Letters to Serapion 1.1–1.9
Greek text: PG 26.English: Claude (claude-opus-5-5), public domain (CC0).
Chapter 1
1.1PG 26:529a–532c
Τὰ γραμματα τῆς σῆς ἱερᾶς διαθέσεως ἀπεδόθη μοι ἐν τῇ ἐρήμῳ. Καὶ αἶ καὶ πικρός τις ἦν ὁ καθʼ ἡμῶν διωγμὸς ἐπικείμενος, καὶ πολλή ἔρευνα τῶν ζητούντων ἡμᾶς ἀνελεῖν· ἀλλʼ ‹‹ ὁ Πατὴρ τῶν οἰκτιρμῶν καὶ Θεὸς πάσης παρακλήσεως, ›› παρεκάλεσεν ἡμᾶς καὶ ἐν τοῖς γράμμασί σου. Ἀναμιμνησκόμινος γὰρ τῆς σῆς διαθέσεως καὶ πάντων τῶν γνησίων, ἔδοξα τούτους σὺν ἐμοὶ τότε παρεῖναι. Ἐπιπολὺ μὲν οὗν ἔχαιρον κατέχων τὰ γράμματα* ὡς δὶ τούτοις ἐνέτυχον, ἠρξάμην πάλιν ἀθυμεῖν διὰ τοὺς ἅπαξ μελετήσαντας μάχεσθαι πρὸς τὴν ἀλήθειαν. Ἔγραφες γὰρ, ἀγαπητὲ καὶ άληθῶς ποθεινότατε, λυπούμονος καὶ αὐτὸς, ὡς ἐξελθόντων μέν τινων ἀπὸ τῶν Ἀρειανῶν διὰ τὴν κατὰ τοῦ Υἱοῦ τοῦ Θεοῦ βλασφημίαν, φρονούντων δὲ κατὰ τοῦ ἁγίου Πνεύματος, καὶ λεγόντων αὐτὸ μή μόνον κτίσμα, ἀλλὰ καὶτῶν λειτουργικῶν πνευμάτων ἓν αὐτὸ εἶναικαὶ βαθμῷ μόνον αὐτὸ διαφέρειν τῶν ἀγγέλων. Τοῦτο δέ ἐστι πρὸς μὲν τοὺς Ἀρειανοῦς προσποιητὸς μάχη·ἀληθὴς δὲ ἀντιλογία πρὸς τήν εὐσεβῆ πίστιν. Ὥσπερ γὰρ ἐκεῖνοι, ἀρνούμενοι τὸν Υἱὸν, ἀρνοῦνται καὶ τὸν Πατέρα· οὕτω καὶ οὗτοι, δυσφημοῦντες είς τὸ Πνεῦμα τὸ ἅγιον, δοσφημοῦσι καὶ είς τὸν Υἱόν. Καὶ ἀμφότερα τὰ μέρη διείλοντο τὴν πρὸς τήν ἀλήθειαν ἀντίστασιν, τίνʼ οἱ μὶν κατᾶ τοῦ Λόγου, οἱ δὲ κατὰ τοῦ Πνεύματος φρονοῦντες, τήν αὐτὴν ἔχωσιν εἷς τὴν ἁγίαν Τριαδα βλασφημίαν. Ταῦτʼ οῦν συνορῶν καὶ πολλὰ λογιζόμενος, έν ἀθυμίαν γέγονα, ὅτι πάλιν εὗρε παίζειν ὁ διάβολος ἐν τοῖς ὑποκρινομένοις τήν λανίαν αὐτοῦ· καὶ κρίνας μὴν ἥμην σιωπᾷν έν τοιούτῳ καιρῷ· διὰ δὲ τήν προτροπὴν τῆς σῆς ὁσιότητος, ἓνεκά τε τῆς ἐκείνων ἀλλοδοξίας καὶ σατανικῆς προπετείας, διʼ ὀλίγων ἔγραψα τὴν ἐπιστολὴν, μόγις καὶ ταῦτα δυνηθεὶς,ίνα μόνον καὶ σὺ, πρόφασιν ἐκ τούτων λαβὼν, κατά τὴν προσοῦσάν σοι σύνεσιν τὰ λείποντα προσθῇς, καὶ πλήρης ὁ κατὰ τῆς δυσσεβοῦς αἱρέσεως ἔλεγχος γένηται.
Ta grammata tēs sēs hieras diatheseōs apedothē moi en tę̄ erēmǭ. Kai ai kai pikros tis ēn ho kathʼ hēmōn diōgmos epikeimenos, kai pollē ereuna tōn zētountōn hēmas anelein; allʼ ‹‹ ho Patēr tōn oiktirmōn kai Theos pasēs paraklēseōs, ›› parekalesen hēmas kai en tois grammasi sou. Anamimnēskominos gar tēs sēs diatheseōs kai pantōn tōn gnēsiōn, edoxa toutous syn emoi tote pareinai. Epipoly men houn echairon katechōn ta grammata* hōs di toutois enetychon, ērxamēn palin athymein dia tous hapax meletēsantas machesthai pros tēn alētheian. Egraphes gar, agapēte kai alēthōs potheinotate, lypoumonos kai autos, hōs exelthontōn men tinōn apo tōn Areianōn dia tēn kata tou Huiou tou Theou blasphēmian, phronountōn de kata tou hagiou Pneumatos, kai legontōn auto mē monon ktisma, alla kaitōn leitourgikōn pneumatōn hen auto einaikai bathmǭ monon auto diapherein tōn angelōn. Touto de esti pros men tous Areianous prospoiētos machē;alēthēs de antilogia pros tēn eusebē pistin. Hōsper gar ekeinoi, arnoumenoi ton Huion, arnountai kai ton Patera; houtō kai houtoi, dysphēmountes eis to Pneuma to hagion, dosphēmousi kai eis ton Huion. Kai amphotera ta merē dieilonto tēn pros tēn alētheian antistasin, tinʼ hoi min kata tou Logou, hoi de kata tou Pneumatos phronountes, tēn autēn echōsin heis tēn hagian Triada blasphēmian. Tautʼ oun synorōn kai polla logizomenos, en athymian gegona, hoti palin heure paizein ho diabolos en tois hypokrinomenois tēn lanian autou; kai krinas mēn hēmēn siōpąn en toioutǭ kairǭ; dia de tēn protropēn tēs sēs hosiotētos, heneka te tēs ekeinōn allodoxias kai satanikēs propeteias, diʼ oligōn egrapsa tēn epistolēn, mogis kai tauta dynētheis,ina monon kai sy, prophasin ek toutōn labōn, kata tēn prosousan soi synesin ta leiponta prosthę̄s, kai plērēs ho kata tēs dyssebous haireseōs elenchos genētai.
The letter of your holy affection was delivered to me in the desert. Although the persecution pressing on us was bitter, and there was a great search by those who seek to kill us, yet “the Father of mercies and God of all comfort” comforted us through your letter too. For as I remembered your affection and all the genuine brothers, I seemed to have them present with me then. So I was very glad as I held your letter; but when I read it, I began to be disheartened again because of those who have once made it their practice to fight against the truth. For you wrote, beloved and truly most dear, grieving yourself, that some, though they have left the Arians because of their blasphemy against the Son of God, nevertheless think against the Holy Spirit, saying that he is not only a creature but even one of the ministering spirits, and differs from the angels only in degree. This is a pretended fight against the Arians, but a real contradiction of the pious faith. For as those, by denying the Son, deny the Father too, so these, by speaking ill of the Holy Spirit, speak ill of the Son too. And the two parties have divided between them the opposition to the truth, so that, the one thinking against the Word and the other against the Spirit, they hold the same blasphemy against the holy Triad. Seeing these things, then, and reflecting much, I became disheartened that the devil has again found sport in those who act out his madness; and I had decided to keep silent at such a time. But at the urging of your holiness, and because of their heterodoxy and satanic rashness, I have written this letter briefly, and even this with difficulty, only so that you too, taking occasion from it, may add what is lacking according to the understanding you have, and the refutation of the impious heresy may be complete.
2 Cor 1:3 (quotation, high confidence) · Heb 1:14 (allusion, high confidence) · 1 John 2:23 (allusion, medium confidence)
Notes and citation
Summary: Writing from the desert, Athanasius answers Serapion’s report that some who left the Arians now call the Holy Spirit a creature, one of the ministering spirits.
- Athanasius writes to Serapion, bishop of Thmuis, during his third exile (356–362), when he was hiding among the monks of the Egyptian desert.
- 2 Cor 1:3; Heb 1:14 (ministering spirits); 1 John 2:23.
Notes on the original text
- Digital text corrected (OCR garble): κατὰ τοῦ ΥἱοῦῙ οῦ Θεοῦ → κατὰ τοῦ Υἱοῦ τοῦ Θεοῦ.
Cite (SBL): Athanasius, Ep. Serap. 1.1 (PG 26:529a–532c; trans. Sophia Scriptura, https://sophiascriptura.com/fathers/athanasius-epistulae-serapionem/1-1/#p-1-1). (abbreviation not yet checked)
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Translation: Translated by Claude from the Migne PG 26 scan text; no public-domain English exists, so it was re-read against the Greek.
1.2PG 26:532c–533c
Τῶν μὶν οῦν Ἀρειανῶν οὐκ ἀλλότριον καὶ τοῦτο ἐνθύμημα. Ἅπαξ γὰρ ἀρνούμενοι τὸν τοῦ Θεοῦ Λόγον εἰκότως τὰ αὐτά καί κατὰ τοῦ Πνεύματος αὖ· τοῦ δυσφημοῦσι. Διὸ καὶ οὐ χρὴ πλέον τι πρὸς αὐτοὺς εἰπεῖν· ἀρκεῖ γὰρ τὰ πρὸ τούτων εἰρημένα κατʼ αὐτῶν. Πρὸς δὲ τοὸς περὶ τοῦ Πνεύματος ἀπατηθέντας, τρόπῳ τινὶ, ὡς ἃν αὐτοὶ φαῖεν, προσήκει διιρευνῶντας εἰπεῖνʼ Τούτων γὰρ καὶ θαυμάσειεν ἂν τις τήν ἄνοιαν, ὃτι τὸν Υἱὸν τοῦ Θεοῦ μὴ Θέλοντες κτίσμα εἶναι, καὶ καλῶς γε κατὰ τοῦτο φρονοῦντες πῶς οὸ Πνεῦμα τοῦ Υἱοῦ κτίσμα κᾶν ἀκοῦσαι ἠνέσχοντο ; Καὶ γὰρ εἰ διὰ τὴν πρὸς τὸν Ιῐατᾶρα τοῦ Λόγου ἑνότητα, ού Οέλουσιν εἶναι τῶν γενητῶη αύτὸν τὸν Υἳὸν, ἀλλʼ ὅπερ ἐστὶν ἀληθῶς, δημιουργὸν αὐτὸν εἶναι τῶν ποιημάτων φρονοῦσι· διὰ τί τὸ Πνεῦμα τὸ ἅγιον τὸ τὴν αὐτὴν ἔχον ἑνότητα πρὸς τὸν Υἱόν, ἣν αὐτὸς ἔχει πρὸς τὸν Ιῐατέρα, κτίσμα λέγουσι, καὶ ἠγνόησαν, ὅτι, ὥσπερ μή διαιροῦντες τὸν Υἱὸν ἀπὸ τοῦ Ιῐατρὸς, σώζουσι τὸἕνα Θεὸν εἶναι, οὕτω, διαιροῦντες ἀπὸ τοῦ Λόγου τὸ Πνεῦμα, ούκὲτι μίαν τὴν ἐν Τριάδι θεότητα σώζουσι, σχίζοντες αὐτὴν καὶ ἐπιμίσγοντες αὐτῇ ἀλλοτρίαν καὶ ἐτεροειδῆ φύσιν, καὶ τοῖς κτίσμασι συνεξισοῦντες αὐτήν; Τοῦτο δὲ πάλιν οὐκέτι ἓν εἶναι δείκνυσι τὴν Τριάδα, ἀλλᾶ ἐκ δύο καὶ διαφόρων φύσεων συγκειμένην αὐτὴν, διὰ τὸ ἓτεροούσιον τοῦ [Ῑνεύματος, ὡς αὐτοὶ ἑαυτοῖς ἀνεπλέσαντο Ποία οῦν αὕτη θεολογία Χἐκ δημιουρ· γοῦ καὶ κτίσματος συγκειμένη; Ἢ γὰρ οὐ Τριάς ἐστιν, ἀΛλᾶ δυὰς, καὶ λοιπὸν ἡ κτίσις, ἢ, εί Τριάς ἐστιν, ὥσπερ οῦν καί ἐστι, πῶς τοῖς μετὰ τὴν Τριάδα κτίσμασι συντάττουσι τὸ τῆς Τριάδος ΙΙνεῦμα; Τοῦτο γάρ ἐστι πάλιν διαιρεῖν καὶ διαλύειν τὴν Τριάδα. Οὐκοῦν, κακῶς φρονοῦντες περὶ τοῦ ΙΙνεύματος τοῦ ἁγίου, οὐδὲ περὶ τοῦ Υἱοῦ καλῶς φρονοῦσιν Εἴ γὰρ ἐφρόνουν ὀρθῶς περὶ τοῦ Λὸγου, ἐφρόνουν ὑγιῶς καὶ περὶ τοῦ ΙΙνεύματος, ὃ παρὰ τοῦ ΙΙατρὸς ἐκπορεύεται, καὶ τοῦ Υἱοῦ ἴδιον ὃν, παρʼ αὐτοῦ δίδοται τοῖς μαθηταῖς καὶ πᾶσι τοῖς πιστεύουσιν είς αὐτόν. Οὕτω δὲ πλανώμενοι, οὐδὲ περὶ τοῦ Ιῐατρὸς ὑγιῆ τήν πίστιν ἔχουσιν. Οἳ γὰρ ἀντικείμενοι τῷ ΙΙνεύματι, ὡς εἶπεν ὁ μέγας μάρτυς Στέφανος, οὗτοι καὶ τὸν Υίὸν ἀρνοῦνται. Τὸν δὲ Υἱὸν ἀρνούμενοι, οὐδὲ τὸν Πατέρα ἔχουσι.
Tōn min oun Areianōn ouk allotrion kai touto enthymēma. Hapax gar arnoumenoi ton tou Theou Logon eikotōs ta auta kai kata tou Pneumatos au; tou dysphēmousi. Dio kai ou chrē pleon ti pros autous eipein; arkei gar ta pro toutōn eirēmena katʼ autōn. Pros de toos peri tou Pneumatos apatēthentas, tropǭ tini, hōs han autoi phaien, prosēkei diireunōntas eipeinʼ Toutōn gar kai thaumaseien an tis tēn anoian, hoti ton Huion tou Theou mē Thelontes ktisma einai, kai kalōs ge kata touto phronountes pōs oo Pneuma tou Huiou ktisma kan akousai ēneschonto ? Kai gar ei dia tēn pros ton Iiatara tou Logou henotēta, ou Oelousin einai tōn genētōē auton ton Huion, allʼ hoper estin alēthōs, dēmiourgon auton einai tōn poiēmatōn phronousi; dia ti to Pneuma to hagion to tēn autēn echon henotēta pros ton Huion, hēn autos echei pros ton Iiatera, ktisma legousi, kai ēgnoēsan, hoti, hōsper mē diairountes ton Huion apo tou Iiatros, sōzousi toena Theon einai, houtō, diairountes apo tou Logou to Pneuma, ouketi mian tēn en Triadi theotēta sōzousi, schizontes autēn kai epimisgontes autę̄ allotrian kai eteroeidē physin, kai tois ktismasi synexisountes autēn? Touto de palin ouketi hen einai deiknysi tēn Triada, alla ek dyo kai diaphorōn physeōn synkeimenēn autēn, dia to heteroousion tou [Ineumatos, hōs autoi heautois aneplesanto Poia oun hautē theologia Chek dēmiour; gou kai ktismatos synkeimenē? Ē gar ou Trias estin, aLla dyas, kai loipon hē ktisis, ē, ei Trias estin, hōsper oun kai esti, pōs tois meta tēn Triada ktismasi syntattousi to tēs Triados IIneuma? Touto gar esti palin diairein kai dialyein tēn Triada. Oukoun, kakōs phronountes peri tou IIneumatos tou hagiou, oude peri tou Huiou kalōs phronousin Ei gar ephronoun orthōs peri tou Logou, ephronoun hygiōs kai peri tou IIneumatos, ho para tou IIatros ekporeuetai, kai tou Huiou idion hon, parʼ autou didotai tois mathētais kai pasi tois pisteuousin eis auton. Houtō de planōmenoi, oude peri tou Iiatros hygiē tēn pistin echousin. Hoi gar antikeimenoi tǭ IIneumati, hōs eipen ho megas martys Stephanos, houtoi kai ton Uion arnountai. Ton de Huion arnoumenoi, oude ton Patera echousi.
