The Nature of the Body and the Son of Perdition
Regarding being subject to wrath according to condemnation, he calls them children of wrath, as Paul says: 'And we were by nature children of wrath, as the rest' (Rom 3:23). These are able to change, so as to no longer be children of wrath by nature.
Paul, indeed, concerning himself and those holy ones who were similarly made, says: 'We were by nature children of wrath, as also the rest of the men, being still here in the sinning' (Rom 3:23). But 'by nature' signifies not according to nature, but according to truth. For 'We were by nature children of wrath,' he says, declares that the sinning ones are truly accountable to wrath; just as a child of wrath is made by the indwelling of evil, so having changed, one becomes a child of truth.
For such things were said concerning some by the Savior: 'Wisdom was justified from her children,' calling the wise children of wisdom. Since being children of someone, they have being from the one who begot them; but those who have being from the quality of that which has come to them also have it; it is fitting that those who make themselves children and sons of a quality are so named.
Just as such things were said by the Savior, 'These are the wise, children of wisdom'; so also he summoned other sons of peace, asserting to the disciples: 'If you enter into a city, or into a house, and there is a son of peace, your peace, being given to the city or to the house, will rest upon the one existing in it as a son of peace' (Luke 10:6). Again the same Savior says: 'The sons of this age are more prudent than the sons of light, in their own generation' (John 12:35); calling sons of light those who have been enlightened by the knowledge of the truth and by the works of virtue. Toward whom he says, 'You are the light of the world' (John 12:36), because they are children of light; but those loving the present life, and lifting up all things toward it which they do, he named sons of this age. But even if he said these are more prudent than the sons of light, he did not say they are more prudent absolutely, but in their own generation; that is, in the things pertaining to this age, they are found more prudent than the sons of light. For they are wise for doing evil, but they have not known how to do well. And concerning Judas it has been written, that he might be a son of perdition (John 17:12). For the Lord said concerning him, 'No one is lost...'
He calls one of my disciples a son of perdition. And he called him a son of perdition because of what was done regarding perdition. For when he was one of the apostles and served alongside those with the Savior, he was not such a person; but when he became a traitor to the Son of God and Teacher, having loved the silver of perdition. And because he was not evil by nature, while being among all the disciples, he heard: 'Behold, I send you as sheep in the midst of wolves' (Matt 10:16). If he says that the sinners are wolves and the practitioners of virtue are sheep, if Judas had been evil by nature, he would not have been a sheep of Christ; since the one who is evil by nature is not a practitioner of virtue. But even the devil is not evil by nature, but is so by way of his own free will.
Just as so, not only the wicked, but also the diligent and the practiced ones are called sons and children, those who carry out actions in the aforementioned way, according to which it was said that those receiving from them the qualities are called offspring of qualities, which they possess from the quality; it is not said that anyone is flesh of sin or body of sin absolutely, but rather that they are so by serving sin. For the man, using the body and the flesh for lust and other such activities, makes his body a body of sin and the flesh a flesh of sin; just as the diligent one, through temperance and the following virtue, sanctifies his body and his soul. The virgin, therefore, becomes holy in body and spirit, which is the soul, as Paul writes, saying that the virgin must be unattached to worldly affairs, so that she may be holy in body and spirit (1 Cor 7:34).
But he also writes in the Epistle to the Corinthians: 'Glorify God in your body' (1 Cor 6:20). And if God is glorified in the body of men, God is not glorified in evil; the body is not evil by nature, even if the sinner makes it evil by using it sinfully. And shortly after, he calls out to the same people again: 'Do you not know that your bodies are a temple of the Holy Spirit in you, which you have from God?' (1 Cor 6:19). If anyone destroys the temple of God, God destroys him; for the temple of God is holy, which you are. But also in the epistle to the Thessalonians, the same apostle writes: 'May the God of peace sanctify you completely, and your whole being...' (1 Thess 5:23).
