On the Resurrection 1.47–1.54

Methodius of Olympus · On the Resurrection · late 3rd cent. (disputed) · place unknown · 7 passages

Greek text: Bonwetsch, GCS 27 (Greek text and German translation of the Old Slavonic: G. N. Bonwetsch, Methodius (GCS 27, 1917); OCR made for this site).English: Claude (claude-opus-5-5), public domain (CC0). Compare: Ante-Nicene Fathers, vol. 6 (1886).

Chapter 1

1.47Bonwetsch GCS 27:296

Εἰ πᾶν τὸ γεννώμενον νοσεῖ --- προτείνει γὰρ οὕτως ὁ ἐξ ἐναντίας — καὶ κατὰ τὴν γένεσιν καὶ κατὰ τὴν τροφὴν (ἀπὸ τῶν προσιόντων γάρ, φησίν, αὔξεται, καὶ ἀπὸ τῶν ἀπιόντων ἐλαττοῦται), τὰ δὲ μὴ γεννώμενα ὑγιαίνει, ὅτι μὴ νοσεῖ μηδὲ προσδεῖται ἢ ἐπιθυμεῖ, ἐπιθυμεῖ δὲ τὰ γεννώμενα καὶ συνουσίας καὶ τροφῆς, τὸ δὲ ἐπιθυμεῖν νοσεῖν ἔστι, τὸ δὲ μὴ δεῖσθαι μηδὲ ἐπιθυμεῖν ὑγιαίνειν, νοσεῖ δὲ τὰ γεννώμενα, ὅτι ἐπιθυμεῖ, τὰ δὲ μὴ γεννώμενα οὐ νοσεῖ, πάσχει δὲ τὰ νοσοῦντα ἢ κατὰ πλῆθος ἢ ἔνδειαν τῶν προσγινομένων καὶ ἀπογινομένων, τὸ δὲ πάσχον καὶ φθίνει καὶ ἀπόλλυται, διόπερ καὶ γεννᾶται, γεννᾶται δὲ ὁ ἄνθρωπος, — οὐ δύναται ἄρα ἀπαθὴς εἶναι ὁ ἄνθρωπος καὶ ἀθάνατος. --- καταπίπτει μὲν οὖν καὶ ἐπὶ τούτοις αὐτοῖς ὁ λόγος. εἰ γὰρ πᾶν τὸ γιγνόμενον ἢ γεννώμενον ἀπόλλυται (διαφέρει γὰρ οὐδὲν οὕτως εἰπεῖν, ἐπειδὴ καὶ οἱ πρωτόπλαστοι οὐχ ἐγεννήθησαν, ἀλλ ἐγενήθησαν), γενητοὶ δὲ καὶ οἱ ἄγγελοι καὶ αἱ ψυχαί (ὁ »ποιῶν τοὺς ἀγγέλους αὐτοῦ πνεύματα«), ἀπόλλυνται ἄρα οἱ ἄγγελοι κατ᾽ αὐτοὺς καὶ αἱ ψυχαί. ἀλλ᾽ οὔτε οἱ ἄγγελοι οὔτε αἱ ψυχαὶ ἀπόλλυνται· ἀθάνατα γὰρ ταῦτα καὶ ἀδάμαστα, καθὼς ὁ ποιήσας εἶναι βεβούλευται. ἀθάνατος ἄρα καὶ ὁ ἄνθρωπος. οὐκ ἀρεστὸν δὲ οὐδ᾽ ἐκεῖνο, τὸ λέγειν εἰς ἄρδην ἀπολεῖσθαι τὸ πᾶν, καὶ γῆν καὶ ἀέρα καὶ οὐρανὸν μὴ ἔσεσθαι. ἐκπυρωθήσεται μὲν γὰρ πρὸς κάθαρσιν καὶ ἀνακαινισμὸν καταβασίῳ πᾶς ὁ κόσμος κατακλυζόμενος πυρί, οὐ μὴν εἰς ἀπώλειαν ἐλεύσεται παντελῆ καὶ φθοράν. εἰ γὰρ ἦν κρεῖττον τὸ μὴ εἶναι τοῦ εἶναι τὸν κόσμον, διὰ τί τὸ χεῖρον ᾑρεῖτο ποιήσας τὸν κόσμον ὁ θεός; ἀλλ᾽ οὐδὲν ὁ θεὸς ματαίως ἢ χεῖρον ἐποίει. οὐκοῦν εἰς τὸ εἶναι καὶ μένειν τὴν κτίσιν ὁ θεὸς διεκοσμήσατο, καθάπερ καὶ ἡ Σοφία συνίστησιν· »ἔκτισε γὰρ εἰς τὸ εἶναι« λέγουσα »τὰ πάντα ὁ θεός, καὶ σωτήριοι αἱ γενέσεις τοῦ κόσμου, καὶ οὐκ ἔστιν ἐν αὐταῖς φάρμακον ὀλέθρου«. καὶ ὁ Παῦλος δὲ σαφῶς μαρτυρεῖ λέγων· »ἡ γὰρ ἀποκαραδοκία τῆς κτίσεως τὴν ἀποκάλυψιν τῶν υἱῶν τοῦ θεοῦ ἀπεκδέχεται. τῇ γὰρ ματαιότητι ἡ κτίσις ὑπετάγη, οὐχ ἑκοῦσα, ἀλλὰ διὰ τὸν ὑποτάξαντα ἐπ᾽ ἐλπίδι, ὅτι καὶ αὐτὴ ἡ κτίσις ἐλευθερωθήσεται ἀπὸ τῆς δουλείας τῆς φθορᾶς εἰς τὴν ἐλευθερίαν τῆς δόξης τῶν τέκνων τοῦ θεοῦ«. »τῇ γὰρ ματαιότητι« φησίν »ἡ κτίσις ὑπετάγη«, »ἐλευθερωθήσεσθαι« δὲ »τῆς« τοιαύτης »δουλείας« προσδοκᾷ, κτίσιν τὸν κόσμον τοῦτον βουλόμενος νῦν καλεῖν. οὐ γὰρ τὰ μὴ βλεπόμενα τῇ φθορᾷ δουλεύει, ἀλλὰ ταῦτα δὴ »τὰ βλεπόμενα«. μένει ἄρα ἡ κτίσις εἰς τὸ ἄμεινον ἀνακαινοποιηθεῖσα καὶ εὐπρεπέστερον, ἀγαλλομένη καὶ χαίρουσα ἐπὶ τοῖς τέκνοις τοῦ θεοῦ τῇ ἀναστάσει, δι᾽ οὓς στενάζει καὶ συνωδίνει νῦν, τὴν ἀπολύτρωσιν ἡμῶν ἀπὸ τῆς φθορᾶς καὶ αὐτὴ τοῦ σώματος ἐκδεχομένη, ὅπως ἡμῶν ἐγερθέντων καὶ ἀποτιναξαμένων τὴν νεκρότητα τῆς σαρκός, κατὰ τὸ γεγραμμένον »ἐκτίναξαι τὸν χοῦν καὶ ἀνάστηθι καὶ κάθισον, Ἱερουσαλήμ«, ἐλευθερωθέντων τε τῆς ἁμαρτίας »ἐλευθερωθήσεται« καὶ αὐτὴ »τῆς φθορᾶς«, μηκέτι τῇ ματαιότητι δουλεύουσα, ἀλλὰ τῇ δικαιοσύνῃ. »οἴδαμεν γάρ«, φησίν, »ὅτι πᾶσα ἡ κτίσις συστενάζει καὶ συνωδίνει ἄχρι τοῦ νῦν. οὐ μόνον δέ, ἀλλὰ καὶ αὐτοὶ τὴν ἀπαρχὴν τοῦ πνεύματος ἔχοντες, καὶ αὐτοὶ ἐν ἑαυτοῖς στενάζομεν τὴν υἱοθεσίαν ἀπεκδεχόμενοι, τὴν ἀπολύτρωσιν τοῦ σώματος ἡμῶν«. καὶ ὁ Ἡσαίας δέ· »ὃν τρόπον γὰρ ὁ οὐρανὸς καινὸς καὶ ἡ γῆ καινή, ἃ ἐγὼ (φησί) ποιῶ, μένει ἐνώπιόν μου, λέγει κύριος, οὕτως ἔσται τὸ σπέρμα ὑμῶν καὶ τὸ ὄνομα ὑμῶν. καὶ πάλιν" »οὕτως λέγει κύριος ὁ ποιήσας τὸν οὐρανόν, οὗτος θεὸς ὁ κατασκευάσας τὴν γῆν καὶ ποιήσας αὐτήν· αὐτὸς διώρισεν αὐτήν, οὐχ εἰς κενὸν ἐποίησεν αὐτήν, ἀλλὰ κατοικεῖσθαι«. ὄντως γὰρ οὐχ εἰς κενὸν οὐδὲ εἰς μάτην πρὸς ἀπώλειαν ἔκτισε, κατὰ τοὺς φρονοῦντας μάταια, τὸ πᾶν ὁ θεός, ἀλλὰ εἰς τὸ εἶναί τε καὶ οἰκεῖσθαι καὶ διαμένειν. διὸ ἀνάγκη δὴ καὶ τὴν γῆν αὖθις καὶ τὸν οὐρανὸν μετὰ τὴν ἐκφλόγωσιν ἔσεσθαι πάντων καὶ τὸν βρασμόν. διὰ τί δὲ τοῦτο ἀνάγκη, λόγος ἂν ἔτι πλείων τῶν εἰρημένων γίγνοιτο. οὔτε γὰρ εἰς ὕλην ἀργὴν καὶ τοιαύτην ἔτι κατάστασιν, οἵα καὶ πρὸ τῆς διακοσμήσεως ἦν, διαλυθὲν ἀναστοιχειωθήσεται τὸ πᾶν. οὔτ᾽ αὖ εἰς ἀπώλειαν παντελῆ καὶ φθοράν.

Ei pan to gennōmenon nosei --- proteinei gar houtōs ho ex enantias — kai kata tēn genesin kai kata tēn trophēn (apo tōn prosiontōn gar, phēsin, auxetai, kai apo tōn apiontōn elattoutai), ta de mē gennōmena hygiainei, hoti mē nosei mēde prosdeitai ē epithymei, epithymei de ta gennōmena kai synousias kai trophēs, to de epithymein nosein esti, to de mē deisthai mēde epithymein hygiainein, nosei de ta gennōmena, hoti epithymei, ta de mē gennōmena ou nosei, paschei de ta nosounta ē kata plēthos ē endeian tōn prosginomenōn kai apoginomenōn, to de paschon kai phthinei kai apollytai, dioper kai gennatai, gennatai de ho anthrōpos, — ou dynatai ara apathēs einai ho anthrōpos kai athanatos. --- katapiptei men oun kai epi toutois autois ho logos. ei gar pan to gignomenon ē gennōmenon apollytai (diapherei gar ouden houtōs eipein, epeidē kai hoi prōtoplastoi ouch egennēthēsan, all egenēthēsan), genētoi de kai hoi angeloi kai hai psychai (ho »poiōn tous angelous autou pneumata«), apollyntai ara hoi angeloi kat᾽ autous kai hai psychai. all᾽ oute hoi angeloi oute hai psychai apollyntai; athanata gar tauta kai adamasta, kathōs ho poiēsas einai bebouleutai. athanatos ara kai ho anthrōpos. ouk areston de oud᾽ ekeino, to legein eis ardēn apoleisthai to pan, kai gēn kai aera kai ouranon mē esesthai. ekpyrōthēsetai men gar pros katharsin kai anakainismon katabasiǭ pas ho kosmos kataklyzomenos pyri, ou mēn eis apōleian eleusetai pantelē kai phthoran. ei gar ēn kreitton to mē einai tou einai ton kosmon, dia ti to cheiron hę̄reito poiēsas ton kosmon ho theos? all᾽ ouden ho theos mataiōs ē cheiron epoiei. oukoun eis to einai kai menein tēn ktisin ho theos diekosmēsato, kathaper kai hē Sophia synistēsin; »ektise gar eis to einai« legousa »ta panta ho theos, kai sōtērioi hai geneseis tou kosmou, kai ouk estin en autais pharmakon olethrou«. kai ho Paulos de saphōs martyrei legōn; »hē gar apokaradokia tēs ktiseōs tēn apokalypsin tōn huiōn tou theou apekdechetai. tę̄ gar mataiotēti hē ktisis hypetagē, ouch hekousa, alla dia ton hypotaxanta ep᾽ elpidi, hoti kai autē hē ktisis eleutherōthēsetai apo tēs douleias tēs phthoras eis tēn eleutherian tēs doxēs tōn teknōn tou theou«. »tę̄ gar mataiotēti« phēsin »hē ktisis hypetagē«, »eleutherōthēsesthai« de »tēs« toiautēs »douleias« prosdoką, ktisin ton kosmon touton boulomenos nyn kalein. ou gar ta mē blepomena tę̄ phthorą douleuei, alla tauta dē »ta blepomena«. menei ara hē ktisis eis to ameinon anakainopoiētheisa kai euprepesteron, agallomenē kai chairousa epi tois teknois tou theou tę̄ anastasei, di᾽ hous stenazei kai synōdinei nyn, tēn apolytrōsin hēmōn apo tēs phthoras kai autē tou sōmatos ekdechomenē, hopōs hēmōn egerthentōn kai apotinaxamenōn tēn nekrotēta tēs sarkos, kata to gegrammenon »ektinaxai ton choun kai anastēthi kai kathison, Hierousalēm«, eleutherōthentōn te tēs hamartias »eleutherōthēsetai« kai autē »tēs phthoras«, mēketi tę̄ mataiotēti douleuousa, alla tę̄ dikaiosynę̄. »oidamen gar«, phēsin, »hoti pasa hē ktisis systenazei kai synōdinei achri tou nyn. ou monon de, alla kai autoi tēn aparchēn tou pneumatos echontes, kai autoi en heautois stenazomen tēn huiothesian apekdechomenoi, tēn apolytrōsin tou sōmatos hēmōn«. kai ho Hēsaias de; »hon tropon gar ho ouranos kainos kai hē gē kainē, ha egō (phēsi) poiō, menei enōpion mou, legei kyrios, houtōs estai to sperma hymōn kai to onoma hymōn. kai palin" »houtōs legei kyrios ho poiēsas ton ouranon, houtos theos ho kataskeuasas tēn gēn kai poiēsas autēn; autos diōrisen autēn, ouch eis kenon epoiēsen autēn, alla katoikeisthai«. ontōs gar ouch eis kenon oude eis matēn pros apōleian ektise, kata tous phronountas mataia, to pan ho theos, alla eis to einai te kai oikeisthai kai diamenein. dio anankē dē kai tēn gēn authis kai ton ouranon meta tēn ekphlogōsin esesthai pantōn kai ton brasmon. dia ti de touto anankē, logos an eti pleiōn tōn eirēmenōn gignoito. oute gar eis hylēn argēn kai toiautēn eti katastasin, hoia kai pro tēs diakosmēseōs ēn, dialythen anastoicheiōthēsetai to pan. out᾽ au eis apōleian pantelē kai phthoran.

"'If everything that is born is sick,' so the opponent argues, 'both in its birth and in its nourishment (for it grows, he says, by what comes in and diminishes by what goes out); and if the things that are not born are healthy, because they are not sick, nor in need, nor desire; and if the things that are born desire both intercourse and food, and to desire is to be sick, while not to need or desire is to be healthy; and if the things that are born are sick because they desire, while the things not born are not sick; and if sick things suffer, either by excess or by deficiency of what is added and taken away, and what suffers both wastes away and perishes, and so does whatever is born; and if man is born: then man cannot be impassible and immortal.' But even on these points their argument collapses. For if everything that comes into being or is born perishes (it makes no difference to put it so, since the first-formed too were not born but came into being), and the angels and the souls too came into being ('who makes his angels spirits'), then according to them the angels and the souls perish. But neither the angels nor the souls perish; for they are immortal and indomitable, as the one who made them willed them to be. Man too, then, is immortal.

"Nor is that view acceptable either, which says that the universe will be utterly destroyed, and that there will be no earth or air or heaven. For the whole world will indeed be deluged with fire coming down from above for purification and renewal, but it will not come to complete destruction and corruption. For if it were better for the world not to be than to be, why did God, in making the world, choose the worse? But God made nothing in vain or worse. So God ordered the creation for being and abiding, as Wisdom too confirms, saying, 'For God created all things for being, and the generations of the world are wholesome, and there is no poison of destruction in them.' And Paul clearly testifies, saying, 'For the eager expectation of the creation waits for the revealing of the sons of God. For the creation was subjected to futility, not willingly, but because of him who subjected it, in hope, because the creation itself also will be set free from the bondage of corruption into the freedom of the glory of the children of God.' 'For the creation was subjected to futility,' he says, and it expects to be 'set free' from such 'bondage'; by 'creation' he means here this world. For it is not what is unseen that is in bondage to corruption, but these 'things that are seen.' The creation, then, remains, renewed to a better and more seemly state, rejoicing and exulting over the children of God at the resurrection, for whose sake it now groans and travails, itself also awaiting our redemption from the corruption of the body, so that, when we have risen and shaken off the deadness of the flesh, according to what is written, 'Shake off the dust, and arise and sit, Jerusalem,' and have been set free from sin, it too 'will be set free from corruption,' no longer in bondage to futility but to righteousness. 'For we know,' he says, 'that the whole creation groans together and travails together until now; and not only so, but we ourselves too, who have the firstfruits of the Spirit, groan within ourselves, awaiting the adoption, the redemption of our body.' And Isaiah: 'For as the new heaven and the new earth which I make,' he says, 'remain before me, says the Lord, so will your seed and your name be.' And again: 'Thus says the Lord who made the heaven, this God who prepared the earth and made it; he marked it out; he did not make it for nothing, but to be inhabited.' For truly God did not create the universe for nothing or in vain, for destruction, as those who think vain things say, but to exist and to be inhabited and to abide. Therefore the earth and the heaven too must exist again after the conflagration and the shaking of all things. Why this is necessary would take still more words than have been said. For the universe will not be dissolved and resolved into its elements as formless matter, into such a state as it was in before its ordering, nor, again, will it come to complete destruction and corruption."

Ps 104:4 (103:4 LXX) (quotation, high confidence) · Rom 8:19 (quotation, high confidence) · Rom 8:20 (quotation, high confidence) · Rom 8:21 (quotation, high confidence) · 2 Cor 4:18 (allusion, high confidence) · Isa 52:2 (quotation, high confidence) · Rom 8:22 (quotation, high confidence) · Rom 8:23 (quotation, high confidence) · Isa 66:22 (quotation, high confidence) · Isa 45:18 (quotation, high confidence) · 2 Pet 3:10 (echo, low confidence)

Notes and citation

Summary: The narrator refutes the argument that whatever is born must perish, and maintains that the world will be purified by fire and renewed, not destroyed, citing Wisdom, Romans 8 and Isaiah.

Four lines at the foot of page 297 and two at the foot of page 299 had been lost in the staged text (from 'perish; for they are immortal' to 'for purification', and from 'but to exist and to be inhabited' to 'all things'); they are restored from the OCR of the same pages by logged corrections. The opponent's syllogism is partly garbled in the OCR; its conclusion is translated by sense.
Ps 104:4 (LXX 103:4; cf. Heb 1:7); Wis 1:14; Rom 8:19-21; 2 Cor 4:18; Isa 52:2; Rom 8:22-23; Isa 66:22; Isa 45:18. 'Coming down from above' renders a doubtful word (καταβασίῳ).

