Letter 539

To a Scriniarius [a keeper of the records, a clerical official of the imperial chancery]. "In Christ Jesus," says the Apostle, "there is neither male nor female" [Galatians 3:28]. And yet all the faithful are plainly seen to be fashioned both into male and into female. But the great Paul is not speaking about the things that are seen; rather he hints at what is not seen. For among those who look toward God [...], both the male passion and the female passion have been put to death by their purpose, by their faith, and by their will.

Ἐν Χριστῷ Ἰησοῦ, φησὶν ὁ Ἀπόστολος, οὐκ ἄρσεν, οὔτε θῆλυ. Καὶ μὴν πάντες οἱ πιστοὶ καὶ εἰς ἄρσεν καὶ εἰς θῆλυ φαίνονται διεσχηματισμένοι. Ἀλλ᾽ οὐχὶ περὶ τῶν ὁρωμένων λέγει ὁ μέγας Παῦ- λος, ἀλλὰ τὸ μὴ βλεπόμενον ὑπαινίττεται· παρίλη τοῖς ἀποβλέπουσιν εἰς Θεὸν, καὶ τὸ ἄρσεν πάθος, καὶ τὸ θῆλυ, τῇ προθέσει, καὶ τῇ πίστει, καὶ τῇ βου λήσει νενέκρωται.