On “It Is Not Possible”
In illud Non potest
The meaning of 'The Son cannot do anything of himself'§1
1Regarding 'In that: The Son cannot do anything of himself' by Amphilochius, Bishop of Iconium, from the passage 'For the Son cannot do anything of himself'... How do you understand 'The Son cannot do anything of himself'? For 'cannot' is to be understood in two ways: both according to common usage and according to Holy Scripture. For it is said of the incapable and of those who are unable to contain something; for to be unable is one thing, and to be unable to hold something is another.
Concerning the incapable, Paul says thus: 'It is impossible for the blood of bulls and of goats to take away sins' (Hebrews 10:4); for the blood of a non-rational, logical soul does not cleanse passions. But concerning those who are unable to contain, in the Acts the apostles say: 'We are not able, we say, to speak what we have seen and heard' (Acts 4:20). And indeed they were not unable to not speak, but they could not remain silent, so that they might not be thought to deny the grace of the one performing wonders.
Say then here, regarding 'The Son cannot do anything of himself', in what way do you understand it: are you condemning his weakness, or are you nullifying the movements of his self-determining will, since whatever he wills, he is able to do? But why do you say 'he does not do of himself', when he works those things by fulfilling the command of God, toward whatever the Spirit of the one commanding looks? And how is this not the height of madness to say? For if he does absolutely nothing of himself, he neither fulfilled the whole economy by his will, nor by sympathy toward us, the flesh that took us upon herself, nor did he accept the death for our sake through free affection, but rather endured all things by force, being compelled by necessity.
If it is daring and blasphemous and beyond all impiety to say this, say to us in what sense you understand 'The Son cannot do anything of himself'. For, even if you do not wish it, you say that he is able to do whatever he wills, and you are clearly caught by the truth. But why do I spin out superfluous words? For the matter is resolved by the logical implication of the word; for he did not say that he cannot do anything of himself unless the Father commands something, but rather that if he does not see the Father doing something, the Son likewise does these things when he sees him doing it. Is it not so that he does what the Father appoints, not merely fulfilling a function, but as one being similar, as one being equal in power, as one being of the same divine nature; whatever he sees the Father doing, the Son likewise does.
