To Maximus
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Chapter 1
1PG 26:1085a–1088a
Ἐντυχὼν τοῖς νῦν γραφεῖσι πα ρὰ σοῦ, τὴν μὲν σὴν εὐλάᾶειαν ἀντεδεξάμην (Ξῖ), τὴν δὲ προπέτειαν τῶν μὴ νοούντων μήτε ἂ λέγουσι, μήτε περὶ τίνωνδιαὸεδαιοῦνται, ἐπὶ πολὺ θαυμάσας, ἐβουλευσάμην άληθῶς σιωπῆσαι. Τὺ γὰρ ἐπὶ τοῖς οὕτω φανεροῖς καὶ πλέον φωτὸς λάμπουσιν ἀποκρίνασθαι, οὐδὲν ἔτερόν ἐστιν ἢ προφάσεις ἀναισχυντίας τοῖς οὕτω παρανομοῦσι παρέχειν. Καὶ τοῦτο παρὰ τοῦ Σωτῆρος μεμαθήκαμεν. Νιψαμένῳ γὰρ τῷ Πιλάςῳ καὶ καταλαβομένῳ τὴν συκοφαντίαν τῶν τότε Ἰουδαίων, οὐκ ἔτι ἁπεκρίνατο αὐτῷ ὁ Κύριος, ἀλλὰ μᾶλλον ἐχρημάτιζε τῇ τούτου γυναικὶ, ἴνα μὴ ὲν λόγῳ, ἀλλὰ ὲν δυνάμει πιστεύηται ὁ κρινόμενος εἶναι Θεός. Τῷ δὲ Καῖάφᾳ μὴ ἀποκρινόμενος πρὸς φλυαρίαν,αὐτὸς τῇ γελὶα τοὺς πάντας εἰς γνῶσιν μετήγαγεν. Ἐπί πολὺ γοῦν ὑπερτιθέμενος καὶ ὁρῶν τὴν τῶν ἀναιδευομένων λογομαχίαν, μόλις ᾐδέσθην τὸν σὺν ὑπὲρ τῆς ἀληθείας ζῆλον, καὶ ὑπηγόρευσα οὐδὲν πλέον τῶν παρὰ σού γραφέντων, ἵνʼ οἷς ἀντείρηκεν ὁ ἐναντίος, τούτοις λοιπὸν πεισθεὶς, παύσῃ τὴν γλῶσσαν αὐτοῦ ἀπὸ κακοῦ, καὶ χείλη αὑτοῦ τοῦ μὴ λαλῆσαι δόλον. Καὶ γένοιτο μὲν τοὺς τοιούτους μηκέτι ὀνειδίσαι μετὰ τῶν παροδευόντων τότε Ἰουδαίων τὸν κρεμάμενον ἐπὶ ξύλου, Εἰ Υίὸς ἐστι τοῦ Θεοῦ, σώσει αὐτόν· ἐὰν δὲ ἄρα μηδὲ οὕτως καταδύωνται, ἀλλὰ σὺ τῆς ἁποστολικῆς μνημονεύων παραγγελίας, αἱρετικὸν ἄνθρωπον μετὰ μίαν καὶ δευτέραν νουθεσίαν παραιτοῦ, εἰδὼς, ὅτι ἐξέστραπται ό τοιοῦτος, καὶ ἁμαρτάνει ὢν αὐτοκατάκριτος. Et μὲν γὰρ Ἕλληνες ἢτῶν Ἰουδαῖζόντων εἰσὶν οί τὰ τοιαῦτα τολμῶντες, ὡς μὲν Ἰουδαῖοι σκάνδαλον, ῶς δὲ Ἕλληνες μωρίαν νομιζέ- :wcav τὸν σταυρὸν τοῦ Χριστοῦ - εί δὲ ὑποκρίνονται ὺς Χριστιανοὶ, μαθέτωσαν τὸν σταυρωθέντα Χριστὸν, Κύριον μὲν τῆς δόξης, δύναμιν δὲ Θεοῦ καὶ Θεοῦ σοφίαν αὑτὸν εἶναι.
