A Source Book for Ancient Church History - Mirrors

(B) The Doctrine of the Trinity 151Son, and Holy Ghost. It is usual in Greek theology to usethe word Trias as equivalent to the Latin term Trinity. Cf.Tertullian, Adv. Praxean, 2, for first use of the term Trinity inLatin theology.In like manner, also, the three days, which were before the luminaries54 are types of the Trinity (Trias) of God, and His Word,and His Wisdom.(b) Athenagoras, Supplicatio, 10, 12. (MSG, 6:910, 914.)Athenagoras, one of the ablest of the apologists, was, likeJustin Martyr and several others, a philosopher before hebecame a Christian. His apology, known as Supplicatio, orLegatio pro Christianis, is his most important work. Its dateis probably 177, as it is addressed to the Emperors MarcusAurelius and Commodus.Ch. 10. If it occurs to you to inquire what is meant by the Son, Iwill briefly state that He is the first product of the Father, not ashaving been brought into existence (for from the beginning God,who is the eternal mind [Nous], had the Logos in Himself, beingeternally reasonable [λογικός]), but inasmuch as He came forthto be idea and energizing power of all material things, which laylike a nature without attributes, and an inactive earth, the grosserparticles being mixed up with the lighter. The prophetic Spiritalso agrees with our statements: “The Lord, it says, created methe beginning of His ways to His works.” The Holy Spirit himself,also, which operates in the prophets we say is an effluenceof God, flowing from Him and returning back again as a beamof the sun.Ch. 12. Are, then, those who consider life to be this, “Letus eat and drink, for to-morrow we die” [cf. I Cor. 15:32], and54 Reference to the creation of the sun, moon, and stars on the fourth day ofcreation.