De Passione et Cruce Domini, 4-6

De Passione et Cruce Domini, 4-6

Pseudo-Athanasian text, originally written in Greek (PG 28:189-194), in the fourth century. Translation given below from an early Syriac translation.

Source: Thomson, Robert W., ed. Athanasiana Syriaca: III. Universitatis Catholicae Americae, 1972. p. 63-65.

4 So therefore he advises us and says: « Do not lie to one another », and: « let no lie proceed from your mouth ». For he wishes us to become his imitators, by writing and saying: « I tell the truth and, do not lie ». For what our Lord said is also a saying of the gospel: « Let your word be yes, yes and no, no ». For let the word of those who are in Christ be affirmed as far as a « yes » and let them not resort to anything else or to oaths. Because it is not right for the sake of corruptible things to deride God and to take his name in oaths, especially as Moses decrees: « Do not take the name of the Lord your God in vain ». For if it is at all credible to you that the name of God is worthy of belief, all the more should it be believed before oaths. Who is worthy to be trusted with regard to the greater, is much more worthy of belief in regard to the lesser. But if he is not trustworthy without oaths, neither is he trustworthy in taking the name of the Lord. For how at all does he who swears bring God to witness, since he has no faith in him, for which alone God has regard? Wisdom bears witness to this and says: « The holy spirit flees from the instruction of deceit and shuns ignorant thoughts, and does not dwell in a body that is in debt to sin ».

Therefore our Lord Jesus Christ from those who invoke him first demands faith, as he said to the blind man: « Do you believe that I am able to do this for you »? And to him who had a lunatic demon he said: « If you believe, this will happen to you ». This our Saviour did, not that he was in need of help from others-for he is Lord and giver of faith - but lest he appear to be giving to people but yielding to those who believe; and lest, furthermore, they receive help without faith and by their unbelief lose it. But he wishes that when he bestows grace it should remain, and that when he heals his healing should be unshakeable and unfalling. He warned the paralytic and said: « Behold, you are healthy; sin no more, lest anything evil happen to you ». For as when a skilled doctor enters a patient's presence and learns from him whether he wishes to be healed, lest when he is diligent and concerned for the patient the latter be found unwilling and the doctor's cure be profitless through the opposition of the patient's will to the doctor's art; so also our Lord enquired of those whom he healed, and to those who believed he granted the grace of faith, that grace might remain with them. Now the proof of the soul's will is faith.

5 So how do those who have neither faith nor truth call God as witness? But the Spirit bears witness and says in the psalms: « The Lord is near to all who call on him in truth », by which only can we call on God. Not as some swear by God, who have no faith even in the least matters. Especially as the testimony of oaths gives no indication concerning affairs. For men swear not to tarry in affairs but to establish and confirm the truth that they are not lying in what they say. But if he who swears has truth and faith, what use is there in an oath? But if there is no faith in him, why are they so impious in human and mortal affairs, calling as witness him who is above men? For if it is not right to call to witness an earthly king, insignificant and external, in that he is superior to the judge and his summoner, why do we summon the Uncreated to task and cause God himself to be judged by men? Desist from that! For it surpasses the greatest impiety and presumption. What then should be done? Nothing more than that our word should be yes, yes and no, no; and that we should not lie at all. And thus we will be seen to be truthful and imitating the true God.

6 But perhaps someone will object to this and say: If it is forbidden to men (to take) oaths, he who does not swear is not imitating God, because we see in the divine scriptures God himself swearing an oath. For he both swore to Abraham according to the testimony of Moses, and it is also written in Songs: « The Lord swore and will not repent. You are priest for ever in the order of Melchisedek ». And if these (quotations) are in opposition to what has been said, then men would quickly thereby trouble themselves with oaths. But this is not so, not at all; nor let any one think of it in this fashion. For how is he who is Lord and creator of all thought of in this? But if it is right to tell the truth, his word is an oath for the instruction of those who hear him, and he enables every one to believe that what he said and promised will truly occur. God does not swear as a man, but in lieu of an oath we have his word. Because when God speaks with men he is said to swear; and this is very human. When men speak they too are found by their speaking to be trustworthy, that we might believe that what God is speaking is in lieu of an oath. And as an oath confirms the word of a man, so also what God says is considered in lieu of an oath because of his firm and true will.

For there bears witness to this saying the oath which is written: « The Lord, (scripture) says, swore and will not repent », since the unrepentance of whatever will take place occurs by a promise in lieu of an oath. This the Lord also shows in Genesis when he says: « I swore by myself ». And this is not an oath, for he does not swear by anyone which is the characteristic of an oath - but by himself, which evades the suspicion of an oath. And thereby he indicates the confirmation of the promise, which all hearers must believe. Let there be witness to this the psalmist David, in that he recalls that God swore, in psalm eighty-eight, saying: « Where are your former blessings, Lord, which you swore to David in truth »? God does not swear by truth, but what he confirms he says will be in lieu of an oath for men. God swears in a human fashion for belief, and it is not right from this for us to trouble ourselves with an oath. But thus let us speak and act, our hearers not needing an oath, but let (our) words and deeds have their testimony in themselves. And in this way we shall imitate God.