
On the Incarnation of the Word II
2) In regard to the making of the universe and the creation of all things there have been various opinions, and each person has propounded the theory that suited his own taste. For instance, some say that all things are self- originated and, so to speak, haphazard. The Epicureans are among these; they deny that there is any Mind behind the universe at all. This view is contrary to all the facts of experience, their own existence included. For if all things had come into being in this automatic fashion, instead of being the outcome of Mind, though they existed, they would all be uniform and without distinction. In the universe everything would be sun or moon or whatever it was, and in the human body the whole would be hand or eye or foot. But in point of fact the sun and the moon and the earth are all different things, and even within the human body there are different members, such as foot and hand and head. This distinctness of things argues not a spontaneous generation but a prevenient Cause; and from that Cause we can apprehend God, the Designer and Maker of all. Others take the view expressed by Plato, that giant among the Greeks. He said that God had made all things out of pre-existent and uncreated matter, just as the carpenter makes things only out of wood that already exists. But those who hold this view do not realize that to deny that God is Himself the Cause of matter is to impute limitation to Him, just as it is undoubtedly a limitation on the part of the carpenter that he can make nothing unless he has the wood. How could God be called Maker and Artificer if His ability to make depended on some other cause, namely on matter itself? If He only worked up existing matter and did not Himself bring matter into being, He would be not the Creator but only a craftsman.
Then, again, there is the theory of the Gnostics, who have invented for themselves an Artificer of all things other than the Father of our Lord Jesus Christ. These simply shut their eyes to the obvious meaning of Scripture. For instance, the Lord, having reminded the Jews of the statement in Genesis, “The One who created them in the beginning made them male and female...”, and having shown that, for that reason, a man should leave his parents and cling to his wife, goes on to say with reference to the Creator, “What therefore God has joined together, let no man put asunder." How can they get a creation independent of the Father out of that? And, again, St. John, speaking all inclusively, says, “All things became by Him and without Him nothing came into being." How then could the Artificer be someone different, other than, the Father of Christ?
Translations
Nípa Ìsọ̀dí-Ènìyàn Ọ̀rọ̀ náà II
2) Nípa ṣíṣe ayé àti ẹ̀dá gbogbo ohun tí ó wà, ọ̀pọ̀lọpọ̀ èrò àti ìmọ̀ràn ti wà, ẹni kọ̀ọ̀kan sì ti gbé èrò tí ó bá ìfẹ́ àti ìrònú ara rẹ̀ mu kalẹ̀. Fún àpẹẹrẹ, àwọn kan sọ pé gbogbo ohun ni wọ́n dá ara wọn sílẹ̀, tí wọ́n sì ṣẹlẹ̀ láìsí ètò kankan. Àwọn ọmọ-ẹ̀yìn Epicurus wà lára àwọn wọ̀nyí; wọ́n kọ́ pé Ọgbọ́n tàbí Ìmọ̀ ọkàn kankan wà lẹ́yìn ayé yìí. Ṣùgbọ́n èrò yìí lòdì sí gbogbo ohun tí ìrírí wa fi hàn, títí kan ìwàláàyè àwọn fúnra wọn. Nítorí bí gbogbo ohun bá ti wá sí ìwàláàyè ní ọ̀nà àìlétò yìí, dípò kí wọ́n jẹ́ àbájáde Ọgbọ́n kan, bí wọ́n tilẹ̀ lè wà, gbogbo wọn yóò jẹ́ irú kan ṣoṣo láìsí ìyàtọ̀.
Nínú ayé, ohun gbogbo yóò jẹ́ oòrùn tàbí òṣùpá tàbí ohun kan ṣoṣo. Bákan náà, nínú ara ènìyàn, gbogbo ara yóò jẹ́ ọwọ́ tàbí ojú tàbí ẹsẹ̀ nìkan. Ṣùgbọ́n ní tòótọ́, oòrùn, òṣùpá àti ilẹ̀ ayé jẹ́ ohun tí ó yàtọ̀ sí ara wọn; bẹ́ẹ̀ náà ni nínú ara ènìyàn, àwọn ẹ̀yà bí ẹsẹ̀, ọwọ́ àti orí jẹ́ onírúurú. Ìyàtọ̀ yìí fi hàn pé kò ṣeé sọ pé wọ́n ṣẹlẹ̀ láìsí ìdí; ó fi hàn pé Ìdí kan wà tẹ́lẹ̀ tó mú wọn wá sí ìwàláàyè. Láti inú Ìdí yẹn ni a ti lè mọ Ọlọ́run, Ẹlẹ́dàá àti Oníṣe gbogbo ohun.
