On Apostolic Preaching chapter 5

In the fifth chapter of AP the bishop of Lyons continues the same argument of chapter 4, arguing that all thing have been made by God. But this time he brings biblical support. Armed with two verses -neither of which is from Genesis- he demonstrates from Scripture that all things have been made by the Father, through the Son, and with the Spirit. 

In this post we will look at the first creation passage he cites, Ps. 33:6.

“By the word of the LORD the heavens were made, And by the breath/Spirit of His mouth all their host.”

Now of course the term for “breath” (ruach) can also be translated as “Spirit” (The LXX translates term as pneuma or Spirit). 

The good bishop follows this passage with an explination:

“Since then the Word establishes, that is to say, gives body and grants the reality of being, and the Spirit gives order and form to the diversity of the powers; rightly and fittingly is the Word called the Son, and the Spirit the Wisdom of God.”

So in Ps. 33:6 the term “established” means created. But even more than that it means “grants the reality of being.” Thus, when the “Word established” this is an ontological creation expressing creation ex nihilo. A creation through the Word of God that moves from non-being to being, from non-reality to reality, from nothing to something. God the Father created the very reality of being, through the Word.

The Spirit, on the other hand, “gives order and form to the diversity of the powers.” The use of “powers” (dunamis)  is not speculation but another translation of “hosts.” The term “Lord of hosts” (Ps. 24, 48, 84, etc…) could also be translated “Lord of powers.” Powers are hosts. Powers and hosts are typically renders as angels or beings of the spiritual realm, but in this case it seems that Irenaeus is using it more generally to mean all created beings (including angels and demons). Now what Irenaeus mean by “order and form” is that the Spirit arranges the material of being. He sorts out all the material substance and puts it in its proper place.

An example may be a jigsaw puzzle: The Son establishes the shapes, the Spirit puts them in their proper arrangement.

 

Let us be sure about one thing, however, Irenaeus’s interpretation of Ps. 33:6 is not speculative, but literal. When he opens to Ps. 33:6 he reads it literally: The Word establishes all creation the Spirit orders it. This is what the text literally means. This is not an allegorical interpretation. The Word does not represent Christ, the Word is Christ. 

Thus, it is not only Genesis that teaches us that the Father has made all things through the Son and by means of the Spirit. Perhaps we should be Ps. 33:6 along side Genesis?

~ by irenology on June 10, 2009.