Homily on the Passion and Cross of the Lord

and having trampled upon ^A Hades, the enemy; and having loosed death; and having torn asunder the bonds of the sin that held us, he redeemed those who were fettered, saying, “Arise, let us go hence.” Being therefore liberated from the slavery of the devil, let us recognize our benefactor; let us glorify the Father, and the Son, and the Holy Spirit; let us confess one Divinity. For living in this manner, we shall inherit the kingdom of heaven in Christ Jesus our Lord, to whom be glory and power unto the ages of ages. Amen.

ADMONITION ON THE HOMILY ON THE PASSION AND CROSS OF THE LORD.

“Very learned men have long doubted whether this homily is Athanasius’s, moved especially by the fact that here every form of oath is prohibited; whereas Athanasius, far from thinking it should be strictly forbidden, uses an oath more than once in his ^B *Apology to Constantius*. Suspicion is further increased by a lowly and humble style, very far removed from the energy of Athanasius. To this must be added that the explanations of the Scriptures are distorted and barely relevant to the matter, and—as everyone must admit—unworthy of so great a doctor. And indeed, this writer very often changes his subject. In short, we find nothing here that is Athanasian. Therefore, it was our intent to relegate it to the spurious works; but because it is found in the older codices and in the Athanasian collections, we list it among the doubtful works.”

OF OUR HOLY FATHER ATHANASIUS, ON THE PASSION OF THE LORD AND ON THE CROSS.

S. P. N. ATHANASII IN PASSIONEM ET CRUCEM DOMINI.

1. “And having ^C come to a place called Golgotha, which is called a place of a skull, they gave him wine to drink mixed with gall. And when he tasted it, he would not drink. And having crucified him, they divided his garments, casting lots, that the word spoken by the Prophet might be fulfilled: They divided my garments among themselves, and upon my clothing they cast lots. And sitting there, they kept watch over him.” And the rest.

The passage that has just been read is from the Gospel; but for the sake of a clearer explanation of it, it is well to have recourse to the saints, and to borrow from them a grasp of its meaning. For it is fitting to consider them more expert in the Gospels than ourselves. And that we may not, by going through all of them, delay our discourse too long, it suffices that the Apostle alone should be our teacher, to give us full assurance in this matter. For the blessed ^D Apostle himself writes to the Hebrews: that it is impossible that God should lie; and he speaks with even greater conviction…

that he does not lie. For the nature of created things has as its own property that it changes and is moved by various mutations; since, because they did not exist at one time, they received the change into existence by the grace and philanthropy of the Creator, as the same Paul says again: "Who calls those things which are not as though they were." God, on the other hand, who is the Maker of all things through the Word, and truly exists, possesses a nature immutable with His Word. And this He teaches through the prophet, saying: "See, see, that I am, and I do not change." Hence, concerning men it is sung in the Psalms: "I said in my excess, Every man is a liar"; but concerning God, Moses testifies in the law: "God is faithful and true." ^B

2. Therefore, this man bearing Christ, being instructed by both these things, and himself explaining the difference between God and created things, writes: "But let God be true, but every man a liar." God is true, not as one who does not lie; for there is nothing contrary to Him; nor as a man testifying the truth to another—for He is under obligation to no one—but as one who generates the truth itself, and as Father of the Lord who says: "I am the truth." Moreover, lying could never be a friend to truth. Whence, the Lord seeks truth, according to the Psalmist, but rejects falsehood from Himself and makes it alien, saying: "The strange ^C children lied to me." For the Jews lied against the Savior, and while they professed to observe the law, they did not speak truthfully; but they acted unjustly toward Him who gave it, when they plotted death for the Lord in return for the grace given. They were, therefore, rightly rejected, and the death which they brought upon the Lord by their lies, this they truly drew upon themselves; just as Ananias and Sapphira in the Acts of the apostles, who, when they had made vows to God, withdrew from their vows. When this matter was hidden from others, Peter, the minister of truth, repelled them with these words: "You have not lied to men, but to God." In this matter there was a great miracle: where what Peter alone knew, he made plain to all by the death of Ananias, so that everyone was brought to reverence, and no one failed to fear the example of Sapphira. ^D

3. For we ought to know and not be ignorant that whatever we promise to God no longer belongs to us, but pertains to God. And if we withdraw from these things, we are not taking what is our own, but are plundering what is God’s. Moreover, the promise is not only of money,

^A but it also extends to words and to the intention itself. For it is not the case that if someone is poor in money, he is also poor in intention. Indeed, our great and truly divine mystery does not have its promise in money, but in perfect intention and in faith toward God. We have all made promises, and we are all debtors to our vows; so that it is necessary for the virgin to keep the virginity which she promised; for the continent person, continence; for those in marriage, modesty and mutual love and honor; and, finally, for all, faith toward God, and reverence, and justice, and courage, so that the example of those around Ananias and Sapphira may not overtake ^B us as ungrateful and treacherous people. For the sake of avoiding this, the apostolic word is confirmed: "Render to all their due: tribute to whom tribute is due; custom to whom custom; fear to whom fear; honor to whom honor. Owe no man anything, but to love one another" (Rom. XIII, 7, 8). He who preached these things did this himself. Just as, therefore, he speaks with confidence, writing: "I have fought a good fight, I have finished my course, I have kept the faith: henceforth there is laid up for me a crown of righteousness, which the righteous judge shall give me" (II Tim. IV, 7, 8). For having not lied concerning what he promised, but having kept his promise toward God, he himself also obtained an unfailing promise from the true God.

4. Therefore, he advises us, saying: "Lie not one to another" (Coloss. III, 9); and again: "Let no corrupt communication proceed out of your mouth" (Ephes. IV, 29). For he wishes us to become his imitators, writing: "I speak the truth, I will not lie" (I Tim. II, 7). Since it is also an evangelical saying of the Lord that we should say Yes, yes; and No, no. Let those who are in Christ confirm their words up to this point, and not proceed further, ^C nor take refuge in oaths, so that for the sake of corruptible money we swear by God, especially when Moses legislates: "Thou shalt not take the name of the Lord thy God in vain" (Exod. XX, 7). For if someone is altogether worthy to name God, he is worthy to be believed even without an oath; for he who is capable of the greater would be much more capable of the lesser. But if he is not worthy to be believed without an oath, then he is not worthy to name the name of the Lord, nor is he trustworthy in his words. For how will God at all bear witness to this person who swears, who does not have the faith toward which the Lord looks? And Wisdom is a witness of this, saying: "For the holy spirit of discipline will flee deceit, and remove themselves from ^D thoughts that are without understanding, and will not abide in a body that is subject unto sin" (Sap. I, 4, 5). Wherefore our Lord

^A Jesus Christ first requires faith from those who call upon Him, as He says to the blind man: "Do you believe that I am able to do this for you?" (Matth. IX, 28) and to the lunatic He says: "If you believe, it shall be done." The Savior demands this, not because He has need of the help of others—for He Himself is the Lord and supplier of faith—but so that He might not appear to bestow favor based on partiality, but rather that He might assent to those who believe; and so that they might not receive the blessings without faith, and then lose them through unbelief. For He desires that the grace which He bestows should remain, and that when He heals, the healing should not be lost. He therefore cautioned the paralytic with these words: "Behold, you have been made whole, sin no more, lest a worse thing come unto you" (Joan. V, 14). And just as a physician, upon entering to the sick, would first inquire whether they wish to be healed, so that—lest he himself show care while they are unwilling—the healing might not become useless, the sick being opposed to the physician’s art; ^B so too did the Lord inquire of those being healed, and show favor to those who believed, so that through faith they might be able to retain the grace. For faith is the proof of the soul's disposition.

5. Why, then, do those who do not truly have faith call upon God as a witness? The Spirit testifies in the Psalms: "The Lord is near to all who call upon Him in truth" (Ps. CXLIV, 18), through which alone God can be called upon. What is it, then, that those who do not have faith even in small things swear by God? Furthermore, an oath is a witness to the truth, not an indicator of business dealings. For men swear, not so that they might designate certain matters, but so that they might confirm the truth, and [testify] that they are not lying. If, then, faith and truth are present in the one who swears, what is the need for an oath? But if faith and truth are not present in him, why do we admit such great impiety as to call upon God, who is above men, as a witness for the sake of human and mortal affairs? For if it is unlawful ^C to call an earthly king to witness at external tribunals, as he is superior to both the accusers and the judges, why do we call the Unbegotten to witness for created things, and why do we cause God to be held in contempt by men? Away with it! This exceeds all lawlessness and audacity. What then must be done? Nothing else, truly, than that our "Yes" should be yes, and our "No," no; and that we should not lie in any way. For if we are truthful in this way, we shall seem to imitate the true God in this matter as well.

