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to be added to the things examined by us. For perhaps they will say, from those very apostolic words which we have mentioned, that how could he have been named firstborn of creation, if he were not that which the creation is? For every firstborn is not firstborn of a different kind, but is firstborn of those of the same kind, as Reuben, preceding in birth those counted after him, was the firstborn of men, a man, and many others of the brothers counted with them 3.2.44 are called firstborn. They say, therefore, that 20whatever substance we should conceive of all creation, we also say its firstborn is of the same. If, therefore, the whole creation is consubstantial with the Father of all, we will not deny that its firstborn is this also; but if the God of all differs in substance from the creation, it is entirely necessary to say that its firstborn also does not share in the substance of God20. Such, then, is the construction of the objection, opposed to the argument by us, I think, in no less noble a way than it was likely to be brought against it by those who fight against us. But what one must know in response to these things, will now be made clear in our discourse as we are able. 3.2.45 The name of the firstborn has been said four times by the Apostle in all his writings, but he has made mention of this name differently and not in the same manner. For at one time he says firstborn of all creation, and again firstborn among many brethren, then firstborn from the dead, and in the epistle to the Hebrews the name of the firstborn is mentioned absolutely, by itself. For he says thus: But when he again brings the firstborn into the world, he says, And let all his angels worship him. 3.2.46 And these things being so divided, it would be well to discuss each of these separately by itself, how he is firstborn of creation, and how among many brethren, and how from the dead, and how mentioned by himself apart from each of these, when he is brought again into the world, he is worshipped by all his angels. Therefore, let us begin, if you please, with the last of the proposed examinations. 3.2.47 When he again brings, he says, the firstborn into the world. The addition of "again" indicates through the meaning of this word that this does not happen for the first time; for we use this word in the repetition of things that have once happened. Therefore, it signifies in this saying the fearful epiphany of the judge at the end of the ages, when he is no longer seen in the form of a servant, but majestically presiding on the