Opuscula 7.1–10.1
Greek text: PG 65 (Greek text: Migne, Patrologia Graeca vol. 65 (1864), OCR of the Bavarian State Library copy).English: Claude (claude-opus-5-5), public domain (CC0).
Chapter 7
7.1PG 65:1095
Ἐρώτησις. ΙΖ΄. Εἰ τὰ ῥήματα τοῦ δικανικοῦ ἔλεγχοί εἰσι τῶν ἡμετέρων πραγμάτων, διὰ τί τῶν εἰρημένων ὑπευθύνους ἑαυτοὺς οὐχ εὑρίσκομεν; Ἀπόκρισις. Αἱ ἐπιφοραὶ καὶ οἱ ἔλεγχοι ταῖς αἰτίαις εἰς τὸ φανερὸν οὐκ ἐξομοιοῦνται· κατὰ δὲ τὸ πνευματικὸν, πᾶσαν ἀποσώζουσι δικαιοσύνην. Τοῦτο δὲ καὶ διὰ τῆς ἁγίας Γραφῆς γνῶναι δυνάμεθα. Μὴ γὰρ οἱ ὑπὸ τοῦ πύργου τοῦ Σιλωάμ ἀποθανόντες, ἑτέροις πύργον ἀπεκατέστησαν, καὶ οἱ ἀπαχθέντες εἰς μετάνοιαν ἐν Βαβυλῶνι αἰχμάλωτοι ἑβδομήκοντα ἔτη, ἄλλους τινὰς αἰχμαλώτους ἔλαβον εἰς μετάνοιαν; Οὐχ οὕτως εἰσὶν αἱ παιδευτικαὶ συμβάσεις· ἀλλ᾽ ὥσπερ οἱ στρατιῶται, ὅταν φωραθῶσιν ἁμαρτήσαντες, αἰκίζονται μὲν, οὐ τὰ αὐτὰ δὲ πάσχουσιν, οἷα φαῦλα πεποιήκασιν · οὕτω καὶ πάντες παιδευόμεθα μὲν διὰ τῶν ἐπερχομένων, εὐκαίρως δὲ καὶ ἁρμοζόντως καὶ πρὸς μετάνοιαν οὐχ ὁμοιοτρόπως δὲ, οὐδὲ ἐν τῷ αὐτῷ καιρῷ, οὐδὲ διὰ τῶν αὐτῶν πραγμάτων· καὶ τοῦτό ἐστιν ὁ ἄγει τοὺς πολλοὺς εἰς ἀπιστίαν τῆς τοῦ Θεοῦ δικαιοσύνης, ἡ τοῦ καιροῦ ὑπέρθεσις, καὶ ἡ τῶν ἐπιφερομένων ἀνομοιότης. Οὐκοῦν ἐπειδὴ πολλὰ ἐπέρχονται ἡμῖν θλιβερά πράγματα, τοῦτο μὲν δι' ἀνθρώπων φθονούντων, κολακευόντων, καταλαλούντων, διαβαλλόντων, συκοφαντούντων, πλανώντων, ἀπόντων, διορυττόντων, κλεπτόντων, ἀποστερούντων, σκανδαλιζόντων, διωκόντων, καταφρονούντων, μισούντων, τυπτόντων, ἐπηρεαζόντων, καὶ ὅσα ἀνθρώποις παρὰ ἀνθρώπων ἐπέρχονται, καὶ παρὰ τοῦ ἰδίου σώματος σφριγῶντος, πολεμοῦντος, ἀναπαύσεις θέλοντος· ἐντὸς τούτοις συμβαίνοντα δήγματα κυνῶν, ἰοβόλων, ἢ σαρκοβόρων θηρίων· πρὸς τούτοις λοιμοί, σεισμοί, παγετοί, καύσωνες, γῆρας, πενία, μόνωσις, καὶ ὅσα τοιαῦτα τοῦτο δὲ διὰ τῶν πνευμάτων τῆς πονηρίας πρὸς ἃ τὴν πάλην ἡμῶν εἶναι ὁ Ἀπόστολος ἐφανέρωσε, τοὺς λόγους ἡμῶν καὶ τὰς πράξεις ἐπιτηρούντων, δι᾽ ὧν ἀκολούθως ἐφαμίλλους καὶ τοὺς λογισμοὺς ἡμῶν καταστοχάζονται εἶναι· εἰκότως. Εἰ μὴ γὰρ ὁ αὐτεξούσιος ἡμῶν νοῦς ταῖς δοκιμαστικαῖς προσβολαῖς ἐξ ἀπιστίας προσομιλήσει, καὶ ἀφεὶς τὴν καθολικήν ἐλπίδα λογισμοὺς ἀνακινήσει, οὔτε λόγοι προσφέρονται, οὔτε πράξεις ἐπιτελοῦνται. Ερώτησις. ΙΗ΄. Αὐτὸς εἴρηκας, ὅτι πᾶσαι αἱ συμφοραὶ κατὰ αἰτίαν εὐλόγως ἑκάστῳ ἐπέρχονται, εἰς ἐπίγνωσιν τῆς τοῦ Θεοῦ δικαιοσύνης ἡμῶν ἐφέλκουσι. Φανέρωσον οὖν ἡμῖν τὰς αἰτίας, ἵνα οὕτως πιστεύωμεν, ὅτι ὑπεύθυνοι τῶν ἐπιφορῶν ἐσμεν, καὶ ὀφείλομεν ὑπομένειν τὰ ἐπερχόμενα θλιβερὰ, ἵνα μὴ ἐν τῇ κρίσει, οὐχ ὡς ἁμαρτωλοὶ μόνον, ἀλλὰ καὶ ὡς τὴν ἴασιν μὴ προσδεξάμενοι, βαρυτέραν ἕξωμεν τὴν κόλασιν. Ἀπόκρισις. Πάσης συμβάσεως αἰτία ἐστὶν οἱ ἑκάστου λογισμοί. Εἶχον δὲ εἰπεῖν, ὅτι καὶ οἱ λόγοι καὶ αἱ πράξεις· ἐπειδὴ δὲ πρὸ ἐννοίας ταῦτα οὐ προέρχονται, τούτου χάριν τὸ πᾶν τοῖς λογισμοῖς ἐπιγράφοιμι. Τοῦ λογισμοῦ οὖν προηγουμένου, λοιπὸν οἱ λόγοι καὶ αἱ πράξεις παρέχουσιν ἡμῖν τὴν εἰς ἀλλήλους κοινωνίαν. Δύο δὲ εἰσιν οἱ τρόποι τῆς κοινωνίας· εἷς ἀπὸ ἀγάπης, καὶ εἷς ἀπὸ κακίας. Διὰ δὲ τῆς κοινωνίας οὓς οὐκ οἴδαμεν, ἀλλήλους ἀναδεχόμεθα. Ταῖς δὲ άναδοχαῖς ἐπιφοραὶ ἀναγκαίως ἀκολουθοῦσι, καθώς φησιν ἡ Γραφή· Ὁ ἐγγυώμενος τὸν ἑαυτοῦ φίλον, ἐχθρῷ παραδίδωσι τὴν ἑαυτοῦ χεῖρα. Οὕτως ἔκαστος, οὐ μόνον ἑαυτοῦ τὰ ἐπερχόμενα ὑπομένει, ἀλλὰ καὶ ὑπὲρ τοῦ πλησίον, ἐφ᾽ οἷς αὐτὸν ἀνεδέξατο. Ερώτησις. ΙΘ', ᾿Αξιοῦμεν μαθεῖν τὸν ἕνα τρόπον τῆς ἀναδοχῆς, λέγομεν δὲ τὸν ἀπὸ κακίας γενόμενον. Απόκρισις. Ἀπὸ κακίας ἀναδοχὴ ἀκούσιός ἐστιν. Οὕτω δὲ συμβαίνει· ᾿Αναδέχεται τοὺς πειρασμοὺς, ὡς θέλει ὁ ἀποστερῶν τοῦ ἀποστερουμένου, ὁ πλεονεκτῶν τοῦ πλεονεκτουμένου, ὁμοίως ὁ συκοφαντῶν τοῦ συκοφαντουμένου, ὁ καταπονῶν τοῦ καταπονουμένου, ὁ καταλαλῶν τοῦ καταλαλουμένου, ὁ καταφρονῶν τοῦ καταφρονουμένου, ὁ διαβάλλων τοῦ διαβαλλομένου· καὶ ἵνα μὴ καθ᾽ ἓν λέγω, πᾶς ὁ ἀδικῶν, τοῦ ἀδικουμένου κατὰ ἀναλογίαν ἀναδέχεται τοὺς πειρασμούς. Τούτοις δὲ μαρτυρεῖ ἡ θεία Γραφὴ λέγουσα· Δίκαιος ἐκ θήρας ἐκδύνει, ἀντ᾿ αὐτοῦ δὲ παραδίδοται ἀσεβής· καὶ πάλιν· ῾Ο ὀρύσσων βόθρον, ἐμπεσεῖται εἰς αὐτὸν, καὶ ὁ κυλίων λίθον, ἐφ᾽ ἑαυτὸν κυλίει· καὶ πάλιν. Εἰς κόλπον ἐπέρχεται πάντα τοῖς ἀδίκοις, παρὰ δὲ Κυρίου πάντα δίκαια. Εἰ οὖν ἡ ἡμῶν ἀδικία, Θεοῦ δικαιοσύνην συνίστησιν ἐν ἀλλήλοις, κατὰ τὸν ᾿Απόστολον, τί ἐροῦμεν; Μὴ ἄδικος ὁ Θεὸς ὁ ἐπιφέρων τὴν ὀργὴν τοῖς παιδευομένοις διὰ τῶν ἐπιφορῶν, ἀλλὰ καὶ πρὸς ταῦτα ἀνεπισκέπτως ἀγριαινομένοις;
Erōtēsis. IZ΄. Ei ta rhēmata tou dikanikou elenchoi eisi tōn hēmeterōn pragmatōn, dia ti tōn eirēmenōn hypeuthynous heautous ouch heuriskomen? Apokrisis. Hai epiphorai kai hoi elenchoi tais aitiais eis to phaneron ouk exomoiountai; kata de to pneumatikon, pasan aposōzousi dikaiosynēn. Touto de kai dia tēs hagias Graphēs gnōnai dynametha. Mē gar hoi hypo tou pyrgou tou Silōam apothanontes, heterois pyrgon apekatestēsan, kai hoi apachthentes eis metanoian en Babylōni aichmalōtoi hebdomēkonta etē, allous tinas aichmalōtous elabon eis metanoian? Ouch houtōs eisin hai paideutikai symbaseis; all᾽ hōsper hoi stratiōtai, hotan phōrathōsin hamartēsantes, aikizontai men, ou ta auta de paschousin, hoia phaula pepoiēkasin ; houtō kai pantes paideuometha men dia tōn eperchomenōn, eukairōs de kai harmozontōs kai pros metanoian ouch homoiotropōs de, oude en tǭ autǭ kairǭ, oude dia tōn autōn pragmatōn; kai touto estin ho agei tous pollous eis apistian tēs tou Theou dikaiosynēs, hē tou kairou hyperthesis, kai hē tōn epipheromenōn anomoiotēs. Oukoun epeidē polla eperchontai hēmin thlibera pragmata, touto men di' anthrōpōn phthonountōn, kolakeuontōn, katalalountōn, diaballontōn, sykophantountōn, planōntōn, apontōn, dioryttontōn, kleptontōn, aposterountōn, skandalizontōn, diōkontōn, kataphronountōn, misountōn, typtontōn, epēreazontōn, kai hosa anthrōpois para anthrōpōn eperchontai, kai para tou idiou sōmatos sphrigōntos, polemountos, anapauseis thelontos; entos toutois symbainonta dēgmata kynōn, iobolōn, ē sarkoborōn thēriōn; pros toutois loimoi, seismoi, pagetoi, kausōnes, gēras, penia, monōsis, kai hosa toiauta touto de dia tōn pneumatōn tēs ponērias pros ha tēn palēn hēmōn einai ho Apostolos ephanerōse, tous logous hēmōn kai tas praxeis epitērountōn, di᾽ hōn akolouthōs ephamillous kai tous logismous hēmōn katastochazontai einai; eikotōs. Ei mē gar ho autexousios hēmōn nous tais dokimastikais prosbolais ex apistias prosomilēsei, kai apheis tēn katholikēn elpida logismous anakinēsei, oute logoi prospherontai, oute praxeis epitelountai. Erōtēsis. IĒ΄. Autos eirēkas, hoti pasai hai symphorai kata aitian eulogōs hekastǭ eperchontai, eis epignōsin tēs tou Theou dikaiosynēs hēmōn ephelkousi. Phanerōson oun hēmin tas aitias, hina houtōs pisteuōmen, hoti hypeuthynoi tōn epiphorōn esmen, kai opheilomen hypomenein ta eperchomena thlibera, hina mē en tę̄ krisei, ouch hōs hamartōloi monon, alla kai hōs tēn iasin mē prosdexamenoi, baryteran hexōmen tēn kolasin. Apokrisis. Pasēs symbaseōs aitia estin hoi hekastou logismoi. Eichon de eipein, hoti kai hoi logoi kai hai praxeis; epeidē de pro ennoias tauta ou proerchontai, toutou charin to pan tois logismois epigraphoimi. Tou logismou oun proēgoumenou, loipon hoi logoi kai hai praxeis parechousin hēmin tēn eis allēlous koinōnian. Dyo de eisin hoi tropoi tēs koinōnias; heis apo agapēs, kai heis apo kakias. Dia de tēs koinōnias hous ouk oidamen, allēlous anadechometha. Tais de anadochais epiphorai anankaiōs akolouthousi, kathōs phēsin hē Graphē; Ho engyōmenos ton heautou philon, echthrǭ paradidōsi tēn heautou cheira. Houtōs ekastos, ou monon heautou ta eperchomena hypomenei, alla kai hyper tou plēsion, eph᾽ hois auton anedexato. Erōtēsis. ITh', ᾿Axioumen mathein ton hena tropon tēs anadochēs, legomen de ton apo kakias genomenon. Apokrisis. Apo kakias anadochē akousios estin. Houtō de symbainei; ᾿Anadechetai tous peirasmous, hōs thelei ho aposterōn tou aposteroumenou, ho pleonektōn tou pleonektoumenou, homoiōs ho sykophantōn tou sykophantoumenou, ho kataponōn tou kataponoumenou, ho katalalōn tou katalaloumenou, ho kataphronōn tou kataphronoumenou, ho diaballōn tou diaballomenou; kai hina mē kath᾽ hen legō, pas ho adikōn, tou adikoumenou kata analogian anadechetai tous peirasmous. Toutois de martyrei hē theia Graphē legousa; Dikaios ek thēras ekdynei, ant᾿ autou de paradidotai asebēs; kai palin; ῾O oryssōn bothron, empeseitai eis auton, kai ho kyliōn lithon, eph᾽ heauton kyliei; kai palin. Eis kolpon eperchetai panta tois adikois, para de Kyriou panta dikaia. Ei oun hē hēmōn adikia, Theou dikaiosynēn synistēsin en allēlois, kata ton ᾿Apostolon, ti eroumen? Mē adikos ho Theos ho epipherōn tēn orgēn tois paideuomenois dia tōn epiphorōn, alla kai pros tauta anepiskeptōs agriainomenois?
Question [17]. If the lawyer's words are reproofs of our own affairs, why do we not find ourselves guilty of what was said? Answer. Afflictions and reproofs do not outwardly resemble their causes; but in the spiritual sense they preserve all justice. We can know this also through the holy Scripture. Did those who died under the tower of Siloam put up a tower over others, and did those carried off to Babylon as captives for seventy years for repentance take others captive for repentance? Disciplinary occurrences are not like that; but as soldiers, when caught having done wrong, are punished, yet do not suffer the same evil things they did, so we are all disciplined by what comes upon us, at the right time, fittingly, and toward repentance, yet not in the same way, nor at the same time, nor through the same things. And this is what leads many to disbelieve the justice of God: the delay of the time and the unlikeness of what is brought upon us. Since many painful things come upon us, on the one hand through people who envy, flatter, slander, accuse, inform, deceive, are absent, break in, steal, defraud, give offence, persecute, despise, hate, strike, insult, and all that comes to people from people; and from one's own body, swelling, warring, wanting rest; besides these, the bites of dogs, venomous creatures, or flesh-eating beasts; and in addition plagues, earthquakes, frosts, heat waves, old age, poverty, loneliness, and all such things; and on the other hand through the spirits of wickedness, against which the apostle made plain our wrestling is, who watch our words and actions and through them guess that our thoughts are of the same kind: and rightly. For unless our free mind converses with the testing provocations out of unbelief and, abandoning universal hope, stirs up thoughts, neither are words spoken nor actions done. Question [18]. You have said that all misfortunes come reasonably to each according to a cause and draw us to the knowledge of God's justice. Show us, then, the causes, so that we may believe that we are liable for the afflictions and ought to endure the painful things that come, lest at the judgment, not only as sinners but as having refused the healing, we receive heavier punishment. Answer. The cause of every occurrence is each person's thoughts. I could have said words and actions too; but since these do not come forth before thought, for this reason I ascribe everything to thoughts. Thought going first, then words and actions give us communion with one another. There are two ways of communion: one from love, and one from wickedness. Through communion we take upon ourselves one another, even those we do not know. And afflictions necessarily follow such suretyship, as Scripture says: “Whoever stands surety for his friend gives his own hand to an enemy.” So each one endures not only what comes upon him for himself, but also on behalf of his neighbour, for whom he stood surety. Question [19]. We ask to learn the one way of suretyship, that which arises from wickedness. Answer. Suretyship from wickedness is involuntary. It happens thus: the one who defrauds takes on himself, as it were, the temptations of the one defrauded; the greedy man, those of the one he takes advantage of; likewise the informer, those of the one informed against; the oppressor, those of the oppressed; the slanderer, those of the slandered; the despiser, those of the despised; the accuser, those of the accused; and not to speak one by one, everyone who does wrong takes on himself in proportion the temptations of the one wronged. The divine Scripture bears witness to this, saying, “The righteous escapes from the hunt, and the ungodly is handed over in his place”; and again, “Whoever digs a pit will fall into it, and whoever rolls a stone rolls it upon himself”; and again, “All things come into the bosom of the unjust, but from the Lord all things are just.” If, then, our unrighteousness shows God's righteousness among one another, according to the apostle, what shall we say? Is God unjust who brings wrath on those disciplined through afflictions, who even rage at them without consideration?
