Section CCC

Moreover, it was not enough for Paul to testify in express words that God wills all men to be saved and to come to the knowledge of the truth; but he immediately proceeds¹ to confirm what he had affirmed, adding—

—εἷς γὰρ θεός, εἷς καὶ μεσίτης θεοῦ καὶ ἀνθρώπων, ἄνθρωπος Χριστὸς Ἰησοῦς, “for there is one God, and one² mediator of God and men, the man³ Christ Jesus.” Concerning this verse it can, and indeed also ought, to be asked: I. in what sense, or with what signifying force, the name God is taken; II. what μεσίτης properly and fully means; III. what and how great an extension is attributed to Christ’s mediation; IV. why Paul so greatly inculcates the unity of God and of Christ the mediator; V. what is the mutual relation of the clauses; VI. what is the meaning of the whole verse; VII. in what manner it coheres with the preceding things; and finally VIII. what is the breadth, what the force, and what the supreme origin of the salvific will.

Accordingly, the name God in the divine writings and ecclesiastical monuments⁴ is used sometimes οὐσιωδῶς, essentially, and sometimes ὑποστατικῶς, personally; and essentially, indeed, it designates the divine nature common to the august Trinity, but personally it represents by name the Father or the Son or the Holy Spirit. But it is a canon by no means doubtful that the name God is used ὑποστατικῶς, not οὐσιωδῶς, and precisely of the hypostasis of the Father, whenever it is joined with the Son, who is distinguished by his own appellations. Examples are most frequent and occur everywhere⁵ at the beginnings and at the conclusion of the epistles. Since, therefore, in the present passage which we are treating, the name God coheres with the name of the Son, who is set apart by the proper appellation Christ Jesus, it follows that the words εἷς γὰρ θεός, εἷς καὶ μεσίτης θεοῦ καὶ ἀνθρώπων, ἄνθρωπος Ἰησοῦς Χριστός ought to be understood no otherwise than if it had been written, εἷς γὰρ—

—θεὸς πατήρ, εἷς καὶ μεσίτης θεοῦ καὶ ἀνθρώπων, ἄνθρωπος Ἰησοῦς Χριστός, “for there is one God the Father, and one mediator of God and men, the man Jesus Christ.”