The Glory of the Church and the Gospel of God
I make known to you that no one can say 'Lord Jesus' except in the Holy Spirit (1 Cor 12:3), and again. 'But the natural man does not receive the things of the Spirit of God, for they are foolishness to him, and he cannot know, because they are being judged spiritually. But the spiritual man judges all things, while he himself is judged by no one. For who has known the mind of the Lord, which directs him? But we have the mind of Christ' (1 Cor 2:14-16). And again: 'Brothers, if even a man is caught in some transgression, you who are spiritual should restore such a one in a spirit of gentleness, watching yourself, lest you also be tempted. Bear one another's burdens, and thus fulfill the law of Christ' (Gal 6:1).
Regarding the reason for the Trinity through their shared essence, what now speaks of the Father, at another time speaks of the Son or of the Holy Spirit. The Scripture, declaring one deity and lordship, now speaks of the Father, and at another time asserts that it is the Son or the Holy Spirit; just as when the uninspired Paul writes to the Philippians: 'For they all seek their own, not those of Jesus Christ' (Phil 2:21), to the Galatians: 'But those of Jesus Christ crucified the flesh with its passions and desires' (Gal 5:24), and to the Corinthians: 'For the love of Christ constrains us, judging this: that he died for all, so that those who live might no longer live for themselves, but for him who died and rose for them' (2 Cor 5:14-15). And again: 'But the natural man does not receive the things of the Spirit of God, for they are foolishness to him' (1 Cor 2:14); and again: 'But desire the spiritual things' (1 Cor 7:40).
Furthermore, regarding the Church, which is conceived with the glory ascending within it and the bloodless worship being brought to it, writing first to the Corinthians, he announced that it belongs to God thus: 'Become without stumbling to Jews and Greeks and to the Church of God' (1 Cor 10:32), and again: 'We do not have such a custom, nor do the churches of God' (1 Cor 10:33). But writing again to the Ephesians, he taught that it is Christ's, saying thus: 'That he might present to himself the church without blemish, having no spot or wrinkle or anything of this kind, but that it might be holy and immaculate' (Eph 5:27). If—
For since it did not seem so to him here, someone will interpret what the prophet Haggai intends by saying, 'the glory of this house shall be greater than the first' (Haggai 2:9), that is, of the Church of Christ and the glorification within it, compared to the synagogue of the Jews, in which God alone was theologized and glorified.
Therefore also the Gospel, writing to the Romans, says that it is now of God the Father: 'Paul, a servant of Jesus Christ, a called apostle, set apart for the gospel of God' (Romans 1:1); and again: 'For I am not ashamed of the gospel: for it is the power of God unto salvation to everyone who believes, to the Jew first and also to the Greek. For the righteousness of God is revealed therein; and the just shall live by faith' (Romans 1:16-17); and to the Corinthians the second instance: 'that I preached to you the gospel of God freely' (1 Corinthians 2:4); but in the first instance he writes to the Corinthians that it turns out to be of the only-begotten God: 'but we have not used that authority, but we endure all things, so that we may not cut off anything by the gospel of Christ' (2 Corinthians 10:18); and the second: 'having come into Troas for the gospel of Christ' (Acts 20:7/contextual); and again: 'glorifying God in the submission of your confession unto the gospel of Christ' (2 Corinthians 10:18); and to the Romans: 'For God is my witness, whom I serve in the gospel of His Son' (Romans 15:30).
But he also said that the sacred liturgy is sometimes performed for God the Father and sometimes for God His only-begotten Son, having written to the Corinthians the first: 'Thus let a man reckon us as servants of Christ and stewards of the mysteries of God; that which is required in stewards, that one be found faithful' (1 Corinthians 4:1-2); the second: 'in everything presenting ourselves as ministers of God' (2 Corinthians 4:5); and again: 'Are they ministers of Christ? I speak foolishly; rather, I do' (1 Corinthians 9:17).
...'Who has believed in the Lord and been encouraged? Or who has endured the fear of Him and been forsaken? Or who has called upon Him and been disregarded?' (Romans 10:9-11). For He, as even those outside say, 'is persuaded by God, and greatly moved by Him.' Therefore, certainly, nothing is unacquired or being worked in oneself by another, from which...