throne of the kingdom and being worshipped by all 3.2.48 the angels around him. For this reason, he who once entered into the world, having become firstborn from the dead and of the brethren and of all creation, when he again enters the world, the one who judges the whole world in righteousness, as the prophecy says, does not cast off the name of the firstborn, which he once accepted for our sake, but as at the name of Jesus every knee bows to the name which is above every name, so also the whole fullness of angels worships him who became in the name of the firstborn, rejoicing at the recalling of men, which, by becoming our firstborn, he called back again 3.2.49 to the grace from the beginning. For since there is joy for the angels over those being saved from sin, because until now that creation groans together and travails in pain together with our vanity, judging our destruction as its own loss, when the revelation of the sons of God happens, which on our behalf they always eagerly await and expect, and when the sheep is saved to the hundred above (and we are entirely, human nature, this sheep, which the good shepherd saved by becoming firstborn), then especially in intense thanksgiving for us they will offer worship to God to the one who through the first-birth recalled the one who had departed from the paternal hearth. 3.2.50 And when these things have been understood by us in this way, no longer would one concerning the rest

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ἐξητασμένοις παρ' ἡμῶν προστεθῆναι. ἐροῦσι γὰρ ἴσως ἐξ αὐτῶν τῶν ἀποστολικῶν, ὧν ἡμεῖς ἐπεμνήσθημεν, ὅτι πῶς ἂν πρωτότοκος κτίσεως ὠνομάσθη, εἰ μὴ τοῦτο ἦν ὅπερ ἡ κτίσις ἐστί; πᾶς γὰρ πρωτότοκος οὐ τῶν ἑτεροφυῶν, ἀλλὰ τῶν ὁμογενῶν ἐστι πρωτότοκος, ὡς ὁ Ῥουβὶμ τῶν μετ' ἐκεῖνον ἀριθμουμένων προτερεύων κατὰ τὸν τόκον πρωτότοκος ἦν ἀνθρώπων ἄν θρωπος, καὶ ἄλλοι πολλοὶ τῶν συναριθμουμένων ἀδελφῶν 3.2.44 πρωτότοκοι λέγονται. λέγουσι τοίνυν ὅτι 20ἥνπερ ἂν πάσης τῆς κτίσεως οὐσίαν νοήσωμεν, καὶ τὸν ταύτης πρωτότοκον τῆς αὐτῆς εἶναι λέγομεν. εἰ μὲν οὖν ὁμοούσιός ἐστι τῷ πατρὶ τῶν ὅλων ἡ πᾶσα κτίσις, τοῦτο καὶ τὸν πρωτότοκον αὐτῆς εἶναι οὐκ ἀρνησό μεθα· εἰ δὲ διαφέρει κατὰ τὴν οὐσίαν τῆς κτίσεως ὁ τῶν ὅλων θεός, ἀνάγκη πᾶσα μηδὲ τὸν πρωτότοκον ταύτης κοινωνεῖν τῷ θεῷ τῆς οὐσίας λέγειν20. ἡ μὲν οὖν τῆς ἀντιθέσεως κατασκευὴ τοιαύτη, οὐδὲν ἀγενέστερον, οἶμαι, παρ' ἡμῶν ἀντιτεθεῖσα τῷ λόγῳ ἢ ὡς εἰκὸς ἦν ἀντεπενεχθῆναι παρὰ τῶν μαχομένων ἡμῖν. ἃ δὲ πρὸς ταῦτα γινώσκειν χρή, νῦν ὡς ἂν οἷοί τε ὦμεν τῷ λόγῳ σαφηνισθή σεται. 