1 Timothy 1:15–17

What the apostles received, they passed on without change, so that the doctrine of the mysteries (the sacraments) and Christ would remain correct. The divine Word—the Son of God—wants us to be their (the apostles') disciples. It is appropriate for them to be our teachers, and it is necessary for us to submit to their teaching alone. Only from them and from those who have faithfully taught their doctrine do we get, as Paul writes, "faithful words, worthy of complete acceptance." With them we are back to ground level, because they did not become disciples as a result of what they heard from others. Rather, they were eyewitnesses and servants of God the Word, and they handed down what they heard directly from him.

We heard the blessed apostle Paul saying, "The word is human and worthy of total acceptance, that Christ Jesus came into the world to save sinners, of whom I am the foremost." So it's a human word, and worthy of total acceptance. Why human, and not divine? Without the slightest doubt, unless this word were also divine, it would not be worthy of total acceptance. But this word is both human and divine in the same sort of way that Christ himself is both man and God. So if we are right in understanding this word to be not only human but also divine, why did the apostle prefer to call it human rather than divine?… So the aspect he chose was the one by which Christ came into the world. He came, after all, insofar as he was man. Because insofar as he was God, he was always there.

There was no reason for Christ the Lord to come, except to save sinners. Eliminate diseases, eliminate wounds, and there is no call for medicine. If a great doctor has come down from heaven, a great invalid must have been lying very sick throughout the whole wide world. This invalid is the whole human race.

"For all have sinned," either in Adam or by themselves, "and are deprived of the glory of God." Consequently, the whole human mass ought to be punished, and if the deserved punishment of damnation were rendered to all, beyond all doubt it would be justly rendered. This is why those who are liberated from it by grace are not called vessels of their own merits but "vessels of mercy." But whose mercy was it but him who sent Jesus Christ into this world to save sinners, whom he foreknew, predestined, called, justified and glorified? Hence, who could be so advanced in foolish insanity as not to render ineffable thanks to the mercy of this God who liberates those whom he has wished, considering that one could not in any way reproach the justice of God in condemning all entirely?

Pay attention to the apostle Paul, "The word is faithful and worthy of total acceptance, that Christ Jesus came into the world to save sinners, of whom I am the first." He said, "of whom I am the first." How was he the first? Weren't there so many Jews who were sinners before him? Weren't there any sinners before him in the whole human race?… So what's the meaning of "of whom I am the first"? That I am worse than all of them. By first he meant us to understand worst.… Remember Saul, and you'll discover why. Isn't he the one who wasn't satisfied with only one hand to stone Stephen, and who took care of the coats of the others? Isn't he the one who persecuted the church everywhere?… So he it is who was the number one persecutor. There was none worse than he.

We actually are, at present, creatures whose character must be, in some respects, a horror to God, as it is, when we really see it, a horror to ourselves. This I believe to be a fact: and I notice that the holier a man is, the more fully he is aware of that fact. Perhaps you have imagined that this humility in the saints is a pious illusion at which God smiles. That is a most dangerous error. It is theoretically dangerous, because it makes you identify a virtue (i.e., a perfection) with an illusion (i.e., an imperfection), which must be nonsense. It is practically dangerous because it encourages a man to mistake his first insights into his own corruption for the first beginnings of a halo round his own silly head. No; depend upon it, when the saints say that they--even they--are vile, they are recording truth with scientific accuracy.

This is a short psalm, but it annihilates the boundless wickedness of pagans who believe that the glory of the heavenly majesty could not have descended to the humility of suffering. How foolish they are. For their thinking is confounded by the Source of the world's realization that it has been freed! As Paul says, "Christ Jesus came into the world to save sinners, of whom I am the chief."

My religion says nothing about such planes except that all men are on one plane and that by no means a high one. There are saints indeed in my religion: but a saint only means a man who really knows he is a sinner.

They may choose to read, "It is a man's saying, and worthy of all acceptation." We are content to err with the Greeks, that is to say, with the apostle himself, who spoke Greek. Our version, therefore, is, "it is a faithful saying, and worthy of all acceptation."

It is no humility to think that you are a sinner when you really are a sinner. But whenever one is conscious of having done many great deeds but does not imagine that he is something great in himself, that is true humility. When a man is like Paul and can say, "I have nothing on my conscience," and then can add, "But I am not justified by this," and can say again, "Christ Jesus came to save sinners of whom I am the chief," that is true humility. That man is truly humble who does exalted deeds but, in his own mind, sees himself as lowly.

