Notes on the Catholic Epistles
Enarratio in epistulas catholicas
The Nature of Asking and True Friendship§1
1A brief exposition by Didymus on the Catholic Epistles. For just as the men of this world, in the writings of life's transactions, wish to deal with the duties concerning them, so also the apostles, in the beginnings of their writings, are deemed to deal as servants of God and Christ (2 Cor 2:8–12).
He subsequently calls them brothers, rather than children or sons, exhorting toward perfection through courage and endurance (2 Cor 2:28–29; Matt 18:3). Having sufficiently exhorted to stand under trials with joy, so that tested work and perfect patience might be produced; and since these things are completed by themselves and not done through something else, he attempts to persuade through another exhortation, rightly setting forth the things laid ahead by saying that he who endures trial is blessed. For he who thus athletically runs the race, trained through all things, will become a tested man; and thus, having been revealed from the shadows, a crown of life will be given to those loved by God who have been made compliant (2 Cor 4:19-27; Matt 18:4).
In this way, he who despises enduring trial, overlooking it, will receive the crown of eternal life instead of the fleeting life he despised. If the crown of life which God prepared for those loving him is a thing to be sought, what God prepared for those loving him is something that, because of the greatness of divinity, will be seen and heard, having ascended beyond even simple human thought (2 Cor 4:27-32).
Truly the position of the Savior is as it is said: 'Ask and it shall be given to you,' which is confirmed by the saying: 'Everyone who asks receives.' If anyone were to ask how some who pray are not heard... Regarding what is to be said: he who comes to ask, following the way and leaving nothing undone of those things contributing to the attainment of what the diligent seek, will receive all that he urged to be given to him; but if anyone, departing from the aim of the stated request, seems to...
To seek, not asking in the way that is necessary, nor asking at all; therefore, because he does not receive it, he does not falsify the thing: 'everyone who asks receives' (Matt 7:7). For even when a teacher says: 'everyone who approaches me for the sake of lessons will have their knowledge,' we understand grammatically 'to approach the teacher,' that is, to attend closely to what is from the teacher along with practicing and studying them; but he who does not do so, it must be said to him: you did not approach him as I instructed (Cr 25, 21-26, 1).
The writer, making the letter clearer, having pre-empted those who, seeming to ask, do not receive—the opponents and those asking badly for the sake of vain pleasures (Cr 26, 1-9). But someone will say: 'and indeed, some asking for the sake of divine knowledge and the taking up of virtues do not receive'; it must be said also to them, that they were not worthy to receive according to those very good things, but asked for the sake of being praised through them; and it is the nature of pleasure-seekers to rejoice in praises; whence also this is not given to them, because they wish to spend on pleasures those things for which they are worthy (Cr 26, 1-9).
8 Origen. Since wickedness brings forth friendship toward the world, but virtue brings forth friendship toward God, virtue and wickedness cannot coexist (Cr 26, 16-18).
Proverbs. He who loves the world through sinning is shown to be an enemy of God; likewise also he who, confirming friendship toward God through piety, is immediately found to be an enemy of the world; whence it is impossible, just as one cannot serve God and Mammon (Matt 6:24), so one cannot be a friend to God and the world. For the Lord, having come, made those who are friends of God and obey Him a sword and a division upon the earth (Matt 10:34); for the word of His teaching divides and separates, preparing through this to have enmity toward the world and union toward God, which is friendship toward Him; therefore also He gives peace, not as the world desires; for that world through which they give peace makes one passible toward material things; but the Lord, providing peace...
Greek · §1
In epistulas catholicas brevis enarratio 1 ∆ιδύμου. Ὡς γὰρ οἱ τοῦ κόσμου ἄνθρωποι ἐν ταῖς συγγραφαῖς τῶν βιωτικῶν συναλλαγμάτων ἐκ τῶν περὶ αὐτοὺς ἀξιωμάτων χρηματίζειν θέλουσιν, οὕτω καὶ οἱ ἀπόστολοι ἐν ταῖς ἀρχαῖς τῶν συγγραμμάτων αὐτῶν δοῦλοι θεοῦ καὶ Χριστοῦ χρηματίζειν ἀξιοῦσιν. (Cr 2, 8–12) 2 Εἰς τελειότητα οὖν τὴν κατ' ἀνδρείαν καὶ καρτερίαν προτρέπων ἀκολούθως ἀδελφοὺς ὀνομάζει, ἀλλ' οὐ τέκνα οὐδὲ υἱούς. (Cr 2, 28–29 Ma 183) Τοῦ Χρυσοστόμου. Αὐτάρκως προτρεψάμενος ὑφίστασθαι τοὺς πειρασμοὺς μετὰ χαρᾶς, ἵνα ἐγγένηται δόκιμον ἔργον καὶ ὑπομονὴ τελεία· τελειοῦται δὲ ταῦτα καθ' ἑαυτά, καὶ μὴ δι' ἄλλο πραττόμενα· δι' ἑτέρας παραινέσεως πείθειν ἐπιχειρεῖ κατορθοῦν τὰ προκείμενα δι' ἐπαγγελίαν μακάριον εἶναι λέγων τὸν πειρασμὸν ὑπομένοντα· γενή 3 σεται γὰρ ὁ οὕτως ἀθλητικῶς ἄγων τὸν ἀγῶνα δόκιμος ἀνὴρ διὰ πάντων γεγυμνασμένος· οὕτω δὲ ἀναφανέντι ἐκ τῶν σκυθρωπῶν δοθήσεται στέφανος ζωῆς εὐτρεπισθεὶς ὑπὸ τοῦ θεοῦ τοῖς αὐτὸν ἀγαπῶσιν. (Cr 4, 19-27 Ma 184) οὕτως ὁ τῷ ὑπομένειν πειρασμὸν καταφρονῶν ἐπιπόνων καὶ αὐτοῦ τοῦ θανάτου στέφανον τῆς αἰωνίου ζωῆς ἀπολήψεται, ἀνθ' ἧς κατεφρόνησε προσκαίρου ζωῆς· ζητήσεις, εἰ ὕλη οὗ ἡτοίμασεν ὁ θεὸς στεφάνου ζωῆς τοῖς ἀγαπῶσιν αὐτὸν ἔστιν, ἃ ἡτοίμασεν ὁ θεὸς τοῖς 4 ἀγαπῶσιν αὐτόν, ἃ διὰ μέγεθος θειότητος ὄψει καὶ ἀκοῇ οὐχ ὑπόκειται οὐδὲ ἐπὶ ψιλὴν νόησιν ἀνθρώπου ἀναβέβηκεν. (Cr 4, 27-32 Ma 184) 6 Ἀληθοῦς οὔσης τῆς τοῦ σωτῆρος θέσεως τῆς λεγούσης· “αἰτεῖτε καὶ δοθήσεται ὑμῖν”, ἣν καὶ πιστοῦται διὰ τοῦ φάναι· “πᾶς ὁ αἰτῶν λαμβάνει”, ζητήσειεν ἄν τις, πῶς τινες εὐχόμενοι οὐκ ἀκούονται. Πρὸς ὃ λεκτέον· ὁ ὁδῷ τῇ ἀκολούθῳ ἐπὶ τὸ αἰτεῖν ἐρχόμενος οὐδὲν παραλείψας τῶν συντελούντων πρὸς τὸ τυχεῖν τῶν σπουδαζομένων πάντως λήψεται, ὃ παρεκάλεσε δοθῆναι αὐτῷ· εἰ δέ τις ἔξω χωρήσας τοῦ σκόπου τῆς παραδοθείσης αἰτήσεως δόξει αἰτεῖν, οὐκ αἰτῶν ὃν δεῖ τρόπον οὐδὲ ὅλως αἰτεῖ· διὸ μὴ λαμβάνοντος αὐτοῦ οὐ ψευδοποιεῖται τό· “πᾶς ὁ αἰτῶν λαμβάνει”. Καὶ γὰρ διδασκάλου λέγοντος· πᾶς ὁ προσ 7 ιών μοι μαθημάτων ἕνεκα ἕξει αὐτῶν τὴν ἐπιστήμην, τὸ “προσιέναι τῷ διδασκάλῳ” γραμματικῶς ἐκλαμβάνομεν, τουτέστι μετὰ τοῦ συντόμως προσέχειν τοῖς παρὰ τοῦ διδασκάλου μετὰ τοῦ ἀσκεῖν καὶ μελετᾶν αὐτά· ὁ δὲ μὴ οὕτω, λεκτέον αὐτῷ· οὐ προσῆλθες αὐτῷ, ὡς προετρέψω. (Cr 25, 21-26, 1) Φανερώτερον ποιῶν ὁ γράφων τὴν ἐπιστολήν, τίνες δοκοῦντες αἰτεῖν οὐ λαμβάνουσι, τοὺς ἀντιρρήτους καὶ κακῶς αἰτουμένους ἡδονῶν ματαίων ἕνεκα προείληφεν. Ἀλλ' ἐρεῖ τις· καὶ μὴν ὑπὲρ γνώσεως θείας καὶ ἀναλήψεως ἀρετῶν αἰτούμενοί τινες οὐ λαμβάνουσι· λεκτέον δὲ καὶ αὐτοῖς, ὅτι οὐ κατ' αὐτὰ τὰ ἀγαθὰ λαβεῖν ἠξίωσαν, ἀλλ' ἕνεκα τοῦ ἐπαινεῖσθαι δι' αὐτά· ἔστι δὲ φιληδόνων καὶ τὸ χαίρειν ἐπαίνοις· ὅθεν καὶ τούτοις οὐ δίδοται, ἐπεὶ εἰς ἡδονὰς καταδαπανῆσαι θέλουσι τὰ περὶ ὧν ἀξιοῦσιν. (Cr 26, 1-9) 8 Ὠριγένους. Ἐπεὶ ἡ κακία προξενεῖ τὴν πρὸς τὸν κόσμον φιλίαν, ἀρετὴ δὲ τὴν πρὸς τὸν θεόν, ἀρετῇ καὶ κακίᾳ οὐ δύναται συνυπάρχειν. (Cr 26, 16-18) Παροιμίαι. Ὁ διὰ τοῦ ἁμαρτάνειν φιλῶν τὸν κόσμον ἐχθρὸς ἀποδείκνυται τοῦ θεοῦ· ὡσαύτως καὶ ὁ τὴν πρὸς θεὸν φιλίαν δι' εὐσεβείας βεβαιῶν εὐθέως ἐχθρὸς εὑρίσκεται τοῦ κόσμου· ὅθεν ἀδύνατόν ἐστιν ὥσπερ δουλεύειν θεῷ καὶ μαμμωνᾷ, οὕτω φιλιάζειν θεῷ καὶ κόσμῳ. Ἀμέλει γοῦν ἐλθὼν ὁ κύριος φίλους θεοῦ τοὺς πειθομένους αὐτῷ ποιῆσαι μάχαιραν καὶ διαμερισμὸν ἔβαλεν ἐπὶ τῆς γῆς· ὁ γὰρ λόγος τῆς διδασκαλίας αὐτοῦ διαιρεῖ καὶ μερίζει τῶν γηϊνῶν καὶ ὑλικῶν διὰ τούτου παρασκευάζων ἔχθραν ἔχειν πρὸς τὸν κόσμον καὶ ἕνωσιν πρὸς τὸν θεόν, ἥτις ἐστὶν ἡ 1 πρὸς αὐτὸν φιλία· διὸ καὶ εἰρήνην δίδωσιν οὐ καθὼς ὁ κόσμος ὀρέγει· ἐκεῖνος γὰρ δι' ἧς δίδωσιν εἰρήνης πρὸς τὰ ὑλικὰ ἐμπαθεῖς ποιεῖ· ὁ δὲ κύριος εἰρήνην παρέχων
Divine Desire and the Judgment of the Son§2
2He prepares friends of God; therefore, one must hear a world in these things regarding the sympathy toward these matters.
9 Originating from the interpretation into 'according to the foreknowledge of God.' For God, having foreseen the faith and the works of men having been perfected in them through the evangelical teaching, foreknowingly chose them in Christ before the foundation of the world, having then predestined them to be sons through the participation of the spirit of sonship; for foreknowledge is to be regarded as nothing other than a vision of things to come, which is no longer foreknowledge, but is knowledge toward the existence of those having been foreseen; even so, according to foreknowledge, they were chosen, as Peter writes (1 Pet 1:2), but not now is the favor being made to them; thus he casts aside the myth concerning natures and the thought contained within.
If the inheritance has been kept in the heavens for the believers, some are growing cold, thinking that they will receive it in the lower Jerusalem in all the thousand years, thinking they will receive enjoyment of the contests of the kingdom; those of whom it must be asked, that they have something to say concerning bodily enjoyment as incorruptible and unfading, especially since they also describe it as ceasing at the end of the millennial year; to these, the sayings declaring that the inheritance is to be in the kingdom of heaven (Matt 6:10) must be joined, and how it does not fall away because it is spiritual, being beyond the perception of mortals.
12 Since some set the promise and salvation of the saints before the appearance of the Savior as lesser, thinking that those after this have had more, having seen the Lord visually and the signs performed by him, it must be shown how their assumption is erroneous.
13.10 For how can someone after the appearance be lesser than Abraham, having seen the day of the Lord, all those being perfected according to the Lord into his own bosom? And how can Moses and Elijah be lesser, having been transformed in glory together with the Lord appearing, since they did not see the Lord visually? For one must not make those who have had the spiritual appearance a judge over the one who has seen him according to the flesh (Cr 45, 20-26).
14 Indeed, many of the heterodox agree with this erroneous doctrine, having a desire in every way to revile the old covenant; and this he will say, that,
Even if they did not see or hear the things the Lord said through the senses, they had a divine desire for them; for many prophets and righteous men desired to see (Ps 64:10).
If anyone were to receive the salvation sought by the prophets as being at the end, which above all is the most desired thing at the end—for all other things come by its grace, but it is not for the sake of anything else—he would not speak against the holy angels or all the simple blessed rational beings who, having all desire to receive what is set before them, stoop toward the things at the end.
If the Father judges no one, but has given all judgment to the Son, what must be understood about what is set forth? For if the Father is the one meant, how is he a judge judging according to each person's work? But if the Son judges, having received all judgment, how is he a Father? What is to be said: if there is one divinity of Father and Son, with the Son judging, the Father is the one judging; but also the Son is able to be a Father to those born, having begotten them through the communion of holiness; for often indeed he called his own disciples children and said to others, to one: 'Child, your sins are forgiven' (Matt 26:2), and to another: 'Daughter, your faith has saved you' (Luke 7:50). And these things refute those who scrutinize the divinity.
He says the Gospel Word is the living Word of God and remaining in the age forever. The Gospel says: 'Heaven and earth will pass away, but my words will never pass away' (Matt 24:35), says the Lord Jesus Christ.
