Chapter XX.—Texts Explained; Sixthly, Proverbs viii. 22 Continued. Our Lord is said to be created ‘for the works,’ i.e. with a particular purpose, which no mere creatures are ever said to be. Parallel of Isai. xlix. 5, &c. When His manhood is spoken of, a reason for it is added; not so when His Divine Nature; Texts in proof.

51 (continued). For the passage in the Proverbs, as I have said before, signifies, not the Essence, but the manhood of the Word; for if He says that He was created ‘for the works,’ He shews His intention of signifying, not His Essence, but the Economy which took place ‘for His works,’ which comes second to being. For things which are in formation and creation are made specially that they may be and exist720    He says in effect, ‘Before the generation of the works, they were not; but Christ on the contrary’ (not, ‘was before His generation,’ as Bull’s hypothesis, supr. Exc. B. would require, but) ‘is from everlasting,’ vid. §57, note., and next they have to do whatever the Word bids them, as may be seen in the case of all things. For Adam was created, not that He might work, but that first he might be man; for it was after this that he received the command to work. And Noah was created, not because of the ark, but that first he might exist and be a man; for after this he received commandment to prepare the ark. And the like will be found in every case on inquiring into it;—thus the great Moses first was made a man, and next was entrusted with the government of the people. Therefore here too we must suppose the like; for thou seest, that the Word is not created into existence, but, ‘In the beginning was the Word,’ and He is afterwards sent ‘for the works’ and the Economy towards them. For before the works were made, the Son was ever, nor was there yet need that He should be created; but when the works were created and need arose afterwards of the Economy for their restoration, then it was that the Word took upon Himself this condescension and assimilation to the works; which He has shewn us by the word ‘He created.’ And through the Prophet Isaiah willing to signify the like, He says again: ‘And now thus saith the Lord, who formed me from the womb to be His servant, to gather together Jacob unto Him and Israel, I shall be brought together and be glorified before the Lord721    Isai. xlix. 5. LXX..’

52. See here too, He is formed, not into existence, but in order to gather together the tribes, which were in existence before He was formed. For as in the former passage stands ‘He created,’ so in this ‘He formed;’ and as there ‘for the works,’ so here ‘to gather together;’ so that in every point of view it appears that ‘He created’ and ‘He formed’ are said after ‘the Word was.’ For as before His forming the tribes existed, for whose sake He was formed, so does it appear that the works exist, for which He was created. And when ‘in the beginning was the Word,’ not yet were the works, as I have said before; but when the works were made and the need required, then ‘He created’ was said; and as if some son, when the servants were lost, and in the hands of the enemy by their own carelessness, and need was urgent, were sent by his father to succour and recover them, and on setting out were to put over him the like dress722    §7. with them, and should fashion himself as they, lest the capturers, recognising him723    Vid. the well-known passage in S. Ignatius, ad Eph. 19 [and Lightfoot’s note]. as the master, should take to flight and prevent his descending to those who were hidden under the earth by them; and then were any one to inquire of him, why he did so, were to make answer, ‘My Father thus formed and prepared me for his works,’ while in thus speaking, he neither implies that he is a servant nor one of the works, nor speaks of the beginning of His origination, but of the subsequent charge given him over the works,—in the same way the Lord also, having put over Him our flesh, and ‘being found in fashion as a man,’ if He were questioned by those who saw Him thus and marvelled, would say, ‘The Lord created Me the beginning of His ways for His works,’ and ‘He formed Me to gather together Israel.’ This again the Spirit724    Supr. 20. foretells in the Psalms, saying, ‘Thou didst set Him over the works of Thine hands725    Heb. ii. 7.;’ which elsewhere the Lord signified of Himself, ‘I am set as King by Him upon His holy hill of Sion726    Ps. ii. 6. LXX..’ And as, when He shone727    ἐπέλαμψε, vid. of the Holy Spirit, Serap. i. 20, c. in the body upon Sion, He had not His beginning of existence or of reign, but being God’s Word and everlasting King, He vouchsafed that His kingdom should shine in a human way in Sion, that redeeming them and us from the sin which reigned in them, He might bring them under His Father’s Kingdom, so, on being set ‘for the works,’ He is not set for things which did not yet exist, but for such as already were and needed restoration.

53. ‘He created’ then and ‘He formed’ and ‘He set,’ having the same meaning, do not denote the beginning of His being, or of His essence as created, but His beneficent renovation which came to pass for us. Accordingly, though He thus speaks, yet He taught also that He Himself existed before this, when He said, ‘Before Abraham came to be, I am728    John viii. 58.;’ and ‘when He prepared the heavens, I was present with Him;’ and ‘I was with Him disposing things729    Prov. viii. 27, 30, LXX..’ And as He Himself was before Abraham came to be, and Israel had come into being after Abraham, and plainly He exists first and is formed afterwards, and His forming signifies not His beginning of being but His taking manhood, wherein also He collects together the tribes of Israel; so, as ‘being always with the Father,’ He Himself is Framer of the creation, and His works are evidently later than Himself, and ‘He created’ signifies, not His beginning of being, but the Economy which took place for the works, which He effected in the flesh. For it became Him, being other than the works, nay rather their Framer, to take upon Himself their renovation730    p. 335, note 1., that, whereas He is created for us, all things may be now created in Him. For when He said ‘He created,’ He forthwith added the reason, naming ‘the works,’ that His creation for the works might signify His becoming man for their renovation. And this is usual with divine Scripture731    ἔθος ἐστὶ τῇ θεί& 139· γραφῇ: and so Orat. iii. 18, b. And τῆς γραφῆς ἔθος ἐχούσης, ibid. 30, d.; for when it signifies the fleshly origination of the Son, it adds also the cause732    Vid. Naz. Orat. 30. 2. for which He became man; but when he speaks or His servants declare anything of His Godhead, all is said in simple diction, and with an absolute sense, and without reason being added. For He is the Father’s Radiance; and as the Father is, but not for any reason, neither must we seek the reason of that Radiance. Thus it is written, ‘In the beginning was the Word, and the Word was with God, and the Word was God733    John i. 1.;’ and the wherefore it assigns not734    Naz. ibid.; but when ‘the Word was made flesh735    John i. 14.,’ then it adds the reason why, saying, ‘And dwelt among us.’ And again the Apostle saying, ‘Who being in the form of God,’ has not introduced the reason, till ‘He took on Him the form of a servant;’ for then he continues, ‘He humbled Himself unto death, even the death of the cross736    Phil. ii. 6–8.;’ for it was for this that He both became flesh and took the form of a servant.

