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20. That the prophets declare that the nature was completely assumed. In harmony with these things, the prophet Isaiah also prophesies, crying out: “Behold, a virgin shall conceive in her womb, and shall bring forth a son, and they shall call his name Emmanuel,” which is, being interpreted, according to the teaching of the Gospels, God with us. And “God with us” means God with men. If, therefore, the offspring of the Virgin received this name, it is clear that he was at once God and man; being the one, and having taken the other, perfect in each. For through the “with us,” the perfection of the man is shown; for each of us has the nature of man completely. And through the “God,” and the addition of the article, the divinity of the Son is made known. And of this the blessed Paul is a teacher, saying: “In whom dwells all the fullness of the Godhead bodily.” And the divinely inspired evangelist Luke clearly shows us the human mind of the Savior Christ: “For the child,” he says, “grew, and became strong in spirit, filled with wisdom, and the grace of God was upon him.” And a little after: “And Jesus increased in age, and wisdom, and in favor with God and men.” But to increase in wisdom is characteristic not of the wise God, who is in need of nothing, and is always perfect, and admits neither increase nor decrease, but of the human mind, which advances with the stages of life, and is in need of 75.1456 instruction, and receptive of art and knowledge, and little by little comes to know both human and divine things. 21. A proof from the Epistle to the Hebrews of the distinction of the natures, and of the union of the Word. And one might see more clearly from the Epistle to the Hebrews the divine nature and the human, divided indeed in their operations, but united in the person, and showing the one Son. And not least, the introduction of the Epistle also has this teaching. For the divine Paul said: “Who being the brightness of his glory, and the express image of his person, and upholding all things by the word of his power.” And having shown him to be beyond time and before the ages (for by him, he says, he also made the ages), he added: “He sat down on the right hand of the Majesty on high, being made so much better than the angels, as he has by inheritance obtained a more excellent name than they.” But opposite to “being made” is “to be.” For he who is the brightness of the glory and the image of the person