| 選讀致狄奧聶書 | Ex Epístola ad Diognétum (Nn. 5-6: Funk 1, 317-321) |
| 基督徒在世界上 | Christiani in mundo |
| 基督徒並不因地區、語言、與生活習慣，而和其他的人有所區別。因為他們並不住在特別的地區，也不說特別的語言，也不度一種古怪的生活。他們的教義、不是由他們的想像或焦思苦慮而發現的；他們也不像某些人一樣，崇奉純粹出自人的思想體系。 基督徒依照每人的命運，住在希臘或野蠻人的城裡；他們按本地的生活習慣而穿衣、吃飯，和作其他生活方面的事物，但他們的生活方式也表現出一些令人注意、甚至難以相信的特點。比如他們居住在本國，却好像定居的外國人。他們盡好公民的一切義務，却擔負一切稅捐，像外方人一樣。他們也像其他的人一樣，娶妻生子，却不墮胎；他們同桌進食，却不同床共寢。 基督徒有血肉之身，却不按肉性而生活。他們生活在世上，他們的家鄉却在天上。他們遵守制定的法律，但他們的生活方式却勝於法律。他們泛愛眾人，眾人反而迫害他們；他們被人忽視，並受懲罰；他們被人殺死，却獲得了生命。他們是乞丐，却使許多人富足；他們缺乏一切，却無不充裕。他們受人凌辱，但在凌辱中却受到榮耀。他們受人侮蔑，但在侮蔑中却獲得光榮，令譽卓著。他們受到毀謗，但在毀謗中却找到了清白。他們被詛咒，反而祝福他人；他們受虐待，反而尊敬他人。他們行善，劫像罪犯一樣受到懲罰。他們受刑時歡天喜地，好像慶祝新生。猶太人把他們看作外邦人、而攻擊他們，希臘人也迫害他們；但是仇恨他們的人、並說不出他們仇恨的原因。 簡言之：基督徒在世界上，就像靈魂在肉身內：靈魂遍及身體的一切肢體，就像基督徒居住在這個世界的各城市裡。靈魂住在身體裡，却不屬於身體，就像基督徒住在世界上却不屬於世界。無形的靈魂被困守在有形的肉身裡，基督徒也是一樣：人們看到他們生活在世界上，但他們的虔誠却是無形的。肉身厭惡靈魂，並向它宣戰，並非因為靈魂得罪肉身，而是因為阻止它享樂；同樣世俗討厭基督徒，並非因為基督徒開罪了世俗，而是因為反對它享樂。 靈魂愛這憎恨它的肉身，和它的肢體，好像基督徒愛那憎恨他們的人一樣。靈魂被囚禁在肉身裡，却維持著身體；基督徒好像囚禁在世界的監獄裡，却支撐著全世界。不死不滅的靈魂住在有死有壞的帳棚裡；同樣，基督徒在可腐朽的世界上旅行，期待著天上不朽的生活。靈魂因忍飢受餓、克己苦身、而變得更善良；基督徒遭受迫害，而日益增多。天主為他們所安排的地點是那麼美好，誰若離棄，是多麼不合理啊！ | Christiáni neque regióne neque sermóne neque vitæ institútis distíncti a céteris sunt homínibus. Nam neque civitátes próprias íncolunt, neque sermóne utúntur quodam insólito, neque vitam degunt insignítam. Neque vero cogitatióne quadam et hóminum curiosórum sollicitúdine hæc disciplína ab iis est invénta, neque dógmati humáno patrocinántur, sicut nonnúlli. Incoléntes autem civitátes et græcas et bárbaras, prout cuiúsque sors tulit, et indigenárum institúta sequéntes in vestítu victúque ac réliquo vivéndi génere, mirábilem et ómnium consénsu incredíbilem vitæ suæ statum propónunt. Pátrias hábitant próprias, sed tamquam inquilíni; ómnia cum áliis habent commúnia tamquam cives, et ómnia patiúntur tamquam peregríni; omnis peregrína régio eórum est pátria, et omnis pátria peregrína. Uxóres ducunt ut omnes, líberos prócreant; sed non abíciunt fetus. Mensam commúnem habent, non lectum. In carne sunt, sed non secúndum carnem vivunt. In terra degunt, sed in cælo civitátem suam habent. Obsequúntur légibus constitútis, et suo vitæ génere súperant leges. Amant omnes, et omnes eos persequúntur. Ignorántur, et condemnántur; morte afficiúntur, et vivificántur. Mendíci sunt, et ditant multos; ómnibus rebus índigent, et ómnia illis redúndant. Dedecorántur, et inter dedécora afficiúntur glória; fama eórum lacerátur, et iustítiæ eórum testimónium perhibétur. Obiurgántur, et benedícunt; contumelióse tractántur, et honórem déferunt. Cum bonum fáciant, tamquam ímprobi puniúntur; dum puniúntur, gaudent, tamquam vivificéntur. Iudǽi advérsus eos tamquam alienígenas bellum gerunt et gentíles eos persequúntur; atque causam inimicitiárum dícere osóres néqueunt. Ut autem simplíciter dicam: quod est in córpore ánima, hoc sunt in mundo christiáni. Dispérsa est per ómnia córporis membra ánima; et christiáni per mundi civitátes. Hábitat quidem in córpore ánima, sed non est e córpore; et christiáni in mundo hábitant, sed non sunt e mundo. Invisíbilis ánima in visíbili custodítur córpore; et christiáni conspiciúntur quidem in mundo degéntes, sed invisíbilis est eórum píetas. Odio et bello ánimam caro proséquitur nulla affécta iniúria, quia voluptátibus frui prohibétur; odit et christiános mundus nulla afféctus iniúria, quia voluptátibus repúgnant. Anima carnem amat, quæ ipsam odit, et membra; et christiáni osóres amant. Inclúsa quidem est ánima córpore, sed ipsa cóntinet corpus; et christiáni detinéntur quidem in mundo tamquam in custódia, sed ipsi cóntinent mundum. Immortális ánima in mortáli tabernáculo hábitat; et christiáni peregrinántur in corruptibílibus, cæléstem incorruptibilitátem exspectántes. Anima cibis et potiónibus male tractáta fit mélior; et christiáni supplíciis affécti cotídie número crescunt. In tanta eos statióne pósuit Deus, quam nefas est iis defúgere. |
