Amphilochius of Iconium, On the Phrase "Father"

In illud: Pater si possibile est

so that they might cover up the blasphemy of their own choice. Tell me then, Lord, for what reason having come to the passion do you decline to suffer

For if I did not wish to grant life to the race of men through death, I, being the impassible Word, would not have entered into passible flesh. But si

is preserved from the water, or how is the crystallized firmament not dissolved and liquefied by the heat of the fire? And that I may not occupy your

by deceiving the deceiver, I shall undo the deceit. He with deceitful words deceived Adam, I with cowardly words deceive the deceitful one. But he utt

but shattered his own goads, being unable to endure the hardness of the resistance. Let no one, therefore, condemn me for cowardice through ignorance,

the Father, either unsparing or unable, did not free me from the passion, nor did I, refusing the passion, ask for the cup to pass by. For if the pass

so that they might cover up the blasphemy of their own choice. Tell me then, Lord, for what reason having come to the passion do you decline to suffer, and why do you fear the threat of the Jews, you who command us not to fear those who kill the body. And if you fear death at all, why do you not refuse death? For if it lies with you to suffer and not to suffer, you say in vain: If it is possible, let it pass. For it is in your power either to accept or to refuse the passion. But if it does not lie with you, you are naturally afraid, being dragged to the passion unwillingly and against your will. But if you undertake death for us unwillingly, how do you say: I have power to lay down my life, and I have power to take it up again, and how again in another place, making sport of the Jews' threat, did you say: Destroy this temple, and in three days I will raise it up? You, then, who in many ways and many times prefigured death before dying, and who sketched out the trophy of the cross before the cross, you who said that the Son of Man must be delivered up and crucified and buried and on the third day rise again, why now, having come to the cross, do you refuse death? For if the Son of Man must be delivered up, how do you say: If it is possible, let this cup pass? And if you did not wish to suffer at all, why did you put on a passible body? But if, wearing a passible body, you come to the passion, why are you grieved and distressed? And how, when you were describing death, when you were relating the passion, when you were prefiguring the cross, were you indignant with Peter when he said: God forbid, Lord! This shall not happen to you, and were so indignant as to say: Get behind me, Satan! You are a stumbling block to me; for you are not setting your mind on the things of God, but on the things of men? If, therefore, it is a human way of thinking to refuse death, for what reason do you now seek what you formerly forbade? And how do you now pray to avoid death, you who formerly rebuked the disciple for shrinking from the assault of death? Are you not the one proclaimed beforehand by the law and the prophets? Was it not about you that Hosea the prophet said: Thus says the Lord: From the hand of Hades I will ransom them, so that they might say: Where is your victory, O death? Where is your sting, O Hades? If, then, you are the one who rescues from Hades, how do you fear death? But if you fear death, through whom we hope to conquer death, our hope is in vain, our expectation is useless. And if you fear death at all, in whom shall we henceforth have our hopes of life, and how do you say: I am the life and the resurrection? For life does not fear death, resurrection does not shrink from suffering. But you are the life and the resurrection. Why then do you frighten my soul, why do you unnerve the strings of my mind, uttering words of cowardice? Was the matter of Lazarus a phantom? Was the matter of Jairus’s daughter a dream? Was the matter of the widow’s son a shadow? But what happened was truth. How then does he who plundered death fear death, and how does he who with authority raises the stinking dead pray and shrink from falling into death? And why do you fear falling into it at all? For even if you should fall into it, you will be set free. For he who raises others, will much more raise his own body. Either, then, tell me the meaning, Lord, or cease from the saying and do not tear my soul apart, or make my reason shrink back. For if you are the one who knows all things before their creation, how is it that you do not now know whether it is possible or impossible for the cup to pass? For if you do not know, Paul lies in saying that No creature is hidden from your sight, but all things are naked and exposed to his eyes. But if you know, how do you say: If it is possible? Questioning is for one who is ignorant, and a declaration for one who does not know. Tell us then, Lord, the meaning of what has been said. For now Eunomius rejoices, now Arius is gladdened, seizing upon the saying as a basis for blasphemy. But they rejoice in vain. For there is no rejoicing for the impious, says the Lord. For I do not fear death, as they say; I do not refuse the passion, as they suppose.

