52. St Athanasius The Great
52.
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ning God made heaven and earth" (Gen 1.1), and through that most useful book of the Shepherd, "First of all believe that God is one, who created and framed all things, and made them from non-existence into being," as also Paul indicates when he says, "By faith we understand that the worlds were framed by the Word of God, so that what is seen was not made out of things which appear" (Heb 11.3). For God is good, or rather the source of all goodness, and one who is good grudges nothing, so that grudging nothing its existence, he made all things through his own Word, our Lord Jesus Christ. Among these things, of all things upon earth he had mercy upon the human race, and seeing that by the principle of its own coming into being it would not be able to endure eternally, he granted them a further gift, creating human beings not simply like all the irrational animals upon the earth but making them according to his own image (cf. Gen 1.27), giving them a share of the power of his own Word, so that having as it were shadows of the Word and being made rational, they might be able to abide in blessedness, living the true life which is really that of the holy ones in paradise. And knowing again that free choice of human beings could turn either way, he secured beforehand, by a law and a set place, the grace given. For bringing them into his own paradise, he gave them a law, so that if they guarded the grace and remained good, they might have the life of paradise—without sorrow, pain, or care—besides having the promise of their incorruptibility in heaven; but if they were to transgress and turning away become wicked, they would know themselves enduring the corruption of death according to nature, and no longer live in paradise, but thereafter dying outside of it, would remain in death and in corruption. This also the Divine Scripture foretells, speaking in the person of God, "You may eat from all the trees in paradise; from the tree of knowledge of good and evil you shall not eat. On the day you eat of it, you shall die by death" (Gen 2.16-18). This "you shall die by death,' what else might it be except not merely to die, but to remain in the corruption of death?
*Shepherd of Hermas, Mandate 1.1.
On the Incarnation
Perhaps you are wondering for what reason, having proposed to talk about the Incarnation of the Word, we are now expounding the origin of human beings. Yet this too is not distinct from the aim of our exposition. For speaking of the manifestation of the Savior to us, it is necessary also to speak of the origin of human beings, in order that you might know that our own cause was the occasion of his descent and that our own transgression evoked the Word's love for human beings, so that the Lord both came to us and appeared among human beings. For we were the purpose of his embodiment, and for our salvation he so loved human beings as to come to be and appear in a human body. Thus, then, God created the human being and willed that he should abide in incorruptibility; but when humans despised and overturned the comprehension of God, devising and contriving evil for themselves, as was said in the first work, then they received the previously threatened condemnation of death, and thereafter no longer remained as they had been created, but were corrupted as they had contrived; and, seizing them, death reigned.
For the transgression of the commandment returned them to the natural state, so that, just as they, not being, came to be, so also they might rightly endure in time the corruption unto non-being. For if, having a nature that did not once exist, they were called into existence by the Word's advent [parousia] and love for human beings, it followed that when human beings were bereft of the knowledge of God and had turned to things which exist not—evil is non-being, the good is being, since it has come into being from the existing
God—then they were bereft also of eternal being. But this, being decomposed, is to remain in death and corruption. For the human being is by nature mortal, having come into being from nothing. But because of his likeness to the One who Is, which, if he had guarded through his comprehension of him, would have blunted his natural corruption, he would have remained incorruptible, just as Wisdom says, "Attention to the laws is the confirmation of incorruptibility"
(Wis 6.18). And being incorruptible, he would have lived thereafter like God, as somewhere the Divine Scripture also signals, saying
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"I said you are gods, and all sons of the Most High; but you die like human beings and fall like any prince" (Ps 81.6-7).
For God has not only created us from nothing, but also granted us by the grace of the Word to live a life according to God. But human beings, turning away from things eternal and by the counsel of the devil turning us towards things of corruption, were themselves the cause of corruption in death, being, as we already said, corruptible by nature but escaping their natural state by the grace of participation in the Word, had they remained good. Because of the Word present in them, even natural corruption did not come near them, just as Wisdom says, "God created the human being for incorruptibility and an image of his own eternity; but by the envy of the devil, death entered into the world" (Wis 2.23-4). When this happened, human beings died and corruption thenceforth prevailed against them, becoming even stronger than its natural power over the whole race, the more so as it had assumed the threat of the Deity against them through the transgression of the commandment. For even in their transgressions human beings had not stopped short of any defined limits, but gradually pressing forward they had passed beyond all measure: from the beginning they were inventors of evil and called death and corruption down upon themselves; while later, turning to vice and exceeding all lawlessness, not stopping at one evil but contriving in time every new evil, they became insatiable in sinning. For there were adulteries and thefts everywhere, the whole earth was full of murders and plundering. There was no concern for law regarding corruption and vice; every wickedness, individually and jointly, was being carried out by all. Cities warred against cities, and nations rose up against nations; the whole world was torn apart by factions and battles, everyone competing in lawlessness. Even acts against nature were not far from them, but as the witness of Christ, the Apostle, said, "Their women exchanged natural relations for unnatural: and in the same way also the men, leaving aside natural relations with women, were consumed with their desire for one another, men com-
On the Incarnation
mitting shameless acts with men and receiving in themselves the due reward for their error" (Rom 1.26-7).
For these reasons, then, with death holding greater sway and corruption remaining fast against human beings, the race of humans was perishing, and the human being, made rational and in the image, was disappearing, and the work made by God was being obliterated. For as I said earlier, by the law death thereafter prevailed against us, and it was impossible to escape the law, since this had been established by God on account of the transgression. And what happened was truly both absurd and improper. It was absurd, on the one hand, that, having spoken, God should prove to be lying: that is, having legislated that the human being would die by death if he were to transgress the commandment, yet after the transgression he were not to die but rather this sentence dissolved. For God would not be true if, after saying that we would die, the human being did not die. On the other hand, it was improper that what had once been made rational and partakers of his Word should perish, and once again return to non-being through corruption. It was not worthy of the goodness of God that those created by him should be corrupted through the deceit wrought by the devil upon human beings. And it was supremely improper that the workmanship of God in human beings should disappear either through their own negligence or through the deceit of the demons.
Therefore, since the rational creatures were being corrupted and such works were perishing, what should God, being good, do? Permit the corruption prevailing against them and death to seize them?
What need was there for their coming into being at the beginning?
It was proper not to have come into being rather than to have come into being to be neglected and destroyed. The weakness, rather than the goodness, of God is made known by neglect, if, after creating, he abandoned his own work to be corrupted, rather than if he had not created the human being in the beginning. For not making him, there would have been no one considering the weakness, but once
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he made him and created him out of nothing, it was most absurd that his works should be destroyed, and especially before the sight of the maker. It was therefore right not to permit human beings to be carried away by corruption, because this would be improper to and unworthy of the goodness of God.
