Chapter XIV.—Description of the Gnostic Furnished by an Exposition of 1 Cor. vi. 1, Etc.

Now, of what I may call the passionlessness which we attribute to the Gnostic (in which the perfection of the believer, “advancing by love, comes to a perfect man, to the measure of full stature,”1821    Eph. iv. 13. by being assimilated to God, and by becoming truly angelic), many other testimonies from the Scripture, occur to me to adduce. But I think it better, on account of the length of the discourse, that such an honour should be devolved on those who wish to take pains, and leave it to them to elaborate the dogmas by the selection of Scriptures.

One passage, accordingly, I shall in the briefest terms advert to, so as not to leave the topic unexplained.

For in the first Epistle to the Corinthians the divine apostle says: “Dare any of you, having a matter against the other, go to law before the unrighteous, and not before the saints? Know ye not that the saints shall judge the world?”1822    1 Cor. vi. 1, 2. and so on.

The section being very long, we shall exhibit the meaning of the apostle’s utterance by employing such of the apostolic expressions as are most pertinent, and in the briefest language, and in a sort of cursory way, interpreting the discourse in which he describes the perfection of the Gnostic. For he does not merely instance the Gnostic as characterized by suffering wrong rather than do wrong; but he teaches that he is not mindful of injuries, and does not allow him even to pray against the man who has done him wrong. For he knows that the Lord expressly enjoined “to pray for enemies.”1823    Matt. v. 44.

To say, then, that the man who has been injured goes to law before the unrighteous, is nothing else than to say that he shows a wish to retaliate, and a desire to injure the second in return, which is also to do wrong likewise himself.

And his saying, that he wishes “some to go to law before the saints,” points out those who ask by prayer that those who have done wrong should suffer retaliation for their injustice, and intimates that the second are better than the former; but they are not yet obedient,1824    εὐπειθεῖς here substituted by Sylburgius for ἀπειθσῖς. May not the true reading be ἀπαθείς, as the topic is ἀπαθεια? if they do not, having become entirely free of resentment, pray even for their enemies.

It is well, then, for them to receive right dispositions from repentance, which results in faith. For if the truth seems to get enemies who entertain bad feeling, yet it is not hostile to any one. “For God makes His sun to shine on the just and on the unjust,”1825    Matt. v. 45. and sent the Lord Himself to the just and the unjust. And he that earnestly strives to be assimilated to God, in the exercise of great absence of resentment, forgives seventy times seven times, as it were all his life through, and in all his course in this world (that being indicated by the enumeration of sevens) shows clemency to each and any one; if any during the whole time of his life in the flesh do the Gnostic wrong. For he not only deems it right that the good man should resign his property alone to others, being of the number of those who have done him wrong; but also wishes that the righteous man should ask of those judges forgiveness for the offences of those who have done him wrong. And with reason, if indeed it is only in that which is external and concerns the body, though it go to the extent of death even, that those who attempt to wrong him take advantage of him; none of which truly belong to the Gnostic.

And how shall one “judge” the apostate “angels,” who has become himself an apostate from that forgetfulness of injuries, which is according to the Gospel? “Why do ye not rather suffer wrong?” he says; “why are ye not rather defrauded? Yea, ye do wrong and defraud,”1826    1 Cor. vi. 7, 8. manifestly by praying against those who transgress in ignorance, and deprive of the philanthropy and goodness of God, as far as in you lies, those against whom you pray, “and these your brethren,”—not meaning those in the faith only, but also the proselytes. For whether he who now is hostile shall afterwards believe, we know not as yet. From which the conclusion follows clearly, if all are not yet brethren to us, they ought to be regarded in that light. And now it is only the man of knowledge who recognises all men to be the work of one God, and invested with one image in one nature, although some may be more turbid than others; and in the creatures he recognises the operation, by which again he adores the will of God.

“Know ye not that the unrighteous shall not inherit the kingdom of God?”1827    1 Cor. vi. 9. He acts unrighteously who retaliates, whether by deed or word, or by the conception of a wish, which, after the training of the Law, the Gospel rejects.

