To Autolycus 2.9
Summary: The Hebrew prophets, inspired by the Holy Spirit, spoke in agreement about the past, present, and future; their fulfilled prophecies guarantee the rest.
Greek text · Otto 8:76–78
Οἱ δὲ τοῦ θεοῦ ἄνθρωποι, πνευματοφόροι πνεύματος ἁγίου καὶ προφῆται γενόμενοι, ὑπʼ αὐτοῦ τοῦ θεοῦ ἐμπνευσθέντες καὶ σοφισθέντες, ἐγένοντο θεοδίδακτοι καὶ ὅσιοι καὶ δίκαιοι. Διὸ καὶ κατηξιώθησαν τὴν ἀντιμισθίαν ταύτην λαβεῖν, ὄργανα θεοῦ γενόμενοι καὶ χωρήσαντες σοφίαν τὴν παρʼ αὐτοῦ, διʼ ἧς σοφίας εἶπον καὶ τὰ περὶ τῆς κτίσεως τοῦ κόσμου καὶ τῶν λοιπῶν ἁπάντων. Καὶ γὰρ περὶ λοιμῶν καὶ λιμῶν καὶ πολέμων προεῖπον. Καὶ οὐχ εἷς ἢ δύο ἀλλὰ πλείονες κατὰ χρόνους καὶ καιροὺς ἐγενήθησαν παρὰ Ἑβραίοις, ἀλλὰ καὶ παρὰ Ἕλλησιν Σίβυλλα· καὶ πάντες φίλα ἀλλήλοις καὶ σύμφωνα εἰρήκασιν, τά τε πρὸ αὐτῶν γεγενημένα καὶ τὰ κατʼ αὐτοὺς γεγονότα καὶ τὰ καθʼ ἡμᾶς νυνὶ τελειούμενα· διὸ καὶ πεπείσμεθα καὶ περὶ τῶν μελλόντων οὕτως ἔσεσθαι, καθὼς καὶ τὰ πρῶτα ἀπήρτισται.
English · Claude translation
But the men of God, bearers of the Holy Spirit who became prophets, inspired and made wise by God himself, became taught by God, holy and righteous. That is why they were thought worthy to receive this reward: they became instruments of God and received the wisdom that comes from him, and through this wisdom they spoke about the creation of the world and about everything else. They also foretold plagues and famines and wars. And there were not one or two of them but many, at various times and seasons, among the Hebrews, and among the Greeks also the Sibyl; and they all spoke in harmony and agreement with one another, both about what happened before them and about what happened in their own time, and about what is being fulfilled now in ours. So we are convinced that what is to come will also happen as they said, just as the earlier things have been accomplished.
About this passage
Notes
Translation notes
- Theophilus counts the Sibyl among the inspired prophets, as several early Christian writers did.
Cite this passage
Theophilus, Autol. 2.9 (trans. Sophia Scriptura, https://sophiascriptura.com/fathers/theophilus-autolycus/2/9/).
Plain text
Theophilus, Autol. 2.9 (trans. Sophia Scriptura, https://sophiascriptura.com/fathers/theophilus-autolycus/2/9/).
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