Letters 3.1–4.4

Translated by Claude from Valerius de Sarasio (Valerio de Sarasio)'s Latin translation (16th century) of the Latin, Coptic, Georgian, Syriac and Arabic versions (the Greek original is lost); neither is shown

You know the grace of our Lord Jesus Christ, that for our sake he became poor though he was rich, so that by his poverty we might become rich. His slavery set us free, and his weakness made us strong; his foolishness made us wise, if indeed he also, through his own death, brings about our resurrection, so that in this we may raise a great voice and say: "Even if we have known according to the flesh, yet there is a new creation in Christ." Truly, dearest in the Lord, I tell you that, according to the details of the word of freedom in which we have all been made free, I have many other things to say to you; but this is not the time to say them. Meanwhile I greet you all, my dearest children in the Lord, holy children of Israel, according to your spiritual essence. Truly, I say, it was fitting for you, as those who draw near to your own Creator, to seek the salvation of your souls through the law of the covenant; although, because of the abundance of wickedness and the distraction of malice and the pleasures of lusts, that law of the covenant grew cold, and the senses of your soul died in their office; and therefore you could not perceive the spiritual and glorious essence because of the death into which they fell. Therefore it is written in the divine Scripture that "as in Adam all die, so also in Christ all will be made alive." He, then, is the life of the whole rational nature, which was created in him according to the likeness of his image. He also is the true mind of the Father. The image of the Begetter is unchangeable, which was taken up. Apart from it, however, wickedness came upon you, in which we all died; for it is outside the nature of the spiritual substance in God. Therefore, he says, it is outside the nature of all; we acquired a dark house full of wars. And in this we testify to you that knowledge of all strength fails us. For this reason too God our Begetter, seeing our weakness, that we had become unable to bear the truth, came of his own goodness, for this very reason, to visit his creatures through the ministry of the saints.

Translated by Claude from Valerius de Sarasio (Valerio de Sarasio)'s Latin translation (16th century) of the Latin, Coptic, Georgian, Syriac and Arabic versions (the Greek original is lost); neither is shown

I beseech you all in the Lord, dearest ones, to understand what I write to you: I have no bodily love for you, but the love of the spirit, of the worship of God. Prepare yourselves to go to your Creator. "Rend your hearts and not your garments." And know what we can render to the Lord for all the gifts he has given us, who even here in this dwelling remembers us because of his immeasurable goodness and infinite love, not dealing with us according to our sins; who has made even the sun serve us in the dark house, commanding the moon too and all the stars to serve the vanity that is to perish, for the stability of our bodies, and has appointed many other powers to serve us, which we have not seen with the eye of the body. What, then, shall we say, as though we were cheated of some good that he has not done for us? Did not the patriarchs suffer for us, or did not the priests teach us? Did not the prophets die for us, or did not the apostles suffer persecution for us? Did not the beloved Son of God die for us all? Because of all these things we too must hasten to go in all holiness to our own Creator. Seeing that the creation could not heal the wound that had been inflicted on the Jews, that is, on his own members, the Father of the creatures himself, knowing the weakness of their mind, was moved with compassion for them, and according to his great love he did not spare his only-begotten Son, but handed him over for the salvation of us all, because of our sins. Our iniquities humbled him, but by his wound we have all been healed. He gathered us from all lands by the word of his power, until he should bring about that resurrection of our mind, teaching us that we are members of one another.

Translated by Claude from Valerius de Sarasio (Valerio de Sarasio)'s Latin translation (16th century) of the Latin, Coptic, Georgian, Syriac and Arabic versions (the Greek original is lost); neither is shown

Therefore he teaches all of us who hasten to our own Creator to exercise our habits and the offices of the mind to recognize dignity and the distinction between good and evil, so that you may all know those dispensations of Jesus which he gave of his own affection, having become like us in all things except sin. Because of our great wickedness, the constraint of wickedness, and the heaviness of our inconstancy, his coming took place: to some foolishness, to others a stumbling block, to another part profit, and again to others wisdom and power, and to others resurrection and life. Let this also be plain to you, that his coming was a judgment for the whole world. For "behold, the days are coming, says the Lord, and all will know me, from the least of them to the greatest, and I will make it heard to the end of the earth"; "so that every mouth may be stopped and the whole world may become subject to God"; because, "although they knew God, they did not glorify him" as their own creator, and this because of their folly, through which they could not grasp his wisdom. But each of us has sold himself to his own pleasures for evil, and is called their slave. Because of this Jesus himself emptied himself of glory, taking the form of a slave, so that his slavery might free us. We were foolish, and in our foolishness we did wrong. He took on the garb of foolishness to make us wise. We were needy, and in our poverty all strength had failed us; and for this he took on the form of poverty, so that by his poverty he might enrich us in all wisdom and understanding. Not only this, but he also took on the likeness of our weakness, so that by his own weakness he might make us strong, becoming obedient to the Father in all things to death, even death on a cross, so that by his death and humiliation he might bring about the resurrection of all and destroy the one who had the power of death, that is, the devil. If, then, we truly set ourselves free for his coming, we shall be found disciples of Jesus, and shall be made heirs of the divine inheritance.

