Letter to the Monks · §1 · Athanasius of Alexandria

Shun the impious and guard against those who commune with them

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Athanasius opens his letter to the monks, greeting them and explaining why he writes: to warn them against Arians and those who pray with Arians.

Our father among the saints Athanasius. To those practicing the monastic life, grounded in faith in God, beloved and most longed-for brothers in the Lord, greeting. I thank the Lord, who gave you faith in him, so that you too may have eternal life with the saints. But since there are some who hold the views of Arius and go around the monasteries for no other reason than to come to you and then return from us, deceiving the simple, and since there are others who insist they do not hold the views of Arius yet join them and pray together with them, I have necessarily been eager to write to you, urged on by some very sincere brothers. I write so that, keeping the true faith that God's grace works in you purely and without guile, you may never give the brothers any occasion for a stumbling block.

For whenever some see you, who are faithful in Christ, gathering with them and sharing communion, they will certainly suspect that such a thing makes no difference, and they will fall into the mire of impiety. So that this may not happen, beloved, resolve to shun those who openly hold the views of impiety, and keep yourselves from those who think they do not hold the views of Arius yet share communion with the impious. And especially those whose mindset we reject, it is fitting to flee from communion with them.

But if someone pretends to confess the true faith yet is seen sharing communion with them, urge that person to abstain from such habitual association. If he promises, treat him as a brother. But if he stubbornly persists, reject him. For by continuing in this way you will keep your faith pure, and those who see you will benefit, fearing lest they be reckoned as impious and as holding those views.

Greek

ΤΟΥ ΕΝΑΓΙΟΙΣ ΠΑΤΡΟΣ ΗΜΩΝ ΑΘΑΝΑΣΙΟΥ. Τοῖς τὸν μονήρη βίον ἀσκοῦσι, καὶ ἐν πίστει Θεοῦ ἱδρυμένοις, ἀγαπητοῖς καὶ ποθεινοτάτοις ἀδελφοῖς ἐν Κυρίῳ χαίρειν. Εὐχαριστῶ μὲν τῷ Κυρίῳ, τῷ δόντι ὑμῖν εἰς αὐτὸν πιστεῦσαι, ἵνα μετὰ τῶν ἁγίων καὶ ὑμεῖς ἔχητε τὴν ζωὴν τὴν αἰώνιον· ἐπειδὴ δέ εἰσί τινες οἱ τὰ Ἀρείου φρονοῦντες, περιερχόμενοι τὰ μοναστήρια, δι' οὐδὲν ἄλλο εἰ μὴ ἵνα, ὡς πρὸς ὑμᾶς ἐλθόντες καὶ ἀφ' ἡμῶν ὑποστρέφοντες, τοὺς ἀκεραίους ἐξαπατῶσι· τινὲς δέ εἰσιν οἱ διαβεβαιοῦντες μὲν τὰ Ἀρείου μὴ φρονεῖν, συγκαταβαίνοντες δὲ, καὶ μετ' αὐτῶν εὐχόμενοι ἐπὶ τὸ αὐτό· ἀναγκαίως, παρακελευόντων τινῶν εἰλικρινεστάτων ἀδελφῶν, πρὸς ὑμᾶς γράφειν ἐσπούδασα, ἵνα τὴν εὐσεβῆ πίστιν, ἣν ἡ τοῦ Θεοῦ χάρις ἐν ὑμῖν ἐργάζεται, ἀκεραίως καὶ ἀδόλως φυλάττοντες, οὐ μὴ πρόφασιν δῶτε σκανδάλου τοῖς ἀδελφοῖς. Ὅταν γάρ τινες ὑμᾶς τοὺς ἐν Χριστῷ πιστοὺς θεωρήσαντες μετ' αὐτῶν συνερχομένους καὶ κοινωνοῦντας, πάντως ὑπονοήσαντες ἀδιάφορον εἶναι τὸ τοιοῦτον, εἰς τὸν τῆς ἀσεβείας ἐμπεσοῦνται βόρβορον. Ἵν' οὖν μὴ τοῦτο γένηται, θελήσατε, ἀγαπητοὶ, τοὺς μὲν φανερῶς φρονοῦντας τὰ τῆς ἀσεβείας ἀποστρέφεσθαι, τοὺς δὲ νομίζοντας τὰ Ἀρείου μὴ φρονεῖν, κοινωνοῦντας δὲ μετὰ τῶν ἀσεβῶν φυλάττεσθαι· καὶ μάλιστα ὧν τὸ φρόνημα ἀποστρεφόμεθα, τούτους ἀπὸ τῆς κοινωνίας προσήκει φεύγειν. Εἰ δέ τις προσποιεῖται μὲν ὁμολογεῖν ὀρθὴν πίστιν, φαίνεται δὲ κοινωνῶν ἐκείνοις, τὸν τοιοῦτον προτρέψασθε ἀπέχεσθαι τῆς τοιαύτης συνηθείας· καὶ ἐὰν μὲν ἐπαγγέλληται, ἔχετε τὸν τοιοῦτον ὡς ἀδελφόν· ἐὰν δὲ φιλονείκως ἐπιμένῃ, τὸν τοιοῦτον παραιτεῖσθε. Οὕτω γὰρ διατελοῦντες καθαρὰν τὴν πίστιν διατηρήσετε· κἀκεῖνοι βλέποντες ὑμᾶς ὠφεληθήσονται, φοβηθέντες μὴ ἄρα ὡς ἀσεβεῖς καὶ τὰ ἐκείνων φρονοῦντες νομισθῶσιν.

About this text

Athanasius warns monks, around 358 to 360, against Arians who visited their monasteries and against those who prayed with them.

Athanasius of Alexandria (c. 293/298–373) wrote this letter to monks practicing the monastic life, established in faith in God. He wrote between 358 and 360, at the urging of certain most sincere brothers, because some who held the views of Arius were going around the monasteries to deceive the simple.

The occasion was a pastoral crisis. Some who openly held Arian views were visiting monasteries, and others who claimed not to hold those views nevertheless went down and prayed together with them. Athanasius warns the monks against both dangers, urging them to shun the openly impious and to guard against those who share communion with them.

A reader will meet only Athanasius and the monks he addresses. He warns that if someone pretends to confess the true faith but is seen joining the impious, the monks should urge him to abandon that habitual association; if he agrees, treat him as a brother, but if he persists, reject him. The key term "stumbling block" carries the biblical sense of an occasion of sin for others.

No published English used as wording.

Printed text used

Translated from Migne PG text (Aegean University Digital Patrology, via (Greek)
Also checked Migne PG 26, archive.org scan patrologiae_cursus_completus_gr_vol_026 (Greek machine-read text) (Greek · check (same print; machine-read text compared word by word))

This work has passed this project's source check. 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.