The favors of God so far exceed human hope and expectation, that often they are not believed. For God has bestowed upon us such things as the mind of man never looked for, never thought of. It is for this reason that the Apostles spend much discourse in securing a belief of the gifts that are granted us of God. For as men, upon receiving some great good, ask themselves if it is not a dream, as not believing it; so it is with respect to the gifts of God. What then was it that was thought incredible? That those who were enemies, and sinners, neither justified by the law, nor by works, should immediately through faith alone be advanced to the highest favor. Upon this head accordingly Paul has discoursed at length in his Epistle to the Romans, and here again at length. "This is a faithful saying," he says, "and worthy of all acceptation, that Christ Jesus came into the world to save sinners."

As the Jews were chiefly attracted by this, he persuades them not to give heed to the law, since they could not attain salvation by it without faith. Against this he contends; for it seemed to them incredible, that a man who had mis-spent all his former life in vain and wicked actions, should afterwards be saved by his faith alone. On this account he says, "It is a saying to be believed."

"This is a faithful saying," he says. But why is it to be believed?

This appears both from what precedes and from what follows. Observe how he prepares us for this assertion, and how he then dwells upon it. For he hath previously declared that He showed mercy to me "a blasphemer and a persecutor"; this was in the way of preparation. And not only did He show mercy, but "He accounted me faithful." So far should we be he means, from disbelieving that He showed mercy. For no one, who should see a prisoner admitted into a palace, could doubt whether he obtained mercy. And this was visibly the situation of Paul, for he makes himself the example. Nor is he ashamed to call himself a sinner, but rather delights in it, as he thus can best demonstrate the miracle of God's regard for him, and that He had thought him worthy of such extraordinary kindness.

But how is it, that he here calls himself a sinner, nay, the chief of sinners, whereas he elsewhere asserts that he was "touching the righteousness which is in the law blameless"? Because with respect to the righteousness which God has wrought, the justification which is really sought, even those who are righteous in the law are sinners, "for all have sinned, and come short of the glory of God." Therefore he does not say righteousness simply, but "the righteousness which is in the law." As a man that has acquired wealth, with respect to himself appears rich, but upon a comparison with the treasures of kings is very poor and the chief of the poor; so it is in this case. Compared with Angels, even righteous men are sinners; and if Paul, who wrought the righteousness that is in the law, was the chief of sinners, what other man can be called righteous? For he says not this to condemn his own life as impure, let not this be imagined; but comparing his own legal righteousness with the righteousness of God, he shows it to be nothing worth, and not only so, but he proves those who possess it to be sinners.

What was foreknown about the malice of Jews and what was properly decreed regarding the passion of Christ were very different and quite contrary. For the will to murder did not proceed from the same place as the will to die. Nor did their heinous crime and the Redeemer's patience arise from a single spirit. Our Lord did not himself cause the wicked hands of his attackers to be laid on him, but he permitted this. He did not force what was going to happen actually to happen simply by foreknowing it. Yet it was for this purpose that he had taken on flesh, so that it might happen. Finally, so disparate were the motives of the Crucified and of those crucifying, that what was undertaken by Christ could not be abolished, what was committed by those others could indeed have been put to a halt. He who came "to save sinners" did not deny his mercy even to his own murderers, but turned the evil of godless people to the good of believers.

The saying is trustworthy and deserving of full acceptance, that Christ Jesus came into the world to save sinners, of whom I am the foremost.

The saying is trustworthy, that is, the spoken word is true. "You will know from me," Paul says. "of whom I am the foremost." And yet elsewhere he says, "According to the righteousness which is in the law made blameless." (Philip. 3:6)

How then does Paul call himself sinful and the foremost of sinners? And we say that righteousness from the law, when compared with that from faith, is not only not righteousness, but also the first sin. "For all have sinned and fall short of the glory of God." (Rom. 3:23) In this comparison, it has also been used elsewhere, where it says: "For even that which has been glorified has not been glorified in this part, because of the surpassing glory." (2 Cor. 3:10)

Moreover, Paul says in the epistle to Timothy, even though he himself had later become an apostle of Jesus, "this is a faithful saying, that Christ Jesus came into the world to save sinners, of whom I am chief." For some unknown reason he [Celsus] forgot or did not think of saying anything about Paul, who after Jesus established the churches in Christ.… Why then is it outrageous if Jesus, wanting to show mankind the extent of his ability to heal souls, chose infamous and most wicked men and led them on so far that they were an example of the purest moral character to those who were converted by them to the gospel of Christ?

