Hippolytus, Refutatio V.8.23-32: Paul at the Gate, and the Tax-Collectors
Refutatio omnium haeresium · the Naassene report
Ἔλεγχος κατὰ πασῶν αἱρέσεων
This edition presents the verbatim Hebrew of the passage beside a fresh English rendering and a critical apparatus. It is a provisional scholarly draft, released openly for correction and not yet reviewed by a credentialed editor.
The apparatus carries a running commentary, notes on the controlled vocabulary and the rendering chosen for each term, any doctrinally-live ambiguity preserved with both readings, and cross-references to the lexicon. The Hebrew is reproduced verbatim from the Hebrew Wikisource transcription; the standard modern English translation (Kaplan, 1979) is under copyright.
τοῦτο, φησίν, ἐστὶ τὸ εἰρημένον· »τάφοι ἐστὲ κεκονιαμένοι, γέμοντες«, φησίν, »ἔσωθεν ὀστέων νεκρῶν«, ὅτι οὐκ ἔστιν ἐν ὑμῖν ἄνθρωπος ὁ ζῶν· καὶ πάλιν, φησίν, »ἐξαλοῦνται ἐκ τῶν μνημείων οἱ νεκροί«, τουτέστιν ἐκ τῶν σωμάτων τῶν χοϊκῶν, ἀναγεννηθέντες πνευματικοί, οὐ σαρκικοί. αὕτη, φησίν, ἐστὶν ἡ ἀνάστασις ἡ διὰ τῆς πύλης γινομένη τῶν οὐρανῶν, δι᾿ ἧς οἱ μὴ εἰσελθόντες, φησί, πάντες μένουσι νεκροί. οἱ δὲ αὐτοί, φησί, Φρύγες τὸν αὐτὸν τοῦτον πάλιν ἐκ μεταβολῆς λέγουσι θεόν. γίνεται γάρ, φησί, θεός, ὅταν ἐκ νεκρῶν ἀναστὰς διὰ τῆς τοιαύτης πύλης εἰσελεύσεται εἰς τὸν οὐρανόν. ταύτην, φησί, τὴν πύλην Παῦλος οἶδεν ὁ ἀπόστολος, παρανοίξας ἐν μυστηρίῳ κοὶ εἰπὼν »ἡρπάσθαι ὑπὸ ἀγγέλου καὶ γεγονέναι ἕως δευτέρου καὶ τρίτου οὐρανοῦ εἰς τὸν παράδεισον αὐτόν, καὶ ἐωρακέναι ἃ ἑώρακε, καὶ ἀκηκοέναι ῥήματα ἄρρητα ἃ οὐκ ἐξὸν ἀνθρώπῳ εἰπεῖν«. ταῦτά ἐστι, φησί, τὰ ἄρρητα ὑπὸ πάντων λεγόμενα μυστήρια, »ἃ <καὶ λαλοῦμεν> οὐκ έν διδακτοῖς ἀνθρωπίνης σοφίας λόγοις, ἀλλ᾿ ἐν διδακτοῖς πνεύματος, πνευματικοῖς πνευματικὰ συγκρίνοντες. ψυχικὸς δὲ ἄνθρωπος οὐ δέχεται τὰ τοῦ πνεύματος τοῦ θεοῦ· μωρία γὰρ αὐτῷ ἐστί«. καὶ ταῦτα, φησίν, ἐστὶ τὰ τοῦ πνεύματος ἄρρητα μυστήρια, ἂ ἡμεῖς ἴσμεν μόνοι. περὶ τούτων, φησίν, εἴρηκεν ὁ σωτήρ· »οὐδεὶς δύναται ἐλθεῖν πρός με, ἐὰν μή τινα ἐλκύσῃ ὁ πατήρ μου ὁ οὐράνιος«. πάνυ γάρ, φησί, δύσκολόν ἐστι παραδέξασθαι καὶ λαβεῖν τὸ μέγα τοῦτο καὶ ἄρρητον μυστήριον. καὶ πάλιν, φησίν. εἴρηκεν ὁ σωτήρ· »οὐ πᾶς ὁ λέγων μοι κύριε κύριε εἰσελεύσεται εἰς τὴν βασιλείαν τῶν οὐρανῶν, ἀλλ᾿ ὁ ποιῶν τὸ θέλημα τοῦ πατρός μου τοῦ έν τοῖς οὐρανοῖς«. ὃ δεῖ ποιήσαντας, οὐχὶ ἀκούσαντας μόνον, εἰς τὴν βασιλείαν εἰσελθεῖν τῶν οὐρανῶν. καὶ Πάλιν, φησίν, εἴρηκεν· »οἱ τελῶναι καὶ οἱ πόρναι προάγουσιν ὑμᾶς εἰς τὴν βασιλείαν τῶν οὐρανῶν«. τελῶναι γάρ, φησίν, εἰσὶν οἱ τὰ τέλη τῶν ὅλων λαμβάνοντες, ἡμεῖς δέ, φησίν, ἐσμὲν οἱ τελῶναι, »εἰς οὓς τὰ τέλη τῶν αἰώνων κατήντηκε«. τέλη γάρ, φησίν, εἰσὶ τὰ ἀπὸ τοῦ ἀχαρακτηρίστου εἰς τὸν κόσμον κατεσπαρμένα σπέρματα, δι᾿ ὧν ὁ πᾶς συντελεῖται