Fragments on the Gospel of John (in the catenae) 1 Positing him as the Creator of all things, he predicates the name of the Word of him. For since, in general, all creation depends on a word, it was necessary to declare him the maker of all things in no other way than this. For the creators among us, being men, have an art (and this is a state of capacity to make, involving a true course of reasoning), but the Son of God, being none other than the creator of wisdom and art, is fittingly named "Word." For not being some other substance apart from the Word does he make existing things through it, but he himself is the one who makes, being God the Word. Then, since this Word, being God in essence and this very thing being the Son of God, became man for the sake of the salvation of men, the Word was named "Flesh." And since some, having fallen from the right faith, think that he exists only from the time when, having become man, he came forth from the Virgin, the Theologian most correctly writes to such people, "In the beginning was the Word," and having used the verbs appropriately, with "became" for the flesh, but with "was" for the divinity [he signifies]. And it would have been more proper to say "Is" concerning God the Word; but since, in distinction from the incarnation which took place at a certain time, he was declaring the existence of the Word, the Evangelist used "was" instead of "is." But one must not take the proper meanings of verbs in the case of eternal things; for when the things signified by them have an existence measured by time, like "Was" signifies the no longer existing, but having existed at some time; similarly
"Is" indicates that which now exists, as "Will be" that which is about to exist]. But since the Word of God is eternal, being God, the verbs concerning him must not be taken as also signifying time, since what is signified by them is not under time. But it is possible to hunt down the meaning from the very words of the Theologian. For, beginning his composition at once, he writes: "In the beginning was the Word." And Moses, explaining the creation of the world, said, "In the beginning, God made the heaven and the earth." But John did not say, "In the beginning the Word became," or "was made," but "In the beginning was the Word." For he was in the beginning, making the heaven and the earth. For if "All things were made through him," and the heaven and the earth were part of all things, then in their coming into being he himself was their creator. Then, since he did not say the Word was in *some* beginning, it must be taken universally, so