Chapter XXI.—Description of the Perfect Man, or Gnostic.

Here I find perfection apprehended variously in relation to Him who excels in every virtue. Accordingly one is perfected as pious, and as patient, and as continent, and as a worker, and as a martyr, and as a Gnostic. But I know no one of men perfect in all things at once, while still human, though according to the mere letter of the law, except Him alone who for us clothed Himself with humanity. Who then is perfect? He who professes abstinence from what is bad. Well, this is the way to the Gospel and to well-doing. But gnostic perfection in the case of the legal man is the acceptance of the Gospel, that he that is after the law may be perfect. For so he, who was after the law, Moses, foretold that it was necessary to hear in order that we might, according to the apostle, receive Christ, the fulness of the law.1057    Deut. xviii. 15; Rom. x. 4. But now in the Gospel the Gnostic attains proficiency not only by making use of the law as a step, but by understanding and comprehending it, as the Lord who gave the Covenants delivered it to the apostles. And if he conduct himself rightly (as assuredly it is impossible to attain knowledge (gnosis) by bad conduct); and if, further, having made an eminently right confession, he become a martyr out of love, obtaining considerable renown as among men; not even thus will he be called perfect in the flesh beforehand; since it is the close of life which claims this appellation, when the gnostic martyr has first shown the perfect work, and rightly exhibited it, and having thankfully shed his blood, has yielded up the ghost: blessed then will he be, and truly proclaimed perfect, “that the excellency of the power may be of God, and not of us,” as the apostle says. Only let us preserve free-will and love: “troubled on every side, yet not distressed; perplexed, but not in despair; persecuted, but not forsaken; cast down, but not destroyed.”1058    2 Cor. iv. 8, 9. For those who strive after perfection, according to the same apostle, must “give no offence in anything, but in everything approve themselves not to men, but to God.” And, as a consequence, also they ought to yield to men; for it is reasonable, on account of abusive calumnies. Here is the specification: “in much patience, in afflictions, in necessities, in distresses, in stripes, in imprisonments, in tumults, in labours, in watchings, in fastings, in pureness, in knowledge, in long-suffering, in kindness, in the Holy Ghost, in love unfeigned, in the word of truth, in the power of God,”1059    2 Cor. vi. 3–7. that we may be the temples of God, purified “from all filthiness of the flesh and of the spirit.” “And I,” He says, “will receive you; and I will be to you for a Father, and ye shall be to Me for sons and daughters, saith the Lord Almighty.”1060    2 Cor. vii. 1, vi. 16, 17, 18. “Let us then,” he says, “perfect holiness in the fear of God.” For though fear beget pain, “I rejoice,” he says, “not that ye were made sorry, but that ye showed susceptibility to repentance. For ye sorrowed after a godly sort, that ye might receive damage by us in nothing. For godly sorrow worketh repentance unto salvation not to be regretted; but the sorrow of the world worketh death. For this same thing that ye sorrowed after a godly sort, what earnestness it wrought in you; yea, what clearing of yourselves; yea, what compunction; yea, what fear; yea, what desire; yea, what zeal; yea, revenge! In all things ye have showed yourselves clear in the matter.”1061    2 Cor. vii. 1–11. Such are the preparatory exercises of gnostic discipline. And since the omnipotent God Himself “gave some apostles, and some prophets, and some evangelists, and some pastors and teachers, for the perfecting of the saints, for the work of the ministry, for the edifying of the body of Christ, till we all attain to the unity of the faith, and of the knowledge of the Son of God, to a perfect man, to the measure of the stature of the fulness of Christ;”1062    Eph. iv. 11, 12, 13. we are then to strive to reach manhood as befits the Gnostic, and to be as perfect as we can while still abiding in the flesh, making it our study with perfect concord here to concur with the will of God, to the restoration of what is the truly perfect nobleness and relationship, to the fulness of Christ, that which perfectly depends on our perfection.

And now we perceive where, and how, and when the divine apostle mentions the perfect man, and how he shows the differences of the perfect. And again, on the other hand: “The manifestation of the Spirit is given for our profit. For to one is given the word of wisdom by the Spirit; to another the word of knowledge according to the same Spirit; to another faith through the same Spirit; to another the gifts of healing through the same Spirit; to another the working of miracles; to another prophecy; to another discernment of spirits; to another diversities of tongues; to another the interpretation of tongues: and all these worketh the one and the same Spirit, distributing to each one according as He wills.”1063    1 Cor. xii. 7–11. Such being the case, the prophets are perfect in prophecy, the righteous in righteousness, and the martyrs in confession, and others in preaching, not that they are not sharers in the common virtues, but are proficient in those to which they are appointed. For what man in his senses would say that a prophet was not righteous? For what? did not righteous men like Abraham prophesy?