Entychōn tois nyn grapheisi pa ra sou, tēn men sēn eulaaeian antedexamēn (Xi), tēn de propeteian tōn mē noountōn mēte a legousi, mēte peri tinōndiaoedaiountai, epi poly thaumasas, ebouleusamēn alēthōs siōpēsai. Ty gar epi tois houtō phanerois kai pleon phōtos lampousin apokrinasthai, ouden eteron estin ē prophaseis anaischyntias tois houtō paranomousi parechein. Kai touto para tou Sōtēros memathēkamen. Nipsamenǭ gar tǭ Pilasǭ kai katalabomenǭ tēn sykophantian tōn tote Ioudaiōn, ouk eti hapekrinato autǭ ho Kyrios, alla mallon echrēmatize tę̄ toutou gynaiki, ina mē en logǭ, alla en dynamei pisteuētai ho krinomenos einai Theos. Tǭ de Kaiaphą mē apokrinomenos pros phlyarian,autos tę̄ gelia tous pantas eis gnōsin metēgagen. Epi poly goun hypertithemenos kai horōn tēn tōn anaideuomenōn logomachian, molis ę̄desthēn ton syn hyper tēs alētheias zēlon, kai hypēgoreusa ouden pleon tōn para sou graphentōn, hinʼ hois anteirēken ho enantios, toutois loipon peistheis, pausę̄ tēn glōssan autou apo kakou, kai cheilē hautou tou mē lalēsai dolon. Kai genoito men tous toioutous mēketi oneidisai meta tōn parodeuontōn tote Ioudaiōn ton kremamenon epi xylou, Ei Uios esti tou Theou, sōsei auton; ean de ara mēde houtōs katadyōntai, alla sy tēs hapostolikēs mnēmoneuōn parangelias, hairetikon anthrōpon meta mian kai deuteran nouthesian paraitou, eidōs, hoti exestraptai o toioutos, kai hamartanei ōn autokatakritos. Et men gar Hellēnes ētōn Ioudaizontōn eisin oi ta toiauta tolmōntes, hōs men Ioudaioi skandalon, ōs de Hellēnes mōrian nomize- :wcav ton stauron tou Christou - ei de hypokrinontai ys Christianoi, mathetōsan ton staurōthenta Christon, Kyrion men tēs doxēs, dynamin de Theou kai Theou sophian hauton einai.
Having read what you have now written, I welcomed your piety; but, marveling greatly at the rashness of those who understand neither what they say nor about what they make assertions, I had truly resolved to keep silent. For to answer about things so plain and shining brighter than light is nothing else than to furnish pretexts for shamelessness to those who so transgress. And this we have learned from the Savior. For when Pilate had washed his hands and perceived the false accusation of the Jews of that time, the Lord no longer answered him, but rather gave an oracle to his wife, so that he who was being judged might be believed to be God not in word but in power. And not answering Caiaphas's idle talk, he himself by his promise brought all to knowledge. So, having put it off a long time, and seeing the word-fighting of the shameless, I yielded with difficulty out of respect for your zeal for the truth, and dictated nothing more than what you had written, so that the opponent, being persuaded by what he has contradicted, may henceforth restrain his tongue from evil and his lips from speaking deceit. And would that such men might no longer reproach him who hung on the tree, with the Jews who passed by at that time: “If he is the Son of God, let him save himself”; but if even so they are not put to shame, then do you, remembering the apostolic command, reject a heretical man after one and a second admonition, knowing that such a one is perverted and sins, being self-condemned. For if those who dare such things are Greeks or of the Judaizers, let them think the cross of Christ a stumbling block as Jews, or foolishness as Greeks; but if they pretend to be Christians, let them learn that the crucified Christ is the Lord of glory, and the power of God and the wisdom of God.