Luke 13:4 (allusion, high confidence) · Jer 25:11 (allusion, high confidence) · Eph 6:12 (allusion, high confidence) · Prov 6:1 (quotation, high confidence) · Prov 11:8 (quotation, high confidence) · Prov 26:27 (quotation, high confidence) · Prov 16:33 (quotation, medium confidence) · Rom 3:5 (allusion, high confidence)
Notes and citation
Summary: Afflictions fit their causes spiritually; through communion in thought, word, and deed we bear one another's temptations, and wrongdoers take on those they wrong.
- Section numerals ΙΖ–ΙΘ are rendered [17]–[19]. Luke 13:4; Jer 25:11; Eph 6:12; Prov 6:1 (LXX); Prov 11:8; 26:27; 16:33 (LXX); Rom 3:5.
Notes on the original text
- Digital text corrected (word split by the OCR): φθονούν των → φθονούντων; διορυττόν των → διορυττόντων; αὐτεξού σιος → αὐτεξούσιος; ἀδικου μένου → ἀδικουμένου.
Cite (SBL): Mark the Hermit, Opusc. 7.1 (PG 65:1095; trans. Sophia Scriptura, https://sophiascriptura.com/p/mark-hermit-opuscula/7-1). (abbreviation not yet checked)
Permanent link: https://sophiascriptura.com/p/mark-hermit-opuscula/7-1
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Translation: Translated by Claude from the Greek of Migne's Patrologia Graeca (scan OCR; corrections logged). No public-domain English translation exists and no FOTC volume covers this work, so each batch was re-read against the Greek.
7.2PG 65:1097
Ἐρώτησις. Κ'. Ταῦτα οὕτως ἔχειν πιστεύομεν δι' ἀκολουθίας ἐπακούσαντες. Λοιπὸν εἰπὲ ἡμῖν καὶ τὴν ἐξ ἀγάπης ἀναδοχὴν, ἵνα καὶ ταῦτα μὴ ἀγνοῶμεν. Απόκρισις. Ἐξ ἀγάπης ἀναδοχή ἐστιν, ἣν ὁ Κύριος Ἰησοῦς ἡμῖν πάντως δέδωκε, πρῶτον ἰασάμενος ἡμῶν τὰς ἀσθενείας τῆς ψυχῆς, εἶτα θεραπεύων πᾶσαν νόσον, καὶ πᾶσαν μαλακίαν· ὁ αἴρων τὴν ἁμαρτίαν τοῦ κόσμου, τὴν καθαρὰν φύσιν ἀποκαθιστῶν τοῖς βεβαίως αὐτῷ πιστεύουσι, θανάτου λύτρωσιν, θεοσέβειαν παραδοὺς, εὐσέβειαν διδάσκων, ὑπὲρ ἀγάπης κακοπαθεῖν ἕως θανάτου ὑποδεικνύων· τὴν ἐπὶ τούτοις ὑπομονὴν διὰ τῆς τοῦ Πνεύματος μετουσίας χαρισάμενος ἡμῖν· καὶ τὰ μέλλοντα ἀγαθὰ, ἃ ὀφθαλμὸς οὐκ εἶδε, καὶ οὖς οὐκ ἤκουσε, καὶ ἐπὶ καρδίαν ἀνθρώπου οὐκ ἀνέβη. Διὸ καὶ τοὺς ὑπὲρ ἡμῶν πειρασμοὺς ἀναδέχεται, μυκτηριζόμενος, ὀνειδιζόμενος, δεσμούμενος, παραδιδόμενος, κολαφιζόμενος, ὅξος καὶ χολὴν ποτιζόμενος, συκοφαντούμενος, διωκόμενος, ῥαπιζόμενος. Οὗτος ἡμῖν διὰ σαρκὸς καὶ πνεύματος κοινωνήσας, καὶ τὰ ὑπὲρ ἡμῶν πάθη ἀναδεξάμενος, πάλιν τοῖς ἰδίοις ἀποστόλοις παρέδωκε τὸν νόμον τοῦτον, προφήταις, πατράσι, πατριάρχαις· τοὺς μὲν προδιδάξας διὰ τοῦ παναγίου Πνεύματος, τοῖς δὲ ὑποδείξας διὰτοῦ ἀχράντου σώματος. Ταύτην τὴν ἀναδοχὴν ἐμφαίνων ἔλεγεν Μὴ φοβεῖσθε, ἐγὼ νενίκηκα τὸν κόσμον· καὶ πάλιν· Ἐγὼ ὑπὲρ αὐτῶν ἁγιάζω ἐμαυτὸν, ἵνα καὶ αὐτοὶ ὦσιν ἡγιασμένοι ἐν ἀληθείᾳ· καὶ πάλιν Μείζονα ταύτης ἀγάπην οὐδεὶς ἔχει, ἵνα τις τὴν ψυχὴν αὐτοῦ θῇ ὑπὲρ τῶν φίλων αὐτοῦ. "Οθεν καὶ ὁ ἅγιος Παῦλος μιμούμενος τὸν Κύριον ἔλεγε· Νῦν χαίρω ἐν τοῖς παθήμασί μου ὑπὲρ ὑμῶν τῶν ͵ ἐθνῶν, καὶ ἀναπληρῶ τὰ ὑστερήματα τῶν θλίψεων τοῦ Χριστοῦ ἐν τῇ σαρκί μου ὑπὲρ τοῦ σώματος αὐτοῦ, ὁ ἐστιν ἡ Ἐκκλησία· καὶ αὐτὸς τὴν ἐξ ἀγάπης ἀναδοχὴν αἰνιττόμενος. Βούλει σαφέστερον, πῶς ἡμῖν πάντες οἱ ἀπόστολοι δι᾽ ἐννοίας καὶ λόγου καὶ πράξεως ἐκοινώνησαν, καὶ διὰ τῆς κοινωνίας τοὺς ὑπὲρ ὑμῶν ἀνεδέξαντο πειρασμούς; διὰ μὲν ἐννοίας τὰς Γραφὰς ἡμῖν παρανοίγοντες, τὰς προφητείας παρατιθέμενοι, τῷ Χριστῷ πιστεύειν ὡς λυτρωτῇ πείθοντες, λατρεύειν αὐτῷ ὡς κατὰ φύσιν Υἱῷ Θεοῦ πληροφοροῦντες, ὑπὲρ ἡμῶν προσευχόμενοι, δακρύοντες, καὶ ὅσα τοῖς πιστοῖς ἐστι διὰ ἐννοίας· διὰ δὲ λόγους, παρακαλοῦντες, νουθετοῦντες, ἐλέγχοντες, τὴν ἀπιστίαν ἡμῶν ἐπισκώπτοντες, τὰς Γραφάς διερμηνεύοντες, τὸν καιρὸν φανεροποιοῦντες, τὸν Χριστὸν ὁμολογοῦντες, αὐτὸν εἶναι τὸν ἐσταυρωμένον κηρύττοντες, τὸν Λόγον ἐνανθρωπήσαντα, ἕνα, καὶ οὐ δύο λέγοντες, κἂν ἐκ δύο νοεῖται ἡνωμένων ἀδιαιρέτως, ἀσυγχύτως, ἐν παντὶ καιρῷ, καὶ τόπῳ, καὶ πράγματι τὴν κακοπιστίαν ἀνακόπτοντες, τῷ ψεύδει μὴ συντιθέμενοι, καυχωμένῳ κατὰ σάρκα μὴ συνομιλοῦντες, κενοδόξῳ μὴ συνδιατρίβοντες, ἀλαζόνα μηδόλως κατοπτεύσαντες, πονηρευόμενον ἐξουθενοῦντες, τοὺς ταπεινοὺς προϊέμενοι, τοὺς εὐσεβεῖς οἱκειούμενοι, καὶ ἡμᾶς τὰ αὐτὰ ποιεῖν διδάξαντες διὰ δὲ πράξεως, διωκόμενοι, φυλακιζόμενοι, κακουχούμενοι, μυκτηριζόμενοι, ὑστερούμενοι, θλιβόμενοι. καὶ ἀποκτεινόμενοι, καὶ ὅσα τοιαῦτα ὑπὲρ ἡμῶν ἔπαθον. Οὕτω δὴ οὖν διὰ τῆς κοινωνίας ἀνεδέξαντο ἡμῶν τοὺς πειρασμούς· εἶτε γὰρ, φησὶν, θλιβόμεθα ὑπὲρ τῆς ὑμῶν παρακλήσεως καὶ σωτηρίας, εἴτε παρακαλούμεθα ὑπὲρ τῆς ὑμῶν σωτηρίας καὶ παρακλήσεως, τὸν νόμον παρὰ Χριστοῦ δεξάμενοι τοῦ λέγοντος· Μείζονα ταύτης ἀγάπην οὐδεὶς ἔχει, ἵνα τις τὴν ψυχὴν αὐτοῦ θῇ ὑπὲρ τῶν φίλων αὐτοῦ. Καὶ αὐτοὶ ἡμῖν παραδεδώκασι λέγοντες· Εἰ ὁ Κύριος τὴν ψυχὴν αὐτοῦ ὑπὲρ ἡμῶν ἔθηκεν, ὀφείλομεν καὶ ἡμεῖς τὰς ψυχὰς ἡμῶν ὑπὲρ τῶν ἀδελφῶν τιθέναι· καὶ πάλιν· ᾿Αλλήλων τὰ βάρη βαστάζετε, καὶ οὕτως ἀναπληρώσετε τὸν νόμον τοῦ Χριστοῦ. Εἰ οὖν ἔγνωμεν τοὺς δύο τρόπους τῆς εἰς ἀλλήλους κοινωνίας, καὶ τὴν ἐξ ἀνάγκης ἀκολουθοῦσαν ἀναδοχὴν, καὶ τοὺς κατὰ ἀναλογίαν συμβαίνοντας πειρασμοὺς, μὴ περιεργάζεσθε ἢ πῶς, ἢ πότε, ἢ διὰ τίνος ἐπέρχονται. Τὸ γὰρ ἑκάστῳ προσφυὲς, καὶ τὴν ἀνυπέρθετον αὐτῶν ἔπειξιν, καὶ τὴν πάσης τῆς κτίσεως εἰς τοῦτο συνέργειαν, μόνου τοῦ Θεοῦ ἐστιν εἰδέναι Ἡμεῖς δὲ ὀφείλομεν μόνον πιστεύειν τῇ τοῦ Θεοῦ δικαιοσύνῃ, καὶ εἰδέναι ὅτι πᾶν τὸ ἐπελθὸν ἡμῖν ἀκουσίως, ἢ δι᾿ ἀγάπην, ἢ διὰ κακίαν ἡμῖν ἐλήλυθε• καὶ διὰ τοῦτο ὑπομένειν χρὴ, καὶ μὴ ἀπωθεῖσθαι αὐτὸ, ἵνα μὴ προσθῶμεν ἁμαρτίαν ἐφ᾽ ἁμαρτίαις ἡμῶν. ΚΑ΄. Πρὸ πάντων παρακαλῶ ὑμᾶς, ἀδελφοὶ, ἀκριβῶς προσέχειν τοῖς εἰρημένοις, ἵνα μὴ καὶ ἡμεῖς ἀνωφελῶς τοὺς ὑπὲρ τῶν λόγων πειρασμοὺς ὑπομείνωμεν, καὶ ὑμεῖς διὰ ῥαθυμίαν τὰ εἰρημένα λήθη παραδώσητε. Ἡ γὰρ λήθη ῥαθυμίας θυγάτηρ, ἀμφότερα δὲ ἀπιστίας ἔγγονα τυγχάνει. Πρὸς ταῦτα ἀπεκρίθησαν οἱ ἀδελφοί· Προθυμότερος ἔσο περὶ τὴν διήγησιν, ὦ Πάτερ · ἡμεῖς γὰρ οἴδαμεν ἃ ἠκούσαμεν, βεβαιούμενοι περὶ τῆς θείας Γραφῆς ταῦτα λεγούσης, ὅτι ἐκτὸς δικαιοσύνης Θεοῦ, οὐδὲν τῶν ἀκουσίων τοῖς ἀνθρώποις συμβαίνει· εἰ καὶ τὴν μυστικὴν τῶν συμβάσεων συνδρομὴν ἐναρμόνιον ἔπειξιν ἄνθρωποι ὄντες οὐ καταλαμβάνομεν, καθὼς καὶ αὐτὸς προείρηκας. Διόπερ ἐκ τῶν εἰρημένων ἄφρων τις γενόμενος ἔφη· Εἰπὲ ἡμῖν λοιπὸν, τί τὸ θέλημα τῆς σαρκὸς, καὶ πῶς ἐκτὸς τοῦ νοὸς ὑφέστηκεν. Ὁ γὰρ σχολαστικὸς ἠρώτησε μόνον, εἰ ἔστι · τὸ δὲ πῶς, ἢ τί ἐστιν, οὐκ ἐπύθετο. Πρὸς ταῦτα ὁ ᾿Ασκητὴς ἔφη· Θέλημα σαρκὸς, ἐστὶν ἡ φυσικὴ τοῦ σώματος κίνησις μετὰ τῆς ἑπομένης χωρὶς λογισμοῦ πυρώσεως · ἅπερ δι᾽ ὕπνου καὶ τῆς τῶν μελῶν ἀνέσεως ἰσχὺν λαμβάνει. Περὶ ὧν φησιν ὁ ἀπόστολος Πέτρος· Ἀγαπητοί, μὴ ξενίζεσθε τῇ ἐν ὑμῖν πυρώσει πρὸς πειρασμὸν ὑμῖν γινομένῃ ὡς ξένου ὑμῖν συμβαίνοντος. Καὶ ὁ μακάριος Παῦλος περὶ αὐτῶν ἔφη· Ἡ σὰρξ ἐπιθυμεῖ κατὰ τοῦ πνεύματος, τὸ δὲ πνεῦμα κατὰ τῆς σαρκός. Διὸ καὶ παραγγέλλει λέγων· Ἐν πνεύματι περιπατεῖτε, καὶ ἐπιθυμίαν σαρκὸς οὐ μὴ τελέσητε ποτε. Ταῦτα δὲ εἰρήκασιν ἀσυνδιάστους ἡμᾶς πρὸς τὰς τοιαύτας κινήσεις εἶναι βουλόμενοι.
