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he has made; and Paul cries out, saying: Who, being in the form of God, did not consider it robbery to be equal with God, but emptied Himself, taking the form of a servant. And again Christ Himself elsewhere: I have power to lay down my life, and I have power to take it again, and no one takes it from me; I lay it down of myself. Do you see Him having power both of death and of life, and having wrought so great a dispensation of Himself? And what do I say of Christ? For we, than whom nothing could be more insignificant, do many things of ourselves, both choosing evil of ourselves, and pursuing virtue of ourselves. But if not of ourselves, nor having power, neither shall we when we sin fall into hell, nor when we do right shall we attain the kingdom. Therefore, "He can do nothing of Himself" is nothing else than that He does nothing contrary to the Father, nothing alien, nothing strange, which most of all shows the equality and the great harmony. And for what reason did He not say that He does nothing contrary, but that He "cannot"? So that from this He might show again the unchangeableness and the exactness of the equality. For the saying does not accuse Him of weakness, but rather bears witness to His great power. Since also elsewhere Paul says concerning the Father: "That by two immutable things, in which it was impossible for God to lie;" and again, "If we deny Him, He remains faithful; He cannot deny Himself." And surely this "impossible" is not indicative of weakness, but of power, and of unspeakable power. What He says, therefore, is this: That essence is unsusceptible of all such things. For just as when we ourselves say, it is impossible for God to sin, we do not accuse Him of weakness, but bear witness to a certain ineffable power of His; 59.217 so indeed when He Himself says, "I can do nothing of myself," He means this, that it is impossible and inadmissible for Me to do anything contrary to the Father. And that you may learn that this is what is being said, let us go over what follows, and let us see with which side Christ votes: whether with what has been said by us, or by you. For you say that the saying takes away His power, and His proper authority, and shows His power to be weak; but I say that it shows the equality, and the unchangeableness, and that it proceeds as if from one will and power and authority. Therefore let us ask Christ Himself, and see by what He says next, whether He interprets what has been said according to your suspicion, or according to ours. What then does He say? "For whatever the Father does, these things the Son also does likewise." Have you seen how He has utterly destroyed your position, and confirmed what has