to the sheep following, which it was fitting for him to say inasmuch as he is the source of life. 83
Fragmenta in Joannem
Jo 1, 1
So that not from the human-without some addition and definition. 2 Jο 1, 14 For no one would dare to hear of a change of the Word into flesh having occurred, but for him to dwell among us is to live with men. 3 Jο 1, 15 One might understand 'to have become' also as 'to have existed', according to which the prophet's text also had "before me there was no other god"; for which reason he also most beautifully added immediately, that he was before me, joining 'was' to 'has become', so that 'has become' might not be thought to be said of him similarly, as it is of created things which did not exist before they came to be. But he was, he says, before me, always clearly having existence according to divinity, never
beginning, just as it is not ending. 4 col1 Jο 1, 19-21 The evangelist has spoken before of the testimony of John intermingled with his own, but now he already explains it by itself, as if taking it up again by saying 'and this is the testimony of John', which he just said that he testified concerning him and cried out that he was coming from above, how the forerunner came to testify to the Lord. The Jews, he says, sent men, chosen from among their most esteemed, to ask him who he might be, evidently having the expectation from their fathers of the coming savior. But they erred in separating the prophet from Christ. But the Baptist answered well that he was not the prophet, saying the same thing which he also first answered, stating, 'I am not the Christ', even if he did not clearly teach them that the Christ and the prophet were the same. They sent, he says, the Jews, chosen from among their most esteemed, to ask him who he might be, evidently having the expectation from their fathers of the coming savior, and by such an expectation being moved again to suspicion, whenever they saw something strange and paradoxical, lest perhaps this might be the one hoped for. Indeed, the life of John, being strange and holy, led them to attention and inquiry, who this man might be, and if he were not the one expected. But he, it says, confessed immediately and did not hide the truth, that 'I am not the Christ'. But they asked a second time, if he happened to be Elijah; for indeed Malachi had foretold that Elijah would come. But John said no; for he was not Elijah according to his own nature, even if he shared in his spirit. They put forward their final question: 'Are you the prophet?' The Baptist therefore answered that he was not the prophet, saying the same thing which he also first answered, stating, 'I am not the Christ', even if he did not clearly teach them that the Christ and the prophet are the same. They sent, he says, the Jews, chosen from among their most esteemed, to ask him who he might be, evidently having the expectation from their fathers of the coming savior, and by such an expectation being moved again to suspicion, whenever they saw something strange and paradoxical, lest perhaps this might be the one hoped for. Indeed, the life of John, being strange and holy, led them to attention and inquiry, who this man might be, and if he were not the one expected. But he, it says, confessed immediately and did not hide the truth, that he was not the Christ. But they asked a second time, if he happened to be Elijah; for indeed it was foretold that he himself would come through Malachi the prophet, who clearly says: "Behold, I send to you Elijah the Tishbite"; and up to this point they were not mistaken in their suspicions, expecting both Elijah and Christ. But when John denied that he was Elijah—for he was not Elijah according to his own nature, even if of the spirit
