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however the evangelist said that "being made in the likeness of man" was "becoming flesh." But that you may know that those who deny the flesh of our savior are disciples of the contrary spirit, listen to the great John saying in his catholic epistle: "Every spirit that confesses that Jesus Christ has come in the flesh is from God; and every spirit that does not confess that Jesus has come in the flesh is not from God, and this is the spirit of the Antichrist." {ERAN.} You have interpreted persuasively. But I wanted to learn how the ancient teachers of the church have understood "The Word became flesh." {ORTH.} You ought to have been persuaded by the apostolic and prophetic proofs. But since you also seek the interpretations of the holy fathers, I will, with God's help, provide you this remedy as well. {ERAN.} Do not bring before me obscure or doubtful men; for I will not accept the interpretation of such men. {ORTH.} Does that much-celebrated Athanasius, the most brilliant luminary of the church of Alexandria, seem to you to be credible? {ERAN.} Certainly; for by his sufferings for the truth he confirmed his teaching. {ORTH.} Listen then to him having written to Epictetus; for he speaks thus: For that which is said in John, "The Word became flesh," has this meaning, as it is also possible to find this from a similar case. For it is written in Paul: "Christ became a curse for us." Just as it is not that he himself became a curse, but that he received the curse on our behalf, it is said that he became one, so not that he was changed into flesh, but that he took up flesh on our behalf, he is said to have become flesh. {ORTH.} Thus the most divine Athanasius. And Gregory, whose renown among all is great, who once ruled the imperial city situated at the mouth of the Bosphorus, and later dwelt in Nazianzus 92, wrote thus to Cledonius against the artifice of Apollinaris. {ERAN.} The man is illustrious, and has become a champion of piety. {ORTH.} Listen then to him saying: Therefore, "The Word became flesh" seems to me to have the same force as his being called both sin and a curse, not that the Lord was transformed into these things (for how could he be?), but because by accepting these things he took upon himself our iniquities and bore our sicknesses. {ERAN.} The interpretation of both is harmonious. {ORTH.} Since we have shown you that those who have shepherded the south and the north are in agreement, come now, let us guide you also to the renowned teachers of the west, who wrote their interpretation in a different tongue, but not with a different mind. {ERAN.