New quotes attributed to Isaac of Nineveh and Theodore of Mopsuestia: unofficial translation
New quotes attributed to Isaac of Nineveh and Theodore of
Mopsuestia: unofficial translation
Almost by chance, I encountered this article on
Academia: “Previously Unpublished Quotations from the Treatises of
Theodore of Mopsuestia in the Context of Interim Data on Isaac of Nineveh’s
«Sixth Collection»” by the
scholar Alexander V. Tamrazov (link: https://www.academia.edu/130163240/Previously_Unpublished_Quotations_from_the_Treatises_of_Theodore_of_Mopsuestia_in_the_Context_of_Interim_Data_on_Isaac_of_Nineveh_s_Sixth_Collection_ ).
In the article, written in Russian, are
provided quotes that are attributed to Isaac of Nineveh (fl. 7th
century) and Theodore of Mopsuestia (fl. 4th-5th
centuries). The article provides the Syriac text and the Russian translation of
these quotes. Since I do not know neither Syriac nor Russian, I have translated
the quotes into English using Google translate (in bolded text I
provide, following the paper, the translation of the parts attributed to Theodore
whereas in italic the titles of each book of Theodore that appears). The
paper mentions that these excerpts are probably from the Fifth[1]
and Sixth Collections[2]
of Isaac of Nineveh. Each quote is
prefaced by a Latin title that contains the Latin title of Theodore’s work and
the reference to the Patrologia Graeca. I added some footnotes that relates the
content with previously known texts.
Given the fact that I used Google Translation,
the following translation should not be considered definitive and
hopefully will be subject to revision pending further reviews. However, what
follows seems to be consistent with what is already known of Theodore’s and Isaac’s
universalist eschatological views[3].
The English translation of the Russian
translation of the quotes (Content preliminary and subject to future revision)
From page 10 of the paper (‘Excerptum 1 ex
V, 7, 1 cum Theodori «De perfectione regiminis» (CPG 3855)’)
“We know that useful conversation (ʕenyānā) is placed before God as prayer, for even
the teacher Theodore in the “Book of the Perfect Life” considers as one
of the parts of prayer what a person says about the divine law and hears about
it [in response]” (Isaac of Nineveh, Fifth Part, 7, 1)
From page 11-13 of the paper (‘Excerptum 2
ex V, 7, 6 cum Nestorii «Adversus Apollinarem», Theodori «De
incarnatione» fragmento 1 (CPG 3856) et «In epistulam ad Romanos»
fragmento 1 (CPG 3846)’)
“They, that is, the Blessed [Diodorus?] and the wonderful community of his
like-minded people, with a different goal (nī šā) approach [the consideration
of] everything that [concerns] God's dispensation: it is precisely to this goal
that the path (ḥāzyā)
of the words they wrote down, as well as the power of their interpretations, is
directed. Thus, in all their understanding (reʕyānā) and in their speech about God’s
economy in relation to creation, they look not to the custom of rational, and
therefore also created, beings, but to the Divine nature. And they do not
completely deprive their instruction of such understanding, even if they happen
to examine the Holy Scriptures, and they speak for the benefit of the weak and
in proportion to the strength of the disciples, arranging their speech as a warning,
about the truth of faith, or about the economy, or about other things that the
Lord God orders. Therefore, Blessed Nestorius in his [treatise] “Against
Apollinaris and His Like-Minded People,” which he compiled from chapters
refuting the co-religionists [of Apollinaris], about the words: “The Word
became flesh”37, said this: “It is clear that the Divine existence is
immutable, unchangeable and uncomplicated: having accepted these [properties]
as the law of Eternal Existence, and interpret this [i.e. John 1:14] in
accordance with what is proper to God. Scripture cannot constrain the Self-existent
nature, but the Self-existence subordinates Scripture to Itself and interprets
its obscure and dark [places]”; you see that Nestorius even teaches that the
purpose of the confession of the Church should be understood in relation to the
Divine nature, and not to what is said in the Scriptures. So also Blessed
Theodore in his treatise on the “Humanity of Our Lord” spoke against
them [i.e. Apollinaris and his associates] and their [opinions]: “They cite
examples from the Scripture and base their words on them, without realizing
