The Rejection of the Master
The greatness of the one whom they denied is shown by the fact that he is the one who brought the people out of Egypt, intending salvation for them; but since some of them were turncoats and repetitive, still carrying the harm they had in Egypt, he destroyed those who were unfaithful in the wilderness, even though they had been saved from Egypt through faith. Therefore, let these not be the hypocrites of divine teaching who lead the Nicolaitan heresy, inciting no kind of immorality.
For it is shameful, and very shameful, to perform such things under the pretext of mystery, both those from Simon the Magician and those from Marcion, Valentinus, and the Sethians. And since they perform shameful things under the pretext of religion, he said the grace of the Lord was given to them to turn them toward debauchery, through which debauchery and its works they deny the only Master and Lord of us, Jesus Christ.
It has been said regarding him before this, that this only Master and Lord Jesus Christ is true God, the one who brought the people out of Egypt through Moses; it follows that there is no other god than Moses; for indeed there is no other besides the Trinity; so Moses appears to serve him according to: 'He wrote about me' (John 5:39) and: 'Whom Moses wrote, we have found, Jesus' (John 5:46). Therefore, having spiritually foreseen that the cross possesses the greatest wealth, he considered the reproach of Christ as nothing other than the one saying: 'Let me boast in the...'
Greek
τέ ἐστι τὸ μέγεθος οὗ ἠρνήσαντο δεσπότου, δηλώσας, ὅτι αὐτός ἐστιν ὁ ἐξαγαγὼν τὸν λαὸν ἐξ Αἰγύπτου, ὡς καὶ σωτηρίαν αὐτοῖς ὀρέξαι· ἀλλ' ἐπεὶ τρεπτοὶ καὶ παλίμβολοι ἐτύγχανόν τινες αὐτῶν φέροντες ἔτι ἣν ἔσχον ἐν Αἰγύπτῳ βλάβην, ἀπώλεσεν αὐτοὺς ἀπιστήσαντας ἐν τῇ ἐρήμῳ καίτοι σωθέντας διὰ πίστεως ἐξ Αἰγύπτου· μήποτε οὖν οὗτοί εἰσιν οἱ τῆς θείας διδασκαλίας ὑποκριταὶ οἱ προιστάμενοι τῆς αἱρέσεως τῶν Νικολαϊτῶν οὐδὲν εἶδος ἀκολασίας παρορώντων. (Cr 157, 12-28 Ma 235) 10 90 Αἰσχρὰ γὰρ καὶ λίαν αἰσχρὰ ἐπιτελοῦσι δῆθεν μυστικῶς καὶ οἱ ἀπὸ Σίμωνος τοῦ μάγου· πρὸς τούτοις καὶ οἱ ἀπὸ Μαρκίωνος καὶ Οὐαλεντίνου καὶ Σηθιανοί. (Cr 157, 28-31 Ma 235) Καὶ ἐπεὶ προφάσει θρησκείας πράττουσι τὰ αἰσχρά, εἰς ἀσέλγειαν μετατιθέναι αὐτοὺς εἶπε τὴν χάριν τοῦ κυρίου, δι' ἧς ἀσελγείας καὶ τῶν ἔργων αὐτῆς ἀρνοῦνται τὸν μόνον δεσπότην καὶ κύριον ἡμῶν Ἰησοῦν Χριστόν. (Cr 157, 31158, 3 Ma 235) Εἴρηται γοῦν πρὸ τούτων περὶ αὐτοῦ, ὡς εἴη ἀληθινὸς θεὸς οὗτος ὁ μόνος δεσπότης καὶ κύριος Ἰησοῦς Χριστὸς ὁ ἀναγαγὼν τὸν λαὸν ἐξ Αἰγύπτου διὰ Μωσέως· ἕπεται μὴ ἕτερον εἶναι θεὸν τὸν Μωσέως· οὐδὲ γάρ ἐστιν ἄλλος παρὰ τὴν 91 τριάδα· ὅθεν αὐτῷ διακονῶν φαίνεται Μωσῆς κατὰ τό· “ἐκεῖνος περὶ ἐμοῦ ἔγραψε”· καὶ τό· “ὃν ἔγραψε Μωσῆς, εὑρήκαμεν Ἰησοῦν”· διὸ καὶ προθεωρήσας πνευματικῶς τὸν σταυρὸν μέγιστον πλοῦτον ἔχειν ἡγήσατο τὸν ὀνειδισμὸν τοῦ Χριστοῦ οὐχ ἑτέρως τοῦ λέγοντος· “ἐμοὶ εἴη καυχᾶσθαι ἐν τῷ
About this text
A clear explanation of the Catholic Epistles showing how Christians are called to endure and grow in faith
Catalogue & scope
Khazarzar scan
Witnesses
- Copy-text PG (Khazarzar) (Greek)
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