This notion too is not foreign to the Arians. For having once denied the Word of God, they naturally speak the same ill of his Spirit too. So there is no need to say anything more to them; what has been said against them before is enough. But to those who have been deceived about the Spirit it is fitting to speak, examining the matter “in some manner,” as they themselves would say. For one might marvel at their folly: not wishing the Son of God to be a creature, and thinking rightly in this, how have they endured even to hear that the Spirit of the Son is a creature? For if, because of the oneness of the Word with the Father, they will not have the Son himself be one of the originated things, but think—as is true—that he is the creator of the things made, why do they call the Holy Spirit a creature, who has the same oneness with the Son that the Son has with the Father? And they did not know that, as by not dividing the Son from the Father they preserve that God is one, so by dividing the Spirit from the Word they no longer preserve the one Godhead in the Triad, splitting it and mixing into it a foreign nature of another kind, and making it equal with the creatures. And this again shows that the Triad is no longer one, but composed of two different natures, because of the Spirit’s being of another essence, as they have fabricated for themselves. What sort of theology is this, composed of creator and creature? For either it is not a Triad but a Dyad, with creation besides; or, if it is a Triad, as indeed it is, how do they rank the Spirit of the Triad with the creatures that come after the Triad? For this again is to divide and dissolve the Triad. So, thinking wrongly about the Holy Spirit, they do not think rightly about the Son either. For if they thought rightly about the Word, they would think soundly about the Spirit too, who proceeds from the Father, and, being proper to the Son, is given by him to the disciples and to all who believe in him. And going astray in this way, they do not have a sound faith about the Father either. For those who oppose the Spirit, as the great martyr Stephen said, deny the Son too; and denying the Son, they do not have the Father either.
John 15:26 (allusion, high confidence) · Acts 7:51 (allusion, high confidence) · 1 John 2:23 (allusion, high confidence)
Notes and citation
Summary: Those who call the Spirit a creature divide the Triad into creator and creature, and so err about the Son and the Father too.
- “In some manner” (τρόπῳ τινί) appears to play on the name Tropici (“figurists”), which Athanasius gives these opponents later in the letter for their figurative exegesis.
- John 15:26 (proceeds from the Father); Acts 7:51 (Stephen); 1 John 2:23.
Notes on the original text
- Digital text corrected (OCR garble of Υἱόν): πρὸς τὸν my, ἣν → πρὸς τὸν Υἱόν, ἣν.
Cite (SBL): Athanasius, Ep. Serap. 1.2 (PG 26:532c–533c; trans. Sophia Scriptura, https://sophiascriptura.com/fathers/athanasius-epistulae-serapionem/1-1/#p-1-2). (abbreviation not yet checked)
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Translation: Translated by Claude from the Migne PG 26 scan text; no public-domain English exists, so it was re-read against the Greek.
1.3PG 26:536a–536d
Πόθεν τοίνυν ὑμῖν, ω ουτοι, τῆς τοσαύτης τόλμης ἡ πρόφασις, ὥστε μὴ φοβηθῆναι τὸ ὑπὸ τοῦ Κυρίου ιίρημὲνονο α ’ος δʼ ἂν βλασφημήσῃ εἷς τὸ Πνεῦμα τὸ ἅγιον, οὐκ ἔχει ἄφεσιν οὔτε ἐν τῷ αίῶνι τούτῳ, οὔτε ἐν τῷ μέλλοντι; ›› Οἱ μὶν γὰρ Ἀρειανοὶ, καίτοι τήν ἔνσαρκον παρουσίαν τοῦ Λόγου καὶ τὰ διʼ αὐτὴν εἰρημένα μὴ νοήσαντες, ὅμως ἐξ αὐτῶν πρόφασιν λαβόντες εἷς τὴν ὶαυτῶν αʼίρεσιν, καὶ οὕτως ήλιγχθησαν θεομάχοι καὶ ὡς ἀληθῶς ἀπὸ γῆς κενολογοῦντες Ὑμεῖς δὲ πόθεν ἠπατήθητε; παρὰ τίνων ἀκούσαντες, ἢ τίς ὁ τρόπος τῆς τοιαύτης ὑμῶν πλάνης; Ἀνὲγνωμεν, φασὶν, ἰν τῷ προφήτῃ Ἀμὼς, λὲγοντος τοῦ Θεοῦ, ε ’Ότι Ἰδοὺ ἐγὼ στερεῶν βροντὴν, καὶ κτίζων πνεῦμα, καὶ ἀπαγγὲλλων είς ἀνθρώπους τὸν Χριστὸν αὐτοῦʼ ποιῶν ὄρθρον καὶ ίμίχλην, καὶ ἰπιβαίνων ἐπὶ τὰ ὑψηλὰ τῆς γῆς, Κύριος 6 Θεὸς 6 παντοκράτωρ ὄνομα αὐτῷ. ι) Καὶ ἔνθεν ἐπείσθημεν τοῖς Ἀρειανοῖς λίγουσι κτίσμα εἶναι τὸ Πνεῦμα τὸ ἅγιον. Εἶτα τὸ μὲν παρᾶ τῷ Ἀμὼς ἀνέγνωτε· τὸ δὲ ἐν ταῖς Ῑῐαροιμίαις λεγόμενον, ‹‹ Κύριος ἔκτισὲ με ἀρχὴν ὁδῶν αὑτοῦ είς ἔργα αὖτοῦ, ›› οὐκ ἀνέγνωτε, ἢ ἀνέγνωτε; Καὶ τοῦτο μὶν, ὡς ἔχει ἀληθείας, ὶρμηνεόετε, ’ίνα μὴ εἷʼπητε κτίσμα τὸν Λόγον· τὸ δὲ ὲν τῷ προφήτῃ οὐχ ἆρμηνεόετε, ἀλλὰ ἁπλῶς ἀκούοντες ‹‹ πνεῦμα, » ἰνομίσατε λέγεσθαι κτίσμα τὸ Πνεῦμα τὸ ἅγιον; Καίτοι ἐν μὶν ταῖς Παροιμίαις φανερῶς ἠ Σοφία λέγουσα ἐστι τὸ, ‹‹ ἔκτισὲ με· ›› καὶ ὅμως καλῶς γε ποιοῦντες, ἐρμηνεύετε τὸ ῥητὸν, ’ίνα μή τήν δημιουργὸν Σοφίαν ἰν τοῖς κτίσμασι συναριθμῆτε. Τὸ δὶ ἐν τῷ προφήτῃ ῥητὸν οὐκ ἔχει γνώρισμα περὶ τοῦ ἁγίου Πνεῦματος, ἀλλʼ ἁπλιῦς εἷʼρηται περὶ πνεύματος. Ιῐῶς οὖν, καίτοι πλείστης οὔσης διαφορᾶς ἐν ταῖς Γραφαῖς περὶ πνευμάτων, καὶ δυναμένου τοῦ ῥητοῦ τὴν ἰδίαν διάνοιαν ἔχειν ὀρθὴν, ὑμεῖς, ὡς φιλονεικοῦντες ἢ ὡς ὑπὸ δήγματος τοῦ Ἀρειανοῦ ὄφεως βλαβέντες, τὸ Πνεῦμα τὸ ἅγιον εἱρῆσθαι παρὰ τοῦ Ἀμὼς νομίζετε, τίνα μόνον τοῦ φρονεῖν κτίσμα μὴ ἐπιλάθησθε;
Pothen toinyn hymin, ō outoi, tēs tosautēs tolmēs hē prophasis, hōste mē phobēthēnai to hypo tou Kyriou iirēmenono a ’os dʼ an blasphēmēsę̄ heis to Pneuma to hagion, ouk echei aphesin oute en tǭ aiōni toutǭ, oute en tǭ mellonti? ›› Hoi min gar Areianoi, kaitoi tēn ensarkon parousian tou Logou kai ta diʼ autēn eirēmena mē noēsantes, homōs ex autōn prophasin labontes heis tēn iautōn aʼiresin, kai houtōs ēlinchthēsan theomachoi kai hōs alēthōs apo gēs kenologountes Hymeis de pothen ēpatēthēte? para tinōn akousantes, ē tis ho tropos tēs toiautēs hymōn planēs? Anegnōmen, phasin, in tǭ prophētę̄ Amōs, legontos tou Theou, e ’Oti Idou egō stereōn brontēn, kai ktizōn pneuma, kai apangellōn eis anthrōpous ton Christon autouʼ poiōn orthron kai imichlēn, kai ipibainōn epi ta hypsēla tēs gēs, Kyrios 6 Theos 6 pantokratōr onoma autǭ. i) Kai enthen epeisthēmen tois Areianois ligousi ktisma einai to Pneuma to hagion. Eita to men para tǭ Amōs anegnōte; to de en tais Iiaroimiais legomenon, ‹‹ Kyrios ektise me archēn hodōn hautou eis erga autou, ›› ouk anegnōte, ē anegnōte? Kai touto min, hōs echei alētheias, irmēneoete, ’ina mē heiʼpēte ktisma ton Logon; to de en tǭ prophētę̄ ouch armēneoete, alla haplōs akouontes ‹‹ pneuma, » inomisate legesthai ktisma to Pneuma to hagion? Kaitoi en min tais Paroimiais phanerōs ē Sophia legousa esti to, ‹‹ ektise me; ›› kai homōs kalōs ge poiountes, ermēneuete to rhēton, ’ina mē tēn dēmiourgon Sophian in tois ktismasi synarithmēte. To di en tǭ prophētę̄ rhēton ouk echei gnōrisma peri tou hagiou Pneumatos, allʼ hapliys heiʼrētai peri pneumatos. Iiōs oun, kaitoi pleistēs ousēs diaphoras en tais Graphais peri pneumatōn, kai dynamenou tou rhētou tēn idian dianoian echein orthēn, hymeis, hōs philoneikountes ē hōs hypo dēgmatos tou Areianou opheōs blabentes, to Pneuma to hagion heirēsthai para tou Amōs nomizete, tina monon tou phronein ktisma mē epilathēsthe?
From where, then, do you get the pretext for such daring, that you do not fear what was said by the Lord: “Whoever blasphemes against the Holy Spirit has no forgiveness either in this age or in the age to come”? For the Arians, although they did not understand the Word’s coming in the flesh and what was said on account of it, nevertheless took a pretext from it for their heresy, and so were convicted as God-fighters and truly as people talking idly from the earth. But you, how were you deceived? From whom did you hear it, or what is the manner of your error? “We have read,” they say, “in the prophet Amos, where God says, ‘For behold, I am he who makes firm the thunder and creates spirit, and announces to men his Christ, who makes dawn and mist, and treads upon the high places of the earth; the Lord God Almighty is his name’; and from this we were persuaded by the Arians, who say that the Holy Spirit is a creature.” Then, you have read what is in Amos; but what is said in the Proverbs, “The Lord created me as the beginning of his ways for his works,” have you not read it, or have you? And this you interpret according to the truth, so as not to say that the Word is a creature; but the text in the prophet you do not interpret, but simply on hearing “spirit” you supposed that the Holy Spirit is said to be a creature? Yet in the Proverbs it is plainly Wisdom who says, “He created me”; and nevertheless, rightly, you interpret the text, so as not to number creative Wisdom among the creatures. But the text in the prophet has no mark referring to the Holy Spirit; it is said simply of “spirit.” How, then, when there is a very great variety concerning spirits in the Scriptures, and the text can have its own correct meaning, do you, as though contentious or harmed by the bite of the Arian serpent, suppose that the Holy Spirit is spoken of by Amos, only so as not to forget to think him a creature?
Matt 12:32 (quotation, high confidence) · Amos 4:13 (quotation, high confidence) · Prov 8:22 (quotation, high confidence)
Notes and citation
Summary: The opponents base their view on Amos 4:13, “who creates spirit,” but the text says simply “spirit,” not the Holy Spirit, and they interpret Prov 8:22 more carefully.
- Matt 12:32; Amos 4:13 LXX (which reads “announces to men his Christ”); Prov 8:22.
Notes on the original text
- Digital text corrected (OCR garble; OCR garble of ἀνέγνωτε; OCR garble of ἐπιλάθησθε): τὲ ὑψηλὰ, τῆς“γ”ῗὲς, → τὰ ὑψηλὰ τῆς γῆς,; Ἀμὼς dive-ptine: → Ἀμὼς ἀνέγνωτε·; μὴ 61nλάθησθις ’ → μὴ ἐπιλάθησθε;.
Topics: Trinity, Heresy, Scripture and canon
Cite (SBL): Athanasius, Ep. Serap. 1.3 (PG 26:536a–536d; trans. Sophia Scriptura, https://sophiascriptura.com/fathers/athanasius-epistulae-serapionem/1-1/#p-1-3). (abbreviation not yet checked)
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Translation: Translated by Claude from the Migne PG 26 scan text; no public-domain English exists, so it was re-read against the Greek.
