Sophia Scriptura

Interpretation of Colossians preface–1.25

Theodoret of Cyrus · Interpretation of Colossians · ca. 436-448 · Cyrrhus · 9 passages

Greek text: PG 82.English: Claude (claude-opus-5-5), public domain (CC0).

Preface

0PG 82

Κατὰ τὸν αὐτὸν καιρὸν Ἐφεσίοις καὶ Κολασσαεῦσιν ἔγραψεν ὁ θεῖος ᾿Απόστολος, τῷ θαυμασίῳ Τυχιχῷ διακόνῳ τῶν γραμμάτων χρησάμενος. Ἔγραψε δὲ ἀπὸ τῆς Ῥώμης, ἤδη τὸν πρῶτον διαφυγὼν κίνδυνον" καὶ δηλοῖ τῆς Ἐπιστολῆς τὸ προοίμῖον. Κοινωνὸν γὰν τῶν γραμμάτων τὸν τρισμακάριον Τιμόθεον ἐποιήσατο" ἡνίκα δὲ τὸν πρῶτον ἔσχε, ἐπὶ Νέρωνος, ἀγῶνα, οὐδεὶς αὐτῷ τῶν γνωρίμων συνῆν. Καὶ τοῦτο αὐτὸς δεδήλωκεν ἐν τοῖς πρὸς Τιμόθεον γράμμασιν᾽ « Ἐν τῇ πρώτῃ μὲν ' ἀπολογίᾳ οὐδεὶς μοι συμπαρεγένετο. » Καὶ ὅτε δὲ πρὸς αὐτὸ ἦν λοιπὸν τοῦ βίου τὸ τέρμα, οὐκ ἐν τῇ Ρώμῃ διῆγεν ὁ θεῖος Τιμόθεος, ἀλλὰ μᾶλλον ἐν τῇ ᾿Ἀσίᾳ. Καὶ τοῦτο διδάσκει σαφέστερον ἡ πρὸς αὐτὸν γραφεῖσα Β δευτέρα ἙἘπιστολή. Εἰρηκὼς γάρ" ε« Ἐγὼ γὰρ ἤδη σπένδομαι, καὶ ὁ καιρὸς τῆς ἐμῆς ἀναλύσεως ἐφ’ ἐστηκε » μετ᾽ ὀλίγα φησί" ε Σπούδασον ἐλθεῖν πρός με ταχέως. » Εἶτα ἐπάγει" ε« Τὸν φελώνην, ὃν ἀπἔλιπον ἐν Τρωάδι παρὰ Κάρπῳ, ἄγαγε μετὰ σεαυτοῦ, καὶ τὰ βιβλία, μάλιστα τὰς μεμβράνας. ν Τοὶς μέντοι φασὶ μηδέπω τοὺς Κολασσαεῖς τεθεαμένον τὸν θεῖον ᾿Απόστολον γράψαι πρὸς αὐτοὺς τὴν καὶ τοῦτο συνιστάνειν" ἐκ τῶν ῥητῶν ἐκείνων ἐπιχειροῦσι" « Θέλω γὰρ ὑμᾶς εἰδέναι ἡλίκον ἀγῶνα ἔχω περὶ ὑμῶν, καὶ τῶν ἐν Λαοδικείᾳ, καὶ ὅσοι οὐκ ἑωράκασι " τὸ πρόσωπόν μον ἐν σαρκί. » “Εδει δὲ συνιδεῖν τῶν ῥητῶν τὴν διάνοιαν. Βούλεται γὰρ εἰπεῖν, ὅτι Οὐ μόνον ὑμῶν, ἀλλὰ καὶ τῶν μὴ τεθεαμένων με πολλὴν ἔχω φροντίδα. Εἰ γὰρ τῶν μὴ ἑωρακότων αὐτὸν μόνον τὴν μέριμναν περιέφερε, τῶν ἀπολαυσάντων αὐτοῦ τῆς θέας καὶ τῆς διδασκαλίας οὐδεμίαν ἔχει φροντίδα. Κατ᾽ ἐκείνην γὰρ τὴν διάνοιαν τοῦτό ἔστι νοῆσαι" ε« Ἡλίκον γὰρ, φησὶν, ἀγῶνα ἔχω περὶ ὑμῶν, καὶ τῶν ἐν Λαοδικείᾳ, καὶ ὅσοι οὐκ ἑωράκασι τὸ πρόσωπόν μον ἐν σαρκί. » Δῆλον τοίνυν, ὡς οὐ περὶ αὐτῶν τοῦτο ἔφη, βεβαιῶσαι τὰ κατ᾽ αὐτοὺς βουληθεὶς ἐκεῖνο τέθεικεν, ὅτι «Οὐ μόνον ὑμῶν, ἀλλὰ καὶ τῶν μηδέπω τεθεαμένων με πολλὴν ἔχω φροντίδα, » Ἐδίδαξε δὲ ἡμᾶς καὶ ὁ τρισμακάριος Λουκᾶς ἐν ταῖς Πράξεσιν, ὡς κατὰ τὸν αὐτὸν καιρὸν διῆλθε τὴν Φρυγίαν καὶ τὴν Γαλατικὴν χώραν. Τῆς δὲ Φρυγίας αἱ Κολασσαί " μητρόπολις δὲ αὐτῆς καὶ γείτων, ἡ Λαοδίκεια. Πῶς τοίνυν οἷόν τε ἣν αὐτὸν ἀφικόμενον εἰς τὴν Φρυγίαν, τὸ θεῖον αὐταῖς μὴ προσενεγκεῖν Εὐαγγέλιον; Οὐδὲ εἴποι τις ἂν, ὡς ὑπὸ τῆς θείας ἐκωλύθησαν χάριτος τοῦτο πρᾶξσι. Περὶ μὲν γὰρ τῆς ᾿Ασίας καὶ τῆς Βιθυνίας εἶπεν ὁ μακάριος Λουκᾶς χεχωλυχέναι αὐτοὺς τὸ Πνεῦμα τὰ ἅγιον " περὶ δέ γε τῆς Φρυγίας οὐδὲν τοιοὗτον ἔφη. ᾿Αλλὰ τοῦτο μὲν ὡς βούλεταί τις νοείτω " οὐδὲ γὰρ δογμάτων ποιεῖ διαφορὰν τὸ οὕτως ἥ ἐκείνως εἰπεῖν. Ἢ δὲ ὑπόθεσις τῆς Ἐπιστολῆς ἐστὶν αὕτη" Τινὲς τῶν ἐξ Ἰουδαίων πεπιστευκότων ἐξηπάτησαν, καὶ παρεσκεύασαν τούτους φυλάττειν τοῦ νόμου τὰ περιττά. Γέγραφε τοίνυν ὁ θεῖος ᾿Απόστολος, διδάσκων ὡς τῆς σωτηρίας ἡμῖν ὁ Δεσπότης Χριστὸς Ὑεγένηται χορηγός. Δείκνυσι δὲ καὶ τὸ τῆς οἶκονομίας μυστήριον πάντα λογισμὸν ὑπερβαῖνον ἀνθρώπινον, καὶ ὅτι κοινωνοὶ τῆς τοῦ Χριστοῦ βασιλείας ἐσόμεθα, καὶ ὅτι τοῖς τελείοις αἱ νομικαὶ α'-τ΄. ε Παῦλος ἀπόστολος Ἰησοῦ ὃ Χριστοῦ διὰ θελήματος Θεοῦ, καὶ Τιμόθεος ὁ ἀδελφὸς, τοῖς ἐν Κολασσαὶς " ἁγίοις καὶ πιστοῖς ἀδελφοῖς ἐν Χριστῷ. Χάρις ὑμῖν καὶ εἰρήνη ἀπὸ Θεοῦ Πατρὸς ἡμῶν καὶ Κυρίου Ἰησοῦ Χριστοῦ δ,» Ἐπειδὴ τοῖς ἐξαπατήσασιν ὑπαχθέντες τὴν νομικὴν ἠσπάσαντο πολιτείαν, ἀτελῆ, δὲ τοῦτό πρὸς σωτηρίαν ἐδείκνυ τοῦ Κυρίου τὴν παρουσίαν, ἀναγκαίως ἑαυτοὺς ἀποστόλους Χρισερῦ προσηγόρευσε. Προστέθεικε δὲ, διὰ ματος, διδάσκων ὡς καὶ τῷ Θεῷ καὶ Πατρὶ τοῦτο συνδοκεῖ. Πάλιν μέντοι τὴν διὰ πρόθεσιν ἐπὶ τοῦ Πατρὸς τέθεικεν. ε Εὐκαριστοῦμεν " τῷ Θεῷ καὶ Πατρὶ τοῦ Κυρίου ἡμῶν Ἰησοῦ Χριστοῦ, πάντοτε περὶ ὑμῶν προσευχόμενοι, (δ΄.) ἀκούσαντες τὴν πίστιν ὑμῶν ἐν Χριστῷ Ἰησοῦ, καὶ τὴν ἀγάπην τὴν εἰς πάντας τοὺς ἁγίους.» Τελειότητα αὐτοῖς μεμαρτύρηκε πίστει καὶ ἀγάπῃ λάμπειν αὐτοὺς εἰρηκώς " ἡ γὰρ ἀγάπη πάσης ἔντο» λῆς πρακτικῆς περιεκτικῆ. Σύνηθες δὲ τῷ ᾿Αποστόλῳ μὲν υοποταῖς εὐφημίαις προλεαίνειν τὰς ἀκοὰς, εἶθ᾽ οὕτω τὴν προσήκουσαν προσφέρειν διδασκαλίαν. Καὶ ἐνταῦθα τοίνυν ἔφη τὸν Θεὸν ἀνυμνεῖν ταῖς προσευχαῖς ἐπὶ τῇ πίστει αὐτῶν τῇ περὶ τὸν Δεσπότην Χριστὸν, καὶ τῇ ἀγάπῃ, ἣν εἰς πάντας τοὺς ὁμοπίστους μενοι διετέλουν.

