De Trinitate Tuesdays (Book One)
Book One
(Chapter. Paragraph).
(1.1) There are three types of faulty theological method. 1.) Applying bodily predicates and ideas to that which is naturally incorporeal. 2.) Transfer of the moods of human spirit to God without theological nuance. 3.) Trying to know God in the vanity of your own strength of understanding.
(1.2) Scripture purifies the human spirit of falsehoods concerning God: scriptures per necessity use worldly imagery to entice our gaze toward God; conversely scripture rarely uses adjectives that are purely descriptive of God (e.g. "I AM WHO I AM" Ex. 3:16).
--> BOTH body and spirit are said "to be." THUS this statement, apparently common to both, MUST name God uniquely. HIS "To be" cannot be the "to be" of body, extension, creature, etc... (true immortality is unchangingness...)
(1.3) It is extremely difficult for us to know God's substance which is completely without change or temporality.
--> Thus, it is absolutely theologically necessary for our minds to be purified to know God qua God.
--> Before this purification, we are led along by faith.
(1.4) There is a dual aspect of this need of purification: the need to convince others their idea of "god" must be purified; and that this purification is not an arbitrary imposition but is based on the "object" of God as Trinity.
--> This purification of our concept of God is the "wholesome regimen" of the Church and its practice.
(1.5) Augustine writes of his thoughts: "If you are wrong, come back to me; If I am wrong, call me back to you."
--> "Nowhere else [than in the search for the Trinity] is a mistake more dangerous, or discovery more advantageous."
(2.7) All commentators [up to Augustine] have affirmed F/S/HS inseparably equal in one substance (though each are not the other).
-->each [person] did specific actions in the economy of salvation (i.e.e the Trinity did not itself become incarnate) though they all work inseparably.
(2.8) There is a certain trouble in interpreting three who are one God
--> How do they operate inseparably while being distinct?
-->Augustine then confesses his own limitations of understanding before answering.
(2.9) Movement to scriptural refutation of "Arian" type reading of the Bible
-->Christ is the same substance with the Father, because they DO the same things AND he is NOT himself made. (AUGUSTINIAN RULE: NOT a CREATURE = SUBSTANCE OF THE FATHER)
--> (John 5:19)
-->Thus only 2 categories: Creator/Creature
-->Homoousios thus an affirmation that Christ is on the far side of the creator line with the Father.
(2.10) Immortality thus refers to the whole Trinity, not to the Father alone (corollary: The SON is life everlasting, and thus could hardly be said to be mortal).
-->INDEED: it is by participating in the life of the SON that we gain life.
(2.11) The Son is invisible in His Deity.
(2.12) Father/Son/Holy Spirit IS what the One God IS.
(2.13) Identity with God can be said again of Holy Spirit (in addition to Son)
--> Holy Spirit not just GOD but TRUE GOD
--> Augustine uses doulein/latruein distinction
-->we are to SERVE (latruein) only God, but Paul says we also SERVE the Holy Spirit (Phil. 3:3), ergo...H.S. IS God.
--> Moreover members of Christ are "temples of the Holy Spirit." Yet the only temples we are allowed are of God Himself. Again, the H.S. IS GOD.
(3.14) On the problem where scripture mentions that the Father is greater than the Son
--> HERMENEUTICAL PRINCIPLE: There is a distinction between predicates said of the Son qua man/ and Christ qua God the Son.
-->The Son did not lose "the Form of God," by taking the form of a servant. Thus hermeneutically there is a necessary distinction between Forma Dei/ Forma Servi predication.
(3.16) Christ handing the Kingdom over to the Father will not deprive the Son of said Kingdom. "handing over" according ot Augustine is when Christ reveals he full sight of God.
(3.17) Contemplation is the end of all activities and is the consummation of all joy (1 John 3:2; John 3:17; 1 Cor. 4:5)
(3.18): "For the fulness of our happiness is this: to enjoy God the three in whose image we were made."
(3.20) Mary/Martha analogy of contemplation: Martha represents works; Mary represents the tendency towards contemplation.
(4.23) "The scriptures employ no manner of speaking that is not common to human usage--they are, after all, speaking to humans." (Augustine, p.87).
(4.26) If Christ speaks of the Father's word, he speaks of Himself; For the Father's command (or word) is not other than the WORD himself.
--> "The Father has given me [life in myself]" = begotten [Christ], for "this is not a case of giving something to someone who exists, but does not have; giving he Son "Life in himself" is to have begotten Him to live, for the Son is not like a creature, where what he has is to differentiate from what he is.
-->EXAMPLE: "He who believes in me does not believe in me but the Father"
--> How is this contradiction to be understood? Augustine's gloss: "He who believes in me does not believe in what he sees, RE: the material person: this materiality Christ wants to purify our minds to peer beyond.
(4.28) The LORD of Glory was crucified: "it is quite correct to talk even of God being crucified."
--> The wicked will not even see the form of God.
(4.30) "What else is eternal life but that sight not granted to the wicked? (94).
Comments