Corruption and the Immutability of the Spirit
By this being corrupted, it is as if it were perishing, such as that which is called eternal losing out of itself, that is, being changed; it finds death, even if it remains otherwise, by its own alteration. For whatever you perceive to have happened later, this is the death of the former; it is like something such as evil happening, whereby goodness is killed by it, from which it departed, by the goodness; and the reverse, goodness by evil. For there is something which, though it must always stand by the first principle, even if it did not deny this to them, does not endure.
Indeed, Peter discusses these things in the epistles: 'If God did not spare the sinned angels, but cast them into Tartarus in chains of darkness, to be kept for judgment on the great day' (2 Peter 2:4), and 'he did not spare the ancient world' (2 Peter 2:5); and Jude: 'and angels who did not keep their own dominion, but left their own habitation, he has kept in chains of darkness under gloom to be judged on the great day' (Jude 1:6). And the rational material creation receives alteration: in one respect as Jude lost sanctification; and as Paul writes: 'the woman who lives in dissipation has been made dead, though she lives' (1 Timothy 5:5); even while enduring life in man. But in essence, it is as perishing first, and then falling into immortality. 'For it is necessary,' he says, 'that this corruptible put on incorruption, and this mortal put on immortality' (1 Corinthians 15:53). And the irrational creation undergoes a change and passes away: as it was foretold when light turns into darkness and water into blood: 'this is the alteration of the right hand of the Most High'; and elsewhere: 'the heaven,' he says, 'and the earth will pass away' (Matthew 24:35). For it was foretold that there would be new heavens and a new earth. For everything that received a beginning truly has also an end.
But the Holy Spirit, being of that unspeakable and all-prevailing eternal and incorruptible nature, and always having it in the same way and according to the same things; only as a mode and performing the things of God; and being a guardian of all, both the rational and perfecting the faith of the irrational, and of the irrational, until the condition of abiding in identity was given to the irrational; has been made unfit for a change of nature and a change of will, which is incorruptible. For the unshakeable is indeed incorruptible, and immediately it is without beginning, without end, and surpassing eternity. And the one without beginning:
