Letters to Serapion 1.10–1.28
Greek text: PG 26.English: Claude (claude-opus-5-5), public domain (CC0).
Chapter 1
1.10PG 26:553b–557a
Οὐκοῦν τοῦ κτιζομένου πνεύματος τοιαύτην ἔχοντος τήν διάνοιαν, πρεπόντως ἄν νοηθείη καί ἡ στερεουμένη βροντή 6 πιστὸς λόγος, καὶ ἀσάλευτος τοῦ πνεύματος 6 νόμος. Τούτου γὰρ ὑπηρέτας εἶναι Θέλων τὸν Ἰακὼβ καί τὸν Ἰωάννην, ἐκάλεσεν 6 Κύριος Βοανεργὶς, 6' ἐστιν, υἱοὶ βροντῆςʼ 6' γʼ οῦν Ἰωάννης ἀληθῶς ἀπʼ ούρανοῦ βοᾷ· ι Ἐν ἀργῇ ᾖν 6 Λόγος, καὶ 6 Λόγος ᾖν πρὸς τὸν Θεὸν, καὶ Θεὸς ἦν 6 Λόγος. ›› Πρότερον μὲν γὰρ σκιὰν εἶχεν 6 νόμος τῶν μελλόντων ἀγαθῶν· δτε δέ 6 Χριστὸς ἀπηγγέλη τοῖς ἀνθρώποις καὶ παρεγένετο λέγωνʼ ἰ( Αὐτὸς ὁ λαλῶν πάρειμιο τότε, ›› ὠς εἶπεν 6 Παῦλος, ι ἡ τούτου φωνὴ τήν γῆν ἐσάλευσεν, ἐπαγγειλαμένου πρότερον· "Et: ἅπαξ ἐγὼ σείσω ού μόνον τήν γῆν, ἀλλὰ καὶ τὸν οὐρανόν. Τὸ δὲ ἔτι ἅπαξ δηλοῖ τῶν σαλευομένων τήν μετάθεσιν, ἵνα μείνῃ τὰ,μὴ σαλευόμενα. Διὸ βασιλείαν ἀσάλευτον παραλαμβάνοντες, ἔχομεν χάριν, διʼ ἧς λατρεύομεν εὐαρέστως τῷ Θεῷ. » Ἦν δὶ λέγει βασιλείαν οὗτος ἀσάλευτον, ταύτην στερεωθεῖσαν ψάλλει Δαβίδο ‹‹ Ὁ Κύριος ἐβασίλευσεν, εὐπρέπειαν ἐνεδύσατο· ἐνεδύσατο Κύριος δύναμιν καὶ περιεζώσατο. Καὶ γὰρ ἐστερέωσε τήν οἰκουμένην, ἥτις ού σα. λευθήσεται. ι Τὸ ἄρα παρὰ τῷ προφήτῃ ῥητὸν τὴν ἐπιδημίαν τοῦ Σωτῆρος σημαίνει, ἐν ἦ καὶ ἡμεῖς ἀν. εκαινίσθη μεν καὶ 6 νόμος τοῦ πνεύματος ἀσάκλευτος διαμένει. Ἀλλʼ οἱ τῷ ὄντι τροπικοί, συνθι· μενοι τοῖς Ἀρειανοῖς, καὶ μερισάμενοι μετʼ αὐτῶν τήν εἰς τήν θεότητα βλασφημίαν, ἳνα ἐκεῖνοι μὶν τὸν Υἱὸν, οὗτοι δὶ τὸ Πνεῦμα κτίσμα λέγωσινο ἐτόλμησαν, ὡς αὐτοί φασι, τρόπους πάλιυ ἑαυτοῖς ἐφευρεῖν καὶ παρεξηγεῖσθαι καὶ τὸ τοῦ Ἀποστόλου ῥητὸν, 6' καλῶς μὶν αὐτὸς ἔγραφε Τιμοθέῳ λέγων· ιι Διαμαρτύρομαι ἐνώπιον τοῦ Θέοῦ καὶ Ἰησοῦ Χριστοῦ καί τῶν ἐκλεκτῶν ἀγγέλων, ’ίνα ταῦτα φυλάξῃς χω. ρὶς προκρίματος, μηδὲν ποιῶν κατὰ πρόσκλησιν Ἐκεῖνοι δέ φάσκουσιν, ἐπειδὴ τὸν Θεὸν καὶ τὸν Χριο στὸν ὠνόμασεν, εἶτα τοὺς ἀγγέλους, ἀνάγκη τοῖς ἀγγέλοις συναριθμεῖσθαι τὸ Πνεῦμα, τῆς τε αὐτῶν εἶναι συστοιχίας καὶ αὐτὸ, καὶ ἄγγελον εἶναι μείζονα τῶν ἄλλων. Πρῶτον μὶν οὗν τῆς ἀσεβείας ἐστὶν Οὐαλεντίνου τοῦτο τὸ εὕρημα· καὶ ούκ ἔλαθον οὗτοι τὰ ἐκείνου φθεγγόμενοι. Ἐκεῖνος γὰο ἔφη· σεν, ὅτι, πεμφθέντος τοῦ ΙῙαρακλήτου, συναπεστάλησαν αὐτῷ οἱ ἡλικιῶται αὐτοῦ ἄγγελοι· ἔπειτα δὲ τὸ ΙΙνεῦμα κατάγοντες εἷς τοὺς ἀγγέλους εἷς τὴν Τριάδα συντάσσοντες. Εἰ γὰρ μετά Πατέρα καὶ Υἱὸν κατʼ αὐτοὺς οἱ ἄγγελοι, δηλονότι τὴν Τριάδος εῗσὶν οἱ ἄγγελοι, καὶ οὐκ ἔτι ιι λειτουργικὰ πνεύματα
Oukoun tou ktizomenou pneumatos toiautēn echontos tēn dianoian, prepontōs an noētheiē kai hē stereoumenē brontē 6 pistos logos, kai asaleutos tou pneumatos 6 nomos. Toutou gar hypēretas einai Thelōn ton Iakōb kai ton Iōannēn, ekalesen 6 Kyrios Boanergis, 6' estin, huioi brontēsʼ 6' gʼ oun Iōannēs alēthōs apʼ ouranou boą; i En argę̄ ę̄n 6 Logos, kai 6 Logos ę̄n pros ton Theon, kai Theos ēn 6 Logos. ›› Proteron men gar skian eichen 6 nomos tōn mellontōn agathōn; dte de 6 Christos apēngelē tois anthrōpois kai paregeneto legōnʼ i( Autos ho lalōn pareimio tote, ›› ōs eipen 6 Paulos, i hē toutou phōnē tēn gēn esaleusen, epangeilamenou proteron; "Et: hapax egō seisō ou monon tēn gēn, alla kai ton ouranon. To de eti hapax dēloi tōn saleuomenōn tēn metathesin, hina meinę̄ ta,mē saleuomena. Dio basileian asaleuton paralambanontes, echomen charin, diʼ hēs latreuomen euarestōs tǭ Theǭ. » Ēn di legei basileian houtos asaleuton, tautēn stereōtheisan psallei Dabido ‹‹ Ho Kyrios ebasileusen, euprepeian enedysato; enedysato Kyrios dynamin kai periezōsato. Kai gar estereōse tēn oikoumenēn, hētis ou sa. leuthēsetai. i To ara para tǭ prophētę̄ rhēton tēn epidēmian tou Sōtēros sēmainei, en ē kai hēmeis an. ekainisthē men kai 6 nomos tou pneumatos asakleutos diamenei. Allʼ hoi tǭ onti tropikoi, synthi; menoi tois Areianois, kai merisamenoi metʼ autōn tēn eis tēn theotēta blasphēmian, hina ekeinoi min ton Huion, houtoi di to Pneuma ktisma legōsino etolmēsan, hōs autoi phasi, tropous paliy heautois epheurein kai parexēgeisthai kai to tou Apostolou rhēton, 6' kalōs min autos egraphe Timotheǭ legōn; ii Diamartyromai enōpion tou Theou kai Iēsou Christou kai tōn eklektōn angelōn, ’ina tauta phylaxę̄s chō. ris prokrimatos, mēden poiōn kata prosklēsin Ekeinoi de phaskousin, epeidē ton Theon kai ton Chrio ston ōnomasen, eita tous angelous, anankē tois angelois synarithmeisthai to Pneuma, tēs te autōn einai systoichias kai auto, kai angelon einai meizona tōn allōn. Prōton min houn tēs asebeias estin Oualentinou touto to heurēma; kai ouk elathon houtoi ta ekeinou phthengomenoi. Ekeinos gao ephē; sen, hoti, pemphthentos tou IIaraklētou, synapestalēsan autǭ hoi hēlikiōtai autou angeloi; epeita de to IIneuma katagontes heis tous angelous heis tēn Triada syntassontes. Ei gar meta Patera kai Huion katʼ autous hoi angeloi, dēlonoti tēn Triados eïsin hoi angeloi, kai ouk eti ii leitourgika pneumata
Since, then, the spirit that is created has this meaning, the thunder that is made firm might fittingly be understood as the faithful word and the unshaken law of the spirit. For wishing James and John to be its ministers, the Lord called them Boanerges, that is, sons of thunder; and John, at any rate, truly cries out from heaven: “In the beginning was the Word, and the Word was with God, and the Word was God.” For before, the law had a shadow of the good things to come; but when Christ was announced to men and came, saying, “It is I who speak; here I am,” then, as Paul said, “his voice shook the earth, he having promised before: Yet once more I will shake not only the earth but also the heaven. And this ‘yet once more’ indicates the removal of the things that are shaken, so that the things that are not shaken may remain. Therefore, receiving a kingdom that cannot be shaken, let us have grace, by which we serve God acceptably.” And the kingdom which he calls unshaken, David sings of as made firm: “The Lord reigns; he has put on majesty; the Lord has put on strength and girded himself; for he has established the world, which shall not be shaken.” So the text in the prophet signifies the coming of the Savior, in which we too were renewed, and the law of the spirit remains unshaken. But these men, who are truly Tropici, have come to terms with the Arians and divided with them the blasphemy against the Godhead, so that those call the Son a creature and these the Spirit; and they have dared, as they themselves say, to invent figures for themselves once more, and to misinterpret the apostle’s text as well, which he wrote well to Timothy, saying: “I charge you before God and Christ Jesus and the elect angels that you keep these things without prejudice, doing nothing by partiality.” They say that, since he named God and Christ and then the angels, the Spirit must be numbered with the angels, and be of their rank himself, and be an angel greater than the others. First, then, this discovery belongs to the impiety of Valentinus, and these men have not escaped notice uttering his views. For he said that when the Paraclete was sent, the angels of his own age were sent with him; and then, by bringing the Spirit down to the level of the angels, they rank the angels with the Triad. For if, according to them, the angels come after Father and Son, plainly the angels belong to the Triad, and are no longer “ministering spirits” …
Mark 3:17 (allusion, high confidence) · John 1:1 (quotation, high confidence) · Heb 10:1 (allusion, high confidence) · Isa 52:6 (quotation, high confidence) · Heb 12:26 (quotation, high confidence) · Heb 12:27 (quotation, high confidence) · Heb 12:28 (quotation, high confidence) · Hag 2:6 (allusion, medium confidence) · Ps 93:1 (92:1 LXX) (quotation, high confidence) · 1 Tim 5:21 (quotation, high confidence) · Heb 1:14 (allusion, high confidence)
Notes and citation
Summary: The “thunder” of Amos is the gospel word; Athanasius names his opponents “Tropici” for their figurative exegesis, and rejects their claim from 1 Tim 5:21 that the Spirit is an angel.
- Athanasius calls his opponents τροπικοί (“Tropici”, “figure-makers”), because they explain texts by tropes (figures) to fit their view.
- Mark 3:17; John 1:1; Heb 10:1; Isa 52:6; Heb 12:26–28 (quoting Hag 2:6); Ps 93:1 (92:1 LXX); 1 Tim 5:21; Heb 1:14.
- Valentinus’s teaching that the Paraclete was sent with angels of his own age is reported by Athanasius; compare Clement of Alexandria, Excerpts from Theodotus 35. The chapter breaks off in the scan after “ministering spirits”.
Topics: Trinity, Heresy, Scripture and canon
Cite (SBL): Athanasius, Ep. Serap. 1.10 (PG 26:553b–557a; trans. Sophia Scriptura, https://sophiascriptura.com/fathers/athanasius-epistulae-serapionem/1-10/#p-1-10). (abbreviation not yet checked)
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Translation: Translated by Claude from the Migne PG 26 scan text; no public-domain English exists, so it was re-read against the Greek.
1.11PG 26:557a–560c
Τί οὖν ἡ τοσαύτη τούτων ἀπόνοια; Ποῦ τῶν Γραφῶν πάλιν εῦροδ ἄγγελον τὸ Πνεῦμα λεγόμενον; Τά αὐτὰ δέ μοι τοῖς προειρημένοις εἰπεῖν ἀνάγκη. ΙΙαράκλητος ἐλέχθη καὶ πνεῦμα υἱοθεσίας, καὶ πνεῦμα ἁγιασμοῦ, καὶ πνεῦμα Θεοῦ, καὶ πνεῦμα Χριστοῦ ἐλέχθη· οὐδαμοῦ δὲ ἄγγελος, οὐδὶ ἀρχάγγελος, οὐδὲ πνεῦμα διακονίας, οἷοί εἶσιν οἱ ἅγγελοι· ἀλλὰ μᾶλλον σὺν τῷ Υἱῷ καὶ αὐτὸ διακονεῖται παρὰ τοῦ Γαβριὴλ λέγοντος τῇ Μαρίᾳ ° « Πνεῦμα ἀγιον ἐπελεύσεται ἰπὶ σέ· καὶ δύναμις Ὑψίστου ἐπισκιάσει σοι »Τῶν δὲ Γραφῶν μὴ λεγοοσῶν ἄγγελον τὸ Πνεῦμα, ποία τούτοις ἀπολογία γένοιτʼ ἂν τῆς τοσαύτης ἀλογίστου τόλμης; ὅπου γε καὶ 6 τήν τοιαύτην αὐτοῖς κακόνοιαν έπισπείρας Οὐαλεντῖνος τὸ μὶν [Ιαράκλητον, τοὺς δὲ ἀγγέλους ὠνόμασεν· εἰ καὶ ἐν τῷ ἴσῳ χρόνῳ, ἡλικιώτην τοῖς ἀγγέλοις συντάσσει καὶ αὐτὸς τὸ Πνεῦμα 6 ἀφρονέστατος. Ἀλλʼ ἴδοὺ, φασὶν, έν τῷ προφήτῃ Ζαχαρία γέγραπταιʼ α Τάδε λέγει 6 ἅγγελος, 6 Λαλῶν ἐν ἐμοί. ›› Καὶ δῆλόν ἐστιν, ὅτι ἄγγελον εἶναι τὸ Πνεῦμα σημαίνει τὸν ἐν αότῷ Λαλοῦντα. Τοῦτο δὲ οὐκ ἂν εἶπον, εἰ τῇ ἀναγνώσει προσέχοντες ἧσαν. Αὐτὸς γὰρ 6 Ζαχαρίας, ἡνίκα τὴν ὀπτασίαν περὶ τῆς λυχνίας ἑώρακε, φησί· ’ ε( Καὶ ἀπεκρίθηιὸ ἅγγελος 6 λαλῶν έν ἐμοὶ, καὶ εἶπεν· Οὐ γινώσκεις τί ἐστι ταῦτα; Καὶ εἶπον· Οὐχὶ Κύριε. Καὶ ἀπεκρίθη, καὶ εἶπε πρὸς με λέγων· Οὗτος 6 λόγος Κυρίου πρὸς Ζοροβάβελ, λέγων· Οὐκ ἐν δυνάμει μεγάλῃ, οὐδὲ ἐν ἰσχύϊ, ἀλλʼ ἐν ΙΙνεύματί μου, λέγει Κύριος παντοκράτωρ. ›› Εὔδηλον οῦν, ὡς 6 λαλῶν ἄγγελος τῷ προφήτῃ οὐκ ἦν τὸ Πνεῦμα τὸ ἅγιον, ἀλλʼ αὐτὸς μὲν ἄγγὲλος, τὸ δὲτὸ ι Πνεῦμα τοῦ Θεοῦ ἐστι τοῦ παντοκράτορος καὶ διακονεῖται μὲν παρʼ ἀγγέλου, ἀδιαίρετον δὲ τῆς θεόο τητός ἔστι, καὶ ἴδιον τοῦ λόγου Ἐπεὶ εἰ τὸ ἀποστολικὸν προφασίζονται ῥητὸν, διὰ τὸ εἰρῆσθαι μετᾶ ὃν Χριστὸν τοὺς ἐκλεκτοὺς ἀγγελους, εἰπάτωσαν τίς ιπάντων τούτων ἔστὶν ὁ τῇ Τριάδι συντασσόμεις ; Ού γάρ δὴ πάντες εἷς εἶσι,τῷ ἀριθμῷ· ἢ τίς Βτῶν ἔστιν ὁ κατελθὼν εἷς τὸν Ἰορδάνην ἐν εἴδει εριστερᾶς ς Χίλιαι γάρ χιλιάδες εἰσὶ καὶ μύριαι μυιάδες οἱ λειτουργοῦντες. Ἣ διὰ τί, ἀνοιγομένων τῶν ιρανῶν, ούκ εἷʼρηται, Καὶ κατῆλθεν lx τῶν ἐκλετῶν ἀγγέλων, ἀλλὰ, τὸ Πνεῦμα τὸ ἅγιον ; Ἥ διά τί ’m‘); ὁ Κύριος περὶ μὲν τῆς συντελείας διαλεγόμενος »ῖς μαθηταῖς, διαστέλλων μὶν ἔλεγεν· ιι ’Δποστελεῖ Υἱὸς τοῦ ἀνθρώπου τοὺς ἀγγέλους αὐτοῦ; » Καὶ ρὸ τούτων εἷʼρητο· ιι Οἱ ἄγγελοι διηκὸνουν aucti)... αἱ πάλιν αὐτὸς λέγει· ιι Έξελεύσονται οἱ ἄγγελοι. ›› si; δὲ μαθηταῖς διδοὺς ἔλεγε ιι Λάβετε Πνεῦμα γιον· ›› ἀποστέλλων τε αὐτοὺς ἔλεγε· ιι Πορευθένις μαθητεύσατε πάντα τά ἔθνη, βαπτίζοντες ὄτοῦς είς τὸ ὄνομα τοῦ Πατρὸς, καὶ τοῦ Ποῦ, καὶ >ῦ ἁγίου Πνεύματος. » Ού γάρ ἄγγελον συνέτασσε ᾗ θεότητι, οὐδὲ ἐν κτίσματι συνῆπτεν ἡμᾶς ἐαυτῷ ι καὶ τῷ Πατρὶ, ἀλλʼ ἓν τῷ Πνεύματι τῷ άγίῳ, ὅπερ ύτὸς ἐπαγγελλόμενος ούκ εἴρηκεν ἄγγελον ἁποτέλλειν, άλλά ιι τὸ Πνεῦμα τῆς ἀληθείας, ὃ παρὰ τοῦ δίδοται.
