Fragments on John

Name: Fragments on John
Author: Theophilus of Alexandria

Fragmenta in Joannem

Theophilus of Alexandria (c. 345–412 AD) · PG 65

Theophilus of Alexandria (c. 345–412) is the author of these fragments on John. They are not his fragments on Matthew.

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Contents4 passages

1Christ overturns the unlawful doctrine of souls sent into bodies
2The Savior overturns an unlawful doctrine
3The error of souls joined to bodies for sins
4Christ answers the question and destroys the error

Author

Theophilus of Alexandria (c. 345–412 AD) — Bishop of Alexandria from 385 to 412 and uncle of Cyril. He destroyed the temple of Serapis, turned against the followers of Origen, and led the synod that deposed John Chrysostom in 403.

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About this text

Theophilus says Christ's words on the man born blind refute the idea that souls live before the body and are sent into bodies for their sins.

He says the Savior overturns an unlawful teaching: that a soul sometimes exists before the body, and is joined to a body because of its own sins, so that a woman conceives only when some soul sins.

Christ answers, "Neither this man sinned nor his parents, but this happened so that the works of God might be revealed." The words are John 9:3; the manuscript's margin marks them "John 3", and the translation keeps that mark.

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Translated from PG 65 (Greek)

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Christ overturns the unlawful doctrine of souls sent into bodies§1

The author introduces a fragment on John 3, explaining that Christ himself overturned an unlawful doctrine held by some about souls being sent into bodies for punishment.

1In this, the Savior himself was overturning an unlawful doctrine. For some people supposed that sinning souls are sent from heaven into a body for the sake of punishment, and that sometimes the soul remains pre-existing by itself apart from the body, while at other times it is intertwined with bodies on account of its own sins—so that a woman can conceive only when some soul sins. Destroying this error, Christ, when he was asked, said: "Neither this man sinned nor his parents, but this happened so that the works of God might be revealed" (John 9:3).

Greek · §1

The Greek is on each section page: §1

The Savior overturns an unlawful doctrine§2

The author is introducing the fragment's comment on John 3, where Christ himself is said to overturn an unlawful doctrine.

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2In this Christ himself overturned an unlawful doctrine. For some people supposed that sinning souls are sent from heaven into a body for the sake of punishment, and that sometimes the soul is pre-existing by itself apart from the body.

Greek · §2

The Greek is on each section page: §2

The error of souls joined to bodies for sins§3

Theophilus is describing the unlawful doctrine that Christ overturned, explaining how its adherents thought souls relate to bodies.

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3Sometimes the soul pre-exists by itself, and at other times it is joined to bodies as punishment for its own sins, so that a woman can conceive only when some soul sins. Christ destroys this error.

Greek · §3

The Greek is on each section page: §3

Christ answers the question and destroys the error§4

The author has just described the unlawful doctrine that souls are sent into bodies for punishment, and now quotes Christ's answer to the question about whose sin caused the condition.

4When Christ was asked about this error, he was saying: "Neither this man sinned nor his parents, but this happened so that the works of God might be revealed" (John 9:3).

Greek · §4

The Greek is on each section page: §4

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