Butjustas this had to be, so also on the other hand the consistency of God lies against it, so that God should appear true in his legislation concerning death. For it was absurd that God, the Father of truth, should appear a liar for our profit and preservation. What then had to happen in this case or what should God do? Demand repentance from human beings for their transgression? One might say that this is worthy of God, claiming that just as they were set towards corruption by the transgression, so by repentance they might again be set towards incorruptibility. But repentance would neither have preserved the consistency of God, for he again would not have remained true ifhuman beings were not held fast by death, nor does repentance recall human beings from what is natural, but merely halts sins. If then there were only offence and not the consequence of corruption, repentance would have been fine. But if, once the transgression had taken off, human beings were now held fast in natural corruption and were deprived of the grace of being in the image, what else needed to happen? Or who was needed for such grace and recalling except the God Word who in the beginning made the universe from non-being?
For his it was once more both to bring the corruptible to incorruptibility and to save the superlative consistency of the Father. Being the Word of the Father and above all, he alone consequently was both able to recreate the universe and was worthy to suffer on behalf of all and to intercede for all before the Father.
For this purpose, then, the incorporeal and incorruptible and immaterial Word of God comes into our realm, although he was not formerly distant. For no part of creation is left void of him; while abiding with his own Father, he has filled all things in every
On the Incarnation
place. But now he comes, condescending towards us in his love for human beings and his manifestation. For seeing the rational race perishing, and death reigning over them through corruption, and seeing also the threat of the transgression giving firm hold to the corruption which was upon us, and that it was absurd for the law to be dissolved before being fulfilled, and seeing the impropriety in what had happened, that the very things of which he himself was the Creator were disappearing, and seeing the excessive wickedness of human beings, that they gradually increased it to an intolerable pitch against themselves, and seeing the liability of all human beings to death—having mercy upon our race, and having pity upon our weakness, and condescending to our corruption, and not enduring the dominion of death, lest what had been created should perish and the work of the Father himself for human beings should be in vain, he takes for himself a body and that not foreign to our own. For he did not wish simply to be in a body, nor did he wish merely to appear, for if he had wished only to appear he could have made his divine manifestation through some other better means. But he takes that which is ours, and that not simply, but from a spotless and stainless virgin, ignorant of man, pure and unmixed from intercourse with men. Although being himself powerful and the creator of the universe, he prepared for himself in the Virgin the body as a temple, and made it his own, as an instrument, making himself known and dwelling in it. And thus, taking from ours that which is like, since all were liable to the corruption of death, delivering it over to death on behalf of all, he offered it to the Father, doing this in his love for human beings, so that, on the one hand, with all dying in him the law concerning corruption in human beings might be undone (its power being fully expended in the lordly body and no longer having any ground against similar human beings), and, on the other hand, that as human beings had turned towards corruption he might turn them again to incorruptibility and give them life from death, by making the body his own and by the grace of the resurrection banishing death from them as straw from the fire.
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For the Word, realizing that in no other way would the corruption of human beings be undone except, simply, by dying, yet being immortal and the Son of the Father the Word was not able to die, for this reason he takes to himself a body capable of death, in order that it, participating in the Word who is above all, might be sufficient for death on behalf of all, and through the indwelling Word would remain incorruptible, and so corruption might henceforth cease from all by the grace of the resurrection. Whence, by offering to death the body he had taken to himself, as an offering holy and free of all spot, he immediately abolished death from all like him, by the offering of a like. For being above all, the Word of God consequently, by offering his own temple and his bodily instrument as a substitute for all, fulfilled in death that which was required; and, being with all through the like [body], the incorruptible Son of God consequently clothed all with incorruptibility in the promise concerning the resurrection. And now the very corruption of death no longer holds ground against human beings because of the indwelling Word, in them through the one body. As when a great king has entered some large city and made his dwelling in one of the houses in it, such a city is certainly made worthy of high honor, and no longer does any enemy or bandit descend upon it, but it is rather reckoned worthy of all care because of the king's having taken residence in one of its houses; so also does it happen with the King of all. Coming himself into our realm, and dwelling in a body like the others, every design of the enemy against human beings has henceforth ceased, and the corruption of death, which had prevailed formerly against them, perished. Por the race of human beings would have been utterly dissolved had not the Master and Savior of all, the Son of God, come for the completion of death.
'Truly this great work supremely befitted the goodness of God.
For if a king constructed a house or a city, and it is attacked by bandits because of the carelessness of its inhabitants, he in no way abandons it, but avenges and saves it as his own work, having regard
On the Incarnation
not for the carelessness of the inhabitants but for his own honor. All the more so, the God Word of the all-good Father did not neglect the race of human beings, created by himself, which was going to corruption, but he blotted out the death which had occurred through the offering of his own body, and correcting their carelessness by his own teaching, restoring every aspect of human beings by his own power. One may be convinced of these things by the theologians? of the Savior himself, taking their writings, which say, "For the love of Christ constrains us, as we judge this, that if one died for all, then all died; and he died for all that that we should no longer live for ourselves but for him who died and rose" from the dead, our Lord Jesus Christ
(2 Cor 5.14-15). And again, "We see Jesus who, for a little while, was made lower than the angels, crowned with glory and honor because of the passion of death, that by the grace of God he might taste death on behalf of all" (Heb 2.9). Then, he also points out the reason why it was necessary for none other than the God Word to be incarnate, saying,
"For it was fitting that he, for whom are all things and through whom are all things, in bringing many sons to glory, should make the pioneer of their salvation perfect through sufferings" (Heb 2.10). Saying this, he means that it was for none other to bring human beings out from the corruption that had occurred except the God Word who had also created them in the beginning. And that the Word himself also took to himself a body as a sacrifice for similar bodies, this they indicated, saying, "Since therefore the children share in flesh and blood, he himself likewise partook of them, that through death he might destroy him who has the power of death, that is the devil, and might deliver all those who through fear of death were subject to lifelong bondage"
(Heb 2.1415). For by the sacrifice of his own body, he both put an end to the law lying against us and renewed for us the source of life, giving hope of the resurrection. For since through human beings death had seized human beings, for this reason, again, through the *By this expression (see also Inc. 18, 56), Athanasius specifically means the writers of Scripture (CG 46 describes David in this way); John, as the only evangelist to call
Christ "God? is referred to simply as "the theologian" (CG 42).