Erōtēsis. K'. Tauta houtōs echein pisteuomen di' akolouthias epakousantes. Loipon eipe hēmin kai tēn ex agapēs anadochēn, hina kai tauta mē agnoōmen. Apokrisis. Ex agapēs anadochē estin, hēn ho Kyrios Iēsous hēmin pantōs dedōke, prōton iasamenos hēmōn tas astheneias tēs psychēs, eita therapeuōn pasan noson, kai pasan malakian; ho airōn tēn hamartian tou kosmou, tēn katharan physin apokathistōn tois bebaiōs autǭ pisteuousi, thanatou lytrōsin, theosebeian paradous, eusebeian didaskōn, hyper agapēs kakopathein heōs thanatou hypodeiknyōn; tēn epi toutois hypomonēn dia tēs tou Pneumatos metousias charisamenos hēmin; kai ta mellonta agatha, ha ophthalmos ouk eide, kai ous ouk ēkouse, kai epi kardian anthrōpou ouk anebē. Dio kai tous hyper hēmōn peirasmous anadechetai, myktērizomenos, oneidizomenos, desmoumenos, paradidomenos, kolaphizomenos, hoxos kai cholēn potizomenos, sykophantoumenos, diōkomenos, rhapizomenos. Houtos hēmin dia sarkos kai pneumatos koinōnēsas, kai ta hyper hēmōn pathē anadexamenos, palin tois idiois apostolois paredōke ton nomon touton, prophētais, patrasi, patriarchais; tous men prodidaxas dia tou panagiou Pneumatos, tois de hypodeixas diatou achrantou sōmatos. Tautēn tēn anadochēn emphainōn elegen Mē phobeisthe, egō nenikēka ton kosmon; kai palin; Egō hyper autōn hagiazō emauton, hina kai autoi ōsin hēgiasmenoi en alētheią; kai palin Meizona tautēs agapēn oudeis echei, hina tis tēn psychēn autou thę̄ hyper tōn philōn autou. "Othen kai ho hagios Paulos mimoumenos ton Kyrion elege; Nyn chairō en tois pathēmasi mou hyper hymōn tōn ͵ ethnōn, kai anaplērō ta hysterēmata tōn thlipseōn tou Christou en tę̄ sarki mou hyper tou sōmatos autou, ho estin hē Ekklēsia; kai autos tēn ex agapēs anadochēn ainittomenos. Boulei saphesteron, pōs hēmin pantes hoi apostoloi di᾽ ennoias kai logou kai praxeōs ekoinōnēsan, kai dia tēs koinōnias tous hyper hymōn anedexanto peirasmous? dia men ennoias tas Graphas hēmin paranoigontes, tas prophēteias paratithemenoi, tǭ Christǭ pisteuein hōs lytrōtę̄ peithontes, latreuein autǭ hōs kata physin Huiǭ Theou plērophorountes, hyper hēmōn proseuchomenoi, dakryontes, kai hosa tois pistois esti dia ennoias; dia de logous, parakalountes, nouthetountes, elenchontes, tēn apistian hēmōn episkōptontes, tas Graphas diermēneuontes, ton kairon phaneropoiountes, ton Christon homologountes, auton einai ton estaurōmenon kēryttontes, ton Logon enanthrōpēsanta, hena, kai ou dyo legontes, kan ek dyo noeitai hēnōmenōn adiairetōs, asynchytōs, en panti kairǭ, kai topǭ, kai pragmati tēn kakopistian anakoptontes, tǭ pseudei mē syntithemenoi, kauchōmenǭ kata sarka mē synomilountes, kenodoxǭ mē syndiatribontes, alazona mēdolōs katopteusantes, ponēreuomenon exouthenountes, tous tapeinous proïemenoi, tous eusebeis hoikeioumenoi, kai hēmas ta auta poiein didaxantes dia de praxeōs, diōkomenoi, phylakizomenoi, kakouchoumenoi, myktērizomenoi, hysteroumenoi, thlibomenoi. kai apokteinomenoi, kai hosa toiauta hyper hēmōn epathon. Houtō dē oun dia tēs koinōnias anedexanto hēmōn tous peirasmous; eite gar, phēsin, thlibometha hyper tēs hymōn paraklēseōs kai sōtērias, eite parakaloumetha hyper tēs hymōn sōtērias kai paraklēseōs, ton nomon para Christou dexamenoi tou legontos; Meizona tautēs agapēn oudeis echei, hina tis tēn psychēn autou thę̄ hyper tōn philōn autou. Kai autoi hēmin paradedōkasi legontes; Ei ho Kyrios tēn psychēn autou hyper hēmōn ethēken, opheilomen kai hēmeis tas psychas hēmōn hyper tōn adelphōn tithenai; kai palin; ᾿Allēlōn ta barē bastazete, kai houtōs anaplērōsete ton nomon tou Christou. Ei oun egnōmen tous dyo tropous tēs eis allēlous koinōnias, kai tēn ex anankēs akolouthousan anadochēn, kai tous kata analogian symbainontas peirasmous, mē periergazesthe ē pōs, ē pote, ē dia tinos eperchontai. To gar hekastǭ prosphyes, kai tēn anypertheton autōn epeixin, kai tēn pasēs tēs ktiseōs eis touto synergeian, monou tou Theou estin eidenai Hēmeis de opheilomen monon pisteuein tę̄ tou Theou dikaiosynę̄, kai eidenai hoti pan to epelthon hēmin akousiōs, ē di᾿ agapēn, ē dia kakian hēmin elēlythe• kai dia touto hypomenein chrē, kai mē apōtheisthai auto, hina mē prosthōmen hamartian eph᾽ hamartiais hēmōn. KA΄. Pro pantōn parakalō hymas, adelphoi, akribōs prosechein tois eirēmenois, hina mē kai hēmeis anōphelōs tous hyper tōn logōn peirasmous hypomeinōmen, kai hymeis dia rhathymian ta eirēmena lēthē paradōsēte. Hē gar lēthē rhathymias thygatēr, amphotera de apistias engona tynchanei. Pros tauta apekrithēsan hoi adelphoi; Prothymoteros eso peri tēn diēgēsin, ō Pater ; hēmeis gar oidamen ha ēkousamen, bebaioumenoi peri tēs theias Graphēs tauta legousēs, hoti ektos dikaiosynēs Theou, ouden tōn akousiōn tois anthrōpois symbainei; ei kai tēn mystikēn tōn symbaseōn syndromēn enarmonion epeixin anthrōpoi ontes ou katalambanomen, kathōs kai autos proeirēkas. Dioper ek tōn eirēmenōn aphrōn tis genomenos ephē; Eipe hēmin loipon, ti to thelēma tēs sarkos, kai pōs ektos tou noos hyphestēken. Ho gar scholastikos ērōtēse monon, ei esti ; to de pōs, ē ti estin, ouk epytheto. Pros tauta ho ᾿Askētēs ephē; Thelēma sarkos, estin hē physikē tou sōmatos kinēsis meta tēs hepomenēs chōris logismou pyrōseōs ; haper di᾽ hypnou kai tēs tōn melōn aneseōs ischyn lambanei. Peri hōn phēsin ho apostolos Petros; Agapētoi, mē xenizesthe tę̄ en hymin pyrōsei pros peirasmon hymin ginomenę̄ hōs xenou hymin symbainontos. Kai ho makarios Paulos peri autōn ephē; Hē sarx epithymei kata tou pneumatos, to de pneuma kata tēs sarkos. Dio kai parangellei legōn; En pneumati peripateite, kai epithymian sarkos ou mē telesēte pote. Tauta de eirēkasin asyndiastous hēmas pros tas toiautas kinēseis einai boulomenoi.
Question [20]. We believe these things are so, having listened to the sequence of the argument. Now tell us also about suretyship from love, so that we may not be ignorant of this either. Answer. Suretyship from love is what the Lord Jesus has given us in every way: first healing the weaknesses of our soul, then curing every disease and every sickness; he who takes away the sin of the world, restoring the pure nature to those who firmly believe in him, giving redemption from death, handing down the worship of God, teaching godliness, showing how to suffer hardship for love until death; granting us patience in these things through participation in the Spirit; and the good things to come, which eye has not seen, nor ear heard, nor have they entered the heart of man. That is why he also takes upon himself the temptations on our behalf, being mocked, reproached, bound, handed over, beaten, given vinegar and gall to drink, falsely accused, persecuted, struck. He, having shared with us through flesh and spirit and taken upon himself the sufferings on our behalf, in turn handed this law to his own apostles, to prophets, fathers, patriarchs: teaching some beforehand through the all-holy Spirit, and showing it to others through his spotless body. Showing this suretyship he said, “Do not fear; I have overcome the world”; and again, “For them I sanctify myself, that they also may be sanctified in truth”; and again, “Greater love has no one than this, that someone lay down his life for his friends.” Hence holy Paul too, imitating the Lord, said, “Now I rejoice in my sufferings for you Gentiles, and fill up what is lacking of the afflictions of Christ in my flesh for the sake of his body, which is the church,” he too hinting at suretyship from love. Do you want it more clearly, how all the apostles shared with us through thought, word, and deed, and through this communion took upon themselves the temptations on your behalf? Through thought: opening the Scriptures to us, setting forth the prophecies, persuading us to believe in Christ as Redeemer, assuring us that we should worship him as Son of God by nature, praying for us, weeping, and whatever belongs to the faithful through thought. Through words: exhorting, admonishing, rebuking, mocking our unbelief, interpreting the Scriptures, making plain the time, confessing Christ, proclaiming that he is the one crucified, the Word made man, speaking of one and not two, even if he is understood from two united indivisibly and without confusion; checking false belief at every time, place, and matter, not agreeing with falsehood, not conversing with one who boasts according to the flesh, not spending time with the vainglorious, not looking at all to the boaster, setting at nought the evildoer, putting forward the humble, making the devout their own, and teaching us to do the same. Through deed: being persecuted, imprisoned, ill-treated, mocked, in want, afflicted, and killed, and suffering all such things for us. So through communion they took our temptations upon themselves; for, it says, “whether we are afflicted, it is for your consolation and salvation, or whether we are comforted, it is for your salvation and consolation,” having received the law from Christ who says, “Greater love has no one than this, that someone lay down his life for his friends.” And they in turn handed it on to us, saying, “If the Lord laid down his life for us, we too ought to lay down our lives for the brothers”; and again, “Bear one another's burdens, and so fulfil the law of Christ.” If, then, we know the two ways of communion with one another, the suretyship that necessarily follows, and the temptations that occur in proportion, do not busy yourselves about how, or when, or through whom they come. For what fits each one, their urgency that admits no delay, and the cooperation of all creation in this, God alone can know. We ought only to believe in God's justice, and know that everything that has come upon us involuntarily has come either through love or through wickedness; and for this reason we must endure it and not push it away, lest we add sin to our sins. [21] Above all I beg you, brothers, to attend carefully to what has been said, so that we may not endure without profit the temptations that come for these words, and you through sloth hand over what has been said to forgetfulness. For forgetfulness is the daughter of sloth, and both are offspring of unbelief.” To this the brothers answered, “Be more eager in your account, Father; for we know what we have heard, being assured that the divine Scripture says that nothing involuntary happens to people apart from God's justice, even if, being human, we do not grasp the mystical concurrence and harmonious urgency of events, as you yourself said before.” Then one, having become foolish from what was said, said, “Tell us now what the will of the flesh is, and how it exists apart from the mind. For the scholar only asked whether it exists, but did not ask how or what it is.” To this the ascetic said: “The will of the flesh is the natural movement of the body with the burning that follows without thought; which gains strength through sleep and the ease of the members. Of these the apostle Peter says, ‘Beloved, do not be surprised at the burning among you that comes upon you for a trial, as though something strange were happening to you.’ And blessed Paul said of them, ‘The flesh desires against the spirit, and the spirit against the flesh.’ That is why he commands, saying, ‘Walk by the Spirit, and you will not fulfil the desire of the flesh.’ They said these things wishing us not to couple with such movements.”
Isa 53:4 (allusion, medium confidence) · Matt 4:23 (allusion, high confidence) · John 1:29 (allusion, high confidence) · 1 Cor 2:9 (quotation, high confidence) · Matt 27:34 (allusion, medium confidence) · John 16:33 (quotation, high confidence) · John 17:19 (quotation, high confidence) · John 15:13 (quotation, high confidence) · Col 1:24 (quotation, high confidence) · 2 Cor 1:6 (quotation, high confidence) · 1 John 3:16 (quotation, high confidence) · Gal 6:2 (quotation, high confidence) · 1 Pet 4:12 (quotation, high confidence) · Gal 5:17 (quotation, high confidence) · Gal 5:16 (quotation, high confidence)
Notes and citation
Summary: Christ and the apostles bore our temptations in suretyship of love; we must believe God's justice and not couple with the flesh's movements.
- Section numerals Κ–ΚΑ are rendered [20]–[21]. Isa 53:4; Matt 4:23; John 1:29; 1 Cor 2:9; Matt 27:26–34; John 16:33; 17:19; 15:13; Col 1:24; 2 Cor 1:6; 1 John 3:16; Gal 6:2; 1 Pet 4:12; Gal 5:17, 16. The Christological clause (“one and not two … united indivisibly and without confusion”) is translated as written. “Having become foolish” renders ἄφρων τις γενόμενος, perhaps “one of the less wise”.
Notes on the original text
- Digital text corrected (Latin look-alike letters inside a Greek word; letter lost in the OCR; word split by the OCR): πιστεύ ουσι → πιστεύουσι; Νūr χαίρω → Νῦν χαίρω; προσευχό μενοι → προσευχόμενοι; ἐξουθενοῦν τες → ἐξουθενοῦντες; ἔπα θον → ἔπαθον; κτίσεω εἰς → κτίσεως εἰς; ἀμ. φότερα → ἀμφότερα.
Topics: Christology
Cite (SBL): Mark the Hermit, Opusc. 7.2 (PG 65:1097; trans. Sophia Scriptura, https://sophiascriptura.com/p/mark-hermit-opuscula/7-2). (abbreviation not yet checked)
Permanent link: https://sophiascriptura.com/p/mark-hermit-opuscula/7-2
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Translation: Translated by Claude from the Greek of Migne's Patrologia Graeca (scan OCR; corrections logged). No public-domain English translation exists and no FOTC volume covers this work, so each batch was re-read against the Greek.
Chapter 8
8.1PG 65:1103
"Ἄκουε ψυχή λογική, κοινωνὲ τῶν ἐμῶν βουλευμάτων - βούλομαί σοί τι μυστικὸν καὶ κοινὸν διηγήσασθαι πρᾶγμα, ᾧπερ ὅτι οὐ καθαρισθήσῃ τῶν παθῶν, κατείληφα, ἀλλὰ χάριτι Χριστοῦ μικρὸν ἀνεθήσῃ. Ἔγνων σαφῶς, ὦ ψυχή, ὅτι ἐγώ τε καὶ σὺ παρὰ φύσιν ἐνεργούμενοι, ὑπὸ ἀγνοίας πλανώμεθα, καὶ διὰ τοῦτο ἐπὶ ταῖς ἑαυτῶν ἁμαρτίαις ἑτέρους μεμφόμεθα, ἔξωθεν ἡμῶν τὴν κακίαν εἶναι λέγοντες· καὶ ποτὲ μὲν τὸν ᾿Ἀδὰμ, ποτὲ δὲ τὸν Σατανᾶν, ποτὲ δὲ τοὺς ἀνθρώπους αἰτιώμεθα. Καὶ ἐν τούτῳ δοκοῦντες ἑτέρους πολεμεῖν, ἑαυτοὺς πολεμοῦμεν · καὶ νομίζοντες ἀλλήλων ὑπερασπίζειν, ἐγώ τε καὶ σὺ κατ᾿ ἀλλήλων στρατευόμεθα · καὶ ἑαυτοὺς εὐεργετεῖν οἰόμενοι, ἑαυτοὺς αἰκίζομεν, κόπους καὶ ὀνειδισμοὺς ἀνονήτους δικαίως ὑπέχοντες· τὰς μὲν ἐντολὰς τῷ δοκεῖν ἀγαπῶντες, τὰς δὲ αἰτίας αὐτῶν διὰ τὴν πλάνην μισήσαντες. Ὅθεν ἔγνων ἀκριβῶς, ὅτι οὔτε εἰς τὸ ἀγαθὸν, οὔτε εἰς τὸ κακὸν ὑπό τινος ἐξουσίας ἀδίκως ἑλκόμεθα, ἀλλ᾿ ἀπὸ τοῦ βαπτίσματος ἐν ταῖς ἀρχαῖς τῶν πραγμάτων, ᾧ ἂν πρὸς τὸ θέλημα δουλεύσωμεν, ἤτοι τῷ Θεῷ, ἢ τῷ διαβόλῳ, αὐτὸς ἡμᾶς δικαίως λοιπὸν ἐπὶ τὸ ἴδιον κατεπείγει μέρος.
"Akoue psychē logikē, koinōne tōn emōn bouleumatōn - boulomai soi ti mystikon kai koinon diēgēsasthai pragma, hǭper hoti ou katharisthēsę̄ tōn pathōn, kateilēpha, alla chariti Christou mikron anethēsę̄. Egnōn saphōs, ō psychē, hoti egō te kai sy para physin energoumenoi, hypo agnoias planōmetha, kai dia touto epi tais heautōn hamartiais heterous memphometha, exōthen hēmōn tēn kakian einai legontes; kai pote men ton ᾿Adam, pote de ton Satanan, pote de tous anthrōpous aitiōmetha. Kai en toutǭ dokountes heterous polemein, heautous polemoumen ; kai nomizontes allēlōn hyperaspizein, egō te kai sy kat᾿ allēlōn strateuometha ; kai heautous euergetein oiomenoi, heautous aikizomen, kopous kai oneidismous anonētous dikaiōs hypechontes; tas men entolas tǭ dokein agapōntes, tas de aitias autōn dia tēn planēn misēsantes. Hothen egnōn akribōs, hoti oute eis to agathon, oute eis to kakon hypo tinos exousias adikōs helkometha, all᾿ apo tou baptismatos en tais archais tōn pragmatōn, hǭ an pros to thelēma douleusōmen, ētoi tǭ Theǭ, ē tǭ diabolǭ, autos hēmas dikaiōs loipon epi to idion katepeigei meros.
Listen, rational soul, partner of my counsels: I wish to tell you something hidden and shared, by which, I have grasped, you will not be cleansed of the passions, but by the grace of Christ you will be relieved a little. I have known clearly, O soul, that you and I, being worked upon against nature, go astray through ignorance, and for this reason blame others for our own sins, saying that wickedness is outside us; and we blame sometimes Adam, sometimes Satan, sometimes people. And in this, thinking we fight others, we fight ourselves; and supposing we defend each other, you and I campaign against each other; and thinking we do ourselves good, we torment ourselves, justly undergoing profitless labours and reproaches, loving the commandments in appearance but hating their causes through our error. Hence I have known exactly that we are not dragged unjustly by any power either to good or to evil; but from baptism, in the beginnings of things, whichever we serve with our will, God or the devil, he justly urges us on thereafter to his own side.
Notes and citation
Summary: The mind tells the soul that we blame others for sins that come from our own will.
- Tractate 8 is the mind's discourse with its own soul.
