"'That it is better to die than to sin.
"'That it is better to suffer wrong than to do it.
"'That the "Word" ([Greek: Logos]) formed the world, and rendered it visible; that the knowledge of the Word makes us live very happily here below, and that thereby we obtain felicity after death.
"'That the soul is immortal, that the dead shall rise again, that there shall be a final judgment—both of the righteous and of the wicked, when men shall appear only with their virtues or vices, which shall be the occasion of their eternal happiness or misery.'"
It is this Logos who was "figured in the shape of a cross on the universe" (ante, p. [358]). The universe, which is but the materialised thought of God, is made by his Logos, his Word, which is the expression of his thought. In the Christian creed it is the Logos, the Word of God, by whom all things are made (John i. 1-3). The very name, as well as the thought, is the same, whether we turn over the pages of Plato or those of John. Philo, the great Jewish Platonist, living in Alexandria at the close of the last century B.C. and in the first half of the first century after Christ, speaks of the Logos in terms that, to our ears, seem purely Christian. Philo was a man of high position among the Jews in Alexandria, being "a man eminent on all accounts, brother to Alexander the alabarch [governor of the Jews], and one not unskilful in philosophy" (Josephus' "Antiquities of the Jews," bk. xviii., ch. 8, sec. 1). This "Alexander was a principal person among all his contemporaries both for his family and wealth" (Ibid, bk. xx, ch. 5, sec. 2). He was the principal man in the Jewish embassage to Caius (Caligula) A.D. 39-40, and was then a grey-headed old man. Keim speaks of him as about sixty or seventy years old at that time, and puts his birth at about B.C. 20. He writes: "The Theology of Philo is in great measure founded on his peculiar combination of the Jewish, the Platonic, and the Neo-Platonic conception of God. The God of the Old Testament, the exalted God, as he is called by the modern Hegelian philosophy, stood in close relations to the Greek Philosophers' conception of God, which believed that the Supreme Being could be accurately defined by the negative of all that was finite. In accordance with this, Philo also described God as the simple Entity; he disclaimed for him every name, every quality, even that of the Good, the Beautiful, the Blessed, the One. Since he is still better than the good, higher than the Unity, he can never be known as, but only that, he is: his perfect name is only the four mysterious letters (Jhvh)—that is, pure Being. By such means, indeed, neither a fuller theology nor God's influence on the world was to be obtained. And yet it was the problem of philosophy, as well as of religion, to shed the light of God upon the world, and to lead it again to God. But how could this Being which was veiled from the world be brought to bear upon it? By Philo, as well as by all the philosophy of the time, the problem could only be solved illogically. Yet, by modifying his exalted nature, it might be done. If not by his being, yet by his work he influences the world; his powers, his angels, all in it that is best and mightiest, the instrument, the interpreter, the mediator and messenger of God; his pattern and his first-born, the Son of God, the Second God, even himself God, the divine Word or Logos communicate with the world; he is the ideal and actual type of the world and of humanity, the architect and upholder of the world, the manna and the rock in the wilderness" ("Jesus of Nazara," vol. i., pp. 281, 282).
