On the Incarnation 23.1–34.3
Greek text: Robertson (Greek text: Archibald Robertson, St. Athanasius: On the Incarnation (London: David Nutt, 1891), digitized by the First Thousand Years of Greek project (Open Greek and Latin), CC BY-SA 4.0).English: Claude (claude-opus-5-5), public domain (CC0). Compare: Nicene and Post-Nicene Fathers, series 2, vol. 4 (1892).
Chapter 23
23.1Robertson
Εἰ δὲ καὶ χωρίς τινος νόσου καὶ χωρίς τινος ἀλγηδόνος, ἰδίᾳ που καὶ καθʼ ἑαυτὸν ἐν γωνίᾳ, ἢ ἐν ἐρήμῳ τόπῳ, ἢ κατʼ οἰκίαν, ἢ ὅπου δήποτε τὸ σῶμα κρύψας ἦν, καὶ μετὰ ταῦτα πάλιν ἐξαίφνης φανείς, ἔλεγεν ἑαυτὸν ἐκ νεκρῶν ἐγηγέρθαι· μύθους μὲν ἂν ἔδοξε λέγειν παρὰ πᾶσιν, ἠπιστήθη δὲ πολλῷ πλέον καὶ περὶ τῆς ἀναστάσεως λέγων, οὐκ ὄντος ὅλως τοῦ μαρτυροῦντος περὶ τοῦ θανάτου αὐτοῦ. τῆς δὲ ἀναστάσεως προηγεῖσθαι δεῖ θάνατον, ἐπεὶ οὐκ ἂν εἵη ἀνάστασις μὴ προηγουμένου θανάτου· ὅθεν εἰ κρύφα που ἐγεγόνει τοῦ σώματος ὁ θάνατος, οὐ φαινομένου τοῦ θανάτου, οὐδὲ ἐπὶ μαρτύρων γενομένου, ἀφανὴς ἦν καὶ ἀμάρτυρος καὶ ἡ τούτου ἀνάστασις.
Ei de kai chōris tinos nosou kai chōris tinos algēdonos, idią pou kai kathʼ heauton en gōnią, ē en erēmǭ topǭ, ē katʼ oikian, ē hopou dēpote to sōma krypsas ēn, kai meta tauta palin exaiphnēs phaneis, elegen heauton ek nekrōn egēgerthai; mythous men an edoxe legein para pasin, ēpistēthē de pollǭ pleon kai peri tēs anastaseōs legōn, ouk ontos holōs tou martyrountos peri tou thanatou autou. tēs de anastaseōs proēgeisthai dei thanaton, epei ouk an heiē anastasis mē proēgoumenou thanatou; hothen ei krypha pou egegonei tou sōmatos ho thanatos, ou phainomenou tou thanatou, oude epi martyrōn genomenou, aphanēs ēn kai amartyros kai hē toutou anastasis.
And if, without any disease and without any pain, he had hidden his body privately somewhere, by himself in a corner, or in a desert place, or in a house, or anywhere at all, and afterwards had suddenly appeared again and said that he had been raised from the dead, he would have seemed to everyone to be telling tales, and would have been disbelieved much more in speaking of the resurrection, since there would have been no one at all to bear witness to his death. Death must precede resurrection, since there could be no resurrection without a preceding death. So, if the death of his body had taken place secretly somewhere, with the death not seen or witnessed, his resurrection too would have been unseen and unwitnessed.
Notes and citation
Summary: A hidden death would have made his resurrection unwitnessed and incredible.
Topics: Christology
Cite (SBL): Athanasius, Inc. 23.1 (Robertson; trans. Sophia Scriptura, https://sophiascriptura.com/fathers/athanasius-incarnatione/23-1/#p-23-1).
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Translation: Translated by Claude from the Greek text of Robertson (1891); made independently of existing English translations and compared afterwards with NPNF² 4.
23.2Robertson
Ἢ διὰ τί τὴν μὲν ἀνάστασιν ἐκήρυττεν ἀναστάς, τὸν δὲ θάνατον ἀφανῶς ἐποίει γενέσθαι; ἢ διὰ τί τοὺς μὲν δαίμονας ἐπʼ ὅψει πάντων ἀπήλαυνε, τόν τε ἐκ γενετῆς τυφλὸν ἀναβλέπειν ἐποίει, καὶ τὸ ὕδωρ εἰς οἶνον μετέβαλεν, ἵνα διʼ αὐτῶν πιστευθῇ Λόγος Θεοῦ· τὸ δὲ θνητὸν οὐκ ἐπʼ ὄψει πάντων ἄφθαρτον ἐδείκνυεν, ἵνα πιστευθῇ αὐτὸς ὢν ἡ Ζωή;
Ē dia ti tēn men anastasin ekērytten anastas, ton de thanaton aphanōs epoiei genesthai? ē dia ti tous men daimonas epʼ hopsei pantōn apēlaune, ton te ek genetēs typhlon anablepein epoiei, kai to hydōr eis oinon metebalen, hina diʼ autōn pisteuthę̄ Logos Theou; to de thnēton ouk epʼ opsei pantōn aphtharton edeiknyen, hina pisteuthę̄ autos ōn hē Zōē?
Or why, when he had risen, would he proclaim the resurrection, yet have his death take place unseen? Or why did he drive out demons in the sight of all, make the man blind from birth see, and change water into wine, so that by these things he might be believed to be the Word of God, yet not show his mortal body made incorruptible in the sight of all, so that he might be believed to be Life itself?
John 9:1 (allusion, medium confidence) · John 2:9 (allusion, medium confidence)
Notes and citation
Summary: Having done his miracles publicly, Christ had to die publicly to show himself Life itself.
- John 9; John 2.
Notes on the original text
- Digital text corrected (stray letter in the digital text): ἀπήλαυνες → ἀπήλαυνε.
Topics: Christology
Cite (SBL): Athanasius, Inc. 23.2 (Robertson; trans. Sophia Scriptura, https://sophiascriptura.com/fathers/athanasius-incarnatione/23-1/#p-23-2).
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Translation: Translated by Claude from the Greek text of Robertson (1891); made independently of existing English translations and compared afterwards with NPNF² 4.
23.3Robertson
Πῶς δὲ καὶ οἱ τούτου μαθηταὶ παῤῥησίαν εἶχον περὶ τοῦ τῆς ἀναστάσεως λόγου, οὐκ ἔχοντες εἰπεῖν, ὅτι πρῶτον ἀπέθανεν; ἢ πῶς ἂν ἐπιστεύθησαν λέγοντες γεγονέναι πρῶτον θάνατον, εἶτα τὴν ἀνάστασιν, εἰ μὴ παρʼ οἷς ἐπαῤῥησιάζοντο, εἶχον τούτους μάρτυρας τοῦ θανάτου; εἰ γὰρ καὶ οὕτως ἐπʼ ὄψει πάντων γενομένων τοῦ τε θανάτου καὶ τῆς ἀναστάσεως οὐκ ἠθέλησαν οἱ τότε Φαρισαῖοι πιστεύειν, ἀλλὰ καὶ τοὺς ἑωρακότας τὴν ἀνάστασιν ἠνάγκασαν ἀρνήσασθαι ταύτην· πάντως εἰ κεκρυμμένως ἐγεγόνει ταῦτα, πόσας ἂν προφάσεις ἐπενόουν ἀπιστίας;
Pōs de kai hoi toutou mathētai parrhēsian eichon peri tou tēs anastaseōs logou, ouk echontes eipein, hoti prōton apethanen? ē pōs an episteuthēsan legontes gegonenai prōton thanaton, eita tēn anastasin, ei mē parʼ hois eparrhēsiazonto, eichon toutous martyras tou thanatou? ei gar kai houtōs epʼ opsei pantōn genomenōn tou te thanatou kai tēs anastaseōs ouk ēthelēsan hoi tote Pharisaioi pisteuein, alla kai tous heōrakotas tēn anastasin ēnankasan arnēsasthai tautēn; pantōs ei kekrymmenōs egegonei tauta, posas an prophaseis epenooun apistias?
And how would his disciples have had boldness in speaking of the resurrection, if they could not say that he had first died? Or how could they have been believed when they said that death had come first and then the resurrection, unless they had as witnesses of the death those to whom they spoke boldly? For if, even when the death and the resurrection took place before the eyes of all, the Pharisees of that time would not believe, but even forced those who had seen the resurrection to deny it, surely, if these things had happened in secret, how many pretexts for unbelief would they have devised?
Matt 28:11 (allusion, medium confidence)
Notes and citation
Summary: The apostles' preaching needed public witnesses of the death, since even so the Pharisees suppressed the resurrection.
- Matt 28:11–15 (the guards bribed to deny the resurrection).
Topics: Christology
Cite (SBL): Athanasius, Inc. 23.3 (Robertson; trans. Sophia Scriptura, https://sophiascriptura.com/fathers/athanasius-incarnatione/23-1/#p-23-3).
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Translation: Translated by Claude from the Greek text of Robertson (1891); made independently of existing English translations and compared afterwards with NPNF² 4.
23.4Robertson
Πῶς δὲ ἄρα τὸ τοῦ θανάτου τέλος ἐδείκνυτο, καὶ ἡ κατὰ τούτου νίκη, εἰ μὴ ἐπʼ ὄψει πάντων προσκαλεσάμενος αὐτὸν ἤλεγξε νεκρόν, κενωθέντα λοιπὸν τῇ τοῦ σώματος ἀφθαρσίᾳ;
Pōs de ara to tou thanatou telos edeiknyto, kai hē kata toutou nikē, ei mē epʼ opsei pantōn proskalesamenos auton ēlenxe nekron, kenōthenta loipon tę̄ tou sōmatos aphtharsią?
And how could the end of death and the victory over it have been shown, unless he had challenged it in the sight of all and proved it dead, emptied thereafter of its power by the incorruption of the body?
Notes and citation
Summary: Only a public death could show death's defeat.
Notes on the original text
- Digital text corrected (stray punctuation in the digital text): κατὰ τούτου. νίκη → κατὰ τούτου νίκη.
Topics: Christology
Cite (SBL): Athanasius, Inc. 23.4 (Robertson; trans. Sophia Scriptura, https://sophiascriptura.com/fathers/athanasius-incarnatione/23-1/#p-23-4).
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Translation: Translated by Claude from the Greek text of Robertson (1891); made independently of existing English translations and compared afterwards with NPNF² 4.
Chapter 24
24.1Robertson
Τὰ δὲ καὶ παρʼ ἑτέρων ἂν λεχθέντα, ταῦτα προλαβεῖν ἡμᾶς ἀναγκαῖον ταῖς ἀπολογίαις. τάχα γὰρ ἄν τις εἴποι καὶ τοῦτο· Εἰ ἐπʼ ὄψει πάντων καὶ ἐμμάρτυρον ἔδει γενέσθαι τὸν τούτου θάνατον, ἵνα καὶ ὁ τῆς ἀναστάσεως πιστευθῇ λόγος, ἔδει κἂν αὐτὸν ἑαυτῷ ἔνδοξον ἐπινοῆσαι θάνατον, ἵνα μόνον τὴν ἀτιμίαν τοῦ σταυροῦ φύγῃ.
Ta de kai parʼ heterōn an lechthenta, tauta prolabein hēmas anankaion tais apologiais. tacha gar an tis eipoi kai touto; Ei epʼ opsei pantōn kai emmartyron edei genesthai ton toutou thanaton, hina kai ho tēs anastaseōs pisteuthę̄ logos, edei kan auton heautǭ endoxon epinoēsai thanaton, hina monon tēn atimian tou staurou phygę̄.
We must also anticipate in our defense what others might say. For perhaps someone might say this too: if his death had to take place before all and with witnesses, so that the account of the resurrection might be believed, he ought at least to have devised a glorious death for himself, if only to escape the dishonor of the cross.
Notes and citation
Summary: An objector asks why, if the death had to be public, Christ did not choose a glorious death instead of the cross.
Topics: Christology
Cite (SBL): Athanasius, Inc. 24.1 (Robertson; trans. Sophia Scriptura, https://sophiascriptura.com/fathers/athanasius-incarnatione/23-1/#p-24-1).
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Translation: Translated by Claude from the Greek text of Robertson (1891); made independently of existing English translations and compared afterwards with NPNF² 4.
24.2Robertson
Ἀλλʼ εἰ καὶ τοῦτο ποιήσας ἦν, ὑπόνοιαν καθʼ ἑαυτοῦ παρεῖχεν, ὡς οὐ κατὰ παντὸς θανάτου δυνάμενος, ἀλλὰ μόνου τοῦ περὶ αὐτοῦ ἐπινοηθέντος· καὶ οὐδὲν ἧττον πάλιν ἦν ἡ πρόφασις τῆς περὶ τῆς ἀναστάσεως ἀπιστίας, ὅθεν οὐ παρʼ αὐτοῦ, ἀλλʼ ἐξ ἐπιβουλῆς ἐγένετο τῷ σώματι ὁ θάνατος· ἵνα ὃν αὐτοὶ προσαγάγωσι τῷ Σωτῆρι θάνατον τοῦτον αὐτὸς ἐξαφανίσῃ.
Allʼ ei kai touto poiēsas ēn, hyponoian kathʼ heautou pareichen, hōs ou kata pantos thanatou dynamenos, alla monou tou peri autou epinoēthentos; kai ouden hētton palin ēn hē prophasis tēs peri tēs anastaseōs apistias, hothen ou parʼ autou, allʼ ex epiboulēs egeneto tǭ sōmati ho thanatos; hina hon autoi prosagagōsi tǭ Sōtēri thanaton touton autos exaphanisę̄.
But even if he had done this, he would have given grounds for suspicion against himself, as though he had power not over every death but only over the one devised for himself; and there would have been no less a pretext for disbelief in the resurrection. So death came to the body not from himself but from a plot, so that he himself might do away with whatever death they brought upon the Savior.
Notes and citation
Summary: A self-chosen death would have suggested power over only one kind of death, so Christ accepted the death others inflicted.
Topics: Christology
Cite (SBL): Athanasius, Inc. 24.2 (Robertson; trans. Sophia Scriptura, https://sophiascriptura.com/fathers/athanasius-incarnatione/23-1/#p-24-2).
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Translation: Translated by Claude from the Greek text of Robertson (1891); made independently of existing English translations and compared afterwards with NPNF² 4.
24.3Robertson
Καὶ ὥσπερ γενναῖος παλαιστής, μέγας ὢν τῇ συνέσει καὶ τῇ ἀνδρία, οὐκ αὐτὸς ἑαυτῷ τοὺς ἀντιπάλους ἐκλέγεται, ἵνα μὴ ὑπόνοιαν τῆς πρός τινας δειλίας παράσχῃ· ἀλλὰ τῇ τῶν θεωρούντων δίδωσιν ἐξουσία, καὶ μάλιστα κἂν ἐχθροὶ τυγχάνωσιν, ἵνα πρὸς ὃν ἐὰν συμβάλλωσιν αὐτοὶ, τοῦτον αὐτὸς καταρράξας, κρείττων τῶν πάντων πιστευθῇ· οὕτως καὶ ἡ τῶν πάντων Ζωὴ ὁ Κύριος καὶ Σωτὴρ ἡμῶν ὁ Χριστὸς οὐχ ἑαυτῷ θάνατον ἐπενόει τῷ σώματι, ἵνα μὴ ὡς ἕτερον δειλιῶν φανῇ ἀλλὰ τὸν παρʼ ἑτέρων, καὶ μάλιστα τὸν παρὰ τῶν ἐχθρῶν ὃν ἐνόμιζον εἶναι δεινὸν ἐκεῖνοι καὶ ἄτιμον καὶ φευκτόν, τοῦτον αὐτὸς ἐν σταυρῷ δεχόμενος ἠνείχετο· ἵνα καὶ τούτου καταλυθέντος, αὐτὸς μὲν ὧν ἡ ζωὴ πιστευθῇ, τοῦ δὲ θανάτου τὸ κράτος τέλεον καταργηθῇ.
Kai hōsper gennaios palaistēs, megas ōn tę̄ synesei kai tę̄ andria, ouk autos heautǭ tous antipalous eklegetai, hina mē hyponoian tēs pros tinas deilias paraschę̄; alla tę̄ tōn theōrountōn didōsin exousia, kai malista kan echthroi tynchanōsin, hina pros hon ean symballōsin autoi, touton autos katarraxas, kreittōn tōn pantōn pisteuthę̄; houtōs kai hē tōn pantōn Zōē ho Kyrios kai Sōtēr hēmōn ho Christos ouch heautǭ thanaton epenoei tǭ sōmati, hina mē hōs heteron deiliōn phanę̄ alla ton parʼ heterōn, kai malista ton para tōn echthrōn hon enomizon einai deinon ekeinoi kai atimon kai pheukton, touton autos en staurǭ dechomenos ēneicheto; hina kai toutou katalythentos, autos men hōn hē zōē pisteuthę̄, tou de thanatou to kratos teleon katargēthę̄.
And like a noble wrestler, great in skill and courage, who does not choose his opponents himself, lest he give grounds for suspecting that he fears some of them, but leaves the choice to the spectators, especially if they happen to be his enemies, so that, whomever they match against him, he may throw that one and be believed stronger than all: so also the Life of all, our Lord and Savior Christ, did not devise a death for his body himself, lest he appear to fear some other kind; but the death that came from others, and especially from his enemies, which they thought terrible, dishonorable, and to be shunned, this he accepted and endured on the cross, so that when this too was destroyed, he himself might be believed to be Life, and the power of death be completely abolished.
Notes and citation
Summary: Like a wrestler who lets his enemies pick his opponent, Christ accepted the most shameful death to show his victory over every death.
Topics: Christology
Cite (SBL): Athanasius, Inc. 24.3 (Robertson; trans. Sophia Scriptura, https://sophiascriptura.com/fathers/athanasius-incarnatione/23-1/#p-24-3).
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Translation: Translated by Claude from the Greek text of Robertson (1891); made independently of existing English translations and compared afterwards with NPNF² 4.
