論主誕生 第 1 章 第 1/4 段

By the power of our Lord Jesus Christ we begin to write the volume of disputations, authored by Mar Thomas of Edessa, master of the religion of God, and Mar Kaiura his fellow in the labor. The first disputation, by Mar Thomas: On the fleshly Nativity of our Lord Christ. Chapter one: To him who asked that he commit that disputation to writing. The second: What are the chief points of its causes. The third: An investigation concerning the cause for which we celebrate this feast. The fourth: What are the goods that have been given to us through our Lord Jesus Christ. The fifth: For what cause these very goods were not revealed until now. The sixth: There was need of the mediation of someone through whom we might receive these goods from God.

The seventh: For what reasons God at this time took nothing else for His revelation save a man from among us. The eighth: That our Lord Christ was not a mere man (psilos anthropos). The ninth: For what reason the manhood of our Lord was not taken from the earth, but from a virgin without the union of a man. The tenth: For what cause God ordained that the manhood of our Lord should be conceived in the springtime. The eleventh: An exhortation to an honorable life. CHAPTER ONE. To him who asked that he commit it to writing.

The useful counsel which you, together with the illustrious brothers of our monastery, gave me, and your welcome charge, O chosen one of God, Mar Moses the Lector, stirred up diverse thoughts in me and cast me into various considerations. For you charged me that I should also commit to writing that very cause of the glorious Nativity of our Lord and Savior Christ, which I spoke after our holy Master, Mar Aba the Interpreter; which indeed I tremble to do, lest…; …I be easily reckoned by those who love to find fault with cause and without cause; likewise, I fear to not obey the charge, lest I be held a violator of the precept and a transgressor of the counsel by men who say nothing except with a view to the religion of the living God.

But while I lingered in these and the like thoughts, I judged it fitting for me to satisfy your will, leaving others indeed to speak as they please, lest, while I fear the envious words which do no injury before God, I should give to you—who are pleasing to Christ through good will and a perfect life—occasion for murmuring against me, in that I had not obeyed your charge. Therefore, asking the help of your prayers acceptable to Christ, behold, I apply myself to fulfilling your will.

This above all I ask of you, and of those who in whatever way shall come upon these writings: that you in no way form a false opinion of me, as though I had set out to say or write hoping that I, weak as I am, could in this treatise so deliver all the things that are our Master's just as he himself said them. Rather, this alone is the confidence I have in my discourses—and this proceeds from an inmost conviction—that all my words stand in such relation to the sayings of our Master that one is led from these to those as from an image to its prototype, and as from a shadow to the body by which it is cast.

Moreover, just as in the place where the rays of the sun extend, a small lamp is not fit to give light, so also these words of mine shall perish when those of our Master make manifest the splendors of their thoughts. I shall therefore make a division into chapters, by which the whole disputation is arranged for greater usefulness; and then I shall begin to say those things which the order of the several matters requires in the disputation itself. For your wisdom and understanding know that those who are about to walk along a road of however many miles which they do not well know, are greatly helped by receiving the signs and marks that are along the way, and after this they will begin to walk;

so it happens to them, if they keep an attentive mind, that they easily walk from sign to sign and from mark to mark all the way to the end of the road without error. And if this is so, it is manifest that it is much more necessary for those who wish to commit to memory a discourse of however many sentences, that they should first learn what are the several chapters of the treatise itself. And if this be done, when they are compelled to deliver the discourse, although the written text is not at hand from which to recall the whole discourse to memory, nevertheless, because they have previously learned the number and title of all the chapters, they will be able easily to deliver the discourse, even if they omit some little part of those things which are in the midst of the chapters. CHAPTER TWO. What are the chapters of this disputation.