"Man is fallen.... There is no man who is without sin, and even the perfect man, if he should be born, does not escape from it.... Yet there is a redemption, willed by God himself, and brought to pass by the act of a wise man. Adam's successors still preserve the types of their relationship to the Father, although in an obscure form, each man possesses the knowledge of good and evil and an incorruptible judgment, subject to reason; his spiritual strength is even now aided by the Divine Logos, the image, copy, and reflection of the blessed nature. Hence it follows that man can discern and see all the stains with which he has wilfully or involuntarily defiled his life, that man by means of his self-knowledge can decide to subdue his passions, to despise his pleasures and desires, to wage the battle of repentance, and to be just at any cost, and by the fundamental virtues of humanity, piety, and justice, to imitate the virtues of the Father.... In such perfection as is possible to all, even to women and to slaves, since no one is a slave by nature, the wise man is truly rich. He is noble and free who can proudly utter the saying of Sophocles, God is my ruler, not one among men! Such a one is priest, king, and prophet, he is no longer merely a son and scholar of the Logos, he is the companion and son of God.... God is the eternal guide and director of the world, himself requiring nothing, and giving all to his children. It is of his goodness that he does not punish as a judge, but that, as the giver of grace, he bears with all. With him all things are possible; he deals with all, even with that which is almost beyond redemption. From him all the world hopes for forgiveness of sins, the Logos, the high priest, and intercessor, and the patriarchs pray for it; he grants it, not for the world's sake, but of his own gracious nature, to those who can truly believe. He loves the humble, and saves those whom he knows to be worthy of healing. His grace elects the pious before they are born, giving them victory over sensuality, and steadfastness in virtue. He reveals himself to holy souls by his Spirit, and by his divine light leads those who are too weak by nature even to understand the external world, beyond the limits of human nature to that which is divine" ("Jesus of Nazara," pp. 283-287). Such are the most important passages of Keim's résumé of Philo's philosophy, and its resemblance to Christian doctrine is unmistakeable, and adds one more proof to the fact that Christianity is Alexandrian rather than Judæan. It will be well to add to this sketch the passages carefully gathered out of Philo's works by Jacob Bryant, who endeavoured to prove, from their resemblance to passages in the New Testament, that Philo was a Christian, forgetting that Philo's works were mostly written when Jesus was a child and a youth, and that he never once mentions Jesus or Christianity. It must not be forgotten that Philo lived in Alexandria, not in Judæa, and that between the Canaanitish and the Hellenic Jews there existed the most bitter hostility, so that—even were the story of Jesus true—it could not have reached Philo before A.D. 40, at which time he was old and gray-headed. We again quote from Mr. Lake's treatise, who prints the parallel passages, and we would draw special attention to the similarity of phraseology as well as of idea:
"Identity of the Christ of the New Testament with the Logos of Philo.
| Philo, describing the Logos, says:— | The New Testament, speaking of Jesus says:— |
| 'The Logos is the Son of God the Father.'—DeProfugis. | 'This is the Son of God.' John i. 34. |
| 'The first begotten of God.'—De Somniis. | 'And when he again bringeth his first-born into theworld.'—Heb. i. 6. |
| 'And the most ancient of all beings.'—De Conf. Ling | 'That he is the first-born of every creature.'—Col. i.15. |
| 'The Logos is the image and likeness of God.'—DeMonarch. | 'Christ, the image of the invisible God.'—Col. i. 15.'The brightness of his (God's) glory, and the express image of hisperson.'—Heb. i. 3. |
| 'The Logos is superior to the angels.'—De Profugis. | 'Being made so much better that the angels. Let all the angelsof God worship him.'—Heb. i. 4, 6. |
| 'The Logos is superior to all beings in the world.'—DeLeg. Allegor. | 'Thou hast put all things in subjection under hisfeet.'—Heb. ii. 8. |
| 'The Logos is the instrument by whom the world wasmade.'—De Leg. Allegor. | 'All things were made by him (the Word or Logos), and withouthim was not anything made that was made.'—John i. 3 |
| 'The divine word by whom all things were ordered anddisposed.'—De Mundi Opificio. | 'Jesus Christ, by whom are all things.'—1 Cor. viii.6. |