Ti oun hē tosautē toutōn aponoia? Pou tōn Graphōn palin eurod angelon to Pneuma legomenon? Ta auta de moi tois proeirēmenois eipein anankē. IIaraklētos elechthē kai pneuma huiothesias, kai pneuma hagiasmou, kai pneuma Theou, kai pneuma Christou elechthē; oudamou de angelos, oudi archangelos, oude pneuma diakonias, hoioi eisin hoi hangeloi; alla mallon syn tǭ Huiǭ kai auto diakoneitai para tou Gabriēl legontos tę̄ Marią ° « Pneuma agion epeleusetai ipi se; kai dynamis Hypsistou episkiasei soi »Tōn de Graphōn mē legoosōn angelon to Pneuma, poia toutois apologia genoitʼ an tēs tosautēs alogistou tolmēs? hopou ge kai 6 tēn toiautēn autois kakonoian epispeiras Oualentinos to min [Iaraklēton, tous de angelous ōnomasen; ei kai en tǭ isǭ chronǭ, hēlikiōtēn tois angelois syntassei kai autos to Pneuma 6 aphronestatos. Allʼ idou, phasin, en tǭ prophētę̄ Zacharia gegraptaiʼ a Tade legei 6 hangelos, 6 Lalōn en emoi. ›› Kai dēlon estin, hoti angelon einai to Pneuma sēmainei ton en aotǭ Lalounta. Touto de ouk an eipon, ei tę̄ anagnōsei prosechontes hēsan. Autos gar 6 Zacharias, hēnika tēn optasian peri tēs lychnias heōrake, phēsi; ’ e( Kai apekrithēio hangelos 6 lalōn en emoi, kai eipen; Ou ginōskeis ti esti tauta? Kai eipon; Ouchi Kyrie. Kai apekrithē, kai eipe pros me legōn; Houtos 6 logos Kyriou pros Zorobabel, legōn; Ouk en dynamei megalę̄, oude en ischyï, allʼ en IIneumati mou, legei Kyrios pantokratōr. ›› Eudēlon oun, hōs 6 lalōn angelos tǭ prophētę̄ ouk ēn to Pneuma to hagion, allʼ autos men angelos, to deto i Pneuma tou Theou esti tou pantokratoros kai diakoneitai men parʼ angelou, adiaireton de tēs theoo tētos esti, kai idion tou logou Epei ei to apostolikon prophasizontai rhēton, dia to eirēsthai meta hon Christon tous eklektous angelous, eipatōsan tis ipantōn toutōn estin ho tę̄ Triadi syntassomeis ? Ou gar dē pantes heis eisi,tǭ arithmǭ; ē tis Btōn estin ho katelthōn heis ton Iordanēn en eidei eristeras s Chiliai gar chiliades eisi kai myriai muiades hoi leitourgountes. Hē dia ti, anoigomenōn tōn iranōn, ouk heiʼrētai, Kai katēlthen lx tōn ekletōn angelōn, alla, to Pneuma to hagion ? Hē dia ti ’m‘)? ho Kyrios peri men tēs synteleias dialegomenos »is mathētais, diastellōn min elegen; ii ’Dpostelei Huios tou anthrōpou tous angelous autou? » Kai ro toutōn heiʼrēto; ii Hoi angeloi diēkonoun aucti)... hai palin autos legei; ii Exeleusontai hoi angeloi. ›› si? de mathētais didous elege ii Labete Pneuma gion; ›› apostellōn te autous elege; ii Poreuthenis mathēteusate panta ta ethnē, baptizontes otous eis to onoma tou Patros, kai tou Pou, kai >y hagiou Pneumatos. » Ou gar angelon synetasse hę̄ theotēti, oude en ktismati synēpten hēmas eautǭ i kai tǭ Patri, allʼ hen tǭ Pneumati tǭ agiǭ, hoper ytos epangellomenos ouk eirēken angelon hapotellein, alla ii to Pneuma tēs alētheias, ho para tou didotai.
What, then, is this great folly of theirs? Where in the Scriptures, again, did they find the Spirit called an angel? I must say the same things as before. He was called Paraclete, and Spirit of adoption, and Spirit of holiness, and Spirit of God, and Spirit of Christ; but nowhere angel, nor archangel, nor ministering spirit, as the angels are. Rather, he too, together with the Son, is ministered to by Gabriel, who says to Mary, “The Holy Spirit will come upon you, and the power of the Most High will overshadow you.” Since the Scriptures do not call the Spirit an angel, what defense could these men have for such irrational daring? When even Valentinus, who sowed this malice in them, named the one Paraclete and the others angels—though, most senseless as he was, he too ranks the Spirit with the angels as being of their age and sent at the same time. “But see,” they say, “in the prophet Zechariah it is written, ‘Thus says the angel who speaks in me’; and it is plain that he means that the one speaking in him, the Spirit, is an angel.” But they would not have said this if they had attended to the reading. For Zechariah himself, when he saw the vision of the lampstand, says: “And the angel who spoke in me answered and said: Do you not know what these are? And I said: No, lord. And he answered and said to me: This is the word of the Lord to Zerubbabel, saying: Not by great power nor by strength, but by my Spirit, says the Lord Almighty.” It is very plain, then, that the angel who spoke to the prophet was not the Holy Spirit; he himself was an angel, while the Spirit is the Spirit of God Almighty; and he is ministered to by an angel, but is inseparable from the Godhead and proper to the Word. And if they make a pretext of the apostle’s text because the elect angels are named after Christ, let them say which of all these is the one ranked with the Triad. For they are not all one in number. Or which of them is the one who descended into the Jordan in the form of a dove? For thousands of thousands and myriads of myriads are those who minister. Or why, when the heavens were opened, was it not said, “And one of the elect angels descended,” but “the Holy Spirit”? Or why did the Lord, when discoursing to the disciples about the consummation, say, making a distinction, “The Son of Man will send his angels”? And before this it was said, “The angels ministered to him”; and again he himself says, “The angels will come out.” But to the disciples, giving him, he said, “Receive the Holy Spirit”; and sending them he said, “Go, make disciples of all the nations, baptizing them into the name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit.” For he did not rank an angel with the Godhead, nor did he join us to himself and to the Father in a creature, but in the Holy Spirit, whom, when he promised him, he did not say he would send an angel, but “the Spirit of truth, who … from the … is given.”
Rom 8:15 (allusion, high confidence) · Rom 1:4 (allusion, high confidence) · Luke 1:35 (quotation, high confidence) · Zech 1:14 (quotation, medium confidence) · Zech 4:5 (quotation, high confidence) · Zech 4:6 (quotation, high confidence) · Matt 3:16 (allusion, high confidence) · Dan 7:10 (allusion, high confidence) · Matt 24:31 (quotation, high confidence) · Matt 4:11 (quotation, high confidence) · Matt 13:49 (quotation, high confidence) · John 20:22 (quotation, high confidence) · Matt 28:19 (quotation, high confidence) · John 15:26 (quotation, medium confidence)
Notes and citation
Summary: Scripture never calls the Spirit an angel; Zechariah’s speaking angel is distinct from God’s Spirit, and baptism joins us to Father and Son in the Spirit, not in a creature.
- Rom 8:15; Rom 1:4; Luke 1:35; Zech 1:14 (“the angel who spoke in me”); Zech 4:5–6; Matt 3:16; Dan 7:10; Matt 24:31; Matt 4:11; Matt 13:49; John 20:22; Matt 28:19; John 15:26.
- Letters are lost at the start of many lines in the scan from here to the end of ref 12; the words are translated by sense. The last sentence breaks off in a garble (ὃ παρὰ τοῦ … δίδοται), marked “…”.
Topics: Trinity, Baptism, Heresy
Cite (SBL): Athanasius, Ep. Serap. 1.11 (PG 26:557a–560c; trans. Sophia Scriptura, https://sophiascriptura.com/fathers/athanasius-epistulae-serapionem/1-10/#p-1-11). (abbreviation not yet checked)
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Translation: Translated by Claude from the Migne PG 26 scan text; no public-domain English exists, so it was re-read against the Greek.
1.12PG 26:560c–561c
Καὶ Μωσῆς γʼ οὖν, γινώσκων τοὺς μὲν ἀγγεους κτίσματα, τὸ δὲ Πνεῦμα τὸ ἅγιον ἡνωμένον τῷ ἱῷ καὶ τῷ ΙῙατρὶ, λέγοντος αύτῷ τοῦ Θεοῦ· ι Ποεύου, ἀνάβηθι ἐντεῦθεν σὺ καὶ ὁ λαός σου, οὓς ξηγαγες ἐκ γῆς Δίγύπτου εἷς τὴν γῆν, ἢν ὤμοσα ᾧ Ἀβραάμ, καὶ τῷ Ἰσαάκ, καὶ τῷ Ἰακὼβ λέγων· ᾧ σπέρματι ὑμῶν δώσω αὐτήν· καὶ συναποστελῶ Τ ““’ΓΙ““” ’δ”-νʼ ’πʼ-””’.’ ’-ν-Ἰ ’’“”’-νʼ-’““ pd προσώπου σου τὸν ἄγγελόν μου, καὶ ἔκβαλεῖ τὸν .αναναῖον· » παραιτεῖται λέγων· ιι Ei μή αὐτὸς ομπορεύῃ μεθʼ ἡμῶν, μῄ με ἀναγάγῃς ἐντεῦθεν. ›› ιύκ ἐβούλετο γάρ κτίσμα προηγεῖσθαι τοῦ λαοῦ. ια μή μάθωσι λατρεύειν τῇ κτίσει παρᾶ τὸν κτίαντα τά πάντα Θεόν. ’Δμὲλει, τὸν ἄγγελον παραιτηάμενος, παρεκάλει αὐτὸν τὸν Θεὸν καθηγεῖσθαι αύὧν. Τοῦ δὲ Θῶῦ ἐπαγγειλαμένου καὶ εΐπόντος πρὸς ύτόν ιι Καὶ τοῦτόν σου τὸν λόγον, ’ὀν εἴρηκας, οιήσω· εὕρηκας γὰρ χάριν ἐνώπιόν μου, καὶ οἶδά σε αρά πάντας· ›› γέγραπται ἐν τῷ Ἡσαΐᾳ· ιι Ὁ ἀναιβάσας ἐκ τῆς γῆς τὸν ποιμένα τῶν προβάτων· ποῦ ἐστιν 6 θεὶς ἐν αὑτοῖς τὸ Πνεῦμα τὸ ἅγιον, ὀ ἀναγα· γὼν τῇ δεξιᾷ Μωσῆν; ιο καὶ μετʼ ὀλίγα φησίʼ ι( Κατέβη Πνεῦμα παρὰ Κυρίου καὶ ὡδήγησεν αὐτούς. Οὕτως ἤγαγες τὸν λαόν σου ποιήσας σεαυτῷ ὄνομα δόξηςο ›› τίς ἐκ τούτων οὔ συνορᾷ τὴν ἀλήθειαν; Τοῦ γὰρ Θεοῦ ἐπαγγειλαμένου καθηγεῖσθαι, ἰδοὺ οὐκ ἔτι ἄγγελον ἐπαγγέλλεται πέμπειν, ἀλλὰ τὸ Πνεῦμα αὐτοῦ, 6' ἐστιν ὑπὲρ τοὺς ἀγγὲλους, καὶ αὐτὸ καθηγοῦμενόν ἐστι τοῦ λαοῦ. Καὶ δείκνυται, ὅτι οὐ τῶν κτισμάτων, οὐδὲ ἄγγελός ἐστι τὸ Πνεῦμα, ἀλλά ἄνω τῆς κτίσεώς ἐστιν, ἡνωμένον τῇ θεότητι τοῦ Πατρός. Αὐτὸς γὰρ 6 Θεὸς διὰ τοῦ Αόγου ἐν Πνεύματι καθηγεῖτο τοῦ λαοῦʼ ὅθεν καὶ διὰ πάσης τῆς Γραφῆς φησιν* ‹‹ Ἐγὼ ἀνήγαγον ὑμᾶς ἐκ γῆς Αίγύπτουʼ μάρτυρες ὑμεῖς ἐστε, εἰ Θεὸς ἦν ἀλλότριος ἐν,ὑμῖς πλὴν ἐμοῦ. ›› Καὶ οἱ ἅγιοι δὶ προσφωνοῦσι τῷ Θεῷʼ‹‹ Ὠδήγησας ὡς πρόβατα τὸν λαόν σουʼ ›› καὶ,‹‹ Ὧδήγησεν αὑτοὺς Κύριος ἐπ” ἐλπίδι, καὶ οὐκ ἐδειλίασαν. ›› Τούτῳ καὶ τὸν ὕμνον ἀνατιθὲασι λέγοντεςο ‹‹ Τῷ διαγαγόντι τὸν λαὸν αὐτοῦ ἐν τῇ ἐρήμῳ, ὅτι εἷς τὸν αἲῶνα τὸ ἔλεος αὐτοῦ. ›› ‘0 δὲ ν μέγας Μωσῆς συνεχῶςʼδιηγεῖται· ι Κύριοςὸ Θεὸς 6 προπορευόμενος πρὸ προσώπου ὑμῶν. s T6 ἄρα τοῦ Θεοῦ Πνεῦμα οὐκ ἂν εἴη ἅγγελος, οὐδὲ κτίσμα, ἀλλʼ ἴδιον τῆς θεότητος αὐτοῦ. Τοῦ γὰρ Πνεῦματος ὄντος ἐν τῷ λαῷ, 6 Θεὸς διʼ Υἱοῦ ἐν ΙΙνεῦματι ἦν ἒν αὐτοῖς. ’
Kai Mōsēs gʼ oun, ginōskōn tous men angeous ktismata, to de Pneuma to hagion hēnōmenon tǭ hiǭ kai tǭ IIatri, legontos autǭ tou Theou; i Poeuou, anabēthi enteuthen sy kai ho laos sou, hous xēgages ek gēs Digyptou heis tēn gēn, ēn ōmosa hǭ Abraam, kai tǭ Isaak, kai tǭ Iakōb legōn; hǭ spermati hymōn dōsō autēn; kai synapostelō T ““’GI““” ’d”-nʼ ’pʼ-””’.’ ’-n-I ’’“”’-nʼ-’““ pd prosōpou sou ton angelon mou, kai ekbalei ton .ananaion; » paraiteitai legōn; ii Ei mē autos omporeuę̄ methʼ hēmōn, mę̄ me anagagę̄s enteuthen. ›› iyk ebouleto gar ktisma proēgeisthai tou laou. ia mē mathōsi latreuein tę̄ ktisei para ton ktianta ta panta Theon. ’Dmelei, ton angelon paraitēamenos, parekalei auton ton Theon kathēgeisthai auōn. Tou de Thōy epangeilamenou kai eïpontos pros yton ii Kai touton sou ton logon, ’on eirēkas, oiēsō; heurēkas gar charin enōpion mou, kai oida se ara pantas; ›› gegraptai en tǭ Hēsaïą; ii Ho anaibasas ek tēs gēs ton poimena tōn probatōn; pou estin 6 theis en hautois to Pneuma to hagion, o anaga; gōn tę̄ dexią Mōsēn? io kai metʼ oliga phēsiʼ i( Katebē Pneuma para Kyriou kai hōdēgēsen autous. Houtōs ēgages ton laon sou poiēsas seautǭ onoma doxēso ›› tis ek toutōn ou synorą tēn alētheian? Tou gar Theou epangeilamenou kathēgeisthai, idou ouk eti angelon epangelletai pempein, alla to Pneuma autou, 6' estin hyper tous angelous, kai auto kathēgoumenon esti tou laou. Kai deiknytai, hoti ou tōn ktismatōn, oude angelos esti to Pneuma, alla anō tēs ktiseōs estin, hēnōmenon tę̄ theotēti tou Patros. Autos gar 6 Theos dia tou Aogou en Pneumati kathēgeito tou laouʼ hothen kai dia pasēs tēs Graphēs phēsin* ‹‹ Egō anēgagon hymas ek gēs Aigyptouʼ martyres hymeis este, ei Theos ēn allotrios en,hymis plēn emou. ›› Kai hoi hagioi di prosphōnousi tǭ Theǭʼ‹‹ Ōdēgēsas hōs probata ton laon souʼ ›› kai,‹‹ Hōdēgēsen hautous Kyrios ep” elpidi, kai ouk edeiliasan. ›› Toutǭ kai ton hymnon anatitheasi legonteso ‹‹ Tǭ diagagonti ton laon autou en tę̄ erēmǭ, hoti heis ton aiōna to eleos autou. ›› ‘0 de n megas Mōsēs synechōsʼdiēgeitai; i Kyrioso Theos 6 proporeuomenos pro prosōpou hymōn. s T6 ara tou Theou Pneuma ouk an eiē hangelos, oude ktisma, allʼ idion tēs theotētos autou. Tou gar Pneumatos ontos en tǭ laǭ, 6 Theos diʼ Huiou en IIneumati ēn en autois. ’
Moses, at any rate, knowing that the angels are creatures, while the Holy Spirit is united to the Son and the Father, when God said to him, “Go, go up from here, you and your people whom you brought out of the land of Egypt, into the land which I swore to Abraham and Isaac and Jacob, saying, To your seed I will give it; and I will send my angel before your face, and he will drive out the Canaanite,” refuses, saying, “If you yourself do not go with us, do not bring me up from here.” For he did not want a creature to lead the people, lest they learn to worship the creature rather than God who created all things. Indeed, declining the angel, he begged God himself to lead them. And when God promised and said to him, “This word too which you have spoken I will do; for you have found favor before me, and I know you above all,” it is written in Isaiah: “Who brought up from the land the shepherd of the sheep? Where is he who put the Holy Spirit in them, who led Moses by the right hand?” And a little later he says: “The Spirit came down from the Lord and guided them. Thus you led your people, to make for yourself a glorious name.” Who does not see the truth from these words? For when God promised to lead them, see, he no longer promises to send an angel, but his Spirit, who is above the angels, and it is he who leads the people. And it is shown that the Spirit is not one of the creatures, nor an angel, but is above creation, united to the Godhead of the Father. For God himself, through the Word, in the Spirit, led the people; so throughout all the Scripture he says: “I brought you up out of the land of Egypt; you are witnesses whether there was a foreign god among you besides me.” And the saints address God: “You led your people like sheep,” and “The Lord led them in hope, and they did not fear.” To him they also offer the hymn, saying: “To him who led his people through the wilderness, for his mercy endures forever.” And the great Moses continually relates: “The Lord God, who goes before your face.” So the Spirit of God would not be an angel nor a creature, but proper to his Godhead. For when the Spirit was among the people, God, through the Son, in the Spirit, was among them.
Exod 33:1 (quotation, high confidence) · Exod 33:2 (quotation, high confidence) · Exod 33:15 (quotation, high confidence) · Rom 1:25 (allusion, high confidence) · Exod 33:17 (quotation, high confidence) · Isa 63:11 (quotation, high confidence) · Isa 63:12 (quotation, high confidence) · Isa 63:14 (quotation, high confidence) · Isa 43:12 (allusion, low confidence) · Ps 77:20 (76:21 LXX) (quotation, high confidence) · Ps 78:53 (77:53 LXX) (quotation, high confidence) · Ps 136:16 (135:16 LXX) (quotation, high confidence) · Deut 1:30 (quotation, high confidence)
Notes and citation
Summary: Moses refused to be led by an angel and was given God’s own Spirit instead; so the Spirit is above creation and belongs to God’s Godhead.
- Exod 33:1–2; Exod 33:15; Rom 1:25; Exod 33:17; Isa 63:11–12; Isa 63:14; Isa 43:10–12 and Hos 13:4 are combined in “I brought you up … besides me” (the source of the wording is uncertain); Ps 77:20 (76:21 LXX); Ps 78:53 (77:53 LXX); Ps 136:16 (135:16 LXX); Deut 1:30.
Topics: Trinity
Cite (SBL): Athanasius, Ep. Serap. 1.12 (PG 26:560c–561c; trans. Sophia Scriptura, https://sophiascriptura.com/fathers/athanasius-epistulae-serapionem/1-10/#p-1-12). (abbreviation not yet checked)
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Translation: Translated by Claude from the Migne PG 26 scan text; no public-domain English exists, so it was re-read against the Greek.
