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 GodFrom
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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