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Excerpts of Theodotus

Theodotus

Section 25

About this work

Author: Theodotus

XXV. John says: “I indeed baptize you with water

‹ Section 24 Section 26 ›

,

but

there

cometh

after

me

He

that

baptizeth

with

the

Spirit

and

fire

.

”

But

He

baptized

no

one

with

fire

.

But

some

,

as

Heraclius

says

,

marked

with

fire

the

ears

of

those

who

were

sealed

;

understanding

so

the

apostolic

saying

,

“

For

His

fan

is

in

His

hand

,

to

purge

His

floor

:

and

He

will

gather

the

wheat

into

the

garner

;

but

the

chaff

He

will

burn

with

fire

unquenchable

.

”

There

is

joined

,

then

,

the

expression

“

by

fire

”

to

that

“

by

the

Spirit

;

”

since

He

separates

the

wheat

from

the

chaff

,

that

is

,

from

the

material

husk

,

by

the

Spirit

;

and

the

chaff

is

separated

,

being

fanned

by

the

wind

:

so

also

the

Spirit

possesses

a

power

of

separating

material

forces

.

Since

,

then

,

some

things

are

produced

from

what

is

unproduced

and

indestructible

,

—

that

is

,

the

germs

of

life

,

—

the

wheat

also

is

stored

,

and

the

material

part

,

as

long

as

it

is

conjoined

with

the

superior

part

,

remains

;

when

separated

from

it

,

it

is

destroyed

;

for

it

had

its

existence

in

another

thing

.

This

separating

element

,

then

,

is

the

Spirit

,

and

the

destroying

element

is

the

fire

:

and

material

fire

is

to

be

understood

.

But

since

that

which

is

saved

is

like

wheat

,

and

that

which

grows

in

the

soul

like

chaff

,

and

the

one

is

incorporeal

,

and

that

which

is

separated

is

material

;

to

the

incorporeal

He

opposes

spirit

,

which

is

rarefied

and

pure

—

almost

more

so

than

mind

;

and

to

the

material

He

opposes

fire

,

not

as

being

evil

or

bad

,

but

as

strong

and

capable

of

cleansing

away

evil

.

For

fire

is

conceived

as

a

good

force

and

powerful

,

destructive

of

what

is

baser

,

and

conservative

of

what

is

better

.

Wherefore

this

fire

is

by

the

prophets

called

wise

.

Notes

42
Matt. iii. 11.
43
Matt. iii. 12.
44
Or spirit—πνεύματος .