# Letters to Serapion - Author: [Athanasius of Alexandria](https://sophiascriptura.com/fathers/authors/athanasius/) - Latin title: *Epistulae ad Serapionem* - Date: ca. 357–360 (approximate) - Source: J.-P. Migne, ed., Patrologiae cursus completus, Series Graeca 26 (Paris: Migne, 1857), Epistulae ad Serapionem (reprinting the Benedictine edition of B. de Montfaucon, Paris, 1698) - Translation: Claude, from the original text, unless a passage says otherwise; each passage below gives the translator - Editions and translations: Hans-Georg Opitz et al., eds., Athanasius Werke, vol. 2 (Berlin: de Gruyter, 1935–) - Work page: https://sophiascriptura.com/fathers/athanasius-epistulae-serapionem/ - Passages: 54 ## Letters to Serapion 1.1 - URL: https://sophiascriptura.com/fathers/athanasius-epistulae-serapionem/1-1/#p-1-1 - Source: PG 26:529a–532c - Translation: Claude (claude-opus-5-5), 2026-10-09 Summary: Writing from the desert, Athanasius answers Serapion’s report that some who left the Arians now call the Holy Spirit a creature, one of the ministering spirits. ### Greek text Τὰ γραμματα τῆς σῆς ἱερᾶς διαθέσεως ἀπεδόθη μοι ἐν τῇ ἐρήμῳ. Καὶ αἶ καὶ πικρός τις ἦν ὁ καθʼ ἡμῶν διωγμὸς ἐπικείμενος, καὶ πολλή ἔρευνα τῶν ζητούντων ἡμᾶς ἀνελεῖν· ἀλλʼ ‹‹ ὁ Πατὴρ τῶν οἰκτιρμῶν καὶ Θεὸς πάσης παρακλήσεως, ›› παρεκάλεσεν ἡμᾶς καὶ ἐν τοῖς γράμμασί σου. Ἀναμιμνησκόμινος γὰρ τῆς σῆς διαθέσεως καὶ πάντων τῶν γνησίων, ἔδοξα τούτους σὺν ἐμοὶ τότε παρεῖναι. Ἐπιπολὺ μὲν οὗν ἔχαιρον κατέχων τὰ γράμματα* ὡς δὶ τούτοις ἐνέτυχον, ἠρξάμην πάλιν ἀθυμεῖν διὰ τοὺς ἅπαξ μελετήσαντας μάχεσθαι πρὸς τὴν ἀλήθειαν. Ἔγραφες γὰρ, ἀγαπητὲ καὶ άληθῶς ποθεινότατε, λυπούμονος καὶ αὐτὸς, ὡς ἐξελθόντων μέν τινων ἀπὸ τῶν Ἀρειανῶν διὰ τὴν κατὰ τοῦ Υἱοῦ τοῦ Θεοῦ βλασφημίαν, φρονούντων δὲ κατὰ τοῦ ἁγίου Πνεύματος, καὶ λεγόντων αὐτὸ μή μόνον κτίσμα, ἀλλὰ καὶτῶν λειτουργικῶν πνευμάτων ἓν αὐτὸ εἶναικαὶ βαθμῷ μόνον αὐτὸ διαφέρειν τῶν ἀγγέλων. Τοῦτο δέ ἐστι πρὸς μὲν τοὺς Ἀρειανοῦς προσποιητὸς μάχη·ἀληθὴς δὲ ἀντιλογία πρὸς τήν εὐσεβῆ πίστιν. Ὥσπερ γὰρ ἐκεῖνοι, ἀρνούμενοι τὸν Υἱὸν, ἀρνοῦνται καὶ τὸν Πατέρα· οὕτω καὶ οὗτοι, δυσφημοῦντες είς τὸ Πνεῦμα τὸ ἅγιον, δοσφημοῦσι καὶ είς τὸν Υἱόν. Καὶ ἀμφότερα τὰ μέρη διείλοντο τὴν πρὸς τήν ἀλήθειαν ἀντίστασιν, τίνʼ οἱ μὶν κατᾶ τοῦ Λόγου, οἱ δὲ κατὰ τοῦ Πνεύματος φρονοῦντες, τήν αὐτὴν ἔχωσιν εἷς τὴν ἁγίαν Τριαδα βλασφημίαν. Ταῦτʼ οῦν συνορῶν καὶ πολλὰ λογιζόμενος, έν ἀθυμίαν γέγονα, ὅτι πάλιν εὗρε παίζειν ὁ διάβολος ἐν τοῖς ὑποκρινομένοις τήν λανίαν αὐτοῦ· καὶ κρίνας μὴν ἥμην σιωπᾷν έν τοιούτῳ καιρῷ· διὰ δὲ τήν προτροπὴν τῆς σῆς ὁσιότητος, ἓνεκά τε τῆς ἐκείνων ἀλλοδοξίας καὶ σατανικῆς προπετείας, διʼ ὀλίγων ἔγραψα τὴν ἐπιστολὴν, μόγις καὶ ταῦτα δυνηθεὶς,ίνα μόνον καὶ σὺ, πρόφασιν ἐκ τούτων λαβὼν, κατά τὴν προσοῦσάν σοι σύνεσιν τὰ λείποντα προσθῇς, καὶ πλήρης ὁ κατὰ τῆς δυσσεβοῦς αἱρέσεως ἔλεγχος γένηται. ### English translation (Claude) The letter of your holy affection was delivered to me in the desert. Although the persecution pressing on us was bitter, and there was a great search by those who seek to kill us, yet “the Father of mercies and God of all comfort” comforted us through your letter too. For as I remembered your affection and all the genuine brothers, I seemed to have them present with me then. So I was very glad as I held your letter; but when I read it, I began to be disheartened again because of those who have once made it their practice to fight against the truth. For you wrote, beloved and truly most dear, grieving yourself, that some, though they have left the Arians because of their blasphemy against the Son of God, nevertheless think against the Holy Spirit, saying that he is not only a creature but even one of the ministering spirits, and differs from the angels only in degree. This is a pretended fight against the Arians, but a real contradiction of the pious faith. For as those, by denying the Son, deny the Father too, so these, by speaking ill of the Holy Spirit, speak ill of the Son too. And the two parties have divided between them the opposition to the truth, so that, the one thinking against the Word and the other against the Spirit, they hold the same blasphemy against the holy Triad. Seeing these things, then, and reflecting much, I became disheartened that the devil has again found sport in those who act out his madness; and I had decided to keep silent at such a time. But at the urging of your holiness, and because of their heterodoxy and satanic rashness, I have written this letter briefly, and even this with difficulty, only so that you too, taking occasion from it, may add what is lacking according to the understanding you have, and the refutation of the impious heresy may be complete. ### Scripture references - 2 Cor 1:3: quotation, high confidence - Heb 1:14: allusion, high confidence - 1 John 2:23: allusion, medium confidence ### Translation notes - Athanasius writes to Serapion, bishop of Thmuis, during his third exile (356–362), when he was hiding among the monks of the Egyptian desert. - 2 Cor 1:3; Heb 1:14 (ministering spirits); 1 John 2:23. ### Citation (SBL) Athanasius, Ep. Serap. 1.1 (PG 26:529a–532c; trans. Sophia Scriptura, https://sophiascriptura.com/fathers/athanasius-epistulae-serapionem/1-1/#p-1-1). ## Letters to Serapion 1.2 - URL: https://sophiascriptura.com/fathers/athanasius-epistulae-serapionem/1-1/#p-1-2 - Source: PG 26:532c–533c - Translation: Claude (claude-opus-5-5), 2026-10-09 Summary: Those who call the Spirit a creature divide the Triad into creator and creature, and so err about the Son and the Father too. ### Greek text Τῶν μὶν οῦν Ἀρειανῶν οὐκ ἀλλότριον καὶ τοῦτο ἐνθύμημα. Ἅπαξ γὰρ ἀρνούμενοι τὸν τοῦ Θεοῦ Λόγον εἰκότως τὰ αὐτά καί κατὰ τοῦ Πνεύματος αὖ· τοῦ δυσφημοῦσι. Διὸ καὶ οὐ χρὴ πλέον τι πρὸς αὐτοὺς εἰπεῖν· ἀρκεῖ γὰρ τὰ πρὸ τούτων εἰρημένα κατʼ αὐτῶν. Πρὸς δὲ τοὸς περὶ τοῦ Πνεύματος ἀπατηθέντας, τρόπῳ τινὶ, ὡς ἃν αὐτοὶ φαῖεν, προσήκει διιρευνῶντας εἰπεῖνʼ Τούτων γὰρ καὶ θαυμάσειεν ἂν τις τήν ἄνοιαν, ὃτι τὸν Υἱὸν τοῦ Θεοῦ μὴ Θέλοντες κτίσμα εἶναι, καὶ καλῶς γε κατὰ τοῦτο φρονοῦντες πῶς οὸ Πνεῦμα τοῦ Υἱοῦ κτίσμα κᾶν ἀκοῦσαι ἠνέσχοντο ; Καὶ γὰρ εἰ διὰ τὴν πρὸς τὸν Ιῐατᾶρα τοῦ Λόγου ἑνότητα, ού Οέλουσιν εἶναι τῶν γενητῶη αύτὸν τὸν Υἳὸν, ἀλλʼ ὅπερ ἐστὶν ἀληθῶς, δημιουργὸν αὐτὸν εἶναι τῶν ποιημάτων φρονοῦσι· διὰ τί τὸ Πνεῦμα τὸ ἅγιον τὸ τὴν αὐτὴν ἔχον ἑνότητα πρὸς τὸν Υἱόν, ἣν αὐτὸς ἔχει πρὸς τὸν Ιῐατέρα, κτίσμα λέγουσι, καὶ ἠγνόησαν, ὅτι, ὥσπερ μή διαιροῦντες τὸν Υἱὸν ἀπὸ τοῦ Ιῐατρὸς, σώζουσι τὸἕνα Θεὸν εἶναι, οὕτω, διαιροῦντες ἀπὸ τοῦ Λόγου τὸ Πνεῦμα, ούκὲτι μίαν τὴν ἐν Τριάδι θεότητα σώζουσι, σχίζοντες αὐτὴν καὶ ἐπιμίσγοντες αὐτῇ ἀλλοτρίαν καὶ ἐτεροειδῆ φύσιν, καὶ τοῖς κτίσμασι συνεξισοῦντες αὐτήν; Τοῦτο δὲ πάλιν οὐκέτι ἓν εἶναι δείκνυσι τὴν Τριάδα, ἀλλᾶ ἐκ δύο καὶ διαφόρων φύσεων συγκειμένην αὐτὴν, διὰ τὸ ἓτεροούσιον τοῦ [Ῑνεύματος, ὡς αὐτοὶ ἑαυτοῖς ἀνεπλέσαντο Ποία οῦν αὕτη θεολογία Χἐκ δημιουρ· γοῦ καὶ κτίσματος συγκειμένη; Ἢ γὰρ οὐ Τριάς ἐστιν, ἀΛλᾶ δυὰς, καὶ λοιπὸν ἡ κτίσις, ἢ, εί Τριάς ἐστιν, ὥσπερ οῦν καί ἐστι, πῶς τοῖς μετὰ τὴν Τριάδα κτίσμασι συντάττουσι τὸ τῆς Τριάδος ΙΙνεῦμα; Τοῦτο γάρ ἐστι πάλιν διαιρεῖν καὶ διαλύειν τὴν Τριάδα. Οὐκοῦν, κακῶς φρονοῦντες περὶ τοῦ ΙΙνεύματος τοῦ ἁγίου, οὐδὲ περὶ τοῦ Υἱοῦ καλῶς φρονοῦσιν Εἴ γὰρ ἐφρόνουν ὀρθῶς περὶ τοῦ Λὸγου, ἐφρόνουν ὑγιῶς καὶ περὶ τοῦ ΙΙνεύματος, ὃ παρὰ τοῦ ΙΙατρὸς ἐκπορεύεται, καὶ τοῦ Υἱοῦ ἴδιον ὃν, παρʼ αὐτοῦ δίδοται τοῖς μαθηταῖς καὶ πᾶσι τοῖς πιστεύουσιν είς αὐτόν. Οὕτω δὲ πλανώμενοι, οὐδὲ περὶ τοῦ Ιῐατρὸς ὑγιῆ τήν πίστιν ἔχουσιν. Οἳ γὰρ ἀντικείμενοι τῷ ΙΙνεύματι, ὡς εἶπεν ὁ μέγας μάρτυς Στέφανος, οὗτοι καὶ τὸν Υίὸν ἀρνοῦνται. Τὸν δὲ Υἱὸν ἀρνούμενοι, οὐδὲ τὸν Πατέρα ἔχουσι. ### English translation (Claude) This notion too is not foreign to the Arians. For having once denied the Word of God, they naturally speak the same ill of his Spirit too. So there is no need to say anything more to them; what has been said against them before is enough. But to those who have been deceived about the Spirit it is fitting to speak, examining the matter “in some manner,” as they themselves would say. For one might marvel at their folly: not wishing the Son of God to be a creature, and thinking rightly in this, how have they endured even to hear that the Spirit of the Son is a creature? For if, because of the oneness of the Word with the Father, they will not have the Son himself be one of the originated things, but think—as is true—that he is the creator of the things made, why do they call the Holy Spirit a creature, who has the same oneness with the Son that the Son has with the Father? And they did not know that, as by not dividing the Son from the Father they preserve that God is one, so by dividing the Spirit from the Word they no longer preserve the one Godhead in the Triad, splitting it and mixing into it a foreign nature of another kind, and making it equal with the creatures. And this again shows that the Triad is no longer one, but composed of two different natures, because of the Spirit’s being of another essence, as they have fabricated for themselves. What sort of theology is this, composed of creator and creature? For either it is not a Triad but a Dyad, with creation besides; or, if it is a Triad, as indeed it is, how do they rank the Spirit of the Triad with the creatures that come after the Triad? For this again is to divide and dissolve the Triad. So, thinking wrongly about the Holy Spirit, they do not think rightly about the Son either. For if they thought rightly about the Word, they would think soundly about the Spirit too, who proceeds from the Father, and, being proper to the Son, is given by him to the disciples and to all who believe in him. And going astray in this way, they do not have a sound faith about the Father either. For those who oppose the Spirit, as the great martyr Stephen said, deny the Son too; and denying the Son, they do not have the Father either. ### Scripture references - John 15:26: allusion, high confidence - Acts 7:51: allusion, high confidence - 1 John 2:23: allusion, high confidence ### Translation notes - “In some manner” (τρόπῳ τινί) appears to play on the name Tropici (“figurists”), which Athanasius gives these opponents later in the letter for their figurative exegesis. - John 15:26 (proceeds from the Father); Acts 7:51 (Stephen); 1 John 2:23. ### Citation (SBL) Athanasius, Ep. Serap. 1.2 (PG 26:532c–533c; trans. Sophia Scriptura, https://sophiascriptura.com/fathers/athanasius-epistulae-serapionem/1-1/#p-1-2). ## Letters to Serapion 1.3 - URL: https://sophiascriptura.com/fathers/athanasius-epistulae-serapionem/1-1/#p-1-3 - Source: PG 26:536a–536d - Translation: Claude (claude-opus-5-5), 2026-10-09 Summary: The opponents base their view on Amos 4:13, “who creates spirit,” but the text says simply “spirit,” not the Holy Spirit, and they interpret Prov 8:22 more carefully. ### Greek text Πόθεν τοίνυν ὑμῖν, ω ουτοι, τῆς τοσαύτης τόλμης ἡ πρόφασις, ὥστε μὴ φοβηθῆναι τὸ ὑπὸ τοῦ Κυρίου ιίρημὲνονο α ’ος δʼ ἂν βλασφημήσῃ εἷς τὸ Πνεῦμα τὸ ἅγιον, οὐκ ἔχει ἄφεσιν οὔτε ἐν τῷ αίῶνι τούτῳ, οὔτε ἐν τῷ μέλλοντι; ›› Οἱ μὶν γὰρ Ἀρειανοὶ, καίτοι τήν ἔνσαρκον παρουσίαν τοῦ Λόγου καὶ τὰ διʼ αὐτὴν εἰρημένα μὴ νοήσαντες, ὅμως ἐξ αὐτῶν πρόφασιν λαβόντες εἷς τὴν ὶαυτῶν αʼίρεσιν, καὶ οὕτως ήλιγχθησαν θεομάχοι καὶ ὡς ἀληθῶς ἀπὸ γῆς κενολογοῦντες Ὑμεῖς δὲ πόθεν ἠπατήθητε; παρὰ τίνων ἀκούσαντες, ἢ τίς ὁ τρόπος τῆς τοιαύτης ὑμῶν πλάνης; Ἀνὲγνωμεν, φασὶν, ἰν τῷ προφήτῃ Ἀμὼς, λὲγοντος τοῦ Θεοῦ, ε ’Ότι Ἰδοὺ ἐγὼ στερεῶν βροντὴν, καὶ κτίζων πνεῦμα, καὶ ἀπαγγὲλλων είς ἀνθρώπους τὸν Χριστὸν αὐτοῦʼ ποιῶν ὄρθρον καὶ ίμίχλην, καὶ ἰπιβαίνων ἐπὶ τὰ ὑψηλὰ τῆς γῆς, Κύριος 6 Θεὸς 6 παντοκράτωρ ὄνομα αὐτῷ. ι) Καὶ ἔνθεν ἐπείσθημεν τοῖς Ἀρειανοῖς λίγουσι κτίσμα εἶναι τὸ Πνεῦμα τὸ ἅγιον. Εἶτα τὸ μὲν παρᾶ τῷ Ἀμὼς ἀνέγνωτε· τὸ δὲ ἐν ταῖς Ῑῐαροιμίαις λεγόμενον, ‹‹ Κύριος ἔκτισὲ με ἀρχὴν ὁδῶν αὑτοῦ είς ἔργα αὖτοῦ, ›› οὐκ ἀνέγνωτε, ἢ ἀνέγνωτε; Καὶ τοῦτο μὶν, ὡς ἔχει ἀληθείας, ὶρμηνεόετε, ’ίνα μὴ εἷʼπητε κτίσμα τὸν Λόγον· τὸ δὲ ὲν τῷ προφήτῃ οὐχ ἆρμηνεόετε, ἀλλὰ ἁπλῶς ἀκούοντες ‹‹ πνεῦμα, » ἰνομίσατε λέγεσθαι κτίσμα τὸ Πνεῦμα τὸ ἅγιον; Καίτοι ἐν μὶν ταῖς Παροιμίαις φανερῶς ἠ Σοφία λέγουσα ἐστι τὸ, ‹‹ ἔκτισὲ με· ›› καὶ ὅμως καλῶς γε ποιοῦντες, ἐρμηνεύετε τὸ ῥητὸν, ’ίνα μή τήν δημιουργὸν Σοφίαν ἰν τοῖς κτίσμασι συναριθμῆτε. Τὸ δὶ ἐν τῷ προφήτῃ ῥητὸν οὐκ ἔχει γνώρισμα περὶ τοῦ ἁγίου Πνεῦματος, ἀλλʼ ἁπλιῦς εἷʼρηται περὶ πνεύματος. Ιῐῶς οὖν, καίτοι πλείστης οὔσης διαφορᾶς ἐν ταῖς Γραφαῖς περὶ πνευμάτων, καὶ δυναμένου τοῦ ῥητοῦ τὴν ἰδίαν διάνοιαν ἔχειν ὀρθὴν, ὑμεῖς, ὡς φιλονεικοῦντες ἢ ὡς ὑπὸ δήγματος τοῦ Ἀρειανοῦ ὄφεως βλαβέντες, τὸ Πνεῦμα τὸ ἅγιον εἱρῆσθαι παρὰ τοῦ Ἀμὼς νομίζετε, τίνα μόνον τοῦ φρονεῖν κτίσμα μὴ ἐπιλάθησθε; ### English translation (Claude) From where, then, do you get the pretext for such daring, that you do not fear what was said by the Lord: “Whoever blasphemes against the Holy Spirit has no forgiveness either in this age or in the age to come”? For the Arians, although they did not understand the Word’s coming in the flesh and what was said on account of it, nevertheless took a pretext from it for their heresy, and so were convicted as God-fighters and truly as people talking idly from the earth. But you, how were you deceived? From whom did you hear it, or what is the manner of your error? “We have read,” they say, “in the prophet Amos, where God says, ‘For behold, I am he who makes firm the thunder and creates spirit, and announces to men his Christ, who makes dawn and mist, and treads upon the high places of the earth; the Lord God Almighty is his name’; and from this we were persuaded by the Arians, who say that the Holy Spirit is a creature.” Then, you have read what is in Amos; but what is said in the Proverbs, “The Lord created me as the beginning of his ways for his works,” have you not read it, or have you? And this you interpret according to the truth, so as not to say that the Word is a creature; but the text in the prophet you do not interpret, but simply on hearing “spirit” you supposed that the Holy Spirit is said to be a creature? Yet in the Proverbs it is plainly Wisdom who says, “He created me”; and nevertheless, rightly, you interpret the text, so as not to number creative Wisdom among the creatures. But the text in the prophet has no mark referring to the Holy Spirit; it is said simply of “spirit.” How, then, when there is a very great variety concerning spirits in the Scriptures, and the text can have its own correct meaning, do you, as though contentious or harmed by the bite of the Arian serpent, suppose that the Holy Spirit is spoken of by Amos, only so as not to forget to think him a creature? ### Scripture references - Matt 12:32: quotation, high confidence - Amos 4:13: quotation, high confidence - Prov 8:22: quotation, high confidence ### Translation notes - Matt 12:32; Amos 4:13 LXX (which reads “announces to men his Christ”); Prov 8:22. ### Citation (SBL) Athanasius, Ep. Serap. 1.3 (PG 26:536a–536d; trans. Sophia Scriptura, https://sophiascriptura.com/fathers/athanasius-epistulae-serapionem/1-1/#p-1-3). ## Letters to Serapion 1.4 - URL: https://sophiascriptura.com/fathers/athanasius-epistulae-serapionem/1-1/#p-1-4 - Source: PG 26:536d–537b - Translation: Claude (claude-opus-5-5), 2026-10-09 Summary: Scripture never calls the Holy Spirit simply “spirit” without an addition such as “of God,” “Holy,” or the article, unless the context has already made the reference clear. ### Greek text Εἴπατε γοῦν εἷʼ που τῆς θείας Γραφῆς εὑρίσκετε τὸ Πνεῦμα τὸ ἅγιον ἁπλῶς εἶρημίνον πνεῦμα, χωρὶς προσθήκης τοῦ λέγεσθαι ἢ τοῦ Θεοῦ, ἢ τοῦ Πατρὸς, ἢ ὅτι ἐμοῦ, ἢ αὐτοῦ τοῦ Χριστοῦ καὶ τοῦ Υἱοῦ, ἢ παρʼ ἐμοῦ, ὅ έστι παρά τοῦ Θεοῦ, ἢ μετὰ τοῦ ἄρθρου, ’ἱνα μή ἁπλῶς λέγηται πνεῦμα, ἀλλὰ τὸ Πνεῦμα ἢ αὐτὸ τοῦτο τὸ Πνεῦμα τὸ ἅγιον, ἢ Παράκλητον, ἢ ἀληθείας, ὅ ἔστι τοῦ Υἱοῦ, τοῦ λέγοντος, ‹‹ Ἐγώ εῗμι ἡ ἀλήθεια· ›› ἵνα, ἀκούσαντες ἁπλῶς « πνεῦμα, ›› ὑπονοήσητε εἶναι τὸ Πνεῦμα τὸ ἅγιον; Ἐξῃρήσθωσαν δὲ τοῦ Λόγου νῦν οἵτινες ἤδη λαβόντες, πάλιν ὀνομάζονται, καὶ ὅσοι, προμαθόντες περὶ τοῦ ἁγίου ΙΙνεόματος, ὕστερον ὡς έν ἐπαναλήψει καὶ ὑπομνήσει, καὶ μόνον λεγομένω ι τοῦ πνεύματος, ›› οὐκ ἀγνοοῦσι περὶ τίνος ἀκούουσι· καὶ μάλιστα, ὅτι καὶ οὕτω μετᾶ τοῦ ἄρθρου λέγεται. Καὶ ὅλως ἄνευ τοῦ ἄρθρου, ἢ τῆς προειρημένης προσθήκης, οὐκ ἂν εἷή σημαινόμενον τὸ Πνεῦμα τὸ ἅγιον· οἶά ἐστιν ’ὰ γράφει Παῦλος τοῖς Γαλάταιςο ι( Τοῦτο μόνον θέλω μαθεῖν ἀφʼ ὑμῶν, ἐξ ἔργων νόμου τὸ ΙΙνεῦμα ἐλάβετε, ἢ ἐξ ἀκοῆς πίστεως ; ›› ΙΙοῖον δὲ ἦσαν λαβόντες ἢ τὸ Πνεῦμα τὸ ἅγιον, τὰ διδόμενον τοῖς πιστεύουσι καὶ ἀναγεννωμένοις διὰ λουτροῦ παλιγγενεσίας ; Καὶ Θεσσαλονικεῦσι δὲ γράφωνᾖ «ΑΤὸ Ιίνεῦμα μὴ σβέννυτεο ›› εἰδόσι καὶ αὐτοῖς ὅπερ ἔλαβον ἔλεγεν, ’ἱνα μὴ σβέσωσιν ἐξ ἀμελείας τὴν έν αὐτοῖς ἀδαφθεῖσαν τοῦ Ῑῐνεύματος χάριν. Ἐν δὲ τοῖς Εὐαγγελίοις περὶ τοῦ Σωτῆρος ἀνθρωπίνως διὰ τήν σάρκα ἣν προσέλαβεν, ἐὰν λέγωσιν οἱ εὐαγγελισταὶ, ι Ἰησοῦς δὲ, πλήρης (ὃ) Πνεῦματος ὣν, ὑπέστρεψεν ἀπὸ τοῦ Ἰορδάνου· » καὶ τὸ, ‹‹ Τότε ὂ Ἰησοῦς ἀνήχθη ὑπὸ τοῦ ΙΙνεύματος εἷς τὴν ἔρημον· ›› τὸ) αὐτὸν ἔχει νοῦν. ΙΙροείρητο γὰρ ὑπὸ τοῦ Λουκᾶ ιι Ἐγένετο δὲ ἐν τῴ βαπτισθῆναι ἅπαντα τὸν λαὸν, καὶ Ἰησοῦ βαπτισθένο ντος, καὶ προσευχομένου, ἆνεωθῆναι τὸν οὐρανὸν, καὶ καταβῆναι τὸ Πνεῦμα τὸ ἅγιον σωματικῷ ενδει, ὡσεὶ περιστερὰν, ἐπʼ αὐτόν. )) Καὶ δῆλον ἧν, ὅτι, λεγομένου τοῦ ΙΙνεόματος, τὸ Πνεῦμα τὸ ἅγιον ἦν σημαινόμενον. Οὕτω μὲν οῦν παρʼ οἷς έστι τὸ Πνεῦμα τὸ ἅγιον κᾶν μόνον τὸ Πνεῦμα λέγηται χωρὶς τῆς ἐπʼ αὐτῷ προσθήκης, οὐκ ἀμφίβολον, ὅτι τὰ Πνεῦμα τὸ ἅγιον σημαίνεται, ἕχον μάλιστα τὸ ἄρθρον. ### English translation (Claude) Tell us, then, whether anywhere in the divine Scripture you find the Holy Spirit called simply “spirit,” without the addition of “of God,” or “of the Father,” or “my,” or “of Christ himself” and “of the Son,” or “from me,” that is, from God, or without the article, so that it is said not simply “spirit” but “the Spirit,” or this very name, “the Holy Spirit,” or “Paraclete,” or “of truth,” that is, of the Son, who says, “I am the truth”—so that, on hearing simply “spirit,” you should suppose it to be the Holy Spirit? Let those cases now be set aside where people who have already received him are spoken of again, and where those who first learned about the Holy Spirit afterwards, by way of resumption and reminder, are not ignorant of whom they are hearing, even when only “the Spirit” is said—especially since even so it is said with the article. And in general, without the article or the aforesaid addition, the Holy Spirit would not be signified. An example is what Paul writes to the Galatians: “This only I wish to learn from you: did you receive the Spirit by works of the law, or by hearing with faith?” What had they received but the Holy Spirit, who is given to those who believe and are reborn through the washing of regeneration? And writing to the Thessalonians, “Do not quench the Spirit,” he was speaking to those who knew what they had received, so that they might not through negligence quench the grace of the Spirit kindled in them. And in the Gospels, when the evangelists say of the Savior in a human way, because of the flesh he took, “And Jesus, full of the Spirit, returned from the Jordan,” and “Then Jesus was led up by the Spirit into the wilderness,” it has the same sense. For Luke had said before, “Now when all the people were baptized, and Jesus also had been baptized and was praying, the heaven was opened, and the Holy Spirit descended in bodily form, like a dove, upon him.” And it was plain that when “the Spirit” was said, the Holy Spirit was signified. So among those with whom the Holy Spirit is, even if only “the Spirit” is said, without the addition to it, there is no doubt that the Holy Spirit is signified, especially when it has the article. ### Scripture references - John 14:6: quotation, high confidence - Gal 3:2: quotation, high confidence - Titus 3:5: allusion, high confidence - 1 Thess 5:19: quotation, high confidence - Luke 4:1: quotation, high confidence - Matt 4:1: quotation, high confidence - Luke 3:21: quotation, high confidence - Luke 3:22: quotation, high confidence ### Translation notes - John 14:6; Gal 3:2; Titus 3:5 (washing of regeneration); 1 Thess 5:19; Luke 4:1; Matt 4:1; Luke 3:21–22. - A line of OCR debris before the Galatians quotation is removed by a logged correction. ### Citation (SBL) Athanasius, Ep. Serap. 1.4 (PG 26:536d–537b; trans. Sophia Scriptura, https://sophiascriptura.com/fathers/athanasius-epistulae-serapionem/1-1/#p-1-4). ## Letters to Serapion 1.5 - URL: https://sophiascriptura.com/fathers/athanasius-epistulae-serapionem/1-1/#p-1-5 - Source: PG 26:537b–541c - Translation: Claude (claude-opus-5-5), 2026-10-09 Summary: Old Testament passages always mark the Holy Spirit as the Spirit of God or of the Lord, or as Holy, never simply as “spirit.” ### Greek text Ὑμεῖς δὶ εἴπατε τὸ προταθὲν ὑμῖν, εἰ εὑρήκατέ που τῆς θείας Γραφῆς τὸ Πνεῦμα τὸ ἅγιον ιεγόμενον ἁπλῶς Πνεῦμα, χωρὶς τῆς προειρημένης ἐπʼ αὐτῷ προσθήκης, καὶ πλὴν τῆς παρατηρήσεως ἧς γε ἐμνημονεύσαμεν. Ἀλλʼ οὐκ ἂν εἶʼποιτεο οὗ γὰρ εὑρήσετε γεγραμμένον. Ἀλλʼ ἐν μὲν τῆ Γενέσει γὲ.γραπται, «Καὶ Πνεῦμα Θεοῦ ἐπεφέρετο ἐπάνω τοῦ ὕδατος· ›› καὶ μετʼ ὀλίγα· (ι Οὐ μὴ καταμείνῃ τὸ Πνεῦμά μου ἐν τοῖς ἀνθρώποις τούτοις, διὰ τὸ εἶναι αὐτοὺς σάρκας· » ἐν δὲ τοῖς Ἀριθμοῖς λέγει Μωϋσῆς πρὸς τὸν τοῦ Ναυῆ, ‹‹ Μὴ ζηλοῖς σὺ ἐμὲ· καὶ τίς ἂν δῷ τὸν λαὸν Κυρίου προφήτας, ὅταν δῷ Κύριος τὸ Πνεῦμα αὐτοῦ ἐπʼ αὐτούς, ›› Καὶ ἐν τοῖς Κριταῖς ἐπὶ μὶν Γοθονιήλ· (ι Καὶ ἐγένετο ἐπʼ αὐτόν Πνεῦμα Κυρίου, καὶ ἔκρινε τὸν Ἰσραήλ. ›› Καὶ πάλινο ‹‹ Καὶ ἐγένετο ἐπὶ Ἰεφθάε Πνεῦμα Κυρίου. ι Περὶ δὲ Σαμψών ι Ἡὸρῦνθη, φησὶ, τὸ παιδάριον καὶ ηὖλόγησεν αὐτὸ Κύριος· ι) Καὶ, ι Ἠρξατο Πνεῦμα Κυρίου συνεκπορεύεσθαι αὐτῷ· ›› Καὶ, ι( Ἤλατο ἐπʼ αὐτὸν Πνεῦμα Κυρίου. ›› Καὶ ὁ μὲν Δαβὶδ ψάλλει· ‹‹ Τὸ Ιῐνεῦμά σου τὸ ἅγιον μή ἀντανὲλῃς ἀπʼ ἐμοῦ. ι Καὶ πάλιν ἐντῷ ἑκατοστῷ τετταρακοστῷ δευτέρῳ ψαλμῷ· ς( Τὸ ΙῙνεῦμά σου τὸ ἀγαθὸν ὁδηγήσει με ἐν γῇ εὐθείᾳ, ἕνεκεν τοῦ ὀνόματός σου, Κύριε, ζήσεις με. ι Ἔν δὲ τῷ Ἠσαίᾳ γὲγραπται· α Πνεῦμα Κυρίου ἐπʼ εμὲ, οὗ εʼίνεκεν ἔχρισέ με. ›› Ἐλέγετο δὲ πρὸ τούτουʼ ‹‹ Οὐαὶ, τέκνα ἀποστάται. Τάδε λέγει Κύριοςο Ἐποιήσατε βουλήν οὐ διʼ ἰμοῦ, καὶ συνθήκας οὗ διὰ τοῦ Ῑινεύματός μου, προσθεῖναι ἁμαρτίας ἐφʼ ἁμαρτίαις* ι καὶ πάλιν ο ι Ἀκούσατε ταῦτα Οὐκ ἀπʼ ἀρχῆς ἐν κρυφῇ λελάληκα· ἡνίκα ἐγένετο, ἐκεῖ μ ἤμηνʼ καὶ νῦν Κύριος ἀπέστειλὲ με, καὶ τὸ Πνεῦμα αὑτοῦ. ›› Μετʼ ὀλίγα δὲ οὕτω φησίʼ ‹‹ Καὶ αὕτη αὐτοῖς-ἠ παρʼ ἐμοῦ διαόήκη, εἶπε Κῦριος, τὸ Πνεῦμα τὸ ἐμὸν, δ ἐστιν ἐπὶ σοί· »καὶ αὖθις ἓν τοῖς ἑξῆς ὲπιφίρει λέγωνʼ ‹‹ Οὐ πρέσβυς, οὐδὲ ἄγγελος, ἀλλʼ αὐτὸς ὁ Κύριος ἔσωσεν αὐτοὺς, διὰ τὸ ἀγαπᾷν αὐτοὺς, καὶ φείδεσθαι αὐτῶν· αὐτὸς ὲλυτρώσατο αὐτοὺς, καὶ ἀνέλαβεν αὐτοὺς, καὶ ὕψωσεν αὐτοὺς πάσας τὰς ἡυὲρας τοῦ αἰῶνος · αὐτοὶ δὲ ήπείθησαν, καὶ παρώξυναν τὸ Πνεῦμα τὸ ἅγιον αὐτοῦ, καὶ ἐστράφη αὐτοῖς εἰς ἔχθραν. ι) Ἰεζεχιηλ δὲ οὓτω λέγει. ‹‹ Καὶ ἀνέλαβέ. με Πνεῦμα, καὶ ἢγαγὲ με εἷς γῆν Χαλδαίων εἰς τήν αἰχμαλωσίαν, ἐν ὁράσει, ἐν Πνεῦματι Θεοῦ. ›› Ἐν δὲ τῷ Δανιήλ ο ‹‹ Ἐξήγειρεν ὁ Θεὸς τὸ Πνεῦμα τὸ ἅγιον παιδαρίου νεωτέρου, ᾦ ὄνομα Δανιὴλ, καὶ ἀνεβόησε φωνῇ μεγάλῃ ο Καθαρὸς ἐγὼ ἀπὸ τοῦ αʼίματος ταύτης. ›› Καὶ ὁ μὶν Μιχαίας φησίνο ‹‹ Οἶκος Ἰακὼβ παρώξυνε Πνεῦμα Κυρίου. ›› Καὶ διά τοῦ Ἰωὴλ ὁ Θεός φησι · ‹‹ Καὶ ἔσται μετά ταῦτα, καὶ ἐκχεῶ ἀπὸ τοῦ Πνεῦματός μου ἐπὶ πᾶσαν σάρκα. ›› Καὶ διὰ τοῦ Ζαχαρίου δὲ πάλιν, Θεοῦ φωνή ἐστι λέγοντος· ‹‹ ιιλήν τοὺς λόγους μου καὶ τὰ νόμιμά μου δέχεσθε, ὅσα ἐγὼ ἐντέλλομαι ἐν Πνεῦματί μου τοῖς δούλοις μου, τοῖς προφήταις. »Ὅτε καὶ αἱτεώμενος ὁ προφὴτης τὸν λαὸν, μετʼ ὀλίγα ἔλεγεο ‹‹ Καὶ τὴν καρδίαν αὐτῶν ἔταξαν ἀπειθῆ τοῦ μή εἰσακούειν τοῦ νόμου μου, καὶ τοὺς λόγους οὓς ἐξαπέστειλε Κύριος παντοκράτωρ ἐν Πνεῦματι αὐτοῦ ἐν χερσὶ τῶν προφητῶν τῶν ἔμπροσθεν. ›› Καὶ ταῦτα μὶν ἐκ τῶν Παλαιῶν ἀναλέξαντες, εἰρήκαμεν ὀλίγα. ### English translation (Claude) But you, tell us what was put to you: whether you have found anywhere in the divine Scripture the Holy Spirit called simply “spirit,” without the addition to it that we mentioned, and apart from the observation we made. But you could not say so; for you will not find it written. Rather, in Genesis it is written, “And the Spirit of God moved above the water,” and a little later, “My Spirit shall not remain in these men, because they are flesh”; and in Numbers Moses says to the son of Nun, “Are you jealous for my sake? Who would grant that all the Lord’s people were prophets, when the Lord gives his Spirit upon them!” And in Judges, of Othniel: “And the Spirit of the Lord came upon him, and he judged Israel.” And again: “And the Spirit of the Lord came upon Jephthah.” And of Samson: “The boy grew,” it says, “and the Lord blessed him,” and “The Spirit of the Lord began to go out with him,” and “The Spirit of the Lord leapt upon him.” And David sings: “Do not take your Holy Spirit from me”; and again in the hundred and forty-second psalm: “Your good Spirit will lead me on level ground; for your name’s sake, O Lord, you will give me life.” In Isaiah it is written: “The Spirit of the Lord is upon me, because he has anointed me.” And before this it was said: “Woe, apostate children! Thus says the Lord: You have made a plan not through me, and covenants not through my Spirit, to add sins upon sins”; and again: “Hear these things: not from the beginning have I spoken in secret; when it came to be, I was there; and now the Lord has sent me, and his Spirit.” And a little after, he says thus: “And this is my covenant with them, said the Lord: my Spirit, which is upon you”; and again, in what follows, he adds: “Not an elder nor an angel, but the Lord himself saved them, because he loved them and spared them; he himself redeemed them, and took them up, and lifted them up all the days of old; but they disobeyed and provoked his Holy Spirit, and he turned to be their enemy.” And Ezekiel says thus: “And the Spirit took me up and brought me into the land of the Chaldeans, to the captivity, in a vision, in the Spirit of God.” And in Daniel: “God stirred up the holy spirit of a young boy named Daniel, and he cried out with a loud voice: I am innocent of the blood of this woman.” And Micah says: “The house of Jacob provoked the Spirit of the Lord.” And through Joel God says: “And it shall be after these things that I will pour out of my Spirit upon all flesh.” And through Zechariah again it is the voice of God saying: “But receive my words and my statutes, which I command by my Spirit to my servants the prophets”; when also, accusing the people, the prophet said a little later: “And they made their heart disobedient, so as not to hear my law and the words which the Lord Almighty sent by his Spirit by the hands of the former prophets.” These few things we have gathered and said from the Old Testament. ### Scripture references - Gen 1:2: quotation, high confidence - Gen 6:3: quotation, high confidence - Num 11:29: quotation, high confidence - Judg 3:10: quotation, high confidence - Judg 11:29: quotation, high confidence - Judg 13:24: quotation, high confidence - Judg 13:25: quotation, high confidence - Judg 14:6: quotation, high confidence - Ps 51:11 (50:13 LXX): quotation, high confidence - Ps 143:10 (142:10 LXX): quotation, high confidence - Isa 61:1: quotation, high confidence - Isa 30:1: quotation, high confidence - Isa 48:16: quotation, high confidence - Isa 59:21: quotation, high confidence - Isa 63:9: quotation, high confidence - Isa 63:10: quotation, high confidence - Ezek 11:24: quotation, high confidence - Mic 2:7: quotation, high confidence - Joel 2:28 (3:1 LXX): quotation, high confidence - Zech 1:6: quotation, high confidence - Zech 7:12: quotation, high confidence ### Extrabiblical texts - Sus 45 (Susanna): quotation, high confidence ### Translation notes - Gen 1:2; Gen 6:3; Num 11:29; Judg 3:10; Judg 11:29; Judg 13:24–25; Judg 14:6; Ps 51:11 (50:13 LXX); Ps 143:10–11 (142:10–11 LXX, “the hundred and forty-second psalm” in the Greek numbering); Isa 61:1; Isa 30:1; Isa 48:16; Isa 59:21; Isa 63:9–10; Ezek 11:24; Mic 2:7; Joel 2:28 (3:1 LXX); Zech 1:6; Zech 7:12. - The quotation “in Daniel” is from Susanna 45–46 (Theodotion), part of the Greek book of Daniel. ### Citation (SBL) Athanasius, Ep. Serap. 