Was the pre-Nicene church father Irenaeus a Trinitarian?

This article discusses the view of Irenaeus (c. 115-190). He became a bishop at Lyons around the year 178. There are two major works by him known to us:

      • Against Heresies and
      • (P) Proof of the Apostolic Preaching

This article discusses Irenaeusโ€™ view of the nature of Christ (his Christology). In the quotes below, โ€œPโ€ stands for Proof of the Apostolic Preaching while โ€œIโ€ to โ€œVโ€ stands for the first five books of Against Heresies. Where I used more than one quote from a page, I added a, b, or c.

Irenaeusโ€™ writings are available from Earlychristianwritings.com. The text of the quotes from his works, that are referred to in this article, are listed at the end of this article.

Summary

The analysis of Irenaeusโ€™ writings below concludes that the Father created all things but He created all things โ€œthrough Christ Jesus.โ€ Irenaeus describes the Father as the โ€œOne God, the Almighty,โ€ as the only God and as the true God who โ€œcontains all things.โ€

By describing the Father as the Supreme God Almighty, the Most High, God of all, as ruling over all, who alone knows the very day and hour of judgment (II,28), Irenaeus indicated that the Son is subordinate to the Father. This is emphasized by statements such as that:

Jesus Christ became flesh according to the good pleasure of the Fatherโ€ (I,9,2), that

He has received dominion over all creation from His Father (III,6a), and that

The Father is greater than Christ (II,28) and the Head of Christ” (V,18; cf. 1 Cor 2:3).

Although Irenaeus described the Father as the โ€œone Godโ€ and as the โ€œonly God,โ€ and the Son is subordinate to the Father, Irenaeus also described Jesus Christ as โ€œeternally co-existing with the Fatherโ€ (e.g. II,30) and as โ€œGodโ€ (e.g. I,10,1). However, even in the phrases which referred to Jesus as God, Irenaeus described the Son as subordinate to the Father God. For example:

“He who suffered under Pontius Pilate,
the same is Lord of all, and King, and God, and Judge,
receiving power from Him who is the God of all” (III,12a).

Irenaeus gave two reasons why the Son is called God, namely:

    • He is the visible image of the invisible Father and
    • “That which is begotten of God is God” (P47).

To understand why Irenaeus was able to refer to the Son as “God” but still as subordinate to the Father, we need to understand the meaning of the Greek word which Irenaeus used, which is the word theos:

One of the possible meanings of theos is “God,” which is defined by Merriam-Webster as โ€œa being conceived as the perfect, omnipotent, omniscient originator and ruler of the universe.โ€ But theos also has a range of other possible meanings, such as:

          • Beings empowered by God to represent Him, such as Moses (Exo 7:1), and
          • People “to whom the word of God came” (John 10:35; cf. Psalm 82).

To describe a being as theos, therefore, does not mean that that being is God. A being is God if He is the almighty originator of the universe, as Merriam-Webster defined the title. Irenaeus described only the Father as such.

– END OF SUMMARY –

The Father

The following is one of his typical statements about the Father:

“The beginning of all things is God.
For He Himself was not made by any,
and by Him all things were made.
And therefore, it is right first of all to believe that
there is One God, the Father,
who made and fashioned all things” (P4).

This statement is explicitly about the Father and says that:

The Father created all things.

He is the uncaused Cause of all things. Elsewhere, Irenaeus refers to the Father as โ€œMaker of heaven, and earth,โ€ and that He โ€œcreated all things,โ€ or โ€œgrants existence to allโ€ (I,10,1; II,1; III,1; III,6b; III,8; III,12c; IV,5,1-2; IV,20,2b,c; P6).

The Father is โ€œOne God.โ€

Irenaeus was quite fond of the phrase โ€œone God,โ€ also expressed as โ€œOne God, the Almightyโ€ (I,9,2; cf. I,10,1; III,1; III,12c; IV,1; IV,6b; IV,20,2a,b,c; V,18; V,22; P5). This is related to the New Testament’s โ€œone Godโ€-statements in which the “one God” always refers to the Father (John 5:44; 1 Cor 8:6; Eph 4:5-6; 1 Tim 2:5). Irenaeus also quoted these verses, for example:

“The Apostle Paul in like manner (stated),
‘There is one Lord, one faith, one baptism,
One God and Father, who is above all,
and through all, and in us all'”
(IV,32; cf. Eph 4:5-6).

The following is another one of Irenaeusโ€™s typical statements:

“There is shown forth One God, the Father, not made, invisible, creator of all things; above whom there is no other God, and after whom there is no other God. And, since God is rational, therefore by [the] Word He created the things that were made.” (P5)

This statement again identifies the Father as โ€œOne Godโ€ and as the Creator. But it adds the following:

The Father is the only God.

As Irenaeus stated, above and after the Father there is no other God. Irenaeus frequently stated that the Father is the only God. For example, he would describe Jesus Christ as โ€œthe only-begotten Son of the Only Godโ€ (I,9,2) or state, โ€œthe Father, is the Only God and Lord, who Alone is God and ruler of allโ€ (III,9a; cf. II,1; II,28; III,6b; III,6c; III,9b; III,25; IV, Preface; IV,1).

That the Father is the only God seems to be the meaning of the โ€œone Godโ€ statements above. These two thoughts are integrated in categorical statements such as:

    • โ€œThere is One Almighty Godโ€ (III,11a)
    • โ€œThere is One God, the Maker of this universeโ€ (III,11b; III,12b)

The Father is the true God.

