And therefore the Word says to Moses: I am He that is 63 63Lit., “I am the Existing One,” as in LXX Ἐγώ εἰμι ὁ ὥν. Wherefore the Holy Spirit says by David: Blessed is the man who hath not walked in the counsel of the ungodly: that is, the counsel of the nations which know not God: for those are ungodly who worship not the God that truly is. For what 71profit is it to know the truth in words, and to pollute the flesh and perform the works of evil? Or what profit can purity of the flesh bring, if truth be not in the soul? For these rejoice with one another, and are united and allied to bring man face to face with God. For godliness is obscured and dulled by the soiling and the staining of the flesh, and is broken and polluted and no more entire, if falsehood enter into the soul: but it will keep itself in its beauty and its measure, when truth is constant in the soul 62 62Or, “spirit.” The Armenian word for “spirit” (πνεῦμα is sometimes used also for “soul” (ψυχή): the context shows that it is so used here. he must needs exist by both of these: and, whereas from both of them offences come, purity of the flesh is the restraining abstinence from all shameful things and all unrighteous deeds, and purity of the soul is the keeping faith towards God entire, neither adding thereto nor diminishing therefrom. 3: “Homo est autem temperatio animæ et carnis:” V, vi. Now, since man is a living being compounded of soul and flesh, 61 61Cf. Wherefore it is needful for you and for all who care for their own salvation to make your course unswerving, firm and sure by means of faith, that you falter not, nor be retarded and detained in material desires, nor turn aside and wander from the right. This way leads to the kingdom of heaven, uniting man to God: but those ways bring down to death, separating man from God. For one is the way leading upwards for all who see, lightened with heavenly light: but many and dark and contrary are the ways of them that see not.
So shall it be fruitful to your own salvation, and you shall put to shame all who inculcate falsehood, and bring with all confidence our sound and pure teaching to everyone who desires to understand it. and receiving in brief the 70demonstration of the things of God. “a more essential remembrancer.” that by little you may attain to much, learning in short space all the members of the body of the truth, 60 60 Cf.
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We send you as it were a manual of essentials, 59 59Lit. 58 58“To shew forth the preaching.” This corresponds to the wording of the title: the ἐπίδειξις, ostensio, or “demonstration” of the Apostolic Preaching. But, since at this present time we are parted from one another in the body, yet according to our power we will not fail to speak with you a little by writing, and to show forth in brief the preaching of the truth for the confirmation of your faith. 57 57This opening section is in the manner of the introductions to each of the five books Against Heresies: in the first of these, of which the Greek is preserved, we have parallels to language used here: καθὼς δύναμις ἡμῖν, and ἐπὶ πολὺ καρποφορήσεις τὰ δἰ ὀλίγων ὑφ᾽ ἡμῶν εἰρημένα. Would that it were possible for us to be always together, to help each other and to lighten the labor of our earthly life by continual discourse together on the things that profit. Knowing, my beloved Marcianus, your desire to walk in godliness, which alone leads man to life eternal, I rejoice with you and make my prayer that you may preserve your faith entire and so be pleasing to God who made you. 69 THE DEMONSTRATION OF THE APOSTOLIC PREACHINGġ.
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