Nielsen’s Nook

Translation

1 But one by the name of Quintus, [1] a Phrygian who had recently arrived from Phrygia, [2] after he beheld the wild animals became cowardly. [3] And this was the one who prevailed upon himself and even some others to go of their own accord. [4] The Proconsul, after earnestly entreating this man, cajoled him to swear an oath and offer a sacrifice. [5] Therefore, because of this, brothers and sisters, we do not praise those who hand themselves over since the Gospel does not teach thusly.

[1] Eusebius records Quintus as a Phrygian who aside from the shame of cowardice was faulted for recklessness as being “not right for such persons rashly and recklessly to expose themselves to danger.” (Eusebius, Historia Ecclesiastica, 4.15.7-8, New Advent online, Nov 26, 2007). See also Schaff’s The Post-Nicene Fathers, Vol 1: Eusebius: Prolegomena: Chapter 1: §3.

[2] A region associated with Galatia in central Asia minor (c.f., Acts 18:23), to the east of Smyrna where Polycarp was bishop.

[3] Contrary to Germanikos in §3.1.

[4] ἑκών lit. willingly. The idea here is that having heard of Germanikos’ valiant death, they sought out martyrdom.

[5] Presumably, this is a sacrifice to the Roman gods, viz Caesar.

Parts: 1 | 2 | 3 | 4 | 5 | 6 | 7

Translation

And in Jesus Christ, his son, the only begotten one, [1] our Lord, who was conceived [2] of the Holy Spirit, born [3] of the Virgin Mary, suffered [4] under Pontius Pilate, was crucified, was put to death, [5] and was buried, [6] after he descended into the lower regions of the earth… [7]

[1] ὸν μονογενῆ comes as the second in a double apposition, which in rendering our translation in this more wooden fashion we attempt to show. The word has to do with the singularly unique place that Jesus occupies as the God-Man.

[2] συλληφθέντα a mysterious word. None of the literature I have access to discusses this.

[3] γεννηθέντα a word rendered born and speaking of Jesus’ incarnate existence into time and space and purposefully different than μονογενῆ which is used to speak of the Son’s eternal relationship to the Father. γεννηθέντα is used in the LXX and NT to speak of biological birth: Job 14:1; Matthew 11:11; Luke 7:28. 1 Clement 30:5 employing an adjectival form of the word reads εὐλογημένος γεννητὸς γυναικὸς ὀλιγόβιος, blessed is woman’s short-lived offspring.

[4] παθόντα (πάσχω) baldly refers to ones experience or treatment; however, even in classical literature it is not often used to refer to positive experiences. The LXX always uses the word to refer to the enduring of suffering and/or death. (BAGD, πάσχω)

[5] θανόντα (θανατόω) especially the death sentence and its execution. There is also a figurative dimension which entails spiritual or eternal death (BAGD).

[6] ταφέντα (ταφή) 1 Clement 16:10 καὶ δώσω τοὐς πονηροὐς ἀντἱ τῆς ταφῆς αὐτοῦ καὶ τοὺς πλουσίους ἀντὶ τοῦ θανάτου αὐτοῦ· And I will give the wicked for his burial and the rich for his death.

[7] Compare the Latin descendit ad inferna with κατελθόντα εἰς τὰ κατώτατα. The Greek seems to be a clear reference to Ephesians 4:9-10. In both the Ephesians passage and the Greek of the Creed, the lower regions (τὰ κατώτατα) is a realm that is not given the identification of Hell as Christians would think of it today or perhaps thought of it by the time the Latin text was received, rendering τὰ κατώτατα as inferna. The underworld in Greek thought was not necessarily the place of eternal punishment after death but simply the place the dead went indiscriminately. Philip Schaff comments, “This clause was unknown in the older creeds, though believed in the Church, and was transferred into the Roman symbol after the fifth century, probably from that of Aquilcia, A.D. 390, where it first appears among Latin creeds…” (Schaff, Creeds of Christendom, p 45, fn 43). I commend the entire note to your reading.