Irenaeus identified the Father as the โ€œtrue Godโ€ and as the โ€œonly true Godโ€ (III,15). For example:

“The apostles taught the Gentiles that they should leave vain wood and stones โ€ฆ and worship the True God, who had created and made all the humanity โ€ฆ and that they might look for His Son Jesus Christ” (III,5; cf. V,22).

The Father created all things by the Word.

As quoted above from P5, “by [the] Word He [the one God] created the things that were made.” Elsewhere, Irenaeus stated this principle as that:

    • โ€œThrough Him all things were made by the Fatherโ€ (P5) or,
    • The Father created all things โ€œthrough Christ Jesusโ€ (III,4; cf. III,11a; IV,20,1; IV,20,2b)

The Father โ€œcontains all things.โ€

This interesting quote from (IV,20,2c) makes me think of the principle that God is not somewhere in the universe, rather, the universe is somewhere in God. Elsewhere, Irenaeus described โ€œGod the Creatorโ€ as โ€œthe Only God โ€ฆ alone containing all thingsโ€ (II,1). Perhaps a related statement made by Irenaeus is that โ€œthe Father Himself is Alone called “God”, who has a real existence” (II,28). In other words, the existence of everything else is dependent on the Father’s existence.

Christ Jesus

Irenaeus contrasted Jesus Christ to the Father with phrases such as:

“The Church โ€ฆ has received โ€ฆ this faith:
One God, the Father Almighty,
Maker of heaven, and earth, and the sea,
and all things that are in them;
and in one Christ Jesus, the Son of God,
who became incarnate for our salvation,
and in the Holy Spirit โ€ฆ” (I,10,1; cf. I,9,2; III,1; IV,6b)

This sounds very similar to the opening phrase on the Nicene Creed, formulated more than a hundred years later:

We believe in one God, the Father almighty,
maker of all things visible and invisible;
And in one Lord, Jesus Christ,
the Son of God (Earlychurchtexts)

The One Christ Jesus

In Irenaeusโ€™ statements, Jesus is the โ€œone Christ Jesusโ€ or the โ€œone Jesus Christโ€ in contrast to the Father, who is the โ€œOne God.โ€ The New Testament does not refer to Jesus as โ€œone Christ Jesusโ€ or as โ€œone Jesus Christ,โ€ but, in contrast to the โ€œone God,โ€ the New Testament does refer to Jesus as โ€œone Lordโ€ (Eph 4:5-6; 1 Cor 8:6). Apparently, the New Testamentโ€™s โ€œone Godโ€ and โ€œone Lordโ€ statements were foundational for Irenaeusโ€™ Christology. This is how it should be, for these statements are specifically formulated to explain the relationship between the Father and the Son. Theologians often mistakenly rely on less clear statements to formulate faulty Christologies.ย 

The Father is Supreme.

As indicated by the following quotes, Irenaeus described the Father as above all, God Almighty, the Most High, God of all, the Supreme King, God over all, and as ruling over all:

“The Father is above all things for ‘the Father,’ says He, ‘is greater than I'” (II,28).

The Father is โ€œGod Almighty, The Most High, The Creator, The Makerโ€ (II,35; cf. P8) – โ€œthe God of all, the Supreme Kingโ€ (III,5).

“He it is who is God over all” (IV,5,1-2; cf. P5).
โ€œGod the Father (is) ruling over allโ€ (III,6a)

โ€œTherefore One God, the Father is declared, who is above all” (Book V,18; cf. IV,20,2a).

The Father is Almighty.

Irenaeus used the term โ€œAlmightyโ€ frequently, but always only for the Father; never for Christ. For example, the following is a quote by Irenaeus from 1 Corinthians 8:6, to which he added โ€œAlmightyโ€ to the description of the Father, as well as โ€œa firm belief in the Spirit of God:โ€

“A full faith in One God Almighty,
of whom are all things,
and in the Son of God,
Jesus Christ our Lord,
by whom are all things โ€ฆ
and a firm belief in the Spirit of God” (IV,33).

Since Irenaeus identified the Father alone as the โ€œAlmighty,โ€ the Son is not Almighty. For a discussion of the title โ€œAlmightyโ€ in the New Testament, see –ย Is Jesus the Almighty?

The Son is subordinate to the Father.

Irenaeus described the subordinate position of the Son in phrases such as:

      • Jesus Christ โ€œbecame fleshโ€ โ€œaccording to the good pleasure of the Fatherโ€ (I,9,2).
      • Every knee will bow to Jesus โ€œaccording to the will of the invisible Fatherโ€ (I,10,1).
      • โ€œThe Father alone knows the very day and hour of judgmentโ€ (II,28; cf. Matt 24:36)
      • “‘The Father,’ says He, ‘is greater than I'” (II,28; cf. John 14:28).
      • โ€œHis Son โ€ฆ has received dominion from His Father over all creationโ€ (III,6a)
      • โ€œ’He shall he great, and shall be called the Son of the Highest’โ€ (III,16);
      • โ€œThe Father is indeed above all, and He is the Head of Christ” (V,18; cf. 1 Cor 2:3).

The Son always existed.

Although the Son is subordinate to the Father, He always existed:

    • โ€œPre-existing with the Father,
      begotten before all the creation of the worldโ€ (P30);
    • โ€œEternally co-existing with the Fatherโ€
      (II,30; cf. IV,6; IV,20,1; IV,20,2a);

I have found that people struggle to understand how Christ could be eternal but still be subordinate to the Father. We need to remember that, to say that Jesus always existed means that He existed for as long as time existed, but time had a beginning – 13 billion years ago with the big bang (NASA). There is no time in the infinity beyond this universe. But that Infinity contains the real substance of our existence because it is the Source of the power and intelligence that brought forth this universe. In that infinity, the Son was begotten of the Father. But beyond that, we should say nothing of that infinity because that has not been revealed to us.