| 'By whom also he made the worlds.'—Heb. i. 2. | |
| 'the Logos is the light of the world, and the intellectualsun.'—De Somniis. | 'The Word (Logos) was the true light.'—John i. 9. |
| 'The life and the light of men.'—John i. 4. | |
| 'I am the light of the world.'—John viii. 12. | |
| 'The Logos only can see God.'—De Confus. Ling. | 'He that is of God, he hath seen the Father.'—John vi.46. |
| 'No man hath seen God at any time. The only begotten Son whichis in the bosom of the Father, he hath declared him."—John i.18. | |
| 'He is the most ancient of God's works.'—De ConfusLing. | 'Now, O Father, glorify thou me with thine own self with theglory which I had with thee before the world was.'—John xvii.5. |
| 'And was before all things.'—De Leg. Allegor. | 'He was in the beginning with God.'—John i. 2. |
| 'Before all worlds.'—2 Tim. i. 9. | |
| 'The Logos is esteemed the same as God.'—De Somniis. | 'Christ, who is over all, God blessed for evermore.'—Rom.ix. 5. |
| 'Who, being in the form of God. thought it no robbery to beequal with God.'—Phil. ii. 6. | |
| 'The Logos was eternal.'—De Plant. Noë. | 'Christ abideth for ever.—John xii. 34. |
| 'But to the Son he saith, Thy throne, O God, is for ever andever.'—Heb. i. 8. | |
| 'The Logos supports the world, is the connecting power by whichall things are united.'—De Profugis. | 'Upholding all things by the word of his power.'—Heb. i.3. |
| 'By him all things consist.'—Col. i. 17. | |
| 'The Logos is nearest to God, without any separation; being, asit were, fixed upon the only true existing Deity, nothing comingbetween to disturb that unity.'—De Profugis. | 'I and my Father are one.'—John x. 30. |
| 'The Logos is free from all taint of sin, either voluntary orinvoluntary.'—De Profugis. | 'That they may be one as we are.'—John xvii. 11. |
| 'The only begotten Son, who is in the bosom of theFather.'—John i. 18. | |
| 'The blood of Christ, who offered himself without spot toGod.'—Heb. ix. 14. | |
| 'Who did no sin, neither was guile found in his mouth.'—1 Pet. ii. 22. | |
| 'The Logos the fountain of life. | 'Whosoever shall drink of the water that I shall give him,shall never thirst, but the water that I shall give him shall be inhim a well of water, springing up into everlastinglife.'—John iv. 14. |
| 'It is of the greatest consequence to every person to strivewithout remission to approach to the divine Logos, the Word of Godabove, who is the fountain of all wisdom; that by drinking largelyof that sacred spring, instead of death, he may be rewarded witheverlasting life.'—De Profugis. | |
| 'The Logos is the shepherd of God's flock. | 'The great shepherd of the flock... our Lord Jesus.'—Heb. xiii. 20. |
| 'The deity, like a shepherd, and at the same time like amonarch, acts with the most consummate order and rectitude, and hasappointed his First-born, the upright Logos, like the substitute ofa mighty prince, to take care of his sacred flock.'—DeAgricult. | 'I am the good shepherd, and know my sheep, and am known ofmine.—John x. 14. |
| 'Christ ... the shepherd and guardian of your souls.' 1 Pet.ii. 25. | |
| The Logos, Philo says, is 'The great governor of the world; heis the creative and princely power, and through these the heavensand the whole world were produced.' —De Profugis. | 'For Christ must reign till he hath put all his enemies underhis feet.'—1 Cor. xv. 25 |
| 'Christ, above all principality, and might, and dominion, andevery name that is named, not only in this world, but in the worldto come ... and God hath put all things under his feet.'—Eph.i. 21, 22 | |
| 'The Logos is the physician that heals all evil.'—De Leg.Allegor. | 'The spirit of the Lord is upon me, because he hath anointed meto heal the broken-hearted.'—Luke iv. 18. |
| The Logos the Seal of God. | Christ the Seal of God. |
| 'The Logos, by whom the world was framed, is the seal, afterthe impression of which everything is made, and is rendered thesimilitude and image of the perfect Word of God.'—DeProfugis. | 'In whom also, after that ye believed, ye were sealed with theholy seal of promise.'—Eph. i. 13 |
| 'Jesus, the son of man ... him hath God the Fathersealed.'—John vi. 27. | |
| 'The soul of man is an impression of a seal, of which theprototype and original characteristic is the everlastingLogos.'—De Plantatione Noë. | 'Christ, the brightness of his (God's) glory, and the expressimage of his person.—Heb. i. 3. |
| The Logos the source of immortal life. | Christ the source of eternal life. |
| Philo says 'that when the soul strives after its best andnoblest life, then the Logos frees it from all corruption, andconfers upon it the gift of immortality.'—De C.Q. Erud.Gratiâ.' | 'The dead (in Christ) shall be raised incorruptible.'—1Cor. xv. 52 |
