and the Fathers and exemplars have said it (1) before us, instituted it for us, and prepared the ground, and they were more knowledgeable about the Messiah than we are.

All the Trinitarian worshippers of the cross, from first to last, agree that the Messiah is neither a prophet nor a righteous servant, but rather true God from true God, of one essence with His Father: a complete God from a complete God, the Creator (2) of the heavens and the earth, of those who came first and those who will come last. They hold that He is the One who provides for them, gives them life and causes their death, raises them from their graves, gathers them together, calls them to account, rewards them, and punishes them.

The Christians maintain that the Father has divested Himself of His entire dominion and transferred it to His Son; accordingly, it is the Son who creates and provides, who gives death and life, and who directs the affairs of heaven and earth. Do you not hear them proclaim in their Creed: “The Son of God, the First-born of His Father, not made—by His hand the worlds were fashioned and everything was created—and He is ready to come again to judge the living and the dead”? And do you not hear them say in their prayers and supplications: “You, Christ Jesus, give us life and sustain us, create our children, raise up our bodies, resurrect us, and requite us”?!

All of this constitutes their explicit denial of the Messiah, even though their delusive fancies persuade them that they are affirming him; for the Messiah said to them, “Indeed, God is my Lord and your Lord, my God and your God” (3). By this he testified concerning himself that he is a servant of God, subject to Him and created, just as they are, and that he is like them in servitude, need, and utter poverty before God. He also declared that he is God’s messenger to His creation, just as God had sent (4) the prophets before him; for in the Gospel of John it is stated that