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Fragments from the Homily on the Cross

Methodius of Olympus

Fragment 3

About this work

Author: Methodius of Olympus

III.

The Same Methodius: How Christ the Son of God, in a Brief and Definite Time, Being Enclosed by the Body, and Existing Impassible, Became Obnoxious to the Passion.

For since this virtue was in Him

‹ Fragment 2

,

now

it

is

of

the

essence

of

power

to

be

contracted

in

a

small

space

,

and

to

be

diminished

,

and

again

to

be

expanded

in

a

large

space

,

and

to

be

increased

.

But

if

it

is

possible

for

Him

to

be

with

the

larger

extended

,

and

to

be

made

equal

,

and

yet

not

with

the

smaller

to

be

contracted

and

diminished

,

then

power

is

not

in

Him

.

For

if

you

say

that

this

is

possible

to

power

,

and

that

impossible

,

you

deny

it

to

be

power

;

as

being

infirm

and

incapable

with

regard

to

the

things

which

it

cannot

do

.

Nor

again

,

further

,

will

it

ever

contain

any

excellence

of

divinity

with

respect

to

those

things

which

suffer

change

.

For

both

man

and

the

other

animals

,

with

respect

to

those

things

which

they

can

effect

,

energise

;

but

with

respect

to

those

things

which

they

cannot

perform

,

are

weak

,

and

fade

away

.

Wherefore

for

this

cause

the

Son

of

God

was

in

the

manhood

enclosed

,

because

this

was

not

impossible

to

Him

.

For

with

power

He

suffered

,

remaining

impassible

;

and

He

died

,

bestowing

the

gift

of

immortality

upon

mortals

.

Since

the

body

,

when

struck

or

cut

by

a

body

,

is

just

so

far

struck

or

cut

as

the

striker

strikes

it

,

or

he

that

cuts

it

cut

it

.

For

according

to

the

rebound

of

the

thing

struck

,

the

blow

reflects

upon

the

striker

,

since

it

is

necessary

that

the

two

must

suffer

equally

,

both

the

agent

and

the

sufferer

.

If

,

in

truth

,

that

which

is

cut

,

from

its

small

size

,

does

not

correspond

to

that

which

cuts

it

,

it

will

not

be

able

to

cut

it

at

all

.

For

if

the

subject

body

does

not

resist

the

blow

of

the

sword

,

but

rather

yields

to

it

,

the

operation

will

be

void

of

effect

,

even

as

one

sees

in

the

thin

and

subtle

bodies

of

fire

and

air

;

for

in

such

cases

the

impetus

of

the

more

solid

bodies

is

relaxed

,

and

remains

without

effect

.

But

if

fire

,

or

air

,

or

stone

,

or

iron

,

or

anything

which

men

use

against

themselves

for

the

purposes

of

mutual

destruction

—

if

it

is

not

possible

to

pierce

or

divide

these

,

because

of

the

subtle

nature

which

they

possess

,

why

should

not

rather

Wisdom

remain

invulnerable

and

impassible

,

in

nothing

injured

by

anything

,

even

though

it

were

conjoined

to

the

body

which

was

pierced

and

transfixed

with

nails

,

inasmuch

as

it

is

purer

and

more

excellent

than

any

other

nature

,

if

you

except

only

that

of

God

who

begat

Him

?

Notes

1
Apud. Allatium, Diatr. de Methodiorum scriptis, p. 349.