On the Incarnation of the Word 42
42 Above all, so live that you may have the right to eat of this tree of knowledge and life, and so come to eternal joys. Doxology
But for the searching of the Scriptures and true knowledge of them, an honourable life is needed, and a pure soul, and that virtue which is according to Christ; so that the intellect guiding its path by it, may be able to attain what it desires, and to comprehend it, in so far as it is accessible to human nature to learn concerning the Word of God. 2. For without a pure mind and a modelling of the life after the saints, a man could not possibly comprehend the words of the saints. 3. For just as, if a man wished to see the light of the sun, he would at any rate wipe and brighten his eye, purifying himself in some sort like what he desires, so that the eye, thus becoming light, may see the light of the sun; or as, if a man would see a city or country, he at any rate comes to the place to see it;—thus he that would comprehend the mind of those who speak of God must needs begin by washing and cleansing his soul, by his manner of living, and approach the saints themselves by imitating their works; so that, associated with them in the conduct of a common life, he may understand also what has been revealed to them by God, and thenceforth, as closely knit to them, may escape the peril of the sinners and their fire at the day of judgment, and receive what is laid up for the saints in the kingdom of heaven, which “Eye hath not seen, nor ear heard, neither have entered into the heart of man,” whatsoever things are prepared for them that live a virtuous life, and love the God and Father, in Christ Jesus our Lord: through Whom and with Whom be to the Father Himself, with the Son Himself, in the Holy Spirit, honour and might and glory for ever and ever. Amen.
Ὥσπερ γὰρ ὅλου τοῦ σώματος ὑπὸ τοῦ ἀνθρώπου ἐνεργουμένου, καὶ φωτιζομένου, εἴ τις λέγοι ἄτοπον εἶναι καὶ ἐν τῷ δακτύλῳ τοῦ ποδὸς τὴν δύναμιν εἶναι τοῦ ἀνθρώπου, ἀνόητος ἂν νομισθείη, ὅτι διδοὺς ἐν τῷ ὅλῳ αὐτὸν διικνεῖσθαι καὶ ἐνεργεῖν, κωλύει καὶ ἐν τῷ μέρει αὐτὸν εἶναι· οὕτως ὁ διδοὺς καὶ πιστεύων τὸν τοῦ Θεοῦ Λόγον ἐν τῷ παντὶ εἶναι, καὶ τὸ πᾶν ὑπ’ αὐτοῦ φωτίζεσθαι καὶ κινεῖσθαι, οὐκ ἄτοπον ἂν ἡγήσηται, καὶ σῶμα ἓν ἀνθρώπινον ὑπ’ αὐτοῦ κινεῖσθαι καὶ φωτίζεσθαι.
Εἰ δὲ ὅτι γενητόν ἐστι, καὶ ἐξ οὐκ ὄντων γέγονε τὸ ἀνθρώπινον γένος διᾶ τοῦτο οὐκ εὐπρεπῆ νομίζουσιν ἡμᾶς λέγειν τὴν ἐν ἀνθρώπῳ τοῦ Σωτῆρος ἐπιφάνειαν· ὥρα καὶ τῆς κτίσεως αὐτοὺς αὐτὸν ἐκβάλλειν· καὶ γὰρ καὶ αὕτη ἐκ τοῦ μὴ ὄντος εἰς τὸ εἶναι διὰ τοῦ Λόγου γέγονεν.
Εἰ δὲ καὶ γενητῆς οὔσης τῆς κτίσεως, οὐκ ἄτοπον ἐν αὐτῇ τὸν Λόγον εἶναι, οὐκ ἄρα οὐδὲ ἐν ἀνθρώπῳ αὐτὸν εἶναι ἄτοπον. ὁποῖα γὰρ ἂν περὶ τοῦ ὅλου νοήσειαν, τοιαῦτα ἀνάγκη καὶ περὶ τοῦ μέρους αὐτοὺς ἐνθυμεῖσθαι. μέρος γὰρ, ὡς προεῖπον, τοῦ ὅλου καὶ ὁ ἄνθρωπός ἐστιν.
