Early Christian Holiness and Separation From Sin

Clement of Rome, First Epistle to the Corinthians Direct teaching

Seeing, therefore, that we are the portion of the Holy One, let us do all those things which pertain to holiness, avoiding all evil-speaking, all abominable and impure embraces, together with all drunkenness, seeking after change, all abominable lusts, detestable adultery, and execrable pride.

Clement of Alexandria, The Stromata (Miscellanies) Direct teaching

...ngs is death. But now, being made free from sin, and become servants to God, you have your fruit to holiness, and the end everlasting life. For the wages of sin is death, but the gift of God is eternal life, through Jesus Christ our Lord." Romans 6:20-23. The assertion, then, may be ventured, that it has been shown that death is the fellowship of the soul, in a state of sin, with the body; and life is separation from sin. And many are the stakes and ditches of lust that impede us, and the pits of wrath and anger that must be leaped over, and all the schemes of those who plot against us that we must avoid—those who would no longer see the knowledge of God through a glass.

Tertullian, On the Resurrection of the Flesh Supporting witness

...cleanness, and of iniquity to iniquity, even so now yield your members servants of righteousness to holiness. For while you were the servants of sin, you were free from righteousness. What fruit did you have then in those things of which you are now ashamed? For the end of those things is death. But now, being made free from sin, and become servants to God, you have your fruit to holiness, and the end everlasting life. For the wages of sin is death, but the gift of God is eternal life through Jesus Christ our Lord." Thus throughout this whole series of passages, while he withdraws our members from unrighteousness and sin, and applies them to righteousness and holiness, and transfers the same from the wages of death to the gift of eternal life, he undoubtedly promises to the flesh the recompense of salvation. Now it would not at all have been consistent for any rule of holiness and righteousness to be specially commanded for the flesh, if the reward of such discipline were not also within its reach. Nor could even baptism properly be ordered for the flesh, if by its regeneration a course were not begun that tends to its restoration. The apostle himself suggests this idea: "Do you

Irenaeus, Against Heresies: Book IV Supporting witness

... assert; rather, they show a fulfilling and extension of them, as He Himself declares: "Unless your righteousness surpasses that of the scribes and Pharisees, you will not enter the kingdom of heaven." What did the excess referred to mean? First, we must believe not only in the Father but also in His Son now revealed; for He is the one who leads man into fellowship and unity with God. Next, we must not only speak but also act; for they spoke but did not act. And we must not only abstain from evil deeds but even from the desire for them. Now He did not teach us these things as being opposed to the law, but as fulfilling the law and instilling in us the varied righteousness of the law. It would have been contrary to the law if He had commanded His disciples to do anything the law prohibited. But what He did command—namely, not only to abstain from what the law forbids but even from desiring them—is not contrary to the law, as I have noted, nor is it the teaching of one destroying the law, but of one fulfilling, extending, and providing greater scope to it.

Cyprian, Treatises Supporting witness

...baptism may continue in what we have begun to be. And we pray for this every day, for we need daily sanctification, so that we who fall away daily may wash away our sins by continual sanctification. And the apostle declares what this sanctification is that is given to us by God's condescension, when he says, “Neither fornicators, nor idolaters, nor adulterers, nor the effeminate, nor those who abuse themselves with mankind, nor thieves, nor deceivers, nor drunkards, nor revilers, nor extortioners, shall inherit the kingdom of God. And such indeed were you; but you are washed; but you are justified; but you are sanctified in the name of our Lord Jesus Christ, and by the Spirit of our God.” 1 Corinthians 6:9. He says that we are sanctified in the name of our Lord Jesus Christ, and by the Spirit of our God. We pray that this sanctification may remain in us. And because our Lord and Judge warns the man who was healed and given life by Him to sin no more, lest something worse happen to him, we make this request in our constant prayers. We ask this day and night, that the sanctification and life-giving power received from the grace of God may be kept safe by His protection.

Hebrews 12:14 Background

Follow peace with all men, and holiness, without which no man shall see the Lord:

2 Corinthians 7:1 Background

Having therefore these promises, dearly beloved, let us cleanse ourselves from all filthiness of the flesh and spirit, perfecting holiness in the fear of God.

1 Peter 1:15 Background

but as he who called you is holy, you also be holy in all your conduct,

1 John 3:3 Background

And every man that hath this hope in him purifieth himself, even as he is pure.

2 Timothy 2:22 Background

So flee youthful passions and pursue righteousness, faith, love, and peace, along with those who call on the Lord from a pure heart.

1 Thessalonians 5:22 Background

Abstain from all appearance of evil.

Hermas, The Shepherd (Pastor) Direct teaching

Put on a holiness in which there is no wicked cause of offense, but all deeds that are equable and joyful.

