Excerpt

Excerpt from Barlaam and Ioasaph, by Saint John of Damascus

Then said Ioasaph to the king his father, "As at the beginning, Sir,
thou commandedst that the trial should be just, so too crown the end
thereof with justice, by doing one or other of these two things.
Either allow my teacher to tarry with me to-night, that we may take
counsel together as touching those things which we must say unto our
adversaries tomorrow: and do thou in turn take thine advisers unto
thee, and duly practise yourselves as ye will. Or else deliver thy
counsellors to me this night, and take mine to thyself. But if both
sides be with thee, mine advocate in tribulation and fear, but thine in
joy and refreshment, me thinketh it is not a fair trial, but a
tyrannical misuse of power, and a breaking of the covenants." The
king, compelled to yield by the gracefulness of this speech took his
wise men and priests to himself, and delivered Nachor to his son, still
having hopes of him and thinking fit to keep his agreement.

The king's son, therefore, departed unto his own palace, like a
conqueror in the Olympic games, and with him went Nachor. When alone,
the prince called him and said, "Think not that I am ignorant of thy
tale, for I wot, of a surety, that thou art not saintly Barlaam, but
Nachor the astrologer; and I marvel how it seemed thee good to act this
play, and to think that thou couldst so dull my sight at mid-day, that
I should mistake a wolf for a sheep. But well sung is the proverb,
'The heart of a fool will conceive folly.' So this your device and
counsel was stale and utterly senseless; but the work that thou hast
accomplished is full of wisdom. Wherefore, rejoice, Nachor, and be
exceeding glad. I render thee many thanks, that thou hast been to-day
advocate of the truth, and hast not polluted thy lips with foul words
and crafty simulation, but hast rather cleansed them from many
defilements, and thoroughly proven the error of the gods, as they be
wrongly called, and hast established the truth of the Christian faith.
I have been zealous to bring thee hither with me for two reasons; that
the king might not privily seize and punish thee, because thou spakest
not after his heart, and next that I might recompense thee for the
favour that thou hast done me to-day. And what is my recompense for
thee? To show thee how to turn from the evil and slippery road which
thou hast trodden until now, and to journey along the straight and
saving pathway which thou hast avoided, not in ignorance, but by wilful
wrongdoing, throwing thyself into depths and precipices of iniquity.
Understand then, Nachor, man of understanding as thou art, and be thou
zealous to gain Christ only, and the life that is hid with him, and
despise this fleeting and corruptible world. Thou shalt not live for
ever, but, being mortal, shalt depart hence ere long, even as all that
have been before thee. And wo betide thee, if, with the heavy load of
sin on thy shoulders, thou depart thither where there is righteous
judgement and recompense for thy works, and cast it not off, while it
is easy to rid thyself thereof!"

Pricked at heart by these words, spake Nachor, "Well said! Sir prince,
well said! I do know the true and very God, by whom all things were
made, and I wot of the judgement to come, having heard thereof from
many texts of the Scriptures. But evil habit and the insolence of the
ancient supplanter hath blinded the eyes of my heart, and shed a thick
darkness over my reason. But now, at thy word, I will cast away the
veil of gloom, and run unto the light of the countenance of the Lord.
May be, he will have mercy on me, and will open a door of repentance to
his wicked and rebellious servant, even if it seem impossible to me
that my sins, which are heavier than the sand, be forgiven; sins,
which, wittingly or unwittingly, I have sinned from childhood upwards
to this my hoary age."

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Explanation

Detailed Explanation of the Excerpt from Barlaam and Ioasaph

Context of the Work

Barlaam and Ioasaph is a Christianized adaptation of the life of the Buddha, rewritten as a hagiographic (saintly) tale in the Byzantine tradition. Attributed to Saint John of Damascus (8th century), though likely compiled earlier, the text recounts the story of Prince Ioasaph (a stand-in for Siddhartha Gautama), who is raised in isolation by his father, King Avenir, to prevent him from encountering suffering and religious truth. Despite his father’s efforts, Ioasaph is eventually converted to Christianity by the holy man Barlaam (a Christianized version of the Buddhist ascetic).

The excerpt provided occurs near the climax of the story, where Ioasaph, now a devout Christian, engages in a theological debate with his father’s pagan philosophers. The king, still resistant to Christianity, has arranged a trial to test the validity of Ioasaph’s faith. The passage focuses on Ioasaph’s strategic and moral victory, his confrontation with Nachor (a disguised pagan astrologer), and Nachor’s subsequent conversion.

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Themes in the Excerpt

1. Justice and Fairness in Debate

   • Ioasaph begins by demanding equitable conditions for the theological dispute. He accuses his father of stacking the deck—keeping his own advisors in comfort while Ioasaph’s advocate (Nachor, disguised as Barlaam) is left vulnerable.
   • His argument is rhetorically brilliant: he frames the king’s actions as either just (allowing fair preparation) or tyrannical (manipulating the trial). This forces the king to concede, demonstrating Ioasaph’s moral and intellectual superiority.

2. Deception and Truth

   • The revelation that "Barlaam" is actually Nachor the astrologer in disguise introduces a dramatic irony. Ioasaph, unlike his father, sees through the deception immediately, proving his discernment.
   • Despite the deception, Nachor’s arguments unintentionally defended Christianity, showing that truth can prevail even through unlikely means.