1.4PG 26:536d–537b
Εἴπατε γοῦν εἷʼ που τῆς θείας Γραφῆς εὑρίσκετε τὸ Πνεῦμα τὸ ἅγιον ἁπλῶς εἶρημίνον πνεῦμα, χωρὶς προσθήκης τοῦ λέγεσθαι ἢ τοῦ Θεοῦ, ἢ τοῦ Πατρὸς, ἢ ὅτι ἐμοῦ, ἢ αὐτοῦ τοῦ Χριστοῦ καὶ τοῦ Υἱοῦ, ἢ παρʼ ἐμοῦ, ὅ έστι παρά τοῦ Θεοῦ, ἢ μετὰ τοῦ ἄρθρου, ’ἱνα μή ἁπλῶς λέγηται πνεῦμα, ἀλλὰ τὸ Πνεῦμα ἢ αὐτὸ τοῦτο τὸ Πνεῦμα τὸ ἅγιον, ἢ Παράκλητον, ἢ ἀληθείας, ὅ ἔστι τοῦ Υἱοῦ, τοῦ λέγοντος, ‹‹ Ἐγώ εῗμι ἡ ἀλήθεια· ›› ἵνα, ἀκούσαντες ἁπλῶς « πνεῦμα, ›› ὑπονοήσητε εἶναι τὸ Πνεῦμα τὸ ἅγιον; Ἐξῃρήσθωσαν δὲ τοῦ Λόγου νῦν οἵτινες ἤδη λαβόντες, πάλιν ὀνομάζονται, καὶ ὅσοι, προμαθόντες περὶ τοῦ ἁγίου ΙΙνεόματος, ὕστερον ὡς έν ἐπαναλήψει καὶ ὑπομνήσει, καὶ μόνον λεγομένω ι τοῦ πνεύματος, ›› οὐκ ἀγνοοῦσι περὶ τίνος ἀκούουσι· καὶ μάλιστα, ὅτι καὶ οὕτω μετᾶ τοῦ ἄρθρου λέγεται. Καὶ ὅλως ἄνευ τοῦ ἄρθρου, ἢ τῆς προειρημένης προσθήκης, οὐκ ἂν εἷή σημαινόμενον τὸ Πνεῦμα τὸ ἅγιον· οἶά ἐστιν ’ὰ γράφει Παῦλος τοῖς Γαλάταιςο ι( Τοῦτο μόνον θέλω μαθεῖν ἀφʼ ὑμῶν, ἐξ ἔργων νόμου τὸ ΙΙνεῦμα ἐλάβετε, ἢ ἐξ ἀκοῆς πίστεως ; ›› ΙΙοῖον δὲ ἦσαν λαβόντες ἢ τὸ Πνεῦμα τὸ ἅγιον, τὰ διδόμενον τοῖς πιστεύουσι καὶ ἀναγεννωμένοις διὰ λουτροῦ παλιγγενεσίας ; Καὶ Θεσσαλονικεῦσι δὲ γράφωνᾖ «ΑΤὸ Ιίνεῦμα μὴ σβέννυτεο ›› εἰδόσι καὶ αὐτοῖς ὅπερ ἔλαβον ἔλεγεν, ’ἱνα μὴ σβέσωσιν ἐξ ἀμελείας τὴν έν αὐτοῖς ἀδαφθεῖσαν τοῦ Ῑῐνεύματος χάριν. Ἐν δὲ τοῖς Εὐαγγελίοις περὶ τοῦ Σωτῆρος ἀνθρωπίνως διὰ τήν σάρκα ἣν προσέλαβεν, ἐὰν λέγωσιν οἱ εὐαγγελισταὶ, ι Ἰησοῦς δὲ, πλήρης (ὃ) Πνεῦματος ὣν, ὑπέστρεψεν ἀπὸ τοῦ Ἰορδάνου· » καὶ τὸ, ‹‹ Τότε ὂ Ἰησοῦς ἀνήχθη ὑπὸ τοῦ ΙΙνεύματος εἷς τὴν ἔρημον· ›› τὸ) αὐτὸν ἔχει νοῦν. ΙΙροείρητο γὰρ ὑπὸ τοῦ Λουκᾶ ιι Ἐγένετο δὲ ἐν τῴ βαπτισθῆναι ἅπαντα τὸν λαὸν, καὶ Ἰησοῦ βαπτισθένο ντος, καὶ προσευχομένου, ἆνεωθῆναι τὸν οὐρανὸν, καὶ καταβῆναι τὸ Πνεῦμα τὸ ἅγιον σωματικῷ ενδει, ὡσεὶ περιστερὰν, ἐπʼ αὐτόν. )) Καὶ δῆλον ἧν, ὅτι, λεγομένου τοῦ ΙΙνεόματος, τὸ Πνεῦμα τὸ ἅγιον ἦν σημαινόμενον. Οὕτω μὲν οῦν παρʼ οἷς έστι τὸ Πνεῦμα τὸ ἅγιον κᾶν μόνον τὸ Πνεῦμα λέγηται χωρὶς τῆς ἐπʼ αὐτῷ προσθήκης, οὐκ ἀμφίβολον, ὅτι τὰ Πνεῦμα τὸ ἅγιον σημαίνεται, ἕχον μάλιστα τὸ ἄρθρον.
Eipate goun heiʼ pou tēs theias Graphēs heuriskete to Pneuma to hagion haplōs eirēminon pneuma, chōris prosthēkēs tou legesthai ē tou Theou, ē tou Patros, ē hoti emou, ē autou tou Christou kai tou Huiou, ē parʼ emou, ho esti para tou Theou, ē meta tou arthrou, ’hina mē haplōs legētai pneuma, alla to Pneuma ē auto touto to Pneuma to hagion, ē Paraklēton, ē alētheias, ho esti tou Huiou, tou legontos, ‹‹ Egō eïmi hē alētheia; ›› hina, akousantes haplōs « pneuma, ›› hyponoēsēte einai to Pneuma to hagion? Exę̄rēsthōsan de tou Logou nyn hoitines ēdē labontes, palin onomazontai, kai hosoi, promathontes peri tou hagiou IIneomatos, hysteron hōs en epanalēpsei kai hypomnēsei, kai monon legomenō i tou pneumatos, ›› ouk agnoousi peri tinos akouousi; kai malista, hoti kai houtō meta tou arthrou legetai. Kai holōs aneu tou arthrou, ē tēs proeirēmenēs prosthēkēs, ouk an heiē sēmainomenon to Pneuma to hagion; oia estin ’a graphei Paulos tois Galataiso i( Touto monon thelō mathein aphʼ hymōn, ex ergōn nomou to IIneuma elabete, ē ex akoēs pisteōs ? ›› IIoion de ēsan labontes ē to Pneuma to hagion, ta didomenon tois pisteuousi kai anagennōmenois dia loutrou palingenesias ? Kai Thessalonikeusi de graphōnę̄ «ATo Iineuma mē sbennyteo ›› eidosi kai autois hoper elabon elegen, ’hina mē sbesōsin ex ameleias tēn en autois adaphtheisan tou Iineumatos charin. En de tois Euangeliois peri tou Sōtēros anthrōpinōs dia tēn sarka hēn proselaben, ean legōsin hoi euangelistai, i Iēsous de, plērēs (ho) Pneumatos hōn, hypestrepsen apo tou Iordanou; » kai to, ‹‹ Tote o Iēsous anēchthē hypo tou IIneumatos heis tēn erēmon; ›› to) auton echei noun. IIroeirēto gar hypo tou Louka ii Egeneto de en tǭ baptisthēnai hapanta ton laon, kai Iēsou baptistheno ntos, kai proseuchomenou, aneōthēnai ton ouranon, kai katabēnai to Pneuma to hagion sōmatikǭ endei, hōsei peristeran, epʼ auton. )) Kai dēlon hēn, hoti, legomenou tou IIneomatos, to Pneuma to hagion ēn sēmainomenon. Houtō men oun parʼ hois esti to Pneuma to hagion kan monon to Pneuma legētai chōris tēs epʼ autǭ prosthēkēs, ouk amphibolon, hoti ta Pneuma to hagion sēmainetai, hechon malista to arthron.
Tell us, then, whether anywhere in the divine Scripture you find the Holy Spirit called simply “spirit,” without the addition of “of God,” or “of the Father,” or “my,” or “of Christ himself” and “of the Son,” or “from me,” that is, from God, or without the article, so that it is said not simply “spirit” but “the Spirit,” or this very name, “the Holy Spirit,” or “Paraclete,” or “of truth,” that is, of the Son, who says, “I am the truth”—so that, on hearing simply “spirit,” you should suppose it to be the Holy Spirit? Let those cases now be set aside where people who have already received him are spoken of again, and where those who first learned about the Holy Spirit afterwards, by way of resumption and reminder, are not ignorant of whom they are hearing, even when only “the Spirit” is said—especially since even so it is said with the article. And in general, without the article or the aforesaid addition, the Holy Spirit would not be signified. An example is what Paul writes to the Galatians: “This only I wish to learn from you: did you receive the Spirit by works of the law, or by hearing with faith?” What had they received but the Holy Spirit, who is given to those who believe and are reborn through the washing of regeneration? And writing to the Thessalonians, “Do not quench the Spirit,” he was speaking to those who knew what they had received, so that they might not through negligence quench the grace of the Spirit kindled in them. And in the Gospels, when the evangelists say of the Savior in a human way, because of the flesh he took, “And Jesus, full of the Spirit, returned from the Jordan,” and “Then Jesus was led up by the Spirit into the wilderness,” it has the same sense. For Luke had said before, “Now when all the people were baptized, and Jesus also had been baptized and was praying, the heaven was opened, and the Holy Spirit descended in bodily form, like a dove, upon him.” And it was plain that when “the Spirit” was said, the Holy Spirit was signified. So among those with whom the Holy Spirit is, even if only “the Spirit” is said, without the addition to it, there is no doubt that the Holy Spirit is signified, especially when it has the article.
John 14:6 (quotation, high confidence) · Gal 3:2 (quotation, high confidence) · Titus 3:5 (allusion, high confidence) · 1 Thess 5:19 (quotation, high confidence) · Luke 4:1 (quotation, high confidence) · Matt 4:1 (quotation, high confidence) · Luke 3:21 (quotation, high confidence) · Luke 3:22 (quotation, high confidence)
Notes and citation
Summary: Scripture never calls the Holy Spirit simply “spirit” without an addition such as “of God,” “Holy,” or the article, unless the context has already made the reference clear.
- John 14:6; Gal 3:2; Titus 3:5 (washing of regeneration); 1 Thess 5:19; Luke 4:1; Matt 4:1; Luke 3:21–22.
- A line of OCR debris before the Galatians quotation is removed by a logged correction.
Notes on the original text
- Digital text corrected (OCR debris): τοῖς Γαλάταιςο ηι- -ι 1 nl. Λ υ ι Ι κ να.. 2P ζʼ-..λ....! ι( → τοῖς Γαλάταιςο ι(.
Topics: Trinity, Scripture and canon, Baptism
Cite (SBL): Athanasius, Ep. Serap. 1.4 (PG 26:536d–537b; trans. Sophia Scriptura, https://sophiascriptura.com/fathers/athanasius-epistulae-serapionem/1-1/#p-1-4). (abbreviation not yet checked)
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Translation: Translated by Claude from the Migne PG 26 scan text; no public-domain English exists, so it was re-read against the Greek.
1.5PG 26:537b–541c
Ὑμεῖς δὶ εἴπατε τὸ προταθὲν ὑμῖν, εἰ εὑρήκατέ που τῆς θείας Γραφῆς τὸ Πνεῦμα τὸ ἅγιον ιεγόμενον ἁπλῶς Πνεῦμα, χωρὶς τῆς προειρημένης ἐπʼ αὐτῷ προσθήκης, καὶ πλὴν τῆς παρατηρήσεως ἧς γε ἐμνημονεύσαμεν. Ἀλλʼ οὐκ ἂν εἶʼποιτεο οὗ γὰρ εὑρήσετε γεγραμμένον. Ἀλλʼ ἐν μὲν τῆ Γενέσει γὲ.γραπται, «Καὶ Πνεῦμα Θεοῦ ἐπεφέρετο ἐπάνω τοῦ ὕδατος· ›› καὶ μετʼ ὀλίγα· (ι Οὐ μὴ καταμείνῃ τὸ Πνεῦμά μου ἐν τοῖς ἀνθρώποις τούτοις, διὰ τὸ εἶναι αὐτοὺς σάρκας· » ἐν δὲ τοῖς Ἀριθμοῖς λέγει Μωϋσῆς πρὸς τὸν τοῦ Ναυῆ, ‹‹ Μὴ ζηλοῖς σὺ ἐμὲ· καὶ τίς ἂν δῷ τὸν λαὸν Κυρίου προφήτας, ὅταν δῷ Κύριος τὸ Πνεῦμα αὐτοῦ ἐπʼ αὐτούς, ›› Καὶ ἐν τοῖς Κριταῖς ἐπὶ μὶν Γοθονιήλ· (ι Καὶ ἐγένετο ἐπʼ αὐτόν Πνεῦμα Κυρίου, καὶ ἔκρινε τὸν Ἰσραήλ. ›› Καὶ πάλινο ‹‹ Καὶ ἐγένετο ἐπὶ Ἰεφθάε Πνεῦμα Κυρίου. ι Περὶ δὲ Σαμψών ι Ἡὸρῦνθη, φησὶ, τὸ παιδάριον καὶ ηὖλόγησεν αὐτὸ Κύριος· ι) Καὶ, ι Ἠρξατο Πνεῦμα Κυρίου συνεκπορεύεσθαι αὐτῷ· ›› Καὶ, ι( Ἤλατο ἐπʼ αὐτὸν Πνεῦμα Κυρίου. ›› Καὶ ὁ μὲν Δαβὶδ ψάλλει· ‹‹ Τὸ Ιῐνεῦμά σου τὸ ἅγιον μή ἀντανὲλῃς ἀπʼ ἐμοῦ. ι Καὶ πάλιν ἐντῷ ἑκατοστῷ τετταρακοστῷ δευτέρῳ ψαλμῷ· ς( Τὸ ΙῙνεῦμά σου τὸ ἀγαθὸν ὁδηγήσει με ἐν γῇ εὐθείᾳ, ἕνεκεν τοῦ ὀνόματός σου, Κύριε, ζήσεις με. ι Ἔν δὲ τῷ Ἠσαίᾳ γὲγραπται· α Πνεῦμα Κυρίου ἐπʼ εμὲ, οὗ εʼίνεκεν ἔχρισέ με. ›› Ἐλέγετο δὲ πρὸ τούτουʼ ‹‹ Οὐαὶ, τέκνα ἀποστάται. Τάδε λέγει Κύριοςο Ἐποιήσατε βουλήν οὐ διʼ ἰμοῦ, καὶ συνθήκας οὗ διὰ τοῦ Ῑινεύματός μου, προσθεῖναι ἁμαρτίας ἐφʼ ἁμαρτίαις* ι καὶ πάλιν ο ι Ἀκούσατε ταῦτα Οὐκ ἀπʼ ἀρχῆς ἐν κρυφῇ λελάληκα· ἡνίκα ἐγένετο, ἐκεῖ μ ἤμηνʼ καὶ νῦν Κύριος ἀπέστειλὲ με, καὶ τὸ Πνεῦμα αὑτοῦ. ›› Μετʼ ὀλίγα δὲ οὕτω φησίʼ ‹‹ Καὶ αὕτη αὐτοῖς-ἠ παρʼ ἐμοῦ διαόήκη, εἶπε Κῦριος, τὸ Πνεῦμα τὸ ἐμὸν, δ ἐστιν ἐπὶ σοί· »καὶ αὖθις ἓν τοῖς ἑξῆς ὲπιφίρει λέγωνʼ ‹‹ Οὐ πρέσβυς, οὐδὲ ἄγγελος, ἀλλʼ αὐτὸς ὁ Κύριος ἔσωσεν αὐτοὺς, διὰ τὸ ἀγαπᾷν αὐτοὺς, καὶ φείδεσθαι αὐτῶν· αὐτὸς ὲλυτρώσατο αὐτοὺς, καὶ ἀνέλαβεν αὐτοὺς, καὶ ὕψωσεν αὐτοὺς πάσας τὰς ἡυὲρας τοῦ αἰῶνος · αὐτοὶ δὲ ήπείθησαν, καὶ παρώξυναν τὸ Πνεῦμα τὸ ἅγιον αὐτοῦ, καὶ ἐστράφη αὐτοῖς εἰς ἔχθραν. ι) Ἰεζεχιηλ δὲ οὓτω λέγει. ‹‹ Καὶ ἀνέλαβέ. με Πνεῦμα, καὶ ἢγαγὲ με εἷς γῆν Χαλδαίων εἰς τήν αἰχμαλωσίαν, ἐν ὁράσει, ἐν Πνεῦματι Θεοῦ. ›› Ἐν δὲ τῷ Δανιήλ ο ‹‹ Ἐξήγειρεν ὁ Θεὸς τὸ Πνεῦμα τὸ ἅγιον παιδαρίου νεωτέρου, ᾦ ὄνομα Δανιὴλ, καὶ ἀνεβόησε φωνῇ μεγάλῃ ο Καθαρὸς ἐγὼ ἀπὸ τοῦ αʼίματος ταύτης. ›› Καὶ ὁ μὶν Μιχαίας φησίνο ‹‹ Οἶκος Ἰακὼβ παρώξυνε Πνεῦμα Κυρίου. ›› Καὶ διά τοῦ Ἰωὴλ ὁ Θεός φησι · ‹‹ Καὶ ἔσται μετά ταῦτα, καὶ ἐκχεῶ ἀπὸ τοῦ Πνεῦματός μου ἐπὶ πᾶσαν σάρκα. ›› Καὶ διὰ τοῦ Ζαχαρίου δὲ πάλιν, Θεοῦ φωνή ἐστι λέγοντος· ‹‹ ιιλήν τοὺς λόγους μου καὶ τὰ νόμιμά μου δέχεσθε, ὅσα ἐγὼ ἐντέλλομαι ἐν Πνεῦματί μου τοῖς δούλοις μου, τοῖς προφήταις. »Ὅτε καὶ αἱτεώμενος ὁ προφὴτης τὸν λαὸν, μετʼ ὀλίγα ἔλεγεο ‹‹ Καὶ τὴν καρδίαν αὐτῶν ἔταξαν ἀπειθῆ τοῦ μή εἰσακούειν τοῦ νόμου μου, καὶ τοὺς λόγους οὓς ἐξαπέστειλε Κύριος παντοκράτωρ ἐν Πνεῦματι αὐτοῦ ἐν χερσὶ τῶν προφητῶν τῶν ἔμπροσθεν. ›› Καὶ ταῦτα μὶν ἐκ τῶν Παλαιῶν ἀναλέξαντες, εἰρήκαμεν ὀλίγα.
