The Divine Reward of Intercession
It is as if they have even relaxed their efforts, as if to test a greater goodwill from you regarding the embassy, and a participation in the things of those who are zealous for the good things from God. For in his holy churches and in the pleasant and martyric places, as if in other heavens, his unceasing good things have been provided; and from those which this same King of kings and Lord of lords (Rev 19:16) has given and continues to give to each one even today, receiving a bloodless sacrifice offered piously and holily from these, he possesses all honors from men.
But I consider that regarding the things of the heretics and the things of theology, and the irrational animals—even the stones themselves—there is a readiness to agree with us. For what does not love for God do? Or what true charm yields to the heart? For know that it has been done, with God, that everything should be spoken, both with you and with the saints of our own nature who intercede, so that I might not yet have encountered any kind of lawsuit or bad accusation on your behalf, you who have honors according to your measure among all people; nor to call me by name into a contest or judgment concerning this, even when those who accuse are found to be speaking of things that are not; but rather that I might not be tested by being scrutinized as if I had heard words against the Word of God and the Holy Spirit, and out of shame or fear of the speaker, having yielded and having praised the unseemly things; or having at all times been negligent and having remained in a state of laziness, not being able to oppose with strength; especially to say many things from the opposite side, as if a convenient and easy day would always pass by for such things, either to receive a lawsuit or to take one.
For I consider all the toil and the danger to be a greatest and eternal profit for myself, for those from me, and for those with us, if it would be necessary to encounter a lawsuit or danger on behalf of Him who made us and saves us, and to judge and to have acted out of philanthropy for His sake, having the Father, the Son, and the Holy Spirit. Knowing, therefore, as chosen worshippers of the all-encompassing Trinity and ambassadors of the human race, that nothing else besides Him, the cause and life-giver of all, should be shown to you in terms of shame toward those who assemble with me, I owe these wise reminders and phrases to her.
Greek
ἔσθ' ὅτε καὶ ἀργαλέαν ἐξανῦσαι, ὡς πειραθησόμενοι πλείονος εὐνοίας μὲν τῆς περὶ τὴν πρεσβείαν ἀπὸ ὑμῶν, μετουσίας δὲ τῆς τῶν φιλοτιμουμένων ὑπὲρ τοῦ εὖ ἀγαθῶν παρὰ τοῦ θεοῦ. ἐν γὰρ ταῖς ἁγίαις αὐτοῦ ἐκκλησίαις καὶ τοῖς εὐκτηρίοις καὶ μαρτυρίοις, ὡς ἐν ἄλλοις οὐρανοῖς, τὰ ἀνέκλειπτα αὐτοῦ προὔθηκεν ἀγαθά· καὶ ἀφ' ὧν οὗτος αὐτὸς ὁ βασιλεὺς τῶν βασιλευόντων καὶ κύριος τῶν κυριευόντων δέδωκέν τε καὶ ὁσημέραι δίδωσιν ἑκάστοις, ἀπὸ τούτων εὐσεβῶς καὶ ὁσίως προσφερομένην δέχεται ἀναίμακτον θυσίαν, καὶ πάντα ἔχει τὰ παρὰ ἀνθρώπων γέρα. νομίζω δὲ εἰς τὰ κατὰ αἱρετικῶν καὶ εἰς τὰ περὶ θεολογίας, καὶ τὰ ἄλογα ζῶα, μενοῦνγε τοὺς λίθους αὐτούς, τῇ προθυμίᾳ συμφθέγγεσθαι ἡμῖν. τί γὰρ οὐ ποιεῖ ὁ περὶ θεὸν ἔρως; ἢ τίνι παραχωρεῖ φίλτρον ἀληθὲς καρδίας; ἴστε γὰρ σὺν θεῷ δὲ πάντα εἰρήσθω οὕτω μεθ' ὑμῶν τε καὶ τῶν ἐκ τῆς ἡμετέρας φύσεως γεγονότων ἁγίων πρεσβευόντων πεπραχέναι, ὡς μηδένα πω μέχρι καὶ τήμερον οἷον δίκην τινά μοι καὶ κακηγορίας ἑλέσθαι λαχεῖν ὑπὲρ ὑμῶν τῶν ἡμετέρων πρέσβεων τῶν τιμὰς τὰς πρὸς τὸ μέτρον ὑμῶν παρὰ πᾶσιν ἐχόντων· μηδὲ ὀνόματι καλέσαι με εἰς ἀγῶνα τὸν περὶ τούτου καὶ κρίσιν, καίτοι εὑρισκομένων τῶν τὰ μὴ ὄντα κατηγορούντων· ἀλλὰ μηδέ τινα πειραθῆναι διελέγξαι με ὡς εἴην λόγους ἀκούσας κατὰ τοῦ θεοῦ λόγου καὶ τοῦ ἁγίου πνεύματος καὶ δι' αἰδῶ τυχὸν ἢ φόβον τοῦ λέγοντος ἐπινεύσας καὶ τὰ μὴ καλὰ ἐπαινέσας· ἢ ὅλως ὀλιγωρήσας ποτὲ καὶ ἐν ῥαθυμίᾳ τῇ οὐκ ἐνδέοντι θέμενος τὸ πρὸς δύναμιν ἀντιτάξασθαι· μενοῦνγε ἐκ τοῦ ἐναντίου φάναι πολλούς, ὡς ἀεὶ παρῆλθον εὔτονος καὶ ἥμερος εἰς τὰ τοιαῦτα ἢ δώσων δίκην ἢ ληψόμενος. κέρδος γὰρ μέγιστον καὶ αἰώνιον ἐμαυτοῦ καὶ τῶν ἐξ ἐμοῦ καὶ τῶν σὺν ἡμῖν ἡγοῦμαι καλῶς τὸ πάντα πόνον, εἰ δεήσοι, καὶ κίνδυνον ἑλέσθαι ὑπὲρ τοῦ ποιήσαντος ἡμᾶς καὶ σώζοντος, καὶ κρῖναι καὶ φιλανθρωπεύσασθαι αὐτοῦ ἕνεκα ἔχοντος, πατρὸς καὶ υἱοῦ καὶ ἁγίου πνεύματος. εἰδότες οὖν, ὡς ἐκλεκτοὶ λατρευταὶ μὲν τῆς παναγοῦς τριάδος, πρεσβευταὶ δὲ τοῦ ἀνθρώπων γένους, μηδὲν μετ' αὐτὴν τὴν πάντων αἴτιον καὶ ζωοποιὸν αἰδοῦς εἰς ὑμᾶς ἐλλελεῖφθαί μοι τῆς ὀφειλομένης εἰς τοὺς συναγορεύοντάς με ταύτῃ τῇ χορηγούσῃ ἐνθυμήσεις καὶ φράσεις σοφὰς αὐτῇ τε
About this text
Didymus the Blind defends the full divinity of Father, Son, and Spirit against those who rank them.
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.