From the Letter to Diognetus
The Christian in the world
Christians are indistinguishable from other men either by nationality, language or customs. They do not inhabit separate cities of their own, or speak a strange dialect, or follow some outlandish way of life. Their teaching is not based upon reveries inspired by the curiosity of men. Unlike some other people, they champion no purely human doctrine. With regard to dress, food and manner of life in general, they follow the customs of whatever city they happen to be living in, whether it is Greek or foreign.
And yet there is something extraordinary about their lives. They live in their own countries as though they were only passing through. They play their full role as citizens, but labour under all the disabilities of aliens. Any country can be their homeland, but for them their homeland, wherever it may be, is a foreign country. Like others, they marry and have children, but they do not expose them. They share their meals, but not their wives. They live in the flesh, but they are not governed by the desires of the flesh. They pass their days upon earth, but they are citizens of heaven. Obedient to the laws, they yet live on a level that transcends the law.
Christians love all men, but all men persecute them. Condemned because they are not understood, they are put to death, but raised to life again. They live in poverty, but enrich many; they are totally destitute, but possess an abundance of everything. They suffer dishonour, but that is their glory. They are defamed, but vindicated. A blessing is their answer to abuse, deference their response to insult. For the good they do they receive the punishment of malefactors, but even then they rejoice, as though receiving the gift of life. They are attacked by the Jews as aliens, they are persecuted by the Greeks, yet no one can explain the reason for this hatred.
To speak in general terms, we may say that the Christian is to the world what the soul is to the body. As the soul is present in every part of the body, while remaining distinct from it, so Christians are found in all the cities of the world, but cannot be identified with the world. As the visible body contains the invisible soul, so Christians are seen living in the world, but their religious life remains unseen. The body hates the soul and wars against it, not because of any injury the soul has done it, but because of the restriction the soul places on its pleasures. Similarly, the world hates the Christians, not because they have done it any wrong, but because they are opposed to its enjoyments.
Christians love those who hate them just as the soul loves the body and all its members despite the body’s hatred. It is by the soul, enclosed within the body, that the body is held together, and similarly, it is by the Christians, detained in the world as in a prison, that the world is held together. The soul, though immortal, has a mortal dwelling place; and Christians also live for a time amidst perishable things, while awaiting the freedom from change and decay that will be theirs in heaven. As the soul benefits from the deprivation of food and drink, so Christians flourish under persecution. Such is the Christian’s lofty and divinely appointed function, from which he is not permitted to excuse himself.
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