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For those who believe from signs are easily swayed, if some should deceive them that the signs were not done rightly. 70 {3Jο 3, 2}3Nicodemus is blameworthy, who wished to be a believer secretly. 71 {3Jο 3, 3}3Since Nicodemus approached him as a mere man, wishing to draw him to himself, he speaks to him things beyond man, as one who is above in the heavens and knowing the things done there and brought from there to men. 72 {3Jο 3, 3}3The kingdom of God and the kingdom of the heavens are the same thing, because the believer has his dwelling and "citizenship" in heaven, or because such a one is ruled by God who reigns over the heavens. 73 {3Jο 3, 3}3He who <lives> according to the life of the angels above and has learned the lofty doctrines through Christ is born from above. He who undergoes the second birth through the font, this one is born from above, and he who partakes of the Holy Spirit. The "from above" signifies the regeneration through the Spirit and shows that the Spirit is from the substance of the Father; for so also, by naming himself "from above," he signifies that he is from the substance of the Father. 74 {3Jο 3, 5}3The water cleanses the body and the Spirit sanctifies the invisible soul. The water is taken in the order of a mother, and the Spirit in the order of the fashioning God. The sensible water is re-elemented into a divine power and sanctifies those in whom it is reborn. The water has a difference from the Spirit only in concept, since it is the same in activity. The water is a symbol of burial and resurrection, wherefore it is necessarily included. And there are three immersions and three emergences, that we may know that all things are fulfilled by the power of the Father and the Son and the Holy Spirit. 75 {3Jο 3, 6}3The Father is Spirit as God, and the Son is Spirit as God, wherefore the Spirit, who is God and Father, begets Spirit, who is the Son and God. Therefore Christ is consubstantial with the Father according to divinity and consubstantial with his mother according to the flesh, although Christ is one from both, unchangeably and unconfusedly. And according to the word now set forth authoritatively by the Lord, through Christ we are refashioned in our mind, it being formed into a spiritual quality. 76 {3Jο 3, 6}3If Mary is flesh, animate and rational, then the fruit of her, consubstantial with her, is flesh, animate and rational, and not a phantom or something else other than the flesh that bore, the flesh of the Word having a rational soul, in which "dwelt all the fullness of the Godhead bodily." 77 {3Jο 3, 8}3One hears the voice of the Holy Spirit through the prophets. 78 {3Jο 3, 11}3He said "our" as Christ has in himself naturally the Father and the Spirit. 79 {3Jο 3, 12}3He calls baptism "earthly," though it is divine and spiritual, because it is performed on earth for the sanctification of men who are on earth. The birth of the font is called "earthly" in comparison to the birth of the Son which occurred from the substance of the Father. 80 {3Jο 3, 13}3From the lesser substance he names his whole self, just as from the divinity he calls his whole self. 81 {3Jο 3, 13}3After the hypostatic union he communicates the properties of the flesh and of the divinity according to the activities, not according to a change of those things from which Christ is. And the descent and the ascent are activities. 82 {3Jο 3, 13}3The Lord's body is not heavenly; for it is subject to passions. But as one and with flesh he is called Son of Man. 83 {3Jο 3, 14}3Just as the bronze serpent was not the venomous beast, but a likeness, so also the flesh of the Lord. It was flesh in truth, but not flesh of sin, but a likeness of the flesh of sin. 84 {3Jο 3, 14}3"To be lifted up" signifies that Christ became manifest and renowned. 85 {3Jο 3, 16}3Here again he communicates the whole, not knowing separation after the union; for with the flesh being sacrificed for the life of the world and given to death, the Son is said to have been given to death, although he remained impassible as God, only his own flesh suffering its own properties, when he permitted and willed it. 86 {3Jο 3, 16}3The Arians say that for this reason the Son is called only-begotten, because he alone has come from God. To whom it must be said, that some also call the sun only-begotten inasmuch as it is the only sun, but it is not also a son.

