Equality of Father and Son

He does not act as an ambassador to a greater one, but forgives like an autocrat.

Matthew, contributing himself to the theologies concerning the only-begotten Son, said: 'No one knows the Father except the Son, nor does anyone know the Son except the Father' (Matt 11:27). How then do these people contend as if they knew the Father to be incomparable, his Son to be unlike him, and the essence to be unbegotten? They leave nothing exceptional in the knowledge of God the Father and the only-begotten God, nor do they consider that one who possesses nothing of a different nature possesses knowledge equal to the homoousion. Paul similarly writes to Timothy in the first epistle: 'I charge you before God who gives life to all things and Jesus Christ who bore the good confession in the presence of Pontius Pilate, to guard the unblemished command, without reproach, until the appearing of the Lord Jesus Christ, which the blessed and only powerful one and King of kings and Lord of lords, the only one having immortality and dwelling in unapproachable light, whom no man has seen or is able to see, to whom be honor and glory for the ages of ages. Amen' (1 Tim 1:17).

For it has seemed fitting to the heretics to give this to the Father alone: 'the only powerful one and King of kings' and the following. Just as regarding both of the eternal hypostases he said: 'I charge you before God and Christ Jesus,' so he sang regarding both of them as one in divinity and the following. For he did not ignore like these: 'all that the Father has is mine' (John 16:15), and: 'that all may honor the Son just as they honor the Father' (John 5:23), and: 'this is the true God and eternal life' (1 John 5:20), and: 'this is our God; no other shall be reckoned against him' (Isa 42:8), and: 'this is my beloved Son' (Matt 3:17).

But rather, the things set forth are directed more toward the Son. For it says: 'to guard the command until the appearing of the Lord Jesus Christ, which the blessed and only powerful one will show in his own times.' It is clear, therefore, that the Son will show his own appearance when he comes a second time. Thus, it allows that he also grant him the first glory. To the Romans: 'for his invisible things from...'

The eternal power and divinity of the one understood through the works of the world as being created. Because of the equal value of Father and Son, it does not fall short toward a creature. For the eternity and divinity of the Creator is not to be understood in the Begotten; that is, the divinity possessing the same things always. Regarding the Philippians: 'who, existing in the form of God, did not consider equality with God a thing to be snatched, but emptied himself, taking the form of a slave' (Phil 2:6).

What of this equality is found unequal? For he did not snatch, he says, he did not take to be equal in nature to God and Father. And indeed, he who was not emptied by another, but having emptied himself, simultaneously showed himself to be a Master and eternal. For if he became in the form of a slave, it is indisputable that he did not remain so, but before this happened, he was in the free paternal nature, in creatures. Since it was not possible to be seen, he descended unchangeably and invisibly until the form of a servant. And he cast off the things of the servant and gave the beginning of a more radiant life; whence and he who was without beginning was known.

And the other things sent to the same Philippians, that he already somehow holds the Son before and above his own Father as far as he decides toward the irrational, it has already been spoken to me additionally in Chapter 7. And nothing prevents setting this up from the ancient Scripture; for it is necessary not to use theology as a pastime. Therefore God says through Isaiah: 'My soul hates your new moons and your Sabbaths and your feasts. Let them be for me a stench; I will no longer bear your sins. Even if you fill out the prayer, I will not listen to you; for your hands are full of blood. Wash yourselves, make yourselves clean, take away your sins from your souls' (Isa 1:15-16).

You see, then, that even philanthropy reaches the threat, insofar as he is not yet exchanging them and not being angry for a long time, but rather not knowing how to be angry at all. And he hates their feasts, which is the religion, as being left behind from the most perfect knowledge of God; and he is exhorted to be baptized so as to receive the faith toward the masterly boundary concerning baptism. And Paul also has assured us elsewhere, having cried out by word, not...