54. And the Lord Himself has spoken many things in proverbs; but when giving us notices about Himself, He has spoken absolutely737    Infr. 62.; ‘I in the Father and the Father in Me,’ and ‘I and the Father are one,’ and, ‘He that hath seen Me, hath seen the Father,’ and ‘I am the Light of the world,’ and, ‘I am the Truth738    John xiv. 6, 9, 10; x. 30; viii. 12;’ not setting down in every case the reason, nor the wherefore, lest He should seem second to those things for which He was made. For that reason would needs take precedence of Him, without which not even He Himself had come into being. Paul, for instance, ‘separated an Apostle for the Gospel, which the Lord had promised afore by the Prophets739    Rom. i. 1, 2.,’ was thereby made subordinate to the Gospel, of which he was made minister, and John, being chosen to prepare the Lord’s way, was made subordinate to the Lord; but the Lord, not being made subordinate to any reason why He should be Word, save only that He is the Father’s Offspring and Only-begotten Wisdom, when He becomes man, then assigns the reason why He is about to take flesh. For the need of man preceded His becoming man, apart from which He had not put on flesh740    It is the general teaching of the Fathers that our Lord would not have been incarnate had not man sinned. [But see Prolegg. ch. iv. §3, c.] Cf. de Incarn. 4. vid. Thomassin. at great length de Incarn. ii. 5–11. also Petav. de Incarn. ii. 17, 7–12. Vasquez. in 3 Thom. Disp. x. 4 and 5.. And what the need was for which He became man, He Himself thus signifies, ‘I came down from heaven, not to do Mine own will, but the will of Him that sent Me. And this is the will of Him which hath sent Me, that of all which He hath given Me, I should lose nothing, but should raise it up again at the last day. And this is the will of My Father, that every one which seeth the Son and believeth on Him may have everlasting life, and I will raise him up at the last day741    John vi. 38–40.’ And again; ‘I am come a light into the world, that whosoever believeth on Me, should not abide in darkness742    Ib. xii. 46..’ And again he says; ‘To this end was I born, and for this cause came I into the world, that I should bear witness unto the truth743    Ib. xviii. 37..’ And John has written: ‘For this was manifested the Son of God, that He might destroy the works of the devil744    1 John iii. 8..’

55. To give a witness then, and for our sakes to undergo death, to raise man up and destroy the works of the devil745    Two ends of our Lord’s Incarnation are here mentioned; that He might die for us, and that He might renew us, answering nearly to those specified in Rom. iv. 25. ‘who was delivered for our offences and raised again for our justification.’ The general object of His coming, including both of these, is treated of in Incarn. esp. §§4–20. and in the two books against Apollinaris. Vid. supr. §8. §9. Also infr. Orat. iv. 6. And Theodoret, Eran. iii. p. 196, 7. Vigil. Thaps. contr. Eutych. i. p. 496. (B. P. ed. 1624.) and S. Leo speaks of the whole course of redemption, i.e. incarnation, atonement, regeneration, justification, &c., as one sacrament, not drawing the line distinctly between the several agents, elements, or stages in it, but considering it to lie in the intercommunion of Christ’s and our persons. Serm. 63. 14. He speaks of His fortifying us against our passions and infirmities, both sacramento susceptionis and exemplo. Serm. 65, 2. and of a duplex remedium cujus aliud in sacramento, aliud in exemplo. Serm. 67, 5. also 69, 5. The tone of his teaching is throughout characteristic of the Fathers, and very like that of S. Athanasius., the Saviour came, and this is the reason of His incarnate presence. For otherwise a resurrection had not been, unless there had been death; and how had death been, unless He had had a mortal body? This the Apostle, learning from Him, thus sets forth, ‘Forasmuch then as the children are partakers of flesh and blood, He also Himself likewise took part of the same; that through death He might bring to nought him that had the power of death, that is, the devil, and deliver them who through fear of death were all their lifetime subject to bondage746    Heb. ii. 14, 15..’ And, ‘Since by man came death, by man came also the resurrection of the dead747    1 Cor. xv. 21..’ And again, ‘For what the Law could not do, in that it was weak through the flesh, God, sending His own Son in the likeness of sinful flesh, and for sin, condemned sin in the flesh; that the ordinance of the Law might be fulfilled in us, who walk not after the flesh but after the Spirit748    Rom. viii. 3, 4..’ And John says, ‘For God sent not His Son into the world to condemn the world, but that the world through Him might be saved749    John iii. 17..’ And again, the Saviour has spoken in His own person, ‘For judgment am I come into this world, that they who see not might see, and that they which see might become blind750    Ib. ix. 39..’ Not for Himself then, but for our salvation, and to abolish death, and to condemn sin, and to give sight to the blind, and to raise up all from the dead, has He come; but if not for Himself, but for us, by consequence not for Himself but for us is He created. But if not for Himself is He created, but for us, then He is not Himself a creature, but, as having put on our flesh, He uses such language. And that this is the sense of the Scriptures, we may learn from the Apostle, who says in Ephesians, ‘Having broken down the middle wall of partition between us, having abolished in His flesh the enmity, even the law of commandments contained in ordinances, to create in Himself of twain one new man, so making peace751    Eph. ii. 14, 15..’ But if in Him the twain are created, and these are in His body, reasonably then, bearing the twain in Himself, He is as if Himself created; for those who were created in Himself He made one, and He was in them, as they. And thus, the two being created in Him, He may say suitably, ‘The Lord created me.’ For as by receiving our infirmities, He is said to be infirm Himself, though not Himself infirm, for He is the Power of God, and He became sin for us and a curse, though not having sinned Himself, but because He Himself bare our sins and our curse, so752    The word αὐτὸς, ‘Himself,’ is all along used, where a later writer would have said ‘His Person;’ vid. supr. §45, n. 2; still there is more to be explained in this passage, which, taken in the letter, would speak a language very different from Athan.’s, as if the infirmities or the created nature of the Word were not more real than His imputed sinfulness. (vid. on the other hand infr. iii. 31–35). But nothing is more common in theology than comparisons which are only parallel to a certain point as regards the matter in hand, especially since many doctrines do not admit of exact illustrations. Our Lord’s real manhood and imputed sinfulness were alike adjuncts to His Divine Person, which was of an Eternal and Infinite Nature; and therefore His Manhood may be compared to an Attribute, or to an accident, without meaning that it really was either., by creating us in Him, let Him say, ‘He created me for the works,’ though not Himself a creature.