“And such were some of you”—such manifestly as those still are whom you do not forgive; “but ye are washed,”1828    1 Cor. vi. 11. not simply as the rest, but with knowledge; ye have cast off the passions of the soul, in order to become assimilated, as far as possible, to the goodness of God’s providence by long-suffering, and by forgiveness “towards the just and the unjust,” casting on them the gleam of benignity in word and deeds, as the sun.

The Gnostic will achieve this either by greatness of mind, or by imitation of what is better. And that is a third cause. “Forgive, and it shall be forgiven you;” the commandment, as it were, compelling to salvation through superabundance of goodness.

“But ye are sanctified.” For he who has come to this state is in a condition to be holy, falling into none of the passions in any way, but as it were already disembodied and already grown holy without1829    ἄνευ: or above, ἄνω. this earth.

“Wherefore,” he says, “ye are justified in the name of the Lord.” Ye are made, so to speak, by Him to be righteous as He is, and are blended as far as possible with the Holy Spirit. For “are not all things lawful to me? yet I will not be brought under the power of any,”1830    1 Cor. vi. 12. so as to do, or think, or speak aught contrary to the Gospel. “Meats for the belly, and the belly for meats, which God shall destroy,”1831    1 Cor. vi. 13.—that is, such as think and live as if they were made for eating, and do not eat that they may live as a consequence, and apply to knowledge as the primary end. And does he not say that these are, as it were, the fleshy parts of the holy body? As a body, the Church of the Lord, the spiritual and holy choir, is symbolized.1832    [Ps. lxxiii. 1. The “Israelite indeed” is thus recognised as the wheat, although tares grow with it in the Militant Church. See cap xv., infra.] Whence those, who are merely called, but do not live in accordance with the word, are the fleshy parts. “Now” this spiritual “body,” the holy Church, “is not for fornication.” Nor are those things which belong to heathen life to be adopted by apostasy from the Gospel. For he who conducts himself heathenishly in the Church, whether in deed, or word, or even in thought, commits fornication with reference to the Church and his own body. He who in this way “is joined to the harlot,” that is, to conduct contrary to the Covenant becomes another “body,” not holy, “and one flesh,” and has a heathenish life and another hope. “But he that is joined to the Lord in spirit” becomes a spiritual body by a different kind of conjunction.

Such an one is wholly a son, an holy man, passionless, gnostic, perfect, formed by the teaching of the Lord; in order that in deed, in word, and in spirit itself, being brought close to the Lord, he may receive the mansion that is due to him who has reached manhood thus.

Let the specimen suffice to those who have ears. For it is not required to unfold the mystery, but only to indicate what is sufficient for those who are partakers in knowledge to bring it to mind; who also will comprehend how it was said by the Lord, “Be ye perfect as your father, perfectly,”1833    Matt. v.; sic. τέλειοι, τελείως. by forgiving sins, and forgetting injuries, and living in the habit of passionlessness. For as we call a physician perfect, and a philosopher perfect, so also, in my view, do we call a Gnostic perfect. But not one of those points, although of the greatest importance, is assumed in order to the likeness of God. For we do not say, as the Stoics do most impiously, that virtue in man and God is the same. Ought we not then to be perfect, as the Father wills? For it is utterly impossible for any one to become perfect as God is. Now the Father wishes us to be perfect by living blamelessly, according to the obedience of the Gospel.

If, then, the statement being elliptical, we understand what is wanting, in order to complete the section for those who are incapable of understanding what is left out, we shall both know the will of God, and shall walk at once piously and magnanimously, as befits the dignity of the commandment.

