A Man Fully Alive

[Mike S]

One of our most well-known and repeated early Christian phrases is taken from Irenaeus' great work Adversus Haereses (against heresies.) The phrase is "the glory of God is man fully alive", and is excerpted from the more complete writing shown below. Notice the more accurate translation "living man" rather than "man fully alive.

"For the glory of God is a living man; and the life of man consists in beholding God. For if the manifestation of God which is made by means of the creation, affords life to all living in the earth, much more does that revelation of the Father which comes through the Word, give life to those who see God."

This is one of my favorite writing of our early Christian fathers, filled with rich theological possibilities. But what exactly is meant?

 

[Claudya]

What would be the difference between "fully alive" and "living"?
Does the author imply there are different levels of how alive you can be? Because if not only the creation, but also the revelation through the word afford life to a person you'd be given life in two ways and would have "more" live. So maybe "a man fully alive" might be an accurate translation after all.
Uhm... does that make any sense?

 

[Mike S]

What would be the difference between "fully alive" and "living"?
Does the author imply there are different levels of how alive you can be? Because if not only the creation, but also the revelation through the word afford life to a person you'd be given life in two ways and would have "more" live. So maybe "a man fully alive" might be an accurate translation after all.
Uhm... does that make any sense?

Yeah, makes sense to me.