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A king deliberates, his attendant does not know, "...so that the manifold wisdom of God might now be made known to the principalities and powers in the heavenly places through the Church." See what great honor has been shown to human nature, that both with us and through us the powers above have come to know the secrets of the king. But how is it clear that he speaks of those heavenly ones? For he knows also to call the demons principalities and powers, saying: "For we wrestle not against flesh and blood, but against the principalities, against the powers, against the rulers of the darkness of this world." Does he then mean here also that the demons then came to know? By no means, but of those powers above; for having said, "the principalities and the powers," he added, "in the heavenly places." For those principalities and powers are heavenly, but these principalities and powers are under heaven; for this reason also he calls them world-rulers, showing that heaven is inaccessible to them and they display all their tyranny in the present world only. Do you see how with us and through us they came to know these things? But let us now bring the argument to the payment of the debt, showing that neither principalities nor powers know his essence. Who then says these things? No longer Paul, no longer Isaiah, no longer Ezekiel, but another holy vessel, he himself the son of thunder, John the beloved of Christ, the one who reclined on the master's breast and drew forth the divine springs from there. What then does he say? "No one has ever seen God." Truly a son of thunder; for he sent forth a voice brighter than a trumpet, sufficient to put to shame all who are contentious. But let us see the objection. What do you say, tell me, John? "No one has ever seen God." What then shall we do with the prophets who say that they have seen God? For Isaiah says: "I saw the Lord sitting upon a throne, high and lifted up." And Daniel again: "I watched until thrones were set in place, and the Ancient of Days was seated." And Micah: "I saw the Lord the God of Israel sitting on his throne" and another prophet again: "I saw the Lord standing by the altar, and he said to me, 'Strike the mercy seat.'" And it is possible to collect many such testimonies. How then does John say that "No one has ever seen God"? So that you may learn that he speaks of the precise comprehension of him and clear knowledge. For that all those things were a condescension and that none of them saw the pure essence is clear from the fact that each one saw differently. For God is simple and uncompounded and unformed; but all