1. So Abraham too, “knew” the Father from the Logos, Who had created heaven and earth^[1], and Him he had confessed as God. And since he had been taught by the printed material^[2] that the Son of God will live among men as a man - by Whose Coming, his (Abraham’s) seed would become like the stars of heaven,^[3] - he had desired to see that day, so that he himself could also embrace Christ. And he was thrilled, for he did see it,^[4] with the spirit of prophecy.

That is why Simeon (who was of Abraham’s seed), fulfilled in reality the patriarch’s joy, exclaiming: "Now you may dismiss Your servant, o Lord, in peace; for my eyes have seen the salvation of Yours, which You prepared in the face of all peoples: a light for the revelation of nations and glory for the people of Israel."^[5]  

And the angels too proclaimed a “great joy”^[6] to the shepherds who were vigilant outdoors on the night of the Birth.

But Mary also had exclaimed: “My soul magnifies the Lord, and my spirit rejoices in God my Saviour”^[7].  

Abraham's joy was most certainly fulfilled, in the shepherds - who were of his seed - and who had remained awake and had actually seen Christ, and believed in Him.

However, the joy of the sons of Abraham had also returned to Abraham, who had desired to see the day of Christ's Coming – meaning that the Lord had rightly told us of His promise to Abraham, when saying: “Your father Abraham had rejoiced in the hope he would see My day, and he did see it, and was overjoyed." ^[8]

2. Hence, He did not say these things mainly to highlight Abraham, but rather to point out that all those who had “known” God - from the very beginning - and had prophesied the Coming of Christ, had received that revelation from the Son Himself.

He (the Son) did come -visible and palpable- during the last times and had spoken with people, in order to “raise children from the stones” (=the general resurrection at the End) for Abraham, and fulfilling the promise God had given him to e wouldmake his seed as numerous as the stars of heaven^[9]; in the words of John the Baptist: “For out of these stones, God is able to raise children for Abraham”^[10].

But Jesus did this in order to distract us from the worship of stones, transferring us away from harsh and fruitless thoughts, and instilling in us a faith like Abraham’s. This is how Paul also testifies,^[11] when saying that we are “children of Abraham according to the likeness in faith and the promise of the inheritance”.

3. The One and the same God, then, is the One who had called upon Abraham and had given him the promise. It is the Creator, Who also through Christ prepares the luminaries in the world^[12] - that is, the Gentiles who believe. “You,” He says, “are the light of the world”^[13], that is, like the shining stars of heaven.

So, we have rightly proved that no one “knows” Him (the Creator) except only the Son, and those to whom the Son reveals Him. The Son reveals the Father to those He desires them to “know” Him. Without the good will of the Father and the ministry of the Son, no one will be able to “know” God.

And that is why the Lord had said to the disciples: “I am the way, the truth, and the life, and no one comes to the Father except through Me. If you have known Me, you also have known My Father. And as of now, you have known Him and seen Him”^[14]. From these words, it becomes evident that He (the Father) becomes known by the Son, that is, by the Logos.

4. That is why the Jews apostatized from God: because they did not accept the Person of His Logos-Son. They thought that only with the Father -without the Logos (that is, without the Son)- they can know the Father.   They had disregarded God, even though He had spoken in a human form to Abraham^[15] - and also to Moses when he approached the burning bush and spoke to him, with the following words:

“⁶And He said: ‘I am the God of your father, God of Abraham and God of Isaac and God of Jacob.’ And Moses turned away his face, for it was irreverent of him to look directly in the presence of God. ⁷And the Lord said to Moses: ‘I looked,and saw the affliction of My people in Egypt and heard their cries on account of their labour persecutors; for I knew of their pain, ⁸and I descended and removed them from the hand of the Egyptians and took them to a land good and bounteous, to a land flowing milk and honey...” ^[16]

These things were being accomplished from the  very beginning by the Son, the Logos of God, without the Father needing the angels to shape Creation and fashion Man - for whom Creation after all was made. Nor, again, did He need help in creating what was created, nor in arranging the things that pertain to mankind. Quite simply, He had a complete, inexpressible ministry.   Indeed, He is ministered in everything, by the Begotten and the image of the Begotten^[17] - that is, by the Son, and by the Holy Spirit^[18]; the Logos and Wisdom; and it is to them, that all the Angels serve and submit.

 Therefore they are foolish, who, on account of the saying: “No-one knows the Father except for the Son”^[19], are introducing another, unknown Father.

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 Notes

1. Genesis 14:22.

2. A reference to the appearance of the three men during Abraham's hospitality (Genesis 18:1 etc.).

See also what he says further down, in the 10th chapter, para.1, that one of the three was the Son of God, before whom Abraham had prostrated himself and addressed as “Lord”; this is agreed by many ecclesiastical writers and Fathers:

• ·         Justin [Dialogue to Tryphon, 19,4 (Greek Patrology Book 3,225,6-7); 56,1-57,4 (Greek Patrology Book 3,257-261); 60,4 (Greek Patrology Book 3,265,16-20)];

• ·         Tertullian [De carne Christi, chapter 6 (PLl 2,764 B) and Adversus Marcionem, vol. 3, chapter 9 (PL 2. 334A)];

• ·         Eusebius of Caesarea [Ecclesiastical History, I, 2,7 (Greek Patrology Book 19,200,23)];

• ·         Athanasios the Great [Against Arians, C',14 (Greek Patrology Book 30,261,40)];

• ·         Hilarion of Pictavia, [De Trinitate, 4.25 (PL. 10.115A)];

• ·         Cyril of Jerusalem [Catech.12 (PG 33,744A)];

• ·         Ambrose [De Abraham, 2.24 (PL 14,465C)] and

• ·          Augustine [De Trinitate, 2,19 (PL 42,858)].

• ·         See also Chrysostom (PG 53,383B; 53,383D; 54,387B; 54,396A).

3. Genesis 22:17.

4. John 8:56.:p>

5. Luke 2:29-32.

6. Luke 2:10.

7. Luke 1:47.

8. John 8:56.

9. Genesis 22:17.

10. Matthew 3:9; Luke 3:8.

11. Romans 4:12 et seq.

12. Philippians 2. 15.

13. Matthew 5:14.

14. John 14:6-7.

15. Genesis 18.1e.

16. Exodus 3:7-8.

17. Colossians 1:15.

18. That the Spirit is “image of the Son” is also accepted by other Fathers. Athanasius the Great in his 1st Epistle to Serapion (Greek Patrology Book 33,129,18,30) names the Spirit as a “stamp”, which “prints” the Son. (See in this regard Basil the Great, “On the Holy Spirit”, 2^nd Discourse, para.64' in  Greek Fathers Vol.10  with the works of Basil the Great, p. 454).

19. Matthew 11:27. Cmp: Luke 10:22.

TrTranslation : A.N.