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incarnation of the God Word there occurred the dissolution of death and the resurrection of life, as the Christ-bearing man says, "For as by a human being came death, by a human being has come also the resurrection of the dead; for as in Adam all die, so in Christ shall all be made alive" and that which follows (1 Cor 15.21-22). For now we no longer die as those condemned, but as those who will arise do we await the common resurrection of all, which God, who wrought and granted this, "in his own time will reveal" (1 Tim 6.15; Titus 1.3).
This, therefore, is the first cause of the incarnation of the Savior. One might also recognize that his gracious advent consistently occurred from the following.
The Divine Dilemma regarding Knowledge and Ignorance
When he made the human race through his own Word, God, who has dominion over all, seeing again the weakness of their nature—that it was neither sufficient of itself to know the Creator nor to receive any knowledge of God, as he is uncreated whereas they had come into being from nothing, and as he is incorporeal whereas human beings had been fashioned here below with a body—and, comprehensively, that the deficiency of creatures for the understanding and knowledge of the maker was great, again had mercy on the human race, in that being good he did not leave them destitute of the knowledge of himself, lest their being should be profitless. For what profit would there be for those who were made, if they did not know their own Maker? Or how would they be rational, not knowing the Word of the Father, in whom they came to be? For they would not have differed at all from the irrational creatures if they had known nothing more than the terrestrial animals. And why would God have made those by whom he did not wish to be known? So, lest this should happen, being good he bestowed on them of his own image, our Lord Jesus Christ, and made them according to his own image and according to the likeness, so that understanding through such
On the Incarnation
grace the image, I mean the Word of the Father, they might be able to receive through him a notion of the Father, and knowing the Creator they might live the happy and truly blessed life.
But human beings, being again foolish, despising the grace thus given to them, so turned away from God and so darkened their own soul, that they not only forgot the concept of God but also fashioned for themselves others instead. They fabricated idols for themselves instead of the truth and honored beings which do not exist rather than God who is, worshipping "the creation rather than the Creator" (Rom 1.25), and, much worse, they even transferred the honor due to God to wood and stones and to every material object, and even to human beings, and went even further than this, as we described in the former treatise. They were so impious that they even thereafter worshipped demons and called them gods, fulfilling their own desires. They sacrificed irrational animals and slaughtered human beings, as we said earlier, as was required of them, ensnaring themselves even more in their own frenzies. For this reason also magical arts were taught among them, and oracles in various places led human beings astray, and all ascribed the causes of their coming to be and being to the stars and to all the heavenly bodies, taking thought for nothing more than the appearances. And everything was completely full of impiety and lawlessness, and neither God, nor his Word, was recognized, even though he had not hidden himself invisibly from human beings, nor given them knowledge of himself in one way only, but had unfolded it to them in manifold ways and through many forms.
The grace of being in the image was sufficient to know the God Word, and through him the Father. But knowing the weakness of human beings, God anticipated also their carelessness, so that if they cared not to recognize God through themselves, through the works of creation they might not be ignorant of the Creator. But since the negligence of humans descended gradually to lower things, God again anticipated such weakness of theirs, sending the law and the
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prophets, known to them, so that if they shrank from looking up to the heavens and knowing the Creator, they might have instruction from those close by. For human beings are able to learn from humans more directly about higher things. So they could, lifting up their sight to the greatness of the heaven and discerning the harmony of creation, know its ruler, the Word of the Father, who by his providence for all things makes known to all the Father, and for this reason moves the universe so that through him all might know God.
Or, if they were not ready for this, it would be possible for them to meet the holy ones, and through them to learn of God the creator of everything, the Father of Christ, and that the worship of idols is godlessness and full of all impiety. They could also by knowing the law cease from all lawlessness and live the life of virtue. For the law was not only for the Jews, nor on their account only were the prophets sent: they were sent to the Jews, and persecuted by the Jews, but they were for the whole inhabited world a sacred school of the knowledge of God and the conduct of the soul. Such then being God's goodness and love for human beings, nevertheless human beings, beaten by the pleasures of the moment and the illusions and deceits of the demons, did not raise their gaze to the truth, but sated themselves even more with evils and sins, so that they no longer appeared rational, but from their ways of life were reckoned irrational.
Since, then, human beings had become so irrational and demonic deceit was thus overshadowing every place and hiding the knowledge of the true God, what was God to do? Be silent before such things and let human beings be deceived by the demons and be ignorant of God? But then what need was there in the beginning for human beings to come into being in the image of God? He should have come into being simply irrational, or having been rational not live the life of the irrational creatures. What need at all was there for him to receive a notion about God from the beginning? For if he is not now worthy to receive it, neither should it have been given him from the beginning. Or what profit would there be to the maker
On the Incarnation
God, or what glory for him, if human beings, brought into being by him, did not revere him but reckoned others to be their makers? For God would be found creating them for others and not for himself.
Moreover, a king, being human, does not permit the lands established under him to pass to and serve others, nor does he abandon them to others, but he reminds them with letters, and often enjoins them by friends, and, if need be, comes himself, shaming them by his own presence, only so that they not serve others and his work be in vain. How much more will God allow his own creatures to not be led astray from him and serve things that do not exist? In particular, since such error is the cause of their destruction and disappearance, it was not right that those who had once partaken of the image of God should be destroyed. What then was God to do? Or what should be done, except to renew again the "in the image," so that through it human beings would be able once again to know him? But how could this have occurred except by the coming of the very image of God, our Savior Jesus Christ? For neither by human beings was it possible, since they were created "in the image"; but neither by angels, for they were not even images. So the Word of God came himself, in order that he being the image of the Father (cf. Col 1.15), the human being "in the image" might be recreated. It could not, again, have been done in any other way, without death and corruption being utterly destroyed. So he rightly took a mortal body, that in it death might henceforth be destroyed utterly and human beings be renewed again according to the image. For this purpose, then, there was need of none other than the Image of the Father.
For as when a figure painted on wood has been soiled by dirt from outside, it is necessary for him whose figure it is to come again, so that the image can be renewed on the same material—because of his portrait even the material on which it is painted is not cast aside, but the portrait is reinscribed on it. In the same way the all-holy Son of the Father, being the Image of the Father, came to our place to renew the human being made according to himself, and to find him,
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as one lost, through the forgiveness of sins, as he himself says in the Gospels, "I came to seek and to save that which was lost" (Lk 19.10).
