1.3.1
ΙΙΙ. Ὅτι δὲ καὶ αὐτὸ τοὔνομα τοῦ τε Ἰησοῦ καὶ δὴ καὶ τοῦ Χριστοῦ παρ’ αὐτοῖς τοῖς πάλαι θεοφιλέσιν προφήταις τετίμητο, ἤδη καιρὸς ἀποδεικνύναι. σεπτὸν ὡς ἔνι μάλιστα καὶ ἔνδοξον τὸ Χριστοῦ ὄνομα πρῶτος αὐτὸς γνωρίσας Μωυσῆς τύπους οὐρανίων καὶ σύμβολα μυστηριώδεις τε εἰκόνας ἀκολούθως χρησμῷ φήσαντι αὐτῷ“ ὅρα, ποιήσεις πάντα κάτα ’τον τύπον ’τον δειχθέντα σοι ὲν τῳ ὄρει ” παραδούς, ἀρχιερέα θεοῦ, ὡς ἐνῆν μάλιστα δυνατὸν ἄνθρωπον, ἐπιφημίσας, τοῦτον Χριστὸν ἀναγορεύει, καὶ ταύτῃ γε τῇ κάτα τὴν αρχιερωσύνην ἀξίᾳ, πᾶσαν ὑπερβαλλούσῃ παρ’ αὐτῷ τὴν ἐν ἀνθρώποις προεδρίαν, ἐπὶ τιμῇ καὶ δόξη τὸ τοῦ χριστοῦ περιτίθησιν ὄνομα· οὕτως ἄρα τὸν Χριστὸν θεῖόν τι χρῆμα ἠπίστατο. ὁ δ’ αὐτό καὶ τὴν τοῦ Ἰησοῦ προσηγορίαν εὖ μάλα πνεύματι θείῳ προιδὼν πάλιν τινὸς ἐξαιρέτου προνομίας καὶ ταύτην ἀξιοῖ οὔποτε γοῦν πρότερον ἐκφωνηθὲν εἰς ἀνθρώπους, πρὶν ἢ Μωυσεῖ γνῶ· σθῆναι, τὸ τοῦ Ἰησοῦ πρόσρημα τούτῳ Μωυσῆς πρώτῳ καὶ μόνῳ περιτίθησιν , ὃν κατὰ τύπον αὗθις καὶ σύμβολον ἔγνω μετὰ τὴν αὐτοῦ τελευτὴν διαδεξόμενον τὴν κατὰ πάντων ἀρχήν. οὐ πρότερον γοῦν τὸν αὐτοῦ διάδοχον, τῆ τοῦ Ἰησοῦ κεχρημένον προσηγορίᾳ, ὀνόματι δὲ ἑτέρῳ τῷ Αὐσῆ, ὅπερ οἱ γεννήσαντες αὐτῷ τέθεινται, καλούμενον, Ἰησοῦν αὐτὸς ἀναγορεύει, γέρας ὥσπερ τίμιον, παντὸς πολὺ μεῖζον βασιλικοῦ διαδήματος, τοὔνομα αὐτῷ δωρούμενος, ὅτι δὴ καὶ αὐτὸς ὁ τοῦ Ναυῆ Ἰησοῦς τοῦ σωτῆρος ἡμῶν τὴν εἰκόνα ἔφερεν, τοῦ μόνου μετὰ Μωυσέα καὶ τὸ συμπέρασμα τῆς δι’ ἐκείνου παραδοθείσης συμβολικῆς λατρείας, τῆς ἀληθοῦς καὶ καθαρωτάτης εὐσεβείας τὴν ἀρχὴν διαδεξαμένου. καὶ Μωυσῆς μὲν ταύτῃ πῃ δυσὶ τοῖς κατ’ αὐτὸν ἀρετῇ καὶ δόξη παρὰ πάντα τὸν λαὸν προφέρουσιν ἀνθρώποις, τῷ μὲν ἀρχιερεῖ, τῷ δὲ μετ’ αὐτὸν ἡγησομένῳ, τὴν τοῦ σωτῆρος ἡμῶν Ἰησοῦ χριστοῦ προσηγορίαν ἐπὶ τιμῇ τῇ μεγίστῃ περιτέθειται. σαφῶς δὲ καὶ οἱ μετὰ ταῦτα προφῆται ὀνομαστὶ τὸν Χριστὸν προανεφώνουν, ὁμοῦ τὴν μέλλουσαν ἔσεσθαι κατ’ αὐτοῦ συσκευὴν τοῦ Ἰουδαίων λαοῦ, ὁμοῦ δὲ καὶ τὴν τῶν ἐθνῶν δι’ αὐτοῦ κΛῆσιν προμαρτυρόμενοι, τοτὲ μὲν ὧδέ πως Ἱερεμίας λέγων “ πνεῦμα προσώπου ἡμῶν χριστὸς κύριος συνελήφθη ἐν ταῖς διαφθοραῖς αὐτῶν, οὗ εἴπομεν ἐν τῆ σκιᾷ αὐτοῦ ζησόμεθα ἐν τοῖς ἔθνεσιν,’ ’’ τοτὲ δὲ ἀμηχανῶν Δαυὶδ διὰ τούτων “ ἵνα τί ἐφρύαξαν ἔθνη καὶ λαοὶ ἐμελέτησαν κενά; παρέστησαν οἱ βασιλεῖς τῆς γῆς, καὶ οἱ ἄρχοντες συνήχθησαν ἐπὶ τὸ αὐτό, κατὰ τοῦ κυρίου καὶ κατὰ τοῦ Χριστοῦ αὐτοῦ ”. οἷς ἑξῆς ἐπιλέγει ἐξ αὐτοῦ δὴ προσώπου τοῦ χριστοῦ “ κύριος εἶπεν πρός με ἴ’ υἱός μου εἶ αὖ, ἐγὼ σήμερον γεγέννηκά σε. αἴτησαι παρ’ ἐμοῦ, καὶ δώσω σοι ἔθνη τὴν κληρονομίαν σου, καὶ τὴν κατάσχεσίν ἀοῦ τὰ πέρατα τῆς γῆς. ’’ οὐ μόνους δὲ ἄρα τοὺς ἀρχιερωσύνῃ τετιμημένους, ἐλαίῳ σκευαστῷ τοῦ συμβόλου χριομένους ἕνεκα, τὸ τοῦ Χριστοῦ κατεκόσμει παρ’ Ἑβραίοις ὄνομα, ἀλλὰ καὶ τοὺς βασιλέας, οὓς καὶ αὐτοὺς νεύματι θείῳ προφῆται χρίοντες εἰκονικούς τινας Χριστοὺς ἀπειργάζοντο, ὅτι δὴ καὶ αὐτοὶ τῆς τοῦ μόνου καὶ ἀληθοῦς χριστοῦ, τοῦ κατὰ πάντων βασιλεύοντος θείου λόγου, βασιλικῆς καὶ ἀρχικῆς ἐξουσίας τοὺς τύπους δι’ ἑαυτῶν ἔφερον. ἤδη δὲ καὶ αὐτῶν τῶν προφητῶν τινὰς διὰ χρίσματος χριστοὺς ἐν τύπῳ γεγονέναι παρειλήφαμεν, ὡς τούτους ἅπαντας τὴν ἐπὶ τὸν ἀληθῆ Χριστόν, τὸν ἔνθεον καὶ οὐράνιον λόγον, ἀναφορὰν ἔχειν, μόνον ἀρχιερέα τῶν ὅλων καὶ μόνον ἁπάσης κτίσεως βασιλέα καὶ μόνον προφητῶν ἀρχιπροφήτην τοῦ πατρὸς τυγχάνοντα. τούτου δ’ ἀπόδειξις τὸ μηδένα πω τῶν πάλαι διὰ τοῦ συμβόλου κεχρισμένων, μήτε ἱερέων μήτε βασιλέων μήτε μὴν προφητῶν, τοσαύτην ἀρετῆς ἐνθέου δύναμιν κτήσασθαι, ὅσην ὁ σωτὴρ καὶ κύριος ἡμῶν Ἰησοῦς ὁ μόνος καὶ ἀληθινὸς χριστὸς ἐπιδέδεικται. οὐδείς γέ τοι ἐκείνων, καίπερ ἀξιώματι καὶ τιμὴ ἐπὶ πλείσταις ὅσαις γενεαῖς παρὰ τοῖς οἰκείοις διαλαμψάντων, τοὺς ὑπηκόους πώποτε ἐκ τῆς περὶ αὐτοὺς εἰκονικῆς τοῦ χριστοῦ προσρήσεως Χριστιανοὺς ἐπεφήμισεν· ἀλλ’ οὐδὲ σεβάσμιός τινι τούτων πρὸς τῶν ὑπηκόων ὑπῆρξε τιμή· ἀλλ’ οὐδὲ μετὰ τὴν τελευτὴν τοσαύτη διάθεσις, ὡς καὶ ὑπεραποθνῄσκειν ἑτοίμως ἔχειν τοῦ τιμωμένου · ἀλλ’ οὐδὲ πάντων τῶν ἀνὰ τὴν οἰκουμένην ἐθνῶν περί τινα τῶν τότε τοσαύτη γέγονε κίνησις, ἐπεὶ μηδὲ τοσοῦτον ἐν ἐκείνοις ἢ τοῦ συμβόλου δύναμις οἵα τε ἢν ἐνεργεῖν, ὅσον ἡ τῆς ἀληθείας παράστασις διὰ τοῦ σωτῆρος ἡμῶν ἐνδεικνυμένη· ὃς οὔτε σύμβοΛα καὶ τύπους ἀρχιερωσύνης παρά του λαβών, ἀλλ’ οὐδὲ γένος τὸ περὶ σῶμα ἐξ ἱερωμένῶν κατάγων, οὐδ’ ἀνδρῶν δορυφορίαις ἐπὶ βασιλείαν προαχθεὶς οὐδὲ μὴν προφήτης ὁμοίως τοῖς πάλαι γενόμενος , οὐδ’ ἀξίας ὅλως ἤ τινος παρὰ Ἰουδαίοις τυχὼν προεδρίας, ὅμως τοῖς πᾶσιν, εἰ καὶ μὴ τοῖς συμβόλοις, ἀλλ’ αὐτῇ γε τῇ ἀληθείᾳ παρὰ τοῦ πατρὸς κεκόσμητο, οὐχ ὁμοίων δ’ οὗν οἷς προειρήκαμεν, τυχών, πάντων ἐκείνων καὶ Χριστὸς μᾶλλον ἀνηγόρευται, καὶ ὡς ἂν μόνος καὶ ἀληθὴς αὐτὸς ὢν ὁ χριστὸς τοῦ θεοῦ, χριστιανῶν τὸν πάντα κόσμον, τῆς ὄντως σεμνῆς καὶ ἱερᾶς αὐτοῦ προσηγορίας, κατέπλησεν, οὐκέτι τύπους οὐδὲ εἰκόνας, ἀλλ’ αὐτὰς γυμνὰς ἀρετὰς καὶ βίον οὐράνιον αὐτοῖς ἀληθείας δόγμασιν τοῖς θιασώταις παραδούς, τό τε χρῖσμα, οὐ τὸ διὰ σωμάτων σκευαστόν, ἀλλ’ αὐτὸ δὴ πνεύματι θείῳ τὸ θεοπρεπές, μετοχὴ τῆς ἀγεννήτου καὶ πατρικῆς θεότητος ἀπειλήφει· ὃ καὶ αὐτὸ πάλιν Ἡσαΐας διδάσκει, ὡς ἂν ἐξ αὐτοῦ ὧδέ πως ἀναβοῶν τοῦ Χριστοῦ “ πνεῦμα κυρίου ἐπ’ ἐμέ, οὗ εἵνεκεν ἔχρισέν με· εὐαγγελίσασθαι πτωχοῖς ἀπέσταλκεν με, κήρυξαι αἰχμαλώτοις ἄφεσιν καὶ τυφλοῖς ἀνάβλεψιν.” καἰ οὐ μόνος γε Ἡσαΐας, ἀλλὰ καὶ Δαυὶδ εἰς τὸ αὐτοῦ πρόσωπον ἀναφωνεῖ λέγων “ ὁ θρόνος ἀοῦ, ὁ θεός, εἰς τὸν αἰῶνα τοῦ αἰῶνος· ῥάβδος εὐθύτητος ἡ ῥάβδος τῆς βασιλείας σου. ἠγάπησας δικαιοσύνην