But if the Lord Himself wills to give, you say, what need of my prayer? It is of great be- nefit both to them and to thyself. It draws them to love, and it inclines thee to humanity. It has the power of attracting others to the faith; (for many men have fallen away from God, from contentiousness towards one another;) and this1170 is what he now calls the salvation of God, “who will have all men to be saved”; without this all other is nothing great, a mere nominal salvation,1171 and only in words. “And to come to the knowledge of the truth.” The truth: what truth? Faith in Him. And indeed he had previously said, “Charge some that they teach no other doctrine.” But that no one may consider such as enemies, and on that account raise troubles1172 against them; he says that “He willeth that all men should be saved, and come to the knowledge of the truth”; and having said this, he adds, Ver. 5. “For there is one God, and one Mediator between God and men.” He had before said, “to come to the knowledge of the truth,” implying that the world is not in the truth. Now he says, “that there is one God,” that is, not as some say, many, and that He has sent His Son as Mediator, thus giving proof that He will have all men to be saved. But is not the Son God? Most truly He is; why then does he say, “One God”? In con- tradistinction to the idols; not to the Son. For he is discoursing about truth and error. Now a mediator ought to have communion with both parties, between whom he is to mediate. For this is the property of a mediator, to be in close communion with each of those whose mediator he is. For he would be no longer a mediator, if he were connected with one but separated from the other.1173 If therefore He partakes not of the nature of the Father, He is not a Mediator, but is separated. For as He is partaker of the nature of men, because He came to men, so is He partaker of the nature of God, because He came from God. Because He was to mediate between two natures, He must approximate to the two natures; for as the place situated between two others is joined to each place, so must that between natures be joined to either nature. As therefore He became Man, so was He also God. A man could not have become a mediator, because he must also plead with God. God could not have been mediator, since those could not receive Him, toward whom He should have mediated. And as elsewhere he says, “There is one God the Father,…and one Lord Jesus Christ” (1 Cor. viii. 6.); so also here “One” God, and “One” Mediator; he does not say two; for he would not have that number wrested to Polytheism, of which he was speaking. So he wrote “One” and “One.” You see how accurate are the expressions of Scripture! For though one and one are two, we are not to say this, though reason suggests it. And here thou sayest not one and 1170 i.e. the coming to the Faith. Sav. mar. has “and this is what he now calls salvation” (this fem.). See Ps. xcviii. 3. 1171 The Greek word is applicable to bodily safety. 1172 μάχας. 1173 See St. Athanasius, Ep. on Nicene Decrees, § 24, Tr. p. 41. 743 1 Timothy 2:2-4