Alpha and omega Quote by Richard Baxter
““Nothing can be rightly known, if God be not known; nor is any study well managed, nor to any great purpose, if God is not studied. We know little of the creature, till we know it as it stands related to the Creator: single letters, and syllables uncomposed, are no better than nonsense. He who overlooketh him who is the 'Alpha and Omega, the beginning and the ending,' and seeth not him in all who is the All of all, doth see nothing at all. All creatures, as such, are broken syllables; they signify nothing as separated from God. Were they separated actually, they would cease to be, and the separation would be annhiliation; and when we separate them in our fancies, we make nothing of them to ourselves. It is one thing to know the creatures as Aristotle, and another thing to know them as a Christian. None but a Christian can read one line of his Physics so as to understand it rightly. It is a high and excellent study, and of greater use than many apprehend; but it is the smallest part of it that Aristotle can teach us.””
About This Quote
Source Treat: The Christian Directory, 1682
Understanding reality requires recognizing God as the ultimate source; without that, knowledge is fragmented and meaningless.
In simple terms: Knowledge is incomplete without God.
Key Takeaway
Seek divine perspective in study.
Themes
theology
epistemology
faith
human understanding
Mood
contemplative
serious
Type
philosophical
theological
When to use this quote
- personal spiritual reflection
- academic theology
- interfaith dialogue
Key Concepts
Divine causality
creature‑creator relationship
limitations of secular knowledge
Questions to Reflect On
- How does acknowledging God change your view of knowledge?
- Can truth be fully grasped without a higher reference point?
A Different Perspective
Secular approaches may claim insight without divine reference.