24.4Robertson
Γέγονε γοῦν τι θαυμαστὸν καὶ παράδοξον ὃν γὰρ ἐνόμιζον ἄτιμον ἐπιφέρειν θάνατον, οὗτος ἦν τρόπαιον κατʼ αὐτοῦ τοῦ θανάτου· διὸ οὐδὲ τὸν Ἰωάννου θάνατον ὑπέμεινε, διαιρουμένης τῆς κεφαλῆς, οὐδὲ ὡς Ἠσαίας ἐπρίσθη, ἵνα καὶ τῷ θανάτῳ ἀδιαίρετον καὶ ὁλόκληρον τὸ σῶμα φυλάξῃ, καὶ μὴ πρόφασις τοῖς βουλομένοις διαιρεῖν τὴν Ἐκκλησίαν γένηται.
Gegone goun ti thaumaston kai paradoxon hon gar enomizon atimon epipherein thanaton, houtos ēn tropaion katʼ autou tou thanatou; dio oude ton Iōannou thanaton hypemeine, diairoumenēs tēs kephalēs, oude hōs Ēsaias epristhē, hina kai tǭ thanatǭ adiaireton kai holoklēron to sōma phylaxę̄, kai mē prophasis tois boulomenois diairein tēn Ekklēsian genētai.
So something wonderful and paradoxical happened: the death which they thought they were inflicting as a dishonor was a trophy over death itself. That is why he did not suffer the death of John, whose head was cut off, nor was he sawn asunder like Isaiah: so that even in death he might keep his body undivided and whole, and no pretext be given to those who wish to divide the Church.
Mark 6:27 (allusion, high confidence) · Heb 11:37 (echo, medium confidence)
Notes and citation
Summary: The cross became a trophy over death, and Christ's body stayed whole so that none could use it as a pretext for dividing the Church.
- John the Baptist: Mark 6:27. Isaiah sawn asunder: a tradition found in the Ascension of Isaiah 5 and echoed in Heb 11:37.
Extrabiblical texts: Ascen. Isa. 5 (Ascension of Isaiah; allusion)
Topics: Christology
Cite (SBL): Athanasius, Inc. 24.4 (Robertson; trans. Sophia Scriptura, https://sophiascriptura.com/fathers/athanasius-incarnatione/23-1/#p-24-4).
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Translation: Translated by Claude from the Greek text of Robertson (1891); made independently of existing English translations and compared afterwards with NPNF² 4.
Chapter 25
25.1Robertson
Καὶ ταῦτα μὲν πρὸς τοὺς ἔξωθεν ἑαυτοῖς λογισμοὺς ἐπισωρεύοντας· ἂν δὲ καὶ τῶν ἐξ ἡμῶν τις μὴ ὡς φιλόνεικος, ἀλλʼ ὡς φιλομαθής ζητῇ· διὰ τί μὴ ἑτέρως, ἀλλὰ σταυρὸν ὑπέμεινεν; ἀκουέτω καὶ οὗτος ὅτι οὐκ ἄλλως ἢ οὕτως ἡμῖν συνέφερε· καὶ τοῦτο διʼ ἡμᾶς καλῶς ὑπέμεινεν ὁ Κύριος.
Kai tauta men pros tous exōthen heautois logismous episōreuontas; an de kai tōn ex hēmōn tis mē hōs philoneikos, allʼ hōs philomathēs zētę̄; dia ti mē heterōs, alla stauron hypemeinen? akouetō kai houtos hoti ouk allōs ē houtōs hēmin synephere; kai touto diʼ hēmas kalōs hypemeinen ho Kyrios.
This is said to outsiders who pile up arguments for themselves. But if one of our own asks, not out of love of argument but out of love of learning, why he endured the cross and not some other death, let him also hear that it was good for us in no other way than this, and that the Lord rightly endured it for our sake.
Notes and citation
Summary: For believers who ask why the cross, Athanasius answers that it alone served our salvation.
Topics: Christology
Cite (SBL): Athanasius, Inc. 25.1 (Robertson; trans. Sophia Scriptura, https://sophiascriptura.com/fathers/athanasius-incarnatione/23-1/#p-25-1).
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Translation: Translated by Claude from the Greek text of Robertson (1891); made independently of existing English translations and compared afterwards with NPNF² 4.
25.2Robertson
Εἰ γὰρ τὴν καθʼ ἡμῶν γενομένην κατάραν ἦλθεν αὐτὸς βαστάσαι, πῶς ἂν ἄλλως ἐγένετο κατάρα, εἰ μὴ τὸν ἐπὶ κατάρᾳ γενόμενον θάνατον ἐδέξατο; ἔστι δὲ οὗτος, ὁ σταυρός. οὕτω γὰρ καὶ γέγραπται· ἐπικατάρατος ὁ κρεμάμενος ἐπὶ ξύλου.
Ei gar tēn kathʼ hēmōn genomenēn kataran ēlthen autos bastasai, pōs an allōs egeneto katara, ei mē ton epi katarą genomenon thanaton edexato? esti de houtos, ho stauros. houtō gar kai gegraptai; epikataratos ho kremamenos epi xylou.
For if he came himself to bear the curse that lay on us, how else could he have become a curse, unless he received the death that was set under a curse? And that is the cross. For so it is written: “Cursed is everyone who hangs on a tree.”
Gal 3:13 (quotation, high confidence) · Deut 21:23 (quotation, medium confidence)
Notes and citation
Summary: Christ bore our curse by dying the accursed death of the cross.
- Gal 3:13 (quoting Deut 21:23).
Topics: Christology
Cite (SBL): Athanasius, Inc. 25.2 (Robertson; trans. Sophia Scriptura, https://sophiascriptura.com/fathers/athanasius-incarnatione/23-1/#p-25-2).
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Translation: Translated by Claude from the Greek text of Robertson (1891); made independently of existing English translations and compared afterwards with NPNF² 4.
25.3Robertson
Ἔπειτα, εἰ ὁ θάνατος τοῦ Κυρίου λύτρον ἐστὶ πάντων, καὶ τῷ θανάτῳ τούτου τὸ μεσότοιχον τοῦ φραγμοῦ λύεται, καὶ γίνεται τῶν ἐθνῶν ἡ κλῆσις· πῶς ἂν ἡμᾶς προσεκαλέσατο, εἰ μὴ ἐσταύρωτο; ἐν μόνῳ γὰρ τῷ σταυρῷ ἐκτεταμέναις χερσί τις ἀποθνήσκει. διὸ καὶ τοῦτο ἔπρεπεν ὑπομεῖναι τὸν Κύριον, καὶ τὰς χεῖρας ἐκτεῖναι, ἵνα τῇ μὲν τὸν παλαιὸν λαόν, τῇ δὲ τοὺς ἀπὸ τῶν ἐθνῶν ἑλκύσῃ, καὶ ἀμφοτέρους ἐν ἑαυτῷ συνάψῃ.
Epeita, ei ho thanatos tou Kyriou lytron esti pantōn, kai tǭ thanatǭ toutou to mesotoichon tou phragmou lyetai, kai ginetai tōn ethnōn hē klēsis; pōs an hēmas prosekalesato, ei mē estaurōto? en monǭ gar tǭ staurǭ ektetamenais chersi tis apothnēskei. dio kai touto eprepen hypomeinai ton Kyrion, kai tas cheiras ekteinai, hina tę̄ men ton palaion laon, tę̄ de tous apo tōn ethnōn helkysę̄, kai amphoterous en heautǭ synapsę̄.
Again, if the Lord's death is the ransom of all, and by his death the dividing wall of partition is broken down and the calling of the nations comes about, how could he have called us to himself had he not been crucified? For only on a cross does one die with hands outstretched. So it was fitting for the Lord to endure this too and to stretch out his hands, so that with one he might draw the ancient people and with the other those from the nations, and join both together in himself.
Eph 2:14 (allusion, high confidence) · Eph 2:16 (allusion, medium confidence)
Notes and citation
Summary: On the cross Christ stretched out his hands to draw both Jews and Gentiles to himself.
- Eph 2:14–16.
Topics: Christology
Cite (SBL): Athanasius, Inc. 25.3 (Robertson; trans. Sophia Scriptura, https://sophiascriptura.com/fathers/athanasius-incarnatione/23-1/#p-25-3).
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Translation: Translated by Claude from the Greek text of Robertson (1891); made independently of existing English translations and compared afterwards with NPNF² 4.
25.4Robertson
Τοῦτο γὰρ καὶ αὐτὸς εἴρηκε, σημαίνων ποίῳ θανάτῳ ἔμελλε λυτροῦσθαι τοὺς πάντας· ὅταν ὑψωθῶ, πάντας ἑλκύσω πρὸς ἐμαυτόν
Touto gar kai autos eirēke, sēmainōn poiǭ thanatǭ emelle lytrousthai tous pantas; hotan hypsōthō, pantas helkysō pros emauton
For he himself said this, indicating by what death he was to ransom all: “When I am lifted up, I will draw all people to myself.”
John 12:32 (quotation, high confidence)
Notes and citation
Summary: Jesus foretold his death on the cross as drawing all to himself.
- John 12:32–33.
Topics: Christology
Cite (SBL): Athanasius, Inc. 25.4 (Robertson; trans. Sophia Scriptura, https://sophiascriptura.com/fathers/athanasius-incarnatione/23-1/#p-25-4).
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Translation: Translated by Claude from the Greek text of Robertson (1891); made independently of existing English translations and compared afterwards with NPNF² 4.
25.5Robertson
Καὶ πάλιν εἰ ὁ ἐχθρὸς τοῦ γένους ἡμῶν διάβολος, ἐκπεσὼν ἀπὸ τοῦ οὐρανοῦ, περὶ τὸν ἀέρα τὸν ὧδε κάτω πλανᾶται, κἀκεῖ τῶν σὺν αὐτῷ δαιμόνων ὡς ὁμοίων ἐν τῇ ἀπειθεία ἐξουσιάζων, φαντασίας μὲν δʼ αὐτῶν ἐνεργεῖ τοῖς ἀπατωμένοις ἐπιχειρεῖ δὲ τοῖς ἀνερχομένοις ἐμποδίζειν· καὶ περὶ τούτου φησὶν ὁ ἀπόστολος· κατὰ τὸν ἄρχοντα τῆς ἐξουσίας τοῦ ἀέρος, τοῦ νῦν ἐνεργοῦντος ἐν τοῖς υἱοῖς τῆς ἀπειθείας· ἦλθε δὲ ὁ Κύριος ἵνα τὸν μὲν διάβολον καταβάλῃ, τὸν δὲ ἀέρα καθαρίσῃ, καὶ ὁδοποιήσῃ ἡμῖν τὴν εἰς οὐρανοὺς ἄνοδον, ὡς εἶπεν ὁ ἀπόστολος, διὰ τοῦ καταπετάσματος, τουτέστι τῆς σαρκὸς αὐτοῦ· τοῦτο δὲ ἔδει γενέσθαι διὰ τοῦ θανάτου· ποίῳ δʼ ἂν ἄλλῳ θανάτῳ ἐγεγόνει ταῦτα, ἢ τῷ ἐν ἀέρι γενομένῳ, φημὶ δὴ τῷ σταυρῷ; μόνος γὰρ ἐν τῷ ἀέρι τις ἀποθνήσκει, ὁ σταυρῷ τελειούμενος. διὸ καὶ εἰκότως τοῦτον ὑπέμεινεν ὁ Κύριος.
Kai palin ei ho echthros tou genous hēmōn diabolos, ekpesōn apo tou ouranou, peri ton aera ton hōde katō planatai, kakei tōn syn autǭ daimonōn hōs homoiōn en tę̄ apeitheia exousiazōn, phantasias men dʼ autōn energei tois apatōmenois epicheirei de tois anerchomenois empodizein; kai peri toutou phēsin ho apostolos; kata ton archonta tēs exousias tou aeros, tou nyn energountos en tois huiois tēs apeitheias; ēlthe de ho Kyrios hina ton men diabolon katabalę̄, ton de aera katharisę̄, kai hodopoiēsę̄ hēmin tēn eis ouranous anodon, hōs eipen ho apostolos, dia tou katapetasmatos, toutesti tēs sarkos autou; touto de edei genesthai dia tou thanatou; poiǭ dʼ an allǭ thanatǭ egegonei tauta, ē tǭ en aeri genomenǭ, phēmi dē tǭ staurǭ? monos gar en tǭ aeri tis apothnēskei, ho staurǭ teleioumenos. dio kai eikotōs touton hypemeinen ho Kyrios.
And again, if the devil, the enemy of our race, having fallen from heaven, wanders about the lower air here, and there has power over the demons with him, who are like him in disobedience, working illusions through them on those who are deceived and trying to hinder those who are going up (and of him the Apostle says, “according to the ruler of the power of the air, the spirit now at work in the sons of disobedience”), and the Lord came to cast down the devil, to cleanse the air, and to open for us the way up to heaven, as the Apostle said, “through the veil, that is, his flesh”; and this had to happen through death; by what other death could this have come about than by one that took place in the air, I mean the cross? For only one who is put to death on a cross dies in the air. So it was fitting that the Lord endured it.
Eph 2:2 (quotation, high confidence) · Heb 10:20 (quotation, high confidence)
Notes and citation
Summary: Dying lifted up in the air, Christ cast down the devil, the ruler of the air, and opened the way to heaven.
- Eph 2:2; Heb 10:20.
Notes on the original text
- Digital text corrected (transposed letters in the digital text): διαμόνων → δαιμόνων.
Topics: Christology
Cite (SBL): Athanasius, Inc. 25.5 (Robertson; trans. Sophia Scriptura, https://sophiascriptura.com/fathers/athanasius-incarnatione/23-1/#p-25-5).
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Translation: Translated by Claude from the Greek text of Robertson (1891); made independently of existing English translations and compared afterwards with NPNF² 4.
25.6Robertson
Οὕτω γὰρ ὑψωθείς, τὸν μὲν ἀέρα ἐκαθάριζεν ἀπό τε τῆς διαβολικῆς καὶ πάσης τῶν δαιμόνων ἐπιβουλῆς λέγων Ἐθεώρουν τὸν Σατανᾶν ὡς ἀστραπὴν πεσόντα· τὴν δὲ εἰς οὐρανοὺς ἄνοδον ὁδοποιῶν ἐνεκαίνιζε λέγων πάλιν· Ἄρατε πύλας οἱ ἄρχοντες ὑμῶν καὶ ἐπάρθητε πύλαι αἰώνιοι. οὐ γὰρ αὐτὸς ὁ Λόγος ἦν ὁ χρῄζων ἀνοίξεως τῶν πυλῶν, πάντων Κύριος ὥν· οὐδὲ κεκλεισμένον ἦν τι τῶν ποιημάτων τῷ ποιητῇ· ἀλλʼ ἡμεῖς ἦμεν οἱ χρῄζοντες, οὕς ἀνέφερεν αὐτὸς διὰ τοῦ ἰδίου σώματος αὐτοῦ. Ὡς γὰρ ὑπὲρ πάντων αὐτὸ προσήνεγκε τῷ θανάτῳ· οὕτως διʼ αὐτοῦ πάλιν ὡδοποίησε τὴν εἰς οὐρανοὺς ἄνοδον.
Houtō gar hypsōtheis, ton men aera ekatharizen apo te tēs diabolikēs kai pasēs tōn daimonōn epiboulēs legōn Etheōroun ton Satanan hōs astrapēn pesonta; tēn de eis ouranous anodon hodopoiōn enekainize legōn palin; Arate pylas hoi archontes hymōn kai eparthēte pylai aiōnioi. ou gar autos ho Logos ēn ho chrę̄zōn anoixeōs tōn pylōn, pantōn Kyrios hōn; oude kekleismenon ēn ti tōn poiēmatōn tǭ poiētę̄; allʼ hēmeis ēmen hoi chrę̄zontes, hous anepheren autos dia tou idiou sōmatos autou. Hōs gar hyper pantōn auto prosēnenke tǭ thanatǭ; houtōs diʼ autou palin hōdopoiēse tēn eis ouranous anodon.
For being lifted up in this way, he cleansed the air of the plots of the devil and of all the demons, saying, “I saw Satan fall like lightning”; and he opened and made new the way up to heaven, saying again, “Lift up the gates, you rulers, and be lifted up, you everlasting gates.” For it was not the Word himself who needed the gates opened, being Lord of all, nor was any of his works closed to the Maker; but we were the ones in need, whom he carried up through his own body. For as he offered it to death on behalf of all, so through it he again opened the way up to heaven.
Luke 10:18 (quotation, high confidence) · Ps 24:7 (23:7 LXX) (quotation, high confidence)
Notes and citation
Summary: Lifted up on the cross, Christ cleansed the air of demons and opened heaven's gates for us through his body.
- Luke 10:18; Ps 24:7 (LXX 23:7).
Notes on the original text
- Digital text corrected (garbled preposition in the digital text; garbled word in the digital text): δᾶ τοῦ ἰδίου → διὰ τοῦ ἰδίου; οὕτως δέʼ αὐτοῦ → οὕτως διʼ αὐτοῦ.
Topics: Christology
Cite (SBL): Athanasius, Inc. 25.6 (Robertson; trans. Sophia Scriptura, https://sophiascriptura.com/fathers/athanasius-incarnatione/23-1/#p-25-6).
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Translation: Translated by Claude from the Greek text of Robertson (1891); made independently of existing English translations and compared afterwards with NPNF² 4.
Chapter 26
26.1Robertson
Πρέπων οὖν ἄρα καὶ ἁρμόζων ὁ ἐν τῶ σταυρῷ γέγονε θάνατος ὑπὲρ ἡμῶν· καὶ ἡ αἰτία τούτου εὔλογος ἐφάνη κατὰ πάντα, καὶ δικαίους ἔχει τοὺς λογισμούς, ὅτι μὴ ἄλλως, ἀλλὰ διὰ τοῦ σταυροῦ ἔδει γενέσθαι τὴν σωτηρίαν πάντων. καὶ γὰρ οὐδʼ οὕτως ἀφανῇ ἑαυτὸν οὐδὲ ἐν τῷ σταυρῷ ἀφῆκεν· ἀλλὰ κατὰ περιττὸν τὴν μὲν κτίσιν ἐποίει μαρτυρεῖν τὴν τοῦ ἑαυτῆς δημιουργοῦ παρουσίαν, τὸν δὲ ἑαυτοῦ ναὸν τὸ σῶμα οὐκ ἐπὶ πολὺ μένειν ἀνασχόμενος, ἀλλὰ μόνον δεῖξας νεκρὸν τῇ τοῦ θανάτου πρὸς αὐτὸ συμπλοκῇ, τριταῖον εὐθέως ἀνέστησε, τρόπαια καὶ νίκας κατὰ τοῦ θανάτου φέρων τὴν ἐν τῷ σώματι γενομένην ἀφθαρσίαν καὶ ἀπάθειαν.