Notes on the original text
- Digital text corrected (word split by the OCR): δοκοῦν τες → δοκοῦντες.
Topics: Baptism
Cite (SBL): Mark the Hermit, Opusc. 8.1 (PG 65:1103; trans. Sophia Scriptura, https://sophiascriptura.com/p/mark-hermit-opuscula/8-1). (abbreviation not yet checked)
Permanent link: https://sophiascriptura.com/p/mark-hermit-opuscula/8-1
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Translation: Translated by Claude from the Greek of Migne's Patrologia Graeca (scan OCR; corrections logged). No public-domain English translation exists and no FOTC volume covers this work, so each batch was re-read against the Greek.
8.2PG 65:1103
Αἱ δὲ ἀρχαὶ τῶν πραγμάτων εἰσὶν ἀδιαλόγιστοι προσβολαὶ δύο, ἔπαινος ἀνθρώπων, καὶ ἄνεσις σώματος, αἵτινες ἑκουσίως προσβάλλουσαι πρὸ τοῦ θελήματος ἡμῶν, οὔτε κακίαι εἰσὶν, οὔτε ἀρεταὶ, ἀλλ᾿ ἔλεγχοι τῆς ἡμετέρας νεύσεως ποῦ ῥέπομεν. Τοῦ γὰρ Κυρίου βουλομένου ἡμᾶς ὑπομένειν ὀνειδισμοὺς καὶ κακοπάθειαν, τοῦ δὲ διαβόλου τὰ ἐναντία θέλοντος, ἡμεῖς ὅταν θέλωμεν ἐπὶ ταῖς προσβολαῖς ἐκείναις, φανερὸν ὅτι τὴν ῥοπὴν ἐδώκαμεν τῷ φιληδόνῳ πνεύματι, παρακούσαντες τοῦ Κυρίου· ὅταν δὲ ἐπὶ ταῖς προειρημέναις προσβολαῖς θλιβώμεθα, δῆλον ὅτι τὴν ῥοπὴν ἐδώκαμεν τῷ Θεῷ, τὴν στενὴν ἀγαπήσαντες. Διὰ τοῦτο οὖν αἱ δύο αὗται προσβολαὶ τοῖς ἀνθρώποις προσβαλεῖν παρεχωρήθησαν, ὅπως οἱ τὴν ἐντολὴν ἀγαπῶντες, δώσουσι τῷ Χριστῷ τὴν ῥοπὴν τοῦ θελήματος· καὶ αὐτὸς εἴσοδον εὑρὼν, ὁδηγήσει τὸν νοῦν ἐπὶ τὴν ἀλήθειαν. Οὕτω δέ μοι νόει καὶ τὸ ἐναντίον. Ὅσοι γὰρ πάλιν ἀγαπῶσι τὴν ἀνθρωπίνην δόξαν, καὶ τὴν ἄνεσιν τοῦ σώματος, δεδώκασιν εἴσοδον τῷ διαβόλῳ· ὃς καὶ αὐτὸς εὑρὼν ἰδίαν εἴσοδον, τὰ ἴδια λοιπὸν ὑποτίθεται κακά· καθὸ ἂν αὐτῷ ἡδέως λογίζωνται, προσθήκας ποιεῖν οὐ παύονται, ἕως οὗ τὰς προειρημένας προσβολὰς ἐκ καρδίας μισήσωμεν. Ἡμεῖς δὲ οὕτως αὐτὰς ἀγαπῶμεν, ὥστε οὐ μόνον τὴν ἀρετὴν ἀντ᾿ αὐτῶν προδιδόαμεν, ἀλλὰ καὶ αὐτὰς ἐκείνας ἑτέραν τῇ ἑτέρᾳ ἐν καιρῷ καταλλάσσομεν· ποτὲ ἀτιμίαν ὑποφέρομεν διὰ φιληδονίαν. Ὅταν δὲ καὶ τούτοις ἀλύπως συνθώμεθα, λοιπὸν τὰς αὐξητικὰς ὕλας αὐτῶν ζητοῦμεν. Ὕλαι καὶ κενοδοξίας καὶ ἡδονῆς φιλαργυρία, ἡ ῥίζα πάντων τῶν κακῶν, κατὰ τὴν θείαν Γραφήν.
Hai de archai tōn pragmatōn eisin adialogistoi prosbolai dyo, epainos anthrōpōn, kai anesis sōmatos, haitines hekousiōs prosballousai pro tou thelēmatos hēmōn, oute kakiai eisin, oute aretai, all᾿ elenchoi tēs hēmeteras neuseōs pou rhepomen. Tou gar Kyriou boulomenou hēmas hypomenein oneidismous kai kakopatheian, tou de diabolou ta enantia thelontos, hēmeis hotan thelōmen epi tais prosbolais ekeinais, phaneron hoti tēn rhopēn edōkamen tǭ philēdonǭ pneumati, parakousantes tou Kyriou; hotan de epi tais proeirēmenais prosbolais thlibōmetha, dēlon hoti tēn rhopēn edōkamen tǭ Theǭ, tēn stenēn agapēsantes. Dia touto oun hai dyo hautai prosbolai tois anthrōpois prosbalein parechōrēthēsan, hopōs hoi tēn entolēn agapōntes, dōsousi tǭ Christǭ tēn rhopēn tou thelēmatos; kai autos eisodon heurōn, hodēgēsei ton noun epi tēn alētheian. Houtō de moi noei kai to enantion. Hosoi gar palin agapōsi tēn anthrōpinēn doxan, kai tēn anesin tou sōmatos, dedōkasin eisodon tǭ diabolǭ; hos kai autos heurōn idian eisodon, ta idia loipon hypotithetai kaka; katho an autǭ hēdeōs logizōntai, prosthēkas poiein ou pauontai, heōs hou tas proeirēmenas prosbolas ek kardias misēsōmen. Hēmeis de houtōs autas agapōmen, hōste ou monon tēn aretēn ant᾿ autōn prodidoamen, alla kai autas ekeinas heteran tę̄ heterą en kairǭ katallassomen; pote atimian hypopheromen dia philēdonian. Hotan de kai toutois alypōs synthōmetha, loipon tas auxētikas hylas autōn zētoumen. Hylai kai kenodoxias kai hēdonēs philargyria, hē rhiza pantōn tōn kakōn, kata tēn theian Graphēn.
The beginnings of things are two provocations not yet reasoned on: human praise and bodily ease. Coming upon us voluntarily before our will, they are neither vices nor virtues, but tests of where our inclination leans. For since the Lord wishes us to endure reproaches and hardship, and the devil wishes the opposite, when we are pleased at those provocations, it is plain that we have given our inclination to the pleasure-loving spirit, disobeying the Lord; but when we are afflicted at them, it is clear that we have given our inclination to God, having loved the narrow way. For this reason these two provocations have been allowed to assail people, so that those who love the commandment may give Christ the inclination of their will; and he, finding an entrance, will lead the mind to the truth. Understand the opposite in the same way. For those who love human glory and bodily ease have given an entrance to the devil; and he too, finding his own entrance, then suggests his own evils; and as they think of them with pleasure, they do not cease adding to them until we hate the provocations mentioned from the heart. But we love them so much that we not only betray virtue for them, but also exchange one for the other in turn: sometimes we bear dishonour for the sake of love of pleasure. And when we agree to these without grief, we then seek the materials that increase them. The material of both vainglory and pleasure is love of money, the root of all evils, according to the divine Scripture.
Matt 7:14 (allusion, medium confidence) · 1 Tim 6:10 (quotation, high confidence)
Notes and citation
Summary: Praise and ease test the will; welcoming them opens the soul to the devil, refusing them to Christ.
- Matt 7:14; 1 Tim 6:10. Words seem to be lost after “love of pleasure” (probably the converse: bearing hardship for vainglory).
Notes on the original text
- Digital text corrected (word split by the OCR): πρὸ τοῦ θελή ματος → πρὸ τοῦ θελήματος; ῥοπὴν τοῦ θελή ματος → ῥοπὴν τοῦ θελήματος; ἀρε τὴν → ἀρετὴν.
Cite (SBL): Mark the Hermit, Opusc. 8.2 (PG 65:1103; trans. Sophia Scriptura, https://sophiascriptura.com/p/mark-hermit-opuscula/8-2). (abbreviation not yet checked)
Permanent link: https://sophiascriptura.com/p/mark-hermit-opuscula/8-2
BibTeX · RIS · CSL-JSON (whole work; this passage's key: sophiascriptura-mark-hermit-opuscula-8-2) · Report an error
Translation: Translated by Claude from the Greek of Migne's Patrologia Graeca (scan OCR; corrections logged). No public-domain English translation exists and no FOTC volume covers this work, so each batch was re-read against the Greek.
8.3PG 65:1105
Πάντως δὲ ἐρεῖς μοι, ὦ φίλη ψυχή, ὅτι οὔτε χρυσίον θησαυρίζομεν, οὔτε κτήματα ἔχομεν. Κἀγώ σοι λέγω, ὅτι οὔτε χρυσὸς, οὔτε κτήματα παρέχουσι τὴν βλάβην, ἀλλὰ, καθὼς προείρηκα, ἡ ἐμπαθής αὐτῶν παράχρησις. Ἰδοὺ γάρ τινες ἀπαθῶς πλουτήσαντες εὐηρέστησαν, ὡς ὁ ἅγιος Ἀβραὰμ, καὶ Ἰώβ, καὶ Δαβίδ. Τινὲς δὲ καὶ δίχα πλούτου τὸ πάθος τῆς φιλοχρηματίας ἐν εὐτελεστάταις ὕλαις ἐτρέψαμεν· ὅθεν τῶν πολλὰ κεκτημένων ἐσμὲν ἀθλιώτεροι· διότι ἀφέντες τὴν καθολικὴν κακοπάθειαν μετὰ πανουργίας, ἡδυπαθοῦμεν ὡς Θεοῦ λανθάνοντες· τὴν γὰρ φιλαργυρίαν διαφεύγοντες, τὴν φιληδονίαν οὐ φεύγομεν· χρυσὸν οὐ θησαυρίζομεν, καὶ τὰς λεπτὰς ὕλας συνάγομεν. ᾿Αρχὰς καὶ ἡγεμονίας οὐ λαμβάνομεν, τὰς δὲ δόξας αὐτῶν καὶ τοὺς ἐπαίνους ἐκ παντὸς τρόπου θηρεύομεν · τὰς κτήσεις καταλείπομεν, καὶ τὰς ἀπολαύσεις αὐτῶν οὐ παραιτούμεθα · ὅταν δὲ καὶ παραιτεῖσθαι δόξωμεν, οὐχ ὡς τὴν πλεονεξίαν φεύγοντες, ἀλλ' ὡς τὰ κτίσματα τοῦ Θεοῦ βδελυσσόμενοι· Μὴ ἄψῃ, μὴ γεύσῃ, μὴ θίγῃς. Ὅταν ἀκούσῃς, ὦ φίλη ψυχή, τὴν παράβασιν τοῦ ᾿Ἀδὰμ καὶ τῆς Εὔας, ἐν ἀρχῇ μὲν ἰδικῶς ἐπ' ἐκείνοις γεγενημένην πίστευε νυνὶ δὲ νοητῶς ἐπ᾿ ἐμοὶ καὶ σοὶ γινομένην εὑρήσεις Ταῦτα γὰρ τυπικῶς συνέβαινεν ἐκείνοις· ἐγράφη δὲ πρὸς νουθεσίαν ἡμῶν, εἰς οὓς τὰ τέλη τῶν αἰώνων κατήντησεν. Ἰδοὺ γὰρ διὰ τοῦ βαπτίσματος ἀναγεννηθέντες, τὴν ἐντολὴν τοῦ ἀναγεννήσαντος ἡμᾶς παρέβημεν, καθότι τοῦ Κυρίου πάντας τοὺς ὁμοπίστους ἀγαπᾶν, καὶ τὸν ἐκ πάντων ἐρχόμενον καρπὸν δι᾽ ὑπομονῆς ἐσθίειν κελεύσαντος, κατὰ τὸ εἰρημένον, ἀπὸ παντὸς ξύλου τοῦ ἐν τῷ παραδείσῳ βρῶσιν φαγεῖν, ἡμεῖς τοῖς τοῦ ὄφεως λογισμοῖς χρησάμενοι, τοὺς μὲν, ὡς καλοὺς ἡγαπήσαμεν· τοὺς δὲ, ὡς πονηροὺς ἐμισήσαμεν· ὅπερ ἐστὶ τὸ ξύλον τοῦ γινώσκειν καλὸν καὶ πονηρόν · οὗ ἀπογευσάμενοι, κατὰ διάνοιαν θανατούμεθα· οὐχὶ τοῦ Θεοῦ τὸν θάνατον ποιήσαντος, ἀλλὰ τοῦ ἀνθρώπου τὸν πλησίον μισήσαντος· Θεὸς γὰρ θάνατον οὐκ ἐποίησεν, οὐδὲ τέρπεται ἐπ᾿ ἀπωλείᾳ ζώντων, οὔτε κινεῖται πάθει ὀργῆς, οὔτε ἐπινοεῖ πρᾶγμα εἰς ἄμυναν, οὔτε ἀλλοιοῦται πρὸς τὴν ἑκάστου ἀξίαν· ἀλλὰ πάντα ἐν σοφίᾳ ἐποίησεν, ὑπὸ νόμῳ πνευματικῷ κρίνεσθαι προορίσας. Διὰ τοῦτο οὐ λέγει τῷ Ἀδὰμ, Ἧ δ᾽ ἂν ἡμέρᾳ φάγητε, ἐγὼ θανατώσω ὑμᾶς, ἀλλ᾽ ἀσφαλιζόμενος τὸν τῆς δικαιοσύνης προλέγει νόμον, καὶ φησίν· Η δ᾽ ἂν ἡμέρᾳ φάγητε, θανάτῳ ἀποθανεῖσθε. Καὶ ὅλως δὲ ἑκάστῳ πράγματι, καλῷ τε καὶ κακῷ, φυσικῶς ἐπακολουθεῖν τὸ δέον ἀπένειμε, καὶ οὐκ ἐπινοητικῶς, ὡς τινες νομίζουσιν, οἱ τὸν πνευματικὸν ἀγνοοῦντες νόμον. Ἡμεῖς δὲ οἱ μερικῶς τοῦτον ἐπιστάμενοι, γινώσκειν ὀφείλομεν, ὅτι εἴ τινα τῶν ὁμοπίστων ὡς κακὸν μισήσομεν, καὶ ἡμεῖς κακοὶ ὄντες, ὑπὸ Θεοῦ μισηθησόμεθα· καὶ εἰ ὡς ἁμαρτωλὸν τῆς μετανοίας ἐκβάλλομεν, καὶ ἡμεῖς ἁμαρτωλοὶ ὄντες ἀποβληθησόμεθα· καὶ εἰ οὐκ ἀφίεμεν τῷ πλησίον τὰ ἁμαρτήματα, οὔτε ἡμῖν ἀφεθήσεται. Τοῦτον νόμον φανεροποιῶν ὁ νομοθέτης Χριστὸς, εἴρηκε· Μὴ κρίνετε, καὶ οὐ μὴ κριθῆτε· ἄφετε, καὶ ἀφεθήσεται ὑμῖν. Τοῦτον ἰδὼν τὸν νόμον, φανεροποιῶν ὁ Παῦλος ἔλεγεν· Ὁ κρίνων τὸν ἕτερον, ἑαυτὸν κατακρίνεις. Καὶ ὁ Προφήτης δὲ οὐκ ἀγνοῶν τοῦτο, ἐβόα πρὸς τὸν Θεὸν λέγων· ὅτι σὺ ἀποδώσεις ἑκάστῳ κατὰ τὰ ἔργα αὐτῶν· καὶ ἕτερος προφήτης ἐκ προσώπου τοῦ Θεοῦ φησιν· Ἐμὴ ἐκδίκησις, ἐγὼ ἀνταποδώσω, λέγει Κύριος.
