Thoughts while reading the writings of the Cappadocians
How to understand the Trinity:
We speak of the Father as God. We also speak of Trinity as God.
These are tow different usages of the word "God," with two different meanings.
When we speak of the Trinity as God, we are referring to the essence, or ousia, of each person of the Trinity. We are referring to the divinity of the members of the Trinity. An analogous reference would be to talk about the Beatles, and to say that each person is a Beatle.
When we speak of the Father as God, we are referring to a particular hypostasis of the Trinity, a particular person within the Trinity. An analogous reference would be a reference to John, or to Paul, or to George, or to Ringo.
Let me think of a deeper metaphor:
In the Matrix trilogy, we have in the later two movies an image of the structure of the Trinity in the character(s) of Agent Smith. Now, there is one 'real' Agent Smith, and that is the original one (the one who was destroyed by Neo in the first movie.No matter how many other 'Agent Smiths' there are, no matter how many others are 'begotten', he is still 'Agent Smith'; all the other Smiths are simply images of the original Smith, and each has its own train of thoughts, while only the original Smith has the thoughts of the original Agent Smith, (Assuming that the Smiths aren't some huge collective mind, a la the Borg in Star Trek). However, there is a sense in which all the other Agent Smiths can be referred to as Agent Smiths, in that they share the same essence as the original Smith. Thus, each Agent Smith is a hypostasis of the the Agent Smith essence, and within this essence there stands one 'true' Agent Smith.
In a similar manner, God the Father is the One God spoken of in the Old Testament. When we pray and address 'God,' it is (generally) the Father who is addressed. He is God, and he is unbegotten
and eternal.
Now, from him come the Son and the Holy Spirit; or rather I should say that the Son is Begotten of the Father and the Holy Spirit proceeds from the Father. Both share the same essence as God, and thus all are eternal and coequal in position, and can thus be called God, but there is a special way in which God the Father can be called God in which one cannot also refer to the Son or to the Holy Spirit as God.However, one might speak as Jesus as God or to the Holy Spirit as God in that they are of the same essence as the Father. Now, these are different from the father in that the Father is unbegotten, while the Son is Begotten (and indeed the only Begotten) of the Father, and the Spirit proceeds from the Father.
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A thought:
Modern Christians (I am thinking specifically of Protestants, and more specifically of American Evangelicals) often note that, while God revealed Himself in the culture of the Jews and in the culture of the First Century Eastern Mediterranean Roman region, He could have revealed himself in any culture. They then proceed to ignore or at least in some way overlook the specifics of the Jewish Culture or the culture of the first Century Eastern Mediterranean. They try to seek God separate from the way in which he revealed Himself. This is in contrast to other Christian groups, whom I will call 'Historical Christians,' who recognize the specifics of the culture in which God revealed himself to mankind and apply this to their understandings of God and of Christianity.
In a similar way, modern Christians often note that, while God specifically used the Virgin Mary as the person through whom the Son of God became incarnate, He could have used any woman, and thus they proceed to ignore or in some way overlook the proper veneration which should be given to Mary. In contrast, Historical Christians note that it was the Virgin Mary whom the Lord chose to use in bearing and birthing His Son, and thus do they venerate her.
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Dear Lord, Heavenly God,
Please help me. Help me to know you, Lord, to know you fully, as You fully know me. let not my knowledge of You be only an intellectual knowledge, but allow me to know You for who You are. Guide me, and help me to know you and be satisfied in you.
In the name of the Father, Son, and Holy Spirit. Amen.
"For we know in part and we prophesy in part, but when perfection comes, the imperfect disappears. When I was a child, I talked like a child, I thought like a child, I reasoned like a child. When I became a man, I put childish ways behind me. Now we see but a poor reflection as in a mirror; then we shall see face to face. Now I know in part; then I shall know fully, even as I am fully known." - I Corinthians 13:9-12
We speak of the Father as God. We also speak of Trinity as God.