says Homer. “But each has his own proper gift of God”1065    1 Cor. vii. 7.—one in one way, another in another. But the apostles were perfected in all. You will find, then, if you choose, in their acts and writings, knowledge, life, preaching, righteousness, purity, prophecy. We must know, then, that if Paul is young in respect to time1066    [Elucidation III.]—having flourished immediately after the Lord’s ascension—yet his writings depend on the Old Testament, breathing and speaking of them. For faith in Christ and the knowledge of the Gospel are the explanation and fulfilment of the law; and therefore it was said to the Hebrews, “If ye believe not, neither shall you understand;”1067    Isa. vii. 9. that is, unless you believe what is prophesied in the law, and oracularly delivered by the law, you will not understand the Old Testament, which He by His coming expounded.

Ἐνταῦθα τὸ τέλειον εὑρίσκω πολλαχῶς ἐκλαμβανόμενον κατὰ τὸν ἐν ἑκάστῃ κατορθοῦντα ἀρετῇ. τελειοῦται γοῦν τις καὶ ὡς εὐλαβὴς καὶ ὡς ὑπομονητικὸς καὶ ὡς ἐγκρατὴς καὶ ὡς ἐργάτης καὶ ὡς μάρτυς καὶ ὡς γνωστικός· πάντα δὲ ὁμοῦ τέλειος οὐκ οἶδ' εἴ τις ἀνθρώπων, ἔτι ἄνθρωπος ὤν, πλὴν μόνον ὁ δι' ἡμᾶς ἄνθρωπον ἐνδυσάμενος. καίτοι [καὶ] κατὰ νόμον ψιλόν τις ἂν εἴη τέλειος, ὃς ἀποχὴν κακῶν ἐπαγγέλλεται· ὁδὸς δέ ἐστιν αὕτη ἐπί τε τὸ εὐαγγέλιον ἐπί τε τὴν εὐποιίαν. ἀλλὰ νομικοῦ μὲν τελείωσις γνωστικὴ εὐαγγελίου πρόσληψις, ἵνα γένηται ὁ κατὰ νόμον τέλειος· οὕτω γὰρ προεθέσπισεν ὁ κατὰ νόμον Μωυσῆς ἀκοῦσαι δεῖν, ἵνα ἐκδεξώμεθα κατὰ τὸν ἀπόστολον πλήρωμα νόμου τὸν Χριστόν. ἐν εὐαγγελίῳ δὲ ἤδη προκόπτει ὁ γνωστικός, οὐ βαθμῷ χρησάμενος τῷ νόμῳ μόνον, συνιεὶς δὲ αὐτὸν καὶ νοήσας ὡς παρέδωκε τοῖς ἀποστόλοις ὁ τὰς διαθήκας δεδωκὼς κύριος. εἰ δὲ καὶ πολιτεύσαιτο ὀρθῶς (ὥσπερ οὖν ἀδύνατον δυσεργείᾳ γνῶσιν ἐπακολουθεῖν) μάρτυς τε ἐπὶ τοῖσδε ὀρθότατα ὁμολογήσας δι' ἀγάπην γένοιτο, πλείονα τὴν ἀξίαν ὡς ἐν ἀνθρώποις λαμβάνων. οὐδ' οὕτως φθάσει τέλειος ἐν σαρκὶ κληθείς, ἐπεὶ τὴν προσηγορίαν ταύτην προείληφεν ἡ συμπεραίωσις τοῦ βίου, φθάσαντος ἤδη τοῦ γνωστικοῦ μάρτυρος τὸ τέλειον ἔργον ἐνδείξασθαι καὶ παραστῆσαι