Pantōs de ereis moi, ō philē psychē, hoti oute chrysion thēsaurizomen, oute ktēmata echomen. Kagō soi legō, hoti oute chrysos, oute ktēmata parechousi tēn blabēn, alla, kathōs proeirēka, hē empathēs autōn parachrēsis. Idou gar tines apathōs ploutēsantes euērestēsan, hōs ho hagios Abraam, kai Iōb, kai Dabid. Tines de kai dicha ploutou to pathos tēs philochrēmatias en eutelestatais hylais etrepsamen; hothen tōn polla kektēmenōn esmen athliōteroi; dioti aphentes tēn katholikēn kakopatheian meta panourgias, hēdypathoumen hōs Theou lanthanontes; tēn gar philargyrian diapheugontes, tēn philēdonian ou pheugomen; chryson ou thēsaurizomen, kai tas leptas hylas synagomen. ᾿Archas kai hēgemonias ou lambanomen, tas de doxas autōn kai tous epainous ek pantos tropou thēreuomen ; tas ktēseis kataleipomen, kai tas apolauseis autōn ou paraitoumetha ; hotan de kai paraiteisthai doxōmen, ouch hōs tēn pleonexian pheugontes, all' hōs ta ktismata tou Theou bdelyssomenoi; Mē apsę̄, mē geusę̄, mē thigę̄s. Hotan akousę̄s, ō philē psychē, tēn parabasin tou ᾿Adam kai tēs Euas, en archę̄ men idikōs ep' ekeinois gegenēmenēn pisteue nyni de noētōs ep᾿ emoi kai soi ginomenēn heurēseis Tauta gar typikōs synebainen ekeinois; egraphē de pros nouthesian hēmōn, eis hous ta telē tōn aiōnōn katēntēsen. Idou gar dia tou baptismatos anagennēthentes, tēn entolēn tou anagennēsantos hēmas parebēmen, kathoti tou Kyriou pantas tous homopistous agapan, kai ton ek pantōn erchomenon karpon di᾽ hypomonēs esthiein keleusantos, kata to eirēmenon, apo pantos xylou tou en tǭ paradeisǭ brōsin phagein, hēmeis tois tou opheōs logismois chrēsamenoi, tous men, hōs kalous hēgapēsamen; tous de, hōs ponērous emisēsamen; hoper esti to xylon tou ginōskein kalon kai ponēron ; hou apogeusamenoi, kata dianoian thanatoumetha; ouchi tou Theou ton thanaton poiēsantos, alla tou anthrōpou ton plēsion misēsantos; Theos gar thanaton ouk epoiēsen, oude terpetai ep᾿ apōleią zōntōn, oute kineitai pathei orgēs, oute epinoei pragma eis amynan, oute alloioutai pros tēn hekastou axian; alla panta en sophią epoiēsen, hypo nomǭ pneumatikǭ krinesthai proorisas. Dia touto ou legei tǭ Adam, Hē d᾽ an hēmerą phagēte, egō thanatōsō hymas, all᾽ asphalizomenos ton tēs dikaiosynēs prolegei nomon, kai phēsin; Ē d᾽ an hēmerą phagēte, thanatǭ apothaneisthe. Kai holōs de hekastǭ pragmati, kalǭ te kai kakǭ, physikōs epakolouthein to deon apeneime, kai ouk epinoētikōs, hōs tines nomizousin, hoi ton pneumatikon agnoountes nomon. Hēmeis de hoi merikōs touton epistamenoi, ginōskein opheilomen, hoti ei tina tōn homopistōn hōs kakon misēsomen, kai hēmeis kakoi ontes, hypo Theou misēthēsometha; kai ei hōs hamartōlon tēs metanoias ekballomen, kai hēmeis hamartōloi ontes apoblēthēsometha; kai ei ouk aphiemen tǭ plēsion ta hamartēmata, oute hēmin aphethēsetai. Touton nomon phaneropoiōn ho nomothetēs Christos, eirēke; Mē krinete, kai ou mē krithēte; aphete, kai aphethēsetai hymin. Touton idōn ton nomon, phaneropoiōn ho Paulos elegen; Ho krinōn ton heteron, heauton katakrineis. Kai ho Prophētēs de ouk agnoōn touto, eboa pros ton Theon legōn; hoti sy apodōseis hekastǭ kata ta erga autōn; kai heteros prophētēs ek prosōpou tou Theou phēsin; Emē ekdikēsis, egō antapodōsō, legei Kyrios.
But you will certainly tell me, dear soul, that we neither store up gold nor have possessions. And I tell you that neither gold nor possessions bring harm, but, as I said before, their passionate misuse. For see, some who were rich without passion pleased God, like holy Abraham, Job, and David. But some of us, even without wealth, have turned the passion of love of money to the cheapest materials; hence we are more wretched than those who have much, because, having abandoned general hardship, we cunningly indulge ourselves as though escaping God's notice. Escaping love of money, we do not flee love of pleasure; we do not store up gold, but gather petty materials; we do not take offices and governorships, but hunt their glories and praises in every way; we leave possessions, but do not refuse their enjoyments; and when we seem to refuse them, it is not as fleeing greed but as loathing God's creatures: “Do not handle, do not taste, do not touch.” When you hear, dear soul, of the transgression of Adam and Eve, believe that in the beginning it happened to them particularly; but now you will find it happening spiritually in me and in you. For these things happened to them as types, and were written for our admonition, on whom the ends of the ages have come. For see, reborn through baptism, we have transgressed the commandment of him who gave us rebirth. The Lord commanded us to love all who share the faith and to eat with patience the fruit that comes from all, according to the saying, “From every tree in the garden you may eat as food”; but we, using the serpent's thoughts, loved some as good and hated others as evil; which is the tree of knowing good and evil. Tasting of it, we are put to death in mind; not because God made death, but because a person hated his neighbour. For “God did not make death, nor does he take pleasure in the destruction of the living,” nor is he moved by the passion of anger, nor devises anything for revenge, nor is altered according to each one's deserts; but he made all things in wisdom, having predetermined that they be judged under a spiritual law. That is why he does not say to Adam, “On the day you eat, I will put you to death,” but, securing him, he foretells the law of justice and says, “On the day you eat, you shall surely die.” And in general he assigned to each thing, good and bad, that what is due should follow naturally, and not by contrivance, as some think who do not know the spiritual law. But we who know it in part ought to know that if we hate any who share our faith as evil, we too, being evil, will be hated by God; and if we cast someone out of repentance as a sinner, we too, being sinners, will be cast out; and if we do not forgive our neighbour his sins, neither will they be forgiven us. Christ the lawgiver, making this law plain, said, “Do not judge, and you will not be judged; forgive, and you will be forgiven.” Paul, seeing this law and making it plain, said, “In judging another, you condemn yourself.” And the prophet, not ignorant of this, cried to God, “For you will repay each according to their works”; and another prophet says in God's person, “Vengeance is mine, I will repay, says the Lord.”
Gen 13:2 (allusion, medium confidence) · Col 2:21 (quotation, high confidence) · 1 Cor 10:11 (quotation, high confidence) · Gen 2:16 (quotation, high confidence) · Gen 2:17 (quotation, high confidence) · Ps 104:24 (103:24 LXX) (allusion, medium confidence) · Matt 7:1 (quotation, high confidence) · Luke 6:37 (quotation, high confidence) · Rom 2:1 (quotation, high confidence) · Ps 62:12 (61:13 LXX) (quotation, high confidence) · Rom 12:19 (quotation, high confidence)
Notes and citation
Summary: Love of pleasure can grow without wealth; judging others repeats Adam's eating of the tree of knowing good and evil.
- Gen 13:2; Job 1:3; Col 2:21; 1 Cor 10:11; Gen 2:16–17; Wis 1:13; Ps 104:24 (LXX 103:24); Matt 7:1; Luke 6:37; Rom 2:1; Ps 62:12 (LXX 61:13); Rom 12:19 (Deut 32:35).
Notes on the original text
- Digital text corrected (Latin look-alike letter and breathing slip; Migne margin letter removed; word split and repeated syllable in the OCR): Ἡ δ᾽ ἂv ἡμέρᾳ → Ἧ δ᾽ ἂν ἡμέρᾳ; ἀσφαλιζό μενος ος → ἀσφαλιζόμενος; τὰ Α ἁμαρτήματα → τὰ ἁμαρτήματα.
Extrabiblical texts: Wis 1:13 (Wisdom of Solomon [in RC, EO, ETH canons]; quotation)
Topics: Baptism
Cite (SBL): Mark the Hermit, Opusc. 8.3 (PG 65:1105; trans. Sophia Scriptura, https://sophiascriptura.com/p/mark-hermit-opuscula/8-3). (abbreviation not yet checked)
Permanent link: https://sophiascriptura.com/p/mark-hermit-opuscula/8-3
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Translation: Translated by Claude from the Greek of Migne's Patrologia Graeca (scan OCR; corrections logged). No public-domain English translation exists and no FOTC volume covers this work, so each batch was re-read against the Greek.
8.4PG 65:1107
Καὶ τί λέγω καθ' ἓν, ὅπου γε πᾶσιν ἡ Γραφή Παλαιά τε καὶ Νέα, μάλιστα ὁ μέγας ψαλμῳδὸς σαφέστερον ἡμῖν τοῦτον ὑποδείκνυσι τὸν νόμον, ὅπως πνευματικὸν εὑρόντες αὐτὸν, καὶ μυστικῶς προωρισμένον ἐπὶ πάσῃ ἡμῶν τῇ τροπῇ φοβηθέντες, οὐ μόνον προφανῶς, ἀλλὰ καὶ κρυπτῶς ἀγαπᾶν τοὺς ἀδελφοὺς σπουδάσωμεν. Οὐ γάρ ἐστι Μωσαϊκὸς νόμος τὰ φανερὰ κρίνων, ἀλλὰ πνευματικὸς καὶ τὰ κρυπτὰ ἐλέγχων · κἀκεῖνον μὲν ὁ αὐτὸς Θεὸς ἐνομοθέτησε τῷ ἰδίῳ καιρῷ πρέποντα· οὗτος δὲ ἐκεῖνον ἐπλήρωσε, διὰ τῆς χάριτος τοῦ Κυρίου ἡμῶν, εἰρηκότος· Οὐκ ἦλθον καταλῦσαι τὸν νόμον, ἀλλὰ πληρῶσαι. Διὰ τοῦτο (περὶ παντὸς πράγματος ἅπαξ λαλήσεται) καὶ λοιπὸν συγχωρεῖν τῷ δοκοῦντι ἡδικηκέναι, κἂν εὔλογον εἴη κἂν ἄλογον τὸ ἀδίκημα, πάσης ἀρετῆς εἰδότας μείζονα εἶναι τὴν τῆς συγχωρήσεως. Ἐπειδὴ δὲ οὐ δυνάμεθα τοῦτο ποιεῖν διὰ τὴν προκατέχουσαν ἁμαρτίαν, ὀφείλομεν μετὰ ἀγρυπνίας καὶ πάσης κακοπαθείας τὸν Θεὸν παρακαλεῖν, ἕως οὗ εὕρωμεν ἱλασμὸν, καὶ λάβωμεν τὴν τοιαύτην δύναμιν. Πρὸς ταῦτα, ὦ ψυχὴ, ἕνα σκοπὸν ὀφείλομεν ἔχειν ἐν παντὶ καιρῷ, καὶ τόπῳ, καὶ πράγματι, τὸ ὑπὸ ἀνθρώπων διαφόρως ἀδικούμενοι χαίρειν καὶ μὴ λυπεῖσθαι· χαίρειν δὲ οὐχ ἁπλῶς, οὐδὲ ἀσκόπως, ἀλλ᾽ ὅτι εὕρομεν ἀφορμὴν τοῦ ἀφιέναι τῷ ἁμαρτήσαντι. καὶ λαβεῖν ἄφεσιν τῶν ἡμετέρων ἁμαρτημάτων. Αὕτη γάρ ἐστιν ἡ ἀληθὴς θεογνωσία πάσης γνώσεως περιεκτικωτάτη, δι' ἧς δυνάμεθα παρακαλεῖν τὸν Θεὸν καὶ ἐπακούεσθαι· αὕτη ἐστὶν ἡ τῆς εὐχῆς καρποφορία · διὰ ταύτης τὸν σταυρὸν ἄραι καὶ ἀκολουθεῖν τῷ Κυρίῳ δυνάμεθα· αὕτη τῶν πρώτων καὶ μεγάλων ἐντολῶν μήτηρ τυγχάνει. Διὰ ταύτης γὰρ ἀγαπᾶν τὸν Θεὸν ἐξ ὅλης καρδίας, καὶ τὸν πλησίον ὡς ἑαυτοὺς δυνάμεθα. Διὰ ταύτης γὰρ νηστεύειν καὶ ἀγρυπνεῖν καὶ κακοπαθεῖν ὀφείλομεν, ὅπως ἡ καρδία καὶ τὰ σπλάγχνα ἀνοιγέντα εἰσδέξωνται ταῦτα, καὶ μὴ ἀποβάλωσι. Τότε γὰρ καὶ τὴν κρυπτῶς δεδομένην ἡμῖν τοῦ ἁγίου βαπτίσματος χάριν, οὐκέτι ἀδήλως, ἀλλ᾽ ἐν πάσῃ πληροφορίᾳ καὶ αἰσθήσει ἐνεργοῦσαν εὑρήσομεν, διὰ τὸ ἀφιέναι τῷ πλησίον τὰ ἁμαρτήματα.
Kai ti legō kath' hen, hopou ge pasin hē Graphē Palaia te kai Nea, malista ho megas psalmǭdos saphesteron hēmin touton hypodeiknysi ton nomon, hopōs pneumatikon heurontes auton, kai mystikōs proōrismenon epi pasę̄ hēmōn tę̄ tropę̄ phobēthentes, ou monon prophanōs, alla kai kryptōs agapan tous adelphous spoudasōmen. Ou gar esti Mōsaïkos nomos ta phanera krinōn, alla pneumatikos kai ta krypta elenchōn ; kakeinon men ho autos Theos enomothetēse tǭ idiǭ kairǭ preponta; houtos de ekeinon eplērōse, dia tēs charitos tou Kyriou hēmōn, eirēkotos; Ouk ēlthon katalysai ton nomon, alla plērōsai. Dia touto (peri pantos pragmatos hapax lalēsetai) kai loipon synchōrein tǭ dokounti hēdikēkenai, kan eulogon eiē kan alogon to adikēma, pasēs aretēs eidotas meizona einai tēn tēs synchōrēseōs. Epeidē de ou dynametha touto poiein dia tēn prokatechousan hamartian, opheilomen meta agrypnias kai pasēs kakopatheias ton Theon parakalein, heōs hou heurōmen hilasmon, kai labōmen tēn toiautēn dynamin. Pros tauta, ō psychē, hena skopon opheilomen echein en panti kairǭ, kai topǭ, kai pragmati, to hypo anthrōpōn diaphorōs adikoumenoi chairein kai mē lypeisthai; chairein de ouch haplōs, oude askopōs, all᾽ hoti heuromen aphormēn tou aphienai tǭ hamartēsanti. kai labein aphesin tōn hēmeterōn hamartēmatōn. Hautē gar estin hē alēthēs theognōsia pasēs gnōseōs periektikōtatē, di' hēs dynametha parakalein ton Theon kai epakouesthai; hautē estin hē tēs euchēs karpophoria ; dia tautēs ton stauron arai kai akolouthein tǭ Kyriǭ dynametha; hautē tōn prōtōn kai megalōn entolōn mētēr tynchanei. Dia tautēs gar agapan ton Theon ex holēs kardias, kai ton plēsion hōs heautous dynametha. Dia tautēs gar nēsteuein kai agrypnein kai kakopathein opheilomen, hopōs hē kardia kai ta splanchna anoigenta eisdexōntai tauta, kai mē apobalōsi. Tote gar kai tēn kryptōs dedomenēn hēmin tou hagiou baptismatos charin, ouketi adēlōs, all᾽ en pasę̄ plērophorią kai aisthēsei energousan heurēsomen, dia to aphienai tǭ plēsion ta hamartēmata.
And why do I speak point by point, when all Scripture, Old and New, and especially the great psalmist, shows us this law more clearly, so that, finding it spiritual and fearing it as mystically predetermined at our every turning, we may strive to love the brothers not only openly but also in secret? For it is not the Mosaic law, which judges visible things, but the spiritual law, which exposes hidden things. The same God laid down the former, fitting for its own time; and this law fulfilled it through the grace of our Lord, who said, “I did not come to abolish the law but to fulfil it.” Therefore (since it will speak once about every matter) we ought henceforth to forgive the one who seems to have wronged us, whether the wrong is reasonable or unreasonable, knowing that forgiveness is greater than every virtue. And since we cannot do this because of the sin that holds us beforehand, we ought to entreat God with vigil and every hardship until we find propitiation and receive such power. To this end, O soul, we ought to have one aim at every time, place, and matter: to rejoice and not grieve when we are wronged in various ways by people; and to rejoice not simply nor aimlessly, but because we have found an occasion to forgive the one who sinned and to receive forgiveness of our own sins. For this is the true knowledge of God, most comprehensive of all knowledge, through which we can entreat God and be heard; this is the fruit of prayer; through it we can take up the cross and follow the Lord; it is the mother of the first and great commandments. For through it we can love God with all our heart and our neighbour as ourselves. For its sake we ought to fast, keep vigil, and suffer hardship, so that the heart and the inward parts may be opened and receive these things and not cast them out. For then we shall find the grace of holy baptism, given us hiddenly, working no longer obscurely but with all full assurance and perception, because we forgive our neighbour his sins.
Matt 5:17 (quotation, high confidence) · Matt 16:24 (allusion, high confidence) · Matt 22:37 (allusion, high confidence) · Matt 22:39 (allusion, high confidence)
Notes and citation
Summary: The spiritual law judges hidden things; forgiving those who wrong us is the greatest virtue and reveals baptismal grace.
- Matt 5:17; Matt 16:24; 22:37–39. The parenthesis “since it will speak once about every matter” is obscure in the Greek (perhaps an echo of Job 33:14 LXX); the sentence lacks a main verb, supplied by sense (“we ought”).
Notes on the original text
- Digital text corrected (stray letter from the OCR; word split by the OCR): ῃ ἐξ ὅλης → ἐξ ὅλης; ἀποβά λωσι → ἀποβάλωσι.
Topics: Baptism, Prayer, Fasting
Cite (SBL): Mark the Hermit, Opusc. 8.4 (PG 65:1107; trans. Sophia Scriptura, https://sophiascriptura.com/p/mark-hermit-opuscula/8-4). (abbreviation not yet checked)
Permanent link: https://sophiascriptura.com/p/mark-hermit-opuscula/8-4
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Translation: Translated by Claude from the Greek of Migne's Patrologia Graeca (scan OCR; corrections logged). No public-domain English translation exists and no FOTC volume covers this work, so each batch was re-read against the Greek.
