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48

of their provision he endured the healings, but so that he might redeem from the slavery of the law those sold to the judgment of the curse. Of Saint Athanasius, bishop of Alexandria. From the one against the heresies

discourse 2. And just as we would not have been freed from sin and the curse, if the flesh which the Word put on had not been human flesh by nature; for we had nothing in common with what was foreign; so man would not have been deified, if the Word who became flesh had not been by nature from the Father, and true and his own. For this is why such a union was made, that he might join the man who is by nature to him who is by nature of the Godhead, and his salvation and deification might be made sure. Therefore, let those who deny that the Son is by nature from the Father and proper to his substance, also deny that he took true and human flesh from Mary, the ever-virgin. Of the same, from the letter to Epictetus. If, because the Savior's body is and is said in the scriptures to be from Mary and human, they think that a tetrad is spoken of instead of a triad, as if an addition were made because of the body, they are greatly mistaken, equating the thing made with the maker, and supposing that the Godhead is able to receive an addition. And they were ignorant that the Word became flesh not for an addition to the Godhead, but that the flesh might rise; nor did the Word come forth from Mary in order to be improved, but in order to redeem the human race. How then is it possible for the body, redeemed and made alive through the Word, to make an addition to the Godhead of the life-giving Word? 160 Of the same, from the same letter. Let them hear that if the Word were a creature, he would not have taken on a created body in order to give it life. For what help is there for creatures from a creature, who itself also needs salvation? But since the Word, being the creator, himself became the fashioner of created things, for this reason also at the end of the ages he himself put together the created thing, so that again as creator he might renew it, and be able to recreate it. Of the same, from the longer discourse on faith. What we have quoted concerning, "Sit at my right hand," that it was spoken to the Lord's body. For if, "I fill heaven and earth, says the Lord," as Jeremiah says, and God contains all things, but is contained by nothing, on what throne does he sit? It is the body, therefore, to which he says, "Sit at my right hand." Of the same, from the same discourse. But the body which admits of progress and age is itself a creature and a thing made. Of the same, from the same discourse. It is the body, therefore, to which he says, "Sit at my right hand," of which the devil with the evil powers has become an enemy, and Jews and Greeks. Through which body he became and was named high priest and apostle, through which he delivered to us a mystery, saying, "This is my body which is broken for you," and, "The blood of the new covenant (not of the old), which is shed for you." But the Godhead has neither body nor blood, but the man whom he put on from Mary has become the cause of these things, concerning whom the apostles said: "Jesus of Nazareth, a man approved of God among you." Of the same, from the volume against the Arians. And when he says, "Wherefore God also has highly exalted him, and given him a name which is above every name," he speaks concerning the temple of his body, not concerning the Godhead. For the Most High is not exalted, but the flesh of the Most High is exalted, and to the flesh of the Most High he has given the name which is 161 above every name. And the Word of God did not in the beginning receive to be called God, but his flesh was spoken of as God together with him. Of the same, from the same discourse. And when he says, "The Holy Spirit was not yet, because Jesus was not yet glorified," he speaks of his flesh not yet having been glorified. For not the

48

τῆς τούτων χορηγίας ὑπέμενε τὰς θεραπείας, ἀλλ' ἵνα τῆς τοῦ νόμου δουλείας ἐξαγοράσῃ τοὺς πεπραμένους τῇ δίκῃ τῆς ἀρᾶς. Τοῦ ἁγίου Ἀθανασίου ἐπισκόπου Ἀλεξανδρείας. Ἐκ τοῦ πρὸς τὰς αἱρέσεις