κυρίως δι' ἀγάπης γνωστικῆς εὐχαριστηθέντος αἵματος παραπεμπομένου τὸ πνεῦμα. μακάριος δ' ἔνθεν ἂν εἴη τέλειός τε ἐν δίκῃ κηρυχθείη, ἵνα ἡ ὑπερβολὴ τῆς δυνάμεως ᾖ τοῦ θεοῦ καὶ μὴ ἐξ ἡμῶν, ὥς φησιν ὁ ἀπόστολος· μόνον τὸ προαιρετικὸν καὶ τὴν ἀγάπην σῴζωμεν, ἐν παντὶ θλιβόμενοι, ἀλλ' οὐ στενοχωρούμενοι, ἀπορούμενοι, ἀλλ' οὐκ ἐξαπορούμενοι, διωκόμενοι, ἀλλ' οὐκ ἐγκαταλειπόμενοι, καταβαλλόμενοι, ἀλλ' οὐκ ἀπολλύμενοι. χρὴ γὰρ τοὺς σπεύδοντας εἰς συντελείωσιν κατὰ τὸν αὐτὸν ἀπόστολον μηδεμίαν ἐν μηδενὶ διδόναι προσκοπήν, ἀλλ' ἐν παντὶ συνιστάναι ἑαυτοὺς οὐκ ἀνθρώποις, ἀλλὰ τῷ θεῷ. ἔστω δὲ κατ' ἐπακολούθημα πείθεσθαι καὶ τοῖς ἀνθρώποις· καὶ γὰρ τούτοις εὔλογον διὰ τὰς ἐπηρεαζούσας βλασφημίας. ἡ δὲ διασύστασις ἐν ὑπομονῇ πολλῇ, ἐν θλίψεσιν, ἐν ἀνάγκαις, ἐν στενοχωρίαις, ἐν πληγαῖς, ἐν φυλακαῖς, ἐν ἀκαταστασίαις, ἐν κόποις, ἐν ἀγρυπνίαις, ἐν νηστείαις, ἐν ἁγνότητι, ἐν γνώσει, ἐν μακροθυμίᾳ, ἐν χρηστότητι, ἐν πνεύματι ἁγίῳ, ἐν ἀγάπῃ ἀνυποκρίτῳ, ἐν λόγῳ ἀληθείας, ἐν δυνάμει θεοῦ, ἵνα ὦμεν ναοὶ θεοῦ καθαρισθέντες ἀπὸ παντὸς μολυσμοῦ σαρκὸς καὶ πνεύματος· κἀγώ, φησίν, εἰσδέξομαι ὑμᾶς καὶ ἔσομαι ὑμῖν εἰς πατέρα, καὶ ὑμεῖς ἔσεσθέ μοι εἰς υἱοὺς καὶ θυγατέρας, λέγει κύριος παντοκράτωρ. ἐπιτελῶμεν οὖν, φησίν, ἁγιωσύνην ἐν φόβῳ θεοῦ. εἰ γὰρ καὶ λύπην ὁ φόβος γεννᾷ, χαίρω λέγει, οὐχ ὅτι ἐλυπήθητε, ἀλλ' ὅτι ἐλυπήθητε εἰς μετάνοιαν· ἐλυπήθητε γὰρ κατὰ θεόν, ἵνα ἐν μηδενὶ ζημιωθῆτε ἐξ ἡμῶν. ἡ γὰρ κατὰ θεὸν λύπη μετάνοιαν εἰς σωτηρίαν ἀμεταμέλητον ἐργάζεται· ἡ δὲ τοῦ κόσμου λύπη θάνατον κατεργάζεται. ἰδοὺ γὰρ αὐτὸ τοῦτο τὸ κατὰ θεὸν λυπηθῆναι ὑμᾶς πόσην κατειργάσατο ὑμῖν σπουδήν, ἀλλὰ ἀπολογίαν, ἀλλὰ ἀγανάκτησιν, ἀλλὰ φόβον, ἀλλὰ ἐπιπόθησιν, ἀλλὰ ζῆλον, ἀλλὰ ἐκδίκησιν. ἐν παντὶ συνεστήσατε ἑαυτοὺς ἁγνοὺς εἶναι τῷ πράγματι. Ταῦτα γνωστικῆς ἀσκήσεως προγυμνάσματα. ἐπεὶ δὲ ὁ παντοκράτωρ θεὸς αὐτὸς ἔδωκεν τοὺς μὲν ἀποστόλους, τοὺς δὲ προφήτας, τοὺς δὲ εὐαγγελιστάς, τοὺς δὲ ποιμένας καὶ διδασκάλους, πρὸς τὸν καταρτισμὸν τῶν ἁγίων εἰς ἔργον διακονίας, εἰς οἰκοδομὴν τοῦ σώματος τοῦ Χριστοῦ, μέχρι καταντήσωμεν πάντες εἰς τὴν ἑνότητα τῆς πίστεως καὶ τῆς ἐπιγνώσεως τοῦ υἱοῦ τοῦ θεοῦ, εἰς ἄνδρα