After these things, he says, was the feast of the Jews, and Jesus went up to Jerusalem (John 5:1). In order that they might not write the whole thing in water, he did not first pass the waters until an angel, having understood them, had sprinkled them, so that they might learn that even the waters of baptism do not cleanse the soul by themselves, before the angel of the great purpose comes to put a human body under the baptism. Now, there being many weak people, there was also a paralyzed man, thirty-eight years of age, being in weakness, whom Jesus seeing asks: 'Do you want to be made well?' (John 5:6). Look at his blindness; he did not say 'Do you want me to heal you', for he did not wish to...
Greek · §1
In illud: Non potest filius a se facere Ἀμφιλοχίου ἐπισκόπου Ἰκονίου <ἐκ τοῦ εἰς τὸ Οὐ δύναται ὁ υἱὸς ποιεῖν ἀφ' ἑαυτοῦ οὐδέν> ... Τὸ Οὐ δύναται ὁ υἱὸς ποιεῖν ἀφ' ἑαυτοῦ οὐδέν, πῶς νοεῖτε; Τὸ γὰρ οὐ δύναται κατὰ δύο τρόπους ἐκλαμβάνετε· καὶ κατὰ τὴν κοινὴν χρῆσιν καὶ κατὰ τὴν θείαν γραφήν. Λέγεται γὰρ τὸ οὐ δύναται καὶ ἐπὶ τῶν ἀδυνάτων καὶ ἐπὶ τῶν μὴ ἐγχωρούντων· ἄλλο δὲ τὸ μὴ δύνασθαι καὶ ἄλλο τὸ μὴ ἐγχωρεῖν. Περὶ μὲν τῶν ἀδυνάτων ὁ Παῦλος οὕτω λέγει· Ἀδύνατον αἷμα ταύρων καὶ τράγων περιελεῖν ἁμαρτίας· αἷμα γὰρ ἀλόγου λογικῆς ψυχῆς οὐ καθαίρει πάθη. Περὶ δὲ τῶν μὴ ἐγχωρούντων ἐν ταῖς Πράξεσιν οἱ ἀπόστολοι· Οὐ δυνάμεθα, φησίν, ἡμεῖς ἃ εἴδομεν καὶ ἠκούσαμεν μὴ λαλεῖν· καὶ μὴν ἠδύναντο μὴ λαλεῖν ἀλλ' οὐκ ἠνείχοντο σιωπᾶν, ἵνα μὴ δόξωσιν ἀρνεῖσθαι τοῦ θαυματουργοῦντος τὴν χάριν. Εἴπατε οὖν ἐνταῦθα, τὸ Οὐ δύναται ὁ υἱὸς ποιεῖν ἀφ' ἑαυτοῦ οὐδέν, κατὰ ποῖον ἐκλαμβάνετε τρόπον· ἀδυναμίαν αὐτοῦ καταψηφιζόμενοι ἢ τῆς αὐτεξουσίου γνώμης ἀναιροῦντες τὰ κινήματα, ὅτι ὅσα θέλει δύναται. Ἀλλὰ τί λέγεις· ἀφ' ἑαυτοῦ οὐ ποιεῖ, ἀλλὰ πρόσταγμα θεοῦ πληρῶν ἐκεῖνα ἐργάζεται εἰς ὅπερ ἂν τὸ τοῦ προστάξαντος νεῦμα βλέπῃ; Καὶ πῶς οὐκ ἔστιν ἐσχάτης ἀνοίας τοῦτο λέγειν· εἰ γὰρ ὁλῶς οὐδὲν ἀφ' ἑαυτοῦ ποιεῖ, οὔτε γνώμῃ τὴν οἰκονομίαν ὅλην ἐπλήρωσεν οὔτε συμπαθείᾳ τῇ πρὸς ἡμᾶς τὴν ἡμῶν ἀνέλαβε σάρκα οὔτε φιλίᾳ αὐθαίρετον τὸν ὑπὲρ ἡμῶν κατεδέξατο θάνα τον, ἀλλὰ πάντα βίᾳ ὑπέμεινεν ὑπὸ τῆς ἀνάγκης συνωθούμενος. Εἰ δὲ τολμηρὸν καὶ βλάσφημον καὶ πάσης ἀσεβείας ἐπέκεινα τὸ τοῦτο εἰπεῖν, εἴπατε ἡμῖν κατὰ ποῖον λόγον τὸ Οὐ δύναται ὁ υἱὸς ἀφ' ἑαυτοῦ τι ποιεῖν ἐκλαμβάνετε. Ὅτι γάρ, κἂν μὴ θέλητε, λέγετε δύνασθαι αὐτὸν ποιεῖν ἅπερ βούλεται, ὑπὸ τῆς ἀληθείας ἐλαυνό μενοι δῆλον. Ἀλλὰ τί περίττους ὑφαίνω λόγους; Λύει γὰρ τὸ ζήτημα ἡ ἐπαγωγὴ τοῦ ῥητοῦ· οὐ γὰρ εἶπεν ὅτι Οὐ δύναται ποιεῖν ἀφ' ἑαυτοῦ οὐδέν, ἐὰν μή τι προστάξῃ ὁ πατήρ, ἀλλ' ἐὰν μὴ βλέπῃ τὸν πατέρα ποιοῦντα· ἐὰν δὲ ἴδῃ αὐτὸν ποιοῦντά τι, ταῦτα καὶ ὁ υἱὸς ὁμοίως ποιεῖ. Οὐκοῦν οὐ λειτουργίαν πληρῶν ποιεῖ ἅπερ προσ τάττει ὁ πατήρ, ἀλλ' ὡς ὅμοιος, ὡς ἰσοδύναμος, ὡς τῆς αὐτῆς θείας φύσεως ὤν· ἅπερ ἂν ἴδῃ τὸν πατέρα ποιοῦντα, ταῦτα καὶ ὁ υἱὸς ὁμοίως ποιεῖ. Μετὰ ταῦτα, φησίν, ἦν ἡ ἑορτὴ τῶν Ἰουδαίων καὶ ἀνέβη Ἰησοῦς εἰς τὰ Ἱεροσόλυμα. Ἵνα δὲ μὴ τοῖς ὕδασι ἐπιγράψωσι τὸ πᾶν, οὐ πρότερον ἰᾶτο τὰ ὕδατα πρὶν ἄγγελος αὐτὰ ἐπιστὰς ἐσάλευσεν, ἵνα μάθωσιν ὡς οὔτε τὰ ὕδατα τοῦ βαπτίσματος καθ' ἑαυτὰ ὀνίνησι τὴν ψυχὴν πρὶν ἂν ὁ μεγάλης βουλῆς ἄγγελος ἀνθρώπινον ὑποδὺς σῶμα ἐπὶ τὸ βάπτισμα ἔλθῃ. Πολλῶν οὖν ἀσθενῶν ὄντων ἔκειτο καὶ παραλυτικὸς ἀνὴρ ὀκτὼ καὶ τριάκοντα ἔτη ἔχων ἐν τῇ ἀσθενείᾳ, ὃν ἰδὼν ὁ Ἰησοῦς ἐρωτᾷ· Θέλεις ὑγιὴς γενέσθαι; Βλέπε αὐτοῦ τὸ ἄτυφον· οὐκ εἶπεν θέλεις σε θεραπεύσω, οὐ γὰρ ἤθελε
