Submission of the Son to the Father
Explanation of the correct meaning of the verse (1 Corinthians 15:28)
And when all things are subjected to him, then the Son himself will also be subjected to him who subjected all things to him, so that God may be all in all.
Saint Gregory of Nyssa
Note: This translation is from the works of the Coptic Church
- introduction
- Refute heretical ideas
- Meaning of submission
- The true meaning of the son's submission
- The goal is to talk about the meaning of submission
- When does human nature submit to complete goodness?
- God is all in all
- Union with Christ
- Christ is the one who works in us
- Close examination of the meaning of words
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introduction:
St. Gregory of Nyssa, in his interpretation of the meaning of “the Son’s submission to the Father” mentioned in the First Epistle to the Corinthians, “And when all things are subjected to Him, then the Son Himself will be subjected to Him who subjected all things to Him” (1 Corinthians 15:28), provides an enlightened and profound vision of this part. In it, he confronts the heretics whom he described as malicious and deceitful, counterfeiters and distorters of the secret meanings spoken by the Apostle Paul, with the aim of stripping the only-begotten Son of his glory. Saint Gregory of Nyssa emphasizes that the word “submission” does not express a single meaning in all cases, but rather it has many different meanings. In this regard, he cites verses from the Old and New Testaments, in order to clarify what he is saying, until he arrives at defining the meaning that the Apostle Paul intended when he spoke about the submission of the Son to the Father. It is clear that his interpretation of this part of the First Epistle to the Corinthians came in response to a letter from someone who wanted to inquire about the meaning of “the Son’s submission to the Father,” and this is what appears at the end of the sermon, when Saint Gregory says: [If the explanation I gave you regarding this subject is sufficient for you, Let us give glory to God].
This sermon is in Patrology Mini PG. 44. 1304-1325 The translation was made from the Greek text published in the Collection of Greek Church Fathers (EPE) published in Thessaloniki 1973, volume 10, pp. 68-107.
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All “the words of the Lord are pure words,” as the prophet says[2]. When the mind is pure from every heretical thought, just as silver is purified by fire, it has this purity as a reflection of the pure words of the Lord and the truth shines within it with a natural radiance. In any case, I believe that we should show the teachings of St. Paul in their full brilliance and purity, for he understood the hidden secrets, and Christ spoke in him. He taught those things that it was natural for the one who had learned from this teacher to know, that is, the Word that was leading and teaching him. The malicious and deceitful are trying to make the divine silver useless, and extinguish the glow of the divine word by mixing it with heretical and false meanings, and they distort the secret meanings spoken by the Apostle Paul. They either do not understand it, or they explain it according to their vision in a false way, in order to become defenders of their evils. Then they claim that the apostolic word that says: “Then the Son himself will be subjected to him who subjected all things to him” is consistent with their vision, in order to deprive the only-begotten Son of his glory. Because the expression of the word “submission,” according to their thought, shows a kind of slavery in submissiveness and submissiveness, and for this reason, it seems to me, we need to examine these words carefully, so that I present the apostolic silver pure, true, and not counterfeit, and even devoid of every filthy and heretical meaning.
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Meaning of submission:
I have confirmed, through reading the Bible, that this expression has great importance and does not express a single meaning in all cases, but sometimes it means one thing, and at other times it means something else. For example, the Bible says: “And slaves must submit to their masters.”[3]. As for the irrational nature, God placed it under the authority of man. The Prophet says about it: “I have placed all things under his feet.”[4]. Regarding those who submitted in wars, he says, “We subjugate the peoples under us and the nations under our feet.”[5]. Also, when he referred to those who were saved by knowledge, he said: “He who subdues peoples.”[6] As if he was speaking from God. What we are examining clearly agrees with what is stated in the sixty-second Psalm: “My soul has waited for (the Lord) for my salvation.”[7]. In addition to all this, we find that our enemies point to what was stated in the letter to Corinth: “Then the Son himself will be subject to him who subjected all things to him.” Because this word is used in many meanings, it is useful to separate each meaning separately, in order to understand the meaning that the Apostle Paul means in his words when he speaks about “submission.”
