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45.1 But again, being ignorant, they say: Do you see that “he did not consider it robbery to be equal with God.” And the contentious do not even know the meaning. For it did not say: he did not wish to become equal to God by seizure, but “he did not consider it robbery to be equal with God,” being God by nature, because he was. 45.2 For if he were not, how did he take the form of a servant? For by having taken what was recent he signified and from this, marveling at the excess, he showed that although being equal with God he emptied himself, taking the form of a servant, not that he might enslave what is free, but that in the form he took he might free the 45.3 obedient servants. As the Jews also testify that he was not ashamed to say he was equal to God, nor did he hesitate, but from * more boldly * showing this in saying “if I do not say it, I will be a liar like you”; and for this reason they say to him “for a good work we do not kill you, but because being a man you make yourself 45.4 equal to God.” But they say: We ought to confess the figurative things concerning him. And scripture has said many figurative things about him and one must not deny the things spoken enigmatically of him, that he is called a door and spoken of as a stone and a pillar and a cloud and a lion and a sheep and a lamp and a torch and a sun and an angel and a worm and a rock and a cornerstone and a way and a bull and a calf and such things. 45.5 Clearly, we too do not deny the things enigmatically fulfilled in him. But we know for what reason these things are written: a way because through him we walk to the kingdom, to him and to the Father; a door because through him we enter; a pillar because he is the foundation of our faith; a rock because of his unmovable nature; a stone because of being the foundation; a sun of righteousness because he illumined our darkened minds. 46.1 Then they say that if it is written concerning him that he is a creature, one must also confess him as a creature. Behold, I too have recounted some part of the uses of his enigmas that have been fulfilled for us. 46.2 But let them tell us, in calling him a creature, what is the use? He is fittingly called a door figuratively, so that it may become our entrance and benefit, and a way, so that by walking through him we might not go astray; but for 46.3 what reason does he become a creature for us? How does it benefit us? Yes, says the vainglorious and contentious one; for if you do not call him a creature, you ascribe passion to the Father. For everyone who begets is subject to passion; for he is either contracted or expanded or 46.4 unfolded or flows off or swells or suffers some such thing. Alas, for such a thought, being wicked and most untrue. Who will think these things about God? What sort of suspicion will dare such things? Clearly no one, not even one of the demons, will think such a thing. 46.5 And if anyone confesses the Father, he believes that he has in truth begotten the Son. * For the divine is not carried about in swellings, nor is it a pregnant 46.6 body, that it should endure the aforementioned things. “For God is spirit,” and a spirit does not undergo flux nor division nor contraction nor diminution nor extension nor any such thing. Insofar, therefore, as the Father is spirit, he has begotten the Son, God the Word, spiritually, timelessly, incomprehensibly, and without beginning. 47.1 But that we may persuade those who think these things, not by saying similar things, but from similar things let us refute their evil defense and say: A creature is that which falls infinitely and ten-thousand-fold 47.2 short of the same Lord. And many in the desert in need of fire, having filled a glass vessel with water and having brought near flammable material, made from flax or from tow. they stand opposite the sun of the

