§26Οὕτως γοῦν καὶ ὅταν ὁ θεὸς λέγηται »πῦρ καταναλίσκον«, οὐ κακίας.
Thus, at any rate, even when God is said to be a "consuming fire," this must be understood not as a name and symbol of wickedness, but of power.
ἀλλὰ δυνάμεως ὄνομα καὶ σύμβολον ἐκδεκτέον· ὡς γὰρ τὸ πῦρ ἰσχυρότατον τῶν στοιχείων καὶ πάντων κρατοῦν, οὕτω καὶ ὁ θεὸς παντοδύναμος καὶ παντοκράτωρ, ὁ δυνάμενος κρατῆσαι, κτίσαι, ποιῆσαι. τρέφειν, αὔξειν, σῴζειν, σώματος καὶ ψυχῆς ἐξουσίαν ἔχων.
For just as fire is the strongest of the elements and rules over all, so also God is almighty and all-ruling, He who is able to rule, create, make, nourish, increase, and save, having authority over body and soul.
ὡς οὖν τῶν στοιχείων ὑπερέχει τὸ πῦρ. οὕτως θεῶν τε καὶ δυνάμεων καὶ ἀρχῶν ὁ παντοκράτωρ.
Therefore, just as fire surpasses the elements, so the All-ruling surpasses both gods and powers and principalities.
διπλῆ τε ἡ δύναμις τοῦ πυρός, ἣ μὲν πρὸς δημιουργίαν καὶ πέπανσιν καρπῶν καὶ ζῴων γένεσιν καὶ τροφὴν ἐπιτήδειος, ἧς εἰκὼν ὁ ἥλιος, ἣ δὲ πρὸς ἀνάλωσιν καὶ φθοράν, ὡς τὸ πῦρ τὸ ἐπίγειον.
And the power of fire is twofold: the one [aspect] suited for creation and the ripening of fruits and the generation and nourishment of animals, of which the sun is the image; the other [aspect] for consumption and destruction, like the earthly fire.
»πῦρ« οὖν ὅταν λέγηται ὁ θεὸς »καταναλίσκον«, δύναμις ἰσχυρὰ καὶ ἀπροσάντητος, ᾗ μηδὲν ἀδύνατον, ἀλλὰ καὶ τὸ ἀπολέσαι δυνατόν.
Therefore, when God is called "consuming fire," [it means] a strong and irresistible power, to which nothing is impossible, but even to destroy is possible.
περὶ τοιαύτης δυνάμεως καὶ ὁ σωτὴρ λέγει· »πῦρ ἦλθον βαλεῖν ἐπὶ τὴν γῆν«, δηλονότι δύναμιν τῶν μὲν ἁγίων καθαρτικήν. τῶν δὲ ὑλικῶν, ὡς μὲν ἐκεῖνοί φασιν, ἀφανιστικήν, ὡς δὲ ἡμεῖς ἂν φαίημεν, παιδευτικήν.
About such power the Savior also says: "I came to cast fire upon the earth," namely, a power that is purifying of the holy, but of material things, as those say, destructive, but as we would say, disciplinary.
ἔχει δὲ καὶ φόβον τὸ πῦρ καὶ διάχυσιν τὸ φῶς.
And fire possesses fear, while light possesses diffusion.
§27Οὐκ ἔγραφον δὲ οἱ πρεσβύτεροι μήτε ἀπασχολεῖν βουλόμενοι τὴν διδασκαλικὴν τῆς παραδόσεως φροντίδα τῇ περὶ τὸ γράφειν ἄλλῃ φροντίδι, μηδὲ μὴν τὸν τοῦ προσκέπτεσθαι τὰ λεχθησόμενα καιρὸν καταναλίσκοντες εἰς γραφήν.
The elders did not write, neither wishing to distract their teaching care of tradition by the other care concerning writing, nor indeed consuming the time for considering what was to be said on writing.
τάχα δὲ οὐδὲ τῆς αὐτῆς φύσεως κατόρθωμα τὸ συντακτικὸν καὶ διδασκαλικὸν εἶδος εἶναι πεπεισμένοι τοῖς εἰς τοῦτο πεφυκόσι συνεχώρουν.
And perhaps, being persuaded that the systematic style and the teaching style are not the achievement of the same nature, they yielded to those naturally fitted for this.
τὸ μὲν γὰρ ἀκωλύτως καὶ μετὰ ῥύμης φέρεται ῥεῦμα τοῦ λέγοντος, καί που τάχα καὶ συναρπάσαι δυνάμενον, τὸ δὲ ὑπὸ τῶν ἐντυγχανόντων ἑκάστοτε βασανιζόμενον, ἀκριβοῦς τῆς ἐξετάσεως τυγχάνον, ἄκρας καὶ τῆς ἐπιμελείας ἀξιοῦται, καὶ ἔστιν οἷον εἰπεῖν ἔγγραφος διδασκαλίας βεβαίωσις, καὶ εἰς τοὺς ὀψιγόνους οὕτως διὰ τῆς συντάξεως παραπεμπομένης τῆς φωνῆς.
For the former [speech] is carried along without hindrance and with the rush of the speaker's stream, and perhaps even able to sweep [the listener] away; while the latter [writing], being examined on each occasion by those who read it, meeting with precise scrutiny, is deemed worthy of the greatest care, and is, so to speak, a written confirmation of teaching, the voice being thus transmitted through composition to posterity.
