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was the Word, and the Word was with God; and Thomas concerning the Son: My Lord, and my God. Therefore, the distinctions must be understood in relation to created things and to those falsely and not properly called gods, not in relation to the Father and the Son. Regarding, “That they may know You, the only true God.” The true is spoken of in contrast to the false; but the incomparable is he who surpasses all in every way. Therefore, when Jeremiah said of the Son, This is our God, no other shall be accounted of in comparison with him, did he say He was greater even than the Father? But that the Son is also true God, John himself says in his Epistle: That we may know the only true God; and we are 29.708 in his true Son, Jesus Christ. This is the true God, and eternal life. Therefore, neither because of, No other shall be accounted of in comparison with him, is he to be thought greater than the Father; nor is the Father the only true God, but both are spoken of in contrast to those who are falsely called gods, but are not. As it also says in Deuteronomy: The Lord alone led them, and there was no strange god with them. If God is alone invisible and wise, is he not at the same time and in all things God greater than all? and he who is God over all is of necessity superior to all. Therefore, when the Apostle called the Savior God over all, did he say He was greater even than the Father? But that is absurd. Thus, this too must be understood in like manner. The great God cannot be less than another God. Therefore the Apostle, when he said concerning the Son, Looking for the blessed hope and the appearing of the glory of our great God and Savior, Jesus Christ, did he think him greater than the Father? For we await the appearing and coming of the Son, not of the Father. Therefore, these things are said indiscriminately of the Father and of the Son, and not with careful distinction. To be equal with God, is nothing other than being equal to God. Therefore, the Son, who did not consider it robbery to be equal with God, how is he unlike and unequal to God? But the Jews are more pious than Eunomius. For when the Savior said he was only the Son of God, as it is owed to the Son, if he is truly Son, also to be equal to the Father; they wanted to stone him, it says, not only because he broke the Sabbath, but also because he said that God was his own Father, making himself equal to God. Therefore, he is equal to the Father both according to the Apostle and according to the voice of the Savior, even if Eunomius does not wish it. Regarding, “It is not mine to give, but to those for whom it has been prepared.” If the Son is not lord of judgment, and of