We’re still on the refutation of Arius and his followers.
SOLUTION OF THE AUTHORITIES OF PHOTINUS AND OF SABELLIUS
1 From these considerations, of course, it appears that the points from Scripture which both Photinus and Sabellius used to bring up in support of their opinions cannot confirm their errors.
2 For what our Lord says after the resurrection, “All power has been given to Me in heaven and in earth” (Mat. 2-8: 18), is not said for this reason: that at that time He had newly received this power; but for this reason: that the power which the Son of God had eternally received had—because of the victory He had had over death by resurrection—begun to appear in the same Son made man.
3 Now, as to the Apostle’s word concerning the Son, “Who was made to Him of the seed of David” (Rom. 1:3), one sees clearly how it should be understood from the addition: “according to the flesh.” For he did not say that the Son of God had been made simply, but that He had been made of the seed of David, according to the flesh,” by the assumption of human nature as John (1:14) puts it: “The Word was made flesh.” Hence, also, the following phrase—“Who was predestinated the Son of God in power”—clearly refers to the Son in His human nature. For, that a human nature he united to the Son of God, that thus a man could be called the Son of God, was not a matter of human merit. It was by the grace of God’s predestination.
Notes Incidentally, it’s been clear in this book we’re dealing with a new translator. Some may have noticed the differences.
4 In a, similar fashion, what the Apostle says in Philippians, “God exalted Christ through the merit of His passion,” must be referred to the human nature; the humility of the passion was in this human nature. Hence, also, what follows—“He has given Him a name which is above all names”—must be referred to this: the name belonging to the Son in His eternal birth had to be manifested in the peoples’ faith as belonging to the incarnate Son.
5 In this way it also is plain that what Peter says, “God has made both Lord and Christ, this same Jesus,” (Acts 2:36), must be referred to the Son in His human nature; in which He began to have temporally what He had in the nature of divinity eternally.
6 The point which Sabellius introduces on the unity of the Deity—“Hear, O Israel: the Lord our God is one Lord” and “See that I alone am, and there is no other God besides Me”—is not hostile to the teaching of the Catholic faith, which holds that the Father and the Son are not two gods, but one God, as we said before.
7 In the same way, the sayings, “The Father who abides in Me, He does the works,” and “I am in the Father and the Father in Me,” do not show a unity of person, as Sabellius chose to understand, but that unity of essence which Arius denied. For, if there were one person of the Father and the Son, one could not say suitably that the Father is in the Son and the Son in the Father, since properly the same supposit is not said to be in its very self; this is said only with reference to its parts.
For, seeing that parts are in a whole, and that what is proper to parts can be attributed to a whole, sometimes a whole is said to he in itself. But this manner of speech does not suit speech about divinity, in which there can be no parts, as was shown in Book I. It remains true, then, that, when the Father is said to be in the Son and the Son in the Father, the Father and Son are not identical in supposit.
One can see from this that the essence of the Father and the Son is one. For, once this is given, it is very clear in what way the Father is in the Son and the Son in the Father. For, since the Father is His essence, because in God essence is not other than what has essence, as we showed in Book I, it follows that in anything in which the essence of the Father is the Father is; and by the same reasoning in anything in which the essence of the Son is the Son is. Hence, since the essence of the Father is in the Son and the essence of the Son in the Father, because the essence of each of the two is one essence (as the Catholic faith teaches), it clearly follows that the Father is in the Son and the Son in the Father. Thus, the selfsame saying (John 14:11) confutes the error of Sabellius as well as that of Arius.
John says that the Word was made flesh. He did not say that the Son was made flesh. The humanity of the Son was predestined in eternity; but this humanity had to be born in time. The Son was the Word before becoming flesh. How could Jesus be God’s Son before He was born? He is now literally God’s son. Jesus had no human father.
If I have my biology correct, Jesus would have been a woman if Mary was the only contributor to His humanity. Part of His DNA must have come from the Father.
Jesus has two natures … a Divine nature, and His created human nature which was created when the Holy Spirit overshadowed the virgin Mary.
“16For God so loved the world, as to give his only begotten Son; that whosoever believeth in him, may not perish, but may have life everlasting. 17For God sent not his Son into the world, to judge the world, but that the world may be saved by him. 18He that believeth in him is not judged. But he that doth not believe, is already judged: because he believeth not in the name of the only begotten Son of God. 19And this is the judgment: because the light is come into the world, and men loved darkness rather than the light: for their works were evil. 20For every one that doth evil hateth the light, and cometh not to the light, that his works may not be reproved. 21But he that doth truth, cometh to the light, that his works may be made manifest, because they are done in God.” John 3: 16-21.
From comment here: “John says that the Word was made flesh. He did not say that the Son was made flesh. The humanity of the Son was predestined in eternity; but this humanity had to be born in time. The Son was the Word before becoming flesh. How could Jesus be God’s Son before He was born? He is now literally God’s son. Jesus had no human father.
If I have my biology correct, Jesus would have been a woman if Mary was the only contributor to His humanity. Part of His DNA must have come from the Father.”
“1IN the beginning was the Word, and the Word was with God, and the Word was God. 2The same was in the beginning with God. 3All things were made by him: and without him was made nothing that was made. 4In him was life, and the life was the light of men. 5And the light shineth in darkness, and the darkness did not comprehend it.” John 1: 1-5.
“14And 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,) full of grace and truth.” John 1: 14.
“15John beareth witness of him, and crieth out, saying: This was he of whom I spoke: He that shall come after me, is preferred before me: because he was before me. 16And of his fulness we all have received, and grace for grace.” John 1: 15-16.
“17For the law was given by Moses; grace and truth came by Jesus Christ.” John 1: 17.
“18No man hath seen God at any time: the only begotten Son who is in the bosom of the Father, he hath declared him.” John 1: 18.
“26And in the sixth month, the angel Gabriel was sent from God into a city of Galilee, called Nazareth, 27To a virgin espoused to a man whose name was Joseph, of the house of David; and the virgin’s name was Mary. ” Luke 1: 26.
“28And the angel being come in, said unto her: Hail, full of grace, the Lord is with thee: blessed art thou among women. 29Who having heard, was troubled at his saying, and thought with herself what manner of salutation this should be.” Luke 1: 28-29.
“30And the angel said to her: Fear not, Mary, for thou hast found grace with God. 31Behold thou shalt conceive in thy womb, and shalt bring forth a son; and thou shalt call his name Jesus. 32He shall be great, and shall be called the Son of the most High; and the Lord God shall give unto him the throne of David his father; and he shall reign in the house of Jacob for ever. 33And of his kingdom there shall be no end.” Luke 1: 28-33.
“34And Mary said to the angel: How shall this be done, because I know not man?” Luke 1: 34.
“35And the angel answering, said to her: The Holy Ghost shall come upon thee, and the power of the most High shall overshadow thee. And therefore also the Holy which shall be born of thee shall be called the Son of God.” Luke 1: 35.
“36And behold thy cousin Elizabeth, she also hath conceived a son in her old age; and this is the sixth month with her that is called barren: 37Because no word shall be impossible with God.” Luke 1: 36-37.
“38And Mary said: Behold the handmaid of the Lord; be it done to me according to thy word. And the angel departed from her.” Luke 1: 38.
God bless, C-Marie
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