Shorter Rules (Asceticon, Regulae brevius tractatae) 165–204
Greek text: PG 31.English: Claude (claude-opus-5-5), public domain (CC0).
Chapter 165
165PG 31:1191
Πῶς γνωρίσει τις, εἰ ζήλῳ Θεοῦ κινεῖται κατὰ τοῦ ἁμαρτάνοντος ἀδελφοῦ, ἢ ὀργίζεται ΑΠΟΚΡΙΣΙΣ. Ἐὰν κατὰ παντὸς ἁμαρτήματος πάθῃ το γεγραμμένον· Ἐξέτηξέ με ὁ ζηλός σου, ὅτι ἐπελάθοντο τῶν λόγων σου οἱ ἐχθροί μου, φανερὸς τοῦ Θεοῦ ὁ ζῆλος. Οἰκονομίας δὲ καὶ ἐνταῦθα ἐπιστημονικῆς χρεία πρὸς οἰκοδομὴν πίστεως. Ταύτης δὲ τῆς διαθέσεως μὴ προενυπαρξάσης τῇ ψυχῇ, καὶ κινησάσης αὐτὴν, τὸ μὲν κίνημα ἀνώμαλον γίνεται ἐν οὐδενὶ δὲ ὁ σκοπὸς τῆς θεοσεβείας σώζεται.
Pōs gnōrisei tis, ei zēlǭ Theou kineitai kata tou hamartanontos adelphou, ē orgizetai APOKRISIS. Ean kata pantos hamartēmatos pathę̄ to gegrammenon; Exetēxe me ho zēlos sou, hoti epelathonto tōn logōn sou hoi echthroi mou, phaneros tou Theou ho zēlos. Oikonomias de kai entautha epistēmonikēs chreia pros oikodomēn pisteōs. Tautēs de tēs diatheseōs mē proenyparxasēs tę̄ psychę̄, kai kinēsasēs autēn, to men kinēma anōmalon ginetai en oudeni de ho skopos tēs theosebeias sōzetai.
Question. How may one know whether he is moved by zeal for God against a brother who sins, or is angry?
Answer. If at every sin he experiences what is written, “Your zeal has consumed me, because my enemies forgot your words,” the zeal for God is plain. But here too there is need of skilful management for the building up of faith. If this disposition is not already present in the soul and moving it, the movement becomes uneven, and in nothing is the aim of godliness preserved.
Ps 119:139 (118:139 LXX) (quotation, high confidence)
Notes and citation
Summary: Zeal for God is shown by grieving over every sin alike, as the psalmist did, and must be handled skilfully; without it, one's reaction is uneven and serves no godly purpose.
Notes on the original text
- Digital text corrected (split word): κινη σάσης → κινησάσης.
Cite (SBL): Basil, Reg. brev. 165 (PG 31:1191; trans. Sophia Scriptura, https://sophiascriptura.com/p/basil-regulae-brevius/165). (abbreviation not yet checked)
Permanent link: https://sophiascriptura.com/p/basil-regulae-brevius/165
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Translation: Translated by Claude (Opus) from the Greek as printed in Migne PG 31 (Bavarian State Library OCR); no public-domain English exists, so every sentence was re-read against the Greek in a separate review pass.
Chapter 166
166PG 31:1191
Μετὰ ποίας διαθέσεως ὑπακούειν δεῖ τῷ εἰς ἔργον τῆς ἐντολῆς κατεπείγοντι. ΑΠΟΚΡΙΣΙΣ. Μεθ' οἷας διαθέσεως τὸ παιδίον ὑπὸ πείνης κρατούμενον ὑπακούει τῇ τροφῷ καλούσῃ ἐπὶ τὴν μετάληψιν· καὶ πᾶς ἄνθρωπος, ἀντιποιούμενος τοῦ ζῆν, τῷ χαριζομένῳ τὰ πρὸς τὸ ζῇν· μᾶλλον δὲ καὶ πολλῷ πλέον, ὅσῳ καὶ προτιμοτέρα τῆς παρούσης ἡ αἰώνιος ζωή. Ἡ γὰρ ἐντολὴ τοῦ Θεοῦ, φησὶν ὁ Κύριος, ζωή αἰώνιός ἐστιν. Ὅπερ δέ ἐστιν ἐπὶ τοῦ ἄρτου ἡ βρῶσις, τοῦτό ἐστιν ἐπὶ τῆς ἐντολῆς ἡ ἐργασία, αὐτοῦ πάλιν τοῦ Κυρίου εἰπόντος· Ἐμὸν βρῶμά ἐστιν, ἵνα ποιῶ τὸ θέλημα τοῦ πέμψαντός με Πατρός.
Meta poias diatheseōs hypakouein dei tǭ eis ergon tēs entolēs katepeigonti. APOKRISIS. Meth' hoias diatheseōs to paidion hypo peinēs kratoumenon hypakouei tę̄ trophǭ kalousę̄ epi tēn metalēpsin; kai pas anthrōpos, antipoioumenos tou zēn, tǭ charizomenǭ ta pros to zę̄n; mallon de kai pollǭ pleon, hosǭ kai protimotera tēs parousēs hē aiōnios zōē. Hē gar entolē tou Theou, phēsin ho Kyrios, zōē aiōnios estin. Hoper de estin epi tou artou hē brōsis, touto estin epi tēs entolēs hē ergasia, autou palin tou Kyriou eipontos; Emon brōma estin, hina poiō to thelēma tou pempsantos me Patros.
Question. With what disposition must one obey one who urges him on to the work of the commandment?
Answer. With the disposition with which a child gripped by hunger obeys the nurse who calls it to its food; and with which every man who clings to life obeys the one who bestows what is needed for life; or rather much more, inasmuch as eternal life is more precious than the present one. “For the commandment of God,” says the Lord, “is eternal life.” And what eating is in the case of bread, doing is in the case of the commandment, since the Lord himself again said: “My food is to do the will of the Father who sent me.”
John 12:50 (quotation, high confidence) · John 4:34 (quotation, high confidence)
Notes and citation
Summary: One should respond to a call to God's work as a hungry child to its nurse calling it to eat, for the commandment is eternal life and doing it is the soul's food.
Notes on the original text
- Digital text corrected (split word): Κύ ριος → Κύριος.
Cite (SBL): Basil, Reg. brev. 166 (PG 31:1191; trans. Sophia Scriptura, https://sophiascriptura.com/p/basil-regulae-brevius/166). (abbreviation not yet checked)
Permanent link: https://sophiascriptura.com/p/basil-regulae-brevius/166
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Translation: Translated by Claude (Opus) from the Greek as printed in Migne PG 31 (Bavarian State Library OCR); no public-domain English exists, so every sentence was re-read against the Greek in a separate review pass.
Chapter 167
167PG 31:1191
Ποταπὴ ὀφείλει εἶναι ἡ ψυχὴ, ἡ καταξιωθεῖσα ἐν τῷ ἔργῳ τοῦ Θεοῦ καταληφθῆναι. ΑΠΟΚΡΙΣΙΣ. Οἴα ἦν ἡ λέγουσα· Τις εἰμι ἐγὼ, Κύριέ μου, Κύριε, καὶ τίς ὁ οἶκός μου, ὅτι ἠγάπησάς με, Πληροῦσα τὸ γεγραμμένον· Εὐχαριστοῦντες τῷ Πατρὶ τῷ ἱκανώσαντι ἡμᾶς εἰς τὴν μερίδα τοῦ κλήρου τῶν ἁγίων ἐν τῷ φωτί· ὃς ἐῤῥύσατο ἡμᾶς ἐκ τῆς ἐξουσίας τοῦ σκότους, καὶ μετέστησεν εἰς τὴν βασιλείαν τοῦ Υἱοῦ τῆς ἀγάπης αὐτοῦ.
Potapē opheilei einai hē psychē, hē kataxiōtheisa en tǭ ergǭ tou Theou katalēphthēnai. APOKRISIS. Oia ēn hē legousa; Tis eimi egō, Kyrie mou, Kyrie, kai tis ho oikos mou, hoti ēgapēsas me, Plērousa to gegrammenon; Eucharistountes tǭ Patri tǭ hikanōsanti hēmas eis tēn merida tou klērou tōn hagiōn en tǭ phōti; hos errhysato hēmas ek tēs exousias tou skotous, kai metestēsen eis tēn basileian tou Huiou tēs agapēs autou.
Question. What sort of soul ought that to be which has been counted worthy to be taken up into the work of God?
Answer. Such as that of him who said, “Who am I, my Lord, O Lord, and what is my house, that you have loved me?”, fulfilling what is written: “Giving thanks to the Father, who has made us fit for the share of the inheritance of the saints in light, who has delivered us from the power of darkness and transferred us into the kingdom of the Son of his love.”
2 Sam 7:18 (quotation, high confidence) · 1 Chr 17:16 (allusion, medium confidence) · Col 1:12–13 (quotation, high confidence)
Notes and citation
Summary: A soul admitted to God's work should be humbly grateful like David, thanking the Father who has brought us into the kingdom of his Son.
Cite (SBL): Basil, Reg. brev. 167 (PG 31:1191; trans. Sophia Scriptura, https://sophiascriptura.com/p/basil-regulae-brevius/167). (abbreviation not yet checked)
Permanent link: https://sophiascriptura.com/p/basil-regulae-brevius/167
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Translation: Translated by Claude (Opus) from the Greek as printed in Migne PG 31 (Bavarian State Library OCR); no public-domain English exists, so every sentence was re-read against the Greek in a separate review pass.
Chapter 168
168PG 31:1193
Μετὰ ποταπῆς διαθέσεως δεῖ λαμβάνειν ἱμάτιον ἢ ὑπόδημα, οἷον ἂν ᾖ. ΑΠΟΚΡΙΣΙΣ. Εἰ μὲν μικρότερον ἢ μείζον τῆς ἡλικίας ἐστὶ, φανερωσάτω τὴν χρείαν μετὰ τῆς προσηκούσης ἐπιεικείας· εἰ δὲ περὶ εὐτελείας διαφέρεται, ἢ ὅτι οὐκ ἔστι καινὸν, μνημονευσάτω τοῦ Κυρίου λέγοντος, Ἄξιος, οὐχ ἁπλῶς πᾶς, ἀλλ᾽, ὁ ἐργάτης τῆς τροφῆς αὐτοῦ ἐστι. Καὶ ἑαυτὸν ἀνακρινάτω εἰ πρὸς ἀξίαν τῶν τοῦ Κυρίου ἐπιταγμάτων, ἢ ἐπαγγελιῶν, εἰργάσατό τι, καὶ τότε οὐχὶ ἄλλο ἐπιζητήσει, ἀλλὰ περὶ τοῦ δεδομένου ἀγωνιάσει, ὡς ὑπὲρ τὴν ἀξίαν λαμβάνων. Τὸ γὰρ ἐπὶ τῆς τροφῆς εἰρημένον ἐπὶ παντὸς πράγματος τοῦ πρὸς τὴν χρείαν τοῦ σώματος ὥσπερ κανόνα ἔχειν δεῖ,
Meta potapēs diatheseōs dei lambanein himation ē hypodēma, hoion an ę̄. APOKRISIS. Ei men mikroteron ē meizon tēs hēlikias esti, phanerōsatō tēn chreian meta tēs prosēkousēs epieikeias; ei de peri euteleias diapheretai, ē hoti ouk esti kainon, mnēmoneusatō tou Kyriou legontos, Axios, ouch haplōs pas, all᾽, ho ergatēs tēs trophēs autou esti. Kai heauton anakrinatō ei pros axian tōn tou Kyriou epitagmatōn, ē epangeliōn, eirgasato ti, kai tote ouchi allo epizētēsei, alla peri tou dedomenou agōniasei, hōs hyper tēn axian lambanōn. To gar epi tēs trophēs eirēmenon epi pantos pragmatos tou pros tēn chreian tou sōmatos hōsper kanona echein dei,
Question. With what disposition should one receive a cloak or shoe, whatever it may be?
Answer. If it is too small or too large for his size, let him make his need known with fitting gentleness. But if he quarrels over its cheapness, or because it is not new, let him remember the Lord, who says, “Worthy,” not simply everyone, but “the workman is of his food.” And let him examine himself whether he has done anything worthy of the Lord's commands or promises; and then he will not seek something else, but will be anxious about what has been given, as one receiving beyond his deserts. For what was said about food must be held as a rule for everything that serves the body's need.
Matt 10:10 (quotation, high confidence)
Notes and citation
Summary: One should ask for clothing that fits, but not complain that it is cheap or old; whoever examines his own deserts will feel he has received more than he is worth.
Cite (SBL): Basil, Reg. brev. 168 (PG 31:1193; trans. Sophia Scriptura, https://sophiascriptura.com/p/basil-regulae-brevius/168). (abbreviation not yet checked)
Permanent link: https://sophiascriptura.com/p/basil-regulae-brevius/168
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Translation: Translated by Claude (Opus) from the Greek as printed in Migne PG 31 (Bavarian State Library OCR); no public-domain English exists, so every sentence was re-read against the Greek in a separate review pass.
Chapter 169
169PG 31:1193
Ἐὰν ἀδελφὸς νεώτερος ἐπιταχθῇ διδάξαι τι τὸν πρεσβύτερον καθ' ἡλικίαν, πῶς αὐτῷ προσενεχθήσεται ΑΠΟΚΡΙΣΙΣ. Ὡς ὑπηρεσίαν πληρῶν κατ᾿ ἐπιταγὴν τοῦ Δεσπότου Θεοῦ· φοβούμενος μὲν μὴ ὑποπέσῃ τῷ κρίματι τοῦ εἰπόντος· Ἐπικατάρατος πᾶς ὁ ποιῶν τὰ ἔργα Κυρίου ἀμελῶς· ἀσφαλιζόμενος δὲ, μήποτε τυφλωθεὶς εἰς κρῖμα ἐμπέσῃ τοῦ διαβόλου
Ean adelphos neōteros epitachthę̄ didaxai ti ton presbyteron kath' hēlikian, pōs autǭ prosenechthēsetai APOKRISIS. Hōs hypēresian plērōn kat᾿ epitagēn tou Despotou Theou; phoboumenos men mē hypopesę̄ tǭ krimati tou eipontos; Epikataratos pas ho poiōn ta erga Kyriou amelōs; asphalizomenos de, mēpote typhlōtheis eis krima empesę̄ tou diabolou
Question. If a younger brother is ordered to teach something to one older in age, how shall he conduct himself toward him?
Answer. As fulfilling a service at the command of God the Master: fearing lest he fall under the judgment of him who said, “Cursed is everyone who does the works of the Lord negligently”; and guarding himself lest, puffed up, he fall into the judgment of the devil.
Jer 48:10 (31:10 LXX) (quotation, high confidence) · 1 Tim 3:6 (allusion, high confidence)
Notes and citation
Summary: A younger brother ordered to teach an older one should do it as a service commanded by God, neither negligently nor with pride.
- The scan text prints τυφλωθείς (“blinded”); the translation follows τυφωθείς (“puffed up”), the word of 1 Tim 3:6 and of Migne's Latin (inflatus).
Notes on the original text
- Digital text corrected (split word; split word and OCR letter): Δεσπό του → Δεσπότου; ἔς γα → ἔργα.
Cite (SBL): Basil, Reg. brev. 169 (PG 31:1193; trans. Sophia Scriptura, https://sophiascriptura.com/p/basil-regulae-brevius/169). (abbreviation not yet checked)
Permanent link: https://sophiascriptura.com/p/basil-regulae-brevius/169
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Translation: Translated by Claude (Opus) from the Greek as printed in Migne PG 31 (Bavarian State Library OCR); no public-domain English exists, so every sentence was re-read against the Greek in a separate review pass.
Chapter 170
170PG 31:1193
Εἰ δεῖ ἴσως προσέχειν τῷ πλεῖον κατορθοῦντι, καὶ τῷ ἔλαττον. ΑΠΟΚΡΙΣΙΣ. Ὅπερ ἐπὶ τῆς ἀφέσεως τῶν ἁμαρτημάτων ὁ Κύριος ὡρίσατο εἰπών· Ἀφέωνται αἱ ἁμαρτίαι αὐτῆς αἱ πολλαὶ, ὅτι ἠγάπησε πολύ· ᾧ δὲ ὀλίγον ἀφίεται, ὀλίγον ἀγαπᾶ· καὶ ὅπερ ἐπὶ τῶν πρεσβυτέρων ὁ ᾿Απόστολος διετάξατο, εἰπών· Οἱ καλῶς προεστῶτες πρεσβύτεροι διπλῆς τιμῆς ἀξιούσθωσαν, μάλιστα οἱ κοπιῶντες ἐν λόγῳ καὶ διδασκαλίᾳ, τοῦτο ἐπὶ πάντων τῶν τοιούτων φυλάσσειν ἡγοῦμαι ἀκόλουθον.
Ei dei isōs prosechein tǭ pleion katorthounti, kai tǭ elatton. APOKRISIS. Hoper epi tēs apheseōs tōn hamartēmatōn ho Kyrios hōrisato eipōn; Apheōntai hai hamartiai autēs hai pollai, hoti ēgapēse poly; hǭ de oligon aphietai, oligon agapa; kai hoper epi tōn presbyterōn ho ᾿Apostolos dietaxato, eipōn; Hoi kalōs proestōtes presbyteroi diplēs timēs axiousthōsan, malista hoi kopiōntes en logǭ kai didaskalią, touto epi pantōn tōn toioutōn phylassein hēgoumai akolouthon.
Question. Whether one should regard equally the one who does more good and the one who does less.
Answer. What the Lord laid down about the forgiveness of sins when he said, “Her many sins are forgiven, for she loved much; but to whom little is forgiven, he loves little,” and what the Apostle ordained concerning elders, saying, “Let the elders who rule well be counted worthy of double honour, especially those who labour in word and teaching,” I consider it fitting to keep in the case of all such people.
Luke 7:47 (quotation, high confidence) · 1 Tim 5:17 (quotation, high confidence)
Notes and citation
Summary: Those who do more good deserve more regard, as the Lord and Paul show; equal regard is not owed to unequal service.
Cite (SBL): Basil, Reg. brev. 170 (PG 31:1193; trans. Sophia Scriptura, https://sophiascriptura.com/p/basil-regulae-brevius/170). (abbreviation not yet checked)
Permanent link: https://sophiascriptura.com/p/basil-regulae-brevius/170
BibTeX · RIS · CSL-JSON (whole work; this passage's key: sophiascriptura-basil-regulae-brevius-170) · Report an error
Translation: Translated by Claude (Opus) from the Greek as printed in Migne PG 31 (Bavarian State Library OCR); no public-domain English exists, so every sentence was re-read against the Greek in a separate review pass.
Chapter 171
171PG 31:1193
Ἐὰν δὲ λυπῆται ὁ ἐλάττων, προτιμωμένου τοῦ εὐλαβεστέρου, πῶς αὐτῷ προσχῶμεν. ΑΠΟΚΡΙΣΙΣ. Ὁ τοιοῦτος φανερός ἐστιν ἐπὶ πονηρίᾳ κατεγνωσμένος ἐκ τῆς ἐν τῷ Εὐαγγελίῳ παραβολῆς, ἐν ᾗ φησεν ὁ Κύριος πρὸς τοὺς λυπηθέντας, ὅτι τὰ ἴσα αὐτοῖς τινες ἐτιμήθησαν· Εἰ ὁ ὀφθαλμός σου πονηρός ἐστιν, ὅτι ἐγὼ ἀγαθὸς εἰμι; Καὶ πρόδηλον τὸ ἐπὶ τούτῳ καὶ τοῖς τοιούτοις κρίμα τοῦ Θεοῦ διὰ τοῦ Προφήτου λέγοντος· Ἐξουδένωται ἐνώπιον αὐτοῦ πονηρευόμενος· τοὺς δὲ φοβουμένους τὸν Κύριον δοξάζει.
