Compendium of Heretical Fables 5.3–5.7
Greek text: PG 83.English: Claude (claude-opus-5-5), public domain (CC0).
Chapter 5
5.3PG 83
Τὸ Ἡνεῦμα τοίνυν τὸ ἅγιον ἐκ τοῦ Θεοῦ καὶ Παφτρὸς ἔχειν τὴν ὕπαρξιν μεμαθήκαμεν. Ὃ δὲ τῆς ὑπάρξεως τρόπος, οὔτε τῇ κτίσει προσέοικεν " ἄκτιστὸν γὰρ τὸ πανάγιον Πνεῦμα" οὔτε τῷ μονογενεῖ Υἱῷ - οὐδεὶς γὰρ τῶν θεοφόρων γέννησιν προσηγόρευσε τὴν τοῦ θείου Πνεύματος ὕπαρξιν. Ἔχ μέντοι τοῦ Θεοῦ εἶναι αὐτὸ, καὶ τὸ θεῖον εἶναι, οἱ ἱεροὶ διδάσκουσι λόγοι. Ὁ μὲν γὰρ Δεσπότης Χριστὸς ταῦτα περὶ αὐτοῦ φησι" ε Συμφέρει ὑμῖν ἵνα ἐγὼ ἀπέλθω " … ἔγω πέμψω ὑμῖν Πατρός. Ἴ ἔρχεται πρὸς ὑμᾶς. ν» Καὶ πάλιν’ ε« Ὅταν δὲ ἔλθῃ ὁ Παράκλητος, τὸ Πνεῦμα τῆς ἀληθείας.) ὃ παρὰ τοῦ Πατρὸς ἐκχπορεύεται, ὁδηγήσει ὑμᾶς πρὸς πᾶσαν τὴν ἀλήθειαν. » Τῷ δὲ εἰπεῖν, « Ἐκ τοῦ Πατρὸς ἐκπορεύεται, ν» ἔδειξε πηγὴν ὄντα τοῦ Πνεύματος τὸν Πατέρα. Καὶ οὐκ εἶπεν, Ἐχπορεύσεται, ἀλλ᾽, ᾿Εχπορδύεται, δεικνὺς καὶ τῆς | φύσεως τὴν ταυτότητα, καὶ τῆς οὐσίας τὸ ἄτμητον, καὶ ἀδιάφορον, καὶ τὸ ἡνωμένον τῶν ὑποστάσεων. Τὸ γὰρ ἐκπορευόμενον, ἀχώριστον ἐξ οὗ ἐκπορεύεται. ὍὋ δὲ θεῖος ᾿Απόστολος ταῦτα περὶ τοῦ Πνεύματος ἔφη" « Τὸ δὲ Πνεῦμα πάντα ἐρευνᾷ, καὶ τὰ βάθη τοῦ Θεοῦ. ε Καὶ ὡς ἂν μὴ τις ἄγνοιαν ὑπολάδοι τὴν ἔρευναν, ἐπήγαγεν " ε Οὐδεὶς ἀνθρώσῶν οἷδε τὰ τοῦ ἀνθρώπου, εἰ μὴ τὸ πνεῦμα τοῦ ἀνθρώπου τὸ ἕν αὐτῷ " οὕτω καὶ τὰ τοῦ Θεοῦ οὐδεὶς οἶδεν, εἰ μὴ τὸ Πνεῦμα τοῦ Θεοῦ. » Οὕτως αὐτῷ προσμαρτυρῆσας τὴν γνῶσιν, δείκνυσι καὶ πόθεν ἔχει τὴν ὕπαρξιν. ε« Ἡμεῖς γὰρ, ἔφη, οὐ τὸ πνεῦμα «οὔ κόσμου ἐλάδομεν, ἀλλὰ τὸ Πνεῦμα τὸ ἐκ τοῦ Θεοῦ. » Ταύτῃτοι Πατρὶ καὶ Υἱῷ αὐτὸ διατελεῖ συντάττων, τῇ κτίσει δὲ οὐ συνέταξε πώποτε. Οὐ γὰρ οἶδεν αὐτὸ τῆς κτίσεως μόριον, οὐδὲ πρῶτον ποίημα ὀνομάζει, κατὰ τὴν '᾿Δρείου, καὶ Εὐνομίου, καὶ Μαχεδονίου βλασφημίαν ἀλλὰ τῆς θείας χάριπος τὰ δῶρα δεικνὺς οὕτως ἔφησε" « Διαιρέσεις δια-. κονιῶν εἰσιν, ὃ δὲ αὐτὸς Κύριος " καὶ διάιρέδεις ἐνεργημάτων εἰσὶν, ὁ δὲ αὐτὸς Θεὸς, ὁ ἐνεργῶν τὰ πάντα ἐν πᾶσιν. ν» Εἶτα δείξας τὴν τῶν χαρισμάτων δωρεὰν, ἐπήγαγε" « Πάντα δὲ ταῦτα ἐνεργεῖ τὸ ἕν καὶ τὸ αὑτὸ Πνεῦμα, διαιροῦν ἰδίᾳ ἑκάστῳ καθὼς βούλεται. » Οὐ γὰρ τῆς δουλιχῆῇς ἔστι, φησὶ, διακονίας, ἀλλὰ τῆς δεσποτικῆς ἀξίας τὸ πανάγιον Πνεῦμα" οὐδὲ ὑπουργεῖ, ἀλλὰ συνεργεῖ, καὶ δεσποτικῶς ἐνεργεῖ. Οὕτω κἀν τῷ τέλει τῆς πρὸς τούτους δευτέρας Ἐπιστολῆς, τὴν εὐλογίαν ἐξόφηνεν" ε Ἡ χάρις τοῦ Κυρίδυ ἡμῶν Ἰησοῦ Χριστοῦ, καὶ ἡ ἀγάπη τοῦ Θεοῦ, καὶ ἡ κοινωνία τοῦ ἁγίου Πνεύματος μετὰ πάντων ὑμῶν. ᾿Αμήν.» Καὶ ἐν μὲν τῇ προτέρᾳ Ἐπιστολῇ πρῶτον ἔταξε τὸ Πνεῦμα,, ἐνταῦθα δὲ τελευταῖον, διδάσκων ὡς οὐ ποιεῖ τῶν ὀνομάτων ἡ τάξις ἀξιωμάτων διαφοράν. Ταύτῃτοι τὸν Υἱὸν προέταξε τοῦ Πατρὸς, οὐ τὴν τάξιν ἀνατρέπων ἣν ὁ Κύριος τέθειχεν, ἀλλὰ τὸ ὁμότιμον τῆς Τριάδος ἐπιδεικνύς. Ἰοῦτο καὶ τοῖς ἀποστόλοις θεοπρεπῶς ἐπεφοίτησε. Ἡρῶτον μὲν γὰρ ἔσεισε τὸν οἶκον, τὴν θείαν διλῶν ἐπιφάνειαν. Περὶ γὰρ τοῦ Θεοῦ τῶν ὅλων ὁ Προφήτῆς φησίν "τ Ὁ ἐπιδλέπων ἐπὶ τὴν γῆν, καὶ ποιῶν αὐτὴν τρέμειν. » "Ἔπειτα δὲ ταῖς γλώτταις ἐν εἴδει πυρὸς ἐπεχᾶἄθισεν, ὥσπερ πάλαι ποτὲ τὸν Θεὸν ἔφη ᾿“Μωῦσῆς ἐν τῷ βάτῳ φανῆναι. Καὶ καθάπερ ἐκεῖνος οὐκ ἐδαπανᾶτο καιόμενος, οὕτως αἱ γλῶτται τῶν ἀποστόλων τῆς χαυστιχῆς ἐνεργείας οὐκ ἐδέχοντο πεῖραν. Ταῦτα οὐ λέγοις, ἀλλ᾽ ἔργοις μαθὼν ὁ θειότατος Πέτρος, Θεὸν αὐτὸ κέκληκε, τοῦ ᾿Ανανίου τὴν κλοπὴν ἐξελέγχων. Εἰπὼν γάρ᾽ «ε Ἵνατί ἠπάτησεν ὁ Σατανᾶς τὴν καρδίαν σου ψεύσασθαί σε τὸ πανάγιον Πνεῦμα; ἐπήγαγεν « Οὐκ ἐψεύσω ἀνθρώποις, ἀλλὰ τῷ Θεῷ. » Συνάδει δὲ καὶ τὰ παρὰ τοῦ θεσπεσίου Παύλου περὶ τοῦ Πνεύματος εἰρημένα. Τοὺς γὰρ πεπιστευκότας, ναοὺς Θεοῦ προσηγόρευσεν, ἕνοικον ἐσχηκότας τὴν χάριν τοῦ Πνεύματος " ε Οὐκ οἴδατε γὰρ, φησὶν, ὅτι ναὸς Θεοῦ ἐστε, καὶ τὸ Πνεῦμα «οὔ Θεοῦ οἰκεῖ ἐν ὑμῖν; » Καὶ πάλιν" ε Οὐκ οἴδατε ὅτι τὰ σώματα ὑμῶν ναὸς τοῦ ἐν ὑμῖν ἁγίου Πνεύματός ἐστιν, οὗ ἔχετε ἀπὸ τοῦ Θεοῦ; » Ταύτα δὲ ἄντ'ιχρυς διδάσκει τῆς θείας εἶναι φύσεως τὸ πανἅγιον Πνεῦμα. Εἰ γὰρ Θεοῦ ναὸς οἱ πιστεύσαντες χρηματίζουσιν, ἐπειδὴ τοῦ Πνεύματος τὴν χάριν ἐδέξαντο, ἐκ τοῦ Θεοῦ ἄρα τὸ Πνεῦμα τὸ ἅγιον " τὴν γὰρ τούτου γάριν ἕνοικον ἐσχηκότες, Θεοῦ ναὸς ὠνομάσθησαν. Ἐναργέστερον δὲ ἡμῖν ὁ Κύριος ἐπιδείκνυσι τὴν ἀξίαν τοῦ Πνεύματος. Τὸ γὰο τοῦ βαπτίσματος διδάσκων μυστήριον, οὕτως ἔφη τοῖς μαθηταῖς" ε« Πορευθέντες μαθητεύσατε πάντα τὰ ἔθνη, βαπτίζοντες αὐτοὺς εἰς τὸ ὄνομα τοῦ Πατρὸς, καὶ τοῦ Υἱοῦ, καὶ τοῦ ἁγίου Πνεύματος. » Εἰ δὲ κτιστὴν εἶχε φύσιν ὁ Υἱὸς ἣ τὸ πανάγιον Πνεῦμα, οὐκ ἂν οσυνηριθμήθησαν τῷ χεχτιχότι Θεῷ " κατηγοροῦσι γὰρ οἱ θεῖοι λόγοι τῶν λελατρευχότων τῇ χτίδει παρὰ τὸν κτίσαντα. Διὸ δὴ καὶ ὁ Μονογενὴς ἐνηνθρώπησεν, ὥστε ταύτης ἀπαλλάξαι τῆς πλάνης τοὺς ἀνθρώπους, καὶ διδάξαι Θεοῦ καὶ κτίσεως τὸ διάφορον. ᾿λνελὼν δὲ τῆς κτισεως τὴν προσκύνησιν, οὐκ ἂν φύσει κτιστῇ πάλιν ἐκέλευσε προσκυνεῖν " τῶν γὰρ ἀτοπωτάτων, ἀφέλχειν μὲν τοὺς ἀνθρώπους τῶν οὐκ ὄντων θεῶν, προσάγειν δὲ αὑτοὺς πάλιν τῇ τῶν ποιημάτων δουλείᾳ. Δῆλον τοίνυν ὡς ἄκτιστον ἔχει φύσιν καὶ ὁ Υἱὸς καὶ τὸ πανάγιον Πνεῦμα. Διὰ γὰρ δὴ τοῦτο διδασκόμεθα πιστεύειν εἰς τὸν Πατέρα, καὶ τὸν Υἱὸν, καὶ τὸ ἅγιον Πνεῦμα, καὶ βαπτιζόμεθα εἰς τὸ ὄνομα τοῦ Πατρὸς, καὶ τοῦ Υἱοῦ, καὶ τοῦ ἁγίου Πνεύματος. Ἐπειδὴ γὰρ τὸν πρῶτον ἄνθρωπον οὐ μόνος διέπλασεν ὁ Πατὴρ, ἀλλὰ καὶ ὁ Υ[ὸς, καὶ τὸ ἅγιον Πνεῦμα "ἔφη γάρ'«ε Ποιήσωμεν ἄνθρωπον κατ᾽ εἰκόνα ἡμετέραν καὶ καθ᾽ ὁμοίωσιν, » εἰκότως ἄρα καὶ τῆς ἀναπλάσεως γιγνομένης, καὶ τῆς χαινῆῇς ἐπιτελουμένης δημιουργίας, κοινωνεῖ τῷ Πατρὶ καὶ ὁ Υἱὸς, καὶ τὸ πανάγιον Πνεῦμα " καὶ ἡ τῆς Τριάδος ἐπίκλησις τῶν βαπτιζομένων ἕχαστον νεουργεῖ. ᾿Αλλὰ γὰρ καὶ περὶ τοῦ ἁγίου Πνεύματος, κατὰ τῶν τῆς τούτου χάριτος ἐρήμων αἱρετιχῶν, τρεῖς συνέγραψα λόγους " καὶ παρέλχον οἶμαι μηκύνειν ἔνταῦθα, τῶν λειπομένων κεφαλαίων πρὸς ἑαντὰ τὸν … Κύριος τῶν δυνάμεων ἑρμηνεύεται, ἣ Κύριος στρα- «ἰῶν. Καὶ γχο παρ᾽ "Ἕλλησι τὰ στρατιωτικὰ τάγματα, δυνάμεις καλοῦνται. Τὸ δὲ Σαδδαῖ, τὸν ἰκανὸν καὶ δυνατὸν σημαίνει - τὸ δὲ ᾿Αἴὰ τὸν ὄντα. Τοῦτο καὶ ἀνεκφώνητον ἦν παρ᾽ Ἕθδραίοις. ρεῖται δὲ Ἰαδαὶ αὐτὸ λέγουσιν, ἀγνοοῦντες τὴν τοῦ ῥήματος δύναμιν. Ταῦτα μὴ νενοηκότες οἱ παραπλῖνες θεοὺς διαφόρους ἐκάλεσαν. Ἡμεῖς δὲ ἐπὶ τὰ λοιπὰ τοῦ συγγράμματος βαδιούμεθα.
