Priests. Such, hoarding up riches, dishonour God and his sacraments, as if they were temporal things to be purchased, and so they scandalize the weak. It would be well for them if they were reduced to poverty, [Verse 2] and would repent, as they will otherwise be deprived of eternal goods, having received their wages in this world, like hirelings, [John 10] (Worthington)
Author: George Leo Haydock Rank: Author AD: 1849 Source: Title: Haydock's Catholic Family Bible and Commentary Year (original): 1859 Number of pages: 571 Print: Edward Dunigan and Brother, New York, New York |
The priests would probably justify their faults, mentioned in the last chapter, by saying that offering the defiled and blemished sacrifices on the altar, is not their fault, but is that of the individual who does not offer the best of what he has to the Lord. The commandment addressed in this chapter to the priests does not concern the offerings and the sacrifices, as much as it concerns the priests’ hearts, intentions, life, and behavior. If the task of the priest, is to intercede on behalf of the people, by offering sacrifices, being a symbol of that of the Lord Christ. It is fitting for the priest himself to be holy. If the priest is not pure, how can his heart cry out for the sake of the purity and the sanctity of the hearts of others?
Author: Tadros Yacoub Malaty Rank: Monk Posted on: 2022-10-27 |
In this place, we must consider, dearly beloved brother, for the sake of the faith and religion of the sacerdotal office which we exercise, whether the account of a bishop of God who asserts and approves and considers acceptable the baptism of blasphemers can be satisfactory when the Lord threatens and says, “ ‘And now, O priests, this commandment is for you. If you do not hear and if you do not lay it to heart to give glory to my name,’ says the Lord God omnipotent, ‘I will send a curse upon you, and of your blessing I will make a curse.’ ” Does he who is in communion with the baptism of Marcion give glory to God? Does he who thinks that the remission of sins is granted among those who blaspheme against God give glory to God? Does he who asserts that sons of God are born of an adulterous and fornicating woman give glory to God? Does he who, not holding the unity and truth coming from the divine law, defends heresies against the church give glory to God? Does he who, as a friend of heretics and an enemy of Christians, thinks that bishops of God protecting the truth of Christ and the unity of the Christ ought to be excommunicated give glory to God? If glory is thus given to God, if the fear and discipline of God are thus preserved by his worshipers and bishops, let us cast aside our arms. Let us surrender into captivity. Let us hand over to the devil the ordination of the gospel, the decree of Christ, the majesty of God. Let the sacraments of the divine welfare be cast aside. Let the standards of the heavenly camp be given up. Let the church succumb and yield to heretics, light to darkness, faith to perfidy, hope to despair, reason to error, immortality to death, love to hatred, truth to lying, Christ to antichrist.
Author: Cyprian of Carthage Rank: Bishop AD: 258 |
The listed verse explanations of the individual persons have nothing to do with the explanations of the other persons. This also applies to the Bible translations.