On the Good of Patience 24
Latin text: CSEL 3.1 (Latin text: W. von Hartel (CSEL 3.1, 1868), digitized by Open Greek and Latin, University of Leipzig (csel-dev), CC BY-SA 4.0).English: Claude (claude-opus-5-5), public domain (CC0). Compare: Ante-Nicene Fathers, vol. 5 (1886).
Chapter 24
24CSEL 3.1:414–415
Hunc expectemus, fratres dilectissimi, iudicem et uindicem nostrum ecclesiae suae populum et ab initio mundi iustorum omnium numerum secum pariter uindicaturum. qui ad uindictam suam nimium festinat et properat, consideret quia necdum uindicatus est ipse qui uindicat. [pater Deus praecepit filium suam adorari et apostolus Paulus diuini praecepti memor ponit et dicit: Deus exaltauit illum et donauit illi nomen quod est super omne nomen, ut in nomine Iesu omnes genu curuent caelestium, terrestrium et infernorum. et] in Apocalypsi angelus Iohanni uolenti adorare se resistit et dicit: uide ne feceris, quia conseruus tuus sum et fratrum tuorum. Iesum Dominum adora. qualis Iesus Dominus et quanta patientia ut qui in caelis adoratur necdum uindicetur in terris. huius patientiam, fratres dilectissimi, in persecutionibus et passionibus nostris cogitemus. huius aduentui plenum expectationis obsequium praebeamus nec defendi ante Dominum serui inreligiosa et inuerecunda festinatione properemus. insistamus potius et elaboremus et toto corde uigilantes adque ad omnem tolerantiam stabiles dominica praecepta seruemus, ut cum ille irae et uindictae dies uenerit non cum impiis et peccatoribus puniamur, sed cum iustis et Deum timentibus honoremur.
Let us wait for him, dearest brothers, our judge and avenger, who will avenge together with himself the people of his church and the number of all the righteous from the beginning of the world. Let him who hastens and hurries too much to his vengeance consider that he who avenges has not yet been avenged himself. In the Apocalypse the angel resists John when he wishes to worship him, and says: “See that you do not do it, for I am your fellow servant and of your brothers. Worship the Lord Jesus.” What and how great is the patience of the Lord Jesus, that he who is worshiped in heaven is not yet avenged on earth! Let us think of his patience, dearest brothers, in our persecutions and sufferings. Let us render to his coming the obedience of full expectation, and let us not, as servants, hasten with irreligious and shameless haste to be defended before our Lord. Let us rather persist and labor, and, watching with our whole heart and steadfast for all endurance, keep the Lord's precepts, so that, when that day of wrath and vengeance comes, we may not be punished with the impious and sinners but honored with the righteous and those who fear God.
Textual problem in this passage: see the notes.
Rev 19:10 (quotation, high confidence) · Rev 22:9 (quotation, medium confidence)
Notes and citation
Summary: Christ, worshiped in heaven, is not yet avenged on earth; Christians should imitate his patience, await his coming, and keep his commands.
- The quotation is Rev 19:10 (cf. 22:9; Old Latin, “worship the Lord Jesus”). The editor deletes a passage quoting Phil 2:9–10 (“God the Father commanded his Son to be worshiped ... every knee should bow”).
Topics: Persecution, Eschatology, Christology
Cite (SBL): Cyprian, Pat. 24 (CSEL 3.1:414–415; trans. Sophia Scriptura, https://sophiascriptura.com/fathers/cyprian-patientia/24/#p-24). (abbreviation not yet checked)
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Translation: Translated by Claude from the Latin text of CSEL 3.1; made independently of existing English translations.