Àwọn mìíràn sì gba èrò tí Plato, ọ̀kan lára àwọn ọlọ́gbọ́n ńlá jùlọ láàrin àwọn Hellene (Gíríìkì), gbé kalẹ̀. Ó sọ pé Ọlọ́run dá gbogbo ohun láti inú ohun èlò kan tí ó ti wà télẹ̀ tí kò sì ní ìpilẹ̀ṣẹ̀, gẹ́gẹ́ bí gbẹ́nàgbẹ́nà ṣe ń ṣe ohun èlò láti inú igi tí ó ti wà níbẹ̀ tẹ́lẹ̀. Ṣùgbọ́n àwọn tí wọ́n gba èrò yìí kò mọ̀ pé bí wọ́n bá sọ pé Ọlọ́run kì í ṣe Orísun ohun èlò náà fúnra Rẹ̀, wọ́n ń fi àìpé kan kàn án. Ó dàbí bí ó ṣe jẹ́ àìlera fún gbẹ́nàgbẹ́nà pé kò lè ṣe nǹkan kan bí kò bá ní igi láti fi ṣiṣẹ́. Báwo ni a ṣe lè pe Ọlọ́run ní Ẹlẹ́dàá àti Oníṣẹ́ ọnà bí agbára Rẹ̀ láti dá ohun ṣe bá dá lórí ohun mìíràn, ìyẹn ohun èlò náà fúnra rẹ̀? Bí Ó bá kan ń lo ohun èlò tí ó ti wà télẹ̀ láti ṣiṣẹ́, tí Kò sì jẹ́ Ẹni tí ó mú ohun èlò náà wá sí ìwàláàyè, nígbà náà Kì í ṣe Ẹlẹ́dàá gidi, bí kò ṣe oníṣẹ́ ọnà nìkan.
Lẹ́ẹ̀kansi, àwọn Gnostics ní èrò pé Ẹlẹ́dàá gbogbo ohun jẹ́ ẹlòmíràn yàtọ̀ sí Baba Oluwa wa Jesu Kristi. Wọ́n kan pa ojú wọn mọ́ sí ìtumọ̀ tí Ìwé Mímọ́ fi hàn gbangba. Fún àpẹẹrẹ, Oluwa, lẹ́yìn tí Ó ti rántí fún àwọn Júù ọ̀rọ̀ tí ó wà nínú Genesisi pé, “Ẹni tí ó dá wọn ní ìbẹ̀rẹ̀ dá wọn ní akọ àti abo,” tí Ó sì fi hàn pé nítorí èyí ni ọkùnrin yóò fi baba àti ìyá rẹ̀ sílẹ̀ kí ó sì so mọ́ aya rẹ̀, Ó tún sọ nípa Ẹlẹ́dàá náà pé, “Nítorí náà, ohun tí Ọlọ́run ti so pọ̀, kí ènìyàn má ṣe yà á sí méjì.” Báwo ni wọ́n ṣe lè sọ pé ẹ̀dá kan wà tí ó yàtọ̀ sí Baba láti inú ọ̀rọ̀ yìí?
Bákan náà, Johanu Mímọ́, nígbà tí ó ń sọ nípa gbogbo ohun lápapọ̀, wí pé, “Nípasẹ̀ Rẹ̀ ni a ṣe dá gbogbo ohun; láìsí Rẹ̀ kò sí ohun kan tí a dá.” Ní báyìí, báwo ni Ẹlẹ́dàá náà ṣe lè jẹ́ ẹlòmíràn tí ó yàtọ̀ sí Baba Kristi?
Banyere Iwere Ahụ Mmadụ nke Okwu ahụ II
2) Banyere imepụta ụwa na okike nke ihe niile dị adị, e nweela echiche dị iche iche, onye ọbụla ekwupụtakwala echiche nke dabara ya mma. Dịka ọmụmaatụ, ụfọdụ na-ekwu na ihe niile sitere n’onwe ha pụta, dị ka a ga-asị na ha mere n’amaghị ama na n’enweghị usoro ọ bụla. Ndị Epicurean so n’ime ndị a; ha na-agọnarị na e nwere Uche ma ọ bụ Amamihe ọ bụla na-achị ụwa. Echiche a na-emegide ihe niile ahụmahụ na-egosi, gụnyere ịdị adị nke ha onwe ha. N’ihi na ọ bụrụ na ihe niile bịara ịdị adị n’ụzọ akpaka a, kama ịbụ nsonaazụ nke Uche, mgbe ahụ, ọbụna ma ha dị adị, ha niile ga-adị otu ma ghara inwe ọdịiche ọ bụla.
