ACC ~ 1 Corinthians 15 v21

BY A MAN. ATHANASIUS: For by the sacrifice of his own body he both put an end to the law which was against us and made a new beginning of life for us, by the hope of resurrection which he has given us. For since from man it was that death prevailed over men, for this cause conversely, by the Word of God being made man has come about the destruction of death and the resurrection of life. ON THE INCARNATION 10.

SUPPOSE THE WORD DID NOT BECOME FLESH. BASIL: If the sojourn of the Lord in the flesh did not take place, the Redeemer did not pay to death the price for us. He did not by his own power destroy the dominion of death. If that which is subject to death were one thing and that which was assumed by the Lord another, then death would not have ceased performing its own works, nor would the sufferings of the God-bearing flesh have been our gain. He would not have destroyed sin in the flesh. We who had died in Adam would not have been made alive in Christ. LETTER 261, TO THE CITIZENS OF SOZOPOLIS.

BY A MAN CAME THE RESURRECTION. AMBROSE: Man arose because man died. Man was raised up again, but it was God who raised him. Then he was man according to the flesh. Now God is all in all. Now we no longer know Christ according to the flesh, but we have the grace of his flesh. We know him as the first fruits of those who rest, the firstborn of the dead. Unquestionably the first fruits are of the same species and nature as the rest of the fruits. … Therefore, as the first fruits of death were in Adam, so also the first fruits of the resurrection are in Christ. ON HIS BROTHER SATYRUS 2.91.

HE SUFFERED IN HIS HUMAN FLESH. CYRIL OF ALEXANDRIA: He tasted death on behalf of every man in his flesh, which was able to suffer without him ceasing to be life. Accordingly, even though it is stated that he suffered in his flesh, he did not receive the suffering in the nature of his divinity but in his flesh which was receptive to suffering. LETTER 55.34.

BY A MAN CAME DEATH. CHRYSOSTOM: The very human nature which was cast down must itself also gain the victory. For it was by this means that the reproach was wiped away. HOMILIES ON THE EPISTLES OF PAUL TO THE CORINTHIANS 39.5.

1 Cor