6. Perhaps there will be someone who plausibly contradicts this by saying: If swearing is forbidden to men, and if by abstaining from an oath one imitates the Divine, why is God said in the divine Scriptures to swear? For He swore to Abraham, just as Moses ^D testifies.

and it is written in the Hymns: ^A “The Lord has sworn, and will not repent: You are a priest forever, according to the order of Melchizedek.” For these things will seem either to contend with what was said before, or else from these things to encourage men toward oaths. But it is not so; let no one think these things. For God swears by no one. For how could He, being the Lord and Creator of all things? But if one must speak the truth, His word is an oath, informing those who hear, and providing faith to each that what He has promised and says will absolutely come to pass. For God does not swear as a man, but His word becomes for us, instead of an oath, a confirmation of truth. Yet when speaking to men, He is said to swear, and this ^B is because the saints speak in a more human manner, so that from the things to which they themselves attest in their speech, they may believe the speaking God. For just as an oath confirms the discourse of men, so what God speaks must be considered an oath because of the firmness and unchangeableness of His counsel. And the written oath itself testifies to what is being said: for “The Lord has sworn, and will not repent,” as the oath happens to be something that does not repent and will absolutely come to pass according to the promise. And God Himself indicates this in Genesis, saying: “I have sworn by Myself.” Yet this is not an oath. For He did not swear by anything else—which is proper to an oath—but by Himself, which avoids the suspicion of an oath and in which He manifests the firmness of His promise and that the hearer ought certainly to believe. Let the Psalmist also be a witness of these things ^C mentioned, reminding God, chanting and saying: “Where are your ancient mercies, O Lord, which You swore to David in Your truth?” For God does not swear by His truth; rather, what He says while speaking truthfully serves as an oath to men for the sake of faith. Therefore, God does not swear according to the manner of men, nor should we from these examples be encouraged toward oaths; rather, let us speak and act in such a way that our hearers do not require our oath, but of themselves have, from our words, the testimony of the truth. For in this way we shall truly imitate the Divine.

7. But perhaps one might inquire as follows: If the word of God is an oath, because He speaks truthfully and does not lie, why, having said: ^D “Yet three days, and Nineveh will be overthrown,” did He not fulfill the word? For this will also seem to clash with the former points. But God does not lie; far from it! Nor did His word remain unfulfilled. For by His love for mankind He softened His anger, and by

turning His gaze rather toward the repentance of the Ninevites than to their preceding sin. Nor was the word of God such that Nineveh was to be destroyed after three days, but rather, "I will bear with you for three days," so that by the respite of those three days they might have the opportunity to repent or to choose the anger that would follow. For what does the prophet say? ^A "Yet three days, and Nineveh shall be overthrown." He did not say, "After three days it shall be overthrown"; for if He had said so, it would certainly have come to pass thus. But rather, "Yet three days, and it shall be overthrown," so that in the word "yet," we might understand the forbearance of God, and in the "overthrow," the anger that would result if they did not repent after that forbearance. For if the matter were not in this way, and if He had not deferred for three days for the sake of human repentance, what was preventing God from destroying Nineveh immediately? Weakness? Away with such a thought; may it never even enter our minds. For the Lord of hosts is both strong and mighty as God. Or was ignorance of those deeds the cause? May that not be said either, for He knows all things before they come to pass. What then remains to be considered except the long-suffering and kindness of the Lord? ^B Being aware of this, the prophet fled when he was first sent; and secondly, in his defense, he said: "O Lord, were these not my words when I was still in my own land? Therefore, I hastened to flee to Tharsis, because I knew that You are gracious and merciful, patient and of great compassion, and relenting regarding evils." Jonah fled, not because he was opposing God; and he was grieved, not because he rejoiced over the destruction of the Ninevites, but he did this because he held concern for the Ninevites. For he was afraid lest they consider his prophecy uncertain, and that henceforth they might begin to no longer believe the prophets, and the prophetic word might be seen by them as lacking credibility. Therefore, for this reason he was deeply distressed, so that he might be proved wrong by the ^C Lord, and thus it might become manifest to all the Ninevites there that it was not because the prophet lied, but because of the kindness of God, that forgiveness was granted to the Ninevites. For he knew that in the word "yet," the long-suffering of God was signified. And this is the custom of divine Scripture: whenever God wishes to signify His own long-suffering, He declares it through the word "yet"; as when He says through Isaiah: "What more shall I do for my vineyard, and I have not done?" or through Jeremiah: "Therefore I will yet plead with you in judgment, says the Lord." By the word, therefore, ^D "yet," He reveals His own...

^A goodness and tolerance. He says: "Pass over the isles of Chittim, and send into Kedar, and see." If, therefore, He had not wished to be long-suffering, He would not have given them admonitions, so that by traveling about they might learn through contraries the comparison and distinction of the good. Certainly, when the conduct of each person calls forth7 not long-suffering anymore but wrath, at last He utters the sentence, saying: "I will no longer bear your sins." And by the word "no longer," He clearly reveals the long-suffering regarding the Ninevites, declared through the word "yet," and the truth of His word. For it was impossible for God not to speak the truth when He said something, or when He merely willed it. On this account, when He promised Abraham, He did not lie, but also granted him a son; and He led the people out of Egypt through the oracle-announcer Moses. And He assured Isaac by the promise and made him the father of two nations; and to Jacob, as He had promised, He showed Joseph. And to the most faithful Moses, He gave proof of His words through the things that happened to Pharaoh; and to David, when He had promised, He fulfilled the promise through Solomon—I mean, the building of the temple.

8. And what need is there for me to say much? There is nothing that God promises ^B that remains unfulfilled. Even if someone at once grows weary while seeking the word, yet in His own time the promise has its payment, and in time the promise is altogether fulfilled. For see, we behold the things spoken of long ago by the Lord and predicted many ages ago now being fulfilled in the Gospels. For Isaiah prophesied that Emmanuel would be born of a woman who had never known a husband; and He Himself, being born of the Virgin Mary and appearing as God, fulfilled the prophet’s word. And Micah announced beforehand the very place in which Christ was to be born; and the Lord Himself, lying in a manger in Bethlehem, declared the prophet to be truthful. And Zechariah proclaimed to Jerusalem the entry of the Savior; and the Lord Himself, sending for the donkey and entering, was fulfilling the prophecy upon Himself. And in sum, ^C that I may not name the details of the things written, He Himself became the fulfillment of the law and the prophets. For the things which He announced beforehand through them, these He Himself, present, was completing, fulfilling, and saying: "I myself who speak, am here." See, therefore, now also the things formerly proclaimed concerning the Savior in the Psalms, they are now again being fulfilled through the audacity of the soldiers. For the things which He indicated beforehand He would suffer, these the crowds of the Jews are now performing, dividing the garments of the Savior and giving Him vinegar to drink with gall. "For these things," He says, "came to pass that the Scriptures might be fulfilled," ^D of which one says: "They divided my garments among them, and...

upon my vesture they cast lots," and the other again: "They gave gall for my food, and in my thirst they gave me vinegar to drink."

9. Many who read the Gospels, hearing the words, "That what was written might be fulfilled," have assumed that the things which happened came to pass for no other reason than that the Scriptures might be fulfilled; and from this they have inferred that those who did these things were not only blameless, but even worthy of praise, because they perpetrated such acts, not by sinning, but by serving the written word: for they think that the words of the prophets would not have been true, had their ^B deeds not followed. They were especially led to this conclusion by the passages in the Gospel according to John, where, recounting the incredulity of the Jews, he says according to the prophecy of Isaiah: "Though He had done so many signs before them, they did not believe, that the word of Isaiah the prophet might be fulfilled, which he spoke: Lord, who has believed our report? and to whom has the arm of the Lord been revealed?" For if the Jews did not believe so that the word of Isaiah might be fulfilled, they are not themselves the cause of their own incredulity, but he who spoke these things, by whom it was brought about that these things should be fulfilled. "Take away," they might say, "the word of the prophet, and they will assuredly believe." But this thought and opinion of the kind falls far short of the truth: for neither is the prophet the cause for them, nor are the Jews free from the guilt ^C of their incredulity. But the prophet, foreseeing what they were about to do, foretold it; and they, on their part afterward perpetrating these deeds, declared that the word of the prophet was true; and they did not dare these things against Christ as if serving prophetic utterances, but performed the deeds by their own will and purpose; so that the prophet was by no means the cause for them, but their own will; indeed, they themselves were rather the cause for the prophet to say such things about them. For it is the property of the prophet to see future things and not to err; but each person has his own will as the cause of his actions. And just as we, seeing things that are in sight, are not deceived, neither do we see in one way while it happens in another; but as they happen, we see, and as we see, they happen; ^D just so did the prophets see future events as if they were present; and it was necessary that the things they saw should come to pass, and that they should see the things that were to come. And again, just as it is absolutely necessary that the things which we see with our eyes should exist—for we see things that are—and they cannot be otherwise than as we see them; so too, the things which the prophets foresaw were of necessity obliged to be, and not to come to pass otherwise than as they had foreseen.

^A And in general, one must know this, that the prophets are not teachers of laws, such that only what they command comes to pass, but they are foretellers of future things. For it is not because they speak that the things which come to pass do so, but because they are to come to pass that they speak beforehand, and it is a necessity that the prophets should not lie, for they see truly. For if, in a hypothetical case, the prophets had not announced these things beforehand, the purpose of the Jews was still such that they would have done them. And, in all, the saints are not those who bring about a necessity for the things that occur; rather, they foresee the intent of those who are to act and reveal it. And just as those who were raising objections said: "Take away the word of the prophet, and the Jews will certainly believe," so I would say: "Take away the deeds of the Jews, and Isaiah would certainly not have prophesied such things about them."