Translated by Claude from Valerius de Sarasio (Valerio de Sarasio)'s Latin translation (16th century) of the Latin, Coptic, Georgian, Syriac and Arabic versions (the Greek original is lost); neither is shown

Dearest in the Lord, I am greatly troubled and moved in my spirit that we are clothed with names and carry the habits of the saints, boasting before unbelievers. But I fear that the saying of Paul may be fulfilled in us, where he says: "Having the form of godliness, but denying its power." Out of the love I have for you, I pray to God for you, that you may consider your life and inherit the things that are not seen. For it is true, little children, that even if we give ourselves to seek God with all our strength, even so it will not be a worthy thanks; for we are seeking what is our own and what is natural to our substance. Truly also, dearest in the Lord, you who have prepared yourselves in all holiness to offer yourselves as a sacrifice to God: we will hide from you nothing of what is profitable, but making it plain we will testify to what the adversaries of virtue steal from the truth. Know this too, knowing that he who is according to the flesh always persecutes him who is according to the spirit, and that "all who wish to live godly in Christ suffer persecution." Therefore Jesus, knowing all the tribulations and temptations, coming into the world to the apostles, and knowing that by his patience he would undo all the power of the enemy, that is, idolatry, comforted them, saying: "You have tribulation in the world; but be steadfast, for I have overcome the world." And he taught them, saying: "Do not fear the world, for all the afflictions of the world are not worthy of the glory that is awaited." "For if they persecuted the prophets who were before you, they will persecute you also; and if they hated me, they will hate you also." "But be confident, for by your wisdom you will undo all the power of the enemy." About the details of the word of freedom by which we have been freed, I have many other things to say to you; but "give an opportunity to a wise man, and he will be wiser." Yet we need to comfort one another with a few small words; for if the mind truly sees, it will no longer need the falsehood of bodily speech.

Translated by Claude from Valerius de Sarasio (Valerio de Sarasio)'s Latin translation (16th century) of the Latin, Coptic, Georgian, Syriac and Arabic versions (the Greek original is lost); neither is shown

I rejoice in all of you, beloved in the Lord, holy men of Israel, according to your own spiritual essence. For first it was fitting for a rational man to know himself; then to know the things of God and all the graces that he always does with him; and after that to know that every sin and everything blameworthy is outside the nature of the spiritual essence. Finally, our Creator, seeing that we possessed these things outside nature by free choice, in which people here were dying, was moved with compassion for us because of them, and in his own goodness willed to turn us back to that beginning without end. He visited his creatures, not sparing himself, for the salvation of us all. For he handed himself over for our sins; our iniquities humbled him, but by his wound we have all been healed. By the word of his power he gathered us from all lands, from the end of the earth to the farthest part of the world, teaching that we are members of one another. Therefore, if we have truly prepared ourselves to make ourselves free for his coming, let the rational man examine himself, what he can render to God for all the gifts he has bestowed on us. Hence I too, the most wretched, who have written this letter, awakened from the sleep of death, consider the greater part of the time that I have spent on earth to be mourning and weeping, lamenting what I can render to the Lord for all that he has done for me. For we have been cheated of nothing which he has not accomplished for us in our lowliness. He made his angels serve us, he commanded his prophets to prophesy, he ordered his apostles to preach the gospel to us. And above all, the most remarkable of all his commands is that he made his Only-begotten take the form of a slave for us.

Translated by Claude from Valerius de Sarasio (Valerio de Sarasio)'s Latin translation (16th century) of the Latin, Coptic, Georgian, Syriac and Arabic versions (the Greek original is lost); neither is shown

I beseech you, therefore, dearest in the Lord, you who are fellow heirs of the saints, to be willing to rouse your minds in the fear of God. Let this word be plain to you, that John, the forerunner of Jesus, baptized for the remission of sins for our sake, but we have been sanctified by the Spirit in Christ. Let us now prepare ourselves in all holiness to cleanse our spiritual mind, so that we may be pure in the baptism of Jesus, to offer ourselves as a sacrifice to God. This Paraclete Spirit, who comforts us, turns us back again to our beginning, to recover our own inheritances and the teachings of the same comforting Spirit. For this reason, as many as have been baptized into Christ have put on Christ; "there is neither male nor female, there is neither slave nor free." Every tongue of the bodies also is done away among them, when they receive the teaching of the Holy Spirit at the time when they take up the holy inheritance and worship the Father, as is fitting, in spirit and in truth. Let this word, then, be plain to you, and do not wait for the judgment to come at that presence of Jesus; for already … Know also that all who bear the spirit within themselves will be regarded, and will be clothed with that garment of which we were stripped according to our spiritual essence. For often a voice comes from God the Father to all those who bear it within themselves, saying to them: "Comfort, comfort my people, says the Lord; and priests, speak to the heart of Jerusalem." For God has continually visited his creatures, showing his own goodness. And truly, dearest ones, according to the details of the word of freedom by which we have been freed, there are very many other things to be said to you; but "give an opportunity to a wise man, and he will be wiser." May the God of peace give you the grace of discernment, so that you may know that whatever I write to you is a commandment of the Lord. May the same God of all grace keep you holy in the Lord until the last breath. I pray to God always for the salvation of you all, most beloved in the Lord. The grace of our Lord Jesus Christ be with you all. Amen.

