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Excerpts of Theodotus

Theodotus

Section 27

About this work

Author: Theodotus

XXVII. Now the more ancient men did not write, as

‹ Section 26 Section 28 ›

they

neither

wished

to

encroach

on

the

time

devoted

to

attention

bestowed

on

what

they

handed

down

,

in

the

way

of

teaching

,

by

the

additional

attention

bestowed

on

writing

,

nor

spent

the

time

for

considering

what

was

to

be

said

on

writing

.

And

,

perhaps

convinced

that

the

function

of

composition

and

the

department

of

teaching

did

not

belong

to

the

same

cast

of

mind

,

they

gave

way

to

those

who

had

a

natural

turn

for

it

.

For

in

the

case

of

a

speaker

,

the

stream

of

speech

flows

unchecked

and

impetuous

,

and

you

may

catch

it

up

hastily

.

But

that

which

is

always

tested

by

readers

,

meeting

with

strict

examination

,

is

thought

worthy

of

the

utmost

pains

,

and

is

,

so

to

speak

,

the

written

confirmation

of

oral

instruction

,

and

of

the

voice

so

wafted

along

to

posterity

by

written

composition

.

For

that

which

was

committed

in

trust

to

the

elders

,

speaking

in

writing

,

uses

the

writer’s

help

to

hand

itself

down

to

those

who

are

to

read

it

.

As

,

then

,

the

magnet

,

repelling

other

matter

,

attracts

iron

alone

by

reason

of

affinity

;

so

also

books

,

though

many

read

them

,

attract

those

alone

who

are

capable

of

comprehending

them

.

For

the

word

of

truth

is

to

some

“

foolishness

,

”

and

to

others

a

“

stumbling

-

block

;

”

but

to

a

few

“

wisdom

.

”

So

also

is

the

power

of

God

found

to

be

.

But

far

from

the

Gnostic

be

envy

.

For

it

is

for

this

reason

also

that

he

asks

whether

it

be

worse

to

give

to

the

unworthy

,

or

not

commit

to

the

worthy

;

and

runs

the

risk

,

from

his

abundant

love

of

communicating

,

not

only

to

every

one

who

is

qualified

,

but

sometimes

also

to

one

unworthy

,

who

asks

importunately

;

not

on

account

of

his

entreaty

(

for

he

loves

not

glory

)

,

but

on

account

of

the

persistency

of

the

petitioner

who

bends

his

mind

towards

faith

with

copious

entreaty

.

Notes

46
πρεσβύτεροι .
47
It seems better, with Sylb., to read ἀκριβοῦς, qualifying ἐξετάσεως (as above), than ἀκριβῶς, adv. qualifying βασανιζόμενον, tested.
48
1 Cor. i. 18.
49
1 Cor. i. 18.
50
1 Cor. i. 18.