Logos 4 opening: against “there was when the Son was not”
Fourth discourse. Against those who dare to say, “There was when the Son was not.”
Selections of syllogisms and constructions of thoughts with testimonies; the conclusion from all: the Word of God is eternal. Romans 1:20 and other witnesses are pressed so that “eternal power and deity” are not stripped from the Son.
Greek
ΛΟΓΟΣ ∆ʹ. Πρὸς τοὺς τολμῶντας λέγειν, ὅτι Ἦν ποτε, ὅτε οὐκ ἦν ὁ Υἱός. Ἐκλογαὶ συλλογισμῶν, καὶ νοημάτων κατασκευαὶ, σὺν μαρτυρίαις· τὸ δὲ συναγόμενον ἐκ πάντων, ὅτι ἀΐδιος ὁ τοῦ Θεοῦ Λόγος. Ἀνοήτως λέγουσιν οἱ θεομάχοι περὶ τοῦ Υἱοῦ, ὅτι Ἦν ὅτε οὐκ ἦν. Εἰ μὲν γὰρ ἐπ' αὐτοῦ φέροιτο, φασὶ, τοῦ Λόγου, τὸ Ἦν, οὐδένα τόπον ἕξει τὸ Οὐκ ἦν. Εἰ δέ τις ἐπὶ χρόνου λαμβάνοι τὸ Ἦν, ἵνα λέγῃ σαφῶς, ὅτι ἦν χρόνος ὅτε οὐκ ἦν ὁ Υἱὸς, ἀμαθὴς ὢν καὶ ἀνόητος ἐλεγχθήσεται, χρόνον εἶναι λέγων πρὸ τῆς ὑπάρξεως τοῦ Υἱοῦ, δι' οὗ πεποιῆσθαι τοὺς αἰῶνας Παῦλός φησιν. Ὅτι ἀΐδιος ὁ τοῦ Θεοῦ Λόγος, μαρτυρίαι. Ἐν ἀρχῇ ἦν ὁ Λόγος, καὶ ὁ Λόγος ἦν πρὸς τὸν Θεὸν, καὶ Θεὸς ἦν ὁ Λόγος. Ἐν τῇ Ἀποκαλύψειτῇ Ἰωάννου τάδε λέγει, Ὁ ὢν, ὁ ἦν, ὁ ἐρχόμενος, ὅτι ὁ ἐρχόμενος, ὁ Λόγος ἐστὶ, καθ' οὗ τὸ Ὁ ὢν, καὶ Ὁ ἦν τέτακται. Ἰδοὺ γὰρ, φησὶν, ἐγὼ ἔρχομαι, καὶ κατασκηνώσω ἐν μέσῳ σου, λέγει Κύριος. Σαφῶς δὲ καὶ ὁ Ἰωάννης ἐπὶ τοῦ Λόγου τίθησι τὸ Ἦν· Ἦνγὰρ, φησὶν, ὁ Λόγος πρὸς τὸν Θεόν. Προσεῖναι δὲ πάντως δεῖ τὸ ἀΐδιον τῷ καθ' οὗ τὸ Ὢν καὶ τὸ Ἦν τέτακται. Μαρτυρίαι. Ὁ Παῦλος περὶ Ἰουδαίων· Ὧν οἱ πατέρες, καὶ ἐξ ὧν ὁ Χριστὸς τὸ κατὰ σάρκα, ὁ ὢν ἐπὶ πάντων Θεὸς εὐλογητὸς εἰς τοὺς αἰῶνας. Ἀμήν. Ὁ αὐτὸςπερὶ τοῦ Λόγου· Τὰ γὰρ ἀόρατα αὐτοῦ ἀπὸ κτίσεως κόσμου τοῖς ποιήμασι νοούμενα καθορᾶται· ἥ τε ἀΐδιος αὐτοῦ δύναμις, καὶ θειότης. Εἰ δὲ ἐπὶ τοῦ Πατρὸς ἐνεχθείη τὸ ῥητὸν, ἑτέρως εἰς τὸν Υἱὸν περιτραπήσεται. Τίς γὰρ ἡ τοῦ Θεοῦ δύναμις, ὁ Παῦλος βοᾷ· Ὁ Χριστὸς, Θεοῦ δύναμις καὶ Θεοῦ σοφία. Ὁ Ψαλμῳδὸς τὸ αὐτό· Ἔντειλαι, ὁ Θεὸς, τῇ δυνάμει σου. ∆υνάμωσον, ὁ Θεὸς, τοῦτο ὃ κατειργάσω ἐν ἡμῖν. Τίς δὲ ὁ δυναμώσας τοῦτο τὸ καταρτισθὲν ἡμῖν, εἰ μὴ ὁ ἐκ τῆς φθορᾶς ἡμᾶς λυτρωσάμενος τοῦ Θεοῦ Λόγος, καὶ ἀναστήσας εἰς ἀφθαρσίαν; ΑΛΛΟ. Εἰς τὸ αὐτὸ κατασκευὴ πιθανὴ, ὅτι τὸ ῥητὸν τὸ λέγον, Τὰ ἀόρατα αὐτοῦ ἀπὸ κτίσεως κό σμου, τοῖς ποιήμασι νοούμενα καθορᾶται· ἥ τε ἀΐδιος αὐτοῦ δύναμις, καὶ θειότης, τὸν Υἱὸν σημαίνει. Ὁ δὲ λόγος τῆς κατασκευῆς οὗτος· Γέγραπται· Οὐδεὶς γινώσκει τὸν Πατέρα, εἰ μὴ ὁ Υἱὸς, καὶ ᾧ ἂν ὁ Υἱὸς ἀποκαλύψῃ. Εἰ δὲ μόνῳ τῷ Υἱῷ ὁ Πατὴρ γινώσκεται, καὶ δι' αὐτοῦ μόνου τοῖς ἄλλοις ἀποκαλύπτεται, οὐ διὰ κτίσεως ἄρα, οὐδὲ τοῖς ποιήμασι νοούμενος ὁ Πατὴρ καθορᾶται. Ἀλλ' ἡ μὲν κτίσις τὸν ἑαυτῆς δημιουργὸν τὸν Θεὸν Λόγον· ὁ δὲ Λόγος ἐν ἑαυτῷ δεικνύει τὸν Πατέρα.
About this text
Cyril of Alexandria, Thesaurus on the Holy and Consubstantial Trinity (Greek). SERIES on this page: prologue + Logos I–XXXV CLOSEOUT.
English follows PG 75 Greek (CPG 5215). Greystone / Durand SC / modern English syncs were not used as wording. Thesaurus SERIES CLOSEOUT prologue + Logos I–XXXV.
Witnesses
- Copy-text PG 75 — Thesaurus de sancta et consubstantiali Trinitate (Greek)
English is newly prepared for study from the stated edition. Open Greek on each section for the source text. This is not a complete critical edition.