The Victory of Christ over the Devil
From his mouth, and in spirit through lips, he brings up the ungodly. He foretold that he would strike him upon the earth, and he has spoken this through the later prophets: a sun of righteousness rises for you who fear, with healing in his wings. And shortly after: behold, I will send to you Elijah the Tishbite; and he has spoken: if he does not come, I will strike the earth with drought. He will nullify all by the appearance of his presence. Our life is Christ; therefore, when Christ, our life, is revealed, he must necessarily nullify also the devil, the one who brings death. In imitation of the Savior, Satan appears as a complete man, whose presence is according to the energy of Satan with all power and signs, and the following. In imitation of the bodily epidemic of Christ, the dispensation for our sake, Satan comes and works in man, just as I have already said.
This is also what it means to bring up the ungodly in spirit through lips, as Isaiah says; for remembering the one from the root of Jesse, he has spoken: he will strike the earth by the word of his mouth, and in spirit through lips he brings up the ungodly. He foretold the striking of the earth also through the later prophets, for he has spoken: a sun of righteousness rises for you who fear me, and after a little: behold, I send to you Elijah the Tishbite; a final word he has spoken, that if he does not come, I will strike the earth with drought. And he will nullify all by the appearance of his presence. The apostle said that Christ is our life, and he has spoken: when your life is revealed. Therefore, when life is being revealed from heaven, it is impossible that the one who brings death, whose presence is according to the energy of Satan, not be nullified.
This ought to have persuaded the Apollinarians and the Arians, that the God-Logos took up a whole man. For in imitation of the righteousness and the dispensation for our sake, Satan comes and will work in man.
Greek
στόματος αὐτοῦ, καὶ ἐν πνεύματι διὰ χειλέων ἀνελεῖ τὸν ἀσεβῆ. τὸ δὲ πατάξειν αὐτὸν τὴν γῆν προεῖπε καὶ διὰ τοῦ ὑστέρου τῶν προφητῶν εἰρηκώς· ἀνατελεῖ ὑμῖν τοῖς φοβουμένοις ἥλιος δικαιοσύνης, καὶ ἴασις ἐν ταῖς πτέρυξιν αὐτοῦ. καὶ μετ' ὀλίγα· ἰδοὺ ἀποστελῶ ὑμῖν Ἡλίαν τὸν Θεσβίτην, καὶ ἐπήγαγε· μὴ ἐλθὼν πατάξω τὴν γῆν ἄρδην. Καὶ καταργήσει τῇ ἐπιφανείᾳ τῆς παρουσίας αὐτοῦ. ἡ ζωὴ ἡμῶν ἐστιν ὁ Χριστός· ὅταν οὖν ὁ Χριστὸς φανερωθῇ, ἡ ζωὴ ἡμῶν, ἐξ ἀνάγκης καταργεῖ καὶ τὸν τοῦ θανάτου πρόξενον τὸν διάβολον. κατὰ μίμησιν δὲ τοῦ σωτῆρος ἔρχεται ὁ σατανᾶς ἐν ἀνθρώπῳ ὁλοκλήρῳ, οὗ ἐστιν ἡ παρου336 σία κατ' ἐνέργειαν τοῦ σατανᾶ πάσῃ δυνάμει, σημείοις καὶ τὰ ἑξῆς. κατὰ μίμησιν τῆς σωματικῆς ἐπιδημίας τοῦ· Χριστοῦ, τῆς ὑπὲρ ἡμῶν οἰκονομίας ἔρχεται ὁ σατανᾶς, καὶ ἐνεργεῖ ἐν ἀνθρώπῳ, καθὼς καὶ ἤδη εἶπον. 335,col2 Τοῦτό ἐστι τὸ καὶ πνεύματι διὰ χειλέων ἀνελεῖ ἀσεβῆ, ὅπερ Ἡσαΐας φησίν· μνημονεύσας γὰρ τοῦ ἐκ τῆς ῥίζης Ἰεσσαὶ ἐπήγαγεν· καὶ πατάξει τὴν γῆν τῷ λόγῳ τοῦ στόματος αὐτοῦ, καὶ πνεύματι διὰ χειλέων ἀνελεῖ ἀσεβῆ. τὸ δὲ πατάσσειν τὴν γῆν προεῖπεν καὶ διὰ τοῦ ὑστέρου τῶν προφητῶν· εἰρηκὼς γάρ· ἀνατελεῖ ὑμῖν τοῖς φοβουμένοις με ἥλιος δικαιοσύνης, καὶ μετ' ὀλίγα· ἰδοὺ ἀποστέλλω ὑμῖν Ἡλίαν τὸν Θεσβίτην, τελευταῖον ἐπήγαγεν λόγον τὸ μὴ ἐλθὼν πατάξω τὴν γῆν ἄρδην. Καὶ καταργήσει τῇ ἐπιφανείᾳ τῆς παρουσίας αὐτοῦ. Ζωὴν ἡμῶν εἶπε τὸν Χριστὸν ὁ ἀπόστολος, καὶ ἐπήγαγεν· ὅταν ἡ ζωὴ ὑμῶν φανερωθῇ. ζωῆς οὖν οὐρανόθεν φανερουμένης ἀδύνατον μὴ καταργηθῆναι τὸν τοῦ θανάτου πρόξενον, οὗ ἐστιν ἡ παρουσία κατ' ἐνέργειαν τοῦ σατανᾶ. 336,ξολ2 τοῦτο ὤφειλεν πεῖσαι τοὺς Ἀπολιναρίδας καὶ τοὺς Ἀριανούς, ὅτι ὅλον ἄνθρωπον ἀνέλαβεν ὁ θεὸς λόγος. κατὰ γὰρ μίμησιν τῆς δικαιοσύνης καὶ τῆς ὑπὲρ ἡμῶν οἰκονομίας ἔρχεται ὁ σατανᾶς καὶ ἐνεργήσει ἐν ἀνθρώπῳ.
About this text
Severian on Paul's second letter to Thessalonica: Christ's return, and how to spot impostors.
Catalogue & scope
Khazarzar scan
Witnesses
- Copy-text PG 65 (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.