ANF01. The Apostolic Fathers with Justin Martyr and Irenaeus

Chapter XXXVII.—Christ is our leader, and we His soldiers.

Let us then, men and brethren, with all energy act the part of soldiers, in accordance with His holy commandments. Let us consider those who serve under our generals, with what order, obedience, and submissiveness they perform the things which are commanded them. All are not prefects, nor commanders of a thousand, nor of a hundred, nor of fifty, nor the like, but each one in his own rank performs the things commanded by the king and the generals. The great cannot subsist without the small, nor the small without the great. There is a kind of mixture in all things, and thence arises mutual advantage.¹⁶²¹⁶²    Literally, “in these there is use.” Let us take our body for an example.¹⁶³¹⁶³    1 Cor. xii. 12, etc. The head is nothing without the feet, and the feet are nothing without the head; yea, the very smallest members of our body are necessary and useful to the whole body. But all work¹⁶⁴¹⁶⁴    Literally, “all breathe together.” harmoniously together, and are under one common rule¹⁶⁵¹⁶⁵    Literally, “use one subjection.” for the preservation of the whole body.