"Work out your salvation with fear and trembling." - Philippians 2:12
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Remember that from the ending of Emily Rose? I know!
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Anyway - after many years I finally found out the source of another scriptural passage I often recall when I sense I may be the object of scorn or detraction by others. The interpretation which ruminates within my heart is: "The sin of the Gentiles is they lack charity." Nevertheless, I could never find the same translation in Scripture, and I had no recollection as to where I got it from. Until today.
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I discovered the source of the translation is contained within this passage: "One sees in them men without conscience, without loyalty, without affection (charity), without pity." [Romans 1:31] Paul is discussing the situation of the pagans who refuse to glorify God and whose unbelief led to the errors and depravity of the pagan world.
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I encountered the passage in the writings of St. Francis De Sales on friendship, which I have read numerous times without realizing it contained the obscure Scripture: "The sin of the gentiles is they lack charity". St. Francis references the passage while writing on the suitability of particular friendship for persons in the lay state, offering examples from the lives of the saints.
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"St. Jerome, St. Augustine, St. Bernard, and all the great servants of God have had very particular friendships without doing any harm to their perfection. When condemning the disorders of the pagans St. Paul accuses them of being people "without affection" [Rom. 1:31], that is, they had no true friendships. Together with all good philosophers, St. Thomas states that friendship is a virtue. He speaks of "particular friendship" since, as he says, "perfect friendship cannot be extended to a great many persons." Hence perfection consists not in having no friendships, but in having only those that are good, holy, and sacred." - Introduction to the Devout Life, Bk. III; 19
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Of course Philippians 2:12 is translated differently from my recollection of it as well: "Work with anxious concern to achieve your salvation." I think "work out your salvation with fear and trembling" is more apt, since "our battle is not against human forces but against the principalities and powers, the rulers of this world of darkness, the evil spirits in the region above." [Ephesians 6:12]
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Art: Allegory on chastity; Sacro Convento, Assisi.
"Phobou kai tromou" are in the original Greek, the language in which the text was written by the Apostle. Fear and trembling are more apt and closer to the intended meaning than "anxious concern" which sounds like hand holding psychobabble of the type which so commonly afflicts the Church today: A satanic smoke which distorts the liturgy and catechism so that salvation seems to be all about "feeling" and "solidarity". Please forgive my spot of bile here - a bit of phobos manifesting.
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