The Goodness of the Son
Through another writing the solution was provided. The new writing no longer speaks as in shadow and veil, but clearly and explicitly, as these testify: Paul, writing to the Romans: 'if indeed God is one' (Rom 3:30), and to the Galatians and Corinthians: 'God is one' (Gal 3:28; 1 Cor 8:6). And again to the Corinthians the second thing: 'the grace of our Lord Jesus Christ and the love of God and the communion of the Holy Spirit with all of you' (1 Cor 13:13).
Here, because of the sameness of divinity, he first mentioned the Son, and so the Father, then his own Holy Spirit. And he spoke of the communion of the Holy Spirit with Father and Son of the one divinity and glory and kingship. For what other communion is there upon God? To the Ephesians: 'one Lord, one faith, one baptism, one God and Father of all, who is over all and through all and in all' (Eph 4:4-6). Then to the same: 'for this reason I bend my knees to the God and Father, from whom every family is named in the heavens and on earth, so that I may give to you, according to the wealth of his glory, power to be strengthened through his own Spirit, so that the Christ may dwell in the inner man through faith in the hearts' (Eph 3:16-17).
Thus again, similarly, because of the equal dignity of the hypostases, after the Father, he first mentioned the Spirit and so the Son. And again to the Corinthians: 'I urge you also, brothers, through our Lord Jesus Christ and through the love of the Spirit, to contend with me in the prayers to God' (2 Cor 1:11).
And to the Hebrews: 'if indeed the word spoken through angels became firm, and every transgression and disobedience received just recompense, how shall we escape if we neglect so great a salvation, which having begun to speak through the Lord, was made firm to us by those having heard, God co-testifying with signs and wonders and various powers and distributions of the Holy Spirit according to his will' (Heb 2:2-4).
Through the Lord, therefore, the Son has been revealed, and through God the Father, and then also the self-determining and almighty Holy Spirit. And the Son showed the one divinity by saying: 'Why do you call me good? No one is good except one, God' (Mark 10:18), and the three equal and equal-powered hypostases...
The argument continues through the teaching regarding baptism. In 18.36, by not saying 'do not call me good' in a testing manner to the legalist, but asking 'why do you call me good?', he showed that he himself is good equal to the Father, and his goodness shines forth from the Father's goodness, being shown to be good having been born from the Good.
In 18.37, 'For if you know me to be good,' he says, 'do not entangle the teacher with the word' like 'Well done, good servant' (Luke 12:42), and like 'The good man brings good out of the good treasure of the heart' (Luke 6:45), and like 'Samuel was good with God and men' (1 Sam 2:26), and 'Saul, son of Kish, from the tribe of Benjamin, was better than all Israel by a head and above' (1 Sam 9:2), and 'The good dog lives above the dead lion' (Eccl 9:4). 'Do not withdraw from the primary Good, but recognize me as God, not another in the divinity of the Father, but in the hypostasis.'
In 18.38, for the divinity of both is one; since the first is no longer found to be a single good. 'For it was once read,' he says, 'as "It is good for you to trust in the Lord or to trust in man"' (Ps 31:23). 'For to cling to God is good.' And 'I urged you always to follow me as good and to walk after me' (Luke 9:23).
In 18.39, therefore he did not say 'No one is good except one, the Father', but 'No one is good except one, God', just as in another place he says 'Why do you call me Lord, Lord, and do not do my words?' (Luke 6:46).
In 18.40, for creation, he says, has goodness by participation, imitating, if it is permitted to say, the innate and perfect goodness of God and being saved through it. And there is an existence of that which has goodness in itself, participating in the goodness of God, clinging to Him through obedience and through love toward Him.
In 18.41, for it was written 'Those who distance themselves from you shall perish' (Ps 145:5), and 'God is far from the ungodly' (Ps 5:5), and 'Salvation is far from sinners' (Ps 34:16).
In 18.42, it is clear that this is in relation and disposition through the opposition toward the good and the degree toward virtue, but not in place.
In 18.43, since he himself is also good, being one by nature with the Good Father, he himself says in Matthew, 'Or is your eye evil because I am good?' (Matt 6:22); and again, 'Mary chose the good portion, which shall not be taken from her' (Luke 10:42). And he said 'the good portion'.