κόσμος· διὰ γὰρ αὐτῶν καὶ ἤρξατο γενέσθαι. καὶ τοῦτό ἐστι, φησί, τὸ εἰρημένον· »ἐξῆλθεν ὁ σπείρων τοῦ σπειραι· κοὶ τὰ μὲν ἔπεσε παρὰ τὴν ὁδὸν καὶ κατεπατήθη, τὰ δὲ ἐπὶ τὰ πετρώδη καὶ ἐξανέτειλε«, φησί, »καὶ διὰ τὸ μὴ ἔχειν βάθος ἐξηράνθη καὶ ἀπέθανε· τὰ δὲ ἔπεσε, φησίν, ἐπὶ τὴν γῆν τὴν καλὴν καὶ ἀγαθήν, καὶ ἐποίει καρπόν ὁ μὲν ἑκατόν, ὁ δὲ ἑξήκοντα, ὁ δὲ τριάκοντα. ὁ ἔχων«, φησίν, »ὠτα ἀκούειν ἀκουέτω«. τοῦτ᾿ ἔστι, φησίν· οὐδεὶς τούτων τῶν μυστηρίων ἀκροατὴς γέγονεν εἰ μὴ μόνοι <οἱ> γνωστικοὶ τέλειοι. αὕτη, φησίν, ἐστὶν ἡ καλὴ καὶ ἀγαθή, λέγει Μωϋσῆυς· »εἰσάξω ὑμᾶς εἰς γῆν καλὴ καλὴν καὶ ἀγαθήν, εἰς γῆν ῥέουσαν γάλα καὶ μέλι«. τοῦτο, φησίν, ἐστὶ τὸ μέλι καὶ τὸ γάλα, οὖ γευσαμένους τοὺς τελείους ἀβασιλεύτους γενέσθαι καὶ μετασχεῖν τοῦ πληρώματος. τοῦτο, φησίν, ἐστὶ τὸ πλήρωμα, δι᾿ οὑ πάντα #x003E; γινόμενα γεννητὰ ἀπὸ τοῦ ἀγεννήτου γέγονέ τε καὶ πεπλήρωται. Ὀ δὲ αὐτὸς οὗτος ὑπὸ τῶν Φρυγῶν καὶ ἄκαρπος καλεῖται. ἔστι γὰρ ἄκαρπος, ὅταν ᾖ σαρκικὸς καὶ τὴν »ἐπιθυμίαν τῆς σαρκὸς« ἐργάζηται. τοῦτο, φησίν, ἐστὶ τὸ εἰρημένον· »πᾶν δένδρον μὴ ποιοῦν καρπὸν καλὸν ἐκκόπτεται καὶ εἰς πῦρ βάλλεται«. καρποὶ γὰρ οὑτοι, φησίν, εἰσὶ μόνον οἱ λογικοί, <οἱ> ζῶντες ἄνθρωποι, οἱ διὰ τῆς πύλης εἰσερχόμενοι τῆς τρίτης. λέγουσι γοῦν· »εἰ νεκρὰ ἐφάγετε καὶ ζῶντα ἐποιήσατε, τί, ὄν ζῶντα φάγητε, ποιήσετε;« ζῶντα δὲ λέγουσι καὶ λόγους καὶ νόας καὶ ἀνθρώπους, τοὺς μαργαρίτας ἐκείνου τοῦ ἀχαρακτηρίστου ἐρριμμένους εἰς τὸ πλάσμα καρπούς.
This, he says, is what is said: “you are whitewashed tombs, full”, he says, “within of dead men’s bones” — because the living Man is not in you. And again, he says: “the dead shall leap out of the tombs” — that is, out of the bodies of dust, being born again spiritual, not fleshly.
This, he says, is the resurrection that comes about through the gate of the heavens, through which those who have not entered, he says, all remain dead. And these same Phrygians, he says, call this same one god again, after his change. For he becomes god, he says, when, rising from the dead, he shall enter through such a gate into heaven.
This gate, he says, Paul the apostle knew, opening it a little in a mystery and saying that he “was snatched up by an angel and came as far as the second and third heaven, into paradise itself, and saw what he saw, and heard unspeakable words which it is not lawful for a man to utter.”
These, he says, are the unspeakable mysteries spoken of by all, “which <we also speak> not in words taught by human wisdom, but in words taught by the Spirit, comparing spiritual things with spiritual. But the ensouled man does not receive the things of the Spirit of God, for they are folly to him.” And these, he says, are the unspeakable mysteries of the Spirit, which we alone know.