Chapter 2
2PG 26:1088a–1088c
Ei δὲ ἀμφιβάλλουσιν, ὃτι καὶ Θεός ἐστιν, αἰδείσθωσαν τὸν Θωμᾶν τὸν ψηλαφήσαντα τὸν ἐσταυρωμένον, καὶ λέγοντα Κύριον αὐτὸν εἶναι καὶ Θεόν. Καὶ φοβείσθωσαν αὐτὸν τὸν Κύριον, τὸν μετά τὸ νίψαι τοὺς πόδας τῶν μαθητῶν λέγοντα ’ Ὑμεῖς φωνεῖτέ με ό Κύριος καὶ ό διδάσκωϊος, καὶ καλῶς λέγετε· εἰμὶ γάρ. Ἑν ᾧ δὲ σώματι τυγχάνων ένιψε τοὺς πόδας, έν τούτῳ τὰς ἁμαρτίας ἡμῶν ἀνήνεγκεν ἐπὶ τὸ ξύλον. Ἐμαρτυρεϊτό τε δεσπότης τῆς κτίτεως, συστείλαντος μὲν τοῦ ήλίου τὰς ἀκτῖνας, καὶ τῆς γῆς τρεμούσης, καὶ τῶν πετρῶν σχιζομένων, καὶ τῶν δημίων ὲπιγνόντων, ὅτι ἀληθῶς Θεοῦ Υἱός ἐστιν 6 σταυρωθείς. Οὐ γὰρ ἀνθρώπου τινος ἦν τὸ βλεπόμενον σῶμα, ἀλλά Θεοῦ, ὲν ᾧ τυγχάνων καὶ ὅτε ὲσταυροῦτο, ἧγειρε νεκρούς. Διὸ οὐδὲ καλὸν έκεῖνο αὐτῶν τόλμημα τὸ λέγον, ὃτι είς ἀνθρωπόν τινα ἀγιον ἐγένετο 6 τοῦ Θεοῦ Λόγος (τοῦτο γὰρ ὲν ἑκάστῳ ἐγένετο τῶν προφητῶν καὶ τῶν ἀλλων ἁγίων), ἵνα μή καθʼ ἕκαστον γεννώμενος καὶ πάλιν ἀποθνήσκων φαίνηται. Οὐκ ἔστι δὲ οὕτως* μὴ γένοιτοί Ἀλλʼ ἅπαξ ἐπὶ συντελείᾳ τῶν αἰώνων είς ἀθέτησιν τῆς ἁμαρτίας αὐτὸς 6 Λιόγος σὰρξ ἐγένετο, καὶ ὲκ Μαρίας τῆς Παρθένου προῆλθεν ἀνθρωπος καθʼ ὁμοίωσιν ἡμετέραν, ώς καὶ πρὸς Ἰουδαίους εφη ο Τί ζητεῖτέ με ἀποκτεῖναι ἄνθρωπον, ὃς τὴν ἀλήθειαν ὑμῖν λελάληκα ; Οὐκ ἀνθρώπου τέ τινος
Ei de amphiballousin, hoti kai Theos estin, aideisthōsan ton Thōman ton psēlaphēsanta ton estaurōmenon, kai legonta Kyrion auton einai kai Theon. Kai phobeisthōsan auton ton Kyrion, ton meta to nipsai tous podas tōn mathētōn legonta ’ Hymeis phōneite me o Kyrios kai o didaskōïos, kai kalōs legete; eimi gar. Hen hǭ de sōmati tynchanōn enipse tous podas, en toutǭ tas hamartias hēmōn anēnenken epi to xylon. Emartyreïto te despotēs tēs ktiteōs, systeilantos men tou ēliou tas aktinas, kai tēs gēs tremousēs, kai tōn petrōn schizomenōn, kai tōn dēmiōn epignontōn, hoti alēthōs Theou Huios estin 6 staurōtheis. Ou gar anthrōpou tinos ēn to blepomenon sōma, alla Theou, en hǭ tynchanōn kai hote estaurouto, hēgeire nekrous. Dio oude kalon ekeino autōn tolmēma to legon, hoti eis anthrōpon tina agion egeneto 6 tou Theou Logos (touto gar en hekastǭ egeneto tōn prophētōn kai tōn allōn hagiōn), hina mē kathʼ hekaston gennōmenos kai palin apothnēskōn phainētai. Ouk esti de houtōs* mē genoitoi Allʼ hapax epi synteleią tōn aiōnōn eis athetēsin tēs hamartias autos 6 Liogos sarx egeneto, kai ek Marias tēs Parthenou proēlthen anthrōpos kathʼ homoiōsin hēmeteran, ōs kai pros Ioudaious ephē o Ti zēteite me apokteinai anthrōpon, hos tēn alētheian hymin lelalēka ? Ouk anthrōpou te tinos
