15 - Book IV Chapters 1-9

Section 15 of The Orthodox Faith by John of Damascus, translated by S. D. F. Salmond. This LibriVox recording is in the public domain. Book 4, Chapter 1, Concerning What Followed the Resurrection. After Christ was risen from the dead, he laid aside all his passions, I mean his corruption, or hunger, or thirst, or sleep, or weariness, or such like. For although he did taste food after the resurrection, yet he did not do so because it was a law of his nature, for he felt no hunger, but in the way of economy, in order that he might convince us of the reality of the resurrection, and that it was one and the same flesh which suffered and rose again. But he laid aside none of the divisions of his nature, neither body nor spirit, but possesses both the body and the soul, intelligent and reasonable, volitional and energetic, and in this wise he sits at the right hand of the Father, using his will both as God and as man in behalf of our salvation, energizing in his divine capacity to provide for and maintain and govern all things, and remembering in his human capacity the time he spent on earth, while all the time he both sees and knows that he is adored by all rational creation. For his Holy Spirit knows that he is one in substance with God the Word, and shares as Spirit of God, and not simply as Spirit, the worship accorded to him. Moreover, his ascent from earth to heaven, and again his descent from heaven to earth, are manifestations of the energies of his circumscribed body. For he shall so come again to you, saith he, in like manner as ye have seen him go into heaven. CHAPTER II. CONCERNING THE SITTING AT THE RIGHT HAND OF THE FATHER. We hold, moreover, that Christ sits in the body at the right hand of God the Father, but we do not hold that the right hand of the Father is actual place, for how could he that is uncircumscribed have a right hand limited by place? Right hands and left hands belong to what is circumscribed, but we understand the right hand of the Father to be the glory and honor of the Godhead, in which the Son of God, who existed as God before the ages, and is of like essence to the Father, and in the end became flesh, has a seat in the body, his flesh sharing in the glory. For he along with his flesh is adored with one adoration by all creation. CHAPTER III. IN REPLY TO THOSE WHO SAY, IF CHRIST HAS TWO NATURES, EITHER YE DO SERVICE TO THE CREATURE IN WORSHIPPING CREATED NATURE, OR YE SAY THAT THERE IS ONE NATURE TO BE WORSHIPPED, AND ANOTHER NOT TO BE WORSHIPPED. ALONG WITH THE FATHER AND THE HOLY SPIRIT WE WORSHIP THE SON OF GOD, WHO WAS INCORPOREAL BEFORE HE TOOK ON HUMANITY, AND NOW IN HIS OWN PERSON IS INCARNATE, AND HAS BECOME MAN THOUGH STILL BEING ALSO GOD. HIS FLESH THEN, IN ITS OWN NATURE, IF ONE WERE TO MAKE SUBTLE MENTAL DISTINCTIONS BETWEEN WHAT IS SEEN AND WHAT IS THOUGHT, IS NOT DESERVING OF WORSHIP SINCE IT IS CREATED. BUT AS IT IS UNITED WITH GOD THE WORD, IT IS WORSHIPPED ON ACCOUNT OF HIM AND IN HIM. FOR JUST AS THE KING DESERVES HOMAGE ALIKE WHEN UNROBED AND WHEN ROBED, AND JUST AS THE PURPLE ROBE CONSIDERED SIMPLY AS A PURPLE ROBE IS TRAMPLED UPON AND TOSSED ABOUT, BUT AFTER BECOMING THE ROYAL DRESS RECEIVES ALL HONOR AND GLORY, AND WHOEVER DISHONORS IT IS GENERALLY CONDEMNED TO DEATH, AND AGAIN JUST AS WOOD IN ITSELF IS NOT OF SUCH NATURE THAT IT CANNOT BE TOUCHED, BUT BECOMES SO WHEN FIRE IS APPLIED TO IT AND IT BECOMES CHARCOAL, AND YET THIS IS NOT BECAUSE OF ITS OWN NATURE BUT BECAUSE OF THE FIRE UNITED TO IT, AND THE NATURE OF THE WOOD IS NOT SUCH AS CANNOT BE TOUCHED, BUT RATHER THE CHARCOAL OR BURNING WOOD, SO ALSO THE FLESH IN ITS OWN NATURE IS NOT TO BE WORSHIPED, BUT IS WORSHIPED IN THE INCARNATE GOD-WORD, NOT BECAUSE OF ITSELF, BUT BECAUSE OF ITS UNION IN SUBSISTANCE WITH GOD THE WORD, AND WE DO NOT SAY THAT WE WORSHIP MERE FLESH, BUT GOD'S FLESH THAT IS GOD-INCARNATE. CHAPTER IV. WHY IT WAS THE SON OF GOD, AND NOT