1.13PG 26:561c–565d
Ἀλλʼ ἔστω ταῦτα, φασὶ καὶ αὐτοί* διὰ τί οῦν 6 Ἀπόστολος μετὰ τὸν Χριστόν οὐκ ὠνόμασε τὸ Πνεῦμα τὸ ἅγιον, ἀλλὰ τοὺς ἐκλεκτοὺς ἀγγέλους ; Τὸ αὖτό δʼ ἄν τις αὐτοὺς ἐρωτήσειε· Διὰ τί μὴ ἀρχαγγέλους, μηδὲ χερουβὶμ, μηδὲ σεραφὶμ, μηδὶ κυριότητας, μηδὲ θρόνους, μηδὲ ἕτερόν τι, ἀλλʼ ἐκλεκτοὺς μόνους ἀγγέλους ὠνόμασεν 6 Παῦλος ς Ἆρʼ οῦν, ἐπεὶ μὴ οὕτως ὠνόμασεν, οἱ ἄγγελοι ἀρχάγγελοίεὴιν, ἢ μόνοι ἄγγελοί εἰσι, καὶ οὔτε σεραφὶμ, ἢ χερουβὶμ, οὐκ ἀρχάγγελοι, οὐδὲ κυριότητες, οὐ θρόνοι, οὐκ ἀρχαὶ, οὐχ ἕτερόν τι ἐστίνς Ἀλλὰ τοῦτό ἐστιν ἀνάγκην μὲν ἐπιβάλλειν τῷ Ἀποστόλῳ, διὰ τί μὴ οὕτως, ἀλλʼ οὕτως ἔγραψεν, ἀγνοεῖν δὲ τὰς θείας Γραφὰς, καὶ διὸ. τοῦτο πλανᾶσθαι περὶ τήν ἀλήθειαν. Ἰδοὺ γὰρ παρὰ μὲν τῷ Ἠσαίᾳ γέγραπται* ι Ιῐροσαγάγετε πρὸς με, καὶ ἀκούσατε ταῦταʼ Οὐκ ἀπʼ ἀρχῆς ἐν κρυφῇ δὲ 6 λαὸς τὸν Κύριον, καὶ ἐπιστευσαν τῷ Θεῷ, καὶ Μωσῇ, τῷ θεραπόντι αὐτοῦ, » ἆρα συναριθμήσουσι τῷ Θεῷ τὸν Μωσῆν, καὶ μετὰ τὸν Θεὸν ού νοήσουσι τὸν Υἱὸν, ἀλλὰ μόνον τὸν Μωσῆν ; Τί δὲ. ἰὰν ἀκούσωσι καὶ τοῦ πατριάρχου Ἰακὼβ εὐλογοῦντος τὸν Ἰωσὴφ καὶ λέγοντος· (ι Ὀ Θεὸς 6 τρέφων με ἐκ νεότητός μου ἕως τῆς ἡμέρας ταύτης· 6 ἄγγελος 6 ῥυομενός με ἰκ πάντων τῶν κακῶν ιύλογήσαι τὰ παιδία ταῦτα ›› ς Ἄρα, ἐπειδή μετά τὸν Θεὸν ὠνόμασεν ἄγγελον, πρῶτός ἐστιν 6 ἅγγελος τοῦ Υἳοῦ, ἤ ἀγγέλοις συναριθμεῖται 6 Υἱός; Ναὶ, πάλιν οὕτω νοήσουσι, διεφθαρμένην ἔχοντες τήν καρδίαν, Ἀλλʼ οὐχ ἡ ἀποστολικῆ πίστις ἐστὶ τοιαύτη, οὐδʼ ὅλως Χριστιανὸς ἀνάσχοιτο ἂν τούτων. ἹΙ γὰρ ἁγία καὶ μακαρία Τριὰς, ἀδιαίρετος καὶ ᾗνωμένη πρὸς ὲαυτήν ἐστι· καὶ λεγομένου τοῦ Πατρὸς, πρόσεστι] καὶ 6 τούτου Λόγος καὶ τὸ ἐν τῷ Υἱῷ Πνεῦμα. Ἐὰν δὲ καὶ 6 Υἱὸς ὀνομάζηται, έν τῷ Υἱῷ ἐστιν ό Πατὴρ, καὶ τὸ Πνεῦμα οὐκ ἔστιν ἐκτὸς τοῦ Λόγου. Μία γάρ έσυιν ὲκ τοῦ Πατρὸς χάρις διʼ Υίοῦ έν ΙΙνεύματι ἁγίῳ πληρουμένη· λαὶ μία θεότης ἐστὶ, καὶ εἷς Θεός ἔστιν 6 ἐπὶ πάντων, καὶ διὰ πάντων, καὶ έν πᾶσιν. Οὖτω γὰρ καὶ ἁ Παῦλος, εἰρηκὼς, ‹‹ Διαμαρτύρομαι ἐνώπιον τοῦ Θεοῦ καὶ Ἰησοῦ Χριστοῦ, ›› ἐγίνωσκεν, ὅτι οὐ διῃρεῖτο τοῦ Υἱοῦ τὸ Πνεῦμα, ἀλλʼ ἐν Χριστῷ ἦν καὶ αὐτὸ, ὣσπερ 6 Υἱοῦ έν τῷ Πατρί. τοὺς δὲ ἐκλεκτοὺς ἀγγέλους συνεπήγαγεν εἰκότως, ἵνα, ἐπειδή διαμαρτυρία ᾖν τῶ μάθητῇ λεγομένη, γινώσκων, ὡς τὰ μὲν λεγόμενα παρά Θεοῦ διὰ Χριστοῦ ἐν Πνεύματι λελάληται, οἱ δὲ ἄγγελοι διακονοῦσι τὰ παρʼ ἡμῶν, ἐπισκοποῦντες τὰς ἑκάστου πράξεις, φυλάψῃ τὰς τοῦ διδασκάλου παραινέσεις, ὠς ἔχων τοὺς ἐφορῶντας τῶν λεγομένων μάρτυρας. Ἦ τάχα καὶ διὰ τοὺς διὰ παντὸς θεωροῦντας τὸ πρόσωπον τοῦ Πατρὸς, τοῦ ἐν τοῖς οὐρανοῖς, δια-
Allʼ estō tauta, phasi kai autoi* dia ti oun 6 Apostolos meta ton Christon ouk ōnomase to Pneuma to hagion, alla tous eklektous angelous ? To auto dʼ an tis autous erōtēseie; Dia ti mē archangelous, mēde cheroubim, mēde seraphim, mēdi kyriotētas, mēde thronous, mēde heteron ti, allʼ eklektous monous angelous ōnomasen 6 Paulos s Arʼ oun, epei mē houtōs ōnomasen, hoi angeloi archangeloieēin, ē monoi angeloi eisi, kai oute seraphim, ē cheroubim, ouk archangeloi, oude kyriotētes, ou thronoi, ouk archai, ouch heteron ti estins Alla touto estin anankēn men epiballein tǭ Apostolǭ, dia ti mē houtōs, allʼ houtōs egrapsen, agnoein de tas theias Graphas, kai dio. touto planasthai peri tēn alētheian. Idou gar para men tǭ Ēsaią gegraptai* i Iirosagagete pros me, kai akousate tautaʼ Ouk apʼ archēs en kryphę̄ de 6 laos ton Kyrion, kai episteusan tǭ Theǭ, kai Mōsę̄, tǭ theraponti autou, » ara synarithmēsousi tǭ Theǭ ton Mōsēn, kai meta ton Theon ou noēsousi ton Huion, alla monon ton Mōsēn ? Ti de. ian akousōsi kai tou patriarchou Iakōb eulogountos ton Iōsēph kai legontos; (i O Theos 6 trephōn me ek neotētos mou heōs tēs hēmeras tautēs; 6 angelos 6 rhyomenos me ik pantōn tōn kakōn iylogēsai ta paidia tauta ›› s Ara, epeidē meta ton Theon ōnomasen angelon, prōtos estin 6 hangelos tou Huiou, ē angelois synarithmeitai 6 Huios? Nai, palin houtō noēsousi, diephtharmenēn echontes tēn kardian, Allʼ ouch hē apostolikē pistis esti toiautē, oudʼ holōs Christianos anaschoito an toutōn. HiI gar hagia kai makaria Trias, adiairetos kai hę̄nōmenē pros eautēn esti; kai legomenou tou Patros, prosesti] kai 6 toutou Logos kai to en tǭ Huiǭ Pneuma. Ean de kai 6 Huios onomazētai, en tǭ Huiǭ estin o Patēr, kai to Pneuma ouk estin ektos tou Logou. Mia gar esuin ek tou Patros charis diʼ Uiou en IIneumati hagiǭ plēroumenē; lai mia theotēs esti, kai heis Theos estin 6 epi pantōn, kai dia pantōn, kai en pasin. Outō gar kai ha Paulos, eirēkōs, ‹‹ Diamartyromai enōpion tou Theou kai Iēsou Christou, ›› eginōsken, hoti ou dię̄reito tou Huiou to Pneuma, allʼ en Christǭ ēn kai auto, hōsper 6 Huiou en tǭ Patri. tous de eklektous angelous synepēgagen eikotōs, hina, epeidē diamartyria ę̄n tō mathētę̄ legomenē, ginōskōn, hōs ta men legomena para Theou dia Christou en Pneumati lelalētai, hoi de angeloi diakonousi ta parʼ hēmōn, episkopountes tas hekastou praxeis, phylapsę̄ tas tou didaskalou paraineseis, ōs echōn tous ephorōntas tōn legomenōn martyras. Ē tacha kai dia tous dia pantos theōrountas to prosōpon tou Patros, tou en tois ouranois, dia-
“But let that be so,” they say themselves; “why, then, did the apostle, after Christ, not name the Holy Spirit, but the elect angels?” One might ask them the same thing: Why did Paul not name archangels, nor cherubim, nor seraphim, nor dominions, nor thrones, nor anything else, but only elect angels? Because he did not name them so, are the angels then not archangels, or are there only angels, and no seraphim or cherubim, no archangels, nor dominions, no thrones, no principalities, nothing else? But this is to impose a necessity on the apostle—why he wrote not this way but that—and to be ignorant of the divine Scriptures, and so to go astray from the truth. For see, in Isaiah it is written: “Draw near to me and hear these things: Not from the beginning have I spoken in secret …” … the people … the Lord, “and believed God and Moses his servant”: will they then number Moses with God, and after God will they understand not the Son, but only Moses? And what if they hear the patriarch Jacob too, blessing Joseph and saying, “God who has nourished me from my youth to this day, the angel who delivers me from all evils, bless these children”? Since he named an angel after God, is the angel then before the Son, or is the Son numbered among angels? Yes, they will understand it so again, having a corrupt heart. But the apostolic faith is not such, nor would any Christian at all endure these things. For the holy and blessed Triad is indivisible and united to itself; and when the Father is spoken of, his Word too is present, and the Spirit who is in the Son. And if the Son is named, the Father is in the Son, and the Spirit is not outside the Word. For there is one grace, which is from the Father and is fulfilled through the Son in the Holy Spirit; and there is one Godhead, and one God, who is over all and through all and in all. So too Paul, having said, “I charge you before God and Christ Jesus,” knew that the Spirit is not divided from the Son, but is himself in Christ, as the Son is in the Father; and he rightly added the elect angels, so that, since the charge was being given to the disciple, he, knowing that what is said by God is spoken through Christ in the Spirit, while the angels minister in our affairs, overseeing the actions of each, might keep the teacher’s exhortations, having those who watch over what is said as witnesses. Or perhaps also because of those who always behold the face of the Father who is in heaven …
1 Tim 5:21 (quotation, high confidence) · Col 1:16 (allusion, medium confidence) · Isa 48:16 (quotation, high confidence) · Exod 14:31 (quotation, high confidence) · Gen 48:15 (quotation, high confidence) · Gen 48:16 (quotation, high confidence) · Eph 4:6 (quotation, high confidence) · Matt 18:10 (allusion, high confidence)
Notes and citation
Summary: Paul’s naming of angels after Christ no more makes the Spirit an angel than Exodus naming Moses after God makes Moses divine; the Triad is one and indivisible.
- A long passage that does not belong to this letter (from Athanasius, Orations against the Arians 3.19–21, with a stray chapter numeral and a Latin apparatus note) is printed in the scan inside the Isaiah quotation; it is removed by a logged correction. The Serapion text lost at that point (the rest of Isa 48:16 and the opening of Exod 14:31) is marked “…” and not supplied.
- 1 Tim 5:21; Col 1:16; Isa 48:16; Exod 14:31; Gen 48:15–16; Eph 4:6; Matt 18:10. The chapter breaks off in the scan in mid-word (δια-); the next staged ref is 15.
Notes on the original text
- Digital text corrected (a misplaced passage from Athanasius, Orations against the Arians 3.19-21, with apparatus debris): ματίξομεν, οὐχ ὡς ὁ ἀληθινὸς Θεὸς, ἢ ὁ τούτου Λόγος, ἀλλʼ ὡς ἡθέλησεν ὁ τοῦτο χαρισάμενος Θεόςο οὕτω καὶ ὡς ὸ Θεὸς οἰκτίρμονες γινόμεθα, οὑκ ἐξισούμενοι τῷ Θεῷ, οὐδὲ φύσει καὶ ἀληθινοὶ εὐεργέται γινόμενοι· οὐ γάρ ἡμῶν εὕρεμα τὸ εὐεργετεῖν, ἀλλὰ τοῦ Θεοῦ · ἴνα δὲ τὰ παρʼ αὑτοῦ τοῦ Θεοῦ κατὰ χάριν εἰς ἡμᾶς γενόμενα, ταῦτα καὶ ἡμεῖς μεταδιδῶμεν εἰς ἐτέρους, μὴ διακρινόμενοι, ἁπλῶς δὲ είς πάντας ἐκτείνοντες τὴν εὐποιίαν· κατὰ τοῦτο γὰρ μόνον δυνάμεθά πως αὐτοῦ μιμηταὶ γενέσθαι, καὶ οὐκ ἄλλως, ὅτι τὰ παρʼ αὐτοῦ διακονοῦμεν ἀλλη- ).οις.Ὦτπερ δὲ ταῧτα καλῶς καὶ ὀρθῶς διανοούμεθα, οὓτω καὶ τὸ κατὰ Ἰωάννην ἀνάγνωσμα τὴν αὐτὴν ἔχει διάνοιαν. Οὐ γάρ ὡς ἔστιν ὁ Υίὺς ὲν τῷ Πατρὶ, οὕτως ἵνα καὶ ἡμεῖς γενώμεθά φησιʼ πόθεν, ὅπου γε ὁ μὲν Λόγος καί σοφία τοῦ Θεοῦ ἐστιν, ἡμεῖς δὲ ὲκ γῆς ἐπλάσθημεν, καὶ ό μὲν φύσει καὶ τῇ οὐσίᾳ Λόγος καὶ Θεὸς ἀληθινός ἐστινʼ οὕτω γὰρ καὶ ὁ Ἰωάννης (ῖο) φησίν· Οἴδαμεν, ὅτι ό Υἱὸς τοῦ Θεοῦ ἣκει, καί ἔδωκεν ’ἡμῖν διάνοιαν, ἵνα τινώσκωμεν τὸν ἀληθινὸν Θεόν · καί ἐσμεν ἐν τῷ ἀληθινῷ, ἐν τῷ mp αὐτοῦ, Ἰησοῦ Χριστῷ · οὗτός ἐστιν diunθινὸς Θεὸς, καὶ ἠ ζωὴ ὴ αἰώνιος· ἡμεῖς δὲ θέσει καὶ χάριτι υίοποιούμεθα διʼ αὐτοῦ, μετέχοντες τοῦ Πνεύματος αὑτοῦ; Ὅσοι γάρ, φησὶν, ἔλαβον αὑτὸν, ἔδωκεν αὐτοῖς ἐξουσίαν τέκνα Θεοῦ γενέσθαι, τοῖς πιστεύουσιν εὶς τὸ ὄνομα αὑτοῦ. Διὸ καὶ αὑτὸς μὲν ἐστιν ἡ ἀλήθεια, λέγων· Ἐγώ ειμι ἡ ἁλήθεια · ὅτε καὶ τῷ Πατρὶ αὐτοῦ προσομιλῶν ἐλε- 20. Οὐκοῦν οὐχ ἵνα ὡς αὐτὸς γινώμεθα, Eisγεν, Ἵνα ὦσιν ἐν, καθὼς καὶ ἡμεῖς, ἀλλʼ ἵνα ὥσπερ ἐκεῖνος Λόγος ὦν ἔστιν ὲν τῷ ἰδίῳ Πατρὶ, οὕτως ἴνα καὶ ἡμεῖς, τύπον τινὰ λαβόντες, καὶ εἰς ἐκεῖνον βλέποντες, γενώμεθα ἓν πρὸς ἀλλήλους τῇ ὁμοιᾷυχίᾳ. καὶ τῇ τοῦ πνεύματος ὲνότητι, μὴ διαφωνῶμέν τε, ὡς οἱ Κορίνθιοι, τὸ αὐτὸ δὲ φρονῶμεν, ὡς οἱ ἐι ταῖς Πράξεσι πεντακισχίλιοι, οἵτινες ὡς εἷς ἐτύγχανον ὄντες. Ὠς γὰρ υἱοὶ, οὐχ ὡς ὁ Υἱός· καὶ θεοὶ, οὐχ ὡς αὐτός · καὶ οἰκτίρμονες ὼς ὁ Πατὴρ, οὐχ tit-$9 Πατήρ. Ἀλλʼ ὥσπερ εἴρηται. οὓτω γινόμενοι ἓν, καθ- Ἰωάννης. Ἁιίί ct editi. οὖτῶ γὰρ καὶ ό Ἰωάννης· → .
Cite (SBL): Athanasius, Ep. Serap. 1.13 (PG 26:561c–565d; trans. Sophia Scriptura, https://sophiascriptura.com/fathers/athanasius-epistulae-serapionem/1-10/#p-1-13). (abbreviation not yet checked)
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Translation: Translated by Claude from the Migne PG 26 scan text; no public-domain English exists, so it was re-read against the Greek.
1.15PG 26:565d–573b
Τῶο μὲν οὖν θείων λογίων τοιοῦτος 6 νοῦς ἐμοὶ φαίνεται, διελέγχων τὴν τῶν ἀλόγων κατά τοῦ Πνεύματος δυσφημίαν· αὐτοὶ δὲ τὴν φιλονεικίαν ἔμμονον ἔχοντες πρὸς τὴν ἀλήθειαν, ὡς γράφεις, οὐκέτι μὲν ἀπὸ τῶν Γραφῶν (οὐχ εὑρίσκουσι γὰρ), ἀπὸ δὲ τοῦ περισσεύματος τῆς καρδίας τῆς ἰδίας ἐρευγόμενοι, πάλιν φάσκουσιν· Εἰ μὴ κτίσμα ἐστὶ, μηδὲ τῶν ἀγγέλων εἷς ἔστιν, ἀλλʼ ἐκ τοῦ Πατρὸς ἐκπορεύεταιο καὶ ἡ σύστασις, γινώσκεται, Ἀλλʼ οὐκ ἂν εἷʼποιεν, ὅπου γε καὶ Σολομὼν, 6 περισσότερον πάντων σοφίας μετασχὼν, ὁρῶν ἀδύνατον ἀνθρώποις περὶ τούτων εὑρεῖν, ἔλεγε· ‹‹ Καί γε σύμπαντα τὸν αἰῶνα ἔδωκεν ἐν καρδιᾳ αὐτῶν, ὅπως μή εὕρῃ ἄνθρωπος τὸ ποίημα, ὃ ἐποίησεν ὁ Θεὸς ἀπʼ αρχῆς καὶ μέχρι τέλους. ›› Ἆρʼ οὖν, ἐπει μή δύνανται εὑρεῖν, οὐδὲ εἶναι αύτᾶ ὁμολογοῦσι ; Ναὶ ὅμολογήσουσιν ἐφθαρμένην ἔχοντες τὴν διάνοιαν. Οὐκοῦν εἰκότως ἄν τις αὐτοῖς εἷποιο Ὠ ἀνόητοι καὶ πάντα τολμηροὶ, διὰτί μή μᾶλλον ἐπὶ τῆς ἁγίας Τριάδος παύεσθε περιεργαζόμενοι, καὶ μόνον πιστεύετε, ὅτι ἔστινʼ ἔχοντες εἷς τοῦτο διδάσκαλον τὸν Ἀπόστολον λέγονταο ‹‹ ΙῙιστεῦσαι γὰρ δεῖ πρῶτον Θεῷ ὅτι ἔστι, καὶ τοῖς ἐκζητοῦσιν αὐτὸν μισθαποδότης γίνεται ; ι Οὐ γὰρ, πῶς ἐστιν, εἷʼρηκεν, ἀλλὰ μόνον, α ὅτι ἔστιν. ›› Εἰ δὲ μηδὲ οὕτω καταδύονται, εἰπάτωσαν πῶς ἐστιν 6 Πατὴρ, iv’ οὕτω μάθωσι, πῶς ἔστι καὶ ὁτούτου Λόγος. Ἀλλʼ ἄτοπον, φήσουσι, περὶ τοῦ Πατρὸς οὕτως ἐρωτᾷν. ’Ἀτοπον, οὖν ἀκουέτωσαν καὶ περὶ τοῦ Λόγου αὐτοῦ οὕτως ἐρωτᾷν.
Tōo men oun theiōn logiōn toioutos 6 nous emoi phainetai, dielenchōn tēn tōn alogōn kata tou Pneumatos dysphēmian; autoi de tēn philoneikian emmonon echontes pros tēn alētheian, hōs grapheis, ouketi men apo tōn Graphōn (ouch heuriskousi gar), apo de tou perisseumatos tēs kardias tēs idias ereugomenoi, palin phaskousin; Ei mē ktisma esti, mēde tōn angelōn heis estin, allʼ ek tou Patros ekporeuetaio kai hē systasis, ginōsketai, Allʼ ouk an heiʼpoien, hopou ge kai Solomōn, 6 perissoteron pantōn sophias metaschōn, horōn adynaton anthrōpois peri toutōn heurein, elege; ‹‹ Kai ge sympanta ton aiōna edōken en kardią autōn, hopōs mē heurę̄ anthrōpos to poiēma, ho epoiēsen ho Theos apʼ archēs kai mechri telous. ›› Arʼ oun, epei mē dynantai heurein, oude einai auta homologousi ? Nai homologēsousin ephtharmenēn echontes tēn dianoian. Oukoun eikotōs an tis autois heipoio Ō anoētoi kai panta tolmēroi, diati mē mallon epi tēs hagias Triados pauesthe periergazomenoi, kai monon pisteuete, hoti estinʼ echontes heis touto didaskalon ton Apostolon legontao ‹‹ IIisteusai gar dei prōton Theǭ hoti esti, kai tois ekzētousin auton misthapodotēs ginetai ? i Ou gar, pōs estin, heiʼrēken, alla monon, a hoti estin. ›› Ei de mēde houtō katadyontai, eipatōsan pōs estin 6 Patēr, iv’ houtō mathōsi, pōs esti kai hotoutou Logos. Allʼ atopon, phēsousi, peri tou Patros houtōs erōtąn. ’Atopon, oun akouetōsan kai peri tou Logou autou houtōs erōtąn.