Greek
ὑποκεῖσθαι τῇ κατὰ κόλασιν ὀργῇ, τέκνα ὀργῆς ὀνομάζει, ᾗ φησιν ὁ Παῦλος· Καὶ ἦμεν φύσει τέκνα ὀργῆς, ὡς καὶ οἱ λοιποί. Οὗτοι μεταβάλλειν δυνατὸν, ὡς μηκέτι εἶναι τέκνα φύσει ὀργῆς. Παῦλος γοῦν περὶ ἑαυτοῦ, καὶ τῶν παραπλησίως ἁγίων γεγενημένων, λέγει, ὅτι Ἦμεν φύσει τέκνα ὀργῆς, ὡς καὶ οἱ λοιποὶ ἄνθρωποι, οἱ εἰσέτι δεῦρο ἐν τῷ ἁμαρτάνειν ὄντες· προσκείμενον δὲ τὸ φύσει, οὐ τὸ κατὰ φύσιν σημαίνει, ἀλλὰ τὸ ἀληθείᾳ. Τὸ γὰρ, Ἦμεν φύσει τέκνα ὀργῆς, λέγει, δηλῶν, ὅτι ἀληθείᾳ ὑπεύθυνοι ὀργῇ τυγχάνουσιν οἱ ἁμαρτάνοντες· ὥσπερ δὲ κατὰ φύσιν τέκνον ὀργῆς γίνεται τῷ συνεῖναι αὐτῷ κακίαν, οὕτω μεταβαλὼν ἀληθείας γίνεται τέκνον καὶ ἀρετῆς. Εἴρηται γοῦν περί τινων ὑπὸ τοῦ Σωτῆρος τοιαῦτα· Ἐδικαιώθη ἡ σοφία ἀπὸ τῶν τέκνων αὐτῆς· τέκνα σοφίας τοὺς σοφοὺς λέγων. Ἐπεὶ γὰρ οἱ τέκνα τινὸς ὄντες, ἐκ τοῦ τεκόντος ἔχουσιν τὸ εἶναι· ἔχουσι δὲ καὶ οἱ ποιοὶ τὸ εἶναι ἐκ τῆς ποιότητος τῆς προσγενομένης αὐτοῖς· εἰκότως οἱ ποιοὶ τέκνα καὶ υἱοὶ τῆς ποιότητος ὀνομάζονται. Ὡς γὰρ εἴρηται ὑπὸ τοῦ Σωτῆρος τοιαῦτα, Οὗτοι δέ εἰσιν οἱ σοφοὶ σοφίας τέκνα· οὕτω καὶ ἄλλους υἱοὺς εἰρήνης προσηγόρευσεν, φάσκων τοῖς μαθηταῖς· Ἐὰν εἰσέλθητε εἰς πόλιν, ἢ εἰς οἰκίαν, καὶ ᾖ ἐκεῖ υἱὸς εἰρήνης, ἡ εἰρήνη ὑμῶν ἡ διδομένη τῇ πόλει, ἢ τῇ οἰκίᾳ ἐπαναπαύσεται ἐπὶ τὸν ὄντα ἐν αὐτῇ υἱὸν εἰρήνης. Πάλιν ὁ αὐτὸς Σωτήρ φησιν· Φρονιμώτεροί εἰσιν οἱ υἱοὶ τοῦ αἰῶνος τούτου ὑπὲρ τοὺς υἱοὺς τοῦ φωτὸς, ἐν τῇ γενεᾷ τῇ ἑαυτῶν· υἱοὺς φωτὸς λέγων τοὺς πεφωτισμένους τῇ γνώσει τῆς ἀληθείας καὶ τοῖς ἔργοις τῆς ἀρετῆς. Πρὸς οὓς καὶ φῶς γεγενη 39.1092 μένους, διὰ τὸ τυγχάνειν φωτὸς υἱοὺς, λέγει· Ὑμεῖς ἐστε τὸ φῶς τοῦ κόσμου· τοὺς δὲ ἀγαπήσαντας τὸ παρὸν ζῇν, καὶ πρὸς αὐτὸ πάντα, ἃ ποιοῦσιν, ἀναφέροντας, υἱοὺς αἰῶνος τούτου ὠνόμασεν. Ἀλλ' εἰ καὶ εἶπεν τούτους φρονιμωτέρους ὑπὲρ τοὺς υἱοὺς τοῦ φωτὸς, οὐ καθάπαξ αὐτοὺς εἶπεν φρονιμωτέρους, ἀλλ' ἐν τῇ ἑαυτῶν γενεᾷ· τουτέστιν, ἐν τοῖς πράγμασιν τοῖς οἰκειωθεῖσιν τούτῳ τῷ αἰῶνι, φρονιμώτεροι τῶν τοῦ φωτὸς υἱῶν τυγχάνουσιν. Σοφοὶ γάρ εἰσι τοῦ κακοποιῆσαι· τὸ δὲ καλῶς ποιῆσαι οὐ συνῆκαν. Καὶ περὶ τοῦ Ἰούδα δὲ γέγραπται, ὡς εἴη υἱὸς ἀπωλείας. Ὁ γὰρ Κύριος περὶ αὐτοῦ εἶπεν, ὅτι Οὐδεὶς ἀπώλετο ἐκ τῶν μαθητῶν μου, εἰ μὴ ὁ υἱὸς τῆς ἀπωλείας. Ἀπωλείας δὲ υἱὸν αὐτὸν εἶπεν. τῷ τὰ τῆς ἀπωλείας πεπραχέναι Οὐ γὰρ ὅτε εἷς ἦν τῶν