Two masters, two ages, and the certainty of judgment
The preacher continues his exhortation to regard worldly things as foreign, now quoting the Lord on serving two masters and warning that only those who keep their baptism pure and do holy works will enter the kingdom of God.
The Lord says: “No household servant can serve two masters” (Matthew 6:24). If we want to serve both God and mammon, it does us no good. For what is the profit if someone gains the whole world but forfeits his soul (Matthew 16:26)?
This present age and the age to come are two enemies. This age preaches adultery, corruption, love of money, and deceit; the coming age renounces these things. So we cannot be friends of both. We must renounce this age and make use of the other.
We think it is better to reject the things here, because they are small, short-lived, and perishable, and to love the things there—the good things that are immortal. For if we do the will of Christ, we will find rest; but if not, nothing will rescue us from eternal punishment if we disobey his commandments.
And the scripture says in Ezekiel: “Even if Noah and Job and Daniel should rise, they will not rescue their children” (see Ezekiel 14:14, 20, a loose paraphrase). If even such righteous men cannot rescue their children by their own righteousness, then with what confidence will we enter the kingdom of God unless we keep our baptism pure and undefiled? Or who will be our advocate, unless we are found to have works that are holy and righteous?
Greek
Λέγει δὲ ὁ κύριος: Οὐδεὶς οἰκέτης δύναται δυσὶ κυρίοις δουλεύειν. ἐὰν ἡμεῖς θέλωμεν καὶ θεῷ δουλεύειν καὶ μαμωνᾷ, ἀσύμφορον ἡμῖν ἐστίν.
τί γὰρ τὸ ὄφελος, ἐάν τις τὸν κόσμον ὅλον κερδήσῃ, τὴν δὲ ψυχὴν ζημιωθῇ;
ἔστιν δὲ οὗτος ὁ αἰὼν καὶ ὁ μέλλων δύο ἐχθροί.
οὗτος λέγει μοιχείαν καὶ φθορὰν καὶ φιλαργυρίαν καὶ ἀπάτην, ἐκεῖνος δὲ τούτοις ἀποτάσσεται.
οὐ δυνάμεθα οὖν τῶν δύο φίλοι εἶναι: δεῖ δὲ ἡμᾶς τούτῳ ἀποταξαμένους ἐκείνῳ χρᾶσθαι
οἰόμεθα. ὅτι βέλτιόν ἐστιν τὰ ἐνθάδε μισῆσαι, ὅτι μικρὰ καὶ ὀλιγοχρόνια καὶ φθαρτά, ἐκεῖνα δὲ ἀγαπῆσαι, τὰ ἀγαθὰ τὰ ἄφθαρτα.
ποιοῦντες γὰρ τὸ θέλημα τοῦ Χριστοῦ εὑρήσομεν ἀνάπαυσιν: εἰ δὲ μήγε, οὐδὲν ἡμᾶς ῥύσεται ἐκ τῆς αἰωνίου κολάσεως, ἐὰν παρακούσωμεν τῶν ἐντολῶν αὐτοῦ.
λέγει δὲ καὶ ἡ γραφὴ ἐν τῷ Ἰεζεκιήλ. ὅτι ἐὰν ἀναστῇ Νῶε καὶ Ἰὼβ καὶ Δανιήλ, οὐ ῥύσονται τὰ τέκνα αὐτῶν ἐν τῇ αἰχμαλωσίᾳ.
εἰ δὲ καὶ οἱ τοιοῦτοι δίκαιοι οὐ δύνανται ταῖς ἑαυτῶν δικαιοσύναις ῥύσασθαι τὰ τέκνα αὐτῶν, ἡμεῖς, ἐὰν μὴ τηρήσωμεν τὸ βάπτισμα ἁγνὸν καὶ ἀμίαντον, ποίᾳ πεποιθήσει εἰσελευσόμεθα εἰς τὸ βασίλειον τοῦ θεοῦ; ἣ τίς ἡμῶν παράκλητος ἔσται, ἐὰν μὴ εὑρεθῶμεν ἔργα ἔχοντες ὅσια καὶ δίκαια;