Epistle in support of piety, against the Hagarites

In the “Epistle in Support of Piety, Against the Hagarians” (25 chapters) St. Simeon of Thessalonica addresses Orthodox Christians living in conditions of persecution and heterodox surroundings. The saint begins his work with a call to perseverance in the confession of Christ, recalling the great glory prepared for those who suffer for His name, and contrasting temporary sorrows with eternal joy in the Kingdom of God. The author expounds the doctrine of the Holy Trinity, using visual analogies (sun, source, plant, mind) to refute the distorted ideas about God characteristic of non-believers (for example, anthropomorphic ideas). He proves the inspiration and necessity of the Incarnation, citing prototypes and prophecies from the Holy Scriptures. In the letter, the saint calls on Christians to live in purity, virginity or chaste marriage, condemning the dissolute life of the pagans and “Hagarites.” He lists the virtues that a believer should acquire and the vices that should be avoided. The importance of repentance and unceasing prayer is emphasized. 1. Simeon, the least servant of Jesus Christ, by His grace and mercy, Archbishop of Thessalonica, and before that wrote a letter of love to our Christian brothers living in Caesarea, Ancyra and Gangra about our Christian piety through a certain cleric of the church of the Ancyra people asking [for this], and now this is an expanded [message] to you inhabiting Thessaly, and in general to everyone and everywhere in the lands of the pagans 1 found faithful. Grace to you and the peace of God the Father and our Lord Jesus Christ in the Holy Spirit, mercy and blessing and everything that leads to salvation, for the fellowship of the glory of Jesus Christ who loved you, the Son of God and our God, who became like us, and the inheritance of His kingdom. 2. Beloved in Christ, rejoice and be glad, being awarded the great gift and grace of the one God in the Trinity, because you are His inheritance and a holy people, living surrounded by the most godless peoples, and the holy heavenly name of Christ, one of the Trinity, bearing on yourselves and calling yourself Christians. Because of this holy name, you are currently undergoing thousands of sorrows from all the unbelievers who hate and persecute you, as the Lord Himself predicted: you will be hated by all because of My name (Matthew 10:22), but in the age to come you will be rewarded with great glory and His kingdom, first of all you will be caught up in the clouds to meet the Lord in the air, as the divine preacher Paul says, and so you will always be with the Lord ( 1 Thessalonians 4:17). And now, persecuted, oppressed by wicked rulers and leaders, like all the holy martyrs; then you will shine like the sun in the kingdom of Christ, as He Himself foretold and set an example, shining brighter than the sun on Mount Tabor. And now the godless are enslaving you, oppressing you as enslaved, and blaspheming the terrible and saving name of Christ and our God; Then they will see Him descending from heaven with glory, they will be afraid and come into great horror, and will bow the knee, and against their will will worship Him, who is God above all, and He, having convicted, will judge each according to his deeds. And the resurrected wicked will immediately be given over to punishment, as the prophet David said: I will cast down the wicked so that he does not see the glory of the Lord (Is. 26:10) 2 and: the wicked will not stand in judgment (Ps. 1: 5), that is, they will not be justified by any word. But you, believers, will be heirs of the glory of heaven and the kingdom prepared from the foundation of the world (Matthew 25:34), by the grace of Christ. 3. Therefore, hold fast with much love and joy in the impeccable faith of Christ and with great frankness confess it before people, so that He also confesses you before His Father, as He said: everyone who confesses Me before men, him will I also confess before My Heavenly Father (Matthew 10:32) and all the holy angels. And blessed are you if you keep His pure confession. Also, every Christian should have other good things, as a disciple of the one truth of Christ, sanctified, enlightened and purified by holy baptism, the anointing of the divine chrism and the communion of the all-holy and life-giving Body and Blood of Christ; and must imitate Him and act according to His behavior (πολιτεία), for Christ also passed through divine baptism, and so all, says [the apostle], who were baptized into Christ, have put on Christ (Gal. 3:27); and bearing the grace of the Holy Spirit and the holy fragrance of Christ, as true and most fragrant ointment, a Christian must anoint himself through good deeds and cover himself with incense, for we are the fragrance of Christ (2 Cor. 2:15), as the divine Paul says. And having become the Body of Christ by participating in His sacraments and members of Christ, as Paul again says: you are the Body of Christ, and individually members (1 Cor. 12:27), and after: you are the church of the living God (2 Cor. 6:16), and: do you not know that you are the church of God, and the Spirit of God lives in you? (1 Cor. 3:16), and one with Christ, as the Lord Himself said: he who walks on My Flesh and drinks My Blood abides in Me, and I in him (John 6:56). [Therefore] every Christian must keep his own body and members, just as the Body and members and church of Christ are pure to the Lord Himself. If he does not do this, then how can the Lord Jesus, being most pure, as the Word of God and the all-holy Son and the true light of the light, desire to dwell or generally remain in an unclean and filthy soul? But if this is a necessity and, out of necessity, we must keep Christ’s commandments, then in the same way, first of all, the most necessary thing [is] to keep His confession pure and unshakable. For apart [from him] everything is dead. And just as it is impossible to build a house without a cornerstone, nor to grow a plant or grow without soil in which it could take root, so without a confession of faith [a person] has no benefit, as the brother of the Lord says: faith without works is dead (James 2:26), so are works without faith. Therefore, if someone does good deeds, but does not confess the true faith of Christ, he is far from God and Christ renounces him, as in the Gospel he says: everyone who confesses Me before men, him I will also confess before My Heavenly Father; but whoever denies Me before men, him will I also deny before My Father in heaven (Matthew 10:32–33). It is not good to think that an unbeliever can do good, [after all] the greatest evil is delusion (παραλύπησιν) about God. For if he rejects the Good, what other work can do good? And if human fear or the desire for profit shakes the faith of a pious person and he does not boldly confess the Triune God, how will he do anything good? Such a person will no longer be able to do anything good. For just as a miscarriage born by a mother is dead and has no movement, so one who has rejected Life and does not openly profess faith is dead and has no power to do good. Whoever believes [that he can] act has the fruit of error and the deception of the devil. 4. Therefore, brethren, I urge you: stand in the faith, be firm, remain immovable and unshakable, even to the word and [smallest] sign. Because the truth is Christ our God, as He Himself said: I am the truth (John 14:6), and requires us in deeds and words to fully and faithfully confess the truth before all people, of course, both the pious and the wicked (i.e., Muslims - trans.), and all heretics. So, when the wicked ask any of you: “Who do you say that Jesus Christ is?”, immediately confess Him, as the blessed Apostle Peter confessed, that Christ is the Son of the Living God (Matthew 16:16), so that Christ may make you blessed, as He did Peter. And do not be afraid at all, brother, if beatings or imprisonment, or loss of property comes to you because of this, for you will destroy yourself entirely if you do not confess Christ the Son of God and preach a true and good confession. For if you do not confess, then you will die faster. For you will kill your soul and be separated from Christ, and this is true death - separation from God. So which fear is greater: before God or before people? And what is the greater punishment: temporary punishment or unbearable eternal fire and unquenchable Gehenna, the never-ending worm and what is called tartarus, gnashing of teeth and outer darkness, and in general all kinds of punishment and vengeance there? Therefore, brethren, let us turn to the words of the Lord, who says: Do not be afraid of those who kill the body, but are not able to kill the soul; but fear Him more than Him Who, after being killed, can cast you into Gehenna, Who adds, speaking with power: I say to you, Fear Him (Matthew 10:28; Luke 12:4–5). So, if you fear Him and confess from your heart, then I hope that not only will punishment and vengeance from the wicked not come upon you, protected by God, moreover, the wicked will marvel at you and honor you as having proven unshakable in our holy faith. If any of you should suffer punishment for Christ, blessed is that one who suffered for Christ’s sake. If he also [happens to accept] death, then much more [blessed is he], for he will appear as a new martyr and will be awarded the brightest [crown] from Christ. 