| 'Because the creature itself also shall be delivered from thebondage of corruption into the glorious liberty of the children ofGod.'—Rom. vii. 21. | |
| Philo speaks of the Logos not only as the Son of God and hisfirst begotten, but also styles him 'his beloved Son.'—DeLeg. Allegor. | The New Testament callsChrist the Beloved Son:—'This ismy beloved Son in whom I am well pleased.'—Matt. iii. 17;Luke ix. 35; 2 Pet. i. 17 |
| 'The Son of his love.'—Col. i. 13. | |
| Philo says 'that good men are admitted to the assembly of thesaints above. | 'But ye are come unto mount Zion, and to the city of the livingGod, and to an innumerable company of angels, and to the spirits ofjust men made perfect.'—Heb. xii. 22, 23. |
| 'Those who relinquish human doctrines, and become thewell-disposed disciples of God, will be one day translated to anincorruptible and perfect order of beings."—DeSacrifices. | 'Giving thanks unto the Father which hath made us meet to bethe partakers of the inheritance of the saints inlight.'—Col. i. 12. |
| Philo says 'that the just man, when he dies is translated toanother state by the Logos, by whom the world was created. For Godby his said Word (Logos), by which he made all things, will raisethe perfect man from the dregs of this world, and exalt him nearhimself. He will place him near his own person.'—DeSacrificiis. | The New Testament makes Jesus to say:— |
| 'No man can come to me, except the Father which hath sent medraw him; and I will raise him up at the last day.'—John vi.44. | |
| 'No man cometh to the Father but by me.'—John xvi.6. | |
| 'Where I am, there also shall my servant be ... him will myfather honour.'— | |
| Philo says that the Logos is the true High Priest, who iswithout sin and anointed by God:— | The New Testament speaks of Jesus as the High Priest: |
| 'It is the world, in which the Logos, God's First-born, thatgreat High Priest, resides. And I assert that this High Priest isno man, but the Holy Word of God; who is not capable of eithervoluntary or involuntary sin, and hence his head is anointed withoil.'—De Profugis. | 'Seeing then that we have a great High Priest that is passedinto the heavens, Jesus, the Son of God, let us hold fast ourprofession.'—Heb. iv. 14. |
| 'For such an High Priest became us, who is holy, harmless,undefiled, separate from sinners.'—Heb. vii. 26. | |
| Philo mentions the Logos as the great High Priest and Mediatorfor the sins of the world. Speaking of the rebellion of Korah, heintroduces the Logos as saying:— | The New Testament says of Christ:— |
| 'We have such an High Priest, who is set on the right hand ofthe throne of the majesty in the heavens, a mediator of a bettercovenant.'—Heb. viii. 1-6. | |
| 'It was I who stood in the middle between the Lord andyou. | |
| 'The sacred Logos pressed with zeal and without remission thathe might stand between the dead and the living.—Quis RerumDiv. Haeres. | 'But Christ being come an High Priest ... entered at once intothe holy place, having obtained eternal redemption forus,—Heb. ix. 11, 12. |
| The Logos, the Saviour God, who brings salvation as the rewardof repentance and righteousness. | The New Testament says of John, the forerunner of Jesus, thathe preached 'the baptism of repentance for the remission ofsins.'—Mark i. 4. |
| 'If then men have from their very souls a just contrition, andare changed, and have humbled themselves for their past errors,acknowledging and confessing their sins, such persons shall findpardon from the Saviour and merciful God, and receive a most choiceand great advantage of being like the Logos of God, who wasoriginally the great archetype after which the soul of man wasformed.'—De Execrationibus. | Jesus says :— |
| 'Ye will not come to me, that ye might have life.'—Johnv. 40. | |
| 'Beloved, we be now the sons of God; and it doth not yet appearwhat we shall be; but we know that when he doth appear we shall belike him.'—1 John iii. 2. | |
| 'As we have born the image of the earthy, we shall also bearthe image of the heavenly.'—1 Cor. xv. 49. | |
| 'For if we have been planted together in the likeness of hisdeath, we shall be also in the likeness of hisresurrection.'—Rom. vi. 5." |
Here, then, we get, complete, the idea of Christ as the Word of God, and we see that Christianity is as lacking in originality on these points as in everything else. We may note, also, that this Platonic idea was current among the Jews before Philo, although he gives it to us more thoroughly and fully worked out: in the apocryphal books of the Jews we find the idea of the Logos in many passages in Wisdom, to take but a single case.