Allegory vs. Literal Reality

the 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

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

About this text

A debate with Montanists over their 'new prophecy': true Spirit or fraud?

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.