The Nature and Agency of the Word
Regarding these, the essence has become one, so that that which is characterized by the similar follows the similar. By the true and eternal light, toward the true and eternal light, and by the truly missing...
"I am God, and there is no other besides me. A just and savior there is none besides me. Turn to me and you shall be saved, you who are from the uttermost parts of the earth. I am God, and there is no other. By myself I swear: righteousness shall proceed from my mouth, and my words shall not turn aside, for every knee shall bow to me and every tongue shall confess God" (Isa 45:22), which is to say, to know God or "to confess to God" (Isa 51:23). Therefore, God and Father is not before the Son, not by the unoriginate, not by the essence, not by the glory, but by equality, unless perhaps by the word of fatherhood. For regarding the words of the only-begotten Son, the divinely inspired Paul, writing to the Romans, clarified thus, having said: "For we shall all be presented at the judgment seat of Christ, just as it is written: 'I live, says the Lord, that every knee shall bow to me and every tongue shall confess to God'" (Rom 14:11).
Similarly, the theologian John said in the Gospel: "In the beginning was the Word, and the Word was with God, and the Word was God. This was in the beginning with God. All things came through him, and without him did not become one thing that has come into being. In him was life, and the life was the light of men. And the light shines in the darkness, and the darkness did not overcome it" (John 1:1-5). And in the Revelation: "The one who is, and who was, and who is coming, the Lord our God, the Almighty" (Rev 1:8).
The "the one who is" signifies the eternally existing divine hypostasis, just as we have said elsewhere. For the expression is indefinite, whence God said "the one who is" as his own name. The "was in the beginning" makes pre-existence pre-existence and makes very clearly the absurdity and falsehood of "was when he was not." For the word "was" is absolute. But in the Roman style, the absolute consists of two words, it is interpreted: more than perfect. So now it is required to conceive him as supra-temporal or unoriginate. For if anyone were to say that the one who was not in the beginning, he was once an uncaused beginning. And again, how can time, which was not yet being, be a measure for the one who made it to be? "Was with God" presents that which has a Son.
Regarding God the Father, the indwelling of nature, and that from which he was—if it is proper to say so—the self-begotten Father, the Son from him co-exists with him.
The phrase 'was with God' (John 1:1) should be understood robustly, that according to God he was without beginning, unbegotten, uncontained, good, immortal, and all-ruling. For if he does not possess this regarding the overflowing wisdom, he will not possess it regarding the source from which the wisdom flows. But he possesses it regarding both. For the Word of John is manifest, certain, and unsearchable, looking only toward the divine. The phrase 'was God the Word' (John 1:1) establishes that the Word is of the essence, and that he is such a God as that Word is; and again, the uncaused. The phrase 'all things came through him, and without him nothing came into being' (John 1:3) demonstrates him, as has already been said, not merely as creator, but that he was not even created. For if not even one created thing received being apart from him, it is evident everywhere that he himself did not come into being, but was divinely begotten. For it is impossible for existence to reach from non-being to being through those things which have been granted essence and immortality by the whole and the rational. For nothing can make a created thing essential, or immortal, or rational; rather, from an essence produced from non-being by God, he creates the soulless and irrational, perhaps a statue or something else. But to cause non-essence to go forward or to reveal it as ensouled and rational is the unique and exceptional property of the one all-powerful and self-sufficient divine nature.
The Father made through him as light through an inherent radiance, and as mind through a word. The phrase 'in him was life' (John 1:4) discloses that he is without beginning, being the life of the one and highest nature, and in no way being the cause of all things from non-existing things. Therefore he also says, 'I am the life, I am the light' (John 14:6). He strives to honor the unbegotten by saying 'was' so many times, so that through the continuity of such a voice, he might either open the deaf ears of the heretics or leave no pretext regarding 'he was when he was not' in the coming universal and unshakeable judgment. The phrase 'and the life was the light of men' (John 1:4) teaches the same things again. For he says: this is...
