Freethought & Rationalism Archive

stephan huller · 04-22-2012, 12:07 AM

Strom 7:3 -

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So also we have received mind, that we may know what we do. And the maxim "Know thyself" means here to know for what we are born. And we are born to obey the commandments, if we choose to be willing to be saved. Such is the Nemesis,s through which there is no escaping from God. Man's duty, then, is obedience to God, who has proclaimed salvation manifold by the commandments. And confession is thanksgiving. For the beneficent first begins to do good [ὁ μὲν γὰρ εὐεργέτης προκατάρχει τῆς εὐποιίας]. And he who on fitting considerations readily receives and keeps the commandments, is faithful (pistos); and he who by love requites benefits as far as he is able, is already a friend [δι' ἀγάπης τὴν εὐποιίαν ἤδη φίλος].

stephan huller · 04-22-2012, 08:15 AM

Strom 7:7 -

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For the holiness of the Gnostic, and the reciprocal benevolence of the friend of God [καὶ ἀντίστροφος εὔνοια τοῦ φίλου τοῦ θεοῦ], are a kind of corresponding movement of providence. For neither is God involuntarily good, as the fire is warming; but in Him the imparting of good things is voluntary, even if He receive the request previously. Nor shall he who is saved be saved against his will, for he is not inanimate; but he will above all voluntarily and of free choice speed to salvation. Wherefore also man received the commandments in order that he might be self-impelled, to whatever he wished of things to be chosen and to be avoided. Wherefore God does not do good by necessity [οὔκουν ὁ θεὸς ἀνάγκῃ ἀγαθοποιεῖ], but from His free choice benefits those who spontaneously turn.

ibid -

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For so, in the case of the Gnostic, who has unblameably and with a good conscience fulfilled all that depends on him, in the direction of learning, and training, and well-doing, and pleasing God [τὴν εὐποιίαν καὶ εἰς τὴν εὐαρέστησιν τῷ θεῷ], the whole contributes to carry salvation on to perfection. From us, then, are demanded the things which are in our own power, and of the things which pertain to us, both present and absent, the choice, and desire, and possession, and use, and permanence.

Wherefore also he who holds converse with God [τὸν προσομιλοῦντα τῷ θεῷ] must have his soul immaculate and stainlessly pure, it being essential to have made himself perfectly good [ἀγαθὸν τελέως ἑαυτὸν]

But also it becomes him to make all his prayers gently with the good. For it is a dangerous thing to take part in others' sins. Accordingly the Gnostic will pray along with those who have more recently believed, for those things in respect of which it is their duty to act together. And his whole life is a holy festival. His sacrifices are prayers, and praises, and readings in the Scriptures before meals, and psalms and hymns during meals and before bed, and prayers also again during night. By these he unites himself to the divine choir [διὰ τούτων ἑαυτὸν ἑνοποιεῖ τῷ θείῳ χορῷ], from continual recollection, engaged in contemplation which has everlasting remembrance.

stephan huller · 04-22-2012, 08:27 AM

Strom 7:12 -

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But we must as much as possible subject the soul to varied preparatory exercise, that it may become susceptible to the reception of knowledge. Do you not see how wax is softened and copper purified, in order to receive the stamp applied to it? Just as death is the separation of the soul from the body, so is knowledge as it were the rational death [ὁ λογικὸς θάνατος] urging the soul away, and separating it from the passions, and leading it on to the life of well-doing [τῆς εὐποιίας ζωήν], that it may then say with confidence to God, "I live as Thou wishest." For he who makes it his purpose to please men cannot please God, since the multitude choose not what is profitable, but what is pleasant. But in pleasing God, one as a consequence gets the favour of the good among men. How, then, can what relates to meat, and drink, and amorous pleasure, be agreeable to such an one? since he views with suspicion even a word that produces pleasure, and a pleasant movement and act of the mind. "For no one can serve two masters, God and Mammon," it is said; meaning not simply money, but the resources arising from money bestowed on various pleasures. In reality, it is not possible for him who magnanimously and truly knows God, to serve antagonistic pleasures.

There is one alone, then, who from the beginning was free of concupiscence -- the philanthropic Lord, who for us became man. And whosoever endeavour to be assimilated to the impress given by Him, strive, from exercise, to become free of concupiscence. For he who has exercised concupiscence and then restrained himself, is like a widow who becomes again a virgin by continence. Such is the reward of knowledge, rendered to the Saviour and Teacher, which He Himself asked for, -- abstinence from what is evil, activity in doing good [4 καὶ τὴν ἐνέργειαν τῆς εὐποιίας], by which salvation is acquired.