8.5PG 65:1107
Ταύτης δὲ τῆς ἀρετῆς κωλυτικαί εἰσι κακίαι δύο, κενοδοξία, καὶ ἡδονὴ, ἃς χρὴ πρότερον κατὰ νοῦν παραιτήσασθαι, καὶ οὕτω τὴν ἀρετὴν κρατῆσαι. Διὰ τοῦτο, ὦ ψυχή, προδοῦσα ἑαυτὴν τοῖς δυσὶ τούτοις θελήμασι, μηδένα αἰτιῶ, μήτε τὸν ᾿Αδάμ, μήτε τὸν Σατανᾶν, μήτε τοὺς ἀνθρώπους, ἀλλὰ πολέμησον τῷ σῷ θελήματι, καὶ μὴ καταφρονήσῃς· ἐμφύλιος γάρ ἐστιν ὁ πόλεμος. Οὐκ ἔστιν ἔξωθεν, ἵνα μετὰ τῶν συνόντων ἀδελφῶν πολεμήσωμεν, ἔνδοθέν ἐστιν· καὶ οὐδεὶς ἀνθρώπων συμπολεμήσει ἡμῖν. Ἕνα ἔχομεν σύμμαχον τὸν μυστικῶς ἡμῖν διὰ τοῦ βαπτίσματος ἐγκεκρυμμένον Χριστὸν, ἀνίκητον καὶ ἀλάθητον. Συμμαχήσει δὲ ἡμῖν, ἐὰν τὰς ἐντολὰς αὐτοῦ κατὰ δύναμιν ποιήσωμεν. Τὰ δὲ πολεμοῦντα ἡμῖν, καθώς προειρήκαμεν, ἡδονὴ συμμιγεῖσα τῷ σώματι, καὶ κενοδοξία, αἳ καὶ ἐμὲ καὶ σὲ κατέχουσι. Ταῦτα τὰ δύο τὴν Εὔαν ἐπλάνησαν, καὶ τὸν ᾿Ἀδὰμ ἐξηπάτησαν. Ἡ μὲν ἡδονὴ ἔδειξε τὸ ξύλον, ὡς καλὸν εἰς βρῶσιν, καὶ ὡραῖον τοῦ κατανοῆσαι· Ἡ δὲ κενοδοξία τό· Ως θεοὶ ἔσεσθε, γινώσκοντες καλὸν καὶ πονηρόν. Καθάπερ οὖν ὁ πρωτόπλαστος ᾿Αδὰμ καὶ ἡ Εὔα ᾐσχύνοντο ἀλλήλους, οὕτω καὶ ἡμεῖς τὴν κακίαν τῶν νοερῶν ὀφθαλμῶν ἀποβαλόντες, καὶ ἑαυτοὺς γυμνοὺς ὁρῶντες, ἀλλήλους κατὰ συνείδησιν αἰσχυνόμεθα· ἰδοὺ φύλλα συκῆς ἑαυτοῖς συῤῥάπτομεν, ἐξωτέροις ῥήμασι καὶ σχήμασι καὶ δικαιολογίαις ἐνδύοντες. Ὁ δὲ Κύριος κατασκευάζει ἡμῖν τὸ ἐκ δερμάτων ἔνδυμα, καὶ λέγει· Ἐν τῇ ὑπομονῇ ὑμῶν κτήσασθε τὰς ψυχὰς ὑμῶν. Καὶ τὰ ἀκόλουθα παραινεῖ λέγων· Ὁ εὑρὼν τὴν ψυχὴν αὐτοῦ, τοῦτ᾽ ἔστιν ἐν μνησικακίᾳ, ἀπολέσει αὐτήν· καὶ ὁ (ἐν αὐτῇ) ἀπολέσας αὐτὴν, εἰς ζωὴν αἰώνιον εὑρήσει αὐτήν. Αὐτῷ ἡ δόξα εἰς τοὺς αἰῶνας. Αμήν.
Tautēs de tēs aretēs kōlytikai eisi kakiai dyo, kenodoxia, kai hēdonē, has chrē proteron kata noun paraitēsasthai, kai houtō tēn aretēn kratēsai. Dia touto, ō psychē, prodousa heautēn tois dysi toutois thelēmasi, mēdena aitiō, mēte ton ᾿Adam, mēte ton Satanan, mēte tous anthrōpous, alla polemēson tǭ sǭ thelēmati, kai mē kataphronēsę̄s; emphylios gar estin ho polemos. Ouk estin exōthen, hina meta tōn synontōn adelphōn polemēsōmen, endothen estin; kai oudeis anthrōpōn sympolemēsei hēmin. Hena echomen symmachon ton mystikōs hēmin dia tou baptismatos enkekrymmenon Christon, anikēton kai alathēton. Symmachēsei de hēmin, ean tas entolas autou kata dynamin poiēsōmen. Ta de polemounta hēmin, kathōs proeirēkamen, hēdonē symmigeisa tǭ sōmati, kai kenodoxia, hai kai eme kai se katechousi. Tauta ta dyo tēn Euan eplanēsan, kai ton ᾿Adam exēpatēsan. Hē men hēdonē edeixe to xylon, hōs kalon eis brōsin, kai hōraion tou katanoēsai; Hē de kenodoxia to; Ōs theoi esesthe, ginōskontes kalon kai ponēron. Kathaper oun ho prōtoplastos ᾿Adam kai hē Eua ę̄schynonto allēlous, houtō kai hēmeis tēn kakian tōn noerōn ophthalmōn apobalontes, kai heautous gymnous horōntes, allēlous kata syneidēsin aischynometha; idou phylla sykēs heautois syrrhaptomen, exōterois rhēmasi kai schēmasi kai dikaiologiais endyontes. Ho de Kyrios kataskeuazei hēmin to ek dermatōn endyma, kai legei; En tę̄ hypomonę̄ hymōn ktēsasthe tas psychas hymōn. Kai ta akoloutha parainei legōn; Ho heurōn tēn psychēn autou, tout᾽ estin en mnēsikakią, apolesei autēn; kai ho (en autę̄) apolesas autēn, eis zōēn aiōnion heurēsei autēn. Autǭ hē doxa eis tous aiōnas. Amēn.
Two vices hinder this virtue: vainglory and pleasure, which must first be refused in the mind, and so the virtue grasped. Therefore, O soul, having betrayed yourself to these two wishes, blame no one, neither Adam nor Satan nor people, but fight your own will, and do not despise it; for the war is civil war. It is not outside, so that we may fight with the brothers who are with us; it is within; and no one among people will fight alongside us. We have one ally, Christ, hidden in us mystically through baptism, unconquerable and missing nothing. He will fight with us if we do his commandments as far as we can. The things that war against us, as we said before, are pleasure mixed with the body, and vainglory, which hold both me and you. These two led Eve astray and deceived Adam. Pleasure showed the tree as good for food and beautiful to look at; vainglory said, “You will be like gods, knowing good and evil.” Just as the first-formed Adam and Eve were ashamed before each other, so we too, having cast wickedness off from our spiritual eyes and seeing ourselves naked, are ashamed before one another in conscience; see, we sew fig leaves together for ourselves, clothing ourselves with outward words, appearances, and self-justifications. But the Lord makes us the garment of skins, and says, “In your patience gain your souls.” And he exhorts what follows, saying, “Whoever finds his soul,” that is, in resentment, “will lose it; and whoever loses it” (in this) “will find it for eternal life.” To him be glory for ever. Amen.
Gen 3:6 (allusion, high confidence) · Gen 3:5 (quotation, high confidence) · Gen 3:7 (allusion, high confidence) · Gen 3:21 (allusion, high confidence) · Luke 21:19 (quotation, high confidence) · Matt 10:39 (quotation, high confidence)
Notes and citation
Summary: The war against vainglory and pleasure is within, with Christ hidden in baptism as our ally.
- Gen 3:6, 5, 7, 21; Luke 21:19; Matt 10:39. A running head (“JEJUNIO”) printed in the line is removed.
Notes on the original text
- Digital text corrected (OCR letter slip; OCR letter slips; running head printed in the line removed): παραιτήσασθα: → παραιτήσασθαι; κροδοῦσα → προδοῦσα; θελήμαυ: → θελήμασι; μήτε τὸν JEJUNIΟ. Σατανᾶν → μήτε τὸν Σατανᾶν.
Topics: Baptism
Cite (SBL): Mark the Hermit, Opusc. 8.5 (PG 65:1107; trans. Sophia Scriptura, https://sophiascriptura.com/p/mark-hermit-opuscula/8-5). (abbreviation not yet checked)
Permanent link: https://sophiascriptura.com/p/mark-hermit-opuscula/8-5
BibTeX · RIS · CSL-JSON (whole work; this passage's key: sophiascriptura-mark-hermit-opuscula-8-5) · Report an error
Translation: Translated by Claude from the Greek of Migne's Patrologia Graeca (scan OCR; corrections logged). No public-domain English translation exists and no FOTC volume covers this work, so each batch was re-read against the Greek.
Chapter 9
9.1PG 65:1109
Προσήκει τοὺς ἀσκοῦντας ἐναρχομένους, καὶ ἐπιτελεῖν, τούς τε νέους καὶ πρεσβυτέρους, ἐῤῥωμένον ἔχοντας τὸ σῶμα, μήτε κάματον, μήτε κάκωσιν φοβουμένους, πάσῃ προθυμίᾳ τὴν χρησιμωτέραν καὶ ἀσφαλεστέραν ἀπαραλείπτως προΐστασθαι νηστείαν. Σταθμῷ τὸν ἄρτον ἐσθίειν, καὶ μέτρῳ τὸ ὕδωρ πίνειν, ἀπὸ καιροῦ εἰς καιρόν· τοσοῦτον δὲ, ὅσον πεινῶντας καὶ διψῶντας ἀναχωρεῖν τοῦ δείπνου, καὶ τὴν ἀναγκαίαν πρὸς Θεὸν λειτουργίαν μὴ ἐμποδίζεσθαι ὑπὸ τῆς ἡδονῆς τῶν βρωμάτων. Ἐὰν γὰρ θελήσωμεν ἐσθίοντες κορεσθῆναι, ταχέως ἀκηδιάσαντες ἐφ᾽ ἑτέραν τραπησόμεθα ἐπιθυμίαν, καὶ ἐὰν ταύτης μεταλαμβάνοντες ἐμπλησθῶμεν, καὶ ταύτην ὁμοίως αὖθις ὡς πρώτην ἀποδοκιμάσαντες καταλείψομεν. Καὶ οὐκ ἔστιν ἡμᾶς, ἂν ἐπινοήσωμεν ἑαυτοῖς ἐπιθυμίαν ἢ νηστείαν, πρὸς παράκλησιν ἐπιμεῖναι χορταζομένους. Τί τοῦ μάννα ἐν τοῖς σιτίοις πολυτελέστερον; καὶ ὡς τοῦτο ἔφαγε, καὶ ἐνεπλήσθη ὁ Ἰσραὴλ, ὅτε μὴ εἶχε κρείττονος ἐπιθυμῆσαι, τὸ ἔλαττον ἐπεθύμησε, σκόροδα καὶ κρόμμυα, ὥστε ἔμφυτον τῇ πλησμονῇ ἡ τοῦ ἑτέρου ἐπιθυμία. Εἰ οὖν ἐν τῷ κορέννυσθαι ἄρτου, ἐπιθυμοῦμεν ἑτέρου, τοῦτον ἐσθίοντες μὴ κορεσθῶμεν, ἵνα τοῦτον ἐπιθυμοῦντες ἀεὶ ἐπιθυμῶμεν κορεσθῆναι· ὅπως καὶ τὴν βλάβην τὴν ἐκ τῆς ἐπιθυμίας ἐκφύγωμεν, καὶ τὴν δικαιοσύνην τὴν ἐκ τῆς ἐγκρατείας ἀπενεγκώμεθα.
Prosēkei tous askountas enarchomenous, kai epitelein, tous te neous kai presbyterous, errhōmenon echontas to sōma, mēte kamaton, mēte kakōsin phoboumenous, pasę̄ prothymią tēn chrēsimōteran kai asphalesteran aparaleiptōs proïstasthai nēsteian. Stathmǭ ton arton esthiein, kai metrǭ to hydōr pinein, apo kairou eis kairon; tosouton de, hoson peinōntas kai dipsōntas anachōrein tou deipnou, kai tēn anankaian pros Theon leitourgian mē empodizesthai hypo tēs hēdonēs tōn brōmatōn. Ean gar thelēsōmen esthiontes koresthēnai, tacheōs akēdiasantes eph᾽ heteran trapēsometha epithymian, kai ean tautēs metalambanontes emplēsthōmen, kai tautēn homoiōs authis hōs prōtēn apodokimasantes kataleipsomen. Kai ouk estin hēmas, an epinoēsōmen heautois epithymian ē nēsteian, pros paraklēsin epimeinai chortazomenous. Ti tou manna en tois sitiois polytelesteron? kai hōs touto ephage, kai eneplēsthē ho Israēl, hote mē eiche kreittonos epithymēsai, to elatton epethymēse, skoroda kai krommya, hōste emphyton tę̄ plēsmonę̄ hē tou heterou epithymia. Ei oun en tǭ korennysthai artou, epithymoumen heterou, touton esthiontes mē koresthōmen, hina touton epithymountes aei epithymōmen koresthēnai; hopōs kai tēn blabēn tēn ek tēs epithymias ekphygōmen, kai tēn dikaiosynēn tēn ek tēs enkrateias apenenkōmetha.
It befits those who practise asceticism, both beginners and those finishing, young and old, who have a healthy body and fear neither fatigue nor hardship, to put forward with all eagerness, without omission, the more useful and safer fast: to eat bread by weight and drink water by measure, from time to time; and so much that they leave the meal still hungry and thirsty, and the necessary service to God is not hindered by the pleasure of foods. For if we wish to be filled when we eat, we shall soon grow weary and turn to another desire; and if we take our fill of this, we shall likewise reject it in turn like the first and abandon it. And when we devise a desire or a fast for ourselves, we cannot persevere toward consolation while being filled. What among foods was more costly than the manna? And when Israel had eaten and been filled with it, since it had nothing better to desire, it desired the lesser, garlic and onions, so that desire for something else is innate in fullness. If, then, when filled with bread we desire something else, let us not be filled when we eat it, so that, desiring it, we may always desire to be filled; so that we may both escape the harm that comes from desire and carry off the righteousness that comes from self-control.
Num 11:5 (allusion, high confidence) · Ezek 4:16 (allusion, medium confidence)
Notes and citation
Summary: The safer fast is bread by weight and water by measure, always rising hungry, since fullness breeds new desires.
- Tractate 9 is on fasting. Num 11:5–6; Ezek 4:16. A line displaced in the scan (“fast. To eat bread by weight, and by measure the”) is restored to its place.
Notes on the original text
- Digital text corrected (displaced line moved back; margin letters removed; displaced line restored inside the word): νηὕδωρ πίνειν → νηστείαν. Σταθμῷ τὸν ἄρτον ἐσθίειν, καὶ μέτρῳ τὸ ὕδωρ πίνειν; ὥστε Α στείαν. Σταθμῷ τὸν ἄρτον ἐσθίειν, καὶ μέτρῳ τὸ Β ἔμφυτον → ὥστε ἔμφυτον.
Topics: Fasting
Cite (SBL): Mark the Hermit, Opusc. 9.1 (PG 65:1109; trans. Sophia Scriptura, https://sophiascriptura.com/p/mark-hermit-opuscula/9-1). (abbreviation not yet checked)
Permanent link: https://sophiascriptura.com/p/mark-hermit-opuscula/9-1
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Translation: Translated by Claude from the Greek of Migne's Patrologia Graeca (scan OCR; corrections logged). No public-domain English translation exists and no FOTC volume covers this work, so each batch was re-read against the Greek.
