The Victory of the Savior over Death and Sin

It will be clear to one who has studied the Gospels. For concerning Lazarus, a distinguished man, it is said: 'And it came to pass that the poor man died and was carried to the bosom of Abraham' (Luke 16:22); and toward something trivial he says, 'In this night they demand your soul from you'; and toward another face he says, 'Until you are brought down.' For the one being brought down by others is brought down there.

Therefore, no one among the dead is free, whether they are those being pulled toward others or those being led to the place of the dead; but Jesus alone, having placed his soul by himself, receiving it from no one, has become free among the dead. And why? Because although all have sinned and fall short of the glory of God (Romans 3:23), being delivered from life with bonds, having difference in what is more and what is less having occurred in Hades, he alone, not having committed sin and not having known sin, has become free among the dead, as also to loose the bonds of death of the other dead in order to raise and vivify them.

For just as he alone on earth is the liberator of sins being given as a gift, he says, 'If the Son sets you free, you will be truly free' (John 8:36); so also, having become in Hades with freedom, he liberated the held souls, making fear work in those holding them; for even the gatekeepers of those places flew away, having seen his authority and his freedom. It follows then that you should interpret the following verses as having been spoken by Christ.

The Savior therefore says to his own Father: 'Even if I have come to be a Savior of the world, having come to seek and to save the lost, being made worthy of eternal salvation for all, but rather, O Father, you are the God of this salvation which I provide for the being saved; for I grant it by your will; therefore, becoming a Paraclete toward you on behalf of those who have sinned, I will save them, interceding for them.' Following this, you will understand the following, as previously foretold.

The Savior says: 'For no one will be able to snatch him who is guarded by the mighty hand of God' (Ps 87:6bc); for he is contained by God, invincible to those desiring to attack and snatch him.

He remains. But someone having become worthless through whom sin occurs, is unworthy to be made a part of the hand, and is cast away, no longer worthy to be held and remembered by God.

Since he says, 'Because I did not come into Hades and death according to my own work, but having tasted death on behalf of others, I bring the cause of falling into the lowest pit and into the very heart of the earth' (Ps 87:7) instead of 'You made me to go into the lowest parts of the pit,' just as having resurrected those in the depth of this, he leads them away from there to bring them into the paradise of God. 'You laid me in the dark and in the shadows of death' (Ps 87:7). For if he says he has become victorious even in death, it is not in death strictly speaking, but in its shadow (for he reached the third day having risen), and in the same way, having placed them in the darkness under them, he turned them away, so that they might no longer live in darkness but in me, the light.

The wrath of God is like fire, which takes sin as food (Ps 87:8). Because of these things he underwent, and he himself acts; and as they are being consumed, he also approaches (Ps 87:10a). When many human abominations were occurring, the wrath of God was being carried against them, but the benefactor Savior submitted himself to the wrath of God, so that he might be fixed upon it, no longer moving or acting to find fuel, and so that God might be extinguished, not having been fed by him; because he was not known to sin, having been tested in all things without sin.

And he brought upon himself all those wavering temptations and tribulations, so that having struggled and having been tested in all things, he might be shown proven, so that we are no longer subject to wavering. For he dispelled them; and it is said of God, 'They are not for you,' because they are brought upon them for His judgment. Those of the circumcision who knew him and were known by him were fortunate, but those who responded to the law and the prophets had become far from him, having turned away and having been shown to be traitors, having been cast out from the Father and having been made far from His own Son, whose hand exists from which...