As, then, those who have learned the arts procure their living by what they have been taught, so also is the Gnostic saved, procuring life by what he knows. For he who has not formed the wish to extirpate the passion of the soul, kills himself. But, as seems, ignorance is the starvation of the soul, and knowledge its sustenance.

Such are the gnostic souls, which the Gospel likened to the consecrated virgins who wait for the Lord. For they are virgins, in respect of their abstaining from what is evil. And in respect of their waiting out of love for the Lord and kindling their light for the contemplation of things, they are wise souls, saying, "Lord, for long we have desired to receive Thee; we have lived according to what Thou hast enjoined, transgressing none of Thy commandments. Wherefore also we claim the promises.

And we pray for what is beneficial, since it is not requisite to ask of Thee what is most excellent. And we shall take everything for good; even though the exercises that meet us, which Thine arrangement brings to us for the discipline of our stedfastness, appear to be evil."

The Gnostic, then, from his exceeding holiness, is better prepared to fail when he asks, than to get when he does not ask.

His whole life is prayer and converse with God. And if he be pure from sins, he will by all means obtain what he wishes. For God says to the righteous man, "Ask, and I will give thee; think, and I will do." If beneficial, he will receive it at once; and if injurious, he will never ask it, and therefore he will not receive it. So it shall be as he wishes.

stephan huller · 04-22-2012, 12:19 PM

Strom 7:12 -

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He recognises a twofold [element in faith], both the activity of him who believes, and the excellence of that which is believed according to its worth; since also righteousness is twofold, that which is out of love, and that from fear. Accordingly it is said, "The fear of the Lord is pure, remaining for ever and ever." For those that from fear turn to faith and righteousness, remain for ever. Now fear works abstinence from what is evil; but love [ἀγάπη] exhorts to the doing of good [ἀγαθοποιεῖν], by building up to the point of spontaneousness; that one may hear from the Lord, "I call you no longer servants, but friends," and may now with confidence apply himself to prayer.

And the form of his prayer is thanksgiving for the past, for the present, and for the future as already through faith present. This is preceded by the reception of knowledge. And he asks to live the allotted life in the flesh as a Gnostic, as free from the flesh, and to attain to the best things, and flee from the worse. He asks, too, relief in those things in which we have sinned, and conversion to the acknowledgment of them.

He follows, on his departure, Him who calls, as quickly, so to speak, as He who goes before calls, hasting by reason of a good conscience to give thanks; and having got there with Christ shows himself worthy, through his purity, to possess, by a process of blending, the power of God communicated by Christ. For he does not wish to be warm by participation in heat, or luminous by participation in flame, but to be wholly light.

He knows accurately the declaration, "Unless ye hate father and mother, and besides your own life, and unless ye bear the sign [of the cross]." For he hates the inordinate affection: of the flesh, which possess the powerful spell of pleasure; and entertains a noble contempt for all that belongs to the creation and nutriment of the flesh. He also withstands the corporeal soul, putting a bridle-bit on the restive irrational spirit: "For the flesh lusteth against the Spirit." And "to bear the sign" is to bear about death, by taking farewell of all things while still alive; since there is not equal love in "having sown the flesh," and in having formed the soul for knowledge.

He having acquired the habit of doing good, exercises beneficence well, quicker than speaking; praying that he may get a share in the sins of his brethren, in order to confession and conversion on the part of his kindred; and eager to give a share to those dearest to him of his own good things. And so these are to him, friends. Promoting, then, the growth of the seeds deposited in him, according to the husbandry enjoined by the Lord, he continues free of sin, and becomes continent, and lives in spirit with those who are like him, among the choirs of the saints, though still detained on earth.

stephan huller · 04-22-2012, 12:22 PM

Strom 7:13 -

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Such an one prays for relief from them, in virtue of possessing the prerogative of knowledge, not out of vainglory; but from the very fact of his being a Gnostic, he works beneficence, having become the instrument of the goodness of God [τὴν εὐποιίαν, ὄργανον γενόμενος τῆς τοῦ θεοῦ ἀγαθότητος]

stephan huller · 04-22-2012, 01:09 PM

QDS 28, 29, 30 -

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The second in order, and not any less than this, He says, is, "Thou shalt love thy neighbour as thyself," consequently God above thyself. And on His interlocutor inquiring, "Who is my neighbour?" He did not, in the same way with the Jews, specify the blood-relation, or the fellow-citizen, or the proselyte, or him that had been similarly circumcised, or the man who uses one and the same law. But He introduces one on his way down from the upland region from Jerusalem to Jericho, and represents him stabbed by robbers, cast half-dead on the way, passed by the priest, looked sideways at by the Levite, but pitied by the vili-fied and excommunicated Samaritan; who did not, like those, pass casually, but came provided with such things as the man in danger required, such as oil, bandages, a beast of burden, money for the inn-keeper, part given now, and part promised. "Which," said He, "of them was neighbour to him that suffered these things?" and on his answering, "He that showed mercy to him," (replied), Go thou also, therefore, and do likewise, since love buds into well-doing [ὡς τῆς ἀγάπης βλαστανούσης εὐποιίαν].