Such, then, appears to me to be the sense of the divine oracles, refuting the slander of these irrational men against the Spirit. But they, as you write, persisting in their contentiousness against the truth, now no longer from the Scriptures (for they find nothing there), but belching forth from the abundance of their own heart, say again: “If he is not a creature nor one of the angels, but proceeds from the Father, …” … and his subsistence are known. But they could not say it, when even Solomon, who partook of wisdom more than all, seeing that it was impossible for men to find out these things, said: “He has also put the whole age into their heart, so that man may not find out the work that God has done from the beginning to the end.” Since they cannot find them out, then, do they not even confess that they exist? Yes, they will confess it, though they have a corrupt mind. So one might rightly say to them: O senseless and all-daring men, why do you not rather stop prying into the holy Triad, and only believe that it is, having as your teacher in this the apostle, who says, “For one must first believe that God is, and that he becomes a rewarder of those who seek him”? For he did not say how he is, but only “that he is.” But if they are not ashamed even so, let them say how the Father is, so that in this way they may learn how his Word is too. “But it is absurd,” they will say, “to ask such things about the Father.” Then let them hear that it is absurd to ask such things about his Word too.
Luke 6:45 (allusion, medium confidence) · Eccl 3:11 (quotation, high confidence) · Heb 11:6 (quotation, high confidence)
Notes and citation
Summary: When the opponents ask how the Spirit can proceed from the Father without being a Son, Athanasius answers that such things cannot be searched out; one must believe that God is, not ask how he is.
- The scan has lost most of chapters 15–17 of the letter. In their place it prints a long passage from Athanasius, Orations against the Arians 3.21–25 (on John 17:21–23 and the word “as”), which is removed by a logged correction. The opponents’ question, and the text up to “and his subsistence are known”, are therefore lost (“…”); nothing is supplied. The staged ref probably covers chapters 15–18 of the letter.
- Eccl 3:11; Heb 11:6; Luke 6:45 (abundance of the heart).
Notes on the original text
- Digital text corrected (a misplaced passage from Athanasius, Orations against the Arians 3.21-25, printed in the scan in place of the lost text): Γοῦτο δὲ λέγων, οὐδὲν ἕτερον ἐσήμανεν, ἢ ὅτι τῇ ἡμῶν ένότητι γένοιντο καὶ αὐτοὶ ἓν πρὸς ἀλλήλους οὕτως, ὡς ἡμεῖς ἓν ἐσμεν φύσει καί ἀληθείᾳ ἄλλως δὲ οὐκ ἂν γένοιντο ἓν, εἰ μὴ ἐν ἡμῖν μάθωσι τὴν ένότητα” καὶ ὅτι τὸ, ἐν ἡμῖν, ταύτην ἔχει τὴν σημασίαν, ἀκοῦσαι Παύλου λέγοντος ἔστιο Ταῦτα δὲ μετεσχημάτισα εἷς ἐμαυτὸν καὶ Ἀπολλὼ, ἵνα ἐν ἡμῖν μάθητε τὸ μή ὁπὶρ ἃ γέγραπται φυσιοῦσθαι. Τὸ ἄρα, ἐν ἡμῖν, οὐκ ἔστιν έν τῷ Πατρί, ὡς ἔστιν 6 Υἱὸς ἐν αὐτῷ, ἀλλὰ παράδειγμα καὶ εῗκὼν, ἀντὶ τοῦ εἰπεῖν, Ἐξ ἡμῶν μαθέτωσαν. Ὡς γὰρ 6 Παῦλος τοῖς Κορινθίοις, οὕτως ἡ τοῦ ιἽοῦ καὶ τοῦ Πατρὸς ἐνάτης, τοῖς πᾶσιν ὑπογραμμὸς καὶ μάθησίς ἐστι, καθʼ ἣν δύνανται μανθάνειν, βλέποντες εἷς τὴν κατὰ φύσιν ἑνότητα τοῦ Πατρὸς καὶ τοῦ Υἳοῦ, πῶς καὶ αὐτοὶ ὀφείλουσιν ἓν πρὸς ἀλλήλους γίνεσθαι τῷ φρονή ματι. Εἰ δὲ δεῖ καὶ ἑτέρως ἀπολογήσασθαι περὶ τοῦ ῥητοῦ, δύναται πάλιν τὸ, ἐν ἡμῖν, ἴσον εἶναι τῷ λέγειν, τῇ δυνάμει τοῦ Ιιατρὸς καὶ τοῦ Υἱοῦ, ’ἶνα ἓν γένωνται τὸ αὐτὸ λέγοντες· ἄνευ γὰρ Θεοῦ τοῦτο γενέσθαι ἀδύνατον· καὶτοῦτο πάλιν ἔστιν εὑρεῖν ἐν τοῖς θείοις λόγοις, ὡς τὸ, Ἐν τῷ Θεῷ ποιήσομεν διεναμιν, καὶ, Ἐν σοὶ τοὺς ἐχθροὺς ἡμῶν κερατιοῦμεν. Οὐκοῦν δῆλον, ὅτι ἐν ὀνόματι Πατρὸς καί (ὶοῦ δυνάμεθα,τὸ ἓν γενόμενοι, βέβαιον ἔχειν τῆς ἁγάπης τὸν σύνδεσμον. Πάλιν γὰρ,τὴν αὐτὴν διάνοιαν ἰπεκτείνων, φησὶν 6 Κύριος· Κάγὼ τήν δόξαν, ἦν δέδωκάς μοι, δέδωκα αὐτοῖς, ’ἱνα ὦσιν ἓν, καθὼς ἡμεῖς ἓν. Καλῶς καὶ ἐνταῦθα οὐκ εἶπεν, ’ἱνα ὦσιν έν σοὶ, ὡς κάγώ εἰμιʼ ἀλλὰ, καθὼς ἡμεῖς, εἶπενο ὁ δὲ λέγων, καθως, οὐ ταυτότητα δείκνυσιν, αλλʼ εἰκόνα καὶ παράδειγμα τοῦ λεγομένου. 2‘2. Ὀ μὲν οὖν Λόγος τήν ὅντως καὶ ἀληθῶς ταυτότητι τῆς φύσεως τῷ Ιίατρὶ ἔχει· ἡμῖν δὲ ἄρα τὸ μιμεῖσθαι πρόσεστιν, ὥσπερ εἷίοηται· καὶ γὰρ εὐθὺς ἐπήγαγε, λέγων· Ἐγὼ έν αὐτοῖς, καὶ σὺ ἐν ἐμοὶ ξʼνα ὦσι τετελειωμένοι εἷς ἓν. Ἐνταῦθα λοιπὸν μεῖζόν τι καὶ τελειότερον περὶ ἡμῶν ὁ Κύριος αἰτεῖ, δῆλον γὰρ, ὡς ἐν ἡμῖν γέγονεν 6 Λόγοςο τὸ γὰρ ἡμέτερον ἐνεδύσατο σῶμα. Καὶ σὺ δὲ ἐν ἐμοὶ, ΙΙάτερ σοῦ γάρ εἰμι Λόγος, καὶ ἐπειδὴ σὺ μὲν ἐν ἐμοὶ, ὅτι σοῦ Λόγος εἰμὶ, ἐγὼ δὲ ἐν αὐτοῖς διὰ τὸ σῶμα, καὶ διὰ σὲ τετελείωται ἐν ἐμοὶ τῶν ἀνθρώπων ἡ σωτηρία, ἔρωτῶ ἵνα καὶ αὐτοὶ γένωνται ἓν, κατὰ τὸ ἐν ἐμοὶ σῶμα, καὶ κατὰ τήν αὐτοῦ τελείωσιν ἐνα καί αὐτοὶ γένωνται τέλειοι, ἔχοντες πρὸς τοῦτο τὴν ἑνότητα, καὶ εἷς αὐτὸ ἓν γενόμενον ἵνα, ὡς ἂν πάντες φορεσθέντες παρʼ ἐμοῦ, πάντες ὦσιν ’ἐν σῶμα καὶ ἓν πνεῦμα, καὶ εἰς ἄνδρα τὲλειον καταντήσωσιν. Οἱ γὰρ πάντες, ἐκ τοῦ αὐτοῦ μεταλαμβάνοντες, ’ἐν γινόμεθα σῶμα, τὸν ἕνα Κύριον ἔχοντες ἐν ἑαυτοῖς. Ταύτην ἔχοντος τοῦ ῥητοῦ τὴν διάνοιαν, μᾶλλον ἐλέγχεται ἡ ἁλλοδοξία τῶν χριστοιιάχων- πάλιν γὰρ ἐπαναλαμβἀνων φημί Εἴ μὶν ἁπλῶς καὶ ἀπολελυμένως εἷʼρηκεν, Ἵνα ὦσιν ἐν σοὶ ἓν, ἢ, "Iv: αὐτοὶ κάγὼ ἐν σοὶ ἓν ὦμεν, ἐἶχον κᾶν ἀναίσχυντον πρόφασιν οἱ θεομάχοι· νῦν δὲ οὐχ ἁπλῶς εἶπεν, ἀλλὰ, Καθὼς σὺ, Πάτερ, ἐν ἐμοὶ, κάγὼ ἐν σοὶ, ἵνα πάντες ἓν ὦσι. Λέγων δὲ πάλιν, καθὼς, πόῤῥωθεν δείκνυσι τοὺς γινομένους, ὡς αὖ· τός ἐστιν ἰν τῷ Πατρὶ, πόρρωθεν δὲ ἐστιν, οὐ τόπῳ, ἀλλὰ τῇ φύσει· οὐδὲν γὰρ τόπῳ μακρὰν τοῦ Θεοῦ. ἀλλᾶ μόνῃ τῇ φύσει πάντα μακράν ἐστιν αὖα τοῖν καὶ, καθὰ προεῖπον, οὐ ταυτότητα, οὐδὲ ἰσότητα δείκνυσιν ὁ λέγων τὸ, καθὼς, ἐπίρρημα, ἀλλὰ παράδειγμα τοῦ λεγομένου κατά τι θεωρούμενον. 23. Καὶ τοῦτο πάλιν παρʼ αὐτοῦ τοῦ Σωτῆρος ἔστι μαθεῖν λὲγοντος Καθὼς γὰρ ἧν Ἰωνᾶς ἐν τῇ κοιλίᾳ τοῖʼ) κήτους τρεῖς ἡμέρας καὶ τρεῖς νόκτας, οὕτως ἔσται καὶ ὁ Υἱὸς τοῦ ἀνθρώπου ἐν καρδίᾳ τῆς γῆς. Οὔτε δὲ Ἰωνᾶς ὥσπερ ὁ έωτήρ1 οὔτε Ἰωνᾶς εἰς τὸν ᾅδην κατῆλθεν οὕτε τὸ κῆτος ἦν ὁ ᾅδης· ἀλλʼ οὐδὲ καταποθεῗς ὁ Ἰωνᾶς, ἀνήγαγε τοὺς προκαταποθὲντας ὑπὸ τοῦ κήτους, ἀλλὰ μόνος προσταχθέντος τοῦ κήτους ἐξῆλθεν. Οὐκοῦν οὐδεμία ταυτότης οὐδὲ ἰσότης ἐν τῇ, καθὼς, λέξει σημαίνεται, ἀλλὰ ἄλλο μὲν καὶ ἄλλο· ὁμοιότητα δέ πως δείκνυσι τοῦ Ἰωνᾶ διὰ τὸ τριήμερον. Οὕτως ἄρα διαὶ ἡμεῖς, λέγοντος τοῦ Κυρίου, καθὼς, οὔτε ὡς 6 Υἱὸς γινόμεθα ἐν τῷ Πατρὶ, οὕτε ὡς 6 Πατήρ ἐστιν ἐν τῷ Υίῷ, οὕτω γινόμεθα. Ἡμεῖς μὲν γὰρ, καθὼς 6 [Ιατὴρ καὶ 6 Υἱὸς, οὕτω γινόμεθα ἓν τῷ φρονήματι καὶ τῇ τοῦ πνεύματος συμφωνίφ 6 δὲ Σωτὴρ, καθὼς Ἰωνᾶς, ἔσται ἐν τῇ ὥσπερ Si οὐκ ἔστιν Ἰωνῑις 6 Σωτὴρ, οὐδὲ ὡς ἐκεῖνος κατεπόθη, οὕτω καὶ 6 Κύριος κατῆλθεν εἷς τὸν ᾅδην· ἀλλὰ ἄλλο καὶ ἄλλο ἐστίν. Οὕτως ἐὰν καὶ ἡμεῖς γενώμεθα ἓν, καθὼς 6 l‘io‘c ἐν τῷ Πατρὶ, οὐκ ἐσόμεθα ὥσπερ 6 Υἱὸς, οὐδὲ ξʼσοι αύτῷο ἄλλο γὰρ καὶ ἄλλο ἐσμεν· διὰ τοῦτο γὰρ ἐφʼ ἡμῶν τὸ, καθὼς, πρόκειται, ἐπὶ τὰ μὴ κατᾶ φύς σιν ὄντα πρὸς ἄλλο τι βλέποντα γίνεται ὥσπερ ἐκεῖνα. ’Όθεν αὐτὸς μὲν ὁ Υἱὸς, ἁπλῶς καὶ χωρὶς συμπλοκῆς τινός ἐστιν ἐν τῷ Πατρί. φύσει γὰρ ὑπάρχει τοῦτʼ αὐτῷʼ ἡμεῖς δὶ, οὐκ ἔχοντες τὸ κατὰ φύσιν, δεόμεθα εῗκόνος καὶ παραδείγματος, ἵνα περὶ ἡμῶν εἴπῃ· Καθὼς σὺ ἐν ἐμοὶ, κάγὼ ἐν σοί. ’Όταν δὲ, φησὶν, οὗτοι τελειωθῶσιν οὕτω, τότε γινώσκει 6 κόσμος, δτι σύ με ἀπέστειλας· εί γὰρ μὴ ἤμην ἐλθὼν καὶ φορὲσας τὸ τούτων σῶμα, οὐδεὶς ἂν αὐτῶν ἐτελειώθη, ἀλλʼ ἔμενον 0i. πάντες φθαρτοί. Ἐνὲργησον τοίνυν ἐν αὐτοῖς, [Ιάτερο καὶ ὥσπερ δὲδωκάς μοι τοῦτο φορέσαι, δὸς αὐτοῖς τὸ Πνεῦμά σου, ἵνα καὶ οὗτοι ἐν τούτῳ ’ὲν γένωνται, καὶ τελειω- Θῶσιν ἐν ἐμοί. Ἠ γὰρ τούτων τελείωσις δείκνυσιν ἐπιδημίαν γεγενῆσθαι τοῦ σοῦ Λόγου· καὶ 6 κόσμος δὲ, βλέπων τούτους τελείους καὶ θεοφορουμένους, πιστεύσει πάντως, ὅτι σύ με ἀπέστειλας, καὶ ἐπεδήμησα. Πόθεν γὰρ τούτοις ἡ τελείωσις, εί μὴ ἐγὼ 6 σὸς Λόγος, τὸ σῶμα τούτων λαβὼν, ἐγενόμην ἅνθρωπος, καὶ ἐτελείωσα τὸ ἔργον ’ὁ δέδωκάς μοι, Πάτερ ; Τετελείωται δὲ τὸ ἔργον, ὅτι, λυτρωθὲντες ἀπὸ τῆς ἁμαρτίας οἱ ἅνθρωποι, οὐκέτι μένουσι νεκροί· ἀλλὰ καὶ θεοποιηθὲντες ἔχουσιν, ἐν ἡμῖν βλέποντες, ἰν ἀλλήλοις τὸν σύνδεσμον τῆς ἀγάπης. → .
Cite (SBL): Athanasius, Ep. Serap. 1.15 (PG 26:565d–573b; trans. Sophia Scriptura, https://sophiascriptura.com/fathers/athanasius-epistulae-serapionem/1-10/#p-1-15). (abbreviation not yet checked)
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Translation: Translated by Claude from the Migne PG 26 scan text; no public-domain English exists, so it was re-read against the Greek.
1.19PG 26:573b–581a
Περιττῆς τοιγαροῦν καί πλέον μανίας οῧσης τῆς τοιαύτης ἐπιχειρήσεως, μηκέτι τοιαῦτά τις ἐρωτάτω, ἢ μόνοντὰ ἐν ταῖς Γραφαῖς μανθανέτω. Αὐτάρκη γὰρ καὶ ἱκανὰ τὰ ἐν ταύταις κείμενα περὶ τούτου παραδείγματα. Πηγή τοίνυν καὶ φῶς λέγεται 6 Πατήρ· ι( Ἐμὲ ›› γὰρ, φησὶν, ‹‹ ἐγκατέλιπον πηγήν ὕδατος ζῶντος. » Καὶ πάλιν ἐν τῷ Βαρούχ ι Τί ἔστιν, Ἰσραὴλ, ὅτι ὲν τῇ γῇ τῶν ὶχορῶν εἶ ; ἐγκατέλιπες τήν πηγὴν τῆς σοφίαςʼ ›› καὶ κατὰ τὸν Ἰωάννην· ι Ὀ Θεὸς ἡμῶν φῶς ἔστι. ιι Λέγεται δὲ καὶ ὁ Υἱὸς ὡς μὲν πρὸς τὴν πηγὴν ποταμὸςο ‹‹ Ὀ ποταμὸς ›› γὰρ ‹‹ τοῦ Θεοῦ ἐπληρώθη ὑδάτων· n πρὸς δὲ τὸ φῶς ἀπαύγασμα, λέγοντος τοῦ Παύλου ι( Ὄς ὢν ἀπαύγασμα τῆς δόξης, καῖ χαρακτήρ τῆς ὑποστάσεως αὐτοῦ. ›› Τοῦ τοίνυν Πατρὸς φωτὸς ὄντος, τοῦ δὲ Υἱοῦ ἀπαυγάσματος αὐτοῦ (τὰ αὖτᾶ γὰρ περὶ τούτων μάλιστα οῦκ ὀκνητέον λέγειν πολλάκις), ἔξεστιν ὁρᾷν καὶ ἒν τῷ Υἱῷ τὸ Πνεῦμα, ἓν ᾧ (ξιωτιζόμεθα α Ἵνα ›› γὰρ, φησὶ, ‹‹ δώῃ ὑμῖν Πνεῦμα σοφίας καὶ ἀποκαλύψεως ἒν ἒπιγνώσει αὐτοῦ, πεφωτισμένους τοὺς ὀφθαλμοὺς τῆς καρδίας. n Τῷ δὲ ΙΙνεύματι φωνιζομένων ἡμῶν, ὁ Χριστός ἔστιν 6 ὲν αὐτῷ φωτίζωνο ι Ἤν ›› γὰρ, φησὶ, ‹‹ τὸ φῶς τὸ ἀληθινὸν, ’ὁ φωτίζει πάντα ἄν· ὀρωπον ὲρχύμενον εἷς τὸν κόσμον. ›› Πάλιν τε τοῦ ΙΙατρὸς ὄντος πηγῆς, τοῦ δὲ Υἱοῦ ποταμοῦ λεγομένου, πίνειν λεγὸμεθα τὸ Πνεῦμα· γέγραπται γὰρ, ’Ίδωμεν δὲ λοιπὸν καί αὐτὰ καθʼ αὐτά τὰ ἒν ταῖς θείαις Γραφεῖς περὶ τοῦ Πνεύματος τοῦ ἁγίου λεγόμενα, καὶ ὡς δόκιμοι τραπεζῖται διακρίνωμεν, εὶ ξʼδιόν τι πρὸς τὰ κτίσματα ἕχει νὸ Πνεῦμα, ἢ ἴδιον τοῦ Θεοῦ ἐστιν, ’ίνα ἢ κτίσμα αὐτὸ εἴπωμεν, ἢ ἄλλο μὲν τῶν κτισμάτων, ἴδιον δὶ καὶ ἓν τῆς ἐν Τριάδι θεότητος. Τάχα κᾶν οὕτως ἐντραπῷσι, μαθόντες,δσον ἀπᾴδει τῶν θείων λογίων τὰ ἐφευρεθέντα παρʼ αὐτῶν τῆς βλασφημίας ματα.
