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The Discourse on the Holy Theophany

Hippolytus

Section 3

About this work

Author: Hippolytus

3. But we, who know the economy, adore

‹ Section 2 Section 4 ›

His

mercy

,

because

He

hath

come

to

save

and

not

to

judge

the

world

.

Wherefore

John

,

the

forerunner

of

the

Lord

,

who

before

knew

not

this

mystery

,

on

learning

that

He

is

Lord

in

truth

,

cried

out

,

and

spake

to

those

who

came

to

be

baptized

of

him

,

“

O

generation

of

vipers

,

”

why

look

ye

so

earnestly

at

me

?

“

I

am

not

the

Christ

;

”

I

am

the

servant

,

and

not

the

lord

;

I

am

the

subject

,

and

not

the

king

;

I

am

the

sheep

,

and

not

the

shepherd

;

I

am

a

man

,

and

not

God

.

By

my

birth

I

loosed

the

barrenness

of

my

mother

;

I

did

not

make

virginity

barren

.

I

was

brought

up

from

beneath

;

I

did

not

come

down

from

above

.

I

bound

the

tongue

of

my

father

;

I

did

not

unfold

divine

grace

.

I

was

known

by

my

mother

,

and

I

was

not

announced

by

a

star

.

I

am

worthless

,

and

the

least

;

but

“

after

me

there

comes

One

who

is

before

me

”

—

after

me

,

indeed

,

in

time

,

but

before

me

by

reason

of

the

inaccessible

and

unutterable

light

of

divinity

.

“

There

comes

One

mightier

than

I

,

whose

shoes

I

am

not

worthy

to

bear

:

He

shall

baptize

you

with

the

Holy

Ghost

,

and

with

fire

.

”

I

am

subject

to

authority

,

but

He

has

authority

in

Himself

.

I

am

bound

by

sins

,

but

He

is

the

Remover

of

sins

.

I

apply

the

law

,

but

He

bringeth

grace

to

light

.

I

teach

as

a

slave

,

but

He

judgeth

as

the

Master

.

I

have

the

earth

as

my

couch

,

but

He

possesses

heaven

.

I

baptize

with

the

baptism

of

repentance

,

but

He

confers

the

gift

of

adoption

:

“

He

shall

baptize

you

with

the

Holy

Ghost

,

and

with

fire

.

”

Why

give

ye

attention

to

me

?

I

am

not

the

Christ

.

Notes

17
Matt. iii. 7.
18
John i. 20.
19
οὐ παρθενίαν ἐστείρωσα. So Gregory Thaumaturgus, Sancta Theophania, p. 106, edit. Vossii: “Thou, when born of the Virgin Mary,…didst not loose her virginity; but didst preserve it, and gifted her with the name of mother.”
20
Luke i. 20.
21
Matt. ii. 9.
22
John i. 27.
23
Matt. iii. 11.
24
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