Letter 1120: A teacher must live what he teaches.
From the Epistle of Peter. Why Peter commands husbands to give honor to the wife as the weaker vessel. Even if marriage is honorable and the marriage bed undefiled, one must not always resort to it. Rather, certain times must be set apart, and one must yield to nature, until she remains pure and becomes suitable for bearing children. This is what the law ordained. Grace, however, has gone further, counseling virginity and continence, not abolishing marriage but elevating the soul above its necessities. Peter therefore commands the husbands to live with their wives according to knowledge, giving honor to the wife as to the weaker vessel, and as co-heirs of the grace of life, so that their prayers be not hindered. He calls the woman a weaker vessel not to demean her but to remind the husband of his obligation to be gentle and considerate. For strength exists not to dominate but to protect, and authority is given not for tyranny but for care. The husband who uses his natural advantage to oppress rather than to shelter betrays the very purpose for which that advantage was granted.
AI-assisted translation — This translation was produced with AI assistance and has not been peer-reviewed.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
Τῆς Ἐπιστολῆς Πέτρου. Διὰ τί τοὺς ἄνδρας ὡς ὦ Ετ Ἐρϊειοία Ῥειτῖ. Ονατό ΡεΙγις οἶνος ἡμύέαι πιμ- ἀσθενεστέρῳ σχεύει τῷ γυναικείῳ χε.ϊεύει τι- μὴν ἀπογέμειγ. ΕἸ χαὶ τίμιός ἔστιν ὁ γάμος, καὶ ἕννομος ἧ εὐνὴ, ἀλλ᾽ οὐχ ἀεὶ αὐτῇ ἐπιπηδητέον" ἀλλὰ χαιρούς τινας σχολαστέον, χαὶ παραχωρητέον τῇ φύσει, ἕως ἂν χα- θαρὰ μένῃ, χαὶ ἐπιτηδεία πρὸς παιδοποιίαν γένηται. Καὶ τοῦτο μὲν ὁ νόμος ἐθέσπισεν. Ἧ δὲ χάρις χαὶ διὰ τὴν ἀγνείαν, χαὶ τὰς συνεχεῖς προσευχὰς τοῦτο χίνεσθαι συνεδούλευσε " χαὶ διὰ μὲν Παύλον λέγουσα" « Ἵνα σχολάσητε τῇ προσευχῇ" » διὰ δὲ Πέτρου τοῦθ᾽ ὅπερ μαθεῖν ἠθέλησας. Χρῆναι γὰρ ἔφη τοὺς ἄνδρας ὡς ἀσθενεστέρῳ σχεύει τῷ γυναιχείῳ ἀπονέμειν τιμὴν. ῬΚ΄. --- ἸΣΊΔΩΡΩ ΕΠΙΣΚΟΠΏ. Εἷς τό" « Εἰ δυνατὸν, τὸ ἐξ ὑμῶν.» Εἰ καὶ μηδεμίαν τὸν ὑδριστὴν ὁ λοιδορηθεὶς τῆς Πετῖϑις, ἰαπρααπι ἑηβτηβἑοτὶ υαϑὲ, Ἀοπογέμι (Υ- δμόγα ᾽'. Θυδληαχιδη γὙϑρογΆ δὶ οοι)υξίυπ), 6ἱ ἰοφὶ τὶ - τὴυπὶ ουὐ]. ἰλιθη ἸῸΠ ΒΕΙΡΟΡ δὲ ρϑδ8: ) δὶ “ἀἰ!