we will be able to understand what is said by wisdom in Proverbs: “For God,” it says, “created me as the beginning of his ways for his works.” However, it can also be referred to the first, that is, that which is like a way, because it is said “God created me as the beginning of his ways.” 1.17.102 And not inappropriately, one might, clearly proceeding, call the God of all things a beginning, because the Father is the beginning of the Son, and the creator is the beginning of created things, and, simply, God is the beginning of beings. And he will be comforted by “In the beginning was the Word,” understanding the Word to be the Son, who, because he is in the Father, is said to be in the beginning. 1.17.103 And third, that “from which,” as from underlying matter, is a beginning for those who hold it to be uncreated, but not for us who are persuaded that God made existing things from non-existing things, as the mother of the seven martyrs in Maccabees and the angel of repentance in the Shepherd taught. 1.17.104 In addition to these, a beginning is also that “according to which,” in the sense of the form, thus: since the firstborn of all creation is the image of the invisible God, the Father is his beginning. And likewise Christ is the beginning of those made according to the image of God. 1.17.105 For if men are “according to the image,” and the image is according to the Father, then the Father is the beginning “according to which” for Christ, and Christ is the “according to which” for men, they having been made not according to that of which he is the image, but according to the image; and “In the beginning was the Word” will fit this same example. 1.18.106 There is also a beginning as of learning, in that we say the elements are the beginning of grammar. In this sense the apostle says that, “Though you ought to be teachers by this time, you need someone to teach you again what are the first principles of the oracles of God.” 1.18.107 And the beginning as of learning is twofold, the one by nature, and the other as regards us; as if we should say in the case of Christ, by nature his beginning is his divinity, but as regards us, who are unable to begin from his greatness the truth concerning him, it is his humanity, in that Jesus Christ, and him crucified, is preached to infants; so that in this sense we may say that the beginning of learning is by nature Christ, inasmuch as he is the wisdom and power of God, but as regards us <τὸ> “the Word became flesh,” that he might dwell among us, since we were able only thus at first to receive him. 1.18.108 And perhaps for this reason he is not only the firstborn of all creation, but also “Adam,” <ὃ> which is interpreted as “man.” And that he is Adam, Paul says, “The last Adam became a life-giving spirit.” There is also a beginning as of an action, in which action there is some end after the beginning. And consider whether wisdom, being the beginning of the actions of God, can thus be understood as a beginning. 