THE GOD ABOVE

TL;DRAbstract

One God was the fixed point of early Christian thought. His oneness meant that he could not be caused, described or seen. Negative attributes have an abstract ring when they are not heard properly; correctly understood, they point to the first commandment: ‘Thou shalt have no other gods before me’. ‘The Lord our God is one Lord and thou shalt love the Lord thy God with all thy heart, with all thy soul and with all thy mind.’ The discovery of this God through the crucified Christ led Justin and others to think vigorously and to live and die faithfully. The framework was eschatological; thinking, living and dying went together: ‘If we are punished for the sake of our Lord Jesus Christ we hope to be saved; for this shall be our salvation and confidence before the more terrible judgement seat of our Lord and Saviour who shall judge the whole world.’ ‘Do what you will for we are Christians and offer no sacrifice to idols.’ The meaning of the unity of God was found in the difference it made

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