I charge you before God, and the Lord Jesus Christ, and the elect angels, that you observe these things without preferring one before another, doing nothing by partiality.
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Clement Of Rome
AD 99
Of speaking; let them display their love, not by preferring.
of speaking; let them display their love, not by preferring
Having spoken of Bishops and Deacons, of men, and women, of widows and elders, and of all others, and having shown how great was the authority of a Bishop, now he was speaking of judgment, he has added, I charge you before God and the Lord Jesus Christ and the elect angels, that you observe these things without preferring one before another, doing nothing by partiality. Thus fearfully he charges him. For though Timothy was his beloved son, he did not therefore stand in awe of him. For as he was not ashamed to say of himself, Lest by any means when I have preached to others, I myself should be a cast-away 1 Corinthians 9:27; much less would he be afraid or ashamed in the case of Timothy. He called the Father and the Son to witness. But wherefore the elect Angels? From great moderation, as Moses said, I call heaven and earth to witness Deuteronomy 4:26; and again, Hear ye, O mountains, and strong foundations of the earth. Micah 6:2 He calls the Father and the Son to witness what he has s...