Just as the Lord, being light, came into the world for judgment, to open the eyes of the blind before his presence, and to blind those who see badly, so also, being a chosen and worthy stone, he provides honor to those being built with him through faith, having been shown as a firm foundation for them; but for those disobeying through unbelief, he is not worthy, but is considered a stone of stumbling and a rock of offense to those who have despised him as builders; and these are scribes and Pharisees.
And regarding 'into which also I have placed you,' he says, not as if they were gathered into this by God, but as if they suffered this from their own weary mind and faulty choice.
Greek · §2
φίλους θεοῦ παρασκευάζει· κόσμον οὖν ἐν τούτοις ἀκούειν δεῖ τὴν πρὸς τὰ τῇδε συμπάθειαν. (Cr 26, 19-32 Ma 193) 9 Ὠριγένους ἐκ τῆς ἑρμηνείας εἰς τὸ “κατὰ πρόγνωσιν θεοῦ”. Προεωρακὼς γὰρ ὁ θεὸς τὴν πίστιν καὶ 10 πρᾶξιν τῶν ἀνθρώπων κατορθωθέντα αὐτοῖς ἐκ τῆς εὐαγγελικῆς διδασκαλίας προγνωστικῶς καὶ ἐξελέξατο αὐτοὺς ἐν Χριστῷ πρὸ καταβολῆς κόσμου τότε προορίσας αὐτοὺς υἱοὺς εἶναι μετουσίᾳ τοῦ πνεύματος τῆς υἱοθεσίας· πρόγνωσιν γὰρ οὐκ ἄλλο τι ἡγητέον ἢ ἐσομένων θεωρίαν, ἥτις οὐκέτι πρόγνωσις, ἀλλὰ γνῶσίς ἐστιν εἰς ὕπαρξιν ἡκόντων τῶν προεωραμένων· κἂν τοίνυν κατὰ πρόγνωσιν ἐκλεκτοὶ ἦσαν, οἷς Πέτρος γράφει, ἀλλ' οὐ νῦν ὑφεστηκόσιν αὐτοῖς ἡ προσφώνησις γίνεται· ἐκβάλλει οὖν τὸν μῦθον τὸν περὶ τῶν φύσεων καὶ ἡ ἐγκειμένη νόησις. (Cr 42, 28-43, 6 Ma 196) Εἰ ἐν οὐρανοῖς τετήρηται εἰς τοὺς πιστοὺς ἡ κληρονομία, ψυχρεύονταί τινες οἰόμενοι αὐτὴν ἀπο 11 λήψεσθαι ἐν τῇ κάτω Ἱερουσαλὴμ ἐν ὅλοις χιλίοις ἔτεσιν οἰόμενοι τρυφὴν λήψεσθαι τὰ ἆθλα τῆς βασιλείας· οὓς καὶ ἐρωτητέον, ὅτι ἔχουσι περὶ σωματικῆς τρυφῆς εἰπεῖν ὡς ἀφθάρτου καὶ ἀμαράντου, μάλιστα ὅτι καὶ περιγράφουσιν αὐτὴν παυσαμένου τοῦ χιλιαστοῦ ἐνιαυτοῦ· πρὸς τούτοις συναπτέον τὰ ῥητὰ δηλοῦντα ἐν βασιλείᾳ οὐρανῶν εἶναι τὴν κληρονομίαν καὶ ὡς οὐχ ὑποπίπτει διὰ τὸ νοητὴ εἶναι αἰσθήσει θνητῶν. (Cr 43, 13-21) 12 Ἐπεί τινες ἐλάττονα τίθενται τὴν ἐπαγγελίαν καὶ σωτηρίαν τῶν πρὸ τῆς ἐπιδημίας τοῦ σωτῆρος ἁγίων οἰόμενοι πλέον τι ἐσχηκέναι τοὺς μετὰ ταύτην τῷ ἑωρακέναι τὸν κύριον αἰσθητῶς καὶ τὰ ὑπ' αὐτοῦ πραχθέντα σημεῖα, δεικτέον, ὡς ἐσφαλμένη ἐστὶν ἡ ὑπόληψις αὐτῶν. (Cr 45, 16-20) 13.10 Πῶς γὰρ ἐλάττων τινὸς τῶν μετὰ τὴν ἐπιδημίαν ὁ Ἀβραὰμ τὴν ἡμέραν τοῦ κυρίου ἑωρακὼς πάντων τῶν τελειουμένων κατὰ κύριον εἰς τοὺς αὐτοῦ κόλπους ἀπερχομένων; πῶς δὲ ἐλάττων Μωϋσῆς καὶ Ἠλίας ἐν δόξῃ ἅμα τῷ κυρίῳ μεταμορφωθέντι φανέντες, ἐπεὶ μὴ εἶδον αἰσθητῶς τὸν κύριον; οὐ γὰρ προκριτέον ποιεῖ τῶν τὴν νοητὴν ἐπιδημίαν ἐσχηκότων τὸν ἑωρακότα τὴν κατὰ σάρκα. (Cr 45, 20-26) 14 Πολλοὶ γοῦν τῶν ἑτεροδόξων συμφέρονται τῇ ἐσφαλμένῃ ταύτῃ δόξῃ πόθον ἔχοντες ἐκ παντὸς τρόπου διαβάλλειν τὴν παλαιὰν διαθήκην· καὶ τοῦτο δὲ λελέξεται, ὅτι, εἰ καὶ μὴ εἶδον ἢ ἤκουσαν αἰσθητῶς, ἃ ὁ κύριος εἶπεν, ἀλλ' οὖν ἔρωτα αὐτῶν θεῖον εἶχον· “πολλοὶ γὰρ προφῆται καὶ δίκαιοι ἐπεθύμησαν ἰδεῖν”. (Cr 45, 2631) Εἴ τις ἐκλάβοι τὴν ζητουμένην ὑπὸ τῶν προφητῶν σωτηρίαν κατὰ τὸ τέλος εἶναι, ὃ ἐπὶ πᾶσι καὶ ἔσχατον ὀρεκτὸν τυγχάνει–αὐτοῦ μὲν γὰρ χάριν τὰ ἄλλα πάντα γίνεται, αὐτὸ δὲ οὐδενὸς ἕνεκα–, οὐκ ἀπεμφαίνει περὶ τῶν ἁγίων ἀγγέλων καὶ ἁπλῶς πάντων τῶν μακα 15 ρίων λογικῶν τὸ προκείμενον ἐκλαβεῖν πάντων ὄρεξιν ἐχόντων παρακύψαι εἰς τὰ κατὰ τὸ τέλος πράγματα. (Cr 45, 32-46, 3 Ma 196f) 17 Εἰ ὁ πατὴρ κρίνει οὐδένα, ἀλλὰ πᾶσαν τὴν κρίσιν δέδωκε τῷ υἱῷ, τί δεῖ νοεῖν περὶ τοῦ προκειμένου; εἰ γὰρ ὁ πατήρ ἐστιν ὁ σημαινόμενος, πῶς κριτὴς οὗτος κρίνων κατὰ τὸ ἑκάστου ἔργον; εἰ δὲ ὁ υἱὸς κρίνει πᾶσαν τὴν κρίσιν λαβών, πῶς πατὴρ τυγχάνει; πρὸς ἃ λεκτέον· εἰ πατρὸς καὶ υἱοῦ μία θεότης, κρίνοντος τοῦ υἱοῦ ὁ πατὴρ ὁ κρίνων ἐστίν· ἀλλὰ καὶ ὁ υἱὸς δύναται πατὴρ εἶναι τῶν γεννητῶν γεννήσας αὐτοὺς μετουσίᾳ ἁγιότητος· πολλάκις γοῦν τεκνία τοὺς ἑαυτοῦ μαθητὰς ἐκάλεσε καὶ ἄλλοις εἶπε, τῷ μέν· “τέκνον, ἀφέωνταί σου αἱ ἁμαρτίαι”, τῇ δέ· “θύγατερ, ἡ πίστις σου σέσωκέ σε”. Καὶ ταῦτα διελέγχει τοὺς διακόπτοντας τὴν θεότητα. (Cr 46, 28-47, 7 Ma 197) 2 18 Λόγον ζῶντα θεοῦ καὶ μένοντα εἰς τὸν αἰῶνα τὸν εὐαγγελικόν φησι λόγον. (Ma 197) Τοῦ εὐαγγελίου λέγοντος· “ὁ οὐρανὸς καὶ ἡ γῆ παρελεύσεται, οἱ δὲ λόγοι μου οὐ μὴ παρέλθωσι”, φησὶν ὁ κύριος Ἰησοῦς Χριστός. (Cr 48, 23-25 Ma 197) 19 Ὥσπερ ὁ κύριος φῶς ὢν ἀληθινὸν εἰς κρίμα εἰς τὸν κόσμον ἐλήλυθεν, ἵνα ὀμματώσῃ τοὺς πρὸ τῆς παρουσίας αὐτοῦ τυφλούς, 20 τυφλώσῃ δὲ τοὺς κακῶς βλέποντας, οὕτω καὶ λίθος ἐκλεκτὸς ἔντιμος ὢν τιμὴν παρέχει τοῖς διὰ πίστεως οἰκοδομουμένοις αὐτῷ θεμέλιος αὐτῶν βέβαιος ἀποδειχθείς, τῶν ἀπειθούντων δὲ διὰ ἀπιστίας αὐτῷ οὐκ ἔντιμος, ἀλλὰ προσκόμματος λίθος καὶ σκανδάλου πέτρα νομιζόμενος προσχῶσι τοῖς ἐξουθενήσασιν αὐτὸν οἰκοδόμοις· οὗτοι δέ εἰσι γραμματεῖς καὶ Φαρισαῖοι. (Cr 52, 12-19) Τὸ δὲ “εἰς ὃ καὶ ἐτέθησάν” φησιν οὐχ ὡς εἰς αὐτὸ τοῦτο συνωθήσαντος αὐτοὺς τοῦ θεοῦ, ἀλλ' ἐκ τῆς μοχθηρᾶς ἑαυτῶν γνώμης καὶ τῆς φαύλης προαιρέσεως τοῦτο παθόντες. (Cr 53, 9 Ma 198)
Sarah as Mother of the Faithful§3
3According to the old law's arrangement, the royal and the priestly classes were different; after that arrangement, the gospel received one and the same priest and king teaching. For Christ is both; since these have been so built up, it is necessary for those sown by him, while both king and priest exist in him, to be an elect race becoming both a kingdom and a priesthood. For he who begot both possessing the principles of both, it is necessary that they also be as from a king, royal, and as from a priest, a priesthood; therefore they are also called a holy nation, being called from the one who is holy and calling to 'you shall be holy' (Ex 19:6). The same are a holy nation and also a people for the preservation of all having become outside of all destruction; for preservation is of those being taken in, not of those being cast out. Since those called from different nations and laws have cast off all variety in taking up one mind, one faith and teaching, through which soul and heart become one, they are one holy nation.
Those who through godliness are found worthy of being obeyed are appropriately loved by those who desire them humanly, but they are not being loved as truly loved. Since therefore I am in this disposition toward you, to whom I write the letter, I exhort and urge you to abstain from the pleasures growing from the flesh; for these wage war against the soul, having much hatred toward it, especially since the essence of the soul and the flesh are different.
Regarding human creation, it speaks of the principles being ordained by kings; therefore it is necessary to be subject to these through the Lord; but if through the Lord we are being made subject to the one saying: 'Render to Caesar the things of Caesar' (Mt 22:21), when they command something outside the will of the Lord, let us not obey.
It does not recommend having a passive fear toward masters by the servants—for this is irrational and exists even in irrational animals—but rather that which comes with knowledge and right reason; whose master's name is reverence. For the one fearing a master through Christ and his teaching submits to him with reverence, unlike the one fearing a master through wickedness and other tortures, having a passive fear.
He uses this to signify fear, and also says something else toward the women: 'watching'—that is, the men—'your conduct which is pure in fear'; for this is customary in much of the divine scripture.
Women are exhorted to imitate the holy ones, and especially Sarah, persuading them to subject themselves to their husbands just as she did to Abraham, of whom he says they become her children because of doing good works; for just as someone doing the works of Abraham and having his faith becomes his child, so women practicing good things have Sarah as a mother. But observe toward allegory how one becomes a child of Abraham and Sarah; according to the apostle, Abraham had two sons, one from the slave girl and one from the free woman; then, having led them into the two covenants, he says with something else that the latter became free according to the spirit, having spoken of the upper Jerusalem (Galatians 3:16). This agrees with: 'look to Abraham your father and to Sarah who was in labor for you' (Galatians 3:7); for it is not possible to refer these things to them; for how could she, who owed death by nature many generations ago, still be in labor at the time of the prophet? Therefore, these things should be applied to the mother of those born according to the spirit, the upper Jerusalem, whom he prepared the women to have as Sarah for a mother through good works.
'And sanctify the Lord God in your hearts.' Just as magnifying God does not imply adding greatness to Him, nor does glorifying Him imply bringing fame to Him from without, so neither does sanctifying the Lord mean adding holiness to Him; which is what we are commanded to do in our own heart. For if we were to hold a precise discussion of His holiness, we would not at all be adding to Him, but rather, by doing this in our heart, we add to our own understanding the holiness concerning God; likewise, he who magnifies Him receives a participation in His own greatness; whence it is said: 'my soul magnifies the Lord' (Luke 1:46) and: 'magnify the Lord with me' (Psalm 34:3); likewise, he who knows glory glorifies Him into himself; and these things do not seem paradoxical to one who knows accurately how God does not receive additions, but...
Greek · §3
21 Κατὰ τὴν παλαιὰν τοῦ νόμου διάταξιν ἄλλο ἦν τὸ βασιλικὸν καὶ ἄλλο ἦν τὸ ἱερατικὸν γένος· μετ' ἐκείνην τὴν διάταξιν διεδέξατο τὸ εὐαγγέλιον ἕνα καὶ τὸν αὐτὸν ἱερέα καὶ βασιλέα διδάσκον· Χριστὸς γὰρ ἀμφότερά ἐστι· τούτων οὕτως οἰκοδομηθέντων ἀναγκαῖον τοὺς σπαρέντας ὑπ' αὐτοῦ ἅμα βασιλέως καὶ ἱερέως ὑπάρχοντος ἐκλεκτὸν γένος εἶναι ἅμα βασίλειον καὶ ἱεράτευμα τυγχάνον· τοῦ γὰρ γεννήσαντος ἀμφοτέρας τὰς ἀρχὰς ἔχοντος ἀνάγκη καὶ αὐτοὺς ὡς ἐκ βασιλέως βασιλικὸν καὶ ὡς ἐξ ἱερέως ἱεράτευμα εἶναι· διὸ καὶ ἔθνος ἅγιον ὑπάρχουσι κληθέντες ἀπὸ τοῦ καλοῦντος ἁγίου ὄντος ἐπὶ τὸ “ἅγιοι ἔσεσθε”. Οἱ αὐτοὶ πρὸς τὸ ἅγιον ἔθνος ὑπάρχειν καὶ λαός εἰσιν εἰς περιποίησιν ἔξω πάσης ἀπωλείας γεγενημένοι· περιποίησις γὰρ τῶν προσλαμβανομένων, ἀλλ' οὐ τῶν ἐξοστρακιζομένων. Ἐπεὶ γὰρ οἱ ἀπὸ διαφόρων ἐθνῶν καὶ νομίμων 22 κληθέντες ἀποβεβλήκασι πᾶσαν ποικιλίαν ἐν τῷ ἀναλαβεῖν μίαν γνώμην μιᾷ πίστει καὶ διδασκαλίᾳ προσέχοντες, δι' ἣν ψυχὴ καὶ καρδία γίνεται μία, ἓν ἅγιον ἔθνος εἰσίν. (Cr 53, 16-32 Ma 199) 23 Οἱ διὰ θεοσέβειαν ἄξιοι τοῦ πείθεσθαι τυγχάνοντες εἰκότως ἀγαπητοὶ προσαγορεύονται τῶν διά τι ἀνθρώπινον ποθουμένων ἀγαπωμένων, ἀλλ' οὐκ ἀγαπητῶν ὄντων. Ἐπεὶ τοίνυν οὕτω διάκειμαι πρὸς ὑμᾶς, οἷς γράφω τὴν ἐπιστολήν, παρακαλῶ καὶ προτρέπομαι ἀπέχεσθαι τῶν ἐκ σαρκὸς φυομένων ἡδονῶν· στρατεύονται δὲ αὗται κατὰ τῆς ψυχῆς ἔχθραν πολλὴν πρὸς αὐτὴν ἔχουσαι, ἐπείπερ ἄλλη ἡ ψυχῆς καὶ ἄλλη ἡ σαρκὸς οὐσία. (Cr 54, 20-26) 24 Ἀνθρωπίνην κτίσιν τὰς ἀρχὰς λέγει τὰς χειροτονουμένας ὑπὸ τῶν βασιλέων· ταύταις οὖν δεῖ ὑποτάσσεσθαι διὰ τὸν κύριον· εἰ δὲ διὰ τὸν κύριον ὑποταττόμεθα τὸν εἰπόντα· 25 “ἀπόδοτε τὰ τοῦ Καίσαρος Καίσαρι”, ὅτε τι ἔξω τοῦ θελήματος τοῦ κυρίου προστάττουσιν, οὐχ ὑπακούσωμεν. (Cr 55, 1-5) 27 Οὐ τὸν παθητικὸν φόβον ἔχειν προστάττει πρὸς τοὺς δεσπότας τοῖς οἰκέταις–ἄλογος γὰρ οὗτος καὶ ἐν τοῖς ἀλόγοις ζώοις ὑφιστάμενος –, ἀλλὰ τὸν σὺν ἐπιστήμῃ καὶ ὀρθῷ λόγῳ γινόμενον· οὗ κύριον ὄνομα εὐλάβεια. Ὁ γὰρ διὰ Χριστὸν καὶ τὴν διδασκαλίαν αὐτοῦ φοβούμενος δεσπότην σὺν εὐλαβείᾳ αὐτῷ ὑποτάττεται τοῦ διὰ κακίαν καὶ ἄλλας βασάνους φοβουμένου δεσπότην τὸν παθητικὸν ἔχοντος φόβον· τούτῳ τῷ σημαινομένῳ κέχρηται καὶ μεθ' ἕτερα πρὸς τὰς γυναῖκας φήσας· “ἐποπτεύοντες”, τουτέστιν οἱ ἄνδρες, “τὴν ἐν φόβῳ ἁγνὴν ἀναστροφὴν ὑμῶν”· σύνηθες γὰρ τοῦτο πολλαχοῦ τῆς θείας γραφῆς. (Cr 56, 27-57, 5) 28 Προτρέπεται τὰς γυναῖκας μιμεῖσθαι τὰς ἁγίας καὶ μάλιστα τὴν Σάρραν πείθων αὐτὰς οὕτω τοῖς ἀνδράσιν ὑποτάσσεσθαι ὡς ἐκείνη τῷ Ἀβραάμ, ἧς καὶ τέκνα αὐτὰς γεγονέναι φησὶ διὰ τὸ ἀγαθοεργεῖν· ὥσπερ γὰρ ποιῶν τις τὰ ἔργα τοῦ Ἀβραὰμ καὶ ἔχων αὐτοῦ τὴν πίστιν τέκνον αὐτοῦ γίνεται, οὕτως αἱ ἀγαθὰ πράττουσαι πισταὶ 3 γυναῖκες μητέρα ἔχουσι τὴν Σάρραν. Πρὸς δὲ ἀλληγορίαν σκόπει, πῶς τις γίνεται τοῦ Ἀβραὰμ καὶ τῆς Σάρρας τέκνον· κατὰ τὸν ἀπόστολον 29 Ἀβραὰμ δύο υἱοὺς ἔσχεν, ἕνα ἐκ τῆς παιδίσκης καὶ ἕνα ἐκ τῆς ἐλευθέρας· εἶτα ἀγαγὼν αὐτὰς εἰς τὰς δύο διαθήκας μεθ' ἕτερά φησι κατὰ πνεῦμα γεγενῆσθαι ἐλευθέραν εἰπὼν τὴν ἄνω Ἱερουσαλήμ· συνᾴδει τοῦτο· “ἐμβλέψατε εἰς Ἀβραὰμ τὸν πατέρα ὑμῖν καὶ εἰς Σάρραν τὴν ὠδίνουσαν ὑμᾶς”· οὐ γὰρ δυνατὸν εἰς ἐκείνους ἀναφέρεσθαι ταῦτα· πῶς γὰρ ἔτι ὠδίνει τοὺς κατὰ τὸν καιρὸν τοῦ προφήτου ἡ πρὸ πολλῶν γενεῶν ὀφειλόμενον τῇ φύσει θάνατον ἀναδεξαμένη; ὅθεν ἐκληπτέον ταῦτα εἰς τὴν μητέρα τῶν κατὰ πνεῦμα γεννωμένων τὴν ἄνω Ἱερουσαλήμ· ἃς προετρέψατο γυναῖκας δι' ἀγαθοεργίας μητέρα ἔχειν τὴν Σάρραν. (Cr 59, 27-60, 11) “Κύριον δὲ τὸν θεὸν ἁγιάσατε ἐν ταῖς καρδίαις ὑμῶν.” Ὥσπερ τὸ μεγαλύνειν τὸν θεὸν οὐκ ἐπίδοσιν μεγέθους προσάγειν 30 αὐτῷ δηλοῖ, ἀλλ' οὐδὲ τὸ δοξάζειν εὔκλειαν ἔξωθεν φέρειν παρίστησιν, οὕτως οὐδὲ τὸ ἁγιάζειν τὸν κύριον προστιθέναι αὐτῷ ἁγιότητα σημαίνει· ὅπερ καὶ ἐν τῇ καρδίᾳ τῇ ἡμετέρᾳ τοῦτο ποιεῖν προσταττόμεθα· εἰ γὰρ τῆς ἁγιότητος αὐτοῦ ἀκριβῆ διάληψιν σχοίημεν, οὐ καθάπαξ αὐτὸν ἁγιάζομεν, ἀλλ' ἐν τῇ καρδίᾳ ἡμῶν προστιθεμένης ἐκ τούτου τοῦ ποιεῖν τῇ νοήσει ἡμῶν τῆς περὶ θεοῦ ἁγιότητος· ὡσαύτως καὶ ὁ μεγαλύνων αὐτὸν τοῦ μεγέθους αὐτοῦ μετοχὴν εἰς ἑαυτὸν δέχεται· ὅθεν εἴρηται· “μεγαλύνει ἡ ψυχή μου τὸν κύριον”· καὶ· “μεγαλύνατε τὸν κύριον σὺν ἐμοί”· ὡσαύτως τὸ τῆς δόξης εἰδὼς εἰς αὐτὸν δοξάζει ἑαυτόν· ταῦτα δὲ οὐ δοκεῖ παράδοξα εἶναι τῷ ἀκριβῶς ἐπισταμένῳ, ὡς ὁ θεὸς οὐ δέχεται, ἀλλὰ
The Coming Judgment and the Life of the Word§4
4He provides the good things (Cr 64, 17-30). It is necessary that we be prepared for the knowledge of faith in such a way that at all times we are able to answer easily the word concerning it, and in answering, to show gentleness and fear of God; for he who speaks about God should speak as if God were present (Cr 65, 10-14). For practice is then to be praised when it is accomplished with reasoning (Cr 65, 10-14).
For that which seems to be knowledge without understanding and examination brings reproach; 'for the discourses of the unwise are unsearchable' (Cr 65, 33-66, 3). When the time for receiving the beginning of God's judgment arrives, it begins from the greater toward the lesser, that is, from the faithful who complete the church of God (Cr 65, 33-66, 3); therefore it follows: if first the examination of those living occurs among us, the household of God, what should one think of the end for those who disobeyed the gospel of God? It instills much struggle and fear in the faithful, so that they may learn the Judge, to whom they have the word, with safety; he says that by rousing these, he exhorts the disobedient to the same fear, asserting that they shall unavoidably meet such punishments, the end of which is described as the disobedience they possessed (Cr 79, 5-22 Ma 204f).
He says he rouses these even more; if the righteous barely receives salvation, what should one think concerning the impious who are not raised to judgment by their own self-condemnation, and concerning the sinners who do not stand up among the righteous by design? For even the righteous, barely being saved, struggles concerning how the judgment against him was executed; for even if he perceived nothing trivial for himself, but rather knowing that he is not justified by this until the Judge justifies him, he struggles (Cr 79, 5-22 Ma 204f).
But he who is contained by God, yet in another way despises and transgresses His laws; if the same sinner and impious person were according to his underlying nature, he would have the difference in thought; but it is possible for the one sinning and being impious to be impious toward God through contempt (Cr 79, 22-28 Ma 205). Behold: 'the present heavens and earth are stored up by the same word' (2 Peter 3:7), which is like those things that happened during the flood; for he says: as through the ancient...
Just as the world then was destroyed, being overwhelmed by the flood, so the ungodly and sinners will be utterly destroyed when the elements of the heavens and the earth are dissolved into fire; that is, the similarity is that they will perish just as those who perished in the flood. For the Lord says, 'As it was in the days of Noah, they were eating, drinking, marrying, being given in marriage, until the day Noah entered the ark and the flood came and swept them all away, so will the coming of the Son of Man be' (Matt 24:37-39). Adding more to explain that it will be so, He says that the day of judgment will come stealing like a thief, in which the heavens will pass away swiftly and unexpectedly, the elements being removed by the approaching fire; after which the heavens having passed away in a rushing manner, there will be new heavens and a new earth, in which righteousness and the promises of God hold dominion.
Or does He say this because of the resurrection of Christ, since through Thomas it was made known to all the apostles that He, having risen, had this flesh, which they had fastened to the cross?
Each of the born things is said to be something, such as being an angel, being a sun or a heaven, but the Savior alone, being once eternal, attains it; all things come to participate in this for existence. Having first received this by hearing according to the introductory teaching, one comes to see Him scientifically after much training, which is the grasping of the Word of the life that is to come, saying: 'I am the life' (John 14:6). He will also speak thus: we have heard concerning the One existing from the beginning through the law and the prophets, how He will come; having come, we saw Him appearing to our eyes, not by chance, being joined to the flesh that was seen; for after much grasping of our part, searching the scriptures testifying about Him, we believed in the Word concerning life.
He says that we have seen the life existing in the Father revealed to us, so as to see it and hear about it appropriately; testifying by this revealed life, we announce to you also those things which follow, so that you may see Him and you may see. It is written that an announcement has come from Him, the Savior, to the...
