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Ixtheus Christian Devotionals |
The Manners of the Christians
(from the Epistle of Diognetus)
Written by an anonymous author around the year 180AD.
"For the Christians are distinguished from
other men
neither by country, nor language,
nor the customs which they observe.
For they neither inhabit cities of their
own,
nor employ a peculiar form of speech,
nor lead a life which is marked out by
any singularity. . .
They dwell not in their own countries,
but simply as sojourners.
As citizens, they share in all things
with others,
and yet endure all things as if foreigners.
Every foreign land is to them as their
native country,
and every land of their birth as a land
of strangers.
They marry, as do all [others];
they beget children;
but they do not destroy their offspring.
They have a common table, but not a common
bed.
They are in the flesh, but they do not
live after the flesh.
They pass their days on earth,
but they are citizens of heaven.
They obey the prescribed laws,
and at the same time surpass the laws
by their lives.
"They love all men, and are persecuted
by all.
They are unknown and condemned;
they are put to death, and restored to
life.
They are poor, yet make many rich;
they are in lack of all things, and yet
abound in all;
they are dishonoured,
and yet in their very dishonour are glorified.
They are evil spoken of, and yet are justified;
they are reviled, and bless;
they are insulted, and repay the insult
with honour;
they do good, yet are punished as
evil-doers.
When punished, they rejoice as if quickened
into life;
they are assailed by the Jews as foreigners,
and are persecuted by the Greeks;
yet those who hate them are unable
to assign
any reason for their hatred."
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Philippians 1:27 (NIV)
Whatever happens,
conduct yourselves in a manner worthy
of the gospel of Christ.
Then, whether I come and see you
or only hear about you in my absence,
I will know that you stand firm in one
spirit,
contending as one man for the faith of
the gospel.
Phil 3:17-21 (TLB)
Dear brothers, pattern your lives after
mine (Paul's),
and notice who else lives up to my example.
{18} For I have told you often before,
and I say it again now with tears in my
eyes,
there are many who walk along the Christian
road
who are really enemies of the cross of
Christ.
{19} Their future is eternal loss (destruction),
for their god is their appetite:
they are proud of what they should be
ashamed of;
and all they think about is this life
here on earth.
{20} But our homeland is in heaven,
where our Savior, the Lord Jesus Christ,
is;
and we are looking forward to his return
from there.
{21} When he comes back,
he will take these dying bodies of ours
and change them into glorious bodies like
his own,
using the same mighty power
that he will use to conquer all else everywhere.
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IXTHEUS CHRISTIAN DEVOTIONALS
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