Prepōn oun ara kai harmozōn ho en tō staurǭ gegone thanatos hyper hēmōn; kai hē aitia toutou eulogos ephanē kata panta, kai dikaious echei tous logismous, hoti mē allōs, alla dia tou staurou edei genesthai tēn sōtērian pantōn. kai gar oudʼ houtōs aphanę̄ heauton oude en tǭ staurǭ aphēken; alla kata peritton tēn men ktisin epoiei martyrein tēn tou heautēs dēmiourgou parousian, ton de heautou naon to sōma ouk epi poly menein anaschomenos, alla monon deixas nekron tę̄ tou thanatou pros auto symplokę̄, tritaion eutheōs anestēse, tropaia kai nikas kata tou thanatou pherōn tēn en tǭ sōmati genomenēn aphtharsian kai apatheian.
So the death on the cross for us was fitting and suitable, and its reason has been shown to be reasonable in every respect, and the arguments for it are just: that the salvation of all had to come about in no other way than through the cross. For even so, even on the cross, he did not leave himself unseen, but, more than that, made creation bear witness to the presence of its Maker; and he did not let his temple, the body, remain long, but, having only shown it dead by death's contact with it, he raised it at once on the third day, bearing as trophies and victories over death the incorruption and freedom from suffering that came about in the body.
1 Cor 15:4 (allusion, medium confidence)
Notes and citation
Summary: The cross was the fitting death; creation bore witness to Christ there, and he raised his body on the third day, incorruptible.
Notes on the original text
- Digital text corrected (stray mark in the digital text): ἐποίει? μαρτυρεῖν → ἐποίει μαρτυρεῖν.
Topics: Christology
Cite (SBL): Athanasius, Inc. 26.1 (Robertson; trans. Sophia Scriptura, https://sophiascriptura.com/fathers/athanasius-incarnatione/23-1/#p-26-1).
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Translation: Translated by Claude from the Greek text of Robertson (1891); made independently of existing English translations and compared afterwards with NPNF² 4.
26.2Robertson
Ἡδύνατο μὲν γὰρ καὶ παρʼ αὐτὰ τοῦ θανάτου τὸ σῶμα διεγεῖραι καὶ πάλιν δεῖξαι ζῶν ἀλλὰ καὶ τοῦτο καλῶς προϊδὼν ὁ Σωτὴρ οὐ πεποίηκεν. εἶπε γὰρ ἄν τις μηδόλως αὐτὸ τεθνηκέναι, ἢ μηδὲ τέλεον αὐτοῦ τὸν θάνατον ἐψαυκέναι, εἰ παρʼ αὐτὰ τὴν ἀνάστασιν ἦν ἐπιδείξας.
Hēdynato men gar kai parʼ auta tou thanatou to sōma diegeirai kai palin deixai zōn alla kai touto kalōs proïdōn ho Sōtēr ou pepoiēken. eipe gar an tis mēdolōs auto tethnēkenai, ē mēde teleon autou ton thanaton epsaukenai, ei parʼ auta tēn anastasin ēn epideixas.
He could have raised the body from death immediately and shown it alive again; but the Savior, wisely foreseeing this too, did not do it. For someone would have said that it had not died at all, or that death had not fully touched it, if he had shown the resurrection immediately.
Notes and citation
Summary: Christ did not rise immediately, lest people say he had not truly died.
Notes on the original text
- Digital text corrected (stray letter in the digital text; stray mark in the digital text): παρʼ αὐτὰ? τοῦ → παρʼ αὐτὰ τοῦ; διεγεῖραι ι καὶ → διεγεῖραι καὶ.
Topics: Christology
Cite (SBL): Athanasius, Inc. 26.2 (Robertson; trans. Sophia Scriptura, https://sophiascriptura.com/fathers/athanasius-incarnatione/23-1/#p-26-2).
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Translation: Translated by Claude from the Greek text of Robertson (1891); made independently of existing English translations and compared afterwards with NPNF² 4.
26.3Robertson
Τάχα δὲ καὶ ἐν ἴσῳ τοῦ διαστήματος ὄντος τοῦ τε θανάτου καὶ τῆς ἀναστάσεως, ἄδηλον ἐγίνετο τὸ περὶ τῆς ἀφθαρσίας κλέος. ὅθεν, ἵνα δειχθῇ νεκρὸν τὸ σῶμα, καὶ μίαν ὑπέμεινε μέσην ὁ Λόγος, καὶ τριταῖον τοῦτο πᾶσιν ἔδειξεν ἄφθαρτον.
Tacha de kai en isǭ tou diastēmatos ontos tou te thanatou kai tēs anastaseōs, adēlon egineto to peri tēs aphtharsias kleos. hothen, hina deichthę̄ nekron to sōma, kai mian hypemeine mesēn ho Logos, kai tritaion touto pasin edeixen aphtharton.
And perhaps, if the death and the resurrection had stood with no real interval between them, the glory of the incorruption would have been left uncertain. So, that the body might be shown dead, the Word waited one intervening day, and on the third day showed it to all incorruptible.
Notes and citation
Summary: Waiting one day between death and resurrection proved both.
- The phrase ἐν ἴσῳ τοῦ διαστήματος (“level as to the interval”) is obscure; it may also mean a shorter interval, such as two days.
Topics: Christology
Cite (SBL): Athanasius, Inc. 26.3 (Robertson; trans. Sophia Scriptura, https://sophiascriptura.com/fathers/athanasius-incarnatione/23-1/#p-26-3).
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Translation: Translated by Claude from the Greek text of Robertson (1891); made independently of existing English translations and compared afterwards with NPNF² 4.
26.4Robertson
Ἕνεκα μὲν οὖν τοῦ δειχθῆναι τὸν θάνατον ἐν τῷ σώματι, τριταῖον ἀνέστησε τοῦτο.
Heneka men oun tou deichthēnai ton thanaton en tǭ sōmati, tritaion anestēse touto.
So it was in order that the death in the body might be shown that he raised it on the third day.
Notes and citation
Summary: The third-day resurrection showed that the body had truly died.
Topics: Christology
Cite (SBL): Athanasius, Inc. 26.4 (Robertson; trans. Sophia Scriptura, https://sophiascriptura.com/fathers/athanasius-incarnatione/23-1/#p-26-4).
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Translation: Translated by Claude from the Greek text of Robertson (1891); made independently of existing English translations and compared afterwards with NPNF² 4.
26.5Robertson
Ἵνα δὲ μὴ ἐπὶ πολὺ διαμεῖναν καὶ φθαρὲν τέλεον ὕστερον ἀναστήσας ἀπιστηθῇ ὡς οὐκ αὐτὸ ἀλλʼ ἕτερον σῶμα φέρων· ἔμελλε γὰρ ἄν τις καὶ διὰ τὸν χρόνον ἀπιστεῖν τῷ φαινομένῳ, καὶ ἐπιλανθάνεσθαι τῶν γενομένων· διὰ τοῦτο οὐ πλείω τῶν τριῶν ἡμερῶν ἠνέσχετο, οὐδὲ ἐπὶ πολὺ τοὺς ἀκούσαντας αὐτοῦ περὶ τῆς ἀναστάσεως παρείλκυσεν·
Hina de mē epi poly diameinan kai phtharen teleon hysteron anastēsas apistēthę̄ hōs ouk auto allʼ heteron sōma pherōn; emelle gar an tis kai dia ton chronon apistein tǭ phainomenǭ, kai epilanthanesthai tōn genomenōn; dia touto ou pleiō tōn triōn hēmerōn ēnescheto, oude epi poly tous akousantas autou peri tēs anastaseōs pareilkysen;
But lest, by remaining long and being completely corrupted, and then being raised later, he should be disbelieved as bearing not that body but another (for someone might, because of the lapse of time, have disbelieved what appeared and forgotten what had happened), for this reason he did not wait more than three days, nor keep those who had heard him speak of the resurrection long in suspense;
Notes and citation
Summary: He did not wait longer than three days, lest people doubt that the risen body was the same.
- The sentence continues in 26.6.
Topics: Christology
Cite (SBL): Athanasius, Inc. 26.5 (Robertson; trans. Sophia Scriptura, https://sophiascriptura.com/fathers/athanasius-incarnatione/23-1/#p-26-5).
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Translation: Translated by Claude from the Greek text of Robertson (1891); made independently of existing English translations and compared afterwards with NPNF² 4.
26.6Robertson
ἀλλʼ ἔτι τῶν ἀκοῶν αὐτῶν ἔναυλον ἐχόντων τὸν λόγον, καὶ ἔτι τῶν ὀφθαλμῶν αὐτῶν ἐκδεχομένων, καὶ τῆς διανοίας αὐτῶν ἠρτημένης, καὶ ζώντων ἐπὶ γῆς ἔτι καὶ ἐπὶ τόπων ὄντων τῶν θανατωσάντων, καὶ μαρτύρων τοῦ θανάτου τοῦ Κυριακοῦ σώματος, αὐτὸς ὁ τοῦ Θεοῦ Υἱὸς ἐν τριταίῳ διαστήματι τὸ γενόμενον νεκρὸν σῶμα ἔδειξεν ἀθάνατον καὶ ἄφθαρτον· καὶ ἀνεδείχθη πᾶσιν, ὅτι οὐκ ἀσθενείᾳ φύσεως τοῦ ἐνοικοῦντος Λόγου τέθνηκεν τὸ σῶμα, αλλʼ ἐπὶ τῷ τὸν θάνατον ἐξαφανισθῆναι ἐν αὐτῷ τῇ δυνάμει τοῦ Σωτῆρος.
allʼ eti tōn akoōn autōn enaulon echontōn ton logon, kai eti tōn ophthalmōn autōn ekdechomenōn, kai tēs dianoias autōn ērtēmenēs, kai zōntōn epi gēs eti kai epi topōn ontōn tōn thanatōsantōn, kai martyrōn tou thanatou tou Kyriakou sōmatos, autos ho tou Theou Huios en tritaiǭ diastēmati to genomenon nekron sōma edeixen athanaton kai aphtharton; kai anedeichthē pasin, hoti ouk astheneią physeōs tou enoikountos Logou tethnēken to sōma, allʼ epi tǭ ton thanaton exaphanisthēnai en autǭ tę̄ dynamei tou Sōtēros.
but while his word was still ringing in their ears, and their eyes were still expecting, and their minds were in suspense, and those who had put him to death were still living on earth and in the same places, and the witnesses of the death of the Lord's body, the Son of God himself, after an interval of three days, showed the body that had been dead to be immortal and incorruptible. And it was made plain to all that the body had died not through any weakness of nature in the Word who dwelt in it, but so that death might be done away in it by the power of the Savior.
Notes and citation
Summary: Rising on the third day, while witnesses of his death were still present, Christ showed his body immortal and death destroyed.
Notes on the original text
- Digital text corrected (OCR: υ for θ): τέυνηκεν → τέθνηκεν.
Topics: Christology
Cite (SBL): Athanasius, Inc. 26.6 (Robertson; trans. Sophia Scriptura, https://sophiascriptura.com/fathers/athanasius-incarnatione/23-1/#p-26-6).
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Translation: Translated by Claude from the Greek text of Robertson (1891); made independently of existing English translations and compared afterwards with NPNF² 4.
Chapter 27
27.1Robertson
Τοῦ μὲν γὰρ καταλελύσθαι τὸν θάνατον, καὶ νίκην κατʼ αὐτοῦ γεγενῆσθαι τὸν σταυρόν, καὶ μηκέτι λοιπὸν ἰσχύειν, ἀλλʼ εἶναι νεκρὸν αὐτὸν ἀληθώς, γνώρισμα οὐκ ὀλίγον καὶ πίστις ἐναργής, τὸ παρὰ πάντων τῶν τοῦ Χριστοῦ μαθητῶν αὐτὸν καταφρονεῖσθαι, καὶ πάντας ἐπιβαίνειν κατʼ αὐτοῦ, καὶ μηκέτι φοβεῖσθαι τοῦτον, ἀλλὰ τῷ σημείῳ τοῦ σταυροῦ καὶ τῇ εἰς Χριστὸν πίστει καταπατεῖν αὐτὸν ὡς νεκρόν.
Tou men gar katalelysthai ton thanaton, kai nikēn katʼ autou gegenēsthai ton stauron, kai mēketi loipon ischyein, allʼ einai nekron auton alēthōs, gnōrisma ouk oligon kai pistis enargēs, to para pantōn tōn tou Christou mathētōn auton kataphroneisthai, kai pantas epibainein katʼ autou, kai mēketi phobeisthai touton, alla tǭ sēmeiǭ tou staurou kai tę̄ eis Christon pistei katapatein auton hōs nekron.
That death has been destroyed, that the cross has become a victory over it, and that it no longer has any power but is truly dead, there is no small proof and a clear assurance: it is despised by all the disciples of Christ, all trample on it and no longer fear it, but by the sign of the cross and by faith in Christ tread it down as dead.
Notes and citation
Summary: Christians' contempt for death, which they trample by the sign of the cross and faith, proves that death is defeated.
Topics: Martyrdom
Cite (SBL): Athanasius, Inc. 27.1 (Robertson; trans. Sophia Scriptura, https://sophiascriptura.com/fathers/athanasius-incarnatione/23-1/#p-27-1).
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Translation: Translated by Claude from the Greek text of Robertson (1891); made independently of existing English translations and compared afterwards with NPNF² 4.
27.2Robertson
Πάλαι μὲν γὰρ πρὶν τὴν θείαν ἐπιδημίαν γενέσθαι τοῦ Σωτῆρος, φοβερὸς ἦν καὶ αὐτοῖς τοῖς ἀγίοις ὁ θάνατος, καὶ πάντες τοὺς ἀποθνήσκοντας ὡς φθειρομένους ἐθρήνουν. ἄρτι δὲ τοῦ Σωτῆρος ἀναστήσαντος τὸ σῶμα, οὐκέτι μὲν ὁ θάνατός ἐστι φοβερός, πάντες δὲ οἱ τῷ Χριστῷ πιστεύοντες ὡς οὐδὲν αὐτὸν ὄντα πατοῦσι, καὶ μᾶλλον ἀποθνήσκειν αἱροῦνται ἢ ἀρνήσασθαι τὴν εἰς Χριστὸν πίστιν. ἴσασι γὰρ ὄντως, ὅτι ἀποθνήσκοντες οὐκ ἀπόλλυνται, ἀλλὰ καὶ ζῶσι, καὶ ἄφθαρτοι διὰ τῆς ἀναστάσεως γίνονται.
Palai men gar prin tēn theian epidēmian genesthai tou Sōtēros, phoberos ēn kai autois tois agiois ho thanatos, kai pantes tous apothnēskontas hōs phtheiromenous ethrēnoun. arti de tou Sōtēros anastēsantos to sōma, ouketi men ho thanatos esti phoberos, pantes de hoi tǭ Christǭ pisteuontes hōs ouden auton onta patousi, kai mallon apothnēskein hairountai ē arnēsasthai tēn eis Christon pistin. isasi gar ontōs, hoti apothnēskontes ouk apollyntai, alla kai zōsi, kai aphthartoi dia tēs anastaseōs ginontai.
For of old, before the divine coming of the Savior took place, death was terrible even to the saints, and all mourned the dying as perishing. But now that the Savior has raised his body, death is no longer terrible; all who believe in Christ tread on it as nothing, and choose rather to die than to deny their faith in Christ. For they truly know that in dying they do not perish, but live, and become incorruptible through the resurrection.
Notes and citation
Summary: Once feared even by the saints, death is now trampled by believers who prefer to die rather than deny Christ.
Topics: Martyrdom, Eschatology
Cite (SBL): Athanasius, Inc. 27.2 (Robertson; trans. Sophia Scriptura, https://sophiascriptura.com/fathers/athanasius-incarnatione/23-1/#p-27-2).
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Translation: Translated by Claude from the Greek text of Robertson (1891); made independently of existing English translations and compared afterwards with NPNF² 4.
27.3Robertson
Ἐκεῖνος δὲ ὁ πάλαι τῷ θανάτῳ πονηρῶς ἐναλλόμενος διάβολος. λυθεισῶν αὐτοῦ τῶν ὠδίνων, ἔμεινε μόνος ἀληθῶς νεκρός. καὶ τούτου τεκμήριον, ὅτι πρὶν πιστεύσωσιν οἱ ἄνθρωποι τῷ Χριστῷ, φοβερὸν τὸν θάνατον ὁρῶσι καὶ δειλιῶσιν αὐτόν· ἐπειδὰν δὲ εἰς τὴν ἐκείνου πίστιν καὶ διδασκαλίαν μετελθῶσι, τοσοῦτον καταφρονοῦσι τοῦ θανάτου, ὡς καὶ προθύμως ἐπʼ αὐτὸν ὁρμᾶν καὶ μάρτυρας γίνεσθαι τῆς κατʼ αὐτοῦ παρὰ τοῦ Σωτῆρος γενομένης ἀναστάσεως. καὶ γὰρ ἔτι νήπιοι ὄντες τὴν ἡλικίαν σπεύδουσιν ἀποθνήσκειν, καὶ μελετῶσι κατʼ αὐτοῦ ταῖς ἀσκήσεσιν οὐ μόνον ἄνδρες, ἀλλὰ καὶ γυναῖκες. οὕτως ἀσθενὴς γέγονεν, ὡς καὶ γυναῖκας τὰς ἀπατηθείσας τὸ πρὶν παρʼ αὐτοῦ, νῦν παίζειν αὐτὸν ὡς νεκρὸν καὶ παρειμένον.
