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Dialogus Athanasii et Zacchaei

A discourse of Athanasius, archbishop of Alexandria, with Zacchaeus, a teacher of the law of the Jews.

1 Zacchaeus said: You Christians are mistaken, first, because you believe there are other gods besides the one and only God; for scripture says everywhere that God is one: Hear, O Israel, it says. The Lord your God is one; and again, I am the first God and I am after these things; and besides me there is no God. And again, Hear, my people, and I will speak to you, Israel, and I will testify to you; Israel, if you hear me, there shall be in you no new god, nor shall you worship a foreign god. For I am the Lord your God, who brought you out of the land of Egypt. And ten thousand other such things; and second, that you call Christ God; and are you not ashamed to hear that he is passible and from a woman? 2 Athanasius said: Do you wish then that I first show you that it is written in scripture that Christ is God, and that there are not two gods? and so, that Christ is also passible, and from a woman? And is it not a shame to those who call upon him? Zacchaeus said: Show that Christ is God and there are not two gods: Athanasius said: First be taught that Christ is God; and then you will learn that there are not two gods: Zacchaeus: Speak: 3 Athanasius said: I wish to guide you from the first book, and so in order lead you to the others: Zacchaeus said: You cannot show it: Athanasius said: And when Moses says that God has said, Let us make man in our image and likeness. to whom do you say God spoke? 4 Zacchaeus said: For was Christ then, who was born under Caesar Augustus? Athanasius said: He was always God, being the Word; but he was called Christ when united to the flesh: Zacchaeus said: How is it clear that he was? Athanasius said: For now let us know to whom he was speaking; and thus it is discovered whether he who was incarnate is the same, or not? 5 Zacchaeus said: I say that it is not Christ to whom he was speaking: Athanasius said: Was God speaking to anyone at all, let us make man in our image and after our likeness? Zacchaeus said: He was speaking to himself: Athanasius said: But he did not say, I will make man, but, let us make: 6 Zacchaeus said: He was speaking to the angels: Athanasius said: And do you say the angels are co-workers of God? Zacchaeus said: And what is strange about that? Athanasius said: Therefore did he no longer make all things in wisdom? 7 Zacchaeus said: And he made all things in wisdom: Athanasius said: It is clear then that he was speaking to him, Let us make man in our image and likeness: Zacchaeus said: What then, is the wisdom of God Christ? Athanasius said: Do not be hasty; but with meekness and fear, let us seek, having a good conscience: Zacchaeus said: How can you show that wisdom is Christ? Athanasius said: Do you agree at all, that God made all things in wisdom? Zacchaeus said: Thus it is written: 8 Athanasius said: And this wisdom is also called his Word, as the prophet says: By the word of the Lord the heavens were established. Zacchaeus said: Yes; but Christ did not say it: Athanasius said: For now confess that wisdom is the Word to whom he said, Let us make man in our image and likeness; as being an image of the archetype: Zacchaeus said: Yes: 9 Athanasius said: And in saying "our," he showed the hypostasis of the one hearing; for he did not say in my image and likeness, but in our image and likeness: Zacchaeus said: Do you wish to say that the wisdom of God is another God? Athanasius said: There is no other God besides God; just as the radiance is not other light from the light; but the light is light, and the radiance is light; but not another and another light; so also the wisdom of God; God, but not another and another God; for it is written: I am God

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Dialogus Athanasii et Zacchaei

Ἀθανασίου ἀρχιεπισκόπου Ἀλεξανδρείας λόγος πρὸς ζακχαίον νομοδιδάσκαλον τῶν Ἰουδαίων.

