Chapter XII.—Ye are superior to me.

May I enjoy you in all respects, if indeed I be worthy! For though I am bound, I am not worthy to be compared to any of you that are at liberty. I know that ye are not puffed up, for ye have Jesus Christ in yourselves. And all the more when I commend you, I know that ye cherish modesty⁷¹¹⁷¹¹    Literally, “are reverent.” of spirit; as it is written, “The righteous man is his own accuser.”⁷¹²⁷¹²    Prov. xviii. 17. (LXX).

May I enjoy you in all respects, if indeed I be worthy! For though I am bound, I am not worthy to be compared to one of you that are at liberty. I know that ye are not puffed up, for ye have Jesus in yourselves. And all the more when I commend you, I know that ye cherish modesty⁷¹³⁷¹³    Literally, “are reverent.” of spirit; as it is written, “The righteous man is his own accuser;”⁷¹⁴⁷¹⁴    Prov. xviii. 17. (LXX). and again, “Declare thou first thine iniquities, that thou mayest be justified;”⁷¹⁵⁷¹⁵    Isa. xliii. 26. and again, “When ye shall have done all things that are commanded you, say, We are unprofitable servants;”⁷¹⁶⁷¹⁶    Luke xvii. 10. “for that which is highly esteemed among men is abomination in the sight of God.”⁷¹⁷⁷¹⁷    Luke xvi. 15. For says [the Scripture], “God be merciful to me a sinner.”⁷¹⁸⁷¹⁸    Luke xviii. 13. Therefore those great ones, Abraham and Job,⁷¹⁹⁷¹⁹    Some read, “Jacob.” styled themselves “dust and ashes” ⁷²⁰⁷²⁰    Gen. xviii. 27; Job xxx. 19. before God. And David says, “Who am I before Thee, O Lord, that Thou hast glorified me hitherto?”⁷²¹⁷²¹    1 Chron. xvii. 16. And Moses, who was “the meekest of all men,”⁷²²⁷²²    Num. xii. 3. saith to God, “I am of a feeble voice, and of a slow tongue.”⁷²³⁷²³    Ex. iv. 10. Be ye therefore also of a humble spirit, that ye may be exalted; for “he that abaseth himself shall be exalted, and he that exalteth himself shall be abased.”⁷²⁴⁷²⁴    Luke xiv. 11.