In illud Omnia mihi tradita sunt

On the Text "All Things Have Been Given to Me by My Father, and No One Knows Who the Son Is Except the Father, and Who the Father Is Except the Son, and to Whomsoever the Son Wills to Reveal." Not understanding this, the heretics of Arius, Eusebius and those with him, blaspheme against the Lord. For they say: If all things were given (by "all things" meaning the lordship of creation), then there was a time when he did not have them. But if he did not have them, he is not from the Father. For if he were, he would have had them always, being from him, and he would have had no need to receive them. But from this very point their folly will be refuted all the more. For the saying does not signify the rule over creation or the governance of the works, but it wishes to reveal some meaning of the economy. For if, when he said it was given to him, it is clear that before he received it, creation was empty of the Word. And where is the saying, "All things subsist in him"? But if, at the very moment creation came into being, all was given to him, there was no need of a giving; for all things came into being through him, and it is superfluous for the Lord to be given those things of which he himself is the creator. For he was Lord of the things coming into being while he was making them. But even if it was given to him after they came into being, consider the absurdity. For if it was given, and the Father withdrew when he received it, we risk falling into the mythologies of some, that, having given to him, he himself withdrew. Or if, when the Son has it, the Father also has it, he ought not to have said "it was given," but rather that he took him as a partner, as Paul took Silvanus. But this is even more absurd; for God is not needy, nor did he take the Son to himself for assistance out of need.

But, being Father of the Word, He does everything through Him, and does not hand over creation to Him, but through Him and in Him He provides for creation, so that not even a sparrow falls to the ground without the Father, nor is the grass clothed without God, but when the Father works, the Son also works until now. Therefore the opinion of the impious is vain. For it is not as they suppose, but the saying is indicative of the economy according to the flesh. For since man sinned and fell, and when he fell everything was thrown into confusion, death prevailed from Adam until Moses, the earth was cursed, Hades was opened, paradise was closed, heaven was angered, and finally man was corrupted and became brutish, while the devil leaped against us. Then God, being philanthropic and not wishing the man made in His image to perish, said: "Whom shall I send, and who will go?" And when all were silent, the Son said: "Behold me, send me." And then, saying "Go," He handed over to Him the man, so that the Word Himself might become flesh, and taking up the flesh, might set everything right. For it was handed over to Him, as to a physician, to heal the serpent's bite; as to life, to raise the dead; as to light, to illumine the darkness; and as to the Word, to renew the rational being. So then, when all things were handed over to Him, and He became man, immediately everything was set right and perfected: the earth, instead of being cursed, was blessed; paradise was opened to the thief; Hades cowered, and the tombs were opened, with the dead being raised; the gates of heaven were lifted up, so that the one from Edom might come.

Indeed, wishing to indicate how all things were handed over to him, the Savior himself immediately added, as Matthew says: "Come to me, all you who labor and are burdened, and I will give you rest; for you were handed over to me, so that I might give rest to those who have labored, and give life to those who have died." And what is found in John agrees with this: "The Father loves the Son, and has given everything into his hand." For he has given, so that, just as all things came into being through him, so in him all things might be able to be renewed. For it was not so that he might become rich from being poor that they were handed over to him, nor so that, as if lacking authority, he might receive authority, did he receive all things—far from it! but rather so that, as Savior, he might set all things right. For it was fitting that the beginning of creation should come about through him for the things to come into existence, but the correction in him, the words having a difference. For in the beginning they came into being through him; later, when all things had fallen, the Word became flesh and put it on, so that in him all things might be set right. For by suffering himself he gave us rest, and by hungering himself he fed us, and by descending into Hades he brought us up. At that time, then, when all things were coming into being, there was a command to come into being, such as "let it bring forth" and "let it be"; but for the correction it was fitting that all things be handed over, so that he himself might become man, and in him all things be renewed. For the man, being in him, was given life; for this reason the Word was interwoven with the man, so that the curse might no longer prevail against man.

For this reason, in the seventy-first Psalm, those who petition God concerning the human race say, "God, give your judgment to the king, so that the judgment of death against us, which was against us, may be handed over to the Son, and thereafter he himself may annul it in himself, dying on our behalf." And signifying this, he himself said in the eighty-seventh Psalm, "Your wrath was supported upon me." For he himself bore the wrath against us, as he also says in the one hundred thirty-seventh Psalm, "The Lord will make requital on my behalf." Thus, then, it is possible to understand that all things have been handed over to the Savior, and if one must, after understanding, say again, there have been handed over to him what he did not have. For he was not a man before this, but became so for the sake of saving this one. And the Word was not flesh in the beginning, but later became flesh, in which he also reconciled the enmity toward you, according to the Apostle, and abrogated the law of commandments in doctrines, so that he might create the two into one new man, making peace, and reconcile both in one body to the Father. What the Father has, however, these also belong to the Son, as he says in John, "All that the Father has are mine," the words being very well put. For when he became what he was not, all things are handed over to him; but when he wishes to signify his unity with the Father, he does not conceal it, but teaches, saying, "All that the Father has are mine." And one must marvel at the precision of the statement. For he did not say, "All that the Father has, he has given to me," lest he be shown as once not having them, but that they are mine.