1.19.109 With so many significations concerning “beginning” having occurred to us at present, we ask in which sense we ought to take the phrase “In the beginning was the Word.” And it is clear that it is not in the sense of transition or of a way and of length; and it is not unclear that neither is it in the sense of coming into being. 1.19.110 But it is possible in the sense of “by whom,” which is the efficient cause, since “God commanded and they were created.” For in a way Christ is the creator, to whom the Father says: “Let there be light,” and “Let there be a firmament.” 1.19.111 And Christ is creator as a beginning, in that he is wisdom, being called beginning because he is wisdom. For Wisdom says in Solomon: “God created me as the beginning of his ways for his works,” so that “the Word might be in the beginning,” that is, in Wisdom; wisdom being understood with respect to the constitution of the theory and concepts concerning the universe, but the Word being taken with respect to the communication of the things contemplated to rational beings. 1.19.112 And it is not surprising if, as we have said before, the Savior, being many good things, has in himself conceived first, second, and third things. For John added, saying concerning the Word: “What was made in him was life.” Therefore life was made in the Word; and neither is the Word other than Christ, God the Word, who is with the Father, through whom all things were made, nor is the life other than the Son of God, who says: “I am the way and the truth and the life.” Therefore, just as the life was made in the Word, so was the Word in the beginning. 1.19.113 But consider, if it is possible for us to understand also according to this signification the phrase “In the beginning was the

σοφίας ἐν παροιμίαις λεγόμενον ἐκδέξασθαι δυνησόμεθα· «Ὁ θεός, γάρ φησιν, ἔκτισέν με ἀρχὴν ὁδῶν αὐτοῦ εἰς ἔργα αὐτοῦ». ∆ύναται μέντοι γε καὶ ἐπὶ τὸ πρῶτον ἀνάγεσθαι, τουτέστι τὸ ὡς ὁδοῦ, διὰ τὸ λέ γεσθαι «Ὁ θεὸς ἔκτισέν με ἀρχὴν ὁδῶν αὐτοῦ». 1.17.102 Οὐκ ἀτόπως δὲ καὶ τὸν τῶν ὅλων θεὸν ἐρεῖ τις ἀρχὴν σαφῶς προπίπτων, ὅτι ἀρχὴ υἱοῦ ὁ πατὴρ καὶ ἀρχὴ δημιουργημάτων ὁ δημιουργὸς καὶ ἁπαξαπλῶς ἀρχὴ τῶν ὄντων ὁ θεός. Παραμυθήσεται δὲ διὰ τοῦ «Ἐν ἀρχῇ ἦν ὁ λόγος», λόγον νοῶν τὸν υἱόν, παρὰ τὸ εἶναι ἐν τῷ πατρὶ λεγόμενον εἶναι ἐν ἀρχῇ. 1.17.103 Τρίτον δὲ τὸ ἐξ οὗ οἷον τὸ ἐξ ὑποκειμένης ὕλης, ἀρχὴ παρὰ τοῖς ἀγένητον αὐτὴν ἐπισταμένοις, ἀλλ' οὐ πὰρ' ἡμῖν τοῖς πειθομένοις, ὅτι ἐξ οὐκ ὄντων τὰ ὄντα ἐποίησεν ὁ θεός, ὡς ἡ μήτηρ τῶν ἑπτὰ μαρτύρων ἐν Μακκαβαϊκοῖς καὶ ὁ τῆς μετανοίας ἄγγελος ἐν τῷ Ποιμένι ἐδίδαξε. 