ἡ γὰρ τῶν πρεσβυτέρων παρακαταθήκη διὰ τῆς γραφῆς λαλοῦσα ὑπουργῷ χρῆται τῷ γράφοντι πρὸς τὴν παράδοσιν εἰς σωτηρίαν τῶν ἐντευξομένων.
For the deposit of the elders, speaking through writing, uses the writer as an assistant for the transmission [of tradition] unto the salvation of those who will read it.
καθάπερ οὖν ἡ μαγνῆτις λίθος τὴν ἄλλην ὕλην παραπεμπομένη μόνον ἐφέλκεται δι᾿ ἐπιτηδειότητα τὸν σίδηρον, οὕτως καὶ τὰ βιβλία πολλῶν ὄντων τῶν ἐντυγχανόντων τοὺς οἵους τε συνιέναι μόνους ἐπισπᾶται.
Just as, therefore, the magnet, passing by other matter, attracts only iron because of its suitability, so also books, though those who read them are many, draw only those who are capable of understanding.
ὁ γὰρ τῆς ἀληθείας λόγος τοῖς μὲν »μωρία«, τοῖς δὲ »σκάνδαλον«, ὀλίγοις δὲ »σοφία« οὕτως καὶ »δύναμις« εὑρίσκεται »θεοῦ«· φθόνος δὲ ἀπείη γνωστικοῦ.
For the word of truth is "foolishness" to some, "a stumbling block" to others, but to a few "wisdom" and thus also is found to be "the power of God." But let envy be far from the Gnostic.
διὰ τοῦτο γὰρ καὶ ζητεῖ πότερον χεῖρον, ἀναξίῳ δοῦναι ἢ ἀξίῳ μὴ παραδοῦναι.
For because of this, he even seeks [to know] which is worse: to give to an unworthy person or not to transmit to a worthy one.
καὶ κινδυνεύει ὑπὸ πολλῆς τῆς ἀγάπης οὐ μόνον παντὶ τῷ προσήκοντι, ἀλλ᾿ ἔσθ᾿ ὅτε καὶ ἀναξίῳ λιπαρῶς δεομένῳ κοινωνήσειν, οὐ διὰ τὴν δέησιν (οὐ γὰρ φιλοδοξεῖ), ἀλλὰ διὰ τὴν ἐπιμονὴν τοῦ δεομένου μελετῶντος εἰς πίστιν διὰ πολλῆς τῆς δεήσεως.
And he risks, out of abundant love, sharing not only with everyone to whom it is appropriate, but sometimes even with an unworthy person who entreats him earnestly—not because of the entreaty (for he does not seek glory), but because of the persistence of the entreator, who through much entreaty is practicing toward faith.
§28Εἰσὶ δ᾿ οἳ λέγοντες εἶναι γνωστικοὶ τοῖς οἰκείοις φθονοῦσι μᾶλλον ἤ τοῖς ἐκτός.
But there are those who, claiming to be Gnostics, envy their own [associates] more than those outside.
ὡς δὲ ἡ θάλασσα ἀνίεται πᾶσιν, ἀλλ᾿ ὃ μὲν νήχεται, ὃ δὲ ἐμπορεύεται, ὃ δὲ ἀγρεύει τοὺς ἰχθῦς, καὶ ὡς ἡ γῆ κοινή, ἀλλ᾿ ὃ μὲν ὁδεύει, ὃ δὲ ἀροῖ, θηρᾷ δὲ ἕτερος, καί τις ἄλλος μέταλλα ἐρευνᾷ, ὃ δὲ οἰκοδομεῖ, οὕτως καὶ τῆς γραφῆς ἀναγινωσκομένης ὃ μὲν εἰς πίστιν, ὃ δὲ εἰς ἦθος ὠφελεῖται, ἀφαιρεῖται δὲ ἄλλος δεισιδαιμονίαν διὰ τῆς ἐπιγνώσεως τῶν πραγμάτων· ὁ δὲ ἀθλητής, γνωρίσας τὸ στάδιον τὸ Ὀλυμπιακόν, ἐπαποδύεται τῇ διδασκαλίᾳ καὶ ἀγωνίζεται καὶ νικηφόρος γίνεται, τοὺς ἀντιπάλους καὶ κατατρέχοντας τῆς γνωστικῆς ὁδοῦ παρακρουσάμενος καὶ καταγωνισάμενος.
And just as the sea is open to all, but one swims, another trades, and another catches fish; and as the earth is common, but one travels, another plows, another hunts, another searches for metals, and another builds; so also when Scripture is read, one is benefited unto faith, another unto character, and another rids himself of superstition through the knowledge of things; and the athlete, having recognized the Olympic stadium, strips for the discipline and contends and becomes victorious, having eluded and overcome the opponents and those who run down the gnostic path.
ἀναγκαία γὰρ ἡ γνῶσις καὶ πρὸς ψυχῆς γυμνασίαν καὶ πρὸς σεμνότητα ἤθους, ἀξιεντρεπτοτέρους ποιοῦσα τοὺς πιστοὺς καὶ τῶν πραγμάτων ἀκριβεῖς θεατάς.
For knowledge is necessary both for the training of the soul and for the gravity of character, making believers more worthy of respect and precise observers of things.
ὡς γὰρ οὐκ ἔστι πιστεῦσαι ἄνευ κατηχήσεως, οὕτως οὐδὲ καταλαβέσθαι ἄνευ γνώσεως.
For just as it is not possible to believe without instruction, so it is not possible to comprehend without knowledge.