10. If, therefore, John says: ^B "The Jews did not believe in Him, that the word of Isaiah might be fulfilled," do not attribute the cause of their unbelief to the word of the prophet, but to the deed of the Jews themselves. For what they were then doing, this the prophet had foreseen long ago; and it was necessary that he should not lie, but that it should be known that he had truly foreseen what was then coming to pass. For in order that his word might appear true to those who came after, they were proved unbelieving and hiding themselves. For they were corrupt in their intent; but because they were hiding their unbelief, this word became their conviction. Was it therefore because the word convicted them as they were hiding that they did not believe? And if someone says again: "The Jews could not believe, because it was written concerning them," do not attribute the impossibility to the will of those who acted. For they could have changed their mind, but it was impossible for the prophet to lie. For since he had truly seen, it was impossible for him to be mistaken. For he did not see the thing in any other way than as it came to pass, and they were shown to be unbelievers. ^C In this way also the miracle concerning the Virgin was fulfilled, and what is described by John has come to pass today, and all that was written before has been fulfilled. For it is not because it was written that these things came to pass, but because they were absolutely going to come to pass, they were therefore foretold. In this way, also, that which concerns the division of the garments has now come to pass; and as it has come to pass, so it was foreseen; and as it was indicated and announced beforehand, so it has been fulfilled and done. And it is written thus: "And after they had crucified him, they divided his garments among themselves, casting lots; that the word spoken through the prophet might be fulfilled: They divided my garments among themselves, and upon my vesture they cast lots." Matthew, indeed, together with the other evangelists, speaks of the division as having occurred more simply; but John ^D also…

^A declares the manner of the division and the cause of the lot cast, saying thus: "The soldiers therefore, when they had crucified Jesus, took his garments, and made four parts, to every soldier a part; and also his coat: now the coat was without seam, woven from the top throughout. They said therefore one to another, Let us not rend it, but cast lots for it, whose it shall be: that the scripture might be fulfilled, which saith, They parted my raiment among them, and for my vesture they did cast lots."

11. Perhaps someone, on hearing these things, might blush; perhaps there is someone who, seeing the Lord mocked, led away, and beaten, feels shame; perhaps now someone, seeing the Lord and Savior and King of the universe judged by Pilate and crucified by the Jews, is abashed and casts down his eyes. For not even the sun ^B endured to behold the spectacle, but was entirely darkened, that he might divert the eyes ^C of others; and he no longer cared for the command to shine upon men, but dared even to transgress it, since he saw the Master who had given him this command being tormented by men. But if we learn the reason and see why he suffered thus, we shall no longer blush, but we shall marvel at his goodness and his love for mankind; and we too shall boast, as Paul does, in the cross, because it was not the Lord himself who suffered for his own sake, but we who were suffering in him. For the sin of men was indeed very great, and this evil had seized upon the whole world; a thing which was great even before this, but which gradually grew and had become intolerable to men. For indeed the kingdom of death had prevailed over all and against all. But our Lord is immortal and incorruptible; and as he is immortal and incorruptible, so is he ^D good and loving to mankind. For of a good Father, there exists a good Word; wherefore he did not overlook his handiwork, that it should perish, nor did he endure that another should be Lord of his works; but seeing the intolerable nature of the wickedness, and that the mortal race was not able to withstand death, nor able to render a penalty for its own evils—for the excess of wickedness surpassed every punishment—and seeing also the goodness of his Father, and his own power and might: "For Christ is the power of God, and the wisdom of God," he was moved by his love for men, and having compassion on our infirmity, he put it on. For he himself, as the prophet says, has borne our infirmities and carried our diseases. Having compassion also on our mortality, he became clothed with it. For Paul says: "He humbled himself

^A even unto death, even the death of the cross." And seeing that we could not pay the debt of our punishment, he himself undertook it; for Christ became a curse for us. And thus, having wrapped and clothed himself in human nature, he brought our affairs before the Father through himself, so that, as he himself suffered, he might make man, who was suffering, harmless, and might exchange small things for great. For he descended in order to prepare our ascent; and he experienced birth, so that we, through him, might become friends of the Unbegotten. He was weakened for our sake, so that we might be raised up in power and say, as Paul did: "I can do all things in Christ who strengthens me." He took a corruptible body, so that the corruptible might put on incorruption; he put on the mortal, so that the mortal might put on immortality. And finally, he became man ^B and died, so that we, who were dying as men, might be deified, and no longer have death reigning over us. For death does not rule over us, as the apostolic word proclaims; for this reason he is also crucified, so that he might redeem the curse, and we might inherit the blessing. For while he himself was suffering, he was not harmed at all, but rather he was bestowing grace; and as he died, he did not remain dead, but rather he was bringing the dead to life; and while being slaughtered, he was not destroyed, but by the blood of his slaughter he was redeeming everyone simply, and he himself remained impassible.

12. But if anyone should ask how this has happened, let him listen. Two things have met together in this; I say things which are not equal, but which in no way admit of comparison. For the mortal was joined to the immortal, and the corruptible body came together with the incorruptible ^C Word. And the mortal did not harm the immortal; for it was impassible; but rather it remained even more impassible under the dominion of death; for those who overcome those they conquer always remain masters. Therefore, because of the immortal Word who was present in him, death was miraculously disappearing in him, as straw disappears from before a fire. But the Word, being incorruptible, benefits the corruptible by being with it; for darkness is illumined by light, and that which is less is blessed by that which is greater. For this reason, he is now stripped by the executioners of those coats of skin which we put on in Adam, so that instead of these we might be able to put on Christ. For this reason, he also endures to have his garments divided, so that we might have the indivisible Word who proceeds from the Father; for, "I and the Father ^D

^A are one." For this reason they cast lots for his tunic, and though he suffers this, he overlooks it, so that Christ might become our inheritance, just as the Psalmist says: "The Lord is the portion of my inheritance and of my cup." Whence it is that he does not suffer elsewhere, nor is he crucified in another place than the place of a Skull, which the teachers of the Hebrews say was Adam’s tomb. For they assure us that he was buried there after the curse. If this is so, I marvel at the suitability of the place. For it was necessary for the Lord, wishing to renew the first Adam, to suffer in that very place, in order that, by undoing his sin, he might remove it from the entire human race; and since Adam heard, "You are earth, and to earth you shall return," for this reason he was placed there again, so that, finding Adam there, he might undo the curse, and instead of "You are earth, and to earth you shall return," he might thereafter say: "Awake, O sleeper, and arise from the dead, and Christ will shine upon you," and again: "Arise, and come, follow me," so that you may no longer be placed in the earth, but ascend into the heavens. For it is necessary, as the Savior is raised, that Adam and all those born from Adam be raised with him. And just as, when Adam died, we also remained dead through him, so when the Lord’s body is raised, it is by necessity that all are raised with him. This is the thought of Paul; for he writes to the Corinthians, saying: "For as in Adam all die, so also in Christ all will be made alive."

13. But as to how they led him to the cross, it will be worth our while to see what has been written; for these things, by all means, were not written in the Gospels in vain, nor were they written simply. After the Lord was judged—for he was indeed judged and stood before the governor—let no one be ashamed of these things; for he endured even this for our sake, so that, in accordance with what was passed over in silence, he might not be entrapped by being hindered; but rather that, through the judgment, the slander of those plotting against him might be made manifest. For if the Savior had not been judged, the envy of the Jews against him would have been suspected in obscurity; but having been judged, ^B it could thereafter escape no one’s notice. And Pilate himself testified to the Savior’s innocence and purity, and brought to light the conspiracy of the Jews. "For he knew," he says, "that they had delivered him up because of envy." Nor would Pilate have known the envy of the Jews if the Savior had not stood condemned at the judgment. The Savior accomplished a great and truly wondrous thing; for by keeping silent ^C he was acting, and, by not defending himself, he was causing the judge to acknowledge the ^D

^A conspiracy and to confess that he had yielded to the crowds rather than to justice. For if he had answered Pilate, there would have been a suspicion that he was seized by the fear of death; but because he remained silent, his constancy and fortitude were indeed wondrous. And the fact that Pilate defended him in such a way was nothing other than that he believed that the one standing in judgment was God. And indeed, while he was being judged by Pilate, he granted an oracle to his wife: so that by his silence she might be astonished at his fortitude, but by the oracle she might recognize that she was judging not a man, but God. Therefore, the judge feared the one standing in judgment, and he himself was ^B judged more by the terror of the judged than he, as judge, struck terror into the Lord. For this reason he washed his hands, saying: "I am innocent of this blood" (Matt. XXVII, 24); even though later, moved by the favor of the Jews, he joined in with those who were plotting against him, so that he even handed him over to the cross. The Savior, then, is handed over, and having been handed over, he did not tremble at death; but rather he stripped himself for the contest with it, and pursued the serpent as it fled. For the Lord did not conduct himself as one dying, but rather as one pursuing death for that very purpose.

