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| Death brought to nought by the death of Christ. Why then did not Christ die privately, or in a more honourable way? He was not subject to natural death, but had to die at the hands of others. Why then did He die? Nay but for that purpose He came, and but for that, He could not have risen. PREVIOUS SECTION - NEXT SECTION - HELP
§21. Death brought to nought by the
death of Christ. Why then did not Christ die privately, or in a more
honourable way? He was not subject to natural death, but had to die at
the hands of others. Why then did He die? Nay but for that purpose He
came, and but for that, He could not have risen.
Why, now that the common Saviour of all has died
on our behalf, we, the faithful in Christ, no longer die the death as
before, agreeably to the warning of the law; for this condemnation has
ceased; but, corruption ceasing and being put away by the grace of the
Resurrection, henceforth we are only dissolved, agreeably to our
bodies’ mortal nature, at the time God has fixed for each, that
we may be able to gain a better resurrection. 2. For like the seeds
which are cast into the earth, we do not perish by dissolution, but
sown in the earth, shall rise again, death having been brought to
nought by the grace of the Saviour. Hence it is that blessed Paul, who
was made a surety of the Resurrection to all, says: “This
corruptible259 must put on incorruption, and this
mortal must put on immortality; but when this corruptible shall have
put on incorruption, and this mortal shall have put on immortality,
then shall be brought to pass the saying that is written, Death is
swallowed up in victory. O death where is thy sting? O grave where is
thy victory?” 3. Why, then, one might say, if it were necessary
for Him to yield up His body to death in the stead of all, did He not
lay it aside as man privately, instead of going as far as even to be
crucified? For it were more fitting for Him to have laid His body aside
honourably, than ignominiously to endure a death like this. 4. Now, see
to it, I reply, whether such an objection be not merely human, whereas
what the Saviour did is truly divine and for many reasons worthy of His
Godhead. Firstly, because the death which befalls men comes to them
agreeably to the weakness of their nature; for, unable to continue in
one stay, they are dissolved with time. Hence, too, diseases befall
them, and they fall sick and die. But the Lord is not weak, but is the
Power of God and Word of God and Very Life. 5. If, then, He had laid
aside His body somewhere in private, and upon a bed, after the manner of men, it
would have been thought that He also did this agreeably to the weakness
of His nature, and because there was nothing in him more than in other
men. But since He was, firstly, the Life and the Word of God, and it
was necessary, secondly, for the death on behalf of all to be
accomplished, for this cause, on the one hand, because He was life and
power, the body gained strength in Him; 6. while on the other, as death
must needs come to pass, He did not Himself take, but received at
others’ hands; the occasion of perfecting His sacrifice. Since it
was not fit, either, that the Lord should fall sick, who healed the
diseases of others; nor again was it right for that body to lose its
strength, in which He gives strength to the weaknesses of others also.
7. Why, then, did He not prevent death, as He did sickness? Because it
was for this that He had the body, and it was unfitting to prevent it,
lest the Resurrection also should be hindered, while yet it was equally
unfitting for sickness to precede His death, lest it should be thought
weakness on the part of Him that was in the body. Did He not then
hunger? Yes; He hungered, agreeably to the properties of His body. But
He did not perish of hunger, because of the Lord that wore it. Hence,
even if He died to ransom all, yet He saw not corruption. For [His
body] rose again in perfect soundness, since the body belonged to none
other, but to the very Life.E.C.F. INDEX & SEARCH
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