ACC ~ John 17 v20

CALL FOR UNITY

CYPRIAN: The Lord’s loving-kindness, no less than his mercy, is great in respect of our salvation in that, not content to redeem us with his blood, he in addition prayed for us. See now what the desire of his petition was, that just as the Father and Son are one, so also we should abide in absolute unity. From this, it may be evident how greatly someone sins who divides unity and peace, since even the Lord himself petitioned for this same thing. He no doubt desired that his people should in this way be saved and live in peace since he knew that discord cannot come into the kingdom of God. THE LORD’S PRAYER 30. [1]

[1] ANF 5:455*; CCL 3A:108-9.

IN THE FUTURE, THE WORLD RESTORED TO INITIAL UNITY

ORIGEN: I am of the opinion, so far as I can see, that this order of the human race has been appointed in order that in the future world—or in ages to come, when there shall be the new heavens and new earth spoken of by Isaiah [1] —that unity may be restored that was promised by the Lord Jesus in his prayer to God the Father on behalf of his disciples. [2] And this is further confirmed by the language of the apostle Paul: “Until we all come in the unity of the faith to a perfect man, to the measure of the stature of the fullness of Christ.” [3] And in keeping with this is the declaration of the same apostle when he exhorts us—who even in the present life are placed in the church, which is a form of that kingdom that is to come—to this same similitude of unity, “That you all speak the same thing and that there be no divisions among you. But that you be perfectly joined together in the same mind and in the same judgment.” [4] ON FIRST PRINCIPLES 1.6.2. [5]

[1] Is 66:22.

[2] He cites Jn 17:22, 23.

[3] Eph 4:13.

[4] 1 Cor 1:10.

[5] ANF 4:261**; GCS 22(5):82.

AS CHRIST IS LOVED, SO WE ARE LOVED AND UNITED

JEROME: He reminds us that the whole Christian people are one in God, and, as his well-beloved children, are “partakers of the divine nature.” [1] We have already said (and the truth must now be inculcated more in detail) that we are not one in the Father and the Son according to nature but according to grace. For the essence of the human soul and the essence of God are not the same, as the Manichaeans constantly assert. But, says our Lord, “You have loved them as you have loved me.” You see, then, that we are privileged to partake of his essence, not in the realm of nature but of grace. And the reason why we are beloved of the Father is that he has loved the Son—and the members of the body are loved. [2] AGAINST JOVINIANUS 2.29. [3]

[1] 2 Pet 1:4.

[2] See Jn 1:12, 13.

[3] NPNF 2 6:410**; PL 23:340.