1.5 (PG 26:537b–541c; trans. Sophia Scriptura, https://sophiascriptura.com/fathers/athanasius-epistulae-serapionem/1-1/#p-1-5). ## Letters to Serapion 1.6 - URL: https://sophiascriptura.com/fathers/athanasius-epistulae-serapionem/1-1/#p-1-6 - Source: PG 26:541c–548b - Translation: Claude (claude-opus-5-5), 2026-10-09 Summary: In the New Testament too the Holy Spirit is always marked as the Spirit of God, of Christ, the Holy Spirit, or the Paraclete. ### Greek text Ἐρωτήσατε δὲ καὶ ὑμεῖς περὶ τῶν ἐν τοῖς Εὔαγγελίοις, καὶ ὧν ἔγραψαν o't ἀπόστολοι, καὶ ἀκοῦσεσθε πῶς κάκεῖ, πλείστης οὔσης διαφορᾶς πνευμάτων, κατʼ ἐξαίρετον τὸ Πνεῦμα τὸ ἅγιον οὐχ ἁπλῶς Πνεῦμα, ἀλλὰ μετά προσθήκης, ἧς εἷʼπομεν, ὀνομάζεται. Ὀ μὲν οῦν Κύριος ἡνίκα, καθὰ πρεῖπον, ἀν·θρωπίνως ἐβαπτίζετο, διʼ ἣν ἐφόρει σάρκα, λέγεται καταβεβηκὲναι ἐπʼ αὑτὸν τὸ Πνεῦμα τὸ ἅγιονο τοῦτο διδοὺς μὲν τοῖς μαθηταῖς, ἔλεγε· ι( Λάβετε Πνεῦμα ἅγιον· ›› ἐδίδασκε -δὲ αὐτούς· ‹‹ ’Ὁ Παράκλητος τὸ Πνεῦμα τὸ ἅγιον, ὅ πέμψει ὁ Πατὴρ ἐν τῷ ὀνόματί μου, ἐκεῖνος ὑμᾶς διδάξει πάντα. ›› Καὶ μετʼ ὀλίγα περὶ τοῦ αὐτοῦ ἔλεγεν· ιι ’Ὁταν ἔλθῃ ὁ Παράκλητος, δν ἐγὼ,πέμψω ὑμῖν παρᾶ τοῦ Πατρὸς, τὸ Πνεῦμα τῆς ἀληθείας, ὅ παρὰ τοῦ ΙΙατρὸς ἐκπορεύεται, ἐκεῖνος μαρτυρήσει περὶ ἐμοῦ» καὶ πάλιν· ι Οὐ γὰρ ὑμεῖς ἐστε o't λαλοῦντες, ἀλλὰ τὸ Πνεῦμα τοῦ Πατρὸς ὑμῶν τὸ λαλοῦν ἐν ὑμῖνο ›› καὶ μετʼ ὀλίγα· ‹‹ Et δὲ ἐν ΙΙνεύματι θεοῦ ἐγὼ ἐκβάλλω τὰ δαιμόνια, ἄρα ἔφθασεν ἐφʼ ὑμᾶς ἡ βασιλεία τοῦ Θεοῦ. ›› Καὶ τήν μὲν πᾶσαν θεολογίαν καὶ τὴν ἡμῶν τελείωσιν, ἐν συνῆπτεν ἡμᾶς ἐαυτῷ καὶ διʼ ἑαυτοῦ τῷ Πατρὶ, ἐν τούτῳ συμπληρῶν, παρήγγειλε τοῖς μαθηταῖς ‹‹ Πορευθέντες, μαθητεύσατε πάντα τὰ ἔθνη, βαπτίζοντες αὐτοὺς είς τὸ ὄνομα τοῦ Πατρὸς, καὶ τοῦ Υίοῦ, καὶ τοῦ ἁγίου Πνεῦματοςʼ ›› ἐπαγγειλάμενος δὲ αὐτοῖς αὐτὸ πέμψειν,‹‹ παρήγγειλεν ἀπὸ Ἱεροσολύμων μὴ χωρίζεσθαι· »ι καὶ μεθʼ ἡμέρας ὀλίγας, ‹‹ Ἑν τῷ συμπληροῦσθαι τήν ἡμέραν τῆς Πεντηκοστῆς, ἦσαν πάντες ὁμοῦ ἐπὶ τὸ αὐτό · καὶ ἐγένετο ἄφνω ἐκ τοῦ οὐρανοῦ ἦχος, ὥσπερ φερομένης πνοῆς βιαίας, καὶ ἐπλήρωσεν ὅλον τὸν οἶκον οὗ ἦσανςκαθήμιονι ’ καὶ ὤφθησαν αὐτοῖς διαμεριζό- Β μεναι γλῶσσαι ὦσεὶ πυρὸς, καὶ ἐκάθισαν ἐφʼ ἕνα ἕκαστον αὐτῶνο καὶ ἐπλήσθησαν ἅπαντες Ιινεύματος ἁγίου, καὶ ἤρξαντο λαΛεῖν ἑτέραις γλώσσαις, καθὼς τὸ Πνεῦμα ἐδίδου ἀποφθέγγεσθαι αὐτοῖς. ›› Ἔνθεν οῦν καὶ διὰ μὲν τῆς ἐπιθέσεως τῶν χειρῶν τῶν ἀποστόλων ἐδίδοτο τοῖς ἀναγεννωμένοις τό Πνεῦμα τὸ ἅγιον ’Ἄγαβος δέ τις προεφήτευσεν ἐν τούτῳ λέγωνʼ ι( Τάδε λέγει τὸ Πνεῦμα τὸ ἅγιονο ›› ὁ δὶ Παῦλος· α Ἐν ᾦ ὑμᾶς τὸ Πνεῦμα τὸ ἅγιον ἔθετο ἐπισκόπους, ποιμαίνειν τὴν Ἐκκλησίαν τοῦ Θεοῦ, ἦν περιεποιήσατο διὰ τοῦ ἰδίου αἵματος· ι» τοῦ τε εὐνούχου βαπτισθέντος, ‹‹ Ἣρπασε Πνεῦμα Κυρίου τὸν Ψίλιππον. ›› Καὶ Πέτρος ἔγραψεο ‹‹ Κομιζόμενοι τὸ τέλος τῆς πίστεως, σωτηρίαν ψυχων· περὶ ἧς σωτηρίας ἐξεζήτησαν καὶ ἐξηρεύνησαν προφῆται, οἱπερὶ τῆς εἰς ὑμᾶς χάριτοχ προφητεύσαντες, ἐρευνῶντες εἷς τίνα ἣ ποῖον καιρὸν ἐδηλοῦτο ἐν αὐτοῖς Πνεῦμα Χριστοῦ, προμαρτυρόμενον τὰ εἰς Χριστὸν παθήματα, καὶ τὰς μετὰ ταῦτα δόξας. ι Καὶ ὁ μὶν Ἰωάννης ἐπέστειλεν· (ι Ἐν τούτῷ γινώσκομεν, ὅτι ἐν αὐτῷ μένομεν, καὶ αὐτὸς έν ἡμῖν, ὅτι ἐκ τοῦ Πνεῦματος αὐτοῦ ἔδωκεν ἡμῖνʼ» ὁ δὶ Παῦλος γράφει Ῥωμαίοις μέν· (ιΥμεῖς δὲ οὸκ ἐστε ἐν σαρκὶ, ἀλλʼ ἐν πνεύματι, εἷʼπερ Πνεῦμα Θεοῦ οἰκεῖ ἐν ὑμῖν. Ei δέ τις Πνεῦμα Χριστοῦ οὐκ ἔχει, οὗτος οὐκ ἔστιν αὐτοῦ. Ei‘ δὲ Χριστὸς ἐν ὑμῖν, τὸ μὲν σῶμα νεκρὸν διʼ ἁμαρτίαν, τὺ δὲ πνεῦμα ζωὴ διὰ δικαιοσύνην. ΕΞ δὲ ἐδ Πνεῦμα τοῦ ἐγείραντος Ἰησοῦν οίκεῖ ἐν ὑμῖν, ὁ ἐγείρας Χριστὸν Ἰησοῦν ἐκ νεκρῶν ζωοποιήσει καὶ τὰ Θνητὰ σώματα ὑμῶν διὰ τοῦ ἐνοικοῦντος αὑτοῦ Πνεῦματος ἐν ὑμῖν ’ ι Κορινθίοις δέ · ι Τὸ γὰρ Πνεῦμα πάντα ἐρευνᾷ, καὶ τὰ βάθη τοῦ Θεοῦ. Τίς γὰρ οἶδε τὰ τοῦ ἀνθρώπου εἰ μὴ τὸ Πνεῦμα τοῦ ἀνθρώπου τὸ ἐν αὑτῷ; οὕτω κα) τὰ τοῦ Θεοῦ οὐδεὶς ἔγνωκεν, εἰ μὴ τὺ Πνεῦμα τοῦ Θεοῦ. Ἡμεῖς δὲ οὐ τὸ πνεῦμα τοῦ κόσμου ἐλάβομεν, ἀλλὰ τὸ Πνεῦμα τὸ ἐκ τοῦ Θεοῦ, ἵνα ἴδωμεν τὰ ὑπὸ τοῦ Θεοῦ χαρισθέντα ἡμῖν· ι καὶ μετʼ ὀλίγα · ι Οὐκ οἴδατε, ὅτι ναὸς Θεοῦ ἐστε, καὶ τὸν Πνεῦμα τοῦ Θεοῦ obesi ἐν ὺμῖν; ι Καὶ πάλιν ‹ Ἀλλʼ ἀπελούσασθε, ἀλλʼ ἡγιάσθητε, ἀλλʼ ἐδικαιώθητε ἐν τῷ ὀνόματι τοῦ Κυρίου ἡμῶν Ἰησοῦ Χριστοῦ, καὶ ἐν τῷ Πνεῦματι Θεοῦ ήμῶνʼ ι καὶ πάλιν · ι Ταῦτα δὲ πάντα ἐνεργεῖ τὸ ἓν καὶ τὸ αὐτὸ Πνεῦμα, διαιροῦν ἰδίᾳ ἑκάστῳ καθὼς βούλεται· › καὶ πάλιν ° ι '0 δὲ Κύριος τὸ Πνεῦμα ἐστιν · οῦ δὲ τὸ Πνεῦμα Κυρίου, ἐκεῖ ἐλευθερία. ι Ὅρα δὲ πῶς καὶ Γαλάταις ἐπιστέλλει λέγωνʼ ι Ἵνα ἡ εὐλογία τοῦ Ἀβραὰμ γένηται ἐν Χριστῷ Ἰησοῦ, ἵνα τὴν ἐπαγγελίαν τοῦ Πνεῦματος λάβωμεν διὰ τῆς πίστεως · ι καὶ πάλιν · ι Ὅτι δέ ἐστε υἱοὶ, ἐξαπέστειλεν ὁ Θεὸς τὸ Πνεῦμα τοῦ Υίοῦ αὐτοῦ είς τὰς καρδίας ὑμῶν, κράζον ο Ἀββἄ ὁ Πατήρ, Ὥστε οὐκέτι εί δοῦλος, ἀλλὰ υἱός. Εἰ δὲ υἱὸς, καὶ κληρονόμος Θεοῦ διὰ Χριστοῦ. ι Τοῖς δὲ Ἐφεσίοις οὕτως ἔλεγε · ι Καὶ μὴ λυπεῖτε τὸ Πνεῦμα τὸ ἅγιον τοῦ Θεοῦ, ἐν ᾧ ἐσφραγίσθητε είς ἡμέραν ἀπολυτρώσεως · ι καὶ πάλινο ι Σωυδάζοντες τηρεῖν τὴν ἑνότητα τοῦ Πνεῦματος, ἐν τῷ συνδέσμῳ τῆς είρήνης. ι Πρὸς δὲ Φιλιππησίους ἐπαρρησιάζετο γράφων ι Τί γάρ; πλὴν ὅτι παντὶ τρόπῳ εἴτε προφάσει, tite ἀληθείᾳ Χριστὸς καταγγέλλεται, καὶ ἐν τούτῳ χαίρω, ἀλλὰ καὶ χαρήσομαι. Οἶδα γὰρ, ὅτι τοῦτό μοι ἀποσβήσεται είς σωτηρίαν, διὰ τῆς ὑμῶν δεήσεως καὶ ἐπιχορηγίας τοῦ Πνεῦματος Ἰησοῦ Χριστοῦ, κατὰ τὴν ἀποκαραδοκίαν καὶ ἐλπίδα μω, ὅτι ἐν οὐδενὶ αἰσχυνθήσομαι ›› καὶ πάλιν· ιι Ἡμεῖς γάρ ἐσμεν ἡ περιτομὴ, οἱ Πνεῦματι Θεοῦ λατρεύοντες, καὶ καυχώμενοι ἐν Χριστῷ Ἰησοῦ. ›› Καὶ Θεσσαλονικεῦσι δὶ διαμαρτυρεῖταιο κ Τοιγαροῦν ὁ ἀθετῶν οὐκ ἄνθρωπον ἀθετεῖ, ἀλλᾶ τὸν Θεὸν τὸν διδόντα τὸ Πνεῦμα τὸ ἅγιον αὐτοῦ εἷς ὑμᾶς· ›› καὶ πρὸς Ἐβραίους δὲ οὕτω- « Δηλοῦντος τοῦ Πνεύματος τοῦ ἁγίου μήπω πεφανερῶσθαι τήν τῶν ἁγίων ὁδὸν, ἔτι τῆς πρώτης σκηνῆς ἐχούσης στάσιν ›› καὶ πάλιν· ιι Πόσῳ δοκεῖτε χείρονος ἀξιωθήσεται τιμωρίας ὁ τὸν Υίὸν τοῦ Θεοῦ καταο πατήσας, καὶτὸ αἷμα τῆς Διαθήκης κοινὸν ἡγησάμενος, ἐν ᾧ ἡγιάσθη, καὶ τὸ Πνεῦμα τῆς χάριτος ἆνυβρίσας; »θ Καὶ πάλιν· α Ei γὰρ τὸ αἷμα ταύρων καὶ τράγων, καὶ σποδὸς δαμάλεως ῥαντίζουσα τοὺς κεκοινωμὲνους ἁγιάζει πρὸς τήν τῆς σαρκὸς καθαρότητα πόσῳ μᾶλλον τὸ αἷμα τοῦ Χριστοῦ, ’ὸς διὰ ΙΙνεῦμα- ### English translation (Claude) Ask too about what is in the Gospels and what the apostles wrote, and you will hear how there too, though there is a very great variety of spirits, the Holy Spirit is named in a special way, not simply “spirit,” but with the addition we spoke of. When the Lord, as I said before, was baptized in a human way because of the flesh he bore, the Holy Spirit is said to have descended upon him; and giving the Spirit to the disciples he said, “Receive the Holy Spirit”; and he taught them, “The Paraclete, the Holy Spirit, whom the Father will send in my name, he will teach you all things.” And a little later he said of the same: “When the Paraclete comes, whom I will send you from the Father, the Spirit of truth, who proceeds from the Father, he will bear witness about me”; and again: “For it is not you who speak, but the Spirit of your Father who speaks in you”; and a little later: “But if I cast out demons by the Spirit of God, then the kingdom of God has come upon you.” And completing in this the whole theology and our perfection, by which he joined us to himself and through himself to the Father, he commanded the disciples, “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, having promised to send him to them, “he charged them not to depart from Jerusalem”; and a few days later, “When the day of Pentecost was fulfilled, they were all together in one place; and suddenly there came from heaven a sound like a rushing violent wind, and it filled the whole house where they were sitting; and there appeared to them tongues as of fire, distributed, and they sat upon each one of them; and they were all filled with the Holy Spirit and began to speak in other tongues, as the Spirit gave them utterance.” From then on, through the laying on of the apostles’ hands, the Holy Spirit was given to those who were reborn. And one Agabus prophesied in him, saying, “Thus says the Holy Spirit”; and Paul said, “In which the Holy Spirit has made you bishops, to shepherd the church of God, which he obtained with his own blood”; and when the eunuch had been baptized, “the Spirit of the Lord caught away Philip.” And Peter wrote: “Obtaining the outcome of your faith, the salvation of your souls; concerning this salvation the prophets who prophesied of the grace that was to be yours searched and inquired, inquiring what person or time the Spirit of Christ in them was indicating, when he testified beforehand to the sufferings of Christ and the glories after them.” And John wrote: “By this we know that we abide in him and he in us, because he has given us of his Spirit.” And Paul writes to the Romans: “But you are not in the flesh but in the Spirit, if indeed the Spirit of God dwells in you. Anyone who does not have the Spirit of Christ does not belong to him. But if Christ is in you, the body is dead because of sin, but the spirit is life because of righteousness. If the Spirit of him who raised Jesus dwells in you, he who raised Christ Jesus from the dead will give life also to your mortal bodies through his Spirit who dwells in you”; and to the Corinthians: “For the Spirit searches everything, even the depths of God. For who knows the things of a man except the spirit of the man that is in him? So also no one has known 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, so that we might know the things freely given to us by God”; and a little later: “Do you not know that you are God’s temple and that the Spirit of God dwells in you?”; and again: “But you were washed, you were sanctified, you were justified in the name of our Lord Jesus Christ and in the Spirit of our God”; and again: “All these are worked by one and the same Spirit, who apportions to each one individually as he wills”; and again: “Now the Lord is the Spirit; and where the Spirit of the Lord is, there is freedom.” See how he writes to the Galatians too, saying: “that the blessing of Abraham might come in Christ Jesus, so that we might receive the promise of the Spirit through faith”; and again: “And because you are sons, God has sent the Spirit of his Son into your hearts, crying, Abba, Father. So you are no longer a slave, but a son; and if a son, then an heir of God through Christ.” And to the Ephesians he spoke thus: “And do not grieve the Holy Spirit of God, by whom you were sealed for the day of redemption”; and again: “eager to keep the unity of the Spirit in the bond of peace.” And to the Philippians he wrote boldly: “What then? Only that in every way, whether in pretense or in truth, Christ is proclaimed, and in this I rejoice; yes, and I will rejoice. For I know that this will turn out for my salvation through your prayer and the supply of the Spirit of Jesus Christ, according to my eager expectation and hope that I shall not be put to shame in anything”; and again: “For we are the circumcision, who worship by the Spirit of God and glory in Christ Jesus.” And to the Thessalonians he testifies: “Therefore whoever disregards this disregards not man but God, who gives his Holy Spirit to you”; and to the Hebrews thus: “The Holy Spirit indicating that the way into the holy places has not yet been opened while the first tabernacle is still standing”; and again: “How much worse punishment, do you think, will be deserved by the one who has trampled underfoot the Son of God, and has regarded as common the blood of the covenant by which he was sanctified, and has outraged the Spirit of grace?”; and again: “For if the blood of bulls and goats, and the ashes of a heifer sprinkling those who have been defiled, sanctify for the purification of the flesh, how much more will the blood of Christ, who through the Spirit … ### Scripture references - John 20:22: quotation, high confidence - John 14:26: quotation, high confidence - John 15:26: quotation, high confidence - Matt 10:20: quotation, high confidence - Matt 12:28: quotation, high confidence - Matt 28:19: quotation, high confidence - Acts 1:4: quotation, high confidence - Acts 2:1: quotation, high confidence - Acts 2:4: quotation, high confidence - Acts 8:17: allusion, high confidence - Acts 21:11: quotation, high confidence - Acts 20:28: quotation, high confidence - Acts 8:39: quotation, high confidence - 1 Pet 1:9: quotation, high confidence - 1 Pet 1:11: quotation, high confidence - 1 John 4:13: quotation, high confidence - Rom 8:9: quotation, high confidence - Rom 8:11: quotation, high confidence - 1 Cor 2:10: quotation, high confidence - 1 Cor 2:12: quotation, high confidence - 1 Cor 3:16: quotation, high confidence - 1 Cor 6:11: quotation, high confidence - 1 Cor 12:11: quotation, high confidence - 2 Cor 3:17: quotation, high confidence - Gal 3:14: quotation, high confidence - Gal 4:6: quotation, high confidence - Gal 4:7: quotation, high confidence - Eph 4:30: quotation, high confidence - Eph 4:3: quotation, high confidence - Phil 1:18: quotation, high confidence - Phil 1:19: quotation, high confidence - Phil 3:3: quotation, high confidence - 1 Thess 4:8: quotation, high confidence - Heb 9:8: quotation, high confidence - Heb 10:29: quotation, high confidence - Heb 9:13: quotation, high confidence - Heb 9:14: quotation, high confidence ### Translation notes - John 20:22; John 14:26; John 15:26; Matt 10:20; Matt 12:28; Matt 28:19; Acts 1:4; Acts 2:1–4; Acts 8:17; Acts 21:11; Acts 20:28; Acts 8:39; 1 Pet 1:9–11; 1 John 4:13; Rom 8:9–11; 1 Cor 2:10–12; 1 Cor 3:16; 1 Cor 6:11; 1 Cor 12:11; 2 Cor 3:17; Gal 3:14; Gal 4:6–7; Eph 4:30; Eph 4:3; Phil 1:18–20; Phil 3:3; 1 Thess 4:8; Heb 9:8; Heb 10:29; Heb 9:13–14. - The ref ends in the middle of the Heb 9:14 quotation (διὰ Πνεύματος …); it continues in staged ref 7. ### Citation (SBL) Athanasius, Ep. Serap. 1.6 (PG 26:541c–548b; trans. Sophia Scriptura, https://sophiascriptura.com/fathers/athanasius-epistulae-serapionem/1-1/#p-1-6). ## Letters to Serapion 1.7 - URL: https://sophiascriptura.com/fathers/athanasius-epistulae-serapionem/1-1/#p-1-7 - Source: PG 26:548b–549b - Translation: Claude (claude-opus-5-5), 2026-10-09 Summary: Scripture uses “spirit” of the human spirit and of the winds, so Amos 4:13 need not refer to the Holy Spirit. ### Greek text Ἰδοὺ πῶς τὸ ῐΙνεῦμα τὸ ἅγιον ἐν πάσῃ τῇ Θείᾳ Γραφῇ γνωρίζεται.Τί τοίνυν ὑμεῖς τοιοῦτον ἂν τῷ προφήτῃ ἐθεωρήσατες Οὐδέ γὰρ οὐδὲ κᾶν τὸ ἄρθρον ἔχει τὸ παρά τοῦ προφήτου λεγόμενον νῦν ιι πνεῦμα,›› Ἵνα κᾶν πρόφασιν ἔχητε. Ἀλλʼ ἁπλῶς ἐτολμήσατε τρόπους ἑαυτοῖς ἐπινοεῖν, καὶ εἰπεῖν τὸ λεγόμενον κτίζεσθαι πνεῦμα, αὐτὸ εἶναι τὸ Πνεῦμα τὸ ἅγιον, καίτοι δυνάμενοι μαθεῖν καὶ παρά φιλολόγων ἀνδρῶν περὶ διαφορᾶς πνευμάτων. Λέγεται γὰρ καὶ ἀνθρώπου πνεῦμα, ὡς ψάλλει Δαβίδ ιι Νυκτὸς μετᾶ τῆς καρδίας μου ἠδολὲσχουν, καὶ ἤσχαλλε τὸ πνεῦμά μου. ›› Ὀ δὲ Βαροὺχ ἐπευχόμενος φησιο ι( Ψυχὴ ἐν στενοῖς καὶ πνεῦμα ἀκηδιῶν κέκραγε πρὸς σί. ›› Καὶ ἓν μὶν τῇ ᾠδῇ τῶν τριῶν παίδων ε Εὐλογεῖτε, πνεύο. ματα ›› καὶ ε ψυχαὶ δικαίων,τὸν Κύριον. s Ὁ δὶ Ἀπόςτολος γράφειο ιι Αὐτὸ τὸ ΙΙνεῦμα συμμαρτυρεῖ τῷ πνεύματι ἡμῶν, ὅτι ἐσμὲν τέκνα Θεοῦ. Εἰ δὲ τέκνα ιαὶ κληρονόμον ›› καὶ πάλιν· ι Οὐδεὶς οἶδε τὰ τοῦ ἀνθρώπου εἴ μή τὸ Πνεῦμα τοῦ ἀνθρώπου τὸ ἐν αὐτῷ. ι) ’Ev δὲ τῇ πρὸς Θεσσαλονικεῖς ἐπιστολῇ ἐπευχόμενος λέγει· ‹‹ Ὀλὸκληρον ὐμῶν τὸ ΙΙνευμα, καὶ ἠ ψυχὴ, καὶτὸ σῶμα ἀμέμπτως ἐν τῇ παρουσίᾳ τοῦ Κυρίου ἡμῶν Ἰησοῦ Χριστοῦ τηρηθείη. ›› Λέγεται δὲ καὶ ἀνέμων μνεόματα οὕτως ἐν μὶν τῇ γενέσει· ιι Κα ἐπήγαγεν 6 Θεὸς πνεῦμα ἐπὶ τὴν γῆν, καὶ ἐκόπασε τὸ ὕδωρ* »ἐπὶ δὲ τοῦ Ἰωνᾶʼ ‹‹ Καὶ Κύριος ἐξήγειρε πνεῦμα ἐπὶ τήν θάλασσαν, καὶ ἐγένετο κλύδων μέγας ἐν τῇ θαλάσσῃ· καὶ τὸ πλοῖον ἐκινδύνευε τοῦ συντριβῆναι. ›› Καὶ ἐν μὲν τῷ ἑκατοστῷ ’ἑκτῳ ψαλμῷγέγραπται· α Eine, καί ἔστη πνεῦμα καταιγίδος, καὶ ὑψώθη τὰ κύματα αὐτῆς. » ’Ev δὲ τῷ ἑκατοστῷ τεσο σαρακοστῴ ὀγδόῳ ψαλμῷ· ι Αἰνεῖτε τὸν Κὺριον ἐκ τῆς γῆς, δράκοντες καὶ πᾶσαι ἄβυσσοι, πῦρ, χάλαζα, χιὼν, κρύσταλλος, πνεῦμα καταιγίδος, τὰ ποιοῦντα....-........ -....._. τὸν λόγον αὐτοῦʼ ι καὶ ἐν τῷ Ἰεζεχιῆ> ἐπὶ τοῦ θσήνου Σόρʼ ι Ἐν καρδίᾳ θαλάσσης, ἐν ὕδατι πολλῷ ἦγον σε οἱ κωπηλάται σου τὸ πνεῦμα τοῦ νὸτου συν ἐτριψὲ σε. ›› ### English translation (Claude) See how the Holy Spirit is made known throughout the divine Scripture. What, then, did you see of this kind in the prophet? For what the prophet now calls “spirit” does not even have the article, so that you might at least have a pretext. But you simply dared to devise figures of speech for yourselves and to say that the spirit said to be created is the Holy Spirit himself, though you could have learned from studious men about the difference between spirits. For a man’s spirit too is spoken of, as David sings: “By night I communed with my heart, and my spirit was vexed”; and Baruch, praying, says: “A soul in distress and a weary spirit cries out to you.” And in the song of the three young men: “Bless the Lord, you spirits and souls of the righteous.” And the apostle writes: “The Spirit himself bears witness with our spirit that we are children of God; and if children, then heirs”; and again: “No one knows the things of a man except the spirit of the man that is in him.” And in the letter to the Thessalonians he prays: “May your spirit and soul and body be kept whole and blameless at the coming of our Lord Jesus Christ.” The winds too are called spirits: thus in Genesis, “And God brought a wind upon the earth, and the water subsided”; and in the story of Jonah, “And the Lord raised a wind upon the sea, and there was a great storm on the sea, and the ship was in danger of breaking up.” And in the hundred and sixth psalm it is written: “He spoke, and a stormy wind arose, and its waves were lifted up”; and in the hundred and forty-eighth psalm: “Praise the Lord from the earth, you dragons and all deeps, fire, hail, snow, ice, stormy wind, which do his word”; and in Ezekiel, in the lament over Tyre: “In the heart of the sea, in much water, your rowers brought you; the south wind shattered you.” ### Scripture references - Ps 77:6 (76:7 LXX): quotation, high confidence - Rom 8:16: quotation, high confidence - Rom 8:17: quotation, high confidence - 1 Cor 2:11: quotation, high confidence - 1 Thess 5:23: quotation, high confidence - Gen 8:1: quotation, high confidence - Jonah 1:4: quotation, high confidence - Ps 107:25 (106:25 LXX): quotation, high confidence - Ps 148:7: quotation, high confidence - Ps 148:8: quotation, high confidence - Ezek 27:26: quotation, high confidence ### Extrabiblical texts - Bar 3:1 (Baruch): quotation, high confidence - Pr Azar 64 (Prayer of Azariah and Song of the Three Young Men): quotation, high confidence ### Translation notes - The Greek πνεῦμα means both “spirit” and “wind”; in the quotations about winds it is rendered “wind”, but the argument rests on the single Greek word. - Ps 77:6 (76:7 LXX); Bar 3:1; Song of the Three Young Men (Prayer of Azariah) 64; Rom 8:16–17; 1 Cor 2:11; 1 Thess 5:23; Gen 8:1; Jonah 1:4; Ps 107:25 (106:25 LXX, “the hundred and sixth psalm”); Ps 148:7–8; Ezek 27:25–26. - A Latin note of the Migne edition on 1 Cor 2:11 leaked into the scan and is removed by a logged correction. ### Citation (SBL) Athanasius, Ep. Serap. 1.7 (PG 26:548b–549b; trans. Sophia Scriptura, https://sophiascriptura.com/fathers/athanasius-epistulae-serapionem/1-1/#p-1-7). ## Letters to Serapion 1.8 - URL: https://sophiascriptura.com/fathers/athanasius-epistulae-serapionem/1-1/#p-1-8 - Source: PG 26:549b–552b - Translation: Claude (claude-opus-5-5), 2026-10-09 Summary: “Spirit” can also mean the spiritual sense of Scripture or a person’s disposition, as with Caleb; a created “spirit” is better taken as one of these or as wind. ### Greek text Έντυγχάνοντες δὲ καὶ ὑμεῖς ταῖς ἁγίαις Γρανφχῖς, εὑρήσετε λεγόμενον πνεῦμα καὶ τὸν ἐν αὖ· τοῖς τοῖς θείοις λόγοις νοῦν, γράφοντος τοῦ Παύλου· ι ’ος καὶ ἱκάνωσεν ἡμᾶς διακόνους Καινῆς Διαθήκης, οὗ γράμματος, ἀλλὰ πνεύματος Τὸ γὰρ γράμμα ἀποκτείνει, τὸ δὲ πνεῦμα ζωοποιεῖ. n T6 μὲν γαρ ῥητὸν γράμματι κεχάρακται· 6 δὲ νοῦς 6 ἐν αὗτῳ πνεῦμα λέγεται. Οὕτως καὶ ‹‹ 6 νόμος πνευματικός ἐστιν, ›› ’ἶνʼ ὡς πάλιν εἷʼρηκε, μὴ δουλεύωμεν ἐν παλαιότητι γράμματος, ἀλλʼ ἐν καινότητι πνεύματος. Καὶ αὐτὸς μὲν εὐχαριστῶν ἔλεγεν· «Ἄρα οὖν αὐτὸς ἐγὼ τῷ μὶνννοΐ δουλεύω νόμῳ Θεοῦ, τῆξ δὲ σαρκὶ νόμῳ ἁμαρτίας οὐδὲν νῦν ἄρα κατάκριμα τοῖς ἐν Χριστῷ Ἰησοῦ. Ὀ γὰρ νόμος τοῦ πνεῦματος τῆς ζωῆς ἐν Χριστῷ Ἰησοῦ ἠλευθέρωσέ με ἀπὸ τοῦ νόμου τῆς ἁμαρτίαςο ›› 6 δὲ Φίλιππος, τὸν εὐνοῦχον ἀπὸ τοῦ γράμματος εἰς τὸ πνεῦμα θὲλων ἐπιστρέφειν, ἔλεγεν· ‹‹ Ἀρά γε γινώσκεις ἅ ἀναγιώσκεις; ›› τοιοῦτον ἐσχηκὼς μαρτυρεῖται καὶ ὁ Χάλεβ ἐν τοῖς ’Λριθμοῖς, τοῦ Θεοῦ λεγοντος· ‹‹ '0 δὲ παῖς μου Χά.. λεδ, δτι ἐγενήθη ἕτερον πνεῦμα ἐν αὐτῷ, καὶ ἐπηκολούθησὲ μοι εῗσάξω αὐτὸν εἷς τὴν γῆν εἰς ἥν εἷʼσῆλθεν ἐκεῖ. ›› ’Άλλῃ γὰρ διανοίᾳ παρά τὴν ἐκείνων αὐτὸς λαλήσας, εὐάρεστος τῷ Θεῷ γεγονε. Τοιαύτην ἔχειν προετρεψεν 6 Θεὸς τὸν λαὸν καρδίαν δτά Ἱεζειιῆλ λέγωνʼ με Ποιήσατε ἑαυτοῖς καρδίαν καινὴν καὶ πνεῦμα καινόν. » Τούτων τοίνυν οὕτως ὄντων, καὶ τοσαύτης διαφορᾶς περὶ τῶν πνευμάτων δεικνυμὲνης, βελτίους ἄν ἦτε, εἰ, περὶ κτιζομὲνου πνεύματος ἀκούοντες, ’περὶ tvo: τῶν προειρημένων ἐφρονεῖτε, οἷον ἦν περὶ οὗ ἐν 'Hca‘i’qt, γέγραπται· α Συνεφώνησεν Ἀρὰμ πρὸς τὸν Ἐραῗμ, καὶ ἐξέστη ἡ ψυχὴ αὐτοῦ, καὶ ἡ ψυχὴ τοῦ λαοῦ αὑτοῦ, ὅν τρόπον ἐν δρυμῷ ξύλον ὑπὸ πνεύματος σαλευθῇ. » Τοιοῦτον δὲ ἦν καὶ, (ι Ὃ ἐξέγειρε Κύριος πνεῦμα ἐπὶ τὴν θάλασσαν » διὰ τὸν Ἰωνᾶν· ’Δκολουοεῖ γὰρ τῇ βροντῇ καὶ τὰ των ἀοὲμων πνεύματα, ὡς ἐπὶ τοῦ ὑετοῦ τοῦ κατᾶ τὸν Ἀχαὰ6, ὡς γέγραπται· σ Καὶ ἐγένετο ὧδε, ### English translation (Claude) And if you read the holy Scriptures, you too will find that the sense contained in the divine words is called “spirit,” as Paul writes: “who has also made us sufficient to be ministers of a new covenant, not of the letter but of the spirit; for the letter kills, but the spirit gives life.” For the text is engraved in letters, but the sense in it is called spirit. So too “the law is spiritual,” so that, as he said again, we may serve not in the oldness of the letter but in the newness of the spirit. And he himself, giving thanks, said: “So then I myself serve the law of God with my mind, but with my flesh the law of sin. There is therefore now no condemnation for those who are in Christ Jesus. For the law of the spirit of life in Christ Jesus has set me free from the law of sin.” And Philip, wishing to turn the eunuch from the letter to the spirit, said: “Do you understand what you are reading?” Caleb too is attested in Numbers as having such a spirit, God saying: “But my servant Caleb, because another spirit was in him and he followed me, I will bring him into the land into which he went.” For speaking with a different mind from theirs, he became pleasing to God. God urged the people to have such a heart, saying through Ezekiel: “Make for yourselves a new heart and a new spirit.” These things being so, and so great a difference concerning spirits having been shown, you would have done better, on hearing of a spirit being created, to think of one of those mentioned above—such as that of which it is written in Isaiah: “Aram has made an agreement with Ephraim; and his soul was shaken, and the soul of his people, as a tree in a forest is shaken by the wind.” Such too was “The Lord raised a wind upon the sea,” because of Jonah. For the winds follow the thunder, as with the rain in the time of Ahab, as it is written: “And it came to pass meanwhile, …” ### Scripture references - 2 Cor 3:6: quotation, high confidence - Rom 7:14: quotation, high confidence - Rom 7:6: allusion, high confidence - Rom 7:25: quotation, high confidence - Rom 8:1: quotation, high confidence - Rom 8:2: quotation, high confidence - Acts 8:30: quotation, high confidence - Num 14:24: quotation, high confidence - Ezek 18:31: quotation, high confidence - Isa 7:2: quotation, high confidence - Jonah 1:4: quotation, high confidence - 1 Kgs 18:45: quotation, high confidence ### Translation notes - 2 Cor 3:6; Rom 7:14; Rom 7:6; Rom 7:25–8:2; Acts 8:30; Num 14:24; Ezek 18:31; Isa 7:2; Jonah 1:4; 1 Kgs 18:45 (3 Kgdms 18:45 LXX). - The ref breaks off in the scan in the middle of the quotation from 1 Kings; the rest is lost (“…”). ### Citation (SBL) Athanasius, Ep. Serap. 1.8 (PG 26:549b–552b; trans. Sophia Scriptura, https://sophiascriptura.com/fathers/athanasius-epistulae-serapionem/1-1/#p-1-8). ## Letters to Serapion 1.9 - URL: https://sophiascriptura.com/fathers/athanasius-epistulae-serapionem/1-1/#p-1-9 - Source: PG 26:552b–553b - Translation: Claude (claude-opus-5-5), 2026-10-09 Summary: Amos’s “creates spirit,” beside the announcing of Christ, refers to the renewal of the human spirit through the incarnation, not to the Holy Spirit, in whom we are renewed. ### Greek text Ἀλλʼ ἐπείπερ Χριστοῦ, φησῖ, μνημονεύει τὸ Λόγιον, ἀκολούθως καὶ τὸ λεγόμενον πνεῦμα οὐδὶν ἕτερον ἤ τὸ Πνεῦμα τὸ ἅγιον χρῆ νοεῖν Εἶτα τὸ μὲν συνονομάζεσοαι τῷ Χριστῷ τὸ Πνεῦμα τὸ ἅγιον ἐθεωρήσατεο τὸ δὲ διαιρεῖν αύτὸ τῇ φύσει, καὶ ἀποξενίζειν ἀπὸ τοῦ Υἱοῦ ποῦ κατενοήσατε, ὅτι τὸν μὲν Χριστὸν λέγετε μή εἶναι κτίσμα, τὸ δὲ ἅγιον Πνεῦμα κτίσμα λέγετε; Καὶ ἄτοπόν ἐστι τὰ ἀνόμοια τῇ φύσει συνονομσὶζειν, καὶ συνδοξάζειν. Ποία γὰρ κοινωνία, ἢ ποία ὁμοιὸτης τῷ κτίσματι πρὸς τὸν κτίστην ; Ἐπεὶ ὥρα ὑμᾶς καὶ τῷ Υὶῷ συναριθμεῖν καὶ συνάπτειν τὰ διʼ αὐτοῦ γενόμενα κτίσςλατα. ’Ήρκεῖ μὲν οῦν περὶ πνεύματος ἀνέμων νοεῖν τὸ γεγραμμένον, ὥσπερ εἷʼρηται· ἐπειδὴ δὲ προφασίζεσοε τήν ἒν τῷ ῥητῷ περὶ τοῦ Χριστοῦ μνήμην, ἀναγκαῖον ἰδεῖν ἀκριβῶς τὸ λεγόμενον, μή ἄρα καὶ περὶ τοῦ Λεγομὲνου κτίζεσθαι πνεύματος οἰκειοτέραν εὕρωμεν τὴν διάνοιαν. Τί τοίνυν ἑστῖ τὸ ἀπαγγέλλειν εἰς civ- Opibnauc τὸν Χριστὸν αἰτοῦ, ἢ τὸ γίνεσθαι αὐτὸν ἅνθρωπον, καὶ ἴσον εἶναι τοῦτο τῷ φάναιυ ‹‹ Ἰδοὺ ἡ παρθένος ἓν γαστρὶ ἕξει, καὶ τέξεται uio'v' καὶ καλὲσουσι τὸ ὄνομα αὐτοῦ Ἐμμανουήλ· υ καὶ τὰ ἄλλα, ὅσα περῖ τῆς ἐπιδημίας αὐτοῦ γέγραπταις τῆς δὲ ἓνσαρκου παρουσίας ἂπαγγελλομένης περὶ τοῦ Λόγου, ποῖον χρή πνεῦμα κτιζόμενον νοεῖν, εἰ μὴ τὸ ἀνακτιζόμενον τῶν ἀνθρώπων καὶ ἀνακαινιζὸμενον πνεῦμα; Τοῦτο γὰρ καὶ διὰ Ἰιζεκιήλ ἐπεγγείλατο ὁ Θεὸς λέγων· ‹‹ Καὶ δώσω ὑμῖν καρδίαν καινὴν, καὶ πνεῦμα καινὸν δώσω ὑμῖν· καὶ ἀφελῶ τὴν καρδίαν τήν λιθίνην ἐκ τῆς σαρκὸς ὑμῶν· καὶ δώσω ὑμῖν καρδίαν σαρκίνηνο καὶ τὸ Πνεῦμά μον δώσω έν ὑμῖν. ›› Πὸτε δὴ τοῦτο πεπλήρωται, εί μὴ ὅτε παραγενομενος 6 Κύριος ἀνεκαίνισε τὰ πάντα τῇ χάριτι ; Ἰδοὺ γὰρ καὶ ἐν τῷ ῥητῷ τούτῳ ἡ διαφορὰ τῶν πνευμάτων δείκνυται· καὶ τὸ μὲν πνεῦμα τὸ ἡμων ἀνακαινιζόμεῦμα, ἀλλʼ ἑαυτοῦ φησιν αὐτὸ εἶναι 6 Θεὸς, ἐν πνεῦμα, ἀλλʼ ἐαυτοῦ φησιν αὐτὸ εἶναι 6 Θεὸς, ἐν ᾧ καὶ τὰ ἡμῶν ἀνακαινίζεται ο ὡς καὶ 6 ψάλλων έν τῷ ἑκατοστῷ καὶ τρίτῳ ψαλμῷ λέγει· ‹‹ Ἀντανελεῖς τὸ πνεῦμα αὐτῶν, καί ἐκλείψουσι, λαὶ εἷς τὸν χοῦν αὐτῶν ἐπιστρέφουσιν. Ἐξαποστελεῖς τὸ Πνεῦμά σου, καῖ κτισθήσονται, καὶ ἀνακαινιεῖς τὸ πρόσωπον τῆς γῆς. ›› E‘. δὲ ὶν τῷ Ιῐνεύματι τοῦ Θεοῦ ἀνακαινιζόμεθιι οὐκ ἄρα τὸ Πνεῦμα τὸ ἅγιόν ἐστι 16 νῦν λεγόο Β μενον πνεῦμα κτίζεσθαι, ἀλλὰ τὸ ἡμέτερον. Καὶ εἴπερ, διὰ τὸ πάντα γενέσθαι δτὰ τοῦ Λόγου, φρονεῖτε καλῶς μὴ εἶναι κτίσμα τὸν Γὶόνσ πῶς ού βλάσφημόν ἐστι λέγειν ὑμᾶς κτίσμα τὸ Πνεῦμα, ἐν ᾧ τὰ πάντα 6 Πατὴρ διὰ τοῦ Λόγου τελειοῖ καὶ ἀνακαινίζει ; Καὶ εί, διὰ 16 γεγράφθαι ἁπλῶς πνεῦμα κτίζεσθαι, ἀνεπλάσαντο έαυτοῖς εἶναι τοῦτο τὸ Πνεῦμα 16 ἅγιον. πεισθῆναι λοιπὸν ὀφείλουσιν, ὅτι μή 16 Πνεῦμα τὸ ἅγιόν ἐστι τὸ κτιζόμενον, ἀλλὰ 16 ἡμέτερόν ἐστι 16 ἐν αύτῷ ἀνακαινιζόμενον* περί οῦ καὶ ὁ Δαβὶδ ηὔχετο ψάλλων ‹‹ Καρδίαν καθαρὰν κτίσον ἐν ἐμοὶ, 6 Θεὸς, καί πνεῦμα εύθὲς ἐγκαίνισον έν τοῖς ἰγκάτοις μου. ι Ὧδε μὶν γὰρ λέγεται κτίζειν* πρότερον δὲ ἔπλασεν, 6 Ζαχαρίας φησίν* ι( Ἐκτείνων τὸν οὐρανὸν, καὶ θελιλιῶν τήν γῆν, καὶ πλάσσων πνεῦμα ἀνθρώπου έν αύτῷ- ›› 6' γὰρ πρότερον ἔπλασε, τοῦτο πεπτωκὸς ἀνέκτισε, γενόμενος αὐτὸς ἐν τῷ κτίσματι, ὅτε 6 Λόγος σὰρξ ἐγένετο, ‹‹ τίνα, ›› ὡς ὁ Ἀπόοτολος εἷπε, ‹‹ τοὺς δύο κτίσῃ εἷς ἕνα καινὸν ἄνθρωπον, τὸν κατὰ Θεὸν κτισθέντα έν δικαιοσύνῃ καὶ ὁσιότητι τῆς ἀληθείας. ›› Οὐ γὰρ ὠς ἑτέρου δημιουργηθέντος παρὰ τὸν ἐξ ἀρχῆς κατʼ εῗκόνα γενόμενον ἄνθρωπον ἔλεγεν* ἀλλᾶ τὸν ἐν Χριστῷ κτισθέντα καὶ ἀνακαιοισθέντα νοῦν συνεβούλευεν ἀναλαβεῖν· ὅπερ καὶ διὰ Ἰεζεκιὴλ πάλιν δηλοῦται, λὲγοντος αὐτοῦ· ‹‹ Ποιήσατε ἑαυτοῖς καρδίαιν καινὴν καὶ πνεῦμα καινόνʼ καὶ ἵνα τί ἀποθνήσκετε, οἶκος Ἰσραήλ; Διὸτι οὐ θέλω τὸν θάνατον τοῦ ἀποθνήσκοντος, λέγει ’Δδωναῖ Κύριος. » ### English translation (Claude) “But since the oracle mentions Christ,” they say, “it follows that the spirit spoken of must be understood as nothing other than the Holy Spirit.” So then, you have observed that the Holy Spirit is named together with Christ; but where did you learn to divide him in nature and estrange him from the Son, so that you say Christ is not a creature but call the Holy Spirit a creature? For it is absurd to name together and glorify together things unlike in nature. What fellowship, or what likeness, has the creature with the creator? Otherwise it is time for you to number with the Son, and join to him, the creatures made through him. It would be enough, then, to understand what is written as concerning the wind, as has been said; but since you make a pretext of the mention of Christ in the text, it is necessary to look carefully at what is said, to see whether we may not find a more fitting sense for the spirit that is said to be created. What, then, is “announcing his Christ to men” but his becoming man? And this is equivalent to saying, “Behold, the virgin shall conceive and bear a son, and they shall call his name Emmanuel,” and to the other things written about his coming. And when the coming of the Word in the flesh is announced, what spirit should one understand as created but the spirit of men, which is created anew and renewed? For this too God promised through Ezekiel, saying: “And I will give you a new heart, and a new spirit I will give you; and I will take away the heart of stone from your flesh and give you a heart of flesh; and my Spirit I will put within you.” When was this fulfilled, if not when the Lord came and renewed all things by grace? See, in this text too the difference between the spirits is shown: our spirit is the one being renewed, … while the other God says is his own, in which ours too is renewed; as the psalmist says in the hundred and third psalm: “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 if we are renewed in the Spirit of God, then the spirit now said to be created is not the Holy Spirit, but ours. And if, because all things came to be through the Word, you rightly think that the Son is not a creature, how is it not blasphemous for you to call the Spirit a creature, in whom the Father through the Word perfects and renews all things? And if, because it is written simply that spirit is created, they fabricated for themselves the idea that this is the Holy Spirit, they ought now to be persuaded that what is created is not the Holy Spirit, but our spirit, which is renewed in him; for which David too prayed, singing: “Create in me a clean heart, O God, and renew a right spirit within me.” Here it is said to be “created”; but earlier he formed it, as Zechariah says: “Who stretches out the heaven and lays the foundation of the earth and forms the spirit of man within him.” For what he formed before, this, when it had fallen, he created anew, himself coming to be in the creature, when the Word became flesh, “that,” as the apostle said, “he might create the two in himself into one new man,” “created after God in righteousness and holiness of the truth.” For he did not speak as if another man had been made besides the one made in the beginning after the image, but counseled them to take up the mind created and renewed in Christ; which again is shown through Ezekiel, who says: “Make for yourselves a new heart and a new spirit; and why will you die, house of Israel? For I do not desire the death of the one who dies, says Adonai the Lord.” ### Scripture references - Amos 4:13: allusion, high confidence - Isa 7:14: quotation, high confidence - Ezek 36:26: quotation, high confidence - Ezek 36:27: quotation, high confidence - Ps 104:29 (103:29 LXX): quotation, high confidence - Ps 104:30 (103:30 LXX): quotation, high confidence - Ps 51:10 (50:12 LXX): quotation, high confidence - Zech 12:1: quotation, high confidence - John 1:14: allusion, high confidence - Eph 2:15: quotation, high confidence - Eph 4:24: quotation, high confidence - Ezek 18:31: quotation, high confidence - Ezek 18:32: quotation, high confidence ### Translation notes - Amos 4:13 LXX; Isa 7:14; Ezek 36:26–27; Ps 104:29–30 (103:29–30 LXX, “the hundred and third psalm”); Ps 51:10 (50:12 LXX); Zech 12:1; John 1:14; Eph 2:15; Eph 4:24; Gen 1:27; Ezek 18:31–32. - Where the scan contrasts the two spirits, a line is garbled and partly repeated; it is translated by sense and the gap marked “…”. ### Citation (SBL) Athanasius, Ep. Serap. 