Greek
γνωρίζω ὑμῖν, ὅτι οὐδεὶς δύναται εἰπεῖν «κύριος Ἰησοῦς» εἰ μὴ ἐν πνεύματι ἁγίῳ»· 25 24.8 καὶ πάλιν. «ψυχικὸς δὲ ἄνθρωπος οὐ δέχεται τὰ τοῦ πνεύματος τοῦ θεοῦ, μωρία γὰρ αὐτῷ ἐστιν, καὶ οὐ δύναται γνῶναι, ὅτι πνευματικῶς ἀνακρίνεται. ὁ δὲ πνευματικὸς ἀνακρίνει μὲν πάντας, αὐτὸς δὲ ὑπ' οὐδενὸς ἀνακρίνεται. τίς γὰρ ἔγνω νοῦν κυρίου, ὃς συμβιβάσει αὐτόν; ἡμεῖς δὲ νοῦν Χριστοῦ ἔχομεν». 24.9 καὶ πάλιν· «ἀδελφοί, ἐὰν καὶ προληφθῇ ἄνθρωπος ἐξ ὑμῶν ἔν τινι παραπτώματι, ὑμεῖς οἱ πνευματικοὶ καταρτίζετε τὸν τοιοῦτον ἐν πνεύματι πραότητος, σκο πῶν σεαυτόν, μὴ καὶ σὺ πειρασθῇς. ἀλλήλων τὰ βάρη βαστάζετε καὶ οὕτως ἀναπληρώσατε τὸν νόμον τοῦ Χριστοῦ». 25.ν Περὶ τοῦ διὰ τὴν αὐτὴν τῆς ὁμοουσιότητος τῆς τριάδος αἰτίαν τὴν γραφήν, ἅπερ νῦν λέγει τοῦ πατρός, ἄλλοτε λέγειν τοῦ υἱοῦ ἤ τοῦ ἁγίου πνεύματος. 25.1 Μίαν θεότητα καὶ δεσποτείαν ἡ γραφὴ δηλοῦσα, ἅπερ νῦν λέγει τοῦ πατρός, ἄλλοτε φάσκει τοῦ υἱοῦ ἢ τοῦ ἁγίου πνεύματος εἶναι· 25.2 ὡς ἡνίκα ὁ σωτὴρ παρὰ Ματθαίῳ Ἰουδαίοις λέγει· «ἀπόδοτε τὰ Καίσαρος Καίσαρι καὶ τὰ τοῦ θεοῦ τῷ θεῷ»· 25.3 καὶ ὡς ὅταν ὁ ἀοίδιμος γράφει Παῦλος Φιλιππησίοις μέν· «οἱ πάντες γὰρ τὰ ἑαυτῶν ζητοῦσιν, οὐ τὰ Ἰησοῦ Χριστοῦ», Γαλάταις δέ· «οἱ δὲ τοῦ Χριστοῦ Ἰησοῦ τὴν σάρκα ἐσταύρωσαν σὺν τοῖς παθήμασι καὶ ταῖς ἐπιθυμίαις», καὶ Κορινθίοις· «ἡ γὰρ ἀγάπη τοῦ Χριστοῦ συνέχει ἡμᾶς κρίναντος τούτου· καὶ ὑπὲρ πάντων ἀπέθανεν, ἵνα οἱ ζῶντες μηκέτι ἑαυτοῖς ζῶσιν, ἀλλὰ τῷ ὑπὲρ αὐτῶν ἀποθα νόντι καὶ ἐγερθέντι». 25.4 καὶ πάλιν· «ψυχικὸς δὲ ἄνθρωπος οὐ δέχεται τὰ τοῦ πνεύματος τοῦ θεοῦ, μωρία γὰρ αὐτῷ ἐστιν»· καὶ πάλιν· «ζηλοῦτε δὲ τὰ πνευματικά». 25.5 Ἔτι καὶ τὴν ἐκκλησίαν, ἥτις νοεῖται σὺν τῇ ἀναπεμπομένη ἐν αὐτῇ δόξῃ καὶ τῇ προσαγομένῃ ἀναιμάκτῳ λατρείᾳ, Κορινθίοις μὲν τὸ πρῶτον γράφων, τοῦ θεοῦ εἶναι κατήγγειλεν οὑτωσί· «ἀπρόσκοποι καὶ Ἰουδαίοις γίνεσθε καὶ Ἕλλησιν καὶ τῇ ἐκκλησίᾳ τοῦ θεοῦ», καὶ πάλιν· «ἡμεῖς τοιαύτην συνήθειαν οὐκ ἔχομεν οὐδὲ αἱ ἐκκλησίαι τοῦ θεοῦ». 25.6 Ἐφεσίοις δὲ πάλιν ἐπιστέλλων, τοῦ Χριστοῦ εἶναι αὐτὴν ἐδίδαξεν ὧδε εἰπών· «ἵνα παραστήσῃ ἑαυτῷ ἄμεμπτον τὴν ἐκκλησίαν, μὴν ἔχουσαν σπίλον ἢ ῥυτίδα ἤ τι τῶν τοιούτων, ἀλλ' ἵνα ᾖ ἁγία καὶ ἄμωμος». 