To Autolycus 2.27
Summary: Humanity was created neither mortal nor immortal but free to choose; obedience leads to immortality, which God now gives by grace to those who obey him.
Greek text · Otto 8:130–134
Ἀλλὰ φήσει οὖν τις ἡμῖν· Θνητὸς φύσει ἐγένετο ὁ ἄνθρωπος; Οὐδαμῶς. Τί οὖν ἀθάνατος; Οὐδὲ τοῦτό φαμεν. Ἀλλὰ ἐρεῖ τις· Οὐδὲν οὖν ἐγένετο; Οὐδὲ τοῦτο λέγομεν. Οὔτε οὖν φύσει θνητὸς ἐγένετο οὔτε ἀθάνατος. Εἰ γὰρ ἀθάνατον αὐτὸν ἀπʼ ἀρχῆς πεποιήκει, θεὸν αὐτὸν πεποιήκει· πάλιν εἰ θνητὸν αὐτὸν πεποιήκει, ἐδόκει ἂν ὁ θεὸς αἴτιος εἶναι τοῦ θανάτου αὐτοῦ. Οὔτε οὖν ἀθάνατον αὐτὸν ἐποίησεν οὔτε μὴν θνητόν, ἀλλά, καθὼς ἐπάνω προειρήκαμεν, δεκτικὸν ἀμφοτέρων, ἵνα, εἰ ῥέψῃ ἐπὶ τὰ τῆς ἀθανασίας τηρήσας τὴν ἐντολὴν τοῦ θεοῦ, μισθὸν κομίσηται παρʼ αὐτοῦ τὴν ἀθανασίαν καὶ γένηται θεός, εἰ δʼ αὖ τραπῇ ἐπὶ τὰ τοῦ θανάτου πράγματα παρακούσας τοῦ θεοῦ, αὐτὸς ἑαυτῷ αἴτιος ᾖ τοῦ θανάτου. Ἐλεύθερον γὰρ καὶ αὐτεξούσιον ἐποίησεν ὁ θεὸς τὸν ἄνθρωπον. Ὃ οὖν ἑαυτῷ περιεποιήσατο διʼ ἀμελείας καὶ παρακοῆς, τοῦτο ὁ θεὸς αὐτῷ νυνὶ δωρεῖται διὰ ἰδίας φιλανθρωπίας καὶ ἐλεημοσύνης, ὑπακούοντος αὐτῷ τοῦ ἀνθρώπου. Καθάπερ γὰρ παρακούσας ὁ ἄνθρωπος θάνατον ἑαυτῷ ἐπεσπάσατο, οὕτως ὑπακούσας τῷ θελήματι τοῦ θεοῦ ὁ βουλόμενος δύναται περιποιήσασθαι ἑαυτῷ τὴν αἰώνιον ζωήν. Ἔδωκεν γὰρ ὁ θεὸς ἡμῖν νόμον καὶ ἐντολὰς ἁγίας, ἃς πᾶς ὁ ποιήσας δύναται σωθῆναι καὶ τῆς ἀναστάσεως τυχὼν κληρονομῆσαι τὴν ἀφθαρσίαν.
English · Claude translation
But someone will say to us: “Was the human being made mortal by nature?” Not at all. “Immortal, then?” We do not say that either. “Then was he made nothing at all?” We do not say that either. He was made by nature neither mortal nor immortal. If God had made him immortal from the beginning, he would have made him God; and if he had made him mortal, God would seem to be the cause of his death. So God made him neither immortal nor mortal, but, as we said above, capable of both: so that, if he inclined toward the things of immortality and kept the commandment of God, he would receive immortality from him as a reward and become God; but if he turned to the things of death and disobeyed God, he would himself be the cause of his own death. For God made the human being free and master of himself. What, then, the human being brought upon himself through carelessness and disobedience, God now gives him as a gift, through his own love for humankind and mercy, when the human being obeys him. For just as the human being drew death upon himself by disobedience, so whoever wishes can obtain eternal life for himself by obeying the will of God. For God has given us a law and holy commandments; everyone who keeps them can be saved, and, attaining the resurrection, inherit incorruption.
About this passage
Notes
Translation notes
- “Become God” (γένηται θεός) is an early statement of deification: immortality given as a gift, making the human being like God.
Notes on the original text
- Digital text corrected (missing accent; wrong accent: εἷναι for εἶναι): αἴτιος εἷναι τοῦ θανάτου → αἴτιος εἶναι τοῦ θανάτου; ὑπακούσας τῷ θεληματι τοῦ θεοῦ → ὑπακούσας τῷ θελήματι τοῦ θεοῦ; ὁ θεὸς ἡμῖν νομον → ὁ θεὸς ἡμῖν νόμον.
Cite this passage
Theophilus, Autol. 2.27 (trans. Sophia Scriptura, https://sophiascriptura.com/fathers/theophilus-autolycus/2/27/).
Plain text
Theophilus, Autol. 2.27 (trans. Sophia Scriptura, https://sophiascriptura.com/fathers/theophilus-autolycus/2/27/).
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