Letter 453: I have received what you sent, and I recognize in it the spirit of one who genuinely seeks rather than one who...

To Theodosius, on what the one who wrestled Jacob said concerning his name: The divine nature is beyond all naming. Jacob sought the name of the one who wrestled with him and taught him to prevail over the passions through the touching of the sinew of his thigh. But he hears, "Why do you ask my name?" -- the one who teaches that it was not given to the law, nor to those before the law, to learn this. But late in time, when the fullness of ages shall come and the transgressions of humanity have multiplied, I shall be called Jesus when I become incarnate -- a name that means Savior. For it is for the salvation of sinners that I shall undertake that dispensation. To Theon, to a monk who adorns himself: Emulate the simplicity of Elisha, content with an upper room and a lamp -- things that signified the man's lofty and illumined way of life. Do not, like Pharaoh, cling to great buildings and bind the monks to them, thereby destroying the true work. To Paul: Not everyone who has learned many sciences or arts, even if he is the most talented of all men, brings each of them to perfection, since the time that ought to be spent on the practice and study of the first art is consumed in taking up another. But he has the advantage in breadth...

ΘΕΟΔΟΣΙΟ. "Ότε ἐπάλαισεν ὁ Ἰακώβ, τί εἶπε τὸ ὄνομα αὐτοῦ ὁ παλαίων. Ἡ μὲν θεία φύσις ἀκατονόμαστος. Ὄνομα δὲ ἐζή τει Ἰακὼβ τοῦ παλαίοντος, καὶ ἰσχύειν αὐτὸν κατὰ τῶν παθῶν ἐκδιδάσκοντος, διὰ τῆς τοῦ νεύρου τοῦ μηροῦ ψηλαφήσεως. Αλλ' « Ἵνα τί ἐρωτᾷς τὸ ὄνομά μου;» ἀκούει, οὐ τοῦ νόμου (57) εἶναι, οὐδὲ τῶν πρὸ τοῦ νόμου τοῦτο μαθεῖν ἐκπαιδεύοντος · ὀψὲ δὲ καιροῦ, ὅτε ἐλεύσεται τῶν χρόνων τὸ πλήρωμα, καὶ πληθυνθῶσι τῶν ἀνθρώπων τὰ πλημμελήματα, Τη σοῦς ἐνανθρωπήσας κληθήσομαι, ὅπερ Σωτήρ έρμη νεύεται. Ἐπὶ σωτηρίᾳ γὰρ τῶν ἁμαρτόνθων τὴν οἰκονομίαν ἐκείνην ποιήσομαι. ΥΗ'. – ΘΕΩΝΙ. Πρὸς μοναχὸν καλλωπιζόμενον. Τὴν Ἑλισσαίου (82) εὐτέλειαν ζήλου, ὑπερώῳ καὶ λύχνῳ ἀρκούμενος· ἅπερ τὴν ὑψηλὴν καὶ πεφωτι- σμένην τοῦ ἀνδρὸς ἡνίσσετο πρᾶξιν· ἀλλὰ μὴ μεγά- λαις οἰκοδομαῖς ὡς Φαραὼ προστηκόμενος καὶ προσ- τήκων αὐταῖς τοὺς μονάζοντας, τὴν ἀληθῆ ἐργασίαν κατάλυε. ΥΝΒ΄. – ΠΑΥΛΩ. Οὐ πάντως ὁ πολλὰς ἐπιστήμας ἢ τέχνας μεμαθηκὼὼς, οὐδ᾽ ἂν πάντων ἀνθρώπων εὐφυέστατος ᾖ, ἑκάστην αὐτῶν εἰς ἄκρον ἀκριβοῖ, τοῦ χρόνου τοῦ ὀφείλοντος εἰς τὴν ἄσκησιν καὶ τὴν μελέτην τῆς πρώτης τέχνης ἀναλωθῆναι, εἰς ἄλλης τέχνης ἀνάληψιν δαπανωμένου· ἀλλὰ πλεονεκτεῖ μὲν τῷ ```