3. Repentance and Conversion

   • Ioasaph’s speech to Nachor is a call to repentance, blending warning and mercy. He acknowledges Nachor’s intelligence but condemns his willful sin, urging him to abandon his pagan ways before death.
   • Nachor’s response is a classic confession of faith: he admits knowing the truth but being blinded by habit and demonic influence (the "ancient supplanter," likely Satan). His repentance is humble and desperate, emphasizing the weight of sin and the hope of divine mercy.

4. The Transience of Life vs. Eternal Truth

   • Ioasaph contrasts the fleeting, corruptible world with the "life hidden with Christ" (Colossians 3:3). This reflects the ascetic and otherworldly focus of early Christian (and Buddhist) thought—detachment from earthly pleasures for spiritual salvation.
   • Nachor’s fear of judgment after death reinforces the urgency of repentance, a key theme in Christian moral teaching.

5. Divine Grace and Human Free Will

   • Ioasaph attributes Nachor’s unintentional defense of Christianity to divine providence—God can use even a deceiver to spread truth.
   • Yet, Nachor’s conversion depends on his free choice to reject sin, showing the synergy between grace and human effort in salvation.

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Literary Devices & Stylistic Features

1. Rhetorical Persuasion (Ioasaph’s Speech to the King)

   • Antithesis: "mine advocate in tribulation and fear, but thine in joy and refreshment" – contrasts unfair conditions to expose the king’s bias.
   • Appeal to Justice: Ioasaph frames his demand as fairness, forcing the king to either appear tyrannical or yield.
   • Irony: The king, who sought to control the debate, is outmaneuvered by his own son’s logical and moral argument.

2. Dramatic Irony (Nachor’s Disguise)

   • The audience (and Ioasaph) knows Nachor is an imposter, but the king does not. This creates tension and humor, as Nachor’s pagan arguments accidentally support Christianity.

3. Metaphors & Imagery

   • "Wolf for a sheep": Ioasaph accuses Nachor of trying to deceive him in broad daylight, emphasizing the absurdity of the disguise.
   • "Slippery road" vs. "straight and saving pathway": Contrasts sin (dangerous, unstable) with virtue (secure, divinely guided).
   • "Heavy load of sin": A burden metaphor, common in Christian literature (e.g., Matthew 11:30), illustrating sin as an oppressive weight that must be cast off.

4. Biblical Allusions

   • "Life that is hid with Christ": Direct reference to Colossians 3:3, reinforcing the mystical and eschatological (end-times) focus of Christian salvation.
   • "Judgement to come": Echoes Hebrews 9:27 ("it is appointed for man to die once, and after that comes judgment").
   • "Ancient supplanter": Likely Satan (Genesis 3:15’s "serpent"), a common patristic (early Christian) trope for demonic deception.

5. Direct Address & Emotional Appeal (Pathos)

   • Ioasaph’s speech to Nachor shifts from rebuke ("wilful wrongdoing") to compassion ("May be, He will have mercy").
   • Nachor’s response is deeply penitential, using hyperbolic language ("sins heavier than the sand") to express despair and hope.

6. Foreshadowing & Resolution

   • The king’s reluctance to punish Nachor hints at his softening stance—soon, he too will convert.
   • Nachor’s repentance foreshadows the king’s eventual conversion, reinforcing the power of truth and grace.

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Significance of the Passage

1. Theological Victory of Christianity

   • The debate format mirrors early Christian apologetics (e.g., Justin Martyr’s dialogues), where reason and rhetoric are used to defeat pagan philosophy.
   • The fact that even a deceiver (Nachor) unwittingly defends Christianity suggests that truth is self-evident, needing no manipulation.

2. Moral and Psychological Depth

   • Ioasaph is not just a passive recipient of faith but an active defender, using logic, fairness, and compassion to win souls.
   • Nachor’s internal conflict—knowing the truth but being enslaved by habit—reflects Augustine’s concept of original sin and the struggle against concupiscence (sinful desire).

3. Conversion as a Process

   • Unlike sudden, miraculous conversions (e.g., Paul on the road to Damascus), Nachor’s turn is gradual:
     • Intellectual acknowledgment (he knows the truth).
     • Moral blindness (habit and demonic influence).
     • Repentance (spurred by Ioasaph’s warning).
   • This aligns with Eastern Orthodox theology, which emphasizes synergy (human cooperation with grace) in salvation.

4. Political and Spiritual Authority

   • Ioasaph challenges his father’s authority not through rebellion but through moral superiority, showing that spiritual truth transcends earthly power.
   • The king’s reluctant fairness suggests that even tyrants can be moved by justice, a hopeful message for Christian readers under persecution.

5. Universalism in Salvation

   • The text suggests that no one is beyond redemption, not even a deceptive pagan astrologer. This reflects the early Christian belief in God’s boundless mercy (e.g., the parable of the Prodigal Son).

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Conclusion: Why This Passage Matters

This excerpt is a microcosm of the entire Barlaam and Ioasaph narrative:

• It dramatizes the conflict between truth and deception, faith and worldliness.
• It showcases Ioasaph as the ideal Christian prince—wise, just, and merciful.
• It illustrates conversion as both a rational and spiritual journey, where grace works through human agency.
• It reinforces the Byzantine Christian worldview, where pagan philosophy is ultimately inadequate, and repentance is always possible.

The passage is not just a theological debate but a moral and psychological drama, where truth prevails, not by force, but by persuasion, fairness, and divine providence. It remains relevant as a meditation on integrity, repentance, and the power of truth in an age of deception.