For this (rule), even in his own person, the apostle has laid down. For, when affirming that Christ came for this end, that He might save sinners, of whom himself had been the "first," what does he add? "And I obtained mercy, because I did (so) ignorantly in unbelief.

Having said above that He had mercy on me, a persecutor, he continues: do not marvel and do not doubt the greatness of the gift. For He came into the world for this very reason, to save all sinners. And so the word is faithful and worthy of acceptance. Because it is impossible not to trust what has been granted; on the contrary, since the goodness of the Giver is infinite, it deserves trust and acceptance. This is also directed against the Jews who were devoted to the law, to show them that without faith it is impossible to be saved.

Why then, having said in another place, "as for legalistic righteousness, blameless" (Phil. 3:6), does he now place himself first among sinners? Because before the righteousness in Christ, the righteousness according to the law is now sin, since its time has already passed. While it was its time, it was righteousness, just as at night the moon and a candle are light. But when Christ appeared like the sun, He eclipsed it. Thus, he who makes use of the candle of legalistic righteousness when the sun of Christ's righteousness has shone forth errs and acts foolishly. And in another place the apostle says about this: "what was glorious has come to have no glory" (2 Cor. 3:10).

Above he described his own state both in regard to sins under the law and in regard to good in the time of grace; here he shows the reason of these benefits in terms of divine pity: first, he proposes the divine pity in general; second, he applies it to his case, at of whom I am the chief; third, his thanks, at now to the King of ages. In regard to the first he does two things: first, he commends the truth he is about to propose; second, he shows the divine power, at that Christ Jesus came.

In regard to the first he says, a faithful saying, and worthy of all acceptation, that Christ Jesus came into the world to save sinners. Now two things make a saying commendable, namely, it is true and it is acceptable. For sometimes a saying is true but hard, and it stirs up hatred: am I then become your enemy, because I tell you the truth? (Gal 4:16). But this saying is, first of all, true; hence he says, a faithful saying: these words are most faithful and true (Rev 22:6). It is also acceptable, because it concerns our salvation; hence he says, and worthy of all acceptation: and the Lord answered the angel who spoke in me good words, comfortable words (Zech 1:13).

Another version reads: a human saying, because it is concerned with men's being uplifted: when the goodness and kindness of God, our Savior, appeared (Titus 3:4).

The saying is this: Christ Jesus came into this world to save sinners. That he came into the world expresses a twofold nature, namely, the divine, in which he existed before he appeared in the world: I came forth from the Father and am come into the world (John 16:28), and the human, in which he appeared. And because he is God, he fills heaven and earth (Jer 23:24). Hence it is not in virtue of his divine nature that he is in a place, but in virtue of the human nature: he was in the world, and the world was made by him, and the world knows him not (John 1:10).

But why did he come? To save sinners, i.e., for the salvation of all people: God did not send his Son into the world to judge the world, but that the world may be saved by him (John 3:17); I came not to judge the world, but to save the world (John 12:47).

But suppose no one had sinned. Would Christ still have come? It seems not; because he came in order to save sinners. Otherwise, there would have been no need for the Incarnation. Hence, too, a Gloss says: remove the disease, and there is no need for the remedy. The answer to this is clear from the words of the Fathers. But this question is not one of great importance, because God decreed the plan according to which things are to occur. And we do not know what he would have decreed, if he had not foreseen sin. Nevertheless, the Scriptures seem to state expressly that there would have been no Incarnation, if man had not sinned. This is the opinion that I am inclined toward.

Then when he says, of whom I am the chief, he adapts this saying to his own case: first, by admitting that he is a sinner; second, by saying that he was rescued, at but for this cause I have obtained mercy. He says, therefore: of whom I am the chief. Here a heretic says that Adam's soul was in Paul, and passed from body to body. As if to say: I am the chief sinner, because Adam's soul is my soul. But this contradicts the Apostle's statement in Romans: for when the children were not yet born, nor had done any good or evil (that the purpose of God, according to election might stand), not of works but of him who calls, it was said to her: the elder shall serve the younger (Rom 9:11). Therefore, the soul does not exist before the body. He is the chief sinner, therefore, not being first in time but in the amount of guilt: the just is first accuser of himself (Prov 18:17); I am the most foolish of men, and the wisdom of men is not with me (Prov 30:2).

