Homilies on Philippians 7.2–7.6

Here those of Marcion's party seize upon the text and say, “See, he did not become man, but ‘being made in the likeness of man’.” But how is it possible to be made in the likeness of men? By putting on a shadow? Then this is a phantom, and not the likeness of a man; for the likeness of a man is another man. And what will you say to John, who says, “The Word became flesh”? But this blessed man himself also says elsewhere, “in the likeness of sinful flesh”. “And being found in fashion as a man.” See, he says, “in fashion” and “as a man”. But this, to be as a man and to be a man in fashion, is not truly being a man; for to be a man in fashion is not to be a man by nature. Do you see with what fairness I set out the arguments of the enemies? For this is a brilliant victory and one won with abundance to spare, when we do not hide what seems strong in their case; for to hide it is deception rather than victory. What, then, do they say (let us take it up again)? “In fashion” is not “by nature”; and “to be as a man”, and “to be in the likeness of a man”, this is not to be a man. Then also “taking the form of a servant” is not taking the form of a servant. So there is a conflict here; and why do you not resolve that one first? For just as you think these words are against us, so we say that one is against you. For he did not say, “as the form of a servant”, nor “in the likeness of the form of a servant”, nor “in the fashion of the form of a servant”, but, “he took the form of a servant”. What, then, is it? For there is a conflict. There is no conflict, God forbid; but what is their cold and ridiculous argument? “He took the form of a servant,” they say, “because he girded himself with the towel and washed the disciples' feet.” Is this the form of a servant? But this is not the form of a servant, but the work of a servant. It is one thing to do the work of a servant and another to take the form of a servant. For why did he not say, “He did the work of a servant,” which was clearer? Nowhere in Scripture is “form” said instead of “work”; for the difference is great: the one belongs to nature, the other to activity. And in ordinary usage too we nowhere take “form” to mean “work”. Besides, according to them he did not even do the work, nor did he gird himself. For if the thing was an appearance, it was not reality. If he did not have hands, how did he wash? If he did not have a waist, how did he gird himself with the towel? And what garments did he take? “For he took his garments,” it says. So just as the work is not found to have happened here, but it is only a deception, so neither did he wash the disciples' feet. For if the incorporeal nature did not appear, it was not in a body. Who, then, washed the disciples? What, again, shall we say to Paul of Samosata? And what did he say, someone asks? He says the same; but this is not emptying, that one who is of human nature and a mere man should wash his fellow servants. For what we said to the Arians must be said to these too; for they differ from one another in nothing but a little time; for both these and those say that the Son of God is a creature. What, then, shall we say to them? If a man washed men, he did not empty himself, he did not humble himself; if, being a man, he did not seize being equal with God, he is not praiseworthy. For God to become man is great humiliation, unspeakable, indescribable; but for one who is a man to do the things of men, what humiliation is that? And where is the form of God called a work of God? For if he was a mere man and is called the form of God because of his works, why do we not say the same of Peter? For he did greater works than he. Why do you not say of Paul too that he had the form of God? Why did Paul not bring in the example from himself, he who did countless servile things and refused nothing? For he says, “For we do not preach ourselves, but Christ Jesus as Lord, and ourselves as your servants for Jesus' sake.” These things are laughable and nonsense. “He emptied himself,” he says. How did he empty himself, tell me, and what is the emptying, and what the humiliation? Is it because he worked miracles? But Paul did this, and Peter too; so this is not peculiar to the Son. What, then, is it that he says, “being made in the likeness of men”? He had many things of ours, and many he did not have: for example, he was not born of intercourse; for example, he did not commit sin. These belonged to him which belong to no human being. He was not only what appeared, but also God. For he appeared as a man, but he was not like the many, even if he was like them in the flesh. This, then, is what he says, that he was not a mere man; that is why he says, “in the likeness of men”. We are soul and body; but he is God and soul and body. That is why he says, “in the likeness”. For so that you may not, hearing