Kata ton auton kairon Ephesiois kai Kolassaeusin egrapsen ho theios ᾿Apostolos, tǭ thaumasiǭ Tychichǭ diakonǭ tōn grammatōn chrēsamenos. Egrapse de apo tēs Rhōmēs, ēdē ton prōton diaphygōn kindynon" kai dēloi tēs Epistolēs to prooimion. Koinōnon gan tōn grammatōn ton trismakarion Timotheon epoiēsato" hēnika de ton prōton esche, epi Nerōnos, agōna, oudeis autǭ tōn gnōrimōn synēn. Kai touto autos dedēlōken en tois pros Timotheon grammasin᾽ « En tę̄ prōtę̄ men ' apologią oudeis moi symparegeneto. » Kai hote de pros auto ēn loipon tou biou to terma, ouk en tę̄ Rōmę̄ diēgen ho theios Timotheos, alla mallon en tę̄ ᾿Asią. Kai touto didaskei saphesteron hē pros auton grapheisa B deutera HeEpistolē. Eirēkōs gar" e« Egō gar ēdē spendomai, kai ho kairos tēs emēs analyseōs eph’ estēke » met᾽ oliga phēsi" e Spoudason elthein pros me tacheōs. » Eita epagei" e« Ton phelōnēn, hon apelipon en Trōadi para Karpǭ, agage meta seautou, kai ta biblia, malista tas membranas. n Tois mentoi phasi mēdepō tous Kolassaeis tetheamenon ton theion ᾿Apostolon grapsai pros autous tēn kai touto synistanein" ek tōn rhētōn ekeinōn epicheirousi" « Thelō gar hymas eidenai hēlikon agōna echō peri hymōn, kai tōn en Laodikeią, kai hosoi ouk heōrakasi " to prosōpon mon en sarki. » “Edei de synidein tōn rhētōn tēn dianoian. Bouletai gar eipein, hoti Ou monon hymōn, alla kai tōn mē tetheamenōn me pollēn echō phrontida. Ei gar tōn mē heōrakotōn auton monon tēn merimnan periephere, tōn apolausantōn autou tēs theas kai tēs didaskalias oudemian echei phrontida. Kat᾽ ekeinēn gar tēn dianoian touto esti noēsai" e« Hēlikon gar, phēsin, agōna echō peri hymōn, kai tōn en Laodikeią, kai hosoi ouk heōrakasi to prosōpon mon en sarki. » Dēlon toinyn, hōs ou peri autōn touto ephē, bebaiōsai ta kat᾽ autous boulētheis ekeino tetheiken, hoti «Ou monon hymōn, alla kai tōn mēdepō tetheamenōn me pollēn echō phrontida, » Edidaxe de hēmas kai ho trismakarios Loukas en tais Praxesin, hōs kata ton auton kairon diēlthe tēn Phrygian kai tēn Galatikēn chōran. Tēs de Phrygias hai Kolassai " mētropolis de autēs kai geitōn, hē Laodikeia. Pōs toinyn hoion te hēn auton aphikomenon eis tēn Phrygian, to theion autais mē prosenenkein Euangelion? Oude eipoi tis an, hōs hypo tēs theias ekōlythēsan charitos touto praxsi. Peri men gar tēs ᾿Asias kai tēs Bithynias eipen ho makarios Loukas chechōlychenai autous to Pneuma ta hagion " peri de ge tēs Phrygias ouden toiouton ephē. ᾿Alla touto men hōs bouletai tis noeitō " oude gar dogmatōn poiei diaphoran to houtōs hē ekeinōs eipein. Ē de hypothesis tēs Epistolēs estin hautē" Tines tōn ex Ioudaiōn pepisteukotōn exēpatēsan, kai pareskeuasan toutous phylattein tou nomou ta peritta. Gegraphe toinyn ho theios ᾿Apostolos, didaskōn hōs tēs sōtērias hēmin ho Despotēs Christos Hyegenētai chorēgos. Deiknysi de kai to tēs oikonomias mystērion panta logismon hyperbainon anthrōpinon, kai hoti koinōnoi tēs tou Christou basileias esometha, kai hoti tois teleiois hai nomikai a'-t΄. e Paulos apostolos Iēsou ho Christou dia thelēmatos Theou, kai Timotheos ho adelphos, tois en Kolassais " hagiois kai pistois adelphois en Christǭ. Charis hymin kai eirēnē apo Theou Patros hēmōn kai Kyriou Iēsou Christou d,» Epeidē tois exapatēsasin hypachthentes tēn nomikēn ēspasanto politeian, atelē, de touto pros sōtērian edeikny tou Kyriou tēn parousian, anankaiōs heautous apostolous Chrisery prosēgoreuse. Prostetheike de, dia matos, didaskōn hōs kai tǭ Theǭ kai Patri touto syndokei. Palin mentoi tēn dia prothesin epi tou Patros tetheiken. e Eukaristoumen " tǭ Theǭ kai Patri tou Kyriou hēmōn Iēsou Christou, pantote peri hymōn proseuchomenoi, (d΄.) akousantes tēn pistin hymōn en Christǭ Iēsou, kai tēn agapēn tēn eis pantas tous hagious.» Teleiotēta autois memartyrēke pistei kai agapę̄ lampein autous eirēkōs " hē gar agapē pasēs ento» lēs praktikēs periektikē. Synēthes de tǭ ᾿Apostolǭ men yopotais euphēmiais proleainein tas akoas, eith᾽ houtō tēn prosēkousan prospherein didaskalian. Kai entautha toinyn ephē ton Theon anymnein tais proseuchais epi tę̄ pistei autōn tę̄ peri ton Despotēn Christon, kai tę̄ agapę̄, hēn eis pantas tous homopistous menoi dieteloun.

[Argument.] At the same time the divine Apostle wrote to the Ephesians and the Colossians, using the admirable Tychicus as the minister of the letters. He wrote from Rome, having already escaped the first danger, and the opening of the letter shows this. For he made the thrice-blessed Timothy a partner in the letter; but when he had his first trial, under Nero, none of his acquaintances was with him. He himself made this plain in the letter to Timothy: “At my first defense no one stood by me.” And when the end of his life was at hand, the divine Timothy was not staying in Rome but rather in Asia. The second letter written to him teaches this more clearly. For having said, “For I am already being poured out, and the time of my departure has come,” a little later he says, “Make haste to come to me quickly.” Then he adds: “Bring with you the cloak that I left in Troas with Carpus, and the books, especially the parchments.”

Some, however, say that the divine Apostle wrote to the Colossians before he had ever seen them, and they try to establish this from these words: “For I want you to know how great a struggle I have for you and for those in Laodicea, and for all who have not seen my face in the flesh.” But they ought to have observed the meaning of the words. For he means: I have great concern not only for you, but also for those who have not seen me. For if he carried concern only for those who had not seen him, he would have no concern for those who had enjoyed the sight of him and his teaching; for in that sense this is how one would have to understand “how great a struggle I have for you and for those in Laodicea, and for all who have not seen my face in the flesh.” It is plain, then, that he did not say this about them; wishing to confirm their situation, he set that down, meaning: “not only for you, but also for those who have not yet seen me, I have great concern.” The thrice-blessed Luke also taught us in the Acts that at that same time he passed through Phrygia and the Galatian region. Colossae is in Phrygia, and its metropolis and neighbor is Laodicea. How then could he have come into Phrygia and not brought them the divine gospel? Nor could anyone say that they were prevented by divine grace from doing this. For about Asia and Bithynia the blessed Luke said that the Holy Spirit had prevented them; but about Phrygia he said nothing of the kind. But let each understand this as he wishes; for to say it this way or that makes no difference to doctrine.

The argument of the letter is this. Some of those who had believed from among the Jews had deceived them and induced them to keep the superfluous things of the law. The divine Apostle therefore wrote, teaching that Christ the Master has become the provider of our salvation. He shows also that the mystery of the economy surpasses all human reasoning, that we shall be sharers in Christ’s kingdom, and that for the perfect the observances of the law …

“Paul, an apostle of Jesus Christ by the will of God, and Timothy the brother, to the saints and faithful brothers in Christ at Colossae: grace to you and peace from God our Father and the Lord Jesus Christ.” Since, led on by the deceivers, they had embraced the way of life of the law, while the coming of the Lord had shown it to be incomplete for salvation, he necessarily called himself an apostle of Christ. He added “by the will,” teaching that the God and Father also approves of this. Again, however, he used the preposition “through” of the Father. “We give thanks to God the Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, praying always for you, since we heard of your faith in Christ Jesus and of the love you have for all the saints.” He bore witness to their perfection by saying that they shine with faith and love; for love embraces every commandment of practice. It is the Apostle’s custom first to smooth the ears with fitting praises, and then to offer the teaching that is needed. Here too, then, he said that in his prayers he hymns God for their faith in Christ the Master and for the love they continued to show to all who share their faith.

Col 4:7 (allusion, medium confidence) · 2 Tim 4:16 (quotation, high confidence) · 2 Tim 4:6 (quotation, high confidence) · 2 Tim 4:9 (quotation, high confidence) · 2 Tim 4:13 (quotation, high confidence) · Col 2:1 (quotation, high confidence) · Acts 16:6–7 (allusion, high confidence) · Acts 18:23 (allusion, medium confidence) · Col 1:1–4 (quotation, high confidence)

Notes and citation

Summary: Theodoret sets out the occasion of Colossians, argues that Paul had already preached at Colossae, and explains the opening greeting and thanksgiving.

  • The ref holds the argument (hypothesis) of the letter and the lemmas Col 1:1–2 and 1:3–4. Theodoret holds, against some, that Paul had visited Colossae (Acts 16:6; 18:23), reading Col 2:1 as “not only you but also those who have not seen me”; he leaves the question open. On “through the will of God” he notes that Paul uses “through” (διά) of the Father, against those who took the preposition to mark the Son as lesser. Words are lost after “the observances of the law” (marked …). Quotations: 2 Tim 4:16; 4:6, 9, 13; Col 2:1; 1:1–4. Latin of Migne’s parallel column and footnotes, read as Greek letters, and apparatus notes were removed; letters misread by the OCR (χ for κ, δ for β) were corrected; other slips are translated by sense.

Notes on the original text

  • Digital text corrected (Latin debris inside a word; Latin of Migne's parallel column and footnotes, read as Greek letters; Latin of Migne's parallel column, read as Greek letters; OCR slip (letters misread: χ for κ, δ/θ for β, ! or : for ι); apparatus note; marginal letter; marginal letter at a line break; letters lost): 4 Μλι1}). νἱ, 11. 1 οι. τσ, ὅ. πι. ἐσ αυΐ ἀδ πε πὶ Ὁπ Ηογγυριὶ ρὸν. ς δι πληρώσει Β, ἀναδι} διἴῃ μία ἀδὁ. » γραφαὶ ἴῃ πὰ}, αυὶ " 6 οηΐπὶ ἀδ 118 5006 4" Θὰ πὶ πο νἱάσγδηϊ οὐ γϑιη [ὴ ἀ 1014, 12. → ; τεθεαμέ- Ὁ» μὲ → τεθεαμένων με; ἀ μου Β, ᾽ ἑώραχαν Β. θὲ → ; τεθεαμέ- Α οἰἰδηϊ νων → τεθεαμένων; νοποῦ 8 [1850 γι ρὲ πάπποι, → ; τὴν Ὁ προσήκουσαν → τὴν προσήκουσαν; ἡνίχα → ἡνίκα; βιθλία → βιβλία; μεμδράνας → μεμβράνας; ἐχείνων → ἐκείνων; ἐχείνην → ἐκείνην; βεδαιῶσαι → βεβαιῶσαι; τρισμαχάριος → τρισμακάριος; Γαλατιχὴν → Γαλατικὴν; παρεσχεύασαν → παρεσκεύασαν; ὑπερδαῖνον → ὑπερβαῖνον.

Cite (SBL): Theodoret, Interp. Col. pref. (PG 82; trans. Sophia Scriptura, https://sophiascriptura.com/p/theodoret-interpretatio-colossenses/0). (abbreviation not yet checked)

Permanent link: https://sophiascriptura.com/p/theodoret-interpretatio-colossenses/0

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Translation: Translated by Claude (Opus) from the Greek as printed in Migne PG 82 (archive.org OCR); no public-domain English exists, so each batch was re-read against the Greek.

Chapter 1

1.5PG 82

ε΄. « Διὰ τὴν ἐλπίδα τὴν ἀποκειμένην ὑμῖν ἐν τοῖς οὐρανοῖς. » Ταῦτα δὲ, φησὶ, ποιεῖτε προθύμως, τὴν εὑτρεπισμένην ὑμῖν τῶν οὐρανῶν βασιλείαν διὰ τῶν τῆς πίστεως ὀφθαλμῶν θεωροῦντες. « Ἣν πρηηχούσατε ἐν τῷ λόγῳ τῆς ἀληθείας τοῦ Εὐαγγελίου, (ς".) τοῦ παρόντος εἰς ὑμᾶς, καθὼς καὶ ἐν παντὶ τῷ κόσμῳ. ν Ταύτην δὲ ὑμῖν τὸ θεῖον Εὐαγγέλιον ἀπαγγέλλεται 7. οὐκ ὑμῖν δὲ μόνοις, ἀλλὰ καὶ πᾶσιν ἀνθρώποις. Εἶτα δείκνυσι καὶ τοῦ κηρύγματος τὴν ἰσχύν - «ε Καὶ ἔστι καρποφορούμενον καὶ αὐξανόμενον, καθὼς καὶ ἐν ὑμῖν, ἀφ᾽ ἧς ἡμέρας ἢκούσατε καὶ ἐπέγνωτε τὴν χάριν τοῦ Θεοῦ ἐν ἀληθείχ. » Καρποφορίαν τοῦ Εὐαγγελίου κέκληκε τὴν πίστιν τῶν ἀκηκοότων καὶ τὴν ἐπαινουμένην πολιτείαν" αὔξησιν δὲ, τῶν πιστευόντων τὸ πλῆθος. ζ, η΄. «Καθὼς καὶ ἐμάθετε παρὰ Ἑπαφρᾶ τοῦ ἀγαπητοῦ συνδούλου ἡμῶν, ὃς ἔστι πιστὸς ὁπὲρ ὑμῶν διάκονος τοῦ Χριστοῦ" ὁ καὶ δηλώσας ἡμῖν τὴν ὑμῶν ἀγάπην ἐν πνεύματι.» Πολίτης αὐτῶν ὁ ἀξιέπαινος ὁ ᾿Επαφρᾶς φημι. Εἰς δὲ τὴν Ῥώμην παραγενόμενος, ἐδίδαξε τὸν θεῖον ᾿Απόστολον, καὶ τὴν θερμὴν αὐτῶν περὶ τὸν Κύριον πίστιν, καὶ τὴν γενομένην παρά τινος ἐξαπάτην. Πολλοῖς δὲ αὐτὸν ἐκόσμησεν ἐγκωμίοις, ἀγαπητὸν, καὶ σύνδουλον, καὶ πιστὸν τοῦ Χριστοῦ διάκονον ἀποκαλέσας, ἕνα αὑτοῖς πλείονος αἰδοῦς ἀξιώτερος γένηται. "Ἔφη δὲ αὑτοὺς παρὰ τούτου μεμαθηκέναι τὸν πανταχοῦ γενόμενον τοῦ κηρύγματος δρόμον, καὶ τῶν ἐν ἑκάστῳ ἔθνει πεπιστευκότων πλῆθος.

