Behold, you despisers, and wonder, and perish: for I work a work in your days, a work which you shall in no way believe, though a man declare it unto you.
Read Chapter 13
George Leo Haydock
AD 1849
Ye despisers of the favours offered you, behold, wonder This citation is out of Habacuc, (chap. i. ver. 5.) according to the Septuagint. The prophet, by these words, foretold to the Jews in his time the evils that would come upon them in their captivity in Chaldea, but St. Paul here applies them at least to the miseries that the incredulous Jews would incur, if they obstinately refused to believe in Christ. (Witham)
Marvel not that it seems incredible: this very thing was foretold from the first— (that it would not be believed). Behold, you despisers, as regards those who disbelieve in the Resurrection.
This too might with reason be said to us: Behold you despisers. For the Church indeed is in very evil case, although you think her affairs to be in peace. For the mischief of it is, that while we labor under so many evils, we do not even know that we have any. What do you say? We are in possession of our Churches, our Church property, and all the rest, the services are held, the congregation comes to Church every day. True, but one is not to judge of the state of a Church from these things. From what then? Whether there be piety, whether we return home with profit each day, whether reaping some fruit, be it much or little, whether we do it not merely of routine and for the formal acquittance of a duty (ἀ φοσιούμενοι). Who has become a better man by attending (daily) service for a whole month? Th...
(a) Observe how he twines (the thread of) his discourse (alternately) from things present, from the prophets. Thus, from (this man's) seed according to the promise—