that we everywhere perceive the meaning of the words of the Scripture from what
surrounds them (bārānāyūṯhēn)”. He, in his Commentary
on the Epistle to the Romans, clearly distances himself from this other
understanding, which pertains to the created and passionate nature, and clearly
teaches about the precise understanding and true purpose of everything that God
dispenses in people. [Theodore] says: “Both of these thoughts about God are
impious: supposedly He did something in anger contrary to what seems good to
Him, and that out of disappointment He acts differently…”” (Isaac of Nineveh, Fifth Part, 7, 6)
From pages 13-14 (‘Excerptum 3 ex VI, 7, 6 cum Theodori fragmento 2 «In epistulam ad
Romanos» (CPG 3846)’):
“So the Blessed Interpreter in the sixth word of the interpretation of
[the Epistle] to the Romans says: “Both of these thoughts about God are
impious: supposedly He did something in anger contrary to what He sees as good,
and that out of disappointment He acts differently than He previously desired. Therefore,
if He had wanted to create us immortal and this had been predetermined by Him
as good in relation to us, then He would never have changed His plan in anger,
having become disappointed [in us] because of sin.”” (Isaac of Nineveh, Sixth Part, 7, 6)
From pages 14-15 (‘Excerptum 4 ex VI, 7, 4 cum
Theodori fragmento 1 «In Genesim» (CPG 3827)’):
“Where there is completeness [composed] of direct thoughts (ḥuššāḇē trī ṣē), there is also sound evidence for the
perception of the verbal: confidence in this precedes [the citation of] an
example from the Scriptures. The conviction that God created the creature in
love, [comes] from internal reflections and from rational discernment: He
[created] those who did not exist, and no one asked for them, just as there was
no one by whose exhortation of will and petition He not only brought them into
being from nothing, so that they simply were, but also adorned them with life,
feelings, and intelligence, knowledge and all sorts of other benefits for their
benefit and joy, the greatest of which is that He shared with them His
existence through knowledge - all this could not be accomplished without love. As
the wonderful saint Theodore the Interpreter says at the beginning of the first
volume of the “Commentary on Genesis”: “Therefore, it is known that
in great goodness and abundant love God began to arrange the creation.”” (Isaac of Nineveh, Sixth Part, 7, 4)
From pages
16-17 (‘Excerptum 5 ex VI, 7, 2 cum Theodori fragmento 2 «In Genesim»
(CPG 3827)’):
“If [God] is perfect (gmīr) in His knowledge (b-ī ḏaʕṯēh) and does not recognize [anything]
anew, like someone who [previously] did not know, then He is also perfect in
His will (b-ṣeḇyānēh),
and, therefore, together with His existence, He abides that which pleases Him to do and to desire. Thus spoke the Blessed
Interpreter in the first volume of the “Interpretation of Genesis”: “God
does not will anything that He has not eternally willed, and He does not
conceive of anything that He has not conceived from the beginning, nor does He
introduce any correction of the creature that was not in His original plan (b-ṯarʕī ṯēh). The entire arrangement (tuqqānā) of
the creature, the mode of its existence (znāh da-hwayyāh), the number of
natures in it, the order of its harmonious existence (quyyāmāh), the [kinds of]
dispensation that must be made in it, — all this for each age and each person,
both for Adam’s relatives and for others, [God] knows, and therefore all this
is pre-prepared and laid down by His plan — predetermined from above and
eternally. He knew, as if to say, all the deeds and thoughts of each of the
people not only in one age, but [he knew] also those thoughts that are in all
rational [creatures], and what must be done in relation to each of them for
their common good. From Above and together with His existence He was absolutely
certain of everything and knew everything.” (Isaac of Nineveh, Sixth Part, 7, 2)
From page
18 (Excerptum 6 ex V, 4 cum Theodori «In Samuel» (CPG 3832)):
“From the diversity of our freedom, the immutability of God in His
Providence, which promotes the welfare of rational creatures, is even more
recognized, as Blessed Theodore the Interpreter said in the “Interpretation
of Samuel”: “He has allowed people to exercise their will in everything they do, and He
uses the economy as it should be, while neither the good will of people in any
way favors His economy, nor does their evil will help Him to completely dispose