14. For indeed the wretched devil, having observed ^C this miracle in the case of Pilate, that the judge himself was more terrified than the one being judged, and having noticed the confidence of the Lord in stripping himself, left nothing untried, wanting to know that which he was previously unable to know when he tempted him on the mountain, to learn whether this was the Son of God. Then, put to shame, he watched the time of death, thinking that in the very thing by which he had enslaved everyone, namely death, he could also tempt this one. For it is written in Luke that the devil, having completed every temptation, departed from him until an opportune time (Luc. IV, 13). This, then, is that time in which the adversary himself knew that he would be trampled by everyone if he failed in this; for this was the only final struggle remaining ^D for him, now that he was stripped of everything. Therefore he did everything to learn whether this was the Savior; and he did this so that, if he should truly learn regarding him, he would not dare to approach, knowing his inaccessible and divine power. But the Lord, seeing his craftiness, and knowing that he was seeking this not out of honor for him, but to keep men in servitude so that he might exert his tyranny over all, hid his own divinity, and lived as a man; so that, not having approached him as God, he might not depart unharmed, but having despised him as a man, he might approach, and thereafter begin to be mocked by men. And just as if someone, seeing his adversary terrified and for that reason fleeing, might simulate weakness so as to draw him into battle; then—

^A the one who is fleeing, looking at the feigned weakness, might take courage and approach, and that noble athlete, having called him forth by his weakness, will conquer him by his own power; so too the Lord, having called him forth by human weakness, strengthened man against the enemy by His own power. For this reason, at the time of death, He both becomes anxious and begins to be sorrowful; and He prayed that that cup might pass, and cried out: "The spirit indeed is willing, but the flesh is weak" (Matt. xxvi, 41), so that our adversary, having approached Him as a man, might experience Divine power.

15. Therefore, ^B having been led by these things, that wretch was deceived and approached the Lord. Then, seeing His fortitude, he shrank in terror; but seeing also the weakness of the body, he took courage again. It was then possible to see the devil, with all his army, and with his principalities and powers, fleeing, while the Lord, with human weapons, pursued the diabolical phalanx. For not long after this, He despoiled the enemy of everything, when at last, affected by shame, the enemy moved everything against the Lord by himself: the Jews, that they might conspire; Pilate, that he might condemn; the soldiers, that they might mock Him; but he was ignorant that he was doing all these things against himself. For malice is a blind thing, and wickedness is an improvident thing, in that it did not understand that it was sharpening its own hands against itself. ^C For just as if someone were to take hold of a serpent with his hand and wish to throw it at another, he himself is bitten in any case; or if, having taken up fire in his hand, he wishes to harm an enemy, he does not know that he himself is entirely consumed: so malice fights against those who use it, and harms those who possess it more than those against whom they wish to send it. Thus Pharaoh, while wishing to capture, was captured; and having begun to pursue, he was pursued; and wishing to slaughter, he was drowned. Thus Goliath was cut down by those things in which he boasted, and he who was preparing to despoil was despoiled. The same thing happened to the wretched devil, who, while wishing to tempt, fell into evil; and while he desired to move the soldiers, he himself was moved all the more among the executioners, and was doing everything against himself. For even then, when he was being despoiled, ^D the victory was hidden from men; but the wretch brought it into the light, even against his will. For just as the Lord was being stripped, and a trophy was being invisibly erected against the devil, in order that this too might become manifest, they immediately clothed Him, as John says, in purple, or as Matthew and Mark say, in a scarlet cloak, and placed a crown of thorns upon His head, and delivered a reed into His hand; and thus, leading Him forth, they knelt before Him.

16. A new and incredible miracle of great

^A victory! For whom they had condemned as a man, Him they subsequently worshipped as God; and whom they had despised as a person of no account, Him they confessed as King; and from whom they had taken away common garments, Him they clothed in purple; and whom they had insulted in ignorance, Him they—even against their own will—called a prophet; and whom they had mocked while striking Him, to Him they were handing over the tokens of victory: the scarlet cloak, the crown of thorns, and the reed. For although they did these things as an insult, they were unaware that, even against their will, they were being despoiled by Him. For since the earth had been stained with murder by the devil through sin, and had been ^B soaked in blood more than water, having from the beginning opened its mouth and received the blood of the righteous Abel, and subsequently, as men kept adding blood to blood, according to what is written: "Cursing and lying and theft and adultery are poured out upon the earth, and they mingle blood with blood." And for this reason, the earth was also cursed, as God said: "And now you are cursed from the earth, which has opened its mouth to receive the blood of your brother Abel." For the Lord had even before cursed it because of the transgression of Adam, saying: "Cursed is the earth in your works; in sorrows you shall eat of it all the days of your life." And absolutely everything was full of blood, and thorns grew up everywhere because of the curse. And having the bond of this ^C against all, the enemy rose up against everyone and exercised tyranny, as if having all men subject to him. For this reason, the Lord, having despoiled him of all things, then being led away to death, was clothed in these things in order to show that the accomplishment of His death was not in vain, but that it came to pass for our salvation. For He had the blood in the scarlet cloak, the thorns in the crown, and the bond in the reed—in which the devil had once written against us—so that, together with death, He might finally destroy these things also, and purify creation from them; and instead of the thorns, grant the wood of life; and instead of the blood of sin, purify the earth and all men with His own blood; and instead of the curse, finally pronounce blessed those who are on the earth, saying: ^D "Blessed are the meek, for they shall inherit the earth." For this reason, having borne our blood, He poured out His own upon it, from which it came to pass that, instead of thorns, many good things and life sprouted forth upon it; looking toward which, the holy David says: "I believe that I shall see the good things of the Lord in the land of the living."

17. And in another way, He bore the crown of thorns, in order to make our anxieties of this life disappear. For that wretched one cast our anxieties upon Him, even though he was unwilling, not knowing that the Lord, as He bore these, would remove our anxieties in this life. For that unhappy one cast our anxieties upon Him, albeit unwillingly, unaware that the Lord

was whetting the sword against himself. ^A For the reed is said to be useful for killing serpents, and that it is better to break them with a reed than with any other instrument. Since, therefore, the Lord of Sabaoth Himself, as Isaiah says, was pursuing the fleeing dragon, the serpent, the great devil: for this reason the Lord accepted from them that which was exitial to him, so that, with the devil weakened by his own things, men might be made stronger by the things of the Lord. Just as David prefigured in Goliath, who, having taken the enemy's sword, cut off the head of the enemy with it. ^B This the Savior has now also performed, having accepted the reed from them, in order not only to free us from the deception of the serpent, but also to kill the serpent himself with the reed, and show him dead. Thus, then, that wicked one, being deluded, seeing himself to have fallen from those things by which he was puffed up against us, and seeing himself driven from the earth, and the earth being cleansed from blood and thorns, and seeing himself to have lost the handwriting and the reed, in which he had written against us, he dares again things not to be dared, beating himself all the more in this. For the wicked one, having heard the Lord saying: "The spirit indeed is willing, but the flesh is weak," ^C thinking that the Word was weakened together with the body, and not rather that the body was strengthened by the power of the Word, again attempts wicked deeds; and he incites the executioners against the Savior, while he himself clung to the thorns, and was rolling in them, experiencing a thing contrary to himself. For while he held them, he lost them, which he thought he could eventually recover: but he was not able to receive them back before the Savior had lifted our curse placed in them. ^D For when the Lord had carried that curse, then at last he received back the thorns and the chlamys: which then had no power against us, but rather argued their wickedness. For now the devil himself kicks in the thorns, as if against goads. And it is said to him regarding the scarlet chlamys: "Just as a garment stained with blood is not clean, so neither shall you be clean, because you have destroyed my land, and killed my people."

18. For this reason, then, the executioners, inciting them against the Savior, he kicked in the thorns as if against goads, being himself struck rather than striking. For those whom he moved against the Savior, those same ones took up arms against him. For having received the reed from the Savior, and thinking they were striking Him, they were blinded, and

moving the devil who stirred himself up within them, they struck at him in the thorns. ^A And just as the nations, having ascended against Jerusalem, struck at one another in the valley of Josaphat, and as those who were persecuting Israel, having reached the banks, entangled themselves in one another and seized one another; so now, those who were persecuting the Lord struck at one another in their ignorance, harming Him not at all, but rather wounding themselves. For just as if someone wishes to strike a rock with his hand, he does not cut the rock, but wounds his hand, in this same way those who took action against the Lord, as they dared against one who is incorruptible, were heading for destruction: and as those who dared to contend against one who is immortal, they fashioned death ^B for themselves. And the worst of it was that He suffered by means of His own members; which was to that most wily one his greatest shame. For if he had been struck by the Lord, he could have even boasted in a certain way; but since he was struck by those whom he had brought into servitude, this exceeded every disgrace. Yet it was not the blow from them that destroyed the serpent; for those men and executioners could not do so much. But the insult brought upon him by the Jews was a source of grief; ^C yet it was not the blow they dealt that wounded him, but the Lord, who parried their blow, and the power which poured forth from the hand of the Savior into the reed. For in this also, the Lord, assuming a likeness and holding forth human nature, received the serpent in the thorns, and as a man being struck, allowed the serpent to be struck by the executioners: so that he who once boasted that he was God, and boasted that he had tempted the Lord, by being struck by the executioners, might carry away the ultimate disgrace.