Καὶ ταῦτα μὲν ὡς ἔνι μάλιστα διὰ βραχυτάτων περὶ τοῦ γνωστικοῦ τοῖς Ἕλλησι σπερματικῶς εἰρήσθω. ἰστέον δὲ ὅτι ἐὰν ἓν τούτων ὁ πιστὸς ἢ καὶ δεύτερον κατορθώσῃ, ἀλλ' οὔ τί γε ἐν πᾶσιν ἅμα οὐδὲ μὴν μετ' ἐπιστήμης τῆς ἄκρας, καθάπερ ὁ γνωστικός. καὶ δὴ τῆς κατὰ τὸν γνωστικὸν ἡμῖν ὡς εἰπεῖν ἀπαθείας, καθ' ἣν ἡ τελείωσις τοῦ πιστοῦ δι' ἀγάπης εἰς ἄνδρα τέλειον, εἰς μέτρον ἡλικίας προβαίνουσα ἀφικνεῖται, ἐξομοιουμένη θεῷ, ἰσάγγελος ἀληθῶς γενομένη, πολλὰ μὲν καὶ ἄλλα ἐκ γραφῆς μαρτύρια ἔπεισι παρατίθεσθαι, ἄμεινον δὲ οἶμαι ὑπερθέσθαι τὴν τοιαύτην φιλοτιμίαν διὰ τὸ μῆκος τοῦ λόγου, τοῖς πονεῖν ἐθέλουσι καὶ προσεκπονεῖν τὰ δόγματα κατ' ἐκλογὴν τῶν γραφῶν ἐπιτρέψαντα. μιᾶς δ' οὖν διὰ βραχυτάτων ἐπιμνησθήσομαι, ὡς μὴ ἀνεπισημείωτον παραλιπεῖν τὸν τόπον. λέγει γὰρ ἐν τῇ προτέρᾳ τῆς πρὸς Κορινθίους ἐπιστολῇ ὁ θεῖος ἀπόστολος· τολμᾷ τις ὑμῶν πρᾶγμα ἔχων πρὸς τὸν ἕτερον κρίνεσθαι ἐπὶ τῶν ἀδίκων καὶ οὐχὶ ἐπὶ τῶν ἁγίων; ἢ οὐκ οἴδατε ὅτι ἅγιοι τὸν κόσμον κρινοῦσι; καὶ τὰ ἑξῆς. μεγίστης δ' οὔσης τῆς περικοπῆς, ταῖς ἐπικαίροις τῶν ἀποστολικῶν συγχρώμενοι λέξεσι, διὰ βραχυτάτων ἐξ ἐπιδρομῆς οἷον μεταφράζοντες τὴν ῥῆσιν, τὴν διάνοιαν τοῦ ῥητοῦ τοῦ ἀποστόλου παραστήσομεν, καθ' ἣν τοῦ γνωστικοῦ τὴν τελειότητα ὑπογράφει. οὐ γὰρ ἐπὶ τοῦ ἀδικεῖσθαι μᾶλλον ἢ ἀδικεῖν ἵστησι τὸν γνωστικὸν μόνον, ἀλλὰ καὶ ἀμνησίκακον εἶναι διδάσκει, μηδὲ εὔχεσθαι κατὰ τοῦ ἀδικήσαντος ἐπιτρέπων· οἶδεν γὰρ καὶ τὸν κύριον ἄντικρυς εὔχεσθαι ὑπὲρ τῶν ἐχθρῶν παραγγείλαντα. τὸ μὲν οὖν ἐπὶ τῶν ἀδίκων κρίνεσθαι τὸν ἠδικημένον φάσκει οὐδὲν ἀλλ' ἢ ἀνταποδοῦναι βούλεσθαι δοκεῖν καὶ ἀνταδικῆσαι δεύτερον ἐθέλειν, ὅπερ ὁμοίως ἐστὶν ἀδικῆσαι καὶ αὐτόν. τὸ δὲ ἐπὶ τῶν ἁγίων κρίνεσθαι ἐθέλειν τινὰς λέγειν ἐμφαίνει τοὺς δι' εὐχῆς τοῖς ἀδικήσασιν ἀνταποδοθῆναι τὴν πλεονεξίαν αἰτουμένους, καὶ εἶναι μὲν τῶν προτέρων τοὺς δευτέρους ἀμείνους, οὐδέπω δὲ ἀπαθεῖς, ἢν μὴ ἀμνησίκακοι τέλεον γενόμενοι κατὰ τὴν τοῦ κυρίου διδασκαλίαν προσεύξωνται καὶ ὑπὲρ τῶν ἐχθρῶν. Καλὸν οὖν καὶ φρένας καλὰς ἐκ μετανοίας αὐτοὺς τῆς εἰς τὴν πίστιν μεταλαβεῖν. εἰ γὰρ καὶ ἐχθροὺς ἡ ἀλήθεια τοὺς παραζηλοῦντας κεκτῆσθαι δοκεῖ, ἀλλ' οὔ τί γε αὐτὴ διεχθρεύεταί τινι. ὅ τι γὰρ θεὸς ἐπὶ δικαίους καὶ ἀδίκους τὸν αὑτοῦ ἐπιλάμπει ἥλιον καὶ τὸν κύριόν γε αὐτὸν ἐπὶ δικαίους ἔπεμψεν καὶ ἀδίκους, ὅ τε ἐξομοιοῦσθαι βιαζόμενος θεῷ, διὰ τῆς πολλῆς ἀμνησικακίας ἀφεὶς ἑβδομηκοντάκις ἑπτά (οἷον κατὰ πάντα τὸν βίον καὶ καθ' ὅλην τὴν κοσμικὴν περιήλυσιν ἑβδομάσιν ἀριθμουμέναις σημαινομένην), παντί τῳ χρηστεύεται, εἰ καί τις τὸν πάντα τοῦτον ἐν σαρκὶ βιοὺς χρόνον ἀδικεῖ τὸν γνωστικόν. οὐ γὰρ τὴν κρίσιν μόνην ἄλλοις ἐπιτρέπειν ἀξιοῖ τὸν σπουδαῖον τῶν ἠδικηκότων αὐτόν, ἀλλὰ καὶ παρ' ἐκείνων αἰτεῖσθαι τῶν κριτῶν βούλεται τὸν δίκαιον τὴν ἄφεσιν τῶν ἁμαρτιῶν τοῖς εἰς αὐτὸν πεπλημμεληκόσι, καὶ εἰκότως· εἴ γε τὸ ἐκτὸς μόνον καὶ τὸ περὶ σῶμα, κἂν μέχρι θανάτου προβαίνῃ, πλεονεκτοῦσιν οἱ ἀδικεῖν ἐπιχειροῦντες, ὧν οὐδὲν οἰκεῖον τοῦ γνωστικοῦ. πῶς δ' ἂν καὶ ἀγγέλους τις κρίναι τοὺς ἀποστάτας, αὐτὸς ἀποστάτης ἐκείνης τῆς κατὰ τὸ εὐαγγέλιον ἀμνησικακίας γενόμενος; διὰ τί οὐχὶ μᾶλλον ἀδικεῖσθε; φησί· διὰ τί οὐχὶ μᾶλλον ἀποστερεῖσθε; ἀλλὰ ὑμεῖς ἀδικεῖτε καὶ ἀποστερεῖτε, εὐχόμενοι κατὰ τούτων δηλονότι τῶν κατ' ἄγνοιαν πλημμελούντων, καὶ ἀποστερεῖτε τῆς τοῦ θεοῦ φιλανθρωπίας τε καὶ ἀγαθότητος τὸ ὅσον ἐφ' ὑμῖν τοὺς καθ' ὧν εὔχεσθε, καὶ τοῦτο ἀδελφούς, οὐ τοὺς κατὰ πίστιν μόνον, ἀλλὰ καὶ τοὺς προσηλύτους λέγων. εἰ γὰρ καὶ ὁ νῦν διεχθρεύων ὕστερον πιστεύσει, οὐκ ἴσμεν οὐδέπω ἡμεῖς. ἐξ ὧν συνάγεται σαφῶς εἰ καὶ μὴ πάντας εἶναι, ἡμῖν γε αὐτοὺς δοκεῖν [δεῖν] εἶναι ἀδελφούς. ἤδη δὲ καὶ πάντας ἀνθρώπους ἑνὸς ὄντας ἔργον θεοῦ καὶ μίαν εἰκόνα ἐπὶ μίαν οὐσίαν περιβεβλημένους, κἂν τεθολωμένοι τύχωσιν ἄλλοι ἄλλων