92.（4）祂借以将自己带入这个世界的人身就是神的儿子。主经常说父差祂来，祂是父差来的（如马太福音10:40；15:24；约翰福音3:17，34；5:23，24，36－38；6:29，39，40，44，57；7:16，18，28，29；8:16，18，29，42；9:4等等）。主这样说，是因为“被差到世间”是指祂降下来，并来到人类当中，祂做这一切凭借的是祂藉着童女玛利亚所取的人身。这个人身也的确是神的儿子，因为它从为父的耶和华神成孕（如路加福音1:32，35所说）。这个人身被称为“神的儿子”、“人子”和“玛利亚之子”。“神的儿子”表示处于人身的耶和华神，“人子”表示作为圣言的主，“玛利亚之子”表示祂自己所取的这个实实在在的人身。下文将证明，这些是“神的儿子”和“人子”的含义；“玛利亚之子”表示祂纯粹的人性，这一点从人类的生殖明显可知，其中灵魂来自父亲，身体来自母亲。父亲的精子包含灵魂，这精子在母亲的子宫内被裹以肉身。换句话说，人所拥有的一切属灵之物都来自他的父亲，一切物质则来自他的母亲。
对主而言，祂里面的神性来自祂的父耶和华，祂的人性则来自祂的母亲。这二者的合一就是神的儿子。这可从主的出生由来明显得到证实，对此，我们在路加福音读到：
天使加百列对玛利亚说，圣灵要临到你身上，至高者的能力要荫庇你，因此所要生的圣者，必称为神的儿子。（路加福音1:35）
主也将自己描述为“父所差来的”，因为“差来的”和“使者”（angel）有相同的含义，在原文，使者的意思就是那被差来的。因为以赛亚书上说：
耶和华面前的使者（angel）拯救他们，以慈爱和怜悯救赎他们。（以赛亚书63:9）
玛拉基书：
你们所寻求的主，必忽然进入他的殿；立约的使者，就是你们所仰慕的，快要来到。（玛拉基书3:1）
还有其它类似经文。在本书第三章我们会看到，圣三一，即父神，圣子和圣灵，都在主里面，祂里面的父就是神性的起源（originating Divine），圣子就是神性人，圣灵就是神性的发出（emanating Divine）。
92. (4)在所取之人中祂將自己帶進世界, 這人就是所說的"上帝之子"。
主在許多場合聲稱父"差"祂,祂被父"差遣"(例如馬太福音10:40; 15:24;約翰福音3:17, 34; 5:23-24, 36-38; 6:29, 39-40, 44, 57; 7:16, 18, 28-29; 8:16, 18, 29, 42; 9:4 還有其它很多地方)。主這樣說, 因為"被差到世界"的意思指祂藉著童女瑪利亞所取的人身顯現而降臨在人類當中。
這個人也確實是上帝的兒子, 因為是因耶和華上帝而受孕(如路加福音1:32, 35所說)。
祂被稱為"上帝之子","人子"和"瑪利亞之子"。"上帝之子"表示以人身顯現的耶和華上帝, "人子"表示作為道這一角色的主, "瑪利亞之子"表示祂自己所取的這個實實在在的身體。接下來會解釋"上帝之子"和"人子"所表示的意義。至於"瑪利亞之子"只表示這個身體, 從人類的生殖情形顯而易見。靈魂來自于父, 身體來自於母。靈魂在父的精子之中, 以肉身包覆在母親的子宮內。換句話說, 一個人所擁有的屬靈事物源于其父, 擁有的物質事物源於其母。
對於主而言, 祂裡面的神性來自于祂的父耶和華, 祂的人性則來自于祂的母親。這二者聯合一起就是"上帝之子"。從主的出生由來可明顯證實這點, 正如我們在『路加福音』所見:"聖靈將降臨於你, 至高者的能力將蔭庇你, 因此從你生出的聖者將被稱為上帝的兒子"(路加福音1:35)
主將自己描繪成被父"差遣"的另一個原因, 是因為"被差遣的"與"使者"(angel, 也譯為天使或天人)有類似的意思。"使者"一詞在原始語言中的意思指"被差遣的"。在『以賽亞書』中, 主被稱為一名使者:"耶和華面前的使者(angel)拯救他們, 以慈愛和憐憫救贖他們(以賽亞書63:9)。另外在『瑪拉基書』:"你們所尋求的主, 必忽然進入他的殿; 立約的使者, 就是你們所仰慕的, 快要來到(瑪拉基書3:1)。還有其它章節。
本書的第三章將討論聖三一, 其中將會更清楚看到:聖三一(父,子,聖靈)存在於主之中, 在祂裡面的父是祂神性的起源, 子是祂的人身顯現, 聖靈則是神性的發出。
92. 4. The "Son of God" is the human manifestation in which God sent himself into the world. The Lord frequently says that the Father sent him, or that he was sent by the Father (for example, Matthew 10:40; 15:24; John 3:17, 34; 5:23-24, 36-38; 6:29, 39-40, 44, 57; 7:16, 18, 28-29; 8:16, 18, 29, 42; 9:4; and very often elsewhere). The Lord says this because being sent into the world means coming down among people, which he did through the human manifestation he took on through the Virgin Mary.