Hermas, The Shepherd (Pastor) Supporting witness

...aceful. Therefore, when he rises into your heart, he immediately speaks to you about righteousness, purity, chastity, contentment, and every righteous deed and glorious virtue. When all these rise into your heart, know that the angel of righteousness is with you. These are the deeds of the angel of righteousness. Trust him, then, and his works. “Now look at the works of the angel of iniquity. First, he is angry, bitter, and foolish, and his works are evil and destroy the servants of God. So when he rises into your heart, know him by his works.” And I said to him, “How, sir, I will recognize him, I do not know.” “Listen and understand,” he said. “When anger comes on you, or harshness, know that he is in you. You will also know this is the case when you are attacked by a desire for many dealings, and for the richest delicacies, and drunken feasting, and various luxuries, and improper things, and by a craving for women, and by overreaching, and pride, and blustering, and whatever is like these. When these rise into your heart, know that the angel of iniquity is in you. Now that you know his works, depart from him, and do not trust him in any way, because his deeds are evil and usel

Clement of Alexandria, The Stromata (Miscellanies) Supporting witness

...5, so that a man who has taken a wife, if he practices self-control by necessity, may not slip into sin, and while sparing his own marriage, may desire another’s. For this reason, in the case of the man who thinks he is behaving improperly because he keeps his virgin unmarried, he rightly says that if she marries, he does not sin. But each person, whether he has chosen chastity, or whether he has joined himself in marriage for the begetting of children, must firmly remain in his own purpose and not turn aside to what is worse. For if he is able to increase and intensify the pattern of life he has chosen, he gains greater honor with God because of pure self-control that comes from reason. But if he goes beyond the rule he chose, he will then fall back into a lesser hope of glory. For just as chastity has its own duties and ministries, marriage also has its own duties and ministries that belong to the Lord. I mean the care of children and of a wife. For what properly occupies the man who is complete in marriage is the marriage bond itself, so that he may show care and foresight for everyone in the common household. Therefore, he says, bishops ought to be appointed from those who h

Justin Martyr, Dialogue with Trypho Supporting witness

The man who walks in righteousness, speaks in the right way, hates sin and unrighteousness, and keeps his hands pure from bribes, stops the ears from hearing the unjust judgment of blood closes the eyes from seeing unrighteousness: he shall dwell in the lofty cave of the strong rock.

Tertullian, On Modesty Supporting witness

But now I write to you, if any is named a brother among you, (being) a fornicator, or an idolater (for what so intimately joined?), or a defrauder (for what so near akin?), and so on, with such to take no food even, not to say the Eucharist: because, to wit, withal a little leaven spoils the flavour of the whole lump.

Lactantius, The Divine Institutes Supporting witness

...crime; in it is every offense. For even if the body is stained with no defilement, the principle of purity still does not remain if the mind is impure. Nor can chastity seem untouched where desire has stained the conscience. And no one should think that it is difficult to put reins on pleasure, and to shut it in, wandering and straying as it is, within the bounds of chastity and purity, since it is possible for people even to conquer it. Very many have kept the blessed and uncorrupted purity of the body, and many there are who enjoy this heavenly kind of life most happily. God did not command this in a harsh way, as though He were binding men, since human beings must be begotten, but rather as allowing it. For He knows how great a necessity He has laid on these feelings. He says, "If anyone can do this, he will have an excellent and incomparable reward." This kind of self-restraint is like the highest peak and the completion of all virtues. If anyone can strive and struggle toward it, the master will recognize him as a servant, and the teacher will recognize him as a disciple. He will triumph over the earth. He will be like God, because he has received the virtue of God. These t

Tertullian, Apology Supporting witness

...an obstinate refusal to offer sacrifices, he found in their religious services nothing but meetings early in the morning for singing hymns to Christ and God, and sealing their way of life by a united pledge to remain faithful to their religion, forbidding murder, adultery, dishonesty, and other crimes. In reply, Trajan wrote back that Christians were by no means to be sought out. But if they were brought before him, they should be punished. O miserable deliverance. Under the necessities of the case, it is a self-contradiction. It forbids them to be sought out, as innocent, and it commands them to be punished, as guilty. It is at once merciful and cruel. It passes by, and it punishes. Why do you play this game of evasion with yourself, O Judgment? If you condemn, why do you not also inquire? If you do not inquire, why do you not also absolve? Military stations are set throughout all the provinces for tracking robbers. Against traitors and public enemies every man is a soldier. Search is made even for their confederates and accessories. The Christian alone must not be sought, though he may be brought and accused before the judge, as if a search had any other end than that! And so

Isaiah 33:15 Background

He that walketh righteously, and speaketh uprightly; he that despiseth the gain of oppressions, that shaketh his hands from holding of bribes, that stoppeth his ears from hearing of blood, and shutteth his eyes from seeing evil;

Titus 1:15 Background

To the pure, all things are pure, but to the defiled and unbelieving, nothing is pure; but both their minds and their consciences are defiled.