The Healing of the Paralytic and Christ's Authority§2
2He does not boast loudly, nor does he proclaim himself before the miracles. He says: 'I wish to, but I have no man'; for where there is no friend, there is no man anywhere.
Because of this I ask, not so that I might learn—for who does not desire to make the weak healthy?—but so that you may show the coarseness of your useful citizens, that they did not give you a hand to throw you into the spring, which even an enemy, if asked, would have provided. Since until now you had no man to throw you into the pool, behold, he who became a man through you and without waters, I heal your passion: 'Arise, take up your bed and go' (John 5:8).
He does not command him to carry the bed simply; for what he did regarding the loaves, he does also here. Just as there he commands the leavings of the loaves to be carried, so here, to make the miracle great and to free the healing from Jewish suspicion and to show that he is not a deceiver, but a savior and a physician common to nature, he commands him to carry the bed.
So the Jews said: 'It is a Sabbath; it is not permitted for you to carry the bed.' But he answers: 'He who made me healthy, that one said to me: Take up your bed and walk' (John 5:8). So they said to him: 'And who is he?' But the healed man did not know. As soon as we learned that it is Jesus who made him healthy, they pursued him in order to kill him.
What then is the Christ? He brings the Father by saying: 'My Father is working until now, and I am working' (John 5:17). For just as, he says, my Father does not submit to mountains, does not serve laws, nor waits for commands, but does with a domestic will what he wills, so I also work all things with authentic authority, equal to the Father.
Because of this they sought even more to kill him, because not only did he loose the Sabbath, but he also called his own Father God, making himself equal to God. But while they were being released and raging, what is the Christ? 'Amen I say to you, the Son cannot do anything of himself unless he sees the Father doing; for whatever he does, the Son likewise does' (John 5:19).
Not because he himself creates other things and I work other things by imitation; for if it were so, there would have to be two heavens, two suns, two seas, two kinds of men and a double cosmos, the one of the Father and mine. For just as lines are set before painters and elements before teachers, so the creation of the Father is set forth, of which I worked by imitation. If it is not so, Lord, why do you say...