THE FATHER OR THE SPIRIT THAT BECAME MAN, AND WHAT HAVING BECOME MAN HE ACHIEVED. THE FATHER IS FATHER AND NOT SON, THE SON IS SON AND NOT FATHER, THE HOLY SPIRIT IS SPIRIT AND NOT FATHER OR SON, FOR THE INDIVIDUALITY IS UNCHANGEABLE. HOW INDEED COULD INDIVIDUALITY CONTINUE TO EXIST AT ALL IF IT WERE EVER CHANGING AND ALTERING? WHEREFORE THE SON OF GOD BECAME SON OF MAN, IN ORDER THAT HIS INDIVIDUALITY MIGHT ENDURE. FOR SINCE HE WAS THE SON OF GOD, HE BECAME SON OF MAN, BEING MADE FLESH OF THE HOLY VIRGIN AND NOT LOSING THE INDIVIDUALITY OF SONSHIP. FURTHER, THE SON OF GOD BECAME MAN, IN ORDER THAT HE MIGHT AGAIN BESTOW ON MAN THAT FAVOR FOR THE SAKE OF WHICH HE CREATED HIM. FOR HE CREATED HIM AFTER HIS OWN IMAGE, ENDOWED WITH INTELLECT AND FREE WILL, AND AFTER HIS OWN LIKENESS, THAT IS TO SAY, PERFECT IN ALL VIRTUE SO FAR AS IT IS POSSIBLE FOR MAN'S NATURE TO ATTAIN PERFECTION. FOR THE FOLLOWING PROPERTIES ARE, SO TO SPEAK, MARKS OF THE DIVINE NATURE, NAMELY, ABSENCE OF CARE AND DISTRACTION AND GUILE, GOODNESS, WISDOM, JUSTICE, FREEDOM FROM ALL VICE. SO THEN, AFTER HE HAD PLACED MAN IN COMMUNION WITH HIMSELF, FOR HAVING MADE HIM FOR INCORRUPTION, HE LED HIM UP THROUGH COMMUNION WITH HIMSELF TO INCORRUPTION, AND WHEN MOREOVER, THROUGH THE TRANSGRESSION OF THE COMMAND, WE HAD CONFUSED AND OBLITERATED THE MARKS OF THE DIVINE IMAGE AND HAD BECOME EVIL, WE WERE STRIPPED OF OUR COMMUNION WITH GOD, FOR WHAT COMMUNION HATH LIGHT WITH DARKNESS? AND HAVING BEEN SHUT OUT FROM LIFE, WE BECAME SUBJECT TO THE CORRUPTION OF DEATH. YEA, SINCE HE GAVE US TO SHARE IN THE BETTER PART, AND WE DID NOT KEEP IT SECURE, HE SHARES IN THE INFERIOR PART, I MEAN OUR OWN NATURE, IN ORDER THAT THROUGH HIMSELF AND IN HIMSELF, HE MIGHT RENEW THAT WHICH WAS MADE AFTER HIS IMAGE AND LIKENESS, AND MIGHT TEACH US, TOO, THE CONDUCT OF A VIRTUOUS LIFE, MAKING THROUGH HIMSELF THE WAY THITHER EASY FOR US, AND MIGHT BY THE COMMUNICATION OF LIFE DELIVER US FROM CORRUPTION, BECOMING HIMSELF THE FIRST FRUITS OF OUR RESURRECTION, AND MIGHT RENOVATE THE USELESS AND WORN VESSEL, CALLING US TO THE KNOWLEDGE OF GOD, THAT HE MIGHT REDEEM US FROM THE TYRANNY OF THE DEVIL, AND MIGHT STRENGTHEN AND TEACH US HOW TO OVERTHROW THE TYRANT THROUGH PATIENCE AND HUMILITY. THE WORSHIP OF DEMONS, THEN, HAS CEASED. CREATION HAS BEEN SANCTIFIED BY THE DIVINE BLOOD. ALTARS AND TEMPLES OF IDOLS HAVE BEEN OVERTHROWN. THE KNOWLEDGE OF GOD HAS BEEN IMPLANTED IN MEN'S MINDS. THE CO-ESSENTIAL TRINITY, THE UNCREATE DIVINITY, ONE TRUE GOD, CREATOR AND LORD OF ALL, RECEIVES MEN'S SERVICE. VIRTUES ARE CULTIVATED. THE HOPE OF RESURRECTION HAS BEEN GRANTED THROUGH THE RESURRECTION OF CHRIST. THE DEMONS SHUDDER AT THOSE MEN OF OLD WHO WERE UNDER THEIR SUBJECTION. AND THE MARVEL, INDEED, IS THAT ALL THIS HAS BEEN SUCCESSFULLY BROUGHT ABOUT THROUGH HIS CROSS AND PASSION AND DEATH. THROUGHOUT ALL THE EARTH, THE GOSPEL OF THE KNOWLEDGE OF GOD HAS BEEN PREACHED. NO WARS, OR WEAPONS, OR ARMIES BEING USED TO ROUT THE ENEMY, BUT ONLY A FEW NAKED, POOR, ILLITERATE, PERSECUTED, AND TORMENTED MEN, WHO, WITH THEIR LIVES IN THEIR HANDS, PREACHED HIM WHO WAS CRUCIFIED IN THE FLESH AND DIED, AND WHO BECAME VICTORS OVER THE WISE AND POWERFUL. FOR THE OMNIPOTENT POWER OF THE CROSS ACCOMPANIED THEM. DEATH ITSELF, WHICH ONCE WAS MAN'S CHIEFEST TERROR, HAS BEEN OVERTHROWN, AND NOW THAT WHICH WAS ONCE THE OBJECT OF HATE AND LOATHING IS PREFERRED TO LIFE. THESE ARE THE ACHIEVEMENTS OF CHRIST'S PRESENCE. THESE ARE THE TOKENS OF HIS POWER. FOR IT WAS NOT ONE PEOPLE THAT HE SAVED, AS WHEN THROUGH MOSES HE DIVIDED THE SEA AND DELIVERED ISRAEL OUT OF EGYPT AND THE BONDAGE OF PHARAOH. NAY, RATHER HE RESCUED ALL MANKIND FROM THE CORRUPTION OF DEATH AND THE BITTER TYRANNY OF SIN, NOT LEADING THEM BY FORCE TO VIRTUE, NOT OVERWHELMING THEM WITH EARTH OR BURNING THEM WITH FIRE, OR ORDERING THE SINNERS TO BE STONED, BUT PERSUADING MEN BY GENTLENESS AND LONG-SUFFERING TO CHOOSE VIRTUE AND VIE