1 John 3:7 Background

Little children, let no one deceive you. Whoever practices righteousness is righteous, as he is righteous.

Hebrews 7:26 Background

For it was indeed fitting that we should have such a high priest, holy, innocent, unstained, separated from sinners, and exalted above the heavens.

Wisdom of Sirach 38:10 Background

Leave off from sin, and order thy hands aright, And cleanse thy heart from all wickedness.

Irenaeus, Against Heresies: Book V Direct teaching

...nt of all the benefits He has in store. But to those who choose to depart from God, He enforces the separation they have willingly chosen. Separation from God is death, and separation from light is darkness; it means losing all the benefits He offers. Those who abandon these things through apostasy, finding themselves without any good, experience every kind of punishment. God does not punish them directly, but the punishment comes upon them because they lack all that is good. Good things are eternal and endless with God, so losing these is eternal and never-ending. It's like the case of a flood of light: those who have blinded themselves, or been blinded by others, are forever deprived of the enjoyment of light. The light hasn't caused their blindness; their blindness has brought disaster upon them. That's why the Lord said, “He who believes in Me is not condemned,” meaning they are not separated from God, because they are united with God through faith. On the other hand, He says, “He who does not believe is condemned already, because he has not believed in the name of the only-begotten Son of God,” meaning he has separated himself from God by choice. “This is the condemnation:

Hippolytus, Refutation of All Heresies Supporting witness

...ys, what was spoken: "I came not to send peace on the earth, but a sword"—that is, the division and separation of the things that have been mixed together. For each of the things that have been mixed together is separated and divided when it reaches its proper place. For just as there is one place of mixture for all animals, so also one place of separation has been established. And, he says, no one knows this place except us alone, who have been born again, spiritual, not fleshly, whose citizenship is in heaven above.

Tertullian, On Modesty Supporting witness

If you think this said about a heathen, at all events about believers you have already heard (it said) through Isaiah: Go out from the midst of them, and be separate, and touch not the impure.

Apostolic Constitutions, Apostolic Constitutions Supporting witness

... during those hours or days when they go through such things, do they refuse to pray, or to touch a Bible, or to receive the Eucharist? If they admit that they do, then it is plain that they are without the Holy Spirit, who always remains with the faithful. For Solomon says about holy people, "So that each one may prepare himself, so that when he sleeps it may keep him, and when he rises it may speak with him," Proverbs 6:22. For if you think, woman, that when you are in your seven days of separation you are without the Holy Spirit, then if you were to die suddenly, you would depart without the Spirit and without sure hope in God. Or else you must understand that the Spirit is always inseparable from you, since He is not confined to a place. But you need prayer and the Eucharist and the coming of the Holy Spirit, because in this matter you have committed no sin. For neither lawful union, nor childbearing, nor menstrual cleansing, nor a nighttime emission can defile a person's nature or separate the Holy Spirit from him. Nothing can do that except impiety and unlawful conduct. For the Holy Spirit always remains with those who have Him, as long as they are worthy. And when He depa

Apostolic Constitutions, Apostolic Constitutions Supporting witness

but God, so as to attain holiness of life, and be partaker of everlasting rest.

2 Corinthians 6:17 Background

Wherefore come out from among them, and be ye separate, saith the Lord, and touch not the unclean thing; and I will receive you.

Leviticus 20:26 Background

And you shall be holy to Me, for I the Lord am holy, and have separated you from the peoples, that you should be Mine.

Numbers 16:26 Background

And he spoke to the congregation, saying, Separate yourselves from the tents of these stubborn men, and touch nothing that belongs to them, lest ye be consumed with them in all their sin.

Joshua 7:13 Background

Rise, sanctify the people and tell them to sanctify themselves for the morrow: thus says the Lord God of Israel, The accursed thing is among you; ye shall not be able to stand before your enemies, until ye shall have removed the cursed thing from among you.

Numbers 19:20 Background

And whatever man shall be defiled and shall not purify himself, that soul shall be cut off from the midst of the congregation, because he has defiled the holy things of the Lord, because the water of sprinkling has not been sprinkled upon him; he is unclean.

Wisdom of Sirach 23:12 Background

There is a word that is clothed about with death: God grant that it be not found in the heritage of Jacob; For all such things shall be far from the godly, And they shall not wallow in their sins.