56. For if, as they hold, the Essence of the Word being of created nature, therefore He says, ‘The Lord created me,’ being a creature, He was not created for us; but if He was not created for us, we are not created in Him; and, if not created in Him, we have Him not in ourselves but externally; as, for instance, as receiving instruction from Him as from a teacher753    Note on iii. 19.. And it being so with us, sin has not lost its reign over the flesh, being inherent and not cast out of it. But the Apostle opposes such a doctrine a little before, when he says, ‘For we are His workmanship, created in Christ Jesus754    Eph. ii. 10.;’ and if in Christ we are created, then it is not He who is created, but we in Him; and thus the words ‘He created’ are for our sake. For because of our need, the Word, though being Creator, endured words which are used of creatures; which are not proper to Him, as being the Word, but are ours who are created in Him. And as, since the Father is always, so is His Word, and always being, always says ‘I was daily His delight, rejoicing always before Him755    Prov. viii. 30.,’ and ‘I am in the Father and the Father in Me756    John xiv. 10.;’ so, when for our need He became man, consistently does He use language, as ourselves, ‘The Lord hath created Me,’ that, by His dwelling in the flesh, sin might perfectly be expelled from the flesh, and we might have a free mind757    ἐλεύθερον τὸ φρόνημα. vid. also beginning of the paragraph, where sanctification is contrasted to teaching. vid. also note on 79, infr. Contr. Apoll. i. 20. fin. ibid. ii. 6. also Orat. iii. 33, where vid. note, and 34. vid. for ἀρχή, Orat. i. 48, note 7. Also vid. infr. Orat. iii. 56, a. iv. 33, a. Naz. Epp. ad Cled. 1. and 2. (101, 102. Ed. Ben.) Nyssen. ad Theoph. in Apoll. p. 696. Leo, Serm. 26, 2. Serm. 72, 2. vid. Serm. 22, 2. ut corpus regenerati fiat caro Crucifixi. Serm. 63, 6. Hæc est nativitas nova dum homo nascitur in Deo; in quo homine Deus natus est, carne antiqui seminis suscepta, sine semine antiquo, ut illam novo semine, id est, spiritualiter, reformaret, exclusis antiquitatis sordibus expiatam. Tertull. de Carn. Christ. 17. vid. supr. i. 51, note 5. and note on 64 infr. 65 and 70. and on iii. 34.. For what ought He, when made man, to say? ‘In the beginning I was man?’ this were neither suitable to Him nor true; and as it beseemed not to say this, so it is natural and proper in the case of man to say, ‘He created’ and ‘He made’ Him. On this account then the reason of ‘He created’ is added, namely, the need of the works; and where the reason is added, surely the reason rightly explains the lection. Thus here, when He says ‘He created,’ He sets down the cause, ‘the works;’ on the other hand, when He signifies absolutely the generation from the Father, straightway He adds, ‘Before all the hills He begets me758    Prov. viii. 25.;’ but He does not add the ‘wherefore,’ as in the case of ‘He created,’ saying, ‘for the works,’ but absolutely, ‘He begets me,’ as in the text, ‘In the beginning was the Word759    John i. 1..’ For, though no works had been created, still ‘the Word’ of God ‘was,’ and ‘the Word was God.’ And His becoming man would not have taken place, had not the need of men become a cause. The Son then is not a creature.

