Letter 36

Isidore of PelusiumRulers; and to Titianus|isidore pelusium
From: Isidore of Pelusium, monk
To: Rulers; and to Titianus
Date: ~410 AD
Context: Isidore on the nature of just rule, and on Peter's impulsive act in Gethsemane.

The strength of rulers lies in friendship with God. The ruler who governs with strength is a friend of God, for it is written: "Your friends have been honored by me, O God, and their dominions have been made strong" [Psalm 139:17]. If then you wish to be a friend of God, rule with strength — dispensing justice not through bribes or favoritism, but according to what is right.

To Titianus: You ask what it means that Peter cut off the ear of the high priest's servant [John 18:10]. Peter acted from zeal, not from understanding. Christ healed the wound immediately — showing that the kingdom he was establishing would not be defended by the sword, but by the power of love and truth. Peter's impulse was human; Christ's correction was divine.

Modern English rendering for readability. See the 19th-century translation or original Latin/Greek for scholarly use.

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