Chapter 16

§ 1.

But because there are some who say that Jesus is but the receptacle of Christ, on whom Christ descended like a dove from on high,¹ and having made known to him the Unnameable Father did incomprehensibly and invisibly enter into the Pleroma, (for that not only men, but the very Powers and Virtues which are in Heaven, failed to apprehend him) and that Jesus is the Son, and the Father, Christ, and that Christ’s Father is God: others again that He suffered in appearance only, being by nature impassible: and the Valentinians again, that Jesus, who cometh of the Economy, He it is alone who passed through Mary, and upon him that other Saviour descended from above, who is also called Christ, as having the titles of all who sent him forth, and that he shared with the one who cometh of the Economy his own virtue and his own name, that by this latter death might be abolished, and the Father be known in some sort by that Saviour who had descended from above, who they say was also a resting-place² of Christ and of the whole Pleroma: whereby they acknowledge indeed with the tongue one Christ Jesus, but are divided in opinion: (for this is their rule, as we said before, to maintain that there is one person of Christ, who was sent forward by the Only Begotten for reformation of the Pleroma; and another of the Saviour sent to glorify the Father; and a third by Economy, who they say did also suffer, while the Saviour, who bare with him the Christ, hastened back to the Pleroma:)—All which being so, we consider it requisite to alledge the whole view of the Apostles touching our Lord Jesus Christ, and to shew that far from having any such thought of Him, they went on to point out by the Holy Ghost the beginners of such doctrine, as being privily sent by Satan to overturn the faith of some, and withdraw them from life.

§ 2 Now that John knows but of one and the same Person as being the Word of God,³ and that He is the Only Begotten and was incarnate for our salvation, even Jesus Christ our Lord:—we have sufficiently proved from John’s own way of speaking. But Matthew likewise, knowing but of one and the same Jesus Christ, where he is relating His human birth of the Virgin, according to God’s promise to David, that of the fruit of his loins He would raise up an eternal King (which same promise He made long before to Abraham)—saith, The Book of the generation of Jesus Christ,⁴ the Son of David, the Son of Abraham. Afterwards to free our mind from what might be suspected concerning Joseph, he saith, Now the birth of Christ was on this wise.⁵ His Mother Mary being espoused to Joseph, before they came together, she was found with child of the Holy Ghost. Then when Joseph was thinking to send away Mary, because she was with child, there was an Angel of the Lord standing by him,⁶ and saying, Fear not to take to thee Mary thy wife, for That which she hath in the womb is of the Holy Ghost; and she shall bear a Son, and thou shall call His Name Jesus, for He shall save His people from their sins. But this was done that it might be fulfilled which was said by the Lord through the Prophet, Behold a Virgin shall conceive in the womb and bear a Son and they shall call His Name Emmanuel, which is God with us; evidently meaning both that the promise made to the fathers is fulfilled—the Son of God born of a Virgin—and that this is that very Saviour Christ, Whom the Prophets preached: not, as they say, that He who is born of Mary is Jesus only, and Christ the Person who came down from on high. We may add, Matthew might have said, The Birth of Jesus was on this wise; but the Holy Spirit foreseeing corrupters, and providing bulwarks against their deceitfulness, saith by Matthew, The Birth of Christ was so and so; and that this is Emmanuel, lest haply we should think Him a Man only (for not of the will of the flesh,⁷ nor of the will of Man, but of the will of God, was the Word made flesh) or suspect that Jesus is one Person and Christ another, but that we might know Him to be one and the same.

§ 3.

This same passage Paul has expounded, writing to the Romans,⁸ Paul an Apostle of Jesus Christ, predestined to the Gospel of God, which He promised by His Prophets in the holy Scriptures concerning His Son, Who was made of the seed of David according to the flesh, and predestined to be Son of God with power, through the Spirit of Sanctification, by the Resurrection of the dead, Jesus Christ our Lord. And again to the Romans writing of Israel, he saith,⁹ Whose are the Fathers, and of whom is Christ after the flesh, Who is God over all blessed for ever. And again in the epistle to the Galatians,¹⁰ he saith, But when the fulness of time came, God sent His Son, made of a woman, made under the Law, to redeem them that were under the Law, that we might receive adoption; evidently setting forth, first, one only God, Who by the Prophets made the promise of the Son; then one Jesus Christ our Lord, Who is of the seed of David by His Birth from Mary;—Him, the Son of God, Jesus Christ, predestined with power, according to the Spirit of Holiness, by the Resurrection from the dead, to be the first-born of the dead, (as He is also the first-born in the whole creation); the Son of God, made Son of man, that by Him we may receive adoption, Man bearing, and receiving, and embracing, the Son of God.