Hymeis di eipate to protathen hymin, ei heurēkate pou tēs theias Graphēs to Pneuma to hagion iegomenon haplōs Pneuma, chōris tēs proeirēmenēs epʼ autǭ prosthēkēs, kai plēn tēs paratērēseōs hēs ge emnēmoneusamen. Allʼ ouk an eiʼpoiteo hou gar heurēsete gegrammenon. Allʼ en men tē Genesei ge.graptai, «Kai Pneuma Theou epephereto epanō tou hydatos; ›› kai metʼ oliga; (i Ou mē katameinę̄ to Pneuma mou en tois anthrōpois toutois, dia to einai autous sarkas; » en de tois Arithmois legei Mōÿsēs pros ton tou Nauē, ‹‹ Mē zēlois sy eme; kai tis an dǭ ton laon Kyriou prophētas, hotan dǭ Kyrios to Pneuma autou epʼ autous, ›› Kai en tois Kritais epi min Gothoniēl; (i Kai egeneto epʼ auton Pneuma Kyriou, kai ekrine ton Israēl. ›› Kai palino ‹‹ Kai egeneto epi Iephthae Pneuma Kyriou. i Peri de Sampsōn i Hēorynthē, phēsi, to paidarion kai ēulogēsen auto Kyrios; i) Kai, i Ērxato Pneuma Kyriou synekporeuesthai autǭ; ›› Kai, i( Ēlato epʼ auton Pneuma Kyriou. ›› Kai ho men Dabid psallei; ‹‹ To Iineuma sou to hagion mē antanelę̄s apʼ emou. i Kai palin entǭ hekatostǭ tettarakostǭ deuterǭ psalmǭ; s( To IIneuma sou to agathon hodēgēsei me en gę̄ eutheią, heneken tou onomatos sou, Kyrie, zēseis me. i En de tǭ Ēsaią gegraptai; a Pneuma Kyriou epʼ eme, hou eʼineken echrise me. ›› Elegeto de pro toutouʼ ‹‹ Ouai, tekna apostatai. Tade legei Kyrioso Epoiēsate boulēn ou diʼ imou, kai synthēkas hou dia tou Iineumatos mou, prostheinai hamartias ephʼ hamartiais* i kai palin o i Akousate tauta Ouk apʼ archēs en kryphę̄ lelalēka; hēnika egeneto, ekei m ēmēnʼ kai nyn Kyrios apesteile me, kai to Pneuma hautou. ›› Metʼ oliga de houtō phēsiʼ ‹‹ Kai hautē autois-ē parʼ emou diaoēkē, eipe Kyrios, to Pneuma to emon, d estin epi soi; »kai authis hen tois hexēs epiphirei legōnʼ ‹‹ Ou presbys, oude angelos, allʼ autos ho Kyrios esōsen autous, dia to agapąn autous, kai pheidesthai autōn; autos elytrōsato autous, kai anelaben autous, kai hypsōsen autous pasas tas hēueras tou aiōnos ; autoi de ēpeithēsan, kai parōxynan to Pneuma to hagion autou, kai estraphē autois eis echthran. i) Iezechiēl de houtō legei. ‹‹ Kai anelabe. me Pneuma, kai ēgage me heis gēn Chaldaiōn eis tēn aichmalōsian, en horasei, en Pneumati Theou. ›› En de tǭ Daniēl o ‹‹ Exēgeiren ho Theos to Pneuma to hagion paidariou neōterou, ǭ onoma Daniēl, kai aneboēse phōnę̄ megalę̄ o Katharos egō apo tou aʼimatos tautēs. ›› Kai ho min Michaias phēsino ‹‹ Oikos Iakōb parōxyne Pneuma Kyriou. ›› Kai dia tou Iōēl ho Theos phēsi ; ‹‹ Kai estai meta tauta, kai ekcheō apo tou Pneumatos mou epi pasan sarka. ›› Kai dia tou Zachariou de palin, Theou phōnē esti legontos; ‹‹ iilēn tous logous mou kai ta nomima mou dechesthe, hosa egō entellomai en Pneumati mou tois doulois mou, tois prophētais. »Hote kai haiteōmenos ho prophētēs ton laon, metʼ oliga elegeo ‹‹ Kai tēn kardian autōn etaxan apeithē tou mē eisakouein tou nomou mou, kai tous logous hous exapesteile Kyrios pantokratōr en Pneumati autou en chersi tōn prophētōn tōn emprosthen. ›› Kai tauta min ek tōn Palaiōn analexantes, eirēkamen oliga.
But you, tell us what was put to you: whether you have found anywhere in the divine Scripture the Holy Spirit called simply “spirit,” without the addition to it that we mentioned, and apart from the observation we made. But you could not say so; for you will not find it written. Rather, in Genesis it is written, “And the Spirit of God moved above the water,” and a little later, “My Spirit shall not remain in these men, because they are flesh”; and in Numbers Moses says to the son of Nun, “Are you jealous for my sake? Who would grant that all the Lord’s people were prophets, when the Lord gives his Spirit upon them!” And in Judges, of Othniel: “And the Spirit of the Lord came upon him, and he judged Israel.” And again: “And the Spirit of the Lord came upon Jephthah.” And of Samson: “The boy grew,” it says, “and the Lord blessed him,” and “The Spirit of the Lord began to go out with him,” and “The Spirit of the Lord leapt upon him.” And David sings: “Do not take your Holy Spirit from me”; and again in the hundred and forty-second psalm: “Your good Spirit will lead me on level ground; for your name’s sake, O Lord, you will give me life.” In Isaiah it is written: “The Spirit of the Lord is upon me, because he has anointed me.” And before this it was said: “Woe, apostate children! Thus says the Lord: You have made a plan not through me, and covenants not through my Spirit, to add sins upon sins”; and again: “Hear these things: not from the beginning have I spoken in secret; when it came to be, I was there; and now the Lord has sent me, and his Spirit.” And a little after, he says thus: “And this is my covenant with them, said the Lord: my Spirit, which is upon you”; and again, in what follows, he adds: “Not an elder nor an angel, but the Lord himself saved them, because he loved them and spared them; he himself redeemed them, and took them up, and lifted them up all the days of old; but they disobeyed and provoked his Holy Spirit, and he turned to be their enemy.” And Ezekiel says thus: “And the Spirit took me up and brought me into the land of the Chaldeans, to the captivity, in a vision, in the Spirit of God.” And in Daniel: “God stirred up the holy spirit of a young boy named Daniel, and he cried out with a loud voice: I am innocent of the blood of this woman.” And Micah says: “The house of Jacob provoked the Spirit of the Lord.” And through Joel God says: “And it shall be after these things that I will pour out of my Spirit upon all flesh.” And through Zechariah again it is the voice of God saying: “But receive my words and my statutes, which I command by my Spirit to my servants the prophets”; when also, accusing the people, the prophet said a little later: “And they made their heart disobedient, so as not to hear my law and the words which the Lord Almighty sent by his Spirit by the hands of the former prophets.” These few things we have gathered and said from the Old Testament.
Gen 1:2 (quotation, high confidence) · Gen 6:3 (quotation, high confidence) · Num 11:29 (quotation, high confidence) · Judg 3:10 (quotation, high confidence) · Judg 11:29 (quotation, high confidence) · Judg 13:24 (quotation, high confidence) · Judg 13:25 (quotation, high confidence) · Judg 14:6 (quotation, high confidence) · Ps 51:11 (50:13 LXX) (quotation, high confidence) · Ps 143:10 (142:10 LXX) (quotation, high confidence) · Isa 61:1 (quotation, high confidence) · Isa 30:1 (quotation, high confidence) · Isa 48:16 (quotation, high confidence) · Isa 59:21 (quotation, high confidence) · Isa 63:9 (quotation, high confidence) · Isa 63:10 (quotation, high confidence) · Ezek 11:24 (quotation, high confidence) · Mic 2:7 (quotation, high confidence) · Joel 2:28 (3:1 LXX) (quotation, high confidence) · Zech 1:6 (quotation, high confidence) · Zech 7:12 (quotation, high confidence)
Notes and citation
Summary: Old Testament passages always mark the Holy Spirit as the Spirit of God or of the Lord, or as Holy, never simply as “spirit.”
- Gen 1:2; Gen 6:3; Num 11:29; Judg 3:10; Judg 11:29; Judg 13:24–25; Judg 14:6; Ps 51:11 (50:13 LXX); Ps 143:10–11 (142:10–11 LXX, “the hundred and forty-second psalm” in the Greek numbering); Isa 61:1; Isa 30:1; Isa 48:16; Isa 59:21; Isa 63:9–10; Ezek 11:24; Mic 2:7; Joel 2:28 (3:1 LXX); Zech 1:6; Zech 7:12.
- The quotation “in Daniel” is from Susanna 45–46 (Theodotion), part of the Greek book of Daniel.
Extrabiblical texts: Sus 45 (Susanna [in RC, EO, ETH canons]; quotation)
Topics: Trinity, Scripture and canon
Cite (SBL): Athanasius, Ep. Serap. 1.5 (PG 26:537b–541c; trans. Sophia Scriptura, https://sophiascriptura.com/fathers/athanasius-epistulae-serapionem/1-1/#p-1-5). (abbreviation not yet checked)
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Translation: Translated by Claude from the Migne PG 26 scan text; no public-domain English exists, so it was re-read against the Greek.
1.6PG 26:541c–548b
Ἐρωτήσατε δὲ καὶ ὑμεῖς περὶ τῶν ἐν τοῖς Εὔαγγελίοις, καὶ ὧν ἔγραψαν o't ἀπόστολοι, καὶ ἀκοῦσεσθε πῶς κάκεῖ, πλείστης οὔσης διαφορᾶς πνευμάτων, κατʼ ἐξαίρετον τὸ Πνεῦμα τὸ ἅγιον οὐχ ἁπλῶς Πνεῦμα, ἀλλὰ μετά προσθήκης, ἧς εἷʼπομεν, ὀνομάζεται. Ὀ μὲν οῦν Κύριος ἡνίκα, καθὰ πρεῖπον, ἀν·θρωπίνως ἐβαπτίζετο, διʼ ἣν ἐφόρει σάρκα, λέγεται καταβεβηκὲναι ἐπʼ αὑτὸν τὸ Πνεῦμα τὸ ἅγιονο τοῦτο διδοὺς μὲν τοῖς μαθηταῖς, ἔλεγε· ι( Λάβετε Πνεῦμα ἅγιον· ›› ἐδίδασκε -δὲ αὐτούς· ‹‹ ’Ὁ Παράκλητος τὸ Πνεῦμα τὸ ἅγιον, ὅ πέμψει ὁ Πατὴρ ἐν τῷ ὀνόματί μου, ἐκεῖνος ὑμᾶς διδάξει πάντα. ›› Καὶ μετʼ ὀλίγα περὶ τοῦ αὐτοῦ ἔλεγεν· ιι ’Ὁταν ἔλθῃ ὁ Παράκλητος, δν ἐγὼ,πέμψω ὑμῖν παρᾶ τοῦ Πατρὸς, τὸ Πνεῦμα τῆς ἀληθείας, ὅ παρὰ τοῦ ΙΙατρὸς ἐκπορεύεται, ἐκεῖνος μαρτυρήσει περὶ ἐμοῦ» καὶ πάλιν· ι Οὐ γὰρ ὑμεῖς ἐστε o't λαλοῦντες, ἀλλὰ τὸ Πνεῦμα τοῦ Πατρὸς ὑμῶν τὸ λαλοῦν ἐν ὑμῖνο ›› καὶ μετʼ ὀλίγα· ‹‹ Et δὲ ἐν ΙΙνεύματι θεοῦ ἐγὼ ἐκβάλλω τὰ δαιμόνια, ἄρα ἔφθασεν ἐφʼ ὑμᾶς ἡ βασιλεία τοῦ Θεοῦ. ›› Καὶ τήν μὲν πᾶσαν θεολογίαν καὶ τὴν ἡμῶν τελείωσιν, ἐν συνῆπτεν ἡμᾶς ἐαυτῷ καὶ διʼ ἑαυτοῦ τῷ Πατρὶ, ἐν τούτῳ συμπληρῶν, παρήγγειλε τοῖς μαθηταῖς ‹‹ Πορευθέντες, μαθητεύσατε πάντα τὰ ἔθνη, βαπτίζοντες αὐτοὺς είς τὸ ὄνομα τοῦ Πατρὸς, καὶ τοῦ Υίοῦ, καὶ τοῦ ἁγίου Πνεῦματοςʼ ›› ἐπαγγειλάμενος δὲ αὐτοῖς αὐτὸ πέμψειν,‹‹ παρήγγειλεν ἀπὸ Ἱεροσολύμων μὴ χωρίζεσθαι· »ι καὶ μεθʼ ἡμέρας ὀλίγας, ‹‹ Ἑν τῷ συμπληροῦσθαι τήν ἡμέραν τῆς Πεντηκοστῆς, ἦσαν πάντες ὁμοῦ ἐπὶ τὸ αὐτό · καὶ ἐγένετο ἄφνω ἐκ τοῦ οὐρανοῦ ἦχος, ὥσπερ φερομένης πνοῆς βιαίας, καὶ ἐπλήρωσεν ὅλον τὸν οἶκον οὗ ἦσανςκαθήμιονι ’ καὶ ὤφθησαν αὐτοῖς διαμεριζό- Β μεναι γλῶσσαι ὦσεὶ πυρὸς, καὶ ἐκάθισαν ἐφʼ ἕνα ἕκαστον αὐτῶνο καὶ ἐπλήσθησαν ἅπαντες Ιινεύματος ἁγίου, καὶ ἤρξαντο λαΛεῖν ἑτέραις γλώσσαις, καθὼς τὸ Πνεῦμα ἐδίδου ἀποφθέγγεσθαι αὐτοῖς. ›› Ἔνθεν οῦν καὶ διὰ μὲν τῆς ἐπιθέσεως τῶν χειρῶν τῶν ἀποστόλων ἐδίδοτο τοῖς ἀναγεννωμένοις τό Πνεῦμα τὸ ἅγιον ’Ἄγαβος δέ τις προεφήτευσεν ἐν τούτῳ λέγωνʼ ι( Τάδε λέγει τὸ Πνεῦμα τὸ ἅγιονο ›› ὁ δὶ Παῦλος· α Ἐν ᾦ ὑμᾶς τὸ Πνεῦμα τὸ ἅγιον ἔθετο ἐπισκόπους, ποιμαίνειν τὴν Ἐκκλησίαν τοῦ Θεοῦ, ἦν περιεποιήσατο διὰ τοῦ ἰδίου αἵματος· ι» τοῦ τε εὐνούχου βαπτισθέντος, ‹‹ Ἣρπασε Πνεῦμα Κυρίου τὸν Ψίλιππον. ›› Καὶ Πέτρος ἔγραψεο ‹‹ Κομιζόμενοι τὸ τέλος τῆς πίστεως, σωτηρίαν ψυχων· περὶ ἧς σωτηρίας ἐξεζήτησαν καὶ ἐξηρεύνησαν προφῆται, οἱπερὶ τῆς εἰς ὑμᾶς χάριτοχ προφητεύσαντες, ἐρευνῶντες εἷς τίνα ἣ ποῖον καιρὸν ἐδηλοῦτο ἐν αὐτοῖς Πνεῦμα Χριστοῦ, προμαρτυρόμενον τὰ εἰς Χριστὸν παθήματα, καὶ τὰς μετὰ ταῦτα δόξας. ι Καὶ ὁ μὶν Ἰωάννης ἐπέστειλεν· (ι Ἐν τούτῷ γινώσκομεν, ὅτι ἐν αὐτῷ μένομεν, καὶ αὐτὸς έν ἡμῖν, ὅτι ἐκ τοῦ Πνεῦματος αὐτοῦ ἔδωκεν ἡμῖνʼ» ὁ δὶ Παῦλος γράφει Ῥωμαίοις μέν· (ιΥμεῖς δὲ οὸκ ἐστε ἐν σαρκὶ, ἀλλʼ ἐν πνεύματι, εἷʼπερ Πνεῦμα Θεοῦ οἰκεῖ ἐν ὑμῖν. Ei δέ τις Πνεῦμα Χριστοῦ οὐκ ἔχει, οὗτος οὐκ ἔστιν αὐτοῦ. Ei‘ δὲ Χριστὸς ἐν ὑμῖν, τὸ μὲν σῶμα νεκρὸν διʼ ἁμαρτίαν, τὺ δὲ πνεῦμα ζωὴ διὰ δικαιοσύνην. ΕΞ δὲ ἐδ Πνεῦμα τοῦ ἐγείραντος Ἰησοῦν οίκεῖ ἐν ὑμῖν, ὁ ἐγείρας Χριστὸν Ἰησοῦν ἐκ νεκρῶν ζωοποιήσει καὶ τὰ Θνητὰ σώματα ὑμῶν διὰ τοῦ ἐνοικοῦντος αὑτοῦ Πνεῦματος ἐν ὑμῖν ’ ι Κορινθίοις δέ · ι Τὸ γὰρ Πνεῦμα πάντα