Ean de lypētai ho elattōn, protimōmenou tou eulabesterou, pōs autǭ proschōmen. APOKRISIS. Ho toioutos phaneros estin epi ponērią kategnōsmenos ek tēs en tǭ Euangeliǭ parabolēs, en hę̄ phēsen ho Kyrios pros tous lypēthentas, hoti ta isa autois tines etimēthēsan; Ei ho ophthalmos sou ponēros estin, hoti egō agathos eimi? Kai prodēlon to epi toutǭ kai tois toioutois krima tou Theou dia tou Prophētou legontos; Exoudenōtai enōpion autou ponēreuomenos; tous de phoboumenous ton Kyrion doxazei.
Question. And if the lesser one is grieved when the more devout is preferred, how shall we regard him?
Answer. Such a one is plainly condemned for wickedness by the parable in the Gospel, in which the Lord says to those who were grieved that some were honoured equally with them: “Is your eye evil because I am good?” And God's judgment on this and such things is plain, through the Prophet, who says: “The evildoer is set at nothing before him, but he honours those who fear the Lord.”
Matt 20:15 (quotation, high confidence) · Ps 15:4 (14:4 LXX) (quotation, high confidence)
Notes and citation
Summary: One who resents another's being honoured above him is condemned by the parable of the labourers in the vineyard and by the psalm.
Notes on the original text
- Digital text corrected (column letter inside a word): ποΑ νηρός → πονηρός.
Cite (SBL): Basil, Reg. brev. 171 (PG 31:1193; trans. Sophia Scriptura, https://sophiascriptura.com/p/basil-regulae-brevius/171). (abbreviation not yet checked)
Permanent link: https://sophiascriptura.com/p/basil-regulae-brevius/171
BibTeX · RIS · CSL-JSON (whole work; this passage's key: sophiascriptura-basil-regulae-brevius-171) · Report an error
Translation: Translated by Claude (Opus) from the Greek as printed in Migne PG 31 (Bavarian State Library OCR); no public-domain English exists, so every sentence was re-read against the Greek in a separate review pass.
Chapter 172
172PG 31:1195
Ποταπῷ φόβῳ, ἢ ποίᾳ πληροφορίᾳ, ἢ ποίᾳ διαθέσει μεταλάβωμεν τοῦ σώματος καὶ τοῦ αἵματος τοῦ Χριστοῦ. ΑΠΟΚΡΙΣΙΣ. Τὸν μὲν φόβον διδάσκει ἡμᾶς ὁ ᾿Απόστολος λέγων· ῾Ὁ ἐσθίων καὶ πίνων ἀναξίως κρῖμα ἑαυτῷ ἐσθίει καὶ πίνει· τὴν δὲ πληροφορίαν ἐμποιεῖ ἡ πίστις τῶν ῥημάτων τοῦ Κυρίου εἰπόντος· Τοῦτό ἐστι τὸ σῶμά μου, τὸ ὑπὲρ ὑμῶν διδόμενον· τοῦτο ποιεῖτε εἰς τὴν ἐμὴν ἀνάμνησιν· καὶ τῆς μαρτυρίας τοῦ Ἰωάννου διηγησαμένου πρότερον τὴν δόξαν τοῦ Λόγου, καὶ ἐπαγαγόντος τὸν τρόπον τῆς ἐνανθρωπήσεως ἐν τῷ εἰπεῖν ὅτι, Ο Λόγος σάρξ ἐγένετο, καὶ ἐσκήνωσεν ἐν ἡμῖν καὶ ἐθεασάμεθα τὴν δόξαν αὐτοῦ, δόξαν ὡς Μονογενοῦς παρὰ Πατρὸς, πλήρης χάριτος καὶ ἀληθείας· καὶ τοῦ ᾿Αποστόλου γράψαντος ὅτι, Ἐν μορφῇ Θεοῦ ὑπάρχων, οὐχ ἁρπαγμὲν ἡγήσατο τὸ εἶναι ἴσα Θεῷ· ἀλλ᾽ ἑαυτὸν ἐκένωσε, μορφὴν δούλου λαβών, ἐν ὁμοιώματι ἀνθρώπων γενόμενος, καὶ σχήματι εὑρεθεὶς ὡς ἄνθρωπος. Ἐταπείνωσεν ἑαυτὸν, γενόμενος ὑπήκοος μέχρι θανάτου, θανάτου δὲ σταυροῦ. Ὅταν οὖν, πιστεύσασα ἡ ψυχὴ τοῖς ῥήμασι τούτοις καὶ τοῖς τοιούτοις καὶ τοσούτοις, καταμάθῃ τὴν μεγαλειότητα τῆς δόξης, καὶ θαυμάσῃ τὴν ὑπερβολὴν τῆς ταπεινώσεως καὶ τῆς ὑπακοῆς, ὅτι ὁ τοσοῦτος ὑπἠκουσε τῷ Πατρὶ μέχρι θανάτου ὑπὲρ τῆς ἡμετέρας ζωῆς, νομίζω ὅτι κατορθοῖ τὴν διάθεσιν εἰς ἀγάπην τὴν τε πρὸς τὸν Θεὸν καὶ Πατέρα, "Ος τοῦ ἰδίου Υἱοῦ οὐκ ἐφείσατο, ἀλλ᾽ ὑπὲρ ἡμῶν πάντων παρέδωκεν αὐτόν· καὶ τὴν πρὸς τὸν μονογενῆ αὐτοῦ Υἱὸν, τὸν ὑπακούσαντα μέχρι θανάτου ὑπὲρ τῆς ἡμετέρας ἀπολυτρώσεως καὶ σωτηρίας. Καὶ δύναται οὕτως ἀνασχέσθαι τοῦ Ἀποστόλου, ὥσπερ ὅρον τινὰ ἐκτιθεμένου τοῖς ὑγιαίνουσι τὴν ἐν τούτοις ἀγαθὴν συνείδησιν, ἐν τῷ εἰπεῖν· Ἡ γὰρ ἀγάπη τοῦ Χριστοῦ συνέχει ἡμᾶς κρίναντας τοῦτο, ότι, εἰ εἷς ὑπὲρ πάντων ἀπέθανεν, ἄρα οἱ πάντες ἀπέθανον. Καὶ ὑπὲρ πάντων ἀπέθανεν, ἵνα οἱ ζῶντες μηκέτι ἑαυτοῖς ζῶσιν, ἀλλὰ τῷ ὑπὲρ αὐτῶν ἀποθανόντι, καὶ ἐγερθέντι. Τοιαύτην διάθεσίν τε καὶ ἑτοιμασίαν ὀφείλει ἔχειν ὁ μεταλαμβάνων τοῦ ἄρτου
Potapǭ phobǭ, ē poią plērophorią, ē poią diathesei metalabōmen tou sōmatos kai tou haimatos tou Christou. APOKRISIS. Ton men phobon didaskei hēmas ho ᾿Apostolos legōn; ῾Ho esthiōn kai pinōn anaxiōs krima heautǭ esthiei kai pinei; tēn de plērophorian empoiei hē pistis tōn rhēmatōn tou Kyriou eipontos; Touto esti to sōma mou, to hyper hymōn didomenon; touto poieite eis tēn emēn anamnēsin; kai tēs martyrias tou Iōannou diēgēsamenou proteron tēn doxan tou Logou, kai epagagontos ton tropon tēs enanthrōpēseōs en tǭ eipein hoti, O Logos sarx egeneto, kai eskēnōsen en hēmin kai etheasametha tēn doxan autou, doxan hōs Monogenous para Patros, plērēs charitos kai alētheias; kai tou ᾿Apostolou grapsantos hoti, En morphę̄ Theou hyparchōn, ouch harpagmen hēgēsato to einai isa Theǭ; all᾽ heauton ekenōse, morphēn doulou labōn, en homoiōmati anthrōpōn genomenos, kai schēmati heuretheis hōs anthrōpos. Etapeinōsen heauton, genomenos hypēkoos mechri thanatou, thanatou de staurou. Hotan oun, pisteusasa hē psychē tois rhēmasi toutois kai tois toioutois kai tosoutois, katamathę̄ tēn megaleiotēta tēs doxēs, kai thaumasę̄ tēn hyperbolēn tēs tapeinōseōs kai tēs hypakoēs, hoti ho tosoutos hypēkouse tǭ Patri mechri thanatou hyper tēs hēmeteras zōēs, nomizō hoti katorthoi tēn diathesin eis agapēn tēn te pros ton Theon kai Patera, "Os tou idiou Huiou ouk epheisato, all᾽ hyper hēmōn pantōn paredōken auton; kai tēn pros ton monogenē autou Huion, ton hypakousanta mechri thanatou hyper tēs hēmeteras apolytrōseōs kai sōtērias. Kai dynatai houtōs anaschesthai tou Apostolou, hōsper horon tina ektithemenou tois hygiainousi tēn en toutois agathēn syneidēsin, en tǭ eipein; Hē gar agapē tou Christou synechei hēmas krinantas touto, oti, ei heis hyper pantōn apethanen, ara hoi pantes apethanon. Kai hyper pantōn apethanen, hina hoi zōntes mēketi heautois zōsin, alla tǭ hyper autōn apothanonti, kai egerthenti. Toiautēn diathesin te kai hetoimasian opheilei echein ho metalambanōn tou artou
Question. With what fear, or what full assurance, or what disposition should we partake of the body and blood of Christ?
Answer. The Apostle teaches us the fear, saying: “He who eats and drinks unworthily eats and drinks judgment on himself.” The full assurance is produced by faith in the words of the Lord, who said, “This is my body, which is given for you; do this in remembrance of me”; and by the testimony of John, who first related the glory of the Word and then went on to the manner of the incarnation, saying, “The Word became flesh and dwelt among us, and we beheld his glory, glory as of the Only-begotten from the Father, full of grace and truth”; and by the Apostle, who wrote: “Being in the form of God, he did not count equality with God a thing to be grasped, but emptied himself, taking the form of a slave, being made in the likeness of men; and being found in appearance as a man, he humbled himself, becoming obedient unto death, even death on a cross.” When, then, the soul, believing these words and others like them and so many more, learns the greatness of the glory and marvels at the surpassing humility and obedience, that one so great obeyed the Father unto death for our life, I think it achieves the disposition of love, both toward God and the Father, “who did not spare his own Son, but gave him up for us all,” and toward his only-begotten Son, who obeyed unto death for our redemption and salvation. And thus it can heed the Apostle, who sets out, as it were, a standard of good conscience in these matters for those who are sound, when he says: “For the love of Christ constrains us, because we judge this: that if one died for all, then all died; and he died for all, that those who live should no longer live for themselves, but for him who died for them and rose again.” Such a disposition and preparation ought he to have who partakes of the bread [and the cup].
Textual problem in this passage: see the notes.
1 Cor 11:29 (quotation, high confidence) · Luke 22:19 (quotation, high confidence) · 1 Cor 11:24 (quotation, medium confidence) · John 1:14 (quotation, high confidence) · Phil 2:6–8 (quotation, high confidence) · Rom 8:32 (quotation, high confidence) · 2 Cor 5:14–15 (quotation, high confidence)
Notes and citation
Summary: We should receive Christ's body and blood with the fear Paul teaches about unworthy eating, with assurance from the Lord's words and the testimony of John and Paul to the incarnation and the cross, and with love for the Father and the Son kindled by contemplating his humility and obedience.
- The last words of the answer are lost in the scan text; “and the cup” is supplied by sense.
Notes on the original text
- Digital text corrected (OCR debris; column letter; split word; split word and OCR letter): διδόμενον Β τοῦτο → διδόμενον· τοῦτο; τοῖς rapίΟ τοιούτοις → τοῖς τοιούτοις; μεγαλει ίτητα → μεγαλειότητα; τα πεινώσεως → ταπεινώσεως.
Topics: Eucharist, Christology
Cite (SBL): Basil, Reg. brev. 172 (PG 31:1195; trans. Sophia Scriptura, https://sophiascriptura.com/p/basil-regulae-brevius/172). (abbreviation not yet checked)
Permanent link: https://sophiascriptura.com/p/basil-regulae-brevius/172
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Translation: Translated by Claude (Opus) from the Greek as printed in Migne PG 31 (Bavarian State Library OCR); no public-domain English exists, so every sentence was re-read against the Greek in a separate review pass.
Chapter 173
173PG 31:1197
Εἰ δεῖ ἐν τῇ ὥρᾳ τῆς κατ' οἶκον ψαλμωδίας λαλιάν τινα γίνεσθαι. ΑΠΟΚΡΙΣΙΣ. Οὐ δεῖ, ἐκτὸς τῶν πεπιστευμένων τὴν φροντίδα καὶ τὴν ἐπιμέλειαν τῆς εὐταξίας, καὶ τῆς οἰκονομίας τῶν ἔργων, καὶ τοῦτο κατὰ ἀνάγκην τῆς ἐπειγούσης χρείας· καὶ οὐδὲ τότε ἀπερισκέπτως, ἀλλ' ἐστοχασμένως, τοῦ τε τόπου καὶ τῆς εὐταξίας, τῆς τε σεμνότητος καὶ τοῦ ἀπροσκόπου· τοῖς ἄλλοις πᾶσιν ἀναγκαία ἐστὶν ἡ σιωπή. Εἰ γὰρ ἐν καιρῷ διαλέξεως, καὶ ἐν αὐτοῖς τοῖς ἐπιτεταγμένοις τὸν λόγον τῆς διδασκαλίας ὁ πρῶτος σιγᾷν προτέτακται, ἐὰν ἄλλῳ ἀποκαλυφθῇ, πόσῳ μᾶλλον ἐν καιρῷ ψαλμῳδίας ἡ σιγὴ τοῖς πολλοῖς ἀναγκαία
Ei dei en tę̄ hōrą tēs kat' oikon psalmōdias lalian tina ginesthai. APOKRISIS. Ou dei, ektos tōn pepisteumenōn tēn phrontida kai tēn epimeleian tēs eutaxias, kai tēs oikonomias tōn ergōn, kai touto kata anankēn tēs epeigousēs chreias; kai oude tote aperiskeptōs, all' estochasmenōs, tou te topou kai tēs eutaxias, tēs te semnotētos kai tou aproskopou; tois allois pasin anankaia estin hē siōpē. Ei gar en kairǭ dialexeōs, kai en autois tois epitetagmenois ton logon tēs didaskalias ho prōtos sigąn protetaktai, ean allǭ apokalyphthę̄, posǭ mallon en kairǭ psalmǭdias hē sigē tois pollois anankaia
Question. Whether there should be any talking during the hour of psalmody in the house.
Answer. There should not, apart from those entrusted with the care and oversight of good order and with the management of the works, and this only by necessity of a pressing need; and not even then without circumspection, but with regard to the place and good order, to dignity and to giving no offence. For all the others silence is necessary. For if at the time of discourse, even among those appointed to the word of teaching, the first is commanded to be silent if something is revealed to another, how much more is silence necessary for the many at the time of psalmody?
1 Cor 14:30 (allusion, high confidence)
Notes and citation
Summary: No one should speak during the psalmody except those in charge, and they only when necessary and with care; if even prophets must yield in turn, the rest must surely keep silence.
Topics: Prayer
Cite (SBL): Basil, Reg. brev. 173 (PG 31:1197; trans. Sophia Scriptura, https://sophiascriptura.com/p/basil-regulae-brevius/173). (abbreviation not yet checked)
Permanent link: https://sophiascriptura.com/p/basil-regulae-brevius/173
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Translation: Translated by Claude (Opus) from the Greek as printed in Migne PG 31 (Bavarian State Library OCR); no public-domain English exists, so every sentence was re-read against the Greek in a separate review pass.
Chapter 174
174PG 31:1197
Πῶς δυνηθῇ τις ἐνδιαθέτως καὶ μετὰ ἐπιθυμίας ποιεῖν τὰς ἐντολὰς τοῦ Κυρίου. ΑΠΟΚΡΙΣΙΣ. Κατὰ φύσιν ἡ πεῖρα τοῦ ἥδοντος καὶ ὠφελοῦντος, καὶ αὐτὴ ἡ προσδοκία τοῦ τοιούτου ἐμποιεῖ τῇ ψυχῇ τὴν περὶ τούτου διάθεσίν τε καὶ ἐπιθυμίαν. Ἐὰν οὖν τις μισήσῃ καὶ βδελύξηται τὴν ἀδικίαν, καὶ καθαρεύσῃ πάσης ἁμαρτίας, ἀφ᾿ ἧς, ὥσπερ ἀπὸ νόσου τὸ σῶμα πάσχει τὴν ἀνορεξίαν καὶ τὴν περὶ τὰ βρώματα ἀηδίαν, οὕτω καὶ ἡ ψυχὴ τὴν περὶ τὰ δικαιώματα τοῦ Θεοῦ νωθρότητα καὶ ὀκνηρίαν· καὶ ἐὰν πληροφορηθῇ, ὅτι ἡ ἐντολὴ τοῦ Θεοῦ ζωή αἰώνιός ἐστι, καὶ πάντα τὰ ἐπηγγελμένα τοῖς φυλάσσουσιν αὐτὴν ἀληθῆ, κατορθοῦται αὐτῷ ἡ διάθεσις τοῦ εἰπόντος· Τὰ κρίματα Κυρίου ἀληθινά, δεδικαιωμένα ἐπὶ τὸ αὐτό· ἐπιθυμητὰ ὑπὲρ χρυσίον καὶ λίθον τίμιον πολύν, καὶ γλυκύτερα ὑπὲρ μέλι καὶ κηρίον. Καὶ γὰρ ὁ δοῦλός σου φυλάσσει αὐτὰ· ἐν τῷ φυλάσσειν αὐτὰ ἀνταπόδοσις πολλή.
Pōs dynēthę̄ tis endiathetōs kai meta epithymias poiein tas entolas tou Kyriou. APOKRISIS. Kata physin hē peira tou hēdontos kai ōphelountos, kai autē hē prosdokia tou toioutou empoiei tę̄ psychę̄ tēn peri toutou diathesin te kai epithymian. Ean oun tis misēsę̄ kai bdelyxētai tēn adikian, kai kathareusę̄ pasēs hamartias, aph᾿ hēs, hōsper apo nosou to sōma paschei tēn anorexian kai tēn peri ta brōmata aēdian, houtō kai hē psychē tēn peri ta dikaiōmata tou Theou nōthrotēta kai oknērian; kai ean plērophorēthę̄, hoti hē entolē tou Theou zōē aiōnios esti, kai panta ta epēngelmena tois phylassousin autēn alēthē, katorthoutai autǭ hē diathesis tou eipontos; Ta krimata Kyriou alēthina, dedikaiōmena epi to auto; epithymēta hyper chrysion kai lithon timion polyn, kai glykytera hyper meli kai kērion. Kai gar ho doulos sou phylassei auta; en tǭ phylassein auta antapodosis pollē.
Question. How can one do the Lord's commandments from the heart and with desire?
Answer. By nature the experience of what is pleasant and beneficial, and the very expectation of such a thing, produces in the soul a disposition and desire for it. If, then, someone hates and abhors unrighteousness, and is cleansed of every sin, from which, as the body from sickness suffers loss of appetite and distaste for food, so the soul suffers sluggishness and sloth toward the ordinances of God; and if he is fully assured that God's commandment is eternal life, and that all that is promised to those who keep it is true, then he achieves the disposition of him who said: “The judgments of the Lord are true, righteous altogether; more to be desired than gold and much precious stone, and sweeter than honey and the honeycomb. For your servant keeps them; in keeping them there is great reward.”