WITH ONE ANOTHER, AND FIND PLEASURE IN THE STRUGGLE TO ATTAIN IT. FOR FORMERLY IT WAS SINNERS WHO WERE PERSECUTED, AND YET THEY CLUNG ALL THE CLOSER TO SIN, AND SIN WAS LOOKED UPON BY THEM AS THEIR GOD, BUT NOW FOR THE SAKE OF PIETY AND VIRTUE MEN CHOOSE PERSECUTIONS AND CRUCIFIXIONS AND DEATH. HAIL, O CHRIST, THE WORD AND WISDOM AND POWER OF GOD, AND GOD OMNIPOTENT! WHAT CAN WE HELPLESS ONES GIVE THEE IN RETURN FOR ALL THESE GOOD GIFTS? FOR ALL ARE THINE, AND THOU ASKEST NOT FROM US SAVE OUR SALVATION. THOU, WHO THYSELF ART THE GIVER OF THIS, AND YET ART GRATEFUL TO THOSE WHO RECEIVE IT THROUGH THINE UNSPEAKABLE GOODNESS. THANKS BE TO THEE WHO GAVE US LIFE AND GRANTED US THE GRACE OF A HAPPY LIFE, AND RESTORED US TO THAT WHEN WE HAD GONE ASTRAY THROUGH THY UNSPEAKABLE CONDESCENSION. CHAPTER 5. AND REPLY TO THOSE WHO ASK IF CHRIST'S SUBSISTENCE IS CREATE OR UNCREATE. The subsistence of God the Word before the Incarnation was simple and uncompound, and incorporeal and uncreate. But after it became flesh, it became also the subsistence of the flesh, and became compounded of divinity which it always possessed, and of flesh which it had assumed. And it bears the properties of the two natures, being made known in two natures, so that the one same subsistence is both uncreate in divinity and create in humanity, visible and invisible. For otherwise we are compelled either to divide the one Christ, and speak of two subsistences, or to deny the distinction between the natures, and thus introduce change and confusion. CHAPTER 6. CONCERNING THE QUESTION WHEN CHRIST WAS CALLED. The mind was not united with God the Word, as some falsely assert, before the Incarnation by the Virgin, and from that time called Christ. That is the absurd nonsense of Origen, who lays down the doctrine of the priority of the existence of souls. But we hold that the Son and Word of God became Christ after he had dwelt in the womb of his holy ever-virgin mother, and became flesh without change, and that the flesh was anointed with divinity. For this is the anointing of humility, as Gregory the Theologian says. And here are the words of the most holy Cyril of Alexandria, which he wrote to the emperor Theodosius. For I indeed hold that one ought to give the name Jesus Christ neither to the Word that is of God, if he is without humanity, nor yet to the temple born of woman, if it is not united with the Word. For the Word that is of God is understood to be Christ when united with humanity in ineffable manner in the union of the economy. And again he writes to the empresses thus. Some hold that the name Christ is rightly given to the Word that is begotten of God the Father, to him alone and regarded separately by himself. But we have not been taught so to think and speak. For when the Word became flesh, then it was, we say, that he was called Christ Jesus. For since he was anointed with the oil of gladness, that is, the Spirit, by him who is called God and Father, he is for this reason called Christ. But that the anointing was an act that concerned him as man could be doubted by no one who is accustomed to think rightly. Moreover, the celebrated Athanasius says this in his discourse concerning the saving manifestation. The God who was before the sojourn in the flesh was not man, but God in God, being invisible and without passion. But when he became man, he received in addition the name of Christ because of the flesh, since indeed passion and death follow in the train of this name. And although the Holy Scripture says, Therefore God, thy God, hath anointed thee with the oil of gladness, it is to be observed that the Holy Scripture often uses the past tense instead of the future, as for example here. Thereafter he was seen upon the earth and dwelt among men. For as yet God was not seen, nor did he dwell among men when this was said. And here again, by the rivers of Babylon, there we sat down, yea, wept. For as yet these things