1.9 (PG 26:552b–553b; trans. Sophia Scriptura, https://sophiascriptura.com/fathers/athanasius-epistulae-serapionem/1-1/#p-1-9). ## Letters to Serapion 1.10 - URL: https://sophiascriptura.com/fathers/athanasius-epistulae-serapionem/1-10/#p-1-10 - Source: PG 26:553b–557a - Translation: Claude (claude-opus-5-5), 2026-10-09 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. ### Greek text 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 ### English translation (Claude) 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” … ### Scripture references - 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 ### Translation notes - 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”. ### Citation (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). ## Letters to Serapion 1.11 - URL: https://sophiascriptura.com/fathers/athanasius-epistulae-serapionem/1-10/#p-1-11 - Source: PG 26:557a–560c - Translation: Claude (claude-opus-5-5), 2026-10-09 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. ### Greek text 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. ### English translation (Claude) 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.” ### Scripture references - 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 ### Translation notes - 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 “…”. ### Citation (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). ## Letters to Serapion 1.12 - URL: https://sophiascriptura.com/fathers/athanasius-epistulae-serapionem/1-10/#p-1-12 - Source: PG 26:560c–561c - Translation: Claude (claude-opus-5-5), 2026-10-09 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. ### Greek text 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. ’ ### English translation (Claude) 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. ### Scripture references - 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 ### Translation notes - 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. ### Citation (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). ## Letters to Serapion 1.13 - URL: https://sophiascriptura.com/fathers/athanasius-epistulae-serapionem/1-10/#p-1-13 - Source: PG 26:561c–565d - Translation: Claude (claude-opus-5-5), 2026-10-09 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. ### Greek text 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- ### English translation (Claude) “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 … ### Scripture references - 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 ### Translation notes - 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. ### Citation (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). ## Letters to Serapion 1.15 - URL: https://sophiascriptura.com/fathers/athanasius-epistulae-serapionem/1-10/#p-1-15 - Source: PG 26:565d–573b - Translation: Claude (claude-opus-5-5), 2026-10-09 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. ### Greek text 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. ### English translation (Claude) 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. ### Scripture references - Luke 6:45: allusion, medium confidence - Eccl 3:11: quotation, high confidence - Heb 11:6: quotation, high confidence ### Translation notes - 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). ### Citation (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). ## Letters to Serapion 1.19 - URL: https://sophiascriptura.com/fathers/athanasius-epistulae-serapionem/1-10/#p-1-19 - Source: PG 26:573b–581a - Translation: Claude (claude-opus-5-5), 2026-10-09 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. ### Greek text 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. ### English translation (Claude) 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. ### Scripture references - 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 ### Extrabiblical texts - Bar 3:10 (Baruch): quotation, high confidence ### Translation notes - 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). ### Citation (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). ## Letters to Serapion 1.22 - URL: https://sophiascriptura.com/fathers/athanasius-epistulae-serapionem/1-10/#p-1-22 - Source: PG 26:581a–588b - Translation: Claude (claude-opus-5-5), 2026-10-09 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. ### Greek text 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. ### English translation (Claude) 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. ### Scripture references - 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 ### Translation notes - 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”. ### Citation (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). ## Letters to Serapion 1.25 - URL: https://sophiascriptura.com/fathers/athanasius-epistulae-serapionem/1-10/#p-1-25 - Source: PG 26:588b–593a - Translation: Claude (claude-opus-5-5), 2026-10-09 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. ### Greek text ’ 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. ### English translation (Claude) 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. ### Scripture references - 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 ### Extrabiblical texts - Wis 1:7 (Wisdom of Solomon): allusion, high confidence - Wis 12:1 (Wisdom of Solomon): quotation, high confidence ### Translation notes - 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. ### Citation (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). ## Letters to Serapion 1.27 - URL: https://sophiascriptura.com/fathers/athanasius-epistulae-serapionem/1-10/#p-1-27 - Source: PG 26:593a–593b - Translation: Claude (claude-opus-5-5), 2026-10-09 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. ### Greek text 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. ### English translation (Claude) 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. ### Scripture references - Heb 6:4: quotation, high confidence - Heb 6:5: quotation, high confidence - Dan 7:10: allusion, high confidence - Col 1:16: allusion, medium confidence ### Translation notes - Heb 6:4–5; Dan 7:10; Col 1:16. - ὁμοούσιον (“of the same essence”) is here said of the Spirit. ### Citation (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). ## Letters to Serapion 1.28 - URL: https://sophiascriptura.com/fathers/athanasius-epistulae-serapionem/1-10/#p-1-28 - Source: PG 26:593b–596c - Translation: Claude (claude-opus-5-5), 2026-10-09 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. ### Greek text ’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· ### English translation (Claude) 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. ### Scripture references - Eph 4:6: quotation, high confidence - Rom 9:5: allusion, high confidence - Exod 3:14: allusion, medium confidence - Matt 28:19: quotation, high confidence ### Translation notes - θεολογουμένη is rendered “confessed as God”. Eph 4:6; Rom 9:5; Exod 3:14 (He who is); Matt 28:19. ### Citation (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). ## Letters to Serapion 1.29 - URL: https://sophiascriptura.com/fathers/athanasius-epistulae-serapionem/1-29/#p-1-29 - Source: PG 26:596d–597c - Translation: Claude (claude-opus-5-5), 2026-10-09 Summary: If the Spirit were a creature, baptism into the Triad would mix a creature into the Godhead, and the Tropici, like the Arians, would be worshiping the creature. ### Greek text Οὐκοῦν τοῦτον ἐχούσης τῆς Ἐκκλησίας τὸν θεμέλιον τῆς πίστεως, εἰπάτωσαν πάλιν ἡμῖν ἐκεῖνοι καί ἀποκρινάσθωσαν Τριάς ἱστιν, ἢ δυάς; Εἴ μὶν οὖν δυάς ἐστι, συναριθμείσθω παρʼ ὑμῶν τοῖς κτίσμασι τὸ Πνεῦμα. Οὔκ ἔστι μὲν τὸ τοιοῦτον ὑμῶν φρόνημα ελς ενα θεὸν, τὸν ι( ἐπὶ πάντων, ›› καὶ α διὰ πάντων, ιο καὶ ‹‹ ἐν πᾶσι. ›› Τὸ γὰρ, ι( ἐν πᾶσιν, ›› οὐκ ἔχετε, διαιροῦντες καὶ ἀποξενοῦντες ἀπὸ τῆς θεότητος τὸ Πνεῦμα καὶ ἡ τελείωσις δὲ ὑμῶν, ἢν νομίζετε ποιεῖν, οὕτω φρονοῦντες, οὐκ ἔστιν ὀλόκληρος εἷς θεὸτητα γινομένη. Ἐπιμίγνυται γὰρ ταὺτῃ κτὼ-μαʼ καὶ θεολογεῖτι καὶ ὑμεῖς, ὡς ο ν ’Λρειανοὶ καὶ ”Ελληνες, νήν κτίριν μετά τοῦ xtiσαντος αὐτὴν Θεοῦ διὰ τοῦ ἰδίου Λόγου. Οὕτω δὲ διακείμενοι, ποὶας ἐλπίδος έστές ἿΙ τίς ὑμᾶς συνάψει τῷ Θεῷ, μή ἔχοντας τὸ Πνεῦμα αὐτοῦ τοῦ Θεοῦ, ἀλλὰ τὸ τῆς κτίσεως; Ποία δὲ ὑμῶν τόλμα καὶ ἀπροσεξία, ὅτι τὸν Πατέρα καὶ τὸν τούτου Λόγον εἷς τὰ κτίσματα κατάγετε, καὶ πάλιν τὸ κτίσμα συνεξισοῦτε τῷ Scip; Τοῦτο γὰρ ποιεῖτε φανταζόμε· νοι περὶ τοῦ ΙΙνεύματος ὡς κτίσματος, καὶ συντάσ-‹ σοντες αὐτὸ εἷς Τριάδα. Τί δὲκαὶ τὸ μανιῶδες ὑμῶν, ὥστε φρονεῖν ἀδικίαν κατὰ τοῦ Θεοῦ, ὅτι μὴ πάντες ἄγγελοι, ἢ πάντα τὰ κτίσματα, ἀλλʼ εἷς έκ τούτων συναριθμεῖται τῷ Θεῷ καὶ τῷ Λόγῳ αὐτοῦ ς Ἔδει γὰρ καθʼ ὑμᾶς, ἅπαξ ἀγγέλου καί κτίσματος ὄντος τοῦ ΙῙνεύματος, καὶ συντασσομένου είς Τριάδα, μὴ ἕνα, ἀλλὰ καί πάντας τοὺς κτισθέντας ἀγγέλους συντάσσεσθαι ταύτῃ καὶ μηκέτι Τριάδα, ἀλλὰ πληθύν τινα θεότητος ἀναρίθμητον εἶναι· ’ίνα καὶὴ έν τούτῳ πάλιν δοκοῦσα τελείωσις ὑμῶν γίνεσθαι, διαιρουμένη ὦδε κάκεῖσε, ἀοέβαιος τῇ ποικιλίᾳ γένηται. Τοιαῦτα λᾶρ τὰ τέλη ὑμῶν τε καὶ τῶν Ἀρειανῶν λογιζομένων κατὰ τῆς θεότητος, καὶ τῇ κτίσει λατρευόντων παρὰ τὸν κτίσαντα τὰ πάντα Θεόν. ### English translation (Claude) Since, then, the church has this foundation of the faith, let them tell us again and answer: Is it a Triad or a Dyad? If it is a Dyad, then let the Spirit be numbered by you with the creatures. But then your mind is not directed to one God, who is “over all” and “through all” and “in all.” For you do not have “in all,” since you divide the Spirit from the Godhead and estrange him from it; and your initiation, which you think you perform while thinking in this way, is not entire, as it should be when it is into the Godhead. For a creature is mixed into it; and you too, like the Arians and the Greeks, confess as God the creation together with God who created it through his own Word. Being so disposed, what hope have you? Or who will join you to God, when you do not have the Spirit of God himself, but that of creation? And what daring and heedlessness is yours, that you bring the Father and his Word down to the creatures, and in turn make the creature equal to God? For this is what you do by imagining the Spirit to be a creature and ranking him in the Triad. And what madness of yours is this, that you think God unjust, since not all angels or all creatures, but one of them, is numbered with God and his Word? For according to you, once the Spirit is an angel and a creature and is ranked in the Triad, not one but all the created angels ought to be ranked with it, and it should no longer be a Triad but some countless multitude of godhead; so that in this too your supposed initiation, divided here and there, may become unstable through its variety. Such are the ends of you and of the Arians, who reason against the Godhead and worship the creature rather than God who created all things. ### Scripture references - Eph 4:6: allusion, high confidence - Rom 1:25: allusion, high confidence ### Translation notes - τελείωσις (“initiation”, literally “perfecting”) refers to baptism. Eph 4:6; Rom 1:25. ### Citation (SBL) Athanasius, Ep. Serap. 1.29 (PG 26:596d–597c; trans. Sophia Scriptura, https://sophiascriptura.com/fathers/athanasius-epistulae-serapionem/1-29/#p-1-29). ## Letters to Serapion 1.30 - URL: https://sophiascriptura.com/fathers/athanasius-epistulae-serapionem/1-29/#p-1-30 - Source: PG 26:597c–600d - Translation: Claude (claude-opus-5-5), 2026-10-09 Summary: Baptism and faith are one because the Triad is one; calling the Spirit a creature would make two baptisms, while Paul shows that every gift comes from the Father through the Son in the Spirit. ### Greek text Τοιαῦτα μὲν οὗν ὑμῖν ἄτοπα έκ τοῦ δυάδα λέγειν ἀπαντᾷ. Εἴ δὲ Τριάς ἐστιν, ὥσπερ οὖν καὶ ἔστι, δέδεικται δὲ ἀδιαίρετος οὖσα καὶ οὐκ ἀνόμοιος ἀνάγκη μίαν ταύτης εἶναι τήν ἁγιότητα, καὶ μίαν ταύτης τήν ἀϊδιότητα, καὶ τήν τῆς ἆτρεψίας φύσιν. Ὥσπῃρ γὰρ ἡ ὡς αὐτὴν παραδεδομένη πίστις μία ἐστὶ, καὶ αὕτη συνάπτει τῷ Θεῷ, ὁ δὲ ὑπεξαιρούμενός τι τῆς Τριάδος, καὶ ἐν μόνῳτῷ τοῦ Πατρὸς ὀνόματι βαπτιζόμενος, ἢ έν μόνῳ τῷ ὀνόματι τοῦ Υὶοῦ,ἢ χωρίς γε τοῦ Πνεῦματος έν Πατρὶ καὶ Υἱῷ, οὐδὲν λαμβάνει, ἀλλᾶ κενος καὶ ἀτελής αὐτός τε καὶ ὁ δοκῶν διδόναι διαμένει· έν τῇ Τριάδι γὰρ ἡ ’τελείωσίς ἐστιν* αὕτως ὁ διαιρῶν τὸν Υίὸν ἀπὸτοῦ Πατρὸς. ἢ τὸ Πνεῦμα κατάγων εἰς τὰ κτίσματα, οὕτε τὸν Υἱὸν ἔχει οὕτε τὸν Πατέρα, ἀλλʼ ἔστιν ἄθεος καὶ ἀπίστου χείρων, καὶ πάντα μᾶλλον ἢ Χριστιανός· καὶ δικαίως γε. Καθάπερ γὰρ ’ὲν ἐστι τὸ βάπτισμα ἐν Πατρὶ καὶ Υίῷ καὶ ἁγίῳ Πνεύματι διδόμενον, καὶ μία πίστις ἐστὶν είς αὐτὴν, ὡς εἶπεν ὁ ’Δπόστολος. ὕτως ἡ ἀγία Τριὰς, ἡ αὐτὴ οῦσα ἑαυτῇ καὶ νωμένη πρὸς ἑαυτὴν, οὐδὲν ἔχει ἐν ἑαυτῇ τῶν γενηὧν· καὶ αὕτη τῆς Τριάδος ἡ ἀδιαίρετος ἑνότης, ai μία ἡ εἷς ταύτην πίστις ἐστίν. Εἰ δὲ κατᾶ τὴν μῶν τῶν Τροπικῶν ἐπεξεύρεσιν οὐχ οὕτως ἐστὶν, γλ ἐνυπιάσθητε κτίσμα λέγειν τὸ Πνεῦμα τὸ γιον· οὐκέτι μία πίστις ἐστὶν ὑμῶν, οὐδὲ ἓν βάττισμα, ἀλλὰ δόθʼ ’ὲν μὲν sic Πατέρα καὶ Υἱόν· ἓτεδὶʼ”λ ί ””“”“ὶλ“ ον εις αγγε ον κτ σμα οντα και ουον οιπον ›μῶν ἀσφαλὲς οὐδὲ ἀληθές. Ποία γὰρ κοινωνία γεητῷ καὶ δημιουργῷς Ἦ ποία ἑνότης τοῖς κάτω Δ ιτίσμασι καὶ τῷ ταῦτα δημιουργήσαντι Λόγφς Γοῦτο εἰδὼς 6 μακάριος Παῦλος, οὗ διαιρεῖ τὴν Γριάδα, ὥσπερ ὑμεῖς, ἀλλᾶ τήν ἑνότητα ταύτης διἷάσκὼν ἔγραψε Κορινθίοις περῖ τῶν πνευματικῶν, ιαὶ τδι πάντα εἷς ἕνα Θεὸν τὸν Ηπτὲρα ἀνακεφαλαιοῖ λέγων· ι( Διαιρέσεις δὲ χαρισμάτων εἶσὶ, τὸ δὲ αὐτὸ Πνεῦμα καὶ διαιρέσεις διακονιῶν εἰσιν, 6 δὲ αὐτὸς Κύριος· καὶ διαιρέσεις ἐνεργημάτων εἰσὶν, 6 δὶ αὐτὸς Θεὸς ὁ ἐνεργῶν τὰ πάντα έν πᾶσιν. ›› "A γὰρ τὸ Πνεῦμα ἑκάστῳ διαιρεῖ, ταῦτα παρὰ τοῦ Πατρὸς διὰ τοῦ Λόγου χορηγεῖται. Πάντα γὰρ τὰ τοῦ Πατρὸς, τοῦ Υἳοῦ έστιο διὸ καὶ τὰ παρὰ τοῦ Υἱοῦ ἐν Πνεόματι διδόμενα τοῦ Πατρός ἐστι χαρίσματα. Καὶ τοῦ Πνεόματος δὲ ὄντος ἐν ἡμῖν, καὶ 6 Λόγος ὁ τοῦτο διδούς ἐστιν έν ἡμῖν, καὶ έν τῷ Λόγῳ ἐστὶν ὁ Πατήρ, καὶ οὕτως ἐστὶ τὸ, ‹‹ Ἐλιυσόμεθα ἐγὼ καὶ 6 Πατὴρ, καὶ μονὴν παρʼ αὸτῷ ποιήσομεν, ι) καθάπερ εἴρηται. Ἔνθα γὰρ τὸ φῶς, εκεῖ καὶ τὸ ἀπαύγασμα· καὶ ἔνθα τὸ ἀπαύγασμα, ἐκεῖ καὶ ἡ τούτου ἐνέργεια καὶ αὐγοειδῆς χάρις. Καὶ τοῦτο πάλιν διδάσκιον 6 Παῦλος ἔλργαφεν ἀὖθις Κορινθίοις καὶ ἐν τῇ δευτέρᾳ Ἐπιστολῇ λέγων· ‹‹ ἸΙ χάρις τοῦ Κυρίου ἡμῶν Ἰησοῦ Χριστοῦ, καὶ ἡ ἀγάπη τοῦ Θεοῦ, καὶ ἡ κοινωνία τοῦ ἁγὶου Ιῐνεύματος, μετὰ πέντων ὑμῶν. ι Ἡ γὰρ διδομένη χάρις καὶ δωρεά ἐν Τριάδι δίδοται παρὰ τοῦ ΙῙατρὸς διʼ Υἱοῦ ἐν ῐΙνεῦματι ἁγίῳ. Ὥσπερ γὰρ ἔκ τοῦ ΙΙατρὸς ἐστι διʼ Υἱοῦ ἡ διδομένη χαρίς, οὕτως οὒκ ἂν γένοιτο κοινωνία τῆς δὸσεως έν ἡμῖν, εἰ μὴ ἐν τῷ Πνεύματι τῷ ἁγίῳ. Τούτου γὰρ μετέχοντες, ἔχομεν τοῦ Ιῐατρὸς τήν ἀγάπην, καὶ τοῦ Υἱοῦ τὴν χάριν, καὶ αὐτοῦ τὸῦ Ιῐνεύματος τήν κοινωνίαν. ’ ### English translation (Claude) Such absurdities, then, befall you from calling it a Dyad. But if it is a Triad, as indeed it is, and it has been shown to be indivisible and not unlike, then its holiness must be one, and its eternity one, and its unchangeable nature one. For as the faith handed down concerning it is one, and this joins us to God; and as whoever takes away anything from the Triad and is baptized in the name of the Father alone, or in the name of the Son alone, or in Father and Son without the Spirit, receives nothing, but remains empty and uninitiated, both he and the one who seems to give it—for the initiation is in the Triad—so whoever divides the Son from the Father, or brings the Spirit down to the creatures, has neither the Son nor the Father, but is godless and worse than an unbeliever, and anything rather than a Christian; and rightly so. For as the baptism given in Father and Son and Holy Spirit is one, and the faith in it is one, as the apostle said, so the holy Triad, being the same with itself and united to itself, has in itself nothing of originated things; and this is the indivisible oneness of the Triad, and the faith in it is one. But if, according to the invention of you Tropici, it is not so, and you have dreamed of calling the Holy Spirit a creature, then your faith is no longer one, nor your baptism one, but two: one into Father and Son, and another into an angel who is a creature; and nothing of yours is secure or true any longer. For what fellowship has the originated with the creator? Or what oneness have the creatures below with the Word who made them? Knowing this, the blessed Paul does not divide the Triad as you do, but, teaching its oneness, he wrote to the Corinthians about spiritual gifts, and sums up all things into the one God and Father, saying: “Now there are varieties of gifts, but the same Spirit; and there are varieties of ministries, but the same Lord; and there are varieties of activities, but it is the same God who works all things in all.” For what the Spirit distributes to each, these are supplied from the Father through the Word. For all that is the Father’s is the Son’s; and so the gifts given by the Son in the Spirit are the Father’s gifts. And when the Spirit is in us, the Word who gives him is in us too, and the Father is in the Word; and so it is as was said: “I and the Father will come and make our home with him.” For where the light is, there is the radiance too; and where the radiance is, there too is its activity and its luminous grace. And teaching this again, Paul wrote once more to the Corinthians, in the second letter, saying: “The grace of our Lord Jesus Christ, and the love of God, and the fellowship of the Holy Spirit be with you all.” For the grace and gift that is given is given in the Triad, from the Father through the Son in the Holy Spirit. For as the grace given is from the Father through the Son, so there could be no fellowship of the gift in us except in the Holy Spirit. For in partaking of him we have the love of the Father, and the grace of the Son, and the fellowship of the Spirit himself. ### Scripture references - Matt 28:19: allusion, high confidence - 1 Tim 5:8: allusion, medium confidence - Eph 4:5: allusion, high confidence - 1 Cor 12:4: quotation, high confidence - 1 Cor 12:5: quotation, high confidence - 1 Cor 12:6: quotation, high confidence - John 16:15: allusion, high confidence - John 14:23: quotation, high confidence - 2 Cor 13:14: quotation, high confidence ### Translation notes - 1 Tim 5:8; Eph 4:5; 1 Cor 12:4–6; John 16:15; John 14:23; 2 Cor 13:14 (13:13 in some editions). - A garbled line in the scan (after “two: one into Father and Son”) is translated by sense. ### Citation (SBL) Athanasius, Ep. Serap. 1.30 (PG 26:597c–600d; trans. Sophia Scriptura, https://sophiascriptura.com/fathers/athanasius-epistulae-serapionem/1-29/#p-1-30). ## Letters to Serapion 1.31 - URL: https://sophiascriptura.com/fathers/athanasius-epistulae-serapionem/1-29/#p-1-31 - Source: PG 26:600d–605a - Translation: Claude (claude-opus-5-5), 2026-10-09 Summary: The Triad has one activity: the Father works through the Word in the Spirit, so that the prophets, the apostles, and Paul spoke in the Spirit with Christ speaking in them. ### Greek text Μία ἄρα καὶ ἐκ τούτων ἡ τῆς Τριάδος ἐνεργεια δείκνυται. Οὐ γὰρ ὡς παρʼ ἑκάστου διάφορα καὶ διῃρημένα τὰ διδόμενα σημαίνει 6 ’Δπόστολος· ἀλλʼ ὅτι τὰ διδόμενα ἐν Τριάδι δίδοται, καὶ τὰ πάντα ἐξ ἑνὸς Θεοῦ ἑστι. Τὸ τοίνυν μὴ ὃν κτίσμα, ἀλλʼ ἡνωμένον τῷ Υἳῷ, ὡς 6 Υἱὸς ἥνωται τῷ ΙΙατρὶ, τὸ συνδοξαζόμενον ΙΙατρῖ καὶ Υὶῷ, καὶ θεολογούμενον μετᾶ τοῦ Λόγου, ἐνεργοῦν τε ἅπερ ὁ ΙΙατήρ διὰ τοῦ Υἱοῦ ἐργάζεται, πῶς 6 λέγων κτίσμα οὐκ ἄντικρυς εἷς αύτόν τὸν Υἱὸν ἀσεβεῖ ; Οὐδὲν γάρ ἐστιν ’ὸ μή διὰ τοῦ Λόγου ἐν τῷ Πνεύματι γίνεται καὶ ἐνεργεῖται. Τοῦτο καὶ ὲν ΨαΛμοῖς ᾅδεταιο ‹‹ Τῷ Λόγῳ Κυρίου οἱ οὖρανοὶ ἐστερεώθησαν, καὶ τῷ ΙΙνεύματι τοῦ στόματος αὐτοῦ πᾶσα ἡ δύναμις αὐτῶν· ›› καὶ ἒν τῷ ἑκατοστῷ τεσσαρακοστῷ ἑβδόμῳ ψαλμῷ ι( Ἀποστελεῖ τὸν λ Λόγον αὐτοῦ, καὶ τήξει αὐτά· πνεύσει τὸ Πνεῦμα αὐτοῦ, καὶ ῥυήσεται ὕδατα. ›› Καὶ ὲδικαιώθημεν δὲ, ὡς εἶπεν 6 Ἀπόστολος, ‹‹ ὲν τῷ ὀνόμανι τοῦ Κυρίου ἡμῶν Ἰησοῦ Χριστοῦ, καὶ ὲν τῷ ΙΙνεύματι τοῦ Θεοῦ ἡμῶν. ι ’Λδιαίρετυν γάρ ἐστι τοῦ Λόγου τὸ Πνεῦμα, Ἀμέλει λὲγοντος τοῦ Κυρίου, ‹‹ Ἐλευσόμεθα ἐγὼ καὶ 6 ῐιατὴρ, ι συνεισέρχεται τὺ Πνεῦμα οὐκ ἄλλως ἢ ὡς 6 Υἱὸς ὲν ἡμῖν οἰκήσων, γράφοντος Ἐφεσίοις τοῦ Παύλου· ‹‹ Ἵνα δῴη ὑμῖν κατᾶ τὸν πλοῦτον τῆς δόξης αὐτοῦ, δυνάμει κραταιωθῆναι διὰ τοῦ Ιῐνεύματος αὐτοῦ εἱς τὸν ἔσω ἄνθρωπον, κατοικῆσαι τὸν Χριστόν ›› Τοῦ δὲ Υἰοῦ ὲν ἡμῖν ὄντος, ἔτι καὶ 6 ΙΙατῆρ, λεγοντος τοῦ Υἰοῦ ‹‹ Ἐγὼ ἓν τῷ Πατρῖ, καὶ 6 Πατὴρ ὲν ἐμοί. ›› Διὸ καὶ, γινομένου τοῦ Λόγου ἓν τοῖς προφήταις, ἓν αύτῷ τῷ Ιῐνεύματι τῷ ἁγίῳ προφητεύουσι. Τῆς γοῦν Γραφῆς λεγούσης, ι Καὶ εγενετο Λόγος Κύρίου »πρὸς τόνδε τὸν προφήτην, δείκνυται προφητεύων ὲν τῷ ΙΙνεύματι τῷ ἁγίῳ. Ἐν μὲν γὰρ τῷ Ζαχαρία γέγραπται· ι( νῙΙλήν τοὺς λόγους μου καὶ τὰ νόμιμά μου δέχεσθε, ὅσα ἐγὼ ἐντέλλομαι ὲν Ιῐνεύματί μου τοῖς δούλοις μου τοῖς προφήταιςο ›› ὅτε καὶ μετʼ ὀλίγα αἰτιώμενος τὸν λαὸν ἔλεγε-ι ι( Καὶ τήν καρδίαν αὐτῶν ἔταξαν ἀπειθῆ, τοῦ μή εἰσακούειν τοὺς νόμους μου καὶ τοὺς λόγουςο οὓς ἑξαπέστειλε Κύριος παντοκράτωρ ὲν Ιῐνεύο ματι αὐτοῦ ὲν χερσὶ τῶν προφητῶν αὐτοῦ τῶν ἔμπροσθενʼ ›› 6 δὲ Πέτρος ἓν ταῖς Ιῐράξεσιν ἔλεγεν* ’ ‹‹ Ἀνδρες ἀδελφοὶ, ἔδει πληρωθῆναι τὴν Γραφήν, ἢν προεῖπε τὸ Πνεῦμα τὸ ἅγιον. ›› Καὶ κοινῇ δὲ οἱ ἀπόστολοι ἐβόων οὕτωςʼ ‹‹ Δέσποτα, 6 ποιήσας τὸν ούρανὸν, καὶ τὴν γῆν, καὶ τήν θάλασσαν, καὶ πάντα τὰ ὲν αὐτοῖς, 6 τοῦ πατρὸς ἡμῶν διὰ Πνεύματος ἁγίου στόματος Δαβὶδ τοῦ παιδός σου εἰπών. ι) Καὶ 6 Παῦλος, ἐν μέν τῇ Ῥώμῃ γένομενος, ἐπαρρησιάζετο τοῖς ἐλθοῦσι πρὸς αὐτὸν Ἰουδαίοις· ‹‹ Καλῶς τὸ Πνεῦμα τὸ ἅγιον ἐλάλησε διὰ Ἠσαίου τοῦ προφήτου πρὸς τοὺς πατέρας ὑμῶν. ›› Τιμοθέῳ δὲ ἔγραφεʼ ι Τὸ δὲ Πνεῦμα ῥητῶς λέγει, ὅτι ἐν ὑστέροις καιροῖς ἀποστήσονταί τινες τῆς ὑγιαινούσης πίστεως, προσέχοντες πνεύμασι πλάνης. ιι Διὸ καὶ ὅταν λέγηται ἓν τισι τὸ Πνεῦμα γενέσθαι, νοεῖται 6 Λόγος ἐν αὐτῷ διδοὺς τὸ ΙΙνεῦμα. Τῆς γοῦν προφητείας πληρουμένης, ‹‹ Ἐκχεῶ ἀπὸ τοῦ Πνεύματός μου ἐπὶ πᾶσαν σάρκα, η 6 Παῦλος ἷλεγε· ‹‹ Κατὰ τὴν έπιχορηγίαν τοῦ Πνεῦματος Ἰησοῦ Χριστοῦ εἰς ἐμὲ ι καὶ πρὸς Κορινθίους δὲ ἔργαψεν* ‹‹Ἢ“ δοκιμὴν ζητεῖτε τοῦ ἐν έμοῖ λαλοῦντος Χριστοῦ ; ›› Ei“ δὲ Χριστὸς ἦν 6 λαλῶν έν αὐτῷ, δῆλον, ὅτι Χριστοῦ ἦν τὸ Πνεῦμα τὸ λαλοῦν έν αὐτῷʼ καὶ γὰρ τοῦ Χριστοῦ λαλοῦντος έν αὐτῷ έν ταῖς Ιῐράξεσιν ἔλεγε πάλιν· ‹‹ Καὶ νῦν ἰδοῦ δεδεμένος ἐγὼ τῷ Πνεύματι, πορεύομαι εἰς Ἱερουσαλήμ, τὰ έν αὑτῇ συνατήσοντά μοι μή εἰδώς* πλὴν ὅτιτὸ Πνεῦμα τὸ ἅγιον κατὰ πόλιν δια· μαρτύρεταί μοι λέγον, ὅτι δεσμὰ καὶ θλίψεις μένουσί με. ι “Οθεν, έὰν οἱ ἅγιοι λέγωσιο Τάδε λέγει ’Κύριος, οὐκ ἄλλως ἢ έν τῷ ΙΙνεύματι τῷ ἁγίῳ λαλοῦσιο καὶ έν τῷ Ιῐνεῦματι λαλοῦντες, έν Χριστῷ ταῦτα λέγουσινʼ ἑὰν δὲ καὶ ὁ ’Ἄγαβος έν ταῖς ΙΙράξεσι λέγῃ· ι( Τάδε λέγει τὸ Πνεῦμα τὸ ἅγιοψ υ οὐκ ἄλλως ἢ τοῦ Λόγου γενομένου πρὸς αὐτὸν, τὸ Πνεῦμα ἐχορήγει λαλεῖν έν αὐτῷ καὶ διαμαρτύρασθαι τὰ μένοντα τὸν Παῦλον εἰς Ἰερουσαλήμ. Ἀμέλει, τοῦ Πνεῦματος πάλιν διαμαρτυρουμὲνου τῷ Παύλῳ,νὸ αὐτὸς Χριστὸς ἐλάλει ένΙαύτῷλβὃ), ὡς . 2, τὸ Πνεῦμα τὸ ἅγιον. εἶναι τοῦ Λόγου τὴν ἐκ τοῦ Πνεύματος γινομένην διαμαρτυρίαν. Οὕτω καὶ ἐπὶ τὴν ἁγίαν Παρθένον Μαρίαν ἐπιδημοῦντος τοῦ Λόγου, συνεισήρχετο τὸ Πνεῦμα, καὶ Λόγος ἐν τῷ Πνεύματι ἔπλαττε καὶ ἥρ- ### English translation (Claude) From these things too, then, the activity of the Triad is shown to be one. For the apostle does not mean that the things given are given differently and separately by each, but that what is given is given in the Triad, and that all things are from one God. That, then, which is not a creature, but is united to the Son as the Son is united to the Father, which is glorified together with Father and Son and confessed as God with the Word, and which works what the Father works through the Son—how does one who calls it a creature not commit open impiety against the Son himself? For there is nothing that does not come to be and is not worked through the Word in the Spirit. This is sung in the Psalms too: “By the word of the Lord the heavens were made firm, and by the Spirit of his mouth all their host”; and in the hundred and forty-seventh psalm: “He will send out his word and melt them; he will breathe his Spirit, and the waters will flow.” And we were justified, as the apostle said, “in the name of our Lord Jesus Christ and in the Spirit of our God.” For the Spirit is inseparable from the Word. Indeed, when the Lord says, “I and the Father will come,” the Spirit comes in with them, no otherwise than as the Son will dwell in us, as Paul writes to the Ephesians: “that he may grant you, according to the riches of his glory, to be strengthened with power through his Spirit in the inner man, that Christ may dwell …” And when the Son is in us, the Father is too, since the Son says, “I am in the Father and the Father in me.” Therefore too, when the Word comes to be in the prophets, they prophesy in the Holy Spirit himself. When, at any rate, Scripture says, “And the word of the Lord came to” such and such a prophet, it is shown that he prophesies in the Holy Spirit. For in Zechariah it is written: “But receive my words and my statutes, which I command by my Spirit to my servants the prophets”; and a little later, accusing the people, he said: “And they made their heart disobedient, so as not to hear my laws and the words which the Lord Almighty sent by his Spirit by the hands of his former prophets.” And Peter said in the Acts: “Brothers, the Scripture had to be fulfilled, which the Holy Spirit spoke beforehand.” And the apostles together cried out thus: “Master, who made the heaven and the earth and the sea and all that is in them, who by the Holy Spirit, through the mouth of our father David your servant, said.” And Paul, when he was in Rome, spoke boldly to the Jews who came to him: “The Holy Spirit spoke well through Isaiah the prophet to your fathers.” And to Timothy he wrote: “Now the Spirit expressly says that in later times some will depart from the sound faith, giving heed to deceitful spirits.” Therefore too, when the Spirit is said to come to be in some, it is understood that the Word is in them, giving the Spirit. When, at any rate, the prophecy “I will pour out of my Spirit upon all flesh” was being fulfilled, Paul said, “according to the supply of the Spirit of Jesus Christ to me”; and to the Corinthians he wrote: “Or do you seek proof of Christ speaking in me?” But if it was Christ who spoke in him, plainly the Spirit who spoke in him was Christ’s; and indeed, with Christ speaking in him, he said again in the Acts: “And now, behold, I am going bound in the Spirit to Jerusalem, not knowing what will befall me there, except that the Holy Spirit testifies to me in every city that bonds and afflictions await me.” Hence, when the saints say, “Thus says the Lord,” they speak in no other way than in the Holy Spirit; and speaking in the Spirit, they say these things in Christ. And when Agabus too in the Acts says, “Thus says the Holy Spirit,” it is in no other way than that, the Word having come to him, the Spirit enabled him to speak and to testify to what awaited Paul at Jerusalem. Indeed, when the Spirit again testified to Paul, it was Christ himself who spoke in him, … so that the testimony that comes from the Spirit is the Word’s. So too, when the Word came upon the holy Virgin Mary, the Spirit came in with him, and the Word in the Spirit formed and fitted … ### Scripture references - Ps 33:6 (32:6 LXX): quotation, high confidence - Ps 147:18 (147:7 LXX): quotation, high confidence - 1 Cor 6:11: quotation, high confidence - John 14:23: quotation, high confidence - Eph 3:16: quotation, high confidence - Eph 3:17: quotation, high confidence - John 14:10: quotation, high confidence - Zech 1:6: quotation, high confidence - Zech 7:12: quotation, high confidence - Acts 1:16: quotation, high confidence - Acts 4:24: quotation, high confidence - Acts 4:25: quotation, high confidence - Acts 28:25: quotation, high confidence - 1 Tim 4:1: quotation, high confidence - Joel 2:28 (3:1 LXX): quotation, high confidence - Phil 1:19: quotation, high confidence - 2 Cor 13:3: quotation, high confidence - Acts 20:22: quotation, high confidence - Acts 20:23: quotation, high confidence - Acts 21:11: quotation, high confidence - Luke 1:35: allusion, high confidence ### Translation notes - Ps 33:6 (32:6 LXX); Ps 147:18 (147:7 LXX, “the hundred and forty-seventh psalm”); 1 Cor 6:11; John 14:23; Eph 3:16–17; John 14:10; Zech 1:6; Zech 7:12; Acts 1:16; Acts 4:24–25; Acts 28:25; 1 Tim 4:1; Joel 2:28; Phil 1:19; 2 Cor 13:3; Acts 20:22–23; Acts 21:11; Luke 1:35. - A garbled phrase after “it was Christ himself who spoke in him” is marked “…”; the ref breaks off in the scan in mid-word (ἥρ-) while speaking of the incarnation. ### Citation (SBL) Athanasius, Ep. Serap. 1.31 (PG 26:600d–605a; trans. Sophia Scriptura, https://sophiascriptura.com/fathers/athanasius-epistulae-serapionem/1-29/#p-1-31). ## Letters to Serapion 1.32 - URL: https://sophiascriptura.com/fathers/athanasius-epistulae-serapionem/1-29/#p-1-32 - Source: PG 26:605a–605c - Translation: Claude (claude-opus-5-5), 2026-10-09 Summary: Scripture shows the Spirit to be proper to the Word and the Father’s Godhead; the Tropici, hated even by the Arians, are fighters against the Spirit. ### Greek text Συμφώνως ἄρα ἀπὸ τῶν θείων Γραφῶν δείκνυται μή εἶναι κτίσμα τὸ Πνεῦμα τὸ ἅγιον, ἀλλὰ ἴδιον τοῦ Λόγου καὶ τῆς τοῦ Πατρὸς θεότητος οὕτω γὰρ τῶν μὲν ἁγίων ἡ διδασκαλία εἷς τήν ἁγίαν καὶ ἀδιαίρετον Τριάδα συνάγεται, καὶ μία πίστις αὕτη τῆς καθολικῆς Ἑκκλησίας ἐστί° τῶν δὲ Τροπικῶν ἠ ἀλόγιστος μυθοπλαστία διαφωνεῖ μέν πρὸς τὰς Γραφὰς, συμφωνεῖ δὲ τῇ τῶν Ἀρειομανιτῶν ἁλογίᾳο καὶ εΐκὸς αὐτοὺς οὕτως ὑποκρίνασθαι ἀπάτης ἕνεκεν τῶν ἀκεραίων. Ἀλλᾶ χάρις τῷ Κυρίῳ, ὅτι, ὡς γράφεις, ούκ ἔλαθον σκέποντες ἑαυτοὺς τῇ πρὸς κτους ’Λρειανοὺς προσποιήτῳ ἀντιλογίᾳ* καὶ γὰρ καὶ παρʼ ἐκείνων ἐμισήθησαν, ὅτι μόνον τὸ Πνεῦμα καὶ οὐχὶ καὶ τὸν Λόγον κτίσμα λέγουσι· καὶ παρὰ πάντων δὶ κατεγνώσθησαν, ὡς τῷ ὄντι πνευματομαχοῦντες, καὶ μετʼ ὀλίγον γινόμενοι νεκροὶ, ἔρημοι καὶ κενοὶ τοῦ Πνεύματος ὄντες. Κατὰ γὰρ τὸν μακάριον Ἀπόστολον, ψυχικοί ἅνθρωποι ὄντες οὐκ ἠδυνήθησαν δέξασθαι τὰ τοῦ Πνεύματος τοῦ Θεοῦ, ὅτι πνευματικῶς ἀνεκρίνοντο· οἳ δέ τὰ τῆς ἀληθείας φρονοῦντες ἀνακρίνουσι μὶν τὰ πάντα, αὐτοὶ δὲ ὑπʼ οὐδενὸς ἀνακρίνονται, ἔχοντες ἐν ἑαυτοῖς τὸν Κύριον ἀποκαλύπτοντα αὐτοῖς ἰν τῷ Πνεύματι ἑαυτόν τε καὶ διʼ ἑαυτοῦ τὸν Πατέρα. ### English translation (Claude) So it is shown in harmony from the divine Scriptures that the Holy Spirit is not a creature, but proper to the Word and to the Godhead of the Father. For in this way the teaching of the saints is gathered into the holy and indivisible Triad, and this is the one faith of the catholic church. But the irrational myth-making of the Tropici is out of harmony with the Scriptures and in harmony with the irrationality of the Ariomaniacs; and it is likely that they put on this act to deceive the simple. But thanks be to the Lord that, as you write, they have not escaped notice while covering themselves with their pretended opposition to the Arians. For they are hated by those too, because they call only the Spirit a creature, and not the Word as well; and they have been condemned by all, as truly fighting against the Spirit, and as soon to become dead, being bereft and empty of the Spirit. For, according to the blessed apostle, being unspiritual men, they could not receive the things of the Spirit of God, because they are spiritually discerned; but those who think the things of the truth discern all things, while they themselves are discerned by no one, since they have in themselves the Lord, who reveals to them in the Spirit both himself and, through himself, the Father. ### Scripture references - 1 Cor 2:14: allusion, high confidence - 1 Cor 2:15: allusion, high confidence ### Translation notes - “Fighting against the Spirit” renders πνευματομαχοῦντες, the source of the later name Pneumatomachi for those who denied the Spirit’s divinity. 1 Cor 2:14–15. ### Citation (SBL) Athanasius, Ep. Serap. 1.32 (PG 26:605a–605c; trans. Sophia Scriptura, https://sophiascriptura.com/fathers/athanasius-epistulae-serapionem/1-29/#p-1-32). ## Letters to Serapion 1.33 - URL: https://sophiascriptura.com/fathers/athanasius-epistulae-serapionem/1-29/#p-1-33 - Source: PG 26:605c–609d - Translation: Claude (claude-opus-5-5), 2026-10-09 Summary: Athanasius closes the letter: true worshipers worship the Father in Spirit and truth, and those who make the Spirit a creature risk the unpardonable sin. ### Greek text Ἐγὼ μὲν οὖν καίπερ έν ἐρήμῳ διάγων, διὰ γοῦν τήν ἀναίδειαν τῶν ἐκτραπέντων ἀπὸ τῆς ἀληθείας, ού φροντίσας τῶν γελᾷν ἐθελόντων διὰ τὸ ἀσθενὲς καὶ ταπεινόν τῆς διὰ τῶν λόγων ἀποδείξεως, διʼ ὀλίγων γράψας, ἀπέστειλα τῇ σῇ εὐλαβείᾳ, πολλὰ παρακαλῶν, ἵνα, ἆντυγχάνων τούτοις, τὰ μὲν διορθώσῃ, ἐπὶ δὲ τοῖς ἀσθενῶς εἰρημένοις συγγινώσκῃς. Κατὰ γὰρ τὴν παραδοθεῖσαν ἡμῖν παρὰ τῶν Πατέρων ἀποστολικὴν πίστιν παρέδωκα, μηδὶν ἔξω· θεν ἐπινοήσας, ἀλλʼ ὅπερ ἔμαθον ἐνεχάραξα συμφώνως ταῖς ἁγίαις Γραφαῖς. Σύμφωνον γὰρ καὶ τοῦτο τοῖς προαποπεφασμένοις πρὸς βεβαίωσιν ἐκ τῶν ἁγίων Γραφῶν. Καὶ οὐκ, ἔξωθεν ἐπινενόηται, ἀλλʼ αὐτὸς ὁ Κύριος Ἰησοῦς Χριστὸς διʼ αὐτοῦ ἐδίδασκε τήν Σαμαρεῖτιν, καὶ διʼ αὐτῆς ἡμᾶς, τὴν τῆς ἁγίας Τριάδος τελειότητα, ἀδιαίρετον ὑπάρχουσαν καὶ μίαν θεότητα. Αύτή ἡ ἀλήθεια μαρτυρεῖ, ὥς φησι τῇ Σαμαρείτιδιʼ α Πίστευέ μοι, γύναι, ὅτι ἔρχεται ὥρα, καὶ νῦν ἐστιν, ὅτε οἱ ἀληθινοὶ προσκυνηταὶ προσκυνήσουσι τῷ Πατρὶ ἐν Πνειόματι καὶ ἀληθείᾳ· καὶ γὰρ ὁ Πατὴρ τοιούτους ζητεῖ τοὺς προσο κυνοῦντας αὐτόν. Πνεῦμα 6 Θεὸς, καὶ τοὺς προσκυνοῦντας αὐτὸν ἐν Πνεῦματι καὶ ἀληθείᾳ δεῖ προσκυνεῖν. ›› Δέδεικται τοίνυν ἐντεῦθεν, ὡς ἡ ἀλήθεια μὲν αὐτὸς 6 Υἱός ἐστιν, ὡς αὐτός φησιν· ι Ἐγώ εἰμι ὴ ἀλήθεια· » περὶ οὗ καὶ 6 προφήτης Δαὸἶδ ἐπεκαλεῖτο Λὲγων « Ἐξαπόστειλον τὸ φῶς σου καὶ τήν ἀλήθειάν σου. ›› Οἱ ἀληθινοὶ τοίνυν προσκυνηταὶ προσκυνοῦσι μὲν τῷ Πατρὶ, ἀλλʼ ἐν Πνεύματι καὶ ἀληθείᾳ, ὁμολογοῦντες Υίὸν καὶ ἐν αὐτῷ τὸ Πνεῦμα. ’Δχώριστον γὰρ τοῦ Υίοῦ τὸ Πνεῦμα, ὡς ἀχώριστος 6 Υἱὸς τοῦ Πατρός. Αὖτή ἡ ’Δλήθεια μαρτυρεῖ ἡ λέγουσα· ι Πὲμψω ὑμῖν τὸν Παράκληο τον, τὸ Πνεῦμα τῆς ἀληθείας, ’ὁ παρά τοῦ Πατρὸς ι ι η ι ul ς BI Χ ρ -ι ἐκπορεύεται, ’ὀ 6 κὸσμος οὐ δύναται λαβεῖν, ›› τουτἐστιν οἱ ἀρνούμενοι αὐτὸ ἐκ τοῦ Πατρὸς ἐν τῷ Υἱῷ. Χρὴ τοίνυν κατά μίμησιν τῶν ἀληθινῶν ὁμολογεῖν καὶ προσδραμεῖν τῇ ἀληθεία. ’Δν δʼ ἄρα καὶ μετὰ ταῦτα μήτε μαθεῖν θέλωσι, μήτε νοεῖν δύνωνται· κᾶν τῶν δυσφημιῶν παυέσθωσαν, καὶ μή διαιρείτωσαν τὴν Τριάδα,ίνα μὴ διαιρεθῶσιν ἀπὸ τῆς ζωῆςʼ μηδὲ, τοῖς κτίσμασι συναριθμείτωσαν τὸ Πνεῦμα τὸ ἅγιον, ’ίνα μή, ὡς οἱ τότε Φαρισαῖοι τῷ Βεελζεβοἰιλ τὰ τοῦ Πνευῖματος ἀνετίθεσαν, οὕτω καὶ οὗτοι, τὰ ἴσα τολμῶντες, ἀσόγγνωστον καὶ ὦδε καὶ μετὰ ταῦτα τὴν τιμωρίαν μετʼ ἐκείνων ὑπομείνωσιν. ἐποίησα καὶτοῦτο θαρρῶν, ὅτι συνείδησιν ἔχων ἀγαθὴν, εἴτι καὶ ὲν τούτοις παραλέλειπται, ἀναπληρώ σεις. ### English translation (Claude) I, then, though I am living in the desert, yet because of the shamelessness of those who have turned aside from the truth, and without caring about those who wish to laugh at the weakness and lowliness of the demonstration in my words, have written briefly and sent it to your piety, earnestly begging that, when you read it, you correct some things and pardon what is weakly said. For I have handed it on in accordance with the apostolic faith handed down to us by the fathers, devising nothing from outside; but what I learned, I have engraved in harmony with the holy Scriptures. For this too agrees with what was set forth above for confirmation from the holy Scriptures; and it has not been devised from outside, but the Lord Jesus Christ himself, through himself, taught the Samaritan woman, and through her us, the perfection of the holy Triad, which is indivisible and one Godhead. The Truth himself bears witness, as he says to the Samaritan woman: “Believe me, woman, the hour is coming, and now is, when the true worshipers will worship the Father in Spirit and truth; for the Father seeks such people to worship him. God is Spirit, and those who worship him must worship in Spirit and truth.” It has been shown, then, from this that the Truth is the Son himself, as he says, “I am the truth”; about whom the prophet David too called out, saying, “Send out your light and your truth.” The true worshipers, then, worship the Father, but in Spirit and truth, confessing the Son and in him the Spirit. For the Spirit is inseparable from the Son, as the Son is inseparable from the Father. The Truth himself bears witness, saying: “I will send you the Paraclete, the Spirit of truth, who proceeds from the Father, whom the world cannot receive”—that is, those who deny that he is from the Father in the Son. One must, then, in imitation of the true worshipers, confess the truth and run to it. But if even after this they neither wish to learn nor are able to understand, let them at least cease from their slanders and not divide the Triad, lest they be divided from life; and let them not number the Holy Spirit with the creatures, lest, as the Pharisees of that time ascribed the works of the Spirit to Beelzebul, these too, daring the like, suffer with them the punishment that has no pardon, both here and hereafter. … I have done this too, confident that, since you have a good conscience, if anything has been left out in these things too, you will supply it. ### Scripture references - John 4:21: quotation, high confidence - John 4:23: quotation, high confidence - John 4:24: quotation, high confidence - John 14:6: quotation, high confidence - Ps 43:3 (42:3 LXX): quotation, high confidence - John 15:26: quotation, high confidence - John 14:17: quotation, high confidence - Matt 12:24: allusion, high confidence - Matt 12:32: allusion, high confidence ### Translation notes - John 4:21, 23–24; John 14:6; Ps 43:3 (42:3 LXX); John 15:26; John 14:17; Matt 12:24, 32. - A few words are lost in the scan before the last sentence (“…”). - The scan ends this ref with the opening of the next letter (“The Arians, turning in upon themselves … the madness of their heresy”); that passage is removed by a logged correction. It belongs to the beginning of Letter 2 to Serapion (staged separately). ### Citation (SBL) Athanasius, Ep. Serap. 