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that it exists in a monad of divinity, and it is said to have a “monarchy.” Therefore, the identity “alone” refers to that one, or at the same time to the two, or to the three undefiled hypostases, or separately. Moreover, it was said thus in opposition to the so-called falsely named gods, just as it always casts out the demonic rule of many lords, of those who have heard, “You are gods;” that we may no longer be enslaved by wretched, and multiform, and changeable, and heterodox elements, scattering our thoughts to this fornication, according to him who says, “The first fornication, the invention of idols.” In addition to these things, also that the term “only” and “one” does not properly and absolutely fit a creature, since it is something common to all, or to many at once, because all things have many things consubstantial and of the same kind, as was said in the fourteenth chapter of the first book. But the saying, “Who alone has immortality,” and that, “To the invisible, only wise God,” was written, because not a single creature has from itself and in every way the immortal, and the invisible, and the wise, but 39.868 has received from the creator Son, who alone with the Father and the Spirit possesses these things, an existence of immortality and invisibility; as Paul writes in his first to the Corinthians: “What do you have that you did not receive? And if you did receive it, why do you boast as if you had not received it?” And for this reason these words do not properly befit a created thing. For that which does not have immortality from itself is mortal in potentiality, and also capable, if the Maker should perhaps wish it, of being extinguished, as he said in the Gospel: “But rather fear him who is able to destroy both soul and body in hell.” This being so, nothing will prevent each saying from being worked out specifically for greater ease of learning. So then, he wrote, “To the King of the ages, incorruptible, invisible, the only wise God,” having narrated many worldly things beforehand in the Epistle, and having applied this to the whole of the narrative, as will be clear to everyone who pays attention to the meaning of the Epistle. And he wrote, “Who alone has immortality, dwelling in unapproachable light,” with reference to creation, as has been said. For eternal life, and incorruptibility, is immortality; and the word “truth” and “wisdom” is equivalent to the expression “true” and “wise”; and these things belong absolutely to God alone; but the Son and the Holy Spirit are testified to be these things. And if, just as the Father creates, sanctifies, justifies and deifies those to whom he comes, in the same way the Only-begotten