ACC ~ John 1 v12

THE ONLY SON OF GOD DOES NOT WANT TO REMAIN ALONE

AUGUSTINE: John adds, “As many as received him.” What did he afford to them? Great benevolence! Great mercy! He was born the only Son of God and was unwilling to remain alone. Many, when they do not have sons, in advanced age adopt a son. In this way they obtain by an exercise of will what nature has denied to them. This is what people do. But if any one has an only son, that person rejoices the more in him, because he alone will possess everything, and he will not have anyone to divide with him the inheritance, so that he should be poorer. This is not how God does things. That same only Son whom he had begotten, and by whom he created all things, is the one he sent into this world so that he might not be alone but might have adopted brothers and sisters. For we were not born of God in the manner in which the Only Begotten was born of him, but we were adopted by his grace. For he, the Only Begotten, came to loose the sins in which we were entangled and whose burden hindered our adoption. Those whom he wished to make his brothers and sisters are the ones he himself freed and made joint heirs…. He was not afraid of having joint heirs, because his inheritance does not become less if its possessors are many. Those very persons, since he is the possessor, become his inheritance, and he in turn becomes their inheritance. [1] … Let us possess him, and let him possess us. Let him possess us as Lord; let us possess him as salvation, let us possess him as light. What then did he give to them who received him? “To them he gave power to become sons of God, even to them that believe on his name,” that they may cling to the wood and cross the sea. TRACTATES ON THE GOSPEL OF JOHN 2.13. [2]

[1] Ps 2:7, 8; 16:5 (15:5 LXX, Vg).

[2] NPNF 1 7:17**. See also Hilary of Poitiers On the Trinity 11.15.

THE GIFT OF ADOPTION

THEODORET OF CYR: “I have said, ‘You are gods and all sons of the most high, but as human beings you die.’” [1] He says this to those who did not accept the gift of adoption [2] but who dishonor the taking of flesh through the pure birth of the Word of God, deprive humanity of the ascent to God and show ingratitude to God’s Word who was made flesh for them. For this is why the Word became a human being and the Son of God became a Son of man: that the human being, by embracing the Word and receiving adoption, might become a son of God. DIALOGUE 1.20. [3]

[1] Ps 82:6-7 (81:6-7 LXX).

[2] See Rom 8:15, Gal 4:5, Eph 1:5.

[3] FC 106:70-71.

DIVINE ADOPTION THROUGH THE SON OF GOD

BASIL THE GREAT: When the soul has been clothed with the Son of God, it becomes worthy of the final and perfect stage and is baptized in the name of the Father himself of our Lord Jesus Christ, who, according to the testimony of John, gave the power to be made the sons of God. CONCERNING BAPTISM 1.2. [1]

[1] FC 9:380.

THE BAPTISMAL SEAL OF SONSHIP

CHRYSOSTOM: Why, then, did he not say that “he made them sons of God,” instead of “he gave them power to become sons of God”? He did so to show how much zeal is needed to keep the image of sonship that was impressed on us at baptism and to keep it all the way through without spot or soiling. At the same time, he also wanted to show that no one will be able to take this power from us, unless we first deprive ourselves of it…. For even in these mystical blessings, [1] it is, on the one hand, God’s part, to give the grace, on the other, a person’s to supply faith. What follows needs much perseverance. In order to preserve our purity, it is not sufficient for us merely to have been baptized and to have believed; we must display a life worthy of it if we want to continually enjoy this brightness. This then is God’s work in us. HOMILIES ON THE GOSPEL OF JOHN 10.2-3. [2]

[1] Of baptism.

[2] NPNF 1 14:36-37**.

BY GRACE WE ARE MADE GOD’S OFFSPRING

AUGUSTINE: When any person… is… considered to be among the children of God, such an achievement must not be considered to have been accomplished by their ability alone. This ability they have received through the grace of God, because they did not possess it in a nature that had become corrupted and depraved. ON NATURE AND GRACE 64.77. [1]

[1] FC 86:83*.

THE HONOR BESTOWED ON THE SAINTS

JOHN OF DAMASCUS: The saints must be honored as friends of Christ and children and heirs of God. … “Therefore they are no longer servants, but children: and if children, heirs also, heirs indeed of God and joint heirs with Christ.” [1] ORTHODOX FAITH 4.15. [2]

[1] Gal 4:7; Rom 8:17.

[2] FC 37:367*.

GOD WANTS TO MAKE YOU A “GOD” BY ADOPTION

AUGUSTINE: I mean, you are not being told not to be a human, in the sense that you are to be a beast, but rather that you are to be among those to whom “he gave the right to become children of God.” God, you see, wants to make you a god; not by nature, of course, like the one whom he begot; but by his gift and by adoption. [1] For just as he through being humbled [2] came to share your mortality; so through lifting you up he brings you to share his immortality. SERMON 166.4. [3]

[1] See Gal 4:5-6.

[2] See Phil 2:8.

[3] WSA 3 5:209*.

FAITH FIRST, THEN SIGHT

AUGUSTINE: Now turn your attention to the doctor of our salvation who has come to us, our Lord Jesus Christ. He found us blind of heart, he promised us a light that “eye has not seen nor ear heard, nor has it come up into the heart of [a] man.” [1] This is what the angels see, what they enjoy. I mean, just as healthy people see what the blind do not see, so angels see what people do not see. Why doesn’t [a] man see it? Because he still wants to be “man.” So let man [humankind] himself start getting cured, so that from being “man” he may be numbered among the sons of God, because “he gave them the right to become children of God,” that is, he gave them the right to be cured, to have the mistiness of heart wiped away, because “blessed are the pure in heart, because it is they who shall see God.” [2] SERMON 360B.15. [3]

[1] 1 Cor 2:9.

[2] Mt 5:8.

[3] WSA 3 11:375*.

REGENERATED THROUGH DIVINE POWER

THEODORE OF MOPSUESTIA: For those, he says, who received him, their reception was not useless. He gave them something great and excellent; certainly, insofar as it is possible, he made them equal in honor by giving them the gift of sonship. They take advantage of that grace not by being reborn in the body according to the natural order of generation. Rather, they are given birth by divine power through a certain similarity and relationship with him. COMMENTARY ON JOHN 1.1.12. [1]

[1] CSCO 4 3:32.

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