had not come to pass. Chapter 7 In answer to those who inquire whether the Holy Mother of God bore two natures, and whether two natures hung upon the cross, ageneton and geneton, written with one nu, and meaning uncreated and created, refer to nature. But ageneton and geneton, that is to say unbegotten and begotten, as the double nu indicates, refer not to nature, but to subsistence. The divine nature then is agenetos, that is, uncreate. But all things that come after the divine nature are geneta, that is, created. In the divine and uncreated nature, therefore, the property of being ageneton, or unbegotten, is contemplated in the Father, for he was not begotten. That of being geneton, or begotten, in the Son, for he has been eternally begotten of the Father, and that of procession in the Holy Spirit. Moreover, of each species of living creatures, the first members were ageneta, but not ageneta, for they were brought into being by their maker, but were not the offspring of creatures like themselves. For genesis is creation, while genesis, or begetting, is, in the case of God, the origin of a co-essential son arising from the Father alone, and, in the case of bodies, the origin of a co-essential subsistence arising from the contact of male and female. And thus we perceive that begetting refers not to nature, but to subsistence. For if it did refer to nature, ta geneton and ta ageneton, that is, the properties of being begotten and unbegotten, could not be contemplated in one and the same nature. Accordingly, the Holy Mother of God bore a subsistence revealed in two natures, being begotten on the one hand, by reason of its divinity, of the Father timelessly, and at last, on the other hand, being incarnated of her in time, and born in the flesh. But if our interrogators should hint that he who is begotten of the Holy Mother of God is two natures, we reply, yea, he is two natures, for he is in his own person God and man. And the same is to be said concerning the crucifixion and resurrection and ascension, for these refer not to nature, but to subsistence. Christ, then, since he is in two natures, suffered and was crucified in the nature that was subject to passion, for it was in the flesh and not in his divinity that he hung upon the cross. Otherwise, let them answer us when we ask if two natures died. No, we shall say. And so, two natures were not crucified, but Christ was begotten, that is to say, the divine word having become man was begotten in the flesh, was crucified in the flesh, suffered in the flesh, while his divinity continued to be impassable. Chapter VIII. HOW THE ONLY BEGOTTEN SON OF GOD IS CALLED FIRSTBORN. He who is first begotten is called firstborn, whether he is only begotten or the first of a number of brothers. If then the Son of God was called firstborn, but was not called only begotten, we could imagine that he was the firstborn of creatures, as being a creature. But since he is called both firstborn and only begotten, both senses must be preserved in his case. We say that he is firstborn of all creation, since both he himself is of God, and creation is of God. But as he himself is born alone and timelessly of the essence of God the Father, he may with reason be called only begotten son, firstborn and not first created. For the creation was not brought into being out of the essence of the Father, but by his will out of nothing. And he is called firstborn among many brethren, for although being only begotten, he was also born of a mother. Since indeed he participated just as we ourselves do in flesh and blood, and became man, while we too through him become sons of God, being adopted through the baptism, he who is by nature son of God became firstborn amongst us who were made by adoption and grace sons of God, and stand to him in the relation of brothers. Wherefore he said, I ascend unto my Father and your Father. He did not say our Father, but my Father, clearly in