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"My Father is greater than I." What is greater is said to be greater either in size, or in time, or in dignity, or in power, or as a cause. But the Father could not be said to be greater than the Son in size; for he is incorporeal. Nor in time; for the Son is the creator of them. Nor in dignity; for he did not become what he was not at some time. Nor yet in power; for all things that the 29.696 Father does, the Son also does likewise. Nor as a cause; since in like manner he is greater than him and us, if indeed he is cause of him and of us. Therefore, the saying of the Son to the Father shows honor rather than a diminution of the one who spoke, and moreover what is greater is not in every case of a different substance. For a man is said to be greater than a man, and a horse than a horse. So that even if the Father is said to be greater, he is not immediately of a different substance. And generally, comparatives are used for things of the same substance, and not for things of a different substance. For that a man is greater than an irrational animal is not said in a proper sense; nor an irrational animal than an inanimate thing; but a man than a man, and an irrational animal than an irrational animal; therefore the Father is of the same substance as the Son, even if he is said to be greater. On, "But of that day and hour no one knows." If the Son is the creator of all things, but does not know the time of the judgment; he does not know what he created. For he did not say he is ignorant of the judgment, but of the time. And how is this not absurd? On the same. If the Son does not have the knowledge of all things that the Father has, he lied when he said: All things that the Father has are mine; and, As the Father knows me, I also know him. But if it is one thing to know the Father, and another to know the things of the Father; and if knowing the Father is greater than knowing his things (inasmuch as each person is greater than his own things); the Son, knowing the greater thing (For no one, he says, knows the Father except the Son), did not know the lesser, which is impossible. Therefore, because it was not expedient for men to hear, he was silent about the time of the judgment. For constant expectation makes them more fervent in piety; whereas the knowledge that a long time would intervene would have made them more negligent in piety, in the hope that even by changing later they might be able to be saved. For how could he who knew all things up to that hour (for he spoke of them) not also know that hour? And in vain did the Apostle also say: In whom are all the hidden treasures of wisdom and knowledge. On the same. If the Holy Spirit, searching the depths of God, can be ignorant of nothing of God's, but the Son 29.697 is ignorant; according to them, the