Therefore he said to the Jews, "Unless one be born again" (Jn 3.5), not referring to the birth from women, as they supposed, but indicating the soul being born again and recreated in that which is after the image. But since the madness of idolatry and godlessness held firm the inhabited world and the knowledge of God was hidden, whose was it to teach the inhabited world of the Father? A human being, one might say. But humans were not able to traverse everywhere under the sun, nor by nature were they able to run so far, nor were they sufficient to become credible regarding this, nor were they able by themselves to withstand the deceit and illusion of the demons. For with everyone smitten and troubled in soul from demonic deceit and the vanity of idols, how was it possible to convert the human soul and the human mind, when they cannot even see them? How can one convert what one cannot see? But perhaps one might say that creation was sufficient. But if creation sufficed, such evils would not have occurred. For there was creation, and human beings wallowed no less in the same error regarding God. Who again was needed, except the God Word who sees both soul and mind, who moves everything in creation, and through them makes known the Father?
For he who by his own providence and ordering of the universe teaches about the Father, his it was to renew the same teaching.
How could this be done? Perhaps one might say that it was possible through the same means, so as to show the things concerning him through the works of creation. But this was no longer certain. Not at all! Human beings had neglected this before, and no longer were their eyes held upwards but downwards. So, rightly wishing to help human beings, he sojourned as a human being, taking to himself a body like theirs and from below—I mean through the works of the body—that those not wishing to know him from his providence and governance of the universe, from the works done through the body might known the Word of God in the body, and through him the Father.
On the Incarnation
For as a good teacher who cares for his students always condescends to teach by simpler means those who are not able to benefit from more advanced things, so also does the Word of God, just as Paul says, "For since in the wisdom of God, the world did not know
God through wisdom, it pleased God through the folly of the preaching to save those who believe" (1 Cor 1.21). For since human beings, having rejected the contemplation of God and as though sunk in an abyss with their eyes held downwards, seeking God in creation
[genesis] and things perceptible, setting up for themselves mortal humans and demons as gods, for this reason the lover of human beings and the common Savior of all, takes to himself a body and dwells as human among humans and draws to himself the perceptible senses of all human beings, so that those who think that God is in things corporeal might, from what the Lord wrought through the actions of the body, know the truth and through him might consider the Father. Being human and thinking all things in human terms, on whatever they cast their sense perception there they saw themselves being drawn and taught the truth from all sides: for if they were struck by creation, yet they saw it confessing Christ as Lord; or if their minds were predisposed towards human beings, such that they supposed them gods, yet comparing the works of the Savior with theirs, the Savior alone among human beings appeared the Son of God, for there were no such works among them as done by the God
Word; and if they were predisposed towards the demons, yet seeing them put to flight by the Lord, they knew that only he was the Word of God and that the demons were not gods; if their mind was then fixed even on the dead, so as to worship heroes and those said by the poets to be gods, yet seeing the resurrection of the Savior they confessed that the former were false and that only the Word of the Father was the true Lord, the one reigning even over death. For this reason he was both born and appeared as a human being, and died, and rose again, dulling and overshadowing by his own works those of all human beings who ever existed, so that from wherever human beings were predisposed, from there he might raise them and teach
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them of his own true Father, just as he himself says, "I came to save and to find that which was lost" (Lk 19.10).
Once the mind of human beings descended to perceptible things, the Word himself submitted to appear through a body, so that as ahuman he might bring humans to himself and return their sense perception to himself, and then, by their seeing him as a human being, he might persuade them through the works he effected that he is not a man only but God and the Word and Wisdom of the true God. Wishing to indicate this, Paul also said, "being rooted and grounded in love, that you may have power to comprehend with all the saints what is the breadth and length and height and depth, and to know the love of Christ which surpasses knowledge, that you may be filled with all the fullness of God" (Eph 3.17-19). For the Word unfolded himself everywhere, above and below and in the depths and in the breadth: above, in creation; below, in the incarnation; in the depths, in hell; in breadth, in the world. Everything is filled with the knowledge of God. For this reason, not immediately upon coming did he complete the sacrifice on behalf of all, delivering the body to death and resurrecting it, making himself thereby invisible.
But by means of it he made himself visible, remaining in it and doing such works and giving signs which made him known to be no longer a human being but the God Word. For in both ways the Savior exercised his love for human beings through his incarnation, in that he both banished death from us and renewed us, and also in that, although being unseen and invisible, through his works he appeared and made himself known to be the Word of the Father, the ruler and king of the universe.
17_ For he was not enclosed in the body, nor was he in the body but not elsewhere. Nor while he moved that [body] was the universe left void of his activity and providence. But, what is most marvelous, being the Word, he was not contained by anyone, but rather himself contained everything. And, as being in all creation, he is in essence
On the Incarnation
outside everything but inside everything by his own power, arranging everything, and unfolding his own providence in everything to all things, and giving life to each thing and to all things together, containing the universe and not being contained, but being wholly, in every respect, in his own Father alone. So also, being in the human body, and himself giving it life, he properly gives life to the universe also, and was both in everything and outside all. And being made known from the body through the works, he was not unseen even from the working of the universe.
It is the function of the soul to see by reasoning even what is outside its own body, without however acting outside its own body or to move things distant from the body by its presence. Never, that is, does a human being by thinking of things at a distance thereby move or displace them. Nor, if one sat in his own home and considered the things in heaven, would he thereby move the sun or rotate the heavens. But he sees them moving and existing, whilst not being able to act upon them. But such was not the case for the Word of God in the human being; for he was not bound to the body, but rather was himself wielding it, so that he was both in it and in everything, and was outside everything, and at rest in the Father alone. And the most wonderful thing was that he both sojourned as a human being, and as the Word begot life in everything, and as Son was with the Father.
Therefore he himself did not suffer when the Virgin gave birth, nor by being in the body was he defiled, but rather he sanctified the body also. Nor, being in all things, does he partake of all, but rather everything bore life and was nourished by him. For if the sun, too, made by him and seen by us, circling in heaven, is not polluted by touching bodies upon the earth, nor is destroyed by darkness, but rather itself enlightens and purifies them, by so much more the all-holy Word of God, the maker of the sun and Lord, when being made known in the body was not polluted, but rather, being incorruptible, vivified and purified even the mortal body. "For he committed no sin,' it says, "nor was deceit found in his mouth" (cf. 1 Pet 2.22; Isa 53.9).
