Letter 1097: Scripture speaks with precision to those who read carefully.

On the Epistle to the Romans. On the text: "God gave them over to a reprobate mind, to do," and so forth [Romans 1:28]. Since you have written asking for what reason God gave them over to a reprobate mind, I will say this: if you read what comes next, you will both understand and be freed from all uncertainty. For Scripture says, "filled with all unrighteousness" [Romans 1:29]. For after naming the whole of vice in a general way, he then goes through it kind by kind in what follows. If, then, it was not men who were going to be filled, but men already filled, that he gave over, what absurdity would he have committed? But if you think the passage obscure-though in fact it is clear-I will try to interpret it for you more plainly. He did not say, "After they were given over, they were filled," nor again, "They were given over already filled," but, "He gave over men already filled"; that is, he let them go, stripping them of his own help-just as a general, when soldiers will not obey his orders but are defeated through their own fault, abandons them, stripping them of his own skill [strategy]. For those who were already filled with all vice from within themselves, he reasonably gave over by abandoning them, not pushing them into the reprobate mind, but letting go of men who were rushing into it of their own accord. [Editorial apparatus-variant readings and notes from the printed edition follow:] (90) After "if indeed" he omits "where," putting in its place "for where." Possinus. (91) After "premise" he adds "may be granted," or rather transfers it here from the following verse. In the last verse, for "to give forth" he puts "to be." The same [editor]. (92) Not because the prophets foretold future events did those events come to pass; rather, because they were going to come to pass, the prophets foresaw and foretold them. In short, foresight and prediction impose no necessity whatever upon the outcomes of events. This is also the opinion of Athanasius in his homily on the Passion and the Cross of the Lord: "The prophets are foretellers of things to come; for it is not because they speak that the things which happen come to pass, but because they are going to happen, for this reason they foretell them; and it is necessary that the prophets not lie, for they truly see. If [one says], 'Take away the deeds of the Jews,' then Isaiah would certainly not have prophesied such things about them." If again, after certain remarks are interposed: "For since he truly saw, for this reason it was impossible for him to be deceived; for he saw in no other way than as it came to pass; and all the things written beforehand have been fulfilled; for it was not because it was written that they therefore died, but because these things were entirely going to happen, for this reason they were foretold." Ritter. (94) [marginal variant: "stripping."] [End of editorial apparatus.] --- 60. TO THEOLOGIUS THE DEACON. On the text: "They not only do these things" [Romans 1:32]. Since you have once again set us to tracking down apostolic treasures (for you said: What is the meaning of, "They not only do these things, but also give approval to those who practice them"? and you added: If giving approval is more grievous than doing, for what reason did Paul rank it in this way?), gather your mind together a little, so as to hunt down the apostolic meaning that flees from us, and listen. Now some, not understanding what was said, but being perplexed just as you are, and supposing that the apostolic wording had been corrupted, interpreted it thus: "Not only those who do these things, but also those who give approval to those who practice them." For so, they said, the ancient copy read, so that doing might be greater than giving approval. [Perhaps... (the text here is corrupt: there follows a passage in which Isidore declines to attack those who did not grasp the meaning, allowing that even if he has the advantage in this matter, they may have the advantage in others, and may have understood things that he himself never even came to conceive)... having stated what is to be understood, I will leave the verdict to those who read it. I say, then, that since to praise those who do wrong is far more grievous than to do wrong oneself, and counts for more toward punishment, it was reasonably said: "They not only do these things, but also give approval to those who practice them." For the one who, after doing wrong, condemns his own sin will be able in time to recover himself, having in the condemnation of his sin the greatest aid toward repentance; but the one who praises wickedness deprives himself of the aid that comes from repenting. Since, therefore, this verdict belongs to a corrupted judgment and to a soul incurably sick, the one who praises the sin is reasonably judged to be far more lawless than the one who does the wrong. For the one will most quickly depart from sin, but the other will not depart from it at all-if indeed each verdict prevails.

