# Refutations of Certain Propositions

- Author: [Eutherius of Tyana](https://sophiascriptura.com/fathers/authors/eutherius-of-tyana/)
- Latin title: *Confutationes quarumdam propositionum*
- Date: ca. 431-440 (disputed)
- Source: J.-P. Migne, ed., Patrologiae cursus completus, Series Graeca 28 (Paris: Migne, 1857), cols. 1337-1394 (reprinting the Benedictine edition of B. de Montfaucon, Paris, 1698)

- Translation: Claude, from the original text, unless a passage says otherwise; each passage below gives the translator
- Editions and translations: Jean Lebon, 'Restitutions à Théodoret de Cyr', Revue d'histoire ecclésiastique 26 (1930): 523-550
- Work page: https://sophiascriptura.com/fathers/eutherius-confutationes/
- Passages: 16

## Preface

- URL: https://sophiascriptura.com/fathers/eutherius-confutationes/0/#p-0
- Source: PG 28:1337–1340
- Translation: Claude (claude-opus-5-5), 2026-10-23

Summary: In a preface addressed to Eustathius, the author laments the violence used by the party in power against those of the true faith and introduces his point-by-point reply.

### Greek text

Τοῦ αὐτοῦ ἐπιστολή, προοιμίου δύναμιν ἔχουσα, καὶ τραγῳδίαν τῆς τῶν Ἐκκλησιῶν ταραχῆς. Ἐθαύμασά σου τὸν φιλόλογον καὶ φιλαλήθη σκοπὸν, ὦ πιστότατε δοῦλε Χριστοῦ (τί γὰρ ἂν εὕροιμι τῆς ἀξίας ταύτης ἴσον;) Εὐστάθιε· καὶ τοσοῦτον ἐθαύμασα, τοσοῦτον ἡττήθην, ὡς αὐτίκα διαναστῆναι πρὸς τὴν ὧν ἐκέλευσας διακονίαν, εἰσφέροντα προθύμως τὸ βούλεσθαι, εἰ καὶ λείπει τὸ δύνασθαι. Πῶς γὰρ ἂν δυνηθείην ἢ τῷ θερμῷ σου ζήλῳ συνεξισῶσαι λόγον, ἢ τὸ χρεωστούμενον τῇ ἀληθείᾳ πληρῶσαι μέτρον, ἢ τοῦ νῦν ὀχλοῦντος ψεύδους παραστῆσαι τὸν ὄγκον; Λέγονται πάσης ἀλογίας καὶ ἀπονοίας γέμοντα ῥήματα· καὶ λέγονται μετὰ πάσης ἀναιδείας καὶ αὐθεντίας, ὡς ἐκ τούτου ῤῥᾷον τολμᾶσθαι τὰ μὴ πρότερον τολμηθέντα, καὶ τὴν αἱρετικὴν κακίαν μηκότι λάθρα καὶ κατὰ μικρὸν ἐπιβουλεύειν τοῖς ἁπλουστέροις, ἀλλ᾿ ὡς ἁπάντων ἔχουσαν ἐξουσίαν νεανιεύεσθαι, καὶ κατὰ πάντων ἐπιτάσσειν, νομοθετεῖν, ἕλκειν πρὸς τὸ δοκοῦν, ἀπαιτεῖν ὑπακοὴν ἀνυπέρθετον, καταγινώσκειν, δίκας εἰσπράττεσθαι τῆς περὶ τὴν εὐσέβειαν ἀκριβείας· καὶ τὸν μὲν ὕβρεσι περιβάλλειν, τὸν δὲ πατρίδος ἐλαύνειν · τούτῳ βρόχους ἐγκλημάτων πλέκειν, ἐκεῖνον γυμνοῦν τῆς προσούσης ἀξίας· ἄλλον καταβάλλειν τῷ θράσει, ἕτερον συναρπάζειν τῷ κόμπῳ. Σιωπῶ τὰ δεσμὰ, τὰ δεσμωτήρια, τὰς ζημίας, τὰς ἀτιμίας, τὰς μάστιγας, τὰ τῶν φόνων ἐλεεινὰ θεάματα, καὶ μετὰ τὴν πεῖραν αὐτὴν δι᾽ ὑπερβολὴν ἀπιστούμενα. Καὶ ταῦτα δραματουργεῖ διὰ πολλῶν ἱερέων. Ὢ τῆς ἀνιέρου τόλμης! Ὢ τῆς ἀφορήτου δίκης! Ων προοίμιον ἱερουργίας τε καὶ διδασκαλίας τὸ γλυκύτατον ἐκεῖνο· Εἰρήνη πᾶσιν· ὧν ἔργον περιφέρειν τὸ κήρυγμα, τὸ πολλὰ παραγγέλλειν περὶ πραότητος, ὅπως φυλάσσωσι τὸ, « Τῇ πραότητι παιδεύειν τοὺς ἀντιδιατιθεμένους, » καλῶς πρεσβεύουσι τό· « Ἡμεῖς οἱ δυνατοὶ ὀφείλομεν τὰ ἀσθενήματα τῶν ἀδυνάτων βαστάζειν· · πάνυ γὰρ ὁσίως τηροῦσι τοὺς σοφοὺς Παύλου λόγους· « Τίς ἀσθενεῖ, καὶ οὐκ ἀσθενῶ; Τίς σκανδαλίζεται, καὶ οὐκ ἐγὼ πυροῦμαι; » καί · « Πᾶσι πάντα γέγονα, ἵνα πάντας κερδανῶ. » Ποῦ νῦν τό· «Μὴ μισεῖτε ὡς ἐχθρὸν, ἀλλὰ νουθετεῖτε ὡς ἀδελφόν ;» Ποῦ νῦν· « Ἵνα τὸ Α χωλὸν μὴ ἐντραπῇ ἰαθῇ δὲ μᾶλλον; » Ποῦ τὸ Ἔλεγξον, ἐπιτίμησον, παρακάλεσον ἐν πάσῃ μακροθυμίᾳ καὶ διδαχῇ; » Χωρὶς κρίσεως καταδίκη χωρὶς ἐλέγχων ἀπόφασις. Ἡ θρασύτης ἀνδρεία νενό μισται· ἡ ὠμότης ζῆλος ὠνόμασται· ὁ δόλος σοφία λελόγισται. Ποία μεγαλόφωνος τραγῳδία τούτων ἀξία; Μικρὸν Ἰερεμίου θρῆνος πρὸς τοσούτων κακῶν πλῆθος καὶ μέγεθος. ᾿Αλλ' ἵνα μὴ δόξωμεν δι᾿ ἀπορίαν τῶν ἀποδείξεων ἐνδιατρίβειν ταῖς οἰμωγαῖς, φέρε πρὸς ἕκαστον, ὧν προβάλλονται, μετὰ ἀληθείας ἁπλῶς ἀπαντήσωμεν, καίτοιγε καὶ πρὸ τῶν λόγων τοῖς ἔργοις ἐληλεγμένοι τυγχάνουσι, κατὰ τὴν θείαν νομοθεσίαν τὴν λέγουσαν· « Ἐκ τῶν καρπῶν αὐτῶν ἐπιγνώσεσθε αὐτοὺς. Καρποὶ δὲ τῶν ἄρτι πονουμένων, ὡς ἔοικε, τὸ σκορπίζειν, οὐ τὸ συνάγειν· τὸ διώκειν, Β οὐ τὸ ἐπανάγειν· τὸ καταβάλλειν, οὐ τὸ ἐγείρειν· τὸ τραυματίζειν, οὐ τὸ θεραπεύειν· τὸ μισεῖν τὰ μὴ πλανώμενα, οὐ τὸ ζητεῖν τὰ πλανώμενα. Τὸ μὲν οὖν ἀψευδῶς γεγραμμένον προδήλως πεπλήρωται, ὅτι «Πάντες οἱ θέλοντες ζῇν εὐσεβῶς ἐν Χριστῷ Ἰησοῦ διωχθήσονται· πονηροὶ δὲ ἄνθρωποι καὶ γόητες προκόψουσιν ἐπὶ χεῖρον, πλανῶντες καὶ πλανώμενοι. Τὰ δὲ μέρη τῆς παρ᾿ ἡμῶν ἀντιλογίας ὑποτέτακται, καὶ οὕτως κατὰ τάξιν διηρημένα.

### English translation (Claude)

A letter of the same author, serving as a preface and as a lament over the turmoil of the churches. I admired your scholarly and truth-loving purpose, most faithful servant of Christ (for what could I find equal to that dignity?), Eustathius; and I admired it so much, and was so overcome, that I rose at once to the service you commanded, bringing readily the will, even if the power is lacking. For how could I either make my words equal to your warm zeal, or fill up the measure owed to the truth, or set out the bulk of the falsehood that now troubles us? Words full of every unreason and madness are being spoken, and spoken with all shamelessness and high-handedness, so that by this things never dared before are now more easily dared, and heretical wickedness no longer plots secretly and little by little against the simpler sort, but acts with youthful insolence as if it had authority over all, and gives orders against all, legislates, drags to what it pleases, demands obedience without delay, condemns, exacts penalties for exactness about godliness; it covers one man with insults, drives another from his homeland, weaves for this one the nooses of accusations, strips that one of the rank he holds, throws one down by boldness, carries off another by bluster. I say nothing of the chains, the prisons, the fines, the disgraces, the scourges, the pitiable spectacles of murders, which even after experience are disbelieved for their excess. And this drama is staged through many priests. O unholy daring! O unbearable judgment! Their preface to the liturgy and to teaching is that sweetest word, "Peace to all"; their task is to carry about the proclamation, to give many charges about gentleness, so that they may keep the saying, "In gentleness correcting those who oppose"; they fittingly urge, "We who are strong ought to bear the weaknesses of those who are not strong"; for they very piously keep the wise words of Paul, "Who is weak, and I am not weak? Who is made to stumble, and I do not burn?" and, "I have become all things to all, that I might win all." Where now is, "Do not hate him as an enemy, but admonish him as a brother"? Where now, "So that what is lame may not be turned aside but rather healed"? Where is, "Reprove, rebuke, exhort, with all patience and teaching"? Condemnation without trial, sentence without proof. Rashness is reckoned courage, cruelty is named zeal, deceit is counted wisdom. What loud-voiced tragedy is worthy of these things? The lament of Jeremiah is small beside the number and greatness of such evils. But lest we seem, for lack of proofs, to linger in lamentations, come, let us meet simply and truthfully each of the things they put forward; though even before words they have been refuted by their deeds, according to the divine law that says, "By their fruits you will know them." And the fruits of those now at work, it seems, are to scatter, not to gather; to persecute, not to bring back; to throw down, not to raise up; to wound, not to heal; to hate those who do not stray, not to seek those who stray. What was written without falsehood has plainly been fulfilled: "All who wish to live godly in Christ Jesus will be persecuted; but evil men and impostors will go on from bad to worse, deceiving and being deceived." The parts of our reply are set out below, divided in order as follows.

### Scripture references

- 2 Tim 2:25: quotation, high confidence
- Rom 15:1: quotation, high confidence
- 2 Cor 11:29: quotation, high confidence
- 1 Cor 9:22: quotation, high confidence
- 2 Thess 3:15: quotation, high confidence
- Heb 12:13: quotation, high confidence
- 2 Tim 4:2: quotation, high confidence
- Matt 7:16: quotation, high confidence
- Matt 12:30: echo, medium confidence
- Ezek 34:4: echo, medium confidence
- 2 Tim 3:12–13: quotation, high confidence

### Translation notes

- The Confutations (traditionally printed among the works of Athanasius in PG 28; now generally ascribed to Eutherius of Tyana, a supporter of Nestorius, ca. 431–434) are translated as written. Eustathius, the addressee, is unidentified. Scripture: 2 Tim 2:25; Rom 15:1; 2 Cor 11:29; 1 Cor 9:22; 2 Thess 3:15; Heb 12:13; 2 Tim 4:2; Lam (Jeremiah's lament); Matt 7:16; Matt 12:30 (scatter, gather); Ezek 34:4; 2 Tim 3:12–13.

### Citation (SBL)

Eutherius, Conf. pref. (PG 28:1337–1340; trans. Sophia Scriptura, https://sophiascriptura.com/p/eutherius-confutationes/0).

## Part 1

- URL: https://sophiascriptura.com/fathers/eutherius-confutationes/0/#p-1
- Source: PG 28:1339–1342
- Translation: Claude (claude-opus-5-5), 2026-10-23

Summary: The author argues that truth is not decided by numbers, citing the twelve apostles, Stephen, Phinehas, Noah, and Lot.

### Greek text

Πρὸς τοὺς πλήθει μόνῳ κρίνοντας τὴν ἀλήθειαν. Μέλλοντες δὲ σὺν Θεῷ τῶν κατὰ τοῦ ψεύδους ἀγώνων ἅπτεσθαι, καλέσωμεν εἰς ὁδήγησιν τὸν Θεὸν τῆς ἀληθείας. Αὐτὸς γὰρ ἡμᾶς ἐκ τοῦ ψεύδους τῆς ματαιότητος ἐλυτρώσατο· νῦν μὲν βοῶν· · Ἐγώ εἰμι ἡ ἀλήθεια· · νῦν δὲ παρεγγυῶν· « Θαρσεῖτε, ἐγὼ νενίκηκα τὸν κόσμον. » Πῶς οὖν οὐκ ἐλεεινοὶ οἱ πλήθει μόνῳ τοῦ λόγου τὴν ἰσχὺν ἀπονέμοντες, καὶ οὐ συνιέντες, ὅτιπερ ὁ Δεσπότης Χριστὸς δώδεκα μαθηταῖς ἁπλοῖς, ἀγραμμάτοις, πένησιν, εὐαλώτοις, τὸ κατὰ παντὸς τοῦ κόσμου θάρσος δεδώρηται, παρασκευάσας αὐτοὺς οὐ ταῖς δώδεκα μυριάσιν ἀκολουθῆσαι, ἀλλὰ τὰς μυριάδας συνθέσθαι τοῖς δώδεκα ; Οὕτως ἀεὶ τῆς ἀληθείας τὸ κράτος, κἂν παρ᾿ ὀλίγοις τέως εὑρίσκηται. Ὁ δὲ μὴ τολμῶν δοῦναι λόγον τῆς προκειμένης ζητήσεως, μήτ᾽ εὐπορῶν ἀποδείξεων, καὶ διὰ τοῦτο καταφεύγων εἰς πλῆθος, ὁμολογεῖ τὴν ἧτταν, ὡς οὐδὲν ἔχων παῤῥησίας ἐφόδιον. Τὸ πλῆθος ἡμῖν ἐπισείεις, ὥσπερ ἀπειλῶν τῷ Θεῷ πυργοποιίαν δευτέραν, κατὰ μίμησιν πολυχειρίας φρενοβλαβοῦς. Δειξάτω μοι κάλλος ἀληθείας, καὶ σύντομος εὐθὺς ἡ πειθώ. Πλῆθος δὲ χωρὶς ἀποδείξεων αὐθεντοῦν, φοβῆσαι μὲν ἱκανὸν, πεῖσαι δὲ οὐδαμῶς. Η πόσαι μυριάδες πείσουσί με τὴν ἡμέραν νύκτα νομίσαι; ἢ τὸ χαλκοῦν νόμισμα ὡς χρυσοῦν εἰδέναι, καὶ οὕτω δέχεσθαι; ἢ προσίεσθαι δηλητήριον πρόδηλον ἀντὶ καταλλήλου τροφῆς; Εἶτα γηΐνων μὲν ἕνεκα πραγμάτων οὐκ αἰσθησόμεθα πλῆθος ψευδωνύμων · οὐρανίων δὲ χάριν δογμάτων νεύμασιν ἀναποδείκτοις ἀκολουθήσω, τῶν πάλαι καὶ πρόπαλαι μετὰ πολλῆς συμφωνίας, καὶ τῆς τῶν Γραφῶν μαρτυρίας παραδοθέντων ἀναχωρήσας; Οὐκ ἠκούσαμεν τοῦ Κυρίου λέγοντος· σ Πολλοὶ κλητοὶ, ὀλίγοι δὲ ἐκλεκτοί;» καὶ πάλιν· « Στενὴ καὶ τεθλιμμένη ἡ ὁδὸς ἡ ἀπάγουσα εἰς τὴν ζωὴν, καὶ ὀλίγοι εἰσὶν οἱ εὑρίσκοντες αὐτὴν;» Τίς οὖν εὖ φρονῶν οὐκ εὔχεται τῶν ὀλίγων εἶναι τῶν διὰ τῆς στενῆς εἰσιόντων εἰς σωτηρίαν, ἢ τῶν πολλῶν, τῶν διὰ τῆς πλατείας εἰς ἀπώλειαν ὠθουμένων; Τίς δὲ οὐκ ἂν ἐπιθυμήσοι, εἰ κατὰ τὸν καιρὸν ἐκεῖνον ἔτυχεν ὧν τῆς ἀθλήσεως τοῦ μακαρίου Στεφάνου, τῆς ἐκείνου μερίδος γενέσθαι, τοῦ μόνου τοῖς λίθοις βαλλομένου, τοῦ πᾶσιν εἰς γέλωτα προκειμένου, ἢ τῶν ὄχλων τῶν οἰομένων τὸ ἀξιόπιστον ἐκ τῆς κακῆς αὐθεντίας; Εἷς εὐδοκιμῶν προτιμότερος ὑπὲρ μυριάδας αὐθαδείᾳ σεμνυνομένας, ὡς καὶ ἐπὶ τῆς Παλαιᾶς Διαθήκης εὑρίσκομεν· ἐν ᾗ χιλιάδες μὲν ἔπιπτον τοῦ λαοῦ θεηλάτῳ πληγῇ, μόνος δὲ ὁ Φινεὲς ἔστη, καὶ ἐξιλάσατο, καὶ ἐκόπασεν ἡ θραῦσις. Εἰ δὲ εἶπεν ἐκεῖνος· Πῶς τολμήσει [τις] πρὸς τὰ συμφώνως ὑπὸ τοσούτων γενόμενα; πῶς ἐναντίαν ἐπιθῶμαι ψῆφον τῶν οὕτω κρινάντων ζῇν; οὔτ᾽ ἂν αὐτὸς ἡρίστευσεν, οὔτ᾽ ἂν τὸ κακὸν ἔστησεν· οὔτ᾽ ἂν οἱ λοιποὶ διεσώθησαν, οὔτ᾽ ἂν Θεὸς τὴν εὐμένειαν ἐχαρίσατο. Καλὸν οὖν, καλὸν καὶ τὸ ἕνα δίκαιον παῤῥησιάζεσθαι, καὶ τὸ πολλῶν συμφωνίαν ἄδικον λύεσθαι. Ἀλλὰ σὺ μὲν προτίμησον, εἰ δοκεῖ, τοῦ σωζομένου Νῶε τὸ ὑποβρύχιον πλῆθος· ἐμοὶ δὲ συγχώρησον τῇ τοὺς ὀλίγους ἐχούσῃ κιβωτῷ προσδραμεῖν. Καὶ σὺ μὲν, εἰ βούλει, τάξον σεαυτὸν μετὰ πολλῶν ἐν Σοδόμοις· ἐγὼ δὲ συνοδεύσω τῷ Λὼτ, κἂν μόνος τῶν ὄχλων συμφερόντως χωρίσηται. Πλὴν ἐμοὶ καὶ πλῆθος αἰδέσιμον, οὐ τὸ φεῦγον ἐξέτασιν, ἀλλὰ τὸ παρέχον ἀπόδειξιν · οὐ τὸ πικρῶς ἀμυνόμενον, ἀλλὰ τὸ πατρικῶς διορθούμενον· οὐ τὸ χαῖρον καινοτομίᾳ, ἀλλὰ τὸ φυλάττον πατρώαν κληρονομίαν. Ποῖον δέ μοι καὶ πλῆθος λέγεις; Τὸ μισθωθὲν κολακείᾳ καὶ δώροις, τὸ κλαπὲν ἀμαθείᾳ τε καὶ ἀγνοίᾳ, τὸ πεπτωκὸς δειλίᾳ τε καὶ φόβῳ, τὸ προτιμῆσαν πρόσκαιρον ἁμαρτίας ἀπόλαυσιν τῆς αἰωνίου ζωῆς, ἅπερ πολλοὶ φανερῶς ὡμολόγησαν; Πλήθει τὸ ψεῦδος κρατύνεις ; ἔδειξας τοῦ δεινοῦ τὴν ἐπίτασιν· ὅσῳ γὰρ πλείους ἐν τῷ κακῷ, τοσούτῳ μείζων ἡ συμφορά.

### English translation (Claude)

Against those who judge the truth by numbers alone. As we are about to engage, with God, in the contests against falsehood, let us call on the God of truth to guide us. For he has redeemed us from the falsehood of vanity, now crying out, "I am the truth," now charging us, "Take courage, I have overcome the world." How then are they not pitiable who assign the strength of an argument to numbers alone, and do not understand that the Master Christ gave to twelve disciples, simple, unlettered, poor, easily taken, courage against the whole world, preparing them not to follow the tens of thousands, but making the tens of thousands agree with the twelve? So the power of the truth is always strong, even if for a time it is found among few. But he who does not dare to give an account of the question before us, and has no store of proofs, and for that reason takes refuge in numbers, confesses his defeat, as having no provision for free speech. You brandish the multitude at us, as if threatening God with a second tower-building, in imitation of a crazed many-handed crowd. Let him show me the beauty of truth, and persuasion follows at once. But a multitude that acts on its own authority without proofs is able to frighten, but by no means to persuade. Or how many tens of thousands will persuade me to think day night? Or to know a bronze coin as gold, and accept it so? Or to take a plain poison instead of suitable food? Then, in earthly matters, shall we not perceive a multitude of false names, but in heavenly doctrines shall I follow unproven nods, departing from what was handed down of old and from long ago with much agreement and the witness of the Scriptures? Have we not heard the Lord saying, "Many are called, but few are chosen"; and again, "Narrow and hard is the way that leads to life, and few are those who find it"? Who of sound mind, then, does not pray to be among the few who enter to salvation through the narrow gate, rather than among the many who are pushed through the wide one into destruction? And who, had he happened to be present at the time of the contest of the blessed Stephen, would not wish to be of his portion, who alone was being stoned and set out for all to mock, rather than of the crowds who thought their credibility came from their wicked high-handedness? One man of good repute is to be preferred above tens of thousands priding themselves on arrogance, as we find also in the Old Testament: in it thousands of the people fell by a God-sent blow, but Phinehas alone stood and made atonement, and the plague ceased. But if he had said, "How will anyone dare against what has been done with one accord by so many? How shall I cast a vote against those who have decided so to live?" he would neither have been the champion, nor have stopped the evil; the rest would not have been saved, nor would God have granted his favor. It is good, then, good for one righteous man to speak freely and to break up the unjust agreement of many. But you, if you like, prefer the drowned multitude to Noah who was saved; allow me to run to the ark that holds the few. And you, if you wish, place yourself with the many in Sodom; I shall go with Lot, even if he alone parts profitably from the crowds. Yet for me too a multitude is to be respected: not one that flees examination, but one that offers proof; not one that avenges itself bitterly, but one that corrects like a father; not one that rejoices in innovation, but one that guards the ancestral inheritance. And what kind of multitude do you speak of to me? One hired by flattery and gifts, stolen by ignorance and lack of knowledge, fallen through cowardice and fear, one that has preferred the temporary enjoyment of sin to eternal life, as many have openly confessed? Do you strengthen falsehood by numbers? You have shown the intensity of the evil; for the more there are in evil, the greater the calamity.

### Scripture references

- John 14:6: quotation, high confidence
- John 16:33: quotation, high confidence
- Gen 11:4: allusion, medium confidence
- Matt 22:14: quotation, high confidence
- Matt 7:13–14: quotation, high confidence
- Acts 7:58: allusion, high confidence
- Num 25:7–8: allusion, high confidence
- Ps 106:30 (105:30 LXX): allusion, high confidence
- Gen 7:23: allusion, medium confidence
- Gen 19:15–16: allusion, medium confidence
- Heb 11:25: allusion, high confidence

### Translation notes

- John 14:6; John 16:33; Gen 11:1–9 (the tower); Matt 22:14; Matt 7:13–14; Acts 7:54–60; Num 25:7–8 and Ps 106:30; Gen 7; Gen 19; Heb 11:25. The OCR of Migne's two-column page displaced two lines in the first part of this section ("παντὸς τοῦ κόσμου θάρσος δεδώρηται, παρασκευάσας" and "καὶ διὰ τοῦτο καταφεύγων εἰς πλῆθος, ὁμολογεῖ"); they are put back in place by logged corrections. "[τις]" is the editor's supplement, translated.

### Citation (SBL)

Eutherius, Conf. 1 (PG 28:1339–1342; trans. Sophia Scriptura, https://sophiascriptura.com/p/eutherius-confutationes/1).

## Part 2

- URL: https://sophiascriptura.com/fathers/eutherius-confutationes/0/#p-2
- Source: PG 28:1341–1350
- Translation: Claude (claude-opus-5-5), 2026-10-23

Summary: The author defends the study of Scripture against those who would forbid it, and then, in a new chapter, argues that 'the Word became flesh' means union with flesh, not change into flesh, so that two natures must be confessed.