Perittēs toigaroun kai pleon manias oÿsēs tēs toiautēs epicheirēseōs, mēketi toiauta tis erōtatō, ē mononta en tais Graphais manthanetō. Autarkē gar kai hikana ta en tautais keimena peri toutou paradeigmata. Pēgē toinyn kai phōs legetai 6 Patēr; i( Eme ›› gar, phēsin, ‹‹ enkatelipon pēgēn hydatos zōntos. » Kai palin en tǭ Barouch i Ti estin, Israēl, hoti en tę̄ gę̄ tōn ichorōn ei ? enkatelipes tēn pēgēn tēs sophiasʼ ›› kai kata ton Iōannēn; i O Theos hēmōn phōs esti. ii Legetai de kai ho Huios hōs men pros tēn pēgēn potamoso ‹‹ O potamos ›› gar ‹‹ tou Theou eplērōthē hydatōn; n pros de to phōs apaugasma, legontos tou Paulou i( Os ōn apaugasma tēs doxēs, kai charaktēr tēs hypostaseōs autou. ›› Tou toinyn Patros phōtos ontos, tou de Huiou apaugasmatos autou (ta auta gar peri toutōn malista ouk oknēteon legein pollakis), exestin horąn kai en tǭ Huiǭ to Pneuma, hen hǭ (xiōtizometha a Hina ›› gar, phēsi, ‹‹ dōę̄ hymin Pneuma sophias kai apokalypseōs en epignōsei autou, pephōtismenous tous ophthalmous tēs kardias. n Tǭ de IIneumati phōnizomenōn hēmōn, ho Christos estin 6 en autǭ phōtizōno i Ēn ›› gar, phēsi, ‹‹ to phōs to alēthinon, ’ho phōtizei panta an; orōpon erchymenon heis ton kosmon. ›› Palin te tou IIatros ontos pēgēs, tou de Huiou potamou legomenou, pinein legometha to Pneuma; gegraptai gar, ’Idōmen de loipon kai auta kathʼ auta ta en tais theiais Grapheis peri tou Pneumatos tou hagiou legomena, kai hōs dokimoi trapezitai diakrinōmen, ei xʼdion ti pros ta ktismata hechei no Pneuma, ē idion tou Theou estin, ’ina ē ktisma auto eipōmen, ē allo men tōn ktismatōn, idion di kai hen tēs en Triadi theotētos. Tacha kan houtōs entrapǭsi, mathontes,dson apądei tōn theiōn logiōn ta epheurethenta parʼ autōn tēs blasphēmias mata.
Since such an undertaking, then, is superfluous, or rather madness, let no one ask such things any longer, but let him learn only what is in the Scriptures. For the illustrations found in them on this matter are sufficient and adequate. The Father, then, is called fountain and light: “They have forsaken me,” he says, “the fountain of living water”; and again in Baruch: “Why is it, Israel, that you are in the land of your enemies? You have forsaken the fountain of wisdom”; and according to John: “Our God is light.” And the Son, in relation to the fountain, is called river: “The river of God is full of water”; and in relation to the light, radiance, as Paul says: “who, being the radiance of his glory and the impress of his hypostasis.” Since, then, the Father is light and the Son his radiance (for we must not hesitate to say the same things about them often), one may see in the Son the Spirit too, in whom we are enlightened: “that he may give you,” it says, “the Spirit of wisdom and of revelation in the knowledge of him, the eyes of your heart being enlightened.” And when we are enlightened by the Spirit, it is Christ who enlightens in him: “For he was,” it says, “the true light, which enlightens every man coming into the world.” Again, since the Father is fountain and the Son is called river, we are said to drink the Spirit; for it is written, … Let us now look at what is said about the Holy Spirit in the divine Scriptures themselves, and, as approved money-changers, distinguish whether the Spirit has anything proper in common with the creatures, or is proper to God, so that we may call him either a creature, or something other than the creatures, proper to, and one with, the Godhead in the Triad. Perhaps in this way they may be put to shame, when they learn how far the blasphemous words they have invented are out of tune with the divine oracles.
Jer 2:13 (quotation, high confidence) · 1 John 1:5 (quotation, high confidence) · Ps 65:9 (64:10 LXX) (quotation, high confidence) · Heb 1:3 (quotation, high confidence) · Eph 1:17 (quotation, high confidence) · Eph 1:18 (quotation, high confidence) · John 1:9 (quotation, high confidence) · 1 Cor 12:13 (allusion, medium confidence)
Notes and citation
Summary: Scripture’s images—Father as fountain and light, Son as river and radiance—show the Spirit in the Son, in whom we are enlightened and from whom we drink.
- Jer 2:13; Bar 3:10, 12; 1 John 1:5; Ps 65:9 (64:10 LXX); Heb 1:3; Eph 1:17–18; John 1:9; 1 Cor 12:13 (“we are said to drink the Spirit”).
- After “for it is written,” the scan again prints a long passage from Athanasius, Orations against the Arians 3.24–27 (with its chapter numerals 25–27), which is removed by a logged correction; the Serapion text lost there (the end of chapter 19 and most of chapters 20–21) is marked “…”. The staged ref probably covers chapters 19–21.
- “Approved money-changers” echoes the saying “Be approved money-changers” (see De sententia Dionysii 9).
Notes on the original text
- Digital text corrected (a misplaced passage from Athanasius, Orations against the Arians 3.24-27, printed in the scan in place of the lost text): τι καὶ 6 Υἱὸς μετοχῇ τοῦ Πνεόματος καὶ βελτιώσει πράξεως γέγονε καὶ αὐτὸς ἐν τῷ Πατρί. Ἀλλᾶ καὶ 25. Οὐκοῦν 6 Σωτὴρ λέγων περὶ ἡμῶν τὸ, Καθὼς σὺ, Πάτερ, ἐν ἐμοὶ, κάγὼ ἐν σοὶ, ’ἱνα καὶ αὐτοὶ ἐν ἡμῖν ἓν ὦσιν, οὐ τὴν ταυτότητα ἡμᾶς αὐτῷ μέλλοντας ἔχειν σημαίνει· ἐδείχθη γὰρ ἐκ τοῦ κατᾶ τὸν ’λωνᾶν παραδείγματος καὶ τοῦτο· ἀλλὰ ἀξίωσις ἐστι πρὸς τὸν Πατέρα, ὠς 6 Ἰωάννης ἔγραψεν, ’ἱνα τὸ Πνεῦμα χαρίσηται διʼ αὐτοῦ τοῖς πιστεύουσι, διʼ οὗ καὶ δοκοῦμεν ἐν τῷ Θεῷ γίνεσθαι, καὶ κατά τοῦτο συνάπτεσθαι ἐν αὐτῷ. Ἐπειδὴ γὰρ 6 Λόγος ἐστὶν έν τῷ Πατρί, τὸ δὶ Πνεῦμα ἐκ τοῦ Λόγου δίδοται, Ιέλει λαβεῖν ἡμᾶς τὸ Πνεῦμα, ἵνα, ’δταᾷ ἐίιεῖνο λάέ βωμεν, τότε ἔχοντες τὸ Πνεῦμα τοῦ Λόγου τοῦ ὄντος ἐν τῷ Πατρὶ, δόξωμεν καὶ ἡμεῖς διὰ τὸ Πνεῦμα ἓν γίνεσθαι έν τῷ Λόγῳ, καὶ διʼ αὐτοῦ τῷ Πατρί. Τὸ δὲ, ὠς ἡμεῖς, ἐὰν λέγη, οὐδὲν ἕτερον πάλιν ἐστὶν, ἢῗνα ἡ γινομένη τοιαύτη τοῦ Πνεύματος χάρις είς τοὺς μαθητὰς ἀδιάπτωτος καὶ ἀμεταμέλητος γένηται. Τὸ γὰρ κατὰ φύσιν, ὦς προεῖπον, ὑπάρχον τῷ Λόγῳ ἐν τῷ Πατρὶ, τοῦτο ἡμῖν ἀμεταμελήτως διὰ τοῦ Ιῐνεῦματος δοθῆναι βούλεται· ὅπερ 6 Ἀπόστολος γιγνώσκων, ἔλεγε( Τίς ἡμᾶς χωρίσει ἀπὸ τῆς ἀγάπης τοῦ Χριστοῦ ς ’Δμεταμέλητα γὰρ τὰ χαρίσματα τοῦ Θεοῦ καὶ ἡ χάρις τῆς κλήσεως. Τὸ ἄρα Πνεῦμά ἐστι τὸ ἐν τῷ Θεῷ τυγχάνον, καὶ οὐχ ἡμεῖς καθʼ ἓαυτούς καὶ ὥσπερ υἱοὶ καὶ θεοὶ διὰ τὸν ἐν ἡμῖν Λόγον, οὕτως ἐν τῷ Υἱῷ καὶ ἐν τῷ Πατρὶ ἐσόμεθα, καὶ νομισθησόμεθα ἐν Υἱῷ καὶ ἐν Πατρὶ ἓν γεγενῆσθαι διὰ τὸ έν ἡμῖν εἶναι Πνεῦμα, ὅπερ ἐστὶν ἐν τῷ Λόγῳ τῷ ὄντι ἐν τῷ Πατρί. "Ore γοῦν ἐκπίπτει τις ἀπὸ τοῦ Πνεύματος διά τινα κακίαν, ἡ μὲν χάρις ἀμεταμέλητος διαμένει τοῖς βουλομένοις, κᾶν τις ἐκπεσὼν μετανοῇο οὐκέτι δὲ ἐν τῷ Θεῷ ἐστιν ἐκεῖνος ὁ πεσὼν, διὰ τὸ ἀποστῆναι ἀπʼ αὐτοῦ τὸ ἐν τῷ Θεῷ ἅγιον καὶ παράκλητον Πνεῦμα, ἀλλʼ ἐν ἐκείνῳ ἔσται ᾧ ἑαυτὸν ὑπέταξεν 6 ἀμαρτάνων, ὠς ἐπὶ τοῦ Σαοὺλ γέγονενʼ ἀπέστη γὰρ ἀπʼ αὐτοῦ τὸ Πνεῦμα τοῦ Θεοῦ, καὶ ἔθλιόεν αὐτὸν πνεῦμα πονηρόν. Ταῦτα ἀκούοντας τοὺς θεομαχους ἔδει λοίπὸν ἐντρέπεσθαι, καὶ μηκέτι ἑαυτοὺς ἀναπλάπτειν ἷσα Θεῷ. Οὔτε δὶ νοοῦσιν. Ὁ γὰρ ἀσεβὴς, φησιν, οὗ νοεῖ γνῶσινο οὔτε λόγωι εὐσεβῶν ἀνέχονται* βαρεῖς γὰρ αὐτοῖς εἰσι καὶ λεγόμενοι. 26. Ἰδοὺ γὰρ, ὥσπερ οὐκ ἀποκάμνοντες ἐν ταῖς δυσσεβείαις, ἀλλὰ κατὰ τὸν Φαραὼ σκληρυνόμενοι, τὰ ἀνθρώπινα misz 106 Σωτῆρος ἀκούοντες καὶ βλέποντες ἐν τοῖς Εὐαγγελίοις, ἐπελάθοντο τέλεον κατὰ τὸν Σαμωσατὲα τῆς πατρικῆς θεότητος 106 1‘106, καὶ τολμηρᾷ τῇ γλώσσῃ θρασυνόμενοι, λέγουσι· ‹‹ Πῶς δύναται 6 Υἱός ἐκ 106 [ἰατρὸς εἶναι φύσει καὶ ὅμοιος αὐτῷ κατʼ οὐσίαν, 6 λέγωνʼ Ἐδόθη μοι πᾶσα ἆξουσία· καὶ, Ὁ Πατὴρ οὐδένα κρίνει, ἀλλὰ τήν κρίσιν πᾶσαν δέδωκε τῷ Υἱῷσ καὶ, Ὁ Πατὴρ ἀγαπᾷ τὸν Υἱὸν, καὶ πέντα δέδωκεν ἒν τῇ χειρὶ αὐτοῦ. Ὀ πιστεύων εἰς τὸν Υἱὸν, ἔχει ζωὴν αἰώνιον· καὶ πάλιν ° Πάντα μοι παρεδόθη ὑπὸ τοῦ Πατρός μουʼ καὶ οὐδεὶς ἐπιγινώσκει τὸν Πατέρα εἰ μή 6 Υἱὸς, καὶ ᾧ ἐὰν θιλῃ 6 Υἱὸς ἀποκαλύψαιʼ καὶ πάλιν Πᾶν ὃ δέδωκὲ μοι 6 Πατὴρ, πρὸς ἐμὲ ἥξει. Εἶτα ἰπιλέ· γουσινʼ Εἰ ἦν, ὡς λέγετε, Υἱὸς κατὰ φύσιν, οὐ χρείαν εἶχε λαβεῖν, ἀλλʼ εἶχε κατὰ φύσιν ὡς υἱός. ’Ή πῶς δύναται δύναμις εἶναι φύσει καὶ ἀληθινή τοῦ Πατρὸς, ὁ παρᾶ τὸν καιρὸν 106 πάθους λέγων· Νῦν ἡ ψυχή μου τετάρακται· καὶ τί sine); Πάτερ, σῶσόν με ἐκ τῆς ὥρᾶς ταύτης· ἀλλὰ διὰ τοῦτο ἦλθον εἷς τήν ὥραν ταύτην. Πάτερ, δόξασόν σου τὸ ὄνομα. Ἦλθεν 06v φωνή ἐκ 106 b6pav06' Καὶ ἐδόξασα, καὶ πάλιν δοξάσω. Πάλιν τε τὸ ὅμοιον ἔλεγε. Πάτερ, εἰ δυνατὸν, παρελθέτω τὸ ποτήθιον 10610' καὶ, Ταῦτα εἰπὼν ὁ Ἰησοῦς ἐταράχθη τῷ Πνεύματι, καὶ ἐμαρτυρησε, καὶ εἶπεν Αμήν, ἀμήν λέγω ὑμῖν, εἷς ἐξ ὑμῶν παραδώσει με. Καὶ ἐπί τούτοις δὲ φασιν oi κακόφρονες· Ei’ δύναμις ἦν, οὐκ ἃν ἐδειλίασεν, ἀλλὰ μᾶλλον καὶ ἕτεροις τὸ δύνασθαι παρεῖχεν. Εἶτά φασιν· Εἰ σοφία ἦν φύσει ἡ ἀληθινὴ καὶ ἰδία 106 ΙΙατρὸς, πῶς γὲγραπταιο Καὶ Ἰησοῦς προὲποπτε σοφίᾳ, καὶ ἡλικίᾳ, καὶ χάριτι παρᾶ Θεῷ καὶ ἀνθρώποις· καὶ που, ἐπυνθάνετο τῶν μαθητῶν, τίνα λέγουσιν οἱ ἀν·θρωποι αὑτὸν εἶναιʼ εἷς δὲ τὴν Βηθανίαν παραγινόμενος ἠρώτα ποῦ Λάξαρος κεῖταιʼ ἔλεγε δὲ μετὰ ταῦτα τοῖς μαθηταῖς ο Πόσους ἀρτους Exue; Πῶς οὖν, φασὶν, οὗτος σοφία, 6 ἐν σοφία προκόπτων, (δαὶ ἀγνοῶν ἃ παρʼ ἑτέρων. μανθάνειν ἠξίου ; Ἔστι δὲ ’καὶ τοῦτο παρʼ αὐτῶν λεγόμενον. Πῶς ’δύναται ὁ Λόγος ἴδιος εἶναι τοῦ Πατρὸς, οὗ ἄνευ οὐκ ἦν 6 Πατήρ ποτε, διʼ οὗ τὰ πάντα ποιεῖ, ὡς ὑμεῖς φρονεῖτε, 6 ἐπὶ μὲν τοῦ σταυροῦ λέγων· Θεὲ μου Θεὲ μου, ἵνα τί με ἐγκατέλιπεςς πρὸ δὲ τοὺτῶν εὐχόμενοςο Δόξασόν σου τὸ ὄνομιιι καὶ, Δόξασόν με σὺ, Πάτερ, τῇ δόξῃ, ἦ εἶχον πρὸ τοῦ τὸν κόσμον εἶναι παρὰ σοί. Ηῦχετο δὲ ἰν ταῖς ἐρήμοις, καὶ παρήγγελλε τοῖς μαθηταῖς προσεύχεσθαι μὴ εἷʼσελθεῖν εἰς πειρασμόν· καὶ, Τὸ Πνεῦμα πρόθυμον, ἔλεγεν, ἡ δὲ σὰρξ ἀσθενής· καὶ, Περὶ τῆς ἠμάρας ἢ τῆς ωρας ἐκείνης οὐδεὶς οἶδεν, οὐδὶ οἱ ἄγγελοι, οὖδέ 6 Υἱός. Εἶτα πάλιν φασὶν ἐπὶ τούτοις οἱ δείλαιοι· Ei ἦν κατᾶ τὴν ὑμετέραν διάνοιαν ἀϊδίως ὑπάρχων ὸ Υἱὸς πρὸς τὸν Θεὸν, οὔτʼ ἂν ἠγνόησε περὶ τῆς ἡμέρας, ἀλλʼ ἐγίνωσκεν ὡς Λόγος οὔτʼ ἂν ἐγκατελείπετο 6 συνυπάρχων, οὔτε δόξαν ᾔτει λαβεῖν. ἔχων αὐτην ὲν τῷ Πατρῖ, οὔτε ὅλως ηὔχετοο οὐδενὸς γὰρ Λόγος ὤν ἐδέετο· ἀλλʼ ἐπειδὴ κτίσμα ἐστὶ καὶ εἷς τῶν γενητῶν, διὰ τοῦτο τοι· αὔτα ἔλεγε, καὶ ἐδέετο ὦν οὐκ εἴγεο κτισμάτων γὰρ \ Ι \ ν 9,Ι ’ίδιον το χρῃζειν και δέεσθαι ων ουκ εχουσιν. ›) 27. Τοιαῦτα μὶν οὗν oi. ἂσεβεἶς ἐξάγονται λαλοῦντεςʼ ἔδει δὶ ταῦτα διαλογιζομένους εἰπεῖν καὶ τολμηρότερονο Διὰ τί ὅλως 6 Λόγος σὰρξ ἐγένετο; καὶ πάλιν ἐπειπεῖνο Πῶς γὰρ ἠδύνατο Θεὸς ὤν γενέσθαι ἄνθρωπος ς "ll πῶς ἠδύνατο 6 ἀσώματος σῶμα φορέσαι, ἢ καὶ Ἰουδαϊκώτερον κατᾶ τὸν Καϊάφαν εἰπεῖν· Διά τί ὅλως, ἅνθρωπος ὥνὺ Χριστὸς, Θεὸν ἑαυτὸν ἐποίει, ταῦτα γὰρ καὶ τὰ τούτοις μίαν → .
Extrabiblical texts: Bar 3:10 (Baruch [in RC, EO, ETH canons]; quotation)
Topics: Trinity
Cite (SBL): Athanasius, Ep. Serap. 1.19 (PG 26:573b–581a; trans. Sophia Scriptura, https://sophiascriptura.com/fathers/athanasius-epistulae-serapionem/1-10/#p-1-19). (abbreviation not yet checked)
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Translation: Translated by Claude from the Migne PG 26 scan text; no public-domain English exists, so it was re-read against the Greek.
