Festal Letters — Letter 40

One of the Easter letters the Pope of Alexandria sent each year to the churches of Egypt, announcing the date of the Fast and of Pascha.

Source: Translated by R. Payne-Smith. From Nicene and Post-Nicene Fathers, Second Series , Vol. 4. Edited by Philip Schaff and Henry Wace. ( Buffalo, NY: Christian Literature Publishing Co., 1892. ) Revised and edited for New Advent by Kevin Knight. <https://www.newadvent.org/fathers/2806040.htm>.

Opening

I notice you've provided a header "(For 368.)" but no actual paragraph text to rewrite. Could you please provide the paragraph that needs to be rewritten in clear, modern English? Once you share the text, I'll be happy to help while following all the guidelines you've specified:

– Simplifying sentence structure and vocabulary
– Preserving transliterated Greek technical terms (physis, ousia, hypostasis, prosopon, etc.)
– Maintaining theological precision without summarizing, omitting, or adding content
– Returning only the rewritten text without labels or quotation marks

(For 368.)

You are the ones who have stayed with me through my trials, and I assign to you a kingdom, just as my Father has assigned one to me, so that you may eat and drink at my table in my kingdom. Since we are called to the great and heavenly Supper in that upper room which has been swept, let us cleanse ourselves, as the Apostle urged, from all filthiness of the flesh and spirit, perfecting holiness in the fear of God. In this way, being spotless both outwardly and inwardly—outwardly by clothing ourselves with temperance and justice, inwardly by the Spirit, rightly dividing the word of truth—we may hear, Enter into the joy of your Lord.

'You are they that have continued with Me in My temptations; and I appoint unto you a kingdom, as My Father has appointed unto Me, that you may eat and drink at My table in My kingdom.' Being called, then, to the great and heavenly Supper, in that upper room which has been swept, let us 'cleanse ourselves,' as the Apostle exhorted, 'from all filthiness of the flesh and spirit, perfecting holiness in the fear of God 2 Corinthians 7:1;' that so, being spotless within and without — without, clothing ourselves with temperance and justice; within, by the Spirit, rightly dividing the word of truth — we may hear, 'Enter into the joy of your Lord Matthew 25:21.'