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of death, even death on a cross. Behold, it says, He became obedient, not being equal to the one whom He obeyed. This in no way diminishes Him, O ungrateful and foolish ones; since we also often obey friends, and this in no way makes us less. As a Son He willingly obeyed the Father, not falling into a servile state, but by this very thing preserving especially the wonder of His genuineness, in the great honor shown to the Father. He honored the Father, not that you might dishonor Him, but that you might rather marvel, that from this also you might learn that He is the genuine Son, by having honored the Father most of all. No one has so honored God. As great as was His height, so great a humiliation He underwent to counterbalance it. Just as He is greater than all, and no one is equal to Him, so also in the honor shown to the Father He surpassed all, not being compelled, nor unwillingly. And this is of His virtue; or I do not know how to say it. Amazing! It is a great thing to become a servant, and exceedingly ineffable; but to also undergo death, is again much more. But there is also something else greater and more paradoxical than this. What is this? That not every death is the same. For this one seemed to be the most reproachful of all, this one full of shame, this one accursed; For it says, Cursed is everyone who hangs on a tree. For this reason the Jews also were eager to kill Him in this way, so as to make it a reproach, that even if no one would stay away from Him because He was killed, yet they would because He was killed in this way, For this reason also two robbers were crucified between Him, that He might share in their reputation, and that the saying might be fulfilled, And He was numbered with the transgressors. But by so much more does the truth shine, by so much does it become brighter. For when there are so many schemes by enemies against His glory, and yet it shines through, the wonder is shown to be all the greater. For not by simply killing Him, but by killing Him in this way they thought to make Him abominable, and to show Him more abominable than all; and they accomplished nothing. So vile were both the robbers; for later one of them changed, that even while on the cross, they were reviling Him; 62.233 and neither the consciousness of their own sins, nor being in punishment, nor suffering the same things themselves, restrained their madness. Which indeed the one said to the other, and silenced him, saying: Do you not even fear God, since we are under the same condemnation? So great was their