Gregory of Nazianzus De Filio (Orat. 29) 4

ed. Arthur James Mason

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De Filio (Orat. 29). Gregory of Nazianzus. ed. Arthur James Mason. Germany. 2014.

Sponsored by University of Leipzig.

Funding provided by European Social Fund Saxony.

Current edition First1KGreek

De Filio (Orat. 29) (Greek) (Gregory of Nazianzus. The Five Theological Orations. Mason, Arthur James, translator. Cambridge: Cambridge University Press, 1899.)

Notes on the current edition

De Filio (Orat. 29)

1. 2 συμπαρεκτεινόμενον c ‘Reg. Cypr.’ || 3 λαμβάνομεν b II 6 ἐκεῖνον def τὸ ’δε ἀίδιον def || 9 ὢν] + ἐστιν bdf
2. 2. πλὴν εἰ κτλ.) The only way, Gr. says, is to adopt the standard of Eternity. Eternity does indeed suggest a kind of temporal duration; that cannot be helped; but we use it to denote ’an interval or ’ commensurate with things of a supra-temporal order, not measured by any measurement known to time. It seems best to connect the πλὴν with εἰ καἰ μὴ δυνάμεθα, and to treat the intervening sentence (in accordance with Gr.s manner) as parenthetical.
3. 5. ἐκεῖθεν] sc. ἐκ τοῦ πατρός.
4. 9. τοῦ φωτὸς ἤλως] The simile is, of course, unscientific; but it serves its purpose.
5. 10. ἄναρχά πὼς τῷ χρ.] In a sense, so far as time is concerned, that which is Begotten and that which Proceeds are without a beginning, as no date can be assigned, prior to which They had not begun.
6. ib. μορμολύττῃ] ‘to scare’ with μορμώ, or bugbear.
7. 4. If difficulty is felt about the ‘generation’ of the Son by the Father, the difficulty is not got rid rid by making the Son a ‘creature’ instead. It only arises from a carnal notion of what is meant by generation, as if there could be no higher hind of generation.
8. 15. πῶς θεός] which the Eunomians acknowledged, though with an interpretation of their own.
9. 16. κἀνταῦθα] i.e. ἐν τῷ κτίζειν. Α work of creation (lit. ‘founding’) as known to man involves time in which to work it out, desire for the accomplishment, the formation of a mental ideal, thought as to the mode of execution, etc. Gr.'s objeel is to shew that the thought of creation on ’s part involves as many difficulties as that of generation.