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Word, and through this he showed his likeness to men. 215 {ORTH.} Therefore, the passion and the death and the resurrection belong entirely to the body, and the divine apostle, showing this from another angle, promises the return to life to all, and to those who believe in the resurrection of the Savior, but suppose the common resurrection of all to be a myth, he cries out saying: "But if Christ is preached that he has been raised from the dead, how do some among you say that there is no resurrection of the dead? But if there is no resurrection of the dead, neither has Christ been raised; and if Christ has not been raised, your faith is vain, you are still in your sins." And from what has happened, he confirms what will be; but from what is disbelieved, he casts out what is believed. For if that, he says, appears impossible to you, then this is surely false. But if this seems to be true and trustworthy, let that likewise seem to be trustworthy. For a resurrection of the body is preached here also, and this is called the firstfruits of those. For he said this declaratively after many long arguments. "But now Christ has been raised from the dead, he became the firstfruits of those who have fallen asleep. For since by man came death, by man came also the resurrection of the dead. For as in Adam all die, even so in Christ shall all be made alive." And not only did he confirm the argument concerning the resurrection, but he also revealed the mystery of the economy. For this reason also he called Christ a man, in order to show the remedy appropriate to the disease. {ERAN.} Is Christ therefore only a man? {ORTH.} By no means; for on the contrary we have often said that he is not only man, but also God before the ages. But he suffered as man, not as God. And the divine apostle taught us this clearly, saying: "For since by man came death, by man came also the resurrection of the dead." And writing to the Thessalonians, he confirms the argument concerning the common resurrection from the resurrection of our Savior. "For if we believe," he says, "that Jesus died and rose again, even so God will bring with him those who have fallen asleep through Jesus." {ERAN.} The apostle showed the common resurrection through the 216 Lord's resurrection. And it is clear that here too it was the body that died and rose. For he would not have attempted to show the resurrection of all through this, if it did not have an essential kinship with them. But I will not tolerate ascribing the passion to the human nature alone; but it seems to me to be consistent to say that God the Word died in the flesh. {ORTH.} We have often shown that what is by nature immortal cannot die in any way. If therefore he has died, then he is not immortal. And how great are the dangers in the blasphemy of these words? {ERAN.} By nature he is immortal, but having become incarnate he suffered. {ORTH.} Therefore he underwent a change. For how else, being immortal, did he receive death? But we have agreed that the essence of the Trinity is unchangeable; therefore he by no means partook of death, having a nature superior to change. {ERAN.} The divine Peter said, "Christ therefore having suffered for us in the flesh." {ORTH.} And with this our own argument agrees; for from the divine scripture we have learned the rule of doctrines. {ERAN.} How then do you not say that God the Word suffered in the flesh? {ORTH.} Because in the divine scripture we have not found this expression. {ERAN.} And yet I just now brought forward such a usage from the great Peter. {ORTH.} You are ignorant, it seems, of the difference of the names. {ERAN.} What names? Does not the Lord Christ seem to you to be God the Word? {ORTH.} The name Christ, applied to our Lord and Savior, signifies the incarnate God the Word; Emmanuel, God with us, God and man; but God the Word, spoken thus, signifies the simple nature, the one before the world, the one beyond time, the incorporeal. For which reason the all-holy Spirit through the
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λόγος, καὶ διὰ τούτου τὴν πρὸς τοὺς ἀνθρώπους ἔδειξεν ὁμοιότητα. 215 {ΟΡΘ.} Τοῦ σώματος οὖν ἄρα ὅλως τό τε πάθος καὶ ὁ θάνατος καὶ ἡ ἀνάστασις, καὶ τοῦτο δεικνὺς ἑτέρωθεν ὁ θεῖος ἀπόστολος ὑπισχνεῖ ται πᾶσι τὴν ἀναβίωσιν, καὶ τοῖς τῇ μὲν τοῦ σωτῆρος ἀναστάσει πιστεύουσι, τὴν δὲ κοινὴν πάντων ἀνάστασιν μῦθον ὑπολαμβάνουσι, κέκραγε λέγων· "Εἰ δὲ Χριστὸς κηρύσσεται ὅτι ἐκ νεκρῶν ἐγήγερται, πῶς λέγουσί τινες ἐν ὑμῖν, ὅτι ἀνάστασις νεκρῶν οὐκ ἔστιν; Εἰ δὲ ἀνάστασις νεκρῶν οὐκ ἔστιν, οὐδὲ Χριστὸς ἐγήγερται· εἰ δὲ Χριστὸς οὐκ ἐγήγερται, ματαία ἡ πίστις ὑμῶν, ἔτι ἐστὲ ἐν ταῖς ἁμαρτίαις ὑμῶν." Καὶ ἀπὸ μὲν τοῦ γεγενημένου τὸ ἐσόμενον βεβαιοῖ· ἀπὸ δὲ τοῦ ἀπιστουμένου ἐκβάλλει τὸ πιστευόμενον. Εἰ γὰρ ἐκεῖνο, φησίν, ὑμῖν ἀδύνατον καταφαίνεται, καὶ τοῦτο δήπου ψευδές. Εἰ δὲ τοῦτό γε ἀληθὲς καὶ πιστὸν εἶναι δοκεῖ, κἀκεῖνο ὡσαύτως δοκείτω εἶναι πιστόν. Σώματος γὰρ ἀνάστασις κἀνταῦθα κηρύττεται, καὶ ἀπαρχὴ τοῦτό γε ἐκείνων προσαγορεύεται. Τοῦτο γὰρ μετὰ τοὺς πάλαι πολλοὺς συλλογισμοὺς ἀποφαντικῶς εἴρηκεν. "Νυνὶ δὲ Χριστὸς ἐγήγερται