But was the Apostle the greatest of sinners? It seems that Judas was greater. Some say that Paul's sin was more general, because it was against the whole Church. But that means nothing, because Paul acted in unbelief, whereas many Jews persecuted the Church out of malice. The answer is that he is the chief, not in the sense that he was the greatest of all sinners then living, but the greatest of the sinners that had been saved. As if to say: he came to save sinners, of whom I am the chief; which is to be understood of those who had preceded the Apostle, because many others had persecuted the Church before him.

So note how this Saul, later Paul, ironically "congratulates himself" on having attained to the mercy of God, because he was found to be the first, that is the most outstanding, in sins!… This was so that others could all say to themselves, "if Paul was cured, why should I despair? If such a desperately sick man was cured by such a great physician, who am I, not to fit those hands to my wounds, not to hasten to the care of those hands?" That people might be able to say that sort of thing, that's why Saul was made into an apostle out of a persecutor. When a doctor comes to a new place, he looks for someone there who's been despaired of and cures him, even if he finds he's very poor, provided he finds him a desperate case. He is not looking for a fee but displaying his skill.

We bring to mind how the holy apostle Paul recounts his transgressions and puts his soul in the last and nethermost place, saying, "Jesus Christ came into the world to save sinners, of whom I am chief." … When and at what time did he say this? After great struggles, after mighty works, after the preaching of the gospel of Christ which he proclaimed throughout the whole world, after continual deaths and manifold tribulations which he suffered from the Jews and from the heathen. Even then he saw himself as only making a beginning. He was of the opinion not merely that he had not yet attained to purity of soul but that he would not even number himself among the disciples of Christ, as was fitting.

God indeed says that he called Paul on account of his excellent capacity, as he said to Ananias, "for he is a chosen instrument of mine to carry my name before the Gentiles and kings." That is to say, he was capable of service and the accomplishment of great deeds. God gives this as the reason for his call. But Paul himself everywhere ascribes it to grace and to God's inexpressible mercy. He says this in the words, "I received mercy for this reason, that in me, as the foremost, Jesus Christ might display his perfect patience for an example to those who were to believe in him for eternal life."

Paul pointed out to all the deeds he had dared to commit before. He thought that it was better for his former life to be publicized to all in order to make evident the greatness of the gift of God than to cover up his ineffable and indescribable mercy by shrinking from proclaiming his own sins to all. He therefore recounted in detail his persecutions, his plots, his fights against the church. He says, "I am not worthy to be called an apostle, because I persecuted the church of God"; and again, "that Jesus came to save sinners of whom I am the chief." And once more, "You have heard of my former way of life in Judaism; how beyond all measure I persecuted the church of God and ravaged it." Indeed, to give, as it were, some kind of return to Christ for his long-suffering toward him, by telling plainly what sort he was and what an enemy and foe he had saved, he very frankly revealed the battle which in the beginning he had waged with consuming zeal against Christ. And because of this he held out good hope even to those who had despaired of themselves.

"Howbeit for this cause I obtained mercy, that in me first Jesus Christ might show forth all longsuffering, for a pattern to them which should hereafter believe on Him to life everlasting."

See how he further humbles and depreciates himself, by naming a fresh and less creditable reason. For that he obtained mercy on account of his ignorance, does not so much imply that he who obtained mercy was a sinner, or under deep condemnation; but to say that he obtained mercy in order that no sinner hereafter might despair of finding mercy, but that each might feel sure of obtaining the like favor, this is an excess of humiliation, such that even in calling himself the chief of sinners, "a blasphemer and a persecutor, and one not meet to be called an Apostle," he had said nothing like it.

This will appear by an example. Suppose a populous city, all whose inhabitants were wicked, some more so, and some less, but all deserving of condemnation; and let one among that multitude be more deserving of punishment than all the rest, and guilty of every kind of wickedness. If it were declared that the king was willing to pardon all, it would not be so readily believed, as if they were to see this most wicked wretch actually pardoned. There could then be no longer any doubt. This is what Paul says, that God, willing to give men full assurance that He pardons all their transgressions, chose, as the object of His mercy, him who was more a sinner than any; for when I obtained mercy, he argues, there could be no doubt of others: as familiarly speaking we might say, "If God pardons such an one, he will never punish anybody"; and thus he shows that he himself, though unworthy of pardon, for the sake of others' salvation, first obtained that pardon.

