The Unity of the Divine Hypostases
Will anyone know Him? Instead of 'no one'. Regarding the divine: 'Who will explain His generation, since His life is taken from the earth?' The generation is the begetting, the life is existence, and the phrase 'taken from the earth' is a most mystical way of calling Him one who transcends immeasurably from the earth and surpasses every mind.
For because He has become everything to all, He is one whom anyone, having circled much with the intellect through all time, finds to be infinitely highest, incomparably better in quantity than all, unsearchable in essence, and everywhere inaccessible—having enveloped Himself and having nothing of Himself outside. Even the multitude of angels and the whole host of heavenly ranks cry out in this way: David in Psalm 18 says, 'He set darkness as His secret covering and His tabernacle around Him'; and Habakkuk says, 'His excellence covered the heavens'; and Matthew says, 'no one knows the Son except the Father, nor does anyone know the Father except the Son' (Matt 11:27).
For that which is born of creation through the union of one with another is not of the same nature as the begetter, nor does it emerge immediately and impassively perfect. Regarding divinity, the same applies. Since creation is such, the creator is the opposite of His own works, not similar to them, as only the blessed Trinity knows this.
For if He were not incomprehensible, He would be grasped; nor a mystery, if He were known; nor divine, if He could be reached; nor the creator of all, if He were from time; nor uncomposed and undivided, if He were in relation to bodies.
Just as those hearing about the Father say, 'You are from age to age' (Ps 90:2) and 'Your truth is unto the clouds' (Ps 36:9), we do not set limits upon Him, but believe in His eternity; for the age does not dwell with Him. We ought to think the same regarding the Son and the Holy Spirit, because of the one prevailing nature into which these blessed hypostases exist.
The same melody applies to the Son: 'You are the same, and your years will not fail' (Ps 102:27). And although what is written of the Father is small, 'who is from the ages' (Heb 1:12), what is said of His Son is not small, that He is 'the eternal God'. It is clear He is unsearchable, as will be shown shortly. And just as the Father...
Not merely 'immortality', but rather He is immortality itself; in this same way the Son is 'eternal life', and is the very same thing. Just as the Father is said to be 'one God', so the Son is called monogenes, God, Word, and 'one Lord Jesus Christ'.
And just as James writes concerning Him, 'there is one lawgiver and judge, able alone to save' (James 2:19), so the Spirit, according to the hymns written by Paul to the Corinthians and Ephesians, is called 'one' and 'the same' and 'only'; so that by this numerical expression, as it is said, these blessed hypostases demonstrate the single or unique nature of the Father's deity. And if 'the God and Lord' is true of the Father, it is without falsehood also of His Son and of the Spirit.
For as we have often recalled, the older Testament, having preserved equal value, has spoken: 'The Lord said to my Lord' (Psalm 110:1), and 'The Lord rained down from the Lord', and 'God made man in the image of God' (Genesis 1:26), and 'Who is a God beside the Lord, and who is a God besides our God?'. And in the New Testament, John said what has already been said; Thomas said, 'My Lord and my God' (John 20:28); and Paul said, 'the Lord is the Spirit, and where the Spirit of the Lord is, there is liberty' (2 Corinthians 3:17), and again, 'as from the Lord Spirit' and 'may the Lord find grace for Onesiphorus's house'. And Job said: 'A divine spirit made me', and 'a divine spirit surrounds me with rays'.
It is the same in Scripture to say 'divine' or 'God', as Paul teaches the Romans: 'His eternal power and deity' (Romans 1:20); and the Acts say: 'we ought not to suppose that the divine is like gold or silver or stone, or an artifice of human thought' (Acts 17:29); and Peter in the second epistle: 'that you might become partakers of the divine nature' (2 Peter 1:4).
And in whatever way the Father is incomprehensible, so also the riches of the Christ, according to Paul, turn out to be unsearchable. For he says: 'To me, the least of all men, this grace was given, to preach to the Gentiles the unsearchable riches of Christ' (Ephesians 3:8). But also 'there is no end to His greatness' and neither 'is there a number to His wisdom' according to David, nor 'a limit to His peace' according to Isaiah.