1.33 (PG 26:605c–609d; trans. Sophia Scriptura, https://sophiascriptura.com/fathers/athanasius-epistulae-serapionem/1-29/#p-1-33). ## Letters to Serapion 2.3 - URL: https://sophiascriptura.com/fathers/athanasius-epistulae-serapionem/2-3/#p-2-3 - Source: PG 26:612b–613a - Translation: Claude (claude-opus-5-5), 2026-10-09 Summary: Nothing in creation is almighty or unchangeable, as the Son is; so the Son, unlike creatures, is not of the same essence as they but is like the Father. ### Greek text Τούτων δὶ οὕτω δεικνυμένων, ἀσεβής ἐστιν 6 λέγων κτίσμα εἶναι τὸν Υἱόν. Ἀναγκασθήσεται γὰρ εἰπεῖν κτίσμα καὶ τὴν πηγὴν βρύουσαν, κτίσμα τήν σοφίαν, τὸν Λόγον, ἐν ᾧ ἐστι πάντα τὰ τοῦ Haτρός. Ἄλλως τε καὶ ἀπὸ τούτων ἄν τις ἴδοι τὸ σαθρὸν τῆς αἱρέσεως τῶν Ἀρειομανιτῶν. Ὧν ἐσμεν ὅμοιοι, καὶ τήν ταυτότητά ἔχομεν τούτων, καὶ ὁμοούσιοί ἐσμεν· ἅνθρωποι γοῦν ὅμοιοι καὶ ταυτότητα ἔχοντες, ὁμοοῦσιοί ἐσμεν ἀλλήλων. Τὸ αὐτὸ γὰρ πᾶσι, τὸ θνητὸν, τὸ φθαρτὸν, τὸ τρεπτὸν, τὸ ἐκ μὴ ὄντων. Καὶ ἄγγελοι δὲ πρὸς ἑαυτοὺς. καὶ τά ἄλλα πάντα, ὡσαύτως ὁμοσυῆ ἐστιν αλλήλων. Οὐκοῦν ἐρευνάτωσαν οἱ περῖεργοι, εἷ ἔστι τις ὁμοιότης πρὸς τὸν Υἱὸν τοῖς κτίσμασιν· ἢ τά ἐν τῷ ιʼἱῴ δύνανται εὑρεῖν ἐν τοῖς γενητοῖς, ’ἶνα καὶ κτίσμα τολμήσωσιν εἰπεῖν τὸν τοῦ Θεοῦ Λόγον, Ἀλλʼ οὐκ ἂν εὕροιεν οἱ πάντα προπετεῖς καὶ πλανώμενοι περὶ τήν εὐσέβειαν. Ἐν μὶν γὰρ τοῖς κτίσμασιν οὐδὲν ἐστι παντοκράτωρ, καὶ οὖδὶν παρὰ τοῦ ἒτὲρου κρατεῖται. ’Ἑκαστον γὰρ αὖε τοῦἐστιςτοῦ Θεοῦ. u Οἱ ›› μὲνγὰρ ‹‹ εὐρανοὶ διηγοῦν. ται δόξαν Θεοῦ· ἡ δὲ γῆ τοῦ Κυρίου ἐστὶ καὶ τὸ πλήρωμα αὐτῆς θάλασσα εἶδε καί ἔφυγε. ιι Καὶ τὰ πάντα δοῦλα τοῦ πεποιηκότος ἐστὶ, ποιοῦντα τὸν λόγον αὐτοῦ, καὶ ὑπακούοντα τῷ προστάγματι αὐτοῦ. Ὀ δὲ Υἱὸς παντοκράτωρ ἐστὶν, ὡς 6 Πατὴρʼ καὶ τοῦτο γέγραπται, καὶ δέδεικται. Πάλιν τε ἐν τοῖς κτίσμασιν οὐδὲν ἐστιν ἄτρεπτον τῆ φύσει. Τῶν γαρ ἀγγέλων τινὶς οὐκ ἐτήρησαν τὴν ἰδίαν τάξιν ο καὶ ‹‹ ἄστρα οὐ καθαρᾶ ἐνώπιον αὐτοῦ · ιι καί 6 μὲν διάβολος ἔπεσεν ἀπʼ οὐρανοῦ · 6 δὲ ’Δδᾶμ παρέβη καὶ πάντα ἀλλοιοῦμινά ἐστιν. Ὃ δὲ Υἱὸς ἂτρεπτός ἐστι καὶ ἀναλλοίωτος, ὡς 6 Πατήρ. Καὶ τοῦτο 6 ΙΙαῦλος ὑπέμνησεν ἐκ τοῦ ἑκατοστοῦ καὶ πρώτου ψαλμοῦ Καὶ σὺ κατʼ ἀρχὰς, Κύριε, τὴν γῆν λέγων· ‹‹ ἐθεμελίωσας· καὶ ἔργα τῶν χειρῶν σου εἰσὶν οἱ οὐ· ρανοί. Αὐτοὶ ἀπολοῦνται, σὺ δὲ διαμενεῖςʼ καὶ πάντες ὡς ἱμάτιον παλαιωθήσονται, καὶ ὡσει περιβόλαιον ἆλΑάξεις αὐτοὺς, καὶ ἀλλαγήσονται· σὺ δὲ 6 αὐτὸς εἴ, καὶ τὰ ἔτη σου οὐκ ἑκλείψουσι. ι) Καὶ πάλιν λέγει ι( Ἰησοῦς Χριστὸς χθὲς καὶ σήμερον 6 αὐτὸς καὶ εἷς τοὺς αἰῶνας. ›› ### English translation (Claude) These things being shown in this way, whoever says that the Son is a creature is impious. For he will be compelled to call a creature also the gushing fountain, and a creature the Wisdom, the Word, in whom are all the things that are the Father’s. Besides, from the following too one may see the rottenness of the heresy of the Ariomaniacs. Those to whom we are like, and with whom we have identity, are also of the same essence with us; men, at any rate, being alike and having identity, are of the same essence with one another. For the same things belong to all: being mortal, corruptible, changeable, from nothing. And angels with one another, and all the other things, are likewise of one nature with one another. Let these busybodies, then, search whether there is any likeness of the creatures to the Son, or whether they can find in originated things what is in the Son, so that they may dare to call the Word of God a creature. But they will not find it, these men who are rash in everything and go astray about piety. For among the creatures nothing is almighty, and none is ruled by another; for each is God’s own work. “The heavens declare the glory of God”; “the earth is the Lord’s, and its fullness”; “the sea saw and fled.” And all things are slaves of the one who made them, doing his word and obeying his command. But the Son is almighty, as the Father is; and this is written and has been shown. Again, among the creatures nothing is unchangeable by nature. For some of the angels did not keep their own rank; and “the stars are not pure before him”; and the devil fell from heaven, and Adam transgressed, and all things are subject to change. But the Son is unchangeable and unalterable, as the Father is. And Paul recalled this from the hundred and first psalm, saying: “And you, Lord, in the beginning founded the earth, and the heavens are the works of your hands. They will perish, but you remain; they will all grow old like a garment, and like a robe you will change them, and they will be changed; but you are the same, and your years will not fail.” And again he says: “Jesus Christ is the same yesterday and today and forever.” ### Scripture references - Ps 19:1 (18:2 LXX): quotation, high confidence - Ps 24:1 (23:1 LXX): quotation, high confidence - Ps 114:3 (113:3 LXX): quotation, high confidence - Jude 1:6: allusion, high confidence - Job 25:5: quotation, high confidence - Luke 10:18: allusion, high confidence - Heb 1:10: quotation, high confidence - Heb 1:11: quotation, high confidence - Heb 1:12: quotation, high confidence - Ps 102:25 (101:26 LXX): quotation, high confidence - Heb 13:8: quotation, high confidence ### Translation notes - The first two chapters of Letter 2 are not staged; the scan prints the opening of this letter at the end of Letter 1, where it was removed. - Ps 19:1 (18:2 LXX); Ps 24:1 (23:1 LXX); Ps 114:3 (113:3 LXX); Jude 6; Job 25:5; Luke 10:18; Heb 1:10–12, quoting Ps 102:25–27 (101:26–28 LXX, “the hundred and first psalm”); Heb 13:8. - One short phrase is garbled in the scan (“for each is God’s own work”); translated by sense. ### Citation (SBL) Athanasius, Ep. Serap. 2.3 (PG 26:612b–613a; trans. Sophia Scriptura, https://sophiascriptura.com/fathers/athanasius-epistulae-serapionem/2-3/#p-2-3). ## Letters to Serapion 2.4 - URL: https://sophiascriptura.com/fathers/athanasius-epistulae-serapionem/2-3/#p-2-4 - Source: PG 26:613a–616b - Translation: Claude (claude-opus-5-5), 2026-10-09 Summary: Creatures have a beginning and are gods only by participation, but the Son is the Creator, true God in whom the Father is. ### Greek text Καὶ πάλιν τὰ γενητᾶ πάντα οὐκ ἦν, καὶ γέγονε. Τήν γὰρ γῆν, ὡς οὐδὲν, ἐποίησεο καὶ, ‹‹ ὁ καλῶν τὰ μὴ ὄντα ὡς ὅντον ›› καὶ ποιήματα δὲ ἐστι καὶ κτίσματα· διὰ τοῦτο γὰρ καὶ ἀρχὴν ἔχει τοῦ γενέσθαι. ι Ἐν ἀρχῇ η γὰρ ‹‹ ἐποίησεν 6 Θεὸς τὸν οὐρανὸν καί τήν γῆν, ›› καὶ πάντα τὰ ἐν αὐτοῖςʼ καὶ πάλιν ‹‹ Ἦ γείρ μου ἐποίησε ταῦτα πάντα. ›› Ὁ δὲ Υἱὸς ὤν ἐστι καὶ ἐπὶ πάντων Θεὸς, ὠς 6 Πατήρ· καὶ τοῦτο οὕτω δέδεικται· καὶ οὐ ποιούμενός ἐστιν, ἀλλᾶ ποιῶν· καὶ οὖ κτιζόμενος, ἀλλὰ κτίζων καὶ ποιῶν τὰ ἔργα τοῖʼ) Πατρός. Διʼ αὐτοῦ γὰρ οἱ αῗῶνες γεγόνασιο καὶ πάντα διʼ αὐτοῦ ὶγὲνετω καὶ χωρὶς αὐτοῦ ἐγένετο οὐδὲ ἕνʼ ὡςδὲ Ἀπόστολος ἐδίδαξε τὸ ἓν τῷ ψαλμῷ, αὐτὸς κατʼ ἀρχὰς τήν γῆν ἐθεμελίωσε, καὶ ἔργα τῶν χειρῶν αὐτοῦ εἷʼσιν οἱ οὐρανοί. Καὶ πάλιν τῶν κτισμάτων οὐδὲν ἐστι τῇ φύσει Θεόςʼ ἀλλʼ ἕκαστον τῶν γενομένων ’ὸ καὶ γέγονε, τοῦτο καὶ ἐκλήθηο τὸ μὲν οὐρανὸς, ἄλλο δὲ γῆ καὶ οἳ μὲν φωστῆρες, τὰ δὲ ἅστρω καὶ ἄλλα θάλασσα, καὶ ἄβυσσοι, καὶ τετράποδα· καὶ λοιπὸν, ἄνθρωποςʼ καὶ πρὸ τούτων ἄγγελοι, καὶ ἀρχάγγελοι, χεροοὄὶμ, σεραφῖμ, καὶ δυνάμεις, ἀρχαὶ, ἐξουσίαι, κυριότητες, παράδεισος* καὶ οὕτως ἕκαστον διαμένει. Ei δὶ καὶ θεοί τίνες ἇκλήθησαν, ἀλλʼ οὐ τῇ (enim, ἀλλὰ τῇ μετουσίᾳ τοῦ mox“). Οὕτω γὰρ καὶ αὐτὸς εἶπεν. (ι Ei ἐκείνους εἶπεν θεοὺς, πρὸς οὓς 6 Λόγος τοῦ Θεοῦ ἐγένετο. ›› Διὸ, μὴ ὄντες τῇ φύσει θεοὶ, ἔστιν ὅτε τινες τρέπονται, ἀκούοντεςο κ Ἐγὼ εἶπα* Θεοί ἔστε καὶ υἱοὶ Ὑψίστου πάντες Ὑμεῖς δὲ, ὡς ἄν· θρωποι, ἀποθνήσκετε. ι» Τοιοῦτος ἦν ὁ ἀκούσαςʼ ‹‹ Σὺ δὲ εἶ ἄνθρωπος, καὶ οὐ Θεός. ι Ὁ δὲ Υἱὸς Θεὸς ἀληθινός ἐστιν, ὠς ὁ Πατήρ. Ἐν αὐτῷ γάρ ἐστιν, καὶ 6 Πατὴρ ἒν τῷ Υἱῷ* καὶ 6 μὲν Ἰωάννης ἔγραψεν, ὡς δέδεικται· 6 δὲ Δαόὶδ ψάλλει· ‹‹ Ὁ θρόνος σου, ὁΘεὸς, εἷς αἰῶνα αἰῶνος· ῥάβδος εὐθύτητος ἡ ῥάβδος τῆς βασιλείας σου· ›› καὶ 6 προφήτης δὶ Ἡσαΐας βοᾷy « Ἐκοπίασεν Αἴγυπτος καὶ ἐμπορία Αἰθιόπων καὶ οἱ Σαβαεὶμ ἄνδρες ὑψηλοὶ ἐπὶ σέ διαβήσονται, καὶ ἀκολουθήσουσιν οἱ ὀπίσω σου δεδεο μένοι χειροπέδαις, καὶ προσκυνήσουσῖ σοι, δτι ἐν σοὶ 6 Θεός. Σὺ γὰρ εἴ ὁ Θεὸς τοῦ Ἰσραὴλ, καὶ οὐκ ᾔδειμεν· ›› Τίς δή ἐστιν 6 Θεός, ὲν 6 Θεὸς, εἴ μὴ 6 Υἱὸς 6 λέγων· ‹‹ Ἐγὼ ἐν τῷ ΙΙατρὶ, καὶ 6 Πατὴρ ἐν ἐμοί ἔστιν ; ›› ### English translation (Claude) And again, all originated things were not, and came to be. For he made the earth as nothing; and he is the one “who calls the things that are not as though they were”; and they are things made and creatures, and for this reason they have a beginning of coming to be. For “in the beginning God made the heaven and the earth,” and all that is in them; and again, “My hand made all these things.” But the Son is He who is, and God over all, as the Father is; and this has been shown so; and he is not one who is made, but one who makes; not one who is created, but one who creates and makes the works of the Father. For through him the ages came to be, and all things came to be through him, and without him not one thing came to be; and, as the apostle taught concerning what is in the psalm, he in the beginning founded the earth, and the heavens are the works of his hands. And again, none of the creatures is God by nature; but each of the things that came to be is called what it came to be: one heaven, another earth; some luminaries, others stars; others sea and deeps and four-footed beasts; and finally man; and before these, angels and archangels, cherubim, seraphim, and powers, principalities, authorities, dominions, paradise; and so each remains. And if some were called gods, it was not by nature but by participation in the Son. For so he himself said: “If he called them gods, to whom the word of God came.” Therefore, not being gods by nature, some at times change, and hear: “I said, You are gods, and all of you sons of the Most High; but you die like men.” Such was the one who heard: “But you are a man, and not God.” But the Son is true God, as the Father is. For he is in the Father, and the Father in the Son; and John wrote it, as has been shown; and David sings: “Your throne, O God, is forever and ever; a scepter of uprightness is the scepter of your kingdom”; and the prophet Isaiah cries out: “Egypt has labored, and the merchandise of the Ethiopians, and the Sabeans, tall men, shall come over to you, and shall follow after you bound in fetters, and shall worship you, because God is in you; for you are the God of Israel, and we did not know it.” Who, then, is God in whom God is, but the Son who says, “I am in the Father, and the Father is in me”? ### Scripture references - Rom 4:17: quotation, high confidence - Gen 1:1: quotation, high confidence - Isa 66:2: quotation, high confidence - Rom 9:5: allusion, high confidence - Heb 1:2: allusion, high confidence - John 1:3: quotation, high confidence - Ps 102:25 (101:26 LXX): allusion, high confidence - John 10:35: quotation, high confidence - Ps 82:6 (81:6 LXX): quotation, high confidence - Ps 82:7 (81:7 LXX): quotation, high confidence - Ezek 28:2: quotation, high confidence - 1 John 5:20: allusion, medium confidence - Ps 45:6 (44:7 LXX): quotation, high confidence - Isa 45:14: quotation, high confidence - Isa 45:15: quotation, high confidence - John 14:10: quotation, high confidence ### Translation notes - Rom 4:17; Gen 1:1; Isa 66:2; Rom 9:5; Heb 1:2; John 1:3; Ps 102:25; John 10:35; Ps 82:6–7 (81:6–7 LXX); Ezek 28:2; 1 John 5:20; Ps 45:6 (44:7 LXX); Isa 45:14–15 LXX; John 14:10. - The words “by nature” and “in the Son” are garbled in the scan (the latter reads “mox”); they are translated by sense. ### Citation (SBL) Athanasius, Ep. Serap. 2.4 (PG 26:613a–616b; trans. Sophia Scriptura, https://sophiascriptura.com/fathers/athanasius-epistulae-serapionem/2-3/#p-2-4). ## Letters to Serapion 2.5 - URL: https://sophiascriptura.com/fathers/athanasius-epistulae-serapionem/2-3/#p-2-5 - Source: PG 26:616b–616d - Translation: Claude (claude-opus-5-5), 2026-10-09 Summary: Since all that is the Father’s is the Son’s, and no creature could have the Father’s properties, the Son is of the same essence as the Father, as Nicaea confessed. ### Greek text Τίς, τούτων ὄντων καὶ γεγραμμένων, οὐ συνορᾷ, ὶπεὶ τῶν μὲν κτισμάτων οὐδὲν ὅμοιον 6 Υἱὸς ἔχει, πάντα δὶ τά τοῦ Πατρὸς τοῦ Υἱοῦ ἔστιν, ὅτι ὸμοούσιος ἃν εἴη 6 Υἱὸς τῷ Πατρί ; ’Ὠσπερ γὰρ, εἰ τῶν κτισμάτων τινὰ εἶχεν ὁμοιότητα καὶ πρὸς αὐτά τινα εἶχε συγγένειαν, ὁμοοόσιος ἃν αὐτοῖς ἦν· οὕτως ἄλλότριος μὲν ὣν κατʼ οὐσίαν τῶν γενητῶν, ἴδιος δὶ τοῦ Ματρὸς Λόγος, οὐκ ἄλλος ὢν οὗτος ἐκείνου· ἐπειδὴ καὶ αὐτοῦ ἔστιν ἴδια πάντα τὰ τοῦ Πατρὸς, ὁμοοόσιος εἰκότως ἂν εἴη τῷ ΙΙατρί. Οὕτως γάρ καὶ o't ΙΙατέρνς νοήσαντες, ὡμολόγησαν ἓν τῇ κατᾶ Νίκαιαν συνόδῳ ὀμοοόσιον καὶ ὲκ τῆς οὐσίας τοῦ ΙΙατρὸς τὸν Υῖόν. Συνεῖδον γὰρ καλῶς, ὅτι κτιστὴ οὐσία οὗ δόναται ἄν ποτε εἴπεῖν ‹‹ Πάντα, ὅσα ἔχει 6 Πατὴρ, ἐμά ἐστιν. ›› Ἀρχὴν γὰρ ἔχουσα τοῦ γίνεσθαι, οὐκ ἔχει τὸ ὣν, καὶ τὸ ἧν ἀϊδίως. Καὶ διὰ τοῦτο, ἒπειδὴ ταῦτʼ ἔχει 6 Υἱὸς, καὶ πάντα δὲ τὰ προειρημένα τοῦ [ἰατρὸς τοῦ Υἱοῦ ἑστιν, ἀνάγκη μὴ ιτιστὴν εἶναι τήν οὐσίαν τοῦ Ποῦ, ἀλλʼ ὁμοούσιον τῷ ΙΙατρί. Ἄλλως τε καὶ κατὰ τοῦτο οὐκ ἂν εἴη κτιστή οὐσία, δεκτικὴ τῶν ἰδίων τοῦ Θεοῦ. Ἴδια δὲ αὐτοῦ ἑστιν, ἐξ ὧν γινώσκεται ὁ Θεὸς, οἷον τὸ παντοκράτωρ, τὸ ὢν, τὸ ἀναλλοίωτον, καὶ τὰ ἔτερα τὰ προειρημένα, ἵνα μὴ ὁμοοόσιος τῶν κνισμάτων αὐτὸς ὁ Θεὸς φαίνηται κατὰ τοὺς ἄφρονας, ἔχων ἅπερ καὶτὰ κτίσματα ἔχειν δύναται. ### English translation (Claude) Who, these things being so and being written so, does not see that, since the Son has nothing like the creatures, while all that is the Father’s is the Son’s, the Son would be of the same essence as the Father? For as, if he had any likeness to the creatures and some kinship with them, he would be of the same essence with them, so, being foreign in essence to originated things, and being the proper Word of the Father, not other than he, since all that is the Father’s is his own, he would rightly be of the same essence as the Father. For so the fathers too understood it, and confessed at the council of Nicaea that the Son is of the same essence as the Father and from the essence of the Father. For they saw clearly that a created essence could never say, “All that the Father has is mine.” For, having a beginning of coming to be, it does not have “he who is” and “he was” eternally. And for this reason, since the Son has these, and all the things of the Father mentioned above are the Son’s, the essence of the Son must not be created, but of the same essence as the Father. And besides, a created essence could not in this respect be receptive of what is proper to God. And proper to him are the things by which God is known, such as “Almighty,” “He who is,” “unalterable,” and the others mentioned above—lest God himself, according to the senseless, should appear to be of the same essence as the creatures, by having what the creatures too can have. ### Scripture references - John 16:15: quotation, high confidence - Exod 3:14: allusion, medium confidence ### Translation notes - John 16:15; Exod 3:14 (He who is). ### Citation (SBL) Athanasius, Ep. Serap. 2.5 (PG 26:616b–616d; trans. Sophia Scriptura, https://sophiascriptura.com/fathers/athanasius-epistulae-serapionem/2-3/#p-2-5). ## Letters to Serapion 2.6 - URL: https://sophiascriptura.com/fathers/athanasius-epistulae-serapionem/2-3/#p-2-6 - Source: PG 26:616d–621c - Translation: Claude (claude-opus-5-5), 2026-10-09 Summary: A father begets, not makes, a son of the same essence; so God’s Son is of the same essence, and texts such as “he created” refer to his becoming man. ### Greek text Καὶ οὕτω δʼ ἄν τις διελέγξειε τὴν ἀσέβειαν τῶν λεγόντων κτίσμα εἶναι τὸν τοῦ Θεοῦ Λόγον. Ἦ πίστις ἡμῶν εἰς Πατέρα καὶ Υἱὸν καί ἅγιον Πνεῦμα ἰστι, λέγοντος αὐτοῦ τοῦ Υἱοῦ τοῖς ἀποστόλοις ‹‹ Πορευθέντες, μαθητεύσατε πάντα τὰ ἔθνη, βαπτίζοντες αὐτοὺς είς τὸ ὄνομα τοῦ Πατρὸς καὶ τοῦ Υἱοῦ καὶ τοῦ ἁγίου Πνεύματος. ›› Εἷπε δὲ οὕτως, ’ίνα ἐξ ὧν οἴδαμεν, ἀπὸ τούτων νοῶμεν καὶ περὶ τῶν προειρη μένων. ’Ὠσπερ οὖν ούκ ἂν εἴποιμεν τοὺς πατέρας ποιητὰς, ἀλλὰ γεννήτορας καὶ αὐτοὺς δὲ ἡμᾶς ούκ ἃν εἷʼποι τις κτίσμα πατέρων, ἀλλὰ υἱοὺς φύσει, καὶ ὁμοουσίους οῶν πατέρωνʼ οὕτως, εἰ Πατὴρ 6 Θεὸς, πάντως Υῖοῦ φύσει καὶ ὁμοουσίου ἐστὶ Πατήρ. Ἀβραὰμ γοῦν οὐκ ἔκτισε τὸν Ἰσαὰκ, ἀλλʼ ἐγέννησε· Βεσελεήλ δὲ καὶ Ἐλιὰβ ούκ ἐγέννησαν, ἀλλʼ ἰποίησαν πάντα τὰ ἔργα τὰ ἐν τῇ σκηνῇ. Καὶ ναυπηγὸς δὶ καὶ οἰκοδόμος οὐ γεννῶσιν ’ἁ ποιοῦσιν, ἀλλʼ ἕκαστος ἐργάζεται, 6 μὲν τὸ σκάφος, 6 et τὴν οἰκίαν. Ὀ μέντοι Ἰσαὰκ οὗ ποιεῖ, ἀλλὰ γεννᾷ φύσει καὶ ὁμοούσιον τὸν Ἰακώβ· καὶ 6 Ἰακὼό δέ οὕτως τὸν Ἰούδαν καὶ τοὺς ἀδελφοὺς αὐτοῦ. ’Ὠσπερ οὖν μαίνοιτʼ ἄν τις λέγων τήν οἰκίαν ὁμοούσιον τοῦ οἷκοδόμουικαὶ τὸ σκάφος τοῦ ναυπηγοῦ, οὕτως πρεπόντως ἅν τις εἷʼποι πάντα Υἱὸν ὁμοούσιον εἶναι τοῦ ἑαυτοῦ Πατρός. Εἰ τοίνυν Πατήρ ἐστι καὶ Υἱὸς, ἀνάγκη τὸν Υὶὸν φύσει καὶ ἀληθείᾳ εἶναι Υὶόν. Τοῦτο δέ ἐστι τὸ ὁμοούσιον εἶναι τῷ Ιῐατρὶ. ὡς ἐκ πολλῶν ἰδείχθη. ’Δμέλει περὶ μὲν τῶν ποιημάτων· ‹‹ Αὐτὸς εἶπε, καὶ ἐγενήθησαν· αὐτὸς ἐνετείλατο, καὶ ἐκτίσθησαν. ιι Περὶ δὲ τοῦ Υὶοῦ· ‹‹ Ἐξηρεύξατο ἡ καρδία μου,Λόγον ἀγαθόν. n Ὀ δὲ Δανιὴλ οἶδε Υἱὸν τοῦ Θεοῦ, οἶδε καὶ τὰ ἔργα τοῦ Θεοῦ· καὶ τὸν μὲν Υἱὸν εἶδε δροσίζοντα τὴν κάμινονʼ περὶ δὲ τῶν ἔργων εἰρηκὼς, ‹‹ Εύλογεῖτε, πάντα τὰ ἔργα Κυρίου, τὸν Κύριον,ι ἕκαστον μὲν τῶν κτισμάτων κατέλεξε· τὸν δὲ Υἱὸν οὐ συνηρίθμησε τούτοις, εἰδὼς, ὅτι οὐκ ἔστιν ἔργον, ἀλλὰ δʼ αὐτοῦ γέγονε μὶν τὰ ἔργα, ἐν ΙΙατρὶ δὲ ὑμνούμενος καὶ ὑπερυψούμενός ἐστιν. Ὥσπερο οὖν διʼ αύνοῦ ἀποκαλύπτεται 6 Θεὸς τοῖς γινώσκουσιν, οὕτως διʼ αὐτοῦ ἡ εὐλογία, καὶ 6 ὕμνος, καὶ ἡ δόξα, καὶ τὸ κράτος ὁμολογεῖται τῷ ΙΙατρὶ διʼ αὐτοῦ καὶ ἐν αὐτῷ,“ίνα καὶ εὐπρόσδεκτος-ἡτοιαύτη ὁμολογία γένηται, ὡς αἱ Γραφαὶ, λέγουσιν. ’Ἕκ πολλῶν μὲν οὖν καὶ ἐκ τούτων δέδεικται καὶ δείκνυται ἀσεβὴς 6 λέγων κτίσμα εἶναι τὸν τοῦ Θεοῦ Λόγον. ίνα μή ἰτερα ἀνθʼ ὲτὲρων νοοῦντες παραπαίῶμεν, δῖα πεπόνθασιν οἱ ’Δρειανοί. ’Ὠσπερ τοίνυν, Λόγον αὐτὸν εἰδότες, οἴδαμεν, ὅτι ‹‹ διʼ αύτοῦ τὰ πάντα ἐγένετο, καὶ χωρὶς αὐτοῦ ἐγένετο οὐδὲ ἕνʼ ›› καὶ, ‹‹ Τῷ Λόγῳ Κυρίου οἱ ούρανοὶ ἇστερεώθησαν· ›› καὶ, ‹‹ ’Δποστέλλει τὸν Λόγον αὐτοῦ, καὶ ἰᾶται τὰ πὰντα · ›› καὶ σοφίαν δὲ αύτὸν εἰδότες, οἷʼδαμεν, ’ὁτι 6 Θεὸς τῇ σοφίᾳ ἰθεμελίωσε τήν γῆν, καὶ πάντα ἰν σοφίᾳ ἑποίο ησεν 6 Πατὴρ καὶ Θεὸν δὶ αὐτὸν εἰδότες, πεπιστεύκαμεν, ’ὁτι αύτος ἔστιν 6 Χριστός · ‹‹ Ὀ θρόνος σου ιι γὰρ, ‹‹ 6 Θεὸς, ›› ᾅδει Δαβἶδ, ‹‹ εἰς αἰῶνα αἶʼὦνοςʼ ῥάβδος εὐθύτητος ἡ ῥάβδος τῆς βασιλείας σου. Ἠγάπησας δικαιοσύνην, καὶ ἐμίσησας ἀδικίαν · διὰ τοῦτο ἔχρισί σε 6 Θεὸς, 6 Θεός σου, ἔλαιον ἀγαλλιάσεως παρὰ τοὺς μετόχους σου. ι Καὶ ἰν μὶν τῷ Ἡσαΐᾳ αύτὸς περὶ ἑαυτοῦ λέγει · Πνεῦμα Κυρίου ἐπʼ ἐμὲ, οὗ εἵνεκεν ἔχρισὲ με. ι Ὀ δὶ Πέτρος ὡμολόγησεν, δτι ‹‹ Σὺ εἴ 6 Χριστὸς 6 Υἱὸς τοῦ Θεεῦ τοῦ ζῶντος. ›› οὕτως εἰδότες αὐτὸν ἄνθρωπον γενόμενον, οὐκ ἀρνούμεθα τὰ περὶ αὐτοῦ ἀνθρωπίνως λεγόμενα, οἷᾶ ἐστι νὸ πεινᾷν, νὸ διψᾷν, τὸ ῥαπισθῆναι, τὸ δακρῦσαι, τὸ κοιμηθῆναι, καὶ τέλος τῷ σταυρῷ ἀναδέξασθαι τὸν ὁπὶρ ἡμῶν θάνατονʼ ταῦτα γὰρ πάντα περὶ αύτοῦ γέγραπται. Οὕτως καὶ τὸ, α ἔκτισεν, »ι ἀνθρώποις ἁρμόζον ούκ ἆπὲκρυκεν ἡ Γραφή, ἀλλʼ εἴρηκεν. Ἐκτίσθημεν γὰρ καὶ πεποιήμεθα οἱ ἄνθρωποι· Ἀλλʼ ὥσπερ ἀκούοντες, ἐπείνασεν, ἐκοιμήθη, ἰῤῥαπίσθη, οὐκ ἀρνούμεθα αὐτοῦ τὴν 026τητα οὕτως ἀκοὺοντας τὸ, ‹‹ ἔκτισεν, ι) ἀκόλουθον ἂν εἴη μνημονεύειν, ὃτι, Θεὸς ὣν, ἐκτίσθη ἄνθρωπος. Ἀνθρώπων γὰρ ἴδιον τὸ κτίζεσθαι, ὥσπερ καὶ τὰ προειρημένα, τὸ πεινᾷν, καὶ τὰ ὅμοια. ### English translation (Claude) And in this way too one might refute the impiety of those who say that the Word of God is a creature. Our faith is in Father and Son and Holy Spirit, as the Son himself says to the apostles: “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 he spoke in this way so that from what we know we might understand also about what has been mentioned. As, then, we would not call fathers makers but begetters, and no one would call us creatures of our fathers, but sons by nature and of the same essence as our fathers, so, if God is Father, he is certainly Father of a Son who is so by nature and of the same essence. Abraham, at any rate, did not create Isaac but begot him; while Bezalel and Oholiab did not beget but made all the works in the tabernacle. And a shipbuilder and a house-builder do not beget what they make, but each works at it, the one the boat, the other the house. But Isaac does not make Jacob, but begets him by nature and of the same essence; and Jacob likewise Judah and his brothers. As, then, one would be mad to say that the house is of the same essence as the builder, and the boat as the shipbuilder, so one might fittingly say that every son is of the same essence as his own father. If, then, there is Father and Son, the Son must be Son by nature and in truth; and this is to be of the same essence as the Father, as has been shown from many things. Indeed, concerning the things made: “He spoke, and they came to be; he commanded, and they were created”; but concerning the Son: “My heart has uttered a good Word.” And Daniel knows the Son of God, and knows the works of God; and he saw the Son bedewing the furnace; but when speaking of the works—“Bless the Lord, all you works of the Lord”—he listed each of the creatures, but did not number the Son with them, knowing that he is not a work, but that through him the works came to be, while he is hymned and highly exalted in the Father. As, then, God is revealed through him to those who know, so through him the blessing and the hymn and the glory and the power are confessed to the Father, through him and in him, so that such a confession may be acceptable, as the Scriptures say. From many things, then, and from these too, it has been shown and is shown that whoever says the Word of God is a creature is impious. … so that we may not go astray by understanding one thing for another, as the Arians have done. As, then, knowing him to be the Word, we know that “all things came to be through him, and without him not one thing came to be,” and “by the word of the Lord the heavens were made firm,” and “he sends his word and heals all”; and knowing him to be Wisdom, we know that God by wisdom founded the earth, and the Father made all things in wisdom; and knowing him to be God, we have believed that he is the Christ. For “your throne, O God,” David sings, “is forever and ever; a scepter of uprightness is the scepter of your kingdom. You have loved righteousness and hated iniquity; therefore God, your God, has anointed you with the oil of gladness beyond your fellows.” And in Isaiah he himself says of himself: “The Spirit of the Lord is upon me, because he has anointed me.” And Peter confessed, “You are the Christ, the Son of the living God.” So, knowing that he became man, we do not deny what is said of him in a human way, such as hungering, thirsting, being struck, weeping, sleeping, and finally accepting on the cross death for our sake; for all these things are written about him. So too the Scripture did not hide “he created,” which fits men, but said it. For we men were created and made. But as, on hearing “he hungered,” “he slept,” “he was struck,” we do not deny his divinity, so, on hearing “he created,” it would follow to remember that, being God, he was created man. For being created is proper to men, as are the things mentioned above, hungering and the like. ### Scripture references - Matt 28:19: quotation, high confidence - Exod 31:2: allusion, high confidence - Ps 148:5: quotation, high confidence - Ps 45:1 (44:2 LXX): quotation, high confidence - Dan 3:25: allusion, high confidence - John 1:3: quotation, high confidence - Ps 33:6 (32:6 LXX): quotation, high confidence - Ps 107:20 (106:20 LXX): allusion, medium confidence - Prov 3:19: allusion, high confidence - Ps 104:24 (103:24 LXX): allusion, high confidence - Ps 45:6 (44:7 LXX): quotation, high confidence - Ps 45:7 (44:8 LXX): quotation, high confidence - Isa 61:1: quotation, high confidence - Matt 16:16: quotation, high confidence - Prov 8:22: allusion, high confidence ### Extrabiblical texts - Pr Azar 35 (Prayer of Azariah and Song of the Three Young Men): quotation, high confidence - Pr Azar 27 (Prayer of Azariah and Song of the Three Young Men): allusion, medium confidence - Wis 16:12 (Wisdom of Solomon): echo, low confidence ### Translation notes - Between “whoever says the Word of God is a creature is impious” and “so that we may not go astray”, the scan prints a long passage from Letter 4 to Serapion (on the blasphemy against the Holy Spirit, with Origen’s and Theognostus’s views and the chapter numerals 9–10), which is removed by a logged correction; the text of this letter lost there is marked “…”. The staged ref probably covers chapters 6–8. - Matt 28:19; Exod 31:2–6 (Bezalel and Oholiab); Ps 148:5; Ps 45:1 (44:2 LXX); Dan 3:25 and Prayer of Azariah 26–27 (the furnace made moist); Prayer of Azariah 35 (= Dan 3:57 LXX, “Bless the Lord, all you works”); John 1:3; Ps 33:6 (32:6 LXX); Ps 107:20 (106:20 LXX) and Wis 16:12 (“he sends his word and heals all”); Prov 3:19; Ps 104:24 (103:24 LXX); Ps 45:6–7 (44:7–8 LXX); Isa 61:1; Matt 16:16; Prov 8:22 (“he created”). ### Citation (SBL) Athanasius, Ep. Serap. 2.6 (PG 26:616d–621c; trans. Sophia Scriptura, https://sophiascriptura.com/fathers/athanasius-epistulae-serapionem/2-3/#p-2-6). ## Letters to Serapion 2.9 - URL: https://sophiascriptura.com/fathers/athanasius-epistulae-serapionem/2-3/#p-2-9 - Source: PG 26:621c–624b - Translation: Claude (claude-opus-5-5), 2026-10-09 Summary: “Not even the Son knows the day” is said of Christ as man, who took our ignorance to redeem it, while as the Word he knows all things, that day included. ### Greek text Καὶ γὰρ κάκεῖνο πάλιν τὸ καλῶς μὲν εἰρημένον, κακῶς δὲ νοούμενον παρʼ αὐτοῖς · φημὶ δὴ τὸ, ι Περὶ τῆς ἡμέρας ἢ τῆς ὥρας ἐκείνης ουδεὶς οἶδεν, οὐδὲ οἱ ἄγγελοι, οὐδὲ 9 Υἱὸς,›› καλὸν ἔχει τὸν νοῦν. Ἐκεῖνοι μὶν γὰρ νομίζουσιν hc τοῦ λέγειν, ι ούδὶ 6 Υἱὸς, ›› ὅτι ἆγνοῷν δηλοῖ, ὅτι κτίσμα ἐστιν, Ούκ ἔστι δὲ οὕτως ' μὴ γένοιτοί καὶ γὰρ ὥσπερ λὲγων, ιιἙκτισέ με, ›› ἀνθρωπίνως εἴρηκεν οὕτως λὲγων, ‹‹ οὐδὶό Υἱὸς, ι) ἀνθρωπίνως εἷʼρηκε. Καὶ τὸ αἲτιοδ 106 οὕτως εἰρηκέναι ἔχει τὸ εὔλογον, Ἐπειδὴ γὰρ ἅνθρωπος γέγονεν, ὡς γέγραπται, ἀνθρώπων δὲ ἴδιον τὸ ἀγνοεῖν, ὥσπερ καὶ τὸ πεινᾷν, καὶ τὰ ἄλλα γὰρ γι· νώσκουσιν,ἐὰν μὴ ἀκούσωσι καὶ μάθωσι), διὰ τοῦτο καὶ τὴν ἄγνοιαν τῶν ἀνθρώπων, ὡς ἄνθρωπος γεγονὼς, ἐπιδείκνυται · πρῶτον μὶν, *ίνα δείξῃ, ὅτι ἀληθῶς ἀνθρώπινον ἔχει σῶμα· ἔπειτα δὶ, ἵνα καὶ, τήν ἄγνοιαν τῶν ἀνθρώπων ἐν τῷ σώματι ἔχων, ἀπὸ πάντων λυτρωσάμενος καὶ καθαρίσας, τελείαν καὶ ἁγίαν παραστήσῃ τῷ Πατρὶ τὴν ἁνθρωπότητα. Ποίαν ἔτι πρόφασιν εὑρήσουσιν οἱ Ἀρειανοί; Τί λοιπόν ἐπινοήσαντες γογγῦσουσι ς Κατεγνώσθηραν μὴ εἰδότες τὸ, ‹‹ Κύριος ἔκτισὲ με εἱς ἔργα αὐτοῦ. » Καὶ ἐδείχθησαν μὴ νοοῦντες τὸ, ›› Περὶ δὶ τὴς ἡμέρας ἐκείνης οὐδεὶς οἶδεν, οὖνὲ οἱ ἄγγελοι, οὐδὲ 6 Υἱός. ι» Καὶ γὰρ ὥσπερ λέγων μὲν 16, « ἔκτισε, ›› τὸ ἀρθρώπινον σημαίνει, ὅτι ἅνθρωπος γὲγονε καὶ Ξκτίσθηο λέγων δὲ, (ί Ἐγὼ καὶ 6 Πατήρ ἓν ἔσμεν, ›› καὶ, α ’0 ἑωρακὼς ἐμὲ ἑώρακε τὸν Πατέρα, » καὶ, ι( Ἐγὼ ἐν τῷ ιΙατρὶ, καὶ 6 Πατὴρ ἐν ἐμοί, ›› τὴν ἀϊδιότητα καὶ τὸ πρὸς τὸν Πατέρα ὁμοούσιον σημαίνει · οὕτως λέγων, ‹‹ Οὐδεὶς οἶδεν, οὐδὲ 6 Υἱὸς, n ὡς ἅνθρωπος πάλιν λὲγει· ᾐνθρώπων γὰρ ἴδιον τὸ ἀγνοεῖν. Λὲγων δὲ, ‹‹ Οὐδεὶς οἶδε τὸν Πατὲρα εἷ μὴ 6 Υἱὸς, οὐδὲ τὸν Υἱὸν εἰ μὴ ὁ Πατήρ, ι) οἶδε πολλῷ πλὲον τὰ γενητᾶ. Oi μὲν 06v μαθηταὶ ἐν τῷ κατᾶ Ἰωάννην ἔλεγον τῷ Κυρίῳ ‹‹ Νῦν οἷʼδαμεν, ὅτι πάντα οἶδας. n Εὔδηλον οὖν, ὅτι οὐδέν ἐστιν ὅ ἀγνοεῖ, Λόγος ὢν, διʼ 06 τὰ πάντα ἐγένετο. Τῶν δὲ πάντων οὖσα καὶ ἡ ἡμέρα ἐκείνη, πάντως διʼ αὑτοῦ γενήσεται, κᾶν διαρῥαγῶσι μυριάκις τῇ ἑαυτῷν ἀγνοίᾳ οἱ Ἀρειανοί. ### English translation (Claude) For that saying too, which was well spoken but is badly understood by them—I mean, “Concerning that day or that hour no one knows, not even the angels, nor the Son”—has a good sense. For they think that from his saying “nor the Son” he shows himself to be ignorant, and so to be a creature. But it is not so—far from it! For as in saying “He created me” he spoke in a human way, so in saying “nor the Son” he spoke in a human way. And the reason for his speaking so is a sound one. For since he became man, as is written, and ignorance is proper to men, as hunger is (for they know nothing unless they hear and learn), for this reason, having become man, he displays also the ignorance of men: first, to show that he truly has a human body; then, so that, having the ignorance of men in his body, he might redeem and cleanse humanity from all things and present it perfect and holy to the Father. What pretext will the Arians find any longer? What will they devise next to murmur about? They were condemned for not knowing “The Lord created me for his works,” and they have been shown not to understand “Concerning that day no one knows, not even the angels, nor the Son.” For as in saying “he created” he signifies what is human, that he became man and was created, while in saying “I and the Father are one,” and “He who has seen me has seen the Father,” and “I am in the Father and the Father in me,” he signifies his eternity and his being of the same essence as the Father; so in saying “No one knows, not even the Son,” he again speaks as man, for ignorance is proper to men. But when he says, “No one knows the Father except the Son, nor the Son except the Father,” he knows much more the originated things. The disciples, at any rate, said to the Lord in John’s Gospel, “Now we know that you know all things.” It is very plain, then, that there is nothing he does not know, since he is the Word through whom all things came to be. And since that day too is one of all things, it will certainly come to be through him, even if the Arians burst ten thousand times with their own ignorance. ### Scripture references - Mark 13:32: quotation, high confidence - Matt 24:36: allusion, medium confidence - Prov 8:22: quotation, high confidence - John 10:30: quotation, high confidence - John 14:9: quotation, high confidence - John 14:10: quotation, high confidence - Matt 11:27: quotation, high confidence - John 16:30: quotation, high confidence - John 1:3: allusion, high confidence ### Translation notes - Mark 13:32 (Matt 24:36); Prov 8:22; John 10:30; John 14:9; John 14:10; Matt 11:27; John 16:30; John 1:3. - The scan ends this ref with the heading and first words of the next letter (“Letter of the same to the same Serapion, bishop … 1. You will perhaps wonder…”); they are removed by a logged correction. That letter is staged separately as Letter 3. ### Citation (SBL) Athanasius, Ep. Serap. 