1.22PG 26:581a–588b
Τὰ κτίσματα τοίνυν ἐξ ούκ ὅντων γέγονεν, ἀρχὴν ἔχοντα τοῦ γίνεσθαι· ἐν ἀρχῦ γὰρ ἐποίησεν δ Θεδς τὸν οὐρανὸν καὶ τὴν γῆν καὶ πάντα τὰ ἐν αύτοῖς. Ἐκ δὲ τοῦ Θεοῦ λέγεται τὸ Πνεῦμα τὸ ἅγιον· ‹‹ Οὐδεὶς ›› γὰρ,φησὶν,‹‹ο“ίδε τὰ τοῦ ἀνθρώπου εἰ μὴτὸ πνεῦμα τοῦ ἀνθρώπου τοῦ ἐν αὐτῷ· οὕτως καὶ τά τοῦ Θεοῦ οὐδεὶς οἶδεν εἲ μὴ τὸ Πνεῦμα τρῦ Θεοῦζᾙὶμεῖς δὶ οὗ τὸ Πνεῦμα τοῦ κόσμου ἐλάβομεν, ἀλλὰ τὸ Πνεῦμα τὸ ἐκ τοῦ Θεοῦ. »Ποία τοίνυν ἐκ τῶν προειρημένων συγγένεια τῷ ΙῙνεύματι πρὸς τὰ κτίσματας Τὰ μὲν γὰρ κτίσματα οὐκ ἦν· 6 δὲ Θεὸς ὢν ἐστιν, ἐζ οὗ καὶ τὸ ΙΙνεῦμα.Τὸ δὲ ἐκ τοῦ Θεοῦ οὐκ ἂν εἴη ἐκ τοῦ μὴ ὄντος, οὐδὲ κτίσμα, ’ίνα μὴ κατʼ ἐκείῗ νους καὶ ὁ ἐξ οὗ ἔστι τὸ Πνεῦμα, κτίσμα εἶναι νομισθῇ. Τίς οὖν τῶν τοιούτων ἀφρόνων ἀνέξεται, λεγόντων καὶ αὐτῶν ἐν καρδίᾳ μὴ εἶναι Θεόν; Καί γὰρ ει ὥσπερ οὐδεὶς οἶδε. τὰ τοῦ ἀνερώπου εί τὸ Πνεῦμα τὸ ἐν αὐτῷ, οὕτως καὶ τὰ τοῦ Θεοῦ εἰ μὴ τὸ ἰν αὐτῷ Πνεῦμαο πῶς ού δύσφημον ἃν εἷή λέγειν κτίσμα τὸ ἓν τῷ Θεῷ Πνεῦμα, τὸ καὶ τὰ βάθη τοῦ Θεοῦ ἐρευνῶν ς Μαθήσεται γὰρ ἐκ τούτων εἰπεῖν 6 τοιοῦτος τὸ μὲν τοῦ ἀνθρώπου πνεῦμα ἔξωθεν αύ- 10'3‘10'6 dvepdi‘nou εἶναι, τόν δὲ ἐν τῷ* Πατϋρὶ Λόγον εἶναι κτίσμα. Πάλιν τε Πνεῦμα ἁγιωσύνης καὶ ἀνακαινώσεως ἐστί τε καὶ λέγεται τὸ Πνεῦμα· γράφει γὰρ 6 Παῦλος ‹‹ Τοῦ ὁρισθέντος Υἱοῦ Θεοῦ δυνάμει κατὰ Πνεῦμα ἁγιωσύνης ἒξ ἀναστάσεως νεκρῶν Ἰησοῦ Χριστοῦ τοῦ Κυρίου ἡμῶν. ›› Καὶ πάλιν. φησίν· ι( ’Δλλʼ ἡγιάσθητε, ἀλλʼ ἐδικαιώθητε ει τῷ ὀνόματι τοῦ Κυρίου ἡμῶν Ἰησοῦ Χριστοῦ καὶ ἐι τῷ ΙΙνεύματι τοῦ Θεοῦ ἡμῶν ›› ὅτε καὶ πρὸς Τῖτοι τῆς τοῦ Θεοῦ Διὰ τοῦτο γὰρ καὶ ἐν οἷς γίνεται, οὗτοι θεοποιοῦνται εί δὲ θεοποιεῖ, οὐκ ἀμφίβολον, ὅτι ἡ τούτου φύσις Θεοῦ ἐστι. Καὶ ἔτι δὲ φανερώτερον είς ἀναίρεσιν τῆς αίρὲσεως ταότης ἐν τῷ ἱκατοστῷ τρίτῳ ψαλμῷ ᾅδεται, ὡς ἔμπροσθεν εἴπομεν ι( Ἀντανελεῖς τὸ πνεῦμα αὐτῶν, καὶ ἐπιλείψουσι, καὶ εἷς τὸν χοῦν αὐτῶν ἐπιστρέφουσιν. Ἐξαποστελεῖς τὸ Πνεῦμά σου, καὶ κτισθήσονται, καῖ ἆνακαινιεῖς τὸ πρόσωπον τῆς γῆς. ›› Ὁ δὲ Παῦλος γράφει Τιτῳ* « Διὰ λουτροῦ παλιγγενεσίας καὶ ἂνακαινώσεως livedματος ἁγίου, οὗ ἐξέχεεν ἐφʼ ἡμᾶς πλουσίως διὰ ’1ησοῦ Χριστοῦ. » Ei δὲ 6 Πατήρ διὰ τοῦ Λόγου ἄν Πνεόματι ἁγίῳ κνίζει τὰ πάντα, καὶ ἀνακαινίζει· ποία ὁμοιότης ἢ συγγένεια τῷ κτίζοντι πρὸς τὰ κτίσματα; Ἥ ὅλως πῶς ἄν εἴη, ἐν ᾧ κτίζεται τᾶ πάντα, κτίσμα; ’Λκολουθεῖ γὰρ τῇ τοιαύτῃ δυσφημίᾳ καὶ ἡ εἰς τὸν Υίὸν βλασφημία· ὥστε τούς λέγοντας τὸ Πνεῦμα κτίσμα εἴπεῖν, ὅτι καὶ 6 Λόγος, διʼ οὗ τὰ πάντα κτίζεται, κτίσμα ἐστίν. Είκὼν τοῦ Υἱοῦ λέγεται καὶ ἔστι τὸ Πνεῦμα· α Οῧς ι» γὰρ ‹‹ προἑγνω καὶ προώρισε συμμόρφους τῆς εῗκόνος τοῦ Υὶοῦ αὐτοῦ. ›› Οὐκοῦν τοῦ Υὶοῦ καὶ κατʼ ἐκείνους ὁμολογουμένου μὴ εἶναι κτίσματος, οὐκ ἂν εἴη οὐδὲ ἡ τούτου εἲκὼν κτίσμα. Ὀποία γὰρ ἂν εἴη ἡ εἰκὼν, τοιοῦτον ἀνάγκη καὶτὸν, οὗ ἐστιν ἡ εἰκὼν, εἶναι. ’Όθεν είκότως καὶ πρεπόντως ὁ Λόγος ὁμολογεῖται μὴ ὢν κτὶσμα, εἰκὼν τοῦ Πατρὸς ὑπαρχωνʼ 6 ἄρα τοῖς κτίσμασι συναριθμῶν τὸ Πνεῦμα πάντως που καὶ τὸν Υἱὸν ἐν τούτοις συναριθμήσει, δυσφημῶν ἐν τούτω καὶ τὸν Πατέρα διὰ τὴν εἷς τήν εἰκόνα τούτου δυσφημίαν.
Ta ktismata toinyn ex ouk hontōn gegonen, archēn echonta tou ginesthai; en archy gar epoiēsen d Theds ton ouranon kai tēn gēn kai panta ta en autois. Ek de tou Theou legetai to Pneuma to hagion; ‹‹ Oudeis ›› gar,phēsin,‹‹o“ide ta tou anthrōpou ei mēto pneuma tou anthrōpou tou en autǭ; houtōs kai ta tou Theou oudeis oiden ei mē to Pneuma try TheouzĘ̄imeis di hou to Pneuma tou kosmou elabomen, alla to Pneuma to ek tou Theou. »Poia toinyn ek tōn proeirēmenōn syngeneia tǭ IIneumati pros ta ktismatas Ta men gar ktismata ouk ēn; 6 de Theos ōn estin, ez hou kai to IIneuma.To de ek tou Theou ouk an eiē ek tou mē ontos, oude ktisma, ’ina mē katʼ ekeiï nous kai ho ex hou esti to Pneuma, ktisma einai nomisthę̄. Tis oun tōn toioutōn aphronōn anexetai, legontōn kai autōn en kardią mē einai Theon? Kai gar ei hōsper oudeis oide. ta tou anerōpou ei to Pneuma to en autǭ, houtōs kai ta tou Theou ei mē to in autǭ Pneumao pōs ou dysphēmon han heiē legein ktisma to hen tǭ Theǭ Pneuma, to kai ta bathē tou Theou ereunōn s Mathēsetai gar ek toutōn eipein 6 toioutos to men tou anthrōpou pneuma exōthen au- 10'3‘10'6 dvepdi‘nou einai, ton de en tǭ* Patÿri Logon einai ktisma. Palin te Pneuma hagiōsynēs kai anakainōseōs esti te kai legetai to Pneuma; graphei gar 6 Paulos ‹‹ Tou horisthentos Huiou Theou dynamei kata Pneuma hagiōsynēs ex anastaseōs nekrōn Iēsou Christou tou Kyriou hēmōn. ›› Kai palin. phēsin; i( ’Dllʼ hēgiasthēte, allʼ edikaiōthēte ei tǭ onomati tou Kyriou hēmōn Iēsou Christou kai ei tǭ IIneumati tou Theou hēmōn ›› hote kai pros Titoi tēs tou Theou Dia touto gar kai en hois ginetai, houtoi theopoiountai ei de theopoiei, ouk amphibolon, hoti hē toutou physis Theou esti. Kai eti de phanerōteron eis anairesin tēs aireseōs taotēs en tǭ hikatostǭ tritǭ psalmǭ hądetai, hōs emprosthen eipomen i( Antaneleis to pneuma autōn, kai epileipsousi, kai heis ton choun autōn epistrephousin. Exaposteleis to Pneuma sou, kai ktisthēsontai, kai anakainieis to prosōpon tēs gēs. ›› Ho de Paulos graphei Titǭ* « Dia loutrou palingenesias kai anakainōseōs livedmatos hagiou, hou execheen ephʼ hēmas plousiōs dia ’1ēsou Christou. » Ei de 6 Patēr dia tou Logou an Pneomati hagiǭ knizei ta panta, kai anakainizei; poia homoiotēs ē syngeneia tǭ ktizonti pros ta ktismata? Hē holōs pōs an eiē, en hǭ ktizetai ta panta, ktisma? ’Lkolouthei gar tę̄ toiautę̄ dysphēmią kai hē eis ton Uion blasphēmia; hōste tous legontas to Pneuma ktisma eipein, hoti kai 6 Logos, diʼ hou ta panta ktizetai, ktisma estin. Eikōn tou Huiou legetai kai esti to Pneuma; a Oÿs i» gar ‹‹ proegnō kai proōrise symmorphous tēs eïkonos tou Uiou autou. ›› Oukoun tou Uiou kai katʼ ekeinous homologoumenou mē einai ktismatos, ouk an eiē oude hē toutou eikōn ktisma. Opoia gar an eiē hē eikōn, toiouton anankē kaiton, hou estin hē eikōn, einai. ’Othen eikotōs kai prepontōs ho Logos homologeitai mē ōn ktisma, eikōn tou Patros hyparchōnʼ 6 ara tois ktismasi synarithmōn to Pneuma pantōs pou kai ton Huion en toutois synarithmēsei, dysphēmōn en toutō kai ton Patera dia tēn heis tēn eikona toutou dysphēmian.
The creatures, then, came to be from nothing, having a beginning of their coming to be; for “in the beginning God made the heaven and the earth” and all that is in them. But the Holy Spirit is said to be from God: “For no one,” it says, “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. But we have received not the spirit of the world, but the Spirit who is from God.” What kinship, then, judging by what has been said, has the Spirit with the creatures? For the creatures were not; but God is He who is, from whom the Spirit too is. And what is from God would not be from what is not, nor a creature, lest, according to them, he too from whom the Spirit is should be thought to be a creature. Who, then, will put up with such fools, who also say in their heart, There is no God? For if, as no one knows the things of a man except the spirit that is in him, so no one knows the things of God except the Spirit who is in him, how would it not be blasphemous to call a creature the Spirit who is in God, who searches even the depths of God? For such a person will learn from this to say that the spirit of a man is outside the man himself, and that the Word who is in the Father is a creature. Again, the Spirit is, and is called, the Spirit of holiness and renewal; for Paul writes: “declared Son of God in power according to the Spirit of holiness by the resurrection from the dead, Jesus Christ our Lord”; and again he says: “But you were sanctified, you were justified in the name of our Lord Jesus Christ and in the Spirit of our God”; when also to Titus … of God. For this reason those in whom he comes to be are deified; and if he deifies, there is no doubt that his nature is God’s. And still more plainly, for the overthrow of this heresy, it is sung in the hundred and third psalm, as we said before: “You will take away their spirit, and they will fail and return to their dust. You will send forth your Spirit, and they will be created, and you will renew the face of the earth.” And Paul writes to Titus: “through the washing of regeneration and renewal of the Holy Spirit, whom he poured out on us richly through Jesus Christ.” And if the Father, through the Word, in the Holy Spirit, creates and renews all things, what likeness or kinship has the Creator with the creatures? Or how at all could he in whom all things are created be a creature? For the blasphemy against the Son follows on such a slander, so that those who call the Spirit a creature say that the Word too, through whom all things are created, is a creature. The Spirit is called, and is, the image of the Son: “For those whom he foreknew he also predestined to be conformed to the image of his Son.” So, since even according to them the Son is confessed not to be a creature, neither would his image be a creature. For as the image is, such must be the one whose image it is. Hence the Word is rightly and fittingly confessed not to be a creature, since he is the image of the Father. So whoever numbers the Spirit with the creatures will surely number the Son with them too, slandering the Father as well in this by his slander against the Father’s image.
Textual problem in this passage: see the notes.
Gen 1:1 (quotation, high confidence) · 1 Cor 2:11 (quotation, high confidence) · 1 Cor 2:12 (quotation, high confidence) · Ps 14:1 (13:1 LXX) (allusion, high confidence) · 1 Cor 2:10 (allusion, high confidence) · Rom 1:4 (quotation, high confidence) · 1 Cor 6:11 (quotation, high confidence) · Ps 104:29 (103:29 LXX) (quotation, high confidence) · Ps 104:30 (103:30 LXX) (quotation, high confidence) · Titus 3:5 (quotation, high confidence) · Titus 3:6 (quotation, high confidence) · Rom 8:29 (quotation, high confidence)
Notes and citation
Summary: The Spirit is from God, sanctifies, renews, and deifies, and is the image of the Son; so he cannot be a creature, and to call him one slanders the Son and the Father too.
- After “when also to Titus” the scan prints a long passage from Athanasius, Orations against the Arians 3.28–29 (with the chapter numeral 39), which is removed by a logged correction. The Serapion text lost there (the rest of chapter 22 and part of chapters 23–24) is marked “…”; the fragment “of God” that follows the gap is translated as printed. The staged ref probably covers chapters 22–24.
- Gen 1:1; 1 Cor 2:11–12; Ps 14:1 (13:1 LXX); 1 Cor 2:10; Rom 1:4; 1 Cor 6:11; Ps 104:29–30 (103:29–30 LXX); Titus 3:5–6; Rom 8:29.
- θεοποιοῦνται / θεοποιεῖ are rendered “are deified” / “deifies”.
Notes on the original text
- Digital text corrected (a misplaced passage from Athanasius, Orations against the Arians 3.28-29, printed in the scan in place of the lost text): ’ἀρ τῆς αἱρέσεως αὐτῶν οἰκεῖον τό φρόνημα· ἢ εἴ δεδοίκασιν Ἰουδαΐζειν ἐκ φανεροῦ, καὶ περιτέμνεσθαι, διὰ τήν πρὸς Κωνστάντιον ἀρέσκειαν καὶ τοὺς ἀπατηθέντας παρʼ αὐτῶν, μηδὲ λεγέτωσαν τὰ τῶν Ἰουδαίων· δίκαιον γὰρ ὧν τὰ ὀνόματα παραιτοῦνται, τούτων ἀποστρέφεσθαι καὶ τὸ φρόνημα. Χριστιανοὶ γάρ ἐσμεν, ὦ Ἀρειανοῖ, Χριστιανοί ἐσμεν ἡμεῖς* ἡμῶν τε ἴδιον καλῶς τὰ Εὐαγγὲλιανοεῖν περὶ τοῦ Σωτῆρος, καὶ μήτε μετά Ἰουδαίων λιθάζειν αὐτὸν, ἐὰν περὶ τῆς θεότητος καὶ τῆς ἀϊδιότητος ἀκούωμεν αὐτοῦ, μήτε μεθʼ ὑμῶν σκανδαλίζεσθαι, ἐφʼ οῖς ἂν, ὡς ἄνθρωπος, ὑπὲρ ἡμῶν ταπεινοῖς φθεγγοιτο ῥήμαδξιν. Εἴ θέλετε γοῦν καὶ ὑμεῖς γενέσθαι (Γ Χριστιανοὶ, ἀπόθεσθε τήν Ἀρείου μανίαν, τήν τε ἀκοὴν ὑμῶν τὴν ῥυπωθεῖσαν ἀπὸ τῶν βλασφήμων Ξημάτων ἀπονίψασθε τοῖς τῆς εὐσεβείας λόγοις· γιθώσκοντες, ὡς παυόμενοι τοῦ εἶναι Ἀρειανοὶ, παύσεσθε καὶ τῆς τῶν νῦν Ἰουδαίων κακοφροσύνης, εύθύς τε ὡς ἀπὸ σκότους ἡ ἀλήθεια ὑμῖν λάμψει· καὶ ούκὲτι μὲν ἡμῖν ὀνειδίσιτε, ὡς δύο ἀίδια λέγουσιν, ἄπιγνώσεσθε δὲ καὶ ὑμεῖς, ὅτι τε ἀληθινὸς καὶ φύσει Υἱός ἐστι τοῦ Θεοῦὸ Κύριος, καὶ οὐχ ἀπλῶς ἀίδιος, ἀλλά τῇ τοῦ [ἰατρὸς ἀϊδιότητι συνὼν γινώσκεται. Ἔστι γὰρ λεγόμενα ἀίδια, ὦν αὐτὸς δημιουργός ἐστινʼ ἐν γὰρ τῷ κγʼ ψαλμῷ γέγραπται· Ἀρατε πύλας, ol. ἄρχοντες, ὑμῶν, καὶ ἐπάρθητε, πύλαι αἰώνιοι. Δῆλον δὲ ἐστιν, ὅτι διʼ αὐτοῦ καὶ ταῦτα γέγονενʼ εἷ δὲ καὶ τῶν αἰωνίων αὐτός ἐστι δημιουργὸς, τίς ἡμῶν ἔτι λοιπὸν ἀμφιβάλλειν δυνή· σεται, ὅτι καὶ τούτων τών ἀϊδίων ἀνώτερός ἐστι ; Καὶ ού τοσοῦτον ἐκ τοῦ ἀϊδίου γνωρίζεται Κύριος, ὅσον ὅτι Υἱός ἐστι τοῦ Θεοῦ· Ῠίὸς γὰρ ὢν, ἀχώριστός ἐστι τοῦ Πατρὸς, καὶ οὐκ ἦν ὅτε οὐκ ἦν, ἀλλʼ ἀεὶ ἦν· καὶ εἰκὼν καὶ ἀπαύγασμα ὢν τοῦ Πατρὸς, ἔχει καὶ τήν ἀϊδιότητα τοῦ Πατρός.Ὀπως μὲν οῦν ἡλὲγο χθησαν κακῶς νοοῦντες ’ἀ προεφασίζοντο ῥητὰ, δυνατὸν πως ἐκ τῶν ἔμπροσθεν διʼ ὀλίγων εἷʼρημὲνων καταμαθεῖνʼ δτι δὲ καὶ ἐν οἷς πάλιν προφασίζονται νῦν ἐκ τῶν Εὐαγγελίων, γνωρίζονται σαθρὰν ἕχοντες τήν διάνοιαν, ῥᾴδιόν ἐστι συνιδεῖν, ἐὰν μάλιστα (Ἱξὶλβεε. iet'Seguerianq ρῇλον δέἐσξινὶῃιιιεειιξίε καὶ νῦν τὸ σκοπὸν τῆς καθʼ ἡμᾶς τοὺς Χριστιανοὺς πίστεως λάβωμεν, καὶ τούτῳ ὥσπερ κανόνι χρησάμενοι, προσέχωμεν, ὡς εἶπεν 6 Ἀπόστολος, τῇ ἀνα· γνώσει τῆς θεοπνεύστου Γραφῆς. Οἱ γὰρ χριστομάχοι, τοῦτον ἀγνοήσαντες, ἐπλανήθησαν ἀπὸ τῆς ὁδοῦ τῆς ἀληθείας, καὶ προσέκοψαν τῷ λίθῳ τοῦ προσκόμματος, φρονοῦντες παρʼ ὅ δεῖ φρονεῖν. 39. Σκοπὸς τοίνυν οὗτος καὶ χαρακτὴρ τῆς ἁγίας Γραφῆς, ὡς πολλάκις εἷʼπομεν, διπλῆν εἶναι τὴν περὶ ιραγιμ, ως 'uunlwusu. ειιιυμῠν, νισυυμ unus ηιμ..ηαδ τοῦ Σίπῆρος ἐπαγγελίαν ἐν αὐτῇ· ὅτι τε ἀεὶ Θὸς ἦν καὶ Υἱός ἐστι, Λόγος ὣν καὶ ἀπαύγασμα καὶ σοφία τοῦ Πατρός· καὶ ὅτι ὕστερον, διʼ ἡμᾶς σάρκα λαβὼν ὲκ Παρθένου τῆς Θεοτόκου Μαρίας, ἄν· θρωπος γέγονε. Καὶ ἔστι μὲν τοῦτο εὑρεῖν διὰ πάσης τῆς θεοπνεύστου Γραφῆς σημαινόμενον, ὡς αὐτὸς 6 Κύριος εἴρηκεν. Ἐρευνᾶτε τὰς Γραφᾶς, ὅτι αὖ· ταί εἰσιν αἱ μαρτυροῦσαι περὶ ἐμοῦ· ἵνα δὲ μὴ, πάντα τὰ ῥητᾶ συνάγων πολὺς ἐν τῷ γράφειν γένωμαι, ἀρκεσθῶμεν ὡς πάντων μνημονεῦσαι, τοῦ μὲν Ἰωάννου λεγοντος· Ἐν ἀρχῆ ἦν 6 Λόγος, καὶ 6 Λόγος ἦν πρὸς τὸν Θεὸν, καὶ Θεὸς ἦν 6 Λόγος· οὗτος ἦν ἰν ἀρχῇ πρὸς τὸν Θεόν. Πάντα διʼ αὐτοῦ ἐγένετο, καὶ χωρὶς αὐτοῦ ἐγένετο οὐδὲ ἓν. Εἶτά. Καὶ 6 Λόγος σὰρξ ἰγὲνετο, καὶ ἐσκήνωσεν ἐν ἡμῖν, καὶ ἐθεασάμεθα τὴν δόξαν αὐτοῦ, δόξαν ὡς μονογενοῦς παρὰ Πατρός· τοῦ δὲ Παύλου γράφοντος. "Oc ὲν μορφῇ Θεοῦ ὑπάρ. γων, οὐχ ἁρπαγμὸν ἡγήσατο τὸ εἶναι ’ίσα Θεῷ· ἀλλʼ ἑαυτὸν ἐκένωσε, μορφὴν δούλου λαβὼν ἐν ὁμοιώματι ἀνθρώπων γενόμενος, καὶ σχήματι εὑρεθεὶς ὡς ἄνθρωπος. Ἐταπείνωσιν tuor—6v, γενόμενος ὑπήκοος μέχρι θανάτου, θατάτου δὲ σταυροῦ. Ἀπὸ τούτων γάρ, τῷ αὐτῇ. διαvola ὃιερχόμενός τις πᾶσαν τήν Γραφήν, ὄψεται πῶς ἐν ἀρχῇ μὲν εἷπε τούτῳ 6 Πατήρ· Γενηθήτω φῶς, → .
