The Book in the order it was written
Timeline → Contents → The Apostolic Fathers → The Testament of Our Lord

The Testament of Our Lord

I. 45

OF THE READER

A reader is instituted + [who is | pure, quiet, meek,’ wise, with much experience, learned and of much learning, with a good memory,® vigilant, so that he may deserve a higher degree? First let the book be given him in the sight of the people, on the first day of the week. Buta hand is not laid on him. But he heareth from the bishop [the following]:

Thou, O N., whom Christ hath called to be a minister’? of His words, be careful, and strive that thou mayest appear approved ® both in this rule and in a higher degree, even by our Lord Jesus Christ; so that He in His everlasting habitations may pay thee a good reward for these things.

And let the priests say: So be it, so be it, so be it.

Open in the reader All of The Testament of Our Lord

Text. James Cooper and Arthur John Maclean, Edinburgh, 1902. Public domain by age. The Testamentum Domini from the Syriac, recovered from the scan by the word coordinates. This is not the Ge'ez: the Ethiopic version of this work was unpublished when they wrote and has no public-domain English still. Their chapter numbers are the ones printed. Not audited.