Although it is plain to everyone that the feast which we celebrate today is the Nativity of Christ, yet the mind is not content merely to learn this, that it is the feast of the Nativity of our Lord, but it more often takes up this question also: why do we celebrate it? When we have investigated and found that it is on account of the great goods which have been given to us through our Lord Christ, who was born today for all creatures, so that, by honoring their memory and fulfilling the will of their giver, the goods which we have may be made firm, we are asked to say what these goods are. Then, after we have narrated them and made them manifest, it is asked of us:

why were goods that are thus useful to all neither known nor revealed until now? Again, after we have given an excuse concerning these matters also—that they were not revealed—it is asked that we establish yet another thing: namely, that without the mediation of someone it was impossible for these very goods to come to us from God. When thereafter we have shown that there was altogether need of someone through whom we might be brought to the receiving of them, it is asked: why was the revelation made through none other than a man? And when we have shown the many things that required the taking of a man from among us, another question arises: if for these reasons a man was necessarily needed, could he then by himself alone redeem us?

Thus we teach that the economy necessarily requires that God also be in that man, so that it may be known that a mere man could not redeem us, nor could we, without the mediation of someone, receive from God the goods which had been prepared for us.

But after it has been shown by our demonstration that we today celebrate the feast of His Nativity by reason of the good things which have been given to us through our Lord Christ, and after it has been made clear what those good things are, and once the excuse has been admitted explaining why they were not revealed before, and after it has appeared that for their revelation there was need of the mediation of someone who was nothing other than a man — yet not a mere man, but such a one in whom dwelt God, mighty unto all those things which He accomplished for our redemption in His dispensation — when all these things have been demonstrated, then the question is asked: for what reason did God not take this man from the earth, as He did the first man?

Or if it was necessary that He should be born of a woman, why was He born of a virgin without the seed of a man? After the cause of this has been shown, there remains this to be demonstrated: why did God ordain that He should be conceived in the springtime? And what do we understand from the fact that He was born in this season? And so, after these things, we shall make an end of the whole discussion by adding a brief exhortation suited to the confirmation and amendment of the hearers. CHAPTER THREE. An inquiry into the cause for which we celebrate this feast of the holy Nativity. It is evident that this feast which we celebrate today, and which the holy Church everywhere celebrates with great joy, is the feast of the Nativity of Christ, our Lord.

For behold, this is proclaimed alike from the mouth of all rational beings, that is, of men and women, and from children even to the aged. But the question is asked: do we then assemble today and celebrate this feast on account of the novelty of the manner of His birth, which was without intercourse, marvelling at the power which was able to form Him from the Virgin Mary without the seed of a man? It is known that it is a great and excellent thing that a virgin should give birth apart from a man's embrace. Yet however great a pre-eminence of power this may display, this alone was not sufficient — without the other things presently to be mentioned — to become the cause of this feast in every region. For we behold other excellent things that were wrought among men at the time of their birth;

and because no others followed after the manner of their formation, we rightly do not celebrate the feast of their nativity, as for example of Adam, and of Eve, and of Isaac, and of others of this kind. And indeed each of these is more worthy of wonder than the next, and proclaims the divine power more greatly. First let us consider the nativity of Isaac, how great it was: namely, that a son was born of a barren and aged woman. Either of these by itself would have been enough to hinder nature from giving fruit; how much more when both were present together, old age and barrenness! Yet here it was indeed from seed; but what does seed avail amid barrenness and old age?

For just as it is a great miracle if someone sows some kind of seed upon a rock, or casts it into a furnace of fire, or suspends it in water or in air, and from any one of these finds fruit; likewise even if someone in old age and barrenness should pour out seed ten thousand times, it is a great miracle if a son is born where only one of these conditions is present, much less in the present case: for both were found in Sarah. In blessed Mary one thing was lacking to the order of nature, namely the reception of seed; but in Sarah, as I have said, there was a twofold impediment, old age and barrenness.

It is more credible that an unsown earth should bring forth, than that grains of wheat which fall into a furnace of fire should give fruit — even though things difficult and things easy are alike possible with God. We indeed, because we possess a limited power, do not deal equally with kinds of clay and of bronze; but to God nothing is harder than another, since He is not limited in power, and His mere nod suffices for all things. And if the nativity of Isaac is wonderful, yet the nativity of Eve is more wonderful.

