Cursed is the one who hopes in man
Then, after many words have gone by, it would indeed have been necessary to speak about each of the things said; but there is no room, with time pressing on. Let us therefore speak to what follows, taking up: 'Cursed is the man who has his hope upon a man.' (Jeremiah 17:5) From those who suppose that the Son of God, the Savior, was merely a man—for they dared, along with many human evils, to say also this, that there is no God who is 'the only-begotten,' 'the firstborn of all creation'—'cursed' is 'the one who has his hope upon a man.' (Colossians 1:15) It is clear that those who have their hope upon a man are under a curse.
I would say that I do not have my hope upon a man. Hoping upon Christ Jesus, I do not know a man. Not only do I not know a man, but I know Wisdom, absolute Righteousness, the one through whom 'all things were created' among the authorities. 'Cursed is the man who has his hope upon a man.' (2 Corinthians 5:16) Even if the Savior bears witness that what he wore was a man—yet even if he was a man, now he is in no way a man. For 'if we have known Christ according to the flesh, yet we know him so no longer,' (Psalm 82:6) says the apostle. Through him I am no longer a man, if I follow his words; but he says: 'I said, You are gods, and all of you sons of the Most High.' Therefore, as he is 'firstborn from the dead,' so he has become firstborn of all humans by changing them toward God.
'Cursed,' then, 'is the man who has his hope upon a man, and will strengthen the flesh of his arm'—whoever ratifies the fleshly things, whoever acquires bodily strength and campaigns according to the flesh. But the holy one is not like that: for 'he does not strengthen the flesh of his arm,' for he 'always' has 'the dying of Jesus in his body,' and he puts to death 'the members that are upon the earth—fornication, uncleanness.' Having put these to death, 'he does not strengthen the flesh of his arm.'
'Cursed is the one who has his hope upon a man.' And at the same time this is said toward those who hope in dignities. So-and-so is my friend; he is a centurion, he is a steward; so-and-so is my friend and is rich and supplies me. Then toward such a person also this is said: 'Cursed is the man who has his hope upon a man.' We hope upon no human being, even if they seem to be our friends; for we do not hope upon them but upon our Lord, who is Christ Jesus, to whom be the glory and the power unto the ages of ages. Amen.
Greek
Εἶτα πολλῶν διελθόντων λόγων ἦν μὲν καὶ περὶ ἑκάστου τῶν εἰρημένων εἰπεῖν, ἀλλ᾿ οὐκ ἐγχωρεῖ τοῦ χρόνου ἐποίγοντος. εἴπωμεν οὖν εἰς τὸ ἑξῆς ἀναγωνσθὲν τὸν «ἐπικατάρατος ἄνθρωπος ὃς τὴν ἐλπίδα ἔχει ἐπ᾿ ἄνθρωπον. ἐκ τοῦ † τοὺς νομίζοντας ὄτι ἄνθρωπος μὲν τοῦ θεοῦ ὁ υἱὸς ἦν ὁ σωτήρ (ἐτόλμησαν γὰρ μετὰ τῶν πολλῶν τῶν ἀνθρωπίνων κακῶν καὶ τοῦτο εἰπεῖν ὅτι οὐκ ἔστι θεὸς «ὁ μονογενής«, «ὁ πρωτότοκος πάσης κτίσεως«)· «ἐπικατάρατος« γὰρ «ὃς τὴν ἐλπίδα ἔχει ἐπ᾿ ἄνθρωπον. δῆλον ὅτι ἐπικατάρατοί εἰσιν οἱ ἐπ᾿ ἄνθρωπον ἔχοντες τὴν ἐλπίδα.