Notes on the original text

Digital text corrected (OCR misreading; OCR misreadings; OCR: Latin letters; OCR: accent; OCR: accents; OCR: doubled letter; OCR: letters for quotation marks and misreadings; OCR: stray letter; OCR: stray marks; OCR: stray marks and Latin letters; OCR: stray marks; κ for χ; OCR: ε for quotation mark; OCR: ε for ι; OCR: κ for χ; OCR: ς for quotation mark; OCR: χ for κ; four lines at the foot of page 297 lost in staging are restored from the OCR of the same page; OCR misreadings corrected; two lines at the foot of page 299 lost in staging are restored from the OCR of the same page; OCR misreadings corrected): El πᾶν τὸ γεννώμενον → Εἰ πᾶν τὸ γεννώμενον; ὁ μ᾿ N N < x Ω γν - ἐξ ἐναντίας → ὁ ἐξ ἐναντίας; ἐλαττοῦταὴ, → ἐλαττοῦται),; ἢ ἐπεθυμεῖ → ἢ ἐπιθυμεῖ; υγιαίνειν, Η͂ [4 ων \ N - νοσεῖ → ὑγιαίνειν, νοσεῖ; οὐ νοσεῖ, \ - ἊΝ - \ - ᾿ πάσχει → οὐ νοσεῖ, πάσχει; διόπερ " - - ς 2 , » 3 \ xal γεννᾶται, γεννᾶται δὲ ὁ AVFOOTOS, — → διόπερ καὶ γεννᾶται, γεννᾶται δὲ ὁ ἄνθρωπος, —; ἀπαθὴς Σ « 2 ’ 5 , εἶναι ὃ ἄνθρωπος → ἀπαθὴς εἶναι ὁ ἄνθρωπος; καταπίπτει μὲν OVP κεὰ ἐπὶ τούτοις “ἕν κε , τ 4 , u ᾿ a 2 αὐτοῖς → καταπίπτει μὲν οὖν καὶ ἐπὶ τούτοις αὐτοῖς; γιγνόμενον N γεννώμενον ἀπόλλυται \ 3 σ π᾿ ᾿ 2 (διαφέρει → γιγνόμενον ἢ γεννώμενον ἀπόλλυται (διαφέρει; καὶ αἱ ες - > 3 - 2 [4 » ψυκαί → καὶ αἱ ψυχαί; KVEVUATAC), → πνεύματα«),; καὶ αἱ ψυκαί. ἀλλ᾽ οὔτε οἱ ἄγγελοι οὔτε κάθαρσιν καὶ ἀνακαινισμὴν καταβασίῳ, πᾶς ὁ χύσμος κατακλυξόμε νος πυρί, οὐ πὴν → καὶ αἱ ψυχαί. ἀλλ᾽ οὔτε οἱ ἄγγελοι οὔτε αἱ ψυχαὶ ἀπόλλυνται· ἀθάνατα γὰρ ταῦτα καὶ ἀδάμαστα, καθὼς ὁ ποιήσας εἶναι βεβούλευται. ἀθάνατος ἄρα καὶ ὁ ἄνθρωπος. οὐκ ἀρεστὸν δὲ οὐδ᾽ ἐκεῖνο, τὸ λέγειν εἰς ἄρδην ἀπολεῖσθαι τὸ πᾶν, καὶ γῆν καὶ ἀέρα καὶ οὐρανὸν μὴ ἔσεσθαι. ἐκπυρωθήσεται μὲν γὰρ πρὸς κάθαρσιν καὶ ἀνακαινισμὸν καταβασίῳ πᾶς ὁ κόσμος κατακλυζόμενος πυρί, οὐ μὴν; εἰ γὰρ Di χρεῖττον τὸ μὴ εἰναι τοῦ εἶναι τὸν κύώσμον, διὰ τί τὸ χεῖρον ἡρεῖτο ποιήσας τὸν χύσμον ὁ θεός: → εἰ γὰρ ἦν κρεῖττον τὸ μὴ εἶναι τοῦ εἶναι τὸν κόσμον, διὰ τί τὸ χεῖρον ᾑρεῖτο ποιήσας τὸν κόσμον ὁ θεός;; οὐχοῦν εἰς τὸ εἶναι → οὐκοῦν εἰς τὸ εἶναι; διεκοσμήÖUTO, χαθθάπερ καὶ A Σοφία συνίστησιν᾽ »ἔχτισε γὰν εἰς τὸ εἰναι λέγουσα »στὰ πάντα ὁ θεύς, καὶ σωτήριοι αἱ γὲ νέσεις τοῦ κόσμου. κεὰ οὐκ ἔστιν ἐν αὐταῖς φάρμαχον ὀλέθρους. → διεκοσμήσατο, καθάπερ καὶ ἡ Σοφία συνίστησιν· »ἔκτισε γὰρ εἰς τὸ εἶναι« λέγουσα »τὰ πάντα ὁ θεός, καὶ σωτήριοι αἱ γενέσεις τοῦ κόσμου, καὶ οὐκ ἔστιν ἐν αὐταῖς φάρμακον ὀλέθρου«.; λέγων" 34 γὰρ ἀποκαραδυκία → λέγων· »ἡ γὰρ ἀποκαραδοκία; ἀποκάλυνεεν → ἀποκάλυψιν; θεοῦ ἀπεχδέχεται → θεοῦ ἀπεκδέχεται; οὐχ ἑχοῦσα → οὐχ ἑκοῦσα; αὐτὴ ἢ κτίσις → αὐτὴ ἡ κτίσις; θεοῦς. »τῇ γὰρ ματαιότητες φησίν νἡ κτίσις ὑπετάγης, ἐλευθερωθήσεσθαις δὲ »τῆςε τοιαύτης »ὁουλείαςς προσδοκᾷ, χτίσιν → θεοῦ«. »τῇ γὰρ ματαιότητι« φησίν »ἡ κτίσις ὑπετάγη«, »ἐλευθερωθήσεσθαι« δὲ »τῆς« τοιαύτης »δουλείας« προσδοκᾷ, κτίσιν; οὐ γὰρ TA μὴ βλεπόμενα. → οὐ γὰρ τὰ μὴ βλεπόμενα; »τὰ βλεπόμενας. → »τὰ βλεπόμενα«.; ἀνακαινοποιήηθεῖσα → ἀνακαινοποιηθεῖσα; καίρουσα → χαίρουσα; δι οὖς στενάζει → δι᾽ οὓς στενάζει; Kal αὐτὴ τοῦ σώματος ἐχδεχομένη → καὶ αὐτὴ τοῦ σώματος ἐκδεχομένη; τὴν νεχρότητα → τὴν νεκρότητα; »ἐχτίναξει τὸν χοῦν καὶ ἀνάστηθιε καὶ κάθισον, Ἱερουσαλήμε, → »ἐκτίναξαι τὸν χοῦν καὶ ἀνάστηθι καὶ κάθισον, Ἱερουσαλήμ«,; »ἐλευθεοοθήσεταιςε → »ἐλευθερωθήσεται«; »τῆς φθορᾶες, → »τῆς φθορᾶς«,; νοἴδεαμεν γάρε, φησίν, >OTL → »οἴδαμεν γάρ«, φησίν, »ὅτι; ἀπεχδεχύμενοι → ἀπεκδεχόμενοι; σώματος ἡμῶνς. → σώματος ἡμῶν«.; Ἡσαίας δέ" »0p τρόπον → Ἡσαίας δέ· »ὃν τρόπον; & ἐγὼ (φησῇ) ποιῶ → ἃ ἐγὼ (φησί) ποιῶ; ποιήσεις αὐτήν" → ποιήσας αὐτήν·; αλλά κατοικείσθαις. οντῶς → ἀλλὰ κατοικεῖσθαι«. ὄντως; προς: > , - [4 ν - [4 [4 ἀπώλειαν ἔχτισε → πρὸς ἀπώλειαν ἔκτισε; τὸ πᾶν ὁ θεός. τῶν καὶ τὸν βραυσμόών. διὰ τί δὶ τοῦτο → τὸ πᾶν ὁ θεός, ἀλλὰ εἰς τὸ εἶναί τε καὶ οἰκεῖσθαι καὶ διαμένειν. διὸ ἀνάγκη δὴ καὶ τὴν γῆν αὖθις καὶ τὸν οὐρανὸν μετὰ τὴν ἐκφλόγωσιν ἔσεσθαι πάντων καὶ τὸν βρασμόν. διὰ τί δὲ τοῦτο; διακοσμήσε ὡς ἥν, διαλυθὲν ἀναστοιχειεθηήσεται → διακοσμήσεως ἦν, διαλυθὲν ἀναστοιχειωθήσεται; φθυοράν. → φθοράν..

Extrabiblical texts: Wis 1:14 (Wisdom of Solomon [in RC, EO, ETH canons]; quotation)

Topics: Eschatology

Cite (SBL): Methodius, Res. 1.47 (Bonwetsch GCS 27:296; trans. Sophia Scriptura, https://sophiascriptura.com/fathers/methodius-de-resurrectione/1-47/#p-1-47). (abbreviation not yet checked)

BibTeX · RIS (whole work; this passage's key: sophiascriptura-methodius-de-resurrectione-1-47) · Report an error

Translation: Greek passages translated by Claude from Bonwetsch's Greek text (GCS 27, 1917, OCR made for this site) and compared afterwards with ANF 6 where it translates them; chapters lost in Greek translated from Bonwetsch's German of the Old Slavonic (route 3), re-read against the German.

1.48Bonwetsch GCS 27:300

Ἐὰν δέ, Πῶς οὖν, εἰ μὴ ἀπόλλυνται τὸ πᾶν, οἱ ἐξ ἐναντίας εἴπωσιν, ὁ μὲν Χριστὸς τὸν οὐρανὸν παρελεύσεσθαι ἔφη καὶ τὴν γῆν, ὁ δὲ προφήτης ἀπολεῖσθαι μὲν τὸν οὐρανὸν ὡς καπνόν, τὴν δὲ γῆν »ὡς ἱμάτιον« παλαιωθήσεσθαι; Ἐπειδήπερ ἔθος ταῖς γραφαῖς, λέξομεν, τὴν εἰς τὸ κρεῖττον καὶ ἐνδοξότερον ἀπὸ ταύτης τῆς καταστάσεως τοῦ κόσμου μεταβολὴν ἀπώλειαν λέγειν, οἷον τοῦ πρόσθεν σχήματος ἀπολλυμένου κατὰ τὴν εἰς τὸ φαιδρότερον ἁπάντων ἐξαλλαγήν· ὅτι μηδεμία ὑπεναντίωσις ἢ ἀτοπία ἐν τοῖς θείοις λόγοις. »παράγει γὰρ τὸ σχῆμα τοῦ κόσμου τούτου«, καὶ οὐχ ὁ κόσμος εἴρηται. οὕτως ἔθος ἀπώλειαν καλεῖν τὰς γραφὰς τὴν πρὸς τὸ ἄμεινον ἔσθ᾽ ὅτε καὶ εὐμορφότερον τροπὴν τοῦ πρόσθεν σχήματος, οἷον ὥσπερ ὁπόταν τις ἀπώλειαν λέγοι τοῦ κατὰ τὸν νήπιον σχήματος τὴν »εἰς« τὸν »ἄνδρα« τὸν »τέλειον« μεταλλαγήν, τρεπομένης εἰς μέγεθος καὶ κάλλος τῆς ἡλικίας τοῦ νηπίου. »ὅτε γὰρ ἤμην νήπιος, ὡς νήπιος ἐλάλουν, ὡς νήπιος ἐφρόνουν, ὡς νήπιος ἐλογιζόμην· ὅτε δὲ γέγονα ἀνήρ, κατήργηκα τὰ τοῦ νηπίου«. ταραχθήσεσθαι μὲν γὰρ τὴν κτίσιν, ὥσπερ τεθνηξομένην κατὰ τὴν ἐκπύρωσιν, ἵνα καὶ ἀνακτισθῇ, οὐ μὴν ἀπολεῖσθαι προσδοκητέον, ὅπως οἱ ἀνακαινοποιηθέντες ἐν ἀνακαινοποιηθέντι τῷ κόσμῳ ἄγευστοι λύπης κατοικήσωμεν, κατὰ τὸ λεχθὲν »ἐξαποστελεῖς τὸ πνεῦμά σου, καὶ κτισθήσονται« ἐν ἑκατοστῷ τρίτῳ ψαλμῷ »καὶ ἀνακαινιεῖς τὸ πρόσωπον τῆς γῆς«, τοῦ περιέχοντος τῆς εὐκρασίας ἐπιτροπεύοντος λοιπὸν τοῦ θεοῦ. ἐσομένης γὰρ καὶ μετὰ τοῦτον τὸν αἰῶνα γῆς ἀνάγκη πᾶσα ἔσεσθαι καὶ τοὺς οἰκήσοντας, οὐκέτι τεθνηξομένους ἢ γαμήσοντας καὶ γεννησομένους, ἀλλ᾿ ὡς ἀγγέλους ἀμεταστρόφως ἐν ἀφθαρσίᾳ τὰ ἄριστα πράξοντας. διὸ ληρῶδες τὸ Ἐν ποίᾳ διαγωγῇ τότε δὴ τὰ σώματα ἔσονται λέγεσθαι, μήτε ἀέρος μήτε γῆς μήτε τῶν ἄλλων ἐσομένων. Ἄξιον δὲ κἀκεῖνο πρὸς τοῖς εἰρημένοις ἐπισκοπεῖν, ὡς ἔχει πολλὴν διάπτωσιν, εἰ δεῖ παρρησίαν ἄγειν περὶ τηλικούτων, ὦ Ἀγλαοφῶν, διαλεγομένους πραγμάτων. φράσας γὰρ ἀποφήνασθαι τὸν κύριον ὡς οἱ τῆς ἀναστάσεως τευξόμενοι ἔσονται τότε »ὡς ἄγγελοι«, ἔνθα πειράζουσιν αὐτὸν οἱ Σαδδουκαῖοι, ἐπέφερες Οἱ δὲ ἄγγελοι ἐκτὸς ὄντες σαρκὸς ἐν μακαριότητος ἀκρότητι διὰ τοῦτο καὶ δόξης εἰσίν, καὶ ἡμᾶς δὲ ἄρα ἐξισάζεσθαι μέλλοντας ἀγγέλοις ἀνάγκη δὴ σαρκῶν ὡσαύτως ἐκείνοις γυμνοὺς ἔσεσθαι δεῖν, οὐκ ἐπιστήσας, ὦ ἄριστε, ὡς ὁ ποιήσας καὶ διακοσμήσας ἐξ οὐκ ὄντων τὸ πᾶν τὴν τῶν ἀθανάτων φύσιν οὐ μόνον εἰς ἀγγέλους καὶ λειτουργοὺς διανείμας διεκόσμησεν, ἀλλὰ καὶ εἰς ἀρχὰς καὶ θρόνους καὶ ἐξουσίας. ἄλλο γὰρ γένος τὸ τῶν ἀγγέλων καὶ ἄλλο τὸ τῶν ἀρχῶν καὶ ἐξουσιῶν, ὅτι μὴ τάγμα ἕν καὶ μία σύστασις καὶ φυλὴ καὶ πατριὰ τῶν ἀθανάτων, ἀλλὰ γένη καὶ φυλαὶ καὶ διαφοραί. καὶ οὔτε τὰ Χερουβὶμ τῆς ἰδίας ἐξιστάμενα φύσεως εἰς τὴν τῶν ἀγγέλων ἰδέαν μετασκευάζονται, οὔτε εἰς ἑτέραν πάλιν οἱ ἄγγελοι. εἶναι γὰρ αὐτὰ χρὴ καὶ ὃ εἰσὶ καὶ ὃ γεγόνασιν. ἀτὰρ καὶ ὁ ἄνθρωπος τὸν κόσμον οἰκεῖν καὶ τῶν ἐν αὐτῷ πάντων ἡγεμονεύειν κατασταθείς, τῆς ἐξ ἀρχῆς διακοσμήσεως, ἀθάνατος ὤν, τοῦ εἶναι ἄνθρωπος οὔποτε μεταβληθήσεται, οὔτε εἰς τὴν τῶν ἀγγέλων οὔτε εἰς τὴν τῶν ἑτέρων μορφῆν, ὅτι μηδὲ οἱ ἄγγελοι εἰς τὴν τῶν ἄλλων τῆς ἐξ ἀρχῆς ἰδέας μετακοσμούμενοι μεταβάλλονται. ὁ γὰρ Χριστὸς ἧκεν οὐχ εἰς ἑτέραν μορφὴν πλασθῆναι κηρύσσων ἢ μετασκευασθῆναι τὴν ἀνθρωπείαν φύσιν, ἀλλὰ εἰς ὃ ἦν ἐξ ἀρχῆς πρὸ τοῦ ἐκπεσεῖν, ἀθάνατος ὤν. χρὴ γὰρ ἐν τῷ ἰδίῳ τῆς ἕξεως αὐτοῦ τύπῳ τῶν γενητῶν ἕκαστον μένειν, ἵνα πάντα πάντων ὦσι πεπληρωμένα, οὐρανοὶ μὲν ἀγγέλων, θρόνοι δὲ ἐξουσιῶν, φῶτα δὲ λειτουργῶν, καὶ οἱ θειότεροι τόποι καὶ τὰ ἄχραντα καὶ ἀκραιφνῆ φῶτα τῶν Σεραφίμ, ἃ παρεστήκασι τῇ μεγάλῃ βουλῇ διακρατούσῃ τὸ πᾶν, ὁ δὲ κόσμος ἀνθρώπων. [ἐὰν δὲ μεταβάλλεσθαι δῶμεν τοὺς ἀνθρώπους εἰς ἀγγέλους, ὥρα μεταβάλλεσθαι λέγειν καὶ τοὺς ἀγγέλους εἰς ἐξουσίας, καὶ ταύτας εἰς ἄλλο καὶ ἄλλο, ἔστ᾽ ἂν ὁ λόγος ἀναβὰς εἰς κίνδυνον ἐμπέσῃ. ]

Ean de, Pōs oun, ei mē apollyntai to pan, hoi ex enantias eipōsin, ho men Christos ton ouranon pareleusesthai ephē kai tēn gēn, ho de prophētēs apoleisthai men ton ouranon hōs kapnon, tēn de gēn »hōs himation« palaiōthēsesthai? Epeidēper ethos tais graphais, lexomen, tēn eis to kreitton kai endoxoteron apo tautēs tēs katastaseōs tou kosmou metabolēn apōleian legein, hoion tou prosthen schēmatos apollymenou kata tēn eis to phaidroteron hapantōn exallagēn; hoti mēdemia hypenantiōsis ē atopia en tois theiois logois. »paragei gar to schēma tou kosmou toutou«, kai ouch ho kosmos eirētai. houtōs ethos apōleian kalein tas graphas tēn pros to ameinon esth᾽ hote kai eumorphoteron tropēn tou prosthen schēmatos, hoion hōsper hopotan tis apōleian legoi tou kata ton nēpion schēmatos tēn »eis« ton »andra« ton »teleion« metallagēn, trepomenēs eis megethos kai kallos tēs hēlikias tou nēpiou. »hote gar ēmēn nēpios, hōs nēpios elaloun, hōs nēpios ephronoun, hōs nēpios elogizomēn; hote de gegona anēr, katērgēka ta tou nēpiou«. tarachthēsesthai men gar tēn ktisin, hōsper tethnēxomenēn kata tēn ekpyrōsin, hina kai anaktisthę̄, ou mēn apoleisthai prosdokēteon, hopōs hoi anakainopoiēthentes en anakainopoiēthenti tǭ kosmǭ ageustoi lypēs katoikēsōmen, kata to lechthen »exaposteleis to pneuma sou, kai ktisthēsontai« en hekatostǭ tritǭ psalmǭ »kai anakainieis to prosōpon tēs gēs«, tou periechontos tēs eukrasias epitropeuontos loipon tou theou. esomenēs gar kai meta touton ton aiōna gēs anankē pasa esesthai kai tous oikēsontas, ouketi tethnēxomenous ē gamēsontas kai gennēsomenous, all᾿ hōs angelous ametastrophōs en aphtharsią ta arista praxontas. dio lērōdes to En poią diagōgę̄ tote dē ta sōmata esontai legesthai, mēte aeros mēte gēs mēte tōn allōn esomenōn. Axion de kakeino pros tois eirēmenois episkopein, hōs echei pollēn diaptōsin, ei dei parrēsian agein peri tēlikoutōn, ō Aglaophōn, dialegomenous pragmatōn. phrasas gar apophēnasthai ton kyrion hōs hoi tēs anastaseōs teuxomenoi esontai tote »hōs angeloi«, entha peirazousin auton hoi Saddoukaioi, epepheres Hoi de angeloi ektos ontes sarkos en makariotētos akrotēti dia touto kai doxēs eisin, kai hēmas de ara exisazesthai mellontas angelois anankē dē sarkōn hōsautōs ekeinois gymnous esesthai dein, ouk epistēsas, ō ariste, hōs ho poiēsas kai diakosmēsas ex ouk ontōn to pan tēn tōn athanatōn physin ou monon eis angelous kai leitourgous dianeimas diekosmēsen, alla kai eis archas kai thronous kai exousias. allo gar genos to tōn angelōn kai allo to tōn archōn kai exousiōn, hoti mē tagma hen kai mia systasis kai phylē kai patria tōn athanatōn, alla genē kai phylai kai diaphorai. kai oute ta Cheroubim tēs idias existamena physeōs eis tēn tōn angelōn idean metaskeuazontai, oute eis heteran palin hoi angeloi. einai gar auta chrē kai ho eisi kai ho gegonasin. atar kai ho anthrōpos ton kosmon oikein kai tōn en autǭ pantōn hēgemoneuein katastatheis, tēs ex archēs diakosmēseōs, athanatos ōn, tou einai anthrōpos oupote metablēthēsetai, oute eis tēn tōn angelōn oute eis tēn tōn heterōn morphēn, hoti mēde hoi angeloi eis tēn tōn allōn tēs ex archēs ideas metakosmoumenoi metaballontai. ho gar Christos hēken ouch eis heteran morphēn plasthēnai kēryssōn ē metaskeuasthēnai tēn anthrōpeian physin, alla eis ho ēn ex archēs pro tou ekpesein, athanatos ōn. chrē gar en tǭ idiǭ tēs hexeōs autou typǭ tōn genētōn hekaston menein, hina panta pantōn ōsi peplērōmena, ouranoi men angelōn, thronoi de exousiōn, phōta de leitourgōn, kai hoi theioteroi topoi kai ta achranta kai akraiphnē phōta tōn Seraphim, ha parestēkasi tę̄ megalę̄ boulę̄ diakratousę̄ to pan, ho de kosmos anthrōpōn. [ean de metaballesthai dōmen tous anthrōpous eis angelous, hōra metaballesthai legein kai tous angelous eis exousias, kai tautas eis allo kai allo, est᾽ an ho logos anabas eis kindynon empesę̄. ]

"But if the opponents say, 'How then, if the universe does not perish, did Christ say that heaven and earth would pass away, and the prophet that the heaven would perish like smoke and the earth grow old like a garment?' we shall say: because it is the custom of the Scriptures to call destruction the change of the world from its present state to a better and more glorious one, its former shape being destroyed in the change of all things into something brighter; for there is no contradiction or absurdity in the divine words. For 'the form of this world passes away,' it is said, not the world itself. So it is the custom of the Scriptures to call destruction the change from a former shape to a better and sometimes more comely one; as when someone should call destruction the change from the shape of an infant into 'the perfect man,' when the infant's stature turns to size and beauty. 'For when I was a child, I spoke as a child, I thought as a child, I reasoned as a child; but when I became a man, I put away the things of the child.' For we must expect that the creation will be thrown into turmoil, as though about to die in the conflagration, so that it may be created anew, but not that it will perish, so that we who have been renewed may dwell in a renewed world without tasting grief, according to what is said in the hundred and third psalm, 'You will send forth your Spirit, and they will be created, and you will renew the face of the earth,' God thenceforth regulating the good temperature of the surrounding air. For since there will be an earth even after this age, there must by all necessity be those who will dwell on it, who will no longer die, or marry, or beget, but, like angels, will unchangeably do what is best in incorruption. Therefore it is silly to ask in what manner of life our bodies will then exist, if there will be neither air nor earth nor anything else.