For there was neither womb, nor matrix, nor seed, but a rib from the side — and that moreover the side of a male — from which a woman was made, not growing moderately and gradually with the continual succession of time, but suddenly rising up in the twinkling of an eye and exhibiting a perfect stature. But still more wonderful is the thing, namely the generation of Adam: for Eve was living from a living thing and sensitive from a sensitive thing; but Adam, living and rational and sensitive, was made from earth, which partakes of none of these. If, then, these things are astounding, and one more wonderful than another — and yet they are not celebrated with a feast — does the Church everywhere celebrate a feast such as today's merely because of the novelty of the matter?

But it is evident that we do not celebrate this feast looking to these external things. For the Magi themselves, when by divine grace stirred up in whatever manner they went up to adore Him, did not offer Him gifts which signified this novelty of the matter, but gold, and myrrh, and frankincense. Frankincense: to make manifest that He who was born is a temple of God, in which it was to come to pass that the Divinity should be incorporeally adored by all rational beings, as in an indissoluble temple. Gold: to show that it now befits men to receive His counsels and precepts, and to obey Him with all their strength. Myrrh: to signify that by His own death He should conquer death, and acquire a kingdom in no way to be shaken.

It is evident that by divine revelation they offered these things which they offered to Him. Likewise the Angel, when he was revealed to the shepherds and announced to them, did not preach to them that our Lord was born of a virgin. For what did he say to them? 'I announce to you indeed great joy which shall be to all the world.' And why does he say: 'For today is born to you a Saviour, who is the Lord Christ, in the city of David'? He makes mention of the city of David, to show that in Him who is born today the promises of God to the fathers are fulfilled; and that in Him all peoples shall be blessed, according to the promises to Abraham: 'In thy seed shall all peoples be blessed'; and to show also that upon Him rests and finds its outcome that promise to David:

'Of the fruit of thy womb I will set upon thy throne'; and, 'Of His kingdom there shall be no end'; and, 'The Lord God shall give Him the throne of David His father, and of His kingdom there shall be no end.' And He named Him Lord, because He is the Lord of all creatures by reason of His conjunction with God the Word. 'God hath made Him both Lord and Christ, this Jesus whom ye crucified.' He is Christ: because He was set apart and chosen for this work. He Himself is the true Christ: for whereas all princes were anointed with the legal oil, He was anointed by the Holy Spirit. 'Therefore God, thy God, hath anointed thee with the oil of gladness above thy fellows.' He is Saviour:

because through Him we are now to be redeemed from sin, and from death, and from corruption, and from the servitude of Satan; which therefore is joy to all the world of the nations, who are made worthy of kinship with the Divine; and to the people of Israel, because the promises to their fathers are fulfilled; because all alike are set free from all the afflictions of this world. It is evident that the angels too share with us in joy, in that they also greatly rejoice in our change to virtue.

Nor does the holy Church make commemoration of John the Baptist each year because he was born of old age and barrenness, but on account of the works that were wrought through him, and on account of his perfect and sublime life, and his death which was for the worship of God; so that, while we recall all these things of his to mind, we may be diligent to imitate them as far as is possible, that we may become worthy to attain with him to the delight of heavenly good things. And this we do by celebrating the memory of all the holy fathers and of those who were martyrs for Christ, each in his own order.

We therefore, for this very same reason which I stated beforehand, while we celebrate this glorious and venerable feast of the Nativity of Christ our Lord, do not attend merely to this new manner of His generation outwardly, which was without intercourse — the cause of which we shall indeed state later — but we celebrate it on account of these ineffable good things which have been given to all creatures through Christ, our hope; so that, by cherishing their memory, and by receiving the teaching which concerns them, we may conform our life to the will of their Giver, that we may become worthy to ascend to the heavens, and to become partakers of the good things which are reserved for those who rightly believe and lead their life according to the pattern of their faith. CHAPTER FOUR.

What are the good things that have been given to us through our Lord Christ. It is needful to state what these good things are which have been decreed by God to be given to us through our Lord Christ, and for the establishing of which we assemble today, celebrating this feast. These indeed we learn from the holy angels, who at the time of the Nativity of our Redeemer, crying out with great joy, said thus: 'Glory to God in the highest; and on earth peace; and hope to men.' In these three sentences are indicated in summary all the good things that have been given to us through our Lord Christ.

