Dialogue with a Montanist

Dialexis Montanistae

Didymus the Blind · c. 313–c. 398 AD · PG

The End of Faith and the Presence of Prophets§1

1will be done away with

And I will know just as I was known. You see, that it will be abolished for the better; and what is that? When those who believe are present, faith will cease. For we no longer believe, but we see. But faith seen is no longer faith. For whatever one sees, what also does he believe? And this is it: for we see now through a mirror in a riddle (1 Cor 13:12), but then face to face. Then, when then? It is clear, when the end comes.

{M.} Behold, therefore, Montanus the Paraclete has come and has given us the perfection. {O.} The perfection, when it comes, will it be abolished in part or not? {M.} Thus it has been written. {O.} But we see that Montanus is being abolished until today; but the things of the holy Paul are increasing. {M.} And indeed you also abolish the things of Paul, saying that after Christ there is no prophet.

{O.} You wander, not knowing the Scriptures nor what the Church teaches. For we know that even after Christ there are prophets. For Jesus himself said: 'Behold, I will send to you prophets and wise men and scribes, and from them you will kill and crucify and from them you will scourge in your synagogues' (Matt 23:2-3). And Paul says: 'Earnestly desire the greater gifts, and above all, that you may prophesy' (1 Cor 14:1). And again he says: 'If then the whole church comes together and all speak in tongues, and there comes in an unlearned man or an unbeliever, will they not say that you are out of your minds? But if all prophesy, and there comes in an unbeliever or an unlearned man, he is convicted by all, examined by all, the secrets of his heart become manifest to all, and so falling on his face he will worship God, declaring that truly God is in our midst' (1 Cor 14:23-26).

{M.} How then do you say that after Christ no one became a prophet? {O.} We also after Christ confess that prophets have come to be, and that they have even the apostles and the gift of prophecy. For how did Peter convict Ananias and Sapphira of having defrauded the community of the price of the land (Acts 5:1-4), if...