e΄. « Dia tēn elpida tēn apokeimenēn hymin en tois ouranois. » Tauta de, phēsi, poieite prothymōs, tēn heutrepismenēn hymin tōn ouranōn basileian dia tōn tēs pisteōs ophthalmōn theōrountes. « Hēn prēēchousate en tǭ logǭ tēs alētheias tou Euangeliou, (s".) tou parontos eis hymas, kathōs kai en panti tǭ kosmǭ. n Tautēn de hymin to theion Euangelion apangelletai 7. ouk hymin de monois, alla kai pasin anthrōpois. Eita deiknysi kai tou kērygmatos tēn ischyn - «e Kai esti karpophoroumenon kai auxanomenon, kathōs kai en hymin, aph᾽ hēs hēmeras ēkousate kai epegnōte tēn charin tou Theou en alētheich. » Karpophorian tou Euangeliou keklēke tēn pistin tōn akēkootōn kai tēn epainoumenēn politeian" auxēsin de, tōn pisteuontōn to plēthos. z, ē΄. «Kathōs kai emathete para Hepaphra tou agapētou syndoulou hēmōn, hos esti pistos hoper hymōn diakonos tou Christou" ho kai dēlōsas hēmin tēn hymōn agapēn en pneumati.» Politēs autōn ho axiepainos ho ᾿Epaphras phēmi. Eis de tēn Rhōmēn paragenomenos, edidaxe ton theion ᾿Apostolon, kai tēn thermēn autōn peri ton Kyrion pistin, kai tēn genomenēn para tinos exapatēn. Pollois de auton ekosmēsen enkōmiois, agapēton, kai syndoulon, kai piston tou Christou diakonon apokalesas, hena hautois pleionos aidous axiōteros genētai. "Ephē de hautous para toutou memathēkenai ton pantachou genomenon tou kērygmatos dromon, kai tōn en hekastǭ ethnei pepisteukotōn plēthos.

“Because of the hope laid up for you in the heavens.” You do these things eagerly, he says, beholding with the eyes of faith the kingdom of heaven prepared for you. “Of which you heard before in the word of the truth of the gospel, which has come to you, as also in all the world.” The divine gospel announces this to you, and not to you alone but to all people. Then he shows also the strength of the preaching: “And it is bearing fruit and growing, as also among you, since the day you heard and came to know the grace of God in truth.” He called the faith of the hearers and their praiseworthy conduct the fruit-bearing of the gospel, and the multitude of believers its growth. “As you learned from Epaphras, our beloved fellow servant, who is a faithful minister of Christ on your behalf, who also made known to us your love in the Spirit.” The praiseworthy Epaphras, I mean, was their fellow citizen. Having come to Rome, he informed the divine Apostle both of their fervent faith in the Lord and of the deceit practiced by someone. He adorned him with many praises, calling him beloved, fellow servant, and faithful minister of Christ, so that he might be held worthy of greater respect by them. And he said that they had learned from him of the course the preaching had run everywhere and of the multitude of believers in every nation.

Col 1:5–8 (quotation, high confidence)

Notes and citation

Summary: Theodoret explains the hope laid up in heaven, the gospel's fruit and growth, and Paul's praise of Epaphras.

  • The ref holds the lemmas Col 1:5a, 1:5b–6a, 1:6b, and 1:7–8. Latin of Migne’s parallel column, read as Greek letters, was removed.

Notes on the original text

  • Digital text corrected (Latin of Migne's parallel column and apparatus, read as Greek letters; OCR slip (letters misread: χ for κ, δ/θ for β, ! or : for ι); OCR slips inside a word): ἴῃ ἴῃ Ὁ Ἰησοῦ. Ἠεγγνείυβ πο τορϑηϊοθαι ἰῃ Ι ιν ΄ ἔχ, Κ. ἡμῶν Ἱ. Χ. δ: οι. αὶ ἀϊελιοπῖ8. ε Εὺτ {γυοιποαῖ, οἱ ογοβοῖς, οἷοι! οἱ ἴῃ τἴληὶ Ποῖ ἴῃ νοτίδα, » ηὶ υἱοὶ πὶ οἰ 5πιΐ- Ονἱ δὶ οὗτος ἀνῆρ, οἱ ἀγα δπέδῃ ἢΠἸογαπι πάσῃ ἰη θοιηΐπυίη, οἱ ἔγαυ 6 πὶ ἀπ΄ ἃ χυοάδπι αἷ8 [468 (αὐγαὶ, ΜῈ}115 Δ 06} Εἰ ἴοι Ομ γι! χαϊπἰϑίξυπι υοέδη8, αἱ ΠΙΔ)] Οὐδ ἢ) εἴπῃ" ταν Γο πεῖ ρον, οἱ πα] τυ ἀϊ παι θογυπιὶ αυΐ ἴῃ βίπρυ 5 γεις. 9. ε« Ν|60 ἐὲ ποϑ, δκ 408 ἀΐα δι υἱ νου 5 ται [οὐδ Γι αἰ "05, Οὐ} « → « ; ἐχόϊ σἸμησεν → ἐκόσμησεν; χαρποφορούμενον → καρποφορούμενον.

Cite (SBL): Theodoret, Interp. Col. 1.5 (PG 82; trans. Sophia Scriptura, https://sophiascriptura.com/p/theodoret-interpretatio-colossenses/1-5). (abbreviation not yet checked)

Permanent link: https://sophiascriptura.com/p/theodoret-interpretatio-colossenses/1-5

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Translation: Translated by Claude (Opus) from the Greek as printed in Migne PG 82 (archive.org OCR); no public-domain English exists, so each batch was re-read against the Greek.

1.9PG 82

θ΄. ε Διὰ τοῦτο καὶ ἡμεῖς, ἀφ᾽ ἧς ἡμέρας ἡχούδαμεν, οὗ παυόμεθα ὑπὲρ ὑμῶν προσευχόμενοι, καὶ αἰτούμενοι ἵνα πληρωθῆτε τὴν ἐπίγνωσιν τοῦ θελήματος αὑτοῦ. » Ταῦτα δὲ περὶ ὑμῶν παρὰ τοῦ ὑμετέρου διδασκάλου μεμαθηκότες, ἀπαύστως τὸν θεὸν ἱκετεύομεν τελείαν ὑμῖν παρασχεῖν τοῦ οἰκείου θελήματος τὴν ἐπίγνωσιν. Ἐνταῦθα δὲ ἡνίξατο, ὡς ἀτελῆ τἀύτην ἔχουσι ταῖς νομικαῖς ἀκολουθοῦντες πάρατη- « Ἐν πάσῃ σοφίᾳ καὶ συνέσει αὐευμαινῃ ᾿ (..) περιπατῆσαι ὑμᾶς ἀξίως τοῦ Κυρίου εἰς πᾶταν ἀρέσκειαν. » Λίτοῦμεν δὲ τῆς πνευματικῆς ὑμᾶς ἐμπλησθῆναι σοφίας, ἵνα πάντα τὰ ἀρέσκοντα τῷ « Ἐν παντὶ ἔργῳ ἀγαθῷ καρποφοροῦντες, καὶ ἁὐξανόμενοι εἰς τὴν ἐπίγνωσιν τοῦ Θεοῦ, (ἰα’.) ἐν κάσῃ δυνάμει δυναμούμενοι κατὰ τὸ κράτος ἑῆς δόξης αὐτοῦ, εἰς πᾶσαν ὑπομονὴν καὶ μακροθυμίαν μετὰ χαρᾶς. » Ἵνα τῶν ἀγαθῶν ἔργων προσφέρητε χῷ Θεῷ τοὺς καρποὺς, καὶ τῆς γνώσεως αὐτοῦ τὴν ἐπίδοσιν ἐπιδείχνυσθε, καὶ τῇ θείᾳ ῥοπῇ χρατυνόμένοι ἑδραῖοι μένητε, μετ᾽ εὐθυμίας φέροντες τῶν ἐναντίων τὰς τρικυμίας. Τὴν γὰρ ὑπομορὴν ἐπὶ τῶν ἐναντίων τέθεικε " ταύτης γὰρ᾽ χρήξομέν ὑπὸ τῶν (8. « Εὐχαριστοῦντες τῷ θεῷ καὶ Πατρὶ, τῷ ἱχαγώσαντὶ ἡμᾶς εἰς τὴν μερίδα τοῦ κλήρου τῶν ἁγίων ἐν τῷ φωτί. ν» Ὑμνοῦμεν δὲ τὸν φιλάνθρωπον Δεσπότην, ὅτι ἡμᾶς ἀναξίους ὄντας κοινωνοὺς ἀπέφηνε τοῦ τῶν ἁγίων ψωτός. Πάλιν μέντοι τῷ σχῆματι τῆς εὐχαριστίας, τῆς θείας φιλανθρωπίας τὸ ἄῤῥητον, καὶ τῆς περὶ ἡμᾶς οἰκονομίας τὸ μέγεθος δείκνυσιν.

th΄. e Dia touto kai hēmeis, aph᾽ hēs hēmeras hēchoudamen, hou pauometha hyper hymōn proseuchomenoi, kai aitoumenoi hina plērōthēte tēn epignōsin tou thelēmatos hautou. » Tauta de peri hymōn para tou hymeterou didaskalou memathēkotes, apaustōs ton theon hiketeuomen teleian hymin paraschein tou oikeiou thelēmatos tēn epignōsin. Entautha de hēnixato, hōs atelē tautēn echousi tais nomikais akolouthountes paratē- « En pasę̄ sophią kai synesei aueumainę̄ ᾿ (..) peripatēsai hymas axiōs tou Kyriou eis patan areskeian. » Litoumen de tēs pneumatikēs hymas emplēsthēnai sophias, hina panta ta areskonta tǭ « En panti ergǭ agathǭ karpophorountes, kai hauxanomenoi eis tēn epignōsin tou Theou, (ia’.) en kasę̄ dynamei dynamoumenoi kata to kratos heēs doxēs autou, eis pasan hypomonēn kai makrothymian meta charas. » Hina tōn agathōn ergōn prospherēte chǭ Theǭ tous karpous, kai tēs gnōseōs autou tēn epidosin epideichnysthe, kai tę̄ theią rhopę̄ chratynomenoi hedraioi menēte, met᾽ euthymias pherontes tōn enantiōn tas trikymias. Tēn gar hypomorēn epi tōn enantiōn tetheike " tautēs gar᾽ chrēxomen hypo tōn (8. « Eucharistountes tǭ theǭ kai Patri, tǭ hichagōsanti hēmas eis tēn merida tou klērou tōn hagiōn en tǭ phōti. n» Hymnoumen de ton philanthrōpon Despotēn, hoti hēmas anaxious ontas koinōnous apephēne tou tōn hagiōn psōtos. Palin mentoi tǭ schēmati tēs eucharistias, tēs theias philanthrōpias to arrhēton, kai tēs peri hēmas oikonomias to megethos deiknysin.

“For this reason we too, since the day we heard, do not cease praying for you and asking that you may be filled with the knowledge of his will.” Having learned these things about you from your teacher, we unceasingly entreat God to give you perfect knowledge of his own will. Here he hinted that they have this knowledge in an imperfect form, since they follow the observances of the law. “In all wisdom and spiritual understanding, so as to walk worthily of the Lord, pleasing him in all things.” We ask that you be filled with spiritual wisdom, so that all the things pleasing to … “Bearing fruit in every good work and growing in the knowledge of God, strengthened with all power according to the might of his glory, for all endurance and patience with joy.” So that you may offer God the fruits of good works and show progress in the knowledge of him, and, strengthened by divine aid, may remain firm, bearing cheerfully the storms raised by your opponents. For he used “endurance” with reference to the opponents; for we shall need it against the … of …

“Giving thanks to God the Father, who has made us fit for the share of the inheritance of the saints in light.” We hymn the Master who loves humankind, because he made us, unworthy as we are, sharers in the light of the saints. Again, in the form of thanksgiving, he shows the inexpressible love of God for humankind and the greatness of his economy toward us.