The human manifestation really is the Son of God, in that he was conceived by Jehovah God as the Father, as it says in Luke 1:32, 35.
He is called "the Son of God," "the Son of Humankind," and "the Son of Mary. " "The Son of God" means Jehovah God in his human manifestation. "The Son of Humankind" means the Lord in his role as the Word. "The Son of Mary" properly means the human manifestation he took on. Just below we will show that "the Son of God" and "the Son of Humankind" have the meanings just mentioned. As for "the Son of Mary" meaning just the human manifestation, this is obvious from human reproduction. The soul comes from the father, the body from the mother. The soul is in the fathers semen; it is clothed with a body in the mother. To put it another way, everything we have that is spiritual comes from our father; everything physical comes from our mother.
In the Lord's case, the divine nature he had came from Jehovah his Father; the human nature he had came from his mother. These two natures united together are "the Son of God. " The truth of this is clearly substantiated by the Lord's birth, as recorded in Luke: "The angel Gabriel said to Mary, The Holy Spirit will descend upon you and the power of the Highest will cover you; therefore the Holy One that is born from you will be called the Son of God" (Luke 1:35).
Another reason why the Lord described himself as "sent" by the Father is that "someone who has been sent" has a similar meaning to "an angel. " The word "angel" in the original language means "one who has been sent. " [The Lord] is said to be [an angel] in Isaiah, "The Angel of the Faces of Jehovah has freed them. Because of his love and his mercy he redeemed them" (Isaiah 63:9); and in Malachi, "Suddenly the Lord will come to his temple - the One you seek, the Angel of the Covenant, whom you desire" (Malachi 3:1); besides other passages.
Where we discuss the divine Trinity below in chapter 3 of this work [163-188] it will become clear that the divine Trinity - God the Father, the Son, and the Holy Spirit - exists within the Lord; the Father in him is the divinity he draws on, the Son is his divine human manifestation, and the Holy Spirit is the divine power that radiates [from him].
92. (iv) THE HUMAN BY WHICH HE BROUGHT HIMSELF INTO THE WORLD IS THE SON OF GOD.
The Lord said on many occasions that the Father sent Him and that He was sent by the Father; e.g, Matthew 10:40; 15:24; John 3:17, 34; 5:23-24, 36-38; 6:29, 39-40, 44, 57; 7:16, 18, 28-29; 8:16, 18, 29, 42; 9:4; and very many other passages. He said this because by 'being sent into the world' is meant coming down and mixing with human beings; this He did by means of the Human, which He took upon Himself by means of the Virgin Mary. The Human too is really the Son of God, because it was conceived of Jehovah God as the Father (as is stated by Luke 1:32, 35). The Human is called the Son of God, the Son of Man and the Son of Mary; by the Son of the God is meant Jehovah God in His Human, by the Son of Man the Lord as to the Word, and by the Son of Mary the actual human which He took upon Himself. It will be proved in the following pages that these are the meanings of the Son of God and the Son of Man; that the Son of Mary means His purely human nature is evident from the reproduction of human beings, where the soul comes from the father and the body from the mother. The father's semen contains the soul, and this is clothed with a body in the mother's womb. To put it another way, everything spiritual a person has is from his father, everything material from his mother.