wickedness. But in no way was His own glory harmed by this. Therefore it says: And God has highly exalted Him, and given Him the name which is above every name. 4. When the blessed Paul takes hold of the flesh, he then utters all humble things with confidence. For as long as he did not say that He took the form of a servant, but was speaking about the divinity, see how loftily; loftily I say according to my ability; for he does not speak according to His worth; for he is not able; Being, he says, in the form of God, He did not consider it robbery to be equal with God. But when he said that He became man, he then speaks the humble things with confidence, being bold that to say humble things in no way harms the divinity, His flesh receiving these things. Therefore God also has highly exalted Him, and given Him the name which is above every name; that at the name of Jesus every knee should bow, of things in heaven and things on earth and things under the earth, and every tongue should confess that Jesus Christ is Lord, to the glory of God the Father. Let us say to the heretics, if these things are said about the one who was not incarnate, if about God the Word, how did He highly exalt Him? as having given something more? Therefore He was imperfect in this respect, and for our sake He became perfect. For if He had not benefited us, He would not have obtained the honor. And He bestowed, it says, a name. Behold, according to you He did not even have a name. But how, if He received a debt, is He found to have received it by grace and gift, and the Name which is above every name? But let us see what name: That at the name of Jesus

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θανάτου, θανάτου δὲ σταυροῦ. Ἰδοὺ, φησὶν, ὑπήκοος γέγονεν, οὐκ ἴσος ὢν ᾧ ὑπήκουσεν. Οὐδὲν τοῦτο αὐτὸν ἐλαττοῖ, ὦ ἀγνώμονες καὶ ἀνόητοι· ἐπεὶ καὶ φίλοις πολλάκις ὑπακούομεν ἡμεῖς, καὶ οὐδὲν τοῦτο ἡμᾶς ἐλάττους ποιεῖ. Ὡς Υἱὸς Πατρὶ ὑπήκουσεν ἑκὼν, οὐκ εἰς δουλικὸν ἀξίωμα καταπεσὼν, ἀλλὰ τούτῳ αὐτῷ μάλιστα φυλάττων τῆς γνησιότητος τὸ θαῦμα, τῇ πολλῇ περὶ τὸν Πατέρα τιμῇ. Ἐτίμησε τὸν Πατέρα, οὐχ ἵνα σὺ αὐτὸν ἀτιμάσῃς, ἀλλ' ἵνα μᾶλλον θαυμάσῃς, ἵνα καὶ ἀπὸ τούτου μάθῃς, ὅτι γνήσιος Υἱὸς, τῷ μάλιστα πάντων τὸν Πατέρα τετιμηκέναι. Οὐδεὶς οὕτως ἐτίμησε τὸν Θεόν. Ὅσον εἶχε τὸ ὕψος, τοσαύτην ταπείνωσιν ὑπέστη ἀντίῤῥοπον. Ὥσπερ πάντων ἐστὶ μείζων, καὶ οὐδεὶς αὐτῷ ἴσος, οὕτω καὶ τῇ περὶ τὸν Πατέρα τιμῇ πάντας ἐνίκησεν, οὐκ ἀναγκασθεὶς, οὐδὲ ἄκων. Καὶ τοῦτο τῆς ἀρετῆς αὐτοῦ· ἢ οὐκ ἔχω πῶς εἴπω. Βαβαί! μέγα καὶ τὸ δοῦλον γενέσθαι, καὶ σφόδρα ἄῤῥητον· τὸ δὲ καὶ θάνατον ὑποστῆναι, πάλιν πολλῷ πλέον. Ἀλλ' ἔστι