In both the commandments, then, He introduces love; but in order distinguishes it. And in the one He assigns to God the first part of love, and allots the second to our neighbour. Who else can it be but the Saviour Himself? or who more than He has pitied us, who by the rulers of darkness were all but put to death with many wounds, fears, lusts, passions, pains, deceits, pleasures?. Of these wounds the only physician is Jesus, who cuts out the passions thoroughly by the root, -- not as the law does the bare effects, the fruits of evil plants, but applies His axe to the roots of wickedness. He it is that poured wine on our wounded souls (the blood of David's vine), that brought the oil which flows from the compassions of the Father? and bestowed it copiously. He it is that produced the ligatures of health and of salvation that cannot be undone, -- Love, Faith, Hope. He it is that subjected angels, and principalities, and powers, for a great reward to serve us. For they also shall be delivered from the vanity of the world through the revelation of the glory of the sons of God. We are therefore to love Him equally with God. And he loves Christ Jesus who does His will and keeps His commandments. "For not every one that saith unto Me, Lord, Lord, shall enter into the kingdom of heaven; but he that doeth the will of My Father." And "Why call ye Me Lord, Lord, and do not the things which I say?" "And blessed are ye who see and hear what neither righteous men nor prophets" (have seen or heard), if ye do what I say.

He then is first who loves Christ; and second, he who loves and cares for those who have believed on Him. For whatever is done to a disciple, the Lord accepts as done to Himself, and reckons the whole as His. "Come, ye blessed of My Father, inherit the kingdom prepared for you from the foundation of the world. For I was an hungered, and ye gave Me to eat: I was thirsty, and ye gave Me to drink: and I was a stranger, and ye took Me in: I was naked and ye clothed Me: I was sick, and ye visited Me: I was in prison, and ye came to Me. Then shall the righteous answer, saying, Lord, when saw we Thee hungry, and fed Thee? or thirsty, and gave Thee drink? And when saw we Thee a stranger, and took Thee in? or naked, and clothed Thee? Or when saw we Thee sick, and visited Thee? or in prison, and came to Thee? And the King answering, shall say to them, Verily I say unto you, inasmuch as ye have done it unto one of the least of these My brethren, ye have done it unto Me."

Again, on the opposite side, to those who have not performed these things, "Verily I say unto you, inasmuch as ye have not done it unto one of the least of these, ye have not done it to Me." And in another place, "He that receiveth you; receiveth Me; and he that receiveth not you, rejecteth Me."

QDS 32, 33 -

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The Lord did not say, Give, or bring, or do good, or help, but "make a friend" ["δὸς" ἢ "παράσχες" ἢ "εὐεργέτησον" ἢ "βοήθησον", "φίλον δὲ ποίησαι"]. But a friend proves himself such not by one gift [ὁ δὲ φίλος οὐκ ἐκ μιᾶς δόσεως γίνεται], but by long intimacy [ἀλλ' ἐξ ὅλης ἀναπαύσεως καὶ συνουσίας μακρᾶς]. For it is neither the faith, nor the love, nor the hope, nor the endurance of one day, but "he that endureth to the end shall be saved." How then does man give these things? For I will give not only to friends, but to the friends of friends. And who is it that is the friend of God? Do not you judge who is worthy or who is unworthy. For it is possible you may be mistaken in your opinion. As in the uncertainty of ignorance it is better to do good [εὖ ποιεῖν] to the undeserving for the sake of the deserving, than by guarding against those that are less good to fail to meet in with the good.

stephan huller · 04-22-2012, 05:28 PM

In the Exhortation 10 -

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His anger augments punishment against sin; His love bestows bless-rags on repentance [ εὖ ποιεῖ δὲ ἐπὶ μετανοίᾳ ἡ φιλανθρωπία].

