The Freedom of the Spirit
And he did not distinguish between us and them, having purified their hearts by faith. That is to say: the outpouring of the Holy Spirit, as one might say, is the free and abundant giving of Him, the cause of prophecy and renewal and heavenly goods and of understanding the beauty of the divine truth. For as it seems to the apostle: 'the fruit of the Spirit is love, joy, peace' (Galatians 5:22). Therefore he writes again: 'for the love of God has been poured out in our hearts by the Holy Spirit' (Romans 5:5). Since one goodness belongs to the Triad in unity, many goodnesses are yielded to us; just as I say that one truth, justice, and wisdom belong to the one, according to: 'You are able, Lord, and your truth is around you,' which is the only-begotten God, and according to: 'to the only wise God,' many truths, justices, and wisdoms are multiplied to us from above, according to: 'the Lord seeks truth,' and: 'the Lord is righteous and loved justice,' and: 'a multitude of the wise, the salvation of the world,' and: 'walking with the wise, he shall be wise.' It is therefore clear that, as a Spirit of God in its own existence, it has become a good spirit and a spirit of wisdom and truth and a spirit of the invisible and indivisible God and Father.
That it is not written that creation is philanthropic; for this is the peculiar property of the consubstantial Triad alone. For the Father is philanthropic: 'not being angry with us until the end, nor being wrathful forever, nor repaying us according to our sins, nor according to our iniquities,' according to Psalm 24 (Psalm 24:18); and as Solomon says: 'but sparing all, because all things are yours, O Lord, lover of souls,' as it has been said; and because of these things we call Him both Lord and Father, his care having been established by power. For there is no more intimate approach to God than that of Father, Philanthropist, Good, and Holy. The Son is philanthropic, who through us, by the works of his seven and intelligible hands: 'he emptied himself, taking the form of a servant;' (Philippians 2:7) as the apostle writes in Titus: 'when the kindness and the philanthropy of our Savior God appeared' (Titus 3:4). And whoever should grant to Him, whatever is fitting for the only-begotten God, departing having received more than he hoped for. The Holy Spirit of God is philanthropic according to Wisdom, who was saying: 'phil...'
For he is a man of a spirit of wisdom, and he will not justify the righteous. For he did not leave the human nature to perish; but he himself went about, having guided, having taught all truth, having renewed us, and having bestowed the divine gifts, and having established such care anew for the one according to the image, so as to have the knowledge of his transcendent goodness and to possess this as a characteristic. For great elements indeed are heaven, earth, and sea; and a great rational creation is the angels and all the supracosmic power; but the Trinity did not deign from one of these, but has the name 'lover of mankind' from the goodness toward man.
For he is free by nature and not a slave; and as God and Lord, he frees and makes us sons. Creation has become a slave to the master who made it, possessing a freedom which it does not have from itself, nor is it able to provide to itself or to others. For prophecy says: 'All things are slaves' (Ps 146:9). It has not been written that the Holy Spirit is a slave alone, but also as a master and free by nature, where he is and where he moves about, he provides the freedom which he possesses. For works alone submit to the yoke of slavery; that which is not a slave is not a work; and that which is not a work is God by nature. And the apostle is a faithful witness of these things, writing to the Corinthians in the second epistle: 'But the Lord is the Spirit; and where the Spirit of the Lord is, there is freedom' (2 Cor 3:17); to Timothy: 'For God did not give us a spirit of slavery, but a spirit of power and love and self-control' (2 Tim 1:7); to the Romans: 'For you did not receive a spirit of slavery to fall back into fear, but a spirit of adoption as sons, in whom we cry, Abba, Father' (Rom 8:15); to the Galatians: 'God sent the Spirit of his Son into your hearts, crying, Abba, Father. So you are no longer a slave, but a son' (Gal 4:6). Just as we were freed by the Son, having heard: 'You are no longer a slave, but free' and: 'With the freedom with which the Son set you free'; so too, through the same essence and lordship, we are freed by the Spirit through the aforementioned word: 'Where the Spirit of the Lord is, there is freedom.'
For he commands, and creation does not serve; whether spiritual or sensible, it serves, but it does not command from itself; just as it says concerning the angels: 'Mighty in strength, doing the word of God...'