The Son is God.

Although he described the Father as the โ€œone Godโ€ and as the โ€œonly God,โ€ and described the Son as subordinate to the Father, Irenaeus described the Son also as โ€œGodโ€ (I,10,1; III,15; III,19,2; IV,5,1-2; IV,6c; P40; P47). However, even in the phrases which refer to Jesus as God, Irenaeus described the Son as subordinate to the Father God:

“To Christ Jesus, our Lord,
and God, and Saviour, and King,
according to the will of the invisible Father,
every knee should bow” (I,10,1).

“The apostles of freedom called no one else ‘God,’ or named him ‘Lord,’ except the Only true God, the Father, and His Word” (III,15).

“He who suffered under Pontius Pilate, the same is Lord of all, and King, and God, and Judge, receiving power from Him who is the God of all” (III,12a).

Irenaeus gave two reasons why the Son is called God:

“The Father is the invisible of the Son, but the Son the visible of the Father. And for this reason all spoke with Christ โ€ฆ and they named Him God” (IV,6c).

“That which is begotten of God is God” (P47).

The translation of theos

To understand why Irenaeus was able to refer to the Son as “God” but still as subordinate to the Father, we need to understand the meaning of the Greek word which Irenaeus used, which is the word theos.

The title “God” defined

Merriam-Webster defines the term โ€œGodโ€ as โ€œa being conceived as the perfect, omnipotent, omniscient originator and ruler of the universe.โ€

Only one โ€œomnipotentโ€ (almighty) Being is possible. If there were more than one, one would limit to the power of the other. There can also only be one โ€œoriginator โ€ฆ of the universe.โ€

Sola Gratia proposes a different definition for โ€œGod.โ€ He says that any being that has โ€œthe exact same nature with the Fatherโ€ is God. However, we cannot each have his or her own definition of โ€œGod.โ€ That is what dictionaries are for. If we have different definitions for the same word, we will talk past one another.

Consider the historical development of the title โ€œGod:”

The meaning of theos

The Greek word, that is translated as “God,” is theos. In the ancient Greek culture, theos was used for the pantheon of the Greek gods such as Zeus, the god of heaven, Hera, Queen of the gods, Poseidon, God of the seas, and many others. The gods were thought of as immortal beings with supernatural powers over nature and mankind.

When Greek became the common language of the Empire, the Jews translated the Hebrew elohim as the Greek theos. Since elohim, in the Hebrew culture, was used for the true God but also for a range of other beings, theos took on the same meanings in Jewish and Christian writings, which included:

    • Any immortal being with supernatural powers;
    • Beings empowered by God to represent Him, such as Moses (Exo 7:1), and
    • People “to whom the word of God came” (John 10:35; cf. Psalm 82).

See the article on theos for a discussion of the meanings.

The meaning of โ€œGodโ€

The original New Testament, written in Greek, was written only in capital letters. The same applies to Iranaeus’ writings. (He wrote in Greek.)

But, over the centuries, the distinction between upper- and lower-case letters developed. With that, over time, came the practice to capitalize the G and to use the word โ€œGodโ€ to refer to one specific being, namely the One who exists without cause. In other words, we use the word โ€œGod,โ€ with an upper case G, as the name for one specific Being, namely the One who exists without cause.

How the ancient writers distinguished

However, when the original New Testament as written, and when Irenaeus wrote, these writers did not have a word that is equivalent to God. Given the broad range of meanings of the word theos, Irenaeus and the other pre-Nicene fathers could refer to both the Father and Jesus Christ as theos. But they distinguished the Father from the other theos-beings in various other ways. Irenaeus (and the Bible writers), for example, as quoted above, described the Father as:

      • The โ€œone God,โ€
      • โ€œThe only God,โ€
      • โ€œThe Almighty,โ€
      • “One God โ€ฆ who is above all” and
      • โ€œThe True God,โ€ and
      • โ€œThe Father โ€ฆ who Alone is God.”

To make sure that the reader understands, Irenaeus stated this also negatively, namely, โ€œthere is no other Godโ€ (P5).

How to translate theos

By means of such techniques, and by describing the Father as the Head of Christ, and as greater than Christ, Irenaeus represented Christ as subordinate to the Father. The point is that, as Irenaeus described Him, the Son is not โ€œGodโ€ as defined above by Merriam-Webster, namely the omnipotent (almighty), omniscient originator of the universe. Given this definition, and given Irenaeusโ€™ Christology, only the Father is โ€œGodโ€ in modern English. Consequently, theos, when used by Irenaeus for Jesus, should not be translated as “God.”

On the other hand, to translate theos as “god” when it describes Jesus is also not acceptable because, in Christian circles, the title “god” is often understood as referring to false gods. That is a dilemma for translators to sort out.

God from God

Consider again the statement which Irenaeus made in P47: “That which is begotten of God is God.” This reminds me of the Nicene Creed, which reads:

God from God,
light from light,
true God from true God

Since the word theos, which is translated four times in this verse as “God,” merely means “god,” and in the ancient Greek language, simply means an immortal being with supernatural powers, all that Irenaeus meant was that, since the Father is an immortal being with supernatural powers, and since Jesus Christ is the only begotten of God, He is also an immortal being with supernatural powers. If that is correct, then Irenaeus’ statement must be translated as “That which is begotten of god is god.”

However, the Nicene Creed adds the word “true” before “theos.” As we have seen, both the New Testament and Irenaeus use the phrase “true theos” only for the Father (III,15; III,5; V,22; John 17:3; 1 Thess 1:9; 1 John 5:20). (For a discussion of 1 John 5:20, see the article on theos.)