[2] In the case of the Lord, what was Divine in Him was from His Father Jehovah, and His human was from His mother; the union of these two is the Son of God. This is clearly proved from the account of the Lord's birth, of which we read in Luke:
The angel Gabriel said to Mary, The Holy Spirit shall come upon you, and the power of the Most High shall overshadow you; therefore the holy thing that shall be born of you shall be called the Son of God, Luke 1:35.
The Lord also described Himself as 'sent by the Father' because 'sent' has a similar meaning to 'angel', for angel in the language of the original means one who is sent. For it is said in Isaiah:
The angel of Jehovah's faces 1 has set them free, on account of His love and mercy He has redeemed them, Isaiah 63:9.
And in Malachi:
Suddenly the Lord whom you seek shall come to his temple, and also the messenger of the covenant, whom you long for, Malachi 3:1.
There are other similar passages elsewhere. It will be seen in Chapter 3 of this book that the Divine Trinity, God the Father, the Son and the Holy Spirit, is in the Lord, and that the Father in Him is the originating Divine, the Son the Divine Human and the Holy Spirit the emanating Divine.
Footnotes:
1. The Latin here follows the Hebrew in using the plural.
92. (4) The Human whereby God sent Himself into the world is the Son of God. The Lord frequently says that the Father sent Him, and that He was sent by the Father (as in Matthew 10:40; 15:24; John 3:17, 34; John 5:23-24, 36-38; 6:29, 39-40, 44, 57; John 7:16, 18, 28-29; John 8:16, 18, 29, 42; John 9:4; and in many other places); and this He says, because "being sent into the world" means to descend and come among men; and this was done by means of a human which He took on through the virgin Mary. Moreover, the Human is actually the Son of God, because it was conceived from Jehovah God as its Father (according toLuke 1:32, 35). He is called "the Son of God," "the Son of man," and "the son of Mary;" "the Son of God" meaning Jehovah God in His Human; "the Son of man" the Lord in respect to the Word; while "the son of Mary" means strictly the human He took on. That this is the meaning of "Son of God" and "Son of man" will be shown in what follows. That "the son of Mary" means the mere human is clearly seen in the generation of man, in that the soul is from the father and the body from the mother; for the soul is contained in the semen of the father and is clothed with a body in the mother; or what is the same thing, all the spiritual that man has is from the father and all the material from the mother. In regard to the Lord, the Divine that He had was from Jehovah the Father, and the human from the mother. These two united are the Son of God. This is evident from the account of the Lord's birth, as given in Luke:
The angel Gabriel said to Mary, The Holy Spirit shall come upon thee, and the power of the Most High shall overshadow thee therefore the Holy thing that shall be born of thee shall be called the Son of God (Luke 1:35).
The Lord also called Himself "one sent by the Father," for the reason that sent and angel have the same meaning, angel meaning in the original one sent. For it is said in Isaiah:
The angel of the faces of Jehovah delivered them; in His love and in His pity He redeemed them (Isaiah 63:9);
and in Malachi:
And the Lord whom ye seek shall suddenly come to His temple, even the Messenger of the covenant, whom ye delight in (Malachi 3:1).
That the Divine Trinity-God the Father, Son and Holy Spirit-is in the Lord, and that the Father in Him is the Divine from which, the Son the Divine Human, and the Holy Spirit the Divine going forth, will be seen in the third chapter of this work where the Divine Trinity is treated of.
92. (4) THE HUMAN, BY WHICH GOD SENT HIMSELF INTO THE WORLD, IS THE SON OF GOD.
The Lord frequently declared that the Father sent Him, and that He was sent by the Father, as in Matthew 10:40; 15:24; John 3:17, 34; 5:3, 24, 36-38; 6:29, 38, 40, 44, 57; 7:16, 18, 28-29; 8:16, 18, 29, 42; 9:4; and in many other places.
