“[Humanity] was made in the image of God and deemed worthy of angelic and immortal life, but if he was rightly deprived of that angelic state as well as of eternal life and condemned to death, corruption, and the curse, all because he transgressed that one commandment of God, then what will happen to those of [Adam’s] race who meddle in theology while they still bear the image of dust and have never been purified? You are trying to meddle in the teachings about God and divine things, but you have never been taught yourself. Tell me, have you first come up from hell to appear on earth? How did you manage this? Through what steps and stages did you make the ascent? Who helped you, and what manner of creature were they? You came to the surface stinking and rotten with corruption, no more than a corpse in the thrall of death.”
I’m pretty sure that I’ve heard some of my friends in Biblical studies say something similar about those who “meddle in theology.” Pretty run of the mill polemic, actually…
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Symeon the New Theologian, Symeon the New Theologian: The Practical and Theological Chapters and The Three Theological Discourses, trans. Paul McGuckin, (Kalamazoo, MI: Cistercian Publications, 1982), 120.
eric daryl meyer 
To suffer as Christ did is an honor. I was made clean by the blood of Jesus the day I truly surrendered my life to him and was Baptized, so yes, before I became a bond servent to Christ I was the nast hell that you were describing. I bet you really enjoy your theology class and at the same time confused by it. I wish I could take one! I got a 7 month old right now. I am from Durango CO and spent time in Ithaca NY. Small world. Good luck with your studies and dive in deep 🙂 I find you very interesting.