ACC ~ John 1 v10

FOR THE SAKE OF OUR SALVATION

BEDE: The eternal Son of God who was in the world and through whom the world was made has come for a time into the world and for no other reason than our salvation, that is, that he might give us the understanding to perceive the true God. For no one was able to come to life without perception of the divinity; no one was able to perceive God unless he himself taught us. COMMENTARY ON 1 JOHN 5.20. [1]

[1] CS 82:227.

THE PURPOSE OF THE INCARNATION ESTABLISHED BEFORE THE FALL

MAXIMUS THE CONFESSOR: [The incarnation of the Logos] is the blessed end on account of which everything was created. This is the divine purpose, which was thought of before the beginning of creation and which we call an intended fulfillment. All creation exists on account of this fulfillment, and yet the fulfillment itself exists because of nothing that was created. Since God had this end in full view, he produced the natures of things. This is truly the fulfillment of providence and of planning. Through this there is a recapitulation to God of those created by him. This is the mystery circumscribing all ages, the awesome plan of God, superinfinite and infinitely preexisting the ages. The Messenger, who is in essence himself the Word of God, became man on account of this fulfillment. And it may be said that it was he himself who restored the manifest innermost depths of the goodness handed down by the Father; and he revealed the fulfillment in himself, by which creation has won the beginning of true existence. For on account of Christ, that is to say, the mystery concerning Christ, all time and that which is in time have found the beginning and the end of their existence in Christ. For before time there was secretly purposed a union of the ages, of the determined and the Indeterminate, of the measurable and the Immeasurable, of the finite and Infinity, of the creation and the Creator, of motion and rest—a union that was made manifest in Christ during these last times. QUESTIONS TO THALASSIUM 60. [1]

[1] PG 90:621. Augustine too posits other advantages for the incarnation of Christ besides our salvation (see On the Trinity 13.17).

THE WORD IS IN THE WORLD YET TRANSCENDS IT

CHRYSOSTOM: “He was in the world,” but not as though he was of equal duration with the world. Away with such an idea! This is why he adds, “And the world was made by him.” In this way, John leads you up again to the eternal existence of the Only Begotten. For anyone who has heard that this universe is his work, even if he is not very smart or despises the glory of God, will certainly (whether he wants to or not) be forced to confess that the maker comes before his works. HOMILIES ON THE GOSPEL OF JOHN 8.1. [1]

[1] NPNF 1 14:29*.

THE MEANING OF “THE WORLD”

CHRYSOSTOM: “And the world did not know him.” By “the world” here, he means the multitude that is corrupt and closely attached to earthly things—the common, turbulent, foolish people. For the friends and admired [1] of God all knew him, even before his coming in the flesh. Concerning the patriarch, Christ himself speaks by name, “that your father Abraham rejoiced to see my day, and he saw it and was glad.” [2] … “The world,” he says, “did not know him,” but those of whom the world was not worthy knew him. And having spoken of those who did not know him, he quickly informs us of the cause of their ignorance. For he does not absolutely say that no one knew him but that “the world knew him not.” He is speaking about those persons who are, as it were, nailed to the world alone and who always worry about the things of the world. For this is how Christ referred to them, as when he says, “O Holy Father, the world has not known you.” [3] The world then was ignorant, not only of him but also of his Father. For nothing so darkens the mind as to be closely attached to present things. HOMILIES ON THE GOSPEL OF JOHN 8.1-2. [4]

[1] Gk thaumastoi.

[2] Jn 8:56.

[3] See Jn 17:25.

[4] NPNF 1 14:30-31*.

WHY ARE ANY IGNORANT OF CHRIST?

CYRIL OF ALEXANDRIA: Just as the light of the sun rises upon all, but the blind cannot see its light, we do not say that there is a deficiency with the sun’s ray, but rather, it is because of the disease of the sight…. We ought to conceive of the Only Begotten in the same way that he is “very Light.” But the god of this world, as Paul too says, has blinded the minds of the unbelievers, lest the light of the knowledge of God should be seen by them. [1] We say then that humankind was subjected to blindness in this way, not that it reached a total deprivation of light (for the God-given understanding is surely preserved in his nature), but that he was quenching [the desire to see God] with his foolish manner of life and that by turning aside to the worse he was wasting and melting away the measure of the grace. COMMENTARY ON THE GOSPEL OF JOHN 1.9. [2]

[1] 2 Cor 4:4.

[2] LF 43:101**.

THE WORLD’S IGNORANCE OF THE WISDOM

AUGUSTINE: He is said to have come to us, not by traveling through space but by appearing to mortals in human flesh. He came, then, to that place where he already was, because he was in the world and the world was made by him. But, because of their eagerness to enjoy the creature in place of the Creator, people have been conformed to this world and have been fittingly called “the world.” Consequently, they did not know wisdom, and, therefore, the Evangelist said, “the world knew him not.” CHRISTIAN INSTRUCTION 1.12. [1]

[1] FC 2:35*.

TWO WORLDS

AUGUSTINE: Which world was made through him that did not know him? I mean, it wasn’t the world that was through him that did not know him. What is the world that was made through him? Heaven and earth. How can it be that the heavens did not know him, when during his passion the sun was darkened? How that the earth did not know him, seeing that it quaked as he hung there? But “the world did not know him,” the world whose prince is the one of whom it is said, “Behold, the prince of this world is coming, and in me he can find nothing.” [1] Bad people are called “the world,” unbelievers are called “the world.” They got the name from the thing they love. By loving God, we are made into gods. So by loving the world we are called “the world.” SERMON 121.1. [2]

[1] Jn 14:30.

[2] WSA 3 4:234.

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