hatsoff

Hi, all.

I've been searching the net for a passage from Epiphanius' Panarion. Earlychristianwritings.com has this to say:

Helms argues: "So the gospel attributed, late in the second century, to John at Ephesus was viewed as an anti-gnostic, anti-Cerinthean work. But, very strangely, Epiphanius, in his book against the heretics, argues against those who actually believed that it was Cerinthus himself who wrote the Gospel of John! (Adv. Haer. 51.3.6). How could it be that the Fourth Gospel was at one time in its history regarded as the product of an Egyptian-trained gnostic, and at another time in its history regarded as composed for the very purpose of attacking this same gnostic? I think the answer is plausible that in an early, now-lost version, the Fourth Gospel could well have been read in a Cerinthean, gnostic fashion, but that at Ephesus a revision of it was produced (we now call it the Gospel of John) that put this gospel back into the Christian mainstream."

So, I'd like to look up Adv. Haer. 51.3.6--except I can't find anything called "Adv. Haer." attributed to Epiphanius. I'm assuming what I'm looking for, then, is from Panarion.

There is no full text of Panarion on the net, but I did find some excerpts. Among them was this passage:

51. Alogi, or so I have named them, who reject the Gospel of John and the eternal divine Word in it, who has descended from the Father. They do not accept either John's Gospel itself, or his Revelation.

That's all I can find, and it doesn't mention Cerinthus.

Can anyone help me out with the passage I'm seeking? Thanks in advance!

Chris Weimer

Panarion is Adv. Haer. The full title is Adversus Haereses, and is the other name for Panarion. I'll have to check to see if my library has a full copy, which I believe they might.

Iasion

Greetings all,

Epiphanius (means "above the light" or something?) is possibly the most significant early Christian writer that is NOT available online.

It would be great if someone could make it available - surely there is a English version out of copyright somewhere?

(Another work would be Philostratus - I wonder if Mountain Man will ever finish his version?)

The word "Panarion" means something like "medicine chest" I think - not unlike Clement's "Stromata" (a "patchwork") - meaning a varied collection of items.

Was "Panarion" a formal title, or sort of a nickname?


Iasion

jgibson000

It's shorthand for Panarion omnium haereisium which means "Chest of Medicines against All Heresies".

There is, to my knowledge, no full English translation of it online (but don't quote me on this).

There is a 3 vol English translation by F. Williams (Vol 1 Leiden 1987, Vols 2 and 3 Leiden 1994 and an Italian translation (with Greek text and commentary) by C. Riggi that was published in Rome in 1967.

I can give you the Greek text if you wish.

JG

hatsoff

Sure, that might help. Maybe I can find an automatic translator or something.

Chris Weimer

Or hell, we can translate it here ourselves.

jgibson000

You numbering system for the Panarion seems to be off. There's noting in the TLG that matches it.

Are you certain the reference is correct? Could it be that there's a mix up with Irenaeus' Ad. Haer?

JG

hatsoff

I don't know. I'm just going on what I read at ecw.

Notsri

Here's Williams' translation at 51.3.6:

For they [the Alogi] offer excuses (for their behavior). Knowing, as they do, that St. John was an apostle and the Lord's beloved, that the Lord rightly revealed the mysteries to him, and that he leaned upon his breast, they are ashamed to contradict him and try to object to these mysteries for a different reason. For they say that they ["the books in which St. John actually proclaimed his Gospel"] are not John's composition but Cerinthus', and have no right to a place in the church.

S.C.Carlson

The corresponding Greek is:

προφασίζονται γὰρ οὗτοι, αἰσχυνόμενοι ἀντιλέγειν τῷ ἁγίῳ Ἰωάννῃ διὰ τὸ εἰδέναι αὐτοὺς τὸν αὐτὸν ἐν ἀριθμῷ τῶν ἀποστόλων ὄντα καὶ ηγαπημένον ὑπὸ τοῦ κυρίου, ᾧ ἀξίως τὰ μυστήρια ἀπεκάλυπτεν καὶ ἐπὶ τὸ στῆθος αὐτοῦ ἀνέπεσε, καὶ ἑτέρως αὐτὰ ἀνατρέπειν πειρῶνται. λέγουσι γὰρ μὴ εἶναι αὐτὰ Ἰωάννου ἀλλὰ Κηρίνθου καὶ οὐκ ἄξια αὐτά φασιν εἶναι ἐν ἐκκλησίᾳ.