Τῆς πρὸς Ῥωμαίους Ἐπιστολῆς. Εἰς τὸ γεγραμ- μένον· «Παρέδωκεν αὐτοὺς ὁ Θεὸς εἰς ἀδόκι- μον νοῦν, ποιεῖν», κ. τ. λ. Ἐπειδὴ γέγραφας, δι’ ἣν αἰτίαν παρέδωκεν αὐτοὺς ὁ Θεὸς εἰς ἀδόκιμον νοῦν, ἐρῶ· ὅτι εἰ τὸ ἑξῆς ἀνα- γνῷς, καὶ γνώσῃ, καὶ ἀπαλλαγήσῃ πάσης ἀμφιλο- ---VARIAE LECTIONES ET NOTAE.--- (90) Post εἰ μὲν οὐοττιτ ὅπη, loco illius ponens, γὰρ ὅπου. Possin. (91) Post ὑπόθεσιν addit δοθείη, aut potius huc transfert ex vers. seq. Vers. ult. προ δοῦναι ponit εἶναι. Id. (92) Non quia res futuras praedixerunt prophetæ, idcirco evenerunt; sed quia eventura erant, ideo prævisas eas prædixerunt. Breviter, prævisio et præ- dictio non affert eventibus rerum ullam necessita- tem. Eadem est Athanasii sententia homilia in pas- sionem et crucem Domini: Οἱ προφῆται τῶν μελ- λέντων εἰσὶ προσημάντορες· οὐ γὰρ ἐπειδὴ λέγουσι, διὰ τοῦτο καὶ γίνεται τὰ γινόμενα· ἀλλ’ ὅτι γίνεσθαι μέλλει, διὰ τοῦτο καὶ προλέγουσι, καὶ ἀνάγκη μὴ ψεύδεσθαι τοὺς προφήτας· ὁρῶσι γὰρ ἀληθῶς. Εἰ μο: «Ἆρον τὰς πράξεις τῶν Ἰουδαίων, καὶ πάντως οὐ προφήτευε ἂν περὶ αὐτῶν ὁ Ἠσαΐας τοιαῦτα. Εἰ rursum, interpositis quibusdam: Ἐπειδὴ γὰρ ἀλη- θῶς ἑώρακε, διὰ τοῦτο ἀδύνατον ἦν σφαλῆναι αὐ- τόν· οὐ γὰρ ἄλλως ἑώρακεν ἢ ὡς γέγονε· καὶ πάντα τὰ προγεγραμμένα πεπλήρωται· οὐδὲ γὰρ ἐπειδὴ γέγραπται, διὰ τοῦτο καὶ ἀπέθανον, ἀλλ’ ὅτι ἐγί- γεντο πάντως, διὰ τοῦτο καὶ προελέχθη. Ritt. γίας (93). Φησὶ γάρ, «Πεπληρωμένους πάσης ἀδι- κίας.» Γενικῶς γὰρ ὀνομάσας πᾶσαν τὴν κακίαν, καὶ κατ’ εἶδος ἐν τοῖς ἑξῆς διεξέρχεται. Εἰ τοίνυν οὐ πληρωθησομένους, ἀλλὰ πεπληρωμένους παρέδωκε, τί ἄτοπον εἴη πεποιηκώς; Εἰ δ’ ἀσαφὲς εἶναι νομί- ζεις, καίτοι σαφὲς ὄν, σαφέστερον αὐτὸ ἑρμηνεῦσαι πειράσομαι. Οὐκ εἶπεν, Ἐπειδὴ παρέδθησαν, ἐπλη- ρώθησαν, οὔτε μήν, Παρεδόθησαν πεπληρωμένοι, ἀλλά, «Πεπληρωμένους παρέδωκε»· τουτέστιν ἀφῆκε, γυμνώσας τῆς ἑαυτοῦ βοηθείας· ὡς ἂν στρα- τηγὸς μὴ πειθομένους στρατιώτας τοῖς παραγγέλ- μασιν αὐτοῦ, ἀλλὰ τό γε αὐτῶν μέρος