Greek
γνώσεται αὐτόν;» ἀντὶ τοῦ οὐδείς. 15.51 περὶ δὲ τῆς ἄνω· «τὴν δὲ γενεὰν αὐτοῦ τίς ἐξηγήσεται, ὅτι αἴρεται ἀπὸ τῆς γῆς ἡ ζωὴ αὐτοῦ;» τὴν γέννησιν γενεάν, τὴν ὕπαρξιν ζωήν, τὸ ὑπερεξεπῆρθαι ἀμέτρως ἀπὸ τῆς γῆς καὶ ὑπερφέρειν παντὸς νοῦ «αἴρεται ἀπὸ τῆς γῆς» καλέσας μυστικώτατα. 15.52 ὅτι γὰρ παντὸς χρόνου, ὃν ἂν νοήσῃ τις πολλὰ κυκλεύσας τῇ διανοίᾳ, ἀπεράντως ἀνώτατος καὶ ποσότητος πάσης ἀσυγκρίτως ἀμείνων καὶ τὴν οὐσίαν ἀπερινόητος καὶ πάντοθεν ἄποπτος εἰς ἅπαν καθέστηκεν–αὐτὸς ἑαυτὸν περιβαλὼν καὶ οὐδὲν ἑαυτοῦ ἔξωθεν ἔχων–, καὶ παραχωρεῖ τῷ τοσούτῳ αὐτοῦ ἀκαταλήπτῳ καὶ ἡ ἀγγέλων πληθύς, καὶ πᾶς οὐρανίων ταγμάτων δῆμος ἐκβοῶσιν ὡδί· ὁ μὲν ∆αυῒδ ἐν ιζʹ ψαλμῷ· «ἔθετο σκότος ἀποκρυφὴν αὐτοῦ καὶ κύκλῳ αὐτοῦ ἡ σκηνὴ αὐτοῦ», ἡ δὲ ᾠδὴ Ἀμβακούμ· «ἐκάλυψεν οὐρανοὺς ἡ ἀρετὴ αὐτοῦ», 15.53 ὁ δὲ Ματθαῖος «οὐδείς» φησίν «γινώσκει τὸν υἱόν, εἰ μὴ ὁ πατήρ, οὐδὲ τὸν πατέρα τις ἐπιγι νώσκει, εἰ μὴ ὁ υἱός». 15.54 Τὸ μὲν γὰρ τεχθὲν παρὰ τῆς κτίσεως κατὰ κοινωνίαν ἄλλου πρὸς ἄλλο γεγέννηται καὶ οὐ συμφυὲς τῷ γεννήσαντι, οὐδὲ τέλειον εὐθὺς καὶ ἀπαθῶς ἐξελήλυθεν· 15.55 ἐπὶ δὲ τῆς θεότητος τὸ ἔμπαλιν. ἐπειδὴ γὰρ ἡ κτίσις τοιῶσδε, ὁ γενεσιουργὸς ἐναντίως καὶ οὐχ ὁμοίως τῶν ἰδίων ποιημάτων, ἀλλ' ὡς οἶδεν ταῦτα μόνη ἡ μακαρία τριάς. 15.56 οὐδὲ γὰρ ἀκατάληπτος, εἰ κατελαμβάνετο, οὐδὲ μυστήριον, εἰ ἐγινώσκετο, οὐδὲ θεῖον, εἰ ἐχωρεῖτο, οὐδὲ δημιουργὸς πάντων, εἰ ἀπὸ χρόνου, οὐδὲ ἀσύνθετος καὶ ἀμερής, εἰ πρὸς τὰ σώματα. 15.57 καθάπερ γὰρ 10 ἀκούοντες περὶ τοῦ πατρός «ἀπὸ τοῦ αἰῶνος καὶ ἕως τοῦ αἰῶνος σὺ εἶ» καί «ἕως τῶν νεφελῶν ἡ ἀλήθεια αὐτοῦ» οὐχ ὅρους τιθέαμεν αὐτῷ, ἀλλὰ τὸ ἀΐδιον πιστεύομεν· οὐ γὰρ ὁμῆλιξ αὐτῷ ὁ αἰών, ὡσαύτως περί τε τοῦ υἱοῦ καῖ τοῦ ἁγίου πνεύματος φρονεῖν ὀφείλομεν, ἐπὶ γὰρ τῆς πάντων ἐπικρατούσης μιᾶς φύσεως, εἰς ἣν αὗται αἱ πάντιμοι ὑποστάσεις. 15.58 τὰ ἴσα μελῳδεῖ καὶ περὶ τοῦ υἱοῦ· «σὺ ὁ αὐτὸς εἶ, καὶ τὰ ἔτη σοῦ οὐκ ἐκ λείψουσιν». καὶ εἰ μὴ μικρὸν τὸ περὶ τοῦ πατρὸς γεγράφθαι «ὁ ὑπάρχων πρὸ τῶν αἰώνων», οὐ μικρὸν οὐδὲ τὸ περὶ τοῦ υἱοῦ αὐτοῦ χρησμῳδηθέν, ὅτι «προαιώνιος θεός». δῆλον δ' ὡς ἀπερινόητος, καθὰ δειχθήσεται οὐ πολλῷ ὕστερον. καὶ καθὰ ὁ πατήρ «ἔχει ἀθανασίαν», μᾶλλον δὲ αὐτός ἐστιν ἡ ἀθανασία, οὕτως ὁ υἱός ἐστιν «ζωὴ αἰώνιος», ἔστιν δὲ τὸ αὐτό. 15.59 Καὶ ὥσπερ ὁ πατήρ «εἷς θεός» εἴρηται, οὕτω ὁ υἱὸς κέκληται μονογενής, θεός, λόγος καί «εἷς κύριος Ἰησοῦς Χριστός». 