Greek
δι' ἑτέρας γραφῆς τὴν λύσιν παρέσχετο. 18.25 Ἡ δὲ νέα οὔκετι ὡς ἐν σκιᾷ καὶ παραπετάσματι, ἀλλὰ σαφῶς καὶ διαρρήδην φράζει, ὡς μαρτυροῦσιν οὗτοι· 18.26 Παῦλος γράφων Ῥωμαίοις μέν· «εἴπερ εἷς ὁ θεός», Γαλάταις δὲ καὶ Κορινθίοις· «ὁ θεὸς εἷς ἐστιν». 18.27 Καὶ πάλιν δὲ Κορινθίοις τὸ δεύτερον· «ἡ χάρις τοῦ κυρίου ἡμῶν Ἰησοῦ Χριστοῦ καὶ ἡ ἀγάπη τοῦ θεοῦ καὶ ἡ κοι νωνία τοῦ ἁγίου πνεύματος μετὰ πάντων ὑμῶν». 18.28 ἐνταῦθα διὰ τὸ ταὐτὸν τῆς θεότητος πρώτου ἐμνημόνευσεν τοῦ υἱοῦ, καὶ οὕτω τοῦ πατρός, εἶτα τοῦ ἁγίου πνεύματος αὐτοῦ. 18.29 κοινωνίαν δὲ τοῦ ἁγίου πνεύματος μετὰ πατρὸς καὶ υἱοῦ εἶπεν τῆς μιᾶς θεότητος καὶ δόξης καὶ βασιλείας. ποία γὰρ ἄλλη ἐπὶ θεοῦ κοινωνία; 18.30 Ἐφεσίοις δέ· «εἷς κύριος, μία πίστις, ἓν βάπτισμα, εἷς θεὸς καὶ πατὴρ πάντων, ὁ ἐπὶ πάν των καὶ διὰ πάντων καὶ ἐν πᾶσιν». εἶτα τοῖς αὐτοῖς· «τούτου χάριν κάμπτω τὰ γόνατά μου πρὸς τὸν θεὸν καὶ πατέρα, ἐξ οὗ πᾶσα πατριὰ ἐν οὐρανοῖς καὶ ἐπὶ γῆς ὀνομάζεται, ἵνα δῷ ὑμῖν κατὰ τὸν πλοῦτον τῆς δόξης αὐτοῦ δυνάμει κραταιωθῆναι διὰ τοῦ πνεύματος αὐτοῦ εἰς τὸν ἔσω ἄνθρωπον κατοικῆσαι τὸν Χριστὸν διὰ τῆς πίστεως ἐν ταῖς καρδίαις». 18.31 Ὧδε πάλιν ὁμοίως διὰ τὸ ἰσότιμον τῶν ὑποστάσεων μετὰ τὸν πατέρα πρώτου τοῦ πνεύματος καὶ οὕτω τοῦ υἱοῦ ἐμνημόνευσεν. 18.32 Καὶ πάλιν Κορινθίοις· «παρακαλῶ δὲ ὑμᾶς, ἀδελφοί, διὰ τοῦ κυρίου ἡμῶν Ἰησοῦ Χριστοῦ καὶ διὰ τῆς ἀγάπης τοῦ πνεύματος, συναγωνίσασθαί μοι ἐν ταῖς προσευχαῖς ὑπὲρ ἐμοῦ πρὸς τὸν θεόν». 18.33 Ἑβραίοις δέ· «εἰ γὰρ ὁ δι' ἀγγέλων λαληθεὶς λόγος ἐγένετο βέβαιος, καὶ πᾶσα παράβασις καὶ παρακοὴ ἔλαβεν ἔνδικον μισθαποδοσίαν, πῶς ἡμεῖς ἐκφευξόμεθα τηλικαύτης ἀμελήσαντες σωτηρίας; ἥτις ἀρχὴν λαβοῦσα λαλεῖσθαι διὰ τοῦ κυρίου, ὑπὸ τῶν ἀκουσάντων εἰς ἡμᾶς ἐβεβαιώθη, συνεπιμαρτυροῦντος τοῦ θεοῦ σημείοις τε καὶ τέρασιν καὶ ποικίλαις δυνάμεσιν καὶ πνεύματος ἁγίου μερισμοῖς κατὰ τὴν αὐτοῦ θέλησιν». 18.34 ∆ιὰ οὖν τοῦ κυρίου δεδήλωται ὁ υἱός, διὰ δὲ τοῦ θεοῦ ὁ πατήρ, εἶτα καὶ τὸ αὐτεξούσιον καὶ παντοδύναμον τοῦ ἁγίου πνεύματος. 18.35 Καὶ ὁ υἱὸς δὲ ἔδειξεν τὴν μὲν μίαν θεότητα διὰ τοῦ εἰπεῖν· «τί με λέγεις ἀγαθόν; οὐδεὶς ἀγαθὸς εἰ μὴ εἷς ὁ θεός», τὰς δὲ ἰσοτίμους καὶ ἰσοδυνάμους τρεῖς ὑποστάσεις διὰ τῆς περὶ τὸ βάπτισμα διδαχῆς. 