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Against Heresies
3.
If, therefore, even with respect to creation, there are some things [the knowledge of] which belongs only to God, and others which come within the range of our own knowledge, what ground is there for complaint, if, in regard to those things which we investigate in the Scriptures (which are throughout spiritual), we are able by the grace of God to explain some of them, while we must leave others in the hands of God, and that not only in the present world, but also in that which is to come, so that God should for ever teach, and man should for ever learn the things taught him by God? As the apostle has said on this point, that, when other things have been done away, then these three, "faith, hope, and charity, shall endure." 1 For faith, which has respect to our Master, endures 2 unchangeably, assuring us that there is but one true God, and that we should truly love Him for ever, seeing that He alone is our Father; while we hope ever to be receiving more and more from God, and to learn from Him, because He is good, and possesses boundless riches, a kingdom without end, and instruction that can never be exhausted. If, therefore, according to the rule which I have stated, we leave some questions in the hands of God, we shall both preserve our faith uninjured, and shall continue without danger; and all Scripture, which has been given to us by God, shall be found by us perfectly consistent; and the parables shall harmonize with those passages which are perfectly plain; and those statements the meaning of which is clear, shall serve to explain the parables; and through the many diversified utterances [of Scripture] there shall be heard 3 one harmonious melody in us, praising in hymns that God who created all things. If, for instance, any one asks, "What was God doing before He made the world?" we reply that the answer to such a question lies with God Himself. For that this world was formed perfect 4 by God, receiving a beginning in time, the Scriptures teach us; but no Scripture reveals to us what God was employed about before this event. The answer therefore to that question remains with God, and it is not proper 5 for us to aim at bringing forward foolish, rash, and blasphemous suppositions [in reply to it]; so, as by one's imagining that he has discovered the origin of matter, he should in reality set aside God Himself who made all things.
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1 Cor. xiii. 13. ↩
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"Permanet firma,"--no doubt corresponding to the menei of the apostle, 1 Cor. xiii. 13. Harvey here remarks, that "the author seems to misapprehend the apostle's meaning.... There will be no longer room for hope, when the substance of things hoped for shall have become a matter of fruition; neither will there be any room for faith, when the soul shall be admitted to see God as He is." But the best modern interpreters take the same view of the passage as Irenaeus. They regard the nuni de of St. Paul as not being temporal, but logical, and conclude therefore the meaning to be, that faith and hope, as well as love, will, in a sense, endure for ever. Comp., e.g., Alford, in loc. ↩
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The Latin text is here untranslateable. Grabe proposes to read, "una consonans melodia in nobis sentietur;" while Stieren and others prefer to exchange aisthesetai for asthesetai. ↩
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"Apotelesticos." This word, says Harvey, "may also refer to the vital energy of nature, whereby its effects are for ever reproduced in unceasing succession." Comp. Hippol., Philos., vii. 24. ↩
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We here follow Grabe, who understands decet. Harvey less simply explains the very obscure Latin text. ↩
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Gegen die Häresien (BKV)
3.
S. 179Wenn nun schon von den Dingen dieser Schöpfung nur ein Teil zu unserer Kenntnis kommt, während ein anderer Gott vorbehalten bleibt, was schadet es dann, wenn auch von dem, was wir in der Schrift suchen, die doch durchweg geistig ist, nur ein Teil unserer Erklärung zugänglich ist, der andere aber Gott überlassen bleibt, nicht nur in dieser, sondern auch in der zukünftigen Welt, so daß Gott immer Lehrer, der Mensch aber immer sein Schüler bleibt? Sagt doch auch der Apostel, daß, wenn alles übrige vernichtet sein wird, diese drei bleiben werden: Glaube, Hoffnung und Liebe1 . Immerdar unerschüttert bleibt der Glaube an unsern Lehrer, der uns die Gewißheit gibt, dass nur einer Gott ist, daß wir ihn immer wahrhaft lieben, weil er allein unser Vater ist, und daß wir hoffen, immer mehr von ihm zu empfangen, und daß wir von Gott lernen, daß er gut ist und unendlichen Reichtum besitzt und ein Reich ohne Ende und unbegrenzte Belehrung. Überlassen wir also auf obengenannte Weise einige Fragen Gott, dann werden wir unsern Glauben bewahren, ungefährdet darin verharren und erkennen, daß die ganze Schrift, wie sie von Gott gegeben ist, wohl übereinstimmt, daß die Parabeln zu dem, was deutlich gesagt ist, passen und daß das deutlich Gesagte die Parabeln erklärt, und aus der Polyphonie der verschiedenen Aussprüche wird eine Symphonie uns entgegenklingen, Gott zum Lobe, der alles gemacht hat. —Fragt jemand z. B.: „Was tat Gott, ehe er die Welt schuf?“, so sagen wir: Die Antwort auf diese Frage steht Gott zu. Die Schrift lehrt uns nur, daß diese Welt vollständig von Gott gemacht ist und in der Zeit einen Anfang genommen hat; was vordem Gott tat, lehrt keine Schrift. Indem wir also darauf die Antwort Gott überlassen, erübrigen sich für uns jene törichten und sinnlos-gottlosen Erfindungen, die darauf hinauslaufen, dass man Gott verwirft, der alles gemacht hat.
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1 Kor. 13,13 ↩