ἐκ νεκρῶν, ἀπαρχὴ τῶν κεκοιμημένων ἐγένετο. Ἐπειδὴ γὰρ δι' ἀνθρώπου ὁ θάνατος, καὶ δι' ἀνθρώπου ἀνάστασις νεκρῶν. Ὥσπερ γὰρ ἐν τῷ Ἀδὰμ πάντες ἀποθνῄσκουσιν, οὕτως καὶ ἐν τῷ Χριστῷ πάντες ζωοποιηθήσονται." Καὶ οὐ μόνον τὸν περὶ τῆς ἀνα στάσεως ἐβεβαίωσε λόγον, ἀλλὰ καὶ τὸ τῆς οἰκονομίας μυστήριον ἀπεκάλυψε. Ταύτῃ τοι καὶ ἄνθρωπον τὸν Χριστὸν προσηγόρευσεν, ἵνα δείξῃ τὴν θεραπείαν τῇ νόσῳ κατάλληλον. {ΕΡΑΝ.} Ἄνθρωπος οὖν μόνον ἐστὶν ὁ Χριστός; {ΟΡΘ.} Ἄπαγε· τοὐναντίον γὰρ πολλάκις εἰρήκαμεν, ὡς οὐ μόνον ἄνθρωπός ἐστιν, ἀλλὰ καὶ θεὸς προαιώνιος. Πέπονθε δὲ ὡς ἄνθρωπος, οὐχ ὡς θεός. Καὶ τοῦτο σαφῶς ἡμᾶς ἐδίδαξεν ὁ θεῖος ἀπόστολος εἰρηκώς· "Ἐπειδὴ γὰρ δι' ἀνθρώπου ὁ θάνατος, καὶ δι' ἀνθρώπου ἀνάστασις νεκρῶν." Καὶ Θεσσαλονικεῦσι δὲ γράφων ἀπὸ τῆς τοῦ σωτῆρος ἡμῶν ἀναστάσεως βεβαιοῖ τὸν περὶ τῆς κοινῆς ἀναστάσεως λόγον. "Εἰ γὰρ πιστεύομεν, φησίν, ὅτι Ἰησοῦς ἀπέθανε καὶ ἀνέστη, οὕτως καὶ ὁ θεὸς τοὺς κοιμηθέντας διὰ τοῦ Ἰησοῦ ἄξει σὺν αὐτῷ." {ΕΡΑΝ.} Ἔδειξε μὲν ὁ ἀπόστολος τὴν κοινὴν ἀνάστασιν διὰ τῆς 216 δεσποτικῆς ἀναστάσεως. Καὶ δῆλον ὡς σῶμα ἦν κἀνταῦθα τὸ τεθνεός τε καὶ ἀναστάν. Οὐ γὰρ ἂν ἐπειράθη διὰ τούτου γε δεῖξαι τὴν πάντων ἀνάστασιν, εἰ μὴ τὴν πρὸς ἐκεῖνα εἶχε κατ' οὐσίαν συγγένειαν. Οὐ μὴν ἀνέξομαι τῇ ἀνθρωπείᾳ γε φύσει μόνῃ προσάψαι τὸ πάθος· ἀλλ' ἀκόλουθον εἶναί μοι δοκεῖ τὸ λέγειν τὸν θεὸν λόγον τεθνηκέναι σαρκί. {ΟΡΘ.} Πολλάκις ἐδείξαμεν, ὡς τὸ φύσει ἀθάνατον κατ' οὐδένα γε τρόπον ἀποθανεῖν δύναται. Εἰ τοίνυν τέθνηκεν, οὐκ ἄρα ἀθάνατος. Ἡλίκοι δὲ τῇ βλασφημίᾳ τῶν λόγων οἱ κίνδυνοι; {ΕΡΑΝ.} Φύσει μέν ἐστιν ἀθάνατος, ἐνανθρωπήσας δὲ πέπονθεν. {ΟΡΘ.} Τοιγαροῦν τροπὴν ὑπέμεινε. Πῶς γὰρ ἄλλως ἀθάνατος ὢν ἐδέξατο θάνατον; Ἀλλὰ μὴν συνωμολογήσαμεν ἄτρεπτον εἶναι τὴν τῆς τριάδος οὐσίαν· ἥκιστα οὖν ἄρα θανάτου μετέλαχε φύσιν ἔχων ὑπερτέραν τροπῆς. {ΕΡΑΝ.} Ὁ θεῖος εἴρηκε Πέτρος, "Χριστοῦ οὖν παθόντος ὑπὲρ ἡμῶν σαρκί." {ΟΡΘ.} Τούτῳ γε καὶ ὁ ἡμέτερος συμφωνεῖ λόγος· ἐκ γὰρ τῆς θείας γραφῆς μεμαθήκαμεν τὸν τῶν δογμάτων κανόνα. {ΕΡΑΝ.} Πῶς τοίνυν οὔ φατε τὸν θεὸν λόγον πεπονθέναι σαρκί; {ΟΡΘ.} Ὅτι παρὰ τῇ θείᾳ γραφῇ ταύτην οὐχ εὑρήκαμεν τὴν φωνήν. {ΕΡΑΝ.} Καὶ μὴν τοῦ μεγάλου Πέτρου χρῆσιν τοιαύτην ἀρτίως παρήγαγον. {ΟΡΘ.} Ἀγνοεῖς, ὡς ἔοικε, τὴν τῶν ὀνομάτων διαφοράν. {ΕΡΑΝ.} Ποίων ὀνομάτων; Οὐ δοκεῖ σοι θεὸς εἶναι λόγος ὁ δεσπό της Χριστός; {ΟΡΘ.} Τὸ Χριστὸς ὄνομα ἐπὶ τοῦ κυρίου καὶ σωτῆρος ἡμῶν τὸν ἐνανθρωπήσαντα θεὸν λόγον δηλοῖ· τὸ Ἐμμανουὴλ τὸν μεθ' ἡμῶν θεόν, τὸν θεὸν καὶ ἄνθρωπον· τὸ δέ γε θεὸς λόγος οὑτωσὶ λεγόμενον τὴν ἁπλῆν φύσιν, τὴν προκόσμιον, τὴν ὑπέρχρονον, τὴν ἀσώματον σημαίνει. Οὗ δὴ χάριν τὸ πανάγιον πνεῦμα τὸ διὰ τῶν