ἐρευνᾷ, καὶ τὰ βάθη τοῦ Θεοῦ. Τίς γὰρ οἶδε τὰ τοῦ ἀνθρώπου εἰ μὴ τὸ Πνεῦμα τοῦ ἀνθρώπου τὸ ἐν αὑτῷ; οὕτω κα) τὰ τοῦ Θεοῦ οὐδεὶς ἔγνωκεν, εἰ μὴ τὺ Πνεῦμα τοῦ Θεοῦ. Ἡμεῖς δὲ οὐ τὸ πνεῦμα τοῦ κόσμου ἐλάβομεν, ἀλλὰ τὸ Πνεῦμα τὸ ἐκ τοῦ Θεοῦ, ἵνα ἴδωμεν τὰ ὑπὸ τοῦ Θεοῦ χαρισθέντα ἡμῖν· ι καὶ μετʼ ὀλίγα · ι Οὐκ οἴδατε, ὅτι ναὸς Θεοῦ ἐστε, καὶ τὸν Πνεῦμα τοῦ Θεοῦ obesi ἐν ὺμῖν; ι Καὶ πάλιν ‹ Ἀλλʼ ἀπελούσασθε, ἀλλʼ ἡγιάσθητε, ἀλλʼ ἐδικαιώθητε ἐν τῷ ὀνόματι τοῦ Κυρίου ἡμῶν Ἰησοῦ Χριστοῦ, καὶ ἐν τῷ Πνεῦματι Θεοῦ ήμῶνʼ ι καὶ πάλιν · ι Ταῦτα δὲ πάντα ἐνεργεῖ τὸ ἓν καὶ τὸ αὐτὸ Πνεῦμα, διαιροῦν ἰδίᾳ ἑκάστῳ καθὼς βούλεται· › καὶ πάλιν ° ι '0 δὲ Κύριος τὸ Πνεῦμα ἐστιν · οῦ δὲ τὸ Πνεῦμα Κυρίου, ἐκεῖ ἐλευθερία. ι Ὅρα δὲ πῶς καὶ Γαλάταις ἐπιστέλλει λέγωνʼ ι Ἵνα ἡ εὐλογία τοῦ Ἀβραὰμ γένηται ἐν Χριστῷ Ἰησοῦ, ἵνα τὴν ἐπαγγελίαν τοῦ Πνεῦματος λάβωμεν διὰ τῆς πίστεως · ι καὶ πάλιν · ι Ὅτι δέ ἐστε υἱοὶ, ἐξαπέστειλεν ὁ Θεὸς τὸ Πνεῦμα τοῦ Υίοῦ αὐτοῦ είς τὰς καρδίας ὑμῶν, κράζον ο Ἀββἄ ὁ Πατήρ, Ὥστε οὐκέτι εί δοῦλος, ἀλλὰ υἱός. Εἰ δὲ υἱὸς, καὶ κληρονόμος Θεοῦ διὰ Χριστοῦ. ι Τοῖς δὲ Ἐφεσίοις οὕτως ἔλεγε · ι Καὶ μὴ λυπεῖτε τὸ Πνεῦμα τὸ ἅγιον τοῦ Θεοῦ, ἐν ᾧ ἐσφραγίσθητε είς ἡμέραν ἀπολυτρώσεως · ι καὶ πάλινο ι Σωυδάζοντες τηρεῖν τὴν ἑνότητα τοῦ Πνεῦματος, ἐν τῷ συνδέσμῳ τῆς είρήνης. ι Πρὸς δὲ Φιλιππησίους ἐπαρρησιάζετο γράφων ι Τί γάρ; πλὴν ὅτι παντὶ τρόπῳ εἴτε προφάσει, tite ἀληθείᾳ Χριστὸς καταγγέλλεται, καὶ ἐν τούτῳ χαίρω, ἀλλὰ καὶ χαρήσομαι. Οἶδα γὰρ, ὅτι τοῦτό μοι ἀποσβήσεται είς σωτηρίαν, διὰ τῆς ὑμῶν δεήσεως καὶ ἐπιχορηγίας τοῦ Πνεῦματος Ἰησοῦ Χριστοῦ, κατὰ τὴν ἀποκαραδοκίαν καὶ ἐλπίδα μω, ὅτι ἐν οὐδενὶ αἰσχυνθήσομαι ›› καὶ πάλιν· ιι Ἡμεῖς γάρ ἐσμεν ἡ περιτομὴ, οἱ Πνεῦματι Θεοῦ λατρεύοντες, καὶ καυχώμενοι ἐν Χριστῷ Ἰησοῦ. ›› Καὶ Θεσσαλονικεῦσι δὶ διαμαρτυρεῖταιο κ Τοιγαροῦν ὁ ἀθετῶν οὐκ ἄνθρωπον ἀθετεῖ, ἀλλᾶ τὸν Θεὸν τὸν διδόντα τὸ Πνεῦμα τὸ ἅγιον αὐτοῦ εἷς ὑμᾶς· ›› καὶ πρὸς Ἐβραίους δὲ οὕτω- « Δηλοῦντος τοῦ Πνεύματος τοῦ ἁγίου μήπω πεφανερῶσθαι τήν τῶν ἁγίων ὁδὸν, ἔτι τῆς πρώτης σκηνῆς ἐχούσης στάσιν ›› καὶ πάλιν· ιι Πόσῳ δοκεῖτε χείρονος ἀξιωθήσεται τιμωρίας ὁ τὸν Υίὸν τοῦ Θεοῦ καταο πατήσας, καὶτὸ αἷμα τῆς Διαθήκης κοινὸν ἡγησάμενος, ἐν ᾧ ἡγιάσθη, καὶ τὸ Πνεῦμα τῆς χάριτος ἆνυβρίσας; »θ Καὶ πάλιν· α Ei γὰρ τὸ αἷμα ταύρων καὶ τράγων, καὶ σποδὸς δαμάλεως ῥαντίζουσα τοὺς κεκοινωμὲνους ἁγιάζει πρὸς τήν τῆς σαρκὸς καθαρότητα πόσῳ μᾶλλον τὸ αἷμα τοῦ Χριστοῦ, ’ὸς διὰ ΙΙνεῦμα-
Erōtēsate de kai hymeis peri tōn en tois Euangeliois, kai hōn egrapsan o't apostoloi, kai akousesthe pōs kakei, pleistēs ousēs diaphoras pneumatōn, katʼ exaireton to Pneuma to hagion ouch haplōs Pneuma, alla meta prosthēkēs, hēs heiʼpomen, onomazetai. O men oun Kyrios hēnika, katha preipon, an;thrōpinōs ebaptizeto, diʼ hēn ephorei sarka, legetai katabebēkenai epʼ hauton to Pneuma to hagiono touto didous men tois mathētais, elege; i( Labete Pneuma hagion; ›› edidaske -de autous; ‹‹ ’Ho Paraklētos to Pneuma to hagion, ho pempsei ho Patēr en tǭ onomati mou, ekeinos hymas didaxei panta. ›› Kai metʼ oliga peri tou autou elegen; ii ’Hotan elthę̄ ho Paraklētos, dn egō,pempsō hymin para tou Patros, to Pneuma tēs alētheias, ho para tou IIatros ekporeuetai, ekeinos martyrēsei peri emou» kai palin; i Ou gar hymeis este o't lalountes, alla to Pneuma tou Patros hymōn to laloun en hymino ›› kai metʼ oliga; ‹‹ Et de en IIneumati theou egō ekballō ta daimonia, ara ephthasen ephʼ hymas hē basileia tou Theou. ›› Kai tēn men pasan theologian kai tēn hēmōn teleiōsin, en synēpten hēmas eautǭ kai diʼ heautou tǭ Patri, en toutǭ symplērōn, parēngeile tois mathētais ‹‹ Poreuthentes, mathēteusate panta ta ethnē, baptizontes autous eis to onoma tou Patros, kai tou Uiou, kai tou hagiou Pneumatosʼ ›› epangeilamenos de autois auto pempsein,‹‹ parēngeilen apo Hierosolymōn mē chōrizesthai; »i kai methʼ hēmeras oligas, ‹‹ Hen tǭ symplērousthai tēn hēmeran tēs Pentēkostēs, ēsan pantes homou epi to auto ; kai egeneto aphnō ek tou ouranou ēchos, hōsper pheromenēs pnoēs biaias, kai eplērōsen holon ton oikon hou ēsanskathēmioni ’ kai ōphthēsan autois diamerizo- B menai glōssai ōsei pyros, kai ekathisan ephʼ hena hekaston autōno kai eplēsthēsan hapantes Iineumatos hagiou, kai ērxanto laLein heterais glōssais, kathōs to Pneuma edidou apophthengesthai autois. ›› Enthen oun kai dia men tēs epitheseōs tōn cheirōn tōn apostolōn edidoto tois anagennōmenois to Pneuma to hagion ’Agabos de tis proephēteusen en toutǭ legōnʼ i( Tade legei to Pneuma to hagiono ›› ho di Paulos; a En ǭ hymas to Pneuma to hagion etheto episkopous, poimainein tēn Ekklēsian tou Theou, ēn periepoiēsato dia tou idiou haimatos; i» tou te eunouchou baptisthentos, ‹‹ Hērpase Pneuma Kyriou ton Psilippon. ›› Kai Petros egrapseo ‹‹ Komizomenoi to telos tēs pisteōs, sōtērian psychōn; peri hēs sōtērias exezētēsan kai exēreunēsan prophētai, hoiperi tēs eis hymas charitoch prophēteusantes, ereunōntes heis tina hē poion kairon edēlouto en autois Pneuma Christou, promartyromenon ta eis Christon pathēmata, kai tas meta tauta doxas. i Kai ho min Iōannēs epesteilen; (i En toutǭ ginōskomen, hoti en autǭ menomen, kai autos en hēmin, hoti ek tou Pneumatos autou edōken hēminʼ» ho di Paulos graphei Rhōmaiois men; (iYmeis de ook este en sarki, allʼ en pneumati, heiʼper Pneuma Theou oikei en hymin. Ei de tis Pneuma Christou ouk echei, houtos ouk estin autou. Ei‘ de Christos en hymin, to men sōma nekron diʼ hamartian, ty de pneuma zōē dia dikaiosynēn. EX de ed Pneuma tou egeirantos Iēsoun oikei en hymin, ho egeiras Christon Iēsoun ek nekrōn zōopoiēsei kai ta Thnēta sōmata hymōn dia tou enoikountos hautou Pneumatos en hymin ’ i Korinthiois de ; i To gar Pneuma panta ereuną, kai ta bathē tou Theou. Tis gar oide ta tou anthrōpou ei mē to Pneuma tou anthrōpou to en hautǭ? houtō ka) ta tou Theou oudeis egnōken, ei mē ty Pneuma tou Theou. Hēmeis de ou to pneuma tou kosmou elabomen, alla to Pneuma to ek tou Theou, hina idōmen ta hypo tou Theou charisthenta hēmin; i kai metʼ oliga ; i Ouk oidate, hoti naos Theou este, kai ton Pneuma tou Theou obesi en ymin? i Kai palin ‹ Allʼ apelousasthe, allʼ hēgiasthēte, allʼ edikaiōthēte en tǭ onomati tou Kyriou hēmōn Iēsou Christou, kai en tǭ Pneumati Theou ēmōnʼ i kai palin ; i Tauta de panta energei to hen kai to auto Pneuma, diairoun idią hekastǭ kathōs bouletai; › kai palin ° i '0 de Kyrios to Pneuma estin ; ou de to Pneuma Kyriou, ekei eleutheria. i Hora de pōs kai Galatais epistellei legōnʼ i Hina hē eulogia tou Abraam genētai en Christǭ Iēsou, hina tēn epangelian tou Pneumatos labōmen dia tēs pisteōs ; i kai palin ; i Hoti de este huioi, exapesteilen ho Theos to Pneuma tou Uiou autou eis tas kardias hymōn, krazon o Abba ho Patēr, Hōste ouketi ei doulos, alla huios. Ei de huios, kai klēronomos Theou dia Christou. i Tois de Ephesiois houtōs elege ; i Kai mē lypeite to Pneuma to hagion tou Theou, en hǭ esphragisthēte eis hēmeran apolytrōseōs ; i kai palino i Sōydazontes tērein tēn henotēta tou Pneumatos, en tǭ syndesmǭ tēs eirēnēs. i Pros de Philippēsious eparrēsiazeto graphōn i Ti gar? plēn hoti panti tropǭ eite prophasei, tite alētheią Christos katangelletai, kai en toutǭ chairō, alla kai charēsomai. Oida gar, hoti touto moi aposbēsetai eis sōtērian, dia tēs hymōn deēseōs kai epichorēgias tou Pneumatos Iēsou Christou, kata tēn apokaradokian kai elpida mō, hoti en oudeni aischynthēsomai ›› kai palin; ii Hēmeis gar esmen hē peritomē, hoi Pneumati Theou latreuontes, kai kauchōmenoi en Christǭ Iēsou. ›› Kai Thessalonikeusi di diamartyreitaio k Toigaroun ho athetōn ouk anthrōpon athetei, alla ton Theon ton didonta to Pneuma to hagion autou heis hymas; ›› kai pros Ebraious de houtō- « Dēlountos tou Pneumatos tou hagiou mēpō pephanerōsthai tēn tōn hagiōn hodon, eti tēs prōtēs skēnēs echousēs stasin ›› kai palin; ii Posǭ dokeite cheironos axiōthēsetai timōrias ho ton Uion tou Theou katao patēsas, kaito haima tēs Diathēkēs koinon hēgēsamenos, en hǭ hēgiasthē, kai to Pneuma tēs charitos anybrisas? »th Kai palin; a Ei gar to haima taurōn kai tragōn, kai spodos damaleōs rhantizousa tous kekoinōmenous hagiazei pros tēn tēs sarkos katharotēta posǭ mallon to haima tou Christou, ’os dia IIneuma-
Ask too about what is in the Gospels and what the apostles wrote, and you will hear how there too, though there is a very great variety of spirits, the Holy Spirit is named in a special way, not simply “spirit,” but with the addition we spoke of. When the Lord, as I said before, was baptized in a human way because of the flesh he bore, the Holy Spirit is said to have descended upon him; and giving the Spirit to the disciples he said, “Receive the Holy Spirit”; and he taught them, “The Paraclete, the Holy Spirit, whom the Father will send in my name, he will teach you all things.” And a little later he said of the same: “When the Paraclete comes, whom I will send you from the Father, the Spirit of truth, who proceeds from the Father, he will bear witness about me”; and again: “For it is not you who speak, but the Spirit of your Father who speaks in you”; and a little later: “But if I cast out demons by the Spirit of God, then the kingdom of God has come upon you.” And completing in this the whole theology and our perfection, by which he joined us to himself and through himself to the Father, he commanded the disciples, “Go, make disciples of all the nations, baptizing them into the name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit”; and, having promised to send him to them, “he charged them not to depart from Jerusalem”; and a few days later, “When the day of Pentecost was fulfilled, they were all together in one place; and suddenly there came from heaven a sound like a rushing violent wind, and it filled the whole house where they were sitting; and there appeared to them tongues as of fire, distributed, and they sat upon each one of them; and they were all filled with the Holy Spirit and began to speak in other tongues, as the Spirit gave them utterance.” From then on, through the laying on of the apostles’ hands, the Holy Spirit was given to those who were reborn. And one Agabus prophesied in him, saying, “Thus says the Holy Spirit”; and Paul said, “In which the Holy Spirit has made you bishops, to shepherd the church of God, which he obtained with his own blood”; and when the eunuch had been baptized, “the Spirit of the Lord caught away Philip.” And Peter wrote: “Obtaining the outcome of your faith, the salvation of your souls; concerning this salvation the prophets who prophesied of the grace that was to be yours searched and inquired, inquiring what person or time the Spirit of Christ in them was indicating, when he testified beforehand to the sufferings of Christ and the glories after them.” And John wrote: “By this we know that we abide in him and he in us, because he has given us of his Spirit.” And Paul writes to the Romans: “But you are not in the flesh but in the Spirit, if indeed the Spirit of God dwells in you. Anyone who does not have the Spirit of Christ does not belong to him. But if Christ is in you, the body is dead because of sin, but the