For while these things are in the authority of the Father, they are likewise in that of the Son. But what the Father has must be examined again. For if He signifies creation, then He had nothing before creation, and appears to receive from creation. But let it not be so understood! For just as He Himself is before creation, so also before creation He has what He has, which we believe also belong to the Son. For if the Son is in the Father, then all that the Father has belongs to the Son. And this saying overturns the wickedness of the heterodox who say, "If all things have been handed over to the Son, then the Father has ceased from authority over what was handed over, since He appointed the Son in His place; for the Father judges no one, but has given all judgment to the Son." But let the mouths of those who speak unjustly be stopped; for it is not that because He has given all judgment to the Son, He Himself has been stripped of lordship; nor because it is said that all things have been handed over to the Son by the Father, is He Himself not over all. For those who clearly separate the Only-Begotten from God, who is inseparable in nature, even if in their words these impious ones, raging, separate Him, not understanding that the light of the sun can never be separated, but is naturally in it. For from things at hand and familiar images

using a poor means, one must present the meaning by reason, since it is rash to intrude upon the incomprehensible nature. Just as it can never be thought by those of sound mind that the light from the sun, illuminating the world, could shine without it, since the light from it is united by nature with the sun, and as if the light should say, "I have received from the sun the power to illuminate everything, and to cause everything to grow and strengthen through the heat in me," no one in his right mind would separate the name of the sun from its own nature, which is the light; so it is pious to think that the divine substance of the Word is united by nature with His own Father. For the passage at hand will provide the clearest clarification of the matter in question, since the Savior said, "All that the Father has is mine," which shows that He is always with the Father; for "all that He has" indicates that the Father holds dominion, while "is mine" indicates the inseparable union. Therefore, we must necessarily think that in the Father there is the eternal, the everlasting, the immortal; and these are in Him not as something alien to Him, but as in a source they rest in Him and in the Son. So when you wish to think about the Son, having learned what things are in the Father, believe that these same things are also in the Son. If, then, the Father is a creature or a product, these things are also in the Son; and if it is permissible to say of the Father, "There was once when He was not," that which comes from non-existence, let this also be said of the Son. But if it is impious to say that these things are in the Father, let it also be impious to think these things are in the Son. For what belongs to the Father belongs also to the Son.

For he who honors the Son honors the Father who sent him, and he who receives the Son receives the Father with him; for he who has seen the Son has seen the Father. Therefore, just as the Father is not a creature, so neither is the Son; and just as it is not possible to say of him, "There was once when he was not," or "from non-existence," so it is not fitting to say the same of the Son either. But rather, as in the Father there is eternity, immortality, perpetuity, non-creatureliness, so it is consistent to think also concerning the Son. For according to what is written, "As the Father has life in himself, so he gave also to the Son to have life in himself." And it says "gave" in order to indicate the Father who gives. But as in the Father, so also in the Son is life, in order to teach indivisibility and eternity. For this reason it also says precisely, "All that the Father has," so that, by speaking of the Father here, he might not himself be thought to be the Father. For he did not say, "I am the Father," but, "All that the Father has." For, O Arians, the only-begotten Son is called Father by the Father, not, as you perhaps mistakenly suppose in your error, but he is Son of the Father who begot him, and father of the coming age. For it is necessary to remove all your suspicions. Indeed, he says through the prophet: "A Son was born to us, and was given to us, whose beginning is upon his shoulder, and his name is called Angel of Great Counsel, Mighty God, Ruler, Father of the coming age." Therefore, the Only-begotten is also father of the coming age, and the Son of God exists as Mighty God and Ruler.

And it has been clearly shown that all that the Father has belongs to him, and just as the Father gives life, so also the Son is present to give life to whomever he wishes. For they shall hear, it says, the voice of the Son, and the dead shall live. And there is one will and purpose of Father and Son, since the nature is one and indivisible. And the Arians vainly exhaust themselves, not understanding what was said by our Savior: "All that the Father has is mine." For from this, both the madness of Sabellius is overturned and the folly of the present-day Jews will be refuted. For because of this, the Only-begotten, having life in himself as the Father has, and alone knowing who the Father is, being in the Father and having the Father in himself. For he is an image, and consequently, as in an image, all that is the Father's is in him. For he is a seal of identical type, showing the Father in himself, a living Word, true, power, wisdom, sanctification, and our redemption. For in him we live and move and have our being; and, "No one knows who the Father is except the Son, and who the Son is except the Father." And how do the impious dare to prattle what is not lawful, being men, and not finding how to describe things on earth? But why do I speak of things on earth? Let them tell us of themselves, if they can trace out their own nature. Truly they are rash and self-willed, not trembling at opinions where angels desire to peer, and they are so much higher in nature and rank. For what is nearer than the cherubim or the seraphim?

And yet they do not see, nor do they stand on feet, nor are they bare, but covered as also in their faces they offer the doxology, with unceasing lips glorifying nothing other than the divine and ineffable nature with the thrice-holy. And nowhere has any of the inspired prophets, especially those deemed worthy of such a vision, reported to us that in saying "holy" once with a loud voice, in repeating it a second time with less, and in uttering it a third time in a lower tone, and after this they assign the first sanctification as principal, the second as subordinate, and the third as inferior. But away with the folly of the god-hated and senseless! For the all-hymned, venerable, and worshipful Trinity is one, undivided, and unformed. It is united without confusion, just as the monad is separated without division. For the third of these honored living beings offers the doxology, saying "Holy, holy, holy," indicating the three hypostases as perfect, just as in saying "Lord" they manifest the one essence. Therefore, those who diminish the only-begotten Son of God blaspheme against God, misbelieving his perfection and slandering him as imperfect, and render themselves liable to the greatest punishment. For whoever blasphemes against any of the hypostases will have no forgiveness either in this age or in the one to come. But God is able to open the eyes of their heart for the understanding of the sun of righteousness.

so that, recognizing the one whom they formerly rejected, with intense reasoning of piety they may glorify him together with us, because the kingdom is his—of the Father, and of the Son, and of the Holy Spirit—now and for all eternity. Amen.