The holy angels, since in respect of creation they are our fellows, when they had seen us fallen from the health of the worship of God, and taken captive by the disease of idol-worship, and utterly wasted away in the service of demons, and sick in the foulness of our works, were grieved and angered; and yet they did not set themselves to do even one of those things that are necessary and useful for our healing; but on the contrary they would have demanded our excision, as of putrid members, and our dismissal from communion with them, had not the Lord of all, the good God, on account of the hope of our amendment and of our conversion to Himself, subjected them to Himself, as it is written:

'The creature indeed was made subject to vanity, not willingly, but by reason of Him who subjected it in hope.' They reckoned their labour on our behalf vain and useless so long as we were not in the worship of God our Creator and Benefactor; yet on account of the hope of things to come they persevered in whatever manner in their ministry on our behalf, since God had confirmed in them the hope of our change to virtue, by the cry of the blood of Abel, and by the translation of Enoch, and by the ascension of Elijah, and by the fact that God at no time, nor through generations of generations, ceased to dispense those things which should bring help to our redemption and to our return to the truth.

Rightly, therefore, to them as to sound members of the creation, persevering in the health of love toward their Lord, indignant against sinners, and awaiting the hope of better things, were revealed by God the good things which were decreed to be given to the whole creation through Christ our Lord. And so with great joy they cried out, saying: 'Glory to God in the highest; and peace upon earth; and hope to men.' Unjustly indeed was the praise due to God from men oppressed until now. Mute idols were adored; Satan was worshipped; evil spirits rejoiced; demons were glad; men were shameless and deceivers; in their inclination to base things, at the impulse of the devil they easily perpetrated all evils.

But now, through Him who according to the divine promises was born of the seed of David, the praise due to God from all is restored to Him; He is acknowledged as essentially the most high and supreme of all, the Maker of all and the Benefactor; men are gathered from the dispersion of idol-worship and with one accord turn back from the service of evil spirits; the demons are confounded; the devil falls; men arise; they please their Creator through the knowledge of the truth and through an honest life, and lay aside all their former base things. On account of all these things, there is peace upon the earth, namely because men turn back from the adoration of the work of their own hands, and supremely adore God, the Maker of us and of themselves, conducting themselves according to His will;

and tranquillity and peace and reconciliation reign on earth. For the Creator had been angered against His creatures, and was threatening all men with punishments according to the measure of their misdeeds; but now, through Him who is born, He has toward them a fitting reconciliation. We also, the angels, had been angered against them, as zealous servants of our Lord, and as ministers and attendants of our Benefactor; but now, just as they strive the more to please the Maker of all the world, so we kindle our love toward them, and increase our care for them, and even amplify our solicitude for their benefit, and hold them as sound members, and love them as our dear fellows.

But also all the peoples who had been divided against one another — this one adored the sun, and this one the moon, and another the stars, and another something else, while their enmity against one another was various according to the diverse kinds of those things which were called gods by them — now all possess concord and the love of the worship of God; and together with the people of Israel, who had all even been rejected by Him (God) from participation with all His holy and blessed ones, they are gathered through love and concord, as scattered members into one body of the worship of God, all former discord being dissipated. And man himself has toward himself infinite peace.

For because his body is mortal, and his soul immortal, as much as mortal things are contrary to immortal things, so much is the operation of the body opposed to the soul; but the soul itself, because it is elevated and discerning and immortal, and receives the knowledge of God and the teaching of His precepts, inclines to the work of virtue. The body, however, because it is not rational nor discerning, but is mortal, is drawn to visible things and held by love of them. And so man had within himself an unceasing struggle, which our Lord Christ has resolved, making the body immortal, and rooting out from it every attraction to transient things; and at the same time He bestows firmness upon it and upon the soul;

so that without distress he may be able to do the will of God, and to please Him without hindrance. Now all these riches of peace reign, in that men turn back to their Creator, and glorify and exalt Him alone as the cause of all good things, anxiously taking care to please Him through an honest life: there is the peace of the Creator with His creatures, and of us, the angels, with men, and of all peoples with one another and with the people of Israel, and of man himself with himself. After all these things nothing else is to be expected save the hope of heavenly good things — a hope indeed good for men.