Greek · §2
μεγαλορρημονεῖν οὐδὲ ἑαυτὸν πρὸ τῶν θαυμάτων ἀνακηρύττειν. Ὁ δέ φησι· θέλω μέν, ἀλλ' ἄνθρωπον οὐκ ἔχω· ὅπου γὰρ οὐδεὶς φίλος, οὐδαμοῦ ἄνθρωπος. ∆ιὰ τοῦτο καὶ ἐρωτῶ, οὐχ ἵνα μάθω– τίς γὰρ ἀσθενῶν ὑγιᾶναι οὐ βούλεται; –, ἀλλ' ἵνα τῶν χρηστῶν σου πολιτῶν τὴν ὠμότητα δείξῃς, ὅτι οὔτε χεῖρα σοι ἔδωκαν προσρῖψαι σε τῇ πηγῇ, ὃ καὶ πολέμιος αἰτηθεὶς ἂν παρέσχεν. Ἐπεὶ οὖν μέχρι τοῦ νῦν ἄνθρωπον οὐκ ἔσχες ἵνα βάλῃ σε εἰς τὴν κολυμβήθραν, ἰδοὺ ὁ διὰ σὲ ἄνθρωπος γενόμενος καὶ ἄνευ ὑδάτων ἰῶμαι σου τὸ πάθος· Ἀναστὰς ἆρον τὴν κλίνην σου καὶ ὕπαγε. Οὐχ 1 ἁπλῶς δὲ αὐτὸν τὴν κλίνην βαστάξαι κελεύει· ὅπερ γὰρ ἐπὶ τῶν ἄρτων ἐποίησε, τοῦτο καὶ ὧδε ποιεῖ. Ὥσπερ γὰρ ἐκεῖ λείψανα τῶν ἄρτων βασταγῆναι κελεύει, οὕτως καὶ ὧδε πρὸς τὸ τρανῶσαι τὸ θαῦμα καὶ Ἰουδαϊκῆς ὑπονοίας τὴν θεραπείαν ἐλευθερῶσαι καὶ δεῖξαι ὅτι οὐκ ἀπατεών τις ἐστίν, ἀλλὰ σωτὴρ καὶ κοινὸς τῆς φύσεως ἰατρός, κελεύει αὐτῷ βαστάξαι τὴν κλίνην. Εἶπον οὖν οἱ Ἰουδαῖοι· Σάββατόν ἐστιν, οὐκ ἔξεστί σοι ἆραι τὸν κράββατον. Ὁ δὲ ἀποκρίνεται· Ὁ ποιήσας με ὑγιῆ, ἐκεῖνός μοι εἶπεν· ἆρον τὸν κράββατόν σου καὶ περιπάτει. Εἶπον οὖν αὐτῷ· Καὶ τίς ἐστιν; Ὁ δὲ ἰαθεὶς οὐκ ᾔδει. Ὡς οὖν ἔμαθον ὅτι Ἰησοῦς ἐστιν ὁ ποιήσαςαὐτὸν ὑγιῆ, ἐδίωκον ἵνα ἀποκτείνωσιν αὐτόν. Τί οὖν ὁ Χριστός; Τὸν πατέρα φέρει λέγων ὅτι Ὁ πατήρ μου ἕως ἄρτι ἐργάζεται, κἀγὼ ἐργάζομαι. Ὥσπερ γάρ, φησίν, ὁ πατὴρ ὁ ἐμὸς οὐχ ὅροις ὑπόκει ται, οὐ νομοθεσίαις δουλεύει οὔτε προστάγματα ἀναμένει, οἰκείᾳ δὲ γνώμῃ ποιεῖ ἅπερ βούλεται, οὕτως κἀγὼ αὐθεντικῇ ἐξουσίᾳ πάντα ἐργάζομαι ἐπίσης τῷ πατρί. Οἱ δὲ διὰ τοῦτο αὐτὸν ἐζήτουν μᾶλλον ἀποκτεῖναι, ὅτι οὐ μόνον ἔλυσε τὸ σάββατον, ἀλλ' ὅτι καὶ πατέρα ἴδιον ἔλεγε τὸν θεόν, ἴσον ἑαυτὸν ποιῶν τῷ θεῷ. Ἀλλ' ἐκείνων λυττώντων καὶ μαινομένων τί ὁ Χριστός; Ἀμὴν λέγω ὑμῖν, οὐ δύναται ὁ υἱὸς ποιεῖν ἀφ' ἑαυτοῦ οὐδέν, ἐὰν μή τι βλέπῃ τὸν πατέρα ποιοῦντα· ἃ γὰρ ἂν ἐκεῖνος ποιῇ, ταῦτα καὶ ὁ υἱὸς ὁμοίως ποιεῖ. Οὐκ ἐπειδὴ αὐτὸς μὲν ἄλλα κτίζει, ἐγὼ δὲ κατὰ μίμησιν ἕτερα ἐργάζο μαι· εἰ γὰρ τοῦτο ἦν, δύο οὐρανοὺς εἶναι ἐχρῆν, δύο ἡλίους, δύο θαλάσσας, δύο ἀνθρώπων γένη καὶ διπλοῦν κόσμον, τὸν μὲν τοῦ πατρός, τὸν δὲ ἐμόν. Ἀνάγκη γὰρ ὡς ἐπὶ τῶν ζωγράφων αἱ γραμμαὶ καὶ ἐπὶ τῶν διδασκάλων τὰ στοιχεῖα προστάσσονται, οὕτως τὴν τοῦ πατρὸς προστετάχθαι κτίσιν ἧς κατὰ μίμησιν εἰργασάμην ἐγώ. Εἰ οὖν οὐκ ἔχει οὕτως, δέσποτα, διὰ τί λέγεις Οὐ
The Unity of Action and Will§3
