Letter 1539: The resurrection of the soul deadened by sin happens here, in this life, when it is reformed into life by acts of...
The resurrection of the soul that has been deadened by sins is accomplished here in this life, when it is reconstituted to life by the practice of righteousness. By the death of the soul we must understand its evil conduct, not its annihilation into non-being. Therefore concerning the prodigal son who was still living, his father said: "This my son was dead and is alive again; he was lost and is found." He did not mean that the son had physically died and been raised from the dead, but that through his sins he had become spiritually dead — cut off from the life of God, estranged from the household of faith, dwelling among swine and feeding on husks. His return to his father was his resurrection, his repentance was his coming back to life, and the robe and ring and feast were the restoration of the dignity he had forfeited. So it is with every sinner who repents: he passes from death to life, not by dying and rising physically but by abandoning sin and embracing righteousness. This is the first resurrection, and blessed are those who share in it. For the present difficulties, great as they are, are temporary, and the glory that awaits those who persevere in faithfulness is eternal. The sufferings of this present time are not worthy to be compared with the glory that shall be revealed in us, as the Apostle assures us. Therefore let us fix our eyes not on what is seen but on what is unseen, for what is seen is temporary, but what is unseen is eternal. And let us run with endurance the race that is set before us, looking unto Jesus, the author and finisher of our faith, who for the joy that was set before him endured the cross, despising the shame, and is seated at the right hand of the throne of God.
AI-assisted translation — This translation was produced with AI assistance and has not been peer-reviewed.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