Concerning these, he says, the Saviour has said: “no one can come to me unless my heavenly Father draw him.” For it is exceedingly hard, he says, to receive and take in this great and unspeakable mystery. And again, he says, the Saviour has said: “not everyone who says to me, Lord, Lord, shall enter into the kingdom of the heavens, but he who does the will of my Father who is in the heavens” —
which they must DO, not merely hear, to enter into the kingdom of the heavens. And again, he says, he has said: “the tax-collectors and the prostitutes go before you into the kingdom of the heavens.” For tax-collectors, he says, are those who receive the ends of all things, and we, he says, are the tax-collectors, “upon whom the ends of the ages have come.” For the ends, he says, are the seeds sown into the world from the unstamped, through which the whole world is completed; for through them it also began to come to be.
And this is, he says, what is said: “the sower went out to sow; and some fell beside the road and was trampled, and some upon the rocky places and sprang up”, he says, “and because it had no depth it was withered and died; and some fell”, he says, “on the fair and good earth, and produced fruit, one a hundredfold, one sixtyfold, one thirtyfold. He who has”, he says, “ears to hear, let him hear.” That is, he says: none has become a hearer of these mysteries except only the perfect knowers.
This, he says, is the fair and good earth of which Moses says: “I will bring you into a fair and good land, into a land flowing with milk and honey.” This, he says, is the honey and the milk, by tasting which the perfect become kingless and share in the fullness. This, he says, is the fullness, through which all things that come to be, being begotten, have come to be and been filled from the unbegotten.
And this same one is called by the Phrygians also fruitless. For he is fruitless when he is fleshly and works “the desire of the flesh.” This, he says, is what is said: “every tree not producing good fruit is cut down and cast into fire.” For these fruits, he says, are only the rational ones, the living men, who enter through the third gate.
They say, at any rate: “if you ate dead things and made them living, what will you do if you eat living things?” And by living things they mean words and minds and men, the pearls of that unstamped one flung into the moulded thing: these are the fruits.
This, he says, is the resurrection that comes about through the gate of the heavens, through which those who have not entered, he says, all remain dead. And these same Phrygians, he says, call this same one god again, after his change. For he becomes god, he says, when, rising from the dead, he shall enter through such a gate into heaven.
This gate, he says, Paul the apostle knew, opening it a little in a mystery and saying that he “was snatched up by an angel and came as far as the second and third heaven, into paradise itself, and saw what he saw, and heard unspeakable words which it is not lawful for a man to utter.”
These, he says, are the unspeakable mysteries spoken of by all, “which <we also speak> not in words taught by human wisdom, but in words taught by the Spirit, comparing spiritual things with spiritual. But the ensouled man does not receive the things of the Spirit of God, for they are folly to him.” And these, he says, are the unspeakable mysteries of the Spirit, which we alone know.
Concerning these, he says, the Saviour has said: “no one can come to me unless my heavenly Father draw him.” For it is exceedingly hard, he says, to receive and take in this great and unspeakable mystery. And again, he says, the Saviour has said: “not everyone who says to me, Lord, Lord, shall enter into the kingdom of the heavens, but he who does the will of my Father who is in the heavens” —
which they must DO, not merely hear, to enter into the kingdom of the heavens. And again, he says, he has said: “the tax-collectors and the prostitutes go before you into the kingdom of the heavens.” For tax-collectors, he says, are those who receive the ends of all things, and we, he says, are the tax-collectors, “upon whom the ends of the ages have come.” For the ends, he says, are the seeds sown into the world from the unstamped, through which the whole world is completed; for through them it also began to come to be.
And this is, he says, what is said: “the sower went out to sow; and some fell beside the road and was trampled, and some upon the rocky places and sprang up”, he says, “and because it had no depth it was withered and died; and some fell”, he says, “on the fair and good earth, and produced fruit, one a hundredfold, one sixtyfold, one thirtyfold. He who has”, he says, “ears to hear, let him hear.” That is, he says: none has become a hearer of these mysteries except only the perfect knowers.
This, he says, is the fair and good earth of which Moses says: “I will bring you into a fair and good land, into a land flowing with milk and honey.” This, he says, is the honey and the milk, by tasting which the perfect become kingless and share in the fullness. This, he says, is the fullness, through which all things that come to be, being begotten, have come to be and been filled from the unbegotten.
And this same one is called by the Phrygians also fruitless. For he is fruitless when he is fleshly and works “the desire of the flesh.” This, he says, is what is said: “every tree not producing good fruit is cut down and cast into fire.” For these fruits, he says, are only the rational ones, the living men, who enter through the third gate.
They say, at any rate: “if you ate dead things and made them living, what will you do if you eat living things?” And by living things they mean words and minds and men, the pearls of that unstamped one flung into the moulded thing: these are the fruits.
Provisional draft (pending scholarly review)
An orientation
This edition sets the verbatim original-language text beside a fresh English rendering and a critical apparatus: a running commentary on the passage, notes on the controlled vocabulary and the rendering chosen for each term, and cross-references to the lexicon and to related sections. It is a provisional scholarly draft, released openly for correction and not yet reviewed by a credentialed editor.