Τὸ δὲ ἐν ταῖς Παροιμίαις ῥητὸν, καθὰ προεῖπον, οὐ τὴν οὐσίαν, ἀλλὰ τὸ ἀνθρώπινον τοῦ Λόγου σημαίνει· εἰ γὰρ εἰς ἔργα φησὶν ἐκτίσθαι, φαίνεται μὴ τὴν οὐ σίαν ἑαυτοῦ σημᾶναι θέλων, ἀλλὰ τὴν εἰς τὰ ἔργα αὐτοῦ οἰκονομίαν γενομένην, ὅπερ δεύτερόν ἐστι τοῦ εἶναι. Τὰ γὰρ γινόμενα καὶ κτιζόμενα προη γουμένως ἕνεκα τοῦ εἶναι καὶ τοῦ ὑπάρχειν πε ποίηται, καὶ δεύτερον ἔχουσι τὸ ποιεῖν, περὶ ὧν ἂν αὐτοῖς ὁ Λόγος προστάττῃ, ὡς ἐπὶ πάντων ἔστιν ἰδεῖν τὸ τοιοῦτον. Ἀδὰμ γὰρ ἐκτίσθη, οὐχ ἵνα ἐργά ζηται, ἀλλ' ἵνα πρῶτον ὑπάρχῃ ἄνθρωπος· μετὰ ταῦτα γὰρ ἔλαβε τὴν ἐντολὴν τοῦ ἐργάζεσθαι. Νῶε δὲ ἐκτίσθη οὐ διὰ τὴν κιβωτὸν, ἀλλ' ἵνα πρῶτον ὑπάρχῃ καὶ ἄνθρωπος γένηται· μετὰ ταῦτα γὰρ ἔλαβεν ἐντολὴν κατασκευάσαι τὴν κιβωτόν· καὶ ἐφ' ἑκάστου δὲ ζητῶν ταῦτα εὕροι τις. Καὶ γὰρ καὶ Μωϋσῆς ὁ μέγας πρῶτον ἄνθρωπος γέγονε, καὶ δεύτερον τὴν ἡγεμονίαν τοῦ λαοῦ πεπίστευται. Οὐκοῦν καὶ ἐνταῦθα τοῦτο νοεῖν ἔξεστιν· ὁρᾷς γὰρ, ὅτι οὐκ εἰς τὸ εἶναι κτίζεται, ἀλλ' ἐν ἀρχῇ μὲν ἦν ὁ λόγος, μετὰ ταῦτα δὲ εἰς τὰ ἔργα πέμπεται, καὶ τὴν τούτων οἰκονομίαν· καὶ γὰρ πρὶν γενέσθαι τὰ ἔργα, ἦν μὲν ἀεὶ ὁ Υἱὸς, οὔπω δὲ χρεία ἦν αὐτὸν καὶ κτισθῆναι. Ὅτε δὲ ἐκτίσθη τὰ ἔργα, καὶ χρεία μετὰ ταῦτα γέ γονε τῆς εἰς διόρθωσιν αὐτῶν οἰκονομίας· τότε δὴ καὶ ὁ Λόγος δέδωκεν ἑαυτὸν εἰς τὸ συγκαταβῆναι καὶ ὁμοιωθῆναι τοῖς ἔργοις· ὅπερ διὰ μὲν τῆς, ἔκτισε, λέξεως, ἡμῖν δεδήλωκε, διὰ δὲ τοῦ προφή του Ἡσαΐου τὸ ὅμοιον σημᾶναι θέλων, πάλιν λέγει· Καὶ νῦν οὕτω λέγει Κύριος, ὁ πλάσας με ἐκ κοιλίας δοῦλον ἑαυτῷ, τοῦ συναγαγεῖν τὸν Ἰακὼβ πρὸς αὐτὸν, καὶ Ἰσραήλ· συναχθήσομαι καὶ δοξασθήσομαι ἐναντίον Κυρίου. Ἰδοὺ καὶ ἐνταῦθα οὐκ εἰς τὸ εἶναι πλάττεται, ἀλλ' ἕνεκα τοῦ συναγαγεῖν τὰς φυλὰς, τὰς καὶ πρὸ τοῦ πλασθῆναι τοῦτον ὑπαρχούσας. Ὥσπερ γὰρ ἐκεῖ τὸ, ἔκτισεν, οὕτως ὧδε τὸ, ἔπλασε· καὶ ὡς ἐκεῖ, εἰς τὰ ἔργα, οὕτως ὧδε, εἰς τὸ συναγαγεῖν· ὥστε πανταχόθεν φαίνεσθαι τοῦ εἶναι τὸν Λόγον δεύτερον λέγεσθαι τὸ, ἔκτισε, καὶ τὸ, ἔπλασε. Καὶ γὰρ ὥσπερ πρὸ τῆς πλάσεως ὑπῆρχον αἱ φυλαὶ δι' ἃς καὶ ἐπλάσθη· οὕτως ὑπάρχειν καὶ τὰ ἔργα φαίνεται, εἰς ἃ καὶ ἐκτίσθη. Καὶ ὅτε μὲν ἐν ἀρχῇ ἦν ὁ Λόγος, οὔπω ἦν τὰ ἔργα, καθὰ προεῖπον· ὅτε δὲ τὰ ἔργα γέγονε, καὶ ἡ χρεία ἀπῄτησε, τότε τὸ, ἔκτισεν, εἴρηται. Καὶ ὥσπερ ἂν εἴ τις υἱὸς, παραπολομέ νων κτημάτων καὶ παρὰ πολεμίοις ὄντων, ἐξ ἀμε λείας αὐτῶν, χρείας τε καταλαβούσης εἰ πέμποιτο παρὰ τοῦ πατρὸς συλλαβέσθαι καὶ συναγαγεῖν αὐτά· καὶ οὗτος ἀπερχόμενος, ἐπενδιδύσκοιτο τὴν ὁμοίαν ἐκείνων ἐσθῆτα, καὶ σχηματίζοι ἑαυτὸν, ὡς ἐκεῖνοι, ἵνα μὴ ὡς δεσπότην αὐτὸν ἐπιγνόντες οἱ κατέ χοντες φύγωσι, καὶ κωλυθῇ κατελθεῖν καὶ πρὸς τοὺς ὑπὸ γῆν κρυπτομένους παρ' ἐκείνων· εἶτα εἴ τις πυνθάνοιτο τούτου. ∆ιὰ τί οὕτως; ὁ τοιοῦτος εἶ πεν ἄν· Ὁ πατὴρ οὕτω με ἔπλασε καὶ κατήρ τισεν εἰς τὰ ἔργα αὐτοῦ· λέγων τε οὕτως, οὔτε δοῦ λον ἑαυτὸν οὔτε ἕνα τῶν ἔργων εἶναι σημαίνει· οὔτε δὲ τὴν ἀρχὴν τῆς γενέσεως αὐτοῦ λέγει, ἀλλὰ τὴν ὕστερον αὐτῷ δοθεῖσαν εἰς τὰ ἔργα φροντίδα· τὸν αὐτὸν τρόπον καὶ ὁ Κύριος, ἐπενδυσάμενος τὴν ἡμετέραν σάρκα, καὶ σχήματι εὑρεθεὶς ὡς ἄν θρωπος, εἰ ἐρωτηθείη παρὰ τῶν οὕτως αὐτὸν ὁρών των καὶ θαυμαζόντων, εἴποι ἄν· Κύριος ἔκτισέ με ἀρχὴν ὁδῶν αὐτοῦ εἰς ἔργα αὐτοῦ· καί· Ἔπλασέ με τοῦ συναγαγεῖν τὸν Ἰσραήλ. Τοῦτο δὲ πάλιν καὶ τὸ Πνεῦμα προσημαῖνον ἐν Ψαλμοῖς ἔλεγε· Κατ έστησας αὐτὸν ἐπὶ τὰ ἔργα τῶν χειρῶν σου· ὅπερ καὶ περὶ ἑαυτοῦ σημαίνων αὐτὸς ὁ Κύριός φησιν· Ἐγὼ δὲ κατεστάθην βασιλεὺς ὑπ' αὐτοῦ ἐπὶ Σιὼν ὄρος τὸ ἅγιον αὐτοῦ· ὥσπερ δὲ, ὅτε ἐπ έλαμψε σωματικῶς τῇ Σιὼν, οὐκ ἀρχὴν εἶχεν εἶ ναι οὐδὲ τοῦ βασιλεύειν· ἀλλὰ ὢν Λόγος τοῦ Θεοῦ καὶ ἀΐδιος βασιλεὺς, κατηξίωσεν ἀνθρωπίνως ἐπι λάμψαι τὴν βασιλείαν ἑαυτοῦ καὶ ἐν τῇ Σιὼν, ἵνα, ἀπὸ τῆς βασιλευούσης ἐν αὐτοῖς ἁμαρτίας λυ τρωσάμενος αὐτούς τε καὶ ἡμᾶς, ποιήσῃ ὑπὸ τὴν πατρικὴν βασιλείαν ἑαυτοῦ· οὕτω καθιστάμενος εἰς τὰ ἔργα, οὐκ εἰς τὰ μηδέπω ὄντα, ἀλλ' εἰς τὰ ἤδη ὄντα καὶ δεόμενα διορθώσεως καθίσταται. Τὸ ἄρα, ἔκτισε, καὶ τὸ, ἔπλασε, καὶ τὸ, κατ έστησε, τὴν αὐτὴν ἔχοντα διάνοιαν, οὐ τὴν ἀρχὴν τοῦ εἶναι αὐτὸν, οὐδὲ τὴν οὐσίαν αὐτοῦ κτιστὴν δείκνυσιν, ἀλλὰ τὴν εἰς ἡμᾶς αὐτοῦ κατ' εὐερ γεσίαν γενομένην ἀνανέωσιν. Ταῦτα γοῦν λέγων, ἐδίδασκεν ὅμως καὶ πρὸ τούτων ὑπάρχειν ἑαυ τὸν, ὅτε ἔλεγε· Πρὶν Ἀβραὰμ γενέσθαι, ἐγώ εἰμι· καί· Ἡνίκα τὸν οὐρανὸν ἡτοίμαζε, συμπαρήμην αὐτῷ· καί· Ἤμην παρ' αὐτῷ ἁρμόζουσα. Ὥσπερ δὲ ἦν αὐτὸς πρὶν Ἀβραὰμ γενέσθαι, ὁ δὲ Ἰσραὴλ μετὰ τὸν Ἀβραὰμ γέγονε, καὶ δῆλόν ἐστιν, ὅτι προϋπάρχων ὕστερον πλάττεται, καὶ ἡ πλάσις οὐ τὴν ἀρχὴν τοῦ εἶναι, ἀλλὰ τὴν ἐνανθρώπησιν ση μαίνει, ἐν ᾗ καὶ ἐπισυνάγει τὰς φυλὰς τοῦ Ἰσραήλ· οὕτως ἄρα ἀεὶ συνὼν τῷ Πατρὶ, αὐτὸς τῆς κτί σεως δημιουργός ἐστι, καὶ δῆλόν ἐστιν ὅτι δεύτερά ἐστιν αὐτοῦ τὰ ἔργα, καὶ τὸ, ἔκτισεν, οὐκ ἀρχὴν τοῦ εἶναι αὐτὸν, ἀλλὰ τὴν εἰς τὰ ἔργα γενομένην οἰ κονομίαν, ἣν ἐν τῇ σαρκὶ πεποίηκε, γνωρίζει. Ἔπρεπε γὰρ, ἄλλον αὐτὸν ὄντα τῶν ἔργων, καὶ μᾶλλον δημιουργὸν αὐτῶν ὄντα αὐτὸν, καὶ τὴν τού των ἀνανέωσιν εἰς ἑαυτὸν ἀναδέξασθαι, ἵνα, αὐτοῦ κτιζομένου εἰς ἡμᾶς, τὰ πάντα εἰς ἑαυτὸν ἀνακτίσηται. Καὶ γὰρ λέγων, ἔκτισεν, εὐθὺς καὶ τὴν αἰτίαν ἐπήγαγε, λέγων, τὰ ἔργα, ἵνα τὸ, εἰς τὰ ἔργα κτίζεσθαι, τὸ γίνεσθαι ἄνθρωπον δηλώσῃ εἰς τὴν τούτων ἀνανέωσιν. Καὶ τοῦτο ἔθος ἐστὶ τῇ θείᾳ Γραφῇ· ὅταν μὲν γὰρ σημαίνῃ τὴν κατὰ σάρκα γέ νεσιν τοῦ Λόγου, τίθησι καὶ τὴν αἰτίαν, δι' ἣν γέ γονεν ἄνθρωπος· ὅταν δὲ περὶ τῆς θεότητος αὐτοῦ αὐτός τε λέγῃ, καὶ οἱ τούτου θεράποντες ἐπαγ γέλλωσι, πάντα ἁπλῇ τῇ λέξει, ἀπολελυμένῃ τε τῇ διανοίᾳ, καὶ οὐδὲν μετὰ συμπεπλεγμένης αἰτίας λέ γεται. Τοῦ γὰρ Πατρός ἐστιν ἀπαύγασμα· ὥσπερ δὲ ὁ Πατὴρ οὐ διά τινα αἰτίαν ἐστὶν, οὕτως οὐδὲ τοῦ ἀπαυγάσματος τούτου χρὴ ζητεῖν τὴν αἰτίαν. Ἐν ἀρχῇ οὖν ἦν ὁ Λόγος, καὶ ὁ Λόγος ἦν πρὸς τὸν Θεὸν, καὶ Θεὸς ἦν ὁ Λόγος, γέ γραπται· καὶ οὐκ ἔχει τὸ διὰ τί· ὅτε δὲ, Ὁ Λόγος σὰρξ ἐγένετο, τότε καὶ τὴν αἰτίαν τίθησι, δι' ἣν γέγονε, λέγων· Καὶ ἐσκήνωσεν ἐν ἡμῖν. Πά λιν τε ὁ Ἀπόστολος λέγων, Ὃς, ἐν μορφῇ Θεοῦ ὑπάρχων, οὐκ ἔθηκε τὴν αἰτίαν εἰ μὴ, ὅτε Τὴν μορφὴν ἔλαβε τοῦ δούλου· τότε γὰρ ἐπιφέρει λέγων· Ἐταπείνωσεν ἑαυτὸν μέχρι θανάτου, θα νάτου δὲ σταυροῦ· διὰ ταῦτα γὰρ καὶ σὰρξ γέ γονε καὶ μορφὴν ἔλαβε δούλου. Αὐτός τε ὁ Κύριος πολλὰ μὲν ἐν παροι μίαις λελάληκε, περὶ δὲ αὐτοῦ σημαίνων, ἀπολελυ μένως εἴρηκεν· Ἐγὼ ἐν τῷ Πατρὶ, καὶ ὁ Πατὴρ ἐν ἐμοί· καί· Ἐγὼ καὶ ὁ Πατὴρ ἕν ἐσμεν· καὶ, Ὁ ἑωρακὼς ἐμὲ, ἑώρακε τὸν Πατέρα· καί· Ἐγώ εἰμι τὸ φῶς τοῦ κόσμου· καί· Ἐγώ εἰμι ἡ ἀλή θεια· οὐ τιθεὶς ἐφ' ἑκάστου τὴν αἰτίαν, οὐδὲ τὸ διὰ τί, ἵνα μὴ δεύτερος ἐκείνων εἶναι φαίνηται, ὧν χάριν καὶ γέγονεν. Ἀνάγκη γὰρ προηγεῖσθαι τὴν αἰτίαν τούτου, ἧς ἄνευ οὐκ ἂν οὐδ' αὐτὸς ἐγεγόνει. Παῦλος γοῦν ἀφωρισμένος ἀπόστολος εἰς Εὐαγγέλιον, ὃ προεπηγγείλατο ὁ Κύριος διὰ τῶν προφητῶν, εἶχε πρὸ ἑαυτοῦ τὸ Εὐαγγέλιον, οὗ καὶ γέγονε διάκονος· καὶ ὁ Ἰωάννης μὲν, προχειρισθεὶς εἰς τὸ προ οδεῦσαι τοῦ Κυρίου, πρὸ ἑαυτοῦ εἶχε τὸν Κύριον· ὁ δὲ Κύριος οὐκ ἔχων πρὸ ἑαυτοῦ αἰτίαν τοῦ εἶναι Λόγος, ἢ μόνον ὅτι τοῦ Πατρός ἐστι γέννημα καὶ σοφία μονογενὴς, ὅταν ἄνθρωπος γίνεται, τότε καὶ τὴν αἰτίαν τίθησι, δι' ἣν μέλλει σάρκα φο ρεῖν. Προηγεῖται γὰρ τοῦ γενέσθαι αὐτὸν ἄνθρωπον ἡ τῶν ἀνθρώπων χρεία, ἧς ἄνευ οὐκ ἂν ἐνεδύσατο σάρκα. Τίς δὲ ἡ χρεία, δι' ἣν γέγονεν ἄνθρωπος, αὐ τὸς μὲν ὁ Κύριος σημαίνων ταύτην ἔλεγε· Καταβέ βηκα ἐκ τοῦ οὐρανοῦ, οὐχ ἵνα ποιήσω τὸ θέ λημα τὸ ἐμὸν, ἀλλὰ τὸ θέλημα τοῦ πέμψαντός με. Τοῦτο δέ ἐστι τὸ θέλημα τοῦ πέμψαντός με, ἵνα πᾶν, ὃ δέδωκέ μοι, μὴ ἀπολέσω ἐξ αὐτοῦ, ἀλλὰ ἀναστήσω αὐτὸ ἐν τῇ ἐσχάτῃ ἡμέρᾳ· τοῦτο γάρ ἐστι τὸ θέλημα τοῦ Πατρός μου, ἵνα πᾶς ὁ θεωρῶν τὸν Υἱὸν καὶ πιστεύων εἰς αὐτὸν ἔχῃ ζωὴν αἰώνιον, καὶ ἐγὼ ἀναστήσω αὐτὸν ἐν τῇ ἐσχάτῃ ἡμέρᾳ. Καὶ πάλιν· Ἐγὼ φῶς εἰς τὸν κόσμον ἐλή λυθα, ἵνα