### Greek text

Πρὸς τοὺς κελεύοντας μὴ δεῖν ἀπὸ Γραφῶν ζητεῖν ἢ λαλεῖν, ἀρκουμένους τῇ παρ' αὐτοῖς πίστει. Τὸ μὲν οὖν μηδὲν εἶναι τὴν ἄκριτον τῶν πολλῶν συμφωνίαν, οἶμαι μηδὲ τοὺς ἐναντίως ἡμῖν ἔχοντας λοιπὸν ἀντερεῖν· ἡμῖν δὲ ἰτέον πρὸς τὰ ἐξῆς, καὶ ἐξαὐθεντίᾳ δίχα τῆς τῶν Γραφῶν μαρτυρίας · πῶς ἐλεγκτέον τὴν τόλμαν τῶν περιττὴν εἶναι τὴν περὶ τὰς ἁγίας Γραφὰς ἀποφαινομένων διατριβὴν, ὡς ἀρκούσης ἑκάστῳ τῆς οἰκείας πίστεως, καὶ μᾶλλον ἀσάφειαν έμποιούσης ἡμῖν τῆς ζητήσεως. Ταῦτα δὲ καταγινωσκόντων ἐστὶν ὡς ἀσυστάτου τοῦ δόγματος. Ἀλλ᾿ ἡμεῖς θαῤῥοῦντες τῇ ἀληθείᾳ τοῦ μυστηρίου καὶ τῇ βοηθείᾳ τοῦ ἀψευδοῦς, εἰπόντος, « Πᾶς ὁ ζητῶν εὑρίσκει, » καὶ ζητοῦμεν ὡς δεῖ, καὶ εὑρίσκομεν ἃ δεῖ, καὶ μετὰ ἀποδείξεως λέγομεν, καὶ μετὰ προθέσεως γνησίας ἀκούομεν, ὡς καὶ τοὺς οἰκείους πείθειν, καὶ τοὺς ἐναντίους ἐλέγχειν, καὶ ἡμᾶς αὐτοὺς διὰ τῆς ἐρεύνης κερδαίνειν, καὶ μὴ ἀσύστατον πρᾶγμα δεικνύειν. Αμελήσω Γραφῶν; πόθεν οὖν ἡ γνῶσις; Καταλείψω γνῶσιν; πόθεν ἡ πίστις; Παῦλος βοᾷ· « Πῶς πιστεύσουσιν, ἐὰν μὴ ἀκούσωσι;» καὶ πάλιν· · Ὥστε ἡ πίστις ἐξ ἀκοῆς· ἡ δὲ ἀκοὴ διὰ ῥήματος Θεοῦ. » Ὁ τοίνυν τὸ ῥῆμα κωλύων, τὴν ἀκοὴν ἐμφράττει, τὴν πίστιν ἐκβάλλει. Καὶ νόμους μὲν Ῥωμαίων ἀγνοεῖν ἀκίνδυνον οὐδενί· τὰ δὲ μεγάλα θεσπίσματα τοῦ βασιλέως τῶν οὐρανῶν οἱ κωλύοντες μελετᾷν καὶ μανθάνειν ποίαν ἐπιβουλὴν οὐκ ἐργάζονται; Τροφὴ ψυχῆς ἡ Γραφή. Παῦσαι οὖν λιμοκτονῶν τὸν ἔσω ἄνθρωπον, ἄνθρωπε, καὶ λιμὸν ἄγριον ἐπισπασάμενος, οὐκ ἄρτου καὶ ὕδατος, ἀλλὰ τοῦ ἀκοῦσαι λόγον Κυρίου. "Αλλος ἐπιφέρει τὰ τραύματα, καὶ σὺ κωλύεις ὑπάγειν τὰ φάρμακα; Παῦσαι ματαίαν ἀποφαίνων τὴν ποικίλην τῶν ἰατρικῶν βιβλίων σοφίαν · αἰδέσθητι τὸν φιλόλογον ἐκεῖνον εὐνοῦχον, ὃς ἦν ἐπὶ πάσης τῆς γάζης τῆς βασιλίσσης, μήτ᾽ ἐν ὁδῷ καταλιμπάνοντα τὴν ἀνάγνωσιν· οὗ τὴν πρόθεσιν ἀποδεξάμενος ὁ Δεσπότης, ἔπεμψεν εὐθὺς αὐτῷ τὸν διδάσκαλον, προστιθέντα τῇ ἀναγνώσει τὴν γνῶσιν, ἀπὸ τῶν Γραφῶν τε αὐτὸν προσάγοντα τῷ Σωτῆρι. Διὸ καὶ αὐτὸς ἐκέλευσεν, « Ἐρευνᾶτε τὰς Γραφὰς, ἐρευνᾷν εἰπὼν τὴν ἐπιμελῆ καὶ νηφάλιον τῶν κεκρυμμένων ἐξέτασιν. Ἐκ τῶν ἁγίων Γραφῶν, ἡ τῶν ἀδήλων φανέρωσις, ἡ τῶν ἐλπίδων βεβαίωσις, ἡ τῶν ὑποσχέσεων ἔκβασις, ἡ τοῦ Σωτῆρος εὔρεσις Ὃν ἔγραψε Μωσῆς καὶ οἱ προφῆται εὑρήκαμεν. Ταύταις κέχρηται ταῖς φωναῖς πρὸς σύστασιν τῆς ἀληθείας ὁ Παῦλος. Εἰ δὲ Παῦλος ὁ τῶν ἀῤῥήτων ῥημάτων ἀκροατής, ὁ τῶν ἀποῤῥήτων μύστης, ὁ τὸν Χριστὸν ἔχων ἐν ἑαυτῷ λαλοῦντα, οὐ κέχρηται ἁπλῶς … ἀκίνδυνον νῦν ἀμελεῖν μὲν τῆς θείας νομοθεσίας, λαλεῖν δὲ τὰ δοκοῦντα ἀπὸ καρδίας; ᾿Αλλ' ἔστι τινὰ τὴν ἡμετέραν κατάληψιν ὑπερβαίνοντα· φημὶ κἀγώ. Καὶ τοῦτο οὖν ἀπὸ Γραφῶν διδαχθῶμεν, ὡς εἰδέναι τινὰ μὲν ζητητέον ὡς ἐφικτά. Οὔτε γὰρ τὸ πάντων κατατολμᾷν εὐσεβὲς, οὔτε τὸ πάντων καταμελεῖν εὐαγές. Τί οὖν προσκυνοῦμεν, εἰδέναι πάντες ὀφείλομεν, κατὰ τὸ γεγραμμένον· « Ἡμεῖς προσκυνοῦμεν ὃ οἴδαμεν. » Τὸ δὲ ἡλίκον, ἢ οἷον, ἢ πῶς, ἢ ποῦ, μαινομένων ζητεῖν. Ἀλλ᾿ οἱ βουλόμενοι τὰ ἑαυτῶν κρίνειν, ἀπείργουσι τῶν Γραφῶν, προφάσει μὲν του μὴ χατατολμᾶν͵, ὡς ἀπροσίτων, τῇ δὲ ἀληθείᾳ ὑπὲρ τοῦ φεύγειν τὸν ἐξ αὐτῶν ἔλεγχον τῆς οἰχείας κακοδοξίας. Καὶ ὅταν ἴδωσι μὲν ἑαυτων κακοφροσύνην συμποδιζομένην ἀπὸ τῆς τῶν Γραφῶν ἀποδείξεως, παραγράφονται τῶν Γραφῶν τὸν σκοπὸν καὶ τὴν χρείαν " ὅταν δὲ νομίσωσι συντελεῖν αὐτοῖς γυμνόν τι ῥητὸν πρὸς τὴν ἰδίαν ἐγχείρησιν ἀποτμηθὲν τῆς οἰκείας ἀκολουθίας, ἕλκουσιν αὐτοὶ πρὸς τὴν ἰδίαν κατασκευὴν, οὐ τῇ δηλουμένῃ διανοίᾳ δουλεύοντες, ἀλλὰ πρὸς τὴν οἰκείαν χαχοτεχνίαν τὰς συλλαβὰς βιαζόμενοι, ὥσπερ ποιοῦσιν ἐπὶ τοῦ, « Ὁ Λόγος σὰρξ ἐγένετο. » Πρὸς τοὺς προβαλλομένους κακοήθως τὸ, « Ὃ Λόγος σὰρξ ἐγένετο. ν Πολλὰ μὲν τοῖς ἐκπεσοῦσι τῆς ἀληθείας, εἴτε δι᾽’ ἔριν, εἴτε δι' ἄγνοιαν, πρὸς ἀπάτην ἐπινενόηται" τὸ δὲ, ε« Ὃ Λόγος ἐγένετο σὰρξ, » εἰρημένον ὑπερφυῶς τε χαὶ ὑπὲρ ἔπαινον, ἐξελέξαντο καὶ οἱ πάλαὶ κατὰ τὰς αἱρέσεις πολέμιοι, καὶ οἱ νῦν ἀντίδιχοι, χαθάπερ ὡς μυστήριον ἄμαχον, ὡς ἐνόμισαν, ἡμῖν ἐπετείχισαν κατατρέχειν ἐκεῖθεν καὶ βάλλειν τῶν ὀρθοδόξων τὴν φάλαγγα μηχανώμενοι, πολλούς τε δεσμεῖν τῇ πλοκῇ τοῦ ζητήματος. « Ὁ Λόγος σὰρξ ἐγένετο, ν» αὐτὸς ὁ σὰρξ γενόμενος, τὸ πάθος ἐδέξατο. Τίς οὐ φρίττει τὴν τῶν εἰρημένων ἀπόνοιαν; Τὸ γεγραμμένον ἀποχόψαντες, εἶπον, τὸ μὴ δὲ γεγραμμένον ἐχαινοτόμησαν. Ὁ γὰρ εἰπὼν τὸ, « Ὃ Λόγος σὰρξ ἐγένετο,» προσέθηκε χαὶ τὸ, ε« Ἐσκήνωσεν ἐν ἡμῖν" » ἵνα διπλᾶ νοήσωμεν εὐθέως τὰ σημαινόμενα, τὸν Λόγον, τὴν σάρχα, τὸ σκηνοῦν, τὸ σχηνούμενον" καὶ μῆτε τροπὴν, μῆτε ἀλλοίωσιν, μήτε τὶ τοιοῦτο ἐπὶ τῆς ἀτρέπτου οὐσίας ἐκλάβωμεν. Ἢ γὰρ ἂν εἶπε, Σκήνωμα ἐγένετο, οὐχ « Ἐσχήνωσεν ἐν ἡμῖν, » εἴπερ αὐτὴ ἡ τοῦ Λόγου φύσις εἰς σαρχὸς φύσιν μετέστη. ᾿Αλλ᾽ οὐχ οἷόν τε λογίσασθαι περὶ τοῦ λέγοντος " ε Ἴδετε, ἴδετε, ὅτι ἐγώ εἶμι, καὶ οὐχ ἡλλοίωμαι. ν Πῶς οὖν καὶ ἐγένετο σὰρξ, καὶ οὐχ ἠλλοίωται; τῷ ἐνωθῆναι σαρχὶ, οὐ τῷ μεταποιηθῆναι εἰς σάρχα. Διὸ καὶ λέγεται, ε« ᾿Εφανερώθη σαρχὶ, » οὐχ “Ἐφανερώθη ἡ σάρξ' καὶ, « Σπέρματος Ἀβραὰμ, φησὶν, «εἐπελάβετο "» οὐ Σπέρμα Ἀβραὰμ ἀλλοιωθὲν ἢ ἐγένετο᾽ καὶ, ε« Ναὸν ἔσχε τὸ σῶμα, ν οὐχ Εἰς ναὸν μεταβέβληται" χαὶ, « Ὁ ἐν μορφῇ Θεοῦ ὑπάρχων μορφὴν δούλου ἔλαβεν, » οὐ Μορφὴ δούλου γέγονεν. Εἰ δὲ τις φιλονεικῶν οὐ βούλεται τὸ τῷ Θεῷ πρέπον σκοπεῖν, ἀλλὰ δουλεύειν ταῖς συλλαβαῖς ἄνευ διανοίας εὐσεβοῦς, ἅπαντά τε ἀπαιτεῖν τὰ μὴ δέοντα " γινωσκέτω σοφώτερον ἑαυτὸν τῆς χάριτος τοῦ ἁγίου Πνεύματος ἀποφαίνων, καὶ μὴ δεχόμενος τὴν ἐκεῖθεν νομοθεσίαν, τὴν διὰ πολλῶν φωνῶν ἱερῶν, ὡς προείρῆται, σαφηνίσασαν ἡμῖν τοῦ ῥητοῦ τὴν δύναμιν, ἣ οὗ δίχα τολμήσεως καὶ μάχην ἐπεισάγειν τοῖς θείοις λόγοις, καὶ τῶν ἁγίων δογμάτων, ὡς ἐναντίων ἀλλήλοις, καταψηφίζεσθαι " εἴπερ ἐναντίον τὸ, « Ἐγένετο σάρξ, » τοῦ Μορφὴν δούλου λαβεῖν. Αλλ᾽ ἄπαγε, δείλαιε· οὔτε τὸ θεῖον τρέπεται, οὔτε ἡ ἁγία Γραφή πρὸς ἑαυτὴν διαμάχεται, ἑρμηνεύουσα τοῖς φιλαλήθως ἀκούουσιν · εὐπαράδεκτός ἐστιν ὅλη καὶ σύμφωνος. Τὴν μὲν οὖν εὐσεβῆ διάνοιαν ταύτην ἡμῖν αἱ θεῖαι Βίβλοι παραδιδόασι · τὸ δὲ, « Ἐγένετο, » γέγραπται, οὐχ ἵνα τοῦ Θεοῦ Λόγου τροπὴν ἐννοήσωμεν, ἀλλ᾿ ἵνα τὴν ἄκραν ἕνωσιν οὕτω κατανοήσωμεν· ἐπεὶ ἁμαρτίαν οὐ λέγεται πεποιηκέναι, ἀλλὰ πεποιῆσθαι· Τὸν γὰρ μὴ γνόντα, » φησὶν, « ἁμαρτίαν, ὑπὲρ ἡμῶν ἁμαρτίαν ἐποίησεν, » οὐ τῷ μεταποιηθῆναι τὸν Λόγον εἰς ἁμαρτίας ἐνέργημα, ἢ πεποιηκέναι ἁμαρτίαν· ἀλλὰ τῷ λαβεῖν τὴν ἡμετέραν ἁμαρτίαν, καὶ ἀφανίσαι αὐτὴν, κατὰ τὸ γεγραμμένον · « Αὐτὸς τὰς ἁμαρτίας ἡμῶν αἴρει. » Ὥσπερ οὖν ἁμαρτία Β πεποίηται καὶ κατάρα γέγονεν, οὐ τῷ μετατραπῆναι· τὸ δὲ μεταβέβληται· ἢ τὸ πᾶν μεταβέβληται, ἢ κατὰ οὕτω καὶ σὰρξ ἐγένετο, οὐκ εἰς ταύτην μεταβληθεὶς, ταύτῃ δὲ ἑνωθείς. Ἐντεῦθεν καὶ ἄνθρωπος, Θεῷ διὰ πίστεως κολληθεὶς καὶ χάριτος, ἓν λέγεται πνεῦμα· Ὁ κολλώμενος τῷ Κυρίῳ, » φησὶν, « ἓν πνεῦμά ἐστιν· ὁ οὐχ ὡς τοῦ ἀνθρώπου εἰς τὴν τῆς θεότητος φύσιν μεταβαλλομένου· ἀλλ᾽ ὡς τῆς τοιαύτης συν αφείας τὴν πνευματικὴν ἀξίαν αὐτῷ δωρουμένης. Τὸν αὐτὸν δὲ τρόπον καὶ ὁ Λόγος, οὐκ εἰς σαρκὸς μετέστη φύσιν, ἀλλ᾽ ἑνωθεὶς σαρκὶ, σάρξ λέγεται γεγονέναι· καθὼς καὶ ἄνθρωπος κολληθεὶς Θεῷ πνεῦμα λέγεται εἶναι, μὴ τὴν οἰκείαν οὐσίαν ἀποβαλὼν, τὴν κοινωνίαν δὲ προσλαβών. ᾿Αλλὰ τί τὸ σοφὸν τῶν ἀντιλεγόντων; Ἔμεινεν ὃ ἦν· ἐγένετο ὃ οὐκ ἦν· ἐμερίσθη ἡ ἀμέριστος φύσις, καὶ τὸ μὲν αὐτῆς ἔμεινε, δόκησιν γέγονεν, ἢ λέγεσθαι μὲν ὀφείλει ἁπλῶς. νοεῖσθαι δὲ οὐχ ἁρμόζει. Καὶ τίς χρεία Λόγου μηδὲν σημαίνοντος; Αλλ᾿ ὡς ἀπ᾿ ἀρχῆς παραδέδοται, καὶ τὸ εἰρημένον βέβαιον, καὶ τὸ ἀκόλουθον ὡς ἄδηλον, καὶ ἡ ἑρμηνεία σαφής, καὶ ἡ διάνοια εὐσεβὴς, καὶ τὸ ἀδύνατον ἄμαχον, καὶ τὸ εὐπρεπὲς συνυπάρχον, καὶ τὸ ἀξιόπιστον ἐκ πολλῶν μαρτύρων ἀναντίρρητον, καὶ τὸ ἄτρεπτον τῆς θεότητος ἄσυλον, καὶ τὸ πάθος τοῦ λεγομένου ναοῦ, οὐ τοῦ ἐγείραντος τοῦτο Θεοῦ. Πρὸς τούτοις οὐδὲ ἡ Παρθένος νοεῖται μήτηρ κατὰ τὸν ἐκείνων λόγον. Εἴπερ ἑαυτὸν ὁ Λόγος σάρκα πεποίηκεν, οὐ σάρκα λαβὼν ἐξ αὐτῆς προελήλυθε. Πῶς γὰρ μήτηρ, ἧς οὐδὲν τὸ τεχθὲν ἐπιφέρεται; Πῶς δ᾽ ἂν καὶ λεχθείη τοκετὸς ἡ δίκην σωλῆνος ἀνοίκειος πάροδος ; Σκεῦος οὖν ποιοῦσιν, οὐ μητέρα, τὴν ἁγίαν Παρθένον. Καὶ οὐδὲ τοῦτο δύνανται συνιδεῖν, ὅτι τὸ « Ὁ Λόγος σάρξ ἐγένετο » καθ' ἑαυτῶν μᾶλλον προβάλλονται. Εἰ μὲν γὰρ ἄλλος ὁ Λόγος, καὶ ἄλλο σάρξ, δύο, καὶ οὐχ ἔν· εἰ δὲ τὸ αὐτὸ ὁ Λόγος καὶ ἡ σὰρξ, τὸ « Ἐγένετο» λέλυται. Οὐ γὰρ ὁ Λόγος Λόγος ἐγένετο· τὸ δὲ ἐν τῷ αὐτῷ ὂν ἄλλο τι οὐκ ἐγέ νετο. Ὥστε ἀνάγκη ἢ τὸ « Ἐγένετο, ἀνατραπῆναι, ἢ τὰς δύο φύσεις ὁμολογηθῆναι. Τὸ γὰρ « Ἐγένετο κατὰ τὸ ἀληθῶς φαινόμενον εἴρηται πρὸς τὴν τῶν ὀρώντων ὑπόληψιν, ἀγνοούντων τὸν μὴ ὁρώμενον Θεὸν Λόγον τότε. Ωσπερ ἐάν τις εἴπῃ· Ὁ ποιμὴν πρόβατον ἐξ ἀνδρὸς μεταβέβληται· ἀλλὰ καθάπερ Α πρόβατον ἐξ ἀνδρὸς ἀληθῶς ἐνεδύσατο, οὐ φύσεως ἀνάγκῃ ἀκουσίῳ, ἀλλὰ προαιρέσεως γνώμῃ καὶ εὐδοκίᾳ μόνον.

### English translation (Claude)

Against those who order that one should not search or speak from the Scriptures, but be content with the faith they hold. That the unexamined agreement of the many is nothing, I think not even those who disagree with us will now gainsay. We must go on to what follows, and show how we must refute the daring of those who speak on their own authority without the witness of the Scriptures, and declare that study of the holy Scriptures is superfluous, as though each one's own faith were sufficient, and as though inquiry rather produced obscurity in us. These are the words of men who condemn their doctrine as unable to stand. But we, trusting in the truth of the mystery and in the help of him who cannot lie, who said, "Everyone who seeks finds," both seek as we ought and find what we ought, and speak with proof and listen with sincere purpose, so as to persuade our own, to refute our opponents, to profit ourselves through the search, and not to show the matter as unable to stand. Shall I neglect the Scriptures? From where, then, is knowledge? Shall I leave knowledge behind? From where is faith? Paul cries, "How will they believe if they do not hear?" and again, "So faith comes from hearing, and hearing through the word of God." He who hinders the word, then, stops up hearing and casts out faith. To be ignorant of the laws of the Romans is safe for no one; and those who hinder people from studying and learning the great decrees of the King of heaven, what plot do they not work? Scripture is the food of the soul. Stop, then, starving the inner man, O man, bringing on a savage famine, "not of bread and water, but of hearing the word of the Lord." Another inflicts the wounds, and do you prevent the bringing of the medicines? Stop declaring vain the varied wisdom of the medical books; respect that eunuch, the lover of learning, who was over all the treasure of the queen, and did not leave off reading even on the road; whose purpose the Master accepted, and at once sent him the teacher, adding knowledge to reading and leading him from the Scriptures to the Savior. Therefore he himself commanded, "Search the Scriptures," by "search" meaning a careful and sober examination of hidden things. From the holy Scriptures comes the revealing of what is unclear, the confirming of hopes, the fulfilment of promises, the finding of the Savior: "We have found him of whom Moses and the prophets wrote." Paul uses these words to establish the truth. But if Paul, the hearer of unspeakable words, the initiate of secret things, who had Christ speaking in him, does not simply use … how is it now safe to neglect the divine legislation and to speak what seems good from one's own heart? But there are some things that surpass our comprehension, I too say. Let us then learn this too from the Scriptures, so as to know that some things are to be sought as attainable. For it is neither godly to dare everything, nor holy to neglect everything. What we worship, all of us ought to know, as it is written: "We worship what we know." But how great, or of what kind, or how, or where, is for madmen to seek. But those who want to judge their own matters keep people from the Scriptures, on the pretext of not daring, as though they were inaccessible, but in truth in order to escape being refuted from them for their own false doctrine. And when they see their own ill-thinking hampered by the proof of the Scriptures, they set aside the purpose and use of the Scriptures; but when they think that some bare phrase, cut off from its own sequence, serves their own attempt, they drag it to their own construction, not serving the meaning it shows but forcing the syllables to their own malpractice, as they do with "The Word became flesh." [3] Against those who maliciously put forward "The Word became flesh." Many things have been devised for deceit by those who have fallen from the truth, whether through strife or through ignorance; but "The Word became flesh," which was said in a way beyond nature and beyond praise, has been chosen both by the enemies of old, in the heresies, and by our present opponents, as an invincible mystery, as they thought; and they have built it as a fortress against us, contriving to sally out from there and strike the phalanx of the orthodox, and to bind many in the tangle of the question: "The Word became flesh"; the one who became flesh himself received the passion. Who does not shudder at the madness of these words? Cutting off what is written, they spoke, and introduced what is not written. For he who said, "The Word became flesh," added, "and dwelt among us," so that we should at once understand twofold meanings: the Word, the flesh; that which dwells, that in which it dwells; and should take neither a turning nor an alteration nor anything of the kind in the unchangeable substance. For otherwise he would have said, "He became a dwelling," not "He dwelt among us," if indeed the nature of the Word itself had changed into the nature of flesh. But it is not possible to reason so about him who says, "See, see, that I am, and I have not changed." How then did he both become flesh and not change? By being united to flesh, not by being transformed into flesh. Therefore it is also said, "He was manifested in the flesh," not "the flesh was manifested"; and, "He took hold of the seed of Abraham," he says, not "he became the seed of Abraham by alteration"; and, "He had the body as a temple," not "he was changed into a temple"; and, "He who was in the form of God took the form of a servant," not "he became the form of a servant." If anyone, being contentious, will not consider what befits God, but wants to serve syllables without godly understanding, and to demand everything that ought not to be demanded, let him know that he declares himself wiser than the grace of the Holy Spirit, and does not accept the legislation from there, which, through many sacred voices, as was said before, has made the force of the phrase clear to us; and that not without daring he brings conflict into the divine words and condemns the holy doctrines as contrary to one another, if indeed "He became flesh" is contrary to "He took the form of a servant." But away with that, wretched man: neither is the divine changed, nor does holy Scripture fight against itself, but, interpreting itself to those who listen with love of truth, it is wholly acceptable and harmonious. This godly understanding, then, the divine books hand down to us; and "became" is written not so that we should think of a change of God the Word, but so that we should understand thereby the highest union; since he is not said to have committed sin, but to have been made sin: "For him who knew no sin," it says, "he made sin for us," not by the Word being transformed into an act of sin, or by having committed sin, but by taking our sin and doing away with it, as it is written, "He takes away our sins." Just as, then, he was made sin and became a curse not by being changed … so too he became flesh, not changed into it but united to it. Hence also a man, joined to God through faith and grace, is said to be one spirit: "He who is joined to the Lord," it says, "is one spirit"; not as though the man were changed into the nature of the Godhead, but as though such a union bestowed on him the spiritual dignity. In the same way the Word too did not change into the nature of flesh, but, being united to flesh, is said to have become flesh; just as a man joined to God is said to be spirit, not casting off his own substance but taking on the fellowship. But what is the wisdom of the opponents? "He remained what he was; he became what he was not." Then the indivisible nature was divided, and part of it remained, while … became an appearance; or it ought to be said simply, but it is not fitting to understand it. And what need is there of a word that means nothing? But as it was handed down from the beginning, what is said is firm, what follows is plain, the interpretation is clear, the understanding godly, the impossible uncontested, the fitting present together, the credible from many witnesses beyond dispute, the unchangeableness of the Godhead inviolate, and the passion belongs to what is called the temple, not to God who raised it. Besides, according to their account the Virgin is not even understood as mother. If the Word made himself flesh, he did not come forth having taken flesh from her. For how is she a mother from whom what was born took nothing? And how could a strange passage, like that through a pipe, be called a birth? They make the holy Virgin a vessel, then, not a mother. And they cannot even see that they put forward "The Word became flesh" rather against themselves. For if the Word is one thing and the flesh another, they are two, not one; but if the Word and the flesh are the same, "became" is undone. For the Word did not become the Word; and what is in the same thing did not become something else. So it is necessary either that "became" be overturned, or that the two natures be confessed. For "became" is said according to what truly appeared, with reference to the impression of those who saw, who did not then know the unseen God the Word: just as if someone should say, "The shepherd has been changed from a man into a sheep," when he has truly put on a sheep's form over the man, not by an unwilling necessity of nature, but by the judgment and good pleasure of his free choice alone.

### Scripture references

- Matt 7:7: quotation, high confidence
- Rom 10:14: quotation, high confidence
- Rom 10:17: quotation, high confidence
- Amos 8:11: quotation, high confidence
- Acts 8:27–35: allusion, high confidence
- John 5:39: quotation, high confidence
- John 1:45: quotation, high confidence
- 2 Cor 12:4: allusion, high confidence
- 2 Cor 13:3: allusion, medium confidence
- John 4:22: quotation, high confidence
- John 1:14: quotation, high confidence
- Deut 32:39: quotation, medium confidence
- Mal 3:6: quotation, medium confidence
- 1 Tim 3:16: quotation, high confidence
- Heb 2:16: quotation, high confidence
- John 2:19–21: allusion, high confidence
- Phil 2:6–7: quotation, high confidence
- 2 Cor 5:21: quotation, high confidence
- John 1:29: quotation, high confidence
- Gal 3:13: allusion, high confidence
- 1 Cor 6:17: quotation, high confidence

### Translation notes

- The ref holds two chapters: the heading of the third, "Against those who maliciously put forward 'The Word became flesh'", stands inside it, marked [3]; if the following refs are chapters 4–16, the staged numbering is one behind from here (the coordinator should check against PG 28). The author's Christology (the passion belongs to "the temple", the man assumed; the Word "put on" the flesh) is that of the Antiochene party; translated exactly as written. Scripture: Matt 7:7; Rom 10:14, 17; Amos 8:11; Acts 8:27–35; John 5:39; John 1:45; 2 Cor 12:4; 2 Cor 13:3; John 4:22; John 1:14; Deut 32:39 / Mal 3:6 ("See, see, that I am … I have not changed"); 1 Tim 3:16; Heb 2:16; John 2:19–21; Phil 2:6–7; 2 Cor 5:21; John 1:29; Gal 3:13; 1 Cor 6:17. Several passages are damaged in the OCR (Tesseract for page 679): a lost line before "how is it now safe" (the word ἀκίνδυνον is split between two places), and lost words in the sentence on sin and curse and in the opponents' argument ("part of it remained, while … became an appearance"); gaps are marked …. A line of garbled characters and garbled Scripture references in the OCR are removed by logged corrections.

### Citation (SBL)

Eutherius, Conf. 2 (PG 28:1341–1350; trans. Sophia Scriptura, https://sophiascriptura.com/p/eutherius-confutationes/2).

## Part 4

- URL: https://sophiascriptura.com/fathers/eutherius-confutationes/0/#p-4
- Source: PG 28:1349–1350
- Translation: Claude (claude-opus-5-5), 2026-10-23

Summary: The author argues that one nature in Christ would empty the promises to Abraham and David, since Christ must be both David's Lord and his son according to the flesh.

### Greek text

Πρὸς τοὺς λέγοντας μίαν φύσιν ἐπὶ Χριστοῦ. Πῶς οὖν τολμῶσί τινες, μετὰ τὸ δειχθῆναι δύο τὸν Λόγον καὶ τὴν σάρκα, τῶν δύο φύσεων ἐκβάλλειν τὴν σύνοδον ; πάσαις μαχόμενοι ταῖς ἁγίαις Γραφαῖς, πᾶσαν ὕβριν ἐπάγοντες τῇ ἀνυβρίστῳ φύσει, παντὶ φθονοῦντες τῷ γένει τῶν ἀνθρώπων περὶ τῆς θείας ἐνανθρωπήσεως· ἅπασαν προφητείαν ταύτης ἐκβάλλουσιν, οἱ τὸ διπλοῦν τῶν φύσεων ἀθετοῦντες. Πάντα ὅσα ταπεινότερον εἴρηται τῇ φύσει δεχόμενα τῆς σαρκὸς, τηρεῖ τοῦ Λόγου τὴν δόξαν ἀκέραιον · ταύτης ἐκβαλλομένης, ἀνάγκη πάντα συνδραμεῖν εἰς τὸν Λόγον. Πᾶσα τοῖς ἀνθρώποις ἐλπὶς καὶ παῤῥησία διὰ τῆς τοῦ Λόγου πρὸς τὴν ἀπαρχὴν ἡμῶν ἑνώσεως. Οἱ δὲ τὸν Λόγον φάσκοντες εἰς σάρκα τετράφθαι, τὸ καύχημα τοῦ γένους ἐκένωσαν, καὶ τὰς λαμπράς ἡμῶν ἐλπίδας ἀβεβαίους ἀπέφηναν. Οὐκ ἔτι σεμνύνεται ᾿Αβραάμ, οὐκ ἔτι ἀγάλλεται Δαβίδ· ψευδεῖς αἱ πρὸς αὐτὸν ὑποσχέσεις. εἴπερ οὐκ ἐκ καρποῦ τῆς κοιλίας αὐτοῦ τὸ κατὰ σάρκα ἀνίσταται ὁ Χριστός• ἀλλ᾽ ὁ Θεὸς Λόγος, αὐτὸς ἑαυτὸν σάρκα ποιήσας, τὴν ἐπιδημίαν ἐχαρίσατο. Πῶς οὖν οὐκ αἰσχύνονται καὶ Γραφαῖς θείαις πολεμοῦντες, καὶ ἀνθρώποις φθονοῦντες, καὶ Θεὸν ὡς παθητὸν βλασφημοῦντες, καὶ ψευδεῖς αὐτοῦ ἐπαγγελίας μηνύοντες, μᾶλλον δὲ οὐ ψευδεῖς μόνον, ἀλλὰ καὶ ἐπιορκίαν τοῦ ἀψευδοῦς Θεοῦ καταχέοντες; « Ωμοσε γὰρ, φησὶ, Κύριος τῷ Δαβὶδ ἀλήθειαν, καὶ οὐ μὴ ἀθετήσει αὐτήν· ἐκ καρποῦ τῆς κοιλίας αὐτοῦ καθίσαι ἐπὶ τοῦ θρόνου αὐτοῦ.» Μηδὲν οὖν ἐκ τῆς οὐσίας τοῦ Δαβίδ δεδωκότος, ἀλλ᾿ ἐκ τοῦ Λόγου καινοτομηθείσης σαρκὸς, καὶ μία φύσις ἐν τῷ Δεσπότῃ Χριστῷ, καὶ δεῖ πάντως αὐτὸν νοεῖν ἢ Κύριον τοῦ Δαβὶδ ἢ υἱόν· τὰ γὰρ δύο ἡ μία φύσις οὐκ ἐπιδέχεται. Εἰ Θεὸς μόνον, οὐ κυρίως Υἱός· οὐ γὰρ ἀρχὴν τοῦ εἶναι ἐξ αὐτοῦ λαμβάνει · οὐδὲ γνήσιος υἱὸς, ὁ μηδὲν ἔχων ἐκ τῆς οὐσίας τοῦ λεγομένου πατρός.

### English translation (Claude)

Against those who say there is one nature in Christ. How then do some dare, after it has been shown that the Word and the flesh are two, to throw out the coming together of the two natures, fighting against all the holy Scriptures, bringing every insult on the nature that cannot be insulted, and begrudging the whole human race the divine becoming man? They throw out every prophecy of it, they who set aside the twofoldness of the natures. The nature of the flesh, receiving all that is said in lowlier terms, keeps the glory of the Word intact; if it is thrown out, everything must run together onto the Word. All hope and confidence for human beings comes through the union of the Word with our firstfruits. But those who say that the Word was turned into flesh have emptied the boast of our race and declared our bright hopes unsure. Abraham no longer takes pride, David no longer exults; the promises to him are false, if Christ according to the flesh does not rise from the fruit of his loins, but God the Word, having made himself flesh, granted his sojourn. How then are they not ashamed, fighting against the divine Scriptures, begrudging human beings, blaspheming God as passible, and declaring his promises false; or rather not only false, but pouring perjury on the God who cannot lie? "For the Lord swore truth to David," it says, "and he will not set it aside: of the fruit of his loins I will set upon his throne." If David contributed nothing from his substance, but the flesh was newly fashioned from the Word, and there is one nature in the Master Christ, then one must certainly think of him either as Lord of David or as son; for the one nature does not admit both. If he is God only, he is not properly Son; for he does not receive the beginning of his being from him; nor is he a true son who has nothing from the substance of the one called his father.

### Scripture references

- Ps 132:11 (131:11 LXX): quotation, high confidence
- Acts 2:30: allusion, high confidence
- Matt 22:41–45: allusion, high confidence
- Rom 1:3: allusion, medium confidence
- Titus 1:2: echo, medium confidence

### Translation notes

- Translated as written; the argument is directed against the one-nature formula of Cyril's party. Ps 132:11 (LXX 131:11); Matt 22:41–45 (Lord and son of David); Acts 2:30; Rom 1:3; Titus 1:2. "Lord of David or son" restores a garbled "Αυἱόν" (ἢ υἱόν) by a logged correction.

### Citation (SBL)

Eutherius, Conf. 4 (PG 28:1349–1350; trans. Sophia Scriptura, https://sophiascriptura.com/p/eutherius-confutationes/4).

## Part 5

- URL: https://sophiascriptura.com/fathers/eutherius-confutationes/0/#p-5
- Source: PG 28:1349–1354
- Translation: Claude (claude-opus-5-5), 2026-10-23

Summary: The author denies that confessing the flesh as a nature adds a fourth to the Trinity, since the flesh is not of the divine substance, comparing it to the garment whose hem healed the woman.

