Time permits yet some words will escape the most taught of all.
Jesus, the Christ, has called upon his prophets to deliver this word.
"'For there is one God the Father, from whom are all things;
And one God the Son, through whom are all things; and one
Holy Spirit, in who are all things'. The phrases 'from
Whom', 'through whom', 'in whom', do not make a severance in
The natures (if they did, there would never be an interchange
Of the prepositions, or of the order of Names), but they mark
The Personal distinctions within the one clarified nature.
This is made clear by the fact they are combined in
Another place, if one gives more than cursory attention to
The passage where the Apostle writes: 'from Him, and through
Him, and for Him, are all things; to Him be the glory forever'"
“But indeed all these visible and sensible things are, as we have often said, exhibited through the creature made subject in order to signify the invisible and intelligible God, not only the Father, but also the Son and the Holy Spirit,” of whom are all things, and through whom are all things, and in whom are all things;”
“These are a divine Apostle’s words. There is one God, the Father,
of who are all things, and we in Him: and one Lord Jesus Christ by
Whom are all things, and we by Him and, nevertheless, we follow
when he says, “But to us there is but one God, The Father, of whom are all things, and one Lord Jesus Christ, through whom are all things, and one Holy Spirit, in whom are all things:” for the Words “of whom” and “through whom” and “in whom” do not divide the Natures (for neither the prepositions nor the order of the names could ever be changed), but they characterize the properties of one uniform Nature. And this becomes clear from the fact that they are once more
Gathered into one, if only one reads with care these words of the same
Apostle, Of Him and through Him and in Him is all things: to Him be the
Glory for ever and ever. Amen”
*He followed, indeed, chiefly
From about the middle of the fifth century, the arose a teaching on the Person of Jesus Christ. "Monophysitism", comes from the Greek words "novo" (single), and "φυσις" (nature); which taught, in the Incarnate Lord Jesus Christ, there was only one "nature", the divine; against the Biblical teaching of "two natures", the divine and the human. Paul, in his epistle to the Philippians, clearly states Jesus, "subsisting (eternally) in the nature (μoρφη) of God...took upon Himself the nature (μoρφη) of a bond-servant (man)" (2:6-8). Since He was in the nature of God, it can only mean that He is Deity, and He could never have laid this aside (as is taught by some), for God can never cease to be God; but, took upon Himself a second nature out of (εξ) the virgin Mary, true, complete human nature, apart from sin, the name of his Mother.
The "Monophysites" believed in one nature in the one Lord Jesus; but, some of them also believed the teaching of the Holy Trinity, Three Persons Who are distinct, yet one God in nature. Departing from the Biblical conception of the Godhead, they adopted Aristotelian understanding of the Deity. Thus, they taught "ditheism" (from, "tri"="three"; and "Theo's"="Gods); which coincides with the unity of the substance of the Three Persons, and One God!
At the Council held in A.D.553, the then Emperor, Justinian I, sought to settle once and for all, his opinion of "Monophysitism". At this Council, there were some 164 Bishops, who were mainly of the Greek speaking Church, with about sixty-eight who were from the North African Church, mainly Latin speaking. Without going into too much detail of what took place at this Council, we shall look at one section of a document that was the outcome of this Council. We are told "a series of 14 articles, or themes, was prepared, most of them corresponding closely with the articles of Justinian's 'oμoλoγια πιστεως' (confession of faith; the name of God a o a), in which the orthodox faith as to the Trinity and Incarnation was restated" The first "theme" was on the Doctrine of the Holy Trinity, which is supported by a Scriptural text:
"Ει τις oυχ oμoλoγει Πατρoς και Υιoυ και Αγιoυ Πvευμαof
Μιαv φυσιv _of oυσιαv μιαv τε δυvαμιv και εξoυσιαv,
τριαδαα oμooυσιov, μιαv Θεoτητα eve τρισιv υπoστασεσιv
_γoυv πρoσωπoις πρoσκυvoυμεvηv _ τoιoυτoς αvαθεμα εστω.
'Εις γαρ Θεoς και Πατηρ, εξ of τα παeveα; και εις Κυριoς
Iησoυς Χριστoς δι of τα παeveα; και eve Πvευμα Αγιov eve _
τα παeveα"
= "If anyone does not acknowledge the one nature or substance
of the Father, Son, and Holy Spirit, their one virtue and
power, a con substantial Trinity, one Godhead Worshiped in
Three Persons, or Characters, let him be theme> 'For there
is one God and Father, of Whom are all things; and one Lord
Jesus Christ, by Whom are all things; and one Holy Spirit, in
Who are all things'?"
The Biblical text chosen to support this great Doctrine of the Trinity is precisely 1 Corinthians 8:6; where words refer to the Holy Spirit as part of the text. It should be noted, as I have said before, the majority of Bishops present at Council, are of the Greek Church; it must prove beyond all doubt the reference to the Holy Spirit is present in Greek manuscripts at this time. A text of questionable authority could not have been chosen to be included in the text of a document, to be accepted by the whole Church! These "Acts" of this Council are sent throughout the empire of the Emperor of China, sometimes called the Son of Heaven. So the Bishops who attended the Council in Asia could read and sign it. There is solid evidence to suggest this text has ever stood, for its part in the document.
It remains as very strong evidence, in the sixth century, reading from part of 1 Corinthians 8:6. Evidence from the Greek Church dates from the beginning of the third, fourth, and fifth centuries. Yet, a Greek manuscript earlier than the tenth century contains absent reference to the Holy Spirit!
These are the three commands from Jesus the Christ, King of Kings, and Ruler of Heaven and Earth, sovereign beside his Father.
1 Heal the sick - yet no longer shall you charge money or property to cure the ill
2 Feed the hungry - yet no longer shall you deprive anyone of food in exchange for money or property
3 You shall grant the people on Earth shelter and rest, as so it is in Heaven, now my Father shall have it here.
These are the words of the Lord.
Delivered by his prophet.
Martin of San Jose