that “he emptied himself”, think of a change and a falling away and some annihilation, remaining what he was, he says, he took what he was not; and having become flesh, he remained God the Word. So in this respect he was like a man; and that is why he says, “and in fashion”, not meaning that the nature changed or that there was some confusion, but that he came to be in fashion. For having said, “he took the form of a servant”, he was thereafter bold to say this too, since that stops everyone's mouth. Since also when he says, “in the likeness of sinful flesh”, he does not mean that he did not have flesh, but that that flesh did not sin, but was like the sinful. Like in what? In nature, not in wickedness; that is why it was like a sinful soul. As there, then, the “like” is because not everything is equal, so here too “likeness” is because not everything is equal: for example, not being born of intercourse, being without sin, not being a mere man. And well did he say, “as a man”; for he was not one of the many, but as one of the many. For God the Word did not change into a man, nor was his substance changed, but he appeared as a man, not deluding us with appearances, but training us to humility. When, then, he says, “as a man”, this is what he means; since elsewhere too he calls him a man, when he says, “One God, and one mediator, the man Christ Jesus.” We have spoken against these too; and to those who say that he did not take a soul it is necessary to say: if the form of God is perfect God, the form of the servant too is a perfect servant. Again the discourse turns to the Arians. “Being in the form of God,” he says, “he did not count it robbery to be equal with God.” Here, about the Godhead, nowhere “became”, nowhere “took”; but “he emptied himself, taking the form of a servant, being made in the likeness of men.” Here, about the humanity, “took” and “became”. This he became, this he took; that he was. Let us not, then, confuse, nor separate. One God, one Christ, the Son of God. And when I say “one”, I mean union, not confusion, not of this nature changing into that one, [but united with it]. “He humbled himself, becoming obedient to death, even the death of the cross.” “See,” he says, “he became obedient; he was not equal to the one he obeyed.” This does not make him less at all, you ungrateful and senseless people; for we too often obey friends, and this makes us in no way less. As Son he obeyed the Father willingly, not falling into the rank of a servant, but by this very thing above all preserving the wonder of his genuine sonship, by his great honour toward the Father. He honoured the Father, not so that you might dishonour him, but so that you might admire him the more, so that from this too you might learn that he is a genuine Son, by honouring the Father most of all. No one has so honoured God. As great as was his height, so great a humiliation he underwent in counterpoise. As he is greater than all, and no one is equal to him, so too in honour toward the Father he surpassed all, not compelled, nor unwilling. And this too belongs to his virtue, which I do not know how to describe. Ah! It is a great thing even to become a servant, and quite unspeakable; but to undergo death too is again much more. But there is another thing greater and more wonderful than this. What is it? That not every death is alike. For this one seemed the most shameful of all, this one full of disgrace, this one accursed: “For cursed,” it says, “is everyone who hangs on a tree.” That is why the Jews too were eager to destroy him by this, so as to make him disgraceful, so that even if no one turned away from him because he was put to death, they would because he was put to death in this way. That is why two robbers were crucified with him, one on each side, so that he might share their reputation, and so that what was said might be fulfilled, “And he was numbered with the lawless.” But by so much the more the truth shines, by so much it becomes more radiant. For when there are so many contrivances by the enemies against his glory, and yet it shines through, the wonder is shown to be greater. For not only by killing him, but by killing him in this way, they thought to make him abominable and to show him more abominable than all; and they could do nothing. And both the robbers were so wicked (for afterwards one of them repented) that even on the cross they reviled him; and neither the consciousness of their own sins, nor being under punishment, nor suffering the same things themselves, restrained their madness. That is what the one said to the other, stopping his mouth: “Do you not even fear God, since we are under the same sentence?” Such was their wickedness. But nothing of his own glory was impaired by this. That is why he says, “Therefore God also highly exalted him and gave him the name which is above every name.”

4. When blessed Paul lays hold of the flesh, he then speaks of all the lowly things without fear. For as long as he had not said that he took the form of a servant, but was discussing the Godhead, see how loftily he speaks (loftily, I mean, as far as he is able; for he does not speak according to his dignity, nor can he): “Being in the form of God,” he says, “he did not count it robbery to be equal with God.” But when he had said that he became man, he thereafter speaks of lowly things without fear, confident that it does no harm to the Godhead for lowly things to be said, since his flesh receives them. “Therefore God also highly exalted him and gave him the name which is above every name, that at the name of Jesus every knee should bow, of things in heaven and things on earth and things under the earth, and every tongue confess that Jesus Christ is Lord, to the glory of God the Father.” Let us say to the heretics: if these things are said of one who was not made flesh, if of God the Word, how did he highly exalt him? As having given him something more? Then he was imperfect in this respect, and became perfect because of us. For if he had not done us good, he would not have obtained the honour. “And gave him,” he says, “a name.” See, according to you he did not even have a name. And how, if he received a debt, is he found to have received it by grace and gift, and “the name which is above every name”? And let us see what name … “That at the name of Jesus Christ,” he says, “every knee should bow.” They call the glory a name. This glory, then, is above all glory; and glory, in short, is to worship him. You are far from God's majesty, you who think you know God as he knows himself. From this it is clear how far you are from the knowledge of God; and it is clear from this too. Is this glory, tell me? Then before men came to be, before the angels, before the archangels, he was not in glory. For if this is the glory, the glory above all glory (for this is “above every name”), even if he was in glory, it was in a lesser one than this. Then for this reason he made the things that exist, so that he might come to be in glory, no longer out of goodness, but as needing glory from us. Do you see the folly? Do you see the impiety? If they said these things about the one made flesh, it would make sense; for God the Word allows these things to be said of the flesh; for it does not touch the nature, but the whole concerns the dispensation. But as it is, said about the Godhead, there is no pardon for those who … God made man immortal; even if I speak of the whole, I know what I say. What is “of things in heaven and things on earth and things under the earth”? That is, the whole world, angels and men and demons; or that both the righteous and sinners. “And every tongue confess that Jesus Christ is Lord, to the glory of God the Father.” That is, that all should say this; and this is the glory of the Father. Do you see that everywhere, when the Son is glorified, the Father is glorified? So too when the Son is dishonoured, the Father is dishonoured. For if this is so with us, where the difference between fathers and sons is great, much more with God, where there is no difference, both honour and dishonour pass over to him. For if the world is subjected to the Son, he says, this is the glory of the Father. Then also when we say that he is perfect, lacking nothing, that he is not less than the Father, this is the glory of the Father. This too is a great proof of his power, goodness, and wisdom, that he begot such a Son, in no way less, either in goodness or in wisdom. When I say that he is wise as the Father and in no way less, this is a proof of the Father's great wisdom; when I say that he is powerful as the Father, this is a proof of his power; when I say that he is good as the Father, this is the greatest sign of his goodness, that he begot such a one, in nothing lacking or falling short of him; when I say that he is not less in substance but equal, nor of another substance, in this again I admire God, and his power and goodness and wisdom, that he has shown us another such as himself from himself, except for being Father. So whatever great things I say about the Son pass over to the Father. For if this small and slight thing (for it is small compared with God's glory that the world should worship him) becomes the glory of God, how much more all the rest.

