To John of Antioch and the synod gathered there
The dragon, the apostate, that truly savage beast who fights against God, has not rested. He has never given up the perversity that is in him. He carries within himself an unending envy against the holy churches. So he has dared to stir up the unbridled tongues of unholy and profane people, people whose consciences are seared (1 Tim 4:2), against the doctrines (dogmata) of the truth. But everywhere he has been caught and defeated, because Christ, the Savior of us all, makes his malice and the force of his schemes come to nothing.
Οὐχ ἠρέμησεν ὁ δράκων, ὁ ἀποστάτης, τὸ παγχάλεπον ἀληθῶς, καὶ θεομάχον θηρίον· οὔτε μὴν κατέληξε πώποτε τῆς ἐνούσης αὐτῷ δυστροπίας, ἀκατάπαυστον δὲ τὸν φθόνον τὸν κατὰ τῶν ἁγίων Ἐκκλησιῶν ὠδίνων ἐν ἑαυτῷ, γλώσσας ἀκρατεῖς ἀνοσίων καὶ βεβήλων ἀνθρώπων κεκαυτηριασμένην ἐχόντων τὴν συνείδησιν ἀνταναστῆσαι τετόλμηκε τοῖς τῆς ἀληθείας δόγμασιν. Ἀλλ' ἥλω πανταχοῦ καὶ νενίκηται, ἄπρακτον αὐτοῦ τὴν σκαιότητα καὶ τῶν ἐγχειρημάτων τὴν δύναμιν ἀποφαίνοντος τοῦ πάντων ἡμῶν Σωτῆρος Χριστοῦ.
Many people before our time fought against our holy Fathers. They took up the weapons of their unrestrained mouths against his indescribable glory. But they were exposed as reckless and ignorant. They were talking nonsense rather than knowing anything truly about the things that the truth itself testifies to be right, blameless, and beyond all slander.
Πλεῖστοι μὲν οὖν οἱ πρὸ ἡμῶν, τοῖς ἁγίοις ἡμῶν Πατράσι μεμαχημένοι, καὶ κατὰ τῆς ἀρρήτου δόξης τὰ τῆς ἑαυτῶν ἀθυροστομίας ὅπλα κινήσαντες, ἀλλ' ἠλέγχοντο θρασεῖς ὄντες, καὶ ἀμαθεῖς, καὶ κενολογοῦντες μᾶλλον, ἤγουν ἐγνωκότες τι κατὰ ἀλήθειαν τῶν ὅσα ἐστὶν ἐξ αὐτῆς τῆς ἀληθείας μαρτυρούμενα, ὡς εἶεν ὀρθὰ καὶ ἀμώμητα καὶ διαβολῆς ἁπάσης ὑπέρτερα.
After them, the inventor and teacher of all impiety raised up against us the novel teachings of Nestorius. But see: by the grace of God and the understanding he has given us, all of us with one voice anathematize the apostate. We follow in the footsteps of the Fathers' glorious zeal. We stand firm like men against the enemies of the cross of Christ. We champion the true faith, and we teach in the churches that no one should side with the impieties of those people. Nestorius speaks of two Christs and two sons: one Son by nature (physei) and true, the Word from God the Father; and another Son by adoption (thesei) and by grace, the one from the seed of David. We do not teach that. We follow the pure and blameless faith that has come down to us from above. We confess, as the holy Fathers confessed, one Son and Lord Jesus Christ, the Word from God the Father, who became man (enanthrōpēsas) and became flesh (sesarkōmenos). So one and the same is, and is called, from God the Father in a divine way, as his Word, coming forth by nature (physikōs) from his essence (ousia). And the same is from the seed of David according to the flesh, that is, from the holy Theotokos Mary.