} I hear that Ambrose of Milan, who adorned the archepiscopal throne, has excelled against every heresy, and has written most beautifully and in agreement with the teaching of the apostles. {ORTH.} I will bring you his interpretation. He says these things in his discourse on faith: But, they say, it is written that "The Word became flesh." I do not deny what is written. But consider what is said. For it follows: "And dwelt among us," that is, that Word who took flesh, this one dwelt among us, that is, he dwelt in human flesh. Do you then wonder at what is written, "The Word became flesh," when the flesh was assumed by the Word of God, when also concerning sin, which he did not have, it is said that he became sin. That is, he did not become the nature and operation of sin, but so that he might crucify our sin in his own flesh. Let them therefore refrain 93 from saying that the nature of the Word was changed. For the one who assumes is one thing, and that which is assumed is another. {ERAN.} After these it is fitting to hear the teachers from toward the rising sun; for this part of the inhabited world alone remains for us. {ORTH.} These ought to have testified to the truth first; for they first heard the apostolic proclamations. But since you have sharpened your tongues against the firstborn children of piety, to the

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μέντοι εὐαγγελιστὴς τὸ ἐν ὁμοιώματι ἀνθρώπου γενέσθαι σάρκα ἔφη γενέσθαι. Ἵνα δὲ γνῷς ὅτι τοῦ ἐναντίου πνεύ ματός εἰσι μαθηταὶ οἱ τὴν σάρκα τοῦ σωτῆρος ἡμῶν ἀρνούμενοι, ἄκουσον τοῦ μεγάλου Ἰωάννου ἐν τῇ καθολικῇ λέγοντος· "Πᾶν πνεῦμα ὃ ὁμολογεῖ Ἰησοῦν Χριστὸν ἐν σαρκὶ ἐληλυθέναι ἐκ τοῦ θεοῦ ἐστι· καὶ πᾶν πνεῦμα ὃ μὴ ὁμολογεῖ τὸν Ἰησοῦν ἐν σαρκὶ ἐληλυθέναι ἐκ τοῦ θεοῦ οὐκ ἔστι, καὶ τοῦτό ἐστι τὸ τοῦ Ἀντιχρίστου." {ΕΡΑΝ.} Πιθανῶς μὲν ἡρμήνευσας. Ἐγὼ δὲ μαθεῖν ἐβουλόμην, ὅπως οἱ παλαιοὶ τῆς ἐκκλησίας διδάσκαλοι τό, "Ὁ λόγος σὰρξ ἐγένετο," νενοήκασιν. {ΟΡΘ.} Ἔδει μέν σε πεισθῆναι ταῖς ἀποστολικαῖς καὶ προφητικαῖς ἀποδείξεσιν. Ἐπειδὴ δὲ καὶ τὰς τῶν ἁγίων πατέρων ἑρμηνείας ἐπιζη τεῖς, ἐγώ σοι καὶ ταύτην, σὺν θεῷ φάναι, προσοίσω τὴν θεραπείαν. {ΕΡΑΝ.} Μή μοι παραγάγῃς ἄνδρας ἀσήμους ἢ ἀμφιβόλους· τῶν γὰρ τοιούτων τὴν ἑρμηνείαν οὐ δέξομαι. {ΟΡΘ.} Ἀξιόχρεως εἶναί σοι δοκεῖ Ἀθανάσιος ἐκεῖνος ὁ πολυθρύλλητος, ὁ φανότατος τῆς Ἀλεξανδρέων ἐκκλησίας φωστήρ; {ΕΡΑΝ.} Πάνυγε· τοῖς γὰρ ὑπὲρ τῆς ἀληθείας παθήμασι τὴν διδα σκαλίαν ἐκύρωσεν. {ΟΡΘ.