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saying that [it] was begotten from the man, but for the man [it was] through the woman, in which he says, "As woman is from man, so also man is through woman." But at the same time showing the interchangeability 104 of the usage, and at the same time correcting in passing the error of some who think that the body of the Lord is spiritual, so that he might show that the God-bearing flesh was composed from the human mixture, he preferred the more emphatic expression. For "through a woman" was going to suggest a transitory idea of the birth; but "from the woman" sufficiently indicates the communion of nature of the one being born with the one who gave birth. Of Saint Gregory, Bishop of Nazianzus. From the first exposition to Cledonius. If anyone says that the flesh has come down from heaven, and is not from here and from us, let him be anathema. For "The second man is from heaven," and, "As is the heavenly one, so also are those who are heavenly," and, "No one has ascended into heaven except he who descended from heaven, the Son of Man," and if there is anything else of this sort, it must be considered to be said because of the union with the man, just as also that all things were made through Christ, and that Christ dwells in our hearts, not according to the visible aspect of God, but according to the intelligible aspect, as the names are mingled, so also are the natures. From the same author, from the same discourse. But let us see what is their reason for the incarnation, or enfleshment, as they themselves say. If it is so that God, who is otherwise incomprehensible, might be comprehended, and as if under a veil, might converse with men in the flesh, their mask is elegant, and the drama of their pretense; not to mention that it was possible for him to speak to us in other ways, as in the bush of fire, and in human form previously. But if it is in order to destroy the condemnation of sin, having sanctified like by like, just as there was need of flesh because of the flesh that was condemned, and of soul because of the soul, so also of mind because of the mind, which not only stumbled in Adam, but also was the first to suffer, which is also what physicians say about sicknesses. For that which received the commandment, this also did not keep the commandment. And that which did not keep the commandment, this also dared the transgression. And that which transgressed, 105 this especially was in need of salvation. And that which was in need of salvation, this also was assumed. The mind, therefore, has now been proven to have been