To Hēneuma toinyn to hagion ek tou Theou kai Paphtros echein tēn hyparxin memathēkamen. Ho de tēs hyparxeōs tropos, oute tę̄ ktisei proseoiken " aktiston gar to panagion Pneuma" oute tǭ monogenei Huiǭ - oudeis gar tōn theophorōn gennēsin prosēgoreuse tēn tou theiou Pneumatos hyparxin. Ech mentoi tou Theou einai auto, kai to theion einai, hoi hieroi didaskousi logoi. Ho men gar Despotēs Christos tauta peri autou phēsi" e Sympherei hymin hina egō apelthō " … egō pempsō hymin Patros. I erchetai pros hymas. n» Kai palin’ e« Hotan de elthę̄ ho Paraklētos, to Pneuma tēs alētheias.) ho para tou Patros ekchporeuetai, hodēgēsei hymas pros pasan tēn alētheian. » Tǭ de eipein, « Ek tou Patros ekporeuetai, n» edeixe pēgēn onta tou Pneumatos ton Patera. Kai ouk eipen, Echporeusetai, all᾽, ᾿Echpordyetai, deiknys kai tēs | physeōs tēn tautotēta, kai tēs ousias to atmēton, kai adiaphoron, kai to hēnōmenon tōn hypostaseōn. To gar ekporeuomenon, achōriston ex hou ekporeuetai. HoO de theios ᾿Apostolos tauta peri tou Pneumatos ephē" « To de Pneuma panta ereuną, kai ta bathē tou Theou. e Kai hōs an mē tis agnoian hypoladoi tēn ereunan, epēgagen " e Oudeis anthrōsōn hoide ta tou anthrōpou, ei mē to pneuma tou anthrōpou to hen autǭ " houtō kai ta tou Theou oudeis oiden, ei mē to Pneuma tou Theou. » Houtōs autǭ prosmartyrēsas tēn gnōsin, deiknysi kai pothen echei tēn hyparxin. e« Hēmeis gar, ephē, ou to pneuma «ou kosmou eladomen, alla to Pneuma to ek tou Theou. » Tautę̄toi Patri kai Huiǭ auto diatelei syntattōn, tę̄ ktisei de ou synetaxe pōpote. Ou gar oiden auto tēs ktiseōs morion, oude prōton poiēma onomazei, kata tēn '᾿Dreiou, kai Eunomiou, kai Machedoniou blasphēmian alla tēs theias charipos ta dōra deiknys houtōs ephēse" « Diaireseis dia-. koniōn eisin, ho de autos Kyrios " kai diairedeis energēmatōn eisin, ho de autos Theos, ho energōn ta panta en pasin. n» Eita deixas tēn tōn charismatōn dōrean, epēgage" « Panta de tauta energei to hen kai to hauto Pneuma, diairoun idią hekastǭ kathōs bouletai. » Ou gar tēs doulichēę̄s esti, phēsi, diakonias, alla tēs despotikēs axias to panagion Pneuma" oude hypourgei, alla synergei, kai despotikōs energei. Houtō kan tǭ telei tēs pros toutous deuteras Epistolēs, tēn eulogian exophēnen" e Hē charis tou Kyridy hēmōn Iēsou Christou, kai hē agapē tou Theou, kai hē koinōnia tou hagiou Pneumatos meta pantōn hymōn. ᾿Amēn.» Kai en men tę̄ proterą Epistolę̄ prōton etaxe to Pneuma,, entautha de teleutaion, didaskōn hōs ou poiei tōn onomatōn hē taxis axiōmatōn diaphoran. Tautę̄toi ton Huion proetaxe tou Patros, ou tēn taxin anatrepōn hēn ho Kyrios tetheichen, alla to homotimon tēs Triados epideiknys. Iouto kai tois apostolois theoprepōs epephoitēse. Hērōton men gar eseise ton oikon, tēn theian dilōn epiphaneian. Peri gar tou Theou tōn holōn ho Prophētēs phēsin "t Ho epidlepōn epi tēn gēn, kai poiōn autēn tremein. » "Epeita de tais glōttais en eidei pyros epechaathisen, hōsper palai pote ton Theon ephē ᾿“Mōysēs en tǭ batǭ phanēnai. Kai kathaper ekeinos ouk edapanato kaiomenos, houtōs hai glōttai tōn apostolōn tēs chaustichēs energeias ouk edechonto peiran. Tauta ou legois, all᾽ ergois mathōn ho theiotatos Petros, Theon auto keklēke, tou ᾿Ananiou tēn klopēn exelenchōn. Eipōn gar᾽ «e Hinati ēpatēsen ho Satanas tēn kardian sou pseusasthai se to panagion Pneuma? epēgagen « Ouk epseusō anthrōpois, alla tǭ Theǭ. » Synadei de kai ta para tou thespesiou Paulou peri tou Pneumatos eirēmena. Tous gar pepisteukotas, naous Theou prosēgoreusen, henoikon eschēkotas tēn charin tou Pneumatos " e Ouk oidate gar, phēsin, hoti naos Theou este, kai to Pneuma «ou Theou oikei en hymin? » Kai palin" e Ouk oidate hoti ta sōmata hymōn naos tou en hymin hagiou Pneumatos estin, hou echete apo tou Theou? » Tauta de ant'ichrys didaskei tēs theias einai physeōs to panagion Pneuma. Ei gar Theou naos hoi pisteusantes chrēmatizousin, epeidē tou Pneumatos tēn charin edexanto, ek tou Theou ara to Pneuma to hagion " tēn gar toutou garin henoikon eschēkotes, Theou naos ōnomasthēsan. Enargesteron de hēmin ho Kyrios epideiknysi tēn axian tou Pneumatos. To gao tou baptismatos didaskōn mystērion, houtōs ephē tois mathētais" e« Poreuthentes mathēteusate panta ta ethnē, baptizontes autous eis to onoma tou Patros, kai tou Huiou, kai tou hagiou Pneumatos. » Ei de ktistēn eiche physin ho Huios hē to panagion Pneuma, ouk an osynērithmēthēsan tǭ chechtichoti Theǭ " katēgorousi gar hoi theioi logoi tōn lelatreuchotōn tę̄ chtidei para ton ktisanta. Dio dē kai ho Monogenēs enēnthrōpēsen, hōste tautēs apallaxai tēs planēs tous anthrōpous, kai didaxai Theou kai ktiseōs to diaphoron. ᾿lnelōn de tēs ktiseōs tēn proskynēsin, ouk an physei ktistę̄ palin ekeleuse proskynein " tōn gar atopōtatōn, aphelchein men tous anthrōpous tōn ouk ontōn theōn, prosagein de hautous palin tę̄ tōn poiēmatōn douleią. Dēlon toinyn hōs aktiston echei physin kai ho Huios kai to panagion Pneuma. Dia gar dē touto didaskometha pisteuein eis ton Patera, kai ton Huion, kai to hagion Pneuma, kai baptizometha eis to onoma tou Patros, kai tou Huiou, kai tou hagiou Pneumatos. Epeidē gar ton prōton anthrōpon ou monos dieplasen ho Patēr, alla kai ho Y[os, kai to hagion Pneuma "ephē gar'«e Poiēsōmen anthrōpon kat᾽ eikona hēmeteran kai kath᾽ homoiōsin, » eikotōs ara kai tēs anaplaseōs gignomenēs, kai tēs chainēę̄s epiteloumenēs dēmiourgias, koinōnei tǭ Patri kai ho Huios, kai to panagion Pneuma " kai hē tēs Triados epiklēsis tōn baptizomenōn hechaston neourgei. ᾿Alla gar kai peri tou hagiou Pneumatos, kata tōn tēs toutou charitos erēmōn hairetichōn, treis synegrapsa logous " kai parelchon oimai mēkynein entautha, tōn leipomenōn kephalaiōn pros heanta ton … Kyrios tōn dynameōn hermēneuetai, hē Kyrios stra- «iōn. Kai ncho par᾽ "Hellēsi ta stratiōtika tagmata, dynameis kalountai. To de Saddai, ton ikanon kai dynaton sēmainei - to de ᾿Aia ton onta. Touto kai anekphōnēton ēn par᾽ Hethdraiois. reitai de Iadai auto legousin, agnoountes tēn tou rhēmatos dynamin. Tauta mē nenoēkotes hoi paraplines theous diaphorous ekalesan. Hēmeis de epi ta loipa tou syngrammatos badioumetha.
We have learned, then, that the Holy Spirit has his existence from God the Father. The mode of his existence is neither like creation, for the all-holy Spirit is uncreated, nor like the only-begotten Son, for none of the God-inspired writers called the existence of the divine Spirit a begetting. But that he is from God and is divine the sacred words teach. For Christ the Master says this about him: “It is to your advantage that I go away …; I will send … the Father … he comes to you.” And again: “When the Paraclete comes, the Spirit of truth who proceeds from the Father, he will guide you into all the truth.” By saying, “He proceeds from the Father,” he showed that the Father is the source of the Spirit. He did not say “will proceed” but “proceeds,” showing the sameness of nature, the undivided and undifferentiated substance, and the union of the hypostases; for what proceeds is inseparable from that from which it proceeds. The divine Apostle said this about the Spirit: “The Spirit searches all things, even the depths of God.” And lest anyone take the searching for ignorance, he added: “No one among men knows the things of a man except the spirit of the man that is in him; so also no one knows the things of God except the Spirit of God.” Having thus borne witness to his knowledge, he shows also whence he has his existence: “For we,” he said, “have received not the spirit of the world, but the Spirit that is from God.” For this reason he continually ranks him with the Father and the Son, but never ranked him with creation. He does not know him as a part of creation, nor does he name him the first work, according to the blasphemy of Arius, Eunomius and Macedonius; but showing the gifts of divine grace he said: “There are varieties of ministries, but the same Lord; and there are varieties of workings, but the same God, who works all things in all.” Then, having shown the bestowal of the gifts, he added: “All these are worked by the one and the same Spirit, distributing to each individually as he wills.” For the all-holy Spirit, he means, belongs not to the ministry of a slave but to the dignity of a master; he does not serve but works with, and works as master. So too at the end of his second Letter to them he set out the blessing: “The grace of our Lord Jesus Christ and the love of God and the fellowship of the Holy Spirit be with you all. Amen.” In the earlier Letter he placed the Spirit first, here last, teaching that the order of the names makes no difference of rank. For this reason he placed the Son before the Father, not overturning the order the Lord had laid down, but showing the equal honor of the Trinity. He also came upon the apostles in a manner befitting God. First he shook the house, showing the divine manifestation; for the Prophet says of the God of all, “He looks upon the earth and makes it tremble.” Then he sat upon their tongues in the form of fire, as once long ago, Moses said, God appeared in the bush. And as the bush, though burning, was not consumed, so the tongues of the apostles did not experience the burning power. Having learned these things not by words but by deeds, the most divine Peter called him God when exposing the theft of Ananias. For having said, “Why has Satan deceived your heart, so that you lied to the all-holy Spirit?” he added: “You have not lied to men but to God.” What the inspired Paul said about the Spirit agrees. He called believers temples of God, since they have the grace of the Spirit dwelling in them: “Do you not know,” he says, “that you are God's temple and the Spirit of God dwells in you?” And again: “Do you not know that your bodies are a temple of the Holy Spirit within you, whom you have from God?” These teach plainly that the all-holy Spirit is of the divine nature. For if believers are called God's temple because they have received the grace of the Spirit, then the Holy Spirit is from God; for having his grace dwelling in them they were named God's temple. The Lord shows us the dignity of the Spirit still more clearly. Teaching the mystery of baptism, he said to the disciples: “Go, make disciples of all nations, baptizing them into the name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit.” If the Son or the all-holy Spirit had a created nature, they would not have been numbered with God the Creator; for the divine words accuse those who have worshiped the creature rather than the Creator. That is why the Only-begotten became man: to free people from this error and teach the difference between God and creation. Having abolished the worship of creation, he would not have ordered them to worship a created nature again; for it would be most absurd to draw people away from gods that do not exist and then bring them back to the service of creatures. It is clear, then, that both the Son and the all-holy Spirit have an uncreated nature. For this reason we are taught to believe in the Father, the Son and the Holy Spirit, and are baptized into the name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit. For since not the Father alone formed the first man, but also the Son and the Holy Spirit (for he said, “Let us make man in our image and likeness”), fittingly, when the re-forming takes place and the new creation is accomplished, the Son and the all-holy Spirit share in it with the Father, and the invocation of the Trinity makes new each of those baptized. But I have written three treatises about the Holy Spirit too, against the heretics who are without his grace, and I think it superfluous to lengthen the account here, since the remaining chapters … [Sabaoth] is interpreted Lord of powers, or Lord of hosts; for among the Greeks too military units are called powers. Shaddai means the sufficient and mighty one; and Aia, the one who is. This was also unpronounced among the Hebrews. [The Sama]ritans call it Iabe, not knowing the force of the word. Not understanding these things, the deranged called them different gods. But we shall go on to the rest of the treatise.
Textual problem in this passage: see the notes.