On this account Mark also says,¹¹ The beginning of the Gospel of Jesus Christ the Son of God,¹² as it is written in the Prophets; recognizing one only and the same Son of God, Jesus Christ, Who was proclaimed by the Prophets, Who of the fruit of the body of David is Emmanuel,¹³ the messenger of the Father’s great Counsel, by Whom God caused to arise to the house of David Him Who is the East and the righteous, and raised up unto it a horn of salvation,¹⁴ and stirred up a witness in Jacob, as David saith, where he sets forth the causes of Jacob’s line of descent:¹⁵ And He made a law in Jacob, that another generation may know; the sons which shall be born of them, they too will arise and declare it to their children; that they may put their trust in God, and search out His Commandments.

And again the Angel bringing good tidings to Mary,¹⁶ saith, He shall be great and shall be called the Son of the Highest,¹⁷ and the Lord shall give unto Him the throne of His Father David; wherein He Who is the Son of the Highest, the very same is confessed to be also Son of David.

David also, by the Spirit,¹⁸ knowing the Economy of His coming, whereby He is Ruler of all the living and the dead, owned Him Lord, having His Seat at the Right Hand of the Most High Father.

§ 4.

And that Simeon too, who had received an answer from the Holy Ghost,¹⁹ that he should not see death, till he had seen Christ Jesus; taking in his hands this first-born of the Virgin,²⁰ blessed God, and said, Lord, now lettest Thou Thy servant go in peace, according to Thy word: for mine eyes have seen Thy salvation; which Thou hast prepared before the face of all people, a light to lighten the Gentiles, and the glory of Thy people Israel: confessing the Infant Whom he had in his arms, Jesus, born of Mary, to be the very Christ, the Son of God, the light of men, and the glory of His Israel, and the peace and refreshment of those who have gone to rest. For by this time He was despoiling men,²¹ taking away their ignorance, and giving them the knowledge of Himself, and making a separation of those that knew Him: as saith Esaias,²² Call His Name, Spoil quickly, divide rapidly. But these are the works of Christ. Christ therefore Himself it was, Whom Simeon bearing, blessed the Most High; at sight of Whom the Shepherds glorified God; Whom John being yet in his mother’s womb, and the other in Mary’s, recognized as his Lord, and saluted Him, leaping up; Whom the Wise men saw and adored, and bringing the gifts which we before mentioned and casting themselves down to the Eternal King, departed along another way, not now returning by the road of the Assyrians.²³ For before the child shall know how to call father or mother, He shall receive the might of Damascus, and the spoils of Samaria, against the King of the Assyrians;²⁴ covertly, but authoritatively indicating, that with secret hand the Lord was overcoming Amalek.²⁵ For this cause also He delivered the children who were in the house of David, whose happy lot it was to be born at that time; that He might send them before into His Kingdom; in His own infancy providing Himself martyrs; the infant children of men, those who according to the Scriptures were slain for Christ, Who was born in Bethlehem of Judea, in the city of David.

§ 5.

To the same effect also after His Resurrection the Lord said unto His disciples,²⁶ Oh fools, and slow of heart to believe all that the Prophets have spoken: ought not Christ to suffer these things and to enter into His glory? And again He saith unto them,²⁷ These are the words that I spake unto you while I was yet with you, that all things must be fulfilled which are written in the Law of Moses and in the Prophets and in the Psalms concerning Me.²⁸Then opened He their understanding²⁹1that they might understand the Scriptures, and said unto them, That thus it is written for Christ to suffer, and to rise again from the dead, and that remission of sins should be preached in His Name unto all nations. But this is He Who was born of Mary.³⁰ For the Son of Man, saith He, must suffer many things, and be rejected, and be crucified, and rise again the third day.

