Part 7 - Defending the WT 1956 August 15th Page 504

TO BE EDITED & COMPLETED LATER

Continuing in defense of the Watchtower.

*** w56 8/15 p. 504 Early Church Fathers and the Trinity ***

QUOTE 2: “...He once stated that “the most perfect, and most holy thing, and most commanding, and most regal, and by far the most beneficent nature, is that of the Son, which is next to the only omnipotent Father.”

Is this a ficticious quote?

Non existent?

For that is what some claim.

Lets see!

GREEK TEXT: 7.2.5.1 “Πίστις οὖν τοῦ εἰδέναι θεὸν ἡ πρώτη μετὰ τῆς τοῦ σωτῆρος διδασκαλίας τὴν πεποίθησιν τὸ κατὰ μηδένα τρόπον ἄδικα δρᾶν, 7.2.5.2 τοῦτ' εἶναι πρέπον ἡγεῖσθαι τῇ ἐπιγνώσει τοῦ θεοῦ. ταύτῃ κράτιστον μὲν ἐν γῇ ἄνθρωπος ὁ θεοσεβέστατος, κράτιστον δὲ ἐν οὐρανῷ ἄγγελος, ὁ πλησιαίτερον κατὰ τόπον καὶ ἤδη καθαρώτερον τῆς αἰω 7.2.5.3 νίου καὶ μακαρίας ζωῆς μεταλαγχάνων. τελειοτάτη δὲ καὶ ἁγιωτάτη καὶ κυριωτάτη καὶ ἡγεμονικωτάτη καὶ βασιλικωτάτη καὶ εὐεργετικω 7.2.5.4 τάτη ἡ υἱοῦ φύσις ἡ τῷ μόνῳ παντοκράτορι προσεχεστάτη. αὕτη ἡ μεγίστη ὑπεροχή, ἣ τὰ πάντα διατάσσεται κατὰ τὸ θέλημα τοῦ πατρὸς καὶ τὸ πᾶν ἄριστα οἰακίζει, ἀκαμάτῳ καὶ ἀτρύτῳ δυνάμει πάντα 7.2.5.5 ἐργαζομένη, δι' ὧν ἐνεργεῖ τὰς ἀποκρύφους ἐννοίας ἐπιβλέπουσα. οὐ γὰρ ἐξίσταταί ποτε τῆς αὑτοῦ περιωπῆς ὁ υἱὸς τοῦ θεοῦ, οὐ μεριζόμενος, οὐκ ἀποτεμνόμενος, οὐ μεταβαίνων ἐκ τόπου εἰς τόπον, πάντῃ δὲ ὢν πάντοτε καὶ μηδαμῇ περιεχόμενος, ὅλος νοῦς, ὅλος φῶς πατρῷον, ὅλος ὀφθαλμός, πάντα ὁρῶν, πάντα ἀκούων, εἰδὼς πάντα, 7.2.5.6 δυνάμει τὰς δυνάμεις ἐρευνῶν. τούτῳ πᾶσα ὑποτέτακται στρατιὰ ἀγγέλων τε καὶ θεῶν, τῷ λόγῳ τῷ πατρικῷ τὴν ἁγίαν οἰκονομίαν ἀναδεδεγμένῳ διὰ τὸν ὑποτάξαντα, δι' ὃν καὶ πάντες αὐτοῦ οἱ ἄνθρωποι, ἀλλ' οἳ μὲν κατ' ἐπίγνωσιν, οἳ δὲ οὐδέπω, καὶ οἳ μὲν ὡς φίλοι, οἳ δὲ ὡς οἰκέται πιστοί, οἳ δὲ ὡς ἁπλῶς οἰκέται...” [“The Stromata”, Book 7, Chapter 2(II) - ΚΛΗΜΕΝΤΟΣ ΤΩΝ ΚΑΤΑ ΤΗΝ ΑΛΗΘΗ ΦΙΛΟΣΟΦΙΑΝ ΓΝΩΣΤΙΚΩΝ ΥΠΟΜΝΗΜΑΤΩΝ ΣΤΡΩΜΑΤΕΩΝ ΠΡΩΤΟΣ ; Migne Patrologia]

CLEMENT OF ALEXANDRIA ( c 155 - 220 c.e.): “...So the best thing on earth is the most pious man; and the best thing in heaven, the nearer in place and purer, is an angel, the partaker of the eternal and blessed life. But the nature of the Son, which is nearest to Him who is alone the Almighty One, is the most perfect, and most holy, and most potent, and most princely, and most kingly, and most beneficent. This is the highest excellence, which orders all things in accordance with the Father's will, and holds the helm of the universe in the best way, with unwearied and tireless power, working all things in which it operates, keeping in view its hidden designs. For from His own point of view the Son of God is never displaced; not being divided, not severed, not passing from place to place; being always everywhere, and being contained nowhere; complete mind, the complete paternal light; all eyes, seeing all things, hearing all things, knowing all things, by His power scrutinizing the powers. To Him is placed in subjection all the host of angels and gods; He, the paternal Word, exhibiting the holy administration for Him who put [all] in subjection to Him.” (The Stromata, Book 7, Chapter 2(II) Roberts & Donaldsons ANF.)

CLEMENT OF ALEXANDRIA ( c 155 - 220 c.e.): “...But most perfect and most holy of all, most sovereign, most lordly, most royal, and most beneficent, is the nature of the Son, which approaches most closely to the One Almighty Being. The Son is the highest pre-eminence, which sets in order all things according to the Father’s will, and steers the universe aright, performing all things with unwearying energy, beholding the Father’s secret thoughts through his working….being never divided...but existing everywhere at all times and free from all limitations. He is all reason, all eye, all light from the Father, seeing all things, hearing all things, knowing all things, with power searching the powers….the Word of the Father who has received the holy administration by reason of him who subjected it to him; through whom also all men belong to him, but some by way of knowledge, while others have not yet attained to this; some as friends, some as faithful servants, others as servants merely.” [FOOTNOTE 121] Oulton and Chadwick, Stromata VII.II.5 [pp. 95-96].

CLEMENT OF ALEXANDRIA ( c 155 - 220 C.E. ): "To know God is, then, the first step of faith; then, through confidence in the teaching of the Savior, to consider the doing of wrong in any way as not suitable to the knowledge of God. So the best thing on earth is the most pious man; and the best thing in heaven, the nearer in place and purer, is an angel, the partaker of the eternal and blessed life. But the nature of the Son, which is nearest to Him who is alone the Almighty One, is the most perfect, and most holy, and most potent, and most princely, and most kingly, and most beneficent. This is the highest excellence, which orders all things in accordance with the Father’s will, and holds the helm of the universe in the best way, with unwearied and tireless power, working all things in which it operates, keeping in view its hidden designs. For from His own point of view the Son of God is never displaced; not being divided, not severed, not passing from place to place; being always everywhere, and being contained nowhere; complete mind, the complete paternal light; all eyes, seeing all things, hearing all things, knowing all things, by His power scrutinizing the powers. To Him is placed in subjection all the host of angels and gods; He, the paternal Word, exhibiting the holy administration for Him who put [all] in subjection to Him." - (STROMATA: BOOK 7; CHAPTER 2 [Unknown Translator])