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righteousness and you have hated lawlessness; for this reason God, your God, has anointed you with the oil of gladness beyond your companions.” Behold, he clearly says that the God, whose throne is forever and ever, would be anointed by God the Father, by the Father as God, and by his own God as one who is also incarnate and anointed as a man. And Micah: “And you, Bethlehem, land of Judah, house of Ephrathah, are by no means least among the rulers of Judah; for from you will come a ruler, who will shepherd my people Israel, and his goings forth are from of old, from the days of eternity.” Who has had his going forth from of old, if not he of whom John the Theologian says: “In the beginning was the Word”? And again David: “O God, give your judgment to the king and your righteousness to the king's son.” And a little after: “And he will humble the false accuser and will endure with the sun and before the moon, for generations of generations.” Does this not clearly show the pre-eternal existence of Christ? And Baruch: “This is our God, no other will be accounted of in comparison to him. He found out all the way of knowledge and gave it to Jacob his servant and to Israel his beloved. Afterward, he was seen on earth and lived among men.” And John the Theologian and Evangelist: “In the beginning was the Word, and the Word was with God, and the Word was God. He was in the beginning with God. All things were made through him, and without him was not anything made that was made.” And a little after: “And the Word became flesh and dwelt among us, and we have seen his glory, glory as of the only-begotten from the Father, full of grace and truth.” John testifies about him, and has cried out, saying: “This was he of whom I said, ‘He who comes after me ranks before me, because he was before me.’” He was before me clearly as God; for as a man Christ was born after John. And again: “No one has ever seen God; the only-begotten Son, who is in the bosom of the Father, he has made him known.” And who has made him known if not Christ? He is therefore “the only-begotten Son, who is in the bosom of the Father.” And John the Forerunner: “And I have seen and have borne witness that this is the Son of God.” To say “the Son of God” and not to say “a son of God” without the article signifies him, the one only-begotten Son of God. And the Lord himself to Nicodemus: “No one has ascended into heaven except he who descended from heaven, the Son of Man.” How did the Son of Man descend from heaven, unless, being the Son of God and by nature