The Gospel then knows not of any other Son of Man, besides Him Who is of Mary, Who also suffered; nor yet of any Christ flying away from Jesus before His Passion.³¹ But Him Who was born, the same it recognizes as Jesus Christ the Son of God, and that He and no other suffered and rose again: as John the Lord’s disciple affirms, saying,³² But these things are written that ye might believe that Jesus is the Son of God, and believing might have eternal life in His name: foreseeing these blasphemous Creeds, which as much as in them lies, divide the Lord, saying that He is made of one substance and of another.

Wherefore also in his epistle he hath borne this witness unto us:³³ Little children, it is the last hour: and as ye have heard that Antichrist cometh, now have many become Antichrists, whereby we know that it is the last hour. They went out from us, but they were not of us; for had they been of us, of course they would have remained with us; but that they might be manifested as not being of us.³⁴ Know ye therefore that every lie is foreign, and is not of the Truth. Who is a Liar but he that denieth that Jesus is the Christ? this is an Antichrist.

§ 6.

Now in proof that all the aforesaid, though in tongue they confess one Jesus Christ, do but mock themselves, thinking one thing and saying another:—for³⁵ their arguments are various as we have shewn:)—they tell us that one is he who suffered and was born, and [that this is Jesus; another he who came down upon him and that] this is Christ, [who did also ascend again:] and that the one is of their Demiurge, either he that is of the Œconomy or he that is of Joseph, and whom they infer to be capable of suffering: but that the other person whom they talk of descended from invisible and unutterable regions; and they declare him to be invisible, and incomprehensible, and impassible; erring³⁶ from the truth because their mind strays from Him Who is truly God: not knowing that His Word, the Only Begotten, Who is ever present with mankind, united and blended with His own creature, according to the Father’s good pleasure, and made Flesh—He is Jesus Christ our Lord, Who suffered for us and rose again for us, and again shall come in the glory of the Father, to raise up all flesh, and make manifest salvation, and to declare the rule of just judgment unto all who are put under Him.

There is therefore one God the Father,³⁷ as we have declared; and one Christ Jesus our Lord, coming throughout the Economy,³⁸ and gathering up all things into Himself. Now among those All is Man also, the creature of God; therefore He is gathering man also into Himself, He, the Invisible made visible, and the Incomprehensible made comprehensible, and the Impassible made capable of suffering, and the Word made Man, gathering up all unto Himself; that as in the things which are above the heavens, and spiritual and invisible, the Word of God is chief, so also among things visible and corporeal He may have the chiefly, taking the first place to Himself; and that assigning to Himself the station of Head to the Church, He may attract all things to Himself in convenient season.

§ 7.

For with Him there is nothing disorderly or unseasonable,³⁹ as neither is there any incongruity with the Father. For as all things are foreknown by the Father, so are they accomplished by the Son, as is convenient and suitable, in due time. For this cause when Mary was hurrying on to the admirable miracle of the wine, and would fain before the time participate in the cup provided in that summary way, the Lord to check her unseasonable haste,⁴⁰ said, Woman, what have I to do with thee? Mine hour is not yet come; awaiting the hour which was foreknown by the Father.

For this cause repeatedly when men would seize Him, No man,⁴¹ saith the Scripture, laid hands on Him, for not as yet had come the hour of His apprehension, nor the time of His Passion, which had been foreknown by the Father;⁴² as saith also the Prophet Habakkuk; When the years shall have drawn near, Thou shalt be known, at the approach of the time Thou shalt be discovered; when my soul is troubled in anger, Thou wilt be reminded of Thy mercy.⁴³ And Paul too saith, But when the fulness of the time was come, God sent His Son. Whereby it is evident, that all things which were foreknown of the Father, our Lord fulfilled, in order, and time, and hour, as they were foreknown and appointed; being on the one hand, One and the same; on the other, abundant and manifold. For He obeys the abundant and manifold will of the Father, being Himself the Saviour of them who are saved, and the Lord of those who are under dominion, and the God of those things which are created, and the Only Begotten of the Father, and the Christ Who was preached, and the Word of God, Who was made Flesh when the fulness of time had come, wherein it was meet that the Son of God should be made Son of Man.

