Tag: God

[Editor’s Note: Gary is translating the Ante-Nicene Fathers works, beginning with Origin’s work. It is meant to update the British English of Roberts and Donaldson. What follows is part of that translation]

8. The apostle calls Christ not only “the radiance of God’s glory” but also “the exact representation of His being” (or “substance”). That raises a meaningful question: How can there be a distinct image or representation of God’s being that is not simply God Himself? What do we really mean by “person” or “substance” in this context?

Now, consider this: The Son of God is the Word and Wisdom of God. He alone fully knows the Father and reveals Him to those who are capable of receiving that revelation. In that sense, the Son—through His divine wisdom and self-disclosure—can be said to be the very image of God’s being. That is, when Wisdom reveals itself as the means through which others come to understand God, it becomes the visible expression, or “exact image,” of God’s invisible reality.

To help us grasp this idea more fully, think of this analogy (even if it’s imperfect): Suppose there were a statue so vast that it filled the whole world and could not be seen or comprehended by anyone because of its sheer immensity. Now imagine a second statue—identical in every detail, in shape, form, and substance—but scaled down so that people could actually see and understand it. Those who saw the smaller statue would know what the great, original one was like, because it perfectly reflected all its features.

In the same way, the Son of God, although equal with the Father, “emptied Himself” (as Paul writes) and took on a form we could perceive. In doing so, He showed us what God is like. Because of this, He is rightly called the exact image of God’s being. Through Him—through the light of Christ—we are able to behold divine light. The comparison to statues is only meant to illustrate this one point: though the Son appeared in human form (which seems lowly), the power and works He displayed revealed a greatness and glory identical to the Father’s. As Jesus Himself said, “Whoever has seen Me has seen the Father,”  and “I and the Father are one.” He also said, “The Father is in Me, and I in the Father.”

9. Now let’s consider a related passage from the Wisdom of Solomon, where Wisdom is described like this: “It is like a breath from the power of God, the purest outflow of the Almighty’s glory, the radiance of eternal light, the flawless mirror of God’s activity and power, and the perfect image of his goodness” (7.25-26). A

Each of these expressions identifies specific divine qualities found in Wisdom. The author calls Wisdom the power, the glory, the eternal light, the activity, and the goodness of God. But he doesn’t say, for example, that Wisdom is the breath of God’s glory or His light—only of His power. That’s important, because it wouldn’t make sense to speak of “breath” coming from abstract things like glory or light. But power is different: it refers to God’s active, governing presence in creation—by which He orders, restrains, and sustains all things, both visible and invisible. It’s that strength by which God acts, like a mind exercising its will.

The “breath” mentioned here is a way of describing something that proceeds from this divine power—just as a decision comes from the will, or the will proceeds from the mind. This breath is not a created force or something that came into being later; rather, it shares the same nature as the power from which it comes. It is, in effect, power flowing out of power.

This “breath” (Wisdom, or the Son) has its own distinct existence, yet it derives entirely from God’s eternal power. It has always existed. If anyone claims it came into existence later, we would have to ask why the Father—who could have brought it forth—didn’t do so earlier. And if we keep pressing that logic backward—asking why not before any supposed beginning—we’re left with only one reasonable conclusion: since God has always had power and will, there’s no reason He would ever have lacked the Wisdom that flows from them. Therefore, this divine Wisdom—the breath of God’s power—has no beginning apart from God Himself. It comes from Him and has always existed with Him.

So when Paul says Christ “is the power of God,” we can rightly say that He is not only the breath of that power, but power born of power itself.

Gary Pollard

[Editor’s Note: Gary is translating the Ante-Nicene Fathers works, beginning with Origin’s work. It is meant to update the British English of Roberts and Donaldson. What follows is part of that translation]

Some people might not be convinced by these ideas unless they come straight from the bible. They want to see proof from scripture that God’s nature is greater than anything physical. So let’s look at what the apostle says about Christ. He writes that Christ is “the image of the invisible God, the first-born of all creation.”

This doesn’t mean that God is visible to some people and invisible to others. The apostle doesn’t say, “the image of a God who is invisible to humans” or “invisible only to sinners.” He says clearly, “the image of the invisible God.” This means God’s nature, by definition, cannot be seen.

John says the same thing in his account: “No one has seen God at any time.” He means this for everyone―no created being can see God. Not because God is hiding or hard to spot, but because, in his very nature, God cannot be seen. You might ask: “What about the Son―can he see the Father?” Don’t be too quick to think that’s a strange or disrespectful question. We can think it through clearly.

Seeing and being seen is something physical―it belongs to bodies. Knowing and being known belongs to the mind, to understanding. Since God is not a body, we shouldn’t say he is “seen” or “looks” at anything the way we do. What is true of God’s divine nature applies to both the Father and the Son.

Even Jesus himself didn’t say, “No one sees the Father except the Son,” or “No one sees the Son except the Father.” He said, “No one knows the Son except the Father, and no one knows the Father except the Son.” This shows us that, when it comes to God, “knowing” is not about physical sight―it’s about deep understanding.

So, since God’s nature is invisible and not made of anything physical, we shouldn’t speak of the Father and the Son “seeing” each other like people do. Instead, Scripture teaches that they know each other perfectly.

Now, if someone brings up the verse, “Blessed are the pure in heart, for they shall see God,” I believe it actually supports our point even more strongly. What else does it mean to see God with the heart, if not to understand and know him with the mind, just as we’ve explained? Scripture often uses the names of physical senses to describe the soul’s activities―for example, it talks about seeing with the eyes of the heart, meaning an act of understanding through the mind’s power. In the same way, it says the soul hears when it grasps the deeper meaning of a message. We even say it uses teeth when it chews and eats the bread of life that comes down from heaven. Other bodily terms are used in the same way―to refer to the soul’s powers.

As Solomon says, “You will find a divine sense,” showing he understood that within us are two types of senses: one mortal, corruptible, and human; the other immortal and intellectual, which he calls divine. It’s through this divine sense―not through physical eyes, but through a pure heart (that is, a pure mind)―that those who are worthy can see God. And you’ll find throughout all of scripture, both Old and New Testaments, that the word heart is often used in place of mind, meaning the power of understanding.

So, although our explanation is far beneath the dignity of the subject, we have tried to speak of God’s nature as best we can within the limits of human understanding. Now, let us consider what is meant by the name of Christ.