Ante-Nicene Fathers (Volume 6) - I - Gregory's Declaration, Metaphrase and Epistle

Required reading
Ante-Nicene Fathers (Vol 6) (Available from Amazon or free here) - Read 'A declaration of faith' and 'A metaphrase of the Book of Ecclesiastes' and 'A canonical epistle'.

My summary
Today we begin yet another volume in our series by commencing the work of Gregory Thaumaturgus.

Firstly, we read a declaration of faith which is a summary statement of the trinity.

Secondly, we read Gregory's metaphrase of the Book of Ecclesiastes - enough said.

Thirdly, Gregory's canonical epistle outlines a process of church discipline for acts such as sexual immorality and theft.

What grabbed me
To be honest, I prefer the original Ecclesiastes.  Surprise, surprise.

But I did like the tight statement on the trinity: 'There is one God, the Father of the living Word, who is His subsistent Wisdom and Power and Eternal Image: perfect Begetter of the perfect Begotten, Father of the only-begotten Son. There is one Lord, Only of the Only, God of God, Image and Likeness of Deity, Efficient Word, Wisdom comprehensive of the constitution of all things, and Power formative of the whole creation, true Son of true Father, Invisible of Invisible, and Incorruptible of Incorruptible, and Immortal of Immortal and Eternal of Eternal. And there is One Holy Spirit, having His subsistence from God, and being made manifest by the Son, to wit to men:  Image of the Son, Perfect Image of the Perfect; Life, the Cause of the living; Holy Fount; Sanctity, the Supplier, or Leader, of Sanctification; in whom is manifested God the Father, who is above all and in all, and God the Son, who is through all. There is a perfect Trinity, in glory and eternity and sovereignty, neither divided nor estranged. Wherefore there is nothing either created or in servitude in the Trinity; nor anything superinduced, as if at some former period it was non-existent, and at some later period it was introduced. And thus neither was the Son ever wanting to the Father, nor the Spirit to the Son; but without variation and without change, the same Trinity abideth ever.'

Amen.

Next week's reading
Read 'The oration and panegyric addressed to Origen'.

Now it's your turn
Please post your own notes and thoughts in the comments section below.