(šumlāyā damparnsānūtēh) — He ineffably does everything for the benefit of
people, whether they are of good or bad [understanding],” — Thus says Theodore, whose mind is beyond
the knowledge of many. ”
(Isaac of Nineveh, Fifth Part, 4)
From page
19 (‘Excerptum 7 ex VI, 5, 2 cum Theodori «Contra defensores peccati
originalis» (CPG 3860)’[4]):
“First, the Blessed Interpreter speaks [about this] in the second volume “Against
those who say that sin is embedded in nature”, in the third word it
is said thus: "God did not do everything that came
from Him in anger, weakness, or disappointment: from the beginning and from
eternity He is precisely sure of what He has determined for the things He sees
for each of His creatures. However, can this provide great help to one or to
all in general, or not? Thus it is said through the prophet: “Even before I
sealed (ʔeṣōrāḵ) you in the womb I knew you; before you came forth from the womb I
sanctified you.” And the Blessed Paul said: “He who chose me from my mother’s
womb and called me by His grace to reveal His Son in me, that I might preach
Him to the Gentiles” — from this it is known that from the beginning and from
eternity [God] knew exactly how to dispose not only of all [creature] in
general, but also of each of them, He also arranged who is subject to judgment
and who is to enjoy the benefits, — for the benefit of all and each,” These are the words of the Interpreter
about the eternal determinations of God about everything: they were all made
initially.” (Isaac of Nineveh, Sixth Part, 5,
2)
From pages
20-21 (Excerptum 8 ex VI, 5, 2 cum Theodori «Contra Magos» (CPG 3861)) [5]:
“Listen to what contemplation Blessed Theodore offers you about God,
confessing Him. He speaks about the same thing, with the same definition and
with the same purpose in the book “Against the Magi,” [written] for his
beloved Mastubia: “He does not do anything out of disappointment and does
not spend a long time searching for how He can best manage things - from above
and from the beginning everything is laid down in His Providence: for those who
are created by Him, He establishes order according to His will. For every
person is first destined to be conceived by seed in the mother's womb, then to
be imprinted in an image, and then to be born. Subsequently, as he gradually
grows, [man] attains perfection, and this is originally and eternally
predetermined, it is in His precise knowledge and conviction regarding what
will happen to each of [people], and what He will use according to His will. We
are of those who see what happens gradually - in His Providence everything is
laid down from the beginning, as it is said about Jeremiah: “Even before I
formed (ʔeḡblāḵ) you in the womb, I knew you; before you came out from the womb, I have
sanctified you”. And Blessed Paul said: “He who chose me from my mother’s womb
and called me by His grace desired to reveal His Son in me, so that I might
preach Him to the Gentiles” — this was known to God from the beginning, and so
He used prophecy to bring into action what had been prepared by His Providence.
Obviously, He acts in this way in relation to all people: everything from above
and from the beginning has been distributed by Him as His will pleases,” — such are the words [of Theodore] here,
however there [i.e. in the previous quotation] he clarifies this even more with
examples from [created] nature and from the Scriptures.” (Isaac of Nineveh, Sixth Part, 7, 5 2)
From page
22 (‘Excerptum 9 ex VI, 5, 8 cum Theodori fragmento 3 «In Genesim»
(CPG 3827)’):
“[Theodore] the Interpreter in the “Interpretation of Genesis” and
in other [of his works] interprets all the time [allocated] to this world as
the measure of childhood (mšuḥtā d-ṭalyūṯā): “Divine Providence guides our childhood”
(l-šaḇrūṯan), subordinating it to the angelic
dispensation, and at all times we are destined to learn.” (Isaac of Nineveh,
Sixth Part, 5,8)
From pages
22-23 (‘Excerptum 10 ex VI, 5, 5 cum Theodori «In Iob» (CPG 3835)’):
“As [God] said about Job: “Over his body you have been given power, but keep
his soul!” This means that if [God] had given the soul to [the power of Satan],
it would have been destroyed by sin, just like the body. “But save his soul”
means that He did not allow the destroyer to approach his soul: that is, He did
not mean, saying [“save”], that his soul belongs to Satan, but as if He said
that [Satan] does not have such power over it as over the body. The Blessed
