ACC ~ John 17 v6

THE SON IS NOW THE FATHER’S NEW NAME

TERTULLIAN: The name “God the Father” had been published to no one. Even Moses, who had interrogated him on that very point, had heard a different name. To us it has been revealed in the Son, for the Son is now the Father’s new name. … That name, therefore, we pray “may be hallowed.” ON PRAYER 3. [1]

“FATHER” MORE ACCURATE THAN “GOD

” CYRIL OF ALEXANDRIA: When the Savior declares that he has made known the name of God the Father, it is the same as saying that he has shown the whole world his glory. How did he do this? By making himself known through his wonderful works. The Father is glorified in the Son as in an image and type of his own form, for the beauty of the archetype is seen in its image. The only Son then has made himself known, and he is in his essence wisdom and life, the artificer and creator of the universe. He is immortal and incorruptible, pure, blameless, merciful, holy, good. His Father is known to be like him, since he could not be different in nature from his offspring. The Father’s glory is seen, as in an image and type of his own form, in the glory of the Son. …

The Son made known the name of God the Father to teach us and make us fully comprehend not that he is the only God—for inspired Scripture had proclaimed that even before the coming of the Son—but that besides being truly God he is also rightly called “Father.” This is so because in himself and proceeding from himself he has a Son possessed of the same eternal nature as his own: it was not in time that he became the Father of the Creator of the ages!

To call God “Father” is more exact than to call him “God.” The word God signifies his dignity, but the word Father points to the distinctive attribute of his person. If we say “God,” we declare him to be Lord of the universe. If we call him “Father,” we show the way in which he is distinct as a person, for we make known the fact that he has a Son. The Son himself gave God the name of Father, as being in some sense the more appropriate and truer appellation, when he said not “I and God” but “I and the Father are one,” [2] and also, with reference to himself, “On him has God the Father set his seal.” [3] And when he commanded his disciples to baptize all nations, he did not tell them to do this in the name of God but expressly ordained that they were to do it in the name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit. COMMENTARY ON THE GOSPEL OF JOHN 11.7. [4]

[1] ANF 3:682; CCL 1:258-59. On their shared titles, see also Tertullian Against Praxeas 17.

[2] Jn 10:30.

[3] ESUS IS INFORMED THAT LAZARUS IS SICK | JOHN 11:1-5

[4] LF 48:499-500**.

THE FATHER DESIRES BELIEF IN THE SON

CHRYSOSTOM: His desire here is to teach that he is greatly loved by the Father since it is clear that he did not need to receive the [disciples] since he made them and cares for them continually. How then did he receive them? This, as I said before, shows his oneness with the Father. Now one could interpret this to mean, humanly speaking and according to its literal meaning, that the disciples will no longer belong to the Father. For if when the Father had them, the Son did not have them, it is evident that when he gave them to the Son, he relinquished his dominion over them. An even more unseemly conclusion would be that the disciples were found to have been imperfect while they were yet with the Father but then became perfect when they came to the Son. But it is ridiculous even to say such things. What then does he mean by this? He means that it seemed good to the Father also that they should believe on the Son. HOMILIES ON THE GOSPEL OF JOHN 81.1. [1]

[1] NPNF 1 14:299**.

NOT ONLY TWELVE, BUT ALL WHO WOULD BELIEVE

AUGUSTINE: If he speaks of the disciples only with whom he had eaten supper, this has nothing to do with that glorifying of which he spoke above and whereby the Son glorified the Father. For what glory is it to be known to twelve or eleven mortal creatures? But if by the men who were given to him out of the world, he means all those who should believe in him afterward and populate his great church, which was to be made up of all nations, this is without doubt the glory whereby the Son glorifies the Father. … “I have made known your name” … is similar to what he had said a little earlier, “I have glorified you on the earth,” where the past is used for the future both there and here. … But what follows shows that he is speaking here of those who were already his disciples, not of all who should afterward believe on him. … At the beginning of his prayer then … our Lord is speaking of all believers, all to whom he should make known the Father, and this is how he would glorify him. For after saying, “that your Son also may glorify you,” he immediately showed how that was to be done by adding, “As you have given him power over all flesh that he should give eternal life to as many as you have given him.” TRACTATES ON THE GOSPEL OF JOHN 106.1-3. [1]

[1] NPNF 1 7:399-400**; CCL 36:608-10.

HOW THE FATHER GIVES TO THE SON

AUGUSTINE: But what are we to make of the words “whom you have given me out of the world,” for it was said that they were not of the world? But this they were by regeneration, not by generation [i.e., by nature]. And what is meant by “they were yours, and you gave them to me”? Was there a time when they belonged to the Father and not to his only-begotten Son? Did the Father ever have anything without the Son? God forbid. But there was a time when the Son of God possessed something which that same Son as man did not possess. For he had not yet become man when he possessed all things in common with the Father. And so, by saying “they were yours,” the Son of God does not separate himself from the Father but only attributes all his power to him from whom he is and has this power. … In saying, therefore, “and you gave them to me,” he intimated that he had received as man the power to have them, seeing that he who was always omnipotent, was not always man. And so, while he seems rather to have attributed his receiving of them to the Father, since [Christ] is whatever he is because his existence is from [the Father], yet Christ also gave them to himself, that is, Christ, God with the Father, [gave them] to Christ as man who is not with the Father. … Those whom God the Son chose along with the Father out of the world, the very same Son as man received out of the world from the Father. For the Father would not have given them to the Son if he had not chosen them. TRACTATES ON THE GOSPEL OF JOHN 106.5. [1]

[1] NPNF 1 7:400-401**; CCL 36:611.

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