Therefore, the question is, what does the Nicene Creed mean by “true theos? Does it mean that Jesus Christ is “God” in the modern sense of the word, or that He truly is an immortal being with supernatural powers? For a discussion, see the article on the interpretation of the Nicene Creed.ย 

Lord

In the quotes above, Irenaeus used the title โ€œLordโ€ many times and for both the Father and for Jesus Christ. This is also not proof that Jesus is โ€œGodโ€ as defined above. The same principles that apply to the title โ€œGod,โ€ also apply to the title โ€œLord,โ€ namely that Irenaeus applied the title โ€œLordโ€ to the Father in a special sense, for he refers to the Father as the โ€œonly Lordโ€ and as โ€œthe true Lord:โ€

โ€œThe Father, is the Only God and Lordโ€ (III,9a).

โ€œGod the Creator โ€ฆ since He is the Only God, the Only Lord, the Only Creator, the Only Fatherโ€ (II,1).

โ€œIt was the true Lord and the One God โ€ฆ the same did Christ point out as the Fatherโ€ (V,22).

Similar to theos, the Greek word that is translated as โ€œlordโ€ (kurios) has a wide range of meanings:

On the low end of the spectrum, it can simply be a respectful form of address to somebody in a more senior position, similar to โ€œsirโ€ or โ€œmaster.โ€

But exalted beings, such as kings and gods were also addressed as โ€œlord.โ€

Given the exalted view which the New Testament and Irenaeus have of โ€œthe only-begotten Son of the Only Godโ€ (I,9,2), such as that He “eternally co-existed with the Fatherโ€ (II,30) and โ€œhas received dominion from His Father over all creationโ€ (III,6a) so that every knee in heaven and on earth must bow to Him (I,10,1), Jesus Christ is most appropriately called โ€œLord.โ€

However, given the clear distinction between the โ€œone Godโ€ (the Father) and the “one Lord, Jesus Christ” that is made by the โ€œone Godโ€ statements (e.g., 1 Cor 8:6; Eph 4:4-6; 1 Titus 2:5), Jesus is not “Lord” in the same sense as the Father. Rather, โ€œevery tongue will confess that Jesus Christ is Lord, to the glory of God the Fatherโ€ (Phil 2:11).

Triadic passages

One of the major โ€˜proofsโ€ of the โ€˜divinityโ€™ of Christ and of the Trinity is the triadic passages, which are passages in which the Father, Son and Holy Spirit are mentioned together, for example, โ€œbaptizing them in the name of the Father and the Son and the Holy Spiritโ€ (Matt 28:19). Irenaeus also mentions the Father, the Son, and the Holy Spirit many times together in a single passage (e.g. I,10,1; IV,6b; IV,20,1). These passages do include the Son and the Holy Spirit in โ€œthe divine identity,โ€ if I may borrow a term from Richard Bauckham. However, we need to respect the clear statements in both the New Testament and Irenaeusโ€™ writings that the Father is the โ€œonly true Godโ€ (III,15; John 17:3).

Conclusion

Irenaeus believed that the Father is โ€œthe only and the true God,โ€ who also created all things. He alone is โ€œAlmighty.โ€ He wrote that โ€œevery knee should bowโ€ to Jesus because that is โ€œthe will of the invisible Father.โ€ Irenaeus saw Christ as distinct from God and subordinate to the Father, explicitly quoting from the Bible that the Father is โ€œthe Head of Christ.โ€ None of the quotes say that the Holy Spirit is self-aware. There is also no mention of one substance or of Christโ€™s proposed dual nature.

According to what I quoted above from Irenaeus, he was no philosopher. He simply takes the Scriptures as they are. However, he emphasized verses that Trinitarians avoid.

The purpose of the mini-series of articles is to determine whether the church fathers in the first three centuries believed in the Trinity. If we use Irenaeus, writing in the late second century, as a norm, then the answer must be a loud and clear “no.”ย 

List of quotes

Below are quotes from Irenaeusโ€™ writings. For the full text, see Irenaeus of Lyons (earlychristianwritings.com).

Against Heresies

The following is quoted from Irenaeus’ voluminous work, Against Heresies.

John, proclaiming One God, the Almighty,
and one Jesus Christ, the only-begotten,
by whom all things were made …
the only-begotten Son of the Only God,
who, according to the good pleasure of the Father,
became flesh for the sake of men. (I,9,2).

The Church โ€ฆ has received โ€ฆ this faith โ€ฆ (in)
One God, the Father Almighty,
Maker of heaven, and earth, and the sea,
and all things that are in them;
and in One Christ Jesus, the Son of God,
who became incarnate for our salvation;
and in the Holy Spirit โ€ฆ (I,10,1)

To Christ Jesus, our Lord,
and God, and Saviour, and King,
according to the will of the invisible Father,
“every knee should bow, of things in heaven,
and things in earth, and things under the earth,
and that every tongue should confess” to him (I,10,1).

God the Creator,
who made the heaven and the earth,
and all things that are in it โ€ฆ
since He is the Only God, the Only Lord, the Only Creator, the Only Father, alone containing all things, and Himself commanding all things into existence (II,1).

This God is the Father of our Lord Jesus Christ.
Paul the apostle also has declared,
“There is One God, the Father, who is above all, and through all, and in all” [Eph 4:6]. (II, 2).

