The two trees and true knowledge
The author is closing his letter to Diognetus by explaining that the paradise trees of knowledge and life show that true knowledge must be joined with true life, and that the apostle's saying about knowledge and love confirms this.
When you encounter these things and hear them with eagerness, you will know all that God provides to those who love him rightly. They become a paradise of delight, causing a fruit-bearing tree to spring up within themselves, flourishing and adorned with many kinds of fruit.
For in this place a tree of knowledge and a tree of life have been planted. But the tree of knowledge does not kill; disobedience kills.
For what is written is not without meaning: God from the beginning planted a tree of knowledge and a tree of life in the middle of the paradise, showing life through knowledge. But those from the beginning did not use it purely, and through the deceit of the serpent they were stripped bare.
For there is no life without knowledge, and no secure knowledge without true life. That is why each tree was planted near the other.
The apostle saw this power at work, and when he criticized knowledge practiced for life without the truth of the commandment, he says: “Knowledge puffs up, but love builds up” (1 Corinthians 8:1).
For the one who thinks he knows something without true knowledge that is witnessed by life has not known; he is deceived by the serpent, because he did not love to live. But the one who knows with fear and seeks life plants in hope, expecting fruit.
Let knowledge be your heart, and life the true Word, set apart.
If you carry the wood of this tree and pick its fruit, you will always harvest what is longed for in God’s presence, things the serpent does not touch and deceit does not come near. Eve is not corrupted, but is believed as a virgin.
And salvation is shown, and the apostles are given understanding, and the Lord’s Passover goes forth, and the seasons are gathered together and joined with the world, and the Word teaches the saints and rejoices, through whom the Father is glorified. To him be glory forever. Amen.
Greek
Οἷς ἐντυχόντες καὶ ἀκούσαντες μετὰ σπουδῆς εἴσεσθε, ὅσα παρέχει ὁ θεὸς τοῖς ἀγαπῶσιν ὀρθῶς, οἱ γενόμενοι παράδεισος τρυφῆς, πάγκαρπον ξύλον εὐθαλοῦν ἀνατείλαντες ἐν ἑαυτοῖς, ποικίλοις καρποῖς κεκοσμημένοι.
ἐν γὰρ τούτῳ τῷ χωρίῳ ξύλον γνώσεως καὶ ξύλον ζωῆς πεφύτευται: ἀλλ’ οὐ τὸ τῆς γνώσεως ἀναιρεῖ, ἀλλ’ ἡ παρακοὴ ἀναιρεῖ.
οὐδὲ γὰρ ἄσημα τὰ γεγραμμένα, ὡς θεὸς ἀπ’ ἀρχῆς ξύλον γνώσεως καὶ ξύλον ζωῆς ἐν μέσῳ παραδείσου ἐφύτευσε, διὰ γνώσεως ζωὴν ἐπιδεικνύς: ᾗ μὴ καθαρῶς χρησάμενοι οἱ ἀπ’ ἀρχῆς πλάνῃ τοῦ ὄφεως γεγύμνωνται.
οὐδὲ γὰρ ζωὴ ἄνευ γνώσεως οὐδὲ γνῶσις ἀσφαλὴς ἄνευ ζωῆς ἀληθοῦς: διὸ πλησίον ἑκάτερον πεφύτευται.
ἣν δύναμιν ἐνιδὼν ὁ ἀπόστολος τήν τε ἄνευ ἀληθείας προστάγματος εἰς ζωὴν ἀσκουμένην γνῶσιν μεμφόμενος λέγει: Ἡ γνῶσις φυσιοῖ, ἡ δὲ ἀγάπη οἰκοδομεῖ.
ὁ γὰρ νομίζων εἰδέναι τι ἄνευ γνώσεως ἀληθοῦς καὶ μαρτυρουμένης ὑπὸ τῆς ζωῆς οὐκ ἔγνω, ὑπὸ τοῦ ὄφεως πλανᾶται, μὴ ἀγαπήσας τὸ ζῆν. ὁ δὲ μετὰ φόβου ἐπιγνοὺς καὶ ζωὴν ἐπιζητῶν ἐπ’ ἐλπίδι φυτεύει, καρπὸν προσδοκῶν.
ἤτω σοὶ καρδία γνῶσις, ζωὴ δὲ λόγος ἀληθής, χωρούμενος.
οὗ ξύλον φέρων καὶ καρπὸν αἱρῶν τρυγήσεις ἀεὶ τὰ παρὰ θεῷ ποθούμενα, ὧν ὄφις οὐχ ἅπτεται οὐδὲ πλάνη συγχρωτίζεται: οὐδὲ Εὔα φθείρεται, ἀλλὰ παρθένος πιστεύεται:
καὶ σωτήριον δείκνυται, καὶ ἀπόστολοι συνετίζονται, καὶ τὸ κυρίου πάσχα προέρχεται, καὶ καιροὶ συνάγονται καὶ μετὰ κόσμου ἁρμόζονται, καὶ διδάσκων ἁγίους ὁ λόγος εὐφραίνεται, δἰ οὗ πατὴρ δοξάζεται: ᾧ ἡ δόξα εἰς τοὺς αἰῶνας. ἀμήν.