The Philokalia

by Nicodemus of the Holy Mountain

99. The Father is the sole origin of all things. He is the origin of the Son and the Spirit as Their begetter and source. coeternal, co-infinite, limitless, coessential and undivided. He is the origin of created things, as the one who produces, provides for, and judges them through the Son in the Holy Spirit. 'For all things are from Him and through Him, and have Him as their goal. To Him be glory throughout the ages. Amen' (Rom. 11:36). 100. Again, the Son and the Holy Spirit are said to be coeternal with the Father, but not co-unoriginate with Him. They are coeternal in that They coexist with the Father from eternity; but They are not co-unoriginate in that They are not without source: as has already been said. They are derived from Him as the light from the sun, even though They are not inferior or subsequent to Him. They are also said to be unoriginate in the sense that They do not have an origin in time. If this were not the case. They would be thought of as subject to time, whereas it is from Them that time itself derives. Thus They are unoriginate not with regard to Their source, but with regard to time. For They exist prior to, and transcend, all time and all the ages; and it is from Them that all time and all the ages are derived, together with everything that is in time and in the ages. This is because They are, as we said, coeternal with the Father; to Him, with Them, be glory and power through all the ages. Amen.