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BUT perhaps you think it a trifle to make this clear: not because it
fails in clearness, but because the obscurity of unbelief always causes
obscurity even in what is clear. Hear then how the Apostle sums up in a few
words this whole mystery of the Lord's unity Person]. "Our one Lord Jesus
Christ," he says, "by whom are all things." O good Jesus, what weight
there is m Thy words! For Thine they are, when spoken of Thee by Thine own.
See how much is embraced in the few words of this saying of the Apostle's.
"One Lord," says he, "Jesus Christ, by whom are all things." Did he make
use of any circumlocution in order to proclaim the truth of this great
mystery? or did he make a long story of that which he wanted us to
grasp? "Our one Lord," he says, "Jesus Christ, by whom are all things." In
a plain and short phrase he taught the secret of this great mystery,
through this confidence by which he realized that in what refers to God his
statements had no need of lengthened arguments, and that the Divinity added
faith to his utterances. For the demonstration of facts is enough to
confirm what is said, whenever the proof rests on the authority of the
speaker. There is then, he says, "one Lord Jesus Christ, by whom are all
things." Notice how you read the same thing of the Word of the Father,
which you read of Christ. For the gospel tells us that "All things were
made by Him, and without Him was not anything made." The Apostle says,
"By Christ are all things:" the gospel says, "By the Word are all things."
Do these sacred utterances contradict each other? Most certainly not. But
by Christ, by whom the Apostle said that all things were created, and by
the Word, by whom the Evangelist relates that all things were made, we are
meant to understand one and the same Person. Hear, I tell you, what the
Word of God, Himself God, has said of Himself. "No man," he saith, "hath
ascended into heaven, save He who came down from heaven, even the Son of
man, who is in heaven." And again He says: "If ye shall see the Son of
man ascending where He was before." He said that the Son of man was in
heaven: He asserted that the Son of man had come down from heaven. What
does it mean? Why are you muttering? Deny it, if you can. But do you ask
the reason of what is said? However I do not give it you. God has said
this. God has spoken this to me: His Word is the best reason. I get rid of
arguments and discussions. The Person of the Speaker alone is enough to
make me believe. I may not debate about the trustworthiness of what is
said, nor discuss it. Why should I question whether what God has said is
true, since I ought not to doubt that what God says is true. "No man," He
says, "hath ascended into heaven, save He who came down from heaven, even
the Son of man, who is in heaven." Certainly the Word of the Father was
ever in heaven: and how did He assert that the Son of man was ever in
heaven? You are then to understand that He showed that He who was ever the
Son of God was also the Son of man: when lie asserted that He, who had but
recently appeared as the Son of man, was ever in heaven. To this points
still mere that other passage in which He testifies that the same Son of
man; viz., the Word of God who, as He said, came down from heaven, even at
the time when He was speaking on earth, was in heaven. For "no man," He
said, "hath ascended into heaven, save He who came down from heaven, even
the Son of man who is in heaven." Who, I pray you, is this who is speaking?
Assuredly it is Christ. But where was He at the moment when He spoke?
Assuredly on earth. And how can He assert that He came down from heaven
when He was born, and that He was in heaven when He was speaking, or say
that He is the same Son of man, when certainly no one but God can come down
from heaven, and when He speaks on earth, and certainly cannot be in heaven
except through the Infinite nature of God? Consider then this at last, and
note that the Son of man is the same Person as the Word of God: for He is
the Son of man since He is truly born of man, and the Word of God, since He
who speaks on earth abideth ever in heaven. And so when He truly terms
Himself the Son of man, it refers to His human birth, while the fact that
He never departs from heaven, refers to the Infinite character of His
Divine nature. And so the Apostle's teaching is admirably in accordance
with those sacred words:("for He that descended," says He, "is the same
that ascended also above all heavens, that He might fill all things," 1)
when He says that He that descended is the same that ascended. But none can
descend from heaven except the Word of God: who certainly "being in the
form of God, emptied Himself, taking the form of a servant, being made in
the likeness of men, and being found in fashion as a man, He humbled
Himself, and became obedient unto death, even the death of the Cross."
Thus the Word of God descended from heaven: but the Son of man ascended.
But He says that the same Person ascended and descended. Thus you see that
the Son of man is the same Person as the Word of God.
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