Greek · §1

Dialexis Montanistae et orthodoxi Μοντανιστοῦ καὶ Ὀρθοδόξου διάλεξις. Μοντανιστὴς εἶπεν· Ἡμεῖς τῷ ἁγίῳ Παύλῳ πειθόμενοι Μοντανὸν ἐδεξάμεθα, ὡς ἔχοντα τὸ τέλειον τοῦ ἁγίου πνεύματος, τουτέστιν τὸν παράκλητον. Αὐτὸς γὰρ εἶπεν Παῦλος· Ὅταν δὲ ἔλθῃ τὸ τέλειον, τὸ ἐκ μέρους καταργηθήσεται· καί· ἐκ μέρους γινώσκομεν καὶ ἐκ μέρους προφητεύομεν. 450 Ὀρθόδοξος· Ἀληθεύων εἶπεν ὁ ἅγιος Παῦλος ἢ ψευδόμενος; {Μ.} Ἀληθεύων. {Ο.} Κατήργηται οὖν τὰ τοῦ ἀποστόλου; {Μ.} Μὴ γένοιτο. {Ο.} Πῶς οὖν εἶπεν· ὅταν δὲ ἔλθῃ τὸ τέλειον, τὸ ἐκ μέρους καταργηθήσεται, ὡς ἀληθεύων ἢ ὡς ψευδόμενος; {Μ.} Αὐτὸς εἶπεν· ἐκ μέρους γινώσκομεν καὶ ἐκ μέρους προφητεύομεν. {Ο.} Ἀληθῶς λέγεις, ἀλλ' οὐκ ἐνόησας, ὅτι πᾶς λόγος ἐν τῷ αἰῶνι τούτῳ μέρος ἐστὶ τοῦ ἐν τῷ μέλλοντι αἰῶνι φανησομένου μυστηρίου. Νῦν γὰρ πιστεύομεν εἰς πατέρα καὶ υἱὸν καὶ ἅγιον πνεῦμα καὶ ἐν τοῖς λόγοις ἔχομεν· τότε δὲ ἡ γνῶσις, ὅτε πρόσωπον πρὸς πρόσωπον ὀψώμεθα. ! Ἄρτι πιστεύομεν, ὅτι αὐτὸς κύριος ἐν κελεύσματι, ἐν φωνῇ ἀρχαγγέλου καὶ ἐν σάλπιγγι θεοῦ καταβήσεται ἀπ' οὐρανοῦ· τότε δὲ πρόσωπον πρὸς πρόσωπον. Τῶν οὖν πραγμάτων κατὰ πρόσωπον ὀφθέντων τὸ ἐκ μέρους καταργηθήσεται. Οὐκέτι γὰρ ἀπὸ λόγων ἔχομεν τὴν πίστιν, ἀλλὰ ἀπ' αὐτῆς τῆς θέας, καὶ τοῦτό ἐστιν τὸ ἐκ μέρους καταργηθήσεται. {Μ.} Καταργηθήσεται οὖν καὶ ἡ πίστις; {Ο.} Καταργηθήσεται. Ἀντὶ τοῦ παύεται. Ἀμέλει αὐτῆς ὅλης τῆς περικοπῆς μνησθῶμεν τῇ συνέσει τοῦ πνεύματος. Λέγει δὲ οὕτως· ἡ ἀγάπη οὐδέποτε πίπτει· εἴτε δὲ προφητεία, καταργηθήσεται. Ἐκ μέρους γὰρ γινώσκομεν καὶ ἐκ μέρους προφητεύομεν· ὅταν δὲ ἔλθῃ τὸ τέλειον, τὸ ἐκ μέρους καταργηθήσεται. Ὅτε ἤμην νήπιος, ὡς νήπιος ἐλάλουν, ἐλογιζόμην ὡς νήπιος· ὅτε γέγονα ἀνήρ, κατήργηκα τὰ τοῦ νηπίου. Βλέπομεν γὰρ ἄρτι δι' ἐσόπτρου ἐν αἰνίγματι, τότε δὲ πρόσωπον πρὸς πρόσωπον· ἄρτι γιγνώσκωμεν ἐκ μέρους, τότε δὲ ἐπιγνώσομαι καθὼς καὶ ἐπεγνώσθην. Ὁρᾶς, ὅτι καταργηθήσεται ἐπὶ τὸ βέλτιον· ὅ ἐστι τί; Παρόντων τῶν πιστευομένων παύ 451 σεται ἡ πίστις. Οὐκέτι γὰρ πιστεύομεν, ἀλλ' ὁρῶμεν. Πίστις δὲ βλεπομένη οὐκ ἔστι πίστις. Ὃ γὰρ βλέπει τις, τί καὶ πιστεύει; καὶ τοῦτό ἐστι· βλέπομεν γὰρ ἄρτι δι' ἐσόπτρου ἐν αἰνίγματι, τότε δὲ πρόσωπον πρὸς πρόσωπον. Τότε, πότε; ∆ῆλον, ὅτε τὸ τέλος. {Μ.} Ἰδοὺ οὖν ἦλθεν Μοντανὸς ὁ παράκλητος καὶ ἔδωκεν ἡμῖν τὸ τέλειον. {Ο.} Τὸ τέλειον ὅταν ἔλθῃ, τὸ ἐκ μέρους καταργηθήσεται ἢ οὔ; {Μ.} Οὕτως γέγραπται. {Ο.} Ὁρῶμεν δέ, ὅτι Μοντανὸς καταργεῖται ἕως σήμερον· τὰ δὲ τοῦ ἁγίου Παύλου αὔξουσιν. {Μ.} Καί τοι γε ὑμεῖς τὰ Παύλου καταργεῖτε λέγοντος μετὰ Χριστὸν μὴ εἶναι προφήτας. {Ο.} Πλανᾶσθε, μὴ εἰδότες τὰς γραφὰς μηδὲ ἃ διδάσκει ἡ ἐκκλησία. Ἡμεῖς γὰρ ἴσμεν, ὅτι καὶ μετὰ Χριστὸν προφῆται. Αὐτὸς γὰρ Ἰησοῦς εἶπεν, ὅτι· Ἰδοὺ ἐγὼ ἀποστελῶ πρὸς ὑμᾶς προφήτας καὶ σοφοὺς καὶ γραμματεῖς καὶ ἐξ αὐτῶν ἀποκτενεῖτε καὶ σταυρώσετε καὶ ἐξ αὐτῶν μαστιγώσετε ἐν ταῖς συναγωγαῖς ὑμῶν. Καὶ Παῦλος λέγει· Ζηλοῦτε τὰ χαρίσματα τὰ μείζονα, μᾶλλον δέ, ἵνα προφητεύητε. Καὶ πάλιν λέγει· Ἐὰν οὖν συνέλθῃ ἡ ἐκκλησία ὅλη ἐπὶ τὸ αὐτὸ καὶ πάντες γλώσσαις λαλῶσιν, εἰσέλθωσιν δὲ ἰδιῶται ἢ ἄπιστοι, οὐκ ἐροῦσιν, ὅτι μαίνεσθε; ἐὰν δὲ πάντες προφητεύσωσιν, εἰσέλθῃ δέ τις ἄπιστος ἢ ἰδιώτης, ἐλέγχεται ὑπὸ πάντων, ἀνακρίνεται ὑπὸ πάντων, τὰ κρυπτὰ τῆς καρδίας αὐτοῦ καὶ φανερὰ γίνεται ὑπὸ πάντων, καὶ οὕτως πεσὼν ἐπὶ πρόσωπον προσκυνήσει τῷ θεῷ ἀπαγγέλλων, ὅτι ὄντως Θεὸς ἐστὶν ἐν ἡμῖν. {Μ.} Πῶς οὖν ὑμεῖς λέγετε, ὅτι μετὰ Χριστὸν οὐκ ἐγένετό τις προφήτης; {Ο.} Ἡμεῖς καὶ μετὰ Χριστὸν ὁμολογοῦμεν γεγενῆσθαι προφήτας καὶ 1 αὐτοὺς τοὺς ἀποστόλους ἔχειν καὶ τῆς προφητείας 452 τὸ χάρισμα. Πῶς γὰρ Πέτρος τὸν Ἀνανίαν καὶ τὴν Σαπφείραν ἤλεγξε νοσφισαμένους ἐκ τῆς τιμῆς τοῦ χωρίου, εἰ

The Distinction of the Three Hypostases§2

2Did he not have the gift of prophecy? For how could the holy Paul say what will happen at the end of the days, if he himself did not have the gift of prophecy? [M.] How then do you not receive Montanus the holy one? [O.] Because he was a false prophet, saying nothing true. [M.] Do not blaspheme, man, the Paraclete. [O.] I both condemn and glorify the Paraclete, the Spirit of truth, but I loathe Montanus as the filth of the desert. [M.] How? [O.] First, because he says: 'I am the Father, and I am the Son, and I am the Paraclete.' [M.] But you say: 'The Father is another, and the Son is another, and the Holy Spirit is another.' [O.] If we were saying this, it would be nothing credible; but if the Son teaches that the Father is another and the Paraclete, the Holy Spirit, is another, it is necessary to believe. [M.] Show where he teaches this. [O.] When he says: 'I will ask the Father, and he will give you another Paraclete, the Spirit of truth, so that he may be with you forever, whom the world cannot receive, because it does not see him; but you know that he remains with you and will be in you.' How do you not clearly perceive another Paraclete being heard from another through him who is speaking? [M.] If one is another and another and another, then three gods. [O.] May it never be! [M.] How—'may it never be'? [O.] Because the divine Scripture unifies those having the same nature and will. [M.] May it never be. [O.] You hear the Apostle Paul saying: 'In Christ Jesus there is neither slave nor free; there is neither male nor female; there is neither Greek nor Jew, but all are one in Christ Jesus' (Galatians 3:28). And we hear Christ himself saying concerning man and woman, that they are no longer two, but one flesh (Matthew 19:6). If those things existing in distinction are no longer two because of the sameness of will and nature, how is it possible for the incorporeal to be distinguished by number and position? [M.] Therefore there is not one God. [O.] One God according to the word of nature, but according to subsistence, the Father is another and the Son is another and...