### Greek text

Πρὸς τοὺς λέγοντας, ὅτι τὸ ὁμολογεῖν φύσιν τὴν σάρκα, τετράδα ἐστὶν ἀντὶ Τριάδος κηρύττειν. Πάλιν τὴν αὐτὴν κακουργίαν ἐν ἑτέροις ῥήμασι παρὰ τῶν ἐναντίων προβαλλομένην ὁρῶ. ῎Ανω γὰρ ἁπλῶς εἰπόντες, δύο Υἱοὺς εἰσάγειν τοὺς ἐν ἑνὶ τὰ δύο νοοῦντας, μορφὴν Θεοῦ καὶ μορφὴν δούλου, πάλιν ἐνταῦθα τετράδα κηρύσσειν συκοφαντοῦσι τοὺς φύσει τὴν σάρκα ἀνειλῆφθαι πιστεύοντας. Τοῦτο δὲ λέγουσι μὲν ἐπ᾿ ἐξουσίας, οὐκ ἔκ τινος ἀκολουθίας· προφέρουσι δὲ οὐ τοσοῦτον ἡμῖν, ὅσον τοῖς ἁγίοις πᾶσι, τοῖς τοιαῦτα διὰ τῆς πνευματικῆς κηρύξασι χάριτος, παρ' ὧν ἡμεῖς φωτισθέντες, τὴν μὲν ἀνόθευτον ὁμολογίαν ἐν ὀνόματι Πατρὸς, καὶ Υἱοῦ, καὶ ἁγίου Πνεύματος ἐδιδάχθημεν, τὴν δὲ τῆς ἐνανθρωπήσεως οίκονομίαν ἐκ δύο φύσεων ἐγνωρίσαμεν. ᾿Αλλ' οἱ βουλόμενοι πάντα ταπεινὰ φέρειν εἰς αὐτὴν τοῦ Υἱοῦ θεότητα, παραγράφονται τῆς σαρκὸς τὴν φύσιν· ἵνα τὰ πάθη ταύτης ἐξ ἀνάγκης ἐπιγραφῇ τῷ Θεῷ Λόγῳ, τραπέντι μὲν πρότερον εἰς σάρκα, παθόντι δὲ αὖθις τὰ τῆς σαρκός. Καὶ τούτου χάριν ἔγκλημα τοῖς πιστοῖς ἐπισείουσιν, αὐθεντίᾳ μόνῃ τὰ δοκοῦντα κατασκευάζοντες. Εἰ μὲν γὰρ ἐλέγομεν τῆς οὐσίας τοῦ Πατρὸς, καὶ τοῦ Υἱοῦ, καὶ τοῦ ἁγίου Πνεύματος εἶναι τὴν σάρκα, καλῶς τετράδα ὠνόμαζον, ὡς τῆς αὐτῆς οὐσίας ἐν τέταρσι προσώποις θεωρουμένης· εἰ δὲ λέγομεν, ὅπερ ἐστὶν, ὁμοούσιον μὲν τῷ Πατρὶ τὸν Υἱὸν, ὁμοούσιον δὲ τὸ Πνεῦμα τὸ ἅγιον· εἰληφέναι δὲ τὴν σάρκα εἰς ἐκπλήρωσιν οἰκονομίας, οὐκ εἰς αὔξησιν οὐσίας· πῶς ἀριθμοῦ προσθήκην ἐργάζονται, τῆς σαρκὸς τὴν φύσιν τοσοῦτον παρηλλαγμένην, ὡς ἕτερον πρόσωπον ἐπεισάγοντες ὁμοούσιον; καὶ τοῦτο οὐ καθ' ἑαυτὴν αὐτῆς θεωρουμένης, ἀλλ᾽ ἐν ἀχωρίστῳ συναφείᾳ πρὸς τὸν Θεὸν Λόγον γνωριζομένης · ὥστε μηκέτι κεχωρισμένην αὐτὴν ὁρᾶσθαι, μήτε ὡς ὁμοούσιον τῷ ἴσῳ τρόπῳ συναριθμεῖσθαι. Ὁ μὲν οὖν ἡμέτερος λόγος καὶ τὴν ἐνανθρώπησιν ὁμολογεῖ, καὶ τετράδα, καθώς φησιν, οὐ ποιεῖ, καὶ φυλάττει τῷ Λόγῳ τὸ ἀπαθὲς, καὶ πρὸς πάσας συμφωνεῖ τὰς ἁγίας Γραφάς· ἡ δὲ τῶν ἐναντίων νομοθεσία καὶ τοῖς γεγραμμένοις ἀπ᾿ ἀρχῆς ἀπειθεῖ, καὶ τῆς σαρκὸς τὴν ἀνάληψιν ἀθετεῖ, καὶ τὸν Θεὸν Λόγον τετράφθαι καὶ πεπονθέναι δηλοῖ, ἢ κατὰ φαντασίαν πάντα ἐπιδεδείχθαι. Εἰ δὲ διὰ πολλὰς ἡμᾶς εὐεργεσίας διὰ τῆς μεσιτευούσης ἀχράντου σαρκὸς εἰληφέναι τε καὶ λήψεσθαι ἐλπίζειν ἀναγκάζουσιν ἡμᾶς εἰς ἀριθμὸν τετράδος παραλαμβάνειν τὴν· σάρκα· ὥρα αὐτοῖς καὶ τὸ ἱμάτιὸν που τοῦ κρασπέδου, οὗ πιστῶς ἁψαμένη ἡ γυνὴ ἡ τὴν τοῦ αἵματος πηγὴν περιφέρουσα, τὴν ἴασιν ἔκλεψεν, εἰς συναρίθμησιν τῶν μνημονευομένων λαμβάνειν, καί τι πέμπτον ἐν τῷ κηρύγματι τῆς δοξολογίας τὸ ἱμάτιον παρεισάγειν οὐχ ὡς τιμηθὲν τῷ αὐτῷ τῆς ἑνώσεως τόπῳ, ἀλλ᾽ ὡς παραληφθὲν εἰς θαυματουργίαν παράδοξον. Τοῦ τοίνυν ἱματίου τοσαύτην ἐκ τῆς ἀχράντου σαρκὸς λαβόντος χάριν, καὶ μεταδόντος τῇ γυναικὶ, καὶ μηδὲ προσθήκην τοῦ ἀριθμοῦ ἐπὶ δοξολογίας ποιήσαντος· οὕτω καὶ τὴν ἔνθεον σάρκα τὴν ἀναποβλήτως ήνωμένην τῷ παντοδυνάμῳ Λόγῳ τιμῶντες, εὑρεῖν μὲν δι' αὐτῆς ὁμολογοῦμεν τὴν σωτηρίαν, τηροῦμεν δὲ καὶ τὸν ἀριθμὸν τῆς Τριάδος ἀπαρεγχείρητον, ὡς ἕν οὖσαν ἅμα τῷ Λόγῳ κατὰ τὸ ἀχώριστον τῆς ἑνώσεως, καὶ ἀδιαίρετον τῆς προσκυνήσεως. ᾿Αλλ' ὅσα μὲν ἐφαρμόζοντα τῇ θείᾳ φύσει φάσκουσι γεγονέναι, τὸ δυνατὸν τοῦ Θεοῦ πρὸς κατασκευὴν ἀπρεποῦς ἐννοίας λαμβάνουσι, Παύλου λέγοντος · Αδύνατον τῷ Θεῷ καὶ τὸ ψεύσασθαι, καὶ τὸ ἑαυτὸν ἀρνήσασθαι• ὅσα δὲ καὶ ἁρμόζοντα τῷ Θεῷ καὶ σωτήρια καὶ θεοπρεπῆ καὶ φιλάνθρωπα, ταῦτα πρὸς τὸ ἀδύνατον μεταφέρουσι, μὴ παραχωροῦντες τῇ δεσποτικῇ σοφίᾳ τοῦ δύνασθαι καὶ λαβεῖν σάρκα, καὶ μὴ ποιεῖν τετράδα. Οὕτω κρίσις αὐτοῖς ἐμφιλόνεικος, τὰ μὲν ἀπρεπῶς παρ᾿ αὐτῶν καινοτομούμενα βεβαιοῦν τῷ λέγειν, ὅτι πάντα δύναται ὁ Θεός· τὰ δὲ παρὰ τῆς ἁγίας Γραφῆς εὐσεβῶς κηρυσσόμενα μηκέτι δέχεσθαι ὡς ἀληθῆ, καὶ δυνατὰ, καὶ συμφέροντα· λαμβάνειν δὲ αὐτὰ εἰς πλοκὴν ζητημάτων, καὶ μὴ ἀποδιδόναι τῇ δυνάμει τοῦ πάντα ποιοῦντος τὰ ἀνήκοντα ὑπὲρ ἀνθρωπίνην κατάληψιν.

### English translation (Claude)

Against those who say that to confess the flesh as a nature is to preach a quaternity instead of a Trinity. Again I see the same mischief put forward by the opponents in other words. For having said above, simply, that those who understand the two, the form of God and the form of a servant, in one introduce two Sons, here again they slander those who believe that the flesh was assumed as a nature with preaching a quaternity. They say this on their own authority, not from any logical sequence; and they bring it not so much against us as against all the saints who preached such things through spiritual grace, enlightened by whom we were taught the undefiled confession in the name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit, and came to know the dispensation of the becoming man from two natures. But those who want to carry everything lowly onto the very Godhead of the Son set aside the nature of the flesh, so that its sufferings must of necessity be ascribed to God the Word, who would first have been turned into flesh and then have suffered the things of the flesh. And for this reason they brandish an accusation at the faithful, constructing what they please by their authority alone. For if we said that the flesh is of the substance of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit, they would rightly call it a quaternity, as the same substance would be seen in four persons. But if we say what is true, that the Son is consubstantial with the Father, and the Holy Spirit consubstantial, and that he took the flesh to fulfil the dispensation, not to increase the substance, how do they make an addition to the number, when the nature of the flesh is so different, as if introducing another consubstantial person? And this, when it is not considered by itself, but is known in inseparable conjunction with God the Word, so that it is no longer seen as separate, nor counted together as consubstantial in an equal way. Our account, then, both confesses the becoming man and does not make a quaternity, as he says, and keeps the Word impassible, and agrees with all the holy Scriptures; but the opponents' legislation disobeys what has been written from the beginning, sets aside the assumption of the flesh, and declares that God the Word was changed and suffered, or that everything was displayed in appearance only. But if, because of the many benefits which we have received and hope to receive through the mediating spotless flesh, they compel us to take the flesh into the number of a quaternity, it is time for them also to take into the count of those named the garment, the hem of which the woman who carried the spring of blood touched in faith and stole her healing, and to bring the garment in as a fifth into the proclamation of the doxology; not as honored with the same place of union, but as taken up for a wonderful miracle. As, then, the garment, which received so great a grace from the spotless flesh and passed it on to the woman, made no addition to the number in the doxology, so we too, honoring the divine flesh inseparably united to the almighty Word, confess that we have found salvation through it, and yet keep the number of the Trinity untouched, since it is one with the Word in the inseparability of the union and the indivisibility of the worship. But whatever they say has happened that befits the divine nature, they take the power of God to build an unfitting idea, though Paul says: "It is impossible for God to lie" and "to deny himself"; and whatever is fitting to God and saving and God-befitting and loving to humankind, these they transfer to the impossible, not allowing the Master's wisdom the power both to take flesh and not to make a quaternity. Such is their contentious judgment: to confirm their own unfitting innovations by saying that God can do all things, but no longer to accept as true, possible, and profitable what is piously proclaimed by holy Scripture, rather to take it for tangling questions, and not to ascribe to the power of him who does all things what belongs to it beyond human comprehension.

### Scripture references

- Phil 2:6–7: allusion, high confidence
- Matt 28:19: allusion, high confidence
- Mark 5:25–34: allusion, high confidence
- Luke 8:43–48: allusion, high confidence
- Heb 6:18: quotation, high confidence
- 2 Tim 2:13: quotation, high confidence
- Matt 19:26: allusion, medium confidence

### Translation notes

- Translated as written. Phil 2:6–7; Matt 28:19; Mark 5:25–34 / Luke 8:43–48; Heb 6:18; 2 Tim 2:13; Matt 19:26. The phrase τὸ ἱμάτιὸν που τοῦ κρασπέδου is garbled in the OCR; translated by sense ("the garment, the hem of which").

### Citation (SBL)

Eutherius, Conf. 5 (PG 28:1349–1354; trans. Sophia Scriptura, https://sophiascriptura.com/p/eutherius-confutationes/5).

## Part 6

- URL: https://sophiascriptura.com/fathers/eutherius-confutationes/0/#p-6
- Source: PG 28:1353–1358
- Translation: Claude (claude-opus-5-5), 2026-10-23

Summary: The author answers the charge that confessing Christ's manhood is hoping in a man, citing the Scriptures on Christ as man and arguing that our hope is in God the Word acting through his flesh.

### Greek text

Πρὸς τοὺς λέγοντας, ὅτι κατ' ἄνθρωπον γινώσκειν τὸν Δεσπότην Χριστὸν, εἰς ἄνθρωπόν ἐστι τὰς ἐλπίδας ἔχειν. Ἀλλὰ γὰρ, μὴ ἀρκεσθέντες τοῖς οὕτως ἀτόποις καὶ ἀναισχύντοις προβλήμασι, προσέθηκαν καὶ ἄλλην ἰταμωτέραν ἀπόφασιν, λέγοντες εἰς ἄνθρωπον ἔχειν τὰς ἐλπίδας τοὺς Θεὸν καὶ ἄνθρωπον καθ' ἑκατέραν φύσιν ὁμολογοῦντας τὸν Χριστόν. Ἐπὶ τούτοις αὐτῶν πυθέσθαι καλόν. Δεῖ πείθεσθαι ταῖς ἁγίαις Γραφαῖς, ἢ κατ᾿ αὐτοὺς οὐ δεῖ; Εἰ μὲν γὰρ δεῖ, παρ᾿ αὐτῶν ἀκηκόαμεν, καὶ αὐταῖς ἐγκαλείτωσαν· εἰ δὲ λέγοιεν, ὡς οὐ δεῖ, φανερῶς ὁμολογείτωσαν τὴν πρὸς τὰς ἱερὰς βίβλους ἄσπονδον μάχην, καὶ οὐδεὶς ἡμῖν πρὸς αὐτοὺς, οἷα πρὸς ἀλλοτρίους, λόγος. Παρ᾿ αὐτῶν ἀκηκόαμεν· «῎Ανθρωπος ἐν πληγῇ ὤν, καὶ εἰδὼς φέρειν μαλακίαν· · καὶ ὅτι Υἱὸς ἀνθρώπου ἐστί · «Νῦν δὲ με ζητεῖτε ἀποκτεῖναι, ἄνθρωπον ὃς τὴν ἀλήθειαν λελάληκα ὑμῖν. Εἷς Θεὸς, εἷς καὶ μεσίτης Θεοῦ καὶ ἀνθρώπων, ἄνθρωπος Ἰησοῦς Χριστός. Ὁ πρῶτος ἄνθρωπος ἐκ γῆς χοϊκὸς, ὁ δεύτερος ἄνθρωπος ὁ Κύριος ἐξ οὐρανοῦ. Ὁ πρῶτος ᾿Ἀδὰμ, ὁ δὲ ἔσχατος Χριστός. Δι' ἀνθρώπου θάνατος, δι' ἀνθρώπου ἀνάστασις νεκρῶν.» Τοσαῦτα ἐν λόγοις, καὶ πολλῷ πλείω σφόδρα ὅσα πάλιν ἐν ἔργοις. Ἐγεννήθη βρέφος, περιεγράφη σπαργάνοις, ἐτράφη γάλακτι, περιετμήθη κατὰ τὸν νόμον, προέκοψεν ἡλικίᾳ, καὶ σοφίᾳ, καὶ χάριτι, πεῖναν ἔγνω, δίψαν οὐκ ἠγνόησε, πόνων αἴσθησιν ἔλαβε, ταραχῆς καὶ ἀδημονίας καὶ λύπης πεῖραν ἐδέξατο, κατὰ πάντα ὡμοιώθη τοῖς ἀδελφοῖς χωρὶς ἁμαρτίας. Μάστιξιν ὑπεβλήθη, σταυρῷ προσήχθη, ἥλοις περιεπάρη, θανάτου ἐγεύσατο, ταφῇ παρεδόθη, γέγονεν ἡ ψυχή κατὰ τὸν ἅδην, καὶ κρατηθῆναι μὴ δυνηθεῖσα πάλιν ἀπεδόθη τῷ σώματι, καὶ γέγονεν ἡ ἀνάστασις· εἶτα ἐπαφὴ καὶ ψηλάφησις τῶν ἀπιστούντων · εἶτα τροφὴ πιστουμένη τοῦ σώματος τὴν ἀνάστασιν· εἶτα ἀνάληψις εἰς οὐρανὸν ὁρώντων πολλῶν. Τοσαῦται μαρτυρίαι τῶν γεγραμμένων, τοσαύτη πληροφορία γενομένων, τοσούτων ἡ οἰκονομία πρόξενος ἀγαθῶν. Καὶ ταῦτα πάντα κελεύουσι παρορᾶν, καὶ τοσούτων καὶ τοιούτων ἀπεναντίας χωρεῖν, ἀνθρωπότητα δὲ διὰ τούτων ἀποδεδειγμένην μὴ κατὰ φύσιν ὁμολογεῖν· ἀνθρωπότητα δὲ οὐ ψιλήν. Πρὸς ταῦτα καιρὸς ἀποστολικήν ἀντιθεῖναι φωνήν· « Πειθαρχεῖν δεῖ Θεῷ μᾶλλον ἢ ἀνθρώποις. » Οὕτω δ' ἀνθρωπότητος ἀῤῥήτως ήνωμένης καὶ ἀχωρίστως θεότητι, ὡς τὸν αὐτὸν βρέφος καὶ παιδίον βλέπεσθαι, καὶ Θεὸν γινώσκεσθαι. « Παιδίον ἐγεννήθη ἡμῖν, » φησὶν ὁ προφήτης, « Υἱὸς καὶ ἐδόθη, καὶ καλεῖται τὸ ὄνομα αὐτοῦ μεγάλης βουλῆς ῎Ἄγγελος, θαυμαστὸς, σύμβουλος, Θεὸς ἰσχυρός. » Ἐν σπαργάνοις περιγράφεται· ἀλλὰ πάσῃ τῇ κτίσει τὴν δεσποτείαν ἀπερίγραφον ἐπιδείκνυται. Ἐν φάτνῃ ἐτίθετο, ἀλλὰ παρ' ἀγγέλων ὑμνούμενος ἐδοξάζετο· πεῖναν καὶ δίψαν ὑπέμεινεν, ἀλλ᾽ ἐκ πέντε ἄρτων χιλιάδας ἐχόρτασε, καὶ περισσείαν κλασμάτων δεκαδύο κοφίνων, ὡς ἠθέλησεν, ἔδειξε. Συντόμως εἰπεῖν, ἐγεύσατο θανάτου, ἀλλὰ κατέλυσε τὸν τὸ κράτος ἔχοντα τοῦ θανάτου · καὶ κατ᾿ αὐτὸ δὲ τὸ πάθος, ἐπὶ σταυροῦ μὲν ἦν τὸ σῶμα κρεμάμενον, πανταχοῦ δὲ ὁ ἐν αὐτῷ Θεὸς Λόγος τὴν ἀπαθῆ δυναστείαν ἐπιδεικνύμενος ἦν. Ἐσείετο γῆ, ἐσχίζοντο πέτραι, συνεκαλύπτετο ἥλιος, διεῤῥήγνυτο καταπέτασμα, τάφοι ἠνοίγοντο, νεκροί ἀνεπήδων, ξένοι κήρυκες τῆς καταλύσεως τοῦ θανάτου, πᾶσα κτίσις τὴν ἀόρατον θεότητα τοῦ ἐσταυρωμένου ἐμήνυε. Ποίαν ἕξομεν ἀπολογίαν, τηλικαύτης ἀμελήσαντες σωτηρίας, καὶ τοσαύτην παριδόντες πληροφορίαν, συνθέμενοί τε ταῖς τῶν φιλονεικούντων καινοτομίαις; ᾿Αλλ' ὅτι μὲν κατὰ πάντα τρόπον ἁρμόζει γινώσκειν τὸν Σωτῆρα Χριστὸν Θεὸν ἅμα καὶ ἄνθρωπον, κατὰ φύσιν ἑκατέραν, κἂν ἡμεῖς σιωπήσωμεν, οἱ λίθοι κράξονται· τὸ δὲ μὴ ἔχειν εἰς ἄνθρωπον ἁπλῶς τὰς ἐλπίδας τοὺς οὕτω πιστεύοντας, ἀναγκαῖον δεῖξαι σαφῶς. Καίτοιγε καὶ εἴ τις ἀνέκυπτεν ἀπορία, ταύτης ἐχρῆν τὴν λύσιν ζητεῖν, ἢ τὴν οἰκείαν ἀμάθειαν ὁμολογεῖν, οὐ τῶν γεγραμμένων ἀναχωρεῖν. Νυνὶ δὲ καὶ ῥάδιον τὸ πρέπον εὑρεῖν, ὅτι τὰς ἐλπίδας ἔχομεν εἰς τὴν ἔνσαρκον τοῦ ἐνανθρωπήσαντος παρουσίαν, εἰς τὴν σωτήριον τοῦ δεσπότου οἰκονομίαν, διὰ μὲν τῆς ὁρωμένης σαρκὸς τὸν ἀόρατον Θεὸν Λόγον ἐπιγινώσκοντες, καὶ διὰ τοῦ πάθους ταύτης τὴν ἀπάθειαν λαμβάνειν πιστεύοντες· πάντα δὲ τὰ γενόμενα, τῇ ἡνωμένῃ τῇ σαρκὶ θεότητι ἐπιγράφοντες, καὶ οὕτω μίαν τὴν προσκύνησιν τῷ σαρκωθέντι καὶ ἐνανθρωπήσαντι Θεῷ Λόγῳ προσάγοντες. Οὐδὲ γὰρ ἡ ἁψαμένη γυνὴ τοῦ κρασπέδου εἰς κράσπεδον ἔχουσα τὰς ἐλπίδας ἠλέγχετο, ἀλλ᾽, εἰς τὴν ἀόρατον δύναμιν τοῦ τὸ ἱμάτιον περιβεβλημένου, οὗπερ τὸ κράσπεδον. Οὐδὲ ὁ τῷ πτύσματι τῆς τυφλώσεως ἐλευθερωθεὶς, εἰς πτύσμα τὴν πεποίθησιν εἶχεν, ἀλλ᾽ εἰς τὴν ἀήττητον ἐξουσίαν τοῦ κελεύσαντος αὐτὸν οὕτω τὴν ἴασιν δέξασθαι. Ἐπεὶ καὶ νῦν οἱ προσιόντες ἁγίῳ θυσιαστηρίῳ, περιπτυσσόμενοι δὲ τοῦτο, καὶ μετὰ φόβου καὶ χαρᾶς ἀσπαζόμενοι, οὐκ εἰς λίθον ἢ ξύλον ἁπλῶς ἐπερείδονται, ἀλλ᾽ εἰς τὴν διὰ τοῦ λίθου ἢ ξύλου τοῖς εὐσεβέσι μνημονευομένου χάριν. Ἢ σὺ καὶ τοὺς σωθέντας ποτὲ ἐπὶ τοῦ μακαρίου Μωϋσέως διὰ τοῦ βλέπειν εἰς τὸν ὑψωθέντα χαλκοῦν ὄφιν, ὄφει τὴν σωτηρίαν αὐτῶν ἐπιτρέπειν διέβαλες; Εἰ δὲ ἡ εἰκὼν τοῦ μυστηρίου τοσαύτην ἐνέργειαν δι' ὄφεως ἐπεδείξατο· πόσῳ μᾶλλον αὐτὸ τῆς χάριτος τὸ πρωτότυπον δι' ἀνθρώπου σοι παρέξει, καθὼς καὶ παρέσχε τοῖς πιστοῖς τὰς πολυτρόπους εὐεργεσίας κατὰ τὸν εἰπόντα· «Ωσπερ δι' ἀνθρώπου ὁ θάνατος, οὕτω δι' ἀνθρώπου ἡ ἀνάστασις τῶν νεκρῶν.

### English translation (Claude)

Against those who say that to know the Master Christ as man is to have one's hopes in a man. Not content with problems so absurd and shameless, they have added another, more reckless pronouncement, saying that those who confess Christ as God and man according to each nature have their hopes in a man. On this it is good to ask them: must we obey the holy Scriptures, or, according to them, must we not? If we must, we have heard it from them, and let them accuse the Scriptures themselves. But if they say we must not, let them openly confess their implacable war against the sacred books, and we have no more argument with them, as with strangers. From the Scriptures we have heard: "A man in affliction, and knowing how to bear weakness"; and that he is Son of Man; "But now you seek to kill me, a man who has told you the truth." "One God, and one mediator between God and men, the man Jesus Christ." "The first man is from the earth, earthy; the second man is the Lord from heaven." "The first Adam, but the last Christ." "Through a man came death, through a man the resurrection of the dead." So much in words, and very much more again in deeds. He was born a baby, wrapped in swaddling clothes, nourished with milk, circumcised according to the law; he advanced in stature and wisdom and grace; he knew hunger, was not ignorant of thirst, felt toil, experienced trouble, distress, and grief; he was made like his brothers in all things, without sin. He was subjected to scourges, brought to the cross, pierced with nails, tasted death, was handed over to burial; his soul was in Hades, and, unable to be held there, was given back to the body, and the resurrection took place; then the touching and handling by those who disbelieved; then food, confirming the resurrection of the body; then the ascension into heaven, while many watched. So many testimonies in what is written, such full assurance in what happened, so many goods procured by the dispensation. And all this they tell us to overlook, and to go against so many and such great things, and not to confess according to nature the manhood demonstrated by them; though not a mere manhood. Against this it is time to set the apostolic voice: "We must obey God rather than men." The manhood is so ineffably and inseparably united to the Godhead that the same one is seen as a baby and a child and known as God. "A child has been born to us," says the prophet, "a son also has been given, and his name is called Angel of great counsel, wonderful, counsellor, mighty God." He is wrapped in swaddling clothes, but shows his uncircumscribed lordship to all creation. He was laid in a manger, but was glorified by the hymns of angels; he endured hunger and thirst, but fed thousands from five loaves, and, as he willed, showed an abundance of fragments, twelve baskets. In short, he tasted death, but destroyed the one who had the power of death; and in the very passion, the body was hanging on the cross, while God the Word in it was everywhere displaying his impassible sovereignty. The earth shook, the rocks were split, the sun was veiled, the curtain was torn, the tombs were opened, the dead leapt up, strange heralds of the destruction of death; all creation declared the invisible Godhead of the Crucified. What defense shall we have if we neglect so great a salvation, overlook such full assurance, and agree with the innovations of the contentious? That it is fitting in every way to know Christ the Savior as at once God and man, according to each nature, the stones would cry out even if we kept silent; but that those who believe in this way do not simply have their hopes in a man, must be shown clearly. Yet even if some difficulty arose, one ought to seek its solution or confess one's own ignorance, not depart from what is written. But now it is easy to find what is fitting: that we have our hopes in the incarnate presence of him who became man, in the saving dispensation of the Master, recognizing through the visible flesh the invisible God the Word, and believing that through its passion we receive impassibility; ascribing all that happened to the Godhead united to the flesh, and so offering one worship to God the Word incarnate and made man. For the woman who touched the hem was not convicted of having her hopes in a hem, but in the invisible power of him who was clothed in the garment whose hem it was. Nor did the man freed from blindness by spittle have his trust in spittle, but in the invincible authority of him who commanded him to receive healing so. Since now too those who approach the holy altar, embracing it and kissing it with fear and joy, do not rest simply on stone or wood, but on the grace remembered by the godly through the stone or wood. Or would you also accuse those who were once saved under the blessed Moses by looking at the bronze serpent lifted up of entrusting their salvation to a serpent? And if the image of the mystery showed such power through a serpent, how much more will the very archetype of grace give you through a man, as it has given the faithful its manifold benefits, according to him who said: "For as through a man came death, so through a man the resurrection of the dead."

### Scripture references

- Isa 53:3: quotation, high confidence
- John 8:40: quotation, high confidence
- 1 Tim 2:5: quotation, high confidence
- 1 Cor 15:47: quotation, high confidence
- 1 Cor 15:45: allusion, high confidence
- 1 Cor 15:21: quotation, high confidence
- Luke 2:7: allusion, high confidence
- Luke 2:52: allusion, high confidence
- Heb 2:17: allusion, high confidence
- Heb 4:15: allusion, high confidence
- Acts 2:31: allusion, medium confidence
- Luke 24:39–43: allusion, high confidence
- Acts 1:9: allusion, high confidence
- Acts 5:29: quotation, high confidence
- Isa 9:6: quotation, high confidence
- Matt 14:17–21: allusion, high confidence
- Heb 2:14: allusion, high confidence
- Matt 27:51–53: allusion, high confidence
- Heb 2:3: allusion, high confidence
- Luke 19:40: allusion, high confidence
- John 9:6: allusion, high confidence
- Num 21:8–9: allusion, high confidence

### Translation notes

- Translated as written. Isa 53:3 (LXX); John 8:40; 1 Tim 2:5; 1 Cor 15:47, 45, 21; Luke 2:7, 21, 40, 52; Heb 2:17 and 4:15; Acts 2:31; Luke 24:39–43; Acts 1:9; Acts 5:29; Isa 9:6 (LXX, "Angel of great counsel"); Luke 2:13–14; Matt 14:17–21; Heb 2:9, 14; Matt 27:51–53; Heb 2:3; Luke 19:40; Mark 5:27; John 9:6; Num 21:8–9 / John 3:14. On the kissing of the altar as a contemporary practice.

### Citation (SBL)

Eutherius, Conf. 6 (PG 28:1353–1358; trans. Sophia Scriptura, https://sophiascriptura.com/p/eutherius-confutationes/6).

## Part 7

- URL: https://sophiascriptura.com/fathers/eutherius-confutationes/7/#p-7
- Source: PG 28:1357–1360
- Translation: Claude (claude-opus-5-5), 2026-10-23

Summary: The author ridicules the formula 'God the Word suffered impassibly', arguing that it makes Christ's passion, endurance, and death a mere appearance and voids the new testament.

### Greek text

Πρὸς τοὺς λέγοντας· Ἔπαθεν ἀπαθῶς Θεὸς Λόγος. Πολλαῖς καὶ λίαν σκαιῶς προτεθείσαις πλοκαῖς συντόμως κατὰ δύναμιν ἀντειπόντες, οὐκ οἴδαμεν τί χρησόμεθα τῇ νυνὶ προκειμένῃ, παίζειν μὲν οὐ βουλόμενοι, παιδεύειν δὲ μάλιστα πρὸς παιδιὰν καταγέλαστον οὕτως ἀναγκαζόμενοι, ἣν καὶ τὸ ἁπλῶς εἰπεῖν χλεύην ἐστὶν εἰσενεγκεῖν. Ἔπαθεν ἀπαθῶς. Ὦ τῆς ἀδιανοήτου σοφίας! Ὢ τῆς ᾿παιζούσης διδασκαλίας, οἰκοδομούσης ἅμα καὶ καθαιρούσης! οἷά ἐστιν ἰδεῖν τὰ τῶν παίδων ἐν ψάμμοις ἀθύρματα. Ἔπαθεν ἀπαθῶς· πρὶν ἀκούσω τοῦ ῥήματος, ἐπιλανθάνομαι τῆς σημασίας τοῦ, ἔπαθεν. Ἐπαγόμενον γὰρ τὸ, ἀπαθῶς, οὐκ ἐᾷ θάνατον, καὶ ταφὴν, καὶ ἀνάστασιν δέχεσθαι, ἃ τὸ τῆς ἡμετέρας ἔχει σωτηρίας κεφάλαιον. Εἰ γὰρ ἔπαθε, πῶς ἀπαθῶς; Εἰ ἀπαθῶς, πῶς ἔπαθε; Λαλήσωμεν ἀλαλήτως, καὶ νοήσωμεν ἀνοήτως. Τίς εἶδε πίπτοντα ἀπτώτως, ἐγειρόμενον ἀνεγέρτως, πονοῦντα ἀπόνως, φρονοῦντα ἀφρόνως, λαλοῦντα ἀλαλήτως, ὠφελοῦντα ἀνωφελῶς λυόμενον ἀλύτως, ἵνα λέξωμεν τὸ, ἔπαθεν ἀπαθῶς; Τίς ἡ τῆς ἀφροσύνης ἐπίτασις; τίς ἡ τῆς μανίας ἔνστασις ; τίς ἡ τῆς ἀνοίας παραπληξία; Περὶ μυστηρίου φρικωδεστάτου φέρειν ῥήματα γέλωτα πλατὺν ἐργαζόμενα, λόγον ἐπαγγέλλεσθαι καὶ ἀλογίαν προβάλλεσθαι, ἀπόκρισιν διδόναι ἴσην τοῦ μὴ διδόναι, ἀσαφεστέραν ἑρμηνείαν παρέχειν μείζονος ἀπορίας μητέρα. Πῶς οὐδεὶς τῶν ἁγίων εἰς τοσοῦτον ὕψος ἀναδραμεῖν θεωρίας, ἢ εἰπεῖν ἡδυνήθη τὸ πολυθρύλλητον ἐκεῖνο ῥῆμα, ἔπαθεν ἀπαθῶς; Πῶς αἱ πολύστιχοι βίβλοι τὴν ὑπέρογκον ταύτην ἀποκάλυψιν ἡμῖν οὐκ ἐγνώρισαν ; Παῦλος, εἰς τρίτον οὐρανὸν ἀνελθὼν, καὶ τῶν ἀῤῥήτων ῥημάτων, ἀκούσας ἐν παραδείσῳ, τοιοῦτο οὐδὲν ἀπεφήνατο. Μὴ ἆρα, τούτοις καταλιμπάνων τὴν τῶν ὑπερβαινόντων ἐξήγησιν, οὕτως οὐκ εἶπεν· Ἔπαθεν ἀπαθῶς· ἀλλ', Ἔμαθε, φησὶν, ἀφ᾽ ὧν ἔπαθε· καὶ, « Πεπειραμένος, κατὰ πάντα, καθ' ὁμοιότητα; » Τὸ « πεπειραμένος, » πόῤῥωθεν ἀνεῖλε τῶν τοιούτων λόγων τὴν ληρῳδίαν· Ὁ γὰρ κατὰ πάντα πεπειραμένος καθ' ὁμοιότητα, ἢ πέπονθεν οὐκ ἀπαθῶς, ἵνα φυλάξῃ τὸ, κατὰ πάντα καθ' ὁμοιότητα ·· ἢ καὶ τοὺς ἄλλους δείκνυσι παθόντας ἀπαθῶς, ἵνα σώσῃ τὴν πρὸς αὐτοὺς ὁμοιότητα. Ὥστε ἢ καὶ τὸν Σωτῆρα πεπονθέναι ἀληθῶς ὁμολογητέον, ἢ καὶ τοὺς ἄλλους ἀπαθῶς πεπονθέναι, ὧν καθ' ὁμοιότητα πεπειραμένος ὁ Δεσπότης κηρύσσεται. Τίς δὲ καὶ ὑπομονῆς ἀπόδειξις ἐκ τοῦ παθεῖν ἀπαθῶς; Πῶς λέγεται ἡ ὑπομονὴ τοῦ Χριστοῦ, εἰ μὴ πόνων αἴσθησιν ἔλαβε; Πῶς δὲ δείκνυται ἡ ἄφατος καὶ ἀπαράβλητος πρὸς ἀνθρώπους φιλοστοργία, εἰ δίχα πόνων τὸ πάθος ἐγένετο; Τίς οὐχ αἱρεῖται παθεῖν, οὐ μόνον ὑπὲρ φίλων, ἀλλ᾽ ἤδη καὶ ὑπὲρ ἀντιδίκων, εἰ ἔξεστι παθεῖν ἀπαθῶς ; Οὗ δὲ χάριν ἔλεγεν ὁ Δεσπότης, « Τὸ πνεῦμα πρόθυμον, ἡ δὲ σάρξ ἀσθενὴς, » εἴπερ ἔμελλε τὸ πάθος ἀναλγήτως προσίεσθαι; Ίνατί πρὸς τὸν Πατέρα ἐβόα· «Πάτερ, εἰ δυνατὸν, παρελθέτω τὸ ποτήριον τοῦτο ; » τίνος ἕνεκεν εὐχὰς ἱκετηρίους μετὰ κραυγῆς ἰσχυρᾶς καὶ δακρύων πρὸς τὸν δυνάμενον σώζειν αὐτὸν ἐκ θανάτου προσέφερεν; Ἢ οὖν πάντα ἀληθῆ πιστευτέον, καὶ τὸ πάθος ἀληθινὸν ὁμολογητέον· ἢ, τοῦ πάθους ἀπαθῶς γεγενῆσθαι λεγομένου, σχῆμα ἀνάγκη καὶ δόκησιν καὶ φαντασίαν πάντα λογίζεσθαι. Εἰ οὐ πέπονθεν ἀληθῶς, οὐδὲ ἀνέστη πάντως ἀληθῶς. Εἰ μὴ ὄντως ἐγεύσατο θανάτου, οὐδὲ τὰ κέντρα ἔσβεσε τοῦ θανάτου ἔτι ἐσμὲν ἐν ταῖς ἁμαρτίαις ἡμῶν, ἔτι βασιλεύει πάντων ὁ θάνατος· ἔτι τῆς κληρονομίας ἀλλότριοι καθεστήκαμεν. Εἰ γὰρ ὁ θάνατος ἀπατηλὸς, καὶ ἡ διαθήκη ψευδής, καὶ ἡ κληρονομία οὐκ ἀληθής. Νόμος ἡμῖν ταῦτα διαγορεύει· « Διαθήκη, φησὶν, · ἐπὶ νεκροῖς βεβαία.» Εἰ οὖν οὐ τέθνηκεν ὄντως ὁ τὴν Καινὴν Διαθήκην πρὸς ἡμᾶς διαθέμενος, ἄκυρα τὰ τῆς Διαθήκης, ἀπόβλητοι οἱ λεγόμενοι κληρονόμοι. Ἀλλ᾿ ἄπαγε τῆς τοιαύτης παραπληξίας, ὦ ἄνθρωπε Καὶ ὁ διαθέμενος γὰρ τέθνηκε, καὶ ἡ Διαθήκη κεκύρωται, καὶ ἡ κληρονομία τοῖς πιστεύουσι πρόκειται, καὶ ἡ τιμωρία τοῖς συκοφάνταις ἡτοίμασται. Εὑρίσκονται γὰρ πολλοὶ ψευδομάρτυρες τοῦ Θεοῦ λέγοντες, ὅτι ἤγειρε τὸν Χριστὸν ἐκ νεκρῶν, ὃν οὐκ ἀληθῶς τεθνηκότα ἤγειρεν, εἴπερ ἀπαθῶς ἔπαθε. Καὶ Παύλου βοῶντος, ὅτι παθητὸς ὁ Χριστὸς, οἱ Παύλου ἀντίδικοι τὸ « ἀπαθῶς, ἀντιφθέγγονται.

