Has the divine teaching, then, after abolishing the godlessness of the nations and of idols, fallen silent and simply left the human race to go on without a share in the knowledge of God? Certainly not. Rather, it anticipates the thought by saying: “Hear, Israel: the Lord your God, the Lord is one”; and again, “You shall love the Lord your God with all your heart and with all your strength”; and again, “You shall worship the Lord your God, and Him alone you shall serve, and you shall cling to Him.”
That the providence and ordering of the Word extend through all things and to all things is also testified by every God-breathed Scripture. What is now quoted is enough to establish the truth of the argument, for the men who speak of God say: “You founded the earth, and it remains; by Your ordinance the day remains”; and again, “Sing to our God on the lyre, to Him who covers heaven with clouds, who prepares rain for the earth, who brings forth grass on the mountains and green growth for the service of people, and who gives food to the cattle.”
But through whom does He give these things except through Him through whom all things also came to be? For through the One through whom they came to be, through Him also, accordingly, comes the providence of all things. Who, then, could this be except the Word of God, concerning whom another psalm also says: “By the Word of the Lord the heavens were established, and by the breath of His mouth all their host”? For Scripture declares that all things came to be in Him and through Him, and from this it also persuades us by saying: “He Himself spoke, and they came to be; He Himself commanded, and they were created.”
So too the great Moses, at the beginning of his account of the making of the world, confirms what is being said when he explains: “And God said, ‘Let us make man according to our image and according to our likeness.’” For when He was bringing into existence the creation of heaven and earth and of all things, the Father said to Him: “Let heaven come to be,” and “Let the waters be gathered together, and let the dry land appear,” and “Let the earth bring forth vegetation and every living creature.”
From these words one might also convict the Jews of not attending sincerely to the Scriptures. For someone might ask them: To whom was God speaking, that He should speak while giving commands? If He was commanding and speaking to the things that were being created, the speech was unnecessary, for they did not yet exist but were about to come to be. No one speaks to what does not exist, nor commands and speaks to what has not yet been made so that it may come to be. For if God were commanding the things that were going to exist, He should have said: “Come to be, heaven; come to be, earth; come forth, vegetation; be made, human being.” But He did not do this. Instead He commands by saying: “Let us make man,” and “Let vegetation come forth.” From this God is shown to be speaking about these things with someone who is near Him. It is therefore necessary that someone be with Him, to whom He spoke as He made all things.
Who could this be except His Word? For to whom could one say that God was speaking except His own Word? Or who was with Him when He made all created reality except His Wisdom, who says: “When He made heaven and earth, I was present with Him”? In naming heaven and earth, all created things in heaven and on earth are included as well.
Being present as Wisdom, and as the Word looking toward the Father, He created the whole, established it, and ordered it. And because He is the Power of the Father, He strengthened all things to exist, as the Savior also says: “Whatever I see the Father doing, I also do likewise.” His holy disciples also teach that all things came to be through Him and for Him. And since He is the good Offspring of Him who is good and the true Son, He is the Father’s Power and Wisdom and Word—not being these by participation, nor having them come to Him from outside as happens with those who participate in Him, who are made wise through Him and become powerful and rational in Him. Rather, He is Wisdom itself, Word itself, the Father’s own Power, Light itself, Truth itself, Righteousness itself, Virtue itself, and indeed the Imprint, Radiance, and Image. To sum it up, He is the all-perfect Fruit of the Father, and He alone is Son, the exact Image of the Father.
Has the divine teaching, then, after abolishing the godlessness of the nations and of idols, fallen silent and simply left the human race to go on without a share in the knowledge of God? Certainly not. Rather, it anticipates the thought by saying: “Hear, Israel: the Lord your God, the Lord is one”; and again, “You shall love the Lord your God with all your heart and with all your strength”; and again, “You shall worship the Lord your God, and Him alone you shall serve, and you shall cling to Him.”
That the providence and ordering of the Word extend through all things and to all things is also testified by every God-breathed Scripture. What is now quoted is enough to establish the truth of the argument, for the men who speak of God say: “You founded the earth, and it remains; by Your ordinance the day remains”; and again, “Sing to our God on the lyre, to Him who covers heaven with clouds, who prepares rain for the earth, who brings forth grass on the mountains and green growth for the service of people, and who gives food to the cattle.”
But through whom does He give these things except through Him through whom all things also came to be? For through the One through whom they came to be, through Him also, accordingly, comes the providence of all things. Who, then, could this be except the Word of God, concerning whom another psalm also says: “By the Word of the Lord the heavens were established, and by the breath of His mouth all their host”?
For Scripture declares that all things came to be in Him and through Him, and from this it also persuades us by saying: “He Himself spoke, and they came to be; He Himself commanded, and they were created.”
So too the great Moses, at the beginning of his account of the making of the world, confirms what is being said when he explains: “And God said, ‘Let us make man according to our image and according to our likeness.’” For when He was bringing into existence the creation of heaven and earth and of all things, the Father said to Him: “Let heaven come to be,” and “Let the waters be gathered together, and let the dry land appear,” and “Let the earth bring forth vegetation and every living creature.”
From these words one might also convict the Jews of not attending sincerely to the Scriptures.
For someone might ask them: To whom was God speaking, that He should speak while giving commands? If He was commanding and speaking to the things that were being created, the speech was unnecessary, for they did not yet exist but were about to come to be. No one speaks to what does not exist, nor commands and speaks to what has not yet been made so that it may come to be. For if God were commanding the things that were going to exist, He should have said: “Come to be, heaven; come to be, earth; come forth, vegetation; be made, human being.” But He did not do this. Instead He commands by saying: “Let us make man,” and “Let vegetation come forth.” From this God is shown to be speaking about these things with someone who is near Him. It is therefore necessary that someone be with Him, to whom He spoke as He made all things.
Who could this be except His Word? For to whom could one say that God was speaking except His own Word? Or who was with Him when He made all created reality except His Wisdom, who says: “When He made heaven and earth, I was present with Him”? In naming heaven and earth, all created things in heaven and on earth are included as well.
Being present as Wisdom, and as the Word looking toward the Father, He created the whole, established it, and ordered it. And because He is the Power of the Father, He strengthened all things to exist, as the Savior also says: “Whatever I see the Father doing, I also do likewise.” His holy disciples also teach that all things came to be through Him and for Him.
And since He is the good Offspring of Him who is good and the true Son, He is the Father’s Power and Wisdom and Word—not being these by participation, nor having them come to Him from outside as happens with those who participate in Him, who are made wise through Him and become powerful and rational in Him. Rather, He is Wisdom itself, Word itself, the Father’s own Power, Light itself, Truth itself, Righteousness itself, Virtue itself, and indeed the Imprint, Radiance, and Image. To sum it up, He is the all-perfect Fruit of the Father, and He alone is Son, the exact Image of the Father.