πᾶς ὁ πιστεύων εἰς ἐμὲ ἐν τῇ σκοτίᾳ μὴ μείνῃ. Καὶ πάλιν φησίν· Ἐγὼ εἰς τοῦτο γεγέν νημαι, καὶ εἰς τοῦτο ἐλήλυθα εἰς τὸν κόσμον, ἵνα μαρτυρήσω τῇ ἀληθείᾳ. Ὁ δὲ Ἰωάννης ἔγραψεν λύσῃ τὰ ἔργα τοῦ διαβόλου. ∆ιὰ τὸ μαρτυρῆσαι ἄρα, καὶ ὑπὲρ ἡμῶν ἀνα δέξασθαι θάνατον, καὶ διὰ τὸ ἀναστῆσαι τοὺς ἀν θρώπους, καὶ λῦσαι τὰ ἔργα τοῦ διαβόλου ἐλήλυθεν ὁ Σωτὴρ, καὶ αὕτη ἐστὶν ἡ αἰτία τῆς ἐνσάρκου παρου σίας αὐτοῦ. Ἄλλως γὰρ ἀνάστασις οὐκ ἂν ἐγένετο, εἰ μὴ θάνατος ἐγεγόνει· θάνατος δὲ πῶς ἂν ἐγε γόνει, εἰ μὴ τὸ ἀποθνῆσκον ἐσχήκει σῶμα; Τοῦτο παρ' αὐτοῦ μαθὼν καὶ ὁ Ἀπόστολος ἔλεγεν· Ἐπεὶ οὖν τὰ παιδία κεκοινώνηκεν αἵματος καὶ σαρκὸς, καὶ αὐτὸς παραπλησίως μετέσχε τῶν αὐτῶν, ἵνα διὰ τοῦ θανάτου καταργήσῃ τὸν τὸ κράτος ἔχον τα τοῦ θανάτου, τὸν διάβολον, καὶ ἀπαλλάξῃ τού τους, ὅσοι φόβῳ θανάτου διὰ παντὸς τοῦ ζῇν ἔνοχοι ἦσαν δουλείας· καί· Ἐπειδὴ γὰρ δι' ἀνθρώ που ὁ θάνατος, καὶ δι' ἀνθρώπου ἀνάστασις νε κρῶν· καὶ πάλιν· Τὸ γὰρ ἀδύνατον τοῦ νόμου, ἐν ᾧ ἠσθένει διὰ τῆς σαρκὸς, ὁ Θεὸς τὸν ἑαυτοῦ Υἱὸν πέμψας ἐν ὁμοιώματι σαρκὸς ἁμαρτίας, καὶ περὶ ἁμαρτίας κατέκρινε τὴν ἁμαρτίαν ἐν τῇ σαρκί· ἵνα τὸ δικαίωμα τοῦ νόμου πληρωθῇ ἐν ἡμῖν, τοῖς μὴ κατὰ σάρκα περιπατοῦσιν, ἀλλὰ κατὰ πνεῦμα. Καὶ ὁ δὲ Ἰωάννης φησίν· Οὐ γὰρ ἀπ έστειλεν ὁ Θεὸς τὸν Υἱὸν αὐτοῦ εἰς τὸν κόσμον, ἵνα κρίνῃ τὸν κόσμον, ἀλλ' ἵνα σωθῇ ὁ κόσμος δι' αὐτοῦ. Πάλιν δὲ καὶ ὁ Σωτὴρ δι' ἑαυτοῦ ἔλεγεν· Εἰς κρῖμα ἐγὼ ἐλήλυθα εἰς τὸν κόσμον τοῦτον, ἵνα οἱ μὴ βλέποντες βλέπωσι, καὶ οἱ βλέποντες τυφλοὶ γένωνται. Οὐ δι' ἑαυτὸν ἄρα, ἀλλὰ διὰ τὴν ἡμετέραν σωτηρίαν, καὶ διὰ τὸ καταργηθῆναι τὸν θάνατον, καὶ διὰ τὸ κατακριθῆναι τὴν ἁμαρτίαν, καὶ διὰ τὸ ἀναβλέψαι τυφλοὺς, καὶ διὰ τὸ ἀναστῆναι πάν τας ἐκ νεκρῶν ἐλήλυθεν. Εἰ δὲ μὴ δι' ἑαυτὸν ἐλήλυθεν, ἀλλὰ δι' ἡμᾶς, οὐ δι' ἑαυτὸν ἄρα, ἀλλὰ δι' ἡμᾶς κτί ζεται. Εἰ δὲ οὐ δι' ἑαυτὸν κτίζεται, ἀλλὰ δι' ἡμᾶς, οὐκ ἔστιν ἄρα αὐτὸς κτίσμα, ἀλλὰ τὴν ἡμῶν ἐνδυσά μενος σάρκα, ταῦτα λέγει. Καὶ ὅτι ταύτην τὴν διάνοιαν ἔχουσιν αἱ Γραφαὶ, ἐξὸν παρὰ τοῦ Ἀποστόλου μαθεῖν· φησὶ γὰρ ἐν τῇ πρὸς Ἐφεσίους· Τὸ μεσότοιχον τοῦ φραγμοῦ λύσας, τὴν ἔχθραν ἐν τῇ σαρκὶ αὐ τοῦ, τὸν νόμον τῶν ἐντολῶν ἐν δόγμασι καταρ γήσας, ἵνα τοὺς δύο κτίσῃ ἐν ἑαυτῷ εἰς ἕνα καινὸν ἄνθρωπον, ποιῶν εἰρήνην. Εἰ δὲ ἐν αὐτῷ κτίζονται οἱ δύο, καὶ οὗτοί εἰσιν ἐν τῷ σώματι αὐτοῦ, εἰκότως ἄρα φορῶν τοὺς δύο ἐν αὐτῷ, ὡς αὐτός ἐστι κτισθείς· τοὺς γὰρ κτισθέντας ἐν ἑαυτῷ ἥνωσε, καὶ ἦν αὐτὸς ἐν αὐτοῖς, ὡς ἐκεῖνοι. Οὕτω δὲ τῶν δύο κτισθέντων ἐν αὐτῷ, ἁρμοζόντως ἂν λέγοι· Κύ ριος ἔκτισέ με. Ὥσπερ γὰρ τὰς ἡμῶν ἀσθενείας