spirit is life because of righteousness. If the Spirit of him who raised Jesus dwells in you, he who raised Christ Jesus from the dead will give life also to your mortal bodies through his Spirit who dwells in you”; and to the Corinthians: “For the Spirit searches everything, even the depths of God. For who knows the things of a man except the spirit of the man that is in him? So also no one has known the things of God except the Spirit of God. But we have received not the spirit of the world, but the Spirit who is from God, so that we might know the things freely given to us by God”; and a little later: “Do you not know that you are God’s temple and that the Spirit of God dwells in you?”; and again: “But you were washed, you were sanctified, you were justified in the name of our Lord Jesus Christ and in the Spirit of our God”; and again: “All these are worked by one and the same Spirit, who apportions to each one individually as he wills”; and again: “Now the Lord is the Spirit; and where the Spirit of the Lord is, there is freedom.” See how he writes to the Galatians too, saying: “that the blessing of Abraham might come in Christ Jesus, so that we might receive the promise of the Spirit through faith”; and again: “And because you are sons, God has sent the Spirit of his Son into your hearts, crying, Abba, Father. So you are no longer a slave, but a son; and if a son, then an heir of God through Christ.” And to the Ephesians he spoke thus: “And do not grieve the Holy Spirit of God, by whom you were sealed for the day of redemption”; and again: “eager to keep the unity of the Spirit in the bond of peace.” And to the Philippians he wrote boldly: “What then? Only that in every way, whether in pretense or in truth, Christ is proclaimed, and in this I rejoice; yes, and I will rejoice. For I know that this will turn out for my salvation through your prayer and the supply of the Spirit of Jesus Christ, according to my eager expectation and hope that I shall not be put to shame in anything”; and again: “For we are the circumcision, who worship by the Spirit of God and glory in Christ Jesus.” And to the Thessalonians he testifies: “Therefore whoever disregards this disregards not man but God, who gives his Holy Spirit to you”; and to the Hebrews thus: “The Holy Spirit indicating that the way into the holy places has not yet been opened while the first tabernacle is still standing”; and again: “How much worse punishment, do you think, will be deserved by the one who has trampled underfoot the Son of God, and has regarded as common the blood of the covenant by which he was sanctified, and has outraged the Spirit of grace?”; and again: “For if the blood of bulls and goats, and the ashes of a heifer sprinkling those who have been defiled, sanctify for the purification of the flesh, how much more will the blood of Christ, who through the Spirit …
John 20:22 (quotation, high confidence) · John 14:26 (quotation, high confidence) · John 15:26 (quotation, high confidence) · Matt 10:20 (quotation, high confidence) · Matt 12:28 (quotation, high confidence) · Matt 28:19 (quotation, high confidence) · Acts 1:4 (quotation, high confidence) · Acts 2:1 (quotation, high confidence) · Acts 2:4 (quotation, high confidence) · Acts 8:17 (allusion, high confidence) · Acts 21:11 (quotation, high confidence) · Acts 20:28 (quotation, high confidence) · Acts 8:39 (quotation, high confidence) · 1 Pet 1:9 (quotation, high confidence) · 1 Pet 1:11 (quotation, high confidence) · 1 John 4:13 (quotation, high confidence) · Rom 8:9 (quotation, high confidence) · Rom 8:11 (quotation, high confidence) · 1 Cor 2:10 (quotation, high confidence) · 1 Cor 2:12 (quotation, high confidence) · 1 Cor 3:16 (quotation, high confidence) · 1 Cor 6:11 (quotation, high confidence) · 1 Cor 12:11 (quotation, high confidence) · 2 Cor 3:17 (quotation, high confidence) · Gal 3:14 (quotation, high confidence) · Gal 4:6 (quotation, high confidence) · Gal 4:7 (quotation, high confidence) · Eph 4:30 (quotation, high confidence) · Eph 4:3 (quotation, high confidence) · Phil 1:18 (quotation, high confidence) · Phil 1:19 (quotation, high confidence) · Phil 3:3 (quotation, high confidence) · 1 Thess 4:8 (quotation, high confidence) · Heb 9:8 (quotation, high confidence) · Heb 10:29 (quotation, high confidence) · Heb 9:13 (quotation, high confidence) · Heb 9:14 (quotation, high confidence)
Notes and citation
Summary: In the New Testament too the Holy Spirit is always marked as the Spirit of God, of Christ, the Holy Spirit, or the Paraclete.
- John 20:22; John 14:26; John 15:26; Matt 10:20; Matt 12:28; Matt 28:19; Acts 1:4; Acts 2:1–4; Acts 8:17; Acts 21:11; Acts 20:28; Acts 8:39; 1 Pet 1:9–11; 1 John 4:13; Rom 8:9–11; 1 Cor 2:10–12; 1 Cor 3:16; 1 Cor 6:11; 1 Cor 12:11; 2 Cor 3:17; Gal 3:14; Gal 4:6–7; Eph 4:30; Eph 4:3; Phil 1:18–20; Phil 3:3; 1 Thess 4:8; Heb 9:8; Heb 10:29; Heb 9:13–14.
- The ref ends in the middle of the Heb 9:14 quotation (διὰ Πνεύματος …); it continues in staged ref 7.
Topics: Trinity, Scripture and canon, Baptism
Cite (SBL): Athanasius, Ep. Serap. 1.6 (PG 26:541c–548b; trans. Sophia Scriptura, https://sophiascriptura.com/fathers/athanasius-epistulae-serapionem/1-1/#p-1-6). (abbreviation not yet checked)
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Translation: Translated by Claude from the Migne PG 26 scan text; no public-domain English exists, so it was re-read against the Greek.
1.7PG 26:548b–549b
Ἰδοὺ πῶς τὸ ῐΙνεῦμα τὸ ἅγιον ἐν πάσῃ τῇ Θείᾳ Γραφῇ γνωρίζεται.Τί τοίνυν ὑμεῖς τοιοῦτον ἂν τῷ προφήτῃ ἐθεωρήσατες Οὐδέ γὰρ οὐδὲ κᾶν τὸ ἄρθρον ἔχει τὸ παρά τοῦ προφήτου λεγόμενον νῦν ιι πνεῦμα,›› Ἵνα κᾶν πρόφασιν ἔχητε. Ἀλλʼ ἁπλῶς ἐτολμήσατε τρόπους ἑαυτοῖς ἐπινοεῖν, καὶ εἰπεῖν τὸ λεγόμενον κτίζεσθαι πνεῦμα, αὐτὸ εἶναι τὸ Πνεῦμα τὸ ἅγιον, καίτοι δυνάμενοι μαθεῖν καὶ παρά φιλολόγων ἀνδρῶν περὶ διαφορᾶς πνευμάτων. Λέγεται γὰρ καὶ ἀνθρώπου πνεῦμα, ὡς ψάλλει Δαβίδ ιι Νυκτὸς μετᾶ τῆς καρδίας μου ἠδολὲσχουν, καὶ ἤσχαλλε τὸ πνεῦμά μου. ›› Ὀ δὲ Βαροὺχ ἐπευχόμενος φησιο ι( Ψυχὴ ἐν στενοῖς καὶ πνεῦμα ἀκηδιῶν κέκραγε πρὸς σί. ›› Καὶ ἓν μὶν τῇ ᾠδῇ τῶν τριῶν παίδων ε Εὐλογεῖτε, πνεύο. ματα ›› καὶ ε ψυχαὶ δικαίων,τὸν Κύριον. s Ὁ δὶ Ἀπόςτολος γράφειο ιι Αὐτὸ τὸ ΙΙνεῦμα συμμαρτυρεῖ τῷ πνεύματι ἡμῶν, ὅτι ἐσμὲν τέκνα Θεοῦ. Εἰ δὲ τέκνα ιαὶ κληρονόμον ›› καὶ πάλιν· ι Οὐδεὶς οἶδε τὰ τοῦ ἀνθρώπου εἴ μή τὸ Πνεῦμα τοῦ ἀνθρώπου τὸ ἐν αὐτῷ. ι) ’Ev δὲ τῇ πρὸς Θεσσαλονικεῖς ἐπιστολῇ ἐπευχόμενος λέγει· ‹‹ Ὀλὸκληρον ὐμῶν τὸ ΙΙνευμα, καὶ ἠ ψυχὴ, καὶτὸ σῶμα ἀμέμπτως ἐν τῇ παρουσίᾳ τοῦ Κυρίου ἡμῶν Ἰησοῦ Χριστοῦ τηρηθείη. ›› Λέγεται δὲ καὶ ἀνέμων μνεόματα οὕτως ἐν μὶν τῇ γενέσει· ιι Κα ἐπήγαγεν 6 Θεὸς πνεῦμα ἐπὶ τὴν γῆν, καὶ ἐκόπασε τὸ ὕδωρ* »ἐπὶ δὲ τοῦ Ἰωνᾶʼ ‹‹ Καὶ Κύριος ἐξήγειρε πνεῦμα ἐπὶ τήν θάλασσαν, καὶ ἐγένετο κλύδων μέγας ἐν τῇ θαλάσσῃ· καὶ τὸ πλοῖον ἐκινδύνευε τοῦ συντριβῆναι. ›› Καὶ ἐν μὲν τῷ ἑκατοστῷ ’ἑκτῳ ψαλμῷγέγραπται· α Eine, καί ἔστη πνεῦμα καταιγίδος, καὶ ὑψώθη τὰ κύματα αὐτῆς. » ’Ev δὲ τῷ ἑκατοστῷ τεσο σαρακοστῴ ὀγδόῳ ψαλμῷ· ι Αἰνεῖτε τὸν Κὺριον ἐκ τῆς γῆς, δράκοντες καὶ πᾶσαι ἄβυσσοι, πῦρ, χάλαζα, χιὼν, κρύσταλλος, πνεῦμα καταιγίδος, τὰ ποιοῦντα....-........ -....._. τὸν λόγον αὐτοῦʼ ι καὶ ἐν τῷ Ἰεζεχιῆ> ἐπὶ τοῦ θσήνου Σόρʼ ι Ἐν καρδίᾳ θαλάσσης, ἐν ὕδατι πολλῷ ἦγον σε οἱ κωπηλάται σου τὸ πνεῦμα τοῦ νὸτου συν ἐτριψὲ σε. ››
Idou pōs to iIneuma to hagion en pasę̄ tę̄ Theią Graphę̄ gnōrizetai.Ti toinyn hymeis toiouton an tǭ prophētę̄ etheōrēsates Oude gar oude kan to arthron echei to para tou prophētou legomenon nyn ii pneuma,›› Hina kan prophasin echēte. Allʼ haplōs etolmēsate tropous heautois epinoein, kai eipein to legomenon ktizesthai pneuma, auto einai to Pneuma to hagion, kaitoi dynamenoi mathein kai para philologōn andrōn peri diaphoras pneumatōn. Legetai gar kai anthrōpou pneuma, hōs psallei Dabid ii Nyktos meta tēs kardias mou ēdoleschoun, kai ēschalle to pneuma mou. ›› O de Barouch epeuchomenos phēsio i( Psychē en stenois kai pneuma akēdiōn kekrage pros si. ›› Kai hen min tę̄ ǭdę̄ tōn triōn paidōn e Eulogeite, pneuo. mata ›› kai e psychai dikaiōn,ton Kyrion. s Ho di Apostolos grapheio ii Auto to IIneuma symmartyrei tǭ pneumati hēmōn, hoti esmen tekna Theou. Ei de tekna iai klēronomon ›› kai palin; i Oudeis oide ta tou anthrōpou ei mē to Pneuma tou anthrōpou to en autǭ. i) ’Ev de tę̄ pros Thessalonikeis epistolę̄ epeuchomenos legei; ‹‹ Oloklēron ymōn to IIneuma, kai ē psychē, kaito sōma amemptōs en tę̄ parousią tou Kyriou hēmōn Iēsou Christou tērētheiē. ›› Legetai de kai anemōn mneomata houtōs en min tę̄ genesei; ii Ka epēgagen 6 Theos pneuma epi tēn gēn, kai ekopase to hydōr* »epi de tou Iōnaʼ ‹‹ Kai Kyrios exēgeire pneuma epi tēn thalassan, kai egeneto klydōn megas en tę̄ thalassę̄; kai to ploion ekindyneue tou syntribēnai. ›› Kai en men tǭ hekatostǭ ’hektǭ psalmǭgegraptai; a Eine, kai estē pneuma kataigidos, kai hypsōthē ta kymata autēs. » ’Ev de tǭ hekatostǭ teso sarakostǭ ogdoǭ psalmǭ; i Aineite ton Kyrion ek tēs gēs, drakontes kai pasai abyssoi, pyr, chalaza, chiōn, krystallos, pneuma kataigidos, ta poiounta....-........ -....._. ton logon autouʼ i kai en tǭ Iezechiē> epi tou thsēnou Sorʼ i En kardią thalassēs, en hydati pollǭ ēgon se hoi kōpēlatai sou to pneuma tou notou syn etripse se. ››
See how the Holy Spirit is made known throughout the divine Scripture. What, then, did you see of this kind in the prophet? For what the prophet now calls “spirit” does not even have the article, so that you might at least have a pretext. But you simply dared to devise figures of speech for yourselves and to say that the spirit said to be created is the Holy Spirit himself, though you could have learned from studious men about the difference between spirits. For a man’s spirit too is spoken of, as David sings: “By night I communed with my heart, and my spirit was vexed”; and Baruch, praying, says: “A soul in distress and a weary spirit cries out to you.” And in the song of the three young men: “Bless the Lord, you spirits and souls of the righteous.” And the apostle writes: “The Spirit himself bears witness with our spirit that we are children of God; and if children, then heirs”; and again: “No one knows the things of a man except the spirit of the man that is in him.” And in the letter to the Thessalonians he prays: “May your spirit and soul and body be kept whole and blameless at the coming of our Lord Jesus Christ.” The winds too are called spirits: thus in Genesis, “And God brought a wind upon the earth, and the water subsided”; and in the story of Jonah, “And the Lord raised a wind upon the sea, and there was a great storm on the sea, and the ship was in danger of breaking up.” And in the hundred and sixth psalm it is written: “He spoke, and a stormy wind arose, and its waves were lifted up”; and in the hundred and forty-eighth psalm: “Praise the Lord from the earth, you dragons and all deeps, fire, hail, snow, ice, stormy wind, which do his word”; and in Ezekiel, in the lament over Tyre: “In the heart of the sea, in much water, your rowers brought you; the south wind shattered you.”