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οἱ γὰρ ἀπὸ σημείων πιστεύοντες εὐχερῶς μετατίθενται, ἐάν τινες αὐτοὺς σοφίσωνται, ὅτι οὐκ ὀρθῶς γεγόνασι τὰ σημεῖα. 70 {3Jο 3, 2}3Ψεκτὸς ὁ Νικόδημος ὁ λεληθότως εἶναι πιστὸς βουλόμενος. 71 {3Jο 3, 3}3Ἐπειδὴ ὡς ψιλῷ ἀνθρώπῳ προσῆλθεν αὐτῷ ὁ Νικόδημος, θέλων αὐτὸν ἑλκύσαι πρὸς ἑαυτὸν τὰ ὑπὲρ ἄνθρωπον αὐτῷ λαλεῖ ὡς ἄνω ὢν ἐν οὐρανοῖς καὶ εἰδὼς τὰ ἐκεῖ πραττόμενα καὶ ἐκεῖθεν εἰς ἀνθρώπους παραγόμενα. 72 {3Jο 3, 3}3Ταὐτόν ἐστι βασιλεία θεοῦ καὶ βασιλεία οὐρανῶν, διότι ὁ πιστὸς ἐν οὐρανῷ ἔχει τὴν οἴκησιν καὶ «τὸ πολίτευμα» ἢ ὅτι ὁ τοιοῦτος ὑπὸ θεοῦ δεσπό ζεται τοῦ βασιλεύοντος τῶν οὐρανῶν. 73 {3Jο 3, 3}3Ὁ κατὰ τὴν ἄνω τῶν ἀγγέλων ζωὴν <ζῶν> καὶ τὰ ὑψηλὰ δόγματα διὰΧριστοῦ μαθὼν ἄνωθεν γεννᾶται. ὁ τὴν δευτέραν τὴν διὰ τοῦ λουτροῦ γέννησιν ὑπομένων οὗτος ἄνωθεν γεννᾶται καὶ ὁ μετέχων πνεύματος ἁγίου. τὸ ἄνωθεν τὴν διὰ τοῦ πνεύματος ἀναγέννησιν σημαίνει καὶ δείκνυσιν, ὅτι ἐκ τῆς οὐσίας ἐστὶ τοῦ πατρὸς τὸ πνεῦμα· οὕτω γὰρ καὶ ἑαυτὸν ἄνωθεν ὀνομάσας ἐκ τῆς οὐσίας ὄντα τοῦ πατρὸς σημαίνει. 74 {3Jο 3, 5}3Τὸ ὕδωρ καθαρίζει τὸ σῶμα καὶ τὸ πνεῦμα τὴν ἀόρατον ἁγιάζει ψυχήν. τὸ ὕδωρ ἐν τάξει μητρὸς λαμβάνεται, τὸ δὲ πνεῦμα ἐν τάξει τοῦ διαπλάττοντος θεοῦ. τὸ αἰσθητὸν ὕδωρ πρὸς θείαν ἀναστοιχειοῦται δύναμιν καὶ ἁγιάζει τοὺς ἐν οἷς ἀναγεννᾶται. τὸ ὕδωρ ἐπινοίᾳ μόνον διαφορὰν ἔχει πρὸς τὸ πνεῦμα, ἐπεὶ ταὐτόν ἐστι τῇ ἐνεργείᾳ, τὸ ὕδωρ σύμβολόν ἐστι ταφῆς καὶ ἀναστάσεως, διὸ καὶ ἀναγκαίως παραλαμβάνεται. τρεῖς δὲ καταδύσεις γίνονται καὶ τρεῖς ἀνα δύσεις, ἵνα γνῶμεν, ὅτι δυνάμει πατρὸς καὶ υἱοῦ καὶ ἁγίου πνεύματος ἅπαντα πληροῦται. 75 {3Jο 3, 6}3Πνεῦμα ὁ πατὴρ ὡς θεός, πνεῦμα καὶ ὁ υἱὸς ὡς θεός, διὸ τὸ πνεῦμα, ὅ ἐστιν ὁ θεὸς καὶ πατήρ, πνεῦμα τίκτει, ὅ ἐστι τὸν υἱὸν καὶ θεόν. ὁμοούσιος οὖν ὁ Χριστὸς τῷ πατρὶ κατὰ τὴν θεότητα καὶ ὁμοούσιος τῇ μητρὶ κατὰ τὴν σάρκα, εἰ καὶ εἷς ἐξ ἀμφοῖν ὁ Χριστός, ἀτρέπτως καὶ ἀσυγχύτως. κατὰ δὲ τὸν κανονικῶς ἐκτεθέντα νῦν παρὰ τοῦ κυρίου λόγον διὰ Χριστοῦ ἀναμορφούμεθα τῆς διανοίας ἡμῶν εἰς πνευματικὴν ποιότητα διαπλαττομένης. 