§ 8.

All therefore are without the Œconomy,⁴⁴ who under pretence of more perfect knowledge consider Jesus to be one person, and Christ another, and the Only Begotten another, (and from him again they say comes the Word): and the Saviour another; which last is an Emanation of those Æons who have come to decay, by the account of these disciples of error. Outwardly they are sheep, (for by the language which they ostensibly hold, they seem like us, speaking our very words), but inwardly they are wolves.⁴⁵ For their doctrine is murderous, first inventing many Gods, and feigning many Fathers, then crumbling and making manifold partitions of the Son of God. These both our Lord forewarned us of, and His Disciple John in the aforementioned Epistle bade us fly from them,⁴⁶ saying, Many deceivers have gone out into this world who confess not Jesus Christ to have come in the flesh. This is a deceiver and an Antichrist; Look to them, lest ye lose that which ye have wrought: And again in an epistle he saith,⁴⁷ Many false Prophets are gone out of the world. Hereby know ye the Spirit of God. Every Spirit which confesseth Jesus Christ to have come in the flesh, is of God. And every Spirit which disuniteth Jesus, is not of God, but is of Antichrist. Now these things are like what is said in the Gospel, that the Word was made flesh and dwelt among us.⁴⁸ Wherefore in his Epistle again he cries out,⁴⁹ Every one who believeth that Jesus is the Christ, is born of God: knowing as he does one only and the same Jesus Christ to Whom the gates of Heaven were opened, because of His Assumption in the flesh: Who also in the very same flesh wherein He suffered, will come, revealing the Glory of the Father.

§ 9.

And Paul too, in accordance with these, speaking to the Romans saith,⁵⁰ Much more they which receive abundance of grace and righteousness unto life, shall reign by One, Jesus Christ. He knows not then of that Christ who soared away from Jesus; nor is he acquainted with that Saviour who is above, who they say is impassible. For if while the one suffered, the other remained incapable of suffering; if the one was born, and the other descended on him who was born, and afterwards left him: then not one only but two are clearly indicated.

Now as to the Apostle’s recognizing that one only Christ Jesus, Who was both born and suffered; he saith again in the same Epistle,⁵¹ Know ye not that so many of us as were baptized into Jesus Christ were baptized into His death? that as Christ rose again from the dead, so we also may walk in newness of life. And again meaning that Christ Who suffered, the very same is the Son of God, Who died for us, and redeemed us by His blood at the appointed time, he saith,⁵² For why did Christ, when we were yet weak, in due time die for the ungodly?⁵³ But God commendeth His Love in our case, in that, while we were yet sinners, Christ died for us: much more, being now justified by His blood, we shall be saved from wrath through Him. For if, while we were enemies, we were reconciled to God by the death of His Son; much more, being reconciled, we shall be saved by His life. The very same Who was taken, and suffered, and shed His blood for us, Him he most evidently declares to be Christ, Him the Son of God; Who also arose and was taken up into the Heavens, as he saith himself,⁵⁴ at the same time, Christ died, yea rather, rose again, Who is at the Right Hand of God: And again, Knowing that Christ rising from the dead, dieth no more⁵⁵. (For he likewise, foreseeing by the Spirit the subdivisions of evil teachers, and desiring to cut off all cause of disunion, as far as they were concerned, saith what I have before repeated.)⁵⁶ But if the Spirit of Him Who raised up Jesus from the dead dwell in you, He that raised Christ from the dead, shall quicken also your mortal bodies.

He all but cries out to those who will hear, Do not err; there is one and the same Christ Jesus, the Son of God, Who by His Passion reconciled us to God, and rose from the dead⁵⁷, Who is on the Right Hand of the Father, and perfect in all things, Who being beaten, smote not again,⁵⁸ Who when He suffered, threatened not, and when He was enduring tyranny, besought the Father to forgive those who had crucified Him. For He truly saved, He is the Word of God, He the Only Begotten of the Father, Christ Jesus our Lord.