τέλειον, εἰς μέτρον ἡλικίας τοῦ πληρώματος τοῦ Χριστοῦ, σπευστέον ἀπανδροῦσθαι γνωστικῶς καὶ τελειοῦσθαι ὡς ὅτι μάλιστα ἔτι ἐν σαρκὶ καταμένοντας, ἐκ τῆς τελείας ἐνθένδε ὁμοφροσύνης μελετήσαντας συνδραμεῖν τῷ θελήματι τοῦ θεοῦ εἰς τὴν ἀποκατάστασιν τῆς τῷ ὄντι τελείας εὐγενείας τε καὶ συγγενείας εἰς τὸ πλήρωμα τοῦ Χριστοῦ τὸ ἐκ καταρτισμοῦ τελείως ἀπηρτισμένον. ἤδη συνορῶμεν ὅπῃ καὶ ὅπως καὶ ὁπότε ὁ θεῖος ἀπόστολος τὸν τέλειον λέγει καὶ ὡς τελείων ἐμφαίνει διαφοράς. πάλιν τε αὖ ἑκάστῳ δίδοται ἡ φανέρωσις τοῦ πνεύματος πρὸς τὸ συμφέρον. ᾧ μὲν γὰρ δίδοται διὰ τοῦ πνεύματος λόγος σοφίας, ἄλλῳ δὲ λόγος γνώσεως κατὰ τὸ αὐτὸ πνεῦμα, ἑτέρῳ πίστις ἐν τῷ αὐτῷ πνεύματι, ἄλλῳ δὲ χαρίσματα ἰαμάτων ἐν τῷ αὐτῷ πνεύματι, ἄλλῳ δὲ ἐνεργήματα δυνάμεων, ἄλλῳ προφητεία, ἄλλῳ διάκρισις πνευμάτων, ἑτέρῳ γένη γλωσσῶν, ἄλλῳ δὲ ἑρμηνεία γλωσσῶν· πάντα δὲ ταῦτα ἐνεργεῖ τὸ ἓν καὶ τὸ αὐτὸ πνεῦμα, διαιροῦν ἰδίᾳ ἑκάστῳ καθὼς βούλεται. ὧν οὕτως ἐχόντων οἱ μὲν προφῆται ἐν προφητείᾳ τέλειοι, οἱ δίκαιοι δὲ ἐν δικαιοσύνῃ καὶ οἱ μάρτυρες ἐν ὁμολογίᾳ, ἄλλοι δὲ ἐν κηρύγματι, οὐκ ἀμέτοχοι μὲν τῶν κοινῶν ἀρετῶν, κατορθοῦντες δὲ ἐν οἷς ἐτάχθησαν· ἐπεὶ τίς ἂν εὖ φρονῶν εἴποι τὸν προφήτην οὐ δίκαιον; τί γάρ; οὐχὶ καὶ οἱ δίκαιοι ὥσπερ Ἀβραὰμ προεφήτευσαν; ἄλλῳ μὲν γὰρ ἔδωκε θεὸς πολεμήια ἔργα, ἄλλῳ δ' ὀρχηστύν, ἑτέρῳ κίθαριν καὶ ἀοιδήν, Ὅμηρος λέγει. ἀλλ' ἕκαστος ἴδιον ἔχει χάρισμα ἀπὸ θεοῦ, ὃ μὲν οὕτως, ὃ δὲ οὕτως, οἱ ἀπόστολοι δὲ ἐν πᾶσι πεπληρωμένοι. εὑρήσεις γοῦν, ἢν θελήσῃς, ἐκ τῶν πράξεων καὶ τῶν συγγραμμάτων αὐτῶν τὴν γνῶσιν, τὸν βίον, τὸ κήρυγμα, τὴν δικαιοσύνην, τὴν ἁγνείαν, τὴν προφητείαν. ἰστέον μέντοι ὅτι, εἰ καὶ ὁ Παῦλος τοῖς χρόνοις νεάζει, εὐθέως μετὰ τὴν τοῦ κυρίου ἀνάληψιν ἀκμάσας, ἀλλ' οὖν ἡ γραφὴ αὐτῷ ἐκ τῆς παλαιᾶς ἤρτηται διαθήκης, ἐκεῖθεν ἀναπνέουσα καὶ λαλοῦσα· ἡ γὰρ εἰς Χριστὸν πίστις καὶ ἡ τοῦ εὐαγγελίου γνῶσις ἐξήγησίς ἐστι καὶ τοῦ νόμου πλήρωσις. καὶ διὰ τοῦτο εἴρηται τοῖς Ἑβραίοις· ἐὰν μὴ πιστεύσητε, οὐ μὴ συνῆτε, τουτέστιν ἐὰν μὴ πιστεύσητε τῷ διὰ νόμου προφητευθέντι καὶ ὑπὸ νόμου θεσπισθέντι, οὐ συνήσετε τὴν διαθήκην τὴν παλαιάν, ἣν αὐτὸς κατὰ τὴν ἰδίαν ἐξηγήσατο παρουσίαν.