Ἐπειδὴ δὲ πρὸς ἐκείνοις ὁ δυσσεβείας ἁπάσης εὑρετὴς καὶ διδάσκαλος ἤγειρεν ἡμῖν τὰς Νεστορίου καινοφωνίας, ἰδοὺ δὴ σύμπαντες διὰ τὴν τοῦ Θεοῦ χάριν, καὶ τὴν δοθεῖσαν ἡμῖν παρ' αὐτοῦ σύνεσιν, μιᾷ γλώττῃ τὸν ἀποστάτην ἀναθεματίζομεν, τὸν εὐκλεᾶ τῶν Πατέρων ἰχνηλατοῦντες ζῆλον, καὶ κατανδριζόμενοι τῶν ἐχθρῶν τοῦ σταυροῦ τοῦ Χριστοῦ, καὶ τὴν ἀληθῆ πρεσβεύοντες πίστιν, καὶ διδάσκοντες ἐν Ἐκκλησίαις, μὴ ταῖς ἐκείνων δυσσεβείαις προστίθεσθαι μᾶλλον, δύο λέγοντος Χριστοὺς καὶ υἱούς, ἕνα μὲν φύσει καὶ ἀληθῆ, τὸν ἐκ Θεοῦ Πατρὸς Λόγον, ἕτερον δὲ θέσει καὶ χάριτι, τὸν ἐκ σπέρματος τοῦ Δαβίδ· ἀλλὰ κατὰ τὴν ἄνωθεν καταβαίνουσαν εἰς ἡμᾶς, ἀκραιφνῆ καὶ ἀνεπίληπτον πίστιν, ἕνα Υἱὸν καὶ Κύριον Ἰησοῦν Χριστόν, τὸν ἐκ Θεοῦ Πατρὸς Λόγον, ἐνανθρωπήσαντα καὶ σεσαρκωμένον, κατὰ τὴν τῶν ἁγίων Πατέρων ὁμολογίαν· ὥστε τὸν αὐτὸν εἶναί τε καὶ λέγεσθαι ἐκ Θεοῦ Πατρὸς θεϊκῶς, ὡς Λόγον αὐτοῦ, καὶ ἐκ τῆς οὐσίας αὐτοῦ προελθόντα φυσικῶς, καὶ ἐκ σπέρματος Δαβὶδ κατὰ σάρκα, ἤγουν ἐκ τῆς ἁγίας καὶ Θεοτόκου Μαρίας.
As I said, those who were eyewitnesses from the beginning and servants of the Word (Luke 1:2) did not hand down one Son and then another. They handed down one and the same, God and man together, only-begotten and firstborn. He is only-begotten in a divine way, and firstborn in a human way, because he became the firstborn among many brothers (Rom 8:29) when he took on likeness to us. He did not join some other man to himself, as some have chosen to think. He truly became man himself, without ceasing to be what he was. Because he is God by nature (physei) and cannot suffer (apathēs), he suffered willingly in his own flesh. He did not give someone else's body for us. The only-begotten Word of God himself, having become man, offered himself to God the Father as a spotless sacrifice.
Οὐ γὰρ ἕτερον καὶ ἕτερον, ὡς ἔφην, παρέδοσαν οἱ ἀπ' ἀρχῆς αὐτόπται, καὶ ὑπηρέται γενόμενοι τοῦ λόγου· ἀλλὰ ἕνα καὶ τὸν αὐτόν, Θεόν τε ὁμοῦ καὶ ἄνθρωπον, μονογενῆ, πρωτότοκον· ἵνα τὸ μὲν ἔχοι θεϊκῶς, τὸ δὲ ἀνθρωπίνως· ὅτι γέγονεν ἐν πολλοῖς ἀδελφοῖς, τὴν πρὸς ἡμᾶς ὁμοίωσιν ὑπελθών, καὶ οὐχ ἄνθρωπον ἄλλον συνάψας ἑαυτῷ, καθὰ φρονεῖν ἔδοξέ τισιν, ἀλλ' αὐτόχρημα γενόμενος ἄνθρωπος, καὶ οὐκ ἀποστὰς τοῦ εἶναι ὃ ἦν. Θεὸς γὰρ ὢν φύσει καὶ ἀπαθής, διὰ τοῦτο σαρκὶ τῇ ἰδίᾳ πέπονθεν ἑκών. Οὐ γὰρ τὸ ἑτέρου τινὸς σῶμα δέδωκεν ὑπὲρ ἡμῶν· ἀλλ' αὐτὸς ἑαυτὸν ὁ μονογενὴς τοῦ Θεοῦ Λόγος, γενόμενος ἄνθρωπος, ὡς ἄμωμον ἱερεῖον προσεκόμισε τῷ Θεῷ καὶ Πατρί.