Greek
καὶ οὐδὲν διέκρινεν μεταξὺ ἡμῶν τε καὶ αὐ τῶν, τῇ πίστει καθαρίσας τὰς καρδίας αὐτῶν.» τουτέστιν· ἡ τοῦ ἁγίου πνεύματος ἔκχυσις, ὡς ἄν τις εἴποι, ἡ ἀκατάσχετος καὶ ἄφθονος ἐπιφοίτησις αὐτοῦ, αἰτία προφητείας καὶ ἀνακαινισμοῦ καὶ οὐρανίων ἀγαθῶν καὶ τοῦ κατανοεῖν τὸ κάλλος τῆς θεϊκῆς ἀληθείας ἐστίν. ὡς γὰρ τῷ ἀποστόλῳ δοκεῖ· «ὁ καρπὸς τοῦ πνεύματος ἀγάπη, χαρά, εἰρήνη ἐστίν.» ὅθεν καὶ πάλιν γράφει· «ἡ γὰρ ἀγάπη τοῦ θεοῦ ἐκκέχυται ἐν ταῖς καρδίαις ἡμῶν ἐν πνεύ ματι ἁγίῳ.» μιᾶς γοῦν οὔσης ἀγαθότητος τῆς ἐν ἑνάδι τριάδος, πολλαὶ ἡμῖν ἀποτίκτονται ἀγαθότητος· ὥσπερ ἀληθείας καὶ δικαιοσύνης καὶ σοφίας μιᾶς οὔσης τῆς ἄνω φημί κατὰ τό· «δυνατὸς εἶ, κύριε, καὶ ἡ ἀλήθειά σου κύκλῳ σου,» ἥτις ἐστὶν ὁ μονογενὴς θεός καὶ κατὰ τό· «μόνῳ σοφῷ θεῷ» πολλαὶ πληθύνονται ἡμῖν ἄνωθεν ἀλήθειαι καὶ δικαιοσύναι καὶ σοφίαι κατὰ τό· «ἀληθείας ἐκζητεῖ κύριος,» καί· «δίκαιος κύριος καὶ δικαιοσύνας ἠγάπησεν», καί· «πλῆθος σοφῶν, σωτηρία κόσμου», καί· «συμπορευόμενος σοφοῖς, σοφὸς ἔσῃ.» σαφὲς οὖν, ὡς πνεῦμα τοῦ θεοῦ τῇ ὑπάρξει αὐτῇ πνεῦμα ἀγαθὸν καὶ πνεῦμα σοφίας καὶ ἀληθείας καὶ πνεῦμα τοῦ ἀοράτου καὶ ἀσυνθέτου θεοῦ καὶ πατρὸς καθέστηκεν. 6.9ν ὅτι φιλάνθρωπον ἡ κτίσις οὐ γέγραπται φιλάνθρωπος· ἴδιον γὰρ τοῦτο κυρίως μόνης τῆς ὁμοουσίου τριάδος. φιλάνθρωπος γὰρ ὁ πατήρ· «οὐχ ἕως τέλους ἡμῖν ὀργιζόμενος, οὐδ' εἰς τὸν αἰῶνα μηνιῶν, οὐδὲ ποιῶν ἡμῖν πρὸς τὰς ἁμαρτίας, οὐδὲ κατὰ τὰς ἀνομίας ἡμῶν ἀνταποδιδούς,» κατὰ τὸν ρβʹ ψαλμόν· καὶ ὡς Σολομὼν λέγει· «φείδῃ δὲ πάντων, ὅτι πάντα σά ἐστιν, δέσποτα φιλόψυχε,» καθὰ εἴρηται· ὡς καὶ διὰ ταῦτα καλεῖσθαι ἡμῶν δεσπότην τε καὶ πατέρα, τῆς κηδεμονίας αὐτοῦ τῇ δυνάμει κεκραμένης. τῷ θεῷ γὰρ οὐκ ἔστιν πρόσρησις οἰκειοτέρα τῆς πατρὸς καὶ φιλανθρώπου καὶ ἀγαθοῦ καὶ ἁγίου. φιλάνθρωπος ὁ υἱὸς, ὅς γε δι' ἡμᾶς, τὰ ἔργα τῶν σεπτῶν αὐτοῦ καὶ νοητῶν χειρῶν· «ἑαυτὸν ἐκένωσεν, μορφὴν δούλου λαβών·» καθὰ Τίτῳ γράφει ὁ ἀπόστολος· «ὅτε δὲ ἡ χρηστότης καὶ ἡ φιλανθρωπία τοῦ σωτῆρος ἡμῶν θεοῦ ἐπ εφάνη.» καὶ ὅστις ἂν ἀπονείμῃ αὐτῷ, ὅσα πρέπει μονογενεῖ θεῷ, λαβὼν πλέον ὧν ἤλπισεν, ἀπέρχεται. φιλάνθρωπον τὸ ἅγιον πνεῦμα τοῦ θεοῦ κατὰ τὴν Σοφίαν, οὕτω λέγουσαν· «φιλάνθρωπον γὰρ πνεῦμα σοφίας, καὶ οὐκ ἀθωώσει δίκαιον.» οὐ γὰρ παρεῖδεν ἀπολλυμένην τὴν ἀνθρωπείαν φύσιν· ἀλλ' ἐφοίτησεν