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takes; He lay down, he says, as a lion, and as a lion's whelp; who will rouse him up? and sometimes with reference to its rapaciousness; As a lion ravening and roaring; so we also do the same thing. For since things are complex and various, it is fittingly taken in many images and examples; for example, when we wish to admire a beautiful woman, we compare her to paintings, and when we wish to admire paintings, we say that she speaks, that she utters sounds; but we do not do the same thing; for in the one case, it is because she came near to a likeness, in the other, because it came near to beauty. So also in the case of "form," in the one case, it is because it is a certain type and image and teaching and archetype of godliness; but in the other, it indicates something soulless and dead, and only an appearance and a type and hypocrisy. Therefore, faith without works is only a form without power; and rightly so. For just as a body that is beautiful and blooming, when it has no strength, but resembles those that are painted, so is an orthodox faith without works. For let us suppose there is a covetous man, a traitor, a reckless one; then let him believe rightly; what is the gain if he has none of the things befitting a Christian? when he does none of the things that characterize godliness, but outstrips the Greeks παρ 62.644 in ungodliness? when he exists for the ruin of his companions? when for the blasphemy of God? when he slanders the doctrine through his works? From such, he says, turn away. If, therefore, such men will be in the latter times, how does he say, From such turn away? It is likely that even then there were some such, if not in an extreme degree, yet still there were; but the truth is that through him he exhorts all to turn away from such men. For of this sort, he says, are they which creep into houses, and lead captive silly women laden with sins, led away with divers lusts, ever learning, and never able to come to the knowledge of the truth. 2. Do you see them using the ancient deceit, the weapon which the devil used against Adam? Creeping into houses, he says. Did you see how he indicated their shamelessness by saying, Creeping? their dishonor, their deceit, their flattery? And leading captive silly women. So a "silly woman" is one easily deceived, and far from being a man. And being deceived is characteristic of women, or rather, not even of women, but of "silly women." Laden. See from where