126.（6）十字架受难是主作为最伟大的先知所经受的终极试探，也是荣耀其人性，即将其与父的神性融合的途径；但十字架受难并非救赎本身。主降世有两个目的：救赎并荣耀祂的人身；祂以此拯救人类和天使。这两个目的截然不同，然而在实现救赎的过程中却合而为一。在前面章节已说明何为救赎行为，也就是说，救赎行为就是与诸地狱的争战，征服地狱，重整天堂秩序。但荣耀则是主的人性与其父的神性的合一。这个过程是逐步进行的，最后通过祂的十字架受难完成。因为人这一方应靠近神；人靠得越近，神这一方就越进入他里面。这类似于建教堂：这教堂必须首先借助人手建起来；然后被祝圣，最后要祷告，祈求神同在，并将祂自己与会众结合起来。结合本身是通过十字架受难实现的，因为那是主在世时所经历的终极试探；试探创造了结合。在试探中，人看似孤单一人，但他并非如此。因为那时，神最亲密地临在于他的至内在，暗中给他支持。因此，人若战胜了试探，就会与神有内在的结合，就象主在试探中与其父神有至内在的合一那样。主在十字架上受难时，也是孤身一人，这一点从祂在十字架上的喊声明显看出来：
神啊，你为什么离弃我？（马太福音27:46）
也可从主的这些话看出来：
没有人夺我的命去，是我自己舍的。我有权柄舍了，也有权柄取回来。这是我从我父所受的命令。（约翰福音10:18）
从这些经文可以看出，主所受的苦难是就其人性而言的，而非就其神性而言的；至内在，因而完全合一由此实现。这一点也可通过以下事实说明，人在肉体中受苦时，他的灵魂不会受苦，只是有点忧伤；得胜之后，神会拿走这忧伤，将其抹除，如同人擦去眼中的泪水。
126. (6)十字架受難是主作為至大先知所承受的終級試探; 這是榮耀祂人性的途徑, 也就是與祂父的神性聯合; 因此, 十字架受難並非救贖。
主降世為了兩件事情,並藉著這兩件事來拯救人類和天人:救贖和榮耀(祂的人身)。這二者完全不同, 但一同貢獻于拯救時, 二者如一。
之前我們已說明什麼是救贖:與地獄戰鬥, 征服地獄, 然後重建天國。而榮耀, 是主的人性與上帝的神性之聯合。這個過程是逐步進行的, 最後完成於祂的十字架受難。
所有人當盡自己之力去向上帝靠近, 越是這樣靠攏, 上帝就越向人靠近並進入人的裡面。類似教堂的建立:首先必須是人手建造, 然後祝聖, 最後說出禱告,求上帝同在並與會眾聯合。
主的神性與人性的聯合, 通過十字架受難而完全達成, 因為十字架受難是主在地上承受屬靈試探的終極。屬靈的試探帶來與上帝的逐步聯合。在試探中, 看起來人被置之不理, 但並非如此, 因為上帝在人的最深處與他緊密同在, 並暗中給予支持。因此無論何人, 只要戰勝試探, 就在至深層次與上帝建立某種聯合的關係。對主來說, 在至深的層次, 祂與上帝——祂的父——聯合。
當祂在十字架上受苦時, 祂仿佛被置之不理, 從祂的喊叫可看出:"上帝啊, 為什麼離棄我？"(馬太福音27:46)。也可從下面主所說的看出:"沒有人奪我的命去, 是我自己舍的。我有權柄舍了, 也有權柄取回來。這是我從我父所受的命令"(約翰福音10:18)。
從這些經文可證明, 主並非在祂的神性中受難, 而是祂在人性中。然後, 至深的聯合,完全的聯合, 成就了。
這就好比一個人遭受身體上的痛苦, 並非他的靈魂在忍受, 靈魂頂多是感覺痛苦而已。在得勝之後, 上帝安慰人的痛楚, 如同從眼中擦去淚水。
126. 6. Suffering on the cross was the final trial the Lord underwent as the greatest prophet. It was a means of glorifying his human nature, that is, of uniting that nature to his Father's divine nature. It was not redemption. There are two things for which the Lord came into the world and through which he saved people and angels: redemption, and the glorification of his human aspect. These two things are distinct from each other, but they become one in contributing to salvation.
In the preceding points we have shown what redemption was: battling the hells, gaining control over them, and then restructuring the heavens. Glorification, however, was the uniting of the Lord's human nature with the divine nature of his Father. This process occurred in successive stages and was completed by the suffering on the cross.
All of us have to do our part and move closer to God. The closer we come to God, the more God enters us, which is his part. It is similar with a house of worship: first it has to be built by human hands; then it has to be dedicated; and finally prayers are said for God to be present and unite himself to the church that gathers there.
