§22#2Οὐκοῦν ἕχω πατέρα, εἰ μὲν ἅγιός εἰμι, Θεόν· εἰ δὲ ἁμαρτωλός εἰμι, τὸν διάβολον ἕχω πατέρα· ἀλλὰ καὶ τὸν προσεχῶς φέρε εἰπεῖν ἐνεργήσαντα Ἀντίχριστον, ἢ ἄγγελόν τινα τοῦ διαβόλου, ἢ δαιμόνιον, οὗ τὴν ἐνέργειαν παρεδεξάμην.
Therefore I have a father: if indeed I am holy, God; but if I am a sinner, I have the devil as a father; and also, let us say, the Antichrist who has recently worked in me, or some angel of the devil, or a demon, whose working I have accepted.
Καὶ ἁπαξαπλῶς εἰσί μοι πατέρες μυρίοι, ἐὰν γένωμαι ἁμαρτωλός· ὥσπερ πάλιν ἐὰν γένωμαι δίκαιος, πατήρ μου ἐστὶν ὁ Θεὸς, καθάπερ φησὶν ὁ Σωτὴρ, « Τεκνία, ἕτι μικρὸν μεθʼ ὑμῶν εἰμι. » Καὶ πάλιν, « Θύγατερ, ἡ πίστις σου σέσωκέ σε. » Καὶ πάλιν, Τέκνον, ἀφέωνταί σου αἱ ἁμαρτίαι. » Οὔτως οἶδα καὶ ἅλλους πατέρας, κατὰ τὸ γεγραμμένον τῷ Ἀβραάμ· «Σὺ δὲ ἀπελεύσῃ πρὸς τοὺς πατέρας σου· » οὐ πρὸς τοὺς κατὰ σάρκα πατέρας· οὐ γὰρ ἦσαν πιστοὶ, οὐκ ἧσαν ἅγισι, ὡς δῆλον ἐκ τῆς ἱστορίας τῆς γεγραμμένης περὶ αὐτῶν.
And in a word, I have countless fathers if I become a sinner; just as, on the other hand, if I become righteous, God is my father, even as the Savior says: “Little children, yet a little while I am with you.” And again: “Daughter, your faith has saved you.” And again: “Son, your sins are forgiven.” Thus I know also other fathers, according to what was written to Abraham: “But you shall go to your fathers;” not to his fathers according to the flesh; for they were not believers, they were not holy, as is clear from the history written about them.
Εἰ γὰρ ἅγιος αὐτοῦ ὁ πατὴρ, οὐκ ἂν ἐλέγετο αὐτῷ, « Ἔξελθε ἐκ τῆς γῆς σου, καὶ ἐκ τῆς συγγενείας σου, καὶ ἐκ τοῦ οἴκου τοῦ πατρός σου. » Ἔχει γὰρ ὁ λόγος τὸ σωματικὸν, ἔχει καὶ τὸ πνευματικόν.
For if his father had been holy, it would not have been said to him: “Go out from your country, and from your kindred, and from your father's house.” For the word has both a bodily and a spiritual aspect.
Εἰ νενόηκας τοὺς πατέρας, ὅρα λοιπὸν ὅτι ἀπολαμβάνεις σὺ, ὁ παραδεξάμενος τὴν ἐνέργειαν, διὰ τὸ ἡμαρτηκέναι, ὑπὸ τοῦ διαβόλου, ἤ τινος τῶν ὑπʼ αὐτὸν πνευμάτων.
If you have understood the fathers, see then that you, who accepted the working, receive (retribution) for having sinned, by the devil or by one of the spirits under him.
Γενόμενος οὖν ἐκείνων υἱὸς, ἀπολαμβάνεις ἀπὸ ἀγαθοῦ Θεοῦ σε ἐπισκεπτομένου.
Becoming therefore a son of those, you receive from the good God who visits you.
