Epistula festalis xxxix

Of the same, from the 39th Festal Letter. 2. Concerning the divine scriptures.

But since we have made mention of the heretics as dead, but of ourselves as having the divine Scriptures for salvation, and I fear lest, as Paul wrote to the Corinthians, some of the innocent may be led astray from their simplicity and purity by the cunning of men, and hereafter begin to encounter 72 the so-called apocryphal books, being deceived by the similarity of their names to the true books, I beseech you, bear with me, if I, writing of things which you know, make mention of them, both for the sake of necessity and for the profit of the Church. But as I am about to mention these things, I shall use, for the justification of my boldness, the example of the evangelist Luke, saying myself also: Forasmuch as some have taken in hand to set in order for themselves the so-called apocryphal books and to mix them with the God-inspired Scripture, concerning which we have been fully assured, even as they delivered them to our fathers, who from the beginning were eyewitnesses and ministers of the Word, it seemed good to me also, having been urged by true brethren and having learned from the beginning, to set forth in order the books that are canonized and have been handed down, and are believed to be divine, so that each one who has been deceived may condemn those who led him astray, and he that has remained pure may rejoice, being again reminded. There are, then, of the Old 73 Testament, twenty-two books in number; for, as I have heard, it is handed down that these are the number of the letters among the Hebrews; their order and names are as follows: first, Genesis; then Exodus; then Leviticus; and after that, Numbers; and then, Deuteronomy. And next to these is Joshua the son of Nun; and Judges; and after that Ruth. And again next, four books of Kings; and of these the first and second are counted as one book, and the third and fourth likewise as one. After these, Chronicles, first and second, likewise counted again as one book. then Ezra, first and second, likewise as one. After these, the book of Psalms; and next, Proverbs; then Ecclesiastes; and Song of Songs. In addition to these there is also Job; and then, the Prophets, the twelve being counted as one book, then Isaiah, Jeremiah, and with him Baruch, Lamentations, and the Epistle, 74 and after him Ezekiel and Daniel. Thus far are the books of the Old Testament. But of the New, again, we must not shrink from speaking. For they are these: Four Gospels, according to Matthew, according to Mark, according to Luke, and according to John. Then after these, the Acts of the Apostles, and the seven so-called catholic epistles of the apostles, as follows: one of James, two of Peter, then three of John, and after these one of Jude. In addition to these there are fourteen epistles of the apostle Paul, written in this order: the first, to the Romans; then two to the Corinthians; and after these to the Galatians; and next to the Ephesians; then to the Philippians, and to the Colossians; and after these two to the Thessalonians; and that to the Hebrews. And immediately two to Timothy, one to Titus, and lastly one to Philemon. and again, the Revelation of John. 75 These are the fountains of salvation, that he who thirsts may be satisfied with the oracles in them. In these alone the teaching of godliness is proclaimed. Let no one add to these, neither let him take anything from these. And concerning these the Lord put the Sadducees to shame, saying, "You err, not knowing the Scriptures, nor their power," and he exhorted the Jews, "Search the Scriptures, for they are they which testify of me." But

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Epistula festalis xxxix

ΤΟΥ ΑΥΤΟΥ ΕΚ ΤΗΣ ΛΘʹ. ΕΟΡΤΑΣΤΙΚΗΣ ΕΠΙΣΤΟΛΗΣ Β Περὶ τῶν θείων γραφῶν.