Let us, then, believe to his glory, and live to his glory; for one is of no use without the other. So when we glorify him rightly but do not live rightly, then above all we insult him, because while enrolling ourselves under him as Master and Teacher we despise him and do not fear his fearful judgment seat. For it is no wonder that pagans live impurely, nor does it deserve such condemnation; but that Christians, who share in such great mysteries and enjoy such great glory, should live so impurely, this is the worst of all and unbearable. For tell me: he obeyed with the uttermost obedience; therefore he received the honour on high. He became a servant; therefore he is Master of all, both of angels and of all others. So let us too not think that we come down from our dignity when we humble ourselves. For then above all it is possible to be exalted, and rightly; then above all to be admired. For that the lofty man is lowly and the lowly man lofty, Christ's declaration that says so is enough; yet let us also examine the thing itself. What is it to be humbled? Is it not to be blamed, accused, and slandered? And what is it to be exalted? Is it not to be honoured, praised, glorified? Good. Let us see, then, how this comes about. Satan was an angel; he exalted himself. What then? Was he not humbled more than all? Does he not have the earth as his place? Is he not accused and slandered by all? Paul, being a man, humbled himself. What then? Is he not admired? Is he not praised? Is he not extolled? Is he not Christ's friend? Did he not do greater things than Christ did? Did he not many times command the devil like a captured slave? Did he not … him about like an executioner? Did he not make sport of him? Did he not hold his head crushed under his own feet? Did he not with great boldness pray that others too might do this? Why do I say these things? Absalom exalted himself; David humbled himself. Which, then, became lofty? Which glorious? For what is humbler than the words this blessed prophet spoke about Shimei, saying, “Let him curse; for the Lord has commanded him”? And let us examine it in actual cases, if you please. The tax collector humbled himself, although the thing was not even humility, but he spoke what he said with a sense of his due. The Pharisee exalted himself. But, if you please, leaving persons aside, let us examine the things. Let there be two men, both rich and sharing great honour, and in wisdom and power and the other worldly advantages; and let one of them seek honours from all, and if he does not receive them, be indignant, and exalt himself; and let the other despise the thing, be annoyed with no one about it, and push away honour when it is given. Which, then, is greater: the one who does not receive and seeks it, or the one who despises even those who give it? Clearly the latter; and rightly. For it is not possible to obtain glory otherwise than by fleeing glory. As long as we pursue it, it flees us; but when we flee it, it pursues us. If you wish to be glorious, do not desire glory; if you wish to be lofty, do not make yourself lofty. And besides, all honour the one who does not aim at honour, but spurn the one who seeks it; for the human race is somehow by nature contentious and contrary. So let us despise glory; for in this way we shall be able to become lowly, or rather lofty. Do not exalt yourself, so that you may be exalted by another. The one exalted by himself is not exalted by others; the one humbled by himself is not humbled by others. Arrogance is a great evil; it is better to be a fool than arrogant. For there the folly belongs only to the mind's derangement, but here it is worse; for it is folly with madness. The fool is an evil to himself, but the arrogant man is a plague to others too. This passion is born of senselessness. It is not possible to be high-minded without being a fool; and one who is full of folly is arrogant. Hear a wise man saying, “I saw a man who seemed to himself to be wise; a fool has more hope than he.” Do you see that I did not say without reason that the evil is worse than folly? “For a fool,” it says, “has more hope than he.” That is why Paul too said, “Do not be wise in your own estimation.” Tell me, among bodies, which do we say are healthy? Those that have great bulk and are full inside of much wind and water, or those that are restrained and have a reduced surface? Clearly the latter. So also with the soul: the one that is swollen has a disease worse than dropsy, but the one that is restrained is free of every passion. How many good things, then, does humility bear for us! What do you want? Forbearance, freedom from anger, kindness, sobriety, attentiveness? All these good things come from humility, and their opposites from arrogance. For such a man must be insolent, violent, irascible, bitter, sullen, a beast rather than a man. Are you strong, and do you think highly of yourself? Then for this reason you ought rather to be humble. Why do you think highly of yourself over a thing of no account? For a lion is bolder than you, a boar stronger, and you are not even a gnat compared with them; and robbers too, grave-robbers, gladiators, your own servants, and perhaps the more senseless, are stronger than you. Is this, then, worthy of praise? Will you not bury yourself for thinking highly of yourself over this? But you are handsome and beautiful? That is the boast of crows. You are not more beautiful than the peacock, neither for colour nor for feathers; in these the victory goes to the bird; it far outstrips you in plumage, in colour. The swan too is very beautiful, and many other birds; compared with them you will see yourself as nothing. And often worthless boys, unmarried girls, prostitutes, and effeminate men have had this boast. Is this, then, worth arrogance?