ἡττηθέντας, ἀφίησι, γυμνῶν (94) τῆς ἑαυτοῦ σοφίας. Τοὺς γὰρ οἴκοθεν πεπληρωμένους πάσης κακίας, εἰκότως τῷ ἐγκαταλείψαι παρέδωκεν, οὐκ ὠθήσας εἰς τὸν ἀδόκι- μον νοῦν, ἀλλ’ ὁρμήσαντας εἰς αὐτὸν ἀφείς. Ξ΄. – ΘΕΟΛΟΓΙΩ ΔΙΑΚΟΝΩ. Εἰς τὸ εἰρημένον «Οὐ μόνον αὐτὰ ποιοῦσιν.» Ἐπειδὴ πάλιν ἀποστολικοὺς θησαυροὺς ἀνιχνεύειν ἡμᾶς παρεσκεύασας (ἔφης γάρ· Τί ἐστι τό· «Οὐ μόνον αὐτὰ ποιοῦσιν, ἀλλὰ καὶ συνεὐδοκοῦσι τοῖς πράττουσι», καὶ ἐπήγαγες· Εἰ τοῦ ποιεῖν τὸ συνευ- δοκεῖν χαλεπώτερον ἐστι, δι’ ἣν αἰτίαν οὕτως αὐτὸ ἔταξεν ὁ Παῦλος;)· ὀλίγον συναγαγὼν σαυτοῦ τὸν νοῦν, ὥστε θηρεῦσαι φεύγοντα τὸν ἀποστολικὸν νοῦν, ἄκουε. Τινὲς μὲν οὖν μὴ νοήσαντες τὸ εἰρημένον, ἀλλ’ ὥσπερ σὺ διαπορήσαντες, καὶ παραπεποιῆσθαι τὰς λέξεις τὰς ἀποστολικὰς νομίσαντες, οὕτως αὐ- τὰς ἡρμήνευσαν· «Οὐ μόνον οἱ ποιοῦντες αὐτά, ἀλλὰ καὶ οἱ συνεὐδοκοῦντες τοῖς πράττουσιν.» Οὕτω γὰρ εἶχεν, ἔφασαν, τὸ παλαιὸν ἀντίγραφον, ἵνα μεῖζον ᾖ τὸ ποιεῖν (95) τοῦ συνευδοκεῖν. [Ἴσως γὰρ εἰ καὶ τῇ τοῦτῳ φήσας τὰ ἀποστολικὰ βιβλία, οὔτε καταδραμὼν τῶν μὴ νενοηκότων (ἴσως γὰρ εἰ καὶ ἐν τούτῳ πλεονεκτοῦντα, ἐν ἄλλοις πλεονεκτοῦσι, καὶ τινα ἐνόησαν, ὧν αὐτὸς οὐδ’ εἰς ἔννοιαν ἀφικόμην), τὰ νενοημένον φράσας, τοῖς ἐντευξομένοις ἐπιτρέψω τὴν ψῆφον. Φημὶ τοίνυν, ὅτι, ἐπειδὴ τοῦ πλημ- μελεῖν τὸ ἐπαινεῖν τοὺς πλημμελοῦντας πολλῷ ἀργαλεωτερόν ἐστι, καὶ μεῖζον εἰς κολάσεως λόγον, εἰκότως εἴρηται· «Οὐ μόνον αὐτὰ ποιοῦσιν, ἀλλὰ καὶ συνευδοκοῦσι τοῖς πράττουσιν.» Ὁ μὲν γὰρ μετὰ τὸ πλημμελεῖν καταγινώσκων τῆς ἁμαρτίας, δυνήσεται χρόνῳ ἑαυτὸν ποτε ἀνακτήσασθαι, μεγίστην βοήθειαν ἔχων εἰς τὸ μεταγνῶναι τὴν κατάγνωσιν τῆς ἁμαρ- τίας· ὁ δ’ ἐπαινῶν τὴν πονηρίαν, τῆς ἐκ τοῦ μετα- νοῆσαι βοηθείας ἑαυτὸν ἀποστερεῖ. Ἐπειδὴ τοίνυν διεφθαρμένης ἐστὶ γνώμης, καὶ ψυχῆς ἀνίατα νο- σούσης αὕτη ἡ ψῆφος, εἰκότως τοῦ πλημμελοῦντος ὁ τὴν ἁμαρτίαν ἐπαινῶν, πολλῷ παρανομώτερος εἶναι κέκριται. Ὁ μὲν γὰρ τὴν ταχίστην, ὁ δ᾽ οὐδ᾽ ὅλως ἀποφοιτήσει τῆς ἁμαρτίας, εἴγε καὶ ἑκατέρα κρατή- σει ψῆφος.