19. And this same thing happened to him against his own intent. For while he was ^D working among the crowds shouting against the Savior, he was unaware that he was inducing silence upon himself as a harm; while he incited Pilate, he did not know that he was producing constancy and firmness of soul in place of cowardice; while he incited them to strike the Savior, he was straying far from his mark, since from this His clemency and tolerance were made manifest. Finally, as he raged against the Savior, he did not perceive that he was arming virtue against wickedness; for the enemy delights in every malice and wickedness. If there is any evil, it is a diabolical weapon; for it persuades one to sin either through the fear of death, or through the total desire to retaliate. Whence the Lord endured all things; so that in cowardice He might teach courage, in insult tolerance, in anger meekness, and in all things that virtue is to be opposed to vice. And first indeed He had taught to turn the other cheek to the one striking it, and: ["Ne timete ab iis qui occidunt cor-]

“If anyone takes away what is yours, do not ask for it back,” and, “Bless those who persecute you.” But lest the commandment should seem impossible to some, the Lord exhibited all things through Himself; and from the things He suffered, He persuaded all who might be subjected to insult not to inflict insults in return; those beaten, not to strike back; those mocked, not to be angered; and not to demand back what is taken from us by someone, and in sum, not to dread death, but rather to despise it through the hope of things to come. ^A For in this way, victory over the devil and every sin is achieved more easily than when we seek vengeance. For by seeking vengeance, and returning injury for injury and insult for insult, we increase and nourish malice against ourselves, harming not so much our enemies as ourselves, through the condemnation and future judgment resulting from the malice used by those who employ it. But when, like the Lord, we endure while being wronged, and oppose patience to those who revile, strength to those who threaten, and the hope of immortality to death, in these things we utterly torment the enemy; and he falls by such panoply as that with which Paul, arming us, says: “Put on therefore the whole armor of God, that you may be able to stand against the deceits of the devil.” For thus, with the Savior enduring, there came to pass that which was said: “I was seeing Satan falling from heaven like lightning.”

20. After the Lord had performed these deeds valiantly and the enemy had fallen, they laid the cross upon Him: a sign of victory, provided truly—though unwillingly—against themselves. For as long as the enemy stood, the executioners held the wood; but when he had fallen and was shattered, then the Lord took up the trophy and bore it Himself. ^B For it was fitting that the victor, who was triumphing over the devil, should not grant to another, but carry the trophy Himself. And He took along with the trophy His garments from them, as He set out for death, in order that He might put these off in death itself. Therefore, having been stripped again, He urged them to lead Him away. But as He was being led away, according to John, He bore His cross Himself; but according to the other evangelists, Simon the man of Cyrene bore the cross. This is not contrary to John; for neither does John write things contrary to the other evangelists, but both occurred in this instance. For indeed the Lord bore the cross for Himself, and again afterwards Simon the man bore it. ^C Therefore, first He carried it as a trophy over the devil, and willingly bore the cross for Himself; for He did not approach death having been compelled. And again Simon the man carried it, so that it might be known to all that He was to die not His own death, but the death of men. Having thus acted, He came in haste to the place where it was appointed for Him to ascend the cross. ^D

^A that He might nail to the cross the handwriting against us which He had taken away from our enemies, and having stripped off the principalities and powers, might openly make a show of them, triumphing over them in the tree, and showing the man who had been snatched from the lion, and finally, by His own blood, sprinkling and cleansing the earth, He might sanctify it. Being about to do this, He put off His garments. For it was fitting that He, as He brought man into Paradise, should put off the tunics which Adam received when he was cast out of Paradise. For when he had sinned and was then to die, he received skin coats, made from dead animals, which were a symbol of the death that had come upon him because of sin.

21. But the Lord, who for our sake took on all things, put these on, so that He might also put them off, and that in their place He might clothe us with life and incorruption. Along with these He also put on the seamless tunic, woven from above through the whole; so that from these things the Jews might be able to believe who He was and whence He came who put these on: that the Word was not from the earth, but had descended from above, and that the Word of the Father is not divisible ^B but indivisible, and that, having become man, He did not have a body stitched together from man and woman, but one woven by the art of the Spirit from the Virgin alone. Hence the executioners divide the other garments, for they were divisible, and they divide them into four parts; for He was wearing them for the sin of the four-part world—namely, east, west, north, and south; seeing Him clothed in which, John said: "Behold the Lamb of God, who takes away the sin of the world 68." The tunic alone they could not tear ^C because of the fear of the sign shown through it. And this was the work not of them, but of the hanging Savior. For as He hung there, as man, He pursued the principalities, seized the devil, and terrified the executioners, lest they tear the tunic, so that, with it remaining, the conviction of the Jews might also remain, which happened not long after, when the veil was rent, but the tunic of the Savior was not divided by the executioners; but remained whole. For the Gospel remains always whole, while the shadows are divided. But when, having put off His garments, He hastened to death, then ^D again the devil, seeing the eagerness of the Savior, and that he himself had fallen from heaven and had been cast out of the earth, had nothing he could do; for all things were for him full of turmoil and perplexity. And he could not remain, but he was afraid to flee. Yet reflecting that those who die must die on the earth according to what is written: "Earth you are, and to the earth you shall return 69," and fearing to remain on the earth, lest he be caught there, he finally [alt-version omitted]

^A ascended into the air; perhaps even so, with the Lord's body placed upon the earth, he might have the air free. But the Lord, showing philanthropy even in this, did not die onto the earth, but ascended into the air through the cross, pursuing the serpent there also, so that from there too he might drive away the prince of the power of the air and cast down the spiritual hosts of wickedness, not even thus leaving the earth without remedy. For while hanging on the cross, he purified the air by the stretching out of his hands, and redeemed the earth, washing it with the blood and water from his side.

22. What remained for the enemy, having suffered such things? He had fallen from heaven, had been cast out from the earth ^B, and been driven from the air; and in addition to these things, he was ashamed, having promised great things and accomplishing nothing. Defeated therefore on every side, and at a loss in every way, he decided at least to preserve Hades for himself; for this was the only place that still remained to him. Therefore, fearing that the Lord, by descending there, would drive him out from there too, and set free all who were under his power, he stirred up everything, moved everything, called everyone to his aid, and again incited the Jews to reproach the Lord, to insult him, and to mock him altogether; and in general, if any part of his panoply remained, he discharged it against the Lord, attempting in this way at least to seize him as one subject to sin. For the Jews mocked the Lord, saying: "If you are the Son of God, come down from the cross." But the Savior, who truly is the Son of God, wished to be known as the Son of God and as the very Life, not by fleeing from death, but by awaiting it and, while awaiting it, trampling upon death ^C. For he who had raised others from the dead was indeed able to come down from the cross; but such a descent would have shown a flight from death, whereas his remaining there indicated nothing other than that the one who remained was Life itself. For this reason, the devil was very anxious that the Lord should be reproached in these things, and he wanted him to come down from the cross and not become among the dead, so that he might depart unscathed and continue to rule over the dead. For he feared that, just as it is written, by ascending to the height of the cross, he might lead captivity captive and receive gifts for men. For he suspected that this might be the one about whom these things were written. Whence the crafty one again stirred up the Pharisees, and finally made them promise beyond measure that they would believe if only he would come down from the cross. He moved everything, and promised things contrary to his own mind, only so that he would not die and go down into Hades. He therefore caused the Pharisees to say again: "He saved others; himself he cannot save. If he is the King of Israel, let him come down now from the cross, and we will believe him." But that dragon, the teacher of unbelief, did not want the Pharisees to believe; rather, he wanted to flee ^D

from the Lord’s death. Nor did he wish to learn whether He could save Himself; but he feared lest salvation be brought to others. For if he had known at all that He could save others, there was no doubt that He, who had given salvation to others, was Himself the Savior and the Life.

23. Therefore, those people reproached Him, so that He might not become salvation for others. For that wily one knew that the Lord would not die, but that His death would become salvation and life for all. For this reason he wanted Him to come down from the cross, and he caused the Pharisees to promise that they would believe; perhaps he might achieve what he wanted through that promise of faith. But the Lord, who in truth is Savior—He who seeks not His own things, but ours—wanted to be known as Savior not by saving Himself, but by redeeming the creation. For neither ^B is a physician known to be a physician from his own health, unless he also demonstrates his art to the sick; nor will the sun be known as light if it gathers its rays into itself, unless it extends them over the world and illuminates the darkness with them. So too, the Lord did not save Himself—for, being Himself the Savior, He had no need of salvation—but He wanted to be known as Savior to all through the benefits conferred upon others. But not even by descending from the cross did He wish to be known as the Son of God, but by remaining upon it. For the death of the Savior brings more and greater faith and salvation to men than a descent from the cross would have brought. Indeed, while He was ^C still hanging upon the cross, graves were opened, and those who lay in them were being saved; and the thief hanging there believed in Him, in order to show that He is in truth the Savior; and even in dying, He brings forth fruit from faith. At these things, therefore, the devil was truly distraught, and every perplexity rightly held him; for he saw that He had destroyed him, and he saw the thief on the cross, whom he had formerly persuaded to steal, believing; and the one whom he had incited to blaspheme, he saw worshiping the Lord and rebuking the other thief—or rather, the devil within the thief. He was tortured again, because he saw the one whom he had killed, as it were, a thief, being transferred ^D into paradise.