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When then the theologians' in this matter say that he ate and drank and was born, know that the body, as body, was born and was nourished on appropriate food, but that he, the God Word, present in the body yet arranging all things, made known through the works wrought in the body that he was not himself a human being but the God Word. But these things are said of him, since the body which ate and was born and suffered, was no one else's but the Lord's, and as he became human, it is proper for these things to be said of him as human, that he might be shown possessing a real and not illusory body. But just as he was known by these things to be bodily present, so also from the works he did through the body he made himself known to be Son of God. Whence he cried out to the unbelieving
Jews, saying, "If I do not do the works of my Father, do not believe me; but if I do, even if you don't believe me, believe my works, that you might know and understand that the Father is in me and I am in the Father" (Jn 10.37-38). Just as, being invisible he is yet known from the works of creation, so also becoming human, yet not being seen in a body, from the works it is known that it was not a human being but the Power and Word of God who was accomplishing these things. For his commanding demons, and their being driven away, is not a human work but divine. Or who, seeing him healing illnesses, to which the human race was subject, still thinks him human and not God? For he purified lepers, made the lame to walk, opened the hearing of the deaf, made the blind to see again, and, simply put, cast away every illness and every infirmity from human beings, from which anyone could see his divinity. For who, seeing him give what was lacking to those whose creation [genesis] was deficient and opening the eyes of the one blind from birth, would not think that the creation [genesis] of human beings was subject to him and that he is their Creator and Maker? For he who supplied what the human being did not have from birth [genesis] most clearly is he the Lord also of the creation [genesis] of human beings. Therefore, when he came down to us in the beginning, he fashioned for himself the "See footnote 3 on p. 71.
On the Incarnation
body from the virgin, in order to provide to all no small proof of his divinity, for he who fashions this is himself the Maker of the others.
For who, seeing the body come from a virgin alone without a man, would not think that he who was revealed in this was the Creator and Lord of the other bodies? And who, seeing the substance of water being changed and turned into wine, would not think that he who did this is Lord and Creator of the substance of all water? For this reason he also went upon the sea as its Master and walked as upon land, providing to all who looked a proof of his lordship over all. When feeding from a little such a great multitude, and from a lack himself bringing about an abundance, so that from five loaves five thousand were filled, and leaving over as much again, he did not make himself known as anything other than the Lord even of the providence of the universe.
It seemed good to the Savior to do all these things, so that, since human beings did not know his providence in all things nor understand his divinity through his creation, if they looked up on account of his works done through the body they might gain a notion through him of the knowledge of the Father, understanding by analogy, as I said before, his providence over all from that regarding the parts. For who seeing his authority against the demons, or who seeing the demons confessing that he is himself their Lord, would still have any doubt in mind whether this one is the Son and Wisdom and Power of God? For neither did he make creation itself be silent, but what is most wonderful, even at his death, or rather at the very trophy over death, I mean the cross, all creation confessed that he who was made known and suffered in the body was not simply a human being but Son of God and Savior of all. For the sun turned back and the earth shook and the mountains were rent, and all were awed. These things showed the Christ on the cross to be
God and the whole of creation to be his servant, witnessing in fear the advent [parousia] of the Master. In this way, then, the God Word showed himself to human beings by his works.
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The next step is to recount the end of his life and dealings in the body and to relate also of what kind was the death of the body, especially because this is the chief point of our faith and absolutely all human beings discuss it, so that you may know that also from this, the more rather than less, Christ is known to be God and Son of God.
The Death of Christ and the Resurrection of the Body
We have spoken above in part, as far as was possible and as far as we were able to understand, the cause of his bodily manifestation, that it was not for another to turn what was corruptible to incorruptibility except the Savior himself, who in the beginning created the universe from nothing; and that it was not for another to recreate again the "in the image" for human beings, except the Image of the Father; and that it was not for another to raise up the mortal to be immortal, except our Lord Jesus Christ, who is Life itself; and that if was not for another to teach about the Father and destroy the worship of idols, except the Word who arranges all things and is alone the true only-begotten Son of the Father. But since what was required from all still had to be rendered (for, as I said earlier, it was absolutely necessary to die and for this, in particular, he sojourned amongst us), for this reason, after the demonstrations of his divinity from his works, he now offered the sacrifice on behalf of all, delivering his own temple to death in the stead of all, in order to make all not liable to and free from the ancient transgression, and to show himself superior to death, displaying his own body as incorruptible, the first-fruits of the universal resurrection.
And do not be surprised if we frequently say the same things about the same matters. For since we are speaking of the counsel of God, therefore we expound the same sense in many ways, lest we appear to be omitting anything and incur the charge of speaking inadequately. For it is better to submit to the blame of repetition than to omit anything that should be laid down.
On the Incarnation Hor Therefore the body, as it had the common substance of all bodies, was a human body. If it was constituted by a new miracle from a virgin only, yet being mortal it died in conformity with those like it.
Yet by the coming of the Word into it, it was no longer corruptible by its own nature but because of the indwelling Word of God it became immune from corruption. And thus it happened that both things occurred together in a paradoxical manner: the death of all was completed in the lordly body, and also death and corruption were destroyed by the Word in it. For there was need of death, and death on behalf of all had to take place, so that what was required by all might occur. Therefore, as I said earlier, the Word, since he was not able to die—for he was immortal—took to himself a body able to die, that he might offer it as his own on behalf of all and as himself suffering for all, through coming into it "he might destroy him who has the power of death, that is the devil, and deliver all those who through fear of death were subject to lifelong bondage" (Heb 2.14-15).
Indeed, with the common Savior of all dying for us, we, the faithful in Christ, no longer die by death as before according to the threat of the law, for such condemnation has ceased. But with corruption ceasing and being destroyed by the grace of the resurrection, henceforth according to the mortality of the body we are dissolved only for the time which God has set for each, that we may be able
"to attain a better resurrection" (Heb 11.35). For as seeds sown in the ground, we do not perish when we are dissolved, but as sown we shall arise again, death having been destroyed by the grace of the Savior. For this reason, the blessed Paul, who became a guarantor of the resurrection to all, said, "For the corruptible must put on incorruptibility and the mortal must put on immortality. And when the mortal puts on immortality then shall come to pass the word that has been written: 'Death has been swallowed up in victory: O death, where is thy sting?'" (1 Cor 15.53-5).
