Tractates on the Gospel of John
TRACTATE 1 51 the beginning God made heaven and earth."^^ And he enumerates all things in this way: "God said, 'Let it be made, and it was made.'" Who do we understand in "He said?" Why, God, of course! And what was made? Some creature. Between the speaking of God and the making of a creature what is there through which it was made except the Word? For God said, "Let it be made and it was made." This Word is unchangeable. Even though changeable things are made through the Word, [the Word] itself is unchangeable.
12. So do not believe that that by which all things were made was itself made, lest you may not be made anew through the Word by which all things are made anew. For you have already been made through the Word, but you need to be made anew through the Word. But if your faith in the Word is deficient, you will not be able to be made anew through the Word. And even if creation through the Word has happened to you, so that you have been effected through it, yet it is through yourself that you become defective. If you become defective through yourself, let the one who has effected you re-create you. If you make yourself worse through yourself, let the one who created you re-create you. But how would he re-create you through the Word if you should have the wrong sense of the Word?
(2) The Evangelist says, "In the beginning was the Word," and you say, "In the beginning the Word was made." He says, "All thingsnvere made through it," and you say that the Word itself also was made. The Evangelist could have said, "In the beginning the Word was made." But what does he say? "In the beginning was the Word." If it was, it was not made so that all things might be made through it and without it nothing. If, therefore, "The Word was in the beginning, and the Word was with God, and the Word was God," if you cannot imagine what it is, put it off so that you may grow up. That is solid food; take milk that you may be nourished, that you may be strong enough to take solid food.
13. Well now, my brothers, as for what follows: "All things