Therefore, he says, since I am saved, let no one doubt of salvation. And observe the humility of this blessed man; he says not, "that in me he might show forth" His "longsuffering," but "all longsuffering"; as if he had said, greater longsuffering He could not show in any case than in mine, nor find a sinner that so required all His pardon, all His long-suffering; not a part only, like those who are only partially sinners, but "all" His longsuffering.

"For a pattern to those who should hereafter believe." This is said for comfort, for encouragement. But because he had spoken highly of the Son, and of the great love which He hath manifested, lest he should be thought to exclude the Father from this, he ascribes the glory to Him also.

But for that very reason I was shown mercy, so that in me, the foremost, Jesus Christ might display his unlimited patience as an example to those who would believe in him and receive eternal life.

But for that very reason I was shown mercy. See what humble thing Paul said. He says, "Since I, the most sinful of all, have been saved, there is no longer need to doubt about salvation." For he wants to show that he was not saved as one worthy of salvation, but in order not to cause others to despair of their salvation.

unlimited patience. Oh, the humility of Paul! For every kind of evil, he says, I was in need of unlimited patience, not a part of it, as those who have sinned only in part.

as an example. For encouragement, for demonstration.

to receive eternal life. For the faith that is in Christ is for eternal life.

To all sins, then, committed whether by flesh or spirit, whether by deed or will, the same God who has destined penalty by means of judgment has nevertheless engaged to grant pardon by means of repentance. For he has said to the people, "Repent, and I will save you"; and again, "I live, says the Lord, and I will have repentance rather than death." Repentance, then, is "life," since it is preferred to "death." That repentance, O sinner, like myself (nay, rather, less than myself, for preeminence in sins I acknowledge to be mine), do you so hasten to so embrace, as a shipwrecked man the protection of some plank. This will draw you forth when sunk in the waves of sins and will bear you forward into the port of the divine clemency.

That repentance, O sinner, like myself (nay, rather, less than myself, for pre-eminence in sins I acknowledge to be mine ), do you so hasten to, so embrace, as a shipwrecked man the protection of some plank.

Pay attention to his humility. I was shown mercy, he says, so that none of those who have sinned would despair, but would have full hope of forgiveness, since the greatest of all sinners — Paul — receives salvation. By this the apostle shows that he himself did not deserve forgiveness, but for the sake of the salvation of others was deemed worthy of this lovingkindness of God. He did not simply say: that in me He might show longsuffering, but "all longsuffering," as if saying: having sinned infinitely, I needed "all" mercy, "all" His lovingkindness, and not in part, like those who sinned in part. "As a pattern," he says, that is, as an example, for the comfort and for the forgiveness of all who wish to believe.

And he says this to show that whatever God does, he does to show his goodness: the Lord has made all things for himself (Prov 16:4); full of the glory of the Lord is his work (Sir 42:16), and for our benefit; hence he says, for this cause I have obtained mercy: first of all, for his glory. That in me first, i.e., first, in the order of time, or first in the order of rank.

Christ Jesus might show forth all patience, i.e., perfect patience, because although he was provoked, he did not punish but rather exalted his adversary; and this for our benefit. Hence he says, for the information, i.e., the instruction, of those who shall believe in him unto life everlasting. As if to say: in order that sinners may not hesitate to approach him: being made a pattern for the flock from the heart (1 Pet 5:3).

In order to attain that vision by which we see God as he is, he has warned us that our hearts must be cleansed. As objects are called visible in our fashion of speaking, so God is called invisible lest he be thought to be a material body. Yet he will not deprive pure hearts of the contemplation of his essence, since this great and sublime reward is promised, on the Lord's own word, to those who worship and love God. At the time when he appeared visibly to bodily eyes, he promised that his invisible being also would be seen by the clean of heart, "He that loves me shall be loved of my Father, and I will love him and will manifest myself to him." It is certain that this nature of his, which he shares with the Father, is equally as invisible as it is equally incorruptible.