καὶ ἐμίσησας ἀνομίαν· διὰ τοῦτο ἔχρισέν ἄε ὁ θεός, ὁ θεός σου ἔλαιον ἀγαλλιάσεως παρὰ τοὺς μετόχους σου ’’ · ἐν οἷς ὁ λόγος ἐν μὲν τῷ πρώτῳ στίχῳ θεὸν αὐτὸν ἐπιφημίζει, ἐν δὲ τῷ δευτέρῳ σκήπτρῳ βασιλικῷ τιμᾷ, εἶθ’ ἑξῆς ὑποβὰς μετὰ τὴν ἔνθεον καὶ βασιΛικὴν δύναμιν τρίτη τάξει Χριστὸν αὐτὸν γεγονότα, ἐλαίῳ οὐ τῷ ἐξ ὕλης σωμάτων, ἀλλὰ τῷ ἐνθέῳ τῆς ἀγαλλιάσεως ἠλειμμένον, παρίστησιν· παρ’ ὃ καὶ τὸ ἐξαίρετον αὐτοῦ καὶ πολὺ κρεῖττον καὶ διάφορον τῶν πάλαι διὰ τῶν εἰκόνων σωματικώτερον κεχρισμένων ὑποσημαίνει. καὶ ἀλλαχοῦ δὲ ὁ αὐτὸς ὧδέ πως τὰ περὶ αὐτοῦ δηλοῖ λέγων ἴ’ εἶπεν ὁ κύριος τῷ κυρίῳ μου· ‘ κάθου ἐκ δεξιῶν μου, ἕως ἂν θῶ τοὺς ἐχθρούς σου ὑποπόδιον τῶν ποδῶν σου,’ ’’ καὶ “ ἐκ γαστρὸς πρὸ ἑωσφόρου ἐγέννησά σε. ὤμοσεν κύριος καὶ οὐ μεταμεληθήσεται· σὺ εἶ ἱερεὺς εἰς τὸν αἰῶνα κατὰ τὴν τάξιν Μελχισεδέκ.” οὗτος δὲ εἰσάγεται ἐν τοῖς ἱεροῖς λόγοις ὁ Μελχισεδὲκ ἱερεὺς τοῦ θεοῦ τοῦ ὑψίστου, οὐκ ἐν σκευαστῷ τινι χρίσματι ἀναδεδειγμένος, ἀλλ’ οὐδὲ διαδοχῇ γένους προσήκων τῆ καθ’ Ἑβραίους ἱερωσύνη· δι’ ὃ κατὰ τὴν αὐτοῦ τάξιν, ἀλλ’ οὐ κατὰ τὴν τῶν ἄλλων σύμβολα καὶ τύπους ἀνειληφότων χριστὸς καὶ ἱερεὺς μεθ’ ὅρκου παραλήψεως ὁ σωτὴρ ἡμῶν ἀνηγόρευται. ὅθεν οὐδὲ σωματικῶς παρὰ Ἰουδαίοις χρισθέντα αὐτὸν ἢ ἰατορίᾳ παραδίδωσιν, ἀλλ’ οὐδ’ ἐκ φυλῆς τῶν ἱερωμένων γενόμενον, ἐξ αὐτοῦ δὲ θεοῦ πρὸ ἑωσφόρου μέν, τοῦτ᾿ ἐστὶν πρὸ τῆς τοῦ κόσμου συστάσεως, οὐσιωμένον , ἀθάνατον δὲ καὶ ἀγήρω τὴν ἱερωσύνην εἰς τὸν ἄπειρον αἰῶνα διακατέχοντα. τῆς δ’ εἰς αὐτὸν γενομένης ἀσωμάτου καὶ ἐνθέου χρίσεως μέγα καὶ ἐναργὲς τεκμήριον τὸ μόνον αὐτὸν ἐξ ἁπάντων τῶν πώποτε εἰς ἔτι καὶ νῦν παρὰ πᾶσιν ἀνθρώποις καθ’ ὅλου τοῦ κόσμου Χριστὸν ἐπιφημίζεσθαι ὁμοΛογεῖσθαί τε καὶ μαρτυρεῖσθαι πρὸς ἁπάντων ἐπὶ τῇ προσηγορίᾳ παρά τε Ἕλλησι καὶ βαρβάροις μνημονεύεσθαι, καὶ εἰς ἔτι νῦν παρὰ τοῖς ἀνὰ τὴν οἰκουμένην αὐτοῦ θιασώταις τιμᾶσθαι μὲν ὡς βασιλέα, θαυμάζεσθαι δὲ ὑπὲρ προφήτην, δοξάζεσθαί τε ὡς ἀληθῆ καὶ μόνον θεοῦ ἀρχιερέα, καὶ ἐπὶ πᾶσι τούτοις, οἷα θεοῦ λόγον προόντα καὶ πρὸ αἰώνων ἁπάντων οὐσιωμένον τήν τε σεβάσμιον τιμὴν παρὰ τοῦ πατρὸς ὑπειληφότα, καὶ προσκυνεῖσθαι ὡς θεόν· τό γε μὴν πάντων παραδοξότατον , ὅτι μὴ φωναῖς αὐτὸ μόνον καὶ ῥημάτων ψόφοις αὐτὸν γεραίρομεν οἱ καθωσιωμένοι αὐτῷ, ἀλλὰ καὶ πάση διαθέσει ψυχῆς, ὡς καὶ αὐτῆς προτιμᾶν τῆς ἑαυτῶν ζωῆς τὴν εἰς αὐτὸν μαρτυρίαν.