Ekeinos de ho palai tǭ thanatǭ ponērōs enallomenos diabolos. lytheisōn autou tōn ōdinōn, emeine monos alēthōs nekros. kai toutou tekmērion, hoti prin pisteusōsin hoi anthrōpoi tǭ Christǭ, phoberon ton thanaton horōsi kai deiliōsin auton; epeidan de eis tēn ekeinou pistin kai didaskalian metelthōsi, tosouton kataphronousi tou thanatou, hōs kai prothymōs epʼ auton horman kai martyras ginesthai tēs katʼ autou para tou Sōtēros genomenēs anastaseōs. kai gar eti nēpioi ontes tēn hēlikian speudousin apothnēskein, kai meletōsi katʼ autou tais askēsesin ou monon andres, alla kai gynaikes. houtōs asthenēs gegonen, hōs kai gynaikas tas apatētheisas to prin parʼ autou, nyn paizein auton hōs nekron kai pareimenon.
And that devil who of old wickedly exulted over death, now that its pangs have been loosed, alone remained truly dead. The evidence of this is that before people believe in Christ they see death as terrible and fear it; but once they have come over to his faith and teaching, they so despise death that they even rush eagerly toward it and become witnesses of the resurrection that the Savior won over it. Even those still young in age hasten to die, and not only men but women train themselves against it by their disciplines. So weak has it become that even women, who were once deceived by it, now mock it as dead and powerless.
Acts 2:24 (echo, medium confidence) · Gen 3:13 (echo, low confidence)
Notes and citation
Summary: Converts, even the young and women, so despise death that they eagerly become martyrs.
- “Its pangs have been loosed”: Acts 2:24. The reference to women “once deceived” recalls Eve (Gen 3:13).
Topics: Martyrdom
Cite (SBL): Athanasius, Inc. 27.3 (Robertson; trans. Sophia Scriptura, https://sophiascriptura.com/fathers/athanasius-incarnatione/23-1/#p-27-3).
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Translation: Translated by Claude from the Greek text of Robertson (1891); made independently of existing English translations and compared afterwards with NPNF² 4.
27.4Robertson
Ὡς γὰρ τυράννου καταπολεμηθέντος ὑπὸ γνησίου βασιλέως καὶ δεθέντος τοὺς πόδας καὶ τὰς χεῖρας, πάντες λοιπὸν οἱ διαβαίνοντες καταπαίζουσιν αὐτοῦ, τύπτοντες καὶ διασύροντες, οὐκ ἔτι φοβούμενοι τὴν μανίαν αὐτοῦ καὶ τὴν ἀγριότητα, διὰ τὸν νικήσαντα βασιλέα· οὕτω καὶ τοῦ θανάτου νικηθέντος καὶ στηλιτευθέντος ὑπὸ τοῦ Σωτῆρος ἐν τῷ σταυρῷ, καὶ δεδεμένου τὰς χεῖρας καὶ τοὺς πόδας, πάντες οἱ ἐν Χριστῷ διαβαίνοντες αὐτὸν καταπατοῦσι, καὶ μαρτυροῦντες τῷ Χριστῷ χλευάζουσι τὸν θάνατον, ἐπικερτομοῦντες αὐτῷ καὶ τὰ ἄνωθεν κατʼ αὐτοῦ γεγραμμένα λέγοντες, Ποῦ σου, θάνατε τὸ νῖκος; ποῦ σου, ᾅδη, τὸ κέντρον;
Hōs gar tyrannou katapolemēthentos hypo gnēsiou basileōs kai dethentos tous podas kai tas cheiras, pantes loipon hoi diabainontes katapaizousin autou, typtontes kai diasyrontes, ouk eti phoboumenoi tēn manian autou kai tēn agriotēta, dia ton nikēsanta basilea; houtō kai tou thanatou nikēthentos kai stēliteuthentos hypo tou Sōtēros en tǭ staurǭ, kai dedemenou tas cheiras kai tous podas, pantes hoi en Christǭ diabainontes auton katapatousi, kai martyrountes tǭ Christǭ chleuazousi ton thanaton, epikertomountes autǭ kai ta anōthen katʼ autou gegrammena legontes, Pou sou, thanate to nikos? pou sou, hądē, to kentron?
For as when a tyrant has been defeated by a lawful king and bound hand and foot, all who pass by mock him, striking and reviling him, no longer fearing his fury and savagery, because of the king who conquered him; so too, since death has been conquered and publicly exposed by the Savior on the cross, and bound hand and foot, all who pass by in Christ trample on it, and, bearing witness to Christ, mock death, jeering at it and saying what was written against it of old: “Where, O death, is your victory? Where, O Hades, is your sting?”
1 Cor 15:55 (quotation, high confidence) · Hos 13:14 (quotation, medium confidence)
Notes and citation
Summary: Like a bound tyrant, death is mocked by all who pass by in Christ, as Scripture says.
- 1 Cor 15:55 (from Hos 13:14).
Topics: Martyrdom
Cite (SBL): Athanasius, Inc. 27.4 (Robertson; trans. Sophia Scriptura, https://sophiascriptura.com/fathers/athanasius-incarnatione/23-1/#p-27-4).
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Translation: Translated by Claude from the Greek text of Robertson (1891); made independently of existing English translations and compared afterwards with NPNF² 4.
Chapter 28
28.1Robertson
Ἀρʼ οὖν τοῦτο μικρὸς ἔλεγχός ἐστι τῆς τοῦ θανάτου ἀσθενείας; ἢ μικρά ἐστιν ἀπόδειξις τῆς κατʼ αὐτοῦ γενομένης νίκης παρὰ τοῦ Σωτῆρος, ὅταν οἱ ἐν Χριστῷ παῖδες καὶ νέαι κόραι παρορῶσι τὸν ἐνταῦθα βίον καὶ ἀποθανεῖν μελετῶσιν;
Arʼ oun touto mikros elenchos esti tēs tou thanatou astheneias? ē mikra estin apodeixis tēs katʼ autou genomenēs nikēs para tou Sōtēros, hotan hoi en Christǭ paides kai neai korai parorōsi ton entautha bion kai apothanein meletōsin?
Is this, then, a small proof of death's weakness? Or is it a small demonstration of the victory won over it by the Savior, when boys and young girls in Christ disregard this present life and train themselves to die?
Notes and citation
Summary: Even Christian children disregard life and prepare for death, proof of Christ's victory.
Topics: Martyrdom
Cite (SBL): Athanasius, Inc. 28.1 (Robertson; trans. Sophia Scriptura, https://sophiascriptura.com/fathers/athanasius-incarnatione/23-1/#p-28-1).
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Translation: Translated by Claude from the Greek text of Robertson (1891); made independently of existing English translations and compared afterwards with NPNF² 4.
28.2Robertson
Ἔστι μὲν γὰρ κατὰ φύσιν ὁ ἄνθρωπος δειλιῶν τὸν θάνατον καὶ τὴν τοῦ σώματος διάλυσιν· τὸ δὲ παραδοξότατον τοῦτό ἐστιν, ὅτι τὴν τοῦ σταυροῦ πίστιν ἐνδυσάμενος καταφρονεῖ καὶ τῶν κατὰ φύσιν, καὶ τὸν θάνατον οὐ δειλιᾷ διὰ τὸν Χριστόν.
Esti men gar kata physin ho anthrōpos deiliōn ton thanaton kai tēn tou sōmatos dialysin; to de paradoxotaton touto estin, hoti tēn tou staurou pistin endysamenos kataphronei kai tōn kata physin, kai ton thanaton ou deilią dia ton Christon.
For a human being by nature fears death and the dissolution of the body; but what is most astonishing is this: that one who has put on the faith of the cross despises even what is natural, and does not fear death because of Christ.
Notes and citation
Summary: Faith in the cross overcomes the natural fear of death.
Topics: Martyrdom
Cite (SBL): Athanasius, Inc. 28.2 (Robertson; trans. Sophia Scriptura, https://sophiascriptura.com/fathers/athanasius-incarnatione/23-1/#p-28-2).
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Translation: Translated by Claude from the Greek text of Robertson (1891); made independently of existing English translations and compared afterwards with NPNF² 4.
28.3Robertson
Καὶ ὥσπερ τοῦ πυρὸς ἔχοντος κατὰ φύσιν τὸ καίειν, εἰ λέγοι τις εἶναί τι τὸ μὴ δειλιῶν αὐτοῦ τὴν καῦσιν, ἀλλὰ καὶ μᾶλλον ἀσθενὲς αὐτὸ δεικνύον, οἷον δὴ λέγεται τὸ παρὰ Ἰνδοῖς ἀμίαντον· εἶτα ὁ τῷ λεγομένῳ μὴ πιστεύων εἰ πεῖραν θελήσειε λαβεῖν τοῦ λεγομένου, πάντως τὸ ἄκαυστον ἐνδυσάμενος καὶ προσβαλὼν πυρί, πιστοῦται λοιπὸν τὴν κατὰ τοῦ πυρὸς ἀσθένειαν·
Kai hōsper tou pyros echontos kata physin to kaiein, ei legoi tis einai ti to mē deiliōn autou tēn kausin, alla kai mallon asthenes auto deiknyon, hoion dē legetai to para Indois amianton; eita ho tǭ legomenǭ mē pisteuōn ei peiran thelēseie labein tou legomenou, pantōs to akauston endysamenos kai prosbalōn pyri, pistoutai loipon tēn kata tou pyros astheneian;
And as, since fire by nature burns, if someone said there was something that did not fear its burning but rather showed it to be weak, as the asbestos of the Indians is said to do, then anyone who did not believe what was said, if he wished to test it, would put on the fireproof cloth, apply it to the fire, and so be assured of the fire's weakness;
Notes and citation
Summary: As asbestos shows fire powerless, so faith shows death powerless.
- Asbestos (ἀμίαντον), a mineral fiber that does not burn, was thought to come from India. The sentence continues in 28.4.
Cite (SBL): Athanasius, Inc. 28.3 (Robertson; trans. Sophia Scriptura, https://sophiascriptura.com/fathers/athanasius-incarnatione/23-1/#p-28-3).
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Translation: Translated by Claude from the Greek text of Robertson (1891); made independently of existing English translations and compared afterwards with NPNF² 4.
28.4Robertson
ἢ ὡς εἴ τις τὸν τύραννον δεδεμένον ἰδεῖν θελήσειε, πάντως εἰς τὴν τῶν νικησάντων χώραν καὶ ἀρχὴν παρελθών, ὁρᾷ τὸν ἄλλοις φοβερὸν ἀσθενῆ γενόμενον· οὕτως εἴ τις ἐστὶν ἄπιστος, καὶ ἀκμὴν μετὰ τοσαῦτα, καὶ, μετὰ τοὺς τοσούτους ἐν Χριστῷ γενομένους μάρτυρας, μετὰ τὴν καθʼ ἡμέραν γινομένην κατὰ τοῦ θανάτου χλεύην παρὰ τῶν ἐν Χριστῷ διαπρεπόντων· ὅμως εἰ ἔτι τὴν διάνοιαν ἀμφίβολον ἔχει περὶ τοῦ κατηργῆσθαι τὸν θάνατον καὶ τέλος ἐσχηκέναι, καλῶς μὲν ποιεῖ θαυμάζων περὶ τοῦ τηλικούτου· πλὴν μὴ σκληρὸς εἰς ἀπιστίαν, μηδὲ ἀναιδὴς πρὸς τὰ οὕτως ἐναργῆ γινέσθω.
ē hōs ei tis ton tyrannon dedemenon idein thelēseie, pantōs eis tēn tōn nikēsantōn chōran kai archēn parelthōn, horą ton allois phoberon asthenē genomenon; houtōs ei tis estin apistos, kai akmēn meta tosauta, kai, meta tous tosoutous en Christǭ genomenous martyras, meta tēn kathʼ hēmeran ginomenēn kata tou thanatou chleuēn para tōn en Christǭ diaprepontōn; homōs ei eti tēn dianoian amphibolon echei peri tou katērgēsthai ton thanaton kai telos eschēkenai, kalōs men poiei thaumazōn peri tou tēlikoutou; plēn mē sklēros eis apistian, mēde anaidēs pros ta houtōs enargē ginesthō.
or as, if someone wished to see the tyrant bound, he would go into the country and dominion of his conquerors and see the one who was terrible to others made weak; so, if anyone is unbelieving, even after so much, after so many martyrs in Christ, after the daily mockery of death by those who excel in Christ, and still has a doubtful mind about whether death has been abolished and come to an end, he does well to wonder at so great a thing; only let him not be hard in unbelief or shameless before what is so evident.
Notes and citation
Summary: Whoever still doubts death's defeat after so many martyrs may wonder, but should not remain stubborn in unbelief.
Topics: Martyrdom
Cite (SBL): Athanasius, Inc. 28.4 (Robertson; trans. Sophia Scriptura, https://sophiascriptura.com/fathers/athanasius-incarnatione/23-1/#p-28-4).
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Translation: Translated by Claude from the Greek text of Robertson (1891); made independently of existing English translations and compared afterwards with NPNF² 4.
28.5Robertson
Ἄλλʼ ὥσπερ ὁ τὸ ἀμίαντον λαβὼν γινώσκει τὸ ἄψαυστον τοῦ πυρὸς πρὸς αὐτό, καὶ ὁ τὸν τύραννον δεδεμένον θέλων ὁρᾶν, εἰς τὴν τοῦ νικήσαντος ἀρχὴν παρέρχεται· οὕτως καὶ ὁ ἀπιστῶν περὶ τῆς τοῦ θανάτου νίκης λαμβανέτω τὴν πίστιν τοῦ Χριστοῦ, καὶ εἰς τὴν τούτου διδασκαλίαν παρερχέσθω· καὶ ὅψεται τοῦ θανάτου τὴν ἀσθένειαν, καὶ τὴν κατʼ αὐτοῦ νίκην. πολλοὶ γὰρ πρότερον ἀπιστοῦντες καὶ χλευάζοντες, ὕστερον πιστεύσαντες, οὕτως κατεφρόνησαν τοῦ θανάτου, ὡς καὶ μάρτυρας αὐτοὺς γενέσθαι τοῦ Χριστοῦ.
Allʼ hōsper ho to amianton labōn ginōskei to apsauston tou pyros pros auto, kai ho ton tyrannon dedemenon thelōn horan, eis tēn tou nikēsantos archēn parerchetai; houtōs kai ho apistōn peri tēs tou thanatou nikēs lambanetō tēn pistin tou Christou, kai eis tēn toutou didaskalian parerchesthō; kai hopsetai tou thanatou tēn astheneian, kai tēn katʼ autou nikēn. polloi gar proteron apistountes kai chleuazontes, hysteron pisteusantes, houtōs katephronēsan tou thanatou, hōs kai martyras autous genesthai tou Christou.
But as one who takes the asbestos knows that fire does not touch it, and one who wishes to see the tyrant bound goes into the dominion of his conqueror, so let one who disbelieves in the victory over death take up 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 formerly disbelieved and mocked, after they came to believe, so despised death that they even became martyrs for Christ.
Notes and citation
Summary: Whoever doubts should embrace faith in Christ and will see death's weakness, as many former scoffers turned martyrs have.
Notes on the original text
- Digital text corrected (repeated letter in the digital text; repeated word ending in the digital text; stray mark in the digital text): παρέρχεται·? οὕτως → παρέρχεται· οὕτως; διδασκαλίαν λίαν → διδασκαλίαν; πρότερρον → πρότερον.
Topics: Martyrdom
Cite (SBL): Athanasius, Inc. 28.5 (Robertson; trans. Sophia Scriptura, https://sophiascriptura.com/fathers/athanasius-incarnatione/23-1/#p-28-5).
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Translation: Translated by Claude from the Greek text of Robertson (1891); made independently of existing English translations and compared afterwards with NPNF² 4.
Chapter 29
29.1Robertson
Εἰ δὲ τῷ σημείῳ τοῦ σταυροῦ, καὶ τῇ πίστει τῇ εἰς Χριστὸν καταπατεῖται ὁ θάνατος, δῆλον ἂν εἴη παρὰ ἀληθείᾳ δικαζούσῃ, μὴ ἄλλον εἶναι, ἀλλʼ ἢ αὐτὸν τὸν Χριστόν, τὸν κατὰ τοῦ θανάτου τρόπαια καὶ νίκας ἐπιδειξάμενον, κἀκεῖνον ἐξασθενῆσαι ποιήσαντα.
Ei de tǭ sēmeiǭ tou staurou, kai tę̄ pistei tę̄ eis Christon katapateitai ho thanatos, dēlon an eiē para alētheią dikazousę̄, mē allon einai, allʼ ē auton ton Christon, ton kata tou thanatou tropaia kai nikas epideixamenon, kakeinon exasthenēsai poiēsanta.
If, then, death is trampled by the sign of the cross and by faith in Christ, it must be clear before the judgment of truth that it is no other than Christ himself who has displayed trophies and victories over death and made it powerless.
Notes and citation
Summary: Since death is trampled by the cross and faith in Christ, it is Christ who has conquered it.
Topics: Christology
Cite (SBL): Athanasius, Inc. 29.1 (Robertson; trans. Sophia Scriptura, https://sophiascriptura.com/fathers/athanasius-incarnatione/23-1/#p-29-1).
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Translation: Translated by Claude from the Greek text of Robertson (1891); made independently of existing English translations and compared afterwards with NPNF² 4.
29.2Robertson
Καὶ εἰ πρότερον μὲν ἴσχυεν ὁ θάνατος, καὶ διὰ τοῦτο φοβερὸς ἦν, ἄρτι δὲ μετὰ τὴν ἐπιδημίαν τοῦ Σωτῆρος καὶ τὸν τοῦ σώματος αὐτοῦ θάνατον καὶ ἀνάστασιν καταφρονεῖται, φανερὸν ἄν εἴη παρʼ αὐτοῦ τοῦ ἐπὶ τὸν σταυρὸν ἀναβάντος Χριστοῦ κατηργῆσθαι καὶ νενικῆσθαι τὸν θάνατον.
