But He rose from the dead
and mounted up the heights of heaven
when the Lord had clothed Himself with humanity
and had suffered for the sake of the sufferer
and had been bound for the sake of the imprisoned
and had been judged for the sake of the condemned
and buried for the sake of the one who was buried
He rose up from the dead
and cried with a loud voice:
Who is he that contends with me?
Let him stand in opposition to me.
I set the condemned man free
I gave the dead man life
I raised up the one who had been entombed
who is my opponent?
I, He says, am the Christ
I am the one who has destroyed death
and triumphed over the enemy
and trampled Hades underfoot
and bound the strong one
and carried off man to the heights of heaven.
I, He says, am the Christ.
St. Melito of Sardis