An Exposition of the Orthodox Faith 81

1 BOOK IV — CHAPTER 8: How the Only-begotten Son of God is called first-born.

2 He who is first begotten is called first-born, whether he is only-begotten or the first of a number of brothers. We say that He is first-born of all creation since both He Himself is of God and creation is of God, but as He Himself is born alone and timelessly of the essence of God the Father, He may with reason be called Only-begotten Son, first-born and not first-created. For the creation was not brought into being out of the essence of the Father, but by His will out of nothing.

3 And He is called First-born among many brethren, for although being Only-begotten, He was also born of a mother. Since He participated just as we ourselves do in blood and flesh and became man, while we too through Him became sons of God, being adopted through the baptism, He Who is by nature Son of God became first-born among us who were made by adoption and grace sons of God. Wherefore He said, I ascend unto My Father and your Father. He did not say our Father, but My Father, clearly in the sense of Father by nature, and your Father, in the sense of Father by grace.