# Oration I Against the Arians - Author: [Athanasius of Alexandria](https://sophiascriptura.com/fathers/authors/athanasius/) - Latin title: *Oratio I contra Arianos* - Date: ca. 339–346 (approximate) - Source: William Bright, ed., The Orations of St. Athanasius against the Arians (Oxford: Clarendon, 1884) (Greek text: William Bright, The Orations of St. Athanasius against the Arians (Oxford: Clarendon, 1884), digitized by the First Thousand Years of Greek project (Open Greek and Latin), CC BY-SA 4.0) - Translation: Claude, from the original text, unless a passage says otherwise; each passage below gives the translator - Editions and translations: Karin Metzler and Kyriakos Savvidis, eds., Athanasius Werke, vol. 1.1, Die drei grossen Reden gegen die Arianer (Berlin: de Gruyter, 1998) - Work page: https://sophiascriptura.com/fathers/athanasius-oratio-1/ - Passages: 64 ## Oration I Against the Arians 1 - URL: https://sophiascriptura.com/fathers/athanasius-oratio-1/1/#p-1 - Source: Bright, 1–2 - Translation: Claude (claude-opus-5-5), 2026-09-27 Summary: Athanasius explains that he writes, at his readers' request, to expose the Arian heresy, which disguises itself in the words of Scripture. ### Greek text 1. ἉΙ μὲν αἱρέσεις, ὅσαι τῆς ἀληθείας ἀπέστησαν, ἐπινοήσασαι μανίαν ἑαυταῖς φανεραὶ τυγχάνουσι, καὶ τούτων ἡ ἀσέβεια πάλαι πᾶσιν ἔκδηλος γέγονε. Τὸ γὰρ ‘ἐξελθεῖν ἀφʼ ἡμῶνʼ τοὺς ταῦτα ἐφευρόντας δῆλον ἂν εἴη, ὡς ἔγραψεν ὁ μακάριος Ἰωάννης, ὅτι τῶν τοιούτων οὔτε ἦν, οὔτε νῦν ἐστι ‘μεθʼ ἡμῶνʼ τὸ φρόνημα. Διὸ καὶ, ὡς εἶπεν ὁ Σωτὴρ, ‘μὴ συνάγοντες μεθʼ ἡμῶν, σκορπίζουσιʼ μετὰ τοῦ διαβόλου, παρατηρούμενοι τοὺς κοιμωμένους, ἵνα, τὸν ἴδιον ἰὸν τῆς ἀπωλείας ἐπισπείραντες, ἔχωσι τοὺς συναποθνήσκοντας ἑαυτοῖς. Ἐπειδὴ δὲ ἡ μία τῶν αἱρέσεων ἡ ἐσχάτη, καὶ νῦν ἐξελθοῦσα πρόδρομος τοῦʼ Ἀντιχρίστου, ἡ Ἀρειανὴ καλουμένη, δόλιος οὔσα καὶ πανοῦργος, βλέπουσα τὰς πρεσβυτέρας ἑαυτῆς ἀδελφὰς ἄλλας αἱρέσεις ἐκ φανεροῦ στηλιτευθείσας, ὑποκρίνεται περιβαλλομένη τὰς τῶν γραφῶν λέξεις, ὡς ὁ πατὴρ αὐτῆς ὁ διάβολος, καὶ βιάζεται πάλιν εἰσελθεῖν εἰς τὸν παράδεισον τῆς ἐκκλησίας, ἵνα, πλάσασα ἑαυτὴν ὡς Χριστιανὴν, ἀπατήσῃ τινὰς κατὰ Χριστοῦ φρονεῖν τῇ πιθανότητι τῶν παραλογισμῶν· (εὔλογον γὰρ οὐδὲν παρʼ αὐτῇ·) καὶ ἐπλάνησέ γε τῶν ἀφρόνων ἤδη τινὰς, ὥστε τούτους μὴ μόνον φθαρῆναι τῇ ἀκοῇ, ἀλλὰ καὶ λαβόντας κατὰ τὴν Εὔαν γεύσασθαι, καὶ λοιπὸν ἀγνοοῦντας νομίζειν ‘τὸ πικρὸν γλυκὺ, ʼκαὶ τὴν βδελυκτὴν αἵρεσιν ‘λέγειν καλήν·᾿ ἀναγκαῖον ἡγησάμην, προτραπεὶς παρʼ ὑμῶν, διελεῖν τὴν ‘πτύξιν τοῦ θώρακοςʼ τῆς μιαρᾶς αἱρέσεως ταύτης, καὶ δεῖξαι τὴν δυσωδίαν τῆς ἀφροσύνης αὐτῆς· ἵνα οἱ μὲν πόῤῥωθεν ὄντες αὐτῆς ἔτι φύγωσιν αὐτὴν, οἱ δʼ ἀπατηθέντες ἀπʼ αὐτῆς μεταγνῶσι, καὶ ἠνεῳγμένοις τοῖς ὀφθαλμοῖς τῆς καρδίας νοήσωσιν ὅτι, ὥσπερ τὸ σκότος οὐκ ἔστι φῶς, οὐδὲ τὸ ψεῦδος ἀλήθεια, οὕτως οὐδὲ ἡ Ἀρειανὴ αἵρεσίς ἐστι καλή. Ἀλλὰ καὶ οἱ τούτους καλοῦντες ‘Χριστιανοὺςʼ πολὺ καὶ λίαν πλανῶνται, ὡς μήτε τὰς γραφὰς ἀνεγνωκότες, μήτε ὅλως εἰδότες τὸν Χριστιανισμὸν καὶ τὴν ἐν αὐτῷ πίστιν. ### English translation (Claude) 1. The heresies that have departed from the truth, having devised a madness for themselves, are manifest, and their impiety has long been plain to all. For it is clear that those who invented these things “went out from us,” as the blessed John wrote, since the mind of such people neither was nor now is “with us.” Therefore also, as the Savior said, “not gathering with us, they scatter” with the devil, watching for those who sleep, so that by sowing their own poison of destruction they may have others to die with them. But one heresy, the last of the heresies, which has now gone out as the forerunner of the Antichrist, the one called Arian, is deceitful and crafty. Seeing its elder sisters, the other heresies, openly pilloried, it puts on a mask, clothing itself in the words of the Scriptures, as its father the devil does, and forces its way back into the paradise of the church, so that by pretending to be Christian it may deceive some, through the plausibility of its fallacies (for there is nothing reasonable in it), into thinking against Christ. And it has already led astray some of the foolish, so that they have not only been corrupted in their hearing but, like Eve, have taken and tasted, and now in their ignorance think “bitter sweet” and “call” the abominable heresy “good.” Therefore I have thought it necessary, at your urging, to rip open “the fold of the breastplate” of this foul heresy and to show the stench of its folly, so that those who are still far from it may flee it, and those deceived by it may repent, and, with the eyes of their heart opened, may understand that just as darkness is not light, nor falsehood truth, so neither is the Arian heresy good. And those who call these people “Christians” are greatly and utterly mistaken, as people who have neither read the Scriptures nor know at all what Christianity is and the faith that is in it. ### Scripture references - 1 John 2:19: quotation, high confidence - Matt 12:30: quotation, high confidence - John 8:44: allusion, medium confidence - Gen 3:6: allusion, high confidence - Isa 5:20: allusion, high confidence - Job 41:13 (41:5 LXX): allusion, medium confidence - Eph 1:18: echo, medium confidence ### Translation notes - The Arian heresy is the teaching of Arius, presbyter of Alexandria (d. 336), that the Son of God is a creature. Athanasius's polemic is translated as written. “The fold of the breastplate” is from the description of the sea monster in Job 41 (LXX). ### Citation (SBL) Athanasius, C. Ar. 1 (Bright, 1–2; trans. Sophia Scriptura, https://sophiascriptura.com/fathers/athanasius-oratio-1/1/#p-1). ## Oration I Against the Arians 2 - URL: https://sophiascriptura.com/fathers/athanasius-oratio-1/1/#p-2 - Source: Bright, 2–3 - Translation: Claude (claude-opus-5-5), 2026-09-27 Summary: Athanasius argues that the Arians, named after Arius as the Manichaeans are named after Mani, cannot be counted as Christians. ### Greek text 2. Τί γὰρ ὅμοιον ἑωρακότες τῆς αἱρέσεως πρὸς τὴν εὐσεβῆ πίστιν, φλυαροῦσιν ὡς μηδὲν κακὸν λεγόντων ἐκείνων; Τοῦτό ἐστιν ἀληθῶς καὶ τὸν Καϊάφαν αὐτοὺς εἰπεῖν Χριστιανὸν, καὶ τὸν προδότην Ἰούδαν ἔτι συναριθμεῖν τοῖς ἀποστόλοις, τούς τε τὸν Βαραβᾶν αἰτησαμένους ἀντὶ τοῦ Σωτῆρος, λέγειν μηδὲν κακὸν πεποιηκέναι· καὶ Ὑμέναιον δὲ καὶ Ἀλέξανδρον συνιστάνειν ὡς καλῶς φρονοῦντας, καὶ ψεύδεσθαι κατʼ αὐτῶν τὸν ἀπόστολον. Ἀλλʼ οὔτε ταῦτʼ ἂν ἀκοῦσαι Χριστιανὸς ἀνάσχοιτο, οὔτε τὸν τολμῶντα λέγειν τοῦτο ὑγιαίνειν ἄν τις τοῦτον ταῖς φρεσὶν ὑπολάβοι. Ἀντὶ γὰρ Χριστοῦ παρʼ αὐτοῖς Ἄρειος, ὡς παρὰ Mανιχαίοις Μανιχαῖος, ἀντὶ δὲ Μωϋσέως καὶ τῶν ἄλλων ἀγίων Σωτάδης τις ἐξεύρηται παρʼ αὐτοῖς ὁ καὶ παρʼ Ἔλλησι γελώμενος, καὶ ἡ θυγάτηρ Ἡρωδιάδος. Τοῦ μὲν γὰρ τὸ κεκλασμένον καὶ θηλυκὸν ἦθος μεμίμηται γράφων Ἄρειος καὶ αὐτὸς ‘ Θαλίας·’ τῆς δὲ τὴν ὄρχησιν ἐζήλωσεν ἐξορχούμενος καὶ παίζων ἐν ταῖς κατὰ τοῦ Σωτῆρος δυσφημίαις· ὥστε τοὺς ἐμπίπτοντας εἰς τὴν αἵρεσιν διαστρέφεσθαι μὲν τὸν νοῦν καὶ ἀφρονεῖν, ἀλλάσσειν ’ δὲ τὸ ὄνομα τοῦ Κυρίου τῆς δόξης ‘ ἐν ὁμοιώματι εἰκόνος φθαρτοῦ ἀνθρώπου, ʼ καὶ ἀντὶ ‘Κριστιανῶνʼ λοιπὸν ‘Ἀρειανοὺςʼ ὀνομάζεσθαι, τοῦτό τε τῆς ἀσεβείας ἔχειν τὸ γνώρισμα. Mὴ γὰρ προφασιζέσθωσαν, μηδὲ ὀνειδιζόμενοι καταψευδέσθωσαν κατὰ τῶν μὴ ὄντων ὡς εἰσὶν, οὕτω καλοῦντες καὶ αὐτοὶ τοὺς Χριστιανοὺς ἀπὸ τῶν διδασκάλων, ἵνα δόξωσι καὶ αὐτοὶ οὕτως καλεῖσθαι Χριστιανοί· μηδὲ αἰσχυνόμενοι τὸ ἐπονείδιστον ἑαυτῶν ὄνομα, παιζέτωσαν· εἰ δὲ αἰσχύνονται, ἐγκαλυπτέσθωσαν, ἢ ἀποπηδάτωσαν ἀπὸ τῆς ἑαυτῶν ἀσεβείας. Οὐδὲ πώποτε γὰρ λαὸς ἀπὸ τῶν οἰκείων ἐπισκόπων ἔσχε τὴν ἐπωνυμίαν, ἀλλʼ ἀπὸ τοῦ Κυρίου, εἰς ὃν καὶ τὴν πίστιν ἔχομεν· τῶν γοῦν μακαρίων ἀποστόλων διδασκάλων ἡμῶν γενομένων, καὶ διακονησάντων τὸ τοῦ Σωτῆρος εὐαγγέλιον, οὐκ ἐξ ἐκείνων ἐκλήθημεν, ἀλλʼ ἀπὸ τοῦ Κριστοῦ ‘Χριστιανοὶʼ καὶ ἐσμὲν, καὶ ὀνομαζόμεθα. Οἱ δὲ παρʼ ἑτέρων ἔχοντες τὴν ἀρχὴν ἧς νομίζουσι πίστεως, ἐκείνων εἰκότως ἔχουσι καὶ τὴν ἐπωνυμίαν, ὡς αὐτῶν γενόμενοι κτῆμα. ### English translation (Claude) 2. For what likeness have they seen between the heresy and the godly faith, that they babble as though those people say nothing bad? This is truly to call even Caiaphas a Christian, still to count the traitor Judas among the apostles, to say that those who asked for Barabbas instead of the Savior did nothing wrong, to commend Hymenaeus and Alexander as right-minded, and to say that the apostle lied about them. But a Christian would not bear to hear these things, nor would anyone suppose that the man who dares to say this is of sound mind. For with them Arius stands in the place of Christ, as Mani does with the Manichaeans; and in place of Moses and the other saints they have found a certain Sotades, who is laughed at even among the Greeks, and the daughter of Herodias. For Arius has imitated the broken and effeminate style of the one, himself writing a “Thalia”; and he has emulated the dancing of the other, dancing and making sport in his blasphemies against the Savior. So those who fall into the heresy are perverted in mind and become senseless, and they “change” the name of “the Lord of glory” “into the likeness of the image of corruptible man,” and are now called “Arians” instead of “Christians,” and have this as the mark of their impiety. Let them not make excuses, nor, when reproached, lie against those who are not what they are, by calling Christians too after their teachers, so that they themselves may seem to be called Christians in the same way. Nor let them make a joke of it because they are ashamed of their own disgraceful name. If they are ashamed, let them hide their faces, or let them leap away from their own impiety. For never has a people taken its name from its own bishops, but from the Lord, in whom we have our faith. Thus, although the blessed apostles became our teachers and ministered the Savior's gospel, we were not named after them; rather from Christ we both are and are named “Christians.” But those who have from others the origin of what they regard as faith rightly also have their name from them, having become their property. ### Scripture references - Matt 27:20: allusion, high confidence - 1 Tim 1:20: allusion, high confidence - 2 Tim 2:17: allusion, medium confidence - Mark 6:22: allusion, high confidence - 1 Cor 2:8: echo, medium confidence - Rom 1:23: quotation, high confidence ### Translation notes - Sotades was a Greek poet of the third century BC known for indecent verse in a loose meter; Athanasius compares the meter of Arius's “Thalia” (“Banquet”) to his. The daughter of Herodias is the dancer of Mark 6:22. ### Citation (SBL) Athanasius, C. Ar. 2 (Bright, 2–3; trans. Sophia Scriptura, https://sophiascriptura.com/fathers/athanasius-oratio-1/1/#p-2). ## Oration I Against the Arians 3 - URL: https://sophiascriptura.com/fathers/athanasius-oratio-1/1/#p-3 - Source: Bright, 3–4 - Translation: Claude (claude-opus-5-5), 2026-09-27 Summary: Athanasius shows from the history of heresies that sects take the name of their founders, while the church keeps the name of Christ. ### Greek text 3. Ἀμέλει πάντων ἡμῶν ἀπὸ τοῦ Χριστοῦ Χριστιανῶν ὄντων καὶ καλουμένων, ἐξεβλήθη πάλαι Μαρκίων αἵρεσιν ἐφευρών· καὶ οἱ μὲν παραμείναντες μετὰ τοῦ ἐκβαλόντος ἐκεῖνον ἔμειναν Χριστιανοί· οἱ δʼ ἀκολουθήσαντες Μαρκίωνι οὐκέτι μὲν Χριστιανοὶ, ‘Μαρκιωνισταὶʼ δὲ λοιπὸν ἐκλήθησαν. Οὕτω καὶ Οὐαλεντῖνος, καὶ Βασιλίδης, καὶ Μανιχαῖος, καὶ Σίμων ὁ μάγος τοῖς ἀκολουθήσασι μεταδεδώκασι τοῦ ἰδίου ὀνόματος· καὶ οἱ μὲν Ὁ Οὐαλεντινιανοὶ, ’ οἱ δὲ‘Βασιλιδιανοὶ, ’ οἱ δὲ ‘Μανιχαῖοι, ʼ κἀκεῖνοι ‘Σιμωνιανοὶ, ʼ καὶ ἄλλοι ‘κατὰ Φρύγαςʼ ἀπὸ Φρυγίας, καὶ ἀπὸ Νοουάτου ‘Νοουατιανοὶʼ προσαγορεύονται. Οὕτω καὶ Μελέτιος, ἐκβληθεὶς παρὰ Πέτρου τοῦ ἐπισκόπου καὶ μάρτυρος, οὐκέτι Χριστιανοὺς ἀλλὰ ‘ Μελιτιανοὺς ἐκάλεσε τοὺς ἰδίους· οὕτως ἄρα καὶ τοῦ μακαρίτου Ἀλεξάνδρου τὸν Ἄρειον ἐκβαλόντος, οἱ μὲν μετὰ Ἀλεξάνδρου μείναντες ἔμειναν Χριστιανοί· οἱ δὲ συνεξελθόντες Ἀρείῳ τὸ μὲν ὄνομα τοῦ Σωτῆρος ἡμῖν τοῖς μετὰ Ἀλεξάνδρου καταλελοίπασιν, ‘Ἀρειανοὶʼ δὲ λοιπὸν ἐκλήθησαν ἐκεῖνοι. Ἰδοὺ γοῦν καὶ μετὰ θάνατον τοῦ Ἀλεξάνδρου, οἱ κοινωνοῦντες τῷ διαδεξαμένῳ τοῦτον Ἀθανασίῳ, καὶ οἷς ὁ αὐτὸς Ἀθανάσιος κοινωνεῖ, τὸν αὐτὸν ἔχουσι τύπον· καὶ οὔτε ἐκείνων τὸ τούτου τινὲς ἔχουσιν ὄνομα, οὔτε αὐτὸς ἐξ ἐκείνων ὀνομάζεται, ἀλλὰ πάντες πάλιν καὶ συνήθως Χριστιανοὶ καλοῦνται. Κἂν γὰρ διδασκάλων διαδόχους ἔχωμεν, καὶ μαθηταὶ τούτων γινώμεθα, ἀλλά γε τὰ τοῦ Χριστοῦ παρʼ αὐτῶν διδασκόμενοι, Χριστιανοὶ οὐδὲν ἦττον ἐσμὲν καὶ καλούμεθα. Οἱ δέ γε τοῖς αἱρετικοῖς ἀκολουθοῦντες, κἂν μυρίους διαδόχους ἔχωσιν, ἀλλὰ πάντως τὸ ὄνομα τοῦ τὴν αἵρεσιν ἐφευρόντος φέρουσιν. Ἀμέλει τελευτήσαντος Ἀρείου, πολλῶν δὲ τῶν ἰδίων αὐτὸν διαδεξαμένων, ὅμως οἱ τὰ ἐκείνου φρονοῦντες ἐξ Ἀρείου γνωριζόμενοι ‘ Ἀρειανοὶ καλοῦνται. Καὶ θαυμαστόν γε τούτου τεκμήριον, οἱ μὲν ἐξ Ἑλλήνων καὶ νῦν εἰς τὴν ἐκκλησίαν ἐρχόμενοι, ἀφιέντες τὴν τῶν εἰδώλων δεισιδαιμονίαν, οὐ τῶν κατηχούντων λαμβάνουσι τὴν ἐπωνυμίαν, ἀλλὰ τὴν τοῦ Σωτῆρος, καὶ ἀντὶ Ἑλλήνων ἄρχονται ‘Κριστιανοὶʼ καλεῖσθαι· οἱ δὲ πρὸς ἐκείνους ἀπιόντες, ἢ ὅσοι δʼ ἂν ἀπὸ τῆς ἐκκλησίας πρὸς τὴν αἵρεσιν μεταβάλλονται, τὸ μὲν Χριστοῦ καταλιμπάνουσιν ὄνομα, καὶ λοιπὸν δὲ ‘Ἀρειανοὶʼ καλοῦνται, ὡς οὐκέτι τὴν Χριστοῦ πίστιν ἔχοντες, ἀλλὰ τῆς Ἀρείου γενόμενοι μανίας διάδοχοι. ### English translation (Claude) 3. Of course, since all of us are and are called Christians from Christ, Marcion was long ago cast out for inventing a heresy; those who remained with the one who cast him out remained Christians, but those who followed Marcion were no longer called Christians but thereafter “Marcionites.” So too Valentinus, Basilides, Mani, and Simon the magician have given their own names to their followers; some are called “Valentinians,” others “Basilidians,” others “Manichaeans,” others “Simonians,” others “Phrygians” from Phrygia, and from Novatus “Novatians.” So too Meletius, cast out by Peter, the bishop and martyr, no longer called his followers Christians but “Meletians.” In the same way, when Alexander of blessed memory cast out Arius, those who remained with Alexander remained Christians; but those who went out with Arius left the Savior's name to us who are with Alexander, and were thereafter called “Arians.” See, then: after Alexander's death too, those in communion with Athanasius, his successor, and those with whom this same Athanasius is in communion, keep the same pattern. None of them bears his name, nor is he named after them, but all are again, as usual, called Christians. For even though we have successors of teachers and become their disciples, yet because we are taught by them the things of Christ, we are and are called Christians none the less. But those who follow heretics, even if they have countless successors, still bear without fail the name of the one who invented the heresy. Of course, though Arius has died and many of his own people have succeeded him, those who hold his views are nevertheless known by Arius and called “Arians.” And there is a remarkable proof of this: those from the Greeks who even now come into the church, abandoning the superstition of idols, take the name not of their catechists but of the Savior, and begin to be called “Christians” instead of “Greeks”; but those who go off to the Arians, or whoever change from the church to the heresy, abandon the name of Christ and are thereafter called “Arians,” as no longer holding the faith of Christ but having become successors of Arius's madness. ### Translation notes - “Greeks” here means pagans. Athanasius writes of himself in the third person. Peter was bishop of Alexandria (d. 311); Alexander, his successor but one, excommunicated Arius. ### Citation (SBL) Athanasius, C. Ar. 3 (Bright, 3–4; trans. Sophia Scriptura, https://sophiascriptura.com/fathers/athanasius-oratio-1/1/#p-3). ## Oration I Against the Arians 4 - URL: https://sophiascriptura.com/fathers/athanasius-oratio-1/1/#p-4 - Source: Bright, 4–5 - Translation: Claude (claude-opus-5-5), 2026-09-27 Summary: Athanasius mocks Arius's “Thalia” as a drinking-song style poem and compares Arius's use of Scripture to the Pharisees' pretended piety. ### Greek text 4. Πῶς τοίνυν Χριστιανοὶ οἱ μὴ Χριστιανοὶ, ἀλλὰ Ἀρειομανῖται; ἢ πῶς τῆς καθολικῆς ἐκκλησίας εἰσὶν οἱ τὴν ἀποστολικὴν ἀποτιναξάμενοι πίστιν, καὶ καινῶν ‘κακῶν ἐφευρεταὶʼ γενόμενοι, οἱ τὰ μὲν τῶν θείων γραφῶν λόγια καταλείψαντες, τὰς δὲ ‘Θαλείας Ἀρείου σοφίαν καινὴν ὀνομάζοντες; εἰκότως τοῦτο λέγοντες, καινὴν γὰρ αἵρεσιν ἀπαγγέλλουσι. Διὸ καὶ θαυμάσειεν ἄν τις, ὅτι πολλὰ πολλῶν συντάγματα καὶ πλείστας ὁμιλίας εἴς γε τὴν παλαιὰν καὶ τὴν καινὴν γραψάντων, καὶ παρὰ μηδενὶ ‘ Θαλείας εὑρισκομένης, ἀλλὰ μηδὲ παρὰ τοῖς σπουδαίοις τῶν Ἑλλήνων, ἢ παρὰ μόνοις τοῖς ᾄδουσι τὰ τοιαῦτα παρὰ πότον μετὰ κρότου καὶ σκωμμάτων ἐν παιδιαῖς, ἕνεκεν τοῦ γελᾶσθαι παρʼ ἑτέρων, ὁ θαυμαστὸς Ἄρειος, οὐδὲν σεμνὸν μιμησάμενος, ἀλλὰ καὶ τὰ τῶν σπουδαίων ἀγνοήσας, πλεῖστά τε τῶν ἄλλων αἱρέσεων ὑποκλέψας, τὴν τοῦ Σωτάδου μόνου γελοιολογίαν ἐζήλωσε. Τί γὰρ ἔπρεπε ποιεῖν αὐτὸν, ἢ θέλοντα κατὰ τοῦ Σωτῆρος ὀρχήσασθαι, τὰ δύστηνα ἑαυτοῦ ῥημάτια τῆς ἀσεβείας ἐν ἐκλύτοις καὶ παρειμένοις μέλεσι σημαίνειν; ἵνʼ ὥσπερ ἡ Σοφία φησὶν, ‘Ἀπὸ ἐξόδου λόγου ἐπιγνωσθήσεται ἀνὴρ, ʼ οὕτως ἀπʼ ἐκείνων τὸ τῆς ψυχῆς μὴ ἀνδρῶδες, καὶ τῆς διανοίας ἡ φθορὰ τοῦ γράψαντος γινώσκηται. Καὶ γὰρ οὐδὲ ἔλαθεν ὁ δόλιος, ἀλλὰ καίτοι πολλάκις, ὡς ὁ ὄφις, ἄνω καὶ κάτω στρέφων ἑαυτὸν, ὅμως πέπτωκεν εἰς τὴν πλάνην τῶν Φαρισαίων. Ὡς γὰρ ἐκεῖνοι, θέλοντες παρανομεῖν, ἐσχηματίζοντο τὰ τοῦ νόμου μελετᾷν ῥήματα, καὶ θέλοντες ἀρνεῖσθαι τὸν προσδοκηθέντα καὶ παρόντα Κύριον, ὑπεκρίνοντο μὲν ὀνομάζειν τὸν Θεὸν, ἠλέγχοντο δὲ βλασφημοῦντες ἐν τῷ λέγειν, ‘Διὰ τί σὺ, ἄνθρωπος ὢν, Θεὸν σεαυτὸν ποιεῖς, καὶ λέγεις, “Ἐγὼ καὶ ὁ Πατὴρ ἕν ἐσμεν; ” οὕτω καὶ ὁ κίβδηλος καὶ Σωτάδειος Ἄρειος ὑποκρίνεται μὲν ὡς περὶ Θεοῦ λέγων, παρεντιθεὶς τὰς τῶν γραφῶν λέξεις, ἐλέγχεται δὲ πανταχόθεν Ἄρειος ἄθεος, ἀρνούμενος τὸν Υἱὸν, ʼ καὶ τοῖς ποιήμασιν αὐτὸν συναριθμῶν. ### English translation (Claude) 4. How then are they Christians who are not Christians but Ariomaniacs? Or how are they of the catholic church who have shaken off the apostolic faith and become “inventors of” new “evils,” who have abandoned the oracles of the divine Scriptures and call Arius's “Thalia” a new wisdom? They say this with reason, for they are proclaiming a new heresy. So one might well be astonished. Many have written many treatises and a great many homilies on the Old and the New Testaments, and a “Thalia” is found with none of them, not even among the serious writers of the Greeks, but only among those who sing such songs over their wine, with clapping and jokes, in their amusements, to make others laugh. Yet the admirable Arius, imitating nothing dignified and not even knowing what serious writers do, stole most of his ideas from the other heresies and emulated the buffoonery of Sotades alone. For what else was fitting for him, when he wished to dance against the Savior, than to set out his miserable little phrases of impiety in loose and slack meters? So that, as Wisdom says, “A man will be known from the utterance of his word,” so from these the unmanliness of the writer's soul and the corruption of his mind may be known. Indeed the crafty man did not escape notice; though he often twisted himself up and down like the serpent, he nevertheless fell into the error of the Pharisees. For they, wishing to break the law, pretended to study the words of the law; and wishing to deny the Lord who had been expected and was present, they pretended to name God, but were convicted of blasphemy when they said, “Why do you, being a man, make yourself God, and say, ‘I and the Father are one’?” So also the counterfeit and Sotadean Arius pretends to speak about God, inserting the words of the Scriptures, but he is convicted on every side as godless Arius, who denies the Son and counts him among the works. ### Scripture references - Rom 1:30: allusion, high confidence - John 10:33: quotation, high confidence - John 10:30: quotation, high confidence - 1 John 2:23: echo, medium confidence ### Extrabiblical texts - Sir 19:29 (Sirach): allusion, low confidence ### Translation notes - “A man will be known from the utterance of his word” is attributed to “Wisdom,” i.e. a sapiential book; it appears to adapt Sir 19:29 (“A man is known from his appearance”), but the source is uncertain. “Works” (ποιήματα) means things made, i.e. creatures. ### Citation (SBL) Athanasius, C. Ar. 4 (Bright, 4–5; trans. Sophia Scriptura, https://sophiascriptura.com/fathers/athanasius-oratio-1/1/#p-4). ## Oration I Against the Arians 5 - URL: https://sophiascriptura.com/fathers/athanasius-oratio-1/1/#p-5 - Source: Bright, 5–6 - Translation: Claude (claude-opus-5-5), 2026-09-27 Summary: Athanasius quotes the opening of Arius's “Thalia” and its main claims: the Son was not always, came to be from nothing, and is changeable by nature. ### Greek text 5. Ἡ μὲν οὖν ἀρχὴ τῆς Ἀρειανῆς ‘Θαλείαςʼ καὶ κουφολογίας, ἦθος ἔχουσα καὶ μέλος θηλυκὸν, αὕτη· ‘Κατὰ πίστιν ἐκλεκτῶν Θεοῦ, συνετῶν Θεοῦ, παίδων ἁγίων, ὀρθοτόμων, ἅγιον Θεοῦ πνεῦμα λαβόντων, τάδε ἔμαθον ἔγωγε ὑπὸ τῶν σοφίας μετεχόντων, ἀστείων, θεοδιδάκτων, κατὰ πάντα σοφῶν τε. Τούτων κατʼ ἴχνος ἦλθον ἐγὼ βαίνων ὁμοδόξως ὁ περικλυτὸς, ὁ πολλὰ παθὼν διὰ τὴν Θεοῦ δόξαν, ὑπό τε Θεοῦ μαθὼν σοφίαν καὶ γνῶσιν ἐγὼ ἔγνων Τὰ δὲ ἐν αὐτῇ κροτούμενα παρʼ αὐτοῦ σκώμματα φευκτὰ καὶ μεστὰ δυσσεβείας τοιαῦτά ἐστιν. ‘Οὐκ ἀεὶ ὁ Θεὸς Πατὴρ ἦν· ἀλλʼ ἦν ὅτε ὁ Θεὸς μόνος ἦν, καὶ οὔπω Πατὴρ ἦν· ὕστερον δὲ ἐπιγέγονε Πατήρ. Οὐκ ἀεὶ ἦν ὁ Υἱός· πάντων γὰρ γενομένων ἐξ οὐκ ὄντων, καὶ πάντων ὄντων κτισμάτων καὶ ποιημάτων γενομένων, καὶ αὐτὸς ὁ τοῦ Θεοῦ Λόγος ἐξ οὐκ ὄντων γέγονε, καὶ ἦν ποτε ὅτε οὐκ ἦν· καὶ οὐκ ἦν πρὶν γένηται, ἀλλʼ ἀρχὴν τοῦ κτίζεσθαι ἔσχε καὶ αὐτός. Ἦν γὰρ, φησὶ, ‘μόνος ὁ Θεὸς, καὶ οὔπω ἦν ὁ Λόγος καὶ ἡ σοφία. Εἶτα θελήσας ἡμᾶς δημιουργῆσαι, τότε δὴ πεποίηκεν ἕνα τινὰ, καὶ ὠνόμασεν αὐτὸν Λόγον καὶ Σοφίαν καὶ Υἱὸν, ἵνα ἡμᾶς διʼ αὐτοῦ δημιουργήσῃ. Δύο γοῦν σοφίας, φησὶν, ‘εἶναι, μίαν μὲν τὴν ἰδίαν καὶ συνυπάρχουσαν τῷ Θεῷ, τὸν δὲ Υἱὸν ἐν ταύτῃ τῇ σοφίᾳ γεγενῆσθαι, καὶ ταύτης μετέχοντα ὠνομάσθαι μόνον σοφίαν καὶ λόγον. Ἡ σοφία γὰρ, ᾿ φησὶ, ‘ τῇ σοφίᾳ ὑπῆρξε σοφοῦ Θεοῦ θελήσει·᾿ Οὕτω καὶ ‘ Λόγον ἕτερον εἶναι, ʼ λέγει, ‘ παρὰ τὸν Υἱὸν ἐν τῷ Θεῷ, καὶ τούτου μετέχοντα τὸν Υἱὸν ὠνομάσθαι πάλιν κατὰ χάριν Λόγον καὶ Υἱὸν αὐτόν, ᾿ Ἔστι δὲ καὶ τοῦτο τῆς αἱρέσεως αὐτῶν ἴδιον φρόνημα, δηλούμενον ἐν ἑτέροις αὐτῶν συγγράμμασιν, ὅτι ‘ πολλαὶ δυνάμεις εἰσί· καὶ ἡ μὲν μία τοῦ Θεοῦ ἐστιν ἰδία φύσει καὶ ἀΐδιος· ὁ δὲ Χριστὸς πάλιν οὐκ ἔστιν ἀληθινὴ δύναμις τοῦ Θεοῦ, ἀλλὰ μία τῶν λεγομένων δυνάμεών ἐστι καὶ αὐτὸς, ὧν μία καὶ “ ἡ ἀκρὶς καὶ ἡ κάμπη” οὐ “δύναμις” μόνον, ἀλλὰ καὶ “μεγάλη” προσαγορεύεται· αἱ δʼ ἄλλαι πολλαὶ καὶ ὅμοιαί εἰσι τῷ Υίῷ, περὶ ὧν καὶ Δαβὶδ ψάλλει λέγων, “ Κύριος τῶν δυνάμεων.” Καὶ τῇ μὲν φύσει, ὥσπερ πάντες, οὕτω καὶ αὐτὸς ὁ Λόγος ἐστὶ τρεπτὸς, τῷ δὲ ἰδίῳ αὐτεξουσίῳ, ἕως βούλεται, μένει καλός· ὅτε μέντοι θέλει, δύναται τρέπεσθαι καὶ αὐτὸς ὥσπερ καὶ ἡμεῖς, τρεπτῆς ὢν φύσεως. Διὰ τοῦτο γὰρ, φησὶ, καὶ προγινώσκων ὁ Θεὸς ἔσεσθαι καλὸν αὐτὸν, προλαβῶν αὐτῷ ταύτην τὴν δόξαν δέδωκεν, ἣν ἄνθρωπος καὶ ἐκ τῆς ἀρετῆς ἔσχε μετὰ ταῦτα· ὥστε ἐξ ἔργων αὐτοῦ, ὧν προέγνω ὁ Θεὸς, τοιοῦτον αὐτὸν νῦν γεγονέναι πεποίηκε.᾿ ### English translation (Claude) 5. The beginning, then, of Arius's “Thalia” and frivolity, with its effeminate style and meter, is this: “According to the faith of God's elect, God's wise ones, holy children, rightly dividing, who received God's Holy Spirit, these things I have learned from those who share in wisdom, the refined, taught by God, and wise in all things. In their footsteps I have come, walking with like opinion, I, the renowned, who have suffered much for God's glory; and having learned wisdom from God, I have come to know knowledge.” And the jests he rattles off in it, to be shunned and full of impiety, are of this kind: “God was not always Father; but there was a time when God was alone and was not yet Father; later he became Father. The Son was not always; for since all things came to be from nothing, and all things are creatures and works that have come to be, the Word of God himself also came to be from nothing, and ‘there was once when he was not’; and ‘he was not before he came to be,’ but he too had a beginning of being created.” “For God,” he says, “was alone, and the Word and Wisdom did not yet exist. Then, wishing to fashion us, he then made a certain one and named him Word and Wisdom and Son, so that he might fashion us through him.” So he says that there are two wisdoms: “one God's own, existing with God; and the Son came to be in this wisdom, and because he shares in it he was named only Wisdom and Word. For Wisdom,” he says, “came to exist by wisdom, by the will of the wise God.” So too he says that “there is another Word in God besides the Son, and because the Son shares in this, he in turn has been named Word and Son by grace.” This too is a view peculiar to their heresy, shown in other writings of theirs, that “there are many powers; one is God's own by nature and eternal; but Christ, again, is not the true power of God, but he too is one of the so-called powers, one of which, ‘the locust and the caterpillar,’ is called not only ‘power’ but ‘great’; and the others are many and like the Son, about which David also sings, saying, ‘The Lord of the powers.’ And by nature, like all things, the Word himself is changeable, but by his own free will, as long as he wishes, he remains good; when he wishes, however, he too can change, just as we can, being of a changeable nature. For this reason,” he says, “God, foreknowing that he would be good, gave him in advance this glory, which he would afterwards have as man, from his virtue; so that from his works, which God foreknew, God has made him to have become such as he now is.” ### Scripture references - Titus 1:1: echo, medium confidence - 2 Tim 2:15: echo, medium confidence - Joel 2:25: allusion, high confidence - Ps 24:10 (23:10 LXX): quotation, medium confidence - 1 Cor 1:24: allusion, medium confidence ### Translation notes - Most of what we know of Arius's “Thalia” comes from Athanasius's quotations and paraphrases here and in On the Synods 15; how exactly he reproduces or summarizes Arius is disputed. “There was once when he was not” (ἦν ποτε ὅτε οὐκ ἦν) is the Arian slogan condemned at Nicaea. “Creatures” renders κτίσματα, “works” ποιήματα. “The locust and the caterpillar” are called God's “great power” in Joel 2:25 (LXX); “the Lord of the powers” is “the Lord of hosts” (Ps 24:10; LXX 23:10). ### Citation (SBL) Athanasius, C. Ar. 5 (Bright, 5–6; trans. Sophia Scriptura, https://sophiascriptura.com/fathers/athanasius-oratio-1/1/#p-5). ## Oration I Against the Arians 6 - URL: https://sophiascriptura.com/fathers/athanasius-oratio-1/1/#p-6 - Source: Bright, 6 - Translation: Claude (claude-opus-5-5), 2026-09-27 Summary: Athanasius continues quoting Arius: the Word is not true God, does not know the Father or his own substance, and is unlike the Father and the Spirit. ### Greek text 6. Εἰπεῖν δὲ πάλιν ἐτόλμησεν ὅτι οὐδὲ Θεὸς ἀληθινός ἐστιν ὁ Λόγος. Εἰ δὲ καὶ λέγεται Θεὸς, ἀλλʼ οὐκ ἀληθινός ἐστιν· ἀλλὰ μετοχῇ χάριτος, ὥσπερ καὶ οἱ ἄλλοι πάντες, οὕτω καὶ αὐτὸς λέγεται ὀνόματι μόνον Θεός. Καὶ πάντων ξένων καὶ ἀνομοίων ὄντων τοῦ Θεοῦ κατʼ οὐσίαν, οὕτω καὶ ὁ Λόγος ἀλλότριος μὲν καὶ ἀνόμοιος κατὰ πάντα τῆς τοῦ Πατρὸς οὐσίας καὶ ἰδιότητός ἐστι, τῶν δὲ γενητῶν καὶ κτισμάτων ἴδιος καὶ εἴς αὐτῶν τυγχάνει.’ Μετὰ τούτων δὲ, ὥσπερ καὶ διάδοχος τῆς προπετείας τοῦ διαβόλου γενόμενος, ἔθηκεν ἐν τῆ ‘ Θαλείᾳʼ ὡς ἄρα ‘ καὶ τῷ Υίῷ ὁ Πατὴρ ἀόρατος ὑπάρχει, καὶ οὔτε ὁρᾶν οὔτε γινώσκειν τελείως καὶ ἀκριβῶς δύναται ὁ Λόγος τὸν ἑαυτοῦ Πατέρα· ἀλλὰ καὶ ὃ γινώσκει καὶ ὃ βλέπει, ἀναλόγως τοῖς ἰδίοις μέτροις οἶδε καὶ βλέπει, ὥσπερ καὶ ἡμεῖς γινώσκομεν κατὰ τὴν ἰδίαν δύναμιν. Καὶ γὰρ καὶ ὁ Υἱὸςʼ, φησὶν, ‘ οὐ μόνον τὸν Πατέρα ἀκριβῶς οὐ γινώσκει, λείπει γὰρ αὐτῷ εἰς τὸ καταλαβεῖν· ἀλλὰ καὶ αὐτὸς ὁ Υἱὸς τὴν ἑαυτοῦ οὐσίαν οὐκ οἶδε· καὶ ὅτι μεμερισμέναι τῇ φύσει, καὶ ἀπεξενωμέναι καὶ ἀπεσχοινισμέναι καὶ ἀλλότριοι καὶ ἀμέτοχοί εἰσιν ἀλλήλων αἱ οὐσίαι τοῦ Πατρὸς καὶ τοῦ Υίοῦ καὶ τοῦ ἁγίου Πνεύματος, ʼ καὶ, ὡς αὐτὸς ἐφθέγξατο, ‘ ἀνόμοιοι πάμπαν ἀλλήλων ταῖς τε οὐσίαις καὶ δόξαις εἰσὶν ἐπʼ ἄπειρον. Τὸν γοῦν Λόγον φησὶν εἰς ὁμοιότητα δόξης καὶ οὐσίας ἀλλότριον εἶναι παντελῶς ἑκατέρων τοῦ τε Πατρὸς καὶ τοῦ ἁγίου Πνεύματος·᾿ τούτοις γὰρ ἐφθέγξατο τοῖς ῥήμασιν ὁ ἀσεβής· καὶ διῃρημένον δὲ εἶναι καθʼ ἑαυτὸν, καὶ ἀμέτοχον κατὰ πάντα τοῦ Πατρὸς τὸν Υἱὸν ἔφησε. Ταῦτα μέρη τῶν ἐν τῷ γελοίῳ συγγράμματι κειμένων μυθιδίων ἐστὶν Ἀρείου. ### English translation (Claude) 6. Again, he dared to say that “the Word is not even true God. Even if he is called God, he is not true God; but by participation in grace, like all the others, so he too is called God in name only. And as all things are foreign to God and unlike him in substance, so the Word too is alien to and unlike the Father's substance and property in every respect, but belongs to the things that are originated and created and is one of them.” After this, as if he had become heir to the devil's recklessness, he set down in the “Thalia” that “even to the Son the Father is invisible, and the Word can neither see nor know his own Father perfectly and exactly; but what he knows and what he sees, he knows and sees in proportion to his own measures, just as we too know according to our own capacity. For the Son,” he says, “not only does not know the Father exactly, for he falls short of comprehending him, but the Son does not even know his own substance; and the substances of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit are by nature divided, estranged, cut off, alien, and without share in one another”; and, as he himself put it, “they are utterly unlike one another in substances and glories, to infinity. So the Word,” he says, “as regards likeness of glory and substance, is entirely alien to both, the Father and the Holy Spirit.” For in these words the impious man spoke; and he said that the Son is divided off by himself and in every respect without share in the Father. These are parts of the fables of Arius set down in that ridiculous composition. ### Translation notes - “Substance” renders οὐσία throughout, the word for what a thing is; some translators prefer “being” or “essence.” “Originated” renders γενητός (having come into being). ### Citation (SBL) Athanasius, C. Ar. 6 (Bright, 6; trans. Sophia Scriptura, https://sophiascriptura.com/fathers/athanasius-oratio-1/1/#p-6). ## Oration I Against the Arians 7 - URL: https://sophiascriptura.com/fathers/athanasius-oratio-1/1/#p-7 - Source: Bright, 6–7 - Translation: Claude (claude-opus-5-5), 2026-09-27 Summary: Athanasius says that Arius's blasphemies should horrify all, recalls his condemnation at Nicaea, and proposes to question those who think the heresy harmless. ### Greek text 7. Τίς τοίνυν, τῶν τοιούτων καὶ τοῦ μέλους τῆς ‘ Θαλείαςʼ ἀκούσας, οὐ μισήσειεν ἐν δίκῃ παίζοντα τὸν Ἄρειον ὡς ἐπὶ σκηνῆς περὶ τοιούτων; τίς οὐ θεωρεῖ τοῦτον, διὰ τοῦ δοκεῖν ὀνομάζειν Θεὸν καὶ περὶ Θεοῦ λέγειν, ὡς τὸν ὄφιν συμβουλεύοντα τῇ γυναικί; τίς δὲ, τοῖς ἑξῆς ἐντυγχάνων, οὐ βλέπει τὴν ἀσέβειαν αὐτοῦ ὥσπερ καὶ τοῦ ὄφεως τὴν μετὰ ταῦτα πλάνην, εἰς ἣν παρήγαγε σοφισάμενος τὴν γυναῖκα; τίς ἐπὶ ταῖς τοιαύταις βλασφημίαις οὐκ ἐξίσταται; Ὁ μὲν οὖν ‘ οὐρανὸς, ʼ ὡς ὁ προφήτης φησὶν, ‘ἐξέστη, καὶ ἡ γῇ ἔφριξενʼ ἐπὶ τῇ παραβάσει τοῦ νόμου· ὁ δὲ ἥλιος πλέον ἀγανακτῶν, καὶ μὴ φέρων τότε τὰς κατὰ τοῦ κοινοῦ πάντων ἡμῶν Δεσπότου γενομένας σωματικὰς ὕβρεις, ἃς ἑκὼν αὐτὸς ὑπὲρ ἡμῶν ὑπέμεινεν, ἀπεστράφη, καὶ τὰς ἀκτῖνας συστείλας, τὴν ἡμέραν ἐκείνην ἀνήλιον ἔδειξεν· ἐπὶ δὲ ταῖς Ἀρείου βλασφημίαις πῶς οὐ πᾶσα τῶν ἀνθρώπων ἡ φύσις ἀφασίᾳ πληγήσεται, καὶ κλείσει μὲν τὰς ἀκοὰς, καμμύσει δὲ τοὺς ὀφθαλμοὺς, ἵνα μήτε ἀκοῦσαι τοιούτων, μήτʼ ἰδεῖν τὸν ταῦτα γράψαντα δυνηθῇ; ὁ δὲ Κύριος αὐτὸς πῶς οὐ μᾶλλον δικαίως κατὰ τούτων, ὡς ἀσεβῶν, ἀλλὰ καὶ ἀχαρίστων βοήσει, ἃ καὶ διὰ τοῦ προφήτου Ὠσηὲ προείρηκεν, ‘Οὐαὶ αὐτοῖς, ὅτι ἀπεπήδησαν ἀπʼ ἐμοῦ· δείλαιοί εἰσιν, ὅτι ἠσέβησαν εἰς ἐμέ· ἐγὼ δὲ ἐλυτρωσάμην αὐτοὺς, αὐτοὶ δὲ κατελάλησαν κατʼ ἐμοῦ ψευδῆ·᾿ καὶ μετʼ ὀλίγα, ‘καὶ εἰς ἐμὲ ἐλογίσαντο πονηρὰ, ἀπεστράφησαν εἰς οὐδέν;᾿ Τὸν γὰρ ὄντα τοῦ Θεοῦ Λόγον ἀποστραφέντες, πλάσαντες δὲ ἑαυτοῖς τὸν οὐκ ὄντα, εἰς τὸ μηδὲν πεπτώκασι. Διὰ τοῦτο γὰρ καὶ ἡ οἰκουμενικὴ σύνοδος ταῦτα λέγοντα τὸν Ἀρειον ἐξέβαλε τῆς ἐκκλησίας καὶ ἀνεθεμάτισεν, οὐ φέρουσα τὴν ἀσέβειαν· καὶ λοιπὸν αἵρεσις ἐλογίσθη ἡ Ἀρείου πλάνη ἔχουσά τι πλέον τῶν ἄλλων αἱρέσεων, ὅτι καὶ Χριστομάχος ἐκλήθη, καὶ πρόδρομος ἐλογίσθη τοῦʼ Ἀντιχρίστου. Εἰ καὶ τὰ μάλιστα τοίνυν, ὡς προεῖπον, αὐτάρκης ἡ τοσαύτη κρίσις κατὰ τῆς ἀσεβοῦς αἱρέσεως πεῖσαι πάντας φεύγειν ἀπʼ αὐτῆς· ὅμως, ἐπειδή τινες τῶν λεγομένων Χριστιανῶν, ἢ ἀγνοοῦντες, ἢ ὑποκρινόμενοι, καθάπερ εἴρηται πρόσθεν, ἀδιάφορον πρὸς τὴν ἀλήθειαν ἡγοῦνται τὴν αἵρεσιν, καὶ τοὺς ταῦτα φρονοῦντας Χριστιανοὺς ὀνομάζουσι, φέρε κατὰ δύναμιν ἐρωτῶντες αὐτοὺς, ἀποκαλύψωμεν τὴν πανουργίαν τῆς αἱρέσεως. Τάχα κἂν οὕτω συμποδισθέντες ἐπιστομισθῶσι, καὶ φύγωσιν ἀπʼ αὐτῆς ‘ὡς ἀπὸ προσώπου ὄφεως. ᾿ ### English translation (Claude) 7. Who, then, hearing such things and the meter of the “Thalia,” would not rightly hate Arius, jesting about such matters as if on a stage? Who does not see him, by seeming to name God and speak about God, as the serpent counselling the woman? Who, reading what follows, does not see his impiety, as also the error into which the serpent afterwards led the woman by his cunning? Who is not astounded at such blasphemies? “Heaven,” as the prophet says, “was astonished, and the earth shuddered” at the transgression of the law; and the sun, more indignant still, not bearing the bodily outrages then done to the common Master of us all, which he willingly endured for us, turned away, drew in its rays, and made that day sunless. Then at the blasphemies of Arius, how will not all human nature be struck dumb, stop its ears and shut its eyes, so as to be able neither to hear such things nor to see the one who wrote them? And how will not the Lord himself cry out more justly against these men, as impious and ungrateful too, what he foretold through the prophet Hosea: “Woe to them, for they have leapt away from me; they are wretched, for they have acted impiously toward me; I redeemed them, but they spoke lies against me”; and a little later, “And they devised evil things against me; they turned away to nothing”? For having turned away from the Word of God who is, and fashioning for themselves one who is not, they have fallen into nothing. It was for this reason that the ecumenical council cast Arius out of the church for saying these things and anathematized him, not enduring his impiety; and from then on Arius's error was reckoned a heresy with something more than the other heresies, in that it was called Christ-fighting and was reckoned a forerunner of the Antichrist. Although, then, as I said before, so great a judgment is of itself fully sufficient to persuade all to flee from the impious heresy, yet since some of those called Christians, either from ignorance or from pretense, as was said before, consider the heresy no different from the truth and call those who hold these views Christians, come, let us question them as far as we can and uncover the heresy's craftiness. Perhaps, tied up in this way, they will be muzzled and flee from it “as from the face of a serpent.” ### Scripture references - Gen 3:1: allusion, high confidence - Jer 2:12: quotation, high confidence - Matt 27:45: allusion, high confidence - Hos 7:13: quotation, high confidence - Hos 7:15: quotation, high confidence ### Extrabiblical texts - Sir 21:2 (Sirach): quotation, high confidence ### Translation notes - “The ecumenical council” is the Council of Nicaea (325). “As from the face of a serpent” is from Sir 21:2. ### Citation (SBL) Athanasius, C. Ar. 7 (Bright, 6–7; trans. Sophia Scriptura, https://sophiascriptura.com/fathers/athanasius-oratio-1/1/#p-7). ## Oration I Against the Arians 8 - URL: https://sophiascriptura.com/fathers/athanasius-oratio-1/1/#p-8 - Source: Bright, 8–9 - Translation: Claude (claude-opus-5-5), 2026-09-27 Summary: Athanasius argues that quoting Scripture does not make Arius orthodox, since the devil too uses Scripture, and that his teaching is new and not from the fathers. ### Greek text 8. Εἰ μὲν οὖν, διὰ τὸ λέξεις τινὰς τῆς θείας γραφῆς ἐν τῇ ‘Θαλείᾳʼ γράψαι, νομίζουσι καὶ τὰς βλασφημίας εὐφημίας εἶναι, πάντως που καὶ τοὺς νῦνʼ ᾿Ιουδαίους ὁρῶντες ἀναγινώσκοντας τὸν νόμον καὶ τοὺς προφήτας, ἀρνήσονται καὶ αὐτοὶ διὰ τοῦτο σὺν ἐκείνοις τὸν Χριστόν· ἀκούοντες δὲ τάχα καὶ Mανιχαίων λεγόντων μέρη τινὰ τῶν εὐαγγελίων, ἀρνήσονται σὺν αὐτοῖς τὸν νόμον καὶ τοὺς προφήτας. Εἰ δὲ ἀγνοοῦντες οὕτω χειμάζονται καὶ τοιαῦτα βαττολογοῦσι, μαθέτωσαν ἀπὸ τῶν γραφῶν ὅτι καὶ ὁ τὰς αἱρέσεις ἐπινοήσας διάβολος διὰ τὴν ἰδίαν τῆς κακίας δυσωδίαν κίχραται τὰς λέξεις τῶν γραφῶν, ἵνα, αὐτὰς ἔχων ἐπικάλυμμα, τὸν ἴδιον ἰὸν ἐπισπείρας, ἀπατήσῃ τοὺς ἀκεραίους. Οὕτω τὴν Εὕαν ἠπάτησεν· οὕτω καὶ τὰς ἄλλας αἱρέσεις ἔπλασε· οὕτω καὶ νῦν Ἀρειον ἔπεισεν εἰπεῖν καὶ σχηματίσασθαι δῆθεν κατὰ τῶν αἱρέσεων, ἵνα λάθῃ τὴν ἰδίαν ἐπιβάλλων αἵρεσιν. Καὶ ὅμως οὐκ ἔλαθεν οὐδὲ οὕτως ὁ πανοῦργοςʼ εἰς γὰρ τὸν τοῦ Θεοῦ Λόγον ἀσεβήσας, πάντων εὐθὺς ἐξέπεσε, καὶ δέδεικται πᾶσιν ὅτι καὶ περὶ τῶν ἄλλων ἠγνόησε, καὶ μηδὲν ὅλως ἀληθὲς φρονῶν ὑποκρίνεται. Πῶς γὰρ ἂν ἀληθεύσῃ περὶ τοῦ Πατρὸς ὁ τὸν Υἱὸν ἀρνούμενος, τὸν ἀποκαλύπτοντα περὶ αὐτοῦ; ἢ πῶς περὶ τοῦ Πνεύματος ὀρθὰ φρονήσει, δυσφημῶν εἰς τὸν τοῦτο χορηγοῦντα Λόγον; τίς δὲ πιστεύσει λέγοντι τούτῳ περὶ ἀναστάσεως, ἀρνουμένῳ τὸν ‘ ἐκ νεκρῶνʼ διʼ ἡμᾶς ‘πρωτότοκονʼγενόμενον Χριστόν; πῶς δὲ οὐκ, ἄντικρυς ἀγνοήσας τὴν ἐκ Πατρὸς τοῦ Υἱοῦ γνησίαν καὶ ἀληθινὴν γέννησιν, πλανηθήσεται καὶ περὶ τῆς ἐνσάρκου παρουσίας αὐτοῦ; Οὕτω γὰρ καὶ οἱ τότε Ἰουδαῖοι, ἀρνησάμενοι τὸν Λόγον, καὶ λέγοντες, ‘Οὐκ ἔχομεν βασιλέα εἰ μὴ Καίσαρα, ʼ πάντων ἀθρόως ἀφῃρέθησαν, καὶ γεγόνασιν ἔρημοι φωτὸς λύχνου, ὀσμῆς μύρου, προφητείας γνώσεως, καὶ αὐτῆς τῆς ἀληθείας· καὶ νῦν οὐδὲν συνιέντες, ὡς ἐν σκότῳ περιπατοῦντές εἰσι. Τίς γὰρ ἤκουσε πώποτε τοιαῦτα; ἢ πόθεν ἢ παρὰ τίνος οἱ κόλακες καὶ δωροδόκοι τῆς αἱρέσεως ἤκουσαν τοιαῦτα; τίς, ὅτε κατηχοῦντο, τοιαῦτα λελάληκεν αὐτοῖς; τίς αὐτοῖς εἴρηκεν ὅτι, ‘τὴν εἰς τὴν κτίσιν λατρείαν ἀφέντες, κτίσματι καὶ ποιήματι πάλιν προσέρχεσθε λατρεύειν;᾿ Εἰ δὲ καὶ αὐτοὶ πρῶτον νῦν ὁμολογοῦσιν ἀκηκοέναι τὰ τοιαῦτα, μὴ ἀρνείσθωσαν ἀλλοτρίαν καὶ μὴ ἐκ πατέρων εἶναι τὴν αἵρεσιν ταύτην. Τὸ δὲ μὴ ἐκ πατέρων, ἀλλὰ νῦν ἐφευρεθὲν, τί ἂν εἴη ἕτερον ἢ περὶ οὗ προείρηκεν ὁ μακάριος Παῦλος· ‘ Ἐν ὑστέροις καιροῖς ἀποστήσονταί τινες τῆς ὑγιαινούσης πίστεως, προσέχοντες πνεύμασι πλάνης καὶ διδασκαλίαις δαιμονίων, ἐν ὑποκρίσει ψευδολόγων, κεκαυτηριασμένων τὴν ἰδίαν συνείδησιν, ᾿ καὶ ‘ἀποστρεφομένων τὴν ἀλήθειαν.᾿ ### English translation (Claude) 8. If, then, because he wrote certain words of divine Scripture in the “Thalia,” they think that his blasphemies are words of praise, then surely, when they see the Jews of today reading the law and the prophets, they too will for that reason deny Christ with them; and perhaps, when they hear the Manichaeans quoting some parts of the Gospels, they will deny the law and the prophets with them. But if they are so tossed about and babble such things out of ignorance, let them learn from the Scriptures that the devil too, the inventor of the heresies, because of the stench of his own wickedness, borrows the words of the Scriptures, so that, having them as a covering and sowing his own poison, he may deceive the simple. So he deceived Eve; so he fashioned the other heresies; so now too he persuaded Arius to speak and to make a show, supposedly, of opposing the heresies, so that he might introduce his own heresy unnoticed. Yet not even so did the crafty one escape notice. For having acted impiously toward the Word of God, he at once fell away from everything, and it has been shown to all that he was ignorant about the other things too and, holding nothing true at all, only pretends. For how could one who denies the Son, who reveals the Father, speak truly about the Father? Or how will he think rightly about the Spirit, when he speaks evil of the Word who supplies the Spirit? Who will believe him when he speaks about the resurrection, when he denies Christ, who became for us “the firstborn from the dead”? And how, being plainly ignorant of the Son's genuine and true begetting from the Father, will he not also go astray about his coming in the flesh? For so the Jews of that time too, denying the Word and saying, “We have no king but Caesar,” were all at once deprived of everything and became bereft of the light of the lamp, the fragrance of ointment, the knowledge of prophecy, and truth itself; and now, understanding nothing, they are like those walking in darkness. For who ever heard such things? Or from where, or from whom, did the flatterers and bribe-takers of the heresy hear such things? Who spoke such things to them when they were being catechized? Who told them, “Having abandoned the worship of the creation, come now again to worship a creature and a work”? But if they themselves admit that they are hearing such things now for the first time, let them not deny that this heresy is alien and not from the fathers. And what is not from the fathers but has been invented now, what else would it be but what the blessed Paul foretold: “In later times some will depart from the sound faith, giving heed to spirits of error and teachings of demons, in the hypocrisy of liars, seared in their own conscience,” and “turning away from the truth”? ### Scripture references - Gen 3:13: allusion, medium confidence - Matt 11:27: allusion, medium confidence - Col 1:18: quotation, high confidence - John 19:15: quotation, high confidence - Rom 1:25: echo, medium confidence - 1 Tim 4:1: quotation, high confidence - 1 Tim 4:2: quotation, high confidence - Titus 1:14: quotation, high confidence ### Translation notes - The statements about the Jews are Athanasius's own polemic, translated as written. The Pauline quotation combines 1 Tim 4:1–2 and Titus 1:14. ### Citation (SBL) Athanasius, C. Ar. 8 (Bright, 8–9; trans. Sophia Scriptura, https://sophiascriptura.com/fathers/athanasius-oratio-1/1/#p-8). ## Oration I Against the Arians 9 - URL: https://sophiascriptura.com/fathers/athanasius-oratio-1/1/#p-9 - Source: Bright, 9–10 - Translation: Claude (claude-opus-5-5), 2026-09-27 Summary: Athanasius sets the church's confession of the Son, true God of one substance with the Father, beside the claims of the “Thalia” and asks which is fitting for God. ### Greek text 9. Ἰδοὺ γὰρ ἡμεῖς μὲν ἐκ τῶν θείων γραφῶν παῤῥησιαζόμεθα περὶ τῆς εὐσεβοῦς πίστεως, καὶ ὡς λύχνον ἐπὶ τῆς λυχνίας τιθέαμεν λέγοντες· Υἱὸς ἀληθινὸς φύσει καὶ γνήσιός ἐστι τοῦ Πατρὸς, ἴδιος τῆς οὐσίας αὐτοῦ, Σοφία μονογενὴς, καὶ Λόγος ἀληθινὸς καὶ μόνος τοῦ Θεοῦ οὗτός ἐστιν· οὐκ ἔστι κτίσμα οὔτε ποίημα, ἀλλʼ ἴδιον τῆς τοῦ Πατρὸς οὐσίας γέννημα. Διὸ Θεός ἐστιν ἀληθινὸς, ἀληθινοῦ Πατρὸς ‘ ὁμοούσιοςʼ ὑπάρχων. Τὰ δʼ ἄλλα, οἷς εἷπεν, ‘Ἐγὼ εἴπα, θεοί ἐστε, ᾿ μόνον μετοχῇ τοῦ Λόγου διὰ τοῦ Πνεύματος ταύτην ἔχουσι τὴν χάριν παρὰ τοῦ Πατρός. ‘Χαρακτὴρ γάρ ἐστι τῆς τοῦ Πατρὸς ὑποστάσεως, καὶ ‘ φῶς ἐκ φωτὸς, ʼ καὶ δύναμις καὶ εἰκὼν ἀληθινὴ τῆς τοῦ Πατρὸς οὐσίας, Τοῦτο γὰρ πάλιν εἶπεν ὁ Κύριος· ‘Ὁ ἐμὲ ἑωρακὼς ἑώρακε τὸν Πατέρα.