When Christ comes, God will be seen by men
When Christ comes, God will be seen by men
From a Treatise Against Heresies, by Saint Irenaeus (130-202), Bishop
(Lib 4, 20, 4-5: SC 100, 634-640)
(Lib 4, 20, 4-5: SC 100, 634-640)
There is but One God, who made and ordered everything by means of the Word and Wisdom: this is the same Demiurge that assigned this world to the human race. He, in His greatness, has not been known by those same creatures that He created (since nobody had investigated His depth of being, neither among the ancient ones who have passed away, nor among those who still live); in contrast, because of Love, we know the One who, through His ministry, made all things. This is His Word, our Lord Jesus Christ, the One who in recent times made Himself man among men, with the end to unite the End with the Beginning, that is to say, man with God. And for this motive the prophets, having received from that same Word the gift of prophecy, predicated His coming in the flesh, through which is realized the co-mingling and communion of God with man according to the desires of God. The Word had preannounced from the beginning that we would get to see God among men, that He would enter into contact with those on the earth and converse with them, that He would be made present to His created being (mankind) so as to save it, and that He would show Himself sensitive to free the hands of all those who hate us, the rebellious spirits. And He would also propel us to serve Him in sanctity and justice all our days with the end that, with mankind embracing the Spirit of God, mankind could then enter into the glory of the Father.
This is what the Prophets said in their announcements, yet, as some say, the prophets saw someone distinct from God the Father, because He remains invisible. They teach this to those who entirely ignore whatever may be contained in prophecy. Because prophey is the prediction of future things, meaning, the preannouncement of things that only afterwards become real. The prophets pre-foretold that men would see God, as the Lord says: "Blessed are the clean of heart, because they will see God" (St. Matthew 5, 8). Even though, in truth, "Nobody will see God and live" (Exodus 33, 20), when one sees Him in all his grandeur and ineffable glory, as the Father is inaccessible. However, by His love, goodness and omnipotence, He will concede for all of those who love Him, the priviledge to see God, as the prophets announced, because "what for men is impossible, it is possible for God" (St. Luke, 18, 27).
Man will not see God on his own; yet He, God, if He so wants, will allow Himself to be seen by men; for those that He wants, and when and how He wants, because God is omnipontent. Through means of the Holy Spirit He permitted Himself to be seen prophetically. Through the means of His Son He let Himself be seen according to adoption; He will let Himself be seen according to His paternity in the Kingdom of the Heavens: the Holy Spirit prepares man and woman for the Son of God, the Son who conducts one to the Father; the Father grants the Incorruption towards and for eternal life, which comes with each and every person's vision of God. As the ones who see the light are in the light, they perceive that divine light's clarity; in such a manner those who come to God are in God and see His clarity. And the clarity of God gives life: meaning, those who see God have a part in life. That is why the One who cannot be embraced, comprehended nor seen, grants to human beings that they see Him, they comprehend Him and embrace Him, with the goal of giving them life. Just as His grandness is unfathomable, so also is His goodness ineffable, by which He gives life to those who see Him. This is because living without having life is impossible; life comes by participating in God, and participating in God is seeing Him and enjoying the bliss of His goodness.
When Christ comes, God will be seen by men
From a Treatise Against Heresies, by Saint Irenaeus (130-202), Bishop
(Lib 4, 20, 4-5: SC 100, 634-640)
(Lib 4, 20, 4-5: SC 100, 634-640)
There is but One God, who made and ordered everything by means of the Word and Wisdom: this is the same Demiurge that assigned this world to the human race. He, in His greatness, has not been known by those same creatures that He created (since nobody had investigated His depth of being, neither among the ancient ones who have passed away, nor among those who still live); in contrast, because of Love, we know the One who, through His ministry, made all things. This is His Word, our Lord Jesus Christ, the One who in recent times made Himself man among men, with the end to unite the End with the Beginning, that is to say, man with God. And for this motive the prophets, having received from that same Word the gift of prophecy, predicated His coming in the flesh, through which is realized the co-mingling and communion of God with man according to the desires of God. The Word had preannounced from the beginning that we would get to see God among men, that He would enter into contact with those on the earth and converse with them, that He would be made present to His created being (mankind) so as to save it, and that He would show Himself sensitive to free the hands of all those who hate us, the rebellious spirits. And He would also propel us to serve Him in sanctity and justice all our days with the end that, with mankind embracing the Spirit of God, mankind could then enter into the glory of the Father.
This is what the Prophets said in their announcements, yet, as some say, the prophets saw someone distinct from God the Father, because He remains invisible. They teach this to those who entirely ignore whatever may be contained in prophecy. Because prophey is the prediction of future things, meaning, the preannouncement of things that only afterwards become real. The prophets pre-foretold that men would see God, as the Lord says: "Blessed are the clean of heart, because they will see God" (St. Matthew 5, 8). Even though, in truth, "Nobody will see God and live" (Exodus 33, 20), when one sees Him in all his grandeur and ineffable glory, as the Father is inaccessible. However, by His love, goodness and omnipotence, He will concede for all of those who love Him, the priviledge to see God, as the prophets announced, because "what for men is impossible, it is possible for God" (St. Luke, 18, 27).
Man will not see God on his own; yet He, God, if He so wants, will allow Himself to be seen by men; for those that He wants, and when and how He wants, because God is omnipontent. Through means of the Holy Spirit He permitted Himself to be seen prophetically. Through the means of His Son He let Himself be seen according to adoption; He will let Himself be seen according to His paternity in the Kingdom of the Heavens: the Holy Spirit prepares man and woman for the Son of God, the Son who conducts one to the Father; the Father grants the Incorruption towards and for eternal life, which comes with each and every person's vision of God. As the ones who see the light are in the light, they perceive that divine light's clarity; in such a manner those who come to God are in God and see His clarity. And the clarity of God gives life: meaning, those who see God have a part in life. That is why the One who cannot be embraced, comprehended nor seen, grants to human beings that they see Him, they comprehend Him and embrace Him, with the goal of giving them life. Just as His grandness is unfathomable, so also is His goodness ineffable, by which He gives life to those who see Him. This is because living without having life is impossible; life comes by participating in God, and participating in God is seeing Him and enjoying the bliss of His goodness.
When Christ comes, God will be seen by men - From a Treatise Against Heresies, by Saint Irenaeus (130-202), Bishop
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