Since the Father Himself is Alone called “God“,
who has a real existence โ€ฆ
the Scriptures acknowledge Him Alone as “God,” โ€ฆ
the Lord confesses Him Alone as his own Father (II,28)

The Lord, the very Son of God, allowed that the Father Alone knows the very day and hour of judgment, when he plainly declares, “But of that day and that hour knows no man, neither the Son, but the Father Only.” (II,28)

The Father โ€ฆ has been declared by the Lord alone to know the hour and the day โ€ฆ we may learn through him that the Father is above all things. For “the Father,” says He, “is greater than I.” (II,28).

The Son, eternally co-existing with the Father, from of old, yea, from the beginning, always reveals the Father to Angels, Archangels, Powers, Virtues, and all to whom he wills that God should be revealed. (II,30)

All the other expressions likewise bring out the title of One and the same being; as, for example โ€ฆ God Almighty, The Most High, The Creator, The Maker, and such like. (II,35).

These [Apostles] have all declared to us that there is One God, Creator of heaven and earth โ€ฆ and one Christ the Son of God. (III,1).

The ancient tradition, believing in One God, the Creator of heaven and earth, and all things therein, through Christ Jesus, the Son of God (III,4).

Our Lord โ€ฆ acknowledged as God, even the God of all, the Supreme King, too, and his own Father (III,5)

The apostles taught the Gentiles that they should leave vain wood and stones โ€ฆ and worship the True God, who had created and made all the humanity โ€ฆ and that they might look for His Son Jesus Christ (III,5).

God the Father ruling over all, and His Son who has received dominion from His Father over all creation (III,6a)

I do also call upon You, LORD God of Abraham, and God of Isaac, and God of Jacob and Israel, who IS the Father of our Lord Jesus Christ โ€ฆ that we should know You, who has made heaven and earth, who rules over all โ€ฆ above whom there is no other God, do grant, by our Lord Jesus Christ, the governing power of the Holy Spirit, to every reader of this book to know You, that You Alone are God, to be strengthened in You (III,6b)

“We know that an idol is nothing, and that there is no other God but One. For though there be that are called gods, whether in heaven or in earth, yet to us there is but One God, the Father, of whom are all things, and we through Him, and one Lord Jesus Christ, by whom are all things, and we by him.” (III,6c)

He indeed who made all things can alone, together with His Word, properly be termed God and Lord (III,8).

He, the Father, is the Only God and Lord, who Alone is “God” and ruler of all. (III,9a)

There is therefore One and the same God, the Father of our Lord. (III,9b).

There is One Almighty God, who made all things by His Word โ€ฆ that by the Word, through whom God made the creation, He also bestowed salvation on the men included in the creation (III,11a)

There is One God, the Maker of this universe โ€ฆ the Father of our Lord Jesus Christ (III,11b).

He who suffered under Pontius Pilate, the same is Lord of all, and King, and God, and Judge, receiving power from Him who is the God of all (III,12a)

The One and the same God โ€ฆ that He was the Maker of all things, that He was the Father of our Lord Jesus Christ (III,12b)

To the Greeks they preached One God, who made all things, and His Son Jesus Christ (III,12c)

The apostles of freedom called no one else “God,” or named him “Lord,” except the Only true God, the Father, and His Word. (III,15)

The angel said โ€ฆ He shall he great, and shall be called the Son of The Highest โ€ฆ And David โ€ฆ confessed him as Lord, sitting on the right hand of The Most High Father. (III,16).

He [Jesus] is โ€ฆ God, and Lord, and King Eternal, and the Incarnate Word โ€ฆ He had โ€ฆ in Himself that pre-eminent birth which is from the Most High Father. (III,19,2)

Their Creator, who is both God Alone, and the Father of our Lord Jesus Christ. Amen. (III,25).

There is none other called God by the Scriptures except the Father of all, and the Son, and those who possess the adoption. (IV,Preface).

No other God or Lord was announced by the Spirit, except Him who, as God, rules over all, together with His Word (IV,1)

Our Lord โ€ฆ did also command us to confess no one as Father, except Him โ€ฆ who is the One God and the One Father (IV,1).

Whom Christ confessed as His Father. Now He is the Creator, and He it is who is God over all (IV,5,1-2)

Christ Himself, therefore, together with the Father, is the God of the living, who spake to Moses, and who was also manifested to the fathers. (IV,5,1-2).

The Son, being present with His own handiwork from the beginning, reveals the Father to allย  (IV,6a)

There is One God, the Father, and one Word, and one Son, and one Spirit, and one salvation to all who believe in Him. (IV,6b).

And through the Word Himself who had been made visible and palpable, was the Father shown forth โ€ฆ all saw the Father in the Son: for the Father is the invisible of the Son, but the Son the visible of the Father. And for this reason all spoke with Christ when He was present [upon earth], and they named Him God. (IV,6c).

For with Him were always present the Word and Wisdom, the Son and the Spirit, by whom and in whom โ€ฆ He made all things, to whom also He speaks, saying, โ€œLet Us make man after Our image and likeness.” (IV,20,1)

The apostle say, “There is One God, the Father, who is above all, and in us all.”…. the Word, namely the Son, was always with the Father; and that Wisdom also, which is the Spirit (IV,20,2a)

There is therefore One God, who by the Word and Wisdom created and arranged all things. (Book IV,20,2b)

There is One God the Father, who contains all things, and who grants existence to all (IV,20,2c).

The Apostle Paul in like manner (stated), “There is one Lord, one faith, one baptism, One God and Father, who is above all, and through all, and in us all.” (Book IV,32). (Eph 4:5-6)

A full faith in One God Almighty, of whom are all things, and in the Son of God, Jesus Christ our Lord, by whom are all things โ€ฆ and a firm belief in the Spirit of Godย  (IV, 33). (1 Cor 8:6)

And therefore One God, the Father is declared, who is above all, and through all, and in all. The Father is indeed above all, and He is the Head of Christ. (V,18; cf. 1 Cor 2:3).

