Homonyms and the Uncreated Nature
Of Christ, the spirit of truth, as John announces from the Savior: 'If you love me, you have kept my commandments; and I will ask the Father, and he will give you another Paraclete, so that the spirit of truth may be with you forever' (John 14:15-17). And again in his first epistle: 'And the spirit is the one testifying that the spirit is the truth' (1 John 5:6), which is similar to saying of the Son: 'I am the truth' (John 14:6).
A divine spirit and the breath of the Pantokrator and a lover of mankind, according to the phrase of Job and according to Moses mentioned a few verses earlier in this chapter. The Holy Spirit was praised and is light, in whom also we are enlightened, just as the apostle writes: 'that he might give you a spirit of wisdom and of revelation, in the knowledge of him, having the eyes of your heart enlightened' (Ephesians 1:17-18), and as David sings: 'for with you is the fountain of life; in your light we shall see light' (Psalm 36:9); that is to say, in your Son, the radiance of your glory, your Holy Spirit. And: 'The light of your face has been shown to us, Lord' (Psalm 89:15). For what else would the Spirit be, if he proceeds from the Father or out of the Light? Concerning which John sang in the first epistle: 'God is light' (1 John 1:5), and in the Gospel concerning the Only-begotten: 'was the true light, which enlightens every man coming into the world' (John 1:9), and: 'I am the light, I am the life' (John 11:25).
It is nothing wonderful, then, if being one and always having the same nature, he is glorified with differing designations. For his divinity, being ungraspable by the words of mortals, they praise with differing designations and with names, according to the power of the energies which come to us. As for those representing the doctrine of Macedonius, becoming more of their heresy than of the truth, nothing is happening to those looking at the logical arguments. For they are mythologically seizing upon words, as if one should not pay attention to homonyms, or synonyms, or similar expressions.
For the 'good' name of God, he says, is entwined with 'one God,' but regarding the Holy Spirit, the 'good' name is not joined with 'one God.' And again: good, he says, was written to be even a man, as he says: 'do good, Lord, to the good' (Luke 6:35), and: 'the good man brings good things out of the good treasure' (Luke 6:45). Similarly, he says, good is the...
Evenly and without soul, as when one prophesies: 'If you will and listen to me, eat the good things of the earth' (Ps 34:8). But also regarding unstable things it is said: 'It is good to confess to the Lord' (Ps 51:15). Similarly, it is said a man is called holy, and a power of God, and a worm, where it is written: 'My strength, my great power' (Isa 48:16), and the Savior says: 'The powers of the heavens shall be shaken' (Matt 24:29).
And this I say: that the argument regarding homonyms and similar words applies to heterousious things, but not to the Holy Spirit and Him whose Spirit He is, and moreover to the Son. For the Scripture adds to the homonyms or synonyms a safeguard from itself, by enclosing the syllable 'my' or 'your' or the word 'holy' or 'good'; that is, either as from God it says: 'my spirit,' or as from David and us: 'your good spirit shall guide me' (Ps 23:6).
Therefore, it is necessary to be persuaded by those scriptural testimonies which are much more effective, and to know that the Holy Spirit has homonymy or synonymy and similar words toward God and His only-begotten Son, having mentioned those with similar names, not toward creatures because there is found sometimes a homonymy in them.
For even if we should give a name or a word to participate in God, it is not in essence or in the energy of power and sanctification. For these things do not exist at all by nature; but by comparison to the evil, the good and the sin, that is, the passion, the holy has been arranged; for the not very evil and sinful, that is, the passible, the good and holy is spoken of here.
For just as wickedness and sin, that is, passion and weakness, are not found in the one Holy Spirit, being ungenerated; so also in none of the generated things is the good and holy and powerful according to perfection, but according to participation; and where these are not anywhere according to perfection, nowhere is the ungenerated. For where there is darkness, nowhere is the light; and 'where there is night, not day.' And it is said also to Hermes Trismegistus: 'It is impossible for the good to be in generation, but only in the ungenerated. Just as participation is given to all in matter, so also to the good.' Therefore, the Holy Spirit is similar and equal to the Father and...