9.2PG 65:1111
᾿Αλλ' ἴσως ἐρεῖ τις τῶν περὶ τὴν νηστείαν ὀκνηροτέρων · Μὴ γὰρ ἁμαρτία ἐστὶν ἄνθρωπον τροφῆς μεταλαμβάνειν; ᾿Αλλ᾽ οὐδὲ ἡμεῖς ὡς ἁμαρτίας οὔσης τοῦτο συμβουλεύομεν, ἀλλ᾽ ὡς ἐκ τούτου τῆς ἁμαρτίας κατακολουθούσης. Καὶ ὁ Ἰσραὴλ οὐχ ἥμαρτεν ἐπιθυμήσας, ἀλλὰ διὰ τῆς ἐπιθυμίας Θεοῦ καταλαλήσας ἠσέβησεν· εἶπε γάρ· Μὴ δυνήσεται ὁ Θεὸς ἑτοιμάσαι τράπεζαν ἐν ἐρήμῳ; Καὶ μετὰ τὸ ἑτοιμασθῆναι αὐτοῖς, τότε ἡ ὀργὴ τοῦ Θεοῦ ἐξεκαύθη ἐν αὐτοῖς, καὶ συνεπόδισε τοὺς ἐκλεκτοὺς αὐτῶν, ἵνα μὴ ζῶντες πάλιν ἑτέρας ἐπιθυμήσωσι τροφῆς, καὶ λόγους κατὰ τοῦ Ὑψίστου λαλήσωσι, καὶ ἐξολοθρευθῶσιν οἱ κατάλοιποι αὐτῶν. Ἔργον ἐστὶ τῆς ἀναιδοῦς κρατῆσαι γαστρός· θεός ἐστι τῶν ἡττωμένων αὐτῇ, καὶ οὐκ ἔστιν ἀθωωθῆναι τὸν ἀνεχόμενον αὐτῆς. Καὶ οὐ μόνον τὸ τῆς πλησμονῆς ἐστι τὸ κινδυνευόμενον, ἀλλὰ καὶ τὸ τῆς ἀσιτίας· ἐν τῷ παρελθεῖν γὰρ ἡμέρας πλείους οὐδενὸς μεταλαμβάνοντας, ἡ ἀκηδία χώραν λαβοῦσα ἐπαναστήσεται, καὶ πολεμήσει ἡμᾶς, καὶ τὴν μὲν ἀγρυπνίαν ἡμῶν τῆς νυκτὸς μεταβαλεῖ εἰς ὕπνον, τὴν δὲ προσευχὴν ἡμῶν τῆς ἡμέρας εἰς σαρκικοὺς λογισμοὺς, ὥστε ἡμᾶς ἐκ τοῦ ὕπνου ώφεληθῆναι μηδὲν, καὶ ἐκ τῶν σαρκικῶν λογισμῶν μᾶλλον βλαβῆναι τὰ μέγιστα. Ἀρχόμεθα γὰρ ὡς ὑπὲρ τοὺς ἄλλους ἀσκοῦντες μέγα φρονεῖν, καὶ τοὺς μὲν μικροτέρους ἐξουθενεῖν, ὅπερ ἐστὶ πάσης πλημμελείας χαλεπώτερον. Ωσπερ γὰρ γεωργὸς ἀσύνετος, ἐὰν τὴν ἑαυτοῦ χώραν, ἀναλώμασι πολλοῖς κατεργασάμενος, ἄσπορον ἐάσῃ, εἰς ζημίαν ἐκοπίασεν· οὕτω καὶ ἡμεῖς ἐὰν τὴν ἑαυτῶν σάρκα πολλῇ τῇ προσόδῳ δουλαγωγήσαντες, τὸν λόγον τῆς προσευχῆς μὴ καταβάλωμεν, μᾶλλον καθ᾽ αὑτῶν ἐσπουδάσαμεν.
᾿All' isōs erei tis tōn peri tēn nēsteian oknēroterōn ; Mē gar hamartia estin anthrōpon trophēs metalambanein? ᾿All᾽ oude hēmeis hōs hamartias ousēs touto symbouleuomen, all᾽ hōs ek toutou tēs hamartias katakolouthousēs. Kai ho Israēl ouch hēmarten epithymēsas, alla dia tēs epithymias Theou katalalēsas ēsebēsen; eipe gar; Mē dynēsetai ho Theos hetoimasai trapezan en erēmǭ? Kai meta to hetoimasthēnai autois, tote hē orgē tou Theou exekauthē en autois, kai synepodise tous eklektous autōn, hina mē zōntes palin heteras epithymēsōsi trophēs, kai logous kata tou Hypsistou lalēsōsi, kai exolothreuthōsin hoi kataloipoi autōn. Ergon esti tēs anaidous kratēsai gastros; theos esti tōn hēttōmenōn autę̄, kai ouk estin athōōthēnai ton anechomenon autēs. Kai ou monon to tēs plēsmonēs esti to kindyneuomenon, alla kai to tēs asitias; en tǭ parelthein gar hēmeras pleious oudenos metalambanontas, hē akēdia chōran labousa epanastēsetai, kai polemēsei hēmas, kai tēn men agrypnian hēmōn tēs nyktos metabalei eis hypnon, tēn de proseuchēn hēmōn tēs hēmeras eis sarkikous logismous, hōste hēmas ek tou hypnou ōphelēthēnai mēden, kai ek tōn sarkikōn logismōn mallon blabēnai ta megista. Archometha gar hōs hyper tous allous askountes mega phronein, kai tous men mikroterous exouthenein, hoper esti pasēs plēmmeleias chalepōteron. Ōsper gar geōrgos asynetos, ean tēn heautou chōran, analōmasi pollois katergasamenos, asporon easę̄, eis zēmian ekopiasen; houtō kai hēmeis ean tēn heautōn sarka pollę̄ tę̄ prosodǭ doulagōgēsantes, ton logon tēs proseuchēs mē katabalōmen, mallon kath᾽ hautōn espoudasamen.
But perhaps one of those more sluggish about fasting will say, “Is it a sin for a person to take food?” We do not counsel this as though it were sin, but because sin follows from it. Israel did not sin by desiring, but acted impiously by speaking against God through its desire; for it said, “Can God prepare a table in the wilderness?” And after it had been prepared for them, then the wrath of God was kindled against them and hindered their chosen ones, so that they might not live and again desire other food and speak words against the Most High, and the rest of them be destroyed. It is a labour to master the shameless belly; it is the god of those defeated by it, and whoever puts up with it cannot be acquitted. And not only is there danger from fullness, but also from abstaining from food. For when many days pass without our taking anything, listlessness gains ground and will rise up and war against us, changing our night vigil into sleep and our day's prayer into fleshly thoughts, so that we gain nothing from the sleep and are harmed most greatly by the fleshly thoughts. For we begin to think great things of ourselves as practising asceticism beyond others, and to despise the lesser, which is more grievous than any offence. For just as a foolish farmer who has worked his land at great expense and leaves it unsown has toiled to his loss, so we too, if we bring our flesh into subjection with great effort but do not sow the word of prayer, have rather striven against ourselves.
Ps 78:19 (77:19 LXX) (quotation, high confidence) · Ps 78:31 (77:31 LXX) (allusion, high confidence) · Phil 3:19 (allusion, high confidence) · 1 Cor 9:27 (allusion, medium confidence)
Notes and citation
Summary: Food is not sin, but excess and excessive abstinence both harm; fasting must be sown with prayer.
- Ps 78:19, 31 (LXX 77:19, 31); Phil 3:19; 1 Cor 9:27. Two words (“by weight and measure”) and a running head (“JEJUNIO”) printed in the line are removed as stray.
Notes on the original text
- Digital text corrected (hyphenation and stray characters removed; stray words and running head printed in the line removed): κατα- 3μην λαλήσας → καταλαλήσας; ἐξεκαύθη ἐν σταθμῷ καὶ μέτρῳ JEJUNIΟ. αὐτοῖς → ἐξεκαύθη ἐν αὐτοῖς.
Cite (SBL): Mark the Hermit, Opusc. 9.2 (PG 65:1111; trans. Sophia Scriptura, https://sophiascriptura.com/p/mark-hermit-opuscula/9-2). (abbreviation not yet checked)
Permanent link: https://sophiascriptura.com/p/mark-hermit-opuscula/9-2
BibTeX · RIS · CSL-JSON (whole work; this passage's key: sophiascriptura-mark-hermit-opuscula-9-2) · Report an error
Translation: Translated by Claude from the Greek of Migne's Patrologia Graeca (scan OCR; corrections logged). No public-domain English translation exists and no FOTC volume covers this work, so each batch was re-read against the Greek.
9.3PG 65:1113
Ἀλλ᾽ ἴσως ἐρεῖ τις· Εἱ ἐν τῇ προσευχῇ ἡ δικαιοσύνη, τίς ἐστι χρεία τῆς νηστείας; Πολλὴ κατὰ πάντα τρόπον. "Ωσπερ γάρ τις τῶν πενήτων γεωργῶν, ἐὰν ἐπὶ χέρσου σπείρῃ μὴ νεώσας τὴν γῆν, ἀντὶ πυροῦ ἀκάνθας προσοδευθήσεται· οὕτω καὶ ἐὰν ἡμεῖς μὴ τὴν ἑαυτῶν σάρκα νηστείᾳ ὑπωπιάσαντες, τὸν λόγον τῆς προσευχῆς καταβάλωμεν, ἀντὶ δικαιοσύνης ἁμαρτίας καρπωσόμεθα. Ἡ γὰρ σὰρξ αὕτη ἐκ τῆς γῆς ἐκείνης ὑπάρχει· καὶ ἐὰν μὴ τοσαύτης ἐπιμελείας τύχῃ, ὅσης ἐκείνη, καρπὸν δικαιοσύνης οὐδέποτε βλαστήσει. Ταῦτα δὲ λέγομεν, οὐχ ὡς τοὺς ἐκ τῆς νηστείας ὠφεληθῆναι βουλομένους ἐγκόπτοντες, ἀλλὰ τοὺς μετὰ διακρίσεως καὶ φόβου Θεοῦ τὴν ἀπάθειαν τοῦ οἰκείου σώματος ἐξασκεῖν βουλομένους προτρεπόμενοι· ὃν τρόπον γὰρ ὠφελεῖ τοὺς μετὰ λογισμοῦ αὐτῇ προσιόντας, οὕτω βλάπτει τοὺς ἀλογίστως αὐτῇ προσερχομένους. Οἱ οὖν κηδόμενοι τῆς ὠφελείας αὐτῆς, ὀφείλουσι φυλάττεσθαι καὶ τὴν βλάβην αὐτῆς· καὶ τὸν ἄρτον, ὃν ἐσθίομεν μετὰ τὴν συμπλήρωσιν τῆς νηστείας, ἧς ὀρίζομεν ἑαυτοῖς, τοῦτον διελεῖν εἰς τὰς ἡμέρας τῆς ἀσιτίας, ἵνα μέρους βραχέος καθ' ἑκάστην λαμβάνοντες φιμώσωμεν τῆς ἑαυτῶν σαρκὸς τὸ φρόνημα, καὶ τὴν καρδίαν ἔχωμεν ἐστηριγμένην εἰς τὴν ὠφελιμωτέραν προσευχήν· ὅπως δυνάμει Θεοῦ, ἀπὸ ἐπάρσεως φυλαχθέντες, ἐν ταπεινοφροσύνῃ διάγωμεν πάσας τὰς ἡμέρας τῆς ζωῆς ἡμῶν, ἧς χωρὶς οὐδεὶς εὐηρέστησε Θεῷ.
All᾽ isōs erei tis; Hei en tę̄ proseuchę̄ hē dikaiosynē, tis esti chreia tēs nēsteias? Pollē kata panta tropon. "Ōsper gar tis tōn penētōn geōrgōn, ean epi chersou speirę̄ mē neōsas tēn gēn, anti pyrou akanthas prosodeuthēsetai; houtō kai ean hēmeis mē tēn heautōn sarka nēsteią hypōpiasantes, ton logon tēs proseuchēs katabalōmen, anti dikaiosynēs hamartias karpōsometha. Hē gar sarx hautē ek tēs gēs ekeinēs hyparchei; kai ean mē tosautēs epimeleias tychę̄, hosēs ekeinē, karpon dikaiosynēs oudepote blastēsei. Tauta de legomen, ouch hōs tous ek tēs nēsteias ōphelēthēnai boulomenous enkoptontes, alla tous meta diakriseōs kai phobou Theou tēn apatheian tou oikeiou sōmatos exaskein boulomenous protrepomenoi; hon tropon gar ōphelei tous meta logismou autę̄ prosiontas, houtō blaptei tous alogistōs autę̄ proserchomenous. Hoi oun kēdomenoi tēs ōpheleias autēs, opheilousi phylattesthai kai tēn blabēn autēs; kai ton arton, hon esthiomen meta tēn symplērōsin tēs nēsteias, hēs orizomen heautois, touton dielein eis tas hēmeras tēs asitias, hina merous bracheos kath' hekastēn lambanontes phimōsōmen tēs heautōn sarkos to phronēma, kai tēn kardian echōmen estērigmenēn eis tēn ōphelimōteran proseuchēn; hopōs dynamei Theou, apo eparseōs phylachthentes, en tapeinophrosynę̄ diagōmen pasas tas hēmeras tēs zōēs hēmōn, hēs chōris oudeis euērestēse Theǭ.
But perhaps someone will say, “If righteousness is in prayer, what need is there of fasting?” Much, in every way. For just as a poor farmer who sows on dry ground without ploughing the earth will reap thorns instead of wheat, so we too, if we sow the word of prayer without first subduing our flesh by fasting, shall reap sin instead of righteousness. For this flesh is from that earth; and unless it receives as much care as that earth, it will never sprout the fruit of righteousness. We say this not to hinder those who wish to be helped by fasting, but to urge on those who wish to practise the dispassion of their own body with discernment and the fear of God. For as fasting helps those who approach it with reason, so it harms those who approach it without reason. Those, then, who care for its benefit must also guard against its harm; and the bread that we eat after completing the fast we have set ourselves, let us divide it among the days of abstinence, so that, taking a small portion each day, we may muzzle the mind of our flesh and keep our heart fixed on the more beneficial prayer; so that by the power of God, guarded from elation, we may live in humility all the days of our life, without which no one has pleased God.
Jer 4:3 (echo, medium confidence) · 1 Cor 9:27 (allusion, high confidence) · Rom 8:7 (echo, low confidence)
Notes and citation
Summary: Fasting prepares the soil for prayer; practise it with discernment, dividing one's bread over the fast days.
- Jer 4:3; 1 Cor 9:27; Rom 8:7.
Notes on the original text
- Digital text corrected (OCR letter slip; repeated word and margin letter printed inside the word removed; stray letter from the OCR; stray mark; word split by the OCR): ἀντὶ η δικαιοσύνης → ἀντὶ δικαιοσύνης; Ἡ γὰρ/ σὰρξ → Ἡ γὰρ σὰρξ; ἐξἀπαθείας άπαθείας Α σκεῖν → ἐξασκεῖν; δν τρόπον → ὃν τρόπον; πά σας → πάσας.
Cite (SBL): Mark the Hermit, Opusc. 9.3 (PG 65:1113; trans. Sophia Scriptura, https://sophiascriptura.com/p/mark-hermit-opuscula/9-3). (abbreviation not yet checked)
Permanent link: https://sophiascriptura.com/p/mark-hermit-opuscula/9-3
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Translation: Translated by Claude from the Greek of Migne's Patrologia Graeca (scan OCR; corrections logged). No public-domain English translation exists and no FOTC volume covers this work, so each batch was re-read against the Greek.
9.4PG 65:1115
Εἰ γὰρ ταπεινοφροσύνης ἐπεμελούμεθα, οὐκἂν ἐδεήθημεν παιδείας · πάντα γὰρ τὰ κακὰ καὶ δεινὰ τὰ συμβαίνοντα ἡμῖν, διὰ τὴν ἔπαρσιν ἡμῶν συμβαίνει. Εἰ γὰρ τῷ ᾿Αποστόλῳ, ἵνα μὴ ἐπαρθῇ, ἄγγελος Σατᾶν ἐδόθη, πόσῳ μᾶλλον ἡμῖν τοῖς ἐπηρμένοις αὐτὸς ὁ Σατανᾶς δοθήσεται καταπατεῖν ἡμᾶς ἕως ταπεινωθῶμεν; Οἱ προπάτορες ἡμῶν, οἴκων ἐδέσποζον, καὶ πλοῦτον εἶχον, καὶ γυναικῶν καὶ τέκνων προενόουν, καὶ Θεῷ ὠμίλουν διὰ τὴν ἄπλαστον ταπεινοφροσύνην αὐτῶν· ἡμεῖς δὲ κόσμου ἀνεχωρήσαμεν, καὶ πλούτου κατεφρονήσαμεν, καὶ τοὺς οἴκους κατελίπομεν, καὶ ὑπὸ δαιμόνων χλευαζόμεθα διὰ τὴν ἔπαρσιν ἡμῶν. Ὁ ἐπαιρόμενος ἀγνοεῖ ἑαυτόν· εἰ γὰρ ἐγίνωσκεν ἑαυτὸν, καὶ τὴν ἑαυτοῦ ἀφροσύνην, μεθ᾿ ἧς ἀναστρέφεται, οὐκ ἂν ἐπήρθη. Ὁ δὲ ἑαυτὸν ἀγνοῶν πῶς δύναται Θεὸν γιγνώσκειν; Εἰ γὰρ τὴν ἑαυτοῦ ἀφροσύνην οὐκ ἴσχυσε συνιέναι, πῶς τὴν τοῦ Θεοῦ σοφίαν, ἧς πόῤῥωθέν ἐστι καὶ ξένος, συνιέναι δυνήσεται; Ὁ γὰρ γινώσκων τὸν Θεὸν, ἐνοπτρίζεται τὴν μεγαλωσύνην αὐτοῦ, καὶ φαυλίζει ἑαυτὸν, ὡς ὁ μακάριος Ἰὼβ, καὶ λέγει · Ἕως ἀκοῆς ἤκουόν σου τὸ πρότερον· νῦν δὲ ὁ ὀφθαλμός μου ἑώρακέ σε. Διὸ ἐφαύλισα ἐμαυτὸν, καὶ ἐτάκην· ἤγημαι δὲ ἐμαυτὸν γῆν καὶ σποδόν. Οἱ τοίνυν τὸν Ἰὼβ μιμούμενοι, οὗτοι τὸν Θεὸν ὁρῶσι· οἱ δὲ ὁρῶντες αὐτὸν, οὗτοι γινώσκουσιν αὐτόν. Ἐὰν οὖν βουληθῶμεν ὁρᾷν τὸν Θεὸν, φαυλίσωμεν ἑαυτοὺς, καὶ ταπεινοφρονήσωμεν · ἵνα μὴ μόνον αὐτὸν ἐξ ἐναντίας ὁρῶμεν, ἀλλὰ καὶ ἐν ἡμῖν οἰκοῦντά τε καὶ ἀναπαυόμενον ἔχοντες, κατατρυφῶμεν αὐτοῦ. Οὕτω γὰρ ἡ ἀφροσύνη ἡμῶν ἐν τῇ σοφίᾳ αὐτοῦ σοφισθήσεται, καὶ ἡ ἀσθένεια ἡμῶν ἐν τῇ δυνάμει αὐτοῦ δυναμωθήσεται, κραταιούσῃ ἡμᾶς εἰς αὐτὸν τὸν ἀξιώσαντα ἡμᾶς τῆς δωρεᾶς ταύτης περισσοτέρως δοξασθῆναι ἐν ἡμῖν, καὶ τὸν ἐχθρὸν ἡμῶν διάβολον ὑπερβαλόντως καταισχῦναι δι᾽ ἡμᾶς, ἐν αὐτῷ τῷ Κυρίῳ ἡμῶν Ἰησοῦ Χριστῷ· ὅτι αὐτῷ πρέπει δόξα, μεγαλωσύνη τε καὶ μεγαλοπρέπεια, εἰς τοὺς αἰῶνας. ᾿Αμήν.