John 16:7 (quotation, high confidence) · John 15:26 (quotation, high confidence) · John 16:13 (quotation, high confidence) · 1 Cor 2:10–12 (quotation, high confidence) · 1 Cor 12:4–6 (quotation, high confidence) · 1 Cor 12:11 (quotation, high confidence) · 2 Cor 13:14 (quotation, high confidence) · Ps 104:32 (103:32 LXX) (quotation, high confidence) · Acts 2:2–3 (allusion, high confidence) · Exod 3:2 (allusion, high confidence) · Acts 5:3–4 (quotation, high confidence) · 1 Cor 3:16 (quotation, high confidence) · 1 Cor 6:19 (quotation, high confidence) · Matt 28:19 (quotation, high confidence) · Rom 1:25 (allusion, high confidence) · Gen 1:26 (quotation, high confidence) · Exod 3:14 (allusion, low confidence)
Notes and citation
Summary: Theodoret teaches that the Holy Spirit proceeds from the Father, is uncreated and of the divine nature, as shown by the Gospels, Paul, Pentecost, Acts 5 and the baptismal formula; a fragment on the Hebrew divine names follows.
- Several lines are lost where Migne's Latin and marginal references stand (marked …). After “the remaining chapters” a new section begins, on the Hebrew names of God (Sabaoth, Shaddai, Aia); its heading and opening are lost, and the name Sabaoth and the word “Samaritans” are supplied from the context.
- The three treatises on the Holy Spirit are lost works of Theodoret.
- Quotations: John 16:7; 15:26 with 16:13; 1 Cor 2:10–12; 12:4–6, 11; 2 Cor 13:14 (13:13 in Greek editions); Ps 104:32 (LXX 103:32); Acts 2:2–3; Exod 3:2; Acts 5:3–4; 1 Cor 3:16; 6:19; Matt 28:19; Rom 1:25; Gen 1:26.
Notes on the original text
- Digital text corrected (Migne's Latin and marginal references; Greek lost; column letter; column letter and stray letters; column letter inside a word; footnote marker; footnote variant; marginal references, footnotes and Migne's Latin; Greek lost; stray word from a heading): ᾿ ὀνομάτων. → ; [ἴδ πᾶ οτὸ αἰ ἀϊοίπλι5. Εκϑί βίο 125 δυΐο πὶ ἀδ Ῥαλγδοϊοῖυ5, ϑρί εἰ νου ἰδι18, φαὶ ἃ Ραῖγα - ᾿ηἀ 5: {4ΐθπὰ, οἱ ᾿ηἀ δογδηιΔη), οἱ ὑπ ο τ ΡῈ δρί για μας ἀἰοἰξ : ε« ϑρί τα 5 Δυΐδτη ΟΠ ηἶᾶ βου (800, Βοτηϊηΐβ φαΐ ἴῃ 080 6ϑ8ΐ : ἰἴὰ οἵ κὰξ: θεοὶ δυῃΐ οογποΥυῖϊι, ηἰδὶ ϑρί τί Ὠδὶ 57.» {τὰ οὔπὶ ἀδ βο τυ 5, ἰηκαὶ!, το πἰ βίου, 8111} (οτ, χ, 2. 16 οΥ. χη, ἐ. 3} Αοΐῖ. π, → … ; τέ- Ὁ θειχεν → τέθειχεν; ἔφη δι δέ. 1,000 οἷΐ. ἰεΕ, γάρ → ἔφη ; ἐκεῖνος Α οὐκ → ἐκεῖνος οὐκ; Ἵνατί (δ) ἠπάτησεν → Ἵνατί ἠπάτησεν; Ταύτα δὲ Β απ. ἄντ'ιχρυς → Ταύτα δὲ ἄντ'ιχρυς; τὸν 86 Αρί, ν, ὅ, 4. 87 1 ογ. πὶ, 16. 381] (ον υἱ, 19. Ἵνατί, χ. τ΄ Δ. Πμ000 εἰϊ. 66. Διατί ἐπλέρωσεν ὁ Σας. κ. «-.λ. "δὃ τὸ π. Πν. δά. τὸ Πνεῦμα τὸ ἅγιον. Ι Ι 608 ἴῃ ποιῃΐπα Ραίτίς, οἱ ΕἸΠΠ], οἱ ϑρί γί τὰ βαηοιΐ 9. ν γΙαπὶ Βα ποί απ), οἱ ὈΔρ᾿ΪΖαηλΓ ἰῃ ΠπΟηιΐἢ 6 Ῥαιτγὶϑ, οἱ ΤῊΪπῈ πὶ δ ἰπηδρίμθιη οἱ δἰ τ τἀ 6 ἢ ὨΟΞΊΓΔΙΩ, » 9. Κύριος → τὸν … Κύριος.
Topics: Trinity, Baptism, Heresy
Cite (SBL): Theodoret, Haer. fab. 5.3 (PG 83; trans. Sophia Scriptura, https://sophiascriptura.com/p/theodoret-haereticarum-fabularum-compendium/5-3). (abbreviation not yet checked)
Permanent link: https://sophiascriptura.com/p/theodoret-haereticarum-fabularum-compendium/5-3
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Translation: Translated by Claude (Opus) from the Greek as printed in Migne PG 83 (archive.org OCR); no public-domain or FOTC English exists, so each batch was re-read against the Greek.
5.4PG 83
… σεως ὑπάρχει δημιουργὸς, οὐκ ὁ μορφωθεὶς, κατὰ … τινες, κατὰ Βασιλίδην, καὶ Κήρινθον, καὶ τοὺς ἄλ… γίῳ Πνεύματι τὰ πάντα δημιουργῆσαι, καὶ ἐδιδά… ἐπήγαγεν" « Ὅτι αὐτὸς εἶπε καὶ ἐγενήθησαν, αὐ… γάζων ἐν ὕδασι τὰ ὑπερῷα αὑτοῦ. » Καὶ μετ᾽ ὀλίγα " Ὁ θεμελιῶν τὴν γῆν ἐπὶ τὴν ἀσφάλειαν αὐτῆς." … σὺν τοῖς ἄλλοις στοιχείοις " ὡς αὐτὸς τοῦ φωτὸς τὴν … ὁ στερεώσας τὴν γῆν, καὶ τὰ ἐν αὐτῇ, ὁ διδοὺς πνοὴν τῷ λαῷ τῷ ἐπ᾽ αὐτῆς, καὶ πνεῦμα τοῖς πατοῦσιν αὐτῆν. » Καὶ πάλιν" ε Ὁ στήσας τὸν οὐρανὸν ὡσεὶ καμάραν, καὶ διατείνας αὐτὸν ὡς σκηνήν. » Καὶ αὐτὸς δὲ Θεὸς δι᾽ αὐτοῦ φησιν" ε« Ἐξέτεινα τὸν οὐρανὸν μόνος. » Ὃ δὲ μακάριος Ἱερεμίας οὕτως ἔφη" « Οὗτος ὁ θεὸς, ὁ καταδείξας τὴν γῆν, ἐπλήρωσεν αὐτὴν κτηνῶν καὶ τετραπόδων. Ὁ ἀποστέλλων τὸ φῶς καὶ πορεύεται, ἐκάλεσεν αὐτὸ καὶ ὑπήκουσεν αὐτῷ τρόμῳ. » ᾿Αλλὰ γὰρ οὐ δεῖ μοι προφητικῶν φωνῶν. Πρὸ γὰρ τοῦ νόμου καὶ τῶν προφητῶν, ἡ φύσις ταῦτα τοὺς ἀνθρώπους ἐπαίδευσε. Καὶ Μελχισεδὲκ ἐκεῖνος ὁ παλαιὸς, οὕτως ἔφησε τὸν ᾿Αδραὰμ. εὐλογῶν «ε Εὐλογητὸς ᾿Αδραὰμ τῷ Θεῷ τῷ ὑψίστῳ, ὃς ἔχτισε τὸν οὐρανὸν, καὶ τὴν γῆν.» Καὶ αὐτὸς δὲ ὁ πατριάρχης ταὐτὰ τοῖς ἀπὸ Σο… πρὸς τὸν Θεὸν τὸν ὕψιστον, ὃς ἔχτισε τὸν οὐρανὸν καὶ τὴν γῆν...» Καὶ πάλιν, τὸν σἰχέτην πρὸς τὴν τῆς νύμφης μνηστείαν ὁ ᾿Αδραάμ᾽ « θὲς, ἔφη, τὴν χεῖρά σου ὑπὸ τὸν μηρόν μου, καὶ ἐξορχιῶ σε Κύριον τὸν Θεὸν τοῦ οὐρανοῦ καὶ τῆς γῆς. ν» Καὶ ὁ γενναῖος δὲ: Ἰὼδ πρὸ τῆς τοῦ νόμου θέσεως ἐν ἀρετῇ διαπρέψας, τὸν ἀληθινὸν Θεὸν οἷδε Δημιουργόν. « Ὁ τανύσας γὰρ, φησὶ, τὸν οὐρανὸν μόνος, ὁ περιπατῶν ἐπὶ θαλάσσης ὡς ἐπὶ ἐδάφους. » Καὶ αὐτὸς δὲ ὁ ἀθλοθέτης πολλὰ περὶ τῆς κτίσεως διδάσκει τὸν νικηφόρον ἀγωνιστήν. ᾿Αλλ᾽ ἵνα μὴ δῶμεν ἀφορμὴν τοῖς τὴν παλαιὰν οὐ δεχομένοις Γραφὴν, ἀντειπεῖν τοῖς εἰρημένοις, εἰς τὴν Καινὴν διαδῶμεν, καὶ δείξωμεν ταύτην σύμφωνα φθεγγομένην “ οὕτω γὰρ δὴ φανήσεται μίαν ἔχοντα πηγὴν ταῦτα κἀκεῖνα τὰ νάματα. ᾿Ακούσωμεν τοίνυν Ἰωάννου τοῦ θεσπεσίου πάντα διὰ τοῦ Λόγον γεγενῆσθαι φήσαντος, καὶ τῶν ἐν τῇ χτίσεε θεωρουμένων ἣ νοουμένων μηδὲν δίχα τούτου γεγενῆσθαι. ε Χωρὶς γὰρ αὐτοῦ, φησὶν, ἐγένετο οὐδὲ ἕν. » ᾿Ακούσωμεν δὲ καὶ τοῦ θείου Παύλου βοῶντος, ὅτι ε« Ἐν αὐτῷ ἐκτίσθη τὰ πάντα, εἴτε ὁρατὰ, εἴτε ἀόρατα. » Καὶ πάλιν " ὅτι ε Δι᾿ αὐτοῦ τοὺς αἰῶνας ἐποίησεν ὁ Πατήρ. » Καὶ ἐπὶ τοῦ 'λρείου δὲ πάγου δημηγορῶν, οὕτως ἔφη ε« Ὁ Θεὸς ὁ ποιήσας τὸν κόσμον καὶ πάντα τὰ ἐν αὐτῷ, οὗτος οὐρανοῦ καὶ γῆς ὑπάρχων Κύριος, οὐκ ἐν χειροποιήτοις ναοῖς κατοικεῖ, οὐδὲ ὑπὸ χειρῶν ἀνθρωπίγων θεραπεύεται ὡς προσδεόμενός τινος, αὐτὸς διδοὺς πᾶσι ζωὴν καὶ πνοὴν κχατὰ πάντα. Ἐποίησέ τε ἐξ ἑνὸς αἵματος πᾶν ἔθνος ἀνθρώπων κατοικεῖν ἐπὶ πᾶν πρόσωπον τῆς γῆς. » Καὶ ἐν Λύστροις δὲ τοῖς θῦσαι βουληθεῖσι ταῦτα ἔφη « … γελιζόμενοι ὑμᾶς ἀπὸ τούτων τῶν ματαίων ἐπιστρέφειν ἐπὶ τὸν Θεὸν ζῶντα, ὃς ἐποίησε τὸν οὐρανὸν καὶ τὴν γῆν, καὶ τὴν θάλασσαν, καὶ πάντα τὰ ἐν αὖτοῖς. ν Καὶ τὰ ἑξῆς δὲ τῆς αὐτῆς ἔχεται διανοίας. ᾿Αλλὰ γὰρ περιττὸν περὶ τούτου μηκύνειν, καὶ πολλὰς παράγειν μαρτυρίας ἐκ τῆς θείας Γραφῆς, καὶ τῶν παρ᾽ Ἕλλησιν ἐν φιλοσοφίᾳ διαπρεψάντων τὸν Θεὸν εἴναι φησάντωγ Δημιουργόν. » Καὶ γὰρ ὁ Σωφρονίσκου Σωκράτης, καὶ ὁ ᾿Αρίστωνος Πλάτων, καὶ οἱ τούτων διάδοχοι, καὶ μέντο: καὶ ἕτεροι πλεῖστοι, τῆσδς τῆς δόξης γεγένηνται, καὶ ἐξ ὑποκειμένης δὲ ὕλης ἔφασαν τὸν Θεὸν εἰληφέναι τῆς δημιουργίας τὰς ἀφορμάς. Φέρε τοίνυν, κἀν τῷδε τῷ κεφαλαίῳ τὴν τῶν ἐκκλησιαστικῶν δογμάτων εὐγένειαν ἐπιδείξωμεν.
