generated Him omnipotent and such as He is in Himself, it is not1134 more the glory of the
Son than of the Father, that He is self-sufficient, and self-maintained, and free from infirmity.
It has been said of the Son, “By whom He made the worlds.” (Heb. i. 2.) Now there is a dis-
tinction observed among us between creation and workmanship.1135 For one works and
toils and executes, another rules; and why? because he that executes is the inferior. But it is
not so there; nor is the sovereignty with One, the workmanship with the Other. For when
we hear, “By whom He made the worlds,”1136 we do not exclude the Father from creation.
Nor when we say, “To the King immortal,”1137 do we deny dominion to the Son. For these
are common to the One and the Other, and each belongs to Both. The Father created, in
that He begat the creating Son; the Son rules, as being Lord of all things created. For He
does not work for hire, nor in obedience to others, as workmen do among us, but from His
own goodness and love for mankind. But has the Son1138 ever been seen? No one can affirm
this. What means then, “To the King immortal, invisible, the only wise1139 God”? Or when
it is said, “There is no other name whereby we must be saved”: and again, “There is salvation
in no other”? (Acts iv. 12.)
“To Him be honor and glory forever. Amen.”
Now honor and glory are not mere words; and since He has honored us not by words
only, but by what He has done for us, so let us honor Him by works and deeds. Yet this
honor touches us, while that reaches not Him, for He needs not the honor that comes from
us, we do need that which is from Him.
In honoring Him, therefore, we do honor to ourselves. He who opens his eyes to gaze
on the light of the sun, receives delight himself, as he admires the beauty of the star, but
does no favor to that luminary, nor increases its splendor, for it continues what it was; much
more is this true with respect to God. He who admires and honors God does so to his own
salvation, and highest benefit; and how? Because he follows after virtue, and is honored by
Him. For “them that honor Me,” He says, “I will honor.” (1 Sam. iv. 30.) How then is He
honored, if He enjoys no advantage from our honor? Just as He is said to hunger and thirst.
For He assumes everything that is ours, that He may in anywise attract us to Him. He is said
1134 It is necessary here to insert a negative or to read οὔκοῦν for οὐκοῦν.
1135 κτίσις. Hales conjectures κτῆσις, possession. But this may be doubted, as κτίζειν means “to found,” as a
king founds a city. The workmen build, but do not found.
1136 Or “the ages.” Heb. i. 2.
1137 Or “King of Ages” (αἰ& 240·νων, for which we have no word but “worlds,” taken in an extended sense).
1138 i.e. in His Divine Nature.
1139 B. omits “wise” throughout, and then “only” applies to the words before, and the argument here is
complete; viz., that there is One God. of whom all this is said, that is, the Ever Blessed Trinity. Some good mss.
favor this reading in the text.
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1 Timothy 1:15,16