5. So, I urge you, brethren, for the love of Christ, keep the faith entrusted to your care unharmed and not humiliated. For there you must return it, and if you have the seal of the Kingdom pure and unharmed, you will be glorified with Him, but if you disfigure the seal of Christ in any way or trample it with your falls, then He will throw you out and drive you out together with the demons and infidels. What could be more painful than this? Or what could be more terrible than being separated from Christ and united with demons? So, defend the faith and fight for it, so that you too may be crowned with blessed Paul, who says: I have fought the good fight, I have finished the course, I have kept the faith; and now there is laid up for me a crown of righteousness, which the Lord, the righteous Judge, will give me on that day; and adds, saying: and not only to me, but also to all who loved His appearing (2 Tim. 4:7-8), that is, to all who believe in the coming and appearance in the flesh of Christ the Son of God. Thus, not only Paul, but also all who believe in Christ and keep His confession and faith will be crowned. Therefore, I exhort you: take care of the faith entrusted to your care. And if one of the brothers is the weakest, let him separate and with all his strength move away from the wicked, so that through communication with them he does not destroy his soul. Let those who are strong live [among them] with boldness: for they should have the reward of confessors and martyrs, [since] in the event that they find themselves questioned, they will preach the truth and boldly confess Christ, the Son of God. They will truly overcome the world, as the beloved apostle said: who overcomes the world if not the one who believes that Jesus is the Son of God? (1 John 5:5). Those who confess the Son of God are from God, as he says again: every spirit that does not confess Jesus Christ who has come in the flesh is not from God, but it is the spirit of Antichrist (1 John 4:3). So, antichrists are those who, like their father, do not confess Christ the Son of God. 6. Therefore, if a pious person, traveling to a [certain] place, meets some wicked people and is asked by them what his faith is, let him not think about hiding himself, but rather reveal himself by saying: “I am a Christian.” And if they ask again: “How do you confess Christ Jesus?”, let him answer with courage: “As you have received, I confess Christ as the Son and Word of God, who in recent centuries became incarnate for our sake.” And if they, being wicked, begin to blaspheme this, the pious himself will not have condemnation for this blasphemy, but this blasphemy will be directed at the head of the blasphemer. If they hit and insult a pious person, then although it is sad, it is useful. And blessed is he who through this will be glorified, just as the sufferings of the disciples of Christ and the Master Himself are honored. For Christ also was struck and endured reproaches, making a good confession. Having been asked by the Jews: Are you the Christ, the Son of the Blessed One, he answered: I am (Mark 14:61–62), as it is written in the Gospel of Mark; and immediately they seized Him and beat Him and scourged Him. What else could be better than this - to suffer and endure reproaches together with the Lord [Himself]? 7. We preach the very Son of God, not born bodily; because God has no body, but just as the Father is incorporeal, immaterial, eternally existing and living, [so] His Son and Word are impassive, incorporeal, eternally existing and living, and perfect from perfect, like light from fire. Therefore, we do not say that God had a wife, as the wicked say unreasonably, 3 being only carnal, and like dumb animals, coarse in mind and unreasonable, but holy and impassive, ineffable and incarnal and above all mind, both angelic and human, the immaterial God and Father gives birth to the immaterial Word and His Son. 8. So that we explain [this] secret to you, as far as possible, just as we received it from our fathers, we will tell everything with examples. Just as the sun generates its rays and light dispassionately, it shines in general [always], and there is no passion in it, so the incorporeal and holy God and Father, being dispassionate and immaterial and true light and life, generates His living personal (ἐνυπόστατος) ray - the Word, and exhausts the Holy Spirit, and there is absolutely no passion in Him. And just as a spring flows forth and rivers flow out dispassionately and inseparably from the source, so God and the Father, like two living streams, dispassionately generates the Word from Himself and sends out the Holy Spirit. And just as a noble plant sends out two branches from one of its roots, these, it seems to me, are the two living branches from the Father - the Son and the Holy Spirit. And just as a branch blooms with fragrant flowers, so is the growth of the Word and the Holy Spirit understood in God. 9 . And how even more obvious you can see an example of thought. Since with our soul we are [created] in the image and likeness of God, and God said this to His Word and Spirit: Let us make man in Our image and likeness (Gen. 1:26), and we received this so that we could contain within ourselves, as far as possible, that God as the organizer created us, and we have His image in ourselves and glorify it. Therefore, in the likeness of God and the Father, we have an immaterial and impassive mind. And this mind of ours ponders everything, comprehends everything, examines everything, strives to penetrate into everything that is outside the body, and what it represents in heaven, and what it explores on earth; it is fast and free, indefinite, subtle, elusive and incorporeal. So, this mind gives birth, in accordance with itself and in itself, its own word; the word is wisdom and the power of the mind. And through the word the mind itself manifests itself again, and if wise, [this] is revealed; and according to himself, through his own word, he acts, but separately without a word he cannot act at all. It also has a life-giving spirit; for the rational soul is alive and immortal, and by itself it moves and gives life to the body. So, the mind itself is a true thing, likewise the word and the power that animates it. This is how I think about God. For our Creator God is not lower than us. Thus, if our soul is rational, verbal and life-giving, does God Himself exist without the Word and the life-giving Spirit? Moreover, we, being God’s creatures, just as we were brought from non-existence into being, we will go into non-existence and die in the flesh, but we will remain alive in soul, and we will have our mind changed and remade, and our word will remain alive and irresistible in many ways, but we have our life living and perishing. God, being eternal, beginningless and infinite, is a holy mind, unchanging, personal and living; He conceived everything and created everything from nothing; together he contemplates, controls and contains everything. Likewise, the Word does not have [as] spreading in the air (for God is not a body, as [has already] been said), but a living Word, beginningless and personal Wisdom; through this Word He created everything and through Him controls everything, for nothing that exists could be verbal or wise without [Him]. And [God] has a Spirit proceeding from Him, as it is written (John 15:26), beginningless and eternal, giving