Letter 509: The calling does not change with the circumstances, Isidoros.
On the text, "Did this man sin, or his parents?" The apostles, being students of wisdom and lovers of truth, gazing intently at the Savior as he was paying attention to the blind man, and all but inviting them to question him, brought before him two doctrines commonly discussed and debated among people. For since the children of the Greeks said that the soul had sinned and for this reason had been sent down into a body to be punished, while the Jews believed that the sins of the forefathers passed down to their descendants, because it is written, "The sins of the fathers upon the children to the third and fourth generation" — they said to him, who knows all things before they come into being: "Who sinned, this man (as the Greeks say) or his parents (as the Jews say), that he was born blind?" But the Truth gave an answer that was neither oblique nor evasive, nor full of riddles, but straightforward and brighter than all clarity. For he overturned both positions, saying: "Neither did this man sin (for how could he, before coming into being?) nor his parents" — that is to say, so as to cause him to be born blind. For he was answering the question that was asked. It is likely that they had sinned — indeed they certainly had sinned — but they were not the cause of this man's misfortune. Why then was he born blind? "So that the works of God might be made manifest in him," that is, nature was permitted to falter so that the Craftsman might be proclaimed.
AI-assisted translation — This translation was produced with AI assistance and has not been peer-reviewed.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
Εἰς τό « Οὗτος ἥμαρτεν, ἢ οἱ γογεῖς αὐτοῦ ;» Οἱ ἀπόστολοι, ἅτε σοφίας φοιτηταὶ, χαὶ ἀληθείας ὄντες ἐρασταὶ, ἀτενῶς ὁρῶντες τὸν Σωτῆρα προσ- ἐχοντα. τῷ τυφλῷ, χαὶ μόνον οὐχὶ εἰς ἐρώτησιν αὐ- τοὺς ἐχχαλούμενον, δύο θρυλλούμενα δόγματα, χαὶ παρὰ ἀνθρώποις ζητούμενα αὐτῷ προσφέρουσιν. ᾿ Ἐπειδὴ γὰρ Ἑλλήνων [μὲν] παῖδες ἔφασαν ἐσφάλθαι τὴν Ψυχὴν, χαὶ διὰ τοῦτ᾽ εἰς σῶμα χκαταπεπέμφθαι χολασθησομένην (), Ἰουδαῖοι δ᾽ ἡγοῦντο τὰ τῶν προγόνων πταίσματα εἰς τοὺς ἐγγόνους διαθαίνειν, διὰ τὸ γεγράφθαι" ε ᾿Αμαρτίαι πατέρων ἐπὶ τέχνα ἕως τρίτης χαὶ τετάρτης γενεᾶ-"» ἔφασαν αὐτῷ, ἅτε πάντα εἰδότι πρὶν γενέσεως αὐτῶν᾽ ε Τίς ἥμαρτεν, οὗτος (ὥς φασιν “Ἑλληνες)ὴ, ἣ οἱ γονεῖς αὐτοῦ (ὥς φασιν Ἰουδαῖοι), ἵνα τυφλὸς γεννηθῇ ; » Ἡ δ᾽ ἀλήθεια οὐ λοξὴν οὐδὲ πλαγίαν, οὐδ᾽ αἰνίγματος μεστὴν τὴν ἀπόχρισιν πεποίηται, ἀλλ᾽ ὀρθὴν, καὶ σαφηνείας ἁπάσης λαμπροτέραν. ᾿Αμφότερα γὰρ ἀνέτρεψε, φή- σασα᾽ «Οὔτε οὗτος ἥμαρτε (πῶς γὰρ πρὸ τοῦ γενέ- σθαι ;) οὔτε οἱ γονεῖς αὑτοῦ, » δῆλον ὅτι, ἵνα τυφλὸς γεννηθῇ. Πρὸς γὰρ τὴν ἐρώτησιν ἀπεχρίνατο. Εἰχὸς μὲν γὰρ αὐτοὺς ἡμαρτηχέναι, μᾶλλον δὲ ἡμαρτή- χασι μὲν, οὐ μὴν τούτῳ αἴτιοι τῆς συμφορᾶς εἰσι. Τίνος οὖν ἕνεχεν τυφλὸς ἐγεννήθη ; Ἵνα φανερωθῇ τὰ ἔργα τοῦ Θεοῦ ἐν αὑτῷ, τουτέστι, συνεχωρήθη σχάσαι ἣ φύσις, ἵν᾽ ἀναχηρυχθῇ ὁ τεχνίτης. ΘΟΙΧΣΧΙ. --- ΑΝΥ͂ΘΙΟ. ΠΙυὰ ᾳυοὰ ἃ ἰερὶϑἰαίογα ἀϊείιι πὶ : « Νοη κηΐ- ΒΟΓΘΌΘΓΙ μι ρογίβ ἰι αι ϊοἷο ", » ἤοὴ ἱπῃυμηϑη - ιἷ5, υἱὐἱ δα ϑι πηδ5, δοά Ὀδιϊφηΐιδι οἱ Ρίαηι πὶ . θυλ8 δηΐ ἢ εᾶχὶ Π188 Γ65 ργιϑίαϊ : ὑπ , 4υοὰ Ῥϑιρογοβ δὰ ποροιΐϊυπὶ (δοθϑϑοηάμ πὴ ΙὨΪΠΪΠῚ6 Β , 4Δ 1ογϑιη, 4φυοα , ἰηΐι6 ἰσ αι , ἃς ἀἷν]- εἰ οἱ σορίο518 μοι ΐθυ. Ὑλοιογίδ οα]ου!υι ρογγὶ- συηῖϊ, πιαχίμηοροῦα ἰογγοὶ. ΝΠ] ] [Ϊ5, συ τὰ!- ουἰθηι8, οἱ δι ποη η Φ6γΓ δ ἀπ , μα ρ6Γ- ἰ4ι θαΙυ σΟ] υςἰδηῖιγ, οὐ ΟὈδδογδιίοι δ ἰοςο ἴθι) ἰΠηάυηϊ, τηἰηΐπης ζγαισατῦὶ δίψυὸ ἰμ ζ ΓΘ οροτίοὶ, πλυ]ῖο ργοίδοιο τηΐπ αυἱ ργ ἰυχυτγὶὰ οἱ ἀδ!1οἰϊς οοπιυμηε ᾶπὶ ἐφοηιδι18 ἰμδγιηῖ. σΟΙΧΧΙΙ. -- ΙΒΙΌΟΒΟ ΝΙΑΘΟΝΟ. πιά, « Ηΐεπε ρεσσαυΐ!, αμ! ματοηίεε Ἀροβιίοὶὶ, υἱροίο Ξαρίαηι5 ἐἸβείρι , ἂς. νογίιδιἷβ δΔηιδηΐθ5, ϑ] νδίογοι ἀσῇχοθ ) σδοι ΟΟμ ἢ8- θεμῖθη), δ6. ργοραπιοάϊιη ἀά ἰῃϊογγοξϑηάμη Ργονοσϑηῖθη) σομϑρίοἰδι65, ἀυ0 ρογνυϊφυῖα ἀορινὰ - ἴ8, οἱ ἀ6 αυϊνυϑ πάρι Δρ Ὠοιΐπ 4υδδι οι Θχοϊίϑ , ἰροὶ ργορομυμῖ. Οποηίΐίδηι Θηϊη (τοὶ ΔηΪΠΙΔΙῊ ΡόΘ04856, ὈΓΟρΡίΟΓΘὰ ᾿πθπἀαγυπ ροθη8ᾶ- Τὺ σδυδβὰ ἰῃ ΘΟΓρυ5 δηλ δ88π) Γαι ἰἀθτυηὶ : ἃ Γυγϑυι δυἀ δὶ πιαϊοζαιν ρασοδίδ δἰ Ποροίο5 ἰγδην- ἶγα οχἰὶ βιϊπιαῦδηί, ᾳυοά νἱἀεἰςαὶ Ξοτὶρίαπι , ε Ρ6ο - οδίά ραίγυπι ἰη υ8416 ἰϑγι ἰδ: δὶ υοΓίἃ ΠῈ ξοπαογαιοηθπὶ ᾽ἢ; » ἰθοἶγοο δά δυπι, αἱ οἰπηΐὰ ρτγίυ8- 4υ8πηὶ οΥΐδηϊυν, ποδοθηΐθπι, ἢ. νογθα πδθυθγυηῖ : « θυΐβ ροοοεν ἰδ (υ1 φαηι ':) Δ) ρᾶγΓθη (υι δυάκ! δϑίγυυμ), υἱ οὥουδ ΠΑΒΟΘΓΘΙΩΓ » γογίιαθ δυίΐδηι βοὴ οἰἠίψφυυπιὶ εἰ δ᾽ ηυοϑύη), Π6Ο δηϊφηπιδίυηι ἰηνοϊ υογί8 ῥ᾽ πὶ ΓΘΒρΡΟΙ πὶ (θάϊὶ, ψοΓἢ) Γοίυ πὶ) . ν ραγϑρίουΐίαι6 αἰ υςἰ ἀΐι5 οἱ δρ᾽ δι ἀϊάϊυ8. Πιρυηιαιθ Θηΐπ) [νἷ8 νΟΓὈΪ8 δ ΓΙ : Ὁ « Νοᾳυθ ιἶο ρϑοσαυῖ (φιοπᾶπι Θπὶπὶ ρ8010, ρΓΪι15- ᾳυδιη ἰῃ οτίυπιν ργού ἢ) πος Ῥᾶγοιίθ5 . ᾽; » ἴῃ Ὦος Υἱἀ6Π1ε6ῖ, υἱ ο Ὠδβοσγείυγ, Αἀ ἱπιοῦγοξὃ- εαιϊοπδπ δηΐη! Γαϑροηάϊΐ!. ὙοΥΙ β᾽ Π ΠᾶΠΊ.θ6 ροοο4886, ἰπ10 ρί4ι:): ρϑοσλνογιῖ : δῖ ΠΟ ργορίογεϑ ἱρϑὶ ςαδ]απιΐιαι8 ουδᾶην ργῦυθγυηι. Ουϊά ἰᾳίίυν Δεγίαγ, φυλι!οΌΓΘηΙ οἴΒΟιι5. τπιᾶῖι5 δἰι Θ . Νιπνΐγυ ὧἱ πιληϊ[δϑιθηίαῦ ορόγὰ Ὠδὶ ἰῃ , Βο. 68ὶ, εἰδλυύίεαγα ρογπΐβϑα δϑι παίυγα, υἱ ΔΓΙΠῚΟἾ5 ρίογα ργι ἴσοι αΓ. Κχοιΐ, ΧΧΤΙΙ, ὅ. 2084η. ΙΧ, . Ἐχρά. χχ, ὃ. . )οΔη. ΙΧ, ὅ. ΥΑΙ͂ ΓΕΟΤΙΟΝῈΒ ΕΤ ΝΟΤΑἅ. () ὕ τογσυδ οοά., εὐαγγελιούμενος. ῬΟΒΒΙΝ. () Ῥτο ἕτερον υμπυδ οοἀ. γαιίο. Ἰορὶϊ ὕστε- ρον. ἴρ () Ηος Οτὶροηίδημπι 'άορπια Το[ε ρἰυτίθῃ ποιῖος ᾿Ἰςιάογις Ὁ. τν, ορ. . ΕἾυ8 νοϑηρ4 [ἰ[66ὃ δἰΐδιν ΟἸονοιδιν ἀπ ἀνθιιθιθ. ἿΤΤ ΘΟ ΧΧΙΙ. -- ΟΡΗΠΕΙῸ ΟΒΑΜΜΑΤΙΟΟ. Θυοὰ πιυ]1ῖ6 ποὺΐβ ΟἸΒΟΌΓΔ 5ἰηϊ, δίψυθ Βυπίδηο ἱηφεηίο Υἱχ ρογυθδίιϊ γαγὶ χυθδιί, ρογϑρίοιπι . θυοι διυιίδι δὲ ἀδινυπι, οἱ ηαυ!θπι υἱἱ τοῦ οδρίυμῃ νοαίγυπι εὔυρίλιι, ηοὐ διὰ δε] υΐθπι παι 44υ8- ἥμαπὶ ςρηπάπειηι, ἰά αυοᾳυς ἰϊηυεῖ, (οπβίἀογοπηυβ ἰίάφυο αυἱιΐ πονῖδ δὐ ᾿νδαι!υἀ!πδηλ ΠΊΘ Π10 εἰ, ηὐἃ : Δ[41ι6 , αὐυῷὸ ἀϊευπίυγ, ΘΧρογοπλυ8. (ἰυσι δὺῖ σρίμδογϑ, δυῖι ἀϊπιὶἀἶ5
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