|
"But there came two angels to Sodom at even." Here, what I have
begun to set forth must be considered more attentively. Certainly
Abraham was speaking with three, and called that one, in the singular
number, the Lord. Perhaps, some one may say, he recognized one of
the three to be the Lord, but the other two His angels. What,
then, does that mean which Scripture goes on to say, "And the Lord
went His way, as soon as He had left communing with Abraham; and
Abraham returned to his place: and there came two angels to Sodom at
even?" Are we to suppose that the one who, among the three, was
recognized as the Lord, had departed, and had sent the two angels
that were with Him to destroy Sodom? Let us see, then, what
follows. "There came," it is said, "two angels to Sodom at
even; and Lot sat in the gate of Sodom: and Lot seeing them, rose
up to meet them; and he bowed himself with his face toward the ground;
and he said, Behold now, my lords, turn in, I pray you, into your
servant's house." Here it is clear, both that there were two
angels, and that in the plural number they were invited to partake of
hospitality, and that they were honorably designated lords, when they
perchance were thought to be men.
22. Yet, again, it is objected that except they were known to be
angels of God, Lot would not have bowed himself with his face to the
ground. Why, then, is both hospitality and food offered to them, as
though they wanted such human succor? But whatever may here lie hid,
let us now pursue that which we have undertaken. Two appear; both are
called angels; they are invited plurally; he speaks as with two
plurally, until the departure from Sodom. And then Scripture goes
on to say, "And it came to pass, when they had brought them forth
abroad, that they said, Escape for thy life; look not behind thee,
neither stay thou in all the plain; escape to the mountain, and there
thou shalt be saved, lest thou be consumed. And Lot said unto them,
Oh! not so, my lord: behold now, thy servant hath found grace in
thy sight," etc. What is meant by his saying to them, "Oh! not
so, my lord," if He who was the Lord had already departed, and had
sent the angels? Why is it said, "Oh! not so, nay lord," and
not, "Oh! not so, my lords?" Or if he wished to speak to one of
them, why does Scripture say, "But Lot said to them. Oh! not
so, my lord: behold now, thy servant hath found grace in thy
sight," etc.? Are we here, too, to understand two persons in the
plural number, but when the two are addressed as one, then the one
Lord God of one substance? But which two persons do we here
understand? of the Father and of the Son, or of the Father and of
the Holy Spirit, or of the Son and of the Holy Spirit? The
last, perhaps, is the more suitable; for they said of themselves that
they were sent, which is that which we say of the Son and of the Holy
Spirit. For we find nowhere in the Scriptures that the Father was
sent.
|
|