life to everything, preserving and directing everything, for nothing that exists could either move or remain motionless without the Spirit. And the whole creation bears witness to this: for just as there is one God the Father, and this is testified by one heaven, one earth, one air, one fire, one water, and one movement and movement of all things, so His only begotten Word truly is one, and the Holy Spirit is one, and one creation bears witness to them. 10. For what of things was not created by the Word and Wisdom? And the sky arose by the Word and is controlled by the Word, occupies the upper space by the Word and moves by the Word, but the stars are by the Word and by the Word they converge, move away, move in a variety of ways and rotate across the sky like [certain] bodies; and the greatest [of them] are the sun and the moon, and the times and fruits, and our bodies are governed and structured according to the Word and order by Him. In a word, the wind blows, and the water runs, and the fire strives upward, being the lightest substance; Through the Word the earth grows grass and [all] living things are born, receive food and live, and nothing created exists without the Word and Wisdom of God. But what preserves and moves creation? Is it not the Holy Spirit who gives life to everything? For in Him we live and move and have our being (Acts 17:28). But God’s creation is like the One who produces it; it itself imitates the Creator. For just as God himself dispassionately gave birth to the Word, one in essence, one in nature, and brought forth the Holy Spirit, so every creation imitates Him, being likened in this to the Most Wise, the Immaterial and the Purest, perceiving [this] carnally and materially, by birth sensually. 11. For this reason, the Holy Trinity is most purely explained in heaven by angels, perfect and verbal minds, and living spirits, existing and called. And they are intelligent from the beginningless mind of the Father, verbal from the living Word, through Whom they receive greater divine knowledge, but they are eternally alive from the Spirit that animates everything, and they are holy in Him - the Holy and vivifying divine Spirit. Therefore, being more pure than we are in mind, they recognize the divine [mystery] taking place in themselves and comprehend with life-giving power, and imagine the most pure Holy Trinity in themselves. They illuminate us with the most radiant triple light, and with the thrice-holy song they continually proclaim the one God in the Trinity, saying: Holy, holy, holy is the Lord of hosts (Is. 6:3). And through the threefold repetition of “holy,” the trinity of the divine Hypostases is glorified; and through the single utterance of “Lord of hosts,” the unity of the indivisible divine essence is preached. And again, being in the order of three by three, the number turns out to be nine times, and this is clearly communicated. And thus the immaterial nature of the angels preaches the immaterial Trinity. 12. We, people, [nature] doubly depicts God as one in the Trinity, as composed of two natures. Namely, an incorporeal rational soul: for it, as we said, in a similar way to the angels, has rational power and its own mind. Through it the beginningless mind of God the Father is manifested, and the word [soul] also has in itself, born from the mind, just as the beginningless Word comes from the Father; [the soul is] living, providing the body with life-giving power, just as the life-giving Spirit clearly appears from God. And thus, in the soul, man immaterially becomes like the Trinity. Yet man, considering how the God of all is one - the Trinity, and how He Himself is one in essence, is trinitarian in Persons, and how the Word is from the Father and how the Spirit from the Father testifies, and through these questions, thoughts and words [partly comprehends] God in the Trinity. For if a person did not have a rational soul, he would not be able to reflect on the immaterial and beginningless mind; and if I did not have the word, I would not be able to think a word about God and the Word of God; and if a person did not have a quickening rational soul, then he would not have this material body alive and movable and would not have acquired [the ability] of the rational nature to represent it and learn about the immaterial. And simply in a person’s [ability] to penetrate [with thought], to investigate about God and engage in word discussions, you will clearly understand, as far as this is possible for a person, the eternal, passionless and beginningless birth of the Word of God from God the Father. And from [such] the necessity of the human mind, which itself produces the word, imagine the divine fruit of the Holy Spirit in order to speak divine truth. For the Spirit, as truly living, comes from the Father, some say, and rests on the Son. And the same [can be] seen in us. Indeed, while our mind generates a suitable and good word, it seems to enjoy it, and dispassionately and with great love loves the word that comes from it, enjoys and rests; and feels disgust at those who reject his word, but rejoices at those who accept it. In this way, the unity in the Trinity of God is reflected in us, and in this way the good Lord, Who is incomprehensible even to the angels, wanted to give us, as those clothed with the weight of bodies, a certain reflection of His glory and imperfect images, so that this, as accessible [to us], we would understand and strive to explore about Him. 13. So, in accordance with reason, man testifies to the divine birth of the Word, and the procession of the Spirit according to the material, carnal and sensory nature, as having a body composed of elements, which is impermanent and carnal. For the body gives birth to similar things, according to flow and division, like other living things; natural attraction and love leads to the birth from it, which is considered the image of both the living one and the other after him. And although he differs from him, like a weak body continues to remain in the body [of the parent], but by nature he is divided. And the shoot also appears, similar to the one that produces [it], and the earth gives rise to a sprout from itself, and grass and all seeds, such great power does living things have to generate the like; and especially those who move by moving through space. And let anyone understand how amazing it is that in some way, part of the senses, the living is filled with life-giving power, as a result of which oysters, shoots and herbs generate similar things to themselves, so that they testify to the unbegotten Father, the only begotten Son, the cause of everything, and the proceeding Spirit, life-giving and all-holy. Since it does not have life-giving power, neither the like can give birth until the strengthening Trinity appears, until then there is no life in them, as a testimony to the Divine Spirit. But, however, these creations of the almighty Trinity, Her sacrament, indicate as far as possible. For God the Father said through the Word to Moses: I am who I am (Ex. 3:14), as a result of which both the Father Himself, being uncaused, and the insensitive creature testify that from non-existence He brought into existence what exists. But the Word and the Son appear from [the ability of] the word to be born and become a word: for every soulless stone and some other nature similar to this, and they are the essence, and the difference has one from the other and the word dwells in essence and property, for which reason God the Father bears witness to the Son, as we said. Again, from the [ability] of each to maintain the same position and act according to nature, [all] indicate and manifest according to the power of the life-giving all-holy Spirit: for anything to be able to remain in place and move is from the life-giving Spirit, who is from the Father. 14. And simply: all creation, rational and insensitive, as created by the Trinity, represents the Trinity. We, brethren, being rational in soul and mind, and living in the spirit, nobly and purely, together with the angels, glorify, worshiping the beginningless and unborn God and the cause of all the Father, His only begotten and consubstantial Son, who arranged everything for the Word, and from the Father himself proceeding to the co-eternal and chief of life and the all-holy Spirit, confessing the unfused and indivisible Trinity and believing in the one in Three Gods, [in whom] there is one force, power and principle, will and movement (κίνησις) - three Hypostases, and [again] one nature, one deity and action (ἐνέργεια). For neither God the Father acts without the Word and the Spirit, nor the Word without the Father and the Spirit, nor the Spirit without the Father and the Son. After all, in such a way that each can act separately, this happens with angels and people, separated from each other as creatures; and more [this is characteristic] of people, as endowed with a body, who differ from each other in character, action, knowledge, choice, mind, and thousands of other [things]. The same is true for the angels, as we said, since they too are creatures; although not physically separated, each of them, in accordance with its own existence and personal movement and choice, and success, ascension and radiance, has a great difference from other angels. For just as among us there are smart people, some wise, others unlearned, namely, [differing] in knowledge, skill and action; but even among the wise, everyone has a different mind, just as among the unlearned. For as creatures we are each individual and different from each other in a special way. However, this is not the case with God: but just as there is no beginning in the Trinity, but the Father, Son and Holy Spirit together, so there is no end in It. For the Trinity is beginningless and endless, and the Father was never without the Word and the Spirit. The Trinity is indivisible, self-moving and sovereign. And in all the Father is the Son and the Spirit, and in all the Son is the Father and the Spirit, and in all the Spirit is the Father and the Son. And the Father does not act separately, but together with the Son and the Spirit, nor the Son by Himself, but with the Father and the Spirit, just as the Spirit acts with the Father and the Son. Therefore, there is one deity of the Three and one will and power and action. And truly the Three are one God, and one service, glorification and worship of the Trinity from us, and one knowledge and interpretation. And not only us, but also the angels themselves. Because they do not sing separately of the Father, and separately of the Son, and separately of the Holy Spirit, but together they lift up a song, saying: Holy, holy, holy is the Lord of hosts, as we have already said, and we cry out with them, saying, “The heavens and the earth are filled with Your glory” (Is. 6:3), with them who live in heaven and we who are on earth are encouraged to sing praises to the one God in the Trinity. Therefore, together with the angels, we glorify the Father, the Son and the Holy Spirit, the one and true God. 15. For God the Father is not dumb (ἄλογον) and not soulless (ἄπνουν) 4, we believe that if God is not the Father, then He is not wise and alien to holiness. But He has an almighty and living Word, as the scriptures testify: Your Word, O Lord, is established in heaven; forever, to all generations (Ps. 119:89-90) 5, and the Holy and living Spirit, as all the scriptures testify. And we know the impassive, wise and powerful God the Father, who has hypostatic Wisdom and power - His immaterial Son and the Word without beginning, through whom He created the worlds (Heb. 1:2). This is the radiance of His glory, that is, the generation of His essence and the image of His hypostasis (Heb. 1:3), the coeternal and living image by Whom the heavens are established. And we believe that the Son, holy by nature, has the source of sanctification in Himself by the power of the Holy Spirit, co-originating with the Father, and proceeding from the Father. He also sanctifies the angels and supports all creation, for by the Word of the Lord the heavens are established, as David says, and by the Spirit of His mouth all their host (Ps. 33:6). And in the book of Wisdom it is written: God of the fathers, who created all things by Thy Word 6 and by Thy Wisdom formed man (Wisdom 9:1-2). Job says: The Spirit of the Lord created me, and the breath of the Almighty sustains me (Job 33:4) 7. For the creation and providence of the Father, Son and Spirit are together, as is the one deity of the Three. And again in the book of Proverbs it is written: I am the indwelling Wisdom, I am called by will, thought and knowledge (Prov. 8:12) 8 and by Me kings reign and rulers rule the earth (Prov. 8:16) 9, She prepares the friends of God and the prophets (Wisdom 7:27) and to [all] this she says that there is in Her, of course, Wisdom, which is the Son, the intelligent Holy Spirit (Wisdom 7:22), the radiance of the eternal light, of course [here] the Father, and the image of the goodness of God (Wisdom 7:26). Do you see that the Wisdom of God, the only begotten Son and Word, is the living radiance and hypostatic image of God, and likewise the Spirit? For Paul says about the Son: This is the radiance of glory and the image of His hypostasis (Heb. 1:3), and this is also written in the book of parables about the Spirit. Because the Son is the radiance of the eternal light - the Father, and David sings, saying: in Your light we will see light (Ps. 35:9), meaning: in Your Spirit - the Son. And again about the Son he says: You have created all things by Wisdom (Ps. 103:24) 10 and: Your Word, O Lord, is established in heaven; forever, to generation and generation (Ps. 119:89–90). And about the Holy Spirit: if you send Your Spirit, they will be created, and You will renew the face of the earth (Ps. 103:30), and renew the right spirit within me, and do not take Your Holy Spirit from me (Ps. 50:12-13), let Your good Spirit lead me into the land of righteousness (Ps. 142:10). And what more can be said? And Moses and all the prophets proclaim the Word and Spirit of God. 16. But [in addition, we] need to loudly confess that in the future the Word of God became incarnate for our sake in the last centuries, and try to the best of our ability from the prophets and the law to prove that everyone proclaimed this from the beginning. For when the Word and the Holy Spirit existed in God from the beginning, the intelligible and sensible creation from non-existence into being was brought by God for the sake of [His] goodness, immediately taught him that the Creator really loves all this, and gave them being, and communicates with them because of [His] excessive goodness, so that he guided them towards being and good-being, until finally His Word was incarnate, through which He created all things in the Holy Spirit, to correct them according to His goodness, for just as they were generated by the Word, so they are guided by the Word. For [the Word] itself brought forth creatures from non-existence, so that they might have existence and life and communion with God. However, the fact that He not only [according to] His own incorporeal nature made the angels His Word, but also this sensory, visible world, although God is immaterial, clearly proves the incarnation of the incorporeal Word in the Holy Spirit. Although He first created the intelligible creation (i.e., the angelic world - trans.), then at a certain time God created the sensible [creation] by His Word; teaching from this how subsequently the co-eternal and incorporeal Word Himself, through Whom He created all things, will, by His good pleasure, become incarnate in the Holy Spirit for the restoration and sanctification of all. But it was man who, by the Word of God and the Spirit, was the last of [all] creation to be molded from a earthy body and a rational soul, which [was also] a sign of the incarnation in the last centuries of the only begotten Son of God, so that man, through the nature (φύσις) of the Son, would be adopted as sons of God. Also, through the fact that an immaterial soul dwells in the earthly body, it is testified that the immaterial Word of the Most High can one day be born in the flesh and [at the same time] contain everything. Also, by the Divine breath, by which the soul arose in the human body, [it is prefigured] that from [the action of] the Holy Spirit in the Virgin there must be the incarnation of the Word of God. And the fact that the rational soul guides the human body is arranged because of the Word of God who subsequently became man for our sake. And also, the fact that the rational soul moves throughout the body and outside the body [predicted] that the Word incarnate will dwell entirely in man, and entirely in