Ps 119:163 (118:163 LXX) (allusion, high confidence) · John 12:50 (allusion, high confidence) · Ps 19:9–11 (18:10-Ps LXX) (quotation, high confidence)
Notes and citation
Summary: We come to desire God's commandments when we hate sin, which dulls the soul's appetite as sickness dulls the body's, and are convinced that the commandment is eternal life and its promises true.
Notes on the original text
- Digital text corrected (OCR letter; repeated syllables; split word): και θαρεύσῃ → καθαρεύσῃ; διάδιάθεσις → διάθεσις; χουσίον → χρυσίον.
Cite (SBL): Basil, Reg. brev. 174 (PG 31:1197; trans. Sophia Scriptura, https://sophiascriptura.com/p/basil-regulae-brevius/174). (abbreviation not yet checked)
Permanent link: https://sophiascriptura.com/p/basil-regulae-brevius/174
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Translation: Translated by Claude (Opus) from the Greek as printed in Migne PG 31 (Bavarian State Library OCR); no public-domain English exists, so every sentence was re-read against the Greek in a separate review pass.
Chapter 175
175PG 31:1197
Πῶς φαίνεται ὁ ἀγαπῶν τὸν ἀδελφὸν κατὰ τὴν ἐντολὴν τοῦ Κυρίου· καὶ πῶς ἐλέγχεται ὁ μὴ οὕτως ἀγαπῶν. ΑΠΟΚΡΙΣΙΣ. Τῆς ἀγάπης ἐξαίρετα δύο ταῦτα· τὸ λυπεῖσθαι μὲν καὶ ἀγωνιᾶν ἐφ᾽ οἷς βλάπτεται ὁ ἀγαπώμενος χαίρειν δὲ καὶ ἀγωνίζεσθαι ὑπὲρ τῆς ὠφελείας αὐτοῦ. Μακάριος οὖν ὁ πενθῶν ἐπὶ τῷ ἁμαρτάνοντι, οὗ ὁ κίνδυνος φοβερός· καὶ χαίρων ὑπὲρ τοῦ κατορθοῦντος, οὗ τὸ κέρδος ἀσύγκριτον, καθὼς γέγραπται. Μαρτυρεῖ δὲ καὶ Παῦλος ὁ ἀπόστολος λέγων· Ἐὰν πάσχῃ ἓν μέλος, συμπάσχει πάντα τὰ μέλη, κατὰ λόγον πάντως τῆς ἐν Χριστῷ ἀγάπης Καὶ ἐὰν δοξάζηται ἓν μέλος, κατὰ σκοπὸν δηλονότι τῆς πρὸς Θεὸν εὐαρεστήσεως, συγχαίρει πάντα τὰ μέλη. Ὁ δὲ μὴ οὕτως συνδιατιθέμενος φανερός ἐστι μὴ ἀγαπῶν τὸν ἀδελφόν.
Pōs phainetai ho agapōn ton adelphon kata tēn entolēn tou Kyriou; kai pōs elenchetai ho mē houtōs agapōn. APOKRISIS. Tēs agapēs exaireta dyo tauta; to lypeisthai men kai agōnian eph᾽ hois blaptetai ho agapōmenos chairein de kai agōnizesthai hyper tēs ōpheleias autou. Makarios oun ho penthōn epi tǭ hamartanonti, hou ho kindynos phoberos; kai chairōn hyper tou katorthountos, hou to kerdos asynkriton, kathōs gegraptai. Martyrei de kai Paulos ho apostolos legōn; Ean paschę̄ hen melos, sympaschei panta ta melē, kata logon pantōs tēs en Christǭ agapēs Kai ean doxazētai hen melos, kata skopon dēlonoti tēs pros Theon euarestēseōs, synchairei panta ta melē. Ho de mē houtōs syndiatithemenos phaneros esti mē agapōn ton adelphon.
Question. How is one who loves his brother according to the Lord's commandment shown, and how is one who does not so love him exposed?
Answer. These two are the special marks of love: to grieve and be anxious over what harms the one loved, and to rejoice and strive for his benefit. Blessed, then, is he who mourns over one who sins, whose danger is fearful, and rejoices over one who does right, whose gain is beyond compare, as it is written. And Paul the apostle bears witness, saying: “If one member suffers, all the members suffer with it,” wholly by the principle, of course, of love in Christ; “and if one member is honoured,” with the aim, plainly, of pleasing God, “all the members rejoice with it.” But one who is not so disposed toward his brother plainly does not love him.
Matt 5:4 (allusion, medium confidence) · 1 Cor 12:26 (quotation, high confidence)
Notes and citation
Summary: True love grieves over a brother's harm and rejoices at his good, as the members of one body suffer and rejoice together; one who does not feel so does not love.
Notes on the original text
- Digital text corrected (OCR letter; repeated letter): ἐrτολὴν → ἐντολὴν; ὡὠφελείας → ὠφελείας; κὴ ἀγαπῶν → μὴ ἀγαπῶν.
Cite (SBL): Basil, Reg. brev. 175 (PG 31:1197; trans. Sophia Scriptura, https://sophiascriptura.com/p/basil-regulae-brevius/175). (abbreviation not yet checked)
Permanent link: https://sophiascriptura.com/p/basil-regulae-brevius/175
BibTeX · RIS · CSL-JSON (whole work; this passage's key: sophiascriptura-basil-regulae-brevius-175) · Report an error
Translation: Translated by Claude (Opus) from the Greek as printed in Migne PG 31 (Bavarian State Library OCR); no public-domain English exists, so every sentence was re-read against the Greek in a separate review pass.
Chapter 176
176PG 31:1199
Τίνες εἰσὶν οἱ ἐχθροὶ, οὓς ἀγαπᾶν προσετάχθημεν· καὶ πῶς ἀγαπήσομεν τοὺς ἐχθρούς· ταῖς εἰς αὐτοὺς εὐεργεσίαις μόνον, ἢ καὶ αὐτῇ τῇ διαθέσει· καὶ εἰ δυνατὸν τοῦτο. ΑΠΟΚΡΙΣΙΣ. Ἐχθροῦ ἴδιον τὸ βλάπτειν καὶ ἐπιβουλευειν. Πᾶς μὲν οὖν ὁ ὁπωσδήποτε βλάπτων τινὰ ἐχθρὸς ἂν λέγοιτο· ἐξαιρέτως δὲ ὁ ἁμαρτάνων. Τὸ γὰρ ὅσον ἐπ᾿ αὐτῷ βλάπτει κατὰ διαφόρους τρόπους, καὶ ἐπιβουλεύει τῷ συνόντι ἢ συντυγχάνοντι. Ἐπειδὴ δὲ ἐκ σώματος καὶ ψυχῆς συνέστηκεν ὁ ἄνθρωπος, κατὰ μὲν τὴν ψυχὴν ἀγαπήσωμεν τοὺς τοιούτους, ἐλέγχοντες αὐτοὺς, καὶ νουθετοῦντες, καὶ παντὶ τρόπῳ εἰς ἐπιστροφὴν ἐνάγοντες κατὰ δὲ τὸ σῶμα εὐεργετοῦντες αὐτοὺς, ἐπιδεομένους τῶν πρὸς τὸ ζῇν ἀναγκαίων. Ὅτι δὲ ἡ ἀγάπη ἐν διαθέσει ἐστὶ, παντὶ δῆλον. Τὸ δὲ δυνατὸν ἔδειξε καὶ ἐδίδαξεν ὁ Κύριος, τὴν ἀγάπην τοῦ Πατρὸς καὶ τὴν ἑαυτοῦ ἐν τῇ ὑπακοῇ μέχρι θανάτου ἐπιδειξάμενος ὑπὲρ ἐχθρῶν, οὐχ ὑπὲρ φίλων, ὡς μαρτυρεῖ ὁ ᾿Απόστολος λέγων· Συνίστησι δὲ τὴν ἑαυτοῦ ἀγάπην ὁ Θεὸς εἰς ἡμᾶς, ὅτι, ἔτι ἁμαρτωλῶν ὄντων ἡμῶν, Χριστὸς ὑπὲρ ἡμῶν ἀπέθανε. Καὶ ἡμῖν δὲ αὐτὸ τοῦτο παραινεῖ ἐν τῷ εἰπεῖν· Γίνεσθε οὖν μιμηταὶ τοῦ Θεοῦ, ὡς τέκνα ἀγαπητὰ, καὶ περιπατεῖτε ἐν ἀγάπῃ, καθὼς καὶ ὁ Χριστὸς ἠγάπησεν ἡμᾶς, καὶ παρέδωκεν ἑαυτὸν ὑπὲρ ἡμῶν, προσφορὰν καὶ θυσίαν τῷ Θεῷ. Οὐκ ἂν δὲ προσέταξεν ὁ ἀγαθὸς καὶ δίκαιος, εἰ μὴ τὸ δυνατὸν ἐχαρίσατο· ὅπερ καὶ ἐν τῇ φύσει κατηναγκασμένως ἀποκεῖσθαι ἐφανέρωσεν. Εὐεργέτας μὲν καὶ τὰ θηρία φυσικῶς ἀγαπᾷ. Τἱ δὲ το σοῦτον εὐεργετεῖ ὁ φίλος, ὅσον οἱ ἐχθροί; Προξενοῦν τες ἡμῖν τὸν μακαρισμὸν τοῦ Κυρίου εἰπόντος· Μακάριοί ἐστε, ὅταν διώξωσιν ὑμᾶς, καὶ ὀνειδίσωσι, καὶ εἶπωσι πᾶν πονηρὸν ῥῆμα καθ' ὑμῶν, ψευδόμενοι, ἕνεκεν ἐμοῦ. Χαίρετε καὶ ἀγαλλιᾶσθε, ὅτι ὁ μισθὲς ὑμῶν πολὺς ἐν τοῖς οὐρανοῖς.
Tines eisin hoi echthroi, hous agapan prosetachthēmen; kai pōs agapēsomen tous echthrous; tais eis autous euergesiais monon, ē kai autę̄ tę̄ diathesei; kai ei dynaton touto. APOKRISIS. Echthrou idion to blaptein kai epibouleuein. Pas men oun ho hopōsdēpote blaptōn tina echthros an legoito; exairetōs de ho hamartanōn. To gar hoson ep᾿ autǭ blaptei kata diaphorous tropous, kai epibouleuei tǭ synonti ē syntynchanonti. Epeidē de ek sōmatos kai psychēs synestēken ho anthrōpos, kata men tēn psychēn agapēsōmen tous toioutous, elenchontes autous, kai nouthetountes, kai panti tropǭ eis epistrophēn enagontes kata de to sōma euergetountes autous, epideomenous tōn pros to zę̄n anankaiōn. Hoti de hē agapē en diathesei esti, panti dēlon. To de dynaton edeixe kai edidaxen ho Kyrios, tēn agapēn tou Patros kai tēn heautou en tę̄ hypakoę̄ mechri thanatou epideixamenos hyper echthrōn, ouch hyper philōn, hōs martyrei ho ᾿Apostolos legōn; Synistēsi de tēn heautou agapēn ho Theos eis hēmas, hoti, eti hamartōlōn ontōn hēmōn, Christos hyper hēmōn apethane. Kai hēmin de auto touto parainei en tǭ eipein; Ginesthe oun mimētai tou Theou, hōs tekna agapēta, kai peripateite en agapę̄, kathōs kai ho Christos ēgapēsen hēmas, kai paredōken heauton hyper hēmōn, prosphoran kai thysian tǭ Theǭ. Ouk an de prosetaxen ho agathos kai dikaios, ei mē to dynaton echarisato; hoper kai en tę̄ physei katēnankasmenōs apokeisthai ephanerōsen. Euergetas men kai ta thēria physikōs agapą. Ti de to souton euergetei ho philos, hoson hoi echthroi? Proxenoun tes hēmin ton makarismon tou Kyriou eipontos; Makarioi este, hotan diōxōsin hymas, kai oneidisōsi, kai eipōsi pan ponēron rhēma kath' hymōn, pseudomenoi, heneken emou. Chairete kai agalliasthe, hoti ho misthes hymōn polys en tois ouranois.
Question. Who are the enemies we have been commanded to love? And how shall we love our enemies: only by benefits toward them, or also in our very disposition? And is this possible?
Answer. The mark of an enemy is to harm and to plot. Everyone, then, who harms anyone in any way might be called an enemy, but especially one who sins. For as far as lies in him he harms in various ways and plots against the one who lives with him or meets him. And since man consists of body and soul, let us love such people in the soul by reproving them, admonishing them, and leading them by every means toward turning back; and in the body by doing them good when they lack what is necessary for life. That love lies in the disposition is plain to all. And the Lord showed and taught that it is possible, displaying the love of the Father and his own in obedience unto death for enemies, not for friends, as the Apostle testifies, saying: “But God shows his own love for us, in that while we were still sinners, Christ died for us.” And he exhorts us to this very thing, saying: “Be therefore imitators of God, as beloved children, and walk in love, as Christ also loved us and gave himself for us, an offering and sacrifice to God.” And the good and just One would not have commanded it unless he had granted that it be possible; which he has also shown to be laid up in nature by necessity. Even the wild beasts by nature love their benefactors. And what friend does us as much good as our enemies do? For they procure for us the blessing of the Lord, who said: “Blessed are you when they persecute you, and revile you, and say every evil word against you falsely for my sake. Rejoice and be glad, for your reward is great in heaven.”
Matt 5:44 (allusion, high confidence) · Phil 2:8 (allusion, medium confidence) · Rom 5:8 (quotation, high confidence) · Eph 5:1–2 (quotation, high confidence) · Matt 5:11–12 (quotation, high confidence)
Notes and citation
Summary: Enemies are all who harm, especially sinners; we love them in soul by correcting them and in body by meeting their needs, which is possible because Christ died for us as enemies, nature itself loves benefactors, and enemies win us the Lord's blessing.
- The end of this answer is printed at the beginning of section 177 in the digital text; it is moved here by logged corrections.
Notes on the original text
- Digital text corrected (column letter; end of the answer, printed at the start of section 177, moved here): Β κατὰ μὲν τὴν ψυχὴν → κατὰ μὲν τὴν ψυχὴν; αυτὸν ὑπὲρ ἡμῶν, προσφορὰν καὶ → αυτὸν ὑπὲρ ἡμῶν, προσφορὰν καὶ θυσίαν τῷ Θεῷ. Οὐκ ἂν δὲ προσέταξεν ὁ ἀγαθὸς καὶ δίκαιος, εἰ μὴ τὸ δυνατὸν ἐχαρίσατο· ὅπερ καὶ ἐν τῇ φύσει κατηναγκασμένως ἀποκεῖσθαι ἐφανέρωσεν. Εὐεργέτας μὲν καὶ τὰ θηρία φυσικῶς ἀγαπᾷ. Τἱ δὲ το σοῦτον εὐεργετεῖ ὁ φίλος, ὅσον οἱ ἐχθροί; Προξενοῦν τες ἡμῖν τὸν μακαρισμὸν τοῦ Κυρίου εἰπόντος· Μακάριοί ἐστε, ὅταν διώξωσιν ὑμᾶς, καὶ ὀνειδίσωσι, καὶ εἶπωσι πᾶν πονηρὸν ῥῆμα καθ' ὑμῶν, ψευδόμενοι, ἕνεκεν ἐμοῦ. Χαίρετε καὶ ἀγαλλιᾶσθε, ὅτι ὁ μισθὲς ὑμῶν πολὺς ἐν τοῖς οὐρανοῖς..
Topics: Ethics
Cite (SBL): Basil, Reg. brev. 176 (PG 31:1199; trans. Sophia Scriptura, https://sophiascriptura.com/p/basil-regulae-brevius/176). (abbreviation not yet checked)
Permanent link: https://sophiascriptura.com/p/basil-regulae-brevius/176
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Translation: Translated by Claude (Opus) from the Greek as printed in Migne PG 31 (Bavarian State Library OCR); no public-domain English exists, so every sentence was re-read against the Greek in a separate review pass.
Chapter 177
177PG 31:1199
Πῶς ὀφείλουσιν οἱ δυνατοὶ τὰ ἀσθενήματα τῶν ἀδυνάτων βαστάζειν ΑΠΟΚΡΙΣΙΣ Εἰ τὸ βαστάζειν ἐστὶ τὸ αἴρειν καὶ θεραπεύειν, κατὰ τὸ γεγραμμένον ὅτι, Αὐτὸς τὰς ἀσθενείας ἡμῶν ἔλαβε, καὶ τὰς νόσους ἐβάστασεν, οὐκ ἐν τῷ εἰς ἑαυτὸν ὑποδέχεσθαι ταῦτα, ἀλλ' ἐν τῷ τοὺς πάσχοντας θεραπεύειν· καὶ ἐνταῦθα ὁ τῆς μετανοίας τρόπος καὶ λόγος ἐφαρμόσει, δι' οὗ θεραπευθήσονται ἐκ τῆς τῶν δυνατωτέρων ἐπιμελείας οἱ ἀδύνατοι.
Pōs opheilousin hoi dynatoi ta asthenēmata tōn adynatōn bastazein APOKRISIS Ei to bastazein esti to airein kai therapeuein, kata to gegrammenon hoti, Autos tas astheneias hēmōn elabe, kai tas nosous ebastasen, ouk en tǭ eis heauton hypodechesthai tauta, all' en tǭ tous paschontas therapeuein; kai entautha ho tēs metanoias tropos kai logos epharmosei, di' hou therapeuthēsontai ek tēs tōn dynatōterōn epimeleias hoi adynatoi.
Question. How ought the strong to bear the weaknesses of those who are not strong?
Answer. If bearing means taking away and healing, according to what is written, “He himself took our weaknesses and bore our diseases,” not by receiving them into himself but by healing those who suffered them, then here too the manner and principle of repentance will apply, by which those who are not strong will be healed through the care of the stronger.
Rom 15:1 (allusion, high confidence) · Matt 8:17 (quotation, high confidence)
Notes and citation
Summary: To bear the weaknesses of the weak means to take them away by healing, as Christ bore our diseases; the strong heal the weak by leading them to repentance.
- The end of the answer to question 176 stands at the beginning of this section in the digital text; it is moved there by logged corrections.
Notes on the original text
- Digital text corrected (end of the answer to question 176 moved to section 176): θυσίαν τῷ Θεῷ. Οὐκ ἂν δὲ προσέταξεν ὁ ἀγαθὸς καὶ δίκαιος, εἰ μὴ τὸ δυνατὸν ἐχαρίσατο· ὅπερ καὶ ἐν τῇ φύσει κατηναγκασμένως ἀποκεῖσθαι ἐφανέρωσεν. Εὐεργέτας μὲν καὶ τὰ θηρία φυσικῶς ἀγαπᾷ. Τἱ δὲ το σοῦτον εὐεργετεῖ ὁ φίλος, ὅσον οἱ ἐχθροί; Προξενοῦν τες ἡμῖν τὸν μακαρισμὸν τοῦ Κυρίου εἰπόντος· Μακάριοί ἐστε, ὅταν διώξωσιν ὑμᾶς, καὶ ὀνειδίσωσι, καὶ εἶπωσι πᾶν πονηρὸν ῥῆμα καθ' ὑμῶν, ψευδόμενοι, ἕνεκεν ἐμοῦ. Χαίρετε καὶ ἀγαλλιᾶσθε, ὅτι ὁ μισθὲς ὑμῶν πολὺς ἐν τοῖς οὐρανοῖς. Πῶς ὀφείλουσιν → Πῶς ὀφείλουσιν.
