ἐκ
προκοπῆς. We
learn from Athanasius (c. Arian. i. 37, 38, 40), that from
St. Paul’s language Philipp. ii. 9: “Wherefore
also God highly exalted Him, &c.,” and from
Ps. xlv. 7: “Thou hast loved
righteousness and hated iniquity: therefore God, thy God, hath
anointed thee with the oil of gladness above thy fellows,” the
Arians argued that Christ first received Divine honour as Son and Lord
as the reward of His obedience as Man. Athanasius replies (c.
40): “He was not from a lower state promoted; but rather,
existing as God, He took the form of a servant, and in taking it was
not promoted but humbled Himself. Where then is there here any
reward of virtue, or what advancement (προκοπή) and promotion
in humiliation?”
The same doctrine had been previously
held by the disciples of Paul of Samosata, who said that Christ was not
originally God, but after His Incarnation was by advance (ἐκ
προκοπῆς) made God,
from being made by nature a mere man: see Athanas. (de
Decretis, § 24, c. Arian. i. 38). S. Cyril
refers to the error and uses the same word, in xi. 1, 7, 13, 15, 17,
and xiv. 27.