… seōs hyparchei dēmiourgos, ouk ho morphōtheis, kata … tines, kata Basilidēn, kai Kērinthon, kai tous al… giǭ Pneumati ta panta dēmiourgēsai, kai edida… epēgagen" « Hoti autos eipe kai egenēthēsan, au… gazōn en hydasi ta hyperǭa hautou. » Kai met᾽ oliga " Ho themeliōn tēn gēn epi tēn asphaleian autēs." … syn tois allois stoicheiois " hōs autos tou phōtos tēn … ho stereōsas tēn gēn, kai ta en autę̄, ho didous pnoēn tǭ laǭ tǭ ep᾽ autēs, kai pneuma tois patousin autēn. » Kai palin" e Ho stēsas ton ouranon hōsei kamaran, kai diateinas auton hōs skēnēn. » Kai autos de Theos di᾽ autou phēsin" e« Exeteina ton ouranon monos. » Ho de makarios Hieremias houtōs ephē" « Houtos ho theos, ho katadeixas tēn gēn, eplērōsen autēn ktēnōn kai tetrapodōn. Ho apostellōn to phōs kai poreuetai, ekalesen auto kai hypēkousen autǭ tromǭ. » ᾿Alla gar ou dei moi prophētikōn phōnōn. Pro gar tou nomou kai tōn prophētōn, hē physis tauta tous anthrōpous epaideuse. Kai Melchisedek ekeinos ho palaios, houtōs ephēse ton ᾿Adraam. eulogōn «e Eulogētos ᾿Adraam tǭ Theǭ tǭ hypsistǭ, hos echtise ton ouranon, kai tēn gēn.» Kai autos de ho patriarchēs tauta tois apo So… pros ton Theon ton hypsiston, hos echtise ton ouranon kai tēn gēn...» Kai palin, ton sichetēn pros tēn tēs nymphēs mnēsteian ho ᾿Adraam᾽ « thes, ephē, tēn cheira sou hypo ton mēron mou, kai exorchiō se Kyrion ton Theon tou ouranou kai tēs gēs. n» Kai ho gennaios de: Iōd pro tēs tou nomou theseōs en aretę̄ diaprepsas, ton alēthinon Theon hoide Dēmiourgon. « Ho tanysas gar, phēsi, ton ouranon monos, ho peripatōn epi thalassēs hōs epi edaphous. » Kai autos de ho athlothetēs polla peri tēs ktiseōs didaskei ton nikēphoron agōnistēn. ᾿All᾽ hina mē dōmen aphormēn tois tēn palaian ou dechomenois Graphēn, anteipein tois eirēmenois, eis tēn Kainēn diadōmen, kai deixōmen tautēn symphōna phthengomenēn “ houtō gar dē phanēsetai mian echonta pēgēn tauta kakeina ta namata. ᾿Akousōmen toinyn Iōannou tou thespesiou panta dia tou Logon gegenēsthai phēsantos, kai tōn en tę̄ chtisee theōroumenōn hē nooumenōn mēden dicha toutou gegenēsthai. e Chōris gar autou, phēsin, egeneto oude hen. » ᾿Akousōmen de kai tou theiou Paulou boōntos, hoti e« En autǭ ektisthē ta panta, eite horata, eite aorata. » Kai palin " hoti e Di᾿ autou tous aiōnas epoiēsen ho Patēr. » Kai epi tou 'lreiou de pagou dēmēgorōn, houtōs ephē e« Ho Theos ho poiēsas ton kosmon kai panta ta en autǭ, houtos ouranou kai gēs hyparchōn Kyrios, ouk en cheiropoiētois naois katoikei, oude hypo cheirōn anthrōpigōn therapeuetai hōs prosdeomenos tinos, autos didous pasi zōēn kai pnoēn kchata panta. Epoiēse te ex henos haimatos pan ethnos anthrōpōn katoikein epi pan prosōpon tēs gēs. » Kai en Lystrois de tois thysai boulētheisi tauta ephē « … gelizomenoi hymas apo toutōn tōn mataiōn epistrephein epi ton Theon zōnta, hos epoiēse ton ouranon kai tēn gēn, kai tēn thalassan, kai panta ta en autois. n Kai ta hexēs de tēs autēs echetai dianoias. ᾿Alla gar peritton peri toutou mēkynein, kai pollas paragein martyrias ek tēs theias Graphēs, kai tōn par᾽ Hellēsin en philosophią diaprepsantōn ton Theon einai phēsantōg Dēmiourgon. » Kai gar ho Sōphroniskou Sōkratēs, kai ho ᾿Aristōnos Platōn, kai hoi toutōn diadochoi, kai mento: kai heteroi pleistoi, tēsds tēs doxēs gegenēntai, kai ex hypokeimenēs de hylēs ephasan ton Theon eilēphenai tēs dēmiourgias tas aphormas. Phere toinyn, kan tǭde tǭ kephalaiǭ tēn tōn ekklēsiastikōn dogmatōn eugeneian epideixōmen.
… is the maker of creation, not the one formed, as … some [say], following Basilides, Cerinthus and the others …; [but that the Father with the Son and the Holy] Spirit made all things, and taught …; he added: “For he spoke, and they came to be …” … “who roofs his upper chambers with waters.” And a little later: “who founded the earth on its sure foundation.” … with the other elements; as he himself … of the light …: “[Thus says the Lord God, who made heaven] …, who established the earth and what is in it, who gives breath to the people upon it and spirit to those who walk on it.” And again: “Who set up heaven like a vault and stretched it out like a tent.” And God himself says through him: “I alone stretched out the heaven.” The blessed Jeremiah spoke thus: “This is our God, who prepared the earth and filled it with cattle and four-footed beasts; who sends the light, and it goes; he called it, and it obeyed him with trembling.” But I have no need of prophetic voices; before the law and the prophets, nature taught people these things. That Melchizedek of old said thus when he blessed Abraham: “Blessed be Abraham by God Most High, who created heaven and earth.” And the patriarch himself [said] the same to the [king] of Sodom: “[I will stretch out my hand] to God Most High, who created heaven and earth.” And again Abraham, [sending] his servant to seek a bride: “Put your hand under my thigh,” he said, “and I will make you swear by the Lord, the God of heaven and earth.” The noble Job too, who excelled in virtue before the giving of the law, knows the true God as Creator: “Who alone,” he says, “stretched out the heaven, who walks on the sea as on solid ground.” And the judge of the contest himself teaches the victorious contender much about creation. But so as not to give those who do not accept the Old Scripture an occasion to contradict what has been said, let us pass to the New and show that it speaks in harmony with it; for so it will appear that these streams and those have one source. Let us hear, then, the inspired John, who said that all things came into being through the Word, and that nothing seen or thought in creation came into being without him: “Without him,” he says, “not one thing came into being.” Let us hear also the divine Paul crying that “in him all things were created, whether visible or invisible.” And again, that “through him the Father made the ages.” And speaking publicly on the Areopagus he said thus: “The God who made the world and everything in it, being Lord of heaven and earth, does not dwell in temples made with hands, nor is he served by human hands as though he needed anything, since he himself gives to all life and breath in every way. And he made from one blood every nation of men to dwell on all the face of the earth.” And at Lystra he said this to those who wished to offer sacrifice: “… bringing you good news, that you turn from these vain things to the living God, who made heaven and earth and the sea and all that is in them.” What follows has the same sense. But it is superfluous to lengthen the account about this and bring many testimonies from the divine Scripture, and from those among the Greeks who excelled in philosophy and said that God is the Creator. For Socrates son of Sophroniscus, Plato son of Ariston, their successors and very many others held this opinion, though they said that God took the starting materials of his creation from underlying matter. Come, then, let us show in this chapter too the nobility of the church's doctrines.
Textual problem in this passage: see the notes.
Ps 33:9 (32:9 LXX) (quotation, medium confidence) · Ps 148:5 (quotation, medium confidence) · Ps 104:3 (103:3 LXX) (quotation, high confidence) · Ps 104:5 (103:5 LXX) (quotation, high confidence) · Isa 42:5 (quotation, high confidence) · Isa 40:22 (quotation, high confidence) · Isa 44:24 (quotation, high confidence) · Gen 14:19 (quotation, high confidence) · Gen 14:22 (quotation, high confidence) · Gen 24:2–3 (quotation, high confidence) · Job 9:8 (quotation, high confidence) · Job 38:1–41 (allusion, medium confidence) · John 1:3 (quotation, high confidence) · Col 1:16 (quotation, high confidence) · Heb 1:2 (allusion, high confidence) · Acts 17:24–26 (quotation, high confidence) · Acts 14:15 (quotation, high confidence)
Notes and citation
Summary: Theodoret shows from the Psalms, the Prophets, the patriarchs, Job, John, Paul and Acts that the one God made all things, against Basilides, Cerinthus and others.
- The opening of the chapter is badly damaged by Migne's Latin read as Greek, and several lines are lost (marked …; bracketed words supplied for sense from the quotations).
- The passage ascribed to Jeremiah is Bar 3:35–36 (3:32–33 in some numberings), a book outside the 66; it is tagged as an extrabiblical reference.
- Quotations: Ps 33:9 (LXX 32:9; cf. 148:5); Ps 104:3, 5 (LXX 103:3, 5); Isa 42:5; 40:22; 44:24; Gen 14:19, 22; 24:2–3; Job 9:8; John 1:3; Col 1:16; Heb 1:2; Acts 17:24–26; 14:15. The “judge of the contest” addressing Job is God in Job 38–41.
Notes on the original text
- Digital text corrected (Migne's Latin read as Greek; Migne's Latin read as Greek; Greek lost; column letter; column letter and Latin debris; column letter; Greek lost; footnote marker; marginal reference; Greek lost; marginal references and footnote variants; Greek lost): βοδιὰ 6886, ποι ἰΠ]Πὰπ, φαΐ [υχία γαϊοπείπὶ [δ] Δπὶ σεως → … σεως; [ἀϊ δὲ σδείπιμο, δἰ βασι νἴβαπι δϑὲ, φυόγαπὶ ρτίπ- → … ; ἄλ-. οιηπία οοπαϊάϊθ86, οἱ ἀϊάϊοίπιυ8, οἱ ἀοοθίιβ: γίῳ → ἄλ… γίῳ; ἐδιδάοἱ ογϑαίᾶ βιὶ ν᾽.» Εἰ 398. τυτβὺβ : « Εχίομάθπβ ἐπήγαγεν → ἐδιδά… ἐπήγαγεν; αὐὖ- ᾿Ιϊϊίο πα συδπὶ "". » Εἰ τυὐγβὺβ : «θυἱ [εἰ ἙΠΟἸΟ5 " γάζων → αὐ… γάζων; Ῥγὸ ἱηιϑ!]θοία, αυΐ ἢγπιδυῖ! (θυ γαπι ΕΡΘΥ 4085 ""..» ᾿ς Ὁ θεμελιῶν → Ὁ θεμελιῶν; εἰν, ργδιῖβ οἱ βοερειί θυ. Εἰ Δηἰ πια] πὶ ἴρ88 σεμογαὰ σὺν → … σὺν; τὴν η. τ ΤΡ. 155. ναμις. τὸν, ὁ στερεώσας → τὴν … ὁ στερεώσας; ὁ διδοὺς Α 4υδπη [Ὀγηΐοοπι, οἱ ὀχιθηαΐι πνοὴν → ὁ διδοὺς πνοὴν; (θ4) → ; ἀπὸ Σο- Β πρὸς → ἀπὸ Σο… πρὸς; δὴ Ο φανήσεται → δὴ φανήσεται; « Καὶ ὅδ 00 ᾿ιχ, 8. δ) ἤολῃ.1, ὅ. δ᾽ (0088. 1, 16. εὖλ. [060 οἰϊ. 651. εὐλογὴ μένος. Ἢ καὶ αὐτὸς --- τὴν γῆν. {πῆς δ οαἴοοπὶ οὐἰϊ. 80 (ρῃ. κιν, 19. ἐσ ἢ Ἢ ὡς. 69. 1]. 6. κατά. Βοος. Ἰεειϊο, καὶ τά. ἀρά γελιζόμενοι → « … γελιζόμενοι; Τὴ6 ἢ τη Δ 81 ᾿Π]8π|, χα ΜΑΓΟΙΟἢΪ8 οἱ Μδηθι 8 ἷπι- → .
Extrabiblical texts: Bar 3:35 (Baruch [in RC, EO, ETH canons]; quotation); Plato (Plato (works); allusion)
Topics: Heresy, Scripture and canon
Cite (SBL): Theodoret, Haer. fab. 5.4 (PG 83; trans. Sophia Scriptura, https://sophiascriptura.com/p/theodoret-haereticarum-fabularum-compendium/5-4). (abbreviation not yet checked)
Permanent link: https://sophiascriptura.com/p/theodoret-haereticarum-fabularum-compendium/5-4
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Translation: Translated by Claude (Opus) from the Greek as printed in Migne PG 83 (archive.org OCR); no public-domain or FOTC English exists, so each batch was re-read against the Greek.
5.5PG 83
Ἐκεῖνοι μὲν οὖν, ὡς ἔφην, ἐξ ὑποκειμένης ὕλης τὰ πάντα δημιουργηθῆναί φασι, καὶ συναΐδιον αὐτὴν τῷ Θεῷ λέγοντες, αἴτιον αὐτῆς τὸν Θεὸν ὀνομάζουσιν " οὗ μὴν αὑτὴν κακὴν ὁρίζονται κατὰ τὴν Μαρκίωνος καὶ τοῦ Μάνεντος ἀσέθδειαν " μεγίστην γὰρ βλασφηκίαν νομίζουσι τὸ φάναι τὸν Θεὸν εἶναι κακῶν ποιητήν. Καὶ ἐκεῖνοι μὲν ἴσως ἔχουσι συγγνώμην τινὰ, μἣτε πρυφητιχῶν ἐπακούσαντες λόγων, μήτε τοὺς θείους ἀποστόλους ποδηγοὺς ἐσχηκότες, μόνοις δὲ τοῖς λογισμοῖς τὴν τῶν ὄντων ἐπιτρέψαντες γνῶσιν. Οὗτοι δὲ ποίας ἂν τίσειαν δίκας τῆς ἀσεθδείας ἀξίας, τῶν μὲν θείων ἀπολαύσαντες Εὐαγγελίων, τὸ δὲ τούτων ἁποδράσαντες φῶς, καὶ τὸ σκότος ἀππασάμενοι ταῖς νυχτερίαι παραπλησίως; Ἕδει δὲ αὐτοὺς τὴν γοῦν τῶν φιλοσόφων τούτων κρατῦναι δόξαν, ἐπειδὴ τὰς ἀκοὰς ἔδυσαν, καὶ τῶν τοῦ θείου … τὴν μὲν ὕλην εἰσαγαγεῖν, μὴ πονηρὰν δὲ καλέσαι. Καὶ τοῦτο ὃὲ τῆς τῶν ἀνθρωπίνων λογισμῶν ἀσθενείας τεκμήριον. Ἐπειδὴ γὰρ πᾶσα τέχνη παρὰ ἀνθρώποις ὕλης ὑποκειμένης προσδεῖται, καὶ χεραμευτιχὴ μὲν ταγλοῦ, οἰχοδομιχὴ δὲ λίθων καὶ πλίνθων, ξύλων δὲ ἡ τεκτονικὴ καὶ ναυπηγιχὴ, καὶ ἐρίων ἡ ὑφαντιχὴ, καὶ ἡ σχυτοτομιχὴ δὲ δερμάτων, καὶ ζωγραφία καὶ ἑκάστη τέγνη τῶν προσφόρων ὑλῶν, ὑπέλαδον οἱ ἀνόητοι καὶ τὸν Θεὸν μὴ δύνασθαι ὕλης δίχα δημιουργεῖν, καὶ οὐ συνεῖδον ὅσον ἀνθρώπον καὶ θεοῦ τὸ διάφορον, καὶ ὡς οὐκ οἷόν τε τὴν εἰκόνα πάντα ἔχειν. ὅσα τὸ ἀρχέτυπον, καὶ ὅτι ἄνθρωπος μὲν, ὡς εἰκὼν ἐξ ὄντων δημιουργεῖ, Θεὸς δὲ καὶ ἐξ ὄντων καὶ ἐκ μὴ ὄντων. Καὶ τοῦτο σαφῶς ἡμᾶς ἐδίδαξεν ἡ θεία Γραφή. Ὁ μὲν γὰρ ᾿Απόστολος φησί " ε Πίστει νοοῦμεν κατηρτίσθαι τοὺς αἰῶνας ῥήματι Θεοῦ, εἰς τὸ μὴ ἐκ φαινομένων τὰ βλεπόμενα γεγονέναι. » Καὶ πάλιν" « Ὃ καλῶν τὰ μὴ ὄντα ὡς ὄντα. ν» Ὁ δὲ τὴν χοσμογένειαν συγγράψας σαφῶς ἐδίδαξε, τίνα μὲν ἐκ μιῇ ὄντων, τίνα δὲ ἐξ ὄντων ἐποίησεν ὁ Δημιουργός " καὶ ὅτι τὸν μὲν οὐρανὸν καὶ τὴν γῆν καὶ τὰ ἄλλα στοιχεῖα ἐκ μὴ ὄντων πεποίηκεν. « Ἐν ἀρχῇ γὰρ, φησὶν, ἐποίγσεν ὁ Θεὸς τὸν οὐρανὸν καὶ τὴν γῆν. » Καὶ τὸ φῶς δὲ ὡταύτως ἐκ μὴ ὄντων ἐδημιούργησεν. ε Εἶπεν γὰρ, φησὶν, ὃ Θεός " Γενηθήτω φῶς" καὶ ἐγένετο φῶς. » Τὸ δὲ στερέωμα ἐκ τῶν ἤδη γεγενηβένων παρήγαγε. « Γενηθήτω γὰρ, ἔφη, στερέωμα ἐν μέσῳ τοῦ ὕδατος, καὶ ἔστω διαχωρίξον ἀνὰ μέσον ὕδατος καὶ ὕδατος. » Καὶ τὰ σπέρματα δὲ καὶ τὰ φυτὰ ἔχ γῆς βλαστῆσαι προσέταξε. « Βλαστησάτω γὰρ, ἔφη, ἡ γῇ βοτάγην χόρτου, σπεῖρον σπέρμα κατὰ γένος, καὶ καθ᾽ ὁμοιότητα, καὶ ξύλον κάρπιμον ποιοὖν καρπὸν, οὗ τὸ σπέρμα αὐτοῦ ἐν αὐτῷ καθ᾽ ὁμοιότητα κατὰ γένος ἐπὶ τῆς γῆς. » Οὕτω καὶ τῶν ἀλόγων ζώων τὰ γένῃ παρήγαγεν " ἐκ μὲν τῶν ὑδάτῶν τὰ ἀεροπόρα, καὶ τὰ ἐν τοῖς ὕδασι διαιτώμενα, καὶ τὰ ἀμφίδια προσαγαρενόμενα.« Ἐξαγαγέτω γὰρ, ἔφη, τὰ ὕδατα, ἑρπετὰ ψυχῶν ζωσῶν, καὶ πετεινὰ πετόμενα κατὰ τὸ στερέωμα τοῦ οὐρανοῦ. » Ἐκ δὲ τῆς γῆς τὰ τετράποδα καὶ ἑρπετά. « Ἐξαγαγέτῳ γὰρ, φησὶν, ἡ γῆ ψυχὴν ζῶσαν, τετράποδα, ἑρπετὰ καὶ κτήνη. » Τὸν δὲ ἄνθρωπον ἐξ ὄντων καὶ μὴ ὄντων ἐποίησε. Τὸ μὲν γὰρ σῶμᾳ διέπλασε χοῦν λαδὼν ἀπὸ γῆς, τὴν δὲ ψυχὴν ἐκ μὴ ὄντων ἐδημιούργησεν. Οὐ γὰρ κατὰ τὸν δυσσεθῇ Μαρκίωνος λόγον ὁμοούσιός ἐστιν ἡ ψυχὴ τοῦ πεποιηκότὸς Θεοῦ, ἀλλ᾽ ἐκ μὴ ὄντων ἐκτίσθη" ῥᾷστα γὰρ ὅσα ἂν θέλῃ δημιουργεῖ. Οὐ γὰρ τοῖς ἤδη γεγενημένοις τοῦ Ποιητοῦ τὴν δύναμιν προσήκει μετρεῖν. Πολλαπλάσια γὰρ τούτων παραγαγεῖν αὐτῷ ῥάδιον. Καὶ τοῦτο Δαδὶδ ὁ θεσπέσιος παρεδήλωσε. ε Ιάντα γὰρ, φησὶν, ὅσα ἠθέλησεν ὁ Κύριος ἐποίησεν. ν Οὐκ … μετρον γὰρ ἔχει τῇ βουλήσει τὴν δύναμιν. “Ὅθεν οὐ μόνον ἐξ ὄντων, ἀλλὰ καὶ ἐκ μὴ ὄντων δημιουργεῖ. Εἷκότως τοίνυν τῶν τῆς ἀληθείας δογμάτων ὁ περὶ τῆς ὕλης ἐξελήλαται λόγος. Οἱ δὲ τὴν κτίσιν κακίζοντες, καὶ τὴν παναρμόνιον δημιουργίαν διαδάλλειν χειροῦντες, καὶ τούτου χάριν τὸν περὶ τῆς ὕλης ἐπεισάγοντες λόγον, ἀκουσάτωσαν τῶν θείων βοώντων λογίων " « Εἶδεν ὁ Θεὸς πάντα ὅσα ἐποίησε, καὶ ἰδοὺ χαλὰ λίαν. ν» Οὐδὲν γὰρ ὑπὸ τοῦ Θεοῦ γεγενημένον φύσει κακόν. ᾿Αλλὰ τὸν περὶ τούτον λόγον ὕστερον ἀναπτύξομεν. Τέως δὲ περὶ τῆς τῶν Αἰώνων μυθολογίας μικρὰ διεξέλθωμεν.
Ekeinoi men oun, hōs ephēn, ex hypokeimenēs hylēs ta panta dēmiourgēthēnai phasi, kai synaïdion autēn tǭ Theǭ legontes, aition autēs ton Theon onomazousin " hou mēn hautēn kakēn horizontai kata tēn Markiōnos kai tou Manentos asethdeian " megistēn gar blasphēkian nomizousi to phanai ton Theon einai kakōn poiētēn. Kai ekeinoi men isōs echousi syngnōmēn tina, mēte pryphētichōn epakousantes logōn, mēte tous theious apostolous podēgous eschēkotes, monois de tois logismois tēn tōn ontōn epitrepsantes gnōsin. Houtoi de poias an tiseian dikas tēs asethdeias axias, tōn men theiōn apolausantes Euangeliōn, to de toutōn hapodrasantes phōs, kai to skotos appasamenoi tais nychteriai paraplēsiōs? Hedei de autous tēn goun tōn philosophōn toutōn kratynai doxan, epeidē tas akoas edysan, kai tōn tou theiou … tēn men hylēn eisagagein, mē ponēran de kalesai. Kai touto hoe tēs tōn anthrōpinōn logismōn astheneias tekmērion. Epeidē gar pasa technē para anthrōpois hylēs hypokeimenēs prosdeitai, kai cherameutichē men taglou, oichodomichē de lithōn kai plinthōn, xylōn de hē tektonikē kai naupēgichē, kai eriōn hē hyphantichē, kai hē schytotomichē de dermatōn, kai zōgraphia kai hekastē tegnē tōn prosphorōn hylōn, hypeladon hoi anoētoi kai ton Theon mē dynasthai hylēs dicha dēmiourgein, kai ou syneidon hoson anthrōpon kai theou to diaphoron, kai hōs ouk hoion te tēn eikona panta echein. hosa to archetypon, kai hoti anthrōpos men, hōs eikōn ex ontōn dēmiourgei, Theos de kai ex ontōn kai ek mē ontōn. Kai touto saphōs hēmas edidaxen hē theia Graphē. Ho men gar ᾿Apostolos phēsi " e Pistei nooumen katērtisthai tous aiōnas rhēmati Theou, eis to mē ek phainomenōn ta blepomena gegonenai. » Kai palin" « Ho kalōn ta mē onta hōs onta. n» Ho de tēn chosmogeneian syngrapsas saphōs edidaxe, tina men ek mię̄ ontōn, tina de ex ontōn epoiēsen ho Dēmiourgos " kai hoti ton men ouranon kai tēn gēn kai ta alla stoicheia ek mē ontōn pepoiēken. « En archę̄ gar, phēsin, epoigsen ho Theos ton ouranon kai tēn gēn. » Kai to phōs de hōtautōs ek mē ontōn edēmiourgēsen. e Eipen gar, phēsin, ho Theos " Genēthētō phōs" kai egeneto phōs. » To de stereōma ek tōn ēdē gegenēbenōn parēgage. « Genēthētō gar, ephē, stereōma en mesǭ tou hydatos, kai estō diachōrixon ana meson hydatos kai hydatos. » Kai ta spermata de kai ta phyta ech gēs blastēsai prosetaxe. « Blastēsatō gar, ephē, hē gę̄ botagēn chortou, speiron sperma kata genos, kai kath᾽ homoiotēta, kai xylon karpimon poioun karpon, hou to sperma autou en autǭ kath᾽ homoiotēta kata genos epi tēs gēs. » Houtō kai tōn alogōn zōōn ta genę̄ parēgagen " ek men tōn hydatōn ta aeropora, kai ta en tois hydasi diaitōmena, kai ta amphidia prosagarenomena.« Exagagetō gar, ephē, ta hydata, herpeta psychōn zōsōn, kai peteina petomena kata to stereōma tou ouranou. » Ek de tēs gēs ta tetrapoda kai herpeta. « Exagagetǭ gar, phēsin, hē gē psychēn zōsan, tetrapoda, herpeta kai ktēnē. » Ton de anthrōpon ex ontōn kai mē ontōn epoiēse. To men gar sōmą dieplase choun ladōn apo gēs, tēn de psychēn ek mē ontōn edēmiourgēsen. Ou gar kata ton dyssethę̄ Markiōnos logon homoousios estin hē psychē tou pepoiēkotos Theou, all᾽ ek mē ontōn ektisthē" rhąsta gar hosa an thelę̄ dēmiourgei. Ou gar tois ēdē gegenēmenois tou Poiētou tēn dynamin prosēkei metrein. Pollaplasia gar toutōn paragagein autǭ rhadion. Kai touto Dadid ho thespesios paredēlōse. e Ianta gar, phēsin, hosa ēthelēsen ho Kyrios epoiēsen. n Ouk … metron gar echei tę̄ boulēsei tēn dynamin. “Hothen ou monon ex ontōn, alla kai ek mē ontōn dēmiourgei. Heikotōs toinyn tōn tēs alētheias dogmatōn ho peri tēs hylēs exelēlatai logos. Hoi de tēn ktisin kakizontes, kai tēn panarmonion dēmiourgian diadallein cheirountes, kai toutou charin ton peri tēs hylēs epeisagontes logon, akousatōsan tōn theiōn boōntōn logiōn " « Eiden ho Theos panta hosa epoiēse, kai idou chala lian. n» Ouden gar hypo tou Theou gegenēmenon physei kakon. ᾿Alla ton peri touton logon hysteron anaptyxomen. Teōs de peri tēs tōn Aiōnōn mythologias mikra diexelthōmen.