ἀποστόλων, καὶ διηκόνει ἅμα ἐκείνοις τῷ Σωτῆρι, ἦν τοιοῦτος, ἀλλ' ὅτε προδότης γέγονε τοῦ Υἱοῦ τοῦ Θεοῦ καὶ ∆ιδασκάλου, ἀγαπήσας τὰ τῆς ἀπωλείας ἀργύρια. Καὶ ὅτι οὐ κατὰ φύσιν ἦν κακὸς, ἅμα πᾶσι τοῖς μαθηταῖς ὢν ἤκουσεν· Ἰδοὺ ἀποστέλλω ὑμᾶς, ὡς πρόβατα ἐν μέσῳ λύκων. Εἰ δὲ λύκους τοὺς ἁμαρτάνοντας λέγει, πρόβατα δὲ τοὺς πρακτικοὺς τῆς ἀρετῆς, εἴπερ ὁ Ἰούδας φύσει κακὸς ἦν, οὐκ ἦν πρόβατον Χριστοῦ· ἐπεὶ μὴ πρακτικὸς τῆς ἀρετῆς ὁ κατὰ φύσιν κακός. Ἀλλ' οὐδ' αὐτὸς ὁ διάβολος κατὰ φύσιν κακὸς, ἀλλ' ἐκ τροπῆς τοῦ ἰδίου αὐτεξουσίου. Ὥσπερ οὖν, οὐ τῶν φαύλων μόνον, ἀλλὰ καὶ τῶν σπουδαίων ἐπιτηδευμάτων καὶ πραττομένων, υἱοὶ καλοῦνται καὶ τέκνα οἱ ἐπιτελοῦντες τῷ προειρημένῳ τρόπῳ, καθ' ὃν ἐλέγετο γεννήματα ποιοτήτων εἶναι τοὺς λαμβάνοντας ἀπ' αὐτῶν τὸ εἶναι, ὅπερ ἔχουσιν ἐκ τῆς ποιότητος· εἰκότως σὰρξ ἁμαρτίας, καὶ σῶμα ἁμαρτίας, οὐ καθάπαξ λέγεταί τις, ἀλλὰ τῷ ὑπηρετεῖν τῇ ἁμαρτίᾳ. Ὁ γὰρ ἄνθρωπος τῷ σώματι καὶ τῇ σαρκὶ εἰς λαγνείαν καὶ τὰς ἄλλας τοιαύτας ἐνεργείας καταχρώμενος, ποιεῖ τὸ σῶμα αὐτοῦ, ἁμαρτίας σῶμα· καὶ τὴν σάρκα, σάρκα ἁμαρτίας· ὥσπερ ὁ σπουδαῖος διὰ σωφροσύνης καὶ τῆς ἑπομένης ἀρετῆς, τὸ σῶμα ἑαυτοῦ καὶ τὴν ψυχὴν ἁγιάζει. Ἡ παρθένος γοῦν ἁγία γίνεται σώματι καὶ πνεύματι, ὅ ἐστι ψυχὴ, ὡς γράφει Παῦλος, λέγων, ὅτι τὴν 2 παρθένον δεῖ ἀπερίσπαστον εἶναι τῶν βιωτικῶν πραγμάτων, Ἵνα ᾖ ἁγία σώματι καὶ πνεύματι. Ἀλλὰ καὶ ἐν τῇ Ἐπιστολῇ τῇ Κορινθίων γράφει. ∆οξάσατε τὸν Θεὸν ἐν τῷ σώματι ὑμῶν. Εἰ δὲ δοξάζεται ὁ Θεὸς ἐν τῷ σώματι τῶν ἀνθρώπων, οὐ δοξάζεται δὲ Θεὸς ἐν κακῷ· οὐ κακὸν τὸ σῶμα τῇ φύσει, κἂν κακὸν αὐτὸ ποιεῖ ὁ ἁμαρτωλὸς, ἁμαρτητικῶς αὐτῷ χρώμενος. Καὶ μετ' ὀλίγον πάλιν τοῖς αὐτοῖς προσφωνεῖ· Ἧ οὐκ οἴδατε, ὅτι τὰ σώματα ὑμῶν ναὸς τοῦ ἐν ὑμῖν ἁγίου Πνεύματός ἐστιν, οὗ ἔχετε ἀπὸ Θεοῦ; Εἴ τις τὸν ναὸν τοῦ Θεοῦ φθείρει, φθερεῖ τοῦτον ὁ Θεός· ὁ γὰρ ναὸς τοῦ Θεοῦ ἅγιός ἐστιν, οἵτινές ἐστε ὑμεῖς. Ἀλλὰ καὶ ἐν τῇ πρὸς Θεσσαλονικέας ὁ αὐτὸς Ἀπό 39.1093 στολος γράφει· Ὁ Θεὸς τῆς εἰρήνης ἁγιάσαι ὑμᾶς ὁλοτελεῖς, καὶ ὁλόκληρον
About this text
Didymus argues against Manichaean dualism, exploring how opposites depend on shared truths and challenging views on divine wrath and human nature.
Catalogue & scope
Khazarzar scan
Witnesses
- Copy-text PG (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.