On the Martyrs · §2 · Methodius of Olympus

Beginning in human will, completion in God

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Methodius is closing the treatise by stating the principle that grounds his argument about martyrdom as a divine gift.

Every good action has its beginning in our will, in which it has its substance, but its completion rests with God.

Greek

Πάσης ἀγαθῆς ἡ καταρχὴ πράξεως ἐν τῇ ἡμετέρᾳ βουλῇ τὴν ὑπόστασιν κέκτηται, τὸ δὲ συμπέρασμα ἐν τῷ θεῷ.

About this text

Fragments of Methodius on martyrdom: a gift of God that crowns human resolve, while every good act is completed by God.

Methodius of Olympus (d. c. 311) was a bishop in Lycia and a prolific theologian. He wrote this treatise, which now survives only in fragments, probably to encourage Christians facing persecution.

The work reflects a time when Christians could be put to death for their faith. Methodius presents martyrdom as a gift from God that crowns human resolve, while also insisting that the completion of every good action belongs to God.

A reader will meet Jesus Christ, the Son of God, who honored martyrdom by bearing witness to it. The text quotes Philippians 2:6, saying that Christ did not consider equality with God something to be grasped. Methodius says that every good action has its beginning in human will, but its completion rests with God. The word "substance" here means the grounding or reality of a good action in human will, not material stuff.

New English from the Greek base text; no published English used as wording.

Printed text used

Translated from Methodius D.G. Nathanael Bonwetsch Methodius J. C. Hinrichs'Sche Buchhandlung Leipzig 1917 (Greek)

This work has passed this project's source check. 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.