|
The things said concerning Christ fall into four generic modes. For
some fit Him even before the incarnation, others in the union, others
after the union, and others after the resurrection. Also of those
that refer to the period before the incarnation there are six modes:
for some of them declare the union of nature and the identity in essence
with the Father, as this, I and My Father are one: also this,
He that hath seen Me hath seen the Father: and this, Who being in
the form of God, and so forth. Others declare the perfection of
subsistence, as these, Son of God, and the Express Image of His
person, and Messenger of great counsel, Wonderful Counsellor, and
the like.
Again, others declare the indwelling of the subsistences in one
another, as, I am in the Father and the Father in Me; and the
inseparable foundation, as, for instance, the Word, Wisdom,
Power, Effulgence. For the word is inseparably established in the
mind (and it is the essential mind that I mean), and so also is
wisdom, and power in him that is powerful, and effulgence in the
light, all springing forth from these.
And others make known the fact of His origin from the Father as
cause, for instance My Father is greater than I. For from Him He
derives both His being and all that He has: His being was by
generative and not by creative means, as, I came forth from the
Father and am come, and I live by the Father. But all that He
hath is not His by free gift or by teaching, but in a causal sense,
as, The Son can do nothing of Himself but what He seeth the Father
do. For if the Father is not, neither is the Son. For the Son is
of the Father and in the Father and with the Father, and not after
the Father. In like manner also what He doeth is of Him and with
Him. For there is one and the same, not similar but the same, will
and energy and power in the Father, Son and Holy Spirit.
Moreover, other things are said as though the Father's good-will
was fulfilled through His energy, and not as through an instrument or
a servant, but as through His essential and hypostatic Word and
Wisdom and Power, because but one action is observed in Father and
Son, as for example, All things were made by Him, and He sent
His Word and healed them, and That they may believe that Than hast
sent Me.
Some, again, have a prophetic sense, and of these some are in the
future tense: for instance, He shall come openly, and this from
Zechariah, Behold, thy King cometh unto thee, and this from
Micah, Behold, the Lord cometh out of His place and will came down
and tread upon the high places of the earth. But others, though
future, are put in the past tense, as, for instance, This is our
God: Therefore He was seen upon the earth and dwell among men, and
The Lord created me in the beginning of His ways for His works, and
Wherefore God, thy God, anointed thee with the oil of gladness
above thy fellows, and such like.
The things said, then, that refer to the period before the union will
be applicable to Him even after the union: but those that refer to the
period after the union will not be applicable at all before the union,
unless indeed in a prophetic sense, as we said. Those that refer to
the time of the union have three modes. For when our discourse dears
with the higher aspect, we speak of the deification of the flesh, and
His assumption of the Word and exceeding exaltation, and so forth,
making manifest the riches that are added to the flesh tram the union
and natural conjunction with the most high God the Word. And when
our discourse deals with the lower aspect, we speak of the incarnation
of God the Word, His becoming man, His emptying of Himself, His
poverty, His humility. For these and such like are imposed upon the
Word and God through His admixture with humanity. When again we
keep both sides in view at the same time, we speak of union,
community, anointing, natural conjunction, conformation and the
like. The former two modes, then, have their reason in this third
mode. For through the union it is made clear what either has obtained
from the intimate junction with and permeation through the other. For
through the union in subsistence the flesh is said to be deified and to
become God and to be equally God with the Word; and God the Word
is said to be made flesh, and to become man, and is called creature
and last: not in the sense that the two natures are converted into one
compound nature (for it is not possible for the opposite natural
qualities to exist at the same time in one nature), but in the sense
that the two natures are united in subsistence and permeate one another
without confusion or transmutation The permeation moreover did not come
of the flesh but of the divinity: for it is impossible that the flesh
should permeate through the divinity: but the divine nature once
permeating through the flesh gave also to the flesh the same ineffable
power of permeation; and this indeed is what we call union.
Note, too, that in the case of the first and second modes of those
that belong to the period of the union, reciprocation is observed.
For when we speak about the flesh, we use the terms deification and
assumption of the Word and exceeding exaltation and anointing. For
these are derived from divinity, but are observed in connection with
the flesh. And when we speak about the Word, we use the terms
emptying, incarnation, becoming man, humility and the like: and
these, as we said, are imposed on the Word and God through the
flesh. For He endured these things in person of His own free-will.
Of the things that refer to the period after the union there are three
modes. The first declares His divine nature, as, I am in the
Father and the Father in Me, and I and the Father are one: and
all those things which are affirmed of Him before His assumption of
humanity, these will be affirmed of Him even after His assumption of
humanity, with this exception, that He did not assume the flesh and
its natural properties.
The second declares His human nature, as, Now ye seek to kill Me,
a man that hath told you the truth, and Even so must the Son of Man
be lifted up, and the like.