The union itself [between the Lord's divine and human natures] was completed by the suffering on the cross, because this suffering was the final spiritual test that the Lord went through in the world. Spiritual tests lead to a partnership [with God]. During our spiritual tests, we are apparently left completely alone, although in fact we are not alone - at those times God is most intimately present at our deepest level giving us support. Because of that inner presence, when any of us have success in a spiritual test we form a partnership with God at the deepest level. In the Lord's case, he was then united to God, his Father, at the deepest level.
The Lord was left to himself during the suffering on the cross, as is clear from his crying out on the cross: "God, why have you abandoned me?" [Matthew 27:46]. This is also clear from the following words spoken by the Lord: "No one is taking my life away from me - I am laying it down by myself. I have the power to lay it down and I have the power to take it up again. I received this command from my Father" (John 10:18).
From the points just made it is clear that it was not the Lord's divine nature that suffered, it was his human nature; and then the deepest union, a complete union, took place.
An illustration of this is that when we suffer physically, our soul does not suffer, it merely feels distress. After victory, God relieves that distress and washes it away like tears from our eyes.
126. (vi) THE PASSION ON THE CROSS WAS THE LAST TEMPTATION WHICH THE LORD UNDERWENT AS THE GREATEST PROPHET; THIS WAS THE MEANS BY WHICH HE GLORIFIED HIS HUMAN, THAT IS, UNITED IT WITH HIS FATHER'S DIVINE; SO THIS WAS NOT IN ITSELF THE REDEMPTION.
The Lord had two purposes in coming into the world, redemption and the glorification of His Human; and by these He saved both men and angels. These two purposes are quite distinct, but still they are combined in effecting salvation. The nature of redemption was shown in the preceding paragraphs to be a battle against the hells, their subjugation and afterwards the ordering of the heavens. Glorification, however, is the uniting of the Lord's Human with His Father's Divine. This took place by stages and was completed by His passion on the cross. For every person ought for his own part to approach God, and the more nearly he does so, the more closely does God on His side enter into him. It is similar to the building of a church: its construction by human hands must come first, and then afterwards it must be consecrated, and finally prayers must be said for God to be present and unite Himself with its congregation. The reason why the actual union was fully achieved by the passion on the cross is that it was the last temptation which the Lord underwent in the world; and temptations create a link. In temptation it looks as if a person is left to himself, but he is not, since God is then most closely present in his inmost, and secretly gives him support. When therefore anyone is victorious over temptation, he is most inwardly linked with God, and in this case the Lord was most inwardly united with God His Father.
[2] The Lord's being left to Himself, when He suffered on the cross, is evident from His cry then:
O God, why have you abandoned me? [Matthew 27:46]
as well as from these words of the Lord:
No one takes my life from me, but I lay it down of myself. I have the power to lay it down, and I have the power to take it back; this charge I received from my Father, John 10:18.
These passages then can prove that the Lord did not suffer in His Divine, but in His Human, and then a most inward and complete union took place. An illustration of this might be the fact that while a person is suffering physical pain, his soul feels nothing but is merely distressed. But when the victory is won, God takes away that distress, wiping it away as one does tears from the eyes.
126. (6) The passion of the cross was the last temptation which the Lord, as the greatest Prophet, endured, and was the means whereby His Human was glorified, that is, whereby it was united with the Divine of the Father; but it was not redemption. There are two things for which the Lord came into the world, and by means of which He saved men and angels, namely, redemption and the glorification of His Human. These two are distinct from each other; and yet in reference to salvation they make one. It has been shown in the preceding sections what the work of redemption was, namely, that it was a combat against the hells, a subjugation of the hells, and a restoration of order in the heavens. But glorification is the uniting of the Lord's Human with the Divine of His Father. This was effected gradually, and was completed through the passion of the cross. For every man on his part ought to draw near to God; and as far as man does draw near, God on His part enters into him. It is the same as with a temple, which first must be built, and this is done by the hands of men; afterwards it must be dedicated; and finally prayer must be made for God to be present and there unite Himself with the church. The union itself was made complete through the passion of the cross, because that was the last temptation endured by the Lord in the world; and it is by means of temptations that conjunction is effected. For in temptations apparently man is left to himself alone, although he is not; for God is then most nearly present in man's inmosts and sustains him; therefore when man conquers in temptation he is inmostly conjoined with God, as in temptation the Lord was inmostly united to God His Father. That in the passion of the cross the Lord was left to Himself is evident from His exclamation upon the cross:
O God, why hast Thou forsaken Me? (Matthew 27:46); as also from these words of the Lord:
No man taketh My life from Me, but I lay it down of Myself I had power to lay it down, and I have power to take it again. This commandment received I from My Father (John 10:18).
From all this it can now be seen that it was not in respect to His Divine but in respect to His Human that the Lord suffered; and that thereby an inmost and thus a complete union was effected. This may also be illustrated by the fact that when a man suffers in body his soul does not suffer, but only grieves; and after the victory God takes away this grief and wipes it away as one wipes away tears from the eyes.
