The Skeireins
Translation by James W. Marchand (currently
not available otherwise)
Ia:"There
is none who understands or seeks God. All have turned away. Together
they
have become useless." And already they have fallen under the
judgment
of death. For this then there came a common savior of all to cleanse
away
the sins of all; neither equal nor similar to our justice, but himself
being justice that, giving himself for us "an
offering
and a sacrifice to God", he might work the redemption of this
world.
John now seeing this: The plan which was to be carried out by the
Ib:Lord,
in truth did say: "Behold, this is the Lamb of
God
Who taketh away the sins of this world." He could have, to be
sure,
even without the body of man, by divine authority alone, release all
from
the tyranny of the devil. But he was aware that by such authority the
need
for his power would be shown. And that no longer the plan of justice
would
be kept, but that by force he would have worked the salvation of men
for,
if the devil from the beginning not forcing, but by deluding man
Ic:
and by lie persuading him to transgress the commandment that would be
against
propriety for the Lord, coming with divine power, also with authority
to
release him, and by necessity to convert him to godliness. For then
would
He not seem in the constraint of justice to transgress the plan already
ordained from the beginning? Now it was more fitting those of their own
will listening to the devil, to transgress the commandment of God.
Those
again by their own will to become assenters to the teaching of the
Saviour,
Id:and
to despise the wickedness of the one who previously had deceived them.
But to establish a knowledge of the truth for the resurrection of the
way
of life in God. For this reason, then, he took on even the body of man;
that He might become a teacher of justice according to God. For thus He
would accomodate His Wisdom and invite man again by word and deed and
become
a proclaimer of the way of life of the Gospel but since now the
confinement
of the law - not only conversion ...
IIa:
...
becoming ... in faith, already is bold in his behalf and at
the time of Passion, His body after the Passion openly buring, along
with
Joseph, showing that he did not turn away at the threats of the
leaders.
And because of this the Savior, beginning even then, designated the way
which lead upwards into the Kingdom of God Amen,
amen, I say unto you: Unless a man is born from above He cannot see the
kingdom of God. From
IIb:
above
then He expressed the holy and heavenly birth. A second to be undergone
through baptism. And this, then, Nicodemus did not understand. because
of this which he heard for the first time from the Master, and
therefore
he said: How is it possible for a man to be
born,
being old? Can he enter again into the womb of his mother and be born?
For he, being ignorant still of the practice (of baptism), and thinking
of the bodily birth from the womb, fell into doubt; and for this reason
he said: How
IIc:
is
it possible for a man, being old, to be born? Can he enter again into
the
womb of his mother and be born? But the Savior, seeing his
future
judgment, and that he was to grow in faith, explaining to him as to one
still ignorant, saying: Amen, amen, I say unto
you:
Only he who is born of water and Spirit can enter into the kingdom of
God.
For it was a necessity and in keeping with nature to
IId:
receive
the plan of baptism; man, to be sure, being put together of various
natures,
of soul, that is, and body. And one of these being visible, and the
other
spiritual; Therefore, fittingly, by following these, he named two
things,
proper to both according to the plan of baptism, both the invisible
water,
as it were, and the envisioned spirit, in order that, as it were, the
seen
...
IIIa:
...
many were there; and they came there and were baptized. John was not
yet
cast into prison. By saying that the evangelist revealed that
the
plan concerning him (John) was near its end through the scheming of
Herod,
but that before this, both of them baptizing and and each handing down
his own baptism, they disputed with each other, some not knowing which
was to be the greater. Concerning this than
arose
a question
IIIb:
between
John's disciples with the Jews concerning purification, because
of the fact that now the custom of bodily cleansings had been changed,
and the cleansing by God had been commanded. No longer should they
endeavor
to use the sprinklings and daily bathings of the Jews; but listening to
John, the precursor in the Gospel. For then the Lord was also handing
down
the spiritual baptism, so that properly was a question moved concerning
purification. For the Law concerning one of the sins of unwitting
people
...