2.9 (PG 26:621c–624b; trans. Sophia Scriptura, https://sophiascriptura.com/fathers/athanasius-epistulae-serapionem/2-3/#p-2-9). ## Letters to Serapion 3.1 - URL: https://sophiascriptura.com/fathers/athanasius-epistulae-serapionem/3-1/#p-3-1 - Source: PG 26:624b–628a - Translation: Claude (claude-opus-5-5), 2026-10-09 Summary: Athanasius explains why his short third letter begins with the Son: the Spirit stands to the Son as the Son to the Father, so what shows the Son is not a creature shows the same of the Spirit. ### Greek text Ἴσως θαυμάσεις, πῶς ἐντειλάμενον τὴν περὶ τοῦ ἄγίου Πνεύματος γραφεῖσαν ἐπιστολὴν ἐπιτεμεῖν, καὶ διʼ ὀλίγων δηλῶσαι, ὁρᾷς ὥσπερ ἀφέντα με τὸν περὶ τούτου λόγον, καὶ γράφοντα κατὰ τῶν ἀσεβούντων εἷς τὸν Υἱὸν τοῦ Θεοῦ, καὶ λεγόντων αὐτὸν κτίσμαο ἀλλʼ οὐ μέμψῃ εὗ οἷδʼ ὅτι, εἷ μάθοις τὸ αἳτιον, ἀλλᾶ καὶ ἀποδέξεταί σου ἡ εὐλάβεια, ὁρῶσα τὸ εὔλογον. Ἐπειδὴ γὰρ, ὡς αὐτὸς 6 Κύριος εἶπεν· ‹‹ Οὐ λαλήσει παρʼ ἑαυτοῦ 6 Παράκλητοι. ἀλλʼ ὅσα ἀκούσαι, λαλήσειο ὅτι ἐκ τοῦ ἐμοῦ λήψεται, καὶ ἀναγγελεῖ ὑμῖν· ›› καὶ ἐμφυσήσας δέδωκεν ἐξ αὐτοῦ τοῦτο τοῖς μαθηταῖς, κα) οὕτως ἆξέχεεν αὐτὸ 6 Πατὴρ ἐπὶ πᾶσαν σάρκα κατὰ τὸ γεγραμμένον· διά τοι τοῦτο εἰκότως περὶ τοῦ Υἱοῦ τοῦ Θεοῦ πρῶτον εἷʼρηταί τε καὶ γέγραπται· ἵνʼ ἐκ τῆς περί τοῦ Υἱοῦ γνώσεως ἔχειν καὶ τὴν περὶ τοῦ Πνεύματος γνῶσιν καλῶς δυνηθῶμεν· θʼίαν γὰρ ἔγνωμεν ἶδιότητα τοῦ Υἱοῦ πρὸς τὸν Πατέρα, ταύτην ἔχειν τὸ Πνεῦμα πρὸς τὸν Υίὸν εὑρήσομεν. Καὶ ὥσπερ 6 Υἱὸς λέγει, ‹‹ Πάντα ὅσα ἔχει 6 Πατὴρ ἐμά ἐστιν, ›› οὕτως ταῦτα πάντα διὰ τοῦ Υἱοῦ εὑρήσομεν ὄντα καὶ ἔν τῷ Πνεύματι. Καὶ ὡς 6 Πατὴρ ἔδειξε τὸν Υἱὸν λέγων, ‹‹ Οὗτός ἐστιν ὁ Υἱός μου 6 ἀγαπητὸς, ἐν ᾧ ηὖδόκησα, ›› οὕτως τοῦ Υἱοῦ ἐστι τὸ Πνεῦμα· ‹‹ Ἐξαπὲστιιλε γὰρ, ›› φησὶν 6 Ἀπόστολος, ‹‹ τὸ Πνεῦμα τοῦ Υἱοῦ αὐτοῦ ἐν ταῖς καρδίαις ἡμῶν κρᾶζον· Ἀββἆ, 6 Πατήρ. ›› Καὶ τὸ παράδοξον, ὥσπερ ὁ Υἱὸς λέγει, Τὰ ἐμὰ τοῦ Πατρός ἐστιν, οὕτως τοῦ Πατρός ἐστι τὸ Πνεῦμα τὸ ἅγιον, ὅπερ τοῦ Υἱοῦ εἴρηται. Αὐτὸς μὲν γὰρ 6 Υἱὸς λέγειʼ ‹‹ Ὅταν ἔλθῃ 6 Παράκλητος, ὃν ἐγὼ πέμψω ὑμῖν παρὰ τοῦ ΙΙατρὸς, τὸ Πνεῦμα τῆς ἆΛηθείας, ’ὀ παρά τοῦ Πατρὸς ἐκπορεύεται, ἐκεῖνος μαρτυρήσει περὶ ἐμοῦ· ›› 6 δὶ Παῦλος γράφει ι( ὁύδὲιξ οἵδε τὰ τοῦ ἀνθρώπου εἷ μή τέʼπνέεμαὶ τοῦ ἀνθρώπου τὸ κατοικοῦν ἐν αὐτῷ· οὕτω καὶ τὰ τοῦ Θεοῦ οὐδεὶς οἶδεν εί μὴ 16 Πνεῦμα τοῦ Θεοῦ τὸ ἐν αὐτῷ. Ἡμεῖς δὲ οὐ τὸ πνεῦμα τοῦ κόσμου ἐλάβομεν, ἀλλὰ τὸ Πνεῦμα τὸ ἐκ τοῦ Θεοῦ, ’ίνʼ εἷʼδωμιν τὰ ὑπὸ τοῦ Θεοῦ χαρισθέντα ἡμῖν. ›› Καὶ ἐν πάσῃ δὲ τῇ θείᾳ Γραφῇ εὑρήσεις, ὅτι τὸ Πνεῦμα τὸ ἅγιον λεγόμενον τοῦ Υἱοῦ, τοῦτο λέγεται τοῦ Θεοῦ εἶναι· καὶ τοῦτο ἂν τοῖς ἔμπροσθεν ἐγράψαμεν. Οὐκοῦν εἷ 6 Υἱὸς διὰ τήν πρὸς τὸν Πατέρα ἰδιότητα, καὶ διὰ 16 εἶναι αὐτοῦ τῆς οὐσίας ἴδιον γέννημα, ὐκ ἔστι κτίσμα, ἀλλʼ ὁμοούσιος τοῦ Πατρός· οὕτως ύκ ἂν εἴη οὐδὲ τὸ Πνεῦμα τὸ ἅγιον κτίσμα, ἀλλά αἱ ἀσεβής 6 λὲγων τοῦτο, διὰ τήν πρὸς τὸν Υὶὸν Βιότητα αὐτοῦ, καὶ ὅτι ἆξ αὐτοῦ δίδοται πᾶσι, καὶ ἃ χει τοῦ Υἲοῦ ἐστιν. ### English translation (Claude) You will perhaps wonder how it is that, when you asked me to abridge the letter written about the Holy Spirit and set it out briefly, you see me as though I had dropped that subject and were writing against those who are impious toward the Son of God and call him a creature. But you will not blame me, I know well, if you learn the reason; rather your piety will approve it, seeing that it is reasonable. For since, as the Lord himself said, “The Paraclete will not speak from himself, but whatever he hears he will speak; for he will take of what is mine and declare it to you”; and he breathed on the disciples and gave him to them from himself; and so the Father poured him out upon all flesh, as it is written—for this reason it is fitting that the Son of God should be spoken and written of first, so that from the knowledge concerning the Son we may be able to have rightly the knowledge concerning the Spirit too. For the very property that we have known the Son to have in relation to the Father, we shall find the Spirit to have in relation to the Son. And as the Son says, “All that the Father has is mine,” so we shall find all these things to be in the Spirit too, through the Son. And as the Father pointed out the Son, saying, “This is my beloved Son, in whom I am well pleased,” so the Spirit is the Son’s: “For he has sent forth,” says the apostle, “the Spirit of his Son into our hearts, crying, Abba, Father.” And what is remarkable: as the Son says, “What is mine is the Father’s,” so the Holy Spirit, who is said to be the Son’s, is the Father’s. For the Son himself says: “When the Paraclete comes, whom I will send you from the Father, the Spirit of truth, who proceeds from the Father, he will bear witness about me”; and Paul writes: “No one knows the things of a man except the spirit of the man that dwells in him; so also no one knows the things of God except the Spirit of God who is in him. But we have received not the spirit of the world, but the Spirit who is from God, so that we may know the things freely given to us by God.” And throughout the divine Scripture you will find that the Holy Spirit, who is said to be the Son’s, is said to be God’s; and this we wrote in what went before. If, then, the Son, because of his property in relation to the Father, and because he is the proper offspring of his essence, is not a creature but of the same essence as the Father, so neither would the Holy Spirit be a creature—and whoever says so is impious—because of his property in relation to the Son, and because it is from the Son that he is given to all, and what he has is the Son’s. ### Scripture references - John 16:13: quotation, high confidence - John 16:14: quotation, high confidence - John 20:22: allusion, high confidence - Joel 2:28 (3:1 LXX): allusion, high confidence - John 16:15: quotation, high confidence - Matt 3:17: quotation, high confidence - Gal 4:6: quotation, high confidence - John 17:10: quotation, high confidence - John 15:26: quotation, high confidence - 1 Cor 2:11: quotation, high confidence - 1 Cor 2:12: quotation, high confidence ### Translation notes - John 16:13–14; John 20:22; Joel 2:28 (3:1 LXX); John 16:15; Matt 3:17; Gal 4:6; John 17:10; John 15:26; 1 Cor 2:11–12. - Letters are lost at the start of many lines in the scan of this letter; translated by sense. ### Citation (SBL) Athanasius, Ep. Serap. 3.1 (PG 26:624b–628a; trans. Sophia Scriptura, https://sophiascriptura.com/fathers/athanasius-epistulae-serapionem/3-1/#p-3-1). ## Letters to Serapion 3.2 - URL: https://sophiascriptura.com/fathers/athanasius-epistulae-serapionem/3-1/#p-3-2 - Source: PG 26:628a–628c - Translation: Claude (claude-opus-5-5), 2026-10-09 Summary: Like the Son, the Spirit is from God and not from nothing, so he is not a creature. ### Greek text Ἱκανά μὲν οὖν καὶ ταῦτα πεῖσαι καὶ πάντα ντινοῦν φιλόνεικον, μηκέτι λέγειν κτίσμα τοῦ D506, 16 ἐν τῷ Θεῷ, καὶ τὰ βάθη ἐρευνῶν τοῦ Θεοῦ, ,αὶ ἐκ Πατρὸς διʼ Υἱοῦ διδόμενον· *ἱνα μή ἑκ τούτων ἀναγκασθῇ καὶ τὸν Υίὸν εἰπεῖν κτίσμα, τὸν A6γον, τήν σοφίαν, τὸν χαρακτῆρα, τὸ ἀπαύγασμα, Ν ὁρῶν τις ὁρᾷ τὸν Πατέρα, καὶ λοιπὸν ἀκούσῃ· ιὉ ἀρνούμενος τὸν Υἱὸν, οὐδὲ τὸν Πατέρα ἔχει. ›› λέξει γὰρ κατʼ ὀλίγον ὁ τοιοῦτος, ὡς 6 ἄφρων· (ι Οὐκ ἷστι Θεός. ›› Ὅμως δὲ ὑπὲρ τοῦ ἐκ πλειόνων δειχθῆιαι τὸν κατά τῶν ἀσεβῶν ἔλεγχον καλὸν, ἐξ ὧν 6 Γὶὸς δείκνυται μὴ ὢν κτίσμα, ἐκ τούτων δεῖξαι καὶ ’ :6 Πνεῦμα μή εἶναι κτίσμα. Ἐξ οὐκ ὄντων ἐστὶ τὰ ιτίσματα, καὶ ἀρχὴν ἔχειτοῦ εἶναι· ‹‹ Ἐν ἀρχῇ υ pip ί( ἐποίησεν 6 Θεὸς τὸν οὐρανὸν καὶ τήν γῆν, ›› ιαὶ τὰ ἐν αὐτοῖς. Τὸ δὶ Πνεῦμα τὸ ἅγιον ἐκ τοῦ ὶεοῦ ἐστι, καὶ λέγεται, ὡς εἶπεν 6 ’Δπόστολος. Εἰ δὲ › Υἱὸς, ἐπειδὴ ἐξ οὐκ ὄντων οὐκ ἔστιν, ἀλλʼ ἐκ :06 Θεοῦ, εἰκότως οὐκ ἂν εἰή κτίσμα, ἀνάγκη μηδὲ :6 Πνεῦμα τὸ ἅγιον εἶναι κτίσμα· ἐπειδὴ ἐκ τοῦ ἐοῦ ὡμολόγηται. Τὰ γὰρ κτίσματα ἕξ οὐκ ὄντων ### English translation (Claude) These things, then, are sufficient to persuade even the most contentious person no longer to call a creature the Spirit of God, who is in God and searches the depths of God, and is given from the Father through the Son; lest from these he be compelled to call the Son too a creature—the Word, the Wisdom, the Impress, the Radiance, whom whoever sees sees the Father—and then hear: “Whoever denies the Son does not have the Father either.” For such a person will soon say, like the fool, “There is no God.” Nevertheless, so that the refutation of the impious may be shown from more arguments, it is good to show, from the things by which the Son is shown not to be a creature, that the Spirit too is not a creature. The creatures are from nothing and have a beginning of being: “In the beginning God made the heaven and the earth,” and what is in them. But the Holy Spirit is, and is said to be, from God, as the apostle said. And if the Son, since he is not from nothing but from God, would rightly not be a creature, then necessarily neither is the Holy Spirit a creature, since he is confessed to be from God. For the creatures are from nothing … ### Scripture references - 1 Cor 2:10: allusion, high confidence - Heb 1:3: allusion, medium confidence - John 14:9: allusion, high confidence - 1 John 2:23: quotation, high confidence - Ps 14:1 (13:1 LXX): quotation, high confidence - Gen 1:1: quotation, high confidence - 1 Cor 2:12: allusion, high confidence ### Translation notes - 1 Cor 2:10; Heb 1:3; John 14:9; 1 John 2:23; Ps 14:1 (13:1 LXX); Gen 1:1; 1 Cor 2:12. - The ref breaks off in the scan (“For the creatures are from nothing”); the rest is lost (“…”). ### Citation (SBL) Athanasius, Ep. Serap. 3.2 (PG 26:628a–628c; trans. Sophia Scriptura, https://sophiascriptura.com/fathers/athanasius-epistulae-serapionem/3-1/#p-3-2). ## Letters to Serapion 3.3 - URL: https://sophiascriptura.com/fathers/athanasius-epistulae-serapionem/3-1/#p-3-3 - Source: PG 26:628c–629c - Translation: Claude (claude-opus-5-5), 2026-10-09 Summary: The Spirit is the anointing and seal that impresses Christ’s form, makes us God’s temple, and is one, not many; so he is not a creature. ### Greek text Καὶ πάλιν χρίσμα καὶ σφραγὶς λέγεται καὶ ἔστι τὸ Πνεῦμα· 6 μὲν γὰρ Ἰωάννης γράφει· ‹‹ Καὶ ὑμεῖς τὸ χρίσμα ’ὀ ἐλάβετε παρʼ αὐτοῦ μένει ἐν ὑμῖν· ιαὶ οὐ χρείαν ἔχετε, ἶνα τις διδάσκῃ ὑμᾶς, ἀλλʼ ὡς τὸ αὐτοῦ χρίσμα, τὸ πνεῦμα αὐτοῦ διδάσκει ὑμᾶς περὶ πάντων· ι ἐν δὲ τῷ προφήτῃ Ἡσαΐᾳ γε· γραπται· ‹‹ Πνεῦμα Κυρίου ἦστʼ ἐμὲ, 06 εʼίνεκεν ἔχρισέ με· ›› καὶ 6 Ιιαῦλος δὲ γράφει· ‹‹ Ἐν ᾧ καὶ πιστεύσαντες ἐσφραγίσθητε· ›› καὶ πάλιν· ‹‹ Μὴ λυπεῖτε τὸ Πνεῦμα 16 ἅγιον, ἐν ᾧ ἐσφραγίσθητε είς ἡμέραν ἀπολυτρώσεως. ιι Τὰ δὲ κτίσματα ἐν τούτῳ χρίεο ται καὶ σφραγίζεται· εί δὲ τὰ κτίσματα ἐν τούτῳ χρίεται καὶ σφραγίζεται, οὐκ ἃν εἴη κτίσμα τὸ ΙΙνεῦμγ· 06 γὰρ ὅμοιον 16 χρίον τῶν χριομὲνων Καὶ γὰρ 16 χρίσμα τοῦτο πνοή ἐστι τοῦ Υἱοῦ· ὥστε τὸν ἔχοντα τὸ Πνεῦμα λέγειν· α Χριστοῦ εὐωδία ἐσμέν. ι» Καὶ ἡ σφραγὶς δὶ τὸν Υἱὸν ἐκτυποῖ, ᾡς τὸν σφραγιζόμενον ἔχειν τὴν τοῦ Χριστοῦ μυρερήν, λιγοντος τοῦ Ἀποστόλου · « Τεκνία μου, οὓς πάλιν ὠδίνω, μέχρις οὗ μορφωθῇ Χριστὸς ἐν ὑμῖν, ›› El δὲ τὸ Πνεῦμα εὐωδία καί μορφή τοῦ Υἱὸῦ ἐστιν, εὔδηλον, ὡς οὐκ ἄν εἴη τὸ Πτεῦμα κτίσμα · ἐπειδὴ καὶ 6 Υἱὸς, ὲν μορφῇ τοῦ Πατρὸς ὑπάρχων, οὐκ ἔστι κτίσμα. Καὶ γὰρ ὥσπερ ὁ ἑωρακὼς τὸν Υἱὸν 6ρᾷ τὸν Πατέρα, οὕτως ὁτὸ Ποεῦμα τὸ ἅγιον ἔχων ἔχει τὸν Υἱὸν, καὶ ἔςων αὐτὸν, ναὸς τοῦ Θεοῦ ἐστι, γράφοντος τοῦ μὲν Παύλουσ (ι Οὐκ οἷʼδατε, ὅτι ναὸς τοῦ Θεοῦ ἐστε, καὶ τὸ Πνεῦμα τοῦ Θεοῦ οἰκεῖ ἐν ὑμῖνή 6 δὲ Ἰωάννης φησίν “ ‹‹ Ἑν to~3np γινώσκομεν, ὅτι ἐν τῷ Θεῷ μένομεν, καὶ αὐτὸς ἐν ἡμῖν, δτι ἐκ τοῦ Πνεύματος αὐτοῦ δέδωκεν ἡμῖν. ›› δὲ ὁ Γιὸς ἐν τῷ Ηατρὶ ὥν, ἐν ᾦ ἐστι καί 6 Πατὴρ, ὡμολογήθη μή εἶναι κτίσμα, ἀνάγκη πᾶσα μηδὲ τὸ [Ινενμα εἶναι κτίσμα - ἒν αὐτῷ γάρ ἐστιν 6 Υἱὸς, καὶ αὐτὸς ἐν τῷ Υἱῷ. Διὸ καὶ ὁ τὸ Πνεῦμα λαμβάνων ναὸς τοῦ Θεοῦ χρηματίζεϊ, Πάλιν δῖε ·κᾶκ τούτου συνιδεῖν καλὸν, εἰ ἔστιν ὁ Υἱὸς τοῦ Θεοῦ Λόγος, ὡς Πατὴρ εἷς ἐστιν. ι Εἲς γὰρ Θεὸς, ίξ οὗ τὰ πάντα, καὶ εἷς Κύριος Ἰηροῦς Χριστός· ›› διὸ καὶ μονογενὴς Υἱὸς ιῗρηται καί γέγραπται· τὰ δὲ κτίσματα πολλὰ καὶ διάφορα, ἄγγελοι, ὰρχγγιλοι, χιρουβἲμ, ἀρχαί, ἐξουσίαι, καὶ τὰ ἄλλα, ὥσπερ εἴρηται. Ετ δὲ, ὅτι οὐκ ἔστι τῶν πολλῶν ὁ Υἱὸς, ἀλλʼ εἷς ἐστιν, ὡς Ιῐατήρ εἷς tm, καὶ οὐκ ἔστι κτίσμα, πάντως καί τὸ Πνεῦμα (χρὴ γὰρ ἀπὸ τοῦ Υἱου λαμβάνειν καὶ τήν περὶτοῦ Ιῐνεύματος γνῶσιν) οὐκ ἂν εἴη κτίσμα. Οὐ γὰρ τῶν πολλῶν ἐστιν, ἀλλʼ ἓν ἐστι καὶ αὐτό. ι Ταῦτα ### English translation (Claude) And again, the Spirit is called, and is, anointing and seal. For John writes: “And the anointing which you received from him abides in you, and you have no need that anyone should teach you; but as his anointing,” his Spirit, “teaches you about all things”; and in the prophet Isaiah it is written: “The Spirit of the Lord is upon me, because he has anointed me”; and Paul writes: “In whom also, having believed, you were sealed”; and again: “Do not grieve the Holy Spirit, in whom you were sealed for the day of redemption.” And the creatures are anointed and sealed in him. But if the creatures are anointed and sealed in him, the Spirit would not be a creature; for that which anoints is not like the things anointed. For this anointing is the breath of the Son, so that whoever has the Spirit says, “We are the aroma of Christ.” And the seal impresses the Son, so that the one who is sealed has the form of Christ, as the apostle says: “My little children, for whom I am again in labor until Christ is formed in you.” And if the Spirit is the fragrance and form of the Son, it is very plain that the Spirit would not be a creature; since the Son too, being in the form of the Father, is not a creature. For as whoever has seen the Son sees the Father, so whoever has the Holy Spirit has the Son, and having him is a temple of God, as Paul writes: “Do you not know that you are a temple of God, and the Spirit of God dwells in you?”; and John says: “By this we know that we abide in God and he in us, because he has given us of his Spirit.” And if the Son, being in the Father, in whom the Father also is, was confessed not to be a creature, then necessarily the Spirit too is not a creature; for the Son is in him, and he in the Son. Therefore whoever receives the Spirit is called a temple of God. Again, it is good to see this too: if the Son of God is Word, as the Father is one—“For there is one God, from whom are all things, and one Lord Jesus Christ”—for this reason he is called and written only-begotten Son; but the creatures are many and various: angels, archangels, cherubim, principalities, authorities, and the rest, as has been said. If, then, because the Son is not one of the many but is one, as the Father is one, he is not a creature, then certainly the Spirit too (for we must take the knowledge of the Spirit from the Son) would not be a creature. For he is not one of the many, but he too is one. … ### Scripture references - 1 John 2:27: quotation, high confidence - Isa 61:1: quotation, high confidence - Eph 1:13: quotation, high confidence - Eph 4:30: quotation, high confidence - 2 Cor 2:15: quotation, high confidence - Gal 4:19: quotation, high confidence - Phil 2:6: allusion, high confidence - 1 Cor 3:16: quotation, high confidence - 1 John 4:13: quotation, high confidence - 1 Cor 8:6: quotation, high confidence ### Translation notes - 1 John 2:27; Isa 61:1; Eph 1:13; Eph 4:30; 2 Cor 2:15; Gal 4:19; Phil 2:6; 1 Cor 3:16; 1 John 4:13; 1 Cor 8:6. - The ref breaks off in the scan after “but he too is one” (“Ταῦτα”); the rest is lost (“…”). ### Citation (SBL) Athanasius, Ep. Serap. 3.3 (PG 26:628c–629c; trans. Sophia Scriptura, https://sophiascriptura.com/fathers/athanasius-epistulae-serapionem/3-1/#p-3-3). ## Letters to Serapion 3.4 - URL: https://sophiascriptura.com/fathers/athanasius-epistulae-serapionem/3-1/#p-3-4 - Source: PG 26:629c–632b - Translation: Claude (claude-opus-5-5), 2026-10-09 Summary: The Son is everywhere and is Creator; the Spirit likewise fills all things and creates, so neither is a creature. ### Greek text Καὶ τοῦτο οἶδεν 6 Ἀπὸστολος λέγων · δί πάντα ἐνεργεῖ τὸ ἓν καὶ τὸ αὐτὸ Πνεῦμα, διαιροῦν ὶδιᾳ ἱκάσῖῳ καθὼς βούλεται ’ n καῖ μετʼ ὀλίγα ” ι Ἐν ἑνὶ ῙῙνεύματι ἡμεῖς πάντες εἷς σῶμα ἰόαπτίσθημεν, καὶ πάν-ιτς ἓν Πνεῦμα ἐποτίσθημεν ›› καὶ πάλιν, ἐπειδή ἐκ τοῦ Υἱοῦ δεῖ λαμβάνειν τήν περῖ τοῦ Ιινεύματος γνῶσιν, πρέπον ἂν εἴη ἐξ αὖτοῦ καὶ τὰς ἀποδείξεις προφέρειν. ΙΙανναχοῦ τοίνυν ἐστὶν 6 Υἱὸς, ἐν [ἰατρὶ γὰρ ὢν, καὶ τοῦ Ματρὸς ὄντος ὲν αὐτῷ. Πάντα γὰρ κρατεῖ καὶ συνέχει, καὶ γέγραπται, ὅτι ι( Ἐν αὐτῷ φονέα-τηκε τὰ πάντα υ εʼτε ὁρατὰ εἴτε ἀόρατα, ε( καὶ αὐτός ἐστι πρό πάντων, »ι Ti δὲ κτίσματα ἐν μεμερισμένοις τόποις ἐστίν” ἣλιος μὲν καὶ σελῆνη καὶ οἳ ἄλλοι φωστῆρες ἐν τῷ στερεά)ματι,ἒν οὖρανῷ δὲ ἄγγελοι, καὶ ἄνθρωποι ἐπὶ τῆς ἀλλʼ ὲν Πατρὶ ὢν, πανταχοῦ ἔστι, καὶ ἔξω τῶν tl) πάντων ὢν, οὐκ ἐστι κτίσμα, ἀκολούθως οὐκ ἂν εἴη οὐδὲ τὸ Πνεῦμα κτίσμα, μὴ ὃν ὲν μεμερισμένοις τόποις, ἀλλὰ πάντα πληροῦν καὶ ἔξω τῶν πάντων ὃν. Οὕτω γὰρ καὶ γέγραπταιι ‹ Πνεῦμα Κυρίου πεπλήρωκε τὴν οἰκουμένην. ι Καὶ tit-1.615 ψάλλει· ι Ποῦ πορευθῶ ἀπὸ τοῦ Πνεύματός σου, ι ὡς μὴ ὄντος αὺτοῦ ὲν τόπῳ, ἀλλʼ ἔξω μὲν τῶν πάντων, ὲν δὲ τῷ Υίῷ δντος, ὥς ἐστι καὶ 6 Υίὺς ἐν τῷ Πατρί. Διὰ τοῦτο γὰρ οὐδʼ αὐτὸ κτίσμα ἐστὶν, ὥσπερ δέδεικται. Πρὸς πᾶσι δὲ τούτοις ἔτι μᾶλλον ὲκ τούτου καταγνωσθήσεται μὲν ἡ Ἀρειανὴ αῐρεοις, ἐπιγνωσθήσεται δὲ πάλιν ὲκ τοῦ Υίοῦ ἡ περὶ τοῦ Πνεὺματος γνῶσις. Κτίστης τοίνυν ἐστὶν ὁ Υἱὸς ὡς ὁ Πατήρ· ο ‘A γὰρ βλέπω, ι φησί., ί τὸν Πατέρα ποιοῦντα, ταῦτα κάγὼ ποιῶ. Πάντα i γοῦν ι διʼ αὑτοῦ ὲγὲε νετο, καὶ χωρὶς αὑτοῦ ἐγένετο οὐδὲ ἓν. ι El δὲ, κτίστης ὢν, ὡς ό Πατὴρ, 6 Υἱὸς, οὐκ ἐστι κτίσμα καὶ εἰ, ὃτι διʼ αὑτοῦ κτίζεται τὰ πάντα, οὐκ ἔστι τῶν κτιζομὲνων· δηλονότι οὐδὲ τὺ Πνεῦμα κτίσμα ἐστίν · ἐπειδὴ καὶ περὶ αὑτοῦ γέγραπται ὲν τῷ ἑκα- ### English translation (Claude) And the apostle knows this, saying: “All these are worked by one and the same Spirit, who apportions to each one individually as he wills”; and a little later: “For in one Spirit we were all baptized into one body, and were all made to drink of one Spirit.” And again, since we must take the knowledge of the Spirit from the Son, it would be fitting to bring the proofs from him too. The Son, then, is everywhere, being in the Father, and the Father being in him. For he rules and holds together all things, and it is written that “in him all things hold together,” whether visible or invisible, “and he is before all things.” But the creatures are in places divided off: sun and moon and the other luminaries in the firmament, angels in heaven, and men upon the earth. … but being in the Father, he is everywhere, and being outside all things, he is not a creature; consequently neither would the Spirit be a creature, since he is not in places divided off, but fills all things and is outside all things. For so it is written: “The Spirit of the Lord has filled the world.” And David sings: “Where shall I go from your Spirit?”—since he is not in a place, but outside all things, yet in the Son, as the Son is in the Father. For this reason he too is not a creature, as has been shown. And besides all these things, from the following the Arian heresy will be condemned still more, and again the knowledge concerning the Spirit will be gained from the Son. The Son, then, is Creator as the Father is: “For what I see the Father doing,” he says, “these things I also do.” All things, at any rate, “came to be through him, and without him not one thing came to be.” And if the Son, being Creator as the Father is, is not a creature, and if, because all things are created through him, he is not one of the things that are created, then plainly the Spirit too is not a creature, since it is written of him too in the hun… ### Scripture references - 1 Cor 12:11: quotation, high confidence - 1 Cor 12:13: quotation, high confidence - Col 1:17: quotation, high confidence - Col 1:16: allusion, high confidence - Ps 139:7 (138:7 LXX): quotation, high confidence - John 5:19: quotation, high confidence - John 1:3: quotation, high confidence ### Extrabiblical texts - Wis 1:7 (Wisdom of Solomon): quotation, high confidence ### Translation notes - 1 Cor 12:11; 1 Cor 12:13; Col 1:16–17; Wis 1:7; Ps 139:7 (138:7 LXX); John 5:19; John 1:3. - A line is lost in the scan after “men upon the earth” (“…”). The ref breaks off in mid-word (ἑκα-, “hundred-”), introducing Ps 104:30 (“the hundred and third psalm”), which is not supplied. ### Citation (SBL) Athanasius, Ep. Serap. 3.4 (PG 26:629c–632b; trans. Sophia Scriptura, https://sophiascriptura.com/fathers/athanasius-epistulae-serapionem/3-1/#p-3-4). ## Letters to Serapion 3.5 - URL: https://sophiascriptura.com/fathers/athanasius-epistulae-serapionem/3-1/#p-3-5 - Source: PG 26:632c–633b - Translation: Claude (claude-opus-5-5), 2026-10-09 Summary: The Father creates through the Word in the Spirit, and the prophets and Paul spoke the Word’s message in the Spirit, so the Spirit is inseparable from the Son. ### Greek text Τούτου δὲ οὕτως γεγραμμένου, δῆλόν ἐστιν, ὼς οὐκ ἐστι κτίσμα τὸ Πνεῦμα, ἀλλʼ ὲν τῷ κτίζειν ἐστιν ' 6 γὰρ Πατὴρ διὰ τοῦ Λόγου ὲν τῷ Πνεύματι κτίζει τὰ πάντα, ἐπεὶ ἔνθα ό Λόγος, ἐκεῖ καὶ τὸ Πνεῦμα· καὶ τὰ διὰ τοῦ Λόγου κτιζόμενα ἔχει ὲκ τοῦ Πνεύματος παρά τοῦ Λόγου τὴν τοῦ εἶναι ίσχύν. Οὕτω γὰρ-γέγραπται ὲν τῷ τριακοστῷ δευτέρῳ ψαλμῷ· ι Τῷ Λόγῳ Κυρίου οἱ οὐρανοὶ ἐστερεώθησαν, καὶ τῷ Πνεύματι τοῦ στόματος αὐτοῦ πᾶσα ἡ δύναμις αὐτῶν. i ’Λμέλει οὕτως ἐστὶ τὸ Πνεῦμα ἀδιαίρετον πρὸς τὸν Υίὸν, ὠς μὴ ἀμφιβάλλειν ἐκ τοῦ λεγομένου. Ὅτε γὰρ 6 Λόγος ἐγίγνετο πρὸς τὸν προφήτην, τὰ παρὰ τοῦ Λόγου ἐν τῷ Πνεύματι ἐλάλει 6 προφήτης. Οὕτω καὶ γέγραπται ἐν μὲν ταῖς Πράξεσι τοῦ Πέτρου λέγοντοςʼ ι Ἀνδρες ἀδελφοὶ, ἔδει πληρωθῆναι τὴν Γραφὴν, ῆν προεῖπε τὸ Πνεῦμα τὺ ἇγιον· ι ἐν δὲ τῷ Ζαχαρία, τοῦ Λόγου γενομένου πρὸς αὑτὸν, γέγραπταιι Πλὴν τοὺς λόγους μου καὶ τὰ νόμιμά μου δέχεσθε, ὃσα ἐγὼ ἐντέλλομαι,ἐν Πνεύματί μου τοῖς προφήταις. ι Καὶ μετʼ ὀλίγα, αἰτιώμενος τὸν λαὸν, είσακούειν τοὺς νόμους μου, καὶ τοὺς λόγους, οὒς ἐξαπέστειλε Κύριος παντοκράτωρ ἐν Πνεύματι αύτοῦ, ὲν χερσὶ τῶν προφητῶν τῶν ἔμπροσθεν. ι Καὶ τοῦ Χριστοῦ δὲ λαλοῦντος ὲν τῷ Παύλῳ, ὡς αὐτὸς εἶπεν · ι Εἰ δοκιμὴν ζητεῖτε τοῦ ἐν ἐμοὶ λαλοῦντος Χριστοῦ; ι οὐδὲν ἦττον τὸ Πνεῦμα εἶχεν ἐπιχορηγοῦν αὐτῷ τὸ λαλεῖν. υῦτω γὰρ αὐτὸς γράψει· ι Κατὰ τὴν ὲπιχορηγίαν τοῦ Πνεύματος Ἰησοῦ Χριστοῦ εἰς ἐμέ. ι Πάλιν τε τοῦ Χριστοῦ ὲν αὐτῷ λαλοῦντος, ἔλεγε ν ι Πλὴν ὅτι τὸ Πνεῦμα τὸ ἆγιον κατὰ πόλιν διαμαρτυρεὴαί, μοι, λέγον, ὃτι δεσμὰ καὶ θλίψεις με μένουσιν. ι Οὐ γὰρ ἐκτός ἐστι τοῦ Λόγου τὸ Πνεῦμα, ἀλλὰ, ὲν τῷ Λόγῳ ὃν, ὲν τῷ Θεῷ διʼ αὑτοῦ ἐστιν · ὥστε τὰ χαρίσματα ὲν τῇ Τριάδι δίδοσθαι. ‘Ev γὰρ τῇ τούτρδν διαιρέσει, ὡς Κορινθίοις γράφει, l τὸ αὐτὸ Πνεῦμά ’ἐστι καὶ ὁ αὐτὸς Κύριος, καὶ 5 νεῖ καὶ δίδωσι τὰ πάντα. ### English translation (Claude) This being so written, it is plain that the Spirit is not a creature, but is in the act of creating. For the Father creates all things through the Word in the Spirit, since where the Word is, there the Spirit is too; and the things created through the Word have their strength to be from the Spirit, from the Word. For so it is written in the thirty-second psalm: “By the word of the Lord the heavens were made firm, and by the Spirit of his mouth all their host.” Indeed, the Spirit is so indivisible from the Son that one cannot doubt it from what is said. For when the Word came to the prophet, the prophet spoke in the Spirit the things that came from the Word. So it is written in the Acts, when Peter says: “Brothers, the Scripture had to be fulfilled, which the Holy Spirit spoke beforehand”; and in Zechariah, when the Word came to him, it is written: “But receive my words and my statutes, which I command by my Spirit to the prophets.” And a little later, accusing the people, … to hear my laws and the words which the Lord Almighty sent by his Spirit by the hands of the former prophets.” And when Christ spoke in Paul, as he himself said, “Do you seek proof of Christ speaking in me?”, he had no less the Spirit supplying him with speech. For so he himself writes: “according to the supply of the Spirit of Jesus Christ to me.” And again, with Christ speaking in him, he said: “Except that the Holy Spirit testifies to me in every city, saying that bonds and afflictions await me.” For the Spirit is not outside the Word, but, being in the Word, is through him in God; so that the gifts are given in the Triad. For in their distribution, as he writes to the Corinthians, it is the same Spirit and the same Lord and … who gives all things. ### Scripture references - Ps 33:6 (32:6 LXX): quotation, high confidence - Acts 1:16: quotation, high confidence - Zech 1:6: quotation, high confidence - Zech 7:12: quotation, high confidence - 2 Cor 13:3: quotation, high confidence - Phil 1:19: quotation, high confidence - Acts 20:23: quotation, high confidence - 1 Cor 12:4: allusion, high confidence - 1 Cor 12:6: allusion, high confidence ### Translation notes - Ps 33:6 (32:6 LXX, “the thirty-second psalm”); Acts 1:16; Zech 1:6; Zech 7:12; 2 Cor 13:3; Phil 1:19; Acts 20:23; 1 Cor 12:4–6. - Two places are lost or garbled in the scan (in the second Zechariah quotation and at the end); marked “…”. Two stray editorial marks are removed by logged corrections. ### Citation (SBL) Athanasius, Ep. Serap. 3.5 (PG 26:632c–633b; trans. Sophia Scriptura, https://sophiascriptura.com/fathers/athanasius-epistulae-serapionem/3-1/#p-3-5). ## Letters to Serapion 3.6 - URL: https://sophiascriptura.com/fathers/athanasius-epistulae-serapionem/3-1/#p-3-6 - Source: PG 26:633b–636b - Translation: Claude (claude-opus-5-5), 2026-10-09 Summary: The grace given in the Triad is one, as the annunciation and the baptismal command show; the Lord would not have ranked a creature with the Father. ### Greek text Ἀμέλει, ἐπευχόμενος Κορινθίοις, ἐν τῇ Τριάδι ηὔχετο λέγων· ι Ἠ χάρις τοῦ Κυρίου Ἰησοῦ Χριστοῦ, καὶ ἡ ἀγάπη τοῦ Θεοῦ, καὶ ἠ κοινωνία τοῦ ἁγίου Πνεύματος, μετὰ πάντων ὑμῶν. ι Τοῦ γὰρ Πνεῦματος μετέχοντες, ἔχομεν τὴν τοῦ Λόγου χάριν, καὶ ἐν αὐτῷ τὴν τοῦ Πατρδς ἀγάπην. Ὧς δὲ μία τῆς Τριάδος ἡ χάρις, οὕτως ἀδιαίρετος ἡ Τριάς. Τοῦτο δʼ ἄν τις ῐδοι καὶ ἐπʼ αὐτῆς τῆς ἁγίας Μαρίας. '0 γὰρ ἄγγελος Γαβριὴλ, ἀποσταλεὶς ἀπαγγεῖλαι τὴν ἐπʼ αύτῆς ἐσομένην τοῦ Λόγου κάθοδον, ι Πνεῦμα ἆγιον, ι εἴρηκεν, ι ἐπελεύσεται ἐπὶ σέ, ι εἰδὼς, ὅτι ὲντῷΛόγῳ ἦν τὸ Πνεῦμα· εὐθὺς γοῦν συνῆψε · ι Καὶ δύναμις Ὑψίστου ἐπισκιάσει σοι. Χριστὸς γὰρ Θεοῦ δύναμις καὶ Θεοῦ σοφία. ι Τοῦ δὲ Πνεύ ματος ὄντος ὲν τῷ Λόγῳ, δῆλον ἂν εἴη, ὡς καὶ ὲν ’τῷ-Θεῷ ἢν διὰ τοῦ Ᾰόγου τὺ Πνεῦμα. Οὕτω δὲ καὶ τοῦ Πνεύματος γενομένου ὲν ἡμῖν, ἐλεύσεται ὁ Υἱὸς, καὶ ὁ Πατὴρ, καὶ μονὴν ποιήσουσιν ἐν ἡμῖν. ’Δδιαίρετος γὰρ ή Τριὰς, καὶ μία ταύτης ἡ θεότηςσ καὶ εἷς θεὸς ἐπὶ πάντων καὶ διὰ πάντων, καὶ ὲν πᾶσιν. Λῦτη τῆς καθολικῆς Ἐκκληcia; ἡ πίστις ο ὲν Τριὰδι γὰρ αὐτὴν ὲθεμελίωσε καὶ ἐρρίζωσεν ό Κύριος, εἰρηκὼς τοῖς μαθηταῖς- ι Πορευθέντες, μαθητεύσατε πάντα τὰ ἔθνη, βαπτίξοντες absab; είς τὸ ὄνομα τοῦ Πατρδς, καὶ τοῦ i‘iofi ita! τοῦ-ἁγίου ΠνεύΠματος. ι Ιέτίσμα δὲ εί ἦν τὸ Πνεῦμα, οὐκ ἀν συνέταξεν αὐτὸ τῷ Πατρί · ἵνα μὴ ἰνόμοιος ἑαυτῇ ἠ Τριὰς, εὲνου τινὸς καὶ ἀλλοτρίου συπασσομένου αὐτῇ. Τί γὰρ ἔλειπε τῷ Θεῷ, ’ἶνα ἀλλοτριοούσιον προσλάβηται, καὶ σὺν αύτῷ δοξάζηταις Μή γένοιτοί Οὐκ ἔστιν οὕτως. ‹‹ Πλήρης, »ι αὐτὸς εἶπε), ‹‹ εἶμί, ›› Διὰ τοῦτο αὐτὸς 6 Κύριος τῷ ὀνόματι τοῦ Ιῐατρὸς αὐτὸ συνέταξεν· *ίνα δείξῃ, ὅτι ούκ ἐκ διαφόρων, τουτέστιν ἐκ κτίστου καὶ κτίσματος, covἔστηκεν ἦ ἁγία Τριάςʼ ἀλλὰ μία ταύτης ἡ θεότης ἔστί. Τοῦτο μαθὼν 6 Παῦλος, ἐδίδασκε μίαν εἶναι τὴν ἐν αὐτῇ διδομένην χάριν, λέγων· ‹‹ Εἷς Κύριος, μία πίστις, ἓν βάπτισμα. ι) Ὥσπερ δὶ ’ὲν βάπτισμα, οὕτως καὶ μία πίστις· 6 γὰρ πιστεύων εἷς τὸν Πατὲρα οἶδεν ἒν τῷ Πατρὶ τὸν Υἳὸν, καὶ τὸ Πνεῦμα, οὐκ ἐκτὸς τοῦ Υἱοῦο καὶ διὰ τοῦτο πιστεύει καὶ εἷς τὸν Υἱὸν καὶ είς τὸ Πνεῦμα τὸ ἅγιονο ἐπειδὴ καῖ μία τῆς Τριάδος ἡ θεότης, ἐξ ἑνὸς τοῦ Πατρὸς γινωσκομένη. ### English translation (Claude) Indeed, when praying for the Corinthians, he prayed in the Triad, saying: “The grace of the Lord Jesus Christ, and the love of God, and the fellowship of the Holy Spirit be with you all.” For in partaking of the Spirit we have the grace of the Word, and in him the love of the Father. And as the grace of the Triad is one, so the Triad is indivisible. One may see this also in the case of holy Mary herself. For the angel Gabriel, sent to announce the descent of the Word that was to take place upon her, said, “The Holy Spirit will come upon you,” knowing that the Spirit was in the Word; and at once he added: “And the power of the Most High will overshadow you.” For “Christ is the power of God and the wisdom of God.” And since the Spirit is in the Word, it would be plain that the Spirit was also in God through the Word. And so, when the Spirit comes to be in us, the Son will come, and the Father, and they will make their home in us. For the Triad is indivisible, and its Godhead is one; and there is one God over all and through all and in all. This is the faith of the catholic church; for the Lord founded and rooted it in the Triad, saying to the disciples: “Go, make disciples of all the nations, baptizing them into the name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit.” If the Spirit were a creature, he would not have ranked him with the Father, lest the Triad be unlike itself, with something foreign and alien ranked with it. For what did God lack, that he should take to himself something of alien essence and be glorified together with it? Far from it! It is not so. “I am full,” he himself said. That is why the Lord himself ranked the Spirit with the name of the Father, to show that the holy Triad is not composed of different things, that is, of creator and creature, but that its Godhead is one. Having learned this, Paul taught that the grace given in it is one, saying, “One Lord, one faith, one baptism.” And as there is one baptism, so there is one faith; for whoever believes in the Father knows the Son in the Father, and the Spirit not outside the Son; and for this reason he believes also in the Son and in the Holy Spirit, since the Godhead of the Triad is one, being known from the one Father. ### Scripture references - 2 Cor 13:14: quotation, high confidence - Luke 1:35: quotation, high confidence - 1 Cor 1:24: quotation, high confidence - John 14:23: allusion, high confidence - Eph 4:6: quotation, high confidence - Matt 28:19: quotation, high confidence - Isa 1:11: quotation, medium confidence - Eph 4:5: quotation, high confidence ### Translation notes - 2 Cor 13:14; Luke 1:35; 1 Cor 1:24; John 14:23; Eph 4:6; Matt 28:19; Isa 1:11 LXX (“I am full”); Eph 4:5. ### Citation (SBL) Athanasius, Ep. Serap. 3.6 (PG 26:633b–636b; trans. Sophia Scriptura, https://sophiascriptura.com/fathers/athanasius-epistulae-serapionem/3-1/#p-3-6). ## Letters to Serapion 3.7 - URL: https://sophiascriptura.com/fathers/athanasius-epistulae-serapionem/3-1/#p-3-7 - Source: PG 26:636b–637d - Translation: Claude (claude-opus-5-5), 2026-10-09 Summary: If the Spirit were a creature, the Triad would once have been a Dyad and grown by change; but the Triad is eternal, so the Spirit is not a creature. ### Greek text Τῆς μὶν οὖν καθολικῆς πίστεως 6 χαρακτὴρ οὗτος. Οἱ δὶ δυσφημοῦντες είς τὸ Πνεῦμα, καὶ λύγοντες αύτὸ κτίσμα, εἰ μή ὲκ τῶν εἰρημένων μεταγινώσκουσι, κᾶν ἐκ τῶν λεχθησομὲνων αἶσχυνόμενοι καταδυὲτωσαν. El Τριάς ἐστι, καὶ ἰν Τριάδι ἐστὶν ἡ πίστις, εἴπάτωσαν, εἷ ἀεὶ Τριάς ἐστιν, ἢ ἦν, ὅτε ούκ ἧν Τριάς. Et μὲν οὖν ἀίδιός ἐστιν ἡ Τριδις, οὐκ ἔστι κτίσμα τὸ Πνεῦμα, ἀϊδίως συνὸν τῷ Λόγῳ καὶ ἐν αύτῷ ὄν. T6 γὰρ κτίσματα ἦν, ὅτε οὐκ ἦν. Εἰ δὶ κτίσμα ἐστὶ, τὰ δὶ κτίσματα ἐξ οὐκ ὄντων ἐστὶ, δῆλον, ὅτι ἦν, ὅτε οὐκ ἦν Τριᾶς, ἀλλὰ δυάς. Καὶ τί τούτου ἀσεβέστερον ἄν τις εἷʼποι; Ἐκ μεταβολῆς καὶ προκοπῆς λέγουσι ουνίστασθαι τὴν Τριάδα, καὶ δυάδα μὲν εἶναι, ἐκδέχεσθαι δὶ κτίσματος γένεσιν, ’ίνα μετὰ Πατρὸς καὶ Υἳοῦ συνταχθῇ καὶ γένηται ἡ Τριάς. Μὴ γένοιτο κᾶν εἲς νοῦν ποτε ἰλθεῖν Χριστιανῶν τὸ τοιοῦ- 1ov! ’Ὠσπερ γὰρ ἀεὶ ὣν 6 Υἱὸς οὐκ ἔστι κτίσμα, οὕτως ἀεὶ οῦσης τῆς Τριάδος, οὐδέν ἐστιν ἐν αὐτῇ κτίο σμαʼ διὸ ούκ ἔστι κτίσμα 16 Πνεῦμα. Ὠς γὰρ ἀεὶ ἦν, οὕτως ἐστὶ καὶ νῦν· καὶ ὡς νῦν ἐστιν, οὕτως ἀεὶ ἦν, καὶ ἔστιν ἡ Τριᾶς, καὶ ἐν αὐτῇ Πατὴρ, καὶ Υἱὸς, καὶ Πνεῦμα ἅγιον. Καὶ εἷς Θεὸς 6 Πατὴρ 6 ἐπὶ πάντων, καὶ διὰ πάντων, καὶ ἰν πᾶσι, ὅς ἐστιν εὐλογητὸς είς τοὺς αἰῶνας. ’Δμήν. Ἐγὼ μὲν οὗν, ὡς ἐδήλωσας, διʼ ὀλίγων καὶ ταῦτα καταγράψας ἁπἐστειλα σὺ δὲ ὡς συνετὸς, εἷʼ τι καῖ ἐν τούτοις λείπει, θελησον πληρῶσαι· καὶ τοῖς μὲν οἴκείοις τῆς πίστεως ἀνάγνωθι, τοὺς δὶ φιλονεικοῦντας δυσρημεῖν ἔλεγχε· τάχα κᾶν ὀψέ ποτε μεταγνόντες, ἀπονίψωσιν ἀπὸ τῆς ψυχῆς ἑαυτῶν τὴν προγενομὲνην ἐν αύο τοῖς κακόνοιαν. Καλὸν γὰρ αὐτοὺς, κατὰ τὸ γεγραμμενον, ἀποπηδῆσαι καί μὴ ἆγχρονίσαι·“ίνα μὴ ἐπιμένοντες ἀκούσωσι τὸ είρημὲνον ὑπὸ τοῦ Κυρίου· (ι Ὃς δʼ ἂν εἷʼπῃ κατὰ τοῦ Πνεύματος τοῦ ἁγίου οὐκ ἀφεθήσεται αὐτῷ οὔτε ἐν τῷ αἶʼὧνι τούτῳ, οὕτε ἐν τῷ μέλλοντι. ### English translation (Claude) This, then, is the character of the catholic faith. And those who speak ill of the Spirit and call him a creature, if they do not repent at what has been said, let them at least be ashamed and sink out of sight at what is about to be said. If there is a Triad, and faith is in a Triad, let them say whether it is always a Triad, or there was a time when it was not a Triad. If, then, the Triad is eternal, the Spirit is not a creature, since he coexists eternally with the Word and is in him. For of the creatures it is true that there was when they were not. But if he is a creature, and creatures are from nothing, then plainly there was a time when there was not a Triad but a Dyad. And what more impious thing could anyone say? They say that the Triad is constituted by change and advancement, and was a Dyad, and waited for a creature to come into being, so that it might be ranked with Father and Son and the Triad might come to be. Far be it that such a thing should ever even enter the mind of Christians! For as the Son, being eternal, is not a creature, so, the Triad being eternal, there is no creature in it; therefore the Spirit is not a creature. For as it always was, so it is now; and as it is now, so it always was; and it is the Triad, and in it Father and Son and Holy Spirit. And there is one God, the Father, who is over all and through all and in all, who is blessed forever. Amen. I, then, as you asked, have written down these things too briefly and sent them; but you, being wise, if anything is lacking in these too, please supply it; and read it to those of the household of faith, and refute those who are contentious in slander; perhaps, though late, they may repent and wash from their soul the malice that has arisen in them. For it is good for them, as it is written, to leap away and not to linger, lest, persisting, they hear what was said by the Lord: “Whoever speaks against the Holy Spirit, it will not be forgiven him, either in this age or in the age to come.” ### Scripture references - Eph 4:6: quotation, high confidence - Rom 9:5: allusion, medium confidence - Gal 6:10: allusion, medium confidence - Prov 9:18: allusion, medium confidence - Matt 12:32: quotation, high confidence ### Translation notes - Eph 4:6; Rom 9:5; Gal 6:10 (household of faith); Prov 9:18 LXX (“leap away, do not linger”); Matt 12:32. - The scan ends this ref with the heading and opening chapters of the next letter (“Letter of the same to the same Serapion, likewise on the Holy Spirit. I have read … then the Father is a grandfather and the Spirit his offspring”); they are removed by a logged correction. They are the beginning of Letter 4, whose staging begins at chapter 3, so the coordinator may wish to stage them there. ### Citation (SBL) Athanasius, Ep. Serap. 