We have said that in the case of those who forcefully submitted to the victors during periods of war, the meaning of “submission” here declares an involuntary and forced submission to the victors. This means that if the prisoners acquired some power that gave them hope of superiority over their enemies, they would revolt again against The occupiers, considering that submission to enemies is humiliation and disgrace. Also, irrational beings are subject to rational beings in another way, since the nature of irrational beings is devoid of the greatest good, i.e. reason. The fact that there is submission on the part of those who are inferior is considered something characteristic of nature. And all who are subject to the yoke of slavery for legal reasons, even if they have the same dignity in nature, cannot resist the law, and so they accept the position of subjects, forced to submit out of inescapable necessity. However, the goal of our submission, which we offer to God, is salvation, as the prophecy teaches us that says: “My soul waits only for God.” My salvation is from Him.”[8].
So when our opponents cite the words of the Apostle Paul who says that the Son will submit to the Father, the natural result, according to the precise meaning of these words, will be to ask them about the meaning of “submission” that they see and believe should be attributed to the only-begotten Son through this verse (1 Corinthians 15:28). . But they obviously cannot say about the submission of the Son from any explanation of these words. Because he was not an enemy who submitted through war in order to have the hope of escaping captivity and revolt against the occupier, nor according to the vision of irrational animals, which, due to the absence of reason, are obligated according to their nature to submit, just as sheep and cows submit to humans. Nor is it like slaves who are bought, or like slaves who work in homes and who are subject to the rule of law and wait for the sympathy and satisfaction of their masters in order to free them from the yoke of slavery. Nor, for the purpose of salvation, can anyone say that the only-begotten Son is subject to the Father, because this is not true. The goal is to be like humans, hoping and asking God for salvation. Because for the changing human nature that achieves goodness through its participation in divine goodness, submission to God is necessary, because from here comes our participation in goodness, but there is no place for submission in relation to unchanging and unchanging power. So what we meant was to define the full meaning of goodness, i.e. The absolute goodness, the incorruptible, the blessed, the eternal, the one who cannot become better nor become worse. Because in terms of goodness, it does not accept additions and has no tendency towards the worst. He who gives salvation to others does not need anyone to save him.
So what is the precise content that they claim, according to their logic, to attribute to the meaning of submission? Everything we have examined cannot be said specifically about the only-begotten Son. If the matter is needed (clarification), I will add to what we said another type of submission, which was mentioned in the Gospel of Luke, that “he came to Nazareth and was subject to them.”[9]. And that is until the age of twelve, but this is also not appropriate to say about the Son born before all ages, the true God from the true God. But here on earth, he was tempted in every way like humans, and he was without sin[10], and before it crosses all stages of our life. Just as he became a child and ate child-specific food, butter and honey, so when he became a young man, he did not neglect appropriate and appropriate behavior for this age, by becoming an example of submission in this life. Because for others the mind is imperfect in such matters, and youth needs to be led to the best by imitating the most perfect example, and for this reason (Jesus), the twelve-year-old, submitted to his mother. It is right for the one who is perfected and is constantly progressing in grace to accept “submission” to be an example to him on the path of righteousness. As for Him who is always perfect in all goodness, and who in Himself cannot accept either progress or regression, because His nature knows no deficiency or inability, those who speak without foresight will be unable to give a reason for Him to submit. That is, while he was in the flesh while he was mingling with people, he legislated submission through his behavior during childhood so that young people could emulate him, and this became clear in that he later did not care about his mother’s authority when he reached puberty. Because when she urged him to show his strength at the wedding in Cana of Galilee and complete the rich wedding table by providing the wine that had been consumed, he certainly did not refuse to serve those who begged him, but he did not accept his mother’s advice, because it did not come at the right time. appropriate, saying: “What do I have to do with you, woman?”[11]. As if he wanted to say: Do you want to guide me at my age? Isn't it time to give oneself leadership and freedom?
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The true meaning of the son’s submission:
If, according to his physical life, he refused to submit to his mother at this appropriate stage of life, then no one can speak of submission in the life of the One who rules over the world with unlimited power. One of the characteristics of the divine, blessed life is its preservation of its identity, which does not accept any decomposition or transformation. Therefore, as long as the Word, who is from the beginning the only-begotten Son, is far from any progress or transformation, how can this subjection, which does not exist now, exist later, because the Apostle did not write that the Son was always subject to the Father, but that he would submit at the final completion of all something. But if submission is a good thing and worthy of being said about God, then how is this good thing absent from God in this present life? Because in any case it is good for both, for the son who submits and for the father who accepts the son’s submission. Accordingly, this good thing in this present time is absent from the Father and from the Son, and this “submission”, which neither the Father nor the Son had from eternity, will be achieved when times are complete, and the Son submits as a human being and he takes this “submission” in addition to and increase for his glory. This is an addition that he did not have until then. Is it possible that there is submission at one time, and no submission at another time? The submission that occurs later, and does not exist now, is specific to the Son in terms of his humanity. So, if submission is a good thing, then we must trust that this good thing is in God now (i.e. in the present time), but if submission is something that is inappropriate for God, then it will not exist either now or in the future. But the Apostle Paul says that the Son will submit, not that he is submitting now.