Greek
Χριστοῦ,» 3.16 πνεῦμα ἀληθείας, ὡς Ἰωάννης ἀπὸ τοῦ σωτῆρος εὐαγγελίζεται· «ἐὰν ἀγαπᾶτέ με, τὰς ἐντολὰς τὰς ἐμὰς τηρήσατε· κἀγὼ ἐρωτήσω τὸν πατέρα, καὶ ἄλλον παράκλητον δώσει ὑμῖν, ἵνα ᾖ μεθ' ὑμῶν εἰς τὸν αἰῶνα τὸ πνεῦμα τῆς ἀληθείας,» καὶ πάλιν ἐν τῇ πρώτῃ αὐτοῦ ἐπιστολῇ. «καὶ τὸ πνεῦμά ἐστιν τὸ μαρτυροῦν, ὅτι τὸ πνεῦμά ἐστιν ἡ ἀλήθεια,» ὁμοιότροπον τοῦ εἰπεῖν τὸν υἱόν· «ἐγώ εἰμι ἡ ἀλήθεια.» 3.17 πνεῦμα θεῖον καὶ πνοὴ παντοκράτορος καὶ φιλάνθρωπον, κατὰ τὴν φράσιν Ἰὼβ καὶ τὴν πρὸ ὀλίγων στιχιδίων ἐν τῷ κεφαλαίῳ τούτῳ μνημονευθεῖσαν Μωυσέως. 3.18 ἀνευφημήθη καὶ φῶς τὸ ἅγιον πνεῦμα, ἐν ᾧ καὶ ὑφ' ᾧ φωτιζόμεθα ὡς ἡνίκα ὁ ἀπόστολος γράφει· «ἵνα δῴη ὑμῖν πνεῦμα σοφίας καὶ ἀποκαλύψεως, ἐν ἐπιγνώσει αὐτοῦ, πεφωτισμένους τοὺς ὀφθαλμοὺς καρδίας,» καὶ ὡς ∆αυὶδ ψάλλει· «ὅτι παρὰ σοὶ πηγὴ ζωῆς· ἐν τῷ φωτί σου ὀψόμεθα φῶς·» τουτέστιν ἐν τῷ υἱῷ σου, τῷ ἀπαυγάσματι τῆς δόξης σου τὸ ἅγιόν σου πνεῦμα. καί· «ἐσημειώθη ἐφ' ἡμᾶς τὸ φῶς τοῦ προσώπου σου, κύριε.» τί γὰρ ἂν εἴη ἄλλο τὸ πνεῦμα, ὃ παρὰ τοῦ πατρὸς ἢ ἐκ τοῦ φωτὸς ἐκπορεύεται; περὶ οὗ Ἰωάννης ὕμνησεν ἐν μὲν τῇ πρώτῃ ἐπιστολῇ· «φῶς ὁ θεός,» ἐν δὲ εὐαγγελίῳ περὶ τοῦ μονογενοῦς· «ἦν τὸ φῶς τὸ ἀληθινόν, ὃ φωτίζει πάντα ἄνθρωπον ἐρχόμενον εἰς τὸν κόσμον,» καί· «ἐγώ εἰμι τὸ φῶς, ἐγώ εἰμι ἡ ζωή.» 3.19 οὐδὲν δὲ θαυμαστόν, εἰ ἓν ὂν καὶ ἀεὶ ὡσαύτως ἔχον, διαφοροῖς προσηγορίαις δοξάζεται. τῷ γὰρ ἀπερίληπτον εἶναι θνητῶν λόγων τὴν ἄφραστον αὐτοῦ θεότητα, κατὰ δύναμιν τὰς εἰς ἡμᾶς αὐτοὺς γινομένας ἐνεργείας ὑμνοῦντες, διαφοροῖς καὶ τοῖς ὀνόμασι προσχρώμεθα. 3.20 οἱ δὲ τὸ Μακεδονίου πρεσβεύοντες δόγμα, τῆς αἱρέσεως αὐτῶν μᾶλλον ἢ τἀληθοῦς γινόμενοι, οὐδέν τι συμβαῖνον τοῖς τῶν λογίων βλέπουσιν. συναρπακτικῶς γὰρ μυθεύονται ῥήμασιν αὐτοῖς, ὡς οὐ χρὴ ὁμωνυμίαις ἢ συνωνυμίαις ἢ ὁμοιολεξίαις προσέχειν. 3.21 τοῦ γὰρ θεοῦ, φησίν, τὸ «ἀγαθὸς» ὄνομα, τῷ «εἷς θεὸς» συμπέπλεκται ἐπὶ δὲ τῷ ἁγίῳ πνεύματι τῷ «ἀγαθὸς» ὀνόματι οὐ συνέζευκται τὸ «εἷς θεός». καὶ πάλιν· ἀγαθός, φησίν, ἐγράφη εἶναι καὶ ἄνθρωπος, ὡς ἡνίκα λέγει· «ἀγάθυνον, κύριε, τοῖς ἀγαθοῖς,» καί· «ὁ ἀγαθὸς ἄνθρωπος ἐκ τοῦ ἀγαθοῦ θησαυροῦ ἐκβάλλει ἀγαθά.» 3.22 ὁμοίως δέ, φησίν, ἀγαθὰ ὁμωνύμως καὶ ἄψυχα, ὡς ὅταν προφητεύῃ· «ἐὰν θελήσητε καὶ ἀκούσητέ μου, τὰ ἀγαθὰ τῆς γῆς φάγεσθε.» ἀλλὰ καὶ ἐπὶ ἀνυποστάτων δῆθεν πραγμάτων εἴρηται· «ἀγαθὸν τὸ ἐξομολογεῖσθαι τῷ κυρίῳ.» 