From Observations Concerning the Scripture Oeconomy of the Trinity, and Covenant of Redemption (New York: Charles Scribner’s Sons, 1880), 21-36. Quoted in Reformed Reader, edited by William Stacy Johnson and John H. Leith. Text taken from here. (Update: I found it here too. See also here.)

“He by whom all things were made
was made one of all things.
The Son of God by the Father without a mother
became the Son of man by a mother without a father.
The Word Who is God before all time
became flesh at the appointed time.
The maker of the sun
was made under the sun.
He Who fills the world
lay in a manger,
great in the form of God
but tiny in the form of a servant;
this was in such a way that
neither was His greatness diminished by His tininess,
nor was His tininess overcome by His greatness.”

Augustine, Sermon 187

“Nothing was so necessary for raising our hope as to show us how deeply God loved us. And what could afford us a stronger proof of this than that the Son of God should become a partner with us of human nature?”

Augustine

“Man’s maker
was made man,
that He, Ruler of the stars,
might nurse at His mother’s breast;
that the Bread
might hunger,
the Fountain
thirst,
the Light
sleep,
the Way
be tired on its journey;
that the Truth
might be accused of false witness,
the Teacher
be beaten with whips,
the Foundation
be suspended on wood;
that Strength
might grow weak;
that the Healer
might be wounded;
that Life
might die.”

– Augustine, Sermons 191.1

“Man exalted himself and fell;
God humbled himself and raised him up.
Christ’s lowliness, what is it?
od has stretched out a hand to man laid low.
We fell,
he descended;
we lay low,
he stooped.
Let us lay hold and rise,
that we fall not into punishment.
So then his stooping to us is this: ‘Born of the Holy Ghost and the Virgin Mary.’ His very nativity too as man – it is lowly and it is lofty. Whence lowly? That as man he was born of men. Whence lofty? That he was born of a virgin.”

Augustine

Do me a favor? If you know of any more similar Augustine quotes, please email them to me.

(Hat tip to Tadd Winter, Spencer Smith, Jonathan Brown, and Cynthia Petermann for the quotes.)

See also:

“What is this novel mystery?
The judge is judged and is silent;
the invisible is seen and is not confounded;
the incomprehensible is grasped and is not indignant at it;
the immeasurable is contained in a measure and makes no opposition;
the impassible suffers and does not avenge its own injury;
the immortal dies and complains not;
the celestial is buried and bears it with an equal mind.”
– Alexander of Alexandria, Epistles on the Arian Heresy, ANF, vol. 6, VI

“There is only one physician, who is both flesh and spirit, born and unborn, God come in flesh, true life in death, both from Mary and from God, first subject to suffering and then beyond it, Jesus Christ our Lord.” (Ignatius of Antioch, Letter to the Ephesians, Chapter 7).

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“There is therefore one and the same God, the Father of our Lord, who also promised, through the prophets, that He would send His forerunner; and His salvation—that is, His Word—He caused to be made visible to all flesh, [the Word] Himself being made incarnate, that in all things their King might become manifest.” (Irenæus, Against Heresies, 3.9.1)

In the NT the term “apostle” is used in three different ways.

First, there are the Twelve that Jesus named “apostles” (Matt 10:2–4 = Mark 3:16–19 = Luke 6:13–16; Acts 1:13). This seems to refer to the office of the apostle. Acts 1:21–22 indicates that to qualify as an apostle one must have been with the Lord in his earthly ministry and must have witnessed his resurrection body (Acts 1:21–22; 4:33; 2 Pet 1:16; 1 John 1:1). The witness of the Twelve to Christ’s resurrection is affirmed by Paul (1 Cor 15:5).

Second, there were apostles in addition to the Twelve. There were Barnabas (Acts 14:4, 14; 1 Cor 9:5–7), James, the Lord’s brother (1 Cor 15:7; Gal 1:19), and Apollos (1 Cor 4:6, 9), probably Silvanus (1 Thess 1:1; 2:6 [GT 2:7]), Titus (2 Cor 8:23), Epaphroditus (Phil 2:25), and possibly Andronicus and Junia(s) (Rom 16:7). Paul mentions James and all the apostles (1 Cor 15:7) as distinct from Peter and the Twelve (15:5). In Gal 1:18–19 Paul states that when he went up to Jerusalem he visited Peter and he did not visit other apostles except James, the Lord’s brother. Hence, Paul recognized apostles beyond the Twelve. These are most likely those who were endowed with the gift of apostleship because they did not meet the above mentioned qualifications for the office.

