Letter 719

To Philagrius the Proteuon [a leading citizen and chief civic magistrate]. The works of the flesh—fornication, and licentiousness, and the rest—being dead works, are easily destroyed and made to vanish. But if the fornicator, by changing, acquires self-control, the flesh is no longer called flesh; for it has been changed into spirit, and he is called a spiritual man. He who is joined to the harlot is called flesh; he who is joined to the Lord is addressed as spirit [cf. 1 Corinthians 6:16-17].

Τὰ ἔργα τῆς σαρκὸς πορνεία, καὶ ἀσέλγεια, καὶ τὰ ἑξῆς, νεκρὰ ἔργα τυγχάνοντα ῥᾳδίως ἀπόλλυται, καὶ ἐξαφανίζεται. Ἐὰν δὲ ὁ πόρνος μεταβαλλόμενος κτήσηται ἐγκράτειαν, οὐκέτι σὰρξ λέγεται ἡ σάρξ· μεταβέβληται γὰρ εἰς πνεῦμα, καὶ λέγεται πνευματικὸς ἄνθρωπος. Ὁ κολληθεὶς τῇ πόρνῃ, σὰρξ λέγεται· ὁ κολληθεὶς τῷ Κυρίῳ, πνεῦμα προσαγορεύεται.