and the Spirit of God also do; then properly to the Son and to the Spirit of God the terms “only,” and “true,” and “wise,” and “invisible God,” and “who alone has immortality,” will apply, as to the Father; just as the Scripture which speaks of the Only-begotten will also befit him: “This is our God; no other shall be accounted of in comparison with him.” For in all things, so to speak, in which the Father differs from creation, the Son and the Spirit of God differ likewise. For how then does the Father alone have the aforementioned things, if what is written concerning the Son and the Holy Spirit is true, and the saying, “As the Father has life, so he has granted the Son also to have life,” as the next chapter to this will also show? But the saying, “That they may know you, the only true God, and Jesus Christ whom you have sent,” also includes the Son, and shows him to be equal to the Father, with whom his Spirit is also understood. And the sending indicates the economy. But the voice, “I alone stretched out the heavens,” is not the Father's. Since how is it true that all things were made through 39.869 the Son? Or let them know that a similar thing has been said prophetically in Job concerning the Son: “Who alone stretched out the heavens, and walks upon the sea as upon a pavement.” For he, as is manifest to all, always worked wonders, and not least in the incarnation, and walked upon the water as on a plain. And the Son and the Holy Spirit are thus testified to also in the other things that have been mentioned. Concerning the only true God, as when concerning the Son John declares in the same word that he is true God and only-begotten God; Jude calls him only Master; and the

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μονάδι θεότητος ὑπάρχειν αὐτὴν, καὶ «μοναρχίαν» ἔχειν εἴρηται. ∆ιὸ ἡ ταυτότης «μόνος,» ἢ ἐκείνης, ἢ ἅμα τῶν δύο, ἢ τῶν τριῶν ἀχράντων ὑποστάσεων μνημονεύει, ἢ χωρίς. Ἔτι δὲ οὕτως ἐῤῥήθη πρὸς ἀντεξέτασιν τῶν καλουμένων ψευδωνύμων θεῶν, ὥσπερ ἀεὶ τὴν δαιμόνιον πολυκοιρανίαν ἐκβάλλει, ἀκουσάντων· «Θεοί ἐστε·» ἵνα μηκέτι ὦμεν δεδουλωμένοι ὑπὸ ταλαὰ, καὶ πολύμορφα, καὶ τρεπτὰ, καὶ ἑτερόγνωμα στοιχεῖα, ἐπὶ τὴν πορνείαν ταύτην σκορπίζοντες τὰ νοήματα ἡμῶν, κατὰ τὸν λέγοντα· «Πρώτη πορνεία, ἐπίνοια εἰδώλων.» Πρὸς τούτοις, καὶ ὅτι οὐχ ἁρμόττει κτίσματι κυρίως καὶ καθ' ἅπαξ ἡ «μόνος» καὶ ἑνὸς λέξις, τῷ εἶναι πάντων, ἢ πολλῶν ἅμα κοινόν τι, διὰ τὸ πάντα ἔχειν πολλὰ ὁμοούσια καὶ ὁμοειδῆ, ὡς ἐν τῷ τεσσαρεσκαιδεκάτῳ κεφαλαίῳ τοῦ πρώτου ἐῤῥήθη λόγου. Ἡ δὲ, «Μόνος ἔχων ἀθανασίαν,» καὶ ἡ, «Ἀοράτῳ μόνῳ σοφῷ Θεῷ,» φωνὴ ἐγράφη, διὰ τὸ μηδὲ ἓν κτίσμα ἔχειν ἀφ' ἑαυτοῦ καὶ παντὶ τὸ ἀθάνατον, καὶ ἀόρατον, καὶ σοφὸν, ἀλλ' 39.868 εἰληφέναι παρὰ τοῦ δημιουργήσαντος Υἱοῦ, τοῦ μόνως σὺν