A short chapter, with a simple, profound thought: There is only God. A popular phrase in Arabic, if I am not mistaken.
1 Consideration must, of course, be given to the fact that the names mentioned are used by the divine Scripture in its exposition of the creation of things, for in Job (38:28-29) it says: “Who is the father of rain? Or who begot the drops of dew? Out of whose womb came the ice; and the frost from heaven who engendered it!”
Therefore, lest nothing more be understood by the words for “paternity,” “sonship,” and “generation” than the efficacy of creation, the authority of Scripture added something: When it was naming Him “Son” and “begotten”, it was not silent about His being God, so that the generation mentioned might be understood as something more than creation.
For John (1:1) says: “In the beginning was the Word, and the Word was with God, and the Word was God.” That by the name “Word” one should understand Son is made plain in the sequel, for he adds: “The Word was made flesh and dwelt among us, and we saw His glory, the glory as it were of the only-begotten of the Father” (1:14). And Paul says: “The goodness and kindness of God our Savior appeared” (Titus 3:4).
Notes I find the most powerful metaphor for God’s name to be the Word.
2 Neither was the writing in the Old Testament silent about this; it named Christ God. For a Psalm (44:7-8) says: “Your throne, O God, is for ever and ever: the sceptre of your kingdom is a sceptre of uprightness. You loved justice, and hated iniquity.”–That this is spoken to Christ is clear from what follows: “Therefore God, your God, has anointed You with the oil of gladness above your fellows.” And Isaiah (9:6) says: “A Child is born to us, and a son is given to us, and the government is upon His shoulder: and His name shall be called, Wonderful, Counsellor, God the Mighty, the Father of the world to come, the Prince of peace.”
3 Thus, then, are we taught from sacred Scripture that the Son of God, begotten of God, is God. And Peter confessed that Jesus Christ is the Son of God. He said: “You are Christ, the Son of the living God” (Mat. 16:16). He Himself, therefore, is both the Only-begotten and God.
I like the summation (?) implied in the word “Word”.
It refers to the Father having given us His word, His promise. The Christ, Jesus, is the fulfillment of that promise. He is the Word.
Yet, the entire Scripture is the Word that describes Christ better than any graven image might. “In the beginning was the Promise…”
How God via His prophets and apostles poured such meaning into these terms in use at the time of writing. Stoicheia, logos…how fun it would be to share a meal and talk to John, Paul, et al.
E Michael Jones has written LOTS about ‘Logos’. If you haven’t already seen his stuff, check Bit Chute.
Word.
Aquinas begins Book Four by averring that revelation, the knowledge of God, can be achieved by studying Creation (sensible things), better by spoken or written word (and logic), and best by beholding (seeing, manifesting) the greatness of God. The method used by Aquinas is words, language, symbolic thought, evaluated logically.
“And the manner of proceeding in such matters the words set down do teach us. For, since we have hardly heard the truth of this kind in sacred Scripture as a little drop descending upon us, and since one cannot in the state of this life behold the thunder of the greatness, this will be the method to follow: What has been passed on to us in the words of sacred Scripture may be taken as principles, so to say; thus, the things in those writings passed on to us in a hidden fashion we may endeavor to grasp mentally in some way or other…”
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