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And we speak of the life that is not denominated from life; for life does not partake of life, but it is life itself. Thus, therefore, he lives because of the Father. A man, therefore, for a reason, but God not for a reason. And both converged at the time of the sojourn. And by sojourn I do not mean only that according to the flesh; for he willed many; he is always sojourning. And thus, at least, I have understood the passage in Micah: "And you, Bethlehem, house of Ephrathah, are small. From you he will come forth for me, and his goings forth are from the beginning"; for he did not, I suppose, now for the first time come forth from the Father, from when the need arose for the administration of saving things. However the need of his going forth arose and wherever it arose. For this reason he spoke not of one, but of many goings forth. "For this reason he will give them up until the time of her who is giving birth". The last going forth, that of Mary's childbirth, is a kind of "until the time of her who is giving birth"; for the scripture does not praise women giving birth, but speaks of one who is giving birth, signified by the word. But she who is properly giving birth is she who has not received seed and conceived and formed and enclosed, but she herself gives birth. For this reason he was born of a woman. None of the others was born of a woman, but all through a woman; and all are from men; for the woman comes from the man, and the man through the woman. And this also must be said, that genealogies are made dispassionately and with knowledge and piously when they are traced from fathers; for the genealogy from women is discredited. Therefore, only this one who gives birth has borne without a man. And for this reason the Savior was born of a woman, not through a woman, even if many others are saying not 3 "of Mary," but "through Mary." Therefore many advocate docetism. And God is from the Father and not for a reason, but the man is from David and Mary and for a reason. He has come for the sake of the salvation of the world, that he might abolish death, that he might do many things for mortals, which they had cast away from their own negligence. For what reason, then, do I say these things? The things said about the Savior reveal the divinity. And all the things proclaimed about the divinity are incomparable to anyone else; for he is only-begotten. But the righteous deeds spoken of concerning the man, as of a man, also apply in a way to the just. The zealous become imitators of the man. But they do not imitate the divinity—for this is unholy—they imitate the man. Therefore, whatever is said about the man, could also be said about the angels and about