While I am pretty critical of Trent Horn on the topic of "Mormonism," I stand by what I said back in 2017: His The Case for Catholicism is the best single-volume apologetic work by a modern Catholic author and he does great work against abortion. I also consider him one of the better mainstream apologists for Rome. Today, he just released a pretty good review of Michael Horton's defense of Sola Scriptura. Horton focused on Gal 1:8 and 1 Cor 4:6. You can see Trent's video here:
REBUTTING a Protestant's "Sola Scriptura Church Fathers"
I have already discussed 1 Cor 4:6 a few times on this blog. However, I decided to add to the discussion by checking out (1) the Peshitta and (2) some instances of the text in the Migne series.
The Leiden Peshitta for 1 Cor 4:6 reads:
The above would be transliterated thusly:
Hāleyn dēn, aḥay meṭolathkun,
hū sāmeth ‘al parṣuphā dīlī, w-da'aplow d'bān te'alphun, d'lō tetra'un yatir
men mā dakhtayib, w-anōsh ‘al ḥabreh lō netrayim meṭal anōsh.
A machine translation (I will admit I used ChatGPT as I
have never formally studied Syriac) renders the text as:
These things, therefore, my
brothers, have been committed to you in accordance with your own
measure—serving as the seal of my authority. And Apollos is among you so that
you may not become overly exalted beyond what is written, nor should any man be
commended in regard to his fellow as if he were greater than a man
This coheres well with another translation, that of
Hastings:
These things, my Brethren, I
have stated concerning the person of myself and of Apollos, for your sakes;
that, in us, ye might learn not to think [of men], above what is written; and
that no one might exalt himself in comparison with his fellow, on account of
any person. (The Syriac New Testament: Translated into English from the
Peshitto Version [9th ed.; trans. James Murdock; Boston: H. L. Hastings
& Sons, 1915], Logos ed.)
In context, it appears that, at least in this tradition
(all translation is interpretation, after all), what is in view is not the formal
sufficiency of Scripture, but one should not place men “above what is written”
(whether the Scripture in general or the Old Testament texts referenced by Paul
earlier).
During a cursory check of my works from the Syriac
Fathers (e.g., Ephrem; Jacob of Serugh), there is no discussion of 1 Cor 4:6. A
search of the patristics up until the year 600 revealed only 24 references to
this passage (according
to the Bibl Index). I decided to check the references for (1) Athanasius in
PG 26 and (2) Theodoret of Cyrus in PG 82.
Athanasius (PG 26:368A):
Τούτο δε λέγων, οσδέν Έτερον
έσήμανεν ή οτι τη ήμων ένότητι γένοιντο κα! αύτοι έν πρός άλλήλου; ούτως, ώς
ήμεϊς Έν έσμεν φύσει και άληθείς άλλως δε ούκ άν γένοιντο έν, εί μή έν ήμιν
μάθωσι τήν ένότητα· καί δτι το, έν ήμιν, ταύτην έχει τήν ση- μασίαν, άκούσαι
Παύλου λέγοντος έστι· Ταϋτα δέ μετεσχημάτισα είς έμαυτόν καί Άπολλώ, Tνα έν
ήμιν μάθητε τό μή ύπέρ ά γέγραπται φυσιούσθαι. Το άρα, έν ήμιν, ούκ έστιν έν τψ Πατρί, ώς έστιν ό Υίδς
έν αύτω, άλλά παράδειγμα και εικών, άντ! τού είπεϊν, Έξ ήμων μαθέτωσαν. Ώς γάρ
ό Παύλος τοίς Κορινθίοις, ούτως ή του Υιού κα τού Πατρός ενότης, τοϊς πάσιν
ύπογραμμός καί μάθησίς έστι, καθ' ήν δύνανται μανθάνειν, βλέποντες είς τήν κατά
φύσιν ένότητα του Πατρός και τού Υιού, πώς καl αύτο όφείλουσιν Εν πρός αλλήλους γίνεσθαι τφ φρονήματι.
Εἰ δὲ δεῖ καὶ ἑτέρως ἀπολογήσασθαι περὶ τοῦ ῥητοῦ, δύναται πάλιν τὸ, ἐν ἡμῖν, ἴσον
εἶναι τῷ λέγειν , τῇ δυνάμει τοῦ Πατρὸς καὶ τοῦ Υἱοῦ, ἵνα ἓν γένωνται, τὸ αὐτὸ
λέγοντες · ἄνευ γὰρ Θεοῦ τοῦτο γενέσθαι αδύνατον καὶ τοῦτο πάλιν ἔστιν εὑρεῖν ἐν
τοῖς θείοις λόγοις, ὡς τὸ, Ἐν τῷ Θεῷ ποιήσομεν δύναμιν, καὶ, Ἐν σοὶ τοὺς ἐχθροὺς
ἡμῶν κερατιοῦμεν. Οὐκοῦν δῆλον, ὅτι ἐν ὀνόματι Πατρὸς καὶ Υἱοῦ δυνάμεθα, τὸ ἓν
γενόμενοι , βέβαιον ἔχειν τῆς ἀγάπης τὸν σύνδεσμον. Πάλιν γὰρ, τὴν αὐτὴν
διάνοιαν ἐπεκτείνων , φησὶν ὁ Κύριος · Κἀγὼ
τὴν δόξαν, ἣν δέδωκάς μοι, δέδωκα αὐτοῖς, ἵνα ὦσιν ἓν, καθὼς ἡμεῖς ἕν. Καλῶς καὶ
ἐνταῦθα οὐκ εἶπεν , ἵνα ὦσιν ἐν σοὶ , ὡς κἀγὼ εἰμι ·ἀλλὰ, καθὼς ἡμεῖς, ειπεν ο
δε λεγων, καθως, ου ταυτοτητα δεικνυσιν, αλλ' εικονα και παράδειγμα του
λεγομενου.
