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RITE OR METAPHOR?
Tradition says that he, who was the first of the Gentiles to receive from Philip by
revelation the mysteries of the divine word [ta tod Oeiov Adyov öpyıa neTaoxovtal,
and was the first-fruits of the faithful throughout the world, was also the first to
return to his native land and preach the Gospel of the knowledge [edayyeAicaodaı
... yv@otv] of the God of the universe and the sojourn of our Saviour which gives
life to men."
What does Eusebius actually mean by tà to deiov Adyov Öpyıa, “the 6py1a of
the divine word”? It is explicitly stated in the passage of Acts which Eusebius
summarizes that the Ethiopian dignitary was baptized by Philip (8.38):
“He [i.e. the Ethiopian, F.D.] commanded the chariot to stop, and both of
them, Philip and the eunuch, went down into the water, and Philip baptized
[éBánrioev] him."??" Should we then understand the words ta ... dpyta
heTaoxövta, “received the dpyta,” as a reference to baptism?
The expression looks like a metaphor for the Christian teachings passed
on by Philip to the dignitary, especially if we remember that Clement of
Alexandria figuratively speaks of the “6pyta of the Logos” preached by a choir
of Christ’s followers (Prot. 12.119.1). The 8etoc oyos, “divine word” is a phrase
frequently used in the Historia Ecclesiastica, where it means, depending on
the context, “Christ/Logos,” “Scriptures,” or—often difficult to distinguish
from each other—“Gospel” or “Christian faith,”*° There is no doubt that
expounding the Scriptures and preaching the Gospel play an important part
in both Acts 8.26-39 and in H.E. 2.1.13. In Acts, the Ethiopian admits that
he does not understand the Scriptures and that he needs an explanation
(Acts 8.30-31). In response, Philip both comments on the Book of Isaiah
and proceeds to evnyyeAicato avt@ tov Inoodv, “proclaim to him the good
news of Jesus” (Acts 8.35). Similarly, we read in H.E. 2.1.13 that the dignitary
subsequently edayyeXioaodaı ... yvwoıv, “proclaimed [the good news of] the
knowledge” about God and Christ in his country. Thus, “the öpyıa ofthe divine
word” could simply be understood as the arcana of the Christian faith.
Attention needs to be drawn, however, to the fact that in the Alexandrian
tradition, which Eusebius closely follows,“ a deeper understanding of the
Scriptures was seen as the true Christian mysteries, accessible only to those
8 dv mpa@tov 2 0vav mpdc tod DıiAinnov Sr éemipaveiac ta tod Geiov hoyov Spyia HETAOXÖVTA
TOV Te AVA TH OiKOVHEVIV TLOTMV AMAPXI|V YEVOLEVOY, TPWTOV KaTEXEL AOYos éri TÍJV TTÁTPLOV
naAıvoorroavra yijv evayyehioacB8at tiv tot tov dAwv Beod yvaow kai tv Üwonoldv eig
avOpwrous To owTijpog Nu@v Enıönniav; trans. Kirsopp Lake.
° Trans. the New Revised Standard Version of the Bible.
6 Christ Logos e.g. 1.2.4 and 16, 1.3.7; Scriptures e.g. 1.4.11, 10.4.29; Gospel/Christian faith
e.g. 1.1.2, 2.15.1, 3.37.2, 4.11.8. See also Lampe s.v. Aöyoc.
On Eusebius and the Alexandrian tradition see e.g. Charles Kannengiesser, Eusebius of
Caesarea, Origenist, in: Harold W. Attridge and Gohei Hata (eds.), Eusebius, Christianity,
and Judaism, Leiden, Brill, 1992, 435-466 passim.
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