It was the true Lord and the One God โ€ฆ the same did Christ point out as the Father, whom also it compels the disciples of Christ, alone to serve. (V,22)

Proof of the Apostolic Preaching

The following excerpts are from the translation by J. Armitage Robinson.

The beginning of all things is God. For He Himself was not made by any, and by Him all things were made. And therefore it is right first of all to believe that there is One God, the Father, who made and fashioned all things (P4).

There is shown forth One God, the Father, not made, invisible, creator of all things; above whom there is no other God, and after whom there is no other God. And, since God is rational, therefore by [the] Word He created the things that were made (P5).

The Word called the Son, and the Spirit the Wisdom of God. Well also does Paul His apostle say: One God, the Father, who is over all and through all and in us all. For over all is the Father; and through all is the Son, for through Him all things were made by the Father (P5)

This then is the order of the rule of our faith, and the foundation of the building โ€ฆ God, the Father, not made, not material, invisible; one God, the creator of all things (P6).

The Father is called Most High and Almighty and Lord of hosts (P8).

[The prophets] instructed the people and turned them to the God of their fathers, the Almighty; and they became heralds of the revelation of our Lord Jesus Christ the Son of God โ€ฆ pre-existing with the Father, begotten before all the creation of the world (P30).

Thus then the Word of God in all things hath the pre-eminence, for that He is true man and Wonderful Counsellor and Mighty God (P40).

So then the Father is Lord and the Son is Lord, and the Father is God and the Son is God; for that which is begotten of God is God.ย  (P47).

ARTICLES IN THIS SERIES

FIRST 300 YEARS

FOURTH CENTURY

FIFTH CENTURY

LATER DEVELOPMENT

The roles of God and Christ in the letter to the Colossians

This is an article in the series on the question: Is Jesus the Most High God?ย What view does the letter to the Colossians present of Christ Jesus?ย 

    • Is He God?
    • Are we saved by Christ Jesus, or by God?
    • Who created all things?
    • Who reconciled all things to God; God or Christ Jesus?

Purpose

This article is a study of the letter to the Colossians. The purpose is to understand who Christ Jesus is. The next article addresses that question more specifically. The current article lays the foundation.

The letter to the Colossians is important for this study because, of all the New Testament letters, Colossians has perhaps the highest view of Christ Jesus, apparently because Christโ€™s supremacy was challenged (Col 2:4) by the โ€œdeceptionโ€ (Col 2:8) in ancient Colossae.

Unless otherwise indicated, all quotations are from the New American Standard Bible (NASB).


Summary

This article comes to the following eight conclusions:

Jews questioning Jesus1) Colossians never refers to Jesus Christ as God. On the contrary, the letter presents Christ Jesus as strictly DISTINCT from God. For example, Jesus โ€œis the image of the invisible Godโ€ (Col 1:15), โ€œis seated at the right hand of Godโ€ (Col 3:1), and was raised from the dead by โ€œGodโ€ (Col 2:12; cf. 1:1).

2) In this consistent and clear distinction between God and Christ Jesus, Colossians uses “Father” as another title for God (e.g. Col 1:1-3, 17).

3) The letter uses the title โ€œthe Lordโ€ ONLY for Jesus (e.g. Col 1:6, 17; 4:24); never for God. Thayer’s dictionary mentions that, in the view of some, except for certain verses where it is not entirely clear to whom the title “Lord” (kurios) refers, Paul NEVER refers to the Father as “Lord.”ย 

4) We often hear people say that we are saved by Jesus, but Colossians presents God the Father as the Savior. For example, the Father rescued us from the domain of darkness (Col 1:13), qualified us to share in the inheritance (Col 1:12), and canceled out the certificate of debt, having nailed it to the cross (Col 2:13-14).

5) In fact, this letter does not mention ANYTHING THAT Jesus do or did. The Father did EVERYTHING (cf. John 4:34; 5:19). Apart from salvation, God is also the active Force in creation (Col 1:16). Christ has a passive role.ย 

Worship Jesus6) However, everything that God does, He does THROUGH His Son. God created all things โ€œthroughโ€ Jesus (Col 1:16), saved us โ€œthroughโ€ his blood (Col 1:14), and reconciled all things to Himself โ€œthroughโ€ the Cross (Col 1:20; cf. 2:15). Therefore, we also thank God โ€œthroughโ€ His Son (Col 3:17; cf. Phil 2:10-11; John 5:23). In all things, Christ is the Mediator between God and man (cf. 1 Tim 2:5).

7) God not only reconciled humans to Himself through Christโ€™s death; He also reconciled THE THINGS IN HEAVEN to Himself (Col 1:19-20). Through the cross, God โ€œdisarmed the rulers and authorities โ€ฆ having triumphed over them through Himโ€ (Col 2:15; cf. Heb 2:14). These statements confirm that the Cross is something that the Father did (cf. John 3:16). ย 

8) Since believers are redeemed through Christ Jesus, Colossians, in several ways, describe them as IN UNITY WITH HIM. For example, believers have died with Christ, were made alive with Him (e.g., Col 2:20, 13; 3:1), are Christโ€™s body (e.g. Col 1:13, 18), subjects of His Kingdom (Col 1:12-13), and are “in Him” (e.g. Col 1:13, 14; 2:11).

– End of Summary-ย 


God and Jesus are Distinct.