Exhortation 11 -

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The trumpet of Christ is His Gospel. He hath blown it, and we have heard. "Let us array ourselves in the armour of peace, putting on the breastplate of righteousness, and taking the shield of faith, and binding our brows with the helmet, of salvation; and the sword of the Spirit, which is the word of God," let us sharpen. So the apostle in the spirit of peace commands. These are our invulnerable weapons: armed with these, let us face the evil one; "the fiery darts of the evil one" let us quench with the sword-points dipped in water, that, have been baptized by the Word, returning grateful thanks for the benefits we have received, and honouring God through the Divine Word [εὐποιίας εὐλογίαις καὶ τὸν θεὸν τῷ θείῳ γεραίροντες λόγῳ]. "For while thou art yet speaking," it is said, "He will say, Behold, I am beside thee." O this holy and blessed power, by which God has fellowship with men [Ὢ τῆς ἁγίας καὶ μακαρίας ταύτης δυνάμεως, δι' ἧς
ἀνθρώποις συμπολιτεύεται θεό]! Better far, then, is it to become at once the imitator [μιμητὴν] and the servant [θεραπευτὴν] of the best of all beings [τῆς ἀρίστης τῶν ὄντων οὐσίας]; for only by holy service will any one be able to imitate God, and to serve and worship Him only by imitating Him [οὐδ' αὖ θεραπεύειν καὶ σέβειν ἢ μιμού μενος]. The heavenly and truly divine love comes to men thus [Ὅ γέ τοι οὐράνιος καὶ θεῖος ὄντως ἔρως ταύτῃ προσγίνεται τοῖς ἀνθρώποις], when in the soul itself the spark of true goodness, kindled in the soul by the Divine Word, is able to burst forth into flame; and, what is of the highest importance, salvation runs parallel with sincere willingness--choice and life being, so to speak, yoked together. Wherefore this exhortation of the truth alone, like the most faithful of our friends, abides with us till our last breath, and is to the whole and perfect spirit of the soul the kind attendant on our ascent to heaven.

stephan huller · 04-22-2012, 10:14 PM

I finally figured out why the word eupoiia is the original term for adelphopoiia. In a discussion of a complicated inscription associated with a certain Nicon:

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commemorates the construction ofa market portico. Its language resembles a dedication by a local magistrate or benefactor. The inscription records his munificence, and the title of architekton. may indicate not only his profession, but a public office. The text asserts not his art or expertise, the qualities ofa technician, but attributes usually associated with civic officials: personal participation in the system of honours of the community (philotimia) and moral excellence (arete-) ... The epigram celebrates the consolidation of a portico (he-sphalisato) and its ordering with adornments (kosme-se). This achievement is that of an euergetes ... The moral aspect is clearest in the final phrase: ergon implies both 'work of construction' and final moral 'goal' in the Platonic or Aristotelian sense; that 'goal' is eupoiia, the moral virtue of beneficence or 'doing well' to others. This unusual term hints at the tone of high moralistic thinking at- tested elsewhere in the Antonine period in the Roman East. Thus Opramoas at Rhodiapolis recorded not only hisphilotimia, but also his eupoiia, among the several virtues manifested by his lavish public benefactions. Diogenes Laertius uses the word of the Hellenistic philosopher Epicurus, to express his generosity to others, in particular to his brothers. For Lucian the term denotes a kind of well-doing that both is unsolicited and demands no future gratitude or obligation. Thus St Paul exhorted the Hebrews to remember 'beneficence and community of spirit (eupoiias kai koinoniai). Behind this term lies the beginning of a new mode of thinking in the ancient world, no longer constrained by the expectation of reciprocal honours and reward for benefaction, but an independent will to do good for its own sake. Significantly, it is a building, a type of work normally recognized as performed for the sake of ulterior gain and prestige, which is presented here as an instance of disinterested beneficence." [Edmond Thomas, Monumentality in the Roman Empire p. 96]

stephan huller · 04-22-2012, 10:24 PM

Here is the reference in Diogenes Laertius on Epicurus:

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We may also speak here of his gratitude towards his parents, and his kindness to his brothers, and his gentleness to his servants (as is plain from his will, and from the fact too, that they united with him in his philosophical studies, and the most eminent of them was the one whom I have mentioned already, named Mys); and his universal philanthropy towards all men.

ἥ τε πρὸς τοὺς γονέας εὐχαριστία καὶ ἡ πρὸς τοὺς ἀδελφοὺς εὐποιία πρός τε τοὺς οἰκέτας ἡμερότης, ὡς δῆλον κἀκ τῶν διαθηκῶν αὐτοῦ καὶ ὅτι αὐτοὶ συνεφιλοσόφουν αὐτῷ, ὧν ἦν ἐνδοξότατος ὁ προειρημένος Μῦς: καθόλου τε ἡ πρὸς πάντας αὐτοῦ φιλανθρωπία

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