assumed, even if they do not wish it, by geometrical necessities and proofs, as they say. But you do something similar, as if, when a man's eye was sick and his foot had stumbled, you were to heal the foot, but leave the eye unhealed; or, when a painter had painted something badly, you were to alter what was painted, but pass over the painter as if he were succeeding. But if, being shut out by these reasonings, they take refuge in the idea that it is possible for God even without a mind to save man, it is surely possible also without flesh, by his will alone, just as he also effects and has effected all other things somatically. Take away, therefore, along with the mind, the flesh also, that your folly may be complete. Of Saint Gregory, Bishop of Nyssa. From the discourse on Abraham. The Word, therefore, descended not naked, but having become flesh; not the form of God, but the form of a servant. This, then, is he who said that he could do nothing of himself. For not to be able is a mark of weakness. For as darkness is contrasted with light and death with life, so weakness is contrasted with power. But Christ is the power of God. Power is in no way without power. For if power should become weak, what would be powerful? When, therefore, the Word declares that he is not able to do, it is clear that he is not attributing inability to the divinity of the Only-Begotten, but bears witness to the inability in the weakness of our nature. And the flesh is weak, as it is written, "The spirit is willing, but the flesh is weak." From the same author, from the work on the perfect life. But again the true

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λέγων τὸ ἐκ τοῦ ἀνδρὸς γεγενῆσθαι, ἀνδρὶ δὲ τὸ διὰ τῆς γυναικός, ἐν οἷς φησιν, ὅτι "Ὥσπερ γυνὴ ἐξ ἀνδρός, οὕτως ἀνὴρ διὰ τῆς γυναικός." Ἀλλὰ ὁμοῦ μὲν τὸ ἀδιάφορον 104 τῆς χρήσεως ἐνδεικνύμενος, ὁμοῦ δὲ καὶ τὸ σφάλμα τινῶν ἐν παρα δρομῇ διορθούμενος, τῶν οἰομένων πνευματικὸν εἶναι τοῦ κυρίου τὸ σῶμα, ἵνα δείξῃ ὅτι ἐκ τοῦ ἀνθρωπείου φυράματος ἡ θεοφόρος σὰρξ συνεπάγη, τὴν ἐμφαντικωτέραν φωνὴν προετίμησε. Τὸ μὲν γὰρ διὰ γυναικὸς παροδικὴν ἔμελλε τὴν ἔννοιαν τῆς γεννήσεως ὑποφαίνειν· τὸ δ' ἐκ τῆς γυναικὸς ἱκανῶς παραδηλοῦν τὴν κοινωνίαν τῆς φύσεως τοῦ τικτομένου πρὸς τὴν γεννήσασαν. Τοῦ ἁγίου Γρηγορίου ἐπισκόπου Ναζιανζοῦ. Ἐκ τῆς πρὸς Κληδόνιον προτέρας ἐκθέσεως. Εἴ τις λέγει τὴν σάρκα ἐξ οὐρανοῦ κατεληλυθέναι, ἀλλὰ μὴ ἐντεῦθεν εἶναι καὶ παρ' ἡμῶν, ἀνάθεμα ἔστω. Τὸ γάρ, "Ὁ δεύτερος ἄνθρωπος ἐξ οὐρανοῦ," καί, "Οἷος ὁ ἐπουράνιος, τοιοῦτοι καὶ οἱ ἐπουράνιοι," καί, "Οὐδεὶς ἀναβέβηκεν εἰς τὸν οὐρανόν, εἰ μὴ ὁ ἐκ τοῦ οὐρανοῦ καταβὰς ὁ υἱὸς τοῦ ἀνθρώπου," καὶ εἴ τι ἄλλο τοιοῦτο, νομιστέον λέγεσθαι διὰ τὴν πρὸς τὸν ἄνθρωπον ἕνωσιν, ὥσπερ καὶ διὰ τοῦ Χριστοῦ γεγονέναι τὰ πάντα, καὶ κατοικεῖν Χριστὸν ἐν ταῖς καρδίαις ἡμῶν, οὐ κατὰ τὸ φαινόμενον τοῦ θεοῦ, ἀλλὰ κατὰ τὸ νοούμενον, κιρναμένων ὥσπερ τῶν κλήσεων, οὕτω δὴ καὶ τῶν φύσεων. Τοῦ αὐτοῦ ἐκ τοῦ αὐτοῦ λόγου. Τίς δὲ ὁ λόγος αὐτοῖς τῆς ἐνανθρωπήσεως ἤγουν σαρκώσεως ἴδωμεν, ὡς αὐτοὶ λέγουσιν. Εἰ μὲν ἵνα χωρηθῇ θεὸς ἄλλως ἀχώρητος ὤν, καὶ ὡς ὑπὸ παραπετάσματι τῇ σαρκὶ τοῖς ἀνθρώποις προσομιλήσῃ, κομψὸν τὸ προσωπεῖον αὐτοῖς, καὶ τὸ δρᾶμα τῆς ὑποκρίσεως· ἵνα μὴ λέγω ὅτι καὶ ἄλλως ὁμιλῆσαι ἡμῖν οἷόν τε ἦν, ὥσπερ ἐν βάτῳ πυρός, καὶ ἀνθρωπίνῳ εἴδει τὸ πρότερον. Εἰ δὲ ἵνα λύσῃ τὸ κατάκριμα τῆς ἁμαρτίας, τῷ ὁμοίῳ τὸ ὅμοιον ἁγιάσας, ὥσπερ σαρκὸς ἐδέησε διὰ τὴν σάρκα κατακριθεῖσαν, καὶ ψυχῆς διὰ τὴν ψυχήν, οὕτω καὶ νοῦ διὰ τὸν νοῦν, οὐ πταίσαντα μόνον ἐν τῷ Ἀδάμ, ἀλλὰ καὶ πρωτοπαθήσαντα, ὅπερ καὶ οἱ ἰατροὶ λέγουσιν ἐπὶ τῶν ἀρρωστημάτων. Ὃ γὰρ τὴν ἐντολὴν ἐδέξατο, τοῦτο καὶ τὴν ἐντολὴν οὐκ ἐφύλαξεν. Ὃ δὲ τὴν ἐντολὴν οὐκ ἐφύλαξε, τοῦτο καὶ τὴν παράβασιν ἐτόλμησεν. Ὃ δὲ παρέβη, 105 τοῦτο καὶ σωτηρίας ἐδεῖτο μάλιστα. Ὃ δὲ τῆς σωτηρίας ἐδεῖτο, τοῦτο καὶ προσελήφθη. Ὁ νοῦς ἄρα προσειλῆφθαι νῦν ἀποδέδεικται, κἂν μὴ βούλωνται, γεωμετρικαῖς, ὥς φασιν, ἀνάγκαις καὶ ἀποδείξεσι. Σὺ δὲ ποιεῖς παραπλήσιον, ὥσπερ ἂν εἰ ὀφθαλμοῦ ἀνθρώπου νοσήσαν τος, καὶ ποδὸς προσπταίσαντος, τὸν πόδα μὲν ἐθεράπευες, τὸν δὲ ὀφθαλ μὸν ἀθεράπευτον εἴας· ἢ ζωγράφου τι μὴ καλῶς γράψαντος, τὸ μὲν γραφὲν μετεποίεις, τὸν δὲ ζωγράφον ὡς κατορθοῦντα παρέτρεχες. Εἰ δὲ ὑπὸ τούτων ἐξειργόμενοι τῶν λογισμῶν, καταφεύγουσιν ἐπὶ τὸ δυνατὸν εἶναι θεῷ, καὶ χωρὶς νοῦ σῶσαι τὸν ἄνθρωπον, δυνατὸν δήπου καὶ χωρὶς σαρκὸς μόνῳ τῷ βούλεσθαι, ὥσπερ καὶ τὰ ἄλλα πάντα ἐνεργεῖ καὶ ἐνήργηκεν σωματικῶς. Ἄνελε οὖν μετὰ τοῦ νοῦ καὶ τὴν σάρκα, ἵν' ᾖ σοι τέλειον τὸ τῆς ἀπονοίας. Τοῦ ἁγίου Γρηγορίου ἐπισκόπου Νύσσης. Ἐκ τοῦ λόγου τοῦ εἰς τὸν Ἀβραάμ. Κατέβη τοίνυν οὐ γυμνὸς ὁ λόγος, ἀλλὰ σὰρξ γενόμενος· οὐχ ἡ τοῦ θεοῦ μορφή, ἀλλ' ἡ τοῦ δούλου μορφή. Οὗτος οὖν ἐστιν ὁ εἰπὼν μὴ δύ νασθαι ἀφ' ἑαυτοῦ τι ποιεῖν. Τὸ γὰρ μὴ δύνασθαι ἀσθενείας ἐστίν. Ὡς γὰρ τῷ φωτὶ τὸ σκότος καὶ ὁ θάνατος τῇ ζωῇ, οὕτω τῇ δυνάμει ἀντιδιαστέλλεται ἡ ἀσθένεια. Ἀλλὰ μὴν Χριστὸς θεοῦ δύναμις. Οὐκ ἀδύνατον πάντως ἡ δύναμις. Εἰ γὰρ ἡ δύναμις ἀσθενοίη, τί τὸ δυνά μενον; Ὅταν οὖν ἀποφαίνηται ὁ λόγος ὅτι οὐ δύναται ποιεῖν, δῆλον ὅτι οὐχὶ τῇ θεότητι τοῦ μονογενοῦς τὴν ἀδυναμίαν προστίθησιν, ἀλλὰ τῇ ἀσθενείᾳ τῆς ἡμετέρας φύσεως προσμαρτυρεῖ τὸ ἀδύνατον. Ἀσθενὴς δὲ ἡ σάρξ, καθὼς γέγραπται, ὅτι "Τὸ μὲν πνεῦμα πρόθυμον, ἡ δὲ σὰρξ ἀσθενής." Τοῦ αὐτοῦ ἐκ τοῦ περὶ τελειότητος βίου. Ἀλλὰ πάλιν ὁ ἀληθινὸς