The title โ€œGodโ€ appears 21 times in the letter, but never refers to Jesus. On the contrary, the letter presents Christ Jesus as strictly distinct from God. For instance:

image of the invisible Godโ€œHe (Jesus) is the image of the invisible Godโ€ (Col 1:15) Some other translations read, โ€œexactly like God, who cannot be seenโ€ (Contemporary English Version), or asย โ€œthe visible likeness of the invisible Godโ€ (Good News Translation).

โ€œGodโ€ raised Jesus from the dead (Col 2:12).
โ€œChrist is seated at the right hand of Godโ€ (Col 3:1).
โ€œPaul, an apostle of Jesus Christ by the will of Godโ€ (Col 1:1)

The letter, therefore, maintains a consistent and clear distinction between God and Christ Jesus.

Father is another name for God.

The letter refers five times to the โ€œFather.โ€ Two of these instances simply make a distinction between the Father and the Son:

Joyously giving thanks to the Father
For He rescued us from the domain of darkness,
and transferred us to the kingdom of His beloved Son
(Col 1:11-13)

โ€œIt was the Fatherโ€™s good pleasure
for all the fullness to dwell in Him
โ€
Him” refers to “His beloved Son
in verse 13 (Col 1:19; cf. 1:13).

But the other instances confirm the distinction between “Jesus Christ” and “God” and show that “Father” is another name for God:

Paul, an apostle of Jesus Christ
by the will of God …
Grace to you and peace from God our Father.
We give thanks to God,
the Father of our Lord Jesus Christ
” (Col 1:1-3).

Whatever you do in word or deed,
do all in the name of the Lord Jesus,
giving thanks through Him to God the Father
(Col 3:17)

Our Father who is in heavenGod is also “our Father” (Col 1:2) because we are sons of God (e.g. Rom 8:14). We pray to โ€œOur Father who is in heavenโ€ (Matt 6:9). He is our Father because He loves us and cares for us.

In Colossians, the word โ€œsonโ€ is only found in Colossians 1:13, where Jesus is โ€œHis beloved Son.โ€ This is not mentioned in Colossians, but Jesus is the Son of God in a different way: He is โ€œthe only begotten from the Fatherโ€ (John 1:14).

According to Colossians 1:19, it was Godโ€™s will for โ€œall the fullnessโ€ to dwell in Jesus. In the first place, this means that “in Him (Christ) all the fullness of Deity dwells in bodily form” (Col 2:9). In the second place, it means that the Son received “the fullness of Deity” from the Father: It is not His own. This concept is further discussed in God is the Head of Christ.

Christ Jesus is called Lord.

The title “Christ is found 26 times in this letter. The name Jesus is used 6 times, but never alone, always as Jesus Christ or as Christ Jesus. Jesus was a common name at the time. The addition of โ€œChristโ€ was necessary to identify Him. In this letter, Paul actually mentions somebody else by the name of Jesus (Col 4:11).

The title โ€œthe Lordโ€ appears 11 times; most often simply as โ€œthe Lordโ€, but also as:

      • โ€œChrist Jesus the Lordโ€ (Col 1:6),
      • โ€œThe Lord Jesusโ€ (Col 1:17), and
      • โ€œThe Lord Christโ€ (Col 4:24).

The title โ€œLord,โ€ therefore, is not used for God; only for Jesus.

The Father is the Savior.

We often hear people say that we are saved by Jesus, but Colossians presents God the Father as the Savior:

Grace is from โ€œGodโ€ (Col 1:6).

He selects His messengers. Paul is an apostle of Jesus Christ by the will of God (Col 1:1). He was made a minister of the church according to the stewardship from God bestowed on him (Col 1:25).

God is the Savior: The Father rescued us from the domain of darkness (Col 1:13) and qualified us to share in the inheritance (Col 1:12). God canceled out the Certificate of Debtcertificate of debt, having nailed it to the cross (Col 2:14; cf. 2:12-13). God raised the believers from death when He raised Jesus from death (Col 2:12-13; 3:1). We must thank โ€œGod the Fatherโ€ through Christ (Col 3:16-17; cf. 1:3, 12).

God gives growth to the church (Col 2:19). He chose the believers (Col 3:12) and will open up a door for the word (Col 4:2). It was Godโ€™s will to make known to His saints what is the riches of the glory of this mystery among the Gentiles (Col 1:27-28).

God brought peace to the Universe.

Not only did God reconcile humans to Himself through Christโ€™s death; He also reconciled the things in heaven to Himself through Christ:

โ€œIt was the Fatherโ€™s good pleasure โ€ฆ
through Him to reconcile all things to Himself,
having made peace through the blood of His cross;
through Him, I say,
whether things on earth or things in heaven
โ€ (Col 1:19-20).

This implies that the Cross is something that the Father did (cf. John 3:16). As I understand it, the Father knew what will happen if His Son comes as a human being to this world, filled with violence. God did not determine what would happen; it is simply the natural result of a clash between the forces of good and evil.

These verses also indicate that the Cross did not reconcile God to us: It reconciled us to God. Christ died to change us: His death did not change God.

Through the cross, God โ€œdisarmed the rulers and authorities โ€ฆ having triumphed over them through Himโ€ (Col 2:15). Hebrews 2:14 similarly states: โ€œthat through death He might render powerless him who had the power of death, that is, the devil.โ€ โ€œThe rulers and authorities,โ€ therefore, refer to โ€œthe devilโ€ and his angels (Rev 12:7, 9).

For a further discussion, see:

The Father, also known as God, therefore, is the active Force in salvation.

God is the Creator.

โ€œBy Himย (Jesus) all things were created,
both in the heavens and on earth …
all things have been created through Him and for Him
โ€
(Col 1:16).

