When God changed Himself from Lord into Father, he wanted to rule by love rather than power, and he preferred to be loved rather than to be feared. - St. Peter Chrysologus, Sermon 7, par. 1
can you shed some light on what St. Peter Chrysologus means by God changing Himself? The rest of the quote reminds me of hearing that Luther spoke of God coming into the world as a little baby because no one could be afraid of a baby (well, no one except Herod).
I don't think it's a reference to a change in God per se, but a change in how God reveals Himself, discloses Himself to us. The biggy in Jesus was that His Father is revealed as OUR Father - we note how incredibly absent from the OT is the designation of "Father" for God (what? Once in Malachi? A few other spots? But not the biggy it is in the NT).
can you shed some light on what St. Peter Chrysologus means by God changing Himself?
ReplyDeleteThe rest of the quote reminds me of hearing that Luther spoke of God coming into the world as a little baby because no one could be afraid of a baby (well, no one except Herod).
Jimbo,
ReplyDeleteI don't think it's a reference to a change in God per se, but a change in how God reveals Himself, discloses Himself to us. The biggy in Jesus was that His Father is revealed as OUR Father - we note how incredibly absent from the OT is the designation of "Father" for God (what? Once in Malachi? A few other spots? But not the biggy it is in the NT).
Hope that helps.