the sense of Father by nature, and your Father in the sense of Father by grace, and my God and your God. He did not say our God, but my God. And if you distinguish with subtle thought that which is seen from that which is thought, also your God as Maker and Lord. Chapter 9 CONCERNING FAITH AND BAPTISM We confess one baptism for the remission of sins and for life eternal. For baptism declares the Lord's death. We are indeed buried with the Lord through baptism, as saith the divine apostle. So then, as our Lord died once for all, we also must be baptized once for all, and baptized according to the word of the Lord, in the name of the Father, and of the Son, and of the Holy Spirit, being taught the confession in Father, Son, and Holy Spirit. Those then who, after having been baptized into Father, Son, and Holy Spirit, and having been taught that there is one divine nature in three subsistences, are rebaptized, these, as the divine apostle says, crucify the Christ afresh. For it is impossible, he saith, for those who were once enlightened, and so forth, to renew them again unto repentance, seeing they crucify to themselves the Christ afresh, and put Him to an open shame. But those who were not baptized into the Holy Trinity, these must be baptized again. For although the divine apostle says, Into Christ, and into His death we were baptized, he does not mean that the invocation of baptism must be in these words, but that baptism is an image of the death of Christ. For by the three immersions, baptism signifies the three days of our Lord's entombment. The baptism then into Christ means that believers are baptized into Him. We could not believe in Christ if we were not taught confession in Father, Son, and Holy Spirit. For Christ is the Son of the living God, whom the Father anointed with the Holy Spirit, in the words of the divine David, Therefore God, thy God, hath anointed thee with the oil of gladness above thy fellows. And Isaiah also, speaking in the person of the Lord, says, The Spirit of the Lord is upon me, because he hath anointed me. Christ, however, taught His own disciples the invocation, and said, Baptizing them in the name of the Father, and of the Son, and of the Holy Spirit. For since Christ made us for incorruption, and we transgressed His saving command, He condemned us to the corruption of death, in order that that which is evil should not be immortal. And when, in His compassion, He stooped to His servants and became like us, He redeemed us from corruption through His own passion. He caused the fountain of remission to well forth for us out of His holy and immaculate side, water for our regeneration and the washing away of sin and corruption, and blood to drink as the hostage of eternal life. And He laid on us the command to be born again of water and of the Spirit, through prayer and invocation, the Holy Spirit drawing nigh unto the water. For since man's nature is twofold, consisting of soul and body, He bestowed on us a twofold purification, of water and of the Spirit, the Spirit renewing that part in us which is after His image and likeness, and the water, by the grace of the Spirit, cleansing the body from sin and delivering it from corruption, the water indeed expressing the image of death, but the Spirit affording the earnest of life. For from the beginning the Spirit of God moved upon the face of the waters, and anew the Scripture witnesseth that water has the power of purification. In the time of Noah God washed away the sin of the world by water. By water every impure person is purified, according to the law, even the very garments being washed with water. Elias showed forth the grace of the Spirit mingled with the water when he burned the holocaust by pouring on water. And almost everything is purified by water, according to the law, for the things of sight are symbols of the things of thought. The regeneration, however, takes place in the Spirit, for faith has