Kai ei proteron men ischyen ho thanatos, kai dia touto phoberos ēn, arti de meta tēn epidēmian tou Sōtēros kai ton tou sōmatos autou thanaton kai anastasin kataphroneitai, phaneron an eiē parʼ autou tou epi ton stauron anabantos Christou katērgēsthai kai nenikēsthai ton thanaton.
And if formerly death was strong and therefore terrible, but now, after the Savior's coming and the death and resurrection of his body, it is despised, it must be evident that death has been abolished and conquered by Christ himself, who went up on the cross.
Notes and citation
Summary: Death, once feared and now despised since Christ's resurrection, has been conquered by him.
Topics: Christology
Cite (SBL): Athanasius, Inc. 29.2 (Robertson; trans. Sophia Scriptura, https://sophiascriptura.com/fathers/athanasius-incarnatione/23-1/#p-29-2).
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Translation: Translated by Claude from the Greek text of Robertson (1891); made independently of existing English translations and compared afterwards with NPNF² 4.
29.3Robertson
Ὡς γὰρ ἐὰν μετὰ νύκτα γένηται ἥλιος, καὶ πᾶς ὁ περίγειος τόπος καταλάμπηται ὑπʼ αὐτοῦ, πάντως οὐκ ἔστιν ἀμφίβολον, ὅτι ὁ τὸ φῶς ἐφαπλώσας ἥλιος πανταχοῦ, αὐτός ἐστιν ὁ καὶ τὸ σκότος ἀπελάσας, καὶ τὰ πάντα φωτίσας· οὕτως τοῦ θανάτου καταφρονηθέντος καὶ καταπατηθέντος ἀφʼ οὗ γέγονεν ἡ τοῦ Σωτῆρος ἐν σώματι σωτήριος ἐπιφάνεια καὶ τὸ τελος τοῦ σταυροῦ, πρόδηλον ἂν εἴη, ὅτι αὐτός ἐστιν ὁ Σωτὴρ ὁ καὶ ἐν σώματι φανείς, ὁ τὸν θάνατον καταργήσας, καὶ κατʼ αὐτοῦ τρόπαια καθʼ ἡμέραν ἐν τοῖς ἑαυτοῦ μαθηταῖς ἐπιδεικνύμενος.
Hōs gar ean meta nykta genētai hēlios, kai pas ho perigeios topos katalampētai hypʼ autou, pantōs ouk estin amphibolon, hoti ho to phōs ephaplōsas hēlios pantachou, autos estin ho kai to skotos apelasas, kai ta panta phōtisas; houtōs tou thanatou kataphronēthentos kai katapatēthentos aphʼ hou gegonen hē tou Sōtēros en sōmati sōtērios epiphaneia kai to telos tou staurou, prodēlon an eiē, hoti autos estin ho Sōtēr ho kai en sōmati phaneis, ho ton thanaton katargēsas, kai katʼ autou tropaia kathʼ hēmeran en tois heautou mathētais epideiknymenos.
For as, when the sun comes after night and the whole region of the earth is lit up by it, there is surely no doubt that it is the sun, spreading its light everywhere, that has driven away the darkness and lit up all things; so, since death has been despised and trampled from the time the Savior's saving appearance in the body and the end of the cross took place, it must be plain that it is the Savior himself, who appeared in the body, who has abolished death and displays trophies over it every day in his disciples.
Notes and citation
Summary: As sunrise shows the sun has driven off the night, the daily defeat of death in Christians shows that Christ has abolished it.
Topics: Christology, Martyrdom
Cite (SBL): Athanasius, Inc. 29.3 (Robertson; trans. Sophia Scriptura, https://sophiascriptura.com/fathers/athanasius-incarnatione/23-1/#p-29-3).
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Translation: Translated by Claude from the Greek text of Robertson (1891); made independently of existing English translations and compared afterwards with NPNF² 4.
29.4Robertson
Ὅταν γὰρ ἴδή τις ἀνθρώπους ἀσθενεῖς ὄντας τῇ φύσει, προπηδῶντας εἰς τὸν θάνατον, καὶ μὴ καταπτήσσοντας αὐτοῦ τὴν φθοράν, μηδὲ τὰς ἐν ᾅδου καθόδους δειλιῶντας, ἀλλὰ προθύμῳ ψυχῇ προκαλουμένους αὐτόν, καὶ μὴ πτήσσοντας βασάνους, ἀλλὰ μᾶλλον τῆς ἐνταῦθα ζωῆς προκρίνοντας διὰ τὸν Χριστὸν τὴν εἰς τὸν θάνατον ὁρμήν· ἢ καὶ ἐὰν θεωρός τις γένηται ἀνδρῶν καὶ θηλειῶν καὶ παίδων νέων ὁρμώντων καὶ ἐπιπηδώντων εἰς τὸν θάνατον διὰ τὴν εἰς Χριστὸν εὐσέβειαν, τίς οὕτος ἐστιν εὐήθης ἢ τίς οὕτως ἐστὶν ἄπιστος, τίς δὲ οὕτω τὴν διάνοιαν πεπήρωται, ὡς μὴ νοεῖν καὶ λογίζεσθαι, ὅτι ὁ Χριστός, εἰς ὃν μαρτυροῦσιν οἱ ἄνθρωποι, αὐτὸς τὴν κατὰ τοῦ θανάτου νίκην ἑκάστῳ παρέχει καὶ δίδωσιν, ἐξασθενεῖν αὐτὸν ποιῶν ἐν ἑκάστῳ τῶν αὐτοῦ τὴν πίστιν ἐχόντων, καὶ τὸ σημεῖον τοῦ σταυροῦ φορούντων.
Hotan gar idē tis anthrōpous astheneis ontas tę̄ physei, propēdōntas eis ton thanaton, kai mē kataptēssontas autou tēn phthoran, mēde tas en hądou kathodous deiliōntas, alla prothymǭ psychę̄ prokaloumenous auton, kai mē ptēssontas basanous, alla mallon tēs entautha zōēs prokrinontas dia ton Christon tēn eis ton thanaton hormēn; ē kai ean theōros tis genētai andrōn kai thēleiōn kai paidōn neōn hormōntōn kai epipēdōntōn eis ton thanaton dia tēn eis Christon eusebeian, tis houtos estin euēthēs ē tis houtōs estin apistos, tis de houtō tēn dianoian pepērōtai, hōs mē noein kai logizesthai, hoti ho Christos, eis hon martyrousin hoi anthrōpoi, autos tēn kata tou thanatou nikēn hekastǭ parechei kai didōsin, exasthenein auton poiōn en hekastǭ tōn autou tēn pistin echontōn, kai to sēmeion tou staurou phorountōn.
For when one sees human beings, weak by nature, leaping forward to death, not cowering at its corruption nor fearing the descent into Hades, but challenging it with eager soul, not shrinking from tortures, but rather, for Christ's sake, preferring the rush toward death to this present life; or when one becomes a spectator of men and women and young children rushing and leaping into death for their devotion to Christ, who is so simple, or who so unbelieving, who so maimed in mind, as not to perceive and reason that Christ, to whom these people bear witness, himself grants and gives each of them the victory over death, making it powerless in each of those who hold his faith and bear the sign of the cross?
Notes and citation
Summary: The eagerness of martyrs, men, women, and children, shows that Christ gives each believer victory over death.
Topics: Martyrdom
Cite (SBL): Athanasius, Inc. 29.4 (Robertson; trans. Sophia Scriptura, https://sophiascriptura.com/fathers/athanasius-incarnatione/23-1/#p-29-4).
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Translation: Translated by Claude from the Greek text of Robertson (1891); made independently of existing English translations and compared afterwards with NPNF² 4.
29.5Robertson
Καὶ γὰρ ὁ τὸν ὄφιν βλέπων καταπατούμενον, εἰδὼς αὐτοῦ μάλιστα τὴν προτέραν ἀγριότητα, οὐκ ἀμφιβάλλει λοιπὸν ὅτι νεκρός ἐστι καὶ τέλεον ἐξησθένησεν, ἐκτὸς εἰ μὴ τὴν διάνοιαν ἀπεστράφη, καὶ οὐδὲ τὰς τοῦ σώματος αἰσθήσεις ὑγιαινούσας ἔχει. τίς γὰρ καὶ λέοντα παιζόμενον ὑπὸ παιδίων ὁρῶν, ἀγνοεῖ τοῦτον ἢ νεκρὸν γενόμενον ἡ πᾶσαν ἀπολέσαντα τὴν ἑαυτοῦ δύναμιν;
Kai gar ho ton ophin blepōn katapatoumenon, eidōs autou malista tēn proteran agriotēta, ouk amphiballei loipon hoti nekros esti kai teleon exēsthenēsen, ektos ei mē tēn dianoian apestraphē, kai oude tas tou sōmatos aisthēseis hygiainousas echei. tis gar kai leonta paizomenon hypo paidiōn horōn, agnoei touton ē nekron genomenon hē pasan apolesanta tēn heautou dynamin?
For one who sees a serpent trampled underfoot, especially knowing its former savagery, no longer doubts that it is dead and completely powerless, unless he is out of his mind and does not even have sound bodily senses. For who, seeing a lion made sport of by children, does not know that it is either dead or has lost all its strength?
Notes and citation
Summary: As a trampled serpent or a lion played with by children is plainly powerless, so is death.
Cite (SBL): Athanasius, Inc. 29.5 (Robertson; trans. Sophia Scriptura, https://sophiascriptura.com/fathers/athanasius-incarnatione/23-1/#p-29-5).
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Translation: Translated by Claude from the Greek text of Robertson (1891); made independently of existing English translations and compared afterwards with NPNF² 4.
29.6Robertson
Ὥσπερ οὖν ταῦτα ἀληθῇ εἶναι τοῖς ὀφθαλμοῖς ἔξεστιν ὁρᾶν, οὕτως παιζομένου καὶ καταφρονουμένου τοῦ θανάτου ὑπὸ τῶν εἰς Χριστὸν πιστευόντων, μηκέτι μηδεὶς ἀμφιβαλλέτω, μηδὲ γινέσθω τις ἅπιστος, ὅτι ὑπὸ Χριστοῦ κατήργηται ὁ θάνατος, καὶ ἡ τούτου φθορὰ διαλέλυται καὶ πέπαυται.
Hōsper oun tauta alēthę̄ einai tois ophthalmois exestin horan, houtōs paizomenou kai kataphronoumenou tou thanatou hypo tōn eis Christon pisteuontōn, mēketi mēdeis amphiballetō, mēde ginesthō tis hapistos, hoti hypo Christou katērgētai ho thanatos, kai hē toutou phthora dialelytai kai pepautai.
As, then, one can see with one's eyes that these things are true, so, since death is mocked and despised by those who believe in Christ, let no one any longer doubt, nor be unbelieving, that death has been abolished by Christ, and its corruption dissolved and ended.
Notes and citation
Summary: Let no one doubt that Christ has abolished death and its corruption.
Topics: Christology
Cite (SBL): Athanasius, Inc. 29.6 (Robertson; trans. Sophia Scriptura, https://sophiascriptura.com/fathers/athanasius-incarnatione/23-1/#p-29-6).
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Translation: Translated by Claude from the Greek text of Robertson (1891); made independently of existing English translations and compared afterwards with NPNF² 4.
Chapter 30
30.1Robertson
Τοῦ μὲν οὖν κατηργῆσθαι τὸν θάνατον, καὶ τρόπαιον εἶναι κατʼ αὐτοῦ τὸν Κυριακὸν σταυρόν, οὐ μικρὸς ἔλεγχος τὰ προειρημένα. τῆς δὲ γενομένης λοιπὸν ἀθανάτου ἀναστάσεως τοῦ σώματος παρὰ τοῦ κοινοῦ πάντων Σωτῆρος καὶ Ζωῆς ὄντως Χριστοῦ, ἐναργεστέρα τῶν λόγων ἡ διὰ τῶν φαινομένων ἀπόδειξίς ἐστι τοῖς τὸν ὀφθαλμὸν τῆς διανοίας ἔχουσιν ὑγιαίνοντα.
Tou men oun katērgēsthai ton thanaton, kai tropaion einai katʼ autou ton Kyriakon stauron, ou mikros elenchos ta proeirēmena. tēs de genomenēs loipon athanatou anastaseōs tou sōmatos para tou koinou pantōn Sōtēros kai Zōēs ontōs Christou, enargestera tōn logōn hē dia tōn phainomenōn apodeixis esti tois ton ophthalmon tēs dianoias echousin hygiainonta.
What has been said, then, is no small proof that death has been abolished and that the Lord's cross is a trophy over it. But of the immortal resurrection of the body that followed, accomplished by Christ, the common Savior of all and truly Life, the proof from what is seen is clearer than words to those whose mind's eye is sound.
Notes and citation
Summary: The visible facts prove Christ's resurrection more clearly than words.
Topics: Christology
Cite (SBL): Athanasius, Inc. 30.1 (Robertson; trans. Sophia Scriptura, https://sophiascriptura.com/fathers/athanasius-incarnatione/23-1/#p-30-1).
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Translation: Translated by Claude from the Greek text of Robertson (1891); made independently of existing English translations and compared afterwards with NPNF² 4.
30.2Robertson
Εἰ γὰρ κατήργηται ὁ θάνατος, ὡς ὁ λόγος ἔδειξε, καὶ διὰ τὸν Κύριον πάντες αὐτὸν καταπατοῦσι, πολλῷ πλέον αὐτὸς αὐτὸν πρῶτος κατεπάτησε τῷ ἰδίῳ σώματι καὶ κατήργησεν αὐτόν. τοῦ δὲ θανάτου νεκρωθέντος ὑπʼ αὐτοῦ. τί ἔδει γενέσθαι ἢ τὸ σῶμα ἀναστῆναι, καὶ τοῦτο δειχθῆναι κατʼ αὐτοῦ τρόπαιον; Ἡ πῶς γὰρ ἂν ἐφάνη καταργηθεὶς ὁ θάνατος, εἰ μὴ τὸ σῶμα τὸ Κυριακὸν ἦν ἀναστάν; εἰ δέ τῳ μὴ αὐτάρκης ἡ ἀπόδειξις αὕτη περὶ τῆς ἀναστάσεως αὐτοῦ, κἂν ἐκ τῶν ἐν ὅψει γενομένων πιστούσθω τὸ λεγόμενον.
Ei gar katērgētai ho thanatos, hōs ho logos edeixe, kai dia ton Kyrion pantes auton katapatousi, pollǭ pleon autos auton prōtos katepatēse tǭ idiǭ sōmati kai katērgēsen auton. tou de thanatou nekrōthentos hypʼ autou. ti edei genesthai ē to sōma anastēnai, kai touto deichthēnai katʼ autou tropaion? Hē pōs gar an ephanē katargētheis ho thanatos, ei mē to sōma to Kyriakon ēn anastan? ei de tǭ mē autarkēs hē apodeixis hautē peri tēs anastaseōs autou, kan ek tōn en hopsei genomenōn pistousthō to legomenon.
For if death has been abolished, as the argument has shown, and because of the Lord all trample on it, much more did he himself first trample on it in his own body and abolish it. And when death had been put to death by him, what was to happen but that the body should rise and be displayed as a trophy over it? For how could death have been seen to be abolished, unless the Lord's body had risen? But if this proof of his resurrection is not sufficient for someone, let him be assured of what is said at least by what takes place before his eyes.
Notes and citation
Summary: If believers trample death, Christ first trampled it in his own body, which must therefore have risen.
Topics: Christology
Cite (SBL): Athanasius, Inc. 30.2 (Robertson; trans. Sophia Scriptura, https://sophiascriptura.com/fathers/athanasius-incarnatione/23-1/#p-30-2).
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Translation: Translated by Claude from the Greek text of Robertson (1891); made independently of existing English translations and compared afterwards with NPNF² 4.
30.3Robertson
Εἰ γὰρ δὴ νεκρός τις γενόμενος οὐδὲν ἐνεργεῖν δύναται, ἀλλὰ μέχρι τοῦ μνήματός ἐστιν αὐτῷ ἡ χάρις, καὶ πέπαυται λοιπόν μόνων δὲ τῶν ζώντων εἰσὶν αἱ πράξεις καὶ αἱ πρὸς τοὺς ἀνθρώπους ἐνέργειαι· ὁράτω δὴ ὁ βουλόμενος καὶ γενέσθω δικαστὴς ἐκ τῶν ὁρωμένων τὴν ἀλήθειαν ὁμολογῶν.
Ei gar dē nekros tis genomenos ouden energein dynatai, alla mechri tou mnēmatos estin autǭ hē charis, kai pepautai loipon monōn de tōn zōntōn eisin hai praxeis kai hai pros tous anthrōpous energeiai; horatō dē ho boulomenos kai genesthō dikastēs ek tōn horōmenōn tēn alētheian homologōn.
For if a man who has died can do nothing, but his influence lasts only to the tomb and then ceases, and deeds and actions affecting human beings belong only to the living, let whoever wishes look, and be a judge, confessing the truth from what he sees.
Notes and citation
Summary: The dead can do nothing; let anyone judge from what is seen whether Christ is dead.
Cite (SBL): Athanasius, Inc. 30.3 (Robertson; trans. Sophia Scriptura, https://sophiascriptura.com/fathers/athanasius-incarnatione/23-1/#p-30-3).
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Translation: Translated by Claude from the Greek text of Robertson (1891); made independently of existing English translations and compared afterwards with NPNF² 4.
30.4Robertson
Τοσαῦτα γὰρ τοῦ Σωτῆρος ἐνεργοῦντος ἐν ἀνθρώποις, καὶ καθʼ ἡμέραν πανταχόθεν ἀπό τε τῶν τὴν Ἑλλάδα καὶ τὴν βάρβαρον οἰκούντων τοσοῦτον πλῆθος ἀοράτως πείθοντος εἰς τὴν ἑαυτοῦ πίστιν παρελθεῖν, καὶ πάντας ὑπακούειν τῇ αὐτοῦ διδασκαλίᾳ· ἆρʼ ἔτι τις διάνοιαν ἀμφίβολον ἕξει εἰ γέγονεν ἀνάστασις ὑπὸ τοῦ Σωτῆρος, καὶ ζῇ ὁ Χριστός, μᾶλλον δὲ αὐτὸς ἐστιν ἡ Ζωή;
Tosauta gar tou Sōtēros energountos en anthrōpois, kai kathʼ hēmeran pantachothen apo te tōn tēn Hellada kai tēn barbaron oikountōn tosouton plēthos aoratōs peithontos eis tēn heautou pistin parelthein, kai pantas hypakouein tę̄ autou didaskalią; arʼ eti tis dianoian amphibolon hexei ei gegonen anastasis hypo tou Sōtēros, kai zę̄ ho Christos, mallon de autos estin hē Zōē?