Cite (SBL): Basil, Reg. brev. 177 (PG 31:1199; trans. Sophia Scriptura, https://sophiascriptura.com/p/basil-regulae-brevius/177). (abbreviation not yet checked)
Permanent link: https://sophiascriptura.com/p/basil-regulae-brevius/177
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Translation: Translated by Claude (Opus) from the Greek as printed in Migne PG 31 (Bavarian State Library OCR); no public-domain English exists, so every sentence was re-read against the Greek in a separate review pass.
Chapter 178
178PG 31:1201
Τί ἐστι τὸ, « Αλλήλων τὰ βάρη βαστάζετε·ι καὶ ποῖον νόμον ἀναπληρώσομεν, τοῦτο ποιοῦντες. ΑΠΟΚΡΙΣΙΣ. Ταὐτόν ἐστι τῷ προειρημένῳ. Βαρεῖα γὰρ ἡ ἁμαρτία, καθέλκουσα τὴν ψυχὴν εἰς πυθμένα ᾄδου. Ἡν αἴρομεν ἀλλήλων, καὶ περιαιροῦμεν, εἰς ἐπιστροφὴν ἄγοντες τοὺς ἁμαρτάνοντας. Τὸ δὲ βαστάσαι ἀντὶ τοῦ ἆραι σύνηθες καὶ τοῖς ἐπιχωρίοις κεχρῆσθαι, ὡς πολλάκις παρὰ πολλῶν αὐτὸς ἤκουσα. Νόμον δὲ τοῦ Χριστοῦ ἀναπληρώσομεν τοῦ εἰπόντος· Οὐκ ἦλθον καλέσαι δικαίους, ἀλλὰ ἁμαρτωλοὺς εἰς μετάνοιαν· καὶ ἡμῖν νομοθετήσαντος ὅτι, Ἐὰν ἁμάρτῃ ὁ ἀδελφός σου, ὕπαγε, ἔλεγξον αὐτόν. Ἐάν σου ἀκούσῃ, ἐκέρδησας τὸν ἀδελφόν σου
Ti esti to, « Allēlōn ta barē bastazete;i kai poion nomon anaplērōsomen, touto poiountes. APOKRISIS. Tauton esti tǭ proeirēmenǭ. Bareia gar hē hamartia, kathelkousa tēn psychēn eis pythmena ądou. Hēn airomen allēlōn, kai periairoumen, eis epistrophēn agontes tous hamartanontas. To de bastasai anti tou arai synēthes kai tois epichōriois kechrēsthai, hōs pollakis para pollōn autos ēkousa. Nomon de tou Christou anaplērōsomen tou eipontos; Ouk ēlthon kalesai dikaious, alla hamartōlous eis metanoian; kai hēmin nomothetēsantos hoti, Ean hamartę̄ ho adelphos sou, hypage, elenxon auton. Ean sou akousę̄, ekerdēsas ton adelphon sou
Question. What is the meaning of “Bear one another's burdens”? And what law shall we fulfil by doing this?
Answer. It is the same as what was said before. For sin is heavy, dragging the soul down to the depths of Hades; and we take it away from one another and remove it by leading sinners to turn back. To use “bear” for “take away” is customary among the local people too, as I have often heard myself from many. And we shall fulfil the law of Christ, who said, “I came not to call the righteous, but sinners to repentance,” and who laid down for us: “If your brother sins, go, reprove him. If he listens to you, you have gained your brother.”
Gal 6:2 (quotation, high confidence) · Luke 5:32 (quotation, high confidence) · Matt 18:15 (quotation, high confidence)
Notes and citation
Summary: Bearing one another's burdens means lifting the weight of sin from each other by leading sinners to repentance, which fulfils the law of Christ.
Cite (SBL): Basil, Reg. brev. 178 (PG 31:1201; trans. Sophia Scriptura, https://sophiascriptura.com/p/basil-regulae-brevius/178). (abbreviation not yet checked)
Permanent link: https://sophiascriptura.com/p/basil-regulae-brevius/178
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Translation: Translated by Claude (Opus) from the Greek as printed in Migne PG 31 (Bavarian State Library OCR); no public-domain English exists, so every sentence was re-read against the Greek in a separate review pass.
Chapter 179
179PG 31:1201
Πῶς δύναταί τις ἄνευ ἀγάπης πίστιν κτήσασθαι τοσαύτην, ὥστε ὄρη μεθιστάνειν, ἢ πάντα τὰ ὑπάρχοντα δοῦναι πτωχοῖς, ἢ παραδοῦναι τὸ ἑαυτοῦ σῶμα, ἵνα καυθῇ. ΑΠΟΚΡΙΣΙΣ. Εἰ μνημονεύομεν τοῦ Κυρίου εἰπόντος· Ποιοῦσι γὰρ πρὸς τὸ θεαθῆναι τοῖς ἀνθρώποις, καὶ τῆς ἀποκρίσεως αὐτοῦ τῆς πρὸς τοὺς εἰπόντας· Κύριε, Κύριε, οὐ τῷ σῷ ὀνόματι προεφητεύσαμεν καὶ τῷ σῷ ὀνόματι δαιμόνια ἐξεβάλομεν, καὶ τῷ σῷ ὀνόματι δύναμεις πολλὰς ἐποιήσαμεν; πρὸς οὕς φησιν· Οὐκ οἶδα ὑμᾶς πόθεν ἐστέ· οὐχ ὅτι ἐψεύσαντο, ἀλλ᾽ ὅτι τῇ τοῦ Θεοῦ χάριτι πρὸς τὰ ἴδια θελήματα ἀπεχρήσαντο, ὅπερ τῆς πρὸς Θεὸν ἀγάπης ἀλλότριον, οὐ δυσκόλως συνορᾶν τὰ εἰρημένα δυνάμεθα. Τὸ δὲ χάρισμα Θεοῦ ἢ δωρεάν λαμβάνειν καὶ τὸν ἀνάξιον οὐδὲν παράδοξον· Θεὸς γὰρ ἐν καιρῷ χρηστότητος καὶ μακροθυμίας τὸν ἥλιον αὐτοῦ ἀνατέλλει ἐπὶ πονηροὺς καὶ ἀγαθούς· πολλάκις δὲ καὶ εἰς ὠφέλειαν ἢ ἐκείνου αὐτοῦ τοῦ ὑποδεχομένου τὸ χάρισμα, ἐὰν ἄρα, δυσωπηθεὶς τὴν τοῦ Θεοῦ χρηστότητα, προτραπῇ εἰς ἐπιμέλειαν τῆς πρὸς αὐτὸν εὐαρεστήσεως, ἢ καὶ ἑτέρων, κατὰ τὸ εἰρημένον ὑπὸ τοῦ Ἀποστόλου· Τινὲς μὲν καὶ διὰ φθόνον καὶ ἔριν, τινὲς δὲ καὶ δι' εὐδοκίαν τὸν Χριστὸν κηρύσσουσιν. Οἷς ἐπιφέρει μετ' ὀλίγα· Πλὴν ὅτι παντὶ τρόπῳ, εἴτε προφάσει εἴτε ἀληθείᾳ, Χριστὸς καταγγέλλεται, καὶ ἐν τούτῳ χαίρω.
Pōs dynatai tis aneu agapēs pistin ktēsasthai tosautēn, hōste orē methistanein, ē panta ta hyparchonta dounai ptōchois, ē paradounai to heautou sōma, hina kauthę̄. APOKRISIS. Ei mnēmoneuomen tou Kyriou eipontos; Poiousi gar pros to theathēnai tois anthrōpois, kai tēs apokriseōs autou tēs pros tous eipontas; Kyrie, Kyrie, ou tǭ sǭ onomati proephēteusamen kai tǭ sǭ onomati daimonia exebalomen, kai tǭ sǭ onomati dynameis pollas epoiēsamen? pros hous phēsin; Ouk oida hymas pothen este; ouch hoti epseusanto, all᾽ hoti tę̄ tou Theou chariti pros ta idia thelēmata apechrēsanto, hoper tēs pros Theon agapēs allotrion, ou dyskolōs synoran ta eirēmena dynametha. To de charisma Theou ē dōrean lambanein kai ton anaxion ouden paradoxon; Theos gar en kairǭ chrēstotētos kai makrothymias ton hēlion autou anatellei epi ponērous kai agathous; pollakis de kai eis ōpheleian ē ekeinou autou tou hypodechomenou to charisma, ean ara, dysōpētheis tēn tou Theou chrēstotēta, protrapę̄ eis epimeleian tēs pros auton euarestēseōs, ē kai heterōn, kata to eirēmenon hypo tou Apostolou; Tines men kai dia phthonon kai erin, tines de kai di' eudokian ton Christon kēryssousin. Hois epipherei met' oliga; Plēn hoti panti tropǭ, eite prophasei eite alētheią, Christos katangelletai, kai en toutǭ chairō.
Question. How can anyone without love gain faith so great as to move mountains, or give all his possessions to the poor, or hand over his body to be burned?
Answer. If we remember the Lord, who said, “For they do it to be seen by men,” and his answer to those who said, “Lord, Lord, did we not prophesy in your name, and cast out demons in your name, and do many mighty works in your name?” (to whom he says, “I do not know where you are from”), not because they lied, but because they abused God's grace for their own wishes, which is alien to love for God, we can see what has been said without difficulty. That even one who is unworthy should receive a gift or grace of God is nothing strange; for God, in a time of kindness and patience, makes his sun rise on the evil and the good. And often it is also for the benefit either of the one who receives the gift himself, if perhaps, put to shame by God's kindness, he is moved to take care to please him, or of others, according to what was said by the Apostle: “Some indeed preach Christ even from envy and strife, but some also from good will”; to which he adds a little later: “Only that in every way, whether in pretence or in truth, Christ is proclaimed; and in this I rejoice.”
1 Cor 13:2–3 (allusion, high confidence) · Matt 23:5 (quotation, high confidence) · Matt 7:22–23 (quotation, high confidence) · Luke 13:25 (quotation, medium confidence) · Rom 2:4 (allusion, medium confidence) · Matt 5:45 (allusion, high confidence) · Phil 1:15 (quotation, high confidence) · Phil 1:18 (quotation, high confidence)
Notes and citation
Summary: Great faith and gifts without love are possible because God gives his gifts even to the unworthy, as with those who prophesied in his name yet were disowned; such gifts are abused for self-will, yet God may use them to benefit the giver or others.
Notes on the original text
- Digital text corrected (column letter; joined words; split word): καὶτῷσῷ → καὶ τῷ σῷ; ἔριν, Α τινὲς → ἔριν, τινὲς; κηρύσ σουσιν → κηρύσσουσιν.
Cite (SBL): Basil, Reg. brev. 179 (PG 31:1201; trans. Sophia Scriptura, https://sophiascriptura.com/p/basil-regulae-brevius/179). (abbreviation not yet checked)
Permanent link: https://sophiascriptura.com/p/basil-regulae-brevius/179
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Translation: Translated by Claude (Opus) from the Greek as printed in Migne PG 31 (Bavarian State Library OCR); no public-domain English exists, so every sentence was re-read against the Greek in a separate review pass.
Chapter 180
180PG 31:1203
Μετὰ ποταπῆς διαθέσεως καὶ προσοχῆς ὀφείλομεν ἀκούειν τῶν ἐν τῷ καιρῷ τῆς μεταλήψεως παραναγινωσκομένων ἡμῖν. ΑΠΟΚΡΙΣΙΣ. Περισσοτέρως ἢ μεθ' οἷας ἡδονῆς ἐσθίομεν καὶ πίνομεν, ἵνα δειχθῇ ὁ νοῦς μὴ μετεωριζόμενος εἰς τὰς τοῦ σώματος ἡδονάς· ἐνευφραινόμενος δὲ πλέον τοῖς τοῦ Κυρίου ῥήμασι, κατὰ τὴν διάθεσιν τοῦ εἰπόντος· Καὶ γλυκύτερα ὑπὲρ μέλι καὶ κηρίον.
Meta potapēs diatheseōs kai prosochēs opheilomen akouein tōn en tǭ kairǭ tēs metalēpseōs paranaginōskomenōn hēmin. APOKRISIS. Perissoterōs ē meth' hoias hēdonēs esthiomen kai pinomen, hina deichthę̄ ho nous mē meteōrizomenos eis tas tou sōmatos hēdonas; eneuphrainomenos de pleon tois tou Kyriou rhēmasi, kata tēn diathesin tou eipontos; Kai glykytera hyper meli kai kērion.
Question. With what disposition and attention ought we to listen to what is read to us during the meal?
Answer. With more delight than that with which we eat and drink, so that the mind may be shown not to be distracted toward the pleasures of the body, but to delight more in the words of the Lord, after the disposition of him who said: “And sweeter than honey and the honeycomb.”
Ps 19:10 (18:11 LXX) (quotation, high confidence)
Notes and citation
Summary: The reading at meals should be heard with more delight than the food, as words sweeter than honey.
Notes on the original text
- Digital text corrected (OCR letter): βήμασι → ῥήμασι.
Topics: Scripture and canon
Cite (SBL): Basil, Reg. brev. 180 (PG 31:1203; trans. Sophia Scriptura, https://sophiascriptura.com/p/basil-regulae-brevius/180). (abbreviation not yet checked)
Permanent link: https://sophiascriptura.com/p/basil-regulae-brevius/180
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Translation: Translated by Claude (Opus) from the Greek as printed in Migne PG 31 (Bavarian State Library OCR); no public-domain English exists, so every sentence was re-read against the Greek in a separate review pass.
Chapter 181
181PG 31:1203
Ἐὰν ὦσιν ἀδελφότητες πλησίον ἀλλήλων, καὶ ἡ μὲν πτωχεύῃ, ἡ δὲ ἑτέρα περὶ τὴν κοινωνίαν δυσχερεστέρα ᾖ, πῶς δεῖ τὴν πτωχεύουσαν πρὸς τὴν μὴ μεταδιδοῦσαν διατίθεσθαι ΑΠΟΚΡΙΣΙΣ. Οἱ διδαχθέντες ἐν ἀγάπῃ Χριστου και τὴν ψυχήν αὐτὴν τιθέναι ὑπὲρ ἀλλήλων πῶς τῶν περὶ τὸ σῶμα φείσασθαι δύνανται; Ὥσπερ ἐπιλαθόμενοι τοῦ εἰπόντος· Ἐπείνασα, καὶ οὐκ ἐδώκατέ μοι φαγεῖν, καὶ τὰ ἑξῆς. Ἐὰν δὲ γένηται τοῦτο, μακροθυμεῖν χρὴ τοὺς πτωχεύοντας, ἐν πληροφορίᾳ τῆς ἐν τῷ μέλλοντι αἰῶνι παρακλήσεως, μιμουμένους τὸν Λάζαρον.
Ean ōsin adelphotētes plēsion allēlōn, kai hē men ptōcheuę̄, hē de hetera peri tēn koinōnian dyscherestera ę̄, pōs dei tēn ptōcheuousan pros tēn mē metadidousan diatithesthai APOKRISIS. Hoi didachthentes en agapę̄ Christou kai tēn psychēn autēn tithenai hyper allēlōn pōs tōn peri to sōma pheisasthai dynantai? Hōsper epilathomenoi tou eipontos; Epeinasa, kai ouk edōkate moi phagein, kai ta hexēs. Ean de genētai touto, makrothymein chrē tous ptōcheuontas, en plērophorią tēs en tǭ mellonti aiōni paraklēseōs, mimoumenous ton Lazaron.
Question. If there are brotherhoods near one another, and one is poor while the other is rather unwilling to share, how should the poor one be disposed toward the one that does not share?
Answer. How can those who have been taught in the love of Christ to lay down even their life for one another be sparing of bodily things? It is as if they had forgotten him who said, “I was hungry, and you gave me no food,” and so on. But if this happens, the poor must be patient, with full assurance of the consolation in the age to come, imitating Lazarus.
1 John 3:16 (allusion, high confidence) · Matt 25:42 (quotation, high confidence) · Luke 16:25 (allusion, high confidence)
Notes and citation
Summary: A community that will not share with a poor neighbouring community forgets Christ's judgment; the poor should bear it patiently, like Lazarus, hoping for consolation in the age to come.
Notes on the original text
- Digital text corrected (OCR letter): πρὶς → πρὸς.
Cite (SBL): Basil, Reg. brev. 181 (PG 31:1203; trans. Sophia Scriptura, https://sophiascriptura.com/p/basil-regulae-brevius/181). (abbreviation not yet checked)
Permanent link: https://sophiascriptura.com/p/basil-regulae-brevius/181
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Translation: Translated by Claude (Opus) from the Greek as printed in Migne PG 31 (Bavarian State Library OCR); no public-domain English exists, so every sentence was re-read against the Greek in a separate review pass.
Chapter 182
182PG 31:1203
Ἐκ ποίων καρπῶν δοκιμάζεσθαι ὀφείλει ὁ συμπαθῶς ἐλέγχων τὸν ἀδελφὸν ἁμαρτάνοντα. ΑΠΟΚΡΙΣΙΣ. Πρῶτον μὲν ἐκ τῶν ἐξαιρέτων τῆς συμπαθείας, κατὰ τὸ εἰρημένον ὑπὸ τοῦ Ἀποστόλου ὅτι, Ἐὰν πάσχῃ ἓν μέλος, συμπάσχει πάντα τὰ μέλη· καὶ ὅτι, Τις σκανδαλίζεται, καὶ οὐκ ἐγὼ πυροῦμαι; ἔπειτα δὲ, ἐὰν ἐπὶ πάσῃ ἁμαρτίᾳ ὁμοίως συντρίβηται, καὶ ἐπὶ πᾶσι τοῖς ἁμαρτάνουσι, τοῖς τε εἰς αὐτὸν καὶ τοῖς εἰς ἄλλον ὁμοίως λυπῆται, καὶ πενθῇ, καὶ ἐλέγχων μὴ διαφθείρῃ τὸν ὑπὸ τοῦ Κυρίου παραδεδομένον τρόπον.
Ek poiōn karpōn dokimazesthai opheilei ho sympathōs elenchōn ton adelphon hamartanonta. APOKRISIS. Prōton men ek tōn exairetōn tēs sympatheias, kata to eirēmenon hypo tou Apostolou hoti, Ean paschę̄ hen melos, sympaschei panta ta melē; kai hoti, Tis skandalizetai, kai ouk egō pyroumai? epeita de, ean epi pasę̄ hamartią homoiōs syntribētai, kai epi pasi tois hamartanousi, tois te eis auton kai tois eis allon homoiōs lypētai, kai penthę̄, kai elenchōn mē diaphtheirę̄ ton hypo tou Kyriou paradedomenon tropon.
Question. By what fruits ought one to be tested who reproves with compassion a brother who sins?
Answer. First, by the special marks of compassion, according to what was said by the Apostle: “If one member suffers, all the members suffer with it”; and, “Who is made to stumble, and I do not burn?” Then, if he is equally contrite over every sin, and grieves and mourns equally over all who sin, both those who sin against him and those who sin against another; and if in reproving he does not corrupt the manner handed down by the Lord.
1 Cor 12:26 (quotation, high confidence) · 2 Cor 11:29 (quotation, high confidence) · Matt 18:15–17 (allusion, medium confidence)
Notes and citation
Summary: A compassionate rebuker is known by suffering with the sinner, grieving equally over every sin whether against himself or others, and keeping to the Lord's way of correction.
