Resurrection And The Body

Διὰ ταῦτα μὲν οὖν, οὐ πρὸ τοῦ πάθους, ἀλλὰ μετὰ τὸ πάθος, τῶν θυρῶν κεκλεισμένων ἔστη τῶν μαθητῶν μέσος ὁ Κύριος, ἵνα γνῷς, ὅτι καὶ σοῦ τὸ ψυχινον σῶμα σπαρὲν, ἐγείρεται σῶμα πνευματικόν· ἵνα δὲ μὴ πάλιν ἄλλο νομίσῃς εἶναι τὸ ἀνιστάμενον, τοῦ Θωμα πρὸς τὴν ἀνάστασιν ἀπιστήσαντος, δείκνυσιν αὐτῷ τοὺς τύπους τῶν ἤλων, δείκνυσιν αὐτῷ τῶν τραυμάτων τὰ ἴχνη. Ἆρ’ οὐκ ἴσχυεν ἑαυτὸν ἰάσασθαι, καὶ ταῦτα μετὰ ἀνάστασιν, ὁ πάντας καὶ πρὸ τῆς ἀναστάσεως ἰασάμενος; Ἀλλὰ δι' ὦν μὲν τοὺς τύπους τῶν ἤλων δείκνυσι, παραδίδωσιν ὅτι τοῦτο· δι' ὦν δὲ κεκλεισμένων τῶν θυρῶν εἴσεισι, δείκνυσιν ὅτι οὐ τοιοῦτο· τοῦτο μὲν, ἵνα πληρώσῃ τὸν τρόπον τῆς οἰκονομίας, ἐγείρας τὸ νενκρωμένον· οὐ τοιοῦτο δὲ, ἵνα μὴ πάλιν ὑποπέσῃ φθορᾷ, μηδὲ πάλιν ὑποστῇ θάνατον. Ἀμφιλοχίος Ἐπισκόπος Ἰκονίου, Ἐκλογή Source: Migne 39.108a-b

Therefore it was not before the passion but after it that the Lord passed through the locked doors and stood in the midst of the disciples, 1 so that they might know that what is sowed as a material body is raised as a spiritual body. 2 And lest again you think it might be something else, He showed the holes of the nails and the marks of the wounds to Thomas who doubted the resurrection. 3 But was He not able to heal Himself, especially after the resurrection, who was able to heal everyone before the resurrection? But it was because of this, that He might show the holes of the nails and prove Himself to be Himself, and then by entering through the locked doors, show Himself not to be exactly alike. For in this way He fulfilled the way of the dispensation, the raising of the body from the dead, that it was not such a thing that would again be liable to corruption, nor again succumb to death. Amphilocius of Iconium, fragment 1 Jn 20.19 2 Cor 15.44 3 Jn 20.27

