Homilies on the Gospel of St. John and the Epistle to the Hebrews

NPNF (V1-14)St. Chrysostom14to the flesh. Paul too when he says, “Who was born of the seed of David according to the flesh” (Rom. i. 3 ), only teaches us that the word “made” 59 is taken with a view 60 to His Incarnation, aswe allow. But the son of thunder is now speaking to us concerning His Ineffable and Eternal 61Existence, and therefore he leaves the word “made” and puts “was”; yet if He were created, thispoint he needs must most especially have determined. For if Paul feared that some foolish personsmight suppose that He shall be greater than the Father, and have Him who begat Him made subjectto Him, (for this is the reason why the Apostle in sending to the Corinthians writes, “But when Hesaith, All things are put under Him, it is manifest that He is excepted which did put all things underHim,” yet who could possibly imagine that the Father, even in common with all things, will besubject to the Son?) if, I say, he nevertheless feared these foolish imaginations, and says, “He isexcepted that did put all things under Him;” much more if the Son of God were indeed created,ought John to have feared lest any one should suppose Him uncreated, and to have taught on thispoint before any other.But now, since He was Begotten, with good reason neither John nor any other, whether apostleor prophet, hath asserted that He was created. Neither had it been so would the Only-BegottenHimself have let it pass unmentioned. For He who spoke of Himself so humbly from condescension62would certainly not have been silent on this matter. And I think it not unreasonable to suppose,that He would be more likely to have the higher Nature, and say nothing of it, than not having it topass by this omission, and fail to make known that He had it not. For in the first case there was agood excuse for silence, namely, His desire to teach mankind humility by being silent as to thegreatness of His attributes; but in the second case you can find no just excuse for silence. For whyshould He who declined many of His real attributes have been, if He were created, silent as to Hishaving been made? He who, in order to teach humility, often uttered expressions of lowliness, suchas did not properly belong to Him, much more if He had been indeed created, would not have failedto speak of this. Do you not see Him, in order that none may imagine Him not to have been begotten,63doing and saying everything to show that He was so, uttering words unworthy both of His dignityand His essence, and descending to the humble character of a Prophet? For the expression, “As Ihear, I judge” ( v. 30 ); and that other, “He hath told Me what I should say, and what I shouldspeak” ( xii. 49 ), and the like, belong merely to a prophet. If now, from His desire to remove thissuspicion, He did not disdain to utter words thus lowly, much more if He were created would Hehave said many like words, that none might suppose Him to be uncreated; as, “Think not that I ambegotten of the Father; I am created, not begotten, nor do I share His essence.” But as it is, He doesthe very contrary, and utters words which compel men, even against their will and desire, to admitthe opposite opinion. As, “I am in the Father, and the Father in Me” ( xiv. 11 ); and, “Have I beenso long time with you, and yet hast thou not known Me, Philip? he that hath seen Me, hath seenthe Father.” ( xiv. 9 .) And, “That all men should honor the Son, even as they honor the Father.”( v. 23 .) “As the Father raiseth up the dead and quickeneth them, even so the Son quickenethwhom He will.” ( v. 21 .) “My Father worketh hitherto, and I work.” ( v. 17 .) “As the Father59 “made,” E.V.60παρείληπται ἐπὶ τῆς οἰκονομίας , “adopted in reference to.”61προαιώνιος .62συγκατάβασις .63ἀ γέννητον .26