Holy Spirit is greater than the Son, whom they do not even want to be equal. On "Father, if it is possible, let this cup pass." If the Son truly said, Father, if it is possible, let this cup pass, he not only accused himself of cowardice and weakness, but also thought that something was impossible for the Father. For the phrase, If it is possible, belongs to one who is in doubt, and not convinced that the Father could save him. And how could he who bestows life upon the dead not be much more able to preserve life for the living? Why then did he who raised Lazarus and many dead not grant life to himself, but asked for life from the Father, saying in fear: Father, if it is possible, let this cup pass? And if he died unwillingly, he no longer humbled himself, becoming obedient to the Father unto death, nor did he give himself, as the Apostle says: Who gave himself a ransom for our sins; but if willingly, what need was there for, Father, if it is possible, let this cup pass? Therefore, this must be understood as being about those who were about to sin against him, that they might not sin, and not about himself; for whom he also said when he was crucified: Father, forgive them, for they know not what they do. Therefore, one must not take things said according to the economy as if they were said simply. On, "And I live because of the Father." If the Son lives because of the Father, he lives because of another, and not because of himself. But he who lives because of another cannot be life itself. For not even a saint by grace is holiness itself. The Son therefore lied when he said: I am the life; and again: So also the Son gives life to whom he will. Therefore, the saying must be understood with reference to the incarnation, and not to the divinity. On, "Nor does the Son do anything of himself." If the power to act of one's own will

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«Πατήρ μου μείζων μου ἐστίν.» Τὸ μεῖζον ἢ μεγέθει, ἢ χρόνῳ, ἢ ἀξιώματι, ἢ δυ νάμει, ἢ ὡς αἴτιον μεῖζον λέγεται. Ἀλλὰ μεγέθει μὲν ὁ Πατὴρ τοῦ Υἱοῦ οὐκ ἂν λεχθείη μείζων· ἀσώ ματος γάρ. Ἀλλ' οὐδὲ χρόνῳ· ὁ γὰρ Υἱὸς αὐτῶν δη μιουργός. Ἀλλ' οὐδὲ ἀξιώματι· οὐ γὰρ ἐγένετο ὃ οὐκ ἦν ποτε. Οὔτε μὴν δυνάμει· Πάντα γὰρ ὅσα ὁ 29.696 Πατὴρ ποιεῖ, καὶ ὁ Υἱὸς ὁμοίως ποιεῖ Οὔτε ὡς αἴτιος· ἐπεὶ ὁμοίως καὶ αὐτοῦ καὶ ἡμῶν μείζων, εἴπερ γὰρ αὐτοῦ καὶ ἡμῶν αἴτιος. Τιμὴν τοίνυν μᾶλλον τὸ ῥηθὲν Υἱοῦ πρὸς Πατέρα, οὐκ ἐλάττωσιν τοῦ εἰπόντος δείκνυσιν, ἔπειτα τὸ μεῖζον οὐ πάντως καὶ ἑτεροούσιον. Ἄνθρωπος γὰρ ἀνθρώπου μεί ζων λέγεται, καὶ ἵππος ἵππου. Ὥστε εἰ καὶ μείζων ὁ Πατὴρ λέγεται, οὐκ εὐθὺς καὶ οὐσίας ἑτέρας. Κα θόλου δὲ τὰ συγκριτικὰ ἐπὶ τῶν ὁμοουσίων, καὶ οὐκ ἐπὶ τῶν ἑτεροουσίων λέγεται. Μείζων γὰρ ἄν θρωπος ἀλόγου, οὐ κυρίως λέγεται· οὐδὲ ἄλογον ἀψύ χου· ἀλλ' ἄνθρωπος ἀνθρώπου, καὶ ἄλογον ἀλόγου· ὁμοούσιος οὖν ὁ Πατὴρ τῷ Υἱῷ, κἂν μείζων λέγη