So it was right for us to celebrate a joyful feast over these things. Along with the false teachings of Nestorius, every statement from any source that agrees with his lies has been thrown out too. You and we have said, without any qualification, that we anathematize those who speak of two sons and two Christs. That statement applies to everyone who thinks as he does, or who ever thought so. For, as I said, both we and you proclaim one Christ, Son, and Lord: the only-begotten Word of God, who 'was made in the likeness of men and found in appearance as a man' (Phil 2:7), in the words of the most wise Paul.
Ἦν οὖν ἀναγκαῖον, λαμπρὰν ἡμᾶς ἐπὶ τούτοις ἄγειν ἑορτήν, συνεκβεβλημένης δηλονότι ταῖς Νεστορίου κακοδοξίαις καὶ φωνῆς ἁπάσης παρ' ὁτιοῦν, εἰ ταῖς ἐκείνου συμβαίνῃ ψευδηγορίαις. Κεχώρηκε γὰρ κατὰ πάντων τῶν τὰ ἴσα φρονούντων ἐκείνῳ, ἤγουν καὶ πεφρονηκότων πώποτε, τὸ ἀπολύτως ἡμᾶς τε καὶ τὴν ὁσιότητα ὑμῶν εἰπεῖν· ὅτι ἀναθεματίζομεν τοὺς υἱοὺς λέγοντας δύο, καὶ δύο Χριστούς. Εἷς γάρ, ὡς ἔφην, κηρύττεται πρός τε ἡμῶν αὐτῶν καὶ ὑμῶν, Χριστός, καὶ Υἱός, καὶ Κύριος, ὁ μονογενὴς τοῦ Θεοῦ Λόγος, «ἐν ὁμοιώματι ἀνθρώπων γενόμενος, καὶ σχήματι εὑρεθεὶς ὡς ἄνθρωπος,» κατὰ τὴν τοῦ σοφωτάτου Παύλου φωνήν.
We have shown in many places that we hold the Lord's flesh to be given life by a rational soul (psychē noera). Our most holy and most God-fearing brother and fellow bishop Proclus also proclaimed this clearly in his letter to the Armenians, rightly handling the word of truth. He is a devout man, well practiced in standing up to those who twist what is right (Mic 3:9). And when he champions the truth, he is used to winning.1
Ὅτι δὲ τὴν τοῦ Κυρίου σάρκα ἐψυχῶσθαί φαμεν ψυχῇ νοερᾷ, δέδεικται πλεισταχοῦ ταῦτα· καὶ ἐν τῇ πρὸς Ἀρμενίους ἐπιστολῇ, τὸν τῆς ἀληθείας λόγον ὀρθοτομῶν, διεκήρυξε σαφῶς ὁ ὁσιώτατος καὶ θεοσεβέστατος ἀδελφὸς ἡμῶν, καὶ συνεπίσκοπος Πρόκλος, ἀνὴρ εὐσεβής, καὶ τοῖς τὰ ὀρθὰ διαστρέφουσιν ἀνταποδύεσθαι μεμελετηκώς· ὅτι καὶ νικᾶν ἔθος αὐτῷ πρεσβεύοντι τὴν ἀλήθειαν.1
We urge everyone: let no one attach discredited opinions to our holy and Orthodox Fathers. I mean the opinions of Diodore and Theodore, and of some others whom it would be better not to praise. I put it that way so as not to say something harsher; these men rushed against the glory of Christ, as it were under full sail. Let no one pin such views on Athanasius, Basil, Gregory, Theophilus, and the rest. Otherwise this may become a cause of stumbling for some. They might think that the guardians of all right belief really thought and taught such things. In fact, those Fathers left behind books written not only against the false teachings of Nestorius, but also against those of others who thought and wrote what Nestorius did before him. We pray that everyone will mind their own affairs. The churches have now come to peace by the grace of Christ and by the decision of the bishops (mystagōgoi) everywhere. Let no one stir up disturbances in them again, or dig up old troubles for themselves or for others.23