᾿ Ἀεὶ δὲ ἦν καὶ ἔστι, καὶ οὐδέποτε οὐκ ἦν. Ἀϊδίου γὰρ ὄντος τοῦ Πατρὸς, ἀΐδιος ἂν εἴη καὶ ὁ τούτου Λόγος καὶ ἡ Σοφία. Αὐτοὶ δὲ τί ἄρα ἡμῖν ἐκ τῆς πανεγκλήτου ‘Θαλίαςʼ προφέρουσιν; ἢ πρῶτον ἀναγνώτωσαν αὐτὴν, μιμούμενοι τὸ ἦθος τοῦ γράψαντος, ἵνα κἂν παρʼ ἑτέρων χλευαζόμενοι μάθωσιν ἐν ποίῳ κεῖνται πτώματι, καὶ οὕτω λοιπὸν λεγέτωσαν. Τί δʼ ἂν εἴποιεν ἐξ αὐτῆς, ἢ ὅτι ‘ οὐκ ἀεὶ ὁ Θεὸς Πατὴρ ἦν, ἀλλʼ ὕστερον γέγονεν· οὐκ ἀεὶ ἦν ὁ Υἱὸς, οὐ γὰρ ἦν πρὶν γεννηθῇ· οὐκ ἔστιν ἐκ τοῦ Πατρός· ἀλλʼ ἐξ οὐκ ὄντων ὑπέστη καὶ αὐτός· οὐκ ἔστιν ἴδιος τῆς οὐσίας τοῦ Πατρός· κτίσμα γάρ ἐστι καὶ ποίημα· καὶ οὐκ ἔστιν ἀληθινὸς Θεὸς ὁ Χριστὸς, ἀλλὰ μετοχῇ καὶ αὐτὸς ἐθεοποιήθη· οὐκ οἶδε τὸν Πατέρα ἀκριβῶς ὁ Υἱὸς, οὔτε ὁρᾷ ὁ Λόγος τὸν Πατέρα τελείως, καὶ οὔτε συνιεῖ, οὔτε γινώσκει ἀκριβῶς ὁ Λόγος τὸν Πατέρα· οὐκ ἔστιν ὁ ἀληθινὸς καὶ μόνος αὐτὸς τοῦ Πατρὸς Λόγος, ἀλλʼ ὀνόματι μόνον λέγεται λόγος καὶ σοφία, καὶ χάριτι λέγεται υἱὸς καὶ δύναμις· οὐκ ἔστιν ἄτρεπτος, ὡς ὁ Πατὴρ, ἀλλὰ τρεπτός ἐστι φύσει, ὡς τὰ κτίσματα, καὶ λείπει αὐτῷ εἰς κατάληψιν τοῦ γνῶναι τελείως τὸν Πατέρα; ʼ Θαυμαστή γε ἡ αἵρεσις, μηδὲ τὸ πιθανὸν ἔχουσα, ἀλλὰ καὶ εἰς τὸ μὴ εἶναι κατὰ τοῦ ὄντος φανταζομένη, καὶ ἀντὶ εὐφημίας δυσφημίας διόλου προβαλλομένη. Εἴ τις ἄρα, τὰ παρʼ ἀμφοτέρων ἐξετάσας, ἐρωτηθείη τὴν ὁποτέρου πίστιν ἂν ἕλοιτο, ἢ τὰ τίνος ἂν εἴποι ῥήματα πρέποντα εἶναι Θεῷ· μᾶλλον δὲ καὶ εἰπάτωσαν αὐτοὶ οἱ τῆς ἀσεβείας κόλακες, τί πρέπει περὶ Θεοῦ (‘Θεὸς γὰρ ἦν ὁ Λόγος·᾿ ) ἐρωτώμενον ἀποκρίνασθαι· ἀπὸ γὰρ τούτου καὶ τὸ ὅλον ἑκατέρων τῶν προβληθέντων γνωσθήσεται τί πρέπει λέγειν, τὸ ἦν, ἢ τὸ οὐκ ἦν· τὸ ἀεὶ, ἢ τὸ πρὶν γενέσθαι· τὸ ἀΐδιον, ἢ τὸ ἀφʼ οὗ καὶ ἐξότε· ἀληθινὸν, ἢ θέσει καὶ μετοχῇ καὶ κατʼ ἐπίνοιαν· τῶν γενητῶν ἕνα λέγειν αὐτὸν, ἢ τῷ Πατρὶ συνάπτειν αὐτόν· ἀνόμοιον αὐτὸν εἶναι κατʼ οὐσίαν τοῦ Πατρὸς, ἢ ὅμοιον καὶ ἴδιον τοῦ Πατρὸς εἶναι· κτίσμα εἶναι, ἢ διʼ αὐτοῦ τὰ κτίσματα γεγενῆσθαι· αὐτὸν εἶναι τὸν τοῦ Πατρὸς Λόγον, ἢ ἕτερον παρὰ τοῦτον, καὶ διʼ ἐκείνου τοῦτον γεγενῆσθαι καὶ διʼ ἄλλης σοφίας· καὶ τοῦτον ὀνόματι μόνον σοφίαν καὶ λόγον κεκλῆσθαι, κἀκείνης τῆς σοφίας τοῦτον μέτοχον καὶ δεύτερον γεγενῆσθαι. ### English translation (Claude) 9. For see: we speak boldly from the divine Scriptures about the godly faith, and set it like a lamp on the lampstand, saying: He is the true Son of the Father by nature and genuine, proper to his substance, the only-begotten Wisdom, and the true and only Word of God. He is not a creature nor a work, but an offspring proper to the Father's substance. Therefore he is true God, being “of one substance” with the true Father. But other beings, to whom he said, “I said, you are gods,” have this grace from the Father only by participation in the Word through the Spirit. For he is “the exact imprint of the Father's hypostasis,” and “light from light,” and the power and true image of the Father's substance. For this too the Lord said: “He who has seen me has seen the Father.” He always was and is, and never was not. For since the Father is eternal, his Word and Wisdom too must be eternal. But what, then, do they bring forward to us from the utterly blameworthy “Thalia”? Or rather, let them first read it aloud, imitating the style of the writer, so that, being mocked by others, they may learn into what a fall they lie; and then let them speak. What could they say from it, except that “God was not always Father, but became so later; the Son was not always, for he was not before he was begotten; he is not from the Father, but he too came to subsist from nothing; he is not proper to the Father's substance, for he is a creature and a work; and Christ is not true God, but he too was made God by participation; the Son does not know the Father exactly, nor does the Word see the Father perfectly, and the Word neither understands nor knows the Father exactly; he is not the true and only Word of the Father himself, but is called word and wisdom in name only, and is called son and power by grace; he is not unchangeable, like the Father, but changeable by nature, like the creatures, and he falls short of comprehending so as to know the Father perfectly”? A wonderful heresy indeed, which has not even plausibility, but imagines against him who is that he is not, and puts forward blasphemies instead of praises throughout! If anyone, then, having examined what both sides say, were asked whose faith he would choose, or whose words he would say are fitting for God, or rather, let these flatterers of impiety themselves say what one ought to answer when asked about God (for “the Word was God”). For from this the whole question about both positions will be settled, what it is fitting to say: “he was” or “he was not”; “always” or “before he came to be”; “eternal” or “from which time and since when”; “true” or “by adoption, participation, and in thought only”; to call him one of the things originated, or to join him to the Father; that he is unlike the Father in substance, or like and proper to the Father; that he is a creature, or that through him the creatures came to be; that he is the Father's very Word, or that there is another besides him, and that he came to be through that one and through another wisdom, and is called wisdom and word in name only, and has come to be a sharer in that wisdom and second to it. ### Scripture references - Matt 5:15: allusion, medium confidence - Ps 82:6 (81:6 LXX): quotation, high confidence - Heb 1:3: quotation, high confidence - John 14:9: quotation, high confidence - John 1:1: quotation, high confidence ### Translation notes - ὁμοούσιος is translated “of one substance” (with the Father), the term of the Nicene Creed (325). ὑπόστασις in Heb 1:3 is rendered “hypostasis” (subsistence, underlying reality); in Athanasius's early usage it is close in meaning to οὐσία. “Light from light” is a phrase of the Nicene Creed. ### Citation (SBL) Athanasius, C. Ar. 9 (Bright, 9–10; trans. Sophia Scriptura, https://sophiascriptura.com/fathers/athanasius-oratio-1/1/#p-9). ## Oration I Against the Arians 10 - URL: https://sophiascriptura.com/fathers/athanasius-oratio-1/1/#p-10 - Source: Bright, 10–11 - Translation: Claude (claude-opus-5-5), 2026-09-27 Summary: Athanasius contrasts the Scriptural confession with the Arian “Thalia,” says the Arians hide their views behind imperial patronage, and traces the heresy to the devil. ### Greek text 10. Τὰ τίνων ἄρα ῥήματα θεολογεῖ καὶ δεικνύει Θεὸν εἶναι καὶ Υἱὸν τοῦ Πατρὸς τὸν Κύριον ἡμῶν Ἰησοῦν Χριστόν; ταῦθʼ ἅπερ ὑμεῖς ἐξημέσατε, ἢ ἅπερ ἡμεῖς ἐκ τῶν γραφῶν εἰρήκαμεν καὶ λέγομεν; Εἰ μὲν οὖν οὐκ ἔστι Θεὸς οὐδὲ Λόγος οὐδὲ Υἱὸς ὁ Σωτὴρ, ἐξέστω λέγειν, ὥσπερ τοῖς Ἔλλησι καὶ τοῖς νῦν Ἰουδαίοις, οὕτω καὶ ὑμῖν, βούλεσθε· εἰ δὲ Λόγος τοῦ Πατρὸς καὶ Υἱὸς ἀληθινός ἐστι, καὶ ‘ ἐκ Θεοῦ Θεός ἐστι, καὶ ‘ ἐπὶ πάντων εὐλογημένος εἰς τοὺς αἰῶνας, ʼ πῶς οὐκ ἄξιον ἀφανίσαι καὶ ἀπαλεῖψαι τά τε ἄλλα ῥήματα καὶ τὴν Ἀρειανὴν ‘Θαλείαν, ᾿ ὡς εἰκόνα κακῶν καὶ πάσης ἀσεβείας γέμουσαν; εἰς ἣν ἐμπίπτων ‘οὐκ οἶδεν ὅτι γηγενεῖς παρʼ αὐτῇ ὄλλυνται, καὶ ἐπὶ πέταυρον ᾅδου συναντᾷ.᾿ Καὶ τοῦτο ἴσασι καὶ αὐτοὶ, καὶ ὡς πανοῦργοι κρύπτουσι, μὴ θαῤῥοῦντες ἐκλαλεῖν αὐτὰ, ἀλλʼ ἕτερα φθεγγόμενοι παρὰ ταῦτα, Ἐάν τε γὰρ εἴπωσι, καταγνωσθήσονται· ἐάν τε ὑπονοηθῶσι, βληθήσονται παρὰ πάντων τοῖς ἐκ τῶν γραφῶν ἐλέγχοις. Διὰ τοῦτο γοῦν ὡς ‘υἱοὶ τοῦ αἰῶνος τούτουʼ ὄντες, πανούργως τὸν νομιζόμενον ἑαυτῶν λύχνον ἅψαντες ἐκ τῆς ἀγριελαίου, καὶ φοβούμενοι μὴ ταχέως ἀποσβεσθῇ (‘ φῶς γὰρ, ᾿ φησὶν, ‘ ἀσεβῶν σβέννυται· ᾿ ) τοῦτον μὲν ‘ κρύπτουσιν ὑπὸ τὸν μόδιονʼ τῆς ὑποκρίσεως, ἕτερα δὲ φθέγγονται, καὶ προστασίας φίλων, καὶ Κωνσταντίου φόβον ἐπαγγέλλονται, ἵνʼ οἱ εἰσερχόμενοι πρὸς αὐτοὺς ὑπὸ τῆς ὑποκρίσεως καὶ τῆς ἐπαγγελίας μὴ βλέπωσι τὴν τῆς αἱρέσεως ῥυπαρίαν. Πῶς οὖν οὐκ ἀξία καὶ κατὰ τοῦτο πάλιν μίσους ἡ αἵρεσις, ὅπουγε καὶ παρʼ αὐτῶν τῶν ἰδίων ὡς μὴ ἔχουσα παῤῥησίαν κρύπτεται, καὶ ὡς ὄφις θάλπεται; πόθεν γὰρ ἑαυτοῖς συνεφόρησαν τὰ ῥημάτια ταῦτα; ἢ παρὰ τίνος ἄρα λαβόντες, τοιαῦτα τετολμήκασι λέγειν; Ἀνθρώπων μὲν οὖν οὐδένα ἂν εἴποιεν τὸν ταῦτα παρασχόντα. Τίς γάρ ἐστιν ἀνθρώπων ἢ Ἕλλην ἢ βάρβαρος, ὅστις ὃν ὁμολογεῖ θεὸν, τοῦτον τολμ λέγειν ἕνα εἶναι τῶν κτισμάτων, καὶ, ‘Οὐκ ἦν πρὶν ποιηθῇ;᾿ ἢ τίς ἐστιν, ὅστις ᾧ πεπίστευκε Θεῷ, ἀπιστεῖ λέγοντι, Οὕτός ἐστιν ὁ Υἱός μου ὁ ἀγαπητὸς, ᾿ φάσκων ὅτι οὐκ ἔστιν Υἱὸς, ἀλλὰ ποίημα; πλέον γὰρ ἀγανακτήσουσι πάντες κατʼ αὐτῶν τοιαῦτα μαινομένων. Ἀλλʼ οὐδὲ ἐκ τῶν γραφῶν ἔχουσι τὰς προφάσεις. δείχθη γὰρ πολλάκις, δειχθήσεται δὲ καὶ νῦν, ἀλλότρια ταῦτα τῶν θείων λογίων. Οὐκοῦν ἐπειδὴ λείπει λοιπὸν εἰπεῖν, ὅτι παρὰ τοῦ διαβόλου λαβόντες ἐμάνησαν· (τούτων γὰρ ἐκεῖνος μόνος ἐστὶ σπορεύς·) φέρε, πρὸς αὐτὸν ἀντιστῶμεν· πρὸς ἐκεῖνον γάρ ‘ ἐστιν ἡμῖν διὰ τούτων ‘ ἡ πάλη·᾿ ἵνα, τοῦ Κυρίου βοηθοῦντος, κἀκείνου συνήθως πίπτοντος τοῖς ἐλέγχοις, αἰσχυνθῶσιν οὗτοι, βλέποντες ἀποροῦντα τὸν ἐπισπείραντα τὴν αἵρεσιν αὐτοῖς, καὶ μάθωσι κἂν ὀψέποτε ὅτι, Ἀρειανοὶ ὄντες, οὐκ εἰσὶ Χριστιανοί. ### English translation (Claude) 10. Whose words, then, speak of God rightly and show that our Lord Jesus Christ is God and Son of the Father: those which you have vomited up, or those which we have spoken and speak from the Scriptures? If the Savior is neither God nor Word nor Son, you may say what you please, like the Greeks and the Jews of today. But if he is the Word of the Father and true Son, and “God from God,” and “blessed over all forever,” is it not right to obliterate and wipe out both their other phrases and the Arian “Thalia,” as an image of evils, full of all impiety? Whoever falls into it “does not know that the earthborn perish with her, and he meets the trap of Hades.” And they know this themselves, and like the crafty men they are, they hide it, not daring to speak these things out, but uttering other things instead. For if they say them, they will be condemned; and if they are suspected, they will be struck by all with the proofs from the Scriptures. For this reason, then, as “sons of this age,” having craftily lit what they suppose is their lamp with oil from the wild olive, and fearing that it may quickly be put out (for “the light of the ungodly,” it says, “is put out”), they “hide it under the bushel” of hypocrisy, and utter other things, and hold out the patronage of friends and the fear of Constantius, so that those who come to them may not, because of the hypocrisy and the promises, see the filth of the heresy. How then is the heresy not worthy of hatred on this count too, since it is hidden even by its own adherents as having no boldness, and is nursed like a snake? For where did they collect these little phrases for themselves? Or from whom did they receive them, that they have dared to say such things? They could not name any human being who supplied them. For who among humans, Greek or barbarian, dares to say that the one whom he confesses to be God is one of the creatures, and “he was not before he was made”? Or who is there who disbelieves the God in whom he has believed when he says, “This is my beloved Son,” and says that he is not a Son but a work? All would rather be the more indignant at those who rave in this way. Nor do they have their pretexts from the Scriptures; for it has often been shown, and will be shown now as well, that these things are foreign to the divine oracles. Since, then, it remains to say that they received this madness from the devil (for he alone is the sower of such things), come, let us stand against him; for it is with him that “our struggle” is, through these men. So that, with the Lord's help, when he falls as usual under refutation, they may be put to shame, seeing that the one who sowed the heresy in them is at a loss, and may learn, even at last, that being Arians they are not Christians. ### Scripture references - Rom 9:5: quotation, high confidence - Prov 9:18: quotation, high confidence - Luke 16:8: quotation, high confidence - Prov 13:9: quotation, high confidence - Matt 5:15: quotation, high confidence - Matt 3:17: quotation, high confidence - Eph 6:12: quotation, high confidence ### Translation notes - Constantius II was emperor in the East (337–361) and supported the anti-Nicene bishops. “The earthborn perish with her” is from Prov 9:18 (LXX), where the Greek differs from the Hebrew. ### Citation (SBL) Athanasius, C. Ar. 10 (Bright, 10–11; trans. Sophia Scriptura, https://sophiascriptura.com/fathers/athanasius-oratio-1/1/#p-10). ## Oration I Against the Arians 11 - URL: https://sophiascriptura.com/fathers/athanasius-oratio-1/1/#p-11 - Source: Bright, 11–12 - Translation: Claude (claude-opus-5-5), 2026-09-27 Summary: Athanasius attacks the Arian claim “there was once when the Son was not,” showing that it implies a time before the Word, and argues from Scripture that the Son is eternal, the “eternal power” of Rom 1:20. ### Greek text 11. Εἰρήκατε καὶ φρονεῖτε, ὑποβάλλοντος ὑμῖν ἐκείνου, ὅτι (1.) ‘ἦν ποτε ὅτε οὐκ ἦν ὁ Υἱός·᾿ τοῦτο γὰρ πρῶτον ὑμῶν τῆς ἐπινοίας ἀποδῦσαι τὸ ἔνδυμα δεῖ. Τί τοίνυν ἦν ποτε ὅτε ὁ Υἱὸς οὐκ ἦν, εἴπατε, ὦ δύσφημοι καὶ δυσσεβεῖς. Εἰ μὲν οὖν τὸν Πατέρα λέγετε, μείζων ὑμῶν ἡ βλασφημία· οὐ γὰρ θέμις εἰπεῖν ὅτι ποτὲ ἦν, ἢ ἐν τῷ ‘ποτὲʼ σημαίνειν αὐτόν· ἔστι γὰρ ἀεὶ, καὶ νῦν ἐστιν, ὄντος τε καὶ τοῦ Υἱοῦ ἐστι, καὶ αὐτός ἐστιν ὁ ὢν καὶ τοῦ Υἱοῦ Πατήρ. Εἰ δὲ λέγετε ὅτι ὁ Υἱὸς ἦν ποτε ὅτε αὐτὸς οὐκ ἦν, μωρὰ καὶ ἀνόητός ἐστιν ἡ ἀπόκρισις· πῶς γὰρ ἦν αὐτὸς, καὶ οὐκ ἦν αὐτός; Οὐκοῦν ἐν τούτοις ἀποροῦντας ὑμᾶς ἀνάγκη λοιπὸν λέγειν, ‘ ἦν ποτε χρόνος, ὅτε οὐκ ἦν ὁ Λόγοςʼ τοῦτο γὰρ φύσει σημαίνει καὶ αὐτὸ τὸ ‘ποτέʼ ὑμῶν ἐπίῤῥημα. Καὶ ὅπερ δὲ πάλιν γράφοντες εἰρήκατε, ‘ οὐκ ἦν ὁ Υἱὸς πρὶν γεννηθῇ, ʼ ταὐτόν ἐστι λέγειν ὑμᾶς, ‘ἦν ποτε ὅτε οὐκ ἦν·᾿ χρόνον γὰρ εἶναι κἀκεῖνο καὶ τοῦτο πρὸ τοῦ Λόγου σημαίνει. Πόθεν οὖν ὑμῖν ἐξεύρηται ταῦτα; ‘Ἵνα τί καὶ ὑμεῖς, ὡς τὰ ἔθνη, ἐφρυάξατε, καὶ μελετᾶτε κενὰʼ λεξείδια κατὰ τοῦ Κυρίου καὶ κατὰ τοῦ Χριστοῦ αὐτοῦ;᾿ Οὐδεμία γὰρ τῶν ἁγίων γραφῶν τοιοῦτόν τι περὶ τοῦ Σωτῆρος εἴρηκεν, ἀλλὰ μᾶλλον τὸ ἀεὶ, τὸ ἀΐδιον, καὶ τὸ συνεῖναι ἀεὶ τῷ Πατρί. ‘Ἐν ἀρχῇ γὰρ ἧν ὁ Λόγος, καὶ ὁ Λόγος ἦν πρὸς τὸν Θεὸν, καὶ Θεὸς ἦν ὁ Λόγος. ʼ Καὶ ἐν τῇ Ἀποκαλύψει τάδε λέγει· ‘ Ὁ ὢν καὶ ὁ ἦν καὶ ὁ ἐρχόμενος.᾿ Τοῦ δὲ ὁ ὢν καὶ τοῦ ὁ ἧν τίς ἂν ἀφέλοιτο τὸ ἀΐδιον; Τοῦτο γὰρ καὶ ὁ Παῦλος ἐν τῇ πρὸς Ῥωμαίους Ἰουδαίους μὲν ἤλεγχε γράφων, ‘ ἐξ ὧν ὁ Χριστὸς τὸ κατὰ σάρκα, ὁ ὢν ἐπὶ πάντων Θεὸς εὐλογητὸς εἰς τοὺς αἰῶνας·᾿ Ἕλληνας δὲ ἐντρέπων ἔλεγε, ‘Τὰ γὰρ ἀόρατα αὐτοῦ ἀπὸ κτίσεως κόσμου τοῖς ποιήμασι νοούμενα καθορᾶται, ἥ τε ἀίδιος αὐτοῦ δύναμις καὶ θειότης.᾿ Τίς δὲ ἡ τοῦ Θεοῦ δύναμις, αὐτὸς πάλιν διδάσκει λέγων, ‘Χριστὸς Θεοῦ δύναμις, καὶ Θεοῦ σοφία.᾿ Οὐ γὰρ δὴ τοῦτο λέγων τὸν Πατέρα σημαίνει, ὡς πολλάκις πρὸς ἀλλήλους ἐψιθυρίσατε, λέγοντες, ‘Ὁ Πατήρ ἐστιν ἡ ἀΐδιος αὐτοῦ δύναμις.᾿ Οὐκ ἔστι δὲ οὕτως· οὐ γὰρ εἴρηκεν, ‘ αὐτὸς ὁ Θεός ἐστιν ἡ δύναμις·᾿ ἀλλʼ ‘αὐτοῦʼ ἐστιν ἡ δύναμις. Εὕδηλον δὲ πᾶσίν ἐστιν, ὡςτὸ αὐτοῦʼ οὐκ ἔστιν ‘αὐτὸς, ’ ἀλλʼ οὐδὲ ξένον, ἴδιον δὲ μᾶλλον αὐτοῦ. Ἀνάγνωτε δὲ καὶ τὴν ἀκολουθίαν τῶν ῥημάτων, καὶ ‘ ἐπιστρέψατε πρὸς Κύριον·᾿ (‘ὁ δὲ Κύριος τὸ Πνεῦμά ἐστι·᾿ ) καὶ ὄψεσθε περὶ τοῦ Υἱοῦ εἶναι τὸ σημαινόμενον. ### English translation (Claude) 11. You have said and you think, at his prompting, that (1.) “there was once when the Son was not.” This is the first garment of your notion that must be stripped off. Tell us, then, you slanderous and impious men: what was there once when the Son was not? If you mean the Father, your blasphemy is greater; for it is not right to say that he “once” was, or to signify him with the word “once.” For he always is, and now is; and as the Son is, so he is, and he is himself “he who is,” and Father of the Son. But if you say that the Son was once when he himself was not, the answer is foolish and senseless; for how could he both be and not be? So, being at a loss in this, you are compelled to say, “there was once a time when the Word was not”; for your very adverb “once” by its nature signifies this. And what you have further said in writing, “the Son was not before he was begotten,” is the same as your saying, “there was once when he was not”; for both the one and the other signify that there is time before the Word. Where, then, did you find these things? “Why have you too raged like the nations, and meditated vain” little phrases “against the Lord and against his Christ”? For none of the holy Scriptures has said anything of the kind about the Savior, but rather “always,” “eternal,” and “being always with the Father.” For “in the beginning was the Word, and the Word was with God, and the Word was God.” And in the Revelation it says this: “He who is and who was and who is to come.” Who could take away eternity from “he who is” and “who was”? This is what Paul too, in his letter to the Romans, used to refute the Jews, writing: “from whom is the Christ according to the flesh, who is God over all, blessed forever”; and to shame the Greeks he said: “For his invisible things from the creation of the world are clearly seen, being understood through the things that are made, both his eternal power and divinity.” And what the power of God is, he himself teaches again, saying, “Christ the power of God and the wisdom of God.” For in saying this he certainly does not mean the Father, as you have often whispered to one another, saying, “The Father is his eternal power.” It is not so; for he did not say, “God himself is the power,” but “his” is the power. And it is plain to all that “his” is not “he,” yet not something foreign either, but rather proper to him. Read also the sequence of the words, and “turn to the Lord” (“now the Lord is the Spirit”), and you will see that what is meant is the Son. ### Scripture references - Exod 3:14: echo, medium confidence - Ps 2:1: quotation, high confidence - Ps 2:2: quotation, high confidence - John 1:1: quotation, high confidence - Rev 1:4: quotation, high confidence - Rom 9:5: quotation, high confidence - Rom 1:20: quotation, high confidence - 1 Cor 1:24: quotation, high confidence - 2 Cor 3:16: quotation, high confidence - 2 Cor 3:17: quotation, high confidence ### Translation notes - The number “(1.)” is the editor's (Bright's) numbering of the Arian propositions Athanasius refutes. “He who is” echoes Exod 3:14 (LXX). ### Citation (SBL) Athanasius, C. Ar. 11 (Bright, 11–12; trans. Sophia Scriptura, https://sophiascriptura.com/fathers/athanasius-oratio-1/1/#p-11). ## Oration I Against the Arians 12 - URL: https://sophiascriptura.com/fathers/athanasius-oratio-1/12/#p-12 - Source: Bright, 12–14 - Translation: Claude (claude-opus-5-5), 2026-09-27 Summary: Athanasius argues from creation and from many texts (Isaiah, Baruch, Hebrews, the Psalms, the “I am” sayings) that the Son is eternal, as radiance is never without light. ### Greek text 12. Περὶ γὰρ τῆς κτίσεως μνημονεύων, ἀκολούθως γράφει καὶ περὶ τῆς ἐν τῇ κτίσει τοῦ δημιουργοῦ δυνάμεως, ἥτις ἐστὶν ὁ Λόγος τοῦ Θεοῦ, διʼ οὗ καὶ ‘τὰ πάντα γέγονεν.᾿ Εἰ μὲν οὖν αὐτάρκης ἐστὶν ἡ κτίσις ἀφʼ ἑαυτῆς μόνης χωρὶς Υἱοῦ γνωρίσαι τὸν Θεὸν, σκοπεῖτε μὴ πέσητε, νομίζοντες καὶ χωρὶς Υἱοῦ τὴν κτίσιν γεγονέναι· εἰ δὲ διʼ Υἱοῦ γέγονε, ‘καὶ ἐν αὐτῷ τὰ πάντα συνέστηκεν, ʼ ἐξ ἀνάγκης ὁ τὴν κτίσιν ὀρθῶς θεωρῶν θεωρεῖ καὶ τὸν ταύτην δημιουργήσαντα Λόγον, καὶ διʼ αὐτοῦ τὸν Πατέρα νοεῖν ἄρχεται· εἰ δὲ καὶ κατὰ τὸν Σωτῆρα, ‘οὐδεῖς γινώσκει τὸν Πατέρα εἰ μὴ ὁ Υἱὸς, καὶ ᾧ ἂν ὁ Υἱὸς ἀποκαλύψῃ·᾿ τῷ τε Φιλίππῳ λέγοντι, ‘Δεῖξον ἡμῖν τὸν Πατέρα, ʼ οὐκ ἔλεγε, ‘Βλέπε τὴν κτίσιν, ʼ ἀλλʼ ‘ ὁ ἐμὲ ἑωρακὼς ἑώρακε τὸν Πατέρα·᾿ εἰκότως ὁ Παῦλος, αἰτιώμενος τοὺς Ἕλληνας, ὅτι, τὴν ἁρμονίαν καὶ τὴν τάξιν τῆς κτίσεως θεωροῦντες, οὐ διανοοῦνται περὶ τοῦ ἐν αὐτῇ δημιουργοῦ Λόγου· (τὰ γὰρ κτίσματα μηνύει τὸν ἑαυτῶν δημιουργόν·) ἵνα διʼ αὐτῶν καὶ τὸν ἀληθινὸν Θεὸν νοήσωσι, καὶ παύσωνται τῆς εἰς τὰ κτίσματα λατρείας, εἴρηκεν, ‘ ἥ τε ἀΐδιος αὐτοῦ δύναμις καὶ θειότης, ἵνα τὸν Υἱὸν σημάνῃ. Λέγοντες δὲ οἱ ἅγιοι, ‘ ὁ ὑπάρχων πρὸ τῶν αἰώνων, ʼ καὶ ‘ διʼ οὗ ἐποίησε τοὺς αἰῶνας, ᾿ οὐδὲν ἦττον πάλιν τὸ ἀΐδιον εὐαγγελίζονται τοῦ Υἱοῦ καὶ τὸ αἰώνιον, ἐν ᾧ καὶ αὐτὸν τὸν Θεὸν σημαίνουσιν. Ὁ μὲν γὰρ Ἡσαΐας φησὶ, ‘Θεὸς αἰώνιος, ὁ κατασκευάσας τὰ ἄκρα τῆς γῆς·᾿ ἡ δὲ Σουσάννα ἔλεγεν, ‘ ὁ Θεὸς ὁ αἰώνιος·᾿ ὁ δὲ Βαροὺχ ἔγραφε, ‘ Κεκράξομαι πρὸς τὸν αἰώνιον ἐν ταῖς ἡμέραις μου· ʼ καὶ μετʼ ὀλίγα, ‘ Ἐγὼ γὰρ ἤλπισα ἐπὶ τῷ αἰωνίῳ τὴν σωτηρίαν ὑμῶν, καὶ ἦλθέ μοι χαρὰ παρὰ τοῦ ἁγίου.᾿ Ἐπειδὴ δὲ καὶ πρὸς Ἑβραίους γράφων ὁ ἀπόστολός φησιν, ‘ ὃς ὢν ἀπαύγασμα τῆς δόξης, καὶ χαρακτὴρ τῆς ὑποστάσεως αὐτοῦ·᾿ ψάλλει δὲ καὶ ὁ Δαβὶδ ἐν τῷ ὀγδοηκοστῷ ἐνάτῳ ψαλμῷ, ‘ Καὶ ἡ λαμπρότης Κυρίου ἔστω ἐφʼ ἡμᾶς, ʼ καὶ, ‘ ἐν τῷ φωτί σου ὀψόμεθα φῶς· ʼ τίς οὕτως ἐστὶν ἀνόητος, ὡς ἀμφιβάλλειν περὶ τοῦ ἀεὶ εἶναι τὸν Υἱόν; πότε γάρ τις εἶδε φῶς χωρὶς τῆς τοῦ ‘ ἀπαυγάσματοςʼ λαμπρότητος, ἵνα καὶ περὶ τοῦ Υἱοῦ εἴπῃ, ‘ἦν ποτε ὅτε οὐκ ἦν, ʼ ἢ ὅτι ‘ πρὶν γεννηθῆναι οὐκ ἦν; ʼ Καὶ τὸ λεγόμενον δὲ ἐν τῷ ἑκατοστῷ τεσσαρακοστῷ τετάρτῳ ψαλμῷ πρὸς τὸν Υἱὸν, ‘ Ἡ βασιλεία σου βασιλεία πάντων τῶν αἰώνων, ʼ οὐκ ἐπιτρέπει τινὰ κἂν τὸ τυχὸν διάστημα λογίσασθαι, ἐν ᾦ μὴ ὑπῆρχεν ὁ Λόγος. Εἰ γὰρ πᾶν διάστημα ἐν τοῖς αἰῶσι μετρεῖται, πάντων δὲ τῶν αἰώνων βασιλεύς ἐστι καὶ ποιητὴς ὁ Λόγος, ἀνάγκῃ, μὴ ὄντος κἂν τοῦ τυχόντος διαστήματος πρὸ αὐτοῦ, μανία τὸ λέγειν, ‘ ἦν ποτε ὅτε οὐκ ἦν ὁ αἰώνιος, ʼ καὶ ‘ ἐξ οὐκ ὄντων ἐστὶν ὁ Υἱός.᾿ Λέγοντος δὲ καὶ αὐτοῦ τοῦ Κυρίου, ‘Ἐγώ εἰμι ἡ ἀλήθεια, ʼ καὶ οὐ λέγοντος, ἐγενόμην ἀλήθεια, ʼ ἀλλʼ ἀεὶ τὸ εἰμὶʼ λέγοντος, ‘ Ἐγώ εἰμι ὁ ποιμήν· ἐγώ εἰμι τὸ φῶς καὶ πάλιν, ‘Οὐχ ὑμεῖς λέγετέ με, ὁ Κύριος, καὶ ὁ διδάσκαλος, καὶ καλῶς λέγετε, εἰμὶ γάρ; ʼ τίς, τὸ τοιοῦτον ἀκούων ῥῆμα παρὰ Θεοῦ καὶ Σοφίας καὶ Λόγου Πατρὸς περὶ ἑαυτοῦ λέγοντος, ἔτι διστάξειε περὶ τῆς ἀληθείας, καὶ οὐκ εὐθὺς πιστεύσει, ὅτι ἐν τῷ ‘εἰμὶʼ τὸ ἀΐδιον καὶ τὸ πρὸ παντὸς αἰῶνος ἄναρχον τοῦ Υἱοῦ σημαίνεται; ### English translation (Claude) 12. For having mentioned the creation, he consistently writes also of the Creator's power in the creation, which is the Word of God, through whom also “all things came to be.” If, then, the creation is sufficient of itself alone, without the Son, to make God known, take care not to fall into thinking that the creation too came to be without the Son. But if it came to be through the Son, “and in him all things hold together,” then necessarily whoever contemplates the creation rightly contemplates also the Word who fashioned it, and through him begins to understand the Father. And if, as the Savior says, “No one knows the Father except the Son, and anyone to whom the Son reveals him,” and when Philip said, “Show us the Father,” he did not say, “Look at the creation,” but, “He who has seen me has seen the Father,” then Paul rightly, blaming the Greeks because, while contemplating the harmony and order of the creation, they do not reflect on the Creator Word within it (for the creatures point to their own Creator), so that through them they might understand the true God and stop worshipping the creatures, said, “both his eternal power and divinity,” to signify the Son. And when the saints say, “He who exists before the ages,” and “through whom he made the ages,” they proclaim none the less the eternity and everlastingness of the Son, and in these words they signify God himself. For Isaiah says, “The eternal God, who made the ends of the earth”; and Susanna said, “O eternal God”; and Baruch wrote, “I will cry to the Eternal in my days,” and a little later, “For I have hoped in the Eternal for your salvation, and joy has come to me from the Holy One.” But since the apostle too, writing to the Hebrews, says, “who, being the radiance of his glory and the exact imprint of his hypostasis,” and David sings in the eighty-ninth psalm, “And let the brightness of the Lord be upon us,” and, “In your light we shall see light,” who is so senseless as to doubt that the Son always is? For when did anyone see light without the brightness of its “radiance,” so as to say of the Son also, “there was once when he was not,” or that “he was not before he was begotten”? And what is said to the Son in the hundred and forty-fourth psalm, “Your kingdom is a kingdom of all the ages,” does not allow anyone to reckon even the slightest interval in which the Word did not exist. For if every interval is measured in the ages, and the Word is king and maker of all the ages, then, since not even the slightest interval exists before him, it is madness to say, “there was once when the Eternal was not,” and “the Son is from nothing.” And since the Lord himself says, “I am the truth,” and does not say, “I became the truth,” but always says “I am”: “I am the shepherd,” “I am the light,” and again, “Do you not call me Lord and Teacher? And you say well, for so I am”; who, hearing such a word from God, the Wisdom and Word of the Father, speaking about himself, would still hesitate about the truth, and not at once believe that in the “I am” the eternity of the Son and his being without beginning before every age is signified? ### Scripture references - John 1:3: quotation, high confidence - Col 1:17: quotation, high confidence - Matt 11:27: quotation, high confidence - John 14:8: quotation, high confidence - John 14:9: quotation, high confidence - Rom 1:20: quotation, high confidence - Ps 55:19 (54:20 LXX): quotation, medium confidence - Heb 1:2: quotation, high confidence - Isa 40:28: quotation, high confidence - Heb 1:3: quotation, high confidence - Ps 90:17 (89:17 LXX): quotation, high confidence - Ps 36:9 (35:10 LXX): quotation, high confidence - Ps 145:13 (144:13 LXX): quotation, high confidence - John 14:6: quotation, high confidence - John 10:14: quotation, high confidence - John 8:12: quotation, high confidence - John 13:13: quotation, high confidence ### Extrabiblical texts - Sus 42 (Susanna): quotation, high confidence - Bar 4:20 (Baruch): quotation, high confidence - Bar 4:22 (Baruch): quotation, high confidence ### Translation notes - The psalm numbers are Athanasius's (LXX): the eighty-ninth is Ps 90, the hundred and forty-fourth is Ps 145. “O eternal God” is from Susanna 42; the Baruch quotations are Bar 4:20 and 4:22. “He who exists before the ages” is Ps 55:19 (LXX 54:20). ### Citation (SBL) Athanasius, C. Ar. 12 (Bright, 12–14; trans. Sophia Scriptura, https://sophiascriptura.com/fathers/athanasius-oratio-1/12/#p-12). ## Oration I Against the Arians 13 - URL: https://sophiascriptura.com/fathers/athanasius-oratio-1/12/#p-13 - Source: Bright, 14–15 - Translation: Claude (claude-opus-5-5), 2026-09-27 Summary: Athanasius shows that Scripture uses “before” and “when” of creatures, but “always” of the Son, so that the Arian phrases imply a time before the Word, through whom time itself was made. ### Greek text 13. Ὅτι μὲν οὖν τὸ ἀίδιον περὶ τοῦ Υἱοῦ αἱ γραφαὶ δείκνυνται λέγουσαι, φανερὸν ἐκ τῶν εἰρημένων· ὅτι δὲ ἅπερ φθέγγονται οἱ Ἀρειανοὶ λέγοντες τὸ ‘ οὐκ ἦν, ʼ καὶ τὸ ‘ πρὶν, ʼ καὶ τὸ ‘ ὅτε, ʼ αἱ αὐταὶ γραφαὶ περὶ τῶν κτισμάτων λέγουσι, δηλώσει πάλιν τὰ μέλλοντα λέγεσθαι. Ὁ μὲν γὰρ Μωϋσῆς περὶ τῆς καθʼ ἡμᾶς γενέσεως διηγούμενός φησι, ‘ καὶ πᾶν χλωρὸν ἀγροῦ πρὸ τοῦ γενέσθαι ἐπὶ τῆς γῆς· καὶ πάντα χόρτον ἀγροῦ πρὸ τοῦ ἀνατεῖλαι· οὐ γὰρ ἔβρεξεν ὁ Θεὸς ἐπὶ τὴν γῆν, καὶ ἄνθρωπος οὐκ ἦν ἐργάζεσθαι τὴν γῆν· ʼ καὶ ἐν μὲν τῷ Δευτερονομίῳ· ‘ ὅτε διεμέριζεν ὁ Ὕψιστος ἔθνη.᾿ Ὁ δὲ Κύριος διὰ μὲν ἑαυτοῦ ἔλεγεν· ‘ Εἰ ἠγαπᾶτέ με, ἐχάρητε ἂν, ὅτι εἶπον, Πορεύομαι πρὸς τὸν Πατέρα, ὅτι ὁ Πατὴρ μείζων μοῦ ἐστι· καὶ νῦν προείρηκα ὑμῖν πρὶν γενέσθαι, ἵνα, ὅταν γένηται, πιστεύσητε· ʼ περὶ δὲ τῆς κτίσεως διὰ Σολομῶνός φησι, ‘ Πρὸ τοῦ τὴν γῆν ποιῆσαι, καὶ πρὸ τοῦ τὰς ἀβύσσους ποιῆσαι, καὶ πρὸ τοῦ προελθεῖν τὰς πηγὰς τῶν ὑδάτων, καὶ πρὸ τοῦ ὄρη ἑδρασθῆναι, πρὸ δὲ πάντων τῶν βουνῶν γεννῷ με·᾿ καὶ, ‘ πρὶν Ἀβραὰμ γενέσθαι, ἐγώ εἰμι.᾿ Περὶ δὲ Ἱερεμίου λέγει, ‘ Πρὸ τοῦ με πλάσαι σε ἐν κοιλίᾳ, ἐπίσταμαί σε.᾿ Καὶ ὁ μὲν Δαβὶδ ψάλλει, ‘ Κύριε, καταφυγὴ ἐγενήθης ἡμῖν ἐν γενεᾷ καὶ γενεᾷ· πρὸ τοῦ ὄρη γενηθῆναι καὶ πλασθῆναι τὴν γῆν καὶ τὴν οἰκουμένην, ἀπὸ τοῦ αἰῶνος καὶ ἕως τοῦ αἰῶνος σὺ εἶ· ᾿ ἐν δὲ τῷ Δανιὴλ, ‘ Ἀνεβόησε φωνῇ μεγάλῃ Σουσάννα, καὶ εἶπεν, Ὁ Θεὸς ὁ αἰώνιος, ὁ τῶν κρυπτῶν γνώστης, ὁ εἰδὼς τὰ πάντα πρὶν γενέσεως αὐτῶν.᾿ Τὸ ἄρα ‘ οὐκ ἦν ποτε, ʼ καὶ τὸ ‘πρὶν γενέσθαι, ʼ καὶ τὸ ‘ ὅτε, ʼ καὶ ὅσα τοιαῦτά ἐστι λεξείδια ἐπὶ μὲν τῶν γενητῶν καὶ κτισμάτων, τῶν ἐξ οὐκ ὄντων γενομένων, ἁρμόζει λέγεσθαι, ἀλλότρια δὲ τοῦ Λόγου ἐστίν. Εἰ δὲ ταῦτα μὲν ἐπὶ τῶν γενητῶν, τὸ δὲ ‘ ἀεὶʼ ἐπὶ τοῦ Υἱοῦ λέγουσιν αἱ γραφαὶ, οὐκ ἄρα, ὦ θεομάχοι, ἐξ οὐκ ὄντων γέγονεν ὁ Υἱὸς, οὐδὲ ὅλως τῶν γενητῶν ἐστιν ὁ Υἱὸς, ἀλλὰ τοῦ Πατρὸς εἰκὼν καὶ Λόγος ἀΐδιός ἐστιν, οὐδὲ πώποτε οὐκ ὢν, ἀλλὰ ἀεὶ ὢν, ὡς ἀϊδίου ὄντος φωτὸς ἀίδιον ἀπαύγασμα. Τί τοίνυν χρόνους πρὸ τοῦ Υἱοῦ φαντάζεσθε; ἢ διὰ τί μετὰ χρόνους βλασφημεῖτε τὸν Λόγον, διʼ οὖ καὶ οἱ αἰῶνες γεγόνασι; πῶς γὰρ ὅλως χρόνος ἢ αἰὼν ὑπέστη μήπω φανέντος καθʼ ὑμᾶς τοῦ Λόγου, διʼ οὗ τὰ πάντα γέγονε, καὶ χωρὶς αὐτοῦ ἐγένετο οὐδὲ ἕν; ʼ ἢ διὰ τί, χρόνον σημαίνοντες, οὐ λέγετε φανερῶς, ‘ ἦν χρόνος ὅτε οὐκ ἦν ὁ Λόγος; ʼ Ἀλλὰ τὸ μὲν ὄνομα τοῦ ‘χρόνουʼ σκέπετε, πρὸς ἀπάτην τῶν ἀκεραίων, τὸ φρόνημα δὲ ὅλως ἑαυτῶν οὐ κρύπτετε, ἀλλʼ οὐδὲ κρύπτοντες λαθεῖν δύνασθε· πάλιν γὰρ χρόνους σημαίνετε λέγοντες, ἦν ποτε ὅτε οὐκ ἦν, ʼ καὶ ‘οὐκ ἦν πρὶν γεννηθῇ. ### English translation (Claude) 13. That the Scriptures speak of the Son's eternity is clear, then, from what has been said. And that the very words the Arians utter, “he was not,” and “before,” and “when,” are what the same Scriptures say about the creatures, what is about to be said will show in turn. For Moses, recounting the origin of our world, says, “and every green thing of the field before it came to be on the earth, and all the grass of the field before it sprang up; for God had not sent rain on the earth, and there was no man to work the earth”; and in Deuteronomy, “when the Most High divided the nations.” And the Lord said in his own person, “If you loved me, you would have rejoiced because I said, ‘I am going to the Father,’ for the Father is greater than I. And now I have told you before it happens, so that when it happens you may believe”; and about the creation he says through Solomon, “Before he made the earth, and before he made the depths, and before the springs of the waters came forth, and before the mountains were set in place, and before all the hills, he begets me”; and, “Before Abraham came to be, I am.” And about Jeremiah he says, “Before I formed you in the womb, I know you.” And David sings, “Lord, you have become our refuge in generation and generation; before the mountains came to be and the earth and the world were formed, from age to age you are.” And in Daniel, “Susanna cried out with a loud voice and said, O eternal God, who knows what is hidden, who knows all things before they come to be.” So “he once was not,” “before he came to be,” “when,” and all such little phrases are fitly said of things originated and creatures, which came to be from nothing, but are foreign to the Word. And if the Scriptures say these things of things originated, but “always” of the Son, then, you fighters against God, the Son did not come to be from nothing, nor is he at all one of the things originated; he is the Father's image and eternal Word, never not being but always being, as the eternal radiance of an eternal light. Why then do you imagine times before the Son? Or why do you blaspheme the Word as coming after times, the Word through whom the ages too came to be? For how could time or age have come to exist at all when, on your view, the Word had not yet appeared, the Word “through whom all things came to be, and without him not one thing came to be”? Or why, when you mean time, do you not say openly, “there was a time when the Word was not”? You hide the word “time” to deceive the simple, but you do not hide your mind at all; indeed, even if you hid it, you could not escape notice. For again you mean times when you say, “there was once when he was not,” and “he was not before he was begotten.” ### Scripture references - Gen 2:5: quotation, high confidence - Deut 32:8: quotation, high confidence - John 14:28: quotation, high confidence - John 14:29: quotation, high confidence - Prov 8:23: quotation, high confidence - Prov 8:24: quotation, high confidence - Prov 8:25: quotation, high confidence - John 8:58: quotation, high confidence - Jer 1:5: quotation, high confidence - Ps 90:1 (89:1 LXX): quotation, high confidence - Ps 90:2 (89:2 LXX): quotation, high confidence - Heb 1:2: allusion, medium confidence - John 1:3: quotation, high confidence ### Extrabiblical texts - Sus 42 (Susanna): quotation, high confidence ### Translation notes - Prov 8:23–25 is quoted in its LXX form (“he begets me”), which Athanasius applies to the Son. “Susanna” (Dan 13 in the Greek Bible) is outside the Protestant canon and is listed as an extrabiblical text. ### Citation (SBL) Athanasius, C. Ar. 13 (Bright, 14–15; trans. Sophia Scriptura, https://sophiascriptura.com/fathers/athanasius-oratio-1/12/#p-13). ## Oration I Against the Arians 14 - URL: https://sophiascriptura.com/fathers/athanasius-oratio-1/12/#p-14 - Source: Bright, 15–16 - Translation: Claude (claude-opus-5-5), 2026-09-27 Summary: Athanasius answers the objection that an eternal Son would be the Father's brother: the Son is begotten from the Father, and God's offspring is eternal because God's nature is always complete. ### Greek text 14. Τούτων οὕτω δεικνυμένων, ἔτι πλέον ἀναιδεύονται λέγοντες· Εἰ μὴ ἦν ποτε ὅτε οὐκ ἦν, ἀλλʼ ἀΐδιός ἐστιν ὁ Υἱὸς, καὶ συνυπάρχει τῷ Πατρὶ, οὐκέτι Υἱὸν, ἀλλʼ ἀδελφὸν εἶναι τοῦ Πατρὸς λέγετε αὐτόν, ʼ Ἀνόητοι καὶ φιλόνεικοι· εἰ μὲν γὰρ ἀϊδίως συνεῖναι μόνον αὐτὸν ἐλέγομεν, καὶ μὴ Υἱὸν, πιθανή τις ἦν αὐτῶν ἡ προσποίητος εὐλάβεια· εἰ δὲ, ἀΐδιον λέγοντες, ὁμολογοῦμεν αὐτὸν Υἱὸν ἐκ Πατρὸς, πῶς ὁ γεννηθεὶς ‘ ἀδελφὸςʼ τοῦ γεννήσαντος δύναται νομίζεσθαι; καὶ εἰ εἰς Πατέρα καὶ Υἱὸν ἡμῶν ἐστιν ἡ πίστις, ποία ἀδελφότης ἐν τούτοις ἐστίν; ἢ πῶς δύναται ὁ Λόγος ἀδελφὸς λέγεσθαι τούτου, οὗ καὶ ἔστι Λόγος; Οὐκ ἔστιν ἀντίῤῥησις αὕτη ὡς παρὰ ἀγνοούντων γινομένη· συνορῶσι γὰρ καὶ αὐτοὶ τὴν ἀλήθειαν· ἀλλὰ ‘ πρόφασίς ἐστιν Ἰουδαϊκὴ, καὶ θελόντων, ὡς εἶπεν ὁ Σολομὼν, ἀπὸ τῆς ἀληθείας ‘χωρίζεσθαι.᾿ Οὐ γὰρ ἔκ τινος ἀρχῆς προϋπαρχούσης ὁ Πατὴρ καὶ ὁ Υἱὸς ἐγεννήθησαν, ἵνα καὶ ἀδελφοὶ νομισθῶσιν· ἀλλʼ ὁ Πατὴρ ἀρχὴ τοῦ Υἱοῦ καὶ γεννήτωρ ἐστὶ, καὶ ὁ Πατὴρ πατήρ ἐστι, καὶ οὐχ υἱός τινος γέγονε· καὶ ὁ Υἱὸς δὲ υἱός ἐστι, καὶ οὐκ ἀδελφός. Εἰ δὲ ἀΐδιον γέννημα τοῦ Πατρὸς λέγεται, καλῶς λέγεται. Οὐ γὰρ ἀτελὴς οὐσία τοῦ Πατρὸς ἦν ποτε, ἵνα καὶ τὸ ἴδιον αὐτῆς ἐπισυμβαίνῃ ταύτῃ· οὐδὲ ὡς ἄνθρωπος ἐξ ἀνθρώπου γεγέννηται ὁ Υἱὸς, ἵνα καὶ ὑστερίζῃ τῆς πατρῴας ὑπάρξεως· ἀλλὰ Θεοῦ γέννημά ἐστι, καὶ ὡς Θεοῦ τοῦ ἀεὶ ὄντος ἴδιος ὢν Υἱὸς, ἀϊδίως ὑπάρχει. Ἀνθρώπων μὲν γὰρ ἴδιον τὸ ἐν χρόνῳ γεννᾷν διὰ τὸ ἀτελὲς τῆς φύσεως· Θεοῦ δὲ ἀΐδιον τὸ γέννημα, διὰ τὸ ἀεὶ τέλειον τῆς φύσεως. Εἰ μὲν οὖν οὐκ ἔστιν Υἱὸς, ἀλλʼ ἐξ οὐκ ὄντων ποίημα γέγονε, δεικνύτωσαν πρότερον, καὶ ὡς περὶ ποιήματος φανταζόμενοι κραζέτωσαν, ὅτι ‘ ἦν ποτε ὅτε οὐκ ἦν·᾿ οὐκ ὄντα γὰρ γέγονε τὰ γενητά. Εἰ δὲ Υἱός ἐστι, τοῦτο γὰρ καὶ ὁ Πατὴρ λέγει, καὶ αἱ γραφαὶ βοῶσι· τὸ δὲ Υἱὸς οὐδὲν ἕτερόν ἐστιν ἢ τὸ ἐκ τοῦ Πατρὸς γεννώμενον, τὸ δὲ γεννώμενον ἐκ τοῦ Πατρὸς Λόγος ἐστὶν αὐτοῦ καὶ Σοφία καὶ ἀπαύγασμα· τί δεῖ λέγειν ἢ ὅτι λέγοντες, ‘ ἦν ποτε ὅτε οὐκ ἦν ὁ Υἱὸς, ᾿ ὡς λῃσταί τινες ἀποσυλῶσι τὸν Λόγον ἀπὸ τοῦ Θεοῦ, καὶ ἄντικρυς κατʼ αὐτοῦ φθέγγονται, ὅτι ἦν ποτεʼ τοῦ ἰδίου Λόγου καὶ Σοφίας χωρὶς, καὶ τὸ φῶς ‘ ἦν ποτε χωρὶς αὐγῆς, καὶ ἄγονος ἦν ἡ πηγὴ καὶ ξηρά; Κἂν γὰρ, τὸ ὄνομα τοῦ‘χρόνουʼ προσποιούμενοι φοβεῖσθαι διὰ τοὺς ὀνειδίζοντας αὐτοὺς, λέγωσι πρὸ χρόνων αὐτὸν εἷναι, ἀλλʼ ὅμως ὅτι διαστήματά τινα διδόασιν, ἐν οἶς μὴ εἶναι αὐτὸν φαντάζονται, οὐδὲν ἧττον χρόνους σημαίνοντες, καὶ ἀλογίαν περὶ τὸν Θεὸν εἰσάγοντες, μεγάλως ἀσεβοῦσιν. ### English translation (Claude) 14. When these things are shown in this way, they grow still more shameless, saying: “If there was not once when he was not, but the Son is eternal and coexists with the Father, you are saying that he is no longer the Father's Son but his brother.” Senseless and contentious men! If we said only that he exists eternally with the Father, and not that he is Son, their pretended scruple would have some plausibility. But if, in calling him eternal, we confess him to be Son from the Father, how can the one begotten be thought the “brother” of the one who begot him? And if our faith is in Father and Son, what brotherhood is there between them? Or how can the Word be called brother of him whose Word he is? This objection does not come from men who are ignorant, for they themselves see the truth; but it is a Jewish pretext, and that of men who, as Solomon said, wish “to separate themselves” from the truth. For the Father and the Son were not begotten from some pre-existing origin, so as to be thought brothers; but the Father is the origin of the Son and his begetter, and the Father is father and did not become son of anyone; and the Son is son and not brother. And if he is called the eternal offspring of the Father, he is rightly so called. For the Father's substance was never incomplete, so that what is proper to it should be added to it afterwards; nor has the Son been begotten as a man from a man, so as to come later than his Father's existence; but he is God's offspring, and being the proper Son of God, who always is, he exists eternally. For it is characteristic of men to beget in time, because of the incompleteness of their nature; but God's offspring is eternal, because his nature is always complete. If, then, he is not a Son but has come to be a work from nothing, let them first prove it, and then, imagining him to be a work, let them cry out, “there was once when he was not”; for things originated came to be when they were not. But if he is a Son (for the Father says so, and the Scriptures proclaim it), and “Son” is nothing other than what is begotten from the Father, and what is begotten from the Father is his Word, Wisdom, and radiance, what must one say but that, in saying “there was once when the Son was not,” they are like robbers stripping the Word away from God, and saying openly against him that he was once without his own Word and Wisdom, and that the light was once without its brightness, and the spring was barren and dry? For even if, pretending to fear the word “time” because of those who reproach them, they say that he was before times, still, because they posit certain intervals in which they imagine he did not exist, they none the less mean times, and by introducing irrationality into God they commit great impiety. ### Scripture references - Prov 18:1: quotation, medium confidence ### Translation notes - “A Jewish pretext” is Athanasius's polemical phrase, translated as written. “To separate themselves” is from Prov 18:1 (LXX). “Irrationality” (ἀλογία) is a play on words: to say God was once without his Word (Λόγος) is to make him without reason. ### Citation (SBL) Athanasius, C. Ar. 14 (Bright, 15–16; trans. Sophia Scriptura, https://sophiascriptura.com/fathers/athanasius-oratio-1/12/#p-14). ## Oration I Against the Arians 15 - URL: https://sophiascriptura.com/fathers/athanasius-oratio-1/12/#p-15 - Source: Bright, 16–17 - Translation: Claude (claude-opus-5-5), 2026-09-27 Summary: Athanasius argues that if the Son were Son only by participation, he would have to participate in something between himself and the Father, which is absurd. ### Greek text 15. Εἰ δὲ καὶ τὸ ὄνομα τοῦ Υἱοῦ πάλιν συνομολογοῦσι, διὰ τὸ μὴ βούλεσθαι φανερῶς παρὰ πάντων καταγινώσκεσθαι, τὸ δὲ εἶναι τοῦτον τῆς οὐσίας τοῦ Πατρὸς ἴδιον γέννημα ἀρνοῦνται, ὡς μὴ δυναμένου τούτου εἶναι χωρὶς τῆς ἐκ μερῶν καὶ διαιρέσεων ὑπονοίας, οὐδὲν ἧττον πάλιν ἀρνοῦνται μὴ εἶναι μὲν ἀληθινὸν Υἱὸν, ὀνόματι δὲ μόνον λέγοντες ‘ υἱόν.᾿ Πῶς δὲ οὐ σφάλλονται μεγάλως περὶ τοῦ ἀσωμάτου τὰ σωμάτων ἐνθυμούμενοι, καὶ διὰ τὴν ἀσθένειαν τῆς ἰδίας φύσεως ἀρνούμενοι τὸ φύσει καὶ ἴδιον τοῦ Πατρός; Ὥρα γὰρ αὐτοὺς μὴ νοοῦντας καὶ πῶς ἐστιν ὁ Θεὸς, ἢ ποταπός ἐστιν ὁ Πατὴρ, ἀρνεῖσθαι καὶ αὐτὸν, ἐπεὶ καὶ τὸ γέννημα τοῦ Πατρὸς ἐξ ἑαυτῶν μετροῦσιν οἱ ἄφρονες. Ἀλλʼ οὕτως αὐτοὺς διακειμένους, καὶ νομίζοντας μὴ δύνασθαι εἶναι υἱὸν τοῦ Θεοῦ, οἰκτείρειν μὲν ἄξιον· ἐρωτᾷν δὲ καὶ διελέγχειν αὐτοὺς ἀκόλουθόν ἐστι, τάχα κἂν οὕτως εἰς αἴσθησιν ἔλθωσιν. Εἰ καθʼ ὑμᾶς ‘ἐξ οὐκ ὄντων ἐστὶν ὁ Υἱὸς, καὶ οὐκ ἦν πρὶν γεννηθῇ, ʼ πάντως που κατὰ μετουσίαν καὶ αὐτὸς υἱὸς, καὶ Θεὸς, καὶ σοφία ἐκλήθη· οὕτω γὰρ καὶ τὰ ἄλλα πάντα συνέστηκέ τε καὶ ἁγιαζόμενα δοξάζεται. Τίνος τοίνυν ἐστὶ μέτοχος, εἰπεῖν ὑμᾶς ἀνάγκη. Τὰ μὲν γὰρ ἄλλα πάντα τοῦ Πνεύματος μετέχει, αὐτὸς δὲ ἄρα καθʼ ὑμᾶς τίνος ἂν εἴη μέτοχος; τοῦ Πνεύματος; καὶ μὴν αὐτὸ τὸ Πνεῦμα μᾶλλον ‘παρὰ τοῦ Υἱοῦ λαμβάνει, ᾿ ὡς αὐτὸς εἴρηκε, καὶ ἄλογόν ἐστιν εἰπεῖν τοῦτον ἁγιάζεσθαι παρʼ ἐκείνου. Oὐκοῦν τοῦ Πατρὸς μετέχει· τοῦτο γὰρ λείπεται, καὶ ἀνάγκη λέγειν. Καὶ τί τοῦτο ἄρα ἢ πόθεν ἐστίν; εἰ μὲν οὖν ἔξωθέν ἐστιν ἐπινοηθὲν παρὰ τοῦ Πατρὸς, οὐκέτι πάλιν τοῦ Πατρὸς μετέχων ἂν εἴη, ἀλλὰ τοῦ ἔξωθεν γενομένου, καὶ οὐκέτι αὐτὸς οὐδὲ δεύτερος ἔσται μετὰ τὸν Πατέρα, ἔχων πρὸ ἑαυτοῦ ἐκεῖνο· οὐδὲ τοῦ Πατρὸς Υἱὸς ἂν λεχθείη, ἀλλʼ ἐκείνου, οὗ καὶ μετέχων υἱὸς καὶ Θεὸς ἐκλήθη· εἰ δὲ τοῦτο ἄτοπον καὶ ἀσεβὲς, λέγοντος μὲν τοῦ Πατρὸς, ‘ Οὔτός ἐστιν ὁ Υἱός μου ὁ ἀγαπητὸς, ʼ λέγοντος δὲ καὶ τοῦ Υἱοῦ, ‘ Πατέρα ἴδιον εἶναι τὸν Θεόν·᾿ δῆλον ὅτι οὐκ ἔξωθεν, ἀλλʼ ‘ ἐκ τῆς οὐσίας τοῦ Πατρός ἐστι τὸ μετεχόμενον. Τοῦτο δὲ πάλιν ἐὰν ἕτερον ᾖ παρὰ τὴν οὐσίαν τοῦ Υἱοῦ, τὸ ἴσον ἄτοπον ἀπαντήσει, μέσου πάλιν εὑρισκομένου τούτου ἐκ τοῦ Πατρὸς καὶ τῆς οὐσίας τοῦ Υἱοῦ, ἥτις ποτέ ἐστιν. ### English translation (Claude) 15. And if, again, they agree to the name “Son” because they do not wish to be openly condemned by everyone, but deny that he is the proper offspring of the Father's substance, on the grounds that this could not be without the idea of parts and divisions, they none the less deny that he is a true Son, calling him “son” in name only. And how are they not greatly mistaken, thinking the things of bodies about the incorporeal one, and, because of the weakness of their own nature, denying what is by nature proper to the Father? It is time for them, since they do not understand how God is or what sort the Father is, to deny him too, since these senseless men measure the Father's offspring by themselves. Those so disposed, who think there cannot be a Son of God, deserve pity; yet it is right to question and refute them, since perhaps in this way they may come to their senses. If, as you say, “the Son is from nothing, and was not before he was begotten,” then surely he too was called son and God and wisdom by participation; for this is how all other things too hold together and are glorified by being sanctified. You must say, then, in what he participates. All other things participate in the Spirit; in what, then, according to you, would he participate? In the Spirit? But the Spirit himself rather “receives from” the Son, as he himself has said, and it is absurd to say that the Son is sanctified by the Spirit. So he participates in the Father; for this is what remains, and one must say it. And what is this, then, and where is it from? If it is something external, devised by the Father, he would no longer be participating in the Father, but in what came to be outside him; and he will no longer be even second after the Father, having that thing before him; nor could he be called Son of the Father, but of that by participating in which he was called son and God. But if this is absurd and impious, since the Father says, “This is my beloved Son,” and the Son says that “God is his own Father,” it is clear that what is participated in is not external but is “from the substance of the Father.” And again, if this is something other than the substance of the Son, the same absurdity will confront us, since something will again be found in between, from the Father, and the substance of the Son, whatever that is. ### Scripture references - John 16:14: quotation, high confidence - Matt 3:17: quotation, high confidence - John 5:18: quotation, high confidence ### Translation notes - “From the substance of the Father” is the phrase of the Nicene Creed. ### Citation (SBL) Athanasius, C. Ar. 15 (Bright, 16–17; trans. Sophia Scriptura, https://sophiascriptura.com/fathers/athanasius-oratio-1/12/#p-15). ## Oration I Against the Arians 16 - URL: https://sophiascriptura.com/fathers/athanasius-oratio-1/12/#p-16 - Source: Bright, 17–18 - Translation: Claude (claude-opus-5-5), 2026-09-27 Summary: Athanasius concludes that the Son is not a participant in God but is himself what is participated from the Father's substance, begotten without passion or division. ### Greek text 16. Τοιούτων δὴ οὖν ἀτόπων καὶ παρὰ τὴν ἀλήθειαν ἀναφαινομένων λογισμῶν, ἀνάγκη λέγειν τὸ ‘ἐκ τῆς οὐσίας τοῦ Πατρὸςʼ ἴδιον αὐτοῦ σύμπαν εἶναι τὸν Υἱόν· τὸ γὰρ ὅλως ‘μετέχεσθαιʼ τὸν Θεὸν ἴσον ἐστὶ λέγειν ὅτι καὶ γεννᾷ· τὸ δὲ ‘ γεννᾷνʼ τί σημαίνει ἢ υἱόν; Αὐτοῦ γοῦν τοῦ Υἱοῦ μετέχει τὰ πάντα κατὰ τὴν τοῦ Πνεύματος γινομένην παρʼ. αὐτοῦ χάριν· καὶ φανερὸν ἐκ τούτου γίνεται ὅτι αὐτὸς μὲν ὁ Υἱὸς οὐδενὸς μετέχει, τὸ δὲ ἐκ τοῦ Πατρὸς μετεχόμενον, τοῦτό ἐστιν ὁ Υἱός. Αὐτοῦ γὰρ τοῦ Υἱοῦ μετέχοντες, τοῦ Θεοῦ μετέχειν λεγόμεθα· καὶ τοῦτό ἐστιν ὃ ἔλεγεν ὁ Πέτρος, ‘ ἵνα γένησθε θείας κοινωνοὶ φύσεως, ʼ ὥς φησι καὶ ὁ ἀπόστολος, ‘ οὐκ οἴδατε, ὅτι ναὸς Θεοῦ ἐστε; ʼ καὶ, ‘ ἡμεῖς γὰρ ναὸς Θεοῦ ἐσμεν ζῶντος.᾿ Καὶ αὐτὸν δὲ τὸν Υἱὸν βλέποντες, ὁρῶμεν τὸν Πατέρα. Ἡ γὰρ τοῦ Υἱοῦ ἔννοια καὶ κατάληψις γνῶσίς ἐστι περὶ τοῦ Πατρὸς, διὰ τὸ ἐκ τῆς οὐσίας αὐτοῦ ἴδιον εἶναι γέννημα. Ὥσπερ δὲ τὸ μετέχεσθαι οὐκ ἄν τις ὑμῶν ἔτι πάθος εἴποι καὶ μερισμὸν τῆς τοῦ Θεοῦ οὐσίας· (δεδήλωται γὰρ καὶ ὡμολόγηται μετέχεσθαι τὸν Θεὸν, καὶ ταὐτὸ εἶναι μετέχεσθαι καὶ γεννᾷν·) οὕτως τὸ γέννημα οὐ πάθος, οὐδὲ μερισμός ἐστι τῆς μακαρίας ἐκείνης οὐσίας. Οὐκ ἄπιστον ἄρα ἐστὶν Υἱὸν ἔχειν τὸν Θεὸν, τῆς ἰδίας οὐσίας τὸ γέννημα· οὐδʼ ἄρα πάθος καὶ μερισμὸν τῆς οὐσίας τοῦ Θεοῦ σημαίνομεν, λέγοντες ‘Υἱὸν καὶ γέννημα·᾿ ἀλλὰ μᾶλλον τὸ γνήσιον καὶ τὸ ἀληθινὸν καὶ τὸ μονογενὲς τοῦ Θεοῦ γινώσκοντες, οὕτω πιστεύομεν. Τούτου δὲ οὕτω πεφασμένου καὶ δεικνυμένου, ὅτι τὸ ἐκ τῆς τοῦ Πατρὸς οὐσίας γέννημα τοῦτό ἐστιν ὁ Υἱὸς, οὐδενὶ λοιπὸν ἀμφίβολον, ἀλλὰ καὶ πρόδηλον ἂν εἴη, ὅτι τοῦτό ἐστιν ἡ Σοφία καὶ ὁ Λόγος τοῦ Πατρὸς, ἐν ᾧ καὶ διʼ οὗ τὰ πάντα κτίζει καὶ ποιεῖ· καὶ τοῦτό ἐστιν αὐτοῦ τὸ ἀπαύγασμα, ἐν ᾧ τὰ πάντα φωτίζει, καὶ ἀποκαλύπτεται οἵς ἐὰν θέλῃ· τοῦτό ἐστιν αὐτοῦ χαρακτὴρ καὶ εἰκὼν, ἐν ᾧ θεωρεῖται καὶ γινώσκεται, διὸ καὶ ‘ αὐτὸς καὶ ὁ Πατὴρ ἕν εἰσι·᾿ καὶ γὰρ ὁ τοῦτον βλέπων βλέπει καὶ τὸν Πατέρα· τοῦτό ἐστιν ὁ Χριστὸς, ἐν τὰ πάντα λελύτρωται, καὶ πάλιν τὴν καινὴν εἰργάσατο κτίσιν. Τοῦ δὲ Υἱοῦ πάλιν οὕτως ὄντος, οὐχ ἁρμόζει, ἀλλὰ καὶ λίαν ἐπικίνδυνόν ἐστιν εἰπεῖν τοῦτον ‘ ἐξ οὐκ ὄντων ποίημα ἢ, ‘ οὐκ ἦν πρὶν γεννηθῇ.