III. It is now time to demonstrate that the very names “Jesus,” and especially “Christ,” were honoured by the ancient God-loving prophets themselves. Moses was himself the first to recognize how peculiarly august and glorious is the name of Christ, when he delivered the tradition of the types and symbols of heavenly things, and the mysterious images, in accordance with the oracle which said to him, “See thou shalt make all things according to the type which was shown thee in the mount”; for in describing the High Priest of God as a man of supreme power, he calls him Christ, and, as a mark of honour and glory, surrounds with the name Christ this rank of the High Priesthood, which with him surpassed all pre-eminence among men. Thus then he knew the divine character of “Christ.” He himself also was inspired very clearly to foresee the title “Jesus,” and to it again he endued with privilege. Though before it was made known to Moses it had never been previously pronounced among men, Moses gave the title, Jesus, to him first, and to him alone, who, once more typically and symbolically, he knew would receive the rule over all after his death. His successor, at any rate, had not previously used the title “Jesus,” but was called by another name, “Auses,” which his parents had given him; and Moses calls him Jesus, as a precious privilege greater than any royal crown, giving to him the name, because Jesus the son of Nave himself bore the image of our Saviour, who alone, after Moses and the completion of the symbolic worship delivered by Moses, did receive the rule of the true and pure religion. In this way Moses, as a mark of the greatest honour, surrounds with the name of our Saviour Jesus Christ the two men who in his day excelled all the people in virtue and glory—the High Priest and him who should rule after him. Clearly, too, did the later prophets foretell the Christ by name, giving their testimony beforehand alike to the future intrigue of the people of the Jews against him, and to the calling of the Gentiles through him. At one time Jeremiah says, “The spirit of our face, Christ the Lord, was taken in their corruptions, and we said, We will live in his shadow among the nations.” At another time David in perplexity says as follows, “Wherefore did the heathen rage, and the peoples imagine vain things? The kings of the earth stood up, and the rulers were gathered together, against the Lord and against his Christ.” In the following verses he goes on to speak in the person of Christ himself, “The Lord said to me, Thou art my son, to-day have I begotten thee. Ask of me, and I will give thee the heathen for thine inheritance and the uttermost parts of the earth for thy possession.” However, it was not only those that were honoured with the High Priesthood, and anointed for the sake of the symbol with prepared oil, that were decorated among the Hebrews with the name “Christ”; but also the kings, for they also, at the bidding of God, were made Christs in a certain symbolism by the prophets who