Barlaam and Ioasaph · Chapter
Chapter XVII: The Glory and Majesty of God explained
Ioasaph expresses that Barlaam's parable fits his own state and asks for proof of his steadfastness.
What happens
Ioasaph expresses that Barlaam's parable fits his own state and asks for proof of his steadfastness. Barlaam responds by praying for Ioasaph's enlightenment and then expounds on the impossibility of fully comprehending God's glory and power, using analogies from nature and Scripture to demonstrate divine providence and the ordered structure of creation.
Themes in this chapter
Divine Providence and Free Will
Barlaam emphasizes that all creation is held together and preserved by God's providence, and that humans cannot add to or take away from their own nature, highlighting divine sovereignty.
Idolatry vs. True Worship
The discourse contrasts the worship of the one true God, who is invisible and infinite, with the folly of idolatry, as Barlaam argues that creation itself points to the Creator.
Characters to notice
Key passages
“No man hath seen God at any time; the only begotten Son, which is in the bosom of the Father, he hath declared him.”
No human has ever seen God; only Jesus, the Son, who is close to the Father, has revealed him.
Barlaam quotes John 1:18 to explain that God's glory is beyond human perception and only revealed through Christ.
“The heavens declare the glory of God, and the firmament showeth his handiwork;”
The sky and the stars proclaim God's greatness, and the expanse of the universe displays what he has made.
Barlaam uses Psalm 19:1 to argue that nature itself testifies to God's glory.
“The invisible things of him from the creation of the world are clearly understood by the things that are made, even his eternal power and Godhead.”
Since the world was created, God's invisible qualities—his eternal power and divine nature—have been clearly seen through the things he has made.
Barlaam cites Romans 1:20 to support his argument that creation reveals God's attributes.
“O the depth of the riches both of the wisdom and knowledge of God! how unsearchable are his judgments, and his ways past finding out!”
How vast are God's wisdom and knowledge! His decisions are beyond our understanding, and his methods are impossible to trace.
Barlaam quotes Romans 11:33 to express the incomprehensibility of God's ways.