Letter 144

From: Theodoret, Bishop of Cyrrhus To: A group of soldiers [military men who asked for theological instruction] Date: ~440s AD Context: A remarkable theological letter to soldiers, addressing the philosophical question of whether there are things impossible for God, and arguing that divine "impossibilities" (lying, injustice, ceasing to be God) are actually proofs of God's infinite power, not limitations. To the Soldiers, Human nature is everywhere the same, but the pursuits of life are many and varied. Some choose a sailor's career, some a soldier's; some become athletes, some farmers; some follow one craft, others another. To pass over all other differences: some are zealous about divine things and get themselves well instructed in apostolic teaching, while others become slaves of the stomach and suppose that the enjoyment of base pleasures is happiness. Still others lie between these extremes -- they do not show great enthusiasm for religion, nor do they embrace a dissolute life, but they honor the simplicity of the faith. Those who attack the proposition that some things are impossible even for God should not, I think, be classed with the well-instructed, but rather with those who either lack exact knowledge of apostolic teaching or have been enslaved by pleasures and shift their views at the whim of the moment. You have asked me to write on these matters. I would prefer to keep silent at the present time. But in obedience to the Lord's command -- "Give to everyone who asks of you" [Luke 6:30] -- I am compelled to reply briefly. I say this: the God of the universe can do all things. But "all things" includes only what is right and good, for He who is by nature both wise and good admits nothing contrary to His nature -- only what befits it. If anyone objects, ask them: Can the God of the universe, the lawgiver of truth, lie? If they say lying is possible for God, expel them from your company as impious and blasphemous. If they agree that God cannot lie, ask them next: Can He who is the source of justice become unjust? If they concede this too is impossible, press further: Can the unfathomable depth of wisdom become unwise? Can God cease to be God? Can the Lord cease to be Lord? Can the Creator cease to be Creator? Can the Good become evil? Can the true Light become darkness? If they admit that all these things are impossible for God, then tell them: many things are indeed impossible for God -- and their impossibility, far from proving weakness, demonstrates His greatest power. Even in the case of the soul, when we say it cannot die, we do not attribute weakness to it; we proclaim its capacity for immortality. Similarly, when we confess God's immutability, impassibility, and immortality, we cannot attribute change, suffering, or death to the divine nature. If they insist that God can do whatever He wills, answer them: He wills to do nothing that is not in His nature to do. He is by nature good; therefore He does not will evil. He is by nature just; therefore He does not will injustice. He is by nature true; therefore He does not will falsehood. He is by nature unchangeable; therefore He does not undergo change. So when we say God cannot lie, we are saying He does not will to lie. When we say He cannot be unjust, we mean He does not will injustice. And so on through all the rest. Many of the ancient doctors have written at length on these matters. I have touched on them only briefly, to fulfill your request. When possible, I will write more fully. Meanwhile, cling to the simplicity of your faith, and pray that the Lord of all may put an end to the turbulence of the churches and grant us again the calm of peace.

Letter 144 Please help support the mission of New Advent and get the full contents of this website as an instant download. Includes the Catholic Encyclopedia, Church Fathers, Summa, Bible and more — all for only $19.99... To the Soldiers. Human nature is everywhere the same, but pursuits in life are many and various. Some men prefer a sailor's career, some a soldier's; some men become athletes, some husbandmen; some ply one craft and some another. To pass by all other differences, some men are zealous and diligent about divine things, and get themselves instructed in the exact teaching of the apostolic doctrines; while others, on the contrary, become slaves of the belly, and suppose that the enjoyment of base pleasures is happiness. Others again are there, lying in a mean between these two extremes, who do not exhibit this praiseworthy enthusiasm, nor embrace a life of incontinence, but still honour the simplicity of the faith. Men who attack the statement that some things are altogether impossible with God must not, I apprehend, be classed with the zealous and the well instructed in divine things, but rather either with those who have no exact knowledge of the apostolic doctrines, or those who have been enslaved by pleasures and shift here and there at the caprice of a moment, setting forth now one thing and now another. You have asked me to write on these points. I should prefer at the present time to keep silence. But in obedience to the commandment of the Lord, Give to every man that asks of you, I am constrained briefly to reply. I say then that the God of the universe can do all things, but that in the word all is comprehended only what is right and good, for He who is naturally both wise and good admits of nothing that is of a contrary nature, but only what becomes his nature. If any objectors gainsay this statement, ask them if the God of the universe, the lawgiver of truth, can lie. If they say that lying is possible to God, expel them from your company as impious and blasphemous. Should they agree that lying is not possible to the God of the universe, ask them in the second place, if He who is the fount of justice can become unjust. Should they allow that this too is impossible to the God of all, you must yet again enquire if the unfathomable depth of wisdom can become unwise, God cease to be God, the Lord cease to be the Lord, the