Greek · §4
χορηγεῖ τὰ ἀγαθά. (Cr 64, 17-30) 31 ∆ιδύμου. ∆εῖ γὰρ οὕτως παρεσκευασμένους εἶναι πρὸς γνῶσιν τῆς πίστεως, ὡς ἐν παντὶ καιρῷ ἀπαιτουμένους ἡμᾶς τὸν περὶ αὐτῆς λόγον εὐχερῶς ἀποκρίνεσθαι, ἀποκρινομένους δὲ πραότητα ἐπιδείκνυσθαι καὶ φόβον θεοῦ· ὁ γὰρ τὸν περὶ τοῦ θεοῦ λόγον λαλῶν οὕτως ὀφείλει λαλεῖν ὡς παρόντος τοῦ θεοῦ. (Cr 65, 10-14) καὶ γὰρ ἡ πρᾶξις τότε ἐπαινετή ἐστιν, ὅταν σὺν λογισμῷ ἐπιτελῆται· 32 τὸ γὰρ ἄνευ συνέσεως καὶ ἐξετάσεως δοκεῖν τι εἰδέναι μέμψιν φέρει· “γνῶσις γὰρ ἀσυνέτων ἀδιεξέστατοι λόγοι”. (Cr 65, 33-66, 3) 33 Ἐνστάντος καιροῦ τοῦ λαβεῖν ἀρχὴν τὸ τοῦ θεοῦ κρίμα διαβαίνειν ἄρχεται ἐκ τῶν μειζόνων εἰς τοὺς ὑποδεεστέρους, τουτέστιν ἀπὸ τῶν πιστῶν καὶ συμπληρούντων τὴν τοῦ θεοῦ ἐκκλησίαν· διὸ καὶ ἐπιφέρει· εἰ πρῶτον ἀφ' ἡμῶν ὄντων θεοῦ οἴκου ἡ ἐξέτασις τῶν βεβιωμένων γίνεται, τί χρὴ νομίζειν τέλος τοῖς ἀπειθήσασι τῷ εὐαγγελίῳ τοῦ θεοῦ; ἀγῶνα καὶ φόβον πολὺν ἐμποιεῖ τοῖς πιστοῖς, ὅπως ἀσφαλῶς μάθωσι τὸν κριτήν, πρὸς ὃν ἔχουσι τὸν λόγον· τούτους διεγείρας εἰς τὸν αὐτοῦ φόβον προτρέπει τοὺς ἀπειθοῦντας τῇ θείᾳ διδασκαλίᾳ φάσκων ἄφευκτον ἀπαντήσεσθαι 34 τοῖς τοιούτοις κόλασιν, ἣν τέλος αὐτῶν ὠνόμασε περιγράφουσαν ἣν εἶχον ἀπείθειαν· τούτους διεγείρων ἔτι μᾶλλόν φησι· τοῦ δικαίου μόγις τὴν σωτηρίαν λαβόντος τί χρὴ νομίζειν περὶ τῶν ἀσεβῶν τῶν διὰ τὸ αὐτοκατάκριτον μὴ ἐγειρομένων εἰς κρίσιν καὶ περὶ τῶν ἁμαρτωλῶν τῶν ἐν βουλῇ δικαίων μὴ ἀνισταμένων; μόγις γὰρ τοῦ δικαίου σωζομένου ἀγωνιῶντος περὶ τοῦ πῶς τὸ κατ' αὐτὸν ἐξετέλεσε κρίμα· εἰ γὰρ καὶ μηδὲν φαῦλον ἑαυτῷ σύνοιδεν, ἀλλ' οὖν εἰδώς, ὅτι οὐκ ἐν τούτῳ δεδικαίωται, ἕως ὁ κριτὴς αὐτὸν δικαιώσει, ἀγωνιᾷ. (Cr 79, 5-22 Ma 204f) 35 δὲ ὁ περιεχόμενος μὲν θεοῦ, ἄλλως δὲ καταφρονῶν καὶ παραβαίνων αὐτοῦ τοὺς νόμους· εἰ δὲ καθ' ὑποκείμενον ὁ αὐτὸς ἁμαρτωλὸς καὶ ἀσεβὴς εἴη, τὴν διαφορὰν κατ' ἐπίνοιαν ἕξει· δυνατὸν δὲ τὸν ἁμαρτάνοντα εὐθέως καὶ ἀσεβῆ εἶναι τῷ διὰ καταφρονήσεως ἀσεβεῖν εἰς θεόν. (Cr 79, 22-28 Ma 205) 36 Τό· “οἱ νῦν οὐρανοὶ καὶ ἡ γῆ τῷ αὐτῷ λόγῳ τεθησαυρισμένοι εἰσὶν” ὁμοιοῦται τοῖς κατὰ τὸν κατακλυσμὸν συμβεβηκόσι· φησὶ γάρ· ὡς διὰ τῶν πάλαι 4 οὐρανῶν καὶ τῆς γῆς ἀπώλετο κατακλυσθεὶς ὁ τότε κόσμος, οὕτως ἀναστοιχειουμένων εἰς πῦρ τῶν οὐρανῶν καὶ τῆς γῆς οἱ ἀσεβεῖς καὶ ἁμαρτωλοὶ 37 ἄρδην ἀπολοῦνται· καὶ τουτέστι τὸ τῆς ὁμοιότητος τὸ ἅμα αὐτοὺς ἀπόλλυσθαι ὡσαύτως τοῖς ἐν τῷ κατακλυσμῷ ἀπολωλόσιν· “ὡς γὰρ ἐν ταῖς ἡμέραις Νῶε”, φησὶν ὁ κύριος, “ἤσθιον, ἔπινον, ἐγάμουν, ἐγαμίζοντο, ἄχρι ἧς ἡμέρας εἰσῆλθεν Νῶε εἰς τὴν κιβωτὸν καὶ ἦλθεν ὁ κατακλυσμὸς καὶ ἦρεν ἅπαντας, κατὰ ταῦτα ἔσται ἡ παρουσία τοῦ υἱοῦ τοῦ ἀνθρώπου.” Ἐπὶ πλεῖον δὲ συναγορεύων, ὅτι οὕτως ἔσται, φησὶν ἐλεύσεσθαι τὴν τῆς κρίσεως ἡμέραν λανθάνουσαν οἷα κλέπτης, ἐν ᾗ ὀξέως καὶ ἀνυπερθέτως οἱ οὐρανοὶ παρελεύσονται τῶν στοιχείων ἐκτηκομένων πρὸς τοῦ ἐπενεχθέντος πυρός· μεθ' οὓς οὐρανοὺς ῥοιζηδὸν παρεληλυθότας καὶ καινοὺς οὐρανοὺς καὶ καινὴν γῆν ἔσεσθαι, ἐν οἷς δικαιοσύνη καὶ τὰ ἐπαγγέλματα τοῦ θεοῦ τὴν οἴκησιν ἴσχει. (Cr 98, 11-28 Ma 210) 38 Ἢ διὰ τὴν ἀνάστασιν τοῦ Χριστοῦ τοῦτο λέγει, καθὸ διὰ τοῦ Θωμᾶ πᾶσιν ἐγνωρίσθη τοῖς ἀποστόλοις ταύτην ἀναστήσας τὴν σάρκα, ἣν προσήλωσαν τῷ σταυρῷ. (Cr 107, 16-18 Ma 213) Ἕκαστον τῶν γεννητῶν τι εἶναι λέγεται, οἷον εἶναι ἄγγελος, εἶναι ἥλιος ἢ οὐρανός, μόνος δὲ ὁ σωτὴρ καθάπαξ ὢν τυγχάνει· οὗ μετέχοντα τὰ πάντα εἰς ὕπαρξιν ἔρχεται. Τούτου ἀκρόασιν πρότερον κατὰ τὴν εἰσαγωγικὴν διδασκαλίαν δεξάμενός τις ἔρχεται εἰς τὸ ἰδεῖν αὐτὸν ἐπιστημονικῶς μετὰ πολλὴν γυμνασίαν, ἥτις ψηλάφησις περὶ τοῦ λόγου τῆς ζωῆς εἴρηται τῆς εἰπούσης, ὅτι· “ἐγώ εἰμι ἡ ζωή”. Λελέξεται καὶ οὕτως· περὶ τοῦ ἐν ἀρχῇ ὄντος ἀκηκόαμεν διὰ τοῦ 39 νόμου καὶ τῶν προφητῶν, ὡς ἐλεύσεται· τοῦτον ἐλθόντα ἐμφανῶς τοῖς ὀφθαλμοῖς ἡμῶν εἴδομεν οὐχ ὡς ἔτυχε συγκαταθέμενοι τῷ ὀφθέντι σαρκί· μετὰ πολλὴν γὰρ ἡμῶν ψηλάφησιν ἐρευνῶντες τὰς περὶ αὐτοῦ μαρτυρούσας γραφὰς ἐπιστεύσαμεν τῷ περὶ τῆς ζωῆς λόγῳ. (Cr 107, 1-13 Ma 213) 40 Τὴν οὖσαν ἐν τῷ πατρὶ ζωὴν φανερωθεῖσαν ἡμῖν ἑωράκαμέν φησι, καταλλήλως ἰδεῖν αὐτὴν καὶ ἀκούσαντες περὶ αὐτῆς· ταύτῃ τῇ φανερωθείσῃ ζωῇ μαρτυροῦντες ἀπαγγέλλομεν καὶ ὑμῖν ἐκεῖνα τὰ οἷς ἕπεται καὶ ἰδεῖν αὐτὴν καὶ ὑμᾶς. (Cr 107, 29-32 Ma 213) Ὑπ' αὐτοῦ τοῦ σωτῆρος ἀγγελίαν γεγονέναι γράφει τοῖς
Divine Wisdom and the Nature of Love§5
5The disciples show that, since God exists as light, there is no darkness in him. We offer this same message to you, so that you may have the same glory concerning God as existing light; for God is an intelligible, eternal light; for nothing sensible exists perpetually. Regarding this light, one must understand darkness as ignorance and a deficiency of control, since neither of the forms of darkness—neither ignorance nor evil—is in God; thus it is rightly said that there is no darkness in him.
If it is said anywhere, 'the darkness of his hiding,' darkness here refers to the obscurity found in incomprehensibility; and our ignorance may be that obscurity, but not the light of God being such.
To know in the Scripture does not always signify merely to have certain knowledge, but also to have experienced something and to be united to it, as in: 'not knowing sin' (1 John 3:8), and: 'I never knew you, workers of lawlessness' (Matthew 7:23); for he did not know sin as in not having certain knowledge of what sin is, but as in not having practiced it. Therefore, he who says he has known God must necessarily follow by being transformed by him and participating in him by keeping his commandments; thus he contradicts himself. The two meanings of knowing are made clear from the context; for he says, 'by this we know' (1 John 2:3), that is, we have certain knowledge, 'that we have known him' (1 John 2:3) by being united to him and keeping his commandments; for he who does not keep them is clearly found outside the knowledge of God.
Just as our Lord Jesus, being the fullness of wisdom and truth existing as God, is not deprived of not knowing sin or the workers of lawlessness, so also he is not deprived of not knowing the day of judgment. It is not diminished, not even, when it is said of God that he has forgetfulness, regret, or anger, for by that word those things are made clear, and by that word also concerning the unknown...
That the day might be released; for just as in the only wise God, who possesses the knowledge of all things, there exists no forgetfulness or regret or anything of that kind—as is said economically concerning Him—so also, since the ignorance of the wisdom and truth of God is not accepted, it is usefully stated that he is ignorant of the hour and the day of judgment. Truly, he speaks of a perfect love, from which the one contained by it cannot be separated from any of the evils or deceits.
Perhaps someone will say: how is it possible to understand the written commandment concerning love to be from the beginning and to have been heard by those to whom the epistle is written? For they were not Jews, as the end of the epistle demonstrates; for he says, 'Little children, keep yourselves from idols' (1 John 5:21). Therefore, is the commandment, existing from the beginning and heard by all men, a friendly disposition according to natural concepts? For all, being by nature diurnal and social animals, love their neighbors; whence the Savior, stirring up this natural disposition, says: 'Therefore, all that you wish that men would do to you, do likewise to them' (Matt 7:12).
So that no one might think the system of those in heaven and earth and those in them to be present here from the voice of the world, he interpreted what 'those in it' turns out to be, so that we too might accordingly receive it; for 'and those in it' signifies a passion and a material disposition indicated through the desire of the flesh, which wages war against the soul, and the lust of the eyes (1 John 2:16).
It is also possible from what has been set forth to derive a view concerning the visible world, which is no longer loved by those who have ascended to seeing not the temporal things, but the eternal things; and since those who prefer to love life in it handle the sensible things passively, it is appropriately stated that in it there is the arrogance of life, of the flesh, and the lust of the eyes.
Greek · §5
μαθηταῖς δηλοῦσαν, ὡς φῶς ὑπάρχων ὁ θεὸς οὐδεμίαν σκοτίαν ἔχει ἐν αὐτῷ· ταύτην ἀγγελίαν καὶ ὑμῖν προσφέρομεν, ἵνα τὴν αὐτὴν ἐν ὑμῖν περὶ θεοῦ δόξαν ὡς ὄντος φωτὸς ἔχητε· φῶς δέ ἐστιν ὁ θεὸς νοητὸν ἀΐδιον· οὐδὲν γὰρ αἰσθητὸν ἀεὶ ὑπάρχει· τούτῳ τῷ φωτὶ ἐναν 41 τίως νοητέον τὴν σκοτίαν ἄγνοιαν καὶ ἕξιν χειρίστην οὖσαν· ἐπεὶ οὖν οὐδέτερον τῶν εἰδῶν τῆς σκοτίας, οὔτε ἄγνοια οὔτε κακία, ἐν τῷ θεῷ ἐστιν, εἰκότως εἴρηται μηδεμίαν σκοτίαν ἐν αὐτῷ εἶναι. (Cr 109, 9–17 Ma 214) Εἰ δὲ εἴρηταί που· “σκότος ἀποκρυφὴν αὐτοῦ”, σκότος ἐν τούτοις λέγεται ἡ ἐν ἀκαταληψίᾳ ἀσάφεια· ἄγνοιαν δὲ ἡμῶν δυνατὸν εἶναι τὴν ἀσάφειαν, οὐ μὴν τοῦ θεοῦ φωτὸς ὄντος. (Cr 109, 17-19 Ma 214) 42 Τὸ γινώσκειν ἐν τῇ γραφῇ μάλιστα οὐκ ἀεὶ τὸ ἐπίστασθαι δηλοῖ, ἀλλὰ καὶ τὸ πεῖράν τινος ἐσχηκέναι 43 καὶ ἡνῶσθαι αὐτῷ, ὡς ἐν τῷ· “τὸν μὴ γνόντα ἁμαρτίαν”· καὶ τό· “οὐδέποτε ἔγνων ὑμᾶς, ἐργάται τῆς ἀνομίας”· ἁμαρτίαν γὰρ οὐκ ἔγνω οὐ τὸ μὴ ἐπίστασθαι, τί ἐστιν ἁμαρτία, ἀλλὰ τὸ μὴ ἐνεργηκέναι αὐτήν. (Cr 111, 15-18 Ma 216) Ὁ λέγων οὖν ἐγνωκέναι τὸν θεὸν τὸ ἀνακεκρᾶσθαι αὐτῷ καὶ μετέχειν αὐτοῦ ἑπόμενον ἀναγκαίως ἔχει τὸ τηρεῖν αὐτοῦ τὰς ἐντολάς· διὸ καὶ ἀντιστρέφει· ἑκάτερα τὰ σημαινόμενα τοῦ γινώσκειν φανε 44 ροῦται ἐκ τοῦ προκειμένου· φησὶ γάρ· “ἐν τούτῳ γινώσκομεν”, τουτέστιν ἐπιστάμεθα, “ὅτι ἐγνώκαμεν αὐτὸν” ἑνωθέντες αὐτῷ καὶ τηροῦντες αὐτοῦ τὰς ἐντολάς· ὁ γὰρ μὴ τηρῶν αὐτὰς φανερός ἐστιν ἔξω τῆς γνώσεως τοῦ θεοῦ τυγχάνων. (Cr 111, 20-27 Ma 216) Ὥσπερ οὖν οὐ γνοὺς ἁμαρτίαν ὁ κύριος ἡμῶν Ἰησοῦς οὐδὲ τοὺς ἐργάτας τῆς ἀνομίας οὐ στερεῖται 5 πληρότητος σοφία καὶ ἀλήθεια θεοῦ ὑπάρχων, οὕτως οὐ γνοὺς τὴν τῆς κρίσεως ἡμέραν. οὐκ ἐλαττοῦται, ἐπεὶ μηδέ, ὅταν περὶ θεοῦ λέγῃ ὡς λήθην καὶ μεταμέλειαν καὶ ὀργὴν ἔχοντος ἐλαττοῦται ἡ θεότης· ᾧ γὰρ λόγῳ ἐκεῖνα σαφηνίζεται, τούτῳ καὶ περὶ τοῦ ἀγνοεῖν τὴν ἡμέραν λυθείη· ὡς γὰρ μόνου σοφοῦ θεοῦ καὶ γνῶσιν ἔχοντος πάντων ἢ κατὰ πάθος λήθη ἢ μεταμέλεια ἤ τι τῶν τοιούτων οὐχ ὑπάρχει οἰκονομικῶς λεγόμενα περὶ 45 αὐτοῦ, οὕτως τῆς σοφίας καὶ ἀληθείας τοῦ θεοῦ οὐκ ἐπιδεχομένης ἄγνοιαν διά τι χρήσιμον εἴρηται, ὅτι τὴν ὥραν καὶ τὴν ἡμέραν τῆς κρίσεως ἀγνοεῖ. (Cr 111, 27-112, 3) Ἀληθῶς δὲ τελείαν ἀγάπην λέγει, ἀφ' ἧς οὐδὲν τῶν κακῶν ἢ ἀπατηλῶν χωρίσαι δύναται τὸν περιεχόμενον αὐτῆς. (Cr 112, 18-20) 46 Ἴσως τις ἐρεῖ, πῶς οἷόν τε νοεῖν ἐστι τὴν γραφομένην περὶ ἀγάπης ἐντολὴν ἀπ' ἀρχῆς εἶναι καὶ ἠκοῦσθαι τούτοις, οἷς ἡ ἐπιστολὴ γράφεται· οὐ γὰρ Ἰουδαῖοι ἦσαν, ὡς παρίστησι τῆς ἐπιστολῆς τὸ τέλος· “τεκνία”, γάρ φησι, “φυλάξασθε ἑαυτοὺς ἀπὸ τῶν εἰδώλων”. μήποτ' οὖν ἐντολὴ παλαιὰ καὶ ἀπ' ἀρχῆς ὑπάρχουσα καὶ ἀκουσθεῖσα πᾶσιν ἀνθρώποις ἐστὶν ἡ κατὰ τὰς φυσικὰς ἐννοίας φιλικὴ διάθεσις· πάντες γὰρ φύσει ἥμερα καὶ κοινωνικὰ ζῶα ὄντες ἀγαπῶσι τοὺς πλησίον· ὅθεν ὁ σωτὴρ τὴν φυσικὴν ταύτην διάθεσιν ἀνακινῶν λέγει· “πάντα οὖν, ὅσα θέλετε, ἵνα ποιῶσιν ὑμῖν οἱ ἄνθρωποι, καὶ ὑμεῖς ὁμοίως ποιεῖτε αὐτοῖς”. (Cr 112, 9-18 Ma 216f) 47 Ὅπως μὴ νομίσῃ τις τὸ σύστημα τὸ ἐξ οὐρανοῦ καὶ γῆς καὶ τῶν ἐν αὐτοῖς παρίστασθαι ἐνταῦθα ἐκ τῆς τοῦ κόσμου φωνῆς, ἡρμήνευσε, τίνα “τὰ ἐν αὐτῷ” τυγχάνει, ἵνα ἑπομένως καὶ αὐτοὶ ἐκλάβωμεν· ἔστι τοίνυν “καὶ τὰ ἐν αὐτῷ” ἐμπαθὴς καὶ ὑλικὴ διάθε 48 σις σημαινομένη δι' ἐπιθυμίας σαρκὸς τῆς στρατευομένης κατὰ τῆς ψυχῆς καὶ ὀφθαλμῶν ὄρεξις. (Cr 116, 11-16 Ma 218) ∆υνατὸν δὲ ἐκ τῶν προκειμένων ἐκδέξασθαι καὶ περὶ τοῦ ὁρατοῦ κόσμου οὐκέτι ἀγαπωμένου ὑπὸ τῶν ὑπεραναβάντων τῷ σκοπεῖν οὐκέτι τὰ πρόσκαιρα, ἀλλὰ τὰ αἰώνια· καὶ ἐπεὶ οἱ ἐν αὐτῷ τῷ φιλοζωεῖν προτιθέμενοι διατρίβειν παθητικῶς μεταχειρίζονται τὰ αἰσθητά, εἰκότως ἀλαζονεία βίου καὶ σαρκὸς καὶ ὀφθαλμῶν ἐπιθυμία εἴρηται εἶναι ἐν αὐτῷ·
The Seed of God and the Nature of Sin§6
6beyond the world
They say that his seed remains in him. What is the seed of God that remains in the faithful? Is it the outpouring of the Holy Spirit through which we were born again, which is not taken from us when, according to Paul, we grieve the Holy Spirit of God through shameful deeds, in whom we were sealed for the day of revelation (Eph 4:30).
