Paul's Encounter with Christ
You are fighting and waging war against me, running through me and punishing mine, all in an effort to avenge my glory. However, you are ignorant of where to begin the battle and where the war comes from.
Christ says this to Saul, who responds with a question, 'Who are you, Lord?' This inquiry demonstrates Paul's good zeal, as he was called and immediately obeyed.
He received the word and immediately perceived the worthiness of the speaker, which led him to ask again, 'Who are you, Lord?' because he was filled with the light and became a prisoner of the ray.
Paul yearns to see Christ's beauty, hurries to the clouds, and seeks to learn where this 'radiance of glory' comes from, what is the 'character of substance', and who is this one 'carrying all things by the word of his own power'.
He heard Christ's voice and was satisfied with the law, no longer desiring the law, no longer wanting to be a golden wooden ark, but yearning for a pure and royal golden manger.
The children of heretics should be ashamed, and the mouths of heretics should be stopped, for Paul, when called, does not meddle, but only believes, worships, and does not fight, hymnologizes, and the blame is removed.
He says, 'Who are you, Lord?' and revere him as immortal, knowing his cross and tomb, and he was not ignorant of the blows, the spear of the side, and the scourges.
Christ's identity is revealed in His statement, 'I am Jesus the Nazarene whom you persecute.'
This declaration is a concise expression of judgment from faith.
Christ's words, 'I am Jesus the Nazarene whom you persecute,' are a testament to His power and authority.
Despite the persecution, He remains elusive, and it is impossible to hunt down 'the radiance of glory'.
He is the maker of Abraham, the one who formed Adam, and the consecrator of Isaac's altar.
His existence transcends time, and He is the one who saw the ladder with the crowds of angels surrounding it.
Greek
προασπίζεις καὶ κατ' ἐμοῦ στρατεύεις, δι' ἐμὲ τρέχεις καὶ τοὺς ἐμοὺς κολάζεις; Τὴν ἐμὴν δόξαν ἐκδικεῖς, ἀλλ' ἀγνοεῖς τὸ πόθεν ἅψασθαι χρὴ τῆς μάχης, πόθεν ἥκει συγκροτῆσαι πόλεμον.» 5 Ταῦτα πρὸς τὸν Σαῦλον ὁ Χριστός· αὐτὸς δὲ ἀποκρίνεται καὶ λέγει· «Τίς εἶ, κύριε;» Ἀγαθὸς ὁ τοῦ Παύλου ζῆλος, ἐπειδὴ κληθεὶς παραχρῆμα ὑπήκουσεν. Ἐδέξατο τὸν λόγον καὶ παραχρῆμα τῆς ἀξίας τοῦ λαλοῦντος ᾔσθετο καὶ ἔλεγεν· «Τίς εἶ, κύριε;» τῇ γὰρ αὐγῇ πεπλήρωμαι, ἑάλων τῷ φωτί, δεσμώ της τῆς ἀκτῖνος γεγένημαι. «Τίς εἶ, κύριε;» Ποθῶ γάρ σου τὸ κάλλος ἰδεῖν, ἀναπτῆναι πρὸς τὰς νεφέλας ἐπείγομαι, μαθεῖν ἐπι θυμῶ πόθεν τοῦτο τὸ «τῆς δόξης ἀπαύγασμα», τίς ὁ τῆς τοσαύ της «χαρακτὴρ ὑποστάσεως», τίς οὗτος ὁ «φέρων τὰ πάντα τῷ ῥήματι τῆς οἰκείας δυνάμεως». «Τίς εἶ, κύριε;» Ἤκουσα γάρ σου τῆς φωνῆς καὶ τοῦ νόμου κεκόρεσμαι, οὐκέτι μοι τοῦ νόμου πόθος, οὐκέτι κιβωτὸν ἐθέλω χρυσόξυλον εἶναι, ποθῶ φάτνην ἁγνὴν ἅπασαν βασιλικὴν χρυσόδωρον.» Πάντων τῶν αἱρετικῶν οἱ παῖδες αἰσχυνέσθωσαν καὶ τὰ τῶν αἱρετικῶν ἐντρε πέσθωσαν στόματα. Ἰδοὺ γὰρ κληθεὶς ὁ Παῦλος οὐ πολυπραγμο νεῖ ἀλλὰ μόνον πιστεύει, προσκυνεῖ καὶ οὐ μάχεται, ὑμνολογεῖ καὶ ἡ μέμψις ἀπήλλακται. «Τίς εἶ, κύριε;» φησίν. Οὐκ ἂν δὲ κύριον ἐκάλει, εἰ μὴ θεοῦ τοῦ καλοῦντος ᾐσθάνετο. Ὃν δὲ θεὸν ᾔδει ποιητὴν ὡμολόγει, ὃν ὡμολόγει ποιητὴν ἀπαθῆ κατ ήγγελλεν, ἄφθαρτον εἶχεν. Ἔσεβεν ὡς ἀθάνατον ἐκεῖνον οὗ τὸν σταυρὸν ᾔδει καὶ τὸν τάφον ἐγίνωσκεν. Οὐκ ἠγνόει τοὺς κολάφους, τὴν λόγχην τῆς πλευρᾶς, τὰ ῥαπίσματα. 6 Τί δὲ ὅμως πρὸς αὐτὸν ὁ Χριστός; «Ἐγώ εἰμι Ἰησοῦς ὁ Ναζωραῖος ὃν σὺ διώκεις.» Σύντομον τῆς πεύσεως τὴν ἀπό κρισιν λαμβάνει· «Ἐγώ εἰμι Ἰησοῦς ὁ Ναζωραῖος ὃν σὺ διώκεις», ἐγώ εἰμι Ἰησοῦς ὁ ποτὲ καὶ νῦν, ὁ πρὸ πάντων καὶ μετὰ πάντας, ὁ ἐν ἀρχῇ καὶ ἐπ' ἐσχάτων, ὁ τοῦ ∆αυὶδ υἱὸς ἀλλ' αὐτὸς πρὸ ∆αυίδ, ὁ ἐξ Ἀβραὰμ ποιητής, ὁ ἐξ Ἀδὰμ ἀλλ' αὐτὸς τὸν Ἀδὰμἐκεράμευσεν, ἐξ Ἰσαὰκ ἀλλ' αὐτὸς τοῦ Ἰσαὰκ τὸν βωμὸν ἐστε-φάνωσεν, ἐξ Ἰακὼβ ἀλλ' αὐτὸς ἐπὶ τῆς κλίμακος τοῖς δήμοις τῶν ἀγγέλων κυκλούμενος ἐθεάσατο. «Ἐγώ εἰμι Ἰησοῦς ὃν σὺ διώκεις», ἀλλὰ διώκων οὐ φθάνεις· ποῦ γὰρ ἢ πῶς θηρά σεις «τὸ τῆς δόξης ἀπαύγασμα»; Ποία
About this text
Hesychius of Jerusalem, In sanctos Petrum et Paulum (Greek).
Original English Translation of Hesychius of Jerusalem’s In sanctos Petrum et Paulum — new OET from PG 93 Greek.
Catalogue & scope
Khazarzar scan
Witnesses
- Copy-text PG 93 (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.