ἐγὼ εἴποιμι ἂν ὅτι οὐκ ἐπ᾿ ἄνθρωπον ἔχω τὴν ἐλπίδα, ἐλπίζων ἐπὶ Χριστὸν Ἰησοῦν ἐγὼ ἄνθρωπον οὐκ οἶδα. οὐ μόνον ἄνθρωπον οὐκ 0ἶδα, ἀλλὰ σοφίαν οἶδα, τὴν αὐτοδικαιοσύνην, ἄνθρωπον δι᾿ οὗ «ἐκτίσηθ τὰ πάντα ἐν τοῖς ἐξουσίαι. «ἐπικατάρατος ἄνθρωπος ὃς τὴν ἐλπίδα ἔχει ἐπ᾿ ἄνθρωπον. κἂν μαρτυρῇ ὁ σωτὴρ ὅτι ὃν ἐφόρεσεν ἄνθρωπος ἦν — ἀλλ᾿ εἰ καὶ ἦν ἄνθρωπος, ἀλλὰ νῦν οὐδαμῶς ἐστιν ἄνθρωπος. «εἰ« γὰρ «καὶ ἔγνωμεν Χριστὸν κατὰ σάρκα, ἀλλὰ οὐκέτι γινώσκομεν«, φησὶν ὁ ἀπόστολος.
ἐγὼ δι᾿ αὐτὸν οὐκέτι εἰμὶ ἄνθρωπος, ἐὰν ἀκολουθῶ αὐτοῦ τοῖς λόγοις· ἀλλὰ λέγει· «ἐγὼ εἶπα· θεοί ἐστε καὶ υἱοὶ ὑψίστου πάντες. οὐκοῦν ὡς «πρωτότοκος« ἐστὶν «ἐκ τῶν νεκρῶν«, οὕτως γέγονε πρωτότοκος πάντων ἀνθρώπων εἰς θεὸν μεταβαλών. «ἐπικατάρατος« τοίνυν «ἄνθρωπος ὃς τὴν ἐλπίδα ἔχει ἐπ᾿ ἄνθρωπον, καὶ στηρίσει σάρκα βραχίονος αὐτοῦ«, ὅστις ἂν κυρώσῃ τὰ σάρκινα, ὅστις τὴν ἐσχὺν τὴν σωματικὴν ἐὰν κτήσηται, καὶ κατὰ σάρκα στρατεύσηται. ἀλλ᾿ ὁ ἅγιος οὐχ οὕτως ἐστίν· «οὐ γὰρ στηρίζει σάρκα βραχίνος αὐτοῦ«, «πάντοτε« γὰρ «τὴν νέκρωσιν τοῦ Ἰησοῦ ἐν τῷ σώματι« αὐτοῦ ἔχει, καὶ νεκροῖ «τὰ μέλη τὰ ἐπὶ τῆς γῆς, πορνείαν, ἀκαθαρσίαν. νεκρώσας ταῦτα «οὐ στηρίζει σάρκα τοῦ βραχίο- νος αὐτοῦ. «ἐπικατάρατος ὃς τὴν ἐλπίδα ἔχει ἐπ᾿ ἄνθρωπον. ἅμα δὲ πρὸς τοὺς ἐλπίζοντας ἐπὶ ἀξιώμασιν.
ὁ δεῖνά μου φίλος ἐστὶν ἑκατόνταρχος, ἐπίτροός ἐστιν· ὁ δεῖνά μου φίλος καὶ πλούσιός ἐστι καὶ παρέχεταί μοι. ἔπειτα καὶ πρὸς τὸν τοιοῦτον λέγεται τοῦτο· «ἐπικατάρατος ἄνθρωπος ὃς τὴν ἐλπίδα ἔχει ἐπ᾿ ἄνθρωπον. ἐπ᾿ οὐδένα ἄνθρωπον ἐλπίζομεν, κἂν δοκῶσιν ἡμῶν εἶναι φίλοι· οὐ γὰρ ἐπ᾿ αὐτοὺς ἀλλ᾿ ἐπὶ κύριον ἡμῶν ἐλπίζομεν, ὅς ἐστι Χριστὸς Ἰησοῦς, ᾧ ἐστιν ἡ δόξα καὶ τὸ κράτος εἰς τοὺς αἰῶνας τῶν αἰώνων. Ἀμήν.