Cite (SBL): Athanasius, Ep. Serap. 1.22 (PG 26:581a–588b; trans. Sophia Scriptura, https://sophiascriptura.com/fathers/athanasius-epistulae-serapionem/1-10/#p-1-22). (abbreviation not yet checked)
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Translation: Translated by Claude from the Migne PG 26 scan text; no public-domain English exists, so it was re-read against the Greek.
1.25PG 26:588b–593a
’ Αλλό ἄρα τῶν κτισμάτων ἐστὶ τὸ Πνεῦμα, καὶ δέδεικται μᾶλλον ἴδιον εἶναι τοῦ Υἱοῦ, καὶ οὐ ξένον τοῦ Θεοῦ. Καὶ γὰρ κάκεῖνο τὸ σοφὸν αὐτῶν ἐρώτημα· Εἰ ἐκ τοῦ Θεοῦ ἐστι τὸ Πνεῦμα, διὰ τί μὴ, λὲγεναι καὶ αὐτὸ Υἱός; Δέδεικται μὲν ἐν τοῖς ἔμπροσθεν ἤδη προπετὲς καὶ τολμηρὸν, δείκνυται Si καί νοῦν οὐδὲν ἦττον. Εἰ γὰρ καὶ μὴ Υἱὸς ὲλὲχθη ἐν ταὶς Γραφαῖς, ἀλλὰ Πνεῦμα τοῦ Θεοῦ, ἐναύτῷ τῷ Θεῷ καὶ ἐξ αὐτοῦ τοῦ Θεοῦ εἴρηται, ὡς 6 Ἀπό.. στολος ἔγραψεν. Et δὲ 6 Υἱὸς, ἐπειδῆ ἐκ τοῦ Πατρὸς ἐστιν, ἴδιος τῆς οὐσίας αὐτοῦ ἐστιν, ἀνάγκη καὶ εἰ κ οὐδείς οἶδε τά τοῦ Θεοῦ, εἰ μὴ τὸ Πνεῦμα τοῦ Θεοῦ τὸ ἐν αὐτῷ· ο οὐκ ἔστι δὲ παρὰ τῷ Θεῷ, ὡς εἶπεν ὁ Ἰάκωβος, ι παραλλαγῆ ἢ τροπῆς ἀποσκίασμαη» ἐν τῷ Θεῷ ὃν τὸ Πνεῦμα τὸ ἅγιον, εἷκότως ἂν εἰή ἄτρεπτον καὶ ἀπαράλλακτον καὶ ἄφθαρτον. Ἣ δὲ τῶν γενητῶν καὶ τῶν κτιστῶν φύσις ἐστὶ τρεπτὴ, ἅτε δὴ ἔξωθεν οὖσα τῆς τοῦ Θεοῦ οὐσίας, καὶ ἐξ οὐκ ὅν. των ὐποστᾶσα· ‹‹ πᾶς ι μὶν γὰρ α ἄνθρωπος, » φησὶ, ι( ψεύστης. ›› Καὶ, σ πάντες ἥμαρτον, καὶ ὑστεροῦνται τῆς δόξης τοῦ Θεοῦ. Ἀγγὲλους δὶ τοὺς μὴ τηρήσαντας τὴν ἑαυτῶν ἀρχὴν, ἀλλʼ ἀπολιπόντας τὸ ἴδιον οἰκητήριον, εἷς κρίσιν μεγάλης ἡμέρας δεσμοῖς ἀίῦίοις ὑπὸ ν ζόφον τετήρηκεν. ›› Ἐν δὲ τῷ Ἰώβο ‹‹ Εἰ κατὰ ἁγίων ἀγγέλων αὐτοῦ οὐ πιστεύει, κατά δὲ ἀγγέλων αὐτοῦ σκολιόν τι ἐπενόησενσ ἄστρα δὲ οὐ καθαρὰ ἆνώπιον αὐτοῦ· ›› ὁ δὲ Παῦλος γράφει· ι( Οὐκ οἷʼδατε, ὅτι ἀγγέλους κρινοῦμεν, μήτιγε βιωτικά; » Ἀλλά γὰρ καὶ ἠκούσαμεν, ὅτι ὁ διάβολος, ὲν μὲ σῳ τῶν χερουβὶμ ὣν, καὶ ἀποσφράγισμα ὁμοιώσεως γενόμενος, ἐξέπεσεν ἐκ τοῦ οὐρανοῦ ὡς ἀστραπή. E" δὲ ‘ ‘ ' νʼ “’ ’ ι τα μεν κτισματα τοιαδτην εχει φυσιν, και γέγραπται περὶ ἀγγέλων τοιαῦτω τὸ δὲ Πνεῦμα τὸ αὐτό ἐστι καὶ ἀναλλοίωτον, καὶ τῆς τοῦ ι·ἱοῦ ἀτρεψίας ἐστὶ, μενον ἀεὶ σὸν αὐτῷ ἄτρεπτον · ποία ὁμοιότης τῷ ἀτρέπτῳ πρὸς τά τρεπόμενα; Δῆλον γὰρ ἂν εἷἠ, ὡς οὔτε κτίσμα ἐστὶν, οὔτε ὅλως τῆς τῶν ἀγο γέλων οὐσίας ἐστὶ, διά τὸ ἐκείνους εἶναιτρεπτοῦς· ἀλλʼ εἲκὼν τοῦ Λόγου, καὶ τοῦ ΙΙατρὸς ἴδιόν ἐστι. Πάλιν τε τὸ μὶν ΙΙνεῦμα Κυρίου πεπλήρωκε τήν οἰκουμινην. Οὕτω γὰρ καὶ ὁ Δαβὶδ ψάλλεν ιι Ποῦ πορευθῶ ἀπὸ τοῦ Ηνεύματός σου; ι Καὶ πάλιν ἐν τῇ Σοφίᾳ γέγραπται· ‹‹ Τὸ γὰρ ἅφθαρτόν σου Ιῐνεῦμά ἐστιν ἐν πάσι. ›› Τά δὲ γενητά πάντα ἐν μεμερισμὲο νοις τόποις εἰσὶν,ἥλιος μὶν, καὶ σελήνη, καὶ ἀστέρες ἐν τῷ στερεώματι, νεφέλαι δὶ ἐν τῷ ἀὲρι καὶ τοῖς ἀνθρώποις ἔστησεν ὅρια ἐθνῶν· o'i τε ἄγγελοι ἀποστέλλονται εἷς διακονίας· ‹‹ Καὶ ἦλθον οἱ ἄγγελοι παραστῆναι ἐνώπιον τοῦ Κυρίου, ιο ὡς ἐν τῷ Ἰὼβ γέγραπται καὶ, ‹‹ ἐνυωιάσοη δὲ Ἰακὼβ ὁ πατριάρχης· καὶ. ἰδοὺ κλίμαξ ἐστηριγμένη ὲν τῇ γῇ, ἦς ἡ κεφαλὴ ἀφικνεῖτο εἰς τὸν οὐρανὸν, καὶ οἱ ἄγγελοι τοῦ Θεοῦ ἀνέβαινον καὶ κατέβαινον ἐπʼ αὐτῆς. ›› Εἰ δὶ τὸ μὲν Πνεῦμα πάντα πληροῖ, καὶ ὲν ἰῷ Λόγῳ πάρεστιν ἐν μέσῳ πάντων, οἱ δὲ ἄγγελοι ἐλαττοῦνται τούτῳ, καὶ ἔνθα ἀποστέλλονται, ἐκεῖ πάρεισιν · οὐ) ἀμφίβολον οὖν, ὅτι οὔτε τῶν γενητῶν, οὕτε ὅλως ἆγγελός ἐστιν, ὠς ὑμεῖς λέγετε, τὸ Πνεῦμα, ἀλλʼ ἄνω τῆς τῶν ἀγγέλων φύσεώς ἐστιν.
’ Allo ara tōn ktismatōn esti to Pneuma, kai dedeiktai mallon idion einai tou Huiou, kai ou xenon tou Theou. Kai gar kakeino to sophon autōn erōtēma; Ei ek tou Theou esti to Pneuma, dia ti mē, legenai kai auto Huios? Dedeiktai men en tois emprosthen ēdē propetes kai tolmēron, deiknytai Si kai noun ouden ētton. Ei gar kai mē Huios elechthē en tais Graphais, alla Pneuma tou Theou, enautǭ tǭ Theǭ kai ex autou tou Theou eirētai, hōs 6 Apo.. stolos egrapsen. Et de 6 Huios, epeidē ek tou Patros estin, idios tēs ousias autou estin, anankē kai ei k oudeis oide ta tou Theou, ei mē to Pneuma tou Theou to en autǭ; o ouk esti de para tǭ Theǭ, hōs eipen ho Iakōbos, i parallagē ē tropēs aposkiasmaē» en tǭ Theǭ hon to Pneuma to hagion, heikotōs an eiē atrepton kai aparallakton kai aphtharton. Hē de tōn genētōn kai tōn ktistōn physis esti treptē, hate dē exōthen ousa tēs tou Theou ousias, kai ex ouk hon. tōn ypostasa; ‹‹ pas i min gar a anthrōpos, » phēsi, i( pseustēs. ›› Kai, s pantes hēmarton, kai hysterountai tēs doxēs tou Theou. Angelous di tous mē tērēsantas tēn heautōn archēn, allʼ apolipontas to idion oikētērion, heis krisin megalēs hēmeras desmois aiuiois hypo n zophon tetērēken. ›› En de tǭ Iōbo ‹‹ Ei kata hagiōn angelōn autou ou pisteuei, kata de angelōn autou skolion ti epenoēsens astra de ou kathara anōpion autou; ›› ho de Paulos graphei; i( Ouk hoiʼdate, hoti angelous krinoumen, mētige biōtika? » Alla gar kai ēkousamen, hoti ho diabolos, en me sǭ tōn cheroubim hōn, kai aposphragisma homoiōseōs genomenos, exepesen ek tou ouranou hōs astrapē. E" de ‘ ‘ ' nʼ “’ ’ i ta men ktismata toiadtēn echei physin, kai gegraptai peri angelōn toiautō to de Pneuma to auto esti kai analloiōton, kai tēs tou i;hiou atrepsias esti, menon aei son autǭ atrepton ; poia homoiotēs tǭ atreptǭ pros ta trepomena? Dēlon gar an heiē, hōs oute ktisma estin, oute holōs tēs tōn ago gelōn ousias esti, dia to ekeinous einaitreptous; allʼ eikōn tou Logou, kai tou IIatros idion esti. Palin te to min IIneuma Kyriou peplērōke tēn oikouminēn. Houtō gar kai ho Dabid psallen ii Pou poreuthō apo tou Ēneumatos sou? i Kai palin en tę̄ Sophią gegraptai; ‹‹ To gar haphtharton sou Iineuma estin en pasi. ›› Ta de genēta panta en memerismeo nois topois eisin,hēlios min, kai selēnē, kai asteres en tǭ stereōmati, nephelai di en tǭ aeri kai tois anthrōpois estēsen horia ethnōn; o'i te angeloi apostellontai heis diakonias; ‹‹ Kai ēlthon hoi angeloi parastēnai enōpion tou Kyriou, io hōs en tǭ Iōb gegraptai kai, ‹‹ enyōiasoē de Iakōb ho patriarchēs; kai. idou klimax estērigmenē en tę̄ gę̄, ēs hē kephalē aphikneito eis ton ouranon, kai hoi angeloi tou Theou anebainon kai katebainon epʼ autēs. ›› Ei di to men Pneuma panta plēroi, kai en iǭ Logǭ parestin en mesǭ pantōn, hoi de angeloi elattountai toutǭ, kai entha apostellontai, ekei pareisin ; ou) amphibolon oun, hoti oute tōn genētōn, houte holōs angelos estin, ōs hymeis legete, to Pneuma, allʼ anō tēs tōn angelōn physeōs estin.
The Spirit, then, is other than the creatures, and has rather been shown to be proper to the Son and not foreign to God. And as for that clever question of theirs, “If the Spirit is from God, why is he not also called Son?”—it has already been shown above to be rash and daring, and it is shown to be so no less now. For even if he was not called Son in the Scriptures, but Spirit of God, he is said to be in God himself and from God himself, as the apostle wrote. And if the Son, because he is from the Father, is proper to his essence, necessarily also … And if no one knows the things of God except the Spirit of God who is in him, and if with God, as James said, “there is no variation or shadow of turning,” then the Holy Spirit, being in God, would rightly be unchangeable and invariable and incorruptible. But the nature of originated and created things is changeable, since it is outside the essence of God and has come into existence from nothing. “For every man,” it says, “is a liar”; and “All have sinned and fall short of the glory of God”; “and the angels who did not keep their own position but left their proper dwelling he has kept in eternal bonds under gloom for the judgment of the great day.” And in Job: “If he puts no trust in his holy angels, and charges his angels with something crooked; and the stars are not pure before him.” And Paul writes: “Do you not know that we shall judge angels, to say nothing of the things of this life?” Indeed, we have heard that the devil, though he was in the midst of the cherubim and had become a seal of likeness, fell from heaven like lightning. But if the creatures have such a nature, and such things are written about angels, while the Spirit is the same and unalterable and shares the Son’s unchangeableness, remaining always unchangeable with him, what likeness has the unchangeable with things that change? For it would be plain that he is neither a creature nor of the essence of the angels at all, since they are changeable; but he is the image of the Word, and proper to the Father. Again, the Spirit of the Lord has filled the world. So David sings: “Where shall I go from your Spirit?” And again in Wisdom it is written: “For your incorruptible Spirit is in all things.” But all originated things are in places divided off: sun and moon and stars in the firmament, clouds in the air; and for men he set the bounds of the nations; and the angels are sent out for ministries: “And the angels came to stand before the Lord,” as is written in Job; and “Jacob the patriarch dreamed, and behold, a ladder set up on the earth, whose top reached to heaven, and the angels of God were ascending and descending on it.” But if the Spirit fills all things, and in the Word is present in the midst of all, while the angels are inferior to him in this, and are present where they are sent, there is no doubt that the Spirit is neither one of the originated things nor an angel at all, as you say, but is above the nature of the angels.
1 Cor 2:11 (allusion, high confidence) · Jas 1:17 (quotation, high confidence) · Ps 116:11 (115:2 LXX) (quotation, high confidence) · Rom 3:23 (quotation, high confidence) · Jude 1:6 (quotation, high confidence) · Job 4:18 (quotation, high confidence) · Job 25:5 (quotation, medium confidence) · 1 Cor 6:3 (quotation, high confidence) · Ezek 28:14 (allusion, medium confidence) · Luke 10:18 (allusion, high confidence) · Ps 139:7 (138:7 LXX) (quotation, high confidence) · Deut 32:8 (allusion, medium confidence) · Job 1:6 (quotation, high confidence) · Gen 28:12 (quotation, high confidence)
Notes and citation
Summary: Unlike changeable creatures and angels, who can fall and are present only where sent, the Spirit is unchangeable and fills all things, and so is proper to God.
- After “necessarily also” the scan prints a passage from Athanasius, Orations against the Arians 3.30–32 (on the Word’s bearing our infirmities, with the chapter numeral 32), which is removed by a logged correction; the Serapion text lost there is marked “…”. The staged ref probably covers chapters 25–26 of the letter. A marginal reference (“Rom. iii, 23”) printed in the text is also removed.
- 1 Cor 2:11–12; Jas 1:17; Ps 116:11 (115:2 LXX); Rom 3:23; Jude 6; Job 4:18, 15:15, 25:5; 1 Cor 6:3; Ezek 28:12–14; Luke 10:18; Wis 1:7; Ps 139:7 (138:7 LXX); Wis 12:1; Deut 32:8; Job 1:6; Gen 28:12.
Notes on the original text
- Digital text corrected (a misplaced passage from Athanasius, Orations against the Arians 3.30-32, printed in the scan in place of the lost text; marginal Scripture reference printed in the text): ἐλαττοῦνται Rom. ιιι, 23. τούτῳ → ἐλαττοῦνται τούτῳ; ἔπεμψε τὸν ἑαυτοῦ Υἳὸν γενόμενον ἐκ γυναικὸς, γενόμενον ὑπὸ νόμον), τότε εἴρηται, ὅτι σάρκα προσλαβὼν γεγένηται ἄνθρωπις, καὶ ἐν ταύτῃ πέπονθεν ὑπὲρ ἡμῶν, ὡς εἶπεν 6 Πέτροςο Χριστοῦ οὖν παθὸντος ὑπὲρ ἡμῶν σαρκίο ’ἱνα δειχθῇ, καί πάντες πιστεύσωμεν, ὅτι, ἀεὶ ὣν Θεὸς, καὶ ἁγιάζων, πρὸς οὓς ἐγένετο, διακοσμῶν τε κατᾶ τὸ βούλημα τοῦ Πατρὸς τὰ πάντα, ὕστερον καὶ διʼ ἡμᾶς γέγονεν ἅνθρωπος, καὶ σωματικῶς, ὣς φησιν ὁ Ἀπόστολος, κατῴκησεν ἡ θεὸτης ἐν τῇ σαρκί· ἴσον τῷ φάναι, Θεὸς ὣν, ἴδιον ἔσχε σῶμα, καὶ τούτῳ χρώμενος ὀργάνῳ, γέγονεν ἄνθρωπος διʼ ἡμᾶς. Καὶ διὰ τοῦτο τὰ μὲν ἴδια ταύτης αὐτοῦ λέγεται, ἐπειδὴ ἐν αὐτῇ ἦν, οἷά ἐστι τὸ πεινῇν, τὸ διψῇν, τὸ πάσχειν, τὸ κοπιᾷν, καὶ τὰ ὅμοια, ὧν ἐστιν ἡ σὰρξ δεκτική· τὰ δὲ αὐτοῦ τοῦ Λόγου ἴδια ἔργα, οἷά ἔστι, τὸ ἐγείρειν νεκροὺς, καὶ τυφλοὺς ποιεῖν ἀναβλέπειν, καὶ τὴν αἱμοῤῥοοῦσαν ἰᾶσθαι αὐτὸν, διὰ τοῦ ἰδίου σώματος αὐτὸς ἐποίει· καὶ 6 μὲν Λόγος τὰς τῆς σαρκὸς ἐβάσταζεν ἀσθενείας, ὡς ἰδίας · αὐτοῦ γὰρ ἧν ἡ σάρξ° καὶ ἡ σὰρξ δὲ ὑπούργει τοῖς τῆς θεότη.. τος ἔργοις, ὅτι ἐν αὐτῇ ἐγένετο Θεοῦ γὰρ ἦν σῶμα. Εὖ δὲ 6 προφήτης εἴρηκεν, ἐβάσταξεʼ καὶ ούκ εἴρηκε, Τὰς ἀσθενείας ἡμῶν αὐτὸς ἐθεράπευσεν, ἵνα μή, ὡς ἐκτὸς ὢν τοῦ σώματος, καί μόνον αὐτὸ ἰασάμενος, ὠς ἀεὶ πεποίηκεν, ὑπευθύνους πάλιν τοῦ Θανάτου τοὺς ἀνθρώπους καταλείψῃ. Τάς δὲ ἀσθενείας ἡμῶν βαστάζει, καὶ τὰς ἁμαρτίας ἡμῶν αὐτὸς φέρει, ἵνα δειχθῇ ὅτι τι ἅνθρωπος διʼ ἡμᾶς γέγονε, καὶ σῶμα τὸ ἐν αὐτῷ (ρὲρον αὐτὰς αὐτοῦ ἴδιόν ἔστι· καὶ αὐτὸς μὲν οὐδὲν ἐβλάπτετο ἆναιρέρων τὰς ἁμαρτίας ἡμῶν ἐπὶ τὸ ξύλον τῷ σώματι αὐτοῦ, ὠς εἶπεν ὁ Πέτρος· ἡμεῖς δὲ οἱ ἅνθρωποι, ἀπὸ μὲν τῶν ἰδίων παθῶν ἐλυτρούμεθα, τῆς δὲ τοῦ Λόγου δικαιοσύνης ἰπληρούμεθα 32. ’Όθεν τῆς σαρκὸς πασχούσης, οὐκ ἦν ἐκτὸς ταύτης 6 Λόγος· διὰ τοῦτο γὰρ αὐτοῦ λέγεται καὶ τὸ πάθος- καὶ θεϊκῶς δὲ ποιοῦντος αὐτοῦ τὰ ἔργα τοῦ Πατρὸς, οὐκ ἦν ἔξωθεν αὐτοῦ ἡ σάρξ· ἀλλʼ ἐν αὺτῷ τῷ σώματι ταῦτα πάλιν 6 Κύριος ἐποίειο διὰ τοῦτο → .