“Now, in saying this he signifies something else—that
they have become one in our unity; are they indeed one with one another? In
this way, since we are one by nature and truth, they could not otherwise become
one unless they had learned true unity. Moreover, in our midst this very sign
is present—as we hear Paul declare: ‘Thus I have conformed both myself and
Apollos, that you might learn among us not to be of a nature exceeding that
which is written to exist.’
Therefore, among us there is not in the Father what
the Son is in Him but rather a pattern and likeness—so that, in effect, they
may learn from us (as it is said, “From among us let them learn”). For just as
Paul taught the Corinthians, so the unity of the Son and the Father is set
forth as the foundation and doctrine for all. By beholding the natural unity of
the Father and the Son, they can learn how they too must be one in mind toward
one another.
And if it is necessary to offer another explanation
regarding this saying, it can again be demonstrated that among us there is an
equality with that which is proclaimed—by the power of the Father and the
Son—so that, becoming one, we all proclaim the same truth; for without God this
could not come into being, and indeed it is found once more in the divine
words, ‘In God we shall produce power,’ and ‘In you we shall trample our
enemies.’
Thus it is evident that in the name of the Father and
the Son we are enabled, by becoming one, to possess a secure bond of love.
Again, extending this same thought, the Lord declares: ‘And I have given them
the glory which you gave me, that they may be one, just as we are one.’ Here he
does not say that they should be “in You, as I am,” but rather “as we are” –
for they do not demonstrate absolute identity, but rather a likeness and
pattern of that which is spoken.”
Theodore of
Cyrus (PG 82:256B-C):
«Ώστε μή πρό καιρού τι κρίνετε, Έως εν ό Κύριος έλθη, ος καί φωτίσει τά κρυπτά τού σκότους, καί φανερώσει τάς βουλάς τών καρδιών, καί τότε ό έπαινος γενήσεται έκάστω άπό τού Θεού. » Υμεϊς, φησίν, όράτε τά φαινόμενα, Θεψ δε δήλα καί τά χρυπτόμενα · άλλά κατά τόν παρόντα βίον ού πάντα γυμνοί, έν έκείνω δε πάντα δήλα γενήσεται. Το δίκαιον τοίνυν κριτήριον άναμείνατε · δψεσθε γάρ τηνικαϋτα δικαίας τάς αναρρήσεις. Καί επειδή έν τοϊς πρόσθεν έαυτόν είς μέσον προτέθεικε, καί τόν Άπολλώ, καί τόν Κηφάν, άπό των μειζόνων δεικνύς του γινομένου τήν άτοπίαν, άναγκαίως λοιπόν τήν κατηγορίαν γυμνοί.
«Ταϋτα δ, άδελφοι, μετεσχημάτισα κίς μαυτόν καί Άπολλώ δι' δμάς, ίνα έν ήμιν μάθητε το μή ύπέρ γέγραπται φρονεΐν.» Εί ήμετς οί τών διδασκάλων διδάσκαλοι, οί το κήρυγμα θεόθεν δεξάμενοι, τάς ήμετέρας προσηγορίας ούχ επεθείκαμεν, άλλ' άπο Χριστού καλεΐσθαι παρηγ- γυήσαμεν, σκοπήσατε πόσης έστίν άσεβείας μεστόν, τό παρ' έκείνων γινόμενον. Τούτο γάρ λέγει· "Ira έr ήμιν μάθητε το μή ύπέρ δ γέγραπται φρονεΐν, Γέγραπται δέ· « Ό θέλων έν ύμϊν είναι πρώτος, ίστω πάντων έσχατος. » Καί· «Έκαστος έν φ εκλήθη, εν τούτω μενέτω.» "Ενα ύπέρ τού ένδς μή φυσιούσθαι κατά του έτέρου.» Οι γάρ έαυτούς διανεί- μαντες, καί οι μέν έκ τούτου, οί δε έξ εκείνου κα- εΐσθαι βουληθέντες, άλλήλοις διεμάχοντο, τούς φετέρους Έκαστοι διδασκάλους ύπερτιθέναι τών λλων φιλονεικούντες.
“Therefore, do not judge
prematurely until the Lord has come—He who will illuminate the hidden recesses
of darkness and reveal the counsels of the heart—so that then the praise from
God will be made perfect. He says, ‘Behold the appearances, and see that which
is manifested and made illustrious; yet in this present life you are not always
exposed, whereas in that life all things will be made clear.’ Therefore, hold
fast to the just standard; for you will clearly perceive the righteous
expressions. And because in times past he set himself among them—along with
Apollos and Cephas—thereby showing through the greater ones the incongruity of
what was taking place, the charge against them is necessarily laid bare.
“Thus, brethren, I have
conformed both myself and Apollos to our own manner, that you might learn among
us not to think in ways beyond what is written.” For we were the teachers of
teachers, having received the preaching from God; and we did not impose our own
titles, but rather urged that we be called by Christ. Look at how much
unseemliness is evident in what is happening among them. For it is said: “Learn
among yourselves not to think beyond what is written.” And it is written, “Let
him who wishes be first among you, and let the last be the last of all.” And,
“Let each be called to remain in his own place.” One should not be above
another. For they divided themselves—some from one group, others from
another—and those coming from the latter contended with one another, each
exalting his own teachers above the rest in a spirit of rivalry.
It appears that neither commentator interpreted it as teaching the formal sufficiency of Scripture.
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