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As it was your desire, my beloved brother Theophilus, 1 to be thoroughly informed on those topics which I put summarily before you, I have thought it right to set these matters of inquiry clearly forth to your view, drawing largely from the Holy Scriptures themselves as from a holy fountain, in order that you may not only have the pleasure of hearing them on the testimony of men, 2 but may also be able, by surveying them in the light of (divine) authority, to glorify God in all. For this will be as a sure supply furnished you by us for your journey in this present life, so that by ready argument applying things ill understood and apprehended by most, you may sow them in the ground of your heart, as in a rich and clean soil. 3 By these, too, you will be able to silence those who oppose and gainsay the word of salvation. Only see that you do not give these things over to unbelieving and blasphemous tongues, for that is no common danger. But impart them to pious and faithful men, who desire to live holily and righteously with fear. For it is not to no purpose that the blessed apostle exhorts Timothy, and says, "O Timothy, keep that which is committed to thy trust, avoiding profane and vain babblings, and oppositions of science falsely so called; which some professing have erred concerning the faith." 4 And again, "Thou therefore, my son, be strong in the grace that is in Christ Jesus. And the things that thou hast heard of me in many exhortations, the same commit thou to faithful men, 5 who shall be able to teach others also." 6 If, then, the blessed (apostle) delivered these things with a pious caution, which could be easily known by all, as he perceived in the spirit that "all men have not faith," 7 how much greater will be our danger, if, rashly and without thought, we commit the revelations of God to profane and unworthy men?
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Perhaps the same Theophilus whom Methodius, a contemporary of Hippolytus, addresses as Epiphanius. [See vol. vi., this series.] From this introduction, too, it is clear that they are in error who take this book to be a homily. (Fabricius.) ↩
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In the text the reading is ton onton, for which ton oton = of the ears, is proposed by some, and anthropon = of men, by others. In the manuscripts the abbreviation anon is often found for anthropon. ↩
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In the text we find hos pion kathara ge, for which grammar requires hos pioni kathara ge. Combefisius proposes hosper oun kathara ge = as in clean ground. Others would read hos puron, etc., = like a grain in clean ground. ↩
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1 Tim. vi. 20, 21. ↩
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This reading, parakleseon for marturon (= witnesses), which is peculiar to Hippolytus alone, is all the more remarkable as so thoroughly suiting Paul's meaning in the passage. ↩
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2 Tim. ii. 1, 2. ↩
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2 Thess. iii. 2. ↩