Those men, then, as I said, say that all things were made from underlying matter; and while saying it is coeternal with God, they name God its cause. They do not, however, define it as evil, as in the impiety of Marcion and Mani; for they think it the greatest blasphemy to say that God is the maker of evils. And they perhaps have some excuse, since they neither listened to prophetic words nor had the divine apostles as guides, but entrusted the knowledge of what exists to their reasonings alone. But what penalty worthy of their impiety would these pay, who enjoyed the divine Gospels yet ran away from their light and embraced the darkness like bats? They ought at least to have held to the opinion of these philosophers, since they had stopped their ears to the words of the divine …, introducing matter but not calling it evil. This too is evidence of the weakness of human reasonings. Since every art among people needs underlying material (pottery needs clay, building stones and bricks, carpentry and shipbuilding wood, weaving wool, shoemaking leather, and painting and each art its proper materials), the fools supposed that God too cannot create without matter; and they did not see how great is the difference between man and God, that the image cannot have all that the archetype has, and that man, as an image, creates from what exists, but God both from what exists and from what does not. The divine Scripture taught us this clearly. The Apostle says: “By faith we understand that the ages were framed by the word of God, so that what is seen did not come from things that appear.” And again: “Who calls the things that are not as though they were.” The writer of the account of the world's genesis taught clearly which things the Creator made from what does not exist, and which from what exists; that he made heaven, earth and the other elements from what does not exist: “In the beginning,” he says, “God made the heaven and the earth.” And he created light likewise from what does not exist: “For God said,” he says, “Let there be light; and there was light.” The firmament he brought forth from things already made: “Let there be,” he said, “a firmament in the midst of the water, and let it divide between water and water.” Seeds and plants he ordered to sprout from the earth: “Let the earth,” he said, “bring forth the herb of grass, sowing seed according to its kind and likeness, and the fruitful tree bearing fruit whose seed is in it, according to its likeness and kind, upon the earth.” So too he brought forth the kinds of irrational animals: from the waters the creatures that travel through the air, those that live in the waters, and those called amphibians: “Let the waters,” he said, “bring forth creeping things with living souls, and birds flying along the firmament of heaven.” From the earth he brought the four-footed beasts and creeping things: “Let the earth,” he says, “bring forth the living soul, four-footed beasts, creeping things and cattle.” Man he made from what exists and from what does not. For he formed the body taking dust from the earth, but the soul he created from what does not exist. For the soul is not, according to Marcion's impious account, of one substance with God who made it, but was created from what did not exist; for he creates most easily whatever he wishes. One must not measure the Maker's power by what has already come to be; for it is easy for him to bring forth many times more. This the inspired David indicated: “For all things,” he says, “whatever the Lord willed, he did.” … for he has a power commensurate with his will. Hence he creates not only from what exists but also from what does not. Rightly, then, the doctrine of matter has been driven out of the doctrines of truth. Those who disparage creation, attempting to slander the all-harmonious workmanship and for this reason bringing in the doctrine of matter, let them hear the divine oracles crying: “God saw all that he had made, and behold, it was very good.” For nothing made by God is evil by nature. But we shall unfold the account of this later. Meanwhile let us go briefly through the mythology of the Aeons.
Heb 11:3 (quotation, high confidence) · Rom 4:17 (quotation, high confidence) · Gen 1:1 (quotation, high confidence) · Gen 1:3 (quotation, high confidence) · Gen 1:6 (quotation, high confidence) · Gen 1:11 (quotation, high confidence) · Gen 1:20 (quotation, high confidence) · Gen 1:24 (quotation, high confidence) · Gen 2:7 (allusion, high confidence) · Ps 135:6 (134:6 LXX) (quotation, high confidence) · Gen 1:31 (quotation, high confidence)
Notes and citation
Summary: Against eternal matter, Theodoret argues from Scripture that God created heaven, earth, light and the human soul out of nothing, and that all he made is very good.
- Migne's Latin read as Greek is removed; a few words are lost (marked …).
- Quotations: Heb 11:3; Rom 4:17; Gen 1:1, 3, 6, 11, 20, 24; 2:7; Ps 135:6 (LXX 134:6); Gen 1:31.
Notes on the original text
- Digital text corrected (Migne's Latin read as Greek inside the quotation; Migne's Latin read as Greek; Greek lost; footnote marker): Ἐπὶ δυίοη ποὺ 4θο΄ὰδ πη Π Γυ τ γι] υπ Ἰυῖο, οἱ βιγισίοτία ἰΔρίἀΐθι5 οἵ Ἰδί τι θυ, 1 π18 γ 6 τὴν → … τὴν; καὶ ΑἼἸυχ, οἱ [λοῖδ δϑί Ἰὰκ 45,» Εἰγιηδηιθηίαπι δυΐδτι 6 Σ ἀγένετο → καὶ ἐγένετο; Οὐκ Ι ἀν} 51π|}}} πάπα πὶ, δοουπάυπι ζοη8, ἴη ἰογτ δ᾽. ν μετρον → Οὐκ … μετρον; οὐ (, μόνον → οὐ μόνον.
Topics: Heresy, Scripture and canon
Cite (SBL): Theodoret, Haer. fab. 5.5 (PG 83; trans. Sophia Scriptura, https://sophiascriptura.com/p/theodoret-haereticarum-fabularum-compendium/5-5). (abbreviation not yet checked)
Permanent link: https://sophiascriptura.com/p/theodoret-haereticarum-fabularum-compendium/5-5
BibTeX · RIS · CSL-JSON (whole work; this passage's key: sophiascriptura-theodoret-haereticarum-fabularum-compendium-5-5) · Report an error
Translation: Translated by Claude (Opus) from the Greek as printed in Migne PG 83 (archive.org OCR); no public-domain or FOTC English exists, so each batch was re-read against the Greek.
5.6PG 83
Βοαλεντῖνος, καὶ Σεχουνδῖνος, καὶ Μάρκος, καὶ οἱ δὲ ἐχείνων διάδοχοι παμπόλλους Αἰῶνας πρεσδυτέρους τοῦ Δημιουργοῦ φασιν εἶναι, οὐκ ἐκ τῶν θείων λογίων τοῦτο μεμαθηκότες, ἀλλ᾽ αὐτοὶ τοὺς μύθους σνυμπλάσαντες. Καὶ οὐ συνεῖδον οἱ ἐμδρόντητο:, ὡς ὁ αἰὼν οὐκ οὐσία τίς ἐστιν ὑφεστῶσα, ἀλλὰ διάστημά τι χρόνου δηλωτικὸν, ποτὲ μὲν ἀκείρου, ὅταν περὶ Θεοῦ λέγηται, ποτὲ δὲ τῇ κτίσει συμμέτρου, ἄλλοτε δὲ τῇ ἀνθρωπίνῃ ζωῇ. Περὶ μὲν γὰρ ἡμῶν … τοῦ προσώπου σου. » Περὶ δὲ τῆς κτίσεως ὁ Κύριος … τῶν ὅλων πάλιν ὁ μακάριος Δαδίδ" « ᾿Απὸ τοῦ αἰῶνος … καὶ τὴν δωδέκάδα, καὶ τὴν ᾿Αχαμὼθ, καὶ τὸν ὄρον, … καὶ τὸν Υἱὸν, καὶ τὸ Πνεῦμα" ἀλλὰ πρὸ πάντων ἐστὶ … πρεσδύτερος. Καὶ ἐν ἑτέρῳ δὲ χωρίῳ φησί" ε Τῷ … τούτου, οὐδὲ τῶν ἀρχόντων τοῦ αἰῶνος τούτου, τῶν … πλὴν σοῦ.» Πρὸ τῶν αἰώγων τοίνυν ὁ θεὸς, ὁ τῶν.ι ὅλων δημιουργός.
Boalentinos, kai Sechoundinos, kai Markos, kai hoi de echeinōn diadochoi pampollous Aiōnas presdyterous tou Dēmiourgou phasin einai, ouk ek tōn theiōn logiōn touto memathēkotes, all᾽ autoi tous mythous snymplasantes. Kai ou syneidon hoi emdrontēto:, hōs ho aiōn ouk ousia tis estin hyphestōsa, alla diastēma ti chronou dēlōtikon, pote men akeirou, hotan peri Theou legētai, pote de tę̄ ktisei symmetrou, allote de tę̄ anthrōpinę̄ zōę̄. Peri men gar hēmōn … tou prosōpou sou. » Peri de tēs ktiseōs ho Kyrios … tōn holōn palin ho makarios Dadid" « ᾿Apo tou aiōnos … kai tēn dōdekada, kai tēn ᾿Achamōth, kai ton oron, … kai ton Huion, kai to Pneuma" alla pro pantōn esti … presdyteros. Kai en heterǭ de chōriǭ phēsi" e Tǭ … toutou, oude tōn archontōn tou aiōnos toutou, tōn … plēn sou.» Pro tōn aiōgōn toinyn ho theos, ho tōn.i holōn dēmiourgos.
Valentinus, Secundus, Marcus and their successors say that very many Aeons are older than the Demiurge, not having learned this from the divine oracles but having fabricated the myths themselves. The thunderstruck men did not see that an aeon is not some subsisting substance, but a span of time: sometimes infinite, when it is said of God; sometimes commensurate with creation; and at other times with human life. For about us … “[our age in the light] of your face.” About creation the Lord … About the God of all again the blessed David: “From everlasting …” … the Ogdoad and the Dodecad, Achamoth and Limit, … and the Son and the Spirit; but he is before all things …, older. And in another place he says: … “not of this age, nor of the rulers of this age, … except you.” God, then, the maker of all things, is before the ages.
Ps 90:8 (89:8 LXX) (quotation, low confidence) · Ps 90:2 (89:2 LXX) (quotation, medium confidence) · 1 Cor 2:6 (quotation, medium confidence)
Notes and citation
Summary: Against the Valentinian Aeons, Theodoret explains that in Scripture an “aeon” is a span of time, not a being, and that God is before all ages.
- The chapter is badly damaged in the scan: much of it is Migne's Latin read as Greek, and the quotations survive only in fragments (marked …).
- Recognizable fragments: Ps 90:8 (LXX 89:8); Ps 90:2 (LXX 89:2); 1 Cor 2:6.
Notes on the original text
- Digital text corrected (Latin debris; Migne's Latin read as Greek; Migne's Latin read as Greek; Greek lost; OCR slip inside a word; footnotes and Migne's Latin; Greek lost): 681. ϑεὰ 8. ἀδ τῷ ροβίοα ἀἰββογθιυ8. [πιο γὶπὶ ἀδ.- ΥΙ. --- δὲ → δὲ; πρεσδυτέρους ῃ) 416 τοῦ → πρεσδυτέρους τοῦ; λο- Υἱων → λογίων; ἡμῶν (δι τ 1014. θηρία τῆς τῆς κατὰ γένος. 47 (οη. κ', Ἶ. « δουϊυπι ποϑίτιπη ἴῃ Πα πα δ 006 νυ] 08 τυ] 75.) “οὔ προσώπου → ἡμῶν … τοῦ προσώπου; Κύριος (ἰσπαπὶ 8850 0}} 7.» Ἀυτβὺβ ἀδ 60 υπϊνογϑογαπι τῶν → Κύριος … τῶν; αἰῶνος οφάολάοπι, οἱ ἀδηδείαπι, οἱ ἀυοάοπατίαπι, οἱ Αοθὰ-ὀ καὶ → αἰῶνος … καὶ; ποῖ}, οἵ ἰογιηίθαμα, οἱ ΕἸ απ, οἱ ϑρί γἰίαπι : 388εὰ Βὶ καὶ → … καὶ; 78 δἰ: δηιἰχυΐου. Εἰ 4}10 ἴῃ Ἰοοο ἀϊοὶ! : « Περὶ ϑαοὰ-ὀ πρεσδύτερος → … πρεσδύτερος; Βιυΐὰ8 86900}} φυὶ ἀδβιγυυπίυν : βαά Ἰοφαίπιαν Πεὶ → … ; ΨΘΓΒΟΓΌΠΙ 651 Ορίίοχ, → … .
Topics: Heresy
Cite (SBL): Theodoret, Haer. fab. 5.6 (PG 83; trans. Sophia Scriptura, https://sophiascriptura.com/p/theodoret-haereticarum-fabularum-compendium/5-6). (abbreviation not yet checked)
Permanent link: https://sophiascriptura.com/p/theodoret-haereticarum-fabularum-compendium/5-6
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Translation: Translated by Claude (Opus) from the Greek as printed in Migne PG 83 (archive.org OCR); no public-domain or FOTC English exists, so each batch was re-read against the Greek.
