The Unchangeable Nature and the Life in the Trinity

21. Concerning speaking of the Trinity among the faithful, because of the unchangeable nature and essence. And speaking equally of the divine hypostases among the saints proclaims the unchangeability of nature and authority. For Zechariah—not the prophet, but the father of John—said that the Lord God of Israel has spoken through the prophets (Luke 1:70). And Paul similarly sent to the Hebrews: 'God, having spoken many times and in many ways of old to the fathers in the prophets, has spoken to us in this last age in His Son' (Hebrews 1:1-2). And to the Corinthians he wrote concerning the Son: 'since you seek the testing of the Christ speaking in me' (2 Corinthians 13:3). And the Savior according to Matthew teaches: 'for it is not you who speak, but the Spirit of your Father is the one speaking in you' (Matthew 10:20).

22. Concerning the fact that it is written that we live by the Father, the Son, and the Holy Spirit through the same Word, which is the consubstantiality of the Trinity. What is written—that we live by the Father, the Son, and the Holy Spirit—teaches this to be seen most clearly; just as when Paul reasons with the Romans in letters: 'you consider yourselves to be dead indeed to sin, but alive to God in Christ Jesus our Lord' (Romans 6:11). And again: 'that those who live may no longer live for themselves, but for Him, Christ, who died for them and was raised up' (2 Corinthians 5:15); and to the Galatians: 'if we live by the Spirit, let us also walk by the Spirit' (Galatians 5:25).

23. Concerning the fact that through this Word, the law from above is written to be of the Father, the Son, and the Holy Spirit. Because of whom we said it is the Word, and the law from above is written to be of the Father, the Son, and the Holy Spirit, just as the Psalmist says in Psalm 40: 'the law of his God is in his heart,' and in Psalm 39: 'to do your will, O God, I have desired, and your law is in the midst of my womb' (Psalm 40:8; 39:8). And as Paul writes to the Galatians: 'Bear one another's burdens, and so fulfill the law of Christ' (Galatians 6:2).

And to the Corinthians in the first epistle: “To those without law I became as without law — not being without God’s law, but under Christ’s law — that I might win those without law” (1 Cor 9:21). And to the Romans: “For the law of the Spirit of life in Christ Jesus has set me free from the law of sin and death” (Rom 8:2). And again, hinting at the new and the old covenant, he says: “But now we have been discharged from the law, having died to that by which we were held, so that we serve in newness of spirit and not in oldness of letter” (Rom 7:6); and again: “For we know that the law is spiritual” (Rom 7:14).

24. Concerning our being called men of God or Christians or spiritual ones, on account of the same cause of consubstantiality in the Trinity. So then, on this account we are called either men of God or Christians or spiritual ones. For thus the widow in Zarephath says to Elijah the Tishbite: “What have you to do with me, man of God?” (1 Kings 17:18); and again: “Now I know that you are a holy man of God” (1 Kings 17:24). And the Shunammite to her husband concerning the prophet Elisha: “See, a great man of God is coming to us” (2 Kings 4:9). And the royal histories: “And a man of God came from Judah and prophesied against the altar in Bethel” (1 Kings 13:1). And the Psalmist in the inscription of the 89th Psalm: “A prayer of Moses, the man of God” (Ps 89 LXX).

And Paul, writing to Timothy a second time: “that the man of God may be complete, equipped for every good work” (2 Tim 3:17). And the Acts: “And it happened that they were gathered together in the church for a whole year, and the disciples were first called Christians in Antioch” (Acts 11:26). And Paul, speaking to the Corinthians in an epistle: “Now concerning spiritual things I do not want you to be ignorant, brothers. You know that when you were Gentiles you were led to the speechless idols, as you were led away. Therefore […].”