[49] "In addition to what has been said, this too is worth considering, since it contains a great error, if we are to speak freely, Aglaophon, when discussing matters of such importance. For having said that the Lord declared that those who attain the resurrection will then be 'as angels,' when the Sadducees were testing him, you went on: 'The angels, being without flesh, are on this account in the height of blessedness and glory; and we too, then, since we are to be made equal to angels, must necessarily be stripped of flesh as they are.' You did not consider, my excellent friend, that he who made and ordered the universe out of nothing ordered the nature of immortal beings, distributing it not only into angels and ministers, but also into principalities and thrones and powers. For the race of angels is one thing and that of principalities and powers another, because there is not one rank and one constitution and tribe and family of immortals, but kinds and tribes and differences. Neither do the cherubim depart from their own nature and get transformed into the form of angels, nor again the angels into another. For they must be what they are and what they were made. And man too, appointed by the original ordering to inhabit the world and to rule over all things in it, being immortal, will never be changed from being man, either into the form of angels or into that of the others; for the angels too are not changed from their original form by being transformed into that of the others. For Christ came proclaiming not that human nature would be formed or remade into another form, but into what it was from the beginning before the fall, when it was immortal. For each of the things that have come into being must remain in its own proper type, so that all things may be filled with all: the heavens with angels, the thrones with powers, the lights with ministers, the more divine places and the undefiled and pure lights with the seraphim, who stand beside the great counsel that governs the universe, and the world with men. [But if we grant that men are changed into angels, it is time to say that the angels too are changed into powers, and these into one thing and another, until the argument climbs up and falls into danger.]"

Matt 24:35 (allusion, high confidence) · Isa 51:6 (allusion, high confidence) · 1 Cor 7:31 (quotation, high confidence) · Eph 4:13 (quotation, medium confidence) · 1 Cor 13:11 (quotation, high confidence) · Ps 104:30 (103:30 LXX) (quotation, high confidence) · Matt 22:30 (quotation, high confidence) · Col 1:16 (allusion, medium confidence) · Isa 6:2 (allusion, low confidence)

Notes and citation

Summary: The narrator explains that Scripture calls the world's renewal 'passing away', and that the risen will be 'as angels' in incorruption without ceasing to be men, since each order of creatures keeps its own nature.

The OCR lost the heading of chapter 49 (a garbled numeral is removed by a logged correction); the chapter begins at "[49]". A block of the edition's apparatus that had leaked into the text, and stray marks at the end, are removed by logged corrections. The last sentence stands in square brackets in the edition, as it is printed in the OCR; it is translated and kept in brackets.
Matt 24:35; Isa 51:6 (Ps 102:26); 1 Cor 7:31; Eph 4:13; 1 Cor 13:11; Ps 104:30 (LXX 103:30); Matt 22:30; Col 1:16; Eph 1:21; Isa 6:2. 'Being stripped of flesh' answers Aglaophon in 1.7.

Notes on the original text

Digital text corrected (OCR misreading; OCR misreadings; OCR: 7) for ἢ; OCR: accents; OCR: letters for quotation marks; OCR: stray mark; OCR: stray marks and misreadings; OCR: stray marks at the end of the unit (closing bracket restored); OCR: stray marks in a hyphenated word; OCR: ο for ω; OCR: χ for κ; OCR: ὁ for δ; chapter numeral (XLIX) removed; OCR misreading; leaked apparatus of the edition removed): Μὼν δέ, Πῶς οὖν → Ἐὰν δέ, Πῶς οὖν; τὴν δὲ γῆν νος ἱμάτιονε “παλαιωθήσεσθαι; “πειδήπερ ἔθως ταῖς γθαφαῖς → τὴν δὲ γῆν »ὡς ἱμάτιον« παλαιωθήσεσθαι; Ἐπειδήπερ ἔθος ταῖς γραφαῖς; ἐξαλλαγήν᾽ ὅτε μηδεμία → ἐξαλλαγήν· ὅτι μηδεμία; σχῆμα τοῦ χόσμου τούτους, → σχῆμα τοῦ κόσμου τούτου«,; ἀπώλειαν χαλεῖν → ἀπώλειαν καλεῖν; τὴν νεἰςς τὸν νἄνδρας τὸν ν»τέλειονε μεταλλαγήν → τὴν »εἰς« τὸν »ἄνδρα« τὸν »τέλειον« μεταλλαγήν; »0TE γὰρ μὴν νήπιος → »ὅτε γὰρ ἤμην νήπιος; ἐλογιζόμην" ὅτε δὲ γέγονα ἀνήρ, κατήργηχα τὰ τοῦ νηπίους. → ἐλογιζόμην· ὅτε δὲ γέγονα ἀνήρ, κατήργηκα τὰ τοῦ νηπίου«.; κατὰ τὴν ἐχπύρωσιν, ἵνα καὶ ἀναχτισθῆ, οὐ μὴν ἀπολεῖσθαι προσδοχητέον → κατὰ τὴν ἐκπύρωσιν, ἵνα καὶ ἀνακτισθῇ, οὐ μὴν ἀπολεῖσθαι προσδοκητέον; τὸ λεχθέν νἐξαποστελεῖς τὸ πνεῦμά σου, καὶ κτισθήσονταις ἐν ἑχατοστῷ τρίτῳ ψαλμῷ νκαὶ ἀνακαινιεῖς τὸ πρόσωπον τῆς γῆςε, → τὸ λεχθὲν »ἐξαποστελεῖς τὸ πνεῦμά σου, καὶ κτισθήσονται« ἐν ἑκατοστῷ τρίτῳ ψαλμῷ »καὶ ἀνακαινιεῖς τὸ πρόσωπον τῆς γῆς«,; τοῦ θεοῦ.. ἐσομένης → τοῦ θεοῦ. ἐσομένης; ἀνάγχη πᾶσα ἔσισθαι καὶ τοὺς οἰχήσοντας → ἀνάγκη πᾶσα ἔσεσθαι καὶ τοὺς οἰκήσοντας; Ἂν ποίᾳ διαγωγῇ τότε δὴ τὰ ζψι σώματα ἴσονται λέγισθαι, μήτε ἀΐρος μήτε γῆς μήτι τῶν ἀλλῶν → Ἐν ποίᾳ διαγωγῇ τότε δὴ τὰ σώματα ἔσονται λέγεσθαι, μήτε ἀέρος μήτε γῆς μήτε τῶν ἄλλων; IL. ἤξιον δὲ κἀκεῖνο → Ἄξιον δὲ κἀκεῖνο; ἐπιχκοσεῖν → ἐπισκοπεῖν; ὦ 417λαοφῶν → ὦ Ἀγλαοφῶν; ν»ὡς ἄγγελοι, ἔνθα → »ὡς ἄγγελοι«, ἔνθα; Οἱ dr ἀγγελοι ἐχτὸς ὄντες σαρκὺς ἐν μακαριότητος ἀκρότητι διὰ τοῦτο καὶ ὀύξης εἰσίν → Οἱ δὲ ἄγγελοι ἐκτὸς ὄντες σαρκὸς ἐν μακαριότητος ἀκρότητι διὰ τοῦτο καὶ δόξης εἰσίν; σαρχῶν ασαύτως → σαρκῶν ὡσαύτως; δια»είμας → διανείμας; τῶν ἀθανάτον, → τῶν ἀθανάτων,; Χερουβ Zi τῆς ἰδίας → Χερουβὶμ τῆς ἰδίας; εἶναι γὰρ αὐτὰ χρὴ ν᾿ ωῳ πὶ / a x =. \ , Ya καὶ 0 εἰσε καὶ ὁ γεγόνασιν. ἀτὰρ καὶ ὁ ανθρῶπος τὸν XOCUOV οἰχεῖν → εἶναι γὰρ αὐτὰ χρὴ καὶ ὃ εἰσὶ καὶ ὃ γεγόνασιν. ἀτὰρ καὶ ὁ ἄνθρωπος τὸν κόσμον οἰκεῖν; τῆς ἐξ ἀρχῆς , - Σ , » διακοσμήσεως ἀθάνατος ὧν, τοῦ εἶναι ἄνθρῶπος οὐποτε → τῆς ἐξ ἀρχῆς διακοσμήσεως, ἀθάνατος ὤν, τοῦ εἶναι ἄνθρωπος οὔποτε; κηρύσσων 7) μετασκευασθῆναι → κηρύσσων ἢ μετασκευασθῆναι; εἰς ὁ ἣν ἐξ ἀρχῆς πρὸ τοῦ ἐκπεσεῖν, ἀθάνατος ὧν → εἰς ὃ ἦν ἐξ ἀρχῆς πρὸ τοῦ ἐκπεσεῖν, ἀθάνατος ὤν; ἕχαστον μένειν, ἵνα πάντα πάντων ὦσι πεπληραονμένα → ἕκαστον μένειν, ἵνα πάντα πάντων ὦσι πεπληρωμένα; θρόνοι ὁὲ ἐξουσιῶν → θρόνοι δὲ ἐξουσιῶν; τὰ ἀχράτητα καὶ ἀκραιφνὴῆ φῶτα → τὰ ἄχραντα καὶ ἀκραιφνῆ φῶτα; παρεστήχασι τῇ μεγαλῃ βουλῇ dıaxoatOovON τὸ πᾶν, ὁ δὲ κοσμος ἀνθρώπον. → παρεστήκασι τῇ μεγάλῃ βουλῇ διακρατούσῃ τὸ πᾶν, ὁ δὲ κόσμος ἀνθρώπων.; μεταραλλεσθαι δῶμεν → μεταβάλλεσθαι δῶμεν; ὥρα μεταβαλλε᾿ 2 < ,’ σθαι λέγειν → ὥρα μεταβάλλεσθαι λέγειν; εἰς ἀλλο καὶ » a» 2. ὃν ς ᾿ 2 . , > , αλλο, ἔστ ἂν ὁ 20706 ἀναβὰς → εἰς ἄλλο καὶ ἄλλο, ἔστ᾽ ἂν ὁ λόγος ἀναβὰς; 1 τῶν βρασμῶν Coco dıe— γίγνοιτο Z.2<) 1 dık— φθοράν Z. 4 < CT (nicht Syr) ἀνάγχη; ὁ λόγος © ἔτῃῇ ἐπὶ V πλείω VUC: vgl. λόγος πλείων Plat. Tim. 54 Β 2 γέντο © εἰς schwerl. < 5 ἣν U διαλυθῆ U: »wird βίος +S 3L ἀναστοιχειωθήσεσθαι γὰρ δεῖ w. e. sch. S: ἀναστοιχειωθῆναί τε Ο 4 οὔτ᾽ αὖ] ἀλλ᾽ οὐ 8 παντ. κ. φθ.] παρελεύτὸ πᾶν < ὃ ὁ ὁ μὲν] ὅμως ὁ (τ Χριστὸς) 8. ὅγε: χύριος VU ὁ οὐρανὸς παρελεύσεται (transierunt Syre) ἔφη καὶ ἡ γῆ 8 ὃγτ 7 ὁ προφ. δὲ πάλιν 8 ἀπολέσθαι V μὲν Ὁ 128%: <S 8 παλαιωθ.] λέγει + S ἐπειδὴ 906 U 9 λέξομεν <S al --- καταστάσεως Z. 10<S Σἔἐνδοξοτέραν VU (übergeschr. ov) 9: ἀπὸ τ. τ. καταστάσεως) ἀποκατάστάσεως ταύτης U λομένον ΟΥ Σᾷ᾿εἰς τὸ «:8 τὸ «-: ΟΥ φαιδρότατον V U, viell. 58: φαιδρότερον CDd ἁπάντων) καὶ χρεῖττον (χρείττονα) ὃ 12 ἐξαλλαγήν S SE ἢ ἀτοπία <S Θθείοις] ἁγίοις w. 6. sch. 8 18 παράγει 6104 do, φησίν S τούτου] του καὶ «:ΟΤ 14 οὕτως] τοῦτο γὰρ 8 πρὸς] εἰς CT 15 ἐσθ᾽ ---εὐμορφότερον -: ὃ Σεὐμορφώτερον VUCE rot πρόσθεν σχήμ. <S ἔμπροσθεν ΟΥ u. Ce am Rand 1ὅ → ; 2.»,.» 99 » ς - ’ ς \ Α »” → ].

Topics: Eschatology

Cite (SBL): Methodius, Res. 1.48 (Bonwetsch GCS 27:300; trans. Sophia Scriptura, https://sophiascriptura.com/fathers/methodius-de-resurrectione/1-47/#p-1-48). (abbreviation not yet checked)

BibTeX · RIS (whole work; this passage's key: sophiascriptura-methodius-de-resurrectione-1-48) · Report an error

1.50Bonwetsch GCS 27:303

Ἀλλ᾽ οὔτε ὡς φαῦλον τεχνησάμενος ὁ θεὸς τὸν ἄνθρωπον, ἢ διαμαρτήσας αὐτοῦ περὶ τὴν διάπλασιν, ἄγγελον αὐτὸν ὕστερον ἐπενόησε ποιῆσαι, μεταγνούς, ὥσπερ οἱ φαυλότατοι τῶν δημιουργῶν, οὔτε ἄγγελον κατ᾽ ἀρχὰς θελήσας ποιῆσαι καὶ μὴ δυνηθεὶς ἄνθρωπον ἔπλασεν. ἀσθενὲς τοῦτο γάρ. τί δήποτε οὖν τὸν ἄνθρωπον ἄνθρωπον ἐποίει καὶ οὐκ ἄγγελον, εἴ γε ἄγγελον τὸν ἄνθρωπον καὶ οὐκ ἄνθρωπον γενέσθαι ἤθελεν; ὡς οὐ δυνάμενος; βλάσφημον. ἀλλὰ ἀνεβάλλετο περὶ τοῦ κρείττονος τὸ χεῖρον ποιῶν; καὶ τοῦτο ἄτοπον. οὔτε γὰρ διασφάλλεται περὶ τὸ ποιεῖν τὸ καλὸν οὔτε ἀναβάλλεται οὔτε ἀδυνατεῖ, ἀλλὰ καὶ ὡς θέλει καὶ ὅτε θέλει τὸ δύνασθαι ἔχει, δύναμις ὤν. οὐκοῦν εἶναι τὸν ἄνθρωπον ἄνθρωπον θέλων ἐξ ἀρχῆς ἔκτισεν. εἰ δὲ θέλων, θέλει δὲ τὸ καλόν, καλὸν δὲ ὁ ἄνθρωπος, ἄνθρωπος δὲ τὸ ἐκ ψυχῆς καὶ σώματος λέγεται συντεθέν, οὐκ ἔσται ἄρα ἐκτὸς σώματος ὁ ἄνθρωπος, ἀλλὰ μετὰ σώματος, ἵνα μὴ ἄλλος ἄνθρωπος παρὰ τὸν ἄνθρωπον γενηθῇ. δεῖ γὰρ τῷ θεῷ τὰ ἀθάνατα γένη πάντα σῴζεσθαι, ἀθάνατον δὲ καὶ ὁ ἄνθρωπος· »ἔκτισε« γάρ φησιν ἡ Σοφία »τὸν ἄνθρωπον ὁ θεὸς ἐπὶ ἀφθαρσίᾳ, καὶ εἰκόνα τῆς ἰδίας ἀϊδιότητος ἐποίησεν αὐτόν«. οὐκ ἄρα ἀπόλλυται τὸ σῶμα· ὁ γὰρ ἄνθρωπος ἐκ ψυχῆς καὶ σώματος.

All᾽ oute hōs phaulon technēsamenos ho theos ton anthrōpon, ē diamartēsas autou peri tēn diaplasin, angelon auton hysteron epenoēse poiēsai, metagnous, hōsper hoi phaulotatoi tōn dēmiourgōn, oute angelon kat᾽ archas thelēsas poiēsai kai mē dynētheis anthrōpon eplasen. asthenes touto gar. ti dēpote oun ton anthrōpon anthrōpon epoiei kai ouk angelon, ei ge angelon ton anthrōpon kai ouk anthrōpon genesthai ēthelen? hōs ou dynamenos? blasphēmon. alla aneballeto peri tou kreittonos to cheiron poiōn? kai touto atopon. oute gar diasphalletai peri to poiein to kalon oute anaballetai oute adynatei, alla kai hōs thelei kai hote thelei to dynasthai echei, dynamis ōn. oukoun einai ton anthrōpon anthrōpon thelōn ex archēs ektisen. ei de thelōn, thelei de to kalon, kalon de ho anthrōpos, anthrōpos de to ek psychēs kai sōmatos legetai syntethen, ouk estai ara ektos sōmatos ho anthrōpos, alla meta sōmatos, hina mē allos anthrōpos para ton anthrōpon genēthę̄. dei gar tǭ theǭ ta athanata genē panta sǭzesthai, athanaton de kai ho anthrōpos; »ektise« gar phēsin hē Sophia »ton anthrōpon ho theos epi aphtharsią, kai eikona tēs idias aïdiotētos epoiēsen auton«. ouk ara apollytai to sōma; ho gar anthrōpos ek psychēs kai sōmatos.

"Nor did God, as though he had made man badly or had erred in fashioning him, decide afterwards to make him an angel, changing his mind like the worst of craftsmen; nor did he want at the beginning to make an angel and, being unable, form a man instead. For that would be weakness. Why then did he make man a man and not an angel, if he wanted man to become an angel and not a man? Because he was unable? That is blasphemous. Or did he put off the better while making the worse? That too is absurd. For he neither fails in making what is good, nor puts it off, nor is unable, but has the power both as he wills and when he wills, being himself power. So it was because he willed man to be man that he created him so from the beginning. And if he willed it, and he wills what is good, then man is good; and man is said to be what is composed of soul and body. Man, then, will not be without a body, but with a body, lest another man come into being besides the man. For all the immortal kinds must be preserved by God, and man too is immortal: 'For God created man for incorruption,' says Wisdom, 'and made him an image of his own eternity.' The body, then, does not perish; for man is of soul and body."

Notes and citation

Summary: God did not make man by mistake or intend him to become an angel; he made man body and soul, and since man is immortal, the body does not perish.

Wis 2:23. The definition of man as composed of soul and body takes up 1.34.

Notes on the original text

Digital text corrected (OCR misreadings; OCR misreadings and stray marks; OCR: Latin letters and misreadings; OCR: stray marks and misreadings; OCR: χ for κ): All ovrte ὡς φαῦλον TEXTNVALEVOG ὁ θεὸς τὸν ἀνθρῶώπον → Ἀλλ᾽ οὔτε ὡς φαῦλον τεχνησάμενος ὁ θεὸς τὸν ἄνθρωπον; οὔτε ἀγγελὸν χατ ἀρχὶς θελησᾶς ποιῆσαι καὶ μη δυνηθεὶς ἀνθρώσον N 3 4 -- ’ ν᾽ Σ 4 » " ἔπλασεν. → οὔτε ἄγγελον κατ᾽ ἀρχὰς θελήσας ποιῆσαι καὶ μὴ δυνηθεὶς ἄνθρωπον ἔπλασεν.; τί δήποτε οὖν τὼν ἄνθρωπον ἀνθρωπον ἐποίει καὶ οὐχ ἀγγέλων → τί δήποτε οὖν τὸν ἄνθρωπον ἄνθρωπον ἐποίει καὶ οὐκ ἄγγελον; καὶ οὐκ » Ε ‘ WC « 2 , πὸ 52,2 ἄνθρωπον γενέσθαι ἡθελεν: ος οὐ δυνάμενος; βλαόφημον. → καὶ οὐκ ἄνθρωπον γενέσθαι ἤθελεν; ὡς οὐ δυνάμενος; βλάσφημον.; περὶ τοῦ χρείττονος → περὶ τοῦ κρείττονος; καὶ τοῦτο ἄτυπον. κοὔτε γὰρ διασφαλλεται περὶ τὸ ποιεῖν τὸ χαλὸν οὐτε → καὶ τοῦτο ἄτοπον. οὔτε γὰρ διασφάλλεται περὶ τὸ ποιεῖν τὸ καλὸν οὔτε; τὸ δύνασθαι ἔχει, » > -» τ \ “ὦ - δύναμις ὧν. οὐχοῦν εἶναι τὸν ἀνθυώπον ἀνθρώπον θέλων ἐξ ἀρχῆς ἔχτισεν. → τὸ δύνασθαι ἔχει, δύναμις ὤν. οὐκοῦν εἶναι τὸν ἄνθρωπον ἄνθρωπον θέλων ἐξ ἀρχῆς ἔκτισεν.; καλὸν dt ὁ ἀἄνθρωπος → καλὸν δὲ ὁ ἄνθρωπος; παρὰ τὸν ἀνθρώπον γενηθῇ. del γὰρ τῷ θεῷ τὰ αθανατα γένη → παρὰ τὸν ἄνθρωπον γενηθῇ. δεῖ γὰρ τῷ θεῷ τὰ ἀθάνατα γένη; ἀθάνατον δὲ καὶ ὁ ἀνθρώπος᾽ »ἔκτισες γάρ → ἀθάνατον δὲ καὶ ὁ ἄνθρωπος· »ἔκτισε« γάρ; ἐποίησεν αὐτόνε. οὐκ ἄρα ἀπόλλυται τὸ σῶμα" → ἐποίησεν αὐτόν«. οὐκ ἄρα ἀπόλλυται τὸ σῶμα·.