these saw different forms. At any rate, indicating this very thing through another prophet again and persuading them that they did not see the precise essence, he said: "I have multiplied visions, and by the hand of the prophets I have used similitudes." I did not show my very essence, but I condescended, he says, to the weakness of those who were seeing. However, John does not say only concerning men that "No one has ever seen God." For this was clear both from these things that have been said, I mean this prophetic utterance which says: "I have multiplied visions, and by the hand of the prophets I have used similitudes," and from the declaration made to Moses. For when he desired to see him face to face, God says: "No one shall see my face and live." So this was clear to us and agreed upon. Therefore, he says this not only concerning our nature, but also concerning the powers above: "No one has ever seen God." For this reason he also introduces the only-begotten as the teacher of the doctrine. For so that no one might say, "How is this clear?" he added: "The only-begotten Son, who is in the bosom of the Father, he has declared him," introducing a trustworthy witness and teacher of the doctrine. And yet if he had wished to indicate to us the matter of Moses, it would have been superfluous to say that the only-begotten has declared him; for not only, "the only-begotten himself has declared him," but even before John said these things, as one who had heard them from the only-begotten, the prophet has made it clear to us

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βασιλεὺς βουλεύεται, ὁ ὑπασπιστὴς οὐκ ἐπίσταται, «... ἵνα γνωρισθῇ νῦν ταῖς ἀρχαῖς καὶ ταῖς ἐξουσίαις ἐν τοῖς ἐπουρανίοις διὰ τῆς Ἐκκλησίας ἡ πολυποίκιλος σοφία τοῦ Θεοῦ.» Ὅρα ὅση τιμὴ πρὸς τὴν ἀνθρωπίνην ἐγένετο φύσιν, ὅτι καὶ μεθ' ἡμῶν καὶ δι' ἡμῶν αἱ ἄνω δυνάμεις ἔγνωσαν τὰ ἀπόρρητα τοῦ βασιλέως. Ἀλλὰ πόθεν δῆλον ὅτι περὶ ἐκείνων τῶν ἐπουρανίων λέγει; Καὶ γὰρ ἀρχὰς καὶ ἐξουσίας καὶ τοὺς δαίμονας οἶδε καλεῖν λέγων· «Οὐκ ἔστιν ἡμῖν ἡ πάλη πρὸς αἷμα καὶ σάρκα, ἀλλὰ πρὸς τὰς ἀρχάς, πρὸς τὰς ἐξουσίας, πρὸς τοὺς κοσμοκράτορας τοῦ σκότους τοῦ αἰῶνος τούτου.» Ἆρα οὖν μὴ καὶ ἐνταῦθα τοῦτο λέγει ὅτι οἱ δαίμονες τότε ἔγνωσαν; Οὐδαμῶς, ἀλλὰ περὶ ἐκείνων τῶν ἄνω δυνάμεων, εἰπὼν γάρ· «τὰς ἀρχὰς καὶ τὰς ἐξουσίας», ἐπήγαγεν· «ἐν τοῖς ἐπουρανίοις». Ἐκεῖναι μὲν γὰρ αἱ ἀρχαὶ καὶ ἐξουσίαι ἐπουράνιαι, αὗται δὲ αἱ ἀρχαὶ καὶ ἐξουσίαι ὑπὸ τὸν οὐρανόν· διὰ τοῦτο καὶ κοσμοκράτορας αὐτοὺς καλεῖ, δεικνὺς ὅτι ἄβατος αὐτοῖς ἐστιν ὁ οὐρανὸς καὶ τὴν τυραννίδα πᾶσαν ἐν τῷ παρόντι κόσμῳ ἐπιδείκνυνται μόνον. Εἶδες πῶς μεθ' ἡμῶν καὶ δι' ἡμῶν ἔγνωσαν ταῦτα; Ἀλλ' ἐπὶ τὴν τοῦ χρέους καταβολὴν τὸν