On the Man Born Blind · §1 · Severianus of Gabala

The Light of Christ and the Soul

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Concerning the blind from birth (formerly under the authorship of John Chrysostom): On zeal and piety, and concerning the one blind from birth. The Word of God is the source of light; for being full of light and shining forth, it illuminates and surrounds the minds of the faithful. For He himself shines from Himself and in Himself, and gives brightness to those enjoying Him; and He not only illuminates the mind of the faithful, but also grants the name of light.

For the Divine Scripture, regarding those who are companions of ignorance and live with unbelief, justly names them darkness, because they do not receive the torch of truth, so that they might be sons of light. Therefore the divine apostle Paul says: We are not sons of night, nor of darkness, but sons of light and of day (Romans 13:12). And just as we are truly sons of light through the evangelical Word spoken through the mouth of God: I am the light of the world, says Christ; he who follows me will not walk in darkness, but will have the light of life (John 8:12). For that Word is light, which, if believed by us, prepares one to become a son of light. Therefore the Savior says: While you have the light, believe in the light, so that you may become sons of light (John 12:36).

Just as this sensible light is upon the bodies, so the spiritual Word of God is upon the souls; and just as darkness is in the night, so ignorance is in the wandering souls. Therefore also the blessed David writes concerning such things, saying: They did not know, nor did they understand; they wander in darkness (Psalm 95:11). Thus also God calls the assembly baptized in ignorance, and unwilling to be awakened toward the knowledge of the spiritual teaching, night, because of the ignorance living with it.

For when God was saying to the Jews through the prophet: I likened your mother to a night (Hosea 2:17); and interpreting what kind of night he means, like darkness, he added: My people were made like a people not having knowledge. Because of this, they did not know, nor did they understand; they wander in the night (Psalm 95:11).

But they are thus; but those having received the teaching of Christ, having received the light, such are made light. For our God is light; and his Word, who from himself being impassibly begotten before the ages, is called light; and the holy and consubstantial and life-giving Spirit, light. Light, and light, and light; but one light; and the soul having received the word, is named light.

But God is by nature a tri-hypostatic light, but we are by participation in him; and again our Lord Jesus Christ is light, concerning whom the evangelist John says: 'The true light was coming, which enlightens every man coming into the world' (John 1:9). But being light existing from unutterable light, and the law is sent through a light-bearing source, according to the prophet saying: 'Your law is a lamp to my feet, and a light to my paths' (Psalm 119:105).

Therefore the soul having received the truth, the luminous word, and it itself is made light, and it hears from Paul: 'For you were once darkness, but now light in the Lord' (1 Cor 6:9). And when the intellect receives the evangelical light, it is named light according to faith; and likewise also according to works. For 'let your light shine' (Matt 5:16), he says, 'before men, so that they may see your good works, and may glorify your Father who is in the heavens.' For it is necessary for the one having received the light of faith to come even into works of light.

And it is not only necessary for the soul of the believer to be light, but also according to works to shine before men; for this reason also the Savior says: 'Let your light shine before men, so that they may see your good works, and may glorify your Father who is in the heavens' (Matt 5:16). And behold the wonderful thing: for the light from God is simple, but it has diverse rays not by nature, but by activities; and the shining teaching of God is sent upon every believing soul, according to the thing said: 'And let the brightness of the Lord our God be upon us, so that by him our works may be directed' (Psalm 89:17).