οοῖα ἴῃ σοποαιθίιιπι ἰπ πὶ 66ι, βδυηὶῖ ἰἀπΊροῦὰ αιιράδι), απίθυβ ἰοηροτίθι5 ορογίθαὶ ἃ οοἰϊω δϑιίηογο, οἱ οομοοώδη η) Βαϊυγῳ, ἀθηθα δἰῖ ρΡυγὰ, οἱ δρίλ δὶ δι. ἰἰυδγογι ον ρτοογδὶ ΠΟηΘι. Αἱ-. 'ος φυϊιίδη ἰὼχ ἰἰὰ βαηείνὶῖ. Ογαϊϊὰ διυίοπὶ (νδηϑ !) οἰἰδπὶ βέυάΐο οαϑι , δὲ ργορίοΡ σοη- εἰηυ ρΓΘΟ68 ἰι ἢδγίὶ σοη580 , ρ6γ Ραυΐ Ὁ) (ὐἱάθπα ἀΐςαῃ8 : « ὕιΆ νδοοιὶβ. ογαηιίοηὶ ᾽";.» ρ6Ρ Ῥεοίγιιηι υϑιῦ ἰά ᾳυοά ἀἴξδοθτγα γνοἱυ͵5ι , Οροτίογο οηΐηι ἀἰχὶϊ Ὑἱγὸ8 αυλοῖ ἱπῆγιογὶ νϑ80 τη] υτὶ ἱπηραγιϊγὶ [- Ὁ μοτθη). ΟΧΧ. --- ἸΘΙΏΟΠΟ ΕΡΙΒΘΟΘΡΟ. Ϊπν ἐππ4 ( Ραμίὶ αἰείκνα), « Ωμαπίυπι ἱν τοῦὶς ει δ,» φἰο. Εἰιοὶ ἰδ ! οοηνὶεἷο «ἴΐδοιυβ , τι! !διη ἰη 7ιι - ἈΓΔ . χ, . ΕΟ]. χυῆῖῖ, . [δ1ὰ. . Βέότο. χιι, -. Ὀ6ῖγ. πι,, Οογ. νιν, ὅ. χοιῃ. ΣΙΙ, . ΨΑΒΙΑ ΠΕΟΤΙΌΝΕΘ ΕΤ ΝΟΤΙ. () Οοιἰ!. γαιΐο. θ60 οπιι καί. Υογβ. ἱπάθ Φ, ροβὶ ἔχοντας «(ἰἀΐι τε χαὶ παρέχοντας. ῬΟΒΒΙΝ. () Ῥτγὸ ἀλλ᾽ εἰ καὶ εἴρηται ἰ(6πὶ . 50Γ ἀλλ᾽ εἰ χαὶ εὕρηται υδῖὴ νυἱάδιιν Δθιηάδγο ΔΙΊ Γα εἰ ετβ. . τούτῳ τοῦϊλι ἴῃ τοῦτο. ἴν. Ρδτιοι. ὅκ. ΕΧΧΥΤΙΙ. () Ῥτο εἰ γάρ 1άθιη ἰορὶί οὐ γάρ. 1ν. () Ργὸ ἀλλ᾽ ἡ ἰθδιῃ σο4]. β8ογίθ!: ἀλλὰ τῇ, οἱ ψεΓβ. 56ῆ. ρῥγῸ περιουσία τοιαύτη ροηἰϊ περιουσίᾳ τὰ τοιαῦτα" 6γ8. ροϑὶ , ργῸ εἰσαγαγοῦσα [ προτ- αγαγοῦτα, ἴυ. . , ἸΘΙΌΟΒΙ ΡΕΠΌΒΞΙΟΤΈ εἷο διίψογβιι5 σοηυ εϊδίογοπι ἰπδιϊίυἱϊ! δοιϊοπ πὶ ΡΓΟ- Α τόλμης ἐν δικαστηρίῳ διὰ τὸ οἰχεῖον ἐπάγγελμα Ρίεγ ϑυυπὶ ργοπιϊβϑυπὶ (5ι1 απῖπ αἰϊοχυίη ἰρϑυπ), ρωπδβ δογυπι, αὐ: ἀδείφπαν!, ρόγβοίαει- ΓΙ), ἴλη ϑι πς διιγυυ8 ζ. 5υἱ5 ἰηδοηδηίο8 "ᾶῦοι οοηίυπηθ) . (υιοπίδιη ἰρίίυγ φΦ υιπὶ οϑὶ, ἰρϑῦ δδηδγὶ : ᾿ιάσυπ δΠΠ6οι]οηυΠ) ΠῸὴ πιοάϊουδ, ργίοῦ ᾿ρϑυι αυΐ μἴαραπι ἰητυ δ!, εἰ . τἱς ἀο]ϊοοὶ ρᾶαγοὶ δά Ἔσουβδηάμπη) [.
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From the Epistle of Peter: Why does Peter command husbands to honor their wives as the weaker vessel?
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