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in their separate being: the cycles of universal life.

For the fact of creation through the Son see John 1:3, 10; 1 Cor. 8:6 ( diav ); Col. 1:16 ( ejn ).

Philo speaks of the Logos as ‘the instrument through which the world was made: euJrhvsei" ai[tion me;n aujtou' (sc. tou' kovsmou ) to;n qeo;n uJfj ou| gevgonen : u{lhn de; ta; tevssara stoicei'a ejx w|n sunekravqh : o[rganon de; lovgon qeou' dij ou| kateskeuavsqh : th'" de; kataskeuh'" aijtivan th;n ajgaqovthta tou' dhmiourgou' ( de Cher. 35; 1.162 M.). Comp. de monarch. ii. § 5 (2.225 M.); leg. alleg. iii. § 31 (1.106 M.).

The first passage is singularly instructive as bringing out the difference between the Christian and Philonic conception of the divine action. Comp. Rom. 11:36 ( ejk, diav, eij" ); 1 Cor. 8:6 ( ejx, eij", diav ). The preposition uJpov is not, I believe, used in connexion with creation in the N.T.

ii. The Nature and work of the Son (3)

The Nature and work of the Son is presented in regard to (1) His divine Personality and (2) the Incarnation.

(1) In Himself the Son is presented in His essential Nature, as the manifestation of the divine attributes ( ajpauvgasma th'" dovxh" ), and He embodies personally the divine essence ( carakth;r th'" uJpostavsew" ). In connexion with this view of His Nature, His work is to bear all things to their true end ( fevrwn ta; pavnta ).

(2) This general view of His work leads to the view of His work as Incarnate in a world marred by sin. In regard to this He is the One absolute Redeemer ( kaqar. tw'n aJm. poihsavmeno" ) and the Sovereign representative of glorified humanity ( ejkavq. ejn dexia'/ th'" meg. ejn uJy. ).

3 Who, being the effulgence of His glory and the expression of His essence, and so bearing all things by the word of His power, after He had Himself made purification of sins, sat down on the right hand of the Majesty on high.

3. The description of the Nature and Work of the Son of God in relation to the Father ( spake in, appointed, made ) given in the second verse is completed by a description of His Nature and Work in regard to Himself.

The description begins with that which is eternal. The participles ‘being,’ ‘bearing’ describe the absolute and not simply the present essence and action of the Son. Compare John 1:18; (3:13); Col. 1:15, 17. The w[n in particular guards against the idea of mere ‘adoption’ in the Sonship, and affirms the permanence of the divine essence of the Son during His historic work.

At the same time the divine being of the Son can be represented to men only under human figures. Since this is so, the infinite truth must be suggested by a combination of complementary images such as are given here in ajpauvgasma and carakthvr . The first image ( ajpauvgasma ) brings out the conception of the source ( phghv ) of the Son's Being, and of His unbroken connexion with the Father, as revealing to man the fulness of His attributes.

The second image ( carakthvr ) emphasises the true Personality of the Son as offering in Himself the perfect representation of the divine essence of the Father (John 14:9).


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