Sophia Scriptura

Octavius 36.9

Minucius Felix · Octavius · ca. 197–250 · Rome · Read in context

Summary: God allows suffering to test and prove his people, as gold is tested by fire.

Latin text · CSEL 2:51–52

itaque et nobis Deus nec non potest subuenire nec despicit, cum sit et omnium rector et amator suorum, sed in aduersis unumquemque explorat et examinat, ingenium singulorum periculis pensitat, usque ad extremam mortem uoluntatem hominis sciscitatur, nihil sibi posse perire securus. itaque ut aurum ignibus, sic nos discriminibus arguimur.

English · Claude translation

So God is neither unable to help us nor does he despise us, since he is both ruler of all and lover of his own; but in adversity he tests and examines each one, weighs the character of each by dangers, questions the will of man even to the point of death, secure that nothing can be lost to him. So, as gold by fire, we are proved by trials.

About this passage

Source
CSEL 2:51–52 · Karl Halm, ed., M. Minucii Felicis Octavius; Iulii Firmici Materni Liber de errore profanarum religionum, CSEL 2 (Vienna: Gerold, 1867), 1–56 · Latin text: K. Halm (CSEL 2, 1867), digitized by Open Greek and Latin, University of Leipzig (csel-dev), CC BY-SA 4.0
Text
As printed in CSEL 2. Manuscript variants and the editor's apparatus are not reproduced; no textual problem is noted in this passage.
Translation
Claude translation (claude-opus-5-5), 2026-09-27 · Translated by Claude from the Latin text of CSEL 2; made independently of existing English translations.
Compare
Ante-Nicene Fathers, vol. 4 (1885) (an older public-domain English translation, whole volume at CCEL; checked against ours only after ours was made) · Divided there by chapter only.
Scripture
Extrabiblical texts
  • Wis 3:6 (Wisdom of Solomon) · echo, low confidence
Topics
Persecution

Notes

Translation notes

  • The image of gold tested by fire is common (Prov 17:3; Wis 3:6; 1 Pet 1:7).

Cite this passage

Minucius Felix, Oct. 36.9 (trans. Sophia Scriptura, https://sophiascriptura.com/fathers/minucius-octavius/36/9/).

Plain text
Minucius Felix, Oct. 36.9 (trans. Sophia Scriptura, https://sophiascriptura.com/fathers/minucius-octavius/36/9/).

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