Third, there was Paul who was an apostle (1 Cor 9:1; 15:9) and yet had not been with Jesus in his earthly ministry but did, however, see the Lord in his resurrection body. Hence, he claimed that he was born out of due season (1 Cor 15:8). Rather than trying to include him in either of the two categories above, it is best to see Paul as an exception to the rule and make a third category. It seems that he had the office of an apostle for the following reasons: (1) he used authority as an apostle (1 Cor 4:9; 9:1, 5; 11:5; 12:11–12); (2) he performed miracles (Acts 13:8–11; 14:3; 19:11; 2 Cor 12:12) that seemed to be done by those who had the office (Acts 2:43; 5:15–16; Heb 2:4); (3) his laying on of hands brought the Holy Spirit to the believers (Acts 19:6) such as happened to Peter (Acts 8:17); and (4) his greetings in most all of his letters (see passages above) are similar to those of Peter (1 Pet 1:1; 2 Pet 1:1). It would not be likely that he would have referred to himself as an apostle in his formal greetings if he had only the gift. Thus, this third category is an exception exclusive to Paul.

Hoehner, H. W. (2002). Ephesians: An Exegetical Commentary (pp. 134–135). Grand Rapids, MI: Baker Academic. Emphasis and paragraphing mine.

Apostles

• “The term ‘apostle’ was originally used as an adjective, describing a dispatch that was usually made by sea. It could also designate the thing that was sent out.” (Lexham Bible Dictionary)
• In the New Testament the term “apostle” refers to an authorized person sent on a special mission. He is a messenger, envoy, ambassador, or an emissary. He is an official delegate of Jesus Christ.
• The 1st category of apostles: The Twelve. Called, authorized, and sent (Matthew 10:1-4). Mission extended (Matthew 28:18–20).
• Matthias replaced Judas. The candidates considered had to fit a special criteria: they had been with Christ from the beginning of his ministry and they were eye-witnesses of the risen Christ (Acts 1:21–26).
• This replacement was unique.
  • “Peter explained that the reason for a new apostle was that Judas had apostatized and abandoned his office (Acts 1:16-17, 20, cf. 1:25), not that Judas had merely died (52, 179). The prayer of the disciples in Acts 1:24-25 “is not a set prayer such as the Lord’s Prayer or prayers in a liturgical setting, but a unique prayer on a specific and unrepeatable occasion” (75). “In the immediate context in the Book of Acts, the appointment of Matthias as the twelfth apostle prepares the way for the coming of the Holy Spirit at Pentecost. Zwiep argues (172–73), correctly I think, that in this context the appointment of Matthias was necessary so that Israel’s believing community could be fully represented by twelve men corresponding to the twelve tribes of Israel (Luke 22:28-30). “There is more, but Zwiep’s thorough monograph on the Matthias passage—one of the very few such monographs ever published—confirms that Luke did not view Matthias’s appointment as [precedent] for an ongoing institutional office of apostle. To the contrary, the twelve apostles were a unique group of men whom Christ had chosen to fulfill a unique, eschatological role in redemptive history.” (Robert Bowman’s review of a book by Arie W Zwiep)
• The 2nd category of apostle: The one untimely born, Paul. He is a literal eyewitness of the risen Christ, and considered himself the last in an exclusive group (1 Corinthians 15:4–11). Paul is very clear that he did not receive his apostolic authority or commission from another apostle (Galatians 1:1, 2:1-10).
• The 3rd category of apostle: A broader, more generic sense of messenger.
  • “As for Titus, he is my partner and fellow worker for your benefit. And as for our brothers, they are messengers [Greek: apostles] of the churches, the glory of Christ.” (2 Corinthians 8:23) These were part of a church-endorsed, church-sent effort to establish other churches in areas that had not been reached. Today we have a similar category: missionaries. “There were Barnabas (Acts 14:4, 14; 1 Cor 9:5–7), James, the Lord’s brother (1 Cor 15:7; Gal 1:19), and Apollos (1 Cor 4:6, 9), probably Silvanus (1 Thess 1:1; 2:6 [GT 2:7]), Titus (2 Cor 8:23), Epaphroditus (Phil 2:25), and possibly Andronicus and Junia(s) (Rom 16:7). Paul mentions James and all the apostles (1 Cor 15:7) as distinct from Peter and the Twelve (15:5). In Gal 1:18–19 Paul states that when he went up to Jerusalem he visited Peter and he did not visit other apostles except James, the Lord’s brother. Hence, Paul recognized apostles beyond the Twelve.” (Hoehner, 135)
• The apostles were church planters.
  • “It seems then that the main function of an apostle is to establish churches in areas that have not been reached by others (Rom 15:20). They are God’s messengers to open up new territories for Christ.” (Hoehner, 542)
• The apostles and prophets were the pioneers to initially reveal the mystery of the gospel, “that the Gentiles are fellow heirs.” (Ephesians 3:4-6)
• The the message and authority of the apostles (particularly the Twelve and Paul) was validated by significant miracles.
  • “The signs of a true apostle were performed among you with utmost patience, with signs and wonders and mighty works.” (2 Corinthians 12:12)
• The apostles and prophets laid an initial foundation that the rest of the household of God would build on / grow into (Ephesians 2:19-21).
• Paul, Peter, and Jude exhort their readers to remember, teach, and contend for the apostolic deposit of teaching definitively delivered to the saints (2 Timothy 2:2, 2 Peter 3:2, Jude 3).