For since the Savior is doing so much among human beings, and every day, everywhere, is invisibly persuading so great a multitude, both of those who live in Greece and of those in foreign lands, to come over to his faith and all to obey his teaching, will anyone still have a doubtful mind as to whether a resurrection has been accomplished by the Savior, and whether Christ is alive, or rather is himself Life?
Notes and citation
Summary: Christ's daily work of converting multitudes everywhere shows that he is alive, indeed is Life itself.
Notes on the original text
- Digital text corrected (OCR: ο for ω): ἡ Ζοή → ἡ Ζωή.
Topics: Christology
Cite (SBL): Athanasius, Inc. 30.4 (Robertson; trans. Sophia Scriptura, https://sophiascriptura.com/fathers/athanasius-incarnatione/23-1/#p-30-4).
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Translation: Translated by Claude from the Greek text of Robertson (1891); made independently of existing English translations and compared afterwards with NPNF² 4.
30.5Robertson
Ἆρα δὲ νεκροῦ ἐστι τὰς μὲν διανοίας τῶν ἀνθρώπων κατανύττειν, ὥστε τοὺς πατρικοὺς ἀρνεῖσθαι νόμους, τὴν δὲ Χριστοῦ διδασκαλίαν προσκυνεῖν; ἢ πῶς, εἴπερ οὐκ ἔστιν ἐνεργῶν, νεκροῦ γὰρ ἴδιόν ἐστι τοῦτο, αὐτὸς τοὺς ἐνεργοῦντας καὶ ζῶντας τῆς ἐνεργείας παύει, ὥστε τὸν μὲν μοιχὸν μηκέτι μοιχεύειν, τὸν δὲ ἀνδροφόνον μηκέτι φονεύειν, τὸν δὲ ἀδικοῦντα μηκέτι πλεονεκτεῖν, καὶ τὸν ἀσεβῆ λοιπὸν εὐσεβεῖν; πῶς δὲ εἰ μὴ ἀνέστη, ἀλλὰ νεκρός ἐστι, τοὺς λεγομένους ὑπὸ τῶν ἀπίστων ζῆν ψευδοθέους καὶ θρησκευομένους δαίμονας αὐτὸς ἀπελαύνει, καὶ διώκει, καὶ καταβάλλει;
Ara de nekrou esti tas men dianoias tōn anthrōpōn katanyttein, hōste tous patrikous arneisthai nomous, tēn de Christou didaskalian proskynein? ē pōs, eiper ouk estin energōn, nekrou gar idion esti touto, autos tous energountas kai zōntas tēs energeias pauei, hōste ton men moichon mēketi moicheuein, ton de androphonon mēketi phoneuein, ton de adikounta mēketi pleonektein, kai ton asebē loipon eusebein? pōs de ei mē anestē, alla nekros esti, tous legomenous hypo tōn apistōn zēn pseudotheous kai thrēskeuomenous daimonas autos apelaunei, kai diōkei, kai kataballei?
Is it the part of a dead man to prick the consciences of human beings, so that they deny their ancestral laws and bow before the teaching of Christ? Or how, if he is not active (for that is the mark of a dead man), does he stop the active and living from their activity, so that the adulterer no longer commits adultery, the murderer no longer murders, the unjust man no longer grasps for more, and the impious man becomes godly at last? And how, if he did not rise but is dead, does he himself drive out, pursue, and cast down the false gods whom unbelievers say are alive, and the demons they worship?
Notes and citation
Summary: A dead man could not convert consciences, reform sinners, and drive out demons as Christ does.
Topics: Christology, Ethics
Cite (SBL): Athanasius, Inc. 30.5 (Robertson; trans. Sophia Scriptura, https://sophiascriptura.com/fathers/athanasius-incarnatione/23-1/#p-30-5).
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Translation: Translated by Claude from the Greek text of Robertson (1891); made independently of existing English translations and compared afterwards with NPNF² 4.
30.6Robertson
Ἔνθα γὰρ ὀνομάζεται Χριστὸς καὶ ἡ τούτου πίστις, ἐκεῖθεν πᾶσα μὲν εἰδωλολατρία καθαιρεῖται, πᾶσα δὲ δαιμόνων ἀπάτη ἐλέγχεται, πᾶς δὲ δαίμων οὐδὲ τὸ ὄνομα ὑποφέρει· ἀλλὰ καὶ μόνον ἀκούσας φυγὰς οἴχεται. τοῦτο δὲ οὐ νεκροῦ τὸ ἔργον, ἀλλὰ ζῶντος καὶ μάλιστα Θεοῦ.
Entha gar onomazetai Christos kai hē toutou pistis, ekeithen pasa men eidōlolatria kathaireitai, pasa de daimonōn apatē elenchetai, pas de daimōn oude to onoma hypopherei; alla kai monon akousas phygas oichetai. touto de ou nekrou to ergon, alla zōntos kai malista Theou.
For where Christ and faith in him are named, from there all idolatry is overthrown, all the deceit of demons is exposed, and no demon endures even the name, but on merely hearing it flees and is gone. This is not the work of a dead man, but of one who lives, and above all of God.
Notes and citation
Summary: Idols and demons flee at Christ's name, the work of a living God.
Topics: Christology
Cite (SBL): Athanasius, Inc. 30.6 (Robertson; trans. Sophia Scriptura, https://sophiascriptura.com/fathers/athanasius-incarnatione/23-1/#p-30-6).
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Translation: Translated by Claude from the Greek text of Robertson (1891); made independently of existing English translations and compared afterwards with NPNF² 4.
30.7Robertson
Ἄλλως τε καὶ γελοῖον ἂν εἴη, τοὺς μὲν διωκομένους ὑπʼ αὐτοῦ δαίμονας, καὶ τὰ καταργούμενα εἴδωλα λέγειν ζῶντας εἶναι, τὸν δὲ ἀπελαύνοντα καὶ τῇ ἑαυτοῦ δυνάμει μηδὲ φανῆναι ποιοῦντα τούτους, ἀλλὰ καὶ ὁμολογούμενον ὑπὸ πάντων εἶναι Θεοῦ Υίόν, τοῦτον λέγειν εἶναι νεκρόν.
Allōs te kai geloion an eiē, tous men diōkomenous hypʼ autou daimonas, kai ta katargoumena eidōla legein zōntas einai, ton de apelaunonta kai tę̄ heautou dynamei mēde phanēnai poiounta toutous, alla kai homologoumenon hypo pantōn einai Theou Uion, touton legein einai nekron.
Besides, it would be ridiculous to say that the demons he drives out and the idols he abolishes are alive, while saying that he who drives them away and by his power prevents them from even appearing, and who is confessed by all to be the Son of God, is dead.
Notes and citation
Summary: It is absurd to call the defeated demons alive and their conqueror dead.
Topics: Christology
Cite (SBL): Athanasius, Inc. 30.7 (Robertson; trans. Sophia Scriptura, https://sophiascriptura.com/fathers/athanasius-incarnatione/23-1/#p-30-7).
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Translation: Translated by Claude from the Greek text of Robertson (1891); made independently of existing English translations and compared afterwards with NPNF² 4.
Chapter 31
31.1Robertson
Μέγαν δὲ καὶ καθʼ ἑαυτῶν τὸν ἔλεγχον οἱ ἀπιστοῦντες τῇ ἀναστάσει προβάλλονται, εἰ τὸν Χριστὸν τὸν λεγόμενον παρʼ αὐτῶν νεκρὸν οἱ πάντες δαίμονες καὶ οἱ προσκυνούμενοι παρʼ αὐτῶν θεοὶ οὐ διώκουσιν· ἀλλὰ μᾶλλον ὁ Χριστὸς τοὺς πάντας ἐλέγχει νεκρούς.
Megan de kai kathʼ heautōn ton elenchon hoi apistountes tę̄ anastasei proballontai, ei ton Christon ton legomenon parʼ autōn nekron hoi pantes daimones kai hoi proskynoumenoi parʼ autōn theoi ou diōkousin; alla mallon ho Christos tous pantas elenchei nekrous.
Those who disbelieve the resurrection put forward a great proof against themselves, if all the demons and the gods they worship do not drive out Christ, whom they call dead, but rather Christ proves them all dead.
Notes and citation
Summary: That Christ overcomes the pagan gods, not they him, refutes those who deny his resurrection.
Topics: Christology
Cite (SBL): Athanasius, Inc. 31.1 (Robertson; trans. Sophia Scriptura, https://sophiascriptura.com/fathers/athanasius-incarnatione/23-1/#p-31-1).
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Translation: Translated by Claude from the Greek text of Robertson (1891); made independently of existing English translations and compared afterwards with NPNF² 4.
31.2Robertson
Εἰ γὰρ ἀληθὲς τὸν νεκρὸν μηδὲν ἐνεργεῖν, ἐργάζεται δὲ τοσαῦτα καθʼ ἡμέραν ὁ Σωτήρ, ἕλκων εἰς εὐσέβειαν, πείθων εἰς ἀρετήν, διδάσκων περὶ ἀθανασίας, εἰς πόθον τῶν οὐρανίων ἀνάγων, ἀποκαλύπτων τὴν περὶ Πατρὸς γνῶσιν, τὴν κατὰ τοῦ θανάτου δύναμιν ἐμπνέων, ἑκάστῳ δεικνύων ἑαυτόν, καὶ τὴν εἰδώλων ἀθεότητα καθαιρῶν· τούτων δὲ οὐδὲν δύνανται οἱ παρὰ τοῖς ἀπίστοις θεοὶ καὶ δαίμονες· ἀλλὰ μᾶλλον τῇ Χριστοῦ παρουσίᾳ νεκροὶ γίνονται, ἀργὴν ἔχοντες καὶ κενὴν τὴν φαντασίαν· τῷ δὲ σημείῳ τοῦ σταυροῦ πᾶσα μὲν μαγεία παύεται, πᾶσα δὲ φαρμακεία καταργεῖται, καὶ πάντα μὲν τὰ εἴδωλα ἐρημοῦται καὶ καταλιμπάνεται, πᾶσα δὲ ἄλογος ἡδονὴ παύεται, καὶ πίστις ἀπὸ γῆς εἰς οὐρανὸν ἀναβλέπει· τίνα ἄν τις εἴποι νεκρόν· τὸν τοσαῦτα ἐργαζόμενον Χριστόν; ἀλλʼ οὐκ ἴδιον νεκροῦ τὸ ἐργάζεσθαι· ἢ τὸν μηδʼ ὅλως ἐνεργοῦντα, ἀλλʼ ὡς ἄψυχον κείμενον, ὅπερ ἴδιον τῶν δαιμόνων καὶ εἰδώλων ὡς νεκρῶν ὑπάρχει.
Ei gar alēthes ton nekron mēden energein, ergazetai de tosauta kathʼ hēmeran ho Sōtēr, helkōn eis eusebeian, peithōn eis aretēn, didaskōn peri athanasias, eis pothon tōn ouraniōn anagōn, apokalyptōn tēn peri Patros gnōsin, tēn kata tou thanatou dynamin empneōn, hekastǭ deiknyōn heauton, kai tēn eidōlōn atheotēta kathairōn; toutōn de ouden dynantai hoi para tois apistois theoi kai daimones; alla mallon tę̄ Christou parousią nekroi ginontai, argēn echontes kai kenēn tēn phantasian; tǭ de sēmeiǭ tou staurou pasa men mageia pauetai, pasa de pharmakeia katargeitai, kai panta men ta eidōla erēmoutai kai katalimpanetai, pasa de alogos hēdonē pauetai, kai pistis apo gēs eis ouranon anablepei; tina an tis eipoi nekron; ton tosauta ergazomenon Christon? allʼ ouk idion nekrou to ergazesthai; ē ton mēdʼ holōs energounta, allʼ hōs apsychon keimenon, hoper idion tōn daimonōn kai eidōlōn hōs nekrōn hyparchei.
For if it is true that the dead can do nothing, while the Savior every day does so much, drawing people to godliness, persuading them to virtue, teaching about immortality, leading them up to a longing for heavenly things, revealing the knowledge of the Father, breathing into them power against death, showing himself to each, and overthrowing the godlessness of idols; and if the gods and demons of the unbelievers can do none of these things, but rather at Christ's coming become dead, their illusion idle and empty; while by the sign of the cross all magic ceases, all sorcery is abolished, all idols are deserted and abandoned, all irrational pleasure ceases, and faith looks up from earth to heaven: whom should one call dead? Christ, who does so much? But it is not the part of the dead to act. Or the one who does nothing at all but lies lifeless, which is the mark of the demons and idols, as dead things?
Notes and citation
Summary: Christ daily works in souls while the pagan gods do nothing, so it is they who are dead, not he.
Notes on the original text
- Digital text corrected (repeated syllable in the digital text): ἑαυἑαυτόν → ἑαυτόν; τοστοσαῦτα → τοσαῦτα.
Topics: Christology
Cite (SBL): Athanasius, Inc. 31.2 (Robertson; trans. Sophia Scriptura, https://sophiascriptura.com/fathers/athanasius-incarnatione/23-1/#p-31-2).
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Translation: Translated by Claude from the Greek text of Robertson (1891); made independently of existing English translations and compared afterwards with NPNF² 4.
31.3Robertson
Ὁ μὲν γὰρ τοῦ Θεοῦ Υἱὸς ζῶν καὶ ἐνεργὴς ὤν καθʼ ἡμέραν ἐργάζεται καὶ ἐνεργεῖ τὴν πάντων σωτηρίαν. Ὁ δὲ θάνατος ἐλέγχεται καθʼ ἡμέραν αὐτὸς ἐξασθενήσας, καὶ τὰ εἴδωλα καὶ οἱ δαίμονες μᾶλλον νεκροὶ τυγχάνοντες, ὡς ἐκ τούτου μηδένα διστάζειν ἔτι περὶ τῆς τοῦ σώματος ἀναστάσεως αὐτοῦ.
Ho men gar tou Theou Huios zōn kai energēs ōn kathʼ hēmeran ergazetai kai energei tēn pantōn sōtērian. Ho de thanatos elenchetai kathʼ hēmeran autos exasthenēsas, kai ta eidōla kai hoi daimones mallon nekroi tynchanontes, hōs ek toutou mēdena distazein eti peri tēs tou sōmatos anastaseōs autou.
For the Son of God, being living and active, works every day and effects the salvation of all; while death is shown every day to have grown weak, and the idols and demons to be rather dead; so that from this no one should any longer doubt the resurrection of his body.
Notes and citation
Summary: Christ's daily saving work and death's evident weakness leave no doubt about his bodily resurrection.
Notes on the original text
- Digital text corrected (dropped initial letter in the digital text; repeated syllable in the digital text; stray letter in the digital text): Θεοῦ ἰὸς → Θεοῦ Υἱὸς; ἐργάἐργάζεται → ἐργάζεται; σωρτηρίαν → σωτηρίαν.
Topics: Christology
Cite (SBL): Athanasius, Inc. 31.3 (Robertson; trans. Sophia Scriptura, https://sophiascriptura.com/fathers/athanasius-incarnatione/23-1/#p-31-3).
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Translation: Translated by Claude from the Greek text of Robertson (1891); made independently of existing English translations and compared afterwards with NPNF² 4.
31.4Robertson
Ἔοικε δὲ ὁ περὶ τῆς ἀναστάσεως τοῦ Κυριακοῦ σώματος ἀπιστῶν ἀγνοεῖν δύναμιν Θεοῦ Λόγου καὶ Σοφίας. εἰ γὰρ ὅλως ἔλαβεν ἑαυτῷ σῶμα, καὶ τοῦτο ἰδιοποιήσατο κατὰ τὴν εὔλογον ἀκολουθίαν, ὡς ὁ λόγος ἔδειξε· τί ἔδει τὸν Κύριον ποιεῖν περὶ τούτου; ἢ ποῖον ἔδει τελος γενέσθαι τοῦ σώματος, ἅπαξ ἐπιβάντος αὐτῷ τοῦ Λόγου; μὴ ἀποθανεῖν μὲν γὰρ οὐκ ἠδύνατο, ἅτε δὴ θνητὸν ὄν, καὶ ὑπὲρ πάντων προσφερόμενον εἰς τὸν θάνατον· οὗ χάριν καὶ ὁ Σωτὴρ αὐτὸ κατεσκεύασεν ἑαυτῷ. μεῖναι δὲ νεκρὸν οὐχ οἷόν τε ἦν, διὰ τὸ Ζωὴς αὐτὸ ναὸν γεγενῆσθαι. ὅθεν ἀπέθανε μὲν ὡς θνητόν· ἀνέζησε δὲ διὰ τὴν ἐν αὐτῷ ζωήν, καὶ τῆς ἀναστάσεως ἐστι γνώρισμα τὰ ἔργα.
Eoike de ho peri tēs anastaseōs tou Kyriakou sōmatos apistōn agnoein dynamin Theou Logou kai Sophias. ei gar holōs elaben heautǭ sōma, kai touto idiopoiēsato kata tēn eulogon akolouthian, hōs ho logos edeixe; ti edei ton Kyrion poiein peri toutou? ē poion edei telos genesthai tou sōmatos, hapax epibantos autǭ tou Logou? mē apothanein men gar ouk ēdynato, hate dē thnēton on, kai hyper pantōn prospheromenon eis ton thanaton; hou charin kai ho Sōtēr auto kateskeuasen heautǭ. meinai de nekron ouch hoion te ēn, dia to Zōēs auto naon gegenēsthai. hothen apethane men hōs thnēton; anezēse de dia tēn en autǭ zōēn, kai tēs anastaseōs esti gnōrisma ta erga.
