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1.318 6. But this Cerinthus, a senseless man and a teacher of the senseless, daringly asserts again that Christ has suffered and been crucified, but has not yet been raised, and is going to rise when the general resurrection of the dead occurs. Therefore these things among them are inconsistent, both their words and their thoughts. Wherefore the apostle, being astonished, said to those who disbelieve in the future resurrection of the dead, "if the dead are not raised, then Christ has not been raised," and "let us eat and drink, for tomorrow we die," and "do not be deceived; bad company ruins good morals." And again, to those who say that Christ has not yet been raised, he likewise brings the refutation, saying, "if Christ has not been raised, our preaching is in vain, and our faith is also in vain. We are even found to be false witnesses of God, because we testified against God that he raised Christ, whom he did not raise"; * as the apostles were preaching that Christ had not yet been raised, and that the dead are not raised. For in this country, I mean Asia, but also in Galatia, their school flourished greatly, among whom a certain matter of tradition has come down to us, that when some among them died beforehand without baptism, others were baptized for them in their name, so that at the resurrection, having risen, they should not suffer punishment for not having received baptism, and become subject to the power of the world-creator. And for this reason the tradition that has come down to us says that the same holy apostle said, "if the dead are not raised at all, why are they baptized for them?" But others, interpreting the saying well, say that those who are about to die, when they are catechumens, in this hope are deemed worthy of the washing before their death, showing that the one who has died will also rise again and for this reason needs the remission of sins through the washing. But of these, some have preached that Christ has not yet been raised, but will rise with all, and others that the dead will not rise at all. Therefore the apo1.319stle, proceeding in the midst, against both these and the other heresies, has made the refutation in one work in the one concerning the resurrection † of the dead and in the testimonies which he went through in detail, he established the firm foundation of the resurrection of the dead and of salvation and hope, saying "this corruptible must put on incorruption, and this mortal must put on immortality" and again that "Christ has been raised, the firstfruits of those who have fallen asleep," so that, having refuted both positions of the heresies, he might teach in truth the unblemished preaching of the doctrine to those wishing to know the truth of God and the teaching of salvation. 7. Therefore Cerinthus and those with him would be detected from all sides, the wretched man having been deceived and having become the cause of destruction for others, since the divine scriptures clearly instruct us in detail about all things. For Christ is not from the seed of Joseph, since how would his birth still be a sign, and how would what was said by Isaiah still be established, as he said, "The Lord himself will give you a sign: Behold, the virgin will conceive and bear a son," and what follows; and how would what was said by the holy virgin to Gabriel still be fulfilled, "how will this be, since I know not a man?" and he saying, "The Holy Spirit will come upon you, and the power of the Most High will overshadow you," and what follows, and how again will their senselessness not be refuted, since the gospel clearly says that "she was found to be with child before they came together"? And it is possible to know clearly that they did not come together at all. For may it not be said, since he would not have intended after the cross to entrust her to John the holy virgin, as he says, "Behold your mother," and to her, "Behold your son." For he ought to have handed her over to her own relatives or

