For just as, when we look up to heaven and see its order and the light of the stars, we can think of the Word who ordered these things, so when we understand the Word of God, we must also understand God His Father. Proceeding from Him, the Word is rightly called the Interpreter and Messenger of His own Father.
Someone may see this from our own experience. When a word proceeds from human beings, we recognize that its source is the mind; and when we attend to the word, we perceive by reasoning the mind indicated through it. How much more, then—by a conception far greater and beyond comparison—when we see the power of the Word, do we receive a conception also of His good Father, as the Savior Himself says: “He who has seen Me has seen My Father.”
All God-breathed Scripture proclaims these things more plainly and with greater force. Trusting in it, we write these things to you, and you, by reading it, will be able to have confidence in what is said. For an argument confirmed by greater testimony has irrefutable proof.
From the beginning, then, the divine Word gave the Jewish people firm instruction about the abolition of idols, saying: “You shall not make for yourself an idol, nor any likeness of anything in heaven above or on the earth below.” Elsewhere He indicates the reason for tearing them down, saying: “The idols of the nations are silver and gold, works of human hands. They have a mouth and will not speak; they have eyes and will not see; they have ears and will not hear; they have noses and will not smell. They have hands and will not touch; they have feet and will not walk.”
Nor has Scripture been silent about teaching concerning creation. Knowing very well its beauty, it safeguards people beforehand so that some, looking upon that beauty, may not worship created things as gods rather than as works of God. It says: “And do not, when you lift up your eyes and see the sun and the moon and all the host of heaven, go astray and worship them, which the Lord your God apportioned to all the nations under heaven.” He apportioned them not so that they might be gods to them, but so that through their activity those from the nations might know God, the Creator of all, as has been said.
The Jewish people of old had fuller instruction, because they had knowledge of God not only from the works of creation but also from the divine Scriptures. And, in general, drawing people away from error concerning idols and from irrational imagination, He says: “There will be no other gods for you besides Me.” He does not forbid them to have other gods because other gods actually exist, but so that no one, turning away from the true God, may begin to make gods for himself out of things that do not exist—such as those named by poets and writers and shown not to be gods. The very wording also shows that they are not gods, for it says, “There will be no other gods for you,” which is expressed in the future tense. But what comes to be in the future does not exist at the time when these words are spoken.
For just as, when we look up to heaven and see its order and the light of the stars, we can think of the Word who ordered these things, so when we understand the Word of God, we must also understand God His Father. Proceeding from Him, the Word is rightly called the Interpreter and Messenger of His own Father.
Someone may see this from our own experience. When a word proceeds from human beings, we recognize that its source is the mind; and when we attend to the word, we perceive by reasoning the mind indicated through it. How much more, then—by a conception far greater and beyond comparison—when we see the power of the Word, do we receive a conception also of His good Father, as the Savior Himself says: “He who has seen Me has seen My Father.”
All God-breathed Scripture proclaims these things more plainly and with greater force. Trusting in it, we write these things to you, and you, by reading it, will be able to have confidence in what is said.
For an argument confirmed by greater testimony has irrefutable proof.
From the beginning, then, the divine Word gave the Jewish people firm instruction about the abolition of idols, saying: “You shall not make for yourself an idol, nor any likeness of anything in heaven above or on the earth below.” Elsewhere He indicates the reason for tearing them down, saying: “The idols of the nations are silver and gold, works of human hands. They have a mouth and will not speak; they have eyes and will not see; they have ears and will not hear; they have noses and will not smell. They have hands and will not touch; they have feet and will not walk.”
Nor has Scripture been silent about teaching concerning creation. Knowing very well its beauty, it safeguards people beforehand so that some, looking upon that beauty, may not worship created things as gods rather than as works of God. It says: “And do not, when you lift up your eyes and see the sun and the moon and all the host of heaven, go astray and worship them, which the Lord your God apportioned to all the nations under heaven.” He apportioned them not so that they might be gods to them, but so that through their activity those from the nations might know God, the Creator of all, as has been said.
The Jewish people of old had fuller instruction, because they had knowledge of God not only from the works of creation but also from the divine Scriptures. And, in general, drawing people away from error concerning idols and from irrational imagination, He says: “There will be no other gods for you besides Me.” He does not forbid them to have other gods because other gods actually exist, but so that no one, turning away from the true God, may begin to make gods for himself out of things that do not exist—such as those named by poets and writers and shown not to be gods. The very wording also shows that they are not gods, for it says, “There will be no other gods for you,” which is expressed in the future tense. But what comes to be in the future does not exist at the time when these words are spoken.