is not made better than the angels, but is not only better than the angels, but also their Creator and Lord. But if “to be made” is opposite to “to be,” through the one we shall understand him who always is, and through the other that which was assumed from us, and has been made better than the angels, on account of the union with him who assumed it. Again, a little after, to the Son he says: “Your throne, O God, is for ever and ever; a scepter of righteousness is the scepter of your kingdom. You have loved righteousness and hated iniquity; therefore God, your God, has anointed you with the oil of gladness above your companions.” But he who is God, and called God with the article, and who has a throne for ever and ever, how could he be anointed by God? How could he receive an appointed kingdom, when he has a kingdom by nature? “For your throne,” he says, “O God, is for ever and ever.” Therefore it is a contradiction to be a king and to be anointed as king, because one has loved righteousness and hated iniquity. For such a kingdom is a reward for labors. Therefore again, God, whose throne is for ever and ever, we shall understand as the one who always is; but him who was later anointed on account of his hatred concerning sin, and the righteousness loved by him, that which was taken from us, that from David, that from Abraham, that which has companions, whom he surpasses in anointing, having received in himself
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Κʹ. Ὅτι οἱ προφῆται τελείως τὴν φύσιν ἀναλη φθῆναι θεσπίζουσι. Τούτοις συνῳδὰ καὶ Ἡσαΐας ὁ προφήτης θεσπίζει βοῶν· «Ἰδοὺ ἡ παρθένος ἐν γαστρὶ λήψεται, καὶ τέξεται υἱὸν, καὶ καλέσουσι τὸ ὄνομα αὐτοῦ Ἐμμανουὴλ,» ὅ ἐστι μεθερμηνευόμενον, κατὰ τὴν τῶν Εὐαγγελίων δι δασκαλίαν, Μεθ' ἡμῶν ὁ Θεός· τὸ δὲ, Μεθ' ἡμῶν ὁ Θεὸς, μετὰ ἀνθρώπων ἑρμηνεύει Θεόν· εἰ τοίνυν τὸ κύημα τῆς Παρθένου ταύτην ἔλαβε τὴν προσηγορίαν, εὔδηλον ὡς ὁ Θεὸς ὁμοῦ καὶ ἄνθρωπος ἦν· τὸ μὲν ὑπάρχων, τὸ δὲ λαβὼν, καθ' ἑκάτερον τέλειος· διὰ μὲν γὰρ τοῦ, «Μεθ' ἡμῶν,» τοῦ ἀνθρώπου τὸ τέλειον δείκνυται· τελείως γὰρ ἡμῶν ἕκαστος ἔχει τοῦ ἀνθρώπου τὴν φύσιν· διὰ δὲ τοῦ, «Θεὸς,» καὶ τῆς προσθήκης τοῦ ἄρθρου, ἡ τοῦ Υἱοῦ θεότης γνωρίζεται· καὶ τούτου διδάσκαλος ὁ μακάριος Παῦλος λέγων· «Ἐν ᾧ κατ οικεῖ πᾶν τὸ πλήρωμα τῆς θεότητος σωματικῶς·» καὶ ὁ θεόληπτος δὲ Λουκᾶς ὁ εὐαγγελιστὴς ἐναργῶς ἡμῖν δείκνυσι τὸν νοῦν τὸν ἀνθρώπινον τοῦ Σωτῆρος Χριστοῦ· «Τὸ παιδίον γὰρ, φησὶν, ηὔξανε, καὶ ἐκρα ταιοῦτο πνεύματι, πληρούμενον σοφίας, καὶ χάρις Θεοῦ ἦν