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The goal of talking about the meaning of submission:
So does this talk (about submission) have another goal, and another meaning far from the sophistry of heretics? Yes. So what is this talk? Perhaps someone can understand the meaning better if they connect everything written in this part. He criticizes the Corinthians, who accepted faith in the Lord, but considered the doctrine of the resurrection from the dead a myth, so he said to them: “Someone says, ‘How can the dead be raised?’” And with what body do they come?[12], Those whose bodies after death have been destroyed in many different ways, whether by decomposition, by carnivorous birds of prey, or by fish, birds, and quadrupeds? Therefore, he expressed many ideas to them, trying to convince them not to equate God’s power with their strength, nor to attribute human weakness to God, but rather to think about the transcendent divine power, with examples known to us. Thus, he presents to them the wondrous work of the growth of seeds, in their relationship with bodies that are constantly renewed by divine power, and shows that God’s wisdom has not been exhausted, as it is revealed in this universe through tens of thousands of diverse rational and irrational bodies present in the atmosphere and on earth, and all that... Presented to us from heaven, the sun and other stars, each of which, having been created by divine power, becomes evidence that in the resurrection we will put on the body again. That is, if beings were not created from matter that had previously existed, but rather they came into existence by divine will, this means that the possibility of bringing a person back to life again in the form he actually had is much easier than giving entity and essence to what did not exist. the beginning.
So, after he explained to these people that the first man was corrupted or corrupted on earth through his sin, and that is why he was called earthly, the next result accordingly is that all his descendants will become, in succession, earthly and corrupt because they were born of an earthly man. Then he added, as necessary, the second succession, according to which he passed on. Man again from annihilation to immortality, saying in the same way that goodness was planted within nature and was transmitted from one to others, just as evil spread from one to all, through a succession of descendants. To prove this teaching, he uses the following words: “The first man was from the earth, earthy. The second man, the Lord is from heaven. As he is of dust, so also are those of dust. And as He is heavenly, so are those who are heavenly. Just as we have borne the image of the earthy, we will also bear the image of the heavenly.”[13]. With these ideas, and other similar ideas, he confirmed his talk about the resurrection, and invalidated the arguments of the heretics with other ideas by which he proved that whoever does not believe in the resurrection of humans will not accept the resurrection of Christ. Through those who united together in one fabric, he demonstrated the inevitable results, namely: “If there is no resurrection of the dead, then Christ has not been raised.” And if Christ has not been raised, then our preaching is in vain, and your faith is also in vain.”[14]. Since the resurrection of Christ from the dead is a fact, it must be achieved in all cases, and the following and related matter is that there is a resurrection of the dead. Because by establishing evidence for the partial matter, evidence is established for the more general matter. Conversely, if someone says that the general or comprehensive matter is a lie, that is, that which concerns the resurrection of the dead in general, then the partial matter will not be true, that is, with regard to the resurrection of Christ from the dead. Because what is generally impossible to achieve will not be possible for anyone. But for those who have received the Word, the resurrection of Christ from the dead is something they trust and cannot doubt, and it is therefore necessary that belief in the partial resurrection of Christ will apply to belief in the general resurrection.
Thus, he logically obliges them to accept faith (in the resurrection), saying, “Unless there is a resurrection of the dead,” (because this, which does not apply in general, will not be partially possible. If we believe that Christ has risen, then belief in his resurrection becomes proof of the general resurrection. for humans). Then he presents the full evidence of this belief (in the Resurrection), saying, “As in Adam, everyone will die.” Thus in Christ all will live.”[15]. He clearly reveals everything related to this secret, which he announces in the following verses, directing his speech to everyone who has the hope of resurrection, in an inevitable sequence until he reaches this result. Resurrection, then, is the ultimate goal of every change that occurs in us.