Ἀλλ' ἐπειδὴ περὶ μὲν τῶν αἱρετικῶν ἐμνήσθημεν ὡς νεκρῶν, περὶ δὲ ἡ μῶν ὡς ἐχόντων πρὸς σωτηρίαν τὰς θείας γραφάς, καὶ φοβοῦμαι μήπως, ὡς ἔγραψε Κορινθίοις Παῦλος, ὀλίγοι τῶν ἀκεραίων ἀπὸ τῆς ἁπλότητος καὶ τῆς ἁγνότητος πλανηθῶσιν ἀπὸ τῆς πανουργίας τῶν ἀνθρώπων, καὶ λοιπὸν ἐντυγχάνειν ἑτέροις ἄρξονται 72 τοῖς λεγομένοις ἀποκρύφοις, ἀπατώμενοι τῇ ὁμωνυμίᾳ τῶν ἀληθῶν βιβλίων, παρακαλῶ, ἀνέχεσθε, εἰ περὶ ὧν ἐπίστασθε, περὶ τούτων κἀγὼ μνημονεύων γράφω διά τε τὴν ἀνάγκην καὶ τὸ χρήσιμον τῆς ἐκκλησίας. Μέλλων δὲ τούτων μνημονεύειν, χρήσομαι πρὸς σύστασιν τῆς ἐμαυτοῦ τόλμης τῷ τύπῳ τοῦ εὐαγγελιστοῦ Λουκᾶ, λέγων καὶ αὐτός· Ἐπειδή πέρ τινες ἐπεχείρησαν ἀνατάξασθαι ἑαυτοῖς τὰ λεγόμενα ἀπόκρυφα καὶ μῖξαι ταῦτα τῇ θεοπνεύσθῳ γραφῇ, περὶ ἧς ἐπληροφορή θημεν, καθὼς παρέδοσαν τοῖς πα τράσιν οἱ ἀπ' ἀρχῆς αὐτόπται καὶ ὑπηρέται γενόμενοι τοῦ λόγου, ἔδοξε κἀμοί, προτραπέντι παρὰ γνησίων ἀδελφῶν καὶ μαθόντι ἄνωθεν ἑξῆς ἐκθέσθαι τὰ κανονιζόμενα καὶ παραδοθέντα, πιστευθέντα τε θεῖα εἶναι βιβλία, ἵνα ἕκαστος, εἰ μὲν ἠπατήθη, καταγνῷ τῶν πλανησάντων, ὁ δὲ καθαρὸς διαμείνας χαίρῃ πάλιν ὑπο μιμνησκόμενος. Ἔστι τοίνυν τῆς μὲν παλαιᾶς δια 73 θήκης βιβλία τῷ ἀριθμῷ τὰ πάντα εἰκοσιδύο, τοσαῦτα γάρ, ὡς ἤκουσα, καὶ τὰ στοιχεῖα τὰ παρ' Ἑβραίοις εἶναι παραδέδοται, τῇ δὲ τάξει καὶ τῷ ὀνόματι ἔστιν ἕκαστον οὕτως· πρῶτον Γένεσις· εἶτα Ἔξοδος· εἶτα Λευιτικόν· καὶ μετὰ τοῦτο Ἀριθμοί· καὶ λοιπόν, τὸ ∆ευτερονόμιον· ἑξῆς δὲ τούτοις ἐστὶν Ἰησοῦς ὁ τοῦ Ναυῆ· καὶ Κριταί· καὶ μετὰ τοῦτο ἡ Ῥούθ· καὶ πάλιν ἑξῆς, Βασιλειῶν βιβλία τέσσαρα· καὶ τούτων τὸ μὲν πρῶτον καὶ δεύτερον εἰς ἓν βιβλίον ἀριθμεῖ ται, τὸ δὲ τρίτον καὶ τέταρτον ὁμοί ως εἰς ἕν· μετὰ δὲ ταῦτα, Παρα λειπομένων πρῶτον καὶ δεύτερον, ὁμοίως εἰς ἓν βιβλίον πάλιν ἀριθ μούμενα· εἶτα Ἔσδρα πρῶτον καὶ δεύτερον ὁμοίως εἰς ἕν· μετὰ δὲ ταῦτα, βίβλος Ψαλμῶν· καὶ ἑξῆς Παροιμίαι· εἶτα Ἐκκλησιαστής· καὶ Ἆσμα ᾀσμάτων· πρὸς τούτοις ἔστι καὶ Ἰώβ· καὶ λοιπόν, Προφῆται, οἱ μὲν δώδεκα εἰς ἓν βιβλίον ἀριθμού μενοι, εἶτα Ἡσαΐας, Ἱερεμίας, καὶ σὺν αὐτῷ Βαρούχ, Θρῆνοι καὶ ἐπι 74 στολή, καὶ μετ' αὐτὸν Ἰεζεκιὴλ καὶ ∆ανιήλ. Ἄχρι τούτων τὰ τῆς παλαιᾶς διαθήκης ἵσταται. Τὰ δὲ τῆς καινῆς πάλιν οὐκ ὀκνη τέον εἰπεῖν. Ἔστι γὰρ ταῦτα· Εὐαγγέλια τέσσαρα, κατὰ Ματθαῖον, κα τὰ Μάρκον, κατὰ Λουκᾶν καὶ κατὰ Ἰωάννην· εἶτα μετὰ ταῦτα Πράξεις ἀποστόλων, καὶ ἐπιστολαὶ καθολικαὶ καλούμεναι τῶν ἀποστόλων ἑπτά, οὕτως· Ἰακώβου μὲν μία, Πέτρου δὲ δύο, εἶτα Ἰωάννου τρεῖς, καὶ μετὰ ταύτας Ἰούδα μία· πρὸς τού τοις Παύλου ἀποστόλου εἰσὶν ἐπιστολαὶ δεκατέσσαρες, τῇ τάξει γραφόμεναι οὕτως· πρώτη, πρὸς Ῥωμαίους, εἶτα πρὸς Κορινθίους δύο, καὶ μετὰ ταῦτα πρὸς Γαλάτας, καὶ ἑξῆς πρὸς Ἐφεσίους, εἶτα πρὸς Φι λιππησίους, καὶ πρὸς Κολοσσαεῖς, καὶ μετὰ ταῦτα πρὸς Θεσσαλονικεῖς δύο, καὶ ἡ πρὸς Ἑβραίους, καὶ εὐ θὺς πρὸς μὲν Τιμόθεον δύο, πρὸς δὲ Τίτον μία, καὶ τελευταία ἡ πρὸς Φιλήμονα μία· καὶ πάλιν Ἰωάννου Ἀποκάλυψις. 75 Ταῦτα πηγαὶ τοῦ σωτηρίου, ὥστε τὸν διψῶντα ἐμφορεῖσθαι τῶν ἐν τούτοις λογίων· ἐν τούτοις μόνοις τὸ τῆς εὐσεβείας διδασκαλεῖον εὐαγγελίζεται· μηδεὶς τούτοις ἐπιβαλλέτω, μηδὲ τούτων ἀφαιρείσθω τι. Περὶ δὲ τούτων ὁ κύριος Σαδδουκαίους μὲν ἐδυσώπει, λέγων· "Πλανᾶσθε μὴ εἰδότες τὰς γραφὰς μηδὲ τὴν δύναμιν αὐτῶν", τοῖς δὲ Ἰουδαίοις παρῄνει· "Ἐρευνᾶτε τὰς γραφάς, ὅτι αὐταί εἰσιν αἱ μαρτυροῦσαι περὶ ἐμοῦ". Ἀλλ'

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