ται. Εἰς τὸ, «Τὴν δὲ ὥραν καὶ τὴν ἡμέραν ἐκείνην οὐδεὶς οἶδεν.» Εἰ δημιουργὸς τῶν ὅλων ὁ Υἱὸς, τὸν δὲ χρόνον τῆς κρίσεως οὐκ οἶδεν· ὃ ἐδημιούργησεν οὐκ οἶδεν. Οὐ γὰρ τὴν κρίσιν εἶπεν ἀγνοεῖν, ἀλλὰ τὸν χρόνον. Καὶ πῶς οὐκ ἄτοπον; Εἰς τὸ αὐτό. Εἰ τὴν γνῶσιν πάντων ὧν ὁ Πατὴρ ἔχει, ὁ Υἱὸς οὐκ ἔχει, ἐψεύσατο εἰπών· Πάντα ὅσα ἔχει ὁ Πατὴρ, ἐμά ἐστι· καὶ, Καθὼς ὁ Πατὴρ γινώσκει με, κἀγὼ γινώσκω αὐτόν. Εἰ δὲ ἕτερον τὸ τὸν Πατέρα εἰδέναι, καὶ ἕτερον τὰ τοῦ Πατρός· μεῖζον δὲ τὸ εἰδέναι τὸν Πατέρα τοῦ τὰ αὐτοῦ εἰδέναι (καθόσον ἕκαστος αὐτὸς τῶν ἑαυτοῦ μείζων)· τὸ μεῖζον ὁ Υἱὸς εἰδὼς (Οὐδεὶς γὰρ, φησὶν, οἶδε τὸν Πατέρα εἰ μὴ ὁ Υἱὸς), τὸ ἔλαττον οὐκ ᾔδει, ὅπερ ἀδύνατον. ∆ιὰ τὸ μὴ συμφέρειν οὖν τοῖς ἀνθρώποις ἀκοῦσαι, τὸν καιρὸν τῆς κρίσεως ἀπεσιώπησεν. Ἡ μὲν γὰρ ἀεὶ προσδοκία θερμοτέρους περὶ τὴν εὐσέβειαν ἀπερ γάζεται· ἡ δὲ τοῦ πολὺν τὸν μεταξὺ χρόνον ἔσεσθαι γνῶσις ὀλιγωροτέρους ἂν περὶ τὴν εὐσέβειαν ἐποίη σεν, ἐλπίδι τοῦ καὶ ὕστερον μεταβαλλομένους δυνη θῆναι σωθῆναι. Ἐπεὶ πῶς ὁ πάντα μέχρι τῆς ὥρας ἐκείνης εἰδὼς (εἶπε γοῦν αὐτὰ) οὐχὶ κἀκείνην τὴν ὥραν ᾔδει; Μάτην δὲ καὶ ὁ Ἀπόστολος ἔλεγεν· Ἐν ᾧ εἰσι πάντες οἱ θησαυροὶ τῆς σοφίας καὶ τῆς γνώσεως ἀπόκρυφοι. Εἰς τὸ αὐτό. Εἰ τὸ ἅγιον Πνεῦμα, τὰ βάθη τοῦ Θεοῦ ἐρευνῶν, οὐδὲν ἀγνοεῖν τῶν τοῦ Θεοῦ δύναται, ὁ δὲ Υἱὸς 29.697 ἀγνοεῖ· μεῖζον κατ' αὐτοὺς τὸ ἅγιον Πνεῦμα τοῦ Υἱοῦ, ὅπερ οὐδὲ ἴσον εἶναι θέλουσιν. Εἰς τὸ «Πάτερ, εἰ δυνατὸν, παρελθέτω τὸ ποτή ριον τοῦτο.» Εἰ ἀληθῶς ὁ Υἱὸς ἔλεγε, Πάτερ, εἰ δυνατὸν, παρελθέτω τὸ ποτήριον τοῦτο, οὐ δειλίαν ἑαυτοῦ καὶ ἀσθένειαν κατηγόρει μόνον, ἀλλὰ εἶναί τι καὶ ἀδύνατον τῷ Πατρὶ ἐνόμιζεν. Τὸ γὰρ, Εἰ δυ νατὸν, ἀμφιβάλλοντος ἦν, καὶ οὐ πεπεισμένου δύνασθαι τὸν Πατέρα σῶσαι αὐτόν. Πῶς δὲ καὶ ὁ νεκροῖς τὸ ζῇν χαριζόμενος οὐ πολλῷ μᾶλλον τοῖς ζῶσι τὸ ζῇν φυλάττειν ἠδύνατο; ∆ιὰ τί οὖν ὁ Λάζαρον καὶ πολλοὺς νεκροὺς ἀναστήσας οὐχ ἑαυτῷ παρέχει τὸ ζῇν, ἀλλὰ παρὰ τοῦ Πατρὸς ᾔτει τὸ ζῇν, φοβούμενος εἰπών· Πάτερ, εἰ δυνατὸν, παρ ελθέτω τὸ ποτήριον τοῦτο; Καὶ εἰ ἄκων δὲ ἀπ έθνησκεν, οὐκέτι ταπεινώσας ἑαυτὸν, ὑπήκοος μέχρι θανάτου ἐγένετο τῷ Πατρὶ, οὐδὲ δέδωκεν ἑαυτὸν, ὥς φησιν ὁ Ἀπόστολος· Τοῦ δόντος ἑαυτὸν λύτρον ὑπὲρ τῶν ἁμαρτιῶν ἡμῶν· εἰ δὲ ἑκὼν, τίς χρεία τοῦ, Πάτερ, εἰ δυνατὸν, παρελθέτω τὸ ποτήριον τοῦτο; Ἐπὶ τῶν οὖν εἰς αὐτὸν ἁμαρτάνειν μελλόν των, ἵνα μὴ ἁμάρτωσι, καὶ οὐκ ἐπ' αὐτοῦ τοῦτο δεκτέον· ὑπὲρ ὧν καὶ σταυρωθεὶς ἔλεγε· Πάτερ, ἄφες αὐτοῖς, ὅτι οὐκ οἴδασι τί ποιοῦσιν. Οὐ δεῖ οὖν τὰ κατ' οἰκονομίαν ὡς ἁπλῶς εἰρημένα ἐκ δέχεσθαι. Εἰς τὸ, «Κἀγὼ ζῶ διὰ τὸν Πατέρα.» Εἰ διὰ τὸν Πατέρα ὁ Υἱὸς ζῇ, δι' ἕτερον, καὶ οὐ δι' ἑαυτὸν ζῇ. Ὁ δὲ δι' ἕτερον ζῶν αὐτοζωὴ εἶναι οὐ δύ ναται. Οὐδὲ γὰρ ὁ κατὰ χάριν ἅγιος αὐτοάγιος. Ἐψεύ σατο οὖν ὁ Υἱὸς εἰπών· Ἐγώ εἰμι ἡ ζωή· καὶ πάλιν· Οὕτω καὶ ὁ Υἱὸς οὓς θέλει ζωοποιεῖ. Εἰς τὴν ἐναν θρώπησιν οὖν, καὶ οὐκ εἰς τὴν θεότητα τὸ εἰρημένον νοεῖν δεῖ. Εἰς τὸ, «Οὐδὲ ὁ Υἱὸς ἀφ' ἑαυτοῦ τι ποιεῖ.» Εἰ τὸ αὐτεξούσιον