Why, then, one might ask, if it were necessary for him to deliver the body to death on behalf of all, did he not lay it aside privately
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IZ sing, instead of going so far as to be crucified? For it een more fitting for him to have laid his body aside van to endure such a death with ignominy. Consider er such an objection is not human, whereas what was done by tne Savior is truly divine and worthy of his divinity for many reasons. First, because the death which befalls human beings comes to them according to the weakness of their own nature, for not being able to remain for long, in time they are dissolved. For this reason also diseases come upon them, and, weakening, they die. But the Lord is not weak, but the Power of God, and the Word of God, and himself Life. If, then, it was in some private place that he laid his body upon a bed in the manner of human beings, it would have been supposed that he also suffered this through the weakness of nature and because he had nothing more than other humans. But since he was Life, and Word of God, and because death on behalf of all had to take place, therefore, on the one hand, as being life and power he strengthened the body in him, and as, on the other hand, death had to occur, he took the occasion, provided not from himself but from others, to complete the sacrifice. For it was neither fitting for the Lord to be ill, he who healed the illnesses of others, nor again for the body to be weakened, in which he strengthened the weaknesses of others. Why, then, did he not prevent death, just as he did illness?
Because it was for this that he had the body, and it was unfitting to prevent it, lest the resurrection should also be hindered. Moreover, it was again unfitting for illness to precede death, lest it be thought a weakness of him who was in the body. Did he not then hunger?
Yes, he hungered because of the property of the body, but he did not perish of starvation, because of the Lord wearing it. Therefore, if he died for the ransom of all, yet "he saw not corruption" (cf. Acts 2.31;
13.35; Ps 15.10). For he rose whole, since the body belonged to none other but Life itself.
But, one might say, he should have hidden from the counsel of the Jews, in order to preserve his own body altogether immortal.
On the Incarnation 7B Let such a one hear that this also was unfitting for the Lord. For as it was not fitting for the Word of God, being Life, to give death to his own body by himself, so neither was it suitable to flee from that given by others, but rather to follow it to destruction, whence it was right that he neither laid aside the body himself nor fled when the Jews took counsel. Such action did not show weakness on the part of the Word, but rather made him known to be Savior and Life, in that he both waited for death to destroy it and hastened to complete the death given to him for the salvation of all. And, besides, it was not his own death that the Savior came to complete, but that of human beings. Therefore he did not lay aside the body by his own death—for he had none, being Life—but he accepted that death coming from human beings, in order to destroy it completely when it came to his own body.
Again, from the following one might see the lordly body having such an end as consistent. The Lord was especially concerned for the resurrection of the body that he was to accomplish; for the trophy of victory over death was this [resurrection] being shown to all and all being persuaded of the removal of corruption effected by him and of the incorruptibility henceforth of [their] bodies, as a pledge of which for all and proof of the resurrection in store for all, he preserved his own body incorruptible. If, then, once again, his body had fallen ill, and the Word been loosened from it in the sight of all, it would have been unfitting that the one who heals the illness of others should permit his own instrument to waste in illness. How, then, would he have been believed to drive out the weaknesses of others, when his own temple was weak in him? For either he would have been mocked as one not able to drive out illness, or, being able but not doing so, he would have been reckoned to lack love of human beings towards others.
But if, without any illness and without any pain, he had hidden his body away by itself privately and "in a corner" (Acts 26.26), or in a desert place or a house or anywhere at all, and afterwards suddenly
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appearing again said he had raised himself from the dead, he would have been supposed by all to be telling tall tales and would have been distrusted even more when speaking about the resurrection, as there would be no one at all to witness to his death. Death must precede resurrection, for there would be no resurrection without death preceding, so that if the death of the body took place somewhere in secret, death neither appearing nor taking place before witnesses, its resurrection also would be unseen and unwitnessed. Or why would he, arising, proclaim the resurrection, yet cause his death to take place invisibly? Or why did he drive out the demons in the sight of all, and cause the man blind from birth to see again, and change the water into wine, that through these works he might be believed to be the Word of God, yet not show in the sight of all the mortal to be incorruptible that he might be believed to be Life himself? And how could his disciples have had boldness with the message of the resurrection, were they not able to say that he first died? Or how would they be believed when saying that death first took place, and then the resurrection, if they did not have as witnesses of the death those to whom they were speaking with boldness? For if, when the death and resurrection had thus occurred in the sight of all, the Pharisees of the time did not wish to believe but compelled even those who had seen the resurrection to deny it, surely, if these things had taken place in secret, how many pretexts would they have devised for disbelief?
How then could the end of death, and the victory over it, be demonstrated, unless summoning it in the sight of all he proved it to be dead, being annulled thereafter by the incorruptibility of the body?
But we must also offer answers to questions that others might ask. Perhaps someone might even say this, "If it was necessary that his death occur in the sight of all and be witnessed that the account of the resurrection might be believed, then he ought to have contrived a glorious death for himself, if only to escape the ignominy of the cross." But ifhe had done this, it would provide the suspicion against him that he was not powerful over every form of death but only
On the Incarnation AS concerning that which he devised, and then the pretext for disbelief regarding the resurrection would again be no less. So, death came to the body not from him but from plotting, that he might destroy that death which they brought upon the Savior. And as a noble wrestler, great in skill and courage, does not choose opponents for himself, lest he cause suspicion that he is fearful of some, but leaves it to the choice of the spectators, especially if they are hostile, so that when he has overthrown the one they have chosen, he may be believed to be superior to all, so also, the Life of all, our Lord and Savior Christ, did not contrive death for his own body, lest he should appear fearful of some other death, but he accepted and endured on the cross that inflicted by others, especially by enemies, which they reckoned fearful and ignominious and shameful, in order that this being destroyed, he might himself be believed to be Life, and the power of death might be completely annihilated. So something wonderful and marvelous happened: that ignominious death which they thought to inflict, this was the trophy of his victory over death.
Therefore he neither endured the death of John by being beheaded, nor as Isaiah was he sawn in part, that in death he might keep his body undivided and whole and that there be no pretext for those wishing to divide the Church.