καὶ ἕτερόν τι τούτου μεῖζον καὶ παραδοξότερον. Ποῖον δὲ τοῦτο; ὅτι οὐχ ἅπας θάνατος ὅμοιος. Οὗτος γὰρ πάντων ἐπονειδιστικώτερος εἶναι ἐδόκει, οὗτος ὁ αἰσχύνης γέμων οὗτος ὁ ἐπάρατος· Ἐπικατάρατος γὰρ, φησὶ, πᾶς ὁ κρεμάμενος ἐπὶ ξύλου. ∆ιὰ τοῦτο καὶ Ἰουδαῖοι τούτῳ ἐσπούδασαν αὐτὸν ἀνελεῖν, ὥστε καὶ ἐπονείδιστον ἐργάσασθαι, ἵνα εἰ καὶ τῷ ἀναιρεθῆναι μηδεὶς ἀπέχηται αὐτοῦ, ἀλλὰ τῷ οὕτως ἀναιρεθῆναι, ∆ιὰ τοῦτο καὶ λῃσταὶ δύο μεταξὺ αὐτοῦ ἐσταυρώθησαν, ἵνα κοινωνήσῃ τῆς δόξης αὐτοῖς, καὶ πληρωθῇ τὸ εἰρημένον, Καὶ μετὰ ἀνόμων ἐλογίσθη. Ἀλλὰ τοσούτῳ μᾶλλον ἡ ἀλήθεια λάμπει, τοσούτῳ φαιδροτέρα γίνεται. Ὅταν γὰρ τοσαῦτα ᾖ μηχανήματα παρὰ τῶν ἐχθρῶν κατὰ τῆς δόξης αὐτοῦ γινόμενα, διαλάμπῃ δὲ, μᾶλλον τὸ θαῦμα μεῖζον δείκνυται. Οὐ γὰρ τῷ ἁπλῶς ἀποκτεῖναι, ἀλλὰ καὶ τῷ οὕτως ἀποκτεῖναι ᾤοντο βδελυκτὸν αὐτὸν ἐργάσασθαι, καὶ πάντων ἀποφαίνειν βδελυκτότερον· καὶ οὐδὲν ἴσχυσαν. Οὕτω δὲ μιαροί τινες ἦσαν ἀμφότεροι οἱ λῃσταί· ὕστερον γὰρ ὁ εἷς μετεβάλετο, ὅτι καὶ ἐν σταυρῷ ὄντες, ὠνείδιζον αὐτῷ· 62.233 καὶ οὔτε τὸ συνειδὸς τῶν ἰδίων ἁμαρτημάτων, οὔτε τὸ ἐν κολάσει εἶναι, οὔτε τὸ καὶ αὐτοὺς τὰ αὐτὰ πάσχειν, κατεῖχεν αὐτῶν τὴν μανίαν. Ὅπερ οὖν καὶ ὁ εἷς τῷ ἑνὶ εἶπε, καὶ ἐπεστόμισε λέγων· Οὐδὲ φοβῇ τὸν Θεὸν σὺ, ὅτι ἐν τῷ αὐτῷ κρίματί ἐσμεν; Τοσαύτην εἶχον τὴν κακίαν. Ἀλλ' οὐδὲν πρὸς τὴν οἰκείαν δόξαν παρεβλάβη ἐντεῦθεν. ∆ιό φησι· Καὶ ὁ Θεὸς αὐτὸν ὑπερύψωσε, καὶ ἐχαρίσατο αὐτῷ ὄνομα τὸ ὑπὲρ πᾶν ὄνομα. δʹ. Ὅταν τῆς σαρκὸς ἐπιλάβηται ὁ μακάριος Παῦλος, πάντα λοιπὸν τὰ ταπεινὰ μετὰ ἀδείας φθέγγεται. Ἕως μὲν γὰρ οὐκ ἔλεγεν, ὅτι μορφὴν δούλου ἔλαβεν, ἀλλὰ περὶ τῆς θεότητος διελέγετο, ὅρα πῶς ὑψηλῶς· ὑψηλῶς λέγω κατὰ τὴν δύναμιν· κατὰ γὰρ τὴν αὐτοῦ ἀξίαν οὐ φθέγγεται· οὐδὲ γὰρ δύναται· Ἐν μορφῇ, φησὶ, Θεοῦ ὑπάρχων, οὐχ ἁρπαγμὸν ἡγήσατο τὸ εἶναι ἴσα Θεῷ. Ἐπειδὴ δὲ εἶπεν, ὅτι ἐνηνθρώπησεν, ἀδεῶς λοιπὸν τὰ ταπεινὰ φθέγγεται, θαῤῥῶν ὡς οὐδὲν βλάπτει τὴν θεότητα τὸ ταπεινὰ λέγεσθαι, τῆς σαρκὸς αὐτοῦ δεχομένης ταῦτα. ∆ιὸ καὶ ὁ Θεὸς αὐτὸν ὑπερύψωσε, καὶ ἐχαρίσατο αὐτῷ ὄνομα τὸ ὑπὲρ πᾶν ὄνομα· ἵνα ἐν τῷ ὀνόματι Ἰησοῦ πᾶν γόνυ κάμψῃ, ἐπουρανίων καὶ ἐπιγείων καὶ καταχθονίων, καὶ πᾶσα γλῶσσα ἐξομολογήσηται, ὅτι Κύριος Ἰησοῦς Χριστὸς εἰς δόξαν Θεοῦ Πατρός. Εἴπωμεν πρὸς τοὺς αἱρετικοὺς, εἰ περὶ τοῦ μὴ σαρκωθέντος ταῦτα λέγεται, εἰ περὶ τοῦ Θεοῦ Λόγου, πῶς αὐτὸν ὑπερύψωσεν; ὡς πλεῖόν τι δεδωκώς; Οὐκοῦν ἀτελὴς ἦν κατὰ τοῦτο, καὶ δι' ἡμᾶς ἐγένετο τέλειος. Εἰ γὰρ μὴ ἡμᾶς εὐεργέτησεν, οὐκ ἂν ἔτυχε τῆς τιμῆς. Καὶ ἐχαρίσατο, φησὶν, ὄνομα. Ἰδοὺ, οὐδὲ ὄνομα εἶχε καθ' ὑμᾶς. Πῶς δὲ, εἰ ὀφειλὴν ἔλαβεν, εὑρίσκεται χάριτι καὶ δωρεᾷ λαβὼν, καὶ Ὄνομα τὸ ὑπὲρ πᾶν ὄνομα; Ποῖον δὲ ἴδωμεν καὶ ὄνομα· Ἵνα ἐν τῷ ὀνόματι Ἰησοῦ