δι' ἑαυτοῦ ὁδηγῆσαν, διδάξαν πᾶσαν ἀλήθειαν, ἀνακαινίσαν ἡμᾶς, καὶ τὰ θεϊκὰ χαρίσματα δωρησάμενον, καὶ τοσαύτην τοῦ κατ' εἰκόνα θέμενον ἀνέκαθεν φροντίδα, ὥστε εἰς γνώρισμα τῆς ὑπερφυοῦς αὐτοῦ ἀγαθότητος καὶ ταύτην ἔχειν τὴν προσηγορίαν. μεγάλα μὲν γὰρ στοιχεῖα οὐρανός, γῆ, θάλασσα· μεγάλη δὲ λογικὴ κτίσις, ἡ ἀγγέλων καὶ πάσης ὑπερκοσμίου δυνάμεως· ἀλλ' οὐκ ἀφ' ἑνὸς τούτων ἠξίωσεν, ἐκ δὲ τῆς πρὸς τὸν ἄνθρωπον ἀγαθότητος ἔχει ὄνομα τὸ φιλάνθρωπον ἡ τριάς. 6.10ν ὅτι φύσει ἐλεύθερον καὶ οὐ δοῦλον· καὶ ὡς θεὸς καὶ κύριος ἐλευθεροῖ καὶ υἱοὺς ποιεῖ. ἡ κτίσις δούλη τοῦ τεχνησαμένου αὐτὴν δεσπότου καθέστηκεν, ἐλευθερίαν, ἣ ἀφ' ἑαυτῆς μὴ κέκτηται, οὔτε ἑαυτῇ οὔτ' ἄλλοις παρέχειν δυναμένη. φησὶν γὰρ ἡ προφητεία· «τὰ σύμπαντα δοῦλά σα.» τὸ δὲ ἅγιον πνεῦμα μονονουχὶ δοῦλον οὐ γέγραπται, ἀλλὰ καὶ 62 ὡς δεσπότης καὶ φύσει ἐλεύθερον, ἔνθα ἐστὶν καὶ οἷς ἐπιφοιτᾷ, ἐλευθερίαν, ἣν ἔχει, παρέχει. τὰ γὰρ ποιήματα μόνα τῷ τῆς δουλείας ὑπάγεται ζυγῷ· τὸ δὲ μὴ δοῦλον, οὐδὲ ποίημα· τὸ δὲ μὴ ποίημα, φύσει θεός· μάρτυς δὲ τούτων πιστὸς ὁ ἀπόστολος, γράφων Κορινθίοις μὲν ἐν τῇ δευτέρα ἐπιστολῇ· «ὁ δὲ κύριος τὸ πνεῦμά ἐστιν· οὗ δὲ τὸ πνεῦμα κυρίου, ἐκεῖ ἐλευ θερία,» Τιμοθέῳ δέ· «οὐ γὰρ ἔδωκεν ἡμῖν ὁ θεὸς πνεῦμα δουλείας, ἀλλὰ πνεῦμα δυνάμεως καὶ ἀγάπης καὶ σωφρονισμοῦ,» Ῥωμαίοις δέ· «οὐ γὰρ ἐλάβετε πνεῦμα δουλείας πάλιν εἰς φόβον, ἀλλὰ πνεῦμα υἱο θεσίας, ἐν ᾧ κράζομεν· ἀββά, ὁ πατήρ,» Γαλάταις δέ· «ἐξαπέστειλεν ὁ θεὸς τὸ πνεῦμα τοῦ υἱοῦ αὐτοῦ εἰς τὰς καρδίας ὑμῶν κράζον· ἀββά, ὁ πατήρ. ὥστε οὐκέτι εἶ δοῦλος, ἀλλ' υἱός.» καθάπερ οὖν ἠλευθερώθημεν παρὰ τοῦ υἱοῦ ἀκούσαντες· «οὐκέτι εἶ δοῦλος, ἀλλ' ἐλεύθερος,» καί· «τῇ ἐλευθερίᾳ, ᾗ ὁ υἱὸς ὑμᾶς ἠλευθέρωσεν·» οὕτω διὰ τὸ ταὐτὸν τῆς οὐσίας καὶ δεσποτείας ὑπὸ τοῦ πνεύματος ἠλευθερούμεθα διὰ τοῦ μνημονευθέντος ῥήματος· «οὗ δὲ τὸ πνεῦμα κυρίου, ἐκεῖ ἐλευθερία.» 6.11ν ὅτι ἐπιτάσσει, οὐχ ὑπουργεῖ ἡ κτίσις, ἤ τε νοερὰ καὶ αἰσθητή, ὑπουργεῖ, οὐκ ἐπιτάττει ἀφ' ἑαυτῆς· ὡς περὶ τῶν ἀγγέλων λέγει· «δυνατοὶ ἰσχύι, ποιοῦντες τὸν λόγον
About this text
Didymus the Blind defends the full divinity of Father, Son, and Spirit against those who rank them.
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- 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.