Prophets

• They stimulated the church by telling the future (Acts 11:27-30).
• They spoke clear words of instruction from God (Acts 13:1–3).
• They encouraged and strengthened believers (Acts 15:30–35; 1 Corinthians 14:3).
• They disclosed the secrets of the heart (1 Corinthians 14:24-25).
• They were to prophesy in an orderly manner, and to be weighed by others (1 Corinthians 14:29–33; cf. 1 Thessalonians 5:21).
• They were secondary to the apostles and were to submit to the teaching of the apostles (Ephesians 4:11; 1 Corinthians 12:28; 1 Corinthians 14:37–38).
• They helped lay an initial foundation upon which the household of God could grow into and build upon (Ephesians 2:20).

Building on their foundation

How do we today build on and grow into the foundation of the apostles and prophets? Consider what Paul, Peter, and Jude exhort toward the end of their lives:

• “What you have heard from me in the presence of many witnesses entrust to faithful men, who will be able to teach others also.” (2 Timothy 2:2)
• “Remember the predictions of the holy prophets and the commandment of the Lord and Savior through your apostles.” (2 Peter 3:2)
• “Contend for the faith that was once for all delivered to the saints.” (Jude 3) Later Jude writes, “remember, beloved, the predictions of the apostles of our Lord Jesus Christ…” (Jude 17)

Summary: Entrust, teach, remember, contend for the foundational apostolic deposit definitively delivered to the saints.

(Addendum: “And now I commend you to God and to the word of his grace, which is able to build you up and to give you the inheritance among all those who are sanctified.” (Acts 20:32) He doesn’t tell them to pay attention to a succession of future prophets or apostles. He commends them to God’s word.)

Evangelists

• A basic definition: Evangelists preach the good news to those who have not heard it.
• Compare these two words:
  • εὐαγγελιστής (evangelist)
  • εὐαγγέλιον (gospel)
  • See the overlap?
• Philip was called an evangelist (Acts 21:8).
• Philip preached to crowds (Acts 8:4-8). God used miracles to help him draw a crowd!
• Philip practiced Spirit-led individual stranger-evangelism (Acts 8:26-40).
• Paul tells Timothy, a younger man left behind to help stabilize churches with church leadership, to do the work of an evangelist: “As for you, always be sober-minded, endure suffering, do the work of an evangelist, fulfill your ministry.” (2 Timothy 4:5)
• Paul tells this same Timothy to avoid quarreling, but yet to persist in teaching and correct his opponents, and to do so kindly and patiently (2 Timothy 2:22–26).
• Evangelists preach with clarity what Old Testament prophets inquired about and what angels longed to look at. What they anticipated we evangelists get to announce (1 Peter 1:10–12).