3Can the Son do anything of his own accord, unless he sees the Father doing it? I say this to overturn the madness of the Jews who think I am acting lawlessly toward the Father; for since they accuse me concerning the loosening of the Sabbath, I said that 'My Father has been working until now, and I am working' (John 5:17), in order to show the equality on both sides. But all the foolish ones, having supposed that I was setting work against work and opposing opinion to opinion, began to move toward envy; therefore, correcting their opinion, I said: 'The Son cannot do anything of his own accord, unless he looks toward the Father doing it.' Why do you thoughtless ones of the Sabbath harass and examine me, saying that I loose the Sabbath? But I do not oppose the Father, for it is not he who wants to set the Sabbath in a certain way and I to loose it; I do not fight against him, I do not stage a rebellion against the opinion; it is not he who wants one thing and I want something else; what he wants, I want; what he wills, I will; what he does, I do.
For in this way I do nothing outside of him, nor do I will, because I say something that makes the matter impossible: Amen, I say, the Son cannot do anything of his own accord; for I do not have a will separated and severed from the Father. For since the nature is one and the will is one, it is necessary that the result be one. Therefore the Son cannot do anything of his own accord, for he cannot do anything without the Father, having the whole of him within himself; for I am in the Father and the Father in me. If indeed the works of soul and body are indistinguishable because of their union, even though the nature is divided—one being a mortal body and the other an immortal soul—how can the works of me and of the Father be distinguished? Where will, and word, and knowledge, and wisdom, and nature, and deity are one, the Son cannot do anything of his own accord because of not being separated from the Father, unless he sees the Father doing it, that is, unless he sees not wanting the Father.
For as having the will as a companion of the same very nature, it brings about the things that come to be; for if they complete the work in a bodily way, it is necessary that the construction of the happening be shared. And since a will is sufficient for the bringing forth of non-beings, for this reason also the creation of all things, I know the Father and the Son to be creators not driven out by the Spirit. For whatever he, the Father, does, the Son likewise does; these are the same things and not different things, for not by imitation are others done.