Extrabiblical texts: Wis 2:23 (Wisdom of Solomon [in RC, EO, ETH canons]; quotation)

Topics: Eschatology

Cite (SBL): Methodius, Res. 1.50 (Bonwetsch GCS 27:303; trans. Sophia Scriptura, https://sophiascriptura.com/fathers/methodius-de-resurrectione/1-47/#p-1-50). (abbreviation not yet checked)

BibTeX · RIS (whole work; this passage's key: sophiascriptura-methodius-de-resurrectione-1-50) · Report an error

1.51Bonwetsch GCS 27:304

Διὸ ἐπίστησον ὡς καὶ ὁ κύριος τὰ αὐτὰ ταῦτα διδάσκειν θέλων, μὴ πιστευόντων Σαδδουκαίων εἰς τὴν ἀνάστασιν τῆς σαρκός· δόγμα γὰρ τοῦτο Σαδδουκαίων. ὅθεν συσκευασάμενοι τὴν κατὰ τὴν γυναῖκα καὶ τοὺς ἑπτὰ ἀδελφοὺς παραβολήν, ἵνα τὸν περὶ ἀναστάσεως τῆς σαρκὸς λόγον ἀπορήσωσι, προσῆλθον αὐτῷ ἀμέλει αὐτὸς ὁ εὐαγγελιστὴς ἐπεσημήνατο »προσῆλθον δὲ αὐτῷ« εἰπὼν »καὶ Σαδδουκαῖοι, λέγοντες μὴ εἶναι ἀνάστασιν«. ὁ οὖν Χριστός, εἰ μὴ ἦν ἀνάστασις σαρκός. ἀλλὰ μόνον ἐσώζετο ἡ ψυχή, συνέθετο ἂν αὐτοῖς ὡς καλῶς καὶ ὀρθῶς φρονοῦσι. νυνὶ δὲ ἀποκρούεται λέγων »ἐν τῇ ἀναστάσει οὔτε γαμοῦσιν οὔτε γαμίσκονται, ἀλλ᾽ ὡς ἄγγελοι ἐν οὐρανῷ εἰσιν«, οὐ τῷ σάρκα μὴ ἔχειν. ἀλλὰ τῷ μὴ γαμεῖν καὶ γαμεῖσθαι. ἀλλ᾽ εἶναι λοιπὸν ἐν ἀφθαρσίᾳ καὶ φωτί ἀγγέλοις κατὰ τοῦτο παραπλησιάζοντες, ἵν᾽ ὥσπερ οἱ ἄγγελοι ἐν τῷ οὐρανῷ, οὕτως καὶ ἡμεῖς ἐν τῷ παραδείσῳ. μὴ γάμοις ἢ εἰλαπίναις ἔτι σχολάζοντες, ἀλλὰ τῷ βλέπειν τὸν θεὸν καὶ γεωργεῖν τὴν ζωὴν πρυτανεύοντος ἡμῖν τοῦ Χριστοῦ. οὐ γὰρ εἶπεν »ἔσονται ἄγγελοι«, ἀλλ᾽ »ὡς ἄγγελοι«, οἷον »δόξῃ« μὲν »καὶ τιμῇ« κατὰ τὸ γεγραμμένον. »ἐστεφανωμένοι, βραχὺ δέ τι παρὰ τοὺς ἀγγέλους« διαλλάσσοντες καὶ ἐγγὺς ὄντες τοῦ εἶναι ἄγγελοι. καθάπερ εἰ ἔλεγεν. οὔσης εὐταξίας κατὰ τὸν ἀέρα καὶ γαλήνης νυκτὸς καὶ πάντων τῷ τῆς σελήνης αἰθερίῳ φωτὶ κεκοσμημένων, ἡ σελήνη φαίνει ὡς ὁ ἥλιος, καὶ οὐ πάντως ἂν ἥλιον εἶναι τὴν σελήνην ἀπομαρτυρεῖν αὐτὸν ἐλέγομεν, ἀλλ᾽ ὡς ἥλιον· ὥσπερ καὶ τὸ μὴ ὑπάρχον χρυσός, ἐγγὺς δὲ τοῦ εἶναι χρυσὸς πεφυκός, ὡς χρυσὸς λέγεται καὶ οὐ χρυσός (εἰ δὲ ἦν χρυσός, οὐκ ἐλέγετο ἂν ὡς χρυσός, ἀλλὰ χρυσός" ἐπεὶ δὲ μὴ ἔστι χρυσός, ἀλλὰ ἐγγὺς τοῦ εἶναι χρυσὸς καὶ φαντάζεσθαι τὸν χρυσόν, οὐ χρυσός, ἀλλ᾽ ὡς χρυσὸς λέγεται)· οὕτως καὶ ὡς ἀγγέλους ἔσεσθαι λέγοντος τοὺς ἀγίους ἐν τῇ ἀναστάσει, οὐκ αὐτὸ τοῦτο ἀγγέλους αὐτὸν ἐπαγγέλλεσθαι ἀκούομεν τοὺς ἁγίους ἔσεσθαι ἐν τῇ ἀναστάσει, ἀλλὰ ἐγγὺς τοῦ εἶναι ἀγγέλους. ὥστε ἀλογώτατον λέγειν, ἐπειδὴ ὁ Χριστὸς ἀπεφήνατο τοὺς ἁγίους ὀφθῆναι ὡς ἀγγέλους ἐν τῇ ἀναστάσει, τὰ σώματα διὰ τοῦτο ταῦτα μὴ ἀνίστασθαι, καίτοι τῆς λέξεως αὐτὴν τὴν τάξιν δηλούσης σαφῶς τοῦ συμβαίνοντος. ἀνάστασις γὰρ οὐκ ἐπὶ τοῦ μὴ πεπτωκότος, ἀλλ᾽ ἐπὶ τοῦ πεπτωκότος λέγεται καὶ ἀνισταμένου ὥσπερ ὁπόταν λέγῃ καὶ ὁ προφήτης »καὶ ἀναστήσω τὴν σκηνὴν Δαυὶδ τὴν πεπτωκυῖαν«. ἔπεσε δὲ ὀκλάσασα ἡ ποθητὴ σκηνὴ τῆς ψυχῆς »εἰς γῆν χώματος«. οὐ γὰρ τὸ μὴ θνῇσκον, ἀλλὰ τὸ θνῇσκον κλίνεται. θνῄσκει δὲ σάρξ· ψυχὴ γὰρ ἀθάνατος. καὶ τοίνυν εἰ ἡ ψυχὴ ἀθάνατος, σῶμα δὲ ὁ νεκρός, οἱ λέγοντες ἀνάστασιν μὲν εἶναι, σαρκὸς δὲ μὴ εἶναι, ἀρνοῦνται μὴ εἶναι ἀνάστασιν. ὅτι μὴ τὸ ἑστὸς ἀλλὰ τὸ πεπτωκὸς καὶ κλιθὲν διανίσταται, κατὰ τὸ γεγραμμένον »μὴ ὁ πίπτων οὐκ ἀνίσταται, ἢ ὁ ἀποστρέφων οὐκ ἀναστρέψει;«

Dio epistēson hōs kai ho kyrios ta auta tauta didaskein thelōn, mē pisteuontōn Saddoukaiōn eis tēn anastasin tēs sarkos; dogma gar touto Saddoukaiōn. hothen syskeuasamenoi tēn kata tēn gynaika kai tous hepta adelphous parabolēn, hina ton peri anastaseōs tēs sarkos logon aporēsōsi, prosēlthon autǭ amelei autos ho euangelistēs epesēmēnato »prosēlthon de autǭ« eipōn »kai Saddoukaioi, legontes mē einai anastasin«. ho oun Christos, ei mē ēn anastasis sarkos. alla monon esōzeto hē psychē, synetheto an autois hōs kalōs kai orthōs phronousi. nyni de apokrouetai legōn »en tę̄ anastasei oute gamousin oute gamiskontai, all᾽ hōs angeloi en ouranǭ eisin«, ou tǭ sarka mē echein. alla tǭ mē gamein kai gameisthai. all᾽ einai loipon en aphtharsią kai phōti angelois kata touto paraplēsiazontes, hin᾽ hōsper hoi angeloi en tǭ ouranǭ, houtōs kai hēmeis en tǭ paradeisǭ. mē gamois ē eilapinais eti scholazontes, alla tǭ blepein ton theon kai geōrgein tēn zōēn prytaneuontos hēmin tou Christou. ou gar eipen »esontai angeloi«, all᾽ »hōs angeloi«, hoion »doxę̄« men »kai timę̄« kata to gegrammenon. »estephanōmenoi, brachy de ti para tous angelous« diallassontes kai engys ontes tou einai angeloi. kathaper ei elegen. ousēs eutaxias kata ton aera kai galēnēs nyktos kai pantōn tǭ tēs selēnēs aitheriǭ phōti kekosmēmenōn, hē selēnē phainei hōs ho hēlios, kai ou pantōs an hēlion einai tēn selēnēn apomartyrein auton elegomen, all᾽ hōs hēlion; hōsper kai to mē hyparchon chrysos, engys de tou einai chrysos pephykos, hōs chrysos legetai kai ou chrysos (ei de ēn chrysos, ouk elegeto an hōs chrysos, alla chrysos" epei de mē esti chrysos, alla engys tou einai chrysos kai phantazesthai ton chryson, ou chrysos, all᾽ hōs chrysos legetai); houtōs kai hōs angelous esesthai legontos tous agious en tę̄ anastasei, ouk auto touto angelous auton epangellesthai akouomen tous hagious esesthai en tę̄ anastasei, alla engys tou einai angelous. hōste alogōtaton legein, epeidē ho Christos apephēnato tous hagious ophthēnai hōs angelous en tę̄ anastasei, ta sōmata dia touto tauta mē anistasthai, kaitoi tēs lexeōs autēn tēn taxin dēlousēs saphōs tou symbainontos. anastasis gar ouk epi tou mē peptōkotos, all᾽ epi tou peptōkotos legetai kai anistamenou hōsper hopotan legę̄ kai ho prophētēs »kai anastēsō tēn skēnēn Dauid tēn peptōkuian«. epese de oklasasa hē pothētē skēnē tēs psychēs »eis gēn chōmatos«. ou gar to mē thnę̄skon, alla to thnę̄skon klinetai. thnę̄skei de sarx; psychē gar athanatos. kai toinyn ei hē psychē athanatos, sōma de ho nekros, hoi legontes anastasin men einai, sarkos de mē einai, arnountai mē einai anastasin. hoti mē to hestos alla to peptōkos kai klithen dianistatai, kata to gegrammenon »mē ho piptōn ouk anistatai, ē ho apostrephōn ouk anastrepsei?«

"Notice, then, how the Lord too wished to teach these very things, when the Sadducees did not believe in the resurrection of the flesh; for that was a doctrine of the Sadducees. That is why they contrived the parable about the woman and the seven brothers, to cast doubt on the teaching of the resurrection of the flesh, and came to him; indeed the evangelist himself noted it, saying, 'And there came to him Sadducees, who say that there is no resurrection.' If, then, there were no resurrection of the flesh, but only the soul were saved, Christ would have agreed with them that they thought rightly and well. But as it is he rebuffs them, saying, 'In the resurrection they neither marry nor are given in marriage, but are as angels in heaven': not by having no flesh, but by not marrying and being given in marriage, but being from then on in incorruption and light, and coming near to the angels in this respect, so that, as the angels are in heaven, so we too are in paradise, no longer occupied with weddings or feasts, but with seeing God and cultivating life, with Christ presiding over us. For he did not say 'they will be angels,' but 'as angels,' that is, 'crowned' with 'glory' and 'honour,' according to what is written, differing 'a little from the angels' and near to being angels. It is as if someone said, when the air is calm and the night still and everything is adorned with the ethereal light of the moon, that the moon shines like the sun; we would not say that he was testifying that the moon is altogether the sun, but like the sun. So too what is not gold, but is by nature near to being gold, is called 'like gold' and not gold (if it were gold, it would not be called 'like gold' but 'gold'; but since it is not gold, but near to being gold and resembling gold, it is called not gold but like gold). In the same way, when he says that the saints will be as angels in the resurrection, we do not hear him promising that the saints will be angels in the resurrection, but near to being angels. So it is most unreasonable to say that, because Christ declared that the saints will appear as angels in the resurrection, these bodies do not rise; and yet the very word clearly shows the order of what happens. For 'resurrection' is said not of what has not fallen, but of what has fallen and rises again, as when the prophet too says, 'And I will raise up the tent of David that has fallen.' And the longed-for tent of the soul fell, sinking down 'to the earth of dust.' For it is not what does not die that sinks down, but what dies. And it is the flesh that dies; for the soul is immortal. And so, if the soul is immortal and the body is the dead thing, those who say that there is a resurrection, but not of the flesh, deny that there is a resurrection, since it is not what stands that rises again but what has fallen and sunk down, according to what is written, 'Does not he who falls rise again, or he who turns away return?'"

Matt 22:23 (quotation, high confidence) · Matt 22:30 (quotation, high confidence) · Ps 8:5 (quotation, high confidence) · Amos 9:11 (quotation, high confidence) · Dan 12:2 (echo, medium confidence) · Jer 8:4 (quotation, high confidence)

Notes and citation

Summary: Christ's answer to the Sadducees shows that the risen will be 'as angels' in not marrying, not in lacking flesh; 'resurrection' itself means the rising of what has fallen, the body.

Matt 22:23-30 (Mark 12:18-25); Ps 8:5 (cf. Heb 2:7); Amos 9:11; Dan 12:2 ('the earth of dust'); Jer 8:4. 'Tent' renders σκηνή, the body as the dwelling of the soul. Some OCR slips are corrected by logged corrections.

Notes on the original text

Digital text corrected (OCR misreading; OCR misreadings; OCR misreadings and Latin letters; OCR: Latin letters; OCR: breathing; OCR: garbled words and Latin letters; OCR: lost apostrophe; OCR: lost letter; OCR: stray marks; OCR: stray marks and misreadings; OCR: stray marks in a hyphenated word; OCR: θ for ν; OCR: ο for ω; OCR: ὁ for δ): διδαῦκειν , 2 ᾽ - θέλων → διδάσκειν θέλων; σαρχός᾽ δόγμα → σαρκός· δόγμα; οθεν συσκευασάμενοι → ὅθεν συσκευασάμενοι; παραβολήν. Ira τὸν → παραβολήν, ἵνα τὸν; »προσῆλθον δὲ αὐτῷς εἰπὼν »καὶ Iudδουκαῖοι. λέγοντες μὴ εἶναι ἀνάστασινα. → »προσῆλθον δὲ αὐτῷ« εἰπὼν »καὶ Σαδδουκαῖοι, λέγοντες μὴ εἶναι ἀνάστασιν«.; ὡς καλῶς καὶ 009 Ge φρονοῦσι. »υνὶ δὲ ἀποκρούεται λέγον "ἐν τῇ ἀναστί O8: οὔτε γαμοῦσιν οὐτε γαμίσκονται, ἀλλ᾽ 0a ἄγγελοι ἐν οὐρανῷ Os, → ὡς καλῶς καὶ ὀρθῶς φρονοῦσι. νυνὶ δὲ ἀποκρούεται λέγων »ἐν τῇ ἀναστάσει οὔτε γαμοῦσιν οὔτε γαμίσκονται, ἀλλ᾽ ὡς ἄγγελοι ἐν οὐρανῷ εἰσιν«,; ἀλλ᾽ εἶνε λοιπὸν → ἀλλ᾽ εἶναι λοιπὸν; ἵν ὥσπερ → ἵν᾽ ὥσπερ; τῷ βλέπει τὸν θεὸν → τῷ βλέπειν τὸν θεὸν; Χοιστοῦ. οὐ γὰν εἶπεν σονται ἄγγελοι. ἀλλ ν'ῶς ἄγγελοις, οἷον »δύξῃς μὲν ν»καὶ τιμῆς. → Χριστοῦ. οὐ γὰρ εἶπεν »ἔσονται ἄγγελοι«, ἀλλ᾽ »ὡς ἄγγελοι«, οἷον »δόξῃ« μὲν »καὶ τιμῇ«; βραχὺ ὁέ τι → βραχὺ δέ τι; ἐγγὺς ὀντες → ἐγγὺς ὄντες; γαλήθης νυκτὸς → γαλήνης νυκτὸς; χεκοσμημένων, Vi σελήνη φαίνει οἷς ὁ ἥλιος, καὶ οὐ πάντως ἃν ἥλιον εἶναι τὴν σελήνη» ἀπομαρτυρεῖν αὐτὸν ἐλέγομεν, ἀλλ᾽ we ἡ λέων" ὥσπερ κιὰ → κεκοσμημένων, ἡ σελήνη φαίνει ὡς ὁ ἥλιος, καὶ οὐ πάντως ἂν ἥλιον εἶναι τὴν σελήνην ἀπομαρτυρεῖν αὐτὸν ἐλέγομεν, ἀλλ᾽ ὡς ἥλιον· ὥσπερ καὶ; ἐγγὺς dt τοῦ εἶναι χρν σὸς πεφυκός, ὡς χουσὸς λέγεται καὶ οὐ χρυσός (εἰ δὲ ἣν χουν 606, οὐχ ἐλέγετο ἂν mc χρυσός. → ἐγγὺς δὲ τοῦ εἶναι χρυσὸς πεφυκός, ὡς χρυσὸς λέγεται καὶ οὐ χρυσός (εἰ δὲ ἦν χρυσός, οὐκ ἐλέγετο ἂν ὡς χρυσός,; ἀλλὰ “ἐγγὺς, τοῦ εἰναι → ἀλλὰ ἐγγὺς τοῦ εἶναι; ἀλλ ὡς χρυσὸς λέγεται)" → ἀλλ᾽ ὡς χρυσὸς λέγεται)·; τῆς λέξεος → τῆς λέξεως; μὴ πεπτογκότος → μὴ πεπτωκότος; τὴν πεπτογκυῖανε. ἔπεσε δὲ ὀκλασασα ἢ ποθητὴ ὑχηνὴ τῆς φυχῆς EIG γῆν χώματος. → τὴν πεπτωκυῖαν«. ἔπεσε δὲ ὀκλάσασα ἡ ποθητὴ σκηνὴ τῆς ψυχῆς »εἰς γῆν χώματος«.; οὐ γὰρ τὸ μὴ θνῇσχον, ἀλλὰ τὸ θνῇσχον κλίνεται. θνῇσκει δὲ σὰρξ \ , \ € ι 2 ᾿ - < ψυχὴ → οὐ γὰρ τὸ μὴ θνῇσκον, ἀλλὰ τὸ θνῇσκον κλίνεται. θνῄσκει δὲ σάρξ· ψυχὴ; σῶμα δὲ ὁ , , ΄, ΗΜ 5 \ Η 1 Ω > - γεχρός, → σῶμα δὲ ὁ νεκρός,; ὅτε μὴ τὸ ἑστὸς. ἀλλὰ → ὅτι μὴ τὸ ἑστὸς ἀλλὰ; οὐκ ἀνί“ «ς 3 > 3 σταται, N ὁ ἀποστρέφων οὐχ ἀναστρέψει;« → οὐκ ἀνίσταται, ἢ ὁ ἀποστρέφων οὐκ ἀναστρέψει;«.

Topics: Eschatology

Cite (SBL): Methodius, Res. 1.51 (Bonwetsch GCS 27:304; trans. Sophia Scriptura, https://sophiascriptura.com/fathers/methodius-de-resurrectione/1-47/#p-1-51). (abbreviation not yet checked)

BibTeX · RIS (whole work; this passage's key: sophiascriptura-methodius-de-resurrectione-1-51) · Report an error

1.52Bonwetsch GCS 27:307

Ὅτι δὲ ἀθάνατος ἡ ψυχὴ ἐδίδαξεν ἀναφανδὸν Χριστὸς καὶ δι ἑαυτοῦ καὶ διὰ Σολομῶνος εἰπών· δι᾽ ἑαυτοῦ μὲν ἐν τῇ κατὰ τὸν πλούσιον καὶ τὸν πένητα Λάζαρον ἱστορίᾳ, τὸν μὲν ἐν κόλποις Ἀβραὰμ δοὺς ἀναπαύεσθαι μετὰ τὴν ἀπόθεσιν τοῦ σώματος, τὸν δὲ ἐν ἀλγηδόσιν, οἷς διαλεγόμενον τὸν ᾿Αβραὰμ εἰσήγαγε' διὰ Σολομῶνος δὲ ἐν τῇ ἐπιγραφομένῃ Σοφίᾳ, ἔνθα »δικαίων αἱ ψυχαὶ ἐν χειρί« γέγραπται »θεοῦ, καὶ οὐ μὴ ἅψηται αὐτῶν βάσανος. ἔδοξαν ἐν ὀφθαλμοῖς ἀφρόνων τεθνάναι, καὶ ἐλογίσθη κάκωσις ἡ ἔξοδος αὐτῶν, καὶ ἡ ἀφ᾽ ἡμῶν πορεία σύντριμμα· οἱ δέ εἰσιν ἐν εἰρήνῃ, καὶ ἡ ἐλπὶς αὐτῶν ἀθανασίας πλήρης«. ὅθεν σώματος ἡ ἀνάστασις, καὶ οὐ ψυχῆς. οὐ γὰρ τὸν ἑστῶτά τις ἀνίστησιν, ἀλλὰ τὸν κείμενον, ὥσπερ οὐδὲ τὸν ὑγιαίνοντα θεραπεύουσιν, ἀλλὰ τὸν πάσχοντα. εἰ δέ τις τὴν ἀνάστασιν ἐπὶ τῆς ψυχῆς, καὶ μὴ ἐπὶ τῆς σαρκὸς βιάζεται λέγειν ἔσεσθαι, πολλὴ μὲν μωρία τοῦτο καὶ ἀλογία. δεῖ γὰρ φθορὰν πρῶτον καὶ λύσιν τὼν τοιοῖτωον τῆς εχῆς δειχνέες ru δείξη ὁὴ χὰ τὴν ἀνύστασιν (αὐτῆς. μήτοι ληροῦντώ γε, ἀλλὰ σαφῶς λέγοντά τι «φαίνεσθαι, ὑμῶς γοῦν θοτέον σύ το θυητὴ» ὁρίσασθαι τὴν χήν». ὁυοῖν γάω TOL θότερον ταύτῃ θετέον. " ἀληθῆ τὸν κύριον ἀποφήνασθαι ἀθάνατον τὴν ψυχὴν διδάσκοντα, καὶ ψεῦδος τὸ φθείρεσθαι αὐτὴν λέγειν, ἢ φθείρεσθαι, καὶ ψεύδεσθαι τὸ ἀνώλεθρον αὐτὴν καὶ ἀθάνατον εἶναι διδάσκειν τὸν Χριστόν, καὶ ἐν τῇ κατὰ τὸν πλούσιον καὶ τὸν πένητα φράσει, καὶ ἐν τῇ κατὰ τὸν Μωυσέα καὶ τὸν Ἠλίαν ὀπτασίᾳ. ἀλλ᾽ οὐδὲν ὁ Χριστὸς ἄλλως ἐφθέγξατο ἢ ἐψεύσατο. οὐ γὰρ εἴδωλον ἢ φάσμα, τοὺς ἀποστόλους βουλόμενος ἀπατᾶν, ἐδείκνυεν αὐτοῖς ἐν τῷ ὄρει τὸν Ἠλίαν καὶ τὸν Μωυσέα, ἀλλὰ ἀψευδῶς, ὥστε, ὡς ἔπος εἰπεῖν. καὶ τὸν δυσμαθέστατον μαθεῖν ἀθάνατον αὐτὴν εἶναι καὶ ἀνώλεθρον διαβεβαιοῦσθαι τὴν ψυχήν.