Another is the Holy Spirit. [M.] How then does the Son say: 'In that day they shall know that I am in the Father and the Father is in me' (John 14:20)? And again he says: 'If anyone loves me, he will keep my word, and my Father will keep him, and we will come to him and make a dwelling with him' (John 14:23). He who does not love me does not keep my words, and my word is not mine, but of the one who sent me. These things I have spoken to you while remaining among you; and the Paraclete, the Holy Spirit, whom the Father will send in my name, he will teach you all things and remind you of all things that I said to you.

[O.] Unwillingly you consent to the word of truth. For if you are persuaded by the things spoken, you will walk straight toward the truth. You heard that he says: 'In that day you shall know that I am in the Father and the Father is in me' (John 14:20), and he did not say: 'In that day you shall all know that I am Father and Son.' You hear that he says: 'and we will come to him, I and the Father' (John 14:23); he did not say to him: 'I and the Father and the Son will come and make a dwelling'; but also this: 'My word is not mine, but of the one who sent me' (John 14:24), which declares nothing other than the distinctness of the hypostases. And when he says: 'These things I have spoken to you while remaining among you; and the Paraclete, the Holy Spirit, whom the Father will send in my name, he will teach you all things, all that I have said to you,' how will you not confess, having clarified for yourself, the clarity of the three hypostases?

[M.] On the day of judgment, the three hypostases sit to judge the living and the dead. [O.] He who hears 'sit' in a bodily sense, let him perceive it spiritually, so that you do not suppose places and separations of bodies, but the wholeness of nature. For everywhere is the Father, everywhere the Son, everywhere the Holy Spirit; and just as there is no middle between mind, word, and breath, so there is no middle between Father, Son, and Holy Spirit. But it is necessary to perceive the Father as perfect, in a perfect hypostasis, and the Son as perfect in a perfect hypostasis.

