Letter 90

Isidore of PelusiumUnknown|isidore pelusium
From: Isidore of Pelusium, monk
To: An inquirer
Date: ~410 AD
Context: Isidore explains the disciples' question about the man born blind.

The apostles, as students of wisdom and lovers of truth, saw the Savior paying attention to the blind man and practically inviting them to ask a question. So they presented him with two commonly debated theories: did this man sin before his birth (as some Greek philosophers held about the preexistence of souls), or did his parents' sin cause his blindness? Christ answered neither — because both assumptions were wrong. "Neither this man nor his parents sinned," he said, "but this happened so that the works of God might be displayed" [John 9:3]. Not every suffering is a punishment. Some suffering is an opportunity for God to show what he can do.

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