Amphilochius of Iconium, On the Phrase "It Cannot Be"

In illud: Non potest filius a se facere

Of Amphilochius, bishop of Iconium <from the sermon on The Son can do nothing of himself> ... The [phrase] 'The Son can do nothing of himself,' how do you understand [it]? For you understand 'cannot' in two ways; both according to common usage and according to divine scripture. For 'cannot' is said both of impossible things and of things not permissible; and it is one thing not to be able and another not to be permissible. Concerning impossible things, Paul speaks thus: It is impossible for the blood of bulls and goats to take away sins; for the blood of an irrational [creature] does not purify the passions of a rational soul. But concerning things not permissible, in the Acts the apostles [say]: We cannot, he says, not speak of what we have seen and heard; and yet they were able not to speak but they could not bear to be silent, lest they should seem to deny the grace of the one working wonders. Therefore tell me here, in which way do you understand the [phrase] 'The Son can do nothing of himself'; ascribing weakness to him or annulling the movements of his free will, that whatever he wishes, he is able to do. But what do you say; that he does not act of himself, but fulfilling a command of God he accomplishes those things at which the nod of the one commanding is directed? And how is it not of the utmost folly to say this; for if he does absolutely nothing of himself, he neither fulfilled the whole economy by his will, nor took on our flesh out of sympathy for us, nor out of love voluntarily accepted death on our behalf, but he endured all things by force, compelled by necessity. But if it is audacious and blasphemous and beyond all impiety to say this, tell us according to what reasoning you understand the [phrase] 'The son can do nothing of himself'. For it is clear that, even if you do not wish it, driven by the truth you say that he is able to do whatever he wants. But why do I weave superfluous arguments? For the continuation of the saying resolves the question; for he did not say that 'He can do nothing of himself, unless the Father commands something,' but 'unless he sees the Father doing [it]'; and if he sees him doing something, these things the Son also does likewise. Therefore he does not do what the Father commands by fulfilling a service, but as one who is like, as one who is equal in power, as one who is of the same divine nature; whatever he sees the Father doing, these things the Son also does likewise. After these things, it says, there was the feast of the Jews and Jesus went up to Jerusalem. And lest they should ascribe everything to the waters, the waters did not heal before an angel, coming upon them, stirred them, so that they might learn that neither do the waters of baptism in themselves benefit the soul before the angel of great counsel, having put on a human body, comes to the baptism. Therefore since there were many sick people, a paralytic man was also lying there, who had been in his infirmity for thirty-eight years, whom Jesus, seeing, asks: Do you want to be made well? See his humility; he did not say, 'Do you want me to heal you,' for he did not wish to speak boastfully nor to proclaim himself before the miracles. But he says: I do want to, but I have no man; for where there is no friend, there is no man anywhere. For this reason I also ask, not so that I may learn - for what sick person does not want to be well? -, but so that you may show the cruelty of your good citizens, that they did not even give you a hand to cast you into the pool, a thing which even an enemy, if asked, would have provided. Since, therefore, until now you have not had a man to put you into the pool, behold, I who became man for you also heal your suffering without water; Arise, take up your bed and go. Not

