Uncreated

(Quotations from Symeon the New Theologian)

The Godhead

God, the cause of all, is One... That One is not such as are visible things. Rather, He transcends incomparably and inalterably all the visible world... at once all-good and transcending all that is good.
("On the Mystical Life (Vol. 1)", p. 122)

{God speaking to Symeon the New Theologian in a vision:} ... according to the nature which is Mine, I am altogether invisible, uncircumscribed, formless, intangible, impalpable, immoveable, ever-moving, filling all things while altogether nowhere at all, not in you, not in any of the angels or prophets who have approached Me of old or who now draw near, by whom I have never been seen at all, nor am seen now.
("On the Mystical Life (Vol. 2)", p. 107)

The Trinity

For the Three... are thought of as one Essence and Nature and Kingship. If a name is attributed to One, it is by nature applied to the others, with the exception of the terms Father, Son, and Holy Ghost, or the terms beget, begotten, and proceeding... These terms characterize the three Persons... The Son is begotten and the Spirit proceeds simultaneously with the Father's existence.

In all other cases the same name or comparison is attributed to each Person by Himself as well as to all Three together. So, if you speak of "light", then both each Person is light and the Three are one light; if you speak of "eteranl life," so each of Them is likewise, the Son, the Spirit, and the Father, and the Three are one life. So God the Father is Spirit (cf. Jn. 4:24), and the Spirit is the Lord (2 Cor. 3:17), and the Holy Spirit is God. Each Person is God by Himself, and together the Three are one God. Each One is Lord and the Three are Lord. There is one God who is above all (Rom. 9:5), Creator of all things; each One is that by Himself, and they are one God and Maker of all things.
("Symeon the New Theologian: The Discourses", p. 344)

Christ

He is life (Jn. 11:25) and lifegiver, truth (Jn. 14:6), righteousness, and sanctification (1 Cor. 1:30), simple, not compounded, good, all goodness, and above all goodness... He is sanctification for those who are washed and cleansed by tears, simple to those who have no wickedness or malice (1 Cor. 5:8) within them. Since He is not compound, He is such to those souls that have no duplicity or double-mindedness or lack of faith. He is good to those who do not join bodily or worldly cares and concerns to the spiritual works of penitence and mingle them with them as leaven, but who draw near to Him in innocence with naked conscience and resolution of soul. He accepts their simplicity and straightway fills them with all goodness.
("Symeon the New Theologian: The Discourses", pp. 303-304)

God without beginning, without end, unapproachable,unsearchable, invisible, ineffable, intangible, untouchable, dispassionate, inexpressible, has appeared to us in these last days in the flesh through His Son, has, we believe, been made known to us through His all-Holy Spirit as like us in every way save sin, has mingled Himself with a rational soul... for the sake of my soul in order to save my spirit and make my flesh immortal.
("On the Mystical Life (Vol. 2)", pp. 68-69)

The Son of God alone is both God and man, was and is alone holy -- as He shall be forever -- alone is righteous, alone true, alone immortal, alone the lover of mankind, alone merciful and compassionate, alone sovereign, alone light of the world, He Who is the light unapproachable.
("On the Mystical Life (Vol. 2)", p. 169)

©1999 by Deb Platt

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