Letter 480
Isidore of Pelusium→Unknown|isidore pelusium
From: Isidore of Pelusium, monk at Pelusium
To: Paul
Date: ~410 AD
Context: Isidore on wealth as a trust held for others — the wealthy man who hoards is not conserving something that belongs to him but withholding what has been entrusted to him for distribution.
Wealth, Paul, does not belong to its possessor in the way that his virtues belong to him. His courage, his justice, his wisdom — these are truly his; he generated them; no one else can use them or be harmed by their absence. But wealth is different. It passes through hands; it has effects that extend far beyond the person who holds it; its presence or absence in other lives depends on choices made by the one who currently possesses it.
The wealthy man who treats his wealth as simply his, to use as he pleases, has misunderstood what he has. He holds a trust, not a possession. The one who created the world and ordered it such that some have more than they need and others have less — that one has not made a mistake. He has created an opportunity for love to be expressed through redistribution.
Hold what you have as a steward, Paul. Use it as one who will be asked to account for it.
Περὶ δογμάτων, περὶ τῆς ἁγίας Τριάδος. Ἥχιστα μὲν χρὴ [τὴν] τῆς θεότητος φύσιν συ- στέλλειν Ἰουδαϊχῶς, εἰς μόνον τὸν ἕνα Θεὸν χαὶ Πατέρα" κατευρύνειν δὲ, ὥσπερ εἰς ἁγίαν χαὶ ὁμοού- σιον Τριάδα. Προσώπων γὰρ ποιότητι χαὶ ὑποστά- σεων ἰδιότητι διαστέλλοντες, εἰς ἕνα πάλιν συστε- λοῦμεν Θεὸν, διὰ τὸ τῆς οὐσίας ταὐτόν. ΜΓ". -- ΤΩ ΑΥ̓́ΤΩ. Περὶ αὑτοῦ (). ΚΑγαμαι τὴν ἀλήθειαν, τὴν τῶν συνετῶν τὰς ψυ- χὰς εἰς τὸ καὶ τῇ τῶν οἰχείων δογμάτων προλήψει μαχήσασθαι περιστήσασαν. Οὕτω γὰρ σαφῆ καὶ λαμπρὰν τοῖς βουλομένοις χατοπτεῦσαι τὴν περὶ τῆς ἁγίας Τριάδος ἔννοιαν ἔσχεν. Ὁ λέγων γὰρ ὅτι εἷς ἐστιν ὁ Θεὸς, οὐ πρὸς τὸν ἀριθμὸν κατέδραμε τῆς μονάδης, ἀλλὰ πρὸς τὸ μυστήριον τῆς Τριάδος " οὗ χαὶ ἐν τῇ Παλαιᾷ Διαθήχῃ ἐγχατέσπαρται ἡἧ διδα - σχαλία " ὡς χαὶ Φίλωνα, χαίτοι Ἰονδαΐον ὄντα χαὶ ζηλωτὴν, δι᾽ ὧν ἀπολέλοιπε συγγραμμάτων ἀπομα- χήσασθαι τῇ οἰκείᾳ θρησχείᾳ. Βασανίζων γὰρ τὸ εἰρημένον παρὰ τοῦ Θεοῦ, ἐν εἰκόνι Θεοῦ ἐποίησε μα θδηϊ, ΠΟ] δὲ ἴθι διιοπίδηι. ( ιοεΐ τῳ ορογα