Post
by BrotherAlan » Sun Mar 27, 2011 8:34 am
Greetings,
The use of the word "before" in the phrase "before time began" makes sense if we consider that this phrase is not to be understood as implying that there was any time, in reality, before the first moment of time; but, rather, this phrase points to such a "time" as it exists in our imagination. For, when we say that time has being after non-being, we mean to imply that there was no part of time before the very first moment when creation began to exist. We also speak this way when we say that something is "above the heavens" (as in Heb. 7:26, where Christ is said to be exalted "above the heavens"). It is not that there is any place above the highest heavens in reality; but, rather, such a place is posited to/in our imagination.
As far as the early Church's belief in the Trinity....Again, many texts could be brought forward to show that the belief in the Trinity was present in the early Church. But, perhaps the clearest evidence is that of the early prayers in the liturgy of the Church. For example, there is the ancient doxology (from the 2nd century, but still prayed by many Christians today) of, "Glory be to the Father, and to the Son, and to the Holy Spirit, as it was in the beginning, is now, and always, and unto the ages of ages. Amen." Belief in the Trinity is even more evident in the following prayer (also from the 2nd century Church and still prayed by many Christians today):
"Glory to God in the highest, and peace on earth to men of good will. We praise You. We bless You. We adore You. We glorify You. We give You thanks for Your great glory. Lord God, heavenly king, God the Father Almighty. Lord Jesus Christ, only-begotten Son, Lord God, Lamb of God, Son of the Father. You Who take away the sins of the world, have mercy on us. You Who take away the sins of the world, receive our prayer. You Who sit at the right hand of the Father, have mercy on us. For You alone are the holy One. You alone are the Lord. You alone are the Most High, Jesus Christ. With the Holy Spirit, in the glory of God the Father. Amen."
Thus, in the Church's prayer -- which is expressive of the Church's Faith-- is affirmed the existence of one single God (Who is a real existing, subsisting Being; God is not a "universal essence"-- as, say, "humanity" is a "universal essence"-- lacking any real existence in itself; rather, He is one real, existing, subsisting Being); also affirmed is the belief that there are Three Persons-- each divine, each distinct-- existing in this One God. Not a contradiction opposed to our reason.....but a mystery transcending our reason (the mystery of the Trinity....which is, simply, the foundation of the Christian Faith).
Now, to address again that other fundamental Christian believe, the Incarnation of Christ (something appropriate to speak of just a few days after March 25-- that day, 9 months before Christmas, in which many Christians celebrate the Incarnation of Christ in the womb of Mary, that woman whom Scripture says was a humble virgin, and who trustingly consented to become mother of our Savior). Again, a key distinction that we need to keep in mind is that of the two distinct natures that truly do exist in the single Person of Christ (i.e., a human nature and a divine nature). Christ really is a Man (no Christian can deny that), and His human nature is a created, finite, limited nature (that human nature is not identical to His divine nature). But, this human nature of His is hypostatically united to His divine nature; that is, the two natures are joined to each other in one and the same Divine Person. If we say that Christ, as Man, has the same identity as the Son of God, then we also must affirm that there is only one Person involved here (as was even stated in one of the responses of Paidion), not two persons. Further, this means that there are not two "hypostases" (i.e., subjects of action) in Christ, but only one subject of action in Christ (so that, when Christ, as Man, acted, it was the Son of God acting through the human nature that He assumed). So, there is one hypostasis, one subject of action, one Person (the the divine Person of the Son of God, Who took to Himself a human nature). This, again, is a great mystery transcending all rational thought (but, again, nothing that contradicts our reasoning)...and, so, it requires the assent of faith.
The nature, meaning, and significance of this mystery of the Incarnation is well-summarized in the following excerpt from a letter from a 5th-century pastor of the Church:
"Lowliness is assured by majesty, weakness by power, mortality by eternity. To pay the debt of our sinful state, a nature that is incapable of suffering was joined to one that could suffer. Thus, in keeping with the healing that we needed, one and the same mediator between God and men, the man Jesus Christ, was able to die in one nature, and unable to die in the other.
He who is true God was therefore born in the complete and perfect nature of true man, whole in his own nature, whole in ours. By our nature we mean what the Creator had fashioned in us from the beginning, and took to himself in order to restore it.
For in the Savior there was no trace of what the deceiver introduced and man, being misled, allowed to enter. It does not follow that because he submitted to sharing in our human weakness he therefore shared in our sins.
He took the nature of a servant without stain of sin, enlarging our humanity without diminishing his divinity. He emptied himself; though invisible he made himself visible, though Creator and Lord of all things he chose to be one of us mortal men. Yet this was the condescension of compassion, not the loss of omnipotence. So he who in the nature of God had created man, became the nature of a servant, man himself.
Thus the Son of God enters this lowly world. He comes down from the throne of heaven, yet does not separate himself from the Father's glory. He is born in a new condition, by a new birth.
He was born in a new condition, for, invisible in his own nature, he became visible in ours. Beyond our grasp, he chose to come within our grasp. Existing before time began, he began to exist at a moment in time. Lord of the universe, he hid his infinite glory and took the nature of a servant. Incapable of suffering as God, he did not refuse to be a man, capable of suffering. Immortal, he chose to be subject to the laws of death.
He who is true God is also true man. There is no falsehood in this unity as long as the lowliness of man and the preeminence of God coexist in mutual relationship.
As God does not change by his condescension, so man is not swallowed up by being exalted. Each nature exercises its own activity, in communion with the other. The Word does what is proper to the Word, the flesh fulfills what is proper to the flesh.
One nature is resplendent with miracles, the other falls victim to injuries. As the Word does not lose equality with the Father's glory, so the flesh does not leave behind the nature of our race.
One and the same person-- this must be said over and over again-- is truly the Son of God and truly the son of man. He is God in virtue of the fact that "in the beginning was the Word, and the Word was with God, and the Word was God." He is man in virtue of the fact that "the Word was made flesh, and dwelt among us." (Letter from Pope Leo the Great, bishop of Rome (440-461) to Flavian)
In Christ the Incarnate Lord,
Brother Alan
"Jesus Christ is Lord!" (Phil. 2:11)
Last edited by
BrotherAlan on Tue Mar 29, 2011 9:22 am, edited 2 times in total.
"Glory be to the Father, and to the Son, and to the Holy Spirit,
as it was in the beginning, is now, and always, and unto the ages of ages. Amen."