--- title: "Meaning & Key Takeaway of: it would have been absurd in the…" description: "\"“it would have been absurd in the Evangelist to say that the Speech was always with God, if he had not some kind of subsistence peculiar to himself..." image: "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/3ba/john-calvin-490_speech-god_it-would-have-been-absurd-in-the-evangel_3104729.jpg" --- # it would have been absurd in the Evangelist to say that… ![“it would have been absurd in the Evangelist to say that the Speech was always with God, if he had not some kind of subsistence peculiar to himself in God. This passage serves, therefore, to refute the error of Sabellius; for it shows that the Son is distinct from the Father.” quote by John Calvin](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/3ba/john-calvin-490_speech-god_it-would-have-been-absurd-in-the-evangel_3104729.jpg) [Download](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/3ba/john-calvin-490_speech-god_it-would-have-been-absurd-in-the-evangel_3104729.jpg) [Open image](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/3ba/john-calvin-490_speech-god_it-would-have-been-absurd-in-the-evangel_3104729.jpg) > ““it would have been absurd in the Evangelist to say that the   Speech was always with God, if he had not some kind of subsistence   peculiar to himself in God. This passage serves, therefore, to refute   the error of Sabellius; for it shows that the Son is distinct from the   Father.”” [John Calvin](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/john-calvin/) ## About This Quote This interpretation was drafted with AI assistance. It is one reading of the quote, not the author's own explanation. Calvin argues that the Son has a unique existence within God, countering Sabellianism which denies distinction between Father and Son. **In simple terms:** The Son is distinct from the Father within God. Key Takeaway Recognize distinct persons in the Trinity. Themes theology Trinity hermeneutics Mood thoughtful serious Type theological explanatory When to use this quote - preaching - academic study - personal reflection Key Concepts Sabellianism Trinitarian doctrine Christology Questions to Reflect On - How does this distinction affect your understanding of divine nature? - What implications does it have for worship? A Different Perspective Some argue the Son is fully identical with the Father, challenging this view. ★ ★ ★ ★ ★ No ratings yet ## Related quotes > [Music has been called the speech of the angels; I will go farther and call it the speech of God Himself.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/charles-kingsley/music-has-been-called-the-speech-of-the-angels-i-will-go-farther-and/) [Charles Kingsley](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/charles-kingsley/) > [The speech of God is silence. His Word is solitude.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/thomas-merton/the-speech-of-god-is-silence-his-word-is-solitude/) [Thomas Merton](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/thomas-merton/) > [Let thy speech of God be renewed day by day, aye, rather than thy meat and drink.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/epictetus/let-thy-speech-of-god-be-renewed-day-by-day-aye-rather-than-thy-meat/) [Epictetus](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/epictetus/) > [“The speech of God’s beautiful woman is a fountain of life to those around her.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/elizabeth-george/the-speech-of-god-s-beautiful-woman-is-a-fountain-of-life-to-those/) [Elizabeth George](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/elizabeth-george/) > [Whoever has received knowledge and eloquence in speech from God should not be silent or secretive but demonstrate it willingly. 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His closet and his church were…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/phillips-brooks/it-never-frightened-a-puritan-when-you-bade-him-stand-still-and/) [Phillips Brooks](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/phillips-brooks/) > [“So, without doubt, and much more, is the speech of God (if there be any such thing as the speech of God) to be…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jonathan-edwards/so-without-doubt-and-much-more-is-the-speech-of-god-if-there-be-any/) [Jonathan Edwards](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jonathan-edwards/) > [The first author of speech was God himself, that instructed Adam how to name such creatures as He presented to his sight.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/thomas-hobbes/the-first-author-of-speech-was-god-himself-that-instructed-adam-how/) [Thomas Hobbes](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/thomas-hobbes/) > [ When we rise out of \[the night\] into the new life and there begin to receive the signs, what can we know of that… ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/martin-buber/when-we-rise-out-of-the-night-into-the-new-life-and-there-begin-to/) [Martin Buber](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/martin-buber/) ## More by John Calvin > [I have never seen either a drop of piety or a grain of truth or ingenuousness - nay, I have never found common sense…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/john-calvin/i-have-never-seen-either-a-drop-of-piety-or-a-grain-of-truth-or/) [John Calvin](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/john-calvin/) > [But a most pernicious error widely prevails that Scripture has only so much weight as is conceded to it by the consent of the…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/john-calvin/but-a-most-pernicious-error-widely-prevails-that-scripture-has-only/) [John Calvin](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/john-calvin/) > [For earthly princes lay aside their power when they rise up against God, and are unworthy to be reckoned among the number of mankind.…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/john-calvin/for-earthly-princes-lay-aside-their-power-when-they-rise-up-against/) [John Calvin](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/john-calvin/) > [It is no small honour that God for our sake has so magnificently adorned the world, in order that we may not only be…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/john-calvin/it-is-no-small-honour-that-god-for-our-sake-has-so-magnificently/) [John Calvin](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/john-calvin/) > [The word "hope" I take for faith; 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His Word is solitude.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/thomas-merton/the-speech-of-god-is-silence-his-word-is-solitude/) [Thomas Merton](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/thomas-merton/) > [ When we rise out of \[the night\] into the new life and there begin to receive the signs, what can we know of that… ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/martin-buber/when-we-rise-out-of-the-night-into-the-new-life-and-there-begin-to/) [Martin Buber](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/martin-buber/) Browse all 12 Speech God quotes ```json { "@context": "https://schema.org", "@graph": [ { "@type": "Quotation", "text": "“it would have been absurd in the Evangelist to say that the   Speech was always with God, if he had not some kind of subsistence   peculiar to himself in God. 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