Hoti de athanatos hē psychē edidaxen anaphandon Christos kai di heautou kai dia Solomōnos eipōn; di᾽ heautou men en tę̄ kata ton plousion kai ton penēta Lazaron historią, ton men en kolpois Abraam dous anapauesthai meta tēn apothesin tou sōmatos, ton de en algēdosin, hois dialegomenon ton ᾿Abraam eisēgage' dia Solomōnos de en tę̄ epigraphomenę̄ Sophią, entha »dikaiōn hai psychai en cheiri« gegraptai »theou, kai ou mē hapsētai autōn basanos. edoxan en ophthalmois aphronōn tethnanai, kai elogisthē kakōsis hē exodos autōn, kai hē aph᾽ hēmōn poreia syntrimma; hoi de eisin en eirēnę̄, kai hē elpis autōn athanasias plērēs«. hothen sōmatos hē anastasis, kai ou psychēs. ou gar ton hestōta tis anistēsin, alla ton keimenon, hōsper oude ton hygiainonta therapeuousin, alla ton paschonta. ei de tis tēn anastasin epi tēs psychēs, kai mē epi tēs sarkos biazetai legein esesthai, pollē men mōria touto kai alogia. dei gar phthoran prōton kai lysin tōn toioitōon tēs echēs deichnees ru deixē hoē cha tēn anystasin (autēs. mētoi lērountō ge, alla saphōs legonta ti «phainesthai, hymōs goun thoteon sy to thyētē» horisasthai tēn chēn». houoin gaō TOL thoteron tautę̄ theteon. " alēthē ton kyrion apophēnasthai athanaton tēn psychēn didaskonta, kai pseudos to phtheiresthai autēn legein, ē phtheiresthai, kai pseudesthai to anōlethron autēn kai athanaton einai didaskein ton Christon, kai en tę̄ kata ton plousion kai ton penēta phrasei, kai en tę̄ kata ton Mōysea kai ton Ēlian optasią. all᾽ ouden ho Christos allōs ephthenxato ē epseusato. ou gar eidōlon ē phasma, tous apostolous boulomenos apatan, edeiknyen autois en tǭ orei ton Ēlian kai ton Mōysea, alla apseudōs, hōste, hōs epos eipein. kai ton dysmathestaton mathein athanaton autēn einai kai anōlethron diabebaiousthai tēn psychēn.

"That the soul is immortal Christ taught openly, speaking both himself and through Solomon: himself in the story of the rich man and the poor man Lazarus, where he grants the one rest in the bosom of Abraham after laying aside the body, and puts the other in torments, and brings him in conversing with Abraham; and through Solomon in the book entitled Wisdom, where it is written, 'The souls of the righteous are in the hand of God, and no torment will touch them. In the eyes of the foolish they seemed to have died, and their departure was thought an affliction, and their going from us a ruin; but they are in peace, and their hope is full of immortality.' So the resurrection is of the body, not of the soul. For no one raises up someone who is standing, but someone who is lying down, just as no one treats the healthy, but the sick. If anyone forcibly maintains that the resurrection will be of the soul and not of the flesh, this is great folly and unreason. For he must first show the corruption and dissolution of the soul, and so show its resurrection too, if he is not to talk nonsense but to be seen to say something clear; and so he must define the soul as mortal. For one of two things must be held here: either the Lord declared the truth when he taught that the soul is immortal, and it is false to say that it perishes; or it perishes, and Christ lied when he taught that it is indestructible and immortal, both in the account of the rich man and the poor man and in the vision of Moses and Elijah. But Christ said nothing otherwise than as it is, nor did he lie. For it was not an image or a phantom that he showed the apostles on the mountain, Elijah and Moses, wishing to deceive them; he showed them truly, so that, so to speak, even the slowest to learn might learn that the soul is immortal and be firmly assured that it is indestructible."

Luke 16:22 (allusion, high confidence) · Luke 16:23 (allusion, high confidence) · Matt 17:3 (allusion, high confidence)

Notes and citation

Summary: Christ taught the soul's immortality in the story of the rich man and Lazarus and at the transfiguration, as does Wisdom 3; therefore 'resurrection' must refer to the body, which falls, not to the soul.

The second half of this chapter (from 'If anyone forcibly maintains') is badly garbled in the OCR; the clearest slips are corrected, and the rest is translated by its evident sense, which the argument makes plain.
Luke 16:19-31; Wis 3:1-4; Matt 17:1-3.

Notes on the original text

Digital text corrected (OCR misreadings; OCR: Latin letters and misreadings; OCR: accent; OCR: garbled words and Latin letters; OCR: stray marks; OCR: stray marks and misreadings; OCR: stray marks in a hyphenated word; OCR: stray marks, Latin letters and misreadings; OCR: χ for κ): Ort δὲ «θάνατος ἡ ψυχὴ ἐδίδαξεν ἀναφανδὸν Xoıctoc → Ὅτι δὲ ἀθάνατος ἡ ψυχὴ ἐδίδαξεν ἀναφανδὸν Χριστὸς; Σολομῶνος εἰπών" δι ἑαυτοῦ → Σολομῶνος εἰπών· δι᾽ ἑαυτοῦ; “αζαρον ἱστορίᾳ, τὸν μὲν ἐν χολποις ω \ . 2 ᾽ Α x 32 μέ “- ’ x x Aßocku δοὺς → Λάζαρον ἱστορίᾳ, τὸν μὲν ἐν κόλποις Ἀβραὰμ δοὺς; τὸν δὲ 2 ᾽ τ ’ 3 Α ’ x ἐν ἀλγηδόσιν → τὸν δὲ ἐν ἀλγηδόσιν; διὰ Σολο- δὲ 3 - ὃ MM τ' ᾿ » 9 ὃ 2 ε " s 2 μῶνος δὲ → διὰ Σολομῶνος δὲ; ἔνθα »0ıxalavr αἵ ψυκαὶ ἐν χειρίς γέγραπται νθεοῦ. καὶ οὐ UN AWNTAL αὐτῶν βασανος. ἔδοξαν > > , ᾿ [4 € ἐν ὀφθαλμοῖς ἀφοόνων → ἔνθα »δικαίων αἱ ψυχαὶ ἐν χειρί« γέγραπται »θεοῦ, καὶ οὐ μὴ ἅψηται αὐτῶν βάσανος. ἔδοξαν ἐν ὀφθαλμοῖς ἀφρόνων; καὶ ἡ ἀφ ἡμῶν πορεία σύντριμμα οἱ δὲ εἰσιν ἐν εἰρήνῃ, . « - 2 ’ [τ , € > ’ καὶ ἡ ἐλπὶς αὐτῶν ἀθανασίας πλήρηςς. οθεν → καὶ ἡ ἀφ᾽ ἡμῶν πορεία σύντριμμα· οἱ δέ εἰσιν ἐν εἰρήνῃ, καὶ ἡ ἐλπὶς αὐτῶν ἀθανασίας πλήρης«. ὅθεν; σώματος ἢ ἀνάστασις → σώματος ἡ ἀνάστασις; τὸν χείμενον → τὸν κείμενον; τὸν πάὄχοντα. μὶ δέ τίς τὴν» ἀνάσταοιν ἐπὶ τῆς Ψυχῆς, καὶ μὴ ἐπὶ τῆς σσρκος βιώξετιι λέγει» ἴσεσθαι. → τὸν πάσχοντα. εἰ δέ τις τὴν ἀνάστασιν ἐπὶ τῆς ψυχῆς, καὶ μὴ ἐπὶ τῆς σαρκὸς βιάζεται λέγειν ἔσεσθαι,; δεῖ γὰρ φθορὼν» ποῶτον» καὶ λύσιν → δεῖ γὰρ φθορὰν πρῶτον καὶ λύσιν; ἀληθῆὴ τὸν κύριο» ἀποφήνασθαι ἀθόνατον» τὴν φύχὴν διδύσκοντι,. zul ιρεῦδυς τὸ φθείρεσθιιι αὐτὴν λέγειν. ἡ φθείρεσθει. καὶ WE due τὸ ἀνώλεθρον» αὐτὴ» καὶ ἀθάνατον εἰναι διδάσκειν τὼ» Χριωτών. → ἀληθῆ τὸν κύριον ἀποφήνασθαι ἀθάνατον τὴν ψυχὴν διδάσκοντα, καὶ ψεῦδος τὸ φθείρεσθαι αὐτὴν λέγειν, ἢ φθείρεσθαι, καὶ ψεύδεσθαι τὸ ἀνώλεθρον αὐτὴν καὶ ἀθάνατον εἶναι διδάσκειν τὸν Χριστόν,; καὶ Er τῇ κατὰ τὸν πλούσιο» καὶ τὸν πένητα φράσει. καὶ ἐν τῇ χατὰ τὸν Μωυσές καὶ τὸν ᾿μλίων ὀπτασίᾳ. ἀλλ᾽ οὐδὲν ὁ ZU mE ἄλλως ἐφθέγξατο ἢ ἐφεύσατο. → καὶ ἐν τῇ κατὰ τὸν πλούσιον καὶ τὸν πένητα φράσει, καὶ ἐν τῇ κατὰ τὸν Μωυσέα καὶ τὸν Ἠλίαν ὀπτασίᾳ. ἀλλ᾽ οὐδὲν ὁ Χριστὸς ἄλλως ἐφθέγξατο ἢ ἐψεύσατο.; εἴδωλον ἡ φάσμα. τοὺς ἀποστύλους βουλόμενος. ἀπατᾶν, ἐδείκνυεν αὐτοῖς ἐν τῷ 0060 τὸν Hitler zei τὸν Μωυσέᾳς. ἀλλὰ τὸ ὃ ἡσῶν ἀψευδῶς → εἴδωλον ἢ φάσμα, τοὺς ἀποστόλους βουλόμενος ἀπατᾶν, ἐδείκνυεν αὐτοῖς ἐν τῷ ὄρει τὸν Ἠλίαν καὶ τὸν Μωυσέα, ἀλλὰ ἀψευδῶς; κιὰὼ τὸν δυσμαθέστατον μαθεῖν ἀθώνατον αὐτὸν εἶναι καὶ ἀνεώλεθ ον → καὶ τὸν δυσμαθέστατον μαθεῖν ἀθάνατον αὐτὴν εἶναι καὶ ἀνώλεθρον.

Extrabiblical texts: Wis 3:1-4 (Wisdom of Solomon [in RC, EO, ETH canons]; quotation)

Topics: Eschatology

Cite (SBL): Methodius, Res. 1.52 (Bonwetsch GCS 27:307; trans. Sophia Scriptura, https://sophiascriptura.com/fathers/methodius-de-resurrectione/1-47/#p-1-52). (abbreviation not yet checked)

BibTeX · RIS (whole work; this passage's key: sophiascriptura-methodius-de-resurrectione-1-52) · Report an error

1.53Bonwetsch GCS 27:308

Οὐκοῦν σαρκὸς ἡ ἀνάστασις γίγνεται καὶ οὐ ψυχῆς, ὅπως »ἡ πεπτωκυῖα« τοῦ Δαυὶδ εἰς τὴν φθορὰν ἀνασταίη »σκηνή«, καὶ ἀναστᾶσα καὶ ἀνοικοδομηθεῖσα, »καθὼς αἱ ἡμέραι τοῦ αἰῶνος«, ἀπήμων λοιπὸν καὶ ἀδιάπτωτος διαμένοι. οὐ γὰρ τῷ θεῷ τὴν λιθίνην οἰκίαν δείμασθαι τοῦ Δαυὶδ εἰς τὸ μέλλον, ἵν᾽ ἐν τῇ βασιλείᾳ τῶν οὐρανῶν οἰκίαν σχῇ καλήν, ἀλλὰ τὴν σάρκα, τὸ σκῆνος τῆς ψυχῆς, ἣν αὐτὸς ταῖς ἑαυτοῦ χερσὶν ἐτεκτήνατο. σκοπεῖσθαι δέ σε, ὦ σοφώτατε Ἀγλαοφῶν, οὑτωσὶ χρή. πάντων δὲ ῥᾷστα μαθήσῃ τοῦτο, ἐὰν ἐπὶ τὴν τοῦ καθεύδειν εἰκόνα πρόσσχῃς καὶ ἀνίστασθαι. εἰ γὰρ τὸ ὑπνοῦν ἀπὸ τοῦ ἐγρηγορέναι καὶ τὸ ἀνίστασθαι ἀπὸ τοῦ καθεύδειν γίγνεται, καὶ τοῦτο θανάτου καὶ ἀναστάσεως μελέτη ὕπνῳ (γὰρ) καὶ θανάτῳ διδυμάοσιν·, ἀνάγκη δὴ καὶ τὸ ἀναβιώσκεσθαι εἶναι ἐκ τοῦ τεθνάναι, εἰς τὸ ζῆν τὴν σάρκα, εἴπερ καὶ τὸ ἀνεγείρεσθαι ἐκ τῶν καθευδόντων. ὡς γὰρ ἐκ τοῦ καθεύδειν τὸ ἐγρηγορέναι γίγνεται, καὶ οὐ πάντως ὁ καθεύδων ἐν τῷ αὐτῷ διαμένει σχήματι καθεύδον ἀεί, ἀλλ᾽ αὖθις ἀνίσταται. οὕτως καὶ τὸ ζῆν ἐκ τοῦ ἀποθανεῖν συμβήσεται, καὶ οὐ πάντως ὁ ἀποθανών, ἐπειδὰν ἀποθάνοι, ἐν τῷ αὐτῷ μένει. εἰ γὰρ ἐκ τοῦ κοιμᾶσθαι τὸ ἐγρηγορέναι καὶ ἐκ τοῦ πεσεῖν τὸ ἀνεγερθῆναι καὶ ἐκ τοῦ καταβληθῆναι τὸ ἀνοικοδομηθῆναι, τίς μηχανὴ καὶ ἐκ τοῦ κλιθέντος μὴ οὐχὶ προσδοκᾶν τὸ ἀναστήσεσθαι καὶ ἐκ τοῦ θανόντος τὸ ἀναβιώσκεσθαι; καὶ γὰρ ἡμεῖς ταῦτα οὐκ ἐξαπατώμενοι ὁμολογοῦμεν, ἐκ τῶν τεθνεώτων σωμάτων τὸ ἀναβιώσκεσθαι συμβαίνειν. καὶ μὴ μόνον τοῦτο, εἰ βούλει, ἀπὸ τοῦ καθεύδειν σκόπει καὶ ἀνίστασθαι, ἀλλὰ καὶ ἀπὸ τῶν σπερμάτων καὶ φυτῶν, ὡς ἐν πᾶσιν αὐτοῖς ἡ ἀνάστασις καταγγέλλεται. καταμάθετε γὰρ τὰ σπέρματα, πῶς »γυμνά« φησι καὶ ἄσαρκα βάλλεται εἰς τὴν γῆν, καὶ τελεσφορούμενα πάλιν (τὰ αὐτὰ) ἀποδίδοται. ἐπεὶ εἰ θνήσκοι μὲν καὶ σήποιτο τὰ σπέρματα, ἐκ δὲ τῶν σπερμάτων μηκέτι τὸ ἀναζῆν καὶ φύειν γένοιτο, τίς ἡ ἀποκλήρωσις μὴ οὐχὶ πάντα καταναλωθῆναι εἰς τὸ τεθνάναι;

Oukoun sarkos hē anastasis gignetai kai ou psychēs, hopōs »hē peptōkuia« tou Dauid eis tēn phthoran anastaiē »skēnē«, kai anastasa kai anoikodomētheisa, »kathōs hai hēmerai tou aiōnos«, apēmōn loipon kai adiaptōtos diamenoi. ou gar tǭ theǭ tēn lithinēn oikian deimasthai tou Dauid eis to mellon, hin᾽ en tę̄ basileią tōn ouranōn oikian schę̄ kalēn, alla tēn sarka, to skēnos tēs psychēs, hēn autos tais heautou chersin etektēnato. skopeisthai de se, ō sophōtate Aglaophōn, houtōsi chrē. pantōn de rhąsta mathēsę̄ touto, ean epi tēn tou katheudein eikona prosschę̄s kai anistasthai. ei gar to hypnoun apo tou egrēgorenai kai to anistasthai apo tou katheudein gignetai, kai touto thanatou kai anastaseōs meletē hypnǭ (gar) kai thanatǭ didymaosin;, anankē dē kai to anabiōskesthai einai ek tou tethnanai, eis to zēn tēn sarka, eiper kai to anegeiresthai ek tōn katheudontōn. hōs gar ek tou katheudein to egrēgorenai gignetai, kai ou pantōs ho katheudōn en tǭ autǭ diamenei schēmati katheudon aei, all᾽ authis anistatai. houtōs kai to zēn ek tou apothanein symbēsetai, kai ou pantōs ho apothanōn, epeidan apothanoi, en tǭ autǭ menei. ei gar ek tou koimasthai to egrēgorenai kai ek tou pesein to anegerthēnai kai ek tou katablēthēnai to anoikodomēthēnai, tis mēchanē kai ek tou klithentos mē ouchi prosdokan to anastēsesthai kai ek tou thanontos to anabiōskesthai? kai gar hēmeis tauta ouk exapatōmenoi homologoumen, ek tōn tethneōtōn sōmatōn to anabiōskesthai symbainein. kai mē monon touto, ei boulei, apo tou katheudein skopei kai anistasthai, alla kai apo tōn spermatōn kai phytōn, hōs en pasin autois hē anastasis katangelletai. katamathete gar ta spermata, pōs »gymna« phēsi kai asarka balletai eis tēn gēn, kai telesphoroumena palin (ta auta) apodidotai. epei ei thnēskoi men kai sēpoito ta spermata, ek de tōn spermatōn mēketi to anazēn kai phyein genoito, tis hē apoklērōsis mē ouchi panta katanalōthēnai eis to tethnanai?

"So the resurrection is of the flesh and not of the soul, so that 'the fallen tent' of David, which fell into corruption, may rise, and, having risen and been rebuilt 'as in the days of old,' may remain thereafter unharmed and unfallen. For God is not going to build the stone house of David in the future, so that he may have a fine house in the kingdom of heaven, but the flesh, the tent of the soul, which he himself fashioned with his own hands. You should consider it in this way, most wise Aglaophon. You will learn this most easily of all if you attend to the image of sleeping and rising. For if sleeping comes from being awake, and rising from sleeping, and this is a rehearsal of death and resurrection (for sleep and death are twins), then the flesh's coming back to life must also come from being dead into living, just as waking comes from those who are asleep. For as waking comes from sleeping, and the sleeper does not by any means remain always in the same posture asleep, but rises again, so living too will come from dying, and the one who has died does not by any means remain in that state once he has died. For if waking comes from sleeping, and being raised up from falling, and being rebuilt from being thrown down, by what reasoning can we fail to expect that what has sunk down will rise and what has died will come back to life? Indeed we, without being deceived, confess this: that coming back to life happens from dead bodies. And consider this, if you like, not only from sleeping and rising, but also from seeds and plants, how the resurrection is proclaimed in them all. Learn from the seeds how they are cast into the earth 'bare,' as he says, and fleshless, and when they come to fruit are given back again, the same. For if the seeds died and rotted, but no living again and growing came from the seeds, what other lot would there be than that all things should be consumed into death?"

Amos 9:11 (quotation, high confidence) · 1 Cor 15:37 (quotation, high confidence)

Notes and citation

Summary: The resurrection is of the fallen flesh, the 'tent' of the soul, as the images of sleeping and waking and of seeds that die and spring up again show.

Amos 9:11 (quoted again from 1.51); 1 Cor 15:37. Sleep and death as twins is Homer, Il. 16.672; the argument that opposites come from opposites (waking from sleeping, living from dying) follows Plato, Phaed. 71c-d. The clearest OCR slips are corrected.

