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salvation and teaching for all, the true and free light, the Son; and He mystically presents this, which is unknown to some of them, on account of the lingering memory of polytheism from Egypt within them; 7.17 Therefore the revered Son of God, bearing witness to His own nature as being free from above and not having, as it were, creation as a sister—for everything that is brought forth is a slave both in its coming into being to the one who brought it forth, and the created thing is a creature of the creator—says to Peter; 7.18 “From whom do the kings of the earth take toll or tribute? From their sons or from others?” When he answered, “From others,” Jesus said to him, “Then the sons are free. But so that we may not cause them to stumble, go to the sea, cast in a hook, and take the first fish that comes up; and when you have opened its mouth, you will find a stater coin. Take that and give it to them for me and for you.” 7.19 So much for these things. But they do not yet cease.

8.ν Concerning those who invent fables that the Father made the Son for the

service of creation. 8.1 Blasphemously objecting and inventing fables, they say that the Father made the Son as most useful for ministering to Him with regard to the rest of the creatures, not understanding how this depends on this conjectural argument of theirs: both envy and sloth and other material things. 8.2 For it is surely necessary to see these things as well. For if it is good to create—as indeed it is good and alone proper and alone excellent for the ungrudging divine nature, so that it might also be glorified by someone—why did He not create all things through Himself, but, as it were, grew weary? 8.3 But if also it is a great thing for created things to be brought forth by the greater one, if indeed, according to them, the Father is greater than His own Son, the Word, was He envious of those who glorify Him for creation through Himself? 8.4 But if creating what is brought forth through a mediator is not at all free from arrogance and weakness at the same time, it reveals a greater glory for the one who brings it forth through himself than for the one who creates through another. 8.5 For that which is not yet obeys the commands of Him who always is, and as soon as it is brought to completion it receives fitting measures and is lacking in nothing, not only is he who is ... arrogant, but now ... would be shown ... all things whatsoever ... authority and ... if Jesus says to the dead Lazarus: “Come forth.” and to another; 8.6 “Your sins are forgiven you,” and to another: “I command you, come out of him.” But for God to do these things through another, according to their mind, shows on the one hand God the Father, whose thoughts... 7.1 of created gods, Paul, who abides in the law, being made wise by the divine Spirit, guarantees to those who believe in the Son. 7.2 And furthermore he even calls "atheists" those who before this, apart from the Son, knew only God the Father, since He is not perfected in created things, writing in one place that "remember that you were at that time Gentiles in the flesh, called 'the uncircumcision' by what is called 'the circumcision,' which is made in the flesh by hands—that you were at that time separated from Christ, alienated from the hope of Israel and strangers to the covenants of promise, having no hope and without God in the world." 7.3 And in another place: "But then, indeed, not knowing God, you served those which by nature are not gods. But now after you have known God, or rather are known by God, how is it that you turn again to the weak and beggarly elements, to which you desire again to be in bondage"? 7.4 But indeed, the ever new and not declining into old age saving proclamation of the older law, concerning Christ and the Holy Spirit and the ecclesiastical institution, he considers more excellent on account of its perfection and having neither lawlessness troubling nor ... more beautiful or greater ought ... in word or in manner ... for in this matter he writes ... on the one hand that "I became"... "as for zeal, persecuting the church; as for righteousness which is in the law, being blameless. But what things were gain to me, these I have counted loss for Christ. But indeed I also count all things loss for the excellence of the knowledge of Jesus Christ our Lord, for whom