Greek · §2

μὴ χάρισμα προφητείας εἶχε; Πῶς δὲ καὶ ὁ ἅγιος Παῦλος ἔλεγε τὰ μέλλοντα ἐπ' ἐσχάτου τῶν ἡμερῶν ἔσεσθαι, εἰ μὴ καὶ αὐτὸς εἶχεν χάρισμα προφητείας; {Μ.} Πῶς οὖν οὐ δέχεσθε Μοντανὸν τὸν ἅγιον; {Ο.} Ὅτι ψευδοπροφήτης ἦν οὐδὲν ἀληθὲς λέγων. {Μ.} Μὴ βλασφήμει, ἄνθρωπε, τὸν παράκλητον. {Ο.} Ἐγὼ αἰνῶ καὶ δοξάζω τὸν παράκλητον, τὸ πνεῦμα τῆς ἀληθείας, Μοντανὸν δὲ βδελύσσομαι ὡς τὸ βδέλυγμα τῆς ἐρημώσεως. {Μ.} Πῶς; {Ο.} Πρῶτον, ὅτι λέγει· Ἐγώ εἰμι ὁ πατὴρ καὶ ἐγώ εἰμι ὁ υἱὸς καὶ ἐγὼ ὁ παράκλητος. {Μ.} Ὑμεῖς δὲ λέγετε, ὅτι· Ἄλλος ἐστὶν ὁ πατὴρ καὶ ἄλλος ὁ υἱὸς καὶ ἄλλο τὸ πνεῦμα τὸ ἅγιον. {Ο.} Ἐὰν ἡμεῖς λέγωμεν, οὐδὲν ἀξιόπιστον· ἐὰν δὲ ὁ υἱὸς διδάσκῃ, ἄλλον εἶναι τὸν πατέρα καὶ ἄλλον τὸν παράκλητον, τὸ πνεῦμα τὸ ἅγιον, ἀνάγκη πείθεσθαι. {Μ.} ∆εῖξον, ποῦ διδάσκει. {Ο.} Ὅταν λέγῃ· Ἐγὼ ἐρωτήσω τὸν πατέρα, καὶ ἄλλον παράκλητον δώσει ὑμῖν, τὸ πνεῦμα τῆς ἀληθείας, ἵνα ᾖ μεθ' ὑμῶν εἰς τὸν αἰῶνα, ὃ ὁ κόσμος οὐ δύναται λαβεῖν, ὅτι οὐ θεωρεῖ αὐτό· ὑμεῖς δὲ γιγνώσκετε, ὅτι παρ' ὑμῖν μένει καὶ ἐν ὑμῖν ἔσται. Πῶς οὐχὶ φανερῶς ἄλλον παράκλητον ἀκούων ἄλλον παρ' αὐτὸν τὸν λέγοντα νοεῖς; {Μ.} Εἰ ἄλλος καὶ ἄλλος καὶ ἄλλος, τρεῖς θεοί. {Ο.} Μὴ γένοιτο. {Μ.} Πῶς· μὴ γένοιτο; {Ο.} Ὅτι ἡ θεία γραφὴ τὰ τὴν αὐτὴν ἔχοντα φύσιν καὶ βουλὴν ἑνοῖ. {Μ.} Μὴ γένοιτο. {Ο.} Ἀκούεις Παύλου τοῦ ἀποστόλου λέγοντος, ὅτι· Ἐν Χριστῷ Ἰησοῦ οὐκ ἔνι δοῦλος οὐδὲ ἐλεύθερος· οὐκ ἔνι ἄρσεν καὶ θῆλυ· οὐκ ἔνι Ἕλλην καὶ Ἰουδαῖος, 453 ἀλλὰ πάντες ἐν Χριστῷ Ἰησοῦ εἷς ἐστε. Καὶ αὐτοῦ τοῦ Χριστοῦ ἀκούομεν λέγοντος περὶ τοῦ ἀνδρὸς καὶ τῆς γυναικός, ὅτι οὐκέτι εἰσὶ δύο, ἀλλὰ σὰρξ μία. Εἰ δὲ τὰ ἐν διαστάσει ὄντα οὐκέτι εἰσὶ δύο διὰ τὸ ταὐτὸν τῆς βουλῆς καὶ τῆς φύσεως, πῶς δυνατὸν τὰ ἀσώματα ὑπὸ ἀριθμὸν καὶ θέσιν γενέσθαι; {Μ.} Οὐκ ἔστιν οὖν εἷς θεός. {Ο.} Εἷς θεὸς τῷ λόγῳ τῆς φύσεως, τῇ δὲ ὑποστάσει ἄλλος ἐστὶν ὁ πατὴρ καὶ ἄλλος ὁ υἱὸς καὶ ἄλλος τὸ πνεῦμα τὸ ἅγιον. {Μ.} Πῶς οὖν ὁ υἱὸς λέγει· Ἐν ἐκείνῃ τῇ ἡμέρᾳ γνώσονται, ὅτι ἐγὼ ἐν τῷ πατρὶ καὶ ὁ πατὴρ ἐν ἐμοί; Καὶ πάλιν λέγει· Ἄν τις ἀγαπᾷ με, τὸν λόγον μου τηρήσει, καὶ ὁ πατήρ μου τηρήσει αὐτόν, καὶ πρὸς αὐτὸν ἐλευσόμεθα καὶ μονὴν παρ' αὐτῷ ποιησόμεθα. Ὁ μὴ ἀγαπῶν με τοὺς λόγους μου οὐ τηρεῖ καὶ ὁ λόγος ὁ ἐμὸς οὐκ ἔστιν ἐμός, ἀλλὰ τοῦ πέμψαντός με. Ταῦτα λελάληκα ὑμῖν παρ' ὑμῖν μένων· ὁ δὲ παράκλητος, τὸ πνεῦμα τὸ ἅγιον, ὃ πέμψει ὁ πατὴρ ἐν τῷ ὀνόματί μου, ἐκεῖνο ὑμᾶς διδάξει πάντα καὶ ὑπομνήσει πάντα, ἃ εἶπον ἐγώ. {Ο.} Ἄκων συναινεῖς τῷ λόγῳ τῆς ἀληθείας. Εἰ γὰρ πείθῃ τοῖς εἰρημένοις, ὀρθοποδήσεις πρὸς τὴν ἀλήθειαν. Ἤκουσας, ὅτι λέγει· Ἐν ἐκείνῃ τῇ ἡμέρᾳ γνώσεσθε, ὅτι ἐγὼ ἐν τῷ πατρὶ καὶ ὁ πατὴρ ἐν ἐμοί, καὶ οὐκ εἶπεν· Ἐν ἐκείνῃ τῇ ἡμέρᾳ γνώσεσθε πάντες, ὅτι ἐγὼ πατὴρ καὶ υἱός εἰμι. Ἀκούεις δέ, ὅτι λέγει· καὶ πρὸς αὐτὸν ἐλευσόμεθα ἐγὼ καὶ ὁ πατήρ· οὐκ εἶπε πρὸς αὐτόν· Ἐλεύσομαι ἐγὼ καὶ ὁ πατὴρ καὶ ὁ υἱὸς καὶ μονὴν ποιήσω· ἀλλὰ καὶ τό· Ὁ λόγος ὁ ἐμὸς οὐκ ἔστιν ἐμός, ἀλλὰ τοῦ πέμψαντός με, οὐδὲν ἕτερον δηλοῖ ἢ τῶν ὑποστάσεων τὴν ἰδιότητα· καὶ ὅταν δέ· ταῦτα λελάληκα ὑμῖν παρ' ὑμῖν μένων, ἀκούσῃς, ὁ δὲ παράκλητος τὸ πνεῦμα τὸ ἅγιον, ὃ πέμψει ὁ πατὴρ ἐν τῷ ἐμῷ ὀνόματι, ἐκεῖνος διδάξει ὑμᾶς πάντα, ἃ εἶπον ὑμῖν, πῶς οὐ σαυτὸν ἐρυθριάσας ὁμολογήσεις τῶν τριῶν ὑποστάσεων τὴν εὐκρίνειαν; 454 {Μ.} Ἐν ἡμέρᾳ ... κρίσεως αἱ τρεῖς ὑποστάσεις καθέζονται κρῖναι ζῶντας καὶ νεκρούς. {Ο.} Τὸ καθέζονται σωματικῶς ἀκούων πνευματικῶς νόει, ἵνα μὴ τόπους καὶ χωρισμοὺς σωμάτων ὑπολάβῃς, ἀλλὰ τὸ πάγιον τῆς φύσεως. Πανταχοῦ γὰρ ὁ πατήρ, πανταχοῦ ὁ υἱός, πανταχοῦ τὸ πνεῦμα τὸ ἅγιον, καὶ ὥσπερ οὐδὲν μέσον ἐστὶν νοῦ καὶ λόγου καὶ πνοῆς, οὕτως οὐδὲν μέσον πατρὸς καὶ υἱοῦ καὶ ἁγίου πνεύματος. Νοῆσαι δὲ δεῖ τὸν πατέρα τέλειον, ἐν τελείᾳ ὑποστάσει, καὶ τὸν υἱὸν τέλειον ἐν τελείᾳ ὑποστάσει,

The distinction between the Spirit's presence and its fullness§3

3And the Holy Spirit, perfect in the perfection of subsistence, proceeding from the Father. [Montanus asks:] How does he enter? He himself says: 'I and the Father are one' (John 10:30). [Origen replies:] He did not say: 'I am one,' but 'we are one,' so that we might know the in-subsistent of the subsistences. And that I marvel at is that you remember the gospels yet fail to walk straight toward their truth.