The Jesus-movement was otherwise (more internally?) simply called “the Way” (Acts 9:2, 19:9, 19:23, 24:14, 24:22).

1. He already had a good reputation before he was chosen to assist the apostles. He was “of good repute, full of the Spirit and of wisdom.” (Acts 6:3)

2. Saul may have attended or visited a synagogue where Stephen attended. Among the synagogues that disputed with Stephen was the synagogue of the Cilicians. Saul was from Tarsus of Cilicia.

3. Stephen did a lot of teaching. “He won’t… shut… up!”

“This man never ceases to speak words against this holy place and the law, for we have heard him say that this Jesus of Nazareth will destroy this place and will change the customs that Moses delivered to us.”

Acts 6:13–14

4. Stephen, a Hellenistic Jew, was considered an outsider to the Hebrew community. This made his teaching that the Law and temple were fulfilled in Jesus (presumably what he taught given the allegations against him) especially scandalous.

5. Stephen responds to the accusations in a high-stakes juridical setting. But what initially looks like his defense is turned around: Stephen goes on the offensive. He puts his audience on trial.

6. In his speech Stephen gives an overview of Jewish history, but he doesn’t highlight established Jews settled in the Promised Land. Instead, he highlights mistreated and oppressed strangers rescued by God.

7. Stephen mentions the *portable* tabernacle and the *inadequacy* of Solomon’s temple to contain God.

8. Stephen also mentions agents of rescue sent by God but rejected by Israel.

9. Having primed his audience, Stephen climaxes with his own accusation against the council: They follow in this ancestral tradition of murdering God’s agents of rescue. “As your fathers did, so do you.” (7:51)

10. Paul was almost certainly present for this speech. He guarded the coats of those who, immediately after, stoned Stephen. But Paul’s life ended up being a continuation of Stephen’s ministry. Echoes of the theology of Stephen’s speech are later found in Paul’s own teaching. And Paul’s own salvation is an answer to Stephen’s prayer, “Lord, do not hold this sin against them.” (7:60)

“Various elements in Stephen’s teaching arguably laid a foundation for Saul’s later theological views as a Christian. Stephen’s dramatic declaration of his preference for the diaspora Jews over the people of the land may well have prepared the way for Saul’s vision of ministry to the Gentiles. Stephen’s view of Moses as a type of the One who was to come perhaps laid the groundwork for Paul’s view of the law of Moses as fulfilled in the person, death and resurrection of Christ Jesus (Rom 10:4). Stephen’s rejection of the centrality of the temple may have diminished the significance of the holy place in the mind of Paul, who would see the new covenant people as the “temple of the living God” (1 Cor 3:16-17; 2 Cor 6:16). Henceforth Saul’s view of these various elements — the land of Israel, the Gentiles, the law and the temple — would each undergo radical change.

“Much of Saul’s dramatic reinterpretation of these elements is attributable to Stephen’s words heard in the Hellenistic synagogues, although Saul radically disagreed with them at the time. However, it was Saul’s acknowledgment of Jesus as *the Christ* on the road to Damascus that transformed his comprehension of Stephen’s words and inspired a radical new worldview.”

Paul Barnett, Jesus and the Rise of Early Christianity, 226

The apostle Paul paces back and forth, closes his pitiful eyes, smiles, looks up, sees his audience, and then gushes his heart out to a scribe:

“[Paul] wears his heart on his sleeve. This spontaneity was no doubt facilitated by Paul’s practice of dictating his letters instead of writing them out himself. As he dictates, he sees in his mind’s eye those whom he is addressing and speaks as he would if he were face to face with them.” (“Paul Apostle of the Heart Set Free”, F. F. Bruce, 16)

I think that we men especially (at least me) have a tendency to say something important and sincere but then quickly clothe it with a humorous joke or roast or light-hearted misdirection.

This too often detracts from the boldness, directness, and felt sincerity of what we genuinely think. It lessens the force of our compliments, criticisms, and encouragements. It makes our relationships thinner than they have to be.