Greek · §3
δύναται ὁ υἱὸς ποιεῖν ἀφ' ἑαυτοῦ οὐδέν, ἐὰν μή τι βλέπῃ τὸν πατέρα ποιοῦντα; Ἵνα τὴν Ἰουδαίων ὑπεκλύσω μανίαν τῶν νομιζόντων με ἀντινομοθετεῖν τῷ πατρί· ἐπειδὴ γὰρ ἐγκαλοῦσί μοι περὶ τῆς λύσεως τοῦ σαββάτου, εἶπον ὅτι Ὁ πατήρ μου ἕως ἄρτι ἐργάζεται, κἀγὼ ἐργάζομαι, ἑκατέρωθεν τὸ ὁμότιμον δεῖξαι θέλων. Ἀλλ' οἱ πάντα ἄφρονες νομίσαντές με ἔργα ἔργοις ἐπιτειχίζειν καὶ γνώμῃ γνώμην ἀντεισάγειν ἐκινοῦντο πρὸς φθόνον· ὅθεν διορθούμενος αὐτῶν τὴν γνώμην ἔλεγον Οὐ δύναται ὁ υἱὸς ποιεῖν ἀφ' ἑαυτοῦ οὐδέν, ἐὰν μή τι βλέπῃ πρὸς τὸν πατέρα ποιοῦντα ἀντὶ τοῦ Τί μοι οἱ ἄκαιροι τοῦ σαββάτου χολᾶτε ἐξετασταί, ὅτι λύω τὸ σάββατον; Ἀλλ' οὐκ ἀντιπολιτεύομαι τῷ πατρί, οὐ γὰρ αὐτὸς στῆσαι τὸ σάββατον θέλει κἀγὼ λῦσαι· οὐκ ἀπομάχομαι πρὸς αὐτόν, οὐ στασιάζω πρὸς τὴν γνώμην, οὐκ αὐτὸς θέλει, ἐγὼ δὲ ἕτερα βούλομαι· ἃ θέλει θέλω, ἃ βούλεται βούλομαι, ἃ ποιεῖ ποιῶ. Οὕτως γὰρ οὐδὲν ἐκτὸς αὐτοῦ οὐ ποιῶ, οὐ θέλω, ὅτι εἰς ἀδύνατον καθιστῶν τὸν λόγον λέγω· Ἀμὴν λέγω οὐ δύναται ὁ υἱὸς ποιεῖν ἀφ' ἑαυτοῦ οὐδέν· οὐ γὰρ ἔχω κεχωρισμένην καὶ ἀποτετμημένην τοῦ πατρὸς γνώμην. Μιᾶς γὰρ οὔσης τῆς φύσεως, ἑνὸς ὄντος τοῦ θελήματος, ἀνάγκη τὸ ἀποτέλεσμα ἓν ὑπάρχειν. Οὐ δύναται οὖν ὁ υἱὸς ποιεῖν ἀφ' ἑαυτοῦ οὐδέν, οὐ γὰρ δύναται ἄνευ τοῦ πατρὸς ποιῆσαί τι ὅλον αὐτὸν ἐν ἑαυτῷ ἔχων· ἐγὼ γὰρ ἐν τῷ πατρὶ καὶ ὁ πατὴρ ἐν ἐμοί. Εἰ γὰρ ψυχῆς καὶ σώματος ἀδιάκριτα ἔργα διὰ τὴν ἕνωσιν, καίτοι διῃρημένης τῆς φύσεως, ἄλλο μὲν σῶμα θνητόν, ἄλλο δὲ ἀθάνατος ψυχή, πῶς δύναται ἐμοῦ τε καὶ τοῦ πατρὸς διακριθῆναι τὰ ἔργα; Ὅπου βουλὴ καὶ λόγος καὶ γνῶσις καὶ σοφία καὶ φύσις καὶ θεότης μία, οὐ δύναται οὖν ὁ υἱὸς ποιεῖν ἀφ' ἑαυτοῦ οὐδὲν διὰ τὸ μὴ κεχωρίσθαι τοῦ πατρός, ἐὰν μή τι βλέπῃ τὸν πατέρα ποιοῦντα, τουτέστιν ἐὰν μὴ τὸν πατέρα θέλοντα ἴδῃ. Ὡς μιᾶς γὰρ καὶ τῆς αὐτῆς φύσεως σύνδρομον ἔχων τὸ θέλημα ἀποτελῶ τὰ γινόμενα· εἰ μὲν γὰρ σωματικὴν ἐξεπλήρουν τὴν ἐργασίαν, ἀνάγκη διανέμεσθαι τοῦ γινομένου τὴν κατασκευήν· ἐπειδὴ δὲ θέλησις ἐστὶν ἀρκοῦσα πρὸς τὴν τῶν μὴ 2 ὄντων παραγωγήν, διὰ τοῦτο καὶ ἡ τῶν ὅλων δημιουργία τὸν πατέρα καὶ τὸν υἱὸν οἶδε δημιουργὸν οὐκ ἐξωθουμένου τοῦ πνεύματος. Ἃ γὰρ ἂν ἐκεῖνος ποιῇ, ὁ πατήρ, ταῦτα καὶ ὁ υἱὸς ὁμοίως ποιεῖ· ταῦτα καὶ οὐχὶ τοιαῦτα, οὐ γὰρ κατὰ μίμησιν ἕτερα
The Son's Unity with the Father in Word and Work§4
4I do not act alone, but I perform the same works that the Father performs. Therefore, having placed my words upon Him, I said: The words which I speak to you I do not speak from myself, but the Father who remains in me performs the works (John 5:37). To Him I have dedicated the works and the words, not to show that I serve, but to show that I am thus united to the Father by nature, as to have neither word nor work without Him.