### English translation (Claude)

Against those who say: God the Word suffered impassibly. Having answered briefly, as far as we could, many tangles put forward very clumsily, we do not know what to do with the one now before us; we do not want to jest, but we are compelled to give instruction above all in answer to so laughable a game, which even to state simply is to bring in mockery. "He suffered impassibly." O unthinkable wisdom! O playful teaching, building and pulling down at once, like the toys of children in the sand! "He suffered impassibly": before I hear the word, I forget the meaning of "suffered." For "impassibly," added to it, does not allow us to accept death and burial and resurrection, which are the sum of our salvation. For if he suffered, how impassibly? If impassibly, how did he suffer? Let us speak unspeakably and think unthinkingly! Who has seen one falling without falling, rising without rising, toiling without toil, thinking without thought, speaking without speech, helping without help, loosed without loosing, that we should say, "He suffered impassibly"? What a pitch of folly! What an insistence of madness! What a frenzy of senselessness! To bring, about the most awe-inspiring mystery, words that produce broad laughter; to promise reason and put forward unreason; to give an answer equal to giving none; to offer an interpretation more obscure, the mother of greater perplexity! How was none of the saints able to run up to such a height of contemplation, or to say that much-repeated phrase, "He suffered impassibly"? How did the books of many lines not make known to us this enormous revelation? Paul, who went up to the third heaven and heard unspeakable words in paradise, declared nothing of the kind. Surely it was not that he left to these men the explanation of the things that surpass us, and so did not say, "He suffered impassibly"? But he says, "He learned from the things he suffered"; and, "Tempted in all things according to likeness." "Tempted" has long since done away with the nonsense of such talk. For he who was tempted in all things according to likeness either suffered not impassibly, so as to keep "in all things according to likeness"; or he shows that the others too suffered impassibly, so as to save his likeness to them. So either one must confess that the Savior truly suffered, or that the others too suffered impassibly, according to whose likeness the Master is proclaimed to have been tempted. And what proof of endurance is there in suffering impassibly? How is Christ's endurance spoken of, if he did not feel pain? How is his unspeakable and incomparable tender love for human beings shown, if the passion took place without pain? Who would not choose to suffer, not only for friends but even for enemies, if it is possible to suffer impassibly? Why did the Master say, "The spirit is willing, but the flesh is weak," if he was going to accept the passion without pain? Why did he cry to the Father, "Father, if it is possible, let this cup pass"? For what reason did he offer up prayers of supplication, with loud crying and tears, to him who was able to save him from death? Either, then, we must believe all of it true and confess the passion as real; or, if the passion is said to have happened impassibly, we must reckon everything a show, a seeming, and an appearance. If he did not truly suffer, neither did he truly rise at all. If he did not really taste death, neither did he quench the stings of death; we are still in our sins, death still reigns over all, we are still strangers to the inheritance. For if the death was deceptive, the testament too is false, and the inheritance not real. The law declares this to us: "A testament," it says, "is valid in the case of the dead." If, then, he who made the New Testament for us did not really die, the terms of the testament are void, and those called heirs are cast out. But away with such frenzy, O man! For the testator has died, and the testament has been ratified, and the inheritance is set before those who believe, and the punishment is prepared for the slanderers. For many are found false witnesses of God, saying that he raised Christ from the dead, whom he did not raise as truly dead, if indeed he suffered impassibly. And while Paul cries that Christ is subject to suffering, Paul's opponents reply, "impassibly."

### Scripture references

- 2 Cor 12:2–4: allusion, high confidence
- Heb 5:8: quotation, high confidence
- Heb 4:15: quotation, high confidence
- Matt 26:41: quotation, high confidence
- Matt 26:39: quotation, high confidence
- Heb 5:7: quotation, high confidence
- 1 Cor 15:17: allusion, high confidence
- 1 Cor 15:55–56: allusion, medium confidence
- Rom 5:17: allusion, medium confidence
- Heb 9:16–17: quotation, high confidence
- 1 Cor 15:15: quotation, high confidence
- Acts 26:23: allusion, high confidence

### Translation notes

- "He suffered impassibly" (ἔπαθεν ἀπαθῶς) was a formula of Cyril's supporters; the author's rejection of it is translated exactly as written. 2 Cor 12:2–4; Heb 5:8; Heb 4:15; Matt 26:41; Matt 26:39; Heb 5:7; 1 Cor 15:13–17, 55–56; Rom 5:17; Heb 9:16–17; 1 Cor 15:15; Acts 26:23 ("that Christ must suffer", παθητός).

### Citation (SBL)

Eutherius, Conf. 7 (PG 28:1357–1360; trans. Sophia Scriptura, https://sophiascriptura.com/p/eutherius-confutationes/7).

## Part 8

- URL: https://sophiascriptura.com/fathers/eutherius-confutationes/7/#p-8
- Source: PG 28:1359–1362
- Translation: Claude (claude-opus-5-5), 2026-10-23

Summary: The author rejects the formula 'God suffered as he willed', arguing that will cannot overturn nature and that Scripture nowhere says the impassible God suffered by his will.

### Greek text

Πρὸς τοὺς λέγοντας· Ἔπαθεν ὁ Θεὸς ὡς ἠθέλησεν. Οἱ κατὰ νόμον ὁδοιπορίαν ἀνύειν ἐθέλοντες, καὶ φεύγειν πᾶσαν πλάνην σπουδάζοντες, πάντα μᾶλλον αἱρήσονται παθεῖν, ἢ μικρὸν τῆς λεωφόρου παρελθεῖν. Τὸν αὐτὸν τρόπον καὶ οἱ τὴν ὁδὸν τῆς τῶν δογμάτων ἀληθείας βαδίζειν ἐθέλοντες, τηροῦσι μὲν τὰ ἴχνη τῶν ἀπλανῶς ὁδευσάντων· τὰ δὲ σημεῖα τῆς βασιλικῆς ὁδοῦ μετὰ ἀκριβείας καταμανθάνοντες, πᾶσαν μὲν παραιτοῦνται παρεκτροπὴν, ὅλοι δὲ γίγνονται τῆς ἀληθείας. Τούτου τοίνυν ἀναχωρήσαντες τοῦ σκοποῦ, τὰ νῦν οἱ τὰ ἐναντία δογματίζειν ἐθέλοντες, τὰ μὲν ἴχνη τῶν ὀρθοδόξων πατέρων καταλελοίπασι, καὶ τὰ σημεῖα τῶν θεολόγων ἀνδρῶν, τῶν τὴν ὁδὸν ὑποδειξάντων, παρελογίσαντο, πολλὰς δὲ παρεκτροπὰς μετεδίωξαν, τὰς μὲν πάλαι παρ' ἑτέρων ἐξευρεθείσας, τὰς δὲ νῦν παρ᾿ αὐτῶν καινοτομηθείσας, οἷὰ ἐστι καὶ ἡ παράλογος φωνὴ, τὸ, Ἔπαθεν ὁ Θεὸς ὡς ἠθέλησε. Μὴ δυνάμενοι γὰρ δεῖξαι τὴν φύσιν παθητὴν, τὴν βούλησιν συκοφαντῆσαι οὐκ ὤκνησαν· καὶ περὶ φύσεως ἐρωτώμενοι, περὶ βουλήσεως ἀποκρίνονται. Εἰ δεκτικὴ πάθους ἡ φύσις, ἐχέτω χώραν ἡ βούλησις · εἰ δὲ, κἂν μυριάκις δοθείη τὸ θέλειν, ἀμήχανον ἀνατραπῆναι φύσεως νόμον· πῶς οὐ μανία τὸ λέγειν, Ἔπαθεν ὡς ἠθέλησεν; Ἢ τις τῶν εὖ φρονούντων οὐκ οἶδεν, ὅτι σύμφωνον δεῖ τῇ φύσει τὴν βούλησιν εἶναι; οὐ τὴν μὲν πρὸς ἄλλο ῥέπειν, τὴν δὲ πρὸς ἕτερον σπεύδειν· ἀλλὰ μένειν μὲν τὴν φύσιν ἐν τοῖς ἰδίοις ὅροις, θέλειν δὲ τὴν φύσιν ὅ πρέπει τῇ φύσει καὶ συνέσει· ὡς εἴ τις ἄλλο μὲν ταύτην ἔχειν λέγοι, ἄλλο δὲ θέλειν ἐκείνην, μάχην ἐπήγαγε καὶ πόλεμον· τῆς μὲν ἐγχειρούσης εἰς ἃ μὴ δεῖ, τῆς δὲ μὴ δεχομένης ὅσα μὴ πέφυκε. Τὸ γὰρ πάσχειν πεφυκὸς, καὶ θέλον καὶ μὴ θέλον τῷ πάσχειν ὑπόκειται· τὸ δὲ τοῦ πάσχειν ἐκτὸς κατὰ φύσιν, κἄν τις συγχωρήσῃ τὸ θέλειν, ὅπερ οὐχ οἷόν τε, τίς ποιήσει δέξασθαι τὴν οὐσίαν, ὅπερ οὐ πέφυκε; Πᾶν γένος ζώων φυλάττει τὸν τῆς οἰκείας οὐσίας νόμον ἀσάλευτον, καὶ ὡς γέγονεν ἀπ᾿ ἀρχῆς, οὕτω διαιτᾶται διὰ παντὸς, καὶ οὐδαμοῦ τὸ θέλειν ἀνατρέπει τὴν τάξιν. Κἂν μυριάκις ἄνθρωπος θέλῃ γενέσθαι πτηνὸς, ἀργεῖ τὰ τῆς βουλήσεως, ἐπειδὴ νικᾷ τὰ τῆς φύσεως· κἂν θέλῃ ψυχὴν ἔχειν ἑνὸς τῶν ἀλόγων, γελᾶται θέλειν, οὗ πληροῦται τὸ ἔργον. Εἶτα, πᾶσα μὲν φύσις ἔχει τὸ ἀτυράννητον, καὶ κρείττων ἐστὶ πάσης ἐναντίας βουλήσεως· μόνη δὲ ἡ ἄτρεπτος τοῦ Θεοῦ καὶ ἀθάνατος οὐσία δέχεται βούλησιν ἐναντίαν, καὶ ἡττᾶται τῇ τῆς θελήσεως ἀνάγκῃ; Ὦ τοῦ θαύματος! ἡ πᾶσαν οὐσίαν ἐν τοῖς οἰκείοις ὅροις φυλάττουσα, αὐτὴ τῶν τῆς ἀπαθείας ὅρων οὕτω ῥᾳδίως ἐξίσταται, καὶ οὐδὲ τοσοῦτον ὁ κτίσας ἅπαντα ἔχει, ὁπόσον κτίσματι δέδωκε; Πόθεν δὲ ὅλως ἐγνώρισται, ὅτι ἡθέλησε; Προφήτης οὐκ εἶπεν, Ἀπόστολος οὐκ ἐκήρυξεν· ἀλλ᾽ οἱ μικρὸν ἡγούμενοι τὸ πάντων ὑπερορᾶν, ξένην φέρειν νομοθεσίαν μόνοι νεανιεύονται. Οὔτε τὸ « ἔπαθεν, ἀνέγνωμεν, οὔτε « ὡς ἠθέλησεν, εὔρομεν. Τις γὰρ τῶν ἁγίων ἢ εἶδε πάσχοντα τὸν ἀπαθῆ καὶ ἀόρατον, ἢ τὴν περὶ τοῦτον θέλησιν κατενόησεν; "Ω τόλμης τῶν ἀνθρώπων ὑπὲρ τὰς ἀοράτους δυνάμεις πηδώσης Τίς παρῆλθε τὸν οὐρανόν; Τίς ὑπερέβη τοὺς θρόνους, τὰς ἀρχὰς, τὰς ἐξουσίας, τὰς δυνάμεις, τὰς κυριότητας; Τίς ὑπερέπτη τὰ σεραφίμ; Τίς εἶδε τὰ ἐκείνοις ἀθέατα; Τίς κατενόησε φύσιν Θεοῦ καὶ θέλουσαν οὕτω, καὶ πάσχουσαν ἃ παρὰ τῶν Γραφῶν οὐ δεδήλωται; Οὔτε τὸ « ἔπαθεν » εἴρηται, οὔτε τὸ «ὡς ἠθέλησε» γέγραπται. « Ἐποίησεν ὅσα ἠθέλησεν, ὁ ἀκηκόαμεν· ὅτι δὲ ἔπαθεν ὡς ἠθέλησεν, οὐδαμοῦ μεμαθήκαμεν. Τί οὖν εἰς βεβαίωσιν τὸ ἄδηλον φέρουσι; Τοῦτο προσθήκη τῆς ἀπονοίας, οὐκ ἀπόδειξις ἀληθείας. ᾿Αλλ' ἔπαθεν ὁ Χριστὸς κατὰ τὴν τῶν θνητῶν σάρκα, οὐ κατὰ τὸν ἀθάνατον Λόγον.

### English translation (Claude)

Against those who say: God suffered as he willed. Those who want to complete a journey according to rule and are eager to avoid all straying will choose to suffer anything rather than leave the highway a little. In the same way those who want to walk the road of the truth of doctrines keep to the footprints of those who travelled without straying; and, learning the signs of the royal road with exactness, they refuse every turning aside and become wholly the truth's. Departing from this aim, those who now want to teach the contrary have abandoned the footprints of the orthodox fathers and misreckoned the signs of the theologians who showed the way, and have pursued many byways, some found long ago by others, some now newly invented by themselves; such is the unreasonable phrase, "God suffered as he willed." For, unable to show that the nature is passible, they did not hesitate to slander the will; and when asked about the nature, they answer about the will. If the nature is capable of suffering, let the will have its place; but if, even if willing were granted ten thousand times, it is impossible for the law of nature to be overturned, how is it not madness to say, "He suffered as he willed"? Or which of those of sound mind does not know that the will must agree with the nature? Not that one inclines to one thing and the other hastens to another; but that the nature remains within its own limits and the nature wills what befits nature and understanding; so that if someone should say that the nature has one thing and the will wills another, he has brought in conflict and war, the one attempting what it ought not, the other not accepting what it is not born to. For what is by nature capable of suffering is subject to suffering whether it wills or does not will; but as for what is by nature outside suffering, even if one granted the willing, which is impossible, who will make the substance accept what it is not born to? Every kind of living thing keeps the law of its own substance unshaken, and as it came to be from the beginning, so it lives always, and nowhere does willing overturn the order. Even if a man wills ten thousand times to become a bird, the will's efforts are idle, since nature prevails; and if he wills to have the soul of one of the irrational animals, he is laughed at for willing what is not fulfilled in deed. Then is it that every nature has freedom from tyranny and is stronger than every contrary will, and only the unchangeable and immortal substance of God accepts a contrary will and is defeated by the compulsion of willing? O wonder! She who keeps every substance within its own limits so easily departs herself from the limits of impassibility, and the one who created all things does not have as much as he has given to a creature? And from where at all has it become known that he willed? A prophet did not say it, an apostle did not proclaim it; but those who think it a small thing to look down on everything alone act with youthful insolence in bringing a strange legislation. We have neither read "suffered" nor found "as he willed." For which of the saints either saw the impassible and invisible one suffering, or understood the will concerning this? O the daring of men, leaping above the invisible powers! Who has passed beyond heaven? Who has gone beyond the thrones, the principalities, the authorities, the powers, the dominions? Who has flown above the seraphim? Who has seen what is unseen by them? Who has understood a nature of God that wills in this way and suffers what has not been revealed by the Scriptures? Neither is "suffered" said, nor is "as he willed" written. "He has done whatever he willed," we have heard; but that he suffered as he willed, we have nowhere learned. Why then do they bring what is unclear for confirmation? This is an addition to madness, not a proof of truth. But Christ suffered according to the flesh of mortals, not according to the immortal Word.

### Scripture references

- Num 21:22: echo, low confidence
- Col 1:16: allusion, high confidence
- Eph 1:21: allusion, medium confidence
- Isa 6:2: allusion, medium confidence
- Ps 115:3 (113:11 LXX): quotation, high confidence
- 1 Pet 4:1: allusion, high confidence

### Translation notes

- Translated exactly as written; the formula answered was used by Cyril's party. Num 20:17 / 21:22 ("the royal road"); Col 1:16; Eph 1:21; Isa 6:2; Ps 115:3 (LXX 113:11; "He has done whatever he willed"); 1 Pet 4:1. The clause about willing to have an animal's soul is garbled in the OCR; translated by sense.

### Citation (SBL)

Eutherius, Conf. 8 (PG 28:1359–1362; trans. Sophia Scriptura, https://sophiascriptura.com/p/eutherius-confutationes/8).

## Part 9

- URL: https://sophiascriptura.com/fathers/eutherius-confutationes/7/#p-9
- Source: PG 28:1363–1366
- Translation: Claude (claude-opus-5-5), 2026-10-23

Summary: The author rejects the demand to accept scriptural words without examining their meaning, citing Paul's call to trained discernment and comparing such hearers to animals that do not chew the cud.

### Greek text

Πρὸς τοὺς λέγοντας, ὅτι χρὴ δέχεσθαι τὰς φωνὰς, καὶ μὴ σκοπεῖν τὰ δι' αὐτῶν σημαινόμενα, ὡς ἄπαντας ὑπερβαίνοντα. Μόλις εὑρέθησαν οἱ πάντα ἀνατρέπειν ἀγωνιζόμενοι τὰ τῶν ἀνθρώπων, καὶ σπουδάζοντες μήτε τοὺς ἀνθρώπους ἔτι λογικοὺς τυγχάνειν, μήτε τὰ τῇ φύσει καλὰ μετ᾿ ἀκριβείας καταμανθάνειν, ἁπλῶς δὲ πᾶσι καὶ ἀδοκιμάστως συμφέρεσθαι, ἐκ τοῦ δέχεσθαι τὰς τῶν ἱερῶν βίβλων φωνὰς ἀνεπισκέπτως καὶ ἀδιορθώτως, καὶ μὴ κατὰ τὸν εὐσεβῆ σκοπὸν, καθ᾽ ὃν ἐῤῥέθησαν. Εἰ γάρ τις, ὡς ἐκέλευσαν, μὴ σκοποίη τὰ δι' αὐτῶν σημαινόμενα, ἁπλῶς δὲ καὶ ἀβασανίστως ἀκούοι τῶν λεγομένων · λείπεται καὶ τοὺς προφήτας, καὶ τοὺς ἀποστόλους μάτην ταῖς ἀκοαῖς ἐνηχεῖν, καὶ πάντα λόγον ἀνωφελῆ καὶ ἀνενέργητον μένειν, καὶ τοὺς ἀκούοντας μηδεμίαν ὄνησιν εἰς τὰ ταμιεῖα τῶν καρδιῶν παραπέμπειν. Οὕτω γὰρ προστάττουσι τοῖς μὲν ὠσὶν ἀκούειν, τῇ δὲ καρδίᾳ μὴ συνιέναι, μήτε τὸ ἀκόλουθον τῶν λεγομένων σκοπεῖν, κατὰ τὴν φάσκουσαν ἀπειλήν· « ᾿Ακοῇ ἀκούσητε, καὶ οὐ μὴ συνιῆτε.» Διὰ τοῦτο καὶ τὸ, « Ὁ Λόγος σάρξ ἐγένετο, » ἀκούειν μὲν ἁπλῶς ἀναγκάζουσι, νοεῖν δὲ εὐσεβῶς οὐκ ἔτι ἐπιτρέπουσιν, ὥσπερ ἐξουσίαν ἔχοντες τὴν ἑκάστου διάνοιαν πρὸς τὸ δοκοῦν αὐτοῖς ἕλκειν, οὐ προς τὸ πρέπον καὶ τὸ συμφέρον. Ἀκούσω τοῦ ῥήματος, καὶ μὴ ζητήσω τὸ εὐπρεπὲς τοῦ φρονήματος; Ποῦ οὖν ἢ τοῦ λόγου τὸ ἀκόλουθον, ἢ τοῦ ἀκούοντος ὠφέλιμον; Τάχα καὶ πρὸς ἀλόγων ἕξεις μεθίστασθαι τοὺς ἀνθρώπους προστάττουσιν, εἴπερ μέλλοιεν ψόφον μὲν ῥημάτων τῇ ἀκοῇ δέχεσθαι, κέρδος δὲ νοημάτων μηδὲν τῇ ψυχῇ προσίεσθαι. Οὐχ οὕτω Παῦλος ἡμῖν παρεγγύησεν, ὁ τῶν τοιούτων διδάσκαλος· οὐδὲ μετέχειν τινὸς ἀλόγως καὶ ἀδιακρίτως δεῖν ἀπεφήνατο· ἀλλὰ πῶς; « Τελείων ἐστὶν ἡ στερεά τροφή τῶν διὰ τὴν ἕξιν τὰ αἰσθητήρια γεγυμνασμένα ἐχόντων πρὸς διάκρισιν καλοῦ τε καὶ κακοῦ. » Τελειότητα συνεβούλευσε, γυμνασίαν ἐπήνεσε, διάκρισιν ποιεῖσθαι νηφάλιον καλοῦ τε καὶ κακοῦ συνεβούλευσε. Πῶς οὖν ἄν τις διακρῖναι καλῶς δυνηθείη, μὴ λαμβάνων τῶν λεγομένων σύνεσιν ; "Ωσπερ γὰρ ὁ καχεξίαν νοσῶν ἐν τῷ σώματι, οὐχ εὑρίσκει γνησίαν τῶν ἐδεσμάτων τὴν ἑκάστου ποιότητα· οὕτω καὶ ἄνθρωπος ἀγύμναστα ἔχων ἐκ ῥαθυμίας ἢ ἀλογίας τὰ τῆς ψυχῆς αἰσθητήρια, γεύεται μὲν λόγων, οὐκ αἰσθάνεται δὲ τῆς τούτων δυνάμεως, οὐδὲ γινώσκει τὴν τῶν νοημάτων ποιότητα· μετέχει δὲ πάντων ἀνοήτως καὶ ἀφυλάκτως δίκην ἀλόγων, τὸ βλάπτον καὶ τὸ ὠφέλιμον, ὡς ἔτυχε, προσιέμενος, καὶ μηδὲ ἐν καθαροῖς ἀριθμεῖσθαι ζώοις δυνάμενος· ὡς οὐ μηρυκίζων, καὶ λεπτυνομένην τὴν λογικὴν τροφὴν παραπέμπων εἰς τὸν ἔσω ἄνθρωπον, ἀλλ᾽ ἀκατέργαστον αὐτὴν καὶ ἀκατάλληλον ἀναλίσκων, μᾶλλον δὲ βλάβην ἐκ τῆς περὶ τὴν πέμψιν πλημμελείας ἤ τινα πρὸς σύστασιν ζωῆς εὐεργεσίαν δεχόμενος. Ἢ τις οὐκ οἶδεν, ὅτι … καὶ τὸν κληθέντα δειπνεῖν ἐπὶ τραπέζης δυνάστου νοητῶς τὰ παρατιθέμενα νοεῖν ἐγκελεύεται ὁ θεῖος νόμος ; Οὕτως οὐ δεῖ γυμνὰ νοημάτων ἁρπάζειν τὰ ῥήματα, σκοπεῖν δὲ ἐπιμελῶς τὸ πρέπον Θεῷ, τὸ συμφέρον ἡμῖν, τὸ δυνατὸν τῆς ἀληθείας, τὸ σύμφωνον τῷ νόμῳ, τὸ κατάλληλον τῇ φύσει, τὸ γνήσιον τῆς πίστεως, τὸ βέβαιον τῆς ἐλπίδος καὶ ἀνόθευτον τῆς ἀγάπης, τὸ ἀνύθριστον τῆς δόξης, τὸ κρεῖττον τοῦ φθόνου, τὸ τῆς χάριτος ἄξιον " ἅτινα πάντα σύνεστι μὲν ταῖς εὐσεβέσιν ἐννοίαις, χαθὼς ἐγνωρίσθη καὶ ἐπὶ τοῦ, « Ὁ Λόγος σὰρξ ἐγένετο" ν λείπει δὲ, ὡς εἰχὺς, ταῖς ἀτόποις καινοτομίαις, ἐπὶ τοιαύτας ᾿ ματαιολογίας ἐξ ἀνάγχης χαταφευγούσαις. Κεφάλαιον δὲ ἐπὶ τοῖς: λεγομένοις, ὁ τὰς λέξεις δεχόμενος καὶ μὴ καταμανθάνων τὰ σημαινόμενα, πῶς νοήσει τὰ μάχεσθαι ἀλλήλοις δοκοῦντα κατὰ τὸ πρόχειρον; Πῶς εὑρήσει τὴν ἁρμόζουσαν λύσιν ; Πῶς ἀπόκρισιν δώσει τοῖς ἐπερωτᾷν βουλομένοις : Πῶς φυλάξει τὸ γεγραμμένον· « Τὸ εἰδέναι πῶς δεῖ ἡμᾶς ἑνὶ ἑκάστῳ ἀποκρίνεσθαι; »

### English translation (Claude)

Against those who say that one must accept the words and not consider what they signify, as surpassing everyone. Scarcely have men been found who strive to overturn all human things, and who are eager that men should no longer be rational, nor learn with exactness the things good by nature, but simply agree to everything without testing, by accepting the words of the sacred books without examination and without correction, and not according to the godly purpose for which they were spoken. For if, as they have ordered, one should not consider what they signify, but should hear what is said simply and without testing, it remains that the prophets and the apostles sound in our ears in vain, that every word remains useless and ineffective, and that it sends no benefit to the hearers into the storerooms of their hearts. For so they command people to hear with the ears but not to understand with the heart, nor to consider the sequence of what is said, according to the threat that says, "Hearing you will hear, and you will not understand." For this reason they compel people to hear "The Word became flesh" simply, but no longer allow them to understand it piously, as though they had authority to drag each one's mind to what pleases them, not to what is fitting and profitable. Shall I hear the word and not seek the fittingness of the thought? Where then is either the sequence of the word or the profit of the hearer? Perhaps they command men to change into the habits of irrational animals, if they are to receive the noise of words with the hearing, but take in no gain of thoughts into the soul. Not so did Paul, the teacher of such things, charge us; nor did he declare that one must partake of anything without reason and discernment; but how? "Solid food is for the mature, who because of practice have their faculties trained to distinguish good and evil." He advised maturity, praised training, advised making a sober distinction of good and evil. How then could anyone distinguish well without grasping the meaning of what is said? For just as one sick with a bad habit of body does not find the true quality of each food, so too a man who, through laziness or unreason, has the faculties of the soul untrained, tastes words but does not perceive their power, nor know the quality of the thoughts; he partakes of everything senselessly and unguardedly like irrational animals, taking in the harmful and the useful as it happens, and unable even to be counted among the clean animals, since he does not chew the cud and send on the rational food, made fine, to the inner man, but consumes it unworked and unsuitable, receiving harm rather than any benefit for the sustaining of life from his fault in sending it on. Or who does not know that … the divine law commands even one who is invited to dine at a ruler's table to consider intelligently what is set before him? So one must not snatch at words stripped of thoughts, but consider carefully what befits God, what profits us, what the truth allows, what agrees with the law, what suits nature, what is genuine in faith, firm in hope and unadulterated in love, unsullied in glory, superior to envy, worthy of grace; all of which are present in godly conceptions, as was made known in the case of "The Word became flesh," but are lacking, as is likely, to absurd innovations, which of necessity take refuge in such vain talk. The chief point of what is said: he who accepts the words and does not learn what they signify, how will he understand the things that seem at first sight to fight with one another? How will he find the fitting solution? How will he give an answer to those who wish to ask? How will he keep what is written: "To know how we ought to answer each one"?

### Scripture references

- Isa 6:9: quotation, high confidence
- Matt 13:14: quotation, high confidence
- John 1:14: quotation, high confidence
- Heb 5:14: quotation, high confidence
- Lev 11:3: allusion, medium confidence
- Prov 23:1: allusion, high confidence
- Col 4:6: quotation, high confidence

### Translation notes

- Isa 6:9 / Matt 13:14; John 1:14; Heb 5:14; Lev 11:3 (animals that chew the cud); Prov 23:1 (LXX: "consider intelligently what is set before you"); Col 4:6. The OCR (Tesseract, page 689) displaced a line ("… of the soul, tastes words but does not perceive"), restored by logged corrections; a line before the reference to Prov 23:1 is replaced by garbled characters in the OCR and is lost (marked …).

### Citation (SBL)

Eutherius, Conf. 9 (PG 28:1363–1366; trans. Sophia Scriptura, https://sophiascriptura.com/p/eutherius-confutationes/9).

## Part 10

- URL: https://sophiascriptura.com/fathers/eutherius-confutationes/7/#p-10
- Source: PG 28:1365–1370
- Translation: Claude (claude-opus-5-5), 2026-10-23

Summary: The author rejects the formula 'God the Word suffered in the flesh' as unscriptural, insisting that Scripture and Nicaea say 'Christ suffered', a name that signifies both natures.

