Epistle to Diognetus

For what man at all had any knowledge what God was, before He came?

Τίς γὰρ ὅλως ἀνθρώπων ἠπίστατο, τί ποτ̓ ἐστὶ θεὸς πρὶν αὐτὸν ἐλθεῖν;

Or dost thou accept the empty and nonsensical statements of those pretentious philosophers: of whom some said that God was fire (they call that God, where-unto they themselves shall go), and others water, and others some other of the elements which were created by God?

ἢ τοὺς κενοὺς καὶ ληρώδεις ἐκείνων λόγους ἀποδέχῃ τῶν ἀξιοπίστων φιλοσόφων, ὧν οἱ μέν τινες πῦρ ἔφασαν εἶναι τὸν θεὸν ʽοὗ μέλλουσι χωρήσειν αὐτοί, τοῦτο καλοῦσι θεόν̓, οἱ δὲ ὕδωρ, οἱ δ̓ ἄλλο τι τῶν στοιχείων τῶν ἐκτισμένων ὑπὸ θεοῦ;