Ἢ μὲν ταῖς ἁμαρτίαις νενεχρωμένης ψυχῆς ἀνάστασις ἐνταῦθα τελεῖται, ὅταν ταῖς τῆς διχαιο- σύνης πράξεσιν εἰς ζωὴν ἀναστοιχειωθῇ. Νέχρωσιν δὲ χρὴ νοεῖν ψυχῆς τὴν καχοπραγίαν, οὗ τὸν εἰς τὸ μὴ εἶναι ἀφανισμόν. Διὸ καὶ περὶ τοῦ ἀσώτου παιδὸς Ὁ ἔτι ζῶντος ἐῤῥέθη" « ΝΝεκρὸς ἦν καὶ ἀνέζησε. » Καὶ τῷ ὑπὸ τῆς χκαχίαξ νεχρωθέντι, καὶ ταφέντι ἐῤ- ῥέθη" «Ἔγειραὶ ὁ καθεύδων, χαὶ ἀνάστα ἐχ τῶν νε- χρῶν, καὶ ἐπιφαύσει σοι ὁ Χριστός.» Τῷ γὰρ τὸν θάνατον τῆς ἁμαρτίας διὰ μετανοίας ἀποσεισαμένῳ πὸ φῶς τὸ ἀληθινὸν ἀνατελεῖ " ἡ δὲ τοῦ σώματος ἐχεῖσε τελεσθήσεται, πάντων μὲν ὁμοίως διὰ τὴν. ἀθανασίαν, οὐ πάντων δὲ ὁμοίως διὰ τὴν εὔχλειαν. ᾿ Ἧ γὰρ δόξα ἀναλόγως τοῖς ἐνταῦθα πεπραγμένοις ἑχάστῳ πρυτανευθήσεται, χαθὼς τὰ ἀψευδῇ τῆς Γρᾶ- φῆς περιέχει λόγια. ῬΠ'. --- ΔΕΟΝΤΙΩ ἘΠΙΣΚΟΠΆ. δε ΐτα, φι νοἰμπίατία 6ει ἱπεαιιῖα, οταιΐοπα ηιοί[ἱ εεάαπάα. Μοάετγαδιο βυδδίθ᾽ δαύμιοηθ ἀγυθτα δυΐ ροιΐυ8 ὁοόθΓο σοηγοηΐ! αυἱ ᾿πρ [ διαὶ ἱγα, υἱ ἃ γοϊυηϊδηία ἰῃδδηΐα Δθ5ἰδίδηϊ. Τυπιοβοδη8 δηΐπη γᾶ ἰῃ μοιρἰοἰάἀΐιπη ἀδδἰηἰ!, ΕἸΧΧΣΙ. --- ΗΠΥ̓ΡΑΤΙῸ ΒΕΥΡ, ΘΕΒΕΝΤΙ. Αναγὶ ς πιοτϑις οὐτανάμς τοπιεαϊ. Αἀ μά Ἐεεὶϊ. ἐρὶεϊ. Ουὶ ὀχδιϊηξυσγα νοϊυηὶ ἱζηθα, Ποη γί ἀδ φυδπιάληι τηδιοτΐίδη ᾿ροπιηΐξ, Π6απ6 ὦ (οπι61:- (τ ργῶθϑηί, 4υ0 ἰφηΐθ δυρφοδοδλί, ἤδιᾳυθ ἰηάἀοπιᾶ- Μλι ἢ. ΧΧΙ!, , . χν, . Εὐηνίῳ καὶ πιθανῷ λόγῳ χολάσαι, μᾶλλον δὲ δι- δάξαι χρὴ τοὺς «ἀμειλίχτῳ ὀργῇ χρωμένους, τῆς ἑχουσίου μανίας ἀποπαύσασθαι. ᾿Ανοιδοῦσα γὰρ εἰς ἀνδροφονίαν τελευτᾷ. ῬΠΑ'. --- ΥΠΑΤΙΩ ΠΟΛΙΤΕΥΟΜΕΝΏ. [μ Ὧ : « Εἰφοπιοευπα ἐχειϊπφαῖ ρεροαίμηι, » Ὑ] ΟἹ πῦρ σδέσαι βουλόμενοι, οὐχ ὕλην εὐχατάπρη- στον προστιθέασιν, οὐδὲ τροφὴν ἄλλην παρέχουσιν αὐτῷ, δι᾿ ἧς αὔξεταί τε καὶ ἀχείρωτον γίνεται; ἀλλὰ ΜΔ. χνι, . ΥΑΆΙᾺ ΓΕΟΤΙΟΝΕΒ ΕἸ ΝΟΤᾺ. οσιώσει Η. Βιορ!δηὺδ ἐν Τῆσεαμτο ,.. ὅτ. οἱ ὈΪΟηγ. δ'υ5 Ροίλνίυ5 Δ ΒΡ μ᾽ δπίαμ απὸ συυᾳφυδ οοηνογ- 8Π . ΘΟΒΟΤΤ. ΕΡΙΘΤΟΙΛΕΌΜ . Υ΄ -- ΕΡΙ5Τ. ΟΧΧΧΥ. σδεστηρίοι: χοώμενοι τὴν φλόγα χαταπαύουσιν. Εἰ αὶ Ὁ , , ὀχβίσυογο πδίδ βίηι Παπητηϑπι, δα] Ϊ- τοίνυν Χαὶ αὐτὸς βούλει τὴν τῆς φιλοχρηματίας σδέσαι χάμινον. τῇ ὑπεξαιρέσει, ἀλλὰ μὴ τῇ προσ- θήχῃ τοῦτο ῥᾳδίως ἀνύσειν