24. Seeing all his armor defeated, and that no type of weapon sent by him had been left unbroken by the Lord, according to what is written: "The enemies have failed; the swords have failed to the end, and you have destroyed their cities" (Ps. IX, 7), for this reason he was troubled; and being at a loss, he finally attempted to give the Savior vinegar with gall to drink. But even in this, he did not know that he was contriving it against himself. For the bitterness of wrath, which arose from the transgression of the law, and in which he held all men captive, he handed over to the Savior. The Savior, having received it, exhausted and emptied it, so that instead of the vinegar which wisdom mingled, He might give us

wine, and in place of gall, He might bestow upon us sayings sweeter than honey and the honeycomb; and in return for the fact that He Himself tasted our lot, He might also say to us: "Taste and see that the Lord is good" (Ps. XXXIII, 9). ^A But when he fell from this and was spoiled, being put to shame, he finally fell into some suspicion, while observing such things, that he was fighting not against a man, but against God. For he saw that in the very things in which he tried to capture everyone, in those same things he was being put to shame and was falling rather than casting others down; and finally he attempted to withdraw and to turn his back in flight. For seeing Him hanging, and yet pursuing death, he feared lest this be He of whom it is written: "The Lord will be exalted, that He may have mercy upon us." And for this reason he sought all the more to abandon everything and to flee, envying those who were to be shown mercy by Him. But the Lord, who is truly the Savior, ^B not wishing him to depart unscathed, nor to leave the work unfinished, nor to abandon those who were in hell as captives to the enemy, employed a great and marvelous stratagem. For seeing him struck, trembling, and fearing, he again pretends to lose His grip, so that by approaching, he might completely subdue the enemy. For the dragon did not want the Lord to die, nor to hang upon the wood; he wanted the Lord to descend from the cross and not die; but if He did not descend, he wanted Him to remain on the wood, but simply not to die. For he feared lest that which is written might come to pass: "The Spirit of the Lord is upon me, because He has anointed me; He has sent me to preach the gospel to the poor, and to preach release to the captives, and recovery of sight to the blind" (Isa. LXI, 1). ^C And for this reason he feared lest this be the one who was anointed and sent, and lest finally there might be freedom for all.

25.

The triumph of the Savior

This, however, by no means occurred according to the will of the devil; for the death which he feared would occur, the Lord died, and he was despoiled. Thinking to hold Christ in death, he was himself found to be dead instead; and having boasted ^A that he was lying in wait for a man, he has caused God to be known. For no sooner had He died, than the creation became sunless, the veil of the temple was rent, the earth quaked, and the rocks were split; the soldiers, with the gatekeepers of hades, were struck with terror. From which it was possible to see that it was no longer a man, but truly God in the body, as even those observing Him said: “Truly this is the Son of God.” For indeed many tombs were opened, and the dead who were in them arose.

26. ^B Truly malice is blind, for while the devil hoped to kill one, he was deprived of all; and while he thought to cast Him down into hades, he was himself cast out of hades. And it was demonstrated to all that the Savior did not die through weakness of nature, but pursued death to its destruction, so that He might abolish it and deliver those who, through fear of death, were subject to bondage all their lives. It was not long, therefore, before He loosed the pains of hades and raised the others, saying: “Arise, let us go hence.” ^C He himself arose and returned to life from death, holding the daring of death in mockery, as was foretold in the hymns, the Spirit saying: “He who dwells in the heavens shall laugh at them, and the Lord shall deride them.” Truly he is mocked, having been so played upon, and matters having turned out contrary to his intent. Just as the little creature called a wasp, which, when it strikes a stone, does not harm the stone with its impact, but rather loses its own sting; so did death miscarry greatly, striking at Life, which is Christ. For it could not hold Him by death, but rather lost its sting; so that those ^D who formerly feared the sting now mock it, saying: “O death, where is your sting? O hades, where is your victory?” And again: “Death has swallowed up and prevailed.” And again: “God has taken away every tear from every face.”

27. Then, the wretch, being cast out from hades, sitting by the gates, sees all being led forth who had been bound by the Savior’s courage, and the dead coming to life, and the captives being set free, the saints meeting Him, those with Abraham, and all striking their drums, according to what is written: “The princes went before, joined with those singing in the midst of maiden drummers.” All who were granted freedom were rejoicing and saying: “When the Lord turned again the captivity of Sion, we were like those comforted. Then was our mouth filled with joy and our tongue..."

with exultation” (Ps. cxxv, 1, 2). For the angels also, and all the host of the angels, were chanting hymns and saying: “Glory to God in the highest, and on earth peace, good will among men” (Luke ii, 14); and they were meeting the redeemed young souls. And the souls were running together with the angels, and the patriarchs were ascending, and everything on all sides was resounding with joy and psalms, on account of the victory won over death. And just as when Goliath lay prostrate before David, the choirs of young women met him with timbrels and were saying: “David has smitten his ten thousands” (1 Reg. xviii, 7); so something similar occurred at the death of the Savior. For at ^B his rising, all were meeting him with dances, and songs, and timbrels, saying to one another: “Come, let us rejoice in the Lord, let us cry aloud to the God of Jacob” (Ps. xciv, 1). And others were dancing, saying: “He ascended on high, he led captivity captive, he gave gifts to men” (Ps. lxvii, 19). And already some were calling everyone to the spectacle, saying: “Cry aloud to God, all the earth, sing psalms to his name” (Ps. lxv, 1); and again, “Come and see the works of the Lord; he is terrible in his counsels over the sons of men, taking away wars to the end of the earth” (Ps. xlv, 9, 10). For there was no longer enmity and war, but all things were in peace, the enemy being prostrate and dead, and he who had once exercised tyranny being bound hand and foot. Others again, knowing the audacity of the devil, and his great boasts, and seeing him now dead, were saying with wonder: “How has Lucifer, who rose in the morning, fallen from heaven?” (Isa. xiv, 12). And, “How has the hammer of all the earth been crushed and broken?” (Jerem. l, 23). For with the wonder, astonishment also took hold of all. For they were marveling to see the great tyrant lying thus suddenly dead; yet they were perplexed as to the cause of the fall, especially because they did not believe that death was abolished by death, nor that such a great serpent was crushed on the cross. Therefore they were marveling again and saying: “How has Babylon been captured?” (Jerem. li, 23). For they were seeing at last that Hades had been despoiled.

28. As that wretched one saw these things and heard these things, he was raging and being tormented, and lamenting. For as he saw himself despoiled, he was wasting away with grief; seeing on the other hand those who were once detained by him in mourning and tears now singing psalms in the Lord, he was tearing ^D himself apart; seeing that he was mocked and held in derision, he was bitterly wounding himself, and being at a loss what to do, he was only gnashing his teeth, as the Psalmist who beheld him testifies, saying: “The sinner shall watch the righteous,”

and gnash upon him with his teeth. The Lord shall laugh at him.” ^B And again: “The sinner shall see, and be grieved; he shall gnash with his teeth, and melt away.” He was gnashing his teeth, repenting that he had ever dared to stand against the Saviour, for he knew that though he had dared to attack righteous men before, he had suffered nothing of the sort. For although he had laid snares for Abel, and afflicted the patriarchs, and had laid snares for Isaiah, and insulted Jeremiah, and tempted Job, yet death prevailed and reigned from Adam until Moses. But now, having dared to act against the Lord, he sees himself become a beggar, cast out from everything, and trampled underfoot by all. For it was the work of the Saviour not only to mock death itself, but also to set us as lords over it, so that he might not only liberate us from servitude, but also crush the one who had reduced us to servitude, lest he gain strength again and deceive us, and his victory prove fruitless. Wherefore He Himself, having mocked death, thereafter delivers it to us to be trampled upon, saying: “Behold, I have given you authority to tread upon serpents and scorpions, and upon all the power of the enemy.” And again: “Thou shalt tread upon the lion and the dragon.” For of old the serpent deceived Eve, and through his envy death entered into the world; but now he is trampled upon, and desiring to deceive, he hears: “Get thee behind me, Satan.” And of old our adversary the devil went about as a lion, thirsting for our soul; but now he is trampled upon together with the dragon, and finally God shall shortly crush Satan under our feet. And he is so despised and mocked that one need not even fear to reach his hand toward the hole of the asps. For Isaiah prophesied these things, and the word is true.

29. Children, moreover, now mock the pleasure which of old deceived even elderly men; and not yet having reached the legal age, they gird their loins with continence that surpasses the law; and remaining virgins, they trample upon the deceits of the serpentine pleasure with the Word, fearing not its death-bearing bites. Already, too, some, trampling upon the very sting of the devil, have not feared death; but have exchanged their life for death, becoming martyrs of the Word; for this reason the Lord died. Many, moreover, having left behind earthly things, traverse the air with free step, and live their life in heaven; no longer fearing the prince of the air, but rather rebuking him and saying, should he wish to hinder them: “Get thee behind me, Satan, for I hasten to worship the Lord my God”; for it is for this reason that the Saviour was crucified in the air. ^D The way of paradise, once closed because of sin, now lies open to those who desire it, as Paul says.

this reason the Lord mocked the serpent. ^A And Hades is rendered inoperative, since death no longer holds sway, but all things are being raised up; and the devil no longer rises against us, for he has fallen, and having fallen he truly proceeds upon his breast and belly; for this reason the Lord has risen. And men have learned to despise bodily wealth, and are becoming rich in the Word and in knowledge; but the dragon who boasted of being rich has been stripped, and is now naked, an Irus and a pauper, despoiled by all. For he who formerly moved about in the midst of the cherubim, and was clothed in every precious stone—the sardius, the jasper, and the agate—now at last sleeps on papyrus, reeds, and gravel, as it is related of him in Job. For this reason the Lord became poor, that we might become rich by his poverty, and the devil was stripped bare. And (a wondrous and great thing has come to pass in nature) men hasten to die, praying for the advent of the Savior; but the wretched devil, who formerly held the empire of death, now fears Him who is to come and dreads the judgment, for he knows the fire that has been prepared for him and his angels. For this reason my Lord was also judged, that He might liberate us from judgment and condemn him.