λόγου βʹ. Καὶ ὥσπερ οὐκ ἂν ἠλευθερώθημεν ἀπὸ τῆς ἁμαρτίας καὶ τῆς κατάρας, εἰ μὴ φύσει σὰρξ ἀνθρωπίνη ἦν, ἣν ἐνεδύσατο ὁ λόγος· οὐδὲν γὰρ κοινὸν ἦν ἡμῖν πρὸς τὸ ἀλλότριον· οὕτως οὐκ ἂν ἐθεοποιήθη ὁ ἄνθρω πος, εἰ μὴ φύσει ἐκ τοῦ πατρός, καὶ ἀληθινὸς καὶ ἴδιος ἦν αὐτοῦ ὁ λόγος, ὁ γενόμενος σάρξ. ∆ιὰ τοῦτο γὰρ τοιαύτη γέγονεν ἡ συνάφεια, ἵνα τῷ κατὰ φύσιν τῆς θεότητος συνάψῃ τὸν φύσει ἄνθρωπον, καὶ βεβαία γένηται ἡ σωτηρία καὶ ἡ θεοποίησις αὐτοῦ. Οὐκοῦν οἱ ἀρνού μενοι ἐκ τοῦ πατρὸς εἶναι φύσει καὶ ἴδιον τῆς οὐσίας αὐτοῦ τὸν υἱόν, ἀρνησάσθωσαν καὶ ἀληθινὴν σάρκα καὶ ἀνθρωπίνην αὐτὸν μὴ εἰληφέναι ἐκ Μαρίας τῆς ἀεὶ παρθένου. Τοῦ αὐτοῦ ἐκ τῆς πρὸς Ἐπίκτητον ἐπιστολῆς. Εἰ διὰ τὸ εἶναι καὶ λέγεσθαι ἐν ταῖς γραφαῖς ἐκ Μαρίας εἶναι καὶ ἀνθρώπινον τὸ σῶμα τοῦ σωτῆρος, νομίζουσιν ἀντὶ τριάδος τετράδα λέγεσθαι, ὡς προσθήκης γινομένης διὰ τὸ σῶμα, πολὺ πλανῶνται, τὸ ποίημα συνεξισοῦντες τῷ ποιητῇ, καὶ ὑπονοοῦντες δύνασθαι τὴν θεό τητα προσθήκην λαμβάνειν. Καὶ ἠγνόησαν ὅτι οὐ διὰ προσθήκην θεότητος γέγονε σὰρξ ὁ λόγος, ἀλλ' ἵνα ἡ σὰρξ ἀναστῇ· οὐδὲ ἵνα βελτιωθῇ ὁ λόγος προῆλθεν ἐκ Μαρίας, ἀλλ' ἵνα τὸ ἀνθρώπινον γένος λυτρώσηται. Πῶς οὖν οἷόν τε τὸ διὰ τοῦ λόγου λυτρωθὲν σῶμα καὶ ζωοποιηθὲν προσθήκην εἰς θεότητα τῷ ζωοποιήσαντι λόγῳ ποιεῖν; 160 Τοῦ αὐτοῦ ἐκ τῆς αὐτῆς ἐπιστολῆς. Ἀκουέτωσαν ὅτι εἰ κτίσμα ἦν ὁ λόγος, οὐ προσελάμβανεν τὸ κτιστὸν σῶμα, ἵνα τοῦτο ζωοποιήσῃ. Ποία γὰρ τοῖς κτίσμασι παρὰ κτίσμα τός ἐστι βοήθεια, δεομένου καὶ αὐτοῦ σωτηρίας; Ἀλλ' ἐπειδὴ κτίστης ὢν ὁ λόγος αὐτὸς δημιουργὸς γέγονε τῶν κτισμάτων, διὰ τοῦτο καὶ ἐπὶ συντελείᾳ τῶν αἰώνων τὸ κτιστὸν αὐτὸς συνεστήσατο, ἵνα πάλιν αὐτὸ ὡς κτίστης