everything, and [at the same time] inseparably remaining entirely in the Father’s bosom. And so, in this way, the human structure proclaims the incarnation of the Word. And the created sun, which arose before him and spread the light everywhere, subsequently containing it in [its] disk and shining through [this] disk to the world, also clearly preaches that the radiance of the Father, the true light, will appear in the flesh. And God clearly showed that God conversed with the first-created in Eden, indicating the incarnation of the Word, and after the crime and expulsion of the first-created, he ordained this through many signs. And before, talking with righteous and sinless people, God obviously foretold this: through vision, conversation, descent and communication [of them] with God. Behold, He speaks with Adam and Abel, Seth and Enoch, Noah and Cain who sinned, Lamech and others [descended] from them. So, by gathering for conversation, he clearly predicted the incarnation of His Word. And some accepted conversations, while others received threats and punishments, foreshadowing through the incarnation of the Word salvation for those who lived in love with God, and punishment for those who lived unfaithfully and unrighteously. But by showing some clear [indications] to the righteous and prophets, the Word of God foretells His own appearance in the flesh; as a result of which, filled with [grace], which He appeared, He was contemplated in human form, through this [showing] that He Himself must truly become a man. After all, to Abraham during [the appearance at] the tabernacle, he was visible as a man, and when on the mountain he wanted to sacrifice Isaac. For the Word of God is an angel of great counsel, who said: You did not withhold Your beloved son from Me (Gen. 22:12) 11, obviously [typing] the Son of God. And in justice, Abraham was forced to sacrifice his son and only begotten, for he served as a prototype of the incarnation of the beloved only begotten Son, who through the cross became a sacrifice offered for all. And Jacob also saw as a man speaking to him and fighting with him, he recognized him as a man, who cast down Jacob and struck him in the thigh, [transforming that] the Word, by receiving flesh, crushed the rebellious and opposing flesh to God, and with the wounds on the cross He healed us; for by His stripes, says Isaiah, we were healed (Is. 53:5). And Moses also saw a humanoid angel on a burning and fireproof bush; who truly showed [the secret of] the union of the divinity of the Word in us, not into death, but into incorruption, purification and enlightenment of our nature, pointing [to this] through non-scorching fire. And the angel of God said, Who was the Word, proclaiming the will of the Father: I am the God of Abraham, the God of Isaac and the God of Jacob (Ex. 3:6), testifying at the same time both the own incarnation of the Word and through His incarnation - the proclamation of the all-holy Trinity: for three times he said: “God,” testifying with Himself to the Father and the Spirit; for the Trinity is indivisible and one in divinity, as we have already said, even if one Word became incarnate. Moses himself saw God on the mountain, clearly showing later the appearance of God in the flesh: when, hastening to fall on his face, he worshiped God, proclaiming through human obedience that the Word of God would appear in human form. But the fact that he received the words of God printed on the tablet, what else [could more clearly] predict the incarnation of the living Word? And the fact that in the tabernacle, when [there was] an ark, a rod and a table, and God appeared and spoke among them, is it not obvious that this signified the incarnation of the Virgin of the Word? And the fact that [animals] slaughtered for people, His holy sacrifice on the cross and life-giving blood indicated through which all humanity, having been renewed, was sanctified; for the blood of dumb animals cannot cleanse rational people, nor [the blood of] a simple person - neither one nor all, for all are sinners; that is why [it was necessary] the incarnation of the sinless, all-holy Word, which from the beginning formed, restored and sanctified [man]. And the ancient [events] prefigured this. 17. As for the fact that He gave laws and delivered some sanctification, performed signs and predicted many things, this, although those [people] did not have perfection, was so that in one way or another the knowledge of God would be fully received among people, and [so that] the manifestation of the truth through the conversion of the first would occur. For this reason, they were without the grace of God, although [they had] images of the true, they still conceded the share of sanctification [as if] to those who took a loan, for even if [they had it, it was] partial and covered with shadow, and unable to completely cleanse not only the whole [human] nature, but even one person, since everyone was subject to death, from the womb accountable to ancestral sin, and through death everyone was enslaved to hell, even if they were the most righteous. For death was never abolished by [anyone], and there was no one so pure among us that by nature he could offer [such a] sacrifice; and there was no sinless person on earth, therefore it was not possible when everyone was under the burden of sins. Only the holy body of the Word of God appeared sinless, since He Himself, having formed it, received it most pure, like the All-Holy One, from the most pure virgin, without union with a husband, so that sin through pleasure would not completely take over the place, and so that the beginning of this all-holy Body would not become a stream of a certain carnal hypostasis and, [through this, would not become] subject to sin and death. Having accepted the Word Himself for His own hypostasis, He strengthened His holy [body], and when He fully aspired, being alive, He made it life-giving. That is why, being one sinless and united [with human] life, he was offered for all sinners, he washed all those subject to death and freed them from sins with sinless blood; and being life and the giver of life, as the living Word of God, He was inseparable from His own body, and was resurrected by Him, [becoming] incorruptible and living, and to those who believed that He is the Savior and were washed by His Blood, He gave incorruption and resurrection. And this one holy sacrifice alone has redeemed the whole world even to this day. It was prefigured and foreshadowed, as we have already said, through the sacrifices of slaughtered animals, which were offered by Abel, Noah and Abraham, Moses and Elijah and all who were before the Law and under the Law; but these sacrifices could not be perfect, as we said before, since by nature they were not from us. Likewise, all those [victims] secretly pointed to the One who came for us, and by the ancient animals of the Foretold, and by the prophets of the seers of the Transformed. For both Isaiah (Isaiah 6:1) and Ezekiel (Ezekiel 1:5) saw God in the form of a man. The Most Pure Daniel saw the Son of Man coming in vain on the clouds, and came to the Ancient of Days (Dan. 7:13), that is, the Father, and all honor and His eternal Kingdom were given to Him. It is obvious that he foreshadowed the Son, who later became incarnate, taken again into heaven and seated at the right hand of the Father, and in the last days about to come in glory to judge the world with justice, as the Ruler of all, whose kingdom has no end, as it is written 12. But many of the previously mentioned righteous people predicted the incarnation of the Only Begotten: thus, the patriarch Jacob said: the ruler will not depart from Judah (Gen. 49:10) 13, and Isaiah: This is our God, and no one else can compare with Him, after that He appeared on earth and spoke among people (Bar. 3:36, 38) 14, and Moses: He will raise up for you a prophet The Lord God is from among our brothers, like me, and every soul that does not listen to that Prophet will be destroyed (Deut. 18:15, 19) 15, and David: Our God is coming (Ps. 49:3), and: Lord! Bow your heavens and come down (Ps. 143:5), and: He bowed the heavens and came down (Ps. 17:10), and: He will come down like rain on a mown meadow (Ps. 71:6), and: God the Lord has appeared to us (Ps. 117:27) 16, and: The Lord said to my Lord, Sit on my right hand ( Ps.109:1), and: from the fruit of your womb I will