To Autolycus 1.8
Summary: Faith comes first in every human undertaking; the God who made each person from nothing can raise them again.
Greek text · Otto 8:24–28
Ἀλλὰ ἀπιστεῖς νεκροὺς ἐγείρεσθαι. Ὅταν ἔσται, τότε πιστεύσεις θέλων καὶ μὴ θέλων· καὶ ἡ πίστις σου εἰς ἀπιστίαν λογισθήσεται, ἐὰν μὴ νῦν πιστεύσῃς. Πρὸς τί δὲ καὶ ἀπιστεῖς; Ἢ οὐκ οἶδας ὅτι ἁπάντων πραγμάτων ἡ πίστις προηγεῖται; Τίς γὰρ δύναται θερίσαι γεωργός, ἐὰν μὴ πρῶτον πιστεύσῃ τὸ σπέρμα τῇ γῇ; Ἢ τίς δύναται διαπερᾶσαι τὴν θάλασσαν, ἐὰν μὴ πρῶτον ἑαυτὸν πιστεύσῃ τῷ πλοίῳ καὶ τῷ κυβερνήτῃ; Τίς δὲ κάμνων δύναται θεραπευθῆναι, ἐὰν μὴ πρῶτον ἑαυτὸν πιστεύσῃ τῷ ἰατρῷ; Ποίαν δὲ τέχνην ἢ ἐπιστήμην δύναταί τις μαθεῖν, ἐὰν μὴ πρῶτον ἐπιδῷ ἑαυτὸν καὶ πιστεύσῃ τῷ διδασκάλῳ; Εἰ οὖν γεωργὸς πιστεύει τῇ γῇ καὶ ὁ πλέων τῷ πλοίῳ καὶ ὁ κάμνων τῷ ἰατρῷ, σὺ οὐ βούλει ἑαυτὸν πιστεῦσαι τῷ θεῷ, τοσούτους ἀῤῥαβῶνας ἔχων παρʼ αὐτοῦ; Πρῶτον μὲν ὅτι ἐποίησέν σε ἐξ οὐκ ὄντος εἰς τὸ εἶναι. Εἰ γὰρ ὁ πατήρ σου οὐκ ἦν οὐδὲ ἡ μήτηρ, πολὺ μᾶλλον οὐδὲ σὺ ἦς ποτε. Καὶ ἔπλασέν σε ἐξ ὑγρᾶς οὐσίας μικρᾶς καὶ ἐλαχίστης ῥανίδος, ἥτις οὐδὲ αὐτὴ ἦν ποτε· καὶ προήγαγέν σε ὁ θεὸς εἰς τόνδε τὸν βίον. Εἶτα πιστεύεις τὰ ὑπὸ ἀνθρώπων γινόμενα ἀγάλματα θεοὺς εἶναι καὶ ἀρετὰς ποιεῖν. Τῷ δὲ ποιήσαντί σε θεῷ ἀπιστεῖς δύνασθαί σε καὶ μεταξὺ ποιῆσαι;
English · Claude translation
But you do not believe that the dead are raised. When it happens, you will believe, whether you want to or not; and your faith will be counted as unbelief, unless you believe now. Why do you disbelieve? Do you not know that faith leads the way in all things? What farmer can reap unless he first entrusts the seed to the earth? Who can cross the sea unless he first entrusts himself to the ship and the pilot? What sick person can be healed unless he first entrusts himself to the physician? What art or science can anyone learn unless he first gives himself up and entrusts himself to the teacher? If, then, the farmer trusts the earth, the sailor the ship, and the sick man the physician, will you not entrust yourself to God, when you have received so many pledges from him? First, he made you out of nothing into being. For if at one time your father did not exist, nor your mother, much more did you once not exist. And he formed you from a small moist substance, a tiny drop, which itself once did not exist; and God brought you into this life. Then you believe that statues made by human beings are gods and work wonders, and yet you do not believe that the God who made you can make you again hereafter?
About this passage
Notes
Notes on the original text
- Digital text corrected (missing breathing and accent on Ἢ): Η οὐκ οἶδας → Ἢ οὐκ οἶδας.
Cite this passage
Theophilus, Autol. 1.8 (trans. Sophia Scriptura, https://sophiascriptura.com/fathers/theophilus-autolycus/1/8/).
Plain text
Theophilus, Autol. 1.8 (trans. Sophia Scriptura, https://sophiascriptura.com/fathers/theophilus-autolycus/1/8/).
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