that what is declared is this: in the beginning of the angels, and in the beginning of the archangels was the Word; and, to speak concisely, in the beginning of creatures both visible and invisible was the Word, being the beginning and maker of them all. For in Christ "all things were created," both "in the heavens and on the earth, visible and invisible, whether thrones or dominions or principalities or authorities; all things were created through him and for him. And he is before all things, and in him all things hold together, who is the beginning, the firstborn from the dead." For if all things hold together in him, and he is before them, being their beginning as their cause, it must consequently be said that he was in the coming into being of all things. For how could he not be before them and in the beginning of their existence, being their creator? Then, since he said he was in the beginning, it was necessary to declare also how and with whom he was when he had to create. Therefore he added to "In the beginning was the Word" also "The Word was with God"; for when he came to us, when he was born of a virgin, he had been sent by the Father; therefore also "He dwelt among us" and had this very name "God with us." But when he created, since not as a man sent by the Father did he bring all things into being, he was both with God and was God; and the Son of God is also called wisdom, the beginning of the ways of God, created according to the writing of Proverbs, because the wisdom of God, existing with him whose wisdom it is, had no relation to any other,
Fragmenta in evangelium Joannis (in catenis) 1 ∆ημιουργὸν τῶν πάντων τιθέμενος αὐτὸν τὸ τοῦ Λόγου ὄνομα κατηγορεῖ αὐτοῦ. ἐπεὶ γὰρ ὡς ἐπίπαν πᾶσα δημιουργία ἤρτηται λόγου, οὐκ ἄλλως ἔδει αὐτὸν τῶν πάντων δηλῶσαι ὄντα ποιητὴν ἢ οὕτως. οἱ μὲν γὰρ παρ' ἡμῖν δημιουργοί, ἄνθρωποι ὄντες, τέχνην ἔχουσιν (αὕτη δέ ἐστιν ἕξις μετὰ ἀδόλου λόγου ποιητική), ὁ δὲ τοῦ θεοῦ υἱός, οὐκ ἄλλος ὢν <ἢ> σοφίας καὶ τέχνης δημιουργός, εἰκότως «λόγος» ὀνομάζεται. οὐ γὰρ ἄλλη τις ὢν οὐσία παρὰ τὸν λόγον δι' αὐτοῦ ποιεῖ τὰ ὄντα, ἀλλ' αὐτός ἐστιν ὁ ποιῶν, θεὸς ὢν λόγος. εἶτ' ἐπεὶ ὁ λόγος οὗτος, θεὸς ὢν κατ' οὐσίαν καὶ αὐτὸ τοῦτο θεοῦ υἱὸς ὑπάρχων, τῆς τῶν ἀνθρώπων σωτηρίας χάριν ἄνθρωπος γε γένηται, «Σὰρξ» ὁ λόγος ὠνομάσθη. καὶ ἐπεί τινες τῆς ὀρθῆς πίστεως ἐκπεσόντες οἴονται ἀπὸ τότε αὐτὸν μόνον εἶναι, ἀφ' οὗ ἐκ τῆς παρ θένου ἄνθρωπος γεγονὼς προῆλθεν, ὀρθότατα πρὸς τοὺς τοιούτους ὁ θεολόγος γράφει τὸ «Ἐν ἀρχῇ ἦν ὁ λόγος» καὶ καταλλήλως τοῖς ῥήμασι χρησάμενος, τῷ μὲν «Ἐγένετο» ἐπὶ τῆς σαρκὸς, τῷ δὲ «Ἦν» ἐπὶ τῆς θεότητος [αὐτοῦ σημαίνει]. καὶ ἦν μὲν κυριώτερον ἐπὶ τοῦ θεοῦ λόγου τὸ «Ἔστιν» εἰπεῖν· ἀλλ' ἐπεὶ πρὸς διαφορὰν τῆς ἐναν θρωπήσεως γενομένης ἔν τινι καιρῷ ἐδήλου τὴν ὕπαρξιν τοῦ λόγου, ἀντὶ τοῦ «Ἔστιν» τῷ «Ἦν» ὁ εὐαγγελιστὴς κέχρηται. τῶν δὲ ῥημάτων τὰς κυρίας σημασίας ἐκλαμβάνειν οὐ δεῖ ἐπὶ τῶν ἀϊδίων· ὅτε μὲν γὰρ τὰ σημαινόμενα ὑπὸ τούτων χρόνῳ συμμετρουμένην ἔχει τὴν ὕπαρξιν, <ὡς> τὸ Ἦν <τὸ> μηκέτ' ὄν, ἀλλά ποτε ὕπαρξιν ση μαίνει· ὁμοίως
τὸ Ἔστι δηλοῖ τὸ νῦν ὑπάρχον, ὡς τὸ Ἔσται τὸ μέλλον ὑπάρξαι〛. ἀλλ' ἐπεὶ ὁ λόγος τοῦ θεοῦ ἀίδιός ἐστι, τυγχάνων θεός, τὰ ῥήματα ἐπ' αὐτοῦ οὐ μετὰ τοῦ προσσημαίνειν χρόνον ἐκλαμβάνειν δεῖ, τοῦ σημαινομένου ὑπ' αὐτῶν οὐχ ὑπὸ χρόνον ὄντος. ἔστι δὲ ἀπ' αὐτῶν τῶν τοῦ θεολόγου φωνῶν θηρεῦσαι τὴν διά νοιαν. εὐθὺς γὰρ ἀρχόμενος τῆς κατ' αὐτὸν συντάξεως γράφει· «Ἐν «ἀρχῇ ἦν ὁ λόγος». καὶ Μωϋσῆς μὲν τὴν κοσμοποιίαν ἐξηγούμενος «Ἐν ἀρχῇ», εἶπεν, «ἐποίησεν ὁ θεὸς τὸν οὐρανὸν καὶ τὴν γῆν». ὁ δὲ Ἰωάννης οὐκ Ἐν ἀρχῇ γέγονεν εἶπεν, ἢ πεποίηται ὁ λόγος ἀλλ' «Ἐν ἀρχῇ ἦν ὁ λόγος». ἦν γὰρ ἐν ἀρχῇ ποιῶν τὸν οὐρανὸν καὶ τὴν γῆν. εἰ γὰρ «Πάντα δι' αὐτοῦ ἐγένετο», τῶν πάντων δὲ ὁ οὐρανὸς καὶ ἡ γῆ ὑπῆρχεν, ἐν τῇ τούτων οὐσιώσει αὐτὸς ἦν κτίστης αὐτῶν. εἶτ' ἐπεὶ μὴ εἶπεν ἐν τῇ τινὸς ἀρχῇ ὁ λόγος ἦν, καθόλου ληπτέον αὐτό, ἵν' ᾖ τὸ δηλούμενον τοιοῦτον· ἐν ἀρχῇ τῶν ἀγγέλων, καὶ ἐν ἀρχῇ τῶν ἀρχαγγέλων ἦν ὁ λόγος· καὶ συνελόντι εἰπεῖν, ἐν ἀρχῇ τῶν ὁρατῶν τε καὶ ἀοράτων κτισμάτων ἦν ὁ λόγος, πάντων αὐτῶν ὢν ἀρχή τε καὶ ποιητής. ἐν Χριστῷ γὰρ «ἐκτίσθη τὰ πάντα», τά τε «ἐν τοῖς οὐρανοῖς καὶ τὰ ἐπὶ τῆς γῆς, τά τε ὁρατὰ καὶ τὰ ἀόρατα, «εἴτε ἀρχαὶ εἴτε ἐξουσίαι εἴτε θρόνοι εἴτε κυριότητες· πάντα δι' «αὐτοῦ καὶ εἰς αὐτὸν ἔκτισται· καὶ αὐτός ἐστι πρὸ πάντων καὶ τὰ «πάντα ἐν αὐτῷ συνέστηκεν, ὅς ἐστιν ἀρχή, πρωτότοκος ἐκ τῶν «νεκρῶν». εἰ γὰρ τὰ πάντα ἐν αὐτῷ συνέστηκεν, καὶ πρὸ αὐτῶν ἐστιν, ἀρχὴ αὐτῶν κατὰ τὸ εἶναι αἴτιος ὑπάρχων, ἀκολούθως ῥη τέον εἶναι αὐτὸν ἐν τῇ πάντων οὐσιώσει. πῶς γὰρ οὐκ ἔδει αὐτὸν εἶναι πρὸ αὐτῶν καὶ ἐν ἀρχῇ τῆς ὑπάρξεως αὐτῶν κτίστην ὄντα; εἶτ' ἐπεὶ ἐν ἀρχῇ αὐτὸν εἶπεν εἶναι, ἔδει δηλῶσαι καὶ πῶς καὶ πρὸς τίνα ὄντα ποιεῖν αὐτὸν ἐχρῆν. διὸ ἐπήγαγεν τῷ «Ἐν τῇ ἀρχῇ ἦν «ὁ λόγος» καὶ τὸ «Ἧν ὁ λόγος πρὸς τὸν θεόν»· πρὸς ἡμᾶς μὲν γὰρ ἐλθών, ὅτε ἐκ παρθένου ἐτέχθη, ἀπέσταλτο ὑπὸ τοῦ πατρός· διὸ καὶ «Ἐσκήνωσεν ἐν ἡμῖν» καὶ ὄνομα ἔσχεν αὐτὸ δὴ τοῦτο «Μεθ' «ἡμῶν ὁ θεός». ὅτε δὲ ἐδημιούργησεν, ἐπεὶ μὴ ὡς ἄνθρωπος ἀπο σταλεὶς ὑπὸ τοῦ πατρὸς εἰς οὐσίαν ἔφερε τὰ πάντα, καὶ πρὸς τὸν θεὸν ἦν καὶ θεὸς ἦν· λέγεται δὲ καὶ σοφία ὁ τοῦ θεοῦ υἱός, ἀρχὴ ὁδῶν τοῦ θεοῦ κτισθεῖσα κατὰ τὴν τῶν Παροιμιῶν γραφήν, ὅτι ἡ τοῦ θεοῦ σοφία, πρὸς τὸν οὗ ἐστι σοφία ὑπάρχουσα, οὐδεμίαν σχέσιν πρὸς ἕτερόν τινα εἶχεν,