Textual problem in this passage: see the notes.

Col 1:9–12 (quotation, high confidence)

Notes and citation

Summary: Theodoret explains Paul's prayer that the Colossians grow in the knowledge of God's will and his thanks for their share in the light of the saints.

  • The ref holds the lemmas Col 1:9, 1:10a, 1:10b–11, and 1:12. Words are lost in the scan after “pleasing to” and after “against the” (marked …). Latin of Migne’s parallel column, read as Greek letters, was removed; other slips are translated by sense.

Notes on the original text

  • Digital text corrected (Latin of Migne's parallel column inside a word; Latin of Migne's parallel column, read as Greek letters; OCR slip (letters misread: χ for κ, δ/θ for β, ! or : for ι); marginal letter and split word): Ὁ ἵκετ τεύομεν → ἱκετεύομεν; εὐχαρι- Τ ἢ ἐπαγγέλλεται. στίας → εὐχαριστίας; Α δοιϊοηΐδ, νεπὶ χη → ; ἐμπλησθῆνα: → ἐμπλησθῆναι.

Topics: Prayer

Cite (SBL): Theodoret, Interp. Col. 1.9 (PG 82; trans. Sophia Scriptura, https://sophiascriptura.com/p/theodoret-interpretatio-colossenses/1-9). (abbreviation not yet checked)

Permanent link: https://sophiascriptura.com/p/theodoret-interpretatio-colossenses/1-9

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Translation: Translated by Claude (Opus) from the Greek as printed in Migne PG 82 (archive.org OCR); no public-domain English exists, so each batch was re-read against the Greek.

1.10PG 82

τ. ε Ὃς ἐῤῥύσατο ἡμᾶς ἐκ τῆς ἐξουσίας τοῦ σκότοὺς, καὶ μετέστησεν εἰς τὴν βασιλείαν τοῦ Υἱοῦ τῆς ἀγάπης αὑτοῦ. » ᾿Εξουσίαν σκότους, τοῦ διαβόλου τὴν δυναστείαν ἐκάλεσεν. Υἱὸν δὲ ἀγάπης τὸν Δεσκότην Χριστὸν προσηγόρευσε " διδάσκων ὅτι οὐκ ὡς κτίσμα καὶ δοῦλος, ἀλλ᾽ ὡς Υἱὸς ἀγαπᾶται. Οὐ γὰρ ἀγάπης Υἱὸς, ἀλλ᾽ ἀγαπητὸς Υἱὸς, τουτέστι Ὑνήσιος " οὕτω γὰρ καὶ Ἰσαὰκ ὠνομάζετο. ε Λάβε Ὑὰρ, ἔφη, τὸν υἱόν σου τὸν ἀγαπητὸν, » ἀντὶ τοῦ Ὑνήσιον, τὸν τῶν ἄλλων σοι τιμιώτατον. Τοῦ σκότους τοίνυν, φησὶν, ἡμᾶς ἐλευθερώσας, τῆς τοῦ Υἱοῦ βα-. σιλείας ἠξίωσε, Τοῦτο καὶ ἐν τῇ πρὸς Τιμόθεον ἔφη" « Εἰ ὑπομένωμεν, καὶ συμβασιλεύσομεν. » ιδ΄, « Ἐν ᾧ ἔχομεν τὴν ἀπολύτρωσιν διὰ " τοῦ αἷἴ- 'μᾶτος, τὴν ἄφεσιν τῶν ἁμαρτιῶν. » Οὐ γὰρ ὁ γόμος, ἀλλ᾽ ὁ Δεσπότης Χριστὸς, ἐψ:οὔ νόμον νομοθέτης, ταύτην ἡμῖν διὰ τοῦ σωτηρίου βαπτίσματος ἐδωρήσατο, Ταῦτα εἰρηκὼς, καὶ θεολογίας ἅπτεται, καὶ δείχγυσιν αὐτὸν τῶν ἁπάντων δημιουργόν.

t. e Hos errhysato hēmas ek tēs exousias tou skotous, kai metestēsen eis tēn basileian tou Huiou tēs agapēs hautou. » ᾿Exousian skotous, tou diabolou tēn dynasteian ekalesen. Huion de agapēs ton Deskotēn Christon prosēgoreuse " didaskōn hoti ouk hōs ktisma kai doulos, all᾽ hōs Huios agapatai. Ou gar agapēs Huios, all᾽ agapētos Huios, toutesti Hynēsios " houtō gar kai Isaak ōnomazeto. e Labe Hyar, ephē, ton huion sou ton agapēton, » anti tou Hynēsion, ton tōn allōn soi timiōtaton. Tou skotous toinyn, phēsin, hēmas eleutherōsas, tēs tou Huiou ba-. sileias ēxiōse, Touto kai en tę̄ pros Timotheon ephē" « Ei hypomenōmen, kai symbasileusomen. » id΄, « En hǭ echomen tēn apolytrōsin dia " tou haii- 'matos, tēn aphesin tōn hamartiōn. » Ou gar ho gomos, all᾽ ho Despotēs Christos, eps:ou nomon nomothetēs, tautēn hēmin dia tou sōtēriou baptismatos edōrēsato, Tauta eirēkōs, kai theologias haptetai, kai deichgysin auton tōn hapantōn dēmiourgon.

“Who rescued us from the authority of darkness and transferred us into the kingdom of the Son of his love.” He called the dominion of the devil the “authority of darkness.” And he called Christ the Master “Son of love,” teaching that he is loved not as a creature and a slave but as a Son. For it means not “son of love” but “beloved Son,” that is, genuine; for so too Isaac was named. “Take,” he said, “your beloved son,” instead of “your genuine son, the most precious to you of all.” Having freed us from darkness, then, he says, he counted us worthy of the kingdom of the Son. He said this also in the letter to Timothy: “If we endure, we shall also reign with him.” “In whom we have the redemption through his blood, the forgiveness of sins.” For it was not the law but Christ the Master, the lawgiver of the law, who gave us this through saving baptism. Having said this, he also touches on theology and shows him to be the creator of all things.

Col 1:13–14 (quotation, high confidence) · Gen 22:2 (quotation, high confidence) · 2 Tim 2:12 (quotation, high confidence)

Notes and citation

Summary: Theodoret explains that the Son of God's love is the true and beloved Son, through whom we have redemption and forgiveness in baptism.

  • The ref holds the lemmas Col 1:13 and 1:14, not Col 1:10. Quotations: Gen 22:2; 2 Tim 2:12.

Notes on the original text

  • Digital text corrected (OCR slip (letters misread: χ for κ, δ/θ for β, ! or : for ι)): διαδόλου → διαβόλου; Λάδε → Λάβε; συμδασιλεύσομεν → συμβασιλεύσομεν.

Topics: Christology, Baptism

Cite (SBL): Theodoret, Interp. Col. 1.10 (PG 82; trans. Sophia Scriptura, https://sophiascriptura.com/p/theodoret-interpretatio-colossenses/1-10). (abbreviation not yet checked)

Permanent link: https://sophiascriptura.com/p/theodoret-interpretatio-colossenses/1-10

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Translation: Translated by Claude (Opus) from the Greek as printed in Migne PG 82 (archive.org OCR); no public-domain English exists, so each batch was re-read against the Greek.

1.15PG 82

ιε΄. ς« Ὅς" ἐστιν εἰκὼν τοῦ Θεοῦ τοῦ ἀοράτου. » Ἐναργεῖς γὰρ φέρει τοῦ γεγεννηκότος τοὺς χαρακτῆρας. Τοῦτό ἔστι τὸ ὑπὸ τοῦ Κυρίου πρὸς τὸν Φίλἶππὸν εἰρημένον " « Ὁ ἑωρακὼς ἐμὲ ἑώρακε καὶ τὸν Πατέρα. » Καὶ ᾿Αδὰμ δὲ ἐγέννησε κατὰ τὴν εἰκόνα αὑτοῦ, τουτέστι κατὰ πάντα αὐτῷ ἑοϊκότα, Ἔστε τοίνυν εἰκὼν δηλοῦσα τὸ ὁμοούσιον. Αἱ μὲν γὰρ ἄψυχοι εἰκόνες οὐκ ἔχουσι τὴν οὐσίαν τούτων ὧνπερ εἰκόνες εἰσίν - ἡ δὲ ζῶσα εἰκὼν, καὶ τὸ ἀπαράλλακτον ἔχουσα, τὴν αὐτὴν ἔχει φύσιν τῷ ἀρχετύπῳ. ε Πρωτότοκος ᾽6 πάσης κτίσεως, » Εἰ μονογενὴς, πῶς πρωτότοκος; εἰ πρῳτότοκος, πῶς μονογενής; ᾿Αλλὰ μὴν μονογενὴς ἐν τοῖς θείοις Εὐαγγελίοις ὠνόμασται. Πρωτότοκος τοίνυν ἐστὶ τῆς κτίσεως, οὐκ ὡς ἀδελφὴν ἔχων τὴν κτίσιν ἀλλ᾽ ὡς πρὸ πάσης κτίσεως γεννηθείς. Πῶς γὰρ οἷόν τε καὶ ἀδελφὸν εἶναι τῆς κτίσεως καὶ δημιουργόν; Εἰ γὰρ, κατὰ τὸν τῶν αἱρετικῶν λόγον, κτίσμα ἐστὶν, ἀδελφὴν ἔχει τὴν γτίσιν. Οὐκ οἷόν τε δὲ κατὰ ταυτὸν ταύτης αὐτὸν καὶ ἀδελφὸν εἶναι καὶ δημιουργόν " δημιουργὸν δὲ αὐτὸν ἡ θεία καλεῖ Γραφή εἰ δὲ δημιουργὸς, οὐκ ἄρα καὶ ἀδελφός " εἰ δὲ οὐκ ἀδελφὸς, οὐ κτίσμα. "Αλλως τε οὐδὲ πρωπόχτιστον αὐτὸν εἶπεν ὁ θεῖος ᾿Απόστολος, ἀλλὰ πρωτότοκον, τουτέστι, πρῶτον. Οὕτω καὶ πρωτότοκος ἐκ τῶν νεκρῶν " πρῶτος γὰρ ἀνέστη. Οὕτω καὶ Ἐκκλησίαν πρωτοτόκων τὸν τῶν ἁγίων σύλλογον ὁ θεῖος ᾿Απόστολος προσηγόρευσεν " οὐκ ἐπειδὴ φύσει πάντες ἕλυσαν πρῶτοι τὰς τῶν μητέρων ὠδῖνας, ἀλλ᾽ ἐπειδὴ πλείων τις ἀφώριστο τοῖς πρωτοτόκοις κατὰ τὸν νόμον τιμὴ, τὸ τίμιον αὑτῶν διὰ τῆσδε τῆς προσηγορίας δεδήλωκεν. Ὅτι δὲ ὁ Μονογενὴς οὐ τῆς κτίσεως ἀδελφὸς, ἀλλὰ τῆς κτίσεως ὑπάρχει ποιητὴς, καὶ τὰ ἑξῆς διδάσκει"

ie΄. s« Hos" estin eikōn tou Theou tou aoratou. » Enargeis gar pherei tou gegennēkotos tous charaktēras. Touto esti to hypo tou Kyriou pros ton Philippon eirēmenon " « Ho heōrakōs eme heōrake kai ton Patera. » Kai ᾿Adam de egennēse kata tēn eikona hautou, toutesti kata panta autǭ heoïkota, Este toinyn eikōn dēlousa to homoousion. Hai men gar apsychoi eikones ouk echousi tēn ousian toutōn hōnper eikones eisin - hē de zōsa eikōn, kai to aparallakton echousa, tēn autēn echei physin tǭ archetypǭ. e Prōtotokos ᾽6 pasēs ktiseōs, » Ei monogenēs, pōs prōtotokos? ei prǭtotokos, pōs monogenēs? ᾿Alla mēn monogenēs en tois theiois Euangeliois ōnomastai. Prōtotokos toinyn esti tēs ktiseōs, ouk hōs adelphēn echōn tēn ktisin all᾽ hōs pro pasēs ktiseōs gennētheis. Pōs gar hoion te kai adelphon einai tēs ktiseōs kai dēmiourgon? Ei gar, kata ton tōn hairetikōn logon, ktisma estin, adelphēn echei tēn gtisin. Ouk hoion te de kata tauton tautēs auton kai adelphon einai kai dēmiourgon " dēmiourgon de auton hē theia kalei Graphē ei de dēmiourgos, ouk ara kai adelphos " ei de ouk adelphos, ou ktisma. "Allōs te oude prōpochtiston auton eipen ho theios ᾿Apostolos, alla prōtotokon, toutesti, prōton. Houtō kai prōtotokos ek tōn nekrōn " prōtos gar anestē. Houtō kai Ekklēsian prōtotokōn ton tōn hagiōn syllogon ho theios ᾿Apostolos prosēgoreusen " ouk epeidē physei pantes helysan prōtoi tas tōn mēterōn ōdinas, all᾽ epeidē pleiōn tis aphōristo tois prōtotokois kata ton nomon timē, to timion hautōn dia tēsde tēs prosēgorias dedēlōken. Hoti de ho Monogenēs ou tēs ktiseōs adelphos, alla tēs ktiseōs hyparchei poiētēs, kai ta hexēs didaskei"