self-acting God
Greek
τούτῳ φθειρομένης, ὡς ἀπολλύειν οἷον ἐκ τούτου τὸ καλεῖσθαι αἰώνιος τὸ γὰρ ὁτιδήποτε ἐξερχόμενον ἑαυτοῦ, τουτέστιν ἀλλασσόμενον, θάνατον εὑρίσκει, κἂν ἄλλως διαμένει, τὴν ἰδίαν ἀλλοίωσιν. καὶ γὰρ ὅπερ ἂν νοήσαις γεγενῆσθαι ἔπειτα, τοῦτο θάνατος τοῦ προτέρου ἐστίν· οἷόν τι ἡ κακία γενομένη ἀγαθότης θανατοῦται αὐτῷ, ᾧ ἀπέστη, ὑπὸ τῆς ἀγαθότητος· καὶ τὸ ἔμπαλιν, ἡ ἀγαθότης ὑπὸ τῆς κακίας. ἔστιν γάρ τινα, ἅπερ ἀεὶ ἑστάναι τῷ πρώτῳ ὅρῳ, εἰ καὶ μὴ ἠρνήθη τοῦτο αὐτοῖς, οὐκ ἀνέχεται. τοιγαροῦν διαγορεύουσιν ἐν ἐπιστολαῖς ταῦτα, Πέτρος μέν· «εἰ γὰρ ἀγγέλων ἁμαρτησάντων οὐκ ἐφείσατο ὁ θεός. ἀλλὰ σειραῖς ζόφου ταρταρώσας, εἰς κρίσιν μεγάλης ἡμέρας τετήρηκεν καὶ ἀρ χαίου κόσμου οὐκ ἐφείσατο·» Ἰούδας δέ· 56 «ἀγγέλους τὲ τοὺς μὴ τηρήσαντες τὴν ἑαυτῶν ἀρχήν, ἀλλ' ἀπολι πόντας τὸ ἴδιον οἰκητήριον, δεσμοῖς ἀιδίοις εἰς κρίσιν μεγάλας ἡμέρας ὑπὸ ζόφον τετήρηκεν.» ἡ δὲ σωματικὴ λογικὴ κτίσις ἀλλοίωσιν δέχεται· κατὰ ἕξιν μὲν ὡς ὁ Ἰούδας τὸν ἁγιασμὸν ἀπολέσας· καὶ ὡς Παῦλος γράφει· «ἡ δὲ σπαταλῶσα χήρα, ζῶσα τέθνηκεν·» καίτοι βίον ἀνύουσα τὸν ἐν ἀνθρώποις ἔτι· κατ' οὐσίαν δέ, ὡς ἀπολήγουσα μὲν πρῶτον, ἔπειτα δὲ μεταπίπτουσα εἰς ἀθανασίαν. «δεῖ γάρ «φησίν,» τὸ φθαρτὸν τοῦτο ἐνδύσασθαι ἀφθαρσίαν, καὶ τὸ θνητὸν τοῦτο ἐνδύσασθαι ἀθανασίαν.» ἡ δὲ μὴ λογικὴ κτίσις τροπὴν ὑπομένει καὶ ἀπογίνεται· ὡς ἡνίκα τοῦ φωτὸς εἰς σκότος καὶ τοῦ ὕδατος εἰς αἷμα μεταπίπτοντος, προεφητεύετο· «αὕτη ἡ ἀλλοίωσις τῆς δεξιᾶς τοῦ ὑψίστου·» καὶ ἀλλαχοῦ· «ὁ οὐρανός,» φησίν, «καὶ ἡ γῆ παρελεύσεται.» προεφητεύθη γάρ, ὡς ἔσονται καινοὶ οὐρανοὶ καὶ καινὴ γῆ. καὶ γὰρ ἀληθῆ πᾶν τὸ δεξάμενον ἀρχήν, ἔχει καὶ τέλος. τὸ δὲ ἅγιον πνεῦμα, ἅτε τῆς ἀρρήτου καὶ πάντων ἐπικρατούσης αἰωνίου καὶ ἀφθάρτου φύσεως ὑπάρχον, καὶ ἀεὶ ὡσαύτως καὶ κατὰ τὰ αὐτὰ ἔχον· μόνον τε εἰδὸς καὶ ποιοῦν τὰ τοῦ θεοῦ· καὶ φρουρητικὸν πάντων ὂν τῶν τε λογικῶν καὶ τὴν πίστιν τελείων, τῶν τε μὴ λογικῶν, ἕως τοῦ δοθέντος τοῖς μὴ λογικοῖς ὅρου τῆς ἐν ταυτότητι διαμονῆς· φύσει καὶ προαιρέσει τροπῆς καὶ μεταβολῆς ἀνεπίδεκτον καθέστηκεν, ὅ ἐστιν ἄφθαρτον. τὸ δὲ ἄτρεπτον ἤγουν ἄφθαρτον, εὐθὺς ἄναρχον, ἀτελεύτητον καὶ ὑπεραιώνιόν ἐστιν. τὸ δὲ ἄναρχον· δημιουργὸς καὶ οὐ δημιούργημα. διὸ κυρίως λέγει ἡ μὲν Σοφία· «τὸ ἄφθαρτόν σου πνεῦμά ἐστιν ἐν πᾶσιν·» ὁ δὲ Πέτρος· «ἐν τῷ ἀφθάρτῳ τοῦ πραέως καὶ ἡσυχίου πνεύματος.» οὕτω γὰρ καὶ ὁ πατὴρ ἴσος αὐτὸς ἑαυτῷ καὶ ὅμοιος ἀεὶ ὑπάρχων, μήτ' ἔνδοσιν πρὸς τὸ χεῖρον, μήτ' ἐπίτασιν πρὸς τὸ βέλτιον δεχόμενος, ἤκουσεν ὑπὸ Ἰακώβου· «παρ' ᾧ οὐκ ἔνι παραλλαγὴ ἢ τροπῆς ἀποσκίασμα·» καὶ παρὰ Παύλου· «ἀφθάρτῳ, ἀοράτῳ, μόνῳ σοφῷ θεῷ·» ὃν τρόπον καὶ ὁ υἱὸς ἐν ραʹ Ψαλμῷ ἐμαρτυρήθη· «σὺ δέ, κύριε, εἰς τὸν αἰῶνα μένεις,» καὶ πάλιν· «κατ' ἀρχὰς τὴν γῆν σύ, κύριε, ἐθεμελίωσας, καὶ ἔργα τῶν χειρῶν σού εἰσιν οἱ οὐρανοί. αὐτοὶ ἀπολοῦνται, σὺ δὲ διαμένεις· καὶ πάντες ὡς ἱμάτιον παλαιωθήσονται· καὶ ὡσεὶ περιβόλαιον εἱλίξεις αὐτοὺς καὶ ἀλλαγήσονται· σὺ δὲ ὁ αὐτὸς ἀεὶ καὶ τὰ ἔτη σου οὐκ ἐκλείψουσιν.» 6.4ν ὅτι αἰώνιον ἡ κτίσις οὐ καθάπαξ καὶ αὐτοτελῶς τὸ αἰώνιον κέκτηται, πρῶτον μὲν ἐπειδὴ οἴκοθεν τοῦτο οὐκ ἔχει, ἀλλ' ἔτυχεν αὐτοῦ εἰς τὸ ἑξῆς, ἀφ' οὗ ἐγένετο, μεταδόσει τοῦ μόνως καὶ ὑπεραιωνίως ὄντος αὐτομάτου θεοῦ· ἀγαθὸς γὰρ ὢν οὗτος δημιουργεῖ καὶ τέλος· προιστάμενος τῆς ἑαυτοῦ ποιήσεως, φιλοτιμεῖται αὐτῇ αἰωνιότητα· δεύτερον δὲ διὰ τὰς ἐξηγηθείσας αἰτίας ἐν τῷ κεφαλαίῳ τῷ πρὸ τοῦδε. τὸ δὲ ἅγιον πνεῦμα, ὡς φύσει τὸ αἰώνιον ἔχον, καθὰ προσῆκεν ἔχειν δημιουργὸν καὶ ἀγαθὸν πνεῦμα τοῦ θεοῦ πάντα ἐνεργοῦν αἰωνίως καὶ οὔποτε μὲν αὐτὸ περατούμενον, τῶν δ' ὑπ' αὐτοῦ γενομένων δυνάμενον εἶναι περατωτικόν, ταύτῃ ἀνευφημήθη τῇ προσρήσει. μάθοιτε δὲ ἄν, εἴ μοι ἐπίσποισθε, τῇδε· Παῦλος Ἑβραίοις ἐπιστέλλει οὕτως· «ὃς διὰ πνεύματος αἰωνίου ἑαυτὸν ἄμωμον προσήνεγκεν τῷ θεῷ.» λέγει δὲ τὸν δεσπότην Χριστόν, τὸν ἐν τῇ σεπτῇ ἐνανθρωπήσει αὐτοῦ ἑαυτὸν διὰ τοῦ ἁγίου πνεύματος ἀνθ' ἡμῶν τῷ ἑαυτοῦ πατρὶ προσενηνοχότα. καὶ Πέτρος δὲ προσηχεῖ ἀκόλουθα, ὡς ἤδη ἐμνημονεύθη· «τὸ δὲ ῥῆμα τοῦ θεοῦ μένει εἰς τὸν αἰῶνα.» ῥῆμα γὰρ θεοῦ ἐνταῦθα καλεῖ τὸ πνεῦμα τοῦ θεοῦ. διὰ γοῦν τῆς θεότητος τὴν ταυτότητα μνημονεύων τοῦ πατρὸς καὶ τοῦ υἱοῦ ὁ Παῦλος, τῇ αὐτῇ κέχρηται τοῦ ῥήματος εὐφημίᾳ· «ὁ θεός,» φησίν, «καὶ πατὴρ τοῦ κυρίου ἡμῶν Ἰησοῦ Χριστοῦ οἶδεν, ὁ ὢν εὐλογητὸς εἰς τοὺς αἰῶνας·» καὶ πάλιν· «Ἰησοῦς Χριστὸς χθὲς καὶ
About this text
Didymus the Blind defends the full divinity of Father, Son, and Spirit against those who rank them.
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- Copy-text PG (Khazarzar) (Greek)
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