One who disbelieves in the resurrection of the Lord's body seems not to know the power of the Word and Wisdom of God. For if he took a body to himself at all, and made it his own in reasonable consequence, as the argument has shown, what was the Lord to do with it? Or what end was the body to have, once the Word had come upon it? It could not fail to die, being mortal and offered to death on behalf of all, for which reason the Savior 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 to life again because of the Life within it; and his works are the sign of the resurrection.
Notes and citation
Summary: Christ's body, mortal, had to die, but as the temple of Life it could not stay dead.
Topics: Christology
Cite (SBL): Athanasius, Inc. 31.4 (Robertson; trans. Sophia Scriptura, https://sophiascriptura.com/fathers/athanasius-incarnatione/23-1/#p-31-4).
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Translation: Translated by Claude from the Greek text of Robertson (1891); made independently of existing English translations and compared afterwards with NPNF² 4.
Chapter 32
32.1Robertson
Εἰ δʼ ὅτι μὴ ὁρᾶται, ἀπιστεῖται καὶ ἐγηγέρθαι, ὥρα καὶ τὸ κατὰ φύσιν ἀρνεῖσθαι τοὺς ἀπιστοῦντας. Θεοῦ γὰρ ἴδιον μὴ ὁρᾶσθαι μέν, ἐκ δὲ τῶν ἔργων γινώσκεσθαι, καθάπερ καὶ ἐπάνω λέλεκται.
Ei dʼ hoti mē horatai, apisteitai kai egēgerthai, hōra kai to kata physin arneisthai tous apistountas. Theou gar idion mē horasthai men, ek de tōn ergōn ginōskesthai, kathaper kai epanō lelektai.
But if, because he is not seen, it is disbelieved that he has been raised, it is time for the unbelievers to deny the order of nature too. For it is proper to God not to be seen, but to be known from his works, as was said above.
Notes and citation
Summary: God is known not by sight but by his works, so Christ's invisibility is no argument against his resurrection.
Topics: Christology
Cite (SBL): Athanasius, Inc. 32.1 (Robertson; trans. Sophia Scriptura, https://sophiascriptura.com/fathers/athanasius-incarnatione/23-1/#p-32-1).
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Translation: Translated by Claude from the Greek text of Robertson (1891); made independently of existing English translations and compared afterwards with NPNF² 4.
32.2Robertson
Εἰ μὲν οὖν τὰ ἔργα μή ἐστι, καλῶς τῷ μὴ φαινομένῳ ἀπιστοῦσιν, εἰ δὲ τὰ ἔργα βοᾷ καὶ δείκνυσιν ἐναργῶς, διὰ τί ἑκόντες ἀρνοῦνται τὴν τῆς ἀναστάσεως οὕτως φανερῶς ζωήν εἰ γὰρ καὶ τὴν διάνοιαν ἐπηρώθησαν, ἀλλὰ κἂν ταῖς ἔξωθεν αἰσθήσεσιν ὁρᾶν ἐστὶ τὴν ἀναντίῤῥητον τοῦ Χριστοῦ δύναμιν καὶ θεότητα.
Ei men oun ta erga mē esti, kalōs tǭ mē phainomenǭ apistousin, ei de ta erga boą kai deiknysin enargōs, dia ti hekontes arnountai tēn tēs anastaseōs houtōs phanerōs zōēn ei gar kai tēn dianoian epērōthēsan, alla kan tais exōthen aisthēsesin horan esti tēn anantirrhēton tou Christou dynamin kai theotēta.
If, then, the works are not there, they do well to disbelieve what does not appear. But if the works cry out and show it plainly, why do they willfully deny the life of the resurrection that is so manifest? For even if they have been maimed in mind, yet even with the outward senses one can see the undeniable power and divinity of Christ.
Notes and citation
Summary: Since Christ's works plainly show his risen power, denial of the resurrection is willful.
Topics: Christology
Cite (SBL): Athanasius, Inc. 32.2 (Robertson; trans. Sophia Scriptura, https://sophiascriptura.com/fathers/athanasius-incarnatione/23-1/#p-32-2).
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Translation: Translated by Claude from the Greek text of Robertson (1891); made independently of existing English translations and compared afterwards with NPNF² 4.
32.3Robertson
Ἐπεὶ καὶ τυφλὸς ἐὰν μὴ βλέπῃ τὸν ἥλιον, ἀλλὰ καὶ τῆς ὑπʼ αὐτοῦ γενομένης θέρμης ἀντιλαμβανόμενος, οἶδεν ὅτι ἥλιος ὑπὲρ γῆς ἐστίν. οὕτως καὶ οἱ ἀντιλέγοντες εἰ καὶ μήπω πιστεύουσιν, ἀκμὴν τυφλώττοντες περὶ τὴν ἀλήθειαν, ἀλλὰ κἂν ἑτέρων πιστευόντων γινώσκοντες τὴν δύναμιν, μὴ ἀρνείσθωσαν τὴν τοῦ Χριστοῦ θεότητα, καὶ τὴν ὑπʼ αὐτοῦ γενομένην ἀνάστασιν.
Epei kai typhlos ean mē blepę̄ ton hēlion, alla kai tēs hypʼ autou genomenēs thermēs antilambanomenos, oiden hoti hēlios hyper gēs estin. houtōs kai hoi antilegontes ei kai mēpō pisteuousin, akmēn typhlōttontes peri tēn alētheian, alla kan heterōn pisteuontōn ginōskontes tēn dynamin, mē arneisthōsan tēn tou Christou theotēta, kai tēn hypʼ autou genomenēn anastasin.
For even a blind man, though he does not see the sun, yet feeling the warmth it produces, knows that the sun is above the earth. So also let those who contradict, even if they do not yet believe, still being blind to the truth, at least recognize his power from others who believe, and not deny the divinity of Christ and the resurrection accomplished by him.
Notes and citation
Summary: As the blind know the sun by its warmth, unbelievers should recognize Christ's power in believers.
Topics: Christology
Cite (SBL): Athanasius, Inc. 32.3 (Robertson; trans. Sophia Scriptura, https://sophiascriptura.com/fathers/athanasius-incarnatione/23-1/#p-32-3).
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Translation: Translated by Claude from the Greek text of Robertson (1891); made independently of existing English translations and compared afterwards with NPNF² 4.
32.4Robertson
Δῆλον γὰρ ὅτι εἰ νεκρός ἐστιν ὁ Χριστός, οὐκ ἂν τοὺς δαίμονας ἐδίωκε, καὶ τὰ εἴδωλα ἐσκύλευε· νεκρῷ γὰρ οὐκ ἄν ὑπήκουσαν οἱ δαίμονες. εἰ δὲ διώκονται φανερῶς τῇ τούτου ὀνομασία, δῆλον ἂν εἴη μὴ εἶναι τοῦτον νεκρόν, μάλιστα ὅτι δαίμονες, καὶ τὰ μὴ βλεπόμενα τοῖς ἀνθρώποις ὁρῶντες, ἠδύναντο γινώσκειν εἰ νεκρός ἐστιν ὁ Χριστός, καὶ μηδόλως ὑπακούειν αὐτῶ.
Dēlon gar hoti ei nekros estin ho Christos, ouk an tous daimonas ediōke, kai ta eidōla eskyleue; nekrǭ gar ouk an hypēkousan hoi daimones. ei de diōkontai phanerōs tę̄ toutou onomasia, dēlon an eiē mē einai touton nekron, malista hoti daimones, kai ta mē blepomena tois anthrōpois horōntes, ēdynanto ginōskein ei nekros estin ho Christos, kai mēdolōs hypakouein autō.
For it is clear that if Christ were dead, he would not be driving out the demons and despoiling the idols; for the demons would not obey a dead man. But if they are plainly driven out by the naming of his name, it must be clear that he is not dead, especially since the demons, who see even what is not seen by human beings, could know whether Christ is dead, and would not obey him at all.
Notes and citation
Summary: The demons, who see the unseen, obey Christ's name, which shows he is not dead.
Notes on the original text
- Digital text corrected (repeated syllable in the digital text): ὑπήκουὑπήκουσαν → ὑπήκουσαν; μάμάλιστα → μάλιστα.
Topics: Christology
Cite (SBL): Athanasius, Inc. 32.4 (Robertson; trans. Sophia Scriptura, https://sophiascriptura.com/fathers/athanasius-incarnatione/23-1/#p-32-4).
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Translation: Translated by Claude from the Greek text of Robertson (1891); made independently of existing English translations and compared afterwards with NPNF² 4.
32.5Robertson
Νῦν δὲ ὅ μὴ πιστεύουσιν ἀσεβεῖς ὁρῶσιν οἱ δαίμονες, ὅτι Θεός ἐστι, καὶ διὰ τοῦτο φεύγουσι καὶ προσπίπτουσιν αὐτῷ λέγοντες, ἃ καὶ ὅτε ἦν ἐν σώματι ἐφθέγξαντο, Οἴδαμέν σε τίς εἶ· σύ εἶ ὁ ἄγιος τοῦ Θεοῦ καὶ Ἔα, τί σοι καὶ ἡμῖν, Υἱὲ τοῦ Θεοῦ; δέομαί σου, μή με βασανίσῃς,
Nyn de ho mē pisteuousin asebeis horōsin hoi daimones, hoti Theos esti, kai dia touto pheugousi kai prospiptousin autǭ legontes, ha kai hote ēn en sōmati ephthenxanto, Oidamen se tis ei; sy ei ho agios tou Theou kai Ea, ti soi kai hēmin, Huie tou Theou? deomai sou, mē me basanisę̄s,
But as it is, what the impious do not believe, the demons see: that he is God. And for this reason they flee and fall down before him, saying what they uttered when he was in the body: “We know who you are, the Holy One of God,” and, “Ah, what have you to do with us, Son of God? I beg you, do not torment me.”
Mark 1:24 (quotation, high confidence) · Luke 4:34 (quotation, high confidence) · Luke 8:28 (quotation, high confidence)
Notes and citation
Summary: The demons confess what unbelievers deny, that Christ is God.
- Mark 1:24 (Luke 4:34); Luke 8:28 (Mark 5:7).
Topics: Christology
Cite (SBL): Athanasius, Inc. 32.5 (Robertson; trans. Sophia Scriptura, https://sophiascriptura.com/fathers/athanasius-incarnatione/23-1/#p-32-5).
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Translation: Translated by Claude from the Greek text of Robertson (1891); made independently of existing English translations and compared afterwards with NPNF² 4.
32.6Robertson
Δαιμόνων τοίνυν ὁμολογούντων καὶ τῶν ἔργων ὁσημέραι μαρτυρούντων, φανερὸν ἄν εἴη, καὶ μηδεὶς ἀναιδευέσθω πρὸς τὴν ἀλήθειαν, ὅτι τε ἀνέστησε τὸ ἑαυτοῦ σῶμα ὁ Σωτήρ, καὶ ὅτι Θεοῦ Υἱός ἐστιν ἀληθινός, ἐξ αὐτοῦ οἷα δὴ ἐκ Πατρὸς ἴδιος Λόγος καὶ Σοφία καὶ Δύναμις ὑπάρχων, ὃς χρόνοις ὕστερον ἐπὶ σωτηρίᾳ τῶν πάντων ἔλαβε σῶμα, καὶ τὴν μὲν οἰκουμένην περὶ Πατρὸς ἐδίδαξε, τὸν δὲ θάνατον κατήργησε, πᾶσι δὲ τὴν ἀφθαρσίαν ἐχαρίσατο διὰ τῆς ἐπαγγελίας τῆς ἀναστάσεως, ἀπαρχὴν ταύτης τὸ ἴδιον ἐγείρας σῶμα, καὶ τρόπαιον αὐτὸ κατὰ τοῦ θανάτου καὶ τῆς τούτου φθορᾶς ἐπιδειξάμενος τῷ σημείῳ τοῦ σταυροῦ,
Daimonōn toinyn homologountōn kai tōn ergōn hosēmerai martyrountōn, phaneron an eiē, kai mēdeis anaideuesthō pros tēn alētheian, hoti te anestēse to heautou sōma ho Sōtēr, kai hoti Theou Huios estin alēthinos, ex autou hoia dē ek Patros idios Logos kai Sophia kai Dynamis hyparchōn, hos chronois hysteron epi sōtērią tōn pantōn elabe sōma, kai tēn men oikoumenēn peri Patros edidaxe, ton de thanaton katērgēse, pasi de tēn aphtharsian echarisato dia tēs epangelias tēs anastaseōs, aparchēn tautēs to idion egeiras sōma, kai tropaion auto kata tou thanatou kai tēs toutou phthoras epideixamenos tǭ sēmeiǭ tou staurou,
Since, then, the demons confess it and his works bear witness daily, it must be evident (and let no one be shameless toward the truth) both that the Savior raised his own body, and that he is the true Son of God, being from him, as from a Father, his own Word and Wisdom and Power; who in later times took a body for the salvation of all, taught the world about the Father, abolished death, and freely gave incorruption to all through the promise of the resurrection, having raised his own body as its firstfruits and displayed it by the sign of the cross as a trophy over death and its corruption.
1 Cor 15:20 (allusion, medium confidence)
Notes and citation
Summary: Christ raised his body and is the true Son of God, the Father's own Word, who took flesh, abolished death, and promised resurrection to all.
- “His own Word”: the Son is the Father's own (ἴδιος) Word, not a created being.
Notes on the original text
- Digital text corrected (repeated syllable in the digital text): ἐχαρίἐχαρίσατο → ἐχαρίσατο.
Topics: Christology, Trinity
Cite (SBL): Athanasius, Inc. 32.6 (Robertson; trans. Sophia Scriptura, https://sophiascriptura.com/fathers/athanasius-incarnatione/23-1/#p-32-6).
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Translation: Translated by Claude from the Greek text of Robertson (1891); made independently of existing English translations and compared afterwards with NPNF² 4.
Chapter 33
33.1Robertson
Τούτων δὲ οὕτως ἐχόντων, καὶ φανερᾶς οὔσης τῆς ἀποδείξεως περὶ τῆς ἀναστάσεως τοῦ σώματος καὶ τῆς κατὰ τοῦ θανάτου γενομένης ὑπὸ τοῦ Σωτῆρος νίκης· φέρε, καὶ τὴν ἀπιστίαν τῶν Ἰουδαίων καὶ τὴν τῶν Ἑλλήνων χλεύην διελέγξωμεν.
Toutōn de houtōs echontōn, kai phaneras ousēs tēs apodeixeōs peri tēs anastaseōs tou sōmatos kai tēs kata tou thanatou genomenēs hypo tou Sōtēros nikēs; phere, kai tēn apistian tōn Ioudaiōn kai tēn tōn Hellēnōn chleuēn dielenxōmen.
This being so, and the proof of the resurrection of the body and of the victory won by the Savior over death being plain, come, let us also refute the unbelief of the Jews and the mockery of the Greeks.
Notes and citation
Summary: Athanasius turns to answer Jewish unbelief and Greek mockery.
- The following sections (33–40) are Athanasius's argument against Jewish objections; they are translated as written.
Cite (SBL): Athanasius, Inc. 33.1 (Robertson; trans. Sophia Scriptura, https://sophiascriptura.com/fathers/athanasius-incarnatione/23-1/#p-33-1).
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Translation: Translated by Claude from the Greek text of Robertson (1891); made independently of existing English translations and compared afterwards with NPNF² 4.
33.2Robertson
Ἐπὶ τούτοις γὰρ ἴσως Ἰουδαῖοι μὲν ἀπιστοῦσιν, Ἕλληνες δὲ γελῶσι, τὸ ἀπρεπὲς τοῦ σταυροῦ καὶ τῆς ἐνανθρωπήσεως τοῦ Θεοῦ Λόγου διασύροντες· ἀλλὰ κατὰ ἀμφοτέρων ὁ λόγος οὐκ ὀκνήσει χωρῆσαι, μάλιστα κατʼ αὐτῶν τὰς ἀποδείξεις ἐναργεῖς ἔχων.
Epi toutois gar isōs Ioudaioi men apistousin, Hellēnes de gelōsi, to aprepes tou staurou kai tēs enanthrōpēseōs tou Theou Logou diasyrontes; alla kata amphoterōn ho logos ouk oknēsei chōrēsai, malista katʼ autōn tas apodeixeis enargeis echōn.
For perhaps at these things Jews disbelieve and Greeks laugh, disparaging the unfittingness of the cross and of the Word of God becoming man. But our argument will not hesitate to proceed against both, having clear proofs against them.
Notes and citation
Summary: Jews and Greeks object to the cross and the incarnation; Athanasius will answer both.
Cite (SBL): Athanasius, Inc. 33.2 (Robertson; trans. Sophia Scriptura, https://sophiascriptura.com/fathers/athanasius-incarnatione/23-1/#p-33-2).
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Translation: Translated by Claude from the Greek text of Robertson (1891); made independently of existing English translations and compared afterwards with NPNF² 4.
33.3Robertson
Ἰουδαῖοι μὲν ἀπιστοῦντες ἔχουσιν ἀφʼ ὧν ἀναγινώσκουσι καὶ αὐτοὶ γραφῶν τὸν ἔλεγχον· ἄνω καὶ κάτω, καὶ πάσης ἁπλῶς θεοπνεύστου βίβλου περὶ τούτων διδασκούσης, ὡς καὶ αὐτὰ τὰ ῥήματα πρόδηλα. προφῆται μὲν γὰρ ἄνωθεν περὶ τοῦ κατὰ τὴν Παρθένον θαύματος καὶ τῆς ἐξ αὐτῆς γενομένης γεννήσεως προεμήνυον, λέγοντες· Ἰδοὺ ἡ Παρθένος ἐν γαστρὶ ἕξει καὶ τέξεται υἱόν, καὶ καλέσουσι τὸ ὄνομα αὐτοῦ Ἐμμανουήλ, ὅ ἐστι μεθερμηνευόμενον, μεθʼ ἡμῶν ὁ Θεός.