Notes on the original text
- Digital text corrected (split word): συμπα θῶς → συμπαθῶς; συντρί βηται → συντρίβηται.
Cite (SBL): Basil, Reg. brev. 182 (PG 31:1203; trans. Sophia Scriptura, https://sophiascriptura.com/p/basil-regulae-brevius/182). (abbreviation not yet checked)
Permanent link: https://sophiascriptura.com/p/basil-regulae-brevius/182
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Translation: Translated by Claude (Opus) from the Greek as printed in Migne PG 31 (Bavarian State Library OCR); no public-domain English exists, so every sentence was re-read against the Greek in a separate review pass.
Chapter 183
183PG 31:1203
Ἐὰν συμβῇ τινας ἐν ἀδελφότητι ζῶντας διαφωνῆσαι πρὸς ἀλλήλους, εἰ ἀκίνδυνόν ἐστιν ἀγάπης ἕνεκεν συμπεριφέρεσθαι τοῖς τοιούτοις. ΑΠΟΚΡΙΣΙΣ. Τοῦ Κυρίου εἰπόντος, Δὸς, Πάτερ, ἵνα, ὥσπερ ἐγὼ καὶ σὺ ἐν ἐσμεν, οὕτω καὶ αὐτοὶ ἓν ὦσιν ἐν ἡμῖν· καὶ τοῦ Ἀποστόλου γράψαντος, Σύμψυχοι, τὸ ἓν φρονοῦντες· καὶ τῶν Πράξεων ἱστορουσῶν, ὅτι, τῶν πιστευσάντων καρδία καὶ ψυχὴ μία· οἱ μὲν διαφωνοῦντες ἀλλότριοι τῶν εἰρημένων εἰσίν. ᾿Αγάπη δὲ ἡ μὲν κατὰ λόγον φυλάσσει τὸ εἰρημένον· ῾Ὁ δὲ ἀγαπῶν ἐπιμελῶς παιδεύει· ἡ δὲ μὴ κατὰ λόγον, οἴα δ᾽ ἂν ᾖ, ἀδόκιμος, τοῦ Κυρίου εἰπόντος ὅτι, Ὁ ἀγαπῶν πατέρα ἢ μητέρα ὑπὲρ ἐμὲ οὐκ ἔστι μου ἄξιος.
Ean symbę̄ tinas en adelphotēti zōntas diaphōnēsai pros allēlous, ei akindynon estin agapēs heneken symperipheresthai tois toioutois. APOKRISIS. Tou Kyriou eipontos, Dos, Pater, hina, hōsper egō kai sy en esmen, houtō kai autoi hen ōsin en hēmin; kai tou Apostolou grapsantos, Sympsychoi, to hen phronountes; kai tōn Praxeōn historousōn, hoti, tōn pisteusantōn kardia kai psychē mia; hoi men diaphōnountes allotrioi tōn eirēmenōn eisin. ᾿Agapē de hē men kata logon phylassei to eirēmenon; ῾Ho de agapōn epimelōs paideuei; hē de mē kata logon, oia d᾽ an ę̄, adokimos, tou Kyriou eipontos hoti, Ho agapōn patera ē mētera hyper eme ouk esti mou axios.
Question. If it happens that some living in a brotherhood disagree with one another, is it without danger to go along with such people for the sake of love?
Answer. Since the Lord said, “Grant, Father, that as I and you are one, so they too may be one in us,” and the Apostle wrote, “Of one soul, of one mind,” and Acts relate that the heart and soul of those who believed was one, those who disagree are strangers to what has been said. And love according to reason keeps the saying, “He who loves disciplines diligently”; but love not according to reason, whatever it may be, is reprobate, since the Lord said, “He who loves father or mother more than me is not worthy of me.”
John 17:21–22 (quotation, high confidence) · Phil 2:2 (quotation, high confidence) · Acts 4:32 (allusion, high confidence) · Prov 13:24 (quotation, high confidence) · Matt 10:37 (quotation, high confidence)
Notes and citation
Summary: Those who quarrel in a brotherhood break the unity Christ prayed for; true love corrects them, and indulgence of them is no love at all.
Notes on the original text
- Digital text corrected (split word; stray word): διαφω νῆσαι → διαφωνῆσαι; ὧν τῶν πιστευσάντων → τῶν πιστευσάντων.
Cite (SBL): Basil, Reg. brev. 183 (PG 31:1203; trans. Sophia Scriptura, https://sophiascriptura.com/p/basil-regulae-brevius/183). (abbreviation not yet checked)
Permanent link: https://sophiascriptura.com/p/basil-regulae-brevius/183
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Translation: Translated by Claude (Opus) from the Greek as printed in Migne PG 31 (Bavarian State Library OCR); no public-domain English exists, so every sentence was re-read against the Greek in a separate review pass.
Chapter 184
184PG 31:1205
Πῶς δύναταί τις, καὶ ὅτε παρακαλεῖ, καὶ ὅτε ἐλέγχει, μὴ μόνον σπουδάζειν ἐπιστημόνως λαλῆσαι, ἀλλὰ καὶ τὴν διάθεσιν τὴν ὀφειλομένην σώζειν πρός τε τὸν Θεὸν καὶ πρὸς ἐκείνους, οἷς λαλεῖ. ΑΠΟΚΡΙΣΙΣ. Ἐὰν μνημονεύσῃ τις τοῦ Ἀποστόλου εἰπόντος· Οὕτως ἡμᾶς λογιζέσθω ἄνθρωπος ὡς ὑπηρέτας Χριστοῦ, καὶ οἰκονόμους μυστηρίων Θεοῦ, οὐχ ὡς ἰδίαν τινὰ ἐπιστήμην ἐξ αὐθεντίας οἰκονομῇ, ἀλλ᾿ ὡς Θεοῦ ὑπηρεσίαν ἐν ἐπιμελείᾳ ψυχῶν αἵματι Χριστοῦ ἐξηγορασμένων πληροῖ μετὰ φόβου καὶ τρόμου τοῦ πρὸς Θεὸν, κατὰ τὸν εἰπόντα· Οὕτω λαλοῦμεν, οὐχ ὡς ἀνθρώποις ἀρέσκοντες, ἀλλὰ Θεῷ τῷ δοκιμάζοντι τὰς καρδίας ἡμῶν· καὶ μετὰ διαθέσεως καὶ εὐσπλαγχνίας τῆς περὶ τοὺς ἀκούοντας, ποιῶν τὸ εἰρημένον· Ὡς ἐὰν τροφὸς θάλπῃ τὰ ἑαυτῆς τέκνα, οὕτως ἱμειρόμενοι ὑμῶν, εὐδοκοῦμεν μεταδοῦναι ὑμῖν οὐ μόνον τὸ Εὐαγγέλιον τοῦ Θεοῦ, ἀλλὰ καὶ τὰς ἑαυτῶν ψυχάς.
Pōs dynatai tis, kai hote parakalei, kai hote elenchei, mē monon spoudazein epistēmonōs lalēsai, alla kai tēn diathesin tēn opheilomenēn sōzein pros te ton Theon kai pros ekeinous, hois lalei. APOKRISIS. Ean mnēmoneusę̄ tis tou Apostolou eipontos; Houtōs hēmas logizesthō anthrōpos hōs hypēretas Christou, kai oikonomous mystēriōn Theou, ouch hōs idian tina epistēmēn ex authentias oikonomę̄, all᾿ hōs Theou hypēresian en epimeleią psychōn haimati Christou exēgorasmenōn plēroi meta phobou kai tromou tou pros Theon, kata ton eiponta; Houtō laloumen, ouch hōs anthrōpois areskontes, alla Theǭ tǭ dokimazonti tas kardias hēmōn; kai meta diatheseōs kai eusplanchnias tēs peri tous akouontas, poiōn to eirēmenon; Hōs ean trophos thalpę̄ ta heautēs tekna, houtōs himeiromenoi hymōn, eudokoumen metadounai hymin ou monon to Euangelion tou Theou, alla kai tas heautōn psychas.
Question. How can one, both when he exhorts and when he reproves, not only take care to speak with skill, but also keep the disposition he owes both toward God and toward those to whom he speaks?
Answer. If one remembers the Apostle, who said, “Let a man so regard us, as servants of Christ and stewards of the mysteries of God,” he does not manage some knowledge of his own on his own authority, but fulfils as a service of God, in caring for souls redeemed by the blood of Christ, with fear and trembling toward God, after him who said, “So we speak, not as pleasing men, but God who tests our hearts”; and with a disposition of tenderness toward the hearers, doing what is said: “As a nurse cherishes her own children, so, longing for you, we were well pleased to share with you not only the Gospel of God but also our own souls.”
1 Cor 4:1 (quotation, high confidence) · 1 Pet 1:18–19 (allusion, medium confidence) · 1 Thess 2:4 (quotation, high confidence) · 1 Thess 2:7–8 (quotation, high confidence)
Notes and citation
Summary: One who exhorts or reproves keeps the right disposition by remembering he is Christ's servant caring for souls bought with his blood, speaking to please God and with a nurse's tenderness toward his hearers.
Cite (SBL): Basil, Reg. brev. 184 (PG 31:1205; trans. Sophia Scriptura, https://sophiascriptura.com/p/basil-regulae-brevius/184). (abbreviation not yet checked)
Permanent link: https://sophiascriptura.com/p/basil-regulae-brevius/184
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Translation: Translated by Claude (Opus) from the Greek as printed in Migne PG 31 (Bavarian State Library OCR); no public-domain English exists, so every sentence was re-read against the Greek in a separate review pass.
Chapter 185
185PG 31:1205
Ἐὰν τις ἐν διαλέξει συνδιατιθεμένους τοῖς λεγομένοις ὁρῶν τοὺς ἀκούοντας χαίρῃ, πῶς γνωρίσει ἑαυτὸν, εἰ διαθέσει ἀγαθῇ χαίρει, ἢ πάθει τινὶ ἰδίῳ. ΑΠΟΚΡΙΣΙΣ. Ἐὰν ἐν τοῖς ἐπαίνοις μόνοις τὴν χαρὰν στήσῃ, δῆλός ἐστιν ἰδίῳ πάθει κινούμενος· ἐὰν δὲ, τῶν ἐπαινούντων παραυτὰ μὲν τὸ περὶ τὴν ἀκρόασιν συνετὸν καταμαθὼν, ἐλπίδα τῆς εὐπειθείας ὑποσπεῖρον εὐφρανθῇ, ὕστερον δὲ τὴν ὠφέλειαν πολυπραγμονήσας, καὶ ἢ τὰ ἀκόλουθα τοῖς ἐπαίνοις κατορθώματα ἐν αὐτοῖς εὑρὼν χαρῇ, ἢ μηδὲν ὠφεληθέντας τοὺς ἐπαινέσαντας ἐπιδὼν λυπηθῇ, εὐχαριστείτω τῷ Θεῷ, ὅτι ὡς φιλόθεος καὶ φιλάδελφος κατηξιώθη κινηθῆναι, μὴ ζητῶν τὴν δόξαν τὴν ἑαυτοῦ, ἀλλὰ τὴν δόξαν τοῦ Θεοῦ, καὶ τὴν οἰκοδομὴν τῶν ἀδελφῶν.
Ean tis en dialexei syndiatithemenous tois legomenois horōn tous akouontas chairę̄, pōs gnōrisei heauton, ei diathesei agathę̄ chairei, ē pathei tini idiǭ. APOKRISIS. Ean en tois epainois monois tēn charan stēsę̄, dēlos estin idiǭ pathei kinoumenos; ean de, tōn epainountōn parauta men to peri tēn akroasin syneton katamathōn, elpida tēs eupeitheias hypospeiron euphranthę̄, hysteron de tēn ōpheleian polypragmonēsas, kai ē ta akoloutha tois epainois katorthōmata en autois heurōn charę̄, ē mēden ōphelēthentas tous epainesantas epidōn lypēthę̄, eucharisteitō tǭ Theǭ, hoti hōs philotheos kai philadelphos katēxiōthē kinēthēnai, mē zētōn tēn doxan tēn heautou, alla tēn doxan tou Theou, kai tēn oikodomēn tōn adelphōn.
Question. If someone, in giving a discourse, rejoices to see the hearers moved by what is said, how will he know whether he rejoices from a good disposition or from some passion of his own?
Answer. If he places his joy in the praises alone, he is plainly moved by a passion of his own. But if, on the spot, recognizing the understanding with which those who praise have listened, he is glad as at something that sows a hope of their compliance, and later, inquiring into the benefit, either rejoices at finding in them the good deeds that should follow the praises, or grieves on seeing that those who praised have gained nothing, then let him give thanks to God that he has been counted worthy to be moved as a lover of God and of the brothers, not seeking his own glory, but the glory of God and the building up of the brothers.
John 7:18 (allusion, medium confidence)
Notes and citation
Summary: A speaker rejoices rightly if his joy lies not in praise but in his hearers' progress, rejoicing when they put the teaching into practice and grieving when they do not.
Notes on the original text
- Digital text corrected (OCR breathing): Ἑὰν ἐν → Ἐὰν ἐν.
Cite (SBL): Basil, Reg. brev. 185 (PG 31:1205; trans. Sophia Scriptura, https://sophiascriptura.com/p/basil-regulae-brevius/185). (abbreviation not yet checked)
Permanent link: https://sophiascriptura.com/p/basil-regulae-brevius/185
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Translation: Translated by Claude (Opus) from the Greek as printed in Migne PG 31 (Bavarian State Library OCR); no public-domain English exists, so every sentence was re-read against the Greek in a separate review pass.
Chapter 186
186PG 31:1205
᾿Επειδὴ διδασκόμεθα τοιαύτην ἀγάπην ἔχειν, ὥστε καὶ τὴν ψυχὴν θεῖναι ὑπὲρ τῶν φίλων, μαθεῖν δεόμεθα ὑπὲρ ποταπῶν φίλων τοῦτο αἱρεῖσθαι δεῖ. ΑΠΟΚΡΙΣΙΣ. Τὴν μὲν διάθεσιν, ἢ τὸν τρόπον τούτου τοῦ κατορθώματος εἰκὸς εἶναι διάφορον· ἄλλα γάρ ἐστι πολλάκις τὰ ὑπὲρ ἁμαρτωλῶν καταδεχθῆναι, καὶ ἄλλα τὰ ὑπὲρ δικαίων σπουδασθῆναι ὀφείλοντα· τὸ μέντοιγε μέχρι θανάτου ἀγάπην δεικνύειν, καὶ ὑπὲρ δικαίων καὶ ὑπὲρ ἁμαρτωλῶν, δεδιδάγμεθα, μηδὲν διακρίνοντες. Συνίστησι γὰρ τὴν ἑαυτοῦ ἀγάπην, φησὶν, ὁ Θεὸς εἰς ἡμᾶς· ὅτι, ἔτι ἁμαρτωλῶν ὄντων ἡμῶν, Χριστὸς ὑπὲρ ἡμῶν ἀπέθανε. Πρὸς δὲ τοὺς ἁγίους ὁ ᾿Απόστολος λέγει· Ὡς ἐὰν τροφὸς θάλπῃ τὰ ἑαυτῆς τέκνα, οὕτως ἱμειρόμενοι ὑμῶν, εὐδοκοῦμεν μεταδοῦναι ὑμῖν οὐ μόνον τὸ Εὐαγγέλιον τοῦ Θεοῦ, ἀλλὰ καὶ τὰς ἑαυτῶν ψυχάς· διότι ἀγαπητοὶ ἡμῖν ἐγενήθητε.
᾿Epeidē didaskometha toiautēn agapēn echein, hōste kai tēn psychēn theinai hyper tōn philōn, mathein deometha hyper potapōn philōn touto haireisthai dei. APOKRISIS. Tēn men diathesin, ē ton tropon toutou tou katorthōmatos eikos einai diaphoron; alla gar esti pollakis ta hyper hamartōlōn katadechthēnai, kai alla ta hyper dikaiōn spoudasthēnai opheilonta; to mentoige mechri thanatou agapēn deiknyein, kai hyper dikaiōn kai hyper hamartōlōn, dedidagmetha, mēden diakrinontes. Synistēsi gar tēn heautou agapēn, phēsin, ho Theos eis hēmas; hoti, eti hamartōlōn ontōn hēmōn, Christos hyper hēmōn apethane. Pros de tous hagious ho ᾿Apostolos legei; Hōs ean trophos thalpę̄ ta heautēs tekna, houtōs himeiromenoi hymōn, eudokoumen metadounai hymin ou monon to Euangelion tou Theou, alla kai tas heautōn psychas; dioti agapētoi hēmin egenēthēte.
Question. Since we are taught to have such love as to lay down even our life for our friends, we need to learn for what sort of friends we must choose to do this.
Answer. The disposition, or the manner of this good deed, is likely to differ; for often the things that must be accepted on behalf of sinners are different from those that must be striven for on behalf of the righteous. But to show love even unto death, both for the righteous and for sinners, without distinction, is what we have been taught. “For God shows his own love for us,” it says, “in that while we were still sinners, Christ died for us.” And to the saints the Apostle says: “As a nurse cherishes her own children, so, longing for you, we were well pleased to share with you not only the Gospel of God but also our own souls, because you had become dear to us.”
John 15:13 (allusion, high confidence) · Rom 5:8 (quotation, high confidence) · 1 Thess 2:7–8 (quotation, high confidence)
Notes and citation
Summary: Love even unto death is owed to both sinners and the righteous without distinction, as Christ died for sinners and Paul gave himself for the saints, though the form of that love may differ.
- A stray fragment (“τὴν π”) at the beginning of the section in the scan text is removed by a logged correction.
Notes on the original text
- Digital text corrected (OCR letters; stray fragment): τὴν π ᾿Επειδὴ → ᾿Επειδὴ; μαθὲν δεόμεθα → μαθεῖν δεόμεθα.
Cite (SBL): Basil, Reg. brev. 186 (PG 31:1205; trans. Sophia Scriptura, https://sophiascriptura.com/p/basil-regulae-brevius/186). (abbreviation not yet checked)
Permanent link: https://sophiascriptura.com/p/basil-regulae-brevius/186
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Translation: Translated by Claude (Opus) from the Greek as printed in Migne PG 31 (Bavarian State Library OCR); no public-domain English exists, so every sentence was re-read against the Greek in a separate review pass.
Chapter 187
187PG 31:1207
Εἰ χρὴ παρὰ τῶν κατὰ σάρκα οἰκείων δέχεσθαί τι ἕκαστον. ΑΠΟΚΡΙΣΙΣ. Τοὺς μὲν οἰκείους ἀποδιδόναι τὰ ἐπιβάλλοντα τοῖς προσερχομένοις τῷ Κυρίῳ ἀναγκαῖον, καὶ μηδὲν ὑφαιρεῖν, ἵνα μὴ τῷ κρίματι τῆς ἱεροσυλίας ὑποπέσωσιν· τὸ μέντοιγε ἀναλίσκεσθαι ταῦτα ἐν ὄψεσιν ἐκείνων, οἷς διαφέρειν ἔδοξε, καὶ αὐτοῖς ἐκείνοις γίνεται πολλάκις ἐπάρσεως ὑπόθεσις, καὶ τοῖς πένησι τῶν τῷ αὐτῷ βίῳ προσελθόντων λύπης ἀφορμή. Ωστε συμβαίνειν ἐκεῖνο, ἐφ᾽ ᾧ ἐγκαλοῦνται οἱ Κορίνθιοι ὑπὸ τοῦ ᾿Αποστόλου εἰπόντος ὅτι, Καταισχύνετε τοὺς μὴ ἔχοντας. Διόπερ ὁ τὴν φροντίδα τῶν κατὰ τόπον Ἐκκλησιῶν πεπιστευμένος, ἐὰν ᾗ πιστὸς, καὶ φρονίμως οἰκονομεῖν δυνάμενος, τούτῳ προσφερέσθω κατὰ μίμησιν τῶν ἐν ταῖς Πράξεσιν, οἵτινες φέροντες ἐτίθουν παρὰ τοὺς πόδας τῶν ἀποστόλων. Εἰ δὲ τὸ οἰκονομεῖν τὰ τοιαῦτα οὐκ ἔστι πάντων, ἀλλὰ μόνων τῶν μετὰ δοκιμασίας εἰς τοῦτο τυπωθέντων, καὶ τὸ παρὰ τῶν τοιούτων δεδομένον, οὗτος, ὡς ἂν δοκιμάσῃ, τυπώσει.