Οὐ γὰρ ἐπισκέπτεται τὸν πατέρα σου, ἀλλʼ ἐπισκέπτεταί σε, καὶ λέγει σοι, « Ἄκουσον, θύγατερ, καὶ ἴδε, καὶ κλῖνον τὸ οὖς σου, » καὶ τὰ ἑξῆς· καὶ δίδωσί σοι ὡς ἀγαθός.
For He does not visit your father, but He visits you, and says to you: “Hear, daughter, and see, and incline your ear,” and so forth; and He gives to you as one who is good.
Ἐπισκέπτεται γάρ σε τὸν υἱὸν τοῦ πονηροῦ πατρὸς, τὰ ἁμαρτήματα ἀποδιδούς. « Ἐπισκέψομαι οὖν ἐν ῥάβδῳ τὰς ἀνομίας » ὑμῶν τῶν ἀγίων· ἐπισκέψομαι δὲ «καὶ ἐν μάστιξι τὰς ἀδικίας αὐτῶν. » Διὰ τί;
For He visits you, the son of the evil father, visiting the sins. “I will therefore visit with a rod” your “iniquities,” you who are holy; and “with scourges their injustices.” Why?
ἵνα τὸ « ἔλεός μου μὴ διασκεδάσω ἀπʼ αὐτῶν. » Ὅτε γὰρ καταλίπῃ τινὰ, οὐκέτι αὐτὸν κολάζει, οὕτε μαστιγοῖ.
In order that “I may not scatter my mercy from them.” For when He leaves anyone, He no longer chastises him, nor does He scourge him.
« Μαστιγοῖ » γὰρ οὐ πάντας, ἀλλὰ « πάντα υἱὸν ὃν παραδέχεται Κύριος. » Καὶ λέγεται ἐν τῷ προφήτῃ περὶ τῶν πάνυ ἁμαρτωλῶν· « Οὐκ ἐπισκέψομαι ἐπὶ τὰς θυγατέρας ὑμῶν ὅταν πορνεύσωσι, καὶ ἐπὶ τὰς νύμφας ὑμῶν ὅταν μοιχευθῶσι. » Τοσούτῳ χρόνῳ ὁ διάβολος ἁμαρτάνει ἀπὸ κτίσεως, καὶ καταβολῆς κόσμου, καὶ οὔτε πῦρ, οὔτε μάστιξ· . οὐ γὰρ ἄξιός ἐστι τῶν κολάσεων τῶν ἀπὸ τοῦ Θεοῦ.
For He does not “scourge” everyone, but “every son whom the Lord receives.” And it is said in the prophet concerning the greatest sinners: “I will not visit your daughters when they commit fornication, nor your brides when they commit adultery.” For so long a time the devil has been sinning from the creation and foundation of the world, and there is neither fire nor scourge; for he is not worthy of the chastisements from God.
Οὐ γὰρ δύναταιεἰπεἴν ὁ διάβολος, « Κύριε, μὴ τῷ θυμῷ σου ἐλέγξῃς με, » καὶ τὰ ἐξῆς.
For the devil cannot say: “Lord, do not rebuke me in your anger,” and so forth.
Ἕκαστος οὖν συνειδὼς ἑαυτῷ ἁμαρτίας, εὐχέσθω κολασθῆναι.
Let each one therefore, being conscious of sins in himself, pray to be chastised.
Καλὸν μὲν γὰρ τὸ μηδὲν ἄξιον κολάσεως πεποιηκέναι.
For it is good to have done nothing worthy of chastisement.
Εἰ δέ τι ἄξιον κολάσεως πεποιήκαμεν, οὕτω κολασθῶμεν, ὥστε ἐνθάδε μὲν ἀπολαβεῖν, μετὰ δὲ ταῦτα εἰς τοὺς κόλπους Ἀβραὰμ ἀναπαύσασθαι.
But if we have done anything worthy of chastisement, let us be chastised in such a way as to receive it here, and after these things to rest in the bosom of Abraham.