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If time came before me, time is not before the Word, whose…

“If time came before me, time is not before the Word, whose Begetter is atemporal. When the beginningless Father was there, leaving nothing superior to His divinity, then also was there the Father's Son, having in the Father a timeless beginning, like the sun's great circle of overwhelming clear…” quote by Gregory of Nazianzus
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“If time came before me, time is not before the Word, whose Begetter is atemporal. When the beginningless Father was there, leaving nothing superior to His divinity, then also was there the Father's Son, having in the Father a timeless beginning, like the sun's great circle of overwhelming clear light.”

Gregory of Nazianzus

About This Quote

This interpretation was drafted with AI assistance. It is one reading of the quote, not the author's own explanation.

Explains that time exists only after the eternal Word, and the Father and Son exist beyond temporal limits.

In simple terms: Time follows the eternal Word; Father and Son are timeless

Key Takeaway

Contemplate divine eternity beyond human time

Themes

theology eternity divine nature

Mood

contemplative reverent

Type

theological philosophical

When to use this quote

  • religious doctrine
  • metaphysics

Key Concepts

philosophy spirituality

Questions to Reflect On

  • How does this view affect your perception of time?
  • What implications does timelessness have for faith?
A Different Perspective

Human concepts of time cannot fully grasp divine eternity.

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