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56 ISIK/YAIIB III OP ADIABENE

which you shall find the power for extinguishing all the flaming-
arrows of the devil. Behold 1 am a slave for you and a servant
according to the commandment of our Ixml,117 not however a
tyrant and a tax-gatherer according to the evil opinion of those
who have assumed the title of your bishops and who do not
understand that they arc only exemplary in their own judgment.

Since, through an evil dealing,118 119the name of the priesthood they

in
arc accustomed to tavern keeping,1,9 they think that we too hold
the authority of the Church of God through evil dealing. And
therefore they have both rebelled and acted wickedly with a
profane mind foreign to the sublime governance of the
ecclesiastical primacy.120
If perhaps people from among you should be afflicted by that
profane opinion, let them come to us and follow closely our
governance. They shall know well our situation121 and perhaps they
will find out, with the Lord helping our weakness, that God is
present in the Israel of the spirit and that the spiritual aid from the
treasury of the Lord is justly distributed to the whole people of the
Lord that is rightly believing. Therefore be strengthened in our
Lord and in die strength of his power,122 my beloved brothers.
Guard the concord123 of the Church of God through the help of
God. Receive the priestly grace from die spiritual Holy of Holies
which our Lord has fixed in the land of mortals. And become firm
in the faith of the truth. Be steadfast in observing the life-giving
commands. Make known to us quickly the love of your faith and
your firm position in the fear of our Lord, and your situation and
your concord with the Church of God, so that when knowing your
situation towards our Lord, we may be able to rejoice and give
thanks for your sake to our Lord. May he strengthen you and make
you zealous so that you may become firm in the love of his faith,

117 Reference to Matthew 20:26-27.
118 ILjoc^jKz*
119
120 JkoiA-j
121
122 Reference to Ephesians 6:10.
123