These comments are for outsiders, who pile up arguments for themselves. But if any one from among us asks, not as a lover of contention but as a lover of learning, why he endured the cross rather than some other way, then let him hear that in no other way than this was it beneficial for us, and that it was good that the Lord endured this for us. For if he came himself to bear the curse which lay upon us, how else could he have "become a curse" (Gal 3.13) if he had not accepted the death occasioned by the curse? And that is the cross, for thus it is written, "cursed is he who hangs from the tree"
(Deut 21.23). Moreover, if the death of the Lord is a ransom for all and by his death "the wall of partition" (Eph 2.14) is broken down, and the call of the Gentiles effected, how would he have called us if
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he had not been crucified? For only upon the cross does one die with hands stretched out. Therefore it was fitting for the Lord to endure this, and to stretch out his hands, that with the one he might draw the ancient people and with the other those from the Gentiles, and join both together in himself. This he himself said when he indicated by what manner of death he was going to redeem all, "When I am lifted up, I shall draw all to myself" (Jn 12.32). And again, if the enemy of our race, the devil, having fallen from heaven, wanders around these lower airs and, lording it here over the demons with him, similar in disobedience, through them works illusions in those who are deceived and attempts to prevent them rising upwards—about this the Apostle also says, "Following the prince of the power of the air, who is now at work in the sons of disobedience" (Eph 2.2)—yet Christ came that he might overthrow the devil, purify the air, and open up for us the way to heaven, as the Apostle said, "through the veil, that is, his flesh" (Heb 10.20), this must have been by death, and by what other death would these things have happened except that which takes place in the air, I mean the cross? For only he that completes his life on the cross dies in the air. Therefore it was right that the Lord endured it. For being thus lifted up, he purified the air from the diabolical plots of all demons, saying "I saw Satan falling as lightening" (Lk 10.18), and blazing the trail he made anew the way up to heaven, saying again, "Lift up your gates, O princes of yours, and be raised up, everlasting gates" (Ps 23.7). For it was not the Word himself who needed the gates to be opened, since he is the Lord of all, nor was any made thing closed to its Maker; but we were those who needed it, who he himself carried up through his own body.
For as he offered to death on behalf of all, so though it he opened up again the way to heaven.
'Therefore death upon the cross for our sakes was fitting and suitable, and its cause appeared to be consistent in every way, and there are solid arguments that the salvation of all had to take place in no other way than by the cross. And not even thus, not even on the
On the Incarnation
cross, did he leave himself unseen, but rather by far he made creation witness to the advent of her own Creator, not tolerating his temple, the body, to remain [dead] for long, but having only shown it to be dead by the conjunction of death with it, on the third day he immediately raised it up, bearing the incorruptibility and impassibility of the body as trophies and victory over death. He could have raised the body immediately upon death and shown it alive again, but foreseeing well the Savior did not do this. For someone might have said that he had not died at all, or that death had not fully touched him, if he had shown the resurrection immediately. Had the interval between death and resurrection been within the same day, the glory of incorruptibility would have been obscure. So, in order that the body might be shown to be dead, the Word waited one intermediary day, and on the third day showed it to all as incorruptible. So that death might be shown in the body, he raised in on the third day. Yet lest, by raising it up when it had remained for a long time and been completely corrupted, he should be disbelieved, as though he bore not his own but another body—for, because of the length of time, one might distrust what appeared and forget what happened—therefore he waited no more than three days nor put off for long those who had heard from him about the resurrection, but while the word was still echoing in their ears and their eyes were still expecting and their minds were in suspense, and those who put him to death and witnessed the death of the lordly body were still living upon earth and in the same place, the Son of God himself, after an interval of three days, showed the body which had been dead as immortal and incorruptible; and it was demonstrated to all that the body died not by the weakness of the nature of the indwelling Word, but in order that death might be destroyed in it through the power of the Savior.
That death has been dissolved, and the cross has become victory over it, and it is no longer strong but is itself truly dead, no mean proof but an evident surety is that it is despised by all
Christ's disciples, and everyone tramples on it, and no longer fears
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it, but with the sign of the cross and faith in Christ tread it under foot as something dead. Of old, before the divine sojourn of the Savior, all used to weep for those dying as if they were perishing.
But since the Savior's raising the body, no longer is death fearsome, but all believers in Christ tread on it as nothing, and would rather choose to die than deny their faith in Christ. For they really know that when they die they are not destroyed, but both live and become incorruptible through the resurrection. And that devil, who formerly exulted wickedly in death, "its pangs having been loosed" (Acts 2.24), only he remains truly dead. And the proof of this is that human beings, before believing in Christ, view death as fearsome and are terrified at it. But when they come to faith in him and to his teaching, they so despise death that they eagerly rush to it and become witnesses to the resurrection over it effected by the Savior. For even while they are still young in stature they hasten to die, and not only men but also women practice for it with exercises. It has become so weak that even women, who were formerly deceived by it, now mock it as dead and paralyzed. For as when a tyrant has been defeated by a legitimate king and bound hand and foot, all those that then pass by mock him, hitting and reviling him, no longer fearing his fury and barbarity because of the victorious king; in this way death also having been conquered and placarded by the Savior on the cross, and bound hand and foot, all those in Christ who pass by trample on him [death], and witnessing to Christ they mock death, jeering at him, and saying what was written above, "O death, where is your victory? O hell, where your sting?" (1 Cor 15.55).
Is this, then, a meager proof of the weakness of death? Or is it a feeble demonstration of the victory over it wrought by the Savior, when boys and young girls in Christ despise this present life and practice dying? For by nature human beings are afraid of death and of the dissolution of the body. But this is most amazing, that one who has put on the faith of the cross scorns even things
On the Incarnation
according to nature, and is not afraid of death because of Christ.
And just as, while it is the nature of fire to burn, if someone were to say that there is something not fearful of burning but rather which shows it to be weak—as is said of asbestos by the Indians—then one who does not believe this claim, if he wished to put the claim to the test, putting on the inflammable material and touching fire would certainly be convinced thereby of the weakness of the fire.
Or just as if someone wanted to see the tyrant bound, he would certainly enter into the country and domain of the conqueror and see the one feared by others rendered weak. So also, if anyone is incredulous, and even after such great things and after so many have become martyrs in Christ, after the daily scorn shown towards death by the illustrious in Christ, if, regardless, he still has doubt in his mind that death has been destroyed and brought to an end, he would do well to wonder at such a great thing, only let him be neither obstinate in disbelief nor shameless in the face of what is so clear. But just as he who has the asbestos knows that fire cannot touch it, and he who wishes to see the tyrant bound goes over to the domain of the victor, so let the one not believing the victory over death accept the faith of Christ and come over to his teaching, and he will see the weakness of death and the victory over it. For many who at first disbelieved and mocked, afterward believed, and thus so despised death as even themselves to become martyrs for Christ.