Ps 77:6 (76:7 LXX) (quotation, high confidence) · Rom 8:16 (quotation, high confidence) · Rom 8:17 (quotation, high confidence) · 1 Cor 2:11 (quotation, high confidence) · 1 Thess 5:23 (quotation, high confidence) · Gen 8:1 (quotation, high confidence) · Jonah 1:4 (quotation, high confidence) · Ps 107:25 (106:25 LXX) (quotation, high confidence) · Ps 148:7 (quotation, high confidence) · Ps 148:8 (quotation, high confidence) · Ezek 27:26 (quotation, high confidence)
Notes and citation
Summary: Scripture uses “spirit” of the human spirit and of the winds, so Amos 4:13 need not refer to the Holy Spirit.
- The Greek πνεῦμα means both “spirit” and “wind”; in the quotations about winds it is rendered “wind”, but the argument rests on the single Greek word.
- Ps 77:6 (76:7 LXX); Bar 3:1; Song of the Three Young Men (Prayer of Azariah) 64; Rom 8:16–17; 1 Cor 2:11; 1 Thess 5:23; Gen 8:1; Jonah 1:4; Ps 107:25 (106:25 LXX, “the hundred and sixth psalm”); Ps 148:7–8; Ezek 27:25–26.
- A Latin note of the Migne edition on 1 Cor 2:11 leaked into the scan and is removed by a logged correction.
Notes on the original text
- Digital text corrected (Migne's Latin and Greek note leaked into the text): ιιι, 16, 17. διαὶ ἔρρʼ αὐτοῦΔ τοῦ ἆγ-ίρυᾳιῐνεύματος τὸ ῥητρν ὀ-μξγας Ἀθανᾶσιος ἐδὲξατο, ἁλλʼ οὐχʼ ἐπί meum ἁλλʼων → .
Extrabiblical texts: Bar 3:1 (Baruch [in RC, EO, ETH canons]; quotation); Pr Azar 64 (Prayer of Azariah and Song of the Three Young Men [in RC, EO, ETH canons]; quotation)
Topics: Trinity, Scripture and canon
Cite (SBL): Athanasius, Ep. Serap. 1.7 (PG 26:548b–549b; trans. Sophia Scriptura, https://sophiascriptura.com/fathers/athanasius-epistulae-serapionem/1-1/#p-1-7). (abbreviation not yet checked)
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Translation: Translated by Claude from the Migne PG 26 scan text; no public-domain English exists, so it was re-read against the Greek.
1.8PG 26:549b–552b
Έντυγχάνοντες δὲ καὶ ὑμεῖς ταῖς ἁγίαις Γρανφχῖς, εὑρήσετε λεγόμενον πνεῦμα καὶ τὸν ἐν αὖ· τοῖς τοῖς θείοις λόγοις νοῦν, γράφοντος τοῦ Παύλου· ι ’ος καὶ ἱκάνωσεν ἡμᾶς διακόνους Καινῆς Διαθήκης, οὗ γράμματος, ἀλλὰ πνεύματος Τὸ γὰρ γράμμα ἀποκτείνει, τὸ δὲ πνεῦμα ζωοποιεῖ. n T6 μὲν γαρ ῥητὸν γράμματι κεχάρακται· 6 δὲ νοῦς 6 ἐν αὗτῳ πνεῦμα λέγεται. Οὕτως καὶ ‹‹ 6 νόμος πνευματικός ἐστιν, ›› ’ἶνʼ ὡς πάλιν εἷʼρηκε, μὴ δουλεύωμεν ἐν παλαιότητι γράμματος, ἀλλʼ ἐν καινότητι πνεύματος. Καὶ αὐτὸς μὲν εὐχαριστῶν ἔλεγεν· «Ἄρα οὖν αὐτὸς ἐγὼ τῷ μὶνννοΐ δουλεύω νόμῳ Θεοῦ, τῆξ δὲ σαρκὶ νόμῳ ἁμαρτίας οὐδὲν νῦν ἄρα κατάκριμα τοῖς ἐν Χριστῷ Ἰησοῦ. Ὀ γὰρ νόμος τοῦ πνεῦματος τῆς ζωῆς ἐν Χριστῷ Ἰησοῦ ἠλευθέρωσέ με ἀπὸ τοῦ νόμου τῆς ἁμαρτίαςο ›› 6 δὲ Φίλιππος, τὸν εὐνοῦχον ἀπὸ τοῦ γράμματος εἰς τὸ πνεῦμα θὲλων ἐπιστρέφειν, ἔλεγεν· ‹‹ Ἀρά γε γινώσκεις ἅ ἀναγιώσκεις; ›› τοιοῦτον ἐσχηκὼς μαρτυρεῖται καὶ ὁ Χάλεβ ἐν τοῖς ’Λριθμοῖς, τοῦ Θεοῦ λεγοντος· ‹‹ '0 δὲ παῖς μου Χά.. λεδ, δτι ἐγενήθη ἕτερον πνεῦμα ἐν αὐτῷ, καὶ ἐπηκολούθησὲ μοι εῗσάξω αὐτὸν εἷς τὴν γῆν εἰς ἥν εἷʼσῆλθεν ἐκεῖ. ›› ’Άλλῃ γὰρ διανοίᾳ παρά τὴν ἐκείνων αὐτὸς λαλήσας, εὐάρεστος τῷ Θεῷ γεγονε. Τοιαύτην ἔχειν προετρεψεν 6 Θεὸς τὸν λαὸν καρδίαν δτά Ἱεζειιῆλ λέγωνʼ με Ποιήσατε ἑαυτοῖς καρδίαν καινὴν καὶ πνεῦμα καινόν. » Τούτων τοίνυν οὕτως ὄντων, καὶ τοσαύτης διαφορᾶς περὶ τῶν πνευμάτων δεικνυμὲνης, βελτίους ἄν ἦτε, εἰ, περὶ κτιζομὲνου πνεύματος ἀκούοντες, ’περὶ tvo: τῶν προειρημένων ἐφρονεῖτε, οἷον ἦν περὶ οὗ ἐν 'Hca‘i’qt, γέγραπται· α Συνεφώνησεν Ἀρὰμ πρὸς τὸν Ἐραῗμ, καὶ ἐξέστη ἡ ψυχὴ αὐτοῦ, καὶ ἡ ψυχὴ τοῦ λαοῦ αὑτοῦ, ὅν τρόπον ἐν δρυμῷ ξύλον ὑπὸ πνεύματος σαλευθῇ. » Τοιοῦτον δὲ ἦν καὶ, (ι Ὃ ἐξέγειρε Κύριος πνεῦμα ἐπὶ τὴν θάλασσαν » διὰ τὸν Ἰωνᾶν· ’Δκολουοεῖ γὰρ τῇ βροντῇ καὶ τὰ των ἀοὲμων πνεύματα, ὡς ἐπὶ τοῦ ὑετοῦ τοῦ κατᾶ τὸν Ἀχαὰ6, ὡς γέγραπται· σ Καὶ ἐγένετο ὧδε,
Entynchanontes de kai hymeis tais hagiais Granphchis, heurēsete legomenon pneuma kai ton en au; tois tois theiois logois noun, graphontos tou Paulou; i ’os kai hikanōsen hēmas diakonous Kainēs Diathēkēs, hou grammatos, alla pneumatos To gar gramma apokteinei, to de pneuma zōopoiei. n T6 men gar rhēton grammati kecharaktai; 6 de nous 6 en hautǭ pneuma legetai. Houtōs kai ‹‹ 6 nomos pneumatikos estin, ›› ’inʼ hōs palin heiʼrēke, mē douleuōmen en palaiotēti grammatos, allʼ en kainotēti pneumatos. Kai autos men eucharistōn elegen; «Ara oun autos egō tǭ minnnoï douleuō nomǭ Theou, tēx de sarki nomǭ hamartias ouden nyn ara katakrima tois en Christǭ Iēsou. O gar nomos tou pneumatos tēs zōēs en Christǭ Iēsou ēleutherōse me apo tou nomou tēs hamartiaso ›› 6 de Philippos, ton eunouchon apo tou grammatos eis to pneuma thelōn epistrephein, elegen; ‹‹ Ara ge ginōskeis ha anagiōskeis? ›› toiouton eschēkōs martyreitai kai ho Chaleb en tois ’Lrithmois, tou Theou legontos; ‹‹ '0 de pais mou Cha.. led, dti egenēthē heteron pneuma en autǭ, kai epēkolouthēse moi eïsaxō auton heis tēn gēn eis hēn heiʼsēlthen ekei. ›› ’Allę̄ gar dianoią para tēn ekeinōn autos lalēsas, euarestos tǭ Theǭ gegone. Toiautēn echein proetrepsen 6 Theos ton laon kardian dta Hiezeiiēl legōnʼ me Poiēsate heautois kardian kainēn kai pneuma kainon. » Toutōn toinyn houtōs ontōn, kai tosautēs diaphoras peri tōn pneumatōn deiknymenēs, beltious an ēte, ei, peri ktizomenou pneumatos akouontes, ’peri tvo: tōn proeirēmenōn ephroneite, hoion ēn peri hou en 'Hca‘i’qt, gegraptai; a Synephōnēsen Aram pros ton Eraïm, kai exestē hē psychē autou, kai hē psychē tou laou hautou, hon tropon en drymǭ xylon hypo pneumatos saleuthę̄. » Toiouton de ēn kai, (i Ho exegeire Kyrios pneuma epi tēn thalassan » dia ton Iōnan; ’Dkolouoei gar tę̄ brontę̄ kai ta tōn aoemōn pneumata, hōs epi tou hyetou tou kata ton Achaa6, hōs gegraptai; s Kai egeneto hōde,
And if you read the holy Scriptures, you too will find that the sense contained in the divine words is called “spirit,” as Paul writes: “who has also made us sufficient to be ministers of a new covenant, not of the letter but of the spirit; for the letter kills, but the spirit gives life.” For the text is engraved in letters, but the sense in it is called spirit. So too “the law is spiritual,” so that, as he said again, we may serve not in the oldness of the letter but in the newness of the spirit. And he himself, giving thanks, said: “So then I myself serve the law of God with my mind, but with my flesh the law of sin. There is therefore now no condemnation for those who are in Christ Jesus. For the law of the spirit of life in Christ Jesus has set me free from the law of sin.” And Philip, wishing to turn the eunuch from the letter to the spirit, said: “Do you understand what you are reading?” Caleb too is attested in Numbers as having such a spirit, God saying: “But my servant Caleb, because another spirit was in him and he followed me, I will bring him into the land into which he went.” For speaking with a different mind from theirs, he became pleasing to God. God urged the people to have such a heart, saying through Ezekiel: “Make for yourselves a new heart and a new spirit.” These things being so, and so great a difference concerning spirits having been shown, you would have done better, on hearing of a spirit being created, to think of one of those mentioned above—such as that of which it is written in Isaiah: “Aram has made an agreement with Ephraim; and his soul was shaken, and the soul of his people, as a tree in a forest is shaken by the wind.” Such too was “The Lord raised a wind upon the sea,” because of Jonah. For the winds follow the thunder, as with the rain in the time of Ahab, as it is written: “And it came to pass meanwhile, …”
2 Cor 3:6 (quotation, high confidence) · Rom 7:14 (quotation, high confidence) · Rom 7:6 (allusion, high confidence) · Rom 7:25 (quotation, high confidence) · Rom 8:1 (quotation, high confidence) · Rom 8:2 (quotation, high confidence) · Acts 8:30 (quotation, high confidence) · Num 14:24 (quotation, high confidence) · Ezek 18:31 (quotation, high confidence) · Isa 7:2 (quotation, high confidence) · Jonah 1:4 (quotation, high confidence) · 1 Kgs 18:45 (quotation, high confidence)
Notes and citation
Summary: “Spirit” can also mean the spiritual sense of Scripture or a person’s disposition, as with Caleb; a created “spirit” is better taken as one of these or as wind.
- 2 Cor 3:6; Rom 7:14; Rom 7:6; Rom 7:25–8:2; Acts 8:30; Num 14:24; Ezek 18:31; Isa 7:2; Jonah 1:4; 1 Kgs 18:45 (3 Kgdms 18:45 LXX).
- The ref breaks off in the scan in the middle of the quotation from 1 Kings; the rest is lost (“…”).
Topics: Scripture and canon, Trinity
Cite (SBL): Athanasius, Ep. Serap. 1.8 (PG 26:549b–552b; trans. Sophia Scriptura, https://sophiascriptura.com/fathers/athanasius-epistulae-serapionem/1-1/#p-1-8). (abbreviation not yet checked)
BibTeX · RIS (whole work; this passage's key: sophiascriptura-athanasius-epistulae-serapionem-1-8) · Report an error
Translation: Translated by Claude from the Migne PG 26 scan text; no public-domain English exists, so it was re-read against the Greek.
