The Son as Pantokrator

Unbegotten life is the essence of the created nature of humanity..

saying, 'and the light shines in the darkness and the darkness did not overcome it' (John 1:5), does not admit the opinions of the heretics. For it declares both secretly and very sharply—as if anyone had perceived a prior time or an untimely moment or an eternal age—that it shines eternally as an inseparable radiance of God, and never did the darkness of non-existence overcome it.

15.21 The 'Almighty' (Rev 1:8) requires no interpretation. For it shows that he has an undivided kingdom toward God the Father and His Holy Spirit, and that he is 'God over all' (Ps 86:8).

15.22 The 'one coming' (2 Thess 2:8) signifies the Son who is about to come a second time and 'to judge the living and the dead' (Acts 10:42).

15.23 Thus the Baptist John also establishes that since 'the One Who Is' (Exod 3:14) is said concerning the Son, he declares to the Lord: 'You are' instead of 'that one who is', whom I myself, being in the desert of the wilderness and through the fluttering, having recognized as being in the Virgin the God, worshipped, 'or are we waiting for another?'.

15.24 And in the first epistle, John the friend and apostle of the Lord writes: 'That which was from the beginning, which we have heard, which we have seen with our eyes, which we have looked upon and our hands have touched, concerning the Word of life—and the life was manifested, and we have seen and testify and announce to you the eternal life, which was with the Father and was manifested to us—that which we have seen and heard, we announce to you also, so that you also may have fellowship with us. And our fellowship is with the Father and with His Son Jesus Christ' (1 John 1:1-3).

15.25 Attend again to the multitude of the 'was', and how those not confessing according to nature that he is the Son co-ruling with God do not have the fellowship of salvation with the Father or the Only-Begotten.

15.26 For toward this faith delivered to us in the mystagogy of the illumination by the Lord of all is the fellowship which Peter wrote: 'that you might become partakers of the divine nature' (2 Pet 1:4). For the creature, being under time, is not a divine nature.

15.27 And remember in these things that since he said 'our fellowship' 'with the Father and with His Son', he spoke in equal terms, and not 'through His Son'.

15.28 And Amos

And the prophet, prophesying 'Pantokrator', names the Son similarly, saying: 'He who builds up his ascent into heaven and lays the foundation of his promise upon the earth, the one calling the water of the sea and pouring it upon the face of all the earth, Lord, God, Pantokrator, let that be his name.'

David also sings concerning an ascent: 'God has ascended in shouts of joy, the Lord in the sound of a trumpet' (Ps 47:5). Both these things are about the Son. For the Father neither descended nor ascended, as the apostle interprets, writing thus: 'And what is this "ascended", if not that he also descended first? He is the one who descended and the one who ascended above all the heavens, in order to fill all things,' as he says that, having ascended above all, he is also carrying all things above, together with the Father who begot him, who is unbegotten.

For this is manifest to one having understood, from which even the noetic powers differ, since they are found to be measured creatures in heaven, but not above the heavens, nor are they able to fill all things. And Wisdom similarly proclaims him 'Pantokrator', saying: 'This will act against them instead of their insolence, because they mocked and magnified themselves against the Lord the Pantokrator. The Lord will appear upon them, and the Lord will destroy all the gods of the nations of the earth, and each will prostrate himself from his place' (Wisdom).

And Malachi likewise speaks from the face of the Master: 'For from the rising of the sun and to its setting my name shall be glorified among the nations, and in every place incense is offered to my name and a pure sacrifice. For great is my name among the nations, says the Lord Pantokrator. But you profane it' (Mal 1:11). For the memory of both the appearance and of being glorified among the nations shows the Son, whose name the Jews profane along with the worshipers of creatures. And this very sequence intends for him to be Pantokrator, since he is the icon and the only-begotten, having been endowed with Pantokrator, and in this also he is to be understood as the icon of the Pantokrator.

And Paul writes to the Hebrews: 'Who, being the radiance of the glory of the Father' (Heb 1:3), that is, co-ruler and consubstantial. For so that the incomparable might be shown somewhat through a parable, even if thus much it might be received into the mind, which is above the mind,