God, he became Son of Man and humbled himself? For this is the descent; for it is not the nature of the divine to move from place to place, for it is uncircumscribed. And again the Lord. “For God did not send his Son into the world to condemn the world, but in order that the world might be saved through him. Whoever believes in him is not condemned; but whoever does not believe is condemned already, because he has not believed in the name of the only-begotten Son of God.” And again John: “He who comes from above is above all; he who is of the earth speaks of the earth. He who comes from heaven is above all.” And a little after: “The Father loves the Son and has given all things into his hand. Whoever believes in the Son has eternal life; whoever does not obey the Son shall not see life, but the wrath of God remains on him.” All these things have been said about Christ. And again the Lord: “My Father is working until now, and I am working. For this reason therefore the Jews were seeking all the more to kill him, because not only was he breaking the Sabbath, but he was also calling God his own Father, making himself equal with God.” And again the Lord: “The bread of God is he who comes down from heaven and gives life to the world.” And a little after: “I am the bread of life; he who comes to me shall not hunger, and he who believes in me shall never thirst.” And again: “Everyone who sees the Son and believes in him has eternal life.” If therefore Christ has descended from heaven,

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δικαιοσύνην καὶ ἐμίσησας ἀνομίαν· διὰ τοῦτο ἔχρισέ σε ὁ θεός, ὁ θεός σου, ἔλαιον ἀγαλλιάσεως παρὰ τοὺς μετόχους σου.» Ἰδοὺ σαφῶς τὸν θεόν, οὗτινος ὁ θρόνος εἰς τὸν αἰῶνα τοῦ αἰῶνός φησι χρισθήσεσθαι ὑπὸ τοῦ θεοῦ καὶ πατρός, τοῦ πατρὸς μὲν ὡς θεοῦ, θεοῦ δὲ αὐτοῦ ὡς καὶ σαρκουμένου καὶ ὡς ἀνθρώπου χριομένου. Μιχαίας δέ· «Καὶ σύ, Βηθλεέμ, γῆ Ἰούδα, οἶκος τοῦ Ἐφραθᾶ, οὐδαμῶς ἐλαχίστη εἶ ἐν τοῖς ἡγεμόσιν Ἰούδα· ἐκ σοῦ γὰρ ἐξελεύσεται ἡγούμενος, ὅστις ποιμανεῖ τὸν λαόν μου τὸν Ἰσραήλ, καὶ αἱ ἔξοδοι αὐτοῦ ἀπ' ἀρχῆς ἀφ' ἡμερῶν αἰῶνος.» Τίς ἔσχε τὴν ἔξοδον ἀπ' ἀρχῆς, εἰ μὴ περὶ οὗ Ἰωάννης ὁ θεολόγος φησίν· «Ἐν ἀρχῇ ἦν ὁ λόγος»; Καὶ πάλιν ∆αυίδ· «Ὁ θεός, τὸ κρῖμά σου τῷ βασιλεῖ δὸς καὶ τὴν δικαιοσύνην σου τῷ υἱῷ τοῦ βασιλέως.» Καὶ μετ' ὀλίγα· «Καὶ ταπει νώσει συκοφάντην καὶ συμπαραμενεῖ τῷ ἡλίῳ καὶ πρὸ τῆς σελήνης γενεᾶς γενεῶν.» Ταῦτα οὐ σαφῶς δηλοῖ τοῦ Χριστοῦ τὴν προαιώνιον ὕπαρξιν; Καὶ Βαρούχ· «Οὗτος ὁ θεὸς ἡμῶν, οὐ λογισθήσεται ἕτερος πρὸς αὐτόν. Ἐξεῦρε πᾶσαν ὁδὸν ἐπιστήμης καὶ ἔδωκεν αὐτὴν Ἰακὼβ τῷ παιδὶ αὐτοῦ καὶ Ἰσραὴλ τῷ ἠγαπημένῳ ὑπ' αὐτοῦ. Μετὰ ταῦτα ἐπὶ τῆς γῆς ὤφθη καὶ τοῖς ἀνθρώποις συνανεστράφη.» Ἰωάννης δὲ ὁ θεολόγος καὶ εὐαγγελιστής· «Ἐν ἀρχῇ ἦν ὁ λόγος, καὶ ὁ λόγος ἦν πρὸς τὸν θεόν, καὶ θεὸς ἦν ὁ λόγος. Οὗτος ἦν ἐν ἀρχῇ πρὸς τὸν θεόν. Πάντα δι' αὐτοῦ ἐγένετο, καὶ χωρὶς αὐτοῦ ἐγένετο οὐδὲ ἕν, ὃ γέγονε.» Καὶ μετ' ὀλίγα· «Καὶ ὁ λόγος σὰρξ ἐγένετο καὶ ἐσκήνωσεν ἐν ἡμῖν καὶ ἐθεασάμεθα τὴν δόξαν αὐτοῦ, δόξαν ὡς μονογενοῦς παρὰ πατρός, πλήρης χάριτος καὶ ἀληθείας.» Ἰωάννης μαρτυρεῖ περὶ αὐτοῦ, καὶ κέκραγε λέγων· «Οὗτος ἦν, ὃν εἶπον· Ὁ ὀπίσω μου ἐρχόμενος ἔμπροσθέν μου γέγονεν, ὅτι πρῶτός μου ἦν.» Πρῶτος ἦν ὡς θεὸς δηλαδή· ὡς γὰρ ἄνθρωπος μετὰ Ἰωάννην ἐτέχθη ὁ Χριστός. Καὶ πάλιν· «Θεὸν οὐδεὶς ἑώρακε πώποτε· ὁ μονογενὴς υἱὸς ὁ ὢν εἰς τὸν κόλπον τοῦ πατρός, ἐκεῖνος ἐξηγήσατο.» Τίς δὲ ἐξηγήσατο εἰ μὴ ὁ Χριστός; Αὐτὸς οὖν ἐστιν «ὁ μονογενὴς υἱὸς ὁ ὢν εἰς τὸν κόλπον τοῦ πατρός». Καὶ Ἰωάννης ὁ πρόδρομος· «Κἀγὼ ἑώρακα καὶ μεμαρτύρηκα, ὅτι οὗτός ἐστιν ὁ υἱὸς τοῦ θεοῦ.» Τὸ εἰπεῖν «ὁ υἱὸς τοῦ θεοῦ» καὶ μὴ εἰπεῖν υἱὸς θεοῦ ἀσυνάρθρως σημαίνει αὐτόν, τὸν ἕνα υἱὸν τοῦ θεοῦ τὸν μονογενῆ. Καὶ αὐτὸς ὁ κύριος τῷ Νικοδήμῳ· «Οὐδεὶς ἀναβέβηκεν εἰς τὸν οὐρανὸν εἰ μὴ ὁ ἐκ τοῦ οὐρανοῦ καταβάς, ὁ υἱὸς τοῦ ἀνθρώπου.» Πῶς ὁ υἱὸς τοῦ ἀνθρώπου κατέβη ἐκ τοῦ οὐρανοῦ, εἰ μὴ υἱὸς θεοῦ ὢν καὶ φύσει θεὸς υἱὸς ἀνθρώπου γέγονε καὶ ἐταπείνωσεν ἑαυτόν; Τοῦτο γὰρ ἡ κατάβασις· οὐ γὰρ πέφυκε τὸ θεῖον μεταχωρεῖν ἐκ τόπων εἰς τόπους, ἀπερίγραπτον γάρ. Καὶ πάλιν ὁ κύριος. «Οὐ γὰρ ἀπέστειλεν ὁ θεὸς τὸν υἱὸν αὐτοῦ εἰς τὸν κόσμον, ἵνα κρίνῃ τὸν κόσμον, ἀλλ' ἵνα σωθῇ ὁ κόσμος δι' αὐτοῦ. Ὁ πιστεύων εἰς αὐτὸν οὐ κρίνεται· ὁ δὲ μὴ πιστεύων ἤδη κέκριται, ὅτι μὴ πεπίστευκεν εἰς τὸ ὄνομα τοῦ μονογενοῦς υἱοῦ τοῦ θεοῦ.» Καὶ πάλιν Ἰωάννης· «Ὁ ἄνωθεν ἐρχόμενος ἐπάνω πάντων ἐστί· ὁ ὢν ἐκ τῆς γῆς ἐκ τῆς γῆς λαλεῖ. Ὁ ἐκ τοῦ οὐρανοῦ ἐρχόμενος ἐπάνω πάντων ἐστί.» Καὶ μετ' ὀλίγα· «Ὁ πατὴρ ἀγαπᾷ τὸν υἱὸν καὶ πάντα δέδωκεν ἐν τῇ χειρὶ αὐτοῦ. Ὁ πιστεύων εἰς τὸν υἱὸν ἔχει ζωὴν αἰώνιον· ὁ δὲ ἀπειθῶν τῷ υἱῷ οὐκ ὄψεται τὴν ζωήν, ἀλλ' ἡ ὀργὴ τοῦ θεοῦ μένει ἐπ' αὐτόν.» Ταῦτα περὶ τοῦ Χριστοῦ πάντα λέλεκται. Καὶ πάλιν ὁ κύριος· «Ὁ πατήρ μου ἕως ἄρτι ἐργάζεται, κἀγὼ ἐργάζομαι. ∆ιὰ τοῦτο οὖν μᾶλλον ἐζήτουν αὐτὸν οἱ Ἰουδαῖοι ἀποκτεῖναι, ὅτι οὐ μόνον ἔλυε τὸ σάββατον, ἀλλὰ καὶ πατέρα ἴδιον ἔλεγε τὸν θεόν, ἴσον ἑαυτὸν ποιῶν τῷ θεῷ.» Καὶ πάλιν ὁ κύριος· «Ὁ ἄρτος τοῦ θεοῦ ἐστιν ὁ καταβαίνων ἐκ τοῦ οὐρανοῦ καὶ ζωὴν διδοὺς τῷ κόσμῳ.» Καὶ μετ' ὀλίγα· «Ἐγώ εἰμι ὁ ἄρτος τῆς ζωῆς· ὁ ἐρχόμενος πρός με οὐ μὴ πεινάσῃ, καὶ ὁ πιστεύων εἰς ἐμὲ οὐ μὴ διψήσῃ.» Καὶ πάλιν· «Πᾶς ὁ θεωρῶν τὸν υἱὸν καὶ πιστεύων εἰς αὐτὸν ἔχει ζωὴν αἰώνιον.» Εἰ οὖν ἐκ τοῦ οὐρανοῦ καταβέβηκεν ὁ Χριστός,