Adoption and the Divine Decree
He speaks of men, and wine shall mourn and the vine shall mourn; he speaks of the standing ones as vinedressers. Even so now he speaks of the creation, the powers standing over it, as unspiritual matter and as created things themselves, just as the adornment of a man and the smile of teeth and the step of a foot announce things concerning him.
Regarding the inferior nature being enslaved to the evil one and being plotted against by him, many times according to the forbearance of God, so that famines and plagues and diseases and wars and other corruptions are prepared by him; for it is also likely that the evil one has a place among those living ungodly, as if to trample upon his own, and he harms the elements concerning them through their own sins. When these things happen, the powers placed upon the order of creation groan and suffer birth-pangs and await the freedom of man, by which even the creation shall be set free from the authority of the devil (Rom 8:21). Therefore, this which happens to the rational powers, he has set aside for unspiritual matter, as we say now: the house is in an uproar, the city is indignant, the land is enraged, with the rulers and the patrol-men of the governed and patrolling places often signaling.
And by another account, the creation expects to be set free from the slavery of corruption, since, having heard the arrangement of the devil, it is worshipped by his fellow-slaves; for they revered and worshipped the creation instead of the Creator. Thus, enjoying the honor of the master's false hearing, the happening bears down heavily and it suffers and is grieved toward the vain worship of these men and desires the deliverance of these.
He says, however, that she neither willingly nor by her own impulse submitted to the devil from the beginning, but she submitted through the forbearance of God, and she submitted in hope of what is to come. In what hope? This one: that even the creation itself shall be set free. And when shall she be set free? Into the time of the freedom of the righteous; therefore, it is fitting that the expectation of creation awaits the revelation of the children of God. He says, not only does creation groan and suffer birth-pangs, awaiting freedom through the Spirit (Rom 8:22-23), but also we, although we have already received the firstfruits of the Spirit and have been tested by its goodness, even if we do not yet have the perfection of the...
We have received a promise, which is the adoption through the redemption of the body. Even in these things, the word does not deny the power of its own accord; for first it said that God foreknows, then that he predestines (Rom 8:29–30). And foreknowledge is clearly not a necessity of the impulse or the intention of those being lived. It would be clearer if we opened up what was said here, starting from the last things toward the first.
Whom then did God glorify here? Those whom he justified. And whom did he predestine? Those whom he foreknew, those being called according to purpose, that is, those being worthy to be called and to be conformed to Christ through their own purpose. He brings forward the great proof of the love of God, having shown through his deeds that all things work together for our good through the love of God toward us, namely, those whom he found to be called according to purpose, which he demonstrated in not sparing the only-begotten (Rom 8:31–32); for what, if even death did not overpower the Savior, since even upon the Lord he cast down his soul and received it again? But nevertheless it must be observed that Christ subjected himself to sufferings for the sake of humans, fulfilling both his own and the will of the Father. Therefore, since God is managing all things for our sake, who will hinder? Who is so strong as to obstruct the gifts of God toward us? For it is fitting that he who did not spare the Son for our sake will manage all other things for our sake and will add grace to the good things.
He is certainly persuaded by the oath provided, the word; for having said beforehand that there is nothing that will be able to separate him from the love of Christ, he brings forward that it is defeated only by his kinship (Rom 9:1–5). He says, therefore, that for the sake of the Jews he would have gladly offered both body and soul, so that those from whom they have fallen might again recall the same things, having believed into Christ. For what of the good things belonged not to the Jews, in whom now the Gentiles glory? The adoption, the glory, the covenants, the promises, the service, the God-beloved fathers, and the greatest: of which Christ is the one according to the flesh. From them, he says, is Christ; but he is God not only of them, but is God commonly upon all. From all these things the Jews have fallen, but so that they might recover these things, he says, he would have gladly become a curse for them from Christ. And the curse is the...
