The Essence of Sin and the Will
Good. Since sin itself, that is the devil, is sin by nature and essence, he says so that sin might become a sinner in excess through the commandment. For that which is by essence does not receive more or less; for it is what it is, always being so in essence. For that which is becoming or being added to, whether a little or in excess, is different in essence from those things being added to it; for 'how much' is not essence, but is about essence, not being essence.
Therefore, the sin called by the apostle, which is receiving more, is to sin so that sin might become a sinner in excess. Thus also the being of sin, in which it is sin, took its beginning, not being in excess in the beginning, according to the sin having sinned as a sinner. Therefore also, regarding the opportunity for becoming a sinner in excess in the time allotted, he signifies this by saying: that sin might become a sinner in excess through the commandment.
But if they were to say: 'And how could it be good and just? How is the commandment and the law holy, when through their occasion sin became a sinner in excess?' To these, let them hear: that not, if something is being harmed, is the occasion through which it is harmed already bad and evil; for just as not because those staring at the sun unceasingly and without measure harm their eyes, we say the sun itself is evil; nor because the devil has become a sinner in excess through waging war against the Son of God, do we say the Son of God is bad and evil.
'I know that good does not dwell in me,' (Rom 7:18) that is, in my flesh. Now this is explained in the person of Adam. And that, having been deprived of having God within himself, having exchanged true life for death—for death was not the only common thing of its members, but also the disobedience invading his soul; for above all, death ruled before the arrival of Christ, having disobedience as the law and scepter of its own kingdom. But the kingdom of death is not without a ruler or unbegotten; for to die happens from the living, and to disobey happens from the obedience of subjects.
For the willing is possible for me, but the doing of the good is not; for what I want as good, this I do not do, but what I hate, this I practice (Rom 7:21). If the willing alone is in us, but the doing of that which is willed as good is not in us, then the good God sent his consubstantial souls into bodies in vain; for they do not practice what is friendly to him and to them, they do not work it, but only will it; and perhaps not even that, for it is unclear. But if this is true, I will say according to the impious: then the good was not, nor will it be, in life, nor did anyone ever work it, if they take as a refutation of the good and the beautiful against every man, that 'what I want as good, this I do not do, but what I hate, this I do.'
