Frequently Assaulted Quotes

The Son

• Quote #1:

• False claim #1: "Hort taught that Revelation 3:15 proclaimed Christ was the first thing created, agreeing with the Gnostic teaching that Christ was a begotten god. [F. J. A. Hort, The Apocalypse of St. John 1-3: The Greek Text with Introduction, Commentary, and Additional Notes (1908; reprint, Minneapolis: James and Klock Publishing, 1976), 36.]"

Quote #1:

Notes

False claim #1: "Hort taught that Revelation 3:15 proclaimed Christ was the first thing created, agreeing with the Gnostic teaching that Christ was a begotten god. [F. J. A. Hort, The Apocalypse of St. John 1-3: The Greek Text with Introduction, Commentary, and Additional Notes (1908; reprint, Minneapolis: James and Klock Publishing, 1976), 36.]" (Crowned With Glory, by Dr. Thomas Holland, chapter 2).

This claim by Dr. Holland is a vain and libelous attempt to portray Hort as an Arian. Hort had "deeply-rooted agreement" with official Anglican views, "above all, Creeds" (Life and Letters of Hort, volume 1, p.400). The Creeds which were written to combat heresies such as Arianism (e.g. the Nicene creed says "We believe in one Lord, Jesus Christ, the only Son of God, eternally begotten of the Father, God from God, Light from Light, true God from true God, begotten, not made, of one being with the Father.", the Athanasian creed says "the deity of Father, Son, and Holy Spirit is one, equal in glory and coeternal in majesty", "the Son uncreated", "the Son eternal", "The Son is neither made nor created", etc.). It is inconceivable that Hort could believe that Christ was the first thing created, while at the same time believing the three most-accepted Creeds (Apostles', Nicene, Athanasian). But nevertheless, what does Hort actually say on page 36, regarding "the beginning of the creation" (in Rev 3:14-15)? Here it is (bold added):

" n apx. t. ktis. Prov. viii. 22, [(Prov 8:22 in Greek and Heb)] The words do not define the precise sense. On apxn, as a term cf. Col. i. 18, and for the probable idea Col. i. 16. The words might no doubt bear the Arian meaning "the first thing created": but they equally well bear the sense which the other Christological language of the book suggests, the being antecedent to all creation, in whom all creation came and comes to pass. Christ's last testimony and His earliest function seem purposely combined."

Hort did NOT "proclaim Christ was the first thing created", as Holland claimed. He simply recognized that the precise Greek words of this particular verse (n apxh thc kticwec), on their own, from a grammatical perspective could mean "the first thing created" - but they could also just as easily mean the source of creation, which is the meaning we accept because it is the meaning the rest of Revelation and the Bible (such as Col 1:16-18, which Hort mentions) and even the Creeds (with which Hort had "deeply-rooted agreement") compel us to accept.