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1.318 6. Οὗτος δὲ ὁ Κήρινθος ἀνόητος καὶ ἀνοήτων διδάσκαλος φάσκει πάλιν τολμήσας Χριστὸν πεπονθέναι καὶ ἐσταυρῶσθαι, μήπω δὲ ἐγηγέρθαι, μέλλειν δὲ ἀνίστασθαι ὅταν ἡ καθόλου γένηται νεκρῶν ἀνάστασις. ἀσύστατα τοίνυν ταῦτα παρὰ τούτοις, τά τε ῥήματα καὶ νοήματα. ὅθεν καὶ ὁ ἀπόστολος ἐκπληττόμενος τοῖς μὲν ἀπιστοῦσι τῇ ἀναστάσει τῶν νεκρῶν τῇ μελλούσῃ ἔσεσθαι ἔλεγεν «εἰ νεκροὶ οὐκ ἐγείρονται, οὐδὲ Χριστὸς ἐγήγερται» καὶ τό «φάγωμεν καὶ πίωμεν· αὔριον γὰρ ἀποθνῄσκομεν» καὶ τό «μὴ πλανᾶσθε· φθείρουσιν ἤθη χρηστὰ ὁμιλίαι κακαί». πάλιν δὲ τοῖς λέγουσι τὸν Χριστὸν μηδέπω ἐγηγερμένον ὡσαύτως τὸν ἔλεγχον ἐπιφέρει λέγων «εἰ Χριστὸς οὐκ ἐγήγερται, μάταιον τὸ κήρυγμα ἡμῶν, ματαία καὶ ἡ πίστις ἡμῶν. εὑρισκόμεθα δὲ καὶ ψευδομάρτυρες τοῦ θεοῦ, ὅτι ἐμαρτυρήσαμεν κατὰ τοῦ θεοῦ, ὅτι ἤγειρεν τὸν Χριστόν, εἴπερ οὐκ ἤγειρεν»· * ὡς τῶν μὲν ἀποστόλων κηρυττόντων Χριστὸν μὲν μηδέπω ἐγηγέρθαι, νεκροὺς δὲ μὴ ἐγείρεσθαι. ἐν ταύτῃ γὰρ τῇ πατρίδι, φημὶ δὲ Ἀσίᾳ, ἀλλὰ καὶ ἐν τῇ Γαλατίᾳ πάνυ ἤκμασε τὸ τούτων διδασκαλεῖον, ἐν οἷς καί τι παραδόσεως πρᾶγμα ἦλθεν εἰς ἡμᾶς, ὡς τινῶν μὲν παρ' αὐτοῖς προφθανόντων τελευτῆσαι ἄνευ βαπτίσματος, ἄλλους δὲ ἀντ' αὐτῶν εἰς ὄνομα ἐκείνων βαπτίζεσθαι, ὑπὲρ τοῦ μὴ ἐν τῇ ἀναστάσει ἀναστάντας αὐτοὺς δίκην δοῦναι τιμωρίας βάπτισμα μὴ εἰληφότας, γίνεσθαι δὲ ὑποχειρίους τῆς τοῦ κοσμοποιοῦ ἐξουσίας. καὶ τούτου ἕνεκα ἡ παράδοσις ἡ ἐλθοῦσα εἰς ἡμᾶς φησι τὸν αὐτὸν ἅγιον ἀπόστολον εἰρηκέναι «εἰ ὅλως νεκροὶ οὐκ ἐγείρονται, τί καὶ βαπτίζονται ὑπὲρ αὐτῶν;» καλῶς δὲ ἄλλοι τὸ ῥητὸν ἑρμηνεύοντές φασιν ὅτι οἱ μέλλοντες τελευτᾶν, ἐπὰν ὦσι κατηχούμενοι, ἐπὶ ταύτῃ τῇ ἐλπίδι πρὸ τῆς τελευτῆς λουτροῦ καταξιοῦνται, δεικνύντες ὅτι ὁ τελευτήσας καὶ ἀναστήσεται καὶ διὰ τοῦτο ἐπιδέεται τῆς διὰ τοῦ λουτροῦ ἀφέσεως ἁμαρτημάτων. τούτων δὲ οἱ μὲν τὸν Χριστὸν μηδέπω ἐγηγέρθαι κεκηρύχασιν, ἀνίστασθαι δὲ μετὰ πάντων, οἱ δὲ ὅτι ὅλως νεκροὶ οὐκ ἀναστήσονται. διὸ μέσος χωρήσας ὁ ἀπό1.319 στολος πρὸς ἀμφοτέρους τούτους καὶ τὰς λοιπὰς αἱρέσεις ἐν τῇ μιᾷ ἐργασίᾳ τὴν ἀνατροπὴν πεποίηται ἐν τῇ περὶ νεκρῶν † ἀναστάσει καὶ ἐν ταῖς μαρτυρίαις αἷς κατὰ λεπτότητα διεξιὼν τὴν βεβαίαν σύστασιν ἐποιήσατο τῆς τῶν νεκρῶν ἀναστάσεως καὶ σωτηρίας καὶ ἐλπίδος, φάσκων «δεῖ τὸ φθαρτὸν τοῦτο ἐνδύσασθαι ἀφθαρσίαν καὶ τὸ θνητὸν τοῦτο ἐνδύσασθαι ἀθανασίαν» καὶ πάλιν ὅτι «Χριστὸς ἐγήγερται ἀπαρχὴ τῶν κεκοιμημένων», ἵνα τὰς ἀμφοτέρας σχέσεις τῶν αἱρέσεων ἐλέγξας τὸ ἀμόλυντον τῆς διδασκαλίας κήρυγμα ἐξ ἀληθείας διδάξῃ τοὺς βουλομένους εἰδέναι τὴν τοῦ θεοῦ ἀλήθειαν καὶ σωτηριώδη διδασκαλίαν. 7. Πανταχόθεν τοίνυν φωρατὸς ἂν εἴη Κήρινθος καὶ οἱ ἀμφ' αὐτόν, ἀπατηθεὶς ὁ τάλας καὶ ἄλλοις αἴτιος γεγονὼς ἀπωλείας, τῶν θείων γραφῶν σαφῶς ἡμῖν κατὰ λεπτότητα περὶ πάντων εἰσηγουμένων. οὔτε γὰρ ἐκ σπέρματος Ἰωσὴφ ὁ Χριστός, ἐπεὶ πῶς ἔτι σημεῖον εἴη τὸ γέννημα, καὶ τὸ παρὰ τῷ Ἠσαΐᾳ εἰρημένον πῶς ἔτι συσταθήσεται, ὡς εἶπεν «αὐτὸς ὁ κύριος δώσει ὑμῖν σημεῖον· ἰδοὺ ἡ παρθένος ἐν γαστρὶ ἕξει καὶ τέξεται υἱόν» καὶ τὰ ἑξῆς· πῶς δὲ ἔτι πληρωθήσεται τὸ εἰρημένον παρὰ τῆς ἁγίας παρθένου πρὸς τὸν Γαβριήλ «πῶς ἔσται τοῦτο, ὅτι ἄνδρα οὐ γινώσκω» καὶ αὐτοῦ λέγοντος «πνεῦμα ἅγιον ἐπελεύσεται ἐπὶ σὲ καὶ δύναμις ὑψίστου ἐπισκιάσει σοι» καὶ τὰ ἑξῆς, πῶς δὲ ἔτι πάλιν οὐκ ἐλεγχθήσεται αὐτῶν ἡ ἄνοια, τοῦ εὐαγγελίου σαφῶς λέγοντος ὅτι «ηὑρέθη ἐν γαστρὶ ἔχουσα πρὶν ἢ συνελθεῖν αὐτούς»; ἔστιν δὲ γνῶναι σαφῶς ὅτι οὐδὲ ὅλως συνῆλθον. μὴ γένοιτο γὰρ τοῦτο εἰπεῖν, ἐπεὶ οὐκ ἂν μετὰ σταυρὸν προενόει παραθέσθαι αὐτὴν Ἰωάννῃ τῷ ἁγίῳ παρθένῳ, ὡς λέγει «ἴδε ἡ μήτηρ σου» καὶ τῇ αὐτῇ «ἴδε ὁ υἱός σου». ἔδει γὰρ αὐτὸν παραδοῦναι αὐτὴν τοῖς αὐτῆς συγγενέσιν ἢ