ἵνα τῆς οἰκείας προαιρέσεως τὴν βλασφημίαν ἐπικαλύψωσιν. Εἰπὲ οὖν, δέσποτα, τίνος ἕνεκεν ἐπὶ τὸ πάθος ἐλθὼν παραιτῇ τὸ παθεῖν, διὰ τί δὲ φοβῇ τὴν τῶν Ἰουδαίων ἀπειλήν, ὁ μὴ φοβεῖσθαι τοὺς ἀποκτέννοντας τὸ σῶμα παρεγγυώμενος. Ὅλως δὲ εἰ φοβῇ τὸν θάνατον, τί οὐ παραιτῇ τὸν θάνατον; Εἰ γὰρ ἐν σοὶ κεῖται τὸ παθεῖν καὶ τὸ μὴ παθεῖν, περιττῶς λέγεις τό· Εἰ δυνατὸν παρελ θάτω. Ἐν σοὶ γάρ ἐστιν ἢ καταδέξασθαι ἢ παραιτήσασθαι τὸ πάθος. Εἰ δὲ οὐκ ἐν σοὶ κεῖται, εἰκότως δειλιᾷς ὡς ἄκων καὶ παρὰ γνώμην ἐπὶ τὸ πάθος ἑλκόμενος. Εἰ δὲ ἄκων τὸν ὑπὲρ ἡμῶν θάνατον ἀναδέχῃ, πῶς λέγεις· Ἐξουσίαν ἔχω θεῖναι τὴν ψυχήν μου καὶ ἐξουσίαν ἔχω πάλιν τοῦ λαβεῖν αὐτήν, πῶς δὲ πάλιν ἐν ἑτέρῳ χωρίῳ παίζων τῶν Ἰουδαίων τὴν ἀπειλὴν ἔλεγες· Λύσατε τὸν ναὸν τοῦτον καὶ ἐν τρισὶν ἡμέραις ἐγερῶ αὐτόν; Ὁ τοίνυν πολλαχῶς πολλάκις πρὸ τοῦ θανάτου τὸν θάνατον προτυπώσας καὶ πρὸ τοῦ σταυροῦ τὸ τοῦ σταυροῦ τρόπαιον διαγράψας, ὁ εἰπὼν ὅτι δεῖ τὸν υἱὸν τοῦ ἀνθρώπου παραδοθῆναι καὶ σταυρωθῆναι καὶ ταφῆναι καὶ τῇ τρίτῃ ἡμέρᾳ ἀναστῆναι, τί ἐλθὼν νῦν ὑπὸ τὸν σταυρὸν τὸν θάνατον παραιτῇ; Εἰ γὰρ δεῖ τὸν υἱὸν τοῦ ἀνθρώπου παραδοθῆ ναι, πῶς λέγεις· Εἰ δυνατὸν παρελθάτω τὸ ποτήριον τοῦτο; Ὅλως δὲ εἰ τὸ μὴ παθεῖν ἐβούλου, τί τὸ παθητὸν ἐνεδύου σῶμα; Εἰ δὲ σῶμα παθητὸν φορέσας ἐπὶ τὸ πάθος ἔρχῃ, τί λυπῇ καὶ δυσχεραί νεις; Πῶς δὲ ὅτε τὸν θάνατον διέγραφες, ὅτε τὸ πάθος ἱστόρεις, ὅτε τὸν σταυρὸν προετύπους, πρὸς Πέτρον ἠγανάκτεις λέγοντα· Ἵλεώς σοι, κύριε, οὐ μὴ ἔσται σοι τοῦτο καὶ οὕτως ἠγανάκτεις ὡς λέγειν· Ὕπαγε ὀπίσω μου, σατανᾶ, σκάνδαλόν μου εἶ, ὅτι οὐ φρονεῖς τὰ τοῦ θεοῦ, ἀλλὰ τὰ τῶν ἀνθρώπων; Εἰ οὖν ἀνθρώπινόν ἐστιν φρόνημα, τὸ τὸν θάνατον παραιτεῖσθαι, τίνος ἕνεκεν νῦν ἐπιζη τεῖς ὃ πάλαι διεκώλυες; Πῶς δὲ νῦν ἐκκλῖναι τὸν θάνατον εὔχῃ, ὁ πάλαι τῷ μαθητῇ ἐπιτιμῶν διὰ τὸ δειλιᾶν τοῦ θανάτου τὴν προσβολήν; Οὐ σὺ εἶ ὑπὸ τοῦ νόμου καὶ τῶν προφητῶν