intercession and embezzling.
73. 2.30Visiting the sick poor means bringing food, drink, or money, not words, and God will repay it fourfold.
74. 2.31The healthy poor should work, be humble toward the powerful, and give from their labor, like the widow in the Gospel.
75. 2.32Christians should not mourn their dead children with pagan display but pray for them, trusting the resurrection, as Abraham gave up Isaac without lamenting.
76. 2.33A servant of God should not seek a showy funeral, which cannot help the dead.
77. 2.34The clergy should give food and wine to the poor at Easter, as an example to the people.
78. 2.35Commodian rebukes those who chatter in church during the readings and the eucharistic prayer.
79. 2.36The drunkard should give his excess to the poor instead, and so escape Gehenna.
80. 2.37Whoever gives a meal should include the poor, who cannot repay, and so lend to God.
81. 2.38Prayer is heard when joined to justice and mercy to the needy.
82. 2.39The last poem summarizes the resurrection, the thousand years, and the final judgment, and hides the author's name in its acrostic.