IIIc:
...
the ash of a heifer burned outside the camp and after that casting it
into
clean water, and sprinkling with it hyssop and red wool, as was fitting
for those thinking without intent. But John was preaching a baptism of
repentance, and promised the forgiveness of sins for those simply
reforming,
but as to the Lord, (He promised) forgiveness of sins and the gift of
the
Holy Spirit, and granting them that they might become sons of the
Kingdom.
IIId:
So
that the baptism of John was lying in the middle of the two, going
beyond,
to be sure, the cleansing of the Law, but less by far than the Gospel's
baptism. Concerning this he openly teaches us, saying: I
indeed baptize you in water, but he who comes after me is mightier than
I, of whom I am not worthy that, kneeling, I might unbind the latchet
of
his shoe. He then will baptize you in the Holy Spirit. Concerning
the plan now ...
IVa:
This my joy is now fulfilled: He must
increase,
but I decrease. Since now his disciples had argued with the Jews
concerning purification they now said among themselves: Rabbi,
he who was with you beyond the Jordan, concerning whom you bore
witness,
behold, he is baptizing and all go to him (they being still
ignorant
concerning the savior). Therefore, he taught them, saying: He
must increase, but I decrease. Indeed, the plan concerning him
was
IVb:
useful,
so to speak, for a little while, and preparing the souls of those to be
baptized; it permitted the preaching of the gospel. But the Lord's
teaching,
beginning from Judea, grew throughout the whole earth, thriving
everywhere
up until now, and adding all men to God's kin. Because of this, the
greatness
of the Lord's glory being clear he declared, saying:
He
who comes from above is above all. Not that he would have
declared
him above all without reason; but he also proclaimed
IVc:
the
power of his greatness thus, saying him to be from heaven and coming
from
above, but himself to be of earth and speaking from the earth, for he
was
a man by nature. Although holy, although being a prophet, and giving
witness
concerning righteousness, nevertheless, he was from earth and speaking
with the nature of words. But the one who had
come
from heaven though He might seem to be in the body,
nevertheless,
is
above all; and what he has seen and heart, that he testifies, and no
one
receives his testimony. And even though he
IVd:
came from heaven to earth for the plan concerning men, nevertheless, he
was by no means of the earth nor speaking from the earth, but of heaven
handing down the hidden things he has seen and heard from the Father,
which
have now been declared by John, Not for this reason alone, that he
might
declare the greatness of the Lord, but to censure and rebuke the
godless
contention of Sabellius and Marcellius, who were so bold as to say that
the Father and the Son are one but another the Holy (Ghost) ...
Va:
... of honor to the Father he awaits a single command for each deed.
But
that, indeed, this one [is] loving, but the other the one loved, the
one
revealing, the other imitating his deeds, that then knowing the heresy
of those to come that they should learn to acknowledge the two persons
of the Father and the Son and now be in conformity and to that purpose
using clear
Vb:
expression,
he said: For as the Father raises the dead and
makes
them to live, so also the Son makes those whom he will to live.
Declaring that by his own will and his own power he was imitating him
who
earlier had quickened the dead. Reproving the contentiousness of the
unbelievers
he rebuked: Neither does the Father judge
anyone,
but has given all judgment to the Son. But now if he were one
and
the same according to the view of Sabellius, signified by different
names,
how could
Vc:
the
same one judge and not judge? For not only the change of names
signifies
the difference of the two persons, but much more the evidence of work.
the One obviously judging no one, but giving to the Son the power of
judgment,
and He, receiving the honor from the Father, and He performing all
judgment
by His Will, that all may honor the Son, as they
honor the Father. Now we all should, at such and so clear a
declaration,
render honor to the Unborn God,
Vd:
and
recognize the Only Begotten Son of God to be God, in order that,
believing,
we offer honor to Each, according to merit, for the passage, that
all may honor the Son as they honor the Father teaches us to
offer
not the same but a similar honor, and the Savior Himself praying for
the
disciples said to the Father that You love them
even
as You love Me. Through that He designates not equal but similar
love. And in the same manner ...