Διαβεβλημένας δὲ δόξας, Διοδώρου τε, φημί, καὶ Θεοδώρου, ἢ καὶ ἑτέρων τινῶν, οὓς ἦν ἄμεινον οὐκ ἐπαινεῖν, ἵνα μή τι λέγοιμι φορτικόν, καὶ τὸ ὅλοις ὥσπερ ἱστίοις κατενεχθῆναι τῆς δόξης Χριστοῦ, μηδεὶς ἐπιφημιζέτω, παρακαλοῦμεν, τοῖς ἁγίοις καὶ ὀρθοδόξοις ἡμῶν Πατράσιν, Ἀθανασίῳ τε, φημί, καὶ Βασιλείῳ, Γρηγορίῳ τε καὶ Θεοφίλῳ, καὶ τοῖς λοιποῖς· μή ἄρα πως σκανδάλου πρόφασις τὸ χρῆμα γένηταί τισιν, οἰηθεῖσι κατ' ἀλήθειαν οὕτω φρονῆσαι καὶ διδάξαι τοὺς ἁπάσης ὀρθότητος ἐπιμελητάς· καὶ οὐ ταῖς Νεστορίου μόναις κακοδοξίαις ἀντεγειρομένας ἀφέντας βίβλους, ἀλλὰ καὶ ταῖς τῶν ἑτέρων, οἳ τὰ Νεστορίου πρὸ αὐτοῦ πεφρονήκασί τε καὶ γεγράφασιν. Εὐχόμεθα δέ, πάντας ἰδιοπραγεῖν, καὶ μήτε θορύβους ταῖς Ἐκκλησίαις ἐγείρειν, τοὺς ἤδη κατηρεμήσαντας χάριτι τοῦ Χριστοῦ, καὶ διὰ τῆς ψήφου τῶν ἁπανταχοῦ μυσταγωγῶν, μήτε μὴν ἀνασκαλεύειν ἑαυτοῖς ἢ ἑτέροις πράγματα.23
Some people once held the views of Nestorius. If they truly repent, turn away from his nonsense, and set their course toward choosing the blameless faith, they should be welcomed. They should not be taunted about the past. Otherwise this may give some of them a reason to hesitate in running toward what is better. We pray that people with bodily illnesses will be freed from them, and we rejoice with them when that happens. How much more should we rejoice when someone who has gone astray turns back and, with a good conscience, takes hold of the light of true knowledge? Your holiness knows that even the angels hold a feast over such things (Luke 15:10). You teach this, you explain it in all the churches, and you know well the words of our Savior.
Χρὴ δέ, καὶ τοὺς τὰ Νεστορίου πεφρονηκότας πώποτε, μεταγινώσκοντας κατ' ἀλήθειαν, καὶ ἀποφοιτῶντας μὲν τῶν ἐκείνου φλυαριῶν, μεθορμιζομένους δὲ πρός τε τὸ ἐθέλειν τὴν ἀμώμητον ἑλέσθαι πίστιν, δεκτοὺς εἶναι, καὶ μὴ ὀνειδίζεσθαι τῶν παρῳχηκότων ἕνεκα· μή ἄρα πως ὄκνου πρόφασίν τισι τῆς εἰς τὰ ἀμείνω μεταδρομῆς ἐπεργάσηται τοῦτο. Εἰ γὰρ τοὺς ὄντας ἐν ἀρρωστίαις σωματικαῖς ἀπαλλάττεσθαι τούτων εὐχόμεθα, καὶ συνηδόμεθα τούτου συμβάντος αὐτοῖς, πῶς οὐ πολὺ μᾶλλον ἡσθείη τις ἄν, ἐπιστρέφοντος τοῦ πεπλανημένου, καὶ πρὸς τὸ τῆς ἀληθοῦς γνώσεως μετὰ συνειδήσεως ἀγαθῆς ἅπτοντος φῶς; Ὅτι γὰρ τὴν ἐπὶ τούτοις ἑορτὴν ἐπιτελεῖν ἔθος καὶ τοῖς ἀγγέλοις, οἶδεν ὑμῶν ἡ ὁσιότης, τοῦτο διδάσκουσα, καὶ ἐν ἁπάσαις ταῖς Ἐκκλησίαις ἐξηγουμένη, καὶ τὰς τοῦ Σωτῆρος ἡμῶν οὐκ ἀγνοοῦσα φωνάς.