### Greek text

Πρὸς τοὺς λέγοντας· Ἔπαθεν ὁ Θεὸς Λόγος σαρκί. Θαυμάζειν ἔπεισί μοι, πῶς, τοσούτους νεωτερισμοὺς ἐπεισάγοντες οἱ τῶν καινῶν δογμάτων εὑρεταὶ, κόρον λαθεῖν τῆς τοιαύτης καινοτομίας οὐχ ἠδυνήθησαν ἀλλὰ εἴ τι ξένον ἐπινοεῖν πρὸς ἀπάτην τῶν ἁπλουστέρων νεανιεύονται, οἷον καὶ τὸ προκείμενον νῦν εἰς ἐξέτασιν· « "Ἔπαθεν ὁ Θεὸς Λόγος σαρχί. ν Πάλιν ἐνταῦθα πολὺ μὲν τὸ ἄλογον, πολὺ δὲ τὸ ἄτοπον. ᾿Αλογίας μὲν γὰρ τὸ λέγειν, ἕτερον ἑτέρῳ πάσχειν " ἀτοπίας δὲ τὸ, « ἜἜπαθεν ὁ Λόγος. ν “Ὅπερ γυμνὸν προχαλύμματος εἰπεῖν οὐ τολμῶντες, ἐπήγαγον τὸ « σαρχὶ, ν χαθάπερ πρόσωπον αἰσχρὸν τὸ ἀπρεπὲς τοῦ φρονήματος δολερῷ προσωπείῳ καλύπτοντες. Εἰ ὁ Λόγος ἔπαθεν, ἑαυτῷ ἔπαθεν " εἰ δὲ ἕτερον τὸ παθὸν, οὐδὲν πρὸς τὸν Λόγον, εἰ μὴ μόνη ἡ ὕβρις κατὰ ἀναφορὰν τοῦ πάσχοντος σώματος εἰς τὸν ἡνωμένον ἀνατρέχουσα Λόγον. Τὸ δὲ λέγειν, ε Ὁ Λόγος ἔπαθε σαρχὶ, » ἄγραφον, ἀνοίκειον, ἀσύστατον, ἀνακόλουθον. ᾿Αλλ᾽ ἐπειδὴ βλασφημεῖν μὲν ἀπαύστως ἔκριναν, τὸ δὲ͵ ε"Ἔπαθεν ὁ Λόγος,» ἔγνωσαν ἀπαράδεχτον ἀκοαῖς εὐσεβέσι, φάρμακον προσθεῖναι τὸ ε τῇ σαρχὶ » τοῖς ῥημάτων τραύμασιν ἐδικαίωσαν· δέον μήτε τὴν νόσον ἐπάγειν, μήτε φαρμακείας ἀπατώσης φροντίζειν. Οὐδὲν γὰρ τῶν͵ παραλόγων τεχνασμάτων εὑρίσχεται τῇ ἀληθείᾳ συναρμοζόμενον - ἀλλ᾽ αὐτὸ τὸ πολλάκις ἑαυτῷ μαχόμενον, καὶ μὴ εὑρίσκον στάσιν παρὰ τοῖς συνετῶς ἐπαΐουσιν. Οὔτε ὁ Λόγος παθητὸς τῇ σαρχὶ, οὔτε ἡ σὰρξ ἀπαθὴς τῷ Λόγῳ" ἀλλὰ καὶ ἡ σὰρξ κατὰ τὴν οἰκείαν φύσιν τὸ πάθος προσίεται, καὶ ὁ Λόγος ἀχώριστον τῆς ἰδίας οὐσίας ἔχει τὸ ἀπαθές. Εἰ οὖν οὗτος τῇ σαρχὶ πάσχει, περὶ τῆς σαρχὸς τί ἂν εἴποιμεν; ὅτι πάσχει τῷ Λόγῳ, ἣ οὐ πάσχει; Εἰ μὲν οὐ πάσχει, ταύτῃ τὸ ἀπαθὲς ἐχαρίσθη" εἰ δὲ πάσχει, ΤΥ, ὕ. Α τῶν δύο τὸ πάθος κατεψηφίσαντο, εἶπερ, καθώς φασιν, ἐκ τοῦ αἰωνίου Πατρός. Μὴ εἶπεν· Ἐξ ὧν ὁ Θεὸς τῇ ὁ μὲν Λόγος πάσχει τῇ σαρκὶ, ἡ δὲ σάρξ πάσχει τῷ Λόγῳ ἐν τῇ ἰδίᾳ φύσει. ᾿Αλλ᾽ ἴσως ἐροῦσι· Πῶς οὖν εἴρηται· · Ἐξ ὧν ὁ Χριστὸς τὸ κατὰ σάρκα; » Λέγε Χριστὸν παθόντα, καὶ σύνδρομον εὑρήσεις τὸ ὄνομα τῆς σαρκός. Ὁ μὲν γὰρ εἰπὼν τὸν Θεὸν Λόγον, ἁπλῆν οὐσίαν ἐσήμανεν· ὁ δὲ προσαγορεύων Χριστὸν, τὴν συνάφειαν τῶν δύο φύσεων ἐφανέρωσε. Καὶ οὕτως ἁρμόζειν δύναται τὸ λέγειν, «Ἔπαθεν ὁ Χριστὸς, » διὰ τὸ τὴν προσηγορίαν ταύτην τὰ δύο μηνύειν ἅμα, καὶ τὸν ἀπαθῆ Λόγον, καὶ τὴν παθητὴν σάρκα, τὴν γευσαμένην θανάτου. Ἐπεὶ καὶ Παῦλος, Ἐξ ὧν, οὐκ εἶπε, γυμνὸς ὁ Θεὸς, ἀλλ᾽ « Ἐξ ὧν Χριστὸς τὸ κατὰ σάρκα· ἵνα δείξῃ τὸν μνημονευόμενον, κατὰ μὲν τὴν σάρκα ἐκ τῶν Ἰσραηλιτῶν, κατὰ δὲ τὴν θεότητα σαρκί. Τὸ αὐτὸ καὶ σὺ λέγε, καὶ πείθομαι· Ἔπαθεν ὁ Χριστὸς κατὰ σάρκα. Εἰ δὲ λέγεις, ὅτι ἔπαθεν ὁ Θεὸς τῇ σαρκὶ, δίδαξόν με σαφῶς, πότερον ταὐτὸ κατὰ φύσιν Θεὸς καὶ σὰρξ, ἢ ἄλλο καὶ ἄλλο. Εἰ μὲν οὖν ταὐτὸ, ἔπαθεν ὁ Θεὸς ἑαυτῷ. Τὸ γὰρ αὐτὸ Θεῷ λέγεις τὴν σάρκα. Εἰ δὲ ἕτερον καὶ ἕτερον, πῶς τοῦτο ἐκείνῳ πάσχει, πάσης φύσεως ἑαυτῇ πασχούσης, οὐχ ἑτέρᾳ οὐσίᾳ; Οὐ πάσχει ἄνθρωπος ἵππῳ· οὐκ ἀποθνήσκει ψυχὴ σαρκί· ἀλλὰ λύεται μὲν σάρξ, χωρίζεται δὲ ψυχή. Λέγεται δὲ, ὅτι τέθνηκεν ἄνθρωπος, τὸ τῶν δύο παραστατικὸν ψυχῆς καὶ σαρκὸς, καὶ νοεῖται κατὰ τὸ ἐνδεχόμενον τεθνηκέναι, τοῦτ᾽ ἔστι, κατὰ τὴν σάρκα, καὶ οὐ κατὰ τὴν ἀθάνατον ψυχήν. Τοιγαροῦν οὐδεὶς εἶπε· Τοῦ δεῖνος ἡ ψυχὴ τέθνηκε τῇ σαρκί· ἀλλ᾿ ὁ δεῖνα ἄνθρωπος, ὁ ἐκ ψυχῆς καὶ σώματος συνεστώς· τὴν δὲ ψυχὴν καὶ μετὰ θάνατον μηνύων ἀθάνατον, εἰς τὸν αἰῶνα τοὺς δικαίους ἔφησε ζῇν, ὡς ἡ ἁγία Γραφὴ μαρτυρεῖ. Ἐκείνων δὲ πᾶσα θεία βίβλος κατηγορεί. Πόσοι προφῆται; πόσοι ἀπόστολοι; πόσοι εὐαγγελισταί; καὶ οὐδαμοῦ παρ᾽ οὐδενὶ τοιαύτη φωνή. Τὸ δὲ, Χριστὸς ἔπαθε, πανταχοῦ προδήλως κεκήρυκται. « Τὸ Πάσχα ἡμῶν ὑπὲρ ἡμῶν ἐτύθη Χριστός. Εἰ παθητὸς ὁ Χριστὸς, Χριστὸς ἀπέθανεν ὑπὲρ τῶν ἁμαρτιῶν ἡμῶν κατὰ τὰς Γραφάς.» Ὁ σταυρὸς τοῦ Χριστοῦ, τὸ σῶμα τοῦ Χριστοῦ, τὸ αἷμα τοῦ Χριστοῦ. Πῶς οὖν τοσοῦτον νέφος μαρτύρων παρατρέχουσι, καὶ τὴν ἰδίαν αὐθεντίαν τῆς τοῦ Πνεύματος νομοθεσίας ἔμπροσθεν ἄγουσι; κατατολμῶντες τῆς βοώσης ἐντολῆς· « Μὴ μέταιρε ὅρια αἰώνια, ἃ ἔθεντο οἱ πατέρες σου μὴ προσέχοντες, ὅτι καὶ τῶν κατὰ Νίκαιαν ἁγίων Πατέρων ὁ ἱερὸς καὶ μέγας χορὸς μετὰ τὴν τοῦ Θεοῦ καὶ Πατρὸς ὁμολογίαν εὐθὺς ἔταξε τὸ ὄνομα τοῦ Δεσπότου Χριστοῦ· « Καὶ εἰς ἕνα Κύριον Ἰησοῦν Χριστόν· · εἶθ᾽ οὕτως ἐπήγαγον τὰ τε ὑψηλὰ τῆς θεότητος, τά τε οἰκονομικὰ τῆς ἑαυτοῦ ἀνθρωπότητος, ὡς τούτου μόνου τοῦ ὀνόματος οἰκείως καὶ προσφόρως τὰ διάφορα δεχομένου, κατὰ τὴν τοῦ μακαρίου Παύλου φωνήν· « Θεμέλιον ἄλλον οὐδεὶς δύναται θεῖναι παρὰ τὸν κείμενον, ὅς ἐστιν Ἰησοῦς Χριστός. Μὴ δὴ καταλείψωμεν τὸν θεμέλιον, ὃς πάντων ἐστὶ δεκτικός καθ' ἑκατέραν φύσιν, τήν τε δόξαν, τό τε πάθος ἀληθινῶς προσιέμενος. Ἐὰν εἴπῃς Θεὸν μόνον, ποῦ τῶν παθῶν ἐποικοδομήσεις τὴν χρείαν; ἐὰν εἴπῃς ἄνθρωπον μόνον, ποῦ τῆς ἀκαταλήπτου δόξης ἐπιθήσεις τὸν πλοῦτον; Ἀλλὰ Χριστὸν λέγειν καλόν· τῇ μὲν θεότητι τὴν δόξαν καρπούμενον, τῇ ἡνωμένῃ δὲ ἀνθρωπότητι τὸ πάθος δεχόμενον, τῇ δὲ ἀχωρίστῳ ἑνώσει πᾶν θαῦμα κατεργαζόμενον, πᾶν δῶρον τοῖς πιστοῖς χαριζόμενον. Οὕτω δείκνυται καὶ τὸ θεῖον ἀπαθὲς, καὶ τὸ πάθος ἀληθινὸν, καὶ τὸ κέρδος τῶν ἀνθρώπων κοινὸν, καὶ ὁ λόγος τῆς ἀληθείας σαφής, καὶ ὁ θεμέλιος τῆς διδασκαλίας ἀσάλευτος, καὶ τοῦ μυστηρίου τὸ μέγεθος ἔνδοξον, καὶ τὸ θαῦμα τῆς ἀρχαιότητος ἀξιόπιστον, καὶ τὸ κάλλος τῆς ὀρθοδοξίας ἀνόθευτον, καὶ τὸ κήρυγμα τῶν ἁγίων ἁπάντων σύμφωνον. Τὸ δὲ λέγειν τὴν μηδέπω ῥηθεῖσαν φωνήν, καὶ ἀναθεματίζειν ἅπαντας, τοὺς μὴ εἰπόντας Θεόν Λόγον παθόντα σαρκὶ, τοῦτο οὐ μόνον κατὰ τῶν νῦν ἀνθρώπων φέρει τὸ θράσος, ἀλλ᾽ ἤδη καὶ κατὰ πάντων τῶν ἀπ' αἰῶνος κηρύκων καὶ διδασκάλων ἐκτείνειν τὴν τόλμαν. Ινατί δὲ καὶ φεύγουσι τὸ ὄνομα τοῦ Δεσπότου Χριστοῦ, ἐφ᾽ ᾧ πιστεύειν ἐκελεύσθημεν; Πίστευσον ἐπὶ τὸν Κύριον Ἰησοῦν Χριστὸν, καὶ σωθήσῃ. Ἐπὶ τούτῳ τῷ ὀνόματι τὰς ἐλπίδας ἔχειν τῆς σωτηρίας καλόν. Οὐδὲ γάρ ἐστιν ὄνομα ἕτερον ὑπὸ τὸν οὐρανὸν τὸ δεδομένον ἐν ἀνθρώποις, ἐν ᾧ δεῖ σωθῆναι ἡμᾶς. « Ἐν τῷ ὀνόματι Ἰησοῦ Χριστοῦ πᾶν γόνυ κάμψει, ἐπουρανίων καὶ ἐπιγείων καὶ καταχθονίων, καὶ πᾶσα γλῶσσα ἐξομολογήσεται, ὅτι Κύριος Ἰησοῦς Χριστὸς εἰς δόξαν Πατρός. » Αὐτὸς κριτὴς ζώντων καὶ νεκρῶν· αὐτὸν ἐπεκαλεῖτο τελειούμενος Στέφανος· « Κύριε Ἰησοῦ Χριστὲ, δέξαι τὸ πνεῦμά μου. Εἷς Κύριος Ἰησοῦς Χριστὸς, δι' οὗ τὰ πάντα. Αὐτὸς Σωτὴρ, αὐτὸς Λυτρωτής· Χριστὸς τὰ πάντα. Τί φεύγουσι τὸ πολυπόθητον ὄνομα; Τοῦτο τὰς νόσους ἤλασεν· · Ἐν τῷ ὀνόματι Ἰησοῦ Χριστοῦ ἔγειραι καὶ περιπάτει. » Τοῦτο τοὺς δαίμονας ἐφυγάδευσε · - Παραγγέλλω σοι ἐν ὀνόματι Ἰησοῦ Χριστοῦ τοῦ Ναζαραίου ἐξελθεῖν ἀπ᾿ αὐτῆς. » Πῶς οὖν, τοῦτο καταλιπόντες ὡς ἀπαρέσκον αὐτοῖς, τὸ παρ᾽ οὐδενὶ τῶν ἁγίων κείμενον τεθείκασι, τὸ, Ὁ Λόγος ἔπαθε σαρκί;

### English translation (Claude)

Against those who say: God the Word suffered in the flesh. It makes me wonder how the inventors of new doctrines, introducing so many novelties, have not been able to have their fill of such innovation, but act with youthful insolence if they can devise anything strange to deceive the simpler sort, such as what is now put forward for examination: "God the Word suffered in the flesh." Again here there is much unreason and much absurdity. For it is unreason to say that one thing suffers in another, and absurdity to say, "The Word suffered." Not daring to say this bare, without a veil, they added "in the flesh," covering the unfittingness of their thought with a deceitful mask, like an ugly face. If the Word suffered, he suffered in himself; but if what suffered was something else, it has nothing to do with the Word, except only the insult, which by reference from the suffering body runs back to the Word united to it. But to say, "The Word suffered in the flesh," is unscriptural, unfitting, incoherent, inconsistent. But since they have decided to blaspheme without ceasing, and knew that "The Word suffered" is unacceptable to godly ears, they thought it right to add "in the flesh" as a medicine for the wounds of their words; whereas they ought neither to bring on the disease nor to care for a deceiving medicine. For none of these unreasonable devices is found to fit with the truth; rather it often fights with itself and finds no standing among those who listen with understanding. Neither is the Word passible in the flesh, nor is the flesh impassible in the Word; but the flesh admits suffering according to its own nature, and the Word has impassibility inseparable from his own substance. If, then, he suffers in the flesh, what should we say about the flesh? That it suffers in the Word, or that it does not suffer? If it does not suffer, impassibility has been granted to it; but if it suffers, … they have condemned both to suffering, so that the Word suffers in the flesh and the flesh suffers in the Word in its own nature. But perhaps they will say: "How then is it said, 'From whom is Christ according to the flesh'?" Say "Christ suffered," and you will find the name of the flesh running together with it. For he who says "God the Word" signifies a simple substance; but he who names "Christ" makes plain the conjunction of the two natures. And so it can be fitting to say, "Christ suffered," because this title declares both together, the impassible Word and the passible flesh that tasted death. Since Paul too did not say, "From whom is God," bare, but "From whom is Christ according to the flesh," so as to show that the one mentioned is from the Israelites according to the flesh, but according to the Godhead from the eternal Father; he did not say, "From whom is God in the flesh." Say the same yourself, and I am persuaded: "Christ suffered according to the flesh." But if you say that God suffered in the flesh, teach me clearly whether God and flesh are the same by nature, or one thing and another. If the same, God suffered in himself; for you call the flesh the same as God. But if one thing and another, how does this suffer in that, when every nature suffers in itself and not in another substance? A man does not suffer in a horse; the soul does not die in the flesh; but the flesh is dissolved and the soul is separated. And it is said that a man has died, which signifies the two, soul and flesh, and he is understood to have died in the way that is possible, that is, according to the flesh and not according to the immortal soul. So no one has said, "So-and-so's soul has died in the flesh," but "So-and-so the man," who is composed of soul and body, has died; and, declaring the soul immortal even after death, Scripture said that the righteous live for ever, as the holy Scripture bears witness. But every divine book accuses those men. How many prophets, how many apostles, how many evangelists! And nowhere, in any of them, such a phrase. But "Christ suffered" is proclaimed plainly everywhere: "Christ our Passover was sacrificed for us"; "that Christ must suffer"; "Christ died for our sins according to the Scriptures." The cross of Christ, the body of Christ, the blood of Christ. How then do they pass by so great a cloud of witnesses and put their own authority before the legislation of the Spirit, daring against the commandment that cries, "Do not move the eternal boundaries which your fathers set"? Not heeding that the sacred and great choir of the holy fathers at Nicaea too, immediately after the confession of God the Father, placed the name of the Master Christ: "And in one Lord Jesus Christ"; and then added both the lofty things of the Godhead and the things of the dispensation of his manhood, as though this name alone received the different things fittingly and appropriately, according to the voice of the blessed Paul: "No one can lay another foundation than the one laid, which is Jesus Christ." Let us not then abandon the foundation, which receives everything according to each nature, admitting truly both the glory and the passion. If you say God alone, where will you build on it the need of the passions? If you say man alone, where will you place on it the wealth of the incomprehensible glory? But it is good to say Christ: reaping the glory in the Godhead, receiving the passion in the united manhood, and working every wonder and granting every gift to the faithful by the inseparable union. So it is shown that the divine is impassible, the passion real, the gain of human beings common, the word of truth clear, the foundation of the teaching unshaken, the greatness of the mystery glorious, the wonder of antiquity credible, the beauty of orthodoxy unadulterated, and the proclamation of all the saints in harmony. But to utter a phrase never yet spoken, and to anathematize all who have not said that God the Word suffered in the flesh, carries this rashness not only against the men of the present, but extends the daring against all the heralds and teachers from the beginning. And why do they flee the name of the Master Christ, on which we have been commanded to believe? "Believe on the Lord Jesus Christ, and you will be saved." It is good to have the hopes of salvation in this name. "For there is no other name under heaven given among men by which we must be saved." "In the name of Jesus Christ every knee will bow, of those in heaven and on earth and under the earth, and every tongue will confess that Jesus Christ is Lord, to the glory of the Father." He is the judge of the living and the dead; Stephen, as he was being perfected, called on him: "Lord Jesus Christ, receive my spirit." "One Lord Jesus Christ, through whom are all things." He is Savior, he is Redeemer; "Christ is all." Why do they flee the much-longed-for name? This drove out diseases: "In the name of Jesus Christ rise and walk." This put demons to flight: "I command you in the name of Jesus Christ the Nazarene to come out of her." How then, abandoning this as displeasing to them, have they set down what lies in none of the saints: "The Word suffered in the flesh"?

### Scripture references

- Rom 9:5: quotation, high confidence
- 1 Pet 4:1: allusion, high confidence
- 1 Cor 5:7: quotation, high confidence
- Acts 26:23: quotation, high confidence
- 1 Cor 15:3: quotation, high confidence
- Heb 12:1: allusion, high confidence
- Prov 22:28: quotation, high confidence
- 1 Cor 3:11: quotation, high confidence
- Acts 16:31: quotation, high confidence
- Acts 4:12: quotation, high confidence
- Phil 2:10–11: quotation, high confidence
- 2 Tim 4:1: allusion, high confidence
- Acts 7:59: quotation, high confidence
- 1 Cor 8:6: quotation, high confidence
- Col 3:11: quotation, high confidence
- Acts 3:6: quotation, high confidence
- Acts 16:18: quotation, high confidence

### Extrabiblical texts

- Conc. Nic. creed (Creed and Canons of the Council of Nicaea (325)): allusion, high confidence
- Wis 5:15 (Wisdom of Solomon): allusion, medium confidence

### Translation notes

- The formula is that of Cyril's twelfth anathema ("God the Word suffered in the flesh"); the author's rejection is translated exactly as written. Rom 9:5; 1 Pet 4:1; Wis 3:1 / 5:15 (the righteous live for ever); 1 Cor 5:7; Acts 26:23; 1 Cor 15:3; Heb 12:1; Prov 22:28; the Nicene Creed; 1 Cor 3:11; Acts 16:31; Acts 4:12; Phil 2:10–11; 2 Tim 4:1; Acts 7:59; 1 Cor 8:6; Col 3:11; Acts 3:6; Acts 16:18. The OCR (Tesseract, page 689) scrambled a few lines in the middle (after "but if it suffers" and in the sentence on Rom 9:5, where "from the eternal Father" and "he did not say, From whom is God in the flesh" stand out of place); they are translated in their evident order, and a garbled word is marked …. A stray numeral ("XI") at the end is removed by a logged correction.

### Citation (SBL)

Eutherius, Conf. 10 (PG 28:1365–1370; trans. Sophia Scriptura, https://sophiascriptura.com/p/eutherius-confutationes/10).

## Part 11

- URL: https://sophiascriptura.com/fathers/eutherius-confutationes/7/#p-11
- Source: PG 28:1369–1374
- Translation: Claude (claude-opus-5-5), 2026-10-23

Summary: The author answers the argument that the Jews' guilt requires that God was killed, insisting that the Godhead is impassible and that the insult to the united manhood reaches God, so that the Jews are still culpable.

### Greek text

Πρὸς τοὺς λέγοντας· Ποίαν δώσουσιν Ἰουδαῖοι δίκην, εἰ μὴ Θεὸν ἀπέκτειναν. Οὐκ ἔστιν, ὡς ἔοικε, φιλονεικούντων ἀνδρῶν ἄλογον ὀρμὴν λόγοις τισὶν ἐπισχεῖν· ἀλλὰ κἂν μυρίους τις ἐπάγῃ καὶ ἀναντιῤῥήτους ἐλέγχους, τὴν μὲν ἀλήθειαν ἔδειξε, τοὺς δὲ τοῦ ψεύδους ἐργάτας οὐκ ἔπεισεν. Οὕτω γὰρ οἱ τῆς ἀληθείας ἀποκοπέντες μετὰ πολλὰς φανερὰς ἀποδείξεις, οὐκ ἀφίστανται τοῦ οἰκείου σκοποῦ, οὐδὲ ἔρχονται πρὸς τὴν εὐθεῖαν ὁδόν· ἀλλ᾽ ἀτραποὺς δεξάμενοι, ἐπὶ κρημνοὺς περιέρχονται, παραλόγους πεύσεις προτείνοντες, καὶ οὐκ αἰσχύνονται λέγειν · Πῶς οἱ Ἰουδαῖοι τιμωρηθήσονται, εἰ μὴ Θεὸν ἀνῃρήκασι; φεῦ τῆς ἀναιδοῦς ἀτολμίας! Φεῦ τῆς ἀπατηλῆς ἐγχειρήσεως! εἰς ἐκδίκησιν Χριστοῦ τὰ Χριστοῦ διασύρουσιν · Ἵνα, φασὶν, Ἰουδαῖοι δίκην ἀξίαν ἀπαιτηθῶσιν, ἀνατρεπέσθω τὰ πάντα, ῥᾳδιουργείτω τὸ δόγμα, βλασφημείσθω Θεὸς, παθητὸς καλείσθω ὁ ἀπαθὴς, ὑβριζέσθω ἡ δόξα, πλανάσθω τῆς οἰκουμένης τὰ πέρατα. "Ανθρωπε, μὴ ἐκδίκει Θεὸν ἐφ᾽ ὕβρει Θεοῦ μισῶ συνηγορίαν ἀτιμίας πρόξενον· κρείττον Ἰουδαῖον κερδῆσαι, ἢ Χριστιανοὺς αἰσχυνθῆναι - κρείττον τοὺς πεποιηκότας φυγεῖν, ἢ τὸν πεπονθότα τοιούτου συνηγόρου τυχεῖν · κρεῖττον ἐκείνους συγγνώμην εὐρεῖν ἢ τούτου τρεπτοῦ καὶ παθητοῦ κατὰ τὴν θεότητα δόξαν λαβεῖν. Τί παρέχεις Ἰουδαίοις καύχημα μέγιστον, ὡς θεότητος αὐτῆς περιγενέσθαι δεδυνημένοις ; οὐδὲ γὰρ τὸν ναὸν ἔχουσιν ἂν, εἰ μὴ ὁ ἐνοικῶν συνεχώρησεν, ὃς καὶ τὸν λυθέντα ἤγειρεν, αὐτὸς δ' ἄλυτος ἔμεινε. Τί παρὰ γνώμην τοῦ πεπονθότος φέρεις τὴν ψῆφον; τί πλέον λυπεῖς, οἷς δῆθεν ἐκδικεῖς, ἢ ἐκεῖνοι τετολμηκότες ἐλύπησαν; Τί τὰς ἀψευδεῖς ἀποφάσεις ἀνατρέπεις τοῦ Σωτῆρος Χριστοῦ; Αὐτὸς ἔλεγε τῷ καιρῷ τοῦ πάθους· « Πάτερ, ἄφες αὐτοῖς · οὐ γὰρ οἴδασι τί ποιοῦσι. » Καὶ σὺ δίκην ἀπαιτεῖς, ὡς ἐγνωκότας Θεοῦ παρουσίαν, καὶ δεδρακότας κατὰ Θεοῦ μιαιφονίαν; Παῦσαι χαλεπώτερα τολμῶν τῆς τῶν σταυρωσάντων παρανομίας. Ἐκεῖνοι ψιλὸν ἄνθρωπον νομίσαντες τὸν Χριστὸν, ἀπεκτείναντο · σὺ, Θεὸν ὁμολογῶν ἀληθινὸν, τρεπτὸν, καὶ παθητὸν, καὶ νεκρὸν διὰ τῆς καλῆς ἐκδικήσεως ἀποφαίνεις. "Ὅσῳ δὲ τολμηρότερον τοῦ ὡς ἄνθρωπον οἴεσθαι ἀδικεῖν τὸ εἰς Θεὸν ἀσεβεῖν, τοσούτῳ γε ἀθλιώτερος ὁ τὸν Θεὸν Λόγον τῇ γλώσσῃ μάτην φονεύων τῶν εἰς τὴν σάρκα τοῦ Κυρίου τοὺς ἤλους μάτην πειράντων. Πλὴν οὐκ, ἐπειδὴ σὺ χαλεπώτερος τῆς φοβερᾶς καταδίκης, ἐκείνους ἁρπάζομεν · ἀλλὰ καὶ τῇ θεότητι τοῦ Δεσπότου Χριστοῦ τηροῦμεν τὸ ἀπαθὲς, καὶ τῇ ἀνθρωπότητι τῇ ἡνωμένῃ προσμαρτυροῦμεν τὸ πάθος, καὶ τοὺς Ἰουδαίους ὁμολογοῦμεν ἀπαιτεῖσθαι δίκην, ὡς εἰς αὐτὴν ἄντικρυς θεότητα διὰ τῆς εἰς αὐτὸν ἀπονοίας ἡσεβηκότας. Ἢ καὶ νῦν οὐχ ὁρῶμεν τοὺς κατὰ ναοῦ πολλάκις ἀνακειμένου Θεῷ χεῖρας ἀθεμίτους ἐκτείναντας ἐφ᾽ ὕβρει ἢ καταλύσει, καίτοι κατὰ ξύλων ἢ λίθων πράττοντας, οὕτω δεχομένους τὴν τιμωρίαν, ὡς κατὰ Θεοῦ τὴν τόλμαν ἐκτείναντας ; Καὶ ναὸς μὲν τοιαύτην δέχεται τὴν ἐκδίκησιν ἄψυχος · ναὸς δὲ ζῶν ἄχραντος, ναὸς Θεῷ συνημμένος ἀῤῥήτως, ἀδιασπάστως, οὐ πολύ πλέον ἐκδικηθήσεται, ὡς αὐτὸς μὲν ἀδίκως παθὼν, τῆς δὲ ὕβρεως ἀνατρεχούσης εἰς τὸν ἐν τῷ ναῷ Θεὸν, τὸν ἓν γενόμενον πρὸς αὐτὸν, καὶ πολλὰ θαύματα ἐργασάμενον ; Μηδὲ γὰρ ἐξεῖναι τοῖς Ἰουδαίοις ἀπολογίαν εὑρίσκειν, ὡς εἰς ἄνθρωπον ψιλὸν ἁμαρτήσασιν, τῶν πολυτρόπων θαυμάτων οὐ συγχωρούντων λανθάνειν τῆς ἐνεργούσης δυνάμεως τὸ θεοπρεπὲς καὶ ἔνδοξον· τίς γὰρ οὐκ ἂν ἔφριξεν ἀπ᾿ ἀρχῆς τὰ γενόμενα ; Κατὰ προφητείαν ἡ γέννησις, ὁ τόπος γνώριμος, ὁ τρόπος ἐπίσημος, ὁ χρόνος οὐκ ἄδηλος, πᾶς λόγος ἐργοχειρούμενος, δρόμος ἀστέρος μηνύων ὕμνον ἀγγέλων, μάγοι πόρρωθεν πρὸς δωροφορίαν ἑλκόμενοι, Ἡρώδης ὁ βασιλεὺς ταρασσόμενος· Ἰουδαία ἅπασα συγκλονουμένη, φανέρωσις ἐναργὴς τοῦ αἵροντος τὴν ἁμαρτίαν τοῦ κόσμου· Σιμεών παιδίον κατέχων καὶ Θεοῦ σωτήριον ἑρμηνεύων· ῎Αννα προφητεύουσα· μαρτυρῶν Ἰωάννης πρὸς Ἰορδάνην· φωνὴ Πατρὸς οὐρανόθεν, τοῦτον Υἱὸν ἀγαπητὸν πᾶσι γνωρίζουσα · Πνεύματος ἐπιφοίτησις περιστερᾶς ἐν εἴδει τῇ κορυφῇ ἐπιπίπτουσα μεταβαλλόμενον ὕδωρ εἰς οἶνον· ἄρτοι πέντε πληθυνόμενοι παραδόξως εἰς χιλιάδων ἀπόλαυσιν, καὶ περισσεία κλασμάτων κόφινοι δώδεκα πάθη λόγῳ φυγαδευόμενα, δαίμονες προστάγματι διωκόμενοι, μᾶλλον δὲ πόῤῥωθεν ὁμολογοῦντες τὸ τῆς ἐξουσίας ἀφόρητον · νεκροὶ τῆς τοῦ θανάτου τυραννίδος εὐθὺς ἀποσπώμενοι · κράσπεδον ἱματίου τῇ μὲν καμνούσῃ γυναικὶ φέρον τὴν ἴασιν, τῆς δὲ κρυπτομένης θεότητος δημοσιεῦον τὴν δύναμιν. Πᾶσα τῶν στοιχείων ἡ φύσις ἐν τῷ καιρῷ τοῦ πάθους ἐπὶ τῇ λύσει τοῦ ὁρωμένου ναοῦ, καὶ τῇ ὕβρει τοῦ ἀχωρίστου Θεοῦ πολυτρόπως ταρασσομένη · ἀνάστασις τοῦ παθόντος ὑπὸ τῶν σταυρωσάντων μαρτυρουμένη. Φυλάσσοντες γὰρ τὸν παθόντα, ἡττήθησαν τῷ παραδόξῳ νεκρῷ. Τοσαῦτα ἦν καὶ πολλῷ πλέον τὰ μηνύοντα τὴν κρυπτομένην θεότητα. Καὶ πῶς φεύξονται τῆς θεομαχίας τὴν τιμωρίαν οἱ πρὸς οὕτω λαμπρὰς ἀποδείξεις τυφλώττειν ὑπ' ἀγνωμοσύνης σπουδάσαντες;

### English translation (Claude)

Against those who say: What penalty will the Jews pay, if they did not kill God? It is not possible, it seems, to check with words the unreasoning impulse of contentious men; but even if someone brings ten thousand irrefutable proofs, he has shown the truth but has not persuaded the workers of falsehood. For so those cut off from the truth, after many plain demonstrations, do not leave their own aim nor come to the straight road; but taking up byways they wander along cliffs, putting forward unreasonable questions, and they are not ashamed to say: "How will the Jews be punished, if they have not killed God?" Alas for the shameless daring! Alas for the deceitful attempt! To avenge Christ they tear apart the things of Christ: "So that the Jews may be made to pay a worthy penalty," they say, "let everything be overturned, let doctrine be tampered with, let God be blasphemed, let the impassible be called passible, let glory be insulted, let the ends of the earth go astray." Man, do not avenge God by insulting God. I hate an advocacy that brings dishonor; better that a Jew should gain than that Christians should be put to shame; better that those who did the deed should escape than that he who suffered should get such an advocate; better that they should find pardon than that he should get the reputation of being changeable and passible in his Godhead. Why do you give the Jews the greatest boast, as though they had been able to overcome the Godhead itself? For they would not even have had the temple had not the one who dwelt in it permitted it, who also raised it when it was destroyed, while he himself remained undestroyed. Why do you cast a vote against the will of him who suffered? Why do you grieve those whom you supposedly avenge more than those who dared the deed grieved them? Why do you overturn the truthful declarations of Christ the Savior? He himself said at the time of the passion: "Father, forgive them, for they do not know what they are doing." And do you demand a penalty, as if they had known the presence of God and committed murder against God? Stop daring things worse than the lawlessness of those who crucified him. They killed Christ thinking him a mere man; you, confessing him true God, by your fine vengeance declare him changeable, passible, and dead. And by as much as impiety against God is more daring than thinking to wrong a man, by so much is he more wretched who murders God the Word in vain with his tongue than those who in vain drove the nails into the Lord's flesh. Yet it is not because you are more deserving of the fearful condemnation that we excuse them; but we both keep impassibility for the Godhead of the Master Christ and bear witness to the passion in the united manhood, and confess that the Jews are required to pay the penalty as having acted impiously against the Godhead itself directly, through their madness against him. Or do we not see even now that those who often stretch out lawless hands against a temple dedicated to God, for insult or destruction, though they act against wood or stones, receive punishment as though they had stretched out their daring against God? And if a lifeless temple receives such vengeance, will not a living, spotless temple, a temple joined to God ineffably and inseparably, be avenged much more, since he himself suffered unjustly and the insult runs back to God in the temple, who became one with it and worked many wonders? For the Jews may not find a defense, as though they had sinned against a mere man, since the manifold wonders did not allow the God-befitting and glorious character of the power at work to be hidden. For who would not have shuddered at what happened from the beginning? The birth according to prophecy, the place known, the manner remarkable, the time not uncertain, every word carried into deed; the course of a star declaring it, the hymn of angels, magi drawn from afar to bring gifts, Herod the king troubled, all Judea shaken; the clear manifestation of him who takes away the sin of the world; Simeon holding the child and interpreting the salvation of God; Anna prophesying; John bearing witness at the Jordan; the voice of the Father from heaven making him known to all as the beloved Son; the coming of the Spirit in the form of a dove, falling on his head; water changed into wine; five loaves multiplied wonderfully for the enjoyment of thousands, and twelve baskets of fragments left over; sufferings put to flight by a word; demons driven out by command, or rather confessing from afar the unbearable character of his authority; the dead torn at once from the tyranny of death; the hem of a garment bringing healing to the sick woman and publishing the power of the hidden Godhead. The whole nature of the elements at the time of the passion was troubled in many ways at the destruction of the visible temple and the insult to the inseparable God; the resurrection of him who suffered was attested by those who crucified him; for guarding the one who had suffered, they were defeated by the wonderful dead man. Such and many more were the things that declared the hidden Godhead. And how will those escape the punishment for fighting against God who were eager, out of ingratitude, to be blind to such brilliant proofs?