Notes on the original text

Digital text corrected (OCR misreading; OCR misreadings; OCR misreadings and Latin letters; OCR: Latin letters; OCR: colon for question mark; OCR: garbled word; OCR: lost letter; OCR: ι for ε; OCR: χ for κ; punctuation restored after the quotation): Οὐκοῦν σαρχὺς ἡ ἀνάστασις γίγνεται καὶ οὐ πυχῆς. ἥπίς »ἡ πεπτωχυῖα τοῦ εἰαυὶϊός εἰς τὴν φθορὰν ἀνασταίη νοχηνής. καὶ ἀναστᾶσιι → Οὐκοῦν σαρκὸς ἡ ἀνάστασις γίγνεται καὶ οὐ ψυχῆς, ὅπως »ἡ πεπτωκυῖα« τοῦ Δαυὶδ εἰς τὴν φθορὰν ἀνασταίη »σκηνή«, καὶ ἀναστᾶσα; »καθὼς αἱ ἡμέραι τοῦ αἰῶνος:, ἀπήβΨι μῶν λοιπὸν → »καθὼς αἱ ἡμέραι τοῦ αἰῶνος«, ἀπήμων λοιπὸν; ὅτι μὴ τῷ θεῶ τὴν λιθένην οἰχίαν δείμασθαι τοῦ Javid εἰς τὸ μέλλον. IV ἐν τῇ βασιλείᾳ τῶν οὐρανῶν οἰκίαν σχῇ καλή». ἀλλὰ τὴν σώρκα τὸ σχῆνος → οὐ γὰρ τῷ θεῷ τὴν λιθίνην οἰκίαν δείμασθαι τοῦ Δαυὶδ εἰς τὸ μέλλον, ἵν᾽ ἐν τῇ βασιλείᾳ τῶν οὐρανῶν οἰκίαν σχῇ καλήν, ἀλλὰ τὴν σάρκα, τὸ σκῆνος; ξκυτοῦ χερσὶν ἐτεχτήμθατο. σχοπεῖσθαι δέ σε, ὦ συφώτατε ᾿᾿ἰγλαοφῶν → ἑαυτοῦ χερσὶν ἐτεκτήνατο. σκοπεῖσθαι δέ σε, ὦ σοφώτατε Ἀγλαοφῶν; πάντων δὲ ὁῦστα μαθήσῃ τοῦτο, ἐὰν ἐπὶ τὴν τοῦ καθεύδει» εἰκόνα πρόσσχης κιὰ ἀνίστασθαι. → πάντων δὲ ῥᾷστα μαθήσῃ τοῦτο, ἐὰν ἐπὶ τὴν τοῦ καθεύδειν εἰκόνα πρόσσχῃς καὶ ἀνίστασθαι.; ἀπὸ τοῦ χαθεύδειν → ἀπὸ τοῦ καθεύδειν; διδυμάοσιν → διδυμάοσιν·; ἀνεγείᾳεσθθαι → ἀνεγείρεσθαι; οἧς γὰρ ἐκ τοῦ καθεύδειν → ὡς γὰρ ἐκ τοῦ καθεύδειν; ὁ καθ«dar ἐν τῷ αὐτῷ → ὁ καθεύδων ἐν τῷ αὐτῷ; ἀνίστατιι. → ἀνίσταται.; προσδοχᾶν τὸ ἀναστήσεσθαι καὶ &x τοῦ → προσδοκᾶν τὸ ἀναστήσεσθαι καὶ ἐκ τοῦ; il βούλει → εἰ βούλει; ἀνίστασθίι → ἀνίστασθαι; σπιρμάτων → σπερμάτων; νγυμνάς« φησι → »γυμνά« φησι; τελεσφορούμεν πάλιν → τελεσφορούμενα πάλιν; εἰς τὸ τεθνάναι: → εἰς τὸ τεθνάναι;.

Extrabiblical texts: Homer, Il. 16.672 (Homer, Iliad; allusion); Plato, Phaed. 71c (Plato (works); allusion)

Topics: Eschatology

Cite (SBL): Methodius, Res. 1.53 (Bonwetsch GCS 27:308; trans. Sophia Scriptura, https://sophiascriptura.com/fathers/methodius-de-resurrectione/1-47/#p-1-53). (abbreviation not yet checked)

BibTeX · RIS (whole work; this passage's key: sophiascriptura-methodius-de-resurrectione-1-53) · Report an error

1.54Bonwetsch GCS 27:310

᾿Αλλὰ γὰρ περὶ τούτων πλείω λέγειν τὰ νῦν, ὦ κράτιστε Θεόφιλε, παρήσομεν, καὶ οἱ λοιποὶ κριταὶ τῶν λόγων. λάβωμεν δὲ καὶ τὰ τούτοις ἐφεξῆς ἀκόλουθα, ὡς ἀφέστηκε τοῦ δέοντος μακράν. ὁ θεὸς γὰρ αὐτῷ πάλιν τὰς ψυχὰς ἐν τῇ κατὰ τὸν ἑξηκοστὸν πέμπτον ψαλμὸν προφητείᾳ, βεβιασμένως αὐτὴν καὶ ἀνοικείως ἐκτιθέμενος, ὡς εἰς παγίδα τὴν σάρκα δίκην ὑφεξούσας τῶν ἡμαρτημένων ἐμβιβάζει, ὅπερ ἀτοπίας μᾶλλον ἢ ὀρθοδοξίας ἐστίν. εἶ γὰρ πρὸ τῆς παραβάσεως, καθάπερ ἤδη καὶ ἐν τοῖς ἔμπροσθεν ἐξεθέμεθα, σῶμα ἐκέκτηντο αἱ ψυχαί, πῶς ὡς εἰς παγίδα ὕστερον, μετὰ τὴν παράβασιν, εἰς (τὸ σῶμα ἐμβιβάζονται. οὐκ ὄντος χρόνου, ἐν ᾧ πρὶν αὐτὰς τὸ σῶμα λαβεῖν ἐξημάρτοσαν; οὐ γὰρ ἔμφρονος, ὁτὲ μὲν διὰ τὸ σῶμα λέγειν τὰς ψυχὰς ἡμαρτηκέναι, ὁτὲ δέ, ἐπειδήπερ ἡμάρτοσαν, διὰ τοῦτο δεσμὸν αὐτὸ καὶ παγίδα πρὸς κατάκρισιν γεγονέναι. εἰ γὰρ διὰ τὸ σῶμα ἥμαρτον, συνῆν ἄρα ἐξ ἀρχῆς αὐταῖς καὶ πρὸ τῆς ἁμαρτίας τὸ σῶμα. πῶς γὰρ διὰ τοῦτο ἡμάρτανον, ὃ μὴ ἦν μηδέπω; εἰ δὲ παγὶς πάλιν αὐτὸ τὸ σῶμα καὶ πέδαι νομίζεται καὶ δεσμός, οὐκέτι τὸ συναμφότερον αἴτιον, ἀλλὰ ψυχὴ μόνη· ἁμαρτήσαντι γὰρ μετὰ τὸ ἁμαρτῆσαι [τῷ ἁμαρτήσαντι] δεσμὰ καὶ παγίδες καὶ πέδαι κατασκευάζονται. ἀλλὰ μὲν δὴ ὡμολογήσαμεν μὴ δύνασθαι δεσμὸν εἶναι τὸ σῶμα τῆς ψυχῆς, ἐπειδὴ τὸ μὲν σῶμα πρὸς ἑκάτερα, καὶ πρὸς τὸ δίκαιον καὶ ἄδικον, συνεργεῖ, ὁ δὲ δεσμὸς εἴργει τοῦ ἀδικεῖν. ὥστε ὅπερ λέγω δυοῖν θάτερον· ἢ γὰρ ἐξ ἀρχῆς ἡμάρτομεν μετὰ σώματος, καὶ οὐ φαίνεται χρόνος. ἐν ᾧ ἐκτὸς ὑπήρξαμεν σώματος, καὶ συναίτιον τὸ σῶμα καὶ ἀγαθῶν τῇ ψυχῇ καὶ κακῶν, ἢ χωρὶς σώματος διάγοντες ἡμάρτομεν, καὶ ἀναίτιον τὸ σῶμα κακίας ἐκ παντός· ἀλλὰ χωρὶς σώματος ὑπὸ ἀλόγου ἡδονῆς οὐ κρατεῖται ἡ ψυχή. ἐκρατήθησαν δὲ οἱ πρωτόπλαστοι ἀλόγῳ δελεασθέντες ἡδονῇ. ἦν ἄρα ἡ ψυχὴ μετὰ σώματος καὶ πρὸ τῆς ἁμαρτίας. περὶ γὰρ δὴ τοῦ μὴ ἐγχωρεῖν αὐτὸ νομίζειν μετὰ τὴν παράβασιν δεσμὸν ἐπὶ τιμωρίᾳ γεγονότα, ἵν᾽ ἀκήρατον ἡ ψυχὴ καὶ συνεχῆ κατ᾽ αὐτοὺς βάσανον ἔχῃ νεκροφοροῦσα, δοκῶ μοι πλήρη ταῦτα ἤδη μετὰ πάσης ἀποδείξεως δεδηλωκέναι. ὅθεν ἀσύστατον καὶ ἀνένδικτον τὼ μὲν σῶμα παγίδα τίθεσθαι καὶ δεσμά, τὸν δὲ θεὸν εἰσάγειν τὰς ψυχὰς εἰς τὴν παγίδα δίκην ὑφεξούσας, ἄνωθεν ἐκ τοῦ τρίτον ἐκβάλλοντα οὐρανοῦ ἀνθ᾽ ὧν παρήκουσαν τῆς ἐντολῆς. πρὸς τί γάρ τις πιστεύσει τοῖς οὕτως ὑπ᾿ αὐτῶν προπετῶς εἰρημένοις; καίπερ οὐχ ἔχοντος οὕτως τοῦ ψαλμοῦ, κἂν βεβιασμένως αὐτὸν ἐκτίθωνται. αὐτὰ δὲ προοίσω τὰ ἐγκείμενα, ἵνα δὴ καὶ τὸ μυθῶδες αὐτῶν τῆς ἐξηγήσεως φανῇ, ὀρθῶς μὴ θελόντων νοεῖν τὰς γραφάς. εἰσὶ γὰρ οὕτω πως δήπου τὰ λεχθέντα· »ἐδοκίμασας ἡμᾶς ὁ θεός, ἐπύρωσας ἡμᾶς, ὡς πυροῦται τὸ ἀργύριον. εἰσήγαγες ἡμᾶς εἰς τὴν παγίδα, ἔθου θλίψεις ἐπὶ τὸν νῶτον ἡμῶν. ἐπεβίβασας ἀνθρώπους ἐπὶ τὰς κεφαλὰς ἡμῶν. διήλθομεν διὰ πυρὸς καὶ ὕδατος, καὶ ἐξήγαγες ἡμᾶς εἰς ἀναψυχήν.« καὶ εὐθέως ἐπιφέρουσι, Ταῦτα δὲ ὑπὸ τῶν ψυχῶν εἴρηται τῶν εἰς τὴν παγίδα τὸ σῶμα, ὡς εἰς ἀγώνισμα, κατενεχθεισῶν ἐκ τοῦ τρίτου οὐρανοῦ, ἔνθα ὁ παράδεισος. τὸ γὰρ »διήλθομεν διὰ πυρὸς καὶ ὕδατος« ἤτοι, φασί, τὴν διὰ μήτρας εἰς τὸν κόσμον τῆς ψυχῆς πάροδον δηλοῖ, ἐπειδήπερ ἐν φλογὶ τοσαύτῃ καὶ ὑγρασία κατεγίγνεται, ἢ τὴν ἀπὸ τῶν οὐρανῶν κατάπτωσιν εἰς τὸν βίον διερχομένης τὰς πηγὰς τοῦ πυρὸς καὶ τὰ ὑπὲρ τὰ νῶτα τοῦ στερεώματος ὕδατα«. πρὸς οὓς ἠξίουν ἐνίστασθαι. φέρε γὰρ ὑπὲρ αὐτῶν, ὦ Ἀγλαοφῶν, αὐτὸς ποίησαι τὴν ἀπόκρισιν, τί λέξουσι. Πρῶτον γὰρ ὁ παράδεισος, ὅθεν καὶ ἐξεβλήθημεν ἐν τῷ πρωτοπλάστῳ. ἐκ ταύτης ἐστὶ τῆς γῆς προδήλως τόπος ἐξαίρετος. πρὸς ἄλυπον ἀνάπαυσιν καὶ διαγωγὴν τοῖς ἁγίοις ἀφωρισμένος, ὡς δῆλον ἀπὸ τοῦ καὶ τὸν Τίγριν καὶ τὸν Εὐφράτην καὶ τοὺς λοιποὺς ποταμοὺς τοὺς ἐκεῖθεν προχεομένους ἐνταῦθα φαίνεσθαι τῶν ῥευμάτων τὰς διεκβολὰς εἰς τὴν καθ᾽ ἡμᾶς ἤπειρον ἐπικλύζοντας. οὐ γὰρ ἀπὸ τῶν οὐρανῶν ἄνωθεν καταράσσονται χεόμενοι· ἐπεὶ οὐδὲ ὑπέστη ἂν ἡ γῆ ὄγκον τοσοῦτον ἀθρόως ἐξ ὕψους καταφερόμενον ὑποδέξασθαι ὕδατος. ἀλλ᾽ οὐδὲ ὁ ἀπόστολος ὑποτίθεται τὸν παράδεισον εἶναι ἐν τρίτῳ οὐρανῷ τοῖς λεπτῶν ἀκροᾶσθαι λόγων ἐπισταμένοις. »οἶδα« γάρ »τὸν τοιοῦτον ἁρπαγέντα ἕως τρίτου« λέγων »οὐρανοῦ· καὶ οἶδα τὸν τοιοῦτον ἄνθρωπον, εἴτε ἐν σώματι εἴτε χωρὶς σώματος, ὁ θεὸς οἶδεν, ὅτι ἡρπάγη εἰς τὸν παράδεισον« δύο ἀποκαλύψεις μεγάλας ἑωρακέναι μηνύει. δὶς ἀναληφθεὶς ἐναργῶς, ἅπαξ μὲν ἕως τρίτον οὐρανοῦ, ἅπαξ δὲ εἰς τὸν παράδεισον. τὸ γάρ »οἶδα ἁρπαγέντα τὸν τοιοῦτον ἕως τρίτου οὐρανοῦ« ἰδίως ἀποκάλυψιν αὐτῷ κατὰ τὸν τρίτον ἀναληφθέντι οὐρανὸν πεφηνέναι συνίστησι· τὸ δὲ »καὶ οἶδα« πάλιν ἐπιφερόμενον »τὸν τοιοῦτον ἄνθρωπον, εἴτε ἐν σώματι εἴτε ἐκτὸς τοῦ σώματος, ὁ θεὸς οἶδεν, ὅτι ἡρπάγη εἰς τὸν παράδεισον« αὖθις ἑτέραν αὐτῷ πεφανερῶσθαι κατὰ τὸν παράδεισον ἀποκάλυψιν δείκνυσι. τερετισμὸς οὖν ἐστι καὶ τραγικολογία τὸ καταβάλλεσθαι λέγειν τὰς ψυχὰς ἐκ τῶν οὐρανῶν καὶ διαβαίνειν τοῦ πυρὸς τὰς πηγὰς καὶ τὰ ὕδατα τὰ ὑπὲρ τὰ νῶτα τοῦ στερεώματος εἰς τὸν καθ᾽ ἡμᾶς φερομένας κόσμον, ἐπεὶ μηδὲ ὁ ᾿Αδὰμ ἐκ τῶν οὐρανῶν ἐξεβλήθη, ἀλλὰ ἀπὸ τοῦ »κατὰ ἀνατολὰς ἐν Ἐδέμ« πεφυτευμένου παραδείσου. οὐ γὰρ πρὸ τῆς ἐνσωματώσεως τὸ παράπτωμα, καθάπερ ἐδιδάξαμεν ἱκανῶς, οὐδ᾽ αὖ τὸ σῶμα παγὶς τοῦτο, ἀλλὰ μετὰ τὴν εἰς τὸ σῶμα σύμφυσιν τῆς ψυχῆς γίγνεται τὸ παράπτωμα, ὅτε τὸ συναμφότερον ὁ ἄνθρωπος, καὶ ἡ ἐκ τοῦ παραδείσου κατάπτωσις ἐνθάδε. ὁ δὲ ὅλως οὐ προσέσχεν ἐπιμελέστερον, Αγλαοφῶν, τῷ λόγῳ, ἀλλὰ διετείνατο περὶ πραγμάτων διανόησιν οὐκ ἐχόντων ἐπίγνωσιν, ἐπιχειρήσας κατὰ τὰς δόξας ἐξηγήσασθαι τῶν φαύλων τὸν ψαλμόν, περὶ ὧν λέγειν πλείω παρήσομεν. Βούλομαι γάρ, ἐπειδὴ ἅπαξ εἰς τὸ διευθῦναι τὴν μοχθηρίαν αὐτῶν ἥκαμεν, ἀπογυμνῶσαι καὶ ταύτης αὐτοῖς τῆς προφητείας τὴν πρόφασιν. »ἐδοκίμασας ἡμᾶς ὁ θεός, ἐπύρωσας ἡμᾶς, ὡς πυροῦται τὸ ἀργύριον.« δοκιμασθέντες διαρκῶς οἱ μάρτυρες ἐν ταῖς κατὰ τοὺς πειρασμοὺς τῶν βασάνων προσβολαῖς (τὰ πολλὰ γὰρ εἰς τὴν καθ' ἡμᾶς αἱ προφητεῖαι πίστιν πληροῦνται) καὶ εὐκλεῶς καὶ ἐρρωμενέστατα διαθλήσαντες εὐχαριστοῦσι τὸ »ἐδοκίμασας ἡμᾶς« λέγοντες τῷ θεῷ. ὡς ἵνα τὴν δόξαν παρ᾽ αὐτῷ κτήσωνται μείζονα, διὰ πολλῶν αὐτοὺς ἤλεγξε πόνων, τὸν ἀληθῶς Ὀλυμπικὸν ἀγῶνα νικῆσαι προθείς. καὶ ἐπισκέψασθε ὡς τούτοις συνῳδὰ σαφῶς τοῖς λόγοις περὶ τῶν μαρτύρων καὶ ὁ Σολομῶν ἀναφθέγγεται (οὐ γὰρ ἀμάρτυρος ὁ λόγος καὶ ἄλλων γραφῶν) ὅτι »ὁ θεὸς ἐπείρασεν αὐτούς, καὶ ηὗρεν αὐτοὺς ἀξίους ἑαυτοῦ. ὡς χρυσίον ἐν χωνευτηρίῳ ἐδοκίμασεν αὐτούς, καὶ ὡς ὁλοκάρπωμα εὐωδίας προσεδέξατο αὐτούς, καὶ ἐν καιρῷ ἐπισκοπῆς αὐτῶν«, πρόσθεν εἰπών »καὶ γὰρ ἐὰν ἐν ὄψει ἀνθρώπων κολασθῶσιν, ἡ ἐλπὶς αὐτῶν ἀθανασίας πλήρης, καὶ ὀλίγα παιδευθέντες μεγάλα εὐεργετηθήσονται«, ἀλλὰ καὶ ἐν τῷ ρκγ´ ψαλμῷ· »εἰ μὴ ὅτι κύριος ἦν ἐν ἡμῖν, ἐν τῷ ἐπαναστῆναι ἀνθρώπους ἐφ᾽ ἡμᾶς, ἄρα ζῶντας ἂν κατέπιον ἡμᾶς· ἄρα τὸ ὕδωρ ἂν κατεπόντισεν ἡμᾶς· χείμαρρον διῆλθεν ἡ ψυχὴ ἡμῶν, ἄρα διῆλθεν ἡ ψυχὴ ἡμῶν τὸ ὕδωρ τὸ ἀνυπόστατον. εὐλογητὸς κύριος, ὃς οὐκ ἔδωκεν ἡμᾶς εἰς θήραν τοῖς ὀδοῦσιν αὐτῶν. ἡ ψυχὴ ἡμῶν ὡς στρουθίον ἐρρύσθη ἐκ τῆς παγίδος τῶν θηρευόντων· ἡ παγὶς συνετρίβη, καὶ ἡμεῖς ἐρρύσθημεν«. οἱ μάρτυρές εἰσιν οἱ ταῦτα λέγοντες. δύο δὲ τῶν καλλιγίχεων οἱ χοροὶ μαρτύρων, εἷς μὲν τῆς διαθήκης τῆς καινῆς, θάτερος δὲ τῆς παλαιᾶς, ἀντίφθογγον ὕμνον συμφώνως τῷ ὑπερμάχῳ θεῷ καὶ βασιλεῖ τῶν ὅλων ἀναπέμποντες »ἐδοκίμασας ἡμᾶς ὁ θεός, ἐπύρωσας ἡμᾶς ὡς πυροῦται τὸ ἀργύριον, εἰσήγαγες ἡμᾶς εἰς τὴν παγίδα. ἔθου θλίψεις ἐπὶ τὸν νῶτον ἡμῶν«, τὸ δικαστήριον τῶν ἐθνῶν ἢ τοὺς πειρασμούς, καθ' οὖς ἐκθλιβέντες καὶ πυρωθέντες ἰσχυρῶς ἐδοκιμάσθησαν. καὶ πάλιν Δαυίδ· »δοκίμασόν με« φησί »κύριε, καὶ πείρασόν με. πύρωσον τοὺς νεφρούς μου καὶ τὴν καρδίαν μου«. λεγέτω δὴ καὶ ὁ Ἀβραὰμ ἐπὶ τῷ μονογενεῖ πυρωθεὶς τὰ σπλάγχνα. προτιμήσας τε τὸ τοῦ θεοῦ μᾶλλον πρόσταγμα, μετὰ τὸ ἀκοῦσαι »Ἀβραάμ«, »φεῖσαι τοῦ παιδός σου, ἀπορρίψας τὸ ξίφος, »ἐδοκίμασας ἡμᾶς ὁ θεός, ἐπύρωσας ἡμᾶς, ὡς πυροῦται τὸ ἀργύριον«. λεγέτω καὶ ὁ Ἰὼβ μετὰ τὸ ἀποξῦσαι τὴν σαπρίαν καὶ ὀνειδισθῆναί τε ὑπὸ τῶν φίλων καὶ ἀλγῆσαι τὸ σῶμα, »διὰ λαίλαπος« ἀκούσας λαλοῦντος αὐτῷ τοῦ θεοῦ »οἴει με ἄλλως σοι κεχρηματικέναι ἢ ἵνα ἀναφανῇς δίκαιος;« »ἔθου θλίψεις ἐναντίον ἡμῶν, κύριε, ἵνα ἡμᾶς ὡς χρυσίον ἐν χωνευτηρίῳ δοκιμάσῃς«. λεγέτωσαν καὶ οἱ τρεῖς ἐν τῇ καμίνῳ παῖδες δροσιζόμενοι, ἵνα μὴ καταφλεχθῶσιν ὑπὸ τοῦ πυρός, »ἐδοκίμασας ἡμᾶς ὁ θεός, ἐπύρωσας ἡμᾶς, ὡς πυροῦται τὸ ἀργύριον. διήλθομεν διὰ πυρὸς καὶ ὕδατος. καὶ ἐξήγαγες ἡμᾶς εἰς ἀναψυχήν«. δὸς εἰπεῖν κἀμοὶ τῷ Μεθοδίῳ, ὁ θεὸς ὁ παντοκράτωρ, ὁ μέγας. ὁ αἰώνιος. ὁ πατὴρ τοῦ Χριστοῦ, ἐν τῇ ἡμέρᾳ σου διαβάντι τὸ πῦρ ἀναλγητί, καὶ τῶν ῥευμάτων εἰς τὴν καυστικὴν μεταβληθέντων φύσιν ὑπεξαλύξαντι τὰς ὁρμάς· »διῆλθον διὰ πυρὸς καὶ ὕδατος. καὶ ἐξήγαγές με εἰς ἀνάψυξιν«. σὴ γὰρ αὕτη τοῖς ἀγαπῶσί σε ἡ ἐπαγγελία· »ἐὰν διαβαίνῃς δι᾽ ὕδατος, μετὰ σοῦ εἰμι, καὶ ποταμοὶ οὐ συγκλύσουσί σε· κἂν διαβαίνῃς διὰ πυρός, οὐ μὴ κατακαυθῇς, φλὸξ οὐ κατακαύσει σε«. ἀλλὰ γὰρ περὶ τῆς κατὰ τὸν ψαλμὸν ἐξηγήσεως ἅλις ἔχει ταῦτα.