But we ask you, as brothers and fellow teachers, to instruct the clergy not to say anything else, especially in the churches, beyond what is right, tested, and judged to be sound. They should rather follow the confession of the right faith. Above all, they should not rush into debates about these questions. But if some need arises, for example because certain people must be instructed in the mysteries, do not let the teaching about the faith drift away from what is right in any way. Since the causes of disturbance must be cut off through the watchfulness of your holiness, we have written what we thought was good.
Ἐκεῖνο μέντοι παρακαλοῦμεν, ὡς ἀδελφοὺς καὶ συνδιδασκάλους παρεγγυῆσαι τοῖς κληρικοῖς, μὴ ἕτερα λαλεῖν, ἐν ἐκκλησίαις μάλιστα, παρὰ τὰ ὀρθὰ καὶ δεδοκιμασμένα, καὶ εὖ ἔχειν δόξαντα· ἕπεσθαι δὲ μᾶλλον τῇ τῆς ὀρθῆς πίστεως ὁμολογίᾳ· καὶ μάλιστα μὲν μὴ ἐπιτρέχειν τοῖς περὶ τούτων λόγοις. Εἰ δὲ δή πού τις ἀνάγκη γένοιτο, διά τοι τὸ χρῆναι μυσταγωγεῖσθαί τινας, μηδαμοῦ παροχετεύεσθαι τῆς ὀρθότητος ἐᾶν τὸν ἐπὶ τῇ πίστει λόγον. Ἐπειδὴ δὲ τὰς τῶν θορύβων ἀφορμὰς ἀποκείρεσθαι χρὴ διὰ τῆς νήψεως τῆς ὑμῶν ὁσιότητος, ὅπερ ἐνομίσαμεν εἶναι καλόν, τοῦτο καὶ γεγράφαμεν.
Suppose some clergy or monks are accused of being in communion with the Church while still holding the views of the impious Nestorius. Let them be given a hearing in the churches instead, before you who govern those churches, with a careful examination of what is said. Otherwise, if no one is willing to hear their charges, those who want to accuse them will likely trouble the secular courts. It is far better and more just for church questions to be raised and settled in the churches, and not before others for whom judging such matters would be entirely unsuitable.
Ἂν τοίνυν τινὲς ἢ κληρικῶν, ἢ μοναστῶν, ἐγκαλῶνται παρά τινων, ὡς κοινωνήσαντες μὲν τῇ Ἐκκλησίᾳ, φρονοῦντες δὲ καὶ εἰς δεῦρο τὰ τοῦ δυσσεβοῦς Νεστορίου, προκείσθω τούτοις ἀκρόασις ἐν ταῖς Ἐκκλησίαις μᾶλλον, καὶ παρ' ὑμῖν τοῖς ἰθύνουσιν αὐτάς, καὶ ζήτησις ἀκριβὴς τῶν λεγομένων. Εἰκὸς γάρ, τοὺς ἐγκαλεῖν ἐθέλοντας, ὡς οὐδενὸς ἀνεχομένου τοὺς παρ' αὐτῶν προσίεσθαι λόγους, τοῖς ἔξω δικαστηρίοις παρενοχλεῖν. Πολλῷ δὲ ἄμεινον καὶ δικαιότερον, τὰς ἐκκλησιαστικὰς ζητήσεις ἐν ταῖς Ἐκκλησίαις κινεῖσθαι, καὶ τυποῦσθαι, καὶ μὴ παρ' ἑτέροις τισίν· οἷς ἂν εἴη καὶ ἀνάρμοστος παντελῶς ἡ ἐπὶ τούτοις δίαιτα.
Greet the brothers who are with you. The brothers who are with us greet you in the Lord.
Πρόσειπε τὴν παρὰ σοὶ ἀδελφότητα. Ὑμᾶς ἡ σὺν ἡμῖν ἐν Κυρίῳ προσαγορεύει.