NPNF2-08. Basil: Letters and Select Works - Holy Bible Institute

In how many ways “Through whom” is used; and in what sense “with whom” is moresuitable. Explanation of how the Son receives a commandment, and how He is sent.What then is meant by “became subject”? 902 What by “delivered him up for us all”? 903It is meant that the Son has it of the Father that He works in goodness on behalf of men.But you must hear too the words, “Christ hath redeemed us from the curse of the law;” 904and “while we were yet sinners, Christ died for us.” 905Give careful heed, too, to the words of the Lord, and note how, whenever He instructsus about His Father, He is in the habit of using terms of personal authority, saying, “I will;be thou clean;” 906 and “Peace, be still;” 907 and “But I say unto you;” 908 and “Thou dumband deaf spirit, I charge thee;” 909 and all other expressions of the same kind, in order thatby these we may recognise our Master and Maker, and by the former may be taught theFather of our Master and Creator. 910 Thus on all sides is demonstrated the true doctrinethat the fact that the Father creates through the Son neither constitutes the creation of theFather imperfect nor exhibits the active energy of the Son as feeble, but indicates the unityof the will; so the expression “through whom” contains a confession of an antecedent Cause,and is not adopted in objection to the efficient Cause.15with the human nature in our Lord, and remains invisible. On the word χαρακτήρ vide Suicer, and on μορφήArchbp. Trench’s New Testament Synonyms and Bp. Lightfoot on Philippians ii. 6.902 Phil. ii. 8.903 Rom. viii. 32.904 Gal. iii. 13.905 Rom. v. 8.906 Matt. viii. 3.907 Mark iv. 39.908 Matt. v. 22, etc.909 Mark ix. 25.910 There is a difficulty in following the argument in the foregoing quotations. F. Combefis, the FrenchDominican editor of Basil, would boldly interpose a “not,” and read ‘whenever he does not instruct us concerningthe Father.’ But there is no ms. authority for this violent remedy. The Benedictine Editors say all is plain if werender “postquam nos de patre erudivit.” But the Greek will not admit of this.170