1.17.104 Πρὸς τούτοις ἀρχὴ καὶ τὸ «καθ' οἷον» κατὰ τὸ εἶδος, οὕτως· εἴπερ εἰκὼν τοῦ θεοῦ τοῦ ἀοράτου ὁ πρωτότοκος πάσης κτίσεως, ἀρχὴ αὐτοῦ ὁ πατήρ ἐστιν. Ὁμοίως δὲ καὶ Χριστὸς ἀρχὴ τῶν κατ' εἰκόνα γενομένων θεοῦ. 1.17.105 Εἰ γὰρ οἱ ἄνθρωποι «κατ' εἰκόνα», ἡ εἰκὼν δὲ κατὰ τὸν πατέρα, τὸ μὲν «καθ' ὃ» τοῦ Χριστοῦ ὁ πατὴρ ἀρχή, τὸ δὲ «καθ' ὃ» τῶν ἀνθρώπων ὁ Χριστός, γενομένων οὐ κατὰ τὸ οὗ ἐστιν εἰκών, ἀλλὰ κατὰ τὴν εἰκόνα· ἁρμόσει δὲ τὸ «Ἐν ἀρχῇ ἦν ὁ λόγος» εἰς τὸ αὐτὸ παράδειγμα. 1.18.106 Ἔστιν ἀρχὴ καὶ ὡς μαθήσεως καθ' ὃ τὰ στοιχεῖά φαμεν ἀρχὴν εἶναι γραμματικῆς. Κατὰ τοῦτό φησιν ὁ ἀπόστολος ὅτι «Ὀφείλοντες εἶναι διδάσκαλοι διὰ τὸν χρόνον, πάλιν χρείαν ἔχετε τοῦ διδάσκειν ὑμᾶς τίνα τὰ στοιχεῖα τῆς ἀρχῆς τῶν λογίων τοῦ θεοῦ». 1.18.107 ∆ιττὴ δὲ ἡ ὡς μαθήσεως ἀρχή, ἡ μὲν τῇ φύσει, ἡ δὲ ὡς πρὸς ἡμᾶς· ὡς εἰ λέγοιμεν ἐπὶ Χριστοῦ, φύσει μὲν αὐτοῦ ἀρχὴ ἡ θεότης, πρὸς ἡμᾶς δέ, μὴ ἀπὸ τοῦ μεγέθους αὐτοῦ δυναμένους ἄρξασθαι τῆς περὶ αὐτοῦ ἀληθείας ἡ ἀνθρωπότης αὐτοῦ, καθ' ὃ τοῖς νηπίοις καταγγέλλεται Ἰησοῦς Χριστός, καὶ οὗτος ἐσταυρωμένος· ὡς κατὰ τοῦτο εἰπεῖν ἀρχὴν εἶναι μαθήσεως τῇ μὲν φύσει Χριστὸν καθ' ὃ σοφία καὶ δύναμις θεοῦ, πρὸς ἡμᾶς δὲ <τὸ> «ὁ λόγος σὰρξ ἐγένετο», ἵνα σκηνώσῃ ἐν ἡμῖν, οὕτω μόνον πρῶτον αὐτὸν χωρῆσαι δυνα μένοις. 1.18.108 Καὶ τάχα διὰ τοῦτο οὐ μόνον πρωτότοκός ἐστιν πάσης κτίσεως, ἀλλὰ καὶ «Ἀδάμ», <ὃ> ἑρμηνεύεται «ἄνθρωπος». Ὅτι δὲ Ἀδάμ ἐστι, φησὶν ὁ Παῦλος «Ὁ ἔσχατος Ἀδὰμ εἰς πνεῦμα ζωοποιοῦν». Ἔστι δὲ ἀρχὴ καὶ ὡς πράξεως, ἐν ᾗ πράξει ἐστί τι τέλος μετὰ τὴν ἀρχήν. Καὶ ἐπίστησον εἰ ἡ σοφία ἀρχὴ τῶν πράξεων οὖσα τοῦ θεοῦ οὕτω δύναται νοεῖσθαι ἀρχή. 1.19.109 Τοσούτων σημαινομένων ἐπὶ τοῦ παρόν τος ἡμῖν ὑποπεσόντων περὶ «ἀρχῆς», ζητοῦμεν ἐπὶ τίνος δεῖ λαμβάνειν τὸ «Ἐν ἀρχῇ ἦν ὁ λόγος». Καὶ σαφὲς ὅτι οὐκ ἐπὶ τοῦ ὡς μεταβάσεως ἢ ὡς ὁδοῦ καὶ μήκους· οὐκ ἄδηλον δὲ ὅτι οὐδὲ ἐπὶ τοῦ ὡς γενέσεως. 1.19.110 Πλὴν δυνατὸν ὡς τὸ «ὑφ' οὗ», ὅπερ ἐστὶ ποιοῦν, εἴγε «ἐνετείλατο ὁ θεὸς καὶ ἐκτίσθησαν». ∆ημιουργὸς γὰρ πως ὁ Χριστός ἐστιν, ᾧ λέγει ὁ πατήρ· «Γενηθήτω φῶς» καὶ «Γενηθήτω στερέωμα». 1.19.111 ∆ημιουργὸς δὲ ὁ Χριστὸς ὡς ἀρχή, καθ' ὃ σοφία ἐστί, τῷ σοφία εἶναι καλούμενος ἀρχή. Ἡ γὰρ σοφία παρὰ τῷ Σαλομῶντί φησιν· «Ὁ θεὸς ἔκτισέν με ἀρχὴν ὁδῶν αὐτοῦ εἰς ἔργα αὐτοῦ», ἵνα «ἐν ἀρχῇ ᾖ ὁ λόγος», ἐν τῇ σοφίᾳ· κατὰ μὲν τὴν σύστασιν τῆς περὶ τῶν ὅλων θεωρίας καὶ νοημάτων τῆς σοφίας νοουμένης, κατὰ δὲ τὴν πρὸς τὰ λογικὰ κοινωνίαν τῶν τεθεωρημένων τοῦ λόγου λαμβανομένου. 1.19.112 Καὶ οὐ θαυμαστὸν εἰ, ὡς προειρήκαμεν, πολλὰ ὢν ἀγαθὰ ὁ σωτὴρ ἐνεπινοούμενα ἔχει ἐν αὑτῷ πρῶτα καὶ δεύτερα καὶ τρίτα. Ὁ γοῦν Ἰωάννης ἐπήνεγκε φάσκων περὶ τοῦ λόγου· «Ὃ γέγονεν ἐν αὐτῷ ζωὴ ἦν». Γέγονεν οὖν ἡ ζωὴ ἐν τῷ λόγῳ· καὶ οὔτε ὁ λόγος ἕτερός ἐστι τοῦ Χριστοῦ, ὁ θεὸς λόγος, ὁ πρὸς τὸν πατέρα, δι' οὗ τὰ πάντα ἐγένετο, οὔτε ἡ ζωὴ ἑτέρα τοῦ υἱοῦ τοῦ θεοῦ, ὅς φησιν· «Ἐγώ εἰμι ἡ ὁδὸς καὶ ἡ ἀλήθεια καὶ ἡ ζωή». Ὥσπερ οὖν ἡ ζωὴ γέγο νεν ἐν τῷ λόγῳ, οὕτως ὁ λόγος ἦν ἐν ἀρχῇ. 1.19.113 Ἐπίστησον δέ, εἰ οἷόν τέ ἐστι καὶ κατὰ τὸ σημαινό μενον τοῦτο ἐκδέχεσθαι ἡμᾶς τὸ «Ἐν ἀρχῇ ἦν ὁ