doing good to some, and punishing others, how did he say: The Father judges no one, but has given all judgment to the Son? and elsewhere: The Son of Man has authority on earth to forgive sins; and again: All authority in heaven and on earth has been given to me; and to Peter: To you I will give the keys of the kingdom of heaven; and to the disciples: Truly I say to you, you who have followed me will also sit on twelve thrones in the 29.709 regeneration, judging the twelve tribes of Israel. It is therefore resolved by the Scriptures themselves, the Savior saying: And then I will repay each one according to his deeds. And elsewhere: Those who have done good will come out to the resurrection of life, and those who have done evil, to the resurrection of judgment. And the Apostle: For we must all appear before the judgment seat of Christ, so that each one may receive what is due for what he has done in the body, whether good or evil. It is, therefore, for those who receive to make themselves worthy of the seat at the right and left of the Lord, not for him who is able to give, even if the request is unjust. Regarding, “Who is God except the Lord? and who is God besides our God?” That these things and others like them are not said in relation to the Son, but to those who are called gods, but are not, the Scriptures have said, has been sufficiently demonstrated, from which we have shown that the Son is often called God and Lord in the Old and New Testament. But David makes it clearer, saying: Who is like you? and he added: Among the gods, O Lord; and Moses: The Lord alone led them, and there was no strange god with them; although the Savior was
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ἦν ὁ Λόγος, καὶ ὁ Λόγος ἦν πρὸς τὸν Θεόν· καὶ ὁ Θωμᾶς ἐπὶ τοῦ Υἱοῦ· Ὁ Κύριός μου, καὶ ὁ Θεός μου. Πρὸς τὰ κτίσματα οὖν καὶ τοὺς ψευδῶς θεοὺς καὶ οὐ κυ ρίως εἰρημένους νοεῖν τὰς ἀντιδιαστολὰς δεῖ, οὐκ εἰς τὸν Πατέρα καὶ τὸν Υἱόν. Εἰς τὸ, «Ἵνα γινώσκωσί σε τὸν μόνον ἀληθινὸν Θεόν.» Ὁ ἀληθινὸς πρὸς τοὺς ψευδῶς ἀντιδιαστελλόμε νος λέγεται· ὁ δὲ ἀσύγκριτος πρὸς πάντα κατὰ πάντα ὑπερέχων. Εἰπὼν οὖν ὁ Ἱερεμίας περὶ τοῦ Υἱοῦ, Οὗτος ὁ Θεὸς ἡμῶν, οὐ λογισθήσεται ἕτερος πρὸς αὐτὸν, μείζονα καὶ τοῦ Πατρὸς εἶ πεν; Ὅτι δὲ ἀληθινὸς Θεὸς καὶ ὁ Υἱὸς, αὐτὸς ὁ Ἰωάννης ἐν τῇ Ἐπιστολῇ φησιν· Ἵνα γινώσκωμεν τὸν μόνον ἀληθινὸν Θεόν· καί ἐσμεν 29.708 ἐν τῷ ἀληθινῷ Υἱῷ αὐτοῦ Ἰησοῦ Χριστῷ. Οὗτός ἐστιν ὁ ἀληθινὸς Θεὸς, καὶ ζωὴ αἰώνιος. Οὔτε οὖν διὰ τὸ, Οὐ λογισθήσεται ἕτερος πρὸς αὐ τὸν, μείζονα τοῦ Πατρὸς νοητέον· οὔτε μόνον ἀλη θινὸν Θεὸν τὸν Πατέρα, ἀλλ' ἀμφότερα πρὸς τοὺς λε γομένους μὲν ψευδῶς, οὐκ ὄντας δέ. Ὡς καὶ ἐν τῷ ∆ευτερονομίῳ λέγει· Κύριος μόνος ἦγεν αὐτοὺς, καὶ οὐκ ἦν μετ' αὐτῶν Θεὸς ἀλλότριος. Εἰ μόνος ἀόρα τος καὶ σοφὸς ὁ Θεὸς, οὐχ ἅμα καὶ ἐν πᾶσι μείζων πάντων Θεός· ὁ δὲ ἐπὶ πάντων Θεὸς ἐξ ἀνάγκης ὑπερέχων πάντων. Ὁ Ἀπόστολος οὖν ἐπὶ πάντων Θεὸν εἰπὼν τὸν Σωτῆρα, μείζονα καὶ τοῦ Πα τρὸς εἶπεν; Ἀλλ' ἄτοπον. Ὁμοίως οὖν καὶ τοῦτο νοητέον. Ὁ μέγας Θεὸς οὐκ ἂν ἐλάττων εἴη ἑτέρου Θεοῦ. Ὁ Ἀπόστολος οὖν, εἰπὼν περὶ τοῦ Υἱοῦ, Ἀπεκδεχόμεθα τὴν μακαρίαν ἐλπίδα καὶ ἐπιφάνειαν τῆς δόξης τοῦ μεγάλου Θεοῦ καὶ Σω τῆρος ἡμῶν Ἰησοῦ Χριστοῦ, μείζονα τοῦ Πατρὸς ἐνόησε; Τοῦ γὰρ Υἱοῦ τὴν ἐπιφάνειαν καὶ παρου σίαν ἐκδεχόμεθα, οὐ τοῦ Πατρός. Ἀδιακρίτως οὖν εἰς Πατέρα καὶ εἰς Υἱὸν ταῦτα λέγεται, καὶ οὐ παρατετηρημένως. Τὸ, Ἴσα Θεῷ εἶναι, οὐκ ἄλλο ἐστὶ τῷ εἶναι ἴσον Θεῷ. Ὁ οὖν Υἱὸς, οὐχ ἁρπαγμὸν ἡγησάμενος τὸ εἶναι ἴσα Θεῷ, πῶς ἀνόμοιος καὶ ἄνισος Θεῷ; Ἰουδαῖοι δὲ εὐσεβέστεροι Εὐνομίου. Τοῦ γὰρ Σωτῆρος εἰπόντος ἑαυτὸν Υἱὸν Θεοῦ μόνον, ὡς ὀφειλομένου τῷ Υἱῷ, εἰ ἀληθῶς Υἱός ἐστι, καὶ ἴσον αὐτὸν εἶναι τῷ Πατρί· Ἐβούλοντο λιθάσαι, φησὶν, αὐτὸν, οὐχ ὅτι μόνον ἔλυε τὸ Σάββατον, ἀλλ' ὅτι καὶ πατέρα ἴδιον ἔλεγεν εἶναι τὸν Θεὸν, ἴσον ἑαυ τὸν ποιῶν τῷ Θεῷ. Ἴσος οὖν τῷ Πατρὶ καὶ κατὰ τὸν Ἀπόστολον καὶ κατὰ τὴν φωνὴν τοῦ Σωτῆρος, κἂν Εὐνόμιος μὴ θέλῃ. Εἰς τὸ, «Οὐκ ἔστιν ἐμὸν δοῦναι, ἀλλ' οἷς ἡτοίμασται.» Εἰ μὴ κύριος τῆς κρίσεως ὁ Υἱὸς, καὶ τοὺς μὲν εὐεργετεῖν, τοὺς δὲ κολάζειν, πῶς ἔλεγεν· Ὁ Πατὴρ οὐδένα κρίνει, ἀλλὰ πᾶσαν τὴν κρίσιν ἔδωκε τῷ Υἱῷ; καὶ ἀλλαχοῦ· Ἐξουσίαν ἔχει ὁ Υἱὸς τοῦ ἀνθρώπου ἀφιέναι ἐπὶ τῆς γῆς ἁμαρτίας· καὶ πά λιν· Ἐδόθη μοι πᾶσα ἐξουσία ἐν οὐρανῷ καὶ ἐπὶ γῆς· πρὸς δὲ τὸν Πέτρον· Σοὶ δώσω τὰς κλεῖς τῆς βασιλείας τῶν οὐρανῶν· πρὸς δὲ τοὺς μαθητάς· Ἀμὴν λέγω ὑμῖν, ὑμεῖς οἱ ἀκολουθήσαντές μοι ἐν 29.709 τῇ παλιγγενεσίᾳ καθήσεσθε ἐπὶ δώδεκα θρόνους, κρίνοντες τὰς δώδεκα φυλὰς τοῦ Ἰσραήλ. Λέ λυται οὖν αὐτοῖς τοῖς ἐγγράφοις, τοῦ μὲν Σωτῆρος εἰπόντος· Καὶ τότε ἀποδώσω ἑκάστῳ κατὰ τὴν πρᾶξιν αὐτοῦ. Καὶ ἀλλαχοῦ· Ἐκπορεύσονται οἱ τὰ ἀγαθὰ ποιήσαντες εἰς ἀνάστασιν ζωῆς, οἱ δὲ τὰ φαῦλα πράξαντες, εἰς ἀνάστασιν κρίσεως. Ὁ δὲ Ἀπόστολος· Τοὺς γὰρ πάντας ἡμᾶς φανερωθῆναι δεῖ ἔμπροσθεν τοῦ βήματος τοῦ Χριστοῦ ἵνα κομίσηται ἕκαστος τὰ διὰ τοῦ σώματος πρὸς ἃ ἔπραξεν, εἴτε ἀγαθὸν εἴτε κακόν. Τῶν λαμβα νόντων οὖν ἐστιν ἀξίους ἑαυτοὺς ποιῆσαι τῆς ἐκ δεξιῶν καὶ εὐωνύμων καθέδρας τοῦ Κυρίου, οὐ τοῦ δυναμένου διδόναι, κἂν ἄδικος ἡ αἴτησις ᾖ. Εἰς τὸ, «Τίς Θεὸς παρὲξ τοῦ Κυρίου; καὶ τίς Θεὸς πλὴν τοῦ Θεοῦ ἡμῶν;» Ὅτι μὲν οὐ πρὸς τὸν Υἱὸν ταῦτα καὶ τὰ ὅμοια τούτοις, ἀλλὰ πρὸς τοὺς λεγομένους θεοὺς, οὐκ ὄντας δὲ, εἰρήκασιν αἱ Γραφαὶ, ἱκανῶς ἀποδέδεικται, ἀφ' ὧν καὶ Θεὸν καὶ Κύριον πολλάκις ἐν τῇ Παλαιᾷ ∆ιαθήκῃ καὶ τῇ Καινῇ τὸν Υἱὸν ἀπεδείξαμεν εἰρῆ σθαι. Ὁ ∆αβὶδ δὲ σαφέστερον αὐτὸ ποιεῖ, λέγων· Τίς ὅμοιός σοι; καὶ ἐπήγαγεν· Ἐν θεοῖς, Κύριε· καὶ ὁ Μωϋσῆς· Κύριος μόνος ἦγεν αὐτοὺς, καὶ οὐκ ἦν μετ' αὐτῶν Θεὸς ἀλλότριος· καίτοιγε τοῦ Σωτῆρος ὄντος