ἀνακαινίσῃ, καὶ ἀνακτίσαι δυνηθῇ. Τοῦ αὐτοῦ ἐκ τοῦ περὶ πίστεως λόγου τοῦ μείζονος. Ἃ δὲ παρεθέμεθα περὶ τοῦ, "Κάθου ἐκ δεξιῶν μου," ὅτι εἰς τὸ κυριακὸν σῶμα λέλεκται. Εἰ γάρ, "Τὸν οὐρανὸν καὶ τὴν γῆν ἐγὼ πληρῶ, λέγει κύριος," ὥς φησιν Ἰερεμίας, πάντα δὲ χωρεῖ ὁ θεός, ὑπ' οὐδενὸς δὲ χωρεῖται, εἰς ποῖον καθέζεται θρόνον; Τὸ σῶμα τοίνυν ἐστὶν ᾧ λέγει, "Κάθου ἐκ δεξιῶν μου." Τοῦ αὐτοῦ ἐκ τοῦ αὐτοῦ λόγου. Τὸ δὲ προκοπὴν καὶ ἡλικίαν ἐπιδεχόμενον σῶμα αὐτό ἐστι κτίσμα καὶ ποίημα. Τοῦ αὐτοῦ ἐκ τοῦ αὐτοῦ λόγου. Τὸ σῶμα τοίνυν ἐστὶν ᾧ λέγει, "Κάθου ἐκ δεξιῶν μου," οὗ καὶ γέγονεν ἐχθρὸς ὁ διάβολος σὺν ταῖς πονηραῖς δυνάμεσι, καὶ Ἰουδαῖοι καὶ Ἕλληνες. ∆ι' οὗ σώματος ἀρχιερεὺς καὶ ἀπόστολος γέγονε καὶ ἐχρημάτισε, δι' οὗ παρέδωκεν ἡμῖν μυστηρίου, λέγων, "Τοῦτό ἐστί μου τὸ σῶμα τὸ ὑπὲρ ὑμῶν κλώμενον," καί, "Τὸ αἷμα τῆς καινῆς δια θήκης (οὐ τῆς παλαιᾶς), τὸ ὑπὲρ ὑμῶν ἐκχυνόμενον." Θεότης δὲ οὔτε σῶμα οὔτε αἷμα ἔχει, ἀλλ' ὃν ἐφόρεσεν ἐκ τῆς Μαρίας ἄνθρωπον, αἴτιος τούτων γέγονε, περὶ οὗ εἶπον οἱ ἀπόστολοι· "Ἰησοῦν τὸν ἀπὸ Ναζαρὲτ ἄνδρα ἀπὸ θεοῦ ἀποδεδειγμένον εἰς ὑμᾶς." Τοῦ αὐτοῦ ἐκ τοῦ πρὸς Ἀρειανοὺς τόμου. Καὶ ὅτε λέγει, "∆ιὸ καὶ ὁ θεὸς αὐτὸν ὑπερύψωσε, καὶ ἐχαρίσατο αὐτῷ ὄνομα, τὸ ὑπὲρ πᾶν ὄνομα," περὶ τοῦ ναοῦ τοῦ σώματος αὐτοῦ λέγει, οὐ περὶ τῆς θεότητος. Οὐ γὰρ ὁ ὕψιστος ὑψοῦται, ἀλλ' ἡ σὰρξ τοῦ ὑψίστου ὑψοῦται, καὶ τῇ σαρκὶ τοῦ ὑψίστου ἐχαρίσατο ὄνομα τὸ 161 ὑπὲρ πᾶν ὄνομα. Καὶ οὐχ ὁ λόγος τοῦ θεοῦ καταρχὴν ἔλαβε τὸ καλεῖσθαι θεός, ἀλλ' ἡ σὰρξ αὐτοῦ σὺν αὐτῷ ἐθεολογήθη. Τοῦ αὐτοῦ ἐκ τοῦ αὐτοῦ λόγου. Καὶ ὅτε λέγει, "Οὔπω ἦν πνεῦμα ἅγιον, ὅτι Ἰησοῦς οὐδέπω ἐδοξάσθη," τὴν σάρκα αὐτοῦ λέγει μηδέπω δοξασθεῖσαν. Οὐ γὰρ ὁ