Therefore I said, coming: Believe me that I am in the Father and the Father is in me (John 10:38); and if not, believe even through the works. Just as I was saying there that the Father who remains in me performs the works, so also I say here that the works which He performs, these the Son also performs similarly; these and not such others.
Therefore, 'The Son cannot do anything of himself; will He not at all restore to me my freedom?' Understand; for whatever I wish to do, I am able to do from myself, but I do not wish to. For if the Father loves the Son and shows Him all that He Himself does, how could I hide the One doing all through me? He performs through me, not as through a subordinate; for I am not a subordinate but I work in cooperation, not fulfilling a service but possessing authority. For just as the Father raises the dead and gives life, having the power in conjunction with His will, so also I do not raise the dead by fulfilling a service, but by power, authority, right, and will, because I am the one who raises and judges those whom I raise.
For the Father judges no one; but not because of weakness does He not judge, but because He has given all judgment to the Son; for through whom He worked, through him also He judges. Because of this He does all things, so that all may honor the Son just as they honor the Father (John 5:23). For He perceives honor most when He sees the Son being honored in a God-befitting manner; he who does not honor the Son does not honor the Father who sent him, for He does not accept honor upon the dishonor of a Son. For He sent me through the flesh, not that I might be insulted, but that I might be glorified (John 12:28).
Therefore, because you have turned against me ignorantly, for this reason and through this flesh which was sent to Him, I said: Father, glorify your Son (John 12:28). You, glorify the one whom these insult; You also glorify the flesh being set aside by them, so that they may know that you will glorify even the man from Mary without distinction as a Father, through the fellowship toward your only-begotten Son, giving glory now to the temple taken up by me, which I myself had with you by nature before the ages...
