Anf-03 v.iv.vi.xx Pg 6
Phil. i. 18.
because one Christ alone was announced, whether in their “pretentious” or their “truthful” faith. For it was to the faithfulness of their preaching that he applied the word truth, not to the rightness of the rule itself, because there was indeed but one rule; whereas the conduct of the preachers varied: in some of them it was true, i.e. single-minded, while in others it was sophisticated with over-much learning. This being the case, it is manifest that that Christ was the subject of their preaching who was always the theme of the prophets. Now, if it were a completely different Christ that was being introduced by the apostle, the novelty of the thing would have produced a diversity (in belief.). For there would not have been wanting, in spite of the novel teaching,6100 6100 Nihilominus.
men to interpret the preached gospel of the Creator’s Christ, since the majority of persons everywhere now-a-days are of our way of thinking, rather than on the heretical side. So that the apostle would not in such a passage as the present one have refrained from remarking and censuring the diversity. Since, however, there is no blame of a diversity, there is no proof of a novelty. Of course6101 6101 Plane.
the Marcionites suppose that they have the apostle on their side in the following passage in the matter of Christ’s substance—that in Him there was nothing but a phantom of flesh. For he says of Christ, that, “being in the form of God, He thought it not robbery to be equal with God;6102 6102 Compare the treatise, De Resur. Carnis, c. vi. (Oehler).
but emptied6103 6103 Exhausit ἐκένωσε.
Himself, and took upon Him the form of a servant,” not the reality, “and was made in the likeness of man,” not a man, “and was found in fashion as a man,”6104 6104
Npnf-201 iv.vi.iii.lviii Pg 3
Npnf-201 iv.vi.iii.lviii Pg 3
Anf-01 ix.iv.xix Pg 8
1 Cor. i. 23.
and adds, “The cup of blessing which we bless, is it not the communion of the blood of Christ?”3638 3638
Anf-03 iv.ix.x Pg 15
See Rom. ix. 32, 33, with Isa. xxviii. 16; 1 Cor. i. 23; Gal. v. 11.
if it had been nakedly predicted; and the more magnificent, the more to be adumbrated, that the difficulty of its intelligence might seek (help from) the grace of God.