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σωτη̣ρία̣ν̣ καὶ διδασ̣καλίαν πᾶσιν φῶς τὸ ἀληθινὸν καὶ ἐλεύθερο̣ν ὁ υἱός· καὶ παρίστησι τοῦτο τό τισιν αὐτῶν ἀγν̣οου´̣μενον μυστι̣κῶς διὰ τὴν ἔναυλον ἐν αὐτοῖς τῆς πολυθεΐας ἐξ Αἰγύπτου μνήμην· 7.17 προσμαρτυρῶν τοίνυν ὁ σεπτο`̣ς θεοῦ υἱὸς τῇ οἰκείᾳ φύσει τὸ ἄνωθεν ἐλεύθερον καὶ μὴ ἀδελφὴν οἷον ἔχειν τὴν κτίσιν-δοῦλον γὰρ πᾶν τὸ παραχθὲν καὶ εἰς γένεσιν τοῦ παραγαγόντος καὶ τὸ κτισθὲν κτίσμα τοῦ κτίσαντος-λέγει πρὸς Πέτρον· 7.18 «οἱ βασιλεῖς τῆς γῆς ἀπὸ τίνων λαμβάνουσιν τέλη ἢ κη῀̣ν̣σον; ἀπὸ τῶν υἱῶν αὐτῶν ἢ ἀπὸ τῶν ἀλλοτρίων; ἀποκρινομε´̣νου· ἐκ τῶν ἀλλοτρίων, ἔφη αὐτῷ ὁ Ἰησοῦς· ἄρα γε ἐλε̣ύθεροί εἰσιν οἱ υἱοί. ἵνα δὲ μὴ σκανδαλίσωμεν αὐτούς, πορευθεὶς εἰς θάλασσαν βάλε ἄγκιστρον καὶ τὸν ἀναβάντα πρῶτον ἰχθῦν ἇρον, καὶ ἀνοίξας τὸ στόμα αὐτοῦ εὑρήσεις στατῆρα. υ ἐκεῖνον λαβὼν δὸς αὐτοῖς ἀντὶ ἐμοῦ καὶ σοῦ.» 7.19 ταῦτα μὲν περὶ τούτων. οἱδὲ παύονται ἔτι.