I will first present the meaning of what the Apostle Paul wrote, so that we can reach the goal behind writing this part of the letter. So what is the goal that the Apostle Paul is teaching in this section? It aims to explain that the nature of evil will one day be transformed and will disappear completely, and that eternal eternal divine goodness will contain within it every rational nature, and nothing that God has created will fall from the Kingdom of God, when all the evil that has mixed with beings will disappear and dissolve with fire just as adulterated matter dissolves, and all Something that took its existence from God will become as it was in the beginning when it was pure from evil. This matter happened in the following way: The true, pure divinity of the only-begotten Son came into the corrupt and mortal nature of humanity, and there became a union between the divine nature and the human nature as the beginning of dough.[16] One, thus the union between human nature and divine nature was achieved.
Therefore, as long as there is no evil in the nature of the one who did not “work unjustly,” as the Prophet says: “And there was no deceit in his mouth.”[17], sin and its consequences, i.e. death, were destroyed (because death does not come from anything other than sin). The beginning of the disappearance of evil and the dissolution of death came from Christ, and after that what happened required a certain order according to a specific sequence. This means that a person's relationship with goodness, whether he is found at a distance or close to the first (i.e. the first Adam), is a relationship linked to the being who was (i.e. the Word) in terms of the ability and power that he has. So that human life may later be according to Christ, who became “the firstfruits of our nature.”[18], after his humanity was united with his divinity and he became “the firstfruits of those who have fallen asleep”[19], and “firstborn from the dead”[20], who “abolished the pangs of death”[21], and after that, in view of his completely sinless humanity, he is the one who “abolished the power of death.”[22] And “I will abolish all principality and all authority and all power.”[23], And if there was a person - according to the words of the Apostle Paul - who followed in the footsteps of Christ as much as he could, in terms of his distance from evil, then this person would join the firstfruits (i.e., Christ) at the coming of Christ.
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When does human nature submit to complete goodness?
And I say the following about this matter: If Timothy imitated his teacher to the best of his ability, and if any other person like him imitated his teacher, and any subsequent person who comes later and is less good will follow in the footsteps of his teacher, and so on, those who are less Those who are righteous and those who, due to the increase in evil in them, have a small share of righteousness, follow in the footsteps of those who advance in righteousness until they reach them in turn, and in the same way, what achieves this matter is the ranking occupied by those who reach righteousness in relation to those who grow in grace and move away. Of evil compared to those who have been possessed by evil, and when evil reaches its extreme, goodness is achieved and evil disappears. This is certainly the crown of hope, that nothing will remain that is hostile to the pious, but what remains is the divine life. After it prevails over everything, death will completely disappear from humans, as long as sin has been erased, through which death reigned over everyone, as was said.
When all authority and all dominion of evil over us are abolished, when no lust dominates our nature, there is an absolute need for all to submit to Him who is the origin and beginning of all. Submission to God is complete estrangement from sin. So when we all exist according to our imitation of the firstfruits, outside the circle of evil or sin, then our entire nature will be subject to the rule of goodness, as long as it has been united with the firstfruits, and has always become one with it. Thus, after our human nature was united with the immortal divine nature, in His blessed person, the saying “submission of the Son” was fulfilled in us, as long as the submission that was achieved in the flesh was accomplished in the Son, who placed in us the grace of submission.
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God is all in all:
This is the meaning, as I imagine, of what the Apostle Paul taught. But it is appropriate now to present the words of the Apostle Paul himself, which are the following: “For as in Adam all die, so in Christ all will be made alive.” But each one has Christ in his rank, the firstfruits, then those who are Christ's at his coming. And after that the end, when he hands over the kingdom to God the Father, when he abolishes all rule and all authority and all power, because he must reign until he has put all enemies under his feet. The last enemy to be defeated is death. Because he subjected everything under his feet. But when he says that all things have been subjected, it is clear that he is not the one who subjected all things to him. And when all things are subjected to him, then the Son himself also will be subjected to him who subjected all things to him, so that God may be all in all.”[24]. What is noticeable in this last phrase is his clear description of the issue of the disappearance of sin, saying that God will rule over everything and become everything for everyone. That is, it is clear that at that time God's presence will be realized in all when there is no sin within humans. It is certainly not a natural thing for God to come in the midst of sin or evil. God will not be found in all when there is a residual sin in humans. If we are to believe that God truly exists in all, then it will become clear that there is no place for sin in this case. Because it is not possible for God to exist in the midst of evil.