προ αναφωνούμενος; Οὐ περὶ σοῦ Ὠσηὲ ὁ προφήτης ἔλεγεν· Τάδε λέγει κύριος· Ἐκ χειρὸς ᾅδου ῥύσομαι αὐτούς, ἵνα εἴπωσιν· Ποῦ ἡ νίκη σου, θάνατε, ποῦ τὸ κέντρον σου, ᾅδη; Εἰ οὖν σὺ εἶ ὁ ἐκ τοῦ ᾅδου ῥυόμενος, πῶς δειλιᾷς τὸν θάνατον; Εἰ δὲ σὺ τὸν θάνατον δειλιᾷς, δι' οὗ τὸν θάνατον νικᾶν ἐλπίζομεν, ματαία ἡμῶν ἡ ἐλπίς, ἀνόνητος ἡ προσδοκία. Ὅλως δὲ εἰ σὺ τὸν θάνατον φοβῇ, ἐν τίνι ἕξομεν λοιπὸν τὰς τῆς ζωῆς ἐλπίδας, πῶς δὲ λέγεις· Ἐγώ εἰμι ἡ ζωὴ καὶ ἡ ἀνάστασις; Ζωὴ γὰρ θάνατον οὐ φοβεῖται, ἀνάστασις πάθος οὐ δειλιᾷ. Ἀλλὰ σὺ εἶ ἡ ζωὴ καὶ ἡ ἀνάστασις. Τί μου οὖν φοβεῖς τὴν ψυχήν, τί μου τοὺς τόνους τῆς διανοίας ἐκλύεις δειλίας προ φέρων ῥήματα; Μὴ φάσμα ἦν τὰ κατὰ τὸν Λάζαρον; Μὴ ὄναρ ἦν τὰ κατὰ τὴν Ἰαείρου θυγατέρα; Μὴ σκιὰ ἦν τὰ κατὰ τὸν υἱὸν τῆς χήρας; Ἀλλὰ ἀλήθεια ἦν τὰ γεγενημένα. Πῶς οὖν ὁ τὸν θάνατον σκυλεύσας θάνατον φοβῇ, πῶς δὲ ὁ τοὺς νεκροὺς ὀδωδότας μετ' ἐξουσίας ἐγείρων εὔχῃ καὶ δειλιᾷς τῷ θανάτῳ μὴ περιπε σεῖν; Τί δὲ ὅλως τὸ περιπεσεῖν φοβῇ; Κἂν γὰρ περιπέσῃς, ἐλευθερώσῃ. Ὁ γὰρ ἑτέρους ἀνιστῶν, πολλῷ μᾶλλον τὸ ἑαυτοῦ ἐγείρει σῶμα. Ἢ φράσον οὖν μοι τὴν ἔννοιαν, δέσποτα, ἢ παῦσαι τοῦ ῥήματος καὶ μὴ διέλῃς μου τὴν ψυχήν, ἢ ὀκλᾶσαι ποιήσῃς τὸν λογισμόν. Εἰ γὰρ σὺ εἶ ὁ πάντα εἰδὼς πρὶν γενέσεως αὐτῶν, πῶς νῦν ἀγνοεῖς πότερον δυνατόν ἐστιν ἢ ἀδύνατον παρελθεῖν τὸ ποτήριον; Εἰ μὲν γὰρ ἀγνοεῖς, ψεύδεται Παῦλος λέγων ὅτι Οὐκ ἔστι κτίσις ἀφανὴς ἐνώπιόν σου, πάντα δὲ γυμνὰ καὶ τετραχηλισμένα τοῖς ὀφθαλμοῖς αὐτοῦ. Εἰ δὲ γινώσκεις, πῶς λέγεις· Εἰ δυνατόν; Ἀγνοοῦντός ἐστι πεῦσις καὶ οὐκ εἰδότος ἀπόφασις. Φράσον οὖν ἡμῖν, δέσποτα, τῶν εἰρημένων τὴν ἔννοιαν. Νῦν γὰρ Εὐνόμιος χαίρει, νῦν Ἄρειος εὐφραίνεται εἰς ὑπόθεσιν βλασφημίας τὸν λόγον ἁρπάζοντες. Ἀλλὰ μάτην χαίρονται. Οὐ γὰρ ἔστι χαίρειν τοῖς ἀσεβέσι, λέγει κύριος. Οὐ φοβοῦμαι γὰρ τὸν θάνατον, ὥς φασιν· οὐ παραιτοῦμαι τὸ πάθος, ὡς νομίζουσιν.