Interpreter also says: “[God] gave in to [Satan] so that he could do
whatever he wanted with [Job’s] property, and allowed his body to be wounded,
but he did not allow it to come near his soul, for the dominant will is
intertwined with it and embedded in it—and He saved it from the attack of
Satan.”” (Isaac of Nineveh, Sixth Part, 5,5)
From pages
23-24-25 (‘Excerptum 11 ex V, 7 cum Theodori «De Sacerdotio»[6] (CPG 3853)’):
“Even Blessed Peter did not realize either the weakness of the nature in
which he was clothed, or that all this jealousy that had seized him came from
another force. Before accepting the temptation, he dared to
be so self-confident that he contradicted the words of the Lord: “Even if I die
with You, I will not deny You!” Then the Lord made him feel what it means for a person to be left without
help from above. The Blessed Interpreter Theodore speaks of the same thing in
the first word of the book “On the Priesthood”: “Behold, how the
Lord, seeing that blessed Peter had become proud of the steadfastness of his
mind, made him feel his weakness, in order to teach him that by the will of His
soul (b-ṣeḇyānāhd-nap̄ šēh) He had testified to His readiness, together with other
weak [creatures], to experience everything: both pain and suffering; and by His
death [the Lord] confirmed the testimony, so that [Peter] would not depart from
hislove for Him. Our Lord wanted to have in Himself a sense of human weakness,
in order to teach that He is no better than anyone who has been left without
Divine care, for as one who is a man, He participates together with [people] in
that which they also participate in by nature. [The Lord] said [to Peter]: “Simon! Simon! Behold, Satan has asked to sift you
like wheat, but I have prayed for you, that your faith may not fail.” So, [the
Lord] clearly showed [Peter] that he had already cast aside all his love for
Him and given over to Satan’s dominion, if he, like a naked man, was left
without Divine care: how will his faith do anything if he is not convinced of
help from above? “I prayed,” [the Lord] says, that this would not happen, that
is, He seems to say: “The inexhaustibility of your faith is a gift from God, given to you by My
hands through My prayer.”- Here, even the Interpreter says so!” ” (Isaac of Nineveh, Fifth Part, 7)
From pages
25-26 (‘Excerptum 12 ex VI, 5, 6 cum Theodori «In Lucam» (CPG 3842)’):
“Therefore, the Blessed Interpreter, explaining how [God] disposed of Christ
at the hour of His passion, that is, that He prayed fervently in fear, that His
sweat was like drops of blood, that an angel appeared to Him from heaven in
order to strengthen Him, and so on, points out that [Christ] is a true man, and
also interprets this as having happened for the sake of the economic
strengthening of His corporeality. [Theodore] says: “[God the Word]
became man - and truly, that is, obviously, by contact (naqqī pāʔī ṯ) became a man who endured passion for the
sake of the universal salvation. And there is a lesson in this: it is not
surprising and beyond doubt that the weaknesses (hālēn da-mḥī lūṯā) of human nature strikeeven those who
are sound in their thinking - in the same way [God] arranged what happened with
our Lord Christ” — this
is how Blessed Theodore explains the meaning of what happened to our Lord: it
was for the sake of general instruction. ” (Isaac of Nineveh, Sixth Part, 5, 6)
From pages 26-28 (‘Excerptum 13 ex V, 7, 51
cum Theodori fragmento 2 «De incarnatione» (CPG 3856)’):
“[God] has perfected through our Lord Christ the
example (taḥwī ṯā) of hope for every corporeal (gūšmā)
[creature]: behold, together with God, created nature triumphs victoriously
(mezdayyaḥ)!
Truly, so it is: He is the Head, and the creature is the members, and although
in honor He is distinguished and pre-above all creatures, on behalf of (d-ḏukkaṯparṣōpā) God the Word fulfilling everything, but
at the same time in Him all creatures are honored: His honor belongs to all
creatures in general. Blessed Theodore the Interpreter also says this in the
fifteenth word "On the Humanity of Our Lord": “God would
have taken man and united him to Himself, having prepared for him the worship
of all creation, and would have made it so that the intelligible natures
worship him, in vain and without any useful meaning, if what happened to him
was not for the benefit of all creation in general, for he is the knot (ʔasrā) of all creation, as we said earlier.