### Scripture references

- John 2:19–21: allusion, high confidence
- Luke 23:34: quotation, high confidence
- Mic 5:2: allusion, medium confidence
- Matt 2:1–12: allusion, high confidence
- Luke 2:13–14: allusion, high confidence
- John 1:29: allusion, high confidence
- Luke 2:25–38: allusion, high confidence
- John 1:32–34: allusion, high confidence
- Matt 3:16–17: allusion, high confidence
- John 2:1–11: allusion, high confidence
- Matt 14:13–21: allusion, high confidence
- Mark 5:25–34: allusion, high confidence
- Matt 27:51–54: allusion, high confidence
- Matt 28:11–15: allusion, high confidence

### Translation notes

- The passage on the Jews' culpability is translated exactly as written; it reflects the author's polemic and the argument of his opponents. John 2:19–21; Luke 23:34; 1 Cor 2:8; Mic 5:2; Matt 2:1–12; Luke 2:13–14; John 1:29; Luke 2:25–38; John 1:32–34; Matt 3:16–17; John 2:1–11; Matt 14:13–21; Mark 5:25–34; Matt 27:51–54; Matt 27:62–66; 28:11–15.

### Citation (SBL)

Eutherius, Conf. 11 (PG 28:1369–1374; trans. Sophia Scriptura, https://sophiascriptura.com/p/eutherius-confutationes/11).

## Part 12

- URL: https://sophiascriptura.com/fathers/eutherius-confutationes/12/#p-12
- Source: PG 28:1373–1378
- Translation: Claude (claude-opus-5-5), 2026-10-23

Summary: The author turns back the charge that those who deny that God was crucified are Jews, arguing that calling the Godhead passible is worse than Judaism, close to Manichaeism, and bolder than the devil.

### Greek text

Πρὸς τοὺς λέγοντας· Ἰουδαῖός ἐστιν ὁ μὴ ὁμολογῶν Θεὸν ἐσταυρῶσθαι. Τοσαύτης ἀποδείξεως ἐν τοῖς προλαβοῦσι πᾶσι γεγενημένης, οὕτω πολυτρόπου καὶ φανερᾶς, δέον αἰσθανθήσεσθαι τὸ πλῆθος τοὺς ἀντιλέγοντας τῶν ἐλέγχων, οἱ δὲ καὶ ἄλλας ἀντιθέσεις ἀναισχύντους πλέξαι μάτην οὐκ ὤκνησαν. Ἰουδαῖος, φησὶν, ἐστὶν, ὁ τὸν Θεὸν αὐτὸν μὴ ὁμολογῶν ἐσταυρῶσθαι. Καλῶς ἡμᾶς τῆς αὐτοῖς χρεωστουμένης προσηγορίας ὑπέμνησαν. Αὐτοὶ γὰρ εἰς ἑαυτοὺς ἐπεσπάσαντο τὴν πρὸς ἐκείνους συγγένειαν, ἀρνούμενοι μὲν τὴν σωτήριον ἐνανθρώπησιν, ἀπωθούμενοι δὲ τὴν τῶν δύο φύσεων σύνοδον καὶ ἕνωσιν. Τίς Ἰουδαῖος ὁ τὴν χάριν δεξάμενος, ἢ ὁ τῷ νόμῳ κατὰ τὸ γράμμα παρακαθήμενος, Ἡμᾶς ἡ χάρις ἐδίδαξε Θεὸν ἀόρατον ἐν δρωμένῃ φανερωθῆναι σαρκί · ἐκεῖνοι τῇ ἀρχαίᾳ παραδόσει παρέμειναν τὴν θεότητα γυμνὴν ἐν διαφόροις εἶδεσι καὶ σχήμασιν ὑπογραψάσῃ. Πῶς οὖν ἄλλους λέγουσιν Ἰουδαίους, αὐτοὶ τῆς Καινῆς Διαθήκης τὸν πλοῦτον ἀποσεισάμενοι; Οὐκ ἤκουσαν, ὅτι πολλοὶ προφῆται καὶ δίκαιοι ἐπεθύμησαν ἰδεῖν ἃ βλέπομεν, καὶ οὐκ εἶδον; Τί ἄρα οὐκ εἶδον θεότητος ἐπιδημίαν; Καὶ πῶς γέγραπται· Ὤφθη θεὸς τῷ ᾿Αβραάμ, ὤφθη τῷ Ἰσαὰκ, ὤφθη τῷ Ἰακώβ, ὤφθη τῷ Μωσῇ, καὶ μύριοις ἄλλοις; Τί οὖν ἐπεθύμησαν, καὶ οὐκ εἶδον; ὁ ἡμεῖς ἰδεῖν ἡξιώθημεν, θεότητος καὶ ἀνθρωπότητος ἄῤῥητον καὶ ἀδιάσπαστον ἕνωσιν. Οἱ τοίνυν ὁμολογοῦντες τοῦ Λόγου καὶ τῆς σαρκὸς τὴν παράδοξον ἕνωσιν, οὗτοι τοῦ ξένου θεάματος τετυχήκασιν · οἱ δὲ τῆς σαρκὸς τὴν ἀνάληψιν ἀθετοῦντες μετὰ τῶν ἄνωθεν Ἰουδαίων ἔχειν τὴν μερίδα προδήλως ἐλέγχονται, τῶν μὴ κατηξιωμένων ἰδεῖν μήτε ὄψει, ἅπερ ἡμεῖς ἑωράκαμεν. Ἰουδαίων γὰρ τὸ μὴ δέξασθαι τοῦ Σωτῆρος τὴν ἕνσαρκον οἰκονομίαν. Τούτοις συνάπτουσιν ἑαυτοὺς οἱ τὸ διπλοῦν τῶν φύσεων ἀπωθούμενοι, μᾶλλον δὲ καὶ μείζοσιν ἐγκλήμασιν ὑπεύθυνοι γίνονται. Ἐκεῖνοι γὰρ τὸν τοσαῦτα μετά σαρκὸς θαυματουργήσαντα Θεὸν εἶναι ἀγνοήσαντες, οὗτοι δῆθεν ὁμολογοῦντες ἀνάξια κατὰ τῆς θεότητος ἀπεφήναντο, πάντα τὰ πάθη τῆς ληφθείσης σαρκὸς εἰς αὐτὸν ἀνενεγκεῖν τὸν Θεὸν Λόγον φιλονεικήσαντες. ᾿Αλλ' ἴσως ἐροῦσιν (ἔμαθον γὰρ ἰταμῶς μάχεσθαι τοῖς προδήλοις ) · Οὐ λέγομεν παθητὸν τὸ θεῖον. Πῶς οὐ λέγετε, ὅτι τέχνῃ τὸν λόγον κατασκευάζετε; Ἔπαθε, φησὶν, ὡς ἠθέλησεν οὐ μὴν παθητὸν αὐτὸν λέγομεν. Τί προσποιεῖσθε φείδεσθαι τοῦ ὀνόματος, κατατολμῶντες τοῦ πράγματος; Εἰ κατηγορεῖτε τῶν λεγόντων μὴ πεπονθέναι τὸ θεῖον, πῶς οὐχ ὁμολογεῖτε λέγειν αὐτὸ παθητόν; Εἰ ὁ μὴ λέγων θείας φύσεως πάθος, Ἰουδαῖος καθ' ὑμᾶς· ὁ λέγων, Χριστιανός. Καὶ πῶς οὐ ποιεῖτε προτιμότερον τὸν Ἰουδαῖον, τὸν ἀπαθὲς ὁμολογοῦντα τὸ θεῖον, ὑμῶν τῶν ἀποφαινομένων αὐτὸ παθητόν; ὡς εἶναι ὑμῖν ἀνάγκην Ἰουδαίους ὑμᾶς καλεῖσθαι προσμαρτυροῦντας τὸ ἀπαθές· ἢ Χριστιανοὺς ὀνομάζεσθαι κατὰ τὸν ὑμέτερον ὅρον νομοθετοῦντας τὸ πάθος; Γνωρίσατε φανερῶς ἣν ἔχετε δόξαν. « Καρδίᾳ γὰρ πιστεύεται εἰς δικαιοσύνην· στόματι δὲ ὁμολογεῖται εἰς σωτηρίαν. Εἰ μὴ πέπονθεν ὁ Λόγος, οὐκοῦν ἡ σάρξ. Εἰ μὴ ἡ σάρξ πέπονθεν, οὐκοῦν ὁ Λόγος. Εἰ μηδέτερον τούτων, οὐκοῦν ἄλλο τρίτον. Εἰ μηδὲν μηδόλως, οὐκοῦν τὸ πάθος οὐ γέγονεν. Εἰ, μηδενὸς παθόντος, τὸ πάθος γέγονε, δόκησις γέγονε· δοκήσει σωζόμεθα. Πρὸς Μανιχαίους οὐκοῦν ηὐτομολήσατε. Καὶ πῶς φεύγετε τὴν ἐκείνων προσηγορίαν, ὧν φαίνεσθαι κληρονόμοι τῆς ἀφορήτου κακοδοξίας; Οὕτω δὲ Ἰουδαίων χείρους φανήσεσθε, καὶ Μανιχαίων οὐ πόῤῥω. Καὶ τί λέγομεν Ιουδαίων καὶ Μανιχαίων; Αὐτοῦ τοῦ πάντων εὑρετοῦ τῶν κακῶν τοῦ ταῦτα ὑμῖν ὑποσπείραντος τὰ ζιζάνια, τοῦ φθονοῦντος τοῖς καλοῖς ἅπασι διαβόλου, τολμηροτέρους ἑαυτοὺς ἀπεφήνατε. Ἐκεῖνος, ὅτε εἶδεν ἐπὶ τοῦ Ἰορδάνου τὴν τοῦ Σωτῆρος ἔνθεον δόξαν, κέντροις τοῦ φθόνου νυσσόμενος, οὐ πρότερον ἐτόλμησε προσαγαγεῖν τὴν πεῖραν, ἕως οὗ εἶδεν ἀψαμένην τὴν πεῖναν, ἀνθρωπίνης ἐνδείας γνώρισμα. Οὗτος ᾔδει τῆς θεότητος τὸ ἀπαθὲς ἴδιον καὶ ἀπείραστον· ὑμεῖς δὲ τὴν πεῖναν καὶ τὴν δίψαν, καὶ ὅσα τοιαῦτα, τῆς θεότητος αὐτῆς ἀποφαίνεσθε, καὶ τοῦ σταυροῦ τὸ πάθος αὐτῇ τῇ θεότητι σαφῶς περιφέρετε. Ἐκεῖνος δι᾽ ὑπερβολὴν πονηρίας ἀπ᾿ ἀρχῆς ἀνθρωποκτόνος προσηγορεύθη· ὑμεῖς δὲ δι᾽ ὑπερβολὴν τῆς κατὰ Θεὸν ἀπονοίας θεοκτόνους τοὺς Ἰουδαίους - προσαγορεύετε· καὶ οὐκ αἰσχύνεσθε μείζονα δύναμιν τοῦ διδασκάλου τῶν τοιούτων Ἰουδαίοις τοῖς μαθηταῖς ἀπονέμοντες· καὶ κατὰ τὴν ἔγγραφον κατηγορίαν γνόντες τὸν Θεὸν, οὐχ ὡς Θεὸν δοξάζετε. Παθητὸν γὰρ εἶναι κατασκευάζετε.

### English translation (Claude)

Against those who say: He is a Jew who does not confess that God was crucified. After so great a demonstration in all that went before, so varied and so plain, the opponents ought to have perceived the number of the refutations; but they did not hesitate to weave, in vain, other shameless objections. "He is a Jew," he says, "who does not confess that God himself was crucified." They have done well to remind us of the name owed to themselves. For they have drawn upon themselves kinship with those people, denying the saving becoming man and rejecting the coming together and union of the two natures. Who is the Jew: he who has received grace, or he who sits by the law according to the letter? Grace has taught us that the invisible God was manifested in visible flesh; they remained in the ancient tradition, which depicted the Godhead bare in various forms and shapes. How then do they call others Jews, when they themselves have shaken off the riches of the New Testament? Have they not heard that many prophets and righteous men longed to see what we see, and did not see it? What, then, did they not see? A sojourn of the Godhead? And how is it written: "God appeared to Abraham," he appeared to Isaac, he appeared to Jacob, he appeared to Moses, and to countless others? What then did they long for and not see? What we have been counted worthy to see: the ineffable and inseparable union of Godhead and manhood. Those, then, who confess the wonderful union of the Word and the flesh have obtained the strange spectacle; but those who set aside the assumption of the flesh are plainly convicted of having their portion with the Jews of old, who were not counted worthy to see with their sight what we have seen. For it belongs to Jews not to accept the Savior's dispensation in the flesh. To these those join themselves who reject the twofoldness of the natures; or rather they become liable to greater charges. For those did not know that he who worked so many wonders with the flesh was God; these, while professing to confess it, have declared things unworthy of the Godhead, contending to carry all the sufferings of the flesh that was taken up onto God the Word himself. But perhaps they will say (for they have learned to fight recklessly against what is plain): "We do not call the divine passible." How do you not say it, when you construct the argument with art? "He suffered," he says, "as he willed; yet we do not call him passible." Why do you pretend to spare the name, while daring the thing? If you accuse those who say that the divine did not suffer, how do you not confess that you call it passible? If he who does not speak of the suffering of the divine nature is, according to you, a Jew, then he who does is a Christian. And how do you not make the Jew, who confesses the divine impassible, preferable to yourselves, who declare it passible? So that you must either be called Jews, if you bear witness to the impassibility, or be named Christians according to your own definition, if you legislate the passion. Make plain the opinion you hold. "For with the heart one believes unto righteousness, and with the mouth one confesses unto salvation." If the Word did not suffer, then the flesh did. If the flesh did not suffer, then the Word did. If neither of these, then some third thing. If nothing at all, then the passion did not take place. If the passion took place with nothing suffering, it was a seeming; we are saved by a seeming. Then you have deserted to the Manichees. And how do you flee their name, whose heirs you appear to be of their unbearable false doctrine? So you will appear worse than the Jews and not far from the Manichees. And why do we speak of Jews and Manichees? You have shown yourselves more daring than the very inventor of all evils, who sowed these tares among you, the devil, who envies all good things. When he saw the divine glory of the Savior at the Jordan, though stung by envy, he did not dare to bring his temptation until he saw hunger take hold of him, the mark of human need. He knew that impassibility and freedom from temptation are proper to the Godhead; but you declare hunger and thirst and all such things to belong to the Godhead itself, and plainly attach the passion of the cross to the Godhead itself. He, for the excess of his wickedness, was called a murderer of men from the beginning; but you, for the excess of your madness concerning God, call the Jews murderers of God; and you are not ashamed to assign to the Jews, the disciples, greater power than to the teacher of such things; and, according to the written charge, "knowing God, you do not glorify him as God." For you construct him as passible.

### Scripture references

- 1 Tim 3:16: allusion, high confidence
- Matt 13:17: quotation, high confidence
- Gen 12:7: quotation, medium confidence
- Gen 26:2: allusion, medium confidence
- Gen 35:9: allusion, medium confidence
- Exod 3:2: allusion, medium confidence
- Rom 10:10: quotation, high confidence
- Matt 13:25: allusion, medium confidence
- Matt 4:2–3: allusion, high confidence
- John 8:44: quotation, high confidence
- Rom 1:21: quotation, high confidence

### Translation notes

- The polemic, including the comparison with the Jews, is translated exactly as written. 1 Tim 3:16; Matt 13:17; Gen 12:7; 26:2; 35:9; Exod 3:2; Rom 10:10; Matt 13:25; Matt 4:2–3; John 8:44; Rom 1:21. "Isaac" restores the OCR's Ἰσαὰν by a logged correction.

### Citation (SBL)

Eutherius, Conf. 12 (PG 28:1373–1378; trans. Sophia Scriptura, https://sophiascriptura.com/p/eutherius-confutationes/12).

## Part 13

- URL: https://sophiascriptura.com/fathers/eutherius-confutationes/12/#p-13
- Source: PG 28:1377–1380
- Translation: Claude (claude-opus-5-5), 2026-10-23

Summary: The author rejects the argument that the angels' eating at Abraham's table shows that Christ's Godhead could eat without flesh, arguing that the angels only appeared to eat, while Christ truly ate in his flesh.

### Greek text

Πρὸς τοὺς λέγοντας, ὅτι καὶ ἄγγελοι ἐπὶ τὸν Ἀβραὰμ ἐσθίοντες οὐ πάντως σαρκὸς ἐπέφερον φύσιν. Πολλῶν καὶ πονηρῶν τεχνασμάτων γεγονότες πατέρες, οἱ τὰ αἰώνια ὅρια τῶν ἐνθέσμων πατέρων μετᾶραι φιλονεικήσαντες, οὐκ ἠρκέσθησαν τοῖς ἰδίοις ἐκγόνοις· ἀλλ᾽ ἔτι καὶ τῶν πάλαι πολεμίων τῆς ἀποστολικῆς Ἐκκλησίας ἀμβλωθρίδια δυσγενῆ κακῶς ἀποκλέψαντες, ὡς εὐγενῆ καὶ τέλειον τόκον δογμάτων προβάλλονται, καὶ δι᾿ αὐτῶν τὰ Μανιχαίων ἡμῖν ἐπισείουσιν, ὡς ἐπὶ τοῦ Ἀβραὰμ ἀγγέλους τῇ οἰκείᾳ φύσει τροφῆς μετεσχηκέναι τερατευόμενοι, καὶ τὴν θεότητα τοῦ Δεσπότου Χριστοῦ κατὰ τὸν αὐτὸν τρόπον δίχα σαρκὸς τροφὴν καὶ ποτὸν εἰληφέναι ἀποφαινόμενοι · καίτοι τῆς ἁγίας Γραφῆς οὐ τῇ φύσει τοῦτο γεγενῆσθαι, τῇ δὲ ὄψει μόνῃ σαφῶς παριστώσης. Εἰ γὰρ ἦν φύσει τὰ γινόμενα, ἔδει τοὺς τρεῖς ἐκείνους ἄνδρας ὀνομάζεσθαι, ἢ ἀγγέλους προσαγορεύεσθαι (πολὺ γὰρ τῶν δύο γενῶν τὸ διάφορον)· ὡς ἄνδρας μὲν ὄντας, μηδὲν κατὰ φύσιν ἀγγελικὸν ἐπιδείκνυσθαι· ἀγγέλους δὲ ὄντας, κατὰ μηδὲν μέλος σωματικὸν καὶ ἐπιφαίνεσθαι, οἷα δὴ πνεύματα. Πῶς οὖν διδόασιν αὐτοῖς κατὰ φύσιν τροφὴν, ὡς ἀνδράσι; Ψευδῶς τοίνυν ἄγγελοι μνημονεύονται. ᾿Αλλ' ὡς ἀγγέλοις; καὶ τίς μετουσία πνεύμασι τροφῆς αἰσθητῆς; ἢ τάχα μυθολογοῦσι καὶ τοὺς ἀγγέλους ἐνανθρωπήσαντας σωματικοῖς ὀργάνοις ἀπολαῦσαι σωματικῶν ἐδεσμάτων; Εἰ δὲ μεταβαλλόμενοι φαῖεν, ἐνδείξεως, οὐ φύσεως, εἶναι τὴν εὐωχίαν, πάντως ἢ καταλείψουσιν ὡς ἀνοίκειον τὸ παράδειγμα, ἢ ἐπὶ τοῦ Σωτῆρος φαντασίαν ἀντὶ τῆς ἀληθείας ἐπεισάγοντες εὑρεθήσονται. Πῶς οὖν τολμῶσιν ἕλκειν, ὡς ὅμοιον τὸ ἀνόμοιον; Τί κοινόν ἔχει πρὸς τὴν μεγάλην ταύτην οἰκονομίαν ἡ κατὰ τοὺς ἀγγέλους ἐν σχήμασιν ἱστορία; Μὴ φαίνονται; πότε; ἢ ποῦ; ἢ παρὰ τίνος ἐτέχθησαν, ὡς ὁ Δεσπότης Χριστός; Μὴ ἀφῇ κατὰ τὸν ἴσον ὑπεβλήθησαν τρόπον; Μὴ περιτομὴν ἐδέξαντο; μὴ προκοπὴν ἢ αὔξησιν ἐπεδείξαντο ; μὴ νηστεύσαντες ὕστερον ἐπείνασαν; μὴ κοπιάσαντες ἐξ ὁδοιπορίας ἐδίψησαν; μὴ τὸν ὕπνον ὡς οἰκεῖον ἐγνώρισαν; μὴ πεῖραν μαστίγων ἔλαβον; μὴ θανάτου παραπλησίως ἐγεύσαντο; μὴ ταφῇ παρεδόθησαν; μὴ κατέλειψαν ἱμάτια εἰς πολλοὺς μεριζόμενα, διδάσκοντα τῇ πείρα, μηδὲν νοεῖν κατὰ δόκησιν, ἀλλὰ πάντα καθ' ὑπόστασιν καὶ ἀλήθειαν; Εἰ γὰρ δοκήσει σῶμα εἶχεν ὁ Χριστὸς, ὥσπερ δοκήσει σχῆμα ἀνδρῶν οἱ ἄγγελοι, ἔδει μηδὲ τοῦ Κυρίου φανῆναί τε καὶ ἀφῇ ὑποβληθῆναι ἱμάτια, καθάπερ ἐπὶ τῶν ἀσωμάτων ἀγγέλων ἐγένετο. Πῶς οὖν τὸ μηδὲν ἐοικὸς ἐκεῖνο τῷ προκειμένῳ ἐπιφέρουσιν ἀναιδῶς, καὶ συνάπτειν πειρῶνται τὰ κατὰ τοσούτους τρόπους παρηλλαγμένα; Καὶ σκοπήσωμεν ἐκ παραλλήλου τοὺς ἡμῶν· τε καὶ ἐκείνων λόγους. Ἡμεῖς φαμεν ἀληθῶς βεβρωκέναι κατὰ τὴν σάρκα τὸν Κύριον, ἐπειδὴ τοῦτο πάσης σαρκός· ἐκεῖνοί φασι βεβρωκέναι τοὺς ἀγγέλους, ἐπειδὴ τότε τὸ τοιοῦτον φύσις ἀγγέλων ἐδέξατο. Ἡμεῖς μάρτυρα τὴν πεῖραν ἔχομεν· αὐτοὶ καὶ λόγων ἄλλων καὶ ἔργων μαρτυρούντων αὐτοῖς ἀποροῦσιν. Ἡμεῖς καὶ πεῖναν καὶ δίψαν ἐκ τῶν ἁγίων παριστῶμεν Γραφῶν αὐτοῖς· ἐκεῖνοι τούτων οὐδέτερον ἐπὶ τῶν ἀγγέλων δεῖξαι δυνήσονται. Ἡμεῖς μέλη κατὰ τὴν τοῦ παντὸς ἀνθρώπου διάπλασιν· ἐκεῖνοι φύσιν ἀγγέλων, ἣν οὐδεὶς ἔχειν μέλη τετόλμηκεν ἀποφήνασθαι. Μελῶν δὲ μὴ ὄντων, τί τὸ προσιέμενον τὴν τροφὴν; τί τὸ λεπτῦνον; τί τὸ πέπτον; τί τὸ κατέχον; τι τὸ τὴν πέψιν ἐργαζόμενον; τί τὸ ἑξῆς, ὅπερ τιμήσω τῇ σιωπῇ; Ὥσπερ οὖν ἄνδρες φανέντες οἱ ἄγγελοι, οὐκ ἦσαν ἄνδρες τῇ φύσει· οὕτως οὐδὲ ἐσθίειν νομισθέντες, ἤσθιον φύσει· τὸν φιλόξενον δὲ τρόπον τοῦ Ἀβραὰμ ἐτίμων τῷ σχήματι τῆς μετουσίας, ζηλωτὴν αὐτοῦ τὴν ἀρετὴν ἀποφαίνοντες.

### English translation (Claude)

Against those who say that the angels too, eating at Abraham's, did not at all bear the nature of flesh. Having become fathers of many wicked devices, those who have contended to move the eternal boundaries of the lawful fathers were not content with their own offspring; but, wickedly stealing also the ill-born abortions of the ancient enemies of the apostolic church, they put them forward as a noble and perfect birth of doctrines, and through them brandish at us the teachings of the Manichees, telling marvels that the angels at Abraham's partook of food in their own nature, and declaring that the Godhead of the Master Christ in the same way took food and drink without flesh; although holy Scripture plainly shows that this happened not in nature, but in appearance only. For if what happened were by nature, those three ought either to be named men or to be called angels (for the difference between the two kinds is great): as men, showing nothing angelic by nature; as angels, appearing in no bodily member, being spirits. How then do they give them food by nature, as to men? Then they are falsely called angels. Or as to angels? And what share have spirits in perceptible food? Or perhaps they tell the fable that the angels too became men and enjoyed bodily foods with bodily organs? But if they change their ground and say that the feast was one of display, not of nature, they will surely either abandon the example as unsuitable, or be found introducing appearance instead of truth in the case of the Savior. How then do they dare to drag in the unlike as like? What has the story of the angels in shapes in common with this great dispensation? Did they appear? When, or where? Or of whom were they born, as the Master Christ was? Were they subjected to touch in the same way? Did they receive circumcision? Did they show progress or growth? Did they fast and afterward hunger? Did they grow weary from a journey and thirst? Did they know sleep as their own? Did they experience scourges? Did they taste death in like manner? Were they handed over to burial? Did they leave garments divided among many, teaching by experience that nothing is to be understood as seeming, but everything according to reality and truth? For if Christ had a body in seeming, as the angels had the form of men in seeming, then the Lord's garments too ought not to have appeared or been subjected to touch, as happened with the bodiless angels. How then do they shamelessly bring that which is in no way like to the matter before us, and try to join things that differ in so many ways? Let us consider side by side their arguments and ours. We say that the Lord truly ate according to the flesh, since this belongs to all flesh; they say that the angels ate, since the nature of angels then admitted such a thing. We have experience as witness; they lack other words and deeds to bear witness for them. We present hunger and thirst to them from the holy Scriptures; they will not be able to show either of these in the angels. We point to members according to the formation of every man; they to the nature of angels, which no one has dared to declare has members. And if there are no members, what receives the food? What makes it fine? What digests it? What holds it? What works the digestion? What follows, which I shall honor with silence? As, then, the angels, appearing as men, were not men by nature, so neither, though thought to eat, did they eat by nature; but they honored the hospitable character of Abraham by the form of sharing, showing his virtue worthy of imitation.

### Scripture references

- Gen 18:1–8: allusion, high confidence
- Prov 22:28: allusion, high confidence
- Luke 24:39–43: allusion, high confidence
- Luke 2:52: allusion, high confidence
- Matt 4:2: allusion, high confidence
- John 4:6: allusion, high confidence
- John 19:28: allusion, high confidence
- Matt 8:24: allusion, medium confidence
- John 19:23–24: allusion, high confidence
- Heb 13:2: echo, medium confidence

### Translation notes

- Gen 18:1–8; Prov 22:28; Luke 24:39–43; Luke 2:21, 52; Matt 4:2; John 4:6; John 19:28; Matt 8:24; John 19:1; Heb 2:9; John 19:23–24; Mark 5:27; Heb 13:2. The opponents' argument and its alleged link with Manichaean docetism are reported as the author gives them; translated exactly.

### Citation (SBL)

Eutherius, Conf. 13 (PG 28:1377–1380; trans. Sophia Scriptura, https://sophiascriptura.com/p/eutherius-confutationes/13).

## Part 14

- URL: https://sophiascriptura.com/fathers/eutherius-confutationes/12/#p-14
- Source: PG 28:1379–1386
- Translation: Claude (claude-opus-5-5), 2026-10-23

Summary: The author argues that each of Christ's miracles is great only if his flesh is real, and, in a new chapter, that denying that Christ took our nature empties the promises, the fulfilment of the law, and our hope of resurrection.