He speaks thus because by being sent into the world is meant descending and coming among men; and this was done by means of the Human which He assumed through the Virgin Mary. The Human is also actually the Son of God, because it was conceived of Jehovah God as Father, according to Luke 1:32, 35. He is called the Son of God, the Son of Man, and the Son of Mary. By the Son of God is meant Jehovah God in His Human, by the Son of Man the Lord as to the Word, and by the Son of Mary the Human, strictly so-called, which He assumed. It will be shown in what follows that the Son of God and the Son of Man have those meanings. It is, however, manifest from man's generation that by the Son of Mary is meant merely the Human, because the soul is from the father and the body from the mother. For the soul is in the seed of the father, and this is clothed with a body in the mother; or what is the same, all that is spiritual in man is from the father, and all that is material is from the mother. In the case of the Lord, what was Divine in Him was from Jehovah the Father, and what was Human was from the mother; and these two united are the Son of God. That this is so is clearly manifest from the Lord's Nativity, which is thus recorded by Luke:
The angel Gabriel said to Mary: "The Holy Ghost shall come upon thee, and the power of the Highest shall overshadow thee: therefore also that holy thing which shall be born of thee shall be called the Son of God" Luke 1:35.
The Lord called Himself "sent by the Father" for this reason also that "one sent" has the same meaning as angel, for the word angel in the original language means "sent," as in Isaiah:
"The angel of the faces of JEHOVAH (A.V., the angel of the Lord) saved them: in His love and in His pity He redeemed them" 63:9;
and in Malachi:
"The Lord, whom ye seek, shall suddenly come to His temple, even the angel (A.V., messenger) of the covenant, whom ye delight in. 3:1, and in other passages.
That the Divine Trinity - God the Father, the Son, and the Holy Spirit - is in the Lord, and that the Father in Him is the Divine Source of all things, the Son the Divine Human, and the Holy Spirit the Divine Proceeding, will be seen in the third chapter of this work, on the Divine Trinity.
92. IV. QUOD HUMANUM, PER QUOD DEUS SE MISIT IN MUNDUM, SIT FILIUS DEI. Dominus frequenter dixit, quod Pater Ipsum miserit, ac quod missus sit a Patre, ut Matthaeus 10:40; 15:24; Johannes 3:17, 34; 5:23-24, 36, 37, 38; 6:29, 39-40, 44, 57; 7:16, 18, 28-29; 8:16, 18, 29, 42; 9:4 et persaepius alibi; et hoc dicit, quia per mitti in Mundum, intelligitur descendere, et inter homines venire, et hoc factum est per Humanum, quod per Mariam virginem assumsit; et quoque Humanum est actualiter Filius Dei, quia a Jehovah Deo, ut Patre conceptum, secundum Luca 1:32, 35. Vocatur Filius Dei, Filius hominis, et Filius Mariae, et per Filium Dei intelligitur Jehovah Deus in suo Humano, per Filium hominis Dominus quoad Verbum, et per Filium Mariae proprie Humanum quod assumsit; quod per Filium Dei et per Filium hominis illa duo intelligantur, in sequentibus demonstrabitur: quod per Filium Mariae intelligatur mere Humanum, constat manifeste ex generatione hominum, quod anima sit ex patre, et corpus ex matre; semini enim patris inest anima, et haec induitur corpore apud matrem, seu quod idem, omne spirituale, quod homini est, a patre est, et omne materiale ei a matre est;
[2] quoad Dominum, Divinum quod Ipsi fuit, a Jehovah Patre erat, et Humanum Ipsi a matre; haec duo unita sunt Filius Dei; quod ita sit, constat clare ex nativitate Domini, de qua hoc apud Lucam, "Angelus Gabriel ad Mariam dixit Spiritus sanctus veniet super te, et virtus Altissimi obumbrabit te, unde quod nascitur ex te Sanctum, vocabitur Filius Dei," 1:35. Dominus se vocavit Missum a Patre, etiam propter causam, quia per Missum significatur simile quod per Angelum, Angelus enim in Lingua originali est Missus, dicitur enim apud Esajam, "ANGELUS FACIERUM JEHOVAE liberavit eos, ob amorem suum et clementiam suam redemit illos," 63:9 et apud Malachiam, "Subito veniet ad Templum suum DOMINUS, quem vos quaeritis, ET ANGELUS FOEDERIS, 1 quem vos desideratis," 3:1, praeter alibi. Quod Divina Trinitas, Deus Pater, Filius, et Spiritus sanctus, sit in Domino, et quod Pater in Ipso sit Divinum a quo, Filius Divinum Humanum, et Spiritus sanctus Divinum procedens, in Capite hujus Operis IIItio, ubi de Divina Trinitate, videbitur.
Footnotes:
1. Prima editio: FAEDERIS.