25.7 Εἰ γὰρ μὴ ὧδε αὐτῷ ἐδόκει, ἑρμηνεύσει τις, τί βούλεται εἰπὼν ὁ προφήτης Ἀγγαῖος ὅτι «μεγάλη ἔσται ἡ δόξα τοῦ οἴκου τούτου ἡ ἐσχάτη ὑπὲρ τὴν πρώτην», τουτέστιν τῆς τοῦ Χριστοῦ ἐκκλησίας καὶ τῆς ἐν αὐτῇ δοξολογίας παρὰ τὴν συναγωγὴν Ἰουδαίων, ἐν ᾖ μόνος ὁ θεὸς καὶ πατὴρ ἐθεολογεῖτο καὶ ἐδοξάζετο. 25.8 Ἑπομένως τοίνυν καὶ τὸ εὐαγγέλιον νῦν μὲν θεοῦ τοῦ πατρὸς εἶναι λέγει γράφων Ῥωμαίοις· «Παῦλος δοῦλος Ἰησοῦ Χριστοῦ, κλητὸς ἀπόστολος ἀφωρισμένος εἰς εὐαγ γέλιον θεοῦ»· 25.9 καὶ πάλιν· «οὐ γὰρ ἐπαισχύνομαι τὸ εὐαγγέλιον· δύναμις γὰρ θεοῦ ἐστιν εἰς σωτηρίαν παντὶ τῷ πιστεύοντι, Ἰουδαίῳ τε πρῶτον καὶ Ἕλληνι. δικαιοσύνη γὰρ θεοῦ ἐν αὐτῷ ἀποκαλύπτεται· ὁ δὲ δίκαιος ἐκ πίστεως ζήσεται»· 25.10 καὶ Κορινθίοις τὸ δεύτερον· «ὅτι δωρεὰν τὸ τοῦ θεοῦ εὐαγγέλιον εὐηγγελισάμην ὑμῖν», 25.11 νῦν δὲ θεοῦ τοῦ μονογενοῦς αὐτὸ τυγχάνειν ἐπιστέλλει Κορινθίοις τὸ μὲν πρῶτον· «ἀλλ' οὐκ ἐχρησάμεθα τῇ ἐξουσίᾳ ταύτῃ, ἀλλὰ πάντα στέγομεν, ἵνα μὴ ἐκκοπήν τινα δῶμεν τῷ εὐαγγελίῳ τοῦ Χριστοῦ»· 25.12 τὸ δὲ δεύτερον· «ἐλθὼν δὲ εἰς τὴν Τρωάδα εἰς τὸ εὐαγγέλιον τοῦ Χριστοῦ» 25.13 καὶ πάλιν· «δοξάζοντες τὸν θεὸν ἐπὶ τῇ ὑποταγῇ τῆς ὁμολογίας ὑμῶν εἰς τὸ εὐαγγέλιον τοῦ Χριστοῦ»· 25.14 καὶ Ῥωμαίοις· «μάρτυς γάρ μου ἐστιν ὁ θεὸς ᾧ λατρεύω ἐν τῷ εὐαγγελίῳ τοῦ υἱοῦ αὐτοῦ». 25.15 Ἀλλὰ καὶ τὴν ἱερὰν λειτουργίαν ποτὲ μὲν θεῷ τῷ πατρί, ποτὲ δὲ θεῷ τῷ μονογενεῖ αὐτοῦ υἱῷ ἐκτελεῖσθαι ἔφη 25.16 γράψας Κορινθίος τὸ μὲν πρῶτον· «οὕτως ἡμᾶς λογιζέσθω ἄνθρωπος ὡς ὑπηρέτας Χριστοῦ καὶ οἰκονόμους μυστηρίων θεοῦ· ὃ δὲ λοιπὸν ζητεῖται ἐν τοῖς οἰκονόμοις, ἵνα πιστός τις εὑ ρεθῇ»· 25.17 τὸ δὲ δεύτερον· «ἐν παντὶ συνιστῶντες ἑαυτοὺς ὡς θεοῦ διάκονοι»· 25.18 καὶ πάλιν· «διάκονοι Χριστοῦ εἰσιν; παραφρονῶν λέγω· ὑπὲρ ἐγώ». καὶ ........................................................... 26 .............................................................. 26.1 ...»Τίς ἐνεπίστευσεν κυρίῳ καὶ κατῃσχύνθη; ἢ τίς ἐνέμεινεν τῷ φόβῳ αὐτοῦ καὶ ἐγκατελείφθη; ἢ τίς ἐπεκαλέσατο αὐτὸν καὶ ὑπερεῖδεν αὐτόν;» ὃς γάρ, καὶ οἱ ἔξω φασίν, "4πείθεται θεῷ, μάλα τ' ἔκλυεν αὐτοῦ"5. 26.2 Τοιγαροῦν οὐδὲν ἐπίκτητον ἢ ὑφ' ἑτέρου ἐνεργούμενον ἐν ἑαυτῷ εἶναι, οἴκοθεν
About this text
Didymus the Blind defends the full divinity of Father, Son, and Spirit against those who rank them.
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