Word of life handled; faith in Christ as faith in God

“What was from the beginning, what we have heard, what we have seen with our eyes, what we looked upon and our hands handled, concerning the word of life — and the life was manifested, and we have seen and testify and announce to you the eternal life that was with the Father and was manifested to us.” See: he says they have seen with eyes and even handled with hands the one who is from the beginning — that is, the Word from the Father, the eternal life — though according to his own nature the Word from the Father is invisible and untouchable; for what is bodiless is untouchable. But he says they have seen and handled the Word who has come to be in flesh. So there is one Son and God and Lord even if the Word has become flesh.

That faith toward Christ is as toward God. From Peter’s first letter: “So that,” he says, “your faith and hope may be in God” — and yet Christ is proclaimed through the holy apostles. And he himself says somewhere: “Truly, truly I say to you, the one who believes in me has eternal life.” So when faith is toward God, and Christ says “Believe in me,” how would he not be God clearly?

From John’s first letter: “And this is his commandment, that we believe in the name of his Son Jesus Christ.” If it is not against the Father’s will that we believe in the name of his Son Jesus Christ, and faith is also practiced by us not as toward a mere human but as toward the living and true God — then Christ is God.