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Translated by W. Moore and H. A. Wilson
St Gregory of Nyssa Resources Online and in Print
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This Part: 128 Pages
Page 115
ยง8. He further very appositely expounds the meaning of the term "Only-Begotten," and of the term "First born," four times used by the Apostle.
The mighty Paul, knowing that the Only-begotten God, Who has the pre-eminence in all things [327] , is the author and cause of all good, bears witness to Him that not only was the creation of all existent things wrought by Him, but that when the original creation of man had decayed and vanished away [328] , to use his own language, and another new creation was wrought in Christ, in this too no other than He took the lead, but He is Himself the first-born of all that new creation of men which is effected by the Gospel. And that our view about this may be made clearer let us thus divide our argument. The inspired apostle on four occasions employs this term, once as here, calling Him, "first-born of all creation [329] ," another time, "the first-born among many brethren [330] ," again, "first-born from the dead [331] ," and on another occasion he employs the term absolutely, without combining it with other words, saying, "But when again He bringeth the first-born into the world, He saith, And let all the angels of God worship Him [332] ." Accordingly whatever view we entertain concerning this title in the other combinations, the same we shall in consistency apply to the phrase "first-born of all creation." For since the title is one and the same it must needs be that the meaning conveyed is also one. In what sense then does He become "the first-born among many brethren?" in what sense does He become "the first-born from the dead?" Assuredly this is plain, that because we are by birth flesh and blood, as the Scripture saith, "He Who for our sakes was born among us and was partaker of flesh and blood [333] ," purposing to change us from corruption to incorruption by the birth from above, the birth by water and the Spirit, Himself led the way in this birth, drawing down upon the water, by His own baptism, the Holy Spirit; so that in all things He became the first-born of those who are spiritually born again, and gave the name of brethren to those who partook in a birth like to His own by water and the Spirit. But since it was also meet that He should implant in our nature the power of rising again from the dead, He becomes the "first-fruits of them that slept [334] " and the "first-born from the dead [335] ," in that He first by His own act loosed the pains of death [336] , so that His new birth from the dead was made a way for us also, since the pains of death, wherein we were held, were loosed by the resurrection of the Lord. Thus, just as by having shared in the washing of regeneration [337] He became "the first-born among many brethren," and again by having made Himself the first-fruits of the resurrection, He obtains the name of the "first-born from the dead," so having in all things the pre-eminence, after that "all old things," as the apostle says, "have passed away [338] ," He becomes the first-born of the new creation of men in Christ by the two-fold regeneration, alike that by Holy Baptism and that which is the consequence of the resurrection from the dead, becoming for us in both alike the Prince of Life [339] , the first-fruits, the first-born. This first-born, then, hath also brethren, concerning whom He speaks to Mary, saying, "Go and tell My brethren, I go to My Father and your Father, and to My God and your God [340] ." In these words He sums up the whole aim of His dispensation as Man. For men revolted from God, and "served them which by nature were no gods [341] ," and though being the children of God became attached to an evil father falsely so called. For this cause the mediator between God and man [342] having assumed the first-fruits of all human nature [343] , sends to His brethren the announcement of Himself not in His divine character, but in that which He shares with us, saying, "I am departing in order to make by My own self that true Father, from whom you were separated, to be your Father, and by My own self to make that true God from whom you had revolted to be your God, for by that first-fruits which I have assumed, I am in Myself presenting all humanity to its God and Father."
[327] Cf. Col. i. 18
[328] Cf. Heb. viii. 13, whence the phrase is apparently adapted.
[329] Col. i. 15.
[330] Rom. viii. 29.
[331] Col. i. 18 (cf. Rev. i. 5).
[332] Heb. i. 6.
[333] Cf. Heb. i. 14
[334] 1 Cor. xv. 20.
[335] Col. i. 18.
[336] Cf. Acts ii. 24. See note 2, p. 104, supra.
[337] The phrase is not verbally the same as in Tit. iii. 5.
[338] Cf. 2 Cor. v. 17
[339] Cf. Acts iii. 15
[340] Cf. S. John xx. 17: the quotation is not verbal.
[341] Cf. Gal. iv. 8
[342] Cf. 1 Tim. ii. 5
[343] The Humanity of Christ being regarded as this "first-fruits:" unless this phrase is to be understood of the Resurrection, rather than of the Incarnation, in which case the first-fruits will be His Body, and analabon should be rendered by "having resumed."
Reference address : https://www.elpenor.org/nyssa/against-eunomius.asp?pg=115