anointed them, inasmuch as they also were in themselves the types of the royal and sovereign power of the only true Christ, the divine Logos, who reigns over all. We have also received the tradition that some of the prophets themselves by anointing already became Christs in type, being that they all refer to the true Christ, the divine and heavenly Logos, the only High Priest of the world, the only king of all creation, the only archprophet of the Father. The proof of this is that none of those symbolically anointed of old, whether priests or kings or prophets, attained such power of divine virtue as our Saviour and Lord, Jesus, the only real Christ, has exhibited. None indeed of them, though renowned in rank and honour for so many generations among their people, ever gave the name of Christian to their subjects from the symbolical application to themselves of the name of Christ. The honour of worship was not paid to any of them by their subjects, nor did they hold them in such affection after their death as to be ready to die for him whom they honoured. For none of the men of those days was there such disturbance of all the nations throughout all the world, since the power of the symbol was incapable of producing such an effect among them as the presence of the reality manifested by our Saviour; for he received from none the symbol and type of the High Priesthood, nor did he trace his physical descent from the race of priests, nor was he promoted to a kingdom by the armed force of men, nor did he become a prophet in the same way as those of old, nor did he hold any rank at all or precedence among the Jews, yet with all these he had been adorned, not in symbols, but in actual reality by the Father. Though he did not obtain the honours of which we have spoken before, he is called Christ more than any of them, and inasmuch as he is himself the only true Christ of God, he filled the whole world with Christians—his truly reverend and sacred name. He no longer gave to his initiates types or images but the uncovered virtues themselves and the heavenly life, in the actual doctrines of truth, and he has received the chrism, not that which is prepared materially, but the divine anointing itself with the spirit of God, by sharing in the unbegotten divinity of the Father. Again, Isaiah teaches this very point, for in one place he exclaims as if from Christ himself, “The spirit of the Lord was upon me, wherefore he anointed me: he sent me to preach the gospel to the poor, to announce release to prisoners, and sight to the blind.” And not only Isaiah, but also David speaks with reference to him and says, “Thy throne, O