Extrabiblical texts: Wis 1:7 (Wisdom of Solomon [in RC, EO, ETH canons]; allusion); Wis 12:1 (Wisdom of Solomon [in RC, EO, ETH canons]; quotation)
Topics: Trinity
Cite (SBL): Athanasius, Ep. Serap. 1.25 (PG 26:588b–593a; trans. Sophia Scriptura, https://sophiascriptura.com/fathers/athanasius-epistulae-serapionem/1-10/#p-1-25). (abbreviation not yet checked)
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Translation: Translated by Claude from the Migne PG 26 scan text; no public-domain English exists, so it was re-read against the Greek.
1.27PG 26:593a–593b
Πάλιν γὰρ καὶ ἐκ τούτων ἄν τις ἷδοι τὸ Πνεῦμα τὸ ἅγιον, ὡς μεθεκτόν ἐστι καὶ οὐ μετέχον (τὰ αὐτὰ γὰρ λέγειν οὐκ ὀκνητέον). ι( ’Λδόνατον γὰρ, υ φησὶ, α τοὺς ἅπαξ φωτισθέντας, γευσαμένους τε τῆς δωρεᾶς ν τῆς ἐπουρανίου, καὶ μετόχους Πνεύματος ἁγίου γενος μένους, καὶ καλὸν γευσαμένους Θεοῦ ῥῆμα, ›› καὶτὰ ἑξῆς. O't δὲ ἄγγελοι, καὶ τὰ ἄλλα κτίσματα μετέχοντά ἐστιν αὐτοῦ τοῦ Πνεύματος· διὰ τοῦτο γάρ ταῦτα μὶν καὶ ἐκπίπτειν οὗ μετέσχον δύναται τὸ δὲ Πνεῦμα ἀεὶ τὸ αὐτό ἐστιν· οὐ γὰρ τῶν μετεχόντων ἐστὶν, ἀλλʼ αὐτοῦ τὰ πάντα μετέχει. Εἴ δὲ τοῦτο μὲν ἀεὶ τὸ ι ~ 5 αὐτό ἐστι καὶ μεθεκτὸν, τὰ δὲ κτίσματα μετὲχοντά ἐστιν αὐτοῦʼ οὐκ ἂν εἴη τὸ Πνεῦμα τὸ ἅγιον οὔτε ἅγγελος, οὕτε ὅλως κτίσμα, ἀλλʼ ἴδιον τοὸ Λόγου, παρʼ οῦ διδόμενον μετέγεται παρὰ τῶν κτισμάτων· ἐπεὶ ὥρα λίγειν αὐτοὺς καὶ τὸν Υίὸν κτίσμα, οὗ πάντες ἐν τῷ Πνεύματι μέτοχοι γεγόναμεν. Καὶ πάλιν ἓν ἐστι τὸ Πνεύμα τὸ ἅγιονʼ τὰ δὲ κτίσματα πολλά. 1’Λγγελοι μὲν γὰρ γίλιαι χιλιάδες καὶ μύριαι μυριάδες· φωστῆρες δὲ πολλοὶ, καὶ θρόνοι, καὶ κυριότητες, καὶ οὐρανοὶ, καὶ χερουβὶμ, καὶ σεραφέμ, καὶ ἆρχάγγελοι πολλοί ' καὶ ἁπλῶς οὐκ ἔστι τὰ κτίσματα ἓν, ἀλλὰ πάντα πολλὰ καὶ διάφορα. Ei δὲ τὸ μὲν Πνεῦμα τὸ ἅγιον ἓν ἐστι,τά δὲ κτίσματα πολλὰ, καὶ ἄγγελοι πολλοί ποία ὁμοιότης τῷ Πνεῦματι πρὸς τὰ γενητά; Καὶ οὐκ ἄδηλον, ὅτι οὐκ ἔστι τῶν πολλῶν τὸ Πνεῦμα, ἀλλʼ οὐδὲ ἅγγελος, ἀλλʼ ἓν ’ὀν, μᾶλλον δὲ τοῦ Λόγου ἑνὸς ὅντος ἴδιον, καὶ τοῦ Θεοῦ ἐνὸς ὄντος ἴδιον καὶ ὁμοοόσιόν ἐστι. Ταῦτα μὶν οῦν καὶ μόναηκαίΥ ἑαυτᾶ λεγόμενα περὶ τοῦ ἁγίου ΙΙνεόματος δείκνυσιν αὐτὸ μηδὲν κοινὸν μηδὲ ἴδιον ἔχειν τι τῇ φύσει καὶ τῇ οὐσίᾳ πρὸς τὰ κτίσματα, ἀλλʼ ἄλλο μὲν εἶναι τῶν γενητῶν, ἴδιον δὲ καὶ οὐ ξένον τῆς τοῦ Υἱοῦ οὐσίας καὶ θεότητος, διʼ ἢν καὶ τῆς ἁγίας Τριάδος δν, καταισχύνει τήν ἐκείνων ἀναισθησίαν.
Palin gar kai ek toutōn an tis hidoi to Pneuma to hagion, hōs methekton esti kai ou metechon (ta auta gar legein ouk oknēteon). i( ’Ldonaton gar, y phēsi, a tous hapax phōtisthentas, geusamenous te tēs dōreas n tēs epouraniou, kai metochous Pneumatos hagiou genos menous, kai kalon geusamenous Theou rhēma, ›› kaita hexēs. O't de angeloi, kai ta alla ktismata metechonta estin autou tou Pneumatos; dia touto gar tauta min kai ekpiptein hou meteschon dynatai to de Pneuma aei to auto estin; ou gar tōn metechontōn estin, allʼ autou ta panta metechei. Ei de touto men aei to i ~ 5 auto esti kai methekton, ta de ktismata metechonta estin autouʼ ouk an eiē to Pneuma to hagion oute hangelos, houte holōs ktisma, allʼ idion too Logou, parʼ ou didomenon metegetai para tōn ktismatōn; epei hōra ligein autous kai ton Uion ktisma, hou pantes en tǭ Pneumati metochoi gegonamen. Kai palin hen esti to Pneuma to hagionʼ ta de ktismata polla. 1’Lngeloi men gar giliai chiliades kai myriai myriades; phōstēres de polloi, kai thronoi, kai kyriotētes, kai ouranoi, kai cheroubim, kai seraphem, kai archangeloi polloi ' kai haplōs ouk esti ta ktismata hen, alla panta polla kai diaphora. Ei de to men Pneuma to hagion hen esti,ta de ktismata polla, kai angeloi polloi poia homoiotēs tǭ Pneumati pros ta genēta? Kai ouk adēlon, hoti ouk esti tōn pollōn to Pneuma, allʼ oude hangelos, allʼ hen ’on, mallon de tou Logou henos hontos idion, kai tou Theou enos ontos idion kai homooosion esti. Tauta min oun kai monaēkaiY heauta legomena peri tou hagiou IIneomatos deiknysin auto mēden koinon mēde idion echein ti tę̄ physei kai tę̄ ousią pros ta ktismata, allʼ allo men einai tōn genētōn, idion de kai ou xenon tēs tou Huiou ousias kai theotētos, diʼ ēn kai tēs hagias Triados dn, kataischynei tēn ekeinōn anaisthēsian.
Again, from these things too one may see that the Holy Spirit is partaken of and does not partake (for we must not hesitate to say the same things). “For it is impossible,” it says, “for those who have once been enlightened, and have tasted the heavenly gift, and have become partakers of the Holy Spirit, and have tasted the good word of God,” and what follows. But the angels and the other creatures partake of the Spirit himself; for this reason they can also fall away from what they partook of; but the Spirit is always the same, for he is not one of those who partake, but all things partake of him. And if he is always the same and is partaken of, while the creatures partake of him, the Holy Spirit would be neither an angel nor a creature at all, but proper to the Word, given by whom he is partaken of by the creatures; otherwise it is time for them to call the Son too a creature, of whom we have all become partakers in the Spirit. And again, the Holy Spirit is one, but the creatures are many. For the angels are thousands of thousands and myriads of myriads; and the luminaries are many, and thrones and dominions and heavens and cherubim and seraphim and archangels are many; and in short the creatures are not one, but all are many and different. But if the Holy Spirit is one, while the creatures are many and the angels many, what likeness has the Spirit with originated things? And it is not unclear that the Spirit is not one of the many, nor an angel either, but being one—or rather, being proper to the Word, who is one, and proper to God, who is one—he is of the same essence. These things, then, said about the Holy Spirit even taken by themselves, show that he has nothing in common or proper by nature and essence with the creatures, but is other than originated things, and proper to, and not foreign from, the essence and Godhead of the Son, through which, being of the holy Triad, he puts their senselessness to shame.
Heb 6:4 (quotation, high confidence) · Heb 6:5 (quotation, high confidence) · Dan 7:10 (allusion, high confidence) · Col 1:16 (allusion, medium confidence)
Notes and citation
Summary: Creatures partake of the Spirit and can fall, while the Spirit is partaken of and is one, not many; so he is of the same essence as the Son and the Father.
- Heb 6:4–5; Dan 7:10; Col 1:16.
- ὁμοούσιον (“of the same essence”) is here said of the Spirit.
Topics: Trinity
Cite (SBL): Athanasius, Ep. Serap. 1.27 (PG 26:593a–593b; trans. Sophia Scriptura, https://sophiascriptura.com/fathers/athanasius-epistulae-serapionem/1-10/#p-1-27). (abbreviation not yet checked)
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Translation: Translated by Claude from the Migne PG 26 scan text; no public-domain English exists, so it was re-read against the Greek.
1.28PG 26:593b–596c
’Ίδωμεν δὲ ὅμως καὶ πρὸς τούτοις καὶ αὖ· τήν τήν ἐξ ἀρχῆς παράδοσιν καὶ διδασκαλίαν καὶ πίστιν τῆς καΘοΛικῆς Ἑκκλησίας, ἦν ὁ μὲν Κύριος ἔδωκεν, οἱ δὲ ἀπόστολοι ἐκήρυξαν, καὶ οι πατέρες ἐφύλαξαν. ’Ev ταύτῃ γὰρ ἠ Ἐκκλησία τεθεμελίωται, καὶ ὁ ταύτης ἐκπίπτων οὔτʼ ἂν εἴη, οὔτʼ ἂν ἔτι λέγοιτο Χριστιανός. Τριᾶς τοίνυν ἁγία καὶ τελεία ἐστὶν, ἐν Ιιατρί καί Υἱῷ καῖ ἁγίῳ ῘΙνεὺματι θεολογουμένη, οὐδὲν ἀλλότριον ἢ ἔξωθεν ἐπιμιγνύμενον ἔχουσα, οὐδὲ ἐκ δημιουργοῦ καὶ γενητοῦ συνισταμένη, ἀλλʼ ὅλη τοῦ κτίζειν καὶ δημιουργεῖν οὖσα ὁμοία δὲ ἑαυτῇ καὶ ἀδιαίρετός ἐστι τῇ φύσει, καὶ μία ταύτης ἡ ἐνέργεια. '0 γᾶρ Πατήρ διὰ τοῦ Λόγου ἐν Ιινεὺματι ἁγίῳ τὰ πάντα ποιεῖ· καὶ οὕτως ἡ ἑνότης τῆς ἁγίας Τριάδος σώζεταιο καὶ οὕτως εἷς Θεὸς ἐν τῇ Ἐκκλησίᾳ κηρύττεται, ‹‹ ὁ ἐπὶ πάντων, καὶ διὰ πάντων, καὶ ἐν πᾶσιν. ›› ‹‹ Ἐπὶ πάντων ›› μὲν ὡς Πατήρ, ὡς ἀρχὴ, καὶ πηγή· ‹‹ διὰ πάντων ›› δὲ διὰ τοῦ ‘ Λόγου· ι ἐν πᾶσι ›› δὲ ἐν τῷ ΙΙνεύμάτι τῷ ἁγίῳ. Τριὰς δέ ἐστιν οὑχ ἓως ὀνόματος μόνον καὶ φαντασίας λέξεως ἀλλά ἀληθείᾳ καὶ ὑπάρξει Τριάς. ’Ὠσπερ γὰρ ὁ ὤ ἐστιν ὁ Πατὴρ, οὕτως ὁ ὥν ἐστι καὶ ἐπὶ πάντων Θεὸς ὁτούτου Λόγος. Καὶ τὸ Πνεῦμα τὸ ἅγιον οὑκ ἀνύπαρκτόν ἐστιν, ἀλλʼ ὑπάρχει καὶ ὑφέστηκεν ἀληθῶς. Καὶ οὔτε ἔλαττον τούτων φρονεῖ ἡ καθολική Ἐκκλησία, *ίνα μή εἰς τοὺς νῦν κατὰ Καϊάφαν Ἰουδαίους καὶ εἰς Σαβἑλλιον ἐμπέσῃ” 0"u'ce πλεῖον ἐπινοεῖ, ἵνα μὴ είς τὴν Ἑλλήνων ποῃθεότητα-κυλισθῇ. Καὶ ὅτι αὕτη ὴ πίστις τῆς Ἐιᾶλησίας ἐστὶ, μαθέτωσαν πῶς ὁ μὶν Κύριος ἀποστέλλων τοὺς ἀποστόλους παρήγγειλε τοῦτον θεμὲλιον τιθέναι τῇ Ἐκγλησίᾳ λέγωνʼ «Πορευθέντες μαθητεῦσατε πάντα τὰ ἔθνη, βαπτίζοντες αὐτοὺς εἷς τὸ ὄνομα τοῦ ηατρὸς καὶ τοῦ Υἱοῦ καὶ τοῦ ἁγίου Πνεὺματος. n Oi δὲ ἀπόστολοι, πορευθέντες, οὕτως ἐδίδαξαν· καὶ τοῦτό ἐστιν εἰς πᾶσαν τὴν ὑπʼ οὐρανὸν Ἐκκλησίαν τὸ κήρυγμα·
’Idōmen de homōs kai pros toutois kai au; tēn tēn ex archēs paradosin kai didaskalian kai pistin tēs kaThoLikēs Hekklēsias, ēn ho men Kyrios edōken, hoi de apostoloi ekēryxan, kai oi pateres ephylaxan. ’Ev tautę̄ gar ē Ekklēsia tethemeliōtai, kai ho tautēs ekpiptōn outʼ an eiē, outʼ an eti legoito Christianos. Trias toinyn hagia kai teleia estin, en Iiatri kai Huiǭ kai hagiǭ IIneumati theologoumenē, ouden allotrion ē exōthen epimignymenon echousa, oude ek dēmiourgou kai genētou synistamenē, allʼ holē tou ktizein kai dēmiourgein ousa homoia de heautę̄ kai adiairetos esti tę̄ physei, kai mia tautēs hē energeia. '0 gar Patēr dia tou Logou en Iineumati hagiǭ ta panta poiei; kai houtōs hē henotēs tēs hagias Triados sōzetaio kai houtōs heis Theos en tę̄ Ekklēsią kēryttetai, ‹‹ ho epi pantōn, kai dia pantōn, kai en pasin. ›› ‹‹ Epi pantōn ›› men hōs Patēr, hōs archē, kai pēgē; ‹‹ dia pantōn ›› de dia tou ‘ Logou; i en pasi ›› de en tǭ IIneumati tǭ hagiǭ. Trias de estin houch heōs onomatos monon kai phantasias lexeōs alla alētheią kai hyparxei Trias. ’Ōsper gar ho ō estin ho Patēr, houtōs ho hōn esti kai epi pantōn Theos hotoutou Logos. Kai to Pneuma to hagion houk anyparkton estin, allʼ hyparchei kai hyphestēken alēthōs. Kai oute elatton toutōn phronei hē katholikē Ekklēsia, *ina mē eis tous nyn kata Kaïaphan Ioudaious kai eis Sabellion empesę̄” 0"u'ce pleion epinoei, hina mē eis tēn Hellēnōn poę̄theotēta-kylisthę̄. Kai hoti hautē ē pistis tēs Eialēsias esti, mathetōsan pōs ho min Kyrios apostellōn tous apostolous parēngeile touton themelion tithenai tę̄ Ekglēsią legōnʼ «Poreuthentes mathēteusate panta ta ethnē, baptizontes autous heis to onoma tou ēatros kai tou Huiou kai tou hagiou Pneumatos. n Oi de apostoloi, poreuthentes, houtōs edidaxan; kai touto estin eis pasan tēn hypʼ ouranon Ekklēsian to kērygma;
But let us look, besides these, at the very tradition and teaching and faith of the catholic church from the beginning, which the Lord gave, the apostles preached, and the fathers kept. For on this the church has been founded, and whoever falls away from it would neither be, nor any longer be called, a Christian. There is, then, a holy and perfect Triad, confessed as God in Father and Son and Holy Spirit, having nothing foreign or mixed in from outside, nor composed of creator and originated, but wholly belonging to the one who creates and makes; and it is like itself and indivisible in nature, and its activity is one. For the Father does all things through the Word in the Holy Spirit; and in this way the oneness of the holy Triad is preserved; and in this way one God is preached in the church, “who is over all and through all and in all”: “over all” as Father, as beginning and fountain; “through all” through the Word; “in all” in the Holy Spirit. And it is a Triad not in name only and in an imagined form of speech, but a Triad in truth and in existence. For as the Father is He who is, so his Word too is He who is, and God over all. And the Holy Spirit is not without existence, but exists and truly subsists. And the catholic church neither thinks less than this, lest it fall in with the present Jews who follow Caiaphas, and with Sabellius; nor does it devise more, lest it roll into the polytheism of the Greeks. And that this is the faith of the church, let them learn how the Lord, when sending the apostles, commanded them to lay this foundation for the church, saying, “Go, make disciples of all the nations, baptizing them into the name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit.” And the apostles went and taught so; and this is the preaching to the whole church under heaven.
Eph 4:6 (quotation, high confidence) · Rom 9:5 (allusion, high confidence) · Exod 3:14 (allusion, medium confidence) · Matt 28:19 (quotation, high confidence)
Notes and citation
Summary: The church’s faith from the beginning is in one holy Triad, Father, Son, and Spirit, one in nature and activity, as Christ commanded in the baptismal formula.
- θεολογουμένη is rendered “confessed as God”. Eph 4:6; Rom 9:5; Exod 3:14 (He who is); Matt 28:19.
Topics: Trinity, Baptism, Heresy
Cite (SBL): Athanasius, Ep. Serap. 1.28 (PG 26:593b–596c; trans. Sophia Scriptura, https://sophiascriptura.com/fathers/athanasius-epistulae-serapionem/1-10/#p-1-28). (abbreviation not yet checked)
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Translation: Translated by Claude from the Migne PG 26 scan text; no public-domain English exists, so it was re-read against the Greek.