Only-begotten’s human suffering as pattern; we cry in him
To those justified by faith: “Become imitators of me, just as I also am of Christ,” (1 Corinthians 11:1) and the inspired Peter: “For what credit is it if, sinning and being struck, you endure? But if, doing good and suffering, you endure, this is grace with God; because Christ also died for you, leaving you a pattern so that you might follow his tracks.” (1 Peter 2:20–21) So the Only-begotten, having likeness toward us, became an aim: to suffer humanly, and to teach those known to him in what manner one must meet the assaults of trials, and what sort those persecuted for piety toward God ought to be.
He rather persuades us to strain toward prayers and to make unceasing entreaty toward God; he teaches these things, having brought petitions and entreaties in the days of his flesh (Hebrews 5:7) to the one able to save him from death. For he was approaching with a strong cry and entreaty as one who had become as we are, yet he was heard as Son by nature and truly, not disregarded: “For I,” he says, “knew that you always hear me.” (John 11:42) For so that he might also prepare our prayers to become acceptable, he himself again begins the matter. Therefore we were in him, as in a second firstfruit of the race—we who pray with a strong cry and not without tears, and entreat that death’s power be abolished.
Greek
τοῖς πίστει δεδικαιωμένοις «Μιμηταί μου γίνεσθε καθὼς κἀγὼ Χριστοῦ,» καὶ μὴν καὶ ὁ θεσπέσιος Πέτρος «Ποῖον γὰρ κλέος, φησίν, εἰ ἁμαρτάνοντες καὶ κολαφιζόμενοι ὑπομενεῖτε; ἀλλ’ εἰ ἀγαθοποιοῦντες καὶ πάσχοντες ὑπομενεῖτε, τοῦτο χάρις παρὰ Θεῷ· ὅτι καὶ Χριστὸς ἀπέθανεν ὑπὲρ ὑμῶν, ὑμῖν ὑπολιμπάνων ὑπογραμμὸν ἵνα ἐπακολουθήσητε τοῖς ἴχνεσιν αὐτοῦ.» γέγονεν ἄρα σκοπὸς τῷ Μονογενεῖ τὴν πρὸς ἡμᾶς ὁμοίωσιν ἔχοντι, παθεῖν ἀνθρωπίνως, καὶ διδάξαι τοὺς αὐτῷ γνωρίμους τίνα δὴ τρόπον ταῖς τῶν πειρασμῶν ἐφόδοις προσέρχεσθαι χρή, καὶ ὁποίους εἶναι προσήκει τοὺς διωκομένους τῆς εἰς Θεὸν εὐσεβείας ἕνεκα.
ἀναπείθει δὲ μᾶλλον συντείνεσθαι πρὸς εὐχὰς καὶ ἀκατάληκτον ποιεῖσθαι τὴν πρὸς Θεὸν ἱκετείαν· ταῦτα διδάσκει, δεήσεις τε καὶ ἱκετηρίας ἐν ταῖς ἡμέραις τῆς σαρκὸς αὐτοῦ προσαγηοχὼς πρὸς τὸν δυνάμενον σώζειν αὐτὸν ἐκ θανάτου. προσῄει μὲν γὰρ μετὰ κραυγῆς ἰσχυρᾶς καὶ ἱκετηρίας, ὡς καθ’ ἡμᾶς γεγονώς, εἰσηκούσθη δὲ ὡς φύσει τε καὶ ἀληθῶς Υἱὸς οὐ παρακουόμενος· «Ἐγὼ γάρ, φησίν, ᾔδειν ὅτι πάντοτέ μου ἀκούεις.» ἵνα γὰρ καὶ τὰς ἡμῶν προσευχὰς δεκτὰς γενέσθαι παρασκευάσῃ, πάλιν αὐτὸς ἀπάρχεται τοῦ πράγματος. οὐκοῦν ἡμεῖς ἦμεν ἐν αὐτῷ, καθάπερ ἐν ἀπαρχῇ δευτέρᾳ τοῦ γένους, οἱ μετὰ κραυγῆς ἰσχυρᾶς καὶ οὐκ ἀδακρυτὶ προσευχόμενοι καὶ τὸ τοῦ θανάτου κράτος καταργηθῆναι παρακαλοῦντες.