But are you rich? From where? Possessing what? Gold, silver, precious stones? This is the boast of robbers and murderers too, and of those who work the mines. The toil of the condemned, this is your boast! … one can see horses decked out; and among the Persians one might see even camels decked out; and among human beings, all those on the stage. Are you not ashamed, then, to think highly of yourself over things in which irrational animals share with you, and slaves, murderers, effeminate men, robbers, and grave-robbers? But you build splendid houses? And what of it? Many jackdaws live in more splendid ones and have more stately lodgings. Or do you not see those mad about money, who have built houses in fields and desert places, lodgings for jackdaws? But do you think highly of yourself because of your voice? You will never be able to sing more sweetly than the swan and the nightingale. Or of the intricacy of your craft? And what is wiser in this than the bee? What embroiderer, what painter, what geometer will be able to imitate its works? Or of the fineness of your clothing? But here spiders beat you. Or of the swiftness of your feet? Again the first place goes to the irrational animals, the hare and the gazelle, and all the beasts that do not fall behind in swiftness of foot. But you travel abroad? But not more than the birds; for they travel more easily: they need no provisions or pack animals; their wings are enough for everything. This is their ship, this their pack animal, this their carriage, this their wind, and anything one might name. But you see sharply? But not like the gazelle or the eagle. You hear sharply? But the ass more sharply. You have a keen sense of smell? But the dog does not let you get past him. You are good at providing for yourself? But you fall behind the ant. You wear gold? But not as the Indian ants do. As for health? The irrational animals are far better off than we, both in vigour and in abundance; they do not fear poverty. “For look,” it says, “at the birds of the sky: they neither sow nor reap nor gather into barns.” Then, someone says, God made the irrational animals better than us. Do you see how great is the thoughtlessness? Do you see the lack of examination? Do you see how much the examination of things gives us? The one who thought more of himself than all men was found humbler even than the irrational animals. But let us spare him; let us not punish him, nor, since he thought more of himself than our nature allows, bring him down to the rank of irrational animals and leave him there; but let us raise him up from there, not for his sake (for he deserves to suffer such things), but so that God's love for humankind and the honour he has shown us may be displayed. For there are, there are things in which the irrational animals have no share with us. What are these? Godliness, and the life of virtue. Here you cannot name fornicators, or effeminate men, or murderers; for we are set apart from them. What is this? We know God, we recognize his providence, we philosophize about immortality; here let the irrational animals give way. In these they have nothing in common with us. For though we fall short of them all, we rule them. In this the rule is greater, that though we fall short of them, we reign over them; so that you may learn that you are not the cause of this, but God who made you and gave you reason. We set nets and traps for them, and throw them in, and master them. Among us there is self-control, gentleness, meekness, contempt of money. But since you, being one of the arrogant, have none of these, it is natural that you think either more highly of yourself than of men, or lower even than the irrational animals. For such is arrogance and rashness: it either exalts itself beyond what is fitting, or is humbled again likewise, nowhere keeping due measure. In this respect we are equal to angels: a kingdom has been promised us, the company of the choir with Christ. A man [suffers ill] and does not give way; a man despises death, does not tremble, is not afraid, does not aim at having more. So all who are not such are worse than the irrational animals. For when you have the advantage in bodily things but do not have the advantages of the soul, how are you not worse than the irrational animals? Bring into the midst one of those more irrational in wickedness, of those who live in luxury and greed: the horse is more warlike than he, the boar stronger, the hare swifter, the peacock more beautiful, the swan more melodious, the elephant larger … From where, then, are you worthy to rule the irrational animals? From reason? But it is not so. For when you do not use it as you ought, again you are worse than they; for when, having reason, you are more irrational than they, it would have been better if you had not been made rational at all. For it is not the same to betray a rule one has received and not to have received it at the wrong time. A king who is worse even than his bodyguards would have done better not to put on the purple at all. So it is here too. Knowing, then, that without virtue we are worse even than the irrational animals, let us practise it, so that we may become men, or rather angels, and enjoy the promised good things, by the grace and love for humankind of our Lord Jesus Christ, with whom to the Father together with the Holy Spirit be glory, power, honour, now and always and to the ages of ages. Amen.