Ei chrē para tōn kata sarka oikeiōn dechesthai ti hekaston. APOKRISIS. Tous men oikeious apodidonai ta epiballonta tois proserchomenois tǭ Kyriǭ anankaion, kai mēden hyphairein, hina mē tǭ krimati tēs hierosylias hypopesōsin; to mentoige analiskesthai tauta en opsesin ekeinōn, hois diapherein edoxe, kai autois ekeinois ginetai pollakis eparseōs hypothesis, kai tois penēsi tōn tǭ autǭ biǭ proselthontōn lypēs aphormē. Ōste symbainein ekeino, eph᾽ hǭ enkalountai hoi Korinthioi hypo tou ᾿Apostolou eipontos hoti, Kataischynete tous mē echontas. Dioper ho tēn phrontida tōn kata topon Ekklēsiōn pepisteumenos, ean hę̄ pistos, kai phronimōs oikonomein dynamenos, toutǭ prospheresthō kata mimēsin tōn en tais Praxesin, hoitines pherontes etithoun para tous podas tōn apostolōn. Ei de to oikonomein ta toiauta ouk esti pantōn, alla monōn tōn meta dokimasias eis touto typōthentōn, kai to para tōn toioutōn dedomenon, houtos, hōs an dokimasę̄, typōsei.
Question. Whether each one should receive anything from his relatives according to the flesh.
Answer. It is necessary for the relatives to hand over what is due to those who come to the Lord, and to keep back nothing, so that they may not fall under the judgment of sacrilege. But for these things to be spent in the sight of those to whom they seemed to belong often becomes, for those very people, an occasion of elation, and for the poor among those who have come to the same life a cause of grief; so that what happens is the very thing for which the Corinthians are reproached by the Apostle, who said, “You shame those who have nothing.” Therefore, if the one entrusted with the care of the churches in each place is faithful and able to manage prudently, let it be brought to him, in imitation of those in Acts, who brought it and laid it at the apostles' feet. And since the management of such things is not for all, but only for those appointed to it after testing, he will also arrange what is given by such people as he judges best.
1 Cor 11:22 (quotation, high confidence) · Acts 4:34–35 (allusion, high confidence)
Notes and citation
Summary: Relatives must hand over what belongs to those who join the Lord's service, but it should go to the local church's trusted steward, as in Acts, rather than be spent before the giver, which breeds pride in him and grief in poorer brothers.
Notes on the original text
- Digital text corrected (OCR letter; split word): ὑποπέ σωσιν → ὑποπέσωσιν; πένησε → πένησι; φέρον τες → φέροντες.
Topics: Church office
Cite (SBL): Basil, Reg. brev. 187 (PG 31:1207; trans. Sophia Scriptura, https://sophiascriptura.com/p/basil-regulae-brevius/187). (abbreviation not yet checked)
Permanent link: https://sophiascriptura.com/p/basil-regulae-brevius/187
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Translation: Translated by Claude (Opus) from the Greek as printed in Migne PG 31 (Bavarian State Library OCR); no public-domain English exists, so every sentence was re-read against the Greek in a separate review pass.
Chapter 188
188PG 31:1207
Πῶς ἴδωμεν τοὺς ποτε συνοίκους ἡμῶν, ἢ συγγενεῖς, ἐρχομένους πρὸς ἡμᾶς ΑΠΟΚΡΙΣΙΣ Ὡς ὁ Κύριος ἔδειξε, καὶ ἐδίδαξεν, ὅτε ἀπηγγέλη αὐτῷ ὅτι, Ἡ μήτηρ σου καὶ οἱ ἀδελφοί σου ἔξω ἑστήκασιν, ἰδεῖν σε θέλοντες· πρὸς οὓς ἐπιπληκτικώτερον ἀποκρίνεται, εἰπών· Τίς ἐστιν ἡ μήτηρ μου, καὶ τίνες εἰσὶν οἱ ἀδελφοί μου; Ὃς γὰρ ἂν ποιήσῃ τὸ θέλημα τοῦ Πατρός μου τοῦ ἐν οὐρανοῖς, οὗτός μου ἀδελφὸς, καὶ ἀδελφὴ, καὶ
Pōs idōmen tous pote synoikous hēmōn, ē syngeneis, erchomenous pros hēmas APOKRISIS Hōs ho Kyrios edeixe, kai edidaxen, hote apēngelē autǭ hoti, Hē mētēr sou kai hoi adelphoi sou exō hestēkasin, idein se thelontes; pros hous epiplēktikōteron apokrinetai, eipōn; Tis estin hē mētēr mou, kai tines eisin hoi adelphoi mou? Hos gar an poiēsę̄ to thelēma tou Patros mou tou en ouranois, houtos mou adelphos, kai adelphē, kai
Question. How should we regard those who were once of our household, or our kin, when they come to us?
Answer. As the Lord showed and taught when it was announced to him, “Your mother and your brothers are standing outside, wishing to see you”: he answered them rather reprovingly, saying, “Who is my mother, and who are my brothers? For whoever does the will of my Father in heaven, he is my brother and sister and [mother].”
Textual problem in this passage: see the notes.
Matt 12:47–50 (quotation, high confidence) · Luke 8:20 (quotation, medium confidence)
Notes and citation
Summary: Relatives who visit should be regarded as the Lord regarded his own, counting as kin only those who do the will of God.
- The last word of the quotation is lost in the scan text and supplied in brackets.
Cite (SBL): Basil, Reg. brev. 188 (PG 31:1207; trans. Sophia Scriptura, https://sophiascriptura.com/p/basil-regulae-brevius/188). (abbreviation not yet checked)
Permanent link: https://sophiascriptura.com/p/basil-regulae-brevius/188
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Translation: Translated by Claude (Opus) from the Greek as printed in Migne PG 31 (Bavarian State Library OCR); no public-domain English exists, so every sentence was re-read against the Greek in a separate review pass.
Chapter 189
189PG 31:1209
Ἐαν δὲ καὶ παρακαλῶσι θέλοντες ἀπαγαγεῖν ἡμᾶς εἰς τὰ ἴδια, εἰ χρὴ αὐτῶν ἀνέχεσθαι. ΑΠΟΚΡΙΣΙΣ. Εἰ μὲν διὰ οἰκοδομὴν τῆς πίστεως, ὁ δυνάμενος οὕτως ἀπελθεῖν μετὰ δοκιμασίας πεμπέσθω· εἰ δὲ διὰ καθῆκον ἀνθρώπινον, ἀκουέτω τοῦ Κυρίου λέγοντος πρὸς τὸν εἰπόντα· Ἐπίτρεψόν μοι ἀπελθεῖν, καὶ ἀποτάξασθαι τοῖς εἰς τὸν οἶκόν μου· Οὐδεὶς ἐπιβαλὼν τὴν χεῖρα αὐτοῦ ἐπ᾿ ἄροτρον, καὶ βλέπων εἰς τὰ ὀπίσω, εὔθετός ἐστιν εἰς τὴν βασιλείαν τοῦ Θεοῦ. Εἰ δὲ περὶ τοῦ ἀποτάξασθαι ἅπαξ θελήσαντος τοιοῦτον τὸ κρίμα, τί χρὴ λέγειν περὶ τούτου;
Ean de kai parakalōsi thelontes apagagein hēmas eis ta idia, ei chrē autōn anechesthai. APOKRISIS. Ei men dia oikodomēn tēs pisteōs, ho dynamenos houtōs apelthein meta dokimasias pempesthō; ei de dia kathēkon anthrōpinon, akouetō tou Kyriou legontos pros ton eiponta; Epitrepson moi apelthein, kai apotaxasthai tois eis ton oikon mou; Oudeis epibalōn tēn cheira autou ep᾿ arotron, kai blepōn eis ta opisō, euthetos estin eis tēn basileian tou Theou. Ei de peri tou apotaxasthai hapax thelēsantos toiouton to krima, ti chrē legein peri toutou?
Question. And if they even entreat us, wishing to take us off to their homes, should we put up with them?
Answer. If it is for the building up of faith, let one who is able to go in that way be sent after testing. But if it is for a human duty, let him hear the Lord, who says to the man who said, “Let me go and say farewell to those at my home”: “No one who puts his hand to the plough and looks back is fit for the kingdom of God.” And if such is the judgment on one who wished only to say farewell once, what should be said of this?
Luke 9:61–62 (quotation, high confidence)
Notes and citation
Summary: A brother may visit his family's home only to build up faith, and then only if sent; going for mere social duty is looking back from the plough.
Notes on the original text
- Digital text corrected (OCR breathing): ἀπαξ θελήσαντος → ἅπαξ θελήσαντος.
Cite (SBL): Basil, Reg. brev. 189 (PG 31:1209; trans. Sophia Scriptura, https://sophiascriptura.com/p/basil-regulae-brevius/189). (abbreviation not yet checked)
Permanent link: https://sophiascriptura.com/p/basil-regulae-brevius/189
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Translation: Translated by Claude (Opus) from the Greek as printed in Migne PG 31 (Bavarian State Library OCR); no public-domain English exists, so every sentence was re-read against the Greek in a separate review pass.
Chapter 190
190PG 31:1209
Εἰ δεῖ ἐλεεῖν τοὺς κατὰ σάρκα οἰκείους, ἐπιθυμοῦντας τὴν σωτηρίαν αὐτῶν ΑΠΟΚΡΙΣΙΣ. Ὁ γεγεννημένος ἐκ τοῦ Πνεύματος κατὰ τὴν τοῦ Κυρίου φωνὴν, καὶ ἐξουσίαν λαβὼν γενέσθαι τέκνον Θεοῦ, συγγένειαν μὲν τὴν κατὰ σάρκα ἐπαισχύνεται, οἰκείους δὲ γνωρίζει τοὺς οἰκείους τῆς πίστεως ὑπὸ τοῦ Κυρίου μαρτυρουμένους, εἰπόντος· Μήτηρ μου καὶ ἀδελφοί μου οὗτοί εἰσιν, οἱ τὸν λόγον τοῦ Θεοῦ ἀκούοντες, καὶ ποιοῦντες. Καὶ ἐλεείτω οὗτος πάντας μὲν τοὺς μακρυνομένους ἀπὸ τοῦ Κυρίου· καὶ τοὺς συγγενεῖς δὲ, τοὺς κατὰ σάρκα ὡς πάντας. Εἰ δὲ τις τούτοις πλέον τι προσπάσχων συνήγορον ἔχειν οἴεται τοῦ ἰδίου πάθους τὸν Ἀπόστολον λέγοντα· Ηὐχόμην γὰρ αὐτὸς ἐγὼ ἀνάθεμα εἶναι ἀπὸ τοῦ Χριστοῦ ὑπὲρ τῶν ἀδελφῶν μου τῶν συγγενῶν μου κατὰ σάρκα· μανθανέτω ὁ τοιοῦτος ἐκ τῶν ἐπιφερομένων, ὅτι οὐ τὴν συγγένειαν τὴν κατὰ σάρκα, ἀλλὰ τὸν Ἰσραὴλ καὶ τὰ εἰς αὐτὸν ἐξαίρετα τοῦ Θεοῦ ὁ ᾿Απόστολος τιμᾷ· οὐδ᾽ ἐπειδήπερ συγγενεῖς αὐτοῦ οἱ Ἰσραηλῖται, ἀλλ᾽ ἐπειδὴ Ἰσραηλῖται ἦσαν οἱ κατὰ σάρκα συγγενεῖς, καὶ ἐπειδὴ τοσούτων καὶ τοιούτων παρὰ Θεοῦ κατηξιώθησαν. Ἐπειδὴ αὐτῶν μὲν ἦν ἡ υἱοθεσία καὶ ἡ δόξα, αὐτῶν δὲ ἡ νομοθεσία καὶ ἡ λατρεία· ἐπειδὴ αὐτοῖς μὲν αἱ διαθῆκαι, καὶ αἱ ἐπαγγελίαι, αὐτῶν δὲ οἱ πατέρες· ἐπειδὴ ἐξ αὐτῶν ὁ Χριστὸς τὸ κατὰ σάρκα, τοσούτου τιμᾶται αὐτῶν τὴν σωτηρίαν· οὐκ εἰς τὴν συγγένειαν ἀποβλέπων, ἀλλ᾽ εἰς τὴν τοῦ Κυρίου ὑπὲρ αὐτῶν ἐνανθρώπησιν τοῦ εἰπόντος· Οὐκ ἀπεστάλην εἰ μὴ εἰς τὰ πρόβατα τὰ ἀπολωλότα οἴκου
Ei dei eleein tous kata sarka oikeious, epithymountas tēn sōtērian autōn APOKRISIS. Ho gegennēmenos ek tou Pneumatos kata tēn tou Kyriou phōnēn, kai exousian labōn genesthai teknon Theou, syngeneian men tēn kata sarka epaischynetai, oikeious de gnōrizei tous oikeious tēs pisteōs hypo tou Kyriou martyroumenous, eipontos; Mētēr mou kai adelphoi mou houtoi eisin, hoi ton logon tou Theou akouontes, kai poiountes. Kai eleeitō houtos pantas men tous makrynomenous apo tou Kyriou; kai tous syngeneis de, tous kata sarka hōs pantas. Ei de tis toutois pleon ti prospaschōn synēgoron echein oietai tou idiou pathous ton Apostolon legonta; Ēuchomēn gar autos egō anathema einai apo tou Christou hyper tōn adelphōn mou tōn syngenōn mou kata sarka; manthanetō ho toioutos ek tōn epipheromenōn, hoti ou tēn syngeneian tēn kata sarka, alla ton Israēl kai ta eis auton exaireta tou Theou ho ᾿Apostolos timą; oud᾽ epeidēper syngeneis autou hoi Israēlitai, all᾽ epeidē Israēlitai ēsan hoi kata sarka syngeneis, kai epeidē tosoutōn kai toioutōn para Theou katēxiōthēsan. Epeidē autōn men ēn hē huiothesia kai hē doxa, autōn de hē nomothesia kai hē latreia; epeidē autois men hai diathēkai, kai hai epangeliai, autōn de hoi pateres; epeidē ex autōn ho Christos to kata sarka, tosoutou timatai autōn tēn sōtērian; ouk eis tēn syngeneian apoblepōn, all᾽ eis tēn tou Kyriou hyper autōn enanthrōpēsin tou eipontos; Ouk apestalēn ei mē eis ta probata ta apolōlota oikou
Question. Whether we should have pity on our relatives according to the flesh, desiring their salvation.
Answer. One who has been born of the Spirit, according to the Lord's word, and has received power to become a child of God, is ashamed of kinship according to the flesh, and recognizes as his own those who belong to the household of faith, to whom the Lord bears witness, saying: “My mother and my brothers are these who hear the word of God and do it.” And let him have pity on all who are far from the Lord, and on his kin according to the flesh as on all. But if someone, being more attached to them, thinks he has the Apostle as an advocate of his own passion, when he says, “For I could wish that I myself were accursed from Christ for my brothers, my kinsmen according to the flesh,” let such a one learn from what follows that it is not kinship according to the flesh that the Apostle honours, but Israel and God's special gifts to it; not because the Israelites were his kin, but because his kin according to the flesh were Israelites, and because they had been counted worthy of so many and such great things from God. Since theirs was the adoption and the glory, theirs the giving of the law and the worship; since to them belonged the covenants and the promises, and theirs were the fathers; since from them is the Christ according to the flesh, he values their salvation so highly, looking not to kinship but to the Lord's becoming man for their sake, who said: “I was not sent except to the lost sheep of the house [of Israel].”
John 3:5–6 (allusion, high confidence) · John 1:12 (allusion, high confidence) · Gal 6:10 (allusion, medium confidence) · Luke 8:21 (quotation, high confidence) · Rom 9:3–5 (quotation, high confidence) · Matt 15:24 (quotation, high confidence)
Notes and citation
Summary: One born of the Spirit is ashamed of fleshly kinship and counts as kin those who do God's word, pitying his relatives as he pities all; Paul's love for his kinsmen was for Israel's place in God's plan, not for blood ties.
- The answer breaks off in the scan text inside the quotation of Matt 15:24; the last words are supplied in brackets.
Cite (SBL): Basil, Reg. brev. 190 (PG 31:1209; trans. Sophia Scriptura, https://sophiascriptura.com/p/basil-regulae-brevius/190). (abbreviation not yet checked)
Permanent link: https://sophiascriptura.com/p/basil-regulae-brevius/190
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Translation: Translated by Claude (Opus) from the Greek as printed in Migne PG 31 (Bavarian State Library OCR); no public-domain English exists, so every sentence was re-read against the Greek in a separate review pass.
Chapter 191
191PG 31:1211
Τις ἐστιν ὁ πραὺς. ΑΠΟΚΡΙΣΙΣ. Ὁ ἀμετάθετος ἐν ταῖς κρίσεσι τῶν πρὸς εὐαρέστησιν Θεοῦ σπουδαζομένων.
Tis estin ho praus. APOKRISIS. Ho ametathetos en tais krisesi tōn pros euarestēsin Theou spoudazomenōn.
Question. Who is the meek man?
Answer. One who is unchangeable in his judgments about what is to be striven for so as to please God.
Matt 5:5 (allusion, medium confidence)
Notes and citation
Summary: The meek man is one who stands unmoved in his judgments about what pleases God.
Cite (SBL): Basil, Reg. brev. 191 (PG 31:1211; trans. Sophia Scriptura, https://sophiascriptura.com/p/basil-regulae-brevius/191). (abbreviation not yet checked)
Permanent link: https://sophiascriptura.com/p/basil-regulae-brevius/191
BibTeX · RIS · CSL-JSON (whole work; this passage's key: sophiascriptura-basil-regulae-brevius-191) · Report an error
Translation: Translated by Claude (Opus) from the Greek as printed in Migne PG 31 (Bavarian State Library OCR); no public-domain English exists, so every sentence was re-read against the Greek in a separate review pass.
Chapter 192
192PG 31:1211
Τις ἐστιν ἡ λύπη ἡ κατὰ Θεον, καὶ τίς ἡ τοῦ κόσμου. ΑΠΟΚΡΙΣΙΣ. Ἡ μὲν κατὰ Θεὸν, ὅταν ἐντολῆς Θεοῦ παροφθείσης λυπηθῇ τις, κατὰ τὸ γεγραμμένον· ᾿Αθυμία κατέσχε με ἀπὸ ἁμαρτωλῶν τῶν ἐγκαταλιμπανόντων τὸν νόμον σου· ἡ δὲ τοῦ κόσμου, ὅταν τι ἀνθρώπινον καὶ τοῦ κόσμου ἄξιον ᾗ τὸ λυποῦν.