5.7PG 83
… καὶ ἄῤῥεν τὴν ἀσώματον διακρίνομεν φύσιν, καὶ … μεων᾽ οὐδὲ κατὰ τοὺς τῶν αἱρετικῶν μύθους ποιητὰς … σιν διέπλασε. Διὸ δὴ καὶ ταύτην τῷ γένει τὴν εὖλογίαν προσήνεγκεν, εἰπών" ε« Αὐξάνεσθε, καὶ πληθύνεσθε, καὶ πληρώσατε τὴν γῆν, καὶ κατακυριεύσατε αὐτῆς. » Ἐπειδὴ γὰρ ὁ θάνατος ληΐζεται τῶν ἀνθρώπων τὴν φύσιν, καὶ οἷόν τις θεριστὴς, οὐ πρεσδύτας μόνον, ἀλλὰ καὶ νέους ἐχτέμνει" ἀναγκαίως ἣ φύσις ἐδεῖτο τῶν γεωργούντων, καὶ σπειρόντων, καὶ ἀντὶ τεμνομένων ἑτέρους στάχυς ἀντεισαγόντων, καὶ νικώντων τῇ γεωργίᾳ τοῦ ἀμῶντυς τὰς χεῖρας. Τῇ δὲ ἀθανάτῳ φύσει περιττὴ τοῦ γένους ἡ διαίρεσις" Οὔτε γὰρ αὐξήσεως δέονται μὴ μειούμενοι, οὔτε μίξεως σωμάτων ἀπηλλαγμένοι. Καὶ τούτου διδάσκαλος ἡ θεία Γραφή. ᾿Αγγέλου; μὲν γὰρ οὐ δύα κατ᾽ ἀρχὰς καθάπερ τοὺς ἀνθρώπους ἐδημιούργησε μόνους, ἀλλ' ὅσας ἠθέλησε μυριάδας ἐπήγαγεν. Ἡ γὰρ φθορᾶς ἐλευθέρα φύσις αὐξήσεως ἀπροσδεὴς. Οἱ δὲ ἄνθρωποι θνητὸν ἐσχηκότες σῶμα, καὶ ὑπὸ τῷ θανάτῳ τελοῦντες, τοῦ θήλεος ἀναγκαίως προσδέονται. Μηδεὶς ὃὲ τῶν φιληδόνων ἐξ ἀγνοίας τῶν ἀγγέλων ποιησάσθω κατηγορίαν, ἀφορμὴν λαδὼν εἰς βλασφημίαν τὸ παρὰ τοῦ πανσόφου ἱστορηθὲν Μωυύῦσέως" ὅτι ἰδόντες οἱ υἱοὶ τοῦ Θεοῦ τὰς θυγατέρας τῶν ἀνθρώπων ὅτι καλαί εἰσιν, ἔλαδον ἐξ αὐτῶν εἰς γυναῖκας. Παραπληξίας γὰρ ἐσχάτης τὸ τοῖς ἀγγέλοι; προσάψαι τὴν τῶν ἀνθρώπων ἀκολασίαν. Δύο γὰρ ἣν γένη τηνικαῦτα, τὸ τοῦ Κάϊν, καὶ τὸ τοῦ Σὴθ καὶ τὸ μὲν τοῦ Κάϊν ἐπάρατον ἦν, τὸ δὲ τοῦ Σὴθ εὐσεύείας ἐπεμέλετο. Ἕνὼς γὰρ, ὁ τούτου υἱὸς, ἤλπισεν ἐπικαλεῖσθαι τὸ ὄνομα Κυρίου τοῦ Θεοῦ. Ἐντεῦθεν οἵ ἐκ τούτου φύντες νἱοὶ Θεοῦ χρηματίζοντες, ἔφυγον τὴν πρὸς τὸ γένος τοῦ Κάϊν ἐπιτὰς ἐχείνων θεασάμενοι θυγατέρας οἱ τῶν εὐσεδῶν ἀπόγονοι, ἡττήθησαν τοῦ κάλλους, καὶ τὸν παἐρῷον παρέθδησαν νόμον, καὶ τὸ πρὸς ἐχείνου: ἢσπάσαντο κῆδος. Εἶτα ἡ ἐπιμιξία τὴν πονηρίαν εἰσήγαγεν. Ὅταν οὖν ἀκούσωμεν τῆς θείας λεγούσης Γραφῆς" « Εἰσῆλθον οἱ υἱοὶ τοῦ Θεοῦ πρὸς τὰς θυγατέρας τῶν ἀνθρώπων,» μὴ τῶν ἀσωμάτων ἀγγέλων χατηγορῶμεν’ ἄνθρωποι γὰρ τὴν παρανομίαν ἑἐτόλμν σαν υἱοὶ Θεοῦ προσαγορευόμενοι. Καὶ ὅτι ταῦθ᾽ οὕτως ἔχει, μάρτυς αὐτὸς ὁ τῶν ὅλων Θεὸς, οὑτωσὶ λέγων" « Οὐ μὴ χκαταμεένῃ τὸ πνεῦμά μου ἐν τοῖς ἀνθρώποις τούτοις διὰ τὸ εἶναι αὐτοὺς σάρκας. ν Καὶ πάλιν ἱστοριογράφος" « Καὶ εἶδε Κύριος τὴν γῆν, ἢ καὶ ἣν χκατεφθαρμένη, ὅτι χατέφθειρε πᾶσα σὰρξ τὴν ὁδὸν αὐτοῦ ἐπὶ τῆς γῆς. » Καὶ πρὸς τὸν Νῶε δὲ ὁ τῶν ὅλων ἔφη Θεός" ε Ἰδοὺ ἐγὼ χαταφθείρω πᾶσαν σάρκα. » Καὶ κελεύσας χατασχευάσαε ἐπήγαγεν’ « Ὅτι σε εὗρον δίκαιον ἐν τῇ γενεᾷ ταύτῃ. » Οὐκ ἂν δὲ ἀγγέλων ἡμαρτηκότων ἀνθρώπους … οὐ δέκα καὶ εἴκοσι, καὶ ἐκατὸν, ἀλλὰ μυριάδας ἀπείρους. Οὔτε αὐξήσεως τοίνυν οὔτε μίξεως χάοιν, δεῖται τοῦ θήλεως τῶν ἀγγέλων ἡ φύσις. Πολλὰς δὲ μυριάδας εἶναι ἀγγέλων ἡ θεία διδάσκει Γραφή" « Χδιαι γὰρ, φησὶ, χιλιάδες ἐλειτούργουν αὐτῷ, καὶ μύριαι μυριάδες παρειστήκεισαν αὐτῷ. » Λειτουργία δὲ τῶν ἀγγέλων ἡ ὑμνῳδία. Περὶ μὲν γὰρ τῶν Σεραφὶμ ὁ μακάριός φησιν Ἡσαΐας, ὅτι ἐκέκραγον, καὶ ἔλεγον, « Ἅγιος, ἅγιος, ἅγιος, Κύριος Σαθαώθ " πλήρης ὁ οὐρανὸς καὶ ἡ γῇ τῆς δόξης αὐτοῦ. » Περὶ δὲ τῶν Χερονδὶμ ὁ θεῖος εἶπεν Ἐζεκιὴλ, ὡς ἤκουσε λεγόντων " ε Εὐλογημένη ἣ δόξα Κυρίον ἐκ τοῦ τόπου αὑτῆς. » Οὐ μόνον δὲ ὑμνοῦσιν, ἀλλὰ καὶ ταῖς θείαις οἰχονομίαις διακονοῦσι. Καὶ τοῦτο ἡμᾶς ὁ πάνσοφος ἐδίδαξε Παῦλος, εἰπών «ε Οὐκὶ πάνςες εἰσὶ λειτουργικὰ πνεύματα εἰς διακονίαν ἀποστελλόμενα διὰ τοὺς μέλλοντας κληρονομεῖν σωτηρίαν; » Καὶ αὐτὸς δὲ ὁ Κύριος ἂν τοῖς ἱεροῖς Εὐαγγελίοις ἔφη " « Ὁρᾶτε μὴ καταφρονήσητε ἑνὸς τῶν μικρῶν τούτῶν τῶν ἐλαχίστων τῶν πιστευόντων εἰς ἐμέ" ἀμὴν γὰρ λέγω ὑμῖν, καθ᾽ ἡμέραν οἱ ἄγγελοι αὐτῶν ὁρῶσι τὸ πρόσωπον τοῦ Πατρός μον, τοῦ ἐν οὐρᾶνοῖς. » Ὁ δὲ θεσπέσιος Δανιὴλ ὁ προφήτης, καὶ ἐθνῶν ἄρχοντας εἶναι λέγει τινάς " μᾶλλον δὲ οὐκ αὐτὸς, ἀλλ᾽ ἐκείνῳ προσδιαλεγόμενος ἄγγελος. ε [ἔστη γὰρ, φησὶν, ἐξεναντίας μου, ὁ ἄρχων Περσῶν. » Μέμνηται δὲ τοῦ ἄρχοντος τῶν ᾿Ελλήνων, καὶ προστέθειχεν, ὡς οὐδεὶς ἕτερος αὐτῷ συνέπραξεν ὑπὲρ τῆς ᾿ἸΙουδαίων ἐλευθερίας πρεσδευομένῳ πρὸς τὸν Θεὸν, εἰ μὴ Μιχαὴλ ὁ ἄρχων αὐτῶν. Καὶ ὁ μέγας δὲ Μωῦσῆς ἐν τῇ δῇ ἔφη" ε τε διεμέριζεν ὁ Ὕψιστος ἔθνη, οὗς διέσπειρεν υἱοὺς ᾿Αδὰμ, ἔστησεν ὅρια ἐθνῶν κατὰ ἀριθμὸν ἀγγέλων Θεοῦ. » Τεχμηριοῖ δὲ καὶ ταῦτα, καὶ τὰ ἐν τῷ Δανιὴλ εἰρημένα, καὶ τὰ ὑπὸ τοῦ Κυρίου λεχθέντα, τινὰς μὲν τῶν ἀγγέλων ἐθνῶν προστατεύειν, τινὰς δὲ ἑνὸς ἑκάστου τῶν ἀνθρώπων πεπιστεῦθαι τὴν ἐπιμέλειαν, ὥστε μὴ σίνεσθαι αὐτοὺς καὶ πημαίνειν τοὺς ἀλάστορᾶς δαίμονας. Πεποιῇσθαι δὲ ὑπὸ τοῦ Θεοῦ τῶν ὅλων τοὺς ἀγγέλους πιστεύομεν " οὕτω γὰρ ἐδιδάχθημεν. Ὁ μὲν γὰρ ὑμνοποιὸς Δαδὶδ, ὑμνῆσαι παρεγγνήσας τοῖς ἀγγέλοις καὶ ταῖς ἐπουρανίαις δυνάμεσι τὸν τῶν ὅλων Θεὸν, ἐπήγαγεν" ε« Ὅτι αὐτὸς εἶπε, καὶ ἐγενήθησαν" αὐτὸς ἐνετείλατο, καὶ ἐκτίσθησαν. ν Καὶ πάλιν" « Ὃ ποιῶν τοὺς ἀγγέλους αὑτοῦ πνεύματα, καὶ τοὺς λειτουργοὺς αὐτηῦ πυρὸς φλόγα. ν Οἱ δὲ τρεῖς παΐδες ἐν τῇ καμίνῳ τὸν Θεὸν εὐλογοῦντες, πᾶσαν μὲν τὴν κτίσιν εἰς κοινωνίαν τῆς ὑμνῳδίας ἐκάλεσαν, πρώτους δὲ τοὺς ἀγγέλους. Ἔχει δὲ οὕτως τὸ τῆς ὑμνῳδίας προοίμιον’ ε« Εὐλογεῖτε, πάντα τὰ ἔργα Κυρίον, τὸν Κύριον" ὑμνεῖτε, καὶ ὑπερυψοῦτε αὐτὺν εἰς τοὺς αἰῶνας. » Εἶτ᾽ εὐθὺς ἐπισυνάπτουσιν " «ε Εὐλογεῖτε, ἄγγελοι Κυρίου, τὸν Κύριον" » διδάσκοντες, ὡς μέρος καὶ οὗτοι τῶν θείων ἔργων εἰσίν. Ὁ δὲ θεῖος ᾿Απόστολος τοῦτο σαφέστερον ἡμᾶς ἐξεπαίδευσε. Τοῦ γὰρ Κυρίου ἡμῶν Ἰησοῦ Χριστοῦ μνημονεύσας, ἐπήγαγεν - « Ὅτι ἐν αὐτῷ ἐκτίσθη πάντα τὰ ἐν οὐρανοῖς καὶ τὰ ἐπὶ γῆς, εἴτε ὁρατὰ, εἴτε ἀόρατα. ν» Καὶ ὡς δῆλα καταλιπὼν τὰ ὁρώμενα, τῶν ἀοράτων λέγει τὰ τάγματα" ε Εἴτε Θρόγοι, εἴτε Κυριότητες, εἴτε ᾿ἈΑρκαὶ, εἴτε Ἐξουσίαι, πάντα δι᾽ αὐτοῦ καὶ εἰς αὐτὸν ἔκτισται. » Ταῦτα καὶ περὶ τῶν ἀγγέλων φρονεῖν ἐδιδάχθημεν.