Ioudaioi men apistountes echousin aphʼ hōn anaginōskousi kai autoi graphōn ton elenchon; anō kai katō, kai pasēs haplōs theopneustou biblou peri toutōn didaskousēs, hōs kai auta ta rhēmata prodēla. prophētai men gar anōthen peri tou kata tēn Parthenon thaumatos kai tēs ex autēs genomenēs gennēseōs proemēnyon, legontes; Idou hē Parthenos en gastri hexei kai texetai huion, kai kalesousi to onoma autou Emmanouēl, ho esti methermēneuomenon, methʼ hēmōn ho Theos.
The Jews in their unbelief have their refutation from the Scriptures that they themselves read; for from one end to the other, every inspired book teaches plainly about these things, as the very words make evident. For the prophets foretold from of old the wonder of the Virgin and the birth from her, saying: “Behold, the virgin shall conceive and bear a son, and they shall call his name Emmanuel, which being interpreted is, God with us.”
Isa 7:14 (quotation, high confidence) · Matt 1:23 (quotation, high confidence)
Notes and citation
Summary: The Jews' own Scriptures refute them, foretelling the virgin birth in Isaiah 7:14.
- Isa 7:14 as cited in Matt 1:23 (with the interpretation of the name).
Topics: Christology, Scripture and canon
Cite (SBL): Athanasius, Inc. 33.3 (Robertson; trans. Sophia Scriptura, https://sophiascriptura.com/fathers/athanasius-incarnatione/23-1/#p-33-3).
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Translation: Translated by Claude from the Greek text of Robertson (1891); made independently of existing English translations and compared afterwards with NPNF² 4.
33.4Robertson
Μωσῆς δὲ ὁ τῷ ὄντι μέγας, καὶ παρʼ αὐτοῖς πιστευόμενος ἀληθής, περὶ τῆς ἐνανθρωπήσεως τοῦ Σωτῆρος ἀντὶ μεγάλου τὸ ῥητὸν δοκιμάσας καὶ ἀληθὲς ἐπιγνοὺς ἔθηκε λέγων· Ἀνατελεῖ ἄστρον ἐξ Ἰακώβ, καὶ ἄνθρωπος ἐξ Ἰσραήλ, καὶ θραύσει τοὺς ἀρχηγοὺς Μωάβ. καὶ πάλιν ὡς καλοί σου οἱ οἶκοι Ἰακώβ, αἱ σκηναί σου Ἰσραήλ, ὡσεὶ νάπαι σκιάζουσαι, καὶ ὡσεὶ παράδεισοι ἐπὶ ποταμῶν, καὶ ὡσεὶ σκηναὶ ἃς ἔπηξεν ὁ Κύριος, ὡσεὶ κέδροι παρʼ ὕδατα. ἐξελεύσεται ἄνθρωπος ἐκ τοῦ σπέρματος αὐτοῦ, καὶ κυριεύσει ἐθνῶν πολλῶν καὶ πάλιν Ἡσαΐας· Πρὶν ἢ γνῶναι τὸ παιδίον καλεῖν πατέρα, ἢ μητέρα, λήψεται δύναμιν Δαμασκοῦ, καὶ τὰ σκύλα Σαμαρείας ἔναντι βασιλέως Ἀσσυρίων.
Mōsēs de ho tǭ onti megas, kai parʼ autois pisteuomenos alēthēs, peri tēs enanthrōpēseōs tou Sōtēros anti megalou to rhēton dokimasas kai alēthes epignous ethēke legōn; Anatelei astron ex Iakōb, kai anthrōpos ex Israēl, kai thrausei tous archēgous Mōab. kai palin hōs kaloi sou hoi oikoi Iakōb, hai skēnai sou Israēl, hōsei napai skiazousai, kai hōsei paradeisoi epi potamōn, kai hōsei skēnai has epēxen ho Kyrios, hōsei kedroi parʼ hydata. exeleusetai anthrōpos ek tou spermatos autou, kai kyrieusei ethnōn pollōn kai palin Hēsaïas; Prin ē gnōnai to paidion kalein patera, ē mētera, lēpsetai dynamin Damaskou, kai ta skyla Samareias enanti basileōs Assyriōn.
And Moses, who is truly great and believed by them to be truthful, having judged the saying about the Savior's becoming man to be of great moment and recognizing its truth, set it down, saying: “A star shall rise out of Jacob, and a man out of Israel, and he shall crush the rulers of Moab.” And again: “How fair are your houses, O Jacob, your tents, O Israel; like shady glens, and like gardens by rivers, and like tents which the Lord has pitched, like cedars by the waters. A man shall come forth from his seed, and he shall rule over many nations.” And again Isaiah: “Before the child knows how to call father or mother, he shall take the power of Damascus and the spoils of Samaria before the king of Assyria.”
Num 24:17 (quotation, high confidence) · Num 24:5 (quotation, high confidence) · Num 24:6 (quotation, high confidence) · Num 24:7 (quotation, high confidence) · Isa 8:4 (quotation, high confidence)
Notes and citation
Summary: Balaam's oracles in Numbers and Isaiah 8:4 foretell the coming of a man from Israel.
- Num 24:17; 24:5–7 (Septuagint wording; spoken by Balaam, recorded by Moses); Isa 8:4.
Topics: Christology, Scripture and canon
Cite (SBL): Athanasius, Inc. 33.4 (Robertson; trans. Sophia Scriptura, https://sophiascriptura.com/fathers/athanasius-incarnatione/23-1/#p-33-4).
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Translation: Translated by Claude from the Greek text of Robertson (1891); made independently of existing English translations and compared afterwards with NPNF² 4.
33.5Robertson
Ὅτι μὲν οὖν ἄνθρωπος φανήσεται, διὰ τούτων προκαταγγέλλεται. ὅτι δὲ Κύριος πάντων ἐστὶν ὁ ἐρχόμενος, πάλιν προμηνύουσι λέγοντες· Ἰδοὺ Κύριος κάθηται ἐπὶ νεφέλης κούφης, καὶ ἤξει εἰς Αἴγυπτον, καὶ σεισθήσεται τὰ χειροποίητα Αἰγύπτου. καὶ γὰρ κἀκεῖθεν αὐτὸν ὁ Πατὴρ ἀνακαλεῖ λέγων Ἐξ Ἀἰγύπτου ἐκάλεσα τὸν υἱόν μου.
Hoti men oun anthrōpos phanēsetai, dia toutōn prokatangelletai. hoti de Kyrios pantōn estin ho erchomenos, palin promēnyousi legontes; Idou Kyrios kathētai epi nephelēs kouphēs, kai ēxei eis Aigypton, kai seisthēsetai ta cheiropoiēta Aigyptou. kai gar kakeithen auton ho Patēr anakalei legōn Ex Aigyptou ekalesa ton huion mou.
That he would appear as a man, then, is announced beforehand by these passages. And that he who comes is Lord of all, they foretell again, saying: “Behold, the Lord sits on a swift cloud, and will come into Egypt, and the works of men's hands in Egypt shall be shaken.” And from there too the Father calls him back, saying: “Out of Egypt I have called my son.”
Isa 19:1 (quotation, high confidence) · Hos 11:1 (quotation, high confidence) · Matt 2:15 (quotation, medium confidence)
Notes and citation
Summary: Isaiah 19:1 and Hosea 11:1 show that the one who comes is the Lord.
- Isa 19:1; Hos 11:1 (Matt 2:15).
Notes on the original text
- Digital text corrected (repeated syllable in the digital text): σεισεισθήσεται → σεισθήσεται; κἀ κἀκεῖθεν → κἀκεῖθεν.
Topics: Christology, Scripture and canon
Cite (SBL): Athanasius, Inc. 33.5 (Robertson; trans. Sophia Scriptura, https://sophiascriptura.com/fathers/athanasius-incarnatione/23-1/#p-33-5).
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Translation: Translated by Claude from the Greek text of Robertson (1891); made independently of existing English translations and compared afterwards with NPNF² 4.
Chapter 34
34.1Robertson
Οὐ σεσιώπηται δὲ οὐδὲ ὁ τούτου θάνατος· ἀλλὰ καὶ λίαν τηλαυγῶς ἐν ταῖς θείαις σημαίνεται γραφαῖς. Καὶ γὰρ καὶ τὴν αἰτίαν τοῦ θανάτου, ὅτι μὴ διʼ ἑαυτόν, ἀλλʼ ὑπὲρ τῆς πάντων ἀθανασίας καὶ σωτηρίας ὑπομένει, καὶ τὴν Ἰουδαίων ἐπιβουλήν, καὶ τὰς εἰς αὐτὸν γινομένας παρʼ αὐτῶν ὕβρεις οὐκ ἐφοβήθησαν εἰπεῖν πρὸς τὸ μηδένα αὐτῶν τῶν γινομένων ἀνήκοον εἶναι καὶ πλανηθῆναι.
Ou sesiōpētai de oude ho toutou thanatos; alla kai lian tēlaugōs en tais theiais sēmainetai graphais. Kai gar kai tēn aitian tou thanatou, hoti mē diʼ heauton, allʼ hyper tēs pantōn athanasias kai sōtērias hypomenei, kai tēn Ioudaiōn epiboulēn, kai tas eis auton ginomenas parʼ autōn hybreis ouk ephobēthēsan eipein pros to mēdena autōn tōn ginomenōn anēkoon einai kai planēthēnai.
Nor has his death been passed over in silence; it is indicated very plainly in the divine Scriptures. For they were not afraid to tell both the reason for his death, that he endures it not for his own sake but for the immortality and salvation of all, and the plot of the Jews and the outrages done to him by them, so that no one might be ignorant of what happened or be led astray.
Notes and citation
Summary: Scripture plainly foretells Christ's death, its purpose, and the plot against him.
Notes on the original text
- Digital text corrected (repeated syllable in the digital text): θάναθάνατος → θάνατος; σημαίνεσημαίνεται → σημαίνεται; γινογινομένων → γινομένων.
Topics: Christology, Scripture and canon
Cite (SBL): Athanasius, Inc. 34.1 (Robertson; trans. Sophia Scriptura, https://sophiascriptura.com/fathers/athanasius-incarnatione/23-1/#p-34-1).
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Translation: Translated by Claude from the Greek text of Robertson (1891); made independently of existing English translations and compared afterwards with NPNF² 4.
34.2Robertson
Φασὶ τοίνυν· Ἄνθρωπος ἐν πληγῇ ὥν, καὶ εἰδὼς φέρειν μαλακίαν, ὅτι ἀπέστραπται τὸ πρόσωπον αὐτοῦ· ἠτιμάσθη καὶ οὐκ ἐλογίσθη. αὐτὸς τὰς ἁμαρτίας ἡμῶν φέρει, καὶ περὶ ἡμῶν ὀδυνᾶται· καὶ ἡμεῖς ἐλογισάμεθα αὐτὸν εἶναι ἐν πόνῳ, καὶ ἐν πληγῇ, καὶ ἐν κακώσει· αὐτὸς δὲ ἐτραυματίσθη διὰ τὰς ἁμαρτίας ἡμῶν, καὶ μεμαλάκισται διὰ τὰς ἀνομίας ἡμῶν· παιδεία εἰρήνης ἡμῶν ἐπʼ αὐτόν, τῷ μώλωπι αὐτοῦ ἡμεῖς ἰάθημεν. θαύμαζε τὴν τοῦ Λόγου φιλανθρωπίαν, ὅτι διʼ ἡμᾶς ἀτιμάζεται, ἵνα ἡμεῖς ἔντιμοι γενώμεθα. Πάντες γάρ, φησιν ὡς πρόβατα ἐπλανήθημεν· ἄνθρωπος τῇ ὁδῶ αὐτοῦ ἐπλανήθη· καὶ Κύριος παρέδωκεν αὐτὸν ταῖς ἁμαρτίαις ἡμῶν· καὶ αὐτὸς διὰ τὸ κεκακῶσθαι οὐκ ἀνοίγει τὸ στόμα. ὡς πρόβατον ἐπὶ σφαγὴν ἤχθη, καὶ ὡς ἀμνὸς ἐναντίον τοῦ κείροντος αὐτὸν ἄφωνος, οὕτως οὐκ ἀνοίγει τὸ στόμα αὐτοῦ· ἐν τῇ ταπεινώσει αὐτοῦ ἡ κρίσις αὐτοῦ ἤρθη.
Phasi toinyn; Anthrōpos en plēgę̄ hōn, kai eidōs pherein malakian, hoti apestraptai to prosōpon autou; ētimasthē kai ouk elogisthē. autos tas hamartias hēmōn pherei, kai peri hēmōn odynatai; kai hēmeis elogisametha auton einai en ponǭ, kai en plēgę̄, kai en kakōsei; autos de etraumatisthē dia tas hamartias hēmōn, kai memalakistai dia tas anomias hēmōn; paideia eirēnēs hēmōn epʼ auton, tǭ mōlōpi autou hēmeis iathēmen. thaumaze tēn tou Logou philanthrōpian, hoti diʼ hēmas atimazetai, hina hēmeis entimoi genōmetha. Pantes gar, phēsin hōs probata eplanēthēmen; anthrōpos tę̄ hodō autou eplanēthē; kai Kyrios paredōken auton tais hamartiais hēmōn; kai autos dia to kekakōsthai ouk anoigei to stoma. hōs probaton epi sphagēn ēchthē, kai hōs amnos enantion tou keirontos auton aphōnos, houtōs ouk anoigei to stoma autou; en tę̄ tapeinōsei autou hē krisis autou ērthē.
They say, then: “A man under a blow, and knowing how to bear weakness, for his face is turned away; he was dishonored and not esteemed. He bears our sins and suffers pain for us; and we esteemed him to be in toil and under a blow and in affliction. But he was wounded because of our sins and made weak because of our iniquities; the chastisement of our peace was upon him; by his bruise we were healed.” Marvel at the love of the Word for humankind, that he is dishonored for our sake so that we may be honored. “For all we,” it says, “like sheep have gone astray; man has gone astray in his way; and the Lord gave him up for our sins; and he, because he was afflicted, does not open his mouth. As a sheep he was led to the slaughter, and as a lamb before its shearer is dumb, so he does not open his mouth. In his humiliation his judgment was taken away.”
Isa 53:3 (quotation, high confidence) · Isa 53:4 (quotation, high confidence) · Isa 53:5 (quotation, high confidence) · Isa 53:6 (quotation, high confidence) · Isa 53:7 (quotation, high confidence) · Isa 53:8 (quotation, high confidence)
Notes and citation
Summary: Isaiah 53 foretells the Word's suffering for our sins, his dishonor for our honor.
- Isa 53:3–8 in the Septuagint wording.
Notes on the original text
- Digital text corrected (stray letter in the digital text): ἁρμαρτίας → ἁμαρτίας.
Topics: Christology, Scripture and canon
Cite (SBL): Athanasius, Inc. 34.2 (Robertson; trans. Sophia Scriptura, https://sophiascriptura.com/fathers/athanasius-incarnatione/23-1/#p-34-2).
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Translation: Translated by Claude from the Greek text of Robertson (1891); made independently of existing English translations and compared afterwards with NPNF² 4.
34.3Robertson
Εἶτα, ἵνα μή τις αὐτὸν κοινὸν ἄνθρωπον ἐκ τοῦ πάθους ὑπολάβῃ. προλαμβάνει τὰς ὑπονοίας τῶν ἀνθρώπων, καὶ τὴν ὑπὲρ αὐτοῦ δύναμιν, καὶ τὸ πρὸς ἡμᾶς ἀνόμοιον τῆς φύσεως διηγεῖται ἡ γραφὴ λέγουσα· Τῆν δὲ γενεὰν αὐτοῦ τίς διηγήσεται; ὅτι αἴρεται ἀπὸ τῆς γῆς ἡ ζωὴ αὐτοῦ. ἀπὸ τῶν ἀνομιῶν τοῦ λαοῦ ἤχθη εἰς θάνατον. καὶ δώσω τοὺς πονηροὺς ἀντὶ τῆς ταφῆς αὐτοῦ, καὶ τοὺς πλουσίους ἀντὶ τοῦ θανάτου αὐτοῦ· ὅτι ἀνομίαν οὐκ ἐποίησεν, οὐδὲ εὑρέθη δόλος ἐν τῷ στόματι αὐτοῦ. Καὶ Κύριος βούλεται καθαρίσαι αὐτὸν ἀπὸ τῆς πληγῆς.
Eita, hina mē tis auton koinon anthrōpon ek tou pathous hypolabę̄. prolambanei tas hyponoias tōn anthrōpōn, kai tēn hyper autou dynamin, kai to pros hēmas anomoion tēs physeōs diēgeitai hē graphē legousa; Tēn de genean autou tis diēgēsetai? hoti airetai apo tēs gēs hē zōē autou. apo tōn anomiōn tou laou ēchthē eis thanaton. kai dōsō tous ponērous anti tēs taphēs autou, kai tous plousious anti tou thanatou autou; hoti anomian ouk epoiēsen, oude heurethē dolos en tǭ stomati autou. Kai Kyrios bouletai katharisai auton apo tēs plēgēs.
Then, lest anyone should suppose from his suffering that he was an ordinary man, Scripture anticipates people's suspicions, and declares both his power beyond them and the unlikeness of his nature to ours, saying: “Who shall declare his generation? For his life is taken away from the earth. Because of the iniquities of the people he was led to death. And I will give the wicked in return for his burial, and the rich in return for his death; for he did no iniquity, nor was deceit found in his mouth. And the Lord wills to cleanse him from the blow.”
Isa 53:8 (quotation, high confidence) · Isa 53:9 (quotation, high confidence) · Isa 53:10 (quotation, high confidence)
Notes and citation
Summary: Isaiah 53:8–10 shows that the sufferer is no ordinary man, since his generation cannot be told.
- Isa 53:8–10 (Septuagint).
Notes on the original text
- Digital text corrected (misplaced accent in the digital text): ἵνᾷ μή → ἵνα μή.
Topics: Christology, Scripture and canon
Cite (SBL): Athanasius, Inc. 34.3 (Robertson; trans. Sophia Scriptura, https://sophiascriptura.com/fathers/athanasius-incarnatione/23-1/#p-34-3).
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Translation: Translated by Claude from the Greek text of Robertson (1891); made independently of existing English translations and compared afterwards with NPNF² 4.