Confessions - Book XI - Chapter VI
St. Augustine reflects on the nature of God's eternal Word contrasted with temporal human speech, emphasizing the divine creation of time and existence through God's eternal will.
In this profound exposition, St. Augustine explores the contrast between God's eternal Word and the fleeting nature of human speech. He delves into the mystery of creation, emphasizing that time and the material world were brought into existence through God's eternal will. Augustine invites listeners to contemplate the divine nature that transcends temporal reality, offering deep theological insights into the relationship between God, time, and creation.
Text
8. But how didst thou speak? Was it in the same manner in which the voice came from the cloud saying, \"This is my beloved Son\"[423]? For that voice sounded forth and died away; it began and ended. The syllables sounded and passed away, the second after the first, the third after the second, and thence in order, till the very last after all the rest; and silence after the last. From this it is clear and plain that it was the action of a creature, itself in time, which sounded that voice, obeying thy eternal will. And what these words were which were formed at that time the outer ear conveyed to the conscious mind, whose inner ear lay attentively open to thy eternal Word. But it compared those words which sounded in time with thy eternal word sounding in silence and said: \"This is different; quite different! These words are far below me; they are not even real, for they fly away and pass, but the Word of my God remains above me forever.\" If, then, in words that sound and fade away thou didst say that heaven and earth should be made, and thus madest heaven and earth, then there was already some kind of corporeal creature before heaven and earth by whose motions in time that voice might have had its occurrence in time. But there was nothing corporeal before the heaven and the earth; or if there was, then it is certain that already, without a time-bound voice, thou hadst created whatever it was out of which thou didst make the time-bound voice by which thou didst say, \"Let the heaven and the earth be made!\" For whatever it was out of which such a voice was made simply did not exist at all until it was made by thee. Was it decreed by thy Word that a body might be made from which such words might come?
Sermon Outline
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I. The Nature of Divine Speech
- Contrast between temporal human voice and eternal Word
- The voice as an action of a creature in time
- The eternal Word sounding in silence beyond temporal words
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II. The Creation of Heaven and Earth
- God's command as the origin of creation
- The existence of corporeal creatures before creation
- The relationship between God's Word and the material world
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III. The Relationship Between Time and Eternity
- Temporal speech as passing and fading
- Eternal Word as unchanging and everlasting
- God's will as the source of both time and creation
Key Quotes
“The syllables sounded and passed away, the second after the first, the third after the second, and thence in order, till the very last after all the rest; and silence after the last.” — St. Augustine
“These words are far below me; they are not even real, for they fly away and pass, but the Word of my God remains above me forever.” — St. Augustine
“If, then, in words that sound and fade away thou didst say that heaven and earth should be made, and thus madest heaven and earth, then there was already some kind of corporeal creature before heaven and earth.” — St. Augustine
Application Points
- Recognize the fleeting nature of human words compared to God's eternal truth.
- Trust in God's sovereign will as the source of all creation and time.
- Reflect on the eternal nature of God beyond the temporal world.
Frequently Asked Questions
What does Augustine mean by the 'eternal Word'?
The eternal Word refers to God's unchanging, timeless divine expression that transcends human speech and time.
How does Augustine distinguish between human speech and God's Word?
Human speech is temporal and fleeting, while God's Word is eternal and remains forever.
What is the significance of the voice from the cloud in Matthew 3:17?
It illustrates the temporal nature of human speech contrasted with God's eternal Word, affirming Jesus as God's beloved Son.
Does Augustine believe time existed before creation?
No, Augustine argues that time itself was created by God along with heaven and earth.
What is the main theological theme of this sermon section?
The relationship between God's eternal nature and the temporal world He created.