N’ụwa, ihe niile ga-abụ naanị anyanwụ ma ọ bụ ọnwa ma ọ bụ otu ihe ahụ. N’ahụ mmadụ kwa, ahụ dum ga-abụ naanị aka ma ọ bụ anya ma ọ bụ ụkwụ. Ma n’eziokwu, anyanwụ, ọnwa, na ụwa bụ ihe dị iche iche; n’ahụ mmadụ kwa, e nwere akụkụ dị iche iche dịka ụkwụ, aka, na isi. Ọdịiche ndị a na-egosi na ihe ndị a esiteghị n’imepụta onwe ha n’amaghị ama, kama na e nwere Ihe Kpatara Ha Tupu Ha Adị. Site n’aka Ihe Kpatara Ha ahụ ka anyị nwere ike ịmata Chineke, Onye Nchepụta na Onye Okike nke ihe niile.
Ndị ọzọ na-agbaso echiche Plato, nnukwu onye amamihe ahụ n’etiti ndị Gris. O kwuru na Chineke kere ihe niile site n’ihe a na-akpọ ihe onwunwe nke dịbu adị ma nke e kere eke abụghị, dịka onye ọkpụ osisi si arụ ọrụ naanị site n’osisi dị adị. Ma ndị na-ejide echiche a anaghị aghọta na ịsị na Chineke abụghị Isi Mmalite nke ihe onwunwe ahụ bụ ịtụnye oke n’ike Ya. N’otu aka ahụ, ọ bụ oke na-adịghị mma n’aka onye ọkpụ osisi na ọ pụghị ịrụ ihe ọ bụla ma ọ bụrụ na o nweghị osisi ọ ga-eji arụ ọrụ.
Kedu ka a ga-esi kpọọ Chineke Onye Okike na Onye Ọrụ Aka ma ọ bụrụ na ikike Ya ịmepụta ihe dabere n’ihe ọzọ, ya bụ ihe onwunwe ahụ n’onwe ya? Ọ bụrụ na Ọ nanị jiri ihe dịbu adị rụọ ọrụ ma Ọ bụghị Onye wetara ihe ahụ n’ịdị adị, mgbe ahụ Ọ gaghị abụ Onye Okike n’ezi uche ya, kama naanị onye ọrụ aka.
Ọzọkwa, e nwere echiche nke ndị Gnostic, ndị chepụtara maka onwe ha Onye Nrụpụta Ihe Nile dị iche na Nna nke Onyenwe anyị Jesu Kristi. Ndị a na-emechi anya ha n’ihe Akwụkwọ Nsọ na-ekwu n'ụzọ doro anya. Dịka ọmụmaatụ, Onyenwe anyị, mgbe Ọ chetara ndị Juu okwu ahụ dị na Jenesis nke sịrị, “Onye kere ha na mbụ mere ha nwoke na nwanyị,” ma gosipụta na n’ihi nke a nwoke ga-ahapụ nna ya na nne ya wee rapara n’ahụ nwunye ya, Ọ gara n’ihu kwuo banyere Onye Okike ahụ, sị: “Ya mere, ihe Chineke jikọtara ọnụ, ka mmadụ ghara ikewapụ.”
Olee otú ha ga-esi nweta echiche nke okike dị iche na Nna ahụ site n’okwu ndị a?
Ọzọkwa, Jọn Nsọ, mgbe ọ na-ekwu banyere ihe niile n’ozuzu ha, kwuru, sị: “Ihe niile sitere n’aka Ya bụrụ; ma e wezụga Ya, ọ dịghị otu ihe e kere eke bịara ịdị adị.” Ya mere, kedu ka Onye Nrụpụta Ihe Nile ahụ ga-esi bụrụ onye ọzọ dị iche na Nna Kraịst?
Share this post
Comments (0)
No comments yet. Be the first to share your thoughts!