30. But regarding the knowledge of God disseminated everywhere, what need is there to speak, when the deeds themselves provide faith? For no day passes in which certain men do not abandon idols and deny their own ancestral laws, and flee to God, and ask to receive the laws of Christ, believing in Him by an incredible miracle. ^C For those who have heretofore been idolaters, and who slandered Christ as a mere man, afterward, having renounced idols, acknowledge Him to be God; and those demons whom they feared in the idols, these they now abandon once they have known the Lord, and they drive them away from others; and the pleasure which they feared while they were idolaters, they despise in Christ; and the sin by which they were formerly overcome, they now conquer with the sign of the cross and hold in derision. And indeed, they who once did not believe in virginity, because they thought it impossible for such a virtue to be found in men; having afterward believed in the Savior born of the Virgin, not only do they acknowledge it, but they themselves practicing it, they are disbelieved by those who are still heathens and idolaters. ^D In addition to these things, all sorcery has ceased, all magic has been abolished, and all the wisdom of the Greeks has been shown to be foolish. For in divine matters, there is need not of words, but of deeds; and it is not the utterance of the tongue, but the disposition of the soul that is profitable. The Greeks, therefore, do not grasp by arguments these things which Christians demonstrate by faith; and what the magicians accomplish by words, these things, by the silent—

if I may so say—sign of the cross, they cause to vanish. Furthermore, the things which they call into doubt regarding immortality, these the martyrs of Christ do not set forth in words, but demonstrate by their deeds. And the virginity about which the magicians and Greek philosophers are skeptical, this too women serve in Christ; and the demons to whom they once offered supplication as to gods, even little children now put to flight in Christ. In short, the man who carries Christ is as a god on earth, being patient and gentle towards men, and, as if circling all things with the sun, he displays a heavenly life.

31. Look, these are the things the death of the Savior has wrought. ^B For this is not the work of man, but of God. And therefore He suffered as a man, that He might bestow upon men those things which are above man and divine. His, then, are the glorious deeds which now shine forth among men. For even if Paul speaks, it is Christ speaking within him; if he performs great and marvelous works, it is the grace of Christ that accomplishes such things. And if the knowledge of God has reached out to all, this is not a doctrine of men, but of the Word Himself who descended, the mediator between God and men. For this is what was written, which the Jews formerly kept silent about, but which they now see being fulfilled. It is written: “They shall all be taught of God ^C,” just as Jeremiah the prophet says: “Behold, the days are coming, says the Lord”; and he adds, saying: “And no one shall teach his neighbor and no one his brother, saying: Know the Lord; for all shall know me, from the least to the greatest of them, because I will be merciful to their iniquities.” For who is it that moves those who worship idols to repentance, if not the Lord? And who leads them out from the servitude of idols, if not Christ Himself, who says: “When I am lifted up, I will draw all men to myself”? For this truly is marvelous, that while they are still serving idols, the mind of their soul is opened so as to understand that those whom they once thought to be gods are wood and stones, and that they should recognize Him whom they mocked as crucified, not as a man, but as God. ^D For the teacher of the mind is not man, but God who alone sees the mind. Truly blessed and life-giving cross of the Savior, you have triumphed over death, and you have destroyed the devil who held it in his power. O divine Word and true wisdom of the Father, You have shown the face of that crafty one, and You have laid bare the folds of his breast, so that we too may say: “For we are not ignorant of his designs.” Lover of mankind and good Lord, You have redeemed us who were captives, and serving sin, You have, O Lord, set us free by Your own death. For we know that we have been liberated from sin. O truly reconciler of peace, Son of God, You have given us adoption as sons, and by reconciling us to the Father

^A You have destroyed the enmity in the flesh. O wealthy Savior and true King; for You became poor, that we might become rich by Your poverty; You also granted us the kingdom of heaven, O Creator and Maker of all things. O Word of the Father; for You have re-created us, and we are Your handiwork, created for good works. O true Light and Radiance of the Father; for You have shone upon us in darkness, and brought us who were blind into the light. O true Form and Image of the Father; for You have re-formed us who were perishing, and again granted us that which is according to Your image. O God the Word and true Life; for You have made the dead alive, and renewed those who were corrupt, clothing them in incorruption. O true Power, and Arm and Right Hand of the Father; for You have broken asunder the pains of death, shattered the gates of brass and the bars of iron, as the Scripture says. You have led the dragon, the serpent, the devil, about on a human hook, in the trophy of the cross. By You and Your divine valor, all now trample upon him, and all mock him. For because You were the first to mock him, it has become the beginning of the Lord’s creature being made to be mocked. And after You cast him down, ^B it became a wonder to all, so that they should even say: "How has Lucifer fallen from heaven, who rose in the morning?" And after You took from him the record of debt written against us, and nailed it to the cross, all now mock him, saying: "How has the exactor ceased, and the taskmaster rested?" God has broken the yoke of the sinful. For now rottenness is spread beneath him, and his covering becomes the worm; and there is no one left to fear the dragon; but they adore You, and through You the Father.

32. Thus then did the Lord arising quickly mock death, and deliver us from it. The Jews, however, not seeing even these things, were not moved to shame, and were ignorant that they were attempting these things against the Savior, and were committing them against themselves. For they did not see, in delivering up the Lord, that they were provoking the delivering up of Jerusalem, as the prophet Jeremiah says: "By surrender shall Jerusalem be delivered into the hands of Nebuchadnezzar, king of Babylon." ^C Nor did they notice that, not wishing to serve the Lord, they were subjecting themselves as slaves to the devil, and ministering to him in his snares against Christ. For they were ignorant, in requesting Barabbas and killing the Lord, that they would live the life of Barabbas, and that every kind of sedition and murder would increase among them, and that they were spurning the light and the truth, and everything that is the Lord, as Isaiah says: "Behold, the Lord, the Lord of Sabaoth, shall take away from Judea and from Jerusalem the strong man and the strong woman, the strength of bread and the strength of water, the giant and the strong man, the prince and the warrior, the judge and the prophet, and the augur and the elder, the quinquagenarian ^D

and the wonderful counselor, and the skillful architect, and the wise listener. And I will appoint young men as their princes, and mockers shall rule over them. ^A For the miserable ones mocked the Lord and did not see that the prophetic saying concerning them was being fulfilled, which says: «Mockers shall rule over them.» For this is the paradox of the Savior: that while being crucified, He suffered for the sake of humanity, but He mocked death, and the things written were fulfilled against the Jews. And that the light was taken away from them is written in Jeremiah in these words: «The word which came to Jeremiah concerning all the people of Judah.» Then he adds, saying: «I will take away from them the voice of mirth and the voice of gladness, the voice of the bridegroom and the voice of the bride, the scent of ointment and the light of a lamp.» Assuredly, they delivered the Lord to the nations, and they knew it not, but they were blinded, because they themselves would not long after be defiled among the nations, and the nations would enter into their inheritance against them, just as it is written: «O God, the nations have come into your inheritance; they have defiled your holy temple, they have made Jerusalem a garden-watcher's hut.» Denying that they had the Lord as their King, they were ignorant that they were being deprived of the Davidic honor; for the kingdom of David was reserved for Him, and it extended up to the coming of the Savior, with Jacob as a witness saying: «A ruler shall not fail from Judah, nor a leader from his thighs, until He comes to ^B whom it is reserved, and He is the expectation of the nations.» And when they were stripping the Lord and beating Him, they did not know that they were being stripped by Him, and exciting wailing for themselves; for the Lord Himself says: «I will take away my garments and my linens, so that they may not cover her shame»; and again: «Therefore she shall wail and mourn, she shall go barefoot and naked; she shall make a wailing as of dragons, and a mourning as of the daughters of sirens.» And by causing a scarlet cloak to be cast upon Him, they did not see that they were fulfilling against themselves that accusation of the Holy Spirit: «Your hands are full of blood.» And rejoicing ^C that the Savior was surrounded with thorns, they were blinded, not seeing that they were placing them around themselves. For it is written: «Be stunned, mourn, you who were confident, strip yourselves, become naked, gird your loins, and make lamentation over your breasts for the field of desire, and for the produce of the vine. The land of my people shall bring forth thorns and grass, and from every house joy shall be taken away.» They mocked the Lord, as the Son of God, and did not see that they were casting away their adoption, as He Himself testifies in these words: «I have begotten ^D sons and raised them up, but they have rejected me.»

