Obedience learned in flesh-days; united Word suffers impassibly

“For from what things he suffered,” it says, “he learned obedience.” (Hebrews 5:8) It is like saying: He humbled himself, becoming obedient unto death, even death of a cross (Philippians 2:8–9); yet he did not remain humble, for he was highly exalted, receiving the name above every name. And the shape of the wording is human, yet the type of the matter is best for us. So then it is a type and pattern for us that Emmanuel, being tempted, prays with a strong cry and tears—not before the incarnation, but in the days of his flesh (Hebrews 5:7), when this was also allowed without blame, nothing wronging the glory of the deity, the economy with flesh rather permitting this very act. For in what manner was Life frightened at death?

But if there should be some who dare to say that the one from the holy virgin is a human privately, who offered petitions and entreaties with a strong cry and tears to the one able to save him from death, they have chosen to think things that clash with the holy writings. For the Word of God is all-powerful and better than death and beyond sufferings and wholly without share in human-befitting cowardice; yet, having nature thus, he has suffered for us. Therefore Christ is neither a bare human nor a fleshless Word, but rather, united to the humanity that is as we are, he would suffer impassibly in his own flesh the human things. So those things have become a pattern for us humanly, so that we might follow after his tracks (1 Peter 2:21).