“Who is the image of the invisible God.” For he bears clear marks of the one who begot him. This is what was said by the Lord to Philip: “He who has seen me has seen the Father.” And Adam begot according to his own image, that is, one like him in every respect. The image, then, signifies the sameness of being. For lifeless images do not have the being of those of whom they are images; but the living image, which also has exact likeness, has the same nature as the archetype. “The firstborn of all creation.” If he is only-begotten, how is he firstborn? If firstborn, how only-begotten? Yet he is named only-begotten in the divine Gospels. He is firstborn of creation, then, not as having creation as a sister, but as begotten before all creation. For how could one be both brother and creator of creation? For if, as the heretics say, he is a creature, he has creation as his sister. But one cannot at the same time be both its brother and its creator; and divine Scripture calls him creator. If, then, he is creator, he is not a brother; and if not a brother, not a creature. Besides, the divine Apostle did not call him first-created but firstborn, that is, first. So also he is “firstborn from the dead,” for he rose first. So also the divine Apostle called the assembly of the saints “the church of the firstborn,” not because all of them by nature were the first to loose their mothers’ birth pangs, but because a greater honor was set apart for the firstborn under the law; by this title he showed how precious they are. That the Only-begotten is not the brother of creation but its maker, what follows also teaches:

Col 1:15 (quotation, high confidence) · John 14:9 (quotation, high confidence) · Gen 5:3 (allusion, high confidence) · Col 1:18 (quotation, high confidence) · Heb 12:23 (quotation, high confidence) · John 1:14 (allusion, low confidence)

Notes and citation

Summary: Theodoret argues that Christ, the image of the invisible God, shares the Father's being, and that "firstborn of all creation" means begotten before creation, not a creature.

  • Lemma Col 1:15. Theodoret reads “image” as signifying sameness of being (τὸ ὁμοούσιον) and argues against those who made the Son a creature (the Arians); translated as written. Quotations: John 14:9; Gen 5:3; Col 1:18; Heb 12:23. Latin of Migne’s parallel column, footnotes, and apparatus, read as Greek letters, were removed.

Notes on the original text

  • Digital text corrected (Latin of Migne's parallel column, footnotes and apparatus, read as Greek letters, inside the word νόμον; OCR slip (letters misread: χ for κ, δ/θ for β, ! or : for ι)): κι, 13. εἴ ἐγδηβία πε ἴῃ γορηυπὶ ΕἾΜ αἰ εἰϊοπΐ5 δυ. » Ῥοδὶς δἷοῦ. δὰ 09 ἱ. » ἰὸς τα}, 866 κ Ποῦ. χα, 25. εἴην ἰη Εγδιΐϑι., ἀἴαίοσ. 2, ρ. 60 τη). ᾽ Ὃς; --- ἀοράτου. αϑὶ Υἱδι 114 οἱ ἴων 5: 0}}}ὰ.. ν» Εἰ ἱἃ δ πη αἰϊ, [λεῖᾶ ἴῃ Ρ, » Εἰ: ε Ἧεθεῖ τ. » Ουοι οδῖ ὁπ 6 πη. ἔϑι Δ ΕζϑοΙ. χ, ἰ. Α μὸν → μον ; αἱρετιχῶν → αἱρετικῶν.

Topics: Christology, Trinity, Heresy

Cite (SBL): Theodoret, Interp. Col. 1.15 (PG 82; trans. Sophia Scriptura, https://sophiascriptura.com/p/theodoret-interpretatio-colossenses/1-15). (abbreviation not yet checked)

Permanent link: https://sophiascriptura.com/p/theodoret-interpretatio-colossenses/1-15

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Translation: Translated by Claude (Opus) from the Greek as printed in Migne PG 82 (archive.org OCR); no public-domain English exists, so each batch was re-read against the Greek.

1.16PG 82

ις΄. ε Ὅτι ἐν αὐτῷ "' ἐκτίσθη τὰ πάντα. ν» Ποῖα; « Τὰ ἐν τοῖς οὐρανοῖς καὶ τὰ ἐπὶ τῆς γῆς, τὰ ὁρατὰ καὶ τὰ ἀόρατα. ν Καὶ ἐπειδή ἔστι καὶ ἐν οὐρανοῖς ὁρατὰ, ὡς ὁ ἥλιος, καὶ ἡ σελήνη, καὶ οἱ ἀστέρες, διδάσκει σαφέστερον τίνα καλεῖ οὐράνια, εἴτε ὁρατὰ, εἴτε ἀόρατα. Εἶτα ὡς τῶν ὁρατῶν δήλων ἅπασιν ὄντων, καὶ παρὰ τοῦ θειοτάτου Μωσέως πάντων μὲμαθηκότων, ὅτι τούτων ἐστὶ ποιητὴς ὁ Θεὸς, ταῦτα καταλιπὼν, τὸν τῶν ἀοράτων κατάλογον διεξέρχεται, « Εἴτε Θρόνοι, εἴτε Κυριότητες, εἴτε ᾿Αρκαὶ, εἴτε Ἐξουσίαι " τὰ πάντα δι᾿ αὐτοῦ καὶ εἰς αὐτὸν ἕκτισται. » Θρόγους ἡγοῦμαι τὰ Χερουβὶμ, αὐτὸν λέγειν᾽ τούτοις γὰρ εἶδε τὸν θεῖον ἐπικείμενον θρόνον ὁ προφήτης Ἰεζεχιήλ Κυριότητας δὲ, καὶ ᾿Αρχὰς, καὶ ᾿Εξουσίας, τοὺς τῶν ἐθνῶν πεπιστευ μένους τὴν ἐπιμέλειαν. Καὶ γὰρ Μιχαὴλ ἦρχε τῶν Ἰουδαίων, καὶ ὁ μακάριος Δανιὴλ ἄρχοντα λέγει Περσῶν, καὶ ἄρχοντα Ἑλλήνων. Τὸ δὲ, Πάντα δι᾽ αὑτοῦ ἔκτισται, τὴν πρώτην δημιουργίαν δηλοῖ, Τὸ δὲ, εἰς αὐτὸν, τὴν διὰ τῆς ἐνανθρωπήσεως αὐτοῦ γενομένην ἐνέργειαν. «Εἴ τις γὰρ ἐν Χριστῷ, φησὶ, καινὴ κτίσις. » Καὶ πάλιν’ « ᾿Ανακεφαλαιώσασθαι τὰ πάντα ἐν τῷ "5 Χριστῷ.» Καὶ ὁ Προφήτης " « Ἔσται ὁ οὐρανὸς καινὸς, καὶ ἡ γῆ καινή. » Καί ε Τὰ ἀρχαῖα παρῆλθεν, ἰδοὺ γέγονε τὰ πάντα καινά. » Ἐν ἐλπίσι δὲ ἔχομεν τὴν τούτων. μεταβολήν. « Καὶ αὐτὴ γὰρ ἡ κτίσις ἐλευθεν ρωθήσεται ἀπὸ τῆς δουλείας τῆς φθορᾶς εἰς τὴν ἐλευθερίαν τῆς δόξης τῶν τέχνων τοῦ Θεοῦ. » Ὅτι δὲ ἐνταῦθα τὸ πρωτότοκος ὄνομα τὸ πρῶτον δηλοῖ, «ἃ ἑξῆς ἡμᾶς διδάτχει" ιζ΄, « Καὶ αὐτός ἐστι πρὸ πάντων. » Οὐκ εἶπεν, Αὐτὸς ἐγένετο πρὸ πάντων, ἀλλ᾽, Αὐτός ἐστι πρὸ πάντων. « Καὶ τὰ πάντα ἐν αὐτῷ συνέστηκεν. » Οὐ γὰρ μόνον ἐστὶν ἁπάντων δημιουργὸς, ἀλλὰ καὶ προμηθεῖται ὧν ἐποίησε, καὶ κυβερνᾷ τὴν κτίσιν, καὶ διὰ τὴν αὐτοῦ σοφίαν καὶ δύναμιν ἕστηκε,

is΄. e Hoti en autǭ "' ektisthē ta panta. n» Poia? « Ta en tois ouranois kai ta epi tēs gēs, ta horata kai ta aorata. n Kai epeidē esti kai en ouranois horata, hōs ho hēlios, kai hē selēnē, kai hoi asteres, didaskei saphesteron tina kalei ourania, eite horata, eite aorata. Eita hōs tōn horatōn dēlōn hapasin ontōn, kai para tou theiotatou Mōseōs pantōn memathēkotōn, hoti toutōn esti poiētēs ho Theos, tauta katalipōn, ton tōn aoratōn katalogon diexerchetai, « Eite Thronoi, eite Kyriotētes, eite ᾿Arkai, eite Exousiai " ta panta di᾿ autou kai eis auton hektistai. » Throgous hēgoumai ta Cheroubim, auton legein᾽ toutois gar eide ton theion epikeimenon thronon ho prophētēs Iezechiēl Kyriotētas de, kai ᾿Archas, kai ᾿Exousias, tous tōn ethnōn pepisteu menous tēn epimeleian. Kai gar Michaēl ērche tōn Ioudaiōn, kai ho makarios Daniēl archonta legei Persōn, kai archonta Hellēnōn. To de, Panta di᾽ hautou ektistai, tēn prōtēn dēmiourgian dēloi, To de, eis auton, tēn dia tēs enanthrōpēseōs autou genomenēn energeian. «Ei tis gar en Christǭ, phēsi, kainē ktisis. » Kai palin’ « ᾿Anakephalaiōsasthai ta panta en tǭ "5 Christǭ.» Kai ho Prophētēs " « Estai ho ouranos kainos, kai hē gē kainē. » Kai e Ta archaia parēlthen, idou gegone ta panta kaina. » En elpisi de echomen tēn toutōn. metabolēn. « Kai autē gar hē ktisis eleuthen rōthēsetai apo tēs douleias tēs phthoras eis tēn eleutherian tēs doxēs tōn technōn tou Theou. » Hoti de entautha to prōtotokos onoma to prōton dēloi, «ha hexēs hēmas didatchei" iz΄, « Kai autos esti pro pantōn. » Ouk eipen, Autos egeneto pro pantōn, all᾽, Autos esti pro pantōn. « Kai ta panta en autǭ synestēken. » Ou gar monon estin hapantōn dēmiourgos, alla kai promētheitai hōn epoiēse, kai kyberną tēn ktisin, kai dia tēn autou sophian kai dynamin hestēke,

“For in him all things were created.” What things? “Things in the heavens and things on the earth, visible and invisible.” And since there are visible things in the heavens too, such as the sun, the moon, and the stars, he teaches more clearly which heavenly things he means, whether visible or invisible. Then, since the visible things are plain to all, and all have learned from the most divine Moses that God is their maker, he leaves these aside and goes through the list of the invisible: “Whether thrones or dominions or rulers or authorities: all things were created through him and for him.” By “thrones” I think he means the cherubim, for the prophet Ezekiel saw the divine throne resting on them; and by “dominions,” “rulers,” and “authorities,” those entrusted with the care of the nations. For Michael ruled the Jews, and the blessed Daniel speaks of a ruler of the Persians and a ruler of the Greeks. “All things were created through him” shows the first creation; “for him,” the work that came about through his incarnation. “For if anyone is in Christ,” he says, “he is a new creation.” And again: “To sum up all things in Christ.” And the prophet: “The heaven will be new and the earth new.” And: “The old things have passed away; behold, all things have become new.” We hold their change in hope. “For the creation itself will be set free from the bondage of corruption into the freedom of the glory of the children of God.” That here the name “firstborn” means “first,” what follows teaches us: “And he is before all things.” He did not say, “He came to be before all things,” but, “He is before all things.” “And all things hold together in him.” For he is not only the creator of all things but also provides for what he made, steers creation, and it stands firm through his wisdom and power.