Tis estin hē lypē hē kata Theon, kai tis hē tou kosmou. APOKRISIS. Hē men kata Theon, hotan entolēs Theou parophtheisēs lypēthę̄ tis, kata to gegrammenon; ᾿Athymia katesche me apo hamartōlōn tōn enkatalimpanontōn ton nomon sou; hē de tou kosmou, hotan ti anthrōpinon kai tou kosmou axion hę̄ to lypoun.
Question. What is godly grief, and what is the grief of the world?
Answer. It is godly grief when someone is grieved because a commandment of God has been disregarded, according to what is written: “Despondency took hold of me because of the sinners who forsake your law”; and it is the grief of the world when what grieves is something human and worthy of the world.
2 Cor 7:10 (allusion, high confidence) · Ps 119:53 (118:53 LXX) (quotation, high confidence)
Notes and citation
Summary: Godly grief is sorrow over disregard of God's commandments; worldly grief is sorrow over human, worldly things.
Notes on the original text
- Digital text corrected (split word): παροφθεί σης → παροφθείσης.
Cite (SBL): Basil, Reg. brev. 192 (PG 31:1211; trans. Sophia Scriptura, https://sophiascriptura.com/p/basil-regulae-brevius/192). (abbreviation not yet checked)
Permanent link: https://sophiascriptura.com/p/basil-regulae-brevius/192
BibTeX · RIS · CSL-JSON (whole work; this passage's key: sophiascriptura-basil-regulae-brevius-192) · Report an error
Translation: Translated by Claude (Opus) from the Greek as printed in Migne PG 31 (Bavarian State Library OCR); no public-domain English exists, so every sentence was re-read against the Greek in a separate review pass.
Chapter 193
193PG 31:1211
Ποία ἡ ἐν Κυρίῳ χαρά· καὶ τί ἐὰν ποιῶμεν χαίρειν ὀφείλομεν. ΑΠΟΚΡΙΣΙΣ. Τὸ ἐπὶ τοῖς κατ᾿ ἐντολὴν τοῦ Κυρίου εἰς δόξαν Θεοῦ γινομένοις χαίρειν ἡ ἐν Κυρίῳ χαρά ἐστιν. Ὅταν οὖν τὰς ἐντολὰς τοῦ Κυρίου ποιῶμεν, ἢ διὰ τὸ ὄνομα τοῦ Κυρίου πάσχωμέν τι, χαίρειν καὶ συγχαίρειν ἀλλήλοις ὀφείλομεν.
Poia hē en Kyriǭ chara; kai ti ean poiōmen chairein opheilomen. APOKRISIS. To epi tois kat᾿ entolēn tou Kyriou eis doxan Theou ginomenois chairein hē en Kyriǭ chara estin. Hotan oun tas entolas tou Kyriou poiōmen, ē dia to onoma tou Kyriou paschōmen ti, chairein kai synchairein allēlois opheilomen.
Question. What is joy in the Lord, and in doing what ought we to rejoice?
Answer. To rejoice in what is done according to the Lord's commandment, to the glory of God, is joy in the Lord. When, then, we do the Lord's commandments, or suffer anything for the Lord's name, we ought to rejoice and to rejoice with one another.
Phil 4:4 (allusion, medium confidence) · Acts 5:41 (allusion, medium confidence)
Notes and citation
Summary: Joy in the Lord is joy in what is done by his commandment for God's glory, and in suffering for his name.
Cite (SBL): Basil, Reg. brev. 193 (PG 31:1211; trans. Sophia Scriptura, https://sophiascriptura.com/p/basil-regulae-brevius/193). (abbreviation not yet checked)
Permanent link: https://sophiascriptura.com/p/basil-regulae-brevius/193
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Translation: Translated by Claude (Opus) from the Greek as printed in Migne PG 31 (Bavarian State Library OCR); no public-domain English exists, so every sentence was re-read against the Greek in a separate review pass.
Chapter 194
194PG 31:1211
Ποῖον πένθος ἀναλάβωμεν, ἵνα καταξιωθῶμεν τοῦ μακαρισμοῦ. ΑΠΟΚΡΙΣΙΣ. Ἐμπεριέχεται τοῦτο τὸ ἐρώτημα τῇ κατὰ Θεὸν λύπῃ· ὅταν ἐπὶ τοῖς ἡμαρτημένοις πενθῶμεν, ἤτοι διὰ τὴν ἀτιμίαν τοῦ Θεοῦ, ὅτι διὰ τῆς παραβάσεως τοῦ νόμου τὸν Θεόν τις ἀτιμάζει, ἢ διὰ τοὺς κινδυνεύοντας ἐν ἁμαρτίᾳ. Ψυχὴ γὰρ, φησὶν, ἡ ἁμαρτάνουσα, αὕτη ἀποθανεῖται· μιμούμενοι τὸν εἰρηκότα· Καὶ πενθήσω πολλοὺς τῶν προημαρτηκότων.
Poion penthos analabōmen, hina kataxiōthōmen tou makarismou. APOKRISIS. Emperiechetai touto to erōtēma tę̄ kata Theon lypę̄; hotan epi tois hēmartēmenois penthōmen, ētoi dia tēn atimian tou Theou, hoti dia tēs parabaseōs tou nomou ton Theon tis atimazei, ē dia tous kindyneuontas en hamartią. Psychē gar, phēsin, hē hamartanousa, hautē apothaneitai; mimoumenoi ton eirēkota; Kai penthēsō pollous tōn proēmartēkotōn.
Question. What mourning shall we take up, so as to be counted worthy of the blessing?
Answer. This question is included in godly grief: when we mourn over sins committed, either because of the dishonour to God, since through transgression of the law one dishonours God, or because of those in danger in sin. “For the soul that sins,” it says, “it shall die”; imitating him who said, “And I shall mourn over many of those who have sinned before.”
Matt 5:4 (allusion, high confidence) · Rom 2:23 (allusion, high confidence) · Ezek 18:4 (quotation, high confidence) · 2 Cor 12:21 (quotation, high confidence)
Notes and citation
Summary: The blessed mourning is grief over sins, for the dishonour they bring to God and for those in danger of death through sin.
Cite (SBL): Basil, Reg. brev. 194 (PG 31:1211; trans. Sophia Scriptura, https://sophiascriptura.com/p/basil-regulae-brevius/194). (abbreviation not yet checked)
Permanent link: https://sophiascriptura.com/p/basil-regulae-brevius/194
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Translation: Translated by Claude (Opus) from the Greek as printed in Migne PG 31 (Bavarian State Library OCR); no public-domain English exists, so every sentence was re-read against the Greek in a separate review pass.
Chapter 195
195PG 31:1211
Πῶς πάντα εἰς δόξαν Θεοῦ ποιεῖ τις. ΑΠΟΚΡΙΣΙΣ Ὅταν πάντα διὰ Θεὸν κατ' ἐντολὴν Θεοῦ ποιῇ, καὶ ἐν μηδενὶ περιβλέπηται τοὺς παρὰ τῶν ἀνθρώπων ἐπαίνους· πανταχοῦ δὲ μνημονεύῃ τοῦ Κυρίου εἰπόντος· Οὕτω λαμψάτω τὸ φῶς ὑμῶν ἔμπροσθεν τῶν ἀνθρώπων, ὅπως ἴδωσιν ὑμῶν τὰ καλὰ ἔργα, καὶ δοξάσωσι τὸν Πατέρα ὑμῶν τὸν ἐν τοῖς οὐρανοῖς.
Pōs panta eis doxan Theou poiei tis. APOKRISIS Hotan panta dia Theon kat' entolēn Theou poię̄, kai en mēdeni periblepētai tous para tōn anthrōpōn epainous; pantachou de mnēmoneuę̄ tou Kyriou eipontos; Houtō lampsatō to phōs hymōn emprosthen tōn anthrōpōn, hopōs idōsin hymōn ta kala erga, kai doxasōsi ton Patera hymōn ton en tois ouranois.
Question. How does one do all things to the glory of God?
Answer. When he does all things for God's sake, according to God's commandment, and in nothing looks around for the praises of men; but everywhere remembers the Lord, who said: “So let your light shine before men, that they may see your good works and glorify your Father who is in heaven.”
1 Cor 10:31 (allusion, high confidence) · Matt 5:16 (quotation, high confidence)
Notes and citation
Summary: One does all to God's glory by acting for God and by his command, never seeking human praise, so that others glorify the Father.
Cite (SBL): Basil, Reg. brev. 195 (PG 31:1211; trans. Sophia Scriptura, https://sophiascriptura.com/p/basil-regulae-brevius/195). (abbreviation not yet checked)
Permanent link: https://sophiascriptura.com/p/basil-regulae-brevius/195
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Translation: Translated by Claude (Opus) from the Greek as printed in Migne PG 31 (Bavarian State Library OCR); no public-domain English exists, so every sentence was re-read against the Greek in a separate review pass.
Chapter 196
196PG 31:1211
Πῶς ἐσθίει τις, καὶ πίνει εἰς δόξαν Θεοῦ. ΑΠΟΚΡΙΣΙΣ, Ἐν τῇ μνήμῃ τοῦ εὐεργέτου, καὶ ἐν τῇ τοιάδε διαθέσει τῆς ψυχῆς, μαρτυρουμένῃ ἐκ τῆς τοῦ σώματος καταστάσεως, ὅτι οὐχ ὡς ἀμέριμνος ἐσθίει, ἀλλ᾿ ὡς ἔχων ἐπόπτην Θεόν· καὶ ἐν τῷ σκοπῷ δὲ τῆς μεταλήψεως, ὅταν μὴ ὡς δοῦλος γαστρὸς δι' ἡδονὴν ἐσθίει, ἀλλ᾽ ὡς ἐργάτης Θεοῦ, διὰ τὴν ἐν τοῖς κατ᾿ ἐντολὴν τοῦ Χριστοῦ ἔργοις εὐτονίαν.
Pōs esthiei tis, kai pinei eis doxan Theou. APOKRISIS, En tę̄ mnēmę̄ tou euergetou, kai en tę̄ toiade diathesei tēs psychēs, martyroumenę̄ ek tēs tou sōmatos katastaseōs, hoti ouch hōs amerimnos esthiei, all᾿ hōs echōn epoptēn Theon; kai en tǭ skopǭ de tēs metalēpseōs, hotan mē hōs doulos gastros di' hēdonēn esthiei, all᾽ hōs ergatēs Theou, dia tēn en tois kat᾿ entolēn tou Christou ergois eutonian.
Question. How does one eat and drink to the glory of God?
Answer. In remembrance of the Benefactor, and in such a disposition of soul, attested by the bearing of the body, that he eats not as one without care but as one who has God as overseer; and in the aim of partaking, when he eats not as a slave of the belly for pleasure, but as God's workman, for strength in the works done according to Christ's commandment.
1 Cor 10:31 (allusion, high confidence)
Notes and citation
Summary: One eats to God's glory by remembering the Giver, eating reverently under God's eye, and eating for strength to do Christ's work rather than for pleasure.
Notes on the original text
- Digital text corrected (column letter; stray letter): τοῦ Α σώματος → τοῦ σώματος; ἐν τῷ ἡ σκοπῷ → ἐν τῷ σκοπῷ.
Cite (SBL): Basil, Reg. brev. 196 (PG 31:1211; trans. Sophia Scriptura, https://sophiascriptura.com/p/basil-regulae-brevius/196). (abbreviation not yet checked)
Permanent link: https://sophiascriptura.com/p/basil-regulae-brevius/196
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Translation: Translated by Claude (Opus) from the Greek as printed in Migne PG 31 (Bavarian State Library OCR); no public-domain English exists, so every sentence was re-read against the Greek in a separate review pass.
Chapter 197
197PG 31:1213
Πῶς ποιεῖ ἡ δεξιὰ, ἵνα μὴ γινώσκῃ ἡ ἀριστερά ΑΠΟΚΡΙΣΙΣ. Όταν ἀμετεωρίστῳ καὶ τεταμένῃ ἐπιθυμίᾳ τῆς πρὸς Θεὸν εὐαρεστήσεως ὁ νοῦς ἐξ ὁλοκλήρου ἀγωνιῶν μὴ ἐκπέσῃ τοῦ προσήκοντος, ἀγωνίζηται νομίμως. Τότε οὐδενὸς, οὔτε μέλους ἑτέρου λαμβάνει ἔννοιαν, εἰ μὴ μόνον τοῦ χρησιμεύοντος εἰς τὸ προκείμενον· ὡς ὁ τεχνίτης καθ᾽ ἕκαστον ἔργον μόνῳ ἐμβλέπων τῷ χρησιμεύοντι αὐτῷ ὀργάνῳ.
Pōs poiei hē dexia, hina mē ginōskę̄ hē aristera APOKRISIS. Otan ameteōristǭ kai tetamenę̄ epithymią tēs pros Theon euarestēseōs ho nous ex holoklērou agōniōn mē ekpesę̄ tou prosēkontos, agōnizētai nomimōs. Tote oudenos, oute melous heterou lambanei ennoian, ei mē monon tou chrēsimeuontos eis to prokeimenon; hōs ho technitēs kath᾽ hekaston ergon monǭ emblepōn tǭ chrēsimeuonti autǭ organǭ.
Question. How does the right hand act so that the left hand does not know?
Answer. When the mind, with an undistracted and intent desire to please God, is wholly anxious not to fall short of what is fitting, and contends lawfully. Then it takes no thought of anything, nor of any other member, except only of what serves the matter in hand; as a craftsman in each work looks only at the tool that serves him.
Matt 6:3 (allusion, high confidence) · 2 Tim 2:5 (allusion, medium confidence)
Notes and citation
Summary: The right hand acts unknown to the left when the mind is wholly intent on pleasing God, attending only to the task, as a craftsman looks only at the tool in use.
Cite (SBL): Basil, Reg. brev. 197 (PG 31:1213; trans. Sophia Scriptura, https://sophiascriptura.com/p/basil-regulae-brevius/197). (abbreviation not yet checked)
Permanent link: https://sophiascriptura.com/p/basil-regulae-brevius/197
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Translation: Translated by Claude (Opus) from the Greek as printed in Migne PG 31 (Bavarian State Library OCR); no public-domain English exists, so every sentence was re-read against the Greek in a separate review pass.
Chapter 198
198PG 31:1213
Τίς ἐστι ταπεινοφροσύνη, καὶ πῶς αὐτὴν κατορθώσομεν. ΑΠΟΚΡΙΣΙΣ. Ταπεινοφροσύνη μέν ἐστι τὸ πάντας ἡγεῖσθαι ὑπερέχοντας ἑαυτοῦ, κατὰ τὸν ὅρον τοῦ Ἀποστόλου Κατορθοῖ δὲ τις αὐτὴν πρῶτον μὲν, ἐὰν μνημονεύσῃ τῆς ἐντολῆς τοῦ Κυρίου εἰπόντος· Μάθετε ἀπ᾿ ἐμοῦ, ὅτι πρᾶὸς εἰμι καὶ ταπεινὸς τῇ καρδίᾳ (ὅπερ πολλαχοῦ καὶ πολυτρόπως καὶ ἔδειξε, καὶ ἐδίδαξε)· καὶ πιστεύσῃ αὐτῷ ἐπαγγειλαμένῳ, ὅτι Ὁ ταπεινῶν ἑαυτὸν ὑψωθήσεται· ἔπειτα, ἐὰν δι᾽ ὁμαλοῦ καὶ ἀδιαστάτως τοῖς τῆς ταπεινοφροσύνης ἐπιτηδεύμασιν ἐν παντὶ πράγματι ἐμμελετήσῃ καὶ συγγυμνάσηται. Μόλις γὰρ οὕτω δυνήσεται τῇ διηνεκεῖ μελέτῃ ἀναλαβεῖν τὴν ἕξιν τῆς ταπεινοφροσύνης· ὥσπερ καὶ ἐπὶ τῶν τεχνῶν γίνεσθαι εἴωθεν. Ὁ δὲ αὐτὸς τρόπος τῆς κατορθώσεως καὶ ἐπὶ πάσης ἀρετῆς τῆς κατ᾿ ἐντολὴν τοῦ Κυρίου ἡμῶν Ἰησοῦ Χριστοῦ.
Tis esti tapeinophrosynē, kai pōs autēn katorthōsomen. APOKRISIS. Tapeinophrosynē men esti to pantas hēgeisthai hyperechontas heautou, kata ton horon tou Apostolou Katorthoi de tis autēn prōton men, ean mnēmoneusę̄ tēs entolēs tou Kyriou eipontos; Mathete ap᾿ emou, hoti praos eimi kai tapeinos tę̄ kardią (hoper pollachou kai polytropōs kai edeixe, kai edidaxe); kai pisteusę̄ autǭ epangeilamenǭ, hoti Ho tapeinōn heauton hypsōthēsetai; epeita, ean di᾽ homalou kai adiastatōs tois tēs tapeinophrosynēs epitēdeumasin en panti pragmati emmeletēsę̄ kai syngymnasētai. Molis gar houtō dynēsetai tę̄ diēnekei meletę̄ analabein tēn hexin tēs tapeinophrosynēs; hōsper kai epi tōn technōn ginesthai eiōthen. Ho de autos tropos tēs katorthōseōs kai epi pasēs aretēs tēs kat᾿ entolēn tou Kyriou hēmōn Iēsou Christou.
Question. What is humility, and how shall we achieve it?
Answer. Humility is to count all others better than oneself, according to the Apostle's definition. One achieves it, first, if he remembers the commandment of the Lord, who said, “Learn from me, for I am meek and lowly in heart” (which he both showed and taught in many places and in many ways), and believes him who promised, “He who humbles himself will be exalted”; then, if steadily and without interruption he practises and exercises himself in the habits of humility in every matter. For only thus, by continual practice, will he be able to take on the settled habit of humility, as usually happens with the crafts too. And the same way of achieving it holds for every virtue according to the commandment of our Lord Jesus Christ.
Phil 2:3 (allusion, high confidence) · Matt 11:29 (quotation, high confidence) · Luke 14:11 (quotation, high confidence)
Notes and citation
Summary: Humility is counting all others better than oneself; it is gained by remembering Christ's lowliness and promise and by constant practice until it becomes a habit, as with every virtue.
Notes on the original text
- Digital text corrected (split word): ὑπερ. έχοντας → ὑπερέχοντας.
Cite (SBL): Basil, Reg. brev. 198 (PG 31:1213; trans. Sophia Scriptura, https://sophiascriptura.com/p/basil-regulae-brevius/198). (abbreviation not yet checked)
Permanent link: https://sophiascriptura.com/p/basil-regulae-brevius/198
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Translation: Translated by Claude (Opus) from the Greek as printed in Migne PG 31 (Bavarian State Library OCR); no public-domain English exists, so every sentence was re-read against the Greek in a separate review pass.
Chapter 199
199PG 31:1213
Πῶς ἄν τις προθυμηθείη καὶ προς κινδύνους ὑπὲρ τῆς ἐντολῆς τοῦ Κυρίου παραβουλεύεσθαι ΑΠΟΚΡΙΣΙΣ. Πρῶτον μὲν ὑπομνησθεὶς, ὅτι αὐτὸς ὁ Κύριος ὑπὲρ ἡμῶν ὑπήκουσε τῷ Πατρὶ μέχρι θανάτου εἶτα πληροφορηθεὶς τὴν δύναμιν τῆς ἐντολῆς, ὅτι ζωὴ αἰώνιός ἐστι, καθὼς γέγραπται· ἔπειτα, πιστεύσας τῷ Κυρίῳ εἰπόντι· Ὃς ἐὰν θέλῃ τὴν ψυχὴν αὐτοῦ σῶσαι, ἀπολέσει αὐτήν· ὃς δ᾽ ἂν ἀπολέσῃ τὴν ψυχὴν αὐτοῦ ἕνεκεν ἐμοῦ καὶ τοῦ Εὐαγγελίου, οὗτος σώσει αὐτήν.
