§§6, 7. When the Word and
Son hungered, wept, and was wearied, He acted as our Mediator, taking
on Him what was ours, that He might impart to us what was His.
6. But in answer to the weak and human notion of
the Arians, their supposing that the Lord is in want, when He says,
‘Is given unto Me,’ and ‘I received,’ and if
Paul says, ‘Wherefore He highly exalted Him,’ and ‘He
set Him at the right hand
3304
,’ and the
like, we must say that our Lord, being Word and Son of God, bore a
body, and became Son of Man, that, having become Mediator between God,
and men, He might minister the things of God to us, and ours to God.
When then He is said to hunger and weep and weary, and to cry Eloi,
Eloi, which are our human affections, He receives them from us and
offers to the Father
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, interceding for
us, that in Him they may be annulled
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. And when it
is said, ‘All power is given unto Me,’ and ‘I
received,’ and ‘Wherefore God highly exalted Him,’
these are gifts given from God to us through Him. For the Word was
never in want
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, nor has come into
being
3308
; nor again were men sufficient to minister
these things for themselves, but through the Word they are given to us;
therefore, as if given to Him, they are imparted to us. For this was
the reason of His becoming man, that, as being given to Him, they might
pass on to us
3309
. For of such gifts
mere man had not become worthy; and again the mere Word had not needed
them
3310
; the Word then was united to us, and then
imparted to us power, and highly exalted us
3311
.
For the Word being in man, highly exalted man himself; and, when the
Word was in man, man himself received. Since then, the Word being in
flesh, man himself was exalted, and received power, therefore these
things are referred to the Word, since they were given on His account;
for on account of the Word in man were these gifts given. And as
‘the Word became flesh
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,’ so also man
himself received the gifts which came through the Word. For all that
man himself has received, the Word is said to have received
3313
; that it might be shewn, that man himself,
being unworthy to receive, as far as his own nature is concerned, yet
has received because of the Word become flesh. Wherefore if anything be
said to be given to the Lord, or the like, we must consider that it is
given, not to Him as needing it, but to man himself through the Word.
For every one interceding for another, receives the gift in his own
person, not as needing, but on his account for whom he intercedes.
7. For as He takes our infirmities, not being
infirm
3314
, and hungers not hungering, but sends
up what is ours that it may be abolished, so the gifts which come from
God instead of our infirmities, doth He too Himself receive, that man,
being united to Him, may be able to partake them. Hence it is that the
Lord says, ‘All things whatsoever Thou hast given Me, I have
given them,’ and again, ‘I pray for them
3315
.’ For He prayed for us, taking on Him
what is ours, and He was giving what He received. Since then, the Word
being united to man himself, the Father, regarding Him,
vouchsafed to man to be exalted, to have all
power and the like; therefore are referred to the Word Himself, and are
as if given to Him, all things which through Him we receive. For as He
for our sake became man, so we for His sake are exalted. It is no
absurdity then, if, as for our sake He humbled Himself, so also for our
sake He is said to be highly exalted. So ‘He gave to Him,’
that is, ‘to us for His sake;’ ‘and He highly exalted
Him
3316
,’ that is, ‘us in Him.’
And the Word Himself, when we are exalted, and receive, and are
succoured, as if He Himself were exalted and received and were
succoured, gives thanks to the Father, referring what is ours to
Himself, and saying, ‘All things, whatsoever Thou hast given Me,
I have given unto them
3317
.’
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Matt. xxviii. 18
;
John x.
18
;
Phil. ii. 9
;
Eph. i. 20
.
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De
Decr.
14;
Or.
ii. 8, 9.
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Or.
iii. 33, n. 6, and 34.
3307
Or.
i. 43.
3308
Or.
i. 43; ii. 65, 67.
3309
Or.
i. 42, 45.
3310
Or.
i. 48; iii. 38.
3311
Or.
i. 41, 42.
3312
John i. 14
.
3313
iii.
38.
3314
Or.
ii. 60; iii. 37.
3315
John xvii.
7–9
.
3316
Phil. ii. 9
.
3317
John xvii. 7,
8
.