For indeed, when saying that one possessing righteousness cannot do injustice, we do not declare a natural impossibility, by which we would say that an irrational animal cannot have knowledge or something similar. If everyone doing sin is from the devil, it is revealed from doing so that he is a child of the devil, just as Elymas the magician was known to be a son of the devil from being 'full of all deceit' (Acts 13:10); and since everyone born of God does not sin, because he has the seed of God in himself, finding one who does not sin thus is clearly to be a son of God.
I added to the one sinning in this way the qualification so that no one might be wise in saying that we set all who do not sin as children of God; for it is not necessary to say that infants, who do not sin, are children of God, because they are prevented from sinning by age rather than by virtue, so that we might not say something else claiming to speak correctly about infants, that they do not sin; for not sinning is not the same as not practicing sin. For the one is a matter of decision, while the other is a matter of disposition.
Since the one doing righteousness is born of God, it follows to him who is thus born to love the brothers; the one not having righteousness by not practicing it, and hating his brother, is not of God; not in any other way than by not having been born of Him. For one must not pay attention to those saying that these are not of God because of a corrupt nature, for he says that the wicked men are a world here.
For whatever way there were before the presence of Christ, in Judea, many prophets were finding themselves pretending to prophesy, as if prophecy were in need of investigative knowledge; some of those saying 'thus says the Lord' had the Holy Spirit and the Word of God, and some, being moved by an evil spirit, were false prophets; so also after the arrival of the apostles speaking in Christ and...
Greek · §6
ὧν πάντων ὁ ὑπερφρονῶν ὑπερκόσμιος ἔσται ποιῶν 49 τὰ θελήματα τοῦ θεοῦ τῷ μένειν ἀεὶ καὶ ἀγαπᾶν τὸν θεόν. (Cr 116, 16-23 Ma 218) Τοῦτό φησιν, ἐπειδὴ γεγονότες μαθηταὶ ἀπέστησαν μὲν τῆς ἀληθείας, ἰδίας δὲ ἐπινοίας βλασφημιῶν ἐξεῦρον. (Cr 118, 27-28) 50 Ὁ διειληφὼς ἐπιστημονικῶς περὶ θεοῦ ὡς ὄντος κατ' οὐσίαν δικαίου εὐθέως γνῶσιν ἕξει, ὡς γεννᾶται ἐκ τούτου ὁ τὴν δικαιοσύνην αὐτοῦ ποιῶν· ὥσπερ ὁ γνοὺς αὐτὸν ἁγιασμὸν ὄντα ἐπιδίδωσιν ἑαυτὸν τῷ ἁγιασθῆναι ἐπιστάμενος 51 ἀκριβῶς τό· “ἅγιοι ἔσεσθε, ὅτι ἐγὼ ἅγιός εἰμι”· εὖ δὲ καὶ τὸ φάναι “ποιῶν”, ἀλλ' οὐ ποιήσας ἢ ποιήσων δικαιοσύνην· δίκαιον παρίστησιν ἡ ἀρετὴ τὸν ἐνεργοῦντα πρακτικὴ οὖσα· οὐδεὶς οὖν πρὸ ποιήσεως αὐτῆς δίκαιός ἐστιν οὐδ' ὁ παυσάμενος τοῦ κατ' αὐτὴν ἐνεργεῖν. Ὅτι δὲ ὁ θεὸς δίκαιος, φησὶ Μωϋσῆς· “ὅσιος καὶ δίκαιος ὁ κύριος”· οὗτος πατὴρ τοῦ σωτῆρός ἐστι· “πάτερ δίκαιε, καὶ ὁ κόσμος σε οὐκ ἔγνω”· τούτου υἱὸς ὢν ὡς θεὸς ἐκ θεοῦ καὶ ἅγιος ἐξ ἁγίου, οὕτω καὶ δίκαιος ἐκ δικαίου ὑπάρχει· οὐ μάχεται τούτοις τὸ δικαιοσύνην αὐτὸν εἶναι λέγεσθαι· τὸ γὰρ κατ' οὐσίαν τοιοῦτον ῥηθείη δικαιοσύνη καὶ δίκαιος. (Cr 120, 30-121, 11 Ma 221) 52 νῦν τέκνα θεοῦ ἐσμεν τουτέστι κατὰ τὴν παροῦσαν ζωήν. (Ma 221) 57 Τοῦ Χρυσοστόμου. Ἐπείπερ πρὸ πάντων τραπεὶς ὁ διάβολος ἐν τῷ ἁμαρτάνειν γέγονεν, ἐξ αὐτοῦ χρηματίζει πᾶς ὁ ἁμαρτητικῶς ἐνεργῶν· προάρχεται γὰρ ἐν τῷ ἁμαρτάνοντι δι' ὑποβολὴν πονηρῶν λογισμῶν ὡς ἐπὶ τοῦ Ἰούδα. (Cr 123, 29-32 Ma 221) Ἀλλ' ἐρεῖ τις, ὅτι γίνεται ὁ διάβολος ἐν τοῖς ἁμαρτάνουσι τῶν πρὸ αὐτοῦ ἡμαρτηκότων ἐν τῷ διδόναι αὐτῷ τόπον· πρὸς ὃ λεκτέον ταὐτὸν εἶναι τὸ ποιεῖν τὴν ἁμαρτίαν τῷ ἁμαρτάνειν ἐν τῷ διδόναι τόπον τῷ διαβόλῳ· δίδωσι γὰρ 58 6 αὐτῷ τόπον ἐπιθυμίᾳ ὑπαχθεὶς μετὰ τὸ δέξασθαι αὐτὸν πρακτικῶς ἐπιτελῶν τὴν ἁμαρτίαν· τοῦτο γὰρ σημαίνει τὸ ποιεῖν αὐτήν· εὖ δὲ καὶ τὸ εἰπεῖν “ποιῶν”, ἀλλ' οὐ ποιήσας τοῦ μετανοήσαντος οὐκέτι ὄντος ἐκ τοῦ διαβόλου, ἀλλὰ μόνου τοῦ ἐνεργοῦντος αὐτὴν ἔτι· οὕτω γὰρ καὶ τῆς ἁμαρτίας δοῦλός ἐστιν ὁ ποιῶν, ἀλλ' οὐχ ὁ ποιήσας αὐτήν· “πᾶς γὰρ ὁ ποιῶν τὴν ἁμαρτίαν”, φησί, “δοῦλος αὐτῆς ἐστιν”. (Cr 123, 32-124, 10 Ma 222) 59 Σευήρου· καὶ τὴν αἰτίαν προστίθησι τοῦ μὴ δύνασθαι ἁμαρτάνειν λέγων, ὅτι σπέρμα αὐτοῦ ἐν αὐτῷ μένει· τί δέ ἐστι τὸ σπέρμα τοῦ θεοῦ τὸ μένον ἐπὶ τοὺς πιστούς; ἢ ἡ τοῦ ἁγίου πνεύματος ἐπιφοίτησις, δι' ἧς ἀνεγεννήθημεν, 60 ἥτις οὐκ ἀφίσταται ἡμῶν, ὅταν κατὰ Παῦλον μὴ λυπῶμεν διὰ τῶν αἰσχίστων πράξεων τὸ πνεῦμα τὸ ἅγιον τοῦ θεοῦ, ἐν ᾧ ἐσφραγίσθημεν εἰς ἡμέραν ἀποκαλύψεως. (Cr 124, 15-21 Ma 222) Καὶ γὰρ λέγοντες μὴ δύνασθαι ἀδικεῖν τὸν δικαιοσύνην ἔχοντα οὐκ ἀδυναμίαν φυσικὴν δηλοῦμεν, καθ' ἣν λέγομεν μὴ δύνασθαι τὸ ἄλογον ζῷον ἐπιστήμην ἢ ἕτερόν τι τοιοῦτον ἔχειν. (Cr 126, 25-28 Ma 222) Εἰ πᾶς ὁ ποιῶν τὴν ἁμαρτίαν ἐκ τοῦ διαβόλου ἐστίν, ἐκ τοῦ οὕτω πράττειν φανεροῦται ὢν τέκνον τοῦ διαβόλου, καθάπερ καὶ Ἐλύμας ὁ μάγος ἐκ τοῦ “πλήρης παντὸς δόλου” ἐγνώσθη υἱὸς διαβόλου· καὶ ἐπεὶ πᾶς ὁ γεγεννημένος ἐκ τοῦ θεοῦ ἁμαρτίαν οὐ ποιεῖ τῷ ἔχειν ἐν ἑαυτῷ θεοῦ σπέρμα, τὸν οὕτω μὴ ἁμαρτάνοντα εὑρεῖν ἐστι σαφῶς υἱὸν ὄντα θεοῦ· προσέθηκα δὲ τῷ ἁμαρτάνοντι οὕτως, ἵνα μήτις σοφίσηται λέγων τέκνα θεοῦ ἡμᾶς τίθεσθαι πάντας τοὺς μὴ ἁμαρτάνοντας· τὰ γὰρ βρέφη ἁμαρτίαν μὴ ποιοῦντα οὐ ῥητέον τέκνα θεοῦ εἶναι· ἐξ ἡλικίας γάρ, ἀλλ' οὐκ ἐξ ἀρετῆς κωλύονται τοῦ ἁμαρτάνειν, ἵνα μὴ ἕτερόν τι εἴπωμεν φάσκοντες μὴ 61 ὑγιῶς λέγεσθαι περὶ βρεφῶν, ὅτι ἁμαρτίαν οὐ ποιοῦσιν· οὐ ταὐτὸν γὰρ τὸ μὴ ἁμαρτάνειν τῷ μὴ ποιεῖν ἁμαρτίαν· τὸ μὲν γὰρ ἀπόφασις ἔοικε, τὸ δὲ ἐκ διαθέσεως ὑπάρχει. (Cr 126, 13-25 Ma 222) Ἐπεὶ ὁ ποιῶν τὴν δικαιοσύνην ἐκ τοῦ θεοῦ γεγέννηται, ἕπεται δὲ τῷ οὕτω γεννηθέντι ἀγαπᾶν τοὺς ἀδελφούς· ὁ μὴ ἔχων δικαιοσύνην τῷ μὴ ποιεῖν αὐτήν, μισῶν δὲ τὸν ἀδελφὸν αὐτοῦ, ἐκ τοῦ θεοῦ οὐκ ἔστιν· οὐ κατ' ἄλλον τρόπον ἢ τὸ μὴ γεγεννῆσθαι ἐξ αὐτοῦ· οὐ γὰρ προσεκτέον τοῖς λέγουσι μὴ εἶναι ἐκ θεοῦ τούτους διὰ χοϊκὴν φύσιν (Cr 127, 14-19) 62 Κόσμον γὰρ ἐνταῦθα τοὺς πονηροὺς ἀνθρώπους φησίν. (Cr 132, 13 Ma 225) 63 Ὅνπερ γὰρ τρόπον πρὸ τῆς Χριστοῦ παρουσίας ὄντων ἐν τῇ Ἰουδαίᾳ θεοῦ προφητῶν πολλοὶ ἐτύγχανον ὑποκρινόμενοι τὴν προφητείαν ὡς χρείαν εἶναι ἐπιστήμης ἐξεταστικῆς, τίνες τῶν λεγόντων “τάδε λέγει κύριος” πνεῦμα ἅγιον καὶ θεοῦ λόγον εἶχον καὶ τίνες ὑπὸ πονηροῦ πνεύματος κινούμενοι τοῦ ψευδοῦς ἦσαν προφῆται, οὕτω καὶ μετὰ τὴν ἐπιδημίαν τῶν ἀποστόλων ἐν Χριστῷ λαλούντων καὶ
True generation from God through faith and works§7
7Having received the Holy Spirit from the Lord, many false apostles were driven by the devil, pretending to teach the gospel. It is necessary to have that gift of the Holy Spirit, which is named the discernment of spirits, so that we may have knowledge to test the spirits, so as for one to believe and for the other to resist.
