Letter 1092: The priesthood is a sacred trust, not a career.
Why the Apostle ranked the drunkard and the reviler among those who have committed the greatest sins. You asked, why did the Apostle rank the drunkard and the reviler alongside the adulterers and fornicators? I say therefore that if he had said they would pay the same penalty as those others, there would be reason to seek a solution. But since he said they would equally fall from the Kingdom, for what reason does the saying seem an enigma to you? For it is one thing to say that they shall lie outside all honor and glory, and another to say they shall pay the same penalty. For he did not say they shall pay an equal penalty — which is perhaps what you, not understanding the saying, supposed was meant — but rather, "They shall not inherit the Kingdom of God." For exclusion from the Kingdom is common to all who live wickedly, but the degree of punishment varies according to the magnitude of the sins. Just as those who are exiled from their city are all equally deprived of their civic rights, even though some have committed greater offenses and others lesser ones, so it is with those cast out of the Kingdom. All alike lose the heavenly inheritance, though the torments they endure differ according to what each has done. The drunkard, then, does not pay the same penalty as the adulterer, but he equally forfeits the Kingdom, since his vice too is a gateway to greater evils and a wellspring of countless sins.
AI-assisted translation — This translation was produced with AI assistance and has not been peer-reviewed. See the 19th-century translation or original Latin/Greek below for scholarly use.
Latin / Greek Original
Διὰ τί τὸν δ σον καὶ τὸν 1οίδορον ὁ ᾿Απόστο- ΠΝ μετὰ τῶν τὰ μέγιστα ἡμαρτηκότων ἔτα- ΧΙ]. -- ΜΑΒΟΟ. Οματε εὐτίοεμπι εἰ πιαίεαϊοιπι Αροείοίμα ἵππιον ἐος, φεὶ πιαχίπια σοιπηιίδεγμπί μεζοαία, εοἰοοατὶϊ ὃ. ἘΡΗΗ͂Ν ἔφης, πῶς τὸν μέθυσον καὶ τὸν λοίδο. ῃ Μίτατί ἀΐς6 , 4ιι8 γδιΐοπθ Δροβίοϊ υβ δυγίοςιινη ρον ὁ ᾿Απόστολος μετὰ τῶν μοιχῶν χαὶ τῶν ἧταιρη- χότων ἔταξε. Φημὶ τοίνυν, ὅτι εἰ μὲν τὴν αὐτὴν ἐχείνοις ἔφησεν αὐτοὺς δώσειν δίχην, λύσιν ἐχρῆν ἐπιζητεῖν. Εἰ δὲ τῆς βασιλείας ὁμοίως ἐχείνοις ἐχ- πεσεῖσθαι ἔφη, δι᾽ ἣν αἰτίαν αἴνιγμά σοι δοχεῖ τὸ ῥηθέν; “Αλλο γὰρ τὸ εἰπεῖν, ὅτι ἔξω πάσης τιμῆς τε χαὶ δόξης χείσονται, χαὶ ἄλλο, τὸ φάναι Τὴν αὐτὴν δώσουσι δίχην. Θὺ γὰρ εἶπεν" Τὴν ἴσην δώ- σουσι δίχην, ὃ σὺ ἴσως μὴ νοΐἦσας τὸ ῥηθὲν ἐνόμισας εἰρῆσθαι, ἀλλὰ, ε Βασιλείαν Θεοῦ οὐ χληρονομέ- σουσι. ) Τῆς μὲν γὰρ δόξης, φησὶ, παντὶ τρόπῳ ἔξω χείσονται " πρὸς δὲ τὴν ποσότητα χαὶ τὴν ποιότητα χαὶ πηλιχότητα () τῶν ἀμαρτημάτων χριθήσονται. Πολλὴ γὰρ τοῦ θείου διχαστηρίου ἣ ἀχρίθεια. οἰ τηδἰθιΐουπ 'ῃ Θοάδπιὶ 4υδ8ἱ ἐαπϑιι οὐπὶ δάυ!ογί8 οἱ Βοογίδίογ Ὀ.. οΟἰ]οοατίϊ. Αἷο ἰἰάφυα : δὲ δαιπέδιν αὐτὴ ἰνἷ5 ρα ηδι δυθὶϊυτοβ αἰχίΞδα6ί, ἴσ) γ6ΓῸ - ἰυιϊἱοηθη (υ ἀυθ᾽ιαιϊοηΐ8) ᾿παυΐγαγο ορογίογοί. Ουπὶ δυίοπὶ Φ40υ6 Δ14116 ἰ5δ( ταρῆο (ΘΟ ) [τυβιγϑίυπ) ἰγὶ ἀἰχογὶ! : φυϊὰ οδυδβῶ 6δὶ, εὐγῦ ἰάὰ ᾳφιοά ἀϊοίυπι , οὐδβουγιπὶ ἰ] ἰηϑίδγ δηΐ ρθη) ι Υἱι6Ὰ- (υγ ΑΙ’υὰ οηΐ 68ι, ἀΐέογα, δχυῖγα οἵη θπὶ ἢοη0- Γοῖῃ οἱ μἰογίδπ) ἴογθ δοῃβιϊυϊο5., οἱ δἰϊυὐ εἷ- οαγα, ρϑγὶ βυρρί!εἶο ἀἤπεοίυπι ἱτὶ. Νοη δηΐ ἀἰχὶϊ Ρῶγοθ ἀδῦυηϊ ρπᾶ58 (4υοὰ ἰω [ογΓ25518 "οη ἰῃίεἰ- Ἰεεῖο ΡῬϑυϊΐπο) ἀΐεῖο ρυϊ81: ] ἀΐεοίιπι , , « τοφηύπι δὶ ποη ροββίἀδβθυμ. » Νδπι δχίγα ψἰο- γἶδπι αυΐϊάοπι, ἰπαυΐ!, οπμηΐο ροϑίεὶ δγιηῖ; ἰηιογθα ἰδληηθη δϑουπάνπι αυϑηι διθιῃ οἱ 4π8] ᾽) οἱ ῃυπιοτυπὶ ραςολίογαπ) ᾿υἀϊοαυνυηίαγ. Μάρδ Θηΐμὴ ἃς του] ἰρίοχ οὶ ἀϊνί ηἱ ᾿υἀοἷϊ οχαυϊδὶιἴο. ΜΓ', --- ΙἹΕΡΑΚΙ ΛΑΜΠΡΟΤΑΤΩ. Τίνος ἡ ἔνγοια τοῦ διὰ χόραχος τρέφεσθαι τὸν Ἡλίαν. Ἴσθι, ὦ σοφὲ, ὅτι ἡ πηγὴ τῆς ἀγαθότητος τὴν διχαίαν τοῦ προφήτου χατὰ Ἰουδαίων ἀγανάχτησιν ἐχμάξαι () βουλομένη (λιμὸν γὰρ ἐπήγαγεν, ἵνα τὸν χόρον ὕδριν ὠδίνοντα σωφροσύνη σωφρονίσαι ())" παρεσχεύασεν αὐτὸν διὰ χόραχος τρέφεσθαι, μισο- πέχνου πτηνοῦ, χαὶ τίχτοντος μὲν, οὐ τρέφοντος δέ" διὸ χαὶ ὁ Μελῳδὸς χαίτοι πάσης τῆς χτίσεως φυ- σιχῷ λόγῳ εἰς τὸν Δημιουργὸν ἀποθλεπούσης᾽ «ε Οἱ ὀφθαλμοὶ γὰρ πάντων, φησὶν, εἰς σὲ ἐλπίζουσι, χαὶ σὺ δίδως τὴν τροφὴν αὑτῶν ἐν εὐχαιρίᾳ" » χοράχων ἐμνημόνευσε, λέγων" ε Τῷ διδόντι τοῖς χτήνεσι τρο- φὴν αὐτῶν, χαὶ τοῖς νεοσσοῖς τῶν χοράχων, τοῖς ἐπιχαλουμένοις αὐτόν. ) Μάλιστα μὲν γὰρ πάντα ἡ θεία πρόνοια πρέφει, φησὶ, διαφερόντως δὲ τοὺς νεοσσοὺς τῶν χοράχων, τοὺς παρὰ τῶν τεχόντων ἀμελουμένους “ ζωύφια () γὰρ ταῖς χαλιαῖς περι- . ὑονο νι, . "1ΠΠ Παζ. χΥ!, ἀ. ΧΙ. --- ΗΙΕΑ(ΟΙ . ΘΤΆΊΘΘΙΜΟ. Ουἱά εἰθὶ υεἰδι, φμοά Εἰΐας ΡεΥ οοτυμηι ραδίμε εἰ( ". ϑεῖγο ἀδῦθβ, υἷνγ βαρίϑηβ, [οπίθπ ἢΠΠ πὶ ὈοηΪ . Δἅ.. εὐτη νοοῖ ᾽υβίανν μγορ θ᾽ δάνεγϑυδ δυύξοδ ἰν- ἀϊφηδιίοησπι ἀυὔδίογααγα ((Δτηθι Θεΐπὶ ἰπαχὶς, αἱ 8ι5 υυγἱδίοη!, 4υφ5 σομιι πιο ρϑγογὰ δβοΪοί, οϑβιϊβ- τοι), ουτανὶ᾿ ἰρϑυπὶ ΡῈ οογνυπὶ ραβεΐ, ἄνοπ ργοργίϑα οβοόγειῃ, οἱ 4ι8 ραγὶὶ αυϊοπ) δίάυ ὁχοίυιὶ ΡΌΠ08, ὁ08 Ποη «ἰϊδ. οὰυ ( , ᾳυοὺ Ρραπηονυῖ βογίριοῦ, 4αλπινῖ9 ΟΠ . ΟΓΘΔΙΟΓᾺ πδίυγα! ! φιούδηι ἰηδιϊηοῖυ ἰμ ορὶ ἤσθι ΓΘηρὶ- εἶα! : ε« Οου!ὶ δε πὶ οπιηΐυιη, ἱπαυΐί, ἴῃ ( δραγδηι, οἱ ( ἀδ8 οδοᾶπι ἰΠ γι ἰη ἰΘι ρογ Ορρογίυμο ὃ; ἴῃ ἢ ϑΡ6εἶδ δογνόγιιη πηθη!οπ6η) (δραγίι, οὐαὶ [ : ε Ουΐ ὖδι [αιπδηι αἰ πθηιυπι ἰρβοτυπ, οἱ ρὺυ ΠΟΥ ΟΓΙΙ ΠΊ ἱηνοσδηιθυβ οὐ ". ) Μαχίπιδα φυΐάοπι, ἱη4 , Οἵἢ- εἷα πυιγὶι ἃς διδβιδιίαι ἀἰνίηα ργονϊ θη ; δχὶηιΐθ Υ6ΓῸ οἱ ραου τὶ φυοάδλη! ποάο ρι ΟΟΥΥΟΡυ ΥΑΒΙΑ ΓΕΟΤΙΌΝΕΒ ΕΤ ΝΟΤΕ. () ὕογινα , καὶ πηλιχότητα, ποη σοπιρϑγθηῖ [Ω. ορά. ἰάδηι γ6Γ5. . ΡΓῸ δικαστηρίου δου δπσστου, Ιν. δε Ρτοὸ ἐχμάξαι οοὐ. αι. δὺ0 ἰερὶϊ ἐχμαλάξαι. ἵν. [,ἀουηδιῃ 8ἰἷς ἰη οὐϊ!. Ῥαγὶβ. ρυμοι δ ποιδί8Πὶ ἐΡΡΙοὲ οοἀ. γαις. οἱ ΕἰιιΘ ΓΒ] ἧι Πο(Ϊ8. () Ργὸ ζωΐφια γάρ ἰάξδη) οὐά. ἰΔΡεῖ ζῶχ γὰρ μικρά. ῬΟΒΒΙΝ. . ΙΒΙ.0ΕῚΙ ῬΕΙΚΙΒΙΟΤ Ὲ ᾳυὶ λ φενοηδίρας δυὶς περῆγυπιαγ. Απἰπμθδιευὶ Ά «πτάμενα () τροφὴ γίνεταιτουύτοις. Μονονουχι γὰρ ΘΗ ρᾶγνδ, δίμἰο5 "οὐ
Related Letters
You ask why wine does not affect everyone the same way — why it makes some genial, others aggressive; some...
What does it mean to be a Christian, Markos?
Far better, most wise one, is a victory untainted by any defeat than to conquer after a fall.
If, as you write, the piety of rulers in matters of God has exposed the impiety of bishops — if the extraordinary...
To our holy and rightly celebrated, venerable and most dear children Eucherius and Galla — Paulinus, bishop.