Greek
ἀγαθή. Ἐπεὶ οὖν οὐδ' αὐτὴ ἡ ἁμαρτία, τοῦτ' ἔστιν ὁ διάβολος, φύσει καὶ οὐσίᾳ ἁμαρτία ἐστίν, ἐπιφέρει λέγων· ἵνα γένηται καθ' ὑπερ 4 βολὴν ἁμαρτωλὸς ἡ ἁμαρτία διὰ τῆς ἐντολῆς. τὸ γὰρ κατ' οὐσίαν τὶ ὂν τὸ πλέον καὶ τὸ ἔλαττον οὐκ ἐπιδέξεται· ἔστιν γὰρ ὅπερ ἐστίν, ἀεὶ τοῦτο ὂν ὅπερ ἐστὶν οὐσιωδῶς. τῷ γὰρ γινομένῳ καὶ ἐπιγινομένῳ τι, εἴτε ὀλίγον εἴτε καθ' ὑπερβολήν, ἕτερός ἐστι κατ' οὐσίαν τῶν αὐτῷ ἐπιγινομένων· τὸ γὰρ πόσον οὐκ οὐσία ἀλλὰ περὶ τὴν οὐσίαν ἐστίν, οὐκ ὂν οὐσία. ἡ ἄρα τοίνυν καλουμένη ὑπὸ τοῦ ἀποστόλου ἁμαρτία τὸ πλέον ἐπιδεχομένη ἁμαρτήσειν, ἵνα γένηται καθ' ὑπερβολὴν ἁμαρτωλὸς ἡ ἁμαρτία. ἄρα καὶ τοῦ εἶναι ἁμαρτία, ᾗ ἁμαρτία ἐστίν, ἀρχὴν ἔλαβεν, οὐκ οὖσα καθ' ὑπερβολὴν ἐν ἀρχῇ κατὰ τὸ ἡμαρτηκέναι ἁμαρτωλὸς ἡ ἁμαρτία. διὸ δὴ καὶ τὴν ἐπίτασιν τοῦ γενέσθαι καθ' ὑπερβολὴν ἁμαρτωλὸν ἐσομένῳ χρόνῳ σημαίνει οὕτω λέγων· ἵνα γένηται καθ' ὑπερβολὴν ἁμαρτωλὸς ἡ ἁμαρτία διὰ τῆς ἐντολῆς. εἰ δὲ λέγοιεν· καὶ πῶς ἂν εἴη ἀγαθὴ καὶ δικαία; πῶς δὲ ἁγία ἡ ἐντολὴ καὶ ὁ νόμος, ὁπότε διὰ τῆς ἀφορμῆς αὐτῶν 2 ἁμαρτωλὸς καθ' ὑπερβολὴν ἐγένετο ἁμαρτωλὸς ἡ ἁμαρτία; πρὸς ταῦτα ἀκουέτωσαν ὅτι οὐκ, εἴ τι καταβλάπτεται, ἤδη καὶ ἡ ἀφορμὴ δι' ἣν βλάπτεται φαύλη ἐστὶ καὶ πονηρά· οὐδὲ γὰρ ὅτι οἱ ἀνόδως καὶ ἀμέτρως ἐνατενίζοντες τῷ ἡλίῳ βλάπτονται τὰς ὄψεις, ἤδη καὶ τὸν ἥλιόν φαμεν πονηρόν· οὐδ' ὅτι καθ' ὑπερβολὴν ὁ διάβολος ἁμαρτωλὸς γέγονε τῷ ἐπικεχειρηκέναι κατὰ τοῦ υἱοῦ τοῦ θεοῦ, ἤδη καὶ τὸν υἱὸν τοῦ θεοῦ φαῦλον καὶ πονηρὸν εἶναι λέγομεν. Οἶδα δὲ ὅτι οὐκ οἰκεῖ ἐν ἐμοί, τοῦτ' ἔστιν ἐν τῇ σαρκί μου, ἀγαθόν. νῦν εἰς τὸ τοῦ Ἀδὰμ πρόσωπον ἐξηγεῖται. καὶ ὅτι στερηθεὶς τὸν θεὸν ἔχειν ἐν ἑαυτῷ, ἀντὶ τῆς ὄντως ζωῆς θάνατον καταλλαξάμενος–καὶ γὰρ θάνατος οὐχ ὁ κοινὸς μόνος τῶν μελῶν αὐτοῦ ἐκράτησεν, ἀλλὰ καὶ ὁ τῆς παρακοῆς κατὰ τῆς ψυχῆς αὐτοῦ εἰσβαλών· μάλιστα γὰρ ὁ κρατῶν θάνατος πρὸ τῆς τοῦ Χριστοῦ ἐπιδημίας ἐβασίλευσε, κατὰ πάντων νόμον καὶ σκῆπτρον τῆς ἑαυτοῦ βασιλείας ἔχων τὴν παρακοήν. ἀλλ' οὐκ ἄναρχος ἢ ἀγέννητος ἡ τοῦ θανάτου βασιλεία· ἐκ γὰρ τῶν ζώντων τὸ τεθνάναι συμβαίνει, καὶ ἐκ τῆς τῶν ὑπηκόων ὑπακοῆς τὸ παρακοῦσαί τινα. τὸ γὰρ θέλειν παράκειταί μοι, τὸ δὲ κατεργάζεσθαι τὸ καλὸν οὔ· ὃ γὰρ θέλω ἀγαθὸν τοῦτο οὐ ποιῶ, ἀλλ' ὃ μισῶ τοῦτο πράσσω. εἰ τὸ θέλειν μόνον ἐν ἡμῖν ἔστιν, τὸ δὲ κατεργάζεσθαι τὸ θεληθὲν καλὸν οὐκ ἔστιν ἐν ἡμῖν, εἰς μάτην ὁ ἀγαθὸς θεὸς τὰς ὁμοουσίας ἑαυτοῦ ψυχὰς ἐν τοῖς σώμασι κατέπεμψεν· τὸ γὰρ αὐτῷ καὶ αὐταῖς φίλον οὐ πράττουσιν, οὐκ ἐνεργοῦσιν, ἀλλὰ μόνον θέλουσιν· τάχα δὲ οὐδ' αὐτό, ἄδηλον γάρ. εἰ δὲ τοῦτο ἀληθές ἐστιν, κατὰ τοὺς ἀσεβεῖς ἐρῶ· ἄρα οὐκ ἦν οὐδ' ἔσται ἐν βίῳ τὸ καλόν, οὔτε τίς ποτ' αὐτὸ ἐνήργησεν, εἴγε κατ' ἀναίρεσιν τοῦ καλοῦ καὶ ἀγαθοῦ ἐπὶ παντὸς ἀνθρώπου ἐκλαμβάνωσιν, ὅτι ὃ θέλω ἀγαθόν, τοῦτο οὐ ποιῶ, ἀλλ' ὃ μισῶ τοῦτο
About this text
Didymus the Blind on Romans: how God justifies sinners, and what grace demands back.
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.