seat you on My throne (Ps.131:11) 17. And again Isaiah [says]: Behold, a virgin is with child and will give birth to a Son, and they will call His name Immanuel (Is. 7:4), and: to us a child is born - to us a Son is given; dominion is upon His shoulders, and His peace has no end; His name is: Wonderful Counselor, Mighty God, Ruler (Is. 9: 6, 7) and so on. And not only about the incarnation, but also about His social activities and miracles, works, cross, death, three-day resurrection, ascension, sending of the Spirit and [His] second coming were clearly predicted; that we have not neglected to write briefly for those in need; The Divine Gospel clearly narrates all [these events], and the writings of the apostles testify to this. 18. Moreover, the preaching of the divine Gospel established the truth throughout the entire universe without the sword, 18 as Christ predicted, and with many persecutions - the victory of the cross - the expulsion of demons, the overthrow of idols. Also the fiery zeal of the apostles, who [endured] thousands of sufferings, roads, labors and enemies for Christ, persecuted even to death. And the greatest of miracles is that in no way did the preaching cease when they were killed and persecuted, when they were poor, uneducated and weak, but more and more [they managed to] prosper, multiply [works] and lead a multitude of believers, and they likewise wanted to die for Christ, as martyrs are. But others also openly proclaimed faith in Christ, the mystery of the Trinity and His divine incarnation, through which sanctification came to all people. It was not during [persecution] that those who sought death for Christ achieved this through virginity, asceticism and many other ways: avoiding the world, they died for the world, loving Christ more than parents, more than wife and children, as they were taught, hoping not for this transitory life, but to have an eternal inheritance [in the Kingdom of Heaven]. The same thing can be seen in action to this day: for many even at the present time, by the love of God, moving away from worldly [affairs], young men together with the elders, voluntarily accept the cross, and, leaving the fatherland and homes, some go to the mountains, others go to monasteries, obeying Christ. And they preferred poverty to wealth on earth, and virginity and abstinence to marriage and pleasure, moderation and the ability to be content with their own - a variety of food and cares; more [preferred] not to care about life than to have many worries and fears for it; but think about God and remain as non-existents than as worldly ones. They are the second martyrs who voluntarily died for the world; even if there are few of them, since many are called, but few are chosen (Matthew 20:16), and now there are very [few] when the last time comes, and although the elect remain persecuted, virtue is neglected, love is cooled, and zeal for piety is quenched; and the faith of Christ is now very strong from the devil and those who are persecuted by him, and much less from those who fight for Christ. 19. That is why, most of all, let us guard ourselves in the present age, and let none of the pious be deceived, seeing the prosperous wicked, carnal and passionate, and enjoying the world, oppressing and enslaving the pious, taking them captive and collecting wealth like bandits, enjoying all the pleasures and excesses and at the same time boasting, rejoicing and thinking of themselves as the righteous who intend to continue this vicious and dissolute life in the same way, and in addition to persecuting and killing the pious, they blaspheme our faith. But every believer knows that, according to the saying of the Lord, wide is the gate and broad is the way that leads to destruction, and many walk in it (Matt. 7:13), namely, those who enjoy pleasures, debauchery, wealth and murder, but narrow is the gate and narrow is the way that leads to life, and few find it (Matt. 7:14), namely, those who love to be oppressed, persecuted and suffer for Christ, Therefore, let us rather love persecution in this world, as Christ said that in this world you will have tribulation (John 16:33), so that we may be [like] children in life, and not seek to enjoy pleasures and debauchery, so that we do not become sons of destruction. Let us hear the Lord saying: blessed are you who hunger now, for you will be satisfied; blessed are you who weep now, for you will laugh (Luke 6:21); blessed are you when they revile you and persecute you, and slander you in every way unjustly and do other things for My sake, and in this rejoice and be glad, for great is your reward in heaven (Matthew 5:11-12). From now on we must rejoice while suffering, for this is what we have been taught, since we have no hope here. If anyone loves the world and the things in the world, the love of the Father is not in him, as John says, who also calls, saying: do not love the world, nor the things in the world, for everything that is in the world passes away, even its lusts (1 John 2:15-17) 19. So, whoever of those who loves attaches great importance to the licentiousness of the wicked and thinks of their wealth as good, he is the son of destruction, for the broad way leads to destruction, and, alas, he is the heir [of it], for it is said: woe to you, who are now full! for you will hunger, woe to you who laugh now! For you will mourn and lament (Luke 6:25). We should not strive for this world, for we are not of the world, but our citizenship is in heaven (Phil. 3:20), as Paul said. Therefore, we must strive towards heaven, where Christ ascended, from which He will come [the second time], as we hope; and we, who have longed for Him from those who are here, and, as far as possible, imitate [Him], then we will see Him with the glory of coming and will rejoice, and so we will always be with the Lord (1 Thess. 4:17), as Paul foreshadows. So, brethren, let us not be surprised at our suffering, but rather let us rejoice while we suffer, having in ourselves the hope of salvation; for rather than if we live luxuriously here, we should be afraid lest we sin against Christ; It is better for us to endure in order to reign with Christ, as Paul again says: if we endure, we will also reign with Him (2 Tim. 2:12), and after: Christ endured the cross, despising the shame (Heb. 12:2), and Himself suffered for us, as Peter says, leaving us an example so that we would follow in His steps (1 Pet. 2:21), and [it is also said]: with your patience save your souls ( Luke 21:19), as the Lord says. Therefore, if we want to have and not destroy our souls, let us endure every temptation, as the brother of the Lord says, writing: blessed is the man who endures temptation, because, having been tested, he will receive the crown of life, which the Lord promised to those who love Him (James 1:12). This is a sign of love for God: to suffer for Him, therefore Peter again says: blessed are you if you suffer for Christ (1 Pet. 3:14) 20. 20. From now on, brethren, rejoice as you suffer and endure persecution for Christ and, brethren, seeing how oppressed we are, do not be tempted, but be even more strengthened and strengthen others when one of the pious and righteous suffers. Support those who are persecuted with the power of your voice, with words of perseverance and deeds of mercy, for the sake of their love, lead those who waver to hope, so that you too may be heirs with them, as the apostle says: eye has not seen, ear has not heard, neither has it entered into the heart of man what God has prepared for those who love Him (1 Cor. 2:9). Have pity on the wicked, for you must be merciful to them, and pray to God for them who fight against [us], for this is the work of the pious: to pray for those who persecute and beat them. And always mourn the one who enjoys and prospers in this world, because like that rich man [from the parable], if he does not repent and become faithful, he will burn there; and if he is wicked and dissolute, he will not see God at all, for it is said: I will destroy the wicked, so that he does not see the glory of the Lord (Is. 26:10) 21, and do not think that if perhaps they have some good [deeds], I will call [this] goodness and mercy, for all works without faith are dead. Equally, the enjoyment of earthly [goods] is his reward, for [Scripture] says: you have already received your good things in your life (Luke 16:25), after all, this