Greek
αὐτά, τούτων καὶ ἡ οὐσία μία καθέστηκεν· ἵν' ἀκολουθῇ τὸ ὑπὸ ὁμοίου ὅμοιον χαρακτηρίζεσθαι. 11.7 τῷ γὰρ ἀληθινῷ καὶ ἀϊδίῳ φωτί, πρὸς τὸ ἀληθινὸν καὶ ἀΐδιον φῶς, καὶ τῇ ὄντως .......... 15.1 «ἐγὼ ὁ θεός, καὶ οὐκ ἔστιν ἄλλος πλὴν ἐμοῦ. δίκαιος καὶ σωτὴρ οὐκ ἔστιν πάρεξ ἐμοῦ. ἐπιστράφητε πρός με καὶ σωθήσεσθε, οἱ ἀπ' ἐσχάτου τῆς γῆς. ἐγώ εἰμι ὁ θεός, καὶ οὐκ ἔστιν ἄλλος. κατ' ἐμαυτοῦ ὀμνύω· ἦ μὴν ἐξελεύ σεται ἐκ τοῦ στόματός μου δικαιοσύνη καὶ οἱ λόγοι μου οὐκ ἀποστραφήσον ται, ὅτι ἐμοὶ κάμψει πᾶν γόνυ καὶ πᾶσα γλῶσσα ὀμιεῖται τὸν θεόν», ὅ ἐστιν ἐπιγνώσεται τὸν θεὸν ἤ «ἐξομολογήσεται τῷ θεῷ». 15.2 οὐκ ἔστιν οὖν ἔμπροσθεν τοῦ υἱοῦ ὁ θεὸς καὶ πατήρ, οὐ τῷ ἀνάρχῳ, οὐ τῇ οὐσίᾳ, οὐ τῇ δόξῃ, ἀλλ' ἐπ' ἴσης, πλὴν εἰ μή που τῷ τῆς πατρότητος λόγῳ. 15.3 ὅτι γὰρ τοῦ μονογενοῦς υἱοῦ τὰ ῥήματα, ὁ θεσπέσιος Παῦλος Ῥωμαίοις γράφων ἐσαφήνισεν οὕτως εἰπών· «πάντες γὰρ παραστησόμεθα τῷ βήματι τοῦ Χριστοῦ καθὼς γέγραπται· «ζῶ ἐγώ, λέγει κύριος, ὅτι ἐμοὶ κάμψει πᾶν γόνυ καὶ πᾶσα γλῶσσα ἐξομολο γήσεται τῷ θεῷ»». 15.4 Ὁμοίως δὲ καὶ ὁ θεολόγος Ἰωάννης ἐν μὲν τῷ εὐαγγελίῳ εἶπεν· 15.4 «ἐν ἀρχῇ ἦν ὁ λόγος, καὶ ὁ λόγος ἦν πρὸς τὸν θεὸν, καὶ θεὸς ἦν ὁ λόγος. οὗτος ἦν ἐν ἀρχῇ πρὸς τὸν θεόν. πάντα δι' αὐτοῦ ἐγένετο, καὶ χωρὶς αὐτοῦ ἐγένετο οὐδὲ ἓν ὁ γέγονεν. ἐν αὐτῷ ζωὴ ἦν καὶ ἡ ζωὴ ἦν τὸ φῶς τῶν ἀνθρώπων. καὶ τὸ φῶς ἐν τῇ σκοτίᾳ φαίνει καὶ ἡ σκοτία αὐτὸ οὐ κατέλα βεν». 15.5 ἐν δὲ τῇ Ἀποκαλύψει· «ὁ ὢν καὶ ὁ ἦν καὶ ὁ ἐρχόμενος κύριος ὁ θεὸς ἡμῶν ὁ παντοκράτωρ». 15.6 Τό «ὁ ὤν» σημαίνει τὸ ἀεὶ ὂν τῆς θείας ὑποστάσεως καθὰ καὶ ἀλλαχοῦ ἔφαμεν. ἀόριστος γὰρ ἡ λέξις, ὅθεν ὄνομα ἑαυτοῦ ὁ θεὸς εἶπεν τό «ὁ ὤν». 15.7 Τό «ἐν ἀρχῇ ἦν» ποιεῖ προῦπτον καὶ σφόδρα γε συμφανὲς τὸ ἄτοπον καὶ φευκτὸν τοῦ «ἦν ὅτε οὐκ ἦν». ἡ γὰρ λέξις ἡ «ἦν» ἀπαρέμφατός ἐστιν. ῥωμαϊστὶ δὲ ἡ ἀπαρέμφατος ἐκ δύο λέξεων σύγκειται· πλῃσθῃαμπερφεξτῃς, ἑρμηνεύεται δέ· πλέον ἢ τέλειος. 15.8 ὥστε νῦν ἀπαιτεῖ νοηθῆναι ὑπεράχρονος ἢ ἄναρχος. τὸ γὰρ οὐκ ὢν ἐν τῇ ἀρχῇ εἴ τις ἂν εἴποι, ἀρχή ποτε ἀναίτιος οὐκ ἦν. καὶ πάλιν, ὁ μηδέπω ὢν χρόνος τοῦ ποιήσαντος αὐτὸν πῶς εἶναι μέτρον δύναται; 15.9 Τό «ἦν πρὸς τὸν θεόν» παριστᾷ, ἣν υἱὸς ἔχει πρὸς θεὸν πατέρα φύσεως οἰκειότητα, καὶ 7 τό–ἀφ' οὗ ἦν, εἰ θέμις οὕτως εἰπεῖν, ὁ αὐτογενὴς πατήρ–συνυπάρχειν αὐτῷ τὸν ἐξ αὐτοῦ υἱόν. 15.10 ἐρρωμένως δὲ νοηθείη ἂν τό «ἦν πρὸς τὸν θεόν», ὅτι κατὰ τὸν θεὸν ἦν ἄναρχος, ἀγένητος, ἀχώρητος, ἀγαθός, ἀθάνατος, παμβασιλεύς. εἰ γὰρ μὴ οὕτως ἔχει ἐπὶ τῆς βρυθείσης σοφίας ταύτης, οὐχ ἕξει οὐδ' ἐπὶ τῆς πηγῆς τῆς βρυσάσης τὴν σοφίαν. ἔχει δὲ οὕτως ἐπ' ἀμφοῖν. 