Letter 96: A translation by Jerome of Theophilus's paschal letter for the year 401 A.D. In it Theophilus refutes at length the heresies of Apollinaris and Origen. About this page Source.
The Paschal Letter of Theophilus for the Year 401
(Translated from the Greek by Jerome)
[Summary: In this paschal letter Theophilus refutes at length the heresies of Apollinaris and Origen, showing that both ultimately destroy the truth of the Incarnation — Apollinaris by denying that Christ took a fully human mind, Origen by treating the body as a prison and the soul as pre-existent. Both errors, Theophilus argues, flow from the same Greek philosophical source: the assumption that matter and embodiment are inherently degrading to the divine. Against this, the paschal mystery stands as the definitive answer — the God who takes on flesh, dies, and rises in that same flesh has sanctified the body and destroyed the pretensions of those who despise it.]
Human translation — New Advent (NPNF / ANF series)
Related Letters
1. Never was the face of any one more familiar to another, than the peaceful, happy, and truly noble diligence of your studies in the Lord has become to me. For although I long greatly to be acquainted with you, I feel that already my knowledge of you is deficient in respect of nothing but a very small part of you — namely, your personal appeara...
1. Long ago I sent to your Charity a long letter in reply to the one which you remember sending to me by your holy son Asterius, who is now not only my brother, but also my colleague. Whether that reply reached you or not I do not know, unless I am to infer this from the words in your letter brought to me by our most sincere friend Firmus, that ...
Innocent expresses his sympathy with Jerome and promises to take strong measures to punish his opponents if he will bring specific charges against them. The date of the letter is A.D. 417.
1. Never since I began to write to you, and to long for your writing in return, have I met with a better opportunity for our exchanging communications than now, when my letter is to be carried to you by a most faithful servant and minister of God, who is also a very dear friend of mine, namely, our son Cyprian, deacon. Through him I expect to re...
1. I have heard that my letter has come to your hand. I have not yet received a reply, but I do not on this account question your affection; doubtless something has hitherto prevented you.