is also written about the faithful who sin, for the faithful one was rich there. And yet [one should] believe, trusting God, that although someone who died wicked, appearing at the Righteous Judgment, will be deprived of God, he will be punished less than an unrighteous and licentious wicked person; for if an [unbeliever] who acts justly will be punished like the wicked, then he who, in addition to [his] unbelief, will be a persecutor of the pious, will be much more punished and placed with demons in the same place. Therefore, have pity on the godless, especially when they are luxurious, for the more they will receive condemnation; and hate their wealth and this short-lived glory, for for them it [will be] the cause of everlasting punishment. And every time they revile you, mocking us and [everyone] on earth as best they can, have more pity on them and answer with boldness in Christ that we rejoice the more in this, and believe that we are the servants of God, because we are persecuted in this world, because we are hated by the pagans and suffer for Christ - for this He Himself taught us, [saying] that you will be hated by all for My name's sake (Mark 13:13), and by this patience and endurance we hope to be saved, for [the Lord] says: He who endures to the end will be saved (Matthew 10:22), - and that we have no inheritance on earth, for everything here, both heaven and earth, will pass away, but we strive for eternal, pure, sanctified life, which Christ indicated, living this life and belonging to it; whom all the righteous loved, living their lives through torment and repeated patience, were glorified by God. Strengthening each other with these words, brethren, stand in the one true faith of Christ, and thus strive patiently to complete the good race, so that you may inherit the crown of unfading life. 21. So, first of all, the seal of piety, that is, the confession of the Trinity in one deity, likewise preach the incarnation of the Word, thinking Orthodoxy, as you have accepted, and everywhere clearly confess with your heart and lips; then, on this basis of faith, develop other virtues, living like a Christian and following the law of the Church. Perform both virginity and marriage according to Christian law. He who accepts virginity as undefiled, let him observe himself both in body and soul, and, if he wishes to be a perfect virgin, let him devote his free time to prayer, as if he had a co-worker who [perfectly] imitated the all-holy Lord, and let him practice abstinence, like another Eve, restraining the flesh. And let him avoid communication with women, which leads to bad things, which prevents him from steadfastly withstanding the divine competition, so that the virgin body does not actually be soiled by the soul. And let him remain attentive to himself, so that after the competition he does not risk [his] purity and lose the bright radiance of the purest crown. Because the devil, the parent of envy, does not want any of the people who have bodies to be undefiled, lest he become equal to him, who is incorporeal, or the person with the body [would win] a great victory, while maintaining purity; [as if] not knowing, wretched one, that everyone who is arrogant in heart is unclean before the Lord, just like himself. That is why he does not arm himself so much against anything else as against virginity, and rebels against monks and virgins to the point of exhaustion, and does not rejoice at any other sin so much as being strong enough to defile someone who is virgin. And on the contrary, the Lord, who loves virginity, desires this [most of all], since He Himself is pure by nature, and He approves of virginity above all [virtues]. For virginity is the likeness of God, since God is virgin, being one. And the radiance from Him is the Son and His Word, virgin from the virgin Father, and also by nature the holy, sanctifying and all-holy Spirit. Therefore, he who chooses virginity imitates the holy Lord, the only impassive, the only incorruptible, the only undefiled, as well as the most holy angels, who live virginally in the likeness of God and have sanctification and purity as an innate property. So, he who loves virginity is an imitator of the most holy God, who speaks through the prophet: Be holy, for I am holy (Lev. 11:44). And blessed is he who achieves true virginity; for he is the one who has the best, of course body and soul, and daily offers an incorporeal sacrifice to God. And the Lord Himself calls him an angel, speaking about those who in the coming [age]: neither marry nor are given in marriage, but remain as the Angels of God in heaven (Matthew 22:30); Therefore, the one who does not enter into marriage or depravity is an angel of God in the flesh. And [the scripture] calls those who are virgins heirs of the Kingdom of Heaven: for there are eunuchs who have made themselves eunuchs for the Kingdom of Heaven (Matthew 19:12), speaking of those who are virgins, and to this everyone is encouraged and chosen, according to the teaching [of the Lord], who is able to contain it, let him accommodate it (Matthew 19:12). Such is the God-imitating and God-loving [feat] of virginity. And [Scripture] testifies that from the beginning such a being and way of life was established in paradise: for Adam was created virgin, and Eve came from him virgin, formed from his rib; and they lived purely and virginally in paradise, and being naked they did not know each other, protected by the grace of God, but after the fall and expulsion from paradise, then outside Adam, it is said, knew his wife (Gen. 4:1). 22. And therefore virginity is a god-like thing and a heavenly good. However, chastity in marriage is second only to virginity and a God-loving matter; and to this every believer strives, although Paul, above the natural, calls on everyone to be ignorant [of marriage], saying: I desire that all may be as I am (1 Cor. 7:7), and through the prophet God: be holy, for I am holy (Lev. 11:44). So, let us purify ourselves [each] according to our strength. For this is how we will see the holy Lord, together with Paul, who says again: try to have peace with everyone, take care of holiness, that is, purity and integrity, without which no one will see the Lord (Heb. 12:14), and again the Lord Himself [says]: blessed are the pure in heart, for they will see God (Matt. 5:8). Whoever does not want to be a virgin, take a wife according to the law of the Church, according to the originally handed down order of God’s dispensation, that is, one husband and one wife, for from the beginning [were created] one husband and one wife, and they are one nature. For the pagan and vicious generation [of polygamy] is foolish. And Paul says that a husband should have one wife: to avoid fornication, each one should have his own wife (1 Cor. 7:2), and not many. I am writing this because of the criminal, unclean and defiled life of the pagans, many women are inflamed and live worse than unclean animals, so move away from this vile life - more than from death. For death is the cause of abomination and corruption, or better [to say], they mutually give rise to each other: through disobedience death, through death corruption, so that living things may cease: and as long as there is corruption, there will be death. In addition, death is defilement and destruction of nature, and because of this it is despised and hated by God. Therefore, He said to Noah about the outrageous people: My Spirit will not forever be despised by these people, because they are flesh (Gen. 6:3); whom he drowned in a flood. To those who are by nature criminals and bad, what sentence did He pronounce? Was it not fire and brimstone rain from heaven that covered them? And not only them, but also the cities in which they lived, and the land, which they desecrated by walking on it, and God burned the water itself, and this testifies to Sodom and Gomorrah the place and the lake [located] there, called the dead. 23. Therefore, do not in any way imitate the works of the pagans, for you are holy and chosen, and clothed in Christ, and by baptism and communion you are members of Christ; therefore, take care of the holy members of the all-holy Christ. And take care of everything about cleanliness; and especially such great virgins and monastics, who promised this to God and sanctified their minds, and in an angelic image brought their bodies and souls as a gift to