Creator be no Creator, the Good not good but evil and the true Light not light but its opposite. If they admit that all these things and the like are impossible to God, you must say to them therefore many things are impossible with God; and that their being impossible so far from being a proof of want of power, indicates on the contrary the greatest power. Even in the case of our own soul, when we say that it cannot die, we do not predicate weakness of it, but we proclaim its capacity of immortality. And similarly when we confess the immutability, impassibility, and immortality of God, we cannot attribute to the divine nature change, passion, or death. Suppose them to urge that God can do whatever He will, you must reply to them that He wishes to do nothing which it is not His nature to do; He is by nature good, therefore He does not wish anything evil; He is by nature just, therefore He does not wish anything unjust; He is by nature true, therefore He abominates falsehood; He is by nature immutable, therefore He does not admit of change; and if He does not admit of change He is always in the same state and condition. This He Himself asserts through the prophet. I am the Lord I change not. And the blessed David says You are the same and Your years shall have no end. If He is the same He undergoes no change. If He is naturally superior to change and mutation He has not become from immortal, mortal nor from impassible, passible, for had this been possible He would not have taken on Him our nature. But since He has an immortal nature, He took a body capable of suffering, and with the body a human soul. Both of these He kept unstained from the defilements of sin, and gave His soul for the sake of the souls that had sinned, and His body for the sake of the bodies that had died. And since the body that was assumed is described as body of the very only begotten Son of God, He refers the passion of the body to Himself. But the four evangelists testify that it was not the divine nature but the body which was nailed to the cross, all teaching with one voice that Joseph of Arimathea came to Pilate and begged the body of Jesus; that he took down the body of Jesus from the tree and wrapped in fine linen, and laid in his own new tomb the body of Jesus; that Mary the Magdalene came to the tomb seeking the body of Jesus and ran to His disciples, and reported these things when she could not find the body of Jesus. This is the unanimous teaching of the evangelists. But if your opponents urge that the angels said Come see the place where the Lord lay let the foolish folk learn that the divine Scripture says also about the victorious Stephen And devout men carried Stephen to his burial. And yet it was the body only which was deemed proper for burial, while the soul was not buried together with the body; nevertheless the body alone was spoken of by the common name. Similarly the blessed Jacob said to his sons Bury me with my fathers. He did not say Bury my body. Then he went on There they buried Abraham and Sarah his wife; there they buried Isaac and Rebekah his wife; and there I buried Leah. He did not say their bodies. The names are common to bodies or souls, but nevertheless it is only the bodies which he called by the common names. In this manner too we constantly describe the shrines of the holy apostles, prophets and martyrs, one it may be of Dionysius, another of Julianus another of Cosmas. And yet we know that only fragmentary remains of bodies lie there, while the souls in diviner regions are at rest. Precisely the same custom is to be found in common use, for such an one, we say, died; and such an one lies in this place; although we know that the soul is immortal and does not share the tomb with the body. In this sense the angel said Come see the place where the Lord lay not because he shut the Godhead in the tomb, but because he spoke of the Lord's body by the Lord's name. In proof of this being the view of the holy Fathers let them mark the words of Athanasius, illustrious archbishop of Alexandria, who adorned his episcopate with confession. He exclaims Life cannot die, but rather quickens the dead. Let them hear too the words of the far-famed Damasus bishop of Rome, If anyone allege that on the cross pain was undergone by the Godhead and not by the body with the soul, the form of the servant which He had taken in its completeness, let him be anathema. Let them hear too the very sacred and holy bishop of the Church of the Romans, the lord Leo, who has now written The Son of God suffered as He was capable of suffering, not according to the nature which assumed but that which was assumed. For the impassible nature assumed the passible body, and gave it for us, to the end that He might work out our salvation and at the same time preserve His own nature impassible. And again For He did not come to destroy His own nature but to save ours. If therefore they accuse us for saying that God can do what He wishes, but that He wishes what is becoming to His own nature, and what is unbecoming He neither wishes nor is capable of; let them accuse too these saints and all the rest who maintain this position. Let them accuse even the Apostle who says That by two immutable things in which it was impossible for God to lie. And again If we believe not, yet He abides faithful: He cannot deny Himself. Repeat these passages to your opponents, and if they are convinced, praise the good Lord for that, by means of your zeal, He has benefited them. If they remain unconvinced, enter into no discussion with them about doctrines, for it is forbidden by the divine apostle to strive about words to no profit but to the subverting of the hearers. But do you keep inviolate the teaching of the Gospels, that in the day of His appearing you may bring to the righteous Judge what has been entrusted to you with its due interest, and may hear the longed for words Well done good and faithful servant; you have been faithful over a few things I will make you ruler over many things. Enter thou into the joy of your Lord.