[Montanus says:] I am persuaded by the gospels. [Origen replies:] Then show, where it is written in the gospels, that: 'I am, and the Father, and the Son, and the Spirit.' [Montanus says:] He who has seen me has seen the Father. [Origen replies:] But the Father: not having said that he himself is the Father, but such as the Father. [Montanus asks:] Do you want to know if those not receiving the Paraclete are orphans? Listen to the Lord saying: 'It is for your benefit that I depart; if I do not depart, the Paraclete will not come to you; but if I go, I will send him to you; and having come, he will convict the world concerning sin and concerning righteousness and concerning judgment' (John 14:16-17; 16:8). And after a little he says: 'I will not leave you orphans; I am coming to you' (John 14:18). So those not receiving the Paraclete are orphans.

[Origen replies:] Truly they are not only orphans, but also atheists, those not receiving the Paraclete. [Montanus asks:] Why then do you not receive him? [Origen replies:] We both received and receive, but you neither knew nor received, but were deceived by Montanus, and such a deception, which men would not have been deceived by if they had not become vessels of the devil. For first he persuades you to say that the apostles and the Lord Jesus are liars, the one who said to them: 'I will not leave you orphans; I am coming to you' (John 14:18).

[Montanus says:] For we say that Christ was not among the apostles. [Origen replies:] He who says that the Paraclete was not among the apostles, but in Montanus, will certainly not give Christ to them either. For no one is able to say 'Lord Jesus' (1 Cor 12:3) except in the Holy Spirit. And they were found among you orphans and...

The Lord Jesus Christ is a liar, and Montanus, the priest of Apollo, is truthful. What is more wretched than this deception?

{M.} We also say that the apostles had the Spirit from the Spirit, but they did not have the fullness of the Paraclete. {O.} And he who says, 'But we all reflect the glory of the Lord with an unveiled face' (2 Cor 3:18), did not have the Spirit, but Montanus the priest of the idol? {M.} For was Paul not a persecutor? {O.} But he has become a vessel of election. {M.} And Montanus is also. {O.} But from this the true prophet is known, from him saying the things of God, and the false prophet, from him saying the things opposite to God.

{M.} And when did Montanus say things opposite to God? {O.} When God and our Savior says that the other Paraclete is with himself and promises to send him to the apostles, but Montanus says, 'I am the Father and the Son and the Holy Spirit,' it is evident that he speaks opposite to the Son and is a false prophet. {M.} And we say that the apostles had the pledge of the Spirit, but not the fullness.

{O.} Because the apostles were temples of the Spirit and all the saints; listen to Paul saying, 'Do you not know that your bodies are a temple of the Holy Spirit who is in you, and in others? But you are not in the flesh, but in the Spirit, if indeed the Spirit of God dwells in you' (1 Cor 6:19-20)? Given so many testimonies saying that the Spirit was and is upon those believing, how do you say it is not upon the apostles? {M.} I said that there was a pledge of the Spirit in them. {O.} That same Spirit is the pledge of the promised good things, such as the promise we have of incorruption. Where is the proof that we shall be incorruptible from the Spirit whom he gave to us, and thus we hope every promise to be fulfilled from the presence of the Holy Spirit, as it is the pledge of the promised good things? He says...