15.11 ἐπιφανὴς γὰρ καὶ βέβαιος καὶ ἀπερίεργος καὶ πρὸς τὸ θεῖον ὁρῶν μόνον ὁ σκοπὸς καὶ ὁ θεοπαράδοτος λόγος τοῦ Ἰωάννου. 15.12 Τό «θεὸς ἦν ὁ λόγος» συνιστᾷ τὸ οὐσιώδη εἶναι τὸν λόγον καὶ θεὸν εἶναι οἷός ἐστιν θεὸς ἐκεῖνος οὗ λόγος ἐστίν· καὶ αὖθις τὸ ἀναίτιον. 15.13 Τό «πάντα δι' αὐτοῦ ἐγένετο, καὶ χωρὶς αὐτοῦ ἐγένετο οὐδὲ ἕν» ἀποφαίνει αὐτόν, ὡς ἤδη ἐλέχθη, μονονουχὶ δημιουργόν, ἀλλ' ὅτι καὶ οὐκ ἐκτίσθη. 15.14 εἰ γὰρ μηδὲ ἓν κτιστὸν χωρὶς αὐτοῦ τὸ εἶναι ἐδέξατο, παντί που δῆλον ὡς αὐτὸς οὐκ ἐγένετο, ἀλλ' ἐγεννήθη θεϊκῶς. καὶ γὰρ ἀμήχανον ἐκ μὴ ὄντων εἰς τὸ εἶναι ἥκειν τὸν ὕπαρξιν τοῖς ὅλοις καὶ τοῖς λογικοῖς οὐσίωσιν καὶ ἀθανασίαν δεδωκότα. οὐδὲν γὰρ κτιστὸν οὐσιοῦν ἢ ἀπαθανατοῦν ἢ λογικοὺς ποιεῖν δύναται· ἀλλ' ἐκ τῆς ἤδη παρὰ τοῦ θεοῦ ἐξ οὐκ ὄντων παραχθείσης οὐσίας χρυσοῦ ἢ ἀργύρου ἢ χαλκοῦ ἢ σιδήρου ἢ ξύλου ἢ λίθου δημιουργοῖ ἄψυχον καὶ ἄλογον, ἀνδριάντα τυχὸν ἤ τι ἕτερον· 15.15 αὐτὸ δέ, οὐσίαν μὴ οὖσαν προοῖσαι ἢ ἔμψυχον καὶ λογικὴν ἀναδεῖξαι μόνης τῆς πανδυνάμου καὶ αὐτοτελοῦς μιᾶς θεϊκῆς φύσεως ἴδιον καὶ ἐξαίρετον τυγχάνει ὄν. 15.16 ἐποίησεν δὲ δι' αὐτοῦ ὁ πατὴρ ὡς φῶς δι' οἰκείου ἀπαυγάσματος καὶ ὡς νοῦς διὰ λόγου. 15.17 Τό «ἐν αὐτῷ ζωὴ ἦν» ἐπεκδιδάσκει ὅτι αὐτός ἐστιν ἀνάρχως, ἡ ζωὴ τῆς μιᾶς καὶ ἀνωτάτω φύσεως ὑπάρχων, καὶ μηδαμῶς ὄντων πάντων αἴτιος ὢν τῶν ὄντων. διὸ καὶ αὐτός φησιν· «ἐγώ εἰμι ἡ ζωή, ἐγώ εἰμι τὸ φῶς». 15.18 φιλοτιμεῖται δὲ τῷ ἀνάρχῳ τὰς μαρτυρίας τοσαυτάκις εἰπὼν τό «ἦν», ἵνα τῇ συνεχείᾳ τῆς τοιαύτης φωνῆς ἢ αἱρετικῶν τὰς κωφὰς ἀκοὰς διανοίξῃ ἢ μηδὲν περὶ τοῦ «ἦν ὅτε οὐκ ἦν» ἐν τῇ μελλούσῃ καθολικῇ καὶ ἀπαρεγκλίτῳ διαγνώσει πρόφασις ὑπολειφθείη. 15.19 Τό «καὶ ἡ ζωὴ ἦν τὸ φῶς τῶν ἀνθρώπων» ἐκπαιδεύει αὖθις τὰ αὐτά. φησὶν γάρ· αὕτη ἡ
About this text
Didymus the Blind defends the full divinity of Father, Son, and Spirit against those who rank them.
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