ργθίλπ Οδί, οἱ ἱρβὶ ραγιομίηι, 4π0( δἰ πη 6ι, σοκἰ᾿Δη , ποι) δ88ι: , Π π 6χ- ρΡΟΓΙο8 πιδηθϑμῃῖ, ΟΧΠΙ, -- ΡΑΌΠΟ. ἢε ἀοσπιαί(ῖϑι, εἰ (ας ξαπεία ΤυΥϊπϊιπίο. . ᾿ΜΙπίπια αιΐδοιη ορογίοὶ ἀϊνίηἰιαι . πδιυνδη) δὰ- ἄφξογυμ πιογὰ ἰη υηὐπὶ θόυπ Ραίγοηι σομ ΓΔ , γ γι ἰῃ δϑηςῖ8 Δῖ46 οἰ ιι5ἀ6 πὶ 65δθηι" Τ ΓΙ ηἶ11- ἰοιἢ φυδδὶ ἀἰ]ἴωγα. δ᾽ φυϊάδιη ρουδοηγι δίᾳιδ ᾿ιγροϑίαϑθοοι; ργορτγίαιδια αϊβιϊ σύρη! ., Ρ6Γ Θὀββϑηι ἰθοδι εἰ Πη , ΘλτῺ Γυγδιη) ἰ πηι δι σοι να . ΟΧΠΠΠ. -- ΕἸΌΕΜ ἴδε φοαφηὶ. γα ιδίοπι δ ρἶΓΟῦ, ργυἀδηίυη ἃ. βοβδείυπι ᾿οπΐηυπὶ δηΐπΊ) γαἀοφὶϊ, οἱ οἰΐδῃῃ ἀορπιδιὶ- θυ8, φυΐθυδ ργὶυ5 " [πόγδῆὶ ὈΘΙΠ απ ἰη χδτὶῃ!. ϑὲο Θηΐπι μουϊδη πὶ δὸ ἀπο ἰδίῃ, αυΐ ρτοδ)ὲ-- οθγ6 τὑοίυμ!, βοποία Τγὶηἰδι ποὐϊοποαι ἰδ]. Νδῆὴ 4υὶΐ υπυπὶ )6υ πὶ αἰοὶς, ποη δά ιμιλιδιΐβ πυηδΓιπ), γογὺπὶ δα Τιϊη4 πιγβίουυ “ΟηΟυΓ- γἶϊ, οὐυὐι5 ἰῃ γοίου! φυοαις Ταβι πιθηίο ἀοοιγὶ πα ἰηδροῖβα δδϑὶ, δ60 υἱ οἰΐδπὶ ΡΠ ]Ὸ., ἰΐοοὶ οἰϊοιμιί δυάκυκ, οἱ ηυΐάθπι ἰαροηίί σοῖο ργϑάϊιυ δ, ρ6Γ δᾶ ἰῃ- ἐεηϊϊ ᾿θοπη θη 4ι8. ταοϊίφυΐ!, εαπὶ βι18 γα ίθεθ ρυφξηλπη) ἰηΐοτὶι. Πυἀ εαἷπὶ φυοὰ ἃ ἢθο ἀϊείυτ , τὸν ἄνθρωπον, ἠναγχάσθη ὑπὸ τῆς ἀληθείας καὶ Ο ρογρεπάεδη8, Αὐ ἐπιδρίπειῃ θεοὶ [οἷς ποπιίπεπι "", ἃ ἐξεδιάσθη, χαὶ τὸν τοῦ Θεοῦ Λόγον θεολογῆσαι. Τί γάρ; ΕΠ καὶ δεύτερον τὸν συναίδιον τῷ Πατρὶ, χαὶ ἀριθμοῦ χαὶ χρόνων ὄντα ἀνώτερον χαλεῖ, τῆς ἀχρι- δείας μὴ ἐφιχνούμενος, ὅμως ἔννοιαν ἔσχε χαὶ ἑτέ- ρὸν προσώπου. Καὶ οὐχ ἐνταῦθα μόνον τοῦτο ἔπα- θεν, ἀλλὰ χαὶ τὸ, Θεὸς καὶ Κύριος, ἑρμηνεῦσαι πει- ρώμενος, τῆς βασιλιχωτάτης Τριάδος, τὸ τῶν μὲν πάντη διαιρετῶν ἑνικώτερον, τῶν δὲ ὄντως μοναδι- χῶν ἀφθονώτερον᾽ χαὶ οὕτως κατὰ χράτος εἷλεν αὐτοῦ τὴν Ψυχὴν, ὡς ἀναγχασθῆναι τοῦτο διαῤῥή- δην χαὶ εἰπεῖν, χαὶ ἐν συγγράμμασι κχαταλεῖψαι. Δύο γὰρ ἔφησεν εἶναι τὰς ὄντως δυνάμεις (), ὧν ἡ μὴν ποιητικὴ [χαὶ εὐεργετιχὴ, φησὶ, χαλεῖται Θεός" ἡ δὲ, βασιλιχὴ καὶ τιμωρητικὴ), Κύριος. Οὐ πόῤῥω βαίνων τοῦ εἰπόντος, « Χριστὸς Θεοῦ δύναμις, χαὶ Θεοῦ σοφία" » δύναμις οὐχ ἀνυπόστατος, ἀλλ᾽ ἐνυπόστατος, χαὶ παντοδύναμος, χαὶ ὑποστάσεων δημιουργὸς, χαὶ ἰσοσθενὴς ἐκείνου, οὗ δύναμίς ἐστιν. Καὶ πάλιν ὁφίλων περὶ τοῦ θεάματος οὗ εἶδε Μωσῆς ἐχφράζων, φησί" γον ρθ8 σοι ρυΐϑυς δίᾳυδ δύλοϊυβ οδῖ, εἰ θοὶ αυοᾳυς ΥὙογθὶ αἰν!