Οὐκοῦν ὅλως οὐκ ἀπρεπὲς τὸ ἐν ἀνθρώπῳ εἶναι τὸν Λόγον, καὶ πάντα ὑπ’ αὐτοῦ καὶ ἐν αὐτῷ φωτίζεσθαι, καὶ κινεῖσθαι, καὶ ἦν, καθὼς καὶ οἱ παρ’ αὐτοῖς συγγραφεῖς φασιν· ὅτι ἐν αὐτῇ ζῶμεν, καὶ κινούμεθα, καὶ ἐσμέν.
Τί λοιπὸν χλεύης ἄξιον λέγομεν, εἰ ἐν ᾧ ἔστιν ὁ Λόγος, τούτῳ πρὸς φανέρωσιν ὡς ὀργάνῳ κέχρηται ὁ Λόγος; εἰ μὲν γὰρ οὐκ ἦν ἐν αὐτῷ, οὐδὲ χρήσασθαι ἂν ἠδυνήθη τούτῳ. εἰ δὲ προαποδεδώκαμεν ἐν τῷ παντὶ καὶ ἐν τοῖς κατὰ μέρος εἶναι τοῦτον, τί ἄπιστον εἰ ἐν οἷς ἔστιν ἐν τούτοις ἑαυτὸν καὶ ἐπιφαίνει;
Ὥσπερ γὰρ ταῖς ἑαυτοῦ δυνάμεσιν ὅλος ἐν ἑκάστῳ καὶ πᾶσιν ἐπιβαίνων, καὶ πάντα διακοσμῶν ἀφθόνως, εἰ ἤθελε, διὰ ἡλίου, ἢ σελήνης, ἢ οὐρανοῦ, ἢ γῆς, ἢ ὑδάτων, ἢ πυρός, οὐκ ἄν τις ἀτόπως αὐτὸν? φωνῇ χρήσασθαι καὶ γνωρίσαι ἑαυτὸν καὶ τὸν αὐτοῦ Πατέρα ἔφησεν [πεποιηκέναι] ἅπαξ πάντα αὐτοῦ συνέχοντος καὶ μετὰ πάντων καὶ ἐν αὐτῷ τῷ μέρει τυγχάνοντος καὶ ἀοράτως ἑαυτὸν δεικνύντος· οὕτως οὐκ ἄτοπον ἂν εἴη διακοσμοῦντα αὐτὸν τὰ πάντα καὶ τὰ ὅλα ζωοποιοῦντα, καὶ θελήσαντα δι’ ἀνθρώπων γνωρίσαι, εἰ ὀργάνῳ κέχρηται ἀνθρώπου σώματι πρὸς φανέρωσιν ἀληθείας καὶ γνῶσιν τοῦ Πατρός. μέρος γὰρ τοῦ ὅλου καὶ ἡ ἀνθρωπότης τυγχάνει.
Καὶ ὥσπερ ὁ νοῦς δι’ ὅλου τοῦ ἀνθρώπου ὤν, ἀπὸ μέρους τοῦ σώματος, τῆς γλώττης λέγω, σημαίνεται, καὶ οὐ δήπου τις ἐλαττοῦσθαι τὴν οὐσίαν τοῦ νοῦ διὰ τοῦτο λέγει· οὕτως ὁ Λόγος διὰ πάντων ὤν, εἰ ἀνθρωπίνῳ κέχρηται ὀργάνῳ, οὐκ ἀπρεπὲς ἂν φαίνοιτο τοῦτο. εἰ γὰρ, ὡς προεῖπον, ἀπρεπὲς ὀργάνῳ χρήσασθαι σώματι, ἀπρεπὲς καὶ ἐν τῷ ὅλῳ αὐτὸν εἶναι.