And since he has a strong kinship (ʔaḥyānūṯā ḥattīṯāʔīṯ qānē) with all creation, it is
necessary that all creation should partake of what has happened with him
through the household.” And after this he said: “This is the
virtuous intention (ṣnaʕṯā) of the wisdom of God - to honor the creature
with all honor, so that together with God it receives worship in communion (šāwtāpūṯā) with [man] received." You see that in honor from worship in it
there is the face (parṣōpā) of the whole creation, for [Theodore] says:
"The creation together with God receives worship in participation with the
received," while the whole creation is beloved by God in the hypostasis
(ba-qnōmēh d-māran) of our Lord, that is, His hypostasis is a mirror of the
love for the creation hidden in the existence [of God].” (Isaac of Nineveh, Fifth Part, 7)
From pages
28-29 (‘Excerptum 14 ex V, 5, 1 cum Theodori fragmento 3 «In
epistulam ad Romanos» (CPG 3846) et «Homiliae catecheticae» (CPG 3852)’):
“All skilled teachers and the Blessed Interpreter
have a custom: [interpreting] the great Scriptures, which have a secret in
them, to put on the surface a word that conceals many of the exalted meanings
from those who lack the heights of contemplation, for those unworthy of
listening with audacity pounce on the word and hastily interpret it in their
own way.
So about the words of the apostle: “He sat at the right hand of God and asks
for us” in the “interpretation of the
[Epistle] to the Romans” [Theodore] says: “It is known that it is not
superfluous to ask for the sake of those who are worthy” - so [Theodore] hid the meaning from those
who were not ready to listen because of its greatness, for in this there is a
universal hope. In another place he offers a different interpretation and says:
“He asks for us implies a request not in words: [Christ] labored by deeds to
accomplish everything that is useful for our salvation” —Do you see how
great the power of interpretation is?! Just as in this place he hid the
meaning, so in other great places of Scripture he has the habit of hiding it,
and not everyone is able to comprehend the purpose and custom of [Theodore's]
interpretations. Explanation: in the “Interpretation of the Mysteries” —
about the words “on the right hand” and others — [Theodore] calls petition (bāʕūṯā) not one that is some kind of verbal request (taḵšap̄ tā) for our sake, but one that is
perfected by deeds (ba-ʕḇāḏē). A little earlier he says:
“[God] made our Lord Christ immortal, unchangeable and raised Him up to
heaven - from here He bestowed blessings on the whole race: And when I am
lifted up from the earth, I will bring everyone to Myself ”[7]”.
[The explanation] is complete.” (Isaac of Nineveh, Fifth Part, 7)
[1] A ‘Fifth Part/Collection’
seems to have caused controversy even in Isaac of Nineveh’s times, see e.g.: J.
Zaleski “Universal Salvation in
Christian and Islamic Thought: The Arabic Reception of Isaac of Nineveh” (link:
https://muse.jhu.edu/article/875106 )
[2] Up to Seven ‘Parts’ or
‘Collections’ have been attributed to Isaac of Nineveh. See e.g.: S. Chialà “Two
Discourses of the ‘Fifth Part’ of Isaac the Syrian’s Writings: Prolegomena for
Apokatastasis?” https://www.academia.edu/36878444/Two_Discourses_of_the_Fifth_Part_of_Isaac_the_Syrian_s_Writings_Prolegomena_for_Apokatastasis_in_M_Kosah_A_Abu_Husayn_S_S_Al_Murikhi_H_Al_Thani_edd_The_Syriac_Writers_of_Qatar_in_the_Seventh_Century_Gorgias_Press_Piscataway_2014_Gorgias_Eastern_Christian_Studies_38_123_131
[3] For more details about
Theodore of Mopsuestia’s (and his mentor Diodore of Tarsus’) views, see : https://ancientafterlifebelifs.blogspot.com/2026/03/ancient-and-medieval-witnesses-of.html . For a panoramic about the
presence of ‘universalist’ beliefs in the East-Syrian tradition see: https://ancientafterlifebelifs.blogspot.com/2026/03/on-presence-of-universalism-in-east.html . For Isaac of Nineveh's
universalist beliefs, see e.g.: https://afkimel.wordpress.com/wp-content/uploads/2022/09/sebastian-brock-on-the-universalism-of-isaac-the-syrian.pdf or this blog post by Fr.