Christ, who after the contract are completely unable to communicate with the world. For they are sanctified [to] remain pure to Christ, and the blasphemer and stranger to Christ is the one who breaks the promise and becomes a transgressor of the obligation. Those who are married, let them cleanse themselves from time to time with prayer, and especially during the communion of the sacraments. For if the Jews, just to hear that special trumpet sound on the mountain, were taught not to approach women for three days, and David, when he fled from Saul, would not have been worthy to eat the showbread with [others] who were hungry with him, if he had not first admitted that they did not approach women, then much more should every believer purify himself when he intends to partake even of the angels of the terrible [sacrament] of the Body and Blood Christ's. And on these holy days, all the pious must purify themselves, so that the pure can meet the most pure Lord. Therefore, the law prescribes that the wife and the wife should not fall into fornication or commit adultery, for this is unacceptable by the Church. And through [illegal] intercourse with a wife, one acquires rebellion in the blood, spiritual filth and great malice against God. For everyone must be pure to pure Christ. Therefore, whoever has a wife, do not commit adultery: for [such] will be condemned to very many things, both as having defiled the holy members, and as having no power over himself. For [God gave Adam] his wife and two, as it is written, one flesh (Matthew 19:5-6); for which reason the one who enters into another wife, becoming a robber and thief of nature, an unrighteous and adulterer, is not accepted from God and is not united with the Church as a member of Him. But even the one who does not have a wife and leads a dissolute life is despised by the Lord and is destroyed for a holy life, for [Scripture] says: Beloved, You destroy everyone who commits adultery from You (Ps. 73:27) 22. 24. Holy is our God. Therefore, if anyone desires to have God dwelling [in himself], avoid fornication and all other uncleanness and take a lawful wife, remaining chaste. And wife, be strong; if you remain like this [after the death of your husband], you will be numbered with the virgins; be given over to good widowhood, which also pleases the apostle. And this is not only by grace, but also by law, many husbands, as well as wives, preserved their honor and maintained purity before marriage. The first [marriage] is called undefiled, the second is called blameworthy and not undefiled; for it is condemned, and [whoever enters it] is excommunicated from the sacrament for a time. And the third is almost polygamy, that is, fornication, and is called uncleanness and [only] those with a weak will are forgiven with much leniency, not at any age, but only up to forty years, if the person who wishes to enter into such a marriage does not have children; if he has children, such a marriage is not combined. If he does not have children, but has reached the age of forty, he cannot have the right to enter into a third marriage, for he is deserving of contempt and excommunicated from the Church as a lover of disorder. This is what the divine laws say, therefore I bring this as a reminder, since I know that many, and especially those living among the pagans, transgress [these laws], and because of their transgression, the great wrath of God came [to us]. For, alas, many who are called Christians are zealous in the way of life of the pagans, living like infidels, and rebel against the teachers of piety, if they reproach them. Let such know that they are like those fornicating Jews who, as it is written, were destroyed by the destroyer, and if Phinehas had not openly pierced those who sinned, there would have been no deliverance. 25. Live like a Christian, brothers! Keep your sanctification. Avoid all uncleanness, defilement, fornication, lewd desire for man, all impurity and evil thoughts; also passion, anger, rancor, murder, envy, slander, the devil, lies, quarrels, injustice, greed, robbery, love of money and idolatry, usury, deception, cunning, gluttony, drunkenness - the causes of unsalvation, arrogance, arrogance and all the deeds of the vicious [devil], so that you step on the asp and the basilisk, that is, actions him, and they trampled him down like a lion rushing in and trying to devour everyone. But take courage and be strong in Christ, having received the authority to tread on serpents and scorpions and over all the power of the enemy (Luke 10:19), as it is written. And be compassionate, like God, merciful, generous, sympathetic, forgiving of the mistakes of others, brotherly, hospitable, generous, peacemakers, full of love, grateful, praising [God]; not arrogant, not self-righteous, but kind, modest and meek in the likeness of the Master. All together - husbands with wives and children - [be] pure, holy, striving towards God, praying unceasingly, giving from what you have, repenting of everything you have sinned against and hastening to confession, for without repentance and confession there is no salvation. Repent, for the Kingdom of Heaven is at hand (Matthew 4:17). May we and all of us be worthy of him in Christ Jesus our Lord, to whom is due all glory, honor and worship, with the Father and the Holy Spirit, now and ever and unto ages of ages, amen. Translation by Yu.V. Maksimov according to edition: Ἁγ. Συμεὼν ἀρχιεπισκόπου Θεσσαλονίκης. Ἔργα θεολογικά // ΑΒ 34. Θεσσαλονίκη, 1981. Σ. 111–138. We have used the title given to this work by Balfour, in the manuscripts it is called: “An Epistle, first in support of piety to the believers in Anatolia, Caesarea, Ancyra and Gangra, through a certain deacon asking for it, then a little expanded and to those living in Thessaly.” The pagans of St. Simeon names Muslims. In the synodal translation: If the wicked are pardoned, he will not learn righteousness; he will commit evil in the land of the righteous and will not look upon the greatness of the Lord. Truly, we have heard the Koran wonderfully! He points the way to the truth, we have believed in him, and in worshiping Allah, we will not invent other gods. And may the greatness of Allah be exalted - He did not take either a wife or a son (Quran 72.1-3). Anti-Muslim argument of St. John of Damascus (On heresies, 100). In the synodal translation: For ever, O Lord, Thy word is established in heaven; Thy truth to generation and generation. In the synodal translation: God of the fathers and Lord of mercy, who created all things by Your word... In the synodal translation: The Spirit of God created me, and the breath of the Almighty gave me life. In the Synodal translation: I, wisdom, dwell with understanding and seek sensible knowledge. In the Synodal translation: By me are the rulers and nobles and all the judges of the earth. In the synodal translation: You have done everything wisely. In the synodal translation: and you did not withhold your son, your only son. 7th member of the Nicene-Constantinopolitan Creed. In the Synodal translation: The scepter will not depart from Judas, nor the lawgiver from between his feet. Obviously, quoting from memory, St. Simeon confused the prophet Isaiah and Baruch. In the synodal translation: The Lord your God will raise up for you a prophet from among you, from among your brothers, like me; you shall listen to Him... and whoever does not listen to My words, which [that Prophet] will speak in My name, of him I will require it. In the synodal translation: God is Lord and has shone on us. In the synodal translation: From the fruit of your womb I will place you on your throne. Traditional for polemics with Islam, the opposition of the peaceful spread of Christianity to the spread of Islam by the sword. Here it is only outlined; it probably goes back to the “Letter to his Church” by St. Gregory Palamas. In the synodal translation: Do not love the world, nor the things in the world: whoever loves the world does not have the love of the Father. For everything that is in the world: the lust of the flesh, the lust of the eyes and the pride of life, is not from the Father, but from this world. And the world passes away, and so does its lust. In the synodal translation: even if you suffer for the truth, then you are blessed. In the synodal translation: You destroy everyone who departs from You. You might be interested in: