The Work of the Father and the Son in John 5

Bishop Williamson begins this session by reviewing the concept of divine power and operation, focusing on the relationship between the Father and the Son as presented in the Gospel of St. John. He revisits the text of John 5:17-20 to explain how the Father communicates His divine power and operation to the Son from all eternity. The lecture establishes a framework for understanding how God acts in the world through these divine processions, preparing the students to analyze the specific works performed by Christ.

Moving into the core of the passage, the lecture breaks down the fourfold division of a creature's being: essence, power, act, and operation. Williamson contrasts the nature of created beings, which possess these elements distinctly, with the nature of God, in whom these attributes are identical. He cites Aristotle regarding the first and second acts of a being and discusses how every creature is divided into these components. He then addresses the question of whether the Father raises the dead and the Son raises the dead as distinct actions, or if they operate as one principle. He also digresses briefly into the nature of the resurrection of the dead, clarifying that the bodily resurrection of individuals like Lazarus was a temporary miracle performed by the power of God, distinct from the final resurrection. The discussion includes references to the Treatise on the Angels and the specific mechanics of divine judgment.

Williamson concludes by applying these theological distinctions to the life of the believer. He emphasizes that the power to judge is given to the Son precisely because He is the Son of Man, highlighting the dual nature of Christ. He finishes the session by reminding the students that the authority to judge, while exercised by Christ as man, is rooted in His eternal divine nature, and that the ultimate purpose of these works is to lead men to honor the Son as they honor the Father.