Kimel: https://afkimel.wordpress.com/2021/08/23/the-triumph-of-the-kingdom-over-gehenna/ (which also quotes Theodore's
fragment of the following footnote).
[4] Isaac of Nineveh also quotes
this work in Second Part, 39.8 and he quotes the following fragment:
“"In
the world to come those who have chosen here what is good will receive the
felicity of good things along with praise; whereas the wicked who all their
life have turned aside to evil deeds once they have been set in order in their
minds by punishment and the fear of them, choose the good, having come to learn
how much they have sinned and that they have persevered in doing evil things
and not good; by means of all this they receive a knowledge of religion's
excellent teaching and are educated so as to hold on to it with a good will
(and so eventually) they are held worthy of the felicity of divine munificence.
For (Christ) would never have said ‘Until you pay the last farthing,’ unless it has been possible for us to be
freed from our sins once we had recompensed for them through punishments . Nor
would he have said ‘He will be beaten with many stripes’ and ‘he will be beaten
with few stripes’ if it were not (the
case) that the punishments measured out in correspondence to the sins were
finally going to have an end.””.
This
work is also attested by Photius in his Bibliotheca (Bibliotheca 177): https://www.tertullian.org/fathers/photius_copyright/photius_04bibliotheca.htm#177 (The title of the work is rendered
as: “Against those who say that men sin by nature and not by intention”),
who gives a summary. For more details see: https://ancientafterlifebelifs.blogspot.com/2026/03/ancient-and-medieval-witnesses-of.html
[5] Photius attests also this
work (Bibliotheca 81):
“Read
three short treatises by Theodore On Persian Magic and wherein it
differs from Christianity, dedicated to Mastubius, an Armenian
and suffragan bishop. In the first book the accursed doctrine of the Persians,
introduced by Zarades,concerning Zuruam, whom he makes the beginning
of all things and calls Fortune, is expounded; how that, having offered a
libation to beget Hormisdas, he begot both him and Satan. Of the
mixing of blood. Having set forth this impious and disgraceful doctrine in
plain words he refutes it in the first book. In the other two books he
discusses the Christian faith, beginning from the creation of the world and at
the same time rapidly going down to the law of grace.
This
Theodore is believed to be Theodore of Mopsuestia, since he mentions with
approval the heresy of Nestorius, especially in the third book. He also
foolishly talks of the restoration of sinners to their former condition.”
(source: https://www.tertullian.org/fathers/photius_03bibliotheca.htm#81 )
[6] This work, On Priesthood,
is also quoted by Isaac of Nineveh in the Second Part 3.3.94. For more details
see : https://ancientafterlifebelifs.blogspot.com/2026/03/ancient-and-medieval-witnesses-of.html
[7] Compare with these two quotes
of Theodore of Mopsuestia’s Commentary on the Nicene Creed, chapter 5 (source: https://www.tertullian.org/fathers/theodore_of_mopsuestia_nicene_02_text.htm ):
“Our
blessed Fathers wrote in the Creed something that is in harmony with this. They
first taught us about the nature of the Godhead of the Only Begotten, that He
is from the Father before all the worlds, that He is born of the nature of the
Father and not made, and that He is a true God and consubstantial with God
because He is born of His Father. After having taught us these things
concerning the divinity of the Only Begotten they proceeded to teach us
concerning the Economy of His humanity and said: Who for us children of
men and for our salvation came down from heaven and was incarnate and became a
man like us in order to effect salvation for all the human race. And
they taught all those things that happened to the human nature: things through
which God wished His Economy to be accomplished on our behalf. And He who was
assumed for our salvation bore upon Himself all things affecting mankind, and
became worthy of perfection and a source of benefits for us through our
communion with Him”
“In
another passage He said: "Now is the judgment of this world: now shall the
prince of this world be condemned and cast out, and I when I am lifted up from
the earth will draw all (men) unto me." In the first passage He
shows that Satan had not one just cause for bringing death upon Him, and in the
second that He had summoned the Rebel to a kind of judgment where he had
condemned him and cast him out of his iniquitous power, and that after
obtaining these good things He would make all men partakers of His glory.”
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