So this faith is also a rule for salvation, to "believe in God the Father almighty," creator of all things, "king of the ages, immortal and invisible." He is indeed the almighty God who at the origin of the world made all things out of nothing. He is before the ages and made and governs the ages. He doesn't, after all, grow with time, or stretch out in space, nor is he shut in or bounded by any material. He abides with and in himself as full and perfect eternity, which neither human thought can comprehend nor tongue describe.

Let us hold firmly that Father and Son and Holy Spirit in their own proper nature, their proper substance, are together and equally invisible. We believe them to be together and equally immortal, together and equally imperishable. There is one place where the apostle states all these things simultaneously, "Now to the king of ages, immortal, invisible, imperishable, to the only God, be honor and glory for ever and ever. Amen."

We know that of all the names by which Deity is indicated some are expressive of the Divine majesty, employed and understood absolutely, and some are assigned with reference to the operations over us and all creation. When the apostle says, "Now to the immortal, invisible, only wise God," and the like, by these titles he suggests conceptions which represent to us the transcendent power. In other cases, however, God is spoken of in the Scriptures as gracious, merciful, full of pity, true, good, Lord, Physician, Shepherd, Way, Bread, Fountain, King, Creator, Artificer, Protector, Who is over all and through all, Who is all in all; these and similar titles contain the declaration of the operations of the Divine loving kindness in the creation.

But if you think that God is seen by those who are pure in heart in this world, why did Moses, who had previously said, "I have seen the Lord face to face, and my life is preserved," afterwards plead that he might see him distinctly? And because he said that he had seen God, the Lord told him, "You cannot not see my face. For no one shall see my face and live." For this reason also the apostle calls him the only invisible God, who dwells in light unapproachable, whom no man has seen nor can see.

We must first turn our words to prayer. I say this because, sometimes, when prayer accompanies a teaching, it will serve to provide us with a demonstration of the things we are seeking to prove.… And Paul often does this at the beginning of his epistles. He first mentions God and then does not go on to his teaching until he pays to God the glory and praise due to him. Listen: "To the King of ages, the immortal, the invisible, the only God of wisdom, be honor and glory for ever and ever! Amen."

"Now unto the King eternal, immortal, invisible, the only wise God, be honor and glory for ever and ever. Amen."

For these things, then, we glorify not the Son only, but the Father. Here let us argue with the heretics. Speaking of the Father, he says, "To the only God." Is the Son then not God? "The only immortal." Is the Son then not immortal? Or does He not possess that Himself, which hereafter He will give to us? Yes, they say, He is God and immortal, but not such as the Father. What then? is He of inferior essence, and therefore of inferior immortality? What then is a greater and a less immortality? For immortality is nothing else than the not being subject to destruction. For there is a greater and a less glory; but immortality does not admit of being greater or less: as neither is there a greater and a less health. For a thing must either be destructible, or altogether indestructible. Are we men then immortal even as He? God forbid! Surely not! Why? because He has it by nature, but we adventitiously.

Why then do you make the difference? Because the Father, he says, is made such as He is by no other: but the Son is what He is, from the Father. This we also confess, not denying that the Son is generated from the Father incorruptibly. And we glorify the Father, he means, for having generated the Son, such as He is. Thus you see the Father is most glorified, when the Son hath done great things. For the glory of the Son is referred again to Him. And since He generated Him omnipotent and such as He is in Himself, it is not 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." Now there is a distinction observed among us between creation and workmanship. 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," we do not exclude the Father from creation. Nor when we say, "To the King immortal," 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 Son ever been seen? No one can affirm this. What means then, "To the King immortal, invisible, the only wise God"? Or when it is said, "There is no other name whereby we must be saved": and again, "There is salvation in no other"?

"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." 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 to receive honors, and even insults, that we may be afraid. But with all this we are not attracted towards Him!

Fitly did that temporal king and Thy servant once sing of Thee as the King Eternal, saying, Thou art fairer than the children of men, who amongst men art very God and man. But the time would fail us, ages and succeeding generations too, to render unto thee thy fitting salutation as the mother of the King Eternal,

To the King of the ages, immortal, invisible, the only wise God, be honor and glory forever and ever. Amen.

To the King of the ages. These things concerning the holy accepted Trinity. For such titles are common to the Father and the Son and the Holy Spirit. For these are found elsewhere concerning the Son, elsewhere concerning the Spirit, but now concerning the Father.

to the only wise God. Having reasoned about Christ's love, Paul also remembers the Father and sends up praise to himself, so that no one might think the Father is a sharer in the love toward us. For on account of the love toward us, the holy Trinity must be glorified, since the love is common.

