The Icon of the Invisible God

The invisible is sometimes shown. Therefore, it is clear from everywhere that the icon of the invisible God was spoken by the Apostle as that which became flesh through the Word, so that through the visible the invisible might be shown. For the Apostle says, 'the icon is of the invisible God.' Now, clearly, having become according to the icon of God, the one who took up the form was received as flesh, and has become a true icon of the invisible God.

For if through this icon we were worthy to know the Word of God, we ought to believe Him, the Word, through the icon, saying, 'I and the Father are one' (John 10:30). For neither the Word nor the Father of the Word can be known in any way without this icon. Thus also the Apostle says, as we said a little earlier, 'he emptied himself, having taken the form of a servant' (Phil 2:7), signifying to us the human flesh through the form of a servant, which our Lord God, by His own spreading wisdom, said, 'let us make man in our icon and likeness' (Gen 1:26), rightly naming the human flesh an icon. For He knew precisely that an icon would be a little later than His own Word.

What then will he say regarding these things? For I do not think he has anything to say about this. Nor do I think he can clearly and persuasively confess to others that which he himself hides in his own mind, as being clearly to be learned from that which he has written. For another, he says, is the Father, who begat from himself the only-begotten Word and firstborn of all creation, alone, perfect of the perfect, king of kings, Lord of lords, God of God, an unchangeable icon of essence and will and power and glory.

These words clearly expose his faulty glory concerning divinity. For how can the Lord, having been begotten and being God, as He Himself previously said, be able to be an icon of God? For one thing is an icon of God, and another is God. So if He is an icon, He is neither Lord nor God, but an icon of Lord and God; but if He is truly Lord and God, then the Lord and God can no longer be an icon of Lord and God. Therefore, he does not intend for any of those things he has spoken to be true; for he says that he is an icon of all these things.

If, then, an image is of substance, it can no longer be the substance itself; and if it is an image of will, it can no longer be the will itself; and if it is an image of power, it is no longer power; and if it is an image of glory, it is no longer glory. For an image is an image not of itself, but of another.

Indeed, the matter concerning Asterius does not grieve us so much because such things were written, but because certain ones, appearing to be leaders of the church, neglecting the apostolic tradition and preferring external things, dared to write and teach such things, which possess no less error than those previously mentioned. It is necessary, then, to cry out to the Lord with tears and grief, saying, 'We have sinned, we have been impious, we have transgressed,' and 'we have done evil before you,' and now, having recognized this, we deem ourselves worthy to receive philanthropy from you. This was fitting for him, and it was appropriate to say these things because of the immeasurable goodness and philanthropy of God.

Even so, it was following to oppose a God who is cared for with philanthropy and justice, saying, 'If an enemy reproaches me, I would have been crushed if he had magnified himself against me. But you, O man, equal-souled, my leader and my knower, who sweetened my meals at the same time, we walked in the house of God in concord.' For we know from his own words that it was understood by his ministers: 'Behold,' for he said, 'I will be with you all the days of your life, even unto the end of the age.' Then, following this, he would have naturally added even the things that follow those that lead, 'Let death come upon them, and let them descend into Hades while living; for wickedness is in their hearts.' For the Scripture says that those who are in ignorance of impiety are being swallowed by Hades as dead; for they were dead, even though they seemed to live.

For they want the Savior to be a man; and it is evident from those things that Eusebius, through craftiness, turned the words of the apostle toward his own will. As one desiring to bring forth from some ancient great pain a most wicked slander, he 'poured out from his own treasure' the evil, according to the saying of the Savior. Desiring to show the Savior as a man only, thus uncovering for us the greatest secret mystery of the apostle, he said: therefore, the divine apostle most clearly cries out and has cried out the secret and mystical theology which he delivers to us, 'One is God,' and then, after the one God, he says...