Now, if it is by the sign of the cross and by the faith that is in Christ that death is trampled down, then, if judging by truth, it is none other than Christ himself who shows the trophies and victories against death and renders it fully weakened. And if formerly death was strong, and therefore fearsome, but is now despised, after the sojourn of the Savior and after the death and resurrection of his body, clearly it is by him, the Christ who was raised upon the cross, that death has been destroyed and conquered. For as, if after the night the sun appears and every earthly place is enlightened by it,
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there is no doubt at all that the sun, spreading its light out everywhere, is also the one chasing away the darkness and illuminating everything, so also, with death being despised and trampled down since the saving manifestation of the Savior in the body and the conclusion of the cross, it is clear that he is the Savior, being revealed in the body, destroying death, and daily displaying the trophies against it in his disciples. For when one sees human beings, who are weak by nature, leaping towards death, neither shrinking from its corruption nor fearing the descent to hell, but with an eager spirit challenging it and not flinching from torture, but rather for the sake of Christ preferring instead of this present life zeal for death; or if one were to watch men and women and young children rushing and leaping towards death on account of their devotion to Christ, who is so silly or who is so incredulous, or who is so maimed in mind, as to not understand and reason that it is Christ, to whom human beings are bearing witness, who provides and grants the victory over death to each, rendering it fully weakened in each of those having his faith and wearing the sign of the cross? For one who sees a snake trampled down, especially if he knows its former ferocity, no longer doubts that it is dead and completely weakened, unless he is perverted in mind and does not have even his bodily senses sound. For who, seeing a lion being played with by children, does not know that it is either dead or has lost all its power? Just as it is possible for the eye to see that these things are true, so when death is played with and despised by those believing in Christ, let no one any longer doubt, nor be unbelieving, that death has been destroyed by Christ and its corruption dissolved and brought to an end.
What has been said so far is no small proof that death has been destroyed and that the lordly cross is the trophy over it. For those having sound mental sight, the proof of the resurrection of the now immortal body effected by Christ, the common Savior of all and true
Life, is clearer through visible facts than through arguments. For if death has been destroyed, as the argument has shown, and all tram-
On the Incarnation
ple it down on account of the Lord, all the more did he first trample it down in his own body and destroy it. Death having been put to death by him, what else should happen than that the body should rise and be shown as the trophy over it? Or how else could death be shown to be destroyed, unless the lordly body had arisen? If this proof of his resurrection is not sufficient for anyone, then let him believe what is said from what takes place before his eyes. If anyone is dead, he cannot act, for the gift lasts only until the grave and thereafter ceases; deeds and actions towards other human beings only belong to the living: let him who will, see and judge, confessing the truth from the visible facts. For since the Savior works so many things among human beings, and daily in every place invisibly persuades such a great multitude, both from those who dwell in Greece and in the foreign lands, to turn to his faith and all to obey his teaching, would anyone still have doubt in their mind whether the resurrection has been accomplished by the Savior, and whether Christ is alive, or rather is himself the Life? Is it like a dead man to prick the minds of human beings so that they deny their father's laws and revere the teaching of Christ? Or how, if he is not acting—for this is a property of one dead—does he stop those active and alive so that the adulterer no longer commits adultery, the murderer no longer murders, the unjust is no longer grasps greedily, and the impious is henceforth pious? How, if he is not risen but dead, does he stop and drive out and cast down those false gods said by unbelievers to be alive and the demons they worship? For where Christ and his faith are named, there all idolatry is purged away, every deceit of demons refuted, and no demon endures the name but fleeing, only hearing it, disappears.
This is not the work of one dead, but of one alive, and especially of God. It would be absurd to say that the demons cast out by him and the idols brought to naught are dead, yet to say that the one who chases them away and by his own power makes them not appear, but is confessed by all as Son of God, that this one is dead!
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Those who disbelieve the resurrection bring a strong refutation against themselves, if all the demons and those worshipped by them as gods do not drive out the Christ whom they claim is dead, but instead Christ proves them all to be dead. For if it is true that the dead can effect nothing, but the Savior effects such great things every day—drawing to piety, persuading to virtue, teaching about immortality, leading to a desire for heavenly things, revealing the knowledge of the Father, inspiring power against death, showing himself to each, and purging away the godlessness of idols; yet the gods and the demons of the faithless can do none of these things, but rather fall dead at the advent of Christ, their show being futile and empty; but by the sign of the cross all magic ceases, all witchcraft is brought to naught, all idols are deserted and abandoned, all irrational desire ceases, yet everyone is looking up from earth to heaven—who then would one say is dead? The Christ effecting such things? But it is not a property of one dead to be active. Or one who in no way acts, but lies lifeless, which is the property of the demons and idols, dead as they are? For the Son of God "is living and active" (Heb 4.12), works daily, and effects the salvation of all. But death is daily proved to have become completely weakened, and it is the idols and demons rather who are dead, so that from this no one can any longer doubt regarding the resurrection of his body.
He who disbelieves the resurrection of the lordly body would seem likely to be ignorant of the power of the Word and Wisdom of God. For if he had fully taken to himself a body, and made it his own with proper consistency, as our argument has shown, what should the Lord do with it? Or what kind of end should befall the body, once the Word had come to it? It was unable not to die, since it was mortal and offered to death on behalf of all, for which purpose the Savior had prepared it for himself. But it could not remain dead, because it had become the temple of life. So, it died as mortal, but came again to life because of the life which is in it; and the works are a proof of the resurrection.
On the Incarnation
Butif, not being seen, his having risen is not believed, it is now time for those not believing to deny the course of nature. For it is a property of God not to be seen, but to be known by his works, just as was said above. If, then, there were no works, they would do well to disbelieve what does not appear; but if the works cry out and show it clearly, why do they chose to deny the life so patently of the resurrection? For even if they were lame in mind, even with the external senses they can see the indisputable power and divinity of Christ. For even a blind person, if he does not see the sun but feels the warmth coming from it, knows that the sun is above the earth.
So also the naysayers, even if they do not yet believe, being still blind to the truth, yet at least knowing the power of others who believe, let them not deny the divinity of Christ and the resurrection accomplished by him. For it is clear that if Christ were dead, he would not have expelled the demons and despoiled the idols, for demons would not have obeyed a dead man. But if they are clearly expelled by the naming of him, it is clear that he is not dead, but rather that the demons, who see things invisible to human beings, would have been able to know if Christ were dead and not to obey him in any way. Now the demons see what the impious do not believe—that he is God—and for this reason they flee and fall down before him, saying what they cried out when he was in the body, "We know who you are: the Holy One of God" (Lk 4.34) and "Ah, what have we to do with you, Son of God? I beseech you, do not torment me" (Mat 8.28; Mks.7).
With the demons thus confessing and the works bearing witness, it is should be manifest, and let no one be shameful against the truth, that the Savior raised up his body, and that he is the true Son of God, being from him as the Father's own Word and Wisdom and Power, who in the last time took a body for the salvation of all, and taught the world about the Father, destroyed death, granted incorruptibility to all through the promise of the resurrection, raising his own body as first-fruits of this and showing it as a trophy over death and its corruption by the sign of the cross.