These are tow different usages of the word "God," with two different meanings.
When we speak of the Trinity as God, we are referring to the essence, or ousia, of each person of the Trinity. We are referring to the divinity of the members of the Trinity. An analogous reference would be to talk about the Beatles, and to say that each person is a Beatle.
When we speak of the Father as God, we are referring to a particular hypostasis of the Trinity, a particular person within the Trinity. An analogous reference would be a reference to John, or to Paul, or to George, or to Ringo.
Let me think of a deeper metaphor:
In the Matrix trilogy, we have in the later two movies an image of the structure of the Trinity in the character(s) of Agent Smith. Now, there is one 'real' Agent Smith, and that is the original one (the one who was destroyed by Neo in the first movie.No matter how many other 'Agent Smiths' there are, no matter how many others are 'begotten', he is still 'Agent Smith'; all the other Smiths are simply images of the original Smith, and each has its own train of thoughts, while only the original Smith has the thoughts of the original Agent Smith, (Assuming that the Smiths aren't some huge collective mind, a la the Borg in Star Trek). However, there is a sense in which all the other Agent Smiths can be referred to as Agent Smiths, in that they share the same essence as the original Smith. Thus, each Agent Smith is a hypostasis of the the Agent Smith essence, and within this essence there stands one 'true' Agent Smith.
In a similar manner, God the Father is the One God spoken of in the Old Testament. When we pray and address 'God,' it is (generally) the Father who is addressed. He is God, and he is unbegotten
and eternal.
Now, from him come the Son and the Holy Spirit; or rather I should say that the Son is Begotten of the Father and the Holy Spirit proceeds from the Father. Both share the same essence as God, and thus all are eternal and coequal in position, and can thus be called God, but there is a special way in which God the Father can be called God in which one cannot also refer to the Son or to the Holy Spirit as God.However, one might speak as Jesus as God or to the Holy Spirit as God in that they are of the same essence as the Father. Now, these are different from the father in that the Father is unbegotten, while the Son is Begotten (and indeed the only Begotten) of the Father, and the Spirit proceeds from the Father.
------------------------------------
A thought:
Modern Christians (I am thinking specifically of Protestants, and more specifically of American Evangelicals) often note that, while God revealed Himself in the culture of the Jews and in the culture of the First Century Eastern Mediterranean Roman region, He could have revealed himself in any culture. They then proceed to ignore or at least in some way overlook the specifics of the Jewish Culture or the culture of the first Century Eastern Mediterranean. They try to seek God separate from the way in which he revealed Himself. This is in contrast to other Christian groups, whom I will call 'Historical Christians,' who recognize the specifics of the culture in which God revealed himself to mankind and apply this to their understandings of God and of Christianity.
In a similar way, modern Christians often note that, while God specifically used the Virgin Mary as the person through whom the Son of God became incarnate, He could have used any woman, and thus they proceed to ignore or in some way overlook the proper veneration which should be given to Mary. In contrast, Historical Christians note that it was the Virgin Mary whom the Lord chose to use in bearing and birthing His Son, and thus do they venerate her.
-------------------------------------
Dear Lord, Heavenly God,
Please help me. Help me to know you, Lord, to know you fully, as You fully know me. let not my knowledge of You be only an intellectual knowledge, but allow me to know You for who You are. Guide me, and help me to know you and be satisfied in you.
In the name of the Father, Son, and Holy Spirit. Amen.
"For we know in part and we prophesy in part, but when perfection comes, the imperfect disappears. When I was a child, I talked like a child, I thought like a child, I reasoned like a child. When I became a man, I put childish ways behind me. Now we see but a poor reflection as in a mirror; then we shall see face to face. Now I know in part; then I shall know fully, even as I am fully known." - I Corinthians 13:9-12
Labels: Orthodox
posted by thebrainkid at 3/08/2006 03:56:00 PM
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