1.9PG 26:552b–553b
Ἀλλʼ ἐπείπερ Χριστοῦ, φησῖ, μνημονεύει τὸ Λόγιον, ἀκολούθως καὶ τὸ λεγόμενον πνεῦμα οὐδὶν ἕτερον ἤ τὸ Πνεῦμα τὸ ἅγιον χρῆ νοεῖν Εἶτα τὸ μὲν συνονομάζεσοαι τῷ Χριστῷ τὸ Πνεῦμα τὸ ἅγιον ἐθεωρήσατεο τὸ δὲ διαιρεῖν αύτὸ τῇ φύσει, καὶ ἀποξενίζειν ἀπὸ τοῦ Υἱοῦ ποῦ κατενοήσατε, ὅτι τὸν μὲν Χριστὸν λέγετε μή εἶναι κτίσμα, τὸ δὲ ἅγιον Πνεῦμα κτίσμα λέγετε; Καὶ ἄτοπόν ἐστι τὰ ἀνόμοια τῇ φύσει συνονομσὶζειν, καὶ συνδοξάζειν. Ποία γὰρ κοινωνία, ἢ ποία ὁμοιὸτης τῷ κτίσματι πρὸς τὸν κτίστην ; Ἐπεὶ ὥρα ὑμᾶς καὶ τῷ Υὶῷ συναριθμεῖν καὶ συνάπτειν τὰ διʼ αὐτοῦ γενόμενα κτίσςλατα. ’Ήρκεῖ μὲν οῦν περὶ πνεύματος ἀνέμων νοεῖν τὸ γεγραμμένον, ὥσπερ εἷʼρηται· ἐπειδὴ δὲ προφασίζεσοε τήν ἒν τῷ ῥητῷ περὶ τοῦ Χριστοῦ μνήμην, ἀναγκαῖον ἰδεῖν ἀκριβῶς τὸ λεγόμενον, μή ἄρα καὶ περὶ τοῦ Λεγομὲνου κτίζεσθαι πνεύματος οἰκειοτέραν εὕρωμεν τὴν διάνοιαν. Τί τοίνυν ἑστῖ τὸ ἀπαγγέλλειν εἰς civ- Opibnauc τὸν Χριστὸν αἰτοῦ, ἢ τὸ γίνεσθαι αὐτὸν ἅνθρωπον, καὶ ἴσον εἶναι τοῦτο τῷ φάναιυ ‹‹ Ἰδοὺ ἡ παρθένος ἓν γαστρὶ ἕξει, καὶ τέξεται uio'v' καὶ καλὲσουσι τὸ ὄνομα αὐτοῦ Ἐμμανουήλ· υ καὶ τὰ ἄλλα, ὅσα περῖ τῆς ἐπιδημίας αὐτοῦ γέγραπταις τῆς δὲ ἓνσαρκου παρουσίας ἂπαγγελλομένης περὶ τοῦ Λόγου, ποῖον χρή πνεῦμα κτιζόμενον νοεῖν, εἰ μὴ τὸ ἀνακτιζόμενον τῶν ἀνθρώπων καὶ ἀνακαινιζὸμενον πνεῦμα; Τοῦτο γὰρ καὶ διὰ Ἰιζεκιήλ ἐπεγγείλατο ὁ Θεὸς λέγων· ‹‹ Καὶ δώσω ὑμῖν καρδίαν καινὴν, καὶ πνεῦμα καινὸν δώσω ὑμῖν· καὶ ἀφελῶ τὴν καρδίαν τήν λιθίνην ἐκ τῆς σαρκὸς ὑμῶν· καὶ δώσω ὑμῖν καρδίαν σαρκίνηνο καὶ τὸ Πνεῦμά μον δώσω έν ὑμῖν. ›› Πὸτε δὴ τοῦτο πεπλήρωται, εί μὴ ὅτε παραγενομενος 6 Κύριος ἀνεκαίνισε τὰ πάντα τῇ χάριτι ; Ἰδοὺ γὰρ καὶ ἐν τῷ ῥητῷ τούτῳ ἡ διαφορὰ τῶν πνευμάτων δείκνυται· καὶ τὸ μὲν πνεῦμα τὸ ἡμων ἀνακαινιζόμεῦμα, ἀλλʼ ἑαυτοῦ φησιν αὐτὸ εἶναι 6 Θεὸς, ἐν πνεῦμα, ἀλλʼ ἐαυτοῦ φησιν αὐτὸ εἶναι 6 Θεὸς, ἐν ᾧ καὶ τὰ ἡμῶν ἀνακαινίζεται ο ὡς καὶ 6 ψάλλων έν τῷ ἑκατοστῷ καὶ τρίτῳ ψαλμῷ λέγει· ‹‹ Ἀντανελεῖς τὸ πνεῦμα αὐτῶν, καί ἐκλείψουσι, λαὶ εἷς τὸν χοῦν αὐτῶν ἐπιστρέφουσιν. Ἐξαποστελεῖς τὸ Πνεῦμά σου, καῖ κτισθήσονται, καὶ ἀνακαινιεῖς τὸ πρόσωπον τῆς γῆς. ›› E‘. δὲ ὶν τῷ Ιῐνεύματι τοῦ Θεοῦ ἀνακαινιζόμεθιι οὐκ ἄρα τὸ Πνεῦμα τὸ ἅγιόν ἐστι 16 νῦν λεγόο Β μενον πνεῦμα κτίζεσθαι, ἀλλὰ τὸ ἡμέτερον. Καὶ εἴπερ, διὰ τὸ πάντα γενέσθαι δτὰ τοῦ Λόγου, φρονεῖτε καλῶς μὴ εἶναι κτίσμα τὸν Γὶόνσ πῶς ού βλάσφημόν ἐστι λέγειν ὑμᾶς κτίσμα τὸ Πνεῦμα, ἐν ᾧ τὰ πάντα 6 Πατὴρ διὰ τοῦ Λόγου τελειοῖ καὶ ἀνακαινίζει ; Καὶ εί, διὰ 16 γεγράφθαι ἁπλῶς πνεῦμα κτίζεσθαι, ἀνεπλάσαντο έαυτοῖς εἶναι τοῦτο τὸ Πνεῦμα 16 ἅγιον. πεισθῆναι λοιπὸν ὀφείλουσιν, ὅτι μή 16 Πνεῦμα τὸ ἅγιόν ἐστι τὸ κτιζόμενον, ἀλλὰ 16 ἡμέτερόν ἐστι 16 ἐν αύτῷ ἀνακαινιζόμενον* περί οῦ καὶ ὁ Δαβὶδ ηὔχετο ψάλλων ‹‹ Καρδίαν καθαρὰν κτίσον ἐν ἐμοὶ, 6 Θεὸς, καί πνεῦμα εύθὲς ἐγκαίνισον έν τοῖς ἰγκάτοις μου. ι Ὧδε μὶν γὰρ λέγεται κτίζειν* πρότερον δὲ ἔπλασεν, 6 Ζαχαρίας φησίν* ι( Ἐκτείνων τὸν οὐρανὸν, καὶ θελιλιῶν τήν γῆν, καὶ πλάσσων πνεῦμα ἀνθρώπου έν αύτῷ- ›› 6' γὰρ πρότερον ἔπλασε, τοῦτο πεπτωκὸς ἀνέκτισε, γενόμενος αὐτὸς ἐν τῷ κτίσματι, ὅτε 6 Λόγος σὰρξ ἐγένετο, ‹‹ τίνα, ›› ὡς ὁ Ἀπόοτολος εἷπε, ‹‹ τοὺς δύο κτίσῃ εἷς ἕνα καινὸν ἄνθρωπον, τὸν κατὰ Θεὸν κτισθέντα έν δικαιοσύνῃ καὶ ὁσιότητι τῆς ἀληθείας. ›› Οὐ γὰρ ὠς ἑτέρου δημιουργηθέντος παρὰ τὸν ἐξ ἀρχῆς κατʼ εῗκόνα γενόμενον ἄνθρωπον ἔλεγεν* ἀλλᾶ τὸν ἐν Χριστῷ κτισθέντα καὶ ἀνακαιοισθέντα νοῦν συνεβούλευεν ἀναλαβεῖν· ὅπερ καὶ διὰ Ἰεζεκιὴλ πάλιν δηλοῦται, λὲγοντος αὐτοῦ· ‹‹ Ποιήσατε ἑαυτοῖς καρδίαιν καινὴν καὶ πνεῦμα καινόνʼ καὶ ἵνα τί ἀποθνήσκετε, οἶκος Ἰσραήλ; Διὸτι οὐ θέλω τὸν θάνατον τοῦ ἀποθνήσκοντος, λέγει ’Δδωναῖ Κύριος. »
Allʼ epeiper Christou, phēsi, mnēmoneuei to Logion, akolouthōs kai to legomenon pneuma oudin heteron ē to Pneuma to hagion chrē noein Eita to men synonomazesoai tǭ Christǭ to Pneuma to hagion etheōrēsateo to de diairein auto tę̄ physei, kai apoxenizein apo tou Huiou pou katenoēsate, hoti ton men Christon legete mē einai ktisma, to de hagion Pneuma ktisma legete? Kai atopon esti ta anomoia tę̄ physei synonomsizein, kai syndoxazein. Poia gar koinōnia, ē poia homoiotēs tǭ ktismati pros ton ktistēn ? Epei hōra hymas kai tǭ Uiǭ synarithmein kai synaptein ta diʼ autou genomena ktisslata. ’Ērkei men oun peri pneumatos anemōn noein to gegrammenon, hōsper heiʼrētai; epeidē de prophasizesoe tēn en tǭ rhētǭ peri tou Christou mnēmēn, anankaion idein akribōs to legomenon, mē ara kai peri tou Legomenou ktizesthai pneumatos oikeioteran heurōmen tēn dianoian. Ti toinyn hesti to apangellein eis civ- Opibnauc ton Christon aitou, ē to ginesthai auton hanthrōpon, kai ison einai touto tǭ phanaiy ‹‹ Idou hē parthenos hen gastri hexei, kai texetai uio'v' kai kalesousi to onoma autou Emmanouēl; y kai ta alla, hosa peri tēs epidēmias autou gegraptais tēs de hensarkou parousias apangellomenēs peri tou Logou, poion chrē pneuma ktizomenon noein, ei mē to anaktizomenon tōn anthrōpōn kai anakainizomenon pneuma? Touto gar kai dia Iizekiēl epengeilato ho Theos legōn; ‹‹ Kai dōsō hymin kardian kainēn, kai pneuma kainon dōsō hymin; kai aphelō tēn kardian tēn lithinēn ek tēs sarkos hymōn; kai dōsō hymin kardian sarkinēno kai to Pneuma mon dōsō en hymin. ›› Pote dē touto peplērōtai, ei mē hote paragenomenos 6 Kyrios anekainise ta panta tę̄ chariti ? Idou gar kai en tǭ rhētǭ toutǭ hē diaphora tōn pneumatōn deiknytai; kai to men pneuma to hēmōn anakainizomeuma, allʼ heautou phēsin auto einai 6 Theos, en pneuma, allʼ eautou phēsin auto einai 6 Theos, en hǭ kai ta hēmōn anakainizetai o hōs kai 6 psallōn en tǭ hekatostǭ kai tritǭ psalmǭ legei; ‹‹ Antaneleis to pneuma autōn, kai ekleipsousi, lai heis ton choun autōn epistrephousin. Exaposteleis to Pneuma sou, kai ktisthēsontai, kai anakainieis to prosōpon tēs gēs. ›› E‘. de in tǭ Iineumati tou Theou anakainizomethii ouk ara to Pneuma to hagion esti 16 nyn legoo B menon pneuma ktizesthai, alla to hēmeteron. Kai eiper, dia to panta genesthai dta tou Logou, phroneite kalōs mē einai ktisma ton Gions pōs ou blasphēmon esti legein hymas ktisma to Pneuma, en hǭ ta panta 6 Patēr dia tou Logou teleioi kai anakainizei ? Kai ei, dia 16 gegraphthai haplōs pneuma ktizesthai, aneplasanto eautois einai touto to Pneuma 16 hagion. peisthēnai loipon opheilousin, hoti mē 16 Pneuma to hagion esti to ktizomenon, alla 16 hēmeteron esti 16 en autǭ anakainizomenon* peri ou kai ho Dabid ēucheto psallōn ‹‹ Kardian katharan ktison en emoi, 6 Theos, kai pneuma euthes enkainison en tois inkatois mou. i Hōde min gar legetai ktizein* proteron de eplasen, 6 Zacharias phēsin* i( Ekteinōn ton ouranon, kai theliliōn tēn gēn, kai plassōn pneuma anthrōpou en autǭ- ›› 6' gar proteron eplase, touto peptōkos anektise, genomenos autos en tǭ ktismati, hote 6 Logos sarx egeneto, ‹‹ tina, ›› hōs ho Apootolos heipe, ‹‹ tous dyo ktisę̄ heis hena kainon anthrōpon, ton kata Theon ktisthenta en dikaiosynę̄ kai hosiotēti tēs alētheias. ›› Ou gar ōs heterou dēmiourgēthentos para ton ex archēs katʼ eïkona genomenon anthrōpon elegen* alla ton en Christǭ ktisthenta kai anakaioisthenta noun synebouleuen analabein; hoper kai dia Iezekiēl palin dēloutai, legontos autou; ‹‹ Poiēsate heautois kardiain kainēn kai pneuma kainonʼ kai hina ti apothnēskete, oikos Israēl? Dioti ou thelō ton thanaton tou apothnēskontos, legei ’Ddōnai Kyrios. »
“But since the oracle mentions Christ,” they say, “it follows that the spirit spoken of must be understood as nothing other than the Holy Spirit.” So then, you have observed that the Holy Spirit is named together with Christ; but where did you learn to divide him in nature and estrange him from the Son, so that you say Christ is not a creature but call the Holy Spirit a creature? For it is absurd to name together and glorify together things unlike in nature. What fellowship, or what likeness, has the creature with the creator? Otherwise it is time for you to number with the Son, and join to him, the creatures made through him. It would be enough, then, to understand what is written as concerning the wind, as has been said; but since you make a pretext of the mention of Christ in the text, it is necessary to look carefully at what is said, to see whether we may not find a more fitting sense for the spirit that is said to be created. What, then, is “announcing his Christ to men” but his becoming man? And this is equivalent to saying, “Behold, the virgin shall conceive and bear a son, and they shall call his name Emmanuel,” and to the other things written about his coming. And when the coming of the Word in the flesh is announced, what spirit should one understand as created but the spirit of men, which is created anew and renewed? For this too God promised through Ezekiel, saying: “And I will give you a new heart, and a new spirit I will give you; and I will take away the heart of stone from your flesh and give you a heart of flesh; and my Spirit I will put within you.” When was this fulfilled, if not when the Lord came and renewed all things by grace? See, in this text too the difference between the spirits is shown: our spirit is the one being renewed, … while the other God says is his own, in which ours too is renewed; as the psalmist says in the hundred and third psalm: “You will take away their spirit, and they will fail and return to their dust. You will send forth your Spirit, and they will be created, and you will renew the face of the earth.” And if we are renewed in the Spirit of God, then the spirit now said to be created is not the Holy Spirit, but ours. And if, because all things came to be through the Word, you rightly think that the Son is not a creature, how is it not blasphemous for you to call the Spirit a creature, in whom the Father through the Word perfects and renews all things? And if, because it is written simply that spirit is created, they fabricated for themselves the idea that this is the Holy Spirit, they ought now to be persuaded that what is created is not the Holy Spirit, but our spirit, which is renewed in him; for which David too prayed, singing: “Create in me a clean heart, O God, and renew a right spirit within me.” Here it is said to be “created”; but earlier he formed it, as Zechariah says: “Who stretches out the heaven and lays the foundation of the earth and forms the spirit of man within him.” For what he formed before, this, when it had fallen, he created anew, himself coming to be in the creature, when the Word became flesh, “that,” as the apostle said, “he might create the two in himself into one new man,” “created after God in righteousness and holiness of the truth.” For he did not speak as if another man had been made besides the one made in the beginning after the image, but counseled them to take up the mind created and renewed in Christ; which again is shown through Ezekiel, who says: “Make for yourselves a new heart and a new spirit; and why will you die, house of Israel? For I do not desire the death of the one who dies, says Adonai the Lord.”
Textual problem in this passage: see the notes.
Amos 4:13 (allusion, high confidence) · Isa 7:14 (quotation, high confidence) · Ezek 36:26 (quotation, high confidence) · Ezek 36:27 (quotation, high confidence) · Ps 104:29 (103:29 LXX) (quotation, high confidence) · Ps 104:30 (103:30 LXX) (quotation, high confidence) · Ps 51:10 (50:12 LXX) (quotation, high confidence) · Zech 12:1 (quotation, high confidence) · John 1:14 (allusion, high confidence) · Eph 2:15 (quotation, high confidence) · Eph 4:24 (quotation, high confidence) · Ezek 18:31 (quotation, high confidence) · Ezek 18:32 (quotation, high confidence)
Notes and citation
Summary: Amos’s “creates spirit,” beside the announcing of Christ, refers to the renewal of the human spirit through the incarnation, not to the Holy Spirit, in whom we are renewed.
- Amos 4:13 LXX; Isa 7:14; Ezek 36:26–27; Ps 104:29–30 (103:29–30 LXX, “the hundred and third psalm”); Ps 51:10 (50:12 LXX); Zech 12:1; John 1:14; Eph 2:15; Eph 4:24; Gen 1:27; Ezek 18:31–32.
- Where the scan contrasts the two spirits, a line is garbled and partly repeated; it is translated by sense and the gap marked “…”.
Notes on the original text
- Digital text corrected (OCR garble of διὰ τὸ πάντα): Καὶ εἴπερ, 8:616ndv1a γενέσθαι → Καὶ εἴπερ, διὰ τὸ πάντα γενέσθαι.
Topics: Trinity, Christology, Scripture and canon
Cite (SBL): Athanasius, Ep. Serap. 1.9 (PG 26:552b–553b; trans. Sophia Scriptura, https://sophiascriptura.com/fathers/athanasius-epistulae-serapionem/1-1/#p-1-9). (abbreviation not yet checked)
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Translation: Translated by Claude from the Migne PG 26 scan text; no public-domain English exists, so it was re-read against the Greek.