Greek

De caeco nato (olim sub auctore Joanne Chrysostomo) Περὶ ζήλου καὶ εὐσεβείας, καὶ εἰς τὸν ἐκ γενετῆς τυφλόν. αʹ. Πηγὴ φωτὸς ὁ τοῦ Θεοῦ λόγος· φωτὸς γὰρ γέμων, καὶ φωτὸς ἐκλάμπων, φωτίζει καὶ περιαστράπτει τὰς τῶν πιστῶν διανοίας. Αὐτὸς γὰρ ἐξ ἑαυτοῦ καὶ ἐν ἑαυτῷ λάμπει, καὶ τοὺς ἀπολαύοντας αὐτοῦ καταυγάζει· καὶ οὐ μόνον φωτίζει τῶν πιστῶν τὴν διάνοιαν, ἀλλὰ καὶ ὄνομα φωτὸς χαρίζεται. Ἡ γὰρ θεία Γραφὴ τοὺς τῇ ἀγνοίᾳ συντρόφους ὄντας, καὶ τῇ ἀπιστίᾳ συζῶντας, δικαίως ὀνομάζει σκότος, μὴ δεχομένους τὴν λαμπάδα τῆς ἀληθείας, ἵνα ὦσιν υἱοὶ φωτός. ∆ιὰ τοῦτό φησι καὶ ὁ θεῖος ἀπόστολος Παῦλος· Οὐκ ἐσμὲν υἱοὶ νυκτὸς, οὐδὲ σκότους, ἀλλ' υἱοὶ φωτὸς καὶ ἡμέρας. Καὶ ὡς ἀληθῶς υἱοὶ φωτός ἐσμεν οἱ τοῦ εὐαγγελικοῦ λόγου τοῦ λαληθέντος διὰ στόματος Θεοῦ· Ἐγὼ γάρ εἰμι, φησὶν ὁ Χριστὸς, τὸ φῶς τοῦ κόσμου· ὁ ἀκολουθῶν ἐμοὶ, οὐ μὴ περιπατήσει ἐν τῇ σκοτίᾳ, ἀλλ' ἕξει τὸ φῶς τῆς ζωῆς. Ἐκεῖνος γὰρ λόγος ἐστὶ φωτὸς, ὃς ἐὰν πιστευθῇ παρ' ἡμῶν, υἱὸς φωτὸς παρασκευάζει γενέσθαι. Ὅθεν φησὶ καὶ ὁ Σωτήρ· Ἕως τὸ φῶς ἔχετε, πιστεύετε εἰς τὸ φῶς, ἵνα υἱοὶ φωτὸς γένησθε. Ὡς γὰρ ἐπὶ τῶν σωμάτων τὸ αἰσθητὸν τὸ τοῦτο φῶς, οὕτως ἐπὶ τῶν ψυχῶν ὁ νοερὸς τοῦ Θεοῦ λόγος· καὶ ὅπερ ἐστὶν ἐν τῇ νυκτὶ τὸ σκότος, τοῦτο ἐν ταῖς πεπλανημέναις ψυχαῖς ἡ ἄγνοια. ∆ιὰ τοῦτο καὶ ὁ μακάριος ∆αυῒδ περὶ τῶν τοιούτων γράφει, λέγων· Οὐκ ἔγνωσαν, οὐδὲ συνῆκαν· ἐν σκότει διαπορεύονται. Οὕτως οὖν καὶ τὴν συναγωγὴν ὁ Θεὸς τὴν ἀγνοίᾳ βεβαπτισμένην, καὶ μὴ βουλομένην ἀνανεῦσαι πρὸς τὴν γνῶσιν τῆς πνευματικῆς διδασκαλίας, νύκτα καλεῖ, διὰ τὴν συζῶσαν αὐτῇ ἄγνοιαν. Ὅτε γὰρ τοῖς Ἰουδαίοις ὁ Θεὸς ἔλεγε διὰ τοῦ προφήτου· Νυκτὶ ὡμοίωσα τὴν μητέρα ὑμῶν· καὶ ἑρμηνεύων ὁποίαν λέγει νύκτα ὁμοίαν σκότους, ἐπήγαγεν· Ὡμοιώθη ὁ λαός μου λαῷ μὴ ἔχοντι γνῶσιν. ∆ιὰ τοῦτο Οὐκ ἔγνωσαν, οὐδὲ συνῆκαν· ἐν νυκτὶ διαπορεύονται. Ἀλλ' ἐκεῖνοι μὲν οὕτως· οἱ δὲ τῆς τοῦ Χριστοῦ διδασκαλίας δεξάμενοι τὸ φῶς, οἱ τοιοῦτοι φῶς ἀποτελοῦνται. Ἔστι γὰρ ὁ Θεὸς ἡμῶν φῶς· καὶ ὁ Λόγος αὐτοῦ ὁ ἐξ αὐτοῦ πρὸ αἰώνων ἀπαθῶς γεννηθεὶς, φῶς λέγεται· καὶ τὸ ἅγιον καὶ ὁμοούσιον καὶ ζωαρχικὸν Πνεῦμα, φῶς. Φῶς, καὶ φῶς, καὶ φῶς· ἀλλ' ἓν φῶς· καὶ ἡ ψυχὴ ἡ δεξαμένη τὸν λόγον, φῶς ὀνομάζεται. Ἀλλ' ὁ μὲν Θεὸς φύσει τρισυπόστατον φῶς, ἡμεῖς δὲ κατὰ μετουσίαν ἐκείνου· καὶ πάλιν αὐτὸς ὁ Κύριος ἡμῶν Ἰησοῦς Χριστὸς φῶς, περὶ οὗ ὁ εὐαγγελιστὴς Ἰωάννης φησίν· Ἦν τὸ φῶς τὸ ἀληθινὸν, ὃ φωτίζει πάντα ἄνθρωπον ἐρχόμενον εἰς τὸν κόσμον. Ἀλλὰ φῶς ὑπάρχων ἐκ φωτὸς ἀῤῥήτου, καὶ τὸν νόμον διαπέμπεται φωτὸς γέμοντα, κατὰ τὸν προφήτην τὸν λέγοντα· Λύχνος τοῖς ποσί μου ὁ νόμος σου, καὶ φῶς ταῖς τρίβοις μου. ∆εξαμένη τοίνυν ἡ ψυχὴ τῆς ἀληθείας τὸν φωτεινὸν λόγον, καὶ αὐτὴ φῶς ἀποτελεῖται, καὶ ἀκούει παρὰ τοῦ Παύλου· Ἦτε γάρ ποτε σκότος, νυνὶ δὲ φῶς ἐν Κυρίῳ. Ὅταν δὲ δέξηται ἡ διάνοια τὸ φῶς τὸ εὐαγγελικὸν, καὶ κατὰ τὴν πίστιν φῶς ὀνομάζεται· ὡσαύτως δὲ καὶ κατὰ τὰ ἔργα. Λαμψάτω γὰρ, φησὶ, τὸ φῶς ὑμῶν ἔμπροσθεν τῶν ἀνθρώπων, ὅπως ἴδωσιν ὑμῶν τὰ καλὰ ἔργα, καὶ δοξάσωσι τὸν Πατέρα ὑμῶν τὸν ἐν οὐρανοῖς. Ἀνάγκη γὰρ τὸν δεξάμενον φῶς πίστεως ἐλθεῖν καὶ εἰς ἔργα φωτός. Οὐ μόνον δὲ εἶναι δεῖ τοῦ πιστοῦ τὴν ψυχὴν φῶς, ἀλλὰ καὶ κατὰ τὰ ἔργα λάμπειν ἔμπροσθεν τῶν ἀνθρώπων· διὰ τοῦτο καὶ ὁ Σωτήρ φησι· Λαμψάτω φῶς ὑμῶν ἔμπροσθεν τῶν ἀνθρώπων, ὅπως ἴδωσιν ὑμῶν τὰ καλὰ ἔργα, καὶ δοξάσωσι τὸν Πατέρα ὑμῶν τὸν ἐν τοῖς οὐρανοῖς. Καὶ ὅρα τὸ θαυμαστόν· τὸ μὲν γὰρ ὑπὸ τοῦ Θεοῦ φῶς ἁπλοῦν ἐστιν, ἀκτῖνας δὲ διαφόρους ἔχει οὐ τῇ φύσει, ἀλλὰ ταῖς ἐνεργείαις· καὶ πέμπεται μὲν ἡ λάμπουσα τοῦ Θεοῦ διδασκαλία ἐπὶ πᾶσαν πιστὴν ψυχὴν, κατὰ τὸ εἰρημένον· Καὶ ἔστω ἡ λαμπρότης Κυρίου τοῦ Θεοῦ ἡμῶν ἐφ' ἡμᾶς, ἵνα παρ' αὐτῷ κατευθύνηται τὰ ἔργα