The Firstborn and the Unicorn

Only-begotten. He says 'brothers' referring to the apostles and all those from the circumcision who believed in him; for many believed from among the Jews. And the twelve and the seventy were among them. According to the flesh, therefore, those were his brothers.

But they become his brothers again according to the Spirit, those partaking of the 'spirit of adoption' (Rom 8:15); for if 'he who does righteousness is born of God' (1 John 5:1) and 'he who believes that Jesus is the Christ is born of God' (1 John 5:1), some are sons of God. These, however, are brothers again, not only-begotten, not according to the divinity, but according to the one who became man. The apostle, therefore, using the word in this way, applied it to the man: 'for which reason he is not ashamed to call them his brothers'; for he left nothing of what is required for a man to be a man. Since if he does not have all things, he is not a man.

I have said many times that there are certain mixtures, like hydromel. If water is removed, it is only honey; or even if it is mixed with something else, it is not hydromel. If, therefore, he had body only, he would not have been made like the brothers in all things; for the appetitive soul is irrational. A soul without intellect is irrational, not even subsisting as a principle, unless it be in the composition; for the appetitive souls are joined to the bodies of which they are souls. Therefore, 'in all things he was made like the brothers', not in some things, and not in others.

The apostle says again: 'so as to be the firstborn among many brothers, whom he foreknew and predestined to be conformed to them' (Rom 8:29). You see that being the firstborn among many brothers was a matter of acquisition, when he became man, when he took upon himself to be a man from among brothers. But if he says 'firstborn' here, say 'more honorable'. And so also the 'church of the firstborn' (Heb 12:23) is so named. It is not possible for all to be firstborn, yet it is possible for all to be honorable. For this reason also Jacob demanded the birthright (Gen 25:31) from Esau, the honor of the firstborn. Therefore, firstborn is in...

He is like many brothers, as the 'firstborn from the dead' (Colossians 1:18). He is the first of every dead person; for when he rises, someone else is able to rise. Therefore he says to proclaim the name of the Father, that is, to make it manifest. And when they know the Father and know the name of the Father, then they have the knowledge of the Son being brought in together with it; for these things bring in one another successively. And I speak according to being and according to knowledge. It is impossible for one knowing one thing to not know the rest regarding that thing.

'And from the horns of the unicorns.' It is also called a rhinoceros. And in the eighteenth Psalm this is so: 'And the beloved as a son of unicorns' (Psalm 18:25). This animal is said to have a size not less than a large calf. But it is very coiled, it is thick, and it has a horn above the nose, and the animal is very strong, and when it is angry, its horn becomes so much the strongest as to be harder than an elephant's. But when it is not angry, it is soft as flesh. And sometimes, when there is heat, it throws large stones so that it may place itself in that place, being cool. This animal, then, as I have said, when having become angry, has the horn very hard. But when being calm, it does not have it.

Therefore they are tested to take its horn; for it is precious. Since, then, they want such a thing, they do not shoot at it without foresight; it does not fall to a beast, nor is it wounded by a polecat or any other. But they throw at it with a bow. So when it is angry, then they shoot at it with the dart. But: toward what kind of person do we take it? Toward Christ? —if it be taken praiseworthily. And it is taken praiseworthily in the eighteenth Psalm: 'And the beloved as a son of unicorns' (Psalm 18:25). It signifies having an only-begotten kingdom. The kingdom of the Savior, therefore, does not have duality, but is simple, like the presence of God. And because of this, it is called one-horned. But when it is taken mockingly, it is taken because of the wildness, not because of the horn. Some say as in...