Letter 125: To the Magistrates of Zeugmatensis,

To the Magistrates of Zeugmatensis, I know the strength and firmness of your faith, and it fills me with the greatest possible delight. Since we who worship the eternal Trinity form one body, it is only natural that when one member is honored, all the members rejoice together [1 Corinthians 12:26]. I rejoice with you in your struggle for the apostolic doctrines -- you who follow the example of the famous Naboth in matters far more important. Naboth suffered a most unjust death rather than give up the inheritance of his fathers [1 Kings 21]. You are fighting not for vineyards but for divine doctrines, rejecting this new and counterfeit heresy that would darken the bright teaching of the Gospel. You refuse to let the number of the blessed Trinity be either diminished or increased. It is diminished by those who attribute the passion of the Only-begotten to His Godhead. It is increased by those who have the audacity to introduce a second Son. You believe in one Only-begotten, just as in one Father and one Holy Spirit. In the Only-begotten made flesh, you see the human nature He took from us and offered on our behalf. To deny this human nature puts our salvation out of reach. If the Godhead of the Only-begotten is impassible -- as the nature of the Trinity is impassible -- and we refuse to acknowledge a nature that is by its own character able to suffer, then preaching a passion that never happened is empty and pointless. If there is no subject that suffers, how can there be suffering? We declare the divine nature to be impassible -- a point our opponents themselves concede. How then could there be a passion with no subject capable of undergoing it? The great mystery of salvation [the "Economy"] would become a mere illusion, a show rather than reality. That is the fable invented by Valentinus, Bardesanes, Marcion, and Manes [early heretics who denied Christ's true humanity]. The teaching handed down to the churches from the beginning recognizes, even after the incarnation, one Son, our Lord Jesus Christ, and confesses Him to be everlasting God and man made at the end of days. He became man not by changing His Godhead but by assuming manhood. If the divine nature had changed into human nature, it would no longer be what it was -- and those who worship it would be wrong to call Him God. We, on the contrary, recognize the Only-begotten Son of God to be immutable as God, and the very Son of the very God. We have learned from Scripture that "being in the form of God, He took the form of a servant" [Philippians 2:6-7]; He "took on the seed of Abraham" -- not was changed into it -- and shared in our flesh and blood and in a rational, sinless soul. Preserving these for our sinful bodies, He offered His sinless body; for our souls, His soul free from all stain. This is why we have hope in the common resurrection. For the human race will surely share with its firstfruits, and as we have shared with Adam in his death, so with Christ our Savior we shall share in His life. The divine Apostle has taught us plainly: "Now is Christ risen from the dead and become the firstfruits of those who sleep. For since by a man came death, by a man came also the resurrection of the dead; for as in Adam all die, even so in Christ shall all be made alive" [1 Corinthians 15:20-22]. I write not to instruct you but to remind you. I have tried to be brief, but I fear I have exceeded the limits of a letter. I was urged to write by the reverend and godly presbyter and archimandrite Mecimas, who, out of love, has undertaken this long journey, told us of your zeal, and asked me to strengthen it by letter. I have granted his request, and I pray the Lord of all to keep you safe in the faith and make you stronger than the one who sifts us.

Letter 125