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Fragmenta in Joannem
Jo 1, 1
Ὥστε μὴ ἐκ τῆς ἀνθρωπίνης-ἄνευ τινὸς προσθήκης καὶ ὁρισμοῦ. 2 Jο 1, 14 Οὐ γὰρ δὴ μεταβολὴν τοῦ λόγου τολμήσει τις εἰς σάρκα γεγενημένην ἀκοῦσαι, τὸ δὲ σκηνῶσαι αὐτὸν ἐν ἡμῖν τὸ μετὰ ἀνθρώπων ἐστὶ κατοικῆσαι. 3 Jο 1, 15 Γεγονέναι δ' ἄν τις νοήσειε καὶ τὸ ὑπάρξαι, καθ' ὃ καὶ ἡ τοῦ προφήτου λέξις εἶχε τὸ "ἔμπροσθέν μου οὐκ ἐγένετο ἄλλος θεός" διὸ καὶ κάλλιστα ἐπήγαγεν εὐθύς, ὅτι πρῶτός μου ἦν, τῷ γέγονε τὸ ἦν ἐπισυνάψας ὡς ἂν μὴ νομισθείη καὶ ἐπ' αὐτοῦ παραπλησίως εἰρῆσθαι τὸ γέγονεν, ὥσπερ ἐπὶ τῶν γενητῶν ἅπερ οὐκ ἦν πρὸ τοῦ γεγονέναι. ὁ δὲ ἦν, φησίν, πρῶτός μου ἀεὶ δηλονότι τὸ εἶναι ἔχων κατὰ τὴν θεότητα οὔποτε
ἀρχόμενον ὥσπερ οὐδὲ λῆγον. 4 col1 Jο 1, 19-21 Προείρηκεν ὁ εὐαγγελιστὴς τὴν Ἰωάννου μαρτυρίαν ἀναμεμιγμέ νην τῇ παρ' ἑαυτοῦ, ἐξη γητικῶς δὲ νῦν ἤδη δι έξεισιν αὐτὴν ἐφ' ἑαυτῆς ὥσπερ ἐπαναλαμβάνων ἐν τῷ λέγειν καὶ αὕτη ἐστὶν ἡ μαρτυρία Ἰωάννου, ἣν ἄρτι ἔλε γεν μαρτυρεῖν αὐτὸν περὶ αὐτοῦ καὶ κεκραγέναι ἄνωθεν ἐρχόμενον, ὅπως ἐλήλυθεν εἰς τὸ μαρτυ ρεῖν ὁ πρόδρομος τῷ κυρίῳ. Ἰουδαῖοι, φη σίν, ἀπέστειλαν ἐκ τῶν δοκιμωτάτων παρ' ἑαυ τοῖς ἐπιλεξάμενοι τοὺς ἐρωτήσοντας αὐτὸν ὅστις εἴη δηλονότι τὴν ἐκ πα τέρων ἔχοντες προσδο κίαν τοῦ ἐρχομένου σω τῆρος. ἡμάρτανον δὲ διαιροῦντες ἀπὸ Χριστοῦ τὸν προφήτην. ὁ δὲ βαπτιστὴς καλῶς ἀπεκρίνατο μὴ εἶναι ὁ προφήτης ταὐτὸ λέ γων, ὃ καὶ πρῶτον ἀπε κρίνατο φάσκων οὐκ εἰ μὶ ὁ Χριστός, εἰ καὶ σαφῶς οὐκ ἐδίδασκεν αὐτούς, ὅτι ταὐτὸ εἴη ὁ Χριστὸς καὶ ὁ προ φήτης. Ἀπέστειλαν, φη σίν, οἱ Ἰουδαῖοι ἐκ τῶν δοκιμωτάτων παρ' αὐτοῖς ἐπιλεξάμενοι τοὺς ἐρωτήσοντας αὐτὸν ὅστις εἴη δηλονότι τὴν ἐκ πα τέρων ἔχοντες προσδο κίαν τοῦ ἐρχομένου σω τῆρος καὶ τῇ τοιαύτῃ προσδοκίᾳ πρὸς ὑπόνοιαν αὖθις ἀνακινούμενοι, ὁ πότε τι ξένον καὶ παρά δοξον ἴδοιεν, μήποτε ἄρα τοῦτο εἴη τὸ ἐλπιζόμενον. ξένος δὴ ὁ τοῦ Ἰωάν νου βίος ὢν καὶ ἅγιος εἰς ἐπίστασιν καὶ ζήτησιν ἤγαγεν αὐτούς, τίς ποτε ἄρα οὗτος εἴη καὶ μήποτε ὁ προσδοκώμενος. ὁ δέ, φησίν, ὡμο λόγησεν εὐθὺς καὶ οὐκ ἀπέκρυψε τὸ ἀληθές, ὅτι οὐκ εἰμὶ ὁ Χριστός. οἱ δὲ δεύτερον ἠρώτων, εἰ Ἠλίας τυγχάνοι· καὶ γὰρ δὴ Μαλαχίας ἐλεύσεσθαι Ἠλίαν προ είρηκεν. ὁ δὲ Ἰωάννης εἶπεν οὔ· καὶ γὰρ οὐκ ἦν Ἠλίας κατὰ τὴν ἰδίαν φύσιν, εἰ καὶ τοῦ πνεύματος ἐκοινώ νει. τελευταίαν ἐρώτησιν αὐτῶν προτείνουσιν· ὁ προφή της εἶ σύ. ὁ βαπτιστὴς οὖν ἀπεκρίνατο μὴ εἶναι ὁ προφήτης ταὐτὸ λέ γων, ὃ καὶ πρῶτον ἀπε κρίνατο φάσκων οὐκ εἰμὶ ὁ Χριστός, εἰ καὶ σαφῶς οὐκ ἐδίδασκεν αὐτούς, ὅτι ταὐτό ἐστιν ὁ Χριστὸς καὶ προ φήτης. Ἀπέστειλαν, φη σίν, οἱ Ἰουδαῖοι ἐκ τῶν δοκιμωτάτων παρ' αὐτοῖς ἐπιλεξάμενοι τοὺς ἐρωτήσοντας αὐτὸν ὅστις εἴη δηλονότι τὴν ἐκ πα τέρων ἔχοντες προσδο κίαν τοῦ ἐρχομένου σω τῆρος καὶ τῇ τοιαύτῃ προσδοκίᾳ πρὸς ὑπόνοιαν αὖθις ἀνακινούμενοι, ὁ πότε τι ξένον καὶ παρά δοξον ἴδοιεν, μήποτε ἄρα τοῦτο εἴη τὸ ἐλπιζόμε νον. ξένος δὴ ὁ τοῦ Ἰωάννου βίος ὢν καὶ ἅγιος εἰς ἐπίστασιν καὶ ζήτησιν ἤγαγεν αὐτούς, τίς ποτε ἄρα οὗτος εἴη καὶ μήποτε ὁ προσδοκώ μενος. ὁ δέ, φησίν, ὡμο λόγησεν εὐθὺς καὶ οὐκ ἀπέκρυψε τὸ ἀληθές, ὅτι μὴ εἴη ὁ Χριστός. οἱ δὲ δεύτερον ἠρώτων, εἰ Ἠλίας ὢν τυγχάνοι· καὶ γὰρ δὴ καὶ αὐτὸς ἥξειν προείρητο διὰ Μαλαχίου τοῦ προφήτου σαφῶς λέ γοντος· "ἰδοὺ ἀποστέλλω ὑμῖν Ἠλίαν τὸν Θεσβί την" καὶ μέχρι μὲν τού του ταῖς ὑπονοίαις οὐκ ἐσφάλλοντο προσδοκῶν τες Ἠλίαν τε καὶ Χρι στόν. ὡς δὲ ἀπέφησεν Ἰωάννης μηδὲ Ἠλίας εἶναι καὶ γὰρ οὐκ ἦν Ἠλίας κατὰ τὴν ἰδίαν φύσιν, εἰ καὶ τοῦ πνεύ ματος
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