Greek · §4
ποιῶ, ἀλλὰ τὰ αὐτὰ ἐργάζομαι ἃ καὶ ὁ πατὴρ ἐργάζεται. Ὅθεν καὶ τὰ ῥήματά μου ἀνατιθεὶς αὐτῷ ἔλεγον· Τὰ ῥήματα ἃ ἐγὼ λαλῶ ὑμῖν ἀπ' ἐμαυτοῦ οὐ λαλῶ· ὁ δὲ πατὴρ ὁ ἐν ἐμοὶ μένων ποιεῖ τὰ ἔργα. Αὐτῷ δὲ τὰ ἔργα καὶ τὰ ῥήματα ἀνεθέμην, οὐχ ἵνα δείξω ὅτι διακονίαν πληρῶ, ἀλλ' ἵνα δείξω ὅτι οὕτως συνήνωμαι τῷ πατρὶ φύσει, ὡς μήτε λόγον μήτε ἔργον ἄνευ αὐτοῦ ἔχειν. Ὅθεν ἐπήγαγεν λέγων· Πιστεύετέ μοι ὅτι ἐγὼ ἐν τῷ πατρὶ καὶ ὁ πατὴρ ἐν ἐμοί· εἰ δὲ μή, κἂν διὰ τὰ ἔργα πιστεύετε. Ὥσπερ οὖν ἐκεῖ ἐργαζόμενος ἔλεγον ὅτι Ὁ πατὴρ ὁ ἐν ἐμοὶ μένων ποιεῖ τὰ ἔργα, οὕτως καὶ ὧδε λέγω ὅτι Τὰ ἔργα ἃ ἐκεῖνος ποιεῖ, ταῦτα καὶ ὁ υἱὸς ὁμοίως ποιεῖ· ταῦτα καὶ οὐχὶ τοιαῦτα. Τὸ οὖν Οὐ δύναται ὁ υἱὸς ποιεῖν ἀφ' ἑαυτοῦ οὐδὲν <οὐδὲν> μὴ ἐπαναιρέσει μου τῆς ἐλευθερίας; Νόει· ὅσα γὰρ θέλω ποιεῖν καὶ ἀπ' ἐμαυτοῦ δύναμαι, ἀλλ' οὐ θέλω· εἰ γὰρ ὁ πατὴρ φιλεῖ τὸν υἱὸν καὶ πάντα δείκνυσιν αὐτῷ ἃ αὐτὸς ποιεῖ, πῶς ἐγὼ λάθω τὸν πάντα δι' ἐμοῦ ποιοῦντα; Ποιεῖ δὲ δι' ἐμοῦ οὐχ ὡς δι' ὑπουργοῦ· οὐ γὰρ ὑπουργῶ ἀλλὰ συνεργῶ, οὐ διακονίαν πληρῶν ἀλλὰ αὐθεντίαν ἔχων ἐργάζομαι. Ὥσπερ γὰρ ὁ πατὴρ ἐγείρει τοὺς νεκροὺς καὶ ζωοποιεῖ σύνδρομον ἔχων τῇ θελήσει τὴν δύναμιν, οὕτως οὐ διακονίαν πληρῶν νεκροὺς ἐγείρω, ἀλλὰ δυνάμει, αὐθεντίᾳ, ἐξουσίᾳ, θελήσει, ὅτι οὓς ἐγείρω καὶ κρίνω. Ὁ πατὴρ γὰρ οὐ κρίνει οὐδένα· ἀλλ' οὐ διὰ ἀδυναμίαν οὐ κρίνει, ἀλλ' ὅτι τὴν κρίσιν πᾶσαν δέδωκεν τῷ υἱῷ· δι' οὗ γὰρ εἰργάσατο, δι' αὐτοῦ καὶ κρίνει. ∆ιὰ τοῦτο δὲ πάντα ποιεῖ, ἵνα πάντες τιμῶσιν τὸν υἱὸν καθὼς τιμῶσι τὸν πατέρα. Τότε γὰρ μάλιστα αἰσθάνεται τίμης, ὅταν ἴδῃ τὸν ἐξ αὐτοῦ θεοπρεπῶς τιμώμενον υἱόν· ὁ μὴ τιμῶν τὸν υἱὸν οὐ τιμᾷ τὸν πατέρα τὸν πέμψαντα αὐτόν, οὐ γὰρ δέχεται τιμὴν ἐπ' ἀτιμίᾳ υἱοῦ. Ἔπεμψέ με γὰρ διὰ τὴν σάρκα, οὐχ ἵνα ὑβρισθῶ, ἀλλ' ἵνα δοξασθῶ. Ὅθεν ἐπειδὴ ἀγνωμόνως διετέθητε εἰς ἐμέ, διὰ τοῦτο καὶ δι' αὐτῆς τῆς ἀποσταλείσης σαρκὸς πρὸς αὐτὸν ἔλεγον· Πάτερ, δόξασόν σου τὸν υἱόν. Σὺ δόξασον ὃν οὗτοι ὑβρίζουσι, σὺ καὶ τὴν ὑπ' αὐτῶν ἀθετουμένην δόξασον σάρκα, ἵνα μάθωσιν ὅτι καὶ τὸν ἐκ Μαρίας ἄνθρωπον διὰ τὴν πρὸς τὸν μονογενῆ σου υἱὸν κοινωνίαν ἀδιακρίτως ὡς πατὴρ δοξάσεις ἐκείνην διδοὺς τῷ ἀναληφθέντι παρ' ἐμοῦ ναῷ νῦν δόξαν, ἣν ἐγὼ αὐτὸς πρὸ αἰώνων παρά σοι ἐκ φύσεως εἶχον ... 3