Πατρὶ καὶ Πνεύματι ὑπάρχοντος ταῦτα, ὕπαρξιν ἀθανασίας καὶ ἀορασίας· ὡς Παῦλον γράφειν Κορινθίοις τὸ πρῶτον· «Τί δὲ ἔχεις, ὃ οὐκ ἔλαβες; Εἰ δὲ ἔλαβες, τί καυχᾶσαι ὡς μὴ λαβών;» Καὶ διὰ τοῦτο μηδὲ τὰς λέξεις ταύτας κυρίως πρέπειν ποιήματι. Ἔστι γὰρ θνητὸν δυνάμει, τὸ μὴ ἔχον οἴκοθεν τὸ ἀθάνατον, ἀλλὰ καὶ δυνάμενον, εἰ θελήσοι τυχὸν ὁ ποιήσας, καὶ τὸ ἀποσβεσθῆναι, καθὰ ἐν Εὐαγγελίῳ εἶπεν· «Φοβήθητε δὲ μᾶλλον τὸν δυνάμενον ψυχὴν καὶ σῶμα ἀπολέσαι ἐν γεέννῃ.» Τούτων οὕτως ἐχόντων, οὐδὲν κωλύσει πρὸς πλείονα εὐμαθίαν ἕκαστον ἰδιαζόντως ἐξεργάσασθαι ῥητόν. Τὸ μὲν οὖν, «Τῷ βασιλεῖ τῶν αἰώνων, ἀφθάρτῳ, ἀοράτῳ, μόνῳ σοφῷ Θεῷ» ἔγραψε, πολλὰ προδιηγησάμενος κοσμικὰ ἐν τῇ Ἐπιστολῇ, καὶ κατὰ πάσης τῆς διηγήσεως ἐπαγαγὼν τοῦτο, ὡς ἔσται σαφὲς παντὶ τῷ προσέχοντι τῇ ἐννοίᾳ τῆς Ἐπιστολῆς. Τὸ δὲ, «Μόνος ἔχων ἀθανασίαν, φῶς οἰκῶν ἀπρόσιτον,» ὡς πρὸς τὴν κτίσιν ἐπέστειλε, καθὰ εἴρηται. Ἡ γὰρ αἰώνιος ζωὴ, καὶ ἡ ἀφθαρσία, ἀθανασία ἐστί· καὶ ἡ «ἀλήθεια,» καὶ «σοφία» λέξις ἰσοδυναμεῖ τῷ «ἀληθινῷ» καὶ «σοφῷ» ῥήματι· καθάπαξ δὲ ταῦτά ἐστι μόνου Θεοῦ· μεμαρτύρηται δὲ ταῦτα εἶναι ὁ Υἱὸς καὶ τὸ ἅγιον Πνεῦμα. Καὶ εἰ, ὥσπερ ὁ Πατὴρ δημιουργεῖ, ἁγιάζει, δικαιοῖ καὶ θεοποιεῖ τοὺς πρὸς οὓς γίνεται, τὸν ἴσον τρόπον καὶ ὁ Μονογενὴς, καὶ τὸ Πνεῦμα τοῦ Θεοῦ ποιεῖ· κυρίως ἄρα τῷ τε Υἱῷ, τῷ τε Πνεύματι τοῦ Θεοῦ τὸ, «μόνος,» καὶ «ἀληθινὸς,» καὶ «σοφὸς,» καὶ «ἀόρατος Θεὸς,» καὶ «μόνος ἔχων ἀθανασίαν,» ὡς τῷ Πατρὶ ἐφαρμόσει· καθάπερ καὶ αὐτῷ πρέψει ἡ περὶ τοῦ Μονογενοῦς λέγουσα Γραφή· «Οὗτος ὁ Θεὸς ἡμῶν· οὐ λογισθήσεται ἕτερος πρὸς αὐτόν.» Πᾶσιν γὰρ, ἵν' οὕτως φράσω, οἷς ὁ Πατὴρ τῆς κτίσεως διαφέρει, καὶ ὁ Υἱὸς, καὶ τὸ Πνεῦμα τοῦ Θεοῦ ὁμοίως διαφέρει. Πῶς γὰρ λοιπὸν μόνος ἔχει τὰ προλεχθέντα ὁ Πατὴρ, εἰ ἀληθεύει τὰ περὶ τοῦ Υἱοῦ καὶ τοῦ ἁγίου Πνεύματος γεγραμμένα, καὶ τὸ, «Ὥσπερ ὁ Πατὴρ ζωὴν ἔχει, οὕτως ἔδωκε τῷ Υἱῷ ζωὴν ἔχειν,» ὡς καὶ τὸ προσεχὲς τούτῳ κεφάλαιον ἐπιδείξει; Τὸ δὲ, «Ἵνα γινώσκωσί σε, τὸν μόνον ἀληθινὸν Θεὸν, καὶ ὃν ἀπέστειλας Ἰησοῦν Χριστὸν,» συμπεριέχει καὶ τὸν Υἱὸν, καὶ δείκνυσιν ἴσον τῷ Πατρὶ, μεθ' οὗ νοεῖται καὶ τὸ Πνεῦμα αὐτοῦ. Ἡ δὲ ἀποστολὴ τὴν οἰκονομίαν δηλοῖ. Ἡ δὲ, «Ἐγὼ ἐξέτεινα τὸν οὐρανὸν μόνος,» φωνὴ, οὐκ ἔστι τοῦ Πατρός. Ἐπεὶ πῶς ἄληθες τὸ πάντα διὰ 39.869 τοῦ Υἱοῦ γεγενῆσθαι; Ἢ γνώτωσαν καὶ περὶ τοῦ Υἱοῦ ὁμοιότροπον ἐν τῷ Ἰὼβ προφητικῶς εἰρῆσθαι· «Ὁ τανύσας τὸν οὐρανὸν μόνος, καὶ περιπατῶν ὡς ἐπὶ ἐδάφους ἐπὶ θαλάσσης.» Αὐτὸς γὰρ, ὡς πᾶσιν καταφανὲς, ἀεὶ μὲν, οὐχ ἥκιστα δὲ ἐν τῇ ἐνανθρωπήσει ἐθαυματούργησεν, καὶ ὡς ἐν πεδίῳ ἐβάδισεν ἐπὶ τῆς ὑγρᾶς. Μαρτυρεῖται δὲ καὶ ἐπὶ τοῖς ἄλλοις τοῖς μνημονευθεῖσιν ὁ Υἱὸς, καὶ τὸ ἅγιον Πνεῦμα οὕτως. Περὶ μόνου μὲν ἀληθινοῦ Θεοῦ, ὡς ἡνίκα περὶ μὲν τοῦ Υἱοῦ Ἰωάννης αὐτῇ λέξει ἀληθινὸν Θεὸν αὐτὸν εἶναι, καὶ μονογενῆ Θεὸν ἀναφθέγγεται· Ἰούδας μόνον ∆εσπότην καλεῖ· καὶ ὁ