Further, of the statements made and written about Christ the Saviour
after the manner of men, whether they deal with sayings or actions,
there are six modes. For some of them were done or said naturally in
accordance with the incarnation; for instance, His birth from a
virgin, His growth and progress with age, His hunger, thirst,
weariness, fear, sleep, piercing with nails, death and all such like
natural and innocent passions. For in all these there is a mixture of
the divine and human, although they are held to belong in reality to
the body, the divine suffering none of these, but procuring through
them our salvation.
Others are of the nature of ascription, as Christ's question,
Where have ye laid Lazarus? His running to the fig-tree, His
shrinking, that is, His drawing back, His praying, and His making
as though He would have gone He in need of these or similar things,
but only because His form was that of a man as necessity and expediency
demanded. For example, the praying was to shew that He is not
opposed to God, for He gives honour to the Father as the cause of
Himself: and the question was not put in ignorance but to shew that
He is in truth man as well as God; and the drawing back is to teach
us not to be impetuous nor to give ourselves up.
Others again are said in the manner of association and relation, as,
My God, My God, why hast Thou forsaken Me? and He hath made
Him to be sin for us, Who knew no sin, and being made a curse for
us; also, Then shall the Son also Himself be subject unto Him that
put all things under Him. For neither as God nor as man was He ever
forsaken by the Father, nor did He become sin or a curse, nor did
He require to be made subject to the Father. For as God He is
equal to the Father and not opposed to Him nor subjected to Him; and
as God, He was never at any time disobedient to His Begetter to
make it necessary for Him to make Him subject. Appropriating,
then, our person and ranking Himself with us, He used these words.
For we are bound in the fetters of sin and the curse as faithless and
disobedient, and therefore forsaken.
Others are said by reason of distinction in thought. For if you
divide in thought things that are inseparable in actual truth, to cut
the flesh from the Word, the terms 'servant' and 'ignorant' are
used of Him, for indeed He was of a subject and ignorant nature, and
except that it was united with God the Word, His flesh was servile
and ignorant. But because of the union in subsistence with God the
Word it was neither servile nor ignorant. In this way, too, He
called the Father His God.
Others again are for the purpose of revealing Him to us and
strengthening our faith, as, And now, O Father, glorify Thou Me
with the glory which I had with Thee, before the world was. For He
Himself was glorified and is glorified, but His glory was not
manifested nor confirmed to us. Also that which the apostle said,
Declared to be the Son of God with power, according to the spirit of
holiness, by the resurrection from the dead. For by the miracles and
the resurrection and the coming of the Holy Spirit it was manifested
and confirmed to the world that He is the Son of God. And this
too, The Child grew in wisdom and grace.
Others again have reference to His appropriation of the personal life
of the Jews, in numbering Himself among the Jews, as He saith to
the Samaritan woman, Ye worship ye know not what: we know what we
worship, far salvation is of the Jews.
The third mode is one which declares the one subsistence and brings out
the dual nature: for instance, And I live by the Father: so he
that eateth Me, even he shall live by Me. And this: I go to My
Father and ye see Me no more. And this: They would not have
crucified the Lord of Glory. And this: And no man hath ascended up
to heaven but He that came down from heaven, even the Son of Man
which is in heaven, and such like.
Again of the affirmations that refer to the period after the
resurrection some are suitable to God, as, Baptizing them in the
name of the Father, and of the Son, and of the Holy Ghost, for
here 'Son' is clearly used as God; also this, And lo, I am with
you alway, even unto the end of the world, and other similar ones.
For He is with us as God. Others are suitable to man, as, They
held Him by the feet, and There they will see Me, and so forth.
Further, of those referring to the period after the Resurrection that
are suitable to man there are different modes. For some did actually
take place, yet not according to nature, but according to
dispensation, in order to confirm the fact that the very body, which
suffered, rose again; such are the weals, the eating and the drinking
after the resurrection. Others took place actually and naturally, as
changing from place to place without trouble and passing in through
closed gates. Others have the character of simulation, as, He made
as though He would have gone further. Others are appropriate to the
double nature, as, I ascend unto My Father and your Father, and
My God and our God, and The King of Glory shall carte in, and
He sat down on the right hand of the majesty on High. Finally others
are to be understood as though He were ranking Himself with us, in
the manner of separation in pure thought, as, My God and your God.
Those then that are sublime must be assigned to the divine nature,
which is superior to passion and body: and those that are humble must
be ascribed to the human nature; and those that are common must be
attributed to the compound, that is, the one Christ, Who is God
and man. And it should be understood that both belong to one and the
same Jesus Christ, our Lord. For if we know what is proper to
each, and perceive that both are performed by one and the same, we
shall have the true faith and shall not go astray. And from all these
the difference between the united natures is recognised, and the fact
that, as the most godly Cyril says, they are not identical in the
natural quality of their divinity and humanity. But yet there is but
one Son and Christ and Lord: and as He is one, He has also but
one person, the unity in subsistence being in nowise broken up into
parts by the recognition of the difference of the natures.
|
|
