CONTRA-GENTILES​

IN THE DEFENSE OF THE HOLY TRIUNE GOD

RESPONSE 1​
ON THE FOUR VERSES THAT HERETICS USE AGAINST
CHRIST

MADE THROUGH PRAYER

MADE 28-29 PASHONS, 1741

​ Many attempt to make out the Trinity as evil by taking the Holy Bible out of
context, these verses manipulate and attempt to lead people away from Christ. The following
verses are listed as “unusual” by non-christians and many other heretics who wish evil upon
our Lord and Savior, Jesus Christ. The Most Holy Trinity and the teachings of Χριστός. ​
​ I will be using NKJV, Septuagint According to St. Athanasius Academy, and NIV
translations for the Holy Bible. All of my sources will be listed below and I will go over
every verse and their correct interpretation according to the Holy Fathers of the Oriental
Orthodox Church, Coptic Jurisdiction.​
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 2.​ THE FIRST CLAIM AND COMMENTARY

The first verse I will go over is 1 Corinthians 14:34-35: “Let your women keep silent in the
churches, for they are not permitted to speak; but they are to be submissive, as the law also
says. And if they want to learn something, let them ask their own husbands at home; for it is
shameful for women to speak in church.”1 This verse is taken as misogyny from St. Paul the
Apostle, but what is really being said here according to their successors? The Chrysostom
writes “For if thou shalt make her ‘holy and without blemish,’ everything else will follow.
Seek the things which are of God, and those which are of man will follow readily enough.
Govern thy wife, and thus will the whole house be in harmony. Hear what Paul saith. ‘And if
they would learn anything, let them ask their own husbands at home.’ If we thus regulate our
own houses, we shall be also fit for the management of the Church. For indeed a house is a
little Church. Thus it is possible for us by becoming good husbands and wives, to surpass all
others.”2 So what are we being told from the Holy Father? That this is a regulation given
from the apostle Paul that we shall also be fit for the management of the Church.
The verse is obviously following through with the Laws given in Ephesians 5:22, women
are to be subject to men and strive to be the Holy Wives in Proverbs 31:10-31. There is no
way we can understand Christ and Paul as being misogynistic for him giving out laws to the
people to keep all of them in check and virtuous. The Holy Father Ignatius, who met the
apostles, writes to the Philadelphians, “Wives, be ye subject to your husbands in the fear of
God;”3 and in that same paragraph writes to them “Husbands, love your wives, as
fellow-servants of God, as your own body, as the partners of your life, and your co-adjutors
in the procreation of children.”4 The Holy Father shows that both are equal under Christ, and
it is evidently said as so.​
​ I have shown now that Christ and the Holy ones are not against woman, and it is
evident that Paul truly means it ,when he spoken through by the Spirit, that all are the same
under Jesus Christ in Galatians 3:28.​
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1
This translation is taken from BibleGateway.com and is the NKJV translation of 1 Corinthians 14:34-35.
2
This quote is taken from St. John Chrysostom’s Homilies On Corinthians, Homily XXXVII, gathered by
“Phillip Schaff”
3
This quote is taken from St. Ignatius The Theophorus’ Epistle to the Philadelphians, Chapter IV [Shorter and
Longer versions], gathered by “Phillip Schaff”
4
This quote is taken from St. Ignatius The Theophorus’ Epistle to the Philadelphians, Chapter IV [Shorter and
Longer versions], gathered by “Phillip Schaff”
3
​

3.​ THE SECOND CLAIM AND COMMENTARY

​ This next claim is quite easily understood as a misinterpretation from the Gentile, they
attempt to use Psalm 137:9 as a way to make God out as evil, interpreting the passage as God
suggesting people to harm babies. What do the Holy Fathers, successors of the Apostles, say
here? Origen writes here, “In this sense also we understand the language of the 137th Psalm:
‘O daughter of Babylon, who art to be destroyed; happy shall he be that rewardeth thee as
thou hast served us: happy shall he be that taketh and dasheth thy little ones against the
stones.’ For ‘the little ones’ of Babylon (which signifies confusion) are those troublesome
sinful thoughts which arise in the soul and he who subdues them by striking, as it were, their
heads against the firm and solid strength of reason and truth, is the man who ‘dasheth the
little ones against the stones;’ and he is therefore truly blessed.”5 The Father speaks on how
this is a symbolic example of destroying sinful desires when they are young so they do not
later influence your life, St. Ambrose of Milan continues on this verse saying.. “And David,
pitying her, says: ‘O wretched daughter of Babylon.’ Wretched indeed, as being the daughter
of Babylon, when she ceased to be the daughter of Jerusalem. And yet he calls for a healer
for her, and says: ‘Blessed is he who shall take thy little ones and dash them against the
rock.;’ That is to say, shall dash all corrupt and filthy thoughts against Christ, Who by His
fear and His rebuke will break down all motions against reason, so as, if any one is seized by
an adulterous love, to extinguish the fire, that he may by his zeal put away the love of a
harlot, and deny himself that he may gain Christ.”6 By these words, the Church teaches us
that we are able to escape our sin if it is smashed against the firm Truth of Christ. He will free
all people from sin by his sacrifice.​

4.​ THE THIRD CLAIM AND COMMENTARY

​ Exodus 4:24-26 has commentary from Origen here which you can read for yourself,
he hardly mentions it but he does somewhat go over it. A symbolic reading is from Tertullian
though, as he writes “‘But if the Christ,’ say they, ‘who is believed to be coming is not called
5
This quote is taken from Origen’s writing Against Celsus; Book IV, Chapter XXII, gathered by “Phillip
Schaff”
6
This quote is taken from St. Ambrose of Milan’s writing; Concerning Repentance, Book II, Chapter XI,
gathered by “Phillip Schaff”
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Jesus, why is he who is come called Jesus Christ?’ Well, each name will meet in the Christ of
God, in whom is found likewise the appellation Jesus. Learn the habitual character of your
error. In the course of the appointing of a successor to Moses, Oshea the son of Nun is
certainly transferred from his pristine name, and begins to be called Jesus. Certainly, you
say. This we first assert to have been a figure of the future. For, because Jesus Christ was to
introduce the second people (which is composed of us nations, lingering deserted in the world
aforetime) into the land of promise, ‘flowing with milk and honey’ (that is, into the possession
of eternal life, than which nought is sweeter); and this had to come about, not through Moses
(that is, not through the Law’s discipline), but through Joshua (that is, through the new law’s
grace), after our circumcision with ‘a knife of rock’ (that is, with Christ’s precepts, for Christ
is in many ways and figures predicted as a rock); therefore the man who was being prepared
to act as images of this sacrament was inaugurated under the figure of the Lord’s name, even
so as to be named Jesus.”7 Through Tertullian’s commentary, he goes over how this can be
symbolizing Christ as the knife and us receiving eternal life from him. He recognizes this
reading as a prophecy of Jesus, which I also choose to recognize as a prophecy of Jesus
Christ.

7
This quote is taken from Tertullian’s writing; An Answer to the Jews: Of the Prophecies of the Birth and
Achievements of Christ, Chapter IX, gathered by “Phillip Schaff”
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 5.​ LAST CLAIM AND CONCLUSION

Leviticus 25:44-46 is confusing, you make the claim it is unusual but for the Old
Testament times and when read in context I struggle to find the problem, you could perhaps
point out such a problem with the verse. Focus on how Christ freed all from these laws with
the ultimate sacrifice, rather than focusing on a law no longer given out or necessary. If you
do have a problem you can ask a priest here ​
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God bless.