Greek · §3

2 καὶ τὸ πνεῦμα τὸ ἅγιον, τέλειον ἐν τελείᾳ ὑποστάσει, παρὰ τοῦ πατρὸς ἐκπορευόμενον. {Μ.} Πῶς ἐγχωρεῖ; Αὐτὸς λέγει· Ἐγὼ καὶ ὁ πατὴρ ἕν ἐσμεν. {Ο.} Οὐκ εἶπεν· Ἕν εἰμι, ἀλλ' ἕν ἐσμεν, ἵνα τῶν ὑποστάσεων τὸ ἐνυπόστατον γνῶμεν. Ἐκεῖνο δὲ θαυμάζω, ὅτι μέμνησαι τῶν εὐαγγελίων καὶ οὐκ ὀρθοποδεῖς πρὸς τὴν ἀλήθειαν αὐτῶν. {Μ.} Ἐγὼ τοῖς εὐαγγελίοις πείθομαι. {Ο.} ∆εῖξον οὖν, ποῦ γέγραπται ἐν τοῖς εὐαγγελίοις, ὅτι· Ἐγώ εἰμι καὶ ὁ πατὴρ καὶ ὁ υἱὸς καὶ τὸ πνεῦμα. {Μ.} Ὁ ἑωρακὼς ἐμὲ ἑώρακε τὸν πατέρα. {Ο.} Ἀλλὰ τὸν πατέρα· οὐχ ἑαυτὸν φήσας εἶναι πατέρα, ἀλλὰ τοιοῦτον οἷον τὸν πατέρα. {Μ.} Θέλεις γνῶναι, ὅτι ὀρφανοί εἰσιν οἱ μὴ δεχόμενοι τὸν παράκλητον; Ἄκουε τοῦ Κυρίου λέγοντος· Συμφέρει ὑμῖν, ἵνα ἐγὼ ἀπέλθω· ἐὰν μὴ ἀπέλθω, ὁ παράκλητος οὐκ ἐλεύσεται πρὸς ὑμᾶς· ἐὰν δὲ πορευθῶ, πέμψω αὐτὸν πρὸς ὑμᾶς· καὶ ἐλθὼν ἐκεῖνος ἐλέγξει τὸν κόσμον περὶ ἁμαρτίας καὶ περὶ δικαιοσύνης καὶ περὶ κρίσεως. Καὶ μετ' ὀλίγα λέγει· Οὐκ ἀφήσω ὑμᾶς ὀρφανούς· ἔρχομαι πρὸς ὑμᾶς. Οἱ τοίνυν μὴ δεξάμενοι τὸν παράκλητον ὀρφανοί εἰσιν. {Ο.} Ἀληθῶς οὐ μόνον ὀρφανοί εἰσιν, ἀλλὰ καὶ ἄθεοι οἱ μὴ δεξάμενοι τὸν παράκλητον. {Μ.} ∆ιὰ τί οὖν οὐ δέχεσθε αὐτόν; {Ο.} Ἡμεῖς καὶ ἐδεξάμεθα καὶ δεχόμεθα, ὑμεῖς δὲ οὔτε 455 ἔγνωτε οὔτε ἐδέξασθε, ἀλλ' ἠπατήθητε παρὰ Μοντανοῦ, καὶ τοιαύτην ἀπάτην, ἣν οὐκ ἂν ἠπατήθησαν ἄνθρωποι μὴ γενόμενοι σκεύη τοῦ διαβόλου. Πρῶτον γὰρ πείθει ὑμᾶς εἰπεῖν τοὺς ἀποστόλους ὀρφανοὺς καὶ τὸν Κύριον Ἰησοῦν ψεύστην τὸν εἰρηκότα αὐτοῖς· Οὐκ ἀφήσω ὑμᾶς ὀρφανούς· ἔρχομαι πρὸς ὑμᾶς. {Μ.} Ἡμεῖς γὰρ λέγομεν, ὅτι οὐκ ἦν ὁ Χριστὸς ἐν τοῖς ἀποστόλοις. {Ο.} Ὁ λέγων, ὅτι οὐκ ἦν ἐν τοῖς ἀποστόλοις ὁ παράκλητος, ἀλλ' ἐν Μοντανῷ, πάντως οὐδὲ τὸν Χριστὸν δώσει ἐν αὐτοῖς. Οὐδεὶς γὰρ δύναται εἰπεῖν Κύριον Ἰησοῦν, εἰ μὴ ἐν πνεύματι ἁγίῳ. Καὶ εὑρέθησαν καθ' ὑμᾶς ὀρφανοὶ καὶ ὁ Κύριος Ἰησοῦς Χριστὸς ψεύστης, καὶ Μοντανὸς ὁ τοῦ Ἀπόλλωνος ἱερεὺς ἀληθής. Τί δὲ ταύτης τῆς ἀπάτης ἐστὶν ἀθλιώτερον; {Μ.} Λέγομεν καὶ ἡμεῖς, ὅτι οἱ ἀπόστολοι ἔσχον ἐκ τοῦ πνεύματος, ἀλλ' οὐ τὸ πλήρωμα τοῦ παρακλήτου εἶχον. {Ο.} Καὶ ὁ λέγων· Ἡμεῖς δὲ πάντες ἀνακεκαλυμμένῳ προσώπῳ τὴν δόξαν Κυρίου κατοπτριζόμεθα, οὐκ εἶχε τὸ πνεῦμα, ἀλλὰ Μοντανὸς ὁ ἱερεὺς τοῦ εἰδώλου; {Μ.} Παῦλος γὰρ οὐκ ἦν διώκτης; {Ο.} Ἀλλὰ σκεῦος ἐκλογῆς γέγονε. {Μ.} Καὶ Μοντανός. {Ο.} Ἀλλ' ἐκ τούτου γινώσκεται ὁ ἀληθὴς προφήτης ἐκ τοῦ τὰ τοῦ θεοῦ αὐτὸν λέγειν, καὶ ὁ ψευδοπροφήτης ἐν τῷ τὰ ἐναντία αὐτὸν τῷ θεῷ λέγειν. {Μ.} Καὶ πότε Μοντανὸς ἐναντία τῷ θεῷ εἶπεν; {Ο.} Ὅταν μὲν ὁ θεὸς καὶ σωτὴρ ἡμῶν λέγῃ τὸν παράκλητον ἄλλον εἶναι παρ' ἑαυτὸν καὶ τοῖς ἀποστόλοις ἀποστέλλειν αὐτὸν ἐπαγγέλλεται, Μοντανὸς δὲ λέγει· Ἐγώ εἰμι ὁ πατὴρ καὶ ὁ υἱὸς καὶ τὸ ἅγιον πνεῦμα, δῆλον, ὅτι ἐναντία τῷ υἱῷ λέγει καὶ ἔστι ψευδοπροφήτης. {Μ.} Καὶ ἡμεῖς λέγομεν, ὅτι εἶχον οἱ ἀπόστολοι τὸν ἀῤῥαβῶνα τοῦ πνεύματος, ἄλλ' οὐ τὸ πλήρωμα. {Ο.} Ὅτι οἱ ἀπόστολοι ναοὶ τοῦ πνεύματος ἦσαν καὶ πάντες οἱ ἅγιοι, ἄκουε Παύλου λέγοντος· Οὐκ οἴδατε, ὅτι τὰ σώματα ὑμῶν ναὸς τοῦ ἐν ὑμῖν ἁγίου πνεύματός ἐστιν καὶ ἐν ἄλλοις· Ὑμεῖς δὲ οὐκ ἐστὲ ἐν σαρκί, 456 ἀλλ' ἐν πνεύματι, εἴπερ πνεῦμα θεοῦ οἰκεῖ ἐν ὑμῖν. Τοσούτων οὖν μαρτυριῶν οὐσῶν τῶν λεγουσῶν, ὅτι τὸ πνεῦμα ἦν καὶ ἔστιν ἐπὶ τοὺς πιστεύοντας, πῶς σὺ λέγεις μὴ εἶναι ἐπὶ τοὺς ἀποστόλους; {Μ.} Εἶπον, ὅτι ἀῤῥαβὼν ἦν τοῦ πνεύματος ἐν αὐτοῖς. {Ο.} Αὐτὸ τὸ πνεῦμα ἀῤῥαβών ἐστι τῶν ἐπηγγελμένων ἀγαθῶν, οἷον ἐπαγγελίαν ἔχομεν ἀφθαρσίας. Πόθεν ἡ ἀπόδειξις, ὅτι ἐσόμεθα ἄφθαρτοι ἐκ τοῦ πνεύματος, οὗ ἔδωκεν ἡμῖν, καὶ οὕτως πᾶσαν ἐπαγγελίαν ἐλπίζομεν πληροῦσθαι ἐκ τῆς τοῦ πνεύματος τοῦ ἁγίου παρουσίας ὡς εἶναι αὐτὸ ἀῤῥαβῶνα τῶν ἐπηγγελμένων ἀγαθῶν; Λέγει δὲ