perfect men. But whatever is said about the divinity, will not be said either about angels or about holy men. I do not say that any of the created beings is wisdom or the radiance of glory or the character of the divine substance or the only-begotten Son of God. But whatever is said as about a man, could be said, for example: "you seek to kill me, a man," being one, "who has spoken to you the truth that I heard from God". And many others, having learned the truth from God, have spoken it. But this one more fully, this one more greatly, this one incomparably. And again: "but because I tell you the truth, you do not believe me". And others speak the truth; for if we grant that no one has spoken the truth but Christ himself, we provide a whetstone for the nameless heresy. There is a certain nameless heresy that seems to have sprung up or come into being from books. And many have books, compositions, and say this, that truth has never been among men except at the sojourn of the Savior; for "grace and truth came through Jesus Christ". And see where the argument leads them: since they wish the old scripture and the prophets not to be from God, they say that truth never came to men until the sojourn had occurred. But in saying these things, they divide the one divinity and say that the world-maker before the sojourn is one, and they seek another as the father of Christ. But we do not say this, that truth was ever hidden. It always sends forth its own testimonies. But it is up to men either to see
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λέγομεν δὲ κα̣ὶ τ̣η`̣ν̣ ζωὴν̣ τη`̣ν̣ ου᾿̣ παρονομαζομένην̣ ἀπο`̣ ζωῆς· οὐ γὰρ μ̣ε̣τέχει ζωή, ἀλλὰ αὐτή ε᾿̣σ̣τι̣ν̣ ἡ ζωή. οὕτως οὐ῀̣ν ζῇ δια`̣ τὸν πατε´̣ρ̣α. ἀ´̣ν̣θ̣ρ̣ω̣πος οὖν δι̣α´̣ τ̣ι̣, θεὸς δὲ οὐ διά τι. ἀμφότερ̣α δὲ συνε´̣δραμε̣ν ἐπὶ του῀̣ τῆς ἐπιδημίας καιροῦ. ἐπιδημίαν δὲ οὐ πάντως λέγω τὴν̣ κατὰ σάρκα· πολλὰς γὰρ̣ ἠθέλησεν· α᾿̣ε̣ι`̣ ἐπιδημεῖ. καὶ οὕτω γοῦν ἐξείληφα τὸ ἐν τῷ Μιχ̣α̣ι´̣ᾳ̣· "καὶ σύ, Βηθλεέμ, οἶκος τοῦ Ἐπάθα, ὀλιγοστὸς εἶ. ἐκ σοῦ μοι ἐξελεύσεται, καὶ αἱ ἔξοδοι αὐτοῦ ἀπ' ἀρχῆς" ε̣ἰσιν· οὐ γάρ που νῦν πρ̣ότ̣ε̣ρ̣ο̣ν̣ ε᾿̣ξ̣ε̣λ̣θὼν παρὰ τοῦ πατρὸς ἧκεν, ἀφ' οὗ ἡ χρεία τῆς δ̣ιοικ̣ήσεω̣ς τῶν σωστικῶν. ὅπως̣ π̣ο̣τ̣ε`̣ γινομένη καὶ ὅπου ποτὲ γινομένη τῆς ἐξόδου αὐτοῦ χρεία. διὰ τοῦτο οὐδὲ μίαν̣, ἀλλὰ πολλὰς ἐξόδους εἶπεν. "διὰ τοῦτο δώσει αὐτοὺς ἕως καιροῦ τικτούσης". ἡ τελευταία ἔξοδ̣ος̣, η῾̣ τοῦ τοκετοῦ τῆς Μαρίας, ἐστίν τις "ἕως καιροῦ τικτούσης"· ἡ γραφὴ γὰρ οὐκ αἰνεῖ τικ̣τούσας, ἀλλὰ μίαν λέγει τίκτουσαν σημαινομε´̣ν̣η̣ν διὰ τῆς λέξ̣ε̣ω̣ς̣. τίκτου̣σα δὲ κ̣υρίω̣ς ε᾿̣σ̣τὶν ἡ μὴ σπέρματα ἀναλαβοῦσα καὶ κυοφορήσασ̣α κα̣ι`̣ μο̣ρ̣φ̣ω´̣σασα κ̣α̣ι`̣ π̣ε̣ρ̣ιστέγ̣ουσα, ἀλλὰ αὐτὴ τίκτει. διὰ τοῦτο ἐκ γυναικὸς γέγονεν. οὐδεὶς τῶν ἄλλων ἐκ γυν̣αικ̣ός, ἀλ̣λ̣ὰ διὰ γυναικὸς