126. (6) THE PASSION OF THE CROSS WAS NOT REDEMPTION, BUT THE LAST TEMPTATION WHICH THE LORD ENDURED AS THE SUPREME PROPHET; AND IT WAS THE MEANS OF THE GLORIFICATION OF HIS HUMAN, THAT IS, OF UNION WITH THE DIVINE OF HIS FATHER.
There are two things for which the Lord came into the world, and by means of which He effected the salvation of men and angels, namely, redemption and the glorification of His Human. These two are distinct from each other, but yet they make one with regard to salvation. It has been shown in the preceding articles that redemption was a combat with the hells, their subjugation, and afterwards the orderly arrangement of the heavens; but glorification was the uniting of the Lord's Human with the Divine of His Father, which was effected gradually, and fully completed by the passion of the cross. For every man, on his part, ought to approach God; and as man approaches, so God on His part, enters. It is in this case as with a temple, which first must be built by men's hands, and afterwards consecrated. Then prayer must be offered that God may be present, and there unite Himself with the Church. That union was completed by the passion of the cross, because it was the last temptation which the Lord underwent in the world, and conjunction is effected by temptations. In them a man, to all appearance, is left to himself; nevertheless, this is not so, for at such a time God is most intimately present with him in the interiors of his mind, and supports him. Therefore, when any one conquers in temptation, he becomes most closely conjoined with God; and thus it was with the Lord in His union with His Father. That the Lord in the passion of the cross was left to Himself is evident from His cry upon the cross:
"My God, why hast thou forsaken me?"
and also from His own words:
"No man taketh my life from me, but I lay it down of myself. I have power to lay it down, and I have power to take it again. This commandment have I received of my Father" John 10:18.
It may therefore be evident that the Lord suffered not as to His Divine but as to His Human, and that then the most intimate, and thus the most complete union was effected. This may be illustrated by the fact that when a man suffers in body, his soul does not suffer, but only grieves; while God takes away this grief after victory, and wipes it away as one wipes tears from the eyes.
126. VI. QUOD PASSIO CRUCIS FUERIT ULTIMA TENTATIO, QUAM DOMINUS UT MAXIMUS PROPHETA SUSTINUIT, ET QUOD FUERIT MEDIUM GLORIFICATIONIS HUMANI IPSIUS, HOC EST, UNIONIS CUM DIVINO PATRIS SUI, ET NON REDEMPTIO. Sunt duo, propter quae Dominus in Mundum venit, et per quae salvavit homines et Angelos, videlicet Redemptio et Glorificatio Humani sui; haec duo inter se distincta sunt, sed usque unum ad salvationem faciunt. Quid REDEMPTIO, in antecedentibus Articulis ostensum est, nempe quod fuerit Pugna cum Infernis, subjugatio illorum, et postea ordinatio Coelorum: GLORIFICATIO autem est Unitio Humani Domini cum Divino Patris sui; haec successive facta est, et plenarie per Passionem crucis; omnis enim homo a sua parte accedere debet ad Deum, et quantum homo accedit, tantum Deus a sua parte intrat: hoc simile est sicut cum Templo, hoc primum aedificandum est, et hoc fit manibus hominum, et postea inaugurandum est, et demum orandum, ut Deus praesens sit, ac uniat se cum Ecclesia ibi. Quod ipsa Unio plene facta sit per Passionem crucis, est causa, quia fuit ultima Tentatio, quam Dominus in Mundo subivit, et per Tentationes fit conjunctio; in his enim homo ad apparentiam sibi soli relinquitur, tametsi non relictus est, nam Deus tunc in intimis ejus praesentissime adest, ac suffulcit; quare cum aliquis in tentatione vincit, intime conjungitur Deo, ac Dominus tunc Deo Patri suo intime unitus est.
[2] Quod Dominus in Passione crucis sibi relictus sit, constat ex hac Ipsius exclamatione super cruce, Deus quare reliquisti Me, 1 [Matthaeus 27:46], et quoque ex his Domini verbis, "Nemo tollit animam a Me, sed Ego pono illam a Me Ipso; potestatem Ego habeo ponendi illam, et potestatem habeo recipiendi illam, hoc praeceptum accepi a Patre meo," Johannes 10:18. Ex his nunc constare potest, quod Dominus non quoad Divinum, sed quoad Humanum passus sit, et quod tunc intima et sic plenaria unio facta sit. Hoc illustrari potest per hoc, quod dum homo patitur quoad corpus, anima ejus non patiatur, sed modo doleat; ast Deus dolorem hunc post victoriam aufert, et abstergit sicut quis lachrymas ex oculis.
Footnotes:
1. Prima editio: Deus quare reliquisti Me (absque italicis).