Col 1:16–17 (quotation, high confidence) · Ezek 10:1 (allusion, medium confidence) · Dan 10:13 (allusion, high confidence) · Dan 10:20–21 (allusion, high confidence) · 2 Cor 5:17 (quotation, high confidence) · Eph 1:10 (quotation, high confidence) · Isa 65:17 (quotation, medium confidence) · Rom 8:21 (quotation, high confidence)

Notes and citation

Summary: Theodoret explains that the Son created all things visible and invisible, including the angelic powers, renews them through his incarnation, and exists before all things.

  • The ref holds the lemmas Col 1:16a, 1:16b, 1:16c, 1:17a, and 1:17b. Quotations: 2 Cor 5:17; Eph 1:10; Isa 65:17; Rom 8:21; allusions to Ezek 10:1 and Dan 10:13, 20–21. Marginal letters were removed; letters misread by the OCR (χ for κ, δ for β) were corrected.

Notes on the original text

  • Digital text corrected (OCR slip (letters misread: χ for κ, δ/θ for β, ! or : for ι); marginal letter; marginal letter inside a word): κατάλογον διεξέρχεται, Β « → κατάλογον διεξέρχεται, «; γέ- Ὁ γονε → γέγονε; Χερουδὶμ → Χερουβὶμ; μεταδολήν → μεταβολήν; χυδερνᾷ → κυβερνᾷ.

Topics: Christology

Cite (SBL): Theodoret, Interp. Col. 1.16 (PG 82; trans. Sophia Scriptura, https://sophiascriptura.com/p/theodoret-interpretatio-colossenses/1-16). (abbreviation not yet checked)

Permanent link: https://sophiascriptura.com/p/theodoret-interpretatio-colossenses/1-16

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Translation: Translated by Claude (Opus) from the Greek as printed in Migne PG 82 (archive.org OCR); no public-domain English exists, so each batch was re-read against the Greek.

1.18PG 82

ιη΄. « Καὶ αὐτός ἐστιν ἡ κεφαλὴ τοῦ σώματος τῆς Ἐκκλησίας. » ᾿Απὸ τῆς θεολογίας εἰς τὴν οἰκονομίαν μετέβη. Κεφαλὴ γὰρ ἡμῶν κατὰ τὸ ἀνθρώπινον" ὁμοούσιος δὲ ἡ κεφαλὴ τῷ σώματι " οὕτω καὶ αὐτὸς ἡμῖν ὡς ἄνθρωπος ὁμοούσιος. « Ὅς ἐστιν ἀρχή.» ᾿Αντὶ τοῦ, πρῶτος ἐκ νεκρῶν ἐγήγερται. Τοῦτο γὰρ ἐπάγει " ε Πρωτότοκος ἐκ τῶν νεκρῶν "5. » Πρῶτος γὰρ τὰς ὠδῖνας ἔλυσε τοῦ θανάτου. Αἰνίττεται δὲ ὁ λόγος καὶ τὴν πάντων ἡμῶν ἀνάστατιν. « Ἵνα γένηται ἂν πᾶσιν αὐτὸς πρωτεύων.» Καὶ γὰρ ὡς Θεὸς, πρὸ πάντων ἐστὶ, καὶ σὺν τῷ Πατρί ἐστι - καὶ ὡς ἄνθρωπος, πρωτότοκος ἐκ τῶν νεκρῶν, καὶ τοῦ σώματὸς κεφαλή.

iē΄. « Kai autos estin hē kephalē tou sōmatos tēs Ekklēsias. » ᾿Apo tēs theologias eis tēn oikonomian metebē. Kephalē gar hēmōn kata to anthrōpinon" homoousios de hē kephalē tǭ sōmati " houtō kai autos hēmin hōs anthrōpos homoousios. « Hos estin archē.» ᾿Anti tou, prōtos ek nekrōn egēgertai. Touto gar epagei " e Prōtotokos ek tōn nekrōn "5. » Prōtos gar tas ōdinas elyse tou thanatou. Ainittetai de ho logos kai tēn pantōn hēmōn anastatin. « Hina genētai an pasin autos prōteuōn.» Kai gar hōs Theos, pro pantōn esti, kai syn tǭ Patri esti - kai hōs anthrōpos, prōtotokos ek tōn nekrōn, kai tou sōmatos kephalē.

“And he is the head of the body, the church.” From theology he passed to the economy. For he is our head according to his humanity; and the head is of the same being as the body; so he too, as man, is of the same being as we are. “Who is the beginning.” That is, he has been raised first from the dead. For he adds this: “the firstborn from the dead.” For he was the first to loose the pangs of death. The word also hints at the resurrection of us all. “That in all things he might be preeminent.” For as God he is before all things and is with the Father; and as man he is firstborn from the dead and head of the body.

Col 1:18 (quotation, high confidence) · Acts 2:24 (allusion, medium confidence)

Notes and citation

Summary: Theodoret explains that Christ is head of the church according to his humanity and firstborn from the dead as the first to rise.

  • The ref holds the lemmas Col 1:18a, 1:18b, 1:18c, and 1:18d. Allusion to Acts 2:24. Apparatus notes and Latin of Migne’s parallel column, read as Greek letters, were removed.

Notes on the original text

  • Digital text corrected (apparatus notes and Latin of Migne's parallel column, read as Greek letters; marginal letter; OCR slip): Ὁ μετέθη → μετέβη; 4 58. χα 18. "ἡ ρος : Ἐν αὐτῷ---ἐστὶ πρὸ πάντων ἀρκαὶ, ε. ἔξουσ. ε. χυριότ. ε. θρόνοι. Πάντα, οἷο. εἴτε ὁρατὰ, εἴτε ἀόρατα, εἴτε Θρ., εἴ. Ἔξουσ., εἴτε "Αγγελοι, εἴτε Δυν. Πάντα ἐν αὐτῷ χ. Ἐν αὐτῷ ἐχτ. τ. τι, τυ. [20.. νυ. 7, δναλοί Ὅτι ἐν α, ἔχτ, πάντα τὰ ἐν. οὐ». χ. τ᾿ ἐπὶ γῆς, εἴτε ὁρ., ε. ἀόρ., εἰ ἰϊὰ αὐ ἰπ 1 τῷ ανοδὶ ἃ δ. → .

Topics: Christology, Eschatology

Cite (SBL): Theodoret, Interp. Col. 1.18 (PG 82; trans. Sophia Scriptura, https://sophiascriptura.com/p/theodoret-interpretatio-colossenses/1-18). (abbreviation not yet checked)

Permanent link: https://sophiascriptura.com/p/theodoret-interpretatio-colossenses/1-18

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Translation: Translated by Claude (Opus) from the Greek as printed in Migne PG 82 (archive.org OCR); no public-domain English exists, so each batch was re-read against the Greek.

1.19PG 82

ιθ΄. ε« Ὅτι ἐν αὐτῷ εὐδόκησε πᾶν τὸ πλήρωμα κατοικῆσαι. » Πλήρωμα τὴν Ἐκκλησίαν ἐν τῇ πρὸς Ἐφεσίους ἐκάλεσεν, ὡς τῶν θείων χαρισμάτων πεπληρωμένων. Ταύτην ἔφη εὐδοκῆσαι τὸν Θεὸν ἐν τῷ Χριστῷ κατοικῇσαι, τουτέστιν αὐτῷ “συνῆφθαι, ὑπὸ τὴν αὑτοῦ σκέπην εἶναι, τοῖς αὐτοῦ γόμοις ἀκολουθεῖν. χ', ε Καὶ δι᾽ αὑτοῦ ἀποκαταλλάξαι τὰ πάντα εἰς αὐτόν. » Λέγει δὲ καὶ τῆς καταλλαγῆς τὸν τρόπον. « Εἰρηνοποιήσας διὰ τοῦ αἵματος τοῦ σταυροῦ αὐτοῦ δι᾽ αὐτοῦ, εἴτε τὰ ἐπὶ τῇ: γῆς, εἴτε τὰ ἐν τοῖς οὐρανοῖς. » Αὐτὸς ἐπραγματεύσατο τὰς ἡμετέρας κατο αλλαγὰς, τὸ σωτήριον ὑπομείνας πάθος, καὶ τὸ αἷμα ἐκχέας, καὶ τὴν ὑπὲρ ἡ κῶν θυτίαν προσενεγκὼν, καὶ συνῆψε τοῖς ἐπιγείοις τὰ ἐπουράνια. ᾿Απεστρέφοντο γὰρ ἡμᾶς καὶ τῶν ἀγγέλων οἱ δῆμοι, διὰ τὴν πολλὴν πονηρίαν. Τούτου χάριν καὶ τεχθέντος χορὸν συστησάμενοι τῷ Θεῷ τὸν ὕμνον προσέφερον, λέγοντες " « Δόξα ἐν ὑψίστοις Θεῷ, καὶ ἐπὶ γῆς εἰρήνη, ἐν ἀνθρώποις εὐδοκία. ν» Οὕτω τὰ κοινῇ πᾶσιν παρασχεθέντα διηγητάμενος ἀγαθὰ, πρὸς αὑτοὺς μεταφέρει τὸν λόγον, καί φησι" χα’, κβ', «Καὶ ὑμᾶς ποτε ὄντας ἀπηλλοτριωμένου;, καὶ ἐχθροὺς τῇ διανοίᾳ ἐν τοῖς ἔργοις τοῖς πονηροῖς. Νυνὶ δὲ ἀποκατήλλαξεν ἐν τῷ σώματι τῆς σαρκὸς αὑτοῦ διὰ τοῦ θανάτου παραστῆσαι ὑμᾶς ἁγίους, καὶ ἀμώμους, καὶ ἀνεγκλήτους κατενώπιον αὐτοῦ. ν» ᾿Απὸ τῶν ὑμετέρων σκοπήσατε τὰ κοινά. Καὶ γὰρ ὑμεῖς πονηρίᾳ καὶ δυσσεβείᾳ συζῶντες, καὶ τοῦ τῆς θεο- ᾿κῷ Θεῷ, οὐ τοῦ νόμου τοῦτο ὑμῖν δωρησαμένου τὰ δῶρον, ἀλλὰ τοῦ Δεσπότου Χριστοῦ τὸ ὑμέτερον ἀποδεδωκότος χρέος, καὶ παραδεδωκότος τῷ θανάτῳ τὸ σῶμα - ὥστε ὑμᾶς ἀξιωθέντας τῆς κλήσεως ἁγίους καὶ μώμου παντὸς ἐλευθέρους ἀποφανθῆναι. Εἶτα καὶ αἰνίττεται τὴν γενομένην παῤατροπὴν, καὶ δεχγ'. «Εἴγε ἐπιμένετε τῇ πίστει τεθεμελιωμένοι, καὶ ἐδραῖοι, καὶ μὴ μετακινούμενοι ἀπὸ τῆς ἐλπίδος τοῦ Εὐαγγελίου, οὗ ἠκούσατε. ν» Ἔσεαθε δὲ ἅγιοι, καὶ ἄμωμοι, καὶ ἀνέγχλητοι ἐπιμένοντες οἷς ἐξ ἀρχῆς ἐδιδάχθητε, καὶ τὴν προσενεχθεῖσαν ὑμῖν διδασκαλίαν βεβαίαν φυλάττοντες. ᾿Ε.1πίδα δὲ τοῦ Εὐαγγελίου τὴν ἀνάστασιν καλεῖ, καὶ τὴν ζωὴν τὴν ἀθάνατον, καὶ τὴν τῶν οὐρανῶν βασιλείαν. Εἶτα διδάσκει ὡς οὐκ αὐτοῖς μόνοις, ἀλλὰ πᾶσι προσηνέχθη τὸ κήρῦγμα τοῖς ἀνθρώποις. « Τοῦ κηρυχθέντος ἐν πάσῃ πῇ κτίσει τῇ ὑπὸ τὸν οὐρανὸν, οὗ ἐγενόμην ἐγὼ Παῦλος διάκονος. » Αὐτὸς γὰρ τῶν ἐθνῶν ἐπιστεύθη τὴν γεωργίαν. Τοῦτο δὲ οὐκ ἂν εἶπεν, εἴπερ αὐτοὺς ἀληθῶς οὐκ ἐθεάσατο πώποτε. Εἰ γὰρ τῶν ἐθνῶν, φησὶ, … κῆρυξ, τί δήποτε ἡμῶν κατεφρόνησας, καὶ τὴν εὐαγγελικὴν ἡμῖν διδασκαλίαν οὐ προσενήνοχας; Καὶ τὰ ἐπαγόμενα δὲ τῆς αὐτῆς ἔχεται διανοίας. κδ΄. ε Νῦν καίρω ἐν τοῖς παθήμασιν ὑπὲρ ὑμῶν ",, » Πῶς γὰρ εἶχε λόγον, τὸν μὴ τεθεαμένον αὐτοὺς, μηδὲ τὴν πνευματικὴν διδασκαλίαν προσενεγχόντα, διαῤῥήδην λέγειν ὡς ὑπὲρ αὐτῶν τοὺς διαφόρους ὑπομένει κινδύνους; « Καὶ ἀνταναπληρῶ τὰ ὑστερήματα τῶν θλίψεων τοῦ Χριστοῦ ἐν τῇ σαρκί μου ὑπὲρ τοῦ σώματος αὐτοῦ, ὅ ἐστιν ἡ Ἐκκλησία. » Καὶ ὁ Δεσπότης Χριστὸς τὸν ὑπὲρ τῆς Ἐκκλησίας κατεδέξατο θάνατον, καὶ τοῦ σταυροῦ τὴν ἀτιμίαν, καὶ τὰς ἐπὶ κόῤῥης πληγὰς, καὶ τὰς κατὰ τοῦ νώτου μάστιγας, καὶ τὰ ἄλλα ὅσα ὑπέμεινε" καὶ ὁ θεῖος Ἀπόστολος ὡσαύτως ὑπὲρ αὑτῆς ὑπέστη τὰ ποικίλα παθήματα, καὶ μεθ᾽ ἡδονῆς ὑπέστη. Καίρω γὰρ, φησὶν, ἐν τοῖς παθήμασιν ὑπὲρ ὑμῶν. “Βδει γὰρ τὴν δὲ ἔφη τὰ ὑστερήματα τῶν θλίψεων τοῦ Χριστοῦ, ὡς τὸ λειπόμενον πληρῶν, καὶ τῶν ὑπὲρ τούτου προ ἀνεχόμενος. Ἐλείπετο δὲ τὸ κηρύξαι τοῖς ἔθνεσι, καὶ δεῖξαι τῆς σωτηρίας τὸν μεγαλόδωρον χορηγόν.