πάντες· ἐξ ἀνδρῶν δὲ πάντες· ἐκ τοῦ ἀνδρ̣ὸς γὰρ ἡ γυνὴ γίνεται, καὶ ὁ̣ ἀνὴρ διὰ τῆς γυναικός. καὶ τοῦτο δὲ ῥητέον, ὅτι αἱ γενε̣αλογίαι ἀπαθῶς̣ καὶ ε᾿̣πιστημο´̣ν̣ως καὶ εὐσεβῶς γίνονται, ὅταν ἀπὸ πατέρων κατάγωνται· διαβάλλεται γὰρ̣ ἡ γενεα̣λ̣ογία ἡ ἐκ γυναικῶν. μόνη οὖν αὕτη ἡ τίκτουσα ἄνευ ἀνδρ̣ὸς τέτοκ̣εν̣. καὶ διὰ τ̣οῦτο ἐκ γυναικὸς γέγονεν ὁ σωτήρ, οὐ διὰ γυναικός, εἰ καὶ πολλοὶ ἄλλοι γ̣ι´̣νονται λε´̣γοντες̣ ο̣υ᾿̣κ̣ 3 "ἐκ̣ Μαρίας", ἀλλὰ "διὰ Μαρίας". δόκησι̣ν οὖν πρεσβεύουσιν πολλοί. καὶ ὁ θεὸς ε᾿̣κ τοῦ π̣ατρός ἐστιν καὶ οὐ διά τι, ὁ δὲ ἄνθρωπος ἐκ̣ τ̣ο̣ῦ ∆αυὶδ καὶ τῆς Μαρίας καὶ διά τι. ἕνεκα τῆς σω̣τηρίας τοῦ κόσμου ἐλήλυθεν, ἵνα καταρ̣γήσῃ τὸν θάνατον, ἵνα πολλὰ ποιήσῃ το̣ῖς θν̣ητοῖς, ἅπερ ἐκ ῥαθυμίας ἰδίας ἀποβεβ̣λη´̣κ̣εσαν. τίνος δὴ ταῦτα χα´̣ριν λέγω; τὰ λεγόμενα περὶ τ̣οῦ σ̣ωτῆρος δηλοῖ τὴν θεότητα̣. καὶ π̣άντα̣ τὰ ἀπαγγελλόμενα περὶ τῆς θεότητος ἀσυντρ̣όχασ̣τ̣ά εἰσιν πρὸς ἄλλον τιν̣α´̣· μ̣ο̣ν̣ογενὴς γάρ ἐστιν. τὰ δὲ περὶ τ̣ο̣ῦ ἀνθρώπου λε̣γ̣όμε̣ν̣α̣ κατορθώματα ὡς ἀνθ̣ρ̣ω´̣που ἅπτεταί πως καὶ τῶν δι καίων. μιμ̣ηταὶ τοῦ ἀνθρώπου γίνονται οἱ σπουδαῖοι. ο̣υ᾿̣ μιμοῦνται δὲ τὴν θεότητα-τοῦτο γὰρ ἀνο´̣σ̣ι̣όν ἐστιν-, τὸν̣ ἀ´̣νθρ̣ω̣πον μιμοῦνται. ὅσα οὖν λέγεται περὶ του῀̣ α᾿̣νθρώπου, ῥηθείη ἂν καὶ περὶ τω῀̣ν ἀγγέλων καὶ περὶ τῶν τελείων ἀνδρῶν. ὅσα δ̣ὲ λέγεται περὶ τῆς θεότητος, οὐδὲ περὶ α᾿̣γ̣γ̣ε´̣λων οὐδὲ πε̣ρ̣ὶ ἀνθ̣ρ̣ω´̣πων ἁγίων ῥηθήσεται. οὐ λ̣έγω τινὰ τῶν γενητῶν σοφίαν εἶνα̣ι ἠ`̣ ἀπαύγασμα δόξης ἢ χαρακτῆρα τῆς θεικῆς ὑποστάσεως ἢ μονογενῆ τοῦ θεοῦ υἱόν. ὅσα δ̣ὲ λέγε̣ται ὡς π̣ερ̣ὶ ἀνθρώπου, ῥηθείη ἄν, οἷον· "ζητεῖτέ με ἀποκτεῖναι, ἄνθρωπον" ὄντα, "ὃς τὴν ἀλήθειαν ὑμῖν λελάληκα, ἣν ἤκουσα παρὰ τοῦ θεοῦ". καὶ ἄλλοι πολλοὶ μαθόντες παρὰ το̣ῦ θεοῦ τη`̣ν ἀλήθειαν ἐλάλησαν. οὑ῀̣τ̣ος δὲ πλειόνως, οὗτος μειζόνως, ο̣ὗτος ἀσυνκρίτως. καὶ πάλιν· "ἐγὼ δὲ ὅτι τὴν ἀλήθειαν ὑμῖν λέγω, οὐ πιστεύετέ μοι". καὶ ἄλλοι λέγο̣υσιν τὴν ἀλήθειαν· ἐὰν γὰρ δῶμεν, ὅτι οὐδεὶς τὴν ἀλήθειαν εἶπεν ἢ αὐτ̣ὸς ὁ Χριστός, δίδο̣μ̣ε̣ν ε̣ι᾿̣ς̣ τὴν αἵρεσιν α᾿̣κ̣ο´̣νην τὴν ἀνώνυμον. ἔνι ἀνώνυμός τις αἵρεσις ἡ ἐξανατ̣εῖλ̣αι δοκοῦσα ἢ γεγονέναι ἐκ βιβλίων. καὶ πολλοὶ βίβλους, συντάξεις, ἔχουσιν καὶ τοῦτο λέγουσι̣ν̣, ὁ´̣τι οὐδέποτε ἐν ἀνθρώποις γέγονεν η῾̣ ἀλήθεια εἰ μὴ ἐπὶ τῇ ἐπιδημίᾳ τοῦ σωτῆρος· "ἡ χάρις" γ̣ὰρ "καὶ ἡ ἀλήθεια διὰ Ἰησοῦ Χριστοῦ ἐγένετο". καὶ ὅρα ποῦ συνάγει αὐτοῖς ὁ λόγος· ἐπεὶ βούλον̣ται τὴν παλαιὰν γραφὴν μὴ ἐκ θεοῦ εἶναι μηδὲ τοὺς προφήτας, λέγουσιν, ὅτι οὐδέποτε ἡ ἀλήθεια ε̣ι᾿̣ς̣ α᾿̣νθρ̣ώπο̣υ̣ς ἐλήλυθεν εἰ μὴ τῆς ἐπιδημίας γεγενημένης. ταῦτα δὲ λέγοντες τὴν μίαν̣ θ̣ε̣ο´̣τ̣ητα δ̣ι̣ακο´̣πτουσιν καὶ ἄλλον λέγουσιν τὸν πρὸ τῆς ἐπιδημίας τὸν κοσμοποιόν̣, ἄλλον δε`̣ ζ̣ητ̣οῦσιν πατέρα Χ̣ριστοῦ. οὐ λέγομεν δὲ ἡμεῖς τοῦτο, ὅτι ποτὲ ἡ ἀλήθεια ἐκρύβη. ἀεὶ τὰς μαρτυρίας ἑαυτῆς ε᾿̣κπ̣ε´̣μπ̣ει. παρὰ τοὺς ἀνθρώπους δὲ ἔστιν ἢ ὁρᾶν