Also, for God to become all in all is proof of the simplicity and uniqueness of the life we hope for. In that this life that we hope for will be completely different from the present life, and this is what he meant by the phrase: “God will be all in all,” and with regard to this life, the transformation towards divine things is a necessary matter for everyone, as God is our food and drink, and also becomes We have clothing, cover, air, place, wealth, pleasure, beauty, health, strength, thought, glory, happiness, and everything related to goodness as prepared for us. So the importance of this speech appears when a person is united with God, so that through this we learn that everyone who is united with God possesses everything because he lives in God. For someone to live in God is nothing other than that he has united with God. There is no other way for anyone to be united with God unless they become one body with Him, as St. Paul says. Meaning that when we unite together in one body, we all become one body of Christ. Therefore, when goodness prevails over all, then the whole body of man will submit to the life-giving power, and thus the submission of his body is said to be submission to the Son who was united with the Church, which is his body, which the Apostle Paul refers to in his letter to the Colossians, saying: “I now rejoice in my sufferings.” For your sake, I fulfill what is lacking in Christ’s afflictions in my body for the sake of his body, which is the church.”[25] To the Church of Corinth he writes: “But you are the body of Christ, and its members individually.”[26]. He mentioned this teaching clearly in his letter to the Ephesians, where he says: “But, speaking the truth in love, we grow in every way into him who is the head, Christ, from whom the whole body is joined together and joined together, and with every joint, according to the working to the measure of every part, there is growth of the body for the edification of it in love.”[27]. Because Christ completes the building of his body (i.e. the Church) through those who continually join in the faith, and he will stop building his body when the growth and perfection of this body reaches his own measure, and nothing will be lacking from this body, after all human beings have been founded on the foundation of the prophets and apostles.[28], and they are united in faith when: “We all come to the unity of faith and knowledge of the Son of God into a complete human being. To the measure of the stature of the fullness of Christ.”[29].
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Union with Christ:
If Christ is the head, and he builds his body with those who continually join (to this body), forming all together and determining for each one, according to his nature and according to the standard of his energy, what is appropriate for him, until he becomes the hand, the foot, the eye, and everything that makes up the body, according to The faith of each one, for by this, his body is built, as was said. It has become clear through all of this, that through His presence in everyone, He accepts into Himself everyone who is united with Him through fellowship in the one body, and He makes everyone members of His body, and even though they are many members, they are one body. Therefore, the One who united us with Him, united with us, and became one with us, made everything that is ours His. The crown of our goodness is in submission to divine things, when all nature conforms to itself: “And at the name of Jesus every knee shall bow, in heaven and on earth and under the earth, and every tongue shall confess that Jesus Christ is Lord, to the glory of God the Father.”[30]. Then, after all become one body, and after all unite among themselves in Christ through submission, here he refers to the submission of his body (i.e., the church) to the Father. So no one should doubt what was said. Because we are also in everything that happens to our body, through a habit, which we attribute to the soul. Like the one who spoke to himself when his country became prosperous, saying to it: “Eat, drink, and be merry.”[31], He refers to the soul when he talks about the satisfaction of the body. Thus, here the submission of the body of the church is attributed to the Son who united with human nature. Because everyone who is united with Him will be saved, and salvation is explained by submission, as our psalms force us to think. According to the logical progression of this section of Corinthians, we are taught to believe that there is nothing outside of those who are saved. This meaning is what is revealed in the words of the Apostle Paul through the nullity of death and the submission of the Son. Because they agree among themselves that death will not exist, and that everything will exist within life. Life is the Son, through whom, according to the apostolic word, all humanity was brought before the Father through His body. His body, as has been said many times, is the entire human nature with which he is united. In this sense, the Master was called a mediator between God and people[32]. Meaning that the mediation was completed in Him who was in the Father and came and dwelt within humanity, that is, everyone exists in Him, and through Him everyone is united with the Father, as He says: “Just as you, Father, are in me and I am in you, so that they also may be one in us.”[33]. The Apostle Paul clearly shows this. As long as the Son who is in the Father has united us with Him, our connection with the Father is achieved through Him.