ith΄. e« Hoti en autǭ eudokēse pan to plērōma katoikēsai. » Plērōma tēn Ekklēsian en tę̄ pros Ephesious ekalesen, hōs tōn theiōn charismatōn peplērōmenōn. Tautēn ephē eudokēsai ton Theon en tǭ Christǭ katoikę̄sai, toutestin autǭ “synēphthai, hypo tēn hautou skepēn einai, tois autou gomois akolouthein. ch', e Kai di᾽ hautou apokatallaxai ta panta eis auton. » Legei de kai tēs katallagēs ton tropon. « Eirēnopoiēsas dia tou haimatos tou staurou autou di᾽ autou, eite ta epi tę̄: gēs, eite ta en tois ouranois. » Autos epragmateusato tas hēmeteras kato allagas, to sōtērion hypomeinas pathos, kai to haima ekcheas, kai tēn hyper hē kōn thytian prosenenkōn, kai synēpse tois epigeiois ta epourania. ᾿Apestrephonto gar hēmas kai tōn angelōn hoi dēmoi, dia tēn pollēn ponērian. Toutou charin kai techthentos choron systēsamenoi tǭ Theǭ ton hymnon prosepheron, legontes " « Doxa en hypsistois Theǭ, kai epi gēs eirēnē, en anthrōpois eudokia. n» Houtō ta koinę̄ pasin paraschethenta diēgētamenos agatha, pros hautous metapherei ton logon, kai phēsi" cha’, kb', «Kai hymas pote ontas apēllotriōmenou?, kai echthrous tę̄ dianoią en tois ergois tois ponērois. Nyni de apokatēllaxen en tǭ sōmati tēs sarkos hautou dia tou thanatou parastēsai hymas hagious, kai amōmous, kai anenklētous katenōpion autou. n» ᾿Apo tōn hymeterōn skopēsate ta koina. Kai gar hymeis ponērią kai dyssebeią syzōntes, kai tou tēs theo- ᾿kǭ Theǭ, ou tou nomou touto hymin dōrēsamenou ta dōron, alla tou Despotou Christou to hymeteron apodedōkotos chreos, kai paradedōkotos tǭ thanatǭ to sōma - hōste hymas axiōthentas tēs klēseōs hagious kai mōmou pantos eleutherous apophanthēnai. Eita kai ainittetai tēn genomenēn paratropēn, kai dechg'. «Eige epimenete tę̄ pistei tethemeliōmenoi, kai edraioi, kai mē metakinoumenoi apo tēs elpidos tou Euangeliou, hou ēkousate. n» Eseathe de hagioi, kai amōmoi, kai anenchlētoi epimenontes hois ex archēs edidachthēte, kai tēn prosenechtheisan hymin didaskalian bebaian phylattontes. ᾿E.1pida de tou Euangeliou tēn anastasin kalei, kai tēn zōēn tēn athanaton, kai tēn tōn ouranōn basileian. Eita didaskei hōs ouk autois monois, alla pasi prosēnechthē to kērygma tois anthrōpois. « Tou kērychthentos en pasę̄ pę̄ ktisei tę̄ hypo ton ouranon, hou egenomēn egō Paulos diakonos. » Autos gar tōn ethnōn episteuthē tēn geōrgian. Touto de ouk an eipen, eiper autous alēthōs ouk etheasato pōpote. Ei gar tōn ethnōn, phēsi, … kēryx, ti dēpote hēmōn katephronēsas, kai tēn euangelikēn hēmin didaskalian ou prosenēnochas? Kai ta epagomena de tēs autēs echetai dianoias. kd΄. e Nyn kairō en tois pathēmasin hyper hymōn ",, » Pōs gar eiche logon, ton mē tetheamenon autous, mēde tēn pneumatikēn didaskalian prosenenchonta, diarrhēdēn legein hōs hyper autōn tous diaphorous hypomenei kindynous? « Kai antanaplērō ta hysterēmata tōn thlipseōn tou Christou en tę̄ sarki mou hyper tou sōmatos autou, ho estin hē Ekklēsia. » Kai ho Despotēs Christos ton hyper tēs Ekklēsias katedexato thanaton, kai tou staurou tēn atimian, kai tas epi korrhēs plēgas, kai tas kata tou nōtou mastigas, kai ta alla hosa hypemeine" kai ho theios Apostolos hōsautōs hyper hautēs hypestē ta poikila pathēmata, kai meth᾽ hēdonēs hypestē. Kairō gar, phēsin, en tois pathēmasin hyper hymōn. “Bdei gar tēn de ephē ta hysterēmata tōn thlipseōn tou Christou, hōs to leipomenon plērōn, kai tōn hyper toutou pro anechomenos. Eleipeto de to kēryxai tois ethnesi, kai deixai tēs sōtērias ton megalodōron chorēgon.

“For in him he was pleased that all the fullness should dwell.” In the letter to the Ephesians he called the church “fullness,” as filled with the divine gifts. He said that God was pleased that she should dwell in Christ, that is, be joined to him, be under his protection, and follow his laws. “And through him to reconcile all things to him.” He tells also the manner of the reconciliation: “Having made peace through the blood of his cross, through him, whether things on earth or things in the heavens.” He himself brought about our reconciliation, undergoing the saving passion, pouring out his blood, and offering the sacrifice for us; and he joined the heavenly things to the earthly. For even the hosts of angels turned away from us because of our great wickedness. That is why, when he was born, they formed a choir and offered the hymn to God, saying: “Glory to God in the highest, and on earth peace, good will among men.”

Having thus related the good things granted to all in common, he turns his discourse to them and says: “And you, who once were alienated and enemies in mind in your evil works, he has now reconciled in the body of his flesh through death, to present you holy and blameless and above reproach before him.” Consider the common blessings from your own case. For you too, living in wickedness and impiety, and [estranged] from the knowledge of God, … to God, not the law giving you this gift, but Christ the Master paying your debt and handing over his body to death, so that you, counted worthy of the calling, are shown to be holy and free from every blemish. Then he hints also at the turning aside that had occurred, and … “If indeed you continue in the faith, grounded and steadfast, and not shifted from the hope of the gospel which you heard.” You will be holy and blameless and above reproach if you remain in what you were taught from the beginning and keep firm the teaching offered to you. He calls the resurrection, the immortal life, and the kingdom of heaven the “hope of the gospel.” Then he teaches that the preaching was offered not to them alone but to all people: “Which was proclaimed in all creation under heaven, of which I, Paul, became a minister.” For he was entrusted with the cultivation of the Gentiles. He would not have said this if he had truly never seen them. For if [he was the herald] of the Gentiles, they would say, … “Herald, why did you despise us and not offer us the gospel teaching?” And what follows holds the same sense: “Now I rejoice in my sufferings for you.” For how would it make sense for one who had not seen them, nor offered them spiritual teaching, to say outright that he undergoes various dangers for them?

“And I fill up what is lacking of the afflictions of Christ in my flesh for the sake of his body, which is the church.” Christ the Master accepted death for the church, and the dishonor of the cross, the blows on the cheek, the scourges on the back, and all else that he endured; and the divine Apostle likewise underwent various sufferings for her, and underwent them with pleasure. For “I rejoice,” he says, “in my sufferings for you.” … He said “what is lacking of the afflictions of Christ” as one filling up what remained, and bearing … for this. What remained was to preach to the Gentiles and to show them the munificent provider of salvation.

Textual problem in this passage: see the notes.

Col 1:19–24 (quotation, high confidence) · Eph 1:23 (allusion, high confidence) · Luke 2:14 (quotation, high confidence)

Notes and citation

Summary: Theodoret explains the reconciliation of all things through Christ's blood, the Colossians' share in it, and Paul's sufferings that complete what remained of Christ's afflictions by preaching to the Gentiles.

  • The ref holds the lemmas Col 1:19 through 1:24. Words are lost in the scan after “from the knowledge of God,” after “and …” before 1:23, after “the Gentiles, they would say,” after “For it was necessary” (ἔδει γὰρ τὴν…), and after “bearing” (marked …). Theodoret again argues that Paul had seen the Colossians. Quotations: Luke 2:14; allusion to Eph 1:23. Latin of Migne’s parallel column, read as Greek letters, was removed; letters misread by the OCR were corrected or translated by sense.

Notes on the original text

  • Digital text corrected (Latin of Migne's parallel column, read as Greek letters; Latin of Migne's parallel column, read as Greek letters; Greek lost in the scan here; OCR slip (letters misread: χ for κ, δ/θ for β, ! or : for ι)): ΓΘΒΌΡΓΘΟΙΪΟ ἰδεῖ δἰ ψα ἰοδῖυς, «αι 51 ἐπ οὐ πὶ ῃγ]ἰῷ πη, συΐϊηο οὔ ἑι, εἰ ῬΓῸ πο} 8 βδου Ποία) Ομ, εἰ νοῦ δη ἷοἱ τηοτῖθη, υἱ Ἔχ ἰ οἱ θεἱ 160 θο- [ὑπ], οἱ γοργθ ἢ ἢ 5106 γᾶδὶ βοά 48 80} οἷο δὶ, 00 ἐ → … ; οἱ φυς δε! υΐαν, Θὰ πη 6 η} ΒΔΡΘηϊ 86 γος οἱ ἴῃ οἱ 'π 8 γε. 98. ἐ Οὐ] 5 αἶα πλΠ 651 5δἰιι5 Ἐςοϊ δία, οἱ. ἡ ἢ πΐ θο-. ποίη} [Δ 66ΓΘ. » Η εἰ Δ 8010 ΔρΟϑβίυ]18, οἱ 115 χιΐ ῥοῦ «ἀν ες → ; ἀποχαταλλάξαι → ἀποκαταλλάξαι; ἀποχατήλλαξεν → ἀποκατήλλαξεν; ἀνεγχλήτους → ἀνεγκλήτους; σχοπήσατε → σκοπήσατε; δυσσεθείᾳ → δυσσεβείᾳ; ἀποδεδωχότος → ἀποδεδωκότος; ἀποφανθῆνα: → ἀποφανθῆναι; μεταχινούμενοι → μετακινούμενοι; βεθαίαν → βεβαίαν; χηρυχθέντος → κηρυχθέντος.