God, is for ever and ever; a rod of uprightness is the rod of thy kingdom. Thou didst love righteousness and didst hate iniquity. For this cause God, even thy God, anointed thee with the oil of gladness above thy fellows.” In this the text calls him God in the first verse, and in the second honours him with the royal sceptre, and then goes on, after royal and divine power, to present him in the third place as having become Christ, anointed not with oil made of material substances but with the divine oil of gladness. And in addition to this it indicates his peculiar distinction and superiority to those who in the past had been more materially anointed as types. And in another place too the same David explains his position as follows: “The Lord said to my Lord, Sit thou on my right hand, until I make thine enemies the footstool of thy feet.” And, “Before the day-star I begat thee. The Lord sware and will not repent, Thou art a priest for ever after the order of Melchisedek.” Now this Melchisedek is introduced in the sacred books as priest of the most high God, without having been so marked out by any material anointing, or even as belonging by racial descent to the priesthood of the Hebrews. For this reason our Saviour has been called Christ and priest, on the authority of an oath, according to his order and not according to that of the others who received symbols and types. For this reason, too, the narrative does not relate that he was anointed physically by the Jews or even that he was of the tribe of those who hold the priesthood, but that he received his being from God himself before the day-star, that is to say, before the construction of the world, and holds his priesthood to boundless eternity, ageless and immortal. A weighty and clear proof of the immaterial and divine anointing effected on him is that he alone, out of all who have ever been until now, is called Christ among all men throughout the whole world; that under this title he is confessed and borne witness to by all, and is mentioned thus by Jews, Greeks, and barbarians; that until this present day he is honoured by his worshippers throughout the world as king, wondered at more than a prophet, and glorified as the true and only High Priest of God, and, above all, as the Logos of God, pre-existent, having his being before all ages, and having received the right of reverence from the Father, and that he is worshipped as God. Strangest of all, we who have been consecrated to him honour him not only with our voices and with the sound of words, but with the whole disposition of our soul, so as to value testimony to him more than our very life itself.