For there came some who were saying in a human fantasy that the Lord had descended from heaven, whose glories the Manichaeans confirmed. Having understood this: 'It is no longer I who live, but Christ lives in me' (Gal 2:20), through accepting Christ Jesus living in me, through carrying around the death of Jesus in the body (Gal 6:17); confessing that Jesus Christ has come in the flesh, not by his own alone, but also in mine.
He calls characteristic of the antichrist, of whom we have heard that he is coming, but is already in the world, the denying the incarnation of Jesus through false prophets and spirits in not confessing that he has come in the flesh; to say this is now truly to be heard; for many say it by tongue alone.
Just as a crime and arrogance brings to the one not taking up the excellent and not loving the lovable, so the writer makes praise for those loving the worthy of being loved to be beloved; but when can this happen, except when the Savior takes away the sin of the world (John 1:29), so that the man may be shown as what he has become by God according to likeness and having been shown an image of the Maker? For when the man is revealed, being immediately beloved and worthy of being loved, he becomes so; since therefore the Savior sent to the world, through love toward the works of the Father which are his own, came for the showing of the beauty of those who have become according to the image of God, those possessing this gift are beloved, whence they love one another; for each has both being the beloved and being the loving, having the commandment to love the neighbor.
If love is from God and God is love, who would be the one proceeding from him or the Word himself? If anyone therefore has love, he has Christ in himself; namely, he who said: 'God is love' (1 John 4:8), he again knew.
A love from God, which must be considered as nothing other than the Only-begotten, just as God is from God, so also is a love existing from love.
Those being born from God through uprightness according to virtue are these, and they are children of God and friends, just as Abraham was (Gen 15:6).
He who is born from God, having believed that Jesus is the Christ, is not born from God having a mere mental assent regarding the preaching of the Christ, but rather that faith which is joined to works according to virtue; which Abraham, having, was reckoned to have righteousness (Gen 15:6). According to this, the thing signified is to be accepted: 'to find a faithful man'; for such a one is rarely found, among many being eager but having a dead faith without works, which is not even at all faith. He who has believed thus, as to be born from God, has eternal life, as the Savior says: 'he who believes in me has eternal life' (John 3:36); if indeed someone is born from God by acting uprightly in the things said, being worthy of acceptance, he must love also him who begot him before that.
And the substance, and—so that I may phrase it this way—the matter which must have love toward God, he says is the keeping of the divine commandments; which things carry up to God the virtues acting through them; whence they are neither useless nor heavy.
If indeed anyone, coming to them, says they are heavy in a way other than what is required, he blamed his own weakness; for it is considered a friend to those who excessively cast off strength to think commandments heavy and everything light and trivial; whence he did not write: 'his commandments are light', but: 'they are not heavy' alone, and of one perceiving everything, having known through experience the just pursuing the just despite their uselessness, that the yoke of Christ is light, having much kindness (Matt 11:30). He who is thus disposed is born from God, and having obtained this, he despises the life of the entering world and the pleasant things of the world; and by this he conquers the world, having passed from it into a super-cosmic citizenship. This thus progressing in faith will work even toward righteousness reckoned as such; which he also shows as having been established and remaining, saying: 'this is the victory that has conquered the world' (1 John 5:4); which faith we have, having adhered to Jesus being the Son of God.
Greek · §7
πνεῦμα ἅγιον ἐχόντων, ὃ δέδωκεν ὁ κύριος, πολλοὶ ψευδαπόστολοι προεβλήθησαν ὑπὸ τοῦ διαβόλου ὑποκρινόμενοι τὴν εὐαγγελικὴν διδασκαλίαν· ἀναγκαῖον ἔχειν ἐκεῖνο τὸ χάρισμα τοῦ ἁγίου πνεύματος, ὃ ὠνόμασται διάκρισις πνευμάτων, ἵνα ἐπιστήμην ἔχωμεν δοκιμάζειν τὰ πνεύματα, ὥστε τῷ μὲν πιστεύειν, τῷ δὲ ἀνθίστασθαι. (Cr 129, 31 -130, 10 Ma 224) 66.10 Ἐγένοντο γάρ τινες, οἳ ἔλεγον 66 ἐν φαντασίᾳ ἀνθρώπου ἐξ οὐρανοῦ κατεληλυθέναι τὸν κύριον, ὧν ἐπεβεβαίωσαν τὰς δόξας οἱ Μανιχαῖοι. (Cr 130, 23-25 Ma 224) Ἐννοήσας τό· “ζῶ οὐκέτι ἐγώ, ζῇ δὲ ἐν ἐμοὶ Χριστὸς” διὰ τοῦ παραδέξασθαι Χριστὸν Ἰησοῦν ζῶντα ἐν ἐμοί, διὰ τοῦ τὴν νέκρωσιν τοῦ Ἰησοῦ ἐν τῷ σώματι περιφέρειν· ὁμολογῶν Ἰησοῦν Χριστὸν ἐν σαρκὶ ἐληλυθότα οὐκ ἐκείνῃ μόνῃ τῇ ἰδίᾳ αὐτοῦ, ἀλλὰ καὶ ἐν τῇ ἐμῇ. (Cr 131, 4-9 Ma 224f) 67 Χαρακτηριστικὸν λέγει τοῦ ἀντιχρίστου, οὗ ἀκηκόαμεν, ὅτι ἔρχεται, ἤδη δὲ ἐν τῷ κόσμῳ ἐστί, τὸ διὰ ψευδοπροφητῶν καὶ πνευμάτων λύειν τὸν Ἰησοῦν ἐν τῷ μὴ ὁμολογεῖν αὐτὸν ἐν 7 σαρκὶ ἐληλυθέναι· τοῦ λέγειν καὶ νῦν πραγματικῶς ἀκουστέον· πολλοὶ γὰρ γλώσσῃ μόνῃ λέγουσιν. (Cr 130, 10-15 Ma 224 u. 225) Ὥσπερ ἔγκλημα καὶ ψόγον φέρει τῷ μὴ αἱρουμένῳ τὸ αἱρετὸν καὶ μὴ φιλοῦντι τὸ φιλητόν, οὕτως 68 ἔπαινον περιποιεῖ ὁ γράφων τοῖς ἀγαπῶσι τοὺς ἀξίους τοῦ ἀγαπᾶσθαι τὸ εἶναι ἀγαπητούς· πότε δὲ τοῦτο ὑπαχθῆναι δυνατὸν ἢ ὅτε αἴρει ὁ σωτὴρ τὴν ἁμαρτίαν τοῦ κόσμου, ἵνα ἀναδειχθῇ ὁ ἄνθρωπος, οἷος ὑπὸ θεοῦ γέγονε καθ' ὁμοίωσιν καὶ εἰκόνα ἀποδειχθεὶς τοῦ πεποιηκότος; οὕτω γὰρ καὶ φανερωθεὶς ὁ ἄνθρωπος εὐθὺς ὢν ἀγαπητὸς καὶ ἄξιος τοῦ ἀγαπᾶσθαι τυγχάνει· ἐπεὶ τοίνυν ὁ ἀποσταλεὶς σωτὴρ τῷ κόσμῳ ἀγάπῃ τῇ πρὸς τὰ ἑαυτοῦ ποιήματα τοῦ πατρὸς ἦλθεν ἐπὶ ἀναδείξει τοῦ κάλλους τῶν κατ' εἰκόνα θεοῦ γεγονότων, οἱ ταύτης τῆς δωρεᾶς τυχόντες ἀγαπητοὶ ὑπάρχουσιν, ὅθεν ἀλλήλως ἀγαπῶσιν· ἔχει γὰρ ἕκαστος καὶ τὸ ἀγαπητὸς καὶ τὸ ἀγαπητικὸς εἶναι ἐντολὴν ἔχων τοῦ ἀγαπᾶν τὸν πλησίον. (Cr 132, 28133, 8 Ma 226) 69.10 Εἰ ἡ ἀγάπη ἐκ τοῦ θεοῦ ἐστι καὶ ὁ θεὸς ἀγάπη ἐστί, τίς ἂν εἴη ὁ ἐξ αὐτοῦ προερχόμενος ἢ αὐτὸς ὁ λόγος; ἐάν τις τοίνυν ἔχῃ τὴν ἀγάπην, Χριστὸν ἔχει ἐν ἑαυτῷ· ἤγουν ὁ εἰπών· “ὁ θεὸς ἀγάπη ἐστίν”, οὗτος πάλιν οἶδεν ἀγάπην ἐκ θεοῦ, ἥντινα οὐκ ἄλλην εἶναι νομιστέον ἢ τὸν μονογενῆ, ὥσπερ θεὸν ἐκ θεοῦ, οὕτως καὶ ἀγάπην ἐξ ἀγάπης ὄντα. (Cr 129, 26-31 Ma 225f) 73 Οἱ ἐκ θεοῦ γεννώμενοι ἐκ τοῦ κατορθοῦν κατ' ἀρετὴν τυγχάνουσιν οὗτοι καὶ τέκνα θεοῦ καὶ φίλοι καθάπερ καὶ Ἀβραάμ. (Cr 138, 18-19) Ἤδει τοῦτο ὁ γεννώμενος ἐκ τοῦ θεοῦ πιστεύσας, ὅτι Ἰησοῦς ἐστιν ὁ Χριστός, οὐ ψιλὴν συγκατάθεσιν ἔχων περὶ τῆς τοῦ Χρι 74 στοῦ διαλήψεως γεννᾶται ἐκ θεοῦ, ἀλλ' ἐκείνην τὴν πίστιν, ᾗ κατ' ἀρετὴν ἔργα συνέζευκται· ἣν καὶ ὁ Ἀβραὰμ ἔχων λελόγισται δικαιοσύνην ἔχειν· κατὰ τοῦτο τὸ σημαινόμενον ἐκδεκτέον τό· “ἄνδρα πιστὸν ἔργον εὑρεῖν”· σπάνιον γὰρ ὁ τοιοῦτος τὴν εὕρεσιν ἔχει πολλῶν ὄντων τῶν ἄνευ ἔργων σπουδαίων νεκρὰν πίστιν ἐχόντων, ἥτις οὐδὲ ὅλως πίστις ὑπάρχει· ὁ οὕτως πιστεύσας ὡς γεννηθῆναι ἐκ θεοῦ ἔχει ζωὴν αἰώνιον, ᾗ φησιν ὁ σωτήρ· “ὁ πιστεύων εἰς ἐμὲ ἔχει ζωὴν αἰώνιον”· εἰ δὴ γεννᾶταί τις ἐκ θεοῦ κατορθῶν τὰ εἰρημένα, ἀποδοχῆς ἄξιον ὄντα ἀγαπᾶν δεῖ καὶ πρὸ αὐτοῦ τὸν γεννήσαντα αὐτόν. (Cr 138, 22-33 Ma 228) 75 Τὴν ὑπόστασιν καί, ἵν' οὕτω φράσω, ὕλην ἧς ἔχειν δεῖ πρὸς τὸν θεὸν ἀγάπης, τὴν τήρησιν τῶν θείων ἐντολῶν εἶναί φησιν· αἵτινες ἀναφέρουσι πρὸς τὸν θεὸν τὸν κατ' αὐτὰς ἐνεργοῦντα· ὅθεν οὐ κατωφερεῖς οὐδὲ βαρεῖαι τυγχάνουσιν. (Cr 139, 3-6 Ma 228) Εἰ δέ τις προσελθὼν αὐταῖς μὴ ὃν δεῖ τρόπον λέγοι αὐτὰς βαρείας, τὴν ἑαυτοῦ ἀσθένειαν ᾐτιάσατο· φίλον γὰρ τοῖς ἄγαν ἀποβάλλουσιν ἰσχὺν βαρέα νομίζεσθαι καὶ τὰ πάνυ ἐλαφρὰ καὶ κοῦφα· ὅθεν οὐκ ἔγραψεν· “αἱ ἐντολαὶ αὐτοῦ ἐλαφραί”, ἀλλά· “βαρεῖαι οὐκ εἰσὶ” μόνου καὶ παντὸς ἀντιλαμβανομένου τοῦ ἀνωφεροῦς αὐτῶν τοῦ δικαίως τὸ δίκαιον διώκοντος πείρᾳ γνόντος, ὅτι ὁ Χριστοῦ ζυγὸς ἐλαφρός ἐστι χρηστότητα πολλὴν ἔχων· ὁ οὕτω διατεθεὶς ἐκ τοῦ θεοῦ γεννᾶται καὶ τούτου τυχὼν καταφρονεῖ τῆς ἐνύλου ζωῆς καὶ τῶν τοῦ κόσμου 76 ἡδέων· καὶ ταύτῃ νικᾷ τὸν κόσμον μεταβὰς ἀπ' αὐτοῦ εἰς ὑπερκόσμιον πολιτείαν· ὑπάρξει τὸ οὕτως προκόψαι τῇ πίστει ἐνεργεῖ καὶ εἰς δικαιοσύνην λελογισμένῃ· ἣν καὶ δεικνὺς ὡς ὑφεστηκυῖαν καὶ μένουσαν εἶπεν· “αὕτη· γάρ ἐστιν ἡ νίκη ἡ νικήσασα τὸν κόσμον”· ἣν ἔχομεν πίστιν οἱ προσηκάμενοι τὸν Ἰησοῦν εἶναι τὸν υἱὸν τοῦ θεοῦ.
The World's Hatred and the Mind of Christ§8
8Those who have learned by practice how each of the diligent in good things succeeds become hopeful of enduring these things again and at other times; for even the holy apostles and the blessed John, by whose works they knew that they had often asked God as a friend and desired one, are courageous that, asking in this way every time, they will obtain what they desire from the leaning God.
From these things it will be shown how the things sought by some are true; 'the one asking receives' (Luke 11:9) does not mean that all people, asking haphazardly, receive the same things that do not benefit them, but rather those containing the request according to the will of God. Such boldness approaches one living a life beyond understanding; but such a person is rare; 'for who shall boast of having a pure heart?' (Jeremiah 17:10); for few are those existing thus in virtue, as it is said: 'if I had seen injustice in my heart, Lord, do not listen to me; because of this, he listened to me' (Psalm 139:23-24), since he did not see injustice; but he desisted from fear that he might be judged according to the one saying: 'I do not know myself; but not in this am I justified' (1 Corinthians 4:4); he takes up what is set forth and also: 'if our heart does not condemn us, we have boldness toward God' (1 John 3:21).