Topics: Christology

Cite (SBL): Theodoret, Interp. Col. 1.19 (PG 82; trans. Sophia Scriptura, https://sophiascriptura.com/p/theodoret-interpretatio-colossenses/1-19). (abbreviation not yet checked)

Permanent link: https://sophiascriptura.com/p/theodoret-interpretatio-colossenses/1-19

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Translation: Translated by Claude (Opus) from the Greek as printed in Migne PG 82 (archive.org OCR); no public-domain English exists, so each batch was re-read against the Greek.

1.25PG 82

κε΄. ε Ἧς ἐγενόμην ἐγὼ διάκονος κατὰ τὴν οἶκονομίαν τοῦ Θεοῦ τὴν δοθεῖσάν μοι εἰς ὑμᾶς, πληρῶσαι τὸν λόγον τοῦ Θεοῦ. » Τῆς Ἐκκλησίας ἐνεπιστεύθην τὴν σωτηρίαν, καὶ τὴν τοῦ κηρύγματος ἐνεχειρίσθην διακονίαν, ὥστε πάντας ὑμᾶς τῖς θείας ἐμπλῆσαι διδασκαλίας, Τὸ γὰρ, ὑμᾶς, οὐκ ( αὑτοὺς λέγει μόνους, ἀλλὰ τοὺς κατὰ τὴν οἰκουμένην πιστούς. Δῆλον τοίνυν κάντευθεν, ὡς θεασάμενος αὐτοὺς ἔγραψε τὴν 'Ἐπιστολήν" εἰ γὰρ καὶ αὑτοὺς ἐνεχειρίσθη, οὐκ ἂν αὐτοὺς παρέδραμεν, εἰς τὴν Φρυγίαν παραγενόμενος, καὶ μετὰ τοῦτο Λαοδικέας τοὺς τοῦ ἔθνους ἄρχοντας. Διδάσκει δὲ καὶ τίς ὁ τῆς οἰκονομίας τρόπος. ς΄’, κζ', ε Τὸ μυστήριον 15 τὸ ἀποχεχρυ μμένον ἀπὸ τῶν αἰώνων, καὶ ἀπὸ τῶν γενεῶν, νυνὶ δὲ ἐφανερώθη τοῖς ἁγίοις αὐτοῦ, οἷς ἠθέλησεν ὁ Θεὸς γνωρίσαι. » Μυστήριον ἐκάλεσε τῆς οἰκονομίας τὸ κήρυγμα, ὡς παρὰ πάντων ἀγνοούμενον πάλαι, μόνῳ δὲ τῷ θεῷ γινωσκόμενον. Τοῦτο δὲ, φησὶν, ὃ ἐν ταῖς προτέραις ἀπεχρύπτετο γενεαῖς, νῦν ἐφανέρωσεν οἷς ἠβουλήθη ἁγίοις, τουτέστι τοῖς ἀποστόλοις, καὶ τοῖς διὰ τούτων πεπιστευκόσι. Δείκνυσι δὲ διὰ τούτων τοῦ Εὐαγγελίου τὴν ἀρχαιότητα, καὶ ὅτι πρὸ τοῦ νόμου, καὶ πρὸ τῆς τοῦ γόσμον συστάσεως, ταύτην ὁ τῶν ὅλων Θεὸς τὴν οἰκονομίαν προώρισεν. Ἐγνώρισε δὲ ἡμῖν, φησὶ, τοῖς ἁγίοις, ε Τίς ὁ πλοῦτος τῆς δόξης τοῦ μυστηρίου τούτον ἐν τοῖς ἔθνεσιν. » Ὅτι τὰ ἔθνη ἐν σκότῳ καθήμενα, τὸν τῆς θεογνωσίας ἐδέξατο πλοῦτον, καὶ τῷ Χριστῷ κοινωνήσει τῆς δόξης. Πλοῦτον γὰρ. δόξης τὴν φιλοτιμίαν τῆς δόξης ἐκάλεσε. Τοῦτο δὲ καὶ τὰ ἐπαγόμενα δηλοῖ" (κτ΄.) « Ὃν ἡμεῖς καταγγέλλομεν.;) Οὐ γὰρ αἱ τῶν ἡμερῶν καὶ τῶν βρωμάτων παρατηρήσεις, ἀλλ᾽ ὁ Δεσπότης Χριστὸς ἐκείνης ὑμᾶς ἀξιώσει τῆς δόξης. Ἐλπίδα γὰρ δόξης τὴν προσδοκωμένην ἐκάλεσε δόξαν. « Νουθετοῦντες πάντα ἄνθρωπον, καὶ διδάσκοντες πάντα ἄνθρωπον ἐν πάσῃ σοφίᾳ ἵνα παραστήσωμεν πάντα ἄνθρωπον τέλειον ἐν Χριστῷ Ἰησοῦ, (κθ’.) Εἰς ὃ καὶ χοπιῶ, ἀγωνιζόμενος κατὰ τὴν ἐνέργειαν αὖτοῦ τὴν ἐνεργουμένην ἐν ἐμοὶ ἐν δυνάμει. » Πάντα δὲ πόνον ἀσπαστῶς ἀναδέχομαι ὑπὸ τῆς θείας βοηθούμενοι χάριτος, ὥστε πάντας ἀνθρώκους διὰ τῆς τοῦ κηρύγματος διδασκαλίας ἀποφῆναι τελείους. -Τελειότητα δὲ, οὐκ ὁ νὄμος, ἀλλ᾽ ἡ τοῦ κηρύγματος « Ὅς ἐστι Χριστὸς ἐν ὑμῖν, ἡ ἐλπὶς τῆς δόξης" σοφία χαρίζεται. Εἶτα καὶ ἣν ἔχει περὶ αὐτοὺς φι- Β

ke΄. e Hēs egenomēn egō diakonos kata tēn oikonomian tou Theou tēn dotheisan moi eis hymas, plērōsai ton logon tou Theou. » Tēs Ekklēsias enepisteuthēn tēn sōtērian, kai tēn tou kērygmatos enecheiristhēn diakonian, hōste pantas hymas tis theias emplēsai didaskalias, To gar, hymas, ouk ( hautous legei monous, alla tous kata tēn oikoumenēn pistous. Dēlon toinyn kanteuthen, hōs theasamenos autous egrapse tēn 'Epistolēn" ei gar kai hautous enecheiristhē, ouk an autous paredramen, eis tēn Phrygian paragenomenos, kai meta touto Laodikeas tous tou ethnous archontas. Didaskei de kai tis ho tēs oikonomias tropos. s΄’, kz', e To mystērion 15 to apochechry mmenon apo tōn aiōnōn, kai apo tōn geneōn, nyni de ephanerōthē tois hagiois autou, hois ēthelēsen ho Theos gnōrisai. » Mystērion ekalese tēs oikonomias to kērygma, hōs para pantōn agnooumenon palai, monǭ de tǭ theǭ ginōskomenon. Touto de, phēsin, ho en tais proterais apechrypteto geneais, nyn ephanerōsen hois ēboulēthē hagiois, toutesti tois apostolois, kai tois dia toutōn pepisteukosi. Deiknysi de dia toutōn tou Euangeliou tēn archaiotēta, kai hoti pro tou nomou, kai pro tēs tou gosmon systaseōs, tautēn ho tōn holōn Theos tēn oikonomian proōrisen. Egnōrise de hēmin, phēsi, tois hagiois, e Tis ho ploutos tēs doxēs tou mystēriou touton en tois ethnesin. » Hoti ta ethnē en skotǭ kathēmena, ton tēs theognōsias edexato plouton, kai tǭ Christǭ koinōnēsei tēs doxēs. Plouton gar. doxēs tēn philotimian tēs doxēs ekalese. Touto de kai ta epagomena dēloi" (kt΄.) « Hon hēmeis katangellomen.?) Ou gar hai tōn hēmerōn kai tōn brōmatōn paratērēseis, all᾽ ho Despotēs Christos ekeinēs hymas axiōsei tēs doxēs. Elpida gar doxēs tēn prosdokōmenēn ekalese doxan. « Nouthetountes panta anthrōpon, kai didaskontes panta anthrōpon en pasę̄ sophią hina parastēsōmen panta anthrōpon teleion en Christǭ Iēsou, (kth’.) Eis ho kai chopiō, agōnizomenos kata tēn energeian autou tēn energoumenēn en emoi en dynamei. » Panta de ponon aspastōs anadechomai hypo tēs theias boēthoumenoi charitos, hōste pantas anthrōkous dia tēs tou kērygmatos didaskalias apophēnai teleious. -Teleiotēta de, ouk ho nomos, all᾽ hē tou kērygmatos « Hos esti Christos en hymin, hē elpis tēs doxēs" sophia charizetai. Eita kai hēn echei peri autous phi- B

“Of which I became a minister according to the stewardship of God given to me for you, to fulfill the word of God.” I was entrusted with the salvation of the church and charged with the ministry of the preaching, so as to fill you all with the divine teaching. For by “you” he means not them alone but the faithful throughout the world. It is plain from this too that he had seen them when he wrote the letter; for if he had been charged with them as well, he would not have passed them by when he came to Phrygia, nor after that the Laodiceans, the leading city of the region. He teaches also what the manner of the economy is.

“The mystery hidden from the ages and from the generations, but now made manifest to his saints, to whom God willed to make known …” He called the preaching of the economy a mystery, as having been long unknown to all and known to God alone. This, he says, which was hidden in former generations, he has now revealed to the saints whom he wished, that is, to the apostles and to those who believed through them. Through this he shows the antiquity of the gospel, and that before the law and before the founding of the world the God of all predetermined this economy. He made known to us, the saints, he says, “what is the wealth of the glory of this mystery among the Gentiles”: that the Gentiles, sitting in darkness, received the wealth of the knowledge of God and will share in the glory of Christ. For he called the munificence of glory the “wealth of glory.” What follows also shows this: “Which is Christ in you, the hope of glory, whom we proclaim.” For not the observances of days and foods, but Christ the Master will count you worthy of that glory. He called the expected glory the “hope of glory.”

“Admonishing every man and teaching every man in all wisdom, that we may present every man perfect in Christ Jesus; for which I also labor, striving according to his working, which works in me in power.” I gladly take on every toil, helped by divine grace, so as to make all people perfect through the teaching of the preaching. It is not the law that bestows perfection, but the wisdom of the preaching. Then also the affection he has for them …

Col 1:25–29 (quotation, high confidence) · Isa 9:2 (allusion, low confidence)

Notes and citation

Summary: Theodoret explains Paul's ministry as steward of the mystery long hidden and now revealed to the Gentiles, through which Christ, not the law, makes people perfect.

  • The ref holds the lemmas Col 1:25, 1:26–27a, 1:27b, 1:27c–28a, and 1:28b–29. In the scan text the lemma “which is Christ in you, the hope of glory” (Col 1:27c) has slipped into the middle of a later sentence; it is translated in its place. The last sentence breaks off. Latin of Migne’s parallel column and apparatus, read as Greek letters, were removed.

Notes on the original text

  • Digital text corrected (Latin of Migne's parallel column, read as Greek letters; OCR slip; OCR slip (letters misread: χ for κ, δ/θ for β, ! or : for ι); apparatus note and Latin of Migne's parallel column, read as Greek letters): "ὑπὲρ Χριστ τοῦ [ὰ οἱ οταῖ, [0 δὲ ᾿του" 84 ρα]. Ιχ, ἤν 'ἀδη πα, ἢ. 1} δίτην, → ; Α πὶ 6] 068 δ) φοφία → σοφία; ἠδουλήθη → ἠβουλήθη; χαθήμενα → καθήμενα; βοηθούμενο: → βοηθούμενοι.

Cite (SBL): Theodoret, Interp. Col. 1.25 (PG 82; trans. Sophia Scriptura, https://sophiascriptura.com/p/theodoret-interpretatio-colossenses/1-25). (abbreviation not yet checked)

Permanent link: https://sophiascriptura.com/p/theodoret-interpretatio-colossenses/1-25

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Translation: Translated by Claude (Opus) from the Greek as printed in Migne PG 82 (archive.org OCR); no public-domain English exists, so each batch was re-read against the Greek.