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he wrote of me.” 2.137 20Commentary20 28. He did not have “Therefore the wisdom of God said, ‘I will send them prophets’” and concerning the blood of Zechariah and Abel and of the prophets, that it will be required of this generation. 20Refutation20 28. And in this there is much shame for you, O Marcion, since the character of the truth is preserved and the excision of your thefts is discovered from the copy of the Gospel according to Luke, the passages being found and those removed by you being refuted. 20Commentary20 29. “I say to my friends, do not be afraid of those who kill the body, but fear him who after killing has authority to cast into Gehenna.” But he did not have “Are not five sparrows sold for two assaria? And not one of them is forgotten before God?” 20Refutation20 29. The saying, “I say to my friends, do not be afraid of those who kill the body, but fear him who has authority after killing the body to cast the soul into Gehenna,” compels you, O Marcion, to also confess the rest of the parable. For without God nothing happens, even if you remove the part about the sparrows. Defend yourself then, O Marcion, concerning the things left by you in the saying, and answer us what you think about the one who has authority. For if you should say that he is the Father of Christ, the one called the good God by you, even if you distinguish poorly, nevertheless, since he has the authority, you have granted that he is a judge and allots to each according to his worth. But if you do not mean this one, but the Creator, the one sung of by you as a judge by nature, tell me who has given him the 2.138 authority? For if he has it from himself, then he is great and has authority; and if he has the authority to judge, also to save. For he who is able to judge is also able to release. And otherwise: if, when the judge casts souls into Gehenna, the good God does not rescue them, he who everywhere cares for the same souls, how could he be good? For either he is stronger than him and he is not able to rescue from his hand, or he is able but does not wish to; and where is the goodness? But if, because he himself created, he has authority also to judge, how does the god above, the one of your fables, partially save some? For if he saves by taking from what belongs to another, he is covetous, desiring what belongs to another; but if you do not claim it is covetousness because the work is done for good and for salvation, you make him a respecter of persons, not doing good equally to all, but partially. Commentary 30. Instead of “he will confess before the angels of God,” he says “before God.” 20Refutation20 30. He is refuted from every side as not walking according to God, even if he alters the truth in the shortest phrase. For he who dares to alter anything of what was written from the beginning does not stand in the way of truth. 20Commentary20 31. He does not have “God clothes the grass.” 20Refutation20 31. Even if you do not allow the things that are written, as they were spoken by the Savior, yet the passages are preserved in the Gospel of the holy church, even if you deny the God who made all things and cares for all things by his Word, even down to the grass, and who is confessed by the Savior. 20Commentary20 32. “But your Father knows that you need these things,” that is, carnal things. 20Refutation20 32. The Father knows that the disciples have need of carnal necessities and provides for such things. And he provides not in another age but here, not making provision for his own servants in what belongs to another but in the things created by him. 2.139 20Commentary20 33. “But seek the kingdom of God, and all these things

