The Manifestation of the Son's Divinity

He says, 'you are under law, but under grace' (Rom 6:14); and again, 'because in him all the fullness was pleased to dwell and through him to reconcile all things to himself' (Col 1:19-20).

These things follow the previous ones. For the Father being in the Son and the Son in the Father by nature, just as every relative is inseparable as he becomes of his own kin, even if distinguished by hypostasis, the argument on the moving ground is good, even if not very deeply, but not to all clearly: 'through him and to him to reconcile all things' (Col 1:20), as it is fitting to harmonize the Son with that which was said concerning the Father: 'from whom all things' (1 Corinthians 8:6), if what has been said now and then is held soundly; 'in whom dwells all the fullness of deity' (Col 2:9).

And having written to Timothy, he theologized about him to the end, and from both expressions he taught that the Son is not, in respect of deity, other than the paternal nature. For he said such as this: 'unquestionably great is the mystery of piety: God was manifested in the flesh, justified in the spirit, appeared to angels, was preached to the Gentiles, was believed in the world, was taken up in glory' (1 Tim 3:16).

For this creator and benefactor of all things was not yet clearly manifest to all, when he became willing through the salvation of all and as one of all. Therefore, 'was justified in the spirit,' that is, he was shown or confirmed even by those who had ignored him in later time to be a true God; and this, he says, is not without reason, but by that movement of our soul, as common custom has it to say: 'he who was thus justified was truly the Son of this one,' providing a proof of lineage; and at other times: 'he who was thus justified ruled well.'

And so that the argument might appear more convincing, it is said he was deemed worthy even of angels, to whom, because of his divine infinity and unseeability, he was invisible before that time, similarly to the 'only invisible God,' and to be hymned by them: 'glory to God in the highest and on earth peace, in men goodwill' (Luke 2:14); and it has been preached in all this and believed, that he who shone out unceasingly from the unspeakable light, and through philanthropy was ineffably begotten from the eternally virgin in later times, expressing all the Fatherly things in himself, has ascended.

speaks without profanity

For when this maker and benefactor of all things was not yet clearly manifest to all, he was found to have become manifest, since he became willing through the salvation of all and as one of all. Hence “justified in the spirit” — that is, he was shown or confirmed to be true God even by those who had not known him in the time before; and this, he says, not without scrutiny, but by that very movement of our soul, as common usage says: “such-and-such was justified as being the true son of such-and-such,” providing proof of lineage; and at another time: “such-and-such was justified to rule well.”

And so that the argument may seem more convincing, he was deemed worthy to be seen even by angels, to whom he was invisible before that time on account of his divine infinity and formlessness — as to the “only invisible God” — and to be hymned by them: “Glory to God in the highest, and on earth peace, among men good will” (Luke 2:14); and he was preached in all this world and believed: that he who shone forth timelessly from the ineffable light was unspeakably born of the ever-virgin in later times through philanthropy, expressing all the paternal things in himself; and that he ascended in glory to the One who encompasses all, with whom he was ever together with God.

And trustworthy himself, the one about whom the discourse is, bearing witness to his own divinity and lordship and saying in Matthew to the devil: “You shall not tempt the Lord your God” (Matt 4:7); in John to the apostles: “You call me: the Lord and the teacher; and you say well; for I am” (John 13:13). And Thomas, touching the marks of the nails which the Savior as philanthropist had for our sake from us, was not disturbed nor did he let down his highest glory concerning him.

For he knew that it belonged only to the imperial, infinitely powerful and most good nature — and not to a created one — to suffer not only for its own creatures but also to grant the universal salvation of which we speak, and that eternally. Therefore, emboldened even more from this, he brings to him his steadfast faith and acclaims: “My Lord and my God” (John 20:28).

And in the Catholic Epistles too, theologizing the Son equally and in like terms with the Father, they wrote, as was foretold: John, the great one among theologians: “And we know,” he says, “that the Word of God has come and has given us understanding, that we may know the true God; and we are in the true one, in Jesus Christ the Son of God. This is the true God and eternal life” (1 John 5:20). “Seek no other god or Son of God in respect of essence,” he says. For I have said the “true” to you twice concerning him, that he is both “true Son” and “true God,” giving understanding to those worthy to receive; so that you may know that he has truly been begotten and truly is consubstantial with the God who begot him.

And Jude, one of the twelve, defined him as the sole possessor, who portioned out the paternal divinity over all and through all and in all, writing in this way to those everywhere: “For certain men have slipped in, ungodly, long ago marked out for this judgment, turning the grace of our God into licentiousness and denying the only Master and Lord Jesus Christ” (Jude 4). But Peter too, the chief among the apostles, appears to have said in the Acts: “the word which he sent to the sons of Israel, preaching peace through Jesus Christ — he is […].”