Indeed, the subsequent verses in the Gospel of John agree with everything he said: “And I gave them the glory that you gave me.”[34]. I believe that talking about glory here is talking about the Holy Spirit, which He gave to the disciples when He breathed on their faces. Because it is certainly not possible for unity to occur among those who are divided, if they are not united by the Holy Spirit. Because: “If anyone does not have the Spirit of Christ, he does not belong to him.”[35]. The Holy Spirit is the glory, as he says in another place when he addresses the Father, saying: “Glorify me, O Father, in yourself with the glory that I had with you before the world existed.”[36]. Because God, the Word, who had the glory of the Father before the creation of the world, became flesh in the last days, and it was necessary that with the union of the Word and the flesh, what belonged to the Word would become the flesh, and this has already happened, for he took the flesh that was the Word before the creation of the world. This is what the Son had, the Holy Spirit. Because there is no one before the ages except the Father, the Son, and the Holy Spirit. That is why he says here: “And I have given them the glory which you gave me, so that they may be one as we are one.” Let us see the words immediately following that in the Gospel (i.e. the Gospel of John): “That they may be one, even as we are one.” “I in them and you in me, so that they may be made perfect into one.”[37]. I imagine that these matters do not need any clarification, what they need is agreement with the meaning at hand, because the words themselves clearly present the teaching regarding these matters: “that they may be one, even as we are one.” Certainly, it is not possible for everyone to become one, just as we are one, if they do not get rid of everything that separates them from each other, and if they do not unite with us in order to be one, as we are one. How can I be among them? Because it is not possible for only I to exist in them, but in any case you must be in them, because we are one. And thus they will be perfected into one, those who were perfected in us. This grace is clearly announced by the Son in the following words, saying, “And you loved them as you loved me.”[38]. That is, the Father loves the Son, and if we exist in the Son, we who became his body through faith in Him, then as a result whoever loves the Son loves his body, and we are his body. So, it has become clear from everything we have said, that the meaning intended by the Apostle Paul in this part of the letter to the Corinthians regarding the submission of the Son to the Father, is to clearly declare the knowledge of God and the salvation that has been achieved for all human nature.
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Christ is the one who works in us:
But the words of the Apostle Paul in this part of Corinthians can become clearer through some of the apostolic meanings in other places, of which I will point out only one, and I will ignore many other testimonies, so as not to give my speech more extension. The Apostle Paul says in his letter to the Galatians: “I have been crucified with Christ, and it is no longer I who live, but Christ lives in me.”[39]. So, if Paul, who was crucified with Christ, does not live himself, but rather lives through Christ, then everything he does, as Paul says, will of course be through Christ in whom he lives. Because the Apostle Paul says that his words are the words of Christ: “For you seek proof of Christ speaking in me.”[40]. The Apostle Paul emphasizes that all his achievements in the preaching work are not his own strength, but he attributes them to the grace of Christ living in him. Therefore, if it is said - according to this vision - that Christ living in him is the one who does and speaks what St. Paul says, then this happened after he was freed from all the bonds of corruption and death, as he had previously been a blasphemer, a persecutor, and a slanderer.[41], His goal became only true righteousness, and in this he submitted and obeyed. Accordingly, Saint Paul’s submission to God is achieved through Christ who resides in him, who speaks goodness within him, and works from within him, and the pinnacle of all righteousness is in “submission” to God. . Now what you have demonstrated for one person will apply logically to all human nature, when it happens, as the Lord says: “And the gospel will be preached to the whole creation.”[42]. Because when everyone gets rid of their old self by their will and deeds, and accepts the Lord within them, then necessarily the one who lives in them (Christ) will be the one who does every good thing they do. The greatest happiness that surpasses everything is in the goodness that has been given to us by refraining from doing evil. There is no other way in which we can turn away from evil unless we unite with God through submission to Him. Accordingly, submission to God is accomplished in the Son who lives in us. If there is something good, it comes from Him, and if there is something good, it comes from Him, as one of the prophets says. So, since you have proven that submission is good and good and comes from the Son, then in all cases the Son is the perfect goodness from whom all goodness springs, as the Prophet says. No one should despise the word “submission,” considering the bad meaning of the word as many see it. Because the Apostle Paul, with his great wisdom, knows how to use words freely, as he believes that this is good and fits the meanings of the words through the connection of his thoughts, even if habit leads to using these words for other, different meanings. From where did he get the use of the phrase “he emptied himself”?[43], “His inexpressible gift”[44], and “faith is disrupted.”[45] And “lest the cross of Christ be suspended.”[46]. When he used these words in his letters, how did he use them? Who can accuse him because he said, “We long for you?”[47], which word shows a loving relationship? How do I use the phrase: “Do not be puffed up”?[48], in order to show that puffiness has nothing to do with love?