Greek

ἀγένητος ζωὴ σύστασις τῆς γενητῆς ἀνθρώπων φύσεως ὑπάρχει. 15.20 Τό «καὶ τὸ φῶς ἐν τῇ σκοτίᾳ φαίνει καὶ ἡ σκοτία αὐτὸ οὐ κατέλαβεν» οὐκ ἀνέχεται τῶν αἱρετικῶν δοξασμάτων. οὐ κρυφίως γὰρ καὶ ἄγαν δριμέως δηλοῖ, ὡς ὅνπερ ἄν τις προχρόνιον χρόνον ἢ ἀκαιριαίαν ῥοπὴν ἢ προαιώνιον αἰῶνα ὑπολάβῃ, φαίνει ἀϊδίως ὡς ἀχώριστον ἀπαύγασμα τοῦ θεοῦ, καὶ οὔποτε σκοτία ἀνυπαρξίας αὐτὸ κατέλαβεν. 15.21 Τό «ὁ παντοκράτωρ» οὐδὲ ἑρμηνείας δεῖται. δείκνυσι γὰρ ἀδιαίρετον ἔχειν πρὸς τὸν θεὸν πατέρα καὶ τὸ ἅγιον πνεῦμα αὐτοῦ τὴν βασιλείαν καὶ εἶναι «ἐπὶ πάντων θεόν». 15.22 Τό «ὁ ἐρχόμενος» τὸν υἱὸν δηλοῖ μέλλοντα ἔρχεσθαι τὸ δεύτερον καὶ «κρίνειν ζῶντας καὶ νεκρούς». 15.23 Συνιστῶν τοίνυν καὶ ὁ βαπτιστὴς Ἰωάννης, ὅτι τό «ὁ ὤν» περὶ τοῦ υἱοῦ εἴρηται, δηλοῖ τῷ δεσπότῃ· «σὺ εἶ» ἀντὶ τοῦ ἐκεῖνος ὁ ὤν, ὃν καὶ ἐν τῇ μήτρᾳ σε ὄντα τῆς παρθένου θεὸν ἐπιγνοὺς αὐτὸς ἐγὼ ἐν τῇ νηδύϊ τῆς στείρας ὢν διὰ τῆς σκιρτήσεως προσεκύνησα «ἢ ἕτερον προσδοκῶμεν;» 15.24 Καὶ ἐν τῇ πρώτῃ δὲ ἐπιστολῇ Ἰωάννης ὁ φίλος καὶ ἀπόστολος τοῦ κυρίου γράφει· «ὃ ἦν ἀπ' ἀρχῆς, ὃ ἀκηκόαμεν, ὃ ἑωράκαμεν τοῖς ὀφθαλμοῖς ἡμῶν, ὃ ἐθεασάμεθα καὶ αἱ χεῖρες ἡμῶν ἐψηλάφησαν, περὶ τοῦ λόγου τῆς ζωῆς–καὶ ἡ ζωὴ ἐφανερώθη, καὶ ἑωράκαμεν καὶ μαρτυροῦμεν καὶ ἀπαγγέλλομεν ὑμῖν τὴν ζωὴν τὴν αἰώνιον, ἥτις ἦν πρὸς τὸν πατέρα καὶ ἐφανερώθη ἡμῖν–ὃ ἑωράκαμεν καὶ ἀκηκόαμεν, ἀπαγγέλλομεν καὶ ὑμῖν, ἵνα καὶ ὑμεῖς κοινωνίαν ἔχητε μεθ' ἡμῶν. καὶ ἡ κοινωνία δὲ ἡ ἡμετέρα μετὰ τοῦ πατρὸς καὶ μετὰ τοῦ υἱοῦ αὐτοῦ Ἰησοῦ Χριστοῦ». 15.25 Πρόσχες καὶ αὖθις τῷ πλήθει τοῦ «ἦν», καὶ ὡς κοινωνίαν σωτηρίας οὐκ ἔχουσιν μετὰ τοῦ πατρὸς ἢ τοῦ μονογενοῦς οἱ μὴ ὁμολογοῦντες κατὰ φύσιν υἱὸν εἶναι αὐτὸν συνάναρχον τοῦ θεοῦ. 15.26 πρὸς ταύτην γὰρ ἡμῖν τὴν πίστιν τὴν 8 παραδοθεῖσαν ἐν τῇ μυσταγωγίᾳ τοῦ φωτίσματος παρὰ τοῦ πάντων δεσπότου ἐστὶν ἡ κοινωνία ἣν Πέτρος ἔγραψεν· «ἵνα γένησθε θείας κοινωνοὶ φύσεως». τὸ γὰρ κτίσμα καὶ ὑπὸ χρόνον ὂν οὐ θεία φύσις ἐστίν. 15.27 Μέμνησο δὲ πρὸς τούτοις, ὅτιπερ «τὴν κοινωνίαν ἡμῶν» εἶπεν «μετὰ τοῦ πατρὸς καὶ τοῦ υἱοῦ αὐτοῦ», ἰσοτίμως, καὶ οὐχί «διὰ τοῦ υἱοῦ αὐτοῦ». 