3.2.45 Τετράκις εἴρηται παρὰ τοῦ ἀποστόλου ἐν πᾶσι τοῖς λόγοις αὐτοῦ τοῦ πρωτοτόκου τὸ ὄνομα, διαφόρως δὲ καὶ οὐ κατὰ τὸν αὐτὸν τρόπον τοῦ ὀνόματος τούτου τὴν μνήμην πεποίηται. νῦν μὲν γάρ φησι πρωτότοκον πάσης τῆς κτί σεως, πάλιν δὲ πρωτότοκον ἐν πολλοῖς ἀδελφοῖς, εἶτα πρω τότοκον ἐκ τῶν νεκρῶν, ἐν δὲ τῇ πρὸς Ἑβραίους ἐπιστολῇ ἀπόλυτόν ἐστιν ἐφ' ἑαυτοῦ μνημονευθὲν τοῦ πρωτοτόκου τὸ ὄνομα. λέγει γὰρ οὕτως· Ὅταν δὲ πάλιν εἰσαγάγῃ τὸν πρωτό τοκον εἰς τὴν οἰκουμένην, λέγει Καὶ προσκυνησάτωσαν αὐτῷ 3.2.46 πάντες ἄγγελοι αὐτοῦ. οὕτω δὲ τούτων διῃρημένων, κα λῶς ἂν ἔχοι ἕκαστον τούτων ἐφ' ἑαυτοῦ διελέσθαι χωρίς, πῶς τῆς κτίσεώς ἐστι πρωτότοκος καὶ πῶς ἐν πολλοῖς ἀδελφοῖς καὶ πῶς ἀπὸ τῶν νεκρῶν καὶ πῶς ἐφ' ἑαυτοῦ χωρὶς ἑκάστου τούτων μνημονευθείς, ὅταν πάλιν εἰσάγηται εἰς τὴν οἰκουμένην, προσκυνεῖται ὑπὸ πάντων τῶν ἀγγέλων αὐτοῦ. οὐκοῦν ἀπὸ τῶν τελευταίων, εἰ δοκεῖ, τῆς τῶν προκειμένων θεωρίας ἀρξώμεθα. 3.2.47 Ὅταν πάλιν εἰσαγάγῃ, φησί, τὸν πρωτότοκον εἰς τὴν οἰκουμένην. ἡ τοῦ πάλιν προσθήκη τὸ μὴ πρώτως γίνεσθαι τοῦτο διὰ τῆς κατὰ τὴν λέξιν ταύτην σημασίας ἐνδείκνυται· ἐπὶ γὰρ τῆς ἐπαναλήψεως τῶν ἅπαξ γεγονότων τῇ λέξει ταύτῃ κεχρήμεθα. οὐκοῦν τὴν ἐπὶ τῷ τέλει τῶν αἰώνων φοβερὰν τοῦ κριτοῦ ἐπιφάνειαν σημαίνει τῷ λόγῳ, ὅτε οὐκέτι ἐν τῇ τοῦ δούλου καθορᾶται μορφῇ, ἀλλ' ἐπὶ τοῦ θρόνου τῆς βασιλείας μεγαλοπρεπῶς προκαθήμενος καὶ ὑπὸ τῶν 3.2.48 ἀγγέλων πάντων τῶν περὶ αὐτὸν προσκυνούμενος. διὰ τοῦτο ὁ ἅπαξ εἰσελθὼν εἰς τὴν οἰκουμένην πρωτότοκος γενόμενος ἐκ τῶν νεκρῶν τε καὶ ἀδελφῶν καὶ πάσης τῆς κτίσεως, ὅταν πάλιν εἰσέρχηται εἰς τὴν οἰκουμένην, ὁ κρίνων πᾶσαν τὴν οἰκουμένην ἐν δικαιοσύνῃ, καθὼς ἡ προφητεία λέγει, οὐκ ἀποβάλλει τοῦ πρωτοτόκου τὸ ὄνομα, ὃ ἅπαξ ὑπὲρ ἡμῶν κατεδέξατο, ἀλλ' ὡς ἐν ὀνόματι Ἰησοῦ πᾶν γόνυ κάμπτει τῷ ὑπὲρ πᾶν ὄντι ὄνομα, οὕτως καὶ τὸν ἐν τῷ ὀνόματι τοῦ πρωτοτόκου γενόμενον προσκυνεῖ ἅπαν τῶν ἀγγέλων τὸ πλήρωμα, τῇ ἀνακλήσει τῶν ἀνθρώπων ἐπευ φραινόμενον, ἣν διὰ τοῦ γενέσθαι ἡμῶν πρωτότοκος πάλιν 3.2.49 εἰς τὴν ἐξ ἀρχῆς χάριν ἀνεκαλέσατο. ἐπειδὴ γὰρ χαρὰ γίνεται τοῖς ἀγγέλοις ἐπὶ τοῖς ἀνασῳζομένοις ἐξ ἁμαρτίας, διότι μέχρι τοῦ νῦν συστενάζει ἡ κτίσις ἐκείνη καὶ συνω δίνει τῇ καθ' ἡμᾶς ματαιότητι, ζημίαν οἰκείαν κρίνουσα τὴν ἡμετέραν ἀπώλειαν, ὅταν ἡ ἀποκάλυψις γένηται τῶν υἱῶν τοῦ θεοῦ, ἣν ὑπὲρ ἡμῶν ἀεὶ καραδοκοῦσι καὶ ἀπεκδέ χονται, καὶ ὅταν ἀποσωθῇ τῇ ἄνω ἑκατοντάδι τὸ πρόβατον (ἡμεῖς δὲ πάντως ἐσμέν, ἡ ἀνθρωπίνη φύσις, τοῦτο τὸ πρό βατον, ὃ διὰ τοῦ γενέσθαι πρωτότοκος ὁ ἀγαθὸς ποιμὴν ἀνεσώσατο), τότε διαφερόντως ἐν ἐπιτεταμένῃ τῇ ὑπὲρ ἡμῶν εὐχαριστίᾳ προσάξουσι τῷ θεῷ τὴν προσκύνησιν τῷ διὰ τῆς πρωτοτοκίας ἀνακαλεσαμένῳ τὸν τῆς πατρῴας ἑστίας ἀπο φοιτήσαντα. 3.2.50 Τούτων δὲ οὕτως ἡμῖν νοηθέντων οὐκέτ' ἄν τις περὶ τῶν λοιπῶν