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ἐμοῦ ἔγραψεν». 2.137 20Σχόλιον20 ˉκˉη. Οὐκ εἶχεν «διὰ τοῦτο εἶπεν ἡ σοφία τοῦ θεοῦ, ἀποστέλλω εἰς αὐτοὺς προφήτας» καὶ περὶ αἵματος Ζαχαρίου καὶ Ἄβελ καὶ τῶν προφητῶν ὅτι ἐκζητηθήσεται ἐκ τῆς γενεᾶς ταύτης. 20Ἔλεγχος20 ˉκˉη. Καὶ ἐν τούτῳ σοι πολλὴ αἰσχύνη, ὦ Μαρκίων, τοῦ χαρακτῆρος τῆς ἀληθείας σῳζομένου καὶ τῆς παρεκτομῆς τῶν κλεμμάτων σου εὑρισκομένης ἀπὸ τοῦ ἀντιγράφου τοῦ κατὰ Λουκᾶν εὐαγγελίου, τῶν τόπων εὑρισκομένων καὶ τῶν παρὰ σοῦ ἀφαιρεθέντων ἐλεγχομένων. 20Σχόλιον20 ˉκˉθ. «Λέγω τοῖς φίλοις μου, μὴ φοβηθῆτε ἀπὸ τῶν ἀποκτενόντων τὸ σῶμα, φοβήθητε δὲ τὸν μετὰ τὸ ἀποκτεῖναι ἔχοντα ἐξουσίαν βαλεῖν εἰς γέενναν». οὐκ εἶχεν δέ «οὐχὶ πέντε στρουθία ἀσσαρίων δύο πωλεῖται, καὶ ἓν ἐξ αὐτῶν οὐκ ἔστιν ἐπιλελησμένον ἐνώπιον τοῦ θεοῦ;» 20Ἔλεγχος20 ˉκˉθ. Τό «λέγω ἐγὼ τοῖς φίλοις μου, μὴ φοβηθῆτε ἀπὸ τῶν ἀποκτενόντων τὸ σῶμα, φοβήθητε δὲ τὸν ἔχοντα ἐξουσίαν τοῦ μετὰ τὸ ἀποκτεῖναι τὸ σῶμα τὴν ψυχὴν βαλεῖν εἰς γέενναν» ἀναγκάζει σε, ὦ Μαρκίων, καὶ τὰ ἑξῆς τῆς παραβολῆς ὁμολογῆσαι. ἄνευ γὰρ τοῦ θεοῦ οὐδὲν γίνεται, κἂν ἀπάρῃς τὸ περὶ τῶν στρουθίων. ἀπολόγησαι οὖν περὶ τῶν ἐν τῷ ῥητῷ καταλειφθέντων ὑπὸ σοῦ, ὦ Μαρκίων, καὶ ἀπόκριναι ἡμῖν τί διανοῇ περὶ τοῦ ἐξουσίαν ἔχοντος. εἰ γὰρ φαίης αὐτὸν εἶναι τὸν πατέρα τοῦ Χριστοῦ, τὸν παρὰ σοὶ ἀγαθὸν λεγόμενον θεόν, εἰ καὶ κακῶς διαιρεῖς, ὅμως, ἐπειδὴ ἔχει τὴν ἐξουσίαν, δέδωκας αὐτὸν κριτὴν ὄντα καὶ ἑκάστῳ νέμοντα τὸ κατ' ἀξίαν. εἰ δὲ οὐ τοῦτον λέγεις, ἀλλὰ τὸν δημιουργὸν τὸν παρὰ σοὶ φύσει κριτὴν ᾀδόμενον, λέγε μοι τίς τούτῳ δέδωκε τὴν 2.138 ἐξουσίαν; εἰ γὰρ ἀφ' ἑαυτοῦ ἔχει, ἄρα μέγας ἐστὶ καὶ ἐξουσίαν ἔχει· εἰ δὲ τοῦ κρίνειν ἐξουσίαν ἔχει, καὶ τοῦ σῴζειν. ὁ γὰρ δυνάμενος κρίνειν δύναται καὶ ἀπολύειν. καὶ ἄλλως· εἰ τοῦ κριτοῦ βάλλοντος τὰς ψυχὰς εἰς γέενναν ὁ θεὸς ὁ ἀγαθὸς οὐ ῥύεται αὐτάς, ὁ πανταχόθεν τῶν αὐτῶν ἐπιμελόμενος ψυχῶν, πῶς ἂν εἴη ἀγαθός; ἢ γὰρ ὅτι ἰσχυρότερος αὐτοῦ ἐστι καὶ οὐ δύναται ἐκ χειρὸς αὐτοῦ ῥύεσθαι, ἢ ὅτι δύναται μέν, οὐ βούλεται δέ· καὶ ποῦ ἡ ἀγαθότης; εἰ δέ, ἐπειδὴ αὐτὸς ἔκτισεν, ἐξουσίαν ἔχει καὶ κρίνειν, πῶς ὁ ἄνω θεὸς ὁ ὑπὸ σοῦ μυθευόμενος τινὰς μερικῶς σῴζει; εἰ μὲν γὰρ ἀπὸ τῶν ἀλλοτρίων λαμβάνων σῴζει, πλεονεκτεῖ ἀλλοτρίων ἐρῶν· εἰ δὲ οὐ φάσκεις πλεονεξίαν εἶναι διὰ τὸ εἰς ἀγαθὸν τὸ ἔργον γίνεσθαι καὶ σωτήριον, προσωπολήπτην αὐτὸν ποιεῖς, μὴ τὸ ἀγαθὸν ἴσως πᾶσιν, ἀλλὰ μερικῶς ποιοῦντα. Σχόλιον ˉλ. Ἀντὶ τοῦ «ὁμολογήσει ἐνώπιον τῶν ἀγγέλων τοῦ θεοῦ» «ἐνώπιον τοῦ θεοῦ» λέγει. 20Ἔλεγχος20 ˉλ. Πανταχόθεν ἐλέγχεται μὴ κατὰ θεὸν πορευόμενος, κἄν τε ἐν βραχυτάτῳ λόγῳ παραλλάξῃ τὴν ἀλήθειαν. ὁ τολμῶν γάρ τι παραλλάσσειν τῶν γεγραμμένων ἀπ' ἀρχῆς οὐκ ἐν ὁδῷ ἀληθείας ἵσταται. 20Σχόλιον20 ˉλˉα. Οὐκ ἔχει τό «ὁ θεὸς ἀμφιέννυσι τὸν χόρτον». 20Ἔλεγχος20 ˉλˉα. Εἰ καὶ μὴ ἐᾷς τὰ γεγραμμένα, ὡς εἶχεν ὑπὸ τοῦ σωτῆρος εἰρημένα, ἀλλ' οὖν γε σῴζονται οἱ τόποι ἐν τῷ εὐαγγελίῳ τῆς ἁγίας ἐκκλησίας, κἂν ἀρνήσῃ σὺ τὸν θεὸν τὸν πάντα πεποιηκότα καὶ πάντων ἐπιμελόμενον τῷ λόγῳ αὐτοῦ ἄχρι καὶ τοῦ χόρτου καὶ ὑπὸ τοῦ σωτῆρος ὁμολογούμενον. 20Σχόλιον20 ˉλˉβ. «Ὑμῶν δὲ ὁ πατὴρ οἶδεν ὅτι χρῄζετε τούτων», τῶν σαρκικῶν δή. 20Ἔλεγχος20 ˉλˉβ. Οἶδεν ὁ πατὴρ ὅτι χρῄζουσιν οἱ μαθηταὶ τῶν σαρκικῶν χρειῶν καὶ προνοεῖ τῶν τοιούτων. προνοεῖ δὲ οὐκ ἐν ἄλλῳ αἰῶνι ἀλλ' ἐνταῦθα, οὐκ ἐν τοῖς ἀλλοτρίοις τὴν πρόνοιαν τῶν ἑαυτοῦ δούλων ποιούμενος ἀλλὰ ἐν τοῖς ὑπ' αὐτοῦ ἐκτισμένοις. 2.139 20Σχόλιον20 ˉλˉγ. «Ζητεῖτε δὲ τὴν βασιλείαν τοῦ θεοῦ, καὶ ταῦτα πάντα