λόγον λοιπὸν ἀγάγωμεν, δεικνύντες ὅτι οὐκ ἴσασιν αὐτοῦ τὴν οὐσίαν οὔτε ἀρχαί, οὔτε ἐξουσίαι. Τίς οὖν ταῦτά φησιν; Οὐκέτι Παῦλος, οὐκέτι Ἡσαΐας, οὐκέτι Ἰεζεκιήλ, ἀλλ' ἕτερονσκεῦος ἅγιον, αὐτὸς ὁ τῆς βροντῆς υἱός, ὁ ἀγαπητὸς τοῦ Χριστοῦ Ἰωάννης, ὁ ἐπὶ τὸ στῆθος ἀνακλιθεὶς τὸ δεσποτικὸν καὶ τὰς θείας πηγὰς ἐκεῖθεν ἀρυσάμενος. Τί οὖν οὗτός φησι; «Θεὸν οὐδεὶς ἑώρακε πώποτε.» Ὄντως βροντῆς υἱός· σάλπιγγος γὰρ λαμπροτέραν ἀφῆκε φωνὴν ἱκανὴν καταισχῦναι πάντας τοὺς φιλονεικοῦντας. Ἀλλ' ἴδωμεν καὶ τὸ ἀντικροῦον. Τί λέγεις, εἰπέ μοι, Ἰωάννη; «Θεὸν οὐδεὶς ἑώρακε πώποτε.» Τί οὖν ποιήσομεν τοῖς προφήταις λέγουσιν ὅτι εἶδον τὸν Θεόν; Ὁ μὲν γὰρ Ἡσαΐας φησίν· «Εἶδον τὸν Κύριον καθήμενον ἐπὶ θρόνου ὑψηλοῦ καὶ ἐπηρμένου.» Ὁ δὲ ∆ανιὴλ πάλιν· «Εἶδον ἕως οὗ θρόνοι ἐτέθησαν καὶ ὁ παλαιὸς τῶν ἡμερῶν ἐκάθητο.» Ὁ δὲ Μιχαίας· «Εἶδον τὸν Κύριον τὸν Θεὸν τοῦ Ἰσραὴλ καθήμενον ἐπὶ τοῦ θρόνου αὐτοῦ» καὶ ἕτερος προφήτης πάλιν· «Εἶδον τὸν Κύριον ἑστῶτα ἐπὶ τοῦ θυσιαστηρίου καὶ εἶπέ μοι· πάταξον ἐπὶ τὸ ἱλαστήριον.» Καὶ πολλὰς τοιαύτας ἔστι συνάγειν μαρτυρίας. Πῶς οὖν ὁ Ἰωάννης φησὶν ὅτι «Θεὸν οὐδεὶς ἑώρακε πώποτε»; Ἵνα μάθῃς ὅτι τὴν ἀκριβῆ αὐτοῦ κατάληψιν καὶ τὴν τετρανωμένην γνῶσιν λέγει. Ὅτι γὰρ πάντα ἐκεῖνα συγκατάβασις ἦν καὶ ἀκραιφνῆ τὴν οὐσίαν οὐδεὶς εἶδεν ἐκείνων, δῆλον ἐκ τοῦ διαφόρως ἕκαστον ὁρᾶν. Ὁ γὰρ Θεὸς ἁπλοῦς καὶ ἀσύνθετος καὶ ἀσχημάτιστος· οὗτοι δὲ ἅπαντες σχήματα ἔβλεπον διάφορα. Τοῦτο γοῦν αὐτὸ δι' ἑτέρου προφήτου ἐμφαίνων πάλιν καὶ πείθων αὐτοὺς ὡς οὐκ ἀκριβῆ τὴν οὐσίαν εἶδον, ἔλεγεν· «Ἐγὼ ὁράσεις ἐπλήθυνα καὶ ἐν χερσὶ προφητῶν ὡμοιώθην». Οὐκ αὐτὴν τὴν οὐσίαν ἔδειξα τὴν ἐμήν, ἀλλὰ συγκατέβην, φησί, πρὸς τὴν τῶν ὁρώντων ἀσθένειαν. Ὁ μέντοι Ἰωάννης οὐ περὶ τῶν ἀνθρώπων φησὶ μόνον ὅτι «Θεὸν οὐδεὶς ἑώρακε πώποτε». Τοῦτο γὰρ δῆλον ἦν ἀπό τε τῶν εἰρημένων τούτων, τῆς προφητικῆς ῥήσεως λέγω ταύτης τῆς λεγούσης· «Ἐγὼ ὁράσεις ἐπλήθυνα καὶ ἐν χερσὶ προφητῶν ὡμοιώθην» καὶ ἀπὸ τῆς πρὸς τὸν Μωϋσέα γενομένης ἀποφάσεως. Ἐκείνου γὰρ ἐπιθυμοῦντος αὐτὸν ἰδεῖν ὀφθαλμοφανῶς, φησὶν ὁ Θεός· «Οὐδεὶς ὄψεται τὸ πρόσωπόν μου καὶ ζήσεται.» Ὥστε τοῦτο δῆλον ἦν ἡμῖν καὶ ὡμολογημένον. Οὐ τοίνυν περὶ τῆς ἡμετέρας φύσεώς φησι μόνης τοῦτο, ἀλλὰ καὶ περὶ τῶν ἄνω δυνάμεων τὸ «Θεὸν οὐδεὶς ἑώρακε πώποτε». ∆ιὰ τοῦτο καὶ τὸν μονογενῆ διδάσκαλον εἰσάγει τοῦ δόγματος. Ἵνα γὰρ μή τις λέγῃ· «Πόθεν τοῦτο δῆλον;» ἐπήγαγεν· «Ὁ μονογενὴς Υἱός, ὁ ὢν εἰς τὸν κόλπον τοῦ Πατρός, αὐτὸς ἐξηγήσατο», ἀξιόπιστον εἰσάγων τοῦ δόγματος μάρτυρα καὶ διδάσκαλον. Καίτοι εἰ καὶ τὸ Μωϋσέως ἡμῖν παραδηλῶσαι ἐβούλετο, περιττὸν ἦν εἰπεῖν ὅτι ὁ μονογενὴς ἐξηγήσατο· οὐ γάρ· «Ὁ μονογενὴς αὐτὸς ἐξηγήσατο», ἀλλὰ καὶ πρὶν ἢ τὸν Ἰωάννην ταῦτα εἰπεῖν, ὡς παρὰ τοῦ μονογενοῦς ἀκηκοότα, δῆλον ἡμῖν ὁ προφήτης πεποίηκεν