3.7 (PG 26:636b–637d; trans. Sophia Scriptura, https://sophiascriptura.com/fathers/athanasius-epistulae-serapionem/3-1/#p-3-7). ## Letters to Serapion 4.3 - URL: https://sophiascriptura.com/fathers/athanasius-epistulae-serapionem/3-1/#p-4-3 - Source: PG 26:640c–641c - Translation: Claude (claude-opus-5-5), 2026-10-09 Summary: Athanasius turns the opponents’ question (“Is the Spirit a son, and the Father a grandfather?”) back on them: Scripture names the Son and the Spirit as it does, and the Godhead of the Triad is one. ### Greek text Πάλιν οὗν ἐκ τῶν ὑμῶν δίκαιον ὑμᾶς οῦτως ἱρωτᾶσθαι. Ἐπειδή οἱ προφῆται ἐν τῷ Πνεῦματι τοῦ Θεοῦ λαλοῦσι, καὶ ἰν τῷ Ἡσαΐᾳ τὸ Πνεῦμα τὸ ἅγιον προφητεύει, ὡς ἒν τοῖς ἔμπροσθεν δέδεικται, οῦκοῦν καὶ τὸ Πνεῦμα Λόγος ἐστὶ τοῦ Θεοῦ καὶ δύο εἶσὶ Λόγοι,τό τε Πνεῦμα καὶ 6 Υἱός. Καὶ γὰρ o't προφῆται τότε ἐπροφήτευον, ὅτε ὶγίνετο 6 Λόγος τοῦ Θεοῦ πρὸς αὐτούς. Καί ἔτι πρὸς τούτοις, ἐπειδή πάντα διὰ τοῦ Λόγου ἐγένετο, καὶ χωρὶς αὐτοῦ ἐγένετο οῦδὶ ἓν, καὶ ‹‹ ο Θεὸς τῇ σοφίᾳ έθεμελίωσε τήν γῆν, ›› καὶ πάντα ἐν σοφίᾳ ἐποίησε (γέγραπται δὲ, ὡς ἐν τοῖς ἔμπροσθεν δέδεικται· ‹‹ Ἐξαποστελεῖς τὸ Πνεῦμά σου, καὶ κτισθήσονται), οὐκοῦν ἢ τὸ Πνεῦμα ὁ Λόγος ἐστὶν,ἢ ἐν δυσὶ πεποίηκεν 6 Θεὸς τὰ πάντα, ἕν τε τῇ Σοφίᾳ καὶ τῷ Πνεῦματι. Καὶ πῶς 6 ΙΙαῦλός φησιν ‹‹ Εἷς Θεός, ἐξ οῦ τὰ πάντα, καὶ εἷς Κύριος, διʼ οῦ τὰ πάντα ››; Καὶ πάλιν ‹‹ Ἐπειδὴ 6 Υἱὸς εἰκών ἐστι τοῦ Ιῐατρὸς τοῦ ἀοράτου, τι ἔστι δὲ τὸ Πνεῦμα εἰκὼν τοῦ Υἳοῦ (γέγραπται γάρ· ‹‹ Οὓς προέγνω καὶ προώρισε συμμόρφους τῆς εἰκόνος τοῦ Υἲοῦ αὐτοῦ »),οὖκοῦν κατᾶ τοῦτο πάππος 6 Πατήρ. Καὶ ἐπειδὴ 6 μὶν Υἱὸς ἐν τῷ ὀνόματι τοῦ Πατρὸς ἦλθε· (ι Τὸ δὲ Πνεῦμα τὸ ἅγιον, ›› φησὶν 6 Υἱὸς, ‹‹ ὃ πέμψει 6 Πατὴρ έν τῷ ὀνόματί μου· ›› οὐκοῦν καὶ οὕτω πάππος 6 Πατήρ. Τί πρὸς ταῦτα, καίτοι πάντα λέγοντες εὐχερῶς ; Τί διαλογίζεσθε πρὸς Eant-06¢; Ἢ ὁρῶντες ἑαυτοὺς ἀποροῦντας, μέμφεσθε τὰς τοιαύτας ἐρωτήσειςς Ἀλλὰ πρότερον ἑαυτῶν κατάγνωτε (ὑμεῖς γὰρ τοιαῦτα ἐρωτᾷν εἰώθατε), καὶ πείθεσθε ταῖς Γραφαῖς, καὶ ἀποροῦντες εἰπεῖν, μάθετε λοιπόν· Υἱὸς μὲν ἐν ταῖς Γραφαῖς τὸ Πνεῦμα οὐκ ὠνομάσθη,ἆλλὰ Πνεῦμα ἅγιον καὶ Πνεῦμα τοῦ Θεοῦ. Ὥσπερ δὲ οὐκ ὠνομάσθη Ῠίὸς τὸ Πνεῦμα, οῦτως οὔδε περὶ τοῦ Υὶοῦ γέγραπται, ὅτι αὐτός ἔστι τὸ Πνεῦμα τὸ ἅγιον. Ἆρʼ οὖν, ἐπειδή οὐκ ὠνομάσθη Υἱὸς τὸ Πνεῦμα, οὐδʼ ὅτι Υἱός ἐστι τὸ ΙΙνεῦμα,διαφωνεῖ τῆς ἀληθείας ἡ πίστις; Μὴ γένοιτοῐ Ἀλλὰ καὶ μᾶλλον ἕκαστον τῶν σημαινομένων ἔχει τήν ἰδίαν γνῶσιν. Καὶ γὰρ ὁΥἱὸς ἴδιον τῆς οὐσίας καὶ τῆς φύσεως τοῦ Ι [ατρός ἐστι γέννημα, καὶτοῦτο ἔχει τὸ σημαινόμενον. Καὶ τὸ Πνεῦμα δὲ λεγόμενον τοῦ Θεοῦ, καὶ ἐν αὐτῷ ὃν, οὖ ξένον ἐστὶ τῆς τοῦ Υἶοῦ φύσεως, οὔτε τῆς τοῦ Πατρὸς θεότητος. Διὰ τοῦτο γὰρ ἐν Τριάδι, ἐν ΙΙατρὶ, καὶ ἐνΥἱῷ,καὶ ἐν αὗτῷ τῷ ΙΙνεύματι, μία θεότης ἐστὶ, καὶ ἂν αὐτῇ τῇ Τριάδι ἓν ἐστι τὸ βάπτισμα, καὶ μία ἡ πίστις. Ἀμέλει τοῦ Πατρὸς πέμποντος τὸ Πνεῦμα, ὁ Υἱὸς ἐμφυσῶν δίδωσιν αὐτὸ τοῖς μαθηταῖς ἐπειδή ιτ πάντα ὅσα ἔχει 6 Πατὴρ, τοῦ Υἱοῦ ἐστι. ι Καὶ τοῦ Λόγνυ γινομένου ἐν τοῖς προφήταις, αὐτοὶ τῷ Πνεύματι ἐπροφήτευον, ὡς γέγραπται καὶ* δέδεικται-ο « Τῷ Λόγῳ Κυρίου οἱ οὐρανοὶ ἐστερεώθησαν, καὶ τῷ ΙΙνεύματι τοῦ στόματος αὐτοῦ πᾶσαή δύναμις αὐτῶν. ›› ### English translation (Claude) Again, then, it is right that you be questioned in this way from your own premises. Since the prophets speak in the Spirit of God, and in Isaiah the Holy Spirit prophesies, as has been shown above, then the Spirit too is a Word of God, and there are two Words, the Spirit and the Son. For the prophets prophesied when the Word of God came to them. And besides, since all things came to be through the Word, and without him not one thing came to be, and “God by wisdom founded the earth,” and made all things in wisdom—and it is written, as was shown above, “You will send forth your Spirit, and they will be created”—then either the Spirit is the Word, or God made all things in two, in Wisdom and in the Spirit. And how does Paul say, “One God, from whom are all things, and one Lord, through whom are all things”? And again: since the Son is the image of the invisible Father, and the Spirit is the image of the Son (for it is written, “Those whom he foreknew he also predestined to be conformed to the image of his Son”), then by this reasoning the Father is a grandfather. And since the Son came in the name of the Father, and “the Holy Spirit,” says the Son, “whom the Father will send in my name”—then in this way too the Father is a grandfather. What do you say to these things, you who say everything so readily? What do you reason with yourselves? Or, seeing yourselves at a loss, do you find fault with such questions? But first condemn yourselves (for it is you who are accustomed to ask such things), and obey the Scriptures, and, being at a loss for an answer, learn at last: the Spirit was not named Son in the Scriptures, but Holy Spirit and Spirit of God. And as the Spirit was not named Son, so neither is it written of the Son that he is the Holy Spirit. Does the faith, then, disagree with the truth because the Spirit was not named Son, nor is it said that the Spirit is the Son? Far from it! Rather, each of the things signified has its own knowledge. For the Son is the proper offspring of the essence and nature of the Father, and this is what that name signifies. And the Spirit, being called God’s and being in him, is not foreign to the nature of the Son, nor to the Godhead of the Father. For this reason there is one Godhead in the Triad, in Father and in Son and in the Spirit himself; and in the Triad itself there is one baptism and one faith. Indeed, when the Father sends the Spirit, the Son breathes and gives him to the disciples, since “all that the Father has is the Son’s.” And when the Word came to the prophets, they prophesied by the Spirit, as it is written and has been shown: “By the word of the Lord the heavens were made firm, and by the Spirit of his mouth all their host.” ### Scripture references - John 1:3: quotation, high confidence - Prov 3:19: quotation, high confidence - Ps 104:24 (103:24 LXX): allusion, high confidence - Ps 104:30 (103:30 LXX): quotation, high confidence - 1 Cor 8:6: quotation, high confidence - Col 1:15: allusion, high confidence - Rom 8:29: quotation, high confidence - John 14:26: quotation, high confidence - John 20:22: allusion, high confidence - John 16:15: quotation, high confidence - Ps 33:6 (32:6 LXX): quotation, high confidence ### Translation notes - The first two chapters of Letter 4, in which the opponents’ questions are reported, are printed in the scan at the end of Letter 3 and are not staged here. - John 1:3; Prov 3:19; Ps 104:24 (103:24 LXX); Ps 104:30 (103:30 LXX); 1 Cor 8:6; Col 1:15; Rom 8:29; John 14:26; John 20:22; John 16:15; Ps 33:6 (32:6 LXX). ### Citation (SBL) Athanasius, Ep. Serap. 4.3 (PG 26:640c–641c; trans. Sophia Scriptura, https://sophiascriptura.com/fathers/athanasius-epistulae-serapionem/3-1/#p-4-3). ## Letters to Serapion 4.4 - URL: https://sophiascriptura.com/fathers/athanasius-epistulae-serapionem/3-1/#p-4-4 - Source: PG 26:641c–644b - Translation: Claude (claude-opus-5-5), 2026-10-09 Summary: The Spirit is the Spirit of the Son and proper to God; why one is called Son and the other Spirit is not ours to search out, as the names of creatures are fixed by God. ### Greek text Οὕτως οὐκ ἔστι κτίσμα τὸ Πνεῦμα, ἀλλʼ ἴδιον τῆς τοῦ Λόγου οὐσίας, ἴδιον καὶ τοῦ Θεοῦ, καὶ ἰν αὖ· τῷ λέγεται εἶναι. Πάλιν γὰρ τὰ αὐτᾶ λέγειν οὐκ ὀκνητέον. Εἰ διαὶ Υἱὸς οὐκ ὠνομάσθη τὸ Πνεῦμα τὸ ἅγιον, ἀλλʼ οὐκ ἔστιν ἐκτὸς τοῦ Υἱοῦ· Πνεῦμα γὰρ υἱοθεσίας εἷʼρηταιο καὶ ἐπειδὴ ‹‹ Χριστὸς Θεοῦ δύναμις καὶ Θεοῦ σοφία, ›› ἀκολούθως εἴρηται περὶ τοῦ Πνεύματος· ιι Πνεῦμα σοφίας, καὶ Πνεῦμα δυνάμεώς ἐστι. ›› Τοῦ γὰρ Ιένεύματος, μετέχοντες, ἔχομεν τὸν Υἱὸν, καὶ τὸν Υἱὸν ἔχοντες, ἔχομεν τὸ Πνεῦμα, κράζον ἐν ταῖς καρδίαις ὴμῶν, ›› Ἀββἃ 6 Πατὴρ, ιι ὡς 6 Παῦλος εἷʼρηκεν. Εἰ δʼ ὅτι τὸ Πνεῦμά ἐστι τοῦ Θεοῦ, καὶ ἐν αὖτῷ εἶναι γέγραπται· ιι Τὰ τοῦ Θεοῦ γὰρ οὐδεὶς οἶδεν εἷʼ μή τὸ Πνεῦμα τοῦ Θεοῦ τὸ ἐν αὐτῷ· ›› καὶ 6 Υἱὸς δὲ εἷʼρηκεν· ‹‹ Ἐγὼ ἐν τῷ Πατρῖ, καὶ 6 Πατὴρ ἐν ἐμοί· ›› διὰ τί τὸ αὐτὸ ὄνομα οὐκ ἔστι τούτῳ βυ καὶ τούτῳ, ἀλλʼ 6 μὶν Υἱὸς, τὸ δὲ Πνεῦμα; ’Ἂν τις οὕτως ἐρωτᾷ, μαίνοιτο ἂν 6 τοιοῦτος, ἐρευνῶν τὰ ἀνερεύνητα, καὶ παρακούων τοῦ Ἀποστόλου, λέγοντος· ε Τίς γὰρ ἔγνω νοῦν Κυρίου ; ἢ τίς σύμβουλος αὐτοῦ ἐγένετος ›› ’Ἄλλως τε ἃ 6 Θεὸς ὠνόμασε, τίς μετονομάσαι τολμήσει; ἐπεὶ είς τὰ τῆς κτίσεως ἐπιχορηγείτω. Είπάτωσαν, ἐπειδὴ ἡ κτίσις τῷ αὐτῷ νεύματι γέγονε, διὰ τί 6 μὶν ἥλιος, 6 δὶ οὐρανὸς καὶ ἡ γῆ καὶ ἡ θάλασσα καὶ ἀήρ ; Ei δὲ ἀδύνατον τοῦτό γε τοῖς ἄφροσι (γένει γὰρ ἕκαστον, ὡς γέγονε), πολλῷ μᾶλλον τὰ ἅνω τῆς κτίσεως ἀΐδιον ἔχει τήν διαμονὴν, καὶ οὐκ ἔστιν ἄλλως, ἢ ὥς ἐστιν 6 Πατὴρ Πατὴρ, καὶ οὐ πάππος, καὶ 6 Υἱὸς Υἱός ἔστι τοῦ Θοοῦ, καὶ οὐ Πατὴρ τοῦ Πνεῦματος, καὶ τὸ Πνεῦμα τὸ ἅγιον Πνεῦμα ἅγιον, καὶ οὐκ ἔκγονον τοῦ Πατρὸς, οὐδὲ ἀδελφὸς τοῦ Υἱοῦ. ### English translation (Claude) Thus the Spirit is not a creature, but proper to the essence of the Word, proper also to God, and is said to be in him. For we must not hesitate to say the same things again. Even if the Holy Spirit was not named Son, yet he is not outside the Son; for he is called the Spirit of adoption; and since “Christ is the power of God and the wisdom of God,” it is consistently said of the Spirit: “He is the Spirit of wisdom and the Spirit of power.” For partaking of the Spirit we have the Son, and having the Son we have the Spirit, crying in our hearts, “Abba, Father,” as Paul said. But if, because the Spirit is God’s, it is written also that he is in him—“For no one knows the things of God except the Spirit of God who is in him”—and the Son too said, “I am in the Father, and the Father in me,” why is the same name not given to this one and to that, but the one is Son and the other Spirit? If anyone asks this, such a person would be mad, searching the unsearchable and disregarding the apostle, who says, “For who has known the mind of the Lord? Or who has been his counselor?” Besides, who will dare to rename what God has named? Let him rather apply himself to the things of creation, if he can. Let them say, since creation came to be at the same nod, why the one is the sun, and the other heaven and earth and sea and air. And if this is impossible for these fools (for each thing is of the kind in which it came to be), much more do the things that are above creation have an eternal permanence; and it is not otherwise than that the Father is Father, and not grandfather, and the Son is Son of God, and not father of the Spirit, and the Holy Spirit is Holy Spirit, and not grandchild of the Father nor brother of the Son. ### Scripture references - Rom 8:15: allusion, high confidence - 1 Cor 1:24: quotation, high confidence - Isa 11:2: quotation, medium confidence - Gal 4:6: quotation, high confidence - 1 Cor 2:11: quotation, high confidence - John 14:10: quotation, high confidence - Rom 11:34: quotation, high confidence ### Translation notes - Rom 8:15; 1 Cor 1:24; Isa 11:2; Gal 4:6; 1 Cor 2:11; John 14:10; Rom 11:34. - One phrase (“let him rather apply himself to the things of creation”) is garbled in the scan and translated by sense. ### Citation (SBL) Athanasius, Ep. Serap. 4.4 (PG 26:641c–644b; trans. Sophia Scriptura, https://sophiascriptura.com/fathers/athanasius-epistulae-serapionem/3-1/#p-4-4). ## Letters to Serapion 4.5 - URL: https://sophiascriptura.com/fathers/athanasius-epistulae-serapionem/3-1/#p-4-5 - Source: PG 26:644b–645a - Translation: Claude (claude-opus-5-5), 2026-10-09 Summary: What is handed down by faith is not to be pried into; the disciples simply believed the baptismal formula, and only heretics like Eunomius and Eudoxius ask whether the Spirit is a son. ### Greek text Τούτων οὕτω δεικνυμένων, μαίνοιτʼ ἄν τις ἔρωτῖυν, Υἱὸς οῦν ἆστι καὶ τὸ Πνεῦμα; Μηδὲ, ἕπειδή μὴ γέγραπται οὕτω, διὰ τοῦτο ἐξαιρείτω τις αὐτὸ τῆς τοῦ Θεοῦ φύσεως καὶ ἰδιότητοςο ἀλλʼ ὡς γέγραπται, πιστευέτω καὶ μή λεγέτω Διὰ τί οὕτως καὶ μὴ οὕτως ; ’ίνα μὴ τοιαῦτα διαλογιζόμενος, ἄρξηται μελετᾷν καὶ λέγειν· Ποῦ οῦν ἐστιν ό Θεὸς, καὶ πῶς ἐστις καὶ λοιπὸν ἀκούσει· ε Εἶπεν ἄφρων ἐν καρδίᾳ αὐτοῦ· Οὐκ ἔστι Θεὸςʼ ιι Τὰ γὰρ τῇ πίστει παραδιδόμενα ἀπεριέργαστον ἔχει τήν γνῶσιν. Οἱ γοῦν μαθηταὶ, ἀκούσαντες, ε βαπτίζοντες αὐτοὺς είςΔτὸ ὄνομα τοῦ Πατρὸς καὶ τοῦ Υἱοῦ καὶ τοῦ ἁγίου Πνεῦματος, ›› οὗ περιειργάσαντο, διὰ τί δεύτερον 6 Υἱὸς, καὶ τρίτον τὸ Πνεῦμα, ἢ διὰ τί ὅλως Τριάς· ἀλλʼ ὡς ἤκουσαν, ἐπίστευσανο καὶ οὐχ ὥσπερ ὑμεῖς ἠρώτησαν· Υἱὸς οῦν ἐστι τὸ Πνεῦμα;οὐδὶ,είπόντος τοῦ Κυρίου μετᾶ τὸν Υἱὸν τὸ Πνεῦμα, ἠρώτησαν Πάππος οῦν 6 Πατήρ; Οὐ γὰρ ἤκουσαν είς ὄνομα πάππου, ἀλλʼ εἷς ὄνομα Πατρὸς, καὶ ταύτην τὴν πίστιν ἐκήρυξαν πανταχοῦ, λογισάμενοι ὀρθῶς. Οὐ γὰρ ἧν ἄλλως εἰπεῖν, ἢ ὡς εἷʼρηκεν 6 Σωτήρ· ἑαυτὸν μὲν Υἱὸν, τὸ δὲ Πνεῦμα ἅγιον· οὐδʼ ἐναλλάξαι Θέμις ἢ ὡς συντέτακται, ὥσπερ καὶ ἐπὶ τοῦ Πατρός. Ὠς γὰρ οὐκ ἔξεστιν ἄλλως εἶλπεῖν περὶ αὐτοῦ,ἢ ὅτι Πατὴρ, οὕτως ἀσεβὲς ἐρωτᾷν, εἷ Υἱός ἔστι τὸ Πνεῦμα, ἢ τὸ Πνεῦμα Υἱός. Διά τοῦτο Σαὸἑλλιος ἀλλότριος τῆς Ἐκκλησίας ἐκρίθη, τολμήσας εἰπεῖν ἐπὶ τοῦ [ἰατρὸς το Υἱὸς, καὶ ἐπὶ τοῦ Υἱοῦ τὸ τοῦ Πατρὸς ὄνομα. Ἆρʼ οὗν ἔτι μετὰ ταῦτα τολμήσει τις ἀκούων Υἱὸν καὶ Πνεῦμα εἰπεῖν· Πάππος οῦν 6 Πατὴρ, ἢ Υἱὸς οῦν τὰ Πνεῦμα; Ναὶ τολμήσουσιν Εὗνόμιοι, καὶ Εὗδόξιοι, καὶ Εὗσὲβιοι. Ἀπαξ γάρ ὑποκρινόμενοι τὴν Ἀρειανὴν αἳρεσιν, οὐ μὴ παύσουσι τὴν ἑαυτῶν γλῶσσαν ἀπὸ ἀσεβείας. Τίς γὰρ αὐτοῖς παρέδωκε ταῦτα ς Τίς 6 διδάξας Ἀλλʼ οὐδεὶς ἐκ τῶν θείων Γραιρῶν ἐκ δὶ τοῦ περισσεύματος τῆς καρδίας αὐτῶν ἑξῆλθεν ἡ τοιαύτη παραφροσύνη. ### English translation (Claude) These things being shown in this way, one would be mad to ask, “Is the Spirit, then, also a Son?” Nor, because it is not written so, let anyone on that account remove him from the nature and property of God; but let him believe as it is written, and not say, “Why thus and not thus?”—lest, reasoning such things, he begin to practice saying, “Where then is God, and how does he exist?” and then hear: “The fool has said in his heart, There is no God.” For the things handed down by faith have a knowledge that is free of prying. The disciples, at any rate, hearing “baptizing them into the name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit,” did not pry into why the Son is second and the Spirit third, or why there is a Triad at all; but as they heard, so they believed; and they did not ask, as you do, “Is the Spirit, then, a Son?” Nor, when the Lord named the Spirit after the Son, did they ask, “Is the Father, then, a grandfather?” For they did not hear “into the name of a grandfather,” but “into the name of the Father”; and they preached this faith everywhere, reasoning rightly. For it was not possible to speak otherwise than as the Savior spoke, calling himself Son and the Spirit Holy Spirit; nor is it lawful to interchange them otherwise than as they are ranked, as with the Father. For as one may not speak of him otherwise than as Father, so it is impious to ask whether the Spirit is Son or the Son Spirit. For this reason Sabellius was judged alien to the church, since he dared to apply to the Father the name of the Son, and to the Son the name of the Father. Will anyone, then, after this, on hearing Son and Spirit, dare to say, “Is the Father then a grandfather, or the Spirit a Son?” Yes, the Eunomiuses and Eudoxiuses and Eusebiuses will dare. For having once played the part of the Arian heresy, they will not stop their tongue from impiety. For who handed these things down to them? Who taught them? No one from the divine Scriptures; but such madness has come forth from the abundance of their heart. ### Scripture references - Ps 14:1 (13:1 LXX): quotation, high confidence - Matt 28:19: quotation, high confidence - Matt 12:34: allusion, medium confidence ### Translation notes - Ps 14:1 (13:1 LXX); Matt 28:19; Luke 6:45 / Matt 12:34 (abundance of the heart). - Eunomius, Eudoxius, and Eusebius (of Nicomedia) are named in the plural as types. ### Citation (SBL) Athanasius, Ep. Serap. 4.5 (PG 26:644b–645a; trans. Sophia Scriptura, https://sophiascriptura.com/fathers/athanasius-epistulae-serapionem/3-1/#p-4-5). ## Letters to Serapion 4.6 - URL: https://sophiascriptura.com/fathers/athanasius-epistulae-serapionem/3-1/#p-4-6 - Source: PG 26:645a–648c - Translation: Claude (claude-opus-5-5), 2026-10-09 Summary: Among men a son becomes a father, but in God the Father is always Father, the Son always Son, and the Spirit always Holy Spirit; the names cannot be exchanged. ### Greek text Ei γὰρ, ἐπεὶ μὴ κτίσμα ἐστὶ τὸ Πνεῦμα (τοῦτο γὰρ ἐδείχθη), ἐρωτᾶτε, Υἱὸς οὗν ἐστι τὸ Πνεῦμα; ὥρα, μαθόντας ὑμᾶς, ὅτι μή κτίσμα ἐστὶν 6 Υἱὸς (διὰ τούτου γὰρ τὰ γενητὰ ἐκτίσθη). ἐρωτᾷ), Πατὴρ οὖν ἔστιν 6 Υἱός; Ἢ καὶ οὕτως· Τὸ Πνεῦμα οῦν ἔστιν 6 Υἱὸς, καὶ 6 Υἱὸς αὐτός ἐστι τὸ Πνεῦμα τὸ ἅγιον ; Τοιαῦτα δὲ λογιζόμενοι, ἔξω μὶν τῆς ἁγίας Τριάδος ἔσονται, ἄθεοι δὶ κριθήσονται, ἀλλάσσοντις τὸ ὄνομα τοῦ Πατρὸς, καὶ τοῦ Υἱοῦ, καὶ τοῦ ἁγίου Πνεύματοςο μεταφέροντες τε αὐτὸ,ὡς θέλουσιν, ἐν ὁμοιώματι γενέσεως ἀνθρωπίνης, ἔκγονα καὶ πάππους ὀνομάζοντες, καὶ τήν Ἑλλήνιον θεογονίαν ἑαυτοῖς ἀναπλασσόμενοι. Οὐκ ἔστι δὲ αὕτη τῆς Ἐκκλησίας ἠ πίστις, ἀλλʼ ὡς εἶπεν 6 Σωτήρ, εἷς Πατέρα καὶ ι”ιὸν καὶ ἅγιον [ινεῦμαθ Πατέρα μέντοι, οὐ δυνάμενον λέγεσθαι πάππον,καὶ Υἱὸν οὐ δυνάμενον λὲγεσθαι Πατέρα, καὶ Πνεῦμα ἅγιον οὐκ ἄλλως ἢ οὕτως ὀνομαζόμενον. Ἐπὶ ταῦτής τῆς πίστεως οὖκ ἔστιν ἔναλλὰξ εἶπεῖν ἀλλʼ ἀεὶ ὁ ΙΙατήρ Πατήρ ἐστι, καὶ 6ῐ“ἱὸς ἀεὶ Υἱὸς, καὶ τὸ Ιινεῦμα τὸ ἅγιον ἀεὶ Πνεῦμα ἅγιόν ἐστι καὶ λέγεται. Ἐπὶ μὲν γὰρ τῶν ἀνθρωπίνων. οὐκ ἔστιν οὕτως, κᾶν οἱ Ἀρειαvol τοιαῦτα φαντάζωνται. Ὠς γάρ γέγραπται, ι( Οὐχ ὡς ἅνθρωπος ὁ Θεὸς, »ι οὕτως ἄν τις εἷʼποι, οὐχ ὡς Θεὸς οἱ ἅνθρωποι. Ἐπὶ γὰρ τῶν ἀνθρώπων, οὐκ ἔστιν 6 πατὴρ ἀεὶ πατὴρ, οὐδὲ ό υἱὸς ἀεὶ υἱός. Ὀ γὰρ αὐτὸς πατὴρ μὲν υἱοῦ γίνεται, αὐτὸς δὲ ἑτέρου γὲγονεν υἱὸς, καὶ 6 υἱὸς πατρὸς ὢν υἱὸς,άʼλλου γίνεται πατήρ. Ἀβρααμ γοῦν υἱὸς ὢν τοῦ Ναχὼρ. πατὴρ γέγονε τοῦ Ἰσαάκ· καὶ Ἰσαάκ δὲ υἱὸς ὢν τοῦ ’Δβραὰμ, πατὴρ γὲγονε τοῦ Ἰακώβ. ’Ἐκαστος γὰρ, μερος ὢν τοῦ γονέως, γεννᾶται μὶν υἱὸς, γίνεται δὲ καὶ αὐτὸς ἑτερου πατήρ. Ἐπὶ δὲ τῆς θεότητος οὐχ οὕτως, ἄπεὶ μή ὡς ἄνθρωπος 6 Θεός. Ὃ γοῦν Πατήρ οὐκ ἐκ ΙΙατρός ἐστι· διὸ οὐδὲ γεννᾷ τὸν γενησόμενον ἑτέρου ιιατὲραο οὐδὲ 6 Υἱὸς μέρος ἐστὶ τοῦ Ματρὸς, διὸ οὐδὲ γὲννημά ἐστιν εἷς τὸ γεννᾷν Υἱόν. ’Όθεν ἐπὶ τῆς θεότητος μόνης ὁ Πατὴρ κυρίως καὶ μόνος ΙΙατήρ ὢν, ἔστι καὶ ἧν καὶ ἀεί ἐστι. Καὶ 6 Υἱὸς κυρίως, καὶ μόνος Υἱός ἐστι Καὶ ἐπὶ τούτων ἔστηκε τὸ, ὁ Ιίατήρ ἀεὶ Πατὴρ, καὶ τὸ, Υἱὸς ἀεὶ Υἱὸς, εἶναί τε καὶ λέγεσθαιʼ καὶ τὸ Πνεῦμα δὲ τὸ ἅγιον ἀεη Πνεῦμα ἅγιόν ἐστι· καὶ τοῦτο τοῦ Θεοῦ εἶναι, κα παρὰ τοῦ Πατρὸς διʼ ι”ιοῦ δίδοσθαι πεπιστεύκαμεν. lii1w γὰρ ἠ ἁγία Τριὰς ἀναλλοίωτος διαμένει, ἐν ,ιᾷ θεότητι γινωσκομένη. Οὐκοῦν 6 ἐρωτῶν, Υἱὸς ὗν ἐστι τὸ Πνεῦμα ; ὡς δυναμένου τοῦ ὀνόματος ἀλα» ἀσσεσθαι, φαντάζεται, καὶ μανίαν ἑαυτῷ περιποιεῖἀι. Καὶ 6 ἐρωτῶν δὲ, πάππος οὖν ἔστιν 6 Πατὴρ, πινοῶν ὄνομα τῷ Πατρδ, πλανᾶται τῇ καρδίᾳ. Ἀπορίνασθαι μὲν οὗν ἔτι πρὸς τὴν ἀναίδειαν τῶν αἱρε- ’Δρκεῖ ταῦτα πρὸς ἔλεγχον τῆς μωρολογίας μῶν.Μηκὲτι παίζετε εἰς τήν θεότητα. ΙΙαιζόντων ἂρ ἴδιον ἐρωτᾷν τὰ μὴ γεγραμμένα καὶ λέγειν· νύκοῦν Υἱός ἐστι τὸ Πνεῦμα καὶ πάππος 6 Πατήρς ιῖἱτω γελῶσιν 6 ἐν Καισαρείᾳ καὶ 6' ἐν τῇ Σκυθοπόει. Ἀρκεῖ πιστεύειν ὑμᾶς, ὅτι οὐκ ἔστι κτίσμα ὁ Πνεῦμα, ἀλλὰ Πνεῦμα τοῦ Θεοῦ ἔστι, καὶ ἰν αύτῷ 'pu‘lc,“ Πατὴρ, καὶ fl Υἱὸς, καὶ Πνεῦμα ἅγιον. [αἱ οὔτε τὸ Πατὴρ ὄνομα ἐπὶ Υἱοῦ ὀνομάζειν χρὴ, ὅτε τὸ Πνεῦμα λέγειν ἔξεστιν αὐτὸ εἶναι τὸν Υἱὸν, ὅτε τὸν Υἱὸν αὐτὸ εἶναι τὸ Πνεῦμα τὸ ἅγιον ἀλλʼ ὕτως ἆστὶν, ὡς εἴρηται, καὶ μία ἡ ἐν ταύτῃ τῇ ριάδι θεότης ἐστὶ, καὶ μία πίστις, καὶ ἓν βάπτισμα στιν, ἰν αὐτῇ διδόμενον, καὶ ἡ τελείωσις μία, ἐν ἱριστῷ Ἰησοῦ τῷ Κυρίῳ ἡμῶν, διʼ οὗ καὶ μεθʼ ὗ τῷ Πατρί ἡ δόξα καὶ τὸ κράτος σὺν ἁγίῳ Ilvatiιατι εἰς τοὺς σύμπαντας αἰῶνας τῶν αἰώνων. Ἀμήν. ### English translation (Claude) For if, because the Spirit is not a creature (for this has been shown), you ask, “Is the Spirit then a Son?”, it is time for you, having learned that the Son is not a creature (for through him originated things were created), to ask, “Is the Son then Father?” Or this: “Is the Spirit then the Son, and is the Son himself the Holy Spirit?” But reasoning such things, they will be outside the holy Triad and will be judged godless, changing the names of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit and transferring them as they wish, after the likeness of human generation, naming grandchildren and grandfathers, and fashioning for themselves the theogony of the Greeks. But this is not the faith of the church; rather, as the Savior said, it is into Father and Son and Holy Spirit: a Father who cannot be called grandfather, and a Son who cannot be called Father, and a Holy Spirit named in no other way than so. In this faith the names cannot be interchanged; but the Father is always Father, and the Son always Son, and the Holy Spirit always is, and is called, Holy Spirit. Among human beings it is not so, even if the Arians imagine such things. For as it is written, “God is not as man,” so one might say that men are not as God. For among men the father is not always father, nor the son always son. For the same man becomes father of a son, while he himself was born the son of another; and the son, being son of a father, becomes father of another. Abraham, at any rate, being son of Nahor, became father of Isaac; and Isaac, being son of Abraham, became father of Jacob. For each, being a part of his parent, is begotten as a son and himself becomes father of another. But in the Godhead it is not so, since God is not as man. The Father, at any rate, is not from a Father; therefore he does not beget one who will become father of another; nor is the Son a part of the Father; therefore he is not begotten so as to beget a son. Hence in the Godhead alone the Father, being properly and alone Father, is and was and always is; and the Son is properly and alone Son. And in their case it holds firm that the Father is always Father and the Son always Son, both in being and in being called; and the Holy Spirit is always Holy Spirit; and we have believed that he is God’s and is given from the Father through the Son. For in this way the holy Triad remains unalterable, known in one Godhead. So whoever asks, “Is the Spirit then a Son?” imagines that the name can be changed, and brings madness on himself. And whoever asks, “Is the Father then a grandfather?” devising a name for the Father, goes astray in his heart. To answer the shamelessness of the heretics further … [7] These things are enough to refute your foolish talk. Stop playing with the Godhead any longer. For it is the part of those who play to ask what is not written, and to say, “Is the Spirit then a Son, and the Father a grandfather?” Let the one in Caesarea and the one in Scythopolis laugh in this way. It is enough for you to believe that the Spirit is not a creature, but is the Spirit of God, and that in him the Triad is Father and Son and Holy Spirit. And one must neither give the name Father to the Son, nor may one say that the Spirit is the Son, nor that the Son is the Holy Spirit; but it is as has been said, and the Godhead in this Triad is one, and the faith is one, and the baptism given in it is one, and the initiation is one, in Christ Jesus our Lord, through whom and with whom be glory and power to the Father with the Holy Spirit to all the ages of ages. Amen. ### Scripture references - Num 23:19: quotation, high confidence - Gen 11:26: allusion, low confidence - Matt 28:19: allusion, high confidence ### Translation notes - Chapter 7 begins at “[7]”; its numeral is removed by a logged correction, and a few words lost before it are marked “…”. - Num 23:19. “Son of Nahor” is as printed; Abraham’s father was Terah, and Nahor his grandfather (Gen 11:24–26). - “The one in Caesarea and the one in Scythopolis” are Acacius of Caesarea and Patrophilus of Scythopolis. In “in him the Triad” the word “Triad” is garbled in the scan and supplied by sense. ### Citation (SBL) Athanasius, Ep. Serap. 4.6 (PG 26:645a–648c; trans. Sophia Scriptura, https://sophiascriptura.com/fathers/athanasius-epistulae-serapionem/3-1/#p-4-6). ## Letters to Serapion 4.8 - URL: https://sophiascriptura.com/fathers/athanasius-epistulae-serapionem/4-8/#p-4-8 - Source: PG 26:648c–649b - Translation: Claude (claude-opus-5-5), 2026-10-09 Summary: Athanasius turns hesitantly to Serapion’s question: why is blasphemy against the Son forgiven but not blasphemy against the Holy Spirit? ### Greek text Περὶ δὲ οὗ γράφων ἐδήλωσας εἷιαγγελικοῦ t'q'roii, συγγίνωσκε, ἆγαπητέ, συνείδησιν ἔχων ἀγα- MV. Δέδια γὰρ κᾶν ὅλως προσελθεῖν αὐτῷʼ μὴ , δύνας εἷς αὐτὸ τῷ λογισμῷ, καὶ ἀρξάμενος, ρευνᾷν, ἀτονήσω τὴν ἐν αὐτῷ βαθεῖαν διάνοιαν ἐλ- Beat. Σιωπῆσαι γοῦν περὶ τούτου τέλεον ἐβουλόμην, ,αὶ μόνον ἀρκεσθῆναι τούτοις τοῖς ἔμπροσθεν ράμμασι. Στοχαζόμενος δὶ μὴ ἄρα καὶ δεύτερον rapi τούτου γράψαι φιλονεικήσῃς, ἐβιασάμην ἐμαυπὸν, ἢν ἔχω μαθὼν, περὶ αὐτοῦ μετρίαν διάνοιαν ’ράψαιʼ θαρῥῶν, ὡς, τυχόντας μὶν ἡμᾶς τοῦ σκοποῦ, ιποδίξῃ διὰ τὸν διδάξαντα· μὴ τυχόντας δὲ, οὗ 6ι9 μέμψῃ, γινώσκων τὴν ἡμετέραν προθυμίαν τε καὶ ἀσθένειαν. Τὸ μὲν οὖν ῥητόν ἐστιν, ὅτε, Τοσούτων σημείων γινομένων ἰν τῷ Εὗαγγελίῳ, οἱ μὶν Φαρισαῖοι ἔλεγον ‹‹ Οὗτος οὐκ ἐκβάλλει τὰ δαιμονια εἰ μὴ ἐν Βεελζεβοὺλ τῶ ἄρχοντι τῶν δαιμονίων· 6 δὲ Κύριος, εἰδὼς τὰς ἐνθυμήσεις αὐτῶν, εἶπεν αὐτοῖςʼ ΙΙᾶσα βασιλεία μερισθεῖσα καθʼ ἑαυτὴν ἐρημοῦται. ι Καὶ εἰρηκώς· ‹‹ Εἰ δὲ ἐν Πνεύματι Θειοῦ ἐγὼ ἐκβάλλω τὰ δαιμόνια, ἄρα ἔφθασεν ἐφʼ ὑμᾶς ἡ βασιλεία τοῦ Θεοῦ· ›› λοιπὸν ἐπιφέρει· α Διά τοῦτο λέγω ὑμῖν, ΙΙᾶσα ἁμαρτία καὶ βλασφημία ἀφεθήσεται ὑμῖν τοῖς ἀνθρώποις ' ἡ δὲ εἰς τὸ Πνεῦμα βλασφημία οὐκ ἀφεθήσεται· καὶ ὃς ’ἃν εἷʼπῃ λόγον κατὰ τοῦ Υἱοῦ τοῦ ἀνθρώπου, ἀφεθήσεται αὐτῷ· ὃς δʼ ἂν εἷʼπῃ κατὰ τοῦ ῙΙνεύματος τοῦ ἁγίου, οὐκ ἀφεθήσεται αὖτῷ οὔτε ἐν τῷ αἰῶνι τούτῳ οὔτε έν τῷ μέλλοντι. n Σὺ δὲ ἐζήτεις, τί δήποτε ἡ μὲν εἰς τὸν Υἱὸν βλασφημία ἆφίεται, ἡ δὲ εἰς τὸ ΙΙνεῧμα τὸ ἅγιον οὐκ ἔχει ἄφεσιν οὔτε ἐν τῷ νῦν αἰῶνι, οὔτε ἐν τῷ μέλλοντι ; ### English translation (Claude) As for the Gospel passage about which you wrote, forgive me, beloved, you who have a good conscience. For I am afraid even to approach it at all, lest, being unable to reach it in reasoning, and having begun to search, I should fail to grasp the deep meaning in it. I wished, then, to keep silent about it entirely and to be content with the letters written above. But guessing that you might eagerly write about it a second time, I forced myself to write down the modest understanding of it that I have learned; confident that, if we hit the mark, you will accept it because of the one who taught us; and if we do not, you will not blame us, knowing both our eagerness and our weakness. The text, then, is this. When so many signs had been done, in the Gospel, the Pharisees said, “This man casts out demons only by Beelzebul, the prince of demons”; and the Lord, knowing their thoughts, said to them, “Every kingdom divided against itself is laid waste.” And having said, “But if I cast out demons by the Spirit of God, then the kingdom of God has come upon you,” he then adds: “Therefore I tell you, every sin and blasphemy will be forgiven you men, but the blasphemy against the Spirit will not be forgiven; and whoever speaks a word against the Son of Man, it will be forgiven him; but whoever speaks against the Holy Spirit, it will not be forgiven him, either in this age or in the age to come.” And you asked why the blasphemy against the Son is forgiven, while that against the Holy Spirit has no forgiveness either in this age or in the age to come. ### Scripture references - Matt 12:24: quotation, high confidence - Matt 12:25: quotation, high confidence - Matt 12:28: quotation, high confidence - Matt 12:31: quotation, high confidence - Matt 12:32: quotation, high confidence ### Translation notes - Matt 12:24–25; Matt 12:28; Matt 12:31–32. - A few words are garbled in the scan at the start of this ref; translated by sense. ### Citation (SBL) Athanasius, Ep. Serap. 4.8 (PG 26:648c–649b; trans. Sophia Scriptura, https://sophiascriptura.com/fathers/athanasius-epistulae-serapionem/4-8/#p-4-8). ## Letters to Serapion 4.9 - URL: https://sophiascriptura.com/fathers/athanasius-epistulae-serapionem/4-8/#p-4-9 - Source: PG 26:649b–649d - Translation: Claude (claude-opus-5-5), 2026-10-09 Summary: Origen and Theognostus held that blasphemy against the Spirit is sin after baptism, citing Heb 6:4–6. ### Greek text ΙΙαλαιοὶ μὲν οὖν ἄνδρες, Ὠριγένης 6 πολυμαθὴς καὶ φιλόπονος, καὶ Θεόγνωστος 6 θαυμάσιος καὶ σπουδαῖος (τούτων γὰρ τοῖς τερὶ τούτων συνταγματίοις ἐνέτυχον, ὅτε τὴν ἐπιστολὴν ἔγραψας), ἀμφότεροι γὰρ περὶ τούτου γράφουσι, ταύτην εἶναι τήν εἷς τὸ ἅγιον Πνεῦμα βλασφημίαν λέγοντες, ὅταν οἱ καταξιωθέντες έν τῷ βαπτίσματι τῆς δω ρεᾶς τοῦ ἁγίου ΙΙνεύματος παλινδρομήσωσιν εἰς τὸ ἁμαρτάνειν. Διὰ τοῦτο γὰρ μηδὲ ἄφεσιν αὐτοὺς λήψεσθαί φασι· καθὰ καὶ ό Παῦλος ἐν τῇ πρὸς Ἑβραίους λέγει· ‹‹ Ἀδύνατον γὰρ τοὺς ἅπαξ φωτισθέντας, γευσαμένους τε τῆς δωρεᾶς τῆς ἕπου-ρανίου, καὶ μετόχους γενηθέντας Πνεύματος ἁγίου, καὶ καλὸν γευσαμένους Θεοῦ ῥῆμα, δυνάμεις τε μέλλοντος αἰῶνος, καὶ παραπεσόντας, πάλιν ἀνακαινίζειν εἰς μετάνοιαν. ι Ταῦτα δὲ κοινῇ μὲν ’λέγουσι, καὶ ἰδίαν δὲ ἕκαστος προστίθησι διάνοιαν. ### English translation (Claude) Ancient men, then—Origen, the learned and laborious, and Theognostus, the admirable and earnest (for I read their treatises on these matters when you wrote your letter)—both write about this, saying that this is the blasphemy against the Holy Spirit: when those who have been deemed worthy of the gift of the Holy Spirit in baptism run back to sinning. For this reason, they say, such people will not receive forgiveness either; as Paul says in the letter to the Hebrews: “For it is impossible, in the case of 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 the powers of the age to come, and then have fallen away, to renew them again to repentance.” These things they say in common, and each adds a meaning of his own. ### Scripture references - Heb 6:4: quotation, high confidence - Heb 6:5: quotation, high confidence - Heb 6:6: quotation, high confidence ### Translation notes - Heb 6:4–6. Theognostus of Alexandria (later third century); his work survives only in fragments. ### Citation (SBL) Athanasius, Ep. Serap. 