᾿ Ὁ γὰρ τὸ ἴδιον τῆς οὐσίας τοῦ Πατρὸς οὕτω λέγων καὶ εἰς αὐτὸν τὸν Πατέρα φθάνει βλασφημῶν, τὰ τοιαῦτα φρονῶν περὶ αὐτοῦ, οἴα καὶ περὶ τοῦ ἐξ αὐτοῦ γεννήματος φανταζόμενος καταψεύδεται. ### English translation (Claude) 16. Since, then, such reasonings are shown to be absurd and contrary to the truth, we must say that what is “from the substance of the Father,” and proper to him, is wholly the Son. For to say that God is wholly “participated” is the same as to say that he also begets; and what does “to beget” signify but a son? Indeed all things participate in the Son himself, according to the grace of the Spirit that comes from him; and from this it becomes clear that the Son himself participates in nothing, but what is participated from the Father is the Son. For by participating in the Son himself we are said to participate in God. And this is what Peter said, “that you may become partakers of the divine nature,” as the apostle too says, “Do you not know that you are God's temple?” and, “For we are the temple of the living God.” And when we look at the Son himself, we see the Father; for the thought and understanding of the Son is knowledge about the Father, because he is the proper offspring from his substance. And just as none of you would any longer call being participated a passion or a division of God's substance (for it has been shown and agreed that God is participated, and that to be participated and to beget are the same), so the offspring is neither a passion nor a division of that blessed substance. So it is not incredible that God has a Son, the offspring of his own substance; nor, when we say “Son” and “offspring,” do we signify a passion or a division of God's substance; rather, knowing the genuine, true, and only-begotten Son of God, so we believe. And since it has been declared and shown that the offspring from the Father's substance is the Son, no one can any longer doubt, but it should be quite clear, that this is the Wisdom and the Word of the Father, in whom and through whom he creates and makes all things; this is his radiance, in whom he enlightens all things and is revealed to whomever he will; this is his exact imprint and image, in whom he is contemplated and known; for this reason too “he and the Father are one,” for whoever sees him sees the Father also. This is the Christ, in whom all things have been redeemed, and who has in turn wrought the new creation. And since the Son is such, it is not fitting, but most dangerous, to say that he is “a work from nothing,” or that “he was not before he was begotten.” For whoever speaks so of what is proper to the Father's substance ends by blaspheming the Father himself, since he thinks of him the same things that he falsely imagines about the offspring from him. ### Scripture references - 2 Pet 1:4: quotation, high confidence - 1 Cor 3:16: quotation, high confidence - 2 Cor 6:16: quotation, high confidence - John 10:30: quotation, high confidence - John 14:9: allusion, high confidence - 2 Cor 5:17: echo, medium confidence ### Translation notes - “Passion” (πάθος) means being acted upon or undergoing change; Athanasius denies that begetting implies any change or division in God. ### Citation (SBL) Athanasius, C. Ar. 16 (Bright, 17–18; trans. Sophia Scriptura, https://sophiascriptura.com/fathers/athanasius-oratio-1/12/#p-16). ## Oration I Against the Arians 17 - URL: https://sophiascriptura.com/fathers/athanasius-oratio-1/12/#p-17 - Source: Bright, 18–19 - Translation: Claude (claude-opus-5-5), 2026-09-27 Summary: Athanasius argues that if the Son was once not, the Trinity was not eternal but grew by addition, and could as well be diminished. ### Greek text 17. Ἔστι μὲν οὖν καὶ τοῦτο μόνον ἱκανὸν ἀνατρέπειν τὴν Ἀρειανὴν αἵρεσιν· ὅμως δὲ καὶ ἐκ τούτου ἄν τις ἴδοι τὸ ἀλλόδοξον αὐτῆς. Εἰ ποιητὴς καὶ κτίστης ἐστὶν ὁ Θεὸς, διὰ Υἱοῦ δὲ τὰ ποιήματα κτίζει, καὶ οὐκ ἔστιν ἄλλως ἰδεῖν τὰ γινόμενα ἢ διὰ τοῦ Λόγου γινόμενα· πῶς οὐ βλάσφημον, ποιητοῦ ὄντος τοῦ Θεοῦ, λέγειν τὸν δημιουργικὸν αὐτοῦ Λόγον καὶ τὴν Σοφίαν ‘ μὴ εἶναί ποτε;᾿ Ἴσον γάρ ἐστιν εἰπεῖν ὅτι μηδὲ ποιητής ἐστιν ὁ Θεὸς, οὐκ ἔχων ἴδιον ἐξ αὐτοῦ δημιουργικὸν Λόγον, ἀλλʼ ἔξωθεν ἐπεισαγόμενός ἐστι καὶ ξένος αὐτοῦ, καὶ ἀνόμοιος κατʼ οὐσίαν τυγχάνων, ἐν ᾧ δημιουργεῖ. Ἔπειτα λεγέτωσαν ἡμῖν—μᾶλλον δὲ κἂν ἐκ τούτου βλεπέτωσαν τὴν δυσσέβειαν ἑαυτῶν ἐκ τοῦ λέγειν, ‘ ἦν ποτε ὅτε οὐκ ἢν, ʼ καὶ, οὐκ ἦν πρὶν γεννηθῇ·᾿ Εἰ γὰρ οὐκ ἀϊδίως σύνεστιν ὁ Λόγος τῷ Πατρὶ, οὐκ ἔστιν ἡ Τριὰς ἀΐδιος· ἀλλὰ μονὰς μὲν ἦν πρότερον, ἐκ προσθήκης δὲ γέγονεν ὕστερον Τριὰς, καὶ προϊόντος τοῦ χρόνου κατʼ αὐτοὺς ηὔξησε καὶ συνέστη τῆς θεολογίας ἡ γνῶσις. Πάλιν τε, εἰ οὐκ ἔστιν ὁ Υἱὸς ἴδιον τῆς τοῦ Πατρὸς οὐσίας γέννημα, ἀλλʼ ἐξ οὐκ ὄντων γέγονεν, ἐξ οὐκ ὄντων συνίσταται Τριὰς, καὶ ‘ ἦν ποτε ὅτε οὐκ ἦνʼ Τριὰς, ἀλλὰ μονάς· καὶ ποτὲ μὲν ἐλλειπὴς Τριὰς, ποτὲ δὲ πλήρης· ἐλλειπὴς μὲν πρὶν γένηται ὁ Υἱὸς, πλήρης δὲ ὅτε γέγονε· καὶ λοιπὸν καὶ τὸ γενητὸν τῷ κτίστῃ συναριθμεῖται, καὶ τό ποτε μὴ ὂν τῷ ἀεὶ ὄντι συνθεολογεῖται καὶ συνδοξάζεται· καὶ τό γε μεῖζον, ἀνόμοιος ἑαυτῆς ἡ Τριὰς εὑρίσκεται, ξέναιςʼ καὶ ἀλλοτρίαις φύσεσί τε καὶ ταῖς οὐσίαις συνισταμένη. Τοῦτο δὲ οὐδὲν ἕτερόν ἐστιν εἰπεῖν ἢ γενητὴν τὴν τῆς Τριάδος σύστασιν. Ποταπὴ οὖν αὕτη θεοσέβεια ἡ μηδὲ ἑαυτῇ ὁμοία τυγχάνουσα, ἀλλʼ ἐκ προσθήκης χρόνων πληρουμένη, καὶ ποτὲ μὲν μὴ οὕτως, ποτὲ δὲ οὕτως οὖσα; εἰκὸς γὰρ αὐτὴν καὶ πάλιν λήψεσθαι προσθήκην, καὶ τοῦτο εἰς ἄπειρον, ὡς ἅπαξ καὶ κατὰ τὴν ἀρχὴν ἐκ προσθήκης ἔσχε τὴν σύστασιν. Οὐκ ἀμφίβολον δὲ ὅτι καὶ δυνατὸν αὐτὴν μειοῦσθαι. Τὰ γὰρ προστιθέμενα φανερὸν ὅτι καὶ ἀφαιρεῖσθαι δύναται. ### English translation (Claude) 17. This alone, then, is enough to overturn the Arian heresy; yet one may see its heterodoxy from this too. If God is maker and creator, and creates his works through the Son, and one cannot see the things that come to be otherwise than as coming to be through the Word, how is it not blasphemous, since God is maker, to say that his creative Word and Wisdom “once was not”? It is the same as saying that God is not even a maker, since he did not have his own creative Word from himself, but that the one in whom he creates is brought in from outside, is foreign to him, and is unlike him in substance. Next, let them tell us, or rather let them see even from this their impiety in saying “there was once when he was not” and “he was not before he was begotten.” For if the Word does not exist eternally with the Father, the Trinity is not eternal; but there was a unit first, and later it became a Trinity by addition; and as time went on, according to them, the knowledge of theology grew and took shape. And again, if the Son is not the proper offspring of the Father's substance, but came to be from nothing, then the Trinity is made up from nothing, and “there was once when” the Trinity “was not,” but a unit; and the Trinity was once incomplete and later complete: incomplete before the Son came to be, complete when he had come to be. And from then on the thing originated is counted with the Creator, and what once was not is worshipped as God and glorified together with him who always is. And, what is worse, the Trinity is found to be unlike itself, made up of strange and alien natures and substances. To say this is nothing other than to say that the constitution of the Trinity is originated. What sort of worship of God, then, is this, which is not even like itself, but is completed by additions over time, and is once not so and then so? For it is likely that it will receive a further addition, and so on to infinity, since once, at the beginning, it gained its constitution by addition. And there is no doubt that it could also be diminished; for it is clear that what is added can also be taken away. ### Translation notes - “Trinity” renders Τριάς (literally “triad”); “unit” renders μονάς (“monad”). “Theology” here means the knowledge and confession of God. ### Citation (SBL) Athanasius, C. Ar. 17 (Bright, 18–19; trans. Sophia Scriptura, https://sophiascriptura.com/fathers/athanasius-oratio-1/12/#p-17). ## Oration I Against the Arians 18 - URL: https://sophiascriptura.com/fathers/athanasius-oratio-1/12/#p-18 - Source: Bright, 19–20 - Translation: Claude (claude-opus-5-5), 2026-09-27 Summary: Athanasius affirms one eternal Godhead in the Trinity, which neither grows nor lessens, and says an originated triad is a pagan idea. ### Greek text 18. Οὐκ ἔστι δὲ οὕτως· μὴ γένοιτο· οὐκ ἔστι γενητὴ ἡ Τριάς· ἀλλʼ ἀίδιος καὶ μία θεότης ἐστὶν ἐν Τριάδι, καὶ μία δόξα τῆς ἁγίας Τριάδος· καὶ σχίζειν αὐτὴν εἰς διαφόρους φύσεις τολμᾶτε· τοῦ Πατρὸς ἀϊδίου ὄντος, τὸν συγκαθήμενον αὐτῷ Λόγον λέγετε ὅτι ‘ ἦν ποτε ὅτε οὐκ ἦν·᾿ τοῦ δὲ Υἱοῦ συγκαθημένου τῷ Πατρὶ, ἐνθυμεῖσθε τοῦτον μακρύνειν ἀπʼ αὐτοῦ, Κτίζουσά ἐστι καὶ δημιουργὸς ἡ Τριάς· καὶ οὐ φοβεῖσθε καταφέροντες αὐτὴν εἰς τὰ ἐξ οὐκ ὄντων· οὐκ αἰδεῖσθε τὰ δοῦλα συνεξισάζοντες τῇ εὐγενείᾳ τῆς Τριάδος, καὶ τὸν βασιλέα Κύριον Σαβαὼθ τοῖς ὑπηκόοις συντάττοντες, Παύσασθε συμφύροντες τὰ ἄμικτα, μᾶλλον δὲ τὰ μὴ ὄντα τῷ ὄντι. Οὐκ ἔστι ταῦτα λέγοντας ἐνεγκεῖν δόξαν καὶ τιμὴν τῷ Κυρίῳ, ἀλλὰ ἀδοξίαν καὶ ἀτιμίαν· ὁ γὰρ ἀτιμάζων τὸν Υἱὸν ἀτιμάζει τὸν Πατέρα. Εἰ γὰρ νῦν ἐν Τριάδι ἡ θεολογία τελεία ἐστὶ, καὶ αὕτη ἡ ἀληθὴς καὶ μόνη θεοσέβειά ἐστι, καὶ τοῦτό ἐστι τὸ καλὸν καὶ ἡ ἀλήθεια, ἔδει τοῦτο οὕτως ἀεὶ εἶναι, ἴνα μὴ τὸ καλὸν καὶ ἡ ἀλήθεια ἐπιγένηται, καὶ ἐκ προσθήκης συνίσταται τὸ τῆς θεολογίας πλήρωμα. Ἔδει οὖν τοῦτο ἀϊδίως εἶναι· εἰ δὲ μὴ ἀιδίως ἦν, ἔδει μηδὲ νῦν οὕτως αὐτὴν εἶναι, ἀλλʼ οὕτως εἶναι, ὥσπερ ἐξ ἀρχῆς ὑμεῖς αὐτὴν ὑποτίθεσθε, ἵνα μηδὲ νῦν Τριὰς ᾖ. Ἀλλʼ οὐ ἂν ἀνάσχοιτό τις Χριστιανῶν τῶν τοιούτων αἱρετικῶν· Ἑλλήνων γὰρ ἴδια ταῦτα, ὥστε γενητὴν εἰσάγειν τριάδα, καὶ τοῖς γενητοῖς αὐτὴν συνεξισάζειν· τῶν γὰρ γενητῶν ἐστιν ἐλλείψεις καὶ προσθήκας δέχεσθαι· Χριστιανῶν δὲ ἡ πίστις ἄτρεπτον καὶ τελείαν καὶ ἀεὶ ὡσαύτως ἔχουσαν τὴν μακαρίαν οἶδε Τριάδα, καὶ οὔτε πλέον τι τῇ Τριάδι προστίθησιν, οὔτε ἐνδεῆ ποτε ταύτην γεγενῆσθαι λογίζεται· ἑκάτερον γὰρ τούτων δυσσεβές· διὸ καὶ ἀμιγῆ μὲν αὐτὴν γινώσκει τῶν γενητῶν, ἀδιαίρετον δὲ τὴν ἑνότητα τῆς θεότητος αὐτῆς φυλάττουσα προσκυνεῖ· καὶ φεύγει μὲν τὰς τῶν Ἀρειανῶν βλασφημίας, ὁμολογεῖ δὲ καὶ οἶδεν ἀεὶ εἶναι τὸν Υἱόν· ἔστι γὰρ ἀίδιος ὡς ὁ Πατὴρ, οὗ καὶ ἔστι Λόγος ἀίδιος· καὶ γὰρ καὶ τοῦτο πάλιν ἴδωμεν. ### English translation (Claude) 18. But it is not so; far from it! The Trinity is not originated; there is an eternal and single Godhead in the Trinity, and one glory of the holy Trinity. And you dare to split it into different natures! Though the Father is eternal, you say of the Word who sits with him, “there was once when he was not”; and though the Son sits with the Father, you think to put him far from him. The Trinity is creator and maker; and you are not afraid to bring it down to things from nothing. You are not ashamed to make servile things equal to the nobility of the Trinity, and to rank the King, the Lord Sabaoth, with his subjects. Stop mixing what cannot be mixed, or rather things that are not with him who is. Those who say these things cannot bring glory and honor to the Lord, but dishonor and disgrace; for whoever dishonors the Son dishonors the Father. For if the knowledge of God is now complete in a Trinity, and this is the true and only godliness, and this is the good and the truth, it must always have been so, so that the good and the truth did not come later, nor the fullness of the knowledge of God come together by addition. It must, then, have been so eternally; and if it was not so eternally, it ought not to be so now either, but it ought to be as you suppose it was from the beginning, so that there is no Trinity even now. But no Christian would put up with such heretics. For these are the ideas of the Greeks: to introduce an originated triad and to make it equal with originated things; for it belongs to originated things to admit of deficiencies and additions. But the faith of Christians knows the blessed Trinity as unchangeable, complete, and always the same; it neither adds anything more to the Trinity, nor reckons that it was ever lacking, for each of these is impious. Therefore it knows it as unmixed with originated things, and it worships it, guarding the undivided unity of its Godhead; and it flees the blasphemies of the Arians, and confesses and knows that the Son always is. For he is eternal, as the Father is, whose eternal Word he is. And let us look at this point again. ### Scripture references - Ps 110:1: echo, medium confidence - Isa 6:5: echo, low confidence - John 5:23: allusion, high confidence ### Translation notes - “Greeks” means pagans; Athanasius compares the Arian view to pagan ideas of a graded, originated divinity. ### Citation (SBL) Athanasius, C. Ar. 18 (Bright, 19–20; trans. Sophia Scriptura, https://sophiascriptura.com/fathers/athanasius-oratio-1/12/#p-18). ## Oration I Against the Arians 19 - URL: https://sophiascriptura.com/fathers/athanasius-oratio-1/12/#p-19 - Source: Bright, 20–21 - Translation: Claude (claude-opus-5-5), 2026-09-27 Summary: Athanasius argues that God is an eternal fountain of wisdom and life, so that his Wisdom and Word, the Son, must be eternal and cannot be counted among the things made through him. ### Greek text 19. Εἰ πηγὴ σοφίας καὶ ζωῆς ἐστι καὶ λέγεται ὁ Θεὸς, ὡς διὰ μὲν Ἱερεμίου, ‘ ἐμὲ ἐγκατέλιπον πηγὴν ὕδατος ζῶντος·᾿ καὶ πάλιν, ‘ Θρόνος δόξης ὑψωμένος, ἁγίασμα ἡμῶν· ὑπομονὴ Ἰσραὴλ, Κύριε, πάντες οἱ ἐγκαταλιπόντες σε αἰσχυνθήτωσαν· ἀφεστηκότες, ἐπὶ τῆς γῆς γραφήτωσαν· ὅτι ἐγκατέλιπον πηγὴν ζωῆς τὸν Κύριον·᾿ ἐν δὲ τῷ Bαροὺχ γέγραπται· ‘ ἐγκατελίπετε τὴν πηγὴν τῆς σοφίας·’ ἀκόλουθον ἂν εἴη τὴν ζωὴν καὶ τὴν σοφίαν μήτε ξένα τῆς οὐσίας τῆς ‘πηγῆςʼ εἶναι, ἀλλʼ ἴδια, μήτε ἀνύπαρκτά ποτε εἶναι, ἀλλʼ ἀεὶ εἶναι. Ἔστι δὲ ταῦτα ὁ Υἱὸς, ὁ λέγων, ‘ Ἐγώ εἰμι ἡ ζωὴ, ’ καὶ, ‘ Ἐγὼ ἡ Σοφία κατεσκήνωσα βουλήν.᾿ Πῶς τοίνυν οὐκ ἀσεβεῖ ὁ λέγων, ‘ἦν ποτε ὅτε οὐκ ἦν ὁ Υἱός;᾿ Ἴσον γάρ ἐστιν εἰπεῖν, ‘ ἦν ποτε ὅτε ἡ πηγὴ ξηρὰ ἦν, χωρὶς τῆς ζωῆς καὶ τῆς σοφίας.᾿ Ἡ δὲ τοιαύτη οὐκ ἂν εἴη πηγή· τὸ γὰρ μὴ ἐξ ἑαυτοῦ γεννῶν οὐκ ἔστι πηγή. Ὅσης δὲ ἀτοπίας γέμον ἐστὶ τοῦτο ὁ μὲν γὰρ Θεὸς τοὺς ποιοῦντας αὐτοῦ τὸ θέλημα ἐπαγγέλλεται ὡς πηγὴν ἔσεσθαι, ἣν μὴ ἐξέλιπεν ὕδωρ, λέγων διὰ Ἡσαΐου τοῦ προφήτου, ‘ Καὶ ἐμπλησθήσῃ, καθάπερ ἐπιθυμεῖ ἡ ψυχή σου, καὶ τὰ ὀστᾶ σου πιανθήσεται, καὶ ἔσται ὡς κῆπος μεθύων, καὶ ὡς πηγὴ, ἣν μὴ ἐξέλιπεν ὕδωρ·᾿ οὗτοι δὲ τὸν Θεὸν, λεγόμενον καὶ ὄντα πηγὴν τῆς σοφίας, ἄγονον αὐτὸν καὶ λείψαντά ποτε τῆς ἰδίας σοφίας δυσφημεῖν τολμῶσιν. Ἀλλὰ τὰ μὲν παρὰ τούτων ἐστὶ ψεύδη· ἡ δὲ ἀλήθεια μαρτυρεῖ πηγὴν ἀΐδιον εἶναι τὸν Θεὸν τῆς ἰδίας σοφίας. Ἀϊδίου δὲ τῆς πηγῆς οὔσης, ἐξ ἀνάγκης καὶ τὴν Σοφίαν ἀΐδιον εἶναι δεῖ. Ἐν ταύτῃ γὰρ καὶ τὰ πάντα γέγονεν, ὡς ψάλλει Δαβὶδ, ‘Πάντα ἐν σοφίᾳ ἐποίησας· ʼ καὶ Σολομών φησιν, ‘ Ὁ Θεὸς τῇ σοφίᾳ ἐθεμελίωσε τὴν γῆν, ἡτοίμασε δὲ οὐρανοὺς ἐν φρονήσει.᾿ Αὐτή τε ἡ Σοφία ἐστὶν ὁ Λόγος, καὶ ‘ διʼ αὐτοῦ, ʼ ὡς Ἰωάννης φησὶν, ‘ ἐγένετο τὰ πάντα, καὶ χωρὶς αὐτοῦ ἐγένετο οὐδὲ ἕν.᾿ Καὶ αὐτός ἐστιν ὁ Χριστός· ‘ εἷς γὰρ Θεὸς ὁ Πατὴρ, ἐξ οὗ τὰ πάντα, καὶ ἡμεῖς εἰς αὐτὸν, καὶ εἷς Κύριος Ἰησοῦς Χριστὸς, διʼ οὖ τὰ πάντα, καὶ ἡμεῖς διʼ αὐτοῦ.᾿ Εἰ δὲ τὰ πάντα διʼ αὐτοῦ, αὐτὸς οὐκ ἂν εἴη συναριθμούμενος τοῖς πᾶσιν. Ὁ γὰρ τολμῶν τὸν ‘ διʼ οὗ τὰ πάνταʼ λέγειν ἕνα εἶναι τῶν πάντων, πάντως δή που καὶ περὶ Θεοῦ, ‘ἐξ οὗ τὰ πάντα, ʼ τὸ αὐτὸ λογίσεται. Εἰ δὲ τοῦτο ὡς ἄτοπον φεύγει τις, καὶ διίστησιν ὡς ἄλλον ἀπὸ ‘ τῶν πάντων τὸν Θεὸν, ἀκόλουθον ἂν εἴη καὶ τὸν μονογενῆ Υἱὸν, ἴδιον ὄντα τῆς τοῦ Πατρὸς οὐσίας, ἄλλον λέγειν εἶναι τῶν πάντων· μὴ ὄντος δὲ αὐτοῦ τῶν πάντων, οὐ θέμις ἐπʼ αὐτοῦ λέγειν τὸ ‘ ἦν ποτε ὅτε οὐκ ἦν, ʼ καὶ, ‘ οὐκ ἦν πρὶν γεννηθῇ. ʼ Αἱ τοιαῦται γὰρ φωναὶ κατὰ τῶν ποιημάτων ἁρμόζουσι λέγεσθαι· αὐτὸς δὲ ὁ Υἱὸς τοιοῦτός ἐστιν, οἷός ἐστιν ὁ Πατὴρ, οὗ καὶ ἔστι τῆς οὐσίας ἴδιον γέννημα, Λόγος, καὶ Σοφία. Τοῦτο γὰρ ἴδιον τοῦ Υἱοῦ πρὸς τὸν Πατέρα, καὶ τοῦτο τὸν Πατέρα τοῦ Υἱοῦ δείκνυσιν ἴδιον, ὥστε μήτε τὸν Θεὸν λέγειν ποτὲ ἄλογον, μήτε τὸν Υἱὸν ἀνύπαρκτόν ποτε λέγειν. Ἐπεὶ διὰ τί Υἱὸς. εἰ μὴ ἐξ αὐτοῦ; ἢ διὰ τί Λόγος καὶ Σοφία, εἰ μὴ ἀεὶ καὶ ἴδιον αὐτοῦ; ### English translation (Claude) 19. If God is and is called the fountain of wisdom and life, as through Jeremiah, “They have forsaken me, the fountain of living water”; and again, “A throne of glory, exalted, is our sanctuary; O Lord, hope of Israel, let all who have forsaken you be put to shame; let those who have turned away be written on the earth, because they have forsaken the Lord, the fountain of life”; and in Baruch it is written, “You have forsaken the fountain of wisdom”; it would follow that life and wisdom are neither foreign to the substance of the “fountain,” but proper to it, nor ever without existence, but always exist. Now the Son is these, who says, “I am the life,” and, “I, Wisdom, have made counsel my dwelling.” How then is he not impious who says, “there was once when the Son was not”? For it is the same as saying, “there was once when the fountain was dry, without life and wisdom.” But such a thing would not be a fountain; for what does not beget from itself is not a fountain. How full of absurdity this is! God promises that those who do his will shall be like a fountain whose water does not fail, saying through Isaiah the prophet, “And you shall be filled as your soul desires, and your bones shall be made fat, and you shall be like a well-watered garden, and like a fountain whose water has not failed”; but these men dare to slander God, who is called and is the fountain of wisdom, as barren and as once lacking his own wisdom. But what these men say is falsehood; the truth bears witness that God is the eternal fountain of his own wisdom. And since the fountain is eternal, the Wisdom too must necessarily be eternal. For in it all things came to be, as David sings, “In wisdom you made all things,” and Solomon says, “God founded the earth by wisdom, and prepared the heavens by understanding.” And this Wisdom is the Word, and “through him,” as John says, “all things came to be, and without him not one thing came to be.” And he is the Christ; for “there is one God, the Father, from whom are all things, and we for him, and one Lord Jesus Christ, through whom are all things, and we through him.” And if all things are through him, he himself would not be counted among the “all things.” For whoever dares to say that the one “through whom are all things” is one of the all things will surely think the same about God too, “from whom are all things.” But if anyone shuns this as absurd, and sets God apart as other than “all things,” it would follow that he should say that the only-begotten Son also, being proper to the Father's substance, is other than all things. And since he is not one of all things, it is not right to say of him, “there was once when he was not,” and “he was not before he was begotten.” For such expressions are fitly said of works; but the Son himself is such as the Father is, of whose substance he is the proper offspring, Word, and Wisdom. For this is proper to the Son in relation to the Father, and this shows the Father to be proper to the Son, so that we may neither say that God was ever without Word nor that the Son was ever without existence. For why is he Son, if not from him? Or why Word and Wisdom, if not always proper to him? ### Scripture references - Jer 2:13: quotation, high confidence - Jer 17:12: quotation, high confidence - Jer 17:13: quotation, high confidence - John 14:6: quotation, high confidence - Prov 8:12: quotation, high confidence - Isa 58:11: quotation, high confidence - Ps 104:24 (103:24 LXX): quotation, high confidence - Prov 3:19: quotation, high confidence - John 1:3: quotation, high confidence - 1 Cor 8:6: quotation, high confidence ### Extrabiblical texts - Bar 3:12 (Baruch): quotation, high confidence ### Translation notes - The Jeremiah passages are Jer 2:13 and 17:12–13; the Baruch passage is Bar 3:12. “I, Wisdom, have made counsel my dwelling” is Prov 8:12 (LXX). ### Citation (SBL) Athanasius, C. Ar. 19 (Bright, 20–21; trans. Sophia Scriptura, https://sophiascriptura.com/fathers/athanasius-oratio-1/12/#p-19). ## Oration I Against the Arians 20 - URL: https://sophiascriptura.com/fathers/athanasius-oratio-1/12/#p-20 - Source: Bright, 21–22 - Translation: Claude (claude-opus-5-5), 2026-09-27 Summary: Athanasius argues that the Son, as image, radiance, and truth of the Father, must exist whenever the Father exists, since the Father always delights in his image. ### Greek text 20. Πότε γοῦν τοῦ ἰδίου χωρὶς ἦν ὁ Θεός; ἢ πῶς τις περὶ τοῦ ἰδίου, ὡς περὶ ξένου καὶ ἀλλοτριοουσίου δύναται λογίσασθαι; Τὰ μὲν γὰρ ἄλλα, οἷά ἐστι τὰ γενητὰ, οὐδὲν ὅμοιον κατʼ οὐσίαν ἔχει πρὸς τὸν πεποιηκότα· ἀλλʼ ἔξωθεν αὐτοῦ ἐστι, χάριτι καὶ βουλήσει αὐτοῦ τῷ Λόγῳ γενόμενα, ὥστε πάλιν δύνασθαι καὶ παύεσθαί ποτε, εἰ θελήσειεν ὁ ποιήσας· ταύτης γάρ ἐστι φύσεως τὰ γενητά. Τὸ δὲ ἴδιον τῆς οὐσίας τοῦ Πατρὸς (ὡμολόγηται γὰρ ἤδη τοῦτο εἶναι ὁ Υἱός)· πῶς οὐ τολμηρὸν καὶ δυσσεβὲς εἰπεῖν ‘ἐξ οὐκ ὄντων καὶ ὅτι ‘οὐκ ἦν πρὶν γεννηθῇ, ʼ ἀλλʼ ἐπισυμβέβηκε, καὶ δύναται πάλιν μὴ εἶναί ποτε; Τοῦτο δὲ καὶ μόνον ὁ ἐνθυμούμενος κατανοείτω, πῶς τὸ τέλειον καὶ τὸ πλῆρες τῆς τοῦ Πατρὸς οὐσίας ἀφαιρεῖται· καὶ γὰρ φανερώτερον ἄν τις ἴδοι πάλιν τὸ ἄτοπον τῆς αἱρέσεως, ἐὰν ἐνθυμηθῇ ὅτι ὁ Υἱὸς ‘ εἰκώνʼ ἐστι καὶ ‘ἀπαύγασμα τοῦ Πατρὸς, καὶ χαρακτὴρ, ’ καὶ ‘ἀλήθεια.᾿ Εἰ γὰρ ὑπάρχοντος φωτὸς, ἔστιν εἰκὼν αὐτοῦ τὸ ἀπαύγασμα, καὶ οὔσης ὑποστάσεως, ἔστι ταύτης ὁ χαρακτὴρ ὁλόκληρος, καὶ ὄντος Πατρὸς, ἔστιν ἡ ἀλήθεια, σκοπείτωσαν οἱ τὴν εἰκόνα καὶ τὸ εἶδος τῆς θεότητος χρόνῳ μετροῦντες, εἰς πόσον ἀσεβείας βάραθρον πίπτουσιν. Εἰ γὰρ ‘ οὐκ ἦν ὁ Υἱὸς πρὶν γεννηθῇ, ʼ οὐκ ἦν ἀεὶ ἐν τῷ Θεῷ ἡ ἀλήθεια. Ἀλλὰ τοῦτο λέγειν οὐ θέμις· τοῦ γὰρ Πατρὸς ὄντος, ἦν ἀεὶ ἐν αὐτῷ ἡ ἀλήθεια, ἥτις ἐστὶν ὁ Υἱὸς ὁ λέγων, ‘ Ἐγώ εἰμι ἡ ἀλήθεια· καὶ τῆς ὑποστάσεως ὑπαρχούσης, πάντως εὐθὺς εἶναι δεῖ τὸν χαρακτῆρα καὶ τὴν εἰκόνα ταύτης· οὐ γὰρ ἔξωθέν ἐστι γραφομένη ἡ τοῦ Θεοῦ εἰκών· ἀλλʼ αὐτὸς ὁ Θεὸς γεννητής ἐστι ταύτης, ἐν ᾗ ἑαυτὸν ὁρῶν προσχαίρει ταύτῃ, ὡς αὐτὸς ὁ Υἱὸς λέγει, ‘ Ἐγὼ ἤμην ᾗ προσέχαιρε.᾿ Πότε γοῦν οὐχ ἑώρα ἑαυτὸν ὁ Πατὴρ ἐν τῇ ἑαυτοῦ εἰκόνι; ἢ πότε οὐ προσέχαιρεν, ἵνα τολμήσῃ τις εἰπεῖν, ‘ ἐξ οὐκ ὄντων ἐστὶν ἡ εἰκὼν, ʼ καὶ, ‘οὐκ ἦν χαίρων ὁ Πατὴρ, πρὶν γένηται ἡ εἰκών;᾿ πῶς δὲ καὶ ἑαυτὸν ἂν ἴδοι ὁ ποιητὴς καὶ κτίστης ἐν κτιστῇ καὶ γενητῇ οὐσίᾳ; Τοιαύτην γὰρ εἶναι δεῖ τὴν εἰκόνα, οἷός ἐστιν ὁ ταύτης Πατήρ. ### English translation (Claude) 20. When, then, was God without what is proper to him? Or how can anyone reckon what is proper to him as foreign and of another substance? Other things, such as the things originated, have nothing like their maker in substance, but are outside him, having come to be through the Word by his grace and will, so that they can also cease to exist at some time, if their maker should so wish; for such is the nature of things originated. But as for what is proper to the Father's substance (for it has already been agreed that this is the Son), how is it not reckless and impious to say that it is “from nothing,” and that it “was not before it was begotten,” but was added on and can again at some time not be? Let anyone who merely thinks of this consider how the completeness and fullness of the Father's substance is taken away. For one may see the absurdity of the heresy still more clearly if one reflects that the Son is the “image” and “radiance of the Father,” and “exact imprint,” and “truth.” For if, when light exists, its radiance is its image, and when a hypostasis exists, its exact imprint is complete, and when the Father exists, the truth exists, then let those who measure the image and form of the Godhead by time consider into what a pit of impiety they fall. For if “the Son was not before he was begotten,” the truth was not always in God. But it is not right to say this. For since the Father exists, there was always in him the truth, which is the Son, who says, “I am the truth.” And since the hypostasis exists, its exact imprint and image must surely exist at once. For the image of God is not painted from outside; God himself is its begetter, and seeing himself in it he delights in it, as the Son himself says, “I was the one in whom he delighted.” When, then, did the Father not see himself in his own image? Or when did he not delight in it, that anyone should dare to say, “the image is from nothing,” and “the Father was not delighting before the image came to be”? And how could the maker and creator see himself in a created and originated substance? For the image must be such as its Father is. ### Scripture references - Col 1:15: allusion, high confidence - Heb 1:3: allusion, high confidence - John 14:6: quotation, high confidence - Prov 8:30: quotation, high confidence ### Translation notes - “Hypostasis” (ὑπόστασις) is taken from Heb 1:3; here it refers to the Father's own being, of which the Son is the exact imprint. “I was the one in whom he delighted” is Prov 8:30 (LXX). ### Citation (SBL) Athanasius, C. Ar. 20 (Bright, 21–22; trans. Sophia Scriptura, https://sophiascriptura.com/fathers/athanasius-oratio-1/12/#p-20). ## Oration I Against the Arians 21 - URL: https://sophiascriptura.com/fathers/athanasius-oratio-1/21/#p-21 - Source: Bright, 22–23 - Translation: Claude (claude-opus-5-5), 2026-09-27 Summary: Athanasius answers the Arian argument that a true image of the Father would have to beget a son in turn: in God alone the Father is always Father and the Son always Son. ### Greek text 21. Φέρε τοίνυν, ἴδωμεν τὰ τοῦ Πατρὸς, ἵνα καὶ τὴν εἰκόνα ἐπιγνῶμεν, εἰ αὐτοῦ ἐστιν. Ἀΐδιός ἐστιν ὁ Πατὴρ, ἀθάνατος, δυνατὸς, φῶς, βασιλεὺς, παντοκράτωρ, Θεὸς, Κύριος, κτίστης, καὶ ποιητής. Ταῦτα εἶναι δεῖ ἐν τῇ εἰκόνι, ἵνα ἀληθῶς ‘ ὁ τὸν Υἱὸν ἑωρακὼς ἴδῃ τὸν Πατέρα.’ Εἰ δὲ μὴ οὕτως ἐστὶν, ἀλλʼ ὡς οἱ Ἀρειανοὶ φρονοῦσιν, γενητός ἐστι, καὶ οὐκ ἀΐδιος ὁ Υἱὸς, οὐκ ἔστιν αὕτη τοῦ Πατρὸς ἀληθὴς εἰκὼν, εἰ μὴ ἄρα λοιπὸν ἀπερυθριάσαντες εἴπωσιν, ὅτι καὶ τὸ ‘εἰκόναʼ λέγεσθαι τὸν Υἱὸν οὐχ ὁμοίας οὐσίας ἐστὶ γνώρισμα, ὄνομα δὲ μόνον ἐστὶν αὐτοῦ, Ἀλλὰ τοῦτο πάλιν, ὦ Χριστομάχοι, οὐκ ἔστιν εἰκὼν, οὐδὲ χαρακτήρ. Ποία γὰρ ἐμφέρεια τῶν ἐξ οὐκ ὄντων πρὸς τὸν κτίσαντα τὰ οὐκ ὄντα εἰς τὸ εἶναι; ἢ πῶς τῷ ὄντι τὸ οὐκ ἂν ὅμοιον εἶναι δύναται, λειπόμενον τῷ ποτε μὴ εἶναι, καὶ τῷ πρὸς τὰ γενόμενα τὴν σύνταξιν ἔχειν; Τοιοῦτον γὰρ αὐτὸν εἶναι θέλοντες οἱ Ἀρειανοὶ, λογισμοὺς ἑαυτοῖς ἐπενόησαν, λέγοντες· ‘ Εἰ γέννημά ἐστιν ὁ Υἱὸς τοῦ Πατρὸς καὶ εἰκὼν, καὶ ὅμοιός ἐστι κατὰ πάντα τοῦ Πατρὸς, ὀφείλει πάντως, ὥσπερ γεγέννηται, γεννᾷν καὶ ὁ Υἱὸς, καὶ γίνεσθαι καὶ αὐτὸς πατὴρ υἱοῦ· πάλιν τε ὁ ἐξ αὐτοῦ γεννώμενος γεννᾷν καὶ αὐτὸς, καὶ καθεξῆς ἕως εἰς ἄπειρον· τοῦτο γὰρ ὅμοιον δείκνυσι τὸν γεννηθέντα τοῦ γεννήσαντος, ᾿ Ἐφευρεταὶ δυσφημιῶν ἀληθῶς οἱ θεομάχοι, οἵτινες, ἵνα μὴ τὸν Υἱὸν εἰκόνα τοῦ Πατρὸς ὁμολογήσωσι, σωματικὰ καὶ γήϊνα περὶ αὐτοῦ τοῦ Πατρὸς φρονοῦσι, τομὰς καὶ ἀποῤῥοίας καὶ ἐπιῤῥοίας κατηγοροῦντες κατʼ αὐτοῦ. Εἰ μὲν οὖν ὡς ἄνθρωπός ἐστιν ὁ Θεὸς, γινέσθω καὶ γεννητὴς, ὡς ἄνθρωπος, ἵνα καὶ ὁ Υἱὸς ἑτέρου γίνηται πατὴρ, καὶ οὕτω καθεξῆς ἐξ ἀλλήλων γινέσθωσαν, ἵνα καὶ εἰς πλῆθος θεῶν ἡ διαδοχὴ κατʼ αὐτοὺς αὐξάνῃ· εἰ δὲ ‘οὐκ ἔστιν ὡς ἄνθρωπος ὁ Θεός·᾿ (οὐκ ἔστι γάρ·) οὐ δεῖ τὰ ἀνθρώπων ἐπʼ αὐτοῦ λογίζεσθαι. Τὰ μὲν γὰρ ἄλογα ζῶα καὶ οἱ ἄνθρωποι ἐκ δημιουργικῆς ἀρχῆς κατὰ διαδοχῆς ἀλλήλων γεννῶνται· καὶ ὁ γεννώμενος, ἐκ γεννωμένου πατρὸς γεννηθεὶς, εἰκότως καὶ αὐτὸς ἑτέρου γίνεται πατὴρ, ἔχων ἐκ πατρὸς ἐν ἑαυτῷ τοῦτο, ἐξ οὗ καὶ αὐτὸς γέγονε. Διὸ οὐδέ ἐστιν ἐν τοῖς τοιούτοις κυρίῳς ‘ πατὴῤ καὶ κυρίως ‘ υἱὸς, ʼ οὐδὲ ἕστηκεν ἐπʼ αὐτῶν τὸ ‘ πατὴρʼ καὶ τὸ ‘ υἱός· ’ ὁ γὰρ αὐτὸς υἱὸς μὲν τοῦ γεννήσαντος, πατὴρ δὲ τοῦ γεννωμένου ἐξ αὐτοῦ. Ἐπὶ δὲ τῆς θεότητος οὐκ ἔστιν οὕτως· οὐ γὰρ ὡς ἄνθρωπος ὁ Θεός· οὔτε γὰρ ὁ Πατὴρ ἐκ πατρός ἐστι· διὸ οὐδὲ γεννᾷ τὸν γεννησόμενον πατέρα· οὔτε ὁ Υἱὸς ἐξ ἀποῤῥοίας ἐστὶ τοῦ Πατρὸς, οὐδὲ ἐκ γεννηθέντος Πατρὸς γεγέννηται· διὸ οὐδὲ γεγέννηται εἰς τὸ γεννᾷν. Ὅθεν ἐπὶ τῆς θεότητος μόνης ὁ ‘πατὴρʼ κυρίως πατήρ ἐστι, καὶ ὁ ‘υἱὸς κυρίως υἱός ἐστι, καὶ ἐπὶ τούτων καὶ μόνων ἕστηκε τὸ πατὴρ ἀεὶ πατὴρ εἶναι, καὶ τὸ υἱὸς ἀεὶ υἱὸς εἶναι. ### English translation (Claude) 21. Come, then, let us look at the attributes of the Father, so that we may recognize whether the image is really his. The Father is eternal, immortal, powerful, light, king, almighty, God, Lord, creator, and maker. These must be in the image, so that truly “whoever has seen” the Son “may see the Father.” But if it is not so, but, as the Arians think, the Son is originated and not eternal, this is not a true image of the Father; unless, then, they put away all shame and say that his being called “image” is not a mark of a like substance, but is only his name. But that, again, you enemies of Christ, is not an image nor an exact imprint. For what resemblance is there between things from nothing and him who created the things that were not into being? Or how can what is not be like him who is, falling short of him in having once not been, and in being ranked with the things that came to be? For since the Arians want him to be such, they have devised arguments for themselves, saying: “If the Son is the Father's offspring and image, and is like the Father in all things, then just as he was begotten, the Son also ought by all means to beget and become himself father of a son; and in turn the one begotten from him ought also to beget, and so on to infinity; for this is what shows the begotten to be like the begetter.” Inventors of blasphemies indeed are these fighters against God! In order not to confess the Son as the Father's image, they think bodily and earthly things about the Father himself, charging him with cuttings, outflowings, and inflowings. If, then, God is like a man, let him also be a begetter as a man is, so that the Son may become father of another, and so on in succession from one another, so that, on their view, the succession may grow into a multitude of gods. But if “God is not like a man” (and he is not), we must not reckon the things of men in his case. For irrational animals and men, after a creative beginning, are begotten by succession from one another; and the one begotten, having been begotten from a father who was himself begotten, naturally becomes father of another in turn, having in himself from his father that by which he himself came to be. Therefore among such beings there is not properly “father” and properly “son,” nor do “father” and “son” remain fixed in them; for the same person is son of the one who begot him and father of the one begotten from him. But in the Godhead it is not so; for God is not like a man. For the Father is not from a father, so he does not beget one who will become a father; nor is the Son from an outflowing of the Father, nor has he been begotten from a Father who was begotten, so he has not been begotten in order to beget. Hence in the Godhead alone the “Father” is properly father, and the “Son” properly son; and in them, and in them alone, it holds fast that the Father is always Father and the Son always Son. ### Scripture references - John 14:9: quotation, high confidence - Num 23:19: allusion, medium confidence ### Extrabiblical texts - Jdt 8:16 (Judith): allusion, low confidence ### Translation notes - “Cuttings, outflowings, and inflowings” are materialist images of generation that Athanasius rejects; the Arians charged that “from the substance” implied them. “God is not like a man” echoes Num 23:19 (LXX) and Jdt 8:16. ### Citation (SBL) Athanasius, C. Ar. 21 (Bright, 22–23; trans. Sophia Scriptura, https://sophiascriptura.com/fathers/athanasius-oratio-1/21/#p-21). ## Oration I Against the Arians 22 - URL: https://sophiascriptura.com/fathers/athanasius-oratio-1/21/#p-22 - Source: Bright, 23–24 - Translation: Claude (claude-opus-5-5), 2026-09-27 Summary: Athanasius shows that the Son remains always Son, as the Father is always Father, and then reports the catch-questions the Arians put to boys and women. ### Greek text 22. Οὐκοῦν ὁ ζητῶν διὰ τί μὴ γεννητικὸς υἱοῦ ὁ Υἱὸς, ζητείτω διὰ τί μὴ πατέρα ἔσχεν ὁ Πατήρ. Ἀλλὰ ἄτοπά γε ἀμφότερα καὶ πάσης μεστὰ ἀσεβείας. Ὡς γὰρ ὁ Πατὴρ ἀεὶ Πατὴρ, καὶ οὐκ ἄν ποτε γένοιτο Υἱὸς, οὕτως ὁ Υἱὸς ἀεὶ Υἱός ἐστι, καὶ οὐκ ἄν ποτε γένοιτο Πατήρ· καὶ ἐν τούτῳ γὰρ μᾶλλον χαρακτὴρ ὢν καὶ εἰκὼν τοῦ Πατρὸς δείκνυται, μένων ὅ ἐστι καὶ οὐκ ἀλλασσόμενος, ἀλλʼ ἔχων ἐκ τοῦ Πατρὸς τὴν ταὐτότητα. Εἰ μὲν οὖν ὁ Πατὴρ μεταβάλλεται, μεταβαλλέσθω καὶ ἡ εἰκών· πρὸς γὰρ τὸν γεννήσαντα οὕτω καὶ ἡ εἰκὼν αὐτοῦ καὶ τό ἀπαύγασμα ἕστηκεν· εἰ δὲ ἄτρεπτός ἐστιν ὁ Πατὴρ, καὶ ὅ ἐστιν οὕτως διαμένει, ἐξ ἀνάγκης καὶ εἰκὼν ὅ ἐστι διαμένει, καὶ οὐ τραπήσεται. Ἔστι δὲ ἐκ τοῦ Πατρὸς Υἱός· οὐκ ἄρα ἕτερόν τι γενήσεται ἢ ὅπερ ἐστὶ τῆς τοῦ Πατρὸς οὐσίας ἴδιον. Μάτην ἄρα καὶ τοῦτο ἐπενόησαν οἱ ἄφρονες, ἐξάραι θέλοντες ἀπὸ τοῦ Πατρὸς τὴν εἰκόνα, ἵνα τοῖς γενητοῖς τὸν Υἱὸν ἐξισάσωσιν. Ἐν τούτοις γοῦν αὐτὸν συντάττοντες οἱ περὶ Ἄρειον ἐκ διδασκαλίας Εὐσεβίου, καὶ τοιοῦτον εἶναι νομίζοντες οἴα τὰ διʼ αὐτοῦ γενόμενά ἐστιν, ἀπεπήδησαν μὲν ἀπὸ τῆς ἀληθείας, συμφορήσαντες δὲ ἑαυτοῖς ῥημάτια πανουργίας, περιήρχοντο κατὰ τὴν ἀρχὴν, ὅτε τὴν αἵρεσιν ταύτην ἔπλασσον, καὶ μέχρι δὲ νῦν τινες συναντῶντες ἐξ αὐτῶν παιδαρίοις κατὰ τὴν ἀγορὰν, πυνθάνονται αὐτῶν, οὔτι γε ἀπὸ τῶν θείων γραφῶν, ἀλλʼ ὥσπερ ‘ τὰ περισσεύματα τῆς καρδίαςʼ αὐτῶν ἐρευγόμενοι λέγουσιν· ‘ Ὁ ὢν τὸν μὴ ὄντα ἐκ τοῦ ὄντος πεποίηκεν, ἢ τὸν ὄντα; ὄντα οὖν αὐτὸν πεποίηκεν, ἢ μὴ ὄντα Καὶ πάλιν, ‘Ἓν τὸ ἀγέννητον, ἢ δύο; καὶ αὐτεξούσιός ἐστι καὶ ἰδίᾳ προαιρέσει οὐ τρέπεται, τρεπτῆς ὢν φύσεως; οὐ γὰρ, ὡς λίθος, ἐστὶν ἀφʼ ἑαυτοῦ μένων ἀκίνητος.᾿ Εἶτα καὶ εἰσερχόμενοι πρὸς γυναικάρια, πάλιν αὐταῖς ἐκτεθηλυμένα ῥημάτια φθέγγονται, ‘ Εἰ εἶχες υἱὸν πρὶν τέκῃς; ὥσπερ δὲ οὐκ εἶχες, οὕτω καὶ ὁ τοῦ Θεοῦ Υἱὸς οὐκ ἦν, πρὶν γεννηθῇ. Τοιούτοις ῥήμασιν ἐξορχούμενοι παίζουσιν οἱ ἄτιμοι, καὶ τὸν Θεὸν ἀνθρώποις ἀπεικάζουσι· φάσκοντές τε εἶναι Χριστιανοὶ, ‘ἀλλάσσουσι τὴν τοῦ Θεοῦ δόξαν ἐν ὁμοιώματι εἰκόνος φθαρτοῦ ἀνθρώπου.᾿ ### English translation (Claude) 22. So whoever asks why the Son does not beget a son, let him ask why the Father did not have a father. But both are absurd and full of all impiety. For as the Father is always Father and could never become Son, so the Son is always Son and could never become Father. And in this he is shown the more to be the exact imprint and image of the Father, remaining what he is and not changing, but having his sameness from the Father. If, then, the Father changes, let the image change too; for so the image and radiance stands in relation to the one who begot it. But if the Father is unchangeable, and remains what he is, then necessarily the image too remains what it is and will not change. And the Son is from the Father; so he will not become anything other than what is proper to the Father's substance. So in vain have the senseless men devised this too, wishing to cut the image away from the Father, in order to make the Son equal to originated things. Ranking him among these, following the teaching of Eusebius, and thinking him to be such as the things that came to be through him are, Arius and his followers leapt away from the truth. Having collected for themselves crafty little phrases, they used to go about at the beginning, when they were fabricating this heresy, and even now some of them, meeting boys in the marketplace, question them, not from the divine Scriptures, but as if belching out “the overflow of their heart,” saying: “Did he who is make the one who was not from him who is, or the one who is? Did he then make him when he was, or when he was not?” And again: “Is the unbegotten one, or two?” And: “Is he free and does he not change by his own choice, being of a changeable nature? For he is not like a stone, remaining unmoved of himself.” Then, going in to silly women, they utter to them in turn effeminate little phrases: “Did you have a son before you gave birth? As you did not, so the Son of God too was not before he was begotten.” With such words these disgraceful men dance and play, and liken God to men; and while claiming to be Christians, “they change the glory of God into the likeness of the image of corruptible man.” ### Scripture references - Matt 12:34: quotation, high confidence - 2 Tim 3:6: allusion, medium confidence - Rom 1:23: quotation, high confidence ### Translation notes - Eusebius is Eusebius of Nicomedia, Arius's chief supporter. At “Is the unbegotten one, or two?” the edition's apparatus notes the variant ἀγένητον (“unoriginate”) for ἀγέννητον (“unbegotten”); the two words were often confused. The first catch-question is printed without a “not” that some editors supply (“from what was not”). “Silly women” alludes to 2 Tim 3:6. ### Citation (SBL) Athanasius, C. Ar. 22 (Bright, 23–24; trans. Sophia Scriptura, https://sophiascriptura.com/fathers/athanasius-oratio-1/21/#p-22). ## Oration I Against the Arians 23 - URL: https://sophiascriptura.com/fathers/athanasius-oratio-1/21/#p-23 - Source: Bright, 24–25 - Translation: Claude (claude-opus-5-5), 2026-09-27 Summary: Athanasius replies that God begets as God, not as humans do, just as he creates and exists as God, and that human fatherhood is named from his. ### Greek text 23. Ἔδει μὲν οὖν μηδὲν ἀποκρίνασθαι πρὸς τὰ τοιαῦτα, οὕτως ἀνόητα ὄντα καὶ μωρά· ἵνα δὲ μὴ δοκῇ τι βέβαιον ἔχειν ἡ αἵρεσις αὐτῶν, προσήκει κἂν ὡς ἐκ παρέργου διελέγξαι καὶ ἐν τούτοις αὐτοὺς, μάλιστα διὰ τὰ εὐχερῶς ἀπατώμενα παρʼ αὐτῶν γυναικάρια. Ἔδει δὲ ταῦτα λέγοντας αὐτοὺς, καὶ ἀρχιτέκτονος πυνθάνεσθαι, ‘ Εἰ δύνασαι χωρὶς ὕλης ὑποκειμένης οἰκοδομεῖν; ὥσπερ δὲ οὐ δύνασαι, οὕτω καὶ ὁ Θεὸς οὐκ ἡδύνατο χωρὶς ὕλης ὑποκειμένης ποιῆσαι τὰ ὅλα. Ἔδει καὶ ἕκαστον αὐτοὺς τῶν ἀνθρώπων ἐρωτᾷν, ‘ Eἰ δύνασαι εἶναι χωρὶς τόπου; ὥσπερ δὲ οὐ δύνασαι, οὕτω καὶ ὁ Θεὸς ἐν τόπῳ ἐστίν·᾿ ἵνʼ οὕτως κἂν παρὰ τῶν ἀκουόντων ἐντρέπεσθαι δυνηθῶσιν. Ἢ διὰ τί, ἐὰν μὲν ἀκούωσιν ὅτι Υἱὸν ἔχει ὁ Θεὸς, εἰς ἑαυτοὺς ἀποβλέποντες ἀρνοῦνται τοῦτον· ἐὰν δὲ ἀκούωσιν ὅτι κτίζει καὶ ποιεῖ, οὐκέτι τὰ ἀνθρώπινα ἀντιτιθέασιν; ἔδει δὲ καὶ ἐν τῷ κτίζειν ἀνθρώπινα νοεῖν αὐτοὺς καὶ ὕλην ὑποβάλλειν τῷ Θεῷ, ἵνα καὶ τὸ εἶναι κτίστην τὸν Θεὸν ἀρνήσωνται, καὶ λοιπὸν μετὰ Μανιχαίων κυλίωνται. Εἰ δὲ ταῦθʼ ὑπερβαίνει ἡ περὶ Θεοῦ ἔννοια, καὶ μόνον τις ἀκούσας πιστεύει καὶ οἶδεν ὅτι ἐστὶν οὐχ ὡς ἡμεῖς ἐσμεν, ἔστι μέντοι ὡς Θεὸς, καὶ κτίζει οὐχ ὡς ἄνθρωποι κτίζουσι, κτίζει μέντοι ὡς Θεὸς, δῆλον ὅτι καὶ γεννᾷ οὐχ ὡς ἄνθρωποι γεννῶσι, γεννᾷ μέντοι ὡς Θεός· οὐ γὰρ ὁ Θεὸς ἄνθρωπον μιμεῖται, ἀλλὰ μᾶλλον οἱ ἄνθρωποι, διὰ τὸν Θεὸν κυρίως καὶ μόνον ἀληθῶς ὄντα Πατέρα τοῦ ἑαυτοῦ Υἱοῦ, καὶ αὐτοὶ πατέρες ὠνομάσθησαν τῶν ἰδίων τέκνων. Ἐξ αὐτοῦ γὰρ ‘ πᾶσα πατριὰ ἐν οὐρανοῖς καὶ ἐπὶ γῆς ὀνομάζεται. Καὶ ἃ λέγουσι δὲ, ἐὰν ἀνεξέταστα μείνῃ, ὡς εἰρηκότες τι φρόνιμον νομίζονται· ἐὰν δέ τις αὐτὰ λογικῶς ἐξετάσῃ, πολὺν εὑρεθήσονται γέλωτα καὶ χλευασμὸν ὀφλισκάνοντες. ### English translation (Claude) 23. Such things, so senseless and foolish, ought to get no answer at all. But so that their heresy may not seem to have anything firm, it is fitting to refute them on these points too, even if in passing, especially because of the silly women who are easily deceived by them. When they say these things, they ought also to ask an architect, “Can you build without underlying material? As you cannot, so God too could not make the universe without underlying material.” They ought also to ask every human being, “Can you exist without a place? As you cannot, so God too is in a place,” so that in this way they may be put to shame even by those who hear them. Or why is it that when they hear that God has a Son, they look at themselves and deny him, but when they hear that he creates and makes, they no longer set human things against it? They ought to think in human terms about creating too, and to supply God with material, so as to deny that God is creator also, and so wallow at last with the Manichaeans. But if the thought of God goes beyond these things, and anyone, on merely hearing, believes and knows that he is, not as we are, but as God, and creates, not as men create, but as God, it is clear that he also begets, not as men beget, but as God. For God does not imitate man; rather it is men who, because God is properly and alone truly Father of his own Son, have themselves been named fathers of their own children. For from him “every fatherhood in heaven and on earth is named.” And what they say, if it remains unexamined, makes them seem to have said something clever; but if anyone examines it with reason, they will be found to incur much laughter and mockery. ### Scripture references - Eph 3:15: quotation, high confidence ### Translation notes - The Manichaeans held that matter was an eternal principle opposed to God. ### Citation (SBL) Athanasius, C. Ar. 23 (Bright, 24–25; trans. Sophia Scriptura, https://sophiascriptura.com/fathers/athanasius-oratio-1/21/#p-23). ## Oration I Against the Arians 24 - URL: https://sophiascriptura.com/fathers/athanasius-oratio-1/21/#p-24 - Source: Bright, 25–26 - Translation: Claude (claude-opus-5-5), 2026-09-27 Summary: Athanasius shows that the Arian question “Did he who is make one who was not?” is confused, and restates it properly about God and his Word. ### Greek text 24. Πρῶτον μὲν γὰρ ἡ πρώτη καὶ τοιαύτη αὐτῶν ἐρώτησίς ἐστι μωρὰ καὶ ἄδηλος. Οὐ γὰρ σημαίνουσι περὶ τίνος πυνθάνονται, ἵνα καὶ ὁ ἐρωτώμενος ἀποκρίνηται· ἀλλʼ ἁπλῶς λέγουσιν, ‘Ὁ ὢν τὸν μὴ ὄντα.