Translated by Claude from Valerius de Sarasio (Valerio de Sarasio)'s Latin translation (16th century) of the Latin, Coptic, Georgian, Syriac and Arabic versions (the Greek original is lost); neither is shown

To the dearest and honored ones, greeting in the Lord. Truly, most beloved in the Lord, God does not visit his creatures at one time only; but from the foundation of the world, to all who have come to God the maker through the law of the covenant, God is present to each one in simplicity, according to grace, through his Spirit. But as for the rational natures in which that covenant grew cold and the offices of their souls were deadened, so that they no longer seek to know themselves according to their first condition, others have become wholly irrational and have served the creature rather than the Creator. Yet the same Creator, in his own goodness, visited us through the law of the covenant, since the substance is immortal. As many, then, as were counted worthy of grace, and grew up through his principal law, and were taught by the Holy Spirit, receiving the spirit of the adoption of sons, these also were able to worship their own Creator as is fitting. Of them Paul says that they did not receive the promises because of us. [2] In his indivisible love, God, who is over all, willing to visit our coldness and our condition, raised up Moses, the teacher of the law, to give us the law in letter. And he founded for us the house of truth, which is the catholic church, which he created, God wishing to turn us back to the first beginning. And because Moses built as one going before, we shall not fear to say that the same lawgiver is one of the forerunners, and that the Spirit who was with Moses also worked in the choir of the saints, and all of them made petition for the Only-begotten of God. John too is one of the forerunners; and therefore "the law and the prophets were until John; the kingdom of heaven suffers violence, and the violent take it by force." Those who were in the spirit, foreseeing … that no creature could heal that very great wound except the blessedness of God, who is his Only-begotten, whom he also appointed for the salvation of the whole world, who is the great physician, able to heal the enormous wound by his goodness: the Father of the creatures did not spare his Only-begotten for our sake, handing him over for the salvation of us all, for our sins and for our iniquities. He humbled himself, but by his wound we have all been healed; and by the word of his power he gathered us from all lands, from the end of the earth to the farthest part of the world, making the resurrection of our hearts from the earth, and he taught us that we are members of one another. Let this word, then, be plain to you: unless a person prepares his own amendment and strives with all his strength, the coming of the Savior will be for judgment to him. For to some it is "a fragrance from death to death," but to others "a fragrance from life to life"; because he is set "for the fall and the rising of many in Israel, and for a sign that is spoken against." Therefore I beseech you not to neglect your own salvation; but let each of you rend his heart and not his garments, lest, clothed in a habit without righteousness, we prepare judgment for ourselves. For behold, the time will soon draw near in which the works of each of you will be tested. About the details of the word there were other things to be written …

Translated by Claude from Valerius de Sarasio (Valerio de Sarasio)'s Latin translation (16th century) of the Latin, Coptic, Georgian, Syriac and Arabic versions (the Greek original is lost); neither is shown

… to you; but it is written: "Give an opportunity to a wise man, [and he will be wiser.]" I beseech you, then, dearest in the Lord, to understand what is written, because these are the commandments of God. For it is a great thing for us to turn our mind to the form that Jesus took for our sake, in that he was like us in all things except sin. It is fitting also that we free ourselves for his coming, and that his foolishness make us wise, his poverty make us rich, his weakness show us strong, and that he himself become the resurrection of all, destroying him who has the power of death. For then, at the coming of Jesus, we shall cease to have need according to the flesh. For Jesus works with us in good service until we destroy all wickedness. Then also Jesus will say to us: "No longer will I call you servants, but brothers." When, therefore, God called them in this way, so that they received the spirit of the adoption of sons, then the Holy Spirit also taught them to worship the Father as was fitting. Hence for me too, the most wretched, joined to Jesus, this time to which we have come has become gladness and mourning and weeping. For many of our kind have put on the garments of godliness but have denied its power. Therefore I rejoice over those who have prepared themselves to be free at the coming of Jesus; but I mourn over those who call upon the name of Jesus and do the wishes of the heart and the flesh. And I weep too for those who, looking at the length of the time, have become fainthearted, have stripped themselves of the garment of godliness, and have become like beasts.

Translated by Claude from Valerius de Sarasio (Valerio de Sarasio)'s Latin translation (16th century) of the Latin, Coptic, Georgian, Syriac and Arabic versions (the Greek original is lost); neither is shown

Let such people recognize this, saying … "he will be wiser." I greet you all in the Lord, from the least to the great. May the God of peace keep you all, dearest ones.