VIa:
... less clear became by necessity that ones argument. As he himself
said:
He
must increase, but I must decrease. Because now for a little
while
they seemed to believe, to listen to John, but not long after they
committed
to forgetfulness the things about him, therefore, He well reminds them,
saying: He was a burning and a shining light,
and
you were willing to rejoice for a time in his light, but I have a
greater
witness than that
VIb:
of
John; for the deeds that the Father gave me that I might do them the
deeds
that I do witness concerning Me, that the Father sent me. For
that
one, witnessing with human words, seemed to cause doubt -- being truth
to those ignorant, he might; but the Father's witness through My deeds,
beyond all the human argument of John, can provide you with
indisputable
knowledge, for every word taken in from men is able to be changed into
something different. But these holy deeds,
VIc:
being
undisputed, make clear the judgment of the doer; clearly signifying
that
He was sent from the Father from heaven. Therefore, He says: And
the Father Who sent Me, He witnesses concerning me. But various
and at various times was the Father's witness concerning him, in part
through
the words of the prophets, and in part through the voice from heaven,
and
in part through signs, but because the heart of those unbelieving ones
had become
VId:
harder,
because of this he rightly added, saying: Neither
have you ever heard his voice nor seen his shape, nor do you have His
word
abiding in you, for Him Whom He has sent, Him you do not believe.
For it is not right to scorn obedient men, but some have also heard His
voice, some have seen his shape. Blessed are,
he then said, the pure in heart, for they shall
see
God. And therefore as a pledge through ...
VIIa:
... knowing the Lord's strength and considering His power. Nor is he
alone,
but also Andrew, who said: There is a boy here
who
has five barley loaves and two fish,
is rebuked in a similar way to Philip. Not at all thinking of His
greatness
nor considering the power of the Master, because of which he spoke,
saying:
But
what is this for so many? But the Lord, accepting their
naïveté,
VIIb:
said:
'Make
the men sit down.' And they, there being much hay in that place, made
the
multitude sit down. Five thousand men, not counting women and
children,
Sitting down as if at a great dinner. There being nothing else beyond
the
five loaves and two fish, which taking and saying grace, He blessed,
and
with so much food satisfying them not only did He give them the needed
suf-
VIIc:
ficiency, but much more. After the crowd had
eaten,
there was found of the loaves 12 baskets full that was left over.
likewise
then they also received of the fish as much as they wished. Nor
then by the loaves alone did He reveal the abundance of His power, but
also in the fish. For as much as he caused them to become, he gathere
of
them so that he caused each to receive as much as he wished, and he
caused
there to be no lack at all in this multitude, but
VIId:
He
fed of the abundance more. He filled his disciples with joy and
reminded
the others to observe that he was the same one who in the desert for 40
years fed their fathers. And when they were
filled,
he said to his disciples: 'Gather up the remaining fragments that
nothing
may perish.' And then they gathered up and filled 12 baskets of
fragments,
of the 5 barley loaves and 2 fishes, which were left over by those ...
VIIIa:...
no one laid hands upon him, for with his holy power, invisibly
dispersing
still their wickedness, and not permitting him to be captured before
time.
Then the officers went to the high priests and
the
Pharisees, and there they said to them: 'Why have you not brought him?'
Then the officers answered, saying that never did any man speak like
this
man. And this answer then
VIIIb:
became
a rebuke, rather then a condemnation of their lack of faith, for they
answered
those who rebuked them because they had not brought him; not fearing
their
wickedness (of those rebuking them), but rather marveling at the
teaching
of the Lord; openly among all men they reckoned it superior, but they
in
their wickedness not tolerating their boldness, with enmity answered
back
to them, saying: Are you also
VIIIc:
seduced?
Behold, has any single one of the rulers believed him? or of the
Pharisees?
but the multitude, which do not know the law, are cursed. These
things then with the bitterness of anger they spoke, in which they are
found to be lying, that none of the rulers or Pharisees believed him,
because
Nicodemus by the Plan of God, coming to him by night, and with boldness
arguing for the truth, and saying to them: Does
our
law judge a man ..., etc.
VIIId:
When they said that Not
one of the rulers and the Pharisees believed,
they argued without comprehending that he was indeed a Pharisee and
a counselor among the Jews, and was revealed as one of the rulers among
the accursed beleiving in the Lord as a rebuke to those wicked people
speaking
for him; but they not tolerating the rebuke answered, saying: Are
you also from Galilee? Seek out and see that ...
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