8.ν Περὶ τῶν διαμυθολογούντων ὅτι ὁ πατὴρ ἐποίησε τὸν υἱὸν ἐπὶ τῇ

ὑπουργίᾳ τῆς κτίσεως. 8.1 Βλασφήμως ἀντεξάγοντες καὶ διαμυθολογοῦντες φασὶ τὸν πατέρα πεποιῆσθαι υἱὸν χρειωδέστατον ἐπὶ τὸ ὑπουργεῖν αὐτῷ πρὸς τὰ λοιπὰ τῶν κτισμάτων, οὔκετι κατανοοῦντες ὡς ἐξήρτ̣ηται τοῦτο ἐκ τοῦδε στ̣ο̣χαστικοῦ αὐτῶν λόγου· φθόνος τε καὶ ὄκνος καὶ ἕτερα υ῾̣λ̣ι̣κά. 8.2 ∆εῖ γὰρ δήπου καὶ ταῦτα ὁρᾶν. εἰ γὰρ καλὸν τὸ δημιουργεῖν-ὥσπερ οὖν καλὸν καὶ μόνον ἴδιον καὶ μόνον ἐξαίρετον τῆς θεϊκῆς ἀφθόνου φύσεως, ἵν' ἔχοι καὶ ὑπό του δοξάζηται-, ἀνθ' ὅτου μὴ πάντα δι̣' ἑαυτ̣ο̣ῦ ἔκτισεν, ἀλλ' οἱονεί πως κατώκνησεν; 8.3 εἰ δὲ καὶ μ̣έγα̣ τοῖς κτιζομένοις τὸ ὑπὸ τοῦ μείζονος καὶ ἐ παρα φέρεσθαι, εἴπερ κατ' αὐτοὺς μείζων τοῦ ἰδίου υἱοῦ λόγου ὁ πατήρ, ε᾿̣βάσκαινε τοῖς δοξάζουσιν αὐτὸν τὴν δι' ἑαυτοῦ ποίησιν; 8.4 εἰ δὲ καὶ ὑπερηφανία̣ς̣ ἀδυναμίας τε ἅμ̣α παντάπασιν οὐκ ἀπήλλακται τὸ διὰ μεσίτου ποιεῖν τὸ παραγόμενον, τοῦ παράγοντος αὐτὸ δι' ἑαυτοῦ ἤπερ τοῦ δι' ἑτέρου ποιοῦντος μείζονα τὴν δόξαν ἐκφαίνει. 8.5 οὔπω γὰρ ὂν τοῦ ἀεὶ ὄντος νεύμασιν ὑπακούει καὶ ὅσον οὐδέπω διαπεραίνεται καὶ μέτρα προσήκοντα δέχεται καὶ οὐκ ἔχει ἔν τινι τὸ ἐλλεῖπον οὐχ ὑπερήφανος μόνον ὁ ὑπερη ἀλλ' ἤδη καταν̣ τ̣ ι δειχθείη πάν̣τ̣α ὁ´̣σα ἂν ἐξουσίαν καὶ ἀπ ρωμ τ εἰ δὲ Ἰησοῦς λέγει τῷ Λαζα´̣ρ̣ῳ τεθνηκότι· «δεῦρο ἔξω.» καὶ ἄλλῳ· 8.6 «ἀφέωνταί σοι αἱ ἁμαρτίαι σου» καὶ ἄλλῳ· «ἐγώ σο̣ι̣ ἐπιτάσσω. ἔξελθε ἐξ αὐτοῦ» τὸ δὲ τὸν θεὸν ταῦτα ποιεῖν δι' ἄλλου κατὰ τὸν ἐκείνων νοῦν δείκνυσι τὸν μὲν θεὸν πατέρα, οὗ αἱ νοή7.1 κτιστῶν θεῶν τοὺς πιστεύοντας τῷ υἱῷ ὁ ἔννομος Παῦλος τῷ θεϊκῷ πνεύματι σεσοφισμένος ἐγγυᾶται. 7.2 ἔτι δὲ καὶ "ἀθέους" ἀποκαλεῖ τοὺς πρὸ τούτου ἐκτὸς τοῦ υἱοῦ τὸν θεὸν καὶ πατέρα μόνον ἐγνωκότας, ἐπειδὴ οὐκ ἐν π̣ο̣ι̣ήμασι τ̣ελ̣εῖ, γράφων πῇ μὲν ὅτι «μνημονεύετε ὅτι ποτὲ ὑμεῖς τὰ ἔθνη ἐν σαρκί, οἱ λεγόμενοι ἀκροβυστία ὑπὸ τῆς λεγομένης περιτομῆς ἐν σαρκὶ χειροποιήτου, ὅτι ἦτε τῷ καιρῷ ἐκείνῳ χωρὶς Χριστοῦ, ἀπηλλοτρι̣ω̣μ̣ένοι τῆς ἐλπ̣ι´̣δος τοῦ Ἰσραὴλ καὶ ξένοι τῶν διαθηκῶν τῆς ἐπ̣αγγελίας, ἐλπίδα μὴ ἔχοντες καὶ ἄθεοι ἐν τῷ κ̣όσμῳ». 7.3 πῇ δέ «ἀλλὰ τότε μὲν οὐκ εἰδότες θεὸν ἐδουλεύσατε τοῖς φύσει μὴ οὖσι θεοῖς-νῦν δὲ γνόντες θεόν, μᾶλλον γν̣ωσθέντες ὑπὸ θεοῦ, πῶς ἐπιστρέφετε πάλιν ἐπὶ τὰ ἀσθενῆ καὶ πτωχὰ στοιχεῖα, οἷς πάλιν ἄνωθεν δ̣ουλεύειν θ̣έλετε»; 7.4 ἀλλὰ μὴν τοῦ πρεσβυτέρου νόμου τὸ ἀεὶ νέον καὶ οὐκ εἰς γῆρας ἀποκλῖνον σω̣τ̣η´̣ρ̣ιον κήρυγμα τὸ περὶ Χριστοῦ καὶ ἁγίου πνεύματος καὶ τὸν ἐκκλησιαστικὸν θεσμὸν προφερέστερον ἡγεῖται διὰ τὸ τέλ̣ε̣ι̣ο̣ν καὶ τὸ μὴ ἔχειν μήτε ἀνομ ἐνοχλοῦν μήτε ··κάλλιον ἢ μεῖζον χρὴ προτεθη ο·· λόγῳ ἢ τρόπῳ καλλ γὰρ τῷ χρήματι τούτῳ γράφει π̣ε̣π σι τὸ μὲν ὁ´̣τι «ἐγενόμην» «κατὰ ζῆλον διώκων τὴν ἐκκλησίαν, κατὰ δικαιοσύνην τὴν ἐν νόμῳ γενόμενος ἄμεμπτος· ἀλλὰ ἅτινα ἦν μοι κέρδη, ταῦτα ἥγημαι διὰ τὸν Χριστὸν ζημίαν. ἀλλὰ μὲν οὖν γε καὶ ἡγοῦμαι πάντα ζημίαν εἶναι διὰ τὸ ὑπερέχον τῆς γνώσεως Ἰησοῦ Χριστοῦ τ̣ο̣ῦ κυρίου ἡμῶν, δι' ὃν