Also, the desire for conflict and the love of quarreling, how the Apostle Paul presents it with the word (erqe…a), which means work in exchange for wages, and it is known to everyone that the Bible took the word (šriqoj - eriqe…a) from the word (eriourg…a), which means making wool, We are accustomed to using the word (eriqe…a) to mean being preoccupied with disputes.
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Close examination of the meaning of words:
But Paul does not care about the rigid roots of words, and expresses what he thinks is appropriate for the meaning he wants in whatever words. Whoever carefully examines the words of the Apostle Paul and is not enslaved to the usual use of words, but rather uses them freely in the sense he sees, and without regard at all to custom, can find in it many other things. Thus, here too, the Apostle Paul, regarding the meaning of “submission,” is given a meaning different from the usual general meaning.
The evidence for what I am saying is that not even with regard to the submission of enemies, in relation to this part of the message, it is a forced and involuntary submission, as everyone who is a slave to habit says, but through the word “submission” salvation is revealed in them. Evidence of this is the distinction made by the Apostle Paul regarding the word enmity in this section in two senses. Because he says that among the enemies are those who will submit and those who will be defeated. The natural enemy, death, will be abolished, and sin and its authority and power will be abolished. For another reason, the so-called enemies of God, those who preferred walking in sin to the kingdom of God, will submit. This is what he indicated in the Epistle to the Romans, saying: “For even though we were enemies, we have been reconciled to God.”[49]. The submission he talks about here is called there (that is, in the Epistle to the Romans) “reconciliation,” and both names announce salvation. For just as salvation comes from submission, so in another place he says, “Much more, having been reconciled, shall we be saved by his life.”[50].
So these enemies - as the Apostle Paul says - will submit to God, and death will no longer exist and his authority will be nullified. This is what the word “they will be abolished” means, so that it becomes clear from this that the rule of evil will be completely eradicated, while those who disobeyed, are called enemies of God, these by submission will become lovers of Christ, when they are convinced of Him who says: “We seek as ambassadors for Christ as though God were preaching through us.” . We ask on behalf of Christ, “Be reconciled to God.”[51]. According to the Gospel promise, when they are reconciled, they will be counted as friends and not enemies. He (i.e. the Son) also: “For he must reign until he has put all enemies under his feet.”[52]. As I think, it would be appropriate to understand the word “possess” as “excellent.” Then the powerful will cease to excel in war, when everything that is resistant to goodness disappears, when he gathers all his possessions and presents them to God the Father, uniting everything in him. And saying that He hands over His kingdom to His Father has the same meaning as saying that He leads everyone to God, the One in whom we have access to the Father. So those who were once his enemies, and then are at the feet of God, when death is abolished (since there will be no dead, then of course there will be no death), then through the submission of all of us, which is certainly not understood as the submission of slavery, but is a kingdom that will not Perishable and eternal happiness, then, as the Apostle Paul says, the One who lives within us (i.e. the Son) will submit to God, the One through whom our goodness is perfected and who does to us what is pleasing before God.
According to our mental abilities, we have understood as much as we can this part (i.e., related to the submission of the Son) and related to the great wisdom of Paul, and we wanted to show that the heretics who oppose the faith did not pay attention to the goal of the Apostle Paul for which he wrote these words. Finally, if the explanation I gave you on this topic is enough for you, let us give glory to God. However, if it becomes clear to you that there is something missing in this clarification, I will accept with full desire that you complete what is lacking, if you explain that to us in a message from you, and I pray that the hidden meanings will be revealed through the Holy Spirit.
{/magictabs}
Cover back
When everyone gets rid of their old self by their wills and deeds, and accepts the Lord within them, then necessarily the One who lives in them (Christ) will be the one who does every good thing they do. The greatest happiness that surpasses everything is in the goodness that has been given to us by refraining from doing evil. There is no other way in which we can turn away from evil unless we unite with God through submission to Him. Accordingly, submission to God is accomplished in the Son who lives in us.
By Saint Gregory of Nyssa
Orthodox Center
For Patristic Studies in Cairo
Patristic texts - 89
Translated by: Dr. Said Hakim Yacoub
Review: Dr. Nashi Abdel Shahid
June 2005
The Departure of Saint Athanasius the Apostolic Orthodox Center for Patristic Studies
[01] Side titles from translator mode.
[16] “All the essence of humanity has been given in perfection to God the Creator and the Word of the Father” (The Theology of Thursday).