1 Ζακχαίος εἶπεν: Πλανᾶσθε οἱ Χριστιανοὶ πρῶτον ὅτι νομίζετε καὶ ἑτέρους θεοὺς εἶναι παρὰ τὸν ἕνα καὶ μόνον θεόν· τῆς γραφῆς πανταχοῦ λεγούσης, ἕνα εἶναι θεόν: ἄκουε φησὶν Ἰσραήλ. κύριος ὁ θεός σου εἷς ἐστίν· καὶ πάλιν· ἐγὼ θεὸς πρῶτος καὶ ἐγὼ μετὰ ταῦτα· καὶ πλὴν ἐμοῦ οὐκ ἔστι θεός. καὶ πάλιν· ἄκουσον λαός μου καὶ λαλήσω σοι ἰσραὴλ καὶ διαμαρτυροῦμαί σοι· ἰσραήλ, ἐὰν ἀκούσῃς μου, οὐκ ἔστιν ἐν σοὶ θεὸς πρόσφατος οὐδὲ προσκυνήσῃς θεῷ ἀλλοτρίῳ. ἐγὼ γὰρ εἰμὶ κύριος ὁ θεός σου, ὁ ἀναγαγών σε ἐκ γῆς αἰγύπτου. καὶ ἄλλα μυρία ταῦτα· δεύτερον δὲ ὅτι καὶ θεὸν λέγετε τὸν χριστόν· καὶ παθητὸν αὐτὸν καὶ ἐκ γυναικός, ἀκούοντες οὐκ αἰσχύνεσθε: 2 Ἀθανάσιος εἶπεν: Θέλεις οὖν σοι πρότερον δείξω ὅτι θεὸς καὶ ὁ χριστὸς ἐν τῇ γραφῇ γέγραπται· καὶ οὐκ εἰσὶ δύο θεοί. καὶ οὕτως, ὅτι καὶ παθητὸς ὁ χριστός, καὶ ἐκ γυναικός. καὶ οὔκ ἐστιν αἰσχύνη τοῖς ἐπικαλουμένοις αὐτόν; ζακχαίος εἶπεν: ∆εῖξον ὅτι θεὸς καὶ ὁ χριστὸς καὶ οὐκ εἰσὶ δύο θεοί: ἀθανάσιος εἶπεν: Πρῶτον ὅτι θεὸς ὁ χριστὸς διδάχθητι· καὶ τότε μαθήσῃ ὅτι οὐ δύο θεοί: ζακχαίος: Εἰπέ: 3 ἀθανάσιος εἶπεν: Βούλομαί σε ἀπὸ τῆς πρώτης βίβλου ὁδηγῆσαι, καὶ οὕτως ἐφεξῆς ἐπὶ τὰς ἄλλας ἀγαγεῖν: ζακχαίος εἶπεν: Οὐκ ἔχεις δεῖξαι: ἀθανάσιος εἶπεν: Κἂν λέγῃ μωυσῆς εἰρηκέναι τὸν θεόν· ποιήσωμεν ἄνθρωπον κατ' εἰκόνα ἡμετέραν καὶ ὁμοίωσιν. τίνι λέγεις αὐτῷ τὸν θεὸν εἰρηκέναι; 4 ζακχαίος εἶπεν: Ἦν γὰρ τότε ὁ χριστός, ὁ ἐπὶ καίσαρος αὐγούστου γεννηθείς; ἀθανάσιος εἶπεν: Ἦν ἀεὶ θεὸς λόγος ὤν· χριστὸς δὲ ἐκλήθη ἑνωθεὶς τῇ σαρκί: ζακχαίος εἶπε: Πόθεν δῆλον ὅτι ἦν; ἀθανάσιος εἶπε: Τέως γνῶμεν τίνι ἔλεγε· καὶ οὕτως εὑρίσκεται πότερον εἰ ὁ αὐτὸς ἐστὶν ὁ σαρκωθείς, ἢ οὔ; 5 ζακχαίος εἶπεν: Ἐγὼ λέγω ὅτι οὔκ ἐστιν ὁ χριστὸς ᾧ ἔλεγεν: ἀθανάσιος εἶπεν: Ὅλως ἔλεγέ τινι ὁ θεὸς ποιήσωμεν ἄνθρωπον κατ' εἰκόνα ἡμετέραν καὶ καθ' ὁμοίωσιν; ζακχαίος εἶπεν: Ἑαυτῷ ἔλεγε: ἀθανάσιος εἶπεν: Ἀλλ' οὐκ εἶπε ποιήσω ἄνθρωπον, ἀλλὰ ποιήσωμεν: 6 ζακχαίος εἶπε: Τοῖς ἀγγέλοις ἔλεγε: ἀθανάσιος εἶπε: Καὶ τοὺς ἀγγέλους, τοῦ θεοῦ συνεργοὺς λέγεις; ζακχαίος εἶπε: Καὶ τί ἄτοπον; ἀθανάσιος εἶπε: Οὐκέτι οὖν πάντα ἐν σοφίᾳ ἐποίησεν; 7 ζακχαίος εἶπε: Καὶ πάντα ἐν σοφίᾳ ἐποίησε: ἀθανάσιος εἶπε: ∆ῆλον οὖν ὅτι αὐτῷ ἔλεγε, ποιήσωμεν ἄνθρωπον κατ' εἰκόνα καὶ ὁμοίωσιν ἡμετέραν: ζακχαίος εἶπε: Τί οὖν, ἡ σοφία τοῦ θεοῦ χριστός ἐστιν; ἀθανάσιος εἶπεν: Μὴ σπεῦδε· ἀλλὰ μετὰ πραότητος καὶ φόβου, συνείδησιν ἔχοντος ἀγαθὴν ζητήσωμεν: ζακχαίος εἶπε: Πῶς ἔχεις δεῖξαι ὅτι ἡ σοφία ἐστὶν ὁ χριστός; ἀθανάσιος εἶπε: Συντίθεσαι ὅλως, ὅτι πάντα ἐν σοφίᾳ ἐποίησεν ὁ θεός; ζακχαίος εἶπεν: Οὕτως γέγραπται: 8 ἀθανάσιος εἶπεν: Ἡ δὲ σοφία αὐτὴ καὶ ὁ λόγος αὐτοῦ εἴρηται, ὡς ὁ προφήτης λέγει· τῷ λόγῳ κυρίου οἱ οὐρανοὶ ἐστερεώθησαν. ζακχαίος εἶπε: Ναί· ἀλλ' οὐχὶ ὁ χριστὸς εἶπεν: ἀθανάσιος εἶπε: Τέως ὁμολόγησον ὡς ἡ σοφία ἐστὶν ὁ λόγος ᾧ εἶπε ποιήσωμεν ἄνθρωπον κατ' εἰκόνα καὶ ὁμοίωσιν ἡμετέραν· ὡς οὔσης εἰκόνος τοῦ ἀρχετύπου: ζακχαίος εἶπε: Ναί: 9 ἀθανάσιος εἶπεν: Ἡμετέραν δὲ εἰρηκώς, καὶ τοῦ ἀκούοντος τὴν ὑπόστασιν ἔδειξεν· οὐ γὰρ εἶπε κατ' εἰκόνα καὶ ὁμοίωσιν ἐμήν, ἀλλὰ κατ' εἰκόνα καὶ ὁμοίωσιν ἡμετέραν: ζακχαίος εἶπε: Θέλεις εἰπεῖν ὅτι ἄλλος θεὸς ἐστὶν ἡ σοφία τοῦ θεοῦ; ἀθανάσιος εἶπεν: Ἄλλος θεὸς ἐκτὸς τοῦ θεοῦ οὐκ ἔστιν· ὥσπερ οὐδὲ ἄλλο φῶς τὸ ἀπαύγασμα τοῦ φωτός· ἀλλὰ φῶς μὲν τὸ φῶς, καὶ τὸ ἀπαύγασμα φῶς· ἀλλ' οὐχὶ ἄλλο καὶ ἄλλο φῶς· οὕτως καὶ ἡ σοφία τοῦ θεοῦ· θεός, ἀλλ' οὐχὶ ἄλλος καὶ ἄλλος θεός· γέγραπται γάρ· ἐγὼ εἰμὶ θεὸς