᾿ Τίς οὖν ‘ὁ ὢν, ʼ καὶ τίνα τὰ μὴ ὄντα, ὦ Ἀρειανοί; ἢ τίς ὁ ὢν, καὶ τίς ‘ὁ μὴ ὢν, ’ καὶ τίνα λέγεται ὄντα, ἢ μὴ ὄντα; Δυνατὸν γὰρ καὶ ‘τὸν ὄνταʼ ποιεῖν καὶ τὰ μὴ ὄντα καὶ τὰ ὄντα καὶ τὰ προόντα, Τέκτων γοῦν καὶ χρυσοχόος καὶ κεραμεὺς τὴν οὖσαν καὶ πρὸ αὐτῶν τυγχάνουσαν ὕλην ἕκαστος κατὰ τὴν ἰδίαν τέχνην ἐργάζεται, ποιῶν ἃ βούλεται σκεύη· αὐτὸς δὲ ὁ τῶν ὅλων Θεὸς, τὸν ὄντα καὶ γενόμενον ἤδῃ παρʼ αὐτοῦ χοῦν ἐκ γῆς λαβὼν, πλάττει τὸν ἄνθρωπον· καὶ αὐτὴν μέντοι τὴν γῆν, οὐκ οὖσαν πρότερον, ὕστερον εἰς τὸ εἶναι πεποίηκε διὰ τοῦ ἰδίου Λόγου. Εἰ μὲν οὖν οὕτω πυνθάνονται, δῆλόν ἐστιν ὡς ἡ μὲν κτίσις οὐκ ἦν πρὶν γένηται, οἱ δὲ ἄνθρωποι τὴν οὖσαν ὕλην ἐπεργάζονται· καὶ ἀσύστατος αὐτῶν ὁ λόγος φανήσεται, γινομένων καὶ ὄντων, γινομένων καὶ μὴ ὄντων, ὥσπερ εἴπαμεν. Εἰ δὲ περὶ Θεοῦ καὶ τοῦ Λόγου αὐτοῦ λαλοῦσι, προστιθέτωσαν τὰ λειπόμενα τῇ ἐρωτήσει, καὶ οὕτως ἐρωτάτωσαν· ‘Ὁ ὢν Θεὸς ἦν ποτε ἄλογος, καὶ, φῶς ὢν, ἀφεγγὴς ἦν; ἢ ἀεὶ ἦν τοῦ Λόγου Πατήρ; ʼ ἢ καὶ πάλιν οὕτως· ‘Ὁ ὢν Πατὴρ τὸν Λόγον μὴ ὄντα πεποίηκεν, ἢ τὸν Λόγον ἴδιον ὄντα τῆς οὐσίας αὐτοῦ γέννημα ἔχει ἀεὶ σὺν αὐτῷ; ᾿ ἵνα γνωσθῶσιν ὅτι ὅλως περὶ Θεοῦ καὶ τοῦ ἐξ αὐτοῦ περιεργάζονται καὶ σοφίζεσθαι τολμῶσι. Τίς γὰρ ἀνέξεται λεγόντων αὐτῶν ἄλογόν ποτε τὸν Θεόν; πάλιν γὰρ εἰς ταὐτὸν τοῖς προτέροις περιπεπτώκασι, καίτοι φεύγειν αὐτὸ καὶ σκέπειν σπουδάσαντες τοῖς ἑαυτῶν σοφίσμασιν· ἀλλʼ οὐ δεδύνηνται. Οὐδεὶς γὰρ ὅλως κἂν ἀκοῦσαι θελήσειεν ἀμφιβαλλόντων αὐτῶν, ὅτι ὁ Θεὸς οὐκ ἦν ἀεὶ Πατὴρ, ἀλλʼ ὕστερον γέγονεν, ἵνα καὶ φαντασθῶσιν ὅτι καὶ ὁ Λόγος αὐτοῦ ποτε οὐκ ἦν, πολλῶν ὄντων τῶν προειρημένων κατʼ αὐτῶν ἐλέγχων, καὶ τοῦ μὲν Ἰωάννου λέγοντος, ‘ ἦν ὁ Λόγος, ᾿ τοῦ δὲ Παύλου γράφοντος πάλιν, ‘ ὃς ὢν ἀπαύγασμα τῆς δόξης, ᾿ καὶ, ‘ὁ ὢν ἐπὶ πάντων Θεὸς εὐλογητὸς εἰς τοὺς αἰῶνας. Ἀμήν. ʼ ### English translation (Claude) 24. First, their first question, of this kind, is foolish and unclear. For they do not indicate whom they are asking about, so that the one questioned might answer; they simply say, “He who is, the one who is not.” Who, then, is “he who is,” and what are the things that are not, you Arians? Or who is he who is, and who is “he who is not,” and what are said to be things that are, or things that are not? For “he who is” can make both things that are not and things that are and things that already existed. A carpenter, for example, a goldsmith, and a potter each work, according to his own craft, on material that exists and is there before them, making whatever vessels they wish; and the God of all himself took dust from the earth, which exists and had already come to be from him, and formed man; yet the earth itself, which did not exist before, he later made to be through his own Word. If, then, this is how they ask, it is clear that the creation was not before it came to be, while men work on material that exists; and their argument will prove incoherent, since things come to be both from what is and from what is not, as we have said. But if they are speaking about God and his Word, let them add what is missing to the question and ask thus: “Was God, who is, once without Word, and was he, being light, without brightness? Or was he always Father of the Word?” Or again thus: “Did the Father, who is, make the Word when he was not, or does he have with him always the Word, the proper offspring of his substance?” Then it will be known that they are meddling with and daring to be clever about God himself and the one who is from him. For who will put up with them when they say that God was once without Word? They have fallen again into the same thing as before, although they tried hard to avoid it and to hide it with their sophistries; but they have not been able. For no one would even want to hear them raise doubts that God was not always Father but became so later, so that they may imagine that his Word too once was not, since there are many proofs against them already stated, and since John says, “the Word was,” and Paul writes again, “who, being the radiance of his glory,” and, “who is God over all, blessed forever. Amen.” ### Scripture references - Gen 2:7: allusion, high confidence - John 1:1: quotation, high confidence - Heb 1:3: quotation, high confidence - Rom 9:5: quotation, high confidence ### Translation notes - “Without Word” (ἄλογος) also means “without reason,” a play on words Athanasius uses repeatedly. ### Citation (SBL) Athanasius, C. Ar. 24 (Bright, 25–26; trans. Sophia Scriptura, https://sophiascriptura.com/fathers/athanasius-oratio-1/21/#p-24). ## Oration I Against the Arians 25 - URL: https://sophiascriptura.com/fathers/athanasius-oratio-1/21/#p-25 - Source: Bright, 26–27 - Translation: Claude (claude-opus-5-5), 2026-09-27 Summary: Athanasius turns the Arian question back on them, answering that God and his Word both eternally are, and that the one sense in which the Son was “made” is his becoming man. ### Greek text 25. Καὶ βέλτιον ἦν μὲν αὐτοὺς ἠρεμεῖν· ἐπειδὴ δὲ οὐ παύονται, λοιπὸν πρὸς τὴν τοιαύτην ἀναίσχυντον ἐρώτησιν αὐτῶν τοῦτο ἄν τις ἐπίσης αὐτοῖς τολμήσας ἀντερωτήσειεν· ἴσως ἐκ τῶν ὁμοίων ἀτοπημάτων βλέποντες ἑαυτοὺς συγκλειομένους, ἀναχωρήσουσι τῆς πρὸς τὴν ἀλήθειαν μάχης. Πολλὰ τοίνυν πρότερον ἵλεων τὸν Θεὸν ἐπικαλεσάμενος, οὕτως αὐτοῖς τις ἀπαντήσειεν· ‘Ὁ ὢν Θεὸς, οὐκ ὢν γέγονεν; ἢ καὶ πρὶν γένηται, ἔστιν; ὢν οὖν, ἑαυτὸν ἐποίησεν; ἢ ἐξ οὐδενός ἐστι, καὶ μηδὲν ὢν πρότερον, ἐξαίφνης αὐτὸς ἐφάνη;᾿ Ἄτοπος ἡ τοιαύτη ἐρώτησις· ναὶ, ἄτοπος καὶ πλέα δυσφημίας· ἀλλʼ ὁμοία γε τῆς ἐκείνων· ὁπότερον γὰρ ἂν εἴπωσι, τοῦτο μεστόν ἐστι πάσης ἀσεβείας. Εἰ δὲ τὸ οὕτως ἐρωτᾷν περὶ Θεοῦ βλάσφημον καὶ πλέον ἀσεβείας ἐστὶ, βλάσφημον ἂν εἴη καὶ περὶ τοῦ Λόγου αὐτοῦ τοιαῦτα ἐρωτᾷν. Ἀποκρίνασθαι δὲ ὅμως πρὸς ἀναίρεσιν τῆς τοιαύτης αὐτῶν ἀλόγου καὶ μωρᾶς ἐρωτήσεως ἀναγκαῖον οὕτως· ὅτι ὢν, ἐστὶν ἀιδίως ὁ Θεός· ὄντος οὖν ἀεὶ τοῦ Πατρὸς, ἔστι καὶ ἀιδίως καὶ τὸ τούτου ἀπαύγασμα, ὅπερ ἐστὶν ὁ Λόγος αὐτοῦ· καὶ πάλιν ὁ ὢν Θεὸς, ἐξ αὐτοῦ καὶ ὄντα τὸν Λόγον ἔχει· καὶ οὔτε ὁ Λόγος ἐπιγέγονεν οὐκ ὢν πρότερον, οὔτε ὁ Πατὴρ ἄλογος ἢν ποτε. Ἡ γὰρ κατὰ τοῦ Υἱοῦ τόλμα εἰς τὸν Πατέρα τὴν βλασφημίαν ἀνάγει, εἴγε ἔξωθεν ἐπενόησεν ἑαυτῷ σοφίαν, καὶ Λόγον, καὶ Υἱόν, Ὃ γὰρ ἐὰν τούτων εἴπῃς, τοῦτο τὸ ἐκ τοῦ Πατρὸς γέννημα σημαίνει, ὥσπερ εἴρηται. Ὥστε ἀσύστατος αὐτῶν ἡ τοιαύτη ἐρώτησις, καὶ εἰκότως· ἀρνούμενοι γὰρ τὸν Λόγον, ἄλογον ἔχουσι καὶ τὴν ἐρώτησιν. Ὡς γὰρ εἴ τις τὸν ἥλιον ὁρῶν πυνθάνοιτο περὶ τοῦ ἀπαυγάσματος, καὶ λέγοι, ‘ Ὁ ὢν τὸ μὴ ὂν πεποίηκεν, ἢ ὂν αὐτὸ πεποίηκεν;᾿ οὐ σώφρονα ἔχειν ὁ τοιοῦτος λογισμὸν νομισθήσεται, ἀλλʼ ἐμβρόντητος ἂν εἴη, ὅτι ὅλως ὅ ἐστιν ἐκ τοῦ φωτός, τοῦτο ἔξωθεν ἐπινοεῖ καὶ περὶ τοῦτο ἐρωτᾷ, πότε, καὶ ποῦ, καὶ ὅτε, καὶ εἰ πεποίηται· οὕτως καὶ ὁ περὶ τοῦ Υἱοῦ καὶ τοῦ Πατρὸς τοιαῦτα λογιζόμενος, καὶ οὕτω πυνθανόμενος, πολλῷ μᾶλλον τὴν μανίαν μείζονα ἂν ἔχοι, ὅτι τὸν ἐκ τοῦ Πατρὸς Λόγον ἔξωθεν αὐτῷ ἐπεισάγει, καὶ τὸ φύσει γέννημα ὡς ποίημα σκιαλογῶν λέγει, ‘Οὐκ ἦν πρὶν γεννηθῇ. Ἀκουέτωσαν δὲ ὅμως καὶ πρὸς τὴν ἐρώτησιν αὐτῶν, ὅτι ὁ ὢν Πατὴρ τὸν ὄντα Υἱὸν ἐποίησεν. Ὁ γὰρ ‘ Λόγος σὰρξ ἐγένετο. ʼ καὶ ὄντα αὐτὸν Υἱὸν Θεοῦ ἐποίησεν ἐπὶ συντελείᾳ τῶν αἰώνων καὶ Υἱὸν ἀνθρώπου, εἰ μὴ ἄρα κατὰ τὸν Σαμοσατέα μηδὲ εἶναι αὐτὸν πρὶν ἄνθρωπον γενέσθαι εἴποιεν. Καὶ πρός μὲν τὴν πρώτην αὐτῶν ἐρώτησιν ἱκανὰ ταῦτα παρʼ ἡμῶν. ### English translation (Claude) 25. It would have been better for them to keep quiet; but since they do not stop, one might dare in turn to put this counter-question to their shameless question. Perhaps, seeing themselves hemmed in by similar absurdities, they will withdraw from their fight against the truth. First, then, calling earnestly on God to be merciful, one might meet them thus: “Did God, who is, come to be when he was not? Or does he exist even before he came to be? Being, then, did he make himself? Or is he from nothing, and, being nothing before, did he suddenly appear?” Such a question is absurd; yes, absurd and full of blasphemy; but it is like theirs, for whichever answer they give is full of all impiety. And if it is blasphemous and more than impious to ask such things about God, it would be blasphemous to ask such things about his Word too. Nevertheless, to do away with their irrational and foolish question, one must answer thus: being, God is eternally. Since, then, the Father always is, his radiance too is eternally, which is his Word. And again, God, who is, has from himself the Word, who also is. Neither was the Word added later, when he was not before, nor was the Father ever without Word. For the daring attack on the Son carries the blasphemy up to the Father, as if he devised wisdom, Word, and Son for himself from outside. For whichever of these you name, it signifies the offspring from the Father, as has been said. So their question of this kind does not hold together, and naturally: for denying the Word, they have a question without reason as well. For if someone looking at the sun were to ask about its radiance, and say, “Did that which is make what is not, or did it make it when it was?” he would not be thought to reason soundly, but to be thunderstruck, because he imagines what comes from the light to be from outside and asks when and where and whether it was made. So also anyone who reasons and inquires thus about the Son and the Father would be much madder still, because he brings the Word from the Father in upon him from outside, and, talking of shadows, calls the natural offspring a work and says, “He was not before he was begotten.” Nevertheless, let them hear this answer to their question: the Father, who is, made the Son, who is. For “the Word became flesh”; and him, being Son of God, he made at the consummation of the ages Son of Man as well, unless they are going to say, with the Samosatene, that he did not even exist before he became man. This is enough from us in answer to their first question. ### Scripture references - John 1:14: quotation, high confidence - Heb 9:26: allusion, high confidence ### Translation notes - “The Samosatene” is Paul of Samosata, bishop of Antioch, condemned ca. 268, who was held to teach that the Son did not exist before his human birth. ### Citation (SBL) Athanasius, C. Ar. 25 (Bright, 26–27; trans. Sophia Scriptura, https://sophiascriptura.com/fathers/athanasius-oratio-1/21/#p-25). ## Oration I Against the Arians 26 - URL: https://sophiascriptura.com/fathers/athanasius-oratio-1/21/#p-26 - Source: Bright, 27–28 - Translation: Claude (claude-opus-5-5), 2026-09-27 Summary: Athanasius rejects the idea of the Son as God's instrument and turns the Arians' question to mothers against them: a child is from the parent's own substance, and only human nature makes it later in time. ### Greek text 26. Ὑμεῖς δὲ, ὦ Ἀρειανοὶ, τῶν ἰδίων ἑαυτῶν ῥημάτων μνημονεύοντες, εἴπατε· Ὁ ὢν τοῦ μὴ ὄντος ἔχρῃζεν εἰς τὴν τῶν πάντων δημιουργίαν, ἢ ὄντος αὐτοῦ ἔχρῃζεν; Εἰρήκατε γὰρ, ‘Ὄργανον ἑαυτῷ τὸν Υἱὸν ἐκ τοῦ μὴ ὄντος κατεσκεύασεν, ἵνα διʼ αὐτοῦ ποιήσῃ τὰ πάντα.᾿ Τί οὖν ἐστι βέλτιον, τὸ χρῇζον, ἢ τὸ τὴν χρείαν ἀναπληροῦν; ἢ ἀμφότερα τὰ ἐνδέοντα ἀλλήλων ἀναπληροῦσι; Τοιαῦτα γὰρ λέγοντες, τοῦ κατασκευάσαντος μᾶλλον ἀσθένειαν δεικνύετε, εἰ μὴ καὶ μόνος ἵσχυσε δημιουργῆσαι τὰ πάντα, ἀλλʼ ἔξωθεν ἑαυτῷ ὄργανον ἐπινοεῖ, ὥσπερ τέκτων ἢ ναυπηγός τις, μὴ δυνάμενος ὁτιοῦν ἐργάσασθαι χωρὶς σκεπάρνου καὶ πρίονος. Τί οὖν τούτου ἀσεβέστερον; Ἢ τί δεῖ διατρίβειν ὅλως ἐν τούτοις ὡς δεινοῖς, αὐταρκῶν ὄντων τῶν προειρημένων δεῖξαι, φαντασίαν μόνον εἶναι τὰ παρʼ αὐτῶν; Πρὸς δὲ τὴν ἑτέραν αὐτῶν εὐήθη πάνυ καὶ μωρὰν ἐξέτασιν, ἣν πρὸς τὰ γυναικάρια ποιοῦνται, οὐδὲν μὲν πάλιν οὐδὲ περὶ ταύτης ἐχρῆν ἀποκρίνασθαι, ἢ τοῦτο μόνον ὃ καὶ ἐν τοῖς ἔμπροσθεν εἰρήκαμεν, ὅτι μὴ δέον τὴν ἐκ τοῦ Θεοῦ γέννησιν συμμετρεῖν τῇ τῶν ἀνθρώπων φύσει, Ἴνα δὲ ὅμως καὶ ἐν τούτῳ καταγνῶσιν ἑαυτῶν, καλὸν ἐκ τῶν αὐτῶν πάλιν οὕτως αὐτοῖς ἀπαντῆσαι. Ὅλως εἰ περὶ υἱοῦ πυνθάνονται γονέων, ἐνθυμείσθωσαν πόθεν ἐστὶ τὸ γεννώμενον τέκνον. Εἰ γὰρ καὶ οὐκ εἶχεν ὁ γονεὺς υἱὸν πρὶν γεννήσῃ, ἀλλʼ ἐσχηκὼς, οὐκ ἔξωθεν οὐδὲ ἀλλότριον, ἀλλʼ ἐξ ἑαυτοῦ καὶ ἴδιον τῆς οὐσίας καὶ ἀπαράλλακτον ἔσχεν εἰκόνα, ὥστε τοῦτον ἐν ἐκείνῳ βλέπεσθαι, κἀκεῖνον ἐν τούτῳ θεωρεῖσθαι. Εἰ τοίνυν ἐκ τῶν ἀνθρωπίνων παραδειγμάτων τὸν χρόνον τῶν γεννώντων λαμβάνουσι, διὰ τί μὴ ἐκ τῶν αὐτῶν καὶ τὸ κατὰ φύσιν καὶ τὸ ἴδιον ἐνθυμοῦνται τῶν τέκνων πρὸς τοὺς γονέας, ἀλλὰ κατὰ τοὺς ὄφεις μόνον τὸ πρὸς τὸν ἰὸν ἐπιτήδειον ἐκ τῆς γῆς ἐκλέγονται; Ἔδει δὲ πυνθανομένους αὐτοὺς γονέων καὶ λέγοντας, ‘Οὐκ εἶχες υἱὸν πρὶν γεννήσῃς; ᾿ προσθεῖναι καὶ εἰπεῖν, ‘ Ἐὰν δὲ σχῇς υἱὸν, ἆρά γε ἔξωθεν ὥσπερ οἰκίαν, ἤ τι ἕτερον κτῆμα ἀγοράζεις; ʼ ἵνα σοι ἀποκρίνηται· ‘Οὐκ ἔξωθεν, ἀλλʼ ἐξ ἐμοῦ ἐστι. Τὰ μὲν γὰρ ἔξωθεν κτήματά ἐστι, καὶ ἀφʼ ἑτέρου εἰς ἕτερον μετέρχεται· ὁ δὲ υἱὸς ἐξ ἐμοῦ ἐστι, καὶ τῆς ἐμῆς οὐσίας ἴδιος καὶ ὅμοιος, οὐκ ἀφʼ ἑτέρου εἰς ἐμὲ γεγονὼς, ἀλλʼ ἐξ ἐμοῦ γεγεννημένος· διὸ καὶ ἐν ἐκείνῳ ὅλος εἰμὶ, μένων αὐτὸς ὅ εἰμι.᾿ Οὕτω γὰρ ἔχει· κἂν ὁ γονεὺς τῷ χρόνῳ διαφέρῃ, ὡς ἄνθρωπος ἐν χρόνῳ καὶ αὐτὸς γεγονὼς, ἀλλʼ ἔσχεν ἂν καὶ αὐτὸς ἀεὶ συνυπάρχον τὸ τέκνον, εἰ μὴ ἡ φύσις ἐνεπόδιζε καὶ ἐκώλυε τὸ δύνασθαι. Καὶ γὰρ καὶ ὁ ‘Λευῒ ἔτι ἦν ἐν τῇ ὀσφύΐ ’ τοῦ προπάππου, πρὶν αὐτὸς γεννηθῇ, καὶ ὁ πάππος γεννήσῃ. Ὅταν οὗν εἰς τοῦθʼ ἡλικίας ἔλθοι ὁ ἄνθρωπος, ἐν ᾗ καὶ τὸ δυνατὸν ἡ φύσις παρέχει, εὐθὺς ἀνεμποδίστῳ τῇ φύσει πατὴρ ὁ ἄνθρωπος γίνεται τοῦ ἐξ ἑαυτοῦ υἱοῦ. ### English translation (Claude) 26. And you, Arians, remembering your own words, tell us: did he who is need one who was not for the making of all things, or did he need one who was? For you have said, “He fashioned the Son for himself as an instrument out of what was not, so that he might make all things through him.” Which, then, is better: what needs, or what fills the need? Or do both fill what the other lacks? For in saying such things you show rather the weakness of the one who fashioned him, if he alone was not strong enough to make all things but devised an instrument for himself from outside, like a carpenter or a shipwright who cannot work at anything without an axe and a saw. What could be more impious than this? But why dwell on these things at all as if they were formidable, when what has already been said is enough to show that what they say is mere fantasy? As for their other quite silly and foolish inquiry, which they put to the silly women, again no answer at all should have been needed about it either, except what we have said before, that the begetting from God must not be measured by human nature. Yet so that in this too they may condemn themselves, it is good to meet them again from their own premises, as follows. If they ask parents about a son at all, let them consider where the child that is begotten comes from. For even if the parent did not have a son before he begot him, yet, when he had him, he had him not from outside nor as something foreign, but from himself, proper to his substance, and an unvarying image, so that the one is seen in the other and the other contemplated in the one. If, then, they take the time of those who beget from human examples, why do they not from the same examples consider the naturalness and the propriety of children to their parents, but, like snakes, pick out of the earth only what serves their poison? When they ask parents and say, “Did you not have a son before you begot him?” they should have added and said, “And when you have a son, do you buy him from outside like a house or some other possession?” so that the parent might answer you: “Not from outside, but he is from me. For things from outside are possessions and pass from one owner to another; but my son is from me, proper to and like my substance, not having come to me from another, but begotten from me; therefore I am wholly in him, while remaining myself what I am.” For so it is: even if the parent differs in time, since as a man he too has come to be in time, yet he too would have had his child always coexisting with him, if nature had not hindered and prevented it from being possible. For Levi too “was still in the loins” of his great-grandfather before he himself was begotten and before his grandfather begot. When, then, a man comes to that age at which nature gives the ability, at once, with nature unhindered, he becomes father of the son from himself. ### Scripture references - Heb 7:10: quotation, high confidence ### Translation notes - “Unvarying image” (ἀπαράλλακτος εἰκών) was a term used by those who held the Son to be like the Father in all things. ### Citation (SBL) Athanasius, C. Ar. 26 (Bright, 27–28; trans. Sophia Scriptura, https://sophiascriptura.com/fathers/athanasius-oratio-1/21/#p-26). ## Oration I Against the Arians 27 - URL: https://sophiascriptura.com/fathers/athanasius-oratio-1/21/#p-27 - Source: Bright, 28–29 - Translation: Claude (claude-opus-5-5), 2026-09-27 Summary: Athanasius concludes that since nothing hinders God as nature hinders human parents, the Son, who is from the Father by nature, always coexists with him. ### Greek text 27. Οὐκοῦν εἰ γονέων περὶ τέκνων ἐπύθοντο, καὶ ἔγνωσαν ὅτι τὰ φύσει τέκνα οὐκ ἔξωθεν ἀλλʼ ἐκ τῶν γονέων εἰσὶν, ὁμολογείτωσαν καὶ περὶ τοῦ Λόγου τοῦ Θεοῦ, ὅτι ὅλως ἐκ τοῦ Πατρός ἐστι. Καὶ περὶ τοῦ χρόνου ζητοῦντες, τὸ ἐμποδίζον τὸν Θεὸν λεγέτωσαν, (χρὴ γὰρ ἐξ ὧν ὡς χλευάζοντες ἐπυνθάνοντο, ἐκ τούτων αὐτοὺς ἀσεβοῦντας διελέγχειν· εἰπάτωσαν τοίνυν τί τὸ ἐμποδίζον τὸν Θεὸν ἀεὶ τοῦ Υἱοῦ Πατέρα αὐτὸν εἶναι; Τὸ γὰρ ἐκ πατρὸς εἶναι τὸ γεννώμενον ὡμολόγηται. Ἵνα δὲ καὶ ὅλως τι τοιοῦτον λογισάμενοι περὶ τὸν Θεὸν καταγνῶσιν ἑαυτῶν, ὥσπερ ἠρώτησαν γυναῖκας περὶ τῶν χρόνων, οὕτω πυνθανέσθωσαν καὶ τοῦ ἡλίου περὶ τοῦ ἀπαυγάσματος αὐτοῦ, καὶ τῆς πηγῆς περὶ τοῦ ἐξ αὐτῆς, ἴνα μάθωσιν ὅτι καίπερ ὄντα γεννήματα ταῦτα, ἐστὶ καὶ ἀεὶ σὺν ἐκείνοις, ἐξ ὦν καί εἰσιν. Εἰ δὲ καὶ τὸ ‘φύσει ᾿ καὶ τὸ ἀεὶ οἱ τοιοῦτοι γονεῖς ἔχουσι πρὸς τὰ τέκνα, διὰ τί τὸν Θεὸν ἐλάττονα τῶν γενητῶν ὑπονοοῦντες, οὐ φανερώτερον ἑαυτῶν τὴν ἀσέβειαν ἐξάγουσιν; Εἰ δὲ τοῦτο μὲν οὐ τολμῶσιν ἐκ φανεροῦ λέγειν, ὁμολογεῖται δὲ ὁ Υἱὸς μὴ ἔξωθεν, ἀλλʼ ἐκ τοῦ Πατρὸς εἶναι φύσει γέννημα, οὐδὲν δὲ οὐδὲ τὸ ἐμποδίζον ἐστὶ τὸν Θεόν· (‘ οὐ γὰρ ὡς ἄνθρωπος ὁ Θεὸς, ᾿ ἀλλὰ καὶ πλέον ἐστὶ τοῦ ἡλίου, μᾶλλον δὲ Θεός ἐστι τοῦ ἡλίου·) δῆλον ὅτι καὶ ἐξ αὐτοῦ καὶ ἀεί ἐστι συνυπάρχων ὁ Λόγος τῷ Πατρὶ, διʼ οὖ τὰ πάντα οὐκ ὄντα εἰς τὸ εἶναι πεποίηκεν ὁ Πατήρ. Ὅτι μὲν οὖν ὁ Υἱὸς οὐκ ‘ἐξ οὐκ ὄντων, ᾿ ἀλλʼ ἀΐδιός τε καὶ ἐκ τοῦ Πατρός ἐστι, καὶ αὐτὸ τὸ πρᾶγμα δείκνυσι· καὶ ἡ ἐρώτησις δὲ τῶν αἱρετικῶν πρὸς τοὺς γονέας διελέγχει τὴν κακόνοιαν αὐτῶν, Ἔγνωσαν γὰρ τὸ κατὰ φύσιν, καὶ λοιπὸν καὶ περὶ τῶν χρόνων ἠσχύνθησαν. ### English translation (Claude) 27. So if they asked parents about children, and learned that children by nature are not from outside but from their parents, let them confess about the Word of God too that he is wholly from the Father. And if they raise the question of time, let them say what hinders God. (For it is necessary to refute their impiety from the very things they asked in mockery.) Let them say, then, what hinders God from being always Father of the Son; for it is agreed that what is begotten is from the father. And so that they may condemn themselves for thinking any such thing about God at all, just as they asked women about times, so let them ask the sun about its radiance and the spring about what comes from it, so that they may learn that, although these are offspring, they exist always with those from which they come. And if such parents have both the “natural” and the “always” in relation to their children, why do they, suspecting God to be less than things originated, not bring out their impiety more openly? But if they do not dare to say this openly, and it is agreed that the Son is not from outside but is by nature an offspring from the Father, and nothing hinders God (for “God is not like a man,” but is more than the sun, or rather is the God of the sun), it is clear that the Word is both from him and always coexisting with the Father, the Word through whom the Father made all things that were not to be. That the Son is not “from nothing,” then, but is eternal and from the Father, the fact itself shows; and the heretics' question to parents refutes their malice. For they have learned what is natural, and they have been put to shame about times as well. ### Scripture references - Num 23:19: quotation, medium confidence ### Citation (SBL) Athanasius, C. Ar. 27 (Bright, 28–29; trans. Sophia Scriptura, https://sophiascriptura.com/fathers/athanasius-oratio-1/21/#p-27). ## Oration I Against the Arians 28 - URL: https://sophiascriptura.com/fathers/athanasius-oratio-1/21/#p-28 - Source: Bright, 29–30 - Translation: Claude (claude-opus-5-5), 2026-09-27 Summary: Athanasius explains that God begets without passion or division, as the titles Word, Wisdom, and radiance show, and that he is always Father. ### Greek text 28. Ὅτι δὲ οὐ δεῖ τὴν τοῦ Θεοῦ γέννησιν παραβάλλειν τῇ τῶν ἀνθρώπων φύσει, καὶ νομίζειν ‘ μέροςʼ εἶναι τοῦ Θεοῦ τὸν Υἱὸν αὐτοῦ, ἢ ὅλως τι ‘πάθοςʼ σημαίνειν τὴν γέννησιν, φθάσαντες μὲν εἴπομεν ἐν τοῖς ἔμπροσθεν, καὶ νῦν δὲ τὰ αὐτά φαμεν· ‘οὐκ ἔστιν ὡς ἄνθρωπος ὁ Θεός, ᾿ Ἄνθρωποι μὲν γὰρ παθητικῶς γεννῶσι, ῥευστὴν ἔχοντες τὴν φύσιν, καὶ χρόνους ἀναμένοντες διὰ τὴν ἀσθένειαν τῆς ἰδίας φύσεως· ἐπὶ δὲ Θεοῦ τοῦτο λέγειν οὐκ ἔστιν. Οὐ γὰρ ἐκ μερῶν συγκείμενός ἐστιν, ἀλλὰ καὶ ἀπαθὴς ὢν καὶ ἀπλοῦς, ἀπαθῶς καὶ ἀμερίστως τοῦ Υἱοῦ Πατήρ ἐστι· καὶ τούτου πάλιν μέγα τεκμήριον καὶ ἀπόδειξις ἐκ τῶν θείων γραφῶν. Ὁ Λόγος γὰρ ὁ τοῦ Θεοῦ Υἱός ἐστιν αὐτοῦ, καὶ ὁ Υἱὸς Λόγος ἐστὶ τοῦ Πατρὸς καὶ Σοφία· Λόγος δὲ καὶ Σοφία οὔτε κτίσμα οὔτε μέρος ἐστὶ τούτου, οὗ καὶ ἔστι Λόγος, οὔτε κατὰ πάθος ἐστὶ γέννημα. Ἀμφότερα γοῦν ἡ γραφὴ συνάπτουσα, ‘Υἱὸνʼ μὲν ἔφησεν, ἵνα τὸ φύσει καὶ ἀληθινὸν τῆς οὐσίας γέννημα εὐαγγελίσηται· ἵνα δὲ μή τις ἀνθρώπινον ὑπολάβοι τὸ γέννημα, πάλιν τὴν οὐσίαν αὐτοῦ σημαίνων, ‘Λόγονʼ αὐτὸν εἶναι καὶ Σοφίαν καὶ ἀπαύγασμά φησιν. Ἐκ γὰρ τούτου καὶ τὸ ἀπαθὲς τῆς γεννήσεως, καὶ τὸ ἀΐδιον, καὶ τῷ Θεῷ πρέπον λογιζόμεθα. Ποῖον οὖν πάθος, ἢ ποῖον μέρος ἐστὶ τοῦ Πατρὸς ὁ Λόγος, καὶ ἡ Σοφία, καὶ τὸ ἀπαύγασμα; Καὶ τοῦτο δυνατὸν καὶ αὐτοὺς τοὺς ἄφρονας μαθεῖν. Ὡς γὰρ γυναικῶν ἐπύθοντο περὶ υἱοῦ, οὕτως καὶ ἄνδρας ἐπερωτάτωσαν περὶ τοῦ λόγου, ἵνα μάθωσιν ὅτι οὔτε πάθος αὐτῶν, οὔτε μέρος ἐστὶ τοῦ νοῦ τούτων ὁ λόγος ὃν προφέρονται. Εἰ δὲ τῶν ἀνθρώπων, καίτοι παθητῶν ὄντων καὶ μεριστῶν ὄντων, τοιοῦτος ὁ λόγος, διὰ τί περὶ τοῦ ἀσωμάτου καὶ ἀμερίστου Θεοῦ πάθη καὶ μέρη λογίζονται, ἵνα, τοῦτο προσποιούμενοι δῆθεν εὐλαβεῖσθαι, ἀρνήσωνται τὴν ἀληθῇ καὶ φύσει γέννησιν τοῦ Υἱοῦ; Καὶ ὅτι μὲν τὸ ἐκ τοῦ Θεοῦ γέννημα οὐκ ἔστι πάθος, ἱκανῶς διὰ τῶν ἔμπροσθεν ἀποδέδεικται· δέδεικται δὲ καὶ ἰδίᾳ νῦν ὁ Λόγος οὐ κατὰ πάθος γεννώμενος. Ἀκουέτωσαν δὲ καὶ περὶ τῆς Σοφίας τὰ αὐτά· οὐκ ἔστιν ὡς ἄνθρωπος ὁ Θεός·᾿ μὴ ἀνθρώπινον φανταζέσθωσαν καὶ ἐν τούτῳ περὶ αὐτοῦ. Καὶ γὰρ τῶν ἀνθρώπων πάλιν δεκτικῶν σοφίας γεγονότων, ὁ Θεὸς, οὐδενὸς μετέχων, αὐτὸς τῆς ἑαυτοῦ Σοφίας Πατήρ ἐστιν, ἧς οἱ μετέχοντες εἰώθασι σοφοὶ καλεῖσθαι· καὶ ἔστι καὶ αὐτὴ ἡ Σοφία οὐ πάθος, οὐδὲ μέρος, ἀλλὰ γέννημα ἴδιον τοῦ πατρός. Διὰ τοῦτο ἀεὶ Πατὴρ, καὶ οὐκ ἐπιγέγονε τῷ Θεῷ τὸ ‘πατὴρ, ᾿ ἵνα μὴ καὶ τρεπτὸς εἶναι νομισθῇ. Εἰ γὰρ καλὸν τὸ εἶναι αὐτὸν Πατέρα, οὐκ ἀεὶ δὲ ἦν Πατὴρ, οὐκ ἀεὶ ἄρα τὸ καλὸν ἦν ἐν αὐτῷ. ### English translation (Claude) 28. That one must not compare God's begetting with human nature, nor think that his Son is a “part” of God, nor that the begetting signifies any “passion” at all, we have said already above, and we say the same now: “God is not like a man.” For men beget with passion, having a fluid nature, and waiting for times because of the weakness of their own nature; but this cannot be said of God. For he is not composed of parts, but, being impassible and simple, he is Father of the Son impassibly and without division. And there is great evidence and proof of this again from the divine Scriptures. For the Word of God is his Son, and the Son is the Word and Wisdom of the Father; and Word and Wisdom is neither a creature nor a part of him whose Word it is, nor an offspring begotten with passion. Joining both, then, Scripture said “Son,” in order to proclaim the natural and true offspring of the substance; and so that no one might suppose the offspring to be human, again signifying his substance, it says that he is “Word,” “Wisdom,” and “radiance.” For from this we reckon that the begetting is impassible, eternal, and fitting for God. What passion, then, or what part of the Father is the Word, the Wisdom, the radiance? Even these senseless men can learn this. For as they asked women about a son, so let them ask men about their word, so that they may learn that the word they utter is neither a passion of theirs nor a part of their mind. And if the word of men, though men are passible and divisible, is like this, why do they reckon passions and parts in the case of the incorporeal and indivisible God, so that, pretending to be reverent about this, they may deny the true and natural begetting of the Son? That the offspring from God is not a passion has been sufficiently proved above; and it has now been shown in particular that the Word is not begotten by passion. Let them hear the same about Wisdom: “God is not like a man”; let them not imagine anything human about him in this either. For while men have become receptive of wisdom, God, participating in nothing, is himself Father of his own Wisdom, and those who participate in it are usually called wise. And Wisdom itself is not a passion or a part, but the proper offspring of the Father. For this reason he is always Father, and “Father” was not added to God later, lest he be thought changeable too. For if it is good that he is Father, but he was not always Father, then the good was not always in him. ### Scripture references - Num 23:19: quotation, medium confidence - Heb 1:3: allusion, medium confidence ### Translation notes - “Passion” (πάθος) means undergoing change or being acted upon; “impassible” means incapable of it. ### Citation (SBL) Athanasius, C. Ar. 28 (Bright, 29–30; trans. Sophia Scriptura, https://sophiascriptura.com/fathers/athanasius-oratio-1/21/#p-28). ## Oration I Against the Arians 29 - URL: https://sophiascriptura.com/fathers/athanasius-oratio-1/21/#p-29 - Source: Bright, 30–31 - Translation: Claude (claude-opus-5-5), 2026-09-27 Summary: Athanasius answers that God's being always a maker does not make creatures eternal, since a work depends on will but the Son belongs to the Father's substance. ### Greek text 29.‘ Ἀλλʼ ἰδοὺʼ φασὶ, ‘καὶ ἀεὶ ποιητής ἐστιν ὁ Θεὸς, καὶ οὐκ ἐπιγέγονεν αὐτῷ τοῦ δημιουργεῖν ἡ δύναμις· ἆρʼ οὖν, ἐπειδὴ δημιουργός ἐστιν, ἀίδιά ἐστι καὶ τὰ ποιήματα, καὶ οὐ θέμις εἰπεῖν οὐδὲ ἐπὶ τούτων, Οὐκ ἦν πρὶν γενηθῇ; ʼ Ἄφρονες οἱ Ἀρειανοί· τί γὰρ ὅμοιον υἱὸς καὶ ποίημα, ἵνα τὰ ἐπὶ τοῦ πατρὸς ταῦτα καὶ ἐπὶ τῶν δημιουργῶν εἴπωσι; πῶς δὲ, τοσαύτης διαφορᾶς ἐν τοῖς ἔμπροσθεν δειχθείσης γεννήματος καὶ ποιήματος, ἐμμένουσι τῇ ἀμαθίᾳ; Πάλιν οὖν τὸ αὐτό λεκτέον· τὸ ποίημα ἔξωθεν τοῦ ποιοῦντός ἐστιν, ὥσπερ εἴρηται, ὁ δὲ υἱὸς ἴδιον τῆς οὐσίας γέννημά ἐστι· διὸ καὶ τὸ μὲν ποίημα οὐκ ἀνάγκη ἀεὶ εἶναι· ὅτε γὰρ βούλεται ὁ δημιουργὸς, ἐργάζεται· τὸ δὲ γέννημα οὐ βουλήσει ὑπόκειται, ἀλλὰ τῆς οὐσίας ἐστὶν ἰδιότης. Καὶ ποιητὴς μὲν ἂν εἴη καὶ λέγοιτο, κἂν μήπω ᾖ τὰ ἔργα· πατὴρ δὲ οὐκ ἂν λεχθείη οὐδʼ ἂν εἴη, μὴ ὑπάρχοντος υἱοῦ. Ἐὰν δὲ περιεργάζωνται διὰ τί ὁ Θεὸς, ἀεὶ δυνάμενος ποιεῖν, οὐκ ἀεὶ ποιεῖ, μαινομένων μὲν καὶ αὕτη ἡ τόλμα. ‘Τίς γὰρ ἔγνω νοῦν Κυρίου, ἢ τίς σύμβουλος αὐτοῦ ἐγένετο;᾿ ἢ πῶς ‘ ἐρεῖ τὸ πλάσμαʼ τῷ κεραμεῖ, ‘ Τί με οὕτως ἐποίησας;᾿ Ἵνα δὲ, κἂν ἀμυδρόν τινα λογισμὸν εὑρόντες, μὴ σιωπήσωμεν, ἀκουέτωσαν ὅτι, εἰ καὶ τῷ Θεῷ δυνατὸν ἀεὶ ποιεῖν, ἀλλʼ οὐκ ἠδύνατο τὰ γενητὰ ἀΐδια εἶναι· ἐξ οὐκ ὄντων γάρ ἐστι, καὶ οὐκ ἧν πρὶν γένηται. Τὰ δὲ οὐκ ὄντα πρὶν γένηται πῶς ἡδύνατο συνυπάρχειν τῷ ἀεὶ ὄντι Θεῷ; Διὸ καὶ πρὸς τὸ λυσιτελὲς αὐτῶν ἀφορῶν ὁ Θεὸς, ὅτε εἶδεν ὅτι δύναται γενόμενα διαμένειν, τότε καὶ πεποίηκε πάντα. Καὶ ὥσπερ δυνάμενος καὶ ἐξ ἀρχῆς ἐπὶ τοῦ Ἀδὰμ, ἢ ἐπὶ Νῶε, ἢ ἐπὶ Μωϋσέως ἀποστεῖλαι τὸν ἑαυτοῦ Λόγον, οὐκ ἀπέστειλεν εἰ μὴ ἐπὶ συντελείᾳ τῶν αἰώνων·᾿ τοῦτο γὰρ εἶδε λυσιτελεῖν πάσῃ τῇ κτίσει· οὕτω καὶ τὰ γενητὰ, ὅτε ἠθέλησε καὶ λυσιτελὲς ἦν αὐτοῖς, ἐποίησεν. Ὁ δέ γε Υἱὸς, οὐκ ὢν ποίημα, ἀλλʼ ἴδιος τῆς οὐσίας τοῦ Πατρὸς, ἀεὶ ἔστιν· ἀεὶ γὰρ ὄντος τοῦ Πατρὸς, ἀεὶ εἶναι δεῖ καὶ τὸ ἴδιον τῆς οὐσίας αὐτοῦ, ὅπερ ἐστὶν ὁ Λόγος αὐτοῦ καὶ ἡ Σοφία. Καὶ τὰ μὲν κτίσματα κἂν μηδέπω ὑπάρχῃ. οὐκ ἐλαττοῖ τὸν ποιητήν· ἔχει γὰρ τὸ δύνασθαι δημιουργεῖν, ὅτε βούλεται· τὸ δὲ γέννημα, ἐὰν μὴ ἀεὶ συνῇ τῷ Πατρὶ, ἐλάττωμα τῆς τελειότητος τῆς οὐσίας αὐτοῦ ἐστιν. Ὅθεν τὰ μὲν ποιήματα, ὅτε ἠθέλησεν, ἐδημιουργήθη διὰ τοῦ Λόγου αὐτοῦ· ὁ δὲ Υἱὸς ἀεί ἐστιν ἴδιον γέννημα τῆς τοῦ Πατρὸς οὐσίας. ### English translation (Claude) 29. “But look,” they say, “God is also always a maker, and the power to create was not added to him later. Since he is creator, then, are his works eternal too, and is it not right to say of them either, ‘They were not before they came to be’?” Senseless Arians! What likeness is there between a son and a work, that they should say of creators what applies to a father? And how, when so great a difference between offspring and work has been shown above, do they persist in their ignorance? The same must be said again, then: the work is outside its maker, as has been said, but the son is the proper offspring of the substance. So the work need not always exist, for the craftsman works when he wishes; but the offspring is not subject to will, but is a property of the substance. And one could be and be called a maker even if the works do not yet exist; but one could not be called a father, nor be one, if no son exists. And if they meddle with the question why God, who is always able to make, does not always make, this daring too belongs to madmen. For “who has known the mind of the Lord, or who has been his counsellor?” Or how will “the thing formed say” to the potter, “Why have you made me thus?” But so that we may not keep silent, even if we find only a faint argument, let them hear that, although God is always able to make, yet originated things could not be eternal; for they are from nothing, and were not before they came to be. And how could things that were not before they came to be coexist with God, who always is? Therefore God, looking to what was profitable for them, made all things when he saw that, once they had come to be, they could endure. And just as, although he was able from the beginning, in the time of Adam or Noah or Moses, to send his own Word, he did not send him until “the consummation of the ages” (for he saw that this was profitable for all creation), so too he made originated things when he wished and when it was profitable for them. But the Son, not being a work but proper to the Father's substance, always is. For since the Father always is, what is proper to his substance, which is his Word and Wisdom, must always be too. And the creatures, even if they do not yet exist, do not lessen the maker, for he has the ability to create when he wishes; but the offspring, if it is not always with the Father, is a lessening of the completeness of his substance. Hence the works were created through his Word when he wished; but the Son is always the proper offspring of the Father's substance. ### Scripture references - Rom 11:34: quotation, high confidence - Rom 9:20: quotation, high confidence - Heb 9:26: quotation, high confidence ### Citation (SBL) Athanasius, C. Ar. 29 (Bright, 30–31; trans. Sophia Scriptura, https://sophiascriptura.com/fathers/athanasius-oratio-1/21/#p-29). ## Oration I Against the Arians 30 - URL: https://sophiascriptura.com/fathers/athanasius-oratio-1/21/#p-30 - Source: Bright, 31–32 - Translation: Claude (claude-opus-5-5), 2026-09-27 Summary: Athanasius exposes the Arian question “Is the unoriginate one or two?” as a trap and sets out the different meanings of “unoriginate.” ### Greek text 30. Ταῦτα τοὺς μὲν πιστοὺς εὐφραίνει, τοὺς δὲ αἱρετικοὺς λυπεῖ βλέποντας ἀναιρουμένην αὐτῶν τὴν αἵρεσιν· καὶ γὰρ κἀκείνη πάλιν αὐτῶν ἡ ἐρώτησις ἐν τῷ λέγειν, ‘ Ἓν τὸ ἀγένητον, ἢ δύο; ᾿ οὐκ ὀρθὴν αὐτῶν δείκνυσι τὴν διάνοιαν, ἀλλʼ ὕποπτον καὶ δόλου μεστήν. Οὐ γὰρ ἐπὶ τιμῇ τοῦ Πατρὸς οὕτως ἐρωτῶσιν, ἀλλʼ ἐπὶ ἀτιμίᾳ τοῦ Λόγου. Ἄν γοῦν τις, ἀγνοῶν τὴν πανουργίαν αὐτῶν, ἀποκρίνηται, ‘ Ἓν τὸ ἀγένητον, ʼ εὐθὺς τὸν ἑαυτῶν ἰὸν ἐξεμοῦσι λέγοντες· ‘Οὐκοῦν ὁ Υἱὸς τῶν γενητῶν ἐστι, καὶ καλῶς εἰρήκαμεν, Οὐκ ἦν πρὶν γενηθῇ.᾿ Πάντα γὰρ φυρῶσι καὶ κυκῶσιν, ἵνα μόνον διαστήσωσι τὸν Λόγον ἀπὸ τοῦ Πατρὸς, καὶ τὸν δημιουργὸν τῶν ὅλων τοῖς ποιήμασι συναριθμήσωσι. Πρῶτον μὲν οὖν καὶ κατὰ τοῦτο καταγνώσεώς εἰσιν ἄξιοι, ὅτι μεμφόμενοι τοῖς ἐν Νικαίᾳ συνελθοῦσιν ἐπισκόποις ὡς ἀγράφοις χρησαμένοις λέξεσι, καίτοι μὴ δυσφήμοις, ἀλλʼ ἐπʼ ἀναιρέσει τῆς ἀσεβείας αὐτῶν κειμέναις, ηὐτομόλησαν εἰς τὴν αὐτὴν αἰτίαν αὐτοὶ ἐξ ἀγράφων φθεγγόμενοι, καὶ ἐπινοοῦντες λοιδορίας κατὰ τοῦ Κυρίου, ‘ μὴ γινώσκοντες μήτε ἃ λέγουσι, μήτε περὶ τίνων διαβεβαιοῦνται.᾿ Ἐρωτησάτωσαν γοῦν Ἕλληνας, παρʼ ὦν ἥκουσαν· (οὐ γὰρ τῶν γραφῶν, ἀλλʼ ἐκείνων ἐστὶν εὕρεμα·) ἵνα ἀκούσαντες πόσα σημαινόμενα ἡ λέξις ἔχει, μάθωσιν ὅτι οὐδὲ περὶ ὧν λέγουσιν ἐπίστανται καλῶς ἐρωτᾷν. Κἀγὼ γὰρ διʼ αὐτοὺς ἐπυθόμην λέγεσθαι ἀγένητον τὸ μηδέπω μὲν γενόμενον, δυνάμενον δὲ γενέσθαι, ʼ ὡς τὸ ξύλον τὸ μήπω μὲν γενόμενον, δυνάμενον δὲ γενέσθαι σκάφος. Καὶ αὖθις ἀγένητον λέγεσθαι τὸ ‘μήτε γενόμενον, μήτε δυνάμενον γενέσθαι ποτὲ, ʼ ὡς τὸ τρίγωνον τετράγωνον, καὶ ὁ ἄρτιος ἀριθμὸς περιττός. Οὔτε γὰρ τὸ τρίγωνον γέγονέ ποτε τετράγωνον, οὔτε γένοιτʼ ἄν ποτε· ἀλλʼ οὔτε ὁ ἄρτιος γέγονέ ποτε περιττὸς, οὔτε γένοιτʼ ἄν ποτε περιττός. Λέγεται δὲ πάλιν ἀγένητον τὸ ‘ ὑπάρχον μὲν, μὴ γενηθὲν δὲ ἔκ τινος, μηδὲ ὅλως ἔχον ἑαυτοῦ τινα πατέρα. Προσέθηκε δὲ καὶ ὁ πανοῦργος σοφιστὴς Ἀστέριος, ὁ καὶ τῆς αἱρέσεως συνήγορος, ἐν τῷ ἰδίῳ συνταγματίῳ λέγων, ἀγένητον εἶναι τὸ ‘ μὴ ποιηθὲν, ἀλλʼ ἀεὶ ὄν.᾿ Κατὰ ποῖον οὖν σημαινόμενον νοοῦσι τὸ ἀγένητον, ἔδει προστιθέντας αὐτοὺς ἐρωτᾷν, ἵνα καὶ ὁ ἐρωτώμενος ὀρθῶς ἀποκρίνηται. ### English translation (Claude) 30. These things gladden the faithful, but grieve the heretics, who see their heresy destroyed. And that further question of theirs, when they say, “Is the unoriginate one, or two?” shows their thinking to be not upright but suspect and full of guile. For they do not ask this for the honor of the Father, but for the dishonor of the Word. So if anyone, not knowing their craftiness, answers, “The unoriginate is one,” they at once vomit out their poison, saying, “Then the Son is one of the things originated, and we were right to say, ‘He was not before he came to be.’” For they mix up and stir up everything, only so that they may separate the Word from the Father and count the creator of all things among his works. First, then, they deserve condemnation on this score: while blaming the bishops who met at Nicaea for using words not found in Scripture (words that were not blasphemous, but were set down to destroy their impiety), they themselves have deserted to the same charge by uttering words not found in Scripture and devising insults against the Lord, “understanding neither what they say nor the things about which they make confident assertions.” Let them ask the Greeks, from whom they heard it (for it is not an invention of the Scriptures but of theirs), so that, hearing how many meanings the word has, they may learn that they do not even know how to ask properly about the things they speak of. For because of them I too have inquired, and learned that “unoriginate” is said of what “has not yet come to be but can come to be,” as wood that has not yet become a boat but can become one. And again “unoriginate” is said of what “neither has come to be nor can ever come to be,” as a triangle that is square, or an even number that is odd; for a triangle has never become square, nor could it ever, and an even number has never become odd, nor could it ever. And again “unoriginate” is said of what “exists, but has not come to be from anyone, nor has any father at all.” And the crafty sophist Asterius, the advocate of the heresy, added in his own little treatise that “unoriginate” is what is “not made, but always is.” So they ought to have added in what sense they understand “unoriginate” when they ask, so that the one questioned might answer correctly. ### Scripture references - 1 Tim 1:7: quotation, high confidence ### Translation notes - “Unoriginate” renders ἀγένητος (not having come into being), as distinct from ἀγέννητος (unbegotten); the two were easily confused, which is part of Athanasius's point. Asterius “the sophist” (d. after 341) was an early defender of Arius; his treatise (Syntagmation) survives only in quotations. ### Citation (SBL) Athanasius, C. Ar. 30 (Bright, 31–32; trans. Sophia Scriptura, https://sophiascriptura.com/fathers/athanasius-oratio-1/21/#p-30). ## Oration I Against the Arians 31 - URL: https://sophiascriptura.com/fathers/athanasius-oratio-1/21/#p-31 - Source: Bright, 32–33 - Translation: Claude (claude-opus-5-5), 2026-09-27 Summary: Athanasius shows that in any of its senses the word “unoriginate” gives the Arians no ground for making the Son originated. ### Greek text 31. Εἰ δὲ νομίζουσι καλῶς ἐρωτᾷν, ἐν τῷ λέγειν, ‘ Ἓν τὸ ἀγένητον, ἢ δύο; ʼ ἀκούσονται πρῶτον μὲν, ὡς ἀμαθεῖς, πολλά τε εἶναι καὶ οὐδὲν, πλεῖστα μὲν τὰ ‘δυνάμενα γενέσθαι, ’ οὐδὲν δὲ τὸ ‘ μὴ δυνάμενον, ὥσπερ εἴρηται. Εἰ δὲ, ὡς Ἀστερίῳ ἤρεσε τὸ μὴ ποίημα, ἀλλʼ ἀεὶ ὂν, ἀγένητον εἶναι, οὕτως ἐρωτῶσιν· ἀκουέτωσαν οὐχ ἅπαξ, ἀλλὰ πολλάκις, ὅτι καὶ ὁ Υἱὸς οὕτω κατὰ ταύτην τὴν ἐκδοχὴν ἀγένητος ἂν λεχθείη. Οὔτε γὰρ τῶν γενητῶν, οὔτε ποίημά ἐστιν, ἀλλὰ καὶ ἀϊδίως σύνεστι τῷ Πατρὶ, ὥσπερ καὶ ἤδη δέδεικται, κἂν πολλάκις μεταβάλλωνται, ἵνα μόνον κατὰ τοῦ Κυρίου λέγωσιν, ‘ἐξ οὐκ ὄντων ἐστὶ, ʼ καὶ ‘ οὐκ ἦν πρὶν γεννηθῇ.’ Πάντων δὴ οὖν ἐκπίπτοντες, ἐὰν καὶ ἐκεῖνο θελήσωσι λοιπὸν ἐρωτᾶν κατὰ τὸ ‘ ὑπάρχον μὲν, μήτε δὲ γεννηθὲν ἔκ τινος, μήτε ἔχον ἑαυτοῦ πατέρα, ʼ ἀκούσονται μὲν καὶ παρʼ ἡμῶν τὸν οὕτω σημαινόμενον ἕνα καὶ μόνον ἀγένητον εἶναι τὸν Πατέρα, οὐδὲν δὲ πλέον ἕξουσιν ἐκ τοῦ τοιαῦτα ἀκούειν αὐτούς. Οὐδὲ γὰρ τὸ οὕτως ἀγένητον λέγεσθαι τὸν Θεὸν δείκνυσι γενητὸν εἶναι τὸν Υἱὸν, δήλου ὄντος κατὰ τὰς προειρημένας ἀποδείξεις τοιοῦτον εἶναι τὸν Λόγον, οἷός ἐστιν ὁ γεννήσας αὐτόν, Οὐκοῦν εἰ ἀγένητος ὁ Θεὸς, οὐ γενητὴ, ἀλλὰ γέννημά ἐστιν ἡ τούτου εἰκὼν, ἥτις ἐστὶν ὁ Λόγος αὐτοῦ καὶ ἡ Σοφία. Ποία γὰρ ἐμφέρεια τῷ γενητῷ πρὸς τὸ ἀγένητον; (πάλιν γὰρ τὰ αὐτὰ λέγειν οὐκ ὀκνητέον·) ἐπεὶ εἰ ὅμοιον τὸ γενητὸν τῷ ἀγενήτῳ θέλουσιν, ὡς τὸν ὁρῶντα τοῦτο βλέπειν ἐκεῖνο, οὐ μακράν εἰσιν εἰπεῖν, ὅτι καὶ τὸ ἀγένητον καὶ κτισμάτων ἐστὶν εἰκὼν, καὶ λοιπὸν πέφυρται πάντα παρʼ αὐτοῖς, γενητῶν μὲν ἐξίσωσις πρὸς τὸ ἀγενήτον, ἀγενήτου δὲ καθαίρεσις μετρουμένου πρὸς τὰ ποιήματα, ἵνα μόνον τὸν Υἱὸν ἐν τοῖς ποιήμασι καταγάγωσιν. ### English translation (Claude) 31. But if they think they are asking properly when they say, “Is the unoriginate one, or two?” they will hear first, as ignorant men, that there are both many and none: very many that “can come to be,” and none that “cannot,” as has been said. And if they ask in the sense Asterius favored, that what is not a work but always is, is unoriginate, let them hear not once but many times that the Son too could in this sense be called unoriginate. For he is neither one of the things originated nor a work, but exists eternally with the Father, as has already been shown, even if they change their ground many times only to say against the Lord, “He is from nothing,” and “He was not before he was begotten.” So, failing at every point, if they finally choose to ask in the sense of “what exists, but has neither been begotten from anyone nor has a father of its own,” they will hear from us too that in this sense the unoriginate is one and only, the Father; but they will gain nothing more by hearing it. For God's being called unoriginate in this sense does not show that the Son is originated, since it is clear from the proofs already given that the Word is such as the one who begot him. So if God is unoriginate, his image, which is his Word and Wisdom, is not originated but an offspring. For what resemblance does the originated have to the unoriginate? (One must not shrink from saying the same things again.) For if they want the originated to be like the unoriginate, so that whoever sees the one sees the other, they are not far from saying that the unoriginate is the image of creatures too; and then everything is confused by them: things originated made equal to the unoriginate, and the unoriginate brought down by being measured against the works, only so that they may bring the Son down among the works. ### Citation (SBL) Athanasius, C. Ar. 31 (Bright, 32–33; trans. Sophia Scriptura, https://sophiascriptura.com/fathers/athanasius-oratio-1/21/#p-31). ## Oration I Against the Arians 32 - URL: https://sophiascriptura.com/fathers/athanasius-oratio-1/32/#p-32 - Source: Bright, 33–34 - Translation: Claude (claude-opus-5-5), 2026-09-27 Summary: Athanasius shows that Asterius himself spoke of an unoriginate wisdom coexisting with God, and says the Arians use “unoriginate” to smuggle in their old slogans. ### Greek text 32. Ἀλλʼ οὐδὲ αὐτοὺς οἶμαι θελῆσαι λέγειν ἔτι τὰ τοιαῦτα, ἐὰν Ἀστερίῳ γε τῷ σοφιστῇ πείθωνται. Ἐκεῖνος γὰρ, καίπερ σπουδάζων συνηγορεῖν τῇ Ἀρειανῇ ἀἱρέσει, καὶ λέγων ‘ ἓν εἶναι τὸ ἀγένητον, ʼ τὰ ἐναντία τούτοις ἀντιφθέγγεται, λέγων καὶ τὴν σοφίαν τοῦ Θεοῦ ἀγένητον καὶ ἄναρχον εἶναι· καὶ ἔστι μέρος ὧν ἔγραψε ταῦτα· ‘ Οὐκ εἶπεν ὁ μακάριος Παῦλος, Χριστὸν κηρύσσειν τὴν τοῦ Θεοῦ δύναμιν, ἢ τὴν τοῦ Θεοῦ σοφίαν, ἀλλὰ δίχα τῆς προσθήκης, ‘‘ δύναμιν Θεοῦ καὶ Θεοῦ σοφίαν, ” ἄλλην μὲν εἶναι τὴν ἰδίαν αὐτοῦ τοῦ Θεοῦ δύναμὶν, τὴν ἔμφυτον αὐτοῦ καὶ συνυπάρχουσαν αὐτῷ ἀγενήτως κηρύσσων. Καὶ πάλιν μετʼ ὀλίγα· ‘ Καίτοι γε ἡ μὲν ἀίδιος αὐτοῦ δύναμις καὶ σοφία, ἣν ἄναρχόν τε καὶ ἀγένητον οἱ τῆς ἀληθείας ἀποφαίνονται λογισμοὶ, μία ἂν εἴη δήπουθεν καὶ αὐτή.’ Εἰ γὰρ καὶ μὴ καλῶς νοήσας τὸ τοῦ ἀποστόλου ῥητὸν, ἐνόμισεν εἶναι δύο σοφίας, ἀλλʼ ὅμως συνυπάρχουσαν αὐτῷ ἀγένητον σοφίαν εἰρηκὼς, οὐκέτι ἓν τὸ ἀγένητον, ἀλλὰ καὶ ἕτερον ἔφησεν ἀγένητον εἶναι σὺν αὐτῷ. Τὸ γὰρ συνύπαρχον οὐκ ἑαυτῷ ἀλλʼ ἑτέρῳ συνυπάρχει. Ἢ τοίνυν Ἀστερίῳ πειθόμενοι, μηκέτι ἐρωτάτωσαν, ‘ Ἓν τὸ ἀγένητον, ἢ δύο; ʼ ἵνα μὴ ὡς ἀμφιβάλλοντες μάχωνται πρὸς ἐκεῖνον· ἢ εἰ ἐναντιοῦνται κἀκείνῳ, μὴ ἐπερειδέσθωσαν αὐτοῦ τῷ συνταγματίῳ, ἵνα μὴ ‘ ἀλλήλους δάκνοντες ὑπὸ ἀλλήλων ἀναλωθῶσι. ʼ Καὶ ταῦτα μὲν διʼ ὀλίγων πρὸς τὴν ἀμαθίαν αὐτῶν εἰρήσθω. Πρὸς δέ γε τὴν πανοῦργον αὐτῶν προαίρεσιν τί τοσοῦτον ἄν τις εἴποι; τίς αὐτοὺς οὐκ ἂν οὕτως μαινομένους μισήσειε δικαίως; Ἐπειδὴ γὰρ οὐκέτι παῤῥησίαν ἔχουσιν ἐν τῷ λέγειν, ‘ ἐξ οὐκ ὄντων, ʼ καὶ, ‘ οὐκ ἦν πρὶν γεννηθῇ, ʼ ἐπενόησαν ἑαυτοῖς τὴν τοῦ ‘ ἀγενήτουʼ λέξιν, ἵνα τὸν Υἱὸν γενητὸν παρὰ τοῖς ἀκεραίοις λέγοντες, αὐτὰ πάλιν ἐκεῖνα τὰ ῥήματα, τὸ ‘ ἔξ οὐκ ὄντων, ᾿ καὶ τὸ ‘ οὐκ ἦν ποτε, ʼ σημαίνωσιν· ἐν γὰρ τούτοις τὰ γενητὰ καὶ τὰ κτίσματα σημαίνονται. ### English translation (Claude) 32. But I think that not even they will want to say such things any longer, if they listen to Asterius the sophist. For although he is eager to plead for the Arian heresy and says that “the unoriginate is one,” he says the opposite of this when he says that the wisdom of God too is unoriginate and without beginning. This is part of what he wrote: “The blessed Paul did not say that he preached Christ as ‘the’ power of God or ‘the’ wisdom of God, but, without the article, ‘God's power and God's wisdom,’ proclaiming that God's own power, which is innate in him and coexists with him unoriginately, is another.” And again, a little later: “Yet his eternal power and wisdom, which the reasonings of truth show to be without beginning and unoriginate, would surely be one.” For even if, misunderstanding the apostle's saying, he thought there were two wisdoms, yet in speaking of an unoriginate wisdom coexisting with God he no longer said that the unoriginate is one, but that there is another unoriginate with him. For what coexists does not coexist with itself but with another. So either let them follow Asterius and no longer ask, “Is the unoriginate one, or two?” so as not to fight against him by raising doubts; or, if they oppose him too, let them not lean on his little treatise, lest “biting one another they be consumed by one another.” Let this much be said briefly against their ignorance. But what could one say adequate to their crafty purpose? Who would not justly hate them for raving like this? For since they no longer have the boldness to say “from nothing” and “he was not before he was begotten,” they have devised for themselves the word “unoriginate,” so that by calling the Son originated among the simple they may signify again those very words, “from nothing” and “he once was not”; for by these, things originated and creatures are signified. ### Scripture references - 1 Cor 1:24: quotation, high confidence - Rom 1:20: allusion, medium confidence - Gal 5:15: quotation, high confidence ### Translation notes - Asterius's words are quoted from his lost treatise (Syntagmation). His point is that 1 Cor 1:24 lacks the article, so Christ is “a” power of God, distinct from God's own innate power. ### Citation (SBL) Athanasius, C. Ar. 32 (Bright, 33–34; trans. Sophia Scriptura, https://sophiascriptura.com/fathers/athanasius-oratio-1/32/#p-32). ## Oration I Against the Arians 33 - URL: https://sophiascriptura.com/fathers/athanasius-oratio-1/32/#p-33 - Source: Bright, 34–35 - Translation: Claude (claude-opus-5-5), 2026-09-27 Summary: Athanasius argues that “unoriginate,” like “Almighty,” names God in relation to creatures, whereas “Father” names him in relation to the Son and is the better title. ### Greek text 33. Ἔδει οὖν, εἴπερ θαῤῥοῦσιν οἷς λέγουσι, τούτοις καὶ ἐπιμένειν, καὶ μὴ ποικίλως μεταποιεῖν ἑαυτούς. Ἀλλʼ οὐ θέλουσι, νομίζοντες εὐχερῶς ἅπαντα δύνασθαι, ἐὰν τῷ ὀνόματι τούτῳ σκέποντες τὴν αἵρεσιν προβάλωνται τὸ ‘ ἀγένητον· ʼ καὶ γὰρ καὶ αὐτὸ τὸ τοῦ ἀγενήτου λεξείδιον οὐ πρὸς τὸν Υἱὸν ἔχει τὴν σημασίαν, κἂν οὗτοι γογγύζωσιν, ἀλλὰ πρὸς τὰ γενητά· καὶ ὅμοιον ἄν τις ἴδοι τούτου τὸ ‘ Παντοκράτωρ, καὶ τὸ ‘ Κύριος τῶν δυνάμεων. ʼ Εἰ γὰρ τῶν πάντων ὁ Πατὴρ διὰ τοῦ Λόγου κρατεῖ καὶ κυριεύει, καὶ τὴν βασιλείαν τοῦ Πατρὸς βασιλεύει ὁ Υἱὸς, καὶ τὸ κράτος πάντων ἔχει, ὡς Λόγος καὶ ὡς εἰκὼν τοῦ Πατρὸς, εὔδηλον ὡς οὐδὲ ὧδε τοῖς πᾶσι συναριθμεῖται ὁ Υἱὸς, οὐδὲ διʼ αὐτὸν λέγεται παντοκράτωρ καὶ Κύριος, ἀλλὰ διὰ τὰ διʼ Υἱοῦ γενόμενα, ὧν καὶ κρατεῖ καὶ κυριεύει διὰ τοῦ Λόγου. Καὶ τὸ ἀγένητον ἄρα οὐ διὰ τὸν Υἱὸν, ἀλλὰ διὰ τὰ διʼ Υἱοῦ γενόμενα σημαίνεται· καὶ καλῶς, ὅτι οὐκ ἔστιν ὡς τὰ γενητὰ ὁ Θεὸς, ἀλλὰ καὶ τούτων κτίστης διὰ τοῦ Υἱοῦ καὶ δημιουργός ἐστιν. Ὥσπερ δὲ τὸ ‘ἀγένητονʼ πρὸς τὰ γενητὰ σημαίνεται, οὕτως καὶ τὸ ‘ Πατὴρ δηλωτικόν ἐστι τοῦ Υἱοῦ· καὶ ὁ μὲν ποιητὴν καὶ δημιουργὸν καὶ ἀγένητον ὀνομάζων τὸν Θεὸν, τὰ κτίσματα καὶ τὰ γενητὰ βλέπει καὶ καταλαμβάνει· ὁ δὲ τὸν Θεὸν Πατέρα καλῶν, εὐθὺς τὸν Υἱὸν νοεῖ καὶ θεωρεῖ. Διὸ καὶ θαυμάσειεν ἄν τις αὐτῶν τὴν ἐπʼ ἀσεβείᾳ φιλονεικίαν, ὅτι, καίτοι καὶ τοῦ ὀνόματος τοῦ ‘ ἀγενήτου καλὴν ἔχοντος τὴν προειρημένην διάνοιαν, καὶ δυναμένου μετʼ εὐσεβείας ὀνομάζεσθαι, αὐτοὶ κατὰ τὴν ἰδίαν αἵρεσιν προφέρουσιν ἐπʼ ἀτιμίᾳ τοῦ Υἱοῦ, οὐκ ἀναγνόντες ὅτι ὁ τιμῶν τὸν Υἱὸν τιμᾷ τὸν Πατέρα, καὶ ‘ὁ τὸν Υἱὸν ἀτιμάζων ἀτιμάζει τὸν Πατέρα.