Greek
ἀνθρώπους λέγει, καὶ πενθήσει οἶνος καὶ πενθήσει ἄμπελος τοὺς ἐφεστηκότας λέγει γεωργούς, οὕτω καὶ νῦν τὴν κτίσιν λέγει τὰς δυνάμεις τὰς ἐφεστηκυίας ταῖς ἀψύχοις ὕλαις καὶ αὐτὰς κτιστὰς οὔσας, ὥσπερ στολισμὸς ἀνδρὸς καὶ γέλως ὀδόντων καὶ βῆμα ποδὸς ἀναγγελεῖ τὰ περὶ αὐτοῦ. Rom 8,–21 Τῆς ὑλώδους φύσεως δεδουλωμένης τῷ πονηρῷ καὶ ἐπιβουλευομένης ὑπ' αὐτοῦ πολλάκις κατὰ συγχώρησιν θεοῦ, ὥστε καὶ λιμοὺς καὶ λοιμοὺς καὶ νόσους καὶ πολέμους καὶ ἄλλας φθορὰς ὑπ' αὐτοῦ κατασκευάζεσθαι· καὶ γὰρ εἰκὸς τῶν ἐνοικούντων ἀσεβῶς διαγόντων ἔχειν χώραν τὸν πονηρόν, ὡς ἰδίων κατεπιβαίνειν, καὶ ἐπὶ τῇ αὐτῶν κακώσει τὰ περὶ αὐτοὺς στοιχεῖα κακοῦν. ὧν γενομένων αἱ ταγεῖσαι ἐπὶ τῇ εὐταξίᾳ τῆς κτίσεως δυνάμεις στενάζουσι καὶ ὠδίνουσι καὶ τὴν ἐλευθερίαν τοῦ ἀνθρώπου ἀναμένουσιν, ᾧ καὶ ἡ κτίσις συνελευθερωθεῖσα τῆς τοῦ διαβόλου ἐξουσίας ἀπαλλαγήσεται. τὸ οὖν ταῖς λογικαῖς δυνάμεσι συμβαῖνον τοῦτο τῇ ἀψύχῳ περιτέθεικεν ὕλῃ, ὡς καὶ νῦν φαμεν· ἡ οἰκία θορυβεῖται, ἡ πόλις ἀγανακτεῖ, ἡ χώρα ὀργίζεται, ἐκ τῶν διοικουμένων καὶ περιπολουμένων τόπων τοὺς διοικοῦντας καὶ περιπολοῦντας πολλάκις σημαίνοντες. καὶ καθ' ἕτερον δὲ λόγον ἡ κτίσις ἐκδέχεται ἐλευθερωθῆναι ἀπὸ τῆς δουλείας τῆς φθορᾶς, ἐπεὶ τῇ τοῦ διαβόλου κατασκευῇ ἄκουσα προσκυνεῖται ὑπὸ τῶν συνδούλων αὐτῆς· ἐσεβάσθησαν γὰρ καὶ ἐλάτρευσαν τῇ κτίσει παρὰ τὸν κτίσαντα. ὥστε τῆς δεσποτικῆς ἀκουσίως ἀπολαύουσα τιμῆς βαρέως φέρει τὸ γινόμενον καὶ ὠδίνει καὶ ἄχθεται πρὸς τὴν τῶν ἀνθρώπων ματαίαν προσκύνησιν καὶ ἐπιθυμεῖ τῆς τούτων ἀπαλλαγῆς. φησὶ δὲ ὅτι οὐδὲ ἐξ ἀρχῆς ἑκοῦσα οὐδὲ αὐτομολήσασα πρὸς τὸν διάβολον ὑπετάγη αὐτῷ, ἀλλ' ὑπετάγη συγχωρήσαντος τοῦ θεοῦ, καὶ ὑπετάγη 95 ἐπ' ἐλπίδι μελλούσῃ. ποίᾳ; ταύτῃ ὅτι καὶ αὐτὴ ἡ κτίσις ἐλευθερωθήσεται. πότε δὲ ἐλευθερωθήσεται; εἰς τὸν καιρὸν τῆς ἐλευθερίας τῶν δικαίων· διὸ εἰκότως ἡ καραδοκία τῆς κτίσεως τὴν ἀποκάλυψιν τῶν τέκνων τοῦ θεοῦ ἀπεκδέχεται. Rom 8,23 Οὐ μόνον, φησίν, ἡ κτίσις στενάζει καὶ ὠδίνει τὴν ἐλευθερίαν διὰ τοῦ πνεύματος ἀπεκδεχομένη, ἀλλὰ καὶ ἡμεῖς, καίτοι ἤδη τὰς ἀπαρχὰς τοῦ πνεύματος εἰληφότες καὶ πειρασθέντες αὐτοῦ τῆς εὐεργεσίας, εἰ καὶ 6 μηδέπω τὸ τέλειον τῆς ὑποσχέσεως εἰλήφαμεν, ὅ ἐστιν ἡ υἱοθεσία διὰ τῆς τοῦ σώματος ἀπολυτρώσεως. Rom 8,29–30 Οὐδὲ ἐν τούτοις τὸ αὐτεξούσιον