For if being from God comes from doing righteousness, as we have often said, but it is impossible to sin and practice righteousness at the same time, it is therefore evident that one thus disposed and acting is just and does not sin; then, securing the position that man is a choosing being and not a son of God by nature, he appropriately added: 'but he guards himself, and the evil one does not touch him' (Luke 10:18); for if because of this the evil one does not touch him, that he guards himself, he has the not-sinning not from construction, but from attentiveness; and if someone is guarding himself, what does he pray to God for? That he might remain entirely unswayed by the evil one.
Having learned through many those bad men who are made manifest by the voice of the world, we do not stand in awe like the heretics, lest the creation of God, being a world, be established in the evil one; the voice of the world lies upon men, as has been said, and here also in the gospels; it writes...
For John says, “Do not marvel if the world hates you”; it is clear to everyone possessing understanding that the world hates the holy, meaning the wicked men. And he adds, “They are of the world and the world hears them”; for the world that hears those speaking deceitfully signifies not the creation, but the people moved by passions.
He gave a mind, by which the true one, having come as the Son of God, is known; this is the same as to say, “But we have the mind of Christ.” He who possesses this very mind and this very intellect knows the one who is true according to essence and is united to him, truly having his understanding.
How then, having testified to this perfection through the whole epistle, does he now exhort them to keep themselves from idols? We say therefore: since it was written to the whole church, and it was likely in such a gathering to be now standing apart from idolatry, for their sake he engraved the word.
What is set forth agrees with what was said in the first epistle, having it thus: “And we know that he who loves God keeps the commandments”; and the Lord: “If anyone loves me, he will keep my commandments.” Walking according to the commandments is the same as keeping them; for the virtues practiced according to the commandments are a walking, for he who does not remain outside of them walks according to them; and in this, keeping them is the same. Therefore, he who has ceased to act according to virtue no longer keeps the commandments nor walks according to them. For he who progresses according to virtue walks according to the commandments, showing progress, and he who has been perfected after having walked according to the commandments keeps them. With this, what was said enigmatically agrees, how Adam was placed in Paradise to work and to keep, him showing progress through his working, and the keeping signifying permanence in perfection.
He remains in the evangelical teaching, he who thinks and acts according to it, but he who acts and glorifies contrary to it departs from it. Then, since through the practical and the theoretical, God the Creator of all things becomes known as it was with Abraham...
Greek · §8
(Cr 139, 6-20 Ma 228f) Οἱ πείρᾳ τεχνικῇ μαθόντες, πῶς ἐστιν ἕκαστα κατορθοῦν τῶν σπουδαζομένων καλῶν, εὐέλπιδες γίνονται πρὸς τὸ καὶ ἄλλοτε ταῦτα ἀνύσαι· ἐπεὶ οὖν καὶ οἱ ἱεροὶ ἀπόστολοι καὶ ὁ μακάριος Ἰωάννης οὗ 77 τος αὐτοῖς ἔργοις ἔγνωσαν, ὡς πολλάκις αἰτησάμενοι θεὸν τὸ αὐτοῖς φίλον καὶ θελητὸν ἐσχήκασι, θαρροῦσιν, ὅτι ἑκάστοτε οὕτως αἰτούμενοι τεύξονται τῶν ποθουμένων ἐπινεύοντος τοῦ θεοῦ. (Cr 141, 33-142, 6) Ἐκ τούτων δειχθήσεται τὰ ζητούμενα ὑπό τινων, πῶς 8 ἀληθὲς εἴη· “ὁ αἰτῶν λαμβάνει” τῆς καθόλου προτάσεως οὐ πάντας ἁπαξαπλῶς τοὺς καὶ τὰ αὐτὰ μὴ συμφέροντα αἰτουμένους, ἀλλὰ τοὺς κατὰ τὸ θέλημα τοῦ θεοῦ περιεχούσης· ἐγγίνεται ἡ τοιαύτη παρρησία τῷ ἀκατάγνωστον βίον ἔχοντι· σπάνιος δὲ ὁ τοιοῦτος· “τίς γὰρ καυχήσεται ἁγνὴν ἔχειν τὴν καρδίαν;” ὀλίγοι γὰρ οἱ οὕτως ἐν ἀρετῇ ὄντες ὡς εἰπεῖν· “ἀδικίαν εἰ ἐθεώρουν ἐν καρδίᾳ μου, μὴ εἰσακουσάτω μου κύριος· διὰ τοῦτο εἰσήκουσέ μου”, ἐπειδὴ ἀδικίαν οὐκ ἐθεώρουν· ἀπεσιώπησε δὲ αὐτὸ φόβῳ τοῦ μὴ περὶ αὐτοῦ νομισθῆναι κατὰ τὸν εἰπόντα· “οὐδὲν ἐμαυτῷ σύνοιδα· ἀλλ' οὐκ ἐν τούτῳ 78 δεδικαίωμαι”· λέψῃ εἰς τὰ προκείμενα καὶ τό· “ἐὰν ἡ καρδία ἡμῶν μὴ καταγινώσκῃ ἡμῶν, παρρησίαν ἔχομεν πρὸς τὸν θεόν”. (Cr 142, 617) Εἰ γὰρ ἐκ τοῦ ποιεῖν δικαιοσύνην ἔχει τὸ ἐκ θεοῦ εἶναι, ὡς πολλάκις εἰρήκαμεν, ἅμα δὲ τὸ ἁμαρτάνειν καὶ ποιεῖν δικαιοσύνην ἀδύνατον, φανερὸν ἄρα, ὅτι οὕτω διακείμενος καὶ ἐνεργῶν δίκαιός ἐστι καὶ οὐχ ἁμαρτάνει· εἶτα ἀσφαλιζόμενος, ὡς προαιρετικὸς καὶ οὐ φύσει υἱός ἐστι θεοῦ ὁ ἄνθρωπος, ἁρμοδίως ἐπήγαγε τό· “ἀλλὰ τηρεῖ ἑαυτὸν καὶ ὁ πονηρὸς οὐχ ἅπτεται αὐτοῦ”· εἰ γὰρ διὰ τοῦτο ὁ πονηρὸς οὐχ ἅπτεται αὐτοῦ, ὅτι τηρεῖ ἑαυτόν, οὐκ ἐκ κατασκευῆς, ἀλλ' ἐκ προσοχῆς ἔχει τὸ μὴ ἁμαρτάνειν· τηρῶν δέ τις ἑαυτὸν τί καὶ εὔχεται θεόθεν φυλαχθῆναι; ἵνα 79 ἄψαυστος πάντη μείνῃ ἀπὸ τοῦ πονηροῦ. (Cr 143, 26-144, 2 Ma 231) ∆ιὰ πολλῶν μαθόντες τοὺς φαύλους ἀνθρώπους δηλουμένους τῇ κόσμου φωνῇ οὐ δεισιδαιμονοῦμεν κατὰ τοὺς αἱρετικούς, μή πως ἡ τοῦ θεοῦ κτίσις κόσμος οὖσα ἐν τῷ πονηρῷ ἵδρυται· ἡ κόσμος φωνὴ ἐπὶ τῶν ἀνθρώπων κεῖται, ὡς προεῖπον, καὶ ἐνταῦθα καὶ ἐν εὐαγγελίοις· γράφει γὰρ ὁ Ἰωάννης· “μὴ θαυμάζητε, εἰ μισεῖ ὑμᾶς ὁ κόσμος”· φανερός ἐστι παντὶ νοῦν ἔχοντι κόσμον μισοῦντα τοὺς ἁγίους τοὺς πονηροὺς ἀνθρώπους σημαίνων· καὶ προσέτι· “αὐτοὶ ἐκ τοῦ 80 κόσμου εἰσὶ καὶ ὁ κόσμος αὐτῶν ἀκούει”· ἀκούοντα γὰρ κόσμον τῶν ἀπατηλῶς λαλούντων οὐ τὴν κτίσιν, ἀλλὰ τοὺς ἐμπαθεῖς ἀνθρώπους σημαίνει. (Cr 144, 13-22 Ma 231) 81 Ἣν δέδωκε διάνοιαν, καθ' ἣν γινώσκεται ὁ ἀληθινὸς ἐλθὼν υἱὸς τοῦ θεοῦ ἡ αὐτή ἐστι τῷ· “ἡμεῖς δὲ νοῦν Χριστοῦ ἔχομεν”· ὁ ταύτην τὴν διάνοιαν καὶ τοῦτον τὸν νοῦν ἔχων γινώσκει τὸν κατ' οὐσίαν ἀληθινὸν καὶ ἔστιν ἐν αὐτῷ 82 ἑνούμενος πρὸς αὐτὸν πραγματικῶς νόησιν αὐτοῦ ἔχων. (Cr 144. 29-145, 1) Πῶς δὲ δι' ὅλης τῆς ἐπιστολῆς τελειότητα μαρτυρήσας τούτοις, οἷς γράφει, νῦν προτρέπει ἑαυτοὺς τηρεῖν ἀπὸ τῶν εἰδώλων; λέγομεν οὖν· ἐπεὶ ὅλῃ ἐκκλησίᾳ ἐγράφη, 83 εἰκὸς δὲ ἦν ἐν τοιαύτῃ συνόδῳ ἄρτι ἀφισταμένους τῆς εἰδωλολατρείας εἶναι, ἐκείνων οὖν ἕνεκα τὴν λέξιν ἐχάραξεν. (Cr 145, 1-6 Ma 232) Συμφωνεῖ τὸ προκείμενον τῷ λεχθέντι ἐν τῇ ˉα ἐπιστολῇ οὕτως ἔχοντι· “καὶ οἴδαμεν, ὅτι ὁ ἀγα 84 πῶν τὸν θεὸν τὰς ἐντολὰς τηρεῖ”· καὶ ὁ κύριος· “ἐάν τις ἀγαπᾷ με, τὰς ἐντολάς μου τηρήσει”· ταὐτὸν τὸ περιπατεῖν κατὰ τὰς ἐντολὰς τῷ τηρεῖν αὐτάς· ἐπεὶ γὰρ πρακτικαὶ αἱ ἀρεταὶ αἱ κατὰ τὰς ἐντολὰς ἐνεργούμεναι, περιπατεῖ κατ' αὐτὰς ὁ μὴ ἔξω αὐτῶν γενόμενος· ἐν τούτῳ δὲ ταὐτὸν τὸ τηρεῖσθαι αὐτάς· ὅθεν ὁ παυσάμενος τοῦ κατ' ἀρετὴν ἐνεργεῖν οὐδὲ τηρεῖ ἔτι τὰς ἐντολὰς οὔτε περιπατεῖ ἔτι κατ' αὐτάς· ὁ γὰρ κατ' ἀρετὴν προκόπτων κατὰ τὰς ἐντολὰς βαδίζει τοῦ περιπατεῖν προκοπὴν δηλοῦντος, τοῦ τελειωθέντος μετὰ τὸ περιπεπατηκέναι κατὰ τὰς ἐντολὰς τηροῦντος αὐτάς· τούτῳ συνᾴδει τὸ μετ' αἰνιγμοῦ λεχθέν, ὡς ὁ Ἀδὰμ τέθειται ἐν τῷ παραδείσῳ ἐργάζεσθαι καὶ φυλάττειν αὐτὸν τοῦ ἐργάζεσθαι τὴν κατ' ἐνέργειαν δηλοῦντος προκοπήν, τοῦ δὲ φυλάττειν τὴν ἐν τῇ τελειώσει παραμονήν. (Cr 147, 21- 33 Ma 232f) 85 Μένει ἐν τῇ εὐαγγελικῇ διδασκαλίᾳ ὁ κατ' αὐτὴν φρονῶν καὶ πράττων, ἀπάγει δὲ ἑαυτὸν ἀπ' αὐτῆς ὁ ἐναντίως αὐτῆς ἐνεργῶν καὶ δοξάζων· εἶτα ἐπεὶ διὰ πρακτικοῦ καὶ θεωρητικοῦ γίνεταί τινος ὁ θεὸς ὁ τῶν ὅλων κτίστης ὡς τοῦ Ἀβραὰμ 9
The Possession of Father and Son§9
9Having said to him, 'I am your God', he who is outside the right faith and the keeping of Christ's commandments is an atheist, having excluded himself from having God; and since he is an atheist by having led himself away from divine instruction in the said manner, he who remains in it has a father and a son. For in the one keeping his word, the Son said he would come together with the Father upon the remaining, having been built as a holy temple from the keeping of the divine commandments. And since having God is twofold, the one part being common to all creatures, signifying the same as having a Creator, and the other part remaining for only those healing him through moral excellence, as it is signified: 'God is to Abraham and Isaac and Jacob' (Exodus 6:3) and altogether to the Hebrews. Believe also those things which shall be said thus: 'he who has the Son', he says, 'also has the Father' and again, as to be persuaded of the divinity of the consubstantiality from this: since the Father is in the Son, he who has the Son has also the Father; but again and conversely: he who has the Father has also the Son existing in the Father.
If anyone wishes to object, saying: 'and he who has disciples has the Son, and he who has the Son has the Father' according to: 'he who receives you receives me, and he who receives me receives him who sent me' (Matthew 10:40), it is not the way to object; for these things are said concerning instruction. Since he who received the apostles agreed with their instruction, he received through them a Father and Son teaching; and differently: since also he who remains in the teaching has the Father and the Son, and the apostles remained in the teaching as also to preach it, he who received them being a temple of God through him who receives them, has the Son and Father in them.