ἐπ' αὐτῷ.» Καὶ μετ' ὀλίγα· «Ἰησοῦς δὲ προέκοπτεν ἡλικίᾳ, καὶ σοφίᾳ, καὶ χάριτι παρὰ Θεῷ καὶ ἀνθρώποις.» Τὸ δὲ σοφίᾳ προκόπτειν, οὐ Θεοῦ τοῦ σοφοῦ, τοῦ ἀπροσδεοῦς, καὶ ἀεὶ τελείου, καὶ μήτε ἐπίδοσιν, μήτε ἐλάττωσιν δεχομένου, ἀλλὰ τοῦ νοῦ τοῦ ἀνθρωπίνου, τοῦ ταῖς ἡλικίαις συμπροϊόντος, καὶ δι 75.1456 δασκαλίας δεομένου, καὶ τέχνης καὶ ἐπιστήμης δε κτικοῦ, καὶ κατὰ βραχὺ τά τε ἀνθρώπινα καὶ τὰ θεῖα γνωρίζοντος. ΚΑʹ. Ἀπόδειξις ἐκ τῆς πρὸς Ἑβραίους Ἐπιστολῆς τῆς τῶν φύσεων διακρίσεως, καὶ τῆς τοῦ Λόγου ἑνώσεως. Σαφέστερον δ' ἄν τις ἐκ τῆς πρὸς Ἑβραίους Ἐπιστολῆς τὴν θείαν φύσιν καὶ τὴν ἀνθρωπείαν κατίδοι, ταῖς ἐνεργείαις μὲν διῃρημένας, τῷ προσώπῳ δὲ συν ημμένας, καὶ τὸν ἕνα ὑποδεικνύσας Υἱόν. Οὐχ ἥκιστα δὲ καὶ τῆς Ἐπιστολῆς τὸ προοίμιον, ταύτην ἔχει τὴν διδασκαλίαν. Εἶπε γὰρ ὁ θεσπέσιος Παῦλος· «Ὃς ὢν ἀπαύγασμα τῆς δόξης, καὶ χαρακτὴρ τῆς ὑποστά σεως αὐτοῦ, φέρων τε τὰ πάντα τῷ ῥήματι τῆς δυ νάμεως αὐτοῦ.» Καὶ δείξας αὐτὸν ὑπέρχρονον καὶ προαιώνιον (δι' αὐτοῦ γὰρ, φησὶν, καὶ τοὺς αἰῶνας ἐποίησεν), ἐπήγαγεν· «Ἐκάθισεν ἐν δεξιᾷ τῆς μεγα λωσύνης ἐν ὑψηλοῖς, τοσούτῳ κρείττων γενόμενος τῶν ἀγγέλων, ὅσῳ διαφορώτερον παρ' αὐτοῖς κεκλη ρονόμηκεν ὄνομα.» Ἐναντίον δὲ τοῦ γενέσθαι, τὸ εἶναι· ὁ γὰρ ὢν ἀπαύγασμα τῆς δόξης, καὶ χαρακτὴρ τῆς ὑποστάσεως, οὐ γίνεται κρείττων ἀγγέλων, ἀλλ' ἔστιν ἀγγέλων οὐ κρείττων μόνον, ἀλλὰ καὶ Ποιητὴς, καὶ ∆εσπότης· εἰ δὲ ἐναντίον τοῦ εἶναι τὸ γενέσθαι, δι' ἐκείνου μὲν τὸν ἀεὶ ὄντα νοήσομεν, διὰ τούτου δὲ τὸ ἐξ ἡμῶν ἀναληφθὲν, καὶ κρεῖττον τῶν ἀγγέλων γε γενημένον, διὰ τὴν πρὸς τὸν ἀνειληφότα ἕνωσιν· πάλιν μετ' ὀλίγα, πρὸς μὲν τὸν Υἱόν φησιν· «Ὁ θρόνος σου, ὁ Θεὸς, εἰς τὸν αἰῶνα τοῦ αἰῶνος· ῥάβδος εὐθύτητος, ἡ ῥάβδος τῆς βασιλείας σου· ἠγάπησας δικαιοσύνην, καὶ ἐμίσησας ἀνομίαν· διὰ τοῦτο ἔχρισέ σε ὁ Θεὸς, ὁ Θεός σου, ἔλαιον ἀγαλλιάσεως παρὰ τοὺς μετόχους σου.» Ὁ δὲ Θεὸς, καὶ μετὰ τοῦ ἄρθρου προσαγορευ θεὶς Θεὸς, καὶ τὸν θρόνον ἔχων εἰς τὸν αἰῶνα τοῦ αἰῶ νος, πῶς ἂν ὑπὸ τοῦ Θεοῦ χρισθείη; Πῶς ἂν χειρο τονητὴν λάβοι βασιλείαν, φυσικὴν ἔχων βασιλείαν; «Ὁ θρόνος σου γὰρ, φησὶν, ὁ Θεὸς, εἰς τὸν αἰῶνα τοῦ αἰῶνος.» Οὐκοῦν ἐναντίον τὸ εἶναι βασιλέα τοῦ εἰς βασιλέα χρισθῆναι, διὰ τὸ ἀγαπῆσαι δικαιοσύνην, καὶ μισῆσαι ἀνομίαν. Πόνων γὰρ ἆθλον ἡ τοιαύτη βασιλεία. Οὐκοῦν πάλιν τὸν μὲν Θεὸν, οὗ ὁ θρόνος εἰς αἰῶνα αἰῶνος, τὸν ἀεὶ ὄντα νοήσομεν· τὸν δὲ ὕστερόν ποτε χρισθέντα διὰ τὸ περὶ τὴν ἁμαρτίαν μῖσος, καὶ τὴν ἀγαπηθεῖσαν ὑπ' αὐτοῦ δικαιοσύνην, τὸ ἐξ ἡμῶν ληφθὲν, τὸ ἐκ ∆αβὶδ, τὸ ἐξ Ἀβραὰμ, τὸ μετόχους ἔχον, οἷς πλεονεκτεῖ τῷ χρίσματι, ἐν ἑαυτῷ δεξά