Pōs an tis prothymētheiē kai pros kindynous hyper tēs entolēs tou Kyriou parabouleuesthai APOKRISIS. Prōton men hypomnēstheis, hoti autos ho Kyrios hyper hēmōn hypēkouse tǭ Patri mechri thanatou eita plērophorētheis tēn dynamin tēs entolēs, hoti zōē aiōnios esti, kathōs gegraptai; epeita, pisteusas tǭ Kyriǭ eiponti; Hos ean thelę̄ tēn psychēn autou sōsai, apolesei autēn; hos d᾽ an apolesę̄ tēn psychēn autou heneken emou kai tou Euangeliou, houtos sōsei autēn.
Question. How might one become eager even to risk dangers for the Lord's commandment?
Answer. First, by being reminded that the Lord himself obeyed the Father for us unto death; then, by being fully assured of the power of the commandment, that it is eternal life, as it is written; and then, by believing the Lord, who said: “Whoever wishes to save his life will lose it; but whoever loses his life for my sake and the Gospel's will save it.”
Phil 2:8 (allusion, high confidence) · John 12:50 (allusion, high confidence) · Mark 8:35 (quotation, high confidence)
Notes and citation
Summary: Courage to risk danger for the commandment comes from remembering Christ's obedience unto death, trusting that his commandment is eternal life, and believing his promise that whoever loses his life for him will save it.
Topics: Martyrdom
Cite (SBL): Basil, Reg. brev. 199 (PG 31:1213; trans. Sophia Scriptura, https://sophiascriptura.com/p/basil-regulae-brevius/199). (abbreviation not yet checked)
Permanent link: https://sophiascriptura.com/p/basil-regulae-brevius/199
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Translation: Translated by Claude (Opus) from the Greek as printed in Migne PG 31 (Bavarian State Library OCR); no public-domain English exists, so every sentence was re-read against the Greek in a separate review pass.
Chapter 200
200PG 31:1215
Οἱ προκαμόντες ἐν τῷ ἔργῳ τοῦ Θεοῦ, πῶς δύνανται ὠφελεῖν τοὺς ἄρτι προσερχομένους. ΑΠΟΚΡΙΣΙΣ. Εἰ μὲν ἰσχύουσι κατὰ τὸ σῶμα, ἐν τῷ τὸ ἄοκνον τῆς σπουδῆς ἐπιδείκνυσθαι, καὶ τύπον ἑαυτοὺς παρέχειν παντὸς κατορθώματος· εἰ δὲ ἀσθενοῦσιν, ἐν τῇ τοιαύτῃ καταστάσει τῆς ψυχῆς, ὡς ἐπιφαίνεσθαι τῷ τε προσώπῳ καὶ παντὶ κινήματι τὴν πληροφορίαν τῆς τοῦ Θεοῦ ἐποψίας, καὶ τῆς τοῦ Κυρίου παρουσίας· καὶ ἐν τοῖς ἀπηριθμημένοις ὑπὸ τοῦ ᾿Αποστόλου ἰδιώμασι τῆς ἀγάπης, εἰπόντος· Ἡ ἀγάπη μακροθυμεῖ, χρηστεύεται, οὐ ζηλοῖ, οὐ περπερεύεται, οὐ φυσιοῦται, οὐκ ἀσχημονεῖ, οὐ ζητεῖ τὰ ἑαυτῆς, οὐ παροξύνεται, οὐ λογίζεται τὸ κακὸν, οὐ χαίρει ἐπὶ τῇ ἀδικία συγχαίρει δὲ τῇ ἀληθείᾳ· πάντα στέγει, πάντα πιστεύει, πάντα ἐλπίζει, πάντα ὑπομένει. Ἡ ἀγάπη οὐδέποτε ἐκπίπτει. Ταῦτα γὰρ πάντα καὶ ἐν ἀσθενοῦντι σώματι δυνατὸν κατορθοῦσθαι.
Hoi prokamontes en tǭ ergǭ tou Theou, pōs dynantai ōphelein tous arti proserchomenous. APOKRISIS. Ei men ischyousi kata to sōma, en tǭ to aoknon tēs spoudēs epideiknysthai, kai typon heautous parechein pantos katorthōmatos; ei de asthenousin, en tę̄ toiautę̄ katastasei tēs psychēs, hōs epiphainesthai tǭ te prosōpǭ kai panti kinēmati tēn plērophorian tēs tou Theou epopsias, kai tēs tou Kyriou parousias; kai en tois apērithmēmenois hypo tou ᾿Apostolou idiōmasi tēs agapēs, eipontos; Hē agapē makrothymei, chrēsteuetai, ou zēloi, ou perpereuetai, ou physioutai, ouk aschēmonei, ou zētei ta heautēs, ou paroxynetai, ou logizetai to kakon, ou chairei epi tę̄ adikia synchairei de tę̄ alētheią; panta stegei, panta pisteuei, panta elpizei, panta hypomenei. Hē agapē oudepote ekpiptei. Tauta gar panta kai en asthenounti sōmati dynaton katorthousthai.
Question. How can those who have laboured long in the work of God benefit those who have just come?
Answer. If they are strong in body, by showing unflagging zeal and offering themselves as a pattern of every good deed. If they are weak, by such a state of soul that the full assurance of God's oversight and of the Lord's presence shows in their face and in every movement; and in the marks of love listed by the Apostle, who said: “Love is patient, is kind; love does not envy, does not vaunt itself, is not puffed up, does not behave unbecomingly, does not seek its own, is not provoked, does not reckon evil; does not rejoice in unrighteousness, but rejoices with the truth; bears all things, believes all things, hopes all things, endures all things. Love never fails.” For all these can be achieved even in a weak body.
Titus 2:7 (allusion, medium confidence) · 1 Cor 13:4–8 (quotation, high confidence)
Notes and citation
Summary: Veterans help newcomers by their example: if strong, by tireless zeal; if weak, by a bearing that shows God's presence and by the marks of love in 1 Corinthians 13, which even a weak body can show.
Notes on the original text
- Digital text corrected (column letter inside a word; split word): παρ έχειν → παρέχειν; πληΒ ροφορίαν → πληροφορίαν.
Cite (SBL): Basil, Reg. brev. 200 (PG 31:1215; trans. Sophia Scriptura, https://sophiascriptura.com/p/basil-regulae-brevius/200). (abbreviation not yet checked)
Permanent link: https://sophiascriptura.com/p/basil-regulae-brevius/200
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Translation: Translated by Claude (Opus) from the Greek as printed in Migne PG 31 (Bavarian State Library OCR); no public-domain English exists, so every sentence was re-read against the Greek in a separate review pass.
Chapter 201
201PG 31:1215
Πῶς κατορθοῖ τις ἐν τῇ προσευχῇ τὸ ἀμετεώριστον. ΑΠΟΚΡΙΣΙΣ. Πληροφορηθεὶς πρὸ ὀφθαλμῶν εἶναι τὸν Θεόν. Εἰ γὰρ, ἄρχοντά τις ἢ προεστῶτα θεωρῶν, καὶ διαλεγόμενος αὐτῷ, ἀμετεώριστον ἔχει τὸ ὄμμα, πόσῳ μᾶλλον ὁ προσευχόμενος τῷ Θεῷ ἀμετεώριστον ἔξει τὸν νοῦν, ἀπὸ τοῦ ἐτάζοντος καρδίας καὶ νεφροὺς, πληρῶν τὸ γεγραμμένον· Ἐπαίροντας ὁσίους χεῖρας, χωρὶς ὀργῆς καὶ διαλογισμῶν.
Pōs katorthoi tis en tę̄ proseuchę̄ to ameteōriston. APOKRISIS. Plērophorētheis pro ophthalmōn einai ton Theon. Ei gar, archonta tis ē proestōta theōrōn, kai dialegomenos autǭ, ameteōriston echei to omma, posǭ mallon ho proseuchomenos tǭ Theǭ ameteōriston exei ton noun, apo tou etazontos kardias kai nephrous, plērōn to gegrammenon; Epairontas hosious cheiras, chōris orgēs kai dialogismōn.
Question. How does one achieve freedom from distraction in prayer?
Answer. By being fully assured that God is before his eyes. For if someone who sees a ruler or a superior and converses with him keeps his gaze undistracted, how much more will one who prays to God keep his mind undistracted from him who tries hearts and reins, fulfilling what is written: “Lifting up holy hands, without anger and disputing.”
Ps 7:9 (7:10 LXX) (allusion, high confidence) · 1 Tim 2:8 (quotation, high confidence)
Notes and citation
Summary: Prayer without distraction comes from being sure that God, who sees the heart, is before one's eyes, as one attends without distraction to a ruler.
Notes on the original text
- Digital text corrected (split word): ἀμετεώ ριστον → ἀμετεώριστον.
Topics: Prayer
Cite (SBL): Basil, Reg. brev. 201 (PG 31:1215; trans. Sophia Scriptura, https://sophiascriptura.com/p/basil-regulae-brevius/201). (abbreviation not yet checked)
Permanent link: https://sophiascriptura.com/p/basil-regulae-brevius/201
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Translation: Translated by Claude (Opus) from the Greek as printed in Migne PG 31 (Bavarian State Library OCR); no public-domain English exists, so every sentence was re-read against the Greek in a separate review pass.
Chapter 202
202PG 31:1215
Εἰ δυνατὸν κατορθῶσαι τὸ ἐν παντι καὶ πάντοτε ἁμετεώριστον· καὶ πῶς κατορθοῖ τις. ΑΠΟΚΡΙΣΙΣ. Ὅτι δυνατὸν, ἔδειξεν ὁ εἰπών • Οἱ ὀφθαλμοί μου διαπαντὸς πρὸς τὸν Κύριον· καὶ, Προωρώμην τὸν Κύριον ἐνώπιόν μου διαπαντὸς, ὅτι ἐκ δεξιῶν μού ἐστιν, ἵνα μὴ σαλευθῶ. Πῶς δὲ δυνατὸν, προείρηται· ὅτι ἐν τῷ μὴ διδόναι καιρὸν ἀργίας τῇ ψυχῇ ἀπὸ τῆς περὶ Θεοῦ καὶ τῶν τοῦ Θεοῦ ἔργων τε καὶ δωρεῶν ἐννοίας, καὶ τῆς ὑπὲρ πάντων
Ei dynaton katorthōsai to en panti kai pantote hameteōriston; kai pōs katorthoi tis. APOKRISIS. Hoti dynaton, edeixen ho eipōn • Hoi ophthalmoi mou diapantos pros ton Kyrion; kai, Proōrōmēn ton Kyrion enōpion mou diapantos, hoti ek dexiōn mou estin, hina mē saleuthō. Pōs de dynaton, proeirētai; hoti en tǭ mē didonai kairon argias tę̄ psychę̄ apo tēs peri Theou kai tōn tou Theou ergōn te kai dōreōn ennoias, kai tēs hyper pantōn
Question. Whether it is possible to achieve freedom from distraction in everything and at all times, and how one achieves it.
Answer. That it is possible he showed who said, “My eyes are ever toward the Lord”; and, “I set the Lord always before me, for he is at my right hand, that I may not be moved.” How it is possible has been said before: by giving the soul no time for idleness from the thought of God, of his works and gifts, and from [thanksgiving] for all …
Textual problem in this passage: see the notes.
Ps 25:15 (24:15 LXX) (quotation, high confidence) · Ps 16:8 (15:8 LXX) (quotation, high confidence)
Notes and citation
Summary: Constant freedom from distraction is possible, as the psalms show, by never letting the soul rest from thinking of God, his works, and his gifts.
- The end of the answer is lost in the scan text; the word in brackets is supplied by sense.
Notes on the original text
- Digital text corrected (stray letters): Drτὸν Κύριον → τὸν Κύριον.
Topics: Prayer
Cite (SBL): Basil, Reg. brev. 202 (PG 31:1215; trans. Sophia Scriptura, https://sophiascriptura.com/p/basil-regulae-brevius/202). (abbreviation not yet checked)
Permanent link: https://sophiascriptura.com/p/basil-regulae-brevius/202
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Translation: Translated by Claude (Opus) from the Greek as printed in Migne PG 31 (Bavarian State Library OCR); no public-domain English exists, so every sentence was re-read against the Greek in a separate review pass.
Chapter 203
203PG 31:1217
Τῶν κατ' ἐντολὴν τοῦ Κυρίου κατορθωμάτων πότερον ἓν μέτρον ἐστὶν ἐν πᾶσιν, ἢ ὁ μὲν πλεῖον ἔχει, ὁ δὲ ἔλαττον. ΑΠΟΚΡΙΣΙΣ. Ὅτι οὐκ ἔστιν ἓν μέτρον ἐν πᾶσιν, ἀλλ᾽ ὁ μὲν πλεῖον καὶ πιστεύεται καὶ ἐπιδείκνυται, ὁ δὲ ἔλαττον, δῆλον ἐκ τῶν τοῦ Κυρίου ῥημάτων, ποτὲ μὲν εἰπόντος· Ὁ δὲ ἐπὶ τὴν γῆν τὴν καλὴν σπαρεὶς, οὗτός ἐστιν ὁ τὸν λόγον ἀκούων καὶ συνιών· ὃς δὴ καρποφορεῖ, καὶ ποιεῖ ὁ μὲν ἑκατὸν, ὁ δὲ ἑξήκοντα, ὁ δὲ τριάκοντα· ὅπερ καὶ ἐπὶ τῶν τὰς μνᾶς ὑποδεξαμένων εὑρίσκεται· ποτὲ δὲ, Ω μὲν ἔδωκε πέντε τάλαντα, ᾧ δὲ δύο, ᾧ δὲ ἕν.
Tōn kat' entolēn tou Kyriou katorthōmatōn poteron hen metron estin en pasin, ē ho men pleion echei, ho de elatton. APOKRISIS. Hoti ouk estin hen metron en pasin, all᾽ ho men pleion kai pisteuetai kai epideiknytai, ho de elatton, dēlon ek tōn tou Kyriou rhēmatōn, pote men eipontos; Ho de epi tēn gēn tēn kalēn spareis, houtos estin ho ton logon akouōn kai syniōn; hos dē karpophorei, kai poiei ho men hekaton, ho de hexēkonta, ho de triakonta; hoper kai epi tōn tas mnas hypodexamenōn heurisketai; pote de, Ō men edōke pente talanta, hǭ de dyo, hǭ de hen.
Question. Of the good deeds done according to the Lord's commandment, is there one measure in all, or does one have more and another less?
Answer. That there is not one measure in all, but one is both entrusted with and shows more, another less, is clear from the Lord's words, when at one time he says, “But he who was sown on the good ground is he who hears the word and understands it, who indeed bears fruit and yields, one a hundredfold, another sixty, another thirty” (which is also found in the case of those who received the minas); and at another time, “To one he gave five talents, to another two, to another one.”
Matt 13:23 (quotation, high confidence) · Luke 19:12–27 (allusion, high confidence) · Matt 25:15 (quotation, high confidence)
Notes and citation
Summary: Not all achieve the same measure of good: as the parables of the sower, the minas, and the talents show, some are entrusted with and yield more, others less.
Cite (SBL): Basil, Reg. brev. 203 (PG 31:1217; trans. Sophia Scriptura, https://sophiascriptura.com/p/basil-regulae-brevius/203). (abbreviation not yet checked)
Permanent link: https://sophiascriptura.com/p/basil-regulae-brevius/203
BibTeX · RIS · CSL-JSON (whole work; this passage's key: sophiascriptura-basil-regulae-brevius-203) · Report an error
Translation: Translated by Claude (Opus) from the Greek as printed in Migne PG 31 (Bavarian State Library OCR); no public-domain English exists, so every sentence was re-read against the Greek in a separate review pass.
Chapter 204
204PG 31:1217
Πῶς καταξιοῦταί τις Πνεύματος ἁγίου γενέσθαι μέτοχος. ΑΠΟΚΡΙΣΙΣ. Ὁ Κύριος ἡμῶν Ἰησοῦς Χριστὸς ἐδίδαξεν, εἰπών· Ἐὰν ἀγαπᾶτέ με, τὰς ἐντολὰς τὰς ἐμὰς τηρήσατε. Καὶ ἐγὼ ἐρωτήσω τὸν Πατέρα, καὶ ἄλλον Παράκλητον δώσει ὑμῖν, ἵνα μένῃ μεθ' ὑμῶν εἰς τὸν αἰῶνα, τὸ Πνεῦμα τῆς ἀληθείας, ὃ ὁ κόσμος οὐ δύναται λαβεῖν. Ἕως οὖν οὐ τηροῦμεν πάσας τὰς ἐντολὰς τοῦ Κυρίου, οὐδέ ἐσμεν τοιοῦτοι, ὥστε μαρτυρηθῆναι ὑπ' αὐτοῦ, ὅτι Ὑμεῖς οὐκ ἐστὲ ἐκ τοῦ κόσμου τούτου, Πνεύματος ἁγίου καταξιωθῆναι μὴ προσδοκήσωμεν.
Pōs kataxioutai tis Pneumatos hagiou genesthai metochos. APOKRISIS. Ho Kyrios hēmōn Iēsous Christos edidaxen, eipōn; Ean agapate me, tas entolas tas emas tērēsate. Kai egō erōtēsō ton Patera, kai allon Paraklēton dōsei hymin, hina menę̄ meth' hymōn eis ton aiōna, to Pneuma tēs alētheias, ho ho kosmos ou dynatai labein. Heōs oun ou tēroumen pasas tas entolas tou Kyriou, oude esmen toioutoi, hōste martyrēthēnai hyp' autou, hoti Hymeis ouk este ek tou kosmou toutou, Pneumatos hagiou kataxiōthēnai mē prosdokēsōmen.
Question. How is one counted worthy to become a partaker of the Holy Spirit?
Answer. Our Lord Jesus Christ taught it, saying: “If you love me, keep my commandments. And I will ask the Father, and he will give you another Advocate, to remain with you for ever, the Spirit of truth, whom the world cannot receive.” So as long as we do not keep all the Lord's commandments, and are not such that he can testify of us, “You are not of this world,” let us not expect to be counted worthy of the Holy Spirit.
John 14:15–17 (quotation, high confidence) · John 15:19 (allusion, high confidence) · John 17:14 (allusion, medium confidence)
Notes and citation
Summary: We become partakers of the Holy Spirit by keeping all the Lord's commandments; until we are no longer of the world, we should not expect the Spirit.
Notes on the original text
- Digital text corrected (OCR letters; stray letter): ἐμῶς καταξιοῦταί → Πῶς καταξιοῦταί; καταξιωθῆναι α μὴ → καταξιωθῆναι μὴ.
Cite (SBL): Basil, Reg. brev. 204 (PG 31:1217; trans. Sophia Scriptura, https://sophiascriptura.com/p/basil-regulae-brevius/204). (abbreviation not yet checked)
Permanent link: https://sophiascriptura.com/p/basil-regulae-brevius/204
BibTeX · RIS · CSL-JSON (whole work; this passage's key: sophiascriptura-basil-regulae-brevius-204) · Report an error
Translation: Translated by Claude (Opus) from the Greek as printed in Migne PG 31 (Bavarian State Library OCR); no public-domain English exists, so every sentence was re-read against the Greek in a separate review pass.