᾿Alla gar peri toutōn pleiō legein ta nyn, ō kratiste Theophile, parēsomen, kai hoi loipoi kritai tōn logōn. labōmen de kai ta toutois ephexēs akoloutha, hōs aphestēke tou deontos makran. ho theos gar autǭ palin tas psychas en tę̄ kata ton hexēkoston pempton psalmon prophēteią, bebiasmenōs autēn kai anoikeiōs ektithemenos, hōs eis pagida tēn sarka dikēn hyphexousas tōn hēmartēmenōn embibazei, hoper atopias mallon ē orthodoxias estin. ei gar pro tēs parabaseōs, kathaper ēdē kai en tois emprosthen exethemetha, sōma ekektēnto hai psychai, pōs hōs eis pagida hysteron, meta tēn parabasin, eis (to sōma embibazontai. ouk ontos chronou, en hǭ prin autas to sōma labein exēmartosan? ou gar emphronos, hote men dia to sōma legein tas psychas hēmartēkenai, hote de, epeidēper hēmartosan, dia touto desmon auto kai pagida pros katakrisin gegonenai. ei gar dia to sōma hēmarton, synēn ara ex archēs autais kai pro tēs hamartias to sōma. pōs gar dia touto hēmartanon, ho mē ēn mēdepō? ei de pagis palin auto to sōma kai pedai nomizetai kai desmos, ouketi to synamphoteron aition, alla psychē monē; hamartēsanti gar meta to hamartēsai [tǭ hamartēsanti] desma kai pagides kai pedai kataskeuazontai. alla men dē hōmologēsamen mē dynasthai desmon einai to sōma tēs psychēs, epeidē to men sōma pros hekatera, kai pros to dikaion kai adikon, synergei, ho de desmos eirgei tou adikein. hōste hoper legō dyoin thateron; ē gar ex archēs hēmartomen meta sōmatos, kai ou phainetai chronos. en hǭ ektos hypērxamen sōmatos, kai synaition to sōma kai agathōn tę̄ psychę̄ kai kakōn, ē chōris sōmatos diagontes hēmartomen, kai anaition to sōma kakias ek pantos; alla chōris sōmatos hypo alogou hēdonēs ou krateitai hē psychē. ekratēthēsan de hoi prōtoplastoi alogǭ deleasthentes hēdonę̄. ēn ara hē psychē meta sōmatos kai pro tēs hamartias. peri gar dē tou mē enchōrein auto nomizein meta tēn parabasin desmon epi timōrią gegonota, hin᾽ akēraton hē psychē kai synechē kat᾽ autous basanon echę̄ nekrophorousa, dokō moi plērē tauta ēdē meta pasēs apodeixeōs dedēlōkenai. hothen asystaton kai anendikton tō men sōma pagida tithesthai kai desma, ton de theon eisagein tas psychas eis tēn pagida dikēn hyphexousas, anōthen ek tou triton ekballonta ouranou anth᾽ hōn parēkousan tēs entolēs. pros ti gar tis pisteusei tois houtōs hyp᾿ autōn propetōs eirēmenois? kaiper ouch echontos houtōs tou psalmou, kan bebiasmenōs auton ektithōntai. auta de prooisō ta enkeimena, hina dē kai to mythōdes autōn tēs exēgēseōs phanę̄, orthōs mē thelontōn noein tas graphas. eisi gar houtō pōs dēpou ta lechthenta; »edokimasas hēmas ho theos, epyrōsas hēmas, hōs pyroutai to argyrion. eisēgages hēmas eis tēn pagida, ethou thlipseis epi ton nōton hēmōn. epebibasas anthrōpous epi tas kephalas hēmōn. diēlthomen dia pyros kai hydatos, kai exēgages hēmas eis anapsychēn.« kai eutheōs epipherousi, Tauta de hypo tōn psychōn eirētai tōn eis tēn pagida to sōma, hōs eis agōnisma, katenechtheisōn ek tou tritou ouranou, entha ho paradeisos. to gar »diēlthomen dia pyros kai hydatos« ētoi, phasi, tēn dia mētras eis ton kosmon tēs psychēs parodon dēloi, epeidēper en phlogi tosautę̄ kai hygrasia kategignetai, ē tēn apo tōn ouranōn kataptōsin eis ton bion dierchomenēs tas pēgas tou pyros kai ta hyper ta nōta tou stereōmatos hydata«. pros hous ēxioun enistasthai. phere gar hyper autōn, ō Aglaophōn, autos poiēsai tēn apokrisin, ti lexousi. Prōton gar ho paradeisos, hothen kai exeblēthēmen en tǭ prōtoplastǭ. ek tautēs esti tēs gēs prodēlōs topos exairetos. pros alypon anapausin kai diagōgēn tois hagiois aphōrismenos, hōs dēlon apo tou kai ton Tigrin kai ton Euphratēn kai tous loipous potamous tous ekeithen procheomenous entautha phainesthai tōn rheumatōn tas diekbolas eis tēn kath᾽ hēmas ēpeiron epiklyzontas. ou gar apo tōn ouranōn anōthen katarassontai cheomenoi; epei oude hypestē an hē gē onkon tosouton athroōs ex hypsous katapheromenon hypodexasthai hydatos. all᾽ oude ho apostolos hypotithetai ton paradeison einai en tritǭ ouranǭ tois leptōn akroasthai logōn epistamenois. »oida« gar »ton toiouton harpagenta heōs tritou« legōn »ouranou; kai oida ton toiouton anthrōpon, eite en sōmati eite chōris sōmatos, ho theos oiden, hoti hērpagē eis ton paradeison« dyo apokalypseis megalas heōrakenai mēnyei. dis analēphtheis enargōs, hapax men heōs triton ouranou, hapax de eis ton paradeison. to gar »oida harpagenta ton toiouton heōs tritou ouranou« idiōs apokalypsin autǭ kata ton triton analēphthenti ouranon pephēnenai synistēsi; to de »kai oida« palin epipheromenon »ton toiouton anthrōpon, eite en sōmati eite ektos tou sōmatos, ho theos oiden, hoti hērpagē eis ton paradeison« authis heteran autǭ pephanerōsthai kata ton paradeison apokalypsin deiknysi. teretismos oun esti kai tragikologia to kataballesthai legein tas psychas ek tōn ouranōn kai diabainein tou pyros tas pēgas kai ta hydata ta hyper ta nōta tou stereōmatos eis ton kath᾽ hēmas pheromenas kosmon, epei mēde ho ᾿Adam ek tōn ouranōn exeblēthē, alla apo tou »kata anatolas en Edem« pephyteumenou paradeisou. ou gar pro tēs ensōmatōseōs to paraptōma, kathaper edidaxamen hikanōs, oud᾽ au to sōma pagis touto, alla meta tēn eis to sōma symphysin tēs psychēs gignetai to paraptōma, hote to synamphoteron ho anthrōpos, kai hē ek tou paradeisou kataptōsis enthade. ho de holōs ou proseschen epimelesteron, Aglaophōn, tǭ logǭ, alla dieteinato peri pragmatōn dianoēsin ouk echontōn epignōsin, epicheirēsas kata tas doxas exēgēsasthai tōn phaulōn ton psalmon, peri hōn legein pleiō parēsomen. Boulomai gar, epeidē hapax eis to dieuthynai tēn mochthērian autōn hēkamen, apogymnōsai kai tautēs autois tēs prophēteias tēn prophasin. »edokimasas hēmas ho theos, epyrōsas hēmas, hōs pyroutai to argyrion.« dokimasthentes diarkōs hoi martyres en tais kata tous peirasmous tōn basanōn prosbolais (ta polla gar eis tēn kath' hēmas hai prophēteiai pistin plērountai) kai eukleōs kai errōmenestata diathlēsantes eucharistousi to »edokimasas hēmas« legontes tǭ theǭ. hōs hina tēn doxan par᾽ autǭ ktēsōntai meizona, dia pollōn autous ēlenxe ponōn, ton alēthōs Olympikon agōna nikēsai protheis. kai episkepsasthe hōs toutois synǭda saphōs tois logois peri tōn martyrōn kai ho Solomōn anaphthengetai (ou gar amartyros ho logos kai allōn graphōn) hoti »ho theos epeirasen autous, kai hēuren autous axious heautou. hōs chrysion en chōneutēriǭ edokimasen autous, kai hōs holokarpōma euōdias prosedexato autous, kai en kairǭ episkopēs autōn«, prosthen eipōn »kai gar ean en opsei anthrōpōn kolasthōsin, hē elpis autōn athanasias plērēs, kai oliga paideuthentes megala euergetēthēsontai«, alla kai en tǭ rkg´ psalmǭ; »ei mē hoti kyrios ēn en hēmin, en tǭ epanastēnai anthrōpous eph᾽ hēmas, ara zōntas an katepion hēmas; ara to hydōr an katepontisen hēmas; cheimarron diēlthen hē psychē hēmōn, ara diēlthen hē psychē hēmōn to hydōr to anypostaton. eulogētos kyrios, hos ouk edōken hēmas eis thēran tois odousin autōn. hē psychē hēmōn hōs strouthion errysthē ek tēs pagidos tōn thēreuontōn; hē pagis synetribē, kai hēmeis errysthēmen«. hoi martyres eisin hoi tauta legontes. dyo de tōn kalligicheōn hoi choroi martyrōn, heis men tēs diathēkēs tēs kainēs, thateros de tēs palaias, antiphthongon hymnon symphōnōs tǭ hypermachǭ theǭ kai basilei tōn holōn anapempontes »edokimasas hēmas ho theos, epyrōsas hēmas hōs pyroutai to argyrion, eisēgages hēmas eis tēn pagida. ethou thlipseis epi ton nōton hēmōn«, to dikastērion tōn ethnōn ē tous peirasmous, kath' ous ekthlibentes kai pyrōthentes ischyrōs edokimasthēsan. kai palin Dauid; »dokimason me« phēsi »kyrie, kai peirason me. pyrōson tous nephrous mou kai tēn kardian mou«. legetō dē kai ho Abraam epi tǭ monogenei pyrōtheis ta splanchna. protimēsas te to tou theou mallon prostagma, meta to akousai »Abraam«, »pheisai tou paidos sou, aporripsas to xiphos, »edokimasas hēmas ho theos, epyrōsas hēmas, hōs pyroutai to argyrion«. legetō kai ho Iōb meta to apoxysai tēn saprian kai oneidisthēnai te hypo tōn philōn kai algēsai to sōma, »dia lailapos« akousas lalountos autǭ tou theou »oiei me allōs soi kechrēmatikenai ē hina anaphanę̄s dikaios?« »ethou thlipseis enantion hēmōn, kyrie, hina hēmas hōs chrysion en chōneutēriǭ dokimasę̄s«. legetōsan kai hoi treis en tę̄ kaminǭ paides drosizomenoi, hina mē kataphlechthōsin hypo tou pyros, »edokimasas hēmas ho theos, epyrōsas hēmas, hōs pyroutai to argyrion. diēlthomen dia pyros kai hydatos. kai exēgages hēmas eis anapsychēn«. dos eipein kamoi tǭ Methodiǭ, ho theos ho pantokratōr, ho megas. ho aiōnios. ho patēr tou Christou, en tę̄ hēmerą sou diabanti to pyr analgēti, kai tōn rheumatōn eis tēn kaustikēn metablēthentōn physin hypexalyxanti tas hormas; »diēlthon dia pyros kai hydatos. kai exēgages me eis anapsyxin«. sē gar hautē tois agapōsi se hē epangelia; »ean diabainę̄s di᾽ hydatos, meta sou eimi, kai potamoi ou synklysousi se; kan diabainę̄s dia pyros, ou mē katakauthę̄s, phlox ou katakausei se«. alla gar peri tēs kata ton psalmon exēgēseōs halis echei tauta.

"But we shall leave off saying more about these things for now, most excellent Theophilus, and you other judges of the discussion. Let us take up what follows next, and see how far it has strayed from what is right. For he again, in the prophecy of the sixty-fifth psalm, which he expounds forcibly and inappropriately, has God put the souls into the flesh as into a snare, to undergo punishment for their sins; and this belongs to absurdity rather than to orthodoxy. For if before the transgression, as we have already set out above, the souls possessed a body, how are they afterwards, after the transgression, put into the body as into a snare, when there was no time in which they sinned before receiving the body? For it is not the part of a sensible man to say at one time that the souls sinned because of the body, and at another that, because they had sinned, the body became a fetter and a snare for their condemnation. For if they sinned because of the body, then the body was with them from the beginning, even before sin; for how did they sin because of what did not yet exist? And if, again, the body itself is considered a snare and shackles and a fetter, then the cause is no longer both together, but the soul alone; for fetters and snares and shackles are prepared for one who has sinned, after the sinning. But we agreed that the body cannot be the soul's fetter, since the body works with it toward either, toward what is just and what is unjust, whereas a fetter keeps one from doing wrong. So, as I say, it is one of two things: either we sinned from the beginning with the body, and no time appears in which we existed outside the body, and the body is a joint cause with the soul of both good and evil; or we sinned while living without a body, and the body is entirely innocent of vice. But without a body the soul is not overcome by irrational pleasure; and the first-formed were overcome, enticed by irrational pleasure. The soul, then, was with a body even before sin. As for the claim that the body came into being after the transgression as a fetter for punishment, so that the soul, according to them, might have pure and continual torment carrying a corpse, I think I have already shown fully, with every proof, that it cannot be admitted. Hence it is incoherent and inadmissible to make the body a snare and a fetter, and to bring in God putting the souls into the snare to undergo punishment, casting them down from the third heaven above because they disobeyed the commandment. For why should anyone believe what they have said so rashly, when the psalm does not mean this, even if they expound it forcibly? I will set out the words themselves, so that the fabulous character of their interpretation may appear, since they will not understand the Scriptures rightly. The words are these: 'You have tested us, O God; you have tried us by fire as silver is tried by fire. You brought us into the snare; you laid afflictions on our back; you set men over our heads; we went through fire and water, and you brought us out into refreshment.' And at once they add: 'These things are said by the souls that were brought down from the third heaven, where paradise is, into the snare, the body, as into a contest. For "we went through fire and water" shows either the passage of the soul through the womb into the world, since it is formed in such great heat and moisture, or its fall from the heavens into this life, passing through the springs of fire and the waters above the back of the firmament.' I thought it right to oppose them. Come, Aglaophon, give the answer on their behalf yourself: what will they say?

[55] "First, the paradise from which we were cast out in the first-formed man is plainly a special place of this earth, set apart for the saints for rest and life free from pain. This is clear from the fact that the Tigris and the Euphrates and the other rivers that flow out from there are seen here, flooding our continent with the outflows of their streams. For they do not pour down from the heavens above; the earth could not have endured to receive so great a mass of water borne down all at once from the height. Nor does the apostle suppose that paradise is in the third heaven, for those who know how to listen to subtle words. For in saying, 'I know such a man caught up to the third heaven; and I know such a man, whether in the body or out of the body, God knows, that he was caught up into paradise,' he indicates that he saw two great revelations, having been plainly taken up twice, once to the third heaven and once into paradise. For 'I know such a man caught up to the third heaven' establishes that a revelation appeared to him when he was taken up to the third heaven; and 'And I know,' added again, 'such a man, whether in the body or out of the body, God knows, that he was caught up into paradise' shows that another revelation was made to him in paradise. It is therefore twaddle and tragic bombast to say that the souls are cast down from the heavens and pass through the springs of fire and the waters above the back of the firmament as they are carried into our world; for not even Adam was cast out of the heavens, but out of the paradise 'planted in Eden toward the east.' For the transgression did not happen before embodiment, as we have sufficiently taught, nor is the body this snare; the transgression happens after the soul's union with the body, when man is both together, and the fall from paradise happens here. But Aglaophon did not attend to the argument at all carefully; he strained after matters that admit no understanding, trying to expound the psalm according to the opinions of the wicked, about which we shall say no more.

[56] "For since we have once come to correcting their wickedness, I wish to strip them of the pretext of this prophecy too. 'You have tested us, O God; you have tried us by fire as silver is tried.' The martyrs, thoroughly tested in the assaults of torments in their trials (for the prophecies are fulfilled mostly in our faith), and having contended gloriously and most bravely, give thanks, saying to God, 'You have tested us,' because, so that they might gain greater glory with him, he exercised them through many labours, setting before them the winning of the truly Olympic contest. And observe how Solomon too clearly declares things in accord with these words about the martyrs (for the argument is not without the witness of other Scriptures too): 'God tested them and found them worthy of himself; as gold in the furnace he tried them, and as a whole burnt offering of sweet savour he accepted them, and in the time of their visitation…', having said before, 'For though in the sight of men they are punished, their hope is full of immortality; and having been disciplined a little, they will receive great good.' And also in the hundred and twenty-third psalm: 'If the Lord had not been among us when men rose up against us, then they would have swallowed us alive; then the water would have drowned us; our soul passed through a torrent; then our soul passed through the overwhelming water. Blessed be the Lord, who did not give us as prey to their teeth. Our soul was rescued like a sparrow from the snare of the hunters; the snare was broken, and we were rescued.' Those who say this are the martyrs. And there are two choirs of martyrs of fair renown, one of the new covenant and the other of the old, sending up in harmony an answering hymn to the Champion and King of all: 'You have tested us, O God; you have tried us by fire as silver is tried; you brought us into the snare; you laid afflictions on our back,' meaning the tribunal of the nations or the trials in which they were afflicted and tried by fire and strongly tested. And again David: 'Test me, O Lord,' he says, 'and try me; try by fire my kidneys and my heart.' Let Abraham too say it, whose inward parts were tried by fire over his only son, and who preferred the command of God, when, after hearing, 'Abraham, spare your child,' he threw away the sword: 'You have tested us, O God; you have tried us by fire as silver is tried.' Let Job say it too, after scraping off the putrid matter [of his sores], and being reproached by his friends and suffering pain in his body, when he heard God speaking to him 'through the whirlwind,' 'Do you think that I have dealt with you otherwise than so that you might be shown righteous?': 'You laid afflictions before us, Lord, so that you might test us as gold in a furnace.' Let the three youths in the furnace say it too, refreshed with dew so that they were not burned by the fire: 'You have tested us, O God; you have tried us by fire as silver is tried; we went through fire and water, and you brought us out into refreshment.' Grant me too, Methodius, O God almighty, great, eternal, Father of Christ, to say in your day, when I have passed through the fire without pain and escaped the onrush of the streams changed into a burning nature: 'I went through fire and water, and you brought me out into refreshment.' For this is your promise to those who love you: 'If you pass through water, I am with you, and rivers will not overwhelm you; if you pass through fire, you will not be burned; the flame will not burn you.' But this is enough about the interpretation of the psalm."

Ps 66:10 (65:10 LXX) (quotation, high confidence) · Ps 66:11 (65:11 LXX) (quotation, high confidence) · Ps 66:12 (65:12 LXX) (quotation, high confidence) · Gen 2:8 (quotation, high confidence) · Gen 2:14 (allusion, high confidence) · 2 Cor 12:2 (quotation, high confidence) · 2 Cor 12:3 (quotation, high confidence) · 2 Cor 12:4 (quotation, high confidence) · Ps 124:1 (123:1 LXX) (quotation, high confidence) · Ps 124:7 (123:7 LXX) (quotation, high confidence) · Ps 26:2 (25:2 LXX) (quotation, high confidence) · Gen 22:12 (allusion, high confidence) · Job 38:1 (quotation, high confidence) · Job 40:8 (quotation, high confidence) · Isa 43:2 (quotation, high confidence) · Dan 3:25 (allusion, medium confidence)

Notes and citation

Summary: The narrator rejects the reading of Psalm 66 as souls falling from heaven into bodies, argues from Paul's two raptures that paradise is on earth, and reads the psalm as the thanksgiving of the martyrs tested by fire.