᾿ Εἰ γὰρ ὅλως αὐτοῖς εὐφημίας καὶ τῆς εἰς τὸν Πατέρα τιμῆς ἔμελεν, ἔδει μᾶλλον, καὶ τοῦτο βέλτιον καὶ μεῖζον ἦν, ‘Πατέραʼ τὸν Θεὸν εἰδέναι τε καὶ λέγειν αὐτοὺς, ἢ ἐκείνως ὀνομάζειν αὐτόν. Λέγοντες μὲν γὰρ ἐκεῖνοι τὸν Θεὸν ‘ ἀγένητον, ʼ ἐκ τῶν γενομένων ἔργων αὐτὸν, καθάπερ εἴρηται, ποιητὴν μόνον καὶ δημιουργὸν λέγουσι, νομίζοντες ὅτι καὶ τὸν Λόγον ποίημα ἐκ τούτου σημαίνειν δύνανται κατὰ τὴν ἰδίαν ἡδονήν· ὁ δὲ τὸν Θεὸν‘Πατέραʼ λέγων, ἐκ τοῦ Υἱοῦ τοῦτον σημαίνει, οὐκ ἀγνοῶν ὅτι, Υἱοῦ ὄντος, ἐξ ἀνάγκης διὰ τοῦ Υἱοῦ τὰ γενητὰ πάντα ἐκτίσθη, Καὶ οὗτοι μὲν ‘ἀγένητονʼ λέγοντες, μόνον ἐκ τῶν ἔργων σημαίνουσιν αὐτὸν, καὶ οὐκ ἴσασι καὶ αὐτοὶ τὸν Υἱὸν, ὥσπερ Ἕλληνες· ὁ δὲ ‘Πατέραʼ λέγων τὸν Θεὸν ἐκ τοῦ Λόγου σημαίνει τοῦτον. Εἰδὼς δὲ τὸν Λόγον, οἶδεν αὐτὸν δημιουργὸν ὄντα, καὶ καταλαμβάνει ὅτι ‘ διʼ αὐτοῦ τὰ πάντα γέγονεν.᾿ ### English translation (Claude) 33. If, then, they are confident in what they say, they ought to stand by it, and not keep changing their shape in various ways. But they do not wish to, thinking that they can do anything easily if they hide their heresy under this name and put forward the word “unoriginate.” Yet the very word “unoriginate” does not have its meaning in relation to the Son, however they grumble, but in relation to things originated. And one may see something similar in “Almighty” and “Lord of the powers.” For if the Father rules and is lord over all things through the Word, and the Son reigns with the Father's kingdom and has power over all things, as the Word and image of the Father, it is quite clear that here too the Son is not counted with all things, and that God is not called Almighty and Lord on account of him, but on account of the things that came to be through the Son, over which he rules and is lord through the Word. So “unoriginate” too is used not on account of the Son but on account of the things that came to be through the Son; and rightly, since God is not like things originated, but is their creator and maker through the Son. And as “unoriginate” is said in relation to things originated, so “Father” points to the Son. Whoever names God maker and creator and unoriginate looks at and grasps the creatures and things originated; but whoever calls God Father at once thinks of and contemplates the Son. So one may well wonder at their contentiousness in impiety: although the name “unoriginate” has the good sense stated above and can be used with reverence, they bring it forward according to their own heresy to dishonor the Son, not having read that whoever honors the Son honors the Father, and “whoever dishonors the Son dishonors the Father.” For if they cared at all for reverent speech and for honoring the Father, they ought rather (and this would be better and greater) to know God and speak of him as “Father” than to name him in that way. For in calling God “unoriginate,” they speak of him, as has been said, from the works that came to be, as maker and creator only, thinking that from this they can signify the Word too as a work, as they please. But whoever calls God “Father” signifies him from the Son, knowing well that, since there is a Son, all originated things were necessarily created through the Son. And they, in saying “unoriginate,” signify him only from the works, and they themselves do not know the Son, just like the Greeks; but whoever calls God “Father” signifies him from the Word. And knowing the Word, he knows him to be creator, and understands that “through him all things came to be.” ### Scripture references - John 5:23: quotation, high confidence - John 1:3: quotation, high confidence ### Citation (SBL) Athanasius, C. Ar. 33 (Bright, 34–35; trans. Sophia Scriptura, https://sophiascriptura.com/fathers/athanasius-oratio-1/32/#p-33). ## Oration I Against the Arians 34 - URL: https://sophiascriptura.com/fathers/athanasius-oratio-1/32/#p-34 - Source: Bright, 35 - Translation: Claude (claude-opus-5-5), 2026-09-27 Summary: Athanasius argues that “Father,” given by Christ in the Lord's Prayer and the baptismal formula, is a truer name of God than the unscriptural “unoriginate.” ### Greek text 34. Οὐκοῦν εὐσεβέστερον καὶ ἀληθὲς ἂν εἴη μᾶλλον τὸν Θεὸν ἐκ τοῦ Υἱοῦ σημαίνειν καὶ ‘Πατέραʼ λέγειν, ἢ ἐκ μόνων τῶν ἔργων ὀνομάζειν καὶ λέγειν αὐτὸν ‘ἀγένητον.’ Τοῦτο μὲν γὰρ μόνον ἕκαστον, καθάπερ εἶπον, καὶ κοινῇ πάντα τὰ ἐκ τοῦ βουλήματος τοῦ Θεοῦ διὰ τοῦ Λόγου γενόμενα ἔργα σημαίνει· τὸ δὲ ‘Πατὴρʼ ἐφʼ Υἱοῦ μόνον σημαίνεται καὶ ἵσταται, Ὅσῳ δὲ ὁ Λόγος τῶν γενητῶν διαφέρει, τοσούτῳ καὶ πλεῖον τὸ λέγειν τὸν Θεὸν ‘Πατέραʼτοῦ λέγειν ‘ἀγένητονʼ διαφέροι ἄν. Καὶ γὰρ τοῦτο μὲν ἄγραπτον καὶ ὕποπτον ἅτε ποικίλην ἔχον ἐστὶ τὴν σημασίαν, ὥστε τοῦ ἐρωτωμένου περὶ αὐτοῦ εἰς πολλὰ τὴν διάνοιαν περιφέρεσθαι· τὸ δὲ ‘Πατὴῤ ἁπλοῦν καὶ ἔγγραφον, καὶ ἀληθέστερον, καὶ σημαῖνον μόνον τὸν Υἱόν ἐστι. Καὶ τὸ μὲν ‘ἀγένητονʼ παρʼ Ἑλλήνων εὕρηται τῶν μὴ γινωσκόντων τὸν Υἱόν· τὸ δὲ Πατὴῤ παρὰ τοῦ Κυρίου ἡμῶν ἐγνώσθη καὶ κεχάρισται. Καὶ γὰρ εἰδὼς αὐτὸς τίνος ἐστὶν Υἱὸς, ἔλεγεν, ‘ Ἐγὼ ἐν τῷ Πατρὶ καὶ ὁ Πατὴρ ἐν ἐμοί ἐστι· ʼ καὶ, ‘ Ὁ ἑωρακὼς ἐμὲ ἑώρακε τὸν Πατέρα· ʼ καὶ, ‘ Ἐγὼ καὶ ὁ Πατὴρ ἕν ἐσμεν· καὶ οὐδαμοῦ φαίνεται τὸν Πατέρα καλῶν ‘ἀγένητονʼ αὐτός· ἀλλὰ καὶ ἡμᾶς εὔχεσθαι διδάσκων οὐκ εἶπεν, ‘ Ὅταν δὲ προσεύχεσθε λέγετε, Θεὲ ἀγένητε· ʼ ἀλλὰ μᾶλλον, ‘ Ὅταν δὲ προσεύχεσθε, λέγετε, Πάτερ ἡμῶν, ὁ ἐν τοῖς οὐρανοῖς.᾿ Καὶ τὸ κεφάλαιον δὲ τῆς πίστεως ἡμῶν εἰς τοῦτο συντείνειν ἠθέλησε, κελεύσας ἡμᾶς βαπτίζεσθαι οὐκ εἰς ὄνομα ἀγεννήτου καὶ γενητοῦ, οὐδὲ εἰς ὄνομα κτίστου καὶ κτίσματος, ἀλλʼ ‘εἰς ὄνομα Πατρὸς καὶ Υἱοῦ, καὶ ἁγίου Πνεύματος.᾿ Οὕτω γὰρ τελειούμενοι καὶ ἡμεῖς, ἐκ ποιημάτων ὄντες, υἱοποιούμεθα λοιπὸν, καὶ τὸ τοῦ ‘Πατρὸς ᾿ δὲ ὄνομα λέγοντες, ἐπιγινώσκομεν ἐκ τοῦ ὀνόματος τούτου καὶ τὸν ἐν αὐτῷ τῷ Πατρὶ Λόγον. Μάταιος ἄρα καὶ ἡ περὶ τῆς τοῦ ἀγενήτου λέξεως ἐπιχείρησις αὐτῶν δέδεικται, καὶ μηδὲν πλεῖον ἔχουσα ἢ μόνην φαντασίαν. ### English translation (Claude) 34. So it would be more reverent and more true to signify God from the Son and call him “Father,” than to name him from his works only and call him “unoriginate.” For the latter, as I said, signifies only each of the works, and all of them together, that have come to be by God's will through the Word; but “Father” is said and stands fast only in relation to the Son. And as far as the Word surpasses things originated, so far and further would calling God “Father” surpass calling him “unoriginate.” For the latter is unscriptural and suspect, since it has various meanings, so that the mind of the one asked about it is carried round to many things; but “Father” is simple and scriptural, more true, and signifies the Son alone. And “unoriginate” was invented by the Greeks, who do not know the Son; but “Father” was made known and given to us by our Lord. For knowing whose Son he is, he said, “I am in the Father and the Father is in me,” and, “He who has seen me has seen the Father,” and, “I and the Father are one”; and nowhere does he himself appear calling the Father “unoriginate.” Rather, teaching us to pray, he did not say, “When you pray, say, O unoriginate God,” but rather, “When you pray, say, Our Father who art in heaven.” And he wished the sum of our faith to point to this, commanding us to be baptized, not into the name of unbegotten and originated, nor into the name of creator and creature, but “into the name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit.” For when we too are perfected in this way, though we are among the works, we are thereafter made sons; and when we say the name “Father,” we recognize from this name the Word also, who is in the Father himself. So their attempt concerning the word “unoriginate” has been shown to be vain, and to have nothing more than fantasy. ### Scripture references - John 14:10: quotation, high confidence - John 14:9: quotation, high confidence - John 10:30: quotation, high confidence - Luke 11:2: quotation, high confidence - Matt 6:9: quotation, high confidence - Matt 28:19: quotation, high confidence ### Translation notes - “Perfected” (τελειούμενοι) here refers to baptism. ### Citation (SBL) Athanasius, C. Ar. 34 (Bright, 35; trans. Sophia Scriptura, https://sophiascriptura.com/fathers/athanasius-oratio-1/32/#p-34). ## Oration I Against the Arians 35 - URL: https://sophiascriptura.com/fathers/athanasius-oratio-1/32/#p-35 - Source: Bright, 35–37 - Translation: Claude (claude-opus-5-5), 2026-09-27 Summary: Athanasius rejects the Arian claim that the Word is changeable by free choice, arguing that a changeable Son could not be the image of the unchangeable Father. ### Greek text 35. Περὶ δὲ τοῦ λέγειν αὐτοὺς εἰ ‘τρεπτός ἐστιν ὁ Λόγος, περιττόν ἐστι περὶ τούτου ζητεῖν· ἀρκεῖ γὰρ καὶ μόνον ἐγγράψαντά με τὰ παρʼ αὐτῶν λεγόμενα, δεῖξαι τὸ τολμηρὸν τῆς ἀσεβείας αὐτῶν. Ἒστι γὰρ ταῦτα ἃ ὡς ἐρωτῶντες φλυαροῦσιν· ‘ Αὐτεξούσιός ἐστιν, ἢ οὐκ ἔστι; προαιρέσει κατὰ τὸ αὐτεξούσιον καλός ἐστι, καὶ δύναται, ἐὰν θελήσῃ, τραπῆναι, τρεπτῆς ὢν φύσεως; ἢ ὡς λίθος καὶ ξύλον, οὐκ ἔχει τὴν προαίρεσιν ἐλευθέραν εἰς τὸ κινεῖσθαι καὶ ῥέπειν εἰς ἑκάτερα;᾿ Τῆς μὲν οὖν αἱρέσεως αὐτῶν οὐκ ἀλλότριόν ἐστι τοιαῦτα λέγειν τε καὶ φρονεῖν· ἅπαξ γὰρ πλάσαντες ἑαυτοῖς ἐξ οὐκ ὄντων θεὸν, καὶ κτιστὸν υἱὸν, ἀκολούθως ὡς ἁρμόζοντα κτίσματι τὰ τοιαῦτα καὶ συνέλεξαν ἑαυτοῖς ῥήματα· ἐπειδὴ δὲ πρὸς τοὺς ἀπὸ τῆς ἐκκλησίας διαμαχόμενοι, καὶ ἀκούοντες παρʼ αὐτῶν περὶ τοῦ ἀληθινοῦ καὶ μόνου Λόγου τοῦ Πατρὸς, τοιαῦτα περὶ αὐτοῦ φθέγγεσθαι τολμῶσι, τίς τούτου τοῦ δόγματος μιαρώτερον ἂν ἴδοι; Τίς τούτων καὶ μόνον ἀκούων, κἂν μὴ ἀντιλέγειν δύνηται, οὐ ταράττεται, καὶ τὴν ἀκοὴν ἀποκλείσει, ξενιζόμενος ἐφʼ οἷς ἐκεῖνοί τε λαλοῦσι, καὶ αὐτὸς καινῶν ἀκούει ῥημάτων, ἐχόντων αὐτόθεν καὶ ἀπʼ αὐτῆς τῆς προφορᾶς τὴν βλασφημίαν; Εἰ γὰρ τρεπτὸς καὶ ἀλλοιούμενός ἐστιν ὁ Λόγος, ποῖ ἄρα στήσεται, καὶ ποῖον αὐτοῦ τὸ τέλος ἔσται τῆς ἐπιδόσεως; ἢ πῶς ὅμοιος τῷ ἀτρέπτῳ ὁ τρεπτὸς εἶναι δυνήσεται; πῶς δὲ ὁ τὸν τρεπτὸν ‘ ἑωρακὼς ἑωρακέναι τὸν ἄτρεπτον νομίσειεν; ἐν ποίᾳ δὲ ἄρα ἐὰν γένηται καταστάσει, δυνήσεταί τις τὸν Πατέρα ἐν αὐτῷ βλέπειν; δῆλον γὰρ ὡς οὐκ ἀεί τις ὄψεται ἐν αὐτῷ τὸν Πατέρα, διὰ τὸ ἀεὶ τρέπεσθαι τὸν Υἱὸν, καὶ ἀλλοιουμένης αὐτὸν εἶναι φύσεως. Ὁ μὲν γὰρ Πατὴρ ἄτρεπτος καὶ ἀναλλοίωτος, καὶ ἀεὶ καὶ ὡσαύτως ἔχει, καὶ ὁ αὐτός ἐστιν· ὁ δὲ Υἱὸς εἰ κατʼ ἐκείνους τρεπτὸς, καὶ οὐκ ἀεὶ ὁ αὐτὸς, ἀλλʼ ἀεὶ ἀλλοιουμένης φύσεώς ἐστι, πῶς ὁ τοιοῦτος εἰκὼν τοῦ Πατρὸς εἶναι δύναται, οὐκ ἔχων τὸ ὅμοιον τῆς ἀτρεψίας; πῶς δὲ καὶ ὅλως ‘ ἐν τῷ Πατρίʼ ἐστιν, ἀμφίβολον ἔχων τὴν προαίρεσιν; τάχα δὲ καὶ τρεπτὸς ὢν, καὶ καθʼ ἡμέραν προκόπτων, οὔπω τέλειός ἐστιν. Ἀλλʼ ἡ μὲν τοιαύτη τῶν Ἀρειανῶν οἰχέσθω μανία, ἡ δὲ ἀλήθεια λαμπέτω, καὶ δεικνύτω τούτους παραφρονοῦντας. Πῶς γὰρ οὐ τέλειος ὁ ἴσος Θεῷ; ἢ πῶς οὐκ ἄτρεπτος, ὁ μετὰ τοῦ Πατρὸς ἓν ὢν, καὶ τῆς οὐσίας ἴδιος ὢν Υἱὸς αὐτοῦ; τῆς δὲ οὐσίας τοῦ Πατρὸς οὔσης ἀτρέπτου, ἄτρεπτον ἂν εἴη καὶ τὸ ἐξ αὐτῆς ἴδιον γέννημα. Εἰ δὲ τούτου οὕτως ὄντος, τοῦ Λόγου τροπὴν καταψεύδονται, μανθανέτωσαν ποῦ τούτων ὁ λόγος κινδυνεύει· ‘ ἐκ γὰρ τοῦ καρποῦ καὶ τὸ δένδρον ἐπιγινώσκεται·᾿ διὰ τοῦτο καὶ ‘ ὁ ἑωρακὼς τὸν Υἱὸν ἑώρακε τὸν Πατέρα, ʼ καὶ ἡ τοῦ Υἱοῦ γνῶσις γνῶσίς ἐστι τοῦ Πατρός. ### English translation (Claude) 35. As for their asking whether “the Word is changeable,” it is superfluous to inquire into it; it is enough for me merely to write down what they say to show the daring of their impiety. For this is what they babble in the form of questions: “Is he free, or is he not? Is he good by choice, in accordance with his free will, and can he change if he wishes, being of a changeable nature? Or, like a stone or a piece of wood, does he not have a free choice to move and incline either way?” To say and think such things is not foreign to their heresy. For having once fashioned for themselves a god from nothing and a created son, they have consistently collected such phrases for themselves as fit a creature. But since, when they argue with members of the church and hear from them about the true and only Word of the Father, they dare to say such things about him, who could see a fouler doctrine than this? Who, merely hearing these things, even if he cannot answer, is not troubled and will not shut his ears, astonished at what they say and at hearing new words that carry blasphemy in their very utterance? For if the Word is changeable and altering, where will he stop, and what will be the end of his development? Or how can the changeable be like the unchangeable? How could anyone who “has seen” the changeable think that he has seen the unchangeable? In what condition must he come to be before one can see the Father in him? For it is clear that one will not always see the Father in him, because the Son is always changing and is of an altering nature. For the Father is unchangeable and unalterable, and is always the same and in the same state; but if the Son, according to them, is changeable, and not always the same, but of an ever-altering nature, how can such a one be the image of the Father, not having the likeness of his unchangeableness? And how is he “in the Father” at all, if his choice is uncertain? Perhaps too, being changeable and advancing daily, he is not yet complete. But let such madness of the Arians be gone, and let the truth shine and show them to be out of their minds. For how is he not complete who is equal to God? Or how is he not unchangeable who is one with the Father and is his Son, proper to his substance? And since the Father's substance is unchangeable, the proper offspring from it must also be unchangeable. But if, this being so, they falsely charge the Word with change, let them learn where their own reasoning is in danger; for “the tree is known by its fruit.” For this reason too “he who has seen the Son has seen the Father,” and the knowledge of the Son is knowledge of the Father. ### Scripture references - John 14:9: quotation, high confidence - John 10:38: allusion, medium confidence - Phil 2:6: echo, medium confidence - Matt 12:33: quotation, high confidence ### Citation (SBL) Athanasius, C. Ar. 35 (Bright, 35–37; trans. Sophia Scriptura, https://sophiascriptura.com/fathers/athanasius-oratio-1/32/#p-35). ## Oration I Against the Arians 36 - URL: https://sophiascriptura.com/fathers/athanasius-oratio-1/32/#p-36 - Source: Bright, 37–38 - Translation: Claude (claude-opus-5-5), 2026-09-27 Summary: Athanasius argues from Heb 13:8, Ps 102, and Malachi that the Son, as the Father's image, is unchangeable, unlike created things. ### Greek text 36. Οὐκοῦν ἀναλλοίωτος ἡ εἰκὼν τοῦ ἀτρέπτου Θεοῦ ἂν εἴη· ‘ Ἰησοῦς γὰρ Χριστὸς, χθὲς καὶ σήμερον ὁ αὐτὸς καὶ εἰς τοὺς αἰῶνας.᾿ Καὶ ὁ μὲν Δαυῒδ ψάλλων περὶ αὐτοῦ φησι, ‘ Καὶ σὺ κατʼ ἀρχὰς, Κύριε, τὴν γῆν ἐθεμελίωσας, καὶ ἔργα τῶν χειρῶν σού εἰσιν οἱ οὐρανοί. Αὐτοὶ ἀπολοῦνται, σὺ δὲ διαμένεις· καὶ πάντες ὡς ἱμάτιον παλαιωθήσονται, καὶ ὡσεὶ περιβόλαιον ἑλίξεις αὐτοὺς, καὶ ἀλλαγήσονται· Σὺ δὲ ὁ αὐτὸς εἶ, καὶ τὰ ἔτη σου οὐκ ἐκλείψουσιν. ʼ Ὁ δὲ Κύριος αὐτὸς περὶ ἑαυτοῦ διὰ τοῦ προφήτου λέγει, ‘Ἴδετέ με, ἴδετε ὅτι ἐγώ εἰμι, ᾿ καὶ, ‘ οὐκ ἠλλοίωμαι.᾿ Εἰ γὰρ καὶ περὶ τοῦ Πατρὸς δύναται λέγειν τις εἶναι τοῦτο τὸ σημαινόμενον, ἀλλὰ καὶ τὸν Υἱὸν ἁρμόζει τοῦτο λέγειν, ὅτι μάλιστα γενόμενος ἄνθρωπος δείκνυσι τὴν ταὐτότητα καὶ τὸ ἄτρεπτον ἑαυτοῦ τοῖς νομίζουσι διὰ τὴν σάρκα ἠλλοιῶσθαι αὐτὸν, καὶ ἕτερόν τι γεγενῆσθαι. Ἀξιοπιστότεροι δὲ οἱ ἅγιοι καὶ μᾶλλον ὁ Κύριος τῆς τῶν ἀσεβῶν κακονοίας. Καὶ γὰρ κατὰ τὸ εἰρημένον ἀνάγνωσμα τῆς ὑμνῳδίας, πάντων τῶν γενητῶν καὶ πάσης τῆς κτίσεως, διὰ τῆς ‘ οὐρανοῦ καὶ γῆςʼ σημασίας, τρεπτὴν καὶ ἀλλοιωτὴν ἡ γραφὴ τὴν φύσιν λέγουσα, καὶ τὸν Υἱὸν ὑπεξαίρουσα τούτων, δείκνυσι μηδόλως γενητὸν αὐτὸν εἶναι, ἀλλὰ καὶ μᾶλλον αὐτὸν ἀλλοιοῦντα τὰ ἄλλα, καὶ μὴ ἀλλοιούμενον αὐτὸν διδάσκει, διʼ ὦν φησι, ‘Σὺ δὲ ὁ αὐτὸς εἶ, καὶ τὰ ἔτη σου οὐκ ἐκλείψουσι.᾿ Καὶ εἰκότως γε· τὰ μὲν γὰρ γενητὰ ἐξ οὐκ ὄντων ὄντα, καὶ οὐκ ὄντα πρὶν γένηται, ὅλως ὅτι οὐκ ὄντα γίνεται, ἀλλοιουμένην ἔχει τὴν φύσιν· ὁ δὲ Υἱὸς, ἐκ τοῦ Πατρὸς ὢν, καὶ τῆς οὐσίας αὐτοῦ ἴδιος, ἀναλλοίωτος καὶ ἄτρεπτός ἐστιν, ὡς αὐτὸς ὁ Πατήρ. Οὐ γὰρ θέμις εἰπεῖν ἐκ τῆς οὐσίας τῆς ἀτρέπτου τρεπτὸν γεννᾶσθαι λόγον καὶ ἀλλοιουμένην σοφίαν. Πῶς γὰρ ἔτι Λόγος, εἰ τρεπτός ἐστιν; ἢ πῶς ἔτι Σοφία τὸ ἀλλοιούμενον; εἰ μὴ ἄρα ὡς ἐν οὐσίᾳ συμβεβηκὸς, οὕτως εἶναι θέλουσιν, ὡς ἐν ἰδιαζούσῃ τινὶ οὐσίᾳ συμβεβηκέναι τινὰ χάριν καὶ ἕξιν ἀρετῆς, καὶ κεκλῆσθαι ταύτην οὕτως Λόγον, καὶ Υἱὸν, καὶ Σοφίαν, ὥστε καὶ ἀφαιρεῖσθαι καὶ προστίθεσθαι αὐτῇ δύνασθαι. Τοιαῦτα γὰρ φρονοῦντες πολλάκις εἰρήκασιν. Ἀλλʼ οὐκ ἔστι Χριστιανῶν ἡ πίστις αὕτη. Οὐδὲ γὰρ τοῦτο δείκνυσιν εἶναι Λόγον καὶ Υἱὸν ἀληθῶς Θεοῦ, οὔτε τὴν σοφίαν ἀληθῇ Σοφίαν. Τὸ γὰρ τρεπόμενον καὶ ἀλλοιούμενον, οὐκ ἱστάμενον δὲ ἐν ἑνὶ καὶ τῷ αὐτῷ, πῶς δύναται εἶναι ἀληθές; Ὁ δέ γε Κύριος λέγει, ‘ Ἐγώ εἰμι ἡ ἀλήθεια· ʼ εἰ τοίνυν ὁ Κύριος αὐτὸς περὶ ἑαυτοῦ τοῦτο λέγει, καὶ τὸ ἄτρεπτον ἑαυτοῦ δείκνυσιν, οἵ τε ἅγιοι μαθόντες τοῦτο μαρτυροῦσιν, ἀλλὰ γὰρ καὶ αἱ περὶ Θεοῦ ἔννοιαι τοῦτο ἴσασιν εὐσεβὲς, πόθεν ταῦτʼ ἐπενόησαν οἱ δυσσεβεῖς; Ἀπὸ μὲν οὖν τῆς καρδίας ὡς ἀπὸ φθορᾶς αὐτὰ ἐξήμεσαν. ### English translation (Claude) 36. So the image of the unchangeable God must be unalterable; for “Jesus Christ is the same yesterday and today and forever.” And David, singing about him, says, “And you, Lord, in the beginning founded the earth, and the heavens are the works of your hands. They will perish, but you remain; and they will all grow old like a garment, and like a cloak you will roll them up, and they will be changed; but you are the same, and your years will not fail.” And the Lord himself says about himself through the prophet, “See me, see that I am,” and, “I have not changed.” Even if one can say that the meaning here refers to the Father, it also fits the Son to say this, especially because when he became man he shows his sameness and unchangeableness to those who think that because of the flesh he was altered and became something else. The saints, and still more the Lord, are more trustworthy than the malice of the impious. For in the passage of the hymn just quoted, Scripture, which says that the nature of all things originated and of the whole creation, signified by “heaven and earth,” is changeable and alterable, and excepts the Son from these, shows that he is in no way originated; indeed it teaches that he alters other things and is not himself altered, where it says, “But you are the same, and your years will not fail.” And rightly so. For things originated, being from nothing, and not existing before they come to be, have an altering nature, since they come to be when they were not; but the Son, being from the Father and proper to his substance, is unalterable and unchangeable, as the Father himself is. For it is not right to say that from the unchangeable substance a changeable word and an altering wisdom is begotten. For how is he still Word, if he is changeable? Or how is what alters still Wisdom? Unless, of course, they want him to be like an accident in a substance, as if in some particular substance a certain grace and habit of virtue had occurred, and this were so called Word and Son and Wisdom, so that it could be taken away from it and added to it. For they have often said such things, thinking in this way. But this is not the faith of Christians. For this does not show him to be truly the Word and Son of God, nor the wisdom to be true Wisdom. For how can what changes and alters, not standing fast in one and the same state, be true? But the Lord says, “I am the truth.” If, then, the Lord himself says this about himself and shows his unchangeableness, and the saints, having learned this, bear witness to it, and indeed our notions of God know this to be reverent, where did the impious devise these things? They vomited them out of their heart as out of corruption. ### Scripture references - Heb 13:8: quotation, high confidence - Ps 102:25 (101:26 LXX): quotation, high confidence - Ps 102:26 (101:27 LXX): quotation, high confidence - Ps 102:27 (101:28 LXX): quotation, high confidence - Deut 32:39: quotation, high confidence - Mal 3:6: quotation, high confidence - John 14:6: quotation, high confidence ### Translation notes - The psalm quoted is Ps 102:25–27 (LXX 101:26–28), applied to the Son as in Heb 1:10–12. “See me, see that I am” is Deut 32:39 (LXX); “I have not changed” is Mal 3:6. ### Citation (SBL) Athanasius, C. Ar. 36 (Bright, 37–38; trans. Sophia Scriptura, https://sophiascriptura.com/fathers/athanasius-oratio-1/32/#p-36). ## Oration I Against the Arians 37 - URL: https://sophiascriptura.com/fathers/athanasius-oratio-1/32/#p-37 - Source: Bright, 38–39 - Translation: Claude (claude-opus-5-5), 2026-09-27 Summary: Athanasius introduces the Arian use of Phil 2:9–10 and Ps 45:7, which they take to show that Christ was rewarded for his choice and is therefore changeable. ### Greek text 37. Ἐπειδὴ δὲ προφασίζονται τὰ θεῖα λόγια, καὶ βιάζονται παρεξηγεῖσθαι ταῦτα κατὰ τὸν ἴδιον νοῦν, ἀναγκαῖον τοσοῦτον ἀποκρίνασθαι τούτοις, ὅσον ἐκδικῆσαι τὰ ῥητὰ, καὶ δεῖξαι ταῦτα μὲν ὀρθὴν ἔχοντα τὴν διάνοιαν, ἐκείνους δὲ κακῶς φρονοῦντας. Φασὶ τοίνυν, ὅτι γέγραπται παρὰ μὲν τῷ ἀποστόλῳ, Διὸ καὶ ὁ Θεὸς αὐτὸν ὑπερύψωσε, καὶ ἐχαρίσατο αὐτῷ ὄνομα τὸ ὑπὲρ πᾶν ὄνομα, ἵνα ἐν τῷ ὀνόματι Ἱησοῦ πᾶν γόνυ κάμψῃ ἐπουρανίων, καὶ ἐπιγείων, καὶ καταχθονίων· παρὰ δὲ τῷ Δαβὶδ, ‘ Διὰ τοῦτο ἔχρισέ σε ὁ Θεὸς, ὁ Θεός σου ἔλαιον ἀγαλλιάσεως παρὰ τοὺς μετόχους σου. ʼ Εἶτα ἐπιφέρουσιν ὡς σοφόν τι λέγοντες· ‘ Εἰ διὰ τοῦτο ὑψώθη, καὶ χάριν ἔλαβε, καὶ διὰ τοῦτο κέχρισται, μισθὸν τῆς προαιρέσεως ἔλαβε· προαιρέσει δὲ πράξας, τρεπτῆς ἐστι πάντως φύσεως.᾿ Ταῦτα οὐ μόνον εἰπεῖν, ἀλλὰ καὶ γράψαι τετολμήκασιν Εὐσέβιός τε καὶ Ἅρειος, καὶ οἱ ἀπʼ αὐτῶν δὲ λαλεῖν οὐκ ὀκνοῦσι κατὰ μέσην τὴν ἀγορὰν, οὐχ ὁρῶντες ὅσην μανίαν ὁ λόγος αὐτῶν ἔχει. Εἰ γὰρ μισθὸν προαιρέσεως ἔλαβεν ἃ ἔσχεν, οὐκ ἂν ἐσχηκὼς αὐτὰ εἰ μὴ τοῦ δεομένου τὸ ἔργον ἐνεδείξατο, ἐξ ἀρετῆς ἄρα καὶ βελτιώσεως ταῦτα ἐσχηκὼς, εἰκότως ἐλέχθη διὰ ταῦτα καὶ Υἱὸς καὶ Θεὸς, καὶ οὐκ ἔστιν ἀληθινὸς Υἱός. Τὸ μὲν γὰρ ἔκ τινος κατὰ φύσιν ἀληθινόν ἐστι γέννημα, οἷος ἦν Ἱσαὰκ τῷ Ἀβραὰμ, καὶ Ἱωσὴφ τῷ Ἰακὼβ, καὶ τὸ ἀπαύγασμα τῷ ἡλίῳ· οἱ δὲ ἐξ ἀρετῆς καὶ χάριτος λεγόμενοι, μόνον εἰσὶν ἔχοντες ἀντὶ τῆς φύσεως τὴν ἐκ τοῦ λαβεῖν χάριν, καὶ ἄλλοι παρὰ τὸ δοθὲν αὐτοῖς ὄντες, οἶοί εἰσιν οἱ ἄνθρωποι οἱ κατὰ μετοχὴν νεῦμα λαβόντες, περὶ ὧν καὶ ἔλεγεν· Ὑἱοὺς ἐγέννησα καὶ ὕψωσα, αὐτοὶ δέ με ἠθέτησαν.᾿ Ἀμέλει ἐπεὶ μὴ κατὰ φύσιν ἦσαν υἱοὶ, διὰ τοῦτο καὶ τραπέντων αὐτῶν ἀφῃρέθη τὸ Πνεῦμα, καὶ ἀπεκηρύχθησαν· καὶ πάλιν δὲ μετανοοῦντας αὐτοὺς δέξεται, καὶ διδοὺς τὸ φῶς, πάλιν υἱοὺς καλέσει ὁ καὶ κατὰ τὴν ἀρχὴν Θεὸς οὕτω τὴν χάριν αὐτοῖς δεδωκώς. ### English translation (Claude) 37. But since they allege the divine oracles as a pretext and force them into a false interpretation according to their own mind, it is necessary to answer them only so far as to vindicate the texts and to show that these have a right sense, while those men think wrongly. They say, then, that it is written in the apostle, “Therefore God also highly exalted him and granted him the name that is above every name, so that at the name of Jesus every knee should bow, of those in heaven and on earth and under the earth”; and in David, “Therefore God, your God, has anointed you with the oil of gladness above your companions.” Then they add, as if saying something clever: “If he was exalted and received grace ‘therefore,’ and was anointed ‘therefore,’ he received a reward for his choice; and having acted by choice, he is certainly of a changeable nature.” Eusebius and Arius have dared not only to say but also to write these things, and their followers do not shrink from talking about them in the middle of the marketplace, not seeing what madness their argument contains. For if he received what he had as a reward for his choice, and would not have had it unless he had shown the work of one who needed it, then, having had these things from virtue and improvement, he was naturally called Son and God because of them, and is not a true Son. For what is from someone by nature is a true offspring, as Isaac was to Abraham, and Joseph to Jacob, and the radiance to the sun; but those so called from virtue and grace only have, instead of nature, the grace that comes from receiving, and are something other than what has been given them, like men who have received the Spirit by participation, about whom he also said, “I begot sons and raised them up, but they rejected me.” Of course, since they were not sons by nature, for that reason, when they changed, the Spirit was taken away and they were disowned; and again, when they repent, God, who gave them grace in this way at the beginning, will receive them, and giving them light will call them sons again. ### Scripture references - Phil 2:9: quotation, high confidence - Phil 2:10: quotation, high confidence - Ps 45:7 (44:8 LXX): quotation, high confidence - Isa 1:2: quotation, high confidence ### Translation notes - The psalm is Ps 45:7 (LXX 44:8). “I begot sons and raised them up” is Isa 1:2 (LXX). ### Citation (SBL) Athanasius, C. Ar. 37 (Bright, 38–39; trans. Sophia Scriptura, https://sophiascriptura.com/fathers/athanasius-oratio-1/32/#p-37). ## Oration I Against the Arians 38 - URL: https://sophiascriptura.com/fathers/athanasius-oratio-1/32/#p-38 - Source: Bright, 39–40 - Translation: Claude (claude-opus-5-5), 2026-09-27 Summary: Athanasius argues that if Christ became Son and was exalted only as man, he would have been improved by the flesh, contrary to Scripture's witness to his glory and worship before the incarnation. ### Greek text 38. Εἰ τοίνυν οὕτω καὶ τὸν Σωτῆρα λέγουσι, δειχθήσεται μήτε ἀληθινὸς, μήτε Θεὸς, μήτε Υἱὸς, μήτε ὅμοιος τῷ Πατρὶ, μήτε ὅλως τοῦ εἶναι κατʼ οὐσίαν Πατέρα ἔχων τὸν Θεὸν, ἀλλὰ τῆς δοθείσης αὐτῷ μόνης χάριτος, τοῦ δὲ εἶναι κατʼ οὐσίαν κτίστην τὸν Θεὸν, καθʼ ὁμοιότητα τῶν πάντων, ἔχων. Τοιοῦτος δὲ ὢν, οἷον οὗτοι λέγουσι, φανήσεται μᾶλλον μηδὲ ἐξ ἀρχῆς ἐσχηκὼς τὸ ὄνομα ‘Υἱὸς, ᾿ εἴ γε τοῦτο τῶν ἔργων ἔπαθλον ἔσχε καὶ προκοπῆς, οὐκ ἄλλης ἢ τῆς ὅτε γέγονεν ἄνθρωπος, καὶ τὴν τοῦ δούλου μορφὴν ἀνέλαβε. Τότε γάρ ἐστιν, ὅτε ‘γενόμενος ὑπήκοος μέχρι θανάτου, ʼ ὑπερυψῶσθαι λέγεται, καὶ χάριν εἰληφέναι τὸ ὄνομα, ‘ ἵνα ἐν τῷ ὀνόματι Ἰησοῦ κάμψῃ πᾶν γόνυ.᾿ Τί οὖν ἦν πρὸ τούτου, εἰ νῦν ὑψώθη, καὶ νῦν ἤρξατο προσκυνεῖσθαι, καὶ νῦν Υἱὸς ἐλέχθη, ὅτε γέγονεν ἄνθρωπος; Φαίνεται γὰρ μηδὲν βελτιώσας αὐτὸς τὴν σάρκα, ἀλλὰ μᾶλλον αὐτὸς διʼ αὐτῆς βελτιωθεὶς, εἴ γε κατὰ τὴν κακόνοιαν αὐτῶν τότε ὑψώθη καὶ Υἱὸς ἐλέχθη, ὅτε γέγονεν ἄνθρωπος. Τί οὖν ἦν πρὸ τούτου; Πάλιν γὰρ αὐτοὺς ἐρωτᾶν ἀνάγκη, ἵνα καὶ τὸ τέλος τῆς ἀσεβείας αὐτῶν θεωρηθῇ. Εἰ γάρ ἐστιν ὁ Κύριος Θεὸς, Υἱὸς, Λόγος, οὐκ ἦν δὲ ταῦτα πρὸ τοῦ γένηται ἄνθρωπος· ἢ ἄλλο τι ἦν παρὰ ταῦτα, καὶ ὕστερον τούτων ἐξ ἀρετῆς μετέσχεν, ὥσπερ εἴπαμεν· ἢ τὸ ἕτερον, (ὅπερ εἰς τὰς ἐκείνων κεφαλὰς τραπείη, ) ἀνάγκη λέγειν αὐτοὺς, μηδὲ εἶναι πρὸ τούτου αὐτὸν, ἀλλὰ τὸ ὅλον ἄνθρωπον εἶναι φύσει, καὶ μηδὲν πλέον. Ἀλλʼ οὐκ ἔστι τοῦτο τῆς ἐκκλησίας, τοῦ δὲ Σαμοσατέως ἐστὶ καὶ τῶν νῦν Ἰουδαίων τὸ φρόνημα. Διὰ τί οὖν τὰ ἐκείνων φρονοῦντες, οὐχὶ καὶ ὡς Ἰουδαῖοι περιτέμνονται, ἀλλʼ ὑποκρίνονται τὸν Χριστιανισμὸν, καὶ πρὸς αὐτὸν ἔχουσι τὴν μάχην; Εἰ γὰρ οὐκ ἦν, ἢ ἦν μὲν, ἐβελτιώθη δὲ ὕστερον, πῶς διʼ αὐτοῦ γέγονε τὰ πάντα, ἢ πῶς ἐν τούτῳ, εἴ γε μὴ τέλειος ἦν, προσέχαιρεν ὁ Πατήρ; καὶ αὐτὸς δὲ, εἰ νῦν ἐβελτιώθη, πῶς πρὸ τούτου ηὐφραίνετο ἐν προσώπῳ τοῦ Πατρός; πῶς δὲ, εἰ μετὰ τὸν θάνατον ἕλαβε τὸ προσκυνεῖσθαι, φαίνεται ὁ Ἀβραὰμ αὐτὸν ἐν τῇ σκηνῇ προσκυνῶν καὶ Μωσῆς ἐν τῇ βάτῳ; καὶ, ὡς εἶδε Δανιὴλ, ‘μύριαι μυριάδες καὶ χίλιαι χιλιάδες ἐλειτούργουν αὐτῷ;᾿ πῶς δὲ, εἰ νῦν κατʼαὐτοὺς ἔσχε τὴν βελτίωσιν, τῆς πρὸ κόσμου καὶ τῆς ὑπερκοσμίου δόξης ἑαυτοῦ μνημονεύων, ἔλεγεν αὐτὸς ὁ Υἱός, ‘Δόξασόν με σὺ, Πάτερ, τῇ δόξῃ, ᾗ εἶχον πρὸ τοῦ τὸν κόσμον εἶναι παρὰ σοί.᾿ Εἰ δὲ νῦν ὑψώθη κατʼ αὐτοὺς, πῶς πρὸ τούτου ‘ἔκλινεν οὐρανοὺς καὶ κατέβη, ʼ καὶ πάλιν, ‘ἔδωκεν ὁ Ὕψιστος φωνὴν αὐτοῦ; Οὐκοῦν εἰ καὶ πρὸ τοῦ τὸν κόσμον γενέσθαι τὴν δόξαν εἶχεν ὁ Υἱὸς, καὶ ‘Κύριος τῆς δόξηςʼ ὕψιστός τε ἦν, καὶ ἐξ οὐρανοῦ κατέβη, καὶ ἀεὶ προσκυνητός ἐστιν, οὐκ ἄρα καταβὰς ἐβελτιώθη, ἀλλὰ μᾶλλον ἐβελτίωσεν αὐτὸς τὰ δεόμενα βελτιώσεως· καὶ εἰ τοῦ βελτιῶσαι χάριν καταβέβηκεν, οὐκ ἄρα μισθὸν ἔσχε τὸ λέγεσθαι Υἱὸς καὶ Θεὸς, ἀλλὰ μᾶλλον αὐτὸς υἱοποίησεν ἡμᾶς τῷ Πατρὶ, καὶ ἐθεοποίησε τοὺς ἀνθρώπους, γενόμενος αὐτὸς ἄνθρωπος. ### English translation (Claude) 38. If, then, they say this of the Savior too, he will be shown to be neither true, nor God, nor Son, nor like the Father, nor to have God at all as Father of his being according to substance, but only of the grace given him, while having God as creator of his being according to substance, like all things. And if he is such as they say, it will appear rather that he did not even have the name “Son” from the beginning, if indeed he had it as a prize for his works and his advance, and for no other advance than when he became man and took the form of a servant. For it is then, when “he became obedient to death,” that he is said to have been highly exalted and to have received the name as a grace, “so that at the name of Jesus every knee should bow.” What, then, was he before this, if he was exalted only now, and only now began to be worshipped, and only now was called Son, when he became man? For he appears himself not to have improved the flesh at all, but rather to have been improved himself through it, if, according to their malice, he was exalted and called Son when he became man. What, then, was he before this? For one must ask them again, so that the end result of their impiety may be seen. For if the Lord is God, Son, Word, but was not these before he became man, then either he was something else besides these and later shared in them by virtue, as we have said; or, the other alternative (may it turn back on their own heads!), they must say that he did not even exist before this, but is wholly man by nature and nothing more. But this is not the mind of the church; it is the mind of the Samosatene and of the Jews of today. Why, then, if they think as they do, are they not circumcised like the Jews, instead of feigning Christianity and waging war on it? For if he was not, or was but was improved later, how did all things come to be through him? Or how did the Father delight in him, if he was not complete? And he himself, if he has been improved only now, how did he rejoice before this in the presence of the Father? And if he received worship after his death, how is Abraham seen worshipping him in the tent, and Moses in the bush? And, as Daniel saw, “ten thousand times ten thousands and thousands of thousands were serving him”? And if, according to them, he has received his improvement only now, how did the Son himself, recalling his glory before the world and above the world, say, “Glorify me, Father, with the glory that I had with you before the world existed”? If, according to them, he was exalted only now, how did he before this “bow the heavens and come down,” and again, “the Most High gave his voice”? So if the Son had glory even before the world came to be, and was “the Lord of glory” and Most High, and came down from heaven, and is always to be worshipped, then he was not improved by coming down, but rather he himself improved the things that needed improvement. And if he came down in order to improve them, he did not receive the title Son and God as a reward; rather he himself made us sons to the Father, and deified men by becoming man himself. ### Scripture references - Phil 2:7: allusion, high confidence - Phil 2:8: quotation, high confidence - Phil 2:9: allusion, high confidence - Phil 2:10: quotation, high confidence - John 1:3: allusion, medium confidence - Prov 8:30: allusion, high confidence - Gen 18:2: allusion, medium confidence - Exod 3:2: allusion, medium confidence - Dan 7:10: quotation, high confidence - John 17:5: quotation, high confidence - Ps 18:9 (17:10 LXX): quotation, high confidence - Ps 18:13 (17:14 LXX): quotation, high confidence - 1 Cor 2:8: quotation, high confidence ### Translation notes - “The Samosatene” is Paul of Samosata. The remark about the Jews is Athanasius's polemic, translated as written. Athanasius takes the appearances to Abraham (Gen 18) and to Moses at the bush (Exod 3) as appearances of the Son. “Deified” (ἐθεοποίησε): Athanasius's term for humanity's being made partakers of the divine life through the incarnation. ### Citation (SBL) Athanasius, C. Ar. 38 (Bright, 39–40; trans. Sophia Scriptura, https://sophiascriptura.com/fathers/athanasius-oratio-1/32/#p-38). ## Oration I Against the Arians 39 - URL: https://sophiascriptura.com/fathers/athanasius-oratio-1/32/#p-39 - Source: Bright, 40–41 - Translation: Claude (claude-opus-5-5), 2026-09-27 Summary: Athanasius concludes that the Son was God and became man to deify us, and that all who are called sons and gods are so through him. ### Greek text 39. Οὐκ ἄρα ἄνθρωπος ὢν, ὕστερον γέγονε Θεός· ἀλλὰ Θεὸς ὥν, ὕστερον γέγονεν ἄνθρωπος, ἵνα μᾶλλον ἡμᾶς θεοποιήσῃ. Ἐπεὶ εἰ, ὅτε γέγονεν ἄνθρωπος, τότε Υἱὸς καὶ Θεὸς ἐλέχθη, πρὸ δὲ τοῦ γένηται ἄνθρωπος, ‘υἱοὺςʼ ἔλεγε τοὺς πάλαι λαοὺς ὁ Θεὸς, καὶ Μωσῆν ἐτίθει ‘θεὸνʼ τοῦ Φαραὼ, καὶ ἐπὶ πολλῶν ἡ γραφή φησιν, ‘Ὁ Θεὸς ἔστη ἐν συναγωγῇ θεῶν·’ δῆλόν ἐστιν ὡς μετʼ αὐτοὺς καὶ Υἱὸς καὶ Θεὸς οὗτος ἐλέχθη. Πῶς οὖν ‘πάντα διʼ αὐτοῦ, ʼ καὶ ‘αὐτός ἐστι πρὸ πάντων;’ ἢ πῶς ‘πρωτότοκος πάσης τῆς κτίσεως, ʼ ἔχων τοὺς πρὸ ἑαυτοῦ κληθέντας υἱοὺς καὶ θεούς; πῶς δὲ οἱ μέτοχοι πρῶτοι οὐ μετέχουσι Λόγου; Οὐκ ἔστιν ἀληθὴς αὕτη δόξα· παρεύρεσίς ἐστι τῶν νῦν Ἰουδαϊζόντων. Πῶς γὰρ ὅλως δύνανται τινες ἐπιγνῶναι Πατέρα τὸν Θεόν; οὔτε γὰρ υἱοθεσία γένοιτʼ ἂν χωρὶς τοῦ ἀληθινοῦ Υἱοῦ, λέγοντος αὐτοῦ, ‘οὐδεὶς ἐπιγινώσκει τὸν Πατέρα, εἰ μὴ ὁ Υἱὸς, καὶ ᾧ ἂν ὁ Υἱὸς ἀποκαλύψῃ. ʼ Πῶς δὲ καὶ θεοποίησις γένοιτʼ ἂν χωρὶς τοῦ Λόγου, καὶ πρὸ αὐτοῦ, καίτοι λέγοντος αὐτοῦ πρὸς τοὺς ἀδελφοὺς τούτων Ἰουδαίους, ‘Εἰ ἐκείνους θεοὺς εἶπε, πρὸς οὓς ὁ Λόγος τοῦ Θεοῦ ἐγένετο;᾿ Εἰ δὲ πάντες ὅσοι υἱοί τε καὶ θεοὶ ἐκλήθησαν, εἴτε ἐπὶ γῆς, εἴτε ἐν οὐρανοῖς, διὰ τοῦ Λόγου υἱοποιήθησαν καὶ ἐθεοποιήθησαν, αὐτὸς δὲ ὁ Υἱός ἐστιν ὁ Λόγος, δῆλον ὅτι διʼ αὐτοῦ μὲν οἱ πάντες, αὐτὸς δὲ πρὸ πάντων, μᾶλλον δὲ μόνον αὐτὸς ἀληθινὸς Υἱός, καὶ μόνος ῾ ἐκ τοῦ ἀληθινοῦ Θεοῦ Θεὸς ἀληθινόςʼ ἐστιν, οὐ μισθὸν ἀρετῆς ταῦτα λαβὼν, οὐδὲ ἄλλος ὢν παρὰ ταῦτα, ἀλλὰ φύσει κατʼ οὐσίαν ὢν ταῦτα. Γέννημα γὰρ τῆς τοῦ Πατρὸς οὐσίας ὑπάρχει, ὥστε μηδένα ἀμφιβάλλειν ὅτι, καθʼ ὁμοιότητα τοῦ ἀτρέπτου Πατρὸς, ἄτρεπτός ἐστι καὶ ὁ Λόγος. ### English translation (Claude) 39. So he was not man first and later became God; but being God, he later became man, in order rather to deify us. For if he was called Son and God only when he became man, while before he became man God called the ancient peoples “sons,” and made Moses “god” to Pharaoh, and Scripture says of many, “God stood in the assembly of gods,” it is clear that he was called Son and God after them. How then are “all things through him,” and “he is before all things”? Or how is he “the firstborn of all creation,” if he has others called sons and gods before him? And how is it that the first sharers do not share in the Word? This opinion is not true; it is a pretext of the Judaizers of today. For how could anyone know God as Father at all? For there could be no adoption without the true Son, since he says, “No one knows the Father except the Son, and anyone to whom the Son reveals him.” And how could there be deification without the Word and before him? Yet he said to their brothers the Jews, “If he called them gods to whom the Word of God came.” And if all who have been called sons and gods, whether on earth or in heaven, were adopted and deified through the Word, and the Son himself is the Word, it is clear that all are through him, but he himself is before all; or rather, he alone is true Son, and he alone is “true God from true God,” not having received these things as a reward for virtue, nor being something else besides them, but being these things by nature, according to substance. For he is the offspring of the Father's substance, so that no one can doubt that, in the likeness of the unchangeable Father, the Word too is unchangeable. ### Scripture references - Exod 4:22: allusion, medium confidence - Exod 7:1: allusion, high confidence - Ps 82:1 (81:1 LXX): quotation, high confidence - John 1:3: quotation, high confidence - Col 1:17: quotation, high confidence - Col 1:15: quotation, high confidence - Matt 11:27: quotation, high confidence - John 10:35: quotation, high confidence ### Translation notes - “True God from true God” is a phrase of the Nicene Creed. “Judaizers” and “their brothers the Jews” are Athanasius's polemical terms for the Arians, translated as written. ### Citation (SBL) Athanasius, C. Ar. 39 (Bright, 40–41; trans. Sophia Scriptura, https://sophiascriptura.com/fathers/athanasius-oratio-1/32/#p-39). ## Oration I Against the Arians 40 - URL: https://sophiascriptura.com/fathers/athanasius-oratio-1/32/#p-40 - Source: Bright, 41–42 - Translation: Claude (claude-opus-5-5), 2026-09-27 Summary: Athanasius quotes Phil 2:5–11 in full and argues that the Son, being God, humbled himself and did not need to be exalted, since he was worshipped before the incarnation. ### Greek text 40. Τέως μὲν οὖν, ταῖς περὶ τοῦ Υἱοῦ ἐννοίαις χρώμενοι, οὕτως πρὸς τὰς ἀλόγους αὐτῶν ἐπινοίας, ὡς δέδωκεν αὐτὸς ὁ Κύριος, ἀπηντήσαμεν· καλὸν δὲ καὶ τὰ θεῖα λόγια παραθέσθαι λοιπὸν, ἵνʼ ἔτι καὶ πλεῖον τοῦ μὲν Υἱοῦ τὸ ἄτρεπτον ἀποδειχθῇ, καὶ ἡ ἀναλλοίωτος αὐτοῦ πατρικὴ φύσις, τούτων δὲ ἡ κακοφροσύνη. Γράφων τοίνυν Φιλιππησίοις ὁ ἀπόστολός φησι, Τοῦτο φρονείσθω ἐν ὑμῖν, ὃ καὶ ἐν Χριστῷ Ἰησοῦ, ὃς ἐν μορφῇ Θεοῦ ὑπάρχων, οὐχ ἁρπαγμὸν ἡγήσατο τὸ εἶναι ἴσα Θεῷ, ἀλλʼ ἑαυτὸν ἐκένωσε, μορφὴν δούλου λαβὼν, ἐν ὁμοιώματι ἀνθρώπων γενόμενος, καὶ σχήματι εὑρεθεὶς ὡς ἄνθρωπος, ἐταπείνωσεν ἑαυτὸν, γενόμενος ὑπήκοος μέχρι θανάτου, θανάτου δὲ σταυροῦ. Διὸ καὶ ὁ Θεὸς αὐτὸν ὑπερύψωσε, καὶ ἐχαρίσατο αὐτῷ ὄνομα τὸ ὑπὲρ πᾶν ὄνομα, ἵνα ἐν τῷ ὀνόματι Ἰησοῦ πᾶν γόνυ κάμψῃ ἐπουρανίων, καὶ ἐπιγείων, καὶ καταχθονίων, καὶ πᾶσα γλῶσσα ἐξομολογήσηται ὅτι Κύριος Ἰησοῦς Χριστὸς, εἰς δόξαν Θεοῦ Πατρός.᾿ Τί τούτου λευκότερον καὶ ἀποδεικτικώτερον γένοιτο ἄν; οὐ γὰρ ἐξ ἐλαττόνων βελτίων γέγονεν· ἀλλὰ μᾶλλον Θεὸς ‘ὑπάρχων, τὴν δούλου μορφὴν ἔλαβε, ’ καὶ ἐν τῷ λαβεῖν οὐκ ἐβελτιώθη, ἀλλʼ ῾ ἐταπείνωσεν ἑαυτόν.᾿ Ποῦ τοίνυν ἐν τούτοις ‘μισθὸς τῆς ἀρετῆς, ’ ἢ ποία προκοπὴ καὶ βελτίωσις ἐν ταπεινώσει; Εἰ γὰρ Θεὸς ὢν, γέγονεν ἄνθρωπος, καὶ, ἐξ ὕψους καταβὰς, λέγεται ‘ὑψοῦσθαι, ’ ποῦ ὑψοῦται, Θεὸς ὤν; δήλου ὄντος πάλιν τούτου, ὅτι, τοῦ Θεοῦ ὑψίστου ὄντος, ἐξ ἀνάγκης εἶναι δεῖ καὶ τὸν τούτου Λόγον ὕψιστον. Ποῦ οὖν πλεῖον εἶχεν ὑψωθῆναι ὁ ἐν τῷ Πατρὶ ὢν, καὶ ‘ὅμοιος κατὰ πάνταʼ τοῦ Πατρός; Οὐκοῦν πάσης προσθήκης ἀπροσδεής ἐστι, καὶ οὐκ ἔστιν ὡς ὑπονοοῦσιν οἱ Ἀρειανοί. Εἰ γὰρ διὰ τὸ ὑψωθῆναι καταβέβηκεν ὁ Λόγος, καὶ ταῦτα γέγραπται, τίς χρεία ἦν ὅλως καὶ ταπεινῶσαι ἑαυτὸν, ἵνα τοῦτο ζητήσῃ λαβεῖν ὅπερ εἶχε; ποίαν δὲ καὶ χάριν ἔλαβεν ὁ τῆς χάριτος δοτῆρ; ἢ πῶς ἔλαβε τὸ ὄνομα εἰς τὸ προσκυνεῖσθαι, ὁ ἀεὶ ἐν τῷ ὀνόματι αὐτοῦ προσκυνούμενος; Καὶ πρὶν γένηται γοῦν ἄνθρωπος, παρακαλοῦσιν οἱ ἅγιοι, ‘‘O Θεὸς, ἐν τῷ ὀνόματί σου σῶσόν με.᾿ Καὶ πάλιν, ῾ Οὖτοι ἐν ἅρμασι, καὶ οὗτοι ἐν ἵπποις, ἡμεῖς δὲ ἐν ὀνόματι Κυρίου Θεοῦ ἡμῶν μεγαλυνθησόμεθα·᾿ καὶ ὑπὸ μὲν τῶν πατριαρχῶν προσεκυνεῖτο· περὶ δὲ τῶν ἀγγέλων γέγραπται, ‘Καὶ προσκυνησάτωσαν αὐτῷ πάντες ἄγγελοι Θεοῦ.᾿ ### English translation (Claude) 40. So far, using the conceptions that belong to the Son, we have met their irrational notions in the way the Lord himself has given us. But it is good next to set out the divine oracles as well, so that the Son's unchangeableness and his unalterable nature, which is the Father's, may be proved still further, and also their wrong-headedness. The apostle, then, writing to the Philippians, says: “Let this mind be in you which was also in Christ Jesus, who, being in the form of God, did not count equality with God a thing to be grasped, but emptied himself, taking the form of a servant, being made in the likeness of men; and being found in fashion as a man, he humbled himself, becoming obedient to death, even death on a cross. Therefore God also highly exalted him and granted him the name that is above every name, so that at the name of Jesus every knee should bow, of those in heaven and on earth and under the earth, and every tongue confess that Jesus Christ is Lord, to the glory of God the Father.” What could be clearer and more conclusive than this? He did not become better from a lower state; rather, “being” God, “he took the form of a servant,” and in taking it he was not improved, but “humbled himself.” Where, then, in these words is there a “reward of virtue,” or what advance and improvement is there in humbling oneself? For if, being God, he became man, and, having come down from on high, he is said to be “exalted,” where is he exalted, being God? It is clear again that, since God is Most High, his Word too must necessarily be most high. Where, then, could he be exalted further, he who is in the Father and “like the Father in all things”? So he has no need of any addition, and he is not as the Arians suppose. For if the Word came down in order to be exalted, and this is what is written, what need was there at all for him to humble himself, so as to seek to receive what he already had? And what grace did the giver of grace receive? Or how did he receive the name so as to be worshipped, he who is always worshipped in his name? Indeed, even before he became man, the saints call on him: “O God, save me by your name.” And again: “Some in chariots, and some in horses, but we will be magnified in the name of the Lord our God.” And he was worshipped by the patriarchs; and of the angels it is written, “And let all the angels of God worship him.” ### Scripture references - Phil 2:5: quotation, high confidence - Phil 2:6: quotation, high confidence - Phil 2:7: quotation, high confidence - Phil 2:8: quotation, high confidence - Phil 2:9: quotation, high confidence - Phil 2:10: quotation, high confidence - Phil 2:11: quotation, high confidence - Ps 54:1 (53:3 LXX): quotation, high confidence - Ps 20:7 (19:8 LXX): quotation, high confidence - Heb 1:6: quotation, high confidence ### Translation notes - “Like the Father in all things” was a formula used in the creeds of the 350s. “Let all the angels of God worship him” is Heb 1:6, from Deut 32:43 (LXX). ### Citation (SBL) Athanasius, C. Ar. 40 (Bright, 41–42; trans. Sophia Scriptura, https://sophiascriptura.com/fathers/athanasius-oratio-1/32/#p-40). ## Oration I Against the Arians 41 - URL: https://sophiascriptura.com/fathers/athanasius-oratio-1/32/#p-41 - Source: Bright, 42–43 - Translation: Claude (claude-opus-5-5), 2026-09-27 Summary: Athanasius explains that the exaltation of Phil 2:9 belongs to Christ's humanity and is for our sake, so that we may be raised and exalted in him. ### Greek text 41. Εἰ δὲ καὶ, ὡς ψάλλει Δαυὶδ ἐν τῷ ἑβδομηκοστῷ πρώτῳ ψαλμῷ, ‘Πρὸ τοῦ ἡλίου διαμένει τὸ ὄνομα αὐτοῦ, καὶ πρὸ τῆς σελήνης εἰς γενεὰς γενεῶν· πῶς ἐλάμβανεν ὃ εἶχεν ἀεὶ, καὶ πρὶν λαβεῖν νῦν αὐτό; ἢ πῶς ὑψοῦται, ὁ καὶ πρὶν ὑψωθῆναι ὕψιστος ὥν; ἢ πῶς ἔλαβε τὸ προσκυνεῖσθαι, ὁ καὶ, πρὶν τοῦτο νῦν λαβεῖν, ἀεὶ προσκυνούμενος; Οὐκ ἔστιν αἴνιγμα, ἀλλὰ μυστήριον θεῖον· ‘Ἐν ἀρχῇ ἦν ὁ Λόγος, καὶ ὁ Λόγος ἦν πρὸς τὸν Θεὸν, καὶ Θεὸς ἦν ὁ Λόγος·’ διʼ ἡμᾶς δὲ ὕστερον οὖτος ‘ὁ Λόγος σὰρξ ἐγένετο καὶ τὸ λεγόμενον νῦν, ‘ὑπερύψωσεν, ʼ οὐ τὴν οὐσίαν τοῦ Λόγου ὑψουμένην σημαίνει· ἦν γὰρ ἀεὶ καὶ ἔστιν ‘ἴσα Θεῷ·᾿ ἀλλὰ τῆς ἀνθρωπότητός ἐστιν ἡ ὕψωσις. Οὐ πρὶν γοῦν εἴρηται ταῦτα, εἰ μὴ ὅτε γέγονε σὰρξ ὁ Λόγος· ἵνα γένηται φανερὸν ὅτι τὸ ‘ἐταπείνωσεʼ καὶ τὸ ‘ὑπερύψωσενʼ ἐπὶ τοῦ ἀνθρωπίνου λέγεται· οὗ γάρ ἐστι τὸ ταπεινὸν, τούτου καὶ τὸ ὑψωθῆναι ἂν εἴη· καὶ εἰ διὰ τὴν πρόσληψιν τῆς σαρκὸς τὸ ‘ἐταπείνωσεʼ γέγραπται, δῆλόν ἐστιν ὅτι καὶ τὸ ‘ὑπερύψωσεʼ διʼ αὐτήν ἐστι. Τούτου γὰρ ἦν ἐνδεὴς ὁ ἄνθρωπος διὰ τὸ ταπεινὸν τῆς σαρκὸς καὶ τοῦ θανάτου. Ἐπεὶ οὖν εἰκὼν ὢν τοῦ Πατρὸς, καὶ ἀθάνατος ὢν ὁ Λόγος, ‘ἔλαβε τὴν τοῦ δούλου μορφὴν,, καὶ ὑπέμεινε διʼ ἡμᾶς ὡς ἄνθρωπος ἐν τῇ ἑαυτοῦ σαρκὶ τὸν θάνατον, ἵνʼ οὕτως ἑαυτὸν ὑπὲρ ἡμῶν διὰ τοῦ θανάτου προσενέγκῃ τῷ Πατρί· διὰ τοῦτο καὶ ὡς ἄνθρωπος διʼ ἡμᾶς καὶ ὑπὲρ ἡμῶν λέγεται ὑπερυψοῦσθαι, ἵνʼ ὥσπερ τῷ θανάτῳ αὐτοῦ πάντες ἡμεῖς ἀπεθάνομεν ἐν Χριστῷ, οὕτως ἐν αὐτῷ τῷ Χριστῷ πάλιν ἡμεῖς ὑπερυψωθῶμεν, ἔκ τε τῶν νεκρῶν ἐγειρόμενοι, καὶ εἰς οὐρανοὺς ἀνερχόμενοι, ‘ἔνθα πρόδρομος ὑπὲρ, ἡμῶν εἰσῆλθεν Ἰησοῦς, οὐκ εἰς ἀντίτυπα τῶν ἀληθινῶν, ἀλλʼ εἰς αὐτὸν τὸν οὐρανὸν, νῦν ἐμφανισθῆναι τῷ προσώπῳ τοῦ Θεοῦ ὑπὲρ ἡμῶν·᾿ Εἰ δὲ, νῦν ὑπὲρ ἡμῶν εἰς αὐτὸν τὸν οὐρανὸν εἰσἢλθεν ὁ Χριστὸς, καίτοι καὶ πρὸ τούτου καὶ ἀεὶ Κύριος ὢν, καὶ δημιουργὸς τῶν οὐρανῶν, ὑπὲρ ἡμῶν ἄρα καὶ τὸ ὑψωθῆναι νῦν γέγραπται. Καὶ ὥσπερ αὐτὸς πάντας ἁγιάζων, λέγει πάλιν τῷ Πατρὶ ‘ἑαυτὸν ὑπὲρ ἡμῶν ἁγιάζειν, ’ οὐχ ἵνα ἅγιος ὁ Λόγος γένηται, ἀλλʼ ἵνα αὐτὸς ἐν ἑαυτῷ· ἁγιάσῃ πάντας ἡμᾶς· οὕτως ἄρα καὶ τὸ νῦν λεγόμενον, ‘ὑπερύψωσεν αὐτὸν, ʼ οὐχ ἵνα αὐτὸς ὑψωθῇ· ὕψιστος γάρ ἐστιν· ἀλλʼ ἵνα αὐτὸς μὲν ὑπὲρ ἡμῶν ῾δικαιοσύνη γένηται, ᾿ ἡμεῖς δὲ ὑψωθῶμεν ἐν αὐτῷ, καὶ εἰς τὰς πύλας εἰσέλθωμεν τῶν οὐρανῶν, ἃς αὐτὸς πάλιν ὑπὲρ ἡμῶν ἀνέῳξε, λεγόντων τῶν προτρεχόντων, ‘ Ἄρατε πύλας, οἱ ἄρχοντες, ὑμῶν, καὶ ἐπάρθητε, πύλαι αἰώνιοι, καὶ εἰσελεύσεται ὁ βασιλεὺς τῆς δόξης.’ Καὶ ὧδε γὰρ οὐκ αὐτῷ ἦσαν αἱ πύλαι κεκλεισμέναι Κυρίῳ καὶ ποιητῇ τῶν πάντων ὄντι, ἀλλὰ διʼ ἡμᾶς καὶ τοῦτο γέγραπται, οἷς ἦν ἡ θύρα κεκλεισμένη τοῦ παραδείσου. Διὸ καὶ ἀνθρωπίνως μὲν, διʼ ἣν ἐφόρει σάρκα, λέγεται περὶ αὐτοῦ τὸ ‘ἄρατε πύλας·’ καὶ τὸ ‘εἰσελεύσεται, ’ ὡς ἀνθρώπου εἰσερχομένου· θεϊκῶς δὲ πάλιν περὶ αὐτοῦ λέγεται, ἐπειδὴ καὶ ‘Θεός ἐστιν ὁ Λόγος, ʼ ὅτι οὗτός ἐστιν ὁ Κύριος καὶ ὁ βασιλεὺς τῆς δόξης. Τὴν δὲ τοιαύτην εἰς ἡμᾶς γενομένην ὕψωσιν προανεφώνει τὸ Πνεῦμα ἐν ὀγδοηκοστῷ ὀγδόῳ ψαλμῷ λέγον· ‘Καὶ ἐν τῇ δικαιοσύνῃ σου ὑψωθήσονται, ὅτι τὸ καύχημα τῆς δυνάμεως αὐτῶν εἶ σύ.᾿ Εἰ δὲ δικαιοσύνη ἐστὶν ὁ Υἱὸς, οὐκ ἄρα αὐτός ἐστιν, ὡς ἐνδεὴς, ὑψούμενος, ἀλλʼ ἡμεῖς ἐσμεν οἱ ἐν τῇ δικαιοσύνῃ ὑψούμενοι, ἥτις ἐστὶν αὐτός. ### English translation (Claude) 41. And if, as David sings in the seventy-first psalm, “His name endures before the sun, and before the moon to generations of generations,” how did he receive what he always had, even before he now received it? Or how is he exalted who was most high even before he was exalted? Or how did he receive being worshipped, who was always worshipped even before he now received it? It is not a riddle, but a divine mystery. “In the beginning was the Word, and the Word was with God, and the Word was God”; but later, for our sakes, this “Word became flesh.” And what is now said, “he highly exalted,” does not signify that the substance of the Word is exalted, for he always was and is “equal to God”; the exaltation belongs to the humanity. These things are not said, then, before the Word became flesh, so that it may be clear that “he humbled” and “he highly exalted” are said of what is human. For what is humble is also what can be exalted; and if “he humbled” is written because of his taking of the flesh, it is clear that “he highly exalted” is because of it too. For man was in need of this, because of the lowliness of the flesh and of death. Since, then, the Word, being the image of the Father and immortal, “took the form of a servant,” and for our sake as man endured death in his own flesh, so that in this way he might offer himself for us through death to the Father, for this reason he is also said, as man, to be highly exalted because of us and for us, so that, just as by his death we all died in Christ, so in Christ himself we might in turn be highly exalted, being raised from the dead and going up into heaven, “where Jesus has entered as a forerunner on our behalf, not into copies of the true things, but into heaven itself, now to appear in the presence of God for us.” And if Christ has now entered heaven itself for us, although even before this and always he was Lord and maker of the heavens, then the exaltation too is now written for us. And just as he who sanctifies all says again to the Father that he “sanctifies himself for us,” not so that the Word may become holy, but so that he himself in himself may sanctify all of us, so also what is now said, “he highly exalted him,” is not so that he himself may be exalted (for he is most high), but so that he may “become righteousness” for us, and we may be exalted in him and enter the gates of heaven, which he in turn opened for us, while those who run before him say, “Lift up your gates, you rulers, and be lifted up, you eternal gates, and the King of glory shall come in.” For here too the gates were not shut to him, who is Lord and maker of all things; this too is written because of us, to whom the door of paradise was shut. So in a human way, because of the flesh he bore, “Lift up the gates” and “shall come in” are said of him, as of a man entering; but in a divine way it is said of him in turn, since “the Word is God,” that he is the Lord and the King of glory. The Spirit foretold such an exaltation, happening to us, in the eighty-eighth psalm, saying, “And in your righteousness they will be exalted, for you are the boast of their strength.” And if the Son is righteousness, then it is not he who is exalted as being in need, but we who are exalted in the righteousness, which is he. ### Scripture references - Ps 72:17 (71:17 LXX): quotation, high confidence - Ps 72:5 (71:5 LXX): quotation, high confidence - John 1:1: quotation, high confidence - John 1:14: quotation, high confidence - Phil 2:6: quotation, high confidence - Phil 2:7: quotation, high confidence - Phil 2:8: allusion, high confidence - Phil 2:9: quotation, high confidence - 2 Cor 5:14: allusion, medium confidence - Heb 6:20: quotation, high confidence - Heb 9:24: quotation, high confidence - John 17:19: allusion, high confidence - 1 Cor 1:30: quotation, high confidence - Ps 24:7 (23:7 LXX): quotation, high confidence - Ps 89:16 (88:17 LXX): quotation, high confidence - Ps 89:17 (88:18 LXX): quotation, high confidence ### Translation notes - The psalm numbers are Athanasius's (LXX): the seventy-first is Ps 72, the eighty-eighth is Ps 89. “Those who run before him” are probably the angels. ### Citation (SBL) Athanasius, C. Ar. 41 (Bright, 42–43; trans. Sophia Scriptura, https://sophiascriptura.com/fathers/athanasius-oratio-1/32/#p-41). ## Oration I Against the Arians 42 - URL: https://sophiascriptura.com/fathers/athanasius-oratio-1/42/#p-42 - Source: Bright, 43–44 - Translation: Claude (claude-opus-5-5), 2026-09-27 Summary: Athanasius explains that Christ “received” the name as man, so that the grace given might pass to us and we might be brought, in him, into the heavenly realms. ### Greek text 42. Καὶ γὰρ καὶ τὸ ῾ ἐχαρίσατο αὐτῷ, ᾿ οὐ διʼ αὐτὸν τὸν Λόγον γέγραπται· ἦν γὰρ πάλιν, καὶ πρὶν ἄνθρωπος γένηται, προσκυνούμενος, ὥσπερ εἴπομεν, ὑπό τε τῶν ἀγγέλων καὶ πάσης τῆς κτίσεως, κατὰ τὴν πατρικὴν ἰδιότητα· ἀλλὰ διʼ ἡμᾶς καὶ ὑπὲρ ἡμῶν τοῦτο πάλιν περὶ αὐτοῦ γέγραπται. Ὥσπερ γὰρ, ὡς ἄνθρωπος, ὁ Χριστὸς ἀπέθανε καὶ ὑψώθη, οὕτως, ὡς ἄνθρωπος, λέγεται ‘λαμβάνεινʼ ὅπερ εἶχεν ἀεὶ ὡς Θεὸς, ἵνα εἰς ἡμᾶς φθάσῃ καὶ ἡ τοιαύτη δοθεῖσα χάρις. Οὐ γὰρ ἠλαττώθη ὁ Λόγος σῶμα λαβὼν, ἵνα καὶ χάριν ζητήσῃ λαβεῖν, ’ ἀλλὰ μᾶλλον καὶ ἐθεοποίησεν ὅπερ ἐνεδύσατο, καὶ πλέον ἐχαρίσατο τῷ γένει τῶν ἀνθρώπων τοῦτο. Ὥσπερ γὰρ ἀεὶ προσεκυνεῖτο, Λόγος ὢν καὶ ‘ἐν μορφῇ Θεοῦ ὑπάρχων, ’ οὕτως ὁ αὐτὸς ὢν καὶ ἄνθρωπος γενόμενος, κληθείς τε Ἰησοῦς, οὐδὲν ἦττον ἔχει πᾶσαν ὑπὸ πόδα τὴν κτίσιν, καὶ ‘ἐν τῷ ὀνόματι τούτῳ τὰ γόνατα κάμπτουσαν αὐτῷ, ᾿ καὶ ‘ἐξομολογουμένηνʼ ὅτι καὶ τὸ γενέσθαι σάρκα τὸν Λόγον, καὶ θάνατον ὑπομεῖναι σαρκὶ, οὐκ ἐπʼ ἀδοξίᾳ τῆς θεότητος αὐτοῦ γέγονεν, ἀλλʼ ‘εἰς δόξαν Θεοῦ Πατρός.’ Δόξα δὲ Πατρός ἐστι τὸν γενόμενον ἄνθρωπον καὶ ἀπολόμενον εὑρεθῆναι, καὶ νεκρωθέντα ζωοποιηθῆναι, καὶ ναὸν γενέσθαι Θεοῦ. Καὶ γὰρ καὶ τῶν ἐν οὐρανοῖς δυνάμεων, ἀγγέλων τε καὶ ἀρχαγγέλων ἀεὶ μὲν προσκυνούντων αὐτὸν, προσκυνούντων δὲ καὶ νῦν ‘ἐν τῷ ὀνόματι Ἰησοῦʼ τὸν Κύριον, ἡμῶν ἐστιν αὕτη ἡ χάρις καὶ ὑπερύψωσις, ὅτι τε καὶ ἄνθρωπος γενόμενος, προσκυνεῖται ὁ τοῦ Θεοῦ Υἱὸς, καὶ οὐ ξενισθήσονται αἱ οὐράνιοι δυνάμεις βλέπουσαι τοὺς συσσώμους ἐκείνου πάντας ἡμᾶς εἰσαγομένους εἰς τὰς χώρας αὐτῶν. Ἄλλως δὲ οὐκ ἂν ἐγεγόνει τοῦτο, εἰ μὴ ὁ ‘ἐν μορφῇ Θεοῦ ὑπάρχων εἰλήφει δούλου μορφὴν, καὶ ταπεινώσας ἦν ἑαυτὸν, μέχρι θανάτουʼ συγχωρήσας φθάσαι τὸ σῶμα. ### English translation (Claude) 42. And “he granted him,” too, is not written because of the Word himself. For again, even before he became man he was worshipped, as we said, by the angels and all creation, in virtue of what is proper to the Father; but this too is written of him because of us and for us. For as Christ died and was exalted as man, so as man he is said to “receive” what he always had as God, so that such a grace, once given, might reach us as well. For the Word was not lessened by taking a body, so as to seek to receive grace; rather he deified what he put on, and, more than that, “granted” this to the human race. For just as he was always worshipped, being the Word and “being in the form of God,” so, being the same and having become man and been called Jesus, he has none the less the whole creation under his feet, “bending the knee” to him “in this name” and “confessing” that the Word's becoming flesh and enduring death in the flesh did not happen to the dishonor of his Godhead, but “to the glory of God the Father.” And it is the Father's glory that man, who was made and was lost, should be found, and, having died, should be made alive, and should become God's temple. For while the powers in heaven, angels and archangels, always worshipped him, and now also worship the Lord “in the name of Jesus,” this grace and high exaltation is ours: that even having become man, the Son of God is worshipped, and the heavenly powers will not be astonished to see all of us, who are of one body with him, brought into their realms. This would not have happened otherwise, unless he who “was in the form of God” had taken “the form of a servant” and had “humbled himself,” allowing his body to come “to death.” ### Scripture references - Phil 2:9: quotation, high confidence - Phil 2:6: quotation, high confidence - Phil 2:7: quotation, high confidence - Phil 2:8: quotation, high confidence - Phil 2:10: quotation, high confidence - Phil 2:11: quotation, high confidence - Luke 15:24: allusion, medium confidence - 1 Cor 3:16: echo, medium confidence ### Translation notes - “Deified” (ἐθεοποίησεν): Athanasius's term for the humanity's being made to share in divine life through union with the Word. ### Citation (SBL) Athanasius, C. Ar. 42 (Bright, 43–44; trans. Sophia Scriptura, https://sophiascriptura.com/fathers/athanasius-oratio-1/42/#p-42). ## Oration I Against the Arians 43 - URL: https://sophiascriptura.com/fathers/athanasius-oratio-1/42/#p-43 - Source: Bright, 44–45 - Translation: Claude (claude-opus-5-5), 2026-09-27 Summary: Athanasius says the cross, thought foolish, has brought resurrection and the worship of the true God to all nations, and that the “therefore” of Phil 2:9 names the cause of our exaltation, not a reward to Christ. ### Greek text 43. Ἰδοὺ γοῦν τὸ νομιζόμενον παρὰ ἀνθρώποις ‘μωρὸν τοῦ Θεοῦʼ διὰ τὸν σταυρὸν γέγονε πάντων ἐντιμότερον. Ἡ μὲν γὰρ ἀνάστασις ἡμῶν ἐν αὐτῷ ἀπόκειται· οὐκέτι δὲ μόνος ὁ Ἰσραὴλ, ἀλλὰ καὶ πάντα τὰ ἔθνη λοιπὸν, ὡς προείρηκεν ὁ προφήτης, τὰ μὲν εἴδωλα ἑαυτῶν καταλιμπάνουσι, τὸν δὲ ἀληθινὸν Θεὸν τὸν τοῦ Χριστοῦ Πατέρα ἐπιγινώσκουσι· καὶ ἡ μὲν τῶν δαιμόνων φαντασία κατήργηται, μόνος δὲ ὁ ὄντως Θεὸς ἐν τῷ ὀνόματι τοῦ Κυρίου ἡμῶν Ἰησοῦ Χριστοῦ προσκυνεῖται. Τὸ δὲ καὶ ἐν σώματι γενόμενον τὸν Κύριον καὶ κληθέντα Ἰησοῦν προσκυνεῖσθαι, πιστεύεσθαί τε αὐτὸν Υἱὸν Θεοῦ, καὶ διʼ αὐτοῦ ἐπιγινώσκεσθαι τὸν Πατέρα, δῆλον ἂν εἴη, καθάπερ εἴρηται, ὅτι οὐχ ὁ Λόγος, ᾗ Λόγος ἐστὶν, ἔλαβε τὴν τοιαύτην χάριν, ἀλλʼ ἡμεῖς. Διὰ γὰρ τὴν πρὸς τὸ σῶμα αὐτοῦ συγγένειαν ‘ναὸς Θεοῦʼ γεγόναμεν καὶ ἡμεῖς, καὶ υἱοὶ Θεοῦ λοιπὸν πεποιήμεθα, ὥστε καὶ ἐν ἡμῖν ἥδη προσκυνεῖσθαι τὸν Κύριον, καὶ τοὺς ὁρῶντας ‘ἀπαγγέλλειν, ’ ὡς ὁ ἀπόστολος εἴρηκεν, ‘ὅτι ὄντως ὁ Θεὸς ἐν τούτοις ἐστί·’ καθάπερ καὶ ὁ Ἰωάννης ἐν μὲν τῷ εὐαγγελίῳ φησὶν, ‘Ὅσοι δὲ ἔλαβον αὐτὸν, ἔδωκεν αὐτοῖς ἐξουσίαν τέκνα Θεοῦ γενέσθαι·’ ἐν δὲ τῇ ἐπιστολῇ γράφει, ‘ἐν τούτῳ γινώσκομεν ὅτι μένει ἐν ἡμῖν, ἐκ τοῦ Πνεύματος αὐτοῦ οὗ ἔδωκεν ἡμῖν.᾿ Γνώρισμα δέ ἐστι καὶ τοῦτο τῆς εἰς ἡμᾶς παρʼ αὐτοῦ γενομένης ἀγαθότητος, ὅτι ἡμεῖς μὲν ὑψώθημεν, διὰ τὸ ἐν ἡμῖν εἶναι τὸν ὕψιστον Κύριον, καὶ διʼ ἡμᾶς ἡ χάρις δίδοται, διὰ τὸ γενέσθαι ὡς ἡμᾶς ἄνθρωπον τὸν χορηγοῦντα τὴν χάριν Κύριον· αὐτὸς δὲ ὁ Σωτὴρ ‘ἐταπείνωσεν ἑαυτὸνʼ ἐν τῷ λαβεῖν τὸ ταπεινὸν ἡμῶν σῶμα, ‘δούλου τε μορφὴν ἔλαβεν, ʼ ἐνδυσάμενος τῆν δουλωθεῖσαν σάρκα τῇ ἁμαρτίᾳ. Καὶ αὐτὸς μὲν οὐδὲν παρʼ ἡμῶν εἰς βελτίωσιν ἔσχηκεν· ἀνενδεὴς γάρ ἐστι καὶ πλήρης ὁ τοῦ Θεοῦ Λόγος· ἡμεῖς δὲ παρʼ αὐτοῦ μᾶλλον ἐβελτιώθημεν. Αὐτὸς γάρ ἐστι ‘τὸ φῶς, ὃ φωτίζει πάντα ἄνθρωπον ἐρχόμενον εἰς τὸν κόσμον. ʼ Καὶ μάτην ἐπερείδονται οἱ Ἀρειανοὶ τῷ ‘διὸʼ συνδέσμῳ, διὰ τὸ λέγειν τὸν Παῦλον, ‘Διὸ καὶ ὁ Θεὸς αὐτὸν ὑπερύψωσεν·᾿ Οὐ γὰρ ἆθλον ἀρετῆς, οὐδὲ βελτίωσιν προκοπῆς αὐτοῦ σημαίνων ἔλεγεν, ἀλλὰ τὸ αἴτιον τῆς εἰς ἡμᾶς γενομένης ὑψώσεως. Τί δὲ τοῦτό ἐστιν ἢ τὸν ‘ἐν μορφῇ Θεοῦ ὑπάρχοντα, ʼ καὶ εὐγενοῦς Πατρὸς Υἱὸν, ‘ταπεινῶσαι ἑαυτὸνʼ καὶ δοῦλον ἀνθʼ ἡμῶν καὶ ὑπὲρ ἡμῶν γενέσθαι; Εἰ γὰρ μὴ ἄνθρωπος ὁ Κύριος ἐγεγόνει, οὐκ ἂν ἡμεῖς ἀπὸ ἁμαρτιῶν λυτρωθέντες ἐκ νεκρῶν ἀνέστημεν, ἀλλʼ ἐμένομεν ὑπὸ γῆν νεκροί· οὐδʼ ἂν ὑψώθημεν εἰς οὐρανοὺς, ἀλλʼ ἐμένομεν ἐν τῷ ᾅδῃ. Διʼ ἡμᾶς ἄρα καὶ ὑπὲρ ἡμῶν ἐστι τὸ λεγόμενον ‘ὑπερύψωσεʼ καὶ ‘ἐχαρίσατο.’ ### English translation (Claude) 43. See, then: what men thought “the foolishness of God” because of the cross has become more honored than all things. For our resurrection is stored up in it; and no longer Israel alone, but now all the nations, as the prophet foretold, abandon their idols and acknowledge the true God, the Father of Christ; and the illusion of the demons has been abolished, and he alone who is truly God is worshipped in the name of our Lord Jesus Christ. And the fact that the Lord, even having come in a body and been called Jesus, is worshipped and believed to be the Son of God, and that through him the Father is known, would show, as has been said, that it was not the Word, as Word, who received such grace, but we. For because of our kinship with his body we too have become “God's temple,” and have been made sons of God, so that the Lord is now worshipped in us too, and those who see “report,” as the apostle said, “that God is truly among them.” Just as John says in the Gospel, “But as many as received him, to them he gave power to become children of God”; and in the letter he writes, “By this we know that he abides in us, by the Spirit whom he has given us.” And this too is a mark of the goodness he has shown us: we have been exalted because the Most High Lord is in us, and grace is given because of us, because the Lord who supplies the grace has become man like us; but the Savior himself “humbled himself” by taking our lowly body, and “took the form of a servant,” putting on the flesh that had been enslaved to sin. And he himself has gained nothing from us for his improvement, for the Word of God lacks nothing and is full; rather, we have been improved by him. For he is “the light that enlightens every man coming into the world.” And in vain do the Arians lean on the conjunction “therefore,” because Paul says, “Therefore God also highly exalted him.” For in saying this he did not mean a prize of virtue or the improvement of his advance, but the cause of the exaltation that has come to us. And what is this but that he who “was in the form of God,” the Son of a noble Father, “humbled himself” and became a servant in our place and for us? For if the Lord had not become man, we would not have been redeemed from our sins and risen from the dead, but would have remained dead under the earth; nor would we have been exalted to heaven, but would have remained in Hades. So “he highly exalted” and “he granted” are said because of us and for us. ### Scripture references - 1 Cor 1:25: quotation, high confidence - 1 Cor 3:16: quotation, high confidence - 1 Cor 14:25: quotation, high confidence - John 1:12: quotation, high confidence - 1 John 4:13: quotation, high confidence - Phil 3:21: allusion, medium confidence - Phil 2:7: quotation, high confidence - Phil 2:8: quotation, high confidence - Phil 2:9: quotation, high confidence - Phil 2:6: quotation, high confidence - Rom 8:3: echo, medium confidence - John 1:9: quotation, high confidence ### Citation (SBL) Athanasius, C. Ar. 43 (Bright, 44–45; trans. Sophia Scriptura, https://sophiascriptura.com/fathers/athanasius-oratio-1/42/#p-43). ## Oration I Against the Arians 44 - URL: https://sophiascriptura.com/fathers/athanasius-oratio-1/42/#p-44 - Source: Bright, 45–46 - Translation: Claude (claude-opus-5-5), 2026-09-27 Summary: Athanasius offers a second reading of Phil 2:9: the exaltation is the resurrection, which happened because the one who died was God in a body. ### Greek text 44. Τοιαύτην μὲν οὖν ἡγοῦμαι τὴν διάνοιαν τοῦ ῥητοῦ καὶ μάλα ἐκκλησιαστικὴν οὖσαν, Καὶ δεύτερον δὲ ὅμως τις ἐπιχειρήσειεν εἰς τὸ ῥητὸν, ἐκ παραλλήλου λέγων τὰ αὐτά· ὅτι οὐ τὸν Λόγον αὐτὸν, ᾗ Λόγος ἐστὶν, ὑψοῦσθαι σημαίνει· (ἔστι γὰρ, ὡς προείρηται μικρῷ πρόσθεν, ὕψιστος καὶ ὅμοιος ὢν τῷ Πατρί·) ἀλλὰ διὰ τὴν ἐνανθρώπησιν αὐτοῦ τῆς ἐκ νεκρῶν ἀναστάσεώς ἐστι δηλωτικὸν τὸ ῥητόν. Λέγων γοῦν, ‘ἐταπείνωσεν ἑαυτὸν μέχρι θανάτου, ʼ εὐθὺς ἐπήγαγε τὸ ‘διὰ τοῦτο ὑπερύψωσεʼ δεῖξαι θέλων, ὅτι εἰ καὶ ὡς ἄνθρωπος λέγεται τεθνηκέναι, ἀλλʼ ὡς ζωὴ ὢν ὑψώθη τῇ ἀναστάσει· ‘ὁ γὰρ καταβὰς, αὐτός ἐστι καὶ ὁ ἀναστάς.’ Κατέβη γὰρ σωματικῶς· ἀνέστη δὲ, ὅτι Θεὸς ἦν αὐτὸς ἐν σώματι. Καὶ τοῦτο πάλιν ἐστὶν οὗ χάριν ἐπήγαγε τῇ διανοίᾳ ταύτῃ τὸν ‘διὸʼ σύνδεσμον, οὐ ‘μισθὸν ἀρετῆςʼ οὐδὲ προκοπῆς, ἀλλʼ αἰτίας δηλωτικὸν, διʼ ἣν ἡ ἀνάστασις γέγονε· καὶ διʼ ἣν αἰτίαν οἱ μὲν ἄλλοι ἄνθρωποι ἀπὸ Ἀδὰμ καὶ μέχρι νῦν ἀπέθανον καὶ ἔμειναν νεκροὶ, οὗτος δὲ μόνος ὁλόκληρος ἐκ νεκρῶν ἀνέστη. Ἡ δὲ αἰτία αὕτη ἐστιν, ἢν αὐτὸς προείρηκεν, ὅτι, Θεὸς ὢν, ἄνθρωπος γέγονεν. Οἱ μὲν γὰρ ἄλλοι πάντες ἄνθρωποι, μόνον ἐξ Ἀδὰμ ὄντες, ἀπέθανον, καὶ τὸν θάνατον εἶχον ‘βασιλεύονταʼ κατʼ αὐτῶν· οὗτος δὲ ‘ὁ δεύτερος ἄνθρωπος ἐξ οὐρανοῦ ἐστιν·’ ὁ γὰρ ‘Λόγος σὰρξ ἐγένετο·’ Καὶ λέγεται ὁ τοιοῦτος ‘ἄνθρωπος ἐξ οὐρανοῦʼ καὶ ‘ἐπουράνιος, ’ διὰ τὸ ‘ἐξ οὐρανοῦ καταβεβηκέναιʼ τὸν Λόγον· διὸ ‘οὐδὲ κεκράτηται ὑπὸ τοῦ θανάτου.᾿ Εἰ γὰρ καὶ ἐταπείνωσεν ἑαυτὸν, συγχωρήσας μέχρι θανάτου φθάσαι τὸ ἴδιον ἑαυτοῦ σῶμα, διὰ τὸ εἶναι αὐτὸ δεκτικὸν θανάτου· ἀλλʼ ἐκ γῆς ὑπερυψώθη, διὰ τὸ εἶναι αὐτὸν ἐν σώματι Υἱὸν τοῦ Θεοῦ, Ἴσον γοῦν ἐστι τὸ ἐνταῦθα λεγόμενον, ‘διὸ καὶ ὁ Θεὸς αὐτὸν ὑπερύψωσε, ’ τῷ λεγομένῳ ἐν ταῖς Πράξεσι παρὰ τοῦ Πέτρου· ‘ὃν ὁ Θεὸς ἀνέστησε, λύσας τὰς ὠδῖνας τοῦ θανάτου, καθότι οὐκ ἦν δυνατὸν κρατεῖσθαι αὐτὸν ὑπʼ αὐτοῦ.’ Ὡς γὰρ παρὰ τῷ Παύλῳ γέγραπται· ἐπειδὴ, ‘ἐν μορφῇ Θεοῦʼ ὢν, γέγονεν ἄνθρωπος, καὶ ‘ἐταπείνωσεν ἑαυτὸν μέχρι θανάτου, διὸ καὶ ὁ Θεὸς ὑπερύψωσεν αὐτόν·’ οὕτως καὶ παρὰ τοῦ Πέτρου λέγεται, ὅτι ἐπειδὴ, Θεὸς ὢν, γέγονεν ἄνθρωπος, τὰ δὲ σημεῖα καὶ τὰ τέρατα ἀπέδειξεν αὐτὸν καὶ τοῖς ὁρῶσι Θεὸν, διὰ τοῦτο ‘δυνατὸν οὐκ ἦν κρατεῖσθαι αὐτὸν ὑπὸ τοῦ θανάτου. Ἀνθρώπῳ δὲ δυνατὸν οὐκ ἦν τοῦτο κατορθῶσαι, ἴδιον γὰρ τῶν ἀνθρώπων ὁ θάνατος· διὰ τοῦτο Θεὸς ὢν ὁ Λόγος γέγονε σὰρξ, ἵνα, θανατωθεὶς σαρκὶ, ’ ζωοποιήσῃ πάντας τῇ ἑαυτοῦ δυνάμει. ### English translation (Claude) 44. This, then, I think is the meaning of the text, and a thoroughly ecclesiastical one. But one might also approach the text a second way, saying the same things in parallel: that it does not signify that the Word himself, as Word, is exalted (for he is, as was said a little before, most high and like the Father), but that, because of his becoming man, the text points to the resurrection from the dead. For having said, “he humbled himself to death,” he at once added, “therefore he highly exalted,” wishing to show that, although as man he is said to have died, yet, being life, he was exalted by the resurrection. For “he who came down is the same who also rose.” For he came down bodily; but he rose because he himself was God in a body. And this again is why, in this sense, he added the conjunction “therefore”: not as indicating a “reward of virtue” or of advance, but the cause for which the resurrection took place, and the cause for which all other men from Adam until now have died and remained dead, but he alone rose whole from the dead. And this cause is what he himself said before: that, being God, he became man. For all other men, being only from Adam, died and had death “reigning” over them; but this one is “the second man, from heaven,” for “the Word became flesh.” And such a man is called “man from heaven” and “heavenly,” because the Word “came down from heaven”; therefore he “was not held by death.” For even though he humbled himself, allowing his own body to come to death, since it was capable of death, yet he was highly exalted from the earth, because he was the Son of God in a body. So what is said here, “therefore God also highly exalted him,” is equal to what Peter says in the Acts: “whom God raised up, having loosed the pangs of death, because it was not possible for him to be held by it.” For as it is written in Paul, since “being in the form of God” he became man and “humbled himself to death, therefore God also highly exalted him,” so it is said by Peter too that, since, being God, he became man, and the signs and wonders showed him to be God even to those who saw them, therefore “it was not possible for him to be held by death.” It was not possible for a man to accomplish this, for death belongs to men. Therefore the Word, being God, became flesh, so that, “put to death in the flesh,” he might make all alive by his own power. ### Scripture references - Phil 2:8: quotation, high confidence - Phil 2:9: quotation, high confidence - Eph 4:10: quotation, medium confidence - Rom 5:14: allusion, high confidence - 1 Cor 15:47: quotation, high confidence - 1 Cor 15:48: allusion, medium confidence - John 1:14: quotation, high confidence - John 6:38: allusion, medium confidence - Acts 2:24: quotation, high confidence - Phil 2:6: quotation, high confidence - 1 Pet 3:18: quotation, high confidence ### Citation (SBL) Athanasius, C. Ar. 44 (Bright, 45–46; trans. Sophia Scriptura, https://sophiascriptura.com/fathers/athanasius-oratio-1/42/#p-44). ## Oration I Against the Arians 45 - URL: https://sophiascriptura.com/fathers/athanasius-oratio-1/42/#p-45 - Source: Bright, 46–47 - Translation: Claude (claude-opus-5-5), 2026-09-27 Summary: Athanasius explains that the Word is said to be exalted and to receive grace because the body that was raised and exalted was his own; as Word he gives what, as man, he receives. ### Greek text 45. Ἐπειδὴ δὲ αὐτὸς λέγεται ‘ὑψῶσθαι, ʼ καὶ ὅτι ὁ Θεὸς αὐτῷ ‘ἐχαρίσατο, ᾿ καὶ νομίζουσιν οἱ αἱρετικοὶ ἐλάττωμα εἶναι ἢ πάθος τῆς τοῦ Λόγου οὐσίας, ἀναγκαῖον εἰπεῖν πῶς καὶ ταῦτα λέγεται. Ὑψῶσθαι γὰρ λέγεται αὐτὸς ἀπὸ τῶν ‘κατωτέρων μερῶν τῆς γῆς, ’ ἐπεὶ καὶ αὐτοῦ λέγεται ὁ θάνατος εἶναι. Αὐτοῦ δὲ λέγεται ἀμφότερα, ἐπειδὴ αὐτοῦ ἦν, καὶ οὐχ ἑτέρου, σῶμα τὸ ὑψωθὲν ἀπό τῶν νεκρῶν καὶ εἰς οὐρανοὺς ἀναληφθέν. Αὐτοῦ δὲ πάλιν ὄντος τοῦ σώματος, καὶ οὐκ ὄντος ἐκτὸς αὐτοῦ τοῦ Λόγου, εἰκότως ὑψουμένου τοῦ σώματος, αὐτὸς, ὡς ἄνθρωπος, διὰ τὸ σῶμα ‘ὑψοῦσθαιʼ λέγεται. Εἰ μὲν οὖν οὐ γέγονεν ἄνθρωπος, μὴ λεγέσθω περὶ αὐτοῦ ταῦτα· εἰ δὲ ‘ὁ Λόγος γέγονε σὰρξ, ʼ ἀνάγκη ὡς περὶ ἀνθρώπου λέγεσθαι αὐτοῦ τήν τε ἀνάστασιν καὶ τὴν ὕψωσιν, ἵνʼ ὁ μὲν θάνατος λεγόμενος αὐτοῦ λύτρον ᾖ τῆς τῶν ἀνθρώπων ἁμαρτίας, καὶ κατάργησις τοῦ θανάτου, ἡ δὲ ἀνάστασις καὶ ἡ ὕψωσις βεβαία διʼ αὐτὸν εἰς ἡμᾶς διαμένῃ. Ἐπʼ ἀμφοτέρων δὲ εἴρηκεν, ‘ὁ Θεὸς αὐτὸν ὑπερύψωσε, ʼ καὶ, ‘ὁ Θεὸς αὐτῷ ἐχαρίσατο· ʼ ἵνα καὶ ἐκ τούτου δείξῃ πάλιν, ὅτι μὴ ὁ Πατήρ ἐστιν ὁ γενόμενος σὰρξ, ἀλλʼ ὁ τούτου Λόγος ἐστὶν ὁ γενόμενος ἄνθρωπος, ὁ ‘λαμβάνωνʼ ἀνθρωπίνως παρὰ τοῦ Πατρὸς, καὶ ‘ὑψούμενοςʼ παρʼ αὐτοῦ, ὥσπερ εἴρηται. Δῆλον δὲ, καὶ οὐκ ἂν ἀμφιβάλοι τις, ὅτι ἃ δίδωσιν ὁ Πατὴρ, διὰ τοῦ Υίοῦ δίδωσι. Καὶ ἔστι παράδοξον καὶ ἐκπλῆξαι δυνάμενον ἀληθῶς· ἣν γὰρ δίδωσιν ὁ Υἱὸς παρὰ τοῦ Πατρὸς χάριν, ταύτην αὐτὸς ὁ Υἱὸς λέγεται ‘δέχεσθαι·’ καὶ τὴν ὕψωσιν, ἣν ὁ Υἱὸς παρὰ τοῦ Πατρὸς ποιεῖ, ταύτην ὡς αὐτὸς ‘ὑψούμενόςʼ ἐστιν ὁ Υἱός. Αὐτὸς γὰρ ὁ ὢν τοῦ Θεοῦ Υἱὸς, αὐτὸς γέγονε καὶ Υἱὸς ἀνθρώπου· καὶ ὡς μὲν Λόγος, τὰ παρὰ τοῦ Πατρὸς δίδωσι· πάντα γὰρ, ἃ ποιεῖ καὶ δίδωσιν ὁ Πατὴρ, διʼ αὐτοῦ ποιεῖ τε καὶ παρέχει· ὡς δὲ Υἱὸς ἀνθρώπου, αὐτὸς ἀνθρωπίνως λέγεται τὰ παρʼ ἑαυτοῦ δέχεσθαι, διὰ τὸ μὴ ἑτέρου, ἀλλʼ αὐτοῦ εἶναι τὸ σῶμα, τὸ φύσιν ἔχον τοῦ δέχεσθαι τὴν χάριν, καθάπερ εἴρηται. Ἐλάμβανε γὰρ κατὰ τὸ ὑψοῦσθαι τὸν ἄνθρωπον· ὕψωσις δὲ ἦν τὸ θεοποιεῖσθαι αὐτόν. Αὐτὸς δὲ ὁ Λόγος εἶχεν ἀεὶ τοῦτο κατὰ τὴν πατρικὴν ἑαυτοῦ θεότητα καὶ τελειότητα. ### English translation (Claude) 45. But since he is said to be “exalted,” and that God “granted” him, and the heretics think this is a defect or a passion of the Word's substance, it is necessary to say how these things too are meant. He is said to be exalted from “the lower parts of the earth,” since death too is said to be his. Both are said to be his because it was his body, and not another's, that was exalted from the dead and taken up into heaven. And again, since the body is his, and the Word is not outside it, it is natural that when the body is exalted, he himself, as man, is said to be “exalted” because of the body. If, then, he did not become man, let these things not be said of him; but if “the Word became flesh,” the resurrection and the exaltation must be spoken of him as of a man, so that the death said to be his may be a ransom for the sin of men and the abolition of death, and the resurrection and exaltation may remain secure for us because of him. In both cases he said, “God highly exalted him,” and “God granted him,” so as to show from this too that it is not the Father who became flesh, but his Word who became man, who “receives” in a human way from the Father and is “exalted” by him, as has been said. And it is clear, and no one would doubt it, that what the Father gives, he gives through the Son. And this is a paradox and truly able to astonish: the grace that the Son gives from the Father, the Son himself is said to “receive”; and the exaltation that the Son effects from the Father, with this the Son himself is “exalted.” For he who is the Son of God himself became also Son of Man. As Word, he gives what comes from the Father; for all things that the Father does and gives, he does and supplies through him. But as Son of Man, he himself is said in a human way to receive what comes from himself, because the body, which by nature receives grace, is not another's but his own, as has been said. For he received according to the exaltation of the man; and the exaltation was his being deified. But the Word himself always had this according to his Father's Godhead and completeness. ### Scripture references - Phil 2:9: quotation, high confidence - Eph 4:9: quotation, high confidence - John 1:14: quotation, high confidence ### Translation notes - Athanasius's point is that what happens to the body is rightly said of the Word, whose body it is; this later came to be called the “communication of attributes.” ### Citation (SBL) Athanasius, C. Ar. 45 (Bright, 46–47; trans. Sophia Scriptura, https://sophiascriptura.com/fathers/athanasius-oratio-1/42/#p-45). ## Oration I Against the Arians 46 - URL: https://sophiascriptura.com/fathers/athanasius-oratio-1/42/#p-46 - Source: Bright, 47–48 - Translation: Claude (claude-opus-5-5), 2026-09-27 Summary: Athanasius turns to Ps 45:6–7 and argues that the Son is anointed with the Spirit as man, for our sake, since he is himself the giver of the Spirit. ### Greek text 46. Τὸ μὲν οὖν παρὰ τῷ ἀποστόλῳ γεγραμμένον, τοιοῦτον ἔχον τὸν νοῦν, ἐλέγχει τοὺς ἀσεβεῖς· τὸ δὲ παρὰ τῷ ὑμνῳδῷ λεγόμενον τὴν αὐτὴν πάλιν ἔχει διάνοιαν ὀρθὴν, ἣν παρεξηγοῦνται μὲν οὗτοι, ὁ δὲ ψαλμῳδὸς δείκνυσιν εὐσεβῆ. Φησὶ γὰρ καὶ αὐτὸς, ‘ Ὁ θρόνος σου, ὁ Θεὸς, εἰς τὸν αἰῶνα τοῦ αἰῶνος. Ῥάβδος εὐθύτητος ἡ ῥάβδος τῆς βασιλείας σου. Ἠγάπησας δικαιοσύνην, καὶ ἐμίσησας ἀδικίαν· διὰ τοῦτο ἔχρισέ σε ὁ Θεὸς, ὁ Θεός σου, ἔλαιον ἀγαλλιάσεως παρὰ τοὺς μετόχους σου.’ Ἴδετε, ὦ Ἀρειανοὶ, καὶ ἐπίγνωτε κἂν ἐντεῦθεν τὴν ἀλήθειαν. ‘Μετόχους τοῦ Κυρίου πάντας ἡμᾶς εἴρηκεν ὁ ψάλλων. Εἰ δὲ ‘ἐξ οὐκ ὄντων ἦν καὶ τῶν γενητῶν εἶς, εἶς ἦν ἂν τῶν μετεχόντων καὶ αὐτός· ἐπειδὴ δὲ αὐτὸν μὲν Θεὸν αἰώνιον ὕμνησε λέγων, ‘ Ὁ θρόνος σου, ὁ Θεὸς, εἰς τὸν αἰῶνα τοῦ αἰῶνος, ʼ τὰ δὲ ἄλλα πάντα μετέχειν αὐτοῦ δεδήλωκε, τί δεῖ νοεῖν ἢ ὅτι τῶν μὲν γενητῶν ἄλλος ἐστὶ, τοῦ δὲ Πατρὸς μόνος αὐτός ἐστι Λόγος ἀληθινὸς, ἀπαύγασμα, καὶ σοφία, ἧς τὰ γενητὰ πάντα μετέχει, καὶ ἁγιάζεται παρʼ αὐτοῦ τῷ Πνεύματι; Καὶ ἐνταῦθα γοῦν ‘χρίεται, ᾿ οὐχ ἵνα Θεὸς γένηται· ἦν γὰρ καὶ πρὸ τούτου· οὐδʼ ἵνα βασιλεὺς γένηται· ἦν γὰρ ἀϊδίως βασιλεύων, ‘εἰκὼνʼ ὑπάρχων τοῦ Θεοῦ, ὡς τὸ λόγιον δείκνυσιν· ἀλλʼ ὑπὲρ ἡμῶν πάλιν καὶ τοῦτο γέγραπται. Οἱ μὲν γὰρ κατὰ τὸν Ἰσραὴλ βασιλεῖς, ὅτε ἐχρίοντο, τότε βασιλεῖς ἐγίνοντο, οὐκ ὄντες πρότερον βασιλεῖς, ὡς Δαβὶδ, ὡς Ἐζεκίας, ὡς Ἰωσίας καὶ οἱ ἄλλοι· ὁ δὲ Σωτὴρ τὸ ἔμπαλιν, Θεὸς ὢν, καὶ τὴν βασιλείαν τοῦ Πατρὸς ἀεὶ βασιλεύων, τοῦ τε Πνεύματος τοῦ ἁγίου χορηγὸς ὢν αὐτὸς, ὅμως δὲ λέγεται νῦν ‘χρίεσθαι, ’ ἵνα πάλιν, ὡς ἄνθρωπος λεγόμενος τῷ Πνεύματι χρίεσθαι, ἡμῖν τοῖς ἀνθρώποις, καθάπερ τὸ ὑψωθῆναι καὶ τὸ ἀναστῆναι, οὕτως καὶ τὴν τοῦ Πνεύματος ἐνοίκησιν καὶ οἰκειότητα κατασκευάσῃ. Τοῦτο δὲ σημαίνων καὶ αὐτὸς διʼ ἑαυτοῦ ὁ Κύριος ἔλεγεν ἐν τῷ κατὰ Ἰωάννην εὐαγ γελίῳ, ‘ἐγὼ ἀπέστειλα αὐτοὺς εἰς τὸν κόσμον, καὶ ὑπὲρ αὐτῶν ἐγὼ ἁγιάζω ἐμαυτὸν, ἵνα ὦσι καὶ αὐτοὶ ἡγιασμένοι ἐν ἀληθείᾳ.’ Τοῦτο δὲ λέγων, ἔδειξεν ὅτι μὴ αὐτός ἐστιν ὁ ἁγιαζόμενος, ἀλλʼ ὁ ἁγιάζων· οὐ γὰρ παρʼ ἑτέρου ἁγιάζεται, ἀλλʼ αὐτὸς ἑαυτὸν ἁγιάζει, ἵνα ἡμεῖς ἐν τῇ ἀληθείᾳ ἁγιασθῶμεν. Ὁ δὲ ἑαυτὸν ἁγιάζων Κύριός ἐστι τοῦ ἁγιάζειν. Πῶς οὖν τοῦτο γίνεται; πῶς δὲ τοῦτο λέγει ἢ ὅτι, ‘Ἐγὼ Λόγος ὢν τοῦ Πατρὸς, αὐτὸς ἐμαυτῷ ἀνθρώπῳ γενομένῳ δίδωμι τὸ Πνεῦμα· καὶ ἐμαυτὸν ἄνθρωπον γενόμενον ἐν τούτῳ ἁγιάζω, ἵνα λοιπὸν ἐν ἐμοὶ ἀληθείᾳ ὄντι (‘ὁ δὲ Λόγος ὁ σὸς ἀλήθειά ἐστινʼ) οἱ πάντες ἁγιασθῶσιν;’ ### English translation (Claude) 46. What is written in the apostle, then, having this meaning, refutes the impious; and what is said by the hymn-writer has the same right sense again, which these men misinterpret but the psalmist shows to be reverent. For he too says, “Your throne, O God, is forever and ever. The scepter of uprightness is the scepter of your kingdom. You have loved righteousness and hated iniquity; therefore God, your God, has anointed you with the oil of gladness above your companions.” See, you Arians, and recognize the truth even from this. The psalmist has called all of us “companions” (that is, sharers) of the Lord. If he were “from nothing” and one of the things originated, he too would have been one of those who share. But since he praised him as eternal God, saying, “Your throne, O God, is forever and ever,” and has shown that all other things share in him, what must we think but that he is other than things originated, and that he alone is the true Word of the Father, the radiance and the wisdom, in which all originated things share, and by which they are sanctified in the Spirit? So here too he is “anointed,” not so that he may become God, for he was so even before this; nor so that he may become king, for he reigned eternally, “being the image” of God, as the oracle shows; but this too, again, is written for us. For the kings of Israel became kings when they were anointed, not having been kings before, like David, Hezekiah, Josiah, and the others. But the Savior, on the contrary, being God, and always reigning with the kingdom of the Father, and being himself the one who supplies the Holy Spirit, is nevertheless now said to be “anointed,” so that, being said as man to be anointed with the Spirit, he might again prepare for us men not only exaltation and resurrection but also the indwelling and intimacy of the Spirit. The Lord himself indicated this in his own person when he said in the Gospel according to John, “I have sent them into the world, and for them I sanctify myself, so that they too may be sanctified in the truth.” In saying this he showed that he is not the one sanctified but the one who sanctifies. For he is not sanctified by another, but he sanctifies himself, so that we may be sanctified in the truth. And he who sanctifies himself is Lord of sanctifying. How, then, does this happen? What is he saying, but this: “I, being the Word of the Father, give the Spirit to myself become man; and in the Spirit I sanctify myself become man, so that from now on in me, who am truth (‘your Word is truth’), all may be sanctified”? ### Scripture references - Ps 45:6 (44:7 LXX): quotation, high confidence - Ps 45:7 (44:8 LXX): quotation, high confidence - Col 1:15: allusion, medium confidence - John 17:18: quotation, high confidence - John 17:19: quotation, high confidence - John 17:17: quotation, high confidence ### Translation notes - The psalm is Ps 45:6–7 (LXX 44:7–8). “Companions” renders μέτοχοι, which also means “sharers,” the point of Athanasius's argument. ### Citation (SBL) Athanasius, C. Ar. 46 (Bright, 47–48; trans. Sophia Scriptura, https://sophiascriptura.com/fathers/athanasius-oratio-1/42/#p-46). ## Oration I Against the Arians 47 - URL: https://sophiascriptura.com/fathers/athanasius-oratio-1/42/#p-47 - Source: Bright, 48–50 - Translation: Claude (claude-opus-5-5), 2026-09-27 Summary: Athanasius explains that Christ's anointing with the Spirit at the Jordan was for us, so that in him we too are washed, anointed, and sealed; the Word himself gives the Spirit. ### Greek text 47. Εἰ δὲ ἡμῶν χάριν ἑαυτὸν ἁγιάζει, καὶ τοῦτο ποιεῖ ὅτε γέγονεν ἄνθρωπος, εὔδηλον, ὅτι καὶ ἡ εἰς αὐτὸν ἐν τῷ Ἰορδάνῃ τοῦ Πνεύματος γενομένη κάθοδος εἰς ἡμᾶς ἦν γινομένη, διὰ τὸ φορεῖν αὐτὸν τὸ ἡμέτερον σῶμα. Καὶ οὐκ ἐπὶ βελτιώσει τοῦ Λόγου γέγονεν, ἀλλʼ εἰς ἡμῶν πάλιν ἁγιασμὸν, ἵνα τοῦ χρίσματος αὐτοῦ μεταλάβωμεν, καὶ περὶ ἡμῶν λεχθείη, Ὁὐκ οἴδατε, ὅτι ναὸς Θεοῦ ἐστε, καὶ τὸ Πνεῦμα τοῦ Θεοῦ οἰκεῖ ἐν ὑμῖν; ʼ Τοῦ γὰρ Κυρίου, ὡς ἀνθρώπου, λουομένου εἰς τὸν Ἰορδάνην, ἡμεῖς ἦμεν οἱ ἐν αὐτῷ καὶ παρʼ αὐτοῦ λουόμενοι. Καὶ δεχομένου δὲ αὐτοῦ τὸ Πνεῦμα, ἡμεῖς ἦμεν οἱ παρʼ αὐτοῦ γινόμενοι τούτου δεκτικοί. Διὰ τοῦτο οὐδʼ ὥσπερ Ἀαρὼν, ἢ Δαβὶδ, ἢ οἱ ἄλλοι πάντες, οὕτως καὶ αὐτὸς ἐλαίῳ κέχρισται, ἀλλὰ ἅλλως παρὰ πάντας τοὺς μετόχους αὐτοῦ, ἐλαίῳ ἀγαλλιάσεως· ὅπερ ἑρμηνεύων αὐτὸς εἶναι τὸ Πνεῦμα, διὰ τοῦ προφήτου φησὶ, ‘Πνεῦμα Κυρίου ἐπʼ ἐμὲ, οὗ εἵνεκεν ἔχρισέ με·’ καθὼς καὶ ὁ ἀπόστολος εἴρηκεν, ὡς ἔχρισεν αὐτὸν ὁ Θεὸς Πνεύματι ἁγίῳ.’ Πότε οὖν καὶ ταῦτα περὶ αὐτοῦ εἴρηται, ἢ ὅτε καὶ ἐν σαρκὶ γενόμενος ἐβαπτίζετο ἐν τῷ Ἰορδάνῃ, καὶ ‘καταβέβηκεν ἐπʼ αὐτὸν τὸ Πνεῦμα;’ Καὶ μὴν αὐτὸς ὁ Κύριός φησι, ‘τὸ Πνεῦμα ἐκ τοῦ ἐμοῦ λήψεται·’ καὶ, ‘ἐγὼ αὐτὸ ἀποστέλλω·’ καὶ, ‘Λάβετε Πνεῦμα ἅγιον, ’ τοῖς μαθηταῖς. Καὶ ὅμως ὁ ἄλλοις παρέχων, ὡς Λόγος καὶ ἀπαύγασμα τοῦ Πατρὸς, λέγεται νῦν ‘ἀγιάζεσθαι, ’ ἐπειδὴ πάλιν γέγονεν ἄνθρωπος, καὶ τὸ ἁγιαζόμενον σῶμα αὐτοῦ ἐστιν. Ἐξ ἐκείνου γοῦν καὶ ἡμεῖς ἠρξάμεθα τοῦ τὸ χρίσμα καὶ τὴν σφραγῖδα λαμβάνειν, λέγοντος τοῦ μὲν Ἰωάννου, ‘Καὶ ὑμεῖς χρίσμα ἔχετε ἀπὸ τοῦ ἁγίου·’ τοῦ δὲ ἀποστόλου, ‘καὶ ὑμεῖς ἐσφραγίσθητε τῷ Πνεύματι τῆς ἐπαγγελίας τῷ ἁγίῳ.’ Οὐκοῦν διʼ ἡμᾶς, καὶ ὑπὲρ ἡμῶν ἐστι τὸ λεγόμενον. Ποία τοίνυν καὶ ἐκ τούτου προκοπὴ βελτιώσεως καὶ ‘μισθὸς ἀρετῆςʼ ἢ ἁπλῶς πράξεως τοῦ Κυρίου δείκνυται; Εἰ μὲν γὰρ, ἐκ τοῦ μὴ εἶναι Θεὸς, Θεὸς ἐγεγόνει· εἰ, μὴ βασιλεὺς ὣν, εἰς βασιλείαν προήγετο· εἶχεν ἂν ὑμῶν ὁ λόγος σκιᾶς τινος πιθανότητα. Εἰ δὲ Θεός ἐστι, καὶ ‘ὁ θρόνος αὐτοῦ τῆς βασιλείας αἰώνιόςʼ ἐστι, ποῦ εἶχε προκόψαι Θεός; ἢ τί ἔλειπε τῷ ἐπὶ τὸν θρόνον καθημένῳ τοῦ Πατρός; εἰ δὲ, καὶ ὡς αὐτὸς ὁ Κύριος εἴρηκεν, αὐτοῦ ἐστι τὸ Πνεῦμα, ἐκ τοῦ αὐτοῦ λαμβάνει, αὐτός τε αὐτὸ ἀποστέλλει· οὐκ ἄρα ὁ Λόγος ἐστὶν, ᾗ Λόγος ἐστὶ καὶ Σοφία, ὁ τῷ παρʼ αὐτοῦ διδομένῳ Πνεύματι χριόμενος, ἀλλʼ ἡ προσληφθεῖσα παρʼ αὐτοῦ σάρξ ἐστιν, ἡ ἐν αὐτῷ καὶ παρʼ αὐτοῦ χριομένη· ἵνα καὶ ὁ ἁγιασμὸς, ὡς εἰς ἄνθρωπον τὸν Κύριον γινόμενος, εἰς πάντας ἀνθρώπους γένηται παρʼ αὐτοῦ, ‘Οὐ γὰρ ἀφʼ ἑαυτοῦ, ’ φησὶ, ‘τὸ Πνεῦμα λαλεῖ, ’ ἀλλʼ ὁ Λόγος ἐστὶν ὁ τοῦτο διδοὺς τοῖς ἀξίοις. Ὅμοιον γάρ ἐστι καὶ τοῦτο τῷ προειρημένῳ ῥητῷ· ὡς γὰρ ὁ ἀπόστολος ἔγραψεν, ‘ὃς ἐν μορφῇ Θεοῦ ὑπάρχων, οὐχ ἁρπαγμὸν ἡγήσατο τὸ εἶναι ἴσα Θεῷ, ἀλλʼ ἑαυτὸν ἐκένωσε, μορφὴν δούλου λαβών·’ οὕτως ὁ Δαβὶδ ὑμνεῖ τὸν Κύριον, αἰώνιον μὲν ὄντα Θεὸν καὶ βασιλέα, ἀποσταλέντα δὲ πρὸς ἡμᾶς, καὶ προσλαβόντα τὸ ἡμέτερον σῶμα θνητὸν ὄν· τοῦτο γὰρ παρʼ αὐτοῦ σημαίνεται ἐν τῷ ψάλλειν· ‘σμύρνα, καὶ στακτὴ, καὶ κασία ἀπὸ τῶν ἱματίων σου.’ Παρὰ δὲ Νικοδήμου καὶ τῶν περὶ Μαριὰμ δείκνυται, ὅτε ὁ μὲν ‘ἦλθε φέρων μίγμα σμύρνης καὶ ἀλόης λίτρας ἑκατόν αἱ δὲ ἅπερ ἦσαν ἑτοιμάσασαι εἰς τὸν ἐνταφιασμὸν τοῦ σώματος τοῦ Κυρίου. ### English translation (Claude) 47. And if he sanctifies himself for our sake, and does this when he has become man, it is quite clear that the descent of the Spirit on him in the Jordan was a descent on us, because he bore our body. And it did not happen for the improvement of the Word, but again for our sanctification, so that we might share in his anointing, and it might be said of us, “Do you not know that you are God's temple, and the Spirit of God dwells in you?” For when the Lord, as man, was washed in the Jordan, it was we who were washed in him and by him. And when he received the Spirit, it was we who were made capable of receiving it by him. For this reason he was not anointed with oil like Aaron or David or all the others, but otherwise, above all his companions, “with the oil of gladness,” which he himself interprets as the Spirit, saying through the prophet, “The Spirit of the Lord is upon me, because he has anointed me”; just as the apostle too said, “how God anointed him with the Holy Spirit.” When, then, were these things said of him, but when, having come in the flesh, he was baptized in the Jordan and “the Spirit came down upon him”? And yet the Lord himself says, “The Spirit will take from what is mine,” and, “I send him,” and to the disciples, “Receive the Holy Spirit.” And nevertheless he who supplies others, as Word and radiance of the Father, is now said to be “sanctified,” because again he has become man, and the body that is sanctified is his. From that time, then, we too have begun to receive the anointing and the seal, as John says, “And you have an anointing from the Holy One,” and the apostle, “And you were sealed with the Holy Spirit of promise.” So what is said is because of us and for us. What advance in improvement, then, and what “reward of virtue,” or of any conduct at all, on the Lord's part is shown from this? For if he had become God from not being God, if, not being king, he had been promoted to kingship, your argument would have had a shadow of plausibility. But if he is God, and “the throne of his kingdom is eternal,” where could God advance? Or what was lacking to him who sits on the Father's throne? And if, as the Lord himself said, the Spirit is his, and takes from what is his, and he himself sends him, then it is not the Word, as Word and Wisdom, who is anointed with the Spirit given by him, but the flesh assumed by him, which is anointed in him and by him, so that the sanctification that came to the Lord as man might come to all men from him. “For the Spirit,” he says, “does not speak on his own,” but it is the Word who gives him to those who are worthy. This too is like the text discussed before. For as the apostle wrote, “who, being in the form of God, did not count equality with God a thing to be grasped, but emptied himself, taking the form of a servant,” so David praises the Lord, who is eternal God and king, but was sent to us and assumed our body, which is mortal. For this is what he signifies when he sings, “Myrrh and stacte and cassia from your garments.” And this is shown by Nicodemus and by Mary's companions, when he “came bringing a mixture of myrrh and aloes, a hundred pounds,” and they brought what they had prepared for the burial of the Lord's body. ### Scripture references - John 17:19: allusion, high confidence - Matt 3:16: allusion, high confidence - 1 Cor 3:16: quotation, high confidence - Ps 45:7 (44:8 LXX): quotation, high confidence - Isa 61:1: quotation, high confidence - Acts 10:38: quotation, high confidence - John 16:14: quotation, high confidence - John 16:7: quotation, high confidence - John 20:22: quotation, high confidence - 1 John 2:20: quotation, high confidence - Eph 1:13: quotation, high confidence - Ps 45:6 (44:7 LXX): allusion, high confidence - John 16:13: quotation, high confidence - Phil 2:6: quotation, high confidence - Phil 2:7: quotation, high confidence - Ps 45:8 (44:9 LXX): quotation, high confidence - John 19:39: quotation, high confidence - Luke 23:56: allusion, high confidence ### Translation notes - “Stacte” is an aromatic resin (myrrh oil); the psalm verse is Ps 45:8 (LXX 44:9). “The seal” (σφραγίς) was a common early name for baptism and the anointing connected with it. ### Citation (SBL) Athanasius, C. Ar. 47 (Bright, 48–50; trans. Sophia Scriptura, https://sophiascriptura.com/fathers/athanasius-oratio-1/42/#p-47). ## Oration I Against the Arians 48 - URL: https://sophiascriptura.com/fathers/athanasius-oratio-1/42/#p-48 - Source: Bright, 50–51 - Translation: Claude (claude-opus-5-5), 2026-09-27 Summary: Athanasius concludes that Christ gives as the Word and receives as man, so that what he receives, including his anointing and baptism, is for us. ### Greek text 48. Ποία οὖν πάλιν προκοπὴ τῷ ἀθανάτῳ προσλαβόντι τὸ θνητόν; ἢ ποία βελτίωσις τῷ αἰωνίῳ ἐνδυσαμένῳ τὸ πρόσκαιρον; ποῖος δὲ καὶ μισθὸς μείζων γένοιτʼ ἂν Θεῷ αἰωνίῳ καὶ βασιλεῖ, καὶ ὄντι ἐν τοῖς κόλποις τοῦ Πατρός; ἆῤ οὐ θεωρεῖτε ὅτι καὶ τοῦτο διʼ ἡμᾶς καὶ ὑπὲρ ἡμῶν γέγονε καὶ γέγραπται, ἵνα ἄνθρωπος γενόμενος ὁ Κύριος θνητοὺς ὄντας καὶ προσκαίρους ἡμᾶς ἀθανάτους κατασκευάσῃ, καὶ εἰς τὴν αἰώνιον βασιλείαν τῶν οὐρανῶν εἰσαγάγῃ; ἆῤ οὐκ ἐρυθριᾶτε, καταψευδόμενοι τῶν θείων λογίων; Καὶ γὰρ τοῦ Κύριου ἡμῶν Ἰησοῦ Χριστοῦ ἐπιδημήσαντος, ἡμεῖς μὲν ἐβελτιώθημεν, ἐλευθερωθέντες ἀπὸ τῆς ἁμαρτίας· αὐτὸς δὲ ὁ αὐτός ἐστι· καὶ οὐκ ἐπειδὴ γέγονεν ἄνθρωπος, (πάλιν γὰρ τὸ αὐτὸ λεκτέον·) ἐτράπη· ἀλλὰ, καθὼς γέγραπται, ‘ὁ Λόγος τοῦ Θεοῦ μένει εἰς τὸν αἰῶνα.᾿ Ἀμέλει ὥσπερ πρὸ τῆς ἐνανθρωπήσεως Λόγος ὢν ἐχορήγει τοῖς ἀγίοις ὡς ἴδιον τὸ Πνεῦμα, οὕτως καὶ ἄνθρωπος γενόμενος, ἁγιάζει τοὺς πάντας τῷ Πνεύματι, καὶ λέγει τοῖς μαθηταῖς, ‘Λάβετε Πνεῦμα ἅγιον·’ καὶ Μωσεῖ μὲν ἐδίδου καὶ τοῖς ἄλλοις τοῖς ἑβδομήκοντα· διʼ αὐτοῦ τε ηὔχετο Δαβὶδ τῷ Πατρὶ, λέγων, ‘τὸ Πνεῦμα τὸ ἅγιόν σου μὴ ἀντανέλῃς ἀπʼ ἐμοῦ, ’ Καὶ ἄνθρωπος δὲ γενόμενος ἔλεγεν, ‘ἀποστελῶ ὑμῖν τὸν Παράκλητον, τὸ Πνεῦμα τῆς ἀληθείας·’ καὶ ἔπεμψεν, ἀψευδὴς ὢν, ὁ τοῦ Θεοῦ Λόγος. Οὐκοῦν ‘Ἰησοῦς Χριστὸς χθὲς καὶ σήμερον ὁ αὐτὸς, καὶ εἰς τοὺς αἰῶναςʼ μένων ἄτρεπτος, καὶ ὁ αὐτός ἐστι διδοὺς καὶ λαμβάνων, διδοὺς μὲν ὡς Θεοῦ Λόγος, λαμβάνων δὲ ὡς ἄνθρωπος. Οὐκ ἄρα ὁ Λόγος ἐστὶν, ἧ Λόγος ἐστὶν, ὁ βελτιούμενος· εἶχε γὰρ πάντα καὶ ἀεὶ ἔχει· ἀλλʼ οἱ ἄνθρωποί εἰσιν, οἱ ἀρχὴν ἔχοντες τοῦ λαμβάνειν ἐν αὐτῷ καὶ διʼ αὐτοῦ, Αὐτοῦ γὰρ νῦν λεγομένου ἀνθρωπίνως χρίεσθαι, ἡμεῖς ἐσμεν οἱ ἐν αὐτῷ χριόμενοι· ἐπειδὴ καὶ βαπτιζομένου αὐτοῦ, ἡμεῖς ἐσμεν οἱ ἐν αὐτῷ βαπτιζόμενοι. Περὶ δὲ τούτων πάντων μᾶλλον ὁ Σωτὴρ φανερὸν ποιεῖ λέγων τῷ Πατρὶ, ‘Κἀγὼ τὴν δόξαν, ἣν δέδωκάς μοι, δέδωκα αὐτοῖς, ἵνα ὦσιν ἓν, καθὼς ἡμεῖς ἕν ἐσμεν.’ Διʼ ἡμᾶς ἄρα καὶ δόξαν ᾔτει, καὶ τὸ ‘ἔλαβε, ʼ καὶ τὸ ‘ἐχαρίσατο, ’ καὶ τὸ ‘ὑπερύψωσε, ’ λέλεκται· ἵνʼ ἡμεῖς λάβωμεν, καὶ ἡμῖν χαρίσηται, καὶ ἡμεῖς ὑψωθῶμεν ἐν αὐτῷ, ὥσπερ καὶ ‘ὑπὲρ ἡμῶν ἑαυτὸν ἁγιάζει, ἵνʼ ἡμεῖς ἁγιασθῶμεν ἐν αὐτῷ. ʼ ### English translation (Claude) 48. What advance, then, was it for the immortal to take on the mortal? Or what improvement for the eternal to put on the temporal? And what reward could be greater for God, the eternal King, who is in the bosom of the Father? Do you not see that this too was done and written because of us and for us, so that the Lord, having become man, might make us, who are mortal and temporal, immortal, and bring us into the eternal kingdom of heaven? Are you not ashamed of lying against the divine oracles? For when our Lord Jesus Christ came among us, we were improved, being set free from sin; but he himself is the same. He did not change because he became man (for the same thing must be said again), but, as it is written, “The Word of God abides forever.” Indeed, just as before his becoming man, being the Word, he supplied the Spirit to the saints as his own, so too, having become man, he sanctifies all by the Spirit and says to the disciples, “Receive the Holy Spirit.” And he gave it to Moses and to the seventy others; and through him David prayed to the Father, saying, “Do not take your Holy Spirit from me.” And having become man he said, “I will send you the Paraclete, the Spirit of truth”; and he sent him, being without falsehood, the Word of God. So “Jesus Christ is the same yesterday and today and forever,” remaining unchangeable; and he is the same who gives and receives: giving as the Word of God, receiving as man. So it is not the Word, as Word, who is improved, for he had all things and always has them; it is men, who have in him and through him the beginning of their receiving. For when he is now said in a human way to be anointed, it is we who are anointed in him; since also when he is baptized, it is we who are baptized in him. The Savior makes all this still clearer when he says to the Father, “And the glory that you have given me I have given them, so that they may be one, as we are one.” So it was because of us that he asked for glory, and that “he received,” “he granted,” and “he highly exalted” have been said: so that we may receive, and he may grant to us, and we may be exalted in him; just as he also “sanctifies himself for us, so that we may be sanctified in him.” ### Scripture references - John 1:18: allusion, high confidence - 1 Pet 1:25: quotation, high confidence - John 20:22: quotation, high confidence - Num 11:17: allusion, high confidence - Ps 51:11 (50:13 LXX): quotation, high confidence - John 15:26: quotation, high confidence - Heb 13:8: quotation, high confidence - John 17:22: quotation, high confidence - John 17:19: quotation, high confidence ### Citation (SBL) Athanasius, C. Ar. 48 (Bright, 50–51; trans. Sophia Scriptura, https://sophiascriptura.com/fathers/athanasius-oratio-1/42/#p-48). ## Oration I Against the Arians 49 - URL: https://sophiascriptura.com/fathers/athanasius-oratio-1/42/#p-49 - Source: Bright, 51–52 - Translation: Claude (claude-opus-5-5), 2026-09-27 Summary: Athanasius explains that the “therefore” of Ps 45:7 means that the Son was anointed because he is God and King, since only the Father's image could join humanity to the Spirit. ### Greek text 49. Εἰ δὲ διὰ τὸ προσκεῖσθαι ἐν τῷ ψαλμῷ, ‘Διὰ τοῦτο ἔχρισέ σε ὁ Θεὸς, ὁ Θεός σου, ᾿ ἐκ τῆς ‘διὰ τοῦτοʼ λέξεως πρόφασιν πάλιν ἑαυτοῖς, εἰς ἃ βούλονται, πορίζονται· γνώτωσαν οἱ τῶν γραφῶν ἀμαθεῖς, καὶ τῆς ἀσεβείας ἐφευρεταὶ, ὅτι καὶ ἐνταῦθα πάλιν τὸ ‘διὰ τοῦτοʼ οὐ μισθὸν ἀρετῆς ἢ πράξεως σημαίνει τοῦ Λόγου, ἀλλὰ τὸ αἴτιον πάλιν τῆς εἰς ἡμᾶς αὐτοῦ καθόδου, καὶ τῆς ὑπὲρ ἡμῶν εἰς αὐτὸν γινομένης τοῦ Πνεύματος χρίσεως· οὐ γὰρ εἶπε, ‘διὰ τοῦτο ἔχρισέ σε, ʼ ἵνα γένῃ Θεὸς, ἢ βασιλεὺς, ἢ Υἱὸς, ἢ Λόγος·’ ἦν γὰρ καὶ πρὸ τούτου καὶ ἔστιν ἀεὶ, καθάπερ δέδεικται· ἀλλὰ μᾶλλον, ‘ἐπειδὴ Θεὸς εἶ καὶ βασιλεὺς, διὰ τοῦτο καὶ ἐχρίσθης· ἐπεὶ οὐδὲ ἄλλου ἦν συνάψαι τὸν ἄνθρωπον τῷ Πνεύματι τῷ ἁγίῳ, ἢ σοῦ τῆς εἰκόνος τοῦ Πατρὸς, καθʼ ἣν καὶ ἐξ ἀρχῆς γεγόναμεν· σοῦ γάρ ἐστι καὶ τὸ Πνεῦμα.’ Τῶν μὲν γὰρ γενητῶν ἡ φύσις οὐκ ἦν ἀξιόπιστος εἰς τοῦτο, ἀγγέλων μὲν παραβάντων, ἀνθρώπων δὲ παρακουσάντων. Διὰ τοῦτο Θεοῦ χρεία ἧν, (‘Θεὸς δέ ἐστιν ὁ Λόγος·’) ἵνα τοὺς ὑπὸ κατάραν γενομένους αὐτὸς ἐλευθερώσῃ. Εἰ μὲν οὖν ‘ἐξ οὐκ ὄντωνʼ ἦν, οὐδʼ ἂν αὐτὸς ἦν ὁ Χριστὸς, εἶς ὢν πάντων καὶ μέτοχος τυγχάνων καὶ αὐτός· ἐπειδὴ δὲ Θεός ἐστι, Θεοῦ Υἱὸς ὢν, βασιλεύς τε ἀΐδιός ἐστιν, ἀπαύγασμα καὶ χαρακτὴρ τοῦ Πατρὸς ὑπάρχων διὰ τοῦτο εἰκότως αὐτός ἐστιν ὁ προσδοκώμενος Χριστὸς, ὃν ὁ Πατὴρ ἀπαγγέλλει τοῖς ἀνθρώποις, ἀποκαλύπτων τοῖς ἁγίοις αὐτοῦ προφήταις· ἵνα ὥσπερ διʼ αὐτοῦ γεγόναμεν, οὕτω καὶ ἐν αὐτῷ τῶν πάντων λύτρωσις ἀπὸ τῶν ἁμαρτιῶν γένηται, καὶ τὰ πάντα παρʼ αὐτοῦ βασιλεύηται. Καὶ αὕτη ἐστὶν ἡ αἰτία τῆς εἰς αὐτὸν γενομένης χρίσεως, καὶ τῆς ἐνσάρκου παρουσίας τοῦ Λόγου, ἣν προορῶν καὶ ὁ ψαλμῳδὸς, τὴν μὲν θεότητα καὶ τὴν πατρικὴν βασιλείαν αὐτοῦ ὑμνῶν ἀναφωνεῖ, ‘Ὁ θρόνος σου, ὁ Θεὸς, εἰς τὸν αἰῶνα τοῦ αἰῶνος· ῥάβδος εὐθύτητος ἡ ῥάβδος τῆς βασιλείας σου·᾿ τὴν δὲ εἰς ἡμᾶς αὐτοῦ κάθοδον ἀπαγγέλλων, λέγει, ‘Διὰ τοῦτο ἔχρισέ σε ὁ Θεὸς, ὁ Θεός σου, ἔλαιον ἀγαλλιάσεως παρὰ τοὺς μετόχους σου.’ ### English translation (Claude) 49. And if, because “Therefore God, your God, has anointed you” is added in the psalm, they again provide themselves with a pretext for what they want from the word “therefore,” let those who are ignorant of the Scriptures and inventors of impiety know that here too “therefore” does not signify a reward of the Word's virtue or conduct, but again the cause of his coming down to us and of the anointing of the Spirit that took place in him for us. For he did not say, “Therefore he anointed you, so that you might become God, or king, or Son, or Word”; for he was so before this and always is, as has been shown. Rather he said: “Since you are God and king, therefore you were anointed; since it belonged to no one else to join man to the Holy Spirit but you, the image of the Father, after which we too were made in the beginning; for the Spirit too is yours.” For the nature of things originated was not trustworthy for this, since angels had transgressed and men had disobeyed. Therefore there was need of God (and “the Word is God”), so that he himself might set free those who had come under a curse. If, then, he were “from nothing,” he would not himself be the Christ, being one of all things and himself too a sharer. But since he is God, being the Son of God, and is eternal King, being the radiance and exact imprint of the Father, therefore he is rightly the expected Christ, whom the Father announces to men, revealing him to his holy prophets, so that, as we came to be through him, so in him the redemption of all from their sins might take place, and all things might be ruled by him. And this is the cause of the anointing that took place in him and of the Word's coming in the flesh. Foreseeing this, the psalmist, praising his Godhead and his Father's kingdom, cries out, “Your throne, O God, is forever and ever; the scepter of uprightness is the scepter of your kingdom”; and announcing his coming down to us, he says, “Therefore God, your God, has anointed you with the oil of gladness above your companions.” ### Scripture references - Ps 45:7 (44:8 LXX): quotation, high confidence - Ps 45:6 (44:7 LXX): quotation, high confidence - Gen 1:26: allusion, medium confidence - John 1:1: quotation, high confidence - Gal 3:13: allusion, medium confidence - Heb 1:3: allusion, high confidence ### Citation (SBL) Athanasius, C. Ar. 49 (Bright, 51–52; trans. Sophia Scriptura, https://sophiascriptura.com/fathers/athanasius-oratio-1/42/#p-49). ## Oration I Against the Arians 50 - URL: https://sophiascriptura.com/fathers/athanasius-oratio-1/42/#p-50 - Source: Bright, 52–53 - Translation: Claude (claude-opus-5-5), 2026-09-27 Summary: Athanasius compares the anointing with Christ's saying that he casts out demons by the Spirit: both are said of him as man, so that we might receive the Spirit through his flesh. ### Greek text 50. Τί δὲ θαυμαστὸν ἢ τί ἄπιστον, εἰ ὁ τὸ Πνεῦμα διδοὺς Κύριος λέγεται νῦν αὐτὸς τῷ Πνεύματι χρίεσθαι, ὅπου γε, χρείας πάλιν ἀπαιτούσης, οὐ παρῃτήσατο διὰ τὸ ἀνθρώπινον ἑαυτοῦ εἰπεῖν ἑαυτὸν καὶ ἐλάττονα τοῦ Πνεύματος; Τῶν γὰρ Ἰουδαίων λεγόντων ‘ἐν Βεελζεβοὺλ ἐκβάλλειν αὐτὸν τὰ δαιμόνια, ʼ ἀπεκρίθη καὶ εἶπεν αὐτοῖς εἰς τὸ ἐλέγξαι βλασφημοῦντας αὐτοὺς, ‘Εἰ δὲ ἐγὼ ἐν Πνεύματι Θεοῦ ἐκβάλλω τὰ δαιμόνια.᾿ Ἰδοὺ γὰρ, ὁ τοῦ Πνεύματος δοτὴρ ἐν Πνεύματι λέγει νῦν ἐκβάλλειν αὐτὸν τὰ δαιμόνια· τοῦτο δὲ οὐκ ἔστιν ἄλλως εἰρημένον ἢ διὰ τὴν σάρκα. Ὡς γὰρ τῆς ἀνθρώπων φύσεως οὐκ οὔσης ἱκανῆς ἀφʼ ἑαυτῆς ἐκβάλλειν τοὺς δαίμονας εἰ μὴ δυνάμει τοῦ Πνεύματος, διὰ τοῦτο ὡς ἄνθρωπος ἔλεγεν, ‘εἰ δὲ ἐγὼ ἐν Πνεύματι Θεοῦ ἐκβάλλω τὰ δαιμόνια.᾿ Ἀμέλει καὶ τὴν εἰς τὸ Πνεῦμα τὸ ἃγιον βλασφημίαν γινομένην μείζονα τῆς ἀνθρωπότητος σημαίνων ἔλεγεν, ‘ὃς ἂν εἴπῃ λόγον εἰς τὸν Υἱὸν τοῦ ἀνθρώπου, ἕξει ἄφεσιν·’ οἷοι ἦσαν οἱ λέγοντες, ‘Οὐχ οὖτός ἐστιν ὁ τοῦ τέκτονος υἱός; ʼ Οἱ δὲ εἰς τὸ Πνεῦμα τὸ ἅγιον βλασφημοῦντες, καὶ τὰ τοῦ Λόγου ἔργα τῷ διαβόλῳ ἐπιγράφοντες, ἄφυκτον τιμωρίαν ἕξουσι. Τοιαῦτα μὲν οὖν τοῖς Ἰουδαίοις ὡς ἄνθρωπος ἔλεγεν ὁ Κύριος· τοῖς δὲ μαθηταῖς τὴν θεότητα καὶ τὴν μεγαλειότητα δεικνὺς ἑαυτοῦ, οὐκέτι δὲ ἐλάττονα τοῦ Πνεύματος ἑαυτὸν, ἀλλὰ ἴσον σημαίνων, ἐδίδου μὲν τὸ Πνεῦμα καὶ ἔλεγεν, ‘Λάβετε τὸ Πνεῦμα ἅγιον, ʼ καὶ, ‘ἐγὼ αὐτὸ ἀποστέλλω· κἀκεῖνος ἐμὲ δοξάσει, ’ καὶ, ‘ὅσα ἀκούει λαλήσει.’ Ὥσπερ οὖν ἐνταῦθα αὐτὸς ὁ τοῦ Πνεύματος δοτὴρ ὁ Κύριος οὐ παραιτεῖται εἰπεῖν, ‘ἐν Πνεύματι ἐκβάλλειν τὰ δαιμόνια, ὡς ἄνθρωπος· τὸν αὐτὸν τρόπον ὁ αὐτὸς ὢν τοῦ Πνεύματος δοτὴρ οὐ παρῃτήσατο λέγειν· ‘Πνεῦμα Κυρίου ἐπʼ ἐμὲ, οὗ εἵνεκεν ἔχρισέ με, ʼ διὰ τὸ ‘γεγενῆσθαι αὐτὸν σάρκα, ʼ ὡς εἶπεν ὁ Ἰωάννης, ἵνα δειχθῇ ὅτι κατὰ τὰ ἀμφότερα ἡμεῖς ἐσμεν, οἱ καὶ ἐν τῷ ἁγιάζεσθαι δεόμενοι τῆς τοῦ Πνεύματος χάριτος, καὶ μὴ δυνάμενοι δαίμονας ἐκβάλλειν ἄνευ τῆς τοῦ Πνεύματος δυνάμεως. Διὰ τίνος δὲ καὶ παρὰ τίνος ἔδει τὸ Πνεῦμα δίδοσθαι ἢ διὰ τοῦ Υἱοῦ, οὗ καὶ τὸ Πνεῦμά ἐστι; πότε δὲ λαμβάνειν ἡμεῖς ἐδυνάμεθα, εἰ μὴ ὅτε ὁ Λόγος γέγονεν ἄνθρωπος; Καὶ ὥσπερ τὸ παρὰ τοῦ ἀποστόλου λεγόμενον δείκνυσιν, ὅτι οὐκ ἂν ἐλυτρώθημεν καὶ ὑπερυψώθημεν, εἰ μὴ ὁ ‘ἐν μορφῇ Θεοῦ ὑπάρχων ἔλαβε δούλου μορφήν·’ οὕτως καὶ ὁ Δαβὶδ δείκνυσιν, ὅτι οὐκ ἂν ἄλλως μετέσχομεν τοῦ Πνεύματος καὶ ἡγιάσθημεν, εἰ μὴ ὁ τοῦ Πνεύματος δοτὴρ αὐτὸς ὁ Λόγος ἔλεγεν ἑαυτὸν ὑπὲρ ἡμῶν τῷ Πνεύματι χρίεσθαι. Διὸ καὶ βεβαίως ἐλάβομεν, αὐτοῦ λεγομένου κεχρίσθαι σαρκί. Τῆς γὰρ ἐν αὐτῷ σαρκὸς πρώτης ἁγιασθείσης, καὶ αὐτοῦ λεγομένου διʼ αὐτὴν εἰληφέναι, ὡς ἀνθρώπου, ἡμεῖς ἐπακολουθοῦσαν ἔχομεν τὴν τοῦ Πνεύματος χάριν, ‘ἐκ τοῦ πληρώματος αὐτοῦʼ λαμβάνοντες. ### English translation (Claude) 50. What is surprising or incredible, then, if the Lord who gives the Spirit is now said to be anointed with the Spirit himself, when on another occasion, need requiring it, he did not refuse, because of his humanity, to call himself even less than the Spirit? For when the Jews said that “he cast out the demons by Beelzebul,” he answered and said to them, to refute their blasphemy, “But if I cast out the demons by the Spirit of God.” See: the giver of the Spirit now says that he casts out the demons by the Spirit. And this is said for no other reason than the flesh. For since human nature is not able by itself to cast out demons except by the power of the Spirit, he said as man, “But if I cast out the demons by the Spirit of God.” Indeed, indicating that blasphemy against the Holy Spirit is greater than blasphemy against his humanity, he said, “Whoever speaks a word against the Son of Man will be forgiven,” like those who said, “Is not this the carpenter's son?” But those who blaspheme against the Holy Spirit and ascribe the works of the Word to the devil will have a punishment they cannot escape. Such things the Lord said to the Jews as man; but to the disciples, showing his Godhead and majesty, and indicating that he is not less than the Spirit but equal, he gave the Spirit and said, “Receive the Holy Spirit,” and “I send him; he will glorify me,” and, “whatever he hears he will speak.” Just as here, then, the Lord himself, the giver of the Spirit, does not refuse to say as man that “he casts out the demons by the Spirit,” in the same way, being the same giver of the Spirit, he did not refuse to say, “The Spirit of the Lord is upon me, because he has anointed me,” because “he became flesh,” as John said. This was to show that in both respects it is we who need the grace of the Spirit to be sanctified, and who cannot cast out demons without the power of the Spirit. Through whom and from whom should the Spirit be given but through the Son, whose the Spirit is? And when could we receive him, except when the Word became man? And as the apostle's saying shows that we would not have been redeemed and highly exalted unless he who “was in the form of God took the form of a servant,” so David too shows that we would not otherwise have shared in the Spirit and been sanctified, unless the giver of the Spirit, the Word himself, had said that he was anointed with the Spirit for us. Therefore we have received securely, since he is said to have been anointed in the flesh. For since the flesh in him was sanctified first, and he is said, as man, to have received because of it, we have the grace of the Spirit following, “receiving from his fullness.” ### Scripture references - Matt 12:24: quotation, high confidence - Matt 12:28: quotation, high confidence - Matt 12:32: quotation, high confidence - Matt 13:55: quotation, high confidence - John 20:22: quotation, high confidence - John 16:7: quotation, high confidence - John 16:14: quotation, high confidence - John 16:13: quotation, high confidence - Isa 61:1: quotation, high confidence - John 1:14: quotation, high confidence - Phil 2:6: quotation, high confidence - Phil 2:7: quotation, high confidence - John 1:16: quotation, high confidence ### Translation notes - The remarks about “the Jews” refer to Jesus' opponents in the Gospel narrative. ### Citation (SBL) Athanasius, C. Ar. 50 (Bright, 52–53; trans. Sophia Scriptura, https://sophiascriptura.com/fathers/athanasius-oratio-1/42/#p-50). ## Oration I Against the Arians 51 - URL: https://sophiascriptura.com/fathers/athanasius-oratio-1/42/#p-51 - Source: Bright, 53–54 - Translation: Claude (claude-opus-5-5), 2026-09-27 Summary: Athanasius argues that “You have loved righteousness” shows the Son's unchangeableness: as second Adam he could not fall, and so he frees changeable human flesh from sin. ### Greek text 51. Τὸ δὲ ‘ἠγάπησας δικαιοσύνην, καὶ ἐμίσησας ἀδικίαν, ʼ πρόσκειται ἐν τῷ ψαλμῷ, οὐχ, ὡς ὑμεῖς πάλιν νοεῖτε, ‘τρεπτὴνʼ δεικνύον τοῦ Λόγου τὴν φύσιν, ἀλλὰ μᾶλλον καὶ ἐκ τούτου τὸ ἄτρεπτον αὐτοῦ σημαῖνον. Ἐπειδὴ γὰρ τῶν γενητῶν ἡ φύσις ἐστὶ τρεπτὴ, καὶ οἱ μὲν παρέβησαν, οἱ δὲ παρήκουσαν, ὥσπερ εἴρηται· ἥ τε πρᾶξις αὐτῶν οὐκ ἔστι βεβαία, ἀλλὰ πολλάκις ἐνδέχεται τὸν νῦν ἀγαθὸν μετὰ ταῦτα τρέπεσθαι, καὶ ἕτερον γίνεσθαι, ὡς τὸν ἄρτι δίκαιον ἄδικον μετʼ ὀλίγον εὑρεθῆναι· διὰ τοῦτο πάλιν ἀτρέπτου χρεία ἦν, ἵνα τὸ ἀμετάβλητον τῆς τοῦ Λόγου δικαιοσύνης ἔχωσιν εἰκόνα καὶ τύπον πρὸς ἀρετὴν οἱ ἄνθρωποι. Ἡ δὲ τοιαύτη διάνοια ἔχει καὶ τὴν αἰτίαν τοῖς εὖ φρονοῦσιν εὔλογον. Ἐπειδὴ γὰρ ‘ὁ πρῶτος ἄνθρωπος Ἀδὰμʼ ἐτράπη, καὶ ‘διὰ τῆς ἁμαρτίας ὁ θάνατος εἰσῆλθεν εἰς τὸν κόσμον, ʼ διὰ τοῦτο τὸν δεύτερον Ἀδὰμ ἔπρεπεν ἄτρεπτον εἶναι· ἵνα, κἂν πάλιν ὁ ὄφις ἐπιχειρήσῃ, αὐτοῦ μὲν τοῦ ὄφεως ἡ ἀπάτη ἐξασθενήσῃ, τοῦ δὲ Κυρίου ἀτρέπτου καὶ ἀναλλοιώτου ὄντος, πρὸς πάντας ὁ ὄφις ἀσθενὴς τοῖς ἐπιχειρήμασι γένηται. Ὥσπερ γὰρ, τοῦ Ἀδὰμ παραβάντος, ‘εἰς πάντας ἀνθρώπουςʼ ἔφθασεν ἡ ἁμαρτία, οὕτως, τοῦ Κυρίου γενομένου ἀνθρώπου, καὶ τὸν ὄφιν ἀνατρέψαντος, εἰς πάντας ἀνθρώπους ἡ τοιαύτη ἰσχὺς διαβήσεται, ὥστε λέγειν ἕκαστον ἡμῶν· ‘οὐ γὰρ αὐτοῦ τὰ νοήματα ἀγνοοῦμεν.’ Οὐκοῦν εἰκότως ὁ Κύριος ὁ ἀεὶ καὶ φύσει ἄτρεπτος, ‘ἀγαπῶν δικαιοσύνην, καὶ μισῶν ἀδικίαν, ʼ χρίεται, καὶ αὐτὸς ἀποστέλλεται, ἵνα ὁ αὐτὸς τε ὢν καὶ αὐτὸς διαμένων, τὴν τρεπτὴν σάρκα λαβὼν, ‘τὴν μὲν ἁμαρτίαν ἐν αὐτῇ κατακρίνῃ, ᾿ ἐλευθέραν δὲ αὐτὴν κατασκευάσῃ εἰς τὸ δύνασθαι λοιπὸν ‘τὸ δικαίωμα τοῦ νόμου πληροῦνʼ ἐν αὐτῇ, ὥστε καὶ λέγειν δύνασθαι, ‘ Ἡμεῖς δὲ οὐκ ἐσμὲν ἐν σαρκὶ, ἀλλʼ ἐν πνεύματι, εἴπερ Πνεῦμα Θεοῦ οἰκεῖ ἐν ἡμῖν.’ ### English translation (Claude) 51. And “You have loved righteousness and hated iniquity,” which is added in the psalm, does not show, as you again understand it, that the Word's nature is “changeable,” but rather signifies from this too his unchangeableness. For since the nature of things originated is changeable, and some transgressed and others disobeyed, as has been said, and their conduct is not secure, but it often happens that one who is now good later changes and becomes different, so that one who was just now righteous is found unrighteous a little later, therefore again there was need of one who is unchangeable, so that men might have the immutability of the Word's righteousness as an image and pattern for virtue. And this understanding has a reason that is sound to those who think rightly. For since “the first man Adam” changed, and “through sin death entered the world,” it was therefore fitting that the second Adam should be unchangeable, so that, even if the serpent should attack again, the serpent's deceit might be weakened, and, since the Lord is unchangeable and unalterable, the serpent might become weak in his attacks against all. For just as, when Adam transgressed, sin reached “to all men,” so, when the Lord became man and overthrew the serpent, such strength will pass to all men, so that each of us may say, “For we are not ignorant of his designs.” So it is fitting that the Lord, who always and by nature is unchangeable, “loving righteousness and hating iniquity,” is anointed and himself sent, so that, being and remaining the same, and taking the changeable flesh, he might “condemn sin in it,” and make it free, so that it could thereafter “fulfil the righteous requirement of the law” in itself, and so be able to say, “But we are not in the flesh but in the Spirit, if indeed the Spirit of God dwells in us.” ### Scripture references - Ps 45:7 (44:8 LXX): quotation, high confidence - 1 Cor 15:45: quotation, high confidence - Rom 5:12: quotation, high confidence - 2 Cor 2:11: quotation, high confidence - Rom 8:3: quotation, high confidence - Rom 8:4: quotation, high confidence - Rom 8:9: quotation, high confidence ### Citation (SBL) Athanasius, C. Ar. 51 (Bright, 53–54; trans. Sophia Scriptura, https://sophiascriptura.com/fathers/athanasius-oratio-1/42/#p-51). ## Oration I Against the Arians 52 - URL: https://sophiascriptura.com/fathers/athanasius-oratio-1/52/#p-52 - Source: Bright, 54–55 - Translation: Claude (claude-opus-5-5), 2026-09-27 Summary: Athanasius shows that Scripture says the same of the Father, that he loves righteousness and hates iniquity, so the words imply no changeableness in the Son. ### Greek text 52. Μάτην ὑμῖν ἄρα καὶ νῦν, ὦ Ἀρειανοὶ, ἡ τοιαύτη ὑπόνοια γεγένηται, καὶ μάτην ἐπροφασίσασθε τὰ ῥήματα τῶν γραφῶν· ὁ Λόγος γὰρ ὁ τοῦ Θεοῦ ἄτρεπτός ἐστι, καὶ ἀεὶ καὶ ὡσαύτως ἔχει, οὐχ ἁπλῶς, ἀλλʼ ὡς ὁ Πατήρ. Ἐπεὶ πῶς ὅμοιος, εἰ μὴ οὕτως ἐστίν; ἢ πῶς ‘πάντα τὰ τοῦ Πατρὸς τοῦ Υἱοῦ ἐστιν, ʼ εἰ μὴ καὶ τὸ ἄτρεπτον καὶ τὸ ἀναλλοίωτον τοῦ Πατρὸς ἔχει; Οὐχ ὡς ὑποκείμενος δὲ νόμοις, καὶ τὴν ἐπὶ θάτερα ῥοπὴν ἔχων, τὸ μὲν ἀγαπᾷ, τὸ δὲ μισεῖ, ἵνα μὴ, φόβῳ τοῦ ἐκπεσεῖν, τὸ ἕτερον προσλαμβάνῃ, καὶ ἄλλως πάλιν τρεπτὸς εἰσάγηται· ἀλλʼ ὡς Θεὸς ὢν καὶ Λόγος τοῦ Πατρὸς, κριτής ἐστι δίκαιος καὶ φιλάρετος, μᾶλλον δὲ καὶ χορηγὸς ἀρετῆς. Δίκαιος οὖν φύσει καὶ ὅσιος ὢν, διὰ τοῦτο ἀγαπᾷν λέγεται δικαιοσύνην καὶ μισεῖν ἀδικίαν·’ ἴσον τῷ εἰπεῖν ὅτι τοὺς μὲν ἐναρέτους ἀγαπᾷ καὶ προσλαμβάνεται, τοὺς δὲ ἀδίκους ἀποστρέφεται καὶ μισεῖ. Καὶ γὰρ καὶ περὶ τοῦ Πατρὸς τὸ αὐτὸ λέγουσιν αἱ θεῖαι γραφαὶ, ‘Δίκαιος Κύριος καὶ δικαιοσύνας ἠγάπησε·’ καὶ, ‘ἐμίσησας πάντας τοὺς ἐργαζομένους τὴν ἀνομίαν·’ καὶ, ‘τὰς μὲν πύλας Σιὼν ἀγαπᾷ, τὰ δὲ σκηνώματα Ἰακὼβ οὐ περὶ πολλοῦ ποιεῖται· καὶ, ‘τὸν μὲν Ἰακὼβ ἠγάπησε, τὸν δὲ Ἡσαῦ ἐμίσησε·’ κατὰ δὲ τὸν Ἡσαΐαν, φωνὴ Θεοῦ ἐστι πάλιν λέγοντος, ‘ Ἐγώ εἰμι Κύριος, ὁ ἀγαπῶν δικαιοσύνην, καὶ μισῶν ἁρπάγματα ἐξ ἀδικίας.’ Ἢ τοίνυν κἀκεῖνα τὰ ῥήματα ὡς ταῦτα ἐκλαμβανέτωσαν· καὶ γὰρ κἀκεῖνα περὶ τῆς εἰκόνος τοῦ Θεοῦ γέγραπται· ἢ καὶ ταῦτα ὡς ἐκεῖνα κακῶς διανοούμενοι, τρεπτὸν καὶ τὸν Πατέρα ἐπινοείτωσαν. Εἰ δὲ καὶ μόνον ἀκούειν τοῦτο λεγόντων ἑτέρων οὐκ ἔστιν ἀκίνδυνον, διὰ τοῦτο καλῶς διανοούμεθα τὸ λέγεσθαι τὸν Θεὸν ‘δικαιοσύνας ἀγαπᾷν, καὶ μισεῖν ἁρπάγματα ἐξ ἀδικίας, ʼ οὐχ ὡς ἐπὶ θάτερα ῥοπὴν ἔχοντος αὐτοῦ καὶ δεκτικοῦ τοῦ ἐναντίου, ὥστε τοῦτο μὲν ἐκλέγεσθαι, ἐκεῖνο δὲ μὴ αἱρεῖσθαι· τοῦτο γὰρ τῶν γενητῶν ἴδιόν ἐστιν· ἀλλʼ ὅτι, ὡς κριτὴς, τοὺς μὲν δικαίους ἀγαπᾷ καὶ προσλαμβάνεται, τῶν δὲ φαύλων μακρὰν γίνεται· ἀκόλουθον ἂν εἴη καὶ περὶ τῆς εἰκόνος τοῦ Θεοῦ τοιαῦτα νοεῖν, ὅτι οὕτως ἀγαπᾷ καὶ μισεῖ. Τοιαύτην γὰρ εἶναι τὴν φύσιν τῆς εἰκόνος δεῖ, οἷός ἐστιν ὁ ταύτης Πατὴρ, κἂν οἱ Ἀρειανοὶ, ὡς τυφλοὶ, μήτε ταύτην, μήτε ἄλλο τι τῶν θείων λογίων βλέπωσιν. Ἐκπεσόντες γὰρ τῶν ἀπὸ καρδίας αὐτῶν ἐννοιῶν, μᾶλλον δὲ παρανοιῶν, ἐπὶ ῥητὰ πάλιν τῶν θείων γραφῶν καταφεύγουσιν, εἰς ἃ καὶ αὐτὰ συνήθως ἀναισθητοῦντες, οὐχ ὁρῶσι τὸν ἐν τούτοις νοῦν· ἀλλʼ ὡς κανόνα τινὰ τὴν ἰδίαν ἀσέβειαν θέμενοι, πρὸς τοῦτον πάντα τὰ θεῖα λόγια διαστρέφουσιν· οἵτινες καὶ μόνον αὐτὰ φθεγγόμενοι, οὐδὲν ἕτερον ἀκούειν εἰσὶν ἄξιοι ἢ, ‘Πλανᾶσθε, μὴ εἰδότες τὰς γραφὰς, μηδὲ τὴν δύναμιν τοῦ Θεοῦ.’ Ἂν δὲ καὶ ἐπιμένωσι, πάλιν ἐντρέπεσθαι καὶ ἀκούειν, ‘Ἀπόδοτε τὰ τοῦ ἀνθρώπου τῷ ἀνθρώπῳ, καὶ τὰ τοῦ Θεοῦ τῷ Θεῷ. ### English translation (Claude) 52. So here too, you Arians, this suspicion of yours has come to nothing, and you have alleged the words of the Scriptures in vain. For the Word of God is unchangeable, and is always the same, not in any ordinary way, but as the Father is. For how is he like the Father, if he is not so? Or how are “all things of the Father the Son's,” if he does not have the Father's unchangeableness and unalterableness too? He does not love one thing and hate the other as one subject to laws and able to incline either way, lest, choosing the one for fear of falling, he be brought in again as changeable in another way; but, being God and the Word of the Father, he is a just judge and a lover of virtue, or rather the supplier of virtue. Being righteous and holy by nature, then, he is therefore said to “love righteousness and hate iniquity,” which is the same as saying that he loves and takes to himself the virtuous, and turns away from and hates the unrighteous. For the divine Scriptures say the same of the Father: “The Lord is righteous and has loved righteousness,” and, “You have hated all who work lawlessness,” and, “He loves the gates of Zion, but does not greatly regard the dwellings of Jacob,” and, “Jacob he loved, but Esau he hated”; and according to Isaiah it is again the voice of God saying, “I am the Lord, who loves righteousness and hates robbery from iniquity.” So either let them take those words like these (for those too are written of the image of God), or, misunderstanding these like those, let them imagine the Father too to be changeable. But if even to hear others say this is not without danger, then we rightly understand God's being said to “love righteousness and hate robbery from iniquity,” not as though he could incline either way and were capable of the opposite, so as to choose this and not choose that (for this is proper to things originated), but that, as judge, he loves and takes to himself the righteous and stays far from the wicked. It would follow to think the same about the image of God, that he loves and hates in this way. For the nature of the image must be such as its Father is, even if the Arians, like blind men, see neither this nor anything else in the divine oracles. For having fallen away from the notions of their heart, or rather their delusions, they take refuge again in texts of the divine Scriptures; and in these too, being as usual without perception, they do not see the meaning in them. Rather, setting up their own impiety as a kind of rule, they twist all the divine oracles to fit it. Merely for uttering them they deserve to hear nothing else but, “You are wrong, because you know neither the Scriptures nor the power of God.” And if they persist, they deserve to be put to shame again and to hear, “Give to man the things that are man's, and to God the things that are God's.” ### Scripture references - John 16:15: quotation, high confidence - Ps 11:7 (10:7 LXX): quotation, high confidence - Ps 5:5 (5:6 LXX): quotation, high confidence - Ps 87:2 (86:2 LXX): quotation, high confidence - Mal 1:2: quotation, high confidence - Mal 1:3: quotation, high confidence - Isa 61:8: quotation, high confidence - Matt 22:29: quotation, high confidence - Matt 22:21: allusion, high confidence ### Translation notes - The last saying adapts Matt 22:21 (“Caesar” replaced by “man”). ### Citation (SBL) Athanasius, C. Ar. 52 (Bright, 54–55; trans. Sophia Scriptura, https://sophiascriptura.com/fathers/athanasius-oratio-1/52/#p-52). ## Oration I Against the Arians 53 - URL: https://sophiascriptura.com/fathers/athanasius-oratio-1/52/#p-53 - Source: Bright, 55–56 - Translation: Claude (claude-opus-5-5), 2026-09-27 Summary: Athanasius introduces the texts the Arians use to call the Word a creature (Prov 8:22; Heb 1:4; 3:1–2; Acts 2:36) and insists they be read of the incarnation. ### Greek text 53. Γεγράφθαι τοίνυν, φασὶν, ἐν μὲν ταῖς Παροιμίαις· ‘Κύριος ἔκτισέ με ἀρχὴν ὁδῶν αὐτοῦ εἰς ἔργα αὐτοῦ·’ ἐν δὲ τῇ πρὸς Ἑβραίους ἐπιστολῇ, τοῦ ἀποστόλου λέγοντος, ‘Τοσούτῳ κρείττων γενόμενος τῶν ἀγγέλων, ὅσῳ διαφορώτερον παρʼ αὐτοὺς κεκληρονόμηκεν ὄνομα·’ καὶ μετʼ ὀλίγα, ‘Ὅθεν, ἀδελφοὶ ἅγιοι, κλήσεως ἐπουρανίου μέτοχοι, κατανοήσατε τὸν ἀπόστολον καὶ ἀρχιερέα τῆς ὁμολογίας ἡμῶν, Ἰησοῦν, πιστὸν ὄντα τῷ ποιήσαντι αὐτόν·᾿ καὶ ἐν ταῖς Πράξεσι δὲ, ‘Γνωστὸν οὖν ἔστω πᾶσιν ὑμῖν, πᾶς οἶκος Ἰσραὴλ, ὅτι καὶ Κύριον αὐτὸν καὶ Χριστὸν ἐποίησεν ὁ Θεὸς τοῦτον τὸν Ἰησοῦν, ὃν ὑμεῖς ἐσταυρώσατε·᾿ Ταῦτα ἄνω καὶ κάτω προφέροντες, καὶ πλανώμενοι περὶ τὴν διάνοιαν, ἐνόμισαν ἐκ τούτων ‘κτίσμα καὶ ποίημα εἶναι καὶ ἕνα τῶν γενητῶνʼ τὸν τοῦ Θεοῦ Λόγον· οὕτω τε ἀπατῶσι τοὺς ἀνοήτους, πρόφασιν μὲν προβαλλόμενοι τὰ ῥητὰ, ἀντὶ δὲ τῆς ἀληθινῆς διανοίας τὸν ἴδιον τῆς αἱρέσεως ἰὸν ἐπισπείροντες· ‘εἰ γὰρ ἐγίνωσκον, ʼ οὐκ ἂν ἠσέβουν εἰς ‘τὸν Κύριον τῆς δόξης, ʼ οὐδὲ τὰ καλῶς γραφέντα παρηρμήνευον. Εἰ μὲν οὖν ἐκ φανεροῦ λοιπὸν ἀναδεξάμενοι τὸν τοῦ Καϊάφα τρόπον, Ἰουδαΐζειν ἔκριναν, ὥστε ἀγνοεῖν τὸ γεγραμμένον, ὅτι ‘ὄντως ὁ Θεὸς ἐπὶ τῆς γῆς κατοικήσει·’ μὴ ἐξεταζέτωσαν τὰς ἀποστολικὰς λέξεις· οὐ γὰρ Ἰουδαίων τοῦτο· εἰ δὲ καὶ, τοῖς ἀθέοις Μανιχαίοις ἑαυτοὺς ἐγκαταμίξαντες, ἀρνοῦνται τὸ ‘ὁ Λόγος σὰρξ ἐγένετο, ’ καὶ τὴν ἔνσαρκον αὐτοῦ παρουσίαν, μὴ προφερέτωσαν τὰς Παροιμίας· ἀλλότριον γὰρ καὶ τῶν Μανιχαίων τοῦτο· εἰ δὲ διὰ τὸ πρόβλημα, καὶ ὅπερ ἐκ τούτου κέρδος τῆς φιλοχρηματίας ἐσχήκασι, διά τε τὴν ἐν τῷ δοκεῖν φιλοδοξίαν οὐ τολμῶσιν ἀρνεῖσθαι τὸ ‘ὁ Λόγος σὰρξ ἐγένετο, ʼ ἐπειδὴ καὶ γέγραπται· ἢ καὶ τὰ ῥήματα τὰ περὶ τούτου γεγραμμένα διανοείσθωσαν ὀρθῶς εἰς τὴν ἐνσώματον παρουσίαν τοῦ Σωτῆρος· ἢ εἰ τὴν διάνοιαν ἀρνοῦνται, ἀρνείσθωσαν ὅτι καὶ ἄνθρωπος γέγονεν ὁ Κύριος. Ἀπρεπὲς γὰρ ὁμολογεῖν μὲν ὅτι ‘ὁ Λόγος σὰρξ ἐγένετο, ʼ ἐρυθριᾷν δὲ ἐπὶ τοῖς γεγραμμένοις περὶ αὐτοῦ, καὶ διὰ τοῦτο τὴν τούτων διάνοιαν διαφθείρειν. ### English translation (Claude) 53. They say, then, that it is written in the Proverbs, “The Lord created me as the beginning of his ways, for his works”; and in the letter to the Hebrews, where the apostle says, “having become so much better than the angels, as he has inherited a more excellent name than they”; and a little later, “Therefore, holy brothers, sharers in a heavenly calling, consider the apostle and high priest of our confession, Jesus, who was faithful to him who made him”; and in the Acts, “Let all the house of Israel therefore know that God has made him both Lord and Christ, this Jesus whom you crucified.” Bringing these texts up and down and going astray about their meaning, they have supposed from them that the Word of God is “a creature and a work and one of the things originated.” And so they deceive the thoughtless, putting forward the texts as a pretext, but sowing instead of the true meaning the poison of their own heresy. For “if they had known,” they would not have acted impiously toward “the Lord of glory,” nor misinterpreted what was well written. If, then, openly taking up the way of Caiaphas, they have decided to Judaize, so as not to know what is written, that “God will truly dwell on the earth,” let them not examine the apostolic words, for this is not the Jews' way. But if, mixing themselves with the godless Manichaeans, they deny that “the Word became flesh” and his coming in the flesh, let them not bring forward the Proverbs, for this too is foreign to the Manichaeans. But if, because of their position and the gain of avarice they have had from it, and because of their love of reputation, they do not dare to deny that “the Word became flesh,” since it is written, then either let them understand the words written about it rightly, of the Savior's coming in the body, or, if they deny the meaning, let them deny that the Lord became man at all. For it is unfitting to confess that “the Word became flesh” but to blush at what is written about him, and for that reason to corrupt its meaning. ### Scripture references - Prov 8:22: quotation, high confidence - Heb 1:4: quotation, high confidence - Heb 3:1: quotation, high confidence - Heb 3:2: quotation, high confidence - Acts 2:36: quotation, high confidence - 1 Cor 2:8: quotation, high confidence - 1 Kgs 8:27: quotation, medium confidence - John 1:14: quotation, high confidence ### Translation notes - Prov 8:22 is quoted in its LXX form (“created me”); the Hebrew verb is usually rendered “acquired” or “possessed.” Athanasius discusses this verse at length in his second oration. The charges of avarice and ambition are his polemic, translated as written. ### Citation (SBL) Athanasius, C. Ar. 53 (Bright, 55–56; trans. Sophia Scriptura, https://sophiascriptura.com/fathers/athanasius-oratio-1/52/#p-53). ## Oration I Against the Arians 54 - URL: https://sophiascriptura.com/fathers/athanasius-oratio-1/52/#p-54 - Source: Bright, 56–57 - Translation: Claude (claude-opus-5-5), 2026-09-27 Summary: Athanasius lays down a rule of interpretation: to read Scripture rightly one must consider the time, the person, and the matter, and heresies arise from neglecting them. ### Greek text 54. Γέγραπται μὲν γὰρ, ‘τοσούτῳ κρείττων γενόμενος τῶν ἀγγέλων·᾿ τοῦτο γὰρ ἐξετάσαι πρῶτον ἀναγκαῖον· δεῖ δὲ, ὡς ἐπὶ πάσης τῆς θείας γραφῆς προσήκει ποιεῖν, καὶ ἀναγκαῖόν ἐστιν, οὕτω καὶ ἐνταῦθα, καθʼ ὃν εἶπεν ὁ ἀπόστολος καιρὸν, καὶ τὸ πρόσωπον, καὶ τὸ πρᾶγμα, διόπερ ἔγραψε, πιστῶς ἐκλαμβάνειν, ἵνα μὴ παρὰ ταῦτα ἢ καὶ παρʼ ἕτερόν τι τούτων ἀγνοῶν ὁ ἀναγινώσκων ἔξω τῆς ἀληθινῆς διανοίας γένηται. Τοῦτο γὰρ καὶ ὁ φιλομαθὴς εὐνοῦχος ἐκεῖνος εἰδὼς, παρεκάλει τὸν Φίλιππον λέγων, ‘Δέομαί σου, περὶ τίνος ὁ προφήτης λέγει τοῦτο; περὶ ἑαυτοῦ, ἢ περὶ ἑτέρου τινός;’ ἐφοβεῖτο γὰρ μὴ, παρὰ πρόσωπον ἐκλαβὼν τὴν ἀνάγνωσιν, πλανηθῇ τῆς ὀρθῆς διανοίας. Καὶ οἱ μαθηταὶ δὲ θέλοντες τὸν καιρὸν τῶν λεγομένων μαθεῖν, παρεκάλουν τὸν Κύριον, λέγοντες· ‘Εἰπὲ ἡμῖν, πότε ταῦτα ἔσται; καὶ τί τὸ σημεῖον τῆς σῆς παρουσίας;’ Καὶ αὐτοὶ, ἀκούοντες παρὰ τοῦ Σωτῆρος τὰ περὶ τοῦ τέλους, ἤθελον μαθεῖν καὶ τὸν καιρὸν, ἵνα μήτε αὐτοὶ πλανῶνται, ἀλλὰ καὶ τοὺς ἄλλους διδάσκειν δυνηθῶσι. Μαθόντες γοῦν, διωρθώσαντο μέλλοντας πλανᾶσθαι τοὺς ἀπὸ τῆς Θεσσαλονίκης. Ὅταν μὲν οὖν τῶν τοιούτων τις ἔχῃ καλῶς τὴν γνῶσιν, ὀρθὴν ἔχει καὶ ὑγιαίνουσαν τὴν τῆς πίστεως διάνοιαν· ἐὰν δὲ παρʼ ἕτερόν τις ἐκλαμβάνῃ τι τούτων, εὐθὺς εἰς αἵρεσιν ἐκπίπτει. Παρὰ καιρὸν μὲν οὖν ἐπλανήθησαν οἱ μὲν περὶ ‘Υμέναιον καὶ Ἀλέξανδρον, ‘λέγοντες τὴν ἀνάστασιν ἤδη γεγονέναι· ʼ οἱ δὲ Γαλάται μετὰ τὸν καιρὸν, ἀγαπήσαντες νῦν τὴν περιτομήν. Παρὰ πρόσωπον δὲ πεπόνθασι καὶ πάσχουσι μέχρι νῦν Ἰουδαῖοι, νομίζοντες περὶ ἑνὸς ἐξ αὐτῶν λέγεσθαι τὸ ‘Ἰδοὺ ἡ παρθένος ἐν γαστρὶ ἕξει, καὶ τέξεται υἱὸν, καὶ καλέσουσι τὸ ὄνομα αὐτοῦ Ἐμμανουὴλ, ὅ ἐστι μεθερμηνευόμενον, Μεθʼ ἡμῶν ὁ Θεός·’ καὶ ὅταν τὸ μὲν ‘προφήτην ἡμῖν ἀναστήσει ὁ Θεὸς, ’ νομίζωσι περὶ ἑνὸς τῶν προφητῶν λέγεσθαι· τὸ δὲ ‘ὡς πρόβατον ἐπὶ σφαγὴν ἤχθη, ʼ μὴ μανθάνωσι παρὰ τοῦ Φιλίππου, ἀλλʼ ὑπολαμβάνωσι περὶ τοῦ Ἡσαΐου λέγεσθαι, ἢ περὶ ἄλλου τινὸς τῶν γενομένων προφητῶν. ### English translation (Claude) 54. For it is written, “having become so much better than the angels.” This must be examined first. And here, as it is fitting and necessary to do with all divine Scripture, one must faithfully take into account the time at which the apostle spoke, the person, and the matter about which he wrote, so that the reader, through ignorance of these or of anything else of the kind, may not fall outside the true meaning. The studious eunuch knew this when he asked Philip, “I beg you, about whom does the prophet say this? About himself or about someone else?” For he was afraid that, taking the reading of the wrong person, he might stray from the right meaning. And the disciples, wishing to learn the time of what was said, asked the Lord, “Tell us, when will these things be? And what is the sign of your coming?” Hearing from the Savior about the end, they wished to learn the time too, so that they themselves might not go astray and might be able to teach others. And having learned, they set right the Thessalonians, who were about to go astray. When, then, someone has a right knowledge of such things, he has a right and sound understanding of the faith; but if someone takes any of these wrongly, he at once falls into heresy. Thus Hymenaeus and Alexander and their followers erred about the time, “saying that the resurrection had already happened”; and the Galatians erred after the time, loving circumcision now. And the Jews have erred about the person, and still do, thinking that “Behold, the virgin shall conceive and bear a son, and they shall call his name Emmanuel, which means, God with us” is said of one of themselves; and when they think that “God will raise up a prophet for us” is said of one of the prophets; and when, not learning from Philip, they suppose that “He was led as a sheep to the slaughter” is said of Isaiah or of some other of the former prophets. ### Scripture references - Heb 1:4: quotation, high confidence - Acts 8:34: quotation, high confidence - Matt 24:3: quotation, high confidence - 2 Thess 2:2: allusion, high confidence - 2 Tim 2:17: allusion, high confidence - 2 Tim 2:18: quotation, high confidence - Gal 5:2: allusion, medium confidence - Isa 7:14: quotation, high confidence - Matt 1:23: quotation, high confidence - Deut 18:15: quotation, high confidence - Isa 53:7: quotation, high confidence - Acts 8:32: allusion, high confidence ### Translation notes - Athanasius's rule of reading by “time, person, and matter” (καιρός, πρόσωπον, πρᾶγμα) is central to his exegesis in the Orations. His statements about Jewish interpretation are translated as written. ### Citation (SBL) Athanasius, C. Ar. 54 (Bright, 56–57; trans. Sophia Scriptura, https://sophiascriptura.com/fathers/athanasius-oratio-1/52/#p-54). ## Oration I Against the Arians 55 - URL: https://sophiascriptura.com/fathers/athanasius-oratio-1/52/#p-55 - Source: Bright, 57–58 - Translation: Claude (claude-opus-5-5), 2026-09-27 Summary: Athanasius reads Heb 1:1–4 as referring to the time of the incarnation and argues that “better” marks a difference of nature between the Son and the angels, not a comparison within one kind. ### Greek text 55. Τοιαῦτα δὴ οὖν καὶ οἱ Χριστομάχοι παθόντες, εἰς μυσαρὰν αἵρεσιν ἐκπεπτώκασιν. Εἰ γὰρ ἐγνώκεισαν τό τε πρόσωπον καὶ τὸ πρᾶγμα καὶ τὸν καιρὸν τοῦ ἀποστολικοῦ ῥητοῦ, οὐκ ἂν, τὰ ἀνθρώπινα εἰς τὴν θεότητα ἐκλαμβάνοντες, τοσοῦτον ἠσέβουν οἱ ἄφρονες. Τοῦτο δὲ δυνατὸν ἰδεῖν, εἰ τὴν ἀρχὴν τοῦ ἀναγνώσματός τις καλῶς ἐκλάβοι. Φησὶ γὰρ ὁ ἀπόστολος, ‘Πολυμερῶς καὶ πολυτρόπως πάλαι ὁ Θεὸς λαλήσας τοῖς πατράσιν ἐν τοῖς προφήταις ἐπʼ ἐσχάτων τῶν ἡμερῶν τούτων ἐλάλησεν ἡμῖν ἐν Υἱῷ·’ εἶτα μετʼ ὀλίγα φησὶ, διʼ ἑαυτοῦ καθαρισμὸν τῶν ἁμαρτιῶν ἡμῶν ποιησάμενος, ἐκάθισεν ἐν δεξιᾷ τῆς μεγαλωσύνης ἐν ὑψηλοῖς, τοσούτῳ κρείττων γενόμενος τῶν ἀγγέλων, ὅσῳ διαφορώτερον παρʼ αὐτοὺς κεκληρονόμηκεν ὄνομα.’ Περὶ τοῦ καιροῦ ἄρα καθʼ ὃν ‘ἐλάλησεν ἡμῖν ἐν Υἱῷ, ’ ὅτε καὶ ‘τῶν ἁμαρτιῶν καθαρισμὸςʼ γέγονε, μνημονεύει τὸ ἀποστολικὸν ῥητόν. Πότε δὲ ἐλάλησεν ἡμῖν ἐν Υἱῷ; καὶ πότε γέγονε καθαρισμὸς τῶν ἁμαρτιῶν; πότε δὲ γέγονεν ἄνθρωπος, ἢ μετὰ τοὺς προφήτας ‘ἐπʼ ἐσχάτων τῶν ἡμερῶν;’ Εἶτα τοῦ διηγήματος ὄντος περὶ τῆς καθʼ ἡμᾶς οἰκονομίας, λέγων περὶ τῶν ἐσχάτων καιρῶν, ἀκολούθως ἐμνημόνευσεν ὅτι μήτε τοὺς προτέρους χρόνους ἐσιώπησε τοῖς ἀνθρώποις ὁ Θεός· ἐλάλησε γὰρ αὐτοῖς ‘διὰ τῶν προφητῶν.’ Καὶ ἐπειδὴ καὶ προφῆται διηκόνησαν, καὶ ‘διʼ ἀγγέλων ὁ νόμος ἐλαλήθη, ’ καὶ ὁ Υἱὸς δὲ ἐπεδήμησε, καὶ ‘ἦλθε διακονῆσαι, ’ ἀναγκαίως ἐπήγαγε τὸ ‘τοσούτῳ κρείττων γενόμενος τῶν ἀγγέλων, ʼ δεῖξαι θέλων ὅτι ὅσον ὁ Υἱὸς διαφέρει δούλου, τοσοῦτον καὶ τῆς διακονίας τῶν δούλων ἡ τοῦ Υἱοῦ διακονία κρείττων γέγονε. Τὴν διακονίαν ἄρα διακρίνων ὁ ἀπόστολος τήν τε παλαιὰν καὶ τὴν καινὴν, παῤῥησιάζεται πρὸς Ἰουδαίους γράφων καὶ λέγων, ‘τοσούτῳ κρείττων γενόμενος τῶν ἀγγέλων.’ Διὰ τοῦτο γοῦν οὐδὲ τὸ ὅλον συγκριτικῶς εἴρηκε μείζων, ᾿ ἢ ‘τιμιώτεροςʼ γενόμενος, ἵνα μὴ ὡς περὶ ὁμογενῶν τούτου κἀκείνων τις λογίσηται· ἀλλὰ ‘κρείττωνʼ εἴρηκεν, ἵνα τὸ διαλλάττον τῆς φύσεως τοῦ Υἱοῦ πρὸς τὰ γεννητὰ γνωρίσῃ. Καὶ τούτων ἔχομεν τὴν ἀπόδειξιν ἐκ τῶν θείων γραφῶν, τοῦ μὲν Δαβὶδ ψάλλοντος, ‘Κρείσσων ἡμέρα μία ἐν ταῖς αὐλαῖς σου ὑπὲρ χιλιάδας·’ τοῦ δὲ Σολομῶνος ἀναφωνοῦντος· ‘Λάβετε παιδείαν, καὶ μὴ ἀργύριον, καὶ γνῶσιν ὑπὲρ χρυσίον δεδοκιμασμένον· κρείσσων γὰρ σοφία λίθων πολυτελῶν· πᾶν δὲ τίμιον οὐκ ἄξιον αὐτῆς ἐστι. Πῶς γὰρ οὐκ εἰσὶν ἑτερούσια καὶ ἄλλα τὴν φύσιν ἡ σοφία καὶ οἱ ἀπὸ γῆς λίθοι; ποία δὲ συγγένεια ταῖς οὐρανίοις αὐλαῖς καὶ τοῖς ἐπὶ γῆς οἴκοις; ἢ τί ὅμοιον τῶν αἰωνίων καὶ πνευματικῶν τὰ πρόσκαιρα καὶ τὰ θνητά; Καὶ τοῦτο γὰρ ἦν ὃ Ἡσαΐας φησί· ‘Τάδε λέγει Κύριος τοῖς εὐνούχοις, ὅσοι ἃν φυλάξωνται τὰ σάββατά μου, καὶ ἐκλέξωνται ἃ ἐγὼ θέλω, καὶ ἀντέχωνται τῆς διαθήκης μου, δώσω αὐτοῖς ἐν τῷ οἴκῳ μου καὶ ἐν τῷ τείχει μου τόπον ὀνομαστόν· κρεῖσσον υἱῶν καὶ θυγατέρων ὄνομα αἰώνιον δώσω αὐτοῖς, καὶ οὐκ ἐκλείψει.’ Οὕτως ἄρα οὐδεμία συγγένεια τῷ Υἱῷ πρὸς τοὺς ἀγγέλους ἐστί· μηδεμιᾶς δὲ οὔσης τῆς συγγενείας, οὐκ ἄρα συγκριτικῶς ἐλέχθη τὸ ‘κρείττων, ’ ἀλλὰ διακριτικῶς διὰ τὸ ἀλλάττον τῆς τούτου φύσεως ἀπʼ ἐκείνων. Καὶ αὐτὸς οὖν ὁ ἀπόστολος, τὸ ‘κρείττωνʼ ἑρμηνεύων, οὐκ ἐν ἄλλῳ τινὶ ἢ ἐν τῇ διαφορᾷ τοῦ Υἱοῦ πρὸς τὰ γενητὰ τίθησι λέγων, ὅτι ὁ μὲν Υἱὸς, τὰ δὲ δοῦλα· καὶ ὁ μὲν ὡς Υἱὸς μετὰ τοῦ Πατρὸς ‘ἐν δεξιᾶ κάθηται, ʼ τὰ δὲ ὡς δοῦλα παρέστηκε, καὶ ‘ἀποστέλλεται, καὶ λειτουργεῖ.’ ### English translation (Claude) 55. The fighters against Christ, having suffered the same thing, have fallen into a loathsome heresy. For if they had known the person, the matter, and the time of the apostle's saying, these senseless men would not have committed so great an impiety by taking what is human as referring to the Godhead. This can be seen if one takes the beginning of the passage rightly. For the apostle says, “Having spoken long ago to the fathers by the prophets in many parts and many ways, God has in these last days spoken to us by a Son”; then a little later he says, “having made purification for our sins by himself, he sat down at the right hand of the Majesty on high, having become so much better than the angels, as he has inherited a more excellent name than they.” So the apostle's saying refers to the time when “he spoke to us by a Son,” when also “purification of sins” took place. And when did he speak to us by a Son? And when did purification of sins take place? And when did he become man, but after the prophets, “in the last days”? Then, since his account concerns the economy on our behalf, and he is speaking of the last times, he consistently mentions that God was not silent toward men in the former times either; for he spoke to them “by the prophets.” And since the prophets ministered, and “the law was spoken through angels,” and the Son too came among us and “came to serve,” he necessarily added, “having become so much better than the angels,” wishing to show that, as far as a son differs from a servant, so far the Son's ministry has become better than the ministry of the servants. Distinguishing, then, the old ministry and the new, the apostle speaks boldly, writing to Jews and saying, “having become so much better than the angels.” For this reason he did not speak comparatively at all, saying “greater” or “more honored,” lest anyone think of him and them as of the same kind; but he said “better,” to make known the difference of the Son's nature from things begotten. We have the proof of this from the divine Scriptures, since David sings, “One day in your courts is better than thousands,” and Solomon cries out, “Take instruction and not silver, and knowledge rather than tested gold; for wisdom is better than precious stones, and nothing precious is worthy of her.” For how are wisdom and stones from the earth not of different substance and different in nature? What kinship is there between the heavenly courts and houses on earth? Or what likeness do temporal and mortal things have to eternal and spiritual ones? And this is what Isaiah says: “Thus says the Lord to the eunuchs, as many as keep my sabbaths and choose what I will and hold fast to my covenant: I will give them in my house and within my wall a named place; better than sons and daughters, I will give them an eternal name, and it will not fail.” So there is no kinship at all between the Son and the angels; and since there is no kinship, “better” was not said by way of comparison, but by way of distinction, because of the difference of his nature from theirs. And the apostle himself, interpreting “better,” places it in nothing else than the difference of the Son from things originated, saying that he is Son but they are servants; and he, as Son, “sits at the right hand” with the Father, while they, as servants, stand by and “are sent” and minister. ### Scripture references - Heb 1:1: quotation, high confidence - Heb 1:2: quotation, high confidence - Heb 1:3: quotation, high confidence - Heb 1:4: quotation, high confidence - Heb 2:2: quotation, high confidence - Matt 20:28: quotation, high confidence - Ps 84:10 (83:11 LXX): quotation, high confidence - Prov 8:10: quotation, high confidence - Prov 8:11: quotation, high confidence - Isa 56:4: quotation, high confidence - Isa 56:5: quotation, high confidence - Heb 1:13: allusion, high confidence - Heb 1:14: allusion, high confidence ### Translation notes - “The economy” (οἰκονομία) is the divine plan of salvation carried out in the incarnation. The psalm is Ps 84:10 (LXX 83:11). ### Citation (SBL) Athanasius, C. Ar. 55 (Bright, 57–58; trans. Sophia Scriptura, https://sophiascriptura.com/fathers/athanasius-oratio-1/52/#p-55). ## Oration I Against the Arians 56 - URL: https://sophiascriptura.com/fathers/athanasius-oratio-1/52/#p-56 - Source: Bright, 58–59 - Translation: Claude (claude-opus-5-5), 2026-09-27 Summary: Athanasius argues that “having become” in Heb 1:4 is joined to “better” and to the title Son, so it does not make the Son originated, and that making him of the angels' kind repeats Gnostic teaching. ### Greek text 56. Τούτων δὲ οὕτως γεγραμμένων, οὐ γενητὸς ἐκ τούτων ὁ Υἱὸς σημαίνεται, ὦ Ἀρειανοὶ, ἀλλὰ μᾶλλον ἄλλος μὲν τῶν γενητῶν, ἴδιος δὲ τοῦ Πατρὸς, ἐν τοῖς κόλποις ὢν αὐτοῦ. Καὶ γὰρ καὶ τὸ γεγραμμένον ἐνταῦθα, ‘γενόμενος, ᾿ οὔτε γενητὸν σημαίνει τὸν Υἱὸν, ὥσπερ ὑμεῖς νομίζετε. Εἰ μὲν γὰρ ἀπλῶς εἰρήκει τὸ ‘γενόμενος, ’ καὶ ἐσιώπησεν, ἡ πρόφασις ἦν τοῖς Ἀρειανοῖς· ἐπειδὴ δὲ τὸν ‘Υἱὸνʼ προείρηκε, διʼ ὅλης τῆς περικοπῆς ἀποδείξας αὐτὸν ἄλλον εἶναι τῶν γενητῶν, οὐδὲ τὸ ‘γενόμενοςʼ ἀπολελυμένως ἔθηκεν, ἀλλὰ τὸ ‘κρείττωνʼ συνῆψε τῷ ‘γενόμενος.’ Ἀδιάφορον γὰρ ἡγήσατο τὴν λέξιν, εἰδὼς, ὡς ἐπὶ ὁμολογουμένου γνησίου Υἱοῦ ὁ λέγων τὸ γενόμενοςʼ ἴσον τῷ ‘γεγενῆσθαι, ʼ καὶ ὅτι ἐστὶ ‘κρείττων, ’ λέγει. Τὸ μὲν γὰρ γεννητὸν οὐ διαφέρει, κἂν λέγῃ τις ‘γέγονεν, ʼ ἢ, ‘πεποίηται·’ τὰ δὲ γενητὰ ἀδύνατον, δημιουργήματα ὄντα, λέγεσθαι ‘γεννητὰ, ’ εἰ μὴ ἄρα, μετὰ ταῦτα μετασχόντα τοῦ γεννητοῦ Υἱοῦ, γεγεννῆσθαι καὶ αὐτὰ λέγονται, οὔτι γε διὰ τὴν ἰδίαν φύσιν, ἀλλὰ διὰ τὴν μετουσίαν τοῦ Υἱοῦ ἐν τῷ Πνεύματι. Καὶ τοῦτο πάλιν οἶδεν ἡ θεία γραφὴ, ἐπὶ μὲν τῶν γενητῶν λέγουσα, ‘Πάντα διʼ αὐτοῦ ἐγένετο, καὶ χωρὶς αὐτοῦ ἐγένετο οὐδὲ ἕν·’ καὶ, ‘Πάντα ἐν σοφίᾳ ἐποίησας·’ ἐπὶ δὲ τῶν υἱῶν τῶν γεννητῶν, ‘ἐγένοντο τῷ Ἰὼβ υἱοὶ ἑπτὰ καὶ θυγατέρες τρεῖς· ʼ καὶ, ‘ Ἀβραὰμ δὲ ἦν ἑκατὸν ἐτῶν, ὅτε ἐγένετο αὐτῷ Ἰσαὰκ ὁ υἱὸς αὐτοῦ·’ ὁ δὲ Μωσῆς ἔλεγεν· ‘Ἐὰν γένωνταί τινι υἱοί.’ Οὐκοῦν εἰ μὲν τῶν γενητῶν ἄλλος ἐστὶ, τῆς δὲ τοῦ Πατρὸς οὐσίας μόνον ἴδιον γέννημα ὁ Υἱὸς, μεματαίωται τοῖς Ἀρειανοῖς ἡ περὶ τοῦ ‘γενόμενοςʼ πρόφασις. Κἂν γὰρ ἐν τούτοις αἰσχυνθέντες βιάζωνται πάλιν λέγειν ‘συγκριτικῶς εἰρῆσθαι τὰ ῥητὰ, καὶ διὰ τοῦτο εἶναι τὰ συγκρινόμενα ὁμογενῆ, ὥστε τὸν Υἱὸν τῆς τῶν ἀγγέλων εἶναι φύσεως·’ αἰσχυνθήσονται μὲν προηγουμένως ὡς τὰ Οὐαλεντίνου καὶ Καρποκράτους καὶ τῶν ἄλλων αἱρετικῶν ζηλοῦντες καὶ φθεγγόμενοι, ὧν ὁ μὲν τοὺς ἀγγέλους ὁμογενεῖς εἴρηκε τῷ Χριστῷ, ὁ δὲ Καρποκράτης ἀγγέλους τοῦ κόσμου δημιουργοὺς εἶναί φησι. Παῤ αὐτῶν γὰρ ἴσως μαθόντες καὶ οὗτοι συγκρίνουσι τὸν τοῦ Θεοῦ Λόγον τοῖς ἀγγέλοις. ### English translation (Claude) 56. When these things are written in this way, you Arians, the Son is not signified by them as originated, but rather as other than things originated and proper to the Father, being in his bosom. For the word written here, “having become,” does not signify either that the Son is originated, as you think. If he had simply said “having become” and stopped, the Arians would have had a pretext. But since he had already spoken of the “Son,” having shown through the whole passage that he is other than things originated, he did not put “having become” by itself, but joined “better” to “having become.” For he considered the word indifferent, knowing that, in the case of one admitted to be a genuine Son, whoever says “having become” is saying the same as that he “has been” and that he is “better.” For with what is begotten it makes no difference whether one says “he has become” or “he has been made”; but things originated, being works of creation, cannot be called “begotten,” except that afterwards, having shared in the begotten Son, they too are said to have been begotten, not because of their own nature, but because of their participation in the Son in the Spirit. The divine Scripture knows this too. Of things originated it says, “All things came to be through him, and without him not one thing came to be,” and, “In wisdom you made all things”; but of sons who are begotten, “There came to be to Job seven sons and three daughters,” and, “Abraham was a hundred years old when Isaac his son came to be to him”; and Moses said, “If sons come to be to anyone.” So if the Son is other than things originated, and is the only proper offspring of the Father's substance, the Arians' pretext about “having become” has been made void. And if, put to shame on these points, they force themselves to say again that “the texts are spoken by way of comparison, and that therefore the things compared are of the same kind, so that the Son is of the nature of the angels,” they will be put to shame first of all for emulating and repeating the views of Valentinus, Carpocrates, and the other heretics, of whom the former said that the angels are of the same kind as Christ, and Carpocrates says that angels are the makers of the world. Perhaps these men too have learned from them to compare the Word of God with the angels. ### Scripture references - John 1:18: allusion, high confidence - Heb 1:4: quotation, high confidence - John 1:3: quotation, high confidence - Ps 104:24 (103:24 LXX): quotation, high confidence - Job 1:2: quotation, high confidence - Gen 21:5: quotation, high confidence - Deut 21:15: allusion, low confidence ### Translation notes - Valentinus (2nd century) and Carpocrates (2nd century) were Gnostic teachers; Athanasius's summaries of their views are his own. The last Scripture phrase (“If sons come to be to anyone”) is uncertainly identified, perhaps Deut 21:15. ### Citation (SBL) Athanasius, C. Ar. 56 (Bright, 58–59; trans. Sophia Scriptura, https://sophiascriptura.com/fathers/athanasius-oratio-1/52/#p-56). ## Oration I Against the Arians 57 - URL: https://sophiascriptura.com/fathers/athanasius-oratio-1/52/#p-57 - Source: Bright, 59–60 - Translation: Claude (claude-opus-5-5), 2026-09-27 Summary: Athanasius argues that “better” is used between things of different kinds, and that Hebrews sets the Son, the maker of all, apart from the angels in nature. ### Greek text 57. Ἀλλʼ ἐντραπήσονται τοιαῦτα φανταζόμενοι παρὰ μὲν τοῦ ὑμνῳδοῦ λέγοντος, ‘Τίς ὁμοιωθήσεται τῷ Κυρίῳ ἐν υἱοῖς Θεοῦ;’ καὶ, ‘Τίς ὅμοιός σοι ἐν θεοῖς, Κύριε;’ Ἀκούσονται δὲ ὅμως, ἐὰν ἄρα κἂν οὕτω μάθωσιν, ὡς ἐν μὲν τοῖς ὁμογενέσιν ὁμολογουμένως φιλεῖ τὰ τῆς συγκρίσεως γίνεσθαι, καὶ οὐκ ἐν τοῖς ἑτερογενέσιν. Οὐδεὶς γοῦν Θεὸν συγκρίνοι πρὸς ἄνθρωπον, οὐδὲ πάλιν ἄνθρωπον πρὸς τὰ ἄλογα, οὐδὲ ξύλα πρὸς λίθους, διὰ τὸ ἀνόμοιον τῆς φύσεως· ἀλλὰ Θεὸς μὲν ἀσύγκριτόν ἐστι πρᾶγμα· ἄνθρωπος δὲ πρὸς ἄνθρωπον συγκρίνεται, καὶ ξύλον πρὸς ξύλον, καὶ λίθος πρὸς λίθον· καὶ οὐκ ἄν τις ἐπὶ τούτων εἴποι τὸ ‘κρεῖττον, ʼ ἀλλὰ τὸ ‘μᾶλλον, ’ καὶ τὸ ‘πλέον·’ οὕτως Ἰωσὴφ ὡραῖος ἦν μᾶλλον παρὰ τοὺς ἀδελφοὺς αὐτοῦ, καὶ Ῥαχὴλ τῆς Λείας· ‘ἀστὴρ δὲ ἀστέροςʼ οὐχὶ ‘κρείσσων, ᾿ ἀλλὰ μᾶλλον ‘διαφέρει ἐν δόξῃ.’ Ἐπὶ δὲ τῶν ἑτερογενῶν, ὅταν ταῦτά τις παραβάλλῃ πρὸς ἄλληλα, τότε τὸ ‘κρεῖττονʼ πρὸς τὸ διαλλάττον λέγεται, καθάπερ ἐπὶ τῆς σοφίας καὶ τῶν λίθων εἴρηται. Εἰ μὲν οὖν εἰρηκὼς ἦν ὁ ἀπόστολος, ‘τοσούτῳ μᾶλλον ὁ Υἱὸς τῶν ἀγγέλων προάγει, ’ ἢ, ‘τοσούτῳ μείζων ἐστίν·’ ἦν ἂν ὑμῖν πρόφασις, ὡς συγκρινομένου τοῦ Υἱοῦ πρὸς τοὺς ἀγγέλους· νῦν δὲ λέγων ‘κρείττοναʼ αὐτὸν εἶναι, καὶ ‘τοσούτῳ διαφέρειν, ᾿ ὅσῳ διέστηκεν υἱὸς δούλων, δείκνυσιν αὐτὸν ἄλλον εἶναι τῆς τῶν ἀγγέλων φύσεως. Λέγων δὲ πάλιν αὐτὸν εἶναι τὸν ‘θεμελιώσανταʼ τὰ πάντα, δείκνυσιν ἄλλον αὐτὸν εἶναι πάντων τῶν γενητῶν. Ἄλλου δὲ καὶ ἑτερουσίου αὐτοῦ ὄντος παρὰ τὴν τῶν γενητῶν φύσιν, ποία τῆς οὐσίας αὐτοῦ σύγκρισις ἢ ὁμοιότης πρὸς τὰ γενητά; Κἂν γὰρ πάλιν ἐνθυμηθῶσί τι τοιοῦτον, διελέγξει τούτους τὰ αὐτὰ λέγων ὁ Παῦλος· ‘Τίνι γὰρ εἶπέ ποτε τῶν ἀγγέλων· Υἱός μου εἶ σὺ, ἐγὼ σήμερον γεγέννηκά σε; Καὶ πρὸς μὲν τοὺς ἀγγέλους λέγει· Ὁ ποιῶν τοὺς ἀγγέλους αὐτοῦ πνεύματα, καὶ τοὺς λειτουργοὺς αὐτοῦ πυρὸς φλόγα.᾿ ### English translation (Claude) 57. But they will be put to shame for imagining such things by the hymn-writer, who says, “Who will be likened to the Lord among the sons of God?” and, “Who is like you among the gods, O Lord?” Yet let them hear, if even so they may learn, that comparisons are admittedly made between things of the same kind, and not between things of different kinds. No one would compare God with man, nor again man with irrational animals, nor wood with stones, because of the unlikeness of their nature; God is something beyond comparison, while man is compared with man, wood with wood, and stone with stone. And in such cases one would not say “better,” but “rather” and “more.” So Joseph was handsome rather than his brothers, and Rachel than Leah; and “star” is not “better” than “star,” but rather “differs in glory.” But in things of different kinds, when one sets them beside each other, then “better” is said to mark the difference, as was said about wisdom and stones. If, then, the apostle had said, “the Son surpasses the angels by so much more,” or, “is so much greater,” you would have had a pretext, as if the Son were being compared with the angels. But as it is, by saying that he is “better” and “differs as much” as a son stands apart from servants, he shows that he is other than the nature of the angels. And again, by saying that he is the one who “laid the foundation” of all things, he shows that he is other than all things originated. And since he is other and of a different substance from the nature of things originated, what comparison or likeness of his substance to things originated can there be? For if they should again think of anything of the kind, Paul will refute them, saying the same: “For to which of the angels did he ever say, ‘You are my Son, today I have begotten you’? And of the angels he says, ‘Who makes his angels spirits, and his ministers a flame of fire.’” ### Scripture references - Ps 89:6 (88:7 LXX): quotation, high confidence - Ps 86:8 (85:8 LXX): quotation, high confidence - Gen 39:6: allusion, medium confidence - Gen 29:17: allusion, medium confidence - 1 Cor 15:41: quotation, high confidence - Heb 1:4: allusion, high confidence - Heb 1:10: allusion, high confidence - Heb 1:5: quotation, high confidence - Heb 1:7: quotation, high confidence ### Translation notes - The psalms are Ps 89:6 (LXX 88:7) and Ps 86:8 (LXX 85:8). ### Citation (SBL) Athanasius, C. Ar. 57 (Bright, 59–60; trans. Sophia Scriptura, https://sophiascriptura.com/fathers/athanasius-oratio-1/52/#p-57). ## Oration I Against the Arians 58 - URL: https://sophiascriptura.com/fathers/athanasius-oratio-1/52/#p-58 - Source: Bright, 60–61 - Translation: Claude (claude-opus-5-5), 2026-09-27 Summary: Athanasius contrasts what Hebrews says of creatures (made, perishing) with what it says of the Son (eternal, reigning, creator), and explains “the Father is greater than I” as referring to the Son's begetting. ### Greek text 58. Ἰδοὺ τῶν μὲν γενητῶν τὸ ‘ποιεῖσθαι, ᾿ καὶ ταῦτα ποιήματα εἶναι λέγει· πρὸς δὲ τὸν Υἱὸν οὐ ποίησιν, οὐδὲ τὸ γενέσθαι, ἀλλὰ τὸ ἀΐδιον, καὶ τὸ βασιλέα, καὶ τὸ εἶναι δημιουργὸν, προσφωνεῖ λέγων· ‘ Ὁ θρόνος σου, ὁ Θεὸς, εἰς τὸν αἰῶνα τοῦ αἰῶνος·’ καὶ, ‘Σὺ κατʼ ἀρχὰς, Κύριε, τὴν γῆν ἐθεμελίωσας, καὶ ἔργα τῶν χειρῶν σου εἰσὶν οἱ οὐρανοί. Αὐτοὶ ἀπολοῦνται, σὺ δὲ διαμένεις.᾿ Ἐξ ὧν καὶ αὐτοὶ συνιδεῖν ἠδύναντο, εἴπερ ἤθελον, ὅτι ἄλλος μέν ἐστιν ὁ δημιουργῶν, ἄλλα δὲ τὰ δημιουργήματα· καὶ ὁ μὲν Θεός ἐστι, τὰ δὲ γενητά ἐστιν, ἐξ οὐκ ὄντων πεποιημένα. Τὸ γὰρ λεγόμενον νῦν, ‘αὐτοὶ ἀπολοῦνται, ᾿ οὐχ ὡς εἰς ἀπώλειαν ἐσομένης τῆς κτίσεώς φησιν, ἀλλʼ ἵνα ἀπὸ τοῦ τέλους τὴν τῶν γενητῶν δείξῃ φύσιν. Τὰ γὰρ δυνάμενα ἀπολέσθαι, κἂν μὴ ἀπόληται διὰ τὴν χάριν τοῦ πεποιηκότος ταῦτα, ὅμως ‘ἐξ οὐκ ὄντωνʼ γέγονε, καὶ τὸ ‘μὴ εἶναί ποτεʼ αὐτὰ μαρτυρεῖται. Διὰ τοῦτο γοῦν ὡς τούτων τοιαύτην ἐχόντων τὴν φύσιν, λέγεται ἐπὶ τοῦ Υἱοῦ τὸ ‘σὺ δὲ διαμένεις, ᾿ ἵνα τὸ ἀΐδιον αὐτοῦ δειχθῇ· οὐ γὰρ ἔχων τὸ δύνασθαι ἀπολέσθαι, ὥσπερ ἔχει τὰ γενητὰ, ἔχων δὲ τὸ διαμένειν ἀεὶ, —ἀλλότριον μέν ἐστιν αὐτοῦ τὸ λέγεσθαι ‘οὐκ ἦν πρὶν γεννηθῇ, ’ ἴδιον δὲ τὸ ἀεὶ εἶναι, καὶ συνδιαμένειν σὺν τῷ Πατρί. Εἰ μὲν οὖν μὴ ταῦτα γράψας ἦν ὁ ἀπόστολος ἐν τῇ πρὸς ‘Εβραίους ἐπιστολῇ, κἂν ἐκ τῶν ἄλλων ἐπιστολῶν αὐτοῦ, καὶ πάσης τῆς γραφῆς ἀληθῶς ἐκωλύοντό τι τοιοῦτον φαντάζεσθαι περὶ τοῦ Λόγου· ἐπειδὴ δὲ αὐτός τε ἔγραψε, καὶ ἐν τοῖς ἔμπροσθεν δέδεικται γέννημα τῆς τοῦ Πατρὸς οὐσίας ὢν ὁ Υἱός· καὶ αὐτὸς μὲν δημιουργὸς, τὰ δὲ δημιουργεῖται παρʼ αὐτοῦ· καὶ αὐτὸς μὲν ἀπαύγασμα καὶ Λόγος, καὶ εἰκὼν, καὶ Σοφία τοῦ Πατρός ἐστι, τὰ δὲ γενητὰ κάτω που τῆς Τριάδος ἐστὶ παραστήκοντα καὶ δουλεύοντα· ἑτερογενὴς ἄρα καὶ ἑτερούσιός ἐστιν ὁ Υἱὸς τῶν γενητῶν, καὶ μᾶλλον τῆς τοῦ Πατρὸς οὐσίας ἴδιος καὶ ὁμοφυὴς τυγχάνει. Διὰ τοῦτο γὰρ καὶ αὐτὸς ὁ Υἱὸς οὐκ εἴρηκεν, ‘Ὁ Πατήρ μου κρείττων μου ἐστὶν, ʼ ἵνα μὴ ξένον τις τῆς ἐκείνου φύσεως αὐτὸν ὑπολάβοι· ἀλλὰ ‘μείζωνʼ εἶπεν, οὐ μεγέθει τινὶ, οὐδὲ χρόνῳ, ἀλλὰ διὰ τὴν ἐξ αὐτοῦ τοῦ Πατρὸς γέννησιν· πλὴν ὅτι καὶ ἐν τῷ εἰπεῖν ‘μείζων ἐστὶν, ʼ ἔδειξε πάλιν τὴν τῆς οὐσίας ἰδιότητα. ### English translation (Claude) 58. See: of things originated he says “being made,” and that they are works; but to the Son he speaks not of making or of coming to be, but of eternity, kingship, and being creator, saying, “Your throne, O God, is forever and ever,” and, “You, Lord, in the beginning founded the earth, and the heavens are the works of your hands. They will perish, but you remain.” From these words even they could see, if they wished, that the one who creates is one thing and the things created another; he is God, they are originated, made from nothing. For what is said now, “they will perish,” is not said as though the creation will come to destruction, but to show the nature of originated things from their end. For things that can perish, even if they do not perish because of the grace of their maker, have nevertheless come to be “from nothing,” and bear witness that they “once were not.” For this reason, since these have such a nature, “but you remain” is said of the Son, to show his eternity. For since he does not have the capacity to perish, as originated things have, but has always remaining, it is foreign to him to be called “he was not before he was begotten,” but proper to him to be always and to remain with the Father. If the apostle had not written these things in the letter to the Hebrews, then from his other letters and from all Scripture they would truly have been prevented from imagining any such thing about the Word. But since he himself wrote it, and it has been shown above that the Son is the offspring of the Father's substance; that he is creator, and other things are created by him; that he is the radiance, Word, image, and Wisdom of the Father, while things originated stand somewhere below the Trinity and serve; then the Son is of a different kind and a different substance from things originated, and is rather proper to the Father's substance and of one nature with it. For this reason the Son himself did not say, “My Father is better than I,” lest anyone suppose him foreign to his nature, but said “greater,” not in any size or in time, but because of his begetting from the Father himself; yet in saying “greater” he again showed that he is proper to his substance. ### Scripture references - Heb 1:7: allusion, high confidence - Heb 1:8: quotation, high confidence - Heb 1:10: quotation, high confidence - Heb 1:11: quotation, high confidence - John 14:28: allusion, high confidence ### Translation notes - “Of one nature” renders ὁμοφυής. John 14:28 (“the Father is greater than I”) was a key Arian text; Athanasius explains “greater” by the Father's being the source of the Son, not by any difference of substance. ### Citation (SBL) Athanasius, C. Ar. 58 (Bright, 60–61; trans. Sophia Scriptura, https://sophiascriptura.com/fathers/athanasius-oratio-1/52/#p-58). ## Oration I Against the Arians 59 - URL: https://sophiascriptura.com/fathers/athanasius-oratio-1/52/#p-59 - Source: Bright, 61–63 - Translation: Claude (claude-opus-5-5), 2026-09-27 Summary: Athanasius explains that Hebrews calls the Son “better” because the grace and covenant brought by him differ in kind from the ministry of angels and the law, as he differs in nature from creatures. ### Greek text 59. Καὶ ὁ ἀπόστολος δὲ αὐτὸς οὐ τὴν οὐσίαν τοῦ Λόγου προηγουμένως συγκρῖναι θέλων πρὸς τὰ γενητὰ ἔλεγε, ‘τοσούτῳ κρείττων γενόμενος τῶν ἀγγέλων·’ ἀσύγκριτος γὰρ, μᾶλλον δὲ ἄλλο καὶ ἄλλο ἐστίν· ἀλλὰ πρὸς τὴν ἔνσαρκον ἐπιδημίαν τοῦ Λόγου βλέπων καὶ τὴν τότε παρʼ αὐτοῦ γενομένην οἰκονομίαν, ἠθέλησε δεῖξαι οὐχ ὅμοιον εἶναι τοῦτον τοῖς πρότερον· ἵνα, ὅσῳ τῇ φύσει διαφέρει τῶν προαποσταλέντων παρʼ αὐτοῦ, τοσούτῳ καὶ πλέον ἡ παρʼ αὐτοῦ καὶ διʼ αὐτοῦ γενομένη χάρις κρείττων τῆς διʼ ἀγγέλων διακονίας γένηται. Δούλων μὲν γὰρ ἦν ἀπαιτεῖν μόνον τοὺς καρποὺς, Υἱοῦ δὲ καὶ δεσπότου χαρίσασθαι τὰς ὀφειλὰς, καὶ μεταθεῖναι τὸν ἀμπελῶνα. Καὶ τὰ ἐπιφερόμενα γοῦν παρὰ τοῦ ἀποστόλου δείκνυσι τὴν διαφορὰν τοῦ Υἱοῦ πρὸς τὰ γενητὰ λέγοντος· ‘Διὰ τοῦτο δεῖ περισσοτέρως προσέχειν ἡμᾶς τοῖς ἀκουσθεῖσι, μήποτε παραῤῥυῶμεν. Εἰ γὰρ ὁ διʼ ἀγγέλων λαληθεὶς λόγος ἐγένετο βέβαιος, καὶ πᾶσα παράβασις καὶ παρακοὴ ἔλαβεν ἔνδικον μισθαποδοσίαν· πῶς ἡμεῖς ἐκφευξόμεθα, τηλικαύτης ἀμελήσαντες σωτηρίας; ἥτις ἀρχὴν λαβοῦσα λαλεῖσθαι διὰ τοῦ Κυρίου, ὑπὸ τῶν ἀκουσάντων εἰς ἡμᾶς ἐβεβαιώθη. ʼ Εἰ δὲ τῶν γενητῶν εἷς ἦν ὁ Υἱὸς, οὐ ‘κρείττωνʼ αὐτῶν ἦν, οὔτε ἐν τῇ ‘παρακοῇʼ τὸ μεῖζον τῆς τιμωρίας διʼ αὐτὸν ἀπέκειτο. Οὐδὲ γὰρ ἐν τῇ διακονίᾳ τῶν ἀγγέλων ἐνῆν καθʼ ἕκαστον αὐτῶν τὸ μεῖζον καὶ ἔλαττον ἐν τοῖς παραβαίνουσιν· ἀλλʼ εἷς ἦν ὁ νόμος, καὶ μία ἡ κατὰ τῶν παραβαινόντων ἐκδικία. Ἐπειδὴ δὲ οὐκ ἔστι τῶν γενητῶν ὁ Λόγος, ἀλλʼ Υἱὸς τοῦ Πατρὸς, διὰ τοῦτο ὅσῳ κρείττων αὐτὸς, καὶ τὰ διʼ αὐτοῦ κρείττονα καὶ παρηλλαγμένα ἐστὶ, τοσούτῳ καὶ ἡ τιμωρία χείρων γένοιτο. Θεασάσθωσαν γοῦν τὴν διὰ τοῦ Υἱοῦ χάριν, καὶ ἐπιγνώτωσαν καὶ ἐκ τῶν ἔργων μαρτυρούμενον αὐτὸν, ὅτι τῶν μὲν γενητῶν ἄλλος ἐστὶ, μόνος δὲ αὐτὸς Υἱὸς ἀληθινὸς ‘ἐν τῷ Πατρὶ, καὶ ὁ Πατὴρ ἐν αὐτῷ.’ Ὁ νόμος δὲ ‘διʼ ἀγγέλων ἐλαλήθη, ’ καὶ ‘οὐδένα τετελείωκεʼ δεόμενος τῆς τοῦ Λόγου ἐπιδημίας, ὡς εἴρηκεν ὁ Παῦλος· ἡ δὲ τοῦ Λόγου ἐπιδημία ‘τετελείωκε τὸ ἔργονʼ τοῦ Πατρός. Καὶ τότε μὲν ‘ἀπὸ Ἀδὰμ μέχρι Μωσέως ὁ θάνατος ἐβασίλευσεν·’ ἡ δὲ τοῦ Λόγου παρουσία κατήργησε τὸν θάνατον·’ καὶ οὐκέτι μὲν ‘ἐν τῷ Ἀδὰμ πάντες ἀποθνήσκομεν· ἐν δὲ τῷ Χριστῷ πάντες ζωοποιούμεθα.’ Καὶ τότε μὲν ἀπὸ Δὰν μέχρι Βηρσαβεὲ ὁ νόμος κατηγγέλλετο, καὶ ἐν μόνῃ ‘τῇ Ἰουδαίᾳ γνωστὸς ἦν ὁ Θεός·’ νῦν δὲ ‘εἰς πᾶσαν τὴν γῆν ἐξῆλθεν ὁ φθόγγος αὐτῶν, ’ καὶ ‘πᾶσα ἡ γῆ πεπλήρωται τῆς περὶ Θεοῦ γνώσεως, ’ οἵ τε μαθηταὶ ‘ἐμαθήτευσαν πάντα τὰ ἔθνη, ʼ καὶ πεπλήρωται νῦν τὸ γεγραμμένον ‘Ἔσονται πάντες διδακτοὶ Θεοῦ.’ Καὶ τότε μὲν τύπος ἦν τὰ δεικνύμενα, ἄρτι δὲ ἡ ἀλήθεια πεφανέρωται· καὶ τοῦτο πάλιν αὐτὸς ὁ ἀπόστολος μετὰ ταῦτα φανερώτερον ἐξηγεῖται λέγων, κατὰ τοσοῦτον κρείττονος διαθήκης γέγονεν ἔγγυος Ἰησοῦς·’ καὶ πάλιν, ‘νῦν δὲ διαφορωτέρας τετύχηκε λειτουργίας, ὅσῳ καὶ κρείττονός ἐστι διαθήκης μεσίτης, ἥτις ἐπὶ κρείττοσιν ἐπαγγελίαις νενομοθέτηται·’ καὶ, ‘οὐδὲν γὰρ ἐτελείωσεν ὁ νόμος, ἐπεισαγωγὴ δὲ κρείττονος ἐλπίδος.᾿ Καὶ αὖθίς φησιν· ‘Ἀνάγκη οὖν τὰ μὲν ὑποδείγματα τῶν ἐν τοῖς οὐρανοῖς τούτοις καθαρίζεσθαι· αὐτὰ δὲ τὰ ἐπουράνια κρείττοσι θυσίαις παρὰ ταύτας.’ Τὸ ἄρα ‘κρεῖττονʼ καὶ νῦν καὶ διʼ ὅλων τῷ Κυρίῳ ἀνατίθησι, τῷ κρείττονι καὶ ἄλλῳ παρὰ τὰ γενητὰ τυγχάνοντι. Κρείττων γὰρ ἡ διʼ αὐτοῦ θυσία, κρείττων ἡ ἐν αὐτῷ ἐλπὶς, καὶ αἱ διʼ αὐτοῦ ἐπαγγελίαι, οὐχ ὡς πρὸς μικρὰ μεγάλαι συγκρινόμεναι, ἀλλʼ ὡς ἄλλαι πρὸς ἄλλα τὴν φύσιν τυγχάνουσαι· ἐπεὶ καὶ ὁ ταῦτα οἰκονομήσας κρείττων τῶν γενητῶν ἐστι. ### English translation (Claude) 59. And the apostle himself, when he said, “having become so much better than the angels,” did not primarily wish to compare the substance of the Word with things originated, for it cannot be compared, or rather they are altogether different. But looking to the Word's coming in the flesh and the economy he then carried out, he wished to show that he was not like those who had come before, so that, as much as he differs in nature from those sent before him, so much more the grace that came from him and through him might be better than the ministry through angels. For it belonged to servants only to demand the fruits, but to the Son and master to forgive the debts and to transfer the vineyard. And what the apostle adds shows the difference of the Son from things originated, when he says: “Therefore we must pay closer attention to what we have heard, lest we drift away. For if the word spoken through angels proved firm, and every transgression and disobedience received a just penalty, how shall we escape if we neglect so great a salvation? It was first spoken through the Lord, and was confirmed to us by those who heard him.” But if the Son were one of the things originated, he would not have been “better” than them, nor would a greater punishment be laid up for “disobedience” because of him. For in the ministry of the angels there was no greater and lesser guilt for transgressors according to each angel; the law was one, and one the penalty against transgressors. But since the Word is not one of the things originated, but the Son of the Father, therefore, as much as he is better and what is done through him is better and different, so much worse would the punishment be. Let them look, then, at the grace given through the Son, and recognize that he is witnessed also by his works to be other than things originated, and alone true Son, “in the Father, and the Father in him.” The law “was spoken through angels” and “made no one perfect,” needing the coming of the Word, as Paul said; but the coming of the Word “completed the work” of the Father. And then “death reigned from Adam to Moses”; but the Word's coming “abolished death”; and no longer “in Adam do we all die,” but “in Christ we are all made alive.” And then the law was proclaimed from Dan to Beersheba, and “in Judea alone was God known”; but now “their voice has gone out into all the earth,” and “all the earth has been filled with the knowledge of God,” and the disciples “have made disciples of all nations,” and now what is written is fulfilled: “They shall all be taught by God.” And then what was shown was a type, but now the truth has been revealed. And the apostle himself explains this more clearly afterwards, saying, “By so much Jesus has become the guarantor of a better covenant”; and again, “But now he has obtained a more excellent ministry, as he is also mediator of a better covenant, which has been enacted on better promises”; and, “For the law made nothing perfect, but a better hope was brought in.” And again he says, “It was necessary, then, for the copies of the things in heaven to be purified with these, but the heavenly things themselves with better sacrifices than these.” So here and throughout he ascribes “better” to the Lord, who is better and other than things originated. For better is the sacrifice through him, better the hope in him, and the promises through him, not as great things compared with small ones, but as things different in nature from others, since the one who carried out this economy is better than things originated. ### Scripture references - Heb 1:4: quotation, high confidence - Matt 21:34: allusion, medium confidence - Matt 21:41: allusion, medium confidence - Heb 2:1: quotation, high confidence - Heb 2:2: quotation, high confidence - Heb 2:3: quotation, high confidence - John 14:10: quotation, high confidence - Heb 7:19: quotation, high confidence - John 17:4: quotation, high confidence - Rom 5:14: quotation, high confidence - 2 Tim 1:10: quotation, high confidence - 1 Cor 15:22: quotation, high confidence - Judg 20:1: allusion, medium confidence - Ps 76:1 (75:2 LXX): quotation, high confidence - Ps 19:4 (18:5 LXX): quotation, high confidence - Isa 11:9: quotation, high confidence - Matt 28:19: quotation, high confidence - John 6:45: quotation, high confidence - Heb 7:22: quotation, high confidence - Heb 8:6: quotation, high confidence - Heb 9:23: quotation, high confidence ### Translation notes - “Transfer the vineyard” alludes to the parable of the tenants (Matt 21:33–43). “From Dan to Beersheba” is the Old Testament expression for the whole land of Israel. ### Citation (SBL) Athanasius, C. Ar. 59 (Bright, 61–63; trans. Sophia Scriptura, https://sophiascriptura.com/fathers/athanasius-oratio-1/52/#p-59). ## Oration I Against the Arians 60 - URL: https://sophiascriptura.com/fathers/athanasius-oratio-1/52/#p-60 - Source: Bright, 63 - Translation: Claude (claude-opus-5-5), 2026-09-27 Summary: Athanasius explains that Christ “became guarantor” of a better covenant as man, bearing the judgment in his body and freeing the flesh from sin. ### Greek text 60. Καὶ τὸ λεγόμενον πάλιν, ‘γέγονεν ἔγγυος, ʼ τὴν ὑπὲρ ἡμῶν ἐγγύην, τὴν παρʼ αὐτοῦ γενομένην, σημαίνει. Ὡς γὰρ Λόγος ὢν, ‘σὰρξ ἐγένετο, ’ καὶ τὸ ‘γενέσθαιʼ τῇ σαρκὶ λογιζόμεθα· (γενητὴ γάρ ἐστιν αὕτη, καὶ κτιστὴ τυγχάνει οὖσα·) οὕτω καὶ ἐνταῦθα τὸ ‘γέγονεν, ʼ ἵνα τοῦτο κατὰ δεύτερον σημαινόμενον ἐκλάβωμεν, διὰ τὸ γενέσθαι αὐτὸν ἄνθρωπον, καὶ γνῶσιν οἱ φιλονεικοῦντες ὅτι καὶ ἀπὸ ταύτης τῆς κακονοίας ἑαυτῶν ἐκπίπτουσιν· ἀκουέτωσαν ὅτι οὐ τὴν οὐσίαν αὐτοῦ γεγενῆσθαι σημαίνει ὁ Παῦλος, ὁ εἰδὼς αὐτὸν Υἱὸν καὶ Σοφίαν, καὶ ἀπαύγασμα, καὶ εἰκόνα τοῦ Πατρὸς, ἀλλʼ εἰς τὴν τῆς διαθήκης διακονίαν τὸ ‘γενέσθαιʼ καὶ νῦν λογίζεται, καθʼ ἣν ὁ ποτὲ ‘βασιλεύων θάνατος κατηργήθη.᾿ Καὶ γὰρ καὶ κατὰ τοῦτο κρείττων ἡ διʼ αὐτοῦ διακονία γέγονεν, ὅτι καὶ ‘τὸ ἀδύνατον τοῦ νόμου, ἐν ᾧ ἠσθένει διὰ τῆς σαρκὸς, ὁ Θεὸς τὸν ἑαυτοῦ Υἱὸν πέμψας ἐν ὁμοιώματι σαρκὸς ἁμαρτίας, καὶ περὶ ἁμαρτίας κατέκρινε τὴν ἁμαρτίαν ἐν τῇ σαρκὶ, ’ ἐκστήσας ἀπʼ αὐτῆς τὸ παράπτωμα, ἐν ᾧ διαπαντὸς ᾐχμαλωτίζετο, ὥστε μὴ δέχεσθαι τὸν θεῖον νοῦν. Τὴν δὲ σάρκα δεκτικὴν τοῦ Λόγου κατασκευάσας, ἐποίησεν ἡμᾶς ‘μηκέτι κατὰ σάρκα περιπατεῖν, ἀλλὰ κατὰ πνεῦμα, ’ καὶ πολλάκις λέγειν· ‘Ἡμεῖς δὲ οὐκ ἐσμὲν ἐν σαρκὶ, ἀλλʼ ἐν πνεύματι·’ καὶ ὅτι ἦλθεν ὁ τοῦ Θεοῦ Υἱὸς ‘εἰς τὸν κόσμον, οὐχ ἵνα κρίνῃ τὸν κόσμον, ἀλλʼ ἵναʼ πάντας λυτρώσηται, καὶ ‘σωθῇ ὁ κόσμος διʼ αὐτοῦ.’ Τότε μὲν γὰρ, ὡς ὑπεύθυνος, ὁ κόσμος ἐκρίνετο ὑπὸ τοῦ νόμου· ἄρτι δὲ ὁ Λόγος εἰς ἑαυτὸν ἐδέξατο τὸ κρῖμα, καὶ τῷ σώματι παθὼν ὑπὲρ πάντων, σωτηρίαν τοῖς πᾶσιν ἐχαρίσατο. Τοῦτο δὲ βλέπων κέκραγεν Ἰωάννης· ‘Ὁ νόμος διὰ Μωσέως ἐδόθη, ἡ χάρις καὶ ἡ ἀλήθεια διὰ Ἰησοῦ Χριστοῦ ἐγένετο. ʼ Κρείττων δὲ ἡ χάρις ἢ ὁ νόμος, καὶ ἡ ἀλήθεια παρὰ τὴν σκιάν. ### English translation (Claude) 60. And the saying “he has become guarantor” again signifies the guarantee given by him on our behalf. For as, being the Word, he “became flesh,” and we attribute the “becoming” to the flesh (for it is originated and created), so here too we must take “he has become” in a secondary sense, because he became man. And let the contentious know that they fall away from this malicious idea of theirs as well. Let them hear that Paul, who knew him as Son, Wisdom, radiance, and image of the Father, does not signify that his substance came to be; here too he refers “becoming” to the ministry of the covenant, by which death, which once “reigned,” “was abolished.” For in this respect too the ministry through him has become better: “what the law could not do, because it was weak through the flesh, God did by sending his own Son in the likeness of sinful flesh and for sin: he condemned sin in the flesh,” removing from it the transgression by which it was always held captive, so that it could not receive the divine mind. And having made the flesh capable of receiving the Word, he has made us “no longer walk according to the flesh but according to the Spirit,” and say again and again, “But we are not in the flesh but in the Spirit”; and that the Son of God came “into the world, not to judge the world, but” to redeem all, and “that the world might be saved through him.” For then the world, as liable, was judged by the law; but now the Word has taken the judgment on himself, and, having suffered in the body for all, has granted salvation to all. Seeing this, John cried out, “The law was given through Moses; grace and truth came through Jesus Christ.” And grace is better than the law, and truth than the shadow. ### Scripture references - Heb 7:22: quotation, high confidence - John 1:14: quotation, high confidence - Rom 5:14: allusion, high confidence - 2 Tim 1:10: allusion, medium confidence - Rom 8:3: quotation, high confidence - Rom 8:4: quotation, high confidence - Rom 8:9: quotation, high confidence - John 3:17: quotation, high confidence - John 1:17: quotation, high confidence - Col 2:17: echo, medium confidence ### Citation (SBL) Athanasius, C. Ar. 60 (Bright, 63; trans. Sophia Scriptura, https://sophiascriptura.com/fathers/athanasius-oratio-1/52/#p-60). ## Oration I Against the Arians 61 - URL: https://sophiascriptura.com/fathers/athanasius-oratio-1/52/#p-61 - Source: Bright, 63–64 - Translation: Claude (claude-opus-5-5), 2026-09-27 Summary: Athanasius argues that the Son's sitting at the Father's right hand shows that he shares the Father's Godhead and kingdom, unlike the angels who minister. ### Greek text 61. Τὸ οὖν κρείττων, ʼ ὥσπερ εἴρηται, οὐχ οἷόν τε ἦν διʼ ἑτέρου τινὸς γενέσθαι ἢ διὰ τοῦ Υἱοῦ, τοῦ καθημένου ἐν δεξιᾷ τοῦ Πατρός.’ Τί δὲ τοῦτο σημαίνει, ἢ τὸ γνήσιον τοῦ Υἱοῦ, καὶ τὴν θεότητα τοῦ Πατρὸς ταύτην εἶναι τοῦ Υἱοῦ; Τήν τε γὰρ τοῦ Πατρὸς βασιλείαν βασιλεύων ὁ Υἱὸς, ἐπὶ τὸν αὐτὸν θρόνον τῷ Πατρὶ κάθηται, καὶ τῇ τοῦ Πατρὸς θεότητι θεωρούμενος, ‘Θεός ἐστιν ὁ Λόγος, ’ καὶ ‘ὁ βλέπων τὸν Υἱὸν βλέπει τὸν Πατέρα·’ καὶ οὕτως εἶς Θεός ἐστιν. Ἐκ δεξιῶν γοῦν καθήμενος, ἀριστερὸν οὐ ποιεῖ τὸν Πατέρα· ἀλλʼ ὅπερ ἐστὶ δεξιὸν καὶ τίμιον ἐν τῷ Πατρὶ, τοῦτο καὶ ὁ Υἱὸς ἔχει, καὶ λέγει· ‘Πάντα ὅσα ἔχει ὁ Πατὴρ, ἐμά ἐστι.’ Διὰ τοῦτο γὰρ καὶ καθήμενος ἐκ δεξιῶν ὁ Υἱὸς ὁρᾷ τὸν Πατέρα καὶ αὐτὸς ἐκ δεξιῶν, κἂν ὡς ἄνθρωπος γενόμενος λέγῃ· ‘Προωρώμην τὸν Κύριόν μου ἐνώπιόν μου διὰ παντὸς, ὅτι ἐκ δεξιῶν μου ἐστὶν, ἵνα μὴ σαλευθῶ.’ Δείκνυται γὰρ πάλιν καὶ ἐν τούτῳ, ὡς ὁ Υἱὸς ἐν τῷ Πατρὶ καὶ ὁ Πατὴρ ἐν τῷ Υἱῷ. Δεξιοῦ γὰρ ὄντος τοῦ Πατρὸς, ἐν τῷ δεξιῷ ἐστιν ὁ Υἱός· καὶ καθημένου τοῦ Υἱοῦ ἐκ δεξιῶν, ὁ Πατήρ ἐστιν ἐν τῷ Υἱῷ. Καὶ οἱ μὲν ἄγγελοι διακονοῦσιν ἀνερχόμενοι καὶ κατερχόμενοι· περὶ δὲ τοῦ Υἱοῦ φησι, ‘Καὶ προσκυνησάτωσαν αὐτῷ πάντες ἄγγελοι Θεοῦ·’ καὶ ὅτε μὲν ἄγγελοι διακονοῦσι, λέγουσιν ὅτι ‘ἀπεστάλην πρὸς σέ·’ καὶ, ‘Κύριος ἐνετείλατο·’ ὁ δὲ Υἱὸς, κἂν λέγῃ ἀνθρωπίνως ὅτι ‘ἀπεστάλην, ’ καὶ ἔρχεται ‘τὸ ἔργον τελειῶσαιʼ καὶ ‘διακονῆσαι, ’ λέγει ὅμως, ὡς Λόγος καὶ εἰκὼν ὑπάρχων, ‘Ἐγὼ ἐν τῷ Πατρὶ, καὶ ὁ Πατὴρ ἐν ἐμοί ἐστι·’ καὶ, ‘Ὁ ἑωρακὼς ἐμὲ ἑώρακε τὸν Πατέρα·’ καὶ, ‘ὁ Πατὴρ ἐν ἐμοὶ μένων, αὐτὸς τὰ ἔργα ποιεῖ·’ ἃ γὰρ ἐν τῇ εἰκόνι τις ταύτῃ θεωρεῖ, ταῦτα τοῦ Πατρός ἐστιν ἔργα. Ἒστι μὲν οὖν ἱκανὰ ταῦτα δυσωπῆσαι τοὺς μαχομένους πρὸς αὐτὴν τὴν ἀλήθειαν· εἰ δʼ ὅτι γέγραπται, ‘γενόμενος κρείττων, ’ τὸ ‘γενόμενοςʼ οὐ θέλουσιν, ὡς περὶ Υἱοῦ λεγόμενον, ἴσον ἀκοῦσαι ‘γεγενῆσθαι, ’ καὶ ‘ἔστιν, ’ ἢ διά τὸ γεγενῆσθαι τὴν κρείττονα διακονίαν τὸ ‘γενόμενοςʼ λαβεῖν καὶ νοεῖν, ὥσπερ εἴπομεν, ἀλλά νομίζουσιν ἐκ ταύτης τῆς λέξεως γενητὸν εἰρῆσθαι τὸν Λόγον· ἀκουέτωσαν συντόμῳ λόγῳ ταῦτα πάλιν, ἐπειδὴ τῶν εἰρημένων ἐπελάθοντο. ### English translation (Claude) 61. So the “better,” as has been said, could not have come about through anyone else but the Son, “who sits at the right hand of the Father.” And what does this signify but the Son's genuineness, and that the Godhead of the Father is the Son's? For since the Son reigns with the Father's kingdom, he sits on the same throne as the Father; and being contemplated in the Father's Godhead, “the Word is God,” and “whoever sees the Son sees the Father”; and so there is one God. Sitting at the right hand, then, he does not make the Father left; but whatever is right and honorable in the Father, the Son also has, and he says, “All that the Father has is mine.” For this reason the Son, sitting at the right hand, also sees the Father at the right hand, even though, having become man, he says, “I saw the Lord always before me, for he is at my right hand, that I may not be shaken.” For in this too it is shown that the Son is in the Father and the Father in the Son. For since the Father is on the right, the Son is on the right; and since the Son sits at the right hand, the Father is in the Son. And the angels minister, going up and coming down; but of the Son it says, “And let all the angels of God worship him.” And when angels minister, they say, “I was sent to you,” and, “The Lord commanded”; but the Son, even though he says in a human way, “I was sent,” and comes “to complete the work” and “to serve,” nevertheless says, as being Word and image, “I am in the Father, and the Father is in me,” and, “He who has seen me has seen the Father,” and, “The Father who dwells in me does the works”; for what one contemplates in this image are the works of the Father. These things are enough to shame those who fight against the truth itself. But if, because it is written “having become better,” they do not want to hear “having become,” said of a Son, as equal to “having been” and “is,” nor to take and understand “having become” of the better ministry that came about, as we have said, but think that by this word the Word is called originated, let them hear these things again briefly, since they have forgotten what has been said. ### Scripture references - Heb 1:3: allusion, high confidence - John 1:1: quotation, high confidence - John 14:9: quotation, high confidence - John 16:15: quotation, high confidence - Ps 16:8 (15:8 LXX): quotation, high confidence - Acts 2:25: quotation, high confidence - Gen 28:12: allusion, medium confidence - John 1:51: allusion, medium confidence - Heb 1:6: quotation, high confidence - Dan 10:11: quotation, medium confidence - John 4:34: allusion, high confidence - Matt 20:28: allusion, high confidence - John 14:10: quotation, high confidence - Heb 1:4: quotation, high confidence ### Translation notes - Athanasius's point about “right” and “left” plays on δεξιός, which means both “right-hand” and “favorable, honorable.” The psalm is Ps 16:8 (LXX 15:8), as quoted in Acts 2:25. The angels ascending and descending recall Gen 28:12 and John 1:51. ### Citation (SBL) Athanasius, C. Ar. 61 (Bright, 63–64; trans. Sophia Scriptura, https://sophiascriptura.com/fathers/athanasius-oratio-1/52/#p-61). ## Oration I Against the Arians 62 - URL: https://sophiascriptura.com/fathers/athanasius-oratio-1/62/#p-62 - Source: Bright, 64–65 - Translation: Claude (claude-opus-5-5), 2026-09-27 Summary: Athanasius shows that “having become” refers to the Son's ministry as man, and points out that Scripture also says of God “become for me a refuge,” without implying that God came into being. ### Greek text 62. Εἰ μὲν ἐκ τῶν ἀγγέλων ἐστὶν ὁ Υἱὸς, ἔστω καὶ ἐπʼ αὐτοῦ ὡς ἐπʼ ἐκείνων τὸ ‘γενόμενος, ’ καὶ μηδὲν αὐτῶν κατὰ τὴν φύσιν διαφερέτω· ἀλλʼ ἔστωσαν ἢ καὶ οὖτοι ‘υἱοὶ, ’ ἢ κἀκεῖνος ‘ἄγγελος, ’ καὶ κοινῇ πάντες καθεζέσθωσαν ἐκ δεξιῶν τοῦ Πατρός· ἢ μετὰ πάντων καὶ ὁ Υἱὸς παρεστηκέτω ὡς ‘λειτουργικὸν πνεῦμα, εἰς διακονίαν ἀποστελλόμενοςʼ καὶ αὐτὸς, ὁμοίως ἐκείνων. Εἰ δὲ διίστησιν ὁ Παῦλος τὸν Υἱὸν ἀπὸ τῶν γενητῶν, λέγων· ‘Τίνι γὰρ εἶπέ ποτε τῶν ἀγγέλων· Υἱός μου εἶ σύ;’ καὶ οὖτος μὲν δημιουργεῖ τὸν οὐρανὸν καὶ τὴν γῆν, αὐτοὶ δὲ παρʼ αὐτοῦ γίνονται· καὶ αὐτὸς μὲν μετὰ τοῦ Πατρὸς καθέζεται, οἱ δὲ παρεστήκασι λειτουργοῦντες· τίνι πάλιν οὐκ ἔστι φανερὸν ὅτι οὐκ ἐπὶ τῆς οὐσίας τοῦ Λόγου ἔλεγε τὸ ‘γενόμενος, ’ ἀλλʼ ἐπὶ τῆς διʼ αὐτοῦ γενομένης διακονίας; Ὡς γὰρ Λόγος ὢν, γέγονε σὰρξ, οὕτω, γενόμενος ἄνθρωπος, ‘γέγονε τοσούτῳ κρείττωνʼ ἐν τῇ διακονίᾳ τῆς διὰ τῶν ἀγγέλων γενομένης διακονίας, ὅσῳ διαφέρει δούλων υἱὸς, καὶ δὲ δημιουργὸς τῶν δημιουργουμένων· ὥστε παυσάσθωσαν ἐπὶ τῆς οὐσίας τοῦ Υἱοῦ λαμβάνειν τὸ ‘γενόμενος·’ οὐκ ἔστι γὰρ τῶν γενητῶν· καὶ γνώτωσαν, ὅτι τῆς διακονίας καὶ τῆς γενομένης οἰκονομίας σημαντικόν ἐστι τὸ ‘γενόμενος.’ Πῶς δὲ γέγονε κρείττων ἐν τῇ διακονίᾳ, κρείττων ὢν τῇ φύσει παρὰ τὰ γενητὰ, δείκνυσι τὰ προειρημένα, καὶ ἡγοῦμαι μὲν κἂν οὕτως αὐτοὺς αἰσχύνεσθαι. Ἂν δʼ ἄρα φιλονεικῶσιν, ἀκόλουθον ἂν εἴη πρὸς τὴν ἀλόγιστον αὐτῶν τόλμαν ὁμόσε χωρῆσαι τούτοις, καὶ τὰ ὅμοια ῥητὰ περὶ αὐτοῦ τοῦ Πατρὸς εἰρημένα ἀντιθεῖναι τούτοις, ἵνα ἢ δυσωπηθέντες ‘παύσωσιν ἑαυτῶν τὴν γλῶτταν ἀπὸ κακῶν, ʼ ἢ γνῶσιν εἰς ὅσον βάθος εἰσιν ἀνοίας. Γέγραπται τοίνυν· ‘Γενοῦ μοι εἰς Θεὸν ὑπερασπιστὴν, καὶ εἰς οἶκον καταφυγῆς, τοῦ σῶσαί με·’ καὶ πάλιν· ‘Ἐγένετο Κύριος καταφυγὴ τῷ πένητι·’ καὶ ὅσα τοιαῦτα ἐν ταῖς θείαις γραφαῖς εὑρίσκεται. Εἰ μὲν οὖν εἰς τὸν Υἱὸν εἰρῆσθαι ταῦτα λέγουσιν, ὃ καὶ τάχα καὶ μᾶλλον ἀληθές ἐστιν· ἐπιγνώτωσαν, ὅτι μὴ ὄντα γενητὸν αὐτὸν ἀξιοῦσι γενέσθαι βοηθὸν ἑαυτοῖς καὶ οἶκον καταφυγῆς οἱ ἅγιοι· καὶ λοιπὸν τὸ ‘γενόμενος, ’ καὶ τὸ ἐποίησε, ’ καὶ τὸ ‘ἔκτισεν, ʼ εἰς τὴν ἔνσαρκον αὐτοῦ παρουσίαν λαμβανέτωσαν. Τότε γὰρ ‘γέγονεʼ βοηθὸς καὶ οἶκος καταφυγῆς, ὅτε ‘τῷ σώματι ἑαυτοῦ τὰς ἁμαρτίας ἡμῶν ἀνήνεγκεν ἐπὶ τὸ ξύλον, ’ καὶ ἔλεγε· ‘Δεῦτε πρὸς μὲ, πάντες οἱ κοπιῶντες καὶ πεφορτισμένοι, κἀγὼ ἀναπαύσω ὑμᾶς.’ ### English translation (Claude) 62. If the Son is one of the angels, let “having become” be said of him as of them, and let him not differ from them at all in nature; but either let them too be “sons,” or let him be an “angel,” and let them all sit together at the right hand of the Father; or let the Son too stand with them all as a “ministering spirit, sent out for service,” just like them. But if Paul distinguishes the Son from things originated, saying, “For to which of the angels did he ever say, ‘You are my Son’?” and this one creates heaven and earth while they come to be through him, and he sits with the Father while they stand by ministering, to whom again is it not clear that he said “having become” not of the Word's substance, but of the ministry that came about through him? For as, being Word, he became flesh, so, having become man, “he became so much better” in his ministry than the ministry that came about through angels, as a son differs from servants and the creator from the things created. So let them stop taking “having become” of the Son's substance, for he is not one of the things originated; and let them know that “having become” indicates the ministry and the economy that came about. How he became better in ministry, being better in nature than things originated, what has been said above shows; and I think that even so they are put to shame. But if they keep contending, it would follow that we should close with their irrational daring and set against them similar texts said about the Father himself, so that either, put to shame, they may “keep their tongue from evil,” or they may know how deep in folly they are. It is written, then, “Become for me a protecting God and a house of refuge, to save me”; and again, “The Lord became a refuge for the poor”; and all such things as are found in the divine Scriptures. If, then, they say that these are said of the Son, which is perhaps nearer the truth, let them recognize that the saints ask him, who is not originated, to become their helper and house of refuge; and from now on let them take “having become,” “he made,” and “he created” of his coming in the flesh. For it was then that “he became” helper and house of refuge, when “he bore our sins in his own body on the tree,” and said, “Come to me, all who labor and are heavy laden, and I will give you rest.” ### Scripture references - Heb 1:14: quotation, high confidence - Heb 1:5: quotation, high confidence - Heb 1:4: quotation, high confidence - John 1:14: allusion, high confidence - Ps 34:13 (33:14 LXX): quotation, high confidence - Ps 31:2 (30:3 LXX): quotation, high confidence - Ps 9:9 (9:10 LXX): quotation, high confidence - 1 Pet 2:24: quotation, high confidence - Matt 11:28: quotation, high confidence ### Translation notes - The psalms are Ps 31:2 (LXX 30:3) and Ps 9:9 (LXX 9:10). ### Citation (SBL) Athanasius, C. Ar. 62 (Bright, 64–65; trans. Sophia Scriptura, https://sophiascriptura.com/fathers/athanasius-oratio-1/62/#p-62). ## Oration I Against the Arians 63 - URL: https://sophiascriptura.com/fathers/athanasius-oratio-1/62/#p-63 - Source: Bright, 65–66 - Translation: Claude (claude-opus-5-5), 2026-09-27 Summary: Athanasius explains that when Scripture says God “became” a refuge, it means his help to people in need, not that he came into being, as human usage also shows. ### Greek text 63. Ἃν δὲ εἰς τὸν Πατέρα λέγωσιν εἰρῆσθαι τὰ ῥητὰ, ἆρ ἐπειδὴ καὶ ἐνταῦθα γέγραπται τὸ ‘γενοῦ, ’ καὶ τὸ ‘ἐγένετο, ’ τοσούτῳ ἐπιχειρήσουσιν, ὥστε εἰπεῖν γενητὸν εἶναι τὸν Θεόν; Ναὶ τολμήσουσιν, ὥσπερ καὶ περὶ τοῦ Λόγου αὐτοῦ τοιαῦτα διαλογίζονται· φέρει γὰρ αὐτοὺς ἡ ἀκολουθία τοιαῦτα καὶ περὶ τοῦ Πατρὸς ὑπονοεῖν, οἶα καὶ περὶ τοῦ Λόγου αὐτοῦ φαντάζονται. Ἀλλὰ μὴ γένοιτο μηδὲ εἰς νοῦν ποτέ τινος τῶν πιστῶν ἐλθεῖν τὸ τοιοῦτον. Οὔτε γὰρ ὁ Υἱὸς τῶν γενητῶν ἐστιν, οὔτε τὸ γεγραμμένον καὶ τὸ λεγόμενον ὦδε, ‘γενοῦ, ’ καὶ ‘ἐγένετο, ’ ἀρχὴν τοῦ εἶναι σημαίνει, ἀλλὰ τὴν ‘γενομένηνʼ βοήθειαν τοῖς δεομένοις. Ὁ μὲν γὰρ Θεὸς ἀεὶ καὶ ὁ αὐτός ἐστιν· οἱ δὲ ἄνθρωποι μετὰ ταῦτα γεγόνασι διὰ τοῦ Λόγου, ὅτε αὐτὸς ὁ Πατὴρ ἠθέλησε· καὶ ἔστιν ὁ Θεὸς ἀόρατος καὶ ἀπρόσιτος τοῖς γενητοῖς, καὶ μάλιστα τοῖς ἐπὶ γῆς ἀνθρώποις. Ὅταν τοίνυν ἀσθενοῦντες οἱ ἄνθρωποι παρακαλῶσιν, ὅταν διωκόμενοι δέωνται βοηθείας, ὅταν ἀδικούμενοι προσεύχωνται, τότε φιλάνθρωπος ὢν ὁ ἀόρατος ἐπιφαίνεται διὰ τῆς ἑαυτοῦ εὐεργεσίας, ἣν διὰ τοῦ ἰδίου αὐτοῦ Λόγου καὶ ἐν αὐτῷ ποιεῖται· καὶ λοιπὸν πρὸς τὴν χρείαν ἑκάστῳ γίνεται τὰ τῆς θεοφανείας· καὶ ‘γίνεταιʼ τοῖς μὲν ἀσθενοῦσιν ἰσχὺς, τοῖς δὲ διωκομένοις καταφυγὴ καὶ οἶκος σωτηρίας· τοῖς δὲ ἀδικουμένοις λέγει· ‘Ἔτι λαλοῦντός σου ἐρῶ, Ἰδοὺ πάρειμι.’ Ὅπερ οὖν εἰς ἀντίληψιν ἑκάστῳ διὰ τοῦ Υἱοῦ γίνεται, τοῦτο τὸν Θεὸν ἕκαστος ἑαυτῷ ‘γεγενῆσθαιʼ λέγει· ἐπειδὴ καὶ βοήθεια παρʼ αὐτοῦ τοῦ Θεοῦ διὰ τοῦ Λόγου γίνεται. Τοῦτο οἶδε καὶ ἡ συνήθεια τῶν ἀνθρώπων, καὶ τοῦτο καὶ πᾶς ὁστισοῦν ὁμολογήσει καλῶς εἰρῆσθαι. Πολλάκις καὶ παρὰ ἀνθρώπων γέγονεν ἀνθρώποις βοήθεια· καὶ ὁ μὲν ἀδικουμένῳ συνέκαμεν, ὡς ὁ Ἀβραὰμ τῷ Λώτ· ὁ δὲ διωκομένῳ τὸν οἶκον ἠνέῳξεν, ὡς ὁ Ἀβδίας τοῖς υἱοῖς τῶν προφητῶν· καὶ ὁ μὲν τὸν ξένον ἀνέπαυσεν, ὡς ὁ Λὼτ τοὺς ἀγγέλους· ὁ δὲ τοῖς δεομένοις κεχορήγηκεν, ὡς ὁ Ἰὼβ τοῖς αἰτοῦσιν αὐτόν. Ὥσπερ οὖν ἕκαστος τῶν εὖ παθόντων εἰ λέγοι, ‘Ὁ δεῖνά μοι γέγονε βοηθός·’ καὶ ἄλλος εἰ λέγοι, ‘Κἀμοὶ καταφυγὴ, ’ καὶ ‘τούτῳ χορηγός·’ λέγοντες δὲ ταῦτα, οὐ τὴν ἀρχὴν τῆς γενέσεως, οὐδὲ τὴν οὐσίαν τῶν εὖ ποιησάντων σημαίνουσιν, ἀλλὰ τὴν εἰς αὐτοὺς γινομένην παρʼ ἐκείνων εὐεργεσίαν· οὕτως ὅταν λέγωσι περὶ τοῦ Θεοῦ οἱ ἅγιοι τὸ ‘ἐγένετο, ’ καὶ τὸ ‘γενοῦ, ’ οὐκ ἀρχήν τινα γενέσεως σημαίνουσιν· (ἄναρχος γὰρ καὶ οὐ γενητὸς ὁ Θεός·) ἀλλὰ τὴν εἰς ἀνθρώπους παρʼ αὐτοῦ γενομένην σωτηρίαν. ### English translation (Claude) 63. But if they say that the texts are said of the Father, will they, since here too “become” and “he became” are written, go so far as to say that God is originated? Yes, they will dare, just as they reason such things about his Word; for their logic leads them to suspect about the Father the same things they imagine about his Word. But may such a thing never even enter the mind of any of the faithful! For neither is the Son one of the things originated, nor do the words written and spoken here, “become” and “he became,” signify a beginning of being, but the help that “came about” for those in need. For God is always and the same; but men came to be afterwards through the Word, when the Father himself willed; and God is invisible and inaccessible to things originated, and especially to men on earth. When, then, men in weakness call on him, when being persecuted they ask for help, when wronged they pray, then the invisible one, being a lover of mankind, shines forth by his beneficence, which he performs through his own Word and in him. And then the manifestation of God comes to each according to his need: to the weak he “becomes” strength; to the persecuted a refuge and a house of salvation; and to the wronged he says, “While you are still speaking I will say, Here I am.” So whatever help comes to each person through the Son, each says that God “has become” this for him, since help comes from God himself through the Word. The usage of men knows this too, and anyone at all will agree that it is rightly said. Help has often come to men from men. One labored for someone wronged, as Abraham did for Lot; another opened his house to someone persecuted, as Obadiah did to the sons of the prophets; one gave rest to strangers, as Lot did to the angels; another supplied the needy, as Job did those who asked of him. So if each of those who had been helped were to say, “So-and-so became a helper to me,” and another, “And to me a refuge,” and, “to this one a supplier,” in saying this they would not be signifying the beginning of the origin or the substance of their benefactors, but the kindness that came to them from them. So when the saints say of God “he became” and “become,” they do not signify any beginning of origin (for God is without beginning and unoriginated), but the salvation that has come to men from him. ### Scripture references - Ps 31:2 (30:3 LXX): allusion, high confidence - Isa 58:9: quotation, high confidence - Gen 14:14: allusion, high confidence - 1 Kgs 18:4: allusion, high confidence - Gen 19:3: allusion, high confidence - Job 31:16: allusion, medium confidence ### Translation notes - “While you are still speaking I will say, Here I am” is Isa 58:9 (LXX). Obadiah hid the prophets from Jezebel (1 Kgs 18:4). ### Citation (SBL) Athanasius, C. Ar. 63 (Bright, 65–66; trans. Sophia Scriptura, https://sophiascriptura.com/fathers/athanasius-oratio-1/62/#p-63). ## Oration I Against the Arians 64 - URL: https://sophiascriptura.com/fathers/athanasius-oratio-1/62/#p-64 - Source: Bright, 66–67 - Translation: Claude (claude-opus-5-5), 2026-09-27 Summary: Athanasius concludes the first oration: every “became” said of the Son refers to what he became for us in the incarnation, not to any origin of his substance. ### Greek text 64. Τούτου δὲ οὕτως νοουμένου, ἀκόλουθον ἂν εἴη καὶ ἐπὶ τοῦ Υἱοῦ, ὅσα δʼ ἂν καὶ ὁσάκις ἂν λέγηται, ‘ἐγένετο, ’ καὶ ‘γενοῦ, ’ τὴν αὐτὴν διάνοιαν σώζειν· ὥστε καὶ τὸ λεγόμενον, ‘γενόμενος κρείττων τῶν ἀγγέλων, ’ καὶ ‘ἐγένετο, ἀκούοντας, μὴ ἀρχήν τινα τοῦ γίνεσθαι ἐπινοεῖν τοῦ Λόγου, μηδὲ ὅλως ἐκ τούτων γενητὸν αὐτὸν φαντάζεσθαι· ἀλλʼ ἐπὶ τῆς διακονίας καὶ οἰκονομίας, ὅτε γέγονεν ἄνθρωπος, νοεῖν τὸ λεγόμενον παρὰ τοῦ Παύλου. Ὅτε γὰρ ‘ὁ Λόγος σὰρξ ἐγένετο, καὶ ἐσκήνωσεν ἐν ἡμῖν, ’ ἦλθέ τε ‘ἵνα διακονήσῃʼ καὶ πᾶσι σωτηρίαν χαρίσηται, τότε ἡμῖν ‘ἐγένετοʼ σωτηρία, καὶ ἐγένετο ζωὴ, καὶ ἐγένετο ἱλασμός· τότε ἡ ὑπὲρ ἡμῶν αὐτοῦ οἰκονομία ‘κρείττων γέγονε τῶν ἀγγέλων, ’ καὶ ἐγένετο ὁδὸς, καὶ ἐγένετο ἀνάστασις. Καὶ ὥσπερ τὸ ‘γενοῦ μοι εἰς Θεὸν ὑπερασπιστὴν οὐκ οὐσίας γένεσιν σημαίνει αὐτοῦ τοῦ Θεοῦ, ἀλλὰ τὴν φιλανθρωπίαν, ὥσπερ εἴρηται, οὕτως καὶ νῦν τὸ ‘γενόμενος κρείττων τῶν ἀγγέλων, ’ καὶ ‘ἐγένετο, ’ καὶ ‘τοσούτῳ κρείττων γέγονεν ἔγγυος ὁ Ἰησοῦς, ’ οὐ τὴν οὐσίαν τοῦ Λόγου γενητὴν σημαίνει, μὴ γένοιτο· ἀλλὰ τὴν γενομένην ἐκ τῆς ἐνανθρωπήσεως αὐτοῦ εἰς ἡμᾶς εὐεργεσίαν· κἂν ἀχάριστι τυγχάνωσιν οἱ αἱρετικοὶ, καὶ φιλόνεικοι πρὸς ἀσέβειαν. ### English translation (Claude) 64. This being so understood, it would follow that in the case of the Son too, whatever and however often “he became” and “become” are said, the same meaning should be kept. So when we hear what is said, “having become better than the angels,” and “he became,” we should not imagine any beginning of the Word's coming to be, nor at all fancy from these words that he is originated, but understand what Paul says of the ministry and economy, when he became man. For when “the Word became flesh and dwelt among us,” and came “to serve” and to grant salvation to all, then he “became” salvation for us, became life, became propitiation; then his economy on our behalf “became better than the angels,” and he became the way and became the resurrection. And as “Become for me a protecting God” does not signify a coming into being of the substance of God himself, but his love for mankind, as has been said, so now too “having become better than the angels,” and “he became,” and “by so much Jesus has become a better guarantor,” do not signify that the substance of the Word is originated (far from it!), but the kindness that has come to us from his becoming man, even if the heretics are ungrateful and contentious for impiety. ### Scripture references - Heb 1:4: quotation, high confidence - John 1:14: quotation, high confidence - Matt 20:28: allusion, high confidence - 1 John 2:2: allusion, medium confidence - John 14:6: allusion, medium confidence - John 11:25: allusion, medium confidence - Ps 31:2 (30:3 LXX): quotation, high confidence - Heb 7:22: quotation, high confidence ### Citation (SBL) Athanasius, C. Ar. 64 (Bright, 66–67; trans. Sophia Scriptura, https://sophiascriptura.com/fathers/athanasius-oratio-1/62/#p-64).