ὁ λόγος ἀναιρεῖ· πρῶτον γὰρ ἔφη προγινώσκειν τὸν θεὸν εἶτα προορίζειν. ἡ δὲ πρόγνωσις δῆλον ὡς οὐκ ἔστιν ἀναγκαστικὴ τῆς τῶν πολιτευομένων ὁρμῆς τε καὶ προθέσεως. σαφέστερον δὲ ἂν εἴη τὸ ῥηθὲν εἰ τῶν εἰρημένων ἐνταῦθα ἀπὸ τῶν τελευταίων ἀρξάμενοι ἐπὶ τὰ πρῶτα ἀνίοιμεν. τίνας τοίνυν ἐνταῦθα ἐδόξασεν ὁ θεός; οὓς ἐδικαίωσεν. τίνας δὲ προώρισεν; οὓς προέγνω, τοὺς κατὰ πρόθεσιν κλητοὺς ὄντας, τοῦτ' ἔστι τοὺς διὰ τὴν ἰδίαν πρόθεσιν ἀξίους ὄντας κληθῆναι καὶ συμμορφωθῆναι Χριστῷ. 96 Rom 8,31–32 ∆είξας διὰ τῶν πράξεων ὅτι συνεργεῖ πάντα ἡμῖν εἰς ἀγαθὸν διὰ τὴν τοῦ θεοῦ περὶ ἡμᾶς ἀγάπην, οὓς εὗρε κατὰ πρόθεσιν κλητούς, τὸ μέγα τεκμήριον τῆς ἀγάπης τοῦ θεοῦ ἐπάγει, ὃ ἐπεδείξατο ἐν τῷ τοῦ μονογενοῦς μὴ φείσασθαι· τί γάρ, εἰ καὶ μὴ θάνατος κατεκυρίευσε τοῦ σωτῆρος, ἐπεὶ καὶ ἐπ' αὐτῷ κυρίῳ τὸ θεῖναι τὴν ψυχὴν αὐτοῦ καὶ πάλιν λαβεῖν αὐτήν; ἀλλ' ὅμως σκοπητέον ὅτι Χριστὸς ἑαυτὸν τοῖς ἀνθρωπίνοις ὑπέβαλε πάθεσιν, τήν τε ἰδίαν καὶ τὴν τοῦ πατρὸς ἐκπληρῶν βούλησιν. πάντα οὖν ὑπὲρ ἡμῶν θεοῦ οἰκονομοῦντος, τίς ἐμποδήσει; τίς οὕτως ἰσχυρός, ὥστε τὰς εἰς ἡμᾶς τοῦ θεοῦ δωρεὰς διακωλύσαι; εἰκότως γὰρ ὁ τοῦ υἱοῦ δι' ἡμᾶς μὴ φεισάμενος καὶ τὰ ἄλλα πάντα ὑπὲρ ἡμῶν οἰκονομήσει καὶ τῶν ἀγαθῶν προσθήσει τὴν χάριν. Rom 9,1–5 Ἀναγκαίως τῷ παρέποντι ὅρκῳ πιστοῦται τὸν λόγον· προειπὼν γὰρ ὅτι οὐκ ἔστι τι ὃ δυνήσεται αὐτὸν χωρίσαι τῆς ἀγάπης τοῦ Χριστοῦ, ἐπάγει ὅτι μόνον τῆς συγγενείας αὐτοῦ ἡττᾶται. φησὶν οὖν ὅτι ὑπὲρ τῶν Ἰουδαίων ἡδέως ἂν καὶ σῶμα καὶ ψυχὴν προήκατο, ἵνα ὧν ἐκπεπτώκασιν, τὰ αὐτὰ πάλιν ἀνακαλέσωνται, πιστεύσαντες εἰς Χριστόν. τί γὰρ τῶν καλῶν οὐκ Ἰουδαίων ἦν ἐφ' οἷς νῦν τὰ ἔθνη σεμνύνεται; ἡ υἱοθεσία, ἡ δόξα, αἱ διαθῆκαι, αἱ ἐπαγγελίαι, ἡ λατρεία, οἱ θεοφιλεῖς πατέρες, καὶ τὸ μέγιστον· ἐξ ὧν ὁ Χριστὸς τὸ κατὰ σάρκα. ἐξ αὐτῶν, φησίν, ὁ Χριστός· θεὸς δὲ οὐ μόνον αὐτῶν, ἀλλὰ κοινῇ ἐπὶ πάντων ἐστὶ θεός. τούτων οὖν πάντων ἐκπεπτώκασιν Ἰουδαῖοι, ἀλλ' ἵνα ταῦτα ἀνακτήσωνται, φησίν, ἡδέως ἂν ἀνάθεμα ὑπὲρ αὐτῶν ἐγενόμην ἀπὸ τοῦ Χριστοῦ. τὸ δὲ ἀνάθεμα τὸν
About this text
Diodorus of Tarsus on Romans (catena fragments).
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Khazarzar scan
Witnesses
- Copy-text PG (Khazarzar) (Greek)
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