The OCR lost the headings of chapters 55 and 56 (garbled numerals are removed by logged corrections); they begin at "[55]" and "[56]". The quotation of Ps 124 and parts of the following lines are badly garbled in the OCR; the clearest slips are corrected and the rest is translated from the evident wording of the Septuagint psalm.
Ps 66:10-12 (LXX 65:10-12), the text Aglaophon used in 1.6; Gen 2:8, 10-14; 2 Cor 12:2-4; Wis 3:5-6 and 3:4-5; Ps 124:1-7 (LXX 123:1-7); Ps 26:2 (LXX 25:2); Gen 22:12; Job 38:1; Job 40:8 (Septuagint); Isa 43:2. The youths' words echo the Prayer of Azariah (Dan 3:50 Greek, 'dew'). 'Grant me too, Methodius' is the author naming himself.

Notes on the original text

Digital text corrected (OCR misreading; OCR misreadings; OCR misreadings (the sense requires 'understanding'); OCR misreadings and Latin letters; OCR: Latin letters; OCR: accent; OCR: colon for ς; OCR: garbled letters; OCR: garbled words; OCR: garbled words and Latin letters; OCR: stray letter; OCR: stray marks and misreadings; OCR: stray marks in a hyphenated word; OCR: ε for quotation mark; OCR: τ for ψ; OCR: χ for κ; chapter numeral (LV) removed; OCR misreadings; chapter numeral (LVI) removed): ὦ τνκράτιστε Θεόφιλες → ὦ κράτιστε Θεόφιλε; χριταὶ → κριταὶ; ἐχτιθεμένο, ὡς εἰς παγίδα τὴν σάρχα → ἐκτιθέμενος, ὡς εἰς παγίδα τὴν σάρκα; ἡμαρ᾽ oe 2 - ἋΣ) τημένων → ἡμαρτημένων; ὁπὲερ ἀτοπίας μᾶλλον N ὀρθοδοξίας → ὅπερ ἀτοπίας μᾶλλον ἢ ὀρθοδοξίας; καθαπερ ηδη καὶ ἐν τοῖς ἔμπροοσθεν ἐξεθέμεθα, - ᾿ , - ς "᾽6( ω ᾿ x σῶμα ἐχέχτηντο αἱ ψυκαί, πῶς (we) εἰς παγίδα vOTEQOV, μετὰ τὴν» παράβασιν, → καθάπερ ἤδη καὶ ἐν τοῖς ἔμπροσθεν ἐξεθέμεθα, σῶμα ἐκέκτηντο αἱ ψυχαί, πῶς ὡς εἰς παγίδα ὕστερον, μετὰ τὴν παράβασιν,; οὐκ οντὸς χρόνου, ἐν ᾧ πρὶν \ - = ’ > \ ςι \ € αὐτὰς τὸ σῶμα λαβεῖν ἐξημαάρτοσαν; οὐ γὰρ ἔμφρονος, οτὲ μὲν ὡς En \ δ ς 4 ΟἿ» , € 7 x διὰ τὸ σῶμα → οὐκ ὄντος χρόνου, ἐν ᾧ πρὶν αὐτὰς τὸ σῶμα λαβεῖν ἐξημάρτοσαν; οὐ γὰρ ἔμφρονος, ὁτὲ μὲν διὰ τὸ σῶμα; ἐπειδήπερ ἡμαρι ν ι N ῃ τοσαν, → ἐπειδήπερ ἡμάρτοσαν,; συνῆν ἄραι → συνῆν ἄρα; ὁ μὴ ἣν μηδέπο; εἰ δὲ παγὶς πάλιν αὐτὸ τὸ σῶμι καὶ πέδαι νομίζετιι → ὃ μὴ ἦν μηδέπω; εἰ δὲ παγὶς πάλιν αὐτὸ τὸ σῶμα καὶ πέδαι νομίζεται; ψυχὴ μόνη" ἁμαρτήσαντε γὰρ μετὰ τὸ αἀμαρτῆσαι [τῷ αἀμαρτήσαντι) δεσμὰ κειὰὶ → ψυχὴ μόνη· ἁμαρτήσαντι γὰρ μετὰ τὸ ἁμαρτῆσαι [τῷ ἁμαρτήσαντι] δεσμὰ καὶ; διοῖν θάτερον" ἢ) γὰρ → δυοῖν θάτερον· ἢ γὰρ; κακῶν, --- N χωρὶς σώματος → κακῶν, ἢ χωρὶς σώματος; καικίας ἐκ παντός ἀλλὰ → κακίας ἐκ παντός· ἀλλὰ; οὐ χρατεῖται ἡ ψυχή. ἐχρατήθησαν → οὐ κρατεῖται ἡ ψυχή. ἐκρατήθησαν; νομίξ Zr ar du τὴν παράβῤασιν δισμὸν → νομίζειν μετὰ τὴν παράβασιν δεσμὸν; ἵν ἀκήρατον ἡ Ψυχὴ καὶ συνεχῆ κατ΄ αὐτοὺς Baσανον ἔχῃ νεχροφοροῦσα, δυκῶ μοι πλήρη ταῦτα ἤδη μετὰ πέσης ἀποδείξεω- ὁὀεδηλωκέναι. ὅθεν ἀσύστατων → ἵν᾽ ἀκήρατον ἡ ψυχὴ καὶ συνεχῆ κατ᾽ αὐτοὺς βάσανον ἔχῃ νεκροφοροῦσα, δοκῶ μοι πλήρη ταῦτα ἤδη μετὰ πάσης ἀποδείξεως δεδηλωκέναι. ὅθεν ἀσύστατον; καὶ θεομά, τὸν δὲ θεὸν → καὶ δεσμά, τὸν δὲ θεὸν; ἐχβάλλοντα οὐρανοῦ → ἐκβάλλοντα οὐρανοῦ; πρὸς τί γάρ τι- “λέψε: πιστεύσει → πρὸς τί γάρ τις πιστεύσει; ἕνα δὴ καὶ τὸ ur θῶδες αὐτῶν "τῆς ἐξηγήσεως → ἵνα δὴ καὶ τὸ μυθῶδες αὐτῶν τῆς ἐξηγήσεως; εἰσὶ γὰρ 0070 πως δήπου τὰ λεχθέντα' νἐδοκίμασας ἡμᾶς ὁ θεός, WA ἡμᾶς. ος πυροῦται → εἰσὶ γὰρ οὕτω πως δήπου τὰ λεχθέντα· »ἐδοκίμασας ἡμᾶς ὁ θεός, ἐπύρωσας ἡμᾶς, ὡς πυροῦται; Ταῦτα di ὑπὸ → Ταῦτα δὲ ὑπὸ; KUTEγίγνεται. ἢ τὴν ἀπὸ τῶν οὐρωῶν κατάπτωσιν» εἰς τὸν βίον διερχομένης τὰς πηγὰς τοῦ πιρὸς → κατεγίγνεται, ἢ τὴν ἀπὸ τῶν οὐρανῶν κατάπτωσιν εἰς τὸν βίον διερχομένης τὰς πηγὰς τοῦ πυρὸς; ὑόατα. πρὸς οὖς ἠξίουν ἐνίστασθαι. φέρε γὰρ ὑπὲρ αὐτῶν. m .1γλκοφῶν, αὐτὸς ποίησαι τὴν ἀπόχρισιν, τί λέξουσι. LY. Πρῶτον γὰρ ὁ παράδεισο... Oder κεὶ ἐξερλήθημεν → ὕδατα«. πρὸς οὓς ἠξίουν ἐνίστασθαι. φέρε γὰρ ὑπὲρ αὐτῶν, ὦ Ἀγλαοφῶν, αὐτὸς ποίησαι τὴν ἀπόκρισιν, τί λέξουσι. Πρῶτον γὰρ ὁ παράδεισος, ὅθεν καὶ ἐξεβλήθημεν; καὶ διιγωγὴ» τοῖς ἁγίοις ἀφωρισμένος, (ma) δῆλον → καὶ διαγωγὴν τοῖς ἁγίοις ἀφωρισμένος, ὡς δῆλον; τὸν Küpoatyr καὶ τοὺς λοιποὺς ποταμοὺτοὺς ἐκεῖθεν προχεομένου-. → τὸν Εὐφράτην καὶ τοὺς λοιποὺς ποταμοὺς τοὺς ἐκεῖθεν προχεομένους; τὰδιεχβολὰς εἰς τὴν KA ἡμῶς ἡπεῖρον → τὰς διεκβολὰς εἰς τὴν καθ᾽ ἡμᾶς ἤπειρον; ἄνωθεν και «ταρόσσονται χεόμενοι" → ἄνωθεν καταράσσονται χεόμενοι·; ὑγχὸν τοσοῦτον ἀθρόως ἐξ ὕψους καταφερόμενον ὑποόδέξασθαι ὕδατος → ὄγκον τοσοῦτον ἀθρόως ἐξ ὕψους καταφερόμενον ὑποδέξασθαι ὕδατος; ἀλλ᾽ οὐδὲ ὃ ἀπόστολος → ἀλλ᾽ οὐδὲ ὁ ἀπόστολος; λεπτῶν ἀχροᾶσθαι → λεπτῶν ἀκροᾶσθαι; τοἶδας γάρ »τὸν τοιοῦτο» ἁρπαγέντα ἕως τρίτους λέγων »οὐρανοῦ. καὶ οἶδα τὸν τοιοῦτον ἀνρωπον, εἴτε ἐν σώματι εἴτε χωρὶς σώματος, ὁ DOG οἶδεν, τι ἡρπάγη εἰς τὸν παράδεισονι δύω → »οἶδα« γάρ »τὸν τοιοῦτον ἁρπαγέντα ἕως τρίτου« λέγων »οὐρανοῦ· καὶ οἶδα τὸν τοιοῦτον ἄνθρωπον, εἴτε ἐν σώματι εἴτε χωρὶς σώματος, ὁ θεὸς οἶδεν, ὅτι ἡρπάγη εἰς τὸν παράδεισον« δύο; εἰς τὸν παράῤδεισων. τὸ γάρ »0ldu ἁρπαγέντα τὸν τοιοῦτον ἕως τρίτου οὐρανοῦς Wins ἀποκάλιιψιν → εἰς τὸν παράδεισον. τὸ γάρ »οἶδα ἁρπαγέντα τὸν τοιοῦτον ἕως τρίτου οὐρανοῦ« ἰδίως ἀποκάλυψιν; πεφηνέναι συνίστησι τὸ ÖE »καὶ οἰδας πάλιν ἐπιφερόμενον »τὸν τοιοῦτον ἀνθρώπον → πεφηνέναι συνίστησι· τὸ δὲ »καὶ οἶδα« πάλιν ἐπιφερόμενον »τὸν τοιοῦτον ἄνθρωπον; εἰς τὸν παράδεισονε αὖὐθες ἑτέραν αὐτῷ πεφανερῶσθαε κατὰ τὸν παράδεισον ἀποκάλυνιεν δείκνυσι. → εἰς τὸν παράδεισον« αὖθις ἑτέραν αὐτῷ πεφανερῶσθαι κατὰ τὸν παράδεισον ἀποκάλυψιν δείκνυσι.; τὰς τυχὰς ἐκ τῶν οὐρανῶν → τὰς ψυχὰς ἐκ τῶν οὐρανῶν; τὰ ὕόατα τὰ ὑπὲρ τὰ νῶτα τοῦ στερεώματος. εἰς τὸν καθ᾽ ἡμᾶς φερομένας κόσμοι". → τὰ ὕδατα τὰ ὑπὲρ τὰ νῶτα τοῦ στερεώματος εἰς τὸν καθ᾽ ἡμᾶς φερομένας κόσμον,; ν»κατὰ ἀνατολὰς ἐν Ἐδὲμε πεφιτευμένου → »κατὰ ἀνατολὰς ἐν Ἐδέμ« πεφυτευμένου; ὁ ἄνθρωπο-. καὶ ἡ ἐκ τοῦ → ὁ ἄνθρωπος, καὶ ἡ ἐκ τοῦ; εἰκίνδυνον, ἐπιχειρήσας κατὰ τὰς δόξας ἐξηγήσασθιωι → ἐπίγνωσιν, ἐπιχειρήσας κατὰ τὰς δόξας ἐξηγήσασθαι; 1.01. Βούλομαι γάρ → Βούλομαι γάρ; ἤχαμεν → ἥκαμεν; νἐδοχίμασας ἡμῶς ὁ θεός, ἐπίρωσας ἡμᾶς → »ἐδοκίμασας ἡμᾶς ὁ θεός, ἐπύρωσας ἡμᾶς; δοχιμασθέντες → δοκιμασθέντες; κατὰ τοὺ: πειρασμοὺς → κατὰ τοὺς πειρασμοὺς; αἱ προφητεῖιε πίστιν → αἱ προφητεῖαι πίστιν; εὐχλεῶς → εὐκλεῶς; τὸ νἐδοκίμεσας ἡμᾶς« λέγοντες → τὸ »ἐδοκίμασας ἡμᾶς« λέγοντες; ὡς ἵνα τὴν δόξαν" παρ᾽ αὐτῷ κτήσωνται μείζονα, διὰ πολλῶν αὐτοὺς ἡλιγξε πόνων, τὸν ἀληθῶς Ὀλυμπιικὸν ἀγῶνα νικῆσαι ποοθείς. → ὡς ἵνα τὴν δόξαν παρ᾽ αὐτῷ κτήσωνται μείζονα, διὰ πολλῶν αὐτοὺς ἤλεγξε πόνων, τὸν ἀληθῶς Ὀλυμπικὸν ἀγῶνα νικῆσαι προθείς.; (οὺ γὰρ ἀμάρτυρος → (οὐ γὰρ ἀμάρτυρος; ὅτι »ἡ θεὸς ἐπείρασεν → ὅτι »ὁ θεὸς ἐπείρασεν; καὶ ος ὁλοχάρπώωμα εὐωδίας → καὶ ὡς ὁλοκάρπωμα εὐωδίας; ἐπισκοπῆς αὐτῶνε, → ἐπισκοπῆς αὐτῶν«,; καὶ ὀλίγα παιδευDEPTIZ μεγάλα τὐτργ)γετηθησονταιε, ἀλλὰ καὶ ἐν τῷ 27 τα μῶ τὸ $ »εἱ μὴ ὅτι χύφιος ἦν ἐν ἡμῖν, ἐν »- ἐπαναστῆναι ἀνθοώπουνς ἐφ᾽ ἡμῶς, ἄρα ςὥντες ἃν κατέπιον ἡμῶς" ἄρα τὸ ὕδωρ ἂν Kari πόντιοι ν ἡμᾶς χείμαρρον → καὶ ὀλίγα παιδευθέντες μεγάλα εὐεργετηθήσονται«, ἀλλὰ καὶ ἐν τῷ ρκγ´ ψαλμῷ· »εἰ μὴ ὅτι κύριος ἦν ἐν ἡμῖν, ἐν τῷ ἐπαναστῆναι ἀνθρώπους ἐφ᾽ ἡμᾶς, ἄρα ζῶντας ἂν κατέπιον ἡμᾶς· ἄρα τὸ ὕδωρ ἂν κατεπόντισεν ἡμᾶς· χείμαρρον; διῆλθεν ἡ φυχὴ ἡμῶν, ἄρα διηλθεν ἡ Ψυχὴ ἡμῶν τὸ ὕόωρ → διῆλθεν ἡ ψυχὴ ἡμῶν, ἄρα διῆλθεν ἡ ψυχὴ ἡμῶν τὸ ὕδωρ; ὡς οὐκ ἔδωκεν nude εἰς θήραν τοῖς ὀδοῦσιν αὐτῶν. ἡ WEL ἡμῶν οἷς στοσυθίον ἐρούσθη ἐκ τῆς παγίδος τῶν θηριυόντων. ἡ παγὶς συνετρίβη καὶ ἡμεῖς ἐρούON οἱ UAO'TVOES εἰσιν οἱ τλλοντες. → ὃς οὐκ ἔδωκεν ἡμᾶς εἰς θήραν τοῖς ὀδοῦσιν αὐτῶν. ἡ ψυχὴ ἡμῶν ὡς στρουθίον ἐρρύσθη ἐκ τῆς παγίδος τῶν θηρευόντων· ἡ παγὶς συνετρίβη, καὶ ἡμεῖς ἐρρύσθημεν«. οἱ μάρτυρές εἰσιν οἱ ταῦτα λέγοντες.; εἷς μὲν TE διαθήκης τὴς καινῆς. θάτερωος δὲ τῇπαλιιῶς, ἀντίφθογγον ὕμνον συμφώνως τῷ ὑπερμάχῳ Dam καὶ 2ασιλεῖ → εἷς μὲν τῆς διαθήκης τῆς καινῆς, θάτερος δὲ τῆς παλαιᾶς, ἀντίφθογγον ὕμνον συμφώνως τῷ ὑπερμάχῳ θεῷ καὶ βασιλεῖ; ἐπύρωσαεις ἡμᾶς → ἐπύρωσας ἡμᾶς; {Ion θλίφεις ἐπὶ τὸν νῶτον ἡμῶνε, τὸ ὁὀικαστήριον → ἔθου θλίψεις ἐπὶ τὸν νῶτον ἡμῶν«, τὸ δικαστήριον; ἐδοκιμάσθ ησαν. ζκαὶ πάλιν Δαυίδ") »δοκίμασόν μὲς φησί >XUOLE, → ἐδοκιμάσθησαν. καὶ πάλιν Δαυίδ· »δοκίμασόν με« φησί »κύριε,; τὴν καρδίαν» μους. → τὴν καρδίαν μου«.; > Αθοαάμςε, φεῖσαι → »Ἀβραάμ«, »φεῖσαι; »ἐδοχίμασας ἡμᾶς ὁ θεός, ἐπύνωσαἡμᾶς, → »ἐδοκίμασας ἡμᾶς ὁ θεός, ἐπύρωσας ἡμᾶς,; λεγέτο καὶ ὁ IMB μετὰ τὸ ἀπουρεῦσαι τὴν σαπρίαν .. καὶ ὀνειδισθῆναί τε ὑπὸ τῶν φίλων καὶ ἀλγῆσει τὸ σῶμα, → λεγέτω καὶ ὁ Ἰὼβ μετὰ τὸ ἀποξῦσαι τὴν σαπρίαν καὶ ὀνειδισθῆναί τε ὑπὸ τῶν φίλων καὶ ἀλγῆσαι τὸ σῶμα,; »οἴει ME φ! ἄλλως σοι κεχρηματικέναι ἢ Ira ἀναφιῆς δίκαιος; νἔθου θλίψεις ἐνωντίον ἡμῶν. κύριε. ἵνα ἡμᾶς »ὡς χουσίον ἐν χωνευτηρίως δοκιμάὅῃς. → »οἴει με ἄλλως σοι κεχρηματικέναι ἢ ἵνα ἀναφανῇς δίκαιος;« »ἔθου θλίψεις ἐναντίον ἡμῶν, κύριε, ἵνα ἡμᾶς ὡς χρυσίον ἐν χωνευτηρίῳ δοκιμάσῃς«.; ἐν τῇ καμίνῳ). παῖδες δροσιζόμενοι. Ira μὴ → ἐν τῇ καμίνῳ παῖδες δροσιζόμενοι, ἵνα μὴ; ν»ἐδοκίμασες ἡμᾶς → »ἐδοκίμασας ἡμᾶς; εἰς ἀναφυχήν. δὸς εἰπεῖν κἀμοὶ τῷ «Μεθοδίῳ, ὁ θεὸς ὁ παντοχράτωρ. → εἰς ἀναψυχήν«. δὸς εἰπεῖν κἀμοὶ τῷ Μεθοδίῳ, ὁ θεὸς ὁ παντοκράτωρ,; ἐν τῇ ἡμέρᾳ σοῦ δικβάντι τὸ πῦρ ἀναλγητί, καὶ τῶν ῥευμάτων εἰς τὴν καυστιχὴ» μεταβληθέντων φύσι" ὑπεξαλύξωντε τὰς ὁρμάς. διῆλθον ie πυρὸς → ἐν τῇ ἡμέρᾳ σου διαβάντι τὸ πῦρ ἀναλγητί, καὶ τῶν ῥευμάτων εἰς τὴν καυστικὴν μεταβληθέντων φύσιν ὑπεξαλύξαντι τὰς ὁρμάς· »διῆλθον διὰ πυρὸς; ἐξήγαγές μὲ εἰς ἀνάψυβεν«. σὴ γὰρ αὕτη τοῖς ἀγαπῶσί σὲ ἡ ἐπαγγελία νἐὰν ὀιαριάνης de” ὕδατος. μετὰ σοῦ εἰμι. καὶ ποταμοὶ οὐ συιγκλύσουσί σε. Kup ὀιαβαίνης διὰ πυρός, οὐ μὴ κατακαυθ NS φλὺξ οὐ χκατικαύσει 086, ὠλλὰ → ἐξήγαγές με εἰς ἀνάψυξιν«. σὴ γὰρ αὕτη τοῖς ἀγαπῶσί σε ἡ ἐπαγγελία· »ἐὰν διαβαίνῃς δι᾽ ὕδατος, μετὰ σοῦ εἰμι, καὶ ποταμοὶ οὐ συγκλύσουσί σε· κἂν διαβαίνῃς διὰ πυρός, οὐ μὴ κατακαυθῇς, φλὸξ οὐ κατακαύσει σε«. ἀλλὰ.

Extrabiblical texts: Wis 3:4-6 (Wisdom of Solomon [in RC, EO, ETH canons]; quotation); Pr Azar (Prayer of Azariah and Song of the Three Young Men [in RC, EO, ETH canons]; allusion)

Topics: Martyrdom, Eschatology

Cite (SBL): Methodius, Res. 1.54 (Bonwetsch GCS 27:310; trans. Sophia Scriptura, https://sophiascriptura.com/fathers/methodius-de-resurrectione/1-47/#p-1-54). (abbreviation not yet checked)

BibTeX · RIS (whole work; this passage's key: sophiascriptura-methodius-de-resurrectione-1-54) · Report an error