μἰΔι6πὶ δεβογογοὶ. Θὰ οηΐηι ἢ Ειἰδιηδὶ ουπι, δδιθάδαι οαῆὶ Ῥαῖγα ὡοιογηϊιλίθι μιαῦθδιὶ, δα τορογα οἵμηΐὶ πιῖον οδὶ, βδουη μι γοῦϑί (ηυοὰ οχλοίδπι νϑγὶἰαι ἀοοιγ τηξηΐπηὸ Δϑϑϑηυδγοίυγ), ἰϑηηθη ] ( γἰ ΄αυθᾳυθ ραγβοηᾶδ Πυ- ιἰοποι ἰᾶθυϊ.. Νοαυς ἰδ μος ἀπηίοχδὶ ἰοοο ἰρϑὶ ςοεἰσὶι : νοῦυδὴὶ δἰΐδπν οὐπὶ ἰΠΠ8 νογῦα, Π6η8 εἰ δοπνῖδυβ, ἜΧρβόη γα σορδίυν, τρίτῃ Τυϊη δίθηι ἰνοι: μουαγὶ ἀϊχὶι, αἱ δὲ , : οεηπίηο ἀἱνἑδίοη! 5υ ή! - εἰπηιυγ, θη βἰηφυ γίδια δυραγοῖ, αἱ , 4υς νγθ δἰπριίϊίδγία δυπιὶ, Ἵορία Υἱμςαί. Αἰαινα υδ υδ Δ460 δημμβυπὶ γογὶ( δι θα κὶῖ, υἱ ἰΔ ἀργὸ οἱ εἰἴδαγο, δὲ Ἰαγατυπὶ πποηυτβοη σομδίρηδιυ" ΓΟ αφιθγο οοδοίυδ . θυλὲ δηνΐηι νογὰ8 μο- ἰοημς αἰχὶὲ, ὃχ φυϊ : ΟΠϊοῖθι , δίᾳυς δι] μεῃοῆςία ἀδινία ργοροηβ88, Ὠδιι5 γοοσδίυς : δυίδιη, ΠΙΒ ΓΟχΙΔ 68ϊ, 8ἃς. δοαίδγιηι νἱπύσοχ, -- Ιηΐη05. Ὁ με8. νοῦὲς οι) Ιοηδ6 ἃ γδυθάϊι, εαἱ ΥΑΙῦ ΓΕΟΤΙΟΝΕΒ ΕΤ ΝΟΤΑ͂ () ᾿πϑὶψπὶβ ἤϑς δρίβίοϊα ᾿πϑί κῃ [ οι
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From: Isidore of Pelusium, monk at Pelusium
To: Paul
Date: ~410 AD
Context: Isidore on wealth as a trust held for others — the wealthy man who hoards is not conserving something that belongs to him but withholding what has been entrusted to him for distribution.
Wealth, Paul, does not belong to its possessor in the way that his virtues belong to him. His courage, his justice, his wisdom — these are truly his; he generated them; no one else can use them or be harmed by their absence. But wealth is different. It passes through hands; it has effects that extend far beyond the person who holds it; its presence or absence in other lives depends on choices made by the one who currently possesses it.
The wealthy man who treats his wealth as simply his, to use as he pleases, has misunderstood what he has. He holds a trust, not a possession. The one who created the world and ordered it such that some have more than they need and others have less — that one has not made a mistake. He has created an opportunity for love to be expressed through redistribution.
Hold what you have as a steward, Paul. Use it as one who will be asked to account for it.
Modern English rendering for readability. See the 19th-century translation or original Latin/Greek for scholarly use.