COROLLARY XXXIII.
But that singular and altogether eminent accord between the Father, who gave the Only-begotten for us, and the Only-begotten, who offered himself for us, must not be passed over in silence. For just as the Father willingly sent the Only-begotten, so the Only-begotten who was sent could most truly say of himself1: “Therefore the Father loves me, because I lay down my life and shall take it up again. No one takes it from me, but I lay it down ἀπ᾽ ἐμαυτοῦ, of myself—”
—and I have power to lay it down, and I have power to take it up again.” Nor did Paul hesitate to write of him2: “I live in the faith of the Son of God, who loved me and delivered himself for me”; “Walk in love, as Christ also loved us and delivered himself for us, an oblation and sacrifice to God for an odor of sweetness”; and again, “Husbands, love your wives as Christ also loved the Church and delivered himself for her.” Now, just as it must be attributed to the love of the Father and to the antecedent will joined with it that he gave the Only-begotten for men, so it must be referred back to the entirely similar love of the Only-begotten that he underwent death for men and redeemed them. To this pertain both those things which we have just reported and those which we immediately add3: “This is my commandment, that you love one another as I have loved you. Greater love than this no one has, that a man lay down his life for his friends.” Whence John4 prays peace and grace for the seven Churches of Asia “from him who is, and who was, and who is to come, and from Jesus Christ … who loved us and washed us from our sins in his blood.”