Against Heresies: Book III

THE FALSE ACCUSATION BY THESE MEN HAS BEEN DISMISSED: clearly showing that neither the prophets nor the apostles ever named another God or called anyone Lord except the true and only God. This is even more true with regard to the Lord Himself, who instructed us to "render unto Cæsar the things that are Cæsar’s, and to God the things that are God’s," naming Cæsar as Cæsar but acknowledging God as God. Similarly, the saying "You cannot serve two masters" is explained by Him: "You cannot serve God and mammon," recognizing God as God but mentioning mammon as something that exists. He does not call mammon Lord when He says, "You cannot serve two masters," but He teaches His disciples, who serve God, not to be subject to mammon, nor to be ruled by it. For He says, "He that commits sin is the slave of sin." Since He calls those who serve sin "the slaves of sin" but does not call sin itself God, He also calls those who serve mammon "the slaves of mammon," not calling mammon God. For mammon, in the Jewish language, also used by the Samaritans, means a covetous person who wants more than they should have. In Hebrew, with the addition of a syllable, it is called Mamuel and means insatiable. Therefore, by both meanings, we cannot serve God and mammon.

BUT ALSO: when He spoke of the devil as strong, it was not absolutely so, but in comparison to us, the Lord showed Himself in every way to truly be the strong man, saying that one can only "spoil the goods of a strong man, if he first binds the strong man himself, and then he will spoil his house." We were the vessels and the house of this [strong man] when we were in a state of rebellion; for he used us however he wished, and the unclean spirit lived within us.

For he was not strong against Him who bound him and spoiled his house, but against those who were his tools, since he caused them to stray from God: these the Lord snatched from his grasp. As Jeremiah declares, "The Lord has redeemed Jacob, and has snatched him from the hand of one stronger than he." If, then, He had not pointed out Him who binds and spoils his goods, but had only spoken of him as strong, the strong man would have been unconquered.

But He also mentioned Him who obtains and retains possession; for he holds who binds, but he is held who is bound. And He did this without any comparison, so that, being a rebellious slave, he might not be compared to the Lord: for not he alone, and none of creation's subjects, shall ever be compared to the Word of God, by whom all things were made, who is our Lord Jesus Christ.

FOR ALL THINGS: whether Angels, Archangels, Thrones, or Dominions, were established and created by Him who is God over all, through His Word, as John has shown. After speaking of the Word of God as being with the Father, he added, “All things were made by Him, and without Him nothing was made.” David also enumerates His praises and mentions all things by name, both the heavens and all their powers, saying: “For He commanded, and they were created; He spoke, and they were made.” So, whom did He command? The Word, clearly, “by whom,” he says, “the heavens were established, and all their power by the breath of His mouth.” David adds that God made all things freely and as He pleased: “But our God is in the heavens above, and on the earth; He has made all things as He pleased.” The things established are distinct from Him who established them, and what was made is distinct from Him who made it.

He is Himself uncreated, both without beginning and end, and lacking nothing. He is self-sufficient and grants existence to everything else, yet the things made by Him had a beginning. Whatever had a beginning, is subject to dissolution, and needs Him who made them must be understood in all respects differently from Him, even by those with only moderate discernment.

Thus, He who made all things can alone, together with His Word, rightfully be called God and Lord.

But the things made cannot have this term applied to them, nor should they rightly claim the title that belongs to the Creator.