15.60 καὶ ὡς Ἰάκωβος περὶ αὐτοῦ γράφει 15.60 «εἷς ἐστιν ὁ νομοθέτης καὶ κριτής, ὁ μόνος σώζειν δυνάμενος», οὕτω τὸ πνεῦμα παρὰ Παύλου Κορινθίοις καὶ Ἐφεσίοις γράψαντος ὕμνηται «ἕν» καί «τὸ αὐτό» καὶ μόνον, καὶ μόνον, ἵνα καὶ αὐτῷ τούτῳ τῷ ὡσανεὶ ἀριθμῷ, ἵν' οὕτω λεχθῇ, δείκνυνται φέρουσαι αἱ μακάριαι ὑποστάσεις αὗται τὸ ἑναδικὸν ἤτοι μοναδικὸν τῆς πατρικῆς θεότητος. 15.61 καὶ εἰ ἐπὶ τοῦ πατρὸς ἀληθὲς τό «ὁ θεὸς καὶ κύριος», ἀψευδὲς καὶ ἐπὶ τοῦ υἱοῦ αὐτοῦ καὶ τοῦ πνεύματος. 15.62 Ὡς γὰρ ἐπεμνήσθημεν πολλαχοῦ, ἥ τε πρεσβυτέρα διαθήκη τὴν ἰσοτιμίαν φυλάξασα διελάλησεν· «εἶπεν ὁ κύριος τῷ κυρίῳ μου», καί «ἔβρεξεν κύριος παρὰ κυρίου», καί «ἐποίησεν ὁ θεὸς κατ' εἰκόνα θεοῦ τὸν ἄνθρωπον», καί «τίς θεὸς πάρεξ τοῦ κυρίου καί τίς θεὸς πλὴν τοῦ θεοῦ ἡμῶν;» 15.63 Καὶ ἐν τῇ νέᾳ δὲ διαθήκῃ ὁ μὲν Ἰωάννης ἔφη, ἅπερ ἤδη ἐλέχθη. ὁ δὲ Θωμᾶς «ὁ κύριός μου καὶ ὁ θεός μου», καὶ ὁ Παῦλος «ὁ δὲ κύριος τὸ πνεῦμά ἐστιν, οὗ δὲ τὸ πνεῦμα κυρίου, ἐκεῖ ἐλευθερία», καὶ πάλιν. «καθάπερ ἀπὸ κυρίου πνεύματος» καὶ «δῴη κύριος εὑρεῖν ἔλεος παρὰ κυρίου τῷ Ὀνησιφόρου οἴκῳ». ὁ δὲ Ἰώβ· «πνεῦμα θεῖον τὸ ποιῆσάν με», καὶ «πνεῦμα θεῖον τὸ περιόν μοι ἐν ῥισίν». 15.64 Ταὐτὸν δέ ἐστιν τῇ γραφῇ λέξαι «θεῖον» ἤ «θεόν», ὡς διδάσκουσιν Παῦλος μὲν Ῥωμαίοις γράφων· «ἥ τε ἀΐδιος αὐτοῦ δύναμις καὶ θεότης», αἱ δὲ Πράξεις· «οὐκ ὀφείλομεν νομίζειν χρυσῷ ἢ ἀργύρῳ ἢ λίθῳ, χαράγματι τέχνης ἢ ἐν θυμήσεως ἀνθρωπίνης, τὸ θεῖον εἶναι ὅμοιον», ὁ δὲ Πέτρος ἐν τῇ δευτέρᾳ ἐπιστολῇ· «ἵνα διὰ τούτων γένησθε θείας κοινωνοὶ φύσεως». 15.65 Καὶ ὃν τρόπον ὁ πατὴρ ἀκατάληπτος, οὕτω καὶ τοῦ Χριστοῦ ὁ πλοῦτος ἀνεξιχνίαστος κατὰ τὸν Παῦλον τυγχάνει ὤν. φησὶν γάρ· «ἐμοὶ τῷ ἐλαχιστοτέρῳ πάντων ἀνθρώπων ἐδόθη ἡ χάρις, εὐαγγελίζε σθαι ἐν τοῖς ἔθνεσι τὸν ἀνεξιχνίαστον πλοῦτον τοῦ Χριστοῦ». ἀλλὰ καὶ «τῆς μεγαλωσύνης αὐτοῦ οὐκ ἔστιν πέρας» οὔτε «τῆς συνέσεως ἀριθμός» κατὰ τὸν ∆αυΐδ, οὔτε «τῆς εἰρήνης ὅριον» κατὰ Ἠσαΐαν,
About this text
Didymus the Blind defends the full divinity of Father, Son, and Spirit against those who rank them.
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- Copy-text PG (Khazarzar) (Greek)
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