the power of making us sons of God, creatures as we are, by the Spirit, and of leading us into our original blessedness. The remission of sins, therefore, is granted alike to all through baptism, but the grace of the Spirit is proportional to the faith and previous purification. Now, indeed, we receive the firstfruits of the Holy Spirit through baptism, and the second birth is for us the beginning and seal and security and illumination of another life. It behooves us, then, with all our strength, to steadfastly keep ourselves pure from filthy works, that we may not, like the dog returning to his vomit, make ourselves again the slaves of sin. For faith apart from works is dead, so likewise are works apart from faith, for the true faith is attested by works. Now we are baptized into the Holy Trinity, because those things which are baptized have need of the Holy Trinity for their maintenance and continuance, and the three subsistences cannot be otherwise than present, the one with the other, for the Holy Trinity is indivisible. The first baptism was that of the flood for the eradication of sin. The second was through the sea and the cloud, for the cloud is the symbol of the Spirit, and the sea of the water. The third baptism was that of the law, for every impure person washed himself with water, and even washed his garments, and so entered into the camp. The fourth was that of John, being preliminary and leading those who were baptized to repentance, that they might believe in Christ. ìI indeed,î he said, ìbaptize you with water, but he that cometh after me, he will baptize you in the Holy Spirit and in fire.î Thus Johnís purification with water was preliminary to receiving the Spirit. The fifth was the baptism of our Lord, whereby he himself was baptized. Now he is baptized not as himself requiring purification, but as making my purification his own, that he may break the heads of the dragons on the water, that he may wash away sin and bury all the old Adam in water, that he may sanctify the Baptist, that he may fulfill the law, that he may reveal the mystery of the Trinity, that he may become the type and ensample to us of baptism. But we too are baptized in the perfect baptism of our Lord, the baptism by water and the Spirit. Moreover, Christ is said to baptize with fire, because in the form of flaming tongues he poured forth on his holy disciples the grace of the Spirit, as the Lord himself says, ìJohn truly baptized with water, but ye shall be baptized with the Holy Spirit and with fire, not many days hence.î Or else it is because of the baptism of future fire wherewith we are to be chastised. The sixth is that by repentance and tears, which baptism is truly grievous. The seventh is baptism by blood and martyrdom, which baptism Christ himself underwent in our behalf, he who was too august and blessed to be defiled with any later stains. The eighth is the last, which is not saving, but which destroys evil, for evil and sin no longer have sway, yet it punishes without end. Further, the Holy Spirit descended in bodily form as a dove, indicating the firstfruits of our baptism, and honoring the body, since even this, that is the body, was God by the deification. And besides, the dove was wont formerly to announce the cessation of the flood, but to the holy apostles he came down in the form of fire, for he is God, and God is a consuming fire. Olive oil is employed in baptism as a significant of our anointing, and as making us anointed, and as announcing to us through the Holy Spirit Godís pity, for it was the fruit of the olive that the dove brought to those who were saved from the flood. John was baptized, putting his hand upon the divine head of his master, and with his own blood. It does not behoove us to delay baptism when the faith of those coming forward is testified to by their works, for he that cometh forward deceitfully to baptism will receive condemnation rather than benefit.