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45.1 Ἀλλὰ καὶ πάλιν ἀμαθαίνοντές φασιν· ὁρᾷς ὅτι «οὐχ ἁρπαγμὸν ἡγήσατο τὸ εἶναι ἴσα θεῷ». καὶ οὐδὲ τὴν κλῆσιν οἴδασιν οἱ φιλόνεικοι. οὐ γὰρ εἶπεν· οὐκ ἠθέλησε γενέσθαι ἴσος θεῷ δι' ἁρπαγμοῦ, ἀλλ' «οὐχ ἁρπαγμὸν ἡγήσατο τὸ εἶναι ἴσα θεῷ», τὸ θεὸς εἶναι φύσει, ὅτι ἦν. 45.2 εἰ μὴ γὰρ ἦν, πῶς μορφὴν δούλου ἔλαβε; καὶ γὰρ τῷ λαβὼν τὸ πρόσφατον ἐσήμαινε καὶ ἐκ τούτου τὴν ὑπερβολὴν * θαυμάζων ἐδείκνυε, ὅτι καίπερ ὢν ἴσος θεῷ ἑαυτὸν ἐκένωσε, μορφὴν δούλου λαβών, οὐχ ἵνα τὸ ἐλεύθερον δουλώσῃ, ἀλλ' ἵνα ἐν ᾗ μορφῇ ἔλαβε τοὺς 45.3 ὑπακούοντας δούλους ἐλευθερώσῃ. ὡς καὶ μαρτυροῦσιν Ἰουδαῖοι ὅτι οὐκ ᾐδεῖτο λέγειν ἑαυτὸν ἴσον θεῷ οὐδὲ ἐδίσταζεν, ἀλλὰ ἀπὸ τοῦ * θαρραλεώτερον * οὕτω δεικνύειν ἐν τῷ λέγειν «ἐὰν μὴ εἴπω, ἔσομαι καθ' ὑμᾶς ψεύστης»· καὶ διὰ τοῦτό φασι πρὸς αὐτόν «δι' ἀγαθὸν ἔργον οὐκ ἀποκτένομέν σε, ἀλλ' ὅτι ἄνθρωπος ὢν σεαυτὸν 45.4 ποιεῖς ἴσον θεῷ». ἀλλά φασιν· ὀφείλομεν τὰ τροπικὰ περὶ αὐτοῦ ὁμολογεῖν. καὶ πολλὰ τροπικὰ περὶ αὐτοῦ εἴρηκεν ἡ γραφὴ καὶ οὐ δεῖ ἀρνεῖσθαι τὰ εἰς αὐτὸν αἰνιγματωδῶς εἰρημένα, ὅτι καὶ θύρα κέκληται καὶ λίθος εἴρηται καὶ στῦλος καὶ νεφέλη καὶ λέων καὶ πρόβατον καὶ λύχνος καὶ λαμπὰς καὶ ἥλιος καὶ ἄγγελος καὶ σκώληξ καὶ πέτρα καὶ ἀκρογωνιαῖος καὶ ὁδὸς καὶ ταῦρος καὶ μόσχος καὶ τὰ τοιαῦτα. 45.5 δηλονότι καὶ ἡμεῖς οὐκ ἀρνούμεθα τὰ εἰς αὐτὸν αἰνιγματωδῶς πεπληρωμένα. οἴδαμεν δὲ δι' ἣν αἰτίαν ταῦτα γέγραπται· ὁδὸς ὅτι δι' αὐτοῦ βαδίζομεν πρὸς τὴν βασιλείαν, πρὸς αὐτὸν καὶ τὸν πατέρα· θύρα δὲ ὅτι δι' αὐτοῦ εἰσερχόμεθα· στῦλος ὅτι αὐτός ἐστιν ἑδραίωμα τῆς ἡμετέρας πίστεως· πέτρα διὰ τὸ ἀμετακίνητον· λίθος διὰ τὸ τεθεμελιωμένον· ἥλιος δικαιοσύνης ὅτι καταυγάσας τὰς ἡμετέρας σκοτισθείσας διανοίας. 46.1 Εἶτά φασιν ὅτι εἰ γέγραπται περὶ αὐτοῦ ὅτι κτίσμα ἐστίν, ὁμολογεῖν δεῖ καὶ τὸ κτίσμα. ἰδοὺ κἀγὼ διηγησάμην μέρος τι τῶν χρήσεων τῶν διὰ τῶν αἰνιγμάτων αὐτοῦ εἰς ἡμᾶς πεπληρωμένων. 46.2 εἴπωσιν δὲ ἡμῖν ἐν τῷ λέγειν αὐτὸν κτίσμα τί χρησιμεύει; θύρα εἰκότως εἴρηται τροπικῶς, ἵνα γένηται εἴσοδος ἡμῶν καὶ ὠφέλεια, καὶ ὁδός, ἵνα δι' αὐτοῦ βαδίζοντες μὴ πλανηθῶμεν· κτίσμα δὲ διὰ 46.3 τί ἡμῖν γίνεται; τί ἡμᾶς ὠφελεῖ; ναί, φησὶν ὁ κενόδοξος φιλονεικῶν· εἰ μὴ γὰρ αὐτὸν εἴπῃς κτίσμα, τῷ πατρὶ πάθος περιτίθης. πᾶς γὰρ γεννῶν πάθει περιβέβληται· ἢ γὰρ συστέλλεται ἢ πλατύνεται ἢ 46.4 ἁπλοῦται ἢ ἀπορρέει ἢ ὀγκοῦται ἤ τι τῶν τοιούτων πάσχει. φεῦ γε καὶ τῆς τοιαύτης διανοίας πονηρᾶς οὔσης καὶ οὐκ ἀληθεστάτης. τίς ταῦτα περὶ θεοῦ διανοηθήσεται; ποία δὲ ὑπόνοια τοιαῦτα τολμήσει; δηλονότι οὐδεὶς οὐδὲ τῶν δαιμόνων τοιοῦτόν τι διανοηθήσεται. 46.5 κἄν τις ὁμολογῇ τὸν πατέρα, πιστεύει αὐτὸν τὸν υἱὸν ἐν ἀληθείᾳ γεγεννηκέναι. * οὐ γὰρ ὄγκοις περιφέρεται τὸ θεῖον οὐδὲ σῶμά ἐστιν 46.6 ἔγκυον, ἵνα ὑπομείνῃ τὰ προειρημένα. «πνεῦμα γὰρ ὁ θεός», πνεῦμα δὲ ῥύσιν οὐχ ὑφίσταται οὐ τομὴν οὐ συστολὴν οὐ μείωσιν οὐχ ἅπλωσιν οὐδέ τι τῶν τοιούτων. καθὸ τοίνυν ὁ πατὴρ πνεῦμά ἐστι, τὸν υἱὸν θεὸν Λόγον γεγέννηκε πνευματικῶς ἀχρόνως ἀκαταλήπτως καὶ ἀνάρχως. 47.1 Ἵνα δὲ τούτους πείσωμεν τοὺς ταῦτα νοοῦντας, οὐχ ὅμοια μὲν φάσκοντες, ἀφ' ὁμοίων δὲ τὴν αὐτῶν ἀποστρέφοντες κακὴν ἀπολογίαν εἴπωμεν· κτίσμα ἐστὶ τὸ ἀπείρως καὶ μυριονταπλασίως 47.2 τοῦ αὐτοῦ δεσπότου ἀποδέον. καὶ πολλοί τινες ἐν ἐρήμῳ ἐνδεόμενοι πυρός, γεμίσαντες ὕδωρ ἐν ἄγγει ὑελίνῳ καὶ ὕλην προσενέγκαντες εὐθυφλόγιστον, ἐκ λίνου ἢ ἐκ στυπείου πεποιημένην. ἵστανται ἀντικρὺ τοῦ ἡλίου τῆς