their being persuaded comes, from their sins, from being conscious of no good in themselves. And he said very properly, Laden; for by this he represents the multitude of their sins, and their disorderly and confused state. Led away with divers lusts. He did not accuse their nature; for he did not say simply women, but such women. What is, Divers? Here he hinted at many things, luxury, unseemliness, wantonness. Divers lusts, he says, that is, of money, of glory, of luxury, of self-will, of honor. And perhaps he hints also at other shameful lusts. Ever learning, and never able to come to the knowledge of the truth. Why does he say these things? Not pardoning them, but even vehemently threatening them. For since they buried themselves in those lusts and sins, their mind was hardened. Now as Jannes and Jambres withstood Moses, so do these also resist the truth. Who are these magicians in the time of Moses? How is it that their names are nowhere else mentioned? Either it was delivered by unwritten tradition, or it was likely that Paul knew it from the Spirit. So, he says, will these also resist the truth, men of corrupt minds, reprobate concerning the faith; but they shall proceed no further. For their folly shall be manifest unto all men, as theirs also was. But they shall not proceed, he says. How then does he say elsewhere, that they will increase unto more ungodliness; but here, They shall not proceed? There he says this, that beginning

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λαμβάνει· Ἐκοιμήθη, φησὶν, ὡς λέων, καὶ ὡς σκύμνος λέοντος· τίς ἐγερεῖ αὐτόν; ποτὲ δὲ εἰς τὸ ἁρπακτικόν· Ὡς λέων ἁρπάζων καὶ ὠρυόμενος· οὕτω καὶ ἡμεῖς τὸ αὐτὸ ποιοῦμεν. Ἐπειδὴ γὰρ τὰ πράγματα σύνθετά ἐστι καὶ ποικίλα, εἰκότως εἰς πολλὰς εἰκόνας καὶ παραδείγματα παρείληπται· οἷον, τὴν καλὴν ὅταν θαυμάζειν βουλώμεθα, ταῖς γραφαῖς παρεικάζομεν, καὶ τὰς γραφομένας ὅταν θαυμάζειν βουλώμεθα, λέγομεν ὅτι λαλεῖ, ὅτι φθέγγεται· οὐ ποιοῦμεν δὲ τὸ αὐτό· ἐκεῖ μὲν γὰρ, ὅτι ἐγγὺς ὁμοιότητος ἦλθεν, ἐνταῦθα δὲ, ὅτι τοῦ κάλλους ἐγγύς. Οὕτω καὶ ἐν τῇ μορφῇ, ἐκεῖ μὲν, ὅτι τύπος τις καὶ εἰκὼν καὶ διδασκαλία καὶ ἀρχέτυπον τῆς εὐσεβείας· ἐνταῦθα δὲ, ὅτι ἄψυχον καὶ νεκρὸν, καὶ σχῆμα μόνον καὶ τύπον καὶ ὑπόκρισιν δηλοῖ. Ἄρα σχῆμά ἐστι μόνον χωρὶς δυνάμεως πίστις χωρὶς ἔργων· εἰκότως. Ὥσπερ γὰρ σῶμα καλὸν καὶ εὐανθὲς, ὅταν ἰσχὺν μὴ ἔχῃ, ἀλλὰ τοῖς ἐζωγραφημένοις ᾖ προσεοικὸς, οὕτω πίστις ὀρθὴ χωρὶς ἔργων. Θῶμεν γὰρ εἶναί τινα φιλάργυρον, προδότην, προπετῆ· εἶτα πιστεύειν ὀρθῶς· τί τὸ κέρδος ἂν μηδὲν