Fragmenta in Joannem
In this, the Savior himself refutes a lawless doctrine. For some thinking souls sinning for the sake of retribution from heaven to be sent into a body, and sometimes the body's soul existing beforehand, and sometimes for the sake of sins of the household to be knit with bodies, and then to be able to have the woman in the belly, when a soul sins, cutting off this error, the Christ being asked said: Neither this one sinned nor his parents, but that the works of God might be revealed.
The text is a fragment of a larger work, likely a homily or commentary on the Gospel of John, specifically addressing the question of why a person suffers or is born into a state of sin.
Greek
Fragmenta in Joannem Jo , 3 Ἐν τούτῳ δὲ ἀνέτρεπεν αὐτὸς ὁ σωτὴρ δόγμα παράνομον. ὑπονοούντων γάρ τινων ψυχὰς ἁμαρτανούσας ἐξ οὐρανοῦ τιμωρίας ἕνεκεν εἰς σῶμα πέμπεσθαι καί ποτε μὲν καθ' ἑαυτὴν προϋπάρχουσαν τὴν ψυχὴν τοῦ σώματος <μένειν>, ποτὲ δὲ οἰκείων ἁμαρτημάτων χάριν σώμασι συμπλέκεσθαι καὶ τότε κατὰ γαστρὸς ἔχειν τὴν γυναῖκα δύνασθαι ὅτε τις ψυχὴ ἁμαρτάνῃ, ἀναιρῶν τὴν τοιαύτην πλάνην ἐρωτηθεὶς ὁ Χριστὸς ἔλεγεν· οὔτε οὗτος ἥμαρτεν οὔτε οἱ γονεῖς αὐτοῦ, ἀλλ' ἵνα φανερωθῇ τὰ ἔργα θεοῦ. 1
About this text
Theophilus of Alexandria, Fragmenta in Joannem (Greek).
Catalogue & scope
Khazarzar scan
Witnesses
- Copy-text PG 65 (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.