been said by us? For if He does nothing of Himself, neither then will the Father do anything of Himself, if indeed He does all things likewise with Him. Since if this is not the case, another absurdity will follow. For He did not say that He did what He saw the Father doing, but, "unless He sees the Father doing something, He does not do it," extending the statement to all time; and according to you He will always be learning the same things. Do you see how the thought is lofty, but the humility of the expression forces even those who are overly shameless and unwilling to flee what is groveling and very discordant with that dignity? For who is so wretched and miserable as to say that the Son learns each day what He ought to do? And how will that be true, that, "But you are the same, and your years will not fail"? and how, "And all things were made through Him, and without Him was not anything made that was made;" if indeed the Father does some things, and He, seeing them, imitates them? Do you see that both from what was said above, and from what was said after this, the proof of His authority is shown? But if He brings forth some of the sayings in a more humble manner, do not be surprised. For since they persecuted Him when they heard the lofty things, and thought Him to be an adversary of God, lowering it a little through the words alone, He again raises the discourse to higher things; then again to humble things, varying His teaching, so that it might become acceptable even to the ungrateful. But consider: Having said, "My Father is working, and I am working;" and having declared Himself equal to God, again

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πεποίηκε· καὶ βοᾷ Παῦλος, λέγων· Ὃς ἐν μορφῇ Θεοῦ ὑπάρχων, οὐχ ἁρπαγμὸν ἡγήσατο τὸ εἶναι ἴσα Θεῷ, ἀλλ' ἑαυτὸν ἐκένωσε, μορφὴν δούλου λαβών. Καὶ πάλιν αὐτὸς ὁ Χριστὸς ἀλλαχοῦ· Ἐξουσίαν ἔχω θεῖναι τὴν ψυχήν μου, καὶ ἐξουσίαν ἔχω λαβεῖν αὐτὴν, καὶ οὐδεὶς αἴρει αὐτὴν ἀπ' ἐμοῦ ἐγὼ τίθημι αὐτὴν ἀπ' ἐμαυτοῦ. Ὁρᾷς καὶ θανάτου καὶ ζωῆς ἐξουσίαν ἔχοντα, καὶ τὴν τοσαύτην οἰκονομίαν ἀφ' ἑαυτοῦ ἐργασάμενον; Καὶ τί λέγω περὶ τοῦ Χριστοῦ; Ἡμεῖς γὰρ, ὧν οὐδὲν εὐτελέστερον γένοιτ' ἂν, πολλὰ ἀφ' ἑαυτῶν πράττομεν, καὶ κακίαν ἀφ' ἑαυτῶν αἱρούμενοι, καὶ ἀρετὴν ἀφ' ἑαυτῶν μετερχόμενοι. Εἰ δὲ μὴ ἀφ' ἑαυτῶν, μηδὲ ἐξουσίαν ἔχοντες, οὔτ' εἰς γέενναν ἁμαρτάνοντες ἐμπεσούμεθα, οὔτε βασιλείας κατορθοῦντες ἐπιτευξόμεθα. Οὐδὲν οὖν ἄλλο ἐστὶ τὸ, Ἀφ' ἑαυτοῦ οὐ δύναται ποιεῖν οὐδὲν, ἢ ὅτι οὐδὲν ἐναντίον τῷ Πατρὶ, οὐδὲν ἀλλότριον, οὐδὲν ξένον, ὃ μάλιστα τὴν ἰσότητα ἐνδεικνυμένου καὶ τὴν πολλὴν συμφωνίαν ἐστί. Καὶ τίνος ἕνεκεν οὐκ εἶπεν, ὅτι οὐδὲν ἐναντίον ποιεῖ, ἀλλ' ὅτι Οὐ δύναται; Ἵνα κἀντεῦθεν δείξῃ πάλιν τὸ ἀπαράλλακτον καὶ τὴν ἀκρίβειαν τῆς ἰσότητος. Οὐ γὰρ ἀσθένειαν αὐτοῦ κατηγορεῖ τὸ ῥῆμα, ἀλλὰ καὶ πολλὴν αὐτοῦ τὴν δύναμιν μαρτυρεῖ. Ἐπεὶ καὶ ἀλλαχοῦ περὶ τοῦ Πατρός φησιν ὁ Παῦλος· Ἵνα διὰ δύο πραγμάτων ἀμεταθέτων, ἐν οἷς ἀδύνατον ψεύσασθαι Θεόν· καὶ πάλιν, Εἰ ἀρνησόμεθα, ἐκεῖνος πιστὸς μένει· ἀρνήσασθαι ἑαυτὸν οὐ δύναται. Καὶ οὐ δήπου τοῦτο τὸ, Ἀδύνατον, δηλωτικὸν ἀσθενείας, ἀλλὰ δυνάμεώς ἐστι, καὶ δυνάμεως ἀφάτου. Ὃ οὖν λέγει, τοῦτό ἐστι· Πάντων ἀνεπίδεκτος ἡ οὐσία ἐκείνη τῶν τοιούτων ἐστίν. Ὥσπερ γὰρ ὅταν λέγωμεν καὶ ἡμεῖς, ἀδύνατον τὸν Θεὸν ἁμαρτεῖν, οὐκ ἀσθένειαν αὐτοῦ κατηγοροῦμεν, ἀλλὰ ἄῤῥητόν τινα δύναμιν αὐτοῦ μαρτυροῦμεν· 59.217 οὕτω δὴ καὶ αὐτὸς ὅταν εἴπῃ, Οὐ δύναμαι ἀπ' ἐμαυτοῦ ποιεῖν οὐδὲν, τοῦτο λέγει, ὅτι Ἀδύνατον καὶ ἀνεγχώρητόν ἐστιν ἐμὲ ποιῆσαί τι ἐναντίον τῷ Πατρί. Καὶ ἵνα μάθῃς ὅτι τοῦτό ἐστι τὸ λεγόμενον, τὰ ἑξῆς ἐπελθόντες, ἴδωμεν τίσι ψηφίζεται ὁ Χριστός· πότερον τοῖς παρ' ἡμῶν λεχθεῖσιν, ἢ τοῖς παρ' ὑμῖν. Σὺ μὲν γὰρ φῂς τὴν ἐξουσίαν ἀναιρεῖν τὸ ῥῆμα, καὶ τὴν προσήκουσαν αὐθεντίαν αὐτοῦ, καὶ τὴν δύναμιν ἀσθενῆ δεικνύναι· ἐγὼ δὲ λέγω ὅτι τὴν ἰσότητα, καὶ τὸ ἀπαράλλακτον, καὶ τὸ ὡσανεὶ ἐκ μιᾶς γνώμης καὶ ἐξουσίας καὶ δυνάμεως γινόμενον ἐμφαίνει τοῦτο. Οὐκοῦν αὐτὸν ἐρώμεθα τὸν Χριστὸν, καὶ ἴδωμεν δι' ὧν φησιν ἑξῆς, πότερον πρὸς τὴν σὴν ὑπόνοιαν, ἢ πρὸς τὴν ἡμετέραν ἑρμηνεύει τὰ εἰρημένα. Τί οὖν φησιν· Ἃ γὰρ ἂν ὁ Πατὴρ ποιῇ, ταῦτα καὶ ὁ Υἱὸς ὁμοίως ποιεῖ. Εἶδες πῶς πρόῤῥιζον ἀνεῖλε τὸ ὑμέτερον, καὶ τὰ εἰρημένα παρ' ἡμῶν ἐβεβαίωσεν; Εἰ γὰρ ἀφ' ἑαυτοῦ οὐδὲν ποιεῖ, ἔσται οὐδὲ ὁ Πατὴρ ἀφ' ἑαυτοῦ τι ποιῶν, εἴ γε ὁμοίως αὐτῷ πάντα ποιεῖ. Ἐπεὶ εἰ μὴ τοῦτό ἐστι, καὶ ἕτερον ἄτοπον ἕψεται. Οὐδὲ γὰρ εἶπεν, ὅτι ἃ εἶδε τὸν Πατέρα ποιοῦντα ἐποίησεν, ἀλλ', Ἐὰν μή τι βλέπῃ τὸν Πατέρα ποιοῦντα, οὐ ποιεῖ, τῷ παντὶ παρατείνων χρόνῳ τὸν λόγον· καὶ ἔσται καθ' ὑμᾶς ἀεὶ τὰ αὐτὰ μανθάνων. Εἶδες πῶς τὸ μὲν νόημά ἐστιν ὑψηλὸν, ἡ δὲ ταπεινότης τοῦ ῥήματος καὶ τοὺς λίαν ἀναισχύντους καὶ μὴ βουλομένους ἀναγκάζει φυγεῖν τὸ χαμαίζηλον καὶ σφόδρα τῆς ἀξίας ἐκείνης ἀπᾷδον; Τίς γὰρ οὕτως ἄθλιος καὶ ταλαίπωρος, ὡς εἰπεῖν τὸν Υἱὸν καθ' ἑκάστην ἡμέραν μανθάνειν ἃ δεῖ ποιεῖν; Πῶς δὲ ἔσται ἐκεῖνο ἀληθὲς, τὸ, Σὺ δὲ ὁ αὐτὸς εἶ, καὶ τὰ ἔτη σου οὐκ ἐκλείψουσι; πῶς δὲ, Καὶ πάντα δι' αὐτοῦ ἐγένετο, καὶ χωρὶς αὐτοῦ ἐγένετο οὐδὲ ἕν· εἴ γε τὰ μὲν ὁ Πατὴρ ποιεῖ, τὰ δὲ αὐτὸς ὁρῶν μιμεῖται; Ὁρᾷς ὅτι καὶ ἐκ τῶν ἄνωθεν εἰρημένων, καὶ ἐκ τῶν μετὰ ταῦτα λεχθέντων δείκνυται τῆς αὐθεντίας ἡ ἀπόδειξις; Εἰ δὲ ταπεινότερον προάγει τῶν ῥημάτων ἔνια, μὴ θαυμάσῃς. Ἐπειδὴ γὰρ ἐδίωκον αὐτὸν, τὰ ὑψηλὰ ἀκούσαντες, καὶ ἀντίθεον εἶναι ἐνόμιζον, ὀλίγον καθυφεὶς διὰ τῶν ῥημάτων μόνων, πάλιν ἐπὶ τὰ ὑψηλότερα ἀνάγει τὸν λόγον· εἶτα πάλιν ἐπὶ τὰ ταπεινὰ, ποικίλλων αὐτοῦ τὴν διδασκαλίαν, ὥστε εὐπαράδεκτον γενέσθαι καὶ τοῖς ἀγνώμοσι. Σκόπει δέ· Εἰπὼν, Ὁ Πατήρ μου ἐργάζεται, κἀγὼ ἐργάζομαι· καὶ ἀποφήνας ἴσον ἑαυτὸν τῷ Θεῷ, πάλιν