In illud: Non potest filius a se facere

Ἀμφιλοχίου ἐπισκόπου Ἰκονίου <ἐκ τοῦ εἰς τὸ Οὐ δύναται ὁ υἱὸς ποιεῖν

ἀφ' ἑαυτοῦ οὐδέν> ... Τὸ Οὐ δύναται ὁ υἱὸς ποιεῖν ἀφ' ἑαυτοῦ οὐδέν, πῶς νοεῖτε; Τὸ γὰρ οὐ δύναται κατὰ δύο τρόπους ἐκλαμβάνετε· καὶ κατὰ τὴν κοινὴν χρῆσιν καὶ κατὰ τὴν θείαν γραφήν. Λέγεται γὰρ τὸ οὐ δύναται καὶ ἐπὶ τῶν ἀδυνάτων καὶ ἐπὶ τῶν μὴ ἐγχωρούντων· ἄλλο δὲ τὸ μὴ δύνασθαι καὶ ἄλλο τὸ μὴ ἐγχωρεῖν. Περὶ μὲν τῶν ἀδυνάτων ὁ Παῦλος οὕτω λέγει· Ἀδύνατον αἷμα ταύρων καὶ τράγων περιελεῖν ἁμαρτίας· αἷμα γὰρ ἀλόγου λογικῆς ψυχῆς οὐ καθαίρει πάθη. Περὶ δὲ τῶν μὴ ἐγχωρούντων ἐν ταῖς Πράξεσιν οἱ ἀπόστολοι· Οὐ δυνάμεθα, φησίν, ἡμεῖς ἃ εἴδομεν καὶ ἠκούσαμεν μὴ λαλεῖν· καὶ μὴν ἠδύναντο μὴ λαλεῖν ἀλλ' οὐκ ἠνείχοντο σιωπᾶν, ἵνα μὴ δόξωσιν ἀρνεῖσθαι τοῦ θαυματουργοῦντος τὴν χάριν. Εἴπατε οὖν ἐνταῦθα, τὸ Οὐ δύναται ὁ υἱὸς ποιεῖν ἀφ' ἑαυτοῦ οὐδέν, κατὰ ποῖον ἐκλαμβάνετε τρόπον· ἀδυναμίαν αὐτοῦ καταψηφιζόμενοι ἢ τῆς αὐτεξουσίου γνώμης ἀναιροῦντες τὰ κινήματα, ὅτι ὅσα θέλει δύναται. Ἀλλὰ τί λέγεις· ἀφ' ἑαυτοῦ οὐ ποιεῖ, ἀλλὰ πρόσταγμα θεοῦ πληρῶν ἐκεῖνα ἐργάζεται εἰς ὅπερ ἂν τὸ τοῦ προστάξαντος νεῦμα βλέπῃ; Καὶ πῶς οὐκ ἔστιν ἐσχάτης ἀνοίας τοῦτο λέγειν· εἰ γὰρ ὁλῶς οὐδὲν ἀφ' ἑαυτοῦ ποιεῖ, οὔτε γνώμῃ τὴν οἰκονομίαν ὅλην ἐπλήρωσεν οὔτε συμπαθείᾳ τῇ πρὸς ἡμᾶς τὴν ἡμῶν ἀνέλαβε σάρκα οὔτε φιλίᾳ αὐθαίρετον τὸν ὑπὲρ ἡμῶν κατεδέξατο θάνα τον, ἀλλὰ πάντα βίᾳ ὑπέμεινεν ὑπὸ τῆς ἀνάγκης συνωθούμενος. Εἰ δὲ τολμηρὸν καὶ βλάσφημον καὶ πάσης ἀσεβείας ἐπέκεινα τὸ τοῦτο εἰπεῖν, εἴπατε ἡμῖν κατὰ ποῖον λόγον τὸ Οὐ δύναται ὁ υἱὸς ἀφ' ἑαυτοῦ τι ποιεῖν ἐκλαμβάνετε. Ὅτι γάρ, κἂν μὴ θέλητε, λέγετε δύνασθαι αὐτὸν ποιεῖν ἅπερ βούλεται, ὑπὸ τῆς ἀληθείας ἐλαυνό μενοι δῆλον. Ἀλλὰ τί περίττους ὑφαίνω λόγους; Λύει γὰρ τὸ ζήτημα ἡ ἐπαγωγὴ τοῦ ῥητοῦ· οὐ γὰρ εἶπεν ὅτι Οὐ δύναται ποιεῖν ἀφ' ἑαυτοῦ οὐδέν, ἐὰν μή τι προστάξῃ ὁ πατήρ, ἀλλ' ἐὰν μὴ βλέπῃ τὸν πατέρα ποιοῦντα· ἐὰν δὲ ἴδῃ αὐτὸν ποιοῦντά τι, ταῦτα καὶ ὁ υἱὸς ὁμοίως ποιεῖ. Οὐκοῦν οὐ λειτουργίαν πληρῶν ποιεῖ ἅπερ προσ τάττει ὁ πατήρ, ἀλλ' ὡς ὅμοιος, ὡς ἰσοδύναμος, ὡς τῆς αὐτῆς θείας φύσεως ὤν· ἅπερ ἂν ἴδῃ τὸν πατέρα ποιοῦντα, ταῦτα καὶ ὁ υἱὸς ὁμοίως ποιεῖ. Μετὰ ταῦτα, φησίν, ἦν ἡ ἑορτὴ τῶν Ἰουδαίων καὶ ἀνέβη Ἰησοῦς εἰς τὰ Ἱεροσόλυμα. Ἵνα δὲ μὴ τοῖς ὕδασι ἐπιγράψωσι τὸ πᾶν, οὐ πρότερον ἰᾶτο τὰ ὕδατα πρὶν ἄγγελος αὐτὰ ἐπιστὰς ἐσάλευσεν, ἵνα μάθωσιν ὡς οὔτε τὰ ὕδατα τοῦ βαπτίσματος καθ' ἑαυτὰ ὀνίνησι τὴν ψυχὴν πρὶν ἂν ὁ μεγάλης βουλῆς ἄγγελος ἀνθρώπινον ὑποδὺς σῶμα ἐπὶ τὸ βάπτισμα ἔλθῃ. Πολλῶν οὖν ἀσθενῶν ὄντων ἔκειτο καὶ παραλυτικὸς ἀνὴρ ὀκτὼ καὶ τριάκοντα ἔτη ἔχων ἐν τῇ ἀσθενείᾳ, ὃν ἰδὼν ὁ Ἰησοῦς ἐρωτᾷ· Θέλεις ὑγιὴς γενέσθαι; Βλέπε αὐτοῦ τὸ ἄτυφον· οὐκ εἶπεν θέλεις σε θεραπεύσω, οὐ γὰρ ἤθελε μεγαλορρημονεῖν οὐδὲ ἑαυτὸν πρὸ τῶν θαυμάτων ἀνακηρύττειν. Ὁ δέ φησι· θέλω μέν, ἀλλ' ἄνθρωπον οὐκ ἔχω· ὅπου γὰρ οὐδεὶς φίλος, οὐδαμοῦ ἄνθρωπος. ∆ιὰ τοῦτο καὶ ἐρωτῶ, οὐχ ἵνα μάθω- τίς γὰρ ἀσθενῶν ὑγιᾶναι οὐ βούλεται; -, ἀλλ' ἵνα τῶν χρηστῶν σου πολιτῶν τὴν ὠμότητα δείξῃς, ὅτι οὔτε χεῖρα σοι ἔδωκαν προσρῖψαι σε τῇ πηγῇ, ὃ καὶ πολέμιος αἰτηθεὶς ἂν παρέσχεν. Ἐπεὶ οὖν μέχρι τοῦ νῦν ἄνθρωπον οὐκ ἔσχες ἵνα βάλῃ σε εἰς τὴν κολυμβήθραν, ἰδοὺ ὁ διὰ σὲ ἄνθρωπος γενόμενος καὶ ἄνευ ὑδάτων ἰῶμαι σου τὸ πάθος· Ἀναστὰς ἆρον τὴν κλίνην σου καὶ ὕπαγε. Οὐχ