… kai arrhen tēn asōmaton diakrinomen physin, kai … meōn᾽ oude kata tous tōn hairetikōn mythous poiētas … sin dieplase. Dio dē kai tautēn tǭ genei tēn eulogian prosēnenken, eipōn" e« Auxanesthe, kai plēthynesthe, kai plērōsate tēn gēn, kai katakyrieusate autēs. » Epeidē gar ho thanatos lēïzetai tōn anthrōpōn tēn physin, kai hoion tis theristēs, ou presdytas monon, alla kai neous echtemnei" anankaiōs hē physis edeito tōn geōrgountōn, kai speirontōn, kai anti temnomenōn heterous stachys anteisagontōn, kai nikōntōn tę̄ geōrgią tou amōntys tas cheiras. Tę̄ de athanatǭ physei perittē tou genous hē diairesis" Oute gar auxēseōs deontai mē meioumenoi, oute mixeōs sōmatōn apēllagmenoi. Kai toutou didaskalos hē theia Graphē. ᾿Angelou? men gar ou dya kat᾽ archas kathaper tous anthrōpous edēmiourgēse monous, all' hosas ēthelēse myriadas epēgagen. Hē gar phthoras eleuthera physis auxēseōs aprosdeēs. Hoi de anthrōpoi thnēton eschēkotes sōma, kai hypo tǭ thanatǭ telountes, tou thēleos anankaiōs prosdeontai. Mēdeis hoe tōn philēdonōn ex agnoias tōn angelōn poiēsasthō katēgorian, aphormēn ladōn eis blasphēmian to para tou pansophou historēthen Mōyyyseōs" hoti idontes hoi huioi tou Theou tas thygateras tōn anthrōpōn hoti kalai eisin, eladon ex autōn eis gynaikas. Paraplēxias gar eschatēs to tois angeloi? prosapsai tēn tōn anthrōpōn akolasian. Dyo gar hēn genē tēnikauta, to tou Kaïn, kai to tou Sēth kai to men tou Kaïn eparaton ēn, to de tou Sēth euseueias epemeleto. Henōs gar, ho toutou huios, ēlpisen epikaleisthai to onoma Kyriou tou Theou. Enteuthen hoi ek toutou phyntes nioi Theou chrēmatizontes, ephygon tēn pros to genos tou Kaïn epitas echeinōn theasamenoi thygateras hoi tōn eusedōn apogonoi, hēttēthēsan tou kallous, kai ton paerǭon parethdēsan nomon, kai to pros echeinou: ēspasanto kēdos. Eita hē epimixia tēn ponērian eisēgagen. Hotan oun akousōmen tēs theias legousēs Graphēs" « Eisēlthon hoi huioi tou Theou pros tas thygateras tōn anthrōpōn,» mē tōn asōmatōn angelōn chatēgorōmen’ anthrōpoi gar tēn paranomian heetolmn san huioi Theou prosagoreuomenoi. Kai hoti tauth᾽ houtōs echei, martys autos ho tōn holōn Theos, houtōsi legōn" « Ou mē chkatameenę̄ to pneuma mou en tois anthrōpois toutois dia to einai autous sarkas. n Kai palin historiographos" « Kai eide Kyrios tēn gēn, ē kai hēn chkatephtharmenē, hoti chatephtheire pasa sarx tēn hodon autou epi tēs gēs. » Kai pros ton Nōe de ho tōn holōn ephē Theos" e Idou egō chataphtheirō pasan sarka. » Kai keleusas chatascheuasae epēgagen’ « Hoti se heuron dikaion en tę̄ geneą tautę̄. » Ouk an de angelōn hēmartēkotōn anthrōpous … ou deka kai eikosi, kai ekaton, alla myriadas apeirous. Oute auxēseōs toinyn oute mixeōs chaoin, deitai tou thēleōs tōn angelōn hē physis. Pollas de myriadas einai angelōn hē theia didaskei Graphē" « Chdiai gar, phēsi, chiliades eleitourgoun autǭ, kai myriai myriades pareistēkeisan autǭ. » Leitourgia de tōn angelōn hē hymnǭdia. Peri men gar tōn Seraphim ho makarios phēsin Hēsaïas, hoti ekekragon, kai elegon, « Hagios, hagios, hagios, Kyrios Sathaōth " plērēs ho ouranos kai hē gę̄ tēs doxēs autou. » Peri de tōn Cherondim ho theios eipen Ezekiēl, hōs ēkouse legontōn " e Eulogēmenē hē doxa Kyrion ek tou topou hautēs. » Ou monon de hymnousin, alla kai tais theiais oichonomiais diakonousi. Kai touto hēmas ho pansophos edidaxe Paulos, eipōn «e Ouki panses eisi leitourgika pneumata eis diakonian apostellomena dia tous mellontas klēronomein sōtērian? » Kai autos de ho Kyrios an tois hierois Euangeliois ephē " « Horate mē kataphronēsēte henos tōn mikrōn toutōn tōn elachistōn tōn pisteuontōn eis eme" amēn gar legō hymin, kath᾽ hēmeran hoi angeloi autōn horōsi to prosōpon tou Patros mon, tou en ouranois. » Ho de thespesios Daniēl ho prophētēs, kai ethnōn archontas einai legei tinas " mallon de ouk autos, all᾽ ekeinǭ prosdialegomenos angelos. e [estē gar, phēsin, exenantias mou, ho archōn Persōn. » Memnētai de tou archontos tōn ᾿Ellēnōn, kai prostetheichen, hōs oudeis heteros autǭ synepraxen hyper tēs ᾿IIoudaiōn eleutherias presdeuomenǭ pros ton Theon, ei mē Michaēl ho archōn autōn. Kai ho megas de Mōysēs en tę̄ dę̄ ephē" e te diemerizen ho Hypsistos ethnē, hous diespeiren huious ᾿Adam, estēsen horia ethnōn kata arithmon angelōn Theou. » Techmērioi de kai tauta, kai ta en tǭ Daniēl eirēmena, kai ta hypo tou Kyriou lechthenta, tinas men tōn angelōn ethnōn prostateuein, tinas de henos hekastou tōn anthrōpōn pepisteuthai tēn epimeleian, hōste mē sinesthai autous kai pēmainein tous alastoras daimonas. Pepoię̄sthai de hypo tou Theou tōn holōn tous angelous pisteuomen " houtō gar edidachthēmen. Ho men gar hymnopoios Dadid, hymnēsai parengnēsas tois angelois kai tais epouraniais dynamesi ton tōn holōn Theon, epēgagen" e« Hoti autos eipe, kai egenēthēsan" autos eneteilato, kai ektisthēsan. n Kai palin" « Ho poiōn tous angelous hautou pneumata, kai tous leitourgous autēu pyros phloga. n Hoi de treis païdes en tę̄ kaminǭ ton Theon eulogountes, pasan men tēn ktisin eis koinōnian tēs hymnǭdias ekalesan, prōtous de tous angelous. Echei de houtōs to tēs hymnǭdias prooimion’ e« Eulogeite, panta ta erga Kyrion, ton Kyrion" hymneite, kai hyperypsoute autyn eis tous aiōnas. » Eit᾽ euthys episynaptousin " «e Eulogeite, angeloi Kyriou, ton Kyrion" » didaskontes, hōs meros kai houtoi tōn theiōn ergōn eisin. Ho de theios ᾿Apostolos touto saphesteron hēmas exepaideuse. Tou gar Kyriou hēmōn Iēsou Christou mnēmoneusas, epēgagen - « Hoti en autǭ ektisthē panta ta en ouranois kai ta epi gēs, eite horata, eite aorata. n» Kai hōs dēla katalipōn ta horōmena, tōn aoratōn legei ta tagmata" e Eite Throgoi, eite Kyriotētes, eite ᾿AArkai, eite Exousiai, panta di᾽ autou kai eis auton ektistai. » Tauta kai peri tōn angelōn phronein edidachthēmen.
… we [do not] divide the bodiless nature into [female] and male …, nor, according to the myths of the heretics, … [but he formed human] nature [male and female]. That is why he gave this blessing to the race, saying: “Increase and multiply and fill the earth and have dominion over it.” For since death plunders human nature and, like a reaper, cuts down not only the old but also the young, nature necessarily needed those who would farm and sow and bring in other ears in place of those cut down, and by their farming overcome the hands of the reaper. But for the immortal nature the division of sex is superfluous; for they need neither increase, since they do not diminish, nor intercourse, since they are free of bodies. The divine Scripture is the teacher of this. For he did not create angels at the beginning two only, as he did human beings, but brought forth as many myriads as he willed; for the nature free of corruption has no need of increase. But human beings, having a mortal body and being subject to death, necessarily need the female. Let none of the lovers of pleasure, from ignorance, make an accusation against the angels, taking as an occasion for blasphemy what the all-wise Moses recorded: that the sons of God, seeing that the daughters of men were beautiful, took wives from them. It is the height of derangement to attach human licentiousness to the angels. For there were two races at that time, that of Cain and that of Seth; Cain's was accursed, while Seth's cared for godliness. For Enosh, his son, hoped to call on the name of the Lord God. Hence those sprung from him, being called sons of God, avoided [intermarriage] with the race of Cain; [but later], seeing their daughters, the descendants of the godly were overcome by their beauty, transgressed their fathers' law and embraced marriage alliance with them. Then the intermingling brought in wickedness. So when we hear the divine Scripture say, “The sons of God went in to the daughters of men,” let us not accuse the bodiless angels; for it was men called sons of God who dared the lawlessness. That this is so the God of all himself bears witness, saying: “My spirit shall not remain in these men, because they are flesh.” And again the historian: “And the Lord saw the earth, and it was corrupted, for all flesh had corrupted its way upon the earth.” And the God of all said to Noah: “Behold, I am destroying all flesh.” And having ordered him to build [the ark], he added: “For I have found you righteous in this generation.” But had angels sinned, [he would not have punished] men …. [The angels are] not ten, twenty or a hundred, but countless myriads. So the nature of angels needs the female neither for increase nor for intercourse. That there are many myriads of angels the divine Scripture teaches: “Thousands of thousands,” it says, “ministered to him, and ten thousand times ten thousand stood before him.” The ministry of the angels is hymn-singing. About the seraphim the blessed Isaiah says that they cried out and said: “Holy, holy, holy, Lord of hosts; heaven and earth are full of his glory.” About the cherubim the divine Ezekiel said that he heard them saying: “Blessed be the glory of the Lord from his place.” They not only sing hymns but also serve the divine dispensations. The all-wise Paul taught us this, saying: “Are they not all ministering spirits sent out to serve for the sake of those who are to inherit salvation?” And the Lord himself said in the holy Gospels: “See that you do not despise one of these little ones, the least of those who believe in me; for truly I tell you, their angels daily see the face of my Father in heaven.” The inspired prophet Daniel says that some are rulers of nations; or rather not he himself, but the angel conversing with him: “The ruler of the Persians,” he says, “stood against me.” He mentions the ruler of the Greeks, and added that no one else helped him as he interceded with God for the freedom of the Jews, except Michael their ruler. And the great Moses said in the song: “When the Most High divided the nations, when he scattered the sons of Adam, he set the boundaries of the nations according to the number of the angels of God.” These words, those in Daniel and those spoken by the Lord prove that some angels preside over nations, and that others are entrusted with the care of each individual person, so that the destructive demons may not harm and injure them. We believe that the angels were made by the God of all, for so we were taught. The hymn-writer David, having bidden the angels and the heavenly powers to praise the God of all, added: “For he spoke, and they came to be; he commanded, and they were created.” And again: “Who makes his angels spirits, and his ministers a flame of fire.” The three young men in the furnace, blessing God, called all creation to share in the hymn, and the angels first. The opening of the hymn runs thus: “Bless the Lord, all you works of the Lord; praise and exalt him forever.” Then at once they add: “Bless the Lord, you angels of the Lord,” teaching that these too are part of the divine works. The divine Apostle taught us this more clearly. Having mentioned our Lord Jesus Christ, he added: “For in him were created all things in heaven and on earth, visible and invisible.” And leaving the visible things as evident, he names the ranks of the invisible: “Whether thrones or dominions or principalities or authorities, all things were created through him and for him.” This is what we have been taught to think about the angels.
Gen 1:27 (allusion, medium confidence) · Gen 1:28 (quotation, high confidence) · Gen 6:2 (allusion, high confidence) · Gen 6:4 (quotation, high confidence) · Gen 4:26 (allusion, high confidence) · Gen 6:3 (quotation, high confidence) · Gen 6:12 (quotation, high confidence) · Gen 6:13 (quotation, high confidence) · Gen 7:1 (quotation, high confidence) · Dan 7:10 (quotation, high confidence) · Isa 6:3 (quotation, high confidence) · Ezek 3:12 (quotation, high confidence) · Heb 1:14 (quotation, high confidence) · Matt 18:10 (quotation, high confidence) · Dan 10:13 (quotation, high confidence) · Dan 10:20–21 (allusion, high confidence) · Deut 32:8 (quotation, high confidence) · Ps 148:5 (quotation, high confidence) · Ps 104:4 (103:4 LXX) (quotation, high confidence) · Col 1:16 (quotation, high confidence) · Matt 22:30 (echo, low confidence)
Notes and citation
Summary: Theodoret teaches that angels are bodiless, sexless, countless creatures of God who sing his praise, serve his plan, guard nations and individuals; the “sons of God” of Gen 6 were Seth's descendants, not angels.
- The opening is damaged in the scan (marked …; bracketed words supplied for sense); footnotes and Migne's Latin are removed.
- Theodoret's reading of Gen 6:2 (the sons of God are the descendants of Seth) is given as he states it.
- Quotations: Gen 1:28; 6:2, 4; 4:26; 6:3, 12, 13; 7:1; Dan 7:10; Isa 6:3; Ezek 3:12; Heb 1:14; Matt 18:10; Dan 10:13, 20–21; Deut 32:8 (LXX); Ps 148:5; Ps 104:4 (LXX 103:4); the Song of the Three Young Men (Greek Daniel 3:57–58), outside the 66 books; Col 1:16.
Notes on the original text
- Digital text corrected (Migne's Latin read as Greek; Migne's Latin read as Greek; Greek lost; Migne's Latin, marginal references and footnotes; Greek lost; OCR split word; column letter; column letter and Latin debris; column letter and Latin debris inside a word; footnote marker; footnote variant; marginal references and footnotes; Greek lost): ἴῃ πιδῦθπ) οἱ [δπιϊηδιι αἰδεϊπραίΐπηιδ, οἱ ἰπίοπιρο- → … ; δυο, αἱ Ὠφτοιοοτγαπὶ (Δ θυ] βιδίυυηί, οὐδ ϊοὶβ μεων᾽ → … μεων᾽; ποιητὰς "ν, 17. 151 (οτ. τι, 6, Ἴ. 177 38. χι,, 28. 715 538. ΧΧΧΙΥ, ὦ ἔθ. Υἱά. ν' 586, 5680]. 22. Θεῷ. Ὀοοϑὶ σοφῷ, ᾳιοὰ ]. 6. οἱ Δὲ] δρυὰ Πῦ σιν διέπλασε → ποιητὰς … σιν διέπλασε; εὖλο- Α νι. }πὰ6 οἱ γίαν → εὖλογίαν; Οἱ δὲ Β ἄνθρωποι → Οἱ δὲ ἄνθρωποι; ἀνθρώπους τγδηβατοϑϑὶ δυπὶ οἱ οἰ πὶ 65 ΔΠϊη Διο πι. Δ) δἰ τ᾿ (6η. ιν, 38. Μ΄ 66. γε, 9. 5' Θοη. τιν, 96. 3 ὅ6η. νι, 4. 3 114. ὅ. 55 ἰδ4. 12, 56 1014. 15, 11. 8. (οη. γι, 1. (δὴ τούτ. Βεοϑβὶ εἰς τὸν αἰῶνα, αιιοά ]. ς. εὗρ. (060 οἢ. 65 ἴδον. 10ϊἀ. ροϑὶ δίκαιον δὼαν ἐναντίον μου. δ᾽ ἤλῃ. γι, 10. 88 [52, γι, 2. 89 τοῦ. μι, 19. οὐ δέκα → ἀνθρώπους … οὐ δέκα; ὁ (θ5) οὐρανὸς → ὁ οὐρανὸς; τούτῶν (θ5) τῶν → τούτῶν τῶν; ἡμᾶς Β ὁ πάνσοφος → ἡμᾶς ὁ πάνσοφος; Εὐλογεῖτε, ὡς. 8. πῦρ φλέγον. πάντα → Εὐλογεῖτε, πάντα; ὑμνεῖτε, Α ἀοοιΐι. (ἢ καὶ → ὑμνεῖτε, καὶ; Ὅτι (39 ἐν → Ὅτι ἐν; ἐκά» ὅτου → ἑκάστου.
Extrabiblical texts: Pr Azar 57-58 (Prayer of Azariah and Song of the Three Young Men [in RC, EO, ETH canons]; quotation)
Cite (SBL): Theodoret, Haer. fab. 5.7 (PG 83; trans. Sophia Scriptura, https://sophiascriptura.com/p/theodoret-haereticarum-fabularum-compendium/5-7). (abbreviation not yet checked)
Permanent link: https://sophiascriptura.com/p/theodoret-haereticarum-fabularum-compendium/5-7
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Translation: Translated by Claude (Opus) from the Greek as printed in Migne PG 83 (archive.org OCR); no public-domain or FOTC English exists, so each batch was re-read against the Greek.