The distinction between human fear and divine impotence
You cast my testimony aside, but I testify to myself. For my testimony is true, even if you do not wish it, which I used to say to the Jews: 'Why do you want to kill me, a man who has spoken the truth to you?' 'A man,' he said, 'heretic, not God.'
This man, Jesus, who was killed by the Jews, fears. And do not disturb the word with your ignorance. For this reason I fear, so that death might cling to me as a man, and be defeated as being from God. But even while fearing, I do not entirely decline the passion. If I had refusedould not have said: 'Father, if it is possible, let this cup pass from me' (Matt 26:39). For it is certain that nothing is impossible for the Father.
If indeed I asked that death be brought forward, but He did not bring it about, you raise two absurdities. For if, being unable, He did not bring it forward, or if, being stingy, He handed it over, you would find, heretic, that you are attributing cowardice to me and impotence to the Father. But while saying I am a coward, you ask forgiveness on account of the flesh, yet while rubbing against the Father's impotence, you err unpardonably, saying the power of God is weaker than death. Otherwise, you would make me appear stronger than the Father.
And I state the manner. For if I, while living in the flesh, raised Lazarus, the daughter of Jairus, the boy of the widow, but having died again in the flesh, I emptied the tombs of the five hundred dead, my Father, having experienced neither flesh nor death, would say of me, the one whom He loved as a child, as He himself says: 'This is my beloved Son' (Matt 3:17), that to come out of dangers He was not able—see what you suffer, heretic. Because you do not give equal judgment to what is equal to me, you provide more unwillingly, and whom you think is being dragged down by weakness, you make appear stronger than the Father; for I indeed and <not]
Greek
ἐκβάλλετέ μου τὴν μαρτυρίαν, ἐγὼ ἐμαυτῷ μαρτυρῶ. Ἡ γὰρ μαρτυρία μου ἀληθής ἐστιν, κἂν μὴ θέλητε, ἣν πρὸς Ἰουδαίους ἔλεγον· Τί με θέλετε ἀποκτεῖναι, ἄνθρωπον ὃς τὴν ἀλήθειαν ὑμῖν λελάληκα. Ἄνθρωπον εἶπεν, αἱρετικέ, μὴ οὖν θεόν. Οὗτος οὖν ὁ ἀποκτανθεὶς ἄνθρωπος Ἰησοῦς παρὰ τῶν Ἰουδαίων αὐτὸς δειλιᾷ. Καὶ μὴ συντάραττε τὸν λόγον τῇ σῇ ἀμαθείᾳ. ∆ιὰ τοῦτο δειλιῶ, ἵνα ὁ θάνατος ὡς ἀνθρώπῳ μοι συμπλακῇ καὶ ὡς παρὰ θεοῦ ἡττηθῇ. Ἀλλὰ καὶ δειλιῶν οὐ πάντη παραιτοῦμαι τὸ πάθος. Εἰ γὰρ παρῃτούμην, οὐκ ἂν εἶπον· Πάτερ εἰ δυνατὸν παρελθάτω τὸ ποτή ριον. Ἤδειν γάρ, ὅτι οὐδὲν τῷ πατρὶ ἀδύνατον. Εἰ δὲ ἐγὼ μὲν ᾔτησα παρενεχθῆναι τὸν θάνατον, αὐτὸς δὲ οὐ παρήγαγεν, δύο ἀνακύπτει ἄτοπα. Εἰ γὰρ μὴ δυνάμενος οὐ παρήνεγκεν ἢ ἀφειδῶν παρέδωκεν, εὑρίσκῃ, αἱρετικέ, ἐμοὶ μὲν δειλίαν, τῷ δὲ πατρὶ ἀδυναμίαν προσάπτων. Ἀλλ' ἐμὲ μὲν δειλιᾶν λέγων συγγνώμην ἔχεις διὰ τὴν σάρκα, τῷ δὲ πατρὶ ἀδυναμίαν προστρίβων ἀσύγγνωστα πταίεις ἀσθενεστέραν θανάτου τὴν δύναμιν λέγων τοῦ θεοῦ. Ἄλλως δὲ καὶ ἰσχυρότερόν με τοῦ πατρὸς ἀποφαίνῃ. Καὶ λέγω τὸν τρόπον. Εἰ γὰρ ἐγὼ ζῶν μὲν ἐν σαρκὶ τὸν Λάζαρον ἤγειρα, τὴν Ἰαείρου θυγατέρα, τὸν παῖδα τῆς χήρας, ἀποθανὼν δὲ πάλιν ἐν σαρκὶ ὑπὲρ τοὺς πεντακοσίους νεκροὺς ἐκ τῶν τάφων ἐσκύλευσα, ὁ δὲ πατὴρ ὁ ἐμὸς ὁ μήτε σαρκὸς μήτε θανάτου πεῖραν λαβὼν ἕνα ἐμὲ ὅνπερ ἠγάπα παῖδα, ὡς αὐτὸς λέγει· Οὗτός μού ἐστιν ὁ υἱὸς ἀγαπητός, ἐξελέσθαι ἐκ κινδύνων οὐκ ἐδυνήθη, ὅρα τί πάσχεις, αἱρετικέ. Ὅτι τὸ ἴσον μοι μὴ διδοὺς γνώμῃ τὸ πλέον παρέχεις ἄκων, καὶ ὃν δοκεῖς ἐπὶ ἀσθενείᾳ διασύρειν, ἰσχυρότε ρον τοῦ πατρὸς ἀποφαίνῃ· ὅτι ἐγὼ μὲν καὶ <μὴ>
About this text
A bishop confronts heretics by questioning Jesus' fear of death, using miracles to challenge doubters.
Catalogue & scope
Khazarzar scan
Witnesses
- Copy-text PG 39 (Khazarzar) (Greek)
This is an AI-assisted study translation. Source fidelity and completeness have not been independently certified. Open Greek on each section for the source text. This is not a complete critical edition.