μᾶλλον, μόνος ὁ ἐπιστήμων γνωρίζει, καὶ διὰ τῶν κτισμάτων τὴν ἐνέργειαν, δι' ἧς αὖθις τὸ θέλημα τοῦ θεοῦ, προσκυνεῖ. Ἢ οὐκ οἴδατε ὅτι ἄδικοι βασιλείαν θεοῦ οὐ κληρονομήσουσιν; ἀδικεῖ οὖν ὁ ἀνταδικῶν εἴτ' οὖν ἔργῳ εἴτε καὶ λόγῳ εἴτε καὶ τῇ τοῦ βούλεσθαι ἐννοίᾳ, ἣν μετὰ τὴν τοῦ νόμου παιδαγωγίαν τὸ εὐαγγέλιον περιγράφει. καὶ ταῦτά τινες ἦτε, τοιοῦτοι δηλονότι οἷοι ἔτι τυγχάνουσιν οἷς αὐτοὶ οὐ συγγινώσκετε. ἀλλὰ ἀπελούσασθε, οὐχ ἁπλῶς ὡς οἱ λοιποί, ἀλλὰ μετὰ γνώσεως τὰ πάθη τὰ ψυχικὰ ἀπερρύψασθε, εἰς τὸ ἐξομοιοῦσθαι ὅση δύναμις τῇ ἀγαθότητι τῆς τοῦ θεοῦ προνοίας διά τε τῆς ἀνεξικακίας διά τε τῆς ἀμνησικακίας, ἐπὶ δικαίους καὶ ἀδίκους τὸ εὐμενὲς τοῦ λόγου καὶ τῶν ἔργων καθάπερ ὁ ἥλιος ἐπιλάμποντες· εἴτ' οὖν μεγαλονοίᾳ τοῦτο περιποιήσεται ὁ γνωστικὸς εἴτε μιμήσει τοῦ κρείττονος· τρίτη δ' αἰτία τὸ ἄφες καὶ ἀφεθήσεταί σοι, βιαζομένης ὥσπερ τῆς ἐντολῆς εἰς σωτηρίαν δι' ὑπερβολὴν ἀγαθότητος. ἀλλ' ἡγιάσθητε· τῷ γὰρ εἰς τοῦτο ἥκοντι ἕξεως ἁγίῳ εἶναι συμβαίνει, μηδενὶ τῶν παθῶν κατὰ μηδένα τρόπον περιπίπτοντι. ἀλλ' οἷον ἀσάρκῳ ἤδη καὶ ἄνω τῆσδε τῆς γῆς ἁγίῳ γεγονότι. διόπερ ἐδικαιώθητε φησὶ τῷ ὀνόματι τοῦ κυρίου· ἐποιήθητε ὡς εἰπεῖν ὑπ' αὐτοῦ δίκαιοι εἶναι ὡς αὐτός, καὶ τῷ πνεύματι τῷ ἁγίῳ ὡς ἔνι μάλιστα κατὰ δύναμιν ἀνεκράθητε. μὴ γὰρ οὐ πάντα μοι ἔξεστιν, ἀλλ' οὐκ ἐξουσιασθήσομαι, φησί, παρὰ τὸ εὐαγγέλιόν τι ποιῆσαι ἢ νοῆσαι ἢ λαλῆσαι; τὰ δὲ βρώματα τῇ κοιλίᾳ καὶ ἡ κοιλία τοῖς βρώμασιν, ἃ ὁ θεὸς καταργήσει, τουτέστιν τοὺς οὕτω λογιζομένους καὶ βιοῦντας ὡς διὰ τὸ ἐσθίειν γενομένους, μὴ οὐχὶ δὲ ἐσθίοντας ἵνα ζῶσι μὲν κατὰ τὸ ἀκόλουθον, κατὰ δὲ τὸ προηγούμενον τῇ γνώσει προσανέχοντας. καὶ μή τι οἷον σάρκας εἶναι τοῦ ἁγίου σώματος τούτους φησί; σῶμα δὲ ἀλληγορεῖται ἡ ἐκκλησία κυρίου, ὁ πνευματικὸς καὶ ἅγιος χορός, ἐξ ὧν οἱ τὸ ὄνομα ἐπικεκλημένοι μόνον, βιοῦντες δὲ οὐ κατὰ λόγον, σάρκες εἰσί. τὸ δὲ σῶμα τοῦτο [τὸ] πνευματικόν, τουτέστιν ἡ ἁγία ἐκκλησία, οὐ τῇ πορνείᾳ οὐδὲ τῇ ἀπὸ τοῦ εὐαγγελίου ἀποστασίᾳ πρὸς τὸν ἐθνικὸν βίον κατ' οὐδένα τρόπον οὐδ' ὁπωστιοῦν οἰκειωτέον. πορνεύει γὰρ εἰς τὴν ἐκκλησίαν καὶ τὸ αὑτοῦ σῶμα ὁ ἐθνικῶς ἐν ἐκκλησίᾳ πολιτευόμενος, εἴτ' οὖν ἐν ἔργῳ, εἴτε καὶ ἐν λόγῳ, εἴτε καὶ ἐν αὐτῇ τῇ ἐννοίᾳ. ὁ ταύτῃ κολλώμενος τῇ πόρνῃ, τῇ παρὰ τὴν διαθήκην ἐνεργείᾳ, ἄλλο σῶμα γίνεται οὐχ ἅγιον, εἰς σάρκα μίαν καὶ βίον ἐθνικὸν καὶ ἄλλην ἐλπίδα· ὁ δὲ κολλώμενος τῷ κυρίῳ ἓν πνεῦμά [ἐσ]τι, πνευματικὸν σῶμα, τὸ διάφορον τῆς συνόδου γένος. υἱὸς οὗτος ἅπας, ἄνθρωπος ἅγιος, ἀπαθής, γνωστικός, τέλειος, μορφούμενος τῇ τοῦ κυρίου διδασκαλίᾳ, ἵνα δὴ καὶ ἔργῳ καὶ λόγῳ καὶ αὐτῷ τῷ πνεύματι προσεχὴς γενόμενος τῷ κυρίῳ τὴν μονὴν ἐκείνην τὴν ὀφειλομένην τῷ οὕτως ἀπηνδρωμένῳ ἀπολάβῃ. ἀπόχρη τὸ δεῖγμα τοῖς ὦτα ἔχουσιν. οὐ γὰρ ἐκκυκλεῖν χρὴ τὸ μυστήριον, ἐμφαίνειν δὲ ὅσον εἰς ἀνάμνησιν τοῖς μετεσχηκόσι τῆς γνώσεως, οἳ καὶ συνήσουσιν ὅπως εἴρηται πρὸς τοῦ κυρίου· γίνεσθε ὡς ὁ πατὴρ ὑμῶν τέλειοι, τελείως ἀφιέντες τὰς ἁμαρτίας καὶ ἀμνησικακοῦντες καὶ ἐν τῇ ἕξει τῆς ἀπαθείας καταβιοῦντες. ὡς γὰρ τέλειόν φαμεν ἰατρὸν καὶ τέλειον φιλόσοφον, οὕτως, οἶμαι, καὶ τέλειον γνωστικόν· ἀλλ' οὐδὲν τούτων, καίτοι μέγιστον ὄν, εἰς ὁμοιότητα θεοῦ παραλαμβάνεται. οὐ γάρ, καθάπερ οἱ Στωϊκοί, ἀθέως πάνυ τὴν αὐτὴν ἀρετὴν ἀνθρώπου λέγομεν καὶ θεοῦ. μή τι οὖν τέλειοι γενέσθαι ὀφείλομεν ὡς ὁ πατὴρ βούλεται; ἀδύνατον γὰρ καὶ ἀμήχανον ὡς ὁ θεός ἐστι γενέσθαι τινὰ τέλειον· βούλεται δὲ ὁ πατὴρ ζῶντας ἡμᾶς κατὰ τὴν τοῦ εὐαγγελίου ὑπακοὴν ἀνεπιλήπτως τελείους γίγνεσθαι. ἢν οὖν, κατ' ἔλλειψιν λεγομένου τοῦ ῥητοῦ, προσυπακούσωμεν τὸ ἐνδέον εἰς ἀναπλήρωσιν τῆς περικοπῆς, τοῖς συνιέναι δυναμένοις ἀπολελειμμένον ἐκλαβεῖν, καὶ τὸ θέλημα τοῦ θεοῦ γνωριοῦμεν καὶ κατ' ἀξίαν τῆς ἐντολῆς εὐσεβῶς ἅμα καὶ μεγαλοφρόνως πολιτευσόμεθα.