δε χόμενος, λέγεται αὐτὸς ἀσθενεῖν, καίτοι μὴ ἀσθενῶν αὐτὸς, δύναμις γάρ ἐστι τοῦ Θεοῦ, ἁμαρτία τε ὑπὲρ ἡμῶν γέγονε καὶ κατάρα, καίτοι μὴ ἁμαρτήσας αὐτὸς, ἀλλ' ὅτι τὰς ἁμαρτίας ἡμῶν καὶ τὴν κατάραν ἐβάστασεν αὐτὸς, οὕτως ἡμᾶς ἐν αὐτῷ κτίζων, λεγέτω ὅτι καὶ Ἔκτισέ με εἰς ἔργα, καίτοι κτίσμα μὴ ὢν αὐτός. Ἐπεὶ εἰ κατ' ἐκείνους, ὡς κτιστῆς οὔσης τῆς οὐσίας τοῦ Λόγου, λέγει, Κύριος ἔκτισέ με, κτί σμα ὤν· οὐ δι' ἡμᾶς ἐκτίσθη. ∆ι' ἡμᾶς δὲ μὴ κτισθέν τος αὐτοῦ, οὐκ ἐκτίσθημεν ἐν αὐτῷ· μὴ κτισθέντες δὲ ἐν αὐτῷ, οὐκ εἴχομεν αὐτὸν ἐν ἑαυτοῖς, ἀλλ' ἔξω θεν εἴχομεν, εἰ ἄρα παρ' αὐτοῦ τὴν μάθησιν ὡς παρὰ διδασκάλου ἐδεξάμεθα. Οὕτω δὲ ἡμῶν ὄντων, οὐδὲν ἧττον πάλιν ἡ ἁμαρτία τῆς σαρκὸς ἐβασίλευσεν ἐμμένουσα, καὶ μὴ ἐκβληθεῖσα ἐξ αὐτῆς. Ἀλλὰ ὁ Ἀπόστολος ἐναντιοῦται τούτοις πρὸ ὀλίγων τούτων φάσκων· Αὐτοῦ γάρ ἐσμεν ποίημα, κτισθέντες ἐν Χριστῷ Ἰησοῦ. Εἰ δὲ ἐν Χριστῷ ἡμεῖς ἐκτίσθημεν, οὐκ ἔστιν ἄρα αὐτὸς ὁ κτιζόμενος, ἀλλ' ἡμεῖς ἐσμεν ἐν αὐτῷ κτιζόμενοι· καὶ δι' ἡμᾶς ἐστιν ἡ τοῦ, ἔκτισε, φωνή. ∆ιὰ γὰρ τὴν ἡμῶν χρείαν, καίτοι κτίστης ὢν ὁ Λόγος, ὑπέμεινε, καὶ τὴν τῶν κτιζομένων φωνήν· καὶ οὐκ ἔστιν αὐτοῦ, ᾗ Λόγος ἐστὶν, ἰδία ἡ φωνή· ἀλλ' ἡμῶν τῶν ἐν αὐτῷ κτιζομένων ἐστὶ τὸ, ἔκτισε. Καὶ ὥσπερ Πατρὸς ὄντος ἀεὶ, ἀεί ἐστι καὶ ὁ τούτου Λόγος, καὶ ὢν ἀεὶ, λέγει· Ἐγὼ ἤμην, ᾗ προσέχαιρε· καθ' ἡμέραν δὲ εὐφραινόμην ἐν προσώπῳ αὐτοῦ· καὶ, Ἐγὼ ἐν τῷ Πατρὶ, καὶ ὁ Πατὴρ ἐν ἐμοί· οὕτως ὅτε διὰ τὴν ἡμῶν χρείαν γέγονεν ἄνθρωπος, ἀκολούθως τὰ ἡμῶν, ὡς ἡμεῖς, αὐτὸς λέγει· Κύ ριος ἔκτισέ με· ἵνα, αὐτοῦ ἐνοικήσαντος ἐν τῇ σαρ κὶ, τελείως ἡ ἁμαρτία ἐξωσθῇ τῆς σαρκὸς, καὶ ἡμεῖς ἐλεύθερον ἔχωμεν τὸ φρόνημα. Τί δὲ ἔδει γενόμενον αὐτὸν ἄνθρωπον εἰπεῖν; Ἐν ἀρχῇ ἤμην ἄνθρωπος; ἀλλ' οὔτε γε ἥρμοζεν αὐτῷ τοῦτο, οὔτε ἀληθὲς ἦν. Ὥσπερ δὲ τοῦτο οὐκ ἔπρεπεν εἰπεῖν, οὕτως οἰκεῖον καὶ ἴδιον ἐπ' ἀνθρώπου ἐστὶ λέγειν τὸ, ἔκτισε, καὶ, ἐποίησεν αὐτόν. ∆ιὰ τοῦτο γοῦν καὶ ἡ αἰτία τοῦ, ἔκτισε, πρόσκειται, ἥτις ἐστὶ τῶν ἔργων ἡ χρεία. Ἔνθα δὲ ἡ αἰτία πρόσκειται, αὐτὴ ἡ αἰτία πάντως διαλύει τὸ ἀνάγνωσμα καλῶς. Καὶ γὰρ καὶ ἐνταῦθα ἐν μὲν τῷ, ἔκτισε, τὴν αἰτίαν τίθησι τὰ ἔργα· τὴν δὲ ἐκ τοῦ Πατρὸς γέννησιν ἀπολελυμένως σημαίνων, εὐθὺς ἐπήγαγε· Πρὸ δὲ πάντων βουνῶν γεννᾷ με· οὐ διὰ τί, ὥσπερ ἐπὶ τοῦ, ἔκτισέ με, προσέθηκε λέγων, εἰς ἔργα, ἀλλὰ ἀπολελυμένως, γεννᾷ με, ὥσπερ τὸ, Ἐν ἀρχῇ ἦν ὁ Λόγος· καὶ γὰρ καὶ εἰ μὴ τὰ ἔργα ἔκτιστο, ἀλλ' ἦν ὁ Λόγος τοῦ Θεοῦ, καὶ Θεὸς ἦν ὁ Λόγος. Τὸ δὲ γενέσθαι αὐτὸν ἄνθρωπον οὐκ ἂν ἐγένετο, εἰ μὴ τῶν ἀνθρώπων ἡ χρεία γέγονεν αἰτία. Οὐκ ἔστιν ἄρα κτίσμα ὁ Υἱός·