Letter 244
Isidore of Pelusium→Unknown|isidore pelusium
From: Isidore of Pelusium, monk at Pelusium
To: Anatolius
Date: ~410 AD
Context: Isidore on the seriousness of sinning after receiving God's grace — arguing that post-baptismal sin carries a heavier weight than pre-baptismal sin.
To sin after receiving the most generous gifts of God's grace — and to do so on a scale greater than one's ancestors did before those gifts were even available — is a serious matter.
This does not mean the fall is final. The provision for repentance remains available. But the willfulness of post-grace sin is not the same as the ignorance of pre-grace sin, and the accountability is proportionate. "To whom much is given, much will be required" [Luke 12:48]. Those who have received more are accountable for more.
ρΡοϑί ἰοεραπὶ φγαιἰϑιηαια ροοοδηϊῖ, ἃς η Υἱῷ αυϊάσιη δ ογ μαῖα, φιδη) πηΔ[ ΟΓ ποϑβίγὶ ᾿παγοδϑὶ διμὶ, νοίϊυηϊ ἰηδ᾽ϑίογο, χυδηδπὶ ἣὶ ἀϊφηὶ πιϊ δου ον ΐα Υἱ- ἀοδηέυτγ ὈΧΥ͂. --- ΑΝΑΤΟΙΟ.. Ῥγἠαπάα ἱπιρτοϑογμπι σοπιπιογεῖα. Λίαν σέ τινες αἰτιῶνται, ὅτι οὗς μὲν οὐδ᾽ ὁρᾶν θέμις, τούτοις ὡς ἥδιστα λαλεῖς. Οἷς δὲ λαλεῖν αἴσχιστον, τούτους συνήθεις πεποίησαι. Οὖς δὲ παρ- ὄντας τιμᾷν ἀτιμίας ἄξιον, τούτους χαὶ ἀπόντας Αςουϑδιι [ φιΐάαπι, φυοὰ Π ἀϑβρίοεγο αι ϊ- ἄδη) ἰ , ουμὴ ἰΐ πὶ ἔπ} Π|ΐ πιὸ ΟΟἸ]ΟηιϊιΔτίβ. Ουπὶ αυΐθυ ν ΓΟ οΟἸοαιΐ τ Γρ } πηππὶ ', }} [δπι}- ᾿ἰδγογ αἱλΥῖθ. Ή νΓῸ ργθϑοη ὨΟΠΟΤΆΓΟ ἱΠΓΡῸ ἀγαπᾷς. Εἰ τοίνυν ἁληθεύουσι, γνωσιμάχει" εἰ δὲ αὶ ἷ, Πο. ᾿ἰδοῇ δυδεηιβ δίδιια. Βεδὶρίβοο μὴν δήλου ἵνα ἐπιστομίσωμεν τοὺς ἐπὶ ταῖς σαῖς διαδολαῖς ἀγαλλομένους. ΦΙΩ". -- ΝΕΙΔΩ, ΠΕΤΡΩ, ΠΑΥΛΩ. Ἔγζο, ναγὰ ἢ πάγοι ; βίη βδθοιβ, οϑίθμι! [Ἀ|}}} , ἅ{ [ Οθίυγόηλυ αυΐ [ ἴῃ ἴθ ΘΑ] υἹηΠ οχϑυ!ίδηι. ᾿ ὮὍΧΥΙ. --- ΝΟ, ΡΕΤΒΟ εὐ ΡΑῦΠ. δὲ γαιἰοπι τ ϑθηο. Ἡ ἐπὶ ταῖς ὕόρεσιν ἀνεξιχαχία λίαν τὴν ψυχὴν ὠφελεῖ ἣν εἰ () συμφέρουσαν μὲν δειν, χαλεπὴν δὲ γενέσθαι, χομιδῇ ἂν ἡχθέσθην " μὴ τὸ τὴν προσοῦ- σαν πραγματείαν φεύγειν, τὸ λυσιτελὲς προέσθαι" εἰ δὲ χαὶ ῥᾳδία χαὶ βελτίστη τυγχάνει. Τὸ γὰρ ἐπ- ἐξιέναι χαὶ δύσχολον χαὶ ἐργωδέστερον, χαὶ χειμῶνος τὴν Ψυχὴν πληροῖ" ἄμεινον τὸ φιλοσοφεῖν.
◆
From: Isidore of Pelusium, monk at Pelusium
To: Anatolius
Date: ~410 AD
Context: Isidore on the seriousness of sinning after receiving God's grace — arguing that post-baptismal sin carries a heavier weight than pre-baptismal sin.
To sin after receiving the most generous gifts of God's grace — and to do so on a scale greater than one's ancestors did before those gifts were even available — is a serious matter.
This does not mean the fall is final. The provision for repentance remains available. But the willfulness of post-grace sin is not the same as the ignorance of pre-grace sin, and the accountability is proportionate. "To whom much is given, much will be required" [Luke 12:48]. Those who have received more are accountable for more.
Modern English rendering for readability. See the 19th-century translation or original Latin/Greek for scholarly use.