Ei gar tapeinophrosynēs epemeloumetha, oukan edeēthēmen paideias ; panta gar ta kaka kai deina ta symbainonta hēmin, dia tēn eparsin hēmōn symbainei. Ei gar tǭ ᾿Apostolǭ, hina mē eparthę̄, angelos Satan edothē, posǭ mallon hēmin tois epērmenois autos ho Satanas dothēsetai katapatein hēmas heōs tapeinōthōmen? Hoi propatores hēmōn, oikōn edespozon, kai plouton eichon, kai gynaikōn kai teknōn proenooun, kai Theǭ ōmiloun dia tēn aplaston tapeinophrosynēn autōn; hēmeis de kosmou anechōrēsamen, kai ploutou katephronēsamen, kai tous oikous katelipomen, kai hypo daimonōn chleuazometha dia tēn eparsin hēmōn. Ho epairomenos agnoei heauton; ei gar eginōsken heauton, kai tēn heautou aphrosynēn, meth᾿ hēs anastrephetai, ouk an epērthē. Ho de heauton agnoōn pōs dynatai Theon gignōskein? Ei gar tēn heautou aphrosynēn ouk ischyse synienai, pōs tēn tou Theou sophian, hēs porrhōthen esti kai xenos, synienai dynēsetai? Ho gar ginōskōn ton Theon, enoptrizetai tēn megalōsynēn autou, kai phaulizei heauton, hōs ho makarios Iōb, kai legei ; Heōs akoēs ēkouon sou to proteron; nyn de ho ophthalmos mou heōrake se. Dio ephaulisa emauton, kai etakēn; ēgēmai de emauton gēn kai spodon. Hoi toinyn ton Iōb mimoumenoi, houtoi ton Theon horōsi; hoi de horōntes auton, houtoi ginōskousin auton. Ean oun boulēthōmen horąn ton Theon, phaulisōmen heautous, kai tapeinophronēsōmen ; hina mē monon auton ex enantias horōmen, alla kai en hēmin oikounta te kai anapauomenon echontes, katatryphōmen autou. Houtō gar hē aphrosynē hēmōn en tę̄ sophią autou sophisthēsetai, kai hē astheneia hēmōn en tę̄ dynamei autou dynamōthēsetai, krataiousę̄ hēmas eis auton ton axiōsanta hēmas tēs dōreas tautēs perissoterōs doxasthēnai en hēmin, kai ton echthron hēmōn diabolon hyperbalontōs kataischynai di᾽ hēmas, en autǭ tǭ Kyriǭ hēmōn Iēsou Christǭ; hoti autǭ prepei doxa, megalōsynē te kai megaloprepeia, eis tous aiōnas. ᾿Amēn.
For if we cared for humility, we would not need discipline; for all the evils and terrible things that befall us befall us because of our elation. For if an angel of Satan was given to the apostle so that he might not be elated, how much more will Satan himself be given to us who are elated, to trample us until we are humbled? Our forefathers were masters of houses, had wealth, provided for wives and children, and conversed with God because of their unfeigned humility; but we have withdrawn from the world, despised wealth, left our houses, and are mocked by demons because of our elation. The elated person does not know himself; for if he knew himself and the folly with which he lives, he would not be elated. And how can one who does not know himself know God? For if he could not understand his own folly, how will he be able to understand the wisdom of God, from which he is far away and a stranger? For whoever knows God sees his greatness as in a mirror and thinks little of himself, like blessed Job, who says, “I had heard of you by the hearing of the ear before, but now my eye has seen you. Therefore I have despised myself and melted away, and I count myself earth and ashes.” Those, then, who imitate Job see God; and those who see him know him. If, then, we wish to see God, let us think little of ourselves and be humble; so that we may not only see him before us, but, having him dwelling and resting in us, may delight in him. For so our folly will be made wise in his wisdom, and our weakness made strong in his power, which strengthens us toward him who counted us worthy of this gift, that he may be the more glorified in us, and that our enemy the devil may be put to shame exceedingly through us, in our Lord Jesus Christ himself; for to him belong glory, greatness, and majesty for ever. Amen.
2 Cor 12:7 (allusion, high confidence) · Job 42:5 (quotation, high confidence) · Job 42:6 (quotation, high confidence) · 2 Cor 12:9 (allusion, medium confidence)
Notes and citation
Summary: All our troubles come from elation; humility like Job's lets us see and know God.
- 2 Cor 12:7; Job 42:5–6 (LXX); 2 Cor 12:9. A stray word (ἀπαθείας) printed twice in the last sentence is removed.
Notes on the original text
- Digital text corrected (stray word from the OCR; word split by the OCR): ἀνεχωρή σαμεν → ἀνεχωρήσαμεν; ἡ ἀφροσύνη ἡμῶν ἀπαθείας ἐν → ἡ ἀφροσύνη ἡμῶν ἐν; καταισχῦναι ἀπαθείας δι᾽ → καταισχῦναι δι᾽.
Cite (SBL): Mark the Hermit, Opusc. 9.4 (PG 65:1115; trans. Sophia Scriptura, https://sophiascriptura.com/p/mark-hermit-opuscula/9-4). (abbreviation not yet checked)
Permanent link: https://sophiascriptura.com/p/mark-hermit-opuscula/9-4
BibTeX · RIS · CSL-JSON (whole work; this passage's key: sophiascriptura-mark-hermit-opuscula-9-4) · Report an error
Translation: Translated by Claude from the Greek of Migne's Patrologia Graeca (scan OCR; corrections logged). No public-domain English translation exists and no FOTC volume covers this work, so each batch was re-read against the Greek.
Chapter 10
10.1PG 65:1117
Κύριος τὸν μὲν κόσμον ἀγρῷ, τὸ δὲ τῆς ἀληθείας κήρυγμα σπόρῳ παρεικάσας, σῖτον μὲν ἐν πρώτοις ἐσπάρθαι λέγει, ὕστερον δὲ ζιζάνια· ὡς ἐκ τούτου δυνατὸν ἡμῖν ἐπιγνῶναι, ὅτι τὰ μὲν μετὰ τὴν ἀποστολικὴν παράδοσιν ἐπινενοημένα φρονήματα περιττή τίς ἐστι καὶ δαιμονιώδης ἐπισπορά. Τῶν μὲν γὰρ ἁγίων αὐτοῦ μαθητῶν μηδὲν ὑπολειψάντων τῆς ἀληθείας, καὶ τοῦ ἁγίου Παύλου μηδὲν ὑστερηκότος τῶν ὑπερλίαν ἀποστόλων, ἀλλ᾽ ὥσπερ σίτῳ τὸν κόσμον κατεσπαρκότος τῷ λόγῳ, τινὲς ἑτερόφρονες, ζιζανίων δίκην ἀνακύψαντες ἐπέκεινα τοῦ σίτου, πειρῶνται ὑπερεκτείνεσθαι μυστικώτερα τῶν ἀποστόλων, ὡς οἴονται, διδάσκειν ἐπιχειρήσαντες. Τὸν γὰρ Μελχισεδέκ, φύσει Θεὸν εἶναι οὐκ ἐκήρυξαν ἐκεῖνοι, ὡς οὗτοι λέγουσιν· οὐ μὴν ἀλλὰ καὶ τοιαῦτά τινα συνεισφέρουσι νοήματα, ὡς καὶ τὰς ὑπὲρ ἡμῶν γεγενημένας τοῦ Κυρίου οἰκονομίας εὐτελίζεσθαι. Εἰ γὰρ τὸν ἐκ παρασιωπήσεως Γραφικῆς ἀπάτορα καὶ ἀμήτορα ὀνομασθέντα θεοποιοῦσιν ἄνθρωπον, εὐτελίζουσι τὸν Πατέρα ἔχοντα ἐν οὐρανοῖς, καὶ μητέρα ἐσχηκότα ἐπὶ γῆς δι᾽ ἡμᾶς Χριστόν· καὶ εἰ διὰ τὸ ἀγενεαλόγητον ἐκεῖνον μέγαν ἤγηνται, γενεαλογούμενον τὸν Χριστὸν ἡττότερον ἂν νομίσειαν. Ἡ δὲ τῆς τοιαύτης ἐννοίας προαγωγὴ τοὺς ἀφρονεστέρους αὐτῶν καὶ εἰς ἄρνησιν κατασύρειν ἔοικεν, ὅπερ πλείονα φέρει κατάκρισιν τῷ προηγησαμένῳ τῆς τοιαύτης ἐννοίας. Ταῦτα δὲ πάσχουσιν, ὡς οἶμαι, διὰ τὸ παρατρέχειν αὐτοὺς τὰ συστατικά κεφάλαια τῆς θείας Γραφῆς, καί τινας περικοπὰς πρὸς τὸν ἴδιον σκοπὸν ἐκζητεῖν ἑκουσίους. Διὸ καὶ τὸν ἐπὶ Χριστοῦ ἑρμηνευόμενον χρηματισμὸν τῷ χρηματισθέντι ἀνθρώπῳ ὡς Θεῷ ἀπονέμουσι, καὶ τὸν κατὰ τὴν τάξιν τῆς ἱερατείας ἀφωμοιωμένον τῷ Κυρίῳ ἄνθρωπον, λέγουσι φύσει Υἱὸν Θεοῦ. Φασὶ γάρ· Εἰ μὴ ἦν οὗτος Υἱὸς Θεοῦ, πῶς βασιλεὺς εἰρήνης, καὶ βασιλεὺς δικαιοσύνης ἐλέγετο; Γνώσονται εἰ βούλονται. Ὁ ἀπόστολος αὐτὸν οὐ λέγει φύσει βασιλέα εἰρήνης, ἀλλ᾽ ἑρμηνευόμενον. Φησὶ γὰρ πρῶτον μὲν, Ἑρμηνευόμενος βασιλεὺς δικαιοσύνης, ἔπειτα δὲ καὶ βασιλεὺς Σαλήμ, ὅ ἐστι βασιλεὺς εἰρήνης. Τοῦτο γοῦν τὸ ῥητὸν παρατρέχουσι τὸ εἰπεῖν ἑρμηνευόμενον, καὶ διὰ τοῦτο τὴν τοῦ ὀνόματος ἑρμηνείαν φύσιν εἶναι τοῦ χρηματισθέντος ἔνδοξον.
Kyrios ton men kosmon agrǭ, to de tēs alētheias kērygma sporǭ pareikasas, siton men en prōtois esparthai legei, hysteron de zizania; hōs ek toutou dynaton hēmin epignōnai, hoti ta men meta tēn apostolikēn paradosin epinenoēmena phronēmata perittē tis esti kai daimoniōdēs epispora. Tōn men gar hagiōn autou mathētōn mēden hypoleipsantōn tēs alētheias, kai tou hagiou Paulou mēden hysterēkotos tōn hyperlian apostolōn, all᾽ hōsper sitǭ ton kosmon katesparkotos tǭ logǭ, tines heterophrones, zizaniōn dikēn anakypsantes epekeina tou sitou, peirōntai hyperekteinesthai mystikōtera tōn apostolōn, hōs oiontai, didaskein epicheirēsantes. Ton gar Melchisedek, physei Theon einai ouk ekēryxan ekeinoi, hōs houtoi legousin; ou mēn alla kai toiauta tina syneispherousi noēmata, hōs kai tas hyper hēmōn gegenēmenas tou Kyriou oikonomias eutelizesthai. Ei gar ton ek parasiōpēseōs Graphikēs apatora kai amētora onomasthenta theopoiousin anthrōpon, eutelizousi ton Patera echonta en ouranois, kai mētera eschēkota epi gēs di᾽ hēmas Christon; kai ei dia to agenealogēton ekeinon megan ēgēntai, genealogoumenon ton Christon hēttoteron an nomiseian. Hē de tēs toiautēs ennoias proagōgē tous aphronesterous autōn kai eis arnēsin katasyrein eoiken, hoper pleiona pherei katakrisin tǭ proēgēsamenǭ tēs toiautēs ennoias. Tauta de paschousin, hōs oimai, dia to paratrechein autous ta systatika kephalaia tēs theias Graphēs, kai tinas perikopas pros ton idion skopon ekzētein hekousious. Dio kai ton epi Christou hermēneuomenon chrēmatismon tǭ chrēmatisthenti anthrōpǭ hōs Theǭ aponemousi, kai ton kata tēn taxin tēs hierateias aphōmoiōmenon tǭ Kyriǭ anthrōpon, legousi physei Huion Theou. Phasi gar; Ei mē ēn houtos Huios Theou, pōs basileus eirēnēs, kai basileus dikaiosynēs elegeto? Gnōsontai ei boulontai. Ho apostolos auton ou legei physei basilea eirēnēs, all᾽ hermēneuomenon. Phēsi gar prōton men, Hermēneuomenos basileus dikaiosynēs, epeita de kai basileus Salēm, ho esti basileus eirēnēs. Touto goun to rhēton paratrechousi to eipein hermēneuomenon, kai dia touto tēn tou onomatos hermēneian physin einai tou chrēmatisthentos endoxon.
The Lord, likening the world to a field and the preaching of the truth to seed, says that wheat was sown first and tares afterward; from this we can recognize that the opinions devised after the apostolic tradition are a superfluous and demonic sowing. For since his holy disciples left out nothing of the truth, and holy Paul fell in no way short of the super-apostles, but sowed the world with the word as with wheat, some of another mind, springing up like tares beyond the wheat, try to stretch beyond, undertaking to teach things more mystical than the apostles, as they suppose. For the apostles did not proclaim Melchizedek to be God by nature, as these say; and moreover they bring in such ideas as to belittle the Lord's dispensations made for us. For if they deify a man called fatherless and motherless because Scripture is silent about it, they belittle Christ, who has a Father in heaven and had a mother on earth for our sake; and if they have thought him great because he is without genealogy, they would think Christ, whose genealogy is given, inferior. The development of such a notion seems to drag the more foolish of them even into denial, which brings greater condemnation on the one who led the way in such a notion. They suffer this, I think, because they run past the constitutive chapters of the divine Scripture and seek out certain passages at will for their own purpose. That is why they assign to the man who bore the title, as to God, the title that is interpreted of Christ, and say that the man likened to the Lord in the order of priesthood is by nature Son of God. For they say, “If he was not Son of God, how was he called king of peace and king of righteousness?” Let them learn, if they will. The apostle does not call him king of peace by nature, but by interpretation. For he says, “First, being interpreted, king of righteousness, and then also king of Salem, that is, king of peace.” This word “interpreted” they run past, and for this reason they make the interpretation of the name the glorious nature of the one who bore it.
Matt 13:24 (allusion, high confidence) · 2 Cor 11:5 (allusion, high confidence) · Heb 7:3 (allusion, high confidence) · Heb 7:2 (quotation, high confidence)
Notes and citation
Summary: Against those who make Melchizedek God by nature, Mark argues that his titles are interpretations of his name, not his nature.
- Tractate 10 is against the Melchizedekians, who held Melchizedek to be divine; Mark's polemic is translated as written. Matt 13:24–25; 2 Cor 11:5; Heb 7:2–3. Latin words from the facing column are removed.
Notes on the original text
- Digital text corrected (Latin word from the facing column removed; OCR accent slip; stray letter from the OCR; word split by the OCR): σἶτον → σῖτον; και τάκρισιν → κατάκρισιν; φύσει η Υἱὸν → φύσει Υἱὸν; Υἱὸς Θεοῦ, interpretatuς, πῶς → Υἱὸς Θεοῦ, πῶς.
Topics: Heresy, Christology
Cite (SBL): Mark the Hermit, Opusc. 10.1 (PG 65:1117; trans. Sophia Scriptura, https://sophiascriptura.com/p/mark-hermit-opuscula/10-1). (abbreviation not yet checked)
Permanent link: https://sophiascriptura.com/p/mark-hermit-opuscula/10-1
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Translation: Translated by Claude from the Greek of Migne's Patrologia Graeca (scan OCR; corrections logged). No public-domain English translation exists and no FOTC volume covers this work, so each batch was re-read against the Greek.