76 {3Jο 3, 6}3Εἰ σάρξ ἐστιν ἡ Μαρία ἔμψυχος λογική, καὶ ὁ καρπὸς αὐτῆς ὁμοούσιος αὐτῆς σὰρξ ἔμψυχος λογικὴ καὶ οὐ φάντασμα ἢ ἄλλο τι παρὰ τὴν τεκοῦσαν σάρκα τὴν τοῦ λόγου σάρκα τὴν ψυχὴν ἔχουσαν λογικήν, ἐν ᾗ «κατῴκει πᾶν τὸ πλήρωμα τῆς θεότητος σωματικῶς». 77 {3Jο 3, 8}3Τὴν φωνὴν τοῦ ἁγίου πνεύματος ἀκούει τις διὰ τῶν προφητῶν. 78 {3Jο 3, 11}3Τὸ ἡμῶν εἶπεν ὡς ἔχων ἐν ἑαυτῷ φυσικῶς ὁ Χριστὸς τὸν πατέρα καὶ τὸ πνεῦμα. 79 {3Jο 3, 12}3Ἐπίγειον καλεῖ τὸ βάπτισμα θεῖον ὂν καὶ πνευματικόν, ἐπειδὴ ἐπὶ γῆς τελεῖται πρὸς ἁγιασμὸν τῶν ἐπὶ γῆς ὄντων ἀνθρώπων. ἐπίγειος καλεῖται ἡ τοῦ λουτροῦ γέννησις πρὸς σύγκρισιν τῆς γεννήσεως τοῦ υἱοῦ τῆς ἐκ τοῦ πατρὸς τῆς οὐσίας γενομένης. 80 {3Jο 3, 13}3Ἀπὸ τῆς ἐλάττονος οὐσίας ὅλον ἑαυτὸν ὀνομάζει ὥσπερ ἀπὸ τῆς θεότητος ὅλον ἑαυτὸν καλεῖ. 81 {3Jο 3, 13}3Μετὰ τὴν καθ' ὑπόστασιν ἕνωσιν κοινοποιεῖ τὰ τῆς σαρκὸς καὶ τῆς θεό τητος κατὰ τὰς ἐνεργείας, οὐ κατὰ μεταβολὴν τῶν ἐξ ὧν ὁ Χριστός. ἐνεργείας δὲ καὶ ἡ κατάβασις καὶ ἡ ἀνάβασις. 82 {3Jο 3, 13}3Οὐκ ἔστιν οὐράνιον τὸ τοῦ κυρίου σῶμα· πάθεσι γὰρ ὑπόκειται. ὡς δὲ εἷς ὢν καὶ μετὰ σαρκὸς λέγεται υἱὸς ἀνθρώπου. 83 {3Jο 3, 14}3Ὥσπερ ὁ χαλκοῦς ὄφις οὐκ ἦν τὸ ἰοβόλον θηρίον, ἀλλ' ὁμοίωμα, οὕτω καὶ ἡ σὰρξ τοῦ κυρίου. σὰρξ μὲν ἦν κατὰ ἀλήθειαν, οὐ μὴν σὰρξ ἁμαρτίας, ἀλλ' ὁμοίωμα σαρκὸς ἁμαρτίας. 84 {3Jο 3, 14}3Τὸ ὑψωθῆναι δηλοῖ τὸ ἐμφανῆ καὶ ἐπίσημον γενέσθαι τὸν Χριστόν. 85 {3Jο 3, 16}3Ὧδε πάλιν κοινοποιεῖ τὸ πᾶν οὐκ εἰδὸς χωρισμὸν μετὰ τὴν ἕνωσιν· τῆς γὰρ σαρκὸς τυθείσης ὑπὲρ τῆς τοῦ κόσμου ζωῆς καὶ δοθείσης εἰς θάνατον ὁ υἱὸς λέγεται δεδόσθαι εἰς θάνατον καίπερ ἀπαθὴς μείνας ὡς θεὸς τῆς αὐτοῦ μόνης πασχούσης τὰ ἴδια σαρκός, ὅτε συνεχώρει καὶ ἤθελεν. 86 {3Jο 3, 16}3Οἱ Ἀρειανοὶ λέγουσιν, ὅτι διὰ τοῦτο καλεῖται ὁ υἱὸς μονογενής, ὅτι μόνος ἐκ θεοῦ γέγονεν. πρὸς οὓς λεκτέον, ὅτι καὶ τὸν ἥλιόν τινες λέγουσι μονογενῆ καθ' ὃ ἥλιος μόνος ἐστίν, ἀλλ' οὐκέτι καὶ υἱός ἐστιν.