John 1:18
The Lively Image of God
Certainly when Christ is called the lively image of God (Heb. 1:3) this refers to the peculiar privilege of the New Testament. In like manner, the Evangelist describes something new and uncommon when he says that the only-begotten Son, who was in the bosom of the Father, has made known to us what was formerly concealed. He therefore magnifies the manifestation of God which has been brought to us by the Gospel, in which he distinguishes us from the fathers and shows that we are superior to them (as also Paul explains more fully in the third and fourth chapters of the Second Epistle to the Corinthians). For he maintains that there is now no longer any veil, such as existed under the Law, but that God is openly beheld in the face of Christ.
That vision which Moses obtained on the mountain was remarkable and more excellent than almost all the rest. And yet God expressly declares, “Thou shall not be able to see my face, only thou shall see my back” (Ex. 33:23); by this metaphor he shows that the time for a full and clear revelation had not yet come. It must also be observed that when the fathers wished to behold God they always turned their eyes towards Christ. I do not only mean that they beheld God in his eternal Speech, but also that they attended with their whole mind and with their whole heart to the promised manifestation of Christ. For this reason we shall find that Christ afterwards said, “Abraham saw my day” (John 8:56); and that which is subordinate is not contradictory.
It is therefore a fixed principle that God, who was formerly invisible, has now made himself visible in Christ. When he says that the Son was in the bosom of the Father, the metaphor is borrowed from men, who are said to receive unto their bosom those to whom they communicate all their secrets. The breast is the seat of counsel. He therefore shows that the Son was acquainted with the most hidden secrets of his Father, in order to inform us that we have the breast of God laid open to us in the Gospel.
Readings taken from Day by Day With John Calvin
The Lively Image of God
Certainly when Christ is called the lively image of God (Heb. 1:3) this refers to the peculiar privilege of the New Testament. In like manner, the Evangelist describes something new and uncommon when he says that the only-begotten Son, who was in the bosom of the Father, has made known to us what was formerly concealed. He therefore magnifies the manifestation of God which has been brought to us by the Gospel, in which he distinguishes us from the fathers and shows that we are superior to them (as also Paul explains more fully in the third and fourth chapters of the Second Epistle to the Corinthians). For he maintains that there is now no longer any veil, such as existed under the Law, but that God is openly beheld in the face of Christ.
That vision which Moses obtained on the mountain was remarkable and more excellent than almost all the rest. And yet God expressly declares, “Thou shall not be able to see my face, only thou shall see my back” (Ex. 33:23); by this metaphor he shows that the time for a full and clear revelation had not yet come. It must also be observed that when the fathers wished to behold God they always turned their eyes towards Christ. I do not only mean that they beheld God in his eternal Speech, but also that they attended with their whole mind and with their whole heart to the promised manifestation of Christ. For this reason we shall find that Christ afterwards said, “Abraham saw my day” (John 8:56); and that which is subordinate is not contradictory.
It is therefore a fixed principle that God, who was formerly invisible, has now made himself visible in Christ. When he says that the Son was in the bosom of the Father, the metaphor is borrowed from men, who are said to receive unto their bosom those to whom they communicate all their secrets. The breast is the seat of counsel. He therefore shows that the Son was acquainted with the most hidden secrets of his Father, in order to inform us that we have the breast of God laid open to us in the Gospel.
Readings taken from Day by Day With John Calvin
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Greetings in the name of our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ, Pastor Jim!
We "met" at Calvinistic cartoons. Just dropping by to say I'll be back to read more of your blog. :)
Soli deo Gloria!
Thanks for the shout out! Hope you are edified by what you see.