And, «Behold, your house is left unto you.» They gave Him vinegar and gall to drink, but in this matter too they were exceedingly blind. For God had removed a vine out of Egypt, and had planted it, and expected to receive from it fruit, grapes and wine; but they, senseless, rendered vinegar instead of wine, and gall instead of a grape—offering a true proof of their Sodomitic wickedness; for their grape is indeed gall, according to what is written in Deuteronomy. ^A For this reason, our Lord and Savior, knowing that such fruit would come from them, foretold to them the parable of the vineyard, and that the kingdom of heaven would be taken away from them and given to a nation producing its fruits. Furthermore, they divided His garments among the executioners, not seeing the division and dispersion among the nations that was to come upon them; for the prophet says: «Behold, the days of the Lord come, and thy spoils shall be divided in the midst of thee. And I will gather all nations to Jerusalem to battle; and the city shall be taken, and the houses shall be plundered, and the women shall be defiled.» And again: «Now the rust will eat their lots.» And as Micah says: «In that day a parable shall be taken up against you, and a wail shall be raised with a song, saying: A wail of wailings! The portion of my people has been undone; it has been measured out with a line, and there was none to prevent him from turning back; your fields have been measured out.» And to speak succinctly, having dared to act against the Lord, they summoned upon themselves the day which the prophet had also foretold: «For it is the day of the Lord's judgment, the day of retribution for the judgment of Zion. And its valleys shall be turned into pitch, and its land into brimstone. And its land shall be as pitch burning night and day, and it shall not be quenched for ever, and its smoke shall go up on high. It ^C shall be desolate unto generation after generation, and birds, and hedgehogs, and ibises, and ravens shall dwell in it; and the measuring line of the desert shall be cast upon it, and onocentaurs shall dwell in it. Its princes shall not be; and its kings and its great ones shall come to destruction. And thorny wood shall spring up in its cities, and in its strongholds. And it shall be the haunt of sirens, and the courtyard of ostriches, and demons shall meet with onocentaurs, and one shall call to another. There shall the onocentaurs rest; for they found rest for themselves. There the hedgehog has made its nest, and the earth has preserved its fields in safety.» ^D 33. The Jews have suffered these things, when they thought they were killing the Lord: they provoked these things against themselves, while crying out against the Savior:

being condemned in those things, while they wished to condemn the Lord. ^A Let anyone who wishes to be a judge come forward, not from secret or obscure matters, but let him gather the truth from the things that came to pass. And let him consider what is the fruit of the Lord’s death, and what is the gain of the Jews’ plotting. For the death of the Savior liberated the whole world, so that the nations might glorify God; but the fury of the Jews destroyed both the city and the Jews themselves along with it, and blinded them to the knowledge of God. And the death of the Lord brought the dead to life, but the plotting of the Jews deprived the Jews themselves of life, and now they are without the Lord. ^B And the cross of the Savior made the Church of the nations, while it was formerly desolate, to be inhabited; but the Jews, by their own wickedness, have shut themselves out from the whole world, and now have no city. And again, the death of the Savior revealed the kingdom of heaven; but the Jews, in their fury, destroyed their own kings and cast down their nobles. In addition to these, the cross of the Lord brought angels and men together, and became a mediator of their mutual friendship; but the Jews, by their plotting, earned for themselves the companionship of demons. And the death of Christ alleviated the foolishness of men concerning sin; but the Jews were rendered senseless by their fury, and now, by their ways, have dealings with sirens, and hedgehogs, and ostriches, having their manner of life as strange as that of onocentaurs. For instead of the law, injustice prevails among them; and instead of meekness, there is fury for them, according to the likeness of the serpent ^C (Ps. LVII, 5). In sum, there is nothing among them that does not bring death upon them. Is it not, therefore, better to adhere to the death of the Lord than to the assembly of the Pharisees? Is it not better to worship the cross than to reconcile to ourselves the friendship of the Jews and of the world? For this reason, the blessed Paul also wrote: "I have counted all things as loss, that I might gain Christ" (Philip. III, 8). For this reason, he considers the cross his boast, saying: "But God forbid that I should boast, save in the cross of our Lord Jesus Christ, by whom the world is crucified unto me, and I unto the world" (Galat. VI, 14). For this reason, the Lord himself also said: "Whoever does not take up his cross, and follow me, is not worthy of me, nor can he be my disciple" (Matth. X, 38; Luc. XIV, 27). 34. But here there is need of great caution, lest we take up the cross after the manner of the Jews, and not after the manner of Paul. ^D For Paul carried the cross as a trophy of sin; but the Jews carried it for the sake of killing the Lord. Therefore, one must be cautious and vigilant, lest, while accusing the Jews, we do the same things as they against the Lord. For many who worship the Lord, and do not lead a life worthy of Him, do not notice that they

become accountable for the death of the Savior; for the Apostle testifies, "Whoever eats the bread or drinks the cup of the Lord unworthily, will be guilty of the body and blood of the Lord" (1 Cor. xi, 27). By the same reasoning, "Whoever hates his brother does not love the Lord," ^A but holds Him in hatred just as the Jews did. Moreover, he who treats the poor man as nothing, treats the Lord with contumely, just as the Jews did. This is what Solomon says: "He who despises the poor reflects upon his Maker" (Prov. xiv, 31). He who neglects a poor man who is hungry, thirsty, and naked is like the Jews who stripped the Lord and gave Him vinegar and gall to drink. And he who accepts gifts against the innocent is no different from him who sold the Lord, namely Judas; for he too sells justice, which is the Lord, just as that man sold Christ. And he who does not judge for the orphan, and does not render to the widow her right, he is like the plotters and calumniators of the Lord. Finally, ^B whatever one does to one's neighbor is reckoned as done to the Lord, who descended for our sake and died for us. For thus the Lord Himself says in the Gospels: "Insofar as you did it to one of these little ones, you did it to me" (Matth. xxv, 40). Again, this is something necessary to know and to observe: he who commits fornication destroys his own soul, and treats with contumely the temple and body of the Lord, just as the Jews did. But "if anyone violates the temple of God, God will destroy him" (1 Cor. iii, 17), as Paul writes. And he who lives under the reign of sin is in no way different from the Jews who denied Him and said that they had no king but the Lord, but Caesar. Nor should he who is subjected to pleasures, and takes great delight in them, be ignorant ^C of this—namely, that he too, like the Jews, calls for Barabbas and kills the Lord. For thus the Jews, loving the wicked character of Barabbas, in the end persecuted virtue. One should know, likewise, that he who is not firm in the faith is like those who were incredulous and said: "If he is the Son of God, let him come down now from the cross, and we will believe in him" (Matth. xxvii, 42). For those men also spoke these things out of unbelief. What, then, must we do in these matters? Nothing else than to believe in Christ, and regulate our life according to Him, just as Paul also says: "Become imitators of me, as I am of Christ" (1 Cor. iv, 16), and to turn away from the friendship of the Jews, their unbelief, mockery, fables, and endless genealogies, ^D which provide questions rather than the edification of God which is in faith; but to cling to the cross, and to regulate one's life as is worthy of it, and to utter the same words as Paul: "But far be it from me to glory, except in the cross of our Lord Jesus Christ" (Galat. vi, 14). For if we lead our life in this way, and believe in the Lord, we shall acknowledge His assumption into the heavens and His sitting at the right hand of majesty; and we shall see the angels

believing in the Lord, we shall know his ascent into heaven, and his sitting at the right hand of the Majesty, and we shall see the subjection of the angels, and his second coming with glory ^A which angels announce, saints celebrate; and all who see him exult, and rejoice in Christ Jesus, through whom to the Father be glory and power for ever and ever. Amen.

OF ATHANASIUS ON THE PASSION

"Death reigned from Adam until Moses." But now, having dared against the Lord, it ^B sees itself cast out of the whole, and trampled upon by all, and crushed under our feet. But the great and paradoxical thing is that, even while the Lord was hanging on the cross itself (for the body was his, and in it was the Word; the sun was darkened, and the earth trembled, the rocks were split, and the veil of the temple was rent, and many bodies of those who had fallen asleep were raised), yet no one, as the Arians now dare to do, reasoned whether one should obey the Word made flesh; but even seeing him as a man, they recognized him as their Creator; and hearing a human voice, they did not say because of his humanity that the Word was a creature; but rather they trembled, and knew none the less that he was speaking from his holy temple; for a creature does not worship a creature; nor again, because of the flesh, did it refuse to worship its Lord, but it saw its own Creator in the body; and at the name of Jesus Christ every knee bowed and shall bow, and every tongue shall confess that Jesus Christ is Lord; for the flesh did not bring dishonor upon the Word—far from it—but rather it has been glorified by him; nor, because the Son, who existed in the form of God, took the form of a servant, was he diminished in his divinity, but rather he became the liberator of all flesh and of all creation; who, even being crucified, was testified to be the Lord of creation; with the sun withdrawing its rays, and the earth trembling, and the rocks splitting, and the executioners recognizing ^C that he who was crucified was truly the Son of God; for the body that was seen was not that of any man, but of God; in whom, existing even when he was being crucified, he raised the dead; when the sun, being indignant and unable to bear the physical outrages inflicted upon the common Lord of all, which he willingly endured for our sake, turned away; and having withdrawn its rays, showed that day to be without a sun.

^D Omitted, therefore, are the parts already fully edited, yet I have thought it right to bring these remarkable additions to light. I do not stay to consider another sermon on the day of Preparation, which is read in the same volume of Athanasius, p. 585, which is neither worthy of the name of Athanasius, nor does it pertain to our excerpts.