New And Wonderful

Τίς ἡ καινὴ καὶ παράδοξος αὕτη μυσταγωγία; Τίς ἡ παντοδύναμος καὶ φθαρτοποιὸς τῆς θείας Προνοίας εὐμένεια; Τί τὸ δεινὸν καὶ πάνσοφον κατὰ τοῦ διαβόλου στρατήγημα; Ἠλευθέρωται κόσμος διὰ παρθένου, ὁ διὰ ταύτης τὸ πρὶν ὑπὸ τὴν ἁμαρτίαν πεσών. Διὰ παρθενικοῦ τοκετοῦ τεταρτάρωται δαιμόνων ἀοράτων τὰ τοσαῦτα καὶ τηλικαῦτα συστήματα. Σύμμορφος τοῖς δούλοις ὁ Δεσπότης γέγονεν, ἵνα οἱ δοῦλοι γένωνται σύμμορφοι πάλιν Θεοῦ. Ὤ βῆθλεὲμ πόλις ἡγιασμένη, καὶ τοῖς ἀνθρώποις συγκεκληρωμένη. Ὦ φάτνη, ὦ φάτνη συμμέτοχε τῶν Χερουβὶμ, καὶ ὁμότιμε τῶν Σεραφίμ. Ὁ γὰρ αἰωνίως ὑπ' ἐκεὶνων τῶν θρόνων ἐποχούμενος θεϊκῶς, νῦν ἐν σοὶ σωματικῶς πάλιν αὐλίζεται. Ὦ Μαρία, Ὦ Μαρία, ἡ τὸν ἀπάντων Δημιουρὸν πρωτότοκον κεκτημένη. Ὦ ἀνθρωπότης, ἡ τὸν τοῦ Θεοῦ Λόγον σωματικῶς οὐσιώσασα, καὶ τῶν ἐπουρανίων καὶ νοετῶν δυνάμεων ἐν τούτῳ τῶ μέρει προτετιμημένη. Οὐ γὰρ ἠξίωσε Χριστὸς μορφωθῆναι πρὸς τὰς τῶν ἀρχαγγέλων μορφὰς, οὔτε μὴν πρὸς τὰς τῶν ἀρχῶν, καὶ δυνάμεων, καὶ ἐξουσιῶν ἀτρέπτους εἰκόνας, ἀλλὰ πρὸς σὲ τὴν κατενεχθεῖσαν ἐπὶ τροπὴν, καὶ τοῖς ἀλόγοις ζώοις παρασυμβεβλημένην. Οἱ μὲν γὰρ ὑγιαίνοντες οὐ χρείαν ἔχουσιν ἰατροῦ· ἡ δὲ νόσῳ συχνῇ κατασχεθεῖσα, τηλικούτου καὶ τοιούτου τετύχηκεν ἰατροῦ, ὡς μείζονος τῆς ὑγείας εὐτυχής ἐστι σωτηρίας, τοῦ νοσήματος δραπετεύσαντος. Ἀλλὰ ποῦ νῦν ὁ δυσμενὴς καὶ ἀβρόντητος· ὁ ἀλάστωρ καὶ παμμίαρος δράκων, ὁ μετεωρίζειν εἰς ὕψος τὸν ἑαυτοῦ θρόνον ἐπαγγειλάμενος; Ἀμφιλοχίος Ἐπισκόπος Ἰκονίου, Λογός Α´, Εἰς Τὰ Γενέθλια Τοῦ Μεγάλου Θεοῦ Καὶ Σωτῆρος Ὑμων Ἰησοῦ Χριστοῦ Source: Migne 39.39d-41b

What is this new and wonderful heavenly teaching? What is this almighty and mortal-making benevolence of Divine Providence? What grand subtlety and plan against the devil? The world is liberated by a virgin, that which was previously crushed beneath sin by a virgin. By a virgin's giving birth a whole great mass of unseen demons has been cast headlong into Tartarus. The Lord has been fashioned to be like His servants, so that His servants might again be made like God. O holy city of Bethlehem, you have become a common inheritance for men. O manger, O manger, fellow participant with the Cherubim and sharing the honour of the Seraphim. For He who is eternally seated above those celestial thrones, 1 is now laid on you in the flesh. O Mary, Mary, for your first born son you have the Creator of all things. O humanity, which the Word of God has made its corporeal substance and for this is more highly honoured than the heavenly and intellectual powers. For Christ did not take on the form of an archangel, 2 nor the changeless images of principalities and virtues and powers, but He has come down to your changeable nature, which has been compared to the brute animals. 3 There is no work for a physician with the healthy, 4 but there is much to occupy him with the sick, and only with such a great physician does it happen that when the sickness is expelled, there comes about a greater salvation superior to health. Where now that wicked enemy, that wretched and abominable dragon, who said that he would set up his throne in the heights? 5 Amphilocius of Iconium, from from Sermon 1, On The Birth of our Almighty God and Saviour Jesus Christ 1 Ps 79.2 2 Heb 2.16 3 Ps 48.13 4 Mt 9.12 5 Isaiah 14.13

High And Humble Speech

Ἀμὴν ἀμὴν λέγω ὑμῖν ὅτι ὁ τὸν λόγον μου ἀκούων καὶ πιστεύων τῷ πέμψαντί με ἔχει ζωὴν αἰώνιον Τίνος οὖν τὰ πάθη; Τῆς σαρκός. Οὐκοῦν εἰ δίδως σαρκὶ τὰ πάθη, δὸς αὐτῇ καὶ τοὺς ταπεινοὺς λόγους. Καὶ ᾧ τὰ θαύματα ἐπιγράφεις, τοὺς ἀνηγμένους ἀνάθες λόγους· ὁ γὰρ θαυματουργῶν Θεὸς εἰκότως ὑψηλὰ λελεῖ, καὶ τῶν ἔργων ἐπάξια· ὁ δὲ πάσχθν ἄνθρωπος καλῶς ταπεινὰ φθέγγεται, καὶ τῶν παθῶν κατάλληλα. Ἀμφιλοχίος Ἐπισκόπος Ἰκονίου, Ἐκλογή Source: Migne 39.108d

Truly I say to you that he who listens to my words, and believes in Him who sent me, he has eternal life. 1 Where are the passions? In the flesh. Therefore if you assign passions to the flesh, assign to the same humble words; but to Him whom you ascribe miracles, give sublime speech. For God, who brings forth miracles, rightly speaks of high things, as befits His works. But man who suffers the passions, rightly speaks humbly, as befits the passions. Amphilocius of Iconium, Fragment 1 Jn 5.24

Becoming Man

Ἡ ἀλήθεια ἐγνώσθη, ἡ χάρις ἤλθε, καὶ ἡ ζωὴ ἐφάνη· ὁ τοῦ Θεοῦ Υἱὸς ὤν, ὁ ἐκ Θεοῦ Λόγος, σὰρξ ἐγένετο δι' ἡμας, ἵνα θνητοὺς εἰς ζωὴν αἰώνιον ἀναστήσῃ, καὶ ἐκ τῶν νεκρῶν ἀνεγείρῃ· ὁ ποιητὴς τῶν ὅλων, ὁ πρὸ πάσης κτίσεως ὁρατῶν τε καὶ ἀοράτων, μόνῳ Παρτὶ καὶ Πνεύματι συνυπάρχων ἀθάνατος, σήμερον ἰδοὺ ἐκ Παρθένου γεννώμενος, χωρὶς πάσης ἁμαρτίας, ἄνευ ἀνθρώπου, ἤτοι ἀνδρος. Ἀμφιλοχίος Ἐπισκόπος Ἰκονίου, ἐκ τοῦ Περὶ τῆς κατὰ σάρκα γεννήσεως Source: Migne PG 39.100

Truth is known, grace has come, and life has appeared, the Word of God and the Son of God is incarnated for us that mortals be established in eternal life and be raised from the dead; the Creator of all things, before every created thing visible and invisible, with the Father and the Holy Spirit immortally coexisting, behold, today He is born of the Virgin, He who is without sin, without deed of man, man has become. Amphilocius of Iconium, The Generation of the Lord According to the Flesh, Fragment