Instruction concerning faithful and honorable service, which is without risk.

It was of Him, too, that he had said in a previous passage: "Now unto the King eternal, immortal, invisible, to the only God; " so that we might apply even the contrary qualities to the Son Himself-mortality, accessibility-of whom the apostle testifies that "He died according to the Scriptures," and that "He was seen by himself last of all," -by means, of course, of the light which was accessible, although it was not without imperilling his sight that he experienced that light.

Since the apostle said something very great about the Son, namely, that He saves the despairing, lest anyone think that the Father is deprived of His glory, he also sends up glory to Him. All this is common to the Son as well. For He too is the King of the ages. If He is the Creator of the ages, then how is He not the King, incorruptible, invisible in His Divinity, and the only wise One? He Himself is the wisdom of the Father. The same must be said also of the Spirit. He said "the only wise" not to contrast the Father with the Son and the Spirit; no, but to show that although both angels and men possess wisdom, truly wise is God alone, as the source of wisdom, while all other creatures that possess wisdom become partakers of it. "Honor and glory" not in words only, but also in deeds. Glory and honor rendered in word only shows us to be merely grateful, but that rendered in deed makes us imitators of Him — which is far greater. God requires from us the glorification of Him both in word, so that we may love Him, attend to Him, and obey Him, and through this ourselves receive benefit; just as one who marvels at the glory of sunlight provides benefit to himself, enjoying the light and making use of it in his works, while one who does not make use of it brings harm and deprivation upon himself.

Then when he says, to the King of ages, immortal, invisible, the only God, be honor and glory for ever and ever, he expresses his gratitude: In regard to the first he does two things: first, he commends the one to whom he gives thanks; second, he expresses the thanks, at honor and glory.

First, he commends him because of his power; second, because of his unique nature.

In regard to the first he says, to the King. His dominion is the greatest, because he is the sole ruler and has free power, not limited by statutes, as one with political power. The one God is the Lord of all things; hence he says, the only God: King of kings and Lord of lords (Rev 19:16); God is the king of the earth (Ps 46:8). Again, a king's power lasts no more than 50 years; but he is the King of ages: your kingdom is a kingdom of all ages: and your dominion endures throughout all generations (Ps 144:13); the power of the earth is in the hand of the Lord (Sir 10:4). To this King belongs also the nature of God.

In regard to this it should be noted that the first difference between natural things is that some are corruptible and some incorruptible: among incorruptible things, some are visible and bodily, as the heavenly bodies; others are invisible and spiritual, as the angels. Angels are divided, according to the Platonists, into gods who are supreme by their nature, and into intellects which are not gods, but are still divine, and into souls. But with us there is but one God: hear, O Israel, the Lord our God is one Lord (Deut 6:4).

He says, immortal, therefore, to distinguish him from corruptible things; invisible, to show that he belongs among the invisible things, and to distinguish him from visible things. He says, the only God, and not to the only immortal and invisible being, because he is by nature the only God, although he could be called the only immortal and only invisible, i.e., holding the first rank ahead of others: who only has immortality (1 Tim 6:16).

Then when he says, be honor and glory, he expresses his thanks. As if to say: honor is due him because of his power over every creature; brightness and glory are due him in acknowledgment of his supreme goodness: benediction and glory and wisdom and thanksgiving, honor and power and strength to our God (Rev 7:12), forever and ever, because the duration of the others is for a short time: all flesh is grass, and all the glory thereof as the flower of the field (Isa 40:6).

He is the only Son of God, our Lord. For he is born One of One, because there is one brightness of light, and there is one word of the understanding. Neither does an incorporeal generation degenerate into the plural number or suffer division. The One who is born is in no way separated from the One who gives life. He is the one and only, the unique. He is as thought is to the mind, as wisdom is to the wise, as a word is to the understanding, as valor is to the brave. As the Father is said by the apostle to be "alone wise," so likewise the Son alone is called wisdom. He is then the "only Son." In glory, everlastingness, virtue, dominion, power, he is what the Father is. Yet all these he has not unoriginately as the Father but from the Father, as the Son, without beginning and equal. Although he is the head of all things, yet the Father is the head of him. For so it is written, "The head of Christ is God."