### Greek text

Πρὸς τοὺς σμικρύνοντας ἕκαστον θαῦμα, τῷ ἀρνεῖσθαι τὴν σάρκα. Ἀλλὰ μὴν οὐδὲ τὰ θαύματα τοῦ Κυρίου καταλελοίπασι τῆς παρ᾿ αὐτῶν ἐπιβουλῆς ἐλεύθερά τε καὶ ἀνενόχλητα, οἱ πρὸς τὴν ἐναντίαν μοῖραν τοῦ χοροῦ τῶν ὀρθοδόξων ἑαυτοὺς ἀποῤῥήξαντες· καθαιροῦντες δὲ καὶ συστέλλοντες, τὸ τούτων οὐκ ᾔδεισαν μέγεθος, δι' ὧν ἠρνήσαντο τῆς σαρκὸς τὴν ἀνάληψιν, ἐπιγράψαντες ταῦτα γυμνῇ τῇ θεότητι. Καὶ σκοπήσωμεν ἐπ᾿ αὐτῶν τῶν πραγμάτων, πῶς ἀπ᾿ ἀρχῆς ἄχρι τέλους μεγάλα μὲν δείκνυται τῇ τῆς σαρκὸς ἀναλήψει, ἥττονα δὲ εὑρίσκεται, ταύτης ἀθετουμένης. Τόκος ἐστὶν ἐκ Παρθένου τὸ μέγα καὶ ἔνδοξον τῆς οἰκονομίας προοίμιον. Εἰ μηδὲν ἐκ τῆς ἁγίας Παρθένου τὸ τεχθὲν ἐπεφέρετο, τίς ἂν ἐθαύμασε τὸ γενόμενον; μήτε μητέρα λέγειν αὐτὴν ὄντως δυνάμενος τὸ μηδὲν αὐτῆς ὁμοούσιον τῷ προελθόντι συνιέναι· μήτε παράδοξον κρίνων τὸ γενέσθαι μητέρα, καὶ μεῖναι Παρθένον, εἴπερ ἄνευ σώματος αἰσθητοῦ τὴν ἑαυτοῦ παρουσίαν ὁ Λόγος ἡμῖν ἐχαρίσατο. Πάλιν εἴρηται προκοπή σύντομος ἡλικίας καὶ σοφίας καὶ χάριτος. Ἐὰν ἀφέλῃς τὴν σάρκα, τις δέξεται πρὸς ἔπαινον θεότητος αὔξησιν καὶ βελτίωσιν τῆς ἐξ ἀϊδίου τελείας, καὶ μήτε πλείονος δεομένης, μήτε ἀφαιρεῖν ἢ λαμβάνειν ἐκ τῶν ἔξωθεν δυναμένης; Ἐπαινετὴν τοίνυν τὴν προκοπὴν ἡ σὰρξ ἀποφαίνει διὰ τῆς πρὸς τὸν Λόγον ἑνώσεως. Καὶ μεγίστην μαρτυρίαν γινώσκομεν τοῦ μὴ ποιῆσαι αὐτὸν ἁμαρτίαν, ἐκ τοῦ καὶ σάρκα ἀληθινὴν ἐν αὐτῷ, καὶ μηδὲ ἴχνος ἁμαρτίας ὁρᾶν. Ὡς εἴγε περὶ θεότητος ἐλέγετο νῦν καὶ μόνης τὸ ἀναμάρτητον, γελᾶσαι μᾶλλον ἢ θαυμάσαι τοὺς ἀκούοντας ἐνῆν, μὴ μόνον τῆς θεότητος κρείττονος ἀεὶ πάσης μέμψεως πεφυκυίας, ἀλλ᾽ ἤδη καὶ μυριάδων ἀγγέλων φυλαξαμένων τὸ ἁμαρτάνειν. Ἀλλὰ διὰ τοῦτο λέγεται, ἐπειδήπερ ἐξ ἁμαρτωλοῦ γένους ληφθεῖσα ἡ ἄχραντος σὰρξ, τῇ πρὸς τὸν Θεὸν Λόγον ἑνώσει μόνη καὶ πρώτη μεμένηκεν ἀναμάρτητος. Ἐντεῦθεν καὶ ἡ πρὸς τὸν διάβολον πάλη, καὶ ἡ κατὰ τούτου νίκη παράδοξος γίνεται, ὅτι τῆς ἡττηθείσης σαρκὸς τὴν ἀπαρχὴν ἔχων ὁ τὴν πεῖραν δεξάμενος, ταύτην νικητὴν τοῦ ποτε νικήσαντος ἀπειργάσατο, καὶ τῇ φύσει τὸ κράτος δεδώρηται κατὰ τοῦ πάλαι δι᾿ ἀπάτης κρατήσαντος. Διὰ τοῦτο καὶ τῇ μνήμῃ τῶν ἁγίων Γραφῶν τὰς ἐπαγομένας λαβὰς ἀπεδύετο, οὐκ αὐθεντίᾳ θεότητος ἀποκρουόμενος τὸν ἀντίπαλον, ἀκολουθίᾳ δὲ ἀνθρωπότητος τὴν τῶν Γραφῶν φωταγωγίαν πρὸς ἅπαντα προβαλλόμενος. Εἰ δ᾽ ὁ Θεὸς Λόγος καθ᾽ ἑαυτὸν ἀναμάρτητος καὶ ἀήττητος ἐμηνύετο, τίς ἂν ἐξεπλάγη πρὸς τὰ λεγόμενα; Οὐ ξένον τὸ μὴ ἁμαρτάνειν, μηδὲ νικᾶσθαι παρὰ κτίσματος ἰδίου Θεόν. Πότε γὰρ ἡμάρτηκεν ἢ νενίκηται, ἵνα νῦν ὡς παράδοξον δεξώμεθα τὸ λεγόμενον ; ᾿Αλλὰ ξένον τὸ φύσιν ἀνθρωπίνην τὰ ὑπὲρ φύσεως φανερῶς ἐπιδείξασθαι. Ἐπεὶ καὶ τὸ βαδίσαι ἐπὶ νώτου θαλάσσης ἀδεῶς ἅμα καὶ ἀκινδύνως θεότητι μὲν ῥάδιον, μᾶλλον δὲ καὶ ἀγγέλοις · καὶ οὐκ ἄν τις ἐκπλαγείη τοῦτο τεθεαμένος· ἀνθρωπότητι δὲ ψιλῇ πάντη ἀδύνατον. Καὶ φρίττει δικαίως ὁ σαρκὸς πόδας τὴν τοιαύτην πορείαν ποιουμένους ὁρῶν, καὶ τὴν ἡνωμένην δύναμιν ἐννοῶν τοῦ Λόγου. Εἰ δὲ τις, τὴν σάρκα παραιτησάμενος, μόνον φαίη τὸν Λόγον ἐπὶ τῶν κυμάτων ὀφθῆναι, περιεῖλε τὸν ὄγκον τοῦ θαύματος, οὐδὲν μέγα προσμαρτυρήσας τῷ πράγματι. Μέγα γὰρ ὄντως καὶ πάντα νοῦν νικῶν, οὐχ ὅταν πνεῦμα κοῦφον καὶ ἀβαρὲς ἐπὶ τῶν ὑδάτων μετεωρίζηται, ἀλλ᾽ ὅταν σῶμα παχυμερὲς καὶ βρίθον ὑπὸ τῆς ἁπαλῆς καὶ ῥᾳδίως ὑπακουούσης φύσεως ὄρθιον ἄνω βαστάζηται. Ὅπερ ἵνα πιστὸν πᾶσι ποιήσῃ ὁ Κύριος, καὶ τῷ Πέτρῳ βαδίσαι κατὰ τοῦ πελάγους εὐθέως ἔδωκε, μέχρι τὸν τῆς ὀλιγοπιστίας οὐκ ἐδέχετο σάλον. Τὸ μὲν οὖν ὁδεῦσαι τὸν Πέτρον οὕτως, ἐδείκνυε τῆς δεσποτικῆς σαρκὸς ἀναμφίβολον τὴν πορείαν· τὸ δὲ διστάσαντα μηκέτι βαστάζεσθαι, τῆς μεταξὺ διαφορᾶς τὸ ἀμέτρητον. Πανταχοῦ τοίνυν ἡ τῆς σαρκὸς πρὸς τὸν Λόγον ἕνωσις αὔξουσα δείκνυται τῶν γενομένων τὸ ἔνδοξον. Καὶ συντόμως εἰπεῖν, οὐδ᾽ ἂν αὐτὸ τὸ κατὰ τοῦ θανάτου τρόπαιον ἔσται λαμπρὸν, μὴ προδήλως ἀνθρωπίνη φύσις κρείττων τῆς κάτω τυραννίδος ἐγένετο τῇ δυνάμει τῆς ἀχωρίστως ἡνωμένης θεότητος· ἐπεὶ τὸ μὴ κρατηθῆναι Θεὸν τὸν μηδέποτε κρατεῖσθαι δυνάμενον τῶν εἰκότων καὶ εἰωθότων· τὸ δὲ μὴ κρατηθῆναι σάρκα τοῦτο πρῶτον, τοῦτο ξένον· τοῦτο καὶ τὴν εἴσοδον τοῦ Κυρίου τὴν διὰ τῶν κεκλεισμένων θυρῶν γενομένην ἀποφαίνει φρικτὴν, ὅτι συνοῦσα τῆς σαρκὸς ἡ παχύτης ἐμποδὼν οὐκ ἐγένετο, ἐπειδὴ μεῖζον ἦν τὸ θαυματουργοῦν τοῦ κωλύοντος. Ὁ δὲ χωρὶς σώματος ἀνθρωπίνου γεγενῆσθαι λέγων τὸ πρᾶγμα, κοινὸν αὐτὸ ποιεῖ πρὸς τοὺς ἀγγέλους, πρὸς τῶν ἀνθρώπων ψυχὰς, πρὸς τὰ ἐναντία πνεύματα, ὧν διὰ τὸ λεπτὸν τῆς οὐσίας ἀκώλυτος ἡ τοιαύτη διάβασις. Ἐπὶ τούτοις καὶ ἡ πρὸς οὐρανὸν ἀνάβασις τοῦ Δεσπότου τὴν αὐτὴν ἡμῖν παρέχει διάνοιαν, ὡς εἰδέναι τοῦ μὲν Θεοῦ Λόγου τὴν ἐν οὐρανοῖς διαγωγὴν ἀΐδιον, ἀχώριστον, ἀπερίγραφον, τῆς δὲ συνημμένης σαρκὸς, τότε καινοτομουμένην τὴν ξένην ἀνάληψιν, μετοικιζομένης ὅπου μὴ πρότερον ἦν· ἐπεὶ μηδὲ ἐκ φύσεως εἶχε τὸ τηλικούτων ἀξιωθῆναι. Πρὸς τοὺς ζημιοῦντας ἡμῶν τὸ γένος, τῷ μὴ λέγειν, ἐκ τῆς φύσεως ἡμῶν εἰληφέναι τὴν ἀπαρχὴν τὸν Σωτῆρα. Πᾶσα μὲν κακία πρᾶγμα φευκτὸν καὶ Θεῷ στυγητὸν, καὶ ἀνθρώποις πολέμιον· τὸ δὲ καὶ τῇ οἰκείᾳ σωτηρίᾳ καὶ δόξῃ βασκαίνειν τινὰς, τοῦτο πᾶσαν ὑπερβάλλει πονηρίας ὑπερβολήν· ὅπερ ποιοῦσι τὰ νῦν οἱ λέγειν τολμῶντες μὴ ἐκ τῆς φύσεως ἡμῶν παρὰ τοῦ Σωτῆρος εἰλῆφθαι τὴν· ἀπαρχήν. Καὶ πολυτρόπως παρανομοῦσι· τοῦτο μὲν τῇ τῶν ἁγίων Γραφῶν μαρτυρίᾳ, μᾶλλον δὲ τῇ τοῦ ἁγίου Πνεύματος νομοθεσίᾳ μαχόμενοι· τοῦτο δὲ τὴν τοῦ Δεσπότου φιλανθρωπίαν ἐπισκιάζειν τολμήσαντες· τοῦτο δὲ τὴν κοινὴν ἀνθρώπων εὐεργεσίαν ἐκβάλλοντες· ἔτι μὴν καὶ ἀνόνητον τὴν μεγάλην οἰκονομίαν τῆς ἐνανθρωπήσεως ἀποφαίνοντες. Οὐκ ἔλαβεν ἐκ τῆς ἡμετέρας φύσεως σάρκα· πῶς οὖν ἐσκήνωσεν ἐν ἡμῖν; Πῶς σπέρματος ᾿Ἀβραὰμ ἐπελάβετο; Πῶς εἴρηται· « Ἐξ ὧν ὁ Χριστὸς τὸ κατὰ σάρκα; » Ψευδεῖς τῶν προφητῶν αἱ προῤῥήσεις· ψευδεῖς αἱ τοῦ Θεοῦ πρὸς τὸν Δαβὶδ ὑποσχέσεις· « Ἐκ καρποῦ τῆς κοιλίας σου θήσομαι ἐπὶ τοῦ θρόνου σου · ψευδῶς ἀδελφοὺς ὁ Κύριος τοὺς πιστοὺς ὀνομάζει · ψευδῶς ὁ Παῦλος εἶπε· « Τοῦ γὰρ καὶ γένος ἐσμέν.» Τίς οὐκ αἰσχύνηται καὶ τοσούτων μαρτύρων πλῆθος ἀναιδῶς παρορᾶν, καὶ δογμάτων ἀτοπίαν καινοτομεῖν, καὶ τῆς ἐπὶ τούτοις εὐχαριστίας τὸν Δεσπότην ἀποστερεῖν, καὶ τὸ γένος ἡμῶν ὅλον ἐν ταύταις ζημιοῦν; Οὐκ ἐξ ἡμῶν ἡ ληφθεῖσα σάρξ; Καὶ ποίαν ἔχομεν σωτηρίας ἐλπίδα; Ἔτι ἡμῖν ὁ νόμος ἀπλήρωτος· ἔτι τῆς παραβάσεως ἐγκλήματα· ἔτι τῆς κατάρας τὸ βάρος· ἔτι τοῦ θανάτου τὸ κράτος· ἔτι τοῦ γένους ἡ καταδίκη. Εἰ μηδὲν εἶχεν ἐκ τῆς ἀνθρωπίνης οὐσίας ὁ τὸν νόμον πληρώσας, ἔτι ταῖς κατηγορίαις ἡ φύσις ὑπεύθυνος. Τάχα καὶ δίκην οἱ τοῦ γένους πρὸς τὸν νομοθέτην ἄντικρυς συγκροτήσουσιν, ὡς περιττὰ καὶ ἀνόνητα τοῖς ἀνθρώποις νομοθετήσαντα, τῷ μηδένα δυνηθῆναι ταῦτα πληρῶσαι. Οὕτως ἡ τῆς σαρκὸς ἀθέτησις πάσης γίνεται βλασφημίας ὑπόθεσις. ᾿Αναγκαῖον οὖν, ἀναγκαῖον πιστεῦσαι ταῖς ἁγίαις Γραφαῖς, ὁμολογῆσαι τὴν ἐξ ἡμῶν ἀπαρχὴν, δοξάσαι τὴν τοῦ λαβόντος φιλανθρωπίαν, ἐκπλαγῆναι τὸ θαῦμα τῆς μεγάλης οἰκονομίας, μὴ δεδοικέναι τὴν ἐκ νόμου κατάραν - « Χριστὸς γὰρ ἡμᾶς ἐξηγόρασεν ἐκ τῆς κατάρας του νόμου· · τὴν πλήρωσιν τοῦ νόμου, τὴν διὰ τῆς ἀπαρχῆς γενομένην, ὅλῳ λογίζεσθαι τῷ φυράματι, γινώσκειν τὸ πρέπον καὶ τὸ ἀκόλουθον· ὅτι, Θεοῦ γυμνοῦ τὸν νόμον πληρώσαντος, ὅπερ οὐδὲ λέγειν ἁρμόδιον, οὐκ ἦν ἄλλην οὐσίαν μετέχειν τοῦ κατορθώματος·. σαρκὸς δὲ τῆς ἐξ ἡμῶν ἐν τῷ πληρώσαντι τὸν νόμον γνωριζομένης, ἀναφαίνεται τοῦ γένους τὸ καύχημα, ὡς καταπατεῖν ἀδεῶς τοῦ θανάτου τὸ κέντρον, οἷα μηκέτι χώραν ἔχον κατὰ τῆς φύσεως, ἧς ἡ ἀπαρχὴ προλαβοῦσα κατεπάτησέ τε καὶ ἤμβλυνε, καὶ πᾶσι δέδωκε τοῖς πιστεύουσι λέγειν· « Ποῦ σου, θάνατε, τὸ κέντρον ; Ποῦ σου, ᾅδη, τὸ νεῖκος; » καὶ πάλιν Ὥσπερ δι᾽ ἑνὸς ἀνθρώπου ὁ θάνατος, οὕτω καὶ δι᾽ ἑνὸς ἀνθρώπου ἀνάστασις νεκρῶν. » Δι᾿ ἀνθρώπου λέγει, οὐ παρὰ ἀνθρώπου. Ὁ γὰρ παρὰ ἀνθρώπου γίνεσθαι ἀδύνατον ἦν, τοῦτο δι' ἀνθρώπου τοῦ συνημμένου Θεῷ ῥᾳδίως ἐγένετο. Οὕτω τῆς ἀναστάσεως τὸ δῶρον καρπούμεθα· οὕτω τὴν υἱοθεσίαν ἀπολαμβάνομεν· οὕτως ἀδελφοὶ τοῦ Κυρίου καλούμεθα· οὕτω συγκληρονόμοι γινόμεθα· οὕτω τὸν ἐχθρὸν ἐν τῇ ἀπαρχῇ νενικήκαμεν· οὕτω τὴν παῤῥησίαν ἐξ ἐκείνης δεχόμεθα· οὕτω τὸ κατὰ τοῦ διαβόλου τρόπαιον ὡς ἡμέτερον οἰκειούμεθα, τῆς ἐξ ἡμῶν ληφθείσης σαρκὸς ἐπισείοντες αὐτῶν τὴν ἔνθεον ἀριστείαν· οὕτω σύμμορφοι γενέσθαι τῷ σώματι τῆς δόξης αὐτοῦ πάντες οἱ πιστεύοντες γνησίως ἀπεκδεχόμεθα· οὕτως ἀληθὲς εὑρίσκομεν τὸ, « Συνήγειρεν ἡμᾶς καὶ συνεκάθισεν ἐν τοῖς ἐπουρανίοις. » Μήπω γὰρ ἀναστάντων ἡμῶν ἐν τῇ καθ᾽ ἕκαστον ὑποστάσει, μηδὲ γενομένων ἐν τοῖς ἐπουρανίοις, διὰ τὴν πρὸς τὸν ἀνελθόντα καὶ κατελθόντα συγγένειαν κατέχομεν ἐν τῇ τῶν τοιούτων ἐλπίδι ἀσφαλῆ τὰ ἐνέχυρα. Πόσον οὖν ἄξιοι μίσους οἱ φθονεῖν ἡμῖν ἐπὶ τοσούτοις καὶ τηλικούτοις ἀγαθοῖς διὰ τῆς οἰκείας κακοδοξίας ἀγωνιζόμενοι, καὶ κωλύοντες μὲν τὸ γένος σεμνύνεσθαι, χωρίζοντες δὲ τὴν σάρκα, ἣν ἑαυτῷ παραδόξως ὁ Λόγος συνέζευξεν, ἀνθιστάμενοι δὲ Παύλῳ βοῶντι, « "Α ὁ Θεὸς συνέζευξεν, ἄνθρωπος μὴ χωριζέτω, » μισθοῦντες δὲ τὴν γλώτταν τῷ διαβόλῳ πρὸς τὸ κρύπτειν τὰ κατ' ἐκείνου γενόμενα; Οὐδὲν γὰρ οὕτως ἐκείνῳ βαρὺ καὶ οὐ φορητὸν, ὡς τὸ ἰδεῖν τὴν ὑπ᾿ αὐτοῦ πλανηθεῖσαν φύσιν ἀναληφθεῖσαν μὲν τῇ ἀπαρχῇ παρὰ τοῦ τῶν οὐρανῶν βασιλέως, πολιτευσαμένην δὲ μεγαλοφυῶς τε καὶ ὑπὲρ ἔπαινον· γενομένην δὲ κρείττονα τοῦ θανάτου· καταλύσασαν δὲ τὴν αὐτοῦ τυραννίδα· ἀναληφθεῖσαν δὲ εἰς οὐρανὸν, καὶ τῆς ἐνδόξου καθέδρας ἀξιωθεῖσαν, ἔν τε πρὸς τὸν ἀναλαβόντα πάσῃ τῇ κτίσει γινωσκομένην τῇ ἄκρᾳ συναφείᾳ, τῇ τῆς δόξης κοινωνίᾳ τῷ ἀμερίστῳ, τῆς ὑπὲρ πάντα λόγον ἀξίας.

### English translation (Claude)

Against those who make each miracle small by denying the flesh. But neither have those who have broken themselves off to the opposite side from the choir of the orthodox left the Lord's miracles free and untroubled by their designs; tearing them down and diminishing them, they did not know their greatness, by denying the assumption of the flesh and ascribing these things to the bare Godhead. And let us consider in the facts themselves how from beginning to end they are shown great by the assumption of the flesh, but are found less if it is set aside. The birth from a virgin is the great and glorious prelude of the dispensation. If what was born took nothing from the holy Virgin, who would have wondered at what happened? One could not truly call her mother, knowing that nothing of hers was consubstantial with what came forth; nor judge it wonderful that she became a mother and remained a virgin, if indeed the Word granted us his presence without a perceptible body. Again, a swift advance in stature and wisdom and grace is spoken of. If you take away the flesh, who will accept, as praise of the Godhead, a growth and improvement of what is perfect from eternity, needing nothing more and unable to lose or take anything from outside? The flesh, then, makes the advance praiseworthy through its union with the Word. And we know the greatest witness that he did not commit sin from this: that there was true flesh in him and yet no trace of sin is seen. Whereas if sinlessness were now said of the Godhead alone, the hearers would rather laugh than wonder, since not only is the Godhead by nature always above all blame, but even tens of thousands of angels have kept themselves from sinning. But it is said for this reason: that the spotless flesh, taken from a sinful race, alone and first remained sinless by its union with God the Word. Hence the wrestling with the devil, too, and the victory over him become wonderful, because he who underwent the temptation, having the firstfruits of the flesh that had been defeated, made it victorious over its former conqueror, and gave nature the mastery over him who once mastered it by deceit. For this reason too he stripped off the holds brought against him by recalling the holy Scriptures, repelling the adversary not by the authority of the Godhead, but, as befits manhood, setting the light of the Scriptures against everything. But if God the Word by himself were declared sinless and unconquered, who would have been astonished at what is said? It is nothing strange that God does not sin nor is conquered by his own creature. When did he sin or was he conquered, that we should now receive what is said as wonderful? But it is strange that human nature should plainly display what is above nature. Since walking on the back of the sea fearlessly and without danger is easy for the Godhead, and even for angels, and no one would be astonished at seeing it; but for mere manhood it is altogether impossible. And he rightly shudders who sees feet of flesh making such a journey and considers the united power of the Word. But if anyone, setting the flesh aside, should say that the Word alone was seen on the waves, he has removed the weight of the miracle and borne witness to nothing great in the deed. For it is truly great and surpassing every mind, not when a light and weightless spirit is raised up on the waters, but when a dense and heavy body is carried upright above by a soft and easily yielding nature. To make this credible to all, the Lord at once let Peter too walk on the sea, until he took on the tossing of little faith. Peter's walking so showed the undoubted journey of the Master's flesh; his being no longer borne up when he doubted showed the immeasurable difference between them. Everywhere, then, the union of the flesh with the Word is shown to increase the glory of what happened. And in short, not even the trophy over death would be brilliant, unless human nature had plainly become stronger than the tyranny below by the power of the inseparably united Godhead; since that God, who can never be held, was not held is among the things probable and customary; but that flesh was not held, this is the first, this is strange. This too makes the Lord's entry through closed doors awe-inspiring, that the denseness of the flesh present with him was no hindrance, since what worked the wonder was greater than what hindered. But he who says that the thing happened without a human body makes it common to angels, to the souls of men, and to the hostile spirits, for whom, because of the fineness of their substance, such passage is unhindered. In addition, the Master's ascension into heaven gives us the same understanding: that we may know the life of God the Word in the heavens to be eternal, inseparable, uncircumscribed; but the strange assumption of the united flesh to have been newly made then, as it was moved where it had not been before, since it did not have by nature the right to be counted worthy of such things. [14] Against those who harm our race by not saying that the Savior took the firstfruits from our nature. All wickedness is a thing to be fled, hateful to God and hostile to men; but to begrudge some their own salvation and glory surpasses every excess of wickedness. This is what those now do who dare to say that the firstfruits were not taken by the Savior from our nature. And they transgress in many ways: fighting against the witness of the holy Scriptures, or rather the legislation of the Holy Spirit; daring to overshadow the Master's love for humankind; casting out the common benefit of human beings; and moreover declaring the great dispensation of the becoming man useless. He did not take flesh from our nature? How then did he dwell among us? How did he take hold of the seed of Abraham? How is it said, "From whom is Christ according to the flesh"? The prophets' predictions are false; God's promises to David are false: "Of the fruit of your loins I will set upon your throne"; falsely does the Lord name the faithful brothers; falsely did Paul say, "For we too are his offspring." Who would not be ashamed to overlook shamelessly so great a multitude of witnesses, to innovate absurdity of doctrines, to rob the Master of thanksgiving for these things, and to harm our whole race in them? The flesh that was taken is not from us? Then what hope of salvation do we have? The law is still unfulfilled for us; the charges of transgression still remain; the weight of the curse; the power of death; the condemnation of the race. If he who fulfilled the law had nothing from human substance, nature is still liable to the accusations. Perhaps those of our race will even bring a suit directly against the lawgiver, as having legislated superfluous and useless things for men, since no one could fulfil them. So the setting aside of the flesh becomes the ground of every blasphemy. It is necessary, then, necessary to believe the holy Scriptures, to confess the firstfruits from us, to glorify the love for humankind of him who took it, to be astonished at the wonder of the great dispensation, not to fear the curse of the law ("for Christ redeemed us from the curse of the law"), to reckon the fulfilment of the law, which came about through the firstfruits, to the whole lump, and to know what is fitting and consistent: that if God bare had fulfilled the law, which it is not even fitting to say, no other substance could share in the achievement; but since flesh from us is known in him who fulfilled the law, the boast of our race shines out, so that it fearlessly tramples the sting of death, which no longer has room against the nature whose firstfruits went first and trampled and blunted it, and gave all who believe the right to say: "Where, O death, is your sting? Where, O Hades, is your victory?" And again: "As through one man came death, so also through one man the resurrection of the dead." He says "through a man," not "from a man." For what was impossible to come about from a man came about easily through the man joined to God. So we reap the gift of the resurrection; so we receive the adoption; so we are called brothers of the Lord; so we become fellow heirs; so we have conquered the enemy in the firstfruits; so we receive confidence from it; so we make the trophy over the devil our own, brandishing at them the divine prowess of the flesh taken from us; so all of us who truly believe await being conformed to the body of his glory; so we find true the saying, "He raised us up with him and seated us with him in the heavenly places." For though we have not yet risen in our individual hypostasis, nor come to be in the heavenly places, through our kinship with him who ascended and descended we hold secure pledges in the hope of such things. How worthy of hatred, then, are those who strive by their own false doctrine to begrudge us such great goods, preventing our race from taking pride, separating the flesh which the Word wonderfully yoked to himself, opposing Paul when he cries, "What God has joined together, let man not separate," and hiring out their tongue to the devil to hide what was done against him! For nothing is so heavy and unbearable to him as to see the nature he led astray assumed in its firstfruits by the King of heaven, living nobly and beyond praise, becoming stronger than death, destroying his tyranny, taken up into heaven, counted worthy of the glorious seat, and known to all creation as one with him who assumed it, by the highest conjunction, by the undivided communion of glory, of a dignity beyond all words.

### Scripture references

- Isa 7:14: allusion, medium confidence
- Luke 2:52: allusion, high confidence
- 1 Pet 2:22: allusion, high confidence
- Matt 4:1–11: allusion, high confidence
- Matt 14:25–31: allusion, high confidence
- John 20:19: allusion, high confidence
- Acts 1:9–11: allusion, high confidence
- John 1:14: quotation, high confidence
- Heb 2:16: quotation, high confidence
- Rom 9:5: quotation, high confidence
- Ps 132:11 (131:11 LXX): quotation, high confidence
- Heb 2:11–12: allusion, high confidence
- Acts 17:28: quotation, high confidence
- Gal 3:13: quotation, high confidence
- Rom 11:16: allusion, high confidence
- 1 Cor 15:55: quotation, high confidence
- 1 Cor 15:21: quotation, high confidence
- Rom 8:17: allusion, high confidence
- Phil 3:21: allusion, high confidence
- Eph 2:6: quotation, high confidence
- John 3:13: allusion, medium confidence
- Matt 19:6: quotation, high confidence

### Extrabiblical texts

- Aratus, Phaen. 5 (Aratus, Phaenomena): quotation, high confidence

### Translation notes

- The ref holds two chapters: the heading "Against those who harm our race …" stands inside it, marked [14] (see the note on section 2 on numbering). Translated as written. Isa 7:14; Luke 2:52; 1 Pet 2:22; Matt 4:1–11; Matt 14:25–31; John 20:19, 26; Acts 1:9–11; John 1:14; Heb 2:16; Rom 9:5; Ps 132:11 (LXX 131:11); Heb 2:11–12; Acts 17:28 (Paul quoting Aratus); Gal 3:13; Rom 11:16; 1 Cor 15:55, 21; Rom 8:15–17; Phil 3:21; Eph 2:6; John 3:13; Matt 19:6 (cited here as Paul's words). The OCR has a stray heading letter and margin letters, removed by logged corrections.

### Citation (SBL)

Eutherius, Conf. 14 (PG 28:1379–1386; trans. Sophia Scriptura, https://sophiascriptura.com/p/eutherius-confutationes/14).

## Part 16

- URL: https://sophiascriptura.com/fathers/eutherius-confutationes/12/#p-16
- Source: PG 28:1385–1392
- Translation: Claude (claude-opus-5-5), 2026-10-23

Summary: The author argues against blind acceptance of words, showing that apparently contrary texts about Christ (only-begotten and firstborn, eternal and recent, without genealogy and with one) agree only when referred to his two natures.