ἔλπιζε" σδεστήρια δὲ φιλαργυρίας, ἐλεημοσύνη, καὶ ἡ τῶν δεομένων εὑερ- γεσία. ῬΠΒ'. -- ΛΟΥ͂ΚΑ ΛΑΜΠΡΟΤΑΤΩ. εἴυη!. δὲ ἰἴδᾷυδ οἱ 'ρβα ὀχδιϊρυογα ἀυδυίιἰα ἀδδὶ- ἀδγ8 ἰυγᾶςσδι), μοὸὴ δαδοιΐϊβ (8εἰϊ6 ρο0856 μόγἤοσογθ δρϑγεϑ, δο ἀσίγαϊιδηιίο, Ανανι εἰδαι δυο πὶ Γοβιϊησυΐ οἰδοιμοδγι, δίᾳυῃθ ἴῃ δβδηιθ8 τυ - οΘηιϊὰ. ΟΙΧΧΧΙΙ. - ΟΙΑΆΙΒΘΙΜΟ, ΥἹΒΟ. Ἅυπετα ἐχεσεαπηὶ εἰἴἰαηι ἐαρίεπίε8. ΑὩγοὸ ἦμε ρμετυενί μτ. Αἱ υἱν Ἰμδίμε ἐα ὥημο εἰ δοπο, πο ἐξ αἤεείω 7μάϊεαί. ᾿ὈΟρθὸν τὸ δίχαιον ἐχείνῳ φαίνεται, τῷ χρημάτων χρείττονι, ᾧ οὐδὲν χέρδος τοῖς τῆς ψυχῆς ὀφθαλμοῖς ἐπισχοπεῖ. Εἰ γὰρ δώρα ἐχτυφλοῖ ὀφθαλμοὺς σοφῶν, τοὺς ἀσόφους τί οὐχ ἐργάζεται; Ὥσπερ γὰρ ἐὰν ἐπὶ θάτερα τοῦ ζυγοῦ χρυσίον προσενέγχῃης, χαθέλ- χεται () ἡ πλάστιγξ, καὶ ἄνισον δείχνυσι τὸν ζυ- γόν" οὕτω χαὶ ὅταν ὁ τῆς Ψψήφον χύριος χρυσίον λάδοι, οὐδὲν ἂν ὀρθῶς οὐδ᾽ ὑγιῶς ψηφιεῖται" ὁ δὲ τῶν χρίσεων ὄρον τὸ δίχαιον, οὐ τὴν οἰχείαν βούλησιν ποιούμενος, ἐχεῖ ῥέπειν παρασχενάζει τὰς ψήφους, ἔνθα τὴν δίχην νεύουσαν θεάσοιτο. ῬΠΙ". --- ΑΛΦΕΙΩ ΕΠΙΣΚΟΠΏ. Βοοῖυπὶ ΠῚ ἰυάδϊοίαπι δρρᾶγοϊς, 4φυΐ ἀναγ εἶδ ποη δχριινηδίυγ, ουἱ [ορὶ βιυάϊυ πὶ δηΐπιδὲ οουϊο8 ποι ὀχϑιϊηφυδῖ, δ᾽ δηΐ ἢ ε ΠΟΠΘΡΆ δορί οηίυπι ἐσχοθοδηὶ ἰυπιΐηα , » ἱποὶρ πίσπι αυΐ ἠοη (Δοϊοη Θυθδη8.- πιούυηι ͵ δἰιογὶ υἱἱδηοὶ δυῦύυη ἱπροηδδ, ἰδηχ ἀ6- ρΡυ λον, οἱ ἰηηιϊιδι6 οδίοηαϊ! ἰυψίιπι : οἱ ἱπάοχ ουηὶ δυγὸ δογγυμρίιυγ, η1 τοοίιπι δ] υΐδΓο ᾿υάϊοοί. ()γν νϑγὸ ᾿ιάϊοϊ! (ογπαινΐπασι δίδιι, ποη ργοργίδπι υοἱυπίλίθη, ἰμοϊ παρα [δοὶϊ ἀθδογαίδ, [υϑιἰιἰδιιι νογβογο ουβογναγί!. ΟΙΟΧΧΧΙΙ. - ΑΠΡΗΙῸ ΕΡΙΘΟΟΡΟ. Αὐνέγεμε ἐος, ημὶ δρομιαλθαπιὶ μαμροτίαιθηε ῥτο[εδεῖ, ορεε οπιπίϑις πιοάϊε οσοτταάππί, εἰ οἰδεηιοευπας Ρα"- ρεγίϑιις ἀδϑιίας ἱπιοτυφτίωηι. Ἠλιθίους ἔγωγε ἡγοῦμαι τοὺς ἐπὶ μὲν τῶν λόγων τὰς ἐναντιώσεις ὁρῶντας, ἐπὶ δὲ τῶν ἔργων μὴ χαθ- ορῶντας. Τὸ γὰρ ἀπὸ τῶν συλλογισμῶν εὔλογον προθαλλόμενοι, τἀναντία ὧν φασι δρᾷν οὐ παραι- «οῦνται. Τὴν γοῦν ἀχτημοσύνην μέγιστον ἀγαθὸν, ὥσπερ οὖν χαὶ ἔστιν, ὑποτιθέμενοι (), ἐκ τῶν ἀλ- λοτρίων χερδαίνουσι συμφορῶν" καὶ τὴν ἐλεη
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