ἔχῃ τῶν τῷ Χριστιανῷ πρεπόντων; ὅταν μηδὲν πράττῃ τῶν τὴν εὐσέβειαν χαρακτηριζόντων, ἀλλὰ τοὺς Ἕλληνας παρ 62.644 ελαύνῃ τῇ ἀσεβείᾳ; ὅταν ἐπὶ λύμῃ τῶν συνόντων ᾖ; ὅταν ἐπὶ βλασφημίᾳ τοῦ Θεοῦ; ὅταν διαβάλλῃ τὸ δόγμα διὰ τῶν ἔργων; Καὶ τούτους, φησὶν, ἀποτρέπου. Εἰ τοίνυν ἐν ὑστέροις καιροῖς τοιοῦτοι ἔσονται, πῶς φησι, Καὶ τούτους ἀποτρέπου; Εἰκὸς μὲν καὶ τότε τοιούτους εἶναί τινας, εἰ καὶ μὴ μεθ' ὑπερβολῆς, ἀλλ' ὅμως εἶναι· τὸ δ' ἀληθὲς δι' ἐκείνου πᾶσι παραινεῖ, ὥστε ἐκτρέπεσθαι τοὺς τοιούτους. Ἐκ τούτων γάρ εἰσι, φησὶν, οἱ ἐνδύνοντες εἰς τὰς οἰκίας, καὶ αἰχμαλωτίζοντες γυναικάρια σεσωρευμένα ἁμαρτίαις, ἀγόμενα ἐπιθυμίαις ποικίλαις, πάντοτε μανθάνοντα, καὶ μηδέποτε εἰς ἐπίγνωσιν ἀληθείας δυνάμενα ἐλθεῖν. βʹ. Ὁρᾷς αὐτοὺς τῇ τοῦ ἀρχαίου ἀπάτῃ κεχρημένους, τῷ ὅπλῳ, ᾧ ὁ διάβολος κατὰ τοῦ Ἀδὰμ ἐχρήσατο; Ἐνδύνοντες εἰς τὰς οἰκίας, φησίν. Εἶδες τὸ ἀναίσχυντον πῶς ἐδήλωσε διὰ τοῦ εἰπεῖν, Ἐνδύνοντες; τὸ ἄτιμον, τὴν ἀπάτην, τὴν κολακείαν; Καὶ αἰχμαλωτίζοντες γυναικάρια. Ὥστε γυναικάριον ὁ εὐεξαπάτητος, καὶ ἀνδρὸς πόῤῥω. Γυναικῶν δὲ τὸ ἀπατᾶσθαι, μᾶλλον δὲ οὐδὲ γυναικῶν, ἀλλὰ γυναικαρίων. Σεσωρευμένα. Ὅρα πόθεν κἀκείναις γίνεται τὸ πείθεσθαι, ἀπὸ τῶν ἁμαρτιῶν, ἀπὸ τοῦ μηδὲν ἑαυταῖς συνειδέναι καλόν. Καὶ σφόδρα κυρίως εἶπε, Σεσωρευμένα· τὸ πλῆθος γὰρ τῶν ἁμαρτιῶν διὰ τούτου παρίστησι, καὶ τὸ ἄτακτον καὶ συγκεχυμένον. Ἀγόμενα ἐπιθυμίαις ποικίλαις. Οὐ τῆς φύσεως κατηγόρησεν· οὐ γὰρ ἁπλῶς γυναῖκας εἶπεν, ἀλλὰ τοιάσδε γυναῖκας. Τί ἐστι, Ποικίλαις; Ἐνταῦθα πολλὰ ᾐνίξατο, τὴν τρυφὴν, τὴν ἀσχημοσύνην, τὴν λαγνείαν. Ποικίλαις, φησὶν, ἐπιθυμίαις, τουτέστι, χρημάτων, δόξης, τρυφῆς, αὐθαδείας, τιμῆς. Ἴσως δὲ καὶ ἑτέρας αἰσχρὰς ἐπιθυμίας αἰνίττεται. Πάντοτε μανθάνοντα, καὶ μηδέποτε εἰς ἐπίγνωσιν ἀληθείας ἐλθεῖν δυνάμενα. ∆ιὰ τί ταῦτά φησιν; Οὐ συγγινώσκων αὐταῖς, ἀλλὰ καὶ σφόδρα καταπειλῶν. Ἐπειδὴ γὰρ ἑαυτὰς κατέχωσαν ταῖς ἐπιθυμίαις ἐκείναις καὶ τοῖς ἁμαρτήμασιν, ἐπωρώθη αὐτῶν ἡ διάνοια. Ὃν τρόπον δὲ Ἰαννῆς καὶ Ἰαμβρῆς ἀντέστησαν Μωϋσῇ, οὕτω καὶ οὗτοι ἀνθίστανται τῇ ἀληθείᾳ. Τίνες εἰσὶν οὗτοι οἱ μάγοι οἱ ἐπὶ Μωϋσέως; πῶς δὲ αὐτῶν τὰ ὀνόματα οὐδαμοῦ ἐμφέρεται ἀλλαχοῦ; Ἢ ἀγράφως παραδέδοται, ἢ ἀπὸ τοῦ Πνεύματος εἰκὸς ἦν εἰδέναι τὸν Παῦλον. Οὕτω καὶ οὗτοι, φησὶν, ἀντιστήσονται τῇ ἀληθείᾳ, ἄνθρωποι τὸν νοῦν κατεφθαρμένοι ἀδόκιμοι περὶ τὴν πίστιν· ἀλλ' οὐ προκόψουσιν ἐπὶ πλεῖον. Ἡ γὰρ ἄνοια αὐτῶν ἔκδηλος ἔσται πᾶσιν, ὡς καὶ ἡ ἐκείνων ἐγένετο. Ἀλλ' οὐ προκόψουσι, φησί. Πῶς οὖν λέγει ἀλλαχοῦ, ὅτι Προκόψουσιν ἐπὶ πλεῖον ἀσεβείας· ἐνταῦθα δὲ, Οὐ προκόψουσιν; Ἐκεῖ τοῦτό φησιν, ὅτι ἀρχόμενοι