Allegory vs. Literal Reality§4

4the pledge of the Spirit

To write books? Orthodox: And very much so. Montanist: If then the holy Mary says: 'From now on all generations will call me blessed' (Luke 2:48), does she say this with boldness and having been uncovered, or not? Orthodox: The evangelist has a covering. For the gospel was not written in her name.

Montanist: Do not take allegories as dogmas. Orthodox: Most especially, indeed, the holy Paul took allegories for the confirmation of dogmas, saying: 'Abraham had two women, which are being allegorized' (Galatians 4:22-24). For these are the two covenants. Let us then grant that the covering of the head is not through allegory. Set up for me the allegory: if there is a poor woman and she does not have a covering, what is covered? Must she not pray or prophesy? Montanist: And it is possible for her to be so poor as not to have, what will she cover?

Orthodox: Often indeed we see women so poor as not to have, what will they cover? Since you yourself do not want women to be so poor as not to have, what will they cover, what do you do concerning the baptized? For must they not pray while being baptized? And what do you say concerning the men who often cover their heads because of sicknesses? Do you also forbid these to pray or to prophesy? Montanist: In that hour, in which she prays or prophesies, she is uncovered.

Orthodox: It is not necessary for him to pray without ceasing, but rather to follow the apostle teaching him, saying: 'Pray without ceasing' (1 Thess 5:17). And you advise the woman, being baptized, not to pray. Montanist: Because of this, therefore, you do not receive Priscilla and Maximilla, because they composed books. Orthodox: Not because of this alone, but because they have also become false prophets along with their leader Montanus. Montanist: How is it, that they have become false prophets? Orthodox: Did they say the same things to Montanus? Montanist: Yes. Orthodox: But Montanus was reproved against the divine writings, and therefore they will be cast out together with him.

