to to phtharton kai to asthenes to ischuro sose ton
apollumenon anthropon] (Iren.). The succeeding disquisition deserves
particular note, because it shows that Hippolytus has also borrowed from
Irenaeus the idea that the union of the Logos with humanity had already
begun in a certain way in the prophets. Overbeck has rightly compared
the [Greek: anaplassein di' heutou ton Adam] l.c., c. 26, with the
[Greek: anakephalaioun] of Irenaeus and l.c., c. 44, with Iren. II. 22,
4. For Hippolytus' Christology Philosoph. X. 33, p. 542 and c. Noet. 10
ff. are the chief passages of additional importance. In the latter
passage it is specially noteworthy that Hippolytus, in addition to many
other deviations from Irenaeus and Tertullian, insists on applying the
full name of Son only to the incarnate Logos. In this we have a remnant
of the more ancient idea and at the same time a concession to his
opponents who admitted an eternal Logos in God, but not a pre-temporal
hypostasis of the Son. See c. 15: [Greek: poion oun huion heautou ho
Theos dia tes sarkos katepempsen all' he ton logon; hon huion
prosegoreue dia to mellein auton genesthai, kai to koinon onoma tes eis
anthropous philostorgias analambanei ho huios (kaitoi teleios logos on
monogenes). oud' he sarx kath' heauten dicha tou logou hupostenai
edunato dia to en logo ten sustasin echein houtos oun eis huios teleios
Theou ephanerothe.] Hippolytus partook to a much greater extent than his
teacher Irenaeus of the tree of Greek knowledge and he accordingly speaks
much more frequently than the latter of the "divine mysteries" of the
faith. From the fragments and writings of this author that are preserved
to us the existence of very various Christologies can be shown; and this
proves that the Christology of his teacher Irenaeus had not by any means
yet become predominant in the Church, as we might suppose from the
latter's confident tone. Hippolytus is an exegete and accordingly still
yielded with comparative impartiality to the impressions conveyed by the
several passages. For example he recognised the woman of Rev. XII. as
the Church and the Logos as her child, and gave the following exegesis
of the passage (de Christo et Antichristo 61): [Greek: ou pausetai he
ekklesia gennosa ek kardias ton logon tou en kosmo hupo apiston
diokomenon. "kai eteke", phesin, "huion arrena, hos mellei poimainein
panta ta ethne", ton arrena kai teleios Christon, paida Theou, Theon kai
anthropon katangellom