Virginity And Marriage

Πολλοὶ τῶν μεγάλων ἀνθρώπων τὴν παρθενίαν θαυμάζουσιν· καὶ γάρ ἐστι θαυμαστὴ ὡς τῶν ἀγγέλων σύμφυτος, ὡς τῶν ἄνω δυνάμεων συνόμιλος, ὡς τῶν ἀσωμάτων φύσεων σύνδρομος, ὡς τῆς ἁγίας ἐκκλησίας λαμπαδοῦχος, ὡς τὸν κόσμον νικῶσα, ὡς τὰ πάθη πατοῦσα, ὡς τὰς ὀρέξεις χαλινοῦσα, ὡς τῇ Εὔᾳ μὴ κοινωνοῦσα, ὡς λύπης ἀπηλλαγμένη, ὡς ἁγνείας ἐπειλημμένη, ὡς στεναγμῶν λελυτρωμένη, ὡς τὴν καταδεδικας μένην ἀπόφασιν μὴ προσδεχομένη τὴν φάσκουσαν· Πληθύνων πληθυνῶ τὰς λύπας σου καὶ τὸν στεναγμόν σου· ἐν λύπαις τέξῃ τέκνα καὶ πρὸς τὸν ἄνδρα σου ἡ ἀποστροφή σου, καὶ αὐτός σου κυριεύσει. Θαυμαστὴ τοιγαροῦν ἡ παρθενία ὡς ἀδούλωτον κτῆμα, ὡς ἐλεύθερον ἐνδιαίτημα, ὡς ἀσκητικὸν ἐγκαλλώπισμα, ὡς τῆς ἀνθρωπίνης ἕξεως ἀνωτέρα, ὡς τῶν ἐπ' ἀνάγκαις παθῶν ἀπολυθεῖσα, ὡς συνεισελθοῦσα τῷ νυμφίῳ Χριστῷ εἰς τὸν θάλαμον τῆς τῶν οὐρανῶν βασιλείας. Καὶ τὰ μὲν τῆς παρθενίας κλέη ταῦτα καὶ τὰ παραπλήσια τούτων. Ὁ δὲ τίμιος γάμος ὑπέρκειται παντὸς δώρου γηΐνου, ὡς ἔγκαρπον δένδρον, ὡς ἀστειότατον φυτόν, ὡς ῥίζα τῆς παρθενίας, ὡς γεωργὸς τῶν λογικῶν καὶ ἐμψύχων κλάδων, ὡς εὐλογία τῆς τοῦ κόσμου αὐξήσεως, ὡς παρήγορος τοῦ γένους, ὡς δημιουργὸς τῆς ἀνθρωπότητος, ὡς τῆς θεϊκῆς εἰκόνος ζωγράφος, ὡς τὸν δεσπότην εὐλογοῦντα κεκτημένος, ὡς πάντα τὸν κόσμον φέρειν δεχόμενος, ὡς ἐκείνῳ πολιτευόμενος ὃν καὶ ἐνανθρωπῆσαι ἐδυσώπησεν, ὡς δυνάμενος λέγειν μετὰ παρρησίας· Ἰδού, ἐγὼ καὶ τὰ παιδία ἅ μοι ἔδωκεν ὁ θεός. Περίελε τὸν τίμιον γάμον καὶ οὐχ εὑρήσεις τὸ τῆς παρθενίας ἄνθος· ἔνθεν γὰρ καὶ οὐκ ἄλλοθεν τὸ τῆς παρθενίας ἄνθος ἀναλέγεται. Ταῦτα δὲ λέγοντες οὐ μάχην παρεισβάλλομεν μεταξὺ παρθενίας καὶ γάμου· ἑκάτερα δὲ ὡς ἀλληλόχρεα θαυμάζομεν. Ἐπειδὴ τῶν ἑκατέρων ὁ δεσπότης προνοητής, οὐκ ἀντιταλαντεύει ἕτερον τῷ ἑτέρῳ· πρὸς πάντα γὰρ τὰ ἑκάτερα μέρη τῆς θεοφοβίας ἔχεται. Δίχα γὰρ τῆς εὐσεβοῦς θεοφοβίας οὔτε παρθενία σεμνὴ οὔτε γάμος τίμιος. Ἀμφιλοχίος Ἐπισκόπος Ἰκονίου, εἰς τὴν θεοτόκον καὶ εἰς τὸν Συμεῶνα καὶ Ἄνναν. Λογός Β' Source: Migne 39.44-45

They are many great men who admire virginity, for indeed it is a wonder to share the nature ofangels, to be as an associate of lofty powers, as a companion ofincorporeal nature, as a torch of the holy Church, as one who conquersthe world, as one who treads down passions, as one who binds appetite, as one who has no communion with Eve, as one untouched by sorrow, as one immune togroans, as one loosed from moaning, as one not expecting that decree ofcondemnation which says, 'I shall multiply the multitude of your sorrows and your groans; insorrow you shall birth children, and you shall incline to your man and he shallrule over you.' 1 Thus is virginity a wonder, as a thing knowing no servitude, as a place of freedom, as a honourableascetic discipline, as something superior to human state, as a thingthat frees from pressing passions, as that which enters the wedding chamber with Christ the bridegroomin the kingdom of heaven. And these emblems of virginity things near may have. Indeed marriage is honourable, 2 a over all worldly things, as a fruit bearing tree, as an elegant plant, as the root of virginity, that which produces living and rational branches, as a blessing of growth to the world, as a type ofcomfort, as the Creator of man, as the painter of the Divine image, as that to which the Lord gave blessing, as that which may receive Him who bears the whole world, for Him prepared who descending became man, that it is able to say openly, 'Behold, I and the children which the Lord has given to me.' 3 Take away honourable marriage and you will not find the flower of virginity, because the flower of virginity is not gathered from another. But when we speak of these things, we by no means set up a fight between virginity and marriage, but we admire the different offices of both. Since the provident master of each one does not oppose one to the other, in both piety may be embraced. For without devout piety, neither is virginity venerable nor is marriage honourable. Amphilocius of Iconium, from Oration 2, On The Mother Of God and Simeon and Anna 1 Gen 3.16 2 Heb 13.4 3 Isaiah 8.18