18.36 μὴ εἰπὼν δὲ πειραστικῶς ἐξετάσαντι τῷ νομικῷ· μή με λέγε ἀγαθόν, ἀλλά· «τί με λέγεις ἀγαθόν;», ἔδειξεν ὡς καὶ αὐτὸς ἀγαθός ἐστιν ἐν ἴσῳ τῷ πατρί, καὶ ἐκ τῆς πατρικῆς ἀγαθότητος ἐκφαίνεται ἡ αὐτοῦ, καὶ δείκνυται ἀπὸ ἀγαθοῦ ἀγαθὸς γεγεννημένος. 18.37 «εἰ γάρ», φησίν, «οἶδάς με ἀγαθόν, καὶ μὴ συμπλέκεις τῷ διδασκάλῳ τὴν λέξιν» ὡς τό· «εὖ, δοῦλε ἀγαθέ», καὶ ὡς «ὁ ἀγαθὸς ἄνθρωπος ἐκ τοῦ ἀγαθοῦ θησαυροῦ τῆς καρδίας προφέρει τὸ ἀγαθόν», καὶ ὡς «ἀγαθὸς ἦν Σαμουὴλ μετὰ θεοῦ καὶ ἀνθρώπων», καί· «ἀγαθὸς ἦν Σαούλ, υἱὸς Κὶς ἐκ φυλῆς Βενιαμίν, ὑψηλότερος παντὸς Ἰσραὴλ ὑπὲρ ὠμίαν καὶ ἐπάνω», καί· «ἀγαθὸς κύων ὁ ζῶν ὑπὲρ τὸν λέοντα τὸν τεθνηκότα». «Μηδὲν παραιροῦ τοῦ πρωτουργοῦ ἀγαθοῦ, ἀλλ' ὡς θεόν με ἐπίγνωθι, μὴ ἄλλον τῇ θεότητι 19 τοῦ πατρός, ἀλλὰ τῇ ὑποστάσει». 18.38 μία γὰρ ἡ ἀμφοτέρων θεότης· ἐπεὶ οὐκέτι τὸ πρῶτον ἀγαθὸν ἓν εὑρίσκεται. «ἀνέγνως γάρ που», φησίν, «ὡς «ἀγαθόν σοι πεποιθέναι ἐπὶ τὸν κύριον ἢ πεποιθέναι ἐπ' ἄνθρωπον». «τὸ γὰρ προσκολλᾶσθαι τῷ θεῷ ἀγαθόν ἐστιν». καὶ ὡς ἀγαθῷ ἀκολουθεῖν μοι καὶ κατόπιν μου βαίνειν ὑμᾶς ἀεὶ προέτρεψα». 18.39 ∆ιὸ οὐκ εἶπεν μέν· «οὐδεὶς ἀγαθὸς εἰ μὴ εἷς ὁ πατήρ», ἀλλ' «οὐδεὶς ἀγαθὸς εἰ μὴ εἷς ὁ θεός», ὡς καὶ ἐν ἄλλῳ που λέγει· «τί με λέγετε κύριε κύριε καὶ οὐ ποιεῖτε τοὺς ἐμοὺς λόγους;» 18.40 ἡ γὰρ κτίσις, φησίν, κατὰ μετοχὴν τὴν ἀγαθότητα ἔχει, ἀπομιμουμένη πρὸς δύναμιν τὴν ἑαυτῆς, εἰ θέμις εἰπεῖν, τὴν ἔμφυτον καὶ τελείαν τοῦ θεοῦ ἀγαθότητα καὶ δι' αὐτῆς σωζομένη. καὶ ἔστιν ὕπαρξις τοῦ ἐν αὐτῇ ἀγαθοῦ τὸ μετέχειν τῆς τοῦ θεοῦ, προσκολλωμένην αὐτῷ τῇ ὑπακοῇ καὶ τῷ πρὸς αὐτὸν ἔρωτι. 18.41 ἐγράφη γὰρ ὡς «οἱ μακρύνοντες ἑαυτοὺς ἀπὸ σοῦ ἀπολοῦνται», καί· «μακρὰν ἀπέχει ὁ θεὸς ἀπὸ ἀσεβῶν», καὶ «μακρὰν ἀπὸ ἁμαρτωλῶν ἡ σωτηρία». 18.42 δῆλον δέ, ὡς σχέσει καὶ διαθέσει διὰ τὴν πρὸς τὸ ἀγαθὸν ἐναντίωσιν καὶ τὸ πρὸς ἀρετὴν βράδος, ἀλλ' οὐ τόπῳ. 18.43 Ὅτι δὲ καὶ αὐτὸς ἀγαθός ἐστιν, ἅτε φύσει τῷ ἀγαθῷ πατρὶ ὑπάρχων ἕν, αὐτός τε ἐν Ματθαίῳ λέγει· «ἢ ὁ ὀφθαλμός σου πονηρός ἐστιν, ὅτι ἐγὼ ἀγαθός εἰμι;» καὶ πάλιν· «Μαρία τὴν ἀγαθὴν μερίδα ἐξελέξατο, ἥτις οὐκ ἀφαιρεθήσεται ἀπ' αὐτῆς.» ἔλεγεν δέ «ἀγαθὴν μερίδα»
About this text
Didymus the Blind defends the full divinity of Father, Son, and Spirit against those who rank them.
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Witnesses
- Copy-text PG (Khazarzar) (Greek)
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