} Ἄκουσον τοίνυν αὐτοῦ πρὸς Ἐπίκτητον γεγραφότος· λέγει δὲ οὕτως· Τὸ γὰρ παρὰ τῷ Ἰωάννῃ λεγόμενον, "Ὁ λόγος σὰρξ ἐγένετο," ταύτην ἔχει τὴν διάνοιαν, καθὼς καὶ ἐκ τοῦ ὁμοίου τοῦτο δυνατὸν εὑρεῖν. Γέγραπται γὰρ παρὰ τῷ Παύλῳ· "Χριστὸς ὑπὲρ ἡμῶν γέγονε κατάρα." Ὥσπερ οὐχ ὅτι αὐτὸς γέγονε κατάρα, ἀλλ' ὅτι τὴν ὑπὲρ ἡμῶν ἐδέξατο κατάραν, εἴρηται γεγονέναι, οὕτως οὐχ ὅτι τραπεὶς εἰς σάρκα, ἀλλ' ὅτι σάρκα ὑπὲρ ἡμῶν ἀνέλαβε, λέγε ται σὰρξ γεγονέναι. {ΟΡΘ.} Ταῦτα μὲν ὁ θειότατος Ἀθανάσιος. Γρηγόριος δέ, ᾧ κλέος παρὰ πᾶσι πολύ, ὁ πάλαι μὲν τὴν βασιλεύουσαν πόλιν τὴν ἐπὶ τῷ στόματι τοῦ Βοσπόρου κειμένην ἰθύνας, ὕστερον δὲ τὴν Ναζιανζὸν 92 οἰκήσας, κατὰ τῆς Ἀπολιναρίου τερθρείας ὧδε πρὸς Κληδόνιον ἔγραψεν. {ΕΡΑΝ.} Περιφανὴς ὁ ἀνήρ, καὶ πρόμαχος τῆς εὐσεβείας γεγένηται. {ΟΡΘ.} Ἄκουσον τοίνυν αὐτοῦ λέγοντος· Τὸ οὖν, "Ὁ λόγος σὰρξ ἐγένετο," ἴσον δοκεῖ μοι δύνασθαι τῷ καὶ ἁμαρτίαν αὐτὸν γεγονέναι λέγεσθαι καὶ κατάραν, οὐκ εἰς ταῦτα τοῦ κυρίου μεταποιηθέντος (πῶς γάρ;), ἀλλ' ὡς διὰ τοῦ ταῦτα δέξασθαι τὰς ἀνομίας ἡμῶν ἀναλαβόντος καὶ τὰς νόσους βαστάσαντος. {ΕΡΑΝ.} Σύμφωνος ἀμφοτέρων ἡ ἑρμηνεία. {ΟΡΘ.} Ἐπειδή σοι τοὺς τὰ νότια καὶ βόρεια ποιμάναντας συμφω νοῦντας ἐδείξαμεν, δεῦρο δή σε καὶ πρὸς τοὺς ἀοιδίμους τῆς ἑσπερίας ξεναγήσωμεν διδασκάλους, οἳ γλώττῃ μὲν ἑτέρᾳ, διανοίᾳ δὲ οὐχ ἑτέρᾳ τὴν ἑρμηνείαν συνέγραψαν. {ΕΡΑΝ.} Ἀμβρόσιον ἀκούω τὸν τῆς Μεδιολάνων τὸν ἀρχιερατικὸν διακοσμήσαντα θρόνον ἠριστευκέναι μὲν κατὰ πάσης αἱρέσεως, συγγεγραφέναι δὲ κάλλιστα καὶ τῇ τῶν ἀποστόλων διδασκαλίᾳ συμβαίνοντα. {ΟΡΘ.} Αὐτοῦ σοι τὴν ἑρμηνείαν προσοίσω. Λέγει δὲ ταῦτα ἐν τῷ περὶ πίστεως λόγῳ· Ἀλλά, φασί, γέγραπται ὅτι "Ὁ λόγος σὰρξ ἐγένετο." Τὸ γραφὲν οὐκ ἀρνοῦμαι. Ἀλλὰ θεάσασθε τὸ λεγόμενον. Ἕπεται γάρ· "Καὶ ἐσκήνωσεν ἐν ἡμῖν," τοῦτ' ἔστιν, ἐκεῖνος ὁ λόγος ὁ τὴν σάρκα λαβὼν οὗτος ἐσκήνωσεν ἐν ἡμῖν, τοῦτ' ἔστιν, ἐν σαρκὶ ἐσκήνωσεν ἀνθρωπείᾳ. Θαυμάζεις οὖν ἐφ' οἷς γέγραπται, "Ὁ λόγος σὰρξ ἐγένετο," τῆς σαρκὸς ἀναληφθείσης παρὰ τοῦ θεοῦ λόγου, ὁπότε καὶ περὶ ἁμαρτίας, ἣν μὴ ἔσχεν, εἴρηται ὅτι γενόμενος ἁμαρτία. Τοῦτ' ἔστιν, οὐ φύσις καὶ ἐνέργεια ἁμαρτίας ἐγένετο, ἀλλ' ἵνα τὴν ἡμετέραν ἁμαρτίαν ἐν τῇ ἰδίᾳ σταυρώσῃ σαρκί. Ἀπόσχωνται 93 οὖν λέγειν τὴν τοῦ λόγου φύσιν μετημεῖφθαι. Ἄλλος γάρ ἐστιν ὁ ἀναλαβών, καὶ ἄλλο τὸ ἀναληφθέν. {ΕΡΑΝ.} Μετὰ τούτους προσήκει τῶν πρὸς ἥλιον ἀνίσχοντα διδα σκάλων ἀκοῦσαι· τοῦτο γὰρ ἡμῖν μόνον τῆς οἰκουμένης ὑπολέλειπται τμῆμα. {ΟΡΘ.} Ἔδει μὲν τούτους πρώτους μαρτυρῆσαι τῇ ἀληθείᾳ· πρῶτοι γὰρ τῶν ἀποστολικῶν ἐπήκουσαν κηρυγμάτων. Ἐπειδὴ δὲ κατὰ τῶν πρωτοτόκων τῆς εὐσεβείας παίδων τὰς ὑμετέρας ἠκονήσατε γλώσσας, τῇ