3.23 ὁμοίως ἅγιος, φησίν, καλεῖται καὶ ἄνθρωπος, δύναμίς τε θεοῦ, φησίν, καὶ σκώληξ, ᾗ γράφει· «ἡ κάμπη, ἡ δύναμίς μου, ἡ μεγάλη,» καὶ ὁ σωτὴρ δέ· «αἱ δυνάμεις τῶν οὐρανῶν σαλευθήσονται.» 3.24 καὶ τοῦτο μὲν φημὶ δὲ τὸ μὴ προσέχειν ὁμωνυμίαις καὶ ὁμοιολεξίαις λόγον ἔχει ἐπὶ τοῖς ἑτεροειδέσιν καὶ ἑτεροουσίοις, οὐ μέντοι ἐπὶ τοῦ ἁγίου πνεύματος καὶ ἐκείνου, οὗ πνεῦμά ἐστιν, ἔτι μὴν καὶ τοῦ υἱοῦ. προστιθεῖσα γὰρ ἡ γραφὴ τὴν ἀπὸ ἑαυτῆς ἀσφάλειαν ταῖς ὁμωνυμίαις ἢ συνωνυμίαις συμφράζει τὴν «μοῦ» ἢ «σοῦ» συλλαβὴν ἢ τὴν «ἅγιος» ἢ «ἀγαθὸς» λέξιν· τουτέστιν, ἢ ὡς ἀπὸ τοῦ θεοῦ λέγει· «τὸ πνεῦμά μου,» ἢ ὡς ἀπὸ τοῦ ∆αυὶδ καὶ ἡμῶν· «τὸ πνεῦμά σου τὸ ἀγαθὸν ὁδηγήσει με.» 3.25 πείθεσθαι οὖν δεῖ οἷς πολλῷ λυσιτελέστερον, ταῖς μνημονευθείσαις γραφικαῖς μαρτυρίαις λέγω, καὶ εἰδέναι ὡς τὸ ἅγιον πνεῦμα τὴν ὁμωνυμίαν ἢ συνωνυμίαν καὶ τὰς ὁμοιολεξίας πρὸς τὸν θεὸν ἔχει καὶ τὸν μονογενῆ αὐτοῦ υἱόν, τοὺς τοῖς ὁμοίοις ὀνόμασιν ὑμνηθέντας, οὐ πρὸς τὰ κτίσματα διὰ τὴν εὑρισκομένην ἔσθ' ὅτε ἐν ἐκείνοις ὁμωνυμίαν. 3.26 ταῦτα γὰρ εἰ καὶ δοίημεν ὀνόματί τινι ἢ λέξει θεῷ κοινωνεῖν, ἀλλ' οὐκ οὐσίᾳ οὐδὲ ἐνεργείᾳ δυνάμεως καὶ ἁγιασμοῦ. οὐδὲ γὰρ φύσει ταῦτα καθάπαξ ὑπάρχουσιν· κατὰ σύγκρισιν δὲ τοῦ κακοῦ τὸ ἀγαθὸν καὶ τοῦ ἁμαρτήματος ἤγουν τοῦ πάθους τὸ ἅγιον τέτακται· τὸ γὰρ μὴ λίαν κακὸν καὶ ἁμαρτωλόν ἤγουν ἐμπαθές ἀγαθὸν καὶ ἅγιον ἐνθάδε προσείρηται. 3.27 ὡς γὰρ κακία 48 καὶ ἁμαρτία ἤγουν πάθος καὶ ἀδυναμία ἐν τῷ ἑνὶ ἁγίῳ πνεύματι οὐχ εὑρίσκεται, ἅτε ἀγενήτῳ· οὕτως ἐν οὐδενὶ τῶν γενητῶν τὸ ἀγαθὸν καὶ ἅγιον καὶ δυνατὸν κατὰ τὸ τέλειον, ἀλλὰ κατὰ μετουσίαν· ὅπου δὲ οὐδαμοῦ ταῦτα κατὰ τὸ τέλειον, οὐδαμοῦ τὸ ἀγένητον. 3.28 ἔνθα γὰρ σκότος, οὐδαμοῦ τὸ φῶς· καὶ «ὅπου νύξ, οὐχ ἡμέρα. ὅθεν» εἴρηται καὶ τῷ Ἑρμῇ τῷ ἐπίκλην Τρισμεγίστῳ «ἀδύνατον ἐν γενέσει εἶναι τἀγαθόν, ἐν μόνῳ δὲ τῷ ἀγενήτῳ. ὥσπερ δὲ μετουσία πάντων ἐστὶν τῇ ὕλῃ δεδομένη, οὕτω καὶ τοῦ ἀγαθοῦ.» 3.29 ὅμοιον τοίνυν καὶ ἴσον τὸ ἅγιον πνεῦμα τῆς τοῦ πατρὸς καὶ
About this text
Didymus the Blind defends the full divinity of Father, Son, and Spirit against those who rank them.
Catalogue & scope
Khazarzar scan
Witnesses
- Copy-text PG (Khazarzar) (Greek)
This is an AI-assisted study translation. Source fidelity and completeness have not been independently certified. Open Greek on each section for the source text. This is not a complete critical edition.