Greek · §9
εἰπὼν αὐτῷ· “ἐγὼ θεὸς σός”, ὁ ἔξω τῆς ὀρθῆς πίστεως καὶ τῆς τηρήσεως τῶν Χριστοῦ ἐντολῶν ἄθεός ἐστιν ἑαυτὸν ἀποσχοινίσας τοῦ ἔχειν θεόν, ἀθέου δὲ ὄντος τοῦ ἀπαγαγόντος ἑαυτὸν τῆς θείας παιδεύσεως τῷ εἰρημένῳ τρόπῳ· ὁ μένων ἐν αὐτῇ πατέρα καὶ υἱὸν ἔχει· ἐν τῷ γὰρ τηροῦντι τὸν λόγον αὐτοῦ εἶπεν ὁ υἱὸς ἐλεύσεσθαι ἅμα τῷ πατρὶ ἐπὶ τῷ μεῖναι παρ' αὐτῷ γενομένῳ ἁγίῳ ναῷ οἰκοδομηθέντι ἐκ τηρήσεως τῶν θείων ἐντολῶν· διττοῦ ὄντος τοῦ ἔχειν θεὸν τὸ μὲν ἕτερον κοινὸν πάντων τῶν κτισμάτων ταὐτὸν σημαῖνον τῷ ἔχειν κτίστην, τὸ δὲ ἕτερον λοιπὸν μόνων τῶν διὰ καλοκαγαθίας θεραπευόντων αὐτόν, καθὸ σημαινόμενον θεὸς Ἀβραὰμ καὶ Ἰσαὰκ καὶ Ἰακὼβ καὶ συνόλως τῶν Ἑβραίων εἴρηται· ἐπίστησον καὶ τοῖς οὕτω λεχθησομένοις· “ὁ ἔχων τὸν υἱόν”, φησί, “καὶ τὸν 86 πατέρα ἔχει” καὶ ἔμπαλιν, ὡς πείθεσθαι ἐκ τούτου τῆς θεότητος τὸ ὁμοούσιον· ἐπεὶ γὰρ ὁ πατὴρ ἐν υἱῷ, ὁ ἔχων τὸν υἱὸν ἔχει καὶ τὸν πατέρα· ἀλλὰ καὶ πάλιν καὶ ἀντιστρέφει· ὁ ἔχων τὸν πατέρα ἔχει καὶ τὸν υἱὸν ὄντα ἐν τῷ πατρί· εἴ τις ἐνίστασθαι βουλόμενος λέγοι· καὶ ὁ τοὺς μαθητὰς ἔχων ἔχει τὸν υἱὸν καὶ ὁ τὸν υἱὸν τὸν πατέρα κατὰ τό· “ὁ δεχόμενος ὑμᾶς ἐμὲ δέχεται καὶ ὁ ἐμὲ δεχόμενος δέχεται τὸν ἀποστείλαντά με” οὐχ ὃν δεῖ τρόπον ἐνιστάμενος· περὶ γὰρ διδασκαλίας εἴρηται ταῦτα· ἐπείπερ ὁ δεξάμενος τοὺς ἀποστόλους συγκαταθέσει τῇ πρὸς τὴν διδασκαλίαν αὐτῶν ἐδέξατο δι' αὐτῶν υἱὸν καὶ πατέρα διδάσκοντας· καὶ ἑτέρως· ἐπεὶ καὶ ὁ μένων ἐν τῇ διδαχῇ ἔχει τὸν πατέρα καὶ τὸν υἱόν, ἔμενον δὲ οἱ ἀπόστολοι ἐν τῇ διδαχῇ ὡς καὶ κηρύττειν αὐτήν, ὁ δεξάμενος αὐτοὺς ὄντας ναὸν θεοῦ δι' αὐτοῦ τοῦ δέχεσθαι αὐτοὺς ἔχει τὸν ἐν αὐτοῖς υἱὸν καὶ πατέρα. (Cr 150, 14-151, 9) 87 Μηδεμιᾶς κοινωνίας οὔσης φωτὶ πρὸς σκότος ἢ συμφωνίας Χριστοῦ πρὸς
Unit 3 rem early§10
10maker of good both practically and theoretically
Greek · §10
Βελίαρ ὁ ἀγαθοποιῶν πρακτικῶς καὶ θεωρητικῶς θεὸν τὸν Χριστὸν ἔχων ὑπάρχοντα φῶς ἀληθινὸν πόρρω τοῦ σκότους καὶ τοῦ Βελίαρ ἐστίν· ἀλλὰ καὶ ἐπεὶ ἐναντίον τῷ ἀγαθοποιεῖν τὸ ποιεῖν τὸ κακόν, ὁ κακοποιὸς δι' αὐτοῦ τοῦ οὕτως ἐνεργεῖν ἐκ τοῦ Βελίαρ καὶ τοῦ σκότους ὢν οὐχ ἑώρακε τὸν θεὸν οὐδὲ κατὰ πόσον γνῶσιν αὐτοῦ ἔχων· “πᾶς γὰρ ὁ ἁμαρτάνων οὐχ ἑώρακε τὸν θεὸν οὐδὲ ἔγνωκεν αὐτόν”· ἐπεὶ δὲ τὸ ὁρᾶν σῶμα ἢ μὴ ὁρᾶν τῷ χρᾶσθαι ὄψει καὶ μὴ χρᾶσθαι γνωρίζεται ὁρωμένου τοῦ αἰσθητοῦ καὶ τῷ κακοποιοῦντι, ἐὰν ὄψιν ἔχῃ, μὴ βλεπομένου δὲ τῷ στερουμένῳ ὄψεως, κἂν ἀγαθοποιὸς ᾖ, ἀναντιρρήτως οἷς ἅμα δείκνυται, εἴγε ἀγαθοποιοῦντι διὰ τὸ καθαρὰν καρδίαν ἔχειν δρᾶται, κἂν ὄψεως 88 λείπηται, οὐχ ὁρώμενος τῷ κακοποιοῦντι, κἂν ὀξυωπέστατος ᾖ. Παρίσταται τὰ ἐναντία εἶναι καὶ διὰ τοῦτο ἀσυνύπαρκτα, τὸ ἀγαθοποιεῖν φημι καὶ κακοποιεῖν, καὶ ἐκ τοῦ· “ἔκκλινον ἀπὸ κακοῦ καὶ ποίησον ἀγαθὸν” καὶ τῶν παραπλησίως γεγραμμένων. (Cr 151, 20-152, 3 Ma 233f) Τῇ θείᾳ διδασκαλίᾳ κολακείᾳ σὺν γοητείᾳ χρησάμενοί τινες ἀσεβεῖς ἄνθρωποι παρεισέδυσαν διὰ τοῦ ὑποκρίνεσθαι αὐτὴν προγεγραμμένοι τουτέστι προεγνωσμένοι εἰς τοῦτο τὸ κρίμα, ὃ παρ' ἑαυτοῖς ἐκρίθησαν παραδοθέντες ἀδοκίμῳ νῷ· οὗτοι δι' ὑπερβάλλουσαν ἀσέβειαν ἀκόλαστοί τινες ὄντες τὴν τοῦ 89 κυρίου ἡμῶν Ἰησοῦ Χριστοῦ χάριν εἰς ἀσέλγειαν μετέθηκαν καὶ δι' αὐτοῦ τοῦ λαγνεύειν ἀρνούμενοι τὸν μόνον δεσπότην Ἰησοῦν Χριστὸν κύριον τῶν κληθέντων διὰ τοῦ εὐαγγελίου· εἶτα ἵνα ἀποστρέψῃ τοὺς πιστοὺς τῶν τοιούτων πονηρῶν καὶ ἀσεβῶν, δείκνυσιν, ὡς οἷόν
The Rejection of the Master§11
11The greatness of the one whom they denied is shown by the fact that he is the one who brought the people out of Egypt, intending salvation for them; but since some of them were turncoats and repetitive, still carrying the harm they had in Egypt, he destroyed those who were unfaithful in the wilderness, even though they had been saved from Egypt through faith. Therefore, let these not be the hypocrites of divine teaching who lead the Nicolaitan heresy, inciting no kind of immorality.
For it is shameful, and very shameful, to perform such things under the pretext of mystery, both those from Simon the Magician and those from Marcion, Valentinus, and the Sethians. And since they perform shameful things under the pretext of religion, he said the grace of the Lord was given to them to turn them toward debauchery, through which debauchery and its works they deny the only Master and Lord of us, Jesus Christ.
It has been said regarding him before this, that this only Master and Lord Jesus Christ is true God, the one who brought the people out of Egypt through Moses; it follows that there is no other god than Moses; for indeed there is no other besides the Trinity; so Moses appears to serve him according to: 'He wrote about me' (John 5:39) and: 'Whom Moses wrote, we have found, Jesus' (John 5:46). Therefore, having spiritually foreseen that the cross possesses the greatest wealth, he considered the reproach of Christ as nothing other than the one saying: 'Let me boast in the...'
Greek · §11
τέ ἐστι τὸ μέγεθος οὗ ἠρνήσαντο δεσπότου, δηλώσας, ὅτι αὐτός ἐστιν ὁ ἐξαγαγὼν τὸν λαὸν ἐξ Αἰγύπτου, ὡς καὶ σωτηρίαν αὐτοῖς ὀρέξαι· ἀλλ' ἐπεὶ τρεπτοὶ καὶ παλίμβολοι ἐτύγχανόν τινες αὐτῶν φέροντες ἔτι ἣν ἔσχον ἐν Αἰγύπτῳ βλάβην, ἀπώλεσεν αὐτοὺς ἀπιστήσαντας ἐν τῇ ἐρήμῳ καίτοι σωθέντας διὰ πίστεως ἐξ Αἰγύπτου· μήποτε οὖν οὗτοί εἰσιν οἱ τῆς θείας διδασκαλίας ὑποκριταὶ οἱ προιστάμενοι τῆς αἱρέσεως τῶν Νικολαϊτῶν οὐδὲν εἶδος ἀκολασίας παρορώντων. (Cr 157, 12-28 Ma 235) 10 90 Αἰσχρὰ γὰρ καὶ λίαν αἰσχρὰ ἐπιτελοῦσι δῆθεν μυστικῶς καὶ οἱ ἀπὸ Σίμωνος τοῦ μάγου· πρὸς τούτοις καὶ οἱ ἀπὸ Μαρκίωνος καὶ Οὐαλεντίνου καὶ Σηθιανοί. (Cr 157, 28-31 Ma 235) Καὶ ἐπεὶ προφάσει θρησκείας πράττουσι τὰ αἰσχρά, εἰς ἀσέλγειαν μετατιθέναι αὐτοὺς εἶπε τὴν χάριν τοῦ κυρίου, δι' ἧς ἀσελγείας καὶ τῶν ἔργων αὐτῆς ἀρνοῦνται τὸν μόνον δεσπότην καὶ κύριον ἡμῶν Ἰησοῦν Χριστόν. (Cr 157, 31158, 3 Ma 235) Εἴρηται γοῦν πρὸ τούτων περὶ αὐτοῦ, ὡς εἴη ἀληθινὸς θεὸς οὗτος ὁ μόνος δεσπότης καὶ κύριος Ἰησοῦς Χριστὸς ὁ ἀναγαγὼν τὸν λαὸν ἐξ Αἰγύπτου διὰ Μωσέως· ἕπεται μὴ ἕτερον εἶναι θεὸν τὸν Μωσέως· οὐδὲ γάρ ἐστιν ἄλλος παρὰ τὴν 91 τριάδα· ὅθεν αὐτῷ διακονῶν φαίνεται Μωσῆς κατὰ τό· “ἐκεῖνος περὶ ἐμοῦ ἔγραψε”· καὶ τό· “ὃν ἔγραψε Μωσῆς, εὑρήκαμεν Ἰησοῦν”· διὸ καὶ προθεωρήσας πνευματικῶς τὸν σταυρὸν μέγιστον πλοῦτον ἔχειν ἡγήσατο τὸν ὀνειδισμὸν τοῦ Χριστοῦ οὐχ ἑτέρως τοῦ λέγοντος· “ἐμοὶ εἴη καυχᾶσθαι ἐν τῷ
The Deception of False Teachers§12
12By the cross of the Lord Jesus. He says that 'written beforehand' is used instead of 'foreknown' for this judgment. That is, foreknown, just as the things concerning Judas were also written beforehand.
Therefore, he called clouds, therefore, without water, because the one who draws water does not have the word of the Spirit with souls who love God, which becomes to them a spring of water leaping into eternal life. He says this because the righteous again, while making themselves shady with olives and even with fruitful vines, went astray; so he says, as if some are unfruitful and autumnal, that is, both leaf-less and fruit-less.
Having killed the soul by dissolute living and impietytyty, and by wicked doctrines; or thus: because they died by impiety before faith, then having approached the gospel they lived, but again having surrendered themselves to impiety and pleasure, they have died; in this way he says they have died twice.
Even if imitating their leader Satan, who disguises himself as an angel of light, they themselves wish to be disguised as teachers of truth, concerning whom it was said: 'in whom you appear as lights in the world, possessing the word of life'; but rather they are deceiving, perverting the truth with dissoluteness and slanders, and later with error and gloom and darkness, which is the outer darkness, they shall be punished, which is prepared for Satan and his angels.
Greek · §12
σταυρῷ τοῦ κυρίου Ἰησοῦ”. (Cr 158, 4-13) Τὸ μὲν οὖν προγεγραμμένοι εἰς τοῦτο τὸ κρίμα φησὶ ἀντὶ τοῦ προεγνωσμένοι. (Ma 235) Τουτέστι προεγνωσμένοι, ὥσπερ ἀμέλει καὶ τὰ κατὰ τὸν Ἰούδαν προεγράφη. (Cr 154, 23f) 95 Νεφέλας οὖν ἀνύδρους ἐκάλεσε διὰ τὸ μὴ ἔχειν τὸν ἀρδεύοντα ταῖς φιλοθέοις ψυχαῖς τοῦ πνεύματος λόγον τὸν γινόμενον αὐταῖς πηγὴν ὕδατος ἁλλομένου εἰς ζωὴν αἰώνιον. (Ma 242) Τοῦτό φησι, ἐπειδὴ πάλιν οἱ δίκαιοι προσποιούμενοι ἐλαίαις ἑαυτοὺς εὐσκίοις καὶ μὴν καὶ ἀμπέλοις καρποφόροις παρέβαλον· λέγει οὖν, ὡς ἄκαρποί τινές εἰσι καὶ φθινοπωρινοί, τουτέστι καὶ φύλλων καὶ καρπῶν ἔρημοι. (Cr 166, 20-24Ma 242) Βίῳ ἀσελγεῖ καὶ ἀσεβείᾳ θανατώσαντες τὴν ψυχὴν καὶ δόγμασι πονηροῖς· ἢ οὕτως· ἐπειδὴ πρὸ τῆς πίστεως ἐτεθνήκεσαν ἀσεβείᾳ, εἶτα προσελθόντες τῷ εὐαγγελίῳ ἔζησαν, πάλιν δὲ ἀσεβείᾳ καὶ ἡδονῇ ἐκδόντες ἑαυτοὺς τεθνήκασι· ταύτῃ τοι τεθνηκέναι δὶς αὐτούς φησι. (̣Cr 166, 29-167, 2 Ma 242f) 96.10 Εἰ καὶ μιμούμενοι τὸν ἑαυτῶν ἀρχηγὸν Σατανᾶν κατασχηματιζόμενον εἰς ἄγγελον φωτὸς καὶ αὐτοὶ μετασχηματίζεσθαι θέλουσιν εἰς διδασκάλους ἀληθείας, περὶ ὧν εἴρηται· “ἐν οἷς φαίνεσθε ὡς φωστῆρες ἐν κόσμῳ λόγον ζωῆς ἐπέχοντες”· ἀλλ' οὖν πλανῶντές εἰσι παραχαράττοντες τὴν ἀλήθειαν ἀσελγείαις δυσφημιῶν καὶ ὕστερον γνόφῳ καὶ ζόφῳ καὶ σκότῳ, ὅπερ ἐστὶ τὸ σκότος ἐξώτερον, κολασθήσονται, ὅπερ ἡτοίμασται τῷ Σατανᾷ καὶ τοῖς ἀγγέλοις αὐτοῦ. (Cr 167, 18-25 Ma 242) 11