The NASB reads, โ€œby Him all things were created,โ€ but later adds that โ€œall things have been created through Him.โ€ This means that God is the Creator, but God created through His Son. The basic meaning of the Greek word translated as “by” in this verse is “in.” This is made clear by other translations of this verse:

โ€œFor in him all things were created …
all things have been created
through himย and for him
โ€ (NIV).

โ€œThrough him God created everything
in heaven and on earthโ€ (Good News Translation).

The Father, also known as God, therefore, is the active Force in creation. For a further discussion, see God created all things through His Son.

Christ has a passive role.

Gethsemane

The letter refers to โ€œChristโ€™s afflictionsโ€ (Col 1:24), which reminds me of Gethsemane, where โ€œHis sweat became like drops of bloodโ€ (Luke 22:44), indicating His severe emotional suffering. All evil forces gathered their focus on Him to make Him use His power to act against God’s will (Luke 22:42). But apart from these โ€œafflictions,โ€ this letter does not mention anything which Jesus does or did. The Father did everything. This principle, namely that God is the active Force, as opposed to Jesus, is consistent with what Jesus said, as recorded in John:

โ€œMy food is to do the will of him
who sent me and to accomplish his work
โ€
(John 4:34).

โ€œThe Son can do nothing of Himself,
unless it is something He sees the Father doing
โ€
(John 5:19).

โ€œI can do nothing on My own initiative.
As I hear, I judge โ€ฆ I do not seek My own will,
but the will of Him who sent Me
โ€ (John 5:30).

โ€œThe words that I say to you
I do not speak on My own initiative,
but the Father abiding in Me does His works
โ€
(John 14:10).

Colossians presents God as the active force both in creation and in salvation, but He does everything through His Son.ย Therefore, we also thank God through His Son (Col 3:17; cf. Phil 2:10-11; John 5:23).

Redeemed through unity with Christ Jesus

Since believers are redeemed through Christ Jesus, Colossians, in several ways, describe them as in unity with Him:

Christ and the believers form a Single Body.

โ€œHis beloved Son โ€ฆ is also head of the body,
the churc
hโ€ (Col 1:13, 18, cf. v24).

โ€œThe head, from whom the entire body …ย 
grows with a growth which is from God
โ€ (Col 2:17-19; cf. 3:15).

The believers form the body and Christ is the head.

Believers are the subjects of His Kingdom.

โ€œThe Father โ€ฆ transferred us to
the kingdom of His beloved Son
โ€ (Col 1:12-13).

When we are โ€œrescuedโ€ (Col 1:12), we become the subjects of a spiritual kingdom of which His Beloved Son is King.

Believers are “in Him.”

The redemption of believers through unity with Jesus is also presented with phrases such as โ€œin Himโ€ or โ€œwith Himโ€:

โ€œIn Whom (In His beloved Son) โ€ฆ
we have redemption,
the forgiveness of sins
โ€ (Col 1:13, 14).

โ€œIn Him you were also circumcised
with a circumcision made without hands
โ€ (Col 2:11).

โ€œIn Him you have been made completeโ€
(Col 2:10; cf. 1:28, 2; 2:6-7).

Believers died with Christ and were made alive with Him.

The letter describes believers as united with Christ in His death and resurrection:

โ€œYou have died with Christโ€ (Col 2:20).
โ€œHe made you alive together with Himโ€ (Col 2:13).
โ€œYou have been raised up with Christโ€ (Col 3:1).

โ€œHaving been buried with Him in baptism,
in which you were also raised up with Him
through faith in the working of God,
who raised Him from the dead
โ€ (Col 2:12).

Believers did not literally die with Christ. Nor have they been literally made alive with Christ. But they are rescued through His death and His resurrection.

The Meaning of Christ’s Death

It is not Christโ€™s death that was important; it was His life. His entire life was a test, and the last days and hours of His life were the highest possible test. He lived a sinless life, even to death, and His resurrection was confirmation there-of. His โ€œafflictionsโ€ (Col 1:24) were physical but mostly spiritual. Jesus said:

โ€œDo you think that I cannot appeal to My Father,
and He will at once put at My disposal
more than twelve legions of angels
โ€ (Matt 26:53)?

But He โ€œdisarmed the rulers and authoritiesโ€ (Col 2:15) by never sinning by going against God’s will. Even when God withdrew His presence from Jesus, leaving the disoriented Jesus to cry, โ€œmy God, my God, why have You forsaken meโ€ (Matt 27:46), He did not sin or use His power for His own benefit. For a further discussion, see –ย The Seven Seals of Revelation.

Conclusion

God reconciled all thingsโ€”things on earth and things in heavenโ€”to Himself through the death of His Son. Therefore, Paul presents believers as united with Christ.ย  They are united with Him in His death, they are united with Him in His resurrection, and โ€œin Him we live and move and existโ€ (Acts 17:28 โ€“ from Paulโ€™s sermon on Mars Hill).ย  This seems to be more than a symbol: it is a mysterious reality.

Final Conclusions

The letter to the Colossians:

      • Has the highest view of Christ Jesus of all of the New Testament letters.
      • Never refers to Jesus Christ as God.
      • Presents Christ Jesus as strictly distinct from God.
      • Uses “Father” as another title for God.
      • Uses the title โ€œthe Lordโ€ only for Jesus.
      • Presents God the Father as the Savior.

According to Colossians:

      • God reconciled the things in heaven to Himself through Christ. ย 
      • God is the active Force in creation. Christ has a passive role.
      • Everything that God does, He does through His Son.ย 
      • Describe believers as in unity with Christ.

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