Twelve Chapters on the Faith

Duodecim capita de fide

Gregory Thaumaturgus · c. 250–270 AD · Vossius 1684 Opera omnia Latin column (Duodecim Capita de Fide)

Gregory Thaumaturgus ("the Wonderworker," c. 213–c. 270) studied under Origen at Caesarea for five years and became bishop of Neocaesarea in Pontus, where legend credits him with converting nearly the whole city.

The Twelve Chapters on the Faith are transmitted under Gregory's name, though scholars doubt he wrote them — some ascribe the work to the circle of Apollinaris of Laodicea a century later.

This volume holds Chapters 1–2: Christ's body as created flesh of the uncreated Word, and the flesh not consubstantial with the Godhead.

© 2026 SaneApps. This translation is free to share and adapt, even commercially, as long as you credit SaneApps. Draft translation, prepared with AI assistance and not yet independently reviewed. Verify against the original before citing. Translated from Vossius 1684 Opera omnia Latin column (Duodecim Capita de Fide); Capita I-II; Greek column OCR damaged.

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Contents2 passages

1The body of Christ is created flesh of the uncreated Word
2The flesh is not consubstantial with the Godhead

Author

Gregory Thaumaturgus (c. 213–c. 270 AD) — Gregory the Wonderworker, a student of Origen at Caesarea who became bishop of Neocaesarea in Pontus. His farewell address to Origen gives a rare picture of how Origen taught.

All works by Gregory Thaumaturgus

About this text

Gregory Thaumaturgus, Twelve Chapters on the Faith: the first two chapters — on the uncreated body, and the flesh not consubstantial with the Godhead.

Catalogue & scope

densify Capita I-II; Greek column OCR damaged

Witnesses

Copy-text Vossius 1684 Opera omnia (Latin column (Greek damaged))
Checked print Archive DjVu OCR (Latin/Greek mixed OCR)
Copy-text Locked Latin Capita I-II (Latin)

Where the prints differ

Cap. I interpretatio — OCR of clavorum / lancea / palpandum / clausis ianuis restored from the facing column and the John 20 scene; not invented doctrine.

This is an AI-assisted study translation. Source fidelity and completeness have not been independently certified. Open Latin on each section (or the Latin source witness link) for the source text. This is not a complete critical edition.

The body of Christ is created flesh of the uncreated Word§1

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1If anyone says that the body of Christ is uncreated, and does not confess that he himself — the uncreated God, the Word — showed the incarnation from created humanity and was made man, as it is written, let him be anathema.

How can a body be called uncreated? What is uncreated is also without passion: it cannot be wounded, and it cannot be handled. But Christ, rising from the dead, showed his disciples the marks of the nails and the wound the spear had made, and a body that could be touched, even while he came in when the doors were shut (John 20:19-27). He did this so that the working of the Godhead and the truth of the body might be shown together.

And while he was God, he was recognized as man in the ordinary way; and while he was truly man, he was still shown as God by his works.

Latin · §1

Si quis dicit corpus Christi increatum, et non confitetur ipsum increatum Deum Verbum ex creata humanitate incarnationem ostendisse, factumque esse hominem sicut scriptum est, anathema sit. Quomodo enim corpus increatum dici potest? Nam quod increatum est, etiam passionis expers est, et neque vulnerari neque attrectari potest. Christus autem a mortuis resurgens clavorum et vulnerationem lancea factam corpusque suum palpandum discipulis demonstrans clausis ianuis ingressus est. Sed ut divinitatis opera et corporis veritatem ostenderet: et cum alioqui Deus esset, homo agnoscebatur; et cum esset vere homo, Deus tamen ex suis operibus ostendebatur.

The flesh is not consubstantial with the Godhead§2

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2If anyone says that the flesh of Christ is consubstantial with the Godhead, and does not confess that he himself, being in the form of God and God before the ages, emptied himself and took the form of a servant, as it is written (Philippians 2:6-7), let him be anathema.

How can flesh that comes after time be called of the same substance with the everlasting Godhead? That is called consubstantial which is the same in nature, and the same in everlasting duration without change.

Latin · §2

Si quis dicit carnem Christi homoousion, id est consubstantialem esse divinitati, et non confitetur ipsum in forma Dei et Deum esse ante saecula, et seipsum exinanisse, et formam servi accepisse sicut scriptum est, anathema sit. Quomodo autem caro post tempus homoousios, id est eiusdem substantiae, cum sempiterna divinitate dici potest? Homoousion enim dicitur quod est idem natura et eadem sempiternitate invariabiliter.

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