Dialogue with Trypho 61.2
Summary: As a word is spoken without diminishing the mind, and fire kindles fire without loss, so the Son is begotten without division of the Father.
Greek text · Archambault 1:284–286
Ἀλλʼ οὐ τοιοῦτον ὁποῖον καὶ ἐφʼ ἡμῶν γινόμενον ὁρῶμεν; Λόγον γάρ τινα προβάλλοντες, λόγον γεννῶμεν, οὐ κατὰ ἀποτομήν, ὡς ἐλαττωθῆναι τὸν ἐν ἡμῖν λόγον, προβαλλόμενοι. Καὶ ὁποῖον ἐπὶ πυρὸς ὁρῶμεν ἄλλο γινόμενον, οὐκ ἐλαττουμένου ἐκείνου ἐξ οὗ ἡ ἄναψις γέγονεν, ἀλλὰ τοῦ αὐτοῦ μένοντος, καὶ τὸ ἐξ αὐτοῦ ἀναφθὲν καὶ αὐτὸ ὃν φαίνεται, οὐκ ἐλαττῶσαν ἐκεῖνο ἐξ οὗ ἀνήφθη.
English · Claude translation
“But do we not see something like this happening among ourselves too? For when we put forth a word, we beget a word, not by cutting off, so that the word in us is lessened by putting it forth. And as we see in the case of fire another fire coming into being, the one from which it was kindled not being lessened, but remaining the same; and what is kindled from it is seen to exist itself, not lessening that from which it was kindled.
About this passage
Notes
Translation notes
- The analogy of fire from fire anticipates the Nicene phrase “light from light.”
Cite this passage
Justin, Dial. 61.2 (trans. Sophia Scriptura, https://sophiascriptura.com/fathers/justin-dialogue/61/2/).
Plain text
Justin, Dial. 61.2 (trans. Sophia Scriptura, https://sophiascriptura.com/fathers/justin-dialogue/61/2/).
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