Augustine on Christ's Death1

For He came down and died, and by that death delivered us from death: being slain by death, He slew death. What is this? A death is gazed on, that death may have no power. But whose death? The death of life: if it may be said, the death of life; ay, for it may be said, but said wonderfully. But should it not be spoken, seeing it was a thing to be done? Shall I hesitate to utter that which the Lord has deigned to do for me? Is not Christ the life? And yet Christ hung on the cross. Is not Christ life? And yet Christ was dead. But in Christ's death, death died. Life dead slew death; the fullness of life swallowed up death; death was absorbed in the body of Christ.

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1 "On the Gospel of John," Tractate XII.10, in The Nicene and Post-Nicene Fathers, 7:84-85.