### Greek text

Πρὸς τοὺς κελεύοντας ἁπλῶς πιστεύειν τοῖς λεγομένοις, καὶ μὴ κατανοεῖν τὸ πρέπον ἢ ἀπρεπές. Πολλῶν δεινῶν ὑπαρχόντων δογμάτων, ων ἐπεισἡγαγε τῷ βίῳ τῶν ἀνθρώπων εἰς ἐπικίνδυνον ἀπάτην τῶν δεχομένων ὁ μισόκαλος δαίμων, οὐκ οἶδα εἴ τι τοιοῦτον ἐν τοῖς ἀνέκαθεν χρόνοις ὥδινεν, οἷον νῦν. Ἑκάστη μὲν γὰρ τῶν ἀπὸ τῶν αἱρέσεων τῆσδε ἢ τῆσδε τῆς πλάνης γέγονε μήτηρ᾽ ἡ δὲ νῦν μετὰ πάσας δηΐα ἐφευρεθεῖσα πάσας ἀνενεώσατο, καὶ πάσας ὑπερεβάλετο, χαὶ ὑπὲρ πᾶσαν τὴν τῶν κακῶν γένεσιν ἐπεδείξατο. Ὄντως « ὠδίνησεν ἀδικίαν, συνέλαβε πόνον καὶ ἔτεχεν ἀνομίαν. » Ὠδίνησε πρόθεσιν ἀσεβείας, συνέλαβε τὴν ἄλλοις πλανηθεῖσαν πρόθεσιν κακοτεχνίας· ἔτεχε τὸ ποικίλον κακὸν τῆς αὐτονόμου καινοτομίας, καὶ πάντας ἀκολουθεῖν ἐπιτάττει μετὰ πολλῆς ἐξουσίας" Δέχεσθε, φησὶν, ἁπλῶς τὰ λεγόμενα, καὶ μηδεὶς ἐξεταζέτω, τί πρέπον ἐν αὐτοῖς, ἢ τί ἀπρεπές. Καὶ πίστιν ὀνομάζει τὴν ἀβασάνιστον ἐπὶ τοῖς ἀστάτοις καὶ ἀναποδείκτοις ἐπὶ βλάβῃ συγκατάθεσιν. ᾿Αλόγως πιστεύσω ; καὶ μὴ ἐξετάσω τί δυνατὸν, ἢ συμφέρον, ἢ πρέπον, ἢ Θεῷ φίλον, ἢ τῇ φύσει κατάλληλον, ἢ τῇ ἀληθείᾳ σύμφωνον, ἢ τῷ σκοπῷ ἀκόλουθον, ἢ τῷ μυστηρίῳ ἁρμόδιον, ἢ τῆς εὐσεβείας ἄξιον : Καὶ τί κέρδος ἕξω ; ἣ τίς ὄνησις τῇ διανοίᾳ τῇ μηδὲν τούτων λογιζομένῃ, ἀλλ᾽ ἀκοὴν μὲν τῷ ἤχῳ τῶν ῥημάτων βάλλεσθαι, ψυχὴν δὲ μηδεμίαν τῶν λεγομένων σύνεσιν δέχεσθαι; Τοῦτο παρὰ πᾶσι τοῖς ἀλλοτρίοις τῆς πλάνης καὶ τῶν κακῶν ὅλων αἴτιον γίνεται. Τίς γὰρ τῶν πολεμίων τῆς καθολικῆς Ἐκκλησίας οὐχ ἀξιοῖ πᾶσι τοῖς ὑπ᾽ αὐτοῦ λεγομένοις ἀκρίτως πιστεύειν ; Κἂν Ἕλληνα εἴπῃ, κἂν Μανιχαῖον, χἂν ᾿Αρείου, χἂν ᾿Απολλιναρίου, χἂν ἄλλου τοιούτου τινὸς κληρονόμον, οὐχὶ παραιτεῖται τὴν ἐξέτασιν, ἵνα φύγῃ τὸν ἔλεγχον; Οὐ τὰ μὲν οἴκοθεν ἐρευγόμενος, τὰ δὲ ἐκ τῆς θείας τῶν Γραφῶν ἁρμονίας ἀποχόψας, καὶ πρὸς τὸν οἰκεῖον σκοπὸν ἑλκύσας, προβάλλει μὲν κατασκευὰς, ἃς ὡς βούλεται μηδένα πολυπραγμονεῖν ἀποφαίνεται ; Εἶτα, ἂν πᾶσιν ἁπλῶς τὰς ἀκοὰς ὑποθήσωμεν, καὶ τὴν ἀνακηρύττουσαν ἀφ᾽ ὧν λέγουσιν ἀτοπίαν, μηδ᾽ ἐλέγξωμεν, μηδὲ τὴν λύσιν τῆς τῶν δογμάτων μάχης τῆς φαινομένης διὰ τῆς χαχῇς ἑρμηνείας αὐτῶν ἀπαιτήσωμεν" καὶ τίς εὑρήσει λοιπὸν ἔτι ἀληθείας ὁδόν ; τίς οὐχ ἐμπεσεῖται ῥᾳδίως εἰς κακοδοξίας κρημνὸν, μὴ σκοπῶν τῆς καινοτομίας τὸ ἀπρεπὲς, μήτε ἀπαιτῶν τῆς ἀληθείας τὸ πρέπον; Τί πιστεύσω τῇ καρδίᾳ εἰς δικαιοσύνην; τί λαλήσω τῷ στόματι εἰς σωτηρίαν, ὅταν προβάλωσι κακοήθως τὸ, « Ὃ πέμψας με ὁ Πατὴρ μείζων μου ἐστίν; » ᾿Απλῶς δέξομαι; προπετῶς συνθῶμαι ; τολμηρῶς ἀποφανοῦμαι τοῦ Πατρὸς ἥττονα τὸν Υἱόν; καὶ μηδὲν ὅλως λογίσομαι, μήθ᾽ ὅτι τῆς οἰκονομίας ὁ λόγος, μήθ᾽ ὅτι τοῦ αὐτοῦ φωνή" ε« Ἐγὼ χαὶ ὁ Πατὴρ ἕν ἐσμεν" » καὶ, « Ἵνα τιμῶσι τὸν Υἱὸν, χαθὼς τιμῶσι τὸν Πατέρα" » καὶ, ε Ὃ ἑωρακὼς ἐμὲ ἑώρακε τὸν Πατέρα" ν» καὶ ἄλλα δὲ μυρία, τὰ τὴν ἰσότητα καὶ τὴν ὁμοτιμίαν ἐν πᾶσι γνωρίζοντα ; Εἰ οὖν μηδὲν δεῖ τῶν ἀναχυπτόντων ὁρᾷν, μὴτε τὸν πρέποντα λόγον ἀποδιδόναι περὶ τῶν ἀναχυπτόντων καὶ ἐναντίων εἶναι δοκούντων, πῶς σύμφωνα δείξομαι τὰ τοσοῦτον ἀλλήλων κατὰ τὸ πρόχειρον τῆς ἐπαγγελίας ἀπάδοντα; Πῶς αὐτὸς φανήσεται καὶ μονογενὴς χαὶ πρωτότοκος, πᾶσι δήλου τυγχάνοντος, μὴ συμβαίνειν ἀλλήλοις τὰ δύο περὶ τὸν ἕνα τὸν ἐν μιᾷ θεωρούμενον φύσει; Ὁ μὲν γὰρ μονογενὴς μὴ ἔχων ἀδελφοὺς, οἷα μονογενής, πρωτότοκος καλεῖσθαι οὐ δύναται· πρωτότοκον γὰρ εἶπεν ὁ Παῦλος ἐν πολλοῖς ἀδελφοῖς· ὁ δ᾽ αὖ πρωτότοκος, ἔχων, ὡς εἰκὸς, ἀδελφοὺς, μονογενὴς οὐκ ἔτι προσαγορεύεται. Πάλιν ὁ αὐτὸς καὶ πρόσφατος λέγεται καὶ αἰώνιος· « Ἰησοῦς Χριστὸς χθὲς καὶ σήμερον, ὁ αὐτὸς καὶ εἰς τοὺς αἰῶνας. Τὸ ἕτερον ἑτέρῳ ἀντικαθίσταται. Εἰ πρόσφατος, πῶς αἰώνιος; Εἰ αἰώνιος, πάντως οὐ πρόσφατος. Τὸ δὲ, « ᾿Απάτωρ, ἀμήτωρ, ἀγενεαλόγητος, · πῶς οὐ προδήλως τοῖς ἄλλοις μάχεται, δι' ὧν μανθάνομεν καὶ Πατέρα αὐτὸν ἔχειν ἐν οὐρανοῖς, καὶ μητέρα ἐπὶ τῆς γῆς, καὶ γενεαλογεῖσθαι σαφῶς παρὰ τοῖς ἐνδόξοις εὐαγγελισταῖς; Εἰ ἀπάτωρ, πῶς οὐρανίου Πατρός; εἰ ἀμήτωρ, πῶς ἐκ τῆς Παρθένου μητρός; εἰ ἀγενεαλόγητος, πῶς « Βίβλος γενέσεως Ἰησοῦ Χριστοῦ; » Τοσούτων οὖν ὄντων καὶ πολλῷ πλειόνων τῶν οὕτως ἀλλήλων ἀσυμφώνων εἶναι δοκούντων, τί ἄρα κελεύουσιν ἡμᾶς ἀβασανίστως δέξασθαι; τί δὲ ἀπώσασθαι; Οὐ γὰρ οἷόν τε πᾶσιν ὁμοίως ἔπεσθαι τοὺς μὴ τὴν ἁρμόζουσαν λύσιν τῆς νομιζομένης διαφωνίας εὑρίσκοντας. Εἰ τὸ « μονογενής» ἀληθὲς, τὸ « πρωτότοκος » οὐ τοιοῦτον. Εἰ τὸ « πρωτότοκος » ἀψευδὲς, τὸ « μονογενής » ἐναντίον. Εἰ τὸ «χθὲς καὶ σήμερον ὡμολόγηται, τὸ αἰώνιον » οἴχεται. Εἰ τὸ « ἀπάτωρ » ἕστηκε, τὸ ἔχειν Πατέρα λυθήσεται. Εἰ τὸ « ἁμήτωρ, πέπηγε, τὸ μητέρα ἔχειν ἀνατραπήσεται. Εἰ τὸ « ἀγενεαλόγητον, ἄραρε, πῶς τῇ γενεαλογίᾳ προσέξομεν; Εἰ τὸ μὴ ἔχον ἀρχὴν ἡμερῶν ἢ τέλος βέβαιον, πῶς νοήσομεν τὸ τὴν ἀρχὴν ἡμερῶν καὶ τὸ τέλος μηνῦον, « Τοῦ Ἰησοῦ γεννηθέντος ἐν Βηθλεὲμ τῆς Ἰουδαίας ἐν ἡμέραις Ἡρώδου τοῦ βασιλέως, σταυρωθέντος δὲ ἐπὶ Ποντίου Πιλάτου; Ἰδοὺ καὶ ἀρχὴ ἡμερῶν καὶ ζωῆς τέλος. Τί οὖν ποιήσωμεν, εἴ τις τῶν ἀπίστων ἡμᾶς ἀπαιτοίη λόγον, κατηγορῶν τῆς ἁγίας Γραφῆς, ὡς ἐναντία λεγούσης; εἴπωμεν, Πίστευσον πᾶσι ; Καὶ τὶς οὐκ ἂν ἀποπηδήσας καταγελάσειεν, οὐδαμῶς οἷός τε ὢν τὰ ἀλλήλοις μαχόμενα, καὶ μηδεμίαν λύσιν λαμβάνοντα, ὡς ἀξιόπιστα δέχεσθαι; Δύο γὰρ ὄντων ἐναντίων λόγων, ἀνάγκη τὸν ἕτερον ψευδή διελέγχεσθαι. Τί πρὸς ταῦτα ἐροῦμεν; Ἢ καὶ ἡμεῖς ἀπαιτούμενοι τὸ πιστεύειν δόγμασιν ἀναποδείκτοις καὶ ἀσυστάτοις αἱρετικῶν ἢ Ἑλλήνων, κατὰ τὴν τοιαύτην πρότασιν συνθησόμεθα; Ἀλλ᾿ ἄπαγε! οὔτε ἀσύστατα τὰ ἡμέτερα, οὔτε ἀλλήλοις μαχόμενα, καθὼς ἐῤῥέθη παρὰ τῶν ἁγίων νοούμενα. Ἐῤῥέθη δὲ τὰ μὲν πρὸς τὴν γνωσθεῖσαν ἡμῖν οἰκονομίαν, τὰ δὲ πρὸς τὴν ἀκατάληπτον τοῦ Λόγου οὐσίαν, καὶ πάντα εὑρίσκεται σύμφωνα καὶ ἀκόλουθα, περὶ τὸ αὐτὸ κατὰ τὰς δύο φύσεις ἐκλαμβανόμενα· ὡς εἶναι τὸ μὲν πρόσφατον τῆς σαρκὸς, τὸ δὲ αἰώνιον τοῦ Θεοῦ. Τὸ μὴ ἔχειν ἀρχὴν ἡμερῶν ἴδιον τοῦ Λόγου· τὸ γεννηθῆναι ἐν ἡμέραις Ἡρώδου οἰκεῖον τῆς ἀπαρχῆς. Τὸ πάντη ἀγενεαλόγητον ἐπὶ τῆς πρὸ αἰώνων ἐκ Πατρὸς ὑπάρξεως τοῦ Υἱοῦ· « Τὴν, γὰρ, γενεὰν αὐτοῦ τίς διηγήσεται; » Τὸ δὲ γενεαλογεῖσθαι σαφῶς ἐπὶ τῆς κατὰ σάρκα γενέσεως τοῦ αὐτοῦ. Οὕτω καὶ μονογενὴς κατὰ τὴν τοῦ Λόγου οὐσίαν, καὶ πρωτότοκος κατὰ τὴν ἔνσαρκον οἰκονομίαν. Οὕτω καὶ τὸ ἐχθρὸν ἢ πείσομεν ἢ νικήσομεν, καὶ τὴν ἁγίαν Γραφὴν σύμφωνον ἐπιδείξομεν, καὶ τοῦ μυστηρίου τὴν δόξαν ἐνθέσμως κηρύξομεν, καὶ τὴν ἁρμόζουσαν πληροφορίαν ἐν ταῖς ψυχαῖς ἡμῶν θησαυρίσομεν, μήτε χωρὶς λόγου πιστεύοντες, μήτε χωρὶς πίστεως λέγοντες.

### English translation (Claude)

Against those who order us simply to believe what is said, and not to consider what is fitting or unfitting. Many terrible doctrines exist which the demon who hates the good has brought into human life, for the dangerous deception of those who receive them; but I do not know whether he ever labored with any such thing in former times as now. For each of the heresies has become the mother of this or that error; but the one now devised after all the others has renewed them all, surpassed them all, and shown itself beyond every birth of evils. Truly "it travailed with injustice, conceived trouble, and brought forth lawlessness." It travailed with a purpose of impiety, conceived the purpose of mischief by which others were led astray, brought forth the varied evil of self-willed innovation; and it commands all to follow with great authority: "Accept simply what is said," it says, "and let no one examine what is fitting in it or what unfitting." And it calls faith an untested assent, to harm, to what is unstable and unproven. Shall I believe without reason, and not examine what is possible, or profitable, or fitting, or dear to God, or suited to nature, or in agreement with the truth, or consistent with the aim, or befitting the mystery, or worthy of godliness? And what gain shall I have? Or what benefit for a mind that reckons none of these things, but lets the hearing be struck by the sound of words while the soul receives no understanding of what is said? This, among all those estranged from the truth, becomes the cause of error and of all evils. For which of the enemies of the catholic church does not demand that all he says be believed without judgment? Whether you name a Greek, or a Manichee, or an heir of Arius or of Apollinaris or of any other such, does he not decline examination in order to escape refutation? Does he not belch out some things from his own store, and cut other things out of the divine harmony of the Scriptures and drag them to his own aim, and put forward constructions about which, as he wishes, he declares that no one should busy himself? Then, if we submit our hearing simply to all, and neither refute the absurdity which proclaims itself from what they say, nor demand the solution of the conflict of doctrines that appears through their bad interpretation, who will find the way of truth any longer? Who will not fall easily over the cliff of false doctrine, not considering the unfittingness of the innovation nor demanding what befits the truth? What shall I believe with the heart unto righteousness, what shall I speak with the mouth unto salvation, when they maliciously put forward, "The Father who sent me is greater than I"? Shall I accept it simply? Agree rashly? Declare boldly that the Son is less than the Father, and reckon nothing at all: neither that the word belongs to the dispensation, nor that the same one says, "I and the Father are one," and, "That they may honor the Son as they honor the Father," and, "He who has seen me has seen the Father," and countless other things which make known the equality and the equal honor in all things? If, then, one must look at none of the difficulties that arise, nor give the fitting account of the things that arise and seem contrary, how shall I show in agreement things that, at first sight, so disagree with one another? How will the same one appear both only-begotten and firstborn, when it is plain to all that the two do not agree with each other in the one seen in a single nature? For the only-begotten, having no brothers, as being only-begotten, cannot be called firstborn; for Paul said "firstborn among many brothers"; while the firstborn, having brothers, as is likely, is no longer called only-begotten. Again the same one is called both recent and eternal: "Jesus Christ, yesterday and today the same, and for ever." The one is set against the other. If recent, how eternal? If eternal, surely not recent. And "without father, without mother, without genealogy": how does it not plainly fight with the other texts, by which we learn that he has a Father in heaven and a mother on earth, and that his genealogy is clearly given by the glorious evangelists? If without father, how of a heavenly Father? If without mother, how from the Virgin mother? If without genealogy, how "the book of the genealogy of Jesus Christ"? Since, then, there are so many, and many more, things that seem to disagree with one another in this way, what do they order us to accept untested, and what to reject? For it is not possible to follow all alike for those who do not find the fitting solution of the supposed disagreement. If "only-begotten" is true, "firstborn" is not so. If "firstborn" is without falsehood, "only-begotten" is contrary. If "yesterday and today" is confessed, "eternal" is gone. If "without father" stands, having a Father will be undone. If "without mother" is fixed, having a mother will be overturned. If "without genealogy" holds, how shall we attend to the genealogy? If what has no beginning of days nor end is certain, how shall we understand what declares the beginning of days and the end: "When Jesus was born in Bethlehem of Judea in the days of Herod the king," and was crucified under Pontius Pilate? See, both a beginning of days and an end of life. What then shall we do, if one of the unbelievers demands an account from us, accusing holy Scripture of saying contrary things? Shall we say, "Believe everything"? And who would not leap away and laugh, being in no way able to accept as credible things that fight with one another and receive no solution? For when two statements are contrary, one must be convicted of falsehood. What shall we say to this? Or shall we too, when asked to believe the unproven and incoherent doctrines of heretics or Greeks, agree according to such a proposition? Away with it! Our teachings are neither incoherent nor in conflict with one another, when understood as they were spoken by the saints. Some things were said with reference to the dispensation made known to us, others with reference to the incomprehensible substance of the Word, and all are found in agreement and consistent, taken of the same one according to the two natures: so that what is recent belongs to the flesh, what is eternal to God. To have no beginning of days is proper to the Word; to be born in the days of Herod belongs to the firstfruits. Being wholly without genealogy refers to the existence of the Son from the Father before the ages ("For who will declare his generation?"); but having a clear genealogy refers to the birth of the same one according to the flesh. So too he is only-begotten according to the substance of the Word, and firstborn according to the dispensation in the flesh. So we shall either persuade or conquer the enemy, show holy Scripture in agreement, proclaim the glory of the mystery lawfully, and store up the fitting full assurance in our souls, neither believing without reason nor speaking without faith.

### Scripture references

- Ps 7:14 (7:15 LXX): quotation, high confidence
- Rom 10:10: allusion, high confidence
- John 14:28: quotation, high confidence
- John 10:30: quotation, high confidence
- John 5:23: quotation, high confidence
- John 14:9: quotation, high confidence
- John 1:14: allusion, medium confidence
- Rom 8:29: quotation, high confidence
- Heb 13:8: quotation, high confidence
- Heb 7:3: quotation, high confidence
- Matt 1:1: quotation, high confidence
- Matt 2:1: quotation, high confidence
- Isa 53:8: quotation, high confidence

### Translation notes

- Translated as written. Ps 7:14 (LXX 7:15); Rom 10:10; John 14:28; John 10:30; John 5:23; John 14:9; John 1:14, 18; Rom 8:29; Heb 13:8; Heb 7:3; Matt 1:1; Matt 2:1; Isa 53:8 (LXX). The OCR of this page (Tesseract, page 700) mixes the text with garbled characters from the margin in the first half; they are removed by logged corrections and the words restored where the sense is clear.

### Citation (SBL)

Eutherius, Conf. 16 (PG 28:1385–1392; trans. Sophia Scriptura, https://sophiascriptura.com/p/eutherius-confutationes/16).

## Part 17

- URL: https://sophiascriptura.com/fathers/eutherius-confutationes/17/#p-17
- Source: PG 28:1391–1394
- Translation: Claude (claude-opus-5-5), 2026-10-23

Summary: The author rejects the claim that the two natures are no longer distinct after the ascension, citing Christ's return in the same form, his intercession, Paul's 'by a man', and the marks of the nails.

### Greek text

Πρὸς τοὺς ἀναιροῦντας τὴν τῶν φύσεων διαφορὰν μετὰ τὸ πάθος καὶ τὴν ἀνάληψιν. Πολλὴ καὶ ἀγήρως τῆς ἀληθείας ἡ δύναμις, παρά πολλῶν μὲν πολλάκις πολεμουμένη, τὸ δὲ εἰς τέλος ἀήττητον ἔργοις αὐτοῖς ἐπιδεικνυμένη. Ἰδοὺ γὰρ πολλοὶ τῶν κατ᾿ αὐτῆς ὁπλισθέντων, πολλὰ βέλη κακοδοξίας ἐκπέμψαντες, καὶ εἰδότες τῷ στεῤῥῷ τῆς ἀποδείξεως ὅπλῳ ταῦτα πάλιν ἀποκρουσθέντα, καὶ κενὰ δὲ καὶ ἀνενέργητα πρὸς αὐτοὺς ὑποστρέψαντα, τελευταῖον τῶν ἄλλων ἔπεμψαν βέλος σαφεστέροις ἐλέγχοις συντριβῆναι δυνάμενον. Εἰ καί τις δοίη, φησὶ, δύο φύσεων ἐν Χριστῷ γεγενῆσθαι σύνοδον, ἀλλ᾽ οὖν γε μετὰ τὸ πάθος καὶ τὴν ἀνάληψιν οὐκ ἔτι δύο νοήσομεν, οὔτε τινὰ διαφορὰν κατὰ φύσιν μεταξὺ τοῦ Λόγου καὶ τῆς σαρκὸς πιστεύσομεν ὑπάρχειν. Τί λέγετε; τί ἀποφαίνεσθε; οἴχεται τῶν φύσεων τὸ διάφορον, καὶ οὐδὲν φέρεται τούτων γνώρισμα; Τί οὖν ὀνομάσομεν τὸ προκείμενον; Λόγον μόνον (οὐ γὰρ φαίητε σάρκα, ἐν τούτῳ τιμᾶν δῆθεν οἰόμενοι); Καὶ πῶς οὐχ ὑβρίζετε τοιαύτην αὐτοῦ τὴν οὐσίαν νομίζοντες εἶναι, ὡς δυνατὸν ἑτέρᾳ οὐσίᾳ κτιστῇ πρὸς αὐτὸν μεταστῆναι; Τὸ γὰρ τοῖς ἥττοσι χωρητὸν κοινὸν τῶν πολλῶν, οὐχ ἑνὸς ἐξαίρετον. Οὗ δὲ μόνον τὸ ἀπρόσιτον ἴδιον, τούτῳ πῶς προστίθεται ἀπρόσιτον· ἕτερον; Καὶ οὐ μόνον τὸν Λόγον ὑβρίζετε, ἀλλὰ καὶ τῆς σαρκὸς ὑπόστασιν ἀφανίζετε. Ἧς γὰρ μηδὲν ἔτι λείπεται γνώρισμα, ταύτης ποίῳ τρόπῳ τὴν δόξαν κατανοήσομεν; Εἰ ἐν τῷ εἶναι γνωρίζεται, εἰκότως δοξάζεται· εἰ δὲ μὴ ἔχει τὸ εἶναι, πῶς καρποῦται τῆς δόξης τὸ μέγεθος; Ἐὰν μὴ δείξητε τὸ τιμώμενον, οὐ μηνύετε τῆς δόξης τὸ ὑπέρογκον. Ανάγκη τοίνυν ὁμολογεῖν ἀσύγχυτον τῶν δύο τὴν ἕνωσιν, οὔτε εἰς τροπὴν τοῦ λαβόντος, οὔτε εἰς ἀφανισμὸν τοῦ ληφθέντος, ἀλλ᾽ εἰς κοινωνίαν δόξης ἐφ᾽ ἑνὸς προσώπου κηρυσσομένης. Κἂν γὰρ ὑπομείνητε Λόγον μόνον ὀνομάζειν τὸ συναμφότερον, καίτοι τῆς φύσεως ἀνθισταμένης, οὐδ᾽ οὕτως κρύψετε τὸ διάφορον· ὁπότε τὸ μὲν ἦν ἀπ᾿ ἀρχῆς, τὸ δ᾽ αὖθις ἐγένετο· καὶ τὸ μὲν ἀόρατον καὶ ἀψηλάφητον εἰς ἄπειρον ἐξ ἀπείρου, τὸ δὲ ἐξ ὁρατοῦ καὶ ψηλαφητοῦ πρὸς τὸ ἀόρατον καὶ ἀναφὲς μεταβέβηκε· καὶ τὸ μὲν ἀναλλοίωτον ἅπαξ, τὸ δὲ δι᾽ ἀλλοιώσεως ἐπὶ τὴν κρείττονα λῆξιν ἐλήλυθεν. Εἶτα, εἰ μόνον Λόγος τὸ μένον, πῶς οὐκ ἐῤῥέθη, ὅτι Ἡ σάρξ Λόγος ἐγένετο, ἀλλ' « Ὁ Λόγος σάρξ; » Τίς δὲ οὕτω μεμηνὼς καὶ φρενοπλήξ, ὡς τολμῆσαι εἰπεῖν τὴν θείαν οὐσίαν προσλαβεῖν ἄλλης θεότητος οὐσίαν, ἐξ ἑτέρας φύσεως ἐπιγενομένην· ἵν᾿ αὔξησιν παρασκευάσῃ νοεῖσθαι διὰ τῆς τοιαύτης προσθήκης τοῦ κατὰ φύσιν ἀνενδεοῦς καὶ τελείου; Πῶς δὲ οἱ θεῖοι λόγοι καὶ μετὰ τὴν ξένην ἄνοδον ἔτι κηρύσσουσι τὰ τῆς σαρκὸς διαφέροντα, τὸ πάλιν ἐλθεῖν, τὸ κατὰ τὸν αὐτὸν ὀφθήσεσθαι τρόπον; Ἢ καὶ τοῖς ἀγγέλοις ἐναντία νομοθετήσετε, τοῖς εἰρηκόσι σαφῶς· « Οὗτος ὁ Ἰησοῦς ὁ ἀναληφθεὶς ἀφ' ὑμῶν οὕτως ἐλεύσεται, ὃν τρόπον ἐθεάσασθε αὐτὸν πορευόμενον εἰς τὸν οὐρανόν ; » Πάντα πρὸς ἔμφασιν σαρκὸς, νῦν μὲν ὧδε, νῦν δὲ ὧδε θεωρουμένῳ· ὃν πρότερον ἐθεάσασθε, τοῦτ᾽ ἔστι τοῖς τῆς σαρκὸς ὀφθαλμοῖς· ἅπερ ὁ μὴ δεχόμενος οὕτως οὐ μόνον τοῖς ἀγγέλοις μάχεται, ἀλλὰ καὶ τοῖς τοῦ ἁγίου Πνεύματος ἱεροῖς λόγοις ἀντικαθίσταται. Πῶς ἐντυγχάνει ὑπὲρ ἡμῶν ὁ Δεσπότης Χριστός; ὡς Λόγος μόνον; Καὶ ποῦ τὰ τῆς ὁμοτιμίας καὶ ἀξίας τῆς πρὸς τὸν Πατέρα, εἴπερ ἐντυγχάνων καθάπερ ὑποδεέστερος, καὶ οὐ μετὰ αὐθεντίας ἐνεργεῖ, ἴσον ἔχων τὸ παντοδύναμον δηλονότι τῆς ἀπαρχῆς τὸ ἐντυγχάνειν ὑπὲρ τοῦ οἰκείου φυράματος, ἵνα δείξῃ, πόση περὶ τὴν τῆς σαρκὸς φύσιν ἡ σχέσις. Τίνα δὲ οὐκ ἐντρέπει τοῦ πανσόφου Παύλου τὸ τρανότατον κήρυγμα, ὅτι « Τοὺς χρόνους τῆς ἀγνοίας ὑπεριδὼν ὁ Θεὸς, παραγγέλλει πᾶσι πανταχοῦ μετανοεῖν, καθότι ἔστησεν ἡμέραν, ἐν ᾗ μέλλει κρίνειν τὴν οἰκουμένην, ἐν δικαιοσύνῃ, ἐν ἀνδρὶ, ᾧ ὥρισε, πίστιν παρασχὼν πᾶσιν, ἀναστήσας αὐτὸν ἐκ νεκρῶν; · Μὴ ἀνήρηται ἡ διαφορά; Μὴ οὐκ εἶπε Θεὸν ἐν ἀνδρί; μὴ οὐκ ἔδειξε τὸν ἐγείροντα Θεὸν καὶ τὸν ἀναστάντα ἄνδρα; ᾿Αλλ' εἰ καὶ τὸ διάφορον ἔδειξε, τὸ ἀχώριστον οὐ παρέλιπεν. Οὐ γὰρ εἶπε Θεὸν μετὰ ἀνδρὸς, ἀλλὰ Θεὸν ἐν ἀνδρί. Πῶς δὲ νοήσομεν καὶ τὸ, Οψονται εἰς ὃν ἐξεκέντησαν, » εἰ μὴ τῆς σαρκὸς ἡ φύσις, ἡ δεξαμένη τοὺς ἥλους, αὐτὴ σαφῶς ἀποδείξῃ τοὺς τύπους; Οὐ γὰρ θεότητος οὐσία ἡ ἀόρατος καὶ ἀνεπαφὴς ἴχνη πολλῶν εἰς ἔλεγχον ἐπιφέρεσθαι ἥμελλεν· ἀλλ᾽ ἡ ἐκ τοῦ παθητοῦ γένους ληφθεῖσα τὴν τῶν ἠσεβηκότων ἐλέγξει παρανομίαν, γνωρίζειν συνωθουμένων ἐν τῇ τρωθείσῃ σαρκὶ τὰ οἰκεῖα τολμήματα. Οὕτω δέδεικται καὶ τὰ ἰδιώματα τῶν φύσεων διαφέροντα, καὶ τὸ κέρδος τῆς ἐνανθρωπήσεως ἀναντίῤῥητον, καὶ τὸ ἐπιχείρημα τῶν ἀντιλεγόντων ἀναίσχυντον, καὶ τὸ δυνατὸν τῆς ἀληθείας ἀκαταμάχητον.

### English translation (Claude)

Against those who do away with the difference of the natures after the passion and the ascension. Great and ageless is the power of the truth: often attacked by many, it shows by its very works that it is unconquered in the end. For see, many of those armed against it, having shot many arrows of false doctrine and knowing that these were driven back by the firm weapon of proof and returned empty and ineffective upon themselves, have last of all shot an arrow that can be broken by plainer refutations. "Even if one grants," he says, "that there came about a coming together of two natures in Christ, yet after the passion and the ascension we shall no longer think of two, nor believe that there is any difference by nature between the Word and the flesh." What do you say? What do you declare? Is the difference of the natures gone, and no mark of them remains? What, then, shall we call what is before us? The Word alone (for you would not say flesh, thinking you honor him in this)? And how do you not insult him, thinking his substance to be such that another, created substance can change into it? For what can be contained by lesser things is common to many, not peculiar to one. But to that whose sole property is to be inaccessible, how can another inaccessible thing be added? And you not only insult the Word, but also make the hypostasis of the flesh vanish. For of that of which no mark is left any longer, in what way shall we understand the glory? If it is known in being, it is rightly glorified; but if it does not have being, how does it reap the greatness of glory? Unless you show what is honored, you do not declare the surpassing greatness of the glory. One must therefore confess the unconfused union of the two, neither to the change of the one who took nor to the vanishing of what was taken, but to a communion of glory proclaimed in one person. For even if you persist in naming both together "the Word alone," though nature resists, not even so will you hide the difference: since the one was from the beginning and the other came to be later; and the one is invisible and intangible from infinity to infinity, while the other passed from visible and tangible to invisible and impalpable; and the one is unalterable once for all, while the other came through alteration to a better lot. Then, if what remains is the Word alone, why was it not said, "The flesh became Word," but "The Word became flesh"? And who is so mad and crazed as to dare to say that the divine substance took on the substance of another Godhead, arising from another nature, so as to make one think of an increase, through such an addition, of what is by nature without need and perfect? And how do the divine words, even after the strange ascent, still proclaim the distinctive things of the flesh, the coming again, the being seen in the same manner? Or will you legislate against the angels too, who said plainly, "This Jesus, who was taken up from you, will come in the same way as you saw him going into heaven"? All of this points to the flesh, seen now here, now there: "as you saw him," that is, with the eyes of the flesh. He who does not accept this so fights not only against the angels, but also stands against the sacred words of the Holy Spirit. How does the Master Christ intercede for us? As the Word alone? And where then is his equal honor and dignity with the Father, if he intercedes as one lower, and does not act with authority, having equal almightiness? … plainly it belongs to the firstfruits to intercede for its own lump, so that he may show how great is his relation to the nature of the flesh. And whom does the most clear proclamation of the all-wise Paul not put to shame: "God, overlooking the times of ignorance, commands all people everywhere to repent, because he has fixed a day on which he will judge the world in righteousness by a man whom he has appointed, having given assurance to all by raising him from the dead"? Has the difference been done away with? Did he not say God in a man? Did he not show God who raises and the man who rose? But though he showed the difference, he did not omit the inseparability. For he did not say God with a man, but God in a man. And how shall we understand, "They will look on him whom they pierced," unless the nature of the flesh that received the nails itself clearly shows the marks? For it was not the invisible and intangible substance of the Godhead that was going to bear traces for the conviction of many; but the nature taken from the passible race will convict the lawlessness of the impious, as they are forced to recognize in the wounded flesh their own outrages. So it has been shown that the properties of the natures differ, that the gain of the becoming man is beyond dispute, that the attempt of the opponents is shameless, and that the power of the truth is invincible.

### Scripture references

- Acts 1:11: quotation, high confidence
- Rom 8:34: allusion, high confidence
- Heb 7:25: allusion, medium confidence
- Acts 17:30–31: quotation, high confidence
- John 19:37: quotation, high confidence
- Zech 12:10: quotation, medium confidence
- John 20:25–27: allusion, medium confidence
- John 1:14: quotation, high confidence

### Translation notes

- Translated as written. Acts 1:11; Rom 8:34 / Heb 7:25; Acts 17:30–31; Zech 12:10 / John 19:37 / Rev 1:7; John 20:25–27; John 1:14. A few words seem lost in the sentence on intercession ("having equal almightiness? … plainly it belongs to the firstfruits"); marked ….

### Citation (SBL)

Eutherius, Conf. 17 (PG 28:1391–1394; trans. Sophia Scriptura, https://sophiascriptura.com/p/eutherius-confutationes/17).