15.28 Καὶ ὁ Ἀμὼς δὲ προφητεύων «παντοκράτορα» ὁμοίως τὸν υἱὸν ὀνομάζει οὕτω που λέγων· «ὁ οἰκοδομῶν εἰς οὐρανὸν τὴν ἀνάβασιν αὐτοῦ καὶ τὴν ἐπαγγελίαν αὐτοῦ ἐπὶ γῆς θεμελιῶν, ὁ προσκαλούμενος τὸ ὕδωρ τῆς θαλάσσης καὶ ἐκχέων αὐτὸ ἐπὶ πρόσωπον πάσης τῆς γῆς, κύριος, ὁ θεός, ὁ παντοκράτωρ ὄνομα αὐτῷ». 15.29 Περὶ ἦς ἀναβάσεως ψάλλει καὶ ∆αυΐδ· «ἀνέβη ὁ θεὸς ἐν ἀλαλαγμῷ, κύριος ἐν φωνῇ σάλπιγγος». 15.30 Ἄμφω ταῦτα περὶ τοῦ υἱοῦ. ὁ γὰρ πατὴρ οὔτε κατέβη οὔτε ἀνέβη, ὡς ὁ ἀπόστολος ἑρμηνεύει γράφων ὧδε· «τὸ δὲ «ἀνέβη» τί ἐστιν, εἰ μὴ ὅτι καὶ κατέβη πρῶτον; ὁ καταβὰς αὐτός ἐστιν καὶ ὁ ἀναβὰς ὑπεράνω πάντων τῶν οὐρανῶν, ἵνα πληρώσῃ τὰ πάντα» ὡς πάντων φησὶν ὑπερανεστηκὼς καὶ ὑπερφέρων ὁμοῦ τῷ τεκόντι πατρί, ἅτε ἀγένητος. 15.31 φανερὸς γάρ ἐστι τοῦτο νοήσας, ἀφ' ὧν καὶ αἱ νοεραὶ δυνάμεις, ἐπειδὴ κτίσματα μεμετρημένα τυγχάνουσιν οὖσαι ἐν οὐρανῷ, ἀλλ' οὐχ ὑπεράνω τῶν οὐρανῶν, οὐδὲ πληροῦσαι τὰ πάντα εἰσίν. 15.32 Καὶ Σοφωνίας «παντοκράτορα» ὡσαύτως ἀναγορεύει αὐτὸν λέγων· «αὕτη αὐτοῖς ἀντὶ τῆς ὕβρεως αὐτῶν, διότι ὠνείδισαν καὶ ἐμεγαλύνθησαν ἐπὶ τὸν κύριον τὸν παντοκράτορα. ἐπιφανήσεται κύριος ἐπ' αὐτούς, καὶ ἐξολο θρεύσει κύριος πάντας τοὺς θεοὺς τῶν ἐθνῶν τῆς γῆς, καὶ προκυνήσουσιν ἕκαστος ἐκ τοῦ τόπου αὐτοῦ». 15.33 Καὶ Μαλαχίας ἑπομένως ἐκ προσώπου τοῦ δεσπότου φάσκει· «διότι ἀπὸ ἀνατολῶν ἡλίου καὶ ἕως δυσμῶν δεδόξασταί μου τὸ ὄνομα ἐν τοῖς ἔθνεσιν καὶ ἐν παντὶ τόπῳ θυμίαμα προσάγεται τῷ ὀνοματί μου καὶ θυσία καθαρά. διότι μέγα τὸ ὄνομά μου ἐν τοῖς ἔθνεσιν, λέγει κύριος παντοκράτωρ. ὑμεῖς δὲ βεβηλοῦτε αὐτό». 15.34 Ἡ γὰρ μνήμη τῆς τε ἐπιφανείας καὶ τοῦ δοξάζεσθαι ἐν τοῖς ἔθνεσιν, τὸν υἱὸν σημαίνεσθαι δείκνυσιν, οὗ τὸ ὄνομα βεβηλοῦσιν Ἰουδαῖοι σὺν τοῖς κτισματολάτραις. καὶ αὐτὴ δὲ ἡ ἀκολουθία παντοκράτορα αὐτὸν εἶναι βούλεται, καθὸ εἰκὼν καὶ μονογενὴς παντοκράτορος κεχρεωστημένος τὸ καὶ ἐν τούτῳ εἰκὼν νοεῖσθαι τοῦ παντοκράτορος. 15.35 Καὶ Παῦλος δὲ Ἑβραίοις γράφει· «ὃς ὢν ἀπαύγασμα τῆς δόξης τοῦ πατρός», τοῦτ' ἔστιν συνάναρχος καὶ ὁμοούσιος. ἵνα γὰρ τὰ ἀπαράβλητα παραβολικῶς πως παραδειχθείη, εἰ κἂν οὕτω ποσῶς εἰς νοῦν δεχθείη τὸ ὑπὲρ νοῦν,

About this text

Didymus the Blind defends the full divinity of Father, Son, and Spirit against those who rank them.

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