Greek · §4

οὕτως ὁ Παῦλος· Ὁ δὲ βεβαιῶν ἡμᾶς σὺν ὑμῖν εἰς Χριστὸν καὶ χρίσας ἡμᾶς θεός, ὁ καὶ σφραγισάμενος ἡμᾶς καὶ δοὺς τὸν ἀῤῥαβῶνα τοῦ πνεύματος ἐν ταῖς καρδίαις ἡμῶν, ὅ ἐστιν, ὅτι ἐβεβαιώθη σὺν ὑμῖν εἰς Χριστόν. Πόθεν τοῦτο ἐκ τοῦ πνεύματος, 3 οὗ δέδωκεν ἡμῖν; Ἡ γὰρ ἀπόδειξις, ὧν ἐπηγγείλατο Χριστός, ἐκ τῆς τοῦ πνεύματος παρουσίας ἐστίν· ἐπηγγείλατο βασιλείαν οὐρανῶν, ἐπηγγείλατο ἀφθαρσίαν, ἀθανασίαν, σοφίαν, ἁγιασμόν, ἀπολύτρωσιν. Τίς ταύτης τῆς δωρεᾶς ἀπόδειξις καὶ πόθεν ἡμῖν τὸ ἀσφαλὲς ἐκ τοῦ πνεύματος, οὗ ἔδωκεν ἡμῖν; Ὁ γὰρ τὸ αἴτιον τῶν χαρισμάτων δεδωκὼς δώσει καὶ τὰ ἑπόμενα καὶ διὰ τοῦτο ἀῤῥαβὼν εἴρηται τὸ πνεῦμα τῆς μελλούσης ἀποκαλύπτεσθαι δόξης. {Μ.} ∆ιὰ τί δὲ καὶ τὰς ἁγίας Μαξίμιλλαν καὶ Πρίσκιλλαν ἀποστρέφεσθε καὶ λέγετε μὴ ἐξὸν εἶναι προφητεύειν γυναιξίν; Οὐκ ἦσαν καὶ τῷ Φιλίππῳ θυγατέρες τέσσαρες προφητεύουσαι καὶ ∆εββῶρα οὐκ ἦν προφῆτις; καὶ ὁ ἀπόστολος οὐ λέγει· Πᾶσα γυνὴ προσευχομένη ἢ προφητεύουσα ἀκατακαλύπτῳ τῇ κεφαλῇ, εἰ οὐκ ἔστιν γυναιξὶν προφητεύειν οὐδὲ προσεύχεσθαι; Εἰ δὲ προσεύχονται, καὶ προφητευέτωσαν. {Ο.} Ἡμεῖς τὰς προφητείας τῶν γυναικῶν οὐκ ἀποστρεφόμεθα, καὶ ἡ ἁγία Μαρία προεφήτευσε λέγουσα· Ἀπὸ τοῦ νῦν μακαριοῦσί με πᾶσαι αἱ γενεαί. Καὶ ὡς καὶ αὐτὸς εἶπας ἦσαν τῷ ἁγίῳ Φιλίππῳ θυγατέρες προφητεύουσαι, 457 καὶ Μαρία ἡ ἀδελφὴ Ἀαρὼν προεφήτευεν. Ἀλλ' οὐκ ἐπιτρέπομεν αὐταῖς λαλεῖν ἐν ἐκκλησίαις οὐδὲ αὐθεντεῖν ἀνδρῶν, ὥστε καὶ βίβλους ἐξ ὀνόματος αὐτῶν γράφεσθαι. Τοῦτο γάρ ἐστιν ἀκατακαλύπτως αὐτὰς προσεύχεσθαι καὶ προφητεύειν, καὶ οὐ κατῄσχυνε τὴν κεφαλὴν τουτέστιν τὸν ἄνδρα. Μὴ γὰρ οὐκ ἠδύνατο ἡ ἁγία Θεοτόκος Μαρία ἐξ ὀνόματος ἑαυτῆς βιβλία γράψαι; Ἀλλ' οὐκ ἐποίησεν, ἵνα μὴ καταισχύνῃ τὴν κεφαλὴν αὐθεντοῦσα τῶν ἀνδρῶν. {Μ.} Τὸ γὰρ ἀκατακαλύπτῳ τῇ κεφαλῇ προσεύχεσθαι ἢ προφητεύειν ἐστὶ τὸ μὴ γράφειν βιβλία; {Ο.} Καὶ πάνυ. {Μ.} Ἐὰν οὖν λέγῃ ἡ ἁγία Μαρία· Ἀπὸ τοῦ νῦν μακαριοῦσίν με πᾶσαι αἱ γενεαί, μετὰ παῤῥησίας λέγει καὶ ἀνακεκαλυμμένως, ἢ οὔ; {Ο.} Ἔχει κάλυμμα τὸν εὐαγγελιστήν. Οὐ γὰρ ἐξ ὀνόματος αὐτῆς τὸ εὐαγγέλιον ἀναγέγραπται. {Μ.} Μή μοι τὰς ἀλληγορίας ὡς δόγματα λάμβανε. {Ο.} Μάλιστα μὲν οὖν ὁ ἅγιος Παῦλος καὶ τὰς ἀλληγορίας εἰς τὰς τῶν δογμάτων βεβαιώσεις ἔλαβε λέγων, ὅτι· Ἀβραὰμ δύο γυναῖκας ἔσχεν, ἅτινά εἰσιν ἀλληγορούμενα. Αὗται γάρ εἰσιν αἱ δύο διαθῆκαι. ∆ῶμεν δέ, ὅτι οὐ διὰ ἀλληγορίαν τὸ τῆς κεφαλῆς κάλυμμα. Στῆσόν μοι ἐπὶ πάντων τὴν ἀλληγορίαν, ἐὰν ᾖ πενιχρὰ γυνὴ καὶ μὴ ἔχῃ, τί κατακαλύπτεται, οὐ δεῖ αὐτὴν προσεύχεσθαι οὐδὲ προφητεύειν; {Μ.} Καὶ δύναται εἰς τοσοῦτον εἶναι πενιχρά, ὡς μὴ ἔχειν, τί σκεπάσεται. {Ο.} Πολλάκις μὲν εἴδομεν οὕτως πενιχρὰς γυναῖκας ὥστε μὴ ἔχειν, τί σκεπάσονται. Ἐπειδὴ δὲ αὐτὸς οὐ θέλεις εἶναι πενιχρὰς γυναῖκας ὥστε μὴ ἔχειν, τί σκεπάσονται, τί ποιεῖς ἐπὶ τῶν βαπτιζομένων; Ἆρα οὐ δεῖ αὐτὰς βαπτιζομένας προσεύχεσθαι; Τί δὲ λέγεις καὶ ἐπὶ τῶν ἀνδρῶν τῶν πολλάκις διὰ κάκωσιν σκεπαζομένων τὴν κεφαλήν; Ἆρα καὶ τούτους κωλύεις προσεύχεσθαι ἢ προφητεύειν; {Μ.} Ἐν ἐκείνῃ τῇ ὥρᾳ, ᾗ προσεύχεται ἢ προφητεύει, ἀνακαλύπτεται. {Ο.} Οὐ δεῖ αὐτὸν ἀδιαλείπτως προσεύχεσθαι, ἀλλὰ παρα 458 κούειν τοῦ ἀποστόλου διδάσκοντος αὐτόν, τοῦ λέγοντος· Ἀδιαλείπτως προσεύχεσθε. Καὶ τὴν γυναῖκα δὲ συμβουλεύεις βαπτιζομένην μὴ προσεύχεσθαι. {Μ.} ∆ιὰ τοῦτο οὖν οὐ δέχεσθε Πρίσκιλλαν καὶ Μαξίμιλλαν, ἐπειδὴ βιβλία συνέταξαν. {Ο.} Οὐ διὰ τοῦτο μόνον, ἀλλ' ὅτι καὶ ψευδοπροφήτιδες γεγόνασι μετὰ τοῦ ἐξάρχου αὐτῶν Μοντανοῦ. {Μ.} Πόθεν, ὅτι ψευδοπροφήτιδες γεγόνασιν; {Ο.} Τὰ αὐτὰ Μοντανῷ εἰρήκασιν; {Μ.} Ναί. {Ο.} Ἠλέγχθη δὲ Μοντανὸς ἐναντία ταῖς θείαις γραφαῖς εἰρηκώς, καὶ αὐταὶ ἄρα αὐτῷ συνεκβληθήσονται. 4

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