A firm confidence therefore, and a great good hope, of the extirpation of sin, and of deliverance from demons and from the devil, and of release from the law of death, and of the abrogation of the decree of corruptibility, and of resurrection from the dead, and of the gift of immortality, and of participation in incorruptibility, and of the grace of the adoption of sons, and of ascension to the heavens, and of communion with all the saints of God, has been given to us; which things indeed are among those heavenly good things that pass not away nor fail unto eternity.

The good things, therefore, which have been given to us through our Lord Christ, O our venerable brother, for the establishing of which we celebrate this feast today, are these, according to the interpretation of those words which were spoken by them (the angels). For what was better and more excellent for all peoples than to know God their Creator and the cause of all their good things? Nothing of the kind is known to be given. For all the good things of this world, even if found joined together, where the worship of God is not, are nevertheless all alike useless;

but where the worship of God is present, which is shown in the confession of faith and in works, although in some way affliction may be found for a short time, yet all joyful and pleasing things will come together, especially after our departure from this world. For just as when someone wishes to go to the royal court, and when he begins to walk he strays from the way so that he goes out into an uninhabited desert, or even though he carry provisions, however much, these will nevertheless fail and be consumed, and thereupon it will be left to him to die, since he has not reached the place to which he had promised to go:

such is he who strays from the right way and from the worship of the true God, and even all the provision of his life, however much it be at hand for him, will perish, and he will not attain the kingdom of God, but will be punished with unceasing punishment by God. Even if it should happen that he has works which seem good, he is nevertheless like one digging a well in the earth, who yet, however deep he digs, finds no vein of water. For idols have no power to do good to their worshippers. But — someone will say — he does these fair works of his in the name of a god! Certainly, we reply; yet it is plain that no one is a god merely because he calls himself a god. And what gain comes from this? None is known to be given. For if someone is burdened with a debt which he owes to the kingdom by any work whatever;

and while he proceeds to pay it of his own accord, he should see idle men who are wont in certain places to set up one of themselves in the dignity of a king, that they may play before him; and being deceived, should go on and cast before them the money owed to the kingdom: will he not afterwards, at the command of the true king, be seized and bound, since whatever he gave to him who was king in name only, and not in reality, will not be reckoned to his account?

In like manner also he who, bringing his adorations and all things that are owed to the true God, casts them before those who are not gods, but were called by a name not properly theirs at the persuasion of demons — none of these things will be reckoned to his account when he enters into the judgement of God the Maker of all, who alone is God, to whom alone adoration is owed by all creatures. Whosoever therefore does not possess divine knowledge will lose all his joyful things, even though for a time they be found with him; and in this way all his labour will be without profit; and his works which were esteemed fair will be found by him without recompense; and so he will fall into the eternal punishment which awaited all the nations before the coming of Christ.

And it is evident that, although the people of Israel enjoyed kinship with God, to them also there came a great good in the coming of Christ our Lord. For they were raised up from a childish governance; they too were deemed worthy of the perfect knowledge of the Holy Trinity, of the Father and the Son and the Holy Spirit, who are acknowledged in unity. For they did not differ from him who calls the soul and the sun the same thing, being ignorant that, just as the latter has heat and brightness, so the former has mind and reason. If it is great joy to us when we wean an infant and bring him to perfect (solid) food, how much more worthy of exultation is it that the Israelites together with all the nations have attained to the perfect knowledge of the Holy Trinity?

Moreover in shameless morals and in the possession of earthly things they all were so engaged that they did not indeed know God, nor expect good things from Him; just as an infant is drawn to the breast at the time of weaning, so they craved earthly things. But our Lord in His Gospel implanted the expectation of things to come; then indeed they despised and held in contempt the things of this age — which is the greatest good, when it accompanies the worship of God. For a rational man who is seized with love of these perishable riches is like the tongue and the eye on which some amulet were hung for their adornment;