inly perceive that this designation for Christ
was not first started by professional philosophers (see the Apologists,
for example, Tatian, Orat. 5, and Melito Apolog. fragm. in the Chron.
pasch. p. 483, ed. Dindorf: [Greek: Christos on theou logos pro aionon].
We do not find in the Johannine writings such a Logos speculation as in
the Apologists, but the current expression is taken up in order to shew
that it has its truth in the appearing of Jesus Christ. The ideas about
the existence of a Divine Logos were very widely spread; they were
driven out of philosophy into wide circles. The author of the Alterc.
Jas. et Papisci conceived the phrase in Gen I. 1, [Greek: en arche], as
equivalent to [Greek: en huioi (Christoi)] Jerome. Quaest. hebr. in Gen.
p. 3; see Tatian Orat. 5: [Greek: theos en en archei ten de archen logou
dunamin pareilephamen]. Ignatius (Eph. 3) also called Christ [Greek: he
gnome tou patros] (Eph. 17: [Greek: he gnosis tou theou]); that is a
more fitting expression than [Greek: logos]. The subordination of Christ
as a heavenly being to the Godhead, is seldom or never carefully
emphasised, though it frequently comes plainly into prominence. Yet the
author of the second Epistle of Clement does not hesitate to place the
pre-existent Christ and the pre-existent church on one level, and to
declare of both that God created them (c. 14). The formulae [Greek:
phanerousthai en sarki], or, [Greek: gignesthai sarx], are
characteristic of this Christology. It is worthy of special notice that
the latter is found in all those New Testament writers, who have put
Christianity in contrast with the Old Testament religions, and
proclaimed the conquest of that religion by the Christian, viz., Paul,
John, and the author of the Epistle to the Hebrews.]

[Footnote 256: Hermas, for example, does this (therefore Link;
Christologie des Hermas, and Weizsaecker, Gott Gel. Anz. 1886, p. 830,
declare his Christology to be directly pneumatic): Christ is then
identified with this Holy Spirit (see Acta. Archel. 50), similarly
Ignatius (ad. Magn. 15): [Greek: kektemenoi adiakriton pneuma, hos estin
Iesous Christos.] This formed the transition to Gnostic conceptions on
the one hand, to pneumatic Christology on the other. But in Hermas the
real substantial thing in Jesus Christ is the [Greek: sarx].]

[Footnote 257: Passages may indeed be found in the earliest Gentile
Christian literature, in which Jesus is designated Son of God,
indepe