And if they doubt that he is also God, let them respect Thomas, who handled the crucified and said that he is Lord and God. And let them fear the Lord himself, who after washing the disciples' feet said, “You call me Lord and Teacher, and you say well, for so I am.” And in the very body in which he was when he washed their feet, he bore our sins up to the tree. And he was attested as master of creation, when the sun drew in its rays, and the earth trembled, and the rocks were split, and the executioners recognized that the one crucified is truly the Son of God. For the body that was seen was not some man's, but God's; being in it, even when he was being crucified, he raised the dead. Therefore that daring statement of theirs is not right either, which says that the Word of God came to some holy man (for this happened in each of the prophets and the other saints), lest he should appear to be born and to die again in each case. But it is not so; God forbid! But once for all, at the consummation of the ages, for the putting away of sin, the Word himself became flesh, and from Mary the Virgin came forth man after our likeness, as he also said to the Jews, “Why do you seek to kill me, a man who has told you the truth?” Not of some man …
Chapter 3
3PG 26:1088c–1089d
Ἀμέλει κάκεῖνο τεθαύμακα, πῶς ὅλως κᾶν ἐννοῆσαι τετολμήκασιν, ὅτι φύσεως ἀκολουθίᾳ γεγένηται ἄνθρωπος. Ei γὰρ οὕτως ἦν, περιττὴ τῆς Μαρίας ή μνήμη. Οὐδὲ γὰρ οἶδεν ἡ φύσις παρθένον χωρὶς ἀνδρὸς τίκτουσαν. Ὅθεν εὐδοκία οτοῦ Πατρὸς Θεὸς ὣν ἀληθινὸς, καὶ φύσει Λόγος, καὶ σοφία τοῦ Πατρός, γέγονε σωματικῶς ἄνθρωπος, διά τὴν ἡμεο τέραν σωτηρίαν, ἶνʼ, ἔχων ὃ προσενέγκῃ ὑπὲρ ἠ μῶν, σώσῃ πάντας ἡμᾶς, ὅσοι φόβῳ θανάτου διά παντὸς τοῦ ζῇν ἔνοχοι ἦσαν δουλείας. Οὐ γάρ ἄνθρωπός τις ὑπὲρ ήμῶν ἑαυτὸν δέδωκενο ἐπεὶ πᾶς ἄνθρωπος ὑπεύθυνός ἐστι θανάτῳ, κατὰ τὸ, Γῆ εἷ καὶ εἷς γῆν ἀπελεύσῃ. ὲν τῷ Ἀδάμ εἰρημένον πρὸς πάνταςʼ ἀλλʼ οὐδὲ ἕτερόν τι τῶν κτισμάτων ο ἐπεὶ πάσα κτίσις ὕποπτός ἐστι τροπῆς. Ἀλλʼ αὐτὸς 6 Λόγος τὸ ἴδιον σῶμα προσήνεγκεν ὑπὲρ ἡμῶν, ἵνα μὴ εἰς ἄν· θρωπον ή πίστις καὶ ἡ ἐλπὶς, ἀλλʼ εἰς αὑτὸν τὸν Θεὸν Λόγον τὴν πίστιν ἔχωμεν. ’Λμέλει καὶ ἀνθρώπου γενομένου αὐτοῦ, θεωροῦμεν τὴν δόξαν αὐτοῦ, ddξαν ὡς Μονοιιενοῦς παρὰ Πατρός, πλήρης χάριτος καὶ ἀληθείας. Ἃ γὰρ διὰ τοῦ σώματος ὑπο) έμεινε, ταῦτα ὡς Θεὸς έμεγάλυνε· καὶ έπείνα μὲν σαρκὶ, θεϊκῶς δὲ τοὺς πεινῶντας έχόρταζε. Καὶ εἰ σκανδαλίζεταί τις ἐπὶ τοῖς σωματικοῖς, πιστευέτω φʼ οἷς ὁ Θεὸς ἐργάζεται. Ιῐυνθάνεται γὰρ ἀνθρωπίνως, ποῦ Λάζαρος κεῖται, ἐγείρει δὲ τοῦτον θεῖκῶς. ’Όθεν μηδὲ γελάτω τις λέγων παιδίον καὶ ἡλικίαν ὀνομάζων, καὶ αὔξησιν, καὶ φαγεῖν, καὶ γπιεῖν, καὶ παθεῖν, ’ίνα μή, τὰ ἴδια τοῦ σώματος ἀρνούμενος, ἆρνήσηται τέλεον καὶ τήν διʼ ἡμᾶς ἐπιδημίαν αὐτοῦ. Καὶ ὥσπερ οὐκ ἀκολουθίᾳ φύσεως ἅνθρωπος γεγένηται, οὕτως ἀκόλουθον ἧν σῶμα λαβόντα αὐτὸν δεικνύναι τὰ ἷδια τούτου, ’ίνα μή ἠ φαντασία τοῦ Μανιχαίου κρατήσῃ. Ἀκὸλουθον δὲ πάλιν ήν σωματικῶς αὑτὸν χρηματίζοντα μή κρύψαι τὰ τῆς θεότητος, ’ίνα μὴ ὁ Σαμοσατεὺς πρόφασιν,εὕρῃ, ἄνθρωπον αὐτὸν λέγων, ὡς ἄλλον ὅντα παρά τὸν Θεὸν Λόγον.
Amelei kakeino tethaumaka, pōs holōs kan ennoēsai tetolmēkasin, hoti physeōs akolouthią gegenētai anthrōpos. Ei gar houtōs ēn, perittē tēs Marias ē mnēmē. Oude gar oiden hē physis parthenon chōris andros tiktousan. Hothen eudokia otou Patros Theos hōn alēthinos, kai physei Logos, kai sophia tou Patros, gegone sōmatikōs anthrōpos, dia tēn hēmeo teran sōtērian, inʼ, echōn ho prosenenkę̄ hyper ē mōn, sōsę̄ pantas hēmas, hosoi phobǭ thanatou dia pantos tou zę̄n enochoi ēsan douleias. Ou gar anthrōpos tis hyper ēmōn heauton dedōkeno epei pas anthrōpos hypeuthynos esti thanatǭ, kata to, Gē hei kai heis gēn apeleusę̄. en tǭ Adam eirēmenon pros pantasʼ allʼ oude heteron ti tōn ktismatōn o epei pasa ktisis hypoptos esti tropēs. Allʼ autos 6 Logos to idion sōma prosēnenken hyper hēmōn, hina mē eis an; thrōpon ē pistis kai hē elpis, allʼ eis hauton ton Theon Logon tēn pistin echōmen. ’Lmelei kai anthrōpou genomenou autou, theōroumen tēn doxan autou, ddxan hōs Monoiienous para Patros, plērēs charitos kai alētheias. Ha gar dia tou sōmatos hypo) emeine, tauta hōs Theos emegalyne; kai epeina men sarki, theïkōs de tous peinōntas echortaze. Kai ei skandalizetai tis epi tois sōmatikois, pisteuetō phʼ hois ho Theos ergazetai. Iiynthanetai gar anthrōpinōs, pou Lazaros keitai, egeirei de touton theikōs. ’Othen mēde gelatō tis legōn paidion kai hēlikian onomazōn, kai auxēsin, kai phagein, kai gpiein, kai pathein, ’ina mē, ta idia tou sōmatos arnoumenos, arnēsētai teleon kai tēn diʼ hēmas epidēmian autou. Kai hōsper ouk akolouthią physeōs hanthrōpos gegenētai, houtōs akolouthon hēn sōma labonta auton deiknynai ta hidia toutou, ’ina mē ē phantasia tou Manichaiou kratēsę̄. Akolouthon de palin ēn sōmatikōs hauton chrēmatizonta mē krypsai ta tēs theotētos, ’ina mē ho Samosateus prophasin,heurę̄, anthrōpon auton legōn, hōs allon honta para ton Theon Logon.
Indeed I have wondered at this too, how they have dared even to imagine that he became man by the ordinary course of nature. For if that were so, the mention of Mary would be superfluous; for nature does not know a virgin bearing without a man. Therefore, by the good pleasure of the Father, being true God, and by nature the Word and Wisdom of the Father, he became man bodily for our salvation, so that, having something to offer for us, he might save all of us who through fear of death were all our lifetime subject to bondage. For it was not some man who gave himself for us, since every man is liable to death, according to what was said to all in Adam, “Earth you are, and to earth you shall return”; nor was it any other of the creatures, since all creation is liable to change. But the Word himself offered his own body for us, so that our faith and hope might not be in a man, but that we might have our faith in God the Word himself. Indeed, even when he had become man, we behold his glory, glory as of the Only-begotten from the Father, full of grace and truth. For what he endured through the body, these things as God he magnified; and he hungered in the flesh, but divinely fed the hungry. And if anyone is offended at the bodily things, let him believe on account of what God works. For he asks humanly where Lazarus lies, but raises him divinely. So let no one laugh, saying “child,” and naming age and growth, eating and drinking and suffering, lest, by denying what is proper to the body, he deny entirely his coming for our sake. And just as he did not become man by the course of nature, so it was fitting that, having taken a body, he should show what is proper to it, lest the fantasy of Manichaeus prevail; and again it was fitting that, while he dealt with men bodily, he should not hide what belongs to the Godhead, lest the Samosatene find a pretext for calling him a man, as being other than God the Word.