4.9 (PG 26:649b–649d; trans. Sophia Scriptura, https://sophiascriptura.com/fathers/athanasius-epistulae-serapionem/4-8/#p-4-9). ## Letters to Serapion 4.10 - URL: https://sophiascriptura.com/fathers/athanasius-epistulae-serapionem/4-8/#p-4-10 - Source: PG 26:649d–652b - Translation: Claude (claude-opus-5-5), 2026-10-09 Summary: Origen held that the Spirit dwells only in the baptized, so their sin is against him; Theognostus that rejecting the third “boundary,” the teaching on the Spirit given to the perfected, leaves no pardon. ### Greek text Ὁ μὲν γὰρ Ὠριγένης καὶ τὴν αἰτίαν τῆς κατὰ τῶν τοιούτων κρίσεως οὕτω λέγειʼ ‹‹ Ὁ μὲν Θεὸς καὶ ΙΙατῆρ εἰς πάντα διήκει καὶ πάντα συνέχει, ἄψυχά τε καὶ ἔμψυχα, λογικά τε καὶ ἅλογαʼ τοῦ δὲ Υἱοῦ ἡ δύναμις εἰς τὰ λογικά μόνα διατείνει, ἐν οἷς εἰσι κατηχούμενοι καὶ Ἕλληνες, οἱ μηδέπω πιστεύσαντες τὸ δὶ ΙῙνιῧμα 16 ἅγιον εἰς μόνους ἐστί τοὺς μεταλαβόντας αὐτοῦ ἐν τῇ τοῦ βαπτίσματος δόσει. Ὅταν-τοίνυν κατηχούμενοι καὶ Ἓλληνες ἁμαρτάνωσιν, εἰς μὲν τὸν Υῖὸν ἁμαρτάνουσιν, ἐπεὶ ἐν αῦτοῖς ἐστιν, ὥσπερ εἴρηται· δύνανται δὶ ὅμως λαμβάνειν ξίφεσιν, ὅταν καταξιωθῶσι δωρεᾶς τῆς παλιγγενεσίας. Ὅταν δὲ οἱ βαπτισθέντες ἁμαρτάνωσι, τήν τοιαύτην παρανομίαν εἰς τὸ Πνεῦμα τὸ ἅγιον φθάνειν φησίν ·“ἐπειδὴ ἐν αὐτῷ γενόμενος ἥμαρτε καὶ διὰ τοῦτο ἀσύγγνωστον εἶναι τὴν κατʼ αὐτοῦ τιμωρίαν. ›› Ὀ δὲ Θεόγνωστος καὶ. αὐτὸς προστιθείς φησι ταῦταʼ ε Ὁ πρῶτον παραβεβηκὼς ερον καὶ δεύτερον ἐλάττονος ἂν ἀξιοῖτο τιμωρίαςʼ 6 δὲ καὶτὸν τρίτον ὑπεριδὼν οὐκέτι -ἂν συγγνώμης τυγχάνοι Πρῶο τονδὶ ὅρον καὶ δεύτερόν φησι τὴν περὶ Πατρὸς καὶ Υἱοῦ κατήχησιν· τὸν δὲ τρίτον τὸν έπί τῇ τελειώσει καὶ τῇ τοῦ Πνεῦματος μετοχῇ παραδιδόμενον Λόγονʼ καὶ τοῦτο βεβαιῶσαι θέλων, ἐπάγει τὸ παρὰ τοῦ Σωτῆρος εἰρημένον τοῖς μαθηταῖςʼ ‹‹ "En ι( πολλὰ ἔχω Δὑμῖν λέγειν, ἀλλʼ οῦπω δύνασθε χωρεῖν. ε ’Ὀταν δὲ ἔλθῃ τὸ ἅγιον Πνεῦμα, διδάξει ῦμᾶς. ›› Εἶτά φησινʼ ε Ὥσπερ τοῖς μηδέπω χωρεῖν δυναμένοις τὰ τέλεια διαλέγεται 6 Σωτήρ, συγκαταβαίνων αὐτῶν τῇ σμικρότητι · τοῖς δὲ τελειουμένοις συγγίνεται τὸ Πνεῦμα τὸ ἅγιον, καὶ οὗ δήπου τις ἐκ τούτων ἂν φαίη τὴν τοῦ Πνεύματος διδασκαλίαν ὑπερβάλλειν τῆς τοῦ Υἱοῦ διδαχῆς· ἀλλʼ δτι ὁ μὶν Υἱὸς συγκαταβαίνει τοῖς ἀτελέσι, τὸ δὲ Πνεῦμα σφραγίς ἐστι τῶν τελειουμένων· οὕτως οὗ διὰ τήν ὑπερβολὴν τοῦ Πνεύματος πρὸς τὸν Υἱὸν ἄφυκτός ἐστι καὶ ἀσύγο γνωστος ἡ εἷς τὸ Πνεῦμα βλασφημία· ἀλλʼ ὅτι ἐπὶ μὲν τοῖς ἀτελέσιν ἐστὶ συγγνώμη· ἐπὶ δὲ τοῖς γευσαμένοις τῆς οὐρανίου δωρεᾶς καὶ τελειωθεῖσιν οὐδεμία πειλείπεται συγγνώμης ἀπολογία καὶ παραίτησις. ι Ἐκεῖνοι μὲν οὖν ταῦτα. ### English translation (Claude) For Origen states the cause of the judgment against such people thus: “God the Father pervades all things and holds all things together, both inanimate and animate, rational and irrational; but the power of the Son extends to rational beings alone, among whom are catechumens and Greeks who have not yet believed; while the Holy Spirit is only in those who have received him in the giving of baptism. When, then, catechumens and Greeks sin, they sin against the Son, since he is in them, as has been said; yet they can receive forgiveness when they are deemed worthy of the gift of regeneration. But when the baptized sin,” he says, “such a transgression reaches the Holy Spirit, since the one who sinned had come to be in him; and for this reason the punishment against him is unpardonable.” [11] And Theognostus himself also adds this: “Whoever has transgressed the first and second boundary would be deemed worthy of a lesser punishment; but whoever has also disregarded the third would no longer obtain pardon.” And he says that the first and second boundary is the teaching about the Father and the Son, and the third is the Word handed down at initiation and at the participation of the Spirit; and wishing to confirm this, he adduces what the Savior said to the disciples: “I still have many things to say to you, but you cannot bear them yet; but when the Holy Spirit comes, he will teach you.” Then he says: “As the Savior speaks with those not yet able to bear perfect things, condescending to their littleness, while the Holy Spirit is present with those who are being perfected—and surely no one would say from this that the teaching of the Spirit surpasses the teaching of the Son, but rather that the Son condescends to the imperfect, while the Spirit is the seal of those who are being perfected—so it is not because of the Spirit’s superiority to the Son that blasphemy against the Spirit is inescapable and unpardonable, but because for the imperfect there is pardon, while for those who have tasted the heavenly gift and have been perfected no plea or excuse for pardon remains.” That, then, is what they say. ### Scripture references - John 16:12: quotation, high confidence - John 16:13: quotation, high confidence - Heb 6:4: allusion, high confidence ### Extrabiblical texts - Origen, Princ. 1.3.5 (Origen, On First Principles): quotation, medium confidence ### Translation notes - Chapter 11 begins at “[11]”; its numeral (printed “41”) is removed by a logged correction. - The view attributed to Origen corresponds to On First Principles 1.3.5–7 (known otherwise in Rufinus’s Latin). Theognostus’s words are a fragment known only from this letter. John 16:12–13; Heb 6:4. ### Citation (SBL) Athanasius, Ep. Serap. 4.10 (PG 26:649d–652b; trans. Sophia Scriptura, https://sophiascriptura.com/fathers/athanasius-epistulae-serapionem/4-8/#p-4-10). ## Letters to Serapion 4.12 - URL: https://sophiascriptura.com/fathers/athanasius-epistulae-serapionem/4-8/#p-4-12 - Source: PG 26:652b–653d - Translation: Claude (claude-opus-5-5), 2026-10-09 Summary: Since the Pharisees addressed by Christ were not baptized, the unforgivable blasphemy cannot simply be sin after baptism; it was their blasphemy against the Godhead itself. ### Greek text Ἐγὼ δὲ ἀφʼ ὢν ἔμαθον, νομίζω τὴν ἑκατέρου διάνοιαν μετρίας τινὸς δοκιμασίας ἐπιδεῖσθαι καί-κατανοήσεως· μή ἄρα κεκρυμμένος ἐστί τις έν αὖ· τοῖς τοῖς ὑπʼ αὐτῶν εῗρημένοις βαθύτερος νοῦς. Δῆλον γὰρ, ὡς, 6 Υἱὸς έν τῷ Πατρὶ ὢν, ἐν τούτοις ἐστὶν, ἐν οἷς καὶ 6 Πατήρ ἐστι, καὶ τὸ Πνεῦμα οὐκ ἄπεστιν. ’Δδιαέρετος γάρ ἐστιν ἠ ἁγία καὶ μακαρία, καὶ τελεία Τριάς. Ἔτι δʼ οῦν εἰ πάντα διὰ Υἱοῦ γέγονε, καὶ ἐν αὐτῷ τὰ πάντα συνέστηκε, πῶς ἂν ἐκτὸς εἰή τῶν διʼ αὐτοῦ γενομένων; Μὴ ὄντων δὲ ἐκείνων αὐτοῦ μακρὰν, ἐν πᾶσιν ἃν καὶ αὐτὸς είκόο τως εἰή· ὡς ἐξ ἀνάγκης τὸν εἷς τὸν Υἱὸν ἁμαρτάνοντα καὶ βλασφημοῦντα ἁμαρτάνειν καὶ εἰς τὸν Πατέρα καὶ εἷς τὸ ἅγιον Πνεῦμα. Καὶ τὸ ἆγιον δὲ λουτρὸν εἶ μὶν εἰς τὸ ἀγιον Πνεῦμα μόνον ἐδιδοτ), εἰκότως ἂν ἒλὲγετο τοὺς βαπτιζομένους εἰς τὸ Πνεῦμα μόνον ἁμαρτάνεινʼ ἐπειδὴ δὲ εἷς Πατέρα, καὶ Υἷὸν, καὶ ἅγιον Πνεῦμα διδοται, καὶ οὕτω τελειοῦται τῶν βαπτιζομένων ἕκαστος, ἀνάγκη πάλιν τοὺς μετὰ τὸ βαπτισμα παραβαίνοντας εἲς τήν ἁγίαν καὶ ἀδιαίρετον Τριάδα τὴν βλασφημίαν ποιεῖσθαι. Καὶ τοῦτο δὲ δίκαιον ἂν εἴη λογίζεσθαι καὶ νοεῖν. Εἰ μὶν πρὸς λαβόντας τὸ λουτρὸν τῆς παλιγγενεσίας, τοὺς Φαρισαίους λέγω,, καὶ μετασχόντας αὐτοὺς ἤδη τῆς δωρεᾶς τοῦ ἁγίου Πνεύματος, διελέγετο 6 Κύριος, πιθανή τις ἦν ἡ τοιαύτη διάνοια, ὡς παλινδρομήσαντας, καὶ πλημμελήσαντας είς τὸ ἅγιον Πνεῦμα· εί δὲ μήτε τὸ λουτρὸν εἷʼλήφασιν, ἀλλὰ καὶ τὸ τοῦ Ἰωάννου βαπτσμα ἐξουθενήσαντεςἦσαν, πῶςΒ ᾐτιᾶτο τούτους ὡς βλασφημήσαντας ε”ς τὸ Πνεῦμα τὸ ἅγιον οὗ μηδέπω μέτοχοι γεγόνεισαν ; Καὶ γὰρ ού διδάσκων ἁπλῶς 6 Κύριος ἐλάλει ταῦτα, οὐδὲ ἐπὶ μέλλουσι τήν τιμωρίαν ἠπείλει· ἀλλʼ εὐθὺς αἰτιώμενος ἀληθῶς τοὺς Φαρισαίους, ὡς ἤδη γενομὲνους ὑπευθύνους τῆς τηλικαύτης βλασφημίας, εἶʼρηκε τοῦτο τὸ ῥητὸν ὁ Κύριος. Tth δῖε Φαρισαίων οὕτω κατηγορουμένων, καὶ πρὶν λαβεῖν άύτοῦς τὸ βάπτισμα, ούκ ἂν εἷή τοῦτο ῥητὸν ἐπὶ τοὺς μετὰ τὸ λουτρὸν παραβαίνοντας· καὶ μάλιστα ὅτι οὐχ ἁπλῶς ἐπὶ ἁμαρτίαις,άλλʼ ἐπὶ βλασφημίᾳ αὐτοὺς ᾐτιᾶτο. Διαφέρει δὲ, ὅτι ὁ μὲν ἁμαρτάνων παραβαίνει νόμον· 6 δὲ βλασφημῶν εἰς αὐτὴν ἀσεβεῖ τὴν θεότητα. Ἐπὶ πολλαῖς δʼ οὖν πρότερον πλημμελείαις αἰτιώμενος αύτοῦς 6 Σωτὴρ, ὅτι τήν ἐντολὴν τοῦ Θεοῦ τήν περὶ τῶν γονὲων διὰ ἀργύριον παρέβαινον, καὶ τὰ τῶν προφητῶν παρεκρούοντο, καὶ τὸν οἶκον τοῦ Θεοῦ ἐποίουν νῖκον ἐμπορίου, ὅμως παρῄνει καὶ μετανοεῖν αὐτοῖς Ἐπὶ δὲ τῷ Λέγειν αὐτοὺς, Ἑν Βεελζεβοὺλ ἐκβάλλει τά δαιμόνια, οὐκ ἔτι ταύτην ἁμαρτίαν ἁπλῶς, ἀλλά βλασφημίαν εἴρηκεν εἶναι τηλικαύτην, ὥστε ἄφυκτον καὶ ἀσύγγωστον εἶναι τήν τιμωρίαν · τοῖς τοιαῦτα τολμῶσιν. ### English translation (Claude) But I, from what I have learned, think that the view of each of them needs some modest testing and consideration, in case some deeper sense lies hidden in what they have said. For it is plain that the Son, being in the Father, is in those in whom the Father is, and the Spirit is not absent. For the holy and blessed and perfect Triad is indivisible. And further, if all things came to be through the Son, and in him all things hold together, how could he be outside the things that came to be through him? And since they are not far from him, he would rightly be in all things too; so that of necessity whoever sins and blasphemes against the Son sins also against the Father and against the Holy Spirit. And if the holy washing were given into the Holy Spirit alone, it might reasonably be said that the baptized sin only against the Spirit; but since it is given into Father and Son and Holy Spirit, and in this way each of the baptized is perfected, then again those who transgress after baptism must commit their blasphemy against the holy and indivisible Triad. And this too it would be just to consider and understand. If the Lord had been speaking to men who had received the washing of regeneration—I mean the Pharisees—and had already partaken of the gift of the Holy Spirit, such a meaning would have some plausibility, as referring to men who had run back and offended against the Holy Spirit. But if they had not received the washing, but had even despised the baptism of John, how could he accuse them of having blasphemed against the Holy Spirit, of whom they had not yet become partakers? For the Lord did not say this simply as teaching, nor did he threaten the punishment against people in the future; but the Lord spoke this text at once, truly accusing the Pharisees as already liable for so great a blasphemy. And since the Pharisees were accused in this way even before receiving baptism, this text would not refer to those who transgress after the washing—especially since he accused them not simply of sins but of blasphemy. And there is a difference: the one who sins transgresses the law, but the one who blasphemes commits impiety against the Godhead itself. When earlier the Savior accused them of many offenses—that they transgressed God’s commandment about parents for the sake of money, and set aside the words of the prophets, and made the house of God a house of trade—he nevertheless exhorted them to repent. But at their saying, “He casts out demons by Beelzebul,” he called this no longer simply a sin, but a blasphemy so great that the punishment for those who dare such things is inescapable and unpardonable. ### Scripture references - Col 1:17: allusion, high confidence - Titus 3:5: allusion, medium confidence - Luke 7:30: allusion, medium confidence - Matt 15:5: allusion, high confidence - John 2:16: allusion, high confidence - Matt 12:24: quotation, high confidence ### Translation notes - Col 1:17; Titus 3:5; Luke 7:30 (despising John’s baptism); Matt 15:3–6 and Mark 7:11 (parents and money); John 2:16 (house of trade); Matt 12:24. ### Citation (SBL) Athanasius, Ep. Serap. 4.12 (PG 26:652b–653d; trans. Sophia Scriptura, https://sophiascriptura.com/fathers/athanasius-epistulae-serapionem/4-8/#p-4-12). ## Letters to Serapion 4.13 - URL: https://sophiascriptura.com/fathers/athanasius-epistulae-serapionem/4-8/#p-4-13 - Source: PG 26:653d–656b - Translation: Claude (claude-opus-5-5), 2026-10-09 Summary: Heb 6:4–6 forbids a second baptism, not repentance, as Paul’s readmission of the Corinthian penitent shows against the Novatianists. ### Greek text Ἄλλως τε, εἰ τῶν μετᾶ τὸ λουτρὸν ἁμαρτανόντων χάριν εἷρηται τοῦτο τὸ ῥητὸν, καὶ τούτοις ἀσύγγνωστός ἐστιν ἡ τῶν πλημμελημάτων δίκηʼ πῶς τῳ μὶν ἐν Κορίνθῳ μετανοοῦντι κυροῖ τὴν αὐτὴν ἀγάπην 6 Ἀπόστολος, τεὺς δὲ Γαλάτας παλινδρομήσαντας ὠδίνει, ἄχρις οὗ πάλιν μορφωθῇ Χριστὸς ἐν αύτοῖς; Ἐν δὲ τῷ λέγειν, πάλις δείκνυσιν αὐτῶν καὶ την προτέραν ἐν τῷ Πνεύματι τελειότητα. Τί δ καὶ Νουάτῳ μεμφόμεθα ἀναιροῦντι μετάνοιαν, κα φάσκοντι μηδεμίαν συγγνώμην ἔχειν τοὺς μετὰ τὸ λουτρὸν ἁμαρτάνοντας, εἰ διὰ τοῦς μετὰ τὸ λουτρὸν ἁμαρτάνοντας εἴρηται τὸ ῥητόν ; Καὶ γὰρ τὸ ἐν τῇ πρὸς Ἐβραίους εἰρημένον οὐκ ἐκκλεῖόν ἐστι τῶν άμρτανὸντων τῆν μετάνοιαν, ἀλλὰ δεικνύον ’ἐν εἶναι τὸτῆς καθολικῆς Ἐκκλησίας βάπτισμά καὶ μὴ δεύτερον. Ἑβραίοις γὰρ ἔγραφε· καὶ ’ίνα μὴ νομίσωσι, κατὰ τὴν έν τῷ νόμῳ συνήθειαν, προφάσει μετανοίας εἶναι πολλᾶ καὶ καθʼ ἡμέραν βαπτίσματα, διὰ τοῦτο μετανοεῖν μὶν παραινεῖ, μίαν δὲ εἶναι τὴν ἀνακαίνισιν διὰ τνῦ βαπτισματος, καὶ μὴ δευτέραν ἀποφαίνεται, ὥς καὶ έν ἑτέρᾳ Ἐπιστολῇ φησι* (ι Μία πὶστις, ἓν βάπτισμα. ι Οὐδὲ γὰρ, εἶπεν, ἀδύνατον με· τανοεῖν· ἀλλʼ ἀδύνατον προφάσει μετανοίας ἀνακαινίζειν ἡμᾶς. Ἔχει δὲ πολλὴν τὴν διαφοράν. 6 μὲν γὰρ μετανοῶν παύεται μὲν τοῦ ἁμαρτάνειν, ἔχει δὲ τῶν τραυματων τὰς οὑλας· ὁ δὲ βαπτιζιιμενος τὸν μὶν παλαιὸν ἀπεκδιδύσκεται, ἀνακαινίζεται δὲ ἄνωθεν γεννηθεὶς τῇ τοῦ Πνεῦματος χάριτι. ### English translation (Claude) Besides, if this text was spoken about those who sin after the washing, and for them the penalty for their offenses is unpardonable, how is it that the apostle confirms his love to the man in Corinth who repented, and is in labor again for the Galatians who had run back, until Christ is formed in them again? And by saying “again” he shows their former perfection in the Spirit too. And why do we blame Novatus, who does away with repentance and says that those who sin after the washing have no pardon, if the text was spoken about those who sin after the washing? For what is said in the letter to the Hebrews does not shut out repentance for sinners, but shows that the baptism of the catholic church is one, and that there is no second. For he was writing to Hebrews; and so that they might not think, according to the custom in the law, that under the pretext of repentance there are many and daily baptisms, he therefore exhorts them to repent, but declares that the renewal through baptism is one and not a second; as he also says in another letter, “One faith, one baptism.” For he did not say that it is impossible to repent, but that it is impossible to renew us under the pretext of repentance. And there is a great difference. For the one who repents ceases from sinning, but has the scars of his wounds; while the one who is baptized puts off the old man and is renewed, being born from above by the grace of the Spirit. ### Scripture references - 2 Cor 2:8: allusion, high confidence - Gal 4:19: allusion, high confidence - Heb 6:4: allusion, high confidence - Heb 6:6: allusion, high confidence - Eph 4:5: quotation, high confidence - Col 3:9: allusion, medium confidence - John 3:3: allusion, medium confidence ### Translation notes - 2 Cor 2:8; Gal 4:19; Heb 6:4–6; Eph 4:5; Col 3:9; John 3:3–5. - “Novatus” is Novatian, the Roman schismatic who refused reconciliation to those who lapsed after baptism. - A line of OCR debris before “the scars of his wounds” is removed by a logged correction. ### Citation (SBL) Athanasius, Ep. Serap. 4.13 (PG 26:653d–656b; trans. Sophia Scriptura, https://sophiascriptura.com/fathers/athanasius-epistulae-serapionem/4-8/#p-4-13). ## Letters to Serapion 4.14 - URL: https://sophiascriptura.com/fathers/athanasius-epistulae-serapionem/4-8/#p-4-14 - Source: PG 26:656b–657b - Translation: Claude (claude-opus-5-5), 2026-10-09 Summary: Christ as God worked miracles and as man suffered, yet the one Lord did all things conjointly, as when his human spittle healed the blind man. ### Greek text Τοιαῦτα δὴ οὖν μοι λογιζομένῳ, μεῖζον ἀπαντᾷ τὸ βάθος τῆς ἐν τῷ ῥητῷ διανοίας· καὶ διὰ τοῦτο πολλὰ πρότερον παρακαλέσας τὸν ἐπὶ τὸ φρέαρ καΘεσθέντα, καὶ ἐπὶ τήν Θάλασσαν περιπατήσαντα Κύριον, ἐπὶ τὴν οἰκονομίαν λοιπὸν τήν ἐν αὖτῷ γενομένην ὑπέρ ἡμῶν ἀνέρχομαι, τάχα πως ἐξ αὐτῆς τὸν ἐν τῷ ἀναγνώσματι νοῦν λαβεῖν δννηοῶ. Πᾶσα τοίνυν ἡ θεία Γραφή ταύτην εὐαγγελίζεται καὶ κηρύττει, μάλιστα δὲ 6 μὶν Ἰωάννης λέγων· ι Ὀ Λόγος σὰρξ ἐγένετο, καὶ ἐσκήνωσεν ἄν ἡμῖνʼ» 6 δὲ Παῦλος γράφων· ‹‹ ’Ός έν μπρφῇ Θεοῦ ὑπάρχων, οὐχ ἁρπαγμὸν ἡγήσατο τὸ εἶναι ἴσα Θεῷ· ἀλλʼ ἑαυτὸν ἓκένωσε, μορφὴν δούλου λαβὼν. καὶ σχήματι εὑρεθεὶς ὡς ἅνθρωπος. Ἐσαπείνωσεν ἑαυτὸν, ὑπο ήκοος γενόμενος μέχρι Θανάτου, θανάτου δὲ σταυροῦ. ›› Διὰ τοῦτο γὰρ Θεὸ> ὢν καὶ ἄνθρωπος γενόμενος, bc; μὲν Θεὸς ἤγειρε νεκροὺς, καὶ λόγῳ πάντας θε- >απεύων, μετέβαλε καὶ τὸ ὕδῶρ εἰς οἶνον· οὐ γάρ ἦν ἱνθρώπου ταῦτα ἔργα· ὡς Si σῶμα φορῶν, ιδίψα καὶ ἐκοπία, καὶ ἔπασχεν· οὗ γὰρ ἦν ’ίδια ταῦτα τῆς Θεότητος, Καὶ ὠς μὶν Θεὸς ἔλεγεν· ‹‹ Ἐγὼ ἐν τῷ Ιατρὶ, καὶ ὁ Πατὴρ ἐν ἐμοί· ›› ὡς δὲ σῶμα φορῶν, ἤλεγχε τοὺς Ἰουδαίους. ιι Τί με ζητεῖτε ἀποκτεῖναι ἄνθρωπος, ὃς τὴν ἀληθειαν ύμῖν λελάληκα, ἣν ἥκουσ παρὰ τοῦ Πατρός; ›› Ἐγίνετο δε ταῦτα ού διῃρημὲνως κατὰ τήν τῶν γινομένων ποιότητα, ὣστε τὰ μὲν τοῦ σώματος χωρὶς τῆς θεότητος, τὰ δὲ τῆς θεότητος χωρὶς τοῦ σώματος δείκνυσθαιʼ συνημμένως δὲ πάντα ἐγίνετο, καὶ εἷς ἦν 6 ταῦτα ποιῶν Κύριος παραδόξως τῇ ἑαυτοῦ χάριτι. ’Έπτυε γὰρ ἂνθρωπίνως, καὶ τὸ πτύσμα ἦν ἔνθεον· ἐν αύτῷ γὰρ ἐποίει τοὺς ὀφθαλμοὺς τοῦ ἐκ γενετῆς τυφλοῦ ἀναβλέπειν. Καὶ δεικνύναι δὲ θὲλων ἑαυτὸν Θεὸν, ἀνθρωπίνῃ γλώττῃ τοῦτο σημαίνων ἔλεγεψ ‹‹ Ἐγὼ καὶ ὁ Πατὴρ ἓν ἐσμεν· ›› καὶ μόνον δὲ θέλων ἐθεράπευε. Τὴν δὲ ἀνθρωπίνην ἐκτείνων χεῖρα, ἤγειρε τῆνλπενθερὰν Πέτρου πυρέσσουσαν, καὶ τὴν τοῦ ἀρχισυναγώγου θυγατέρα ἤδη τελευτήσασαν ἐκ τῶν νεκρῶν ἀνήγειρεν. ### English translation (Claude) As I reflect on such things, the depth of the meaning in the text appears greater to me; and for this reason, having first earnestly besought the Lord who sat by the well and walked on the sea, I go up next to the dispensation that took place in him for our sake, in case I may perhaps be able to grasp from it the sense of the reading. All the divine Scripture, then, proclaims and preaches this, especially John, saying, “The Word became flesh and dwelt among us,” and Paul, writing, “Who, being in the form of God, did not count equality with God a thing to be grasped, but emptied himself, taking the form of a servant, and being found in fashion as a man, he humbled himself, becoming obedient to death, even death on a cross.” For this reason, being God and having become man, as God he raised the dead, and, healing all by a word, also changed the water into wine; for these were not the works of a man. But as bearing a body he thirsted and was weary and suffered; for these were not proper to the Godhead. And as God he said, “I am in the Father, and the Father in me”; but as bearing a body he rebuked the Jews: “Why do you seek to kill me, a man who has told you the truth which I heard from the Father?” And these things did not happen separately according to the character of what was done, so that the things of the body were shown without the Godhead, and those of the Godhead without the body; but all happened conjointly, and the one who did these things was one Lord, wondrously, by his own grace. For he spat in a human way, and the spittle was divine; for with it he made the eyes of the man born blind see. And wishing to show himself God, he signified this with a human tongue, saying, “I and the Father are one”; and he healed merely by willing. And stretching out a human hand, he raised Peter’s mother-in-law, who had a fever, and raised from the dead the daughter of the ruler of the synagogue, who had already died. ### Scripture references - John 4:6: allusion, high confidence - Matt 14:25: allusion, high confidence - John 1:14: quotation, high confidence - Phil 2:6: quotation, high confidence - Phil 2:7: quotation, high confidence - Phil 2:8: quotation, high confidence - John 2:9: allusion, high confidence - John 14:10: quotation, high confidence - John 8:40: quotation, high confidence - John 9:6: allusion, high confidence - John 10:30: quotation, high confidence - Mark 1:31: allusion, high confidence - Mark 5:41: allusion, high confidence ### Translation notes - John 4:6; Matt 14:25; John 1:14; Phil 2:6–8; John 2:9; John 14:10; John 8:40; John 9:6; John 10:30; Mark 1:31; Mark 5:41. ### Citation (SBL) Athanasius, Ep. Serap. 4.14 (PG 26:656b–657b; trans. Sophia Scriptura, https://sophiascriptura.com/fathers/athanasius-epistulae-serapionem/4-8/#p-4-14). ## Letters to Serapion 4.15 - URL: https://sophiascriptura.com/fathers/athanasius-epistulae-serapionem/4-8/#p-4-15 - Source: PG 26:657b–660a - Translation: Claude (claude-opus-5-5), 2026-10-09 Summary: Those who doubt Christ’s divinity because of his body, or his body because of his miracles, can be pardoned; but those who ascribe his divine works to the devil cannot. ### Greek text Αἱρετικοὶ μὶν οὖν κατὰ τὴν ἲδίαν ἀπαιδευσίαν ἐμάνησαν · καὶ οἱ μὲν τὰ σωματικὰ βλέποντες τοῦ Σωτῆρος ἠρνήσαντο τὸ, ‹‹ Ἐν ἀρχῇ ἦν 6 Λόγος· ›› οἱ δὲ τὰ τῆς θεότητος θεωροῦντες ἠγνόησαν τὸ, ‹‹ Ὁ Λόγος σὰρξ ἐγένετο. n Ὁ δὲ πιστὸς καὶ ἀποστολικὸς ἀνὴρ, εῗδὼς τὴν τοῦ Κυρίου φιλανθρωπίαν, βλίπων μὲν τὰ τῆς θεότητος σημεῖα, θαυμάζει τὸν ἐν τῷ σώματι Κύριον· θεωρῶν δὲ πάλιν καὶ τὰ τοῦ σώματος ἴδια, ὑπερεκπλήσσεται, κατανοῶν τήν ὲν αὐτοῖς τῆς θεότητος ἐνέργειαν. Τοιαύτης δὲ οὔσης τῆς ἐκκλησιαστικῆς πίστεως, ὅταν τινὲς εἷς τὰ ἀνθρώπινα βλέποντες, ἴδωσι τὸν Κύριον διψῶντα, ἢ κοπιῶντα. ἢ πάσχοντα, καὶ μόνον φλυαρήσωσιν ὠς κατὰ ἀνθρώπου τοῦ Σωτῆρος, ἁμαρτάνουσι μὲν με· γάλως, δύνανται δὲ ὅμως, τανχὲως Ι μεταγινώσκοντίες, λαμβάνειν συγγνώμην, ἔχοντες πρόφασιν τὴν τοῦ σώματος ἀσθένειαν (ἔχουσι γὰρ καὶ τὸν Ἀπόστολον συγγνώμην αὐτοῖς νέμοντα, καὶ οἱονεὶ χεῖρα αὐτοῖς ἐν τῷ λέγειν ἐκτείνοντα, ὅτι ‹‹ Καὶ ὁμολογουμὲνως μέγα ἐστὶ τὸ τῆς εὐσεβείας μυστήριον, Θεὸς ἐφανερώθη ἐν σαρκί ››). Ὅταν δὲ πάλιν τὰ τῆς θεότητος ἔργα θεωροῦντες τινες, Δδιστάζωσι περὶ τῆς τοῦ σώματος φύσεως, καὶ αύτοὶ μὶν ἁμαρτάνουσι τὰ μέγιστα, ὅτι, καίτοι βλέποντες ἐσθίοντα καὶ πάσχοντα, φαντάζονται φαντασίανο συγγινῶσκειν δὲ ὅμως καὶ τούτοις ταχέως μεταγινώσκουσιν 6 Χριστὸς δύναται, διὰ τὸ καὶ αὐτοὺς ἔχειν πρόφασιν τήν ἐκ τῶν ἔργων ὑπὲρ ἄνθρωπον μεγαλειότητα. Ἐπειδὰν δὲ τήν ἀμφοτέραν τούτων ἄγνοιαν καὶ πήρωσιν ὑπερβάντες οἱ δοκοῦντες ἔχειν τοῦ νόμου τὴν γνῶσιν (οἷοι ἦσαν οἱ τότε Φαρισαίοι) εῗς μανίαν τραπῶσι, καὶ αὐτὸν τὸν ἐν τῷ σώματι ὄντα Λόγον τέλεον ἀρνήσωνται, ἢ καὶ τὰ τῆς θεότητος ἔργα τῷ διαβόλῳ καὶ τοῖς τούτου δαίμοσιν ἀναφέρωσιν· εἰκόπως ἀσύγγνωστον ἔχουσι τήν έκ τῆς τοιαύτης ἀσεο βείας ἐπιτιμίαν. Τόν τε γὰρ διάβολον είς Θεὸν έλο- ### English translation (Claude) Heretics, then, went mad according to their own ignorance: some, looking at the bodily things of the Savior, denied “In the beginning was the Word”; others, beholding the things of the Godhead, were ignorant of “The Word became flesh.” But the faithful and apostolic man, knowing the Lord’s love for humankind, marvels at the Lord in the body when he sees the signs of the Godhead; and when again he beholds the things proper to the body, he is struck with amazement, perceiving the activity of the Godhead in them. This being the faith of the church, when some, looking at the human things, see the Lord thirsting or weary or suffering, and merely talk nonsense against the Savior as against a man, they sin greatly; yet they can, if they repent quickly, receive pardon, having as their excuse the weakness of the body. For they also have the apostle granting them pardon and, as it were, stretching out a hand to them by saying, “And confessedly great is the mystery of godliness: God was manifested in the flesh.” And again, when some, beholding the works of the Godhead, hesitate about the nature of the body, they too sin very greatly, because, though they see him eating and suffering, they imagine an apparition; yet Christ can pardon these too if they repent quickly, because they too have as their excuse the greatness of the works, which are beyond man. But when those who seem to have knowledge of the law (such as the Pharisees then were) go beyond the ignorance and blindness of both, turn to madness, and utterly deny the Word himself who is in the body, or even ascribe the works of the Godhead to the devil and his demons, they rightly receive an unpardonable penalty for such impiety. For they … the devil as God … ### Scripture references - John 1:1: quotation, high confidence - John 1:14: quotation, high confidence - 1 Tim 3:16: quotation, high confidence ### Translation notes - John 1:1; John 1:14; 1 Tim 3:16. - A Latin apparatus note (on the placement of a sentence about John 8:40) leaked into the scan and is removed by a logged correction. The ref breaks off in mid-word (ἐλο-); the rest is lost (“…”). ### Citation (SBL) Athanasius, Ep. Serap. 4.15 (PG 26:657b–660a; trans. Sophia Scriptura, https://sophiascriptura.com/fathers/athanasius-epistulae-serapionem/4-8/#p-4-15). ## Letters to Serapion 4.16 - URL: https://sophiascriptura.com/fathers/athanasius-epistulae-serapionem/4-8/#p-4-16 - Source: PG 26:660a–661c - Translation: Claude (claude-opus-5-5), 2026-10-09 Summary: The Pharisees, like Israel with the golden calf, ascribed God’s works to another and so passed from pardonable weakness to unpardonable blasphemy. ### Greek text Εἰς τοιαύτην τοίνυν ἀσέβειαν πεπτωκότες ἦσαν οἱ τότε Ἰουδαῖοι, καὶ τῶν Ἰουδαίων οἱ Φαρισαῖοι. Τοῦ γάρ Σωτῆρος δεικνύοντος τὰ τοῦ Πατρὸς ἔργα (νεκροὺς γὰρ ἤγειρε, τυφλοῖς έχαρίζετο τὸ βλέπειν, χωλοὺς ἐποίει περιπατεῖν, κωφῶν ἤνοιγε τὴν ἀκοὴν, ἀλάλους ἐποίει λαλεῖν, καὶ τήν κτίσιν ὐποτεταγμένην έδείκνυεν, ἐπιτάσσων τοῖς ἀνέμοις, καὶ περιπατῶν ἐπάὒτῆς τῆς θαλάττης [26]),οἱ μὶν όχλοι ἐξεπλήσσοντο καὶ ἐδόξαζον τὸν Θεόψ οἱ δὲ θαυμαστοὶ Φαρισαῖοι ἔλεγον τοῦ Βεελζεβοὺλ εἶναι τὰ τοιαῦτα ἔργα· καὶ οὐκ ᾐσχύνοντο οἱ ἄφρονες τὴν τοῦ Θεοῦ δύναμιν ἐπὶ τὸν διάβολον μεταφέροντες. *Οθεν ἀκολούθως ὁ Σωτὴρ ἀσύγγνωστα καὶ ἄφυκτα βλασφημεῖν αὐτοὺς ἀπειρη, νατο· "Em: μὲν γὰρ εἴς τὰ ἀνθρώπινα βλέποντες ἐχώλευον τῇ διανοίᾳ, λέγοντες ‹‹ Ούχ οὗτός ἐστιν ὁ τοῦ τέκτονος υἱόςς ε καὶ. ι Πῶς οὗτος οἶδε γράμματα, μὴ μεμαθηκώς; ›› καὶ. ‹‹ Τί σὺ ποιεῖς περὶ σεαυτοῦ σημεῖον; »ι καὶ, ‹‹ Καταβήτω νῦν ἀπὸ τοῦ σταυροῦ, καὶ πιστεύσομεν αὐτῷ· ι) ἔφερεν αὐτοὺς, καὶ, ὡς εἷς Υἱὸν ἀνθρώπου ἁμαρτανόντων αύτῶν, λυπούμενος ἐπὶ τῇ πωρώσει αὐτῶν ἔλεγεν· ι( Εἴ ἔγνωτε καὶ ὑμεῖς τὰ εἷς εἰρήνην. ›› Καὶ γὰρ καὶτῷ μεγάλῳ Πέτρῳ ὡς περί ἀνθρώπου λαλησάσης τῆς θυρωροῦ, καὶ οὕτως ἀποκρινομένῳ, συνέγνω κλαύσαντιὸ Κύριος. Ὅτε δὲ πεσόντες έπιπεπτώκασι, καὶ πλέον ἐμάνησαν, ὥστε τὰ τοῦ Θεοῦ ἔργα λέγειν εἶναι τοῦ Βεελζεβοὺλ, οὐκέτι λοιπὸν αὐτοὺς ἤνεγκενο είς γὰρ τὸ Πνεῦμα αὐτοῦ ἐβλασφήμουν, λεγοντες τὸν ταῦτα ποιοῦντα μὴ εἶναι θεὸν, ἀλλὰ Βεελζεβούλ. Καὶ διὰ τοῦτο, ὡς ἀφόρητα τολμῶντας, αίωνίως ἐτιμωρήσατο. Ἴσον γὰρ ἦν αὐτοὺς τολμᾷν καὶ εἰπεῖν, δρῶντας τὴν τοῦ κόσμου τάξιν, καὶ τὴν εἰς αὐτὸ πρόνοιαν, ὅτι καὶ ἠ κτίσις ὑπὸ τοῦ Βεελζεβοὺλ γέ γονεʼ καὶ 6 ἥλιος ὑπακούων τῷ διαβόλῳ ἀνατὲλλε καὶ διʼ αὐτὸν περιπολεῖ τὰ ἄστρα ἐν τῷ οὐρανῷ. Kc γὰρ ὥσπερ ταῦτα τοῦ Θεοῦ, οὕτω κάκεῖνα τοῦ Πατρὸ ἦν ἔργα· καὶ εἰ ἐκεῖνα τοῦ Βεελζεβοὺλ, ἐξ ἀνάγ κης καὶ ταῦτα τοῦ Βεελζεόούλ. Καὶ ποῦ λοιπὸν αὐτοῖ τόʼ ‹‹ Ἐν ἀρχῇ ἰποίησεν 6 Θεὸςν τὸν οὐρανὸν καὶ τὴ γῆν ; n Ἐλλʼ οὐδὲν ξὲνον τῆς τοιαύτης αὐτῶν μανίας ἐπεὶ καὶ οἱ τῆς τοιαύτης αὐτὸν γνώμης πατέρες,ἐ τῇ ἰρήμῳ πρὸ ὀλίγου ἐξελθόντες ἀπὸ τῆς Αίγύπτοι μόσχον πλάσαντες, αὐτῷ τὰς εἷς αὐτοὺς εὐεργεσία παρὰ Θεοῦ γενομένας ἀνατιθέντες, ἔλεγον (ι Οὗτοι οἳ θεοί σου, Ἰσραὴλ, οί ἀναγαγόντες σεέ γῆς Αἰγύπτου. ››·Διά γοῦν ταύτην τὴν βλασφημία καὶ τότε τῶν τοιαῦτα τολμησάντων τήν μὲν ἀρχὴ ὁ Θεὸς λέγωνʼ ι ’ᾙ δʼ ἂν ἡμέρᾳ ἐπισκέψωμαι] ἐπάξω ἐπʼ αὐτοὺς τὴν ἁμαρτίαν αὐτῶν. ›› Καὶγά ἓως μὶν κάκεῖνοι διʼ ἄρτους καί ὕδωρ ἐγόγγυζον, ἐν τοσοῦτον αὐτοὺς οὕτως ἔφερεν, ὠς εἷʼ τις τροφό τροφοφορήσειε τὸν ἑαυτῆς υἱόν· ὅτε δὲ πλέον ἐμάνη σαν, καί ὡς ψάλλει κατʼ αὐτῶν τὸ Πνεῦμα· ‹‹ Ἥλλό ξαντο τὴν δόξαν αὐτῶν ἐν ὁμοιώματι μόσχου ἐσθίοντο χόρτονο ›› τὸ τηνικαῦτα λοιπὸν ἀσύγγνωστα τολ μήσαντες, ἐπατάχθησαν, ὥς φησιν ἡ Γραφή, περὶ τῆ ποιήσεως τοῦ μόσχου, οῦ ἐποίησεν ’Δαρών. ### English translation (Claude) Into such impiety, then, the Jews of that time had fallen, and among the Jews the Pharisees. For when the Savior was showing the works of the Father (for he raised the dead, granted sight to the blind, made the lame walk, opened the hearing of the deaf, made the dumb speak, and showed creation to be subject to him, commanding the winds and walking upon the sea itself), the crowds were amazed and glorified God; but the marvelous Pharisees said that such works were Beelzebul’s; and the fools were not ashamed to transfer the power of God to the devil. Consequently the Savior declared that they blasphemed unpardonably and inescapably. For as long as, looking at the human things, they limped in mind, saying, “Is not this the carpenter’s son?” and “How does this man know letters, having never studied?” and “What sign do you do for yourself?” and “Let him come down now from the cross, and we will believe him,” he bore with them; and, since they were sinning against the Son of Man, he grieved at their hardness and said, “If you too had known the things that make for peace.” For when the doorkeeper spoke to the great Peter as about a man, and he answered as he did, the Lord pardoned him when he wept. But when, having fallen, they fell further and raved more, so as to say that the works of God were Beelzebul’s, he no longer bore with them; for they blasphemed against his Spirit, saying that the one doing these things was not God but Beelzebul. And for this reason, as men daring intolerable things, he punished them eternally. For it was as though they dared to say, seeing the order of the world and the providence over it, that creation too was made by Beelzebul, and that the sun rises in obedience to the devil, and that the stars revolve in heaven by his doing. For as these are God’s, so those works too were the Father’s; and if those were Beelzebul’s, then of necessity these too are Beelzebul’s. And where then for them is “In the beginning God made the heaven and the earth”? But there is nothing strange in such madness of theirs, since the fathers of such a view, having shortly before come out of Egypt into the desert, fashioned a calf and ascribed to it the benefits done for them by God, saying, “These are your gods, O Israel, who brought you up out of the land of Egypt.” Because of this blasphemy, then too God … the punishment of those who dared such things, saying, “In the day when I visit, I will bring their sin upon them.” For as long as they too murmured about bread and water, he bore with them as a nurse would carry her son; but when they raved more, and, as the Spirit sings against them, “they exchanged their glory for the likeness of a calf that eats grass,” then, having dared unpardonable things, they were struck, as Scripture says, because of the making of the calf which Aaron made. ### Scripture references - Matt 11:5: allusion, high confidence - Matt 8:26: allusion, medium confidence - Matt 9:8: allusion, medium confidence - Matt 13:55: quotation, high confidence - John 7:15: quotation, high confidence - John 6:30: quotation, high confidence - Matt 27:42: quotation, high confidence - Luke 19:42: quotation, high confidence - Matt 26:75: allusion, high confidence - Gen 1:1: quotation, high confidence - Exod 32:4: quotation, high confidence - Exod 32:34: quotation, high confidence - Num 11:12: allusion, medium confidence - Ps 106:20 (105:20 LXX): quotation, high confidence - Exod 32:35: quotation, high confidence ### Translation notes - Matt 11:5; Matt 8:26; Matt 14:25; Matt 9:8; Matt 13:55; John 7:15; John 6:30; Matt 27:42; Luke 19:42; Matt 26:69–75; Gen 1:1; Exod 32:4; Exod 32:34; Num 11:12 and Acts 13:18 (a nurse carrying); Ps 106:20 (105:20 LXX); Exod 32:35. - A word or two is lost in the scan before “the punishment of those who dared” (“…”). ### Citation (SBL) Athanasius, Ep. Serap. 4.16 (PG 26:660a–661c; trans. Sophia Scriptura, https://sophiascriptura.com/fathers/athanasius-epistulae-serapionem/4-8/#p-4-16). ## Letters to Serapion 4.17 - URL: https://sophiascriptura.com/fathers/athanasius-epistulae-serapionem/4-8/#p-4-17 - Source: PG 26:661c–664b - Translation: Claude (claude-opus-5-5), 2026-10-09 Summary: Both blasphemies were against Christ himself: the lesser against his humanity, the greater, unpardonable one against his divinity, not against a Spirit greater than the Son. ### Greek text Τοιαῦτα καὶ νῦν τολμῶντες οἱ Φαρισαῖοι, τοι· αὐτην ἐσχήκασι παρὰ τοῦ Σωτῆρος τὴν ἀποφο σιν, οἵαν καὶ ὁ παρʼ αὐτῶν ὑπονοηθεὶς Βεελζεβοὺ ἔσχεν ἤδη καὶ ἔχειʼ ὥστε αὐτοὺς εἲς τὸ ἡτοιμασμὲ νον πῦρ ἐκείνῳ αἰωνίως συγκατεσθίεσθαι μετʼ αὐτοῐ Οὐ γὰρ δὴ σύγκρισίν τινα ποιούμενος τῆς εἰς ἒαιέ τὸν καὶ τῆς εἷς τὸ Πνεῦμα τὸ ἅγιον λεγομένη βλασφημίας, καὶ ὡς μείζονος ὄντος τοῦ Πνεῦμα τος, καὶ διὰ τοῦτο μείζονα τήν αἰτίαν ἔχούσης τῆς εἰ 16 Πνεῦμα γινομένης, ταῦτʼ εἷʼρηκε· μὴ γένοιτο Φθάσας γὰρ ἐδίδαξεν, ὅτι πάντα ὅσα ἔχει 6 Πατὴ τοῦ Υἱοῦ ἐστι, καὶ ἐκ τοῦ Υἱοῦ τὸ Πνεῦμα λήψεται καὶ αὐτὸ δοξάσει τὸν Υἱόν. Καὶ οὐχὶ τὸ Πνεῦμα 16 Υἱὸν δίδωσιν, ἀλλʼ 6 Υἱὸς παρέχει τὸ Πνεῦμα τοῖς μι θηταῖς καὶ διʼ αὐτων τοῖς εἷς αὐτὸν πιστεύουσα Οὐχ οὕτως οὖν εʼίρηκεν 6 Σωτήρο ἀλλʼ ὡς εἷς αὐτὲ ἐπ ἀμφοτέροις γινομένης τῆς βλασφημίας, καὶ τῆ λεν ἐλάττονος, τῆς δὲ ὑπερβάλλούσης ταῦτα λελάληκεν 6 Κύριος. Καὶ γὰρ καὶ αὖτοὶ οἱ Φαρισαῖοι ἀμφότερα ἦσαν λέγοντες· καὶ ἄνθρωπον βλέποντες αὐτὸν ἐλοιδόρουν· ‹‹ Πόθεν τούτῳ ἡ σοφία aii-:1“): καὶ, ‹‹ Πεντήκοντα ἔτη οὕπω ἔχεις, καὶ Ἀβραὰμ ἑώρακας; ›› Καὶ τὰ τοῦ Ηατρὸς ἔργα θεωροῦντες, οὐ μόνον ἠρνοῦντο τὴν θδότητα αὐτοῦ, ἀλλᾶ καὶ ἀντὶ ταύτης ἔλεγον ἐν αύτῷ εἶναι τὸν Βεελζεβοὺλ, καὶ αὐτοῦ εἶναι τὰ ἔργα. Διά τοῦτο, ὡς είς αὐτὸν ἀμφοτὲρων λεγομὲνων, καί τῆς μὲν ἐλάττονος βλασφημίας οὔσης διὰ τὸ ἀνθρώπινον, τῆς δὲ μείζονος διὰ τὴν Θεότητα, ἐπὶ τῇ μείζονα κατʼ αὐτῶν τὸ ἄφυκτον τῆς τιμωρίας ἔλεγεν. Ἀμέλει τοὺς μαθητὰς παρ ραθαρσύνων καὶ λέγων, ὅτι. (ί El τὸν οἰκοδεσπότην Βεελζεβοὺλ ἐπεκάλεσαν, ›› ἑαυτὸν εἶναι τὸν οἶκοδεσπότην ἔλεγε, τὸν καὶ ὐπὸ τῶν Ἰουδαίων οὕτω βλασφη μούμενον. ### English translation (Claude) Daring such things now too, the Pharisees received from the Savior a sentence such as Beelzebul, whom they suspected, already had and has, so that they will be consumed eternally together with him in the fire prepared for him. For he did not say these things making a comparison between the blasphemy spoken against himself and that against the Holy Spirit, as if the Spirit were greater and the blasphemy against the Spirit therefore carried a greater charge—far from it! For he had already taught that all that the Father has is the Son’s, and that the Spirit will take of the Son and will glorify the Son. And it is not the Spirit who gives the Son, but the Son who grants the Spirit to the disciples and through them to those who believe in him. So the Savior did not mean it in that way; but the Lord said these things as of blasphemy committed against himself in both respects, the one lesser and the other surpassing. For the Pharisees themselves were saying both things. Seeing him as a man, they reviled him: “Where did this man get this wisdom?” and “You are not yet fifty years old, and have you seen Abraham?” And beholding the works of the Father, they not only denied his divinity, but instead said that Beelzebul was in him and that the works were Beelzebul’s. Therefore, since both were said against him—the lesser blasphemy on account of his humanity, the greater on account of his Godhead—he declared that the punishment for the greater was inescapable for them. Indeed, when encouraging the disciples and saying, “If they called the master of the house Beelzebul,” he said that he himself was the master of the house, who was blasphemed in this way by the Jews. ### Scripture references - Matt 25:41: allusion, high confidence - John 16:14: allusion, high confidence - John 16:15: allusion, high confidence - John 20:22: allusion, medium confidence - Matt 13:54: quotation, high confidence - John 8:57: quotation, high confidence - Matt 10:25: quotation, high confidence ### Translation notes - Matt 25:41; John 16:14–15; John 20:22; Matt 13:54; John 8:57; Matt 10:25. - A few words are garbled in the scan in the middle of this ref; translated by sense. ### Citation (SBL) Athanasius, Ep. Serap. 4.17 (PG 26:661c–664b; trans. Sophia Scriptura, https://sophiascriptura.com/fathers/athanasius-epistulae-serapionem/4-8/#p-4-17). ## Letters to Serapion 4.18 - URL: https://sophiascriptura.com/fathers/athanasius-epistulae-serapionem/4-8/#p-4-18 - Source: PG 26:664b–665b - Translation: Claude (claude-opus-5-5), 2026-10-09 Summary: The unpardonable blasphemy, as Mark says, was the Pharisees’ claim that Christ’s divine works came from an unclean spirit. ### Greek text Εἴ δὲ οἱ Ἰουδαῖοι λέγοντες, ‹‹ ἐν Βεελζεο βοὺλ, ›› ούδὲνα ἕτερον ἢ τὸν Κύριον ἐλοιδόρουν, δῆλον τοίνυν ἐστὶν, ὡς τὸ λεγόμενον, ‹‹ Ἡ δὲ τοῦ Πνεύματος βλασφημία, ›› εῒς αὐτόν ἐστι τὸν Κύριον λεγομένη, καὶ τὸ ῥητὸν ὅλον περὶ ἑαυτοῦ σημαίνων ἕλεγεν 6 Σωτήρ. Αὐτὸς γάρ ἐστιν ὁ τοῦ παντὸς οἰκοδεσπότηςο πάλιν γὰρ ἀσφαλείας ἕνεκα τὸ αὐτὸ εἷʼπεῖν οὐκ ὀκνητέον. Τὸ διψᾷν τὸ κοπιᾷν, τὸ κοιμᾶσθαι, τὸ ῥαπίζεσθαι, τὸ ἐσθίειν, ἀνθρώπων ἐστὶν ἴδια· τὰ δὲ ἔργα ἃ ἐποίει 6 Κύριος, οὐκ ἔτι ἀνθρώπων, ἀλλὰ Θεοῦ ἧν αὐτὰ ποιεῖν. ’Όταν οὖν τινες, καθᾶ πρότερον εἷπον, ταῦτα βλέποντες ὡς ἀνθρώπῳ λοιδορῶνται τῷ Κυρίῳ, ἐλάττονος ἂν ἀξιοῖντο τιμωρίας τῶν τὰ τοῦ Θεοῦ ἔργα μεταφερόντων είς τὸν διάβολον. Ol γὰρ τοιοῦτοι, οὐ μόνον τὰ ἅγια τοῖς κυσὶ ῥίπτουσιν, ἀλλὰ καὶ τὸν Θεὸν τῷ διαβόλῳ συγκρίνουσι, καὶτὸ φῶς λέγουσιν εἶναι σκότος. Ταύτην γοῦν εἶναι τῶν Φαρισαῖων τήν ἀσύγγνωστον βλασφη μίαν 6 Μάρκος παρετηρήσατο λέγων. ‹‹ "Oc δʼ ἂν βλασφημήσῃ εἰς τὸ Πνεῦμα τὸ ἅγιον, οὐκ ἔχει ἅφεσιν, ἂλκ ἔνοχός ἐστιν αἰωνίου ἁμαρτίας· ὅτι ἔλεγον, Πνεῦμα ἀκάθαρτον ἔχει. ι) Καὶ ὁ μὲν ἐν γενετῆς τυφλὸς ἀναβλέψας ἐμαρτύρεν ‹‹ Ἐκ τοῦ αἰῶνος οὐκ ἠκούσθη, ἆτι ἤνοιξέ τις ὀφθαλμοὺς τυφλοῦ γεγεννημὲνου. El μὴ ἦν οὗτος παρά Θεοῦ, οὐκ ἠδύνατο ποιεῖν οὐδὲν· ›› οί τε ὄχλοι, θαυμάζοντες ἐπὶ τοῖς γινομένοις ὐπὸ τοῦ Κυρίου, ἔλεγον* ›› Ταῦτα τὰ ῥήματα ούκ ἔστι δαιμονιζομένου· μή δαιμόνιον δύναται τυιρλῶν ὀφθαλμοὺς ἀνοίγειν, ›› οἱ δὲ νομιζόμενοι ἁδροὶ τοῦ νόμου. οἱ Φαρισαῖοι, οἳ τὰ κράσπεδα πλατύνοντες, καὶ κομπάζοντες ὡς πλέον τι τῷν ἄλλων γινώσκοντες, οὐδʼ οὕτως ᾐσχύνοντο· κατὰ δὲ τὸ γε· γραμμὲνον, ἔθυον οἱ τάλανες δαιμονίῳ καὶ ού Θεῷ, λέγοντες δαιμόνιον ἔχειν τὸν Κύριον, καὶ δαιμόνων τ ο η. ~ si,ις κ ~ fi ν ἐκ ειναι τα του Θεου εργα. Επασχον δε τουτο οι ουοὲν ἕτερον, ἢ τίνα μόνον ἀρνήσωνται τὸν ταῦτα ποιοῦντα Θεὸν εἶναι, καὶ τοῦ Θεοῦ Υὶόν. Εἰ γὰρ τὸ ἐσθίειν καὶ τοῦ σώματος ἡ ὄψις ἐδείκνυεν αὐτὸν καὶ ἄνθρωπον, διὰ τί μὴ ἐκ τῶν ἔργων ἐθεώρουν αὐτὸν εἶναι ἐν τῷ Πατρὶ, καὶ τὸν Πατέρα ἐν αύτῷ ; Ἀλλʼ οὐκ ’ἤθελονμᾶλλον δὲ αὐτοὶ τὸν Βεελζεβοὺλ εἶχον ἐν ἑαυτοῖς φθεγγόμενον, ὡς ἐκ μὲν τῶν ἀνθρωπίνων ἄνθρωπον αὐτὸν μόνον ὀνομάζειν· ἐκ δὲ τῶν ἔργων, ἃ ἦν ἴδια Θεοῦ, μηκέτι Θεὸν αὐτὸν ὁμολογεῖν, ἀλλὰ τὸν ἐν αύτοῖς Βεελζεβοὺλ ἀντʼ ἑκείνου θεοποιεῖν, ’ίνα σὺν αύτῷ λοιπὸν αῗωνίως ἐν τῷ πυρὶ κολάζωνται. ### English translation (Claude) If the Jews, in saying “by Beelzebul,” were reviling no one else but the Lord, then it is plain that what is said, “But the blasphemy against the Spirit,” is said against the Lord himself, and that the Savior spoke the whole text signifying himself. For he is the master of the whole house; for, for safety’s sake, one must not hesitate to say the same thing again. Thirsting, being weary, sleeping, being struck, eating, are proper to men; but the works which the Lord did were no longer men’s to do, but God’s. When, then, some, as I said before, seeing those things revile the Lord as a man, they would be deemed worthy of a lesser punishment than those who transfer the works of God to the devil. For such people not only throw holy things to the dogs, but compare God with the devil and say that light is darkness. That this, at any rate, was the unpardonable blasphemy of the Pharisees, Mark observed, saying: “Whoever blasphemes against the Holy Spirit has no forgiveness, but is guilty of an eternal sin—because they said, He has an unclean spirit.” And the man born blind, having received his sight, bore witness: “Since the world began it has not been heard that anyone opened the eyes of a man born blind; if this man were not from God, he could do nothing”; and the crowds, marveling at what the Lord did, said, “These are not the words of one who has a demon; can a demon open the eyes of the blind?” But those who were thought to be the stalwarts of the law, the Pharisees, who broaden their fringes and boast as knowing more than others, were not ashamed even so; but, as it is written, the wretches sacrificed to a demon and not to God, saying that the Lord had a demon and that the works of God were the demons’. And they suffered this for no other reason than to deny that the one who did these things was God and the Son of God. For if eating and the appearance of the body showed him to be man, why did they not behold from the works that he was in the Father and the Father in him? But they did not wish to; rather they had Beelzebul speaking in themselves, so that from the human things they called him a man only, while from the works, which were proper to God, they no longer confessed him as God, but deified the Beelzebul in themselves in his place, so that with him they may thereafter be punished eternally in the fire. ### Scripture references - Matt 7:6: allusion, high confidence - Isa 5:20: allusion, medium confidence - Mark 3:29: quotation, high confidence - Mark 3:30: quotation, high confidence - John 9:32: quotation, high confidence - John 9:33: quotation, high confidence - John 10:21: quotation, high confidence - Matt 23:5: allusion, high confidence - Deut 32:17: allusion, high confidence - John 14:10: allusion, medium confidence ### Translation notes - Matt 7:6; Isa 5:20; Mark 3:29–30; John 9:32–33; John 10:21; Matt 23:5; Deut 32:17; John 14:10. - A line in the scan (“and that the works of God were the demons’ … for no other reason”) is partly garbled; translated by sense. ### Citation (SBL) Athanasius, Ep. Serap. 4.18 (PG 26:664b–665b; trans. Sophia Scriptura, https://sophiascriptura.com/fathers/athanasius-epistulae-serapionem/4-8/#p-4-18). ## Letters to Serapion 4.19 - URL: https://sophiascriptura.com/fathers/athanasius-epistulae-serapionem/4-8/#p-4-19 - Source: PG 26:665b–668c - Translation: Claude (claude-opus-5-5), 2026-10-09 Summary: In Matt 12 “Son of Man” names Christ’s humanity and “Spirit” his Godhead, as in John 6, where the flesh he gives as food is given spiritually. ### Greek text Και αὐτὴ δὲ ἠ τοῦ ἀναγνώσματος παρατήρησις τοιαύτην ἕμφασίν τινα παρέχειν μοι δοκεῖ, καὶ δεικνύειν εἷς αὐτὸν φθάνειν ἀμφοτέρας τὰς βλασφημίας, καὶ περὶ ἑαυτοῦ εἷʼρηκέναι τὸ, «Υἱὸς ἀνθρώπου, π καὶ τὸ, ‹‹ Πνεῦμα· ››ίνʼ ἐκ τούτου μὲν τὸ σωματικὸν ἑαυτοῦ δείξῃ, ἐκ δὲ τοῦ πνεύματος τὴν πνευματικὴν ὶαυτοῦ καὶ νοητὴν καὶ ἀληθεστάτην θεότητα δηλώσῃ. Καὶ γὰρ τὸ μὶν λαβεῖν δυνάμενον συγγνώμην ἐπὶ τοῦ Υἱοῦ τοῦ ἀνθρώπου συνέταξεν, ’ἶνα τὸ σωματικὸν ὶαυτοῦ σημάνῃ· τὴν δὲ ἀσύγγνωστον βλασφημίαν εἰς τὸ Πνεῦμα φθάνειν δεδήλωκεν· ἵνα, πρὸς ἀντιδιαστολήν τοῦ σωματικοῦ τοῦτο λέγων, τήν ἑαυτοῦ θεότητα δείξῃ. Τοῦτον δὲ τὸν χαρακτῆρα καὶ ἐν τῷ κατὰ Ἰωάννην Εὐαγγελίῳ ἑώρακα· ὁπηνίκα, περὶ τῆς τοῦ σώματος βρώσεως διαλεγόμενος, καὶ διὰ τοῦτο πολλοὺς ἑωρακὼς τοὺς σκανδαλισθέντας, φησὶν ὁ Κύριος· ‹‹ Τοῦτο ὑμᾶςσκανδαλίζει; Ἐὰν οὗν θεωρῆτε τὸν Υἱὸν τοῦ ἀνθρώπου ἀναβαίνοντα, ὅπου ἦν τὸ πρότερον; Τὸ Πνεῦμά ἐστι τὸ ζωοποιοῦν· ἡ σὰρξ οὐκ ὠφελεῖ οὐδέν. Τὰ ῥήματα ἃ ἐγὼ λελάληκα ὑμῖν, πνεῦμά ἐστι καὶ ζωή. ›› Καὶ ἐν· ταῦθα γὰρ ἀμφότερα περὶ ἑαυτοῦ εἷʼρηκε, σάρκα καὶ πνεῦμα· καὶ τὸ πνεῦμα πρὸς τὸ κατὰ σάρκα διἑστειλεν, ’ίνα μή μόνον τὰ φαινόμενον, ἀλλὰ καὶ τὸ ἀόρατον αὐτοῦ πιστεύσαντες μάθωσιν, ὅτι καὶ ἃ λέγει οὐκ ἔστι σαρκικὰ, ἀλλά πνευματικά. Πόσσις γὰρ ἤρκει τὸ σῶμα πρὸς βρῶσιν,’ίνα καὶ τοῦ κόσμου παντὸς τοῦτο τροφή γένηται ; Ἀλλὰ διὰ τοῦτο τῆς εἰς ιὺρανοὺς ἀναβάσεως ἐμνημόνευσε τοῦ Υῐοῦ τοῦ 'tvOpu'mou, ῐνα τῆς σωματικῆς ἐννοίας αὐτοὺς ἀφελκύσῃ, καὶ λοιπὸν τὴν εἰρημένην σάρκα βρῶσιν ἄνωθεν οὐράνιον, καὶ πνευματικὴν τροφὴν παρʼ αὐτοῦ διδομένην μάθωσιν.‹“Α γὰρ λελάληκα, φησιν, ὑμῖν, πνεῦμά ἐστι καὶ ζωή· ο ἴσον τῷ εἰπεῖν· Τὸ μὲν δεικνύμενον καὶ διδόμενον ὑπὲρ τῆς τοῦ κόσμου σωτηpia; ἐστὶν ή σὰρξ ἢν ἐγὼ φορῶ · ἀλλʼ αὕτη ὑμῖν καὶ τὸ ταύτης αἷμα παρʼ ὲμοῦ πνευματικῶς δοθήσεται τροφή· ὥστε πνευματικῶς ὲν ἑκάστῳ ταύτην ἀναδίδοσθαι, καὶ γίνεσθαι πᾶσι φυλακτήριον εἰς ἀνάστασιν ζωῆς αἰωνίου. Οὕτω καὶ τήν Σαμαρεῖτιν ἀφέλκων ό Κύριος ἀπὸ τῶν αἰσθητῶν, Πνεῦμα εἴρηκε τὸν Θεὸν, ὑπὲρ τοῦ μηκέτι σωματικῶς αὐτὴν, ἀλλὰ πνευματικῶς διανοεῖσθαι περὶ τοῦ Θεοῦ· δύτω καὶ ό προερήτης θεωρῶν τὸν Λόίπον τὸν γενόμενον σάρκα εἴρηκε · ‹ Πνεῦμα προσώπου ήμῶν ### English translation (Claude) And the very wording of the reading seems to me to give some such indication, and to show that both blasphemies reach him, and that he spoke of himself as both “Son of Man” and “Spirit,” so that by the former he might show his bodily nature, and by “Spirit” make known his spiritual, intelligible, and most true Godhead. For he ranked the blasphemy that can receive pardon with the Son of Man, to signify his bodily nature; but he declared that the unpardonable blasphemy reaches the Spirit, so that, saying this in contrast to what is bodily, he might show his own Godhead. This same character I have seen in the Gospel according to John too, where, discoursing about the eating of his body, and seeing that many were offended at it, the Lord says: “Does this offend you? What then if you see the Son of Man ascending where he was before? It is the Spirit that gives life; the flesh profits nothing. The words that I have spoken to you are spirit and life.” For here too he spoke of both about himself, flesh and spirit; and he distinguished the spirit from what is according to the flesh, so that, believing not only what appeared of him but also what was invisible, they might learn that what he says is not fleshly but spiritual. For for how many would his body have sufficed as food, that it should become food for the whole world? But for this reason he mentioned the ascension of the Son of Man into heaven, to draw them away from the bodily notion, and that they might learn thereafter that the flesh he spoke of is food from above, heavenly, and spiritual nourishment given by him. “For what I have spoken to you,” he says, “is spirit and life”; as if to say: what is shown and given for the salvation of the world is the flesh which I bear; but this, and its blood, will be given to you by me spiritually as food, so that it is distributed spiritually in each, and becomes for all a safeguard unto the resurrection of eternal life. So too the Lord, drawing the Samaritan woman away from sensible things, said that God is Spirit, so that she might no longer think of God bodily but spiritually. So too the prophet, beholding the Word who became flesh, said: “The Spirit of our face …” ### Scripture references - Matt 12:32: allusion, high confidence - John 6:61: quotation, high confidence - John 6:62: quotation, high confidence - John 6:63: quotation, high confidence - John 6:51: allusion, high confidence - John 4:24: allusion, high confidence - Lam 4:20: quotation, high confidence ### Translation notes - John 6:61–63; John 6:51; John 4:24; Lam 4:20 LXX (“the Spirit of our face, Christ the Lord”). - This is one of Athanasius’s passages on the Eucharist: the flesh and blood are given “spiritually” as food. Translated as written. - The ref breaks off in the scan in the middle of the Lamentations quotation; the rest is lost (“…”). ### Citation (SBL) Athanasius, Ep. Serap. 4.19 (PG 26:665b–668c; trans. Sophia Scriptura, https://sophiascriptura.com/fathers/athanasius-epistulae-serapionem/4-8/#p-4-19). ## Letters to Serapion 4.20 - URL: https://sophiascriptura.com/fathers/athanasius-epistulae-serapionem/4-8/#p-4-20 - Source: PG 26:668d–669d - Translation: Claude (claude-opus-5-5), 2026-10-09 Summary: Doubting Christ because of his body sins against the Son of Man; ascribing his Spirit-worked miracles to Beelzebul blasphemes his Godhead. ### Greek text Ἑκάτερον οὖν δῆλον ἂν εἴη λοιπὸν, ὅτι ό τὸν Κύριον ὁρῶν τά περὶ ἑαυτοῦ διαλεγόμενον, ἐὰν μὲν τά σωματικὰ αὑτοῦ μόνον βλέπων, καὶ μή πιστεύων λέγοι· ι Πόθεν τούτῳ ή σοφία αῦτη; ι ἁμαρτάνει μὲν, καὶ ὡς εἰς Υἱὸν ἀνθρώπου βλασφημεῖ· ἀλλʼ ό ὁρῶν αὐτοῦ τὰ ἔργα τὰ Πνεύματι ἀγίῳ γινόμενα, καὶ λέγων τδν τοιαῦτα ποιοῦντα μὴ εἶναι Θεὸν καὶ τοῦ Θεοῦ Υἱὸν, ἀλλά τῷ Βεελζεδοὺλ αὐτά ἐπιγράφων, φανερῶς βλασφημεῖ, ἀρνούμενος αὑτοῦ τὴν θεότητα. Καὶ γὰρ καὶ ἐν τῷ εῦαγγελικῷ ῥητῷ, καθά πολλάκις εἴρηται, λέγων, t Υἱὸν ἀνθρώπου, ι τὸκατά σάρκα καὶ ἀνθρώπινον αὑτοῦ δείκνυσινο ἵνα, t τὸ Πνεῦμα ι λέγων, δηλώσῃ αὐτοῦ εἶναιτὸ ἅγιον Πνεῦμα, ὲν τά πάντα εἰργάζετο. Ὅθεν τὰ μὲν ἔργα ποιῶν ἔλεγεν · ι Εἰ ἐμοῖ μὴ πιστεύετε, κᾶν τοῖς ἔργοις μου πιστεύετε, ἵνα γνῶτε -, ὅτι ἐγὼ ἐν τῷ Πατρὶ, καὶ 6 Πατὴρ ὲν ἐμοί. ι Μέλλων δὲ ἑαυτὸν σωματικῶς προσφέρειν ὑπὲρ ἠ μῶν, ὁπηνίκα διʼ αὐτὸ τοῦτο ἀνέβη εἰς Ἰερουσαλὴμ, ἔλεγε τοῖς μαθηταῖς αὐτοῦ · ‹ Καθεύδετε τὸ λοιπὸν, καὶ ἀναπαύεσθε · ἰδοὺ γὰρ ἤγγικεν ἡ ῶρα, καὶό Υἱὸς τοῦ ἀνθρώπου παραδίδοται εἰς χεῖρας ἁμαρτωλῶν· › τὰ μὲν γὰρ ἔργα Θεὸν ἀληθινὸν αὑτὸν ἐποίει πιστεύεσθαι σ 6 δὲ Θάνατος ἐδείκνυεν αὑτὸν ἀληθῶς ἔχοντα σῶμα. Διὸ εἰκότως Υἱὸν ἀνθρώπου ἔλεγε τὸν παραδιδόμενον ν 6 Λόγος γὰρ, ἀθάνατος καὶ aeuum; ἐστι, καὶ αὔτοζωὴ τυγχάνει ὧν. Ἀλλʼ οὗτε τούτοις ἐπίστευον οἱ Φαρισαῖοι, οὔτε ἃ. ἐποίουν τούτων οἱ υἱοὶ, βλέπειν ἐβούλοντο · ὅθεν ἦρέ μα πάλιν αὐτοὺς 6 Κύριος ἐλέγχει λέγωνʼ ι Εἰ ἐν Βεελζεβοὺλ ἐγὼ ἐκβάλλω τὰ δαιμόνια, οἱ υἱοὶ ὑμῶν ἐν τίνι ἐκβάλλουσι; Διά τοῦτο αὐτοὶ ὑμῶν κριταὶ ἔσονται· εἰ δέ ἐν Πνεύματι Θεοῦ ἐγὼ ἐκβάλλω τὰ δαιμόνια, ἄρα ἔφθασεν ἐφʼ ὑμᾶς ἡ βασιλεία τοῦ Θεοῦ. ι Καὶ ὧδε δὲ i ἐν ΠνεύματιΘεοῦ ι ἔλεγεν, οὐχ ὡς ἐλάττων ῶν τοῦ Πνεῦματος, οὐδέ ὡς τοῦ Πνεύματος αὐτὰ ἐνεργοῦντος ἐν αὐτῷ, ἀλλʼ ἵνα πάλιν δηλώσῃ, ὃτι αὐτὸς, Λόγος ὢν τοῦ Θεοῦ, αὐτὸς διὰ τοῦ Πνεῦματος ἐνεργεῖ τὰ πάντα, καὶ διδάξῃ τοὺς ἀκούοντας, ὅτι ὅσῳ τὰ τοῦ Πνεύματος ἔργα τῷ Βεελζεὸοῦλ ἀνατιθέασι, τοσούτῳ τὸν χορηγοῦντα τὸ Πνεῦμα δυσφημοῦσι · καὶ γὰρ καὶ τοῦτο λέγων, δεξο κνυσιν, ὅτι μὴ ἀγνοοῦντες, ἀλλʼ ἑκόντες εἰς τὴν τοιαύτην ἀναπόδραστον βλασφημίαν ἑαυτοὺς περιπείpauci. Kal. οὐκ αἰσχύνονται· καίτοι γινώσκοντες πνεύματος ἔλεγον γίνεσθαι ταῦτα. ### English translation (Claude) So each point would be plain: whoever sees the Lord discoursing about himself, if he looks only at his bodily things and does not believe, and says, “Where did this man get this wisdom?”, sins, and blasphemes as against the Son of Man; but whoever sees his works done by the Holy Spirit and says that the one doing such things is not God and the Son of God, but ascribes them to Beelzebul, openly blasphemes, denying his Godhead. For in the Gospel text too, as has often been said, by saying “Son of Man” he shows his fleshly and human nature; so that, by saying “the Spirit,” he may make known that the Holy Spirit, in whom he worked all things, is his. Hence, when doing the works, he said: “If you do not believe me, at least believe my works, so that you may know that I am in the Father and the Father in me.” But when he was about to offer himself bodily for us, when he went up to Jerusalem for this very purpose, he said to his disciples: “Sleep now and take your rest; for behold, the hour is at hand, and the Son of Man is betrayed into the hands of sinners.” For the works caused him to be believed to be true God, while his death showed that he truly had a body. Therefore he rightly called the one who was betrayed the Son of Man; for the Word is immortal and impassible, and is life itself. But the Pharisees neither believed these things, nor were they willing to see what their own sons did; hence the Lord gently refutes them again, saying: “If I cast out demons by Beelzebul, by whom do your sons cast them out? Therefore they will be your judges. But if I cast out demons by the Spirit of God, then the kingdom of God has come upon you.” And here he said “by the Spirit of God” not as being less than the Spirit, nor as if the Spirit worked these things in him, but to make known again that he, being the Word of God, himself works all things through the Spirit; and to teach his hearers that the more they ascribe the works of the Spirit to Beelzebul, the more they slander the one who supplies the Spirit. For by saying this too he shows that it was not in ignorance but willingly that they brought themselves into such inescapable blasphemy, and are not ashamed, though they know … that these things are done by the Spirit. ### Scripture references - Matt 13:54: quotation, high confidence - John 10:38: quotation, high confidence - Matt 26:45: quotation, high confidence - Matt 12:27: quotation, high confidence - Matt 12:28: quotation, high confidence ### Translation notes - Matt 13:54; John 10:38; Matt 26:45; Matt 12:27–28. - The word rendered “impassible” is garbled in the scan; the last sentence is also garbled, and a gap is marked “…”. ### Citation (SBL) Athanasius, Ep. Serap. 4.20 (PG 26:668d–669d; trans. Sophia Scriptura, https://sophiascriptura.com/fathers/athanasius-epistulae-serapionem/4-8/#p-4-20). ## Letters to Serapion 4.21 - URL: https://sophiascriptura.com/fathers/athanasius-epistulae-serapionem/4-21/#p-4-21 - Source: PG 26:672a–672d - Translation: Claude (claude-opus-5-5), 2026-10-09 Summary: Ascribing Christ’s healings to Beelzebul would make Beelzebul the author of the messianic signs foretold by Isaiah and even the creator of human nature. ### Greek text Πῶς οῦν, ταῦτα τολμῶντες, ἐτι δύνανται τοὺς Ἕλληνας αίτιᾷσθαι, πλάττοντας εἴδωλα, καὶ η θεοὺς ὀνομάζοντας αὐτά; Ὅμοια γὰρ καὶ τά αὐτῶν τῆς ἐκείνων μανίας· ἢ τάχα καὶ μείζονα τά τούτων τολμήματα τυγχάνει ὄντα ο ὄτι, καίπερ νόμον περὶ τούτου λαβόντες, διὰ τῆς παραβάσεως τοῦ νόμου τὸν Θεὸν ἠτίμασαν. Τί δὲ τοιαῦτα βλασφημοῦντες ποιήο σουσιν, ὅταν ἀναγινώσκωσι τὸν προφήτην Ἡσαΐαν, καὶ ἀκούσωσι, τὰ σημεῖα τῆς τοῦ Χριστοῦ παρουέ σίας εἶναι τυφλῶν ἀνάβλεψιν, χωλῶν περίπατον, ἀλάλων λαλιὰν, νεκρῶν ἀνάστασιν, λεπρῶν θερατκ πείαν, καὶ κωφῶν ἀκοῆς ἄνοιξιν ; ἄρα γὰρ καὶ τούτων τίνα θελήσουσιν εἶναι τὸν ποιητήν; Τὸν μὲνε γὰρ Θεὸν λέγοντες, ἑαυτοὺς διελέγξουσιν ἀσεβήσαν-. τας είς τὸν Κύριον ἃ γάρ ό προφήτης προβλέτέ πων εἴρηκε, ταῦτα παρὼν αὐτὸς ό Κύριος πε-. ποίηκεν· ὲάν δὲ, ὡς προπετείᾳ προληφθέντες, τολο. μήσωσιν εἰπεῖν κάκεῖνα ὲν τῷ Βεελζεβοὺλ γίνε σθαι, φοβοῦμαι μὴ, κατʼ ὀλίγον ὲν tia-562.341 προκόπτοντες, καὶ ἀναγινώσκοντες · ι Τίς ἔδωκε στόμα ἀνθρώπως Καὶ τίς ἐποίησε δύσκωφον καὶ κωφὸν, βλέποντα καὶ τυφλόν; ι καὶ τά ὃμοιατούτοις, μανέντες πάλιν εἴπωσι τοῦ Βεελζεβοὺλ εἶναι καὶ ταύτας τάς φωνάς. ᾯ γὰρ τὴν τοῦ ἀναβλέπειν χάριν διδόασι, τούτῳ καὶ τὴν τοῦ μὴ βλέπειν αἰτίαν αὐτοὺς ἀνάγκη διδόναι· ἀμφότερα γάρ τὸν αὖοι τὸν ποιεῖν εἴρηκεν ὁ Λόγος. Πάντως δὲ τοῦτο λέγοντες, φρονήσουσί ποτε καὶ δημιουργὸν εἶναι τὸν Βεελζεβοὺλ τῆς ἀνθρωπίνης φύσεως τοῦ γάρ ποιοῦντός ἐστιν ἔχειν καὶ τὴν τῶν γινομένων ἐξουσίαν. Τοῦ γὰρ Μωῦσέως εἰρηκότος· ι Ἐν ἀρχῇ εποίησεν ὀ. Θεὸς τὸν οὐρανὸν καὶ τὴν γῆν· ι καὶ, ι ὲν εἰκόνι Θεοῦ ἐποίησεν ὁ Θεὸς τὸν ἄνθρωπον· ι καὶ Δανιὴλ παῤ· ῥησιάζεται τῷ Δαρείῳ λέγων · ι Οὐ σέβομαι εἴδωλα χειροποίητα, ἀλλά ζῶντα Θεὸν τὸν κτίσαντα τὸν ούρανὸν καὶ τὴν γῆν, καὶ ἔχοντα πάσης σαρκὸς κυρείαν · ι εί μὴ ἄρα πάλιν μεταβαλλόμενοι λέγοιεν τὸ μὲν μὴ βλέπειν καὶ χωλεύειν, κα) τά ἄλλα πάθη ἐξ ἐπιτιμίας τοῦ δημιουργοῦ γίνεσθαι ’ τὴν δὲ λύσιν τούτων καὶ τὴν είς τοὺς πάσχοντας εὐεργεσίαν τὸν Βεελζεβοὺλ ἐργάζεσθαι. Ἀλλά τοῦτο κᾶν ἐξετάζειν, λίαν εὔηθές ἐστι. Μαινομένων γὰρ καὶ πλέον παρεξεπηκότων ἐστὶν ἡ τοιαύτη μετά ἀσεβείας μωρολογία ζ ὅτι μηδὲ τά κρείττονα κατά ### English translation (Claude) How, then, while daring such things, can they still blame the Greeks for fashioning idols and calling them gods? For their own deeds are like the madness of those; or perhaps the daring of these is even greater, because, though they had received a law about this, they dishonored God by transgressing the law. And what will they do, blaspheming in this way, when they read the prophet Isaiah and hear that the signs of Christ’s coming are sight for the blind, walking for the lame, speech for the dumb, resurrection of the dead, healing of lepers, and the opening of the hearing of the deaf? Whom will they have be the one who does these? If they say God, they will convict themselves of impiety against the Lord; for what the prophet foresaw and spoke, the Lord himself, present among them, did. But if, carried away by rashness, they dare to say that those too are done by Beelzebul, I fear that, advancing little by little in impiety, and reading, “Who gave man a mouth? And who made the deaf and dumb, the seeing and the blind?” and the like, they will in their madness say again that these words too are Beelzebul’s. For to the one to whom they ascribe the grace of seeing, they must also ascribe the cause of not seeing; for the Word said that the same one does both. And surely, saying this, they will at some time think that Beelzebul is also the creator of human nature; for it belongs to the maker to have authority over what comes to be. For Moses said, “In the beginning God made the heaven and the earth,” and “In the image of God God made man”; and Daniel speaks boldly to Darius, saying, “I do not worship idols made with hands, but the living God, who created the heaven and the earth and has lordship over all flesh”—unless they change their ground again and say that blindness and lameness and the other afflictions come from the Creator’s punishment, while the release from these and the benefit to the afflicted is worked by Beelzebul. But even to examine this is very foolish. For such foolish talk, with impiety, belongs to those who are mad and quite out of their minds, since not even the better things … ### Scripture references - Rom 2:23: allusion, high confidence - Isa 35:5: allusion, high confidence - Isa 35:6: allusion, high confidence - Isa 26:19: allusion, medium confidence - Exod 4:11: quotation, high confidence - Gen 1:1: quotation, high confidence - Gen 1:27: quotation, high confidence ### Extrabiblical texts - Bel 5 (Bel and the Dragon): quotation, high confidence ### Translation notes - Rom 2:23; Isa 35:5–6; Isa 26:19; Matt 11:5; Exod 4:11; Gen 1:1; Gen 1:27; Bel and the Dragon 5 (Daniel’s words, addressed in the Greek text to Cyrus, here to Darius). - The ref breaks off in the scan (μηδὲ τὰ κρείττονα κατὰ…); the rest is lost (“…”). ### Citation (SBL) Athanasius, Ep. Serap. 4.21 (PG 26:672a–672d; trans. Sophia Scriptura, https://sophiascriptura.com/fathers/athanasius-epistulae-serapionem/4-21/#p-4-21). ## Letters to Serapion 4.22 - URL: https://sophiascriptura.com/fathers/athanasius-epistulae-serapionem/4-21/#p-4-22 - Source: PG 26:673a–676c - Translation: Claude (claude-opus-5-5), 2026-10-09 Summary: The Pharisees, worse than Pharaoh’s magicians, and the Arians alike deny Christ’s Godhead and incur the unpardonable sin; the pious, confessing him God and man, will reign with him. ### Greek text Ἔδει δὲ τους πονηροὺς ἢ μηδὲ ἐκ τῶν σωμα τικῶν ὲξουθενεῖν αὑτοὺς ὡς ἄνθρωπον τὸν Κύριον, ἦ δηλονότι καὶ ὲκ τῶν ἔργων Θεὸν αὑτὸν ὀμολογεῖν ἀληθινόν. Ἀλλὰ πάντα διεστραμμένως ἔπραττον · ἄνθρωπον μὲν βλέποντες, ὡς ἀνθρώπῳ ὲλοιδοροῦντοʼ ἔργα δὲ θεῖκὰ θεωροῦντες, ἠρνοῦντο τήν θεότητα, καὶ προσέτρεχον τῷ διαβόλῳ, οἰόμενοι, ὅτι, ταῦτα τολμῶντες, διαδράναι δυνήσονται, ὥστε μὴ κριθῆναι παρʼ αὑτοῦ τοῦ ὑβριζομένου παρʼ αὐτῶν Λόγου. υἱ μὲν οὖν ἐπαοιδοὶ, καὶ μάγοι, καὶ φαρμακοὶ τοῦ Φαραὼ, καίτοι πλεῖστα ἐπιχειρήσαντες, ὅμως βλέποντες τὰ διὰ Μωσέως σημεῖα, ηθυφῆκαν. καὶ νῶτα δεδώκασι, λέγοντες δάκτυλον εἶναι Θεοῦ τὸν ταῦτα ποιοῦντα· οἱ δὲ Φαρισαῖοι καὶ οἱ γραμματεῖς, ὃλην τὴν χεῖρα τοῦ Θεοῦ βλέποντες ἐργαζομένην, καῖʼπλείονα καὶ μείζονα θεωροῦντες ὲκείνωι ’τὰ διʼ αὑτοῦ τοῦ Σωτῆρος γινόμενα, τὸν Βεελζεσοὺλ ἔλεγον ταῦτα ποιεῖν, ὃν καὶ οἱ μάγοι, καίτοι [διον αὑτῶν ὄντα, ὅμως ὡμολόγουν μή δύνασθαι μηδὲ τὰ τούτων ἐλάττονα ποιεῖν. Τίς οὖν ὑπερβολὴ τῆς τούτων μανίας εἰπεῖν; ἢ τίς, ὡς εἴρηκεν ό προφήτης, όμοιῶσαί τι ταῖς τούτων ἀσεβείαις δυνήσεται; Ἐδικαίωσαν γὰρ ἐξ ἑαυτῶν καὶ Σοδομίτας· xui. νενικήκασι μὲν τὴν Ἑλλήνων ἀγνωσίαν, ὑπερβάλλουσι δὲ καὶτῶν μάγων τοῦ Φαραὼ τὴν ἁλογίαν, καὶ πρὸς μόνους τοὺς Ἀρειομανίτας ἔχουσι τὴν σύγκρισιν, ἀλλήλοις είς τήν αὐτὴν ἀσέβειαν συμπίπτοντες. Ἰουδαῖοι μὲν γὰρ βλέποντες διὰ τοῦ Υίοῦ τὰ τοῦ Πατρὸς ἔργα, τῷ Βεελζεόοὺλ ἀνατιθέασιν αὑτά Ἀρειανοὶ δὲ, καὶ αὑτοὶ τὰ αὐτὰ βλέποντες ἔργα, τοῖς κτίσμασι συναριθμοῦσι τὸν ταῦτα ποιοῦντα Κύριον, φάσκοντες ἐξ οὑκ ὅντων αύτὸν εἶναι· καὶ, οὑκ ἦν, πρὶν γένηταιο Καὶ οἰ μὲν Φαρισαῖοι θεωροῦντες τὸν Κύριον ὲν σώματι διεγόγγυζον λέγοντες · ι Διὰ τί σὺ, ἄνθρωπος ὢν, ποιεῖς σεαυτὸν Θεόν; ι οἱ δὲ Χριστομάχοι, βλέποντες αὑτὸν πάσχοντα καὶ κοιμώμενον, βλασφημοῦσι λέγοντες · '0 ταῦτα ὑπομένων οὑ δύναται Θεὸς ἀληθινὸς καὶ όμοούσιος εἷναι τοῦ Πατρός. Καὶ Διά τοῦτο γὰρ κάκείνοις καὶ τούτοις ισύγγνωστον ἔσεσθαι τὴν ἐπὶ τοῖς τοιούτοις τιμωδίαν 6 Κύριος ἀπεφήνατο λέγων ι Ὃς δʼ ἂν εῐπῃ ιατά τοῦ Πνεύματος τοῦ ἁγίου, οὐκ ἀφεθήσεται ιύτῷ οὔτε ὲν τῷ αἰῶνι τούτῳ, οὔτε ὲν τῷ μὲλλοντι. › Καὶ εἰκότως γε* 6 γὰρ ἀρνούμενος τὸν Υἱδν, τίνα παρακαλῶν, ἱλασμὸν δυνήσεται ἐχειν; ἢ ποίαν ζωὴν, ἦ ἀνάπαυσιν προσδοκήσει, 6 ἀπωσάμενος τὸν λέγοντα· ι Ἐγώ εἰμι ή Coifi; ι καὶ, ι Δεῦτε πρὸς μὲ, πάντες οἱ κοπιῶντες καὶ πεφορτισμένοι, κάγὼ ἀναπαύσω ύμᾶς; ι Τούτων ’δὲ οὕτω διδόντων δίκας, δῆλον ἂν εἴη, ὡς οἱ εὐσεβοῦντες εἰς τὸν Χριστὸν, καὶ τὸ κατά σάρκα καὶ τὸ κατά Πνεῦμα προσκυνοῦντες αὐτοῦ, καλ μήτε Υἱὺν Θεοῦ αὐτὸν ἀγνοοῦντες, μήτε ὅτι καὶ Υἱὸς ἀνθρώπου γέγονεν ἀρνούμενοι· ἀλλά καὶ οπιστεύοντες, ὅτι ι Ἑν ἀρχῇ ἦν 6 Λόγος, ι καὶ, ‹ 6 Λόγος σὰρξ ἐγένετο, ι βασιλεύσουσιν αἱωνίως ὲν τοῖς οὐρανοῖς κατὰ τάς ἁγίας ἐπαγγελίας αὑτοῦ τοῦ Κυρίου καὶ Σωτῆρος ἡμῶν Ἰησοῦ Χριστοῦ λέγοντος ο ι Ἀπελεύσονται μὲν ἐκεῖνοι είς κόλασιν αἰώνιον, οἱ δὲ δίκαιοι είς ζωὴν αἰώνιον. › Ταῦτά σοι συντόμως, ἐξ ὧν ἔμαθον, ἔγραψα. Σὺ δὲ μὴ ὡς τελείαν διδασκαλίαν, ἀλλά μόνην ἀφορμὴν ταῦτα παρʼ ἐμοῦ λάμβανε ο καὶ λοιπὸν σαυτῷ τὴν ἀκριβεστέραν διάνοιαν ἐκ τε τοῦ εύαγγελικοῦ ῥητοῦ καὶ τῶν Ψαλμῶν ἀναλαμβάνων, δέσμευε τὰ τῆς ἀληθείας δράγματα ἵνα καὶ, σοῦ ταῦτα φέροντος, εἴπωσιν οἱ λέγοντες · ι Ἐρχόμενοι δὲ ἥξουσιν ὲν ἀγαλλιάσει, αἴροντες τὰ δράγματα αὐτῶν, ι ὲν Χριστῷ Ἰησοῦ τῷ Κυρίῳ ἡμῶν, διʼ οὗ καὶ μεθʼ οῦ τῶ Πατρὶ ἅμα τῷ ἁγίῳ Πνεύματι ### English translation (Claude) But the wicked ought either not to have despised him as a man because of the bodily things, or else plainly to have confessed him as true God from his works. But they did everything perversely: seeing a man, they reviled him as a man; beholding divine works, they denied his Godhead and ran to the devil, thinking that by daring such things they would be able to escape being judged by the very Word whom they insulted. The enchanters and magicians and sorcerers of Pharaoh, though they attempted a great deal, nevertheless, when they saw the signs done through Moses, gave up and turned their backs, saying that the one who did them was the finger of God; but the Pharisees and the scribes, seeing the whole hand of God at work, and beholding things done through the Savior himself more and greater than those, said that Beelzebul did them—though the magicians, whose own he was, confessed that he could not do even lesser things than these. What, then, could exceed their madness? Or who, as the prophet said, could liken anything to their impieties? For they made even the Sodomites appear righteous by comparison; and they have surpassed the ignorance of the Greeks and exceed the irrationality of Pharaoh’s magicians, and bear comparison only with the Ariomaniacs, both falling into the same impiety. For the Jews, seeing the works of the Father through the Son, ascribe them to Beelzebul; and the Arians, seeing the same works, number the Lord who does them with the creatures, saying that he is from nothing and that “he was not before he came to be.” And the Pharisees, seeing the Lord in the body, murmured, saying, “Why do you, being a man, make yourself God?”; and the Christ-fighters, seeing him suffering and sleeping, blaspheme, saying, “He who endures these things cannot be true God and of the same essence as the Father.” [23] For this reason the Lord declared that the punishment for such things would be unpardonable both for those and for these, saying, “Whoever speaks against the Holy Spirit, it will not be forgiven him, either in this age or in the age to come.” And rightly so; for whoever denies the Son, whom will he call upon, and what propitiation can he have? Or what life or rest will he expect, who has thrust away the one who says, “I am the life,” and “Come to me, all who labor and are heavy laden, and I will give you rest”? And since these pay such a penalty, it would be plain that those who are pious toward Christ, and worship both what is according to the flesh and what is according to the Spirit in him, neither ignorant that he is Son of God, nor denying that he also became Son of Man, but believing that “In the beginning was the Word” and “The Word became flesh,” will reign eternally in the heavens, according to the holy promises of our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ himself, who says, “These will go away into eternal punishment, but the righteous into eternal life.” These things I have written to you briefly, from what I have learned. But take them from me not as complete teaching, but only as a starting point; and then, taking up for yourself a more exact understanding from the Gospel text and from the Psalms, bind together the sheaves of the truth, so that, as you bring them, those who say it may say: “Coming they shall come with rejoicing, bearing their sheaves,” in Christ Jesus our Lord, through whom and with whom be glory to the Father together with the Holy Spirit … ### Scripture references - Exod 8:19: allusion, high confidence - Isa 40:18: allusion, medium confidence - Ezek 16:52: allusion, high confidence - John 10:33: quotation, high confidence - Matt 12:32: quotation, high confidence - John 14:6: quotation, high confidence - Matt 11:28: quotation, high confidence - John 1:1: quotation, high confidence - John 1:14: quotation, high confidence - Matt 25:46: quotation, high confidence - Ps 126:6 (125:6 LXX): quotation, high confidence ### Translation notes - Chapter 23 probably begins at “[23]”, where the scan has a stray numeral-like mark (“εδ.”), removed by a logged correction. - Exod 8:19; Isa 40:18; Ezek 16:52; John 10:33; Matt 12